JP3550684B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rice cooker such as a rice cooker that also serves as a heating pot.
[0002]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In a rice cooker, steam generated during cooking in a pot containing rice and water passes through a steam passage that extends from the lower surface to the upper surface of the lid that covers the upper opening of the pan, and this steam passage. Through the vapor outlet at the top of the is released to the outside. Generally, the shape of the vapor discharge port is such that a plurality of slits having a width of 2 to 4 mm and a length of 10 to 30 mm are arranged in parallel or concentrically. This shape is intended to make it difficult for dust and insects to enter from the outside and to improve the release of steam.
[0003]
FIG. 18 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional steam passage 1. In the figure, 2 is a pot, and 3 is a lid. The lid 3 includes an outer lid 4 forming an upper surface thereof, a frame plate 5 provided on a lower peripheral portion of the outer cover 4, a heat radiating plate 6 provided inside the frame plate 5, An inner lid 7 is provided under the heat sink 6 so as to be detachable and closes an upper opening of the pan 2. A lid heater 8 is provided on the back surface of the inner lid 7. Further, between the frame plate 5 and the heat radiating plate 6, a lid packing 9 which is in close contact with the pot 2 is provided. The main body 11 of the steam passage formed in the frame plate 5 faces the inlet opening 10 formed in the inner lid 7. A steam port packing 13 having a steam passage port 12 is interposed between the inlet opening 10 and the steam passage main body 11. Although the steam passage main body 11 is exposed on the upper surface of the outer lid 4, a plurality of slit-shaped steam discharge ports 14 as described above are formed on the upper surface of the steam passage main body 11. The cross section of the steam outlet 14 in the width direction is shown in the drawing. In the conventional rice cooker, the vertical wall portion 15 of the steam discharge port 14 has a vertical surface from the lower end to the upper end. The steam generated in the pan 2 is discharged from the steam discharge port 14 through the inside of the inlet opening 10, the steam passage port 12, and the steam passage main body 11. In addition, the dissolved moisture (so-called rice cake) of the starch blown up from the pot 2 also flows into the steam passage 1, which is separated from the steam in the steam passage 1.
[0004]
By the way, when the steam passes through the steam discharge port, it is rapidly cooled by outside air having a low temperature, and dew forms on a vertical wall portion around the steam discharge port, and the dew adheres here (see FIG. 4). When the lid that is hinged to the rice cooker main body is opened after the rice cooking is completed, the dew flows out due to the inclination of the lid, thereby causing a problem of soiling the lid. Moreover, since the shape of the vapor discharge port is slit-shaped and the vertical wall portion is long, the amount of dew adhering is large. Therefore, in severe cases, dew may flow from the rear part of the lid on the hinge side to the floor on which the rice cooker is placed through the back of the rice cooker main body. Next, when the lid is closed, the air inside the pan is compressed by the volume of the interference between the lid packing and the pan, and the pressure inside the pan increases instantaneously. As a result, the remaining dew splatters vigorously upward, causing a problem of soiling the lid.
[0005]
Conventionally, in order to solve such a problem of the adhesion of dew, means such as changing the dimensions such as the width of the steam discharge port and extending the unevenness time in the rice heating control have been adopted. Means do not provide a sufficient solution.
[0006]
By the way, in a rice cooker, there are soy sauce and salt used for cooking fifth rice, tools used for cooked rice, and butter and ketchup used for cooking pilaf, as factors that cause an unpleasant smell. If those odors and stains remain, the odor will be transferred to the rice at the next use and the stains will stick.
[0007]
In addition, when the heat is maintained for a long time in a heat-insulating pot that also serves as a rice cooker, the inside of the steam passage that communicates with the outside air contains the dissolved moisture of the starch and the Bacillus subtilis in the air easily enters, In addition, when the outside air temperature decreases, the bacillus subtilis easily cools to less than 55 ° C. where it grows easily. The odor may adhere to the rice because the rice has a characteristic of easily adsorbing the odor, and may cause a disadvantage that the odor of the rice is deteriorated.
[0008]
A rice cooker with a function that removes dirt from the pot, lid, steam passage, lid packing, etc. with steam is proposed if water is put into the pot and heated and boiled when the soiling is caused by the above factors. Have been. However, a conventional rice cooker having a boiling function has the following problems. First, the amount of water that can be put into the pot at the time of boiling is about half to about the eighth part of the pot, so that the heating time is long and the power consumption is large. In addition, there is residual hot water after boiling, a large amount of steam is emitted when the lid is opened, and when the pan is removed from the rice cooker body, this pot is hot, and the condition is originally unstable There is a danger of burns if handled carelessly because the hot water is contained in the hot pot and the hot water in the hot pot needs to be discarded. Further, a heating pattern and operation switches dedicated to boiling are required, and there are problems that the control program becomes more complicated, operation switches are increased, and the number of display sections is increased.
[0009]
In the case of an electromagnetic induction heating type rice cooker, if the contact between the pot and the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the pot deteriorates, even if the pot is abnormally hot, only a low temperature is detected and abnormal heating may occur. If there is a risk of melting the rice cooker body or melting the temperature fuse, if boiling is not detected even if heating is continued for a predetermined time longer than the time that can be normal rice cooking, or if rice cooking does not end Some have a safety function of stopping the heating assuming that there is some abnormality and displaying an abnormality. In a rice cooker having such a function, even if water is put in a pot and boiling is performed in the normal heating pattern of white rice cooking, heating is stopped halfway due to the safety function and boiling is not sufficiently performed. Therefore, it was necessary to be able to cook with water in a heating pattern especially for boiling.
[0010]
The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and in a rice cooker having a boiling function for preventing dirt, it is possible to reduce the cost of water and fuel required for boiling and to enable safe boiling. For that purpose.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes a pot and a heating means for heating the pot, and in a rice cooker having a boiling function, in the boiling course, the pot is almost immediately turned on as soon as heating is started. Heating is performed at the maximum heating amount, and when the boiling is substantially started, the heating amount is reduced to continue boiling, and when the pot temperature rises to a predetermined temperature, the boiling heating is stopped in a state where a small amount of residual water remains.
[0012]
When boiling is performed to remove dirt, boiling can be performed in a short time by setting the maximum heating amount almost immediately after heating is started. On the other hand, since the heating amount is reduced when the water is substantially boiled, the boiling is abnormally increased and the dew is prevented from scattering from the steam passage. Further, since it is assumed that heating is continued until the water in the pot is almost exhausted, the amount of water used may be small. However, since heating is stopped in a state where a small amount of water remains in the pot, an excessive rise in temperature of the pot or the like can be suppressed, and residues such as calcium and magnesium hardly remain in the pot.
[0013]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, the boiling heating is stopped when the temperature of the pot rises by a predetermined temperature or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the heating was started or almost boiling. Things.
[0014]
When the boiling heating is stopped when the predetermined time has elapsed, the temperature rise of each part is prevented from becoming abnormally high due to the boiling for a long time, and the dirt is sufficiently removed by performing the heating for the predetermined time. . Further, if the boiling heating is stopped at a rise in the predetermined temperature, abnormal heating with no water is prevented when a small amount of water is erroneously added and boiling is performed.
[0015]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the second aspect of the present invention, a time period from the start of heating or from almost boiling to the stop of heating can be arbitrarily set.
[0016]
Thereby, the boiling time can be set according to the purpose of use and the desired time of the user, and the practicality is improved.
[0017]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, an optional rice cooking course for cooking rice such as white rice is also used as a boiling course.
[0018]
That is, no special heating pattern dedicated to boiling is set, thereby simplifying the configuration.
