JP3298090B2 - 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 that cooks rice to be cooked in a container evenly by optimal heating.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of rice cooker is provided with rice and water to be cooked in a container, and a top opening of the container is closed by a lid, and then provided on the bottom of the container. The container is heated by the cut-off power control of the rice cooker, and the rice is cooked in one side and the rice is cooked. When the temperature of the inside of the container reaches a predetermined cooking temperature, the rice cooking heater is turned off, and the rice cooking process is completed through spotting.

[0003] In the rice cooker having the above structure, since the heat from the rice cooker is concentrated on the bottom side of the container, strong heating is performed only on the bottom side of the other parts in the container, so that the rice is cooked uniformly. You can't get up. Therefore,
In addition to the rice cooker that heats the bottom of the container, another side heater that heats the lower part of the outer peripheral surface of the container is provided, and these heaters are used to heat the entire container to prevent uneven cooking.

[0004]

The above-described rice cooker having the conventional configuration has the following problems. First, during the period from the start of rice cooking to the dry-up, when heating control of each heater is performed under the same heating condition, the bottom of the container and the lower part of the outer peripheral surface located at the position facing the rice cooker and the side heater, and the heat conduction of the container, The upper part of the outer peripheral surface is strongly heated, and the rice is absorbed more sufficiently in these parts by boiling than in the vicinity of the central part of the container. In addition, the water level in the container gradually decreases as the rice absorbs water, so that water remains in the lower layer of the rice until it reaches a dry-up state. Therefore, especially in the central part of the upper layer of rice, the cooked rice becomes harder due to insufficient water absorption, and the lower layer of rice becomes excessively water-absorbent, so that the cooked rice becomes softer and consequently boiled to the bottom inside the container. Uneven cooking such as breakage occurs.

[0005] On the other hand, there has been conventionally known a cord-shaped or band-shaped side heater, which consumes less power than a rice cooking heater, provided on a side surface of an inner frame. (For example, the rice cooking heater is 1000 W, the side heater is 50 to 200
W. However, in such a configuration, the heating output of the rice cooker is much higher than the heating output of the side heater, and the side of the container cannot be sufficiently heated, so that the heating balance between the side and the bottom of the container is poor.

[0006] A lid packing portion is provided on the lower surface of the lid to come into contact with the upper portion of the container when the lid is closed.
Since the lid packing is fixed to the lower surface of the lid, there is a problem that the lid packing or the lid alone cannot be cleaned. Further, when the lid packing is deteriorated, not only the lid packing but also the entire lid is forced to be replaced. Therefore, it is difficult to easily replace the lid and the serviceability is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention enables cleaning of the lid packing portion and the lid body alone, facilitates replacement of the lid packing, and facilitates replacement of the lid packing , for example, on the container body.
Parts may become dirty with dew, or dew may flow into the rice while it is warm.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rice cooker capable of more reliably suppressing the condition .

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a rice cooker according to claim 1 of the present invention has a container for rice cooking and heat insulation, a lid covering an upper opening of the container, and a lid for covering the opening. disposed on the lower surface of the body, comprising a lid packing part in contact with the upper portion of the container, a lid packing unit mounting portion of the lid packing part and can be mounted as Hazuseru with open the lid, the lid The packing part is a lid that contacts the upper part of the container.
The cross-sectional shape of the packing piece has an opening on the container side
It is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and in a state where the lid is opened,
The lower end of the lid packing piece abutting on the upper part of the container is the lid
It is structured so that it is located below the surface of the
It has been achieved .

In the rice cooker according to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the lid packing portion mounting portion comprises a concave portion formed around the lower surface of the lid body, and the concave portion is provided in the concave portion. It is configured to house the unit.

[0010] In the rice cooker according to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect, the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided on the outer peripheral side of the upper opening of the container.

[0011] In the rice cooker according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect , a fixing portion for mounting the lid packing portion to the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided above the lid packing piece. It is provided.

[0012] cooker of claim 5 of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of claim 4, in which the fixing portion is provided on the outside of the lid packing piece.

[0013] cooker of claim 6 of the present invention, according to claim 4 or
In addition to the above configuration, the lid packing portion mounting portion includes a projecting piece for preventing the fixing portion from falling off when the lid packing portion is mounted.

In a rice cooker according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the sixth aspect , the lid packing portion mounting portion has a concave portion for accommodating the fixing portion, and the projecting piece forms the concave portion. It is formed of a member and another member.

In the rice cooker according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fourth aspect, an inclined surface connected to the fixing portion is formed around the lower surface of the lid.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the lid packing portion mounted on the lid packing portion mounting portion can be removed with the lid body opened. For this reason, not only can the lid packing part be removed from the lid body for washing, but also the lid packing part can be removed and the entire lower surface of the lid body including the lid packing part mounting part can be cleaned. The cleanability of the lid is improved. Further, even when the lid packing part is deteriorated, the lid packing part can be detached from the lid body and replaced alone, so that the replacement of the lid packing part can be performed very easily, and the serviceability is improved.

Also, a lid packing piece abutting on the upper part of the container
The cross-sectional shape of this is approximately rectangular, and the opening is on the container side.
So that it is attached to the lower surface of the lid when the lid is opened.
The deposited dew flows through the opening and flows into the lid packing
However, there is a pool inside the lid packing piece that has a substantially rectangular cross section.
You. In particular, dew attached to the member surface that constitutes the lower surface of the lid,
Flow to the lower end side of the lid packing piece located below this
The lid packing piece, which has a roughly U-shaped cross section.
Dew flows below the lid packing piece because
Will not fall. Therefore, for example, the upper part of the container body around the container is exposed to dew.
Dirty or dew drops into the rice while keeping warm
Can be reliably suppressed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the lid packing portion is mounted on the lid packing portion mounting portion in a state of being housed in the recess, so that when the lid packing portion is mounted on the lid packing mounting portion, the lid packing portion is mounted. Does not protrude greatly toward the lower surface of the lid, and the appearance when the lid is opened can be improved. In addition, the thickness of the lid is prevented from increasing, and the lid can be suppressed particularly in the height direction.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface opening of the container.
A lid packing part that is not easily heated by heat such as a lid heater is provided at a position that does not face the upper opening of the container. Therefore, it is difficult for dew to adhere to the lid packing part during rice cooking and heat retention, and the problem that dew attached to the lid packing part falls on rice in the container and the rice becomes sticky is suppressed.

In [0020] a roller, for the lid packing pieces to seal between the top of the lid and the container, must be small thickness having both flexibility and elasticity, strength is relatively weak. Therefore, when the lid packing piece is mounted on the lid packing portion mounting portion, the flexibility, that is, the deformability in the vertical direction is particularly impaired, and the sealing performance between the lid and the upper portion of the container is deteriorated. However, according to the configuration of claim 4 , by forming a fixing portion different from the lid packing piece on the upper part of the lid packing piece, the sealing property between the lid body and the upper part of the container is adversely affected by the lid packing piece. It is possible to attach the lid packing portion without exerting any force.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the fixing portion is provided outside the lid packing piece, when the lid packing portion is mounted on the lid packing mounting portion, the lid packing portion projects greatly toward the lower surface of the lid body. The appearance when the lid is opened can be improved without the need. In addition, the thickness of the lid is prevented from increasing, and the lid can be suppressed particularly in the height direction. Moreover, the lid packing part can be attached to the lid packing mounting part while holding the fixing part outside the lid packing part by hand without having to hold the flexible lid packing piece by hand, so the mounting of the lid packing part is also improved. I do.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the lid packing portion is mounted on the lid packing mounting portion by the fixing portion, the projecting piece exerts an effect of preventing the fixing portion from falling off, so that the lid is opened and closed. The problem that the lid packing part falls off can be reliably prevented.

According to the configuration of claim 7 , since the protruding piece is formed by a member different from the recess, a structure in which the protruding piece is provided in the recess, for example, in a horizontal shape can be easily realized, and the lid packing portion falls off. The prevention structure can be easily obtained.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the dew adhered to the member surface constituting the lower surface of the lid flows down the inclined surface around the lower surface of the lid and flows out to the fixing portion of the lid packing portion. Since dew accumulates in the lid packing piece having a substantially rectangular cross section at the lower part of the portion, the dew does not flow below the lid packing piece. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the problem that the periphery of the container, for example, the upper part of the container body is contaminated with dew or the dew flows down into the rice being kept warm.

