JP5861026B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

  TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a rice cooker, and more specifically, in a rice cooker that causes an explosive stirring action by applying a sudden pressure reduction from a pressurized state. The present invention relates to a rice cooker that can be controlled so as not to open.

  In order to cook delicious rice, many rice cookers that apply pressure to the pan during the rice cooking process have been proposed.

  For example, in the following Patent Document 1, the method developed by the present applicant to repeatedly pressurize and depressurize during the cooking process, that is, heat is applied to the core of the rice by applying a high temperature during pressurization, and the state A rice cooker of the so-called “doodle cooking” method is disclosed in which rice is agitated by explosive convection caused by rapid decompression from the rice and the heat is evenly passed. In this rice cooking method, rice is cooked at, for example, 1.2 atm and 105 ° C. at the time of pressurization, and is suddenly depressurized to 1 atm at the time of depressurization, depending on the food to be cooked. Then, in the case of rice, heat and moisture penetrate to the core of the rice during pressurization to extract sweetness and stickiness, and during decompression, bumping occurs and the rice is stirred from the bottom of the pan, so the water absorption of rice Is promoted, and the rice is turned into α from the core, and it is heated uniformly to the center of the pan by stirring, so that the rice can be cooked plumply.

  In this way, in this type of rice cooker, when the water stored in the pan in which the rice is to be cooked is suddenly decompressed from the state of being heated and pressurized during rice cooking, it boils all at once and causes intense thermal convection. It is said that this boiling heat penetrates into the rice and brings out the deliciousness, and the rice agitated with boiling water is promoted to absorb water and is α-ized from the core of each grain.

  This kind of rice cooker is equipped with a pressure valve that closes the steam passage so that it is located in the steam passage that communicates the pan provided on the lid with the outside air, and the pressure inside the pan is higher than the atmospheric pressure. There are some that can be pressurized. However, in such a pressurized rice cooker, when the lid is configured to be openable in a state where the inside of the pan is pressurized, if the lid of the rice cooker is accidentally opened during pressurization, the lid There is a risk that it may be released vigorously or the boiled steam may be ejected. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a mechanism for preventing the lid from being opened during pressurization, including the momentary pressure reduction, and various devices have been devised.

  For this reason, in this type of pressure rice cooker, when the inside of the pan can be pressurized to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, the lock piece for controlling the opening of the lid body, the hook of the lid body (locking) An automatic release device is provided for disabling the movement of the mechanism) in the disengagement direction or the operation itself of the unlocking operation unit that moves the lock piece in the disengagement direction (Patent Document 2 below). reference).

  Since the pressure rice cooker of Patent Document 2 also serves as a driving member for the pressure valve of the steam passage as an operating member of the lock piece, the pressure valve closes the inside of the pot with the pressure valve in order to balance the internal pressure of the pot with the atmospheric pressure. Immediately after releasing, the lid can be opened even though the internal pressure of the pan is higher than the atmospheric pressure.

  Moreover, in this rice cooker, the operation of a lock release operation part is made impossible by making the operation member which operates a pressure valve approach into the movement area | region of a hook (lock mechanism). Therefore, when the lid is deformed in a state where the pressure in the pan is higher than the atmospheric pressure by the pressure valve, the lock piece cannot be removed from the state sandwiched between the hooks (lock mechanism), and the pressure valve It is said that the pressure may not be released (see Patent Document 3 below).

  Therefore, in Patent Document 3, a lid locking means that enters the movement region of the hook (lock mechanism) and prevents the hook (lock mechanism) from moving in the disengagement direction is provided separately from the pressure valve opening means, When the opening means controls the pressure valve, the opening means interlocks with the lid locking means to engage the lid locking means with the hook, and when the opening means operates to open the pressure valve, the opening means is the lid. The pressure valve is opened by operating without interlocking with the locking means. By doing in this way, even if a cover body deform | transforms with the internal pressure and temperature of a pan, a pressure valve can operate | move independently and reliably, and can cancel | release pressure.

  However, the rice cooker of Patent Document 3 does not intentionally deform the lid in a state where the internal pressure of the pan is higher than the atmospheric pressure, and even if it is deformed, the opening means is surely operated. Is. Therefore, if the lid is not deformed in the state where the sealing of the steam passage by the pressure valve is released, the engagement of the lid locking means is released and the lid can be opened as in Patent Document 1. Become. In addition, it is impossible to intentionally realize a configuration in which the lid is deformed when the internal pressure of the pan reaches a predetermined pressure and the deformation is eliminated when the pressure falls below the pressure without intentionally varying from product to product.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 4, a displacement member (heart-shaped cam) of the lock operating unit is provided with a slide member that is moved from the first movement position to the second movement position by a solenoid, and the slide member is moved to the first movement position. The blocking member is operated by entering or immersing the lock member so that the lock member can be prevented from moving in the disengagement direction by the operation of the unlocking operation unit. This rice cooker is characterized by a configuration using a displacement member (heart-shaped cam) in the lock operating part, but this member is not necessarily suitable when rushing or immersing is repeated rapidly and frequently.

