JP2017192531A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker capable of discharging cool air to be heated to the outside of a housing, while removing as much as possible a risk of lowering heating efficiency during a rice cooking time.SOLUTION: A rice cooker 100 includes an inner pot 130, a housing 111, a ventilation path, a ventilation part, a heating component and an exhaust port. The housing stores the inner pot removably. The ventilation path is formed inside the housing. The ventilation part ventilates through the ventilation path. The heating component is stored in the housing so as to be positioned in the ventilation path. The exhaust port is communicated with the ventilation path. The ventilation path is formed so as to pass the outside of an upper part of the inner pot in the state where the inner pot is stored in the housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

  In the past, “rice cookers that cool a control circuit board and a power circuit board using an air flow generated by a blower fan housed in a housing” have been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-124205 or JP, 2010-221169, A) etc.).

  In such a rice cooker, the air that has cooled the control circuit board and the power supply circuit board, that is, the air that has taken heat away from the control circuit board and the power supply circuit board (hereinafter referred to as “cooled air to be heated”) is usually in the casing. An exhaust port disposed on the side opposite to the installation space of the control circuit board and the power circuit board through a space between the side wall portion and the inner pot housing portion of the protective frame (hereinafter referred to as “lateral communication space”). To the outside.

JP 2000-124205 A JP 2010-221169 A

  By the way, in a rice cooker, the temperature in an inner pot becomes 100 degreeC or more at the maximum at the time of rice cooking operation | movement. On the other hand, the temperature of the heated cold air is at most about 40 to 50 ° C. For this reason, when heated cold air passes through the lateral communication space, the central portion of the inner pot is slightly cooled through the inner pot accommodating portion of the protective frame, and the heating efficiency during cooking may be reduced. .

  The subject of this invention is providing the rice cooker which can discharge | emit a to-be-heated cold outside a housing | casing, eliminating as much as possible the possibility of reducing the heating efficiency at the time of rice cooking.

  The rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an inner pot, a casing, a blower passage, a blower, a heat generating component, and an exhaust port. The housing accommodates the inner pot so that it can be inserted and removed. The air passage is formed inside the housing. The blower blows air to the air passage. The heat generating component is accommodated in the housing so as to be positioned in the air passage. Here, the “heat generating component” is an electronic circuit board, a power circuit board, or the like. The exhaust port communicates with the air passage. And the ventilation path is formed so that the outer side of the upper part of an inner pot may be passed in the state in which the inner pot was accommodated in the housing | casing.

  In this rice cooker, as above-mentioned, in the state where the inner pot was accommodated in the housing | casing, it is formed so that a ventilation path may pass the outer side of the upper part of an inner pot. And the to-be-heated cool air which passes the ventilation path is discharged | emitted from an exhaust port. That is, in this rice cooker, the heated cold air passes through the outside of the upper part of the inner pot which is less likely to reduce the heating efficiency, not the outer part of the inner part of the inner pot which is more likely to lower the heating efficiency during rice cooking. Then, it is discharged from the exhaust port. For this reason, in this rice cooker, to-be-heated cold air can be discharged | emitted outside a housing | casing, eliminating as much as possible the possibility of reducing the heating efficiency at the time of rice cooking.

  In recent years, downsizing of rice cookers has been required, but along with this downsizing, the lateral communication space is likely to be blocked by heat insulating materials, etc., and as a result, the flow of heated cold air becomes worse There is. In such a case, the amount of intake air is also reduced, and the cooling efficiency of the heat generating components may be reduced. However, in the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, an air passage that communicates the space before and after the lateral communication space is secured. Therefore, in this rice cooker, even when the lateral communication space is closed with a heat insulating material or the like as described above, and the heat generating component is disposed in any of the spaces before and after the lateral communication space, It is possible to prevent heat from being accumulated in the heat generating component arrangement space. That is, this rice cooker can also be used as a miniaturized product.

  The rice cooker which concerns on the 2nd aspect of this invention is a rice cooker which concerns on a 1st aspect, Comprising: An inner pot has a pot main-body part and a pot flange part. The pan flange portion extends outward from the upper end of the pan body portion. And the ventilation path is formed in the state in which the inner pot was accommodated in the housing | casing, the outer side of an inner pot and passing the vicinity of a pot flange part.

  In this rice cooker, as described above, in the state where the inner pot is housed in the casing, the air passage is formed outside the inner pot and in the vicinity of the pot flange portion. And the to-be-heated cool air which passes the ventilation path is discharged | emitted from an exhaust port. That is, in this rice cooker, the heated cold air is not outside the central portion of the inner pot, which is likely to reduce the heating efficiency during rice cooking, but in the vicinity of the pot flange portion of the inner pot, which is less likely to reduce the heating efficiency. It passes through the outside and is discharged from the exhaust port. For this reason, in this rice cooker, to-be-heated cold air can be discharged | emitted outside a housing | casing, eliminating as much as possible the possibility of reducing the heating efficiency at the time of rice cooking.

