JP2020068930A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide cooked rice with good taste which is kept warm, suppressing a putrid odor derived from high heat resistant bacteria, an oxidation odor derived from an ion generation device, and an odor peculiar to ozone.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a rice cooker body 10; a pot 11 detachably set to the body for storing rice; a lid 12 for closing an opening of the pot; a heating part 13 for heating the pot; a control part 14 for controlling a heating amount to the heating part, and sequentially performing a rice cooking process of a water immersion process A, a boiling up process B, a boiling maintaining process C, and a steaming process D; and a sterilization part 15 for sterilizing the inside of the pot. The control part is configured so as to execute control to drive the sterilization part in the rice cooking process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker used for general households and businesses, and particularly to a rice cooker equipped with a device that suppresses the growth of bacteria that cause rotten odors.

  Conventionally, this type of rice cooker drives ozone and negative ion generators during a reservation process and a heat retention process to sterilize contents such as rice and cooked rice stored in a pan (for example, Patent Document 1). 1).

  FIG. 4 shows a conventional rice cooker described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 4, it comprises an inner pot 1, a main body 2, a lid 3, and an ion generator 4.

  A main body 2 in which an inner pot 1 for containing rice is detachably set, heating means for heating the inner pot 1, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the inner pot 1, and heating of the heating means is controlled. In the rice cooker equipped with the control means for controlling and the lid body 3 which covers the opening of the main body 2 so as to be openable and closable, the ion generator 4 for releasing positive ions and negative ions into the inner pot 1 during the reservation process. The invention about the rice cooker provided on the lid 3 is disclosed.

JP, 2004-81413, A

  However, in the above-mentioned conventional method, when the rice is cooked and kept warm immediately after washing without the reservation process, sterilization is not performed before the rice is cooked. Many high heat resistant bacteria remain after the rice cooking process, which has reached the end. It is known that this high heat-resistant bacterium grows at around 60 to 75 ° C., which is the heat retaining temperature of a general rice cooker, and produces a rotten odor, and there is a problem that the taste of rice is deteriorated by heat retaining. It was

  Furthermore, active species such as OH radicals generated by the ion generator have a strong oxidizing power, and when the rice after the rice cooking process is in contact with the air containing oxygen, the generation of an oxidizing odor that causes a heat retaining odor may occur. It had the problem of promoting it.

  In addition, the sterilization by the ion generator has a problem that ozone is generated secondarily and the taste of rice is deteriorated by the odor peculiar to ozone.

  The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object is to provide a heat-retaining cooked rice, which suppresses the rotting odor derived from a high-heat-resistant bacterium, and the oxidative odor derived from an ion generator and the odor unique to ozone. And

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the rice cooker of the present invention drives a sterilization unit during the rice cooking process.

As a result, the sterilization unit driven during the rice cooking process sterilizes the high heat resistant bacteria and reduces the number of high heat resistant bacteria after the rice cooking process. As a result, it becomes possible to provide warm-cooked cooked rice in which the oxidative odor derived from the ion generator and the odor peculiar to ozone are suppressed.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The rice cooker of the present invention can provide a heat-retaining cooked rice that suppresses putrefaction odors derived from high heat resistant bacteria, and oxidative odors derived from ion generators and odors peculiar to ozone.

The schematic diagram which shows the structure of the rice cooker in Embodiment 1 of this invention The characteristic view which shows the pan temperature in the rice cooking process of the rice cooker in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram explaining operation | movement of the rice cooker in Embodiment 3 of this invention. (A) The schematic diagram which shows a mode that the sterilization part is driving (b) The mode that the product was produced by the sterilization part by side. (C) A schematic diagram showing how the product exits from the steam port Side sectional view showing a conventional rice cooker

The first invention is
With the body of the rice cooker,
A pot that is detachably set in the main body and stores rice,
A lid for closing the opening of the pot,
A heating unit for heating the pot,
A control unit that sequentially controls the amount of heat applied to the heating unit to perform a water-immersing process, a cooking process, a boiling maintaining process, and a steaming process of cooking rice.
A sterilization unit for sterilizing the inside of the pan,
Equipped with
The control unit is a rice cooker that controls to drive the sterilization unit in the rice cooking process.