[0019]
The rice cooker according to the invention of claim 5 includes a pot and a heating means for heating the pot, starts heating at a substantially maximum heating amount after the start of rice cooking, reduces the heating amount substantially before and after boiling to reduce the amount of heating in the pot. When the water continues to boil and the temperature of the pot rises to a predetermined level during the boiling, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of rice cooking, or when the predetermined time has elapsed after almost boiling, the amount of heating is reduced from that during the boiling. By performing the spot heating, after the spot heating has been performed for a predetermined period of time, the heating is performed so that the heating for boiling only the water without putting the rice and the heating for cooking the rice can be performed in a shorter time as compared with the normal cooking. And only a small amount of hot water remains when only water is boiled.
[0020]
In this way, boiling and cooking can be performed in a short time, and when heating only water is performed by shifting to uneven heating, in which the heating amount is reduced by the above-described temperature-related conditions or time-related conditions, and further to heat-retaining heating, In addition, it is possible to prevent the boiling from being abnormally strong and the dew from being scattered from the steam passage. At the same time, when only water is boiled, it is assumed that the water in the pot is almost exhausted, so that the amount of water used may be small. However, since a small amount of hot water remains in the pan, an excessive rise in temperature of the pan or the like can be suppressed, and residues such as calcium and magnesium hardly remain in the pan.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the rice cooker according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1 which is a cross-sectional view of the entire rice cooker, reference numeral 21 denotes a rice cooker main body. The rice cooker main body 21 is provided in the substantially cylindrical outer frame 22 and a bottom plate 23 that covers an opening on the lower surface of the rice cooker main body. And a bottomed cylindrical inner frame 24 that forms a pan storage portion. The inner frame 24 is made of an aluminum material having a high infrared emissivity. Reference numeral 25 denotes a rotatable handle for carrying the rice cooker main body 21.
[0022]
Reference numeral 26 denotes a pot mainly composed of an aluminum material. The pot 26 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper surface. The pot 26 has rice and water to be cooked therein housed therein, and is also housed in the inner frame 24 so as to be freely inserted and removed. The pot 26 is supported by a flange 27 formed on the periphery of the upper end thereof resting on a flange 28 formed on the periphery of the upper end of the inner frame 24.
[0023]
On the bottom surface in the inner frame 24, a radiant heating type main heater 31 such as a sheath heater serving as a heating means for heating the pot 26 is fixed via an insulator 32. The main heater 31 has a single or double circular or spiral shape, and is provided in a state separated from the inner frame 24. On the other hand, a body heater 33 composed of a cord heater or the like, which is a heating means for keeping the inner frame 24 warm, is provided on an upper portion of the outer surface inside the inner frame 24. At the center of the bottom of the inner frame 24, a pan sensor 34 that contacts the outer bottom surface of the pan 26 is provided so as to be vertically movable and urged upward. Although not shown, the pan sensor 34 has a built-in negative characteristic thermistor for detecting the outer surface temperature of the pan 26. Further, the pan sensor 34 includes a switch lever 35. When the pan 26 is stored in the inner frame 24, the switch lever 35 is pushed by the pan 26 and linked with the operation of lowering the pan sensor 34 downward. By lowering and operating the on / off lever 37 of the pan switch 36, a pan presence signal is generated from the pan switch 36.
[0024]
Further, at the rear of the lower surface of the rice cooker main body 21, a cord reel 41 for winding a power cord is provided. Further, a power supply board 42 and a display board 43 are provided at a front portion in the rice cooker main body 21 while being held by a board holder 44. The display board 43 is mounted with a display LCD 45, an LED 46, and operation switches. ing. An operation panel 47 for displaying and operating is provided on the front surface of the outer frame 22.
[0025]
Reference numeral 51 denotes a lid provided rotatably on the upper side of the rice cooker main body 21. The lid 51 includes an outer lid 52, and a frame plate 53 fixed to a lower peripheral portion of the outer lid 52. And a radiator plate 54 made of an aluminum material and fixed inside the frame plate 53. The heat radiating plate 54 forms the lower surface of the lid 51 and covers the upper opening of the pot 26. The lid body 51 is rotatably supported by a hinge shaft 55 at a rear portion of the rice cooker main body 21 at a rear portion thereof, and is urged in an opening direction by a hinge spring 56. The closed state is maintained by a clamp 57 provided at the upper part. On the back surface, that is, on the upper surface, of the heat radiating plate 54, a lid heater 58 such as a cord heater which is a heating means for heating the heat radiating plate 54 is provided. The lid heater 58 forms an electrically parallel circuit with the body heater 33. Further, a lid packing 59 is provided between the frame plate 53 and the heat radiating plate 54. The lid packing 59 comes into contact with the flange 27 of the pan 26 when the lid 51 is closed.
[0026]
Further, the lid body 51 is provided with a vapor passage 61 through which the vapor generated in the pot 26 is discharged from the lower surface of the lid body 51 to the upper surface thereof. The steam passage 61 is located at a position slightly behind the center of the inner diameter of the upper opening of the pot 26. Next, the configuration of the steam passage 61 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. An opening 62 is formed in the heat sink 54. On the other hand, the outer lid 52 is integrally formed with a fitting recess 63 having a diameter of about 60 mm and opening upward. The fitting recess 63 extends downward from the outer lid 52, and an opening 64 facing the opening 62 of the heat sink 54 is formed at the bottom center of the fitting recess 63. An annular steam port packing 65 made of silicone rubber is interposed between the upper surface of the heat radiating plate 54 and the lower end of the fitting concave portion 63 around the openings 62 and 64 in order to seal them. A steam inlet 66 is formed in the center of the lower part of the steam port packing 65. It should be noted that a step 67 is formed above the fitting recess 63 so as to increase the diameter of the fitting recess 63.
[0027]
Reference numeral 71 denotes a bucket. The bucket 71 is removably accommodated in the fitting recess 63 of the outer lid 52 and has a container shape with an open upper surface. At the bottom center of the bucket 71, a cylindrical steam inlet 72 is formed to protrude downward, and a pipe 73 is formed to protrude upward. The steam inlet 72 is pushed into the steam port packing 65 for mounting the bucket 71 on the outer lid 52, and faces the steam inlet 66. The pipe 73 has a diameter of about 5 to 12 mm and is slightly smaller than the steam inlet 72, and the capacity of the bucket 71 up to the height of the upper end of the pipe 73 is about 35 ml. Further, at an inner peripheral side of the steam inlet 72 and at an outer peripheral side of the pipe 73, a bottom return hole 74 having a size of about 2 × 2 mm is formed in two places at the base of the pipe 73. I have. Further, a steam valve 76 for opening and closing the upper surface opening of the pipe 73 is attached to the upper opening of the pipe 73 so as to be vertically movable by forced fitting. That is, the steam valve 76 is prevented from falling out of the pipe 73 by the stopper projection 77 formed on the lower surface thereof and the stopper claw 78 formed on the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 73.
[0028]
Reference numeral 81 denotes a steam port cover which forms the upper surface of the steam passage 61. The steam port cover 81 is detachably mounted on the bucket 71, and covers the periphery and the upper portion of the fitting recess 63. For this attachment, four spiral locking projections 82 are formed in the upper part of the outer peripheral surface of the bucket 71, and the inner peripheral surface of the vertical rib 83 bent downward from the outer peripheral part of the steam port cover 81. At the lower part, four elongated locking claws 84 having a width of about 10 mm and a length of about 2 mm are formed so as to protrude. To connect the bucket 71 and the steam port cover 81, it is sufficient to hook the locking claw 84 on the locking projection 82 while rotating the steam port cover 81 and tighten it. Good. Thereby, the user can easily wash the inside of the bucket 71. The sealing between the bucket 71 and the steam port cover 81 is performed by pressing the peripheral end surface of the upper opening of the bucket 71 against the lower surface of the steam port cover 81. With such a configuration, even when the bucket 71 and the steam port cover 81 are thermally shrunk by steam generated during rice cooking and the diameter of the opening slightly changes, the hermetically sealed state is maintained and steam does not leak. Not required.