[0025]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In FIG. 1 showing an overall sectional view of a rice cooker,
Reference numeral 1 denotes a container body having an open upper surface, and an inner frame 2 made of an aluminum plate and an outer frame 3 made of a polypropylene molded product.
And a frame portion 4 made of a polyamide resin molded product containing glass fiber or the like and having improved heat resistance. The frame 4 located at the upper part of the container body 1 is provided so as to engage with the upper part of the outer frame 3 and support the upper surface of the inner frame 2. Reference numeral 5 denotes a bottomed tubular rice cooker and warmer container for accommodating rice to be cooked and removably accommodated in the inner frame 2, and having an inner bottom portion of the inner frame 2 at a lower portion of the outer peripheral surface thereof. An inclined portion 6 to be placed in contact with the peripheral surface is formed. This container 5 is made of a member having good thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and has a PFA resin coating excellent in non-adhesion on the inner surface, and contains nickel oxide, tin oxide and the like on the outer surface after alumite. A black alumite layer (not shown) having heat resistance is formed by secondary electrolysis with an alumite solution. The same surface treatment as the outer surface of the container 5 is performed on the inner surface of the inner frame 2.

A case 7 is provided between the inner frame 2 and the outer frame 3 as a heat insulating member made of an aluminum-plated steel plate. Reference numeral 8 denotes a container sensor serving as a container temperature detecting means having a built-in thermistor. The container sensor 8 is provided on the outer side of the inner frame 2 to indirectly detect the temperature of the container 5 by heat conduction of the inner frame 2. 9 is also provided on the outer surface side of the inner frame 2,
This is a thermal fuse that operates when abnormal temperature rises for fire prevention. An opening 2A is formed in the lowermost surface of the inner frame 2, and an inner frame bottom plate 10 is provided to face the opening 2A. The inner frame bottom plate 10 is subjected to black secondary electrolytic alumite treatment similarly to the inner frame 2 and the container 5, and a plurality of plate supports 11 protruding downward from the case 7 are provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof. A support member 12 made of a steel plate is provided on the bottom surface of the case 7.
A spring 13 that urges the inner frame bottom plate 10 upward is provided between the plate support 11 and the flange portion 11A of the plate support 11. That is, when the container 5 is not accommodated in the inner frame 2 due to the elastic force of the spring 13, the outer peripheral portion of the inner frame bottom plate 10 abuts on the bottom of the inner frame 2, and the opening 2 A of the inner frame 2 is opened. Is closed by the inner frame bottom plate 10, and the inner bottom surface of the inner frame 2 and the surface of the inner frame bottom plate 10 are arranged on substantially the same plane. When the container 5 is in the housed state, the container 5 is directly pressed from below by the contact portion 14 between the bottom surface of the container 5 and the inner frame bottom plate 10. At the bottom of the case 7, a heater mounting table 15 made of an inorganic material such as porcelain is provided below the inner frame bottom plate 10. A bottom heater 16 serving as a means is placed. The bottom heater 16 is composed of, for example, an annular sheathed heater, and the container 5 and the inner frame bottom plate are provided.
The inner frame 2 and the inner frame bottom plate 10 face the contact portion 14 with the inner frame 2.
And is arranged in a non-contact state. A heater mounting table 17 made of the same material as the heater mounting table 15 is provided on a step 7A formed on the outer circumference of the case 7, and the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the container 5 is placed on the heater mounting table 17. A side heater 18 as a side heating means for heating is placed. The side heater 18 is formed of, for example, an annular sheathed heater, and is disposed to substantially face the inclined portion 6 of the container 5.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a lid that covers the opening on the upper surface of the container body 1 so that it can be opened and closed. The lid 21 is made of a polypropylene molded product and forms an outer shell of the lid 21, and the lid 21 is fixed to the lower outer periphery of the outer lid 22 and attached so as to cover the upper opening of the container 5. And has a structure without a so-called inner lid. Cover lower plate 23
Is made of an aluminum plate containing about 1.5% iron by weight, and after forming an alumite film layer having a thickness of about 15 to 25 μm by alumite treatment, an alumina layer (not shown) having a milky white appearance is formed. Is provided. Also,
A lid heater 24 for heating the lid lower plate 23 during rice cooking is provided on the upper portion of the lid lower plate 23, and serves as a lid temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the lid lower plate 23 and the generation of steam from the cooked rice. A lid sensor 25 is provided. The lid heater 24 is a cord-shaped heating element having a silicone rubber jacket.
It is mounted and fixed over almost the entire surface of 23. The lid sensor 25 is composed of a temperature detector having a built-in thermistor. On the other hand, on one side of the lid 21, a steam cylinder 26 for communicating the inside of the container 5 with the outside is provided. The steam cylinder 26 is formed by forming an aluminum plate into a cylindrical shape and fixed by caulking to the lid lower surface plate 23.A plug 27 having a steam port for discharging steam to the atmosphere is provided at an upper portion of the steam cylinder 26. Is provided. Reference numeral 28 denotes a detachable socket that engages with the plug 27, and is made of a heat-resistant and steam-resistant member such as fluoro rubber. A flexible hose 29 such as silicone rubber is connected to the socket 28, and the steam generated from the inside of the container 5 is led out to a kitchen sink or the like via the hose 29. Reference numeral 30 denotes an operation display panel provided in a concave portion of the outer lid 22, and reference numeral 31 denotes a control unit including a board unit and the like.

Next, a lid packing corresponding to the lid packing portion
The configuration around 32 will be described with reference to FIG.
Numeral 32 is formed in an annular shape having the same shape in cross section by flexible silicone rubber, and is provided so that the upper end of the container 5 and the lid lower plate 23 are in close contact with each other when the lid 21 is closed. Reference numeral 33 denotes an engaging portion corresponding to a fixing portion formed on the upper portion of the lid packing 32.
A groove 34 corresponding to a concave portion formed at the lower part of the outer periphery of the outer cover 22 and a projecting piece 35 formed at the lower end of the outer periphery of the outer lid 22 which is a separate member from the lid lower surface plate 23 are detachably fitted. You. The groove 34 and the protruding piece 35 correspond to a lid packing portion mounting portion 37 that can be mounted so that the lid packing 32 can be removed with the lid 21 opened. At the lower part of the engaging part 33, a hinge part 36 corresponding to an elastically deformable lid packing piece having a substantially rectangular cross section is provided, and when the lid 21 is open, the lower end of the hinge part 36 is It is formed so as to be located lower than the bottom surface of the lid lower plate 23 which is a member constituting the lower surface of the lid. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the engagement portion 33 is housed in the groove portion 34,
A part of the engaging portion 33 is provided outside the hinge portion 36.
Further, an inclined surface connected to the engaging portion 33 is provided around the lid lower plate 23.
38 is formed. Hinge part 36 whose cross-sectional shape is almost rectangular
Has an opening 39 on the container 5 side. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the lid packing portion mounting portion 37 is provided on the outer peripheral side of the upper opening of the container 5.

In FIG. 3 showing a front view of the operation display panel 30, reference numeral 41 denotes an LC provided in the center of the operation display panel 30.
This LCD display 41 has a date 42A and an alarm 42A having a common 8-digit segment display.
B and each display section 42 of the stopwatch 42C, and a current time display section 43 having a 4-digit segment display body or the like.
And a timer reservation time display section 44, and a rice cooker course display section 45 having a nine-division display mode according to the rice freshness, cooking and menu. Also, the LCD display 41
An operation unit 46 having various operation keys is provided outside the unit. Each time the mode changeover switch 47 located on the left side of the drawing is pressed on the operation unit 46, the date 42A → the alarm 42
Display section: B → 42C for stopwatch → 42A for date
The display mode of 42 is selectively switched, and a display corresponding to each mode is performed. Reference numeral 48 denotes a start / stop switch. When a display mode of the alarm 42B or the stopwatch 42C is selected, the operation starts / stops.
Perform a stop. Below the mode changeover switch 47, a pair of advance / return switches 49 are provided, and when the display mode of the date 42A or the alarm 42B is selected,
Adjust the display contents and setting contents. Further, below these switches 47, 48 and 49, there are autumn (new rice), winter / spring,
New rice degree setting switch that can adjust the new rice degree at each time of summer
50, a cooking setting switch 51 for setting a cooked state in each of the courses of hard, normal, and soft, and a menu setting switch 52 for setting each menu of white rice, brown rice, and rice porridge. In the new rice degree setting switch 50, the remaining heat adjustment and the uneven heating adjustment are performed according to each set new rice degree course. Monday 1
The degree of new rice is automatically set in autumn (new rice) on November 30 and in winter and spring on December 1 to March 31 and in summer from April 1 to August 31.

On the other hand, the clock setting switch 5 is
3, an hour digit adjustment switch 54 and a minute digit adjustment switch 55 are provided, respectively. When the clock adjustment switch 53 is pressed when the current time display section 43 is displayed, the current time display section 43 is displayed.
Is blinking, and the display time of the current time display section 43 can be adjusted by further pressing the hour digit adjustment switch 54 and the minute digit adjustment switch 55. Each time the timer reservation switch 56 provided in the lower part of the figure is pressed, the display form of the timer reservation time display section 44 changes to “TIMER 1”, “T
By switching to "IMER 2" and pressing the hour-digit adjustment switch 54 and the minute-digit adjustment switch 55, and adjusting the display time of the timer reservation time display section 44 as appropriate, the desired cooking time can be set. Further, reference numeral 57 denotes a cut-off switch. When the cut-off switch 57 is pressed during the rice cooking operation, all the operations are stopped and the cut-off switch is forcibly turned off. When the rice cook start switch 58 and the heat keeping start switch 59 are turned off, pressing these switches 58 and 59 starts the rice cook operation and the heat keeping operation, respectively. In addition, 60 is a cooking rice LED which lights up when cooking rice, 61 is a warming LED which lights up when warming, 62 is a timer LED which lights up when the timer operates.
It is.

Next, the electrical configuration will be described based on the block diagram shown in FIG. Reference numeral 71 denotes a power plug to which commercial AC power is supplied, and the thermal fuse 9 is provided between both ends thereof.
And a power reducing means 72 such as a transformer. A constant voltage circuit 73 for outputting a predetermined DC voltage is connected to the output side of the power reduction means 72, and a power supply voltage of, for example, 3V DC is supplied to the microcomputer 74 and the like via the constant voltage circuit 73. ing. Further, a series circuit of the heater control means 75 and the lid heater 24 is provided between both ends of the power plug 71,
A series circuit of the heater control means 76 and the side heater 18 and a series circuit of the heater control means 77 and the bottom heater 16 are connected respectively. These heater control means 75, 76, 77 are composed of various types of switch elements such as well-known relays, power transistors, and triacs. Reference numeral 78 denotes a power failure compensation circuit for backing up a power supply, which immediately supplies a predetermined DC voltage to the microcomputer 74 upon detecting a power failure state. The power consumption of the side heater 18 is 100
V-800W, power consumption of bottom heater 16 is 100V-4
00W, the power consumption of the lid heater 24 is 100V-50W.

The microcomputer 74 constitutes the control section 31, which is provided with a storage means (not shown) such as a ROM and peripheral means such as a clocking means 79, as is well known. The lid sensor 25, the container sensor 8, and the operation unit 46 are connected to the input side of the microcomputer 74, respectively. On the output side of the microcomputer 74,
A display drive circuit 80 for providing a drive signal to the LCD display 41 or the like of the operation display panel 30, and a buzzer drive circuit for providing a drive signal to a notification buzzer (not shown) provided in the control unit 31
81 and control means drive circuits 82, 83 and 84 for providing drive signals to the heater control means 75, 76 and 77, respectively. The microcomputer 74 performs a preset control based on the temperature data from the lid sensor 25 and the container sensor 8 and the time data from the timer 79 in accordance with the rice cooking course and menu selected by the operation unit 46. In accordance with the sequence, the power cutoff of each of the heaters 16, 18, and 24 is controlled.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a processing procedure of a control program stored in the microcomputer 74 from the start of preheating to the time of detection of dry-up. In the drawing, reference numeral 91 denotes a so-called empty cooking state in which no rice is contained in the container 5 and a state in which rice cooking is started without housing the container 5 in the inner frame 2, based on the temperature data from the container sensor 8. Abnormal state detecting means for detecting the abnormal state based on the output of abnormal data from the abnormal state detecting means 91,
The bottom heater 16 and the side heater 18 are immediately turned off. On the other hand, reference numeral 92 denotes boiling detection means for detecting boiling based on the generation of steam from the cooked rice based on the temperature data from the lid sensor 25. During the period from the boiling process after the preheating process to the detection of the dry-up, the heating amount of the bottom heater 16 is adjusted and controlled by the bottom heating control means 93, and the heating amount of the side heater 18 is adjusted by the side heating control means 94. Controlled. Based on the detection data from the boiling detecting means 92, the heating switching control means 95 causes the container 5 mainly composed of the side heater 18 to be heated via the side heating control means 94 until boiling is detected, and the boiling detection is performed. After that, the container 5 is heated mainly by the bottom heater 16 via the bottom heating control means 93.

Next, the block diagram after the dry-up detection shown in FIG. 6 will be described. Reference numeral 96 denotes dry-up detecting means for detecting a dry-up state based on a temperature change rate from the lid sensor 25. Reference numeral 97 denotes a side heater 18 and a lid heater 24 so that the container 5 is maintained at a predetermined temperature.
Is a heat retention control means for controlling the temperature.

On the other hand, FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a processing procedure of a control program for determining a heating pattern according to the degree of new rice. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 101 denotes a calendar means built in the microcomputer 74. The calendar means 101 has a function of automatically updating the date based on the time data of the clock means 79, and a date that matches the calendar is stored before shipment from the factory. Then, the date is set and displayed via the display section 42 of the operation display panel 30. Reference numeral 102 denotes an automatic heating pattern setting means for automatically setting a heating pattern according to the degree of new rice based on the date data stored in the calendar means 101.
The setting of the new rice degree can be manually performed via the new rice degree setting switch 50. In this case, the heating pattern according to the new rice degree is set by the manual heating setting means 103 by operating the new rice degree setting switch 50. Heating pattern data from the automatic heating pattern setting means 102 and the manual heating pattern setting means 103 are input to the heating pattern determination means 104, but only when the new rice degree setting switch 50 is operated, the manual heating pattern setting means Priority is given to the heating pattern data from
The heating pattern according to the new rice degree is determined based on the change of the heating pattern data.

Next, regarding the rice cooker having the above-described configuration, the outline of each control from the start of preheating to the heat retention will be described with reference to the temperature change of the container sensor 8 and the lid sensor 25 and the power cutoff of each of the heaters 16, 18, and 24. This will be described with reference to the graphs of FIGS. 8 and 9 and the flowcharts shown in FIGS. At the beginning of the rice cooking process, a predetermined preheating process is performed. In this preheating process, heating is performed to keep the water at a high temperature until boiling, in order to perform the initial water absorption of the rice, which is the container, in a short time. . That is, the procedure is as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
After the start of the preheating process, in step S1, the side heater 18 and the bottom heater 16 are respectively energized, and a predetermined time, for example, t = 20
It is determined whether (seconds) have elapsed (step S2).
Then, the detected temperature Po of the container sensor 8 after the elapse of the predetermined time t (second) is stored and held in step S3. Next, the process proceeds to step S4, where it is determined whether or not the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 has reached 80 ° C. If the detected temperature has reached 80 ° C., the process immediately proceeds to step S5, The heater 18 and the bottom heater 16 are turned off. Further, as shown in FIG.
° C, the container sensor 8 in step S6.
If the temperature rise is less than T7 (K) during t10 (seconds), for example, less than T7 = 30 (K) during t10 = 60 (seconds), the process proceeds to step S5, where the side heater 18 and The bottom heater 16 is turned off. Further, in step S6, the temperature of the container sensor 8 rises during T10 (second) during T7.
Even if it is larger than (K), a set time, for example, t5 = 180
If (seconds) have elapsed (step S7), step S5
Then, the side heater 18 and the bottom heater 16 are turned off.

