JP2020068890A - Rice washing and cooking machine - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rice washing and cooking machine which prevents dew condensation of an inner wall and an outer wall of a rice washing tank, caused by rice cooking steam, and thereby, can prevent adhesion of residual rice in the rice washing tank and keep a sanitary state excellent.SOLUTION: A rice washing and cooking machine 1 which includes a rice washing tank 3 in the lower part of a rice storage tank 2 capable of delivering rice by a measuring instrument 12 having a constant amount delivering valve, and a rice cooking device 5 below the rice washing tank 3 is such that: an air blowing mechanism for blowing air to the rice washing tank 3 is provided; the air blowing mechanism has an air blowing passage 62 branched so as to be communicated with the outside and inside of the rice washing tank 3; and air can be blown to the inside and outside of the rice washing tank by an air blower 61 connected to the air blowing passage 62 so as to blow air to the inner wall and outer wall of the rice washing tank 3, prevent adhesion of residual rice in the rice washing tank, and keep a sanitary state excellent.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice washing rice cooker including a rice washing tank.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a rice-washing rice cooker that supplies rice cooked with a rice-washing tank equipped with a stirring means to a rice-cooking device disposed below the rice-washing tank to cook rice. For example, the rice-washing rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a blower capable of blowing air inside the rice-washing tank, and is configured to blow air inside the rice-washing tank to dry the inside of the rice-washing tank and prevent deterioration of hygiene. Has been done.

JP, 2015-3305, A

  However, when cooking rice with a conventional rice-washing rice cooker, rice-cooking steam is generated from the rice-cooking device, which rises and causes dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice-washing tank. There was a problem that residual rice adhered to the inner wall of the tank. In particular, when dew condensation occurs on the inner wall of the ceiling of the rice washing tank, it is difficult for the air blower to blow the air. As a result, the condensed water droplets do not easily flow downward in the rice washing tank and are difficult to be discharged, which causes adhesion of residual rice and deterioration of hygiene in the rice washing tank.

  Therefore, the present invention prevents dew condensation on the inner wall and the outer wall of the rice washing tank due to steam for cooking rice, prevents the residual rice in the rice washing tank from adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank, and improves the hygiene condition in the rice washing tank. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rice-washing rice cooker that can be kept at.

The object of the present invention is to
A rice washing tank equipped with a rice washing tank at a lower portion of a rice storage tank capable of feeding rice by a meter having a quantitative feeding valve, and a rice-washing rice cooker having a rice-cooking device below the rice-washing tank is provided with a blower mechanism for blowing air to the rice-washing tank The blower mechanism includes a blower passage branched so as to communicate with the outside and inside of the rice washing tank, and the blower connected to the blower passage can blow air inside and outside the rice washing tank. It is achieved by the rice washing and rice cooker.

  According to the present invention, the blower mechanism of the rice washing rice cooker includes a blower duct branched so as to communicate with the outside and inside of the rice wash tank, and blows air inside and outside the rice wash tank by a blower connected to the blower passage. Since it is configured so that it is possible to maintain a good sanitary condition inside the rice washing tank by blowing air inside the rice washing tank, on the other hand, by blowing air outside the rice washing tank, It is possible to prevent dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice washing tank due to the steam for cooking rice, and to prevent the remaining rice in the rice washing tank from adhering.

  In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a slope portion that slopes downward toward the outside is provided on the ceiling portion of the rice washing tank.

  According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ceiling portion of the rice washing tank is provided with the inclined portion which is inclined downward toward the outside, so that the dew condensation or the like attached to the ceiling portions of the outer wall and the inner wall of the rice washing tank, etc. The water droplets can be guided downward along the inclined portion to be removed. In the conventional rice cooker and rice cooker, the water droplets attached to the inner wall of the ceiling portion are difficult to remove because the wind from the blower is hard to hit, but according to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water droplets are along the inclined portion. Since it is easy to flow downward, the water droplets can be preferably removed by blowing air with a blower. As a result, it is possible to prevent the remaining rice from adhering and the deterioration of the hygiene condition in the rice washing tank.

