JP2019013666A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker which can continue heating of a heated object during boiling at a large fire power while preventing an overflow of the heated object during boiling.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a pot-like container 1 for containing a heated object therein; a heating coil 12 for heating the pot-like container 1; and water supply means for supplying water of liquid phase toward a foamy body generated on the heated object in the pot-like container 1 by the heating of the heating coil 12. Alternatively, the rice cooker includes: a pot-like container 1 for containing a heated object therein; a heating coil 12 for heating the pot-like container 1 upon receiving a power supply; and a water supply means for supplying water of liquid phase into the pot-like container 1 when a power amount per unit time supplied to the heating coil 12 during rice-cooking process is maximum after the heated object in the pot-like container reaches a boiling temperature by the hearing of the heating coil 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  This invention relates to a rice cooker.

  A pan, a pan heating means for heating the pan, a lid for covering the opening of the pan, and a steam generating means having a water tank and an electromagnetic induction heating type water tank heating means. It is a rice cooker that heats the pan uniformly and prevents drying by putting steam into the pan from the opening, and steam is also poured into the pan even while the boiling state of the cooking process is maintained What is thrown in is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-144212 A

  However, like the rice cooker shown in Patent Document 1, steam for heating the pan in a uniform and dry state is generated by a so-called “rice ball” which is a liquid containing starch eluted from rice. Even if it is applied to the foam, the rice cake is highly viscous and the foam is strong, so the rice foam cannot be effectively destroyed. For this reason, one after another generated bubbles are maintained and spillage occurs. And in order to prevent a spill, the heating power must be dropped and heated in the middle of boiling, and the taste of cooked rice is impaired.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems. The purpose is to obtain a rice cooker that can continue to be heated with a large heating power during boiling of the heated object while preventing the spilling during boiling of the heated object.

  The rice cooker according to the present invention is generated on a heated object in the pot-shaped container by heating the pot-shaped container for storing the heated object, a heating means for heating the pot-shaped container, and the heating means. Water supply means for supplying liquid phase water toward the foamed body.

  Alternatively, the rice cooker according to the present invention includes a pot-shaped container that accommodates an object to be heated, heating means that receives power supply and heats the pot-shaped container, and heating the heating means. A water supply means for supplying liquid phase water into the pan-like container when the amount of electric power per unit time supplied to the heating means is maximum during the rice cooking process after the object to be heated reaches the boiling temperature; .

  According to the dishwasher according to the present invention, there is an effect that heating with a large heating power can be continued while boiling the heated object while preventing the spilling during boiling of the heated object.

It is a figure which combines the schematic structure of a control system with the cross-section of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the time series change of the temperature of each part in the rice cooking process of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, the input electric power of a heating coil, and the energization state of a pump. It is a top view which shows an example of the liquid level in the pan-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view which shows an example of the water supply area of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the relationship between the liquid level of FIG. 3, and the water supply area of FIG. It is a top view which shows the relationship between the liquid level in the pot-shaped container in a comparative example, and a water supply area. It is a top view which shows an example of the spray pattern of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view for demonstrating an example of the time change of the spray pattern with respect to the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view for demonstrating an example of the time change of the spray pattern with respect to the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view for demonstrating an example of the time change of the spray pattern with respect to the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows an example of the injection angle when the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is high. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows an example of the injection angle when the liquid level in the pan-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is medium height. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows an example of the injection angle when the liquid level in the pan-shaped container of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention is low. It is a fragmentary sectional view for demonstrating the case where the injection angle with respect to the height of the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of a rice cooker is inappropriate. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the relationship between the steam inlet and water supply area of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a top view which shows the relationship between the steam inlet and water supply area of the rice cooker which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the relationship between the steam inlet of the rice cooker in a comparative example, and a water supply area. It is a top view which shows the relationship between the steam inlet of the rice cooker in a comparative example, and a water supply area.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are simplified or omitted as appropriate. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 to 18 relate to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system in addition to a cross-sectional structure of a rice cooker, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing time-series changes in the temperature of each part, the input power of a heating coil, and the energization state of a pump in the rice cooking process of the rice cooker. 3 is a top view showing an example of the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker, FIG. 4 is a top view showing an example of the water supply area of the rice cooker, and FIG. 5 is the liquid level of FIG. 3 and the water supply area of FIG. FIG. 6 is a top view showing the relationship between the liquid level in the pot-shaped container and the water supply area in the comparative example, FIG. 7 is a top view showing an example of the spray pattern of the rice cooker, and FIG. FIG. 10 is a top view for explaining an example of the temporal change of the spray pattern with respect to the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker.

  Moreover, FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view showing an example of an injection angle when the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker is high, and FIG. 12 is when the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker is medium height 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of the spray angle, FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an example of the spray angle when the liquid level in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker is low, and FIG. 14 is the liquid in the pot-shaped container of the rice cooker. FIG. 15 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating the relationship between the steam port of the rice cooker and the water supply area, and FIG. 16 is the steam port of the rice cooker. The top view which shows the relationship with a water supply area, FIG. 17 is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the relationship between the steam mouth of a rice cooker in a comparative example, and a water supply area, FIG. 18 is the relationship between the steam mouth of a rice cooker in a comparative example, and a water supply area. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes a pan-like container 1, a main body 10, a lid 20, and a water supply unit 30. The pot-like container 1 is a rice cooker that accommodates an object to be heated. Accordingly, the object to be heated here is mainly food such as rice and water. The main body 10 is a main structural part of the rice cooker 100. The pan-like container 1 is accommodated in the main body 10. The rice cooker 100 is a heating cooker that cooks cooked rice from the heated object by heating the pot-shaped container 1 in which the heated object is accommodated by the heating coil 12 of the main body 10.