Next, the flow shifts to the flowchart shown in FIG. 13, and based on the control by the abnormal state detecting means 91, whether the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 has reached 120 ° C. during a set time, for example, t 6 = 300 (seconds). It is determined in steps S8 and S9 whether or not it is not. When the temperature detected by the container sensor 8 is equal to or higher than 120 ° C., the container 5 is in an empty cooking state where there is no water, or the container 5 is not accommodated in the inner frame 2 and the heat of the inner frame 2 and the container 5 It is determined that the replacement has not been performed (step S10), and in step S11, the operation after the buzzer notification is turned off. On the other hand, when the set time t6 has elapsed without the temperature detected by the container sensor 8 reaching 120 ° C., the process shifts to the heating process until the next boiling as it is (step S12). In addition, the graph of FIG. 9 shows each temperature change of the container sensor 8 in a normal state and an abnormal state.

In the heating process up to boiling, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14, first, in step S21, the side heater 18 is continuously energized by the side heating control means 94, and the bottom heater 16 is heated by the bottom heating means 93. The cutoff control is performed with the amount reduced. That is, at this time, the heating switching control means 95 heats the container 5 mainly by the side heater 18. Further, the cut-off time of the bottom heater 16 is set to, for example, 30-second energization / 30-second cut-off. Depending on the amount, it is varied to energize for 10 seconds / disconnect for 30 seconds. Then, step S2
2 and the detected temperature of the lid sensor 25 becomes a predetermined temperature, for example, P
When 3 = 90 (° C.), the measurement of the time t2 is started based on this time (step S23). Then, the temperature rise of the lid sensor 25 becomes gradually gradual, and in the next step S24, the temperature rise rate of the lid sensor 25 falls within T3 (K) during a predetermined time t1 (second), for example,
If T3 is less than 2 (K) during t1 = 90 (seconds), this point is determined as a boiling state in the container 5, and the detection temperatures of the lid sensor 25 and the container sensor 8 are respectively set to the reference temperature. At the same time as storing and holding as P4 and P5 (step S
25, S26), the time t2 is stored and stored, and step S2
Step 7 and subsequent boiling continuous heating steps are executed.

In the preheating step and the heating step up to boiling, the rice cook amount in the container 5 is determined by the rice cook amount detecting means (not shown) built in the microcomputer 74.
When determining the amount of cooked rice based on the temperature detected by the container sensor 8, as shown in the graph of FIG. 8 and the rice cooked amount detection pattern of FIG. Then, a temperature difference T1 (K) from the detected temperature P1 of the container sensor 8 after a predetermined time t6 has elapsed is calculated. Further, a temperature difference T2 (K) between the detected temperature P1 and the maximum temperature P2 of the container sensor 8 during the preheating process is calculated. Then, based on the calculation results of the temperature differences T1 and T2, the rice cooking amount is determined according to the rice cooking amount detection pattern in FIG. In FIG. 10, the left column shows the calculation result of the temperature difference T1, the upper column shows the calculation result of the temperature difference T2, and the other numbers show the determination results of the amount of cooked rice, 1 being a small amount, 2 being a small medium amount, 3 indicates medium amount, 4 indicates medium amount, and 5 indicates large amount. In the figure, for example, a temperature difference T1 = 25 (K),
If the temperature difference T2 is 5 (K), the rice cooking amount is determined to be 2, which is a small medium amount. That is, as the amount of cooked rice in the container 5 increases, the temperature rise of the container sensor 8 when the side heater 18 and the bottom heater 16 are energized also becomes slow, and the temperature difference T1 decreases. After the heaters 16 and 18 are turned off, the temperature detected by the container sensor 8 temporarily rises due to residual heat of the container 5, but thereafter the temperature detected in the container 5 gradually decreases due to the influence of the cooked rice. . Therefore, as the amount of cooked rice increases, the temperature detected by the container sensor 8 starts immediately, and the temperature difference T2 increases. The detection pattern of the amount of cooked rice in FIG. 10 is obtained in consideration of the influence of such cooked food on the detection temperature of the container sensor 8.

On the other hand, based on the temperature detected by the lid sensor 25, the amount of cooked rice can be determined by the steam generation speed immediately before the start of boiling. This is during the heating process up to boiling, step S
This is performed based on the time t2 in 23, and as shown in the rice cooking amount detection pattern in FIG. 11, if the time t2 is 90 seconds or less, for example, the rice cooking amount is determined as a small amount of 1. Also, the time t2 is longer than 90 seconds and 150
If it is less than seconds, the rice cooked amount is determined as a medium amount of 3, and if the time t2 is longer than 150 seconds,
The amount of cooked rice is determined as a large amount of 5. The determination of the amount of cooked rice is performed by both the container sensor 8 and the lid sensor 25,
Alternatively, it may be performed by one of the sensors 8 and 25.

Next, the control procedure of the boiling continuous heating process will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. First, in step S31, the bottom heater 16 is continuously energized by the bottom heating control means 93, and the side heater 18 is controlled to be turned off by the side heating control means 94 with the heating amount reduced. Further, the lid heater 24 is continuously energized to heat the lid lower plate 23. That is, when the boiling state is detected by the boiling detection means 92, the heating switching control means
95 switches the control of the bottom surface heating control means 93 and the side surface heating control means 94 so as to heat the container 5 mainly by the bottom surface heater 16. The cut-off time of the side heater 18 is
For example, it is set to energize for 40 seconds / disconnect for 30 seconds, and according to the amount of rice cooked by the rice cooking amount detection means described above, the energization is for 60 seconds / for 30 seconds when the amount is large, and for 20 seconds / for 30 seconds when the amount is small. Variable. During the heating of each of the heaters 16, 18, and 24, in step S32, the temperature rise rate of the lid sensor 25 is increased for a predetermined time t.
More than T4 (K) during 3 (seconds), for example, t3 = 100
If T4 = 5 (K) or more during (seconds), the power supply to the bottom heater 16 and the side heater 18 is stopped (step S33). When the temperature detected by the lid sensor 25 has reached the reference temperature P4 + 10 (K) (step S3).
4), the detection temperature P6 of the container sensor 8 is equal to the reference temperature P5 + 1
0 (K) (step S35) or when the detected temperature P6 of the container sensor 8 reaches 130 ° C. (step S36), the bottom heater 16 and the side heater
Is stopped (step S33). In this case, energization of the lid heater 24 is continued. The power supply to the bottom heater 16 and the side heater 18 is cut off at step S37 for a set time, for example, t4 = 180 seconds.
The process shifts to spot heating of 38, but even during the set time t4, if the detected temperature of the lid sensor 25 reaches the reference temperature P4 +5 (K) or more in step S39, the inside of the container 5 is completely dried up. Then, it is determined that there is almost no surplus water, and the process proceeds to the spot heating process in step S38.
Even if the detected temperature of the lid sensor 25 has not reached the reference temperature P4 + 5 (K) in step S39, the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 is 115 ° C. in step S40.
In the above case, the process shifts to the spot heating process of step S38 by the same determination. On the other hand, in step S40,
If the temperature detected by the container sensor 8 is lower than 115 ° C., the process shifts to step S41 and the bottom heater 16 and the side heater
18 cutoff control. Then, in step S42, the temperature detected by the lid sensor 25 becomes equal to the reference temperature P4 + 10 (K).
Or after the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 reaches 130 ° C. in step S43, the process proceeds to the spot heating process in step S38.

The next uneven heating step is performed for a predetermined time, for example, t.
7 = 13-15 (minutes). The control procedure is shown in FIG.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG.
, The detected temperature of the container sensor 8 is set to the reference temperature P5 + T
Temperature control is performed by turning off and on the power of the bottom heater 16 and the side heater 18 so as to maintain the predetermined temperature of 6 (K). At the same time, in step S52, the lid heater 24 is controlled so that the temperature detected by the lid sensor 25 is maintained at the predetermined temperature of the reference temperature P4 + T5 (K).
The temperature is controlled by turning off and on the power supply to prevent condensation on the lid lower plate 23. The temperature T5 is, for example, 3 (K) and the temperature T6
Is set to, for example, 4 (K). Then, step S5
After a lapse of the predetermined time t7 in 3, the process proceeds to the heat retention heating in step S54.

