JP2010273711A - Pressure cooker and method for controlling the same during warming - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce blocking force of a lid during a warming step and to prevent alteration of an object to be cooked. <P>SOLUTION: An open or closed state of the lid 23 for blocking a top end opening of an inner pot 10 during the warming step is monitored by lid state detecting means (oscillating member 98, photo interrupter 104). When releasing of the lid 23 is detected by the lid state detecting means, valve control means (microcomputer 109) operates driving means (stepping motor 45) of a pressure regulating valve 64 to release a pressed state wherein a valve element 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 is moved towards a blocked position, allowing the valve element 71 to be moved to a released position by an urging force of an urging member 85, and a vent hole 66 forming a part of an exhaust passage is released. Meanwhile, when blocking of the lid 23 is detected by the lid state detecting means, the valve control means operates the driving means of the pressure regulating valve 64 to move the valve element 71 from the released position to the blocked position in resistance to the urging force of the urging member 85, and maintains this state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a pressure cooker and a method for controlling the pressure cooker during heat retention.

  A rice cooker, which is an example of a cooker, includes a main body that houses an inner pot and a lid that is attached to the main body so as to be opened and closed. And by heating the said inner pot with the heating means arrange | positioned inside the main body, the cooked rice which is the cooking set in the inner pot is cooked, and the cooked rice is then heat-retained. Among them, the pressure rice cooker has a vent hole in the exhaust passage provided in the lid body, and the inside of the inner pot can be pressurized to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure by closing the vent hole with a valve body. .

  Patent Document 1 describes a pressure rice cooker that can change the internal pressure of the inner pot in multiple stages. In this pressure rice cooker, a pressure regulating valve and a relief valve are disposed on an inner lid that is detachably disposed on the lid. The pressure regulating valve includes a valve body disposed so as to be movable in an orthogonal direction toward the center of the vent hole, and the closing force on the vent hole can be adjusted by pressing the valve body downward by a driving unit. Thereby, the pressure which can pressurize the inside of an inner pot can be changed in multiple steps. The relief valve closes the vent hole with a rollable spherical member. Thereby, when the inside of the inner pot is pressurized to an abnormal pressure exceeding a preset pressure, the spherical member is separated from the vent hole by the pressure of the steam, and the pressure is released from the exhaust passage.

  In the pressure rice cooker, it is important to securely seal the upper end opening of the inner pot when the pressure is adjusted by the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve in the rice cooking process. Therefore, a lid packing is disposed on the lid so as to be in close contact with the inner peripheral wall of the upper end opening of the inner pot. However, immediately after shifting from the rice cooking process to the heat retention process, the temperature in the inner pot is higher than the preset temperature control temperature during the heat retention, the packing is expanded, and the amount of steam released is also large. Therefore, a large closing force is required when closing the lid after opening the lid immediately after the transition to the heat retaining treatment.

  Further, in the heat retaining treatment, the temperature and moisture in the inner pot are released from the exhaust passage that communicates the inner pot with the outside. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, the ventilation holes of the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve are closed by the heat retaining process. When the user's intention to open the lid is detected, the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve are opened, and the lid can be opened by balancing the internal pressure of the inner pot with the atmospheric pressure. Further, when the lid is closed, the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve are configured to close the vent hole again.

  The pressure rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 has a large opening area of the exhaust passage because the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve are open when the lid is closed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the force required when closing the lid. However, dew condensation water including “Onaba” is accumulated inside the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve due to exhaust during cooking. As a result, when the pressure regulating valve and the relief valve are opened so that the lid can be opened, the condensed water drops into the inner pot and adheres to the cooked rice being kept warm. In this case, there is a problem that the cooked rice with the condensed water whitens. In addition, even if it is a cooking appliance which cooks foodstuffs other than rice, the problem that condensed water adheres to a cooked thing arises similarly. And when dew condensation water adheres to a cooking thing, it may affect a taste and food texture similarly.

JP 2008-220444 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems, and provides a pressure cooker that can reduce the closing force of the lid body during the heat treatment and can prevent the quality of the cooked product and the control method during the heat retention. Is an issue.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a pressure cooker according to the present invention includes a main body that houses an inner pot, heating means that heats the food in the inner pot, and a pivotable attachment to the main body. A lid that closes the upper end opening; an exhaust passage that is provided in the lid and communicates the inside and outside of the inner pan; and a vent hole that is provided in the exhaust passage and forms a part of the exhaust passage. A valve body, a valve body movable toward a closed position pressed against the vent hole of the valve seat and an open position separated from the vent hole, and a biasing member that biases the valve body toward the open position A pressure regulating valve capable of blocking the inside and outside of the inner pot by closing the vent hole with the valve body and pressurizing the inside of the inner pot to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure; and Driving means for moving from the open position to the closed position against the biasing force, and the inner pot or the inner pot The cooking temperature is detected by the pan temperature detecting means, the lid state detecting means for detecting the open / closed state of the lid, and the cooking means is controlled by controlling the heating means and the pressure regulating valve based on the detected value of the pot temperature detecting means. Then, when the opening of the lid body is detected by the lid state detection means during the heat retention process by the heating control means for executing the heat retention process and the heat control means, the valve body of the pressure regulating valve is moved to the open position, When the lid state detection means detects the closure of the lid body, the pressure control valve is moved from the open position toward the closed position, and the valve control means for maintaining the state is provided.

  Moreover, the control method at the time of heat retention of this pressure cooker is that after the heating control means controls the heating means based on the detection value of the pan temperature detection means to heat the food in the inner pot and execute the cooking process. Subsequently, a control method for maintaining the temperature of the pressure cooker that heats the cooked food in the inner pot and executes the heat retaining process, the open / closed state of the lid closing the upper end opening of the inner pot during the heat retaining process. When monitoring is performed by the lid state detecting means and the opening of the lid body is detected by the lid state detecting means, the valve control means operates the driving means of the pressure regulating valve to move the valve body of the pressure regulating valve toward the closed position. By releasing the pressed state, the valve body is moved to the open position by the urging force of the urging member, and the vent hole constituting a part of the exhaust passage is opened, while the lid state detecting means closes the lid body. Is detected, the valve control means drives the pressure regulating valve. Operating the means, the valve body of 該調 valve is moved toward the closed position from the open position against the urging force of the urging member is configured to maintain the state.

  Here, “moving the valve body toward the closed position” means that the valve body is moved until the vent hole is closed, and the valve body is moved until the valve body is positioned with a predetermined gap with respect to the vent hole. Includes both configurations. The state of being positioned with a predetermined gap is intended to mean a state in which the flow rate is less than R due to the exhaust resistance due to the valve body being located in the vicinity, where R is the flow rate that can flow through the vent hole in the open position. Yes.

  The pressure cooker configured in this manner increases the opening area of the exhaust passage when the lid is closed because the pressure regulating valve is opened when the opening of the lid is detected during the heat retention process. As a result, the force required to close the lid can be reduced. In addition, since the pressure regulating valve is opened when the pivotable lid is opened, the dew condensation water that contains “rice cake” or “food soup” accumulated in the pressure regulating valve is exhausted along the inclination of the lid. It flows in the passage. As a result, since dripping into the inner pot can be prevented, the quality of the cooked product can be prevented and hygiene can be ensured. Furthermore, when the pressure regulating valve detects the closure of the lid body, the valve body is moved from the open position to the closed position and the state is maintained, so that the temperature and steam in the inner pan are released more than necessary. Can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the food from being dried, maintain a good heat-retaining state, and prevent wasteful power consumption.