JP 2004-344568 A JP 2001-137110 A JP 2007-44223 A JP 2009-291241 A

  As described above, in a pressurized rice cooker that is equipped with a pressure valve that constitutes a pressure reducing mechanism and adjusts the pressure, when the inside of the rice cooker is in a pressurized state, the lid is opened to the user. It cannot be said that there is no danger of danger, and when pressurization and decompression are repeated, it is preferable to lock the lid so that the lid cannot be opened even if the unlock button of the lid is pressed. If the lock is automatically and forcibly set when the pressure valve is closed, it is more preferable because the lid is prevented from being opened by carelessness of the user, and the lid can be securely locked. It is hoped that.

  In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present application, as a result of various studies, in a rice cooker provided with a pressure valve and a pressure valve opening mechanism, provided a link mechanism between the pressure valve and the pressure valve opening mechanism, An opening restraining lock member for the lid locking mechanism is provided adjacent to the link mechanism, and the opening restraining lock member is operated with a delay time even when the link mechanism is actuated during decompression. In this case, it has been found that the lock of the lid body can be continued by the opening restraining lock member with a simple configuration, and the present invention has been completed.

  In other words, the present invention is a rice cooker equipped with a pressure valve and a pressure valve opening mechanism. When the inside of the rice cooker is in a pressurized state, the lid is not unlocked, and the rice is highly safe. The purpose is to provide a vessel.

In order to achieve the above object, a rice cooker according to claim 1 of the present application comprises a pot for storing a rice to be cooked containing water and rice, an opening for housing the pot, and a rice to be cooked in the pot. A rice cooker main body having a heating means for heating and a control means for controlling the heating means, a lid for closing the opening of the pan and the rice cooker main body, and the lid is locked to the rice cooker main body and locked. A lid locking mechanism for releasing, a steam passage provided in the lid for communicating the inside of the pan and the outside air, a pressure valve for communicating or blocking the steam passage, and the pressure valve being forcibly opened In a rice cooker having a pressure valve opening mechanism for making the inside of the pan pressurized to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, the unlocking of the lid lock mechanism is suppressed separately from the pressure valve opening mechanism An opening suppression mechanism is provided, and the opening suppression machine Operation, and suppresses opening suppress locking member to release the locking of the lid lock mechanism by engaging with the lid locking mechanism, the open engaged to suppress locking member, said opening suppression locking member by the load A swing cam, and when the operation of the pressure valve starts, the pressure valve opening mechanism engages the opening suppression lock member in conjunction with the opening suppression lock member, When the pressure valve opening mechanism operates to open the pressure valve, the pressure valve opening mechanism operates without interlocking with the opening suppression lock member, and the release suppression lock member is restored by the load of the swing cam and the The release restraining lock member is disengaged from the lid lock mechanism.

  The invention of claim 2 is the rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the pressure valve opening mechanism is a plunger that can be moved by electrical or mechanical means, and a link for transmitting movement of the plunger. A mechanism and an actuating member actuated by movement of the plunger transmitted from the link mechanism, the actuating member is arranged adjacent to the opening suppression mechanism, and the actuating member includes the An operating shaft for opening the pressure valve and a lock member pressing portion for pressing the release restraining lock member are formed, and when the pressure valve is closed by the operation of the operating member, the operation of the operating member is performed. Accordingly, the lock member pressing portion moves the opening suppression lock member so as to suppress unlocking of the lid lock mechanism, and the pressure valve is opened by the movement of the operating member. And time, and moving said opening suppression locking member with the movement of the actuating member as the locking of the lid locking mechanism by the operation of the swing cam is released.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the rice cooker according to the second aspect, wherein the link mechanism is formed by a link bar having a substantially central portion pivotally supported by the lid, and penetrates at both ends of the link bar. A hole is formed, one of the through holes is movably connected to the end of the plunger, and the other through hole is connected to the actuating member, and the link bar of the link bar is centered on a pivotal support portion. It is characterized by being rotated.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the third aspect, a moving member capable of following the movement of the plunger is provided at an end of the plunger, and the one through hole of the link bar is provided. Is movably connected to the moving member.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the first aspect, the opening suppression mechanism has a guide member that holds the opening suppression lock member movably, and the swing cam pivots on the guide member. The release restraining lock member is guided by the guide member, has an opening restraining projection at a tip portion, and has a cam projection engaged with the swing cam at the other end portion.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the fifth aspect, the swing cam has a concave portion that engages with the cam projection, and a shaft for pivotally supporting the guide member. Features.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein the swing cam is pivotally supported by the cam projection and pivotally supported by the guide member. Rice cooker according to item.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the rice cooker according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the swing cam is provided with a weight plate.

  By providing the above configuration, the present invention has the following excellent effects.

