JP2014171818A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker in which an inner pot can be reliably sealed without requiring increase in operational force for closing a lid.SOLUTION: The rice cooker includes: a body 1; a lid 4 covering the body 1 from above; an inner pot 2 detachably housed in the body 1 and having a flange upper surface wall 2b in a circumferential direction of an upper opening part of the inner pot 2; an inner lid 4a provided in the lid 4 covering the upper opening of the inner pot 2; and a rubber packing 18 provided in the inner lid 4a and abutting the inner pot 2. The rubber packing 18 is provided with: a side face seal part 18a getting into the inside of the inner pot 2; and an upper face seal part 18b continuing from the upper part of the side face seal part 18a and abutting the flange upper face wall 2b of the inner pot 2 while bending into an L shape. The inner lid 4a is provided with a rib 19 pressing the upper face seal part 18b from above when closing the lid 4.

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that improves the sealing performance of a lid that closes the upper part of an inner pot.

  In order to cook delicious rice, many rice cookers that apply pressure to the inner pot during cooking have been proposed.

  For example, in the lid packing shown in Patent Document 1, the first seal portion that seals the upper part of the inner side surface of the pan that is the inner pot and the second seal portion that seals the upper surface of the flange portion of the pan are continuously supported in an annular shape. The first seal part protrudes downward from the fulcrum part, and the second seal part protrudes slightly obliquely upward from the fulcrum part to the outside of the pan. It is a bent shape.

  Therefore, when the pan is closed with the inner lid to which this lid packing is attached, the second seal portion is first sealed by contacting the flange portion, and at the same time, the first seal portion is displaced and placed on the upper inner surface of the pan. It is pressed and sealed. Furthermore, there is a rice cooker that is completely sealed when the first seal portion expands in the radial direction due to internal pressure by heating the pan with a heating means and reaches a set pressure.

  Moreover, the packing shown in patent document 2 contact | abuts to the flange part of an inner pot, and there exists a thing which the cross section is cyclic | annular and the center side is folded.

JP 2007-135829 A JP 2011-229642 A

  However, in the packing shape shown in Patent Document 1, a partial gap is generated due to dimensional variations such as the roundness of the side surface of the inner pan manufactured by pressing with respect to the vertical seal shape (first seal portion). If the vertical seal shape (first seal portion) is lengthened to increase the force of contact with the side surface of the inner pan, the operating force for closing the lid increases and the usability is poor.

  Further, in the packing shown in Patent Document 2 that is bent in the shape of a "<" and sealed with a flange portion, it is strongly pressed to withstand pressure. For this reason, there is a problem that the repulsion is strong, and the operating force for closing the lid is increased, resulting in poor usability.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a main body, a lid that covers the main body from above, an inner pot that is detachably housed in the main body and has a flange upper surface wall in the circumferential direction of the upper opening, and the inner pot In the rice cooker having an inner lid provided on the lid that covers the upper opening and a rubber packing that is provided on the inner lid and contacts the inner pot, the rubber packing is a side seal portion that enters the inside of the inner pot And an upper surface seal portion that is bent in a U-shape from the upper portion of the side surface seal portion and abuts against the upper surface wall of the flange of the inner pan, and the upper surface seal portion when the lid is closed Is provided with a rib for pressing from above.

  According to the present invention, the sealing force can be reliably sealed without increasing the operating force for closing the lid.

It is sectional drawing of the rice cooker which concerns on one Example. It is sectional drawing of the state which the open | release means of the rice cooker operated. It is a perspective view of the open means of the rice cooker. It is a large expanded sectional view of the state which the pressure regulation means of the rice cooker operated. It is a large expanded sectional view of the state which the opening means of the rice cooker operated. It is an expanded sectional view of the safety mechanism of the rice cooker. It is a perspective view in the state where rubber packing was installed in the inner lid of the rice cooker. It is sectional drawing of the state which mounted | wore the rubber packing to the inner cover of the rice cooker. It is principal part sectional drawing of the rubber packing of the rice cooker.

  Hereinafter, the rice cooker of one Example is demonstrated using FIGS. 1-9.

  1 and 2, 1 is a main body, 2 is an inner pot, 3 is a heating means, 4 is a lid, 5 is a steam passage, 6 is a pressure adjusting means, 6a is a hole, 6b is a steel ball, 7 is an opening means, 8 is a boiling detection means, 9 is a control part.

  Next, the specific configuration will be described. An inner pan 2 is detachably inserted into the main body 1, and heating means 3 for heating the inner pan 2 is provided at the lower part and the side part of the main body 1. Moreover, the cover 4 provided with the inner cover 4a which covers the upper opening of the inner pot 2 is provided in the upper surface of the main body 1 so that opening and closing is possible, and the upper opening of the inner pot 2 is obstruct | occluded with the inner cover 4a. In the upper opening of the inner pot 2, a flange upper surface wall 2b (FIG. 9) is provided in the circumferential direction of the upper opening. The inner lid 4 a is provided with a rubber packing 18 (FIG. 8) that contacts the inner pot 2, and the inner lid 4 a is provided with a rib 19 (FIG. 8) that pressurizes the rubber packing 18. The rubber packing 18 will be described later.

  The lid 4 is provided with pressure regulating means 6 including a steam passage 5 serving as the only steam outlet from the sealed space in the inner pot 2 to the outside. The pressure adjusting means 6 is provided in the inner cylinder 12 attached to the inner lid 4a, and is constituted by a hole 6a formed by narrowing the steam passage 5 and a steel ball 6b closing the hole 6a. It limits the outflow of steam. When the vapor pressure inside the inner pot 2 rises above a predetermined pressure, the steel ball 6b is lifted by the excessive vapor pressure and the pressure is released from the hole 6a. When the pressure becomes lower than the predetermined value, the steel ball 6b again closes the hole 6a. The pressure in the inner pot 2 and the inner lid 4a is adjusted to a constant pressure by repeating this process.

  An opening means 7 for moving the steel ball 6b is provided in the vicinity of the pressure adjusting means 6, and the opening means 7 prevents the steel ball 6b from closing the hole 6a (the steel ball 6b has a hole). 6a is positioned in an unblocked position (FIG. 2), so that the pressure in the inner pot 2 is not increased.

  Boiling detection means 8 is provided in the steam passage 5, and the steam is detected by being warmed by the steam passing through the steam passage 5. The main body 1 is provided with a control unit 9, and boiling detection information of the boiling detection unit 8 is input to the control unit 9, and operations of the heating unit 3 and the opening unit 7 are controlled.

  The opening means 7 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The opening means 7 has a substantially rectangular frame shape and is provided with an abutting portion 16 for moving the steel ball 6b during the pressure adjusting operation. The abutting portion 16 is provided with a steel packing via a seal packing 13 described later. It hits the ball 6b.

  When the inner lid 4a is attached to the lid cover 4b, an outer cylinder 14 is provided at a portion of the lid cover 4b where the inner cylinder 12 is located, thereby constituting a part of the steam passage 5. The outer cylinder 14 is provided with a hole through which the above-described butting portion 16 passes, and the periphery of this hole is covered with the seal packing 13 to prevent the vapor from leaking.

  The opening means 7 is guided and smoothly moved by the guide rib 4c and the guide claw 4d provided on the lid cover 4b. Further, an operating spring 11 is provided between the side surface of the solenoid 15 for moving the opening means 7 and the abutting portion 16, and operates so as to be released from the pressure adjusting means 6 when the solenoid 15 is not energized. .

  In FIG. 6, a safety mechanism 17 having an operating means A17a, a valve 17b that is normally held down by the operating means A, and a vapor discharge port 17c sealed by the valve 17b is disposed in the vicinity of the pressure adjusting means 6. The pressure adjusting means 6 becomes inoperable for some reason and the pressure is not released to the outside of the main body 1, and when the predetermined pressure is reached, the spring force of the operating means A17a loses the pressure in the inner pan 2, and the valve 17b is open | released and it becomes a mechanism by which vapor | steam is discharge | released with a pressure from the vapor | steam discharge port 17c.

  The rubber packing 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. The rubber packing 18 is provided with a side seal portion 18 a and an upper surface seal portion 18 b that contact the upper side wall 2 a of the inner pot 2. The upper surface seal portion 18b is provided integrally with the upper portion 18w of the side surface seal portion 18a outside the side surface seal portion 18a and is bent in a U shape toward the side surface seal portion 18a so as to contact the flange upper surface wall 2b of the inner pot 2. It is. The rib 19 provided on the inner lid 4a presses the upper surface seal portion 18b of the rubber packing 18 from above.

