JP2017205544A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide to a user who wants to save power a rice cooking course which allows rice to be cooked without extremely deteriorating taste with less power consumption than that in a standard rice cooking course which ensures good taste.SOLUTION: A rice cooker has rice cooking course selection means 86 which allows a user to select one of a plurality of rice cooking courses and rice cooking control means 81 which causes rice to be cooked in the rice cooking course selected at the rice cooking course selection means 86. The rice cooking control means 81 outputs rated power consumption when a standard first rice cooking course ensuring good taste is selected at the rice cooking course selection means 86, while outputting less power consumption in comparison with the rated power consumption so that a power consumption amount during soaking process and steaming process is less than that in the first rice cooking course when a second rice cooking course in which a power consumption amount of a heating coil 11 is low is selected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker that cooks an object to be cooked into rice.

  As disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, a conventional rice cooker performs water absorption by reducing the pressure in the inner pot that contains rice in the sushi so that the rice to be cooked can be absorbed in a short time. ing. Furthermore, by repeating the pressure inside the inner pot several times at reduced pressure and normal pressure, the water absorption of the rice is further promoted, and the delicious rice is cooked by dissolving it in the water containing the umami components inside the rice. ing.

  Conventionally, for example, in an induction heating rice cooker as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, in order to improve the taste in a white rice normal course, rice is cooked with as much power consumption as possible, that is, with a large amount of power consumption. Ingenuity to make the rise delicious.

JP 2011-183017 A JP 2002-345640 A

  However, in the above prior art, when the pressure inside the inner hook is repeated a plurality of times between the reduced pressure and the normal pressure, the operation sound at the start of the pressure reduction of the pressure reducing means and the air when the pressure inside the inner hook returns from the reduced pressure to the normal pressure. In some cases, the inflowing sound of the user felt uncomfortable for the user.

  In addition, with conventional rice cookers, power consumption increases when trying to improve the taste, so it can not contribute to power reduction, simply reducing power consumption also reduces the amount of power, the taste of cooked rice Not only worsened, but also caused problems such as longer cooking time and lower usability.

  The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can provide a user who wants to save power to a rice cooking course that performs rice cooking without significantly reducing the taste while reducing power consumption compared to a standard rice cooking course that improves the taste. It is to provide.

  The rice cooker of the present invention comprises a rice cooking course selection means that can select any of a plurality of rice cooking courses, and a rice cooking control means that performs rice cooking on the selected rice cooking course, and has a good taste as the plurality of rice cooking courses. Including a standard first cooking course and a second cooking course that consumes less power than the first cooking course. The first cooking course provides rated power consumption, and the second cooking course provides the rated consumption. The rice cooking control means is configured such that only the power consumption lower than the electric power is output, and the amount of power consumed in the first and second strokes is less than that in the first rice cooking course.

  Moreover, the rice cooker of this invention is the rice cooking control which makes rice cooking with respect to the to-be-cooked object accommodated in the inner pot with the rice cooking course selection means which can select any of several rice cooking courses, and the said selected rice cooking course. And a decompression means for decompressing the inside of the inner pot, and as the plurality of rice cooking courses, a standard first rice cooking course having a good taste and a second power consumption less than that of the first rice cooking course In the second rice cooking course, including the rice cooking course, the rice cooking control means is configured so that the operation time of the decompression means is longer than that of the first rice cooking course.

  According to invention of Claim 1, when the 2nd rice cooking course is selected, in each process of rice cooking, especially the power consumption of a process and an uneven process, compared with the case where the 1st rice cooking course is selected. While reducing the power consumption lower than the first rice cooking course, the rice cooking control is performed as an upper limit, thereby reducing the power consumption than the standard first rice cooking course that makes the taste good, and without drastically reducing the taste. The second rice cooking course can be provided to users who want to save electricity.

  According to the invention of claim 2, when the second rice cooking course is selected, the operating time of the decompression means is made longer than that of the first rice cooking course, and the water absorption of the rice in the process is further promoted. Conducting rice cooking without reducing the taste significantly while reducing the power consumption compared to the standard 1st rice cooking course with good taste by performing rice cooking control with less power consumption than rice cooking course A rice cooking course can be provided to users who want to save electricity.

  According to invention of Claim 3, when the 2nd rice cooking course is selected, the time of a process is lengthened rather than the 1st rice cooking course, and the water absorption of rice is further promoted, and the taste of rice is reduced as much as possible. Can not be.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in one Example of this invention. It is a front view of an operation panel same as the above. It is a block diagram which shows an electrical structure same as the above. It is a timing chart which shows the detection temperature of an inner hook, the power consumption of a heating coil, and the pressure inside an inner hook. It is a front view of the operation panel in a rice cooking preparation selection state same as the above. FIG. 6 is a front view of the operation panel in the setting change mode, where (a) shows a state in which the number of repetitions is set to one, and (b) shows a state in which the number of repetitions is set to two. It is a front view of the operation panel in a rice cooking state same as the above. It is a timing chart which shows operation | movement of the detection temperature of an inner pot, the power consumption of a heating coil, the pressure in an inner pot, and a pressure reduction pump at the time of selecting a 1st rice cooking course. It is a timing chart which shows the detection temperature of an inner pot, and the power consumption of a heating coil at the time of selecting a 2nd rice cooking course same as the above. It is a timing chart which shows the operation | movement of the detection temperature of an inner pot, the power consumption of a heating coil, the pressure in an inner pot, and a pressure reduction pump at the time of selecting a 2nd rice cooking course. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of the improved heating coil same as the above.

  Hereinafter, one example concerning the rice cooker of the present invention is described with reference to an accompanying drawing.