  The lid 20 is attached to the main body 10 so that the opening on the upper surface of the main body 10 can be opened and closed. The lid 20 closes the opening of the main body 10 and simultaneously closes the opening of the pot-like container 1. The water supply unit 30 is for supplying water into the pot-like container 1. Here, the water supply unit 30 is detachably attached to the main body 10.

  In FIG. 1, a part of the configuration of the control system and signal lines are drawn on the outside of the main body 10 of the rice cooker 100, but this is for convenience of illustration. Actually, these configurations and signal lines are also provided inside the main body 10 or the lid 20 of the rice cooker 100. Hereinafter, the detail of each component with which the rice cooker 100 is provided is demonstrated in order.

(Configuration of pan-like container 1)
The pan-like container 1 is a bottomed cylindrical container that accommodates an object to be heated. The pan-like container 1 includes, for example, a magnetic metal that generates heat by induction heating. Here, the pan-like container 1 has a flange portion 1a. The flange portion 1 a protrudes outward from the outer periphery of the upper end portion of the pan-like container 1. However, the structure of the pan-like container 1 is not limited to the illustrated example.

(Configuration of the main body 10)
The main body 10 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The main body 10 includes a container cover 11, a heating coil 12, a pan bottom temperature sensor 13, and a hinge part 14. In addition, a time measuring unit 17 and a control unit 18 are provided inside the main body 10.

  The container cover 11 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape. Inside the container cover 11, the pot-shaped container 1 is detachably accommodated. A hole 11 a is formed at the center of the bottom surface of the container cover 11. A pot bottom temperature sensor 13 is inserted inside the hole 11a.

  The pan bottom temperature sensor 13 detects the temperature of the pot-like container 1, particularly the bottom portion here. The pan bottom temperature sensor 13 is composed of, for example, a thermistor. The pan bottom temperature sensor 13 is biased upward by elastic means such as a spring. For this reason, when the pot-shaped container 1 is accommodated in the container cover 11, the pot-bottom temperature sensor 13 is pressed against the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container 1 and contacts the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container 1. The pan bottom temperature sensor 13 sends temperature information related to the detected temperature of the pan-like container 1 to the control unit 18 as a detection signal. In this manner, the pan bottom temperature sensor 13 constitutes a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pan-like container 1.

  A heating coil 12 is provided at the bottom of the container cover 11. The heating coil 12 is arranged in an annular shape around the hole 11a. The heating coil 12 is energized under the control of the control unit 18 to inductively heat the pan-like container 1. The heating coil 12 in the first embodiment constitutes a heating means for heating the pan-like container 1. In particular, in the example shown here, the heating coil 12 is a heating unit that heats the pan-like container 1 by receiving power. In addition, as a heating means for heating the pot-like container 1, other heating means such as a sheathed heater which is an electric heater may be used instead of the heating coil 12.

  The control unit 18 controls the overall operation of the rice cooker 100. In particular, the control unit 18 controls the rice cooking operation in the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 100. The time measuring unit 17 measures the elapsed time required when the control unit 18 controls the rice cooking operation. The time measuring unit 17 measures an elapsed time in response to an instruction from the control unit 18, and sends time information regarding the measured elapsed time to the control unit 18.

  One or both of the control unit 18 and the time measurement unit 17 may be configured by hardware such as a control circuit that realizes the function. In addition, one or both of the control unit 18 and the time measurement unit 17 may be a software program stored in a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory, and an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer or a CPU (central processing unit) that executes the software program. You may comprise by.

  The hinge part 14 is provided on one end side of the upper part of the main body 10. The hinge portion 14 supports the lid 20 so that the lid 20 can open and close the opening of the main body 10.

(Configuration of the lid 20)
The lid 20 includes an outer lid 21 and an inner lid 22. The lid 20 has an outer lid 21 and an inner lid 22. The outer lid 21 constitutes an upper portion and a side portion of the lid body 20. An open button 25 is provided on the side surface of the outer lid 21 opposite to the hinge portion 14. When the open button 25 is pressed, the lid 20 is opened around the hinge portion 14 by the force of a spring (not shown). An operation display unit 42 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 21. A lid heater 24 is attached to the inner side of the outer lid 21 (on the inner lid 22 side). The lid heater 24 is for heating the inner lid 22.

  The inner lid 22 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, for example. The inner lid 22 is attached to the surface of the outer lid 21 on the main body 10 side via a locking member 23. The inner lid 22 is disposed inside the outer lid 21, that is, on the heated object side when the lid 20 is closed. A lid packing 22 a is attached to the peripheral edge of the inner lid 22. The lid packing 22a is a sealing material. When the lid 20 is closed, the lid packing 22a is in close contact with the inner upper end portion of the pot-shaped container 1, that is, the inner portion of the flange portion 1a of the pot-shaped container 1, and the inside of the pot-shaped container 1 is sealed from the outside. To do. Here, the inside of the pot-shaped container 1 or the inside of the pot-shaped container 1 is an area surrounded by the pot-shaped container 1 and the inner lid 22 when the lid 20 is closed.

