JP2021006182A - Rice cooker, and heating control method of rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of heating according to the cooking amount of rice, and suppressing uneven cooking, and to provide a heating control method of the rice cooker.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes a pot-shaped container having a side surface and a bottom surface, a bottom surface heating part for heating the bottom surface, a plurality of side surface heating parts for heating each area determined by dividing, vertically into three or more, at least a part of the side surface, a cooking amount detection part for detecting a cooking amount in the pot-shaped container, and a heating control part for controlling heating of the plurality of side surface heating parts according to the cooking amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker having a side heating portion and a bottom heating portion, and a heating control method for the rice cooker.

In a conventional rice cooker, it is known that heating coils are provided on the bottom surface and the side surface of a pot-shaped container, and these heating coils are driven independently. By providing heating coils on the bottom surface and the side surface of the pot-shaped container, the entire pot-shaped container can be heated uniformly. Further, Patent Document 1 proposes to provide an upper coil and a lower coil on the side surface of the pot-shaped container, and to change the calorific value of the upper coil and the lower coil according to the amount of cooked rice.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-225374

However, in the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, since the amount of heat generated by the upper coil and the lower coil is changed only by determining whether the amount of cooked rice is small or large, optimum heating cannot be performed depending on the amount of cooked rice. If the amount of heat transferred to the rice differs depending on the amount of cooked rice, uneven cooking, that is, unevenness in the hardness and water content of the cooked rice will occur.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker and a method for controlling heating of the rice cooker, which can suppress uneven cooking by heating according to the amount of cooked rice. ..

The rice cooker according to the present invention has a pan-shaped container having a side surface and a bottom surface, a bottom surface heating portion for heating the bottom surface, and a plurality of rice cookers that heat at least a part of the side surface for each region divided into three or more in the vertical direction. A side heating unit, a rice cooking amount detecting unit that detects the amount of rice cooked in the pot-shaped container, and a heating control unit that controls heating of a plurality of side heating units according to the amount of cooked rice.

In the heating control method of the rice cooker according to the present invention, the bottom heating portion for heating the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container and at least a part of the side surface of the pot-shaped container are heated for each region divided into three or more in the vertical direction. It is a heating control method of a rice cooker provided with a plurality of side heating units, and in a step of detecting the amount of cooked rice, a preheating step and a heating step, the amount of rice cooked among the bottom heating unit and the plurality of side heating units In the step of driving the side heating unit according to the amount of heat generated by the side heating unit according to the amount of rice cooked so that the amount of heat generated by the side heating unit is equal to or greater than the amount of heat generated by the bottom heating unit, and in the boiling step, the side heating unit corresponding to the amount of rice cooked It includes a step of driving the portion with the maximum power and a step of driving the bottom heating portion and the side heating portion according to the amount of cooked rice so that the temperature inside the pot-shaped container is kept uniform in the steaming step and the heat retention step.

According to the rice cooker and the heating control method of the rice cooker of the present invention, a plurality of side heating portions for heating each region divided into three or more in the vertical direction are provided, and a plurality of side heating portions are provided according to the amount of cooked rice. By controlling the heating of the rice, it is possible to reduce the variation in the amount of heat transferred to the rice due to the difference in the amount of rice cooked. As a result, uneven cooking can be suppressed and delicious cooked rice can be cooked.

It is sectional drawing which shows the schematic structure of the rice cooker in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the arrangement of the side heating part in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a functional block diagram of the control part in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows roughly the relationship between the rice cooking process of a rice cooker in Embodiment 1 and the temperature of a pot-shaped container. It is a flowchart which shows the heating control of the side surface heating part in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the heating control of the side surface heating part in the modification 1-1. It is a figure explaining the arrangement of the side surface heating part in the modification 1-2. It is a figure explaining the arrangement of the side surface heating part in the modification 1-3. It is a figure explaining the arrangement of the side heating part in the modification 1-4. It is a flowchart which shows the heating control of the side surface heating part in the modification 1-4. It is sectional drawing of the pan-shaped container of Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure explaining the arrangement of the side surface heating part in the modification 2-1. It is sectional drawing of the pan-shaped container of Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a top view of the pot-shaped container of Embodiment 3. It is sectional drawing of the pot-shaped container of the modification 3-1. It is sectional drawing of the pot-shaped container of the modification 3-2.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the rice cooker will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the relationship between the sizes of the constituent members may differ from the actual one. Further, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, those having the same reference numerals are the same or equivalent thereof, and this shall be common to the entire text of the specification.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. The rice cooker 100 heats and cooks the foodstuff by heating the pot-shaped container 5 containing the foodstuff in the heating unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker 100 is housed inside a main body 1 having a bottomed tubular appearance, a lid 10 attached to the main body 1 and opening and closing the upper opening of the main body 1, and the main body 1. It is provided with a pot-shaped container 5.

(Composition of rice cooker)
The main body 1 includes a container cover 2, a bottom heating unit 31, a side heating unit 32, a pot bottom temperature sensor 4, a hinge portion 6 that supports the lid 10 so as to be openable and closable, a time measuring unit 7, and a rice cooker 100. It is provided with a control unit 8 that controls each unit to execute the rice cooking process.

The container cover 2 is formed in a bottomed tubular shape, and the pot-shaped container 5 is detachably housed inside the container cover 2. A hole 2a into which the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is inserted is provided in the center of the bottom of the container cover 2. Further, a shoulder portion 2b is provided on the upper portion of the side surface of the container cover 2, and by placing the flange portion 5a of the pot-shaped container 5 on the shoulder portion 2b of the container cover 2, the pot-shaped container 5 is accommodated in the container cover 2. Will be done.

The bottom surface heating unit 31 is arranged below the pot-shaped container 5, and induces and heats the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 by a high-frequency current supplied from the first inverter 85. The bottom surface heating unit 31 is a heating coil formed by winding a lead wire such as a copper wire or an aluminum wire. An electric heater such as a sheathed heater may be provided as the bottom surface heating unit 31 instead of the heating coil. The bottom surface heating unit 31 includes a first bottom surface heating unit 31a arranged concentrically and a second bottom surface heating unit 31b.

The side surface heating unit 32 is arranged so as to surround the outer circumference of the pot-shaped container 5, and induces and heats the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 by a high-frequency current supplied from the second inverter 86. The side heating portion 32 is a heating coil formed by winding a lead wire such as a copper wire or an aluminum wire. An electric heater such as a sheathed heater may be provided as the side heating unit 32 instead of the heating coil. The side surface heating unit 32 includes a first side surface heating unit 32a, a second side surface heating unit 32b, a third side surface heating unit 32c, a fourth side surface heating unit 32d, and a fifth side surface heating unit 32e arranged in the vertical direction. It consists of. The "vertical direction" is the vertical direction when the pot-shaped container 5 is placed on a horizontal plane.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating unit 32 in the first embodiment. The side surface heating unit 32 of the present embodiment induces and heats at least a part of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 for each region divided into three or more. In the present embodiment, of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5, the portion from the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of the maximum number of the pot-shaped container 5 is the first region S1 and the second. It is divided into five regions: region S2, third region S3, fourth region S4, and fifth region S5. The maximum number of pot-shaped containers 5 of the present embodiment is 5.5.

The first region S1 is a region from the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of one of the pot-shaped containers 5. The second region S2 is a region from the water level line of 1 go of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of 2 go of the pot-shaped container 5. The third region S3 is a region from the water level line of the 2 cups of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of the 3 cups of the pot-shaped container 5. The fourth region S4 is a region from the water level line of 3 go of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of 4 go of the pot-shaped container 5. The fifth region S5 is a region from the water level line of 4 go of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of 5.5 go of the pot-shaped container 5.

Then, the first side surface heating portion 32a is arranged in the first region S1, the second side surface heating portion 32b is arranged in the second region S2, the third side surface heating portion 32c is arranged in the third region S3, and the fourth region The fourth side surface heating unit 32d is arranged in S4, and the fifth side surface heating unit 32e is arranged in the fifth region S5. The first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e can be arranged at arbitrary positions in the first to fifth regions S1 to S5. In the example of FIG. 2, the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e are arranged in the center of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5. Further, the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e may be arranged so as to spread over the entire first to fifth regions S1 to S5.

Returning to FIG. 1, the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is composed of, for example, a thermistor, and detects the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5. The pot bottom temperature sensor 4 of the present embodiment is urged upward by an elastic means (not shown) such as a spring, and is in contact with the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 housed in the container cover 2. Detects the bottom temperature of 5. The temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 detected by the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is output to the control unit 8. The specific configuration of the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is not limited to the thermistor, and in addition to the contact type temperature sensor that detects the temperature by contacting the pot-shaped container 5, for example, the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 such as an infrared sensor is not contacted. A non-contact temperature sensor that detects with is may be adopted.

The hinge portion 6 is provided on one end side (left side of the paper surface in FIG. 1) of the upper portion of the main body 1 and supports the lid body 10 so as to be openable and closable. The main body 1 may be provided with a handle (not shown) for transporting the rice cooker 100. When the handle is provided, it is preferable that the handle is pivotally supported at the center of the upper part of the side surface of the main body 1 so that the rotation direction of the handle coincides with the rotation direction of the lid 10. With this configuration, when transporting the rice cooker 100, the user can rotate and lift the handle so that it is located almost directly above the shaft fulcrum of the handle, and can transport the rice cooker 100 by holding only the handle. It becomes.

The time measuring unit 7 counts the elapsed time based on the instruction signal from the control unit 8. The elapsed time counted by the time measuring unit 7 is output to the control unit 8. The time measuring unit 7 may be provided as a functional unit of the control unit 8.

The first inverter 85 and the second inverter 86 are drive circuits that convert an AC power source of a commercial power source (not shown) into a high-frequency current and supply it to the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32. The first inverter 85 has a relay circuit, and switches between the first bottom surface heating unit 31a and the second bottom surface heating unit 31b to drive the first inverter 85. The second inverter 86 has a relay circuit and individually drives the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e. The number of inverters is not limited to two, and the inverters are individually provided for the first bottom surface heating unit 31a, the second bottom surface heating unit 31b, and the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e. It may be provided.

Here, in the above-mentioned conventional rice cooker, the calorific value of the side heating part is 10 to 30 W, which is very small compared to the calorific value of 1200 W of the bottom heating part, so that a sufficient amount of heat is transferred from the side surface of the pot-shaped container to cooked rice. I can't say I'm giving it. In this case, since heating is mainly performed from the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container, a temperature difference occurs between the cooked rice on the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container and the cooked rice on the upper surface, which is one of the causes of uneven cooking. In addition, this temperature difference increases as the amount of cooked rice increases. For example, when the amount of rice cooked is large, the unevenness of cooking at the top and bottom of the pot-shaped container becomes large. In addition, when the amount of rice cooked is small, the uneven cooking of the top and bottom of the pot-shaped container disappears, but the cooked rice near the surface of the pot-shaped container is overheated, resulting in a soft and moist cooked rice. The uneven cooking between the center and the surface increases. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by providing two inverters, both the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 can be heated with the maximum calorific value (for example, 1200 W).

The control unit 8 controls the entire rice cooker 100 and executes the rice cooking process. The control unit 8 is composed of a microcomputer and software executed on the microcomputer. Alternatively, the control unit 8 may be configured by hardware such as a circuit device that realizes the function.

The lid 10 has an outer lid 11 and an inner lid 12. A removable cartridge 14 is provided on the outer lid 11, and an operation display unit 15 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 11.