  That is, according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present application, the release suppression lock member for suppressing the unlocking of the lid lock mechanism is provided separately from the pressure valve release mechanism, and the pressure is When the valve opening mechanism is interlocked with the opening restraining lock member to engage the opening restraining lock member with the lid locking mechanism and the pressure valve opening mechanism is operated to open the pressure valve, the pressure valve opening mechanism is opened. The release restraining lock member is restored by the load of the swing cam and is disengaged from the lid lock mechanism so that the inside of the pan is in a pressurized state. At the same time as the actuating member moves, the actuating member pushes the release restraining lock member so that the lock of the lid locking mechanism is not released, and the lid is prevented from being opened when the rice cooker is in a pressurized state. If you can Moni, when the pressurization and depressurization for agitating repeating the return actuating member and the moving frequently can provide a secure cooker can be controlled so as not to open the lid of the cooker. In order to cook delicious rice, if the number of times of decompression is small, sufficient stirring effect cannot be obtained, so it is necessary to repeat the decompression many times, but when the pressurization and decompression are repeated, the lid cannot be opened. A rice cooker that can be locked is obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the pressure valve opening mechanism includes a movable plunger, a link mechanism for transmitting the movement of the plunger, and an operating member operated by the movement of the transmitted plunger. An opening restraining lock mechanism is disposed adjacent to the actuating member so as to be movable by the guide member and restrains the unlocking of the lid lock mechanism, and the opening restraining lock member is pivoted to the guide member. The supported swing cam is engaged, and the operating member is formed with an operating shaft for operating the opening / closing mechanism of the pressure valve and a lock member pressing portion for pressing the lock member. When the pressure valve is closed by moving the lock member, the lock member pressing part moves the release restraining lock member so as to suppress the unlocking of the lid lock mechanism as the actuating member moves, and the actuating member is moved. When the pressure valve is opened by this, the mechanism has a mechanism for moving the opening restraining lock member so that the lock of the lid lock mechanism is released by the operation of the swing cam as the operating member moves. Thus, it is possible to provide a safe rice cooker that can be controlled so that the lid of the rice cooker does not open at the time of pressurization and depressurization for stirring in which the operation member frequently moves and returns.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the link mechanism is formed by a link bar having a substantially central portion pivotally supported by the lid, and through holes are formed at both ends of the link bar, respectively, and one through hole is a plunger. The other through hole and the other through hole are movably connected to the actuating member and are pivoted about the pivotal support portion of the lid of the link bar, so that the link mechanism can be created with a simple structure. Can reduce the manufacturing cost of the rice cooker.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the plunger is provided with a moving member that can follow the movement of the plunger, and one through hole of the link bar is movably connected to the moving member. In addition, it is not necessary to form a part to be connected to the link mechanism in the plunger itself, and it is possible to easily design a plunger that is a precision member that is electrically or mechanically operated. Can be suppressed.

  According to the invention of claim 5, the release restraining lock member has an opening restraining projection at the tip and a cam projection that is loosely fitted to the swing cam at the other end, and the opening restraint lock member and the opening restraint lock member. By loosely fitting the cam projection of the lock member, the movement of the release suppression lock member can be smoothly controlled to guide the release suppression lock member to the original position from the lock member abutting portion of the lid lock mechanism.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the swing cam has a recess that engages with the cam projection and has a shaft for pivotally supporting the guide member. Since the restraining lock member can be engaged and the swing cam can be pivotally supported on the guide member, the assembly is simple.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the swing cam is pivotally supported by the cam projection and pivotally supported by the guide member. Since the swing cam and the release restraining lock member can reliably operate in a linked manner, and the swing cam can be pivotally supported by the guide member, the operation is smooth.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the weight of the cam is increased by attaching the weighting plate to the swing cam, the opening restraining lock member is made smooth when the lid restraining mechanism is opened. It becomes possible to return to the original position.

It is an external appearance perspective view of the rice cooker concerning one Example of this invention. It is a top view which removes the outer cover of the cover of the rice cooker concerning a present Example, and shows the internal state. It is a side view which removes a part of cover body of the rice cooker concerning a present Example, and shows the internal state. It is a perspective view which removes a part of cover body of the rice cooker concerning a present Example, and shows the internal state. It is a partially expanded view inside the cover body of the rice cooker of FIG. 4 concerning a present Example. It is a lid body top view in the state where the pressure valve and pressure valve opening mechanism of the rice cooker concerning this example are not operating. It is a partial cross section figure in the VII-VII line of FIG. 6 of the rice cooker concerning a present Example. It is a lid internal plan view which shows the operating state of the pressure valve, the pressure valve opening mechanism, and the opening suppression lock member of the rice cooker concerning a present Example. It is a partial cross section figure in the IX-IX line of FIG. 8 of the rice cooker concerning a present Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows a pressure valve. It is the perspective view which showed the cover body locking mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view of the pressure valve opening mechanism provided with the link mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a guide member, an opening suppression lock member, and a rocking cam. It is a partial cross section figure of the modification which shows the relationship between a guide member, an opening suppression lock member, and a rocking cam.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment shown below exemplifies a rice cooker for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and is not intended to specify the present invention as this rice cooker. Is equally applicable to other embodiments within the scope of the claims.

  The rice cooker 1 which concerns on the Example of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a rice cooker 1 includes a pot for containing a rice to be cooked containing water and rice, an opening for detachably storing the pot, an induction heating coil for heating the rice to be cooked in the pot, and the like. The rice cooker main body 2 having control means for controlling the heating means and the heating means to perform rice cooking and heat retention control of the cooked rice, and the lid 3 for closing the opening of the pan and the rice cooker main body 2 are provided.

  The lid 3 includes a lid locking mechanism 70 that locks and unlocks the lid 3 to the rice cooker main body 2, a steam passage that communicates the pan provided in the lid 3 and the outside air, and a steam passage A pressure valve 29 (see FIG. 10) having an opening / closing mechanism so as to make the pressure in the pan substantially constant by communicating or blocking, and forcibly opening the pressure valve 29 attached to the pressure valve 29 A pressure valve opening mechanism 30 is provided for cooking rice by pressurizing the inside of the pan to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure according to instructions from the control means.