  The overall structure of the rice cooker will be described with reference to FIG. 1. 1 is a bottomed main body, 2 is a lid that covers the upper surface opening of the main body 1 so as to be openable and closable. It is formed. A hinge 3 serving as a connecting portion with the main body 1 is provided at the rear portion of the lid 2, and the hook button 4 provided on the upper surface of the front portion of the lid 2 is pushed to operate the lid 2 and the main body 1. The combination is released, and the lid 2 is configured to automatically open with the hinge 3 as the center of rotation.

  The main body 1 is formed with a bottomed tubular pot 5 made of a non-magnetic material or the like, and the pot stowed body 5 is a bottomed tubular pot for storing an object to be cooked such as rice or water. The inner pot 6 is detachably provided. The inner hook 6 has a so-called round hook shape whose side surface is curved in an R shape and whose central barrel is wider than the upper end opening, and extends around the upper end of the inner hook 6 to the outer peripheral side. An annular flange portion 7 is formed. The flange portion 7 is placed on the upper surface of the pot container 5 when the inner pot 6 is stored in the pot container 5, and a gap is formed between the pot container 5 and the inner pot 6. 6 is suspended from the pot housing 5. The inner hook 6 here is constituted by joining a heating element 9 made of a magnetic metal material such as ferritic stainless steel to the outer surface of a base material 8 mainly made of aluminum having good thermal conductivity.

  Reference numeral 11 denotes a heating coil that electromagnetically heats the heating element 8 of the inner pot 6. The heating coil 11 as the inner pot heating means is configured by facing a heating element 8 of the inner pot 6 and spirally winding a litz wire as a conductor, and is arranged at the bottom of the outer surface of the pan container 5. 1 coil part 11A and the 2nd coil part 11B arrange | positioned at the outer surface lower side part of the pan container 5 are comprised. As a result, when a high frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 11, the heating element 8 of the inner pot 6 generates heat due to the alternating magnetic field generated from the heating coil 11, and the inner pot 6 and thus the food to be cooked in the inner pot 6 are cooked or kept warm. Is heated. A preferable arrangement of the heating coil 11 will be described later with reference to another drawing.

  An inner pot temperature sensor 12 serving as an inner pot temperature detecting means is disposed in an opening provided in the center of the bottom of the pot container 5 so as to elastically contact the bottom of the outer surface of the inner pot 6. The inner pot temperature sensor 12 detects the temperature of the inner pot 6 and is mainly configured to control the heating temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 6 by the heating coil 11.

  On the upper surface of the lid 2, in addition to the hook button 4 as a lid opening operation body, an operation panel 17 as a panel including the display unit 15 and the operation unit 16, and the inside of the inner pot 6 as the cooking object is heated. A steam port 19 and the like for discharging the generated steam to the outside of the rice cooker are provided. An inner lid assembly 21 as a lower member of the lid 2 is disposed below the lid 2. The inner lid assembly 21 is configured to seal between the inner lid 22 made of a metal material having a disk shape having substantially the same diameter as the upper opening of the inner pot 6 and the inner lid 6 and the inner lid 22. A lid packing 23 as an elastic member provided on the entire outer periphery of the lid 22 and a pressure adjusting unit 24 for adjusting the internal pressure of the inner hook 6 are provided. The lid packing 23 formed in an annular shape abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 7 of the inner hook 6 when the lid 2 is closed, and closes the gap between the inner hook 6 and the inner lid 22. The steam generated from the pot 6 is sealed. In addition, the steam port 19 and the pressure adjusting unit 24 communicate with each other inside the lid body 2, and the steam generated in the inner pot 6 is discharged from the steam port 19 to the outside by the steam port 18 and the pressure adjusting unit 24. A steam exhaust mechanism is formed.

  The pressure regulating unit 24 is provided with a pressure regulating valve 26 that opens and closes a steam passage 25 between the inside of the inner pot 6 and the steam port 19. This pressure regulating valve 26 is ball-shaped and interlocks with a solenoid 27 provided inside the lid 2. When the steam in the inner hook 6 is discharged to the outside, the steam passage 25 is opened and the inner pot 6 is pressurized. Alternatively, when the pressure is reduced, the solenoid 27 rolls the pressure regulating valve 26 so as to close the steam passage 25.

  Reference numeral 28 denotes pressure reducing means provided for lowering the inside of the inner hook 6 below the normal atmospheric pressure with the lid 2 closed to the main body 1. In addition to the decompression pump 29 as a decompression drive source provided at the rear part of the lid 2, the decompression means 28 has a tubular path (in the interior of the lid 2) that communicates between the decompression pump 29 and the interior of the inner hook 6. And a solenoid valve 30 (see FIG. 3) for opening and closing the path. In this embodiment, the two decompression pumps 29 are provided inside the lid 2, but the decompression pumps 29 may be provided inside the main body 1, and the number thereof is not limited to two.

  In the present embodiment, when the inner pot 6 is accommodated in the pan container 5 and the pressure reducing pump 29 is started from the state in which the lid 2 is closed, the path is opened by the electromagnetic valve 30, and the air in the inner pot 6 is discharged. It is discharged to the outside of the main body 1 through the path and the decompression pump 29, and the pressure inside the sealed inner pot 6 is reduced. Further, when the pressure inside the inner hook 6 falls below the atmospheric pressure, which is normal pressure, the operation of the decompression pump 29 is stopped, the path is closed by the electromagnetic valve 30, and the inside of the inner hook 6 is decompressed. Kept in a state. Furthermore, when returning the inside of the inner hook 6 from the reduced pressure state to the atmospheric pressure, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 29 is stopped and the path is opened by the electromagnetic valve 30. That is, the decompression means 28 in the present embodiment also serves as the pressure return means 31 that returns the inside of the inner hook 6 from the decompressed state to the normal pressure.

  As an inner pot heating means for heating the inner pot 6, in addition to the heating coil 11 that mainly heats the bottom from the lower side of the inner pot 6, the side heater that mainly heats the upper side of the inner pot 6 is used. 33 is arrange | positioned at the outer surface upper side part of the pan container 5. As shown in FIG. Further, a lid heater 34 as a lid heating means for heating the inner lid 22 and a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 35 for managing the temperature of the inner lid 22 by the lid heater 34 are provided inside the lid 2. .

