JP3877119B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rice cooker that cooks rice by heating an inner pot.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a rice cooker such as a gas rice cooker, an inner pot containing rice to be cooked is accommodated in the accommodating space of the rice cooker body, and the inner pot is heated by heating means such as a gas burner. The temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the bottom part in connection with the inner pot is provided, and the heating stop at the time of rice cooking is performed based on the detected temperature from the temperature sensor. Generally, when the water in the inner pot is contained in the cooked rice and is evaporated, and the water at the bottom of the inner pot is substantially lost, the temperature at the bottom of the inner pot starts to rise rapidly. When the rising temperature reaches, for example, about 160 ° C., the temperature is detected by a temperature sensor, and heating by the heating means is stopped.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In general, rice that has been washed too much, old rice, etc. contains rice that has been broken into grains (so-called powdered rice), and when such powdered rice is cooked, the powdered rice is at the bottom of the inner pot. It becomes easy to precipitate. Because this powdered rice is easy to cook and the temperature rises faster, if it settles at the bottom of the inner pot, the rice in the inner pot bottom will continue to cook even though the whole rice in the inner pot is being cooked. In some cases, the temperature rises rapidly, and the temperature sensor detects this temperature rise and heating by the heating means stops. When heating is completed in this way, the rice is not sufficiently cooked, resulting in poor rice cooking and insufficient cooking.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can accurately capture the state of rice cooking water in the inner pot, and thereby prevent poor rice cooking and insufficient cooking.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention provides a rice cooker body, an inner pot accommodated in the storage space of the rice cooker body, a lid that covers the storage space of the rice cooker body in an openable and closable manner, and heating means for heating the inner pot. A rice cooker comprising:
The inner surface of the bottom portion of the inner pot is provided with a recess corresponding to a temperature sensor for detecting rice cooking temperature, and a bottom cover member is attached to the bottom portion so as to cover the recess, A passage means is provided at the bottom, and the passage means allows passage of cooked water into the recess, but substantially prevents passage of cooked rice into the recess.
[0006]
According to the present invention, a concave portion is provided on the inner surface of the bottom portion of the inner hook, the bottom member is attached so as to cover the concave portion, and a passage means is provided on the bottom portion of the bottom member or the inner hook. This passage means allows passage of the cooked water, but substantially prevents the passage of cooked rice, so that a portion of the cooked water in the inner pot accumulates in the recess at the bottom of the inner pot. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the bottom portion of the inner pot corresponding to the recess, and by detecting in this way, it is possible to accurately grasp the state of the rice cooking water in the inner pot. When cooked water remains in the inner pot, a part of the remaining cooked water flows into the recess through the passage means, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor does not rise suddenly. When there is no longer any water in the recess, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor rises rapidly. Therefore, the presence or absence of the rice cooking water in the inner pot can be accurately grasped by the change in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and the rice cooking failure and the rice cooking insufficiency can be prevented.
[0007]
Further, in the present invention, the concave portion of the inner surface of the bottom portion of the inner pot is configured by a receiving portion that accommodates the bottom covering member and a reservoir portion that stores rice cooking water, and the passage means is provided on the bottom covering member. It is characterized by comprising a communication groove provided so as to communicate with the reservoir, and an inflow prevention protrusion protruding into the communication groove.
According to the present invention, the concave portion at the bottom of the inner hook is constituted by a receiving portion and a reservoir portion. The bottom lay member is accommodated in the receiving portion of the recess, and the rice cooking water in the inner pot is stored in the lower reservoir portion through the passage means. In addition, since the inflow prevention protrusion protrudes in the communication groove provided in the bottom groove member, the inflow prevention protrusion prevents movement of the cooked rice moving in the communication groove toward the recess, With a simple configuration, it is possible to prevent the cooked rice from flowing into the reservoir and accurately capture the situation of the cooked water.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, with reference to an accompanying drawing, one embodiment of a rice cooker according to the present invention is described. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an embodiment of a rice cooker according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged central portion of the bottom of the inner pot of the rice cooker of FIG. 3 is a front view showing the bottom member of the rice cooker of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the bottom member of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is taken along line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the bottom surface of the bottom member of FIG.