  In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, a guide plate for guiding the air blow by the air blow mechanism is provided outside the rice washing tank.

  According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, since a guide plate for guiding the air blow by the air blow mechanism is provided outside the rice washing tank, by providing the guide plate along the outer wall of the rice washing tank, Since the wind can be guided along the outer wall of the rice washing tank, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice washing tank, and to efficiently blow the air from the blower to the outer wall of the rice washing tank. It becomes possible to do.

  In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, a switching valve is provided at a branch portion of the blower passage to selectively blow air from the blower into or out of the rice washing tank.

  According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the switching valve allows the air from the blower to be selectively blown into or out of the rice washing tank.

  In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the blower mechanism controls the switching valve to blow the wind from the blower to the outside of the rice washing tank when the rice cooker is in an operating state, and the cooked rice is cooked. When the device is in a stopped state, the air from the blower is blown into the rice washing tank.

  In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the rice cooker is operating to generate rice steam, the air from the blower is blown to the outside of the rice washing tank to prevent dew condensation on the outer wall, and the rice cooker When stopped, the air from the blower can be blown into the rice washing tank to keep the inside of the rice washing tank hygienic.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while preventing dew condensation of the inner wall and outer wall of a rice-washing tank by cooking steam, and preventing the residual rice in a rice-washing tank from adhering to the inner wall of a rice-washing tank, the sanitary condition in a rice-washing tank is made favorable. It becomes possible to provide a rice washing rice cooker that can be kept.

FIG. 1 (a) is a schematic overall front view of a rice washing and cooking machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) is a schematic overall side view thereof. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a rice washing tank of the rice washing and cooking machine shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged vertical sectional view of the weighing machine of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a water supply system of the rice washing and cooking machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of an essential part around the drainage mechanism of the rice washing and cooking machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control system of a rice washing and rice cooker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the basic processing steps of rice washing and cooking in the rice washing and cooking machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the blower mechanism of the diagram rice washing and rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure in the vicinity of the pedestal of the rice washing and cooking machine of FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing another processing step of rice washing and cooking in the rice washing and cooking machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 (a) is a schematic overall front view of a rice washing and cooking machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) is a schematic overall side view thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), a rice washing and cooking machine 1 according to this embodiment includes a rice storage tank 2 and a rice washing tank 3 arranged inside a box-shaped casing 2A. And a rice cooker 5 arranged below the rice washing machine S. Further, on the front surface of the housing 2A, an operation panel 11 that is operated by a user and used for changing settings and operations of the rice cooker 1 is provided.

  The rice washing machine S is provided with a rice storage tank 2 above a supporting machine frame, and a rice washing tank 3 having a water supply mechanism and a drainage mechanism is integrally connected to a lower portion of the rice storage tank 2. ..

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the rice cooker 5 is arranged below the rice washing tank 3 with a predetermined interval, and a rice cooker 6 equipped with a rice cooker is provided. It is provided with a gantry 10 on which the heating burner 7 and the rice cooker 6 are placed.

  The rice washer / rice cooker 1 performs the weighing process by the rice storage tank 2, the rice washing by the rice wash tank 3, the dipping, the water addition, and the dropping according to the rice cooking setting conditions set by the user from the operation panel 11, and then the rice cooker 5 The rice cooking process is performed in series.

FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the vicinity of the rice washing tank 3 of the rice washing and cooking machine shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the rice storage tank 2 is configured to receive the rice input from the rice input port 18 provided on the upper surface of the housing 2A and store the rice in the rice storage tank 2. The rice inlet 18 is provided with an openable / closable lid 19.