  Reference numeral 41 denotes a control means that is provided on the rear side of the main body 1 and is configured by mounting a microcomputer or the like on a substrate. The control means 41 includes a heating element 42 for driving the heating coil 11 and the like.

  FIG. 2 shows the operation panel 17 in the full display state. In the figure, the display unit 15 is constituted by an LED display unit 51 arranged at a substantially central portion of the operation panel 17 and display lamps 52, 53, 54 arranged around the LED display unit 51. . The LED display unit 51 includes a time / time display unit 51a for displaying the current time, reservation time, time until rice cooking is completed, the type of cooking set, the type of rice put in the inner pot, And a setting display unit 51b for displaying how to cook. In addition, the display lamps 52, 53, and 54 display the actual state of the rice cooker. In this embodiment, when the rice is cooked by the cooking method in the eco mode, the “eco mode” of the display lamp 52 is displayed. When the warming state is turned on, “Warming” of the display lamp 52 is lit. When reservation is set, “Reserving” of the display lamp 53 is lit, and when the rice is cooked, the display lamp When the inside of the inner pot is turned into a vacuum state by a decompression means (not shown), the “vacuum” of the indicator lamp 53 is turned on and pressure is applied to the inside of the inner pot during cooking. Before the cooked rice is cooked, the “pressure” of the display lamp 53 is lit, and when the key is locked, the key symbol of the display lamp 53 is lit, and the cut key 63 (described later) is locked and turned off. If you do not press and hold the key 63 When you do not give, "push off 3 seconds" of the display lamp 64 is adapted to light up. In addition, you may change suitably the display form of the LED display part 51 or the display lamps 52, 53, and 54 according to the specification of a rice cooker.

  The operation unit 16 includes a home key 61, a rice cooking key 62, a cut key 63, a reservation key 64, a forward key 65, and a return key 66 that are arranged side by side on the lower portion of the operation panel 17. A heat retention / reheating key 67, a cooking key 68, a rice key 69, and a cooking key 70 are arranged side by side. These keys 61 to 70 are all constituted by capacitive touch keys, and are electrically connected to electrodes (not shown) disposed on the back surface of the operation panel 17 corresponding to the respective keys 61 to 70. When a human body as a body approaches, the capacitance value changes and an operation signal is output to the control means 41. Corresponding to the respective keys 61 to 70, LEDs (not shown) are arranged on the back surface of the operation panel 17 and receive a display control signal from the control means 41 to face the operation panel 17. Thus, the keys 61 to 70 are lit at a desired luminance. In addition, you may change the structure of the keys 61-70 suitably according to the specification of a rice cooker.

  The home key 61 is operated before the other keys 62 to 70 are operated. The home key 61 is lit in a dimmed state while keeping warm or waiting for reservation by a display control signal from the control means 41, and in other cases Is off. When the home key 61 is touched in this state, the control means 41 receives an operation signal from the touch key 61 and sends a display control signal to a key that can be operated among the other keys 62 to 70 for a certain period of time. A key that can be operated is lit brightly without being dimmed, and an operation signal from the key is received.

  The rice cooking key 62 is operated when starting rice cooking. When the rice cooking key 62 is touched in a state where the rice cooking key 62 is lit, the control means 41 receives an operation signal from the rice cooking key 62, and the main body. It is the structure which starts the rice cooking with respect to the to-be-cooked thing in 1.

  The cut key 63 is operated when rice cooking or heat insulation is stopped. When the cut key 63 is touched while the cut key 63 is lit, the control means 41 receives an operation signal from the cut key 63, The heating to the cooking object in the main body 1 is stopped and turned off. Further, in this embodiment, in order to prevent a malfunction that is unexpectedly turned off, the turn-off key 63 is automatically locked after a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) of rice cooking or cooking.

  The reservation key 64 is operated when the reserved rice is cooked. When the reservation key 64 is lit, the reservation key 64 is touched, the reservation time and the cooking course are confirmed, and then the rice cooking key 62 is touched. The cooking device in the main body 1 is cooked at the reserved time set in advance by the control means 41.

  The advance key 65 and the return key 66 are operated to adjust the cooking time for the reservation time and the current time. For example, to adjust the current time, the home key 61 is touched in the off state, and then the lighting state is turned on. When the forward key 65 or the return key 66 is touched for a predetermined time, for example, for 1 second or longer, the control means 41 causes the current time displayed on the time / time display unit 51a to flash, and the forward key 65 and the return key 66 The operation signal is received. If the advance key 65 is touched here, the current time is advanced by 1 minute, and if the return key 66 is touched, the current time is returned by 1 minute. If the forward key 65 and the return key 66 are kept touched, the current time can be adjusted in units of 10 minutes. Finally, touching the OFF key 63 stops the blinking of the current time in the time / time display unit 51a, and the adjustment of the current time is finished. Further, in order to adjust the reservation time, after touching the reservation key 64 that is lit, the advance key 65 or the return key 66 is touched, so that the reservation time displayed on the time / time display unit 51a can be adjusted. It can be variably set in units of 10 minutes.

  The heat retention key 67 is operated when the heat retention is performed. When the heat retention key 67 is touched in a state where the heat retention key 67 is lit, the control means 41 receives an operation signal from the heat retention key 67, and the main body 1 It becomes the structure which starts the heat insulation reheating with respect to the to-be-cooked thing.