  The rice cooker which concerns on the 3rd aspect of this invention is a rice cooker which concerns on a 1st aspect or a 2nd aspect, Comprising: A housing | casing has a 1st assembly member and a 2nd assembly member. The first assembly member includes a storage portion and a storage flange portion. A storage part accommodates an inner pot so that insertion or removal is possible. The housing flange portion extends outward from the upper end of the housing portion. In addition, it is preferable that this accommodation flange part has an opening in the front-back part, respectively. In such a case, the air passage goes through the opening. The second assembly member holds the first assembly member on the upper side of the first assembly member. The air passage is formed so as to pass between the housing flange portion and the second assembly member.

  In this rice cooker, as above-mentioned, the ventilation path is formed so that it may pass between an accommodation flange part and a 2nd assembly member. By the way, the 1st assembly member and the 2nd assembly member are integrated in the normal rice cooker. That is, in this rice cooker, a ventilation path can be formed in the outer side of the upper part of an inner pot, without requiring special additional components. For this reason, in this rice cooker, the subject of invention can be overcome, suppressing manufacturing cost.

It is sectional drawing of the depth direction of the rice cooker which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the width direction of the rice cooker which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a peripheral portion of the air duct of FIG. 2. It is a bottom perspective view of the rice cooker concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a bottom back perspective view of the state where a bottom wall and a side wall of a case of a rice cooker concerning an embodiment of the invention were removed. It is a bottom front perspective view of the state where the bottom wall and side wall of the case of the rice cooker concerning an embodiment of the invention were removed. It is an upper surface front exploded perspective view of a protection frame and a shoulder member of a rice cooker concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a bottom front exploded perspective view of a protection frame and a shoulder member of a rice cooker concerning an embodiment of the invention.

<Structure of rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention>
A rice cooker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an induction heating type rice cooker, and mainly includes a main body 110, an inner pot 130, a lid 140, and a hinge mechanism as shown in FIGS. 150. Here, the lid 140 is rotatably attached to the main body 110 via the hinge mechanism 150. Moreover, the inner pot 130 is accommodated in the main body 110 so that insertion or removal is possible. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the hinge mechanism side is referred to as a rear side, and the opposite side is referred to as a front side.

  By the way, in the rice cooker 100 which concerns on this Embodiment, this invention is embodied only in the main body 110, and the cover body 140 and the hinge mechanism 150 may be as usual. For this reason, only the main body 110 will be described in detail here, and description of the lid 140 and the hinge mechanism 150 will be omitted.

<Main body structure>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 110 mainly includes a casing 111, a heat insulating material (not shown), an induction heating coil 113, a thermistor 114, a blower fan 115, and a power supply circuit board (not shown). And a control circuit board 116. Hereinafter, these components will be described in detail.

(1) Case As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the case 111 mainly includes a side wall 111a, a bottom wall 111b, a shoulder member 111c, and a protective frame 111d, and a heat insulating material (not shown). The induction heating coil 113, the thermistor 114, the blower fan 115, the power circuit board (not shown), and the control circuit board 116 are accommodated. Hereinafter, each component of the housing 111 will be described in detail.

(1-1) Side Wall As shown in FIG. 4, the side wall 111 a is a surrounding wall that has a substantially square shape in plan view, and covers the side surface of the main body 110.

(1-2) Bottom Wall As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom wall 111b is a substantially rectangular plate-like body, which is joined to the lower end of the side wall 111a and covers the lower opening of the side wall 111a. Yes. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the bottom wall 111 b discharges the air outside the housing 111 to the inside and the air inside the housing 111 to the outside, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. An exhaust port Oe is formed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the intake port Os is formed in the rear portion of the bottom wall 111b, and the exhaust port Oe is formed in the front portion of the bottom wall 111b. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a blower fan 115 is installed immediately above the intake port Os. When the blower fan 115 is driven, external air is sucked into the housing 111 through the intake port Os.

(1-3) Shoulder Member The shoulder member 111c is a substantially rectangular frame, is joined to the upper end of the side wall 111a, and covers the edge of the upper opening of the side wall 111a. A protective frame 111d is attached to the inside of the lower surface of the shoulder member 111c as shown in FIGS. More specifically, the protective frame 111d is attached to the shoulder member 111c by a protective frame flange portion FP (described later).