  In this pressure cooker, a second valve seat having a second vent hole that forms a part of the exhaust passage in the exhaust passage of the lid, and a spherical member that opens and closes the second vent hole of the second valve seat A relief valve capable of pressurizing the inner pot to a pressure higher than the pressure regulating valve by closing the second vent hole with the spherical member, and a second for separating the spherical member from above the second vent hole. 2 drive means, and the valve control means shuts off the inside and outside of the inner pot by closing each vent hole with the spherical member of the relief valve and the valve body of the pressure regulating valve. Can be pressurized to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, and the second vent hole of the relief valve is preferably kept open during the heat retention process. In this way, during the heat retention process, the inner pan and the outside communicate with each other through the vent hole of the relief valve. The lid can be opened.

  The valve control means moves the valve body of the pressure regulating valve to an open position when the temperature detected by the pan temperature detection means is higher than a preset temperature during the heat retention process, and the detected temperature reaches the preset temperature. When the pressure drops, it is preferable to move the valve body of the pressure regulating valve from the open position to the closed position and maintain the state. Note that the “set temperature” is preferably a temperature-controlled set temperature that is adjusted by the heat-retaining treatment of the food. If it does in this way, while being able to rapidly reduce the cooked hot food to preset temperature, an unnecessary vapor | steam can be discharge | released. Therefore, condensation can be prevented and the quality of the cooked product can be suppressed, so that the heat retaining performance can be improved.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the valve control means moves the valve body of the pressure regulating valve to the open position and opens the vent hole when the heat retaining process is stopped by operating the operation panel. If it does in this way, the blockage | closure workability | operativity of the cover body in the standby mode which is not performing any cooking process and heat retention process can also be improved.
In this case, after the valve control means detects the operation of the operation panel, when the temperature detected by the pan temperature detection means is higher than a preset open temperature, the valve control means opens and closes the pressure regulating valve according to the opening and closing of the lid. It is preferable to continue the control and move the valve body of the pressure regulating valve to the open position when the temperature drops below the open temperature. If it does in this way, the excessive temperature fall at the time of a heat retention process being stopped can be suppressed in the state where the food remains in the inner pot.

  The pressure regulating valve is disposed on an inner lid that is detachably attached to the lid body, and includes a cover that surrounds an upper portion of the valve seat and movably accommodates the valve body. It is preferable to provide a cleaning hole for removing foreign matter. In this way, there is a possibility that foreign matter may enter the pressure regulating valve as the pressure regulating valve can be opened during cooking or heat retention. Can be removed when cleaning. As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the pressure regulating valve due to foreign matter mixing.

  In the pressure cooker of the present invention, when the opening of the lid is detected during the heat retaining process, the pressure regulating valve is opened, so that the force required to close the lid can be reduced. Moreover, since the dew condensation water accumulated in the pressure regulating valve flows in the exhaust passage along the inclination of the lid body, it is possible to prevent deterioration due to adhering to the food and to ensure hygiene. In addition, when the closure of the lid is detected, the valve body is moved from the open position to the closed position, so that the temperature in the inner pan and the release of steam can be prevented. The state can be maintained and wasteful power consumption can be prevented.

It is sectional drawing which shows the rice cooker of embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which fractured | ruptured the rice cooker in the other part. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a cover body. It is a top view which shows the structure of a cover body. (A), (B), (C) is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the operation state of a pressure regulation valve. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an inner cover. It is a disassembled perspective view of the pressure regulation valve with which an inner cover is mounted | worn. It is principal part sectional drawing of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the cover state detection means of FIG. (A), (B), (C), (D) is a side view which shows the relationship between the operation state of a rocking | swiveling member, and the detection state of a cover state detection means. (A), (B) is sectional drawing which shows the operation state of the cover state detection means accompanying opening of a cover body. (A), (B) is sectional drawing which shows the operating state of the cover state detection means accompanying the movement of a moving member. (A) is a block diagram which shows the structure of a rice cooker, (B) is a graph which shows the judgment of the microcomputer by the relationship between the drive state of a solenoid, and the detection state of a photo interrupter. It is a flowchart which shows the rice cooking process by a microcomputer. It is a flowchart which shows the heat retention process by a microcomputer. It is a modification of the control by a microcomputer, and is a flowchart which shows the valve control process performed after a heat retention process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show a pressure cooker that is an example of a pressure cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. This pressure rice cooker includes a main body 11 that detachably accommodates an inner pot 10 that is heated by electromagnetic induction, and a lid body 23 that is rotatably attached to the main body 11. In this rice cooker, after the rice cooking (cooking) process is executed according to a preset program by the microcomputer 109 as the control means, the first heat retaining process is subsequently executed. And the rice cooker of this embodiment detects the opening-and-closing state of the cover body 23 during a heat retention process, and if the opening of the cover body 23 is detected, it will open the pressure regulation valve 64 which is a pressure injection means, and will obstruct | occlude the cover body 23. Is detected, the pressure regulating valve 64 is closed.

  The main body 11 includes an exterior body including a cylindrical body 12, a bottom body 13 that closes a lower end opening of the body 12, and a shoulder body 14 that is attached so as to cover the upper end opening of the body 12. This shoulder body 14 is provided with an opening 15 for detachably placing the inner pot 10 at its approximate center, and the closed state of the lid body 23 is maintained on the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the opening 15. An engagement receiving portion 16 made of a hole is provided. In addition, a cylindrical inner cylinder 17 and a saucer-shaped protective frame 18 made of a non-conductive material are disposed in the opening 15 of the shoulder body 14. An induction heating coil 19, which is a first heating means, is disposed on the lower outer peripheral surface of the protective frame 18 via a ferrite core 20. A cylinder heater 21 as a second heating means is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the inner cylinder 17. Further, the protective frame 18 has a temperature sensor 22 (thermistor) that is a first pan temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the cooked rice and the cooked rice through the protective frame 18 and through the internal inner pot 10. ) Is arranged.

  The lid body 23 is attached to a hinge receiving portion formed on the back portion of the shoulder body 14 so as to be able to be opened and closed (turned), and closes the upper end opening of the main body 11. The lid body 23 is detachably mounted on the upper plate 24 that constitutes the outer surface material together with the exterior body of the main body 11, the lower plate 29 that closes the bottom of the upper plate 24, and the lower surface of the lower plate 29. And an inner lid 60. An inside of the lid 23 is provided with an exhaust passage for communicating the inside of the inner pot 10 with the outside, and pressure introduction means for boosting the inside of the inner pot 10 to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure in the exhaust passage. A pressure regulating valve 64 and a relief valve 86 are provided.