  In addition, the cooking key 68, the rice key 69, and the cooking key 70 are operated to set the cooking course, the type of rice, and the cooking method, respectively, and the cooking key 68 is lit. Thus, each time the cooking key 67 is touched, the control means 41 receives an operation signal from the cooking key 68, and the cooking in the main body 1 is performed in a specific cooking course from a plurality of cooking courses other than rice. When the rice key 79 is touched while the rice key 79 is lit, the control means 41 receives an operation signal from the rice key 69 and sets a plurality of rice types. Is set so that rice to be cooked in the main body 1 can be cooked with specific rice, and when the cooking method key 70 is lit, when the cooking method key 70 is touched, the control means 41 has a cooking method key. In response to an operation signal from 70 Among the types of a plurality of cooking way it is configured to configured to allow rice to be cooked in the main body 1 at a specific cooking way.

  Next, the control system of the control means 41 will be described with reference to FIG. In the same figure, the control means 41 receives each temperature detection signal from the inner pot temperature sensor 12 or the lid temperature sensor 35 and the operation signal from the operation unit 16, and heats the inner pot 6 at the time of cooking and keeping warm. The coil 11, the side heater 33, and the lid heater 34 for heating the lid 2 are controlled, and the operations of the solenoid 27, the pressure reducing pump 29, and the electromagnetic valve 30 are controlled. Is to control. In particular, the control means 41 of this embodiment mainly controls the heating coil 11 based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 12 to manage the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 6, and based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 35. The temperature of the inner lid 22 is controlled mainly by controlling the lid heater 34.

  As a function on the control sequence of the program stored in the storage unit 44, the control unit 41 receives a rice cooking start instruction from the operation unit 16 and promotes water absorption of rice put into the inner pot 6. Heating to raise the temperature of the cooked food to boiling in a short time, continuing boiling to keep the cooked product boiling, cooking to cook the cooked food in dry-up rice, and not scorching the rice A rice cooking control means 81 for controlling the heating of the cooked food inside the inner pot 6 and the rice inside the inner pot 6 are controlled to keep at a predetermined heat-retaining temperature by sequentially performing each of the steps of maintaining the temperature at a high temperature. And a heat retention control means 82 for each of them.

  The rice cooking control means 81 of the present embodiment is a decompression means that combines the decompression means 28 and the pressure return means 31 so that the pressure inside the inner pot 6 repeats the decompression below the ordinary pressure and the ordinary pressure during the period of the process. A function as pressure control means for controlling operations of the pump 29 and the on-off valve 30 is provided. The heat retention control means 82 functions as a pressure reduction control means for controlling the operation of the pressure reduction pump 29 and the on-off valve 30 so that the inside of the inner pot 6 is maintained at a pressure lower than the normal pressure while the heat retention temperature is stable. It has.

  The number of times that the pressure inside the inner pot 6 repeats the depressurization and the normal pressure is set and stored in the storage means 44, and the rice cooking control means 81 is the number of times the pressure is read out from the storage means 44 during the process. The operations of the decompression pump 29 and the on-off valve 30 are controlled so that the pressure inside the inner hook 6 repeats the decompression and the normal pressure. The rice cooking control means 81 is provided with a mode for changing the number of times of decompression stored in the storage means 44 as the number of times of decompression setting changing means 85 by an operation from the operation unit 16. The mode of setting change by the depressurization frequency setting changing means 85 is operated from a state of accepting selection of normal rice cooking (rice cooking selection state) according to a predetermined procedure in specific keys 61 to 70 in the operation unit 16. In the setting change mode, the display unit 15 displays that the mode has changed from the normal cooking rice cooking selection state to the setting change mode, and is displayed as the user operates the operation unit 16. The number of times of decompression displayed on the unit 15 is changed, and the number of times of decompression is overwritten and updated in the storage means 44.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to each of FIGS. FIG. 4 shows the detected temperature of the inner pot temperature sensor 12 from the start of rice cooking to the heat retention, the power consumption of the heating coil 11 for induction heating (IH) of the inner pot 6, and the transition of the atmospheric pressure inside the inner pot 6 respectively. Show. In addition, in this figure, the cooking process mentioned above is described including in the boiling continuation process.

  FIG. 5 shows a display form of the operation panel 17 in the above-described cooked rice cooking selection state. In this embodiment, the inner pot 6 containing rice or water, which is to be cooked, is attached to the pan container 5, the lid 2 is closed, and a power plug (not shown) is inserted into an outlet, and the home key 61 of the operation unit 16 is inserted. Only the initial state is brightly lit. From here, when the user touches the home key 71 for the first time, it shifts to the rice cooking selection state shown in FIG. In the rice cooking selection state, the current time is displayed on the time / time display unit 51a of the LED display unit 51, and the setting state (for example, the type of rice is “white rice”) stored in the storage unit until then on the setting display unit 51b. , "Eco mode") is displayed for how to cook. Further, the operation unit 16 receives the operation signals from the keys 61, 62, and 64-70 except that the keys 61, 62, and 64-70 except the off key 63 are lit brightly. Then, when changing the kind of rice and how to cook, the rice cooking control by the rice cooking control means 81 will be started if the rice cooking key 62 is touch-operated after touching the rice key 69 or the cooking key 70.

  The rice cooking control means 81 energizes the heating coil 11 for a predetermined time in the first process, thereby heating the inner pot 6 weakly and reducing the pressure inside the inner pot 6 to a reduced pressure (for example, 0.6 atm). The operation of the pressure reducing pump 29 and the on-off valve 30 is controlled so as to repeatedly change between the pressures (1.0 atm), and the water absorption of the rice inside the inner pot 6 is promoted. In particular, in the present embodiment, by repeating the pressure inside the inner pot 6 to a reduced pressure and a normal pressure, the water absorption of the rice is further promoted, and the solid elution component that becomes the source of umami such as reducing sugar that dissolves from the rice increases.