  As a result, the sterilization unit driven during the rice cooking process sterilizes the high heat resistant bacteria and reduces the number of the high heat resistant bacteria after the rice cooking process, and the spoilage odor derived from the high heat resistant bacteria and the ion generator are not used. As a result, it becomes possible to provide a heat-retaining cooked rice that suppresses the oxidative odor derived from the ion generator and the odor peculiar to ozone.

The second invention is, in particular, in the first invention,
The control unit controls to drive the sterilization unit in the water immersion step in the rice cooking step.

  As a result, the sterilization part can be effectively sterilized because the sterilization part is driven in a temperature environment in which the spores in which the state of the high heat-resistant bacterium is less likely to die are changed to vegetative cells.

The third invention is, in particular, in the first or second invention,
The sterilization unit is an electrostatic atomization generation unit that supplies electrostatic atomization generation particles into the pot.

  This allows non-destructive sterilization of the rice in the pan by the high-heat-resistant bacteria that form spores, so that it is possible to provide rice with a small number of bacteria while preventing deterioration in the taste.

The fourth invention is, in particular, in the first or second invention,
The sterilization unit is composed of a discharge lamp that emits ultraviolet rays by electric discharge.

  This allows non-destructive sterilization of the rice in the pan by the high-heat-resistant bacteria that form spores, so that it is possible to provide rice with a small number of bacteria while preventing deterioration in the taste.

The fifth invention is, in particular, in any one of the first to fourth inventions,
The lid has a steam port for discharging steam generated in the pot from the inside of the pot to the outside of the pot.

  As a result, products such as ozone generated by the sterilization unit as a secondary product can be discharged together with steam, so that rice with a good taste can be provided. Further, the sterilization unit is driven, accompanied by the generation of an odor that spoils the flavor due to the generation of ozone, but by operating before the cooking process, the odor can be blown out in the cooking process, and deterioration in taste can be prevented. ..

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker is detachably set on the main body 10 and includes a pan 11 for storing rice and water, and a lid 12 for closing the opening of the pan 11. The main body 10 includes a heating unit 13 that heats the pot 11 and a pot temperature detection unit 17 that detects the temperature of the pot 11. The heating unit 13 may be a heater or a gas fire. The lid 12 is provided with a sterilization unit 15 that non-destructively sterilizes the rice so as to act on the bacteria attached to the rice stored in the pot 11.

  The sterilization unit 15 is composed of a discharge lamp. It should be noted that the discharge lamp is one that emits ultraviolet rays by discharge. The radiating part of the discharge lamp is arranged so as to face the rice contained in the pot 11.

  Further, the lid 12 is provided with an openable / closable steam port 16 penetrating from the inside of the pot 11 to the outside of the pot 11. Further, the main body 10 is provided with a control unit 14 for controlling the heating unit 13, the sterilization unit 15, and the steam port 16, and the control unit 14 controls the heating unit 13 and the sterilization unit according to the temperature detected by the pan temperature detection unit 17. The drive of 15 is controlled.