  The lower half of the rice storage tank 2 is formed in a hopper shape, and the weighing machine 12 is attached to the lower end of the hopper. The weighing device 12 is composed of a metering valve that is driven by a weighing device motor (see FIG. 6), and the weighing device 12 is filled with the rice that has flowed down a fixed amount from the rice storage tank 2. In this way, by rotating the weighing machine 12 filled with rice by a predetermined number of rotations, a desired amount of rice can be supplied from the rice storage tank 2 to the rice washing tank 3. Here, the weighing machine 12 and the rice washing tank 2 are connected by a rice guide tube 2b, and the rice fed out by the weighing machine 12 is configured to pass through the inside of the rice guide tube 2b and be supplied into the rice washing tank 3. ing.

FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged vertical sectional view of the weighing machine 12 of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the rice washing tank 3 is provided with an inverted mortar-shaped ceiling portion 3A at the top thereof, and the rice fed from the weighing machine 12 is provided on the ceiling portion of the rice washing tank 3. Is provided with an opening 13 through which is passed. Further, the ceiling portion 3A has an inclined portion 3a that inclines downward so as to descend toward the outside. Thereby, the water droplets such as dew condensation adhering to the outer wall and the inner wall of the ceiling portion 3A of the rice washing tank 3 can be guided along the inclination of the inclined portion 3a and appropriately dropped to be removed. Conventionally, the water droplets attached to the inner wall of the ceiling portion are difficult to remove because the wind supplied from the opening 13 by the blower 61 is hard to hit, but in the present embodiment, the inclined portion 3a that inclines downward toward the outside. Since the water droplets are guided downward along the inclined portion 3a, the wind from the blower 61 can be blown to the water droplets guided along the inclined portion 3a, and the ceiling portion 3A It also becomes possible to suitably remove water droplets attached to the inner wall.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rice washing tank 3 is provided with a cylindrical body portion 3b at an intermediate portion and a hopper-shaped portion 3c at a lower portion.

  Further, a cylindrical guide plate 34 having a diameter larger than that of the body portion 3b is attached to the lower surface of the partition plate 2a, and the guide plate 34 extends from the upper portion of the rice washing tank 3 to the upper half of the outer peripheral surface of the body portion 3b. It is provided to surround. A predetermined space is provided between the body portion 3b and the guide plate 34, whereby a breathable space is provided between the partition plate 2a forming the bottom portion of the housing 2A and the inclined portion 3a. The part S is formed.

  A jacket portion 31 is connected below the hopper-shaped portion 3c of the rice washing tank 3, and a filter 15 having an opening that does not allow rice grains to leak is provided at the boundary between the hopper-shaped portion 3c and the jacket portion 31. ing.

  In the present embodiment, as a stirring means, a rotary shaft 16 composed of a vertical hollow shaft is provided at the center of the rice washing tank 3, and a rice discharge shaft 16a penetrates the rotary shaft 16 in the hollow part of the rotary shaft 16. Are arranged as follows. A plurality of stirring rods 17 ... Are attached to the rotary shaft 16, and at least one of them is shaped so as to be along the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3. The rotating shaft 16 is configured to be rotated by a rice washing motor 20 (see FIG. 2) attached to a supporting machine frame via a bevel gear 21 (see FIG. 2) so that the forward and reverse directions and the rotation speed can be controlled.

  The rice discharge shaft 16a is loosely fitted inside the outer rotary shaft 16 so as to be vertically slidable, and a removable rice discharge valve 22 is attached to the lower end thereof. The rice discharge valve 22 is formed in a substantially conical shape, and the opening and closing of the rice discharge valve 22 is controlled by moving the upper end of the rice discharge shaft 16a up and down by a cam 24 driven by a rice discharge valve drive motor 23. As a result, the lower end of the rice washing tank 3 is opened and closed. When the rice discharge valve 22 is opened, the rice in the rice washing tank 3 drops into the rice cooker 5 below.

