JP4667120B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker, and more particularly, to a rice cooker equipped with a discerning rice cooking menu capable of cooking a user's favorite rice.

  A commercially available rice cooker has various rice cooking menus, and a user can select a rice cooking menu from this menu and cook rice.

  Such a rice cooker is usually equipped with a microcomputer, and various rice cooking programs are operated by this computer (see Patent Documents 1 to 3 below).

  For example, the following Patent Document 1 describes a rice cooker that can cook rice by setting the hardness of rice to be soft, slightly soft, normal, slightly hard, or hard.

  This rice cooker performs the control of the rice cooking process, including the cooking process and the boiling maintenance process in which the rice cooking capacity is determined and cooked according to the determined rice cooking capacity, and soft, normally, A rice cooking setting switch that specifies one from the above, and means for changing the rice cooking temperature and the cooking time in each step of the water absorption process, the cooking process, and the steaming process according to the type of rice specified by the cooking rice setting switch And a means for controlling so that the time taken to add water and the steaming time for a plurality of types of rice is a predetermined time for each rice cooking.

  Moreover, the rice cooker of the following patent document 2 can cook rice with sweetness, Comprising: The water-absorbing process which makes water absorb a water | moisture content, and the to-be-cooked rice which consists of the rice and water after passing through this water-absorbing process This control includes a control device that sequentially executes a start-up heating process for heating and heating until boiling, a boiling maintaining process for maintaining the cooked rice in a boiling state, and a steaming process for steaming the cooked rice after boiling. The apparatus controls the heating means so that the cooked rice is raised from 75 ° C. to 85 ° C. over at least 30 seconds in the start-up heating step.

  Furthermore, the rice cooker described in the following patent document 3 can cook rice according to each user's preference.

Specifically, in the rice cooker equipped with operation control means for controlling the rice cooking heating operation according to the heating conditions for each process such as water absorption, temperature rise, cooking, steaming, etc., the heating condition change switch and each process Heating condition change means to change the heating condition from the standard heating condition set in advance to the user heating condition according to the operation of the heating condition change switch, so that the user can set the rice cooking that suits individual preference Is.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-102183 (FIG. 2a, Claims (Claim 1)) JP 2004-344570 A (FIG. 6, paragraphs [0041] to [0044]) JP 2001-87130 A (FIG. 1, FIG. 4, paragraphs [0042] to [0046])

  According to the rice cooker described in the above-mentioned patent document 1, the hardness of the rice can be softened, softened a little softly, normally, slightly curled, and can be cooked separately for each level. Moreover, the rice cooker described in the said patent document 2 can cook sweet rice, Furthermore, according to the rice cooker described in the said patent document 3, the heating conditions in each rice cooking process are standard heating. Even if the standard cooked state cannot be satisfied when the conditions are satisfied, the user can appropriately change the heating conditions in each step, and can find and cook the heating conditions that match the user's preference. Therefore, the rice cooked by these rice cookers can give satisfaction to most users.

  However, in recent years, users have demanded more deliciousness, and the deliciousness has also diversified into various things. The taste of this taste is so soft, a little soft, usually a little, To the so-called “discerning rice cooking” where you can subdivide not only what you say but also other tastes, such as sweetness, stickiness, umami, aroma, elasticity, gloss, etc., and combine them with your favorite rice And demands are evolving.

  However, there are some rice cookers that can be cooked at different levels for the hardness of the rice. For example, there is no product that can subdivide sweetness, stickiness, etc., and further classify them to cook your favorite rice.

  In addition, some of these rice cookers have a display panel that displays the length of water absorption temperature and time, or the level of heating temperature, and allows a user to set a predetermined value (for example, the above-mentioned Even if the user sets the length of the time or the level of the thermal power, the cooked food is cooked according to the selected time length, that is, the taste of the cooked rice to be cooked. It is difficult for the user to grasp the relationship with the set time and the like, and it is extremely difficult to preset the user's favorite cooking rice. In addition, recent rice cookers are almost automated, and even if the user increases the amount of moisture to cook soft rice, for example, the control device installed in the rice cooker detects this state and automatically Excess water has been lost, making it impossible to cook the user's predicted taste, and this automation may be inconvenient for such users.

  Therefore, the present invention solves such problems of the prior art and can meet recent user demands. The object of the present invention is to improve the human-machine interface and simplify the process. The purpose is to provide a rice cooker that allows you to cook your favorite rice with simple operation.

In order to achieve the above object, a rice cooker according to claim 1 of the present application is a heating means for heating a pot into which a rice to be cooked is put, an opening in which the pot is accommodated, and a rice to be cooked in the pot. A rice cooker main body, a display panel for displaying various rice cooking menus, an operation means for changing various settings, and a control device for executing a predetermined rice cooking process. In accordance with a menu, a water absorption step of controlling the heating means to absorb a predetermined amount of water in the cooked rice in the pan, and a rising heating step of heating and heating the absorbed cooked rice until boiling In the rice cooker which performs the rice cooking process including the boiling maintenance process of maintaining the cooked rice in a boiling state and the steaming process of steaming the cooked food after the boiling maintenance process, the user at the time of cooking the cooked rice Duplicate taste taste A display means for displaying on the display panel a discretionary rice menu screen that can be input by classifying the classified taste preferences into a plurality of levels, and a classification set by the operation means on the discretionary rice menu screen and Condition calculating means for calculating the rice cooking conditions in the rice cooking process according to the level, the rice cooking process is controlled based on the rice cooking conditions calculated by the condition calculating means , and the plurality of taste preferences are at the respective levels. Each time the water absorption temperature / time in the water absorption step and the boiling maintenance power in the boiling maintenance step are set to predetermined values, respectively, and the water absorption temperature by the condition calculation means based on values corresponding to the respective taste preference levels set.・ Each time and boiling maintenance power are calculated, and the rice cooking process is controlled by these calculated values. Re wherein the Rukoto.

Moreover, the invention of claim 2 is the rice cooker of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of taste preferences further includes a cutting temperature in the boiling maintenance step and a supplementary cooking temperature in the steaming step for each level. Are set to predetermined values, values corresponding to the set taste preference levels are calculated by the condition calculating means, and the rice cooking process is controlled by these calculated values.

The rice cooker of Claim 3 is a rice cooker main body which has a heating means which heats the to-be-cooked rice in the pan in which the to-be-cooked rice is thrown in, the opening in which the said pan is accommodated, and the said main body. A lid that closes the opening; a pressure valve that is attached to the lid to adjust the internal pressure in the pan; a pressure valve opening mechanism that controls the pressure valve; a display panel that displays various rice cooking menus; Operation means for changing settings and the like, and a control device for executing a predetermined rice cooking process, and the control device controls the heating means according to the rice cooking menu to cook the cooked food in the pan. A water absorption step for absorbing a predetermined amount of water, a rising heating step for heating the water-absorbed cooked rice until it boils, a boiling maintenance step for maintaining the cooked rice in a boiling state, and the boiling A steaming process of steaming the cooked rice after the maintenance process; In the rice cooker that performs the rice cooking process including, the control device divides the user taste preference when cooking the cooked food into a plurality of items, and the divided taste preferences can be input in a plurality of levels divided into levels. A display means for displaying a menu screen on the display panel, and a condition calculation means for calculating a rice cooking condition in the rice cooking process according to the category and level set by the operation means on the discerning rice cooking menu screen. The rice cooking process is controlled on the basis of the rice cooking conditions calculated by the calculating means , and the plurality of taste preferences respectively specify a water absorption temperature / time in the water absorption process and a boiling maintenance power in the boiling maintenance process for each level. And set the value based on the value corresponding to each level of taste preference set Out by calculating the water absorption temperature-time and boiling maintain power respectively by unit, the cooking process is controlled by these calculated values, characterized in Rukoto.