  The upper plate 24 is provided with an operation member 25 for opening the lid 23 at the front portion thereof. The operation member 25 includes a lock release operation portion 26 exposed on the surface of the exterior body, and a pressing portion 27 for rotating a lock member 35 described later in the lock release direction is provided on the inner surface thereof. The operation member 25 is biased upward by a kick spring (not shown). In addition, a steam port unit 28 constituting an outlet of the exhaust passage is detachably disposed on the back portion of the upper plate 24.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower plate 29 has a shape corresponding to the concave depression shape on the upper side of the shoulder body 14. On the upper surface of the lower plate 29, a metal reinforcing plate 30 is disposed. On the back portion of the lower plate 29, a hinge connection portion 31 is provided that is pivotally attached to a hinge receiving portion of the shoulder body 14 so as to be rotatable by a shaft. Further, a connected portion 32 for removably connecting the steam port unit 28 is provided on the back of the lower plate 29 so as to be positioned below the steam port unit 28. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a lid heater 34 as third heating means is disposed on the bottom of the lower plate 29 via a metal heater cover 33.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a lock member 35 is rotatably attached to the front portion of the lower plate 29. The lock member 35 is for maintaining the lid 23 closed with respect to the main body 11, and is formed by bending a metal plate. The lock member 35 is provided with shaft portions 36 on both side surfaces thereof for being pivotally attached to the lower plate 29. Further, on both sides of the lower end edge of the lock member 35, a pair of detachably engaged with the engagement receiving portion 16 of the shoulder body 14 and engaged with the flange portion of the inner pot 10 across the resin wall of the shoulder body 14. The engaging claw portion 37 is provided so as to form an L shape. Further, the lock member 35 is provided with a receiving portion 38 that extends at an angle toward the back surface (hinge connecting portion 31) upward at the center of the upper end and contacts the pressing portion 27 of the operation member 25. The lock member 35 is biased to the engagement position shown in FIG. 1 by a kick spring which is a biasing means (not shown).

  Further, the lower plate 29 is provided with a first accommodating portion 39 that accommodates the pressure regulating valve 64 disposed on the inner lid 60. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the first accommodating portion 39 has a cylindrical shape with upper and lower ends opened. A first packing 40 is disposed at the upper end opening, and a heater cover 33 is disposed at the lower end opening. The 1st seal member 41 which seals between is arranged. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a second accommodating portion 42 that accommodates a relief valve 86 disposed in the inner lid 60 is provided beside the first accommodating portion 39. As shown in FIG. 2, the second accommodating portion 42 has a dome shape with a lower end opening. A driving opening is provided in the front portion of the side wall, and the driving opening is closed by the second packing 43. Has been. In addition, a second seal member 44 that seals between the heater cover 33 and the heater cover 33 is disposed at the lower end opening of the second housing portion 42.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower plate 29 is provided with a stepping motor 45 that is a driving means of the pressure regulating valve 64 on the back side of the first housing portion 39. The stepping motor 45 is provided with a drive gear 46 on its output shaft. Further, on the front side of the stepping motor 45, a pressing member 47 that transmits the driving force to the pressure regulating valve 64 is rotatably arranged. As shown in FIG. 5, the pressing member 47 includes a gear portion 48 that meshes with the drive gear 46. In addition, on the opposite side of the gear portion 48 across the shaft attachment portion 49, an operation portion 50 is provided that extends over the first packing 40 of the first housing portion 39. A resin receiving member 51 is disposed at the center of the first packing 40, and the operation unit 50 is configured to push down the pressure regulating valve 64 through the receiving member 51.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower plate 29 is provided with a solenoid 52, which is a driving means for the relief valve 86, on the front side of the second housing portion 42. The solenoid 52 is a two-position solenoid, and includes a rod that advances and retreats depending on the presence / absence of energization. The solenoid 52 is configured such that when energized, the rod moves backward in the left direction in the drawing, and when energization is interrupted, the rod moves forward in the right direction in FIG. 1 by the biasing force of the spring. A pressing member 53 that presses the spherical member 90 of the relief valve 86 located in the second accommodating portion 42 via the second packing 43 is disposed at the tip of the solenoid 52 rod. The pressing member 53 is provided with a moving member 54 that locks the lid 23 so that it cannot be opened by using the driving force of the solenoid 52. The moving member 54 is formed of a rectangular frame, and moves to the lock member 35 side via the pressing member 53 when the rod is retracted, while moving away from the lock member 35 when the rod is advanced. Moving. The end of the moving member 54 on the side of the lock member 35 constitutes a lock portion 55 that can be moved back and forth in the moving area of the lock member 35. As shown in FIG. 12A, the lock portion 55 is locked when the engagement claw portion 37 of the lock member 35 is engaged with the engagement receiving portion 16 of the main body 11 with a normal engagement allowance. The member 35 can be moved to the lock position that has entered the lower portion of the receiving portion 38. Further, as shown in FIG. 12B, in the abnormal engagement state where the engagement allowance between the engagement claw portion 37 and the engagement receiving portion 16 is insufficient, by contacting the receiving portion 38 of the lock member 35, It stops at the half-lock position where it cannot enter the lower part of the receiving part 38.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the lower plate 29 has a differential pressure type pressure sensor 56 which is a pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure in the inner pot 10 on the front side of the first accommodating portion 39. Is arranged. The pressure sensor 56 communicates with the inside of the inner pot 10 through a communication portion 57 provided on the lower plate 29. A third seal member 58 that seals between the communication portion 57 and the inner lid 60 is disposed at the lower end opening of the communication portion 57. The lower plate 29 is provided with a lid temperature sensor 59 (see FIG. 13A) as second pan temperature detecting means.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the inner lid 60 is detachably disposed at the lower portion of the heater cover 33, and includes a metal inner lid body 61 and a lid packing 62. The lid packing 62 is tightly sealed to the inner peripheral wall of the upper end opening of the inner pot 10, and is disposed on the inner lid body 61 so as not to be detached by disposing a resin frame 63 on the outer peripheral portion. Yes. The inner lid body 61 of the inner lid 60 is integrally provided with a pressure regulating valve 64 disposed in the first housing portion 39 and a relief valve 86 disposed in the second housing portion 42 of the lower plate 29. It is installed.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the pressure regulating valve 64 includes a first valve seat 65, a valve body 71, a pressurizing biasing mechanism that biases the valve body 71 downward, and a first valve body 71 that surrounds the valve body 71. 1 cover 79 and an urging member 85 for urging the valve body 71 upward are provided. Then, when the stepping motor 45 is driven and the valve body 71 is moved from the open position to the closed position against the biasing force of the biasing member 85 for opening, the inner pot 10 and the outer pot are shut off. 10 can be pressurized to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure.

  The first valve seat 65 is disposed on the lower surface side located in the inner pot 10 with respect to the inner lid body 61, and a first part serving as a part of the exhaust passage (first inlet) is at the center thereof. A vent hole 66 is provided. A mounting portion 67 protruding in a cylindrical shape is provided around the first ventilation hole 66. The mounting portion 67 includes a locking claw 68 that passes through the inner lid body 61 and locks to the first cover 79. A concave groove for disposing a seal member 69 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the locking claw 68. A positioning step 70 for positioning the opening biasing member 85 is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the mounting portion 67.

  The valve body 71 closes the first vent 66 and has an inverted conical shape. The valve body 71 is moved to the open position separated from the first vent hole 66 of the first valve seat 65 by the biasing force of the biasing member 85 for opening, as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, the stepping motor 45 is driven to press-contact the first vent hole 66 of the first valve seat 65 through the pressing member 47 and the receiving member pressurizing biasing mechanism. It is moved along the axial direction to the closed position. The valve body 71 is provided with an engaging shaft 72 extending in the axial direction, and an engaging portion 73 is provided at the upper end of the engaging shaft 72. Further, on the upper surface of the valve body 71, positioning convex portions 74 for positioning a pressing biasing member 78 for biasing the valve body 71 downward are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

  The pressurizing urging mechanism moves the valve element 71 downward via the pressing member 47 by driving the stepping motor 45, and includes an operation receiving member 75 and a pressurizing urging member 78. The operation receiving member 75 has a substantially conical cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical engaging portion 76 for engaging the engaging shaft 72 of the valve body 71 so as to be relatively movable is provided therein. Further, a stopper piece 77 for stopping the upward movement protrudes from the lower outer peripheral portion of the operation receiving member 75. The pressurizing biasing member 78 is disposed so as to be positioned on the outer peripheral portion of the engaging portion 76 of the operation receiving member 75 and the engaging shaft 72 of the valve body 71, and the valve body 71 is predetermined with respect to the operation receiving member 75. By urging downward with the urging force, the first vent hole 66 is closed with the urging force.

