JP4036208B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker using steam.

  Conventionally, in a general household rice cooker, heating by a pot heating means arranged at the bottom of the pot in order to heat the rice and water in the pot is mainly performed, and heating by the heating means in the lid is performed in the pot. It was auxiliary heating because it passed through the space above the rice and water. As a result, the rice in the upper layer in the pan was insufficient in heating amount, and the rice and water in the pan could not be heated uniformly.

  In addition, in rice cooking, the water in the pan is almost gone, and in the steaming process, which is the final process of cooking rice, the rice starch is gelatinized. , Essential for cooking delicious rice. However, if the heating is continued in this step, the rice near the bottom of the pan will burn, so the heating is often weakened.

  As a means to solve this, prevent insufficient gelatinization of rice due to weakening of heating, and improve rice cooking performance, an induction heating coil that is a high heat source is provided on the lid, and the rice from above the pan opening There are rice cookers that heat the rice (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

  FIG. 11 shows the configuration of Patent Document 1. In FIG. 11, 51 is a main body case, and a bottom plate 53 having support legs 52 is fixed to the lower surface. Reference numeral 54 denotes a protective frame made of heat-resistant plastic, and a collar portion 55 provided on the upper peripheral edge is fixed to the upper surface of the main body case 51. 56 is a bottom surface heating induction coil mounted on the lower bottom portion of the protective frame 54, and 57 is a side surface heating induction coil installed on the lower side of the protective frame 54, which has a magnetic metal layer accommodated in the protective frame 54. The pan 58 is heated by the bottom heating coil 56, and the contents of rice and water in the pan 58 are cooked. 59 is a temperature sensor mounted in a through hole provided at the center of the bottom surface of the protective frame 54, and 60 is a lid having a knob 61, which is detachably mounted on the flange portion 55 at the upper end of the protective frame 54. The inner cover 62 made of heat-resistant plastic is fixed via a heat insulating material 63. An inner lid 64 is detachably attached to the inner cover 62 by a pin 70, and its peripheral portion is placed on the collar portion of the pan 58 to cover the pan 58. Reference numeral 65 denotes a main body-side upper induction coil installed on the inner surface of the flange portion 55 of the protective frame 54 and is connected to a power source (not shown) in the main body case 51.

  Reference numeral 66 denotes a lid-side induction coil that is excited by the main body-side upper induction coil 65 and is attached to a portion of the lid 60 that faces the main body-side induction coil 65. The current excited by the lid-side induction coil 66 flows to the induction coil 69, the heating plate 67 formed of a magnetic metal plate is induction-heated by the magnetic flux of the induction coil 69, and rice cooking heating or heat insulation from the upper part in the pan 58 is performed. It can be heated.

  Since the basic configuration of Patent Document 2 is the same as that of Patent Document 1, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  However, in the above conventional configuration, the rice in the upper layer in the pan is directly heated by convection heat transfer (heat transfer) and radiant heat transfer of the heating plate by the operation of the induction coil. The phenomenon that water of rice evaporates and dries occurs. In other words, if heating is continued from above the pan to a temperature at which the entire rice in the pan can ensure sufficient rice cooking performance, the upper layer of rice in the pan will dry and conversely lose its taste. For this reason, after all, sufficient heating could not be performed and the taste was not perfect in the whole rice in the pan.

  Moreover, in order to promote gelatinization of rice and improve rice cooking performance, the amount of heating must be increased as the amount of cooked rice increases. However, as the amount of cooked rice increases, the upper layer of rice gets closer to the heating plate and the rice becomes easier to dry. Therefore, there is a problem that a contradiction arises in that heating must be weakened.

  Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 3, in addition to a pan, a pan heating means for heating the pan, and a lid covering the opening of the pan, a steam generating means and a rice cooker provided with the steam heating means are disclosed. Yes. Thus, steam having a temperature exceeding the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure (100 ° C. under 1 atm) is supplied to the rice. Hereinafter, unless otherwise limited, such steam is referred to as high-temperature steam.