  When the end of the predetermined time (for example, 20 minutes) is completed, the rice cooking control means 81 shifts to a heating process in which the heating coil 11 is continuously energized to strongly heat the inner pot 6. In the heating stroke, the pressure regulating valve 26 is operated so as to open the steam passage 25 by the solenoid 27, and the inside of the inner hook 6 is maintained at normal pressure. Thereafter, based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 12, if it is determined that the inside of the inner pot 6 is in a boiling state, the rice cooking control means 81 performs a boiling continuous process in which the heating amount to the inner pot 6 is reduced more than before. Transition. In this continuous boiling process, the pressure in the inner pot 6 is kept constant by operating the pressure regulating valve 26 so that the heating coil 11 is intermittently energized with different power consumption and the steam passage 25 is repeatedly opened and closed by the solenoid 27. The pressure is changed between a pressure higher than normal pressure. Moreover, the rice cooking control means 81 starts lid heating by the lid heater 34 and manages the temperature of the heated inner lid 22.

  And if the temperature detected from the inner pot temperature sensor 12 rises above the boiling temperature, it is determined that the cooked food in the inner pot 6 has been cooked as rice, and the heating amount to the inner pot 6 is further increased than before. Move to a reduced unevenness process. For a while after the transition to the uneven stroke, the pressure inside the inner pot 6 is continuously changed between the normal pressure and a pressure higher than the normal pressure, but after that, the steam passage 25 is kept open by the solenoid 27. Thus, the pressure regulating valve 26 is operated to maintain the inside of the inner hook 6 at normal pressure. In the unevenness process, the lid heater 34 is cut off based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 35 to prevent the inner lid 22 from being dewed, and the temperature inside the inner pot 6 is not burnt. Thus, the heating coil 11 is controlled to be cut off.

  When the unevenness of the predetermined time is finished, the process shifts to the heat retention control by the heat retention control means 82 instead of the rice cooking control means 81. When the temperature is maintained, the bottom and side lower portions of the inner pot 6 are heated by the heating coil 11, and the temperature of the rice stored in the inner pot 6 is slightly higher, and the inner lid 22 is heated by the lid heater 34. The temperature of the upper side surface of 6 is controlled by the side heater 33 so that the rice is not dried and a large amount of dew does not adhere. As a result, the temperature of the rice in the inner pot 6 is maintained at 70 to 76 ° C. In the heat retention control, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 29 and the electromagnetic valve 30 is controlled so that the pressure regulating valve 26 is operated so as to close the steam passage 25 by the solenoid 27 and the pressure in the inner hook 6 is maintained in a reduced pressure state. To do.

  And in each process after the above-mentioned heating, rice is cooked with cooked water in which the solid elution components are dissolved from the rice during the process, so that delicious sweet rice is cooked.

  Next, the operation of the decompression frequency setting changing means 85 will be described. From the cooked rice cooking selection state shown in FIG. 5, for example, a cooking key 68 that is not normally operated and other lighted keys (rice key 69, etc.) When the touch operation is performed at the same time, the rice cooking control means 81 accepts the key input and shifts to the setting change mode by the decompression number setting change means 85. Here, only when the operation unit 16 is operated according to a predetermined procedure, the mode can be shifted to the setting change mode by the decompression number setting change means 85, and the conditions for shifting to the setting change mode are limited. Thus, it is possible to prevent a malfunction that erroneously shifts to the setting change mode by an operation during normal rice cooking or heat insulation.

  FIG. 6 shows a display form of the operation panel 17 in the state of transition to the setting change mode. Here, “4” indicating the setting change mode is displayed on the time / time display section 51a, and the storage means 44. “1” (see FIG. 6 (a)) or “2” (see FIG. 6 (b)), which is the number of repetitions of decompression and normal pressure read out from, is displayed, and key operations can be accepted. The home key 61, the cut key 63, the forward key 65, the return key 66, and the cooking key 68 are lit. In the present embodiment, the setting change mode is indicated by a number on the display unit 15, but may be displayed by a character such as a symbol or alphabet, and the user looks at the display unit 15 and selects a normal rice cooking preparation The display shows the difference between the status.

  In the setting change mode shown in FIG. 6, as a specific key in the operation unit 15, for example, when the user operates the forward key 65 and the return key 66, it is repeatedly displayed on the time / time display unit 51 a. The number of times of decompression changes, and the number of times of decompression is overwritten and updated in the storage means 44. Further, for example, when the turn key 63 is touched as a specific key, the setting change mode by the decompression number setting changing means 85 is ended, and the normal rice cooking selection state shown in FIG. 5 is restored. The number of times of decompression whose setting has been changed in the setting change mode is stored and held in the storage unit 44 unless the setting is changed again in the setting change mode. Therefore, there is no hassle of setting the number of times of decompression by calling a setting change mode every time rice is cooked. It should be noted that the number of repetitions that can be set in the setting change mode may be any number of times, including zero, in which the reduced pressure and normal pressure are not repeated.

  As described above, when the rice cooking key 62 is touch-operated from the rice cooking selection state, the rice cooking control by the rice cooking control means 81 is started. FIG. 7 shows a display form of the operation panel 17 during cooking. In the same figure, the time / time display section 51a displays the remaining time until cooking, and the “lamp cooking” and “vacuum” lights on the display lamp 53 to indicate the operating state of the rice cooker. . Here, since the rice type is “white rice” and the cooking method in “eco mode” is selected, this is displayed in the setting display section 51b, and the “eco mode” of the display lamp 52 is set. Light. Here, the home key 61 and the turn-off key 63 that can be operated next are lit brightly, and the other rice cooking keys 62, the reservation key 64, the forward key 65, the return key 66, and the heat insulation, which do not require any other operation. The reheating key 67, the cooking key 68, the rice key 69, and the cooking key 70 are turned off. By turning on only the home key 61 and the off key 63 necessary for the operation, necessary information can be displayed and operability can be improved.

