JP3116524B2 - 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 microcomputer-equipped rice cooker mainly used at home.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been an increasing need for diversification and sophistication of consumer preferences, and rice cookers controlled by a microcomputer have become widespread in order to cook more delicious rice.

Conventionally, a rice cooking process of this type of rice cooker is generally as shown in FIG. That is, in the rice cooking process, the rice is absorbed and gelatinized during the cooking process and the boiling maintaining process, and when the water in the kettle is no longer absorbed by the rice, the temperature of the pot rises rapidly, and the predetermined temperature rises. Is reached, the boiling maintenance process ends, and the steaming process starts. If the temperature of the pot exceeds a predetermined temperature at the end of the boiling maintenance process in a process before the boiling maintenance process, rice cooking is terminated and a warming process is started.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional rice cooker, when the convection of water in the pot is hindered during the cooking process due to the quality of rice or the like, only a part of the rice is sharply reduced. When the temperature of the pot rises sharply and becomes higher than the predetermined end temperature of the boiling maintenance process, the rice is actually cooked even though the rice has not yet been gelatinized. There is a problem that a so-called premature break phenomenon occurs.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker which does not cause a premature break even if there is a reason such as rice quality.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve the above object, a rice cooker according to the present invention comprises: a pot for holding cooked rice; a lid located on the pot for covering the cooked rice in the pot; Heating means for heating the pan, and control means for controlling the heating means
When the first temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot, a second temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the lid, start cooking
A first timer means for starting counting from the time, and a second timer means, clocking Star of the first timer hand stage
After the heating, and when the second temperature detecting means
Star until detecting a predetermined temperature φ1 indicating the start, when the first temperature detecting means detects the predetermined temperature in the vicinity including the boiling sustaining process end temperature, the second timer means for counting
And heating of the heating means is stopped.
When the second timer measures a predetermined time T1, the heating
The stage, resume heating of the same level as before the heating is stopped, until the second temperature detecting means detects the predetermined temperature φ1
The first temperature detecting means detects the temperature around the end of the boiling maintenance stroke.
When a predetermined temperature is detected, the heating means is stopped and restarted.
Is repeated, and the second temperature detecting means makes the predetermined temperature φ
After examining No. 1, the boiling maintaining process and the steaming process are performed .

[0007]

According to the present invention, when the temperature of the pot rises sharply during the cooking process and reaches a predetermined boiling maintenance process end temperature, the heating is stopped for a certain period of time without terminating the rice cooking, and then the heating is restarted. The temperature near the end temperature of the predetermined boiling maintenance process until the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the lid detects the predetermined temperature and enters the boiling maintenance process and for a predetermined time after entering the boiling maintenance process. Is detected, the heating is stopped for a certain period of time and then restarted. By controlling the heating to be resumed after this heating is stopped, not only is the temperature of the pot lowered to the level of ordinary rice cooking and heating is performed again, but also the convection in the pot is stimulated and the convection in the pot is returned to normal. be able to. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the boiling maintenance process, since the above-described control is not performed and normal rice is cooked, convection of water in the pot is hindered in the cooking process due to rice quality and the like, Even if the temperature of the pot rises suddenly and becomes higher than the predetermined temperature even though the rice has not yet been gelatinized, rice cooking is continued and it is possible to prevent that rice cannot be cooked due to early cutting. . In addition, the length of time for stopping the heating is set to be appropriately short so as not to significantly affect the rise in the temperature of the rice and water in the kettle. You can cook rice.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a rice cooker according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice cooker according to one embodiment, in which a heating means 3 for heating the pot 1, a first temperature detecting means 4 for detecting the temperature of the pot 1, and a lid 2 are provided. A second temperature detecting means 5 for detecting a temperature, a control means 6 for inputting signals of the first temperature detecting means 4 and the second temperature detecting means 5 to control the power of the heating means 3, and inputting a start of rice cooking Input means 7, a first timer means 8 which measures the elapsed time after the start of rice cooking and outputs the result when a predetermined cooking process (cooking process) is started, and a first temperature detecting device 4 which has a predetermined boiling point. The operation of measuring a predetermined time from the point of detecting that the temperature has reached the temperature near the end temperature of the maintenance process is repeated any number of times during the cooking process and the initial predetermined time of the boiling maintenance process, and the time measurement is repeated. The specified temperature at the start is set to the first heating stop and the second and subsequent times. Third timer means stops the heating and the second timer means 9 to be changed, the the second temperature detection means 5 for counting a predetermined time from the detection of a predetermined temperature 10
And the heating means 3 during the time measurement by the second timer means 9.
And a heating stop means 11 for outputting a stop signal to the heater.