  The inner lid 22 has an inner lid steam port 22b. The lid heater 24 is formed with a lid heater steam port 24a. An outer lid steam port 26 is formed in the outer lid 21. The inner lid steam port 22b, the lid heater steam port 24a, and the outer lid steam port 26 are connected in series to communicate the inside and the outside of the pan-like container 1. In this manner, the inner lid steam port 22b, the lid heater steam port 24a, and the outer lid steam port 26 constitute a steam port for discharging the steam generated in the pan-like container 1 to the outside.

  An internal temperature sensor 43 is attached to the inner side of the outer lid 21 (on the inner lid 22 side). The internal temperature sensor 43 is disposed so as to pass through the through holes formed in the inner lid 22 and the lid heater 24, respectively. The internal temperature sensor 43 detects the internal space temperature of the pot-shaped container 1, that is, the temperature above the object to be heated in the pot-shaped container 1. The internal temperature sensor 43 is composed of, for example, a thermistor. The internal temperature sensor 43 sends temperature information regarding the detected temperature in the pan-like container 1 to the control unit 18.

(Configuration of water supply means including water supply unit 30)
The water supply unit 30 includes a water tank 31, a tank lid 32, and a tank cover 33. The water tank 31 is for storing water to be supplied into the pot-like container 1 during the rice cooking process. The water tank 31 is made of plastic, for example. The water tank 31 is detachably attached to the front side of the main body 10, that is, the side opposite to the hinge portion 14. The front side and the side of the water tank 31 are covered with a tank cover 33. By attaching the water tank 31 to the front side of the main body 10, the water tank 31 can be easily attached to and detached from the main body 10. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the water in the water tank 31 is accidentally spilled into the main body 10 and splashed on the main body 10. Therefore, the usability of the rice cooker 100 can be improved.

  The tank lid 32 is detachably fitted into the opening at the upper end of the water tank 31. The tank lid 32 is provided with a tank side connector 34a and a communication pipe 32b. The upper end of the communication pipe 32b is connected to the tank side connector 34a. The communication pipe 32b extends from the tank-side connector 34a and extends downward in the water tank 31. The tank lid 32 has a tank ventilation hole (not shown). By this tank vent hole, the inside and outside of the water tank 31 to which the tank lid 32 is attached are in communication.

  A water tank heater 15 and a water tank temperature sensor 16 are provided at the bottom of the water tank 31. The water tank heater 15 is for heating the water stored in the water tank 31. The water tank heater 15 is energized under the control of the control unit 18 to heat a metal plate (not shown) that is bonded and fixed to the water tank heater 15. This metal plate constitutes the bottom surface in the water tank 31. Therefore, the water stored in the water tank 31 can be heated by the heated metal plate. Instead of the water tank heater 15, other heating means such as a heating coil may be used.

  The water tank temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature of water in the water tank 31. The water tank temperature sensor 16 is composed of, for example, a thermistor. The water tank temperature sensor 16 is disposed so as to contact the above-described metal plate. The water tank temperature sensor 16 sends temperature information regarding the detected temperature of the water tank 31 to the control unit 18 as a detection signal.

  For example, the outer lid 21 of the lid body 20 is provided with a tank-side water supply path 41a, a nozzle-side water supply path 41b, a pump 44, and a spray nozzle 45. Further, the outer lid 21 is provided with a lid-side connector 34b. The lid-side connector 34b is disposed at a position where the lid-side connector 34b is joined to the tank-side connector 34a when the lid 20 is closed.

  One end of the tank side water supply path 41 a is connected to the lid side connector 34 b, and the other end of the tank side water supply path 41 a is connected to the suction side of the pump 44. The pump 44 is, for example, a gear pump. The rotation operation of the motor of the pump 44 is controlled by the control unit 18. One end of a nozzle-side water supply path 41 b is connected to the discharge side of the pump 44. And the spray nozzle 45 is connected to the other end of the nozzle side water supply path 41b.

  The spray nozzle 45 is installed on the inner lid 22 side of the outer lid 21. The spray nozzle 45 is inserted into a hole provided in each of the inner lid 22 and the lid heater 24 and is exposed in the pan-like container 1. The spray nozzle 45 is a nozzle that sprays a full cone type spray. The spray nozzle 45 can spray minute water particles in a substantially conical shape from the tip on the pot-shaped container 1 side toward the pot-shaped container 1. That is, the spray nozzle 45 injects liquid phase water from above the liquid level of the heated object in the pan-shaped container 1 toward the liquid level.

  When the lid 20 is closed, the lid side connector 34b and the tank side connector 34a are joined in a watertight manner. When the lid 20 is opened by pressing the open button 25, the tank side connector 34a and the lid side connector 34b are separated. For this reason, when the lid 20 is closed, the spray pipe 45 is communicated from the communication pipe 32b of the water tank 31 through the tank side water supply path 41a, the pump 44, and the nozzle side water supply path 41b.