[0029]
Further, a plurality of, for example, four slit-shaped steam discharge ports 85 located concentrically are formed in the steam port cover 81. As an example, the material thickness of the upper surface of the steam port cover 81 is 2 mm, and the steam discharge port 85 is 2.5 mm wide and 25 mm long. Further, a chamfered portion 86 having a 1.5 mm 2 C-plane cut is formed at the lower corner around the vapor discharge port 85. Further, a chamfered portion 87 made of a C-plane cut that intersects the lower chamfered portion 86 is also formed at an upper corner around the vapor discharge port 85, and the upper chamfered portion 87 is a lower chamfered portion. It is smaller than the part 86. Further, on the lower surface of the steam port cover 81, a cylindrical obstacle wall 88 located on the inner peripheral side of the steam discharge port 85 is formed so as to protrude.
[0030]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. The steam generated in the pot 26 during the rice cooking passes through the steam inlet 66 and the steam inlet 72 and flows into the pipe 73 of the bucket 71 together with the dissolved water (need) of the starch. Then, the steam pushes up the steam valve 76 by the pressure, and enters the inside of the bucket 71 from the upper opening of the opened pipe 73. Here, the steam and the ash are separated, and the ash having a large specific gravity is accommodated in a lower portion in the bucket 71, and the steam is discharged to the outside from the steam discharge port 85. Then, when the rice cooking progresses, the pressure in the pot 26 is reduced, so that the rice collected in the bucket 71 is returned to the pot 26 through the required return hole 74. At the same time, the steam valve 76 is lowered to close the outlet at the upper end of the pipe 73 to prevent heat from being released. This prevents the dew from sticking to this portion during the heat retention and prevents the dew from dripping on the rice inside the pot 26.
[0031]
According to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the C-cut is formed on the lower corner around the vapor discharge port 85 to form the chamfered portion 86, so that adhesion of dew to this portion is greatly reduced. Here, an experimental result on the adhesion of dew will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, 81A, 81B, 81C and 81D are steam port covers, and 85A, 85B, 85C and 85D are steam outlets. (A) is formed with chamfered portions 86A and 87A each having a C-plane cut of 1 mm on the lower side and the upper side around the vapor discharge port 85A (equivalent to the present invention). A chamfered portion 87B made of a 2 mm C-plane cut is formed only on the upper side around the discharge port 85B. (C) A chamfered portion 86C made of a 2mm C-plane cut only on the lower side around the vapor discharge port 85C. (Equivalent product of the present invention) and (D) have no chamfered portion (Equivalent product of the prior art). Then, for these four types, rice was cooked, and the adhesion results of dew d at the start and end of the spotting (13 minutes after the start of the spotting) were examined. As shown in FIG. 3, in (D), a large amount of dew remained even after the end of the spotting, and when the lid 51 was opened, the dew fell below the lid 51. In (B), some dew remains after the end of the swelling, and when the lid 51 is opened, it flows a little. In (A) and (C), almost no dew remained at the end of the spotting, and the lid 51 did not run down when the lid 51 was opened. From the above results, it can be seen that the configurations (A) and (C) are effective in preventing dripping.
[0032]
Further, in consideration of the appearance, it is most preferable to form the chamfered portion 86 mainly only on the lower side of the steam discharge port 85 as shown in FIG. The parts 86 and 87 may be formed. In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower chamfered portion 86 is larger than the upper chamfered portion 87.
[0033]
As described above, the adhesion of the dew to the steam discharge port 85 can be greatly reduced by the chamfered portion 86, and when the lid 51 is opened and closed after the rice cooking, the dripping and the splash of the dew from the steam discharge port 85 can be prevented. It is possible to prevent contamination of the rice cooker 51, the rice cooker main body 21, and the floor surface on which it is placed. Moreover, as compared with the conventional rice cooker, the appearance of the steam discharge port 85 does not deteriorate, and there is no need to change the rice cooking heating control method.
[0034]
In the first embodiment, the steam passage 61 is detachable from the lid 51. However, the steam passage may be provided integrally with the lid. Also, the size of the lower chamfer of the vapor discharge port may not be the same as that in the above-described embodiment, and it is sufficient that the chamfer is provided so that dew does not flow down when the lid is opened.
[0035]
Further, the rice cooker according to the first embodiment has a boiling function for cleaning the pot 26, the lid 51, the steam passage 61, the lid packing 59, and the like. Next, the configuration related to the boiling function will be described. First, the configuration of the operation panel 47 will be described with reference to FIG. The operation panel 47 is provided with a rice cook lamp 46a, a warming lamp 46b, and a reservation lamp 46c, which are process display lamps composed of the LEDs 46. The LCD 45 has a time / time display section 45a for displaying a clock time and the like, and has a menu instruction section 45b for instructing a menu display 91 formed on the surface of the operation panel 47. Further, the operation panel 47 is provided with an off switch 92 composed of a push button switch, a rice cooker switch 93, a heat retention switch 94, a reservation switch 95, a clock switch 96, an hour switch 97, a minute switch 98, and a menu switch 99. .
[0036]
The control circuit, the temperature detection of the pot 26, the heating adjustment of the pot 26 using a microcomputer, and the like are the same as those of a conventional rice cooker. In this rice cooker, the heating pattern of the boiling course is added to it. The heating control at the time of cooking rice or at the time of maintaining the temperature is performed by operating the switches 92,... 99 by the user, or by controlling the temperature of the pan 26 detected by the pan sensor 34 or the heat radiation plate 54 detected by the lid sensor (not shown). The microcomputer controls power cutoff of the heaters 31, 33, and 58 in accordance with preprogrammed logic according to the temperature, the time measured by the timer, and the like. In normal rice cooking, after the rice cooking is started, a preheating process, which is a single-sided cooking, is performed. In this preheating step, the rice is heated at a temperature higher than the normal temperature and slightly lower than the gelatinization temperature of the rice (about 60 ° C.) to promote the water absorption of the rice. Subsequent to the preheating step, a boiling step is performed in which the pot is heated at almost the maximum heating amount. Then, for example, when the gradient of the temperature rise becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the process shifts from the boiling process to the boiling continuous heating process, and the boiling state in the pot 26 is continued with the heating amount reduced. Thereafter, when a dry-up is detected through a cooking process in which the heating pattern is slightly changed, the process proceeds to a spotting process, and the heating amount is further reduced. When the swinging process is completed, the process shifts to a warming process, and the temperature of the pot is maintained at a substantially constant temperature.
[0037]
The selection of the boiling course is performed by pressing the menu switch 99. In the selection by the menu switch 99, the boiling course is also used as the early cooking course. Thereafter, if the rice cook switch 93 is pressed only once, rice is cooked in the fast-cooking course, and if the rice cook switch 93 is pressed twice consecutively, the boiling course is executed. Further, each time the rice cooker switch 93 is pressed, the fast-cooking course and the boiling course are switched. This will be described in more detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the fast-cooking course is selected by the menu switch 99 and the rice-cooking switch 93 is turned on, the rice-cooking heating is started, and the fast-cooking course is displayed (S1, S2, S3). The display of the early cooking course is performed by constantly lighting the lamps 46a, 46b, and 46c as in the case of other rice cooking. Here, if the rice cooker switch 93 is not turned on again within less than 10 seconds, the rice cooker continues to be heated, and if the rice cooker is finished, the heat is maintained after the rice is washed out (S4, S5, S6, S7). On the other hand, when the rice cooker switch 93 is turned on again for less than 10 seconds, the mode is switched to boiling heating, and the boiling course is displayed (S4, S5, S8). The display of the boiling course is made by, for example, blinking of the lamps 46a, 46b, 46c so as to be distinguished from the display during normal cooking. Thereafter, if the rice cooker switch 93 is not turned on again within less than 10 seconds from the second on, the boiling heating is continued as it is, and when the boiling heating is completed, the heat is kept or turned off after the spotting (S9, S10, S11, S12). ). On the other hand, if the rice cooker switch 93 is turned on again for less than 10 seconds from the second on, the course switches again to the early cooking course.