In addition, the invention according to claim 4 is the rice cooker according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of taste preferences are set by weighting each of the water absorption temperature / time and the boiling maintenance power. The condition calculation means calculates the water absorption temperature / time and the boiling maintenance power by multiplying the value corresponding to the taste preference level by the weight.

Further, the invention according to claim 5 is the rice cooker according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of taste preferences further set an opening / closing pattern of the pressure valve in the boiling maintenance step for each level, The condition calculating means selects an open / close pattern corresponding to each set taste preference level, and the rice cooking process is controlled by this selection.

The invention according to claim 6 is the rice cooker according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of taste preferences weight the opening / closing pattern, and the taste preference level set by the condition calculation means The open / close pattern is selected by multiplying the value by the weight.

Further, the invention according to claim 7, in cooker according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of taste preference, cooking add the further switching temperature and the steaming step in the boiling-preserving process for each level temperature Are set to predetermined values, values corresponding to the set taste preference levels are calculated by the condition calculating means, and the rice cooking process is controlled by these calculated values.

The invention according to claim 8 is the rice cooker according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of taste preferences are weighted to the cut temperature and the additional cooking temperature, and the set taste preference level is set. The value is multiplied by the weight, and the cutting temperature and the additional cooking temperature are calculated by the condition calculating means.

By providing the above configuration, the present invention has the following excellent effects. That is, according to the invention of claim 1, since the display panel can display the divided taste preferences in a plurality of levels at the time of user input, the human machine interface between the rice cooker and the user is improved, You can cook your favorite rice with a simple operation. In other words, the display panel is divided into easy-to-understand categories that are familiar to users in everyday rice cooking, for example, sweetness, stickiness, hardness, etc. of rice, so that each level can be leveled and input in stages. Since it can be displayed, the user can perform cooking of a favorite rice by a simple operation by inputting the sweetness, stickiness, hardness, etc. displayed on the display panel in different levels. In addition, the input taste preference classification and level are correlated with each other by the condition calculation means, and the rice cooking conditions are calculated. The rice cooking process is controlled by these conditions, so it is sufficient for users who have a strong taste. Can cook rice that gives satisfaction. In addition, the control of hardness or sweetness adopted in the prior art is to cook each so as to have a predetermined hardness or sweetness, and the cooked rice is in any state other than this hardness or sweetness. It is not possible to grasp whether the food is cooked or not, and since the level is not divided except for the hardness, it is not possible to meet the demands of the user who wants delicious rice. Depending on the taste preference level, the water absorption temperature / time and boiling maintenance power for each taste preference are calculated and cooked based on this calculated value, making it possible to cook according to the user's detailed requirements. .

According to the invention of claim 2 , the cooked rice has a good fragrance, and can also be given an appropriate amount of cooking.

According to the invention of claim 3 , the human-machine interface between the rice cooker and the user is improved, and cooking of a favorite rice becomes possible with a simple operation. In other words, the display panel is divided into categories that are familiar to the user in everyday cooking and that are extremely easy to understand, such as sweetness, stickiness, hardness, etc. Since it can be displayed as possible, the user can cook rice of their choice by inputting the sweetness, stickiness, hardness, etc. of the cooked rice displayed on the display panel in stages, respectively. . In addition, the input taste preference classification and level are correlated with each other by the condition calculation means, and the rice cooking conditions are calculated. The rice cooking process is controlled by these conditions, so it is sufficient for users who have a strong taste. Cooking rice that gives satisfaction. In addition, the control of hardness or sweetness adopted in the prior art is to cook each so as to have a predetermined hardness or sweetness, and the cooked rice is in any state other than this hardness or sweetness. It is not possible to grasp whether it has been cooked at the same time, and since it is not classified except for the hardness, it can not meet the user's preference request for delicious rice, but the special rice cooking condition of claim 9 is the taste set Depending on the preference level, the water absorption temperature / time and boiling maintenance power for each taste preference are calculated each time, and rice is cooked based on this calculated value, so it is possible to respond to detailed requests according to user preferences. it can.

According to the invention of claim 4 , even finer rice cooking can be realized by weighting the water absorption temperature / time and the boiling maintenance power.

According to invention of Claim 5 and 6 , in order to change a valve opening / closing pattern according to several taste preference, the time cooked under high pressure will each differ, and this changes especially the hardness of to-be-cooked rice. To be able to. In addition, when selecting the opening / closing pattern, the value of the taste preference level is reflected, and a predetermined weight is given according to a plurality of taste preferences, so that the opening / closing pattern can be automatically changed according to the taste preference to be changed. It becomes like this.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the cooked rice has a good aroma and can be given a moderate amount of salmon.

According to the invention of claim 8 , even finer rice cooking can be realized by the cutting temperature in the boiling maintenance process and the weighting of the steaming process.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 shows a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, FIG. 1 (b) is an enlarged view of a display portion of FIG. 1 (a), and FIG. 2 is a rice cooker of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the pressure valve opening mechanism in FIG. 2 in an enlarged manner.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the rice cooker 1 has a pan 7 into which the rice to be cooked is put, an opening in which the pan 7 is accommodated in the upper portion, and the pot 7 inside to heat the cooked rice. A rice cooker main body (hereinafter referred to as a main body) 2 having heating means 5 for heating, and a lid body 10 having a locking mechanism pivotally supported on one side of the main body 2 to cover the opening and lock in a closed state; A pressure valve 13 that is attached to the lid 10 and adjusts the internal pressure in the pan 7, a pressure valve opening mechanism 18 that controls the pressure valve, a display operation unit 30 that displays and selects various rice cooking menus, A water absorption step of controlling the heating means 5 and the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 by the selected rice cooking menu to heat the cooked rice in the pan to a predetermined temperature and to absorb a predetermined amount of moisture into the cooked rice over a predetermined time. , A rising heating process in which the water-absorbed food to be cooked is heated up to a boil, Has a boiling maintained step of maintaining the rice was in boiling state, and a control unit 24 for executing step steaming cook by steam to be rice product after the boiling step of maintaining sequentially a.

  Below, the structure and control apparatus of a rice cooker are demonstrated first.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body 2 includes a box-shaped outer case 3 with a bottom and an inner case 4 that is accommodated in the outer case and in which the pan 7 is accommodated. A gap is formed between the inner case 4 and a control circuit board or the like (not shown) constituting the control device 24 is disposed in the gap. The inner case 4 is provided with a heating means 5 at the bottom 4a and side 4b, and a pan bottom temperature sensor 6 comprising a thermistor for detecting the pan bottom temperature at the bottom 4a. As the heating means 5, an electromagnetic induction coil wound in a donut shape is used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pan 7 is a relatively deep bottom container into which a predetermined amount of cooked rice made of water and rice is put, and is made of a clad material of aluminum and stainless steel.

