JP2012223494A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker that has a simple configuration for easy detection of at least one of the state of the inside of a pot or the state of an agitator during rice cooking.SOLUTION: When a heat control part 200a controls a heater to carry out a rice cooking operation, an agitation motor 15 is controlled to drive an agitation arm based on the conditions set in advance by the heat control part 200a. Then, an electric current consumption detection part 201 detects electric current consumed by the agitation motor 15 when the agitator motor 15 has been controlled to drive the agitation arm based on the conditions set in advance by the heat control part 200a, and a state determination part 200c determines the state of the mixture of rice and water in an inner pot 10 as well as the state of the agitation arm based on the detected electric current consumption of the agitator motor 15.

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

  Conventionally, as a rice cooker, a stirrer is provided rotatably on a lid that opens and closes the upper part of the rice cooker body, and the rice cooker in the inner pot is stirred by driving the stirrer with a rotation drive device. (For example, refer to JP 2008-278924 A (Patent Document 1)).

  However, the above-mentioned conventional rice cooker stirs the cooked rice after cooking with a stirrer, and there is a problem that it is impossible to detect forgetting to put rice or forgetting to put the stirrer at the start of rice cooking operation. For this reason, in the said conventional rice cooker, it cannot prevent that rice cooking operation is performed in the state which is not containing rice, or the state where the stirring body is not attached.

JP 2008-278924 A

  Then, the subject of this invention is providing the rice cooker which can determine easily at least one of the state in an inner pot or the state of a stirring means at the time of rice cooking operation by simple structure.

In order to solve the above problems, the rice cooker of this invention is
An inner pot containing a mixture of rice and water;
Heating means for heating the inner pot;
A lid that can be freely opened and closed at the top of the rice cooker body, and can be closed to cover the inner pot,
Stirring means attached to the inner pot or the lid and stirring the mixture of rice and water contained in the inner pot;
A motor for driving the stirring means;
Motor load information detecting means for detecting load information of the motor;
A heating control means for controlling the heating means to perform the rice cooking operation;
Motor control means for controlling the motor to cause the motor to drive the stirring means;
Based on the load information of the motor detected by the motor load information detecting means when the motor is controlled by the motor control means in advance and the stirring means is driven by the motor. State determining means for determining at least one of the state of the rice and water mixture in the pot or the state of the stirring means is provided.

  According to the above configuration, when performing the rice cooking operation by controlling the heating means by the heating control means, the motor control means controls the motor under a preset condition to cause the motor to drive the stirring means. Then, when the motor is controlled by the motor control means under a preset condition and the agitation means is driven by the motor, the motor load information detection means detects the load information of the motor. Then, based on the detected motor load information, the state determination means determines at least one of the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot or the state of the stirring means. Here, “the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot” means, for example, the presence or absence of a mixture of rice and water, the total volume of the mixture, or the volume of rice in the mixture of rice and water, etc. It is. In addition, the “state of the stirring means” means, for example, whether or not the stirring means is attached in the inner pot (or the lid), and when the stirring means moves in the vertical direction, the stirring means is in the stirring position. Whether it is in a certain state or not. Thus, it is possible to easily determine the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot and the state of the stirring means with a simple configuration during the rice cooking operation. Thereby, it becomes possible to prevent rice cooking from being mistakenly performed in a state in which a mixture of rice and water is not contained or a state in which a stirring means is not attached.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
It has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the inner pot,
The state determination means controls the motor under the preset condition by the motor control means, and the motor load information detected by the motor load information detection means when the stirring means is driven by the motor. Based on the information and the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor, the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot is determined.

  According to the above embodiment, based on the motor load information detected by the motor load information detection means when the motor is controlled by the motor control means under the preset conditions and the stirring means is driven by the motor, the state is determined. As an example of the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot, the determination unit can determine the capacity of rice in the mixture of rice and water, for example. Moreover, it becomes possible to determine the capacity | capacitance of the whole mixture of the rice and water in an inner pot based on the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor. For example, the capacity of the entire mixture of rice and water in the inner pot can be determined based on a change in the temperature in the inner pot when heated by a certain amount of heat by the heating means.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
The state determination means controls the heating means by the heating control means before preheating the water absorption process of the rice cooking operation, and the heating means controls the inner pot and the rice and water in the inner pot. A mixture volume for determining the total volume of the rice and water mixture in the inner pot based on a change in the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor when a preset amount of heat is applied to the mixture. A determination means;

  According to the above embodiment, before preheating the water absorption process of rice cooking operation, the heating means is controlled by the heating control means, and the heating means presets the inner pot and the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot. When the amount of heat is added, the temperature difference between the initial temperature before heating in the inner pot and the temperature after heating is approximately proportional to the total volume of the rice and water mixture, so based on that temperature difference, It becomes possible to determine the capacity of the entire mixture of rice and water in the inner pot by the mixture capacity determination means.

  Thereby, for example, by subtracting the volume of rice from the total volume of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot determined by the state determination means, it is possible to determine the volume of water in the mixture of rice and water Based on whether the capacity of the water is greater or less than the specified water amount, when the specified water amount is not within the predetermined range, the rice cooking operation is stopped or within the predetermined range with respect to the specified water amount In some cases, it is possible to appropriately adjust the cooking sequence of the rice cooking operation so that the finish of the rice when cooked is good.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
In the water absorption process of the rice cooking operation, the heating control means controls the heating means to the heating means in a preheating sequence according to the total volume of the rice and water mixture determined by the mixture capacity determining means. The preheating for heating the inner pot is performed.

  According to the above embodiment, in the water absorption process of the rice cooking operation, the heating means is controlled by the heating control means, and the heating means is used in the preheating sequence according to the total volume of the rice and water mixture determined by the mixture capacity determining means. By performing preheating to heat the inner pot, it is possible to quickly reach the optimum temperature (for example, 60 ° C.) for water absorption without overshooting, and the time for the water absorption process can be shortened.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
The state determination means controls the motor under the preset condition by the motor control means, and the motor load information detected by the motor load information detection means when the stirring means is driven by the motor. Rice capacity determination means for determining the capacity of the rice in the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot based on the information is included.

  According to the above embodiment, the rice capacity determination means controls the motor under the conditions set in advance by the motor control means, and the motor load detected by the motor load information detection means when the agitator is driven by the motor. Based on the information, for example, by utilizing the characteristic that there is a correlation between the capacity of rice and the number of revolutions per unit time when the motor is rotated at a constant input power, the rotation per unit time of the motor Judge the capacity of rice in the inner pot from the number. Thus, if the capacity of the entire mixture of rice and water is obtained based on the temperature change in the inner pot heated by a predetermined heat amount using a conventional technique, the capacity of water can be determined.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
The state determination means controls the heating means by the heating control means at the start of the rice cooking operation, and applies a preset amount of heat to the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot by the heating means. Based on the change in the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor at the time, the mixture capacity determining means for determining the total volume of the rice and water mixture in the inner pot, and the motor control means Based on the load information of the motor detected by the motor load information detection means when the motor is driven under the preset condition and the stirring means is driven by the motor, the rice in the inner pot is And rice capacity determination means for determining the capacity of the rice in the mixture of water,
Based on the total volume of the rice and water mixture determined by the mixture capacity determining means and the capacity of the rice of the rice and water mixture determined by the rice capacity determining means, Water capacity calculating means for calculating the capacity of the water in the mixture of water;
Water for determining whether or not the water volume of the rice and water mixture calculated by the water volume calculation unit is not more than an upper limit value and not less than a lower limit value for a specified water amount according to the rice volume. Capacity determination means;
When the water volume determination means determines that the volume of the water of the mixture of rice and water is not less than the upper limit value and not less than the lower limit value with respect to the specified water volume according to the rice volume, a notification of water volume abnormality notification Means.

  According to the above embodiment, based on the total volume of the rice and water mixture determined by the mixture capacity determining means and the capacity of the rice in the rice and water mixture determined by the rice capacity determining means, By the volume calculation means, the volume of water in the mixture of rice and water (= total volume of the mixture−rice volume) is calculated. When the water volume determination means determines that the water volume calculated by the water volume calculation unit is not less than or equal to the upper limit value and not less than the lower limit value for the prescribed water volume according to the rice volume, the notification means causes the user to report an abnormal water volume. Inform. As a result, when the capacity of the water in the inner pot is too much or too little than the specified amount of water, by notifying the user of the water amount abnormality by the notification means, the user does not start the rice cooking operation. Can be refilled to the proper amount. Therefore, cooking without failure becomes possible.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
The heating control means includes: the water capacity of the rice and water mixture calculated by the water capacity calculating means; and the rice of the rice and water mixture determined by the rice capacity determining means. The rice cooking operation is performed in a cooking sequence according to the water capacity and the rice capacity.

  According to the embodiment, based on the capacity of water in the mixture of rice and water calculated by the water capacity calculation means and the capacity of rice in the mixture of rice and water determined by the rice capacity determination means. In addition, by performing the rice cooking operation with a cooking sequence according to the water capacity and the rice capacity by the heating control means, even if the water capacity fluctuates slightly from the specified amount of water relative to the rice capacity, cooked rice with good finish Can be raised.

Moreover, in the rice cooker of one embodiment,
The motor load information detected by the motor load information detecting means is the number of rotations per unit time of the motor when the motor is rotated at a constant input power.

  According to the above embodiment, the motor load information is detected by detecting the motor load information represented by the number of rotations per unit time of the motor when the motor is rotated at a constant input power. Without providing a separate means for detecting this, the number of revolutions per unit time, which is one of the parameters of motor control, can be easily obtained as motor load information.