(1-4) Protective frame The protective frame 111d is a member that protects the outer periphery of the inner pot 130, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, mainly, the inner pot accommodating portion PA and the protective frame flange portion FP. Formed from. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective frame 111d is disposed directly below the shoulder member 111c. As described above, the protective frame 111d is attached to the shoulder member 111c by the protective frame flange portion FP. As shown in FIG. 3, a duct passage DP is formed between the protective frame flange portion FP and the shoulder member 111c. The duct passage DP is formed in a pair on the left side and the right side, and extends from the rear side to the front side of the rice cooker 100 as shown in FIG. Moreover, this duct channel | path DP is located in the outer side of the upper part of the inner pot 130, as FIG. 2 shows. When the position of the duct passage DP is specified more specifically as the inner pot 130 is formed from the pot body portion 131 and the pot flange portion 132, the duct passage DP is “outside the upper portion of the pot body portion 131 of the inner pot 130. It can be said that it is located “outside the portion near the pan flange 132 of the inner pan 130” and “outside the portion immediately below the pan flange 132 of the inner pan 130”. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, an inlet Hi of the duct passage DP is formed at the rear ends of the protective frame flange portion FP and the shoulder member 111c, and the front portion of the protective frame flange portion FP is formed at the front portion. An outlet Ho of the duct passage DP is formed.

(2) Heat insulating material The heat insulating material is wound around the outer periphery of the side wall of the inner pot accommodating portion PA of the protective frame 111d, and heat generated from the inner pot 130 flows into the internal space SPi of the casing 111 during rice cooking. It plays a role to suppress. Moreover, in the rice cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, the lateral space SPs (see FIG. 2) of the internal space SPi of the casing 111 is filled with this heat insulating material, and as a result, the internal space of the casing 111 is filled. SPi is substantially divided into a front space SPf and a rear space SPb (however, the space between the bottom wall of the inner pot housing portion PA and the bottom wall 111b of the casing 111 is the front space SPf and It communicates with both spaces of the rear space SPb). The rear space SPb accommodates a blower fan 115, a power supply circuit board, and a control circuit board 116 (see FIG. 1).

  In the present embodiment, a passage constituted by the intake port Os of the bottom wall 111b, the blower fan 115, the rear space SPb, the duct passage DP, the front space SPf, and the exhaust port Oe of the bottom wall 111b is referred to as “blower channel ( "Corresponding to the" fan path "in the claims).

(3) Induction heating coil The induction heating coil 113 is an induction heating source for induction heating of the inner pot 130, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the back side of the bottom wall portion and the lower end portion of the side wall of the protective frame 111d. It is arranged.

(4) Thermistor The thermistor 114 is a temperature sensor, and as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it can protrude upward and downward through an opening formed in the central portion of the bottom wall portion of the protective frame 111d. Protruding. The thermistor 114 also functions as an inner pot detection sensor. That is, when the inner pot 130 is accommodated in the inner pot accommodating part PA of the protective frame 111d, the thermistor 114 is pushed down by the inner pot 130, and this is detected by a detection unit (not shown). And in the state in which the inner pot 130 is not detected by this detection part, it is the specification which cannot perform rice cooking operation.

(5) Blower Fan As described above, the blower fan 115 is disposed directly above the intake port Os formed in the bottom wall 111b of the casing 111 so that the rotation shaft is substantially along the vertical direction. That is, when the blower fan 115 is driven, external air is sucked from the intake port Os, flows into the rear space SPb, and is sent upward as it is.

(6) Power supply circuit board The power supply circuit board is a board constituting the power supply circuit, and is mounted with several heat generating components. Although not shown, this power supply circuit board is housed in the rear space SPb of the casing 111 in the same manner as the control circuit board 116 described later, and is disposed in the air passage.

(7) Control Circuit Board The control circuit board 116 is a board that constitutes a control circuit, and is mounted with a heat generating component such as a microcomputer. As shown in FIG. 1, the control circuit board 116 is accommodated in the rear space SPb of the casing 111, and is disposed above the rear side of the blower fan 115. That is, it can be said that the control circuit board 116 is disposed in the air passage.

<Cooling of heat-generating parts>
As described above, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, during the rice cooking operation, outside air is taken into the rear space SPb of the casing 111 by the blower fan 115 through the intake port Os. The air taken into the rear space SPb cools the heat generating components of the control circuit board 116 and the power supply circuit board while rising by the blower fan 115. The air deprived of heat from the heat-generating component flows into the duct passage DP, is sent to the front space SPf, and is discharged to the outside from the exhaust port Oe of the bottom wall 111b. In this way, the heat generating components of the control circuit board 116 and the power circuit board are cooled.

  In this rice cooker, part of the air taken into the rear space SPb of the casing 111 by the blower fan 115 passes through the space between the bottom wall 111b and the protective frame 111d. At that time, the air takes heat from the induction heating coil 113 and cools the induction heating coil 113. Then, the air deprived of heat from the induction heating coil 113 is sent to the front space SPf and discharged to the outside from the exhaust port Oe of the bottom wall 111b. In this way, the induction heating coil 113 is cooled.