  As mentioned above, in a present Example, the main body 1 as a rice cooker main body which cooks a to-be-cooked object, the inner pot 6 which is arrange | positioned at the main body 1 and accommodates a to-be-cooked object, and the inside of the inner pot 6 is a normal pressure. Pressure reducing means 28 for reducing the internal pressure of the inner pot 6 from the reduced pressure to the normal pressure, and a pressure reducing means for repeating the internal pressure of the inner pot 6 between the reduced pressure and the normal pressure at a later time. 28 and a control means 41 for controlling the pressure return means 31. This control means 41 is a mode in which the number of times of pressure reduction in the inner hook 6 during the process stroke can be set and changed using the operation unit 16 and the pressure reduction number setting change. It is mounted as means 85.

  In this case, by repeating the internal pressure of the inner pot 6 at a reduced pressure and a normal pressure during the process, the water absorption rate of the rice stored in the inner pot 6 is increased, so that the water can be absorbed in a short time, and the savory taste such as reducing sugar from the rice. Many ingredients are eluted, and it becomes possible to cook rice deliciously with the dissolved water. Further, since the user can arbitrarily set and change the number of times of decompression inside the inner hook 6 at the time of operation using the operation unit 16, the operation sound of the decompression means 28 which is annoying to the user and the sound of air flowing into the inner hook 6 Can be reduced at the user's will.

  Further, the control means 41 of the present embodiment reduces the pressure only when the operation unit 16 is operated according to a predetermined procedure, for example, by simultaneously touching a plurality of keys of the operation unit 16 that are not normally operated. The configuration is such that the mode can be shifted to a setting change mode by the number setting change means 85.

  In this case, by restricting the conditions for shifting from the normal rice cooking selection state to the setting change mode by the decompression number setting change means 85, in the operation during normal rice cooking or heat insulation, the setting change mode is mistakenly entered. It is possible to prevent malfunctions without shifting.

  In this embodiment, when the number of times of pressure reduction in the inner hook 6 is changed in the setting change mode by the pressure reduction number setting changing means 85, the operation is changed to the setting change mode again until the pressure reduction number is changed. The storage unit 44 stores the set number of times of decompression.

  In this case, it is not necessary to call the setting change mode each time rice is cooked and to set the number of times of decompression inside the inner pot 6 at the time of the meal, and the operability as a rice cooker can be improved.

  Next, in the rice cooker mentioned above, what kind of rice cooking control the rice cooking control means 81 performs individually by the difference in the selected rice cooking course is demonstrated, referring FIGS. 8-10.

  FIG. 8 shows the detection temperature of the inner pot temperature sensor 12 and the inner pot 6 when the conventional rice cooking course of white rice mounted on the rice cooker is selected and the rice control by the rice control means 81 is performed. The power consumption of the heating coil 11 that performs heating (IH), the pressure inside the inner pot 6, and the transition of the operation of the decompression pump 29 that is a vacuum pump are shown. In the same figure, the white rice normal rice cooking course is a standard first rice cooking course with good taste, and the rice cooking control is performed in the order of each of the above-described processes such as the above-mentioned process of heating, boiling, cooking, and spotting.

  In the process, the heating coil 11 is energized for a predetermined time to heat the inner pot 6 in order to increase the water temperature inside the inner pot 6 and promote water absorption into the rice. Further, for a certain period of time immediately after the start of the process, The pressure reducing pump 29 is operated with the electromagnetic valve 30 opening the path that communicates the inside and outside of the inner hook 6, and the inside of the inner hook 6 is brought into a reduced pressure state that is less than normal pressure. The operation of the pressure reducing pump 29 is stopped after a certain time has elapsed, but thereafter, the path is closed by the electromagnetic valve 30 so that the pressure reducing state in the inner pot 6 is maintained while slow leaking. In addition, as described above, it is preferable that the pressure in the inner hook 6 is repeated to normal pressure and reduced pressure during the period of the exhaust stroke, and the number of times can be variably set. In this way, in the plain rice cooking course, a 20 minute process, which is a predetermined time, is performed.

  In the next heating process, power consumption corresponding to the rated maximum power consumption (for example, 1420 W) of the rice cooker is coming out of the heating coil 11. The detection of the boiling in the inner pot 6 (boiling detection) is performed by the temperature change of the inner pot temperature sensor 12, and the heating coil 11 is energized continuously or intermittently with high power consumption until the boiling detection is completed. Then, the cooking object inside the inner pot 6 is heated strongly. When the heating stroke is started, the path is opened by the electromagnetic valve 30 while the operation of the decompression pump 29 is stopped, and the pressure in the inner hook 6 is returned to normal pressure. The rated maximum power consumption here corresponds to the power at the time of maximum heating in the initial stage of the heating process.

  After the boiling detection, the process proceeds to the boiling continuing process, and the heating coil 11 is intermittently energized to heat the inner pot 6 to satisfy either a certain temperature condition or completion of a predetermined process time. Move to the raising process. Even in the cooking process, the heating coil 11 is intermittently energized to satisfy either the constant temperature condition similar to the boiling continuation process or the completion of the determined process time. When the heating coil 11 is energized intermittently in the uneven process and the process time is completed, the rice cooking control by the rice cooking control means 81 is also terminated. Note that the power consumption of the heating coil 11 in each step can be varied with the rated maximum power consumption as the upper limit by the control of an inverter (not shown) incorporated in the control means 41.

  The rice cooking control means 81 of the present embodiment is based on the rated power consumption described below in addition to the first rice cooking course for cooking the food to be cooked by increasing the power consumption of the heating coil 11 to the standard rated power consumption described above. The second rice cooking course that cooks the food to be cooked while suppressing the power consumption of the heating coil 11 is selected, for example, by selecting one of the rice cooking courses by an operation input from the operation unit 16. It has the function as the rice cooking course selection means 86 which can perform the rice cooking control based on a rice cooking course.