  The first cover 79 has a conical cylinder shape having an inner diameter larger than that of the valve body 71 so as to surround the upper portion of the first valve seat 65. A reduced diameter portion 80 is provided at the upper end of the first cover 79 so as to have an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the stopper piece 77. A locking flange portion 81 that locks the locking claw 68 of the first valve seat 65 is provided at the lower end of the first cover 79. A locking hole corresponding to the locking claw 68 is provided in the upper portion of the locking flange portion 81. Further, a cleaning hole 82 for removing foreign matter is provided at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction so as to be positioned between the locking holes at the upper portion of the locking flange portion 81. In the present embodiment, a slit 83 for dividing the locking flange portion 81 is provided at the position where the cleaning hole 82 is formed. Then, a C-shaped washer 84 having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the locking flange portion 81 is fitted to the outer peripheral portion of the first cover 79 so as to be detached from the inner lid body 61 via the first valve seat 65. It is configured to be impossible to install.

  The opening biasing member 85 is disposed between the positioning step portion 70 of the first valve seat 65 and the stopper piece 77 of the operation receiving member 75. The urging member 85 for opening is elastically contracted when the stepping motor 45 is driven and the operation receiving member 75 is moved downward via the pressing member 47 and the receiving member. In addition, when the movement (pressing) of the operation receiving member 75 by the stepping motor 45 is released, the operation receiving member 75 is moved upward to release the valve body 71 from the closed position via the operation receiving member 75. Move to position.

  When the stepper motor 45 is driven to move the valve body 71 to the open position, the pressure regulating valve 64 configured in this way balances the inside of the inner pot 10 with the atmospheric pressure via the first vent hole 66. That is, the first vent hole 66 has an opening area that can be exhausted so that the inner pressure of the inner pot 10 is equal to the atmospheric pressure. Moreover, the inside of the inner pot 10 can be pressurized to 1.20 atm by driving the stepping motor 45. That is, when the pressure in the inner pot 10 exceeds 1.20 atm, the pressurizing biasing member 78 is contracted via the valve body 71 by the pressure of the steam and has a spring force that can release the pressure from the exhaust passage. ing. Incidentally, the pressure that can be pressurized by the pressure regulating valve 64 is adjusted in the range of 1.00 to 1.20 atm by adjusting the amount of movement for moving the operation receiving member 75 downward via the pressing member 47 by driving the stepping motor 45. It can be changed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the relief valve 86 includes a second valve seat 87, a spherical member 90, and a second cover 91. When the pressing member 53 is advanced by driving the solenoid 52, the inside of the inner pot 10 is cut off from the outside, and the inside of the inner pot 10 can be pressurized to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure.

  Similar to the first valve seat 65, the second valve seat 87 is disposed on the lower surface side located in the inner pot 10 with respect to the inner lid body 61. The second valve seat 87 has a trapezoidal cylindrical shape with the upper end closed, and is provided with a second mounting portion 88 that penetrates the inner pot main body and engages with the second cover 91. A second ventilation hole 89 serving as a part of the exhaust passage (second inlet) is provided at the center of the flat upper end blocking surface of the second mounting portion 88. The second vent hole 89 has an opening area that can be exhausted so that the inner pot 10 is boiled and the inner pressure of the inner pot 10 is equal to the atmospheric pressure.

  The spherical member 90 closes the second ventilation hole 89 to prevent the air in the inner pot 10 from being exhausted to the outside so that the inside of the inner pot 10 can be pressurized. Moreover, if it presses by the press member 53 and leaves | separates from the 2nd ventilation hole 89, the internal pressure of the inner pot 10 will be returned to atmospheric pressure (equilibrium). The spherical member 90 is of a weight that rolls away from the second vent hole 89 with the vapor pressure when the pressure in the inner pot 10 is increased to 1.30 atm.

  The second cover 91 is attached to the inner lid main body 61 through the second valve seat 87 by being assembled to the second mounting portion 88 of the second valve seat 87 in a state where the spherical member 90 is accommodated. To do. The second cover 91 is provided with an insertion hole 92 that corresponds to the second packing 43 of the second housing portion 42 and through which the pressing member 53 of the solenoid 52 is inserted and retracted.

  Note that the lid body 23 to which the inner lid 60 is attached is disposed inside the pressure regulating valve 64 and the relief valve 86, from the gap between them and the accommodating portions 39, 42, from the gap between the inner lid body 61 and the heater cover 33, and from the steam. The path passing through the mouth unit 28 constitutes an exhaust passage that communicates the inside of the inner pot 10 with the outside.

  Further, the lid body 23 of the present embodiment is provided with a rocking member 98 as lid state detecting means for detecting the open / closed state of the lid body 23, and the movable position of the rocking member 98 is determined by a non-contact sensor. The detection is performed by a certain photo interrupter 104. In the present embodiment, the holding member 93 that is disposed in a swingable state of the swinging member 98 is provided on the moving member 54, so that the engagement claw portion of the lock member 35 can be obtained by a single photo interrupter 104. 37 and the engagement receiving part 16 of the main body 11 can be further detected.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, the holding portion 93 protrudes from the side portion of the moving member 54 and includes a pair of support walls 94A and 94B. A first mounting hole 95 is provided in the upper part of the support walls 94A and 94B, and a swinging member 98 is swingably mounted by inserting a separate pin 96 therethrough. In addition, a stopper 97 that stops the swinging of the swing member 98 is installed on the support walls 94A and 94B above the first mounting hole 95.

  The swing member 98 includes a rod-shaped detection unit 99 that extends and is positioned on the lower side with a predetermined interval with respect to the stopper unit 97. At the distal end of the detection unit 99, the detection region in the space where the light emitting unit 105 and the light receiving unit 106 of the photo interrupter 104 are opposed is excluded at the locked position where the moving member 54 has entered the lower part of the receiving unit 38 of the locking member 35. A protruding portion 100 that protrudes to a position is provided (see FIG. 10B). Further, the swinging member 98 is provided with a counterbalance portion 101 that protrudes downward, and a second mounting hole 102 corresponding to the first mounting hole 95 is provided above the counterbalance portion 101. A separate weight 103 is disposed at the lower end of the balance portion 101 so that the detection portion 99 is balanced in a state of extending in the horizontal direction. The swinging member 98 maintains a state in which a part of the swinging member 99 has entered the position excluding the detection region in the facing space of the photo interrupter 104 while the detecting unit 99 is in contact with the stopper unit 97. (See FIG. 10C).

  The photo interrupter 104 detects the proximity and separation of the detecting unit 99 of the swing member 98 in a non-contact state, and includes a light emitting unit 105 provided with a light emitting element and a light receiving unit 106 provided with a light receiving element. ing. The light emitting unit 105 and the light receiving unit 106 are disposed in opposing wall portions of a guide frame having a substantially U shape. The guide frame guides the swinging member 98 so as to be movable in the facing space. Therefore, a part of the facing space constitutes a detection area. The photo interrupter 104 can receive the light of the light emitting element when the detection unit 99 that is a shield is not present in the detection region, and can detect the light of the light emitting element when the detection unit 99 enters the detection region. The light receiving element cannot receive light. Then, the light receiving state or the non-light receiving state, which means the detection state of the detection unit 99, is output to the microcomputer 109 as a predetermined signal.

