JP2545768B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention relates to a cooker which can cook by using selectively the heating pattern corresponding to the plural kinds of cooking courses a menu selection function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in this type of heating cooker such as a rice cooker, an oven, and a microwave oven, it has become possible to selectively execute a plurality of types of menus by controlling the input of heating means with a microcomputer. Therefore, it is becoming possible to select and set a desired menu from a plurality of types of menus by operating a menu selection switch. For example, in the rice cooker, each time you press one menu selection switch, each course of multiple types of rice menu such as standard of white rice cooked, hard or soft eyes of white rice cooked, brown rice cooked, cooked, porridge cooked, etc. is selected cyclically. Configured to be set.

Further, in the case of cyclically selecting a plurality of types of menus each time one menu selection switch is operated in this way, it is necessary to operate the menu selection switch for each cooked rice, and this trouble is solved. For this reason, the standard course of white rice cooking, which is a standard menu that is mainly used, is stored in advance during the manufacturing process, and when the off switch is operated to stop the heating process of rice and heat retention, the standard course of white rice cooking is changed. It has been proposed to configure the automatic setting so that when the rice is cooked in the standard course of white rice cooking, the start switch can be operated immediately without performing the menu selection operation. Every time the menu set by pressing the menu selection switch is updated, the updated menu is stored. Form, it has been proposed which is adapted currently executed menu when stopping the heating process by operating the changeover switch is automatically set.

[0004]

In the above prior art, in the case where the standard course of white rice cooking is automatically set when the off switch is operated, the stored menu is set to the standard course of white rice cooking. There is a problem that you have to operate the menu selection switch each time you mainly cook rice outside of this standard course,
In addition, if the menu executed this time is automatically set when the off switch is operated, the menu selection switch must be operated each time when rice is cooked on a different menu from the previous one, for example, the standard course of white rice cooking, which is the standard menu. There is a problem.

These problems are that the function of automatically setting a standard menu when the off switch is operated and the function of automatically setting a desired menu that is arbitrarily stored when the off switch is operated cannot be selectively used. Therefore, there is a problem that the necessity of operating the menu selection switch increases, and if this operation is forgotten, rice is cooked unintentionally.

On the other hand, when the off switch is operated,
The rice cooking course executed this time is set automatically
The latter configuration backs up the memory in the event of a power failure.
Power is restored and the microphone
If the computer is reset, the user will
The desired rice cooking course must be re-stored in memory. Ma
In addition, rice cooking courses other than the rice cooking course stored in the storage means
If this is a rare choice, heat it with this separate cooking course.
After doing it, set the rice cooking course used mainly every day again
I have to do it again.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems.
Improves usability by reducing the need to operate switches
In addition to causing inconvenience in use after reset
Not intended to provide a rice cooker .

[0008]

The rice cooker according to the present invention is a standard rice cooker.
White rice cooking course and harder or softer than standard
White rice cooked in a different way from the standard white rice cooked course
Rice cooked with rice and brown rice and porridge
Rice cooking course group consisting of multiple rice cooking courses other than
Of these, a selection switch to select the desired rice cooking course,
It corresponds to the rice cooking course selected by this selection switch.
Setting means for setting the heating pattern and the selection switch
Storage means for storing the rice cooking course selected by
Equipped with an off switch to stop the heating process of rice cooking and heat retention
The setting means and the storage means are microcomputers.
It is composed of a computer and operates the selection switch.
Change the rice cooking course in sequence according to the operation of
When the switch is operated, the
A specific rice cooking course from the rice cooking course group is set,
When the microcomputer was reset
Is configured so that a standard white rice cooking course is set . <br />

[0009]

[Action] cooker of the present invention to the above configuration of the micro
It is usually the most used when you reset your computer.
A standard white rice cooking course will be set
As a result, the user will have a great
It does not happen.

