JP4128105B2 - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a heat retaining operation of a rice cooker.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of conventional rice cooker cooks rice by heating a container containing rice and water to be cooked with heating means (induction heating coil, resistance wire heater, etc.) provided at the bottom of the main body, The container is heated by heat-retaining heating means (induction heating coil, resistance wire heater, etc.) provided on the side or lid of the main body of the vessel, and the cooked cooked rice is kept at a predetermined temperature. .
[0003]
In recent years, in order to prevent unnecessary power consumption after cooking rice and drying / yellowing due to heating of cooked rice for a long time, the heat keeping time after cooking rice is changed according to the user's setting, and the set heat keeping time is changed. A rice cooker has been devised that automatically terminates the warming operation when exceeding (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). Hereinafter, this function is referred to as “warm-up timer processing function”.
[0004]
On the other hand, since the temperature of the cooked rice is maintained at 73 ° C. to 74 ° C. during the heat retention and is lower than immediately after the cooking of rice, it has a reheating function of heating the cooked rice to a predetermined temperature by pressing the reheat switch immediately before eating the cooked rice. Rice cookers have also been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 3055532 [Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent No. 2837303 [Patent Document 3]
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 8-4554 [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional rice cooker, for example, when the warming-out timer process ends, the process returns to a standby state (a state in which the heating means is not operating), the heat insulation is not performed, and the remaining cooked rice is cooled. Since the user should have not intended to keep warm for the time set by the warm-up timer, even if the remaining cooked rice is cooled, it is unavoidable for the user. However, if reheating is performed during the warm-up timer process for the purpose of eating rice as soon as the situation changes, even if it is within the set time of the warm-up timer, it will return to the standby state after reheating, The temperature decreases unilaterally, which is inconvenient both when eating again and when stored as it is.
[0007]
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that performs reheating during the warm-up timer process and can store cooked rice at an appropriate temperature even after the reheating is completed.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the rice cooker of the present invention is:
A container for storing cooked rice,
Heating means for heating the container;
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the container;
Control means for controlling the heating means based on the temperature detected from the temperature detection means to execute at least rice cooking mode processing, heat retention mode processing, and reheating mode processing,
Setting means for setting an execution time of the heat retention mode processing;
Reheating instruction means for instructing the reheating mode processing,
The control means includes
When the warming mode process is executed, the warming-down timer mode process is executed to stop the warming mode process when the warming execution time set by the setting unit has elapsed ,
Heat retaining mode processing or the heat retaining switch if reheating mode process during execution by the reheating instruction means of the timer mode processing is instructed, the heat insulation mode processing or heat retaining stops executing the switching timer mode processing reheated A configuration in which a mode process is executed, a mode before the reheating mode process is determined after the reheating mode process is completed, and a transition is made to the process of either the warming mode or the warming-off timer mode before the reheating mode process It was adopted.
[0009]
In the rice cooker, there is no plan to eat cooked rice at the beginning, while the warm-up timer processing function is in operation, even when reheating is performed to change the schedule and eat cooked rice, the cooked rice is predetermined after reheating Since it is kept warm, it will not interfere with eating or storing.
In the rice cooker, the control means further performs a night heat retention mode process that heats the cooked rice at a low temperature compared to a normal heat retention mode process,
When the reheating processing mode is instructed by the reheating instruction means during execution of the heat retaining mode processing, the warming out timer mode processing or the good night heat retaining mode processing,
Stop the execution of the heat retention mode process, the warm-up timer mode process or the good night heat retention mode process , execute the reheating mode process, determine the mode before the reheating mode process after the reheating mode process, Transition to processing in any one of the warming mode, the warming-off timer mode, or the good night warming mode before the heat treatment is such that even when the night heat warming function is provided, the cooked rice can be properly warmed. Is preferable.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a rice cooker 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This rice cooker 1 is an induction heating system, and includes a rice cooker 2, a rice cooker body 3 that accommodates the rice cooker 2, and a lid 4 that is rotatably attached to the rice cooker body 3. The rice cooker body 3 includes an induction heating coil 5 that is a heating means, a temperature sensor 6 for a rice cooker that is a temperature detection means, and a control board 34 that is mounted with the microcomputer 35 of FIG. 2 that is a control means. It is arranged. The lid 4 has a known configuration in which a lid heater 7 and a lid temperature sensor 8 for detecting the internal temperature of the rice cooker 2 are disposed.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 2, an operation panel 9 in which a plurality of switches 23 to 30 serving as input means are disposed around the liquid crystal panel 10 disposed in the center is attached to the front surface of the rice cooker body 3. Yes.