[0038]
In the boiling course, the preheating step is omitted, and immediately after the start of heating, the pot 26 containing water is heated at almost the maximum heating amount. This is to enable boiling in a short time. When the boiling, that is, the boiling, starts and the temperature gradient of the pot 26 detected by the pot sensor 34 becomes stable, the amount of heating is reduced and the boiling state of the water in the pot 26 is continued. The method of detecting the boiling may be a method of detecting the temperature of the steam based on the temperature of the lid 51. By reducing the amount of heating after boiling as described above, the risk of abnormally strong boiling and dew dropping out of the vapor discharge port 14 is prevented. Therefore, the heating amount after boiling is adjusted to such an extent that boiling can be continued and dew from the vapor discharge port 14 does not scatter. When the boiling continues and the water in the pot 26 is almost exhausted, the temperature of the pot 26 rises rapidly. By detecting this, the heating is stopped. The temperature at which the heating is stopped may be an absolute value, for example, 120 ° C., but it is better to stop the heating at a predetermined temperature, for example, 10 ° C., based on the temperature during boiling. It is preferable to consider variations such as fluctuations in boiling temperature due to changes in atmospheric pressure. At the same time, the heating stop condition is a temperature setting at which water remains in the pot 26 when the heating is stopped. For example, the remaining amount of water is about 0.05 to 50 ml, and the amount may be such that the inside of the pan 26 is not completely dried and does not cause any trouble when the remaining water in the pan 26 is discarded. This is because heating the rice cooker body 21 such as the inner frame 24 becomes excessively high when the water is completely heated to a state where there is no water. In addition, residues such as calcium and magnesium remain in the pot 26 and stick. This is to prevent the bottom of the pot 26 from being difficult to clean and prevent the surface coating of the pot 26 such as a fluororesin from being adversely affected by melting or the like. Further, when a predetermined time has elapsed after the heating was stopped, a buzzer informs the user that the boiling course has ended and turns off the boiler. The reason for waiting until a predetermined time elapses from the stop of the heating is to cool the pot 26 and the lid 51 to some extent so that a large amount of steam is not released when the lid 26 is opened. In addition, heating equivalent to the rice cooker's spot (heating the pot 26 to about 100 ° C., and heating the lower surface of the lid 51 to about 110 ° C. to prevent dew condensation) is performed. You may make it. By doing so, the configuration of the heating control after the water in the pot 26 has run out can be shared with the ordinary rice cooking, and the control program can be simplified. If the remaining time of this period is displayed, it becomes an indication of the end time, and the practicality is improved. In the case where the rice is also used as the normal rice cooking, the remaining time display of the spotting time corresponds to this.
[0039]
Also, unlike the conventional boiling course, since the heating is performed without leaving much remaining hot water in the pot 26, the amount of water to be put in the pot 26 may be smaller than the conventional amount, and the water level of the minimum cooked rice amount It may be about a line or about 1-3 cups (about 180-540 ml) in a measuring cup. Therefore, since the amount of water is almost determined, the remaining time from the start of the boiling course to the end time may be displayed. That is, the time required when the amount of water is as large as about 540 ml is set as the standard time and displayed as the remaining time from the beginning, and when water runs out halfway, heating is stopped and the remaining time is waited until the remaining time elapses. Configure. Thereby, the required time from the start of heating can be known, and the practicability is further improved.
[0040]
The following configuration is adopted so that there is no problem even when used in an empty state where nothing is put in the pot 26. That is, when the temperature of the pot 26 becomes 120 ° C. or higher, the heating is suppressed (this corresponds to the heating after boiling). In this state, the pot 26 is heated by controlling the temperature to 120 ° C., and the heating is continued for a predetermined time, for example, 15 minutes.
[0041]
Although the temperature is not particularly limited, the temperature at which the plastic such as polypropylene which is a component part of the lid 51 or the like is not dissolved at 100 ° C. or higher, at which the germicidal effect of various bacteria is obtained, that is, the plastic of the lid 51 is The temperature is preferably 130 ° C. or less, which is the heat-resistant temperature. The heating time is not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 minutes or more for sterilization of various bacteria. If the length is too long, it becomes a factor of deteriorating the practicality. If the temperature of the lid 51 can be detected, the temperature of the lid 51 is controlled to be 120 ° C. That is, when the temperature of the lid 51 becomes high due to the radiant heat from the pan 26, or when the temperature of the lid 51 becomes high by the lid heater 58 provided in the lid 51, the temperature of the lid 51 also becomes high. The heating of the pot 26 and the lid 51 is adjusted so as to be maintained at 120 ° C. This makes it possible to adopt a configuration in which the surface coating of the pot 26 and the heat resistance of the plastic parts forming the lid 51 are not adversely affected, and it is also possible to perform heating in the empty cooking mode. In addition, even when the heating in the empty cooking is enabled, the boiling heating is stopped after a predetermined time elapses in the same manner as when the water is added. Thereby, even if the amount of water to be put into the pot 26 is small or the water is not put in by mistake, the configuration can be used without any problem.
[0042]
In addition, it can be dried without heating, and can be used for the purpose of sterilization of Bacillus subtilis, for example, by using it by heating at a temperature of 100 ° C. or more without using water. . Bacillus subtilis does not die at 100 ° C. In addition, bacteria may be condensed and remain in the residual water, and if water remains, the expectation of the bactericidal effect is low. However, if the pot 26 is empty and dried, the bacteria may not grow if the water activity value (Aw) is 0.9 or more. Thus, when the odor is generated due to an increase in Bacillus subtilis, it can be effectively used.
[0043]
In addition, the rice cooker of the present embodiment has various rice heating patterns such as rice porridge, brown rice, fast-cooking, and cooking, in addition to white rice, and the user selects a course of an arbitrary rice heating pattern with the menu switch 99. However, as described above, if the heating pattern for boiling is performed by the menu switch 99 in the same manner as the selection of the rice heating pattern, a switch dedicated to boiling is not required, and the number of switches need not be increased. effective. If the menu selection 91 and the menu instructing section 45b are also used for the selection, the display dedicated to boiling is not required, which is economical.
[0044]
Since the boiling course is not a heating pattern intended for cooking rice that is different from normal, as a means for notifying this point, as described above, the lamps 46a, 46b, and 46c for displaying processes such as rice cooking, heat retention, and reservation are used. By adopting a display mode different from that of normal rice cooking, for example, by turning on the light every 0.5 seconds, it is easy to know that the rice cooking heating pattern is not being executed, and it is possible to prevent the user from misidentifying. Further, according to this configuration, it is not necessary to increase the number of lamps 46a, 46b, 46c as compared with the conventional number, and the economic efficiency is further improved.