  The rice washer / rice cooker 1 is provided with a blower mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, the blower mechanism is provided on the side of the weighing device 12, and includes a blower 61 that blows air by driving a fan, and a tubular blower path 62. The blower 61 has a blower path 62. It is provided at the beginning of. The end side of the air blow passage 62 is bifurcated, one of the branch portions is connected to the first blower opening 63a communicating with the inside of the rice washing tank 3, and the other of the branch portions is the rice washing tank 3 Is connected to the second blower opening 63b communicating with the outside.

  Specifically, the first blower opening 63a is provided on the side of the rice guide tube 2b so as to communicate with the lower portion of the weighing device 12, and the second blower opening 63b is provided on the partition plate 2a. And is provided so as to communicate with the space S.

  Further, a switching valve 64 that can be electromagnetically switched by the control unit C is provided at a branch portion of the air passage 62. Therefore, by switching the switching valve 64, the blower mechanism is configured to be able to selectively blow the wind from the blower 62 to one of the first blower opening 63a and the second blower opening 63b. ..

  With such a configuration, when the switching valve 64 is switched and the first blower opening 63a is selected as the blower destination of the blower 62, the wind generated by the blower 62 passes through the blower path 62, Is blown below the weighing device 12 from the blower opening 63a, passes through the rice guide tube 2b, and is fed into the rice washing tank 3 through the opening 13. Thereby, the moisture in the weighing device 12 is removed, dew condensation is prevented from occurring on the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3, and the water droplets existing in the rice washing tank 3 are sent downward to promote drainage. In addition, the inside of the rice washing tank 3 can be dried to maintain a hygienic condition. In particular, since the rice washing tank 3 has the inclined portion 3a that inclines downward toward the outside, by blowing air into the rice washing tank 3 from the upper side, the rice washing tank 3 adheres to the ceiling portion of the rice washing tank 3. The water droplets thus formed can be guided along the inclined portion 3a and dropped to be removed.

  On the other hand, when the switching valve 64 is switched and the second blower port 63b is selected as the blower destination of the blower 62, the wind generated by the blower 62 flows into the space S from the second blower port 63b. The air is blown to the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. Further, the air blown into the space S is directed outward by the inclined portion 3a of the rice washing tank 3, and is further guided downward by the guide plate 34 along the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. Therefore, conventionally, dew condensation has occurred on the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3 due to the rice cooking steam from the rice cooking device 5, but in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the dew condensation due to the air blow to the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. It will be possible. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the rice remaining in the rice washing tank 3 from adhering to the rice washing tank 3. Further, since the guide plate 34 for guiding the air blown into the outside of the rice washing tank 3 is arranged outside the rice washing tank 3, the air blown by the blower 62 is guided along the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. Therefore, it is possible to blow off the cooking rice steam that has reached the vicinity of the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3, and thereby it is possible to preferably prevent the occurrence of dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3, and to the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. It is possible to efficiently blow air. In this manner, the blower mechanism selectively switches the blower destination by the blower 61 to the inside or outside of the rice washing tank 3 by the switching valve 64, and efficiently blows air inside or outside the rice washing tank 3. It is possible.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a water supply system of the rice washing and cooking machine shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the rice washing tank 3, the lower water supply pipe 27 and the air supply pipe 27a are connected to the jacket portion 31 at the lower end, and water and air are supplied. Further, as shown in the schematic perspective view of the water supply system of FIG. 4, a water distribution pipe 26 is arranged above the rice washing tank 3, and a lower water supply pipe 27 for guiding water downward from the water distribution pipe 26 is provided. An upper water supply pipe 29 that guides water from the water distribution pipe 26 is branched to provide two shower nozzles 29a and 29b, and water is supplied from the shower nozzles 29a and 29b to the rice washing tank 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the water distribution pipe 26 is provided with a flow rate sensor 25 for measuring the flow rate, and the first solenoid valve 28 that operates according to the flow rate measured by the flow rate sensor 25 has a lower water supply pipe. 27, a second solenoid valve 35 is provided on the upper water supply pipe 29.

