JP2023023507A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of providing tasty rice after the end of a heat retention process executed subsequently to a rice cooking process.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: an inner pot 30 into which rice to be cooked is put; a rice cooker body 20 having an inner pot housing part 20a for removably housing the inner pot; a lid body 10 for covering the inner pot housing part openably and closably; heating means 23 for heating the inner pot; a temperature sensor 24 for detecting the temperature of the inner pot; and control means 17 for controlling the heating means on the basis of the temperature information from the temperature sensor and executing a rice cooking process and a heat retention process. The control means controls the rice cooking process in a case where the heat retention process is executed subsequently to the rice cooking process on a condition different from a control condition in the rice cooking process that does not require heat retention.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present application relates to a rice cooker, and more particularly to a rice cooker that allows delicious rice to be eaten even when a heat-retaining process is subsequently performed after the rice-cooking process.

In recent years, a rice cooker has a microcomputer that controls the energizing current to an IH coil and a heater, which are heating means, based on the temperature of the inner pot detected by a temperature sensor arranged around the inner pot. By finely adjusting the temperature of the inner pot in each of the rice cooking processes such as the heating process, the boiling process (boiling process), the re-cooking process, and the steaming process, the user's You can cook delicious rice according to your taste.

In addition, as a means of cooking more delicious rice, the lid is equipped with a pressure valve that can adjust the pressure inside the inner pot. Rice cookers to which a pressure rice cooking technology is applied to maintain the internal pressure at a high pressure state of 1 atm or more and maintain a boiling state at a higher temperature are also widespread.

Furthermore, the rice cooker has a heat retention function that maintains the cooked rice at a predetermined temperature for a certain period of time. After cooking, the remaining rice can be kept warm.

As a rice cooker equipped with a heat retention function to keep rice warm after cooking, a learning function is added to the heat retention control of the rice cooker. A rice cooker has been proposed that controls a heat retention end time, a heat retention temperature, etc. according to user's preference (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2006-286

According to the technology described in Patent Document 1, the heat retention process is controlled in accordance with the user's eating habits pattern based on the user's usage history. You can eat rice.

On the other hand, there is a deep-rooted image that rice after being kept warm is inferior in taste to rice immediately after being cooked, and there is a demand from users that they want to eat rice after being kept warm just as delicious as freshly cooked rice. be.

The present invention solves the problems of the conventional rice cooker having a heat retaining function, and provides a rice cooker capable of providing deliciously edible rice after the heat retaining process executed following the rice cooking process. for the purpose.

In order to solve the above problems, the rice cooker disclosed in the present application includes a rice cooker body having an inner pot for putting the food to be cooked, an inner pot housing portion for removably housing the inner pot, and the inner pot housing portion. A lid body that can be opened and closed, a heating means for heating the inner pot, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the inner pot, and a rice cooking process in which the heating means is controlled based on temperature information from the temperature sensor. and a control means for executing a heat retention process, wherein the control means controls the rice cooking process when the heat retention process is subsequently performed after completion under conditions different from the control conditions in the rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention. It is characterized by controlling.

In the rice cooker disclosed in the present application, when the heat-retaining process is executed following the rice-cooking process, the control means controls the rice-cooking process under conditions different from the control conditions in the rice-cooking process that does not assume heat-retaining. By doing so, it is possible to provide rice in a nearly ideal cooked state after the heat-retaining step is completed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the rice cooker concerning embodiment. It is a sectional view showing composition of a rice cooker concerning an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a comparison of rice cooking conditions in a rice cooking process that emphasizes the state of rice after the end of a heat retention process and a rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention in the rice cooker according to the embodiment. It is an image chart showing the taste of rice in terms of the correlation between the hardness and stickiness of the rice. In the rice cooker according to the embodiment, the rice cooked in the rice cooking process in which the control is performed when the heat retention process is executed after the end, and the rice cooked in the rice cooking process not premised on heat retention, after heat retention. It is a radar chart which compares and shows the result of a taste test. Shapes of rice cooked in a rice cooking process in which control is performed in the rice cooker according to the embodiment when the heat retention process is performed and rice cooked in a rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention, after heat retention for 16 hours. is a diagram showing a comparison.