  The control means (not shown) controls the heating amount of the heating means, and forcibly activates the pressure valve 29 for communicating or blocking the pan and the outside air so that the pressure in the pan is substantially constant, and the pressure valve 29. The pressure in the pan is controlled by controlling the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 for opening. That is, the control means is configured to change the pressure in the pan by opening the pressure valve 29 at least once by the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 during the boiling of the cooked rice. Note that control by the control means is performed by executing a program stored in the control means.

  The rice cooker body 2 has a bottomed cylindrical inner case formed of a non-metallic material that accommodates the pot therein, and an outer case that covers the inner case, and the pot is detachable in the inner case. It is to be accommodated. The inner case has a flange portion projecting to the outer periphery at the upper end thereof. The pan is formed with a flange projecting outward at the upper end opening thereof, and the flange is placed so as to hang on the flange portion of the inner case.

  In addition, on the opposite side of the flange part of the inner case, a notch part with a part cut away is formed, and a part of the pot flange protrudes from the notch part, and the pan is taken out from the inner case. It has become easier. An induction heating coil is disposed on the outer periphery near the bottom of the inner case. The inner case is provided with a side heater between the upper opening and the induction heating coil.

  In the rice cooker body 2, a control board for supplying and controlling power to the induction heating coil, the side heater, the lid heater and the like is disposed at a location close to the suction hole on the bottom surface. On the power supply control board, electronic components such as a microcomputer for controlling each process of rice cooking, an inverter made of a semiconductor element, a switching element, and a timer element are mounted. Among these electronic components, in particular, the inverter generates heat during operation, so that it is cooled by a heat sink or a cooling fan. Moreover, the temperature detection sensor is provided in the center part of the bottom part of the rice cooker main body 2 so that the bottom face of a pan may be contacted.

  In the bottom of the rice cooker body 2, an intake hole for sucking air and an exhaust hole for discharging the sucked air are formed on the left and right, and the intake hole and the exhaust hole have a predetermined width and length at the bottom. It is formed of a plurality of narrow grooves, so-called slits. A cooling fan is disposed at a position close to the intake hole, and is operated by a motor to cool the inverter with the air sucked from the intake hole.

  A front lid 7 is provided on the upper front surface of the rice cooker body 2, and the upper surface of the front lid 7 is an operation plate 23. The operation plate 23 is provided with operation buttons such as a rice cooking button, a selection and time adjustment button, a cut button, a heat retention button, a reservation button and a function button, and a display panel 24. The display panel 24 is controlled and selected. The cooked rice menu is displayed.

  The lid 3 has an outer lid 8 attached to the upper side of the frame body 9 and a lid cover 11 attached to the lower side, respectively, and an inner lid 10 (see FIG. 10) is detachably attached to the frame body 9 via the lid cover 11. It has a configuration and is attached so as to cover the upper opening of the inner case of the rice cooker body 2. In the lid 3, the frame body 9 is pivotally supported by the rice cooker main body 2 using the hinge member 15 and the pivot pin 16, and the lid 3 can open and close the upper opening of the inner case of the rice cooker main body 2. It is like that. Between the frame body 9 and the inner lid 10, a lid heater is provided so as to be covered with a lid cover 11, and a lid temperature sensor (not shown) is provided. A sensor for detecting the pressure and temperature of the pan is attached to almost the center of the inner lid 10, and a pressure valve 29 for controlling the steam pressure in the rice cooker body 2 to adjust the pressure to prevent spillage, A safety valve (not shown) that is opened when the pan is abnormally pressurized due to a valve failure or the like is released.

  The outer lid 8 is detachably mounted with a tow storage tank 27 for temporarily storing the toss to be blown out. The inside of the storage tank 27 has a multi-chamber structure provided with a separation structure from above and below to separate the steam and the rice bowl so that only the steam can pass through the steam port 27a. The rice balls accumulate in the storage tank 27 in the start-up heating process and the boiling maintenance process, and are returned from the negative pressure valve to the pot when the pressure in the pot decreases in the steaming process.

  Around the outer periphery of the inner lid 10, a pot packing that seals the flange of the pan and the inner lid is supported and attached to the outer frame 13. When a pot is accommodated in the rice cooker body 2 and the opening of the rice cooker body 2 is covered with the lid 3, the pot packing is pressed against the opening edge of the pot and the pot is closed. Further, on the pot side of the inner lid, there is attached a rice diffuser for diffusing and supplying the rice balls stored in the rice storage tank 27 (see FIG. 1) into the pot.

  The inner lid 10 of the lid 3 is made of a stainless steel material, an aluminum material, or a clad material made of both. The inner lid 10 is formed by press-molding a metal plate into a disk shape so that a step is formed between the peripheral portion and the inside, and the peripheral portion is formed of a hard plastic outside through a rubber pot packing. A frame 13 is attached. The outer frame is provided with a locking portion for mounting the inner lid. The pot packing is in close contact with the pot flange and maintains pressure by sealing the pot. The pot packing is preferably formed from silicon rubber which is excellent in durability and heat resistance.