FIG. 2 shows a partial cross section of the rice cooker. The first temperature detecting means 4 for detecting the temperature of the pot 1 comprises a temperature resistance element for converting a change in temperature into a resistance value. It is configured to move freely, and is arranged in contact with the bottom surface of the pot 1. The second temperature detecting means 5 for detecting the temperature of the lid 2 also includes a similar temperature resistance element, and is embedded near the inner surface of the lid 2. The input means 7 (switch) is connected to the control means 6. A control means 6, a heating stop means 11 for outputting a heating stop signal, and a first timer means 8,
A microcomputer (not shown) including the second timer means 9 and the third timer means 10 is incorporated in the circuit board 12 and attached to the bottom of the rice cooker body 13.
FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the temperature and time when rice is cooked in a case where rice is cooked normally and a case where the pot temperature rises rapidly during cooking.

[0011] In the rice cooker configured as described above,
The operation when cooking rice will be described. First, pan 1
In a state where rice and water are put in the pan, the pan 1 is placed on the heating means 3 as shown in FIG. When rice cooking is started, input means 7
, The first timer means 8 starts counting time, and as shown in FIG. 3, enters a cooking process through a process of absorbing water for a certain period of time, and during the cooking process, the temperature of the pot 1 becomes Gradually rises and the rice begins to absorb water. In a normal case, sufficient convection occurs in the pot 1 so that the temperature of the rice and water rises evenly, and the second temperature detecting means 5 embedded in the lid 2 detects the predetermined temperature φ1 and boils. In the maintenance process, the water absorption and gelatinization of the rice proceeds, and the water in the pan 1 disappears, and the temperature of the pan 1 rises rapidly. When the first temperature detecting means 4 detects that the temperature has reached the predetermined temperature θ1, the boiling maintaining process is completed and the process shifts to the steaming process. However, due to problems with rice quality (crushed rice, milled rice, etc.), pot 1
If the convection of water in the inside is hindered, only a part of the rice is rapidly heated and gelatinized during the cooking process, so that water is lost only in that part and the temperature of the pot may rise rapidly.

If the first temperature detecting means 4 detects that the temperature of the pot 1 has reached the predetermined boiling maintenance stroke end temperature θ1, the second timer means 9 starts counting time, and at the same time, the heating stopping means 11 Outputs a heating stop signal, and the heating is interrupted. When the second timer means 9 determines that the predetermined time T1 has elapsed.
At the same time, the heating stop signal from the heating stop means 11 is also released, and heating is resumed. During the stoppage of the heating, the temperature of the pot 1 decreases to near the normal temperature, and when the heating is resumed, the convection of the water in the pot 1 is restored, and after that, the normal convection continues, and the convection remains stagnant. When the heating is resumed because the temperature has not been recovered, the temperature of the pan 1 may suddenly rise again. However, when the first temperature detecting unit 4 detects that the temperature of the pan 1 has reached the predetermined temperature θ2, As described above, after the heating is stopped for the predetermined time T1, the heating is restarted.