  As apparent from the above, according to the rice cooker of the present invention, it is possible to realize a rice cooker that can easily determine at least one of the state in the inner pot or the state of the stirring means during the rice cooking operation with a simple configuration. Can do.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rice cooker as seen from the line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3A is a control block diagram of the rice cooker. FIG. 3B is a control block diagram of another example of the rice cooker. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a temperature change in the inner pot during the rice cooking operation of the rice cooker. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the stirring arm of the rice cooker is in the upper position. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the stirring arm of the rice cooker is in the lower position. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view when the tip side of the stirring arm is located in the upper region of the mixture in a state where the mixture of rice and water is stored in the inner pot of the rice cooker. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view when the tip side of the stirring arm stirs the mixture in a state where the mixture of rice and water is housed in the inner pot of the rice cooker. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the state where the stirring arm of the rice cooker is in the upper position as viewed from below. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. FIG. 12 is a plan view when the stirring arm is in the forward direction in the upper position. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. FIG. 14 is a plan view when the stirring arm is rotated in the reverse direction with the stirring arm in the upper position. FIG. 15 is a plan view when the lid-side magnet rotor of the rice cooker rotates 180 degrees. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the principle of operation in which the stirring arm rotates upward from the lower position by rotation. FIG. 17: is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the modification which provided the rotary body side magnet in the rotary body of the said rice cooker. FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified example in which an electromagnet is provided on the lid of the rice cooker. FIG. 19: is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which has the stirring arm of the rice cooker of 2nd Embodiment of this invention in an upper position. FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where the stirring arm of the rice cooker is in the lower position. FIG. 21 is a side view of the stirring arm. FIG. 22 is a bottom view of the stirring arm. FIG. 23 is a side view of the fixed opening member for the stirring arm. FIG. 24 is a bottom view of the fixed release member. FIG. 25 is a side view of the fixed opening member for the stirring arm. FIG. 26 is a bottom view of the fixing release member when the stirring arm is fixed. FIG. 27 is a plan view of the state where the stirring arm of the rice cooker is in the upper position as viewed from below. FIG. 28 is a plan view of the state in which the stirring arm is opened by the fixed opening member as viewed from below. FIG. 29 is a plan view of a state in which the agitation arm is fixed by a fixed opening member as viewed from below. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rice capacity and the number of rotations per unit time.

  Hereinafter, the rice cooker of this invention is demonstrated in detail by embodiment of illustration.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1: has shown the perspective view of the rice cooker of 1st Embodiment of this invention.

  The rice cooker of this 1st Embodiment is provided with the rice cooker main body 1 and the cover body 2 attached to the upper part of the rice cooker main body 1 so that opening and closing was possible, as shown in FIG. The rice cooker main body 1 includes a display operation unit 3 as an example of an informing means provided on the front side, a hook button 4 provided on the front side and on the upper side, and a main body handle 5 that is rotatably attached to the rear side. And a power cord 6 connected to the rear side and the lower side. A steam port 2 a is provided on the rear surface side of the lid 2. The display operation unit 3 includes a liquid crystal display and a plurality of operation buttons, and can display and operate a cooking menu, cooking status, and the like. The lid 2 is closed in a state where it is detachably locked by a latch mechanism (not shown) provided in the rice cooker body 1, and when the hook button 4 is pressed, the latch mechanism is released, and the spring The lid 2 is opened by an urging force (not shown).

  FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the rice cooker as seen from the line II-II in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rice cooker is attached to the rice cooker body 1, the inner pot 10 accommodated in the rice cooker body 1, and the upper portion of the rice cooker body 1 so as to be freely opened and closed. Cover 2 that can be closed so as to cover, heaters 41 and 42 as an example of a heating means that is disposed on the lower side of rice cooker body 1 and heats inner pot 10, and the bottom of inner pot 10 And an inner pan temperature sensor 40 for detecting the temperature of the inner pan.

  The rice cooker body 1 has an outer case 1a and an inner case (not shown) disposed in the outer case 1a. When the inner pot 10 is stored in the rice cooker body 1, the inner case holds the inner pot 10. This inner case is formed of a material having heat resistance and electrical insulation. The control device 200 is arranged in a space between the outer case 1a and the inner case.

  The inner pot 10 is formed of a high heat conductive member such as aluminum, for example, and a magnetic material such as stainless steel for improving the heating efficiency is attached to the outer surface of the inner pot 10, while a fluororesin for preventing adhesion of an object to be heated is attached to the inner surface. It is coated. In this inner pot 10, a mixture of rice and water is placed as an example of the object to be heated. Further, an annular flange portion 10 a is provided on the edge of the opening at the upper end of the inner pot 10.

  The lid body 2 includes an outer lid 21 that is rotatably supported by the rice cooker body 1 and an inner lid 22 that is detachably attached to the inner lid 10 side of the outer lid 21. The inner lid 22 includes a plate-shaped disk portion 22a, a cylindrical portion 22b extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the disk portion 22a, and an annular flange portion 22c extending outward from the lower end edge of the cylindrical portion 22b. Yes. An annular heat-resistant rubber packing (not shown) is detachably attached to the outer periphery of the inner lid 22. When the lid 2 is closed, the packing is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 10 a of the inner pot 10 to seal between the inner pot 10 and the inner lid 22. The inner lid 22 is provided with a steam hole (not shown).

  Further, a rotating body 12 made of heat-resistant resin is attached to the inner lid 22 on the inner pot 10 side so as to be rotatable around the rotating shaft 14. One end of the rotating body 12 is connected to the rotating shaft 14, and one end of a heat-resistant resin stirring arm 11 as an example of stirring means is attached to the other end of the rotating body 12 via a shaft portion 13 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. ing. A stirring arm side magnet 16 is provided on one end of the stirring arm 11, that is, on the tip side and on the inner lid 22 side. The rotating shaft 14 is driven by a stirring motor 15 attached to the upper side of the inner lid 22.

  On the other hand, a disk-shaped rotor 30 is rotatably attached so that a part of the inner lid 22 overlaps with an area near the outside. A lid body side magnet 31 is attached to the rotor 30, and the lid body side magnet 31 moves in the rotation direction of the rotor 30 as the rotor 30 rotates. A rotor drive unit 32 that rotationally drives the rotor 30 is attached to the upper side of the rotor 30.

  The lid 2 is provided with a steam passage 70 that connects the steam port 2a (shown in FIG. 1) and the steam hole (not shown) of the inner lid 22. A pressure valve 80 is disposed in the steam passage 70.

  FIG. 3A shows a control block diagram of the rice cooker. As shown in FIG. 3A, the rice cooker includes a control device 200 including a microcomputer and an input / output circuit. The control device 200 receives signals from the inner pot temperature sensor 40, the consumption current detection unit 201, and the magnetic sensor 204, and the stirring motor 15, the rotor drive unit 32, the display operation unit 3, and the heaters 41 and 42 ( A heating circuit 202 for driving (shown in FIG. 2) is connected. The current consumption detection unit 201 detects the power consumption of the stirring motor 15 and is used as a motor load information detection unit. In the first embodiment, a reed switch is used for the magnetic sensor 204, but other sensors such as a Hall element may be used.

  The control device 200 controls the heaters 41 and 42 based on the temperature of the inner pot 10 detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 40, a heating control unit 200a as an example of a heating control means for performing the rice cooking operation, The stirring control unit 200b as an example of a motor control means for controlling the motor 15 to drive the stirring arm 11 and the stirring arm 11 in the inner pot 10 based on signals from the consumption current detection unit 201 and the magnetic sensor 204. A state determination unit 200c as an example of a state determination unit (including rice capacity determination unit and mixture volume determination unit) for determining a state and a state of an object to be heated; a water amount calculation unit 200d as an example of a water capacity calculation unit; A water volume determination unit 200e as an example of a water capacity determination unit.

  Based on the magnetism detected by the magnetic sensor 204, the state determination unit 200c determines whether or not the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position and the like, and the stirring motor 15 detected by the consumption current detection unit 201. Based on the current consumption, the capacity of rice in the inner pot 10 is determined. Here, the stirring control unit 200b performs PWM (pulse width modulation) control in which the voltage applied to the motor coil is constant so that the rotation number per predetermined unit time is an example of a preset condition, Control the voltage value of the voltage applied to the motor coil.

  Instead of using the current consumption detection unit 201 shown in FIG. 3A as the motor load information detection unit, the control device 200 may use the motor load information detection unit 200f as the motor load information detection unit as shown in FIG. 3B. Good. The motor load information detection unit 200f detects the number of rotations per unit time of the agitating motor 15 when the agitating motor 15 is rotated at a constant input power as load information of the agitating motor 15.

  That is, the determination of the capacity of the rice in the inner pot 10 of the rice cooker is not limited to the current consumption of the stirring motor 15, but the unit time of the stirring motor 15 when the stirring motor 15 is rotated at a constant input power. The determination may be made based on the number of rotations per hit. Here, “rotating the stirring motor 15 at a constant input power” is an example of a preset condition, and a constant duty in PWM (pulse width modulation) control in which the voltage applied to the motor coil is constant. This is the case when the ratio is used. In the first embodiment, the duty ratio is constant within a range of 30% to 40%.

  For example, FIG. 30 shows the change in the number of rotations per unit time with respect to the rice capacity of the mixture of rice and water when the stirring motor 15 is rotated at a constant input power. In FIG. 30, the horizontal axis represents the rice capacity [total] (one is approximately 150 g), and the vertical axis represents the rotation speed [rpm] of the stirring motor 15 per unit time.