  At the time of washing rice, water is supplied from the lower water supply pipe 27 to the jacket portion 31 at the lower portion of the rice washing tank 3, and the distribution pipe 26 provided at the upper height position of the rice washing tank 3 and the lower portion located at the lower portion of the rice washing tank 3. Since the water supply pipe 27 is in communication, the water in the water supply system is drained without remaining. Therefore, when supplying water to the washed rice, the solenoid valve 28, which is controlled based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 25, causes the entire amount of the supplied water to move down the lower water supply pipe 27. Since the water is supplied to the lower part of the rice washing tank 3, the amount of water supplied can be controlled with high accuracy, and therefore rice can be cooked with a desired amount of water.

  The air supply pipe 27a having the above-described configuration is provided with an air inlet in the lower jacket portion 31 to supply air constantly or intermittently during the rice washing process described below, and during the rice / water dropping process after the water conditioning process described below. By temporarily supplying air for a short time, the discharge of rice and water in the rice washing tank 3 is promoted.

  The upper water supply pipe 29 branches from the water distribution pipe 26 at a height position above the rice washing tank 3 and includes an electromagnetic valve 35 that operates according to the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 25. It is possible to control the amount of water during the immersion treatment in which the water is intermittently sprinkled.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a main part around the drainage mechanism of the rice washing and cooking machine 1 shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 5, a drain box 39 having a drainage port (not shown) is provided on the lower side of the rice washing tank 3, and the drain box 39 has an upper end opening on the upper side surface of the rice washing tank 3. The overflow pipe 41 (see FIG. 1B) is connected by a connecting pipe 36, and the inner portion thereof is connected to a jacket drain pipe 42 communicating with the jacket portion 31. In addition, the water is drained from the jacket drain pipe 42 by opening and closing the drain valve 44, and the water level in the rice washing tank 3 can be adjusted by the water level valve 54. In FIG. 5, the water level valve 54 is shown integrally with the drain valve 44 for convenience.

  The drainage box 39 is always closed by the drainage valve 44 and the water level valve 54. However, when draining the water in the rice washing tank 3, from the filter 15 of the jacket portion 31, the jacket water pipe 42, the drainage valve 44, and Water is drained through the water level valve 54, the drain box 39, and the drain port 40.

  The drainage valve 44 and the water level valve 54 are opened and closed by a control wire (not shown) provided in connection with each solenoid (not shown) fixedly provided on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 3. In addition, a float sensor 32 with an electric contact is provided in the upper portion of the rice washing tank 3 to detect the amount of water in the rice washing tank 3.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a control system of a rice washing and rice cooker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the control system of the rice washing and cooking machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the various operation switches of the operation panel 11, the flow sensor 25 and the rice washing tank 3 are filled with water. Is provided with a float sensor 32 for detecting the temperature, a rice cooker 5, a drawer fixed position sensor 75 provided on the gantry 10, and a foot operation switch 76, and these pieces of information are input to the control unit C, and the output side is cooked rice. The motor 12a of the weighing machine 12 for measuring the amount, the drive motor 23 of the rice discharge valve 22 for dropping rice and water, the rice washing motor 20 for driving the stirring rod 17, the solenoid valve 35 and the solenoid valve 28 communicating with the rice washing tank 3, The switching valve 64 of the blower mechanism, the pot heating burner 7 of the rice cooker 5, the display screen of the operation panel 11 for displaying the setting contents and the operating status, and the drawer moving motor 74 provided on the gantry 10 are connected. , The control unit C is configured to be controlled in accordance with the input information of these respective devices.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the basic processing steps of rice washing and cooking in the rice washing and cooking machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 7, first, in the weighing step, a set amount of rice is supplied from the rice storage tank 2 to the rice washing tank 3 (S1), and then in the rice washing tank 3, the rice washing step (S2), the dipping step. (S3), the draining step (S4), and the water addition and subtraction step (S5) after the preparation of rice cooking by each processing step, rice is supplied to the rice cooker 5 by the rice / water dropping step (S6), and the rice cooker 5 The rice cooking step (S7) is executed.