In the meantime, the temperature of the whole rice and water in the pot 1 rises. This control is performed during a certain period of time during the cooking process and at the beginning of the boiling maintaining process, ie, after the cooking process is started, The second temperature detecting means 5 embedded in the sensor 2 detects a predetermined temperature φ1 and enters a boiling maintaining process, from which a predetermined time T measured by a third timer means 10 is set.
The heating is stopped until the second temperature has elapsed, and when the first temperature detecting means 4 detects that the temperature of the pan 1 has reached the predetermined temperature θ2, the heating is stopped again for the predetermined time T1 as described above. After that, the operation of restarting heating is repeated many times. After the time measurement by the third timer means 10 is completed, the above-described control is not performed, and the water in the pot 1 disappears during the boiling maintaining process due to the absorption and gelatinization of the rice. When it is detected that the temperature has reached the predetermined temperature θ1, the boiling maintaining process is ended, the steaming process is performed, and the rice cooking operation is completed. As shown in FIG. 3, even when the temperature of the pot 1 rises in the cooking process and reaches near a predetermined rice ending temperature, the rice is controlled by the heating as described above, so that the rice is “early cut”. It is to solve the problem of not being able to cook.

[0014]

As described above, the rice cooker according to the present invention comprises a pot for putting in rice, a lid located on the pot to cover the rice in the pot, and a heating means for heating the pot. , and a control unit for controlling the power of the previous SL heating means, a first temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pan, and a second temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the lid, the elapsed after the start of cooking A first timer means for measuring a time and outputting when a predetermined rice cooking process (cooking process) is started, and a predetermined time from when the first temperature detecting device detects that the predetermined temperature θ1 has been reached. Time T
It includes a second timer means for counting a 1, the second temperature detecting means and a third timer means for counting a predetermined time T2 from the detection of a predetermined temperature .phi.1, the second timer means From the time when the timing is started to the time when the timing ends T1 ,
During the cook-up stroke of 炊 rice by the temperature of the pot spike even when it reaches a predetermined boil sustain step finishing temperature, the heating means
Stop heating, and then restart heating to the same extent as before heating was stopped.
When the convection in the pot is blocked by opening
But by giving stimulus to convection, convection can be restored to normal
It is easier to cook rice without ending, and you can cook rice as usual, so you can cook rice with confidence regardless of rice quality.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice cooker according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the rice cooker.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the rice cooking temperature and time of the rice cooker.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the cooking temperature and time of a conventional rice cooker.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pot 2 Cover 3 Heating means 4 First temperature detecting means 5 Second temperature detecting means 6 Control means 7 Input means 8 First timer means 9 Second timer means 10 Third timer means 11 Heating stop means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-63-252112 (JP, A) JP-A-64-43989 (JP, A) JP-A-3-126409 (JP, A) JP-A-59-1984 40816 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A47J 27/00 109

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pot for putting cooked rice, a lid located on the pot to cover the cooked rice in the pot, heating means for heating the pot, and control means for controlling the heating means. A first temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot, a second temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the lid, and a first timer means for starting time from the start of rice cooking. After the start of timing of the first timer means.
And the second temperature detecting means starts the boiling maintenance process.
Until detecting a predetermined temperature φ1 shown, when the first temperature detecting means detects the predetermined temperature in the vicinity including the boiling sustaining process end temperature, the second timer means to start time measurement
And heating of the heating means is stopped, and the second
When the timer measures the predetermined time T1, the heating
Ri, resume heating of the same level as before the heating is stopped, the on to said second temperature detecting means detects the predetermined temperature φ1 first
One of the temperature detecting means is a predetermined temperature around the end temperature of the boiling maintenance stroke.
When the temperature is detected, heating of the heating means is repeatedly stopped and restarted.
And the second temperature detecting means detects the predetermined temperature φ1.
A rice cooker that carries out a boiling maintenance process and a steaming process after a fight. 2. A third timer means for measuring a predetermined time T2 when the second temperature detecting means detects the predetermined temperature φ1 , and the heating means is stopped until the third timer means finishes measuring the time. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the rice cooker is restarted . 3. Boiling maintaining the first temperature detecting means for detecting
The predetermined temperature near the process end temperature is the first detection temperature θ1
The second and subsequent detection means θ2 is set to a temperature lower than the
The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: