JP2011183085A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker that keeps the rice flavor favorable and further shortens the length of the cooking period. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker includes: a pot in which rice and water are put; a heater which heats the pot; a detector which detects the temperature of the pot; and a cooking controller which controls a pot heating operation by the heater based on the temperature detected by the detector and conducts a cooking step including a preheating step, temperature-rising step, boiling-maintained step, and steaming step; and a drive which moves the object to be cooked in the pot to prevent a collection of rice grains from forming. The controller drives the drive in the temperature-rising step. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that promotes water absorption of rice and can shorten rice cooking time.

  In recent years, rice cookers are required to improve the taste of rice, while shortening rice cooking time. The taste of rice is greatly influenced by the water absorption state of rice in the rice cooking process. That is, if the water absorption of the rice is not sufficient, the rice remains with a core that is generally considered not to taste good. For this reason, in order to improve the taste of rice, it is important that the rice has sufficient water absorption.

  Here, the “rice cooking step” is mainly composed of four steps of a preheating step (also referred to as a water absorption step), a temperature raising step, a boiling maintenance step, and a steaming step. The preheating step is a step in which the rice is preliminarily absorbed by water that is lower in temperature than the gelatinization start temperature (about 60 degrees) of the rice. The temperature raising step is a step of raising the temperature of the water in the pan to a boiling state (about 100 ° C.). A boiling maintenance process is a process of maintaining the boiling state of the water in a pan, gelatinizing rice starch, and raising the gelatinization degree to about 50% to 80%. Here, “gelatinization” refers to a state in which starch in rice is swollen and softened by absorbing water and further applying heat. The steaming process is a process of evaporating excess water using preheating and raising the degree of gelatinization of rice to nearly 100%.

  Conventionally, the most important process for making rice absorb water among the rice cooking processes is considered to be a preheating process. It is believed that the longer the preheating step, the more water can be absorbed by the rice and the better the taste of the rice. For this reason, it is common for more than half of the cooking time to be the time for the preheating step.

  In order to shorten the cooking time, it is effective to shorten the time of the preheating process. However, as described above, shortening the time for the preheating step shortens the time for the rice to absorb water, leading to poor taste of the rice. That is, shortening the rice cooking time and improving the taste of rice are in a trade-off relationship. For this reason, in order to shorten the rice cooking time while keeping the taste of rice good, it is required to efficiently apply heat to the rice in a short time to promote the water absorption of the rice.

  Conventionally, various rice cookers have been proposed in which the taste of rice is improved by improving the unevenness of heating of the whole rice. For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-58220), by rotating the pan, the distance between the heating coil and the pan is made uniform, and the heat of the heating coil is efficiently (uniformly) given to the entire rice. A rice cooker that has been made is disclosed.

  Patent document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-23851) discloses a rice cooker that rotates a pan and heats the pan at a maximum with a maximum heating amount at the initial stage of the preheating step. Since rice has the property that the higher the water temperature, the faster the water absorption speed, so that the temperature in the pan reaches early to a high temperature (about 55 degrees) at which the rice does not gelatinize. By doing so, the water absorption of rice is promoted. Further, in Patent Document 2, when rotating the pan in the preheating process, a variable speed rotation such as intermittent rotation or forward / reverse rotation causes a difference in inertial force and stirs rice and water. It is disclosed.

  Further, in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-75204), a heating coil is provided so as to face the outer bottom of the pan and to be eccentric with respect to the center of the outer bottom, and the heating coil is rotated while the pan is rotated. A rice cooker is disclosed in which heat is applied efficiently (uniformly) to the entire rice by heating the pan at. Moreover, in patent document 3, only when the heating coil is energized, the pan is rotated, and in the rice cooking step excluding the temperature raising step, the pan is rotated forward and reverse, thereby minimizing the period during which the pan is rotated. It is disclosed to limit.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-58220 JP-A-7-23851 JP-A-9-75204

  However, even with a rice cooker that rotates a pan like the rice cookers of Patent Documents 1 to 3, the heating unevenness of the rice cannot be sufficiently improved. This will be described in detail below.

  First, the state of the rice in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed without rotating the pan will be described with reference to FIGS. 20A and 20B. FIG. 20A is a schematic explanatory view showing the state of rice in the pan in the temperature raising step, and FIG. 20B is a schematic explanatory view showing the state of rice in the pan in the initial stage of the boiling maintenance step from the end of the temperature raising step. is there.

  In the temperature raising step, the inside of the pan 100 is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the gelatinization start temperature of rice, so that the gelatinization of rice starts. As the gelatinization of rice progresses, sticky starch is eluted from the rice. For this reason, adjacent rice grains R and R adhere to each other, and as a result, as shown in FIG. 20A, almost all the rice grains R in the pan 100 become one lump. Hereinafter, the rice in this state is referred to as a rice grain aggregate RM. In this state, there is almost no gap between the rice grains R adjacent to each other.

  As the temperature raising step proceeds, the evaporation of water W becomes active. As shown in FIG. 20B, the water vapor bubbles Wa generated by the evaporation of water W have almost no gap between the rice grains R and R of the rice grain aggregate RM. Therefore, it moves between the outer peripheral part A of the rice grain aggregate RM and the inner wall surface of the pan 100. Therefore, the outer peripheral part A of the rice grain aggregate RM is directly heated by the steam bubbles Wa at about 100 ° C., but the central part B of the rice grain aggregate RM is indirectly heated via the outer peripheral part A. Will be. As a result, the temperature of the rice grain aggregate RM at the time of transition from the temperature raising step to the boiling maintenance step is about 99.5 ° C. in the outer peripheral portion A, and is about 98.5 ° C. in the central portion B. A temperature difference of 1.0 ° C. will occur. Although the temperature difference is 1.0 ° C., the influence on the taste of rice is very large.

  Next, the state of the rice in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed while rotating the pan like the rice cookers of Patent Documents 1 to 3 will be described using FIGS. 21A to 21B. FIG. 21A is a schematic explanatory view showing the state of rice in the pan in the temperature raising step, and FIG. 21B is a schematic explanatory view showing the state of rice in the pan in the initial stage of the boiling maintenance step from the end of the temperature raising step. is there.

  When the rice cooking process is performed while rotating the pan 100, as shown in FIG. 21A, the shape near the center is recessed downward by centrifugal force. However, in this case as well, adjacent rice grains R and R adhere to each other to form a rice grain aggregate RMa. That is, the difference between the case where the pan 100 is rotated and the case where the pan 100 is not rotated is only the shape of the rice grain aggregate RMa (RM). Therefore, the outer peripheral portion Aa of the rice grain aggregate RMa is directly heated by the steam bubbles Wa at about 100 ° C., but the central portion Ba of the rice grain aggregate RMa is indirectly heated via the outer peripheral portion Aa. Will be. As a result, the temperature of the rice grain aggregate RMa when shifting from the heating step to the boiling maintenance step is about 99.5 ° C. in the outer peripheral portion Aa, and is about 98.5 ° C. in the central portion Ba. A temperature difference of 1.0 ° C. will occur.

  Therefore, there is still room for improvement in a rice cooker of a method of rotating a pan like the rice cooker of Patent Documents 1 to 3.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and further promote rice water absorption to keep the taste of rice good while further shortening the rice cooking time. Is to provide.

The inventors of the present invention have found the following as a result of intensive studies in order to solve the problems of the prior art.
That is, conventionally, when the gelatinization of rice started, it was thought that the water absorption of rice was inhibited by the gelatinization layer formed by the gelatinization. For this reason, for example, in the rice cooker of patent document 2, it is made to stir rice and water by rotating a pan | variety at variable speed in a preheating process, and promotes the water absorption of rice. That is, the prior art focuses on how to promote water absorption of rice in the preheating process.

  On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention are more likely to cause the rice grain aggregate to be formed than to form the gelatinized layer, because the water absorption of the rice is inhibited in the temperature raising step. I found out. Further, the inventors of the present invention, when the gelatinization of rice begins in the temperature raising step, the rice tissue is loosened and easily absorbs water, and the water temperature is higher than the gelatinization start temperature, so that the water absorption of rice is further increased. Found to be promoted. Based on these findings, the inventors of the present invention have found that the water absorption of rice can be further promoted by moving the rice so that the rice grain aggregate is not formed in the temperature raising step, and have arrived at the present invention. .

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a pan into which rice and water are placed;
A pot heating device for heating the cooking object put in the pot;
A pan temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the cooking object in the pan;
A rice cooking control unit that controls the pot heating operation of the pot heating device based on the detected temperature of the pot temperature detection unit, and performs a rice cooking process including at least a temperature raising process, a boiling maintenance process, and a steaming process,
A drive unit for moving an object to be cooked placed in the pan;
With
The rice cooking control unit increased the water absorption rate of the rice in the pan as compared with the case where the driving unit was not driven by driving the driving unit in the temperature raising step.
Provide rice cooker.

  According to the 2nd aspect of this invention, the said rice cooking control part is until the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part reaches | attains the boiling temperature of the said water from the gelatinization start temperature of the said rice in the said temperature rising process. The rice cooker as described in the 1st aspect which drives the said drive part is provided.

  According to the 3rd aspect of this invention, the said rice cooking control part stops the drive of the said drive part before the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part reaches | attains the boiling temperature of the said water to the 2nd aspect. The described rice cooker is provided.

  According to the 4th aspect of this invention, the said rice cooker control part is the said 1st temperature from which the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part is higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the said rice in the said temperature rising process. The rice cooker according to the first aspect, in which the drive unit is driven until reaching a second temperature that is higher than the temperature and lower than the boiling temperature of the water.

  According to the 5th aspect of this invention, the said rice cooker control part provides the rice cooker as described in any one of the 1st-4th aspect which drives the said drive part intermittently when driving the said drive part. .

  According to the 6th aspect of this invention, the said rice cooking control part changes any force which moves a to-be-cooked object by the said drive part according to the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part, Any 1 of the 1st-5th aspect. The rice cooker as described in one is provided.

  According to the 7th aspect of this invention, the said rice cooking control part weakens the force which moves a to-be-cooked object by the said drive part as the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part rises, The rice cooking of a 6th aspect Provide a bowl.

  According to the 8th aspect of this invention, the said drive part provides the rice cooker as described in any one of the 1st-7th aspect which has a pan rotation apparatus which rotates a pan at variable speed.

  According to the 9th aspect of this invention, the said drive part provides the rice cooker as described in any one of the 1st-7th aspect which has a pan rocker which rocks the said pan.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the pan swinging device has a pan swinging base on which the temperature detecting unit is placed, and the pan swinging base is brought into contact with the pan and the temperature detecting unit. The rice cooker according to the ninth aspect is provided, in which the pan and the temperature detection unit are integrally swung by rotating the pan swinging table eccentrically while the pan is in contact with the pan. .

  According to the rice cooker according to the present invention, by driving the drive unit in the temperature raising step, the cooked food put in the pan is moved to inhibit the formation of rice grain aggregates, Compared to the case where the drive unit is not driven, the water absorption rate of the rice in the pan is increased. Thereby, the water absorption of rice can be further promoted, and the rice cooking time can be kept good while further shortening the rice cooking time.

It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the temperature transition in a pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. 1, and the timing which provides dispersion | distribution power to the rice in a pan. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the initial state which put rice and water in the pan. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the 1st state of the rice in the pan in a temperature rising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd state of the rice in the pan in a temperature rising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state of the rice in a pot in the initial stage of a boiling maintenance process from the last stage of a temperature rising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows a mode that water passes between rice grains. It is a model explanatory view which shows a mode that water passes around the rice grain group. It is a figure which shows the water absorption rate of the rice in a pot at the time of completion | finish of each process when the rice cooking process was performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd state of the rice in the pan in a temperature rising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the 4th state of the rice in the pan in a temperature rising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state of the rice in a pot in the initial stage of a boiling maintenance process from the last stage of a temperature rising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of the timing which provides the dispersion | distribution power to the temperature transition in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. 1, and the rice in a pan. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of the timing which provides the dispersion | distribution force to the temperature transition in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. 1, and the rice in a pan. It is a figure which shows the 3rd modification of the timing which provides the dispersion | distribution power to the temperature transition in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. 1, and the rice in a pan. It is a figure which shows the 4th modification of the timing which provides dispersion | distribution power to the temperature transition in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. 1, and the rice in a pan. It is a figure which shows the 5th modification of the timing which provides the temperature transition in a pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker of FIG. 1, and the dispersion force to the rice in a pan. It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing concerning the 1st modification of the rice cooker of FIG. It is sectional drawing concerning the 2nd modification of the rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state of the rice in a pan in a temperature rising process, without rotating a pan. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state of the rice in a pan in the initial stage of a boiling maintenance process from the end of a temperature rising process when a rice cooking process is performed without rotating a pan. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state of the rice in a pan in a temperature rising process when performing a rice cooking process, rotating a pan. It is a schematic explanatory drawing which shows the state of the rice in a pan in the initial stage of a boiling maintenance process from the last stage of a temperature rising process when performing a rice cooking process, rotating a pan.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

<< First Embodiment >>
The structure of the rice cooker concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rice cooker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker concerning this 1st Embodiment is accommodated in the substantially bottomed cylindrical rice cooker main body 1 in which the pot accommodating part 1a was formed, the pot accommodating part 1a, And a pan 2 in which water is placed. A lid body 3 is attached to the upper portion of the rice cooker body 1 so that the upper opening of the rice cooker body 1 can be opened and closed. A substantially disk-shaped inner lid 4 capable of closing the upper opening of the pan 2 is detachably attached to the inside of the lid main body 3 (the side covering the opening of the pan 2).

