JP4354474B2 - Induction heating cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an induction heating cooker, particularly a rice cooker, and more particularly to a means for reforming water used during cooking.

  Conventionally, in an induction heating cooker, that is, a rice cooker, the water stored in the water storage tank can be automatically supplied into the inner pot according to the amount of rice stored in the inner pot, and stored in the water storage tank. It is known that water can be cooled and heated so as to eliminate propagation of bacteria and improve hygiene (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-52532 (FIG. 1)

  Thus, in recent years, demands for adding nutrition to foods and improving hygiene have been strengthened due to increased awareness of health and safety. And such a request exists similarly about cooked rice with many opportunities for Japanese to eat. However, in the case where the water stored in the water storage tank can be cooled and warmed as described above, it is possible to eliminate the miscellaneous propagation of water and improve hygiene, but it is effective at the time of nutrition acquisition. It was not possible to add a mineral component. Moreover, the subject remained in replacement | exchange and maintainability of a water purifier.

  The technical problem of the present invention is that not only purification but also mineral components can be added to water stored for cooking, and maintenance performance and health, safety, and convenience for users can be improved. It is in.

An induction heating cooker according to the present invention includes a cooker body having an inner pot storage portion having an upper opening, an inner pot stored in the inner pot storage section, and a lid that covers the opening of the inner pot storage section in an openable and closable manner. An informing means for informing the cooking state and the contents of the reception operation, an induction heating coil for generating heat in the inner pot, a water storage tank for storing water, a pipe serving as a water flow path for leading water from the water storage tank to the inner pot, and a water flow path The water quality which performs at least one of purification of the water installed in the inner pot and the water which is installed in the water flow path including the water storage tank, and the addition of the mineral component. The water storage tank is made of a magnetic metal or a magnetic material capable of induction heating, and is disposed in a high-frequency magnetic field generated by an induction heating coil in the lower part of the inner pot storage portion .

According to the induction heating cooker of the present invention, since the water quality conversion device for purifying the water charged in the inner pot and applying the mineral component is provided in the flowing water path including the water storage tank, the water is introduced into the inner pot. The purified water can be purified, or a mineral component can be added thereto. For this reason, it becomes possible not only to prevent germs and odors in cooked rice, but also to acquire nutrients necessary for maintaining health from the cooked rice. Furthermore, since the water storage tank is made of a magnetic metal or magnetic material that can be induction-heated and is disposed in a high-frequency magnetic field generated by an induction heating coil in the lower part of the inner pot housing, the water storage tank is utilized using the high-frequency magnetic field. It is also possible to generate heat.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated embodiments.
1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the overall configuration of an induction heating cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing its appearance, and FIG. 3 shows the relationship between the water storage tank and a water quality conversion device. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the induction heating cooker according to the present embodiment includes a cooker body 1 having an inner pot storage portion 2 having an upper portion opened, and an inner portion fixed to the cooker body 1 with an upper portion opened. It has a hook housing part 2 and a heating coil 3 for electromagnetic induction heating provided on the lower surface of the inner pot housing part 2. The heating coil 3 is swirled in a spiral shape and connected in series so that a high-frequency current is supplied. The high-frequency current is supplied by an inverter circuit (not shown) and a control unit (not shown) that drives and controls the inverter circuit. A hole is formed in the center of the bottom of the inner hook housing part 2, and the inner pot temperature sensor 4 is provided through the hole, and is supported from below by a compression spring.

  A flange 6 is formed at the opening edge of the inner hook storage portion 2, and the flange portion of the inner hook 5 is supported by the flange 6, so that the inner hook storage portion 2 can be detachably attached inside. The hook 5 is accommodated. The inner hook 5 is covered with an inner lid 7, and the peripheral edge is sealed with a lid packing 8 so that the sealing between the flange portion of the inner hook 5 and the inner lid 7 is ensured. It has become. The inner lid 7 is attached to the outer lid 9 by a locking member 10, and a lid for opening and closing the cooker body 1 is constituted by the overlapped inner lid 7 and outer lid 9. It is designed to be hinged. In addition, a steam port 11 constituted by an inner valve and an outer valve is provided in the lid that opens and closes the cooker body 1 so as to penetrate the inner lid 7 and the outer lid 9. In addition, on the front portion of the upper surface of the outer lid 9, there is provided an operation / display unit 12 having a notification means that informs the cooking state and the content of the reception operation, that is, a liquid crystal display unit 12a, and a plurality of operation buttons 12b for performing various settings. In addition, a circuit board of a control device 30 described later is installed inside the operation / display unit 12.