The operation and action of the rice cooker configured as described above will be described below.
FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing a pot temperature in the rice cooking process of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rice cooking process executed by the rice cooker of the present embodiment includes, in order of time, a flooding process A, a cooking process B, a boiling maintaining process C, and a steaming process D. .. The control unit 14 controls the heating amount applied to the heating unit 13 and sequentially executes the rice cooking process of the water immersion process A, the cooking process B, the boiling maintaining process C, and the steaming process D. The submersion step A is a step for immersing rice in water having a temperature lower than the gelatinization temperature and allowing the rice to absorb water in advance so that the central portion of the rice is sufficiently gelatinized in the subsequent steps. The cooking step B is a step of heating the bottom surface of the pot 11 by the heating unit 13 to raise the temperature of water to the boiling point of water. The boiling maintaining step C is a step of heating the bottom surface of the pot 11 with the heating unit 13 at appropriate times to maintain the boiling state of the water in the pot 11 and heating it until the water in the pot 11 is exhausted. The steaming step D is a step of keeping the whole pot, that is, the rice at a high temperature, at a temperature at which the rice is not dried or burnt so that the rice cooked at the cooking step B is gelatinized to the core. ..

Put rice and water in the pan 11, cover the pan 11 with the lid 12, and start the rice cooking process.
In the water immersion step A, the control unit 14 controls the heating unit 13 until the time measured by the time measuring means (not shown) reaches the first predetermined time t1 (for example, about 20 minutes) from the start of the water immersion step A, The pot 11 is heated by the heating unit 13.

  Here, during the first predetermined time t1 from the start of the water immersion step A, the control unit 14 drives the sterilization unit 15 simultaneously with the heating by the heating unit 13, and the discharge lamp emits ultraviolet rays to the rice and water in the pot 11. Radiate. The ultraviolet light emitted from the discharge lamp damages the DNA of the bacteria and kills the bacteria present in the pot 11.

  By the control unit 14 driving the sterilization unit 15 during the rice cooking process, the sterilization unit 15 driven during the rice cooking process sterilizes the high heat resistant bacteria and reduces the number of high heat resistant bacteria after the rice cooking process. It is possible to provide a heat-retaining cooked rice with a good taste, which suppresses the rotten odor derived from resistant bacteria and the oxidative odor derived from the ion generator and the odor peculiar to ozone by not using the ion generator.

  Here, the control unit 14 controls the heating unit 13 until the detection temperature Ta of the pan temperature detection unit 17 reaches the first predetermined temperature T1 (for example, around 55 ° C.), and the first predetermined temperature T1 (for example, After reaching about 55 ° C.), the heating unit 13 is controlled so as to maintain the first predetermined temperature T1 (for example, about 55 ° C.).

  At this time, in the pot 11, the optimum temperature of the high thermotolerant bacteria is around 60 to 75 ° C., and the high thermotolerant bacteria that were in a spore state that was difficult to die germinate into a vegetative cell state that is easily killed. High thermotolerant bacteria in a vegetative cell state die efficiently.

  By driving the sterilization unit 15 in the water immersion step A in the rice cooking step, the control section 14 can effectively sterilize the spores in which the state of the high-heat-resistant bacterium is difficult to die into a vegetative cell in a temperature environment. ..

  Since the sterilization unit 15 is composed of a discharge lamp that emits ultraviolet rays by electric discharge, it can non-destructively sterilize the rice in the pan 11 with high-heat-resistant bacteria that form spores, thus preventing deterioration in eating quality. We can provide a small number of rice.

  In addition, since this flooding process A is always performed as a rice cooking process regardless of whether or not the reserved process is performed, sterilization can be surely performed as compared with the method of driving the sterilization unit 15 only by the reserved process.

  Next, after completion of the water immersion step A, the control unit 14 stops driving the sterilization unit 15 and shifts to the cooking step B. In the cooking process B, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 14 controls the pan temperature detection unit 17 until the detected temperature Ta reaches a second predetermined temperature T2 (boiling point of water (for example, near 100 ° C.)). The heating unit 13 controls the heating of the pot 11.

  In the cooking process B, the control unit 14 controls the heating unit 13 by the detection temperature Ta of the pan temperature detection unit 17, but separately detects the lid temperature that detects the temperature of the lid 12 that covers the opening of the pan 11. It is also possible to provide a section and the control section 14 heats the pot 11 by the heating section 13 until the temperature detected by the lid temperature detection section reaches a predetermined temperature.