  The pot storage part 1a of the rice cooker body 1 is composed of an upper frame 1b and a coil base 1c. The upper frame 1b has a cylindrical portion 1ba that is arranged so that a predetermined gap is provided with respect to the side wall of the stored pan 2, and an upper opening of the rice cooker body 1 that protrudes outward from the upper portion of the cylindrical portion 1ba. And a flange portion 1bb fitted to the inner peripheral portion. The coil base 1c is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape corresponding to the shape of the lower portion of the pan 2, and the upper portion thereof is attached to the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 1ba of the upper frame 1b.

  A pan rotating device 20 that rotates the pan 2 at a variable speed such as intermittent rotation or forward / reverse rotation is attached to the pan storage unit 1a as an example of a drive unit. The pan rotation device 20 includes a pan rotation roller 21, a rotation drive unit 22 such as a DC motor, and a plurality of pan support members 23.

  The pan rotation roller 21 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 1ba. The outer peripheral portion of the pan rotating roller 21 is provided so as to penetrate the wall of the cylindrical portion 1ba and come into contact with the side wall of the pan 2. The outer peripheral portion of the pan rotating roller 21 is made of an elastic body such as rubber so that the pan 2 can rotate smoothly.

  The rotation drive part 22 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical part 1ba. The rotation drive unit 22 is configured to rotate the pan rotating roller 21 at a variable speed such as intermittent rotation or forward / reverse rotation. By rotating the pan rotating roller 21 at a variable speed, the pan 2 rotates at a variable speed, and the rice and water to-be-cooked in the pan 2 are moved, and in particular, a dispersion force is applied to the rice. Here, the “dispersing force” means a force for dispersing rice so as to inhibit the formation of rice grain aggregates, for example, a force for preventing rice grains from adhering to each other due to the eluted starchy starch. Say.

  In addition, when making the pan 2 reciprocating forward / reverse (forward / reverse rotation), for example, the output of the rotation drive unit 22 may be set to 0.5 Hz, and the rotation speed during forward rotation and reverse rotation may be set to 60 rpm. . Thereby, the dispersion force can be imparted to the rice in the pan 2. Moreover, the rotational speed at the time of forward rotation and reverse rotation need not be the same, and may be different. For example, the rotation speed during normal rotation may be set to 60 rpm, and the rotation speed during reverse rotation may be set to 10 rpm. Even if it is set in this way, when the pot 2 is inverted, the inertial force remains in the rice, so that a dispersing action occurs in the rice. Further, for example, the output of the rotation drive unit 22 may be set to 7 Hz, and the rotation speed at the time of normal rotation and reverse rotation may be set to 30 rpm. In this case, the pot 2 repeats small vibrations, and the rice grains move in small increments by the vibrations, resulting in a dispersing action on the rice.

  Each of the plurality of pot support members 23 is rotatably supported by a bearing portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the coil base 1c. Each of the plurality of pot support members 23 is disposed at a position where the outer peripheral portion can contact the side wall of the pot 2. The pan support member 23 reduces the rotational resistance of the pan 2 and reduces the rotation start load when the pan 2 that is a heavy object is rotated with rice and water. The pan support member 23 is configured, for example, by incorporating a bearing into a rubber roller bearing.

  A pan bottom heating unit 5 which is an example of a pan heating device for heating (induction heating) the pan 2 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the coil base 1c. The pan bottom heating unit 5 is composed of a bottom heating coil 5a and a bottom outside heating coil 5b. The in-bottom heating coil 5a is disposed so as to face the periphery of the center of the bottom of the pan 2 via the coil base 1c. The outside bottom heating coil 5 b is arranged so as to face the corner portion of the bottom of the pan 2 through the coil base 1. In addition, it may replace with the pan heating apparatus which heats the pan 2, and the system which irradiates the to-be-cooked item in the pan 2 with a microwave and carries out dielectric heating may be sufficient, and the point is to heat the to-be-cooked item in the pan 2. Any heating device can be used.

  An opening is provided in the central portion of the bottom of the coil base 1c. In the opening portion, a pan temperature sensor 6 which is an example of a pan temperature detecting unit for measuring the temperature of the pan 2 is disposed so as to be able to contact the bottom of the pan 2 stored in the pan storage unit 1a. . Since the temperature of the pot 2 is substantially the same as the temperature of the cooking object in the pot 2, the pot temperature sensor 6 can detect the temperature of the cooking object in the pot 2 by detecting the temperature of the pot 2. . The pan contact surface of the pan temperature sensor 6 is subjected to a surface treatment so as to suppress frictional resistance with the rotating pan 2. In addition, instead of detecting the temperature of the cooking object in the pan by the pan temperature detecting unit, an infrared sensor for detecting the temperature of the cooking object in the pan 2 may be provided directly from above the pan 2. Any configuration that can detect the temperature of the object to be cooked may be used. The infrared sensor is attached to the lid body 3 so that the food to be cooked can be seen from above the pan 2, receives infrared light generated from the food to be cooked, and detects the temperature of the food to be cooked based on the amount of received infrared light. I have to.

  A rice cooker control unit 7 is mounted inside the rice cooker body 1. The rice cooking control part 7 is provided with the memory | storage part which memorize | stores multiple rice cooking program (it is also called a rice cooking sequence) for cooking rice. Each rice cooking program corresponds to one of a plurality of rice cooking menus according to the type of rice. The rice cooking control part 7 controls the drive of each part and each apparatus based on the detection temperature of the pan temperature sensor 6 and the inner lid temperature sensor 10 mentioned later, and performs a rice cooking process. More specifically, the rice cooking control unit 7 receives a user instruction performed using an operation unit (not shown) provided in the lid body 3, and the rice cooking program and the pot temperature corresponding to the instruction are received. Based on the detection temperature of the sensor 6 and the inner lid temperature sensor 10, the drive of each part and each apparatus is controlled, and the rice cooking process is performed. The rotation driving unit 22 of the pan rotating device 20 is controlled by the rice cooking control unit 7 so as to be driven in the temperature raising step.

  A hook 1 d that can be engaged with a hook 3 a of the lid body 3 is provided on the upper part of the front wall of the rice cooker body 1 (upper left side in FIG. 1). A spring 1e is provided between the hook 1d and the cylindrical portion 1ba of the upper frame 1b. The hook 1d is biased forward (left side in FIG. 1) by a spring 1e.

  The lid body 3 includes a hinge shaft 3A. The hinge shaft 3A is an opening / closing shaft of the lid body 3, and both ends of the hinge shaft 3A are fixed to the upper frame 1c of the rice cooker body 1 so as to be rotatable. A rotating spring (not shown) such as a torsion coil spring is mounted around the hinge shaft 3A. The rotating spring urges the lid body 3 to rotate in a direction away from the rice cooker body 1 with the hinge shaft 3A as a rotation center. Accordingly, when the engagement between the hook 3a of the lid body 3 and the hook 1d of the rice cooker body 1 is released, the lid body 3 is automatically rotated by the biasing force, and the upper opening of the rice cooker body 1 is opened. From the closed state to the open state.