When the high-temperature steam adheres to the rice having a temperature of 100 ° C. or less, it condenses, generates heat, and heats the rice. That is, the heat energy required to advance gelatinization of rice starch is supplied to the rice by a pan heating means and high-temperature steam to promote gelatinization. In addition, high temperature steam condenses on the surface of rice having a temperature of 100 ° C. or less and becomes moisture, giving large heat energy. However, the heat energy given to rice having a temperature exceeding 100 ° C. is small, so that the rice is not dried. Absent. In particular, in general cooked rice of white rice, the taste of rice can be improved. However, the cooking of brown rice and germinated brown rice requires a long period of rice cooking. As a method for solving this, as known in Patent Documents 4 and 5, the internal pressure of the pan is adjusted in the cooking process of rice cooking. Cooking at 1 atm or higher and cooking at 100 to 110 ° C. is performed as so-called pressure rice cooking.
Japanese Patent No. 2988050 Japanese Patent No. 2812086 JP 2003-144308 A JP 2001-178625 A Japanese Patent No. 3349665

  However, in the pressure rice cooking of the conventional configuration (see Patent Documents 4 and 5), the upper layer rice in the pan becomes cored due to insufficient gelatinization, and the lower layer rice is rice cake-like rice in a superabsorbent state. Thus, there arises a problem that the cooked rice is uneven in the upper and lower layers in the pan. This point will be described in detail below.

  In the first place, the energy required for the gelatinization of rice in the cooking process is that water supplies to the rice as a heat medium. At the beginning of rice cooking, there is plenty of water, but as the cooking process progresses, the water evaporates and decreases, so the upper rice in the pot does not touch the water, so the heat supply becomes insufficient and the gelatinization is insufficient. It is easy to become rice. In normal cooking, to prevent this condition, maintain the boiling state until there is no water in the pan, and raise the liquid called rice balls mixed with water, actually rice starch, to the upper layer rice. However, it is possible to supply a sufficient amount of heat. However, in the pressure rice cooking of the conventional configuration (see Patent Documents 4 and 5), since the heating control is performed so that the temperature becomes a constant pressure in the sealed container, the above boiling state cannot be maintained, and the upper layer The rice will not touch the rice and will accumulate in the lower layer, which causes unevenness in the cooking of the rice in the pan.

  Therefore, in white rice cooking, although sticky rice is obtained by controlling the pressure, the overall taste may be somewhat inferior.

  In addition, although it is excellent in usability in that brown rice and germinated brown rice can be cooked softly in a relatively short time, it has the same problem as white rice in terms of uneven cooking in the pan. It was.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and aims at providing the rice cooker which improved the rice cooking performance without the unevenness | cooking of cooking in the upper and lower layers in a pan irrespective of the kind of rice. is there.

In order to solve the conventional problems, a rice cooker of the present invention includes a pan, a pan heating means for heating the pan, a lid that covers the opening of the pan, and an interior of the pan provided on the lid. A water storage container that has a lid heating plate that heats from above and a pressure adjusting means that regulates the pressure in the pan, and that stores water for generating steam disposed on the lid; And a steam heating means for heating the steam .

  Thereby, the cooking process is performed at a high temperature exceeding 100 ° C. while adjusting the pressure in the pan with the pressure adjusting means during cooking. In the steaming step, the steam generated by the steam generating means is input from the steam input hole. When the vapor adheres to the rice having a temperature lower than the boiling point of water, it condenses, generates heat, and heats the rice. That is, the heat energy required to advance gelatinization of rice starch is supplied to the rice by a pan heating means and high-temperature steam to promote gelatinization.

  Steam is introduced from the opening of the pan to give heat energy mainly to the upper rice in the pan. Thereby, the cooking unevenness which has arisen with the lower layer part and upper layer part which arise because it was set as pressure rice cooking in the cooking process can be eliminated. The uneven cooking of rice is small and the whole can be cooked deliciously.

  The rice cooker of the present invention can promote gelatinization of rice without drying the rice, and cooks the rice in the pan evenly, thereby improving the rice cooking performance.

1st invention is a pan, the pan heating means which heats the said pan, the lid | cover which covers the opening part of the said pan, the lid | cover heating plate which is provided in the said lid and heats the inside of the said pan from upper direction, and the said pan Pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure inside, a water storage container for storing water that is disposed on the lid and generates steam, a steam inlet for supplying the steam to the upper space of the pan, and the steam By having the steam heating means for heating , the cooking process is performed at a high temperature exceeding 100 ° C. while adjusting the pressure in the pan with the pressure adjusting means during cooking. In the steaming step, the steam generated by the steam generating means is input from the steam input hole. When the vapor adheres to the rice having a temperature below the boiling point of water, it condenses, generates heat, and heats the rice. That is, the heat energy required to advance gelatinization of rice starch is supplied to the rice by a pan heating means and high-temperature steam to promote gelatinization.