  In FIG. 30, the rotation speed change when the water volume is the specified water volume is shown by a solid line, and the rotation speed change when the water volume is one unit (180.39 g) larger than the specified water volume is shown by a dotted line. The change in the number of revolutions when the capacity is less than the specified amount of water by 1 unit (180.39 g) is shown by a one-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 30, there is a correlation between the capacity of rice and the number of rotations per unit time when the stirring motor 15 is rotated at a constant input power. The correlation between the volume of rice and the number of revolutions per unit time is hardly affected by the amount of water, and the number of rice in the inner pot 10 is determined from the number of revolutions per unit time of the stirring motor 15. The capacity can be determined.

  Further, input power (voltage applied to the motor coil × consumed current) when the stirring motor 15 is rotated at a constant rotational speed may be used as load information of the stirring motor 15. Here, “rotating the agitating motor 15 at a constant rotational speed” is an example of a preset condition, and per unit time in PWM (pulse width modulation) control with a constant applied voltage to the motor coil. The duty ratio is controlled so that the number of rotations is constant, or the voltage value of the voltage applied to the motor coil is controlled so that the number of rotations per unit time is constant.

  FIG. 4 shows the temperature change in the inner pot 10 during the rice cooking operation of the rice cooker. The middle stage of FIG. 4 shows the operation of the stirring arm 11 (“Positive” is a clockwise rotation when viewed from below, “Off” indicates rotation stop, and “reverse” indicates counterclockwise rotation in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from below, and the upper and lower positions of the stirring arm 11 are indicated in the lower stage. The feature of the rice cooking method of the rice cooker of 1st Embodiment is explained in full detail according to this FIG.

  As a cooking sequence of general rice cooking, there are a water absorption process, a startup process, a boil duration, a cooking process, a steaming process, and a heat retention process. And in the cooking sequence of the rice cooker of this 1st Embodiment, it has the washing process which wash | cleans rice before a water absorption process.

<Washing process>
First, after putting a predetermined amount of rice and water for washing the rice into the inner pot 10, the stirring control unit 200b controls the stirring motor 15 to rotate the stirring arm 11 in the forward direction. The water mixture is stirred, and the capacity of rice is determined by the state determination unit 200c. At this time, the state determination unit 200c determines the state of the stirring arm 11 based on the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 detected by the current consumption detection unit 201. For example, it is determined whether or not the stirring arm 11 is attached to the lid 2.

  Here, when the state determination unit 200c determines that the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is not stored, or determines that the stirring arm 11 is not attached to the lid 2, the control device 200 is The abnormality is displayed on the liquid crystal display of the display operation unit 3.

  Next, the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is stirred by rotating the stirring arm 11 in the forward direction by the stirring control unit 200b according to the determined rice volume, and the surface of the rice grains is initially polished. To do. Then, when the initial polishing is completed, the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction by the stirring control unit 200b, whereby the stirring arm 11 is pulled up to the lid 2 side and stored. Then, only the water in the inner pot 10 is thrown away, and a water change operation is performed in which an appropriate amount of water is newly put into the inner pot 10.

  The initial polishing in this <washing step> may be repeated a plurality of times by replacing water.

<Water absorption process>
At the start of the <water absorption step> after the water change operation of the <washing step>, that is, at the start of the rice cooking operation, the stirring control unit 200b rotates the stirring arm 11 in the forward direction to stir the mixture of rice and water. Then, based on the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 detected by the current consumption detection unit 201, the state determination unit 200c determines whether or not there is a mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 and the capacity of the rice. At this time, the state determination unit 200c determines the state of the stirring arm 11 based on the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 detected by the current consumption detection unit 201. For example, it is determined whether or not the stirring arm 11 is attached to the lid 2.

  Here, when the state determination unit 200c determines that the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is not stored, or determines that the stirring arm 11 is not attached to the lid 2, the control device 200 is Then, an abnormality is displayed on the liquid crystal display of the display operation unit 3, and the rice cooking operation is stopped.

  Next, the mixture of rice and water is stirred for a predetermined time by rotating the stirring arm 11 in the forward direction by the stirring control unit 200b according to the determined rice volume, and the solid content (mainly starch Quality) is dissolved in water ("remaining polishing" shown in FIG. 4).

  By rubbing the rice together and contacting the rice with the stirring arm 11, the surface portion of the rice grain is smoothed, and the starchy material is eluted mainly from the scraped rice surface. The period of rubbing can be said to be a starch transfer process in which the starch of rice is transferred to the water side. The components of the shaved surface are starch particles containing amylose and amylopectin, and can be included as starch particles in the rice at the time of cooking, so the amount of sticky substance on the surface of the cooked rice may be increased it can. Therefore, the stickiness of cooked rice can be improved. Further, since the surface of the rice grain is smooth, light is easily reflected on the surface of the rice, and the gloss of the rice can be improved. Moreover, since the amount of amylopectin that coats the surface increases, the gloss after cooling after cooking can be improved. In addition, as an elution solid content which elutes in water from rice, the quantity which does not burn after cooking rice or the quantity which does not cause yellowing after cooking rice is selected by the property of the rice to cook.

  Although there is no “remaining polishing” that elutes the solids (mainly starchy matter) on the surface of the rice grains into water, stirring to make the temperature distribution of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 uniform. Do.

  Next, the initial temperature of the inner pot 10 (corresponding to the temperature of the mixture of rice and water) is detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 40 before heating (“temperature detection 1” shown in FIG. 4). The temperature distribution of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is made uniform by rotating the stirring arm 11 and stirring the mixture of rice and water for a predetermined time before the detection of the initial temperature. The accurate initial temperature of the inner pot 10 can be detected by the sensor 40. In addition, when water is poured into the inner pot 10 after the washing step and the rice cooking operation is started immediately, even if there is temperature unevenness in the inner pot 10, an accurate initial temperature can be detected quickly by stirring.

  And the heater 41 and 42 are controlled by the heating control part 200a, and the inner pot 10 is heated with the set calorie | heat amount. During or after the heating by the heaters 41 and 42, the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the forward direction to stir the mixture of rice and water so that the temperature distribution of the heated rice and water mixture becomes uniform. At this time, the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 (shown in FIG. 2) that drives the stirring arm 11 is detected by the current consumption detection unit 201, and the rice capacity is determined by the state determination unit 200c based on the current consumption. To do.

  Next, the temperature of the inner pot 10 (corresponding to the temperature of the mixture of rice and water) is detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 40 (shown in FIG. 2) (“temperature detection 2” shown in FIG. 4). And the capacity | capacitance of the whole mixture of rice and water is determined by the state determination part 200c based on the temperature difference of the initial temperature of the inner pot 10 before a heating, and the temperature of the temperature of the inner pot 10 after a heating, and the provided calorie | heat amount. In addition, stirring (the volume determination of rice) before temperature detection (“temperature detection 2”) of the inner pot 10 is stirring for “remaining polishing” that elutes the solid content (mainly starchy substance) of the surface of the rice grain into water. Sometimes you can go.

  And the temperature of the inner pot 10, that is, the inner pot, using the capacity of rice based on the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 (shown in FIG. 2) and the capacity of the whole rice and water mixture based on the temperature change of the inner pot 10 The optimal condition (preheating sequence) is selected so that the temperature of the mixture in 10 quickly reaches 60 ° C. without overshooting, etc., and the heaters 41 and 42 are controlled by the heating controller 200a to control the inner pot 10 Heat.

  At this time, based on the capacity of the rice based on the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 and the total capacity of the mixture of rice and water based on the temperature change of the inner pot 10, the water amount calculation unit 200d uses the rice and water in the inner pot 10. The volume of water in the mixture (= total volume of the mixture−volume of rice) is calculated. When the water volume determination unit 200e determines that the water volume calculated by the water volume calculation unit 200d is not less than the upper limit value and not less than the lower limit value with respect to the prescribed water volume according to the rice volume, the control device 200 displays the display operation unit 3. An abnormal water amount is displayed on the liquid crystal display (shown in FIG. 1) to notify the user. For example, when the volume of water is greater than (specified water volume + upper limit), it is notified that there is a lot of water, and when the volume of water is less than (specified water volume-lower limit), it is reported that there is less water. To do. The user re-adjusts the amount of water according to the display on the liquid crystal display of the display operation unit 3 and restarts rice cooking.

  In this <water absorption process>, the output of the heaters 41 and 42 is adjusted by the inner pot temperature sensor 40 that detects the temperature of the inner pot 10, and the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 and the inner pot 10 is about 58 ° C. It is heated until it reaches ˜60 ° C., and the temperature of about 58 ° C. to 60 ° C. is maintained for about 20 minutes.

  In addition, the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is stirred by intermittently rotating the stirring arm 11 in the <water absorption step> (may be continuously rotated), and all of the inner pot 10 The temperature of the rice and water mixture may be raised uniformly from about 58 ° C. to 60 ° C. in the entire region, and the temperature of about 58 ° C. to 60 ° C. may be maintained for about 20 minutes. Thereby, since the temperature of the mixture of the rice and water in the inner pot 10 becomes the same temperature in all areas in the <water absorption step>, all the rice in the inner pot 10 absorbs water without unevenness.

  Another purpose of maintaining the temperature of 58 ° C. to 60 ° C. for about 20 minutes in the <water absorption step> is to increase the amount of glucose. It is said that the enzyme that produces glucose is most activated at a temperature of around 60 ° C., holds the temperature of 58 ° C. to 60 ° C. for a long time, and cooks through the following <continuation of boiling, cooking step> and <steaming step>. The raised rice has a very sweet finish.