  The lid body 3 is provided with a through hole 3c so as to penetrate the vicinity of the center of the lid body 3 in the thickness direction of the lid body 3, and a steam cylinder 8 is detachably attached to the through hole 3c. Steam escape holes 8a and 8b are provided on the top wall and bottom wall of the steam tube 8 so that excess steam in the pot 2 can be discharged to the outside of the rice cooker. Around the through hole 3c on the inner lid 4 side of the lid body 2, an annular steam cylinder packing 9 made of an elastic body such as rubber is attached. The steam cylinder packing 9 is provided in close contact with the inner lid 4 when the inner lid 4 is attached to the lid body 3. The steam cylinder packing 9 may be attached to the inner lid 4 or the steam cylinder 8. The inner lid 4 is provided with one or more steam passage holes 4 a at positions facing the bottom wall of the steam cylinder 8.

  An inner lid temperature sensor 10, which is an example of an inner lid temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the inner lid 4, is attached to the lid body 3 so as to penetrate the bottom wall 3 b. The inner lid temperature sensor 10 is provided so as to contact the inner lid 4 when the inner lid 4 is attached to the lid body 3.

  An inner lid heating coil 11, which is an example of an inner lid heating device, is attached to the inner surface (inside the lid body) of the bottom wall 3 b of the lid body 3. The inner lid heating coil 11 induction-heats the inner lid 4 under the control of the rice cooking control unit 7. The inner lid 4 is made of a metal such as stainless steel capable of induction heating. The material of the bottom wall 3b of the lid body 3 may be either metal or resin. In the case where the inner lid heating coil 11 is not a induction heating type heating device but a heater type heating device, it is preferable to use a metal as the material of the bottom wall 3b of the lid body 3.

  A packing 12, which is an example of an annular seal portion made of an elastic body such as rubber, is attached to the outer surface (pan 2 side) of the bottom wall 3 b of the lid body 3. The packing 12 is provided in close contact with the inner lid 4 when the inner lid 4 is attached to the lid body 3. The packing 12 may be attached to the inner lid 4.

  An annular inner lid packing 13 made of an elastic body such as rubber is attached to the surface of the outer peripheral portion of the inner lid 4 on the pan 2 side. The inner lid packing 13 is provided in close contact with the flange portion of the pan 2 when the lid body 3 is in the closed state. In addition, as a material of the packing 13 for inner lids, it is preferable to use a fluorine-type material in order to suppress a frictional resistance with the rotating pan 2 and to ensure sealing performance.

  Next, operation | movement and an effect | action of the rice cooker concerning this 1st Embodiment comprised as mentioned above are demonstrated.

  FIG. 2: is a figure which shows the timing which provides the dispersion | distribution power to the temperature transition in the pan when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker concerning this 1st Embodiment, and the rice in a pan. FIG. 3A is a schematic explanatory view showing an initial state in which rice and water are put in a pot. FIG. 3B is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a first state of rice in the pan in the temperature raising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3C is a schematic explanatory diagram illustrating a second state of the rice in the pan in the temperature raising process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker according to the first embodiment. Drawing 3D is a schematic explanatory view showing the state of the rice in the pan in the initial stage of the boiling maintenance process from the end of the heating process when the rice cooking process is performed using the rice cooker according to the first embodiment.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3A, rice (a large number of rice grains R1) and water W1 are placed in the pan 2 by the user, and a rice cooking menu is selected by an operation unit (not shown) provided on the lid body 3. Then, when the start of rice cooking is instructed, the preheating process is started under the control of the rice cooking control unit 7.

  The preheating step is a step in which the rice is preliminarily absorbed by water in water at a temperature lower than the gelatinization start temperature (about 60 ° C.) so that the rice can be sufficiently gelatinized in the subsequent steps. . In this preheating step, the rice cooking control unit 7 raises the temperature of the water in the pot 2 to a temperature close to the temperature at which gelatinization of rice begins (for example, 55 ° C.), and then maintains the temperature after the temperature rise. The pan heating operation of the pan bottom heating unit 5 is controlled based on the temperature detected by the pan temperature sensor 6.

  When a preset time has elapsed from the start of the preheating process according to the selected rice cooking menu, the process proceeds to the temperature raising process. In the first embodiment, as will be described later, since the water absorption of rice can be greatly promoted in the temperature raising step, the time for the preheating step can be shortened (for example, 7 minutes).

  The temperature raising step is a step in which the pot 2 is heated at a stretch with high heat to raise the temperature of the water in the pot 2 to a boiling state (about 100 ° C.). In this temperature raising step, the rice cooking control unit 7 controls the pot bottom heating unit 5 so as to rapidly heat the pot 2 and bring the water in the pot 2 to a boiling state.

  In the temperature raising step, the rice cooking control unit 7 drives the rotation driving unit 22 to rotate the pan 2 at a variable speed. Specifically, the rice cooking control unit 7 rotates the pan 2 at a variable speed so as to alternately repeat the first state shown in FIG. 3B and the second state shown in FIG. 3C. Thereby, dispersion | distribution force is provided to the rice in the pan 2, the formation of the rice grain aggregate is inhibited, and the rice grains R1, R1 do not adhere to each other and are in a disjointed state. Therefore, the water W1 in the pan 2 moves between the rice grains R1 and R1 adjacent to each other as shown by the dotted arrows in FIG. 4, and the contact area of the water W1 per one rice grain R1 increases. That is, as shown in FIG. 3D, both the rice in the vicinity A1 of the side wall of the pan 2 and the rice in the central portion B1 are directly heated to the steam bubbles W1a. As a result, the temperature of the rice at the end of the heating process is about 99.5 ° C. in the vicinity A 1 of the side wall of the pan 2, and is about 99.3 ° C. in the central portion B 1. That is, the temperature difference between the side wall vicinity A1 of the pan 2 and the central portion B1 is about 0.2 ° C., which is greatly improved as compared with the conventional case.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when a plurality of rice grains R1 adhere to each other to form a rice grain group RG1, the water W1 moves outside the rice grain group RG1 as indicated by the dotted arrow in FIG. . For this reason, the contact area of the water W1 per one rice grain R1 becomes small, and the water absorption of the rice R1 becomes worse.

  When the temperature detected by the pan temperature sensor 6 reaches about 100 ° C. due to the temperature raising process, the process proceeds to the boiling maintenance process. The time required for this temperature raising step is, for example, 3 minutes, although it varies depending on the amount of cooked rice (amount of food to be cooked in the pan 2) and the like. In addition, the amount of rice cooking can be determined automatically from the time required for the temperature raising step. For example, the amount of cooked rice can be automatically determined by examining the time difference from when the temperature detected by the pan temperature sensor 6 reaches 80 ° C. until the temperature detected by the inner lid temperature sensor 10 reaches 80 ° C.

  A boiling maintenance process is a process of maintaining the boiling state of the water in the pan 2, gelatinizing rice starch, and raising the gelatinization degree to about 50% to 80%. In this boiling maintenance step, the rice cooking control unit 7 controls the pan bottom heating unit 5 and the inner lid heating coil 11 so as to maintain the boiling state of the water in the pan 2. More specifically, the rice cooking control unit 7 performs duty control that repeats driving (ON) and driving stop (OFF) of the pot bottom heating unit 5 and the inner lid heating coil 11 at regular time intervals to intermittently heat the pot 2. .

  In the boiling maintenance step, water is continuously boiled, and a large amount of steam at about 100 ° C. is generated. Thereby, when most of the water in the pot 2 runs out, the temperature of the bottom surface of the pot 2 rises above the boiling point of water. When the pan temperature sensor 6 detects that the temperature of the bottom surface of the pan 2 has reached the boiling point or higher (for example, 130 ° C.), the process proceeds to the steaming step. In addition, although the time concerning a boiling maintenance process changes with rice cooking amounts etc., it is 8 minutes, for example.

  The steaming process is a process of evaporating excess water using preheating and raising the degree of gelatinization of rice to nearly 100%. In this steaming step, the rice cooking control unit 7 controls the pot bottom heating unit 5 and the inner lid heating coil 11 so as to heat the pot 2 every time the temperature of the pot 2 falls below a certain temperature. More specifically, the rice cooking control unit 7 performs duty control that repeats driving (ON) and driving stop (OFF) of the pot bottom heating unit 5 and the inner lid heating coil 11 at regular time intervals in the same manner as the boiling maintenance step. The pan 2 is heated intermittently. If the time (for example, 7 minutes) preset according to the amount of rice cooking passes from the start of a steaming process, a steaming process will be complete | finished (namely, rice cooking process will be complete | finished).

  Next, the change of the water absorption rate of the rice in a pan when performing the rice cooking process using the rice cooker concerning this 1st embodiment as mentioned above is demonstrated. Here, not only in the temperature raising step, but also in other steps, the dispersion force was imparted to the rice, and the change in the water absorption rate of the rice was examined.

  FIG. 6: is a figure which shows the water absorption rate of the rice in a pot at the time of completion | finish of each process when performing the rice cooking process using the rice cooker concerning this 1st Embodiment. In FIG. 6, the bar graph on the left side of each step indicates the water absorption rate of the rice in the pan when the rice cooking step is performed without imparting any dispersion force to the rice (hereinafter referred to as standing). Moreover, in FIG. 6, the bar graph on the right side of each process shows the water absorption rate of the rice in the pot when the rice cooking process is performed by applying the dispersing power to the rice in each process (hereinafter referred to as dispersing power application). ing.

  As shown in FIG. 6, at the end of the preheating step, the water absorption rate of rice was 23% both at the time of standing and when the dispersing power was applied. From this result, it can be seen that in the preheating step, even if the dispersing power is applied to the rice, the water absorption of the rice is not promoted. This is probably because the water temperature is low and the gelatinization of rice has not started in the preheating process.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, in the temperature raising step, the water absorption rate of the rice at the time of standing was 43%, whereas the water absorption rate of the rice at the time of applying the dispersing force was 48%. From this result, it is understood that the water absorption rate of rice can be greatly promoted by imparting a dispersing force to the rice in the temperature raising step. This is presumably because the gelatinization of rice makes the rice tissue loose and easily absorbs water, and the water temperature is higher than the gelatinization start temperature.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, in the boiling maintenance process, the water absorption rate of the rice at the time of standing was 58%, while the water absorption rate of the rice at the time of providing the dispersion force was 60%. From this result, it can be seen that also in the boiling maintenance step, by imparting a dispersing force to the rice, there is an effect of promoting the water absorption rate of the rice. This is because, in the boiling maintenance process, many rice balls (viscous liquid in which the starch of the rice is eluted in the water in the pan) is generated and the adhesion between the rice grains becomes strong, but in the first half of the boiling maintenance process, Since a large amount of water remains in 2, the water absorption of rice is considered to have been promoted by imparting a dispersing force to the rice.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, in the steaming process, the water absorption rate of the rice at the time of standing was 61%, while the water absorption rate of the rice at the time of imparting the dispersion force was 63%. In the steaming process, the rice grains are fixed in a state where there is no free water, so there is no effect of imparting the dispersion force, but on the other hand, the conditions for imparting the dispersion force until the boiling step are Since a large amount of water can be absorbed, heat conduction in the rice grains at high temperature maintenance in the steaming process is improved, gelatinization progresses more, and the rice can be made into fluffy rice with good heat.

  As mentioned above, according to the rice cooker concerning this 1st Embodiment, since it is trying to give a dispersive power to rice at a temperature rising process, and to prevent formation of a rice grain aggregate, water absorption of rice Can be further promoted, and the rice cooking time can be kept good, while the rice cooking time can be further shortened.

  Moreover, according to the rice cooker concerning this 1st Embodiment, since the water absorption of rice is accelerated | stimulated in a temperature rising process, since the water absorption of rice may be insufficient in a preheating process, the time of a preheating process is reduced significantly. be able to. As a result, for example, the rice cooking time that conventionally required 40 to 60 minutes can be shortened to 20 to 30 minutes in the first embodiment.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said 1st Embodiment, It can implement in another various aspect. For example, in the above description, “dispersion force” is a force that prevents rice grains from adhering to each other as shown in FIGS. 3B and 3C, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the “dispersion force” is a force that divides the rice grain aggregate RM1 into a plurality of rice grain groups RG1 as shown in FIG. 7B when the rice grain aggregate RM1 is formed as shown in FIG. 7A. May be.
That is, the “dispersing force” may be a force that can divide the rice grain aggregate RG1 into a plurality even if the rice grain aggregate RM1 is formed. Even in such a case, as shown in FIG. 7C, since the water vapor bubbles W1a can pass between the adjacent rice grain groups RG1, water absorption of rice can be promoted more than before.

  In addition, the “dispersion force” is a force that divides the rice grain group RG1 into a plurality of groups, for example, a rice grain group composed of six rice grains is divided into two rice grain groups (two rice grain groups composed of three rice grains), Or the force which divides | segments into every rice grain may be sufficient. Also, the rice grain aggregate RM1 is formed by increasing the number of rice grains R1, R1 adhering to each other as the starchy substance of the rice elutes and the adhesive strength increases with the progress of the temperature raising step. . For this reason, the “dispersion force” may be a force that prevents the rice grain groups RG1 expanded to a predetermined size from adhering to each other (maintaining so as not to expand further). Even in such a case, as shown in FIG. 7C, since the water vapor bubbles W1a can pass between the adjacent rice grain groups RG1, water absorption of rice can be promoted more than before.

