JP2024045433A - rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a rice cooker that can determine whether a pot in which rice is stored during cooking has been cleaned after cooking. [Solution] A rice cooker 1 according to the present disclosure includes a housing 3, a pot 2 that can be stored in and removed from the housing 3, a supply unit 500 that supplies rice and water into the pot 2 stored in the housing 3, a heating unit 81 that heats the pot 2 stored in the housing 3, an estimation unit that outputs estimation information for estimating that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out, and a control unit 20 that executes a rice cooking process that controls the supply unit 500 to supply rice and water into the pot 2 and then controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. If the control unit 20 estimates based on the acquired estimation information that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out since the end of the previous rice cooking process, it executes the next rice cooking process, and if it does not estimate that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out since the end of the previous rice cooking process, it does not execute the next rice cooking process. [Selected Figure] Fig. 12

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

A known conventional rice cooker is a fully automatic rice cooker that integrates the entire process of storing, washing, and cooking rice. A conventional rice cooker includes a storage section for storing rice, a rice washing space for washing the rice, and a rice cooking section (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-220047

Conventional rice cookers are equipped with a mechanism for transferring rice from the storage section to the rice cooking section. It is also conceivable that conventional rice cookers are equipped with a mechanism for supplying water to the rice cooking section. This makes it possible to supply rice and water to the rice cooking section without visually inspecting the inside of the rice cooking section.

In this case, there are the following problems. In other words, in a rice cooker that can supply rice and water to the rice cooking section, rice and water are supplied to the rice cooking section for the next rice cooking with rice remaining in the rice cooking section after rice cooking. may be started. The taste of rice cooked in this manner may be lower than that of rice cooked by supplying rice and water to an empty rice cooking section.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can prevent rice from being cooked with a taste lower than desired in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
A rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A casing and
a pot that can be housed in and removed from the housing;
a supply unit that supplies rice and water into the pot housed in the casing;
a heating unit that heats the pot housed in the housing;
an estimation unit that outputs estimation information for estimating that the rice in the pot has run out;
a control unit that controls the supply unit to supply rice and water into the pot, and then controls the heating unit to heat the pot;
The control unit includes:
Based on the acquired estimated information, if it is estimated that there is no more rice to cook in the pot since the end of the previous rice cooking process, the control unit receives an instruction to start the rice cooking process. performing the next rice cooking step in a normal operation predetermined to be performed when the rice is cooked;
Based on the acquired estimated information, if it is not estimated that the rice in the pot has run out since the end of the previous rice cooking process, the next rice cooking process is not performed, or the normal operation is The following rice cooking process is performed with different operations.

The present invention makes it possible to prevent cooked rice from having a lower taste than desired.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice cooker according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the housing open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing main parts of the rice cooker shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rice cooker in FIG. 1. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the rice container open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the rice cooker 1. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a rice cooking process. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a pot attachment/detachment detection process. The flowchart which shows an example of a pot detection process. 1 is a graph showing a schematic relationship between time (minutes) and temperature (° C.) in pot 2 during the pre-cooking process, the heating process, the boiling process, and the steaming process. Flowchart showing an example of a rice cooking process. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a remaining amount detection process. 1 is a graph showing a schematic relationship between time (minutes) and temperature (° C.) in pot 2 during the pre-cooking process, the heating process, the boiling process, and the steaming process. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a rice cooking process. Flowchart showing an example of a boiling process. 1 is a graph showing a schematic relationship between time (minutes) and temperature (° C.) in pot 2 during the pre-cooking process, the temperature rising process, the boiling process, and the steaming process.

A rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A casing and
a pot that can be housed in and removed from the housing;
a supply unit that supplies rice and water into the pot housed in the casing;
a heating unit that heats the pot housed in the housing;
an estimation unit that outputs estimation information for estimating that the rice in the pot has run out;
a control unit that controls the supply unit to supply rice and water into the pot, and then controls the heating unit to heat the pot;
The control unit includes:
Based on the acquired estimated information, if it is estimated that there is no more rice to cook in the pot since the end of the previous rice cooking process, the control unit receives an instruction to start the rice cooking process. performing the next rice cooking step in a normal operation predetermined to be performed when the rice is cooked;
Based on the acquired estimated information, if it is not estimated that the rice in the pot has run out since the end of the previous rice cooking process, the next rice cooking process is not performed, or the normal operation is The following rice cooking process is performed with different operations.

With this configuration, it is possible to estimate that the rice in the pot has run out based on the estimation information.

If it is not estimated that there is no more rice to cook in the pot, the control unit does not execute the next rice cooking process. This prevents rice and water from being supplied into the pot for the next rice cooking and starting rice cooking while rice remains in the pot. As a result, it is possible to prevent rice from being cooked with a taste lower than desired.

In addition, if it is not estimated that there is no more rice left in the pot, the control unit executes the next cooking process in an operation different from the normal operation. As a result, even if rice cooking is started in a state where rice and water have been supplied to the pot for the next cooking process while there is still rice left in the pot, the control unit changes the operation of the cooking process. This makes it possible to prevent rice with a lower taste than desired from being cooked.

The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a memory unit. The estimation unit may include a storage detection unit that detects whether the pan is stored in the housing. The control unit may store attachment/detachment information in the memory unit when the storage detection unit detects that the pan is not stored in the housing and then detects that the pan is stored in the housing, and when the control unit receives an instruction to start the rice cooking process, if the attachment/detachment information is stored in the memory unit, the control unit may start the rice cooking process, and if the attachment/detachment information is not stored in the memory unit, the control unit may not start the rice cooking process.

According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the pot is removed from the housing after the rice cooking process and then accommodated in the housing again, based on the detection result of the accommodation detection section. If the pot is temporarily removed from the housing, it can be determined that the cooked rice in the pot has been removed. On the other hand, if the pot has not been removed from the housing, it can be determined that the cooked rice in the pot has not been removed. If it is determined that the rice in the pot has not been removed, the rice cooking process will not start, so it is possible to reduce the possibility that rice will be cooked in a pot in which the rice in the pot has not been removed.

The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a non-contained timing unit that counts the time that the pot is not contained in the housing. The control unit may store the detachment information in the memory unit if the time counted by the non-contained timing unit is longer than a preset time, and may not store the detachment information in the memory unit if the time counted by the non-contained timing unit is shorter than the preset time.

For example, if a pot is removed from the housing for only a short time, it is unlikely that the cooked rice in the pot has been removed. With this configuration, if the pot is removed from the housing for only a short time, it can be determined that the cooked rice in the pot has not been removed.

The estimation unit may include a remaining amount detection unit that detects whether there is more cooked rice in the pot than a preset amount. Furthermore, when the control unit receives an instruction to start the rice cooking process, if the remaining amount detection unit does not detect that there is more cooked rice in the pot than the set amount, the control unit may start the rice cooking process, and if the remaining amount detection unit detects that there is more cooked rice in the pot than the set amount, the control unit may not start the rice cooking process.

According to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not there is more cooked rice in the pot than the set amount based on the detection result of the remaining amount detection section. If there is more rice to be cooked in the pot than the set amount, the rice cooking process will not start, so it is possible to reduce the possibility that rice will be cooked in the pot containing the rice to be cooked.

The remaining amount detection unit may be an infrared sensor that irradiates infrared rays into the pot and receives reflected light of the infrared rays. Further, the control unit may determine whether there is more cooked rice in the pot than the set amount based on the intensity of reflected light incident on the infrared sensor.

The remaining amount detection unit may be an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves into the pot and receives the reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves. The control unit may also determine whether there is more cooked rice in the pot than the set amount based on the time it takes for the ultrasonic sensor to transmit ultrasonic waves and receive the reflected waves.

The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a notification section. Furthermore, when the control unit determines not to start the rice cooking process, the control unit may control the notification unit to notify information indicating that the rice cooking process is not started.

According to this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that there is still cooked rice in the pot after cooking the rice.

The rice cooking process may include a temperature rise process in which the heating unit heats the pot to raise the temperature inside the pot. The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a temperature rise timing unit that counts the time from the start of the temperature rise process. The estimation unit may also include a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the bottom of the pot. The control unit may also reduce the heating intensity of the heating unit in a process after the temperature rise process if the time counted by the temperature rise timing unit until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor in the temperature rise process reaches a preset temperature is longer than a preset temperature rise time.

If rice and water are newly supplied to the pot while the cooked rice remains in the pot, there will be a larger amount of rice and water in the pot than expected. When the rice cooking process is performed in this state, it takes longer than usual for the temperature at the bottom of the pot to reach the set temperature. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to determine whether a larger amount of rice and water than expected is present in the pot based on whether or not the time counted by the temperature rise timer is longer than the temperature rise time. can.

In addition, if the rice cooking process is performed when there is more rice and water than expected in the pot, there is a risk that the rice and water in the pot will overflow out of the pot due to the water boiling, etc. With this configuration, when the rice cooking process is performed in this state, the heating intensity of the heating unit is weakened, so that the overflow of rice and water in the pot can be reduced.

The rice cooking step may include a temperature raising step of heating the pot with the heating section to raise the temperature inside the pot. The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention further includes a lid body that covers an opening of the pot, a pressure valve that opens and closes a hole that communicates between the inside of the pot and the lid body, and a start of execution of the temperature raising step. The heating unit may further include a temperature rise timer for counting the time from . Moreover, the estimation unit may include a temperature sensor that detects the temperature at the bottom of the pot. The control unit is configured such that the time counted by the temperature increase timer is a preset temperature increase time until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches a preset temperature in the temperature increase step. If it is longer, the pressure valve may be maintained in an open state by controlling the pressure valve in a step after the temperature raising step.

In a pressure rice cooker equipped with a pressure valve, the pressure inside the pot can be made higher than atmospheric pressure by closing the pressure valve. In this state, the pressure inside the pot is instantly reduced to atmospheric pressure by opening the pressure valve. At this time, explosive boiling occurs inside the pot. However, if rice and water are newly added to the pot without removing the food in the pot, more rice and water than expected will be present in the pot. If the pressure valve is closed during the rice cooking process in this state, the rice and water in the pot may overflow from the pot due to the explosive boiling. With this configuration, when the rice cooking process is performed in the above state, the pressure valve is maintained in an open state, so the explosive boiling does not occur. This makes it possible to reduce the overflow of rice and water in the pot.