[0012]
The liquid crystal panel 10 is of a segment display type that is displayed by a driver built in the microcomputer 35, which will be described later. The liquid crystal panel 10 is a numerical display unit 11 for displaying time such as the current time, and the numerical display unit 11 indicates the current time. Current display unit 12, morning display unit 13 and afternoon display unit 14, and after display unit 15, minute display unit 16 and time display unit 17 indicating that the numerical display unit 11 is the remaining time until cooking, the numerical display thereof The rear cut-off display unit 18 indicating that it is the remaining time until the unit 11 finishes the heat retention, the reservation display unit 19, the 1 display unit 20, the 2 display unit 21, and the liquid crystal panel 10 indicating that the reserved rice cooking state is set Is provided with a Δ mark display portion 22 corresponding to the rice cooking menu display provided around the.
[0013]
As the switches 23 to 30, the rice cooking / reheating switch 23, the heat retention / heat retention switch 24, the night heat retention switch 25, the reservation switch 26, the tear switch 27, the menu switch 28, the Δ switch 29 (up switch) and the ▽ switch 30. (Down switch) is provided.
[0014]
The rice cooking / reheating switch 23 is for performing a rice cooking operation or a reheating operation including reserved rice cooking, and functions as a reheating instruction means. The heat insulation / heat insulation cut-off switch is for directly executing the heat insulation processing in a standby state in which processing such as rice cooking processing or heat insulation processing is not executed. Moreover, in this embodiment, the function of the setting means which sets the execution time of the heat retention process after the rice cooking process in the said standby state, and sets the execution time of this heat retention process during execution of a heat retention process is combined. The night heat retention switch 25 is configured to execute a night heat retention control with a low heat retention temperature during the execution of the heat retention process. The reservation switch 26 shifts to the setting state of reserved rice cooking, and functions as a heat retention execution time setting means in the heat retention timer process described later. The tear-off switch 27 is used to stop the process currently being executed. The menu switch 28 changes the rice cooking menu including the reserved rice cooking menu. The Δ switch 29 is used to increase the current time and the heat retention execution time after the rice cooking process. The switch 30 decreases the current time and the heat retention execution time after the rice cooking process.
[0015]
The warm / warm-off switch 24 is provided with an LED 31 for notifying the execution state of the warming process and the setting state of the warm-up timer. Similarly, the night heat retention switch 25 is provided with an LED 32 indicating the execution state of the night heat retention process, and the reservation switch 26 is provided with an LED 33 indicating the setting state of the reserved rice cooking.
[0016]
The microcomputer 35 mounted on the control board 34 is preheated, cooked (capacity discrimination, medium cooking and boiling maintenance), cooked, and uneven according to each rice cooking menu program stored in the ROM 36 as the first storage medium. After performing the rice cooking process through each step of cooking twice, the process proceeds to a heat retaining process. The control board 34 is provided with a RAM 37 as a second storage medium for storing rice cooking conditions set by the user. Further, when the user releases the connection between the power cord and the commercial power source, a backup circuit unit 38 using a lithium battery or the like for maintaining the information stored in the RAM 37 and continuously counting the current time is provided. ing.
[0017]
In the present embodiment, it is possible to set an execution time for executing the heat retention process while displaying on the numerical display unit 11 of the liquid crystal panel 10 by the heat retention / warm-off switch 24, and the heat retention process is stopped when the execution time has elapsed. A warm-up timer processing function is provided. This warm-up timer processing function includes a first warm-up timer process by operating the warm / warm-off switch 24 during the warm-up process, and the warm / warm-off switch 24 continuously in a standby state for a predetermined time or more. It is executed by setting the warm-up timer by either the second warm-up timer process by operation.
[0018]
Specifically, in the first warm-up timer process, the warm-up timer is set in units of 1 hour in the range of 1 hour to 12 hours during execution of the warm process. In this first warm-up timer process, when the warm / warm-off switch 24 is first operated, the time set by the previous warm-up timer stored in the RAM 37 is read, and the time is displayed on the numerical display 11. In addition, the rear cut display unit 18 is turned on. If the previous set time of the warm-up timer is not stored, the numerical value display unit 11 is “1” time. In this state, when the heat retention / warm-off switch 24 is operated next, the numerical value of the numerical value display unit 11 is incremented (increased) in units of one hour, and the heat retention / warm-off switch 24 is continuously maintained for a predetermined time or more. By being operated, the set time is fast-forwarded in the increasing direction.