  Various types of rice cooking menus are displayed on the front wall 3a of the main body, and a display operation unit 30 including a plurality of operation buttons for setting a predetermined menu or the like from the displayed menus is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the display operation unit 30 includes a display panel 31 on which various rice cooking selection menus and times are displayed, and a plurality of switch operation buttons 32a on the left and right and below the display panel 31. To 32f and 33 are arranged. These operation buttons include a rice cooking start button 32a for operating the rice cooker, a reservation button 32b for making rice reservation, a cut button 32c for canceling the setting of rice cooking, a rice selection button 32d for selecting rice to be cooked, and a rice cooking menu are selected. A menu button 32 e for selecting a course, a course button 32 f for selecting a course, and a cross-shift key 33 for selecting and determining a menu displayed on the display panel 31.

  These buttons and keys are operation buttons constituting a push button type switch, and each switch (not shown) is operated by pressing this button or key.

  Of these operation buttons 32a to 32f, the menu button 32e is for displaying various rice cooking menus on the display panel 31. When this button is pressed, the menu button 32e is usually soft, porridge, boiled, lightly cooked, squeezed, For curry, mochimochi, sweetness and commitment are displayed. The rice selection button 32d is used to select the type of rice to be used. For example, the rice selection button 32d is used to select any of white rice, non-washed rice, brown rice, germinated brown rice, and the like. Furthermore, the course button 32f is used to select umami warming, good night warming, multi-cooking, cleaning, and the like.

  The cross-shift key 33 is used to select a predetermined menu from various menus displayed on the display panel 31. The displayed rice cooking menu, for example, normal, tempered, soft, rice cracker, lightly cooked, sushi For curry, mochimochi, sweetness, sticking, etc., the cross shift key 33 is operated to move the cursor (blinking display) up and down and to the left and right for selection.

  Here, selection and setting of the special rice cooking menu will be described.

  When the discerning rice cooking menu is selected, a screen on which the sweetness, stickiness, and hardness can be input in five levels, respectively, is displayed on the display panel 31. FIG. 4 shows different types of screens of the discerning rice cooking menu screen.

  The screen of FIG. 4 (a) sets sweet rice, stickiness, and hardness by marking an asterisk on the numbers 1 to 5 of five levels, and setting a favorite cooked rice.

  Using this screen, the sweetness, stickiness, and hardness are set by moving the cursor to “Settings” by the left / right / up / down operation using the cross-shift key 33 and pressing the menu button. Then, for example, the screen of FIG. 4A appears, and the level is set for each of “sweetness”, “stickiness”, and “hardness” by looking at this screen. In this setting, for example, two stars are set for sweetness, one star is set for stickiness, and five star marks are set for hardness. This star mark is made by pressing the left / right direction key of the cross shift key. Moreover, the change of sweetness, stickiness, and hardness is changed by pressing the up-down direction key of this key. Each star has 2 sweetnesses, 1 stickiness, and 5 hardnesses, and a rice cooking pattern “215” to be described later can be set by the number of stars. According to this display panel 31, the level of sweetness, stickiness and hardness can be set very easily.

  4 (b) to 4 (g) show different types of screens from FIG. 4 (a), a screen for inputting by marking a white frame (FIG. 4 (b)), and a screen for inputting numbers (FIG. 4 (b)). 4 (c)), a screen for inputting a large star (FIG. 4 (d)), a screen for inputting a mark having a different shape instead of a star (FIG. 4 (e), FIG. 4 (f)), and It consists of a screen (Fig. 4 (g)) for inputting plus or minus with reference to zero (standard). By using these screens, the user can set the sweetness, stickiness and hardness levels very easily.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 10 includes an inner lid 11 that closes the opening of the pan 7, an outer lid 12 that closes the entire opening of the main body 2, and the like. One end of the lid 10 is pivotally supported by one end of the main body 2, and the other end is locked to the other end of the main body by a locking mechanism.

  In the upper part of the inner lid 11, a pressure valve 13 and a pressure valve opening mechanism 18 for opening the pressure valve are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressure valve 13 includes a valve seat 15 in which a valve hole 14 having a predetermined diameter is formed, a metal ball 16 placed on the valve seat 15 so as to close the valve hole 14, The cover 17 is configured to restrict the movement of the ball 16 and hold the ball 16 on the valve seat 15. The pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is attached to a cylinder 19a around which an electromagnetic coil is wound, a plunger 19b that slides in the cylinder 19a by excitation of the electromagnetic coil to move the ball 16, and a tip of the plunger. It consists of a spring and an operating rod 20.

  The pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is controlled by the control device 24. That is, when the electromagnetic coil is excited based on a command from the control device 24, the plunger 19b jumps out of the cylinder 19a and collides with the ball 16, and pushes the ball 16 in the lateral direction. By this extrusion, the ball 16 is moved from above the valve hole 14 to forcibly open the valve hole 14. Further, in this open state, when the excitation to the electromagnetic coil is stopped, the plunger 19b is pulled back into the cylinder 19a by a spring force, and this retraction eliminates the force that the plunger 19b pushes the ball 16 in the lateral direction. 16 returns onto the valve hole 14, and the valve hole 14 is closed by the ball 16.

  The outer lid 12 is provided with a steam port 21 that communicates the space between the inner lid 11 and the outer lid 12 and the atmosphere. The inner lid 11 is provided with a safety valve 22 for releasing the steam in the pan to the outside through the steam port 21 when the pressure in the pan rises to an abnormal pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure. In addition, a steam temperature sensor 23 (see FIG. 3) is attached to the inner lid 7.

  The rice cooking menu displayed on the display panel is executed by the rice cooking process shown in FIG. In addition, FIG. 5 is explanatory drawing of the rice cooking process which showed each rice cooking process by the relationship of pan bottom temperature versus rice cooking time.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the rice cooking process for executing various rice cooking menus is a water absorption process I in which a predetermined amount of water is absorbed by rice at a predetermined water absorption temperature and time, and the cooked rice consisting of water and rice after this water absorption. There are a start-up heating process II for heating and heating the product to the boiling temperature, a boiling maintaining process III for maintaining the cooked rice in a boiling state for a predetermined time, and a steaming process IV performed after the boiling maintenance is completed. The steaming process IV is divided into the first steaming process 1, the additional cooking process performed after the completion of the steaming process 1, and the second steaming process 2 (steaming process for finishing) performed after the additional cooking process. Yes.

  Among these rice cooking processes, the opening control of the pressure valve is performed in the boiling maintenance process III. The opening control of the pressure valve is performed in three open / close patterns A, B, and C according to the length of the closing time of the pressure valve 13 after the inside of the pan reaches the boiling temperature in the start-up heating process II. The opening / closing pattern A is a pattern in which the pressure valve 13 is closed after opening and closing a predetermined number of times, and the valve closing time that continues until the closing is overtaken is the longest. In addition, the opening / closing pattern B is a pattern in which the pressure valve 13 is closed after a predetermined number of times of opening / closing, and this closing is performed until the temperature in the pan disappears and the temperature reaches the maximum value, that is, the rice cooking temperature. Furthermore, the opening / closing pattern C is a pattern in which the pressure valve 31 is opened after a predetermined number of times of opening / closing, and the closing time is the shortest.