  In the high frequency magnetic field generated by the heating coil 3 at the lower part of the cooker main body 1, a water storage tank installation portion 19 having an open front is provided, and the front surface is flush with the cooker main body 1 in the water storage tank installation portion 19. A water storage tank 13 made of magnetic metal or magnetic material formed so as to become is stored so as to be able to be taken out forward. The water storage tank 13 is a container into which water can be poured. As shown in FIG. 3, an installation part of the water quality conversion device 14 is provided in the rear part thereof, and the water quality conversion device 14 is detachably stored in the installation part.

  The water quality conversion device 14 is composed of a porous or lattice filter so that water can permeate while contacting as large an area as possible. The water that has passed through the water quality conversion device 14 is, for example, adsorbed with bacteria and dirt components, or conversely, by eluting the minerals added to the water quality conversion device 14, It has the function to modify.

  In the rear part of the cooker main body 1, there are a pipe 17 serving as a flow path for leading water from the water storage tank 13 to the inner pot 5, and a pump that is installed in the middle of the pipe 17 and transports the water in the water storage tank 13 to the inner pot 5. 15 and a flow rate sensor 16 for detecting the flow rate of water flowing in the pipe 17, and a flow rate signal detected by the flow rate sensor 16 is sent to the control device 30, and the pump 15 is moved by the control device 30. Stop is controlled. The water sucked up from the water storage tank 13 by the pump 15 is introduced into the inner pot 5 through the pipe 17. The pipe 17 includes a flexible pipe, here a bellows 17a, which is bent when the outer lid 9 is opened and closed, and does not hinder the opening and closing of the outer lid.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 30 reads the corresponding supplied water amount from the memory 31 based on the rice amount signal, detects the flow rate based on the output of the supplied water amount calculating unit 32 and the flow rate sensor 16, and outputs it. Based on the flow rate detection unit 33, the supply water amount signal from the supply water amount calculation unit 32, the flow rate signal from the flow rate detection unit 33, and the timer 34, the pump 15 is driven to feedback control the amount of water supplied to the inner pot 5, If the amount of water supplied corresponds to the amount of rice, the flow rate per unit time is predetermined based on the supply water amount determination unit 35 that stops the supply of water by the pump 15, the supply water amount signal from the supply water amount calculation unit 32, and the timer 34. When it is detected that the value is less than or equal to the value, the liquid crystal display unit 12a includes a cleaning / replacement determining unit 36 for informing that the water quality conversion device 14 is in a cleaning / replacement time. The determination of the amount of rice may be automatically performed by installing a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the inner hook 5 in the inner hook storage portion 2 or may be input by the user from the operation button 12b. Is also good.

  Next, operation | movement of the induction heating cooking appliance of this embodiment which has the above structure is demonstrated based on FIG. First, as a preparatory state before cooking rice, water is poured into the water storage tank 13, and then a removable water quality conversion device 14 is installed behind the water storage tank 13 (FIG. 3). The water storage tank 13 is inserted into the water storage tank installation part 19 at the lower part of the cooker body 1 while being integrated with the water quality conversion device 14, and is connected to the pipe 17 (FIG. 1).

  Next, after opening the outer lid 9 and putting a predetermined amount of rice in the inner pot 5, the inner pot 5 is placed on the inner pot storage portion 2 and the outer lid 9 is closed. The flange is pressed against the inner hook 5 and sealed. Thereafter, the amount of rice is determined. Here, it is assumed that the user inputs with the operation button 12b of the input operation / display unit 12. And if the rice cooking process switch (operation button 12b) of the operation / display part 12 is turned ON, the pump 15 will act | operate and the supply of the water from the inside of the water storage tank 13 into the inner pot 5 will be started. The flow rate of water that has passed through the pipe 17 is sent from the flow sensor 16 to the control device 30. When the amount of supplied water corresponding to the amount of rice reaches the pump 15, the pump 15 is stopped and water supply into the inner pot 5 is stopped. Stopped and the rice cooking process starts. Note that when the outer lid 9 is opened and closed, the bellows 17a of the pipe 17 can be bent, so that it does not hinder the opening and closing.