<Start-up process>
Next, in the <start-up process>, the stirring arm 11 is rotated downward by the stirring control unit 200b so that the tip end side of the stirring arm 11 is positioned in the upper region of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10. By rotating the stirring arm 11 in the reverse direction at 150 rpm, the upper region of the mixture of rice and water (the region where the rice sinks on the lower side in the inner pot 10 and the water mainly exists on the upper side) is stirred. . Thereby, in <start-up process>, the temperature distribution in the mixture of the rice and water in the inner pot 10 is made uniform, and the finish of the cooked rice is improved with less temperature unevenness.

<Boil duration, cooking process>
Next, in the <boiling duration, cooking step>, the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction at 350 rpm, pulled up to the lid 2 side and held at the upper position, and then the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction at 400 rpm. Even if the rice bowl produced in the inner pan 10 by cooking overflows into the upper space in the inner pan 10, the stirring arm 11 blows the rice bowl radially outward to the lower side in the inner pan 10. Return ("Return" in FIG. 4).

  And when the water in the inner pot 10 is boiled and disappears by cooking and the temperature of the inner pot 10 rises over 100 degreeC, a cooking operation is complete | finished.

  In this <boiling duration, cooking step>, the rice and water based on the current consumption of the stirring motor 15 (shown in FIG. 2) determined in the <water absorption step> and the temperature change of the inner pot 10 are determined. Using the capacity of the whole mixture, the heating control unit 200a cooks with an optimal cooking sequence according to the capacity of water and the capacity of rice. For example, when the volume of water is larger than the specified amount of water according to the volume of rice, the heating control unit 200a increases the input power of the heaters 41 and 42 and lengthens the heating time to supply excess water larger than the specified amount of water. Evaporate so that the cooked rice does not become too soft. On the other hand, when the amount of water is less than the specified amount of water relative to the rice capacity, the heating control unit 200a lowers the input power of the heaters 41 and 42 in the <start-up step> to increase the start-up time, Make sure the rice is not too hard.

<Steaming process>
And after the above <Boil duration, cooking step>, in the <Steaming step> to steam the cooked rice and make it delicious, the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction at 150 rpm for the first 5 minutes. In the cooking process, the “return” is continued, and thereafter the stirring arm 11 is not rotated.

<Insulation process>
Next, when the above <steaming step> is completed, the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is obtained by rotating the stirring arm 11 in the reverse direction at 400 rpm while being pulled up to the lid 2 side and in the upper position. Stir the gas above. Thereby, temperature in the inner pot 10 can fall rapidly and it can prevent that rice deteriorates under high temperature.

  In the rice cooker according to the first embodiment, when the stirring arm 11 is not rotated in the <warming process>, it takes about 4 hours for the temperature of the inner pot 10 detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 40 to decrease from 90 ° C. to 70 ° C. On the other hand, when the stirring arm 11 was rotated in the <Heat retention step>, the temperature of the inner pot 10 could be reduced to about 2.5 hours while the temperature dropped from 90 ° C. to 70 ° C. The reason why the temperature in the inner pot 10 rapidly decreases is that the temperature unevenness in the inner pot 10 is eliminated by stirring the gas above the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 by the stirring arm 11. It is considered that the temperature distribution becomes uniform and the heat in the inner pot 10 is efficiently radiated to the outside.

  FIG. 5: has shown the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which has the stirring arm 11 of the said rice cooker in an upper position. In a state where the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position, as shown in FIG. 5, the stirring arm 11 is held by the rotating body 12 by a holding mechanism described later. At this time, the lid-side magnet 31 attached to the rotor 30 is located on the outer side in the radial direction from the region surrounded by the trajectory in which the stirring arm-side magnet 16 on the tip side of the stirring arm 11 rotates in the circumferential direction.

  With the stirring arm 11 in the upper position, the rotor 30 is rotated so that the lid-side magnet 31 rotates, and the stirring arm-side magnet 16 on the tip side of the stirring arm 11 rotates in the circumferential direction as shown in FIG. When the stirring arm 11 rotates in the forward direction (clockwise when viewed from below), the magnetic repulsive force acting between the lid-side magnet 31 and the stirring arm-side magnet 16 causes the stirring by the holding mechanism. The holding of the arm 11 is released. Then, the stirring arm 11 is rotated downward by its own weight, and the stirring arm 11 is in a lower position (see FIG. 6).

  The rotor 30, the lid body side magnet 31, the rotor driving unit 32, and the stirring arm side magnet 16 constitute a dropping mechanism.

  The stirring arm 11 is at a lower position standing obliquely downward with respect to the lower surface of the inner lid 22 of the lid 2 by a stopper mechanism (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the shaft portion 13. Stops rotating. In this lower position, a predetermined interval is provided between the tip side of the stirring arm 11 and the bottom portion in the inner pot 10 so that the stirring arm 11 and the bottom portion in the inner pot 10 do not come into contact with each other. Further, the stirring arm 11 does not interfere with the inner pot 10 when the stirring arm 11 is rotated from the upper position to the lower position.

  5 and 6 illustrate the operation of the stirring arm 11 when the mixture of rice and water is not stored in the inner pot 10, but the state where the mixture of rice and water is stored in the inner pot 10. Then, the following operation is performed.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, the stirring arm 11 is set so that the tip side of the stirring arm 11 is positioned in the upper region 52 among the lower region 51 and the upper region 52 of the mixture 50 of rice and water in the inner pot 10. When the stirring arm 11 is rotated downward and rotated in the reverse direction (counterclockwise as viewed from below), the upper region 52 of the rice / water mixture 50 is stirred by the stirring arm 11. Here, a region where rice is sinking and stacked on the lower side in the inner pot 10 is a lower region 51, and a region where water is mainly present on the upper side of the lower region 51 is an upper region 52.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the stirring arm 11 is positioned in a state where the tip end side of the stirring arm 11 is positioned in the upper region 52 of the mixture 50 of rice and water, which is a heated object stored in the inner pot 10. When rotating in the direction (clockwise as viewed from below), the blade surface of the blade portion 11 b facing the rotation direction of the stirring arm 11 receives a downward force from the mixture 50. As a result, the stirring arm 11 rotates downward while diving into the mixture 50 while rotating. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the mixture 50 of rice and water is stirred in the lower position where the stirring arm 11 is submerged in the mixture 50 of rice and water that is the object to be heated stored in the inner pot 10. It becomes possible to do.

  FIG. 9: has shown the top view which looked at the state which has the stirring arm 11 of the said rice cooker in an upper position from the downward direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the rotating shaft 14 (with the folded stirring arm 11 held by the rotating body 12 in the cylindrical portion 22b of the inner lid 22 of the lid 2 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided. Rotate around (shown in FIG. 2). At this time, when the stirring arm 11 shown in FIG. 9 rotates clockwise when viewed from below, the rotation is forward, and when the stirring arm 11 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from below, the rotation is reversed. .

  In FIG. 9, two lid-side magnets 31, 31 are attached to the rotor 30. The rotor drive unit 32 is controlled by the control device 200 so that the rotor 30 is rotated by a predetermined rotation so that the lid-side magnets 31 and 31 overlap the trajectory in the circumferential direction of the stirring arm-side magnet 16 on the tip side of the rotating stirring arm 11. It is in the position (open position).

  FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 10, the stirring arm 11 includes a rod-like base portion 11a and its base portion 11a as shown in FIG. Has a blade portion 11b inclined obliquely downward. The tip side of the blade portion 11b of the stirring arm 11 is inclined obliquely downward toward the rotation direction when the stirring arm 11 rotates in the forward direction (clockwise as viewed from below), and this inclination is from the tip side. It extends to the vicinity of the shaft portion 13. Further, the base 11a of the stirring arm 11 is provided with an engaging convex portion 11c that protrudes in the horizontal direction on the side where the blade portion 11b is inclined obliquely downward.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the rotating body 12 has a rod-like base portion 12a and a wall portion 12b extending downward from the lower side of the rod-like base portion 12a. Further, an engagement recess 12 c is provided at a position facing the wall 12 b of the rotating body 12 and the engagement protrusion 11 c of the stirring arm 11. The engaging concave portion 12c of the rotating body 12 and the engaging convex portion 11c of the stirring arm 11 are engaged with each other, and the stirring arm 11 folded in the upper position is held by the rotating body 12.

  In the first embodiment, the agitation arm 11 is provided with the engagement convex portion 11c and the rotating body 12 is provided with the engagement concave portion 12c. However, the agitation arm is provided with the engagement concave portion, and the rotary body is engaged with the engagement convex portion. May be provided.

  FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, a metal piece 17 made of a magnetic material is provided on the base 11 a of the stirring arm 11. Further, a holding magnet 18 is provided at a position facing the wall 12 b of the rotating body 12 and the metal piece 17 of the stirring arm 11. The holding magnet 18 of the rotating body 12 and the metal piece 17 of the stirring arm 11 are attracted to each other, and the stirring arm 11 folded in the upper position is held by the rotating body 12.

  A holding magnet may be provided on the stirring arm 11 side, and a metal piece may be provided on the rotating body 12 side. The magnetic poles are opposed to each other by magnetic attraction on both sides of the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12. A magnet may be provided.