The control unit may determine the heating intensity of the heating unit in the next heating process based on the time counted by the heating timer unit until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor in the heating process reaches a preset temperature.

When a large number of rice cookers are manufactured, there is a possibility that the time required for the temperature inside the pot to reach the set temperature in the heating process varies from one rice cooker to another. According to this configuration, when the above-mentioned time is long, the heating intensity of the heating section in the next temperature raising step can be increased. Moreover, when the above-mentioned time is short, the heating intensity of the heating part in the next temperature raising process can be weakened. By changing the heating intensity of the heating section in this manner, the above-mentioned variation in time between rice cookers can be corrected.

The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a rice container that stores rice. Further, the supply unit may supply rice contained in the rice container into the pot.

With this configuration, rice is stored in a rice container that is included in the rice cooker. Therefore, there is no need to provide a rice container separately from the rice cooker.

The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include a water container that stores water. The supply unit may supply rice contained in the water container into the pot.

According to this configuration, water is stored in the water container included in the rice cooker. Therefore, construction work for water supply and drainage is not required when installing the rice cooker.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. A first embodiment, a second embodiment, and a third embodiment are described herein. Each of the first embodiment, second embodiment, and third embodiment is one aspect of the present invention, and is only an example of the present invention. First, configurations common to each embodiment will be explained. Next, each embodiment will be described. Note that each embodiment does not necessarily have to include all of the common configurations. That is, each embodiment should just be equipped with at least the structure required for execution of the rice cooking process in each embodiment among common structures.

<Configuration common to each embodiment>
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice cooker according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the housing open. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the rice cooker of Fig. 1. In Figs. 3 and 4, some of the components of the rice cooker have been removed in order to show the internal structure of the rice cooker. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the VI-VI direction of Fig. 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the rice cooker 1 includes a bottomed cylindrical pot 2, a housing 3 that houses the pot 2, an upper frame 4, a lower frame 5, and an upper frame 4. The rice cooker 1 includes an arranged hinge part 6, a lid body 7, a heating unit 8, and a control part 20 that controls the operation of the rice cooker 1 as a whole.

The pot 2 shown in FIG. 4 can be removed from the housing 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 3 is arranged to face the outer periphery of the pot 2 with a gap therebetween. The upper frame 4 and the control unit 20, etc. are arranged in the gap.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the upper frame 4 constitutes the upper part of the housing 3. As shown in FIGS. The upper frame 4 is provided so as to cover between the housing 3 and the pot 2 in plan view. In other words, the upper frame 4 has an insertion opening 41 into which the pot 2 is inserted at the center in a plan view. The pot 2 can be inserted into the insertion port 41 from above. Thereby, the pot 2 is accommodated in the housing 3 (see FIG. 2). The pot 2 housed in the housing 3 can be removed upward from the insertion port 41. Thereby, the pot 2 is removed from the housing 3.

The lower frame 5 forms the lower part of the housing 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper frame 4 and the lower frame 5 protrude in the width direction with respect to portions of the housing 3 other than the upper frame 4 and the lower frame 5. The width direction is the left-right direction when the rice cooker 1 is viewed from the front. The projecting portion of the upper frame 4 is formed with an opening into which a rice container 100, which will be described later, is inserted. The protruding portion of the lower frame 5 supports a rice container 100, which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the cover 7 is attached to the hinge portion 6. The cover 7 can rotate around the hinge portion 6. The cover 7 is supported by the housing 3 so that it can rotate.

The lid body 7 is rotatable between a pot open position shown in FIG. 2 and a pot closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

When the lid body 7 rotates, the pivot tip 7A of the lid body 7 moves toward and away from the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. In other words, the lid body 7 covers the opening 2A (see FIG. 2) of the pot 2 in an openable and closable manner. The hinge portion 6 is disposed at the rear of the rice cooker 1. Therefore, the pivot tip 7A of the lid body 7 is located at the front of the rice cooker 1. As a result, when the lid body 7 rotates to the pot open position, the front of the rice cooker 1 opens (see FIG. 2). This allows the user to easily access the pot 2 and serve rice.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the lid 7 is in the pot open position, the rotating tip 7A of the lid 7 is separated from the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. At this time, the lid 7 exposes the pot 2 upward.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, when the lid body 7 is in the pot closing position, the pivoting tip 7A of the lid body 7 is supported by the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. At this time, the lid body 7 covers the opening 2A (see Figure 2) of the pot 2 from above. As shown in Figure 2, the lid body 7 has an engaging portion 71, and the upper frame 4 of the housing 3 has a mated portion 42. When the lid body 7 is in the pot closing position shown in Figures 1 and 6, the engaging portion 71 and the mated portion 42 engage with each other. This prevents the lid body 7 from unintentionally separating from the upper frame 4 of the housing 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rice cooker 1 includes a heating unit 8. The heating unit 8 includes a heating section 81 that heats the pot 2 housed in the housing 3, and a holding section 82 that holds the heating section 81.

The heating unit 81 is, for example, an induction heating (IH) type heating device. An induction heating (IH) type heating device includes a heating coil. The induction heating (IH) type heating device generates an eddy current in the metal pot 2 using a high frequency magnetic field generated when a high frequency current is passed through a heating coil. Thereby, the pot 2 is heated. The heating unit 81 is located below the pot 2. In this embodiment, the heating part 81 covers the lower surface of the pot 2 and the lower part of the outer surface of the pot 2.

The holding part 82 includes an overheat protection frame 821 and a protection frame cover 822. The overheat protection frame 821 covers the lower surface of the pot 2 from below and the outer surface of the pot 2 from the sides. The lower part of the overheat protection frame 821 is located between the pot 2 and the heating section 81. The protective frame cover 822 covers the lower surface of the pot 2 from below and the side surfaces of the pot 2 from the sides. The protective frame cover 822 covers the heating section 81 from below and from the sides. The protective frame cover 822 and the overheat protection frame 821 hold the heating section 81 in a sandwiched manner.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is a pressure type rice cooker that cooks rice by pressurizing the inside of the pot 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the VII-VII direction of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 7, a pressure valve 15 is provided inside the lid 7. The pressure valve 15 operates to open and close a hole 14 that connects the inside of the pot 2 to the inside of the lid 7 according to the control of the control unit 20. The inside of the lid 7 is connected to the outside of the rice cooker 1. In other words, when the hole 14 is opened by the pressure valve 15, the inside of the pot 2 is connected to the outside of the rice cooker 1. On the other hand, when the hole 14 is closed by the pressure valve 15, the inside of the pot 2 is isolated from the outside of the rice cooker 1 and the inside of the pot 2 is sealed. In this state, when the water in the pot 2 boils, the inside of the pot 2 is pressurized.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is an automatic rice cooker that automatically transfers rice and water to a pot 2 to cook rice. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rice cooker 1 includes a rice container 100 that stores rice, a water container 300 that stores water, and a pot 2 that is housed in the housing 3. A supply section 500 for supplying rice and water is provided. The supply unit 500 includes a rice feeding unit 200 that supplies the rice contained in the rice container 100 into the pot 2, and a water feeding unit 400 that supplies water contained in the water container 300 into the pot 2.

According to this embodiment, rice is stored in the rice container 100 provided in the rice cooker 1. Therefore, there is no need to provide the rice container 100 separately from the rice cooker 1.

According to this embodiment, water is stored in the water container 300 included in the rice cooker 1. Therefore, construction work for water supply and drainage when installing the rice cooker 1 is not necessary.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rice container 100 is supported by the lower frame 5 of the housing 3. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the rice container 100 includes a container body 110, a tube portion 120, an outer cover 140, and a lid body 150.

The container body 110 has a box shape that is open upward. Rice is stored in the internal space 111 (see FIG. 4) of the container body 110.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 8, the container body 110 has an inclined side surface 112A at the lower part of the rear inner side surface 112. The inclined side surface 112A is inclined so that the length of the container body 110 in the front-rear direction gradually decreases downward when viewed in the width direction of the rice cooker 1. The front-rear direction is a direction perpendicular to the front surface 3A of the housing 3 (see Figures 1 and 5) and extends vertically on the paper surface of Figure 5. The width direction is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction and extends horizontally on the paper surface of Figure 5. In this embodiment, the inclined side surface 112A constituting the lower part of the rear inner side surface 112 of the rice container 100 is inclined, while the front inner side surface 113 of the container body 110 facing the rear inner side surface 112 (see Figure 4) is not inclined.

The inclined side surface 112A may be formed not only on the lower part of the rear inner surface 112, but also from the lower part to the rest of the lower part. For example, the inclined side surface 112A may be formed from the upper end to the lower end of the rear inner surface 112. The front inner surface 113 of the container body 110 may be inclined, or both the rear inner surface 112 and the front inner surface 113 of the container body 110 may be inclined. Rice supplied to the internal space 111 of the container body 110 slides down the inclined side surface 112A and collects downward.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cylindrical portion 120 constitutes the upper part of the rice container 100. The cylindrical portion 120 extends upward from the upper end of the container body 110. That is, the cylindrical portion 120 extends in the vertical direction. The cylindrical portion 120 is open on the lower side and the upper side. The internal space of the cylindrical part 120 communicates with the internal space 111 of the container body 110 via the opening on the lower side of the cylindrical part 120. The internal space of the cylindrical portion 120 communicates with the outside via an input port 121 that is an opening on the upper side of the cylindrical portion 120 . Rice is supplied from the input port 121 to the internal space 111 of the container body 110 via the internal space of the cylindrical portion 120 .

The cylindrical portion 120 and the container body 110 are integrally formed. The cylindrical portion 120 and the container body 110, which are integrally formed, are inserted into an opening formed in the protruding portion of the upper frame 4. As a result, the container body 110 is positioned below the upper frame 4, and the cylindrical portion 120 is positioned above the upper frame 4. Therefore, the input port 121 of the cylindrical portion 120 is positioned above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. In addition, the input port 121 of the cylindrical portion 120 is positioned above the pot 2 inserted into the insertion port 41 of the upper frame 4. Note that the cylindrical portion 120 and the container body 110 may be integrally formed with the upper frame 4.

With the above configuration, the upper frame 4 projects from the lower end of the outer surface of the side wall 122 of the cylindrical portion 120 to the outside of the cylindrical portion 120 in plan view.