The heating and heating process is performed according to the control procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG. First, step S6
In 1, the heat retention control means 97 determines whether or not the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 is equal to or higher than a predetermined heat retaining temperature of 71 ° C. If the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 is lower than 71 ° C. In step S62, the side heater 18 is energized. At the same time, in step S63, the temperature of the lid sensor 24 is controlled by turning off and on the power so that the temperature detected by the lid sensor 25 is maintained at 72 ° C., which is slightly higher than the insulation temperature, to prevent dew condensation on the lid lower plate 23. I do. Then, if the predetermined time t9 (second) has elapsed in step S64, the process proceeds to step S65.
Then, the side heater 18 is turned off, and after a predetermined time t8 (second) has elapsed in step S66, the procedure of step 61 is executed again. On the other hand, if the detected temperature of the container sensor 8 is 71 ° C. in step S61, the energization of the lid heater 24 is stopped (step S67), and the energization of the side heater 18 for the predetermined time t9 is performed in steps S62 and S64. Each step is omitted. For example, the predetermined time t9 for energizing the side heater 18 is one second, and the predetermined time t8 for turning off the side heater 18 is one.
When set to 5 seconds, only when the temperature of the container sensor 8 is 71 ° C. or higher, temperature control for keeping the rice in the container 5 at around 71 ° C. is performed while omitting energization of the side heater 18 for 1 second.

Next, the heating pattern in each heating step will be described in more detail. The heating pattern determining means 10
4 has a plurality of heating patterns for determining the amount of cooked rice shown in FIG. This heating pattern includes a menu selected from white rice, brown rice, and rice porridge, and a cooking method selected from hard, ordinary, and soft,
According to the combination of the amount of cooked rice detected based on FIGS. 10 and 11 and the degree of fresh rice selected from autumn (new rice), winter spring, and summer, the energization /
The set time of power cut-off time t5 (seconds) / t6 (seconds), the ON / OFF cycle of the bottom heater 16 during the heating process up to boiling, and the ON / OFF cycle of the side heater 18 during the boiling continuous heating process
High-temperature holding temperature T during off-cycle and spotting
6 (K) and time t7 (minutes) are turned into a turntable as shown in FIG.
(Not shown).

That is, in the degree of fresh rice, fresh rice is easy to absorb water, but rice after a lapse of time is less likely to absorb water, and this property becomes more remarkable in the state where polished rice is stored. This is presumed to be due to oxidation of fatty acids around rice. For this reason, especially in the summer before rice is harvested, rice in the summer season has a lot of pears and dissatisfaction such as strong odor due to fatty acid oxidizing odor etc.In summer, the preheating time is lengthened and the smell is easy to fly On the other hand, in the autumn immediately after the new rice is harvested, the heating pattern is set to a preheating and short heating pattern. In addition, under each condition of cooking, in the case of softening, the heating is weakened as a whole and the amount of water absorption up to boiling is increased as compared with the ordinary case, and the evaporation amount after boiling is reduced. A heating pattern is set in which rice is pressed and cooked on rice with a higher moisture content than normal. On the contrary,
In such a case, the heating is increased as a whole, and the amount of water absorbed before boiling is reduced, and the amount of evaporation after boiling is increased. A heating pattern for cooking less rice is set.

In the configuration of the rice cooker, since the lid packing 32 fitted into the groove 34 of the lid lower plate 23 is made of a flexible silicone rubber material, the lid packing can be relatively easily performed without applying excessive force. It can be removed from the lower plate 23. Therefore, in this state, the lid lower plate 23 can be cleaned all over, and the lid packing 32 alone can be easily cleaned, so that the cleaning of the lid lower plate 23 and the lid packing 32 is significantly improved as compared with the conventional case. it can. This lid packing 32
Is inferior in heat resistance and steam resistance to fluororubber, etc., so the lid packing 32 often deteriorates and needs to be replaced.However, since the lid packing 32 can be easily disassembled, consumable parts The repairability and serviceability of the lid packing 32 are greatly improved. In addition, the lid 21
When the cover is opened, the lower end of the hinge portion 36 is located below the bottom surface of the lid lower plate 23, so that when the lid 21 is opened, dew attached to the surface of the lid lower plate 23 Even if it flows, the dew does not accumulate in the bent portion of the hinge portion 36 and does not flow down, so that it is possible to prevent the frame portion 4 and the like from being contaminated by the dew drop.

On the other hand, in the inside of the vessel main body 1, an inclined portion 6 forming a lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of the container 5 on the inner peripheral portion peripheral surface of the inner frame 2.
And the inner frame bottom plate 10 is brought into contact with the bottom surface of the container 5 in a pressed state by the elastic force of the spring 13, and the side heater 18 and the bottom heater 16 are opposed to the inclined portion 6 and the contact portion 14, respectively. Is provided, the radiant heat of the heaters 18 and 16 is efficiently heated by the heat conduction between the inner frame 2 and the inner frame bottom plate 10 at the lower side and the bottom of the container 5. be able to. When the container 5 is detached from the inner frame 2, the inner frame bottom plate 10 is pushed up by the elastic force of the spring 13, so that the inner bottom surface of the inner frame 2 and the surface of the inner frame bottom plate 10 become substantially flush. , Good appearance and cleanability,
Since the bottom heater 16 is arranged in a non-contact state with the inner frame bottom plate 10 and the inner frame 2, even if a leakage occurs due to the bottom heater 16, the inner frame may be directly touched by a user. No current flows through the bottom plate 10 and the inner frame 2, and there is no danger of electric shock during cleaning. Furthermore, the bottom heater 16
Even when the temperature reaches 500 to 800 ° C., the bottom heater 16 is not in contact with the inner frame bottom plate 10 and the inner frame 2, and the inner frame bottom plate 10 and the inner frame 2 are in contact with the container 5. Due to the arrangement, the temperature of the inner frame bottom plate 10 and the inner frame 2 becomes 100 to 2 by heat exchange with water in the container 5.
It is suppressed to about 00 ° C. Therefore, even if the container 5 is removed from the inner frame 2 after the completion of rice cooking, the inside of the rice cooker will be lower in temperature than in the past, the danger such as burns will be avoided, and the cleanability will be good.

The rice cooker according to the present embodiment can reduce uneven cooking in that the two portions of the lower side and the bottom of the container 5 can be efficiently heated as described above. By means 95, the heating of the lower side and the bottom of the container 5 is controlled by heating the lower side of the container 5 by energizing the side heater 18 continuously until the inside of the container 5 boils. After the detection of boiling, by continuously energizing the bottom heater 16 to strongly heat the bottom of the container 5, the distribution variation of the water content of the cooked rice can be made uniform throughout the container 5, and particularly the hardness of the rice can be improved. It is possible to further reduce uneven cooking in terms of the quality.

FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram showing the state of the inside of the container 5 during the cooking of rice. In the drawing, W is an aqueous layer constituting the food to be cooked, R is a rice layer, and B is heat exchange with water or rice. (Heat conduction), C indicates the heat conduction of the container 5, D indicates the heat conduction of the water tank W, E indicates the heat conduction of the rice layer R, and the temperature and water content corresponding to the characteristic diagrams of FIGS. Each measurement point with the rate is shown. In FIG. 20, when the lower side surface and the bottom surface of the container 5 are heated via the side heater 18 and the bottom heater 16, the temperature of these portions rises, and then the water inside the container 5 is heated by heat conduction. With (b in the figure)
The heat is conducted to the low temperature side of the container 5 by the heat conduction by the material of the container 5 itself (C in the figure). Then, heat exchange with water shown in FIG. The heat of the heat-exchanged water is transmitted to the center of the rice layer R located on the low temperature side in the container 5 (e in the figure). However, rice layer R
Is very slow as compared with the water containing no rice, the inner surface layer of about 10 mm from the inner surface of the container 5 has a temperature rise faster with the heating of the container 5, while the inner layer The temperature rise of the layer R will be delayed. On the other hand, the heat transfer of the water layer W forming the upper side of the rice layer R (d in the figure) is much faster than that of the rice layer R. In addition, rice (raw rice)
Has an initial water content of about 15%, and rice can be cooked when the water content reaches 20 to 30% by washing with rice, rinsing with water or preheating, but when the gelatinization temperature of about 62 ° C is reached, water absorption is rapidly started. When it starts and when it comes to a dry-up state after boiling, it has a water content of about 60 to 65%. It has been experimentally confirmed that there is a strong correlation between the moisture content of the rice and the hardness of the taste with a correlation coefficient of about 0.96, and the difference in the moisture content of the cooked rice in the container 5 If it is large, the dispersion in terms of taste hardness and stickiness becomes large, and particularly in the case of rice where the balance between hardness and stickiness greatly affects the taste, the dispersion of the water content greatly affects the quality of the taste. In other words, rice with a small difference in water content in the container 5 is given a good evaluation of taste. So-called cooking unevenness is nothing less than a difference in water content.