  In the rice washing step (S2), while washing water is supplied from the lower water supply pipe 27, air is supplied to the washing water from the air supply pipe 27a, and the stirring rod 17 is constantly rotated to wash rice. As a result, since air bubbles are generated in the rice washing tank, the impact at the time of collision between the rice and the stirring rod 17 can be reduced, and the rice can be prevented from cracking.

  In the dipping step (S3), the stir bar 17 is stopped, the washing water is drained, and then the dipping-up dip is performed. That is, in the drained state, water is supplied from the upper water supply pipe 29 at every set time and sprinkled in a shower shape. At this time, by controlling the flow rate sensor 25 to sprinkle a predetermined amount (for example, 160 cc) of water, the sprinkling amount can be stabilized more than in the case of water supply control for a predetermined time.

  At the immersion step (S3), the stirring bar 17 may be operated for each set time (for example, every 10 minutes) for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds). As a result, it is possible to prevent rice from adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3.

  In the dipping step (S3), dipping is performed according to a preset dipping time, but this dipping time differs depending on the store that uses the rice washing and cooking machine. For example, in a store that provides set meals, the rice is soaked for about 2 hours to provide white rice as it is, and then boiled to a full boil, whereas in a store that provides rice balls, sushi, and donburi, the soak time is shortened and the grains are Use a firm and elastic cooking method.

  In the draining step (S4), the stirring rod 17 is rotated for a short time after draining the water.

  In the water addition / reduction step (S5), the stirring rod 17 is stopped, and a required amount of water is supplied from the lower water supply pipe 27 to the rice washing tank 3 for water addition and storage. As for the amount of water supplied, after the amount of water supplied to the lower water supply pipe 27 is detected by the flow rate sensor 25, the flow rate sensor control system by the flow rate sensor 25 for controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic valve 28, and after the rice washing tank 3 is filled with water, There is a static water control system that drains water for a predetermined time. Whether the rice washing tank 3 is filled with water is determined based on the information from the float sensor 32.

  In the rice / water dropping step (S6), the drain valve 22 is opened to drop the water-treated rice from the washing rice tank 3 to the rice cooker 5. At this time, it is preferable that while the stirring rod 17 is rotated for a short time, air is ejected from the air supply pipe 27a for a short time and the rice is discharged so that rice does not remain in the rice washing tank 3.

  When the rice / water dropping step (S6) is completed, the rice cooking apparatus 5 performs the rice cooking step (S7) including ignition by the kettle heating burner 7, rice cooked by the rice cooker 6, spotting, and cooking. Note that the control unit C is configured to be able to determine whether or not the rice cooking device 5 is in the rice cooking step (S7), that is, whether the rice cooking device 5 is in the operating state or the stopped state, by acquiring information from the rice cooking device 5. ing.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the blower mechanism of the rice washing and cooking machine of FIG. 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  When the blower button provided on the operation panel 11 is operated by the user, the control unit C acquires this operation information and starts blower control of the blower mechanism (S1a).

  When the air blowing control of the air blowing mechanism is started, the control unit C first acquires information from the rice cooking device 5 and determines whether the rice cooking device 5 is in the rice cooking process, that is, whether the rice cooking device 5 is operating. Judge (S2a).

  As a result, when it is determined that it is in the rice cooking process, that is, when the rice cooking device 5 is in the operating state, the control unit C performs a process for blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 (S3a). Specifically, the switching valve 64 is controlled to switch the air blowing destination of the air blowing passage 62 to the second air blowing port 63b, drive the air blower 61, and start blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3. Thus, conventionally, in the rice cooking process, dew condensation was generated on the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3 by the rice cooking steam from the rice cooking device 5, but in the present embodiment, dew condensation is generated by blowing air to the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. Can be effectively prevented.

  After the blower 61 starts blowing air, the user operates the stop button provided on the operation panel 11, and the control unit C obtains this operation information, or controls by the information obtained from the rice cooker 5. When the part C determines that the rice cooking process is finished (S4a), the blower 61 is stopped and the blowing is finished (S5a).

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S2a that the rice cooking process is not performed, that is, when the rice cooking device 5 is in the stopped state, the control unit C performs a process for blowing air into the rice washing tank 3 (S3b). Specifically, the control unit C controls the switching valve 64 to switch the air blowing destination of the air blowing passage 62 to the first air blowing port 63a, and drives the air blower 61 to blow air into the rice washing tank 3. Start. As a result, when the rice cooker 5 is stopped, air is blown into the rice washing tank 3, so that the inside of the rice washing tank 3 can be dried and a hygienic condition can be maintained. Moreover, since the 1st ventilation port 63a is provided in the side of the rice guide cylinder 2b, the ventilation by the air blower 61 passes below the measuring device 12, and thereby the moisture of the measuring device 12 is also removed. You can

  If the user operates the stop button provided on the operation panel 11 after the start of blowing air into the rice washing tank 3 because the rice is not in the rice cooking process and the control unit C acquires this operation information, or When a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of blowing air into the rice washing tank 3, the blower 61 is stopped and the blowing is finished (S5a).

  On the other hand, when the stop button provided on the operation panel 11 is not operated by the user after the air blowing into the rice washing tank 3 is started, or a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the air blowing into the rice washing tank 3. If not, it is determined whether or not it is in the rice cooking process (S5b). As a result, when it is determined that the rice is not in the rice cooking process, the control unit C determines whether or not the stop button provided on the operation panel 11 is operated by the user, or a predetermined time has passed since the start of blowing air into the rice washing tank 3. It is determined whether or not has passed (S4b).

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S5b that the rice cooking process is being performed, that is, when the rice cooking device 5 is in the operating state, the control unit C performs a process for blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 (S3a). ..

  In this way, in the present embodiment, the control unit C controls the air blowing mechanism so that the rice is blown to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 when the rice cooking device 5 is operating and rice steam is generated. , While preventing dew condensation on the outer wall, while controlling the air blowing mechanism so that air is blown into the inside of the rice washing tank 3 when the rice cooking device 5 is stopped, the inside of the rice washing tank 3 is dried, and a sanitary condition is obtained. Since it is configured to secure the airflow, it is possible to efficiently blow air.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure near the gantry 10 of the rice washing and rice cooker.
As shown in FIG. 9, the gantry 10 includes a drawer 71 on which the rice cooker 6 can be placed, and the drawer 71 includes an arm 72 and an arm 73 that are interlocked with the drawer moving motor 74 when the drawer moving motor 74 is driven. It is configured to be movable back and forth via the.

Further, the gantry 10 is provided with a drawer fixed position sensor 75 that detects the position of the drawer 71, whereby the controller C is in a state where the drawer 71 is housed in the gantry 10 or is pulled out to the front. It is configured so that it can be determined whether it is in a state.
As described above, since the gantry 10 includes the drawer fixed position sensor 75 that detects the position of the drawer 71, the control unit C acquires ON / OFF of the drawer fixed position sensor 75, and in the case of ON. As long as it is possible to shift to the rice washing process. With this configuration, the rice washing and cooking machine can be shifted to the rice washing process without the user having to check the position of the drawer 71, so that the work efficiency can be improved.

  Further, a foot operating switch 76 is provided in front of the side frame of the gantry 10, and the foot operating switch 76 is operated by the user when the drawer 71 is in a state of being pulled out forward. When the foot operation switch 76 is operated, the control unit C acquires the operation information and drives the drawer moving motor 74 to move the drawer 71 to the state where the drawer 71 is stored in the gantry 10. It is configured. Therefore, when the drawer 71 is pulled out forward, even if both hands of the user are closed, the drawer 71 is automatically stored by operating the foot operation switch 76 with the foot. Work efficiency is improved.