  In the above, as shown in FIG. 2, during the temperature raising process, the rotation driving unit 22 is driven by the control of the rice cooking control unit 7 to apply the dispersion force to the rice in the pan 2. The present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, in the case of rice with a soft tissue (for example, Koshihikari), if the dispersion force is applied too much, the rice grains may collapse and the tongue feels worse, that is, the taste of the rice may deteriorate. For this reason, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the temperature in the pan 2 is a temperature at which the gelatinization of the rice is completely started, for example, 70 ° C. or more, a dispersion force is applied to the rice. Also good. Thereby, shortening of rice cooking time can be aimed at, keeping the taste of rice still better.

  Moreover, when the water in the pan 2 is in a boiling state, spilling is likely to occur. At this time, if a dispersing force is applied to the rice, water vapor bubbles are further generated by the dispersing force, and spilling can be promoted. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 9, you may make it stop provision of the dispersion force to a rice, before the temperature in the pan 2 will be in a boiling state (for example, at 95 degreeC). As a result, it is possible to suppress rice spillage, promote water absorption and heat transfer of rice, and shorten rice cooking time while maintaining good taste of rice.

For example, in the case of rice having a soft tissue (for example, Koshihikari), the water absorption efficiency of the rice is high at a temperature of 80 ° C. to 90 ° C. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, you may make it provide dispersion | distribution power to rice only when the temperature in the pan 2 is 80 degreeC (1st temperature)-90 degreeC (2nd temperature).
Thereby, water absorption of rice can be promoted efficiently while minimizing rice damage caused by imparting dispersion force to rice. Therefore, the rice cooking time can be shortened while keeping the taste of rice good. In addition, the temperature range with good water absorption efficiency changes with kinds of rice. For this reason, what is necessary is just to set suitably the temperature (1st temperature) which starts the dispersion | distribution power provision to rice, and the temperature (2nd temperature) to stop according to the rice to cook.

  In the above description, the dispersion force is continuously applied to the rice. However, as shown in FIG. 11, the dispersion force may be intermittently applied to the rice. As a result, it is possible to achieve a higher level of imparting dispersion power to rice and preventing rice grains from collapsing and preventing component dissolution, so even if the structure is hard rice (eg Nihonbare etc.), the taste of rice The rice cooking time can be shortened while maintaining the better.

  Moreover, you may make it change the magnitude | size of the dispersion force given to rice according to the detected temperature in the pan 2. FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the temperature in the pan 2 is less than 70 ° C. or more and less than 80 ° C., the rice grains are not broken or the component elution is less than 80 ° C. When the temperature is 80 ° C. or higher, the dispersion force imparted to the rice may be reduced to prevent the rice grains from collapsing. Thereby, irrespective of the hardness of the structure | tissue by the kind of rice, the water absorption and heat transfer of rice can be accelerated | stimulated, and shortening of rice cooking time can be aimed at, keeping the taste of rice still better.

<< Second Embodiment >>
FIG. 13: is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The point from which the rice cooker of this 2nd Embodiment differs from the rice cooker of the said 1st Embodiment is a point provided with the pot rotation apparatus 30 instead of the pot rotation apparatus 20 as an example of a drive part. The pan rotation device 30 is different from the pan rotation device 20 in that the pan rotation device 30 is configured to rotate the pan 2 at a variable speed from the bottom rather than from the side wall of the pan 2. Since the other points are the same, the differences will be mainly described below.

  In FIG. 13, the pan rotating device 30 includes a pan rotating base 31, a driving force transmission belt 32, and a rotation driving unit 33 such as a DC motor. Moreover, the pan rotation apparatus 30 also has the some pan supporting member 23 mentioned above.

  The pan turntable 31 is rotatably supported by the central opening at the bottom of the coil base 1c. On the pan turntable 31, the pan temperature sensor 6 is placed so as to be able to contact the bottom of the pan 2 stored in the pan storage portion 1a. The pan contact portion 31 a of the pan turntable 31 is made of an elastic body such as a rubber sheet, and is configured to be able to transmit a rotational driving force to the pan 2. The rotation shaft of the pan turntable 31 is connected to the drive shaft of the rotation drive unit 33 via the drive force transmission belt 32. The driving force transmission belt 32 is made of an elastic body such as an elastomer resin.

  The rotation drive unit 33 is attached to a circuit board on which the rice cooking control unit 7 and the like are mounted. The rotation driving unit 33 is configured to be able to rotate the pan turntable 31 through a driving force transmission belt 32 at a variable speed such as intermittent rotation or forward / reverse rotation. The operation of the rotation drive unit 33 is controlled by the rice cooking control unit 7. The driving force of the rotation driving unit 33 is transmitted to the pan rotating table 31 via the driving force transmission belt 32, and the pan rotating table 31 rotates at a variable speed, whereby the pot 2 rotates at a variable speed, and the rice in the pot 2 is rotated. Dispersing power is applied.

  According to the rice cooker according to the second embodiment, the pan temperature sensor 6 is placed on the pan turntable 31 so that the pan 2 and the pan temperature sensor 6 rotate integrally. It is possible to suppress the sensor 6 and the pan 2 from being damaged by the frictional force.

<< Third Embodiment >>
FIG. 14: is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The difference between the rice cooker of the third embodiment and the rice cooker of the first embodiment is that, as an example of the drive unit, a pot rocking device 40 is provided instead of the pot rotating device 20, and the inner lid packing 13A is bellows. It is a point that is formed to be stretchable. The pan rocking device 40 differs from the pan rotating device 20 in that the pan 2 is configured not to rotate the pan 2 at a variable speed but to rock the pan 2. Since the other points are the same, the differences will be mainly described below.

  In FIG. 14, the pan rocking device 40 includes a pan rocking base 41, a driving force transmission belt 42, and a rotation driving unit 43 such as a DC motor.

  The pan oscillating base 41 is supported at the central opening at the bottom of the coil base 1c so as to be eccentrically rotatable about an eccentric shaft 41a inclined at a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the vertical direction Y of the rice cooker. Further, the pan abutting portion 41 b of the pan swinging table 41 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction X.

  A pan temperature sensor 6 is placed on the pan swinging table 41 so as to be able to come into contact with the bottom of the pan 2 stored in the pan storage portion 1a. Although not shown, the pan temperature sensor 6 is supported by an elastic body such as a spring, and is configured to follow the change in the inclination of the bottom of the pan 2 and maintain the contact state. The rotating shaft of the pan swing table 41 is connected to the driving shaft of the rotation driving unit 43 through the driving force transmission belt 42. The driving force transmission belt 42 is made of an elastic body such as an elastomer resin.

  The rotation drive unit 43 is attached to a circuit board on which the rice cooking control unit 7 and the like are mounted. The rotation driving unit 43 is configured to be able to transmit a driving force for eccentrically rotating the pan rocking table 41 via the driving force transmission belt 42. The operation of the rotation drive unit 43 is controlled by the rice cooking control unit 7. The driving force of the rotation drive unit 43 is transmitted to the pan rocking table 41 via the driving force transmission belt 42, and the pan rocking table 41 rotates eccentrically, so that the opposite side walls of the pan 2 move up and down alternately. It is swung to do. Thereby, the dispersion force is given to the rice in the pan 2. Note that the inner lid packing 13 </ b> A is configured to expand and contract following the swing of the pan 2.