  In addition, steam is introduced from the opening of the pan to give heat energy mainly to the upper rice in the pan. Thereby, the cooking unevenness which has arisen with the lower layer part and upper layer part which arise because it was set as pressure rice cooking in the cooking process can be eliminated. The uneven cooking of rice is small and the whole can be cooked deliciously.

Furthermore, the temperature of the steam can be changed to a high temperature steam having a temperature exceeding the boiling point of water , and the steam can be put into the pan. High-temperature steam at the required temperature can be introduced according to the type and condition of rice, such as white rice and brown rice, new rice and old rice, and rice cooking performance is improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
The rice cooker of Embodiment 1 in this invention is demonstrated using FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in the first embodiment. The rice cooker 1 has a bottomed cylindrical pot storage section for storing the pot 2 in a detachable manner. A pan heating coil for inductively heating the pan 2 as a pan heating means 3 is provided at the bottom of the pan storage portion, and the bottom temperature sensor 4 is configured to come into contact with the bottom surface of the pan 2. As the pan side heating means 5, pan side heating coils for induction heating the side surface of the pan 2 are provided in multiple stages. The control means 6 controls the operation of the rice cooker 1.

  In addition, a lid 7 that is pivotally supported by a hinge shaft (not shown) provided at the hinge portion at the rear of the rice cooker 1 and opens and closes the upper portion of the pan 2 is provided. The lid 7 is provided with a lid heating plate 8, and a lid heating coil for inductively heating the lid heating plate 8 is provided as the lid heating means 9. The lid 7 has a steam port 10 for discharging the steam in the pan 2 to the outside of the machine, and an opening / closing valve 11 for controlling the discharge of the steam. The on-off valve 11 is specifically composed of a spherical seal member and moving means for adjusting the position thereof, but is a known technical means and is not shown in the figure. Moreover, it should not be limited to this. By the operation of the on-off valve 11, the inside of the pan 2 communicates with the outside of the machine during cooking when the rice is cooked to atmospheric pressure, and when closed, the pressure generated by the steam generated in the pan 2 is higher than atmospheric pressure. The pressure adjusting means in the pan 2.

  The water storage container 12 is integrally formed at the lower part of the steam port 10 and stores water for generating steam. The lid heating plate 8 has a steam introduction hole 13 for introducing steam from the water storage container 12 (steam generating means) into the pot 2. Further, a steam heating unit 14 is provided on the lid heating plate 8 as a steam heating means for raising the steam generated by the water storage container 12 to a higher temperature. The steam port packing 15 is sandwiched between the lid heating plate 8 and the lid 7, and the pot packing 16 is sandwiched between the lid heating plate 8 and the flange portion on the outer periphery of the upper edge of the pan 2 when closed.

  Further, the steam port packing 15 prevents the steam from flowing out from the gap between the lid heating plate 8 and the lid 7, and the steam in the water storage container 12 and the steam heating unit 14 is not put into the pan 2 by the intermediate seal portion 15 a. Although it is intended to prevent discharge directly from the mouth 10 to the outside of the apparatus, detailed illustration is omitted.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, since the water storage container 12 which accommodates the water which produces | generates a steam, and the steam port 10 are integral, it can be attached or detached in the state which accommodated water. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the lid 7 is opened and closed, the water in the water storage container 12 is held inside and does not scatter around. Furthermore, the water storage container 12 can be attached and detached even when the lid 7 is opened.

  The valve opening / closing mechanism for moving the opening / closing valve 11 is formed by an electric motor, a solenoid, or the like, but is also a general well-known technique as described above, and is not illustrated.

  The lid heating plate 8 is made of a metal material. However, the lid heating plate 8 may be a multilayer metal plate or may be partially thick. In particular, the heat capacity of the steam passage portion such as the steam heating unit 14 is increased. If it is the structure to enlarge, the heating effect of a vapor | steam will improve and it will not be limited to this.

  About the rice cooker comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, the operation in the above configuration will be described in terms of how to use the device and the generation of steam.

  Rice for cooking rice and water corresponding to the amount of the rice are put in the pan 2 and stored in the rice cooker 1. In addition, a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the water storage container 14. Furthermore, if a user operates the rice cooking start switch (not shown) of the operation part 1a, the control means 6 will receive the input from a rice cooking start switch, and will perform a rice cooking process.

  In the rice cooking process, the bottom temperature sensor 4 detects the temperature of the bottom surface of the pan 2 and sends a signal to the control means 6. Based on the signal from the bottom sensor 4, the control means 6 is a temperature at which the water and rice conditions in the pot 2 are set as appropriate values in each of the rice cooking processes roughly divided into the water immersion, cooking, and steaming processes. Or the energization amount to each heating coil of the pan heating means 3, the pan side heating means 5, and the lid heating means 9 is controlled so as to be maintained for a predetermined time.

  That is, the pot heating means 3 and the pot side surface heating means 5 generate heat at the bottom and side surfaces of the pot 2 by induction heating with the current supplied from the control means 6. Similarly, the lid heating means 9 also causes the lid heating plate 8 to generate heat by induction heating with the current supplied from the control means 6.

  Moreover, in each process of soaking, cooking, and steaming, the temperature control of the rice during cooking as shown in FIG. 5 is performed by switching the open / close state of the on-off valve 11.

  In the cooking process, when the on-off valve 12 is in a closed state, the pressure in the pan 2 is higher than atmospheric pressure, and not only the rice and water in the pan 2 but also the water in the water storage container 12 is Maintained at high temperature and pressure. When the pressure in the pan rises above a predetermined pressure, the on-off valve 12 switches to the open state, the pressure in the pan 2 drops to atmospheric pressure, and the boiling point of the water drops, so that the water in the pan 2 is stored as well as the water in the pan 2 Water inside the container 12 boils and steam is generated. The generated steam is gradually heated while moving on the surface of the steam heating unit 14 of the lid heating plate 8 and is introduced into the pan 2 as high-temperature steam from the steam introduction hole 13.

  Therefore, by controlling the operation of the on-off valve 11, the opening / closing time and the number of opening / closing operations by the control means 6, high-temperature steam can be introduced into the pan 2 in the cooking and steaming process.

  In the first embodiment, the steam is heated by the steam heating unit 14 that generates heat from the lid heating plate 8, but in addition to the lid heating plate 8, other than the lid heating plate 8 in the space communicating from the water storage container 12 to the steam inlet 13. The structure which makes it high temperature steam by arrange | positioning the heat source of may be sufficient. In particular, the fact that a dedicated heat source is not required improves rice cooking performance while maintaining the installation and operability without increasing the size of the device.

  2ndly, operation | movement of the rice cooker 1 in each process is demonstrated.

  First, the water immersion process is a process for sufficiently gelatinizing the center of the rice in the subsequent steps by immersing the rice in water at a temperature lower than the gelatinization temperature and preliminarily absorbing the water in the rice. . Therefore, the pot heating coil as the pan heating means 3 and the pot side heating coil as the pot side heating means 5 are energized so that the temperature of the rice and water rises to a temperature at which the gelatinization of the rice does not start. And heat the sides. The whole rice in the pot 2 is maintained uniformly at a target temperature, and the water absorption conditions of the rice in the pot 2 are kept uniform.

  Next, in the cooking process, the bottom of the pan 2 is heated by the pan heating coil 4, and the temperature of rice and water in the cooked rice is raised to the boiling point of water. The rice in the entire pan 2 is quickly heated to gelatinize the rice starch. At the stage where steam is generated due to boiling of water, the on-off valve 11 is closed, and the boiling point of water is increased by maintaining the pressure in the pan 2 higher than atmospheric pressure by filling the steam, and rice is cooked in a pressurized state. . In the cooking process, by opening the on-off valve 11, the inside of the pan 2 becomes atmospheric pressure, the water in the water storage container 12 also boils, and steam is generated. This steam is heated by the steam heating unit 14 and is introduced into the pan 2 as a high-temperature steam from the steam introduction hole 13, and the rice is heated uniformly over the entire top and bottom together with the steam from the boiling of water in the pan 2. The gelatinization is performed uniformly.