  These opening / closing patterns are selected during sweetness, stickiness, and hardness control (see FIG. 7). The opening / closing pattern control is performed by operating the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 by the control device 24.

  Further, the cutting temperature is controlled at the end of the boiling maintenance process III, and the additional cooking time is controlled in the steaming process IV, which will be described later in detail.

  Next, “discerning” cooking rice displayed on the display panel in the cooking rice menu will be described. This discerning rice cooker classifies the taste preferences of the user into a plurality of levels, and further classifies the classified taste preferences into a plurality of levels so that the user can select a predetermined one from these categories and levels when cooking rice. ing. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining taste preference categories and levels.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (a), user taste preferences are divided into three categories of rice sweetness, stickiness, and hardness, and each of these categories is subdivided into five levels.

  Among these, the sweetness is classified into five levels: level 5 sweet, level 4 slightly sweet, level 3 normal, level 2 sweetness moderate, and level 1 sweetness moderate. These levels are determined by the glucose and sucrose values (mg / 100 g of dried rice) of the cooked rice. A liquid chromatograph is used for this measurement.

  The stickiness is divided into five levels: level 5 stickiness, level 4 stickiness, level 3 normal, level 2 lightening, and level 1 lightening. This level division is determined by the adhesiveness (N · mm) value. A rheometer is used for this measurement.

  Further, the hardness is divided into five levels: level 5 hard, level 4 slightly hard, level 3 normal, level 2 slightly soft, and level 1 soft. This level division is determined by the value of hardness (N). A rheometer is also used for this measurement.

  The five levels of sweetness, stickiness, and hardness are selected and combined when cooking carefully. FIG. 6B shows this combination pattern.

  When this sweetness, stickiness, and hardness are each divided into five levels and combined, they can be represented by a regular tetragonal cube as shown in FIG. That is, in FIG. 6B, in the three-dimensional coordinate axes X, Y, and Z, the X axis is sweet, the Y axis is firm, the Z axis is sticky, and the X, Y, and Z axes are 1 to 5 Plotted by level. And the three-digit number in this figure represents a combination of sweetness, hardness, and stickiness. Of these three-digit numbers, the third digit is sticky, the second digit is sweet, and the first digit is hardness. Yes. For example, a three-digit number “115” has a hardness level of 5, a stickiness level of 1, and a sweetness level of 1. The rice cooked by this cooking pattern “115” has less sweetness and stickiness and is a hard rice, so-called hard rice. It becomes light rice. The reverse is the pattern of the number “551”. Therefore, when the taste preference is divided into three categories of sweetness, stickiness and hardness, and further divided into five levels, the total of these combinations is 125, and rice can be cooked with these 125 rice cooking patterns.

  The 125 cooking methods are performed by setting the water absorption temperature and water absorption time in the rice cooking process, the boiling maintenance power, the control of the number of times of opening and closing the valve, the cutting temperature at the time of additional cooking, and the like to predetermined values.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the relationship between sweetness, stickiness, and hardness, the water absorption temperature, the water absorption time, and the boiling maintenance power. As shown in FIG. 7, the sweetness, stickiness, and hardness are controlled by setting the water absorption temperature, the boiling maintenance power, the water absorption temperature, and the like to predetermined values for each level 1-5. Hereinafter, the relationship between the water absorption temperature, the boiling maintenance power, the water absorption temperature, and the like, and the sweetness, stickiness, and hardness control will be mainly described with reference to FIG.

The water absorption temperature T (° C.) is the water absorption temperature in the water absorption process, and the temperatures a _{1 to} a ₅ are set for the sweetness levels 1 to 5, respectively, and these values are related to other stickiness and hardness. The weight w _a is attached. These temperatures a _{1 to} a ₅ are based on the level 3 (normal) temperature a ₃ , the temperatures a ₁ and a ₂ at levels ₁ and ₂ are low, and the temperatures a ₄ and a _{5 at} levels 4 and ₅ are High. Further, for the stickiness levels 1 to 5, temperatures b _{1 to} b ₅ are set, respectively, and these values are given _a weight wa in relation to other sweetness and hardness. These temperatures _b 1 ~b _5, the level 3 (usually) on the basis of the level 1 and 2 ₁ are high, levels 4 and 5 are lowered. Further, for the hardness levels 1 to 5, temperatures c _{1 to} c ₅ are set, respectively, and these values are weighted w _{c in} relation to other sweetness and stickiness. These temperatures c _{1 to} c ₅ are based on level 3 (usually), levels 1 and 2 are high, and levels 4 and 5 are low.

The sum of these sweetness weights _{w a,} stickiness weights _{w b,} and hardness weights _{w c} is 100%, the relationship _is as _{w b> w c> w a} . From this relationship, the water absorption temperature contributes most to stickiness, and the degree of contribution is in the order of hardness and sweetness, and the water absorption rate of the rice changes depending on the water absorption temperature, and as a result, the stickiness when cooked is controlled. Will be.

Boiling maintaining power P is a power supplied to heat maintain the cooking of the pot boiling in the boiling maintain step, for the sweetness level 1-5, respectively power d ₁ to d ₅ These values are weighted w _d in relation to other stickiness and hardness. These electric powers d _{1 to} d ₅ are set so that levels 1 and 2 are high and levels 4 and 5 are low with reference to level 3 (usually). Further, with respect to the viscosity level 1-5, are respectively set power e ₁ to e _5, these values, the weight w _e is attached to another sweetness, and hardness associated. These electric powers e _{1 to} e ₅ are set so that levels 1 and 2 are high and levels 4 and 5 are low with reference to level 3 (usually). Furthermore, with respect to the hardness levels 1-5 are set each power f ₁ ~f _5, these values are given a weight w _f associated other sweet taste, and stickiness. These electric powers f _{1 to} f ₅ are set such that levels 1 and 2 are high and levels 4 and 5 are low, with reference to level 3 (usually).

The sum of the sweetness weights _{w d,} stickiness weight _{w e,} and hardness weights _{w f} is 100%, these relationships _are as _{w d> w f> w e} . From this relationship, boiling maintenance power contributes most to sweetness, and the degree of contribution is in the order of hardness and stickiness. Therefore, when the boiling maintenance power is changed, the time during which the cooked rice is boiling changes, and the degree of sweetness can be controlled by the length of the boiling time. That is, when the boiling time is lengthened, the sweetness increases, and when it is shortened, the sweetness decreases.

The opening / closing V of the valve indicates the opening / closing pattern of the pressure valve in the boiling maintenance process, and the opening / closing patterns A to C (see FIG. 5) are set for the sweetness levels 1 to 5, respectively. Is weighted w ₁ in relation to other stickiness and hardness. Moreover, even for sticky level 1-5, are set similarly each opening pattern A through C, these patterns are other sweet, the weight w ₂ with hardness and associated attached. Furthermore, even for the hardness levels 1-5 are respectively opened and closed A~C setting these values, the weight w ₃ are attached to other sweetness, and hardness associated.

