JP2537116B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker, and more particularly to a rice cooker of a type in which the rice cooking power is changed from the start of rice cooking to the end of rice cooking.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the above-described type, there is a type of rice cooker in which the heating power is temporarily weakened when the temperature in the rice cooker approaches the temperature at which the rice is cooked. In this case, the temperature of the bottom of the rice cooker (1) is detected by the temperature sensor (S). On the other hand, the gas burner (10) for heating the rice cooker (1) faces the bottom of the rice cooker (1), and the gas circuit to this is connected to the main gas circuit (2a) equipped with the on-off valve (21). A bypass circuit (2b) that bypasses this is provided, and an orifice (22) is inserted in this bypass circuit (2b). The on-off valve (21) is a temperature sensor.
It is controlled by the control unit (C) that inputs the temperature detected by (S).

In this conventional rice cooker, after the rice is cooked, gas is supplied to the gas burner (10) with the opening / closing valve (21) opened, and the heating power of the gas burner (10) depends on the diameter of the nozzle (N). It corresponds to the set supply gas amount. In other words, the cooked rice is heated by high heat. The temperature of the bottom of the rice cooker (1) at this time is detected by the temperature sensor (S), and this detected temperature is the temperature at which the rice heating is completed (hereinafter referred to as the second temperature (A
₂ )) and a set temperature (below referred to as the first temperature (A ₁ )) lower than the constant temperature and above the boiling temperature by the control device.
By the action of (C), the rice cooking heating proceeds with the on-off valve (21) closed. At this time, the amount of gas to the gas burner (10) is limited by the orifice (22), and the heating power of the gas burner (10) becomes weak.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the section from the first temperature (A ₁ ) to the second temperature (A ₂ ) in the rice cooker (1), the temperature rising gradient in the rice cooker (1) is increased. Becomes smaller, and the time in which the inside of the rice cooker (1) is maintained in the high temperature region becomes longer than in the case where the above control is not performed. In other words, the rice cook heating stop time can be delayed, and the α-formation time (the time to change the starch quality to α-starch by maintaining the temperature of rice during cooking at 98 ° C or higher) is set accordingly. This improves the cooked rice.

However, even this conventional one has a problem that the α-formation time cannot be sufficiently long. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention relates to a rice cooker (1) which is heating rice with a temperature sensor (S).
In the rice cooker that detects the temperature inside and stops heating the rice when the detected temperature reaches the second temperature (A ₂ ) that corresponds to the heating end temperature for cooking rice, the α conversion time can be further extended. In this way, the task is to improve cooking.

[0006]

[Technical Means] The technical means of the present invention taken to solve the above-mentioned problem is that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) is lower than the second temperature (A ₂ ) by a constant temperature and is equal to or higher than the boiling temperature. 1 temperature (A
_{In 1} ), stop cooking rice heating and then set time (T).
After the lapse of time, a control device (C ₁ ) for resuming cooking rice heating is provided, and a calculation device (C ₂ ) for calculating the set time (T) according to the amount of cooked rice is provided, and this calculation device (C ₂ ) The output of the above is input to the control device (C ₁ ) ”.

[0007]

The above technical means operates as follows. It is the same as the conventional rice cooker that the heating of the cooked rice is finally stopped when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) reaches the second temperature (A ₂ ), but before that, the temperature sensor (S) When the detected temperature of No. 1 reaches the first temperature (A ₁ ), the heating of the cooked rice is temporarily stopped by the output of the control device (C ₁ ). After that, when the cooking rice heating stopped state has passed for the set time (T) set by (C ₂ ), the cooking rice heating is restarted until the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) reaches the second temperature (A ₂ ). Cooking rice heating progresses.

In the above heating control, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) reaches the first temperature (A ₁ ), the heating is stopped, so the temperature in the rice cooker (1) temporarily drops. It is then raised to the second temperature (A ₂ ) by reheating. Therefore, the first
Compared to those controlled by the low heat heating when it becomes the temperature (A _1), with the time required from when it becomes the first temperature (A ₁₎ to a second temperature (A ₂₎ is long Since this required time corresponds to the amount of cooked rice, sufficient α required time can be secured regardless of the amount of cooked rice.

[0009]

[Effect] Since the time required to reach the second temperature (A ₂ ) from the time when the temperature reaches the first temperature (A ₁ ) becomes long, the α-formation time becomes longer and the cooked-up temperature is further improved. Further, regardless of the amount of cooked rice, sufficient α-izing time can be secured, so that good cooked rice can be secured regardless of whether the amount of cooked rice is large or small.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the present invention is applied to a gas rice cooker, and the temperature inside the rice cooker (1) is detected by a temperature sensor (S) placed in contact with the bottom of the rice cooker.
The rice cooker (1) is configured to be heated by the gas burner (10), and the gas circuit to this gas burner (10) has an electromagnetic on-off valve (21) that is controlled to open and close by the output from the control unit (C) described later. ) Is inserted. The spark plug (31) of the igniter (3) faces near the flame hole of the gas burner (10), and this igniter (3) is also controlled by the control device (C), and the ignition signal is sent to the control device (C). When is input, it operates for a fixed time.