  Finally, in the steaming process, the pan heating means 3 generates heat to the bottom of the pan 2 to such an extent that the rice on the bottom of the pan 2 does not dry or burn, and the on-off valve 11 is closed and the pressure in the pan 2 is filled by steam. Is kept at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to steam in a pressurized state. In this step, as shown in FIG. 4, by opening the on-off valve 11, the inside of the pan 2 becomes atmospheric pressure, the water in the water storage container 12 also boils, and steam is generated. This steam is heated by the steam heating unit 14 and is charged into the pan 2 through the steam charging hole 13 as high-temperature steam. There is little free water that is not absorbed by the rice in the pot 2, and there is little steam generated from the bottom, and high temperature steam is supplied to the rice in the pot 2 and gelatinization occurs. Uniformly maintained.

  The high temperature steam is introduced into the pan 2 as indicated by the arrow P, gives heat energy to the rice, and is discharged from the steam port 10 as indicated by the arrow Q. At the same time, the side surface of the pan 2 is appropriately heated by the pan side surface heating means 5. The lid heating means 9 causes the lid heating plate 8 to generate heat so that dew does not adhere to the lid heating plate 8. In addition, the steam heating unit 14 is heated to a temperature higher than 100 ° C. so that the rice is not heated too much.

  Thus, in the steaming process, it is important to keep the pan 2 at the high temperature, that is, the temperature at which the rice is not dried or burned so that the rice is gelatinized to the core. For this reason, according to Embodiment 1, high-temperature steam generated in the water storage container 12 and further heated is supplied from the steam inlet 13 to the upper space of the pan 2.

  High-temperature steam adheres to and condenses on rice at 100 ° C. or lower, and heat is applied to the rice to increase the temperature and promote gelatinization. At the same time, condensed moisture adheres to the surface. Further, the temperature difference between the high-temperature steam and the rice is 50 to 60 ° C. or less, the flow rate of the high-temperature steam is small, and the charging time is short. Therefore, the rice is not dried to the extent that excess moisture on the surface of the rice grains is dried. That is, without drying the rice, heat energy for promoting gelatinization of the rice starch is supplied, the gelatinization of the rice is promoted, and the rice cooking performance is improved. In the cooking step and the steaming step, the temperature unevenness of the rice is small due to the action of high temperature steam, the gelatinization is uniform, the unevenness of stickiness and water absorption is small, the taste is stable, and high rice cooking performance is obtained. Of course, it is needless to say that the proper steam input amount and steam temperature change depending on the target cooked state, that is, the texture and the amount of rice cooked.

  Further, a supplementary description will be given of the steam generating action.

  Since the water storage container 12 is disposed on the lid 7 and receives heat radiation from the pan 2 and the heated rice in the cooking process, when steam is generated from the water storage container 12 in the subsequent process, the water in the water storage container 12 is It has been preheated to a high temperature in advance. That is, in the cooking process and the steaming process, if the on-off valve is opened, the boiling point of water is lowered and water immediately boils, so that steam can be obtained in a short time and high-temperature steam can be obtained by the steam heating means. . Since the heat energy required for cooking rice can be input at a predetermined timing, the responsiveness is good, and this also saves energy.

(Embodiment 2)
The rice cooker of Embodiment 2 in this invention is demonstrated using FIGS.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in the second embodiment.

  A water storage container 22 which is a steam generating means is configured separately from the steam port 20. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  The description will focus on the handling of the water storage container 22 and the operation and action of the high-temperature steam.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the lid 7 is opened, and the water storage container 22 can be detached from the lid 7 in the direction of arrow D. The water storage container 22 has a recess for storing a predetermined amount of water, and has a structure in which the water stored by the opening and closing operation of the lid 7 is mounted in a direction that does not leak, but detailed drawings are omitted. In addition, you may provide the valve body open | released when internal pressure increases by evaporation of water.

  The generation of high-temperature steam in each step of rice cooking is the same as that in Embodiment 1, and high-temperature steam can be given to the rice in the steaming step as shown in FIG. 8, so that the rice cooking performance can be improved.

  In addition, regarding the forgetting to put water in the water storage container 22, the control means 6 should be free of water depending on the detected temperature of the lid heating plate 8 and the water storage container 22 and its rising speed by appropriately arranging the temperature detection means. Needless to say, the operation method can be changed to an appropriate rice cooking program. Furthermore, even if you forget to put on the water storage container 22 itself, if the steam port 20 is attached, rice can be cooked.

  In addition, if the air blowing means is provided, it is possible to circulate the steam in the pan 2 at a high temperature using the steam heating unit 14 in the cooking and steaming process, thereby improving the rice cooking performance. .

(Embodiment 3)
The rice cooker of Embodiment 3 in this invention is demonstrated using FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in the third embodiment, which differs from the first and second embodiments in that a water storage container heating unit 17 is provided integrally with the lid heating plate 8. Since other configurations are the same, description thereof is omitted.

  In the cooking process and the steaming process, the water in the water storage container 12 is boiled and vaporized by the operation of the opening / closing valve 11 to obtain steam, and high-temperature steam can be put into the pan 2. Even if the water temperature decreases due to the generation of steam according to the heat of vaporization, the energization of the lid heating means 9 increases the temperatures of the steam heating unit 14 and the water storage container heating unit 17 and increases the temperature of the water storage container 12. Since the temperature of water can be increased in a short time, the necessary amount of steam can be generated intermittently and substantially continuously.

  In addition, after the rice cooking operation and heat insulation are completed, the user can remove the water storage container 12 at the same time by removing the steam port 10, so the trouble of cleaning and cleaning parts is the same as that of the conventional rice cooker, Except for checking the presence or absence of water at the start of rice cooking, there is no difference in usability with conventional rice cookers.

  In addition, although the water storage container heating part 17 was comprised integrally with the lid | cover heating plate 8, it may be a different body. Moreover, although the heat source is shared by the lid heating means 9, it goes without saying that a heating coil for induction heating or a heater may be used as the dedicated heating means.

  In the above embodiment, high-temperature steam is introduced in the latter half of cooking and the steaming process, but depending on the operation method of the pan heating means, the pan side heating means, and the lid heating means, the kind of rice, the degree of deterioration Depending on the difference in the preference regarding the hardness of the cooked rice, the rice cooking performance is improved even if it is introduced only in some steps. Moreover, if this is assumed, the amount of water used for generating steam is reduced, the size of the water storage container 12 can be reduced, and the overall volume of the rice cooker 1 is hardly affected without affecting the inner volume of the pan 2. It will also be compact.

  In the above embodiment, the rice and water are heated in the water immersion process. However, when the rice is cooked in water at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes in advance, this water immersion process may be omitted. Of course, it is common that the control means 6 is provided with such an operation method because the temperature of water and rice in the water immersion process may be lowered or the time of water immersion may be shortened. The explanation was omitted.

  In addition, in said embodiment, the pan side surface heating means 5 can heat the upper space of the pan 2 from a side surface according to the amount of rice cooking because it is multistage in the up-down direction. Of course, a single heating coil may be used.

  In addition, in said embodiment, the steam pressure and steam temperature in the pan 2 by the steam produced | generated by the pan 2 are controlled not only in the cooking process of rice cooking but by the steaming process by opening and closing the on-off valve 11. And you can cook it to rice with various textures. That is, if the time and number of operations of the on-off valve 11 are controlled, the heating condition of the steam generated by the steam generating means and the amount of steam input to and discharge from the pan 2 can be controlled, and the heating condition of the rice is controlled. By doing so, various tastes are realized, and rice cooking performance is improved.

  In the above embodiment, the valve opening / closing mechanism of the opening / closing valve 11 can be formed of an electric motor that moves the opening / closing valve 11 from the seal portion, a solenoid, a shape memory alloy that expands and contracts according to temperature, and the like. However, this is also a general well-known technique and is not shown.

  In the above embodiment, the water storage container 12 is formed of a material capable of induction heating, a metal material, or a composite material, and the water storage container 12, the lid heating plate 8, and the steam heating unit 14 are heated by the lid heating means 9. Needless to say, you can also.