FIGS. 21 and 22 show the inner surface of the container 5 (FIG.
), The water layer W (), and the rice layer R () at respective measurement points. FIG. 21 shows the temperature characteristics of the present embodiment, and FIG. 22 shows the temperature characteristics of the conventional example. The conventional device for simultaneously heating the lower side surface and the bottom surface of the container 5 is configured such that the respective heaters 16 and 18 are controlled by a common heating control means, and as shown in FIG. The speed is the heating bottom surface, but the speed is high. Then, heat conduction of the container 5 occurs to the middle part and the upper part of the side surface of the container 5, and finally, the inside of the rice layer R reaches boiling. However, before the measurement point reaches boiling, the entire inside of the container 5 is heated in the same manner, and reaches the boiling point earlier than the measurement point.
The amount of water decreases and the water level decreases. Therefore, when the measurement point reaches the boiling point, if the water absorption of the rice in the inner surface layer of the container 5 is large, the water that can be absorbed at the site of the measurement point decreases, and the water content of the rice at the site of the measurement point becomes small. The rate is low, and it becomes cooked hard rice. In addition, since the portion at the measurement point is in a state in which there is almost no water to serve as a heat medium before reaching the boiling point due to the decrease in the water level, if the heating of the container 5 is almost completely eliminated after the dry-up, the temperature becomes sufficiently high. The core may remain when cooked without rising. Also, even if the heating after the dry-up is sufficient and the measurement point is heated by steam etc. to reach the boiling point, the rice is in a steamed state because there is almost no water necessary for gelatinization, It is a hard rice with a low rate. In addition, burning may occur due to excessive heating during spotting. Thus, the inner surface of the container 5 and the water layer W
While the moisture content of rice in the area away from
The duration of boiling near the inner layer of the container 5 is prolonged, and the moisture content of the rice is increased, resulting in a cooked state with uneven cooking.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the lower portion and the lower portion of the side surface of the container 5 are heated by switching before and after boiling.
As shown in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the side of the container 5 first boils, then the measuring points located around the lower portion of the container 5 reach boiling due to the heat conduction of the container 5, and when the upper portion of the side of the container 5 reaches boiling, steam is generated. Water layer W
Begins to boil, the amount of heating on the side surface of the container 5 decreases and the amount of heating on the bottom surface of the container 5 increases due to the detection of steam generation. Until the measurement point of the water layer W reaches the boiling point, the time to reach the boiling on the inner surface of the container 5 is short, and therefore, the measurement point reaches the boiling point after the entire inside of the container 5 has reached the boiling point as in the related art. Water layer W
Area reaches boiling with more water than before. For this reason, the rice layer R near the water layer W starts gelatinization earlier than before in a state where the water is sufficiently present in the container 5. After the boiling, the heating from the bottom of the container 5 becomes stronger, so that the steam passes through between the rice grains in the rice layer R, rises, and transfers heat to the central portion of the rice layer R. Further, by heating the water remaining in the container 5 more than before, the central part of the rice layer R also satisfies the gelatinization condition in which water is present, and the water content of the rice caused by insufficient heating and insufficient moisture. Is less reduced. In other words, as the water content of the rice in the central part of the rice layer R increases, the water content of the rice near the peripheral surface of the container 5 decreases, and the variation in the water content of the whole rice decreases. It becomes possible to obtain a less cooked state. FIG. 23 and FIG.
FIG. 4 shows the water content of rice at each measurement point in this example and the conventional example.

Conventionally, in order to heat the side surface of the container 5, there is a device provided with a cord heater or a band heater having a power consumption of about 50 to 200 W on the outer surface of the inner frame 2. The container 5 is in a non-contact state, the efficiency of heating the container 5 is low, and moreover, 1000 W
Since the heating output is extremely low as compared with the bottom heater having the power consumption of about the same, the effect of quickly heating the side surface of the container 5 to the boiling state in the early stage of rice cooking cannot be obtained. On the other hand, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, the side heater 18 is set to about 800 W, the bottom heater 16 is set to about 400 W, and
Since the lower portion and the bottom surface of the container 5 are directly in contact with the inner frame 2 which is a heat transfer portion of the container 5, the heating efficiency is good, and the side surface of the container 5 is quickly heated to reduce the temperature rise of the water layer W. Can be faster.

The rice cooker of this embodiment has a safety function in which the rice cooker 5 is in an empty cooking state where there is no water in the container 5, or the container 5 is not accommodated in the inner frame 2 and heat exchange between the inner frame 2 and the container 5 is performed. The non-performing state is realized based on the temperature detection by the container sensor 8 and the control by the abnormal state detecting means 91. This configuration is basically the same as the conventional empty cooking detection, but the container 5
Is not accommodated in the inner frame 2, the inner frame bottom plate 10
Abuts on the inner frame 2 and heat from the bottom heater 16 is conducted to the inner frame 2 via the inner frame bottom plate 10, so that the container sensor 8 quickly and reliably measures the abnormal temperature rise of the inner frame 2. Can be detected. Therefore, without providing a container switch for separately detecting the presence / absence of a container or an electromagnetic container detection means in an exposed state, the external appearance and the cleanability of the inner frame 2 can be improved, and a simple sensor using the container sensor 8 can be used. An abnormality can be detected by the configuration.

In the present embodiment, as an automatic heating stop function at the time of dry-up, as shown in each procedure of the flow chart of FIG. The state is detected, and the process shifts to the uneven heating process. However, since the lid sensor 25 is arranged in a non-contact state with the container 5, the temperature detection accuracy of the container sensor 8 temporarily deteriorates. In this case as well, the dry-up state can be reliably detected by the lid sensor 25, and abnormalities such as scorching of rice and core residue due to early cutting can be prevented.

Further, the automatic temperature control function during the heat-retaining heating step is such that the container sensor 8 keeps the inner frame 2 at a predetermined heat-retaining temperature, and the heat conduction and radiant heat from the inner frame 2 keeps the container 5 at a constant temperature. While keeping the rice warm. As described above, in this embodiment, the safety function, the automatic heating stop function, and the automatic temperature control function, which are important control functions in the rice cooker, are configured as described above.
The projections inside the lid 2 and the inner surface of the lid 21 are eliminated to enhance the appearance and the cleanability, and to prevent the occurrence of burns and premature cuts due to deterioration in accuracy of the container sensor 8.

On the other hand, the conventional operation display panel has a rice-separation setting switch that can be selected according to the preference of normal rice, soft rice, etc. to protect the hardness of the white rice, and the autumn rice according to the rice freshness of each season. (New rice), a new rice degree setting switch that can be selected in winter, spring, summer, etc. is provided. Such switches can be arbitrarily set, and after being set, most of the switches are stored as the corresponding rice cooking courses. In the case of the cooking setting switch, the favorite taste in each household does not change so frequently, so once the setting is made, there is almost no need to reset it.
However, the new rice degree setting switch needs to be reset by the user voluntarily at the turn of the season, and the switch operation is required at least three times a year. Such a switch operation often causes the user to forget the necessity of performing the switch itself, and thus not only cannot fully exercise the new rice degree setting function, but also there is a possibility that rice may be cooked with an inappropriate heating pattern. . On the other hand, in this embodiment, by combining the new rice degree setting function with the calendar function of the calendar means 101, an appropriate new rice degree is automatically set in accordance with the season, and the user There is no need to reset the new rice level each time. Also, apart from the automatic setting of the new rice degree by the calendar function,
The new rice degree can be manually set by the new rice degree setting switch 50. Even if the new rice degree is set arbitrarily, the new rice degree is automatically set to a new rice degree according to the season when a predetermined date comes. For this reason, even if the user forgets to operate the new rice degree setting switch 50, rice is always cooked in an optimal heating pattern according to the season. Further, since the operation of the calendar function and the setting of the new rice degree are performed at the time of shipment from the factory, the user does not need to set the date and the new rice degree after purchase. In the embodiment, the period from September 1 to November 30 is autumn (new rice),
The seasons are set in winter / spring from January 1 to March 31 and in summer from April 1 to August 31. Depending on the area, for example, southern Kyushu, Chugoku / Shikoku, Tokai, Kanto, If the date is adjusted and set for each of Hokuriku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido, and this setting can be selected according to the region where the rice cooker is used, the utility value is further improved.