In addition to the rice cooking course which is mainly used every day
Even if you use the rice cooking course in rare cases, operate the off switch.
When you make it, it automatically returns to the cooking course that you mainly use every day.
Then, after heating in another rice cooking course, select switch
It is necessary to reset the rice cooking course that is mainly used every day
There is no.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 7, 1 is a bowl body having an inner case 2 and an outer case 3 and the like, 4 is a rice cooking container housed in the inner case 2, and 5 is a front opening of the bowl body 1. A lid that can be opened, an inner lid that is provided on the lid 5 and that can open and close the front opening of the container 4, a pedestal that is provided on the bottom of the inner case 2 on which the container 4 is placed, and 8 is the above The rice cooking heater provided on the upper portion of the pedestal 7, 9 is a heat retaining heater provided on the side portion of the inner case 2 and the inner surface of the lid 5, and 10 is located at the central opening of the pedestal 7 and is located outside the container 4. A cup-shaped heat-sensitive portion provided on the bottom so as to elastically press-contact via a spring 11, 12 is a temperature sensor provided inside the heat-sensitive portion 10 for detecting the temperature of the container 4, and 13 is the pedestal 7 Mounting seat for mounting the heat-sensitive part fixed to the lower center of the
Is a weight sensor connected to the pedestal 7 via the mounting seat 13, 15 is a container detection switch which responds to the upper and lower parts of the heat-sensitive part 10 via a lever 16, 17 is an operation panel provided on the lid 5, 18 is rice and 19 is water.

FIG. 2 shows an operation panel 17 having a display section 20 and an operation section 21. The display unit 20 has a menu display means 22 composed of an LCD, and the menu display means 22 is a character "white rice A" indicating a standard rice cooking course.
23, the character "white rice B" which indicates a hard or softer rice cooking course than the standard 24, the character 25 which indicates "brown rice" indicating a brown rice cooking course, and "porridge" indicating a porridge cooking course
A plurality of kinds of menus i.e. rice arranged in the order of composed characters 26
The course group is displayed, and the selected menu, that is, the rice cooking course, is indicated by moving the lighting of the surrounding frame 27. Further, near the upper portion of the character 23 of "white rice A", a character 28 of "normal" is provided as a mode display means for indicating the stored menu in the normal mode by lighting, and other characters 24
In the vicinity of the upper part of ~ 26, there is provided a character 28A which is "memory" as a memory / mode display means for indicating a stored menu in the memory mode by lighting. Further, the display unit 20 has a mode display unit 22A composed of two LEDs, which displays the mode being processed among rice cooking and heat retention, and is turned off when the heating process is stopped. The operation unit 21 includes a rice-cooking switch 29 for starting rice-cooking and warming provided on the lower part of the menu display unit 22, a menu selection switch 30 serving as a menu selection unit corresponding to a selection switch, and heating the rice-cooking and heating. An off switch 31 for stopping the process, a memory switch 32 as an operation means for setting a desired menu from the menu selected by the menu selection switch 30,
It has a mode selection switch 33 which is a mode selection means for selecting the normal mode and the memory mode.

Each time the menu selection switch 30 is pressed normally, the menu is cyclically selected and set in the order of white rice A, white rice B, brown rice, porridge, and white rice A,
The set menu is displayed by the lighting movement of the surrounding frame 27. Also, when the memory switch 32 is pressed, the set menu is stored, and the stored menu is displayed by the lighting of the character "A" 28A, and each time the mode selection switch 33 is pressed. The memory mode and the normal mode are set alternately, and the fact that the memory mode is set is displayed by the lighting of the character 28A that indicates "memory", and the fact that the normal mode is set is displayed by the lighting of the character 28 that indicates "normal". Is displayed. When the OFF switch 31 is pressed in the normal mode setting state, the standard menu, white rice A course, is automatically set, and the character 23 indicating this menu is surrounded by a box 27. Further, when the off switch 31 is pressed in the memory mode setting state, the arbitrarily stored menu is automatically set, and the character indicating this menu is surrounded by the enclosing frame 27.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration, and 34 is an A / D converter which constitutes a temperature detecting means 35 together with the temperature sensor 12 and outputs a detected temperature. Reference numeral 36 is a frequency converter that constitutes the weighing means 37 together with the weight sensor 14, and outputs the detected weight. 38 is a control means composed of a microcomputer, which has a CPU 39, a timing means 40, a memory 41, an input circuit 42, an output circuit 43, etc., as is well known. The control means 38 has a plurality of types of programs,
It has a menu setting means 44 as a setting means for setting the heating pattern corresponding to the selected course based on the switch signal of the menu selection switch 30 which is the menu selection means according to the program it holds.
The menu setting means 44 sets the heating pattern of the white rice A course when the microcomputer is reset. Further, the control means 38 drives and controls the heaters 8 and 9 via the drive circuit 45 according to the switch signal of the operation unit 21 and the detected temperature of the container 4, and drives and controls the display unit 20 by the drive circuit 46.