[0045]
It is also possible to use both the heating pattern in the boiling course and the normal heating pattern. For example, a heating pattern of a fast-cooking course may be used as described above. However, the preheating step is omitted, heating is started at almost the maximum heating amount, and the temperature of the pot 26 becomes 120 ° C., or the temperature of the lid 51 becomes 120 ° C. in the case where the temperature of the lid 51 can be detected, or If the temperature gradient of the temperature rise of the pot 26 stabilizes to a predetermined state or if the temperature of the lid 51 can be detected and the lid 51 has a predetermined temperature gradient, the amount of heating is suppressed and the amount of heating is suppressed. The heating may be continued for 5 minutes, or the heating may be stopped when the temperature rise of the pot 26 during heating reaches a predetermined value, and the heating may be performed after the fluctuation time of about 10 minutes elapses. During the boiling after the boiling, the lid 51 is heated so as to prevent condensation on the lower surface of the lid 51. With this quick-cooking configuration, rice can be cooked, water can be boiled, water can be heated in the empty state of the pot 26, and special boiling-only There is no need to set a heating pattern, and boiling is realized in an extremely simplified and efficient form. Also, if you want to display the boiling only heating that displays the remaining time for practicality improvement, adjust the menu to fast-cooking, press the rice cook switch 93 once to cook quickly, press twice to display the boiling, The remaining time may be displayed from the beginning of the heating as described above, or the display mode of the lamps 46a, 46b, and 46c for cooking, keeping warm, and making a reservation may be changed. Thereby, even if the same menu is used, the practicality in the case of using not boiling rice but boiling is improved. The cooking course that is shared with the boiling course may be anything other than fast cooking, but because the heating pattern is set to cook rice in a shorter time than usual, boiling is performed in a short time, and in order to improve practicality Since early cooking is the most preferable pattern, it is preferable to share it with early cooking.
[0046]
Here, some of the heating patterns and display controls in the boiling course described above will be summarized with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 to 9. In the heating control shown in FIG. 7, when the boiling course heating is started (S21), the heating is immediately turned on with the maximum heating amount (S22). If the inside of the pan 26 is in a boiling state, the heating amount is reduced and heating is continued (S23, S24, S25, S26). If the temperature of the pan 26 rises by a predetermined temperature or a predetermined time has elapsed, heating is performed. The operation is stopped (S25, S26, S27), and the boiling heating is terminated (S28).
[0047]
In the heating control shown in FIG. 8, when the boiling course heating is started (S31), if the temperature of the pot 26 is not 120 ° C. or higher, the heating of the pot 26 is turned on (S32, S33). Thereafter, if the temperature of the pan 26 is not higher than 120 ° C., the ON state of the heating of the pan 26 is continued (S34, S37), while the temperature of the pan 26 is higher than 120 ° C. and 15 minutes have passed. If not, the heating of the pot 26 is temporarily turned off (S34, S35, S36). When the temperature of the pan 26 has reached 120 ° C. or more and 15 minutes have elapsed, the boiling heating is terminated (S38).
[0048]
Further, in the control shown in FIG. 9, when the boiling course heating is started (S41), 30 minutes is displayed as the remaining time in the time / time indicator 45a (S42), and the subtraction of the remaining time is started (S43). Then, the heating of the pot 26 is turned on (S44). When the temperature becomes equal to or higher than the heating stop temperature, the heating of the pot 26 is turned off (S45, S46). If there is remaining time, the temperature is determined again and the heating of the pot 26 is switched on / off (S47, S45). If the remaining time runs out, the boiling heating is terminated (S47, S48).
[0049]
Further, in the control shown in FIG. 10, the heating control is completely used in the fast-boiling course and the boiling course in which rice can be cooked in a shorter time than in normal cooking. When the fast-cooking course is selected by the menu switch 99 and the rice-cooking switch 93 is turned on, cooking starts and heating is started, and the fast-cooking course is displayed (S51, S52, S53). This heating is performed from the beginning with the maximum heating amount, but the heating amount is reduced before and after the boiling substantially, and the boiling state of the water in the pot 26 is continued. Then, when the temperature of the pot 26 rises by a predetermined temperature during the continuation of boiling, or after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of rice cooking, or when a lapse of a predetermined time has elapsed after boiling, the heating amount is reduced by a smaller amount than during the continuation of boiling. (S54, S55, S56, S57). Further, after a predetermined time (for example, 9 minutes) has elapsed, the heating is shifted to the heat retention heating, and the boiling is completed (S58, S59).
[0050]
According to the boiling course in the present rice cooker as described above, the heating of the pot 26 is immediately started at almost the maximum heating amount immediately after the skipping cooking as the preheating process is omitted, so that the boiling can be performed in a short time. In addition, since the amount of heating is reduced after boiling, the risk of abnormally strong boiling and dew scattering from the vapor discharge port 85 can be prevented. Further, since the water is slightly left in the pot 26 when the heating is stopped, the rise in the temperature of the rice cooker main body 1 such as the inner frame 24 can be suppressed, and the remaining of calcium and magnesium in the pot 26 can be suppressed. Things are less likely to remain, and the bottom of the pot 26 can be easily cleaned. At the same time, it is possible to prevent the surface coating of the pot 26 such as a fluororesin from being adversely affected by melting or the like. And since it is premised that heating is stopped when the water in the pot 26 runs out, the amount of water to be used may be small, boiling can be performed quickly, and boiling can be performed in a shorter time than before. Low power consumption is required. On the other hand, since the amount of residual water is extremely small as compared with the related art, the amount of steam generated when the lid 51 is opened after boiling can be reduced, and the amount of residual hot water to be discarded is reduced, thereby improving safety.
[0051]
Further, when the heating is started in an empty state of the pot 26, the pot 26 is maintained at a high temperature of 100 ° C. or higher, and after a predetermined time, the heating for maintaining the high temperature is stopped. It can be used without any problem even if the amount is small or water is not added. In addition, it can be dried in an empty-cooked state, and can be used for heating various kinds of bacteria such as Bacillus subtilis by using it by heating it at a high temperature of 100 ° C. or more without using water.
[0052]
By the way, when the heating stop condition at the time of boiling is the elapsed time, a large amount of residual hot water may remain, but it is possible to prevent the temperature rise of each part from becoming abnormally high due to the long-time boiling. However, the predetermined time until the heating is stopped is set so that the boiling time is about 10 minutes or more, and a sufficient boiling time for removing dirt is obtained. In addition, even when the heating stop condition at the time of boiling is set to a temperature rise, if a small amount of water is erroneously put into the pot 26 and boiling is performed, the water in the pot 26 runs out and abnormal heating occurs. Is prevented. However, there may be a state where almost no water remains in the pot 26 at the end of boiling.
[0053]
In addition, since the boiling switch is selected by also using the menu switch 99 for arbitrarily selecting various rice heating patterns such as white rice, rice porridge, brown rice, fast-cooking, cooking, etc., a switch dedicated to the boiling course is unnecessary, It is not necessary to increase the number of switches.
[0054]
After the boiling course is started, the lighting mode of the lamps 46a, 46b, 46c for displaying processes such as rice cooking, heat retention, reservation and the like is changed from the normal lighting state, so that the lamps 46a, 46b, 46c are conventionally used. It is possible to display that the heating pattern is different from that of ordinary rice cooking without increasing the number of the rice cookers, thereby preventing misuse.
[0055]
In addition, since the heating pattern of the boiling course and the rice heating pattern for cooking white rice are shared, rice can be cooked, water can be boiled, and the pot 26 can be heated empty. It is also possible to realize the boiling function in an extremely simplified and efficient form without setting a special heating pattern exclusively for boiling.
[0056]
Furthermore, when heating is started by operating the rice cooker start switch for starting rice cooker in a different manner from the operation for starting normal rice cooker, it is practical to perform boiling heating in a display mode in which a boiling course is being executed. The remaining time is displayed to improve the performance, and the display form of the lamps 46a, 46b, 46c is changed, so that the practicality when using not boiling rice but boiling can be improved.
[0057]
In this way, during boiling, the heating time can be shortened and the amount of water used can be small, so that water saving and power saving effects can be obtained. At the end of boiling, almost no boiling water remains in the pot 26. Since the amount of steam generated when opening the pan is small, the remaining hot water in the pot 26 can be easily disposed of and the danger of burns can be prevented, and there is no need to provide a dedicated switch or display unit. Thus, the structure can be simplified.
[0058]
In the boiling course, the user may be able to arbitrarily set a predetermined time from the start of heating or from almost boiling to the stop of heating. For example, the predetermined time may be adjusted by operating the minute switch 98 while the boiling course is selected. Thereby, the user can set the boiling time according to the purpose of use and the desired time, and the practicality is improved.