The outer cover 140 shown in FIG. 1 covers the sides of the container body 110 (see FIG. 3). This prevents the container body 110 from being exposed to the outside. On the other hand, the outer cover 140 is located below the tube portion 120 and does not cover the tube portion 120.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the rice container open. As shown in Figures 1 and 9, the lid 150 is attached to the hinge portion 160. As shown in Figures 3 and 9, the hinge portion 160 is disposed behind the tube portion 120. In other words, the hinge portion 160 is disposed at the rear of the rice cooker 1. The hinge portion 160 is supported by the container body 110. The lid 150 can rotate around the hinge portion 160.

The lid body 150 is rotatable between an input port open position shown in FIG. 9 and an input port closed position shown in FIG.

The lid 150 has a box shape that is open at the bottom. The internal space of the lid 150 is larger than the cylindrical part 120 and can accommodate the cylindrical part 120.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the lid body 150 is in the inlet blocking position, the lid body 150 covers the inlet 121 and side wall 122 of the tube portion 120 from above, and houses the tube portion 120. At this time, the lid body 150 blocks the inlet 121. Also, at this time, the inner surface 150A (see FIG. 9) of the lid body 150 faces the side wall 122 of the tube portion 120, and the inner top surface of the lid body 150 faces the inlet 121 of the tube portion 120. The lower end portion 150B of the lid body 150 in the inlet blocking position contacts the upper surface of the upper frame 4 from above. As a result, the lid body 150 in the inlet blocking position is supported by the upper frame 4.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the lid body 150 is in the insertion opening position, the lower end portion 150B of the lid body 150 is separated from the upper frame 4, except for the rear portion connected to the hinge portion 160. At this time, the lid body 150 exposes the tube portion 120 to the outside, and opens the insertion opening 121.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rice feeding section 200 includes a rice measuring section 210 and a rice feeding path 220. The rice measuring section 210 measures the amount of rice supplied from the rice container 100 and supplies the specified amount of rice to the rice feeding route 220. The rice feeding path 220 is a path for transferring the rice supplied from the rice measuring section 210 to the pot 2.

The rice measuring section 210 includes a housing 211 with a built-in measuring blade and a motor 212.

The metering blade is provided in the internal space of the housing 211 and is formed in a spiral shape around an axis extending in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, the metering blade extends in the front-rear direction. The outer periphery of the metering blade is covered by the housing 211.

The motor 212 rotates the metering blade around the axis under the control of the control unit 20 (see FIG. 6). The driving force of the motor 212 is transmitted to the metering blade via a shaft (not shown).

The housing 211 has a rice container outlet. The rice container outlet is a forward-facing opening formed in the housing 211. The internal space of the housing 211 communicates with the internal space 111 of the container body 110 of the rice container 100 via the rice container outlet. The axis of the metering blade intersects with the rice container outlet.

The rice container 100 includes a rice transport blade. The rice transport blade is disposed at the bottom of the internal space 111 of the container body 110. The rice transport blade is formed in a spiral shape around an axis. The axis of the rice transport blade intersects with the rice container outlet. The rice transport blade rotates by receiving a driving force from a motor. As a result, rice stored in the internal space 111 of the container body 110 is supplied to the internal space of the housing 211 through the rice container outlet. In other words, rice is supplied from the rice container 100 to the rice measuring section 210. The axis of the rice transport blade may or may not be coaxial with the measuring blade. The rice transport blade may receive a driving force from the motor 212, like the measuring blade, or may receive a driving force from a motor different from the motor 212.

The housing 211 has a rice feed path inlet. The rice feed path inlet is an opening facing downward formed in the housing 211. The internal space of the housing 211 is in communication with the rice feed path 220 via the rice feed path inlet.

The rice measuring section 210 includes an opening/closing lid that opens and closes the entrance of the rice feeding path. The opening/closing lid can be opened and closed by known means. For example, the opening/closing lid may be opened/closed by transmission of driving force from a motor under control of the control unit 20 (see FIG. 6). Further, for example, the opening/closing lid may be opened/closed by displacement by a cam mechanism according to the rotation of the metering blade.

By rotating around the axis, the metering blade transfers the rice stored in the internal space of the housing 211 toward the entrance of the rice feeding path along the axial direction. At this time, the opening/closing lid is opened and the rice feeding route entrance is opened. Therefore, the rice transferred by the metering blade is supplied to the rice feeding path 220 via the rice feeding path entrance.

In this way, the measuring blade can measure rice while moving it in the axial direction (horizontal direction). The rice to be fed to the rice feeding path 220 is measured, for example, based on the rotation amount or rotation time of the measuring blade. Note that in this embodiment, the rice is transferred horizontally, but the moving direction of the rice is not limited to the horizontal direction. For example, the axial direction of the metering blade is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, so that the metering blade can also cause the rice to be transferred in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction.

The rice sending path 220 is piped from below the rice measuring section 210, facing upward at the rear of the rice cooker 1 to above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3, and is piped approximately horizontally above the upper frame 4 to above the pot 2. One end of the rice sending path 220 is connected to the rice sending path inlet of the housing 211 of the rice measuring section 210. The other end of the rice sending path 220 is connected to the rice separating device 170.

The rice separation device 170 is disposed above the pot 2. The rice separation device 170 is connected to the rice feed path 220 and the exhaust path 180 on the side. The rice separation device 170 is also connected to the inside of the pot 2 on the bottom. The rice separation device 170 is equipped with a rice feed fan. The rice feed fan is an intake fan that transfers the rice and air in the rice feed path 220 to the rice separation device 170 by sucking in the air in the rice feed path 220. The air sucked from the rice feed path 220 into the rice separation device 170 proceeds to the exhaust path 180. The rice sucked from the rice feed path 220 into the rice separation device 170 falls into the pot 2 by its own weight and does not proceed to the exhaust path 180. As a result, the rice and air sucked from the rice feed path 220 into the rice separation device 170 are separated in the rice separation device 170. The air separated in the rice separating device 170 is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker 1 through the exhaust passage 180. The rice separated in the rice separating device 170 is discharged into the inside of the pot 2. Since the structure of the rice separating device 170 for separating the rice and the air is publicly known, further detailed description of the internal structure of the rice separating device 170 will be omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 3, the water container 300 is provided inside the housing 3. The water container 300 has an internal space. Water is stored in the internal space of the water container 300.

The water container 300 is located at the front lower part of the housing 3. The water container 300 is supported by the lower frame 5 of the housing 3. That is, the water container 300 is located above the lower frame 5.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the water container 300 is located below the pot 2 and the heating unit 8. In plan view, the water container 300 overlaps with the pot 2 and the heating unit 8. In this embodiment, a part of the water container 300 overlaps with the pot 2 and the heating unit 8 in plan view, but the entire water container 300 may overlap with the pot 2 and the heating unit 8.

The water container 300 is located next to the rice container 100. In other words, the rice container 100 is located away from the water container 300 in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 3 has an opening/closing door 31. The opening/closing door 31 is provided at the bottom of the front surface 3A of the housing 3. When the opening/closing door 31 is opened, the water container 300 (see FIG. 3) arranged inside the housing 3 is exposed to the outside. The water container 300 is removably stored inside the housing 3. To replenish water, the user can pull the exposed water container 300 forward and remove it.

As shown in FIG. 4, the water supply unit 400 includes a water supply channel 410 for transferring water from the water container 300 to the pot 2, and a water supply pump 420 for moving water.

The water supply channel 410 is piped from the bottom of the water container 300, facing upward at the rear of the rice cooker 1, to above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3, and then piped approximately horizontally above the upper frame 4 to above the pot 2. One end of the water supply channel 410 is connected to the water supply channel inlet 310. The water supply channel inlet 310 is formed in the bottom of the side wall of the water container 300. The internal space of the water container 300 is connected to the water supply channel 410 via the water supply channel inlet 310. The other end of the water supply channel 410 is connected to the inside of the pot 2.

The water supply pump 420 is, for example, a gear pump, a tubing pump, or other pump that can control the direction of water supply. When the water supply pump 420 is driven, the water contained in the water container 300 is supplied to the inside of the pot 2 via the water supply channel 410. The amount of water supplied to the inside of the pot 2 is measured based on, for example, the driving time of the water supply pump 420.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 10, the rice cooker 1 includes a reinforcing member 9.

The reinforcing member 9 is located below the heating unit 8 and above the lower frame 5. In other words, the reinforcing member 9 is located between the heating unit 8 and the lower frame 5 in the vertical direction.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the reinforcing member. As shown in Figure 11, the reinforcing member 9 has a pair of vertical extensions 91 and a horizontal extension 92. In this embodiment, the pair of vertical extensions 91 and the horizontal extension 92 are integrally formed.

As shown in FIG. 10, one of the pair of vertical extension portions 91, vertical extension portion 91A, is located to the right of the water container 300 when the rice cooker 1 is viewed from the front. The other of the pair of vertical extension portions 91, vertical extension portion 91B, is located to the left of the water container 300 when the rice cooker 1 is viewed from the front. In other words, the pair of vertical extension portions 91 are arranged to sandwich the water container 300 in a plan view.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the horizontal extension portion 92 extends in the width direction. One end of the horizontal extension portion 92 in the width direction is connected to the upper end of the vertical extension portion 91A. The other end of the horizontal extension portion 92 in the width direction is connected to the upper end of the vertical extension portion 91B. In other words, the pair of vertical extension portions 91 extend downward from the horizontal extension portion 92.

As shown in FIG. 10, a plate member 18 is connected to the lower part of each of the pair of longitudinally extending portions 91 by screws 19. As shown in FIG. The lower end of the plate member 18 is bent. The lower end of this bent plate member 18 is supported by the lower frame 5 of the housing 3. That is, in this embodiment, the pair of longitudinally extending portions 91 are supported by the lower frame 5 via the plate member 18. Note that the pair of longitudinally extending portions 91 may be directly supported by the lower frame 5.

In the vertical direction, the lateral extension portion 92 is located between the heating unit 8 and the water container 300. In other words, the lateral extension portion 92 is located directly below the heating unit 8 and directly above the water container 300. In further words, the lateral extension portion 92 overlaps with the heating unit 8 and the water container 300 in a plan view.

In this embodiment, the lateral extension portion 92 is curved as shown in FIG. 11. The lateral extension portion 92 includes a pair of inclined portions 921 and a central portion 922. The pair of inclined portions 921 constitute both ends of the lateral extension portion 92 in the width direction. The central portion 922 is located between the pair of inclined portions 921.