[0009]
Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated rice cooker includes, for example, a rice cooker body 2 placed on a kitchen table or the like, and a lid 4 can be opened and closed via a connecting shaft 3 at the upper end of the rice cooker body 2. It is attached to. A gas burner 6 as a heating means and a fuel supply system 8 for supplying a gas for fuel to the gas burner 6 are disposed at the bottom of the rice cooker main body 2, and a gas for fuel such as city gas and LP gas is provided. It is supplied to the gas burner 6 through the fuel supply system 8. A partition plate 10 is disposed at the lower portion of the rice cooker body 2, most of the fuel supply system 8 and the gas burner 6 are disposed below the partition plate 10, and the flame hole portion 12 of the gas burner 6 is disposed above the partition plate 10. positioned. A cylindrical member 14 is disposed in the rice cooker body 2, and an accommodation space 16 is defined by the cylindrical member 14 and the partition plate 10, and this accommodation space 16 occupies most of the rice cooker body 2.
[0010]
An inner pot 18 is detachably accommodated in the accommodation space 16 of the rice cooker body 2. An annular flange 20 protruding radially outward is provided at the upper end portion of the inner pot 18, and this annular flange 20 is placed on an annular placement portion 22 provided in the opening of the accommodation space 16 of the rice cooker body 2. Is done. In relation to the bottom 24 of the inner pot 18, a temperature sensor 26 is provided for detecting the temperature during rice cooking. The temperature sensor 26 is disposed substantially at the center of the gas burner 6, is movably mounted over a predetermined range toward the accommodating space 16, and is elastically biased upward by elastic means such as a coil spring.
[0011]
In this embodiment, an annular hanging portion 28 is provided at a substantially central portion of the bottom portion 24 of the inner hook 18, and the temperature sensor 26 is elastically pressed against a radially inner portion of the hanging portion 28 of the bottom portion 24. (See also FIG. 2). By disposing the temperature sensor 26 on the radially inner side of the drooping portion 28 in this way, it is possible to prevent the combustion flame from the flame hole portion 12 of the gas burner 6 from directly acting on the temperature sensor 26, and the inner pot 18. It is possible to accurately detect the temperature of the bottom 24 of the.
[0012]
The lid 4 is composed of an outer lid 30 connected to the rice cooker body 2 via the coupling shaft 3 and an inner lid 32 attached to the inner surface of the outer lid 30. When the lid 4 is closed, the inner lid 32 covers the upper surface opening of the inner pot 18 and the outer lid 30 covers the upper surface opening of the rice cooker body 2 as shown in FIG.
In this rice cooker, at the time of cooking, rice to be cooked (cooked rice) and water necessary for cooking (rice cooked water) are put in the inner pot 18, and the annular flange 20 is placed on the rice cooker body 2 from above. By placing on the part 22, the inner pot 18 containing the cooked rice and cooked water is accommodated in the accommodation space 16 of the rice cooker body 2. In this accommodated state, the temperature sensor 26 is elastically pressed against the lower surface of the bottom 24 of the inner hook 18. Thereafter, the lid 4 is locked and held in a closed state, and the inner pot 18 is burned and heated by the gas burner 6, whereby the cooked rice in the inner pot 18 is cooked as required.
[0013]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 together with FIG. 1, the inner hook 18 and its related configuration will be described in detail. In this embodiment, a circular concave portion 34 is provided at the substantially central portion of the bottom 24 of the inner hook 18. The concave portion 34 includes a circular receiving portion 36 and a circular reservoir portion 38 provided at the center of the receiving portion 36. The concave portion 34 is provided corresponding to the location where the temperature sensor 26 is disposed, and the outer peripheral portion of the receiving portion 36 of the concave portion 34 extends somewhat outward in the radial direction from the portion where the temperature sensor 26 is in pressure contact. The temperature sensor 26 substantially corresponds to the portion to be pressed.
[0014]
The bottom member 40 is accommodated in the receiving portion 36 of the inner hook 18. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the bottom member 40 is formed of a circular plate-like member, and does not deform at high temperature and has no food problem, such as stainless steel, plated steel plate, aluminum, ceramic, etc. It is formed. When the bottom member 40 is accommodated in the receiving portion 36 of the recess 34, the upper portion of the reservoir 38 is covered with the bottom member 40 as shown in FIG. 1, and the cooked rice in the inner pot 18 is stored in the reservoir 38. It is prevented from flowing into. Further, the bottom cover member 40 does not substantially protrude into the inner hook 18, and the upper surface (the surface facing the inner hook 18) is the inner surface of the inner hook 18 that is substantially continuous with the inner surface of the bottom 24 of the inner hook 18. Stipulate.
[0015]
In this embodiment, passage means 42 is provided on the lower surface of the bottom member 40 (the surface facing the reservoir 38) so that the cooked water in the inner pot 18 flows into the reservoir 38. 4 to 6, the illustrated passage means 42 includes a pair of communication grooves 44 disposed to face each other. The communication grooves 44 have substantially the same configuration, and their passage sections are formed in a rectangular shape. One end portion of each communication groove 44 is located at the outer peripheral end of the bottom member 40, and the other end side extends spirally inward in the radial direction. Since the communication groove 44 is formed in this way, the length of the groove portion is long, and the other end portion extends to the outer peripheral portion of the reservoir portion 38 (the two-dot chain line 46 in FIG. It is a boundary part with the part 38). An inflow groove 48 extending to the corresponding communication groove 44 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom member 40. Each communication groove 44 is provided with a plurality (four in this embodiment) of inflow prevention protrusions 50 at intervals in the longitudinal direction. The inflow prevention protrusion 50 is provided over the entire width of the communication groove 44 and protrudes into the communication groove 44 from the lower surface of the bottom member 40.
[0016]
In such a bottom member 40, the thickness T (FIG. 5) is, for example, about 2 mm, and the depth H of the communication groove 44 is, for example, 0.2 mm so that the rice cooking water flows toward the reservoir portion 38. Formed to a degree. The inflow prevention protrusion 50 is for preventing the cooked rice contained in the cooked water from flowing toward the reservoir 38, and the height h (FIG. 5) is, therefore, the cooked rice. Although the passage of water is allowed, it is formed to be, for example, about 0.1 mm so as to prevent the passage of powdered rice. By forming in this way, the inflow prevention protrusion 50 and the bottom surface of the receiving portion 36 of the inner pot 18 are formed. The gap W (FIG. 5) is about 0.1 mm, and the inflow prevention protrusion 50 can prevent the movement of powdered rice flowing in the communication groove 44 and larger rice.
[0017]
In the rice cooker provided with the inner pot 18 described above, the rice cooking water in the inner pot 18 flows into the reservoir portion 38 of the recess 34 through the inflow groove 48 and the communication groove 44 of the floor covering member 40, and a part of the rice cooking water is stored. It collects in the part 38. At this time, the movement of the powdered rice flowing into the reservoir 38 together with the rice cooking water is blocked by the inflow prevention protrusion 50 in the communication groove 44, and the inflow of the powdered rice into the reservoir 38 is reliably prevented.
Thus, the rice cooking water accumulates in the reservoir portion 38 of the inner pot 18, and the temperature sensor 26 detects the temperature of the rice cooking water accumulated in the reservoir portion 38. When the rice cooking water is present in the inner pot 18, a part of the rice cooking water accumulates in the reservoir portion 38 through the inflow groove 48 and the communication groove 44 of the bottom member 40, but when the rice cooking water in the inner pot 18 disappears. Then, the rice cooking water in the reservoir portion 38 is also lost, and the temperature of the bottom 24 of the inner pot 18 suddenly rises. Therefore, by detecting the temperature of the rice cooking water accumulated in the reservoir portion 38, It is possible to accurately grasp the situation of rice cooking water.
[0018]
In the embodiment described above, the two communication grooves 44 are provided in the bottom member 40, but the number of the communication grooves 44 can be set as appropriate. Further, although four inflow prevention protrusions 50 are provided in each communication groove 44, the number of the inflow prevention protrusions 50 can be set as appropriate. By increasing the number provided in one communication groove 44, the powder rice storage portion 38 is provided. It is possible to more reliably prevent the inflow to the water. Further, the passage cross section of the communication groove 44 can also have an appropriate shape such as a semicircle or a trapezoid.
[0019]
FIG. 7 shows a modified form of the inner hook, and FIG. 8 shows a modified form of the bottom member. Note that, in these modified embodiments, members that are substantially the same as those in the above-described embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. In FIG. 7, in this modified form, the recess 34A provided in the bottom 24 of the inner hook 18A is modified, and the inner diameter of the receiving portion 36A of the recess 34A is outside the bottom member 40 accommodated therein. It is formed to be somewhat larger than the diameter, and is configured such that a gap is generated between the inner peripheral side surface of the receiving portion 36A and the outer peripheral surface of the bottom member 40. The other configurations of this modification are described above. This is substantially the same as the embodiment.
[0020]
In this modification, the rice cooking water in the inner pot 18A is guided to a passage means (not shown) through a gap between the inner peripheral side surface of the receiving portion 36A and the outer peripheral surface of the bottom member 40, and passes through this passage means. It flows into the reservoir portion 38 of the recess 34A, and therefore the same effect as described above is achieved. In addition, when it is made to guide rice cooking water to a channel | path means through the said gap | interval in this way, the inflow groove 48 (refer FIG. 4) of the bottom member 40 can be abbreviate | omitted.