Then, after the cooking process B is completed, the process proceeds to the boiling maintaining process C. In the boiling maintaining step C, while the pot 11 has water, the detection temperature Ta of the pot temperature detection unit 17 is a second predetermined temperature T2 (boiling point of water (usually around 100 ° C.)) as shown in FIG. Control unit 14 so as to maintain the boiling state at
Controls the heating unit 13, and the heating unit 13 heats the pot 11. Then, as the boiling maintaining step C elapses, the water in the pan 11 evaporates, and when the water in the pan 11 runs out, the temperature of the pan 11 rises. When the detection temperature Ta of the pan temperature detection unit 17 reaches the third predetermined temperature T3 (higher than the boiling point of water), the control unit 14 determines that there is no more water in the pan 11 and the boiling maintaining step C ends. To do. This boiling maintaining step C is a step of gelatinizing rice starch, and the gelatinization degree of rice in the pan 11 after cooking reaches nearly 100%, but at the end of the boiling maintaining step C, the gelatinization degree is 50 to It will be about 60%.

  Next, after completion of the boiling maintaining step C, the process proceeds to the steaming step D. In the steaming step D, as shown in FIG. 2, until the second predetermined time t2 (for example, about 15 minutes) from the start of the steaming step D until the time measured by the time measuring means (not shown), the pot temperature detection unit is started. The control unit 14 controls the heating unit 13 so that the detected temperature Ta of 17 is maintained at the second predetermined temperature T2 (for example, near 100 ° C.), and the heating unit 13 heats the pot 11. The steaming step D is a step of gelatinizing the rice in the pan 11 after the boiling maintaining step C, and the gelatinization degree was about 50 to 60% at the start of the steaming step D, but at the end of the steaming step D That is, at the end of cooked rice, the degree of gelatinization reaches nearly 100%.

  Next, after the steaming process D is completed, the process proceeds to the heat retaining process E. In the heat retention step E, as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 14 controls the heating unit 13 so that the detection temperature Ta of the pan temperature detection unit 17 is maintained at the fourth predetermined temperature T4, and the heating unit 13 causes the pan 11 to operate. Is heated in a timely manner.

  The rice after the completion of the rice cooking process is in a state in which the sterilization unit 15 is driven in the water immersion process A, and the number of highly heat-resistant bacteria is smaller than that in the case where the rice is not driven. Therefore, it is possible to delay the increase in highly heat-resistant bacteria that causes the rotten odor in the heat retention step E, and suppress the heat retention odor.

(Embodiment 2)
In the embodiment of the present invention, only matters different from those of the above-described first embodiment will be described, and the description of the above-mentioned first embodiment is cited for those having the same configuration, operational effect, and the like.

  The second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment in that the sterilization unit 15 is configured by an electrostatic atomization generation unit that supplies electrostatic atomization generation particles into the pot 11. is there.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, during the first predetermined time t1 from the start of the water immersion step A, the control unit 14 drives the sterilization unit 15 at the same time as the heating by the heating unit 13, and the electrostatic atomization generation unit causes the static electricity to be generated. The electro-atomized particles are supplied to the rice and water in the pan 11. The electrostatic atomization generation particles supplied by the electrostatic atomization generation unit damage the DNA of the bacteria and kill the bacteria present in the pot 11.

  By supplying the electrostatic atomization generation particles supplied from the electrostatic atomization generation unit into the pan 11, the high heat resistant bacteria adhering to the rice in the pan 11 are sterilized and the heat retention odor is suppressed. Is possible. In particular, high heat-resistant bacteria that form spores can non-destructively sterilize the rice in the pan, so that it is possible to provide rice with a small number of bacteria while preventing deterioration in taste.