The outer lid 11 constitutes an upper portion and a side portion of the lid body 10, and an inner lid 12 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the outer lid 11 (the surface facing the pot-shaped container 5). The inner lid 12 is made of a metal such as stainless steel, and is attached to the surface of the outer lid 11 on the main body 1 side via a locking member 13. A lid packing 9 which is a sealing material for ensuring airtightness with the outer periphery of the upper end portion of the pot-shaped container 5 is attached to the peripheral edge portion of the inner lid 12. Further, the inner lid 12 is formed with a hole 12a into which the internal temperature sensor 16 is inserted, and the outer lid 11 is a packing that closes the gap on the outer periphery of the internal temperature sensor 16 inserted into the hole 12a of the inner lid 12. 11a is attached. Further, the inner lid 12 is provided with a steam port 12b through which steam generated in the pot-shaped container 5 passes, and communicates with the steam intake 14a of the cartridge 14 described later.

The cartridge 14 has a steam intake 14a provided with a valve (not shown) that moves up and down according to the steam pressure generated during rice cooking, and a steam exhaust that discharges steam that has passed through the valve of the steam intake 14a to the outside. An outlet 14b is provided. The steam intake port 14a is connected to the steam port 12b, and the steam generated in the pot-shaped container 5 passes through the steam port 12b, enters the cartridge 14 from the steam intake port 14a, flows into the cartridge 14, and flows through the cartridge 14 to steam. It flows out of the cartridge 14 from the discharge port 14b.

The operation display unit 15 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 11. The operation display unit 15 receives the operation input from the user and displays the information on the operation input and the operating state of the rice cooker 100. Items that can be set for the operation display unit 15 include, for example, start / cancel of rice cooking, rice cooking reservation, and rice cooking menu. Specific examples of the rice cooking menu include those related to the type of rice such as white rice or brown rice, those related to the cooking time such as standard rice or fast-cooked rice, and those related to the hardness of cooked rice such as hard or soft rice. Can be mentioned. The items displayed by the operation display unit 15 include, for example, the state of the rice cooker 100 during rice cooking or waiting for reservation, the contents of the set rice cooking menu, the scheduled cooking time, the current time, and the amount of rice 200 to be cooked. And so on. The specific configuration of the operation display unit 15 shown here is an example, and other items may be set or displayed.

The internal temperature sensor 16 is composed of, for example, a thermistor, and detects the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5. The internal temperature sensor 16 is attached to the outer lid 11, and a part of the internal temperature sensor 16 is inserted into the hole 12a of the inner lid 12. The internal temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 via the hole 12a. The temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 detected by the internal temperature sensor 16 is output to the control unit 8. The specific configuration of the internal temperature sensor 16 is not limited to the thermistor, and in addition to other contact-type temperature sensors, a non-contact temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 such as an infrared sensor in a non-contact manner is used. It may be adopted.

The pot-shaped container 5 has a bottomed tubular shape and is made of a material containing a magnetic metal that generates heat by induction heating. The shape of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 may be circular, elliptical, or polygonal in a plan view. Inside the pot-shaped container 5, rice 200 and water 201, which are objects to be heated, are stored. Further, the pot-shaped container 5 of the present embodiment has a feather pot shape, and a flange portion 5a projecting outward is provided on the side surface 5c over the entire circumference. By placing the collar portion 5a of the pot-shaped container 5 on the shoulder portion 2b of the container cover 2, the space between the container cover 2 and the pot-shaped container 5 becomes a closed space. When the pot-shaped container 5 is heated in this state, it is insulated by the closed space, so that the temperature of the portion of the pot-shaped container 5 below the collar 5a and the rice 200 contained therein is cooled. It becomes difficult and can be heated efficiently.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 8 according to the first embodiment. The control unit 8 has a heating control unit 81, a display control unit 82, and a rice cooking amount detection unit 83 as functional units realized by executing the program. Further, the control unit 8 is composed of a non-volatile or volatile memory such as a RAM, ROM or flash memory, and has a storage unit 84 for storing various programs and various data used in each functional unit. The storage unit 84 may be provided separately from the control unit 8.

The heating control unit 81 controls the first inverter 85 and the second inverter 86 based on the outputs from the pot bottom temperature sensor 4, the operation display unit 15, and the internal temperature sensor 16, and controls the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32. Drive to carry out the rice cooking process. At this time, the heating control unit 81 has the first side surface heating unit 32a, the second side surface heating unit 32b, the third side surface heating unit 32c, and the fourth side surface heating unit 32a based on the rice cooking amount detected by the rice cooking amount detection unit 83. The side surface heating unit 32d and the fifth side surface heating unit 32e are individually driven.

Further, the heating control unit 81 may detect that the pot-shaped container 5 is overheated due to empty cooking or the like. The heating control unit 81 determines the presence or absence of empty cooking by monitoring the temperature change in the pot-shaped container 5 detected by the internal temperature sensor 16. Specifically, the heating control unit 81 determines that dry cooking has occurred when the slope of the temperature change detected by the internal temperature sensor 16 is larger than the threshold value. When the heating control unit 81 determines that dry cooking has occurred, the heating control unit 81 stops driving the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32. In addition, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5 may be further provided, and the heating control unit 81 may determine empty cooking based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

The display control unit 82 causes the operation display unit 15 to display information regarding the operation input in the operation display unit 15, the operating state of the rice cooker 100, and the like. Further, it receives an operation input from the user via the operation display unit 15 and outputs it to the heating control unit 81.

The rice cooking amount detection unit 83 detects the amount of rice cooked in the pot-shaped container 5 based on the output from the pot bottom temperature sensor 4. Specifically, the rice cooked amount detecting unit 83 detects the cooked rice amount based on the temperature change in the preheating step in which the pot-shaped container 5 is repeatedly heated and stopped. Specifically, the amount of cooked rice is determined by comparing the temperature change when the heating is stopped with the threshold value of the temperature change for each amount of cooked rice obtained in advance by an experiment or the like.

The rice cooking amount detection unit 83 is not limited to the one provided as a functional unit of the control unit 8. For example, a weight sensor may be provided on the lower part of the pot-shaped container 5 or the leg of the rice cooker 100 as the rice cooked amount detecting unit 83. In this case, the amount of cooked rice is directly detected from the weights of water 201 and rice 200 measured by the weight sensor. Alternatively, the inner lid 12 may be provided with a distance sensor including an ultrasonic sensor or the like as the rice cooking amount detecting unit 83. In this case, the distance sensor measures the distance from the inner lid 12 to the surface of the water 201 and the rice 200, and the amount of rice cooked is indirectly detected from the positions of the water 201 and the rice 200 obtained from the distance. Further, the amount of cooked rice may be detected by providing the operation display unit 15 with a "total number button" for which the user sets the total number.

(Operation of rice cooker)
Subsequently, the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 100 in the present embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, the control unit 8 drives the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 according to the rice cooking program stored in the storage unit 84 in response to the user's operation input to the operation display unit 15, and the rice cooking process. To execute. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 100 in the first embodiment and the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rice cooking step includes a preheating step, a heating step, a boiling maintenance step, and a steaming step. The preheating step is a step of keeping the temperature of rice and water at a constant temperature of 50 to 60 degrees Celsius at which gelatinization of rice starch does not start, and promoting water absorption to the inside of the rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5. The next heating step is a step from the end of the preheating step to the boiling of the water in the pot-shaped container 5. When the water in the pot-shaped container 5 boils, the control unit 8 shifts to the next boiling maintenance step. In this boiling maintenance step, the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 is heated so as to maintain the boiling temperature to promote gelatinization of rice starch. The final steaming step is a step of steaming the rice in the pot-shaped container 5 to promote gelatinization to the center of the rice grains and to make the distribution of water in the rice grains uniform. When the rice cooking step is completed, the process shifts to a heat retention step of keeping the inside of the pot-shaped container 5 at a predetermined temperature.

In the rice cooking step, the heating control unit 81 may drive the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 at the same timing, or may alternately drive the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 at arbitrary time intervals. Alternatively, the heating control unit 81 may switch between driving the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 at the same timing and alternating drive. By driving the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 at the same timing, violent boiling of the kamado can be generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice 200 can be strongly heated. Further, by alternately driving the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32, convection can be generated in the pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice can be uniformly heated. However, when the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 are driven at the same timing, the calorific value is adjusted so that the maximum power consumption does not exceed the rated power.

An example of heating control of the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 in the rice cooking process will be described. Although the standard rice cooking process will be described below as an example, the same effect can be obtained by controlling the heating for each rice cooking process even when cooking rice in other modes. First, in the preheating step, the heating control unit 81 positively drives the side heating unit 32 rather than the bottom surface heating unit 31. In other words, the heating control unit 81 controls the first inverter 85 and the second inverter 86 so that the amount of heat generated by the side heating unit 32 is equal to or greater than the amount of heat generated by the bottom surface heating unit 31. Specifically, the heating control unit 81 sets the total heating time of the side surface heating unit 32 to be equal to or longer than the total heating time of the bottom surface heating unit 31, or supplies the electric power supplied to the side surface heating unit 32 to the bottom surface heating unit 31. The amount of electricity or more.

Only by heating the bottom surface 5b by the bottom surface heating unit 31, the heat is absorbed by the rice 200, and uniform heating cannot be performed. Further, when the rice 200 on the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 is overheated, only a part of the rice is gelatinized, resulting in uneven cooking. On the other hand, not only the rice 200 but also the water 201 can be heated by heating from the side of the pot-shaped container 5 by the side heating unit 32. This makes it easier to heat the temperature of the water 201 to a temperature at which water absorption proceeds (about 50 to 60 degrees) without gelatinizing the rice 200. As a result, the time of the preheating step can be shortened, the temperature difference in the pot-shaped container 5 can be reduced, and the intensive heating of the rice 200 can be eliminated, and the rice 200 as a whole can be uniformly absorbed and heated.

Next, also in the temperature raising step, the heating control unit 81 positively drives the side heating unit 32 as in the preheating step. Since the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 is rapidly raised in the temperature raising step, the amount of power supplied to the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 is larger than that in the preheating step. Therefore, the rice 200 on the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 is overheated as compared with the preheating step only by heating by the bottom surface heating unit 31. On the other hand, by positively heating the side of the pot-shaped container 5 by the side heating unit 32, uneven gelatinization of the rice 200 can be prevented, and the entire rice 200 can be uniformly heated to 100 ° C. .. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the difference in cooking, so-called uneven cooking.

Next, in the boiling step, the heating control unit 81 drives the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 with the maximum electric power. As a result, boiling bubbles can be generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5 to promote convection, and the entire rice can be heated uniformly and with strong heat from the surface to the center of the pot-shaped container 5. Further, the heating control unit 81 may switch between the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 and drive them intermittently to generate boiling bubbles in the pot-shaped container 5 in a non-uniform manner. As a result, air bubbles can be distributed throughout the rice 200, which enables the generation of crab holes, the promotion of further convection, and the more uniform heating.

In the steaming step and the heat retaining step, the heating control unit 81 drives the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 with a small electric power in order to keep the temperature in the pot-shaped container 5 uniform. As a result, the temperature difference in the vertical direction of the pot-shaped container 5 is eliminated, and it is possible to evenly distribute the water content in the rice grains in the steaming process and prevent the evaporation of excess water content in the heat retaining process.

In this way, by controlling the heating of the bottom heating unit 31 and the side heating unit 32 according to the rice cooking process, the entire rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5 can be uniformly heated, and delicious cooked rice without uneven cooking can be cooked. It becomes possible.