[0016] Furthermore the control means 38 and mode setting means 47 shown in FIG. 1, and a Meni <br/>-menu storage unit 48 serving as storage means composed of a memory 41. Then, the mode setting means 47 alternately sets the memory mode and the normal mode based on the switch signal of the mode selection switch 33 which is the mode selection means. The menu storage means 48 stores a desired menu which is set based on the switch signal of the memory switch 32 which is an operation means.

Next, the operation of the above structure will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the mode setting operation will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 3. When the normal mode is set and the "normal" character 28 is lit near the upper portion of the "white rice A" character 23, the mode is set. When the presence or absence of the switch signal of the selection switch 33 is judged, and when the mode selection switch 33 is operated, the memory mode is set by the mode setting means 47 based on this signal and the character 28 "normal" is extinguished and the menu storage means. 48
The menu stored in is displayed by the lighting of the character "memory" 28A. After this, the mode selection switch 33
When the mode selection switch 33 is operated again, it is set to the normal mode by the mode setting means 47 based on this signal, and the "memory"
Character 28A turns off and the character "Normal"
28 lights up.

Next, the operation of storing and setting the menu in the memory mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Now, assuming that the white rice B course is stored in the menu storage means 48 and the character 28A "memory" is lit above the character 24 "white rice B", the control means 38 switches the off switch 31. The presence or absence of a signal is determined, and the stored white rice B course is automatically set when the off switch 31 is operated, and the white rice B course is surrounded by the enclosing frame 27. When the off switch 31 is not operated, the menu selection switch 30 Presence / absence is determined. Then, when the rice cooking switch 29 is pressed with the menu selection switch 30 not being operated, rice cooking is performed in the white rice B course. On the other hand, when the menu selection switch 30 is operated, the set menu is updated. Now, assuming that the brown rice course is set and the character 25 "Brown rice" is displayed by lighting the box 27, Next, it is determined whether or not there is a switch signal from the memory switch 32, and when the memory switch 32 is pressed, the menu information stored in the menu storage means 48 is updated to brown rice. The same judgment is made sequentially, and each time the menu selection switch 30 is pressed normally, a plurality of menus are cyclically selected and set, and separately from this, each time the memory switch 32 is pressed, the menu information of the menu storage means 48 is set. The menu stored in the menu storage means 48 is automatically set when the heating switch is stopped by pressing the off switch 31.

Next, the operation of the normal mode will be described with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 5. In this example, the presence or absence of the switch signal of the off switch 31 and the menu selection switch.
The presence or absence of 30 switch signals continues to be determined in sequence, and each course of white rice A, white rice B, brown rice and porridge is cyclically set based on the switch signal of the menu selection switch 30, and which menu is set. Even if it is turned on, the white rice A course which is a standard menu is automatically set based on the switch signal of the off switch 31. And Figure 2
Is a memory mode in which the character 28A of "memory" is lit, and when the rice cooking switch 29 is pressed, rice is started with the menu of the white rice A course surrounded by the frame 27, and the well-known hot water cooking process, rice cooking process, unevenness When the heating process is stopped by pressing the OFF switch 31, the white rice B course stored in the menu storage means 48 is automatically set and the character 24 "white rice B" is displayed in the box 27. Be surrounded. When the rice cook switch 29 is pressed in this state, rice is cooked in the white rice B course. On the other hand, when the mode selection switch 33 is pressed to set the normal mode, the white rice A course which is the standard menu is automatically set. As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the operation of the mode selection switch 33 causes the off switch.
When the heating process is stopped by 31, the normal mode is automatically set to the white rice A course which is a standard menu, and the desired menu stored in the menu storage means 48 when the heating process is stopped by the off switch 31. Since the memory mode automatically set to can be selectively executed, when the user mainly cooks rice in the white rice A course, the normal mode can be used to start cooking rice without operating the menu selection switch 30. or if you mainly rice on the menu other than white rice a course Memorisu the desired menu
By storing it in the menu storage means 48 by the switch 32, it is possible to start cooking rice with a desired menu other than the white rice A course without operating the menu selection switch 30 by using the memory mode, which improves usability. To do. In addition, the operation test of all the switches is generally performed in the manufacturing process, but even if the menu is set arbitrarily, the user can use it from the white rice A course in the normal mode, which causes inconvenience. , Which also simplifies the manufacturing process. On the other hand, the conventional method in which the selected menu is stored each time the menu selection switch is operated is required to be shipped with the white rice A course set, which makes manufacturing difficult. .

In addition, the normal mode or the memory mode
Regardless of one of the above, other than the rice cooking course that is mainly used every day
Even if you rarely use the rice cooking course, the switch 31
Automatically return to the rice course primarily for use on a daily basis and operations
Therefore, after heating in another rice cooking course, the main
There is no need to reset the rice cooking course used for. Further
Then, the control means 38 is reset to the microcomputer.
If it is affected, it is usually assumed to be used most
Since the standard white rice cooking course is set,
Does not cause any major inconvenience even after use after reset.
Yes.

Further, a character 28 "normal" is provided near the character 23 indicating the standard menu, and a character 28A "memory" is provided near the characters 24 to 26 indicating other menus. The normal mode setting is indicated by the lighting of the character 28 "Normal".
The text "Memory" 28A lights up to indicate the memory mode setting and the stored menu can be seen. For example, even if the course setting is white rice, the amount of water for porridge is used to produce white rice. There is no need to worry about problems such as boiling and spilling or softening of rice.

[0024] The present invention is Ru der various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Were carried out by the lighting of the frame surrounds the selective display of or menu, it may be carried out in other display methods, such as the character of the lighting, also mode display means such as by lighting of went, but symbols and lamp by lighting of character It may be performed.

[0025]

The present invention has a standard white rice cooking course and a standard rice cooking course.
Standard white rice cooking course such as harder or softer
Different ways to cook white rice and brown rice
And other meals other than white rice cooking course such as rice porridge cooking course
Of the rice cooking course group consisting of rice courses, the desired rice cooking
Selection switch to select the
Set the heating pattern corresponding to the selected rice cooking course.
Rice cooker selected by the setting means and the selection switch
Means of storing the course and heating line for cooking rice and keeping warm
A switch for stopping the process, the setting means and the
The storage means is composed of a microcomputer, and
When you operate the selection switch, sequentially rice depending on the operation
If you change the course and then operate the off switch,
Special features of the rice cooking course group stored in the storage means
A fixed rice cooking course is set,
Standard white rice course when the computer is reset
It is intended but configured to be set, the selection switch
And the usability can be improved by reducing the need to operate the
Mostly, rice cooked without inconvenience in use after reset
Vessel can provide.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same operation panel.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a mode setting operation of the same as above.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a menu storing / setting operation in the same memory mode.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a menu setting operation in the same normal mode as above.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the same.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the same rice cooker.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 Menu selection switch ( selection switch ) 31 Off switch 38 Control means (microcomputer) 44 Menu setting means (setting means) 48 Menu storage means (storage means)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] [Claim 1] Standard white rice cooking course and harder than standard
Or different from standard white rice cooking course such as soft eyes
How to cook white rice course and brown rice course and rice gruel
There are multiple rice cooking courses other than the white rice cooking course.
Select the desired rice cooking course from the
Selection switch and the selection switch
Setting means to set the heating pattern corresponding to the rice cooking course
And the rice cooking course selected by the selection switch.
Memorize the memory and stop the heating process of rice cooking and heat retention
An off switch, the setting means and the storage means
The selection switch is composed of a microcomputer.
When you operate Ji, the rice cooking course changes in sequence according to the operation.
If you change the switch and then operate the off switch,
A specific rice cooker from the stored rice cooker course group
Is set, and the microcomputer is reset.
When set, the standard white rice cooking course is set
Rice cooker characterized by being configured as follows.