The rice cooker disclosed in the present application includes an inner pot for containing the food to be cooked, a rice cooker main body having an inner pot housing section for detachably housing the inner pot, and a lid body that covers the inner pot housing section so that it can be opened and closed. a heating means for heating the inner pot; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the inner pot; and a rice cooking process and a heat retaining process for controlling the heating means based on temperature information from the temperature sensor. The control means controls the rice cooking process when the heat retaining process is subsequently executed after completion under conditions different from the control conditions in the rice cooking process not premised on heat retaining.

With the above configuration, the rice cooker disclosed in the present application executes the rice cooking process under control conditions that take into consideration that the heat retention process is executed following the rice cooking process. Therefore, it is possible to provide delicious rice in a state closer to the ideal after the heat-retaining step is completed.

In the rice cooker disclosed in the present application, at least one of the water absorption process, the temperature raising process, the cooking process, and the re-cooking process in the rice cooking process when the heat retention process is performed subsequent to the end of the rice cooker. It is preferable that the control conditions are obtained by multiplying the control conditions in the rice cooking process, which is not a prerequisite, by a predetermined parameter. By doing so, it is possible to easily set a rice cooking program that considers the heat retention time based on the rice cooking program that does not assume heat retention.

The predetermined parameter in the water absorption step is to lower the water absorption temperature and lengthen the water absorption time, and the predetermined parameter in the temperature raising step is to shorten the temperature raising time. Preferably, the predetermined parameter in the cooking step is to change the cooking time to be shorter, and the predetermined parameter in the re-cooking step is to change the heating power to be weaker. . Furthermore, it is preferable that the predetermined parameter has a large value according to the length of the heat retention time.

In addition, it is preferable that the control conditions in the rice cooking process when the heat retention process is subsequently executed after the completion of the rice cooking process are predetermined separately from the rice cooking conditions in the rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention. By doing so, it is possible to reliably perform control in the rice cooking process on the premise that the heat retaining process will be performed after completion, separately from the rice cooking process not on the premise of keeping warm.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the control means has a function of judging the length of the heat retention time in the heat retention process based on the user's past usage. By doing so, the rice cooking process and the heat retaining process can be executed under desired conditions without the user having to set the heat retaining time.

The control means can be set by the user so as not to perform control under conditions different from the control conditions in the rice cooking process that does not presuppose heat retention as the rice cooking process in the case where the heat retention process is subsequently executed after the completion of the rice cooking process. is preferred. By doing so, it is possible to easily cancel the execution of the rice cooking process under different control conditions on the premise that the heat retaining process is thoroughly performed according to the user's preference.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the control means changes the operating conditions in the heat retaining step based on the rice cooking conditions performed in the rice cooking step. By doing so, it is possible to make the rice more delicious after the end of the heat-retaining process.

Hereinafter, as an embodiment of the rice cooker disclosed in the present application, a rice cooker that cooks rice under pressure by adjusting the pressure inside the inner pot with a pressure valve will be described as an example. The rice cooker exemplified in this embodiment includes a non-metallic inner pot capable of cooking delicious rice with high heat storage.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker according to this embodiment. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional configuration of the rice cooker according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rice cooker of the present embodiment includes an inner pot 30 for containing rice, water, and various ingredients such as vegetables, beans, and meat in the rice cooking mode with ingredients. , a rice cooker main body 20 capable of accommodating the inner pot 30 in an inner pot accommodating portion 20a, and a lid body 10 covering an upper portion of the inner pot accommodating portion 20a of the rice cooker main body 20 so as to be openable and closable. 1 and 2 both show a state in which the inner pot 30 is housed in the inner pot housing portion 20a and the lid body 10 covering the inner pot housing portion 20a is closed.

The cover 10 has various operation buttons 11 as input means for the user to give various settings to the rice cooker, a liquid crystal panel for displaying the operation status of the operation buttons 11, the operation status of the rice cooker, and other functions. A display section 12 formed by an image display panel is arranged. The operation buttons 11 are buttons for instructing operations such as a rice cook button and a keep warm button, a cooking menu such as a white rice cooking mode and a rice cooking mode with ingredients, and setting the length of the keep warm time and the timer for starting rice cooking. It contains various switches, including a menu button to activate.

The lid 10 is provided with a pressure valve 14 which is a pressure adjusting means capable of regulating the pressure inside the inner pot 30 to a predetermined pressure of one atmosphere or more when the lid 10 is closed.