  Therefore, by operating the pump 44 with the lid 20 closed, the water in the water tank 31 passes through the communication pipe 32b, passes through the tank-side connector 34a and the lid-side connector 34b, and is supplied to the tank-side water supply. The water passes through the path 41a, the pump 44, and the nozzle-side water supply path 41b in this order, and is supplied from the spray nozzle 45 to the pot-like container 1 as fine water particles.

  The water supply unit 30, the lid-side connector 34b, the tank-side water supply path 41a, the nozzle-side water supply path 41b, the pump 44, and the spray nozzle 45 configured as described above in the first embodiment are liquid phase in the pan-like container 1. It is an example of the water supply means which supplies the water. If the rotational speed of the motor of the pump 44 is the same, the amount of water supplied by the water supply means configured in this way is proportional to the length of the energization time during which the pump 44 is energized.

  In addition, the specific structure of a water supply means is not restricted to this example. In addition, for example, water may be sent to the spray nozzle 45 from a water tap outside the rice cooker 100. And you may enable it to change the amount of water supply of a water supply means by providing a valve in the water supply pipe between a water tap and the spray nozzle 45, and adjusting the opening degree of this valve.

(Operation display unit 42)
As described above, the operation display unit 42 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 21. The operation display unit 42 includes an operation unit and a display unit. The operation unit includes, for example, a switch that accepts various instruction operations performed by the user of the rice cooker 100. Specifically, the various instructions that can be performed by the operation unit of the operation display unit 42 include, for example, start and cancellation of rice cooking, setting of the amount of rice to be cooked (rice amount of cooked rice), reservation setting, and the like. The operation display unit 42 sends various input instructions to the control unit 18 as instruction information.

  Moreover, the display part of the operation display part 42 is provided with the liquid crystal display which displays various information, for example. The information displayed on the display unit includes, for example, a rice cooking menu, time, the amount of rice to be cooked, and the like. The cooked rice menu indicates, for example, a selection result such as whether the cooked rice is standard cooked rice or quick cooked rice, whether the finish is hard or soft rice, and the type of rice is white cooked rice or washed rice cooked rice. The display unit is also provided with a function of displaying the current cooking process, the remaining time until the completion of cooking, and the like, and notifying by sound or light.

(Other configurations)
The main body 10 may be provided with a handle (not shown) for carrying the rice cooker 100. The handle is provided, for example, so as to connect two places on one end side and the other end side of the main body 10. Further, the handle may be pivotally supported at a substantially front-rear center of the upper portion of the side surface of the main body 10, that is, at a substantially center between a rear portion provided with the hinge portion 14 and a front portion provided with the water supply portion 30. . In this case, it is desirable that the rotation axis of the handle be substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the hinge portion 14. By doing in this way, when the carrier of the rice cooker 100 holds the handle and lifts the rice cooker 100, the handle rotates to a position almost directly above the rotation axis, and the carrier holds the handle only and the rice cooker 100. Can be transported.

(Control in rice cooking process)
The control unit 18 controls the rice cooking process by the rice cooker 100 by executing a rice cooking program suitable for the rice cooking menu and the amount of rice cooked according to the instruction information received from the operation display unit 42. In this rice cooking process, the control unit 18 converts the temperature information received from the pan bottom temperature sensor 13 and the water tank temperature sensor 16, the time information received from the time measurement unit 17, and the temperature information received from the internal temperature sensor 43. Based on the high frequency current that is energized to the heating coil 12 and the current that is energized to the water tank heater 15 and the pump 44, the rice cooking suitable for the instructed rice cooking menu and the amount of rice to be cooked is performed. To do.

  What is shown in FIG. 2 is the relationship between the temperature change of each part and the control content by the control part 18 in the rice cooking process controlled in this way. The rice cooking process includes a preheating process, a temperature raising process, a boiling maintenance process, and a steaming process. However, the preheating step and the steaming step can be omitted. When cooking rice is started, the preheating process in the cooking process is executed first.

  A preheating process is a process of preheating the to-be-heated material containing rice and water. In the preheating step, the pot-like container 1 is heated at a preset temperature for a preset time before boiling the water in the pot-like container 1. And by this heating, water absorption of rice is accelerated | stimulated and flavor components, such as saccharide | sugar which is a sweet taste component, and an amino acid which is an umami | flavor component, are produced | generated.

  The temperature raising step is a step of heating the pot-shaped container 1 until the heated object in the pot-shaped container 1 boils after the preheating process ends.

  The boiling maintaining step is a step of heating the pot-like container 1 so as to maintain the boiling of water in the pot-like container 1 and accelerating gelatinization of rice starch. The boiling process is further divided into three processes. Specifically, in the boiling process, three processes of a high fire process, a low fire process, and a dry-up process are performed in this order. The strong fire process is a process for maintaining a strong boiling state. The low-fire process is a process for maintaining boiling by heating weaker than the high-fire process. The dry-up process is a process of evaporating excess water remaining at the bottom of the pan-like container 1 by heating stronger than the low-fire process.

  The steaming step is a step of heating the pot-like container 1 so as to steam rice. In the steaming step, the pan-like container 1 is heated so that the starch at the center of the cooked rice grains is sufficiently gelatinized and the moisture distribution in the cooked rice grains is made uniform. When the steaming process is finished, the rice cooking process is finished.