  FIG. 9 shows the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 12 and the heating coil for induction heating (IH) of the inner pot 6 when the second rice cooking course is selected and the rice cooking control by the rice cooking control means 81 is performed. 11 shows changes in power consumption. In the same figure, the transition conditions of each process are the same as the rice cooking control which selected the above-mentioned 1st rice cooking course. In particular, in the 2nd rice cooking course, the power consumption of the heating coil 11 is set lower than the rated power consumption (1420W) and less than half of the power consumption is set to 700W, and the cooked food in the inner pot 6 is cooked in each process. The rice cooking control to raise is carried out.

  More specifically, in the heating stroke, the power consumption of the heating coil 11 is set to an upper limit of 700 W, and the energization output is continuously performed from the start of the stroke until the boiling detection is completed. Heat the food strongly. In addition, after the boiling continuous process after the completion of boiling detection, the energization rate of the heating coil 11 (ratio of energization time per unit time) is changed so as to have the same average power consumption as the rice cooking control in which the first rice cooking course is selected. doing. For example, in the first rice cooking course, the heating coil 11 is consumed with 1000 W of power, and the energization for 7 seconds / 3 seconds is cut off, so that the average power consumption becomes 700 W. In the second cooking course, the heating coil 11 is set to 700 W. The average power consumption becomes 700 W, which is equal to that of the first rice cooking course. In other words, in the second rice cooking course, if the rice cooking control is performed so that the power consumption rate of the heating coil 11 is larger than the first rice cooking course, the power consumption of the heating coil 11 is reduced. In addition to being able to obtain a good cooked food.

  Moreover, while the process time in the 1st rice cooking course is 20 minutes, the process time in the 2nd rice cooking course is as short as 15 minutes. Thereby, the rice cooking time in the 2nd rice cooking course from the end to the end of Murashi can also be made equivalent to the rice cooking time in the 1st rice cooking course from the end to the end of Murame. When a course is selected, while contributing to power reduction as a rice cooker, it is possible to realize a rice cooking time equivalent to that of the first rice cooking course before reducing power consumption.

  As mentioned above, the rice cooker of a present Example is a rice cooking course selection means 86 which can select any one rice cooking course from several rice cooking courses, and one rice cooking course selected by the rice cooking course selection means 86. A first rice cooking course for cooking rice to be cooked in the inner pot 6 with the rated power consumption as an upper limit, and a power consumption lower than the rated power consumption. At least the second rice cooking course that heats and cooks the food in the inner pot 6, and the average power consumption of the heating coil 11 when cooking in the second rice cooking course is the first rice cooking course The rice cooking control means 81 is configured to be equivalent to the average power consumption of the heating coil 11 when cooking rice.

  In this case, when the second rice cooking course is selected, rice cooking control is performed with lower power consumption than when the first rice cooking course is selected, but the average power consumption per time of each process in the rice cooking control is the same. By doing this, it is possible to achieve a cooked taste equivalent to that of the first rice cooking course, contribute to reducing power consumption as a rice cooker, and provide cooked rice with a good cooked quality.

  Moreover, in the rice cooking which selected the 2nd rice cooking course, the energization rate of at least any one of each process of a continuation, boiling continuation, cooking, and murashi becomes large with respect to the rice cooking which selected the 1st rice cooking course. The rice cooking control means 81 is comprised.

  In this case, when the 2nd rice cooking course is selected, the rice cooking control is performed so that the energization rate of each process of continuous boiling, boiling, cooking, and unevenness becomes larger than that when the first cooking course is selected. Thus, as a rice cooker, it is possible to secure a necessary amount of power that does not impair the taste of rice.

  Moreover, in the rice cooking which selected the 2nd rice cooking course, the rice cooking control means 81 is made so that the time of a process is shorter than the rice cooking which selected the said 1st rice cooking course, and it becomes the rice cooking time equivalent to a 1st rice cooking course. Is configured.

  In this case, when the second rice cooking course is selected, it is possible to contribute to power reduction by shortening the time of the process to be shorter than the first rice cooking course and performing the rice cooking control with the same rice cooking time as the first rice cooking course. And the rice cooker which provided the rice cooking course which can provide the rice cooked well and can implement | achieve the rice cooking time equivalent to the thing before reducing power consumption further can be provided.

  FIG. 10 shows, as another example, when the above-mentioned second rice cooking course is selected and the rice cooking control by the rice cooking control means 81 is performed, and the detected temperature of the inner pot temperature sensor 12 and the inner pot 6 are induction-heated (IH). ), The power consumption of the heating coil 11, the pressure inside the inner pot 6, and the transition of the operation of the decompression pump 29, which is a vacuum pump. In the same figure, the transition conditions of each process are the same as the rice cooking control which selected the above-mentioned 1st rice cooking course. Especially in the 2nd rice cooking course, the power consumption of the heating coil 11 is set to 900 W, which is lower than the rated power consumption (1420 W) as the upper limit, and rice cooking control is performed to cook the food to be cooked in the inner pot 6 in each stroke. doing.

  More specifically, in the heating stroke, the power consumption of the heating coil 11 is set to an upper limit of 900 W, and power is continuously output continuously from the start of the stroke until the boiling detection is completed. Heat the food to be cooked. Moreover, the power consumption (Wh) of the heating coil 11 in each process from heating to cooking is set to be equal to or less than the power consumption of the heating coil 11 when the standard first rice cooking course is selected. Furthermore, the amount of power consumed by the heating coil 11 in the time course and the unevenness stroke is less than the amount of power consumed by the heating coil 11 when the standard first rice cooking course is selected, and further promotes water absorption of rice. For this reason, the operation time of the decompression pump 29 at the time of the exhaust stroke is made longer than the operation time of the decompression pump 29 when the first rice cooking course is selected, and the inside of the inner pot 6 is decompressed to a lower pressure. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the process time of the first cooking course is 20 minutes, whereas the process time of the second cooking course is as long as 21 minutes, and the operation time of the decompression pump 29 is increased. Combined with this, it is possible to more effectively promote the water absorption of rice inside the inner pot 6. In addition to the standard first rice cooking course, a rice cooker can contribute to reducing the amount of electric power, and a second rice cooking course that can cook rice without sacrificing the taste of rice can be provided.