  The engaging convex portion 11c of the stirring arm 11 and the metal piece 17 and the engaging concave portion 12c of the rotating body 12 and the holding magnet 18 constitute a holding mechanism. Note that the holding mechanism for holding the stirring arm on the rotating body may be only the engaging convex portion (or engaging concave portion) of the stirring arm and the engaging concave portion (or engaging convex portion) of the rotating body, or the stirring arm. Only the metal piece (or holding magnet) of the arm and the holding magnet of the rotating body may be used.

  FIG. 12 shows a plan view when the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the forward direction with the stirring arm 11 in the upper position, and FIG. 13 shows a sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 12, with the stirring arm 11 folded in the upper position held by the rotating body 12, the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 rotate in the forward direction (clockwise as viewed from below), As shown in FIG. 13, the stirring arm 11 is bent in the opposite direction to the rotating body 12 by the magnetic repulsive force acting between the lid-side magnet 31 of the rotor 30 and the stirring arm-side magnet 16 of the stirring arm 11. The engagement between the 12 engagement recesses 12c and the engagement protrusion 11c of the stirring arm 11 is disengaged. As a result, the distance between the metal piece 17 of the stirring arm 11 and the holding magnet 18 of the rotating body 12 is widened, the magnetic attractive force is weakened, the holding of the stirring arm 11 is released, and it is rotated downward by its own weight. Fall.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, with the stirring arm 11 in the upper position, the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 rotate in the opposite direction (counterclockwise when viewed from below), Even if a magnetic repulsive force acts between the lid side magnet 31 and the stirring arm side magnet 16 of the stirring arm 11, the stirring arm 11 is only pressed against the rotating body 12 and does not bend. Therefore, the engagement recess 12c of the rotating body 12 and the engagement protrusion 11c of the stirring arm 11 are not disengaged, and the holding magnet 18 of the rotating body 12 and the metal piece 17 of the stirring arm 11 attract each other. In this state, the state where the rotating arm 12 holds the stirring arm 11 folded in the upper position is maintained.

  FIG. 15: has shown the top view when the rotor 30 for the cover body side magnets 31 of the said rice cooker rotated 180 degree | times. As shown in FIG. 15, the two lid-side magnets 31, 31 of the rotor 30 shown in FIG. 9 are rotated 180 degrees from the rotation position where they overlap the circumferential locus of the stirring arm-side magnet 16 on the tip side of the stirring arm 11. Thus, the two lid body side magnets 31, 31 are located outside the cylindrical portion 22 b of the inner lid 22.

  Thereby, even if the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 rotate in either the forward direction or the reverse direction with the stirring arm 11 in the upper position, the lid side magnet 31 of the rotor 30 and the stirring arm side of the stirring arm 11 No magnetic repulsive force acts between the magnet 16 and the magnet 16. Therefore, the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 can be smoothly rotated in either direction without dropping the stirring arm 11. Further, when the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction in FIG. 14, the noise generated by the magnetic repulsive force between the lid-side magnet 31 of the rotor 30 and the stirring arm-side magnet 16 of the stirring arm 11 can be eliminated. it can.

  In addition, a magnetic sensor 204 is disposed on the upper side of the inner lid 22 so as to overlap the trajectory in the circumferential direction of the stirring arm side magnet 16 on the tip side of the rotating stirring arm 11. The magnetic sensor 204 detects the magnetism of the stirring arm side magnet 16.

  The state determination unit 200c of the control device 200 (shown in FIG. 3A) determines whether or not the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position based on the magnetism of the stirring arm side magnet 16 detected by the magnetic sensor 204.

  Next, the principle of operation in which the stirring arm 11 is rotated upward from the lower position by rotation will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 16, the rotating body 12 having one end connected to the rotating shaft 14 rotates around the rotating shaft 14 along a plane orthogonal to the rotating shaft 14. As the rotator 12 rotates, the stirring arm 11 attached to the other end side (shaft portion 13) of the rotator 12 as a fulcrum O ₁ is also rotatable. At this time, similarly to FIG. 6, when the stirring arm 11 is at a lower position standing obliquely downward with respect to the lower surface of the inner lid 22, the center of gravity O ₂ of the stirring arm 11 is Located on the side opposite to the fulcrum O ₁ .

As a result, the centrifugal force Mo acting on the center of gravity O ₂ of the rotating stirring arm 11 is, as shown in FIG. 16, a component M ₁ acting in the longitudinal direction of the stirring arm 11 and an upward component M ₂ orthogonal to the stirring arm 11. become. This upward component M ₂ rotates the stirring arm 11 upward and pulls it upward. When the centrifugal force is the same and does not change, the upward component M ₂ decreases as the stirring arm 11 is pulled upward, but the center of gravity O _{2 of the} stirring arm 11 decreases as the stirring arm 11 is pulled upward. As the distance from the center of the rotary shaft 14 increases, the centrifugal force Mo increases and the stirring arm 11 is pulled up to the upper position by the upward inertial force.

  FIG. 17: has shown the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the modification which provided the rotary body side magnet 60 in the rotary body 12 of the said rice cooker. The rice cooker of this modification has the same configuration as the rice cooker shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the rotating body side magnet 60, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components.

  In this rice cooker, in a state where the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position, the rotating body side magnet 60 is provided at a position symmetrical to the stirring arm side magnet 16 with respect to the upper side of the rotating body 12 and the center of the rotating shaft 14.

  In this case, the magnetic sensor 204 (shown in FIG. 15) can detect both the magnetism of the stirring arm side magnet 16 and the magnetism of the rotating body side magnet 60.

  Thus, even when the stirring arm 11 is not in the upper position, the state determination unit 200c of the control device 200 determines whether the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position based on the magnetism of the rotating body side magnet 60 detected by the magnetic sensor 204. It can be determined whether the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 are attached to the inner lid 22 regardless of whether they are in the lower position.

  Further, for example, by making at least one of the size, the number, or the magnetic force of the stirring arm side magnet 16 and the rotating body side magnet 60 different, the state determination unit 200c causes the stirring arm side magnet 16 and the rotating body side magnet 60 to be different from each other. It is possible to distinguish and discriminate, and the presence or absence of the rotating body 12 can be determined by rotating the rotating body 12. Furthermore, the state determination part 200c can determine whether the stirring arm 11 exists in an upper position, when the rotary body 12 exists. Further, when the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 folded at the upper position rotate, it is determined whether the stirring arm side magnet 16 of the stirring arm 11 is on the magnetic sensor 204 side or on the opposite side. Is possible. Thereby, the rotation is stopped at the position when the stirring arm side magnet 16 of the stirring arm 11 is on the magnetic sensor 204 side, or the rotation is stopped at the position when the rotating body side magnet 60 of the rotating body 12 is on the magnetic sensor 204 side. The stirring arm 11 can be stopped at a desired stop position.

  FIG. 18: has shown the longitudinal cross-sectional view of the modification which provided the electromagnet 61 in the cover body 2 of the said rice cooker. The rice cooker of this modification has the same configuration as the rice cooker shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the electromagnet 61, and the same reference numerals are given to the same components.

  In this rice cooker, the circumferential direction of the stirring arm side magnet 16 on the tip side of the rotating stirring arm 11 instead of the rotor 30 and the rotor drive unit 32 to which the lid body side magnets 31, 31 shown in FIGS. The electromagnet 61 is disposed in the lid body 2 so as to overlap the locus.

  In this case, when the stirring arm 11 rotates in the forward direction in the upper position, the holding mechanism (stirring arm) is energized by the magnetic repulsive force acting between the electromagnet 61 and the stirring arm side magnet 16 when the electromagnet 61 is energized. The holding of the stirring arm 11 by the engaging projection 11c, the metal piece 17, the engaging recess 12c of the rotating body 12, and the holding magnet 18) is released. Then, the stirring arm 11 is rotated downward by its own weight, and the stirring arm 11 is in a lower position (see FIG. 6).

  On the other hand, when the electromagnet 61 is not energized, no magnetic repulsive force acts between the electromagnet 61 and the stirring arm side magnet 16, and the holding of the stirring arm 11 by the holding mechanism is maintained.

  According to the rice cooker having the above-described configuration, when the heating control unit 200a controls the heaters 41 and 42 to perform the rice cooking operation, the stirring control unit 200b controls the stirring motor 15 under preset conditions for stirring. The stirring arm 11 is driven by the motor 15. When the stirring arm 11 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b under the preset conditions and the stirring arm 11 is driven, the current consumption detection unit 201 (or the motor load information detection unit 200f) performs stirring. The load information (current consumption or the number of revolutions per unit time) of the motor 15 is detected. Then, based on the load information of the stirring motor 15 detected by the current consumption detection unit 201 (or the motor load information detection unit 200f), the state determination unit 200c determines the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10. Determine the state. In the first embodiment, “the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10” is the total capacity of the rice and water mixture in the inner pot 10 and the capacity of the rice. Or the like.

  The state determination unit 200c determines the state of the stirring arm 11 based on the load information of the stirring motor 15 detected by the consumption current detection unit 201 (or the motor load information detection unit 200f). In this first embodiment, “the state of the stirring arm 11” means, for example, whether or not the stirring arm 11 is attached to the lid 2, and when the stirring arm 11 moves up and down, Whether or not it is in a stirring position.

  Thus, the state of the mixture of the rice and water in the inner pot 10 and the state of the stirring arm 11 can be easily determined during the rice cooking operation with a simple configuration. Thereby, it becomes possible to prevent that rice is accidentally performed in the state which the mixture of rice and water does not enter, or the state where the stirring arm 11 is not attached.