  The “power to the heating coil” shown in FIG. 2 indicates the amount of power per unit time supplied to the heating coil 12 that is a heating means. That is, it can be said that this represents the strength of heating of the pan-like container 1 by the heating means. As shown in the figure, the amount of electric power per unit time supplied to the heating coil 12 is the maximum during the rice cooking process in two processes of the temperature raising process and the high-fire process in the boiling maintenance process following the temperature raising process. It becomes.

  Moreover, as shown to the figure, the temperature of the to-be-heated object in the pan-shaped container 1 reaches boiling temperature (here, for example, 100 degreeC) at the time of completion | finish of a temperature rising process. And the temperature of a to-be-heated material is maintained at the boiling temperature during a boiling maintenance process. When the temperature of the object to be heated reaches the boiling temperature and the object to be heated boils, vapor vaporized in the liquid of the object to be heated rises as a bubble, and a foam is generated on the liquid surface of the object to be heated.

  The object to be heated includes so-called “rice balls”. Oneba is a liquid containing starch eluted from rice. The foam produced on the object to be heated during the boiling maintaining process in the rice cooking process is made of rice. Since rice sticks are highly viscous, the foam made of rice sticks is strong and hard to disappear. For this reason, during the boiling maintenance process, the towed bubbles that are successively generated on the object to be heated push up the existing bubbles from below, so that the upper end of the foam rises. Then, when the upper end of the foam reaches the steam port of the lid 20 and scatters to the outside of the steam port via the inner lid steam port 22b of the inner lid 22, spillage occurs.

  In the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 18 energizes the pump 44 in the high heat process of the boiling maintenance process. Therefore, the water in the water tank 31 is supplied into the pan-like container 1 as fine water particles from the spray nozzle 45 during the high-fire process. That is, the above-mentioned water supply means has a rice cooking process in which the amount of electric power per unit time supplied to the heating means after the heated object in the pan-like container 1 reaches the boiling temperature by the heating of the heating coil 12 as the heating means. When it is the maximum, liquid phase water is supplied into the pot-like container 1.

  As described above, in the high fire process in the boiling maintenance process, a foam is generated on the heated object by boiling of the heated object. From the spray nozzle 45 of the water supply means, fine water particles are sprayed in a substantially conical range. Therefore, the water supply means mentioned above supplies liquid-phase water toward the foamed body produced | generated on the to-be-heated object in the pan-shaped container 1 by the heating of the heating coil 12 which is a heating means.

  Water vapor is contained in the foam. When the water vapor in the foam expands, the foam becomes larger. For this reason, the higher the internal space temperature of the pan-like container 1 is, the more easily the bubble body swells and becomes larger, which leads to spillage. In addition, when the temperature near the inner lid steam port 22b is a high temperature state near 100 ° C., which is the boiling temperature, the size of the foam raised up to the vicinity of the inner lid steam port 22b does not become small. It is easy to reach the outside of the mouth and spills easily. When the hot steam for heating the inside of the pan is applied to the foam as in the rice cooker shown in Patent Document 1, not only the strong sticky foam cannot be destroyed, but also the water vapor in the foam May be blown up and promote spillage.

  On the other hand, the water supply means provided in the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can reliably destroy the foamy body that is strong by supplying liquid-phase water. It is possible to continue heating with a large heating power during the boiling of the object to be heated while preventing spillage during boiling.

  As shown in FIG. 2, at the start of the boiling maintenance process, the heated object reaches the boiling temperature, while the internal space temperature, which is the temperature of the space where the heated object does not exist in the pan-like container 1, The boiling temperature of the heated product (hereinafter also simply referred to as “boiling temperature”) has not yet been reached. After the start of the boiling maintenance process, the internal space temperature of the pan-like container 1 becomes the boiling temperature for the first time during the high-fire process. As described above, the higher the internal space temperature of the pan-like container 1 is, the more easily the foam grows and spills.

  In the period indicated by arrow A in FIG. 2, the temperature of the object to be heated is the boiling temperature, the internal space temperature of the pan-like container 1 is also the boiling temperature, and the electric power of the heating coil 12, that is, the thermal power is the maximum. is there. During the period indicated by the arrow A, since boiling is active and conditions for promoting the growth of the foam are met, spillage is particularly likely to occur. Specifically, this period is about 2 to 5 minutes long.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, the control unit 18 starts energization of the pump 44 before the start of the period indicated by the arrow A. That is, the water supply means starts supplying water when the internal space temperature of the pan-like container 1 is equal to or lower than the boiling temperature of the object to be heated. By doing in this way, before the conditions under which the boiling is active and the growth of the foam is promoted, the destruction of the foam can be started, and it is possible to suppress the spillage more reliably. is there.

  For the purpose of only destroying the foam and suppressing spillage, means for lowering the temperature of the internal space of the pan-like container 1 or applying cold water to the foam is effective. However, in that case, the temperature of the rice in the pan-like container 1 is lowered and the amount of heat energy received by the rice becomes small, so that delicious cooked rice cannot be cooked.

  Therefore, in the rice cooker 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the control unit 18 controls the water tank heater 15 to heat the water in the water tank 31 and heats it from the spray nozzle 45 into the pot-like container 1. Supply water. That is, the liquid phase water supplied by the water supply means is hot water having a temperature equal to or higher than a preset temperature. Specifically, the temperature of the liquid phase water supplied by the water supply means is equal to or higher than the gelatinization temperature of rice and lower than the boiling temperature of water. If water having a temperature of less than 60 ° C., which is the gelatinization temperature of rice, is supplied into the pan-like container 1, the gelatinization reaction of rice may not sufficiently occur. Then, it can suppress that the gelatinization reaction of rice is inhibited by making the water of the liquid phase supplied from the spray nozzle 45 of a water supply means into 60 degreeC or more hot water.