  In the above embodiment, the lid heating means 9 is a lid heating plate heating coil for induction heating the lid heating plate 8, and the pan side heating means 5 is a pan side heating coil for induction heating the side surface of the pan 2. However, the heating means is not limited to induction heating. What is necessary is just a means which can supply the calorie | heat amount required by a rice cooking process with respect to each site | part. Needless to say, in addition to the conventionally known heaters, hot air, high temperature steam, gas combustion, and the like may be combined.

  In the above embodiment, the steam heating unit 14 of the lid heating plate 8 is formed of a single layer or a multilayer metal material. However, the lid heating plate 8 including the steam heating unit 14 may be partially or entirely included. A heat storage unit may be provided. In this way, if water is dripped in a state where high temperature energy is held in the heat storage section, steam can be generated in a short time, and steam is put into the pan 2 at a necessary timing in the rice cooking process or the heat retaining process. can do.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lid heating means 9 and the steam heating means can be operated in the cooking process, and the steam and water storage container 12 can be brought to a high temperature.

  In the above embodiment, a means for heating the water storage container 12 may be provided exclusively. In this way, the water storage container 12 can be heated to a high temperature or a low temperature different from the heating temperature of the lid heating plate 8 by the lid heating means 9, and the rice is cooked and the heat retention is controlled more precisely. The texture can be controlled.

  In addition, in said embodiment, although the water storage container 12 is formed separately from the lid | cover heating board 8, you may comprise these integrally. This makes it possible to heat the water storage container 12 by the lid heating means 9, control the steam generation timing relatively freely, cook the rice, control the heat more finely, and improve the texture of the rice Can be controlled.

  In addition, in said embodiment, the vapor | steam thrown in is not limited to the temperature exceeding 100 degreeC with the steam | throwing-in hole 13 thrown into the pan 2. FIG. Of course, if it is high-temperature steam immediately before the addition, the rice cooking performance will be improved dramatically. However, after it is introduced into the pan 2, it is converted into high-temperature steam with the heat energy from the side of the lid heating plate 8 or pan 2, and supplied to the rice. The same effect can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the water storage container 12 is removed to store a predetermined amount of water, but other water supply means may be provided. For example, a water supply mechanism may be used in which another water tank is accommodated in the main body or the lid 7 so that a necessary amount of water is charged into the water storage container 12 at a predetermined timing. As a result, it is usually only necessary to replenish water in the water tank, so that the trouble of supplying water to the water storage container 12 each time can be saved and the usability is improved.

  In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, according to the type of rice, as is conventionally performed, by setting and selecting the pressure and temperature conditions of the cooking process, it is possible to realize rice cooking suitable for each, It is possible to control the stickiness, hardness, etc. of rice, and to suppress the variation in taste and improve the taste.

  As described above, the rice cooker according to the present invention can improve rice cooking performance by accelerating the gelatinization of rice without drying the rice while maintaining equipment installation and usability. It can also be used for commercial rice cookers that require space saving and easy operation.

Sectional drawing of the rice cooker in Embodiment 1 of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the state which removed the steam port of the same Embodiment 1 Sectional drawing which shows the cover open state of Embodiment 1 Sectional drawing which shows the flow of the vapor | steam of Embodiment 1 Temperature chart showing rice temperature during operation of the first embodiment Sectional drawing of the rice cooker in Embodiment 2 of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the cover open state of Embodiment 2 Sectional drawing which shows the flow of the vapor | steam of Embodiment 2 Sectional drawing of the rice cooker in Embodiment 3 of this invention. Sectional drawing which shows the flow of the vapor | steam of Embodiment 2 Cross section of conventional rice cooker

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker 2 Pan 3 Pan heating means 4 Bottom temperature sensor 5 Pan side surface heating means 6 Control means 7 Lid 8 Lid heating plate 9 Lid heating means 10 Steam port 11 On-off valve (pressure adjustment means)
12 Water storage container (steam generation means)
13 Steam inlet 14 Steam heating part (steam heating means)
15 Steam packing 16 Pot packing 17 Water storage container heating section

Claims (1)

A pan, a pan heating means for heating the pan, a lid covering the opening of the pan, a lid heating plate provided on the lid for heating the inside of the pan from above, and adjusting the pressure in the pan A water storage container that stores water that generates steam and is disposed on the lid, a steam inlet that supplies the steam to an upper space of the pan, and a steam heating means that heats the steam. Rice cooker with.

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