The total value of the sweetness weight w ₁ , stickiness weight w ₂ , and hardness weight w ₃ is 100%, and the relationship between them is w ₃ > w ₂ > w ₁ . From this relationship, in the opening and closing of the valve, the difference in the opening and closing pattern, that is, the length of the valve closing time contributes most to the hardness, and the degree of contribution is in the order of stickiness and sweetness.

The cutting temperature CT is the rice cutting temperature at which the boiling maintenance power is cut in a state where the water in the pan is depleted and heated in the rice cooking process, and for the sweetness levels 1 to 5, the cutting temperature g ₁ ˜g ₅ is set, and these values are weighted w _g in relation to other stickiness and hardness. These cut-off temperatures are low for levels 1 and 2 and high for levels 4 and 5 with reference to level 3 (usually). Further, with respect to the viscosity level 1-5, are set switching temperature h ₁ to h _5, these values, other sticky, weights w _h is attached in relation to the hardness. These cut-off temperatures are high for levels 1 and 2 and low for levels 4 and 5 with reference to level 3 (usually). Further, the cutting temperatures i _{1 to} i ₅ are set for the hardness levels 1 to ₅ , and these values are weighted w _i in relation to other stickiness and hardness. These cut-off temperatures are low for levels 1 and 2 and high for levels 4 and 5 with reference to level 3 (usually).

The total value of the sweetness weight w _g , stickiness weight w _h and hardness weight w _i is 100%, and the relationship between them is w _g > w _h > w _i . From this relationship, the cutting temperature contributes most to sweetness, and the degree of contribution is in the order of hardness and stickiness. Therefore, this cutting temperature is effective as a factor for controlling sweetness. The cutting temperature can be controlled by changing the temperature. As a result, if the cutting temperature is high, the scent is abundant and fragrant.

The additional cooking CO is the additional cooking time in the steaming process (see FIG. 5), and for the sweetness levels 1 to 5, additional cooking times j _{1 to} j ₅ are set, and these values are the other stickiness. The weight w _j is attached in relation to the hardness. These additional cooking times are based on level 3 (usually), levels 1 and 2 are low, and levels 4 and 5 are high. Moreover, additional cooking times k _{1 to} k ₅ are set for stickiness levels 1 to ₅ , and these values are given a weight w _k in relation to other stickiness and hardness. These additional cooking times are based on level 3 (usually), levels 1 and 2 are low, and levels 4 and 5 are high. Furthermore, additional cooking times m _{1 to} m ₅ are set for the hardness levels 1 to ₅ , and these values are given a weight w _m in relation to other stickiness and hardness. These additional cooking times are based on level 3 (usually), levels 1 and 2 are low, and levels 4 and 5 are high.

The total value of the sweetness weight w _j , stickiness weight w _k , and hardness weight w _m is 100%, and the relationship between them is w _j > w _m > w _k . From this relationship, the additional cooking time contributes most to sweetness, and the degree of contribution is in the order of hardness and stickiness. Therefore, this additional cooking time is effective as a factor controlling sweetness.

In addition, the water absorption time H, the n ₁ ~n ₅ each time is set for the sweetness level 1-5, these values, other sticky, are labeled with the weights w _n by hardness and related. In these times n _{1 to} n ₅ , levels 1 and 2 are short and levels 4 and 5 are long, based on level 3 (usually). For stickiness levels 1 to 5, times o _{1 to} o ₅ are set, and these values are given weights w _{o in} relation to other sweetness and hardness. In these times o _{1 to} o ₅ , levels 1 and 2 are short and levels 4 and 5 are long with reference to level 3 (usually). Furthermore, also be set p ₁ ~p ₅ each time against hardness levels 1-5, these values are weight w _p is given in connection with other sweet and sticky. In these times p _{1 to} p ₅ , level 1 is long and levels 4 and 5 are short with reference to level 3 (usually).

The total value of the sweetness weight w _n , stickiness weight w _o , and hardness weight w _p is 100%, and the relationship between them is w _p > w _n > w _o . From this relationship, the water absorption time contributes most to the hardness, and the contribution is in the order of sweetness and stickiness. Therefore, the hardness can be controlled by the length of the water absorption time. That is, when the water absorption time is lengthened, it becomes soft, and when it is shortened, it becomes hard.

  The control of sweetness, stickiness and hardness is performed by setting the above water absorption temperature, boiling maintenance power, water absorption temperature, etc. to predetermined values for each level 1 to 5, and based on these values below. Some examples of rice cooking patterns will be described.

For example, when the rice cooking pattern “115” is selected, in order to execute this rice cooking pattern, the control device calculates the water absorption temperature T ₁₁₅ , the boiling maintenance power P ₁₁₅ , the water absorption temperature H ₁₁₅ , and the like of this pattern as follows: Respectively. That is,
Water absorption temperature T ₁₁₅ = a ₁ × w _a + b ₁ × w _b + c ₅ × w _c (Equation 1)
Boiling maintaining power _{P 115 = d 1 × w d} + e 1 × w e + f 5 × w f ···· ( Equation 2)
Valve opening / closing V ₁₁₅ = C × w ₁ + C × w ₂ + C × w ₃ (formula 3)
Cutting temperature CT ₁₁₅ = g ₁ × w _g + h ₁ × w _h + i ₅ × w _i (formula 4)
Additional cooking CO ₁₁₅ = j ₁ × w _j + k ₁ × w _k + m ₅ × w _m (formula 5)
Water absorption time H ₁₁₅ = n ₁ × w _n + o ₁ × w _o + p ₁ × w _p (formula 6)
Are calculated respectively.

From this calculation result, rice cooking of the rice cooking pattern “115” is performed based on the water absorption temperature T ₁₁₅ , the boiling maintenance power P ₁₁₅ , the water absorption temperature H ₁₁₅ , and the like. By this cooking pattern “115”, the cooked rice has less sweetness and stickiness, and becomes hard rice, so-called hard and light.

When another rice cooking pattern “551” is selected, the control device calculates a water absorption temperature T ₅₅₁ , a boiling maintenance power P ₅₅₁ , a water absorption time H _{551, and the} like. Wherein in this case is similar to the above (Formula 1) to (6), for example, water temperature _{T 551 is, a 5 × w a + b} 5 × w b + c 1 × w c, boiling maintain power _{P 551} is _{d 5 × w d + e 5} × w e + f 1 × w f, water time _{H 551} is a _{j 5 × w j + k 5} × w k + m 1 × w m, the opening and closing _{V 511} of the valve in the same manner, switching Temperature _CT511 and additional cooking _CO551 are calculated. And based on this calculation result, rice cooking of the rice cooking pattern "551" is performed.

  Next, the rice cooking process by the rice cooking menu of this rice cooker is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. Various kinds of rice cooking menus are displayed on the display panel, and two of them, namely, the white rice / standard rice cooking menu and the sticking rice cooking menu will be described below.

  First, with reference to FIG. 8, the rice cooking process which performs a white rice and a standard menu is demonstrated.

  First, at the start of cooking rice, the pan 7 into which a predetermined amount of water and white rice has been charged by the user is accommodated in the inner case 4, and the lid 10 is closed (S101). Next, a rice cooking menu is selected by the display operation unit 30 (S102). Here, when the standard rice cooking menu is selected (S103), a high frequency current is applied to the heating means 5 attached to the outer bottom wall and the outer wall of the inner case 4, and an eddy current is generated in the pan 7, which is the pan. Is heated and heating of the cooked rice is started (S104a).