  In addition, the temperature of the liquid phase water supplied by the water supply means is set to keep the internal space of the pan-like container 1 as hot as possible to give the rice heat energy while breaking the foam. It is better to be as high as possible. Therefore, when the temperature of the water to be supplied is set to a temperature immediately before boiling, for example, 90 ° C., delicious cooked rice can be cooked while preventing spillage during boiling of the heated object.

  In addition, the to-be-heated thing in the pan-shaped container 1 in a boiling maintenance process is the condition where 100 degreeC rice, 100 degreeC water, and 100 degreeC or more water vapor were mixed. Liquid phase water supplied from the spray nozzle 45 is lower than the boiling temperature of 100 ° C. although it is hot water. Therefore, by diffusing the water to be supplied in the form of fine particles, it can be destroyed by applying water to a wide range of foam on the object to be heated with a smaller amount of water supply, and the supply of liquid phase water is in the form of a pan The influence on the temperature environment in the container 1 can be minimized. Therefore, a lot of heat energy can be given to the rice in the pan-like container 1 to cook delicious cooked rice.

  When the foam is destroyed with water particles supplied by the water supply means, it takes a certain time until the next bubble is formed and rises again. Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the pump 44 is energized intermittently, and water particles are sprayed intermittently from the spray nozzle 45. That is, the water supply means supplies water intermittently. By doing in this way, compared with the case where water is continuously supplied into the pan-like container 1, the occurrence of spillage can be suppressed while the total water supply amount is reduced. Therefore, the influence of the supply of liquid water on the temperature environment in the pan-like container 1 can be further reduced, and a large amount of heat energy can be applied to the rice in the pan-like container 1 to cook delicious cooked rice.

  Specifically, intermittent water supply is, for example, a cycle in which the pump 44 is energized for 1 second in 5 seconds, that is, energization for 1 second and interruption of energization for 4 seconds are alternately repeated. By such intermittent water supply, the foam in the pan-like container 1 can be sufficiently broken, and spillage can be suppressed. Further, if the method is such that the pump 44 is energized for 1 or 2 seconds in a few seconds to spray water particles, the total water supply amount is about 40 to 70 g.

  The control unit 18 may start heating the water in the water tank 31 by the water tank heater 15 from the preheating process or the temperature raising process. When the heating of the water in the water tank 31 is started from the boiling maintenance process (high fire process), the heating is not in time, and the water in the water tank 31 enters the pot-like container 1 before reaching the temperature of the hot water. Water supply may have to be started. Therefore, such a situation can be avoided by starting the water in the water tank 31 in advance from the preheating step or the temperature raising step.

(Water supply area of water supply means)
Next, a water supply area for supplying liquid phase water into the pan-like container 1 by water supply means will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 18. As described above, the spray nozzle 45 of the water supply means sprays minute water particles in a substantially conical shape toward the inside of the pan-like container 1. Accordingly, the water supply means drops the liquid phase water so as to spread within a certain range on the liquid level of the heated object in the pan-like container 1. The area on the liquid surface of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1 where this water supply means drops the liquid phase water is referred to herein as a “water supply area”. That is, the water supply means drops the liquid phase water so as to spread in the water supply area set on the liquid surface of the heated object in the pan-like container 1.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the external shape of the liquid level (hereinafter also simply referred to as “liquid level”) of the article to be heated placed in the pan-like container 1. As described above, the pan-like container 1 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquid surface has a circular shape with a radius R1, for example.

  The spray nozzle 45 of the water supply means sprays minute water particles in a substantially conical shape toward the inside of the pan-like container 1. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 4, a water supply area becomes circular shape with the radius R2, for example. The radius R2 of the water supply area is adjusted to be equal to or less than the radius R1.

  The spray nozzle 45 is disposed so that the center of the spray nozzle 45 comes to the same position as the center of the pot-like container 1 in the front-rear and left-right directions of the rice cooker 100 with the lid 20 closed. Therefore, the water supply means supplies water from directly above the center of the liquid level of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, the liquid level and the water supply area overlap each other concentrically.

  On the other hand, when the center of the spray nozzle 45 is deviated from immediately above the center of the liquid level of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1, the water supply area with respect to the liquid level as in the comparative example shown in FIG. The liquid level part that is not included in the water supply area is widened. As a result, there is a possibility that the foam generated on the liquid surface portion not included in the water supply area increases, resulting in spillage.

  Moreover, in the part of the circular arc B shown with a broken line in FIG. 6, water particles are sprayed not only on the liquid level but also on the inner wall of the pan-like container 1. The water sprayed on the inner wall of the pan-like container 1 falls along this inner wall and is supplied to the liquid surface of the arc B portion. Therefore, the rice near the portion of the arc B has excess water as compared with other portions. And the cooked rice may be cooked too softly only in the vicinity of the arc B portion.

  In this way, the water supply means supplies water from directly above the center of the liquid surface of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1 so that it is easy to suppress the occurrence of spilling and it is possible to cook cooked rice uniformly. is there.