[0021]
Referring to FIG. 8, in this modification, the passage means is modified, and the illustrated passage means 42A includes a plurality (9 in this embodiment) of communication grooves provided on the bottom surface of the bottom member 40A. 44A and an inflow prevention projection 50A protruding into the communication groove 44A. The plurality of communication grooves 44A are arranged at substantially equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and each communication groove 44A is formed on the bottom member 40A. One inflow prevention projection 50A is provided in each communication groove 44A and extends linearly from the outer peripheral end in the radial direction. The other configurations of this modification are substantially the same as those of the above-described embodiment.
[0022]
The bottom member 40A is applied to, for example, the inner hook 18A shown in FIG. 7, and is accommodated in the receiving portion 36A of the bottom portion 24 thereof. When used in this way, the rice cooking water in the inner pot 18A flows into the reservoir 38 (see FIG. 7) of the inner pot 18A through the plurality of communication grooves 44A, but the powdered rice moving in the communication groove 44A flows in. The movement is blocked by hitting the blocking protrusion 50A. Therefore, a part of the rice cooking water is accumulated in the reservoir portion 38 (see FIG. 7) of the bottom portion 24, and the same effect as the above-described embodiment is achieved. In order to more reliably prevent the inflow of powdered rice, the number of inflow prevention protrusions 50A provided in each communication groove 44A may be increased.
[0023]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of the rice cooker according to this invention was described, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, A various deformation | transformation thru | or correction | amendment are possible, without deviating from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the passage means 42 (42A) is provided in the bottom member 40 (40A), but instead of the bottom member 40 (40A), the bottom 24 of the inner hook 18 (18A), specifically Specifically, it may be provided on the bottom surface of the receiving portion 36 (36A).
[0024]
Further, for example, in the illustrated embodiment, the passage means 42 (42A) is constituted by the communication groove 44 (44A) and the inflow prevention protrusion 50 (50A), but instead, the bottom member 40 (40A). One or two or more through-holes may be provided in the passage, and the passage means may be constituted by such through-holes. In this case, the diameter of the through-holes is made small to prevent the flow of powdered rice.
Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the heating means is described as being applied to a gas rice cooker composed of a gas burner. However, the heating means is not limited to this, and the heating means is composed of an electric heating means or an electromagnetic heating means. The same can be applied to the rice cooker.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
According to the rice cooker of the first aspect of the present invention, a part of the rice cooking water in the inner pot accumulates in the concave portion at the bottom thereof. By detecting the temperature of the concave portion with the temperature sensor, It is possible to accurately grasp the situation of the rice cooking water, and it is possible to prevent poor cooking and insufficient cooking.
[0026]
Moreover, according to the rice cooker of claim 2 of the present invention, since the bottom groove member is provided with the communication groove, and the inflow prevention protrusion protrudes into the communication groove, the rice cooking water in the inner pot is stored through the communication groove. However, the movement of the cooked rice is blocked by the inflow blocking projection, and the flow of cooked rice into the reservoir can be prevented to accurately capture the situation of the cooked water.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an embodiment of a rice cooker according to the present invention.
2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing an enlarged central portion of the bottom of the inner pot of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a bottom member of the rice cooker of FIG. 1;
4 is a bottom view showing the sole member of FIG. 3; FIG.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.
6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the bottom surface of the bottom member of FIG. 3. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of the modified inner hook and a bottom member attached thereto.
FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing a modified floor covering member.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Rice cooker body 4 Lid 6 Gas burner 16 Housing space 18, 18A Inner pot 24 Bottom 26 Temperature sensor 34, 34A Recess 36, 36A Receiving part 38, 38A Reservoir 40, 40A Bottom member 42, 42A Passage means 44, 44A Communication groove 50, 50A Inflow prevention protrusion

Claims (2)

A rice cooker main body, an inner pot accommodated in the storage space of the rice cooker main body, a lid that covers the storage space of the rice cooker main body so as to be openable and closable, and a heating means for heating the inner pot. A rice cooker,
The inner surface of the bottom portion of the inner pot is provided with a recess corresponding to a temperature sensor for detecting rice cooking temperature, and a bottom cover member is attached to the bottom portion so as to cover the recess, A passage means is provided at the bottom, and the passage means allows passage of cooked water into the recess, but substantially prevents passage of cooked rice into the recess. The concave portion of the inner surface of the bottom portion of the inner pot includes a receiving portion that accommodates the bottom member and a reservoir portion that stores rice cooking water, and the passage means communicates with the reservoir member to the reservoir portion. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the rice cooker is configured by a communication groove provided in the communication groove and an inflow prevention protrusion protruding into the communication groove.

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