  Even when this second rice cooking course is selected, the decompression pump 29 is operated with the solenoid valve 30 opening the path that communicates the inside and outside of the inner pot 6 at a fixed time immediately after the start of the process, The inside of 6 is brought into a pressure-reduced state less than normal pressure, and thereafter, the operation of the pressure-reducing pump 29 is stopped and the path is closed by the electromagnetic valve 30 to keep the pressure-reduced state in the inner pot 6 while slow leaking. Moreover, when it transfers to a heating process, the point which opens a path | route with the solenoid valve 30, and returns the pressure in the inner pot 6 to a normal pressure, with the operation | movement of the pressure reduction pump 29 stopped, is common with the control by a 1st rice cooking course. ing.

  As described above, the present embodiment includes the rice cooking course selection means 86 that can select any of a plurality of rice cooking courses, and the rice cooking control means 81 that performs the rice cooking on the rice cooking course selected by the rice cooking course selection means 86. As a rice cooking course, at least the first rice cooking course with good taste and the second rice cooking course with less power consumption of the heating coil 11 than the first rice cooking course were included, and the first rice cooking course was selected. If the 2nd rice cooking course is selected, only the power consumption lower than the rated power consumption is given, so that the power consumption of the process and the unevenness process is less than that of the 1st rice cooking course. Furthermore, the rice cooking control means 81 is comprised.

  In this case, when the 2nd rice cooking course is selected, in each process of the rice cooking performed by the rice cooking control means 81, in particular, the power consumption of the hitting process and the unevenness process is greater than when the first rice cooking course is selected. While reducing the power consumption lower than the first rice cooking course, the rice cooking control is performed as an upper limit, thereby reducing the power consumption than the standard first rice cooking course that makes the taste good, and without drastically reducing the taste. The second rice cooking course can be provided to users who want to save electricity.

  Further, in this embodiment, in addition to the rice cooking course selection means 86 and the rice cooking control means 81 described above, when the second cooking rice course is selected, the decompression means 28 for decompressing the inside of the inner pot 6 for storing the food to be cooked is provided. Constitutes the rice cooking control means 81 so that the operation time of the decompression pump 29 constituting the decompression means 28 is longer than when the first rice cooking course is selected.

  In this case, when the second rice cooking course is selected, the operation time of the decompression pump 29 is increased compared to the first rice cooking course, and the water absorption of the rice in the process is further promoted, but less than the first rice cooking course. By controlling rice cooking with power consumption, power consumption is reduced compared to the standard 1st rice cooking course with good taste, and the second rice cooking course that cooks rice without drastically reducing the taste is saved. Can be provided to users who want to

  Furthermore, when the 2nd rice cooking course is selected in a present Example, the rice cooking control means 81 is comprised so that the time of a process may become longer than the case where the 1st rice cooking course is selected.

  In this case, when selecting the 2nd rice cooking course, the process time is longer than when the 1st rice cooking course is selected, and by further promoting the water absorption of the rice, the taste of the cooked rice is maximized. You can keep it from dropping.

  Next, a preferred arrangement of the heating coil 11 will be described with reference to FIG. In the heating coil 11 shown in FIG. 1, the number of turns of the second coil portion 11B facing the bottom upper portion of the inner hook 6 is 10 and the number of turns of the first coil portion 11A facing the bottom of the inner hook 6 is nine. Yes. In this case, when rice is cooked in the round pot-shaped inner pot 6, the heat convection at the side of the inner pot 6 is strong and the heating at the bottom of the inner pot 6 is weak, so the center of the surface of the cooked rice Will become a factor that causes uneven cooking.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the number of turns of the first coil part 11A is 14 and the number of turns of the second coil part 11B is 7, so that the number of turns of the first coil part 11A and the second coil part 11B is While the ratio is 2: 1, the second coil portion 11B is arranged at a height of 1/3 or more with respect to the height of the inner pot 6. As a result, the heat convection at the side portion of the inner pot 6 is weaker than that shown in FIG. 1, and the heating at the bottom of the inner pot 6 is strengthened, so that the center of the surface of the cooked rice is recessed. , Can improve the cause of uneven cooking. That is, in the rice cooker shown in FIG. 11, the dent of rice after cooking and uneven cooking of rice can be improved while performing electromagnetic induction heating by the heating coil 11 suitable for the round kettle shape.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. The numerical values illustrated in the examples are merely examples, and may be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the rice cooker.

6 Inner pot 28 Pressure reducing means 81 Rice cooking control means 86 Rice cooking course selection means

Claims (3)

A rice cooking course selection means capable of selecting one of a plurality of rice cooking courses;
Rice cooking control means for performing rice cooking on the selected rice cooking course,
As the plurality of rice cooking courses, including a standard first rice cooking course with good taste and a second rice cooking course with less power consumption than the first rice cooking course,
In the first rice cooking course, the rated power consumption is given. In the second rice cooking course, only the power consumption lower than the rated power consumption is given. The rice cooker characterized in that the rice cooking control means is configured to be reduced. A rice cooking course selection means capable of selecting one of a plurality of rice cooking courses;
In the selected rice cooking course, rice cooking control means for cooking rice to be cooked contained in the inner pot,
Pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure in the inner pot,
As the plurality of rice cooking courses, including a standard first rice cooking course with good taste and a second rice cooking course with less power consumption than the first rice cooking course,
In the second rice cooking course, the rice cooking control means is configured such that the operation time of the decompression means is longer than that of the first rice cooking course. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein in the second rice cooking course, the rice cooking control means is configured such that the time of the process is longer than that of the first rice cooking course.