  The area of the water supply area is preferably half or more of the liquid surface area of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1. When the area of the water supply area is less than half of the area of the liquid surface, depending on the amount of heat energy input to the object to be heated, that is, the strength of heating by the heating coil 12, the destruction of the foam due to the water supply There is a high possibility that it will not be able to keep up with generation and growth and will be blown out. Further, when the area of the water supply area is less than half of the area of the liquid surface, it is necessary to supply a larger amount of water into the pot-like container 1 in order to suppress spillage. For this reason, it may become soft with excess water, and the taste of cooked rice may be impaired.

  Thus, the area of the water supply area is preferably set to be at least half of the area of the liquid level of the heated object in the pan-like container 1. However, as shown in FIG. 5, it is more preferable that the radius R2 of the water supply area is equal to the radius R1 of the liquid surface, and the area of the water supply area is equal to the area of the liquid surface. By doing in this way, water can be uniformly dropped on the liquid surface, the foam can be destroyed, and spillage can be more reliably suppressed.

  The shape of the spray pattern of the spray nozzle 45, that is, the region where the water sprayed from the spray nozzle 45 falls on the liquid surface is not limited to a circular shape, and may be, for example, an annular shape. The water supply area when the spray pattern of the spray nozzle 45 is annular will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of a spray pattern when the motor of the pump 44 operates at the rotation speed S1. In the example of FIG. 7, when the rotation speed S1 of the motor of the pump 44 is set, the spray pattern is an annular shape having an outer diameter R2 and an inner diameter R3 (R2> R3).

  8 to 10 show the relationship between the liquid level and the spray pattern when the motor of the pump 44 changes the rotation speed by the spray nozzle 45 having the spray pattern of FIG. 7 at the rotation speed S1. FIG. 8 shows an example of the liquid level and spray pattern when the motor of the pump 44 operates at the rotation speed S3. FIG. 9 shows an example of the liquid level and spray pattern when the motor of the pump 44 operates at the rotation speed S2. FIG. 10 shows an example of the liquid level and spray pattern when the motor of the pump 44 operates at the rotation speed S1. Here, the magnitude relationship between these rotational speeds S1 to S3 is S1> S2> S3.

  When the rotation speed of the motor of the pump 44 is small and the water pressure applied to the spray nozzle 45 is small, the flying distance of water ejected from the spray nozzle 45 is shortened, and the ring of the spray pattern is small. In the example of FIG. 8, when the rotation speed S3 of the motor of the pump 44 is set, the spray pattern is not an annular shape but a circular shape having a radius R5. In the example of FIG. 9, when the rotation speed S2 of the motor of the pump 44 is set, the spray pattern is an annular shape having an outer diameter R4. The example of FIG. 10 is when the motor speed of the pump 44 is S1, and the spray pattern is an annular shape having an outer diameter R2 and an inner diameter R3, as in FIG. The magnitude relationship between these diameters R2, R4, and R5 is R2> R4> R5.

  Therefore, in the case of the spray nozzle 45 having such an annular spray pattern, the rotation speed of the motor of the pump 44 is set to S3 → S2 → S1 → S2 → S3 → S2 →. By periodically changing between them, the water supply area where the water from the spray nozzle 45 falls can be made substantially the same as the circular shape with the radius R2.

  In the case of a general motor, when rotation is started from a stopped state, the rotation speed continuously increases until the rotation speed reaches the target rotation speed, not discontinuously. . Conversely, when stopping from the state of rotation, the rotation speed continuously decreases and stops. For this reason, by energizing the pump 44 intermittently, that is, by energizing and interrupting the pump 44 alternately and periodically, the rotation speed of the motor also increases and decreases periodically and alternately. Therefore, even when the pump 44 is energized intermittently, the water supply area can be made substantially equivalent to the circular shape with the radius R2 by the spray nozzle 45 having an annular spray pattern.

  The tip of the spray nozzle 45 may be movable so that the direction in which water is ejected from the spray nozzle 45 can be changed. Even in this way, water can be uniformly dropped on the liquid surface to break the foam and more reliably suppress spillage.

  The spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 may be changed according to the amount of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1. The relationship between the amount of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1 and the spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14.

  When the amount of the heated object in the pot-shaped container 1 changes, the depth of the heated object in the pot-shaped container 1 changes, so the distance between the spray nozzle 45 and the liquid level of the heated object in the pot-shaped container 1. Changes. The “liquid level H” shown in FIGS. 11 to 14 is the position of the liquid level when the heated object corresponding to the maximum amount of rice cooked by the rice cooker 100 is in the pan-like container 1. “Liquid level L” shown in FIGS. 11 to 14 is the position of the liquid level when the heated object corresponding to the minimum amount of rice cooked by the rice cooker 100 is in the pan-like container 1. The “liquid level M” shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 14 is the position of the liquid level when the heated object corresponding to the intermediate amount between the maximum rice cooking amount and the minimum rice cooking amount of the rice cooker 100 is in the pan-like container 1. It is.

  Since the spray nozzle 45 sprays water conically from above the liquid level, if the spray angle remains constant even if the distance between the spray nozzle 45 and the liquid level changes, the water from the spray nozzle 45 is liquid level. The area where water falls, that is, the water supply area changes. However, as described above, it is desirable that the area of the water supply area be equal to the area of the liquid surface.