  Further, in the inner lid 10, a steam passage 28 that communicates the pan and the outside air, and a pressure valve 29 that is operable to make the pressure in the pan substantially constant by communicating or blocking the steam passage 28. Is provided (see FIG. 10). 2 is a plan view of the inner lid 10 with the outer lid 8 removed from the lid 3, and the frame 9 is assembled in a lattice shape. A pressure valve 29 is provided near the center of the inner lid 10, and the pressure valve 29 projects into the outer lid 8 from a hole near the center of the lid cover 11.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the pressure valve 29 includes a valve seat 29b having a valve hole 29a, a metal ball 29c that is provided on the valve seat 29b and is an opening / closing mechanism that closes the valve hole 29a by its own weight, The cover 29e covers the ball 29c. The pressure valve 29 is a pressure attached to the inside of the outer lid 8 to be described later, when the ball 29c moves or moves away from the valve hole 29a due to the balance between the pressure in the pan and the weight of the ball 29c. The valve hole 29a is opened and closed by forcibly moving the ball 29c by an operating member interlocked with the operation of the solenoid 32 of the valve opening mechanism 30. Note that a seal packing is applied to a portion where the operating member of the pressure valve 29 abuts so that steam does not leak.

  The rice cooker body 2 is provided with a locking member at the upper end of the inner case near the front lid 7 on the opposite side of the hinge member 15 that couples the lid 3 so as to be openable and closable, and is formed on the locking member 12a. The lid locking mechanism 70 is provided to engage the two locking claws and the locking portion 72 formed on the lid 3, and the lid 3 can be locked in the closed position. The locking portion 72 is adapted to open and close the lid body 3 in conjunction with a lid unlocking button 75 provided on the outer lid 8 via a push button 76.

  In this embodiment, in such a rice cooker, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, an opening suppression mechanism 50 is provided, and when pressurizing, the locking member of the rice cooker body 2 and the locking portion 72 of the lid 3 During this time, even if the release restraining lock member 60 is inserted and engaged, and the lock release button 75 is pressed, the lid 3 is not opened and closed, and when the pressurization and depressurization are repeated, the lock release button of the lid Even if 75 is pressed, the lid 3 is locked so that it cannot be opened. As will be described later, an opening restraining protrusion 64 is formed on the opening restraining lock member 60, so that the lid body 3 cannot be opened and closed by contacting the lid body locking mechanism 70 during pressurization.

  The pressure valve opening mechanism 30 of the present embodiment transmits a plunger movement to a pressure valve 29 and a plunger 34 that is movable by electrical or mechanical means, for example, a plunger 34 that is a movable iron core of a solenoid 32. An operating member 43 having a link mechanism 38 provided between the plunger and the pressure valve and operated by the movement of the plunger 34 transmitted by the link mechanism 38 is provided. The actuating member 43 is formed with an actuating shaft 44 that pushes the pressure valve 29 and a lock member pressing portion 45 that pushes the opening suppression lock member 60. In addition, an opening suppression lock member 60 that is movably held by a guide member 62 is disposed adjacent to the actuating member 43 as means for suppressing unlocking of the lid lock mechanism 70. A swing cam 63 pivotally supported by the guide member 62 is engaged with the release suppression lock member 60, and the release suppression lock member 60 is an operation member when the pressure valve 29 is closed by the movement of the operation member 43. With the movement of 43, the lock member pressing portion 45 of the operating member moves the opening suppression lock member 60 so as to suppress the unlocking of the lid lock mechanism 70. Further, when the pressure valve 29 is opened by the movement of the operation member 43, the swing cam 63 moves the opening restraining lock member 60 along with the movement of the operation member 43, and the lid lock mechanism 70 is moved by the operation of the swing cam 63. Move so that the lock is released.

  That is, in the present embodiment, an opening suppression mechanism 50 for suppressing the unlocking of the lid lock mechanism 70 is provided separately from the pressure valve opening mechanism 30, and the pressure valve 29 for starting pressurized rice cooking is provided. At the start of operation, the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 is engaged with the opening suppression lock member 60 to engage the opening suppression lock member 60 with the lid lock mechanism 70. When the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 operates to open the pressure valve 29, the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 operates without interlocking with the opening suppression lock member 60, and the opening suppression lock member 60 is driven by the load of the swing cam 63. It returns and the engagement with the lid body locking mechanism 70 of the opening suppression lock member 60 is released.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 including the link mechanism 38 of the rice cooker 1 and the lid locking mechanism 70 of the lid 3 accompanying this operation will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, when the outer lid 8 of the lid 3 is removed, a lid locking mechanism 70 is provided at the front portion when FIG. 2 is viewed from the front, and a pressure valve opening mechanism provided with a link mechanism 38 at the back thereof. 30 is arranged. In addition, a pressure valve storage portion 31 in which a pressure valve 29 is stored is provided in a substantially central portion of the lid 3.

  The lid locking mechanism 70 is formed with a pair of locking portions 72 that are locked to the locking member of the rice cooker body 2 at one end, and an opening suppression locking member 60 is abutted on the opposite side. A lock member abutting portion 74 is formed. The lid lock mechanism 70 has small-diameter holes 77 formed at both ends perpendicular to the lock member contact portion 74, and the hole 77 and the hole formed in the lid 3 are pivotally supported. A rod 73 is inserted and fixed around the rod 73 so as to be rotatable. Further, when the force for releasing the lid lock mechanism 70 is not applied, the locking portion 72 is held in the locked position by an elastic body such as a spring.