As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the rice cooking and heat retaining container 5, the lid 21 covering the upper opening of the container 5, and the lower surface of the lid 21 A lid packing 32 as a lid packing part abutting on the upper part, and a lid packing part mounting part 37 which can be mounted so that the lid packing 32 can be removed with the lid 21 opened , the lid packing 32
Is a cover corresponding to a lid packing piece abutting on the upper part of the container 5.
The cross-sectional shape of the flange 36 has an opening 39 on the container 5 side.
When the lid 21 is open and the cover 21 is open,
The lower end of the part 36 is located below the bottom of the lid lower plate 23.
I have.

In this case, the lid packing 32 attached to the lid packing section mounting portion 37 can be removed with the lid 21 opened. For this reason, not only can the lid packing 32 be removed from the lid 21 for washing, but also the lid packing 32 can be removed to clean all corners of the lower surface of the lid 21 including the lid packing portion mounting portion 37, The cleanability of the lid packing 32 and the lid 21 is improved. In addition, even when the lid packing 32 is deteriorated, the lid packing 32 can be detached from the lid body 21 and replaced alone, so that the replacement of the lid packing 32 can be performed very easily, and the serviceability is improved.

Further , a hinge portion 36 abutting on the upper portion of the container 5 is provided.
The cross-section of the container is substantially rectangular, and the opening 39 is
By forming it on the 5 side, when the lid 21 is opened,
Dew adhering to the lower surface passes through the opening 39 and the lid packing 32
Hinge section 36, which has a substantially rectangular cross section
Accumulate inside. In particular, dew adhering to the lid lower plate 23 is
Flows out to the lower end side of the hinge portion 36 located below
Dew accumulates in the hinge 36, which has a substantially rectangular cross section.
For this reason, dew does not flow below the hinge portion 36. Obedience
Thus, for example, the upper part of the container body 1 around the container 5 was contaminated with dew.
More reliably prevent dew from flowing into the rice while keeping warm
Can be suppressed.

Further, the lid packing portion mounting portion 37 of this embodiment
A groove 34 as a recess formed around the lower surface of the lid 21
The lid packing 32 is accommodated in the groove 34. In this case, since the lid packing 32 is mounted on the lid packing section mounting section 37 while being housed in the groove section 34, when the lid packing 32 is mounted on the lid packing section mounting section 37, the lid packing 32 is attached to the lid 21. Without protruding greatly to the lower side,
The appearance when the lid 21 is opened can be improved. In addition, the thickness of the lid 21 is prevented from increasing, and the lid 21 can be suppressed particularly in the height direction.

In this embodiment, the lid packing portion mounting portion 37 is provided.
Is provided on the outer peripheral side of the upper opening of the container 5. By providing the lid packing portion mounting portion 37 on the outer peripheral side of the upper opening of the container 5 in this manner, the lid packing 32 that is difficult to be heated by heat such as the lid heater 24 faces the upper opening of the container 5. It is provided in the position where it does not. Therefore, it is difficult for dew to adhere to the lid packing 32 during rice cooking and heat retention, and the problem that the dew attached to the lid packing 32 falls on the rice in the container 5 and the rice becomes sticky is suppressed.

In order to seal the space between the lid 21 and the upper part of the container 5, the hinge portion 36 needs to have a small thickness having both flexibility and elasticity, and has relatively low strength.
Therefore, when the hinge portion 36 is mounted on the lid packing portion mounting portion 37, the flexibility, that is, the deformability in the vertical direction is particularly impaired, and the sealing property between the lid 21 and the upper portion of the container 5 is deteriorated. However, in the present embodiment, on the upper part of the hinge portion 36,
By forming the engaging portion 33 which is a fixing portion different from the hinge portion 36, the lid packing 32 can be attached without adversely affecting the tightness of the lid 21 and the upper portion of the container 5 by the hinge portion 36. It becomes possible to do.

In this embodiment, the engaging portion 33 is connected to the hinge portion 36.
Is provided outside. In this way, when the lid packing 32 is mounted on the lid packing section mounting portion 37, the lid packing 32 is
The outer appearance when the lid 21 is opened can be improved without greatly protruding to the lower surface side of the 21. In addition, the thickness of the lid 21 is prevented from increasing, and the lid 21 can be suppressed particularly in the height direction. Moreover, the hinge part 36 can be attached to the lid packing part attaching part 37 while holding the engaging part 33 outside the hinge part 36 by hand without holding the flexible hinge part 36 by hand, so that the lid packing 32 Wearability is also improved.

Further, the lid packing portion mounting portion 37 of this embodiment
Has a protruding piece 35 for preventing the engaging portion 33 from falling off when the lid packing 32 is attached. In this case, when the lid packing 32 is attached to the lid packing section attaching section 37 by the engaging section 33,
Since the protruding piece 35 exerts the function of preventing the engaging portion 33 from dropping, it is possible to reliably prevent the lid packing 32 from dropping off when the lid 21 is opened and closed.

Further, the lid packing portion mounting portion 37 of this embodiment
Has a groove 34 as a recess for accommodating the engaging portion 33, and the protruding piece 35 is formed of a member different from the member forming the groove 34. In this case, since the projecting piece 35 is formed of a member different from the groove 34, a structure in which the projecting piece 35 is provided, for example, horizontally above the groove 34 can be easily realized, and the structure for preventing the lid packing 32 from falling off can be easily achieved. Can be obtained.

In this embodiment, an inclined surface 38 is formed around the lower surface of the lid 21 so as to be continuous with the engaging portion 33. In this case, the dew adhering to the bottom surface of the lid lower surface plate 23 travels along the inclined surface 38 around the lower surface of the lid body 21 and engages with the engaging portion 33 of the lid packing 32.
However, since the dew accumulates in the hinge portion 36 having a substantially rectangular cross section below the engagement portion 33, the dew does not flow below the hinge portion 36. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the problem that the periphery of the container 5, for example, the upper part of the container body 1 is contaminated with dew, or the dew flows down into the rice being kept warm.

In addition, the following various effects can be obtained. First, in order to raise the temperature of the water layer W above the rice layer R quickly until the boiling, the side heater 18 is continuously energized and the container 5 is heated.
After the water layer W boils and steam is generated, the bottom heater 16 is energized to mainly heat the bottom surface of the container 5, so that the water level is increased due to the water absorption of the rice. The falling water is heated from the bottom of the container 5, the center and bottom of the rice layer R are heated by the steam generated in the container 5, and the gelatinization of the rice is promoted while supplying the water. Variations in the water content of rice as a whole can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to cook delicious rice without so-called uneven cooking.

The configuration around the lid packing 32 has an effect that the lid packing 32 can be easily replaced without disassembling the lid 21. Also, by removing the lid packing 32 from the lid lower plate 23, each part of the lid packing 32 and the lid lower plate 23 can be easily cleaned, and at the same time, the cause of generation of mold and odor can be removed, thereby improving sanitation. Is good. Further, it is possible to prevent the dew attached to the lid lower plate 23 from flowing downward from the lid packing 32.