  The photo interrupter 104 is mounted on the detection substrate 107 and is installed at a height corresponding to the detection unit 99 of the swing member 98. Here, the substantial detection part of the light receiving part 106 is located inside the exposure hole 106a provided in the facing surface. Therefore, the same shape area in the axial direction of the exposure hole 106a constitutes a detection area. As shown in FIG. 10B, the exposure hole 106a is positioned above the protruding portion 100 of the swinging member 98 in a state where the moving member 54 is in the locked position. The light receiving path is not cut off. Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, the exposure hole 106a is positioned below the lower end of the detection unit 99 at the second movable position where the detection unit 99 is in contact with the stopper unit 97. The light receiving path is not blocked by the detection unit 99 at the position. That is, in the photo interrupter 104, when the lid body 23 is closed and the moving member 54 is moved to the unlocked position and the half-locked position, the light receiving path is blocked by the detecting unit 99 and the moving member 54 is moved. Is moved to the locked position, the projecting portion 100 is located below the light receiving path, and is installed at a position where the detecting section 99 does not block the light receiving path. If the moving distance (interval) from the unlocked position to the half-locked position is L1, and the moving distance from the unlocked position to the locked position is L2, these are L1 <L2. For this reason, the region of the moving distance L1 or less is installed so as to be a non-detection region of the photo interrupter 104. That is, the non-detection region means a region where the light receiving unit 106 of the photo interrupter 104 cannot receive light from the light emitting element of the light emitting unit 105 because the detection unit 99 is blocking the light receiving path. To do. Accordingly, when the swing member 98 moves beyond the distance L1 via the moving member 54, the detection unit 99 deviates from the non-detection region and can detect the state.

  In this rice cooker, an operation panel 108 having a switch for a user to input rice cooking conditions and a liquid crystal display panel for displaying a selection state and an operation state thereof is disposed on the front upper portion of the shoulder body 14. . A control board (not shown) is disposed between the exterior body and the protective frame 18. And this rice cooker is controlled according to the program preset by the microcomputer 109 which is the control means mounted in the control board, as shown to FIG. 13 (A).

  In this embodiment, when the operation of the rice cooking switch disposed on the operation panel 108 is detected, the rice is preheated, heated (medium-pump), and maintained in accordance with the rice cooking program based on the rice cooking conditions set by the liquid crystal display panel. After performing the rice cooking process which consists of each process of twice cooking and murame, the 1st heat retention process which heats the cooked cooked rice to predetermined temperature is performed continuously. Moreover, when the heat retention switch of the operation panel 108 is operated in the standby mode in which neither the rice cooking process including the reservation nor the first heat retention process is performed, a second heat retention process different from the first heat retention process is performed.

  In the rice cooking process, immediately after receiving the rice cooking switch and at the start of the temperature raising process, after detecting (determining) the open / closed state of the lid 23 based on the signal from the photo interrupter 104 with the drive of the solenoid 52 Then, a lid state inspection step of detecting (determining) the engagement state of the engagement receiving portion 16 of the main body 11 and the engagement claw portion 37 of the lock member 35 is executed. When it is determined that the lid body 23 is in the closed state and the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 are in the normal engagement state, the rice cooking process is executed (continued). On the other hand, when it is determined that the lid 23 is in the open state and when it is determined that the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 are in the abnormal engagement state, the energization to the solenoid 52 is stopped. The rice cooking process is stopped by unlocking the moving member 54.

  In the rice cooking process, the microcomputer 109 serves as heating control means using the induction heating coil 19, the body heater 21 and the lid heater 34, and valve control means for the pressure regulating valve 64 and the relief valve 86. The microcomputer 109 as the control means is guided based on the detection values of the temperature sensors 22 and 59 and the pressure sensor 56 so as to maintain the plural kinds of pressures set in the inner pot 10 in the boiling maintenance process. While controlling the heating coil 19, the pressure regulating valve 64 is controlled via the stepping motor 45. Specifically, energizing the solenoid 52 causes the spherical member 90 of the relief valve 86 to roll over the second vent hole 89 and closes the second vent hole 89. Further, by operating the stepping motor 45, the valve body 71 is moved from the open position to the closed position, and the first vent hole 66 is closed. Thereby, the inside of the inner pot 10 is shut off from the outside, and the inside of the inner pot 10 can be pressurized to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure with steam generated by heating. In the present embodiment, the valve element 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 is configured to be movable to an open position separated from the first vent hole 66. On the other hand, in this pressure rice cooker, when the relief valve 86 has been moved to the closed position, for example, an “unusual” is attached to the second vent hole 89 of the relief valve 86, There is a case where the pressure in the pot 10 is increased to a pressure higher than the target pressure. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when an excessive pressurization state is detected from the detection value of the pressure sensor 56, the valve body 71 is positioned with a predetermined gap (0.5 mm) with respect to the first vent hole 66. (See FIG. 5B). When the valve body 71 is in the open position (see FIG. 5A), the valve body 71 is located inside (when the flow rate capable of flowing through the first vent hole 66 is R). It is a position where the flow rate becomes less than R due to the exhaust resistance due to being located in the vicinity. Note that the closed state may be set in advance at a position having a predetermined gap without detecting an excessive pressure state.

  On the other hand, in the first heat retention process, the microcomputer 109 serves as a heating control means as in the rice cooking process, and the temperature adjustment set temperature set by the user on the operation panel 108 based on the detected value of the temperature sensor 22 for the inner pot. Keep the cooked rice warm. In addition, in this embodiment, the rice cooking capacity is divided into two or more (for example, full, medium, and small three sections), and the temperature control set temperature (of the temperature sensor 22 for the inner pot) is adjusted for each capacity section. (Set temperature) is different.

  Further, in the first heat retaining process, the microcomputer 109 serves as a valve control means, and the relief valve 86 shuts off the energization to the solenoid 52, thereby opening the spherical member 90 away from the second vent 89. To maintain. Further, the microcomputer 109 detects (monitors) the opening / closing of the lid body 23 based on the signal from the photo interrupter 104. When the opening of the lid body 23 is detected, the stepping motor 45 is driven to open the pressure regulating valve 64, and the pressure state of the valve body 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 is released to release the valve body 71. The urging force of the urging member 85 is moved to the open position. As a result, the first vent hole 66 that is the inlet of the exhaust passage is opened, and the opening area of the exhaust passage is increased with the second vent hole 89. On the other hand, when the closure of the lid 23 is detected, the pressure regulating valve 64 is closed by driving the stepping motor 45, and the valve body 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 is opened against the urging force of the urging member 85 for opening. To the closed position. Thereby, the 1st ventilation hole 66 is made into a closed state, and the opening area of an exhaust passage is decreased.

  In the present embodiment, when the temperature detected by the inner pan temperature sensor 22 is higher than the preset temperature, the opening / closing operation of the pressure regulating valve 64 in the first heat retaining process is performed by changing the valve body 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64. As described above, the pressure regulating valve 64 is also opened / closed in accordance with the opening / closing of the lid body 23 when the state of being moved to the open position is maintained and the detected temperature is lowered to the set temperature. In the present embodiment, the set temperature is set to the temperature adjustment set temperature set by the user, but this set temperature can be changed as desired at a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature adjustment set temperature. In this embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 64 is moved to the closed position when the closure of the lid body 23 is detected. However, the valve body 71 is moved until it is positioned with a predetermined gap with respect to the first vent hole 66. A configuration may be adopted. The moving state located with the predetermined gap is the state shown in FIG. 5B as described above.