FIG. 2 shows a ball-shaped pressure valve as an example of the pressure valve 14 of the rice cooker of the present embodiment. Although only one ball-shaped pressure valve 14 is shown in FIG. 2 due to the cut surface, there are two types of ball-shaped pressure valves with different weights and restricting means for restricting the operation of these two pressure valves. By providing the pressure inside the inner pot, there are three types of pressure: a high pressure state with the highest pressure, a low pressure state with a pressure lower than the high pressure state but higher than the atmospheric pressure, and a one pressure state with the atmospheric pressure. state can be

When pressure valves are used as the pressure regulating means, the number and shape of the valves are not limited to those described above. , two, or three or more. Furthermore, as the pressure adjusting means, in addition to using a valve, for example, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure inside the inner pot and a piezo element for appropriately opening and closing operations based on the pressure value detected by this pressure sensor. Various forms are conceivable, such as using an electric element such as a vent opening using various mechanically operated opening and closing means.

When the pressure valve 14 is opened to reduce the pressure inside the inner pot 30, the steam generated inside the inner pot 30 is regulated via the pressure regulating cap 13 formed on the upper surface of the lid 10. The steam is discharged to the outside through a steam discharge port 13a formed in the pressure cap 13. As shown in FIG. Since the pressure regulating cap 13 is formed inside the lid 10 and is connected to the path 15 directed toward the inner pot 30, the steam that has risen to the pressure regulating cap 13 during pressure cooking is gas-liquid inside the pressure regulating cap 13. The separated "oneba" is returned to the inner pot 30. - 特許庁

A lock button 16 is provided at the center of the front side of the upper surface of the lid 10. When the lock button 16 is pushed while the lid 10 is closed, the lid 10 is unlocked, and the lid is opened by a spring mechanism (not shown). The entire body 10 is designed to open to the rear (backward) side in FIG. From the viewpoint of enhancing safety, even if the user accidentally touches the lock button 16 during the rice cooking process, the lock will not be released. It can be set not to open.

As shown in FIG. 2, an operation circuit connected to various operation buttons 11, a drive circuit for outputting an image displayed on the display unit 12, and the like are provided in a portion located below the display unit 12 inside the lid 10. A circuit section 17 containing is arranged. In the rice cooker of the present embodiment, a control circuit (not shown) including a microcomputer executes a rice cooking process according to a predetermined rice cooking program according to a rice cooking mode set by a user and a heat retention program for a heat retention process. ) on the circuit board forming the circuit section 17 . In addition, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, various setting conditions of the rice cooking program executed by the control means, various parameters multiplied by the conditions of the rice cooking process according to the length of the heat retention time, and application conditions of each parameter. Storage means (not shown) for storing various data such as various conditions referred to when executing the rice cooking program and the heat retention program such as the threshold value, user information such as the user's usage history, etc. is also arranged in the circuit section 17 there is

In the rice cooker of this embodiment, a control circuit including a microcomputer arranged in the circuit section 17 controls power supply to the heating means 23 (23a, 23b, 23c) based on the output from the temperature sensor described later. , the temperature of the inner pot 30 is controlled, and the pressure valve 14, which is the pressure adjusting means, is controlled to adjust the pressure inside the inner pot 30 to a predetermined value.

It is only an example that the control circuit, which is the control means for controlling the heating means and the pressure adjustment means, and other electric circuit components are arranged in the circuit portion 17 below the display portion 12 . In some cases, the adjustment of the heating means and the adjustment of the pressure adjusting means are performed by electric circuits mounted on separate circuit boards. For example, it may be arranged on a circuit board arranged inside the rice cooker main body 20 instead of below the display section 12 in the rice cooker 10 .

The lid body 10 is rotated with respect to the rice cooker body 20 by a hinge mechanism 21 arranged at the upper part of the position corresponding to the rear side of the rice cooker body 20 as seen from the user, thereby opening and closing the inner pot housing portion 20a. can be done. When the lid 10 is closed, a lock mechanism (not shown in FIG. 2) interlocking with the lock button 16 fixes the lid 10 firmly pressed against the upper surface of the rice cooker main body 20 .