Further, when the heating control unit 81 drives the side heating unit 32 in the above rice cooking step, the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e depend on the amount of rice cooked detected by the rice cooking amount detecting unit 83. Any one of them is selected and driven by the second inverter 86.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the heating control of the side surface heating unit 32 in the first embodiment. First, the rice cooking amount detecting unit 83 of the control unit 8 detects the rice cooking amount in the pot-shaped container 5 (S1). Then, depending on the amount of cooked rice (S2), the first side surface heating unit 32a, the second side surface heating unit 32b, the third side surface heating unit 32c, the fourth side surface heating unit 32d, and the fifth side surface heating unit 32e Are driven individually.

Specifically, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 go or less, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first side surface heating unit 32a (S3). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 go or less, the second to fifth side surface heating portions 32b to 32e are not driven in the rice cooking step. When the amount of cooked rice is 2 go, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first side surface heating unit 32a and the second side surface heating unit 32b (S4). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 2 go, the 3rd to 5th side heating portions 32c to 32e are not driven in the rice cooking step. When the amount of rice cooked is 3 go, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first to third side surface heating units 32a to 32c (S5). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 3 go, the fourth side surface heating unit 32d and the fifth side surface heating unit 32e are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of rice cooked is 4 go, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first to fourth side surface heating units 32a to 32d (S6). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is 4 go, the fifth side surface heating unit 32e is not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 5 go or more, the heating control unit 81 drives the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e (S7). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is 5 go or more, all the side heating portions 32 are driven in the rice cooking process.

When driving two or more of the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e, all of them may be driven at the same timing, or may be driven alternately at arbitrary time intervals. Alternatively, the drive at the same timing and the alternate drive may be switched. By driving two or more of the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e at the same timing, intense boiling can be generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice 200 can be strongly heated. Further, by alternately driving two or more of the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e, convection can be generated in the pot-shaped container 5, and the whole rice can be uniformly heated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, rice is cooked on the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 by selecting and driving any of the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e according to the amount of rice cooked. The region corresponding to the amount can be heated. As a result, convection between the water 201 and the rice 200 due to the generation of air bubbles from the side of the pot-shaped container 5 can be caused, and the variation in the amount of heat transferred to the rice 200 due to the difference in the amount of cooked rice can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress the so-called uneven cooking, which is the unevenness of the hardness and water content of the cooked rice, and to cook delicious cooked rice. In addition, boiling bubbles can be generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5 in any amount of rice cooked, and the entire rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5 can be uniformly heated.

(Modification 1-1)
As shown in FIG. 5, the heating control of the side heating unit 32 for each amount of cooked rice is not limited to the control for each unit. For example, different heating controls may be performed depending on whether the amount of cooked rice is small, medium, or large. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the heating control of the side surface heating unit 32 in the modified example 1-1.

First, the rice cooking amount detecting unit 83 of the control unit 8 detects the rice cooking amount in the pot-shaped container 5 (S11). Then, depending on the amount of rice cooked (S12), the first side surface heating unit 32a, the second side surface heating unit 32b, the third side surface heating unit 32c, the fourth side surface heating unit 32d, and the fifth side surface heating unit 32e Are driven individually. Specifically, when the amount of cooked rice is small, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first side surface heating unit 32a and the second side surface heating unit 32b (S13). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is small, the third to fifth side surface heating portions 32c to 32e are not driven in the rice cooking step. When the amount of rice cooked is small, for example, the amount of rice cooked is 0.5 to 1.5 go.

When the amount of cooked rice is medium, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first to third side surface heating units 32a to 32c (S14). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is medium, the fourth side surface heating unit 32d and the fifth side surface heating unit 32e are not driven in the rice cooking step. When the amount of cooked rice is medium, for example, the amount of cooked rice is 2 to 3.5 go.

When the amount of cooked rice is large, the heating control unit 81 drives the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e (S15). When the amount of rice cooked is large, the rice 200 can be uniformly heated from the bottom surface 5b to the top surface by heating the entire pot-shaped container 5, and uneven cooking can be reduced. When the amount of cooked rice is large, for example, the amount of cooked rice is 4 to 5.5 go.

In the heating control of the side heating unit 32, the range of the side heating unit 32 to be driven in each of a small amount, a medium amount, and a large amount is an example, and what if the side heating unit 32 is in a range where dry cooking does not occur? It may be driven.

(Modification 1-2)
Further, the positional relationship between the pot-shaped container 5 and the side heating portion 32 is not limited to the example of FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side surface heating unit 32 in the modified example 1-2. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper ends of the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e may be aligned with the water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The water level line of the pot-shaped container 5 coincides with the upper ends of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5, respectively. Specifically, the upper end of the first side surface heating portion 32a is arranged so as to coincide with the water level line of 1 go. Similarly, the second to fifth side surface heating portions 32b to 32e are arranged so as to coincide with the water level lines of 2 to 5.5 go, respectively.

By arranging the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e in this way, it is possible to heat to the maximum range where dry cooking does not occur, and the effect of heating control for each amount of cooked rice can be enhanced. Further, since it is possible to heat from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the top surface of the water 201, and the rice 200 and the water 201 can be easily heated separately, the effect of heating control for each rice cooking process can be further enhanced. Can be done. Thereby, uneven cooking can be further suppressed.

(Modification 1-3)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating unit 32 in the modified example 1-3. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower ends of the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e may be arranged at the lower ends of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5. The lower end of the first region S1 is the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5, and the lower end of the second to fifth regions S2 to S5 is the water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. Specifically, the lower end of the first side surface heating portion 32a is arranged so as to coincide with the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5, and the lower end of the second side surface heating portion 32b is arranged so as to coincide with the water level line of 1 go. To. Similarly, the third to fifth side surface heating portions 32c to 32e are arranged so as to coincide with the water level lines of the 2nd to 4th portions, respectively.

By arranging the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e in this way, even if the amount of rice cooked is less than the specified number such as 0.5 go or 1.5 go, the pot-shaped container 5 is extra. It can be suppressed from being heated. As a result, convenience can be improved, such as preventing damage to the pot-shaped container 5.

(Modification 1-4)
Further, the number of side heating portions 32 and the number of divided regions of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 are not limited to the example of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side surface heating unit 32 in the modified examples 1-4. In FIG. 9, at least a part of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 is divided into four regions, a first region S1, a second region S2, a third region S3, and a fourth region S4. The first region S1 is a region from the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the middle of the water level line of 1 go and the water level line of 2 go of the pot-shaped container 5. The second region S2 is a region from the middle of the 1st water level line and the 2nd water level line to the middle of the 2nd water level line and the 3rd water level line. The third region S3 is a region from the middle of the 2nd water level line and the 3rd water level line to the middle of the 3rd water level line and the 4th water level line. The fourth region S4 is a region from the middle of the water level line of 3 go and the water level line of 4 go to the water level line of 5.5 go.

Then, the first side surface heating portion 32a is arranged in the first region S1, the second side surface heating portion 32b is arranged in the second region S2, the third side surface heating portion 32c is arranged in the third region S3, and the fourth region A fourth side surface heating unit 32d is arranged in S4. For example, the first to fourth side surface heating portions 32a to 32d are arranged so that the positions of the water level lines at each combination and the intermediate positions of the first to fourth side surface heating portions 32a to 32d substantially coincide with each other. The arrangement is not limited to this, and the first to fourth side surface heating portions 32a to 32d may be arranged at arbitrary positions in the first to fourth regions S1 to S4.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the heating control of the side surface heating unit 32 in the modified examples 1-4. First, the rice cooking amount detecting unit 83 of the control unit 8 detects the rice cooking amount in the pot-shaped container 5 (S21). Then, according to the amount of cooked rice (S22), the first side surface heating unit 32a, the second side surface heating unit 32b, the third side surface heating unit 32c, and the fourth side surface heating unit 32d are individually driven. Specifically, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 go or less, the heating control unit 81 does not drive the side heating unit 32 (S23). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is 1 go, only the bottom surface heating unit 31 is driven in the rice cooking process.

When the amount of rice cooked is 2 (S22: 2), the heating control unit 81 drives only the first side surface heating unit 32a (S24). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is 2 go, the second to fourth side surface heating portions 32b to 32d are not driven in the rice cooking step. When the amount of cooked rice is 3 go, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first side surface heating unit 32a and the second side surface heating unit 32b (S25). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 3 go, the third side surface heating unit 32c and the fourth side surface heating unit 32d are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 4 go, the heating control unit 81 drives only the first to third side surface heating units 32a to 32c (S26). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 4 go, the fourth side surface heating unit 32d is not driven in the rice cooking step. When the amount of rice cooked is 5 go, the heating control unit 81 drives the first to fourth side surface heating units 32a to 32d (S27). That is, when the amount of rice cooked is 5 or more, all the side heating portions 32 are driven in the rice cooking process.

In this modification as well, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, as in this modification, by substantially matching the position of the water level line of each combination with the intermediate position of the first to fourth side surface heating portions 32a to 32d, the first to fourth side surface heating portions 32a to 32d At least half of the heat always heats the area where the rice 200 or slightly water 201 is present. As a result, if the amount of rice cooked is erroneously detected as a total number one higher than the actual amount, for example, even if the amount of rice cooked is erroneously detected as 2 units even though it is actually 1 unit, the overheated area where rice 200 or water 201 does not exist It is possible to prevent the pot-shaped container 5 from being damaged. As a result, in this modified example, both the suppression of uneven cooking by uniform heating and the improvement of convenience by suppressing the damage of the pot-shaped container 5 can be realized. Further, in this modification, the number of side heating portions 32 can be reduced, so that cost reduction and improvement in assembling property can be realized. In another modification, at least a part of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 may be divided into 10 parts to provide 10 side surface heating portions, and heating control may be performed every 0.5 go. In this case, although the number of parts increases, it becomes possible to perform finer control according to the amount of cooked rice, and the effect of the first embodiment can be enhanced.

Embodiment 2.
Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the shape of the pot-shaped container 5A is different from that of the first embodiment. Other configurations and controls of the rice cooker 100 are the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pot-shaped container 5A of the second embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a vertical cross section passing through the center of the pot-shaped container 5A of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5A of the present embodiment has an inclined portion 52 that is inclined so that the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container 5A increases as it goes upward in the vertical direction. In FIG. 11, the inclined portion 52 is provided from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A to the upper end of the pot-shaped container 5A, and all the side surfaces 5c are inclined portions 52, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the inclined portion 52 may be from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A to the flange portion 5a of the pot-shaped container 5A, or up to the height of water 201 corresponding to the maximum number of rice 200 accommodated in the pot-shaped container 5A. ..

Further, the inclined portion 52 is formed so that the dimension in the vertical direction is larger than the dimension in the horizontal direction. Here, the lower ends and the upper ends of the inner surface of the inclined portion 52 in the cross section orthogonal to the horizontal direction are set as the base point P1 and the base point Q1, respectively, as shown in FIG. The vertical distance H1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1 is larger than the horizontal distance W1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1.

As an example, the vertical distance H1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1 is more than twice the horizontal distance W1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1. Further, the horizontal distance r1 from the center of the pot-shaped container 5A to the base point Q1 is, for example, twice or more twice the horizontal distance W1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1. The distance from the center of the pot-shaped container 5A to the base point Q1 means the distance from the center of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A to the base point Q1. In the present embodiment, the vertical distance H1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1 is larger than the horizontal distance r1 from the center of the bottom surface 5b to the base point Q1.

The specific numerical values of the distance W1, the distance H1 and the distance r1 are merely reference values in one example, and the inclination of the inclined portion 52 of the pot-shaped container 5A is not limited to the above example. Further, also in the present embodiment, the first to fifth side surface heating portions 32a to 32e are arranged along the inclined portion 52 of the pot-shaped container 5A, and the rice is cooked by the control unit 8 as in the first embodiment. The heating is controlled accordingly.

Here, conventionally, the difference in water level for each number is small, for example, the position of the water surface is almost the same for 1 and 2 go, and the heating range does not change, so that optimum heating control can be performed according to the amount of rice cooked. I wasn't. On the other hand, by providing the inclined portion 52 on the side surface 5c like the pot-shaped container 5A, the position of the water surface changes every 1 go or 0.5 go, and the water level difference can be widened. As a result, the heating range can be expanded as the amount of cooked rice increases. As a result, the first to fifth side surface heating units 32a to 32e can be finely controlled, and the effect of the side surface heating units 32 can be enhanced. In particular, even when cooking a small amount of rice of about 0.5 to 1.5 go, the water level difference for each 0.5 go can be widened, so even when the amount of rice cooked is small, the optimum amount of heating according to the amount of cooked rice Can be. As a result, heating control can be finely performed from a small amount to a large amount.

Further, in the pot-shaped container 5A, when the capacity is the same, the area of the bottom surface 5b is smaller than that of the pot-shaped container 5 of the first embodiment. As a result, the heat generation density of the bottom surface 5b by the bottom surface heating unit 31 increases. Further, the amount of boiling bubbles generated from the bottom surface 5b increases. As a result, the bubbles generated on the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A pass between many rice 200s while rising to the water surface, and the rice 200 at the center of the pot-shaped container 5A can be uniformly heated.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the inclined portion 52 in the pot-shaped container 5A, the water level difference for each total number can be widened, and the side heating according to the amount of rice cooked in the first embodiment can be obtained. The effect of controlling the heating of the unit 32 can be further enhanced.

(Modification 2-1)
The arrangement of the side heating unit 32 may be changed according to the shape of the pot-shaped container 5A in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side surface heating unit 32 in the modified example 2-1. As shown in FIG. 12, the number of turns of the side heating portion arranged at the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A may be larger than the number of turns of the side heating portion arranged at the lower part. Specifically, the number of turns of the first side surface heating unit 32a <the number of turns of the second side surface heating unit 32b <the number of turns of the third side surface heating unit 32c <the number of turns of the fourth side surface heating unit 32d <the number of turns of the fifth side surface heating unit 32d The number of turns is 32e.

When the side surface 5c has an inclined portion 52 as in the pot-shaped container 5A of the second embodiment, the rice 200 in the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A has a surface area in contact with the inner surface of the pot-shaped container 5A more than the rice 200 in the lower part. Increase. Therefore, in order to uniformly heat the entire rice 200, it is necessary to apply a larger electric power to the side heating portion 32 arranged in the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A than in the side heating portion 32 arranged in the lower part. In this modification, the heating of the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A can be strengthened by increasing the number of turns of the side heating portion 32 toward the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A. As a result, the entire rice 200 can be heated uniformly, and the effect of the first embodiment can be further enhanced.

By making the number of turns of the side heating section the same and increasing the current flowing through the side heating section toward the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A, the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A can be heated as in the modified example 2-1. Can be strong. Specifically, the energization ratio of the first side surface heating unit 32a <the energization ratio of the second side surface heating unit 32b <the energization ratio of the third side surface heating unit 32c <the energization ratio of the fourth side surface heating unit 32d <the fifth side surface heating unit The energization ratio is 32e. Further, the effect can be further enhanced by increasing both the number of turns and the energization ratio toward the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A.

Embodiment 3.
Next, the third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, the shape of the pot-shaped container 5 is different from that of the first embodiment. Other configurations and controls of the rice cooker 100 are the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pot-shaped container 5B of the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the pot-shaped container 5B of the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the pot-shaped container 5B of the present embodiment has protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c inside the bottom surface 5b and the side surface 5c. As shown in FIG. 14, the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c are provided in an annular shape in a plan view, respectively.

By providing the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c inside the bottom surface 5b and the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5B, boiling bubbles are easily generated and separated from the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c during cooking. As a result, boiling bubbles can be dispersed throughout the pot-shaped container 5B.

Most of the boiling bubbles from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5B do not reach the top surface of the pot-shaped container 5B and are absorbed by the rice 200 on the way. Further, the boiling bubbles generated by heating the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5B flow to the upper surface along the inner surface of the side surface 5c, and therefore hardly pass through the upper center of the pot-shaped container 5B. Rice 200 receives heat energy from boiling bubbles and uses it as energy for gelatinization. Therefore, the rice 200 close to the surface of the pot-shaped container 5B, such as the bottom surface 5b or the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5B, is cooked softly, while the rice 200 located in the upper center far from the surface of the pot-shaped container 5B is cooked hard. , Etc. will occur.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by providing the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c inside the bottom surface 5b and the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5, the boiling bubbles can be easily separated at a desired place, and the boiling bubbles can be easily separated. Bubbles can pass through even in areas where it is difficult to pass. In addition, locally concentrated air bubbles can be dispersed throughout the pot-shaped container 5B, and uneven cooking can be reduced. The protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c may be arranged in a place where the boiling bubbles are unlikely to separate. For example, the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c may be provided in a place where the heating portion is not arranged. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, between the first bottom surface heating unit 31a and the second bottom surface heating unit 31b, between the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32, and between the first side surface heating unit 32a and the first. It is preferable to arrange it between the two side heating portions 32b.

The shapes and numbers of the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c are not limited to FIGS. 13 and 14. For example, a large number of protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c may be arranged in the circumferential direction of the pot-shaped container 5B at arbitrary intervals instead of in a ring shape. Further, the arrangement of the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c may be any arrangement in which boiling bubbles are generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5B.

(Modification 3-1)
FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pot-shaped container 5C of the modified example 3-1. As shown in FIG. 15, the pot-shaped container 5C may have grooves 56a, 56b and 56c instead of the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c.

(Modification example 3-2)
FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pot-shaped container 5D of the modified example 3-2. As shown in FIG. 16, the pot-shaped container 5D may have coating film layers 57a, 57b and 57c instead of the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c. The coating film layers 57a, 57b and 57c have hydrophilicity and are applied to the inner surface of the pot-shaped container 5D. Further, instead of the protrusions, grooves, and the hydrophilic coating film layer, the surface roughness inside the pot-shaped container 5 may be partially changed.

The above is the description of the embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the heating control in the case where the rice 200 is taken as an example of the heated object of the rice cooker 100 has been described, but the heated object is not limited to the rice 200.

Further, the above-described first to third embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, the pan-shaped container 5A having the inclined portion 52 of the second embodiment may be provided with the protrusions 55a, 55b and 55c of the third embodiment. In a shape such as the pot-shaped container 5A in which the area of the bottom surface 5b is smaller than the area of the top surface, the generation and separation of boiling bubbles from the side surface 5c are important for the dispersion of boiling bubbles throughout the pot-shaped container 5A.

Further, the number of the bottom surface heating unit 31 and the side surface heating unit 32 and the number of the divided regions of the side surface 5c are not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the bottom surface heating unit 31 may be one heating coil, or may be composed of three or more heating coils. Similarly, the number of the divided regions of the side surface 5c and the number of the side surface heating portions 32 can be arbitrary. However, considering the ease of control according to the amount of cooked rice, it is desirable to use three or more.

Further, in the above embodiment, only the side heating unit 32 is driven according to the amount of cooked rice, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the first embodiment, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 go or less, the second to fifth side surface heating units 32b to 32e are not driven, but the heating control unit 81 is the second to fifth side surface heating units. 32b to 32e may be driven by low power that does not cause dry cooking. As a result, the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the pot-shaped container 5 can be reduced. As a result, the steam generated from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 is less likely to be condensed, and the temperature of the rice cooking liquid or the rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5 can be prevented from dropping due to the condensed water. Even in the case of other rice cooking amounts, the side heating unit that has not been selected may be driven by a low electric power that does not cause empty cooking.

1 body, 2 container cover, 2a hole, 2b shoulder, 4 pot bottom temperature sensor, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D pot-shaped container, 5a lid, 5b bottom, 5c side, 6 hinge, 7 hours measurement Parts, 8 Controls, 9 Lid packing, 10 Lid, 11 Outer lid, 11a packing, 12 Inner lid, 12a Hole, 12b Steam port, 13 Locking material, 14 Cartridge, 14a Steam inlet, 14b Steam outlet , 15 operation display unit, 16 internal temperature sensor, 31 bottom surface heating unit, 31a first bottom surface heating unit, 31b second bottom surface heating unit, 32 side surface heating unit, 32a first side surface heating unit, 32b second side surface heating unit, 32c 3rd side heating part, 32d 4th side heating part, 32e 5th side heating part, 52 inclined part, 55a, 55b, 55c protrusion, 56a, 56b, 56c groove, 57a, 57b, 57c coating layer, 81 heating control Unit, 82 Display control unit, 83 Rice cooker amount detector, 84 Storage unit, 85 1st inverter, 86 2nd inverter, 100 Rice cooker.

Claims (11)

A pot-shaped container with sides and bottom,
The bottom heating part that heats the bottom and
A plurality of side heating portions that heat at least a part of the side surface for each region divided into three or more in the vertical direction.
A rice cooking amount detection unit that detects the amount of rice cooked in the pot-shaped container,
A heating control unit that controls the heating of the plurality of side heating units according to the amount of cooked rice,
Rice cooker equipped with. With three or more of the side heating parts
The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein one side heating unit is arranged for each region. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of side heating portions are arranged so that the upper ends coincide with the water level line of the pot-shaped container. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of side heating portions are arranged so that the lower ends coincide with the water level line of the pot-shaped container. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper ends of the plurality of side heating portions are arranged between the water level lines of the pot-shaped container. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side surface has an inclined portion in which the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container expands toward the upper side in the vertical direction. The side heating portion is a heating coil.
The sixth aspect of claim 6, wherein the number of turns or the energization ratio of the side heating portion arranged in the upper part of the pot-shaped container is larger than the number of turns or the energizing ratio of the side heating portion arranged in the lower part of the pot-shaped container. rice cooker. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the heating control unit controls heating of the bottom surface heating unit and the side surface heating unit according to the rice cooking process. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein protrusions, grooves or a hydrophilic coating film layer is provided on the bottom surface and the inside of the side surface of the pot-shaped container. The rice cooker according to claim 9, wherein the protrusion, the groove, or the coating film layer is provided between the plurality of side heating portions. A rice cooker including a bottom heating portion that heats the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container and a plurality of side heating portions that heat at least a part of the side surface of the pot-shaped container for each region divided into three or more in the vertical direction. It is a heating control method of
Steps to detect the amount of rice cooked and
In the preheating step and the heating step, the heat generation amount of the bottom surface heating unit and the side surface heating unit corresponding to the rice cooking amount among the plurality of side surface heating units is the heat generation amount of the side surface heating unit according to the rice cooking amount. The step of driving so that the amount of heat generated by the part exceeds
In the boiling step, a step of driving the bottom surface heating unit and the side surface heating unit according to the amount of cooked rice with the maximum electric power, and
In the steaming step and the heat retention step, a step of driving the bottom surface heating unit and the side surface heating unit according to the amount of cooked rice so as to keep the temperature in the pot-shaped container uniform.
A method of controlling the heating of a rice cooker.

Images