  As shown in FIG. 5 which is a partially enlarged view of FIGS. 4 and 4, the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 includes a solenoid 32 stored in a solenoid cover 33, a plunger 34 movable by excitation of the solenoid 32, A moving member 36 that follows the movement of the plunger 34, a link bar 39 that is connected to the moving member 36 at one end and is pivotally supported by the lid at a substantially central portion thereof, and the other end of the link bar 39 It is comprised by the operating member 43 connected.

  That is, a through hole is formed at each end of the link bar 39, and one through hole is connected to the end of the moving member 36 that can follow the movement of the plunger 34 connected to the plunger 34, and the other. The through holes are movably connected to the actuating members 43 and can rotate within a predetermined range around a pivotal support 40 with the inner lid 10 of the link bar 39.

  The plunger 34 is disposed at the center of the solenoid 32 and is driven by exciting the solenoid 32. The solenoid 32 is housed in the solenoid cover 33 and is fixedly attached to the inner lid 10. A washer 35 is attached to the tip of the plunger 34, and a return compression spring (not shown) is interposed around the plunger 34 between the washer and the front frame of the solenoid. The moving member 36 is provided so as to move following the movement of the plunger 34, and is connected by fitting a washer 35 attached to the tip of the plunger 34 into a washer receiver of the moving member 36. The moving member 36 is formed with a loose projection 37 connected to the link mechanism 38. The loose projection 37 is provided with a turn so that it does not come off when connected.

  The link mechanism 38 is formed by a plate-like link bar 39, and the link bar 39 is formed with a pivotal support portion 40 pivotally supported by the inner lid 10 at a substantially central portion. As shown in FIG. 12, at both ends of the link bar 39, loose holes 41, which are through holes fitted with loose protrusions 37 of the moving member 36 and loose protrusions 49 of the actuating member 43 with play, respectively. A loose hole 42 is formed. The loose holes 41 and the loose holes 42 are formed larger than the loose protrusions 37 and the loose protrusions 49 to be loosened, and the loose holes 41 and the loose holes 42 are loose in the loose holes 41 and the loose holes 42. A so-called play is provided so that the mating protrusion 37 and the loose protrusion 49 can move. Since the folding protrusion 37 and the floating protrusion 49 are folded, when the link bar 39, the moving member 36, and the actuating member 43 are loosely coupled, the loose protrusion 37 and the loose protrusion 49 are aligned with the loose hole 41. And it can suppress that it removes from the loose hole 42.

  The actuating member 43 has a plate-like shape in which an actuating shaft 44 for actuating the ball 29c for opening and closing the pressure valve 29 is formed at one end, and a lock member pressing portion 45 that abuts against the opening suppression lock member 60 is formed at the other end. Is the body. On the surface of the plate-like body of the actuating member 43, a folded projection 49 is formed that is folded with the link bar 39.

  An opening suppression mechanism 50 is provided adjacent to the operation member 43. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 13, the L-shaped opening restraining lock member 60 is disposed so as to be supported by the guide member 62 and to slide along the groove 62 a of the guide member 62. The release restraining lock member 60 and the actuating member 43 are such that a lock member pressing portion 45 forming one end of the actuating member is in contact with the inside of the L-shaped tip of the open restraining lock member 60. The release restraining lock member 60 has an opening restraining projection 64 on the top surface of the tip portion and a cam projection 65 that engages with the swing cam 63 on the top surface of the other end portion. The opening restraining protrusion 64 is a portion that comes into contact with the lock member contact portion 74 of the lid lock mechanism 70.

  The swing cam 63 is a cam having a substantially water droplet shape, and a shaft 63b for pivotally supporting the guide member 62 is formed at an eccentric position, and a recess 63a that engages with a cam projection 65 on the outer peripheral portion. have. A weighting plate 66 may be fixed to the upper side of the cam to make the swing cam 63 easier to swing. Due to such a structure, the release restraining lock member 60 is arranged so that when the pressure valve 29 is opened by the movement of the operating member 43, the opening restraining lock member 60 is moved along with the movement of the operating member 43 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The load of the swing cam 63 engaged with the member 60 tries to move so as to unlock the lid lock mechanism 70.

Next, operations of the lid lock mechanism 70 and the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 will be described.
First, as shown in FIG. 6, in the state where the plunger 34 is excited and pulled into the solenoid 32, the pressure valve release mechanism 30 is not operated, so the operating shaft 44 of the operating member 43 is connected to the pressure valve 29. It is away from the ball 29c, and the ball 29c closes the valve hole 29a. Therefore, the pressure in the rice cooker 1 is increased, and is increased to 1.2 atmospheres higher than the atmospheric pressure until the pressure valve works. In this case, the inside of the rice cooker 1 is in a high pressure state, and if the lid 3 is opened by pressing down the lock release button 75, the rice cooker 1 is in a dangerous state. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the lid 3 from being opened even when the lock release button 75 is depressed in the pressurized state.