When the lid 10 and the main body 20 of the rice cooker are firmly pressed together and fixed, the packing material 18 arranged on the inner surface of the lid 10 is placed near the upper end of the inner surface 30a of the inner pot 30 and inside the inner surface 30a. The lid body 10 can close the upper opening of the inner pot 30 in an airtight state by coming into contact with the upper end surface portion 30b of the pot 30 . In the rice cooker of the present embodiment, the inner pot 30 is biased toward the lid body 10 by the elastic support mechanism 22 arranged at the bottom of the inner pot accommodating portion 20a, so that the airtight state can be reliably maintained. The inside of the inner pot 30 can be brought to a predetermined high pressure state of one atmosphere or more, such as 1.25 atmospheres.

A first work coil 23a, a second work coil 23b, and a side heater 23c as heating means 23 are provided on the bottom and side surfaces of the inner pot accommodating portion 20a of the rice cooker main body 20. As shown in FIG.

The first work coil 23 a is arranged on the back side of the bottom surface of the inner pot accommodating portion 20 a so as to face the bottom surface 31 of the inner pot 30 . A center sensor 24, which is a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the center of the bottom surface of the inner pot housing portion 20a, is arranged at the center of the bottom surface of the inner pot accommodating portion 20a. It is shaped like a ring (doughnut) with a hole.

The second work coil 23b is arranged to face the inclined portion 33 located at the boundary between the bottom surface 31 and the side surface 32 of the inner pot 30. As shown in FIG. The second work coil 23b also has an annular shape like the first work coil 23a.

These first work coil 23a and second work coil 23b are IH coils, also called high-frequency coils. A heating element (not shown) is arranged on the outer surface side of the portion facing the work coil 23a and the second work coil 23b. The heating element is coated with a metal thin film such as silver or stainless steel, or is formed on the surface of the non-metallic inner pot 30 by transferring a metal foil. The heating elements generate heat by applying current to the first work coil 23a and the second work coil 23b, and the heat generated by the heating elements raises the temperature of the inner pot 30 made of non-metal.

In this embodiment, the heating element is formed on the outer surface of the inner pot 30 at a portion facing the work coils 23a and 23b. It can be placed in any position where it can generate heat to raise the temperature of the non-metallic inner pot 30 .

A side heater 23c is arranged on the back side of the side wall portion of the inner pot accommodating portion 20a facing the side surface 32 of the inner pot 30. As shown in FIG. The side heater 23c generates heat when an electric current flows and heats the inner pot with the radiant heat, and is used to keep the inner pot 30 warm in the heat retaining step after the rice cooking step. In addition, the side heater 23c can be used as means for heating the inner pot 30 together with the first work coil 23a and the second work coil 23b by applying an electric current to the side heater 23c during rice cooking.

In the rice cooker of this embodiment, the first work coil 23a, the second work coil 23b, and the side heater 23c constitute the heating means 23, and the control circuit mounted on the circuit portion 17 of the lid 10 , and the length of time for which the current flows are controlled, thereby turning on and off the heating means 23 and controlling the amount of heat generated when the heating means 23 is turned on. As the heating means 23, in addition to the first work coil 23a, the second work coil 23b, and the side heater 23c, other parts around the inner pot accommodating part 20a and inside the lid body 10, It is also possible to arrange an induction heating coil, a heater, or the like for heating.

In addition, in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, the protective frame disposed at the position facing the bottom portion of the inner pot accommodating portion 20a, specifically, the portion extending from the bottom surface 31 to the inclined portion 33 of the inner pot 30 is the inner pot Furnace member 25 is disposed, which is constructed of a non-metallic material such as ceramic similar to 30 . In this way, by arranging the furnace member 25, which is a non-metallic protective frame, in the inner pot accommodating portion 20a at a position facing the portion of the inner pot 30 where the heating element is arranged, the protective frame portion is Heat resistance is improved as compared with the case of being made of resin. For this reason, a higher temperature can be allowed as the maximum temperature of the inner pot 30, and the heat storage effect of the non-metallic inner pot 30 can be exhibited more strongly. As a result, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment can cook even more delicious rice.

A power cord connected to the power plug 26 shown in FIG. 1, which is connected to a commercial power source to supply power to the rice cooker, is attached to the lower portion of the hinge mechanism 21 arranged on the back side of the rice cooker main body 20. A cord reel 27 to be stored and the like are arranged.