[0019]
In addition, the second warm-up timer process sets the set time of the warm-up timer that is subsequently performed after the rice cooking process in the standby state in units of 1 hour in the range of 0 hours (no warming) to 12 hours. is there. In the second warm-up timer process, when the warm / warm-off switch 24 is first operated, the previous set time of the warm-up timer stored in the RAM 37 is read and the time is displayed on the numerical display unit 11. At the same time, the LED 31 and the rear cut display unit 18 are turned on. In addition, when the set time of the previous warm-up timer is not stored, the numerical value display unit 11 becomes “0” time. When the △ switch 29 is operated in this state, the numerical value on the numerical value display unit 11 is incremented (increased) in units of one hour, and the △ switch 29 is continuously operated for a predetermined time or more, thereby setting time. Fast forward in the increasing direction. When the ▽ switch 30 is operated, the numerical value on the numerical display unit 11 is decremented (decreased) in units of one hour, and the set time is reduced by continuously operating the ▽ switch 30 for a predetermined time or more. Fast forward in the direction.
[0020]
Further, in this embodiment, when the first warming-off timer process is being executed or the second warming-off timer process is being executed, the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 is pressed to execute the reheating operation. After completion, the process is shifted to the heat retention process.
[0021]
Next, control of the microcomputer 35 of the rice cooker 1 will be described.
When the user sets rice and water in the rice cooker 2 and accommodates them in the rice cooker body 3, closes the lid 4 and presses the rice cooker / reheat switch 23, a predetermined rice cooking process is performed in step S11 as shown in FIG. (Preheating, rice cooking (capacity discrimination, medium-puff and boiling maintenance), cooking, unevenness, cooking twice), proceeding to step S12 to perform heat insulation processing, keeping the cooked rice at a predetermined temperature, step Proceed to S13.
[0022]
In step S13, it is determined whether or not the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 has been pressed. If the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S14, the induction heating coil 5 is energized to perform a predetermined reheating process, and the process proceeds to step S15. If not, the process proceeds to step S16.
[0023]
In step S15, after reheating is completed, it is determined whether the mode before the reheating process is the heat insulation mode or the heat insulation timer mode. If the mode is the heat insulation mode, the process returns to step S12 and the heat insulation process is executed. If it is in the warm-up timer mode, the process proceeds to step S17, and the warm-up timer process (the warm-up process is continued for the time set in the first warm-up timer time setting process described above, and then the warm-up process is automatically terminated. ).
[0024]
In step S16, it is determined whether or not the heat retention / warm-off switch 24 has been pressed. If it has been pressed, the process proceeds to the above-described step S17. If not, the process returns to step S13, and the switch determination is made while continuing the heat retention process. repeat. While the warm-up timer process is being executed in step S17, the process proceeds to step S13, and it is always determined whether or not the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 has been pressed.
[0025]
As described above, in the present embodiment, after reheating is performed during the heat retaining process, the mode shifts to the heat retaining mode or the heat retaining mode instead of the cancel mode, so that the cooked rice is warmed to a predetermined temperature and eaten or stored. It will not cause any trouble.
[0026]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, it is different from the above-mentioned embodiment by the point which can be applied in the rice cooker 1 carrying the night heat retention processing function.
[0027]
Specifically, when the user sets rice and water in the rice cooker 2 and accommodates them in the rice cooker body 3, closes the lid 4 and presses the rice cooker / reheat switch 23, as shown in FIG. In S21, a predetermined rice cooking process (preheating, rice cooking (capacity discrimination, medium-puffing and boiling maintenance), cooking, unevenness, two-time cooking) is performed, and the process proceeds to step S22 to perform a heat-retaining process, and the cooked rice is predetermined. The temperature is kept, and the process proceeds to step S23.
[0028]
In step S23, it is determined whether or not the rice cooking / reheating switch 23, the warming / warming off switch 24, and the good night warming switch 25 are pressed during the warming process. When the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S24, when the heat retention / warm-off switch 24 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S28, and when the night heat retention switch 25 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S26.
[0029]
In step S24, the same reheating process as described above is executed, and the process proceeds to step S25. In step S26, a predetermined good night heat retention process (heats the cooked rice at a low temperature compared to the normal heat retention process) is executed, but during the execution, the process proceeds to step S27 to always perform switch discrimination, and the heat retention / warm-off switch 24 is If it has been pressed, the process returns to step S22. If the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S24. If any other switch is pressed, the process proceeds to step S25 after ignoring the heat insulation process. In step S28, the above-described warm-up timer process is executed, and the process proceeds to step S29.
[0030]
In step S25, it is determined what mode was immediately before the reheating process or the night heat retention process. If the mode is the heat retention mode, the process returns to step S22 to execute the heat retention process. Insulation switching in response to a negative determination timer mode execution continues only heat retaining time set by the first insulation switching timer time setting process of thermal insulation switching timer process (described above proceeds to step S 28, terminates the subsequent automatically kept processing after the to) running, the process proceeds to step S 29.
[0031]
During the warming-out timer process in step S28, it is determined whether or not the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 and the night heat retaining switch 25 are pressed in step S29. If the rice cooking / reheating switch 23 is pressed, step S24 is performed. If the night heat retention switch 25 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S26. If any other switch is pressed, the warm-up timer process is continued.
[0032]
As described above, in the present embodiment, even when the night heat retention processing function is added, after the reheating treatment after the heat retention treatment is properly completed, the heat insulation can be continued and cooling of the cooked rice can be prevented.
[0033]
In the above two embodiments, the setting process of the warm-up timer is as shown in FIG. That is, first, in step S101, it is determined whether or not the reservation switch 26 has been pressed. If it has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S102. If not, the process returns to step S101 to repeat the determination process.
[0034]
In step S102, the set time of the warm-up timer is set to 1 in the numerical display unit 11 of the liquid crystal panel 10, and the process proceeds to step S103 to cause the numerical display part 11 to blink, and the process proceeds to step S104 to cause the LED 31 to blink. Proceed to
[0035]
In step S105, it is determined whether or not the heat retention / warm-off switch 24 has been pressed. If it has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S108, and if not, the process proceeds to step S106.
[0036]
In step S106, it is determined whether or not the reservation switch 26 has been pressed. If the reservation switch 26 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S107, where the set time of the warm-up timer is incremented and the changed set time is displayed on the numerical display unit 11. The process returns to step S105.
[0037]
In step S108, the numerical display 11 is turned on, the process proceeds to step S109, the LED 31 is lit, the process proceeds to step S110, and the set time of the warm-up timer is determined. Then, it progresses to step S111 and performs the above-mentioned warm-up timer process.
[0038]
As described above, in this embodiment, since the time of the warming-off timer can be set by using the reservation switch 26 that is not directly related to the warming-off timer, the warming / warming-off switch 24 is used in common even when the setting is performed. The operation and setting status can be easily identified, improving usability.
[0039]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, For example, when the previous mode in FIG. 4 is a night heat retention mode, it transfers to the night heat retention process after completion | finish of a reheating process, and prevents deterioration of cooked rice. May be.
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, in the rice cooker of the present invention, after the warming-out timer process is completed, the cooked rice is not left as it is, but is returned to the warming process and the good-night warming process. Can be eaten and preserved when stored.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a rice cooker according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an operation panel of the rice cooker.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control by a microcomputer of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing control by a microcomputer of the rice cooker according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing warm-up timer setting control by a microcomputer of the rice cooker according to each embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rice cooker, 2 ... Rice cooker, 3 ... Rice cooker main body, 4 ... Cover body, 5 ... Induction heating coil (heating means), 9 ... Operation panel, 10 ... Liquid crystal panel, 23-30 ... Switch, 23 ... Rice cooking / Reheat switch (reheat instruction means), 24 ... heat retention / warm-off switch, 25 ... night heat retention switch, 26 ... reservation switch (setting means), 31 ... LED, 35 ... microcomputer.

Claims (2)

A container for storing cooked rice,
Heating means for heating the container;
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the container;
Control means for controlling the heating means based on the temperature detected from the temperature detection means to execute at least rice cooking mode processing, heat retention mode processing, and reheating mode processing,
Setting means for setting an execution time of the heat retention mode processing;
Reheating instruction means for instructing the reheating mode processing,
The control means includes
When the warming mode process is executed, the warming-down timer mode process is executed to stop the warming mode process when the warming execution time set by the setting unit has elapsed,
If reheating mode processing is instructed by the reheating instruction means during execution of the heat retaining mode processing or the warming out timer mode processing, execution of the heat retaining mode processing or the warming out timer mode processing is stopped and reheating is performed. Execute mode processing, determine the mode before the reheating mode processing after the completion of the reheating mode processing, and shift to the processing of either the heat retention mode or the heat retention timer mode before the reheating mode processing Rice cooker characterized by. The control means further performs a night heat retention mode process that heats the cooked rice at a low temperature compared to a normal heat retention mode process,
When the reheating processing mode is instructed by the reheating instruction means during execution of the heat retaining mode processing, the warming out timer mode processing or the good night heat retaining mode processing,
Stop the execution of the heat retention mode process, the warm-up timer mode process or the good night heat retention mode process , execute the reheating mode process, determine the mode before the reheating mode process after the reheating mode process, The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the process proceeds to any one of the heat retention mode, the heat retention timer mode, and the night heat retention mode before the heat treatment.

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