An outer end in the width direction of one of the pair of inclined parts 921 is connected to the longitudinally extending part 91A. The outer end in the width direction of the other of the pair of inclined portions 921 is connected to the longitudinally extending portion 91B. An inner end in the width direction of each of the pair of inclined portions 921 is connected to the center portion 922 . Each of the pair of inclined parts 921 is inclined with respect to the width direction so that as it approaches the center part in the width direction, it is located forward. The central portion 922 extends along the width direction.

Because of the above configuration, in plan view, the horizontal extension portion 92 is bent so as to be positioned further forward as it moves away from the vertical extension portion 91, as shown in FIG. 10. In plan view, the horizontal extension portion 92 bent forward is out of the center of the pot 2 and is positioned forward. Note that the horizontal extension portion 92 may also be bent so as to be positioned further backward as it moves away from the vertical extension portion 91.

As shown in FIG. 11, a through hole 93 is formed at the boundary between the central portion 922 and the inclined portion 921 in the laterally extending portion 92. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the holding part 82 of the heating unit 8 includes a supported part 823. The supported portion 823 is formed on the outer surface of the protective frame cover 822 and extends downward. A lower end portion of the supported portion 823 is inserted into a through hole 93 of the laterally extending portion 92 . The supported part 823 includes a large diameter part 823A having a larger diameter than the other part of the supported part 823 above the lower end of the supported part 823. The large diameter portion 823A is supported on the upper surface of the laterally extending portion 92. In other words, the horizontally extending portion 92 supports the holding portion 82 of the heating unit 8 . Note that the position where the through hole 93 is formed is not limited to the above-mentioned position, and the through hole 93 can be formed at any position of the laterally extending portion 92. Further, the supported portion 823 is provided at a position directly above the through hole 93.

In this embodiment, the supported portion 823 is located directly below the pivot tip 7A of the lid body 7 in the pot closing position, as shown in FIG. 6. In other words, when the lid body 7 is in the pot closing position, the through hole 93 formed at the support position for the holding portion 82 of the horizontal extension portion 92 is located directly below the pivot tip 7A. The supported portion 823 may be located directly below the fitting position between the fitting portion 71 of the lid body 7 and the fitting portion 42 of the upper frame 4 of the housing 3.

The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the rice cooker 1. For example, the control unit 20 includes a program stored in a memory unit 25 (see FIG. 12) and a processor 22 (see FIG. 6) that reads and executes the program. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 20 includes a printed circuit board 21 and electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board 21. The electronic components are, for example, the processor 22, the memory unit 25 (see FIG. 12), a heat sink 23, and various other electronic components 24.

The printed circuit board 21 is arranged behind the water container 300 and the pot 2. The surface of the printed circuit board 21 faces backward. The back surface of the printed circuit board 21 faces forward. The processor 22, storage section, heat sink 23, and various other electronic components 24 are mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board 21.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the rice cooker 1. As shown in Fig. 12, the rice cooker 1 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 25, a signal output unit 26, a signal input unit 27, and a communication interface (I/F) 28.

The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the rice cooker 1. Processes such as the rice cooking process described below are executed under the control of the control unit 20.

The storage unit 25 is a recording medium that records various information including programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the rice cooker 1. The storage unit 25 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory, an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk, or other storage device alone or in appropriate combination. The storage unit 25 may also include volatile memory such as a high-speed SRAM or DRAM that temporarily stores various information.

The control unit 20 can be realized in various ways. For example, a processor that cooperates with software to realize a predetermined function may be used as the control unit 20. If a processor is used as the control unit 20, the control unit 20 can execute various processes by reading a program from the storage unit 25 that stores the program and executing it. Since the processing content can be changed by changing the program stored in the storage unit 25, the degree of freedom in changing the control content can be increased. The processor 22 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). Furthermore, wired logic in which the program cannot be rewritten may be used as the control unit 20. Using wired logic as the control unit 20 is effective in improving the processing speed. Examples of wired logic include ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, the control unit 20 may be realized by combining a processor and wired logic. If the control unit 20 is realized by combining a processor and wired logic, the degree of freedom in software design can be increased while improving the processing speed. Furthermore, the control unit 20 and a circuit having a function different from that of the control unit 20 may be configured with a single semiconductor element. Examples of circuits with other functions include A/D and D/A conversion circuits. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may be composed of one semiconductor element, or may be composed of multiple semiconductor elements. When composed of multiple semiconductor elements, each control described in the claims may be realized by a different semiconductor element. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may be composed of a configuration including semiconductor elements and passive components such as resistors or capacitors.

The communication interface 28 may be any interface as long as it enables communication between the rice cooker 1 and an external device. Communication interface 28 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the communication interface 28 may be connected to an external device by wire, or may be connected to an external device wirelessly. A communication interface 28 that connects the device of the present disclosure and an external device by wire is effective in terms of communication security and communication stability. Examples of the wired communication interface 28 include a wired LAN based on the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard or a wired connection using an optical fiber cable. Examples of the wireless connection communication interface 28 include a wireless connection with an external device via a base station or the like, or a direct wireless connection with an external device. Wireless connections with external devices via base stations etc. include, for example, IEEE802.11 compatible wireless LAN that wirelessly communicates with WiFi (registered trademark) routers, 3rd generation mobile communication systems (commonly known as 3G), Examples include a 4th generation mobile communication system (commonly known as 4G), a 5th generation mobile communication system (commonly known as 5G), WiMax (registered trademark) compatible with IEEE 802.16, and LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). Use of the communication interface 28 for directly wirelessly connecting the device of the present disclosure and an external device is effective in improving communication security. Further, by using the communication interface 28 that directly wirelessly connects the device of the present disclosure and an external device, the device of the present disclosure can communicate with the external device even in a place where there is no relay device such as a WiFi (registered trademark) router. . Examples of the communication interface 28 for directly wirelessly connecting the device of the present disclosure and an external device include communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark), communication using NFC (Near Field Communication) via a loop antenna, or infrared communication. There is.

The signal output section 26 outputs a signal to the control section 20. The signal output unit 26 includes, for example, a counter 51, an ultrasonic sensor 52, an accommodation detection unit 53, a temperature sensor 54, and a user interface (UI) 55.

The counter 51 counts time. The counter 51 starts and stops counting and resets the counted value according to instructions from the control unit 20. In this embodiment, the counter 51 is provided separately from the control section 20, but the counter 51 may be included in the control section 20.

The ultrasonic sensor 52 is provided on the lower surface of the lid 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the ultrasonic sensor 52 includes a transmitter 52A and a receiver 52B. When the lid body 7 is in the pot closed position, the transmitting section 52A and the receiving section 52B face the inside of the pot 2. The transmitter 52A transmits ultrasonic waves toward the inside of the pot 2 according to instructions from the controller 20. The receiving section 52B receives the ultrasonic waves transmitted and reflected by the transmitting section 52A. The counter 51 counts the time from when the transmitting section 52A transmits the ultrasound until the receiving section 52B receives the ultrasound according to an instruction from the control section 20. The control unit 20 detects whether or not there is a rice cooking unit in the pot 2 in which the amount of rice is greater than the preset amount, according to the time obtained from the counter 51. The set amount can be set to any amount that may be left in the pot 2. When determining whether there is no rice to cook in the pot 2, it is also possible to set the set amount to zero.

In this embodiment, the time threshold determined according to the set amount is stored in advance in the memory unit 25. If the time acquired from the counter 51 is shorter than the time threshold, the control unit 20 determines that there is more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the set amount. This is because the cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 shortens the distance between the ultrasonic sensor 52 and the reflection position of the ultrasonic waves, shortening the time. On the other hand, if the time acquired from the counter 51 is longer than the time threshold, the control unit 20 determines that there is not more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the set amount. Note that in this embodiment, if the time acquired from the counter 51 is the same as the time threshold, the control unit 20 determines that there is more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the set amount.

As described above, in this embodiment, the ultrasonic sensor 52 functions as a remaining amount detection unit that detects whether there is more rice than a preset amount in the pot 2.

Note that the function of the remaining amount detection unit is not limited to the ultrasonic sensor 52.

For example, the infrared sensor 56 shown by the broken line in FIG. 12 may function as the remaining amount detection section. The infrared sensor 56 includes a light emitting section, a light receiving section, and a lid. When the lid body 7 is in the pot closed position, the light emitting part and the light receiving part face the inside of the pot 2. The lid covers the light emitting section and the light receiving section from below. Thereby, the light emitting part and the light receiving part are blocked from inside the pot 2 by the lid. Note that the lid is made of a material that transmits infrared rays. The light receiving section is disposed on the path of infrared rays emitted from the light emitting section and reflected on the inner surface of the pot 2 when the pot 2 housed in the housing 3 is empty. The light emitting section emits infrared rays toward the inside of the pot 2 according to instructions from the control section 20 . Infrared rays emitted and reflected by the light emitting section are incident on the light receiving section. The light receiving section outputs a signal according to the amount of incident infrared light. The control unit 20 detects whether there are more rice cooking units than a set amount in the pot 2, depending on the amount of infrared light corresponding to the signal acquired from the light receiving unit.

For example, a light threshold determined according to the set amount is stored in advance in the memory unit 25. If the amount of infrared light is smaller than the light threshold, the control unit 20 determines that there is more cooked food in the pot 2 than the set amount. This is because the direction of the reflected infrared light changes depending on the cooked food remaining in the pot 2, reducing the amount of infrared light that reaches the light receiving unit. On the other hand, if the amount of infrared light is larger than the light threshold, the control unit 20 determines that there is not more cooked food in the pot 2 than the set amount.

For example, a weight sensor may function as the remaining amount detection unit. The weight sensor is disposed in a position where the weight of the pot 2 housed in the housing 3 can act from above. The weight sensor outputs a signal corresponding to the weight of the pot 2 housed in the housing 3. The control unit 20, which has acquired a signal from the weight sensor, detects whether or not there is more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the preset amount, depending on the weight of the pot 2 corresponding to the signal. For example, a threshold amount obtained by adding the preset amount to the weight of an empty pot 2 is stored in advance in the memory unit 25. The control unit 20, which has acquired a signal from the weight sensor, compares the weight of the pot 2 corresponding to the signal with the threshold amount. If the weight of the pot 2 is smaller than the threshold amount, the control unit 20 determines that there is no cooked rice in the pot 2 that is more than the preset amount. On the other hand, if the weight of the pot 2 is larger than the threshold amount, the control unit 20 determines that there is more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the preset amount.