The inner pot 30 used in the rice cooker of the present embodiment is a so-called earthenware pot _whose base is made of pottery. A lithia-based glaze is applied to both surfaces of the base portion, and the outer surface is coated with a silver paste as a heating element. In addition, the inner surface of the inner pot 30 that comes into contact with the food to be cooked is coated with fluorine via an aluminum sprayed film. The configuration of the inner pot 30 is an example, and non-metallic inner pots used as the rice cooker of the present embodiment include non-metallic pots such as ceramic and glass materials, and metal layers such as aluminum and stainless steel. An inner pot or the like coated with a layer of a non-metallic member such as ceramic or hollow glass beads can be preferably used. Furthermore, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a metal inner pot formed of a conventionally well-known laminate of metal layers such as copper, aluminum, and stainless steel can be used as the inner pot.

Further, in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, in addition to the center sensor 24, for example, a portion of the lid body 10 facing the inner pot housing portion 20a, a portion of the rice cooker main body 20 facing the side surface 32 of the inner pot 30, etc. One or more temperature sensors can be arranged. Each temperature sensor, including the center sensor 24 used in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, is a conventionally known various temperature sensor, such as one configured using a thermal electric element represented by a thermistor, as it is. can be used. Further, as described above, a pressure sensor capable of detecting the pressure inside the inner pot accommodating portion 20a may be arranged so that the control means can grasp the numerical value of the pressure inside the inner pot 30. FIG.

It should be noted that the overall shape of the rice cooker of the present embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and the specific configuration and arrangement of each member are merely examples. Various configurations different from those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be employed.

Hereinafter, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the change control of the rice cooking conditions in the rice cooking process when the heat retention process is subsequently executed after the rice cooking process is completed will be described.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operating conditions of the rice cooking process in the rice cooker according to this embodiment.

In FIG. 3, what is shown as a solid line at reference numeral 41 in the figure indicates the temperature and time conditions in the rice cooking process when the heat retention process is executed after the rice cooking process, which is executed in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment. is shown. On the other hand, as a comparative example, the one indicated by the dashed line of reference numeral 42 in FIG. The conditions of temperature and time in the rice cooking process set to be The rice-cooking step shown as a comparative example is a rice-cooking condition set so as to cook rice with a chewy texture that draws out sweetness and stickiness. In FIG. 3, the rice cooking process of the example and the rice cooking process of the comparative example are shown so that the timings at the start of the temperature raising process after the end of the water absorption process are the same.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control conditions in the rice cooking process on the premise of heat retention performed in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment are compared with the control conditions in the rice cooking process of the comparative example. is set lower and the water absorption time is set longer. As an example, when the heat retention time is 16 hours, the temperature of the rice at the end of the water absorption process is set to 42° C., which is about 7° C. lower than 49° C. in the comparative example. In addition, the water absorption time is set to 16 and a half minutes longer than about 6 and a half minutes in the comparative example in the water absorption 2 step in which the temperature of the rice is gradually raised in the latter half of the water absorption step to promote water absorption.

By doing so, the cooked rice has a firmer and crisper texture than the rice cooked in the rice cooking process of the comparative example.

In the next temperature raising step, in the rice cooking step assuming heat retention performed in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, the control conditions in the rice cooking step of the comparative example are compared with the heating means in the temperature raising step. The power is increased to control the temperature (eg 100° C.) at which the cooking process is started in a short period of time. As a more specific example of changing the control conditions, when the heat retention time is 16 hours, the amount of electricity supplied to the work coils 23a and 23b, which are heating means, is set to 85% of the 80% in the comparative example. As a result, as an example, the time required for the temperature raising process is shortened from about 3 minutes in the comparative example to less than 2 minutes.

By executing the rice cooking process with a short heating process time in this way, it is possible to reduce the amount of sticky rice that flows out during the heating process, and suppress the cooking of sticky rice that tends to deteriorate when kept warm. can do.

In the next cooking process, in the rice cooking process that assumes heat retention performed by the rice cooker of the present embodiment, the amount of electric power supplied to the heating means is the same as compared to the control conditions in the rice cooking process of the comparative example. (60% as an example), the time for the cooking process is shortened from about 4 and a half minutes in the comparative example to a little less than 4 minutes as an example.

By shortening the time of the cooking process in this way, it is possible to prevent the formation of scorched rice, which easily deteriorates during heat retention, while cooking thoroughly.

In the subsequent reheating process, the electric power supplied to the heating means is set to be low, and the reheating time is controlled to be longer. As an example, in the rice cooking process that is performed in the rice cooker of the present embodiment on the premise of heat retention, the duty ratio of the power supplied to the work coils 23a and 23b is reduced from a little over 1/2 of the comparative example to less than 1/2. do. In order to reduce the duty ratio of the electric power supplied in the reheating process, the time of the reheating process is set slightly longer.