  The function of the rubber packing 18 when the inner pan 2 is attached to the main body 1 and the lid 4 is closed will be described. First, the abutting piece 18p of the upper surface seal portion 18b in the shape of a dog is pressed against the flange upper surface wall 2b of the upper end portion of the inner pot 2 (FIG. 9A). Furthermore, the vicinity of the refracting portion 18g connected to the outside of the pushing portion 18k of the upper surface sealing portion 18b is pressed downward by the rib 19 provided on the inner lid 4a. By pushing the pushing portion 18k with the rib 19, the operating force for making the upper surface sealing portion 18b thin and closing the lid 4 is pressed downward without increasing.

  Furthermore, since the pushing portion 18k of the upper surface seal portion 18b is a portion that is integrally provided and connected to the upper portion 18w of the side surface seal portion 18a, the upper portion 18w of the side surface seal portion 18a is formed by pushing the pushing portion 18k with the rib 19. Spread in the outer diameter direction. Therefore, the hanging part 18t that contacts the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 of the side seal part 18a is displaced in the outer diameter direction and pressed against the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 (FIG. 9B).

Furthermore, when cooking rice, since the inner pot 2 is heated by the heating means 3, the internal pressure of the space formed by the inner pot 2 and the inner lid 4a is increased, so that the hanging part 18t of the side seal part 18a is in the outer diameter direction. Next, the operation will be described in accordance with the actual use procedure.

  First, the user puts a required amount of sharpened rice and an appropriate amount of water into the inner pot 2, inserts them into the main body 1, and closes the lid 4. At this time, the abutting piece 18p of the U-shaped upper surface seal portion 18b provided on the inner lid 4a provided in the lid 4 is pressed against the flange upper surface wall 2b of the upper end portion of the inner pot 2. Furthermore, the vicinity of the refracting portion 18g connected to the outside of the pushing portion 18k of the upper surface sealing portion 18b is pressed downward by the rib 19 provided on the inner lid 4a.

  Furthermore, since the pushing portion 18k of the upper surface seal portion 18b is a portion that is integrally provided and connected to the upper portion 18w of the side surface seal portion 18a, the upper portion 18w of the side surface seal portion 18a is formed by pushing the pushing portion 18k with the rib 19. Spread in the outer diameter direction. Therefore, the hanging part 18t that contacts the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 of the side seal part 18a is displaced in the outer diameter direction where the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 is located to seal the pressing inner pot 2.

  Next, when a rice cooking button (not shown) is operated, rice cooking is started by the control unit 9, and the control unit 9 operates the heating means 3 to heat the inner pot 2.

Next, when the temperature in the inner pot 2 rises and the internal pressure increases, the internal pressure of the space constituted by the inner pot 2 and the inner lid 4a increases as shown in FIG. The drooping portion 2t is expanded in the outer diameter direction, and is pressed further strongly by being pressed against the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 which is rigid and does not substantially displace. At this time, even if there is a gap between the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 and the side seal part 18a, the side seal part is affected by the roundness of the inner pot 2 and the time until the set pressure is reached. The upper surface seal portion 18b which is provided outside the 18a and is bent in a U-shape is pressed against and sealed by the rib 19 provided on the inner lid 4a on the flange upper surface wall 2b of the inner pot 2, thereby preventing steam leakage. Is.

  Further, the inner surface of the inner surface of the inner pot 2 is inflated by applying an internal pressure to the lower side of the pushing portion 18k of the upper surface seal portion 18b, the inner diameter side of the refracting portion 18g, and the upper side of the contact piece 18p. The pressure contact with the flange upper surface wall 2b becomes strong.

  After this, when the inner pot 2 reaches a set pressure, the inner pot 2 is completely sealed only by the side seal portion 18a.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the pressure inside the inner pan 2 is set to be equal to or higher than the set pressure by preventing the steel balls 6 b of the pressure adjusting means 6 from blocking the holes 6 a by the opening means 7 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. I try not to rise. Since the controller 9 suppresses the energization of the solenoid 15, the abutting portion 16 protrudes toward the steel ball 6 b side by the urging force of the operating spring 11 to move the steel ball 6 b.

  Heating control for delicious cooking is performed by the control unit 9, and when the inside of the inner pot 2 approaches the boiling point, steam is released from the hole 6 a through the steam passage 5 and out of the lid 4.

  In this process, the temperature rises and the boiling detection means 8 is warmed. Then, when the temperature exceeds 98 ° C. and reaches boiling, the discharged steam increases, so the temperature of the boiling detection means 8 rises at a stroke, and the controller 9 determines that the temperature is boiling, and as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The means 7 is operated to the side where the pressure adjusting means 6 becomes effective. This is because the solenoid 15 is energized and operated by the controller 9 and the abutting portion 16 is retracted, so that the steel ball 6b moves to a position where the hole 6a is closed, and the pressure adjusting means becomes effective.

  Inside the inner pot 2, the outlet of the generated steam is blocked, so the steam pressure increases and the boiling point rises. Eventually, when the vapor pressure reaches a level at which the steel ball 6b is lifted, the vapor is released from the gap between the hole 6a and the steel ball 6b, and the pressure is adjusted to a constant pressure by repeating this in small steps.

  If high pressure is continuously applied, the rice will be boiled due to its high permeability, so that the opening means 7 pushes the steel ball 6b of the pressure adjusting means 6 again and the hole 6a remains open as shown in FIGS. The pressure adjustment means 6 is made invalid.

  At this time, when the pressure adjusting means 6 cannot be operated for some reason, the safety mechanism 17 is operated instead of the pressure adjusting means 6 as shown in FIG. First, when the pressure adjusting means 6 does not operate, the pressure in the inner pot 2 increases, and when the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure, the operating means A17a loses pressure and the valve 17b is pushed up, and the pressure is released from the steam discharge port 17c. Vapor is released to the outside.

  Eventually, all the rice in the inner pot 2 will not be sucked. If the control part 9 judges this, it will weaken a heating and will transfer to the process of steaming. Cooking is completed when steamed for a certain period of time.

  As described above, according to the rice cooker of the present embodiment, the rubber packing 18 includes the side seal portion 18a that contacts the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2, and the upper portion 18w of the side seal portion 18a on the outside of the side seal portion 18a. An upper surface seal portion 18b which is bent in the shape of a dog-tooth and is in contact with the flange upper surface wall 2b of the inner pot 2 is provided, and a rib which pressurizes the upper surface seal portion 18b from above. Since 19 is provided, the following effects are obtained.

  First, even in the time until the pressure in the inner pot 2 reaches the set pressure, that is, the time when the sealing by the side seal portion 18a is not complete when the pressure is weak, the upper surface by the rib 19 formed in the inner lid 4a. The upper surface seal portion 18b is pressed against the pressure contact of the seal portion 18b and the expansion due to the vapor pressure leaked from the side surface seal portion 18a, so that the seal of the flange upper surface wall 2b of the inner pot 2 can be maintained and steam leakage is prevented. be able to.

  In addition, the pressure seal is strengthened by the weak pressure that does not reach the set pressure and the U-shaped upper surface seal portion 18b swells due to the vapor pressure, so the upper surface seal portion 18b only needs to be pressed by the rib 19. The operating force for closing the lid 4 can be reliably sealed without increasing.

  Even if there is variation in the degree of circularity of the inner pot 2 and there is a gap between the upper side wall 2a of the inner pot 2 and the side seal part 18a, it is provided outside the side seal part 18a, The upper surface sealing portion 18b bent in a shape is pressed against and sealed by the rib 19 provided on the inner lid 4a on the flange upper surface wall 2b of the inner pot 2, and can be reliably sealed by the upper surface sealing portion 18b.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Inner pan 2a Upper side wall 2b Flange upper surface wall 3 Heating means 4 Lid 4a Inner lid 5 Bottom part heating means 6 Pressure regulating means 18 Rubber packing 18a Side seal part 18b Upper surface seal part 18w Upper part 19 Rib

Claims (1)

The body,
A lid that covers the body from above;
An inner pan that is detachably stored in the main body and has a flange top wall in the circumferential direction of the upper opening;
An inner lid provided on the lid covering the upper opening of the inner pot;
In the rice cooker having a rubber packing that is provided on the inner lid and contacts the inner pot,
The rubber packing is provided with a side seal portion that enters the inside of the inner pot, and an upper surface seal portion that is bent into a U-shape that is continuous from the upper portion of the side seal portion and contacts the flange upper surface wall of the inner pot, A rice cooker, wherein the inner lid is provided with a rib that pressurizes the upper surface seal portion from above when the lid is closed.