[0059]
Next, a rice cooker according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 11 which is a cross-sectional view of the entire rice cooker, reference numeral 101 denotes a rice cooker main body, which is a bottomed cylindrical inner frame 102 having an open upper surface, and a rice cooker main body 101 having the inner frame 102 therein. It comprises an outer frame 103 forming an outer shell, and a bottom plate 104 covering the bottom side of the outer frame 103. The inner frame 102 is made of FR-PET resin and has a shape substantially similar to the outer shape of the pot 106 which is removably accommodated in the inner frame 102.
[0060]
The pot 106 contains rice and water to be cooked, and is formed of a bottomed cylinder mainly made of aluminum having good thermal conductivity and having an open top surface. A flange 107 projecting outward horizontally is formed in the opening. Further, a heating layer 108 made of a magnetic metal material for electromagnetic induction heating of the pot 106 is provided below the outer surface of the pot 106. The heat generating layer 108 is made of, for example, a ferritic stainless steel and is formed by press working. The pot 106 is formed integrally with the heat generating layer 108 by melt forging, and has a thickness of 3 mm at the upper opening and 5 mm at the lower bottom. Further, the upper surface of the flange 107 is finished flat by machining. Further, on the outer surface of the pot 106 including the heat generating layer 108, a plastic coating film mainly composed of silicone resin or polyether sulfone resin having a thickness of about 50 to 100 μm is formed. The thickness of the coating layer is preferably about 50 μm or more, since the heat insulation effect increases as the thickness of the coating layer increases. Further, by mixing an inorganic material having poor thermal conductivity such as alumina powder, titania powder, aluminum powder, glass powder, hollow glass beads, glass fiber, and mica powder into the coating material, the heat insulation can be further improved. The effect of storing the heat of the main body can be obtained.
[0061]
A heating coil 111 as a heating means is provided outside the inner frame 102. The heating coil 111 is wound around and fixed to the outer surface of the inner frame 102 in a state of facing the heat generating layer 108 located from the lower side surface to the bottom surface of the pan 106. Outside the heating coil 111, there is provided a coil cover 112 in which a high-permeability material powder mainly composed of iron oxide or the like is mixed with a plastic material. Thus, the heating coil 111 is fixed to the inner frame 102, and leakage of magnetic flux is prevented to efficiently heat the heating layer 108. Reference numeral 113 denotes a pan temperature sensor that includes a negative temperature coefficient thermistor therein and detects the temperature at the bottom of the pan 106. Reference numeral 114 denotes a pot located near the heat generating layer 108 and the heating coil 111, and an outer surface of the inner frame 102. This is a thermal fuse provided in the device. Further, reference numeral 115 denotes a body heater which is a heating means for keeping heat provided on the upper portion of the outer surface of the inner frame 102.
[0062]
Reference numeral 116 denotes a heating board provided with an inverter circuit component 117 for supplying a predetermined high-frequency current to the heating coil 111. When a high-frequency current is supplied from the inverter circuit to the heating coil 111, an alternating magnetic field is generated in the heating coil 111, and an eddy current is generated in the heating layer 108 of the pot 106 in the magnetic field. When converted to Joule heat, the heat generating layer 108 generates heat and the pot 106 is heated. The heating substrate 116 is disposed between the bottom plate 104 at the bottom of the rice cooker main body 101 and the support 118 together with a cooling fan 120 having a motor 119 by a support 118 provided inside the rice cooker main body 101. I have. An intake port 121 is provided on the bottom of the bottom plate 104 facing the cooling fan 120, and an exhaust port 122 is provided on a side surface of the bottom plate 104 facing one side of the heating substrate 116. The support 118 is provided upright on one side of the heating board 116, and an LCD 124, an LED 125, and an LCD 123 forming an operation panel 123 as a display operation means are provided between the support 118 and the front surface of the rice cooker main body 101. A display operation component 127 having a switch 126 and a power supply circuit component 128 are provided in a state mounted on a substrate 129. Reference numeral 130 denotes a code reel that winds a power cord 131 provided on the lower rear side of the outer frame 103.
[0063]
141 is a lid provided rotatably on the upper side of the rice cooker main body 101. The lid 141 has an outer lid 142 forming an upper outer shell thereof, and a lower peripheral portion of the outer lid 142. And a radiating plate 145 as a lower surface material of a lid which is fixed to the inside of the frame plate 143 by a set screw 144 and covers the upper opening of the pot 106. In FIG. 15, which is a bottom view of the frame plate 143, reference numeral 146 denotes a heat sink fixing screw hole into which a set screw 144 is screwed. The heat sink 145 forms the lower surface of the lid 141, is made of aluminum, has a thickness of about 2 to 3 mm, and is formed by forging. Further, on the lower surface of the heat sink 145, a plastic coating film mainly composed of silicone resin or polyether sulfone resin having a thickness of about 50 to 100 μm is formed. The set screw 144 is screwed from the upper side of the heat sink 145 so that the set screw 144 is not visible from the outside to improve the appearance.
[0064]
The lid 141 is supported by a hinge shaft 147 at the upper rear side of the rice cooker main body 101. Although not shown, an elastic member such as a torsion coil spring for applying a force to the cover 141 to always open is provided inside the hinge shaft 147. Further, a clamp 148 is provided at the front upper portion of the rice cooker main body 101 opposite to the hinge shaft 147 or at the front upper surface of the lid 141 to lock the rice cooker main body 101 with the lid 141 closed. ing.
[0065]
Further, a lid heater 149 composed of a cord heater or the like, which is a heating means for heating the radiator plate 145, is provided on the back surface, that is, the upper surface of the radiator plate 145. The lid heater 149 is provided with a double-sided adhesive tape. It is fixed to the heat sink 145 by an aluminum foil 150 attached to the heat sink 145. The lid heater 149 electrically forms a parallel circuit with the body heater 115. The body heater 115 and the lid heater 149 are connected to a power cutoff control element such as a bidirectional thyristor in a series circuit, and perform heating during rice cooking and heat retention by predetermined power cutoff control. ing. Further, inside the cover 141, a cover temperature sensor 151 composed of a negative characteristic thermistor for detecting the temperature of the lower surface is provided.
[0066]
A lid packing 156 made of an elastic rubber material such as silicone rubber is provided between the inner peripheral portion of the frame plate 143 and the outer peripheral portion of the heat sink 145. When the lid 141 is closed, the lid packing 156 comes into contact with the flange 107 of the pan 106 to seal the space between the heat sink 145 and the pan 106. Next, the configuration near the lid packing 156 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. A concave groove 159 that opens downward is formed between a rising wall 157 formed on the inner periphery of the frame plate 143 and a rising wall 158 formed on the outer periphery of the heat sink 145. A hook 160 is formed at a lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the rising wall 157 of the frame plate 143 forming the concave groove 159. The hook portion 160 extends over substantially the entire circumference of the frame plate 143, but is notched in a concave shape at the clamp 148 side, that is, at one place on the front side, so that the width of the groove 159 is partially reduced. A packing attachment / detachment portion 161 having a length of about 15 to 30 mm is formed.
[0067]
The lid packing 156 is made of, for example, silicone rubber, formed by extrusion molding, cut into a predetermined length, and joined at both ends to form an annular shape. The lid packing 156 has a thick insertion portion 162 inserted into the concave groove 159 at the upper portion, and a sealing portion 163 closely contacting the flange portion 107 of the pot 106 at the lower portion. The cross-sectional shape of the insertion portion 162 is substantially triangular or substantially square so as to be hooked on the hook portion 160 of the concave groove 159. On the other hand, the sealing portion 163 has a substantially rectangular shape in cross section and is elastically deformed flexibly.