  Therefore, when the liquid level of the object to be heated is the “liquid level H”, the spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 may be set to θH as shown in FIG. When the liquid level of the object to be heated is “liquid level M”, the spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 may be set to θM as shown in FIG. When the liquid level of the object to be heated is the “liquid level L”, the spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 may be set to θL as shown in FIG. As can be seen from these figures, θH> θM> θL.

  The spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 changes according to the water pressure applied to the spray nozzle 45. Therefore, the control unit 18 may control the motor rotation speed of the pump 44 to increase as the amount of the object to be heated increases so that the injection angle increases as the amount of the object to be heated increases.

  Even if the spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 is such that the water supply area is wider than the liquid level, water can be dropped over the entire liquid level. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, when the injection angle θM is at the liquid level L, the water injected into the shaded area surrounded by the broken line in FIG. Hit the inner wall. The water sprayed on the inner wall of the pot-shaped container 1 falls along this inner wall and is supplied to the “pan edge area” in the figure. For this reason, the rice in the “pan edge area” has excessive water compared to other parts. In addition, the cooked rice may be cooked too softly in the “nabeen area”. Therefore, it is better not to always increase the spray angle of the spray nozzle 45 but to change it according to the amount of the object to be heated in the pan-like container 1.

  Further, the water supply area may be set so as to include at least the steam port of the lid 20, particularly immediately below the inner lid steam port 22 b. The positional relationship between the water supply area and the inner lid steam port 22b will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16 show a configuration example according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. 17 and 18 show the configuration of the comparative example.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, in the configuration example according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, the portion directly below the inner lid steam port 22b is included in the water supply area. Here, as described above, when the foam reaches the inner lid steam port 22b and scatters out of the steam port, blowout occurs. By supplying water directly under the inner lid steam port 22b, the foam directly under the inner lid steam port 22b can be eliminated. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the foam from reaching the inner lid steam port 22b, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of spillage.

  On the other hand, in the comparative example shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the position of the steam port of the lid 20 including the inner lid steam port 22b is different from that of the first embodiment of the present invention. That is, in the comparative example shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the portion directly below the inner lid steam port 22 b is outside the water supply area. In this case, water is not supplied directly below the inner lid steam port 22b. Therefore, the foam directly under the inner lid steam port 22b cannot be lost. For this reason, it cannot suppress that a foam reaches | attains to the inner cover vapor | steam opening 22b, and cannot suppress generation | occurrence | production of a spill.

  In this way, by setting the water supply area to include at least the steam port of the lid 20, particularly directly below the inner lid steam port 22 b, it is possible to efficiently suppress the occurrence of spillage with a small amount of water supply.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pan-shaped container 1a Flange part 10 Main body 11 Container cover 11a Hole 12 Heating coil 13 Pan bottom temperature sensor 14 Hinge part 15 Water tank heater 16 Water tank temperature sensor 17 Time measurement part 18 Control part 20 Cover 21 Outer cover 22 Inner cover 22a Lid Packing 22b Inner Lid Steam Port 23 Locking Material 24 Lid Heater 24a Lid Heater Steam Port 25 Open Button 26 Outer Lid Steam Port 30 Water Supply Unit 31 Water Tank 32 Tank Lid 32b Communication Pipe 33 Tank Cover 34a Tank Side Connector 34b Lid Side Connector 41a Tank side water supply path 41b Nozzle side water supply path 42 Operation display section 43 Internal temperature sensor 44 Pump 45 Spray nozzle 100 Rice cooker

Claims (9)

A pan-like container for storing the object to be heated;
Heating means for heating the pan-like container;
A rice cooker comprising: water supply means for supplying liquid-phase water toward the foam produced on the object to be heated in the pan-like container by heating of the heating means. A pan-like container for storing the object to be heated;
Heating means for heating the pan-like container by receiving electric power;
After the object to be heated in the pan-like container reaches the boiling temperature by heating of the heating means, when the amount of power per unit time supplied to the heating means is maximum during the rice cooking process, the pan-like container And a water supply means for supplying liquid phase water therein. The water supply means drops the liquid phase water so as to spread in the water supply area set on the liquid level of the heated object in the pan-like container,
3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein an area of the water supply area is half or more of an area of a liquid surface of an object to be heated in the pan-shaped container. The water supply means includes a nozzle that injects liquid phase water from above the liquid level of the heated object in the pan-shaped container toward the liquid level,
The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein an injection angle of the nozzle changes according to an amount of an object to be heated in the pan-like container. A lid that covers the opening of the pan-like container;
The lid is formed with a steam port for discharging steam generated from the heated object,
The rice cooker according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the water supply area includes at least a portion directly below the steam port.   The said water supply means is a rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-5 which supplies water from right above the center in the liquid level of the to-be-heated material in the said pan-shaped container.   The said water supply means is a rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-6 which starts supply of water when the internal space temperature of the said pan-shaped container is below the boiling temperature of a to-be-heated material.   The temperature of the liquid phase water which the said water supply means supplies is more than the gelatinization temperature of rice and less than the boiling temperature of water, The rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-7.   The said water supply means is a rice cooker as described in any one of Claims 1-8 which supplies water intermittently.

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