JP4722145B2 - Steam recovery cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam recovery cooker that recovers steam generated by cooking such as rice cooking, and more particularly to water level detection in a water tank that stores recovered water.

  In a conventional rice cooker, “a cooker body, a pan that is detachably stored in the cooker body, a lid that covers the cooker body in an openable and closable manner, and a steam hole provided in the lid An inner lid disposed between the lid body and the pan and attached to the lid body, a blowout hole for blowing out a tongue provided in the inner lid, a steam hole of the lid body, and the wiper An annular ring disposed between the outlet hole, and a convex portion provided on the lower surface of the lid so as to abut the upper wall portion of the annular ring and close the gap between the outlet hole and the vapor hole; The convex portion is removed at a portion located on the opposite side of the vapor hole with the central portion of the lid body as the center, and a gap portion that is not closed between the annular ring wall and the like is provided (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2-305518 (page 1-2, FIG. 1)

  In a rice cooker having a conventional configuration, steam generated during rice cooking is discharged from the steam hole to the outside of the rice cooker, so that steam condenses around the cooker and the wall surface and ceiling are contaminated.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. The steam recovery cooking is provided with a water level detecting means capable of condensing and storing the generated steam and detecting the water level of the stored water. A container is provided.

Vapor recovery cooker according to the present invention is detachably attached to the cooker, to recover the generated steam, a water tank to store and condensed by water, it is installed in a detachable manner from the water tank comprises a water level detecting means for detecting the water level of the water tank, and a judgment control means for the water level sensing means for controlling the operation of the cooker based on a water level detected, the water level sensing means, the water tank A float that moves up and down according to the water level, a first magnet and a second magnet provided in the float, and an outer side of the water tank that is turned on and off by the approach and isolation of the first magnet. A first magnetic sensor for detecting the water level and a second magnetic sensor which is provided outside the water tank and detects the water level by turning on and off by the approach and isolation of the second magnet. And detecting at least a minimum water level corresponding to a minimum amount of water required in the water tank and a full water level corresponding to a full water to prevent water from overflowing from the water tank when performing steam recovery. And when the water level detected by the water level detection means has reached the full water level, the determination control means performs notification for prompting drainage of the water tank and is detected by the water level detection means. When the water level does not reach the minimum water level, a notification is made to promote water supply to the water tank .

  Since the steam recovery cooker of this invention can detect the water level of the water tank in which the recovered steam is stored as water, the operation of the cooker can be controlled according to the amount of stored water.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the main part of a cooking device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In Embodiment 1, a case where the cooking device is a rice cooker will be described as an example.
In FIG. 1, a rice cooker 2 is detachably housed inside a main body 1 of the rice cooker having an open top, and the upper portion of the rice cooker 2 is covered with a lid 3. An inner lid 4 is detachably attached to the lid 3. On the bottom surface of the main body 1, a heating body 5 for heating the rice cooker 2 is provided.
A steam pipe 6 is disposed inside the lid 3, and one end of the steam pipe 6 is connected to the inside of the rice cooker 2 through the inner lid 4, and the other end is connected to the water tank 7. That is, the rice cooker 2 and the water tank 7 communicate with each other through the steam pipe 6.
The water tank 7 is a container provided in the main body 1 for storing water. As means for detecting the water level in the water tank 7, magnetic sensors 8a and 8b and a float 12 are used as main components. The water level detecting means is provided. The details of the water level detection means will be described later.
Moreover, the determination control means 11 which controls the cooking operation | movement of a rice cooker is provided in the bottom part of the main body 1, This determination control means 11 is the heating body 5, magnetic sensor 8a, 8b, the operation means which is not shown in figure, It is connected to the notification means. The determination control means 11 performs heating control of the heating body 5 according to the water level detected by the water level detection means.

The operation | movement outline | summary of the rice cooker comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated.
The user puts rice and water into the rice cooker 2 and closes the lid 3 and operates an operation means such as an operation switch (not shown) to instruct the start of rice cooking. When rice cooking is started, the heating body 5 controlled by the determination control means 11 heats rice and water via the rice cooking pot 2.
At the time of rice cooking, the inner lid 4 is pressed against the rice cooker 2 by the lid 3, and water vapor generated from the inside of the rice cooker 2 by heating is guided to the water tank 7 through the steam pipe 6.
The water tank 7 stores in advance water above a certain level, and the steam pipe 6 is in contact with one end of the water. The steam guided to the water tank 7 through the steam pipe 6 comes into contact with the water in the water tank 7, the temperature decreases, and condensation occurs, so that the steam changes to water. The steam that has become water is stored in the water tank 7 as recovered water 9. Although it depends on the amount of cooked rice, the amount of the steam generated by one cooked rice is recovered as water is about 50 to 100 mL.
Therefore, when cooking rice, the water depth in the water tank 7 increases. For example, when the bottom surface of the water tank 7 is a rectangle of 20 cm × 5 cm and the bottom area is 100 m ² , the water depth of the water tank 7 is increased by about 0.5 to 1 cm by one rice cooking.

An outline of water level detection of the water in the water tank 7 collected as described above will be described.
2 to 4 are sectional views of the water tank 7 and elements in the vicinity thereof as seen from the side, and are conceptual diagrams showing the configuration and mechanism of water level detection.
2-4, 10a and 10b shown with a dotted line or a solid line show the water level to detect virtually, and are called the minimum water level 10a and the full water level 10b, respectively. The full water level 10a indicates a full water position just before water overflows from the water tank 7, and the minimum water level 10b indicates the minimum water level required for cooling the steam.
2 to 4 show the state of the water tank 7 when the water levels are different. FIG. 2 shows a case where the water level is between 10a and 10b, FIG. 3 shows a case where the water level is 10b, and FIG. This is the case of 10a.

2 to 4, magnetic sensors 8 a and 8 b are sensors that are connected to the above-described determination control means 11 and have a function of changing output depending on whether or not a magnetic field is detected. For example, High is output when a magnetic field is detected, and Low is output in other cases.
The magnetic sensors 8 a and 8 b are provided on the main body 1, and the magnetic sensor 8 a is positioned near the top surface of the water tank 7, and the magnetic sensor 8 b is positioned near the bottom surface of the water tank 7. Arranged in configuration. A signal processing circuit (not shown) of the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b is also provided in the main body 1, and the water tank 7 is arranged in a configuration that does not perform connection or assembly of parts.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the water tank 7 and its lid 7a.
The water tank 7 is a container that can store water and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an upper opening. Since the water level detecting means according to the first embodiment uses magnetism, it is made of a non-magnetic material such as plastic so as not to affect the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b.
The upper opening of the water tank 7 is covered with a lid 7 a made of a non-magnetic material such as plastic as with the water tank 7. A float shaft 14 is fixed to the center position of the lid 7a, and the float shaft 14 is attached to the water tank 7 together with the lid 7a so as to be positioned in the vertical direction inside the water tank 7. The lid 7a is provided with a hole for allowing the steam pipe 6 to pass through, and the steam is guided into the water tank 7 through the steam pipe 6 passing through the hole. The steam pipe 6a shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 shows only the portion of the pipe 6 located in the water tank 7.
The float shaft 14 has a cylindrical shape that is substantially the same height as the water tank 7, and penetrates the center of the float 12 as a guide shaft for the float 12.
FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the float 12, the float shaft 14, and the through holes of the steam pipe 6 when the lid 7 a of the water tank 7 is viewed from above. As shown in the figure, the float 12 is fixed at the center position of the cross section of the water tank 7.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic view when the water tank 7 is removed from the main body 1. In the figure, the water tank 7 shown by a solid line is the water tank 7 after removal, and the dotted line shows the water tank 7 attached to the main body 1. As described above, since the water tank 7 is not connected or assembled, the water tank 7 can be easily detached from the main body 1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the float 12.
The float 12 is made of a material that floats in the water of the water tank 7 and has a hollow cylindrical magnet 13 shown in FIG. 8 embedded therein. As shown in FIG. 7, the magnets 13 are provided at a total of two places, the upper part and the lower part of the float 12. The hollow portion of the magnet 13 passes through the float shaft 14 similarly to the float 12. Details of the shapes of the float 12 and the magnet 13 will be described later.

  Although details of the water level detection according to the first embodiment will be described later, generally speaking, the float 12 in which the magnets 13a and 13b are embedded moves up and down on the float shaft 14 with the change in the water level, and the magnet 13a. And 13b are performed by changing the outputs of the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b under the influence of the magnetic force of 13b. Since the float 12 detects the water level of the water tank 7, it floats in the water. Since steam is blown into the water tank 7 through the steam pipe 6 with a certain amount of momentum, the float 12 needs to have a structure that can detect the water level correctly without being affected by the steam. For example, when the float 12 is made of a material having a small specific gravity, the float 12 can be small because it needs to float on the surface of the water, so that the float 12 can be miniaturized, but is affected by the momentum of the steam blown by the steam pipe 6, In some cases, the water level cannot be detected normally due to the fact that the float 12 shakes greatly. On the contrary, when the float 12 is made of a material having a large specific gravity so as not to be affected by the momentum of steam, the volume of the float 12 must be increased in order to obtain a large buoyancy for rising. Therefore, the water tank 7 and the cooker body 1 must be enlarged.

  Accordingly, the float 12 is required to be made of a material having a specific gravity that can float stably even when steam is blown, and to have a shape that can make the water tank 7 as small as possible. Therefore, a float shape that can reduce the size of the water tank 7 is obtained by increasing the diameter and decreasing the height of the lower portion of the water surface. In the first embodiment, an example will be described in which the shape of the float is a shape in which two hollow cylinders having different diameters are concentrically connected to each other as shown in FIG. Both hollow cylinders are configured such that the outer diameter of the lower hollow cylinder is larger than the outer diameter of the upper hollow cylinder.

Hereinafter, the relationship among the water tank 7, the float 12, the magnet 13, the float shaft 14, and the detected water level will be described.
The meanings of the symbols used in the following description are as follows.
φD1: Diameter of the float shaft 14 φD2: Diameter of the upper part of the float 12 φD3: Diameter of the lower part of the float 12 φD4: Inner diameter of the magnet 13 φD5: Outer diameter of the magnet 13 Y: Height of the magnet 13 Lx: Inner diameter of the water tank 7 )
Ly: Inside diameter of water tank 7 (horizontal)
Lz: inner diameter of water tank 7 (height)
H: Float 12 height N: Float 12 upper height S: Float 12 lower height L: Water height at the time of minimum water injection Vmin: Minimum water volume Vmax: Full water volume ρp: Specific gravity of float 12 ρM: Magnet 13 specific gravity

FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of the water tank 7 when water is stored up to the full water level 10a. Since it is in the state of the full water level 10a, the water tank 7 is in a state where water of the full water amount Vmax is injected.
At this time, the difference in the water level between the lowest water level 10b and the full water level 10a is equal to the increased water volume from the lowest water volume Vmin to the full water volume Vmax divided by the cross-sectional area of the water tank 7, so the increased water volume is 1) It can obtain | require by Formula.
Vmax−Vmin = (tank cross-sectional area 1) × (full water level 10a−minimum water level 10b) (1) equation where (tank cross-sectional area 1) refers to the area of the hatched portion in FIG. It is a cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction at the position of the float shaft 14 of the water tank 7. (Tank cross-sectional area 1) can be obtained in the following manner.
(Tank cross section 1) = (Water tank 7 bottom area) − (Float shaft 14 cross section)
= (Lx × Ly) - ( π × φD1 2/4) ··· (2) equation also a (full level 10a- lowest level 10b), the height H of the float 12 from a height Lz of the water tank 7 Since it is equal to the subtraction (FIG. 9), equation (1) can be rewritten as follows.
Vmax-Vmin = (Lx × Ly -π × φD1 2/4) × (Lz-H) ··· (3) formula

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the water tank 7 when water is stored up to the lowest water level 10b. Since it is in the state of the minimum water level 10b, the water tank 7 is in a state where water of the minimum water amount Vmin is injected. At this time, the weight and buoyancy of the float 12 are just balanced, and the lower bottom surface of the float 12 is in contact with the bottom surface of the water tank 7. Therefore, the value of Vmin can be obtained by the following equation.
Vmin = (tank cross section 2) × (LS) + (tank cross section 3) × S
Here, (tank cross-sectional area 2) refers to the area of the hatched portion in FIG. 12, and is the cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction at the position of the water tank 7 above the float 12. (Tank cross-sectional area 2) can be obtained in the following manner.
(Tank cross section 2) = (Water tank 7 bottom area) − (Float shaft 14 cross section) − (Float 12 top cross section)
Further, (tank cross-sectional area 3) refers to the area of the hatched portion in FIG. 13 and is the cross-sectional area in the horizontal direction at the position below the float 12 of the water tank 7. (Tank cross-sectional area 3) can be obtained in the following manner.
(Tank cross section 3) = (Water tank 7 bottom area) − (Float shaft 14 cross section) − (Float 12 lower cross section)
From the above, the value of Vmin can be obtained by the following equation (4).
_{V min = {Lx * Ly-} π * (D2 2) -D1 2) / 4-π * D1 2/4} * (LS) + (Lx * Ly-π * (D3 2 -D1 2) / 4) ^{-π * D1 2/4} *} S ··· (4) formula

The weight of the float 12 can be obtained by the following equation.
(Float 12 weight)
= {π * D3 ² -D1 ² ) / 4 * (HN) + π * (D2 ² -D1 ² ) / 4 * N-π * (D5 ² -D4 ² ) / 4 * Y * 2} * ρp + { π * (D5 ² -D4 ² ) / 4 * Y * 2} * ρM
Here, when the specific gravity of water is 1, the weight of the float 12 is equal to the volume of the float below the water surface. Therefore, the following equation holds.
(Float 12 weight) = {(float 12 upper cross-sectional area) × (LS)} + (float 12 lower cross-sectional area) × S
From this equation, the following equation can be obtained.
(Float 12 weight)
= {π * D3 ² -D1 ² ) / 4 * (HN) + π * (D2 ² -D1 ² ) / 4 * N-π * (D5 ² -D4 ² ) / 4 * Y * 2} * ρp + { π * (D5 ² -D4 ² ) / 4 * Y * 2} * ρM
= {π * (D2 ² -D1 ² ) / 4} * (LS) + {π * (D3 ² -D1 ² ) / 4} * S (5) Equations (4) and (5) Is solved for (LS) and (S), the following relational expression is derived.

Here, symbols A to F in the equation (6) represent the following equations, respectively.
A = Lx * Ly-π * (D2 2 -D1 2) / 4-π * D1 2/4
B = Lx * LY-π * (D3 2 -D1 2) / 4-π * D1 2/4
C = {π * (D3 ² -D2 ² ) / 4} ρp
D = {π * (D2 ² -D1 ² ) / 4 * H} * ρp + {π * (D5 ² -D4 ² ) / 4 * Y * 2} * (ρM-ρp)
E = π * (D2 ² -D1 ² ) / 4
F = π * (D3 ² -D1 ² ) / 4

From the above, if the shape of the water tank 7 (Lx, Ly, Lz), the material (ρp, ρM), and the amount of water (Vmin, Vmax) according to the size of the cooker body 1 are given, the float height from the equation (3) H can be determined.
For example, assume that the following conditions are set.
φD1: 1.2 cm, φD2: 3 cm, φD4: 1.4 cm, φD5: 2 cm, Y: 0.5 cm, Lx: 25.45 cm, Ly: 9.4 cm, Lz: 5.9 cm, Vmin: 500 cc, Vmax: 1200 cc, ρp: 0.85, ρM: 4.67
In this case, FIG. 14 shows a relationship between the height S of the lower float and the height L-S of the upper float when the lower float diameter φD3 is used as a parameter. From these combinations, the height of the upper part and the lower part of the float 12 may be selected so as to have an appropriate size in consideration of the tank shape and the like. In this case, the height H of the entire float 12 can be obtained as 2.94 cm from the equation (3).

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the magnetic sensor 8.
The magnetic sensor 8 includes a reed switch 40, a resistor 44, and a voltage control unit 45 that is connected to the determination control unit 11 and operates according to an instruction from the determination control unit 11.
FIG. 16 shows the configuration of the reed switch 40. The reed switch 40 is configured by sealing a ferromagnetic lead 41a and a ferromagnetic lead 41b with a glass tube. Here, when an external magnetic field is applied, the ferromagnetic lead 41a and the ferromagnetic lead 41b are magnetized and the contact portion 43 is closed, whereby the magnetic field can be detected.

  In the magnetic sensor 8 having the above configuration, when a water level detection instruction is issued from the determination control means 11, the switch constituting the voltage control means 45 is turned ON, and a voltage of 5 V, for example, is applied to the reed switch 40 via the resistor 44 To do. The reed switch 40 to which the voltage is applied tries to detect the magnetic field of the magnet 13 embedded in the float 12. When the magnetic field is not detected, the contact 43 of the reed switch 40 is open, and a voltage of 5V is sent to the determination control means 11. When a magnetic field is detected, the contact 43 is closed and a current of 0 V is sent to the determination control means.

  In this way, the voltage control means 45 that operates according to the instruction from the determination control means 11 is provided, and the voltage is applied to the reed switch 40 only when the water level is detected, so that the terminal of the contact 43 of the reed switch is prevented from being worn. be able to. For example, when the voltage control means 45 is not provided and a coil is used as the heating means 5, a strong magnetic field is generated by energizing the coil. If the water level is to be detected in this state, the reed switch 40 detects the magnetic field from the heating means 5 and repeats ON / OFF to vibrate. Since the ON / OFF operation is repeated in a state where a voltage is applied to both ends of the contact 43, the contact 43 is worn, and in some cases, the contact 43 is disconnected. Such terminal wear can be prevented by providing voltage control means 45 that can apply a voltage to the reed switch 40 only when the water level is detected.

The operation of detecting the water level of the recovered water 9 by the water tank 7 and the water level detection means configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an internal cross section of the water tank 7 in a state where water is stored up to the lowest water level 10b, and is a state where the float 12 is just floating. FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the internal cross section of the water tank 7 in the state of the full water level 10 a, in which the float 12 floats and is in contact with the upper surface of the water tank 7.

The float 12 in the water tank 7 moves up and down according to the float shaft 14 according to the water level, and two types of water level detection are performed by the magnet 13a or 13b in the float 12 approaching the magnetic sensor 8a or 8b.
The first water level is referred to as the full water level 10a, and indicates the amount of water at which the water tank 7 becomes full.
When the full water level 10a is not reached, the float 12 is separated from the magnetic sensor 8a, and the magnetic sensor 8a outputs Low. As the water level rises, the float 12 rises. When the water level reaches the full water level 10a, the float 12 comes into contact with the upper surface of the water tank 7, and the magnetic sensor 8a outputs High due to the proximity of the magnet 13a in the float 12.
In this way, it is possible to detect whether or not the water level has reached the full water level 10a.

The second water level is referred to as the lowest water level 10b, and indicates the amount of water required in the water tank 7 to recover the generated steam as water. When there is a water storage amount exceeding the lowest water level 10b, the steam guided into the water tank 7 can be efficiently converted into water.
When the minimum water amount is 10 b or less, the float 12 is in contact with the bottom surface of the water tank 7. Since the magnet 13b in the float 12 is close to the magnetic sensor 8b, the magnetic sensor 8b outputs High at this time. When the minimum water amount 10b is exceeded, the float 12 rises and the magnet 13 moves away from the magnetic sensor 8b, and the magnetic sensor 8b outputs Low.
In this way, it is possible to detect the water level whether or not the minimum water level 10b is exceeded.

The outputs of the magnetic sensors 8a and 8b are transmitted to the determination control means 11. The determination control means 11 performs operation control of the rice cooker based on the output result of the magnetic sensor.
Magnetic sensors 8a outputs a Low, and, If the magnetic sensor 8b outputs a Low, i.e., it does not reach the full water level 10a, and, if that exceeds the minimum water level 10b is the start of cooking Since it is in a suitable state, rice cooking is started.
When the magnetic sensor 8a outputs High and the magnetic sensor 8b outputs Low, that is, when the water is full, the rice cooking is stopped, and the display or voice is used to prompt the user to drain the water. Notification. This is because when the rice is cooked in a full water state, the recovered steam may cause water to overflow from the water tank 7.
When the magnetic sensor 8a outputs Low and the magnetic sensor 8b outputs High, that is, when the amount of water does not reach the minimum water level 10b, the rice cooking is stopped and the user is prompted to supply water. Informs by display or voice. This is because when steam recovery is attempted in a state where the minimum water level 10b has not been reached, the efficiency of converting steam into water is low, and steam may leak out of the water tank 7. Here, the water supplied to the water tank 7 may be general tap water or the like.
If the magnetic sensor 8a outputs High and the magnetic sensor 8b also outputs High, it means that some abnormality has occurred, so the display to stop cooking rice and prompt the user to check Notification by voice or voice.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the magnetic sensor 8 is provided in the water tank 7 without connection or assembly of parts, the water tank 7 can be easily detached from the cooker body. It has become. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the heavy cooker main body 1 to the sink to drain and supply water, and only the light water tank 7 can be easily removed and moved to the sink to allow drainage and water supply for easy maintenance. An environment can be provided to the user.
Moreover, since there is no connection in the water tank 7, the trouble of disconnecting the connection when removing the water tank 7 can be saved, and an operation failure due to forgetting to attach components or the like during assembly is not caused.

  In addition, since two types of water levels can be detected by the two magnets and the magnetic sensor, both the full water level and the minimum water level can be detected. Also, two kinds of water levels, the full water level and the minimum water level, are detected, and the judgment control means 11 performs operation control of the rice cooker and notification to the user by a combination of the respective output signals, which is necessary for steam recovery. It has become possible to prevent rice cooking from starting in a state where the amount of water is less than a certain amount of water, and more reliable and efficient steam recovery has become possible. In addition, even when the water level reaches the full water level, the cooking operation is restricted and the user is notified, so that a cooker that can safely recover steam without overflowing water can be obtained. it can. Furthermore, since a combination of detection signals that cannot occur is determined to be abnormal, it is possible to determine abnormality of the water level detecting means 8 and the water tank 7, and steam recovery can be performed more reliably and safely. You can get a cooker.

In addition, the float shape is a shape in which two hollow cylinders with different diameters are concentrically connected with a small diameter up, so that the shape of the lower part of the float surface is small and the diameter is large. It is possible to detect a minimum water level smaller than that of a cylindrical float.
Specifically, as described above, when steam is collected, steam is also sprayed on the float in the water tank, so if a float using a material with a low specific gravity is used, the float will float due to the force of the sprayed steam. The position of the water is not stable and the water level may not be detected correctly. Therefore, it is necessary to configure the float using a material having a certain specific gravity. As a result, in order to obtain buoyancy, the float must be enlarged, which leads to an increase in the size of the water tank and the entire cooker.
According to the float shape described in the first embodiment, it is possible to detect a lower minimum water level as compared with a cylindrical float. Therefore, when the same water tank is used, a cylindrical float is used. Since the difference between the minimum water level and the full water level is larger than when using, it is possible to store more water. That is, the water tank can be reduced in size.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 17, the float is arranged so as to be positioned at the center of the water tank, so that the water level can be detected even when the water tank is tilted.
FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of the water tank 7 and the water surface when the water tank 7 is tilted. Even when the water tank 7 is tilted, the float 12 follows the float shaft 14, so the parallel positional relationship between the upper surface and the bottom surface of the water tank 7 does not change. Since the amount of water 9a moved by the inclination of the water tank 7 is equal to the amount of water 9b, the water level can be detected correctly even when the water tank 7 is inclined.

  In addition, since the voltage control means is provided in the magnetic sensor, and the voltage is applied to the reed switch only when the water level is detected, it is possible to prevent the terminal of the contact of the reed switch from being worn.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 19 shows the configuration of the cooking device according to the second embodiment. Since the basic configuration is the same as that in FIG. 1 of the first embodiment described above, only the different parts are given numbers in FIG.
In the second embodiment, a case where the heating element 5a is an IH cooker configured with a coil or the like will be described as an example. When the heating body 5a is constituted by a coil or the like, a strong magnetic field is generated from the heating body 5a during the cooking operation. Therefore, even if the magnetic sensor 8 attempts to detect the water level due to the proximity of the magnet 13, the water level may not be detected due to the magnetic force of the heating element 5a. In the second embodiment, this problem is solved.

In the above configuration, the operation of the cooking device will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 20, when the user turns on the power of the main body 1 (S20), the determination control means 11 turns off the energization of the heating element 5a (S21), and performs water level detection (S22). The determination control means 11 determines whether or not the water level is in the specified water level (S23). If the water level is not in the specified water level, the cooking operation is stopped (S24) and an error is notified (S25). Here, the specified water level means that the water level is suitable for starting cooking, and is a water level state that is smaller than the full water level 10a and larger than the lowest water level 10b.
If the water level is at the specified level, energization of the heating element 5a is turned on (S26). And if a fixed detection period passes (S27), the energization of the heating body 5a will once be turned off again (S21), and the water level of the recovered water 9 increased during the cooking operation will be detected (S22). Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the water level is at the specified level (S23). Thereafter, the energization of the heating element 5a is turned on (S26) or the cooking operation is stopped (S24). If cooking is completed before the detection period elapses (S28), the cooking operation is terminated (S29).
That is, after turning on the power, the energization of the heating element 5a is turned off at a predetermined cycle to detect the water level, and it is determined whether or not cooking is continued each time.

  As described above, since the heating unit is turned off during the water level detection to stop the operation of the cooking device, the water level is accurately detected without being affected by the magnetic force of the heating body 5a during the water level detection. can do. In addition, since the water level is detected at a predetermined cycle, for example, a steam recovery cooker that can prevent water from overflowing from a water tank even when cooking for a long time or when a large amount of steam is generated is obtained. be able to.

  In addition, in this Embodiment 2, although the example which performs a water level detection according to a detection period was demonstrated, if control which stops electricity supply of a heating body and stops operation | movement of a cooker at the time of a water level detection is performed, a detection period There is no limitation on the length or the detection timing. For example, it is not always necessary to detect the water level at a constant detection cycle, and the water level may be detected at an arbitrary timing such as detecting the water level at a fixed timing.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, an example in which the water level at which the water tank 7 is full is detected as the full water level 10a has been described. However, in the third embodiment, the amount of water is smaller by one cooking than the full water state. An example of detecting a state (water level 10c, see FIG. 21) will be described.
In FIG. 21, the block diagram of the rice cooker which concerns on this Embodiment 3 is shown. Since the basic configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, the following description will focus on differences.

The float shape used in the third embodiment is obtained by the above-described equations (1) to (6) as in the first embodiment. At this time, the float shape is determined using Vmax as a value obtained by subtracting the amount of water expected to be generated in one cooking from the amount of full water, not the amount of full water. For example, when the full water amount is 1200 cc and the amount of water expected to be generated once is 100 cc, the float shape is determined with Vmax being 1100 cc.
Using the float 12 having such a configuration, the water level is detected in the same manner as the detection operation described in the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, two water levels of the lowest water level 10b and the water level 10c are detected.

The operation of the cooking device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 22, when the user turns on the power of the main body 1 (S30), the determination control means 11 acquires the water level from the magnetic sensor 8 (S31), and determines whether or not it is in the specified water level (S32). Here, the specified water level means that the water level is suitable for the start of cooking, and is a water level state smaller than the water level 10c and larger than the lowest water level 10b.
If the water level is at the specified level, energization of the heating element 5a is turned on (S33), and the cooking operation is started (S35). If the specified water level is not reached, an error is notified to the user to drain or inject water by means of a display means or a buzzer (S34).

  As described above, since the water level that is less than the full water level is detected only once for cooking and the water level is exceeded, cooking is not performed, so even if the water level is detected only once before the start of cooking, It is possible to obtain an easy-to-use cooker that does not overflow water during cooking or stop cooking on the way.

  In addition, in this Embodiment 3, although the example which performs water level detection only before the cooking start and controls the presence or absence of a heating was demonstrated, as shown in Embodiment 2, you may perform water level detection periodically. In addition, the water level may be detected at an arbitrary timing.

In the first to third embodiments, the example in which two types of water levels are detected has been described. However, one type of water level may be detected. For example, when it is desired to detect only the full water level, as shown in FIG. 23, only one magnetic sensor is provided on the upper surface of the water tank 7, and only the water level 10 can be detected by the proximity of the magnet 13 above the float 12.
Further, by increasing the number of floats 12 and magnetic sensors 8, three or more types of water levels may be detected. For example, it is possible to notify the full water level by detecting a water level that is a predetermined amount less than the full water level, or to detect several types of water levels in stages and display the water level using a display means. Can be provided.

In the above description, the float 12 has been described with respect to an example in which two hollow cylinders having different diameters are stacked. However, three or more hollow cylinders may be stacked.
Furthermore, the upper volume may be small and the lower volume may be large, such as a cone or a trapezoid. If the size of each part of the water tank 7, the float 12, the magnet 13, and the float shaft 14 is obtained as in the first embodiment, the same effect can be obtained.

  Moreover, the water level detection method according to the present invention can be applied to various devices that perform water level detection in addition to water level detection in a water tank of a cooking device. For example, in home appliances, the present invention can also be applied to water level detection in a dehumidifier or a water tank of a humidifier.

It is sectional drawing of the steam collection | recovery cooking appliance which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the water level detection which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the water level detection which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the water level detection which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the component used for the water tank 7 and water level detection of FIG. It is explanatory drawing at the time of removing the water tank 7 of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the float 12 of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the magnet 13 of FIGS. It is explanatory drawing in the water tank 7 at the time of the full water level detection which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing in the water tank 7 at the time of the minimum water level detection which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the tank cross-sectional area 1 which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the tank cross-sectional area 2 which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the tank cross-sectional area 3 which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the correlation with the lower diameter of the float 12, and the whole height which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the magnetic sensor 8 of FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing details of a reed switch 40 constituting the magnetic sensor 8. It is a schematic diagram at the time of seeing the water tank 7 from the upper surface which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing when the water tank 7 inclines which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the steam collection | recovery cooking appliance which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart regarding the heating body energization control of the steam collection cooking appliance which shows Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the steam recovery cooking appliance which shows Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart regarding the heating body energization control of the steam recovery cooking appliance which shows Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the steam collection | recovery cooking appliance which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body, 2 Rice cooker, 3 Lid body, 4 Inner lid, 5, 5a Heating body, 6 Steam pipe, 7 Water tank, 7a Lid, 8, 8a, 8b Magnetic sensor, 9 Recovered water, 10 Detection water level, 10a Full water Position, 10b minimum water level, 11 judgment control means, 12 float, 13, 13a, 13b magnet, 14 float shaft, 40 reed switch, 41 ferromagnetic lead, 42 glass tube, 43 contact point, 44 resistance, 45 voltage control means.

Claims (8)

Detachably mounted on the cooker, to recover the generated steam, a water tank to store and condensed by water,
It is installed in a manner separable from the water tank, and a water level detection means for detecting the water level of the water tank;
Determination control means for controlling the operation of the cooker based on the water level detected by the water level detection means,
The water level detecting means is
A float that moves up and down according to the water level in the water tank;
A first magnet and a second magnet provided in the float;
A first magnetic sensor that is provided outside the water tank and detects the water level by turning on and off by the approach and isolation of the first magnet;
A second magnetic sensor that is provided outside the water tank and detects the water level by turning on and off by the approach and isolation of the second magnet;
When steam recovery is performed, at least a minimum water level corresponding to a minimum amount of water required in the water tank and a full water level corresponding to a full water to prevent water from overflowing from the water tank are detected.
The determination control means, when the water level detected by the water level detection means has reached the full water level, performs a notification for encouraging drainage of the water tank, and the water level detected by the water level detection means When the minimum water level is not reached , the steam recovery cooker is characterized in that a notification is provided to promote water supply to the water tank . The magnetic sensor according to claim 1 vapor recovery cooker, wherein the provided configuration is not performed-seating of connections and components to the water tank. 3. The steam recovery according to claim 1, wherein the float has a shape in which two or more hollow cylinders having different diameters are concentrically connected vertically with a small diameter facing up. 4. Cooking device. The float, vapor recovery cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that arranged at the center of the water tank section. It said water level sensing means, vapor recovery cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that to detect the water level before the start of the operation of the cooker. The steam recovery according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the water level detection means detects, as the full water level, a water level whose steam recovery water amount is one time less than a full water state of the water tank. Cooking device. The magnetic sensor has a built-in reed switch,
Only when detecting the water level, vapor recovery cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a voltage is applied to the reed switch. While the said water level detecting means is detecting the water level, vapor recovery cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that to stop the operation of the cooker.

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