In this way, by reducing the heating power in the re-cooking process, it is possible to prevent the formation of scorched rice, which tends to deteriorate during heat retention, while cooking thoroughly.

As described above, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, after the rice cooking process is completed, the control means continuously controls the control conditions after the rice cooking process, which is different from the control conditions in the rice cooking process of the comparative example in which rice with a chewy texture is cooked. Condition control in the rice cooking process is performed on the premise that the heat retention process is performed at the same time. By doing so, even when the rice is kept warm for, for example, 16 hours after the completion of cooking, the rice grains are tense, and when put into the mouth, the rice grains are easily loosened and the rice grains can be felt. To realize delicious rice. can be done.

Here, as the taste of rice, the position of rice that the rice cooker disclosed in the present application aims to achieve when the rice cooking process is completed will be described.

FIG. 4 is an image chart showing the correlation between the taste of rice and the hardness and stickiness of the rice as indicators.

As shown in FIG. 4, rice with a high degree of softness and stickiness is expressed as a taste that is "sticky". On the other hand, rice that is soft and less sticky is described as having a crisp taste. On the other hand, the rice cooked in the rice cooker of the present embodiment, which can be eaten deliciously even after being kept warm on the premise that it is kept warm, is preferably positioned as indicated by the star (reference numeral 51) in FIG. It is a rice with a stronger crisp taste. This is derived from the knowledge obtained by the inventor that it is preferable to suppress the softness and stickiness in order to realize rice that does not easily deteriorate even if it is kept warm and that can maintain a state similar to that immediately after cooking. is.

FIG. 5 shows rice after cooking in the rice cooking process changed on the premise that it will be kept warm by the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, and rice cooked in the rice cooking process that does not assume keeping warm. All the results of the taste test after keeping warm for 16 hours are shown as a radar chart.

In FIG. 5, the rice cooked in the rice-cooking process of cooking white rice evaluated as having a chewy taste after cooking, which is shown as a comparative example in FIG. Fig. 3 shows the results of sensory tests on the rice cooker according to Fig. 3, which was subjected to the rice cooking process changed on the premise of keeping warm as shown in Fig. 3, followed by the keeping warm process for 16 hours. In addition, in the heat-retaining step, the temperature was kept at 72° C., which is considered to be a general heat-retaining condition, for 16 hours continuously.

There were 30 evaluators of the sensory test, and they were asked to give answers out of 5 for each item of "whiteness", "shape", "size", "aroma", "sweetness", "stickiness", "elasticity" and "softness". . In FIG. 5, the average value of the results of the sensory test by 30 people is used as the evaluation value for each rice, and the evaluation value for rice cooked in a program that cooks sticky rice, which is a comparative example, and kept warm for 16 hours. As a standard (evaluation point = 3 points), the evaluation result of rice that has been cooked in the rice cooker shown in this embodiment and kept warm is shown.

As shown in FIG. 5, there is no significant difference in the whiteness and size of the appearance, and the elasticity of the rice. And the evaluation numerical value in the item of stickiness is getting smaller. For this reason, compared to rice cooked in a rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention and kept warm, the rice cooked and kept warm by the rice cooker according to the present embodiment is too soft, which is characteristic of rice after keeping warm. In addition, it is not sticky rice, and it can be understood that the rice grains are firm and can be easily melted in the mouth, maintaining a firm texture.

In addition, from the evaluation value of the shape of the rice, the rice cooked in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment maintained a good shape even after being kept warm, compared to the rice cooked in the rice cooking process that did not assume keeping warm. It is an evaluation result that

FIG. 6 shows photographs of the appearance of rice after being kept warm for 16 hours under different control conditions in the rice cooking process.

The rice cooked in the rice cooking process changed on the premise that it will be kept warm by the rice cooker according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. It keeps a solid appearance. On the other hand, it can be confirmed that the appearance of the rice is destroyed when the rice cooked in the rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention as shown in FIG. 6B is kept warm for 16 hours.

As described above, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the rice is cooked in the rice cooking process in which the control conditions are changed on the premise that the rice is kept warm. It was confirmed that rice with a good appearance was obtained.