  Next, the control device 24 operates the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 to move the ball 16 to forcibly open the pressure valve 13 (S105a), and the water absorption process I is executed (S106a). When the water absorption step I is started, a water absorption timer (not shown) starts measuring the water absorption time T1 (S107a), and then the pan bottom temperature sensor 6 measures the pan bottom temperature K1 (S108a). The measurement of the pan bottom temperature K1 is performed until it reaches a predetermined temperature. When it is confirmed that the pan bottom temperature has reached a predetermined value, for example, 55 ° C. (S109a), the heating amount of the heating means 5 is controlled by the control device 24. The water absorption time is measured while keeping the cooked rice at a predetermined temperature (S110a). This water absorption step I is continued for a preset water absorption time T1, for example, 10 minutes.

  When the set water absorption time T1 (10 minutes) elapses (S111a), the process proceeds to the start-up heating process II (S112a). In the start-up heating step II, the heating means 5 is fully heated (full power heating) so that it becomes a boiling state in a short time, and the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is operated by the control device 24 to pull back the plunger 19a. Then, the pressure valve 13 is closed by the ball 16. That is, the ball 16 rolls onto the valve hole 14 by its own weight, closes the valve hole 14, and closes the pressure valve 14 (S113a). In this state, the pressure in the pan 7 is increased until the pressure rises to a pressure at which the ball 16 can be pushed up through the valve hole 14. Therefore, the pressure in the pan at this time can be determined as appropriate by setting the weight of the ball 16 and the size of the valve hole 14.

  In the start-up heating process II, the steam temperature K2 is measured by the steam temperature sensor 23 (S114a). And when this steam temperature K2 reaches predetermined temperature, for example, 75 degreeC (S115a), it will become the temperature which a to-be-cooked rice causes a boiling phenomenon, and the start-up heating process II is complete | finished. The pressure in the pan at this time is controlled by the pressure valve 13 and becomes a predetermined pressure equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, about 1.2 atm. And the boiling maintenance process III is started (S116).

  If it transfers to the boiling maintenance process III, as shown in FIG. 9, the pressure in the pan 7 will become the predetermined pressure more than atmospheric pressure, ie, about 1.2 atmospheres, and a to-be-cooked rice is saturated corresponding to this pressurized pressure. Boils at temperature.

  In addition, when the boiling maintenance process III is started, the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is immediately operated by the control device 24 to move the ball 16 to forcibly open the pressure valve 13 (S117). During this opening operation, heating of the heating means 5 is stopped (S118), and the forced opening operation of the pressure valve 13 is continued for a predetermined time, for example, 4 seconds (S119). By this forced opening operation, the pressure in the pressurized state in the pan 7 is reduced to near atmospheric pressure.

  Thus, in the boiling maintenance process III, when the pressure in the pan 7 is reduced from the pressurized boiling pressure (about 1.2 atm) to near atmospheric pressure at once, the inside of the pan 7 becomes a severe bumping state. In this bumping state, bubbles are generated in the pan, and the cooked rice is stirred by the bubbles. As a result, the cooked rice is heated uniformly and cooked.

  The predetermined time for forcibly opening the pressure valve 13 is set to such a time that the pressure in the pan 7 returns to substantially atmospheric pressure (ie, about 4 seconds) by the first forcible opening operation of the pressure valve 13. Yes. By setting the time for forcibly opening the pressure valve 13 in this way, the maximum agitation energy can be obtained. When the pressure valve 13 is forcibly opened for the predetermined time (4 seconds), the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is operated to close the pressure valve again (S120), and the pressure valve 13 is heated again for a predetermined time, for example, 28 seconds. (S121, S122). In addition, this heating time (28 seconds) is time required for the pressure in the pan 7 to recover to the above-mentioned predetermined pressure (about 1.2 atmospheres) in the pressurized state. This time is obtained experimentally in advance.

  The forced opening of the pressure valve 13 by the pressure valve opening mechanism is repeated a plurality of times, for example, six times (S133). In addition, if time passes in the boiling process shown to S121, S122, the residual water amount in the pan 7 will reduce, a pressure fluctuation range will become small, and a bumping phenomenon will become weak. For this reason, forcibly opening the pressure valve 13 is effective when concentrated in the initial stage of the boiling maintenance process III.

  When the operation of opening the pressure valve 13 a plurality of times is finished, the forced opening of the pressure valve 13 by the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is stopped, and the pressure valve 13 is closed (S134). And the heating by the heating means 5 is continued (S135), and the pan bottom temperature K3 is measured (S136). Then, when the pan bottom temperature K3 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example, 130 ° C. (S137), it is determined that the water in the pan 7 has dried up and the forced dry-up has ended, so the heating action by the heating means 5 is stopped (S138). .

  Subsequently, the steaming step IV is started, and first, the steaming step 1 is started, and the timing of the steaming time T2 is started (S139). When the predetermined steaming time T2 elapses for a predetermined time, for example, 4 minutes (S140), the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 forcibly opens the pressure valve 13 (S141), and the process proceeds to the additional cooking step. If it enters into this additional cooking process, while reheating with the heating means 5, the water adhering to the surface of rice will be evaporated, and the additional cooking (reheating) time T3 will be measured (S142). And when predetermined | prescribed additional cooking time T3, for example, 3 minutes, (S143) passes, the heating operation by the heating means 5 will be stopped, it will transfer to the steaming process 2, and the steaming time T4 will be timed (S144). And when steaming time T4 passes for a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes (S145), rice cooking is complete | finished (S146), it transfers to a heat retention process (S147), and a standard rice cooking process is complete | finished.

  Next, with reference to FIG.8 and FIGS.10-12, the rice cooking process which performs a sticking rice cooking menu is demonstrated.

  First, as in the case of selecting the white rice / standard menu, the pan 7 filled with the rice to be cooked and water is set in the inner case 4 (S101), and when the sticking rice menu is selected as the rice cooking course (S102, S103) Then, the setting process for the preference setting is executed (S200).

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the commitment setting process. As shown in FIG. 12, when the preference setting process is executed, first, the setting value previously set as the preference setting is read and stored (S201), and this setting value is set as the default display on the display panel 31. A setting screen is displayed (S202). Here, when the rice cooking start button 32a is pressed (S203), the control device 24 recognizes that the rice is cooked at the set value that has already been stored and displayed, and corresponds to the sticking set value. Numerical values corresponding to (Expression 1) to (Expression 6) are calculated by condition calculation means (not shown), rice cooking is started (S204), and the sticking setting process is completed.

  When one of the cross shift keys 33 is pressed when the preference setting screen is displayed (S202), the preference setting value is changed. Specifically, when the up / down direction key of the cross-shift key 33 is pressed (S205), the selection operation for each parameter of sweetness, stickiness and hardness can be performed (S206), and when the left / right direction key is pressed (S206). (S207) The setting value of the parameter selected by the up / down direction key can be changed (S208). When the change of the sticking setting value is completed, the rice cooking start button 32a is pressed (S209). Then, on the side of the travel apparatus 24, the changed setting value is stored in a storage device (not shown) (S210) so that it can be displayed as default in the next setting process. The numerical values as shown in (Expression 1) to (Expression 6) corresponding to the selected setting value are calculated by the condition calculating means (not shown), and the rice cooking is started.