Further, for example, a camera may function as the remaining amount detection section. The camera is provided, for example, on the bottom surface of the lid 7. When the lid body 7 is in the pot closed position, the camera can image the inside of the pot 2. The camera outputs an image obtained by imaging. The control unit 20 determines whether or not cooked rice remains in the pot 2 based on the acquired image. For example, if the proportion of the white portion, which is the color of rice, in the acquired image is greater than a preset proportion, the control unit 20 determines that there is more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the preset amount. On the other hand, the control unit 20 determines that there is no cooked rice in the pot 2 in an amount greater than the set amount if the proportion of the white portion in the acquired image is smaller than the abovementioned amount.

The storage detection unit 53 shown in FIG. 12 detects whether the pot 2 is stored in the housing 3. In this embodiment, the storage detection unit 53 is a limit switch. The limit switch is provided at a position inside the housing 3 where it can come into contact with the pot 2. When the pot 2 is not stored in the housing 3, the limit switch is not in contact with the pot 2. At this time, the limit switch outputs a signal (e.g., a low-level signal) indicating that the pot 2 is not stored in the housing 3. When the pot 2 is stored in the housing 3, the limit switch comes into contact with the pot 2. At this time, the limit switch outputs a signal (e.g., a high-level signal) indicating that the pot 2 is stored in the housing 3.

The housing detection unit 53 is not limited to a limit switch as long as it can detect whether the pot 2 is housed in the housing 3 or not.

For example, the storage detection unit 53 may be a proximity sensor that outputs different signals when the pot 2 is close and when it is not close.

For example, the weight sensor described above may be used as the storage detection unit 53. In this case, the control unit 20 detects that the pot 2 is not stored in the housing 3 when the weight according to the signal obtained from the weight sensor is zero. On the other hand, the control unit 20 detects that the pot 2 is stored in the housing 3 when the weight according to the signal obtained from the weight sensor is not zero.

The temperature sensor 54 shown in FIG. 12 is arranged at a position below the pot 2 and close to the pot 2. The temperature sensor 54 is arranged below the center of the pot 2 in plan view. The temperature sensor 54 detects the temperature inside the pot 2 by detecting the temperature at the bottom of the pot 2. The temperature sensor 54 outputs information regarding the detected temperature.

The user interface 55 shown in FIG. 12 is composed of, for example, buttons that accept input from the user, a touch panel, and the like. The user interface 55 is provided, for example, on the upper surface 7B (see FIG. 1) of the lid body 7. The user operates the user interface 55, for example, to set the amount of rice to be cooked, the cooking method, the time when the rice is ready, and the like.

The user interface 55 is used by the user to input information to the rice cooker 1. Various embodiments of the user interface 55 are possible. For example, the user interface 55 may be configured with mechanical operating members. The user interface 55 may also be configured with a transparent plate-like operating member installed above the display. Such a transparent plate-like operating member may be of the contact type or of the non-contact type. The user interface 55 may also be formed by capturing images of the user's actions using a camera and having the rice cooker 1 recognize the actions. The user interface 55 may also be formed by having the rice cooker 1 receive sounds made by the user. An example of such a configuration is a smart speaker.

Various embodiments are possible regarding where the user interface 55 is provided. The user interface 55 may be provided in the rice cooker 1, or may be provided separately from the rice cooker 1. When the user interface 55 is provided separately from the rice cooker 1, communication between the user interface 55 and the rice cooker 1 is made possible by wired or wireless communication. In this case, the user interface 55 and the rice cooker 1 may be able to communicate directly, or may be able to communicate indirectly via the Internet or an access point. In addition, when communicating wirelessly, communication may be possible using a mobile communication method, or communication may be possible in accordance with other standards. Furthermore, when communicating wirelessly, remote wireless or close-proximity wireless may be used.

A signal from the control section 20 is input to the signal input section 27 shown in FIG. The control section 20 controls the operation of the signal input section 27 by outputting a signal to the signal input section 27 . The signal input section 27 includes, for example, the aforementioned heating section 81, the pressure valve 15, and the motor 212, as shown in FIG. 12. Further, the signal input section 27 further includes a display section 61 and a speaker 62. Although not shown in FIG. 12, the signal input unit 27 includes a water pump 420 (see FIG. 4) and a rice feeding fan (not shown).

The display unit 61 is composed of a display of the rice cooker 1, etc. The display unit 61 is provided, for example, on the upper surface 7B of the lid body 7 (see FIG. 1). The speaker 62 outputs audio. The speaker 62 is provided, for example, on the outer surface of the housing 3. The display unit 61 and the speaker 62 are examples of an alarm unit. For example, if the aforementioned user interface 55 is composed of a touch panel, the display unit 61 may be the screen of the touch panel.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 includes the rice container 100, but does not need to include the rice container 100. In this case, the rice feeding section 200 is connected to a rice container provided separately from the rice cooker 1, and supplies the rice contained in the rice container into the pot 2.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 includes the water container 300, but the rice cooker 1 does not need to include the water container 300. In this case, the water supply section 400 is connected to an external water source such as a tap, and supplies water into the pot 2 from the external water source.

In this embodiment, the rice container 100 is positioned away from the water container 300 in a plan view. However, the rice container 100 and the water container 300 may overlap in a plan view.

In this embodiment, the input port 121 of the cylindrical portion 120 is located above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3 and the pot 2 inserted into the insertion port 41 of the upper frame 4. However, the height of the input port 121 may be less than or equal to the height of the upper frame 4 or may be less than or equal to the height of the pot 2.

In this embodiment, the lid body 150 opens and closes the inlet 121 of the rice container 100 by rotating, and the lid body 7 exposes and closes the pot 2 by rotating. However, the means for moving the lid body 150 and the lid body 7 is not limited to rotation. For example, the lid body 150 and the lid body 7 may move by sliding instead of rotating. Also, for example, the lid body 150 and the lid body 7 may move by being attached and detached.

The shape and position of the reinforcing member 9 are not limited to those shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The reinforcing member 9 may be located between the heating unit 8 and the water container 300 in the vertical direction, support the heating unit, and be supported by the lower frame 5.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is a pressure-type rice cooker, but it may be a rice cooker other than a pressure-type rice cooker.

<First embodiment>
Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 1 executed under the control of the control unit 20 will be explained. In the rice cooking process, the control unit 20 controls the supply unit 500 to supply rice and water into the pot 2, and then controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. The control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process after acquiring information on the rice cooking instruction from the outside. For example, information on a rice cooking instruction is sent from the user interface 55 to the control unit 20 in response to a rice cooking instruction input by a user through the user interface 55.

Figure 13 is a flow chart showing an example of the rice cooking process. The rice cooking process includes a rice sending process S20, a water sending process S30, a pre-cooking process S40, a temperature raising process S50, a boiling process S60, and a steaming process S70. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, a pan detection process S200 is executed between step S10 and the rice sending process S20. In other words, when the control unit 20 receives a rice cooking instruction (S10), it executes the pan detection process S200.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the control unit 20 executes a pot attachment/detachment detection process separately from the rice cooking process. The pot attachment/detachment detection process is a process of detecting that the pot 2 has been removed from the casing 3 and then accommodated in the casing 3, that is, that the pot 2 has been detached from the casing 3.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the pan attachment/detachment detection process. The pot attachment/detachment detection step is executed at regular time intervals. The fixed time is set to an arbitrary time such as 100 (μs). Hereinafter, the pot attachment/detachment detection process will be explained with reference to FIG. 14. Next, the pot detection process and the rice cooking process will be explained with reference to FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 14, in step S110, the control unit 20 causes a state transition from the pot present state in which the pot 2 is housed in the casing 3 to the pot absent state in which the pot 2 is removed from the casing 3. Determine whether or not. This determination is made based on the signal acquired from the accommodation detection section 53. For example, when the signal acquired by the control unit 20 from the limit switch that is the accommodation detection unit 53 switches from high level to low level, the control unit 20 determines that the state has transitioned from the state with a pot to the state without a pot. .

If there is no state transition from a pot-present state to a pot-absent state (S110: No), the pot attachment/detachment detection process ends.

When the state transition occurs from a state with a pot to a state without a pot (S110: Yes), the control unit 20 notifies a no-pot error indicating that a pot is not present (S120). The notification is made, for example, by displaying a message on the display unit 61 controlled by the control unit 20, and by outputting audio from the speaker 62 controlled by the control unit 20.

In step S130 after step S120, the control unit 20 determines whether the state has transitioned from the state without a pot to the state with a pot. This determination is made based on the signal acquired from the accommodation detection section 53, similarly to step S120. For example, when the signal acquired by the control unit 20 from the limit switch that is the accommodation detection unit 53 switches from a low level to a high level, the control unit 20 determines that the state has transitioned from a state without a pot to a state with a pot. .

If the state has not transitioned from no pot to pot (S130: No), the no pot error notification continues (S120).

When the state transition occurs from a state without a pot to a state with a pot (S130: Yes), the control unit 20 determines whether the time during which the state without a pot was in effect is longer than the set time.

The time during which the pot is not present is counted by counter 51. When control unit 20 determines in step S110 that the state has transitioned from a pot present state to a pot not present state, it controls counter 51 to start counting the time. When control unit 20 determines in step S130 that the state has transitioned from a pot not present state to a pot present state, it controls counter 51 to stop counting the time. The count value of counter 51 at this time determines the time during which the pot is not present. In this case, counter 51 functions as a non-containment timing unit that counts the time during which pot 2 is not contained in housing 3.

The set time is stored in the storage unit 25 in advance. The set time is set to various values. For example, if the momentary lifting of the pot 2 is not to be considered as the attachment or detachment of the pot 2, the set time is set to a short time such as 2 seconds. Further, for example, if the fact that the pot 2 removed from the housing 3 is cleaned and then stored in the housing 3 is an essential requirement for the pot 2 to be considered as detachment, the set time is set to The time is set to be sufficient for cleaning, for example, 1 minute.

If the time during which the pot is absent is longer than the set time (S140: Yes), the control unit 20 stores the detachment information in the memory unit 25 (S150). The detachment information is information for identifying whether the pot 2 has been detached or not. The detachment information is, for example, a flag set in a specific address of the memory unit 25. In this case, storing the detachment information in the memory unit 25 means setting the flag, for example storing information of "1" in the specific address. Also, in this case, deleting the detachment information from the memory unit 25 means resetting the flag, for example storing information of "0" in the specific address.