In the above embodiment, as a control condition in the rice cooking process when the heat retention process is executed after completion, heat retention is not assumed in all four processes of the water absorption process, the temperature raising process, the cooking process, and the re-cooking process. An example is shown that is changed from the control conditions in the rice cooking process. However, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the change of the control conditions in the rice cooking process assuming heat retention is not limited to changing all of the above four processes, and the "water absorption process", "heating process", and " At least one or more of the four processes of the boiling process and the re-cooking process may be performed.

In addition, the control conditions in the rice cooking process when the heat retaining process is executed may be stored in the storage means of the circuit unit as those exclusively for the case of keeping warm, but the control conditions in the rice cooking process may be Different rice cooking conditions are set depending on the type and amount of rice and the user's preference, and also corresponding to variations of the rice to be cooked, such as special rice with ingredients, barley rice, and the like. Further, in this state, it is not preferable to separately store the control conditions in the rice cooking process on the premise of keeping the temperature warm, as this directly leads to an increase in the capacity of the storage means.

Therefore, parameters that quantify the direction and amount of change in the control conditions in each partial process that makes up the rice cooking process are defined, and the control conditions such as temperature, time, and heat power in the rice cooking process that does not assume heat retention are set. It is preferable to execute the rice cooking process on the premise of heat retention by multiplying the numerical value of the rice by this parameter. In particular, when the degree of change in the control conditions increases as the heat retention time lengthens, compared to the case where different rice cooking conditions are stored in the storage means according to the length of the heat retention time, only the parameters and their sizes are stored. Additional storage makes it possible to cope with this, and the effect of reducing the storage capacity is extremely large.

It should be noted that the term "multiplication" here is not limited to obtaining changed conditions by multiplying (or dividing) a predetermined change coefficient literally, but also subtraction, addition, etc. It is an expression that includes everything that is used to change the condition.

For example, in the water absorption process, the control conditions are changed such that the water absorption temperature is lowered and the water absorption time is lengthened in the rice cooking process that assumes heat retention as described above. Therefore, in the case of long-term heat retention such as 16 hours (for example, 15 hours or more), the temperature at the end of the water absorption process is lowered by 7 ° C. If the heat retention time is 10 hours to 15 hours, the water absorption process Lower the temperature at the end of the process by 5°C, and if the heat retention time is between 3 and 10 hours, lower the temperature at the end of the water absorption process by 3°C. Set the degree of change from the rice cooking conditions when not using. By doing so, the rice cooking process can be performed in which the rice cooking conditions such as the amount of rice to be cooked, the degree of finish, and the special rice cooking program, which are determined in each rice cooking program, are appropriately changed according to the length of the heat retention time. can be easily implemented.

Similarly, for each of the change to lengthen the water absorption time in the water absorption process, the change to shorten the time in the temperature raising process, the change to shorten the time in the cooking process, and the change to weaken the heat in the re-cooking process, The amount of change corresponding to the length of the heat retention time is set, and only the threshold value for determining the stage of the heat retention time and the amount of change in the heat retention time are stored in a storage means, and the change condition is concretely used for rice cooking. By multiplying the conditions in the program, it is possible to change to a rice cooking program that assumes keeping warm, and then execute that program.

In addition, in changing the control conditions of each process, the number of stages distinguished by the length of the heat retention time does not have to be the same. Moreover, regardless of the length of the heat retention time, it is also possible to set the control conditions to be changed depending on whether it is assumed that the rice is kept warm in the rice cooking process. Regarding the length of the heat retention time, the user can input the expected heat retention time when the rice is cooked, and based on the data of the input heat retention time, the length of the heat retention time after the change is assumed to be a predetermined length. It can be controlled to change to the rice cooking program.

In addition to memorizing the user's normal usage, the length of the heat retention time set by the user is analyzed for each condition such as the day of the week, season, set rice cooking start time, etc., and automatically Alternatively, the user's desired heat retention time may be determined first, and the rice cooking program on the premise of heat retention may be executed. In this case, the heat retention time determined by the control unit of the rice cooker may be notified to the user using a display panel or the like, so that the user can confirm whether or not the heat retention time is assumed to be correct.

Furthermore, regarding the rice cooking result in the rice cooking process in which the control conditions have been changed on the premise of keeping warm, the user's evaluation of the rice after keeping warm can be input, and based on this user's evaluation result, the rice cooking process is performed. It is possible to add a function to finely adjust the degree of change of the control conditions of .