  Therefore, when the plunger 34 is first excited and pulled into the solenoid 32, the pressure valve release mechanism 30 moves the moving member 36 in accordance with the movement of the plunger 34, and the loose projection 37 formed on the moving member 36. The link bar 39 connected to is pivoted counterclockwise in the drawing around the pivotal support 40. At this time, since the loose hole 41 connected to the loose protrusion 37 is formed to be large, the link bar 39 can be smoothly rotated using this play portion. And the loose projection 49 formed in the actuating member 43 connected to the loose hole 42 of the link bar 39 moves the actuating member 43 in accordance with this rotation. This movement is to move the actuating member 43 from the position in contact with the pressure valve in the direction in which the lid cover mechanism 70 on the opposite side is located. Then, by the movement of the operating member 43, the lock member pressing portion 45 of the operating member 43 pushes the opening suppression lock member 60, and the opening suppression lock member 60 is moved to the lock member contact portion 74 of the lid lock mechanism 70. It is possible to suppress the lock of the lid lock mechanism 70 from being released by moving and bringing it into contact with the lock member contact portion 74 as shown in FIG.

  In addition, if the inner lid | cover 10 of the cover body 3 is pushed up by the raise of the pressure in the rice cooker 1 after the opening | release suppression lock member 60 and the lock member contact part 74 contact | abut, the opening | release suppression lock member 60 will also raise. And since the force which pushes up the locking member contact part 74 by this raising force acts, cancellation | release of the cover body locking mechanism 70 can be suppressed further.

  At this time, in order to cause an explosive stirring action by suddenly reducing the pressure from the pressurized state and performing rice cooking, if frequent pressurization and pressure reduction are repeated according to instructions from the control means, the solenoid 32 must be disengaged. Magnetization and excitation are repeated, and the actuating member 43 frequently moves and returns. That is, when the excitation of the solenoid 32 in the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 is released by an instruction from the control means, the plunger 34 is pushed forward by the return spring. The moving member 36 is moved in accordance with the movement of the plunger 34, and the link bar 39 connected to the loose projection 37 formed on the moving member 36 rotates clockwise around the pivotal support 40. At this time, since the loose hole 41 connected to the loose protrusion 37 is formed to be large, the link bar 39 can be smoothly rotated using this play portion. In accordance with this rotation, the loose projection 49 formed on the actuating member 43 connected to the loose hole 42 of the link bar 39 moves the actuating member 43. This movement is to move the operating member 43 from the position on the lid locking mechanism 70 side to the position on the opposite pressure valve 29 side. Then, by the movement of the operating member 43, the ball 29c of the pressure valve 29 is pushed away from the valve hole 29a by the operating shaft 44 of the operating member 43, and the pressure in the pan is rapidly reduced. Thereafter, since the solenoid 32 is immediately excited, the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 is restored to the original position, and the operating member 43 is moved from the position on the pressure valve 29 side to the side where the lid cover mechanism 70 on the opposite side is located. Be made. Such an operation is repeated a predetermined number of times.

  During this time, when the pressure valve 29 is opened by the movement of the operation member 43, the operation member 43 is pressed in the direction of the lid lock mechanism 70 against the opening suppression lock member 60 as the operation member 43 moves in the arrow A direction. Canceled. After that, with a delay from the operation of the operation member 43, the release suppression lock member 60 tries to move so that the lock of the lid lock mechanism 70 is released by the load of the swing cam 63 engaged with the cam projection 65. To do. However, since the actuating member 43 immediately returns to its original position, a force that pushes the opening restraining lock member 60 back to the lid locking mechanism 70 works, and the engagement of the opening restraining lock member 60 with the lock member abutting portion 74 is performed. Is maintained, and the lock of the lid lock mechanism 70 is not released. As described above, the opening restraining lock member 60 is operated with a delay time even if the link mechanism 38 is operated due to instantaneous pressure reduction at the time of pressurization. Since the lock of the rice cooker can be continued, it can be controlled so that the lid of the rice cooker does not open at the time of pressurization and decompression for stirring.

  By the movement of the operation member 43, the lock member pressing portion 45 formed on the operation member 43 pushes the opening suppression lock member 60, and the opening suppression lock member 60 is moved to the lock member contact portion 74 of the lid lock mechanism 70. It is possible to suppress the lock of the lid lock mechanism 70 from being released by moving it and bringing it into contact with the lock member contact portion 74. Since this operation is performed whenever the plunger is moved, that is, whenever the pressure in the pan 6 is increased, the lid lock mechanism 70 is unlocked when the cooker 1 is in a pressurized state. Will never be done.

  When the cooked rice state is finished and steaming is performed by reducing the pressure to approximately atmospheric pressure, the excitation of the solenoid 32 in the pressure valve opening mechanism 30 is stopped by the instruction of the control unit as shown in FIG. It is pushed forward by a return spring that omits the. The moving member 36 is moved in accordance with the movement of the plunger 34, and the link bar 39 connected to the loose projection 37 formed on the movable member 36 by the loose hole 41 is clockwise in the drawing with the pivotal portion 40 as the center. Rotate. And the loose projection 49 formed in the actuating member 43 connected to the loose hole 42 of the link bar 39 moves the actuating member 43 in accordance with this rotation. This movement is to move the operating member 43 from the position on the lid locking mechanism 70 side to the position on the opposite pressure valve 29 side. Then, by the movement of the operating member 43, the ball 29c of the pressure valve 29 is pushed away from the valve hole 29a by the operating shaft 44 of the operating member 43 to open the valve hole 29a, and the pressure in the rice cooker 1 is exhausted from the valve hole 29a. Thus, the pressure in the pan is reduced to approximately atmospheric pressure.