  Further, when the stirring motor 15 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b under the conditions set in advance and the stirring arm 11 is driven by the stirring motor 15, the current consumption detection unit 201 (or the motor load information detection unit 200f). Based on the load information of the stirring motor 15 detected by the above, the state determination unit 200c determines the capacity of rice in the rice and water mixture as an example of the state of the rice and water mixture in the inner pot 10. It becomes possible to do. Further, based on the change in the temperature in the inner pot 10 detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 40 when a certain amount of heat is applied to the inner pot 10 by the heaters 41 and 42, the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10. The overall capacity can be determined.

  Moreover, before performing the preheating of the water absorption process of rice cooking operation, the heaters 41 and 42 are controlled by the heating control unit 200a, and the heaters 41 and 42 preliminarily add the inner pot 10 and the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 in advance. When the set amount of heat is applied, the temperature difference between the initial temperature before heating in the inner pot 10 and the temperature after heating is substantially proportional to the total volume of the mixture of rice and water. Based on this, it becomes possible to determine the capacity of the entire mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 by the state determination unit 200c.

  Thereby, it is possible to obtain the volume of water in the mixture of rice and water by subtracting the volume of rice from the total volume of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 determined by the state determination unit 200c. Based on whether the capacity of the water is greater or less than the specified water amount, when the specified water amount is not within the predetermined range, the rice cooking operation is stopped or within the predetermined range with respect to the specified water amount In some cases, it is possible to appropriately adjust the cooking sequence of the rice cooking operation so that the finish of the rice when cooked is good.

  Moreover, in the water absorption process of the rice cooking operation, the heaters 41 and 42 are controlled by the heating control unit 200a, and the heaters 41 and 42 are subjected to a preheating sequence according to the total capacity of the rice and water mixture determined by the state determination unit 200c. By performing preheating to heat the inner pot 10, it is possible to quickly reach the optimum temperature (for example, 60 ° C.) for water absorption without overshooting, and the time for the water absorption process can be shortened.

  Further, when the stirring motor 15 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b under the conditions set in advance and the stirring arm 11 is driven by the stirring motor 15, the current consumption detection unit 201 (or the motor load information detection unit 200f). Based on the load information of the stirring motor 15 detected by the above, the state determination unit 200c determines the capacity of the rice out of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 to determine the total mixture of rice and water. If the capacity is obtained, the capacity of water can be determined.

  Moreover, based on the capacity | capacitance of the whole mixture of the rice and water determined by the said state determination part 200c, and the capacity | capacitance of the rice in the rice and water mixture determined by the state determination part 200c, the water amount calculation part 200d Calculate the volume of water in the mixture of rice and water (= total volume of the mixture-volume of rice), and the calculated volume of water is less than or equal to the upper limit value and greater than or equal to the lower limit value for the specified amount of water according to the rice volume. Otherwise, if the water amount determination unit 200e determines, the display operation unit 3 notifies the user of the water amount abnormality. Accordingly, when the capacity of the water in the inner pot 10 is too much or too little than the prescribed water amount, the user does not start the rice cooking operation by notifying the user of the water amount abnormality by the display operation unit 3. In addition, an appropriate amount of water can be refilled. Therefore, cooking without failure becomes possible.

  Moreover, based on the capacity | capacitance of the whole mixture of the rice and water determined by the said state determination part 200c, and the capacity | capacitance of the rice in the rice and water mixture determined by the state determination part 200c, the heating control part 200a By performing rice cooking with the optimal cooking sequence according to the volume of water and the volume of rice, even if the volume of water slightly fluctuates from the specified amount of water relative to the volume of rice, rice with good finish can be cooked .

  Further, by detecting the number of rotations per unit time of the stirring motor 15 (load information of the stirring motor 15) when the stirring motor 15 is rotated at a constant input power by the motor load information detection unit 200f, The rotational speed per unit time, which is one of the motor control parameters, can be easily obtained as the load information of the stirring motor 15 without providing a separate means for detecting the load information of the stirring motor 15.

  Further, when the stirring motor 15 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b of the control device 200 to cause the stirring arm 11 to stir the object to be heated in the inner pot 10, the magnetic force of the stirring arm side magnet 16 detected by the magnetic sensor 204 is detected. Based on the above, the state determination unit 200c of the control device 200 determines whether or not the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position, thereby determining whether or not the stirring arm 11 is folded to the lid 2 side with a simple configuration. It can be easily determined.

  For example, the state determination unit is based on the magnetism of the stirring arm side magnet 16 detected by the magnetic sensor 204 in the lower position where the stirring arm 11 stands obliquely downward with respect to the lower surface of the lid 2. 200c determines that the stirring arm 11 is not in the upper position. In this state, the stirring arm 11 is then rotated in the reverse direction by the stirring motor 15, and the stirring arm 11 is moved upward with the lid 2 side as a fulcrum. After the stirring arm 11 is folded to the lid body 2 side by being rotated up, the state determination unit 200c may determine whether or not the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position. Still, when the state determination unit 200c determines that the stirring arm 11 is not in the upper position, the stirring arm 11 itself is not attached to the inner pot 10 side of the lid 2, that is, the stirring arm 11 and the rotating body 12 You can see that it is forgotten.

  Further, the stirring motor 15 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b of the control device 200, and after the steaming step, the stirring body 11 is closed above the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 by the stirring arm 11 with the lid 2 closed. By stirring the gas, the temperature of the rice immediately after cooking is about 100 ° C. to about 70 ° C. (for example, heat insulation that can suppress the deterioration of the rice) without providing a cooling fan and a cooling air passage separately. Temperature).

  Moreover, after the stirring motor 15 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b of the control device 200 and stirring is started by the stirring arm 11 after the steaming step, the inner pot 10 detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 40 is used. By stirring the gas above the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 by the stirring arm 11 until the temperature becomes equal to or lower than the preset temperature, the temperature of the rice is quickly set to a preset temperature (for example, Temperature).

  Further, the stirring motor 15 is controlled by the stirring control unit 200b of the control device 200, and in the heat retaining process after the steaming process, the lid body 2 is attached so that the condensed water does not adhere to the inner pot 10 side of the lid body 2. By rotating the stirring arm 11 in the closed state, it is possible to prevent the condensed water that has adhered to the inner pot 10 side of the lid body 2 from dripping during the heat retention and sticking the rice.

  Further, in the start-up process after the water absorption process during the rice cooking operation, the stirring motor 15 is controlled, so that the stirring position (the tip side of the stirring arm 11) is located in the upper region of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10. The stirring region 11 is moved so that the upper region of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is stirred by the stirring arm 11, so that the upper region of the mixture of rice and water is stirred. In the raising process, the temperature distribution in the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10 is made uniform, wasteful heat dissipation can be reduced, temperature unevenness is reduced, and the finish of rice is improved.

  Moreover, since the temperature rise of the whole mixture of the rice and water which is a to-be-heated object becomes quick by heating the whole to-be-heated object in the inner pot 10 in a starting process efficiently, rice cooking time can be shortened. Thereby, the time from a water absorption process to a cooking process becomes short, the hardness (= elasticity) of a rice main body increases, and the food texture with the original chewing texture of rice is obtained. On the other hand, when the temperature rises to 70 ° C. or higher during cooking, if the rice is slowly absorbed in the start-up process, the rice retains moisture too much and becomes soft and non-elastic rice.

Further, at the lower position where the stirring arm 11 stands obliquely downward with respect to the lower surface of the lid 2, the position of the center of gravity O ₂ of the stirring arm 11 is displaced in the radial direction with respect to the center of the rotating shaft 14. Centrifugal force acts radially outward on the agitating arm 11 rotated by the agitating motor 15, and the agitating arm 11 rotates upward with the shaft portion 13 as a fulcrum by the action of the centrifugal force. (See FIG. 6). Therefore, the stirring arm 11 can be easily folded to the lid 2 side with a simple configuration.

  Further, the fulcrum (shaft portion 13) of the stirring arm 11 is provided at a position spaced radially from the center of the rotating shaft 14, and the center of gravity of the stirring arm 11 when in the lower position is By being located on the side opposite to the fulcrum with respect to the center, the stirring arm 11 can be reliably rotated upward about the fulcrum by the upward component of the centrifugal force acting on the rotating stirring arm 11.

  Further, by the centrifugal force acting on the rotating stirring arm 11, the stirring arm 11 is rotated upward with the shaft portion 13 as a fulcrum and pulled up to hold the stirring arm 11 at the upper position (engagement of the stirring arm 11). By holding the projection 11c, the metal piece 17, the engagement recess 12c of the rotating body 12 and the holding magnet 18) on the lid 2 side, the stirring arm 11 can be reliably folded on the lid 2 side. Further, by rotating the stirring arm 11 held on the lid 2 side by the holding mechanism in a folded state, it is possible to stir the gas above the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot 10. Become.

  Further, the stirring arm 11 is dropped by its own weight by the dropping mechanism (the rotor 30, the lid body side magnet 31, the rotor driving unit 32, and the stirring arm side magnet 16) from the state where the stirring arm 11 is in the upper position on the lid body 2 side. This eliminates the need for a drive mechanism that rotates the stirring arm 11 downward, and simplifies the configuration.

  Further, when the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the forward direction with the stirring arm 11 in the upper position on the lid body 2 side, a dropping mechanism (the rotor 30, the lid body side magnet 31, the rotor driving unit 32, and the stirring arm side) While the stirring arm 11 is dropped by the magnet 16), when the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction, the stirring arm 11 is not dropped by the dropping mechanism. Therefore, the rotation direction of the stirring arm 11 is controlled. The stirring arm 11 can be dropped or the stirring arm 11 can be rotated at the upper position as it is.