[0068]
The lid packing 156 is detachable from the groove 159, and is mounted by pushing the insertion portion 162 into the groove 159 from the lower surface side of the lid 141, and the sealing portion 163 is moved downward. Remove by pulling. Therefore, the insertion portion 162 needs to have such a thickness that the insertion portion 162 is not easily bent when being pushed into the concave groove 159. When the insertion portion 162 is bent and it is difficult to mount the insertion portion 162, an annular plate having some rigidity may be attached to the insertion portion 162. Further, when the lid packing 156 is attached and detached, the attachment and detachment can be easily performed by using the packing attaching and detaching portion 161 of the concave groove 159. That is, at the time of mounting, the lid packing 156 is pushed in so as to be fitted to the packing attaching / detaching portion 161 last, and when detaching, the lid packing 156 may be pulled first at the packing attaching / detaching portion 161. Further, the packing attachment / detachment portion 161 is provided on the clamp 148 side of the lid 141. When the lid 141 is opened, the packing attachment / detachment portion 161 is on the upper side. Because it does not enter.
[0069]
At a substantially central portion of the lid 141, there is provided a steam passage 171 for discharging steam generated in the pot 106 from the lower surface to the upper surface of the lid 141. Next, the configuration of the steam passage 171 will be described. At the center of the radiator plate 145, there is formed a steam inlet 172 having a diameter of about 10 to 30 mm for passing steam. Around the steam inlet 172, an annular steam port packing made of silicone rubber is provided. 173 are attached. On the other hand, the outer lid 142 is integrally formed with a vertical rib 174 which has a hole having a diameter of about 70 mm inside the vapor inlet 172. The vertical rib 174 has a tubular shape penetrating vertically and extends downward from the outer lid 142. The lower end of the vertical rib 174 and the upper surface of the radiator plate 145 are hermetically sealed by the presence of the steam port packing 173 around the steam inlet 172.
[0070]
The main components forming the steam passage 171 are a bucket 176 removably accommodated in a hole in the vertical rib 174 and a detachable steam port cover 177 covering the periphery and the upper surface of the hole in the vertical rib 174. It has become. The bucket 176 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and is located on the steam port cover 177 and rests on the steam port packing 173. A bottom return hole 178 having a diameter of about 1 to 2 mm is formed at the bottom of the bucket 176. The oil return hole 178 is configured to be openably opened from below by a check valve 179 made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber and attached to the bottom of the bucket 176. The upper surface of the bucket 176 is a partition plate 182 having a through hole 181. Further, the steam port cover 177 has a cylindrical vertical rib 183 extending downward from a peripheral portion of an upper surface thereof, and a lower end of the vertical rib 183 is hermetically sealed by the steam port packing 173. 183 is prevented from leaking around the lower end. The convex portion 184 formed partially on the outer peripheral surface of the vertical rib 183 is engaged with the convex portion 185 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the vertical rib 174 of the outer lid 142, so that steam is generated. The mouth cover 177 is detachably mounted in the vertical rib 174 of the outer lid 142. Further, a plurality of slit-shaped steam discharge ports 186 are formed in the upper surface of the steam port cover 177. In the same manner as in the first embodiment, a chamfered portion 187 made of a C-plane cut is formed at a lower corner around the vapor discharge port 186.
[0071]
The lid heater 149 is arranged on the heat radiating plate 145 almost uniformly around the vapor passage 171, and is also located near the vapor passage 171 and the lid packing 156.
[0072]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. Normally, the bucket 176 is placed on the steam port packing 173. However, when steam is generated in the pot 106 during rice cooking, the bucket 176 is lifted by the pressure of the steam, and the bottom of the bucket 176 and the steam port packing 173 are connected to each other. There is a gap between them. Then, the steam in the pan 106 together with the dissolved moisture (need) of the starch passes through the gap between the steam inlet 172 and the bottom surface of the bucket 176 and the steam port packing 173, and passes through the bucket 176 and the steam port cover 177. Flows between. Here, the steam and the ash are separated, and the ash having a large specific gravity is accommodated in the bucket 176 through the through hole 181 of the partition plate 182, and the steam is discharged to the outside from the steam discharge port 186. Then, when the rice cooks and becomes uneven, the pressure in the pot 106 decreases, and the bucket 176 is placed on the steam port packing 173, and the check valve 179 is opened, so that the rice in the bucket 176 has a return hole. 178 back into the pot 106.
[0073]
Also in the rice cooker of the second embodiment, since the chamfered portion 187 is formed at the lower corner around the steam discharge port 186, the operation and effect of the chamfered portion 86 of the rice cooker of the first embodiment are completely eliminated. A similar effect can be obtained.
[0074]
By the way, the lid packing that prevents the steam generated during cooking from leaking from between the pot and the lid is a use environment where the steam is directly applied, so the deterioration of the lid is quick due to the influence of the steam, and the rubber elasticity is lost quickly. The rice cooker itself has a shorter service life than the service life of the rice cooker, and needs to be replaced when it has deteriorated, because the discoloration is remarkable or the odor adheres to it and cannot be removed. However, conventionally, the replacement of the lid packing is not easy for most products.In general, the lid is removed from the rice cooker main body, then the outer lid is removed, and a radiator plate that forms the lower surface of the lid is further removed. I do it after removing it. Since the replacement of the lid packing requires a very complicated operation, this replacement cannot be performed by a general user, and is usually performed by a service person. Therefore, replacement of the lid packing includes labor costs for service personnel, which is expensive. In addition, the user needs to bring the rice cooker to a store or the like to replace the lid packing, and since it can not usually be replaced immediately on the spot, the inconvenience that the rice cooker can not be used until it is received at a later date Is forced. Further, the replacement of the lid packing is not easy even if performed by a service person, and the appearance of the product is easily damaged when the lid is removed from the rice cooker main body or when the outer lid is removed. In particular, the outer lid is often fastened with only claws without using screws.To remove the outer lid, it is necessary to insert a metal plate or the like into the gap between the fittings and remove it slightly forcibly. Very easy to scratch. Further, when removing the lid, it is necessary to disconnect the connector of the heater wire or the temperature sensor wire connected to the inside of the lid, and there is a possibility that the lid may be forgotten to be connected at the time of assembly after replacement of the lid packing.
[0075]
On the other hand, in the rice cooker of the second embodiment, a groove 159 constituted by the frame plate 143 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the heat sink 145, and the lid packing 156 is fitted into the groove 159. Therefore, the lid packing 156 can be detached from the lower surface side of the lid 141 alone without disassembling the lid 141, and the lid packing 156 can be replaced. However, if the width of the groove is constant throughout, the following problem occurs. First, if the width of the concave groove is widened, the lid packing is easily detached, and steam leaks easily from a gap between the concave groove and the lid packing. On the other hand, if the width of the concave groove is reduced, it becomes difficult to attach / detach the lid packing, and in particular, the deteriorated lid packing may be cut off and cannot be removed.
[0076]
However, in the rice cooker according to the second embodiment, since the packing groove attaching / detaching portion 161 is provided by forming a wide portion in the concave groove 159 for attachment of the lid packing 156, the packing attaching / detaching portion is provided. When the lid packing 156 is pushed in so as to be fitted to the end 161 and then removed, the lid packing 156 is pulled first by the packing attaching / detaching portion 161, thereby preventing a problem such as inadvertent detachment of the lid packing 156 or vapor leakage. The lid packing 156 can be easily attached and detached. Further, when the lid packing 156 is attached, the length of the lid packing 156 can be adjusted by pushing an excess portion of the lid packing 156 into the packing attaching / detaching portion 161.
[0077]
Further, since the packing attachment / detachment portion 161 is provided on the side opposite to the hinge shaft 147 of the lid 141, dew accumulated on the lid packing 156 is less likely to enter the packing attachment / detachment portion 161.