  In this case, when the pressure valve 29 is opened by the movement of the operation member 43, the movement of the operation member 43 in the direction of arrow A moves toward the lid locking mechanism 70 with respect to the opening suppression lock member 60 of the operation member 43. Therefore, the opening restraining lock member 60 is unlocked by the load of the swing cam 63 engaged with the cam projection 65, and the lock of the lid locking mechanism 70 is released. To move. Since the pressure inside the rice cooker 1 is almost atmospheric pressure, there is no danger even if the lid 3 is opened. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the opening suppression lock member 60 is separated from the lid lock mechanism 70. The lid 3 can be unlocked.

  In the above, the case where a pull-type object is used as the solenoid 32 has been described, but a push-type object may be used. In the case of the push type, the moving member operates via a shaft connected to the movable iron core of the solenoid. In the case of the push type, excitation and demagnetization of the solenoid are opposite to those of the pull type. When the solenoid 32 moves from the inside to the outside, an elastic body such as a spring may be provided in the solenoid 32 in order to bias the plunger 34 from the inside of the solenoid 32. A typical device may be provided.

  Further, the linkage between the swing cam 63 of the release restraining mechanism 50 and the release restraining lock member 60 is such that the recess 63a provided on the outer peripheral portion of the swing cam having the above-mentioned substantially water droplet shape and the cam projection 65 are provided. Instead of being engaged, as shown in FIG. 14, the swing cam 63 is pivoted by a pin 67 in a split groove provided in the cam protrusion 65 of the opening restraining lock member 60 by providing a hole at an eccentric position. You may support it. In this way, the connection between the swing cam 63 and the cam protrusion 65 of the release restraining lock member 60 is ensured. Further, when a slight play is provided in the hole of the swing cam 63, the release restraining lock member 60 can be driven while being delayed from the movement of the operation member 43. In order to facilitate the movement of the swing cam 63, the weight plate 66 may be fixed to the upper side of the cam.

  According to the present invention, the opening restraining lock member 60 is restored by the load of the swing cam 63 and is disengaged from the lid lock mechanism, so that the operating member is brought into a pressurized state inside the pan. At the same time the operating member pushes the opening restraining lock member so that the lock of the lid lock mechanism is not released, and the lid can be prevented from being opened when the rice cooker is in a pressurized state. At the same time, it is possible to control the rice cooker so that the lid of the rice cooker does not open at the time of pressurization / depressurization for agitation where the actuating member frequently moves and returns, thereby providing a safe rice cooker.

1: Rice cooker 2: Rice cooker body 3: Lid 7: Front lid 8: Outer lid 9: Frame 10: Inner lid 11: Lid cover 12a: Locking part 13: Outer frame 15: Hinge member 16: Pivot support Pin 27: Large reservoir tank 28: Steam passage 29: Pressure valve 30: Pressure valve opening mechanism 32: Solenoid 33: Solenoid cover 34: Plunger 35: Washer 36: Moving member 37: Loose projection 38: Link mechanism 39: Link bar 40: Pivoting part 41: Playing hole 42: Playing hole 43: Actuating member 44: Actuating shaft 45: Locking member pressing part 50: Opening restraining mechanism 60: Opening restraining locking member 62: Guide member 63: Swing cam 64: Opening suppression protrusion 65: Cam protrusion 70: Lid lock mechanism 72: Locking part 74: Lock member abutting part 75: Lock release button 76: Push button

Claims (8)

A rice cooker body having a pan for containing the rice to be cooked containing water and rice, an opening for housing the pan, a heating means for heating the cooked rice in the pan, and a control means for controlling the heating means, A lid for closing the opening of the pan and the rice cooker body;
A lid locking mechanism for locking the lock to the rice cooker body and releasing the lock;
A steam passage provided in the lid body for communicating the inside of the pan with the outside air, a pressure valve for communicating or blocking the steam passage, and a pressure valve opening mechanism for forcibly opening the pressure valve Have
In the rice cooker that cooks rice by pressurizing the inside of the pan to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure,
The pressure valve opening mechanism and is provided with opening suppression mechanism for suppressing the release of the lock of separate the lid lock mechanism, the opening suppression mechanism, said lid lock by engaging the lid locking mechanism An opening suppression lock member that suppresses unlocking of the mechanism, and a swing cam that is engaged with the release suppression lock member and operates the release suppression lock member by a load, when the pressure valve starts to operate The pressure valve opening mechanism interlocks with the opening suppression lock member to engage the opening suppression lock member with the lid lock mechanism, and when the pressure valve opening mechanism operates to open the pressure valve, the pressure The valve opening mechanism operates without interlocking with the opening restraining lock member, and the opening restraining lock member is restored by the load of the swing cam to engage the opening restraining lock member with the lid lock mechanism. Rice cooker characterized by Kukoto.
The pressure valve release mechanism is actuated by a plunger that can be moved by electrical or mechanical means, a link mechanism for transmitting movement of the plunger, and movement of the plunger transmitted from the link mechanism. An actuating member
The actuating member is arranged adjacent to the opening suppression mechanism,
The operating member is formed with an operating shaft that opens the pressure valve and a lock member pressing portion that presses the opening suppression lock member,
When the pressure valve is closed by the operation of the operation