If the time during which the pot is absent is shorter than the set time (S140: No), the pot removal detection process ends. In this case, the control unit 20 does not store the removal information in the memory unit 25. Note that in this embodiment, even if the time during which the pot is absent is the same as the set time, the removal information is not stored in the memory unit 25 and the pot removal detection process ends.

Next, the pot detection process will be explained. As shown in FIG. 13, upon receiving a rice cooking instruction (S10), the control unit 20 executes a pot detection step S200. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the pot detection process. Hereinafter, the pot detection process will be explained with reference to FIG. 15.

As shown in FIG. 15, in step S210, the control unit 20 determines whether or not a pan is present. This determination is made based on the signal acquired from the storage detection unit 53. For example, if the signal acquired by the control unit 20 from the limit switch, which is the storage detection unit 53, is at a high level, the control unit 20 determines that a pan is present. On the other hand, if the signal acquired by the control unit 20 from the limit switch is at a low level, the control unit 20 determines that a pan is not present.

If there is no pot (S210: No), the control unit 20 notifies a no-pot error similar to step S120 (S220). In this case, the control unit 20 does not start the rice cooking process after the rice feeding process S20. That is, when the control unit 20 determines not to start the rice cooking process, it notifies the no pot error as information indicating that the rice cooking process is not started in step S220.

If the pot is present (S210: Yes), the control unit 20 determines whether or not attachment/detachment information is stored in the memory unit 25 (S230).

If the attachment/detachment information is stored in the memory unit 25 (S230: Yes), the control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process after the rice sending process S20.

If the attachment/detachment information is not stored in the memory unit 25 (S230: No), the control unit 20 notifies a pan cleaning error indicating that the pan 2 has not been cleaned since the last rice cooking process was performed (S240). The notification is made by displaying a message on the display unit 61 and outputting a sound from the speaker 62, as in step S120. In this case, the control unit 20 does not start the rice cooking process after the rice sending process S20. In other words, if the control unit 20 decides not to start the rice cooking process, it notifies a pan cleaning error in step S240 as information indicating that the rice cooking process will not be started.

The attachment/detachment information is deleted from the memory unit 25 at any time between the execution of step S230 and the end of the rice cooking process.

Next, the rice cooking process in normal operation will be explained with reference to FIG. The normal operation is an operation that is predetermined to be executed when the control unit receives a rice cooking instruction. For example, the normal operation is an operation determined in the rice cooking process according to information included in a rice cooking instruction acquired from the outside by the control unit 20. For example, if the rice cooking instruction includes information about the amount of rice to be cooked, the normal operation is to set the preset heating time and rice cooking time to cook the amount of rice according to the information included in the rice cooking instruction. This is an operation performed in a procedure, etc.

In the rice sending step S20, the control unit 20 determines the amount of rice required for cooking in accordance with the cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the rice sending unit 200 to send the determined amount of rice from the rice container 100 into the pot 2.

In the water supply step S30, the control unit 20 determines the amount of water required for cooking rice in accordance with the cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the water supply unit 400 to send the determined amount of water from the water container 300 into the pot 2.

The rice feeding process S20 and the water feeding process S30 may be performed in parallel. The water feeding process S3 may be performed before the rice feeding process S2.

FIG. 16 is a graph schematically showing the relationship between the time (minutes) and the temperature inside the pot 2 (°C) in the pre-cooking process, temperature raising process, boiling process, and steaming process.

As shown in FIG. 16, in the pre-cooking process S40, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. At this time, the control unit 20 keeps the temperature inside the pot 2 below the gelatinization temperature (e.g., 55 degrees) to allow the rice to absorb water. The control unit 20 recognizes the temperature inside the pot 2 based on information input from the temperature sensor 54.

In the temperature-raising step S50, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 more strongly than in the pre-cooking step S40, raising the temperature inside the pot 2 and bringing the pot 2 to a boiling state.

In the boiling step S60, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 less strongly than in the temperature increasing step S50. However, the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 is maintained at a level that maintains the boiling of the water in the pot 2.

In the boiling step S60, the control unit 20 opens and closes the pressure valve 15. By closing the pressure valve 15, the pressure inside the pot 2 increases. Note that in FIG. 16, the pressure valve 15 is closed three times, causing the pressure inside the pot 2 to increase three times, but the number of times the pressure valve 15 is closed is not limited to three. When the pressure valve 15 is opened, the pressure inside the pot 2 drops to near atmospheric pressure in an instant, causing bumping. Bubbles caused by bumping stir the rice grains.

When the water in pot 2 is depleted due to absorption by the rice and boiling, the temperature in pot 2 rises due to heating and becomes higher than the boiling point of water (100°C). When the temperature in pot 2 reaches a temperature higher than the boiling point of water (e.g. 120°C), the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to stop heating pot 2. This period during which heating of pot 2 is stopped is the steaming process S70.

In the steaming process S70, the control unit 20 closes the pressure valve 15 for a short time and controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 for a short time. This causes the water droplets adhering to the underside of the lid 7 that covers the pot 2 from above to evaporate.

In this embodiment, the control unit 20 determines whether or not to store the attachment/detachment information in the storage unit 25 based on the signal acquired from the accommodation detection unit 53 . In addition, when the attachment/detachment information is stored in the storage unit 25, the control unit 20 indicates that the rice to be cooked in the pot 2 has disappeared due to cleaning or the like inside the pot 2 since the end of the previous rice cooking process. presume. In this case, the control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process. On the other hand, if the attachment/detachment information is not stored in the storage unit 25, the control unit 20 does not estimate that there is no rice left in the pot 2 after the end of the previous rice cooking process. In this case, the control unit 20 does not start the rice cooking process. As described above, in the present embodiment, the accommodation detection unit 53 detects whether or not the pot 2 is accommodated in the housing 3 as estimation information for estimating that there is no rice to cook in the pot 2. Outputs the signal. That is, in this embodiment, the accommodation detection section 53 is included in the estimation section. In addition, the above-mentioned "no rice to cook" refers to a state in which there is no cooked rice remaining in the pot 2, for example, a state in which there is not a single grain of rice in the pot 2, as well as a state in which there is no cooked rice remaining in the pot 2. This also includes situations where the amount of material is less than the set amount.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to estimate that the food in the pot 2 has run out based on the estimation information. If it is not estimated that the food in the pot has run out, the control unit 20 does not execute the next cooking process. This makes it possible to prevent rice and water from being supplied to the pot 2 for the next cooking process and the start of cooking rice when food remains in the pot 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent cooking rice with a taste that is inferior to that desired.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether the pot 2 has been removed from the housing 3 after the rice cooking process and then placed back into the housing 3, based on the detection result of the storage detection unit 53. If the pot 2 has been temporarily removed from the housing 3, it can be determined that the food in the pot 2 has been removed. On the other hand, if the pot 2 has not been removed from the housing 3, it can be determined that the food in the pot 2 has not been removed. If it is determined that the food in the pot 2 has not been removed, the rice cooking process is not started, and therefore it is possible to reduce the possibility of rice cooking being performed in a pot 2 from which the food has not been removed.

For example, if the pot 2 is removed from the housing 3 for only a short time, it is unlikely that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has been removed. According to this embodiment, the control unit 20 does not store the removal information in the memory unit 25 if the time counted by the counter 51 is shorter than the set time. This makes it possible to determine that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has not been removed if the pot 2 is removed from the housing 3 for only a short time.

According to this embodiment, the display unit 61 and the speaker 62 can notify the user that the rice in the pot 2 has not been removed after cooking the rice.

<Second embodiment>
Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 1 executed under the control of the control unit 20 will be explained. In the rice cooking process, the control unit 20 controls the supply unit 500 to supply rice and water into the pot 2, and then controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. The control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process after acquiring information on the rice cooking instruction from the outside. For example, information on a rice cooking instruction is sent from the user interface 55 to the control unit 20 in response to a rice cooking instruction input by a user through the user interface 55.

Figure 17 is a flow chart showing an example of a rice cooking process. The rice cooking process includes a rice sending process S20, a water sending process S30, a pre-cooking process S40, a temperature increasing process S50, a boiling process S60, and a steaming process S70. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 17, a remaining amount detection process S300 is performed between step S10 and the rice sending process S20.

When the control unit 20 receives a cooking instruction (S10), it executes the remaining amount detection process S300. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the remaining amount detection process. The remaining amount detection process will be described below with reference to FIG. 18.

As shown in FIG. 18, in step S310, the control unit 20 determines whether the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is less than or equal to a set amount. In this embodiment, the determination is made based on the time obtained from the counter 51. As described above, the counter 51 counts the time from when the transmitter 52A of the ultrasonic sensor 52 transmits an ultrasonic wave until the receiver 52B of the ultrasonic sensor 52 receives the ultrasonic wave. If the time is equal to or longer than the time threshold, the control unit 20 determines that the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is greater than the set amount. On the other hand, if the time is less than the time threshold, the control unit 20 determines that the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is equal to or less than the set amount. Note that the counter 51 is reset, for example, after execution of step S310.

If the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is greater than the set amount (S310: No), the control unit 20 notifies an error about the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot, indicating that more cooked rice remains in the pot 2 than the set amount (S320). The notification is made, for example, by displaying a message on the display unit 61 controlled by the control unit 20, and by outputting audio from the speaker 62 controlled by the control unit 20. In this case, the control unit 20 does not start the rice cooking process after the rice sending process S20. In other words, if the control unit 20 decides not to start the rice cooking process, it notifies an error about the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot in step S320 as information indicating that the rice cooking process will not be started.

When the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is less than the set amount (S310: No), the control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process after the rice feeding process S20.

Next, the normal rice cooking process will be explained with reference to Figure 17.

In the rice feeding step S20, the control unit 20 determines the amount of rice required for rice cooking in accordance with the rice cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the rice feeding unit 200 to feed the determined amount of rice from the rice container 100 into the pot 2.

In the water supply step S30, the control unit 20 determines the amount of water required for rice cooking in accordance with the rice cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the water supply unit 400 to send the determined amount of water from the water container 300 into the pot 2.

The rice feeding process S20 and the water feeding process S30 may be performed in parallel. The water feeding process S3 may be performed before the rice feeding process S2.