  Next, a lid state inspection process including determination of the open / close state of the lid 23 by the microcomputer 109 and determination of the engagement state of the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 will be described.

  In this lid state inspection step, the microcomputer 109 determines the open / close state of the lid body 23 based on the signal from the photo interrupter 104 in the unlocked operation state where the solenoid 52 is deenergized. Further, the microcomputer 109 determines the engagement state of the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 based on the signal of the photo interrupter 104 in the lock operation state where the solenoid 52 is energized.

  Specifically, in a state where the lid body 23 is closed so as to be positioned substantially in the horizontal direction with respect to the main body 11 and the moving member 54 is moved to the unlock position via the solenoid 52, the swinging member 98 is The state shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. In this state, since the detection unit 99 of the swinging member 98 at the first movable position enters the detection area of the photo interrupter 104, the photo interrupter 104 is turned off. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the microcomputer 109 detects the state in which the photo interrupter 104 is off in the off state where the solenoid 52 is not driven, thereby closing the lid 23. I can judge.

  Further, when the user performs an opening operation of the lid body 23 on the main body 11, the lid body 23 passes through the inclined state shown in FIG. 11A and reaches a position extending substantially upward as shown in FIG. Rotate. Then, until the swing member 98 abuts against the stopper portion 97 of the holding portion 93, the detection portion 99 of the swing member 98 maintains a state of extending in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. In the open state of the lid 23, as shown in FIGS. 10C and 11B, the detection unit 99 of the swing member 98 moves away from the detection region of the photo interrupter 104, and the photo interrupter 104 is Outputs an on signal. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the microcomputer 109 opens the lid 23 by detecting a state in which the photo interrupter 104 outputs an on signal when the solenoid 52 is not driven. Can be judged.

  Further, when the lid 23 is closed with respect to the main body 11 and the engagement claw portion 37 and the engagement receiving portion 16 are in the normal engagement state, when the solenoid 52 is locked, the moving member 54 is interposed. The swing member 98 is positioned in the state shown in FIGS. 10 (B) and 12 (A). In this state, since the detection unit 99 of the swing member 98 is separated from the detection region of the photo interrupter 104, the photo interrupter 104 outputs an on signal. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the microcomputer 109 detects the state in which the photo interrupter 104 is outputting the on signal while the solenoid 52 is being driven, whereby the engagement claw portion 37 is detected. It can be determined that the engagement receiving portion 16 is in the normal engagement state.

  When the lid 23 is closed with respect to the main body 11 and the engagement claw portion 37 and the engagement receiving portion 16 are in the abnormal engagement state, when the solenoid 52 is locked, the movement member 54 is interposed. The swing member 98 is located in the state shown in FIGS. 10 (D) and 12 (B). In this state, the detection unit 99 of the swing member 98 has entered the detection area of the photo interrupter 104 (not in a state of being detached from the detection area), and thus the photo interrupter 104 is off. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13B, the microcomputer 109 is engaged with the engagement claw portion 37 by detecting the state where the photo interrupter 104 is turned off while the solenoid 52 is being driven. It can be detected that the receiving portion 16 is in an abnormal engagement state.

  Thus, the rice cooker of this embodiment can determine the open / closed state of the lid body 23 and the engagement state between the engagement claw portion 37 and the engagement receiving portion 16 with one sensor 104. Therefore, an increase in product cost can be suppressed and an increase in size can be prevented. In addition, since the moving member 54 provided with the swing member 98 also serves as the drive means for the solenoid 52 that opens and closes the relief valve 86, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  Next, the control by the microcomputer 109 will be specifically described.

  First, in a state where the user has purchased a rice cooker, the microcomputer 109 operates in a backup mode using a voltage of 3 V by a primary battery (not shown). In this state, when the commercial power supply is turned on by connecting the power cord, a zero cross pulse is input through the power supply circuit, and the operation starts with the voltage from the commercial power supply. And it waits until the switch of the operation panel 108 is operated, and when any operation is detected, the input process is performed.

  And if the operation of a rice cooking switch is detected, as shown in FIG. 14, the microcomputer 109 will perform a 1st cover state test | inspection process first by step S1. In the first lid state inspection step, as described above, the open / close state of the lid body 23 is determined based on a signal from the photo interrupter 104 in the unlocked operation state where the solenoid 52 is de-energized. When it is determined that the lid body 23 is in the open state, a flag for ending the rice cooking process is set, and when it is determined that the lid body 23 is in the closed state, the engagement receiving unit 16 is engaged. The engagement state of the pawl portion 37 is determined. In this engagement state determination, the engagement state between the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 is determined based on a signal from the photo interrupter 104 as a lock operation state in which the solenoid 52 is energized (ON). And when it is judged that it is an abnormal engagement state, the flag for complete | finishing a rice cooking process is set, and when it judges that it is a normal engagement state, the flag for continuing a rice cooking process is set.

  When the first lid state inspection process is completed, in step S2, it is determined from the flag whether or not the state of the lid body 23 is normal. If the lid 23 is closed and the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 are in the normal engagement state, the process proceeds to step S3. Further, when the lid body 23 is opened, or when the engagement receiving portion 16 and the engagement claw portion 37 are in an abnormal engagement state, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S3, energization of the induction heating coil 19 is started, and a preheating step is performed in which the temperature is adjusted so that the temperature of the inner pot 10 is about 50 ° C. and heated. In this state, the pressure regulating valve 64 and the relief valve 86 are opened.

  Then, when the preheating process is finished by elapse of a preset time, the second lid state inspection process is executed in step S4. This second lid state inspection step is substantially the same as the first lid state inspection step, and when it is determined that the lid state is normal, that is, when the lid body 23 is closed and is in a normal engagement state. The process proceeds to step S5 without interrupting the energization of the solenoid 52, and when it is determined that the lid state is abnormal, that is, when the lid 23 is opened or is in an abnormal engagement state, the solenoid 52 The only difference is that the power supply to is cut off and the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, if the lid state is normal due to the flag, the process proceeds to steps S6 and S7, and if the lid state is abnormal, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In steps S6 and S7, the temperature raising process and the capacity determination process are performed in parallel. In the temperature raising step of step S <b> 6, the valve body 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 closes the first vent hole 66 by driving the stepping motor 45. In addition, the solenoid 52 is maintained in the energized state, and the spherical member 90 closes the second ventilation hole 89. In this state, the induction heating coil 19 is energized with 100% (full power) to boil the water containing cooked rice in the inner pot 10. As a result, the pressure in the inner pot 10 is gradually increased to a pressure state higher than the atmospheric pressure. The capacity | capacitance discrimination | determination process of step S7 discriminate | determines the rice cooking capacity accommodated in the inner pot 10 with the rising gradient of the temperature of the inner pot 10 under heating.

  When the temperature raising process ends, in step S8, the boiling heating maintaining process is executed by controlling the induction heating coil 19 and the pressure regulating valve 64 based on the input values of the lid temperature sensor 59 and the pressure sensor 56. Note that the pressure control valve 64 is controlled by adjusting the force by which the valve body 71 closes the first vent hole 66 via the pressurizing biasing member 78, and the valve body 71 is controlled by the first vent hole 66. It includes both pressure regulation by separating from. And if the preset time passes based on the discriminating rice cooking capacity and a boiling maintenance process is complete | finished, the energizing amount with respect to the induction heating coil 19 will be raised in step S9, and a cooking process will be performed.