  In addition, the stirring arm 11 is in the forward direction (viewed from below) with the tip side of the stirring arm 11 positioned in the upper region 52 (shown in FIG. 7) of the mixture 50 of rice and water stored in the inner pot 10. When rotating clockwise, the blade surface (upper surface of the blade portion 11b shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) of the blade portion 11b facing the rotation direction of the blade portion 11b receives a downward force from the mixture 50. Therefore, the stirring arm 11 rotates downward while submerging in the mixture 50 while rotating. Therefore, the mixture 50 of rice and water can be stirred while the stirring arm 11 is submerged in the mixture 50 of rice and water stored in the inner pot 10.

  Further, the stirring arm 11 is moved in the reverse direction (from below) with the tip side of the stirring arm 11 submerged in the mixture 50 (shown in FIG. 8) of rice and water, which is the object to be heated, stored in the inner pot 10. When rotating counterclockwise as viewed, the blade surface of the blade portion 11b facing the rotation direction of the stirring arm 11 (the lower surface of the blade portion 11b shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) faces upward from the mixture 50. Since the force is received, the stirring arm 11 is rotated upward while being rotated and pulled up from the mixture 50. Accordingly, even if the stirring arm 11 is submerged in the mixture 50 of rice and water in the inner pot 10, it can be pulled up from the mixture 50 only by rotating the stirring arm 11.

  Further, in the start-up process, when the control device 200 controls the stirring motor 15 to stir the upper region of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot with the stirring arm 11, the stirring arm 11 is rotated in the reverse direction. As a result, the blade surface of the blade portion 11b facing the rotation direction of the stirring arm 11 receives an upward force from the mixture, so that the tip side of the stirring arm 11 is below the gelatinized rice and water mixture. The upper region of the mixture of rice and water can be stably stirred without entering the region.

  In the first embodiment, the shape of the longitudinal section of the blade portion 11b of the stirring arm 11 is the rotation direction when the stirring arm 11 rotates in the forward direction on the tip side of the stirring arm 11, as shown in FIG. However, the vertical cross-sectional shape of the blade portion of the stirring arm may be curved upward or downward in the rotational direction, or curved upward or downward in the rotational direction. The shape may be twisted repeatedly.

  Moreover, in the said 1st Embodiment, although the lid body side magnet 31 was moved to the rotation direction of the rotor 30 with rotation of the rotor 30 to which the lid body side magnet 31 was attached, the lid body side magnet was fixed and the rotor was used. Instead, the lid-side magnet may be fixed to the lid.

  Moreover, in the said 1st Embodiment, although the inner pot temperature sensor 40 which detects the temperature corresponded to the temperature in the inner pot 10 was used as a temperature sensor, you may use the cover temperature sensor provided in the inner cover side. In addition, both the inner pot temperature sensor and the lid temperature sensor may be used, or the temperature in the inner pot may be detected using another sensor.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 19: has shown the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state which has the stirring arm 111 of the rice cooker of 2nd Embodiment of this invention in an upper position. The rice cooker of this 2nd Embodiment is carrying out the structure same as the rice cooker of 1st Embodiment except the structure in connection with the stirring arm 111. FIG.

  The rice cooker of this 2nd Embodiment is attached to the upper part of the rice cooker main body 101, the inner pot 110 accommodated in this rice cooker main body 101, and the rice cooker main body 101 so that opening and closing is possible, as shown in FIG. The lid 102 that can be closed so as to cover the inner pot 110, the heaters 141 and 142 that are disposed on the lower side in the rice cooker main body 101 and heat the inner pot 110, and the bottom of the inner pot 110 And an inner pan temperature sensor 140 for detecting the temperature.

  The rice cooker body 101 has an outer case 101a and an inner case (not shown) arranged in the outer case 101a. Further, when the inner pot 110 is stored in the rice cooker body 101, the inner case holds the inner pot 110. This inner case is formed of a material having heat resistance and electrical insulation. A control device 200 (shown in FIG. 2) is arranged in a space between the outer case 101a and the inner case.

  The inner pot 110 is formed of a high heat conductive member such as aluminum, for example, like the inner pot 10 of the rice cooker of the first embodiment, and a magnetic material such as stainless steel is attached to the outer surface thereof to improve the heating efficiency. The inner surface is coated with a fluororesin to prevent adhesion of the object to be heated. In the inner pot 110, a mixture of rice and water is placed as an example of the object to be heated. In addition, an annular flange portion 110 a is provided at the edge of the opening at the upper end of the inner pot 110.

  The lid body 102 includes an outer lid 121 that is rotatably supported by the rice cooker body 101 and an inner lid 122 that is detachably attached to the inner pan 110 side of the outer lid 121. The inner lid 122 includes a plate-shaped disk part 122a, a cylindrical part 122b extending downward from the outer peripheral edge of the disk part 122a, and an annular flange part 122c extending outward from the lower end edge of the cylindrical part 122b. Yes.

  In addition, a rotating body 112 made of heat-resistant resin is rotatably attached around the rotating shaft 114 on the inner lid 110 side of the inner lid 122. One end of the rotating body 112 is connected to the rotating shaft 114, and one end of the heat-resistant resin stirring arm 111 is attached to the other end of the rotating body 112 via the shaft portion 13 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. A stirring arm side magnet 116 is provided on one end of the stirring arm 111, that is, on the tip side and on the inner lid 122 side. Further, a holding magnet 118 is provided on the stirring arm side magnet 116 side of the rotating body 112. The holding magnet 118 of the rotating body 112 and the stirring arm side magnet 116 of the stirring arm 111 are attracted to each other, and the stirring arm 111 folded in the upper position is held by the rotating body 112. A metal piece made of a magnetic material may be provided on the stirring arm 111 side, or a metal piece made of a magnetic material may be provided on the rotating body 12 side.

  The holding magnet 118 of the rotating body 112 and the stirring arm side magnet 116 of the stirring arm 111 constitute a holding mechanism.

  The rotating shaft 114 is driven by a stirring motor 115 as an example of a driving unit attached to the upper side of the inner lid 122.

  On the other hand, a fixed opening member 130 is rotatably attached to an upper portion of the inner lid 122 and a region near the outside. The upper portion of the fixed opening member 130 is disposed on the upper side of the inner lid 122 and is connected to the fixed opening member driving unit 132. On the other hand, the lower part of the fixed release member 130 is disposed on the inner pot 110 side of the inner lid 122.

  In a state where the stirring arm 111 is in the upper position, the fixed opening member 130 is rotated to the fixed position by the fixed opening member driving unit 132, and the stirring arm 111 is rotated by the fixed opening member 130 as shown in FIG. Is held in.

  In a state where the stirring arm 111 is in the upper position, after the fixed opening member 130 is rotated to the open position by the fixed opening member driving unit 132, when the stirring arm 111 rotates in one rotation direction, the fixed opening member 130 When the stirring arm 111 is pushed down, the holding of the stirring arm 111 by the holding mechanism (the holding magnet 118 of the rotating body 112 and the stirring arm side magnet 116 of the stirring arm 111) is released as shown in FIG. Then, the stirring arm 111 is rotated downward by its own weight, and the stirring arm 111 is in a lower position (see FIG. 20).

  The fixed opening member 130 and the fixed opening member driving unit 132 constitute a dropping mechanism.

  The stirring arm 111 is at a lower position standing obliquely downward with respect to the lower surface of the inner lid 122 of the lid 102 by a stopper mechanism (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the shaft portion 13. Stops rotating. At this lower position, a predetermined interval is provided between the tip end side of the stirring arm 111 and the bottom portion in the inner pot 110 so that the stirring arm 111 and the bottom portion in the inner pot 110 do not contact each other. Further, the stirring arm 111 does not interfere with the inner pot 110 when the stirring arm 111 rotates from the upper position to the lower position.

  FIG. 21 shows a side view of the agitation arm 111. As shown in FIG. 21, the agitation arm 111 includes a rod-like base 111a, a blade part 111b provided at one end of the base 111a, and other parts of the base 111a. And a shaft hole portion 111c provided at the end.

  FIG. 22 is a bottom view of the stirring arm 111. As shown in FIG. 22, a fitting portion 160 is provided on the tip side of the blade portion 111b of the stirring arm 111.

  FIG. 23 shows a side view of the fixing / opening member 130 for the stirring arm 111, and FIG. 24 shows a bottom view of the fixing / opening member 130.

  As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the fixed opening member 130 includes a cylindrical large diameter portion 130a connected to the fixed opening member driving portion 132, a small diameter portion 130b connected to the lower side of the large diameter portion 130a, And a fixed opening portion 130c provided on the lower side of the small diameter portion 130b. A taper surface 135 that is inclined with respect to the surface of the inner lid 122 and a flat surface 150 that is substantially orthogonal to the surface of the inner lid 122 and the taper surface 135 are formed on the fixed opening portion 130 c.

  FIG. 25 shows a side view of the fixing / opening member 130 for the stirring arm 111, and FIG. 26 shows a bottom view of the fixing / opening member 130 when the stirring arm 111 is fixed.

  As shown in FIG. 25, a fitting recess 170 is formed in a part of the fixed opening 130c. And as shown in FIG. 26, the fitting part 160 of the front end side of the stirring arm 111 fits into the fitting recessed part 170 of the fixed open part 130c, and the stirring arm 111 is being fixed so that it may not fall.