Further, in this embodiment, the combustion amount of the gas burner (10) is set to a constant value, and the computing device (C ₂ ) for computing the set time (T) is the one after the start of rice cooking (S). The amount of cooked rice is calculated based on the time required for the detected temperature to reach the boiling temperature in the rice cooker (T ₁ ), and based on this, the set time (T) is calculated to be inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice. Has been done.

The details of this calculation method are as follows. The temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) at the start of rice cooking is defined as the initial detection temperature (S ₁ ), and from this point onward, the set temperature (S ₂ ) (S ₂ ) () corresponding to the boiling temperature in the rice cooker (1) For example, it is the elapsed time (T ₁ ) until it reaches 100 ° C. By the way, if the temperature at the start of cooking rice heating is a constant reference temperature (S ₀ ) (for example, 0 ° C.) and the elapsed time at this time is (T ₀ ),
The amount of cooked rice (V) is proportional to the elapsed time (T ₀ ). That is, it is given by the following equation.

V = K ₁ T ₀ Equation (where K ₁ is a proportional constant) On the other hand, when the initial detected temperature (S ₁ ) is higher than the reference temperature (S ₀ ), cooked rice Even if the amount (V) is constant, the elapsed time (T ₁ ) in this case becomes short (100-S ₁ ) / (100-S ₀ ).
It becomes a value proportional to. That is, it is given by the following equation. T ₁ = T ₀ (100-S ₁ ) / (100-S ₀ ) Substituting this equation into the above equation, the amount of cooked rice (V) is given by the following equation.

V = K ₁ T ₁ (100-S ₀ ) / (100-S ₁ ) ... Formula In this embodiment, the set time (T) is inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice (V). Therefore, this set time (T) is given by the following equation. T = K ₂ / V (where K ₂ is a constant) When the above equation is substituted into this equation, the set time (T) is given by the following equation.

T = K ₂ (100-S ₁ ) / K ₁ T ₁ (100-S ₀ ) ... Formula Since the reference temperature (S ₀ ) is preset,
The values of K ₂ and K ₁ are the set combustion amount of the gas burner (10),
Since it is determined by thermal efficiency, K ₂ / K ₁ (10
The value of 0-S ₀ ) is given in advance as a constant (K). Then
The above equation can be rewritten as follows.

T = K (100-S ₁ ) / T ₁ ... Formula The set time (T) is calculated by executing this formula. A microcomputer is adopted as the control device (C) including the calculation device (C ₂ ) for executing this calculation formula and the control device (C ₁ ) described above, and the program based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 is executed. To be done.

The control operation will be described below with reference to FIG. When the start signal for starting cooking rice is input, the initial detected temperature (S ₁ ) of the temperature sensor (S) before starting heating rice is stored in step (40). After that, the on-off valve (21) is opened, the igniter (3) operates for a certain period of time, and the gas burner (1
Spark discharge is generated in the flame hole of (0), the gas burner (10) is ignited, and heating of cooked rice proceeds. Also, the timer (61) is started at the same time when the operation of the igniter (3) is stopped. (Step (4
Although not shown in FIG. 5, it is judged whether or not the gas burner (10) is ignited while the igniter (3) is operating, and if not ignited, the on-off valve (21) is closed. Equipped with a valve-type safety device.

As the cooking rice heating progresses, the temperature in the rice cooker (1) rises as shown in FIG. 4, and this temperature is monitored by the temperature sensor (S). Set the elapsed time (T ₁ ) of the timer (61) when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) reaches the set temperature (S ₂ ) corresponding to the boiling temperature in the rice cooker (1) (eg 100 ℃). Remember, turn off this timer (61).

Thereafter, in step (42), T = T based on the stored elapsed time (T ₁ ) and initial detected temperature (S ₁ ).
K (100-S ₁ ) / T ₁ is calculated, and the set time (T) as this calculated value is stored. After that, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) is monitored, and when this detected temperature reaches the first temperature (A ₁ ), this is judged in step (43) and the on-off valve (21)
Is closed, the timer (62) is turned on, and the cooked rice heating stopped state continues.

The duration of this rice cooking heating stopped state matches the elapsed time of the timer (62), and when this elapsed time matches the set time (T), the steps (44) to (4)
The re-ignition operation corresponding to the flow up to 5) is executed and the cooking rice heating is restarted. As a result, when the temperature inside the rice cooker (1) rises again and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (S) reaches the second temperature (A ₂ ), the on-off valve (21) is closed and heating of rice cooking is stopped. .

In this embodiment, steps (41) to (45) function as the control device (C ₁ ) and step (4)
0) and a configuration corresponding to the flow from step (41) to step (42) function as the control device (C ₂ ). Also,
The first temperature (A ₁ ) = 125 ℃, the second temperature (A ₂ ) = 145 ℃, the time until the rice is reheated after the rice cooking heating is stopped, that is, the previously set time. (T) is set to about 1 to 3 minutes.

Under this condition, the reignition temperature is preferably 100 ° C. or higher. Further, when comparing the gas rice cooker of this example with the conventional gas rice cooker described above, in the conventional one, in order to secure the stability of the flame in the low heat heating state, the pilot burner (1
1) (see FIG. 1) is required, the present invention is a gas burner (1
Since (0) is once extinguished and then re-ignited, there is no need to provide a circuit for (11) in the gas circuit.
Further, the orifice (22) and the like are also unnecessary.

From the above, in the gas rice cooker of the embodiment of the present invention, the configuration of the gas circuit can be greatly simplified as compared with the conventional one. In addition, in the said Example, although this invention was implemented in the gas rice cooker, it cannot be overemphasized that this can be implemented in an electric rice cooker. Further, in the above embodiment, the set time (T) was made inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice, but depending on the type of cooker,
It may be set to another relationship. When the set time (T) is made inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice as in the above embodiment, the following advantages can be obtained. That is, when the amount of cooked rice is small, the water in the rice cooker (1) evaporates early. Therefore, in such a case, as shown in the graph of the imaginary line in FIG. 4, boiling heating (T ₂ ) from the boiling of the inside of the rice cooker (1) until the temperature rises to the first temperature (A ₁ ). Is shorter than the boiling heat (T ₃ ) when cooking a standard amount of rice (boiling heat (T ₂ ) <boiling heat (T ₃ )). Therefore, if the set time (T) is kept constant regardless of the amount of cooked rice, the temperature in the cooker (1) is high (usually in the cooker (1)) after boiling in the cooker (1). By keeping the temperature above 98 ° C.), the time required for gelatinization of rice grains becomes shorter as the amount of cooked rice decreases. When the time for converting the rice grains into α is shortened in this way, the taste of cooked cooked rice is deteriorated. On the other hand, in the rice cooker of the above embodiment in which the set time (T) is inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice, when the amount of cooked rice is small (see the phantom line graph in FIG. 4), the inside of the rice cooker (1) is First set time (T6) which is the extinguishing time of the gas burner (10) after the temperature is raised to 1 temperature (A ₁ ).
Is longer than the standard amount of rice cooked as shown by the solid line in the figure.
That is, in the case of a small amount of rice cooked, the boiling time (T ₂ ) required to evaporate the water in the rice cooker (1) is shortened as described above, while the first set time (T6) is long. As a result, the time for keeping rice grains at a high temperature is not shortened as a whole due to the gelatinization. Therefore, in the rice cooker of the above embodiment in which the set time (T) is inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice, it is possible to secure a substantially constant α-formation time regardless of the amount of cooked rice.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Fig. 2] An explanatory view showing temperature changes in the rice cooker (1) in the rice cooking process.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a temperature change in the rice cooker (1) in the rice cooking process.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the control device (C).

[Explanation of symbols]

(1) ・ ・ ・ Rice cooker (S) ・ ・ ・ Temperature sensor (A ₂ ) ・ ・ ・ Second temperature (C ₁ ) ・ ・ ・ Control device (1) ・ ・ ・ Gas burner (21) ・ ・ ・ Open / close valve

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. The temperature sensor (S) detects the temperature inside the rice cooker (1) while heating the rice, and when the detected temperature reaches the second temperature (A ₂ ) corresponding to the rice heating end temperature. In a rice cooker that stops heating rice, a temperature sensor (S)
The cooking temperature is temporarily stopped at the first temperature (A ₁ ) that is lower than the second temperature (A ₂ ) by a certain temperature and is higher than the boiling temperature, and then the rice cooking heating is restarted after the elapse of the set time (T). Equipped with a control device (C ₁ ) that allows the set time according to the amount of cooked rice.
An arithmetic unit (C ₂ ) for calculating (T) is provided, and this arithmetic unit (C
Rice cooker in which the output of ₂ ) is input to the control device (C ₁ ). 2. The temperature inside the rice cooker (1) when heating the rice is restarted
The rice cooker according to claim 1, which has a temperature of 100 ° C or higher. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the set time (T) is inversely proportional to the amount of cooked rice. 4. A rice cooker, a rice cooker (1), and a gas burner (10)
Gas cooker of the type to be heated by the controller (C ₁ )
The opening / closing valve (21) inserted in the gas circuit to the gas burner (10) is controlled to be opened and closed by the above, and the ignition device to the gas burner (10) is also controlled. Rice cooker.