  According to the rice cooker according to the third embodiment, since the pan rocking table 41 is eccentrically rotated, the pan 2 is rocked to impart a dispersing force to the rice in the pan 2. 2 does not need to be rotated, and no frictional force is generated between the inner lid packing 13A and the pan 2. For this reason, it is possible to suppress damage to the inner lid packing 13A.

  Moreover, according to the rice cooker concerning this 3rd Embodiment, since the pan temperature sensor 6 is mounted on the pan rocking | fluctuation stand 41, the pan 2 and the pan temperature sensor 6 are made to move integrally. The pan temperature sensor 6 and the pan 2 can be prevented from being damaged by friction.

  Moreover, according to the rice cooker concerning this 3rd Embodiment, the sloshing phenomenon can be generate | occur | produced by making the pan 2 rock | fluctuate by a fixed period by rotating the pan rocking | fluctuation base 41 eccentrically. Thereby, the rice and water can resonate, and the dispersion force to the rice can be increased without increasing the rotational speed of the pan rocking table 41. That is, energy saving can be achieved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to make the rotation speed of the pan rocking | fluctuation stand 41 high, it becomes possible to make small the space required for the mechanism which rotates the pan 2 eccentrically, and can suppress the enlargement of a rice cooker.

  Further, when water such as rocking is continuously given to the pan 2 in a state where water and rice which is a solid having a higher density than water are placed in the pan 2, a so-called liquefaction phenomenon occurs. That is, even when the water evaporates and the amount of water in the pan 2 decreases, the water rises due to buoyancy, and the rice and the water easily come into uniform contact. Moreover, since water is high temperature at this time, heating efficiency increases. Therefore, according to the rice cooker concerning this 3rd Embodiment, the water absorption of rice and gelatinization of rice can be promoted further by rocking the pan 2 continuously.

  In addition, it is preferable to set the rotation speed of the pan rocking table 41 to 50 rpm to 80 rpm. When the rotation speed of the pan rocking table 41 is less than 50 rpm, the movement of the rice in the pan 2 is too small, and there is a possibility that the dispersing force cannot be sufficiently applied to the rice. Moreover, when the rotation speed of the pan rocking table 41 is greater than 80 rpm, the pan 2, the rice, and the water do not resonate, and there is a possibility that a sufficient dispersion force cannot be imparted to the rice.

  Moreover, since the rice cooker will enlarge when angle (theta) 1 is too large, it is preferable to set to about 2-4 degree | times, for example. Further, the pan abutting portion 41a of the pan swinging table 41 is preferably composed of a fluorine-based sheet or the like in order to reduce the frictional force with the bottom of the pan 2 and improve the heat resistance.

<< 4th Embodiment >>
FIG. 15: is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 4th Embodiment of this invention. The difference between the rice cooker of the fourth embodiment and the rice cooker of the first embodiment is that a rice / water stirring device 50 is provided instead of the pan rotating device 20 as an example of the drive unit. The rice / water agitation device 50 is different from the pan rotation device 20 in that it is configured not to rotate the pan 2 at a variable speed but to directly stir the rice and water in the pan 2. Since the other points are the same, the differences will be mainly described below.

  In FIG. 15, the rice / water stirring device 50 includes a rice / water stirring bar 53, a rotating shaft 52, and a rotation driving unit 51 such as a DC motor.

  The rice / water stirrer 53 is made of a material that is not harmful to food hygiene, such as a fluororesin, and is formed in a shape and size capable of stirring the rice and water in the pan 2. The shape of the rice / water stirrer 53 may be any shape that does not damage the rice when the rice and water are stirred, and may be, for example, a disc shape. The rice / water stirrer 53 is fixed to the tip of a rotating shaft 52 made of metal such as stainless steel.

  The other end of the rotating shaft 52 penetrates the inner lid 4 and the bottom wall 3 b of the lid body 3 and is rotatably supported in the lid body 3. A driving gear 52 a is provided at the other end of the rotating shaft 52. The drive gear 52 a meshes with the output gear 51 a of the rotation drive unit 51 provided in the lid body 3.

  The operation of the rotation driving unit 51 is controlled by the rice cooking control unit 7. The driving force of the rotary drive unit 51 is transmitted to the output gear 51a and the drive gear 52a, and the rotary shaft 52 rotates at a variable speed around the axis, whereby the rice and water in the pan 2 are agitated. Thereby, the dispersion force is given to the rice in the pan 2.

  According to the rice cooker according to the fourth embodiment, the rice 2 and the water in the pot 2 are directly agitated so as to impart a dispersing force to the rice in the pot 2, so the pot 2 needs to be rotated. There is no. Accordingly, no frictional force is generated between the inner lid packing 13 and the pan 2 and between the pan temperature sensor 6 and the pan 2, so that damage to the inner lid packing 13 and the pan temperature sensor 6 can be eliminated. it can.

<< 5th Embodiment >>
FIG. 16: is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 5th Embodiment of this invention. The difference between the rice cooker of the fifth embodiment and the rice cooker of the fourth embodiment is that, as an example of the drive unit, a rice / water stirring device 60 is provided instead of the rice / water stirring device 50, and the pan temperature sensor 6A. Is provided so as to be shifted laterally from the central portion of the bottom portion of the coil base 1c, and a convex portion 2Aa protruding inwardly is provided at the central portion of the bottom portion of the pan 2A. The rice / water agitation device 60 is different from the rice / water agitation device 50 in that the rice / water agitation device 60 is configured not to transmit the agitation power from above the pan 2 but to transmit the agitation power from below the pan 2. Since the other points are the same, the differences will be mainly described below.

  In FIG. 16, the rice / water stirring device 60 includes a rice / water stirring bar 61, a stirring bar rotating means 62, a driving force transmission belt 63, and a rotation driving unit 64 such as a DC motor.

  The rice / water stirrer 61 is formed in a shape and size capable of stirring the rice and water in the pan 2 and has an opening 61a at the center so that it can be placed around the convex portion 2Aa of the pan 2. is doing. The shape of the rice / water stirrer 61 may be any shape that does not damage the rice when the rice and water are stirred. The peripheral part 61b of the opening 61a of the rice / water stirrer 61 is composed of a magnet, and the other part of the rice / water stirrer 61a is composed of a material that is not harmful to food hygiene, such as fluororesin.

  The stirring rotation means 62 is provided with a magnet 62a having opposite magnetism to the peripheral portion 61b of the rice / water stirring bar 61, a magnet 62a attached to the tip, and the other end pivotally supported by the rice cooker body 1. And a rotating shaft 62b.

  The magnet 62a is disposed in a concave portion formed inside the convex portion 2Aa of the pan 2, and the rice / water agitation disposed around the convex portion 2Aa of the pan 2 through the wall of the convex portion 2Aa of the pan 2 The peripheral portion 61b of the child 61 is configured to be magnetically coupled. The rotation shaft 62 b is connected to the drive shaft of the rotation drive unit 64 via the drive force transmission belt 63. The driving force transmission belt 63 is made of an elastic body such as an elastomer resin.