Furthermore, even when the heat retention time is set by the user's own setting or automatically determined, it is possible to provide a function for the user to cancel the change of the control condition in the rice cooking process assuming the heat retention. . By doing so, even if it is assumed that the rice is kept warm, the rice can be cooked in a more delicious state after the completion of the rice cooking process without changing the control conditions in the rice cooking process. For example, when it can be assumed that most of the cooked rice is eaten at the end of the rice cooking process and the amount of rice to be kept warm is small, the user may decide to change the taste of the rice at the end of the rice cooking process after keeping it warm. If you want to place more importance on things than things, you will be able to respond to the user's requests in more detail. Note that even if the user performs an operation to the effect that he/she does not wish to change the control conditions in the rice cooking process that assumes heat retention, the control conditions in the rice cooking process are not completely returned to those that do not assume heat retention. It is also possible to improve the degree of change in the control conditions in the rice cooking process, such as by limiting the amount of change in the control conditions in the rice cooking process.

As described above, in the rice cooker disclosed in the present application, the control conditions in the rice cooking process are changed according to the setting of the heat retention time by the user so that delicious rice can be eaten after the heat retention. The rice cooker disclosed in the present application is based on an unprecedented new technical idea of giving priority to the taste of rice while it is kept warm to achieve delicious rice. In addition, by changing the degree of change of the control conditions in the rice cooking process according to the length of the heat retention time, it is possible to provide more delicious rice after the heat retention process is completed.

By doing so, in the rice cooker disclosed in the present application, it is possible to improve overall user satisfaction, including the deliciousness of the rice after warming. In the above embodiment, a rice cooker that cooks rice in a pressure cooking process in which the temperature inside the inner pot is pressurized to 1 atm or more in the rice cooking process is illustrated, but in the rice cooker disclosed in the present application, the pressure rice cooking process is not essential. do not have.

In addition, the classification of each partial process in the entire rice cooking process and the content of temperature control and pressure control in each partial process shown in the above embodiment are merely examples. As a rice cooker that realizes delicious rice after warming disclosed in the present application, various rice cooking processes including special cooking menus such as cooking rice with ingredients other than the above examples when executing the specific rice cooking process. It is realizable as what cooks rice.

The rice cooker disclosed in the present application is useful as a rice cooker that allows you to eat delicious rice after keeping it warm.

10 lid 11 operation button (input means)
17 circuit part (control means)
20 Rice Cooker Main Body 20a Inner Pot Housing 23 Heating Means 24 Center Sensor (Temperature Sensor)
30 inner pot

Claims (11)

an inner pot into which the food to be cooked is placed;
a rice cooker main body having an inner pot accommodating portion that removably accommodates the inner pot;
a lid body that openably and closably covers the inner pot accommodating portion;
heating means for heating the inner pot;
a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the inner pot;
Control means for controlling the heating means based on temperature information from the temperature sensor to perform a rice cooking process and a heat retention process,
The rice cooker, wherein the control means controls the rice cooking process when the heat retaining process is subsequently executed after the end of the rice cooking process under conditions different from the control conditions in the rice cooking process that does not assume heat retaining. Control conditions in the rice cooking process where at least one of the water absorption process, the temperature raising process, the boiling process, and the re-cooking process in the rice cooking process in which the heat retention process is subsequently executed after completion of the rice cooking process does not presuppose heat retention. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the rice cooker is executed under a control condition obtained by multiplying by a predetermined parameter. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined parameters in said water-absorbing step change the water-absorbing temperature to be lower and the water-absorbing time to be longer. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined parameter in said heating step shortens the heating time. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined parameter in said cooking process shortens the cooking time. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined parameter in said reheating step is to change heating power to be weaker. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein said predetermined parameter has a large value according to the length of heat retention time. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control conditions in the rice cooking process when the heat-retaining process is subsequently executed after completion are predetermined separately from the rice-cooking conditions in the rice-cooking process that does not assume heat retention. 9. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said control means has a function of determining the length of the heat retention time in the heat retention step based on past usage by the user. The control means can be set by the user so as not to perform control under conditions different from the control conditions in the rice cooking process that does not presuppose heat retention as the rice cooking process in the case where the heat retention process is subsequently executed after the completion of the rice cooking process. , The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9. 11. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said control means changes the control conditions in the heat retaining step according to the rice cooking conditions executed in the rice cooking step.

Images