  If the dry-up in the inner pot 10 is detected based on the detected temperature in the cooking process, the unevenness process is executed in step S10. In this unevenness process, the valve element 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 is moved to the open position by driving the stepping motor 45, and the first vent hole 66 is opened. Further, the energization of the solenoid 52 is interrupted, thereby rolling the spherical member 90 and opening the second vent hole 89. Thereby, the pressure injection in the inner pot 10 is cancelled | released. Then, energization of the body heater 21 and the lid heater 34 is started, while the energization of the induction heating coil 19 is interrupted.

  When the preset time elapses, the rice cooking process is terminated when the unevenness process ends, and then the process proceeds to the first heat retaining process.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in the first and second lid state inspection steps that the state of the lid 23 is abnormal, in step S11, the rice cooking process is terminated, and in step S12, the piezoelectric buzzer is activated. Alternatively, a notification process for informing the user through the liquid crystal display panel is executed.

  Next, the 1st heat retention process performed following this rice cooking process is demonstrated. In addition, since the 2nd heat retention process does not know the heat retention amount (rice cooking capacity) in the inner pot 10, it is different from the 1st heat retention process only in the point which temperature-controls with the intermediate temperature of the temperature control setting temperature which differs for every capacity division. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 15 (A), the first heat retaining process of the present embodiment executes the temperature adjustment process in step S23 and the valve control process in step S24 until the take-off switch on the operation panel 108 is operated. .

  Specifically, the microcomputer 109 first reads the heat retention rank in step S20. Immediately after shifting to the heat retention process, this heat retention amount rank is determined as a preset temperature adjustment temperature based on the rice cooking capacity determined in the rice cooking process. In this state, the vent holes 66 and 89 of the pressure regulating valve 64 and the relief valve 86 are in an open state by step S10.

  Next, in step S21, the process waits until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 22 for the inner pot is lowered to the set temperature control temperature. When the temperature is lowered to the temperature adjustment set temperature, the stepping motor 45 is driven in step S22, and the first vent 66 is closed by the valve body 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64.

  Then, the temperature control process of step S23 and the valve control process of steps S24 to S26 are processed in parallel. In the temperature adjustment process of step S23, the induction heating coil 19, the body heater 21 and the lid heater 34 are controlled to be turned on and off by using the set sensor temperature as a threshold value, so that the temperature is adjusted to the temperature adjustment set temperature. Is. In the valve control step, first, in step S24, it is detected whether or not the lid body 23 is opened based on a signal from the photo interrupter 104. If the opening of the lid body 23 is detected, the process proceeds to step S25 where the stepping motor 45 is driven and the valve body 71 is moved to the open position to open the first vent hole 66. If it is already open, the open state is maintained. On the other hand, when the opening of the lid 23 cannot be detected by the signal from the photo interrupter 104, that is, when the lid 23 is closed, the process proceeds to step S26, the stepping motor 45 is driven, and the valve body 71 is moved to the closed position. The first vent hole 66 is closed by moving the first vent hole 66. Moreover, when already closed, the closed state is maintained.

  When the temperature adjustment process in step S23 and the valve control process in steps S24 to S26 are completed, it is detected in step S27 whether or not the surrogate switch of the operation panel 108 has been operated. And when operation of a tear switch is not detected, it returns to step S23, S24, and performs a temperature control process and a valve control process repeatedly. If the operation of the take-off switch is detected, the heating by the induction heating coil 19, the body heater 21 and the lid heater 34 is stopped, and the process proceeds to step S28, and the valve element 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 is driven by the driving of the stepping motor 45. It moves to an open position, makes the 1st ventilation hole 66 an open state, and transfers to standby mode.

  As described above, the pressure rice cooker of the present invention moves the pressure regulating valve 64 to the open position and detects the opening of the first vent 66 when detecting the opening of the lid 23 during the heat retaining process. The opening area can be increased. As a result, the force required when closing the lid 23 can be reduced. In addition, the pressure regulating valve 64 is opened when the lid body 23 is opened, and is closed when the lid body 23 is closed. Therefore, the dew condensation water including the “mushroom” accumulated in the pressure regulating valve 64 is inclined to the lid body 23. Along the exhaust passage. As a result, since dripping into the inner pot 10 can be prevented, whitening (altering) of cooked rice can be prevented and hygiene can be ensured. Further, when the pressure regulating valve 64 detects the blockage of the lid body 23, the valve body 71 is moved from the open position to the closed position, and the state is maintained. Therefore, the temperature and steam in the inner pot 10 are more than necessary. It can be prevented from being released. As a result, it is possible to prevent the rice from drying, maintain a good heat-retaining state, and prevent wasteful power consumption.

  The pressure rice cooker also includes a relief valve 86 as a second pressure input means, and the relief valve 86 is in a state in which the second ventilation hole 89 is opened during the heat retention process. When the user performs an opening operation of the lid 23, the lid 23 can be quickly opened. In addition, the pressure regulating valve 64 is moved to the open position until the cooked rice cooked in the rice cooking process is lowered to the set temperature, and the first vent hole 66 is opened. The temperature of the cooked rice can be lowered quickly, and unnecessary steam can be released. As a result, dew condensation in the rice cooking pan 10 can be prevented, and alteration (yellowing) of cooked rice can be suppressed, so that the heat retention performance can be improved.

  Further, the pressure regulating valve 64 moves the valve body 71 to the open position and opens the first vent 66 when the first heat retaining process is stopped by the operation of the operation panel 108. The workability of closing the lid 23 can also be improved. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 64 is attached to the removable inner lid 60. And the pressure regulation valve 64 will be in an open state since the depression by the stepping motor 45 is released when the inner lid 60 is removed. At this time, when the stepping motor 45 stops in the operating state in which the pressure regulating valve 64 is closed, it is necessary to mount the inner lid 60 against the biasing force of the opening biasing member 85 when the inner lid 60 is mounted. However, in the present embodiment, when the first and second heat retaining processes are stopped, the pressure regulating valve 64 is opened, so that the inner lid 60 is against the urging force of the urging member 85 for opening. There is no need to wear it. Therefore, the mounting workability of the inner lid 60 is also good.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the pressure regulating valve 64 is provided with the cleaning hole 82 for removing foreign matter in the first cover 79, foreign matter mixed inside can be cleaned and removed. That is, in the present embodiment, the valve element 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 can be opened and closed with respect to the first vent hole 66 during cooking or heat retention, and the rice rice in the inner pot 10 is then opened from the first vent hole 66. There is a possibility that foreign matter such as debris or “give” will be mixed in. However, when foreign material is mixed, the foreign material can be removed when the inner lid 60 is cleaned. As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the pressure regulating valve 64 due to foreign matter mixing.

  In addition, the control method at the time of the heat retention of the pressure rice cooker and pressure rice cooker of this invention is not limited to the structure of the said embodiment, A various change is possible.

  For example, in the embodiment, when the operation of the switch on the operation panel 108 is detected during the execution of the first heat retaining process, the pressure regulating valve 64 is immediately moved to the open position to shift to the standby mode. The closed state may be held until a predetermined time has elapsed. For example, it waits until the inner pot 10 (rice cooked) falls to a preset opening temperature, and the pressure regulating valve 64 may be opened when the temperature falls below the opening temperature. That is, the present embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in that a valve control process is executed instead of step S28 in FIG. The open temperature is a temperature at which the lid packing 62 and the expansion of air due to the temperature in the inner pot 10 do not hinder the closure of the lid 23, or a temperature at which it can be considered that no cooked rice remains, and is set to about 40 ° C. ing.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, in the valve control step, the microcomputer first detects whether or not the lid body 23 is opened based on a signal from the photo interrupter 104 in step S30. If the opening of the lid 23 is detected, the process proceeds to step S31, where the stepping motor 45 is driven to move the valve body 71 to the open position, thereby opening the first ventilation hole 66. If it is already open, the open state is maintained. On the other hand, if the opening of the lid body 23 cannot be detected by the signal from the photo interrupter 104, the process proceeds to step S32, the stepping motor 45 is driven, and the valve body 71 is moved to the closing position to close the first vent hole 66. . Moreover, when already closed, the closed state is maintained.

  Thereafter, in step S33, it is determined whether or not the detected temperature of the inner pot temperature sensor 22 has become equal to or lower than the set open temperature. And when the temperature of the inner pot 10 is higher than an open temperature, it returns to step S30 and the opening / closing control of the pressure regulation valve 64 according to the opening / closing state of the cover body 23 is continued. When the temperature of the inner pot 10 falls below the open temperature, the stepping motor 45 is driven to move the valve body 71 of the pressure regulating valve 64 to the open position, and the first vent 66 is opened to enter the standby mode. Transition.

  The pressure rice cooker configured as described above can obtain the same operations and effects as those of the above embodiment. In addition, when the heat retaining process is stopped in a state where the cooked rice remains in the inner pot, excessive temperature reduction and drying can be suppressed by closing the pressure regulating valve 64.

  In the above embodiment, the lid state detecting means for detecting opening / closing of the lid body 23 is constituted by the swing member 98 and the photo interrupter 104. However, it may be constituted by a magnet and a reed switch, or may be constituted by a micro switch. Also good. In other words, any configuration can be applied as long as the opening and closing of the lid 23 can be distinguished and detected.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the pressure regulating valve 64 and the relief valve 86 are arranged on the removable inner lid 60 so as to serve as the inlet of the exhaust passage. However, the inside of the lid 23, that is, the middle of the exhaust passage. You may provide in a position.

  And the apparatus which can mount the pressure regulation valve 64 and its heat retention control method of this invention is not restricted to a pressure rice cooker, It can apply similarly to the cooker which cooks a predetermined foodstuff, and has the same effect | action and effect. Obtainable.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Inner pan 11 ... Main body 19 ... Induction heating coil (heating means)
21 ... Body heater (heating means)
22 ... Temperature sensor for inner pot (pot temperature detecting means)
23 ... Lid 34 ... Lid heater (heating means)
45 ... Stepping motor (drive means)
47 ... Pressing member 51 ... Receiving member 52 ... Solenoid (driving means)
53 ... Pressing member 54 ... Moving member 56 ... Pressure sensor (pressure detecting means)
59 ... Temperature sensor for lid (pan temperature detecting means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 60 ... Inner cover 64 ... Pressure regulation valve 65 ... 1st valve seat 66 ... 1st ventilation hole 71 ... Valve body 75 ... Actuation receiving member 78 ... Energizing member 79 for pressurization 79 ... 1st cover 82 ... Cleaning hole 85 ... For opening Biasing member 86 ... Relief valve 87 ... Second valve seat 89 ... Second vent hole 90 ... Spherical member 91 ... Second cover 98 ... Swing member (lid state detecting means)
104: Photo interrupter (lid state detecting means)
109 ... Microcomputer (heating control means, valve control means)

Claims (7)

A main body that houses the inner pot;
Heating means for heating the food in the inner pot;
A lid that is pivotally attached to the main body and closes the upper end opening of the inner pot;
An exhaust passage which is provided in the lid body and communicates the inside and the outside of the inner pot;
A valve seat provided in the exhaust passage and having a vent hole constituting a part of the exhaust passage, and a valve body movable to a closed position pressed against the vent hole of the valve seat and an open position separated from the vent hole And an urging member for urging the valve body toward the open position, and the inside of the inner pot is shut off from the outside by closing the vent hole with the valve body, so that the inside of the inner pot is at atmospheric pressure. A pressure regulating valve that allows pressurization to a higher pressure;
Driving means for moving the valve body from the open position to the closed position against the biasing force of the biasing member;
A pot temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the inner pot or the inner pot;
Lid state detection means for detecting the open / closed state of the lid;
A heating control means for controlling the heating means and the pressure regulating valve based on the detection value of the pan temperature detection means to execute a cooking process, and subsequently executing a heat retention process;
During the heat retaining process by the heating control means, when the lid state detection means detects the opening of the lid body, the valve body of the pressure regulating valve is moved to the open position, and when the lid state detection means detects the closure of the lid body, A valve control means for moving the valve body of the pressure regulating valve from the open position toward the closed position, and maintaining the state;
A pressure cooker comprising: The exhaust passage of the lid has a second valve seat having a second vent hole constituting a part of the exhaust passage, and a spherical member for opening and closing the second vent hole of the second valve seat, A relief valve capable of pressurizing the inner pot to a higher pressure than the pressure regulating valve by closing the second vent hole with a spherical member;
A second driving means for separating the spherical member from the second ventilation hole;
The valve control means closes each vent hole with the spherical member of the relief valve and the valve body of the pressure regulating valve, thereby shutting off the inside and outside of the inner pot and applying the pressure inside the inner pot to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. 2. The pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein the pressure vent is enabled and the second vent hole of the relief valve is kept open during the heat retaining process.   The valve control means moves the valve body of the pressure regulating valve to an open position when the temperature detected by the pan temperature detection means is higher than a preset temperature during the heat retention process, and the detection temperature decreases to the preset temperature. 3. The pressure cooker according to claim 1, wherein in this case, the valve body of the pressure regulating valve is moved from the open position toward the closed position and the state is maintained.   The said valve control means moves the valve body of the said pressure regulation valve to an open position, and makes a vent hole an open state, when a heat retention process is stopped by operation of an operation panel. 4. The pressure cooker according to any one of 3 above.   After detecting the operation of the operation panel, the valve control means continues opening / closing control of the pressure regulating valve according to opening / closing of the lid when the temperature detected by the pan temperature detecting means is higher than a preset opening temperature. The pressure cooker according to claim 4, wherein when the temperature drops below the open temperature, the valve body of the pressure regulating valve is moved to the open position.   The pressure regulating valve is disposed on an inner lid that is detachably attached to the lid body, and includes a cover that surrounds an upper portion of the valve seat and that movably accommodates the valve body, and removes foreign matter from the cover. The pressure cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a cleaning hole is provided. The heating control means controls the heating means based on the detection value of the pan temperature detecting means to heat the food in the inner pot and execute the cooking process, and then heats the food in the inner pot. A method for controlling the temperature of the pressure cooker that performs the heat treatment,
Monitoring the open / closed state of the lid that closes the upper end opening of the inner pot during the heat treatment by the lid state detection means,
When the opening of the lid is detected by the lid state detection means, the valve control means operates the pressure regulating valve drive means to release the pressure state in which the pressure regulating valve is moved toward the closed position, The valve body is moved to the open position by the urging force of the urging member, and the vent hole constituting a part of the exhaust passage is opened,
When the lid state detecting means detects the closure of the lid body, the valve control means operates the pressure regulating valve driving means, and the valve body of the pressure regulating valve is moved from the open position against the biasing force of the biasing member. A method for controlling the pressure cooker during heat retention, wherein the pressure cooker is moved toward the closed position and maintained in that state.

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