  The rotation drive unit 64 is attached to a circuit board on which the rice cooking control unit 7 and the like are mounted. The rotation driving unit 64 is configured to be able to transmit a driving force for rotating the rotating shaft 62b via the driving force transmission belt 63. The operation of the rotation drive unit 64 is controlled by the rice cooking control unit 7. The driving force of the rotation drive unit 64 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 62b via the driving force transmission belt 63, and the magnet 62a rotates at a variable speed, whereby the rice / water stirrer 61 magnetically coupled to the magnet 62a rotates at a variable speed. . Thereby, the dispersion force is given to the rice in the pan 2.

  According to the rice cooker according to the fifth embodiment, the rice 2 and the water in the pot 2 are directly agitated so as to impart a dispersion force to the rice in the pot 2, so the pot 2 needs to be rotated. There is no. Accordingly, no frictional force is generated between the inner lid packing 13 and the pan 2 and between the pan temperature sensor 6 and the pan 2, so that damage to the inner lid packing 13 and the pan temperature sensor 6 can be eliminated. it can.

<< 6th Embodiment >>
FIG. 17: is sectional drawing of the rice cooker concerning 6th Embodiment of this invention. The difference between the rice cooker of the sixth embodiment and the rice cooker of the first embodiment is that a pot vibration device 70 is provided instead of the pot rotation device 20 as an example of the drive unit. The pan vibration device 70 is different from the pan rotation device 20 in that the pan 2 is configured not to rotate the pan 2 at a variable speed but to give vibration to the pan 2. Since the other points are the same, the differences will be mainly described below.

  In FIG. 17, the pot vibration device 70 is provided so as to be in contact with the side wall of the pot 2 through the solenoid 71 provided so as to pass through the cylindrical portion 1 ba of the pot storage portion 1 a. And a metal shaft 72. The pan contact portion of the shaft 72 is made of an elastic body such as an elastomer resin. Thereby, the sound generated when the pan 2 vibrates is reduced.

  The operation of the pot vibration device 70 is controlled by the rice cooking control unit 7. When the current is applied to the solenoid 71 under the control of the rice cooking control unit 7, the shaft 72 moves forward and backward toward the side wall of the pan 2, and the pan 2 vibrates. Thereby, the dispersion force is given to the rice in the pan 2.

  According to the rice cooker concerning this 6th Embodiment, since the pot 2 is vibrated and the dispersion force is provided to the rice in the pot 2, it is not necessary to rotate the pot 2. FIG. Accordingly, no frictional force is generated between the inner lid packing 13 and the pan 2 and between the pan temperature sensor 6 and the pan 2, so that damage to the inner lid packing 13 and the pan temperature sensor 6 can be eliminated. it can.

  Moreover, according to the rice cooker concerning this 6th Embodiment, what is called a liquefaction phenomenon can be produced by vibrating the pan 2 continuously. Thereby, water absorption of rice and gelatinization of rice can be further promoted.

  In the rice cooker according to the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18, a plurality of elastic bodies 73 such as springs are preferably attached to the lower surface of the rice cooker body 1. Thereby, the sound generated when the pan 2 vibrates can be further reduced.

  Moreover, in the above, although the two pot vibration apparatuses 70 were provided in the position which mutually opposes via the pan 2, this invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, you may make it provide the pan vibration apparatus 70 only in one place. In this case, it is preferable to dispose an elastic body 74 such as an elastomer resin at a position facing the pot vibration device 70 via the pot 2. Thereby, the sound generated when the pan 2 vibrates can be further reduced.

  It is to be noted that, by appropriately combining any of the various embodiments, the effects possessed by them can be produced.

  Since the rice cooker concerning this invention can aim at the further shortening of the rice cooking time, keeping the taste of rice favorable, it is useful as a household rice cooker for business use.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker body 2 Pan 3 Lid body 3A Hinge shaft 4 Inner lid 5 Pan bottom heating unit (pan heating device)
6 Pan temperature sensor (pan temperature detector)
7 Rice Cooking Control Unit 8 Steam Cylinder 9 Steam Cylinder Packing 10 Inner Lid Temperature Sensor (Inner Lid Temperature Detection Unit)
11 Inner lid heating coil (Inner lid heating device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Packing 13 Inner lid packing 20 Pan rotation device 21 Pan rotation roller 22 Rotation drive unit 23 Pan support member 30 Pan rotation device 31 Pan rotation table 32 Driving force transmission belt 33 Rotation drive unit 40 Pan swing device 41 Pan swing motion Table 42 Driving force transmission belt 43 Rotation drive unit 50 Rice / water agitator 51 Rotation drive unit 52 Rotation shaft 53 Rice / water agitator 60 Rice / water agitator 61 Rice / water agitator 62 Agitator rotating means 63 Driving force transmission Belt 64 Rotation drive unit 70 Pot vibration device 71 Solenoid 72 Shaft 73, 74 Elastic body

Claims (10)

A pot with rice and water,
A heating device for heating the food to be cooked in the pan;
A temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the cooking object in the pan;
A rice cooking control unit that controls a heating operation of the heating device based on a detection temperature of the temperature detection unit, and performs a rice cooking process including at least a temperature raising process, a boiling maintenance process, and a steaming process,
A drive unit for moving an object to be cooked placed in the pan;
With
The rice cooking control unit increased the water absorption rate of the rice in the pan as compared with the case where the driving unit was not driven by driving the driving unit in the temperature raising step.
rice cooker.   The said rice cooking control part drives the said drive part until the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part reaches | attains the boiling temperature of the said water from the gelatinization start temperature of the said rice in the said temperature rising process. 1 is a rice cooker.   The said rice cooking control part is a rice cooker of Claim 2 which stops the drive of the said drive part, before the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part reaches | attains the boiling temperature of the said water.   In the temperature raising step, the rice cooker control unit is configured such that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit is higher than the first gelatinization start temperature, higher than the first temperature, and higher than the boiling temperature of the water. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit is driven until the second temperature is reached.   The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rice cooking control unit intermittently drives the driving unit when the driving unit is driven.   The said rice cooking control part is a rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-5 which changes the force which moves a to-be-cooked object by the said drive part according to the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part.   The said rice cooking control part is a rice cooker of Claim 6 which weakens the force which moves a to-be-cooked object by the said drive part as the detection temperature of the said temperature detection part rises.   The said drive part is a rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-7 which has the pan rotation apparatus which rotates a pan at variable speed.   The said drive part is a rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-7 which has the pan rocking | swiveling apparatus which rocks the said pan.   The pan swing device has a pan swing base on which the temperature detection unit is placed, and the pan swing base is in contact with the pan and the temperature detection unit is in contact with the pan. The rice cooker according to claim 9, wherein the pan and the temperature detector are integrally swung by rotating the pan rocking table eccentrically.

Images