The configuration around the inner frame 2 has the following effects. First, the radiant heat of each of the heaters 16 and 18 can be efficiently heated at the lower portion and the lower portion of the side surface of the container 5 by heat conduction between the inner frame 2 and the inner frame bottom plate 10. In addition, there are no irregularities such as the heaters 16 and 18 and the container sensor 8 inside the inner frame 2, so that the external appearance and the cleaning property are good. Further, since the bottom heater 16 is arranged in a non-contact state with the inner frame bottom plate 10 and the inner frame 2, there is no danger of electric shock or the like. In addition, the temperature inside the rice cooker is lower than in the past, and the danger of burns and the like is avoided. Further, since the inner frame 2 and the inner frame bottom plate 10 are subjected to black alumite treatment, they have a sense of unity and are less likely to be stained. Moreover, as compared with the rice cooker of the electromagnetic induction heating system, the heating output circuit is not complicated, and there is no noise from a cooling fan or the like. At the same time, since the container 5 made of a special material is not required, the weight of the rice cooker main body and the container 5 is light and easy to use.
Further, even if the detection accuracy of the container sensor 8 is deteriorated due to the container 5 becoming dirty or deformed, the lid sensor 25 that is not in contact with the container 5 can reliably detect the dry-up state. This can eliminate problems such as boiled rice and boiled rice caused by premature cuts and core residue.

The following effects are obtained in the heat-retention heating process. In the present embodiment, the heating of the container 5 is performed mainly by the side heater 18 before the boiling, so that the heating output is relatively large. Therefore, when the same heating control as that of the related art is performed via the side heater 18, the container 5
Since there is no water serving as a heat medium between the rice grains inside, scorch is likely to occur and also causes uneven heating. Therefore, since the heat retention control means 97 is configured to energize the side heater 18 for a very short time t9 only when the temperature of the container sensor 8 is lower than 71 ° C., even if the side heater 18 has a relatively high heating output. In addition, it is possible to satisfactorily perform the heat-retaining heating without causing burning or uneven heating. Also, as in the conventional case, 50 to 1
There is no need to provide a code heater or band heater of about 00 W, and the structure can be simplified.

The new rice degree setting function has the following effects. An appropriate new rice degree is automatically set according to the season, and the user does not need to reset the new rice degree every time. In addition, if the seasonal calendar of a different date for each region is built in the microcomputer 74 and the new rice degree is automatically set according to the region to be used, the new rice degree can be automatically set without any practical problem in any region. . further,
In addition to the automatic setting of the new rice degree, a new rice degree setting switch 50 is provided.
Can be set manually according to the user's preference, and at the predetermined date, the new rice degree is automatically reset via the automatic heating pattern setting means 102. Cook rice with the optimal heating pattern. Moreover, since the operation of the calendar function and the setting of the new rice degree are performed at the time of shipment from the factory, the setting of the date after purchase and the setting of the new rice degree can be omitted.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the side heater and the bottom heater are not limited to the sheathed heater, and various heating means can be used.

[0073]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rice cooker comprising: a rice cooking and heat retaining container; a lid covering an upper opening of the container; and a lower surface of the lid, and an upper portion of the container. A lid packing part to be abutted, and a lid packing part mounting part that can be mounted so that the lid packing part can be removed in a state where the lid is opened , wherein the lid packing part is provided at an upper part of the container.
The cross-sectional shape of the abutting lid packing piece is open on the container side.
State in which the lid is opened
At the lower end of the lid packing piece abutting on the upper part of the container
Is located below the surface of the member constituting the lower surface of the lid.
It is possible to provide a rice cooker in which the lid packing portion and the lid body alone can be cleaned, and the lid packing can be easily replaced. Also, for example, the container body around the container
The upper part becomes dirty with dew, and dew flows down into the rice while keeping warm
Defects can be more reliably suppressed.

In the rice cooker according to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the lid packing portion mounting portion comprises a concave portion formed around the lower surface of the lid body, and the concave portion is provided in the concave portion. It is configured to house the portion, and the appearance when the lid is opened can be improved. In addition, the lid can be suppressed particularly in the height direction.

In the rice cooker according to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect, the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided on the outer peripheral side of the upper opening of the container, and the rice cooker and the heat insulator are provided. Occasionally, it is difficult for dew to adhere to the lid packing part, and it is possible to suppress the problem that the dew that adheres to the lid packing part falls on rice in the container and the rice becomes sticky.

In the rice cooker according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect , a fixing portion for mounting the lid packing portion to the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided above the lid packing piece. The lid packing portion can be mounted without adversely affecting the sealing between the lid and the upper part of the container by the lid packing piece.

In the rice cooker according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the constitution of the fourth aspect , the fixing portion is provided outside the lid packing piece, and the appearance when the lid is opened is improved. Can be improved. In addition, the height of the lid can be suppressed particularly, and the mountability of the lid packing portion can be improved.

[0078] cooker of claim 6 of the present invention, according to claim 4 or
In addition to the above configuration, the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided with a protruding piece for preventing the fixing portion from dropping off when the lid packing portion is mounted. It is possible to reliably prevent a problem that the lid packing part does not come off.

[0079] In the rice cooker according to claim 7 of the present invention, in addition to the constitution of claim 6 , the lid packing portion mounting portion has a concave portion for accommodating the fixing portion, and the protruding piece forms the concave portion. It is made of a member different from the member, and a structure for preventing the lid packing portion from falling off can be easily obtained.

In the rice cooker according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the constitution of the fourth aspect, an inclined surface connected to the fixing portion is formed around the lower surface of the lid, for example, a container around the container. It is possible to more reliably suppress the problem that the upper part of the main body becomes dirty with dew or the dew flows into the rice being kept warm.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a rice cooker showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the same.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the display operation panel.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the same.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration from the start of preheating to the time when dry-up is detected.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration after a dry-up detection is performed;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a heating pattern determination procedure according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a process from the start of rice cooking to the heat retention by a temperature change of each sensor and a cut-off power of each heater.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the process after the start of preheating in more detail.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a rice cooking amount detection pattern based on the container sensor according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a rice cooking amount detection pattern based on the lid sensor.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in a preheating step according to the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in a preheating step according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in a heating process up to boiling in the same.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in the boiling continuous heating step.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in a boiling continuous heating step of the same.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in the spot heating process.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in the heat-retention heating process.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing a heating pattern in each heating step of the above.

FIG. 20 is a schematic explanatory view showing an overheated state and each measurement point in the container.

FIG. 21 is a characteristic diagram showing a temperature rise at each measurement point in this example.

FIG. 22 is a characteristic diagram showing a temperature rise at each measurement point in the conventional example.

FIG. 23 is a characteristic diagram showing the water content at each measurement point in this example.

FIG. 24 is a characteristic diagram showing the water content at each measurement point in the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Container 21 Lid 23 Lower lid plate (member forming the lower surface of lid) 32 Lid packing (lid packing part) 33 Engagement part (fixed part) 34 Groove part (recess) 35 Projection piece 36 Hinge part (lid packing piece) 37 Cover packing section 38 Inclined surface 39 Opening

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container for rice cooking and heat retention, a lid covering an upper opening of the container, and a lid disposed on a lower surface of the lid,
Comprising a lid packing part in contact with the upper portion of the container, a lid packing unit mounting portion of the lid packing part and can be mounted as Hazuseru with open the lid, the lid gasket portion
Is the cross-sectional shape of the lid packing piece abutting on the top of the container.
Is formed in a substantially rectangular shape having an opening on the container side,
With the lid open, before contacting the top of the container
A member in which the lower end of the lid packing piece forms the lower surface of the lid
A rice cooker characterized in that it is located below a surface . 2. The cover packing part according to claim 1, wherein the lid packing part mounting part comprises a concave part formed around the lower surface of the lid body, and the lid packing part is housed in the concave part. rice cooker. 3. The container according to claim 2, wherein the lid packing portion mounting portion is provided on an outer peripheral side of an upper opening of the container.
The described rice cooker. 4. The lid packing piece is provided on an upper portion of the lid packing piece.
Fixing for mounting the kin part on the lid packing part mounting part
Cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that a part. 5. The fixing part is provided outside the lid packing piece.
Cooker according to claim 4, characterized in that provided. 6. The lid packing part mounting part is provided with the lid packing part.
A projection that prevents the fixed part from falling off when the kin part is attached.
The rice cooker according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising a piece . 7. The fixing part according to claim 7, wherein the lid packing part mounting part is a fixing part.
A recess for accommodating the recess, and the protruding piece forms the recess.
The member is formed from a member different from the member
6. The rice cooker according to 6 . 8. A connection around the lower surface of the lid to the fixing portion.
The rice cooker according to claim 4 , wherein an inclined surface is formed .