FIG. 19 is a graph schematically showing the relationship between the time (minutes) and the temperature inside the pot 2 (°C) in the pre-cooking process, temperature raising process, boiling process, and steaming process.

As shown in FIG. 19, in the pre-cooking step S40, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. At this time, the control unit 20 maintains the temperature inside the pot 2 below the gelatinization temperature (for example, 55 degrees) and causes the rice to absorb water. The control unit 20 recognizes the temperature inside the pot 2 based on information input from the temperature sensor 54.

In the temperature raising step S50, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 more strongly than in the pre-cooking step S40, increasing the temperature inside the pot 2 and bringing the inside of the pot 2 into a boiling state. .

In the boiling step S60, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 less strongly than in the temperature increasing step S50. However, the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 is maintained at a level that maintains the boiling of the water in the pot 2.

In the boiling step S60, the control unit 20 opens and closes the pressure valve 15. By closing the pressure valve 15, the pressure inside the pot 2 increases. Note that in FIG. 19, the pressure valve 15 is closed three times, causing the pressure inside the pot 2 to increase three times, but the number of times the pressure valve 15 is closed is not limited to three. When the pressure valve 15 is opened, the pressure inside the pot 2 drops to near atmospheric pressure in an instant, causing bumping. Bubbles generated by the bumping stir the rice grains.

When the water in the pot 2 is absorbed by the rice and boiled, the temperature in the pot 2 increases due to heating and becomes higher than the boiling point of water (100° C.). The control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to stop heating the pot 2 when the temperature inside the pot 2 reaches a temperature higher than the boiling point of water (for example, 120° C.). The period during which heating of the pot 2 is stopped is the steaming step S70.

In the steaming process S70, the control unit 20 closes the pressure valve 15 for a short time and controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 for a short time. This causes the water droplets adhering to the underside of the lid 7 that covers the pot 2 from above to evaporate.

In this embodiment, the control unit 20 determines whether the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is equal to or less than the set amount based on the time counted by the counter 51. The time is determined based on ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic sensor 52, which is an example of a unit that functions as a remaining amount detection unit. In other words, the remaining amount detection unit detects whether there is more cooked rice than the set amount in the pot 2. If the remaining amount detection unit does not detect that there is more cooked rice than the set amount in the pot 2, the control unit 20 presumes that there is no cooked rice in the pot 2 because the pot 2 has been cleaned or the like since the end of the previous cooking process. In this case, the control unit 20 starts the cooking process. On the other hand, if the remaining amount detection unit detects that there is more cooked rice than the set amount in the pot 2, the control unit 20 does not presume that there is no cooked rice in the pot 2 since the end of the previous cooking process. In this case, the control unit 20 does not start the cooking process. As described above, in this embodiment, the remaining amount detection unit outputs ultrasonic waves equivalent to a signal for detecting whether there is more cooked rice than a set amount in the pot 2, as estimated information for estimating that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out. In other words, in this embodiment, the remaining amount detection unit is included in the estimation unit. Note that the above-mentioned "the cooked rice has run out" includes a state in which there is absolutely no cooked rice remaining in the pot 2, for example, a state in which there is not even a single grain of rice in the pot 2, as well as a state in which the cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is equal to or less than the set amount.

According to this embodiment, it can be estimated that there is no more cooked rice in the pot 2 based on the estimation information. If it is not estimated that there is no more rice to cook in the pot 2, the control unit 20 does not execute the next rice cooking process. This can prevent rice and water from being supplied into the pot 2 and starting rice cooking for the next rice cooking while rice remains in the pot 2. As a result, it is possible to prevent rice from being cooked with a taste lower than desired.

According to this embodiment, it can be determined whether there is more cooked rice in the pot 2 than the set amount based on the detection result of the remaining amount detection section. If there is more rice to be cooked in the pot 2 than the set amount, the rice cooking process is not started, so it is possible to reduce the possibility that rice will be cooked in the pot containing the rice to be cooked.

Third Embodiment
Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 1 executed under the control of the control unit 20 will be described. In the rice cooking process, the control unit 20 controls the supply unit 500 to supply rice and water into the pot 2, and then controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. The control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process after acquiring rice cooking instruction information from the outside. For example, the rice cooking instruction information is sent from the user interface 55 to the control unit 20 in response to a rice cooking instruction input by the user via the user interface 55.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the rice cooking process. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing an example of the boiling process. The rice cooking process includes a rice feeding process S20, a water feeding process S30, a pre-cooking process S40, a temperature raising process S50, a boiling process S61, and a steaming process S70. In this embodiment, the boiling step S61 is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 21.

As shown in FIG. 20, upon receiving the rice cooking instruction (S10), the control unit 20 starts the rice cooking process.

In the rice sending step S20, the control unit 20 determines the amount of rice required for cooking in accordance with the cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the rice sending unit 200 to send the determined amount of rice from the rice container 100 into the pot 2.

In the water supply step S30, the control unit 20 determines the amount of water required for rice cooking in accordance with the rice cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the water supply unit 400 to send the determined amount of water from the water container 300 into the pot 2.

The rice sending step S20 and the water sending step S30 may be performed in parallel. The water sending step S3 may be performed prior to the rice sending step S2.

FIG. 22 is a graph schematically showing the relationship between the time (minutes) and the temperature inside the pot 2 (°C) in the pre-cooking process, temperature raising process, boiling process, and steaming process.

As shown in FIG. 22, in the pre-cooking process S40, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. At this time, the control unit 20 keeps the temperature inside the pot 2 below the gelatinization temperature (e.g., 55°C) to allow the rice to absorb water. The control unit 20 recognizes the temperature inside the pot 2 based on information input from the temperature sensor 54.

In the temperature raising step S50, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 more strongly than in the pre-cooking step S40, increasing the temperature inside the pot 2 and bringing the inside of the pot 2 into a boiling state. .

After the temperature raising step S50, a boiling step S61 is performed. Hereinafter, the boiling step S61 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

In step S410, the control unit 20 determines whether the time t required for the temperature inside the pot 2 to reach the preset temperature Tem in the heating process S50 is longer than the preset heating time T.

In this embodiment, the set temperature Tem is set to a temperature slightly lower than 100°C, which is the boiling point of water. Also, in this embodiment, the temperature rise time T is set to a time that is necessary and sufficient to bring the amount of water according to the cooking instruction to a boil in the rice cooking process in normal operation. For example, the temperature rise time T is set to a time that is a little longer than the time necessary to bring the amount of water according to the cooking instruction to a boil in the rice cooking process in normal operation.

The temperature inside the pot 2 is detected by the temperature sensor 54. The time t until the temperature inside the pot 2 reaches the set temperature Tem in the heating process S50 is counted by the counter 51. When the heating process S50 is started, the control unit 20 controls the counter 51 to start counting the time. When the temperature inside the pot 2 reaches the set temperature Tem, the control unit 20 controls the counter 51 to stop counting the time. The count value of the counter 51 at this time is used to determine the time t until the temperature inside the pot 2 reaches the set temperature Tem in the heating process S50. That is, in this case, the counter 51 functions as a heating timer that counts the time from the start of the heating process.

If the time t until the temperature in the pot 2 reaches the set temperature Tem in the heating step S50 is equal to or shorter than the heating time T (S410: Yes), for example, when the time t = t1 in FIG. 22, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 with the heating intensity in the rice cooking step in normal operation (S420). At this time, the heating intensity by the heating unit 81 is maintained to the extent that the water in the pot 2 is kept boiling. In FIG. 22, the temperature in the heating step S50 when step S420 is executed and the power in the boiling step S60 are indicated by solid lines.

In addition, if the time t until the temperature in the pot 2 reaches the set temperature Tem in the heating step S50 is equal to or shorter than the heating time T (S410: Yes), for example, when the time t = t1 in FIG. 22, the control unit 20 opens and closes the pressure valve 15 (S420). The pressure in the pot 2 increases when the pressure valve 15 is closed. Note that in FIG. 22, the pressure valve 15 is closed three times, causing the pressure in the pot 2 to increase three times, but the number of times the pressure valve 15 is closed is not limited to three. When the pressure valve 15 is opened, the pressure in the pot 2 drops to near atmospheric pressure in an instant, causing bumping. The bubbles generated by the bumping stir the rice grains. In FIG. 22, the pressure in the boiling step S60 when step S420 is executed is indicated by a solid line.

If the time t for the temperature inside the pot 2 to reach the set temperature Tem in the temperature raising step S50 is longer than the temperature raising time T (S410: No), for example, if time t=t2 in FIG. , the heating unit 81 is controlled to heat the pot 2 with a heating intensity lower than the heating intensity in the normal rice cooking process (S430). That is, in this case, the rice cooking process is performed in an operation different from the normal operation. In FIG. 22, the temperature in the temperature raising step S50 and the electric power in the boiling step S60 when step S430 is executed are shown by dashed lines.

Moreover, if the time t until the temperature in the pot 2 reaches the set temperature Tem in the temperature raising step S50 is longer than the temperature raising time T (S410: No), for example, if the time t=t2 in FIG. 20 maintains the pressure valve 15 in an open state (S430). That is, in this case, the rice cooking process is performed in an operation different from the normal operation. This reduces the occurrence of bumping as described above. In FIG. 22, the pressure in the boiling step S60 when step S430 is executed is shown by a dashed line.

Note that in step S430, only one of heating the pot 2 with a heating intensity lower than the heating intensity in the normal rice cooking process and keeping the pressure valve 15 open may be performed. .

When the water in pot 2 is depleted due to absorption by the rice and boiling, the temperature in pot 2 rises due to heating and becomes higher than the boiling point of water (100°C). When the temperature in pot 2 reaches a temperature higher than the boiling point of water (e.g. 120°C), the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to stop heating pot 2. This period during which heating of pot 2 is stopped is the steaming process S70.

In the steaming step S70, the control unit 20 closes the pressure valve 15 for a short time and controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 for a short time. As a result, water droplets adhering to the lower surface of the lid 7 that covers the pot 2 from above are vaporized.