  In other words, the user-selected set value is selected every time the set value is changed so that it can be cooked with the same numerical value during subsequent rice cooking. Work can be omitted. In the above, the stored setting value is displayed on the setting screen as a default display. However, the present invention is not limited to such a method. For example, a plurality of stored setting values can be stored, and the user can set the setting value. It is good also as reading suitably.

  When the sticking setting process is completed, the control device 24 starts the rice cooking process. When the rice cooking process is started, a high frequency current is applied to the heating means 5 attached to the outer bottom wall and the outer wall of the inner case 4, an eddy current is generated in the pan 7, the pan is heated, and the cooked rice is cooked. The heating of the object is started (S104b). Next, the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is operated by the control device 24 to move the ball 16 to forcibly open the pressure valve 13 (S105b), and the water absorption step I is executed (S106b). When this water absorption process I is started, a water absorption timer (not shown) starts measuring the water absorption time T1 (S107b), and then the pan bottom temperature sensor 6 measures the pan bottom temperature K1 (S108b). The measurement of the pan bottom temperature K1 is performed until a predetermined temperature is reached, but this temperature is determined using the formula shown in the above (Formula 1) with reference to the sticky setting value set when the sticky setting process is performed. Calculated. When it is confirmed that the pot bottom temperature has reached the water absorption temperature T (S109b), the controller 24 controls the heating amount of the heating means 5 to keep the cooked rice at a predetermined temperature (S110b), while measuring the water absorption time T1. Will continue. This water absorption step I is performed for a water absorption time T1 calculated in advance using a preset water absorption time T1, specifically, the equation shown in (Equation 6).

  When the set water absorption time H elapses (S111b), the process proceeds to the start-up heating process II (S112b). In the start-up heating step II, the heating means 5 is fully heated (full power heating) so that it becomes a boiling state in a short time, and the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is operated by the control device 24 to pull back the plunger 19a. Then, the pressure valve 14 is closed by the ball 16. That is, the ball 16 rolls on the valve hole 14 by its own weight, closes the valve hole 14, and closes the pressure valve 14 (S113b). In this state, the pressure in the pan 7 is increased until the pressure rises to a pressure at which the ball 16 can be pushed up through the valve hole 14. Therefore, the pressure in the pan at this time can be determined as appropriate by setting the weight of the ball 16 and the size of the valve hole 14.

  In the start-up heating process II, the steam temperature K2 is measured by the steam temperature sensor 23 (S114b). And when this steam temperature K2 reaches predetermined temperature, for example, 75 degreeC (S115b), it will become the temperature which a to-be-cooked rice causes a boiling phenomenon, and the start-up heating process II is complete | finished. The pressure in the pan at this time is controlled by the pressure valve 13 and becomes a predetermined pressure equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, about 1.2 atm. And the boiling maintenance process III shown in FIG. 10 is started (S151).

  If it transfers to the boiling maintenance process III, as shown in FIG. 10, the pressure in the pan 7 will become the predetermined pressure more than atmospheric pressure, ie, about 1.2 atmospheres, and a to-be-cooked rice is saturated corresponding to this pressurized pressure. Boils at temperature. In addition, the electric power supplied at this time is the boiling maintenance electric power P calculated using the formula shown in (Formula 3). The boiling maintenance power P varies the boiling time.

  In addition, when the boiling maintenance process III is started, the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is immediately operated by the control device 24 to move the ball 16 to forcibly open the pressure valve 13 (S152). During this opening operation, heating of the heating means 5 is stopped (S153), and the forced opening operation of the pressure valve 13 is continued for a predetermined time, for example, 4 seconds (S154). By this forced opening operation, the pressure in the pressurized state in the pan 7 is reduced to near atmospheric pressure.

  Thus, in the boiling maintenance process III, when the pressure in the pan 7 is reduced from the pressurized boiling pressure (about 1.2 atm) to near atmospheric pressure at once, the inside of the pan 7 becomes a severe bumping state. In this bumping state, bubbles are generated in the pan, and the cooked rice is stirred by the bubbles. As a result, the cooked rice is heated uniformly and cooked.

  The predetermined time for forcibly opening the pressure valve 13 is set to such a time that the pressure in the pan 7 returns to substantially atmospheric pressure (ie, about 4 seconds) by the first forcible opening operation of the pressure valve 13. Yes. By setting the time for forcibly opening the pressure valve 13 in this way, the maximum agitation energy can be obtained. When the pressure valve 13 is forcibly opened for the predetermined time (4 seconds), the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is operated to close the pressure valve again (S155), and the pressure valve 13 is heated again for a predetermined time, for example, 28 seconds. (S156, S157). In addition, this heating time (28 seconds) is time required for the pressure in the pan 7 to recover to the aforementioned predetermined pressure (about 1.2 atmospheres). This time is obtained experimentally in advance.

  The forced opening of the pressure valve 13 by the pressure valve opening mechanism is repeated a plurality of times, for example, six times. At this time, if the valve opening / closing V calculated using the equation shown in (Equation 2) is the opening / closing pattern C due to the preference setting (S158), it is detected whether the pressure valve opening / closing has already been performed five times (S159). ) When the operation has already been performed, the pressure valve is opened (S160), and the process proceeds to S162 and thereafter. Further, when the valve opening / closing V is not the opening / closing pattern C, it is detected whether or not the pressure valve opening / closing has been performed six times (S161), and if it has been performed, the process proceeds to S162, and if not, The above processing is continued until 6 times are reached. In addition, if time passes in the boiling process shown to S156, S157, the residual water amount in the pan 7 will reduce, a pressure fluctuation range will become small, and a bumping phenomenon will become weak. For this reason, forcibly opening the pressure valve 13 is effective when concentrated in the initial stage of the boiling maintenance process III.

  When the operation of opening the pressure valve 13 a plurality of times is finished, the forced opening of the pressure valve 13 by the pressure valve opening mechanism 18 is stopped. And the heating by the heating means 5 is continued (S162), and the pan bottom temperature K3 is measured (S163). When the pan bottom temperature K3 reaches the predetermined temperature, specifically, the cut temperature CT calculated by the equation shown in (Equation 4) (S164), it is determined that the water in the pan 7 has dried up and the forced dry-up has ended. Therefore, the heating action by the heating means 5 is stopped (S165).

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, it is detected whether or not the valve opening / closing V calculated using the equation shown in (Equation 2) is the opening / closing pattern B (S166). The pressure valve is opened (S167). Then, the steaming process IV is started, first, the steaming process 1 is started, and the steaming time T2 is started (S168). When the predetermined steaming time T2 elapses for a predetermined time, for example, 4 minutes (S169), it is detected whether or not the valve opening / closing V calculated using the equation shown in (Equation 2) is the opening / closing pattern A (S170). In the case of the opening / closing pattern A, the pressure valve is opened (S171), and the process proceeds to the additional cooking step. If it enters into this additional cooking process, while reheating with the heating means 5, the water adhering to the surface of rice will be evaporated, and the additional cooking (reheating) time T3 will be measured (S172). Then, when a predetermined additional cooking time T3, specifically, additional cooking (time) CO calculated by the equation shown in (Equation 5) has elapsed (S173), the heating operation by the heating means 5 is stopped, and the process proceeds to the steaming step 2 Then, the steaming time T4 is counted (S174). Then, when the steaming time T4 elapses for a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes (S175), the rice cooking is finished (S176), the process proceeds to the heat retaining process (S177), and the sticking rice cooking process is finished.