  FIG. 27: has shown the top view which looked at the state which has the stirring arm 111 of the said rice cooker in an upper position from the downward direction. In FIG. 27, the fixed opening member 130 is rotationally driven by the fixed opening member driving unit 132, and is in the non-interference position with the flat surface 150 of the fixed opening member 130c facing the center. Even if the stirring arm 111 and the rotating body 112 rotate in the forward direction (clockwise as viewed from below) or the reverse direction (counterclockwise) with the stirring arm 111 in the upper position, the rotating body 112 is retained. The magnet 118 (shown in FIG. 19) and the stirring arm side magnet 116 (shown in FIG. 19) of the stirring arm 111 remain attracted to each other, and the rotating arm 112 holds the stirring arm 111 folded upward. Maintained.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 28, the fixed opening member 130 is rotationally driven by the fixed opening member driving unit 132, and is in the open position in a state where the tapered surface 135 of the fixed opening member 130c faces the center. The tapered surface 135 of the fixed opening member 130 in this open position overlaps with the circumferential trajectory of the tip of the rotating stirring arm 111.

  As a result, when the stirring arm 111 in the upper position rotates in the reverse direction (counterclockwise when viewed from below), the leading end side of the stirring arm 111 rides on the tapered surface 135 of the fixing release member 130, The space between the holding magnet 118 (shown in FIG. 19) and the stirring arm side magnet 116 (shown in FIG. 19) of the stirring arm 111 spreads to weaken the magnetic attractive force. To turn.

  FIG. 29 shows a bottom view of the stirring arm 111 fixed by the fixing / opening member 130.

  The rice cooker of the said 2nd Embodiment has an effect similar to the rice cooker of 1st Embodiment.

  Moreover, according to the rice cooker of the said 2nd Embodiment, by hold | maintaining the stirring arm 111 using the fixed open member 130, holding | maintenance of the stirring arm by a holding mechanism is cancelled | released by the impact etc. at the time of lid opening and closing, and it falls Can be prevented.

  In the second embodiment, the fixing / opening member 130 that fixes and releases the stirring arm 111 is used. However, only the opening member that opens the stirring arm is used, and the stirring arm is held by the holding mechanism without being fixed. Alternatively, an opening member that opens the stirring arm and a fixing member that fixes the stirring arm may be provided separately.

  Further, in the second embodiment, the fixing / opening member 130 that serves as both fixing and opening of the stirring arm 111 is rotated by the fixing / opening member driving unit 132, but the fixing / opening member is moved in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, The stirring arm may be fixed and opened.

  In the said 1st, 2nd embodiment, although the state determination part 200c determined both the state of the mixture of the rice and water in the inner pot 10, and the state of the stirring arm 11, the rice cooker of this invention is an inner pot. One of the state of the mixture of rice and water or the state of the stirring arm may be determined.

  Moreover, in the said 1st, 2nd embodiment, it can rotate to the inner pots 10 and 110 side of the cover body 2 centering on the rotating shafts 14 and 114, and can rotate to an up-down direction centering | focusing on the cover body 2 side. Although the rice cooker using the stirring arms 11 and 111 attached to the above as a stirring means has been described, the stirring means is not limited to this, and the present invention is applied to a rice cooker provided with stirring blades provided at the bottom of the inner pot. You may apply.

  In the said 1st, 2nd embodiment, although the inner pot 2,102 was heated by resistance heating using heater 41,42,141,142, a heating means is not restricted to this, For example, the induction coil was used. Induction heating may be used, and the inner pot may be heated by both resistance heating and induction heating.

  In the first and second embodiments, the fulcrum (shaft portion 13) of the stirring arms 11 and 111 is provided at a position spaced apart in the radial direction from the center of the rotating shafts 14 and 114, and is at the lower position. Although the rice cooker of the structure where the gravity center of the stirring arms 11 and 111 is located on the side opposite to the fulcrum with respect to the center of the rotation shafts 14 and 114 has been described, the fulcrum of the stirring arms is not limited to this. You may apply this invention to the rice cooker of the same position as the center of.

  Further, the shape of the blade portion of the stirring arm is not limited to the blade portions 11b and 111b of the first and second embodiments, but may be another blade shape suitable for stirring the heated object in the inner pot.

  Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rice cooker main body 1a ... Outer case 2 ... Cover body 3 ... Display operation part 4 ... Hook button 5 ... Main body handle 6 ... Power supply cord 10 ... Inner pan 11 ... Stirring arm 11a ... Base 11c ... Engaging convex part 11b ... Blade Part 12, 112 ... Rotating body 12a ... Base part 12b ... Wall part 12c ... Engaging recess 13, 113 ... Shaft part 14, 114 ... Rotating shaft 15, 115 ... Stirring motor 16, 116 ... Stirring arm side magnet 17 ... Metal piece 18, 118 ... Holding magnet 21, 121 ... Outer lid 22, 122 ... Inner lid 22a, 122a ... Disc part 22b, 122b ... Cylindrical part 22c, 122c ... Annular flange part 30 ... Rotor 31 ... Cover body side magnet 32 ... Rotor Drive unit 40, 140 ... Inner pan temperature sensor 41, 42, 141, 142 ... Heater 50 ... Rice and water mixture 51 ... Lower region 52 ... Upper region 60 ... Rotator side magnet 70 ... Steam passage 80 ... Pressure valve 101 Rice cooker main body 101a ... Outer case 102 ... Lid 110 ... Inner pan 111 ... Stirring arm 111a ... Base 111b ... Blade part 111c ... Shaft hole 130 ... Fixed release member 130a ... Large diameter part 130b ... Small diameter part 130c ... Fixed open part 132 ... fixed release member driving unit 135 ... tapered surface 150 ... flat surface 160 ... fitting portion 170 ... fitting recess 200 ... control device 200a ... heating control unit 200b ... stirring control unit 200c ... state determining unit 200d ... water amount calculating unit 200e ... Water quantity determination unit 200f ... Motor load information detection unit 201 ... Current consumption detection unit 202 ... Heating circuit 204 ... Magnetic sensor

Claims (8)

An inner pot containing a mixture of rice and water;
Heating means for heating the inner pot;
A lid that can be freely opened and closed at the top of the rice cooker body, and can be closed to cover the inner pot,
Stirring means attached to the inner pot or the lid and stirring the mixture of rice and water contained in the inner pot;
A motor for driving the stirring means;
Motor load information detecting means for detecting load information of the motor;
A heating control means for controlling the heating means to perform the rice cooking operation;
Motor control means for controlling the motor to cause the motor to drive the stirring means;
Based on the load information of the motor detected by the motor load information detecting means when the motor is controlled by the motor control means in advance and the stirring means is driven by the motor. A rice cooker comprising: state determination means for determining at least one of the state of the rice and water mixture in the pan or the state of the stirring means. In the rice cooker according to claim 1,
It has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature in the inner pot,
The state determination means controls the motor under the preset condition by the motor control means, and the motor load information detected by the motor load information detection means when the stirring means is driven by the motor. A rice cooker that determines the state of the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot based on the information and the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor. In the rice cooker according to claim 2,
The state determination means controls the heating means by the heating control means before preheating the water absorption process of the rice cooking operation, and the heating means controls the inner pot and the rice and water in the inner pot. A mixture volume for determining the total volume of the rice and water mixture in the inner pot based on a change in the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor when a preset amount of heat is applied to the mixture. The rice cooker characterized by including a determination means. In the rice cooker according to claim 3,
In the water absorption process of the rice cooking operation, the heating control means controls the heating means to the heating means in a preheating sequence according to the total volume of the rice and water mixture determined by the mixture capacity determining means. A rice cooker that performs the preheating for heating the inner pot. In the rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The state determination means controls the motor under the preset condition by the motor control means, and the motor load information detected by the motor load information detection means when the stirring means is driven by the motor. The rice cooker characterized by including the rice capacity | capacitance determination means which determines the capacity | capacitance of the said rice among the mixture of the said rice and water in the said inner pot based on information. In the rice cooker according to claim 1,
The state determination means controls the heating means by the heating control means at the start of the rice cooking operation, and applies a preset amount of heat to the mixture of rice and water in the inner pot by the heating means. Based on the change in the temperature in the inner pot detected by the temperature sensor at the time, the mixture capacity determining means for determining the total volume of the rice and water mixture in the inner pot, and the motor control means Based on the load information of the motor detected by the motor load information detection means when the motor is driven under the preset condition and the stirring means is driven by the motor, the rice in the inner pot is And rice capacity determination means for determining the capacity of the rice in the mixture of water,
Based on the total volume of the rice and water mixture determined by the mixture capacity determining means and the capacity of the rice of the rice and water mixture determined by the rice capacity determining means, Water capacity calculating means for calculating the capacity of the water in the mixture of water;
Water for determining whether the volume of the water of the mixture of rice and water calculated by the water volume calculating means is not more than an upper limit value and not less than a lower limit value for a specified water amount corresponding to the rice volume. Capacity determination means;
When the water volume determination means determines that the volume of the water of the mixture of rice and water is not less than the upper limit value and not less than the lower limit value with respect to the specified water volume according to the rice volume, a notification of water volume abnormality notification And a rice cooker. In the rice cooker according to claim 6,
The heating control means includes: the water capacity of the rice and water mixture calculated by the water capacity calculating means; and the rice of the rice and water mixture determined by the rice capacity determining means. Based on the capacity of the rice cooker, the rice cooking operation is performed in a cooking sequence according to the capacity of the water and the capacity of the rice. In the rice cooker as described in any one of Claim 1-7,
The rice loader characterized in that the load information of the motor detected by the motor load information detection means is the number of rotations per unit time of the motor when the motor is rotated at a constant input power.

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