  A high frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 3 from an inverter circuit (not shown), a high frequency magnetic field is generated, the surface facing the heating coil of the inner hook 5 magnetically coupled to the heating coil 3 is excited, and an eddy current is generated on the bottom of the container. Is induced. Joule heat is generated by the eddy current and the resistance of the inner pot 5, and the bottom surface of the pan generates heat to perform heating. Since the water storage tank 13 is made of a magnetic metal or a magnetic material as described above and is disposed in the high frequency magnetic field generated by the heating coil 3 below the heating coil 3, the water storage tank 13 stores water using the high frequency magnetic field. The tank 13 can also generate heat.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the water quality conversion device 14 can be exchanged according to the purpose of reforming water or according to the user's request, and this is the greatest feature of the present invention. For example, the water quality conversion device 14a is a charcoal filter medium formed in a porous shape, and adsorbs dirt in the water when the water passes through the water quality conversion device 14a, so that water with a low degree of contamination is put into the inner pot 5. Can be put in. When it is desired to cook rice with clean water with little dirt, the water quality conversion device 14a is attached.

  On the other hand, as another application, when it is desired to add a mineral component to water, another water quality conversion device 14b is attached. The water quality conversion device 14b has a filter impregnated with mineral components, specifically, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Zn, Fe, Cu, etc., and these mineral components are eluted into the water when the water passes through. , And put into the inner pot 5.

  The cooked rice cooked with water through the water quality conversion device 14b impregnated with mineral components contains Ca, Mg, Na, K, Zn, Fe, Cu, which are likely to be insufficient in ordinary meals. Mineral components can be acquired by eating such cooked rice. Furthermore, Ca, Mg, etc. bring a subtle change in taste to the cooked rice, and can be used properly according to the user's preference. In addition, the mineral component contained in the water quality conversion device 14b can be used singly or in combination. It is also possible to prepare a plurality of types of water quality conversion devices 14b for each single mineral component and use them as required.

  Furthermore, when it is desired to lower the hardness of water for another use, a further water quality conversion device 14c is mounted. The water quality conversion device 14c is made of a translucent ion exchange resin, for example, and can remove hardness components such as Ca and Mg in tap water. By removing the hardness component, it is possible to provide a different taste from the cooking with tap water and the cooking with the water quality conversion device 14b, and the variation in the taste of cooked rice can be expanded. It should be noted that the water quality conversion device 14c is particularly effective when it is desired to prevent the scale in the pipe 17 (adhesion / solidification in the pipe due to hardness components contained in tap water).

  Moreover, since the water quality conversion apparatus 14 of any function is detachable from the water storage tank 13, it can be easily cleaned and dried by the user. Furthermore, since the water storage tank 13 is also detachable from the cooker body 1, it can be easily washed and dried by the user.

  At the time of water supply, the measured value of the flow rate that has passed through the pipe 17 is sent from the flow rate sensor 16 to the control device 30, and when the amount of supplied water corresponding to the amount of rice is reached, the pump 15 is stopped and the water into the inner pot 5 is stopped. Supply is stopped and the rice cooking process starts.

  The measured value of the flow rate measured by the flow rate sensor 16 is also used for determining clogging or deterioration of the water quality conversion device 14 by grasping the amount of water, and when the flow rate per unit time falls below a predetermined value. Then, the driving of the pump 15 is stopped, and the liquid crystal display unit 12a of the operation / display unit 12 is notified that the water quality conversion device 14 is clogged or deteriorated. This makes it possible to determine when the user performs maintenance such as cleaning and replacement.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the overall configuration of the induction heating cooker according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. .

  The induction heating cooker according to the present embodiment has a translucent window 20 on the top surface of a stepped portion 13a formed in the flowing water path including the water storage tank 13, that is, in this case, behind the installation portion of the water quality conversion device 14 in the water storage tank 13. Is different from that of the first embodiment described above in that an ultraviolet irradiation device 18 made of, for example, an LED that irradiates the water passing through the transparent window 20 with ultraviolet rays is provided. Is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  In the induction heating cooker of this embodiment, the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 18 have a bactericidal action, and thus are effective in purifying water. Furthermore, the water purification function can be further improved by sharing the water quality change device 14 such as the water quality conversion device 14a made of charcoal filter material as in the present embodiment.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the overall configuration of the induction heating cooker according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. .

  The induction heating cooker according to the present embodiment includes a translucent ion-exchange resin filter formed in a porous shape in a flowing water path including the water storage tank 13, here, in a step portion 13 a formed at the rear of the water storage tank 13. The water quality conversion device 14c is arranged, and a light transmission window 20 is provided on the top surface of the stepped portion 13a. An ultraviolet irradiation device 18 made of, for example, an LED is installed facing the light transmission window 20, and the water quality conversion device 14c is provided. The point which irradiates the ultraviolet-ray to the water which passes is different from the thing of the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and the structure other than that is the same as that of Embodiment 1. FIG.