  Here, two foot operating switches 76 may be set according to the form of the drawer 71 when the gantry 10 has a double hook design.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing another processing step of rice washing and cooking in the rice washing and cooking machine according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 10, the air supply process is performed between the rice / dropping process and the rice cooking process of FIG. 7.

  The air supply process is started by operating a predetermined switch on the operation panel 11 after the rice / dropping process. When the air supply process is started, the controller C supplies air from the air supply pipe 27a. As a result, the air is supplied into the rice washing tank 3, and the moisture adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3, the stirring rod 17, and the rice discharging shaft 16a is removed.

At this time, when the dropping valve 22 and the drainage valve 44 are closed and the air is supplied while rotating the stirring rod 17, the air circulates in the rice washing tank 3, so that the dehumidifying ability can be improved. it can.
Further, after the stirring rod 17 is stopped, the dropping valve 22 is opened so that the water droplets remaining in the lower portion of the rice washing tank 3 are discharged to the outside of the rice washing tank 2 without being scattered. You can At this time, by setting the time for opening the dropping valve 22 to a predetermined time (for example, about 10 seconds) or less, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the rice washing tank 3.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

  In FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a switching valve 64 that can be electromagnetically switched under the control of the control unit C is provided at the branch portion of the blower path 62, and by switching the switching valve 64, the wind from the blower 62 is first Although the air is selectively blown to one of the air blowing port 63a and the second air blowing port 63b, the switching valve 64 may be omitted. In that case, when the blower 61 is driven, the wind from the blower 61 is simultaneously blown into and out of the rice washing tank 3. Therefore, although the efficiency of air blowing is reduced, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  Further, in the basic processing steps of the washed and cooked rice shown in FIG. 8, when the user operates the blow button provided on the operation panel 11, the blow control of the blow mechanism is started. However, when the rice cooking process is started by the rice cooking device 5, the control unit C may acquire information from the rice cooking device 5 and automatically start blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3. ..

1 rice washing rice cooker 2 rice storage tank 2A housing 2a partition plate 3 rice washing tank 3A ceiling part 3a inclined part 3b body part 3c hopper-like part 6 rice cooker 13 opening 15 filter 17 stirring rod 22 drain valve 25 flow sensor 27 lower water supply Pipe 27a Air pipe 28 Solenoid valve 29 Upper water supply pipe 29a Shower nozzle 29b Shower nozzle 31 Jacket part 32 Float sensor 34 Guide plate 35 Solenoid valve 41 Overflow pipe 42 Jacket drain pipe 44 Drain valve 61 Blower 62 Blower 63a First blower port 63b 2nd ventilation port 64 Switching valve 74 Pulling movement motor 75 Fixed position sensor 76 Foot operation switch C Control section S Rice washing machine

Claims (5)

  A rice washing tank equipped with a rice washing tank at a lower portion of a rice storage tank capable of feeding rice by a meter having a quantitative feeding valve, and a rice-washing rice cooker having a rice-cooking device below the rice-washing tank is provided with a blower mechanism for blowing air to the rice-washing tank. The blower mechanism includes a blower passage branched so as to communicate with the outside and inside of the rice washing tank, and the blower connected to the blower passage can blow air inside and outside the rice washing tank. Rice washing rice cooker.   The rice-washing rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein an inclined portion that is inclined downward toward the outside is provided on a ceiling portion of the rice-washing tank.   The rice-washing rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a guide plate provided outside the rice-washing tank for guiding the air blown by the air-blowing mechanism.   4. A switching valve is provided at a branch portion of the blower passage so that the wind from the blower can be selectively blown into or out of the rice washing tank. Or the rice-washing rice cooker according to item 1.   The blower mechanism controls the switching valve to blow the wind from the blower to the outside of the rice washing tank when the rice cooker is in the operating state, and from the blower when the rice cooker is in the stopped state. The rice-washing rice cooker according to claim 4, wherein the air is blown into the rice-washing tank.