In this embodiment, the control unit 20 determines whether to perform the boiling process S61 of the rice cooking process in an operation different from the normal operation based on the time t counted by the counter 51. The time t is determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 54. If the time t is equal to or less than the temperature rise time T (S410: Yes), the control unit 20 estimates that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out because the pot 2 has been cleaned or the like since the end of the previous rice cooking process. In this case, the control unit 20 performs the rice cooking process in a normal operation (S420). On the other hand, if the time t is longer than the temperature rise time T, the control unit 20 does not estimate that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out since the end of the previous rice cooking process. In this case, the control unit 20 performs the rice cooking process in an operation different from the normal operation (S430). As described above, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor 54 outputs information regarding the temperature of the bottom of the pot 2 to the control unit 20 as estimated information for estimating that the cooked rice in the pot 2 has run out. In other words, in this embodiment, the temperature sensor 54 is included in the estimation unit. In addition, the above-mentioned "there is no cooked rice left" includes a state where there is absolutely no cooked rice left in the pot 2, for example, a state where there is not even a single grain of rice left in the pot 2, as well as a state where the amount of cooked rice remaining in the pot 2 is below the set amount.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to estimate that the food in the pot 2 has run out based on the estimation information. Furthermore, if it is not estimated that the food in the pot 2 has run out, the control unit 20 executes the next cooking process in an operation different from the normal operation. As a result, even if rice cooking is started in a state where rice and water have been supplied to the pot for the next cooking process while there is food remaining in the pot 2, the control unit 20 changes the operation of the cooking process. This makes it possible to prevent the cooking of food with a lower taste than desired.

If new rice and water are supplied to the pot 2 while cooked food remains in the pot 2, there will be more rice and water in the pot than expected. If the rice cooking process is performed in this state, it will take longer than usual for the temperature at the bottom of the pot 2 to reach the set temperature Tem. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether there is more rice and water in the pot 2 than expected depending on whether the time t counted by the counter 51 is longer than the temperature rise time T.

Furthermore, if the rice cooking process is performed with a larger amount of rice and water than expected in the pot 2, there is a risk that the rice and water in the pot 2 will overflow to the outside of the pot 2 due to boiling of the water or the like. According to this embodiment, when the rice cooking process is executed in the above state, the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 is weakened, so that overflowing of rice and water in the pot 2 to the outside of the pot can be reduced. can.

In a pressure rice cooker equipped with a pressure valve 15, the pressure inside the pot 2 can be made higher than atmospheric pressure by closing the pressure valve 15. By opening the pressure valve 15 in this state, the pressure inside the pot 2 is immediately reduced to atmospheric pressure. At this time, explosive boiling occurs within the pot 2. By the way, when rice and water are newly supplied to the pot 2 without removing the cooked rice in the pot 2, there are more rice and water in the pot 2 than expected. If the pressure valve 15 is closed during the rice cooking process in this state, the rice and water in the pot 2 may overflow to the outside of the pot 2 due to the above-mentioned explosive boiling. According to this embodiment, when the rice cooking process is executed in the above state, the pressure valve 15 is maintained in an open state, so that the above explosive boiling does not occur. Thereby, overflow of rice and water in the pot 2 to the outside of the pot can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the set temperature Tem is set to a temperature slightly lower than the boiling point of water. However, the set temperature Tem is not limited to the above temperature. For example, the set temperature Tem may be set to a temperature slightly higher than the temperature Tem1 in the pot 2 during the pre-cooking process S40. In this case, the control unit 20 can predict the time it will take for water to boil in the heating process S50 based on the difference between the temperature Tem1 and the set temperature Tem with respect to time t, that is, based on the slope of the temperature characteristic in the heating process S50 in FIG. 22.

The control unit 20 of the rice cooker 1 according to this embodiment may determine the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 in the heating step S50 when the rice cooking process is executed next time, based on the time t until the temperature in the pot 2 reaches a preset temperature in the heating step S50. Note that this preset temperature may be the same as or different from the previously described set temperature Tem.

For example, if the time t is shorter than the temperature rise time T, the control unit 20 may weaken the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when the temperature rise step S50 is performed in the next rice cooking process, compared to the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when the temperature rise step S50 is performed in the current rice cooking process. If the time t is shorter than the temperature rise time T, it is expected that the water in the pot 2 has boiled in a shorter time than expected. Therefore, the control unit 20 weakens the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when the temperature rise step S50 is performed in the next rice cooking process. This lengthens the time t, so that the time t can be brought closer to the temperature rise time T. Furthermore, the control unit 20 may weaken the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when the temperature rise step S50 is performed in the next rice cooking process, the greater the difference between the time t and the temperature rise time T.

For example, if the time t is longer than the temperature raising time T, the control unit 20 changes the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when the temperature raising step S50 is executed in the next rice cooking step to the temperature raising time T in the current rice cooking step. The heating intensity may be stronger than the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when step S50 is executed. If the time t is longer than the temperature rising time T, it is predicted that the water in the pot 2 has boiled in a longer time than expected. Therefore, the control unit 20 increases the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 when the temperature raising step S50 is executed in the next rice cooking process. As a result, the time t becomes shorter, so the time t can be brought closer to the temperature increase time T. Moreover, the control part 20 may make the heating intensity of the heating part 81 stronger when the temperature raising process S50 is performed in the next rice cooking process, so that the difference between the time t and the temperature rising time T is large.

When a large number of rice cookers 1 are manufactured, there is a risk that the time it takes for the temperature in the pot 2 to reach the set temperature during the heating process will vary from one rice cooker 1 to another. According to this embodiment, if the time is long, the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 during the next heating process can be increased. If the time is short, the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 during the next heating process can be decreased. By changing the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 in this way, the variation in time between rice cookers 1 can be corrected.

Any of the various embodiments described above can be combined as appropriate to achieve the effects of each.

For example, the first embodiment may be combined with the second embodiment. In this case, between step S10 and the rice sending step S20, the remaining amount detection step S300 (see FIG. 17) is executed after the pan detection step S200 (see FIG. 13). Note that the remaining amount detection step S300 may be executed before the pan detection step S200, or may be executed in parallel with the pan detection step S200.

For example, the first embodiment may be combined with the third embodiment. In this case, the boiling process S61 shown in FIG. 20 is executed instead of the boiling process S60 shown in FIG. 13. Of course, the first embodiment, the second embodiment, and the third embodiment may be combined.

Although the present invention has been fully described with reference to preferred embodiments and with appropriate reference to the drawings, various variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that such variations and modifications are included insofar as they do not depart from the scope of the invention according to the appended claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Rice cooker 2 Pot 2A Opening 3 Housing 7 Lid 14 Hole 15 Pressure valve 20 Control unit 25 Memory unit 51 Counter (non-housed timing unit, temperature rise timing unit)
52 Ultrasonic sensor (remaining amount detection unit)
53 Storage detection unit 54 Temperature sensor 56 Infrared sensor (remaining amount detection unit)
61 Display unit (notification unit)
62 Speaker (alarm unit)
81 Heating section 100 Rice container 300 Water container 500 Supply section

Claims (11)

A casing and
a pot that can be housed in and removed from the housing;
an accommodation detection unit that detects whether the pot is accommodated in the housing;
a supply unit that supplies rice and water into the pot;
a heating section that heats the pot;
a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the pot;
a control unit that controls the supply unit to supply rice and water into the pot, and then controls the heating unit to execute a rice cooking process including a temperature raising process;
A temperature increase timer that counts time from the start of execution of the temperature increase step,
The control unit is configured such that the time counted by the temperature increase timer is a preset temperature increase time until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches a preset temperature in the temperature increase step. If the length is longer, the rice cooker weakens the heating intensity of the heating section or does not perform heating in a step after the temperature raising step. A storage unit;
An estimation unit that outputs estimation information for estimating that the rice cooked in the pot has run out,
The estimation unit includes a storage detection unit that detects whether the pan is stored in the housing,
The control unit is
When the storage detection unit detects that the pan is not stored in the housing and then detects that the pan is stored in the housing, storing removal information in the memory unit;
2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein when an instruction to start the rice cooking process is received, if the attachment/detachment information is stored in the memory unit, the rice cooking process is started, and if the attachment/detachment information is not stored in the memory unit, the rice cooking process is not started. The cooking pot further includes a non-housed timer that counts the time when the pot is not housed in the housing.
3. The rice cooker of claim 2, wherein the control unit stores the detachment information in the memory unit when the time counted by the non-housed timing unit is longer than a preset time, and does not store the detachment information in the memory unit when the time counted by the non-housed timing unit is shorter than the preset time. further comprising: an estimation unit that outputs estimation information for estimating that the rice in the pot has run out;
The estimating unit includes a remaining amount detecting unit that detects whether there is more cooked rice in the pot than a preset amount,
When the control unit receives the instruction to start the rice cooking process, if the remaining amount detection unit does not detect that there is more cooked rice in the pot than the set amount, the control unit starts the rice cooking process. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rice cooking process does not start when the remaining amount detection unit detects that there is more rice to be cooked than the set amount in the pot. . The remaining amount detection unit is an infrared sensor that irradiates infrared rays into the pot and receives reflected light of the infrared rays,
The rice cooker according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether there is more rice to be cooked than the preset amount in the pot based on the intensity of the reflected light incident on the infrared sensor. The remaining amount detection unit is an ultrasonic sensor that transmits ultrasonic waves into the pot and receives reflected waves of the ultrasonic waves,
The rice cooker according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether there is more rice than the set amount in the pot based on the time between when the ultrasonic sensor transmits ultrasonic waves and when it receives a reflected wave. Further comprising a notification unit,
The rice cooker according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit, when determining not to start the rice cooking process, controls the notification unit to notify information indicating that the rice cooking process will not be started. further comprising: an estimation unit that outputs estimation information for estimating that the rice in the pot has run out;
The rice cooking step includes a temperature raising step of heating the pot with the heating section to increase the temperature inside the pot,
a lid body that covers the opening of the pot;
Further comprising a pressure valve that opens and closes a hole communicating between the inside of the pot and the lid body,
The estimation unit includes the temperature sensor,
The control unit includes:
If the time counted by the temperature increase timer is longer than the preset temperature increase time until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches the preset temperature in the temperature increase step, the The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pressure valve is maintained in an open state by controlling the pressure valve in a step subsequent to the temperature raising step. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control unit determines the heating intensity of the heating unit in the next heating process based on the time counted by the heating timer unit until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor in the heating process reaches a preset temperature. Further comprising a rice container for storing rice;
The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the supply unit supplies the rice contained in the rice container into the pot. further comprising a water container for storing water;
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the supply unit supplies the rice contained in the water container into the pot.

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