  In the induction heating cooker of the present embodiment, the water passing through the water quality conversion device 14c can be sterilized by the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device 18 to purify the water, and includes an ion exchange resin filter. For example, hardness components such as Ca and Mg in tap water can be removed by the water quality conversion device 14c. By removing the hardness component, it is possible to provide a different taste from the cooking with tap water and the cooking with the water quality conversion device 14b, and the variation in the taste of cooked rice can be expanded. Further, since the water quality conversion device 14c and the ultraviolet irradiation device 18 for purifying and reforming the water are provided in the step portion 13a formed at the rear portion of the water storage tank 13, the capacity of the water storage tank 13 is ensured. Becomes easy. Various ion exchange resins having translucency are commercially available and are easily available.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the induction heating cooking appliance which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the induction heating cooking appliance which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the relationship between the water storage tank and water quality conversion apparatus of the induction heating cooking appliance which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control part of the induction heating cooking appliance which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the induction heating cooking appliance which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the induction heating cooking appliance which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooker main body, 2 Inner pot accommodating part, 3 Heating coil, 4 Inner pot temperature sensor, 5 Inner pot, 6 Flange, 7 Inner cover, 8 Cover packing, 9 Outer cover, 10 System stop material, 11 Steam port, 12 Operation / display unit, 12a Liquid crystal display unit (notification means), 12b Operation button, 13 Water storage tank, 13a Water tank step, 14, 14a, 14b, 14c Water quality conversion device, 15 Pump, 16 Flow rate sensor, 17 Pipe, 17a bellows (flexible pipe), 18 ultraviolet irradiation device, 19 water storage tank installation unit, 20 light transmission window, 30 control device, 31 memory, 32 supply water amount calculation unit, 33 flow rate detection unit, 34 timer, 35 supply water amount determination Part, 36 Cleaning and replacement judgment part.

Claims (12)

A cooker body having an inner pot storage portion with an open top;
An inner pot stored in the inner pot storage section;
A lid that covers the opening of the inner hook storage section so as to be openable and closable;
An informing means for informing the cooking state and the content of the reception operation;
An induction heating coil for generating heat in the inner pot;
A water storage tank for storing water;
A pipe serving as a water flow path for guiding water from the water storage tank to the inner pot;
A pump installed in the water flow path to transport the water in the water storage tank to the inner pot;
A water quality conversion device that is installed in a flowing water path including the water storage tank and performs at least one of purification of water introduced into the inner pot and provision of mineral components ;
An induction heating cooker, wherein the water storage tank is made of a magnetic metal or a magnetic material capable of induction heating, and is disposed in a high-frequency magnetic field generated by the induction heating coil at a lower portion of the inner pot storage portion .   The induction heating cooker according to claim 1, wherein the water quality conversion device is detachable.   The induction heating cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water storage tank is housed in the cooker body so as to be able to be taken out forward.   The induction heating according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an installation portion of the water quality conversion device is provided in the water storage tank, and the water quality conversion device is detachably attached in the installation portion. Cooking device. The induction heating according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein a translucent window is provided in a flowing water path including the water storage tank, and an ultraviolet irradiation device is installed facing the translucent window. Cooking device. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the water quality conversion device comprises a lattice-shaped or porous filter using a porous material containing charcoal. The filter using the porous material containing charcoal is impregnated with at least one component among mineral components such as Ca, Mg, Na, K, Zn, Fe, Cu, and the impregnated mineral component is impregnated. The induction heating cooker according to claim 6, wherein when the water passes, it is eluted into water. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the water quality conversion device includes a lattice-shaped or porous filter using an ion exchange resin. The filter has translucency, and the translucent window and the ultraviolet irradiation device are arranged in correspondence with an installation portion of the translucent filter, and the ultraviolet irradiation device passes through the translucent filter portion. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 5 to 8 , wherein the water to be irradiated is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. The pipe serving as the flowing water path extends to the inside of the lid through the inner part of the cooker body, and the portion bent by opening and closing the lid is formed of a flexible pipe. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the induction heating cooker is characterized. A flow rate sensor is provided in the water flow path, and a control unit is provided for controlling the amount of water supplied to the inner pot by driving the pump based on a flow rate signal from the flow rate sensor and a rice amount signal. The induction heating cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10 , wherein when the amount of supplied water is in accordance with the control, the control means stops the supply of water by the pump. When the flow rate sensor detects that the flow rate per unit time has become a predetermined value or less by the flow rate sensor, the control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify that the water quality conversion device is in a cleaning or replacement period. The induction heating cooker according to claim 11 , wherein the induction heating cooker is formed.

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