[0078]
In the second embodiment, the packing 160 is formed at the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the rising wall 157 of the frame plate 143 so that the hook 160 is partially removed, so that the width of the groove 159 is partially increased. Although the portion 161 is formed, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the inner peripheral surface of the rising wall 157 of the frame plate 143 is entirely a columnar surface, and a concave portion recessed toward the outer peripheral side is partially formed in a lower portion thereof. May be formed to form the packing attaching / detaching portion 161 in which the width of the concave groove 159 is partially increased.
[0079]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the rice cooker according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The fourth embodiment is a modification of the lid packing 156, in which a hollow portion 191 is formed in an insertion portion 162 having a substantially triangular cross section. Further, the bottom surface of the insertion portion 162 of the lid packing 156 is formed as a bent portion 192 having a substantially V-shaped cross section. The bent portion 192 bends upward when a force is applied from both sides.
[0080]
The attachment of the lid packing 156 to the lid 141 is the same as that in the second embodiment, and the insertion portion 162 of the lid packing 156 is pushed into the concave groove 159. At this time, a force is applied to the insertion portion 162 from both sides. As a result, the hollow portion 191 is crushed while the bent portion 192 is bent upward, and the insertion portion 162 gets over the hook portion 160 and enters the concave groove 159. That is, since the insertion portion 162 is hollow, the insertion portion 162 is crushed more with less force as compared with the case where the insertion portion 162 is solid as in the second embodiment. Therefore, a structure can be provided in which the insertion portion 162 is largely hooked on the hook portion 160 of the concave groove 159. Therefore, it is possible to easily fit the lid packing 156 and make it difficult to remove it. To remove the lid packing 156, the sealing portion 163 may be pulled.
[0081]
Also, as compared with the case where the insertion portion 162 is made thick and solid, when the lid packing 156 is extruded and formed, sink and twist are less likely to occur.
[0082]
That is, when the thickness of the insertion portion 162 inserted into the concave groove 159 is small, the insertion portion 162 is bent at the time of attachment to the lid 141 and is difficult to insert, and the lid packing 156 is used to prevent the lid packing 156 from coming off. Since the hook 160 cannot be made large, it becomes easy to come off. Therefore, the thickness of the insertion portion 162 needs to be sufficiently large. However, if the thickness of the insertion portion 162 is made solid while it is solid, the insertion portion 162 may be shrunk at the time of molding and the dimensions as designed may not be obtained. . In addition, since the thickness of the insertion portion 162 is significantly different from that of the other portions, when molded by extrusion molding, the molding cannot be performed straightly due to a difference in cooling due to a difference in wall thickness, and there is a risk of being greatly twisted. . For this reason, when joining both ends to form an annular shape, smooth joining is difficult, and steam leakage from this portion is likely to occur during use. Further, when the lid packing 156 is fitted into the concave groove 159, the lid packing 156 is almost completely pushed by using only the elastic deformation of the material, so that if the hooking between the hooking portion 160 and the insertion portion 162 is increased, the fitting becomes tight. It becomes difficult. Therefore, the hook between the hook portion 160 and the insertion portion 162 cannot be so large, and the lid packing 156 is likely to come off.
[0083]
On the other hand, according to the configuration of the fourth embodiment, since the hollow portion 191 is provided in the insertion portion 162, even if the insertion portion 162 is thicker than a solid case, it can be extruded. The dimensions as designed are obtained without occasional sinking or twisting, and when joining in a ring shape, the joint becomes smooth, and steam leakage from this portion can be prevented. Further, as described above, since the insertion portion 162 is largely crushed by a small force as compared with a solid case, a structure in which the insertion portion 162 is largely hooked on the hook portion 160 of the concave groove 159 can be obtained. Therefore, the lid packing 156 can be more easily fitted and hardly pulled out.
[0084]
In the rice cookers of the second to fourth embodiments, all the configurations of the boiling course described above are applicable.
[0085]
【The invention's effect】
According to the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the boiling course, the pot is heated at almost the maximum heating amount as soon as the heating is started, and when the boiling almost starts, the heating amount is reduced to continue the boiling, and the pot temperature is reduced. When the predetermined temperature rises, the boiling heating is stopped in a state where a small amount of residual water remains, so that the water required for boiling and the fuel cost can be reduced, the boiling can be performed safely, and dirt can be reliably prevented.
[0086]
According to the rice cooker of the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, when the temperature of the pot rises by a predetermined temperature, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of heating or almost boiling. Since boiling heating is stopped, safety can be further improved and dirt can be sufficiently removed.
[0087]
According to the rice cooker of the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the second aspect of the present invention, the time from the start of heating or from almost boiling to the stop of heating can be arbitrarily set. In addition, the user can set the boiling time according to the purpose of use and the desired time, thereby improving the practicality.
[0088]
According to the rice cooker of the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effect of any one of the inventions of claims 1 to 3, an optional rice cooking course for cooking rice such as white rice and a boiling course are also used. The configuration of the control can be simplified.
[0089]
According to the rice cooker according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the heating is started at the maximum heating amount after the rice cooking is started, the heating amount is reduced substantially before and after the boiling, and the water in the pot is continuously boiled. When the temperature rises by a predetermined temperature, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of rice cooking, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since almost boiling, uneven heating is performed with a reduced heating amount compared to during boiling, and the uneven heating is performed. After a certain period of time, by heating and heating, heating to boil only water without rice and heating to cook rice can be performed in a shorter time than normal cooking, and a small amount of hot water when only water is boiled , The structure can be simplified by using both the rice cooker course and the boiling course, and at the time of boiling, the water and fuel costs required for the boiling can be reduced, and the boiling can be done safely. Prevent dirt reliably It can be.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of a rice cooker according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the steam passage.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the steam port cover.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an experimental result regarding the adhesion of steam.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the operation panel.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation of switching between a fast-cooking course and a boiling course.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control in the boiling course according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the control in the boiling course.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing still another example of control in the boiling course.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing still another example of the control in the boiling course.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the rice cooker according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of an XI part in FIG. 11;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion XII in FIG. 11;
FIG. 14 is a sectional view of the same lid packing.
FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the frame plate.
FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing the vicinity of a lid packing showing a third embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing the vicinity of a lid packing showing a fourth embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view near a steam passage showing an example of a conventional rice cooker.
[Explanation of symbols]
26 hot pot
31 Main heater (heating means)
51 Lid
106 hot pot
111 heating coil (heating means)
141 Lid

Claims (5)

In a rice cooker having a pot and a heating means for heating the pot and having a boiling function, in the boiling course, the pot is heated almost immediately at the maximum heating amount as soon as heating is started, and the heating amount is almost reduced when boiling starts. A rice cooker characterized in that boiling is continued by reducing the temperature, and when the pot temperature rises to a predetermined temperature, boiling heating is stopped in a state where a small amount of residual water remains. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the boiling heating is stopped when a predetermined time elapses after the temperature of the pot rises by a predetermined temperature or after heating is started or substantially boiling. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the time from when the heating is started or when the boiling is substantially completed to when the heating is stopped can be arbitrarily set. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an arbitrary rice cooker for boiling white rice or the like is used as a boiling cooker. A pan and a heating means for heating the pan are provided, and after the rice cooking is started, heating is started at almost the maximum heating amount, the heating amount is reduced substantially before and after boiling, and the water in the pot continues to be boiled. When the temperature of the pot rises by a predetermined temperature, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of rice cooking, or when a predetermined time has passed since almost boiling, the heating amount is reduced to a lesser extent than during boiling, and this heating is performed. After heating for a specified period of time, use heat retention heating so that only water can be boiled without rice and heating to cook rice can be performed in a shorter time than normal cooking, and a small amount of water can be boiled. A rice cooker characterized in that it is configured so that hot water remains.

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