  Although the sterilization unit 15 is driven from the start of the water immersion step A in the first and second embodiments, the sterilization unit 15 may be driven at a predetermined time during the water immersion step A. Further, the sterilization unit 15 may be driven in any step other than the water immersion step A in the rice cooking step.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 3: is a schematic diagram explaining operation | movement of the rice cooker in Embodiment 3 of this invention. FIG. 3 (a) is a schematic diagram showing how the sterilization unit is driven, and FIG. 3 (b) is a schematic diagram showing how a product is produced as a byproduct from the sterilization unit, FIG. 3 (c). [Fig. 3] is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a product exits from a steam port. In the embodiment of the present invention, only matters different from those of the above-described first embodiment will be described, and the description of the above-mentioned first embodiment is cited for those having the same configuration, operational effect, and the like.

  The third embodiment of the present invention is different from the above-described first embodiment in that a lid 12 of the rice cooker is provided with a steam port 16 for communicating the inside of the pan 11 and the outside of the pan 11 as shown in FIG. It is a thing.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
Similar to the first embodiment, during the first predetermined time t1 from the start of the water immersion step A, the control unit 14 drives the sterilization unit 15 at the same time as the heating by the heating unit 13, and as shown in FIG. Then, the discharge lamp radiates ultraviolet rays 20 to the rice and water in the pot 11. The DNA of the high heat resistant bacterium 21 is damaged by the ultraviolet rays emitted from the discharge lamp, and the high heat resistant bacterium 21 existing in the pot 11 is killed.

  However, as shown in FIG. 3B, a product 22 such as ozone is secondarily generated by the sterilizing action of the ultraviolet rays 20 and remains in the pot 11. Since some of the products 22 have a peculiar odor and deteriorate the taste of the rice in the pan 11, it is desirable that they do not remain in the pan 11 after the rice cooking process.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), in the present embodiment, the steam generated in the rice cooking process is allowed to escape from the steam port 16 to the outside of the pan 11, so that the product 22 is also steamed from the steam port 16 to the outside of the pan 11. Can be discharged to. As a result, the amount of the product 22 remaining in the rice in the pan 11 can be reduced, so that rice with a good taste can be provided for eating.

  As a result, the product 22 such as ozone that is secondarily generated by the sterilization unit 15 can be discharged together with the steam, so that rice with a good taste can be provided. In addition, the sterilization unit 15 is driven to generate an odor that impairs the flavor due to the generation of ozone, but by operating before the cooking process B, the odor is blown in the cooking process B to prevent deterioration of the taste. You can

  In the present embodiment, the description was given using the discharge lamp as the sterilization unit 15. However, instead of the discharge lamp, the electrostatic atomization generation unit described in the second embodiment is used. Is also good.

  As described above, the rice cooker according to the present invention is capable of providing a good-tasting cooked rice, which suppresses the rotten odor derived from high-heat-resistant bacteria, and the oxidative odor derived from the ion generator and the ozone-specific odor. It can be applied not only for consumer use but also for commercial rice cookers.

10 Main Body 11 Pan 12 Lid 13 Heating Section 14 Control Section 15 Sterilization Section 16 Steam Port 17 Pan Temperature Detection Section

Claims (5)

With the body of the rice cooker,
A pot that is detachably set in the main body and stores rice,
A lid for closing the opening of the pot,
A heating unit for heating the pot,
A control unit that sequentially controls the amount of heat applied to the heating unit to perform a water-immersing process, a cooking process, a boiling maintaining process, and a steaming process of cooking rice.
A sterilization unit for sterilizing the inside of the pan,
Equipped with
The control unit is a rice cooker that controls to drive the sterilization unit in the rice cooking process. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls to drive the sterilization unit in the water immersion step in the rice cooking step. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sterilization unit includes an electrostatic atomization generation unit that supplies electrostatic atomization generation particles into the pot. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sterilization unit includes a discharge lamp that emits ultraviolet rays by electric discharge. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lid has a steam port for discharging steam generated in the pan from the inside of the pan to the outside of the pan.