  As described above, according to the rice cooker of the present invention, the user can easily input his / her favorite rice by inputting the sweetness, stickiness, hardness, etc. displayed on the display panel in different levels. It is possible to provide a rice cooker that can cook rice that can be cooked by operation, and that can sufficiently cook even a user who is strong in taste.

  In this embodiment, the taste preference is divided into sweetness, stickiness, and hardness, and each is further divided into five levels. However, the taste preference may be further subdivided and further subdivided. Furthermore, other taste preferences, for example, taste preferences such as aroma, umami, elasticity, gloss, etc., may be subdivided and subdivided.

  Moreover, although the pressure in a pan was adjusted with the pressure valve and this pressure valve opening mechanism, you may comprise by the pressure type which does not provide such a mechanism.

1 shows a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a front view, FIG. 1 (b) is an enlarged view of a display portion of FIG. 1 (a), FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view in which the outer case of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 is omitted, 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the pressure valve opening mechanism of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a plurality of modified examples of the special rice cooking setting screen displayed on the display panel. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the rice cooking process of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 (a) is an explanatory diagram for explaining taste preference categories and levels, FIG. 6 (b) is a diagram showing a combination pattern of each level of sweetness, stickiness and hardness, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between sweetness, stickiness and hardness, water absorption temperature / water absorption time, and boiling maintenance power, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the rice cooking process of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the rice cooking process of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the rice cooking process of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the rice cooking process of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a change process of the preference setting process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker 2 Main body 3 Box-shaped outer case 3a Front wall 4 Inner case 5 Heating means 6 Pan bottom temperature sensor 7 Pan 10 Lid body 11 Inner lid 12 Outer lid 13 Pressure valve 14 Valve hole 15 Valve seat 16 Ball 17 Cover 18 Pressure valve Opening mechanism 19a Cylinder 19b Plunger 20 operating rod 21 Steam port 22 Safety valve 24 Control device 30 Display operation unit 31 Display panels 32a to 32f Operation button 33 Cross-shift key

Claims (8)

A rice cooker body having a pan into which the cooked rice is put, an opening in which the pan is accommodated, and a heating means for heating the cooked rice in the pan, a display panel for displaying various rice cooking menus, and various settings An operation means for performing a change and the like, and a control device for performing a predetermined rice cooking process,
According to the rice cooking menu, the control device controls the heating means to absorb a predetermined amount of water in the cooked rice in the pan, and raises the temperature until the absorbed cooked rice is boiled. In a rice cooker that performs a rice cooking process including a rising heating process for heating, a boiling maintaining process for maintaining the cooked rice in a boiling state, and a steaming process for steaming the cooked food after the boiling maintaining process,
Display means for displaying on the display panel a discerning rice menu screen that can divide the taste preferences of the user at the time of cooking the cooked rice into a plurality of levels, and input the classified taste preferences in a plurality of levels.
Condition calculating means for calculating rice cooking conditions in the rice cooking process according to the category and level set by the operation means on the sticking rice cooking menu screen,
The rice cooking process is controlled based on the rice cooking conditions calculated by the condition calculating means, and the plurality of taste preferences are set to the water absorption temperature / time in the water absorption process and the boiling maintenance power in the boiling maintenance process for each level. Each set to a predetermined value, and based on the value corresponding to each level of the set taste preference, the water condition temperature / time and the boiling maintenance power are calculated by the condition calculation means, respectively, and the rice cooking process is based on these calculated values. Rice cooker characterized by being controlled . For the plurality of taste preferences, the cut temperature in the boiling maintenance step and the additional cooking temperature in the steaming step are set to predetermined values for each level, and values corresponding to the set taste preference levels. The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the rice cooking step is controlled by the calculated value by calculating the condition by the condition calculating means. A pan into which the cooked rice is charged, an opening in which the pan is accommodated, a rice cooker body having heating means for heating the cooked rice in the pan, a lid for closing the opening of the body, and the lid A pressure valve that is attached to the body and adjusts the internal pressure in the pan, a pressure valve opening mechanism that controls the pressure valve, a display panel that displays various rice cooking menus, an operation means that changes various settings, and the like, A control device that performs a predetermined rice cooking process, and according to the rice cooking menu by the control device,
A water absorption step of controlling the heating means to absorb a predetermined amount of water in the cooked rice in the pan, a rising heating step of heating the water-absorbed cooked rice until boiling, and the cooked rice In a rice cooker that performs a rice cooking process including a boiling maintenance process for maintaining an object in a boiling state, and a steaming process for steaming the cooked rice after the boiling maintenance process,
The control device classifies the user's taste preferences when cooking the cooked rice into a plurality of items, and displays on the display panel a sticky rice menu screen that can be input by classifying the classified taste preferences into a plurality of levels. Means, and condition calculation means for calculating rice cooking conditions in the rice cooking process according to the category and level set by the operation means on the sticking rice menu screen,
The rice cooking process is controlled based on the rice cooking conditions calculated by the condition calculating means , and the plurality of taste preferences are set to the water absorption temperature / time in the water absorption process and the boiling maintenance power in the boiling maintenance process for each level. Each set to a predetermined value, and based on the value corresponding to each level of the set taste preference, the water condition temperature / time and the boiling maintenance power are calculated by the condition calculation means, respectively, and the rice cooking process is based on these calculated values. cooker, wherein Rukoto but controlled. The plurality of taste preferences are weighted for each of the water absorption temperature / time and the boiling maintenance power, respectively, and a value corresponding to the set taste preference level is multiplied by the weight to obtain the water absorption temperature / time and boiling. The rice cooker according to claim 3 , wherein the maintenance power is calculated by the condition calculation unit. The plurality of taste preferences further set an opening / closing pattern of the pressure valve in the boiling maintenance step for each level, and the condition calculating means sets an opening / closing pattern corresponding to each level of the set taste preference. The rice cooker according to claim 3 , wherein the rice cooking process is controlled by selection. The plurality of taste preferences weights the open / close pattern, and the condition calculation means selects the open / close pattern by multiplying the set taste preference level by the weight. 5. The rice cooker according to 5 . For the plurality of taste preferences, the cut temperature in the boiling maintenance step and the additional cooking temperature in the steaming step are set to predetermined values for each level, and values corresponding to the set taste preference levels. The rice cooker according to claim 3 , wherein the rice cooking step is controlled by the calculated value by calculating the condition using the condition calculating means. The plurality of taste preferences are weighted to the cutting temperature and the additional cooking temperature, and the set taste preference level is multiplied by the weight to calculate the cutting temperature and the additional cooking temperature by the condition calculation means. The rice cooker according to claim 7 , wherein:

Images