<Characteristics of rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention>
(1)
In rice cooker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in a state where inner pot 130 is housed in casing 111, the air passage is formed so as to pass outside the upper portion of inner pot 130. And the to-be-heated cold air which passes the ventilation path is discharged | emitted from the exhaust port Oe of the bottom wall 111b. In other words, in this rice cooker 100, the heated cold air is not on the outside of the central portion of the inner pot 130, which is likely to reduce the heating efficiency during rice cooking, but on the upper portion of the inner pot 130, which is less likely to reduce the heating efficiency. It passes through the outside and is discharged from the exhaust port Oe. For this reason, in this rice cooker 100, the to-be-heated cool air can be discharged | emitted to the exterior of the housing | casing 111, eliminating the possibility of reducing the heating efficiency at the time of rice cooking as much as possible.

(2)
In rice cooker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, duct passage DP is formed from shoulder member 111c and protective frame 111d. By the way, the shoulder member 111c and the protective frame 111d are members that have been incorporated into rice cookers. That is, in this rice cooker 100, the duct passage DP can be formed on the outer side of the upper portion of the inner pot 130 without requiring any special additional parts. For this reason, in this rice cooker 100, the subject of this invention can be overcome, suppressing manufacturing cost.

(3)
In rice cooker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, duct passage DP is formed from shoulder member 111c and protective frame 111d. For this reason, in this rice cooker 100, the shoulder member 111c is also cooled. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, the thermal deformation of the shoulder member 111c due to heating during rice cooking can be prevented. Moreover, it is estimated that the space between the shoulder member 111c and the lid body 140 and the lid body 140 itself can be cooled by cooling the shoulder member 111c.

(4)
In rice cooker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, duct passage DP passes through both sides of the upper portion of inner pot 130. For this reason, in this rice cooker 100, the temperature of the inner pot 130 becomes more uniform than before during rice cooking, and the heat insulation efficiency of the inner pot 130 is improved by the duct passage DP functioning as an insulating space during the heat insulation. It is inferred.

<Modification>
(A)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the previous embodiment, the intake port Os is formed at the rear end of the bottom wall 111b, and the exhaust port Oe is formed at the front side portion of the bottom wall 111b, but the exhaust gas is exhausted at the rear side portion of the bottom wall 111b. An opening Oe may be formed, and an intake port Os may be formed in the front portion of the bottom wall 111b. Even in such a case, the blower fan 115 is installed immediately above the intake port Os.

(B)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the previous embodiment, the inner space SPi of the casing 111 is substantially divided into the front space SPf and the rear space SPb by filling the left and right lateral spaces SPs with the heat insulating material. However, a partition wall may be provided in the lateral space SPs in order to completely block the front space SPf and the rear space SPb.

(C)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the previous embodiment, a groove that opens downward is formed in the shoulder member 111c, and a groove that opens upward is formed in the protective frame flange portion FP of the protective frame 111d. Although the passage DP is formed, either the shoulder member 111c or the protective frame flange portion FP may be flat, or both the shoulder member 111c and the protective frame flange portion FP are flat. The side wall of the passage DP may be the side wall 111a of the housing 111.

(D)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the previous embodiment, the duct passage DP is formed by the shoulder member 111c and the protective frame flange portion FP of the protective frame 111d, but any of the shoulder member 111c and the protective frame flange portion FP of the protective frame 111d A duct passage DP may be formed on either side.

100 Rice cooker 111 Case 111c Protective frame (first assembly member)
111d shoulder member (second assembly member)
115 Blower fan (Blower part)
116 Control circuit board (heat generation component)
130 Inner pan 131 Pan body portion 132 Pan flange portion FP Protective frame flange portion (accommodating flange portion)
Oe Exhaust port PA inner pot accommodating part (container)
Hi Duct passage entrance (opening)
Ho Duct passage exit (opening)

Claims (4)

Inner pot,
A housing for detachably storing the inner pot;
An air passage formed inside the housing;
An air blower for blowing air to the air passage;
A heat-generating component housed in the housing so as to be located in the air passage;
An exhaust port communicating with the air passage,
The said air flow path is a rice cooker currently formed so that the outer side of the upper part of the said inner pot may be passed in the state in which the said inner pot was accommodated in the said housing | casing. The inner pan has a pan body portion and a pan flange portion extending outward from the upper end of the pan body portion,
2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the air passage is formed so as to pass outside the inner pot and in the vicinity of the pot flange portion in a state where the inner pot is housed in the housing. . The housing includes a first assembly member that includes a housing portion that removably accommodates the inner pot, a housing flange portion that extends outward from an upper end of the housing portion, and an upper side of the first assembly member. A second assembly member for holding the first assembly member;
The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air passage is formed so as to pass between the housing flange portion and the second assembly member. The receiving flange portion has openings in the front and rear portions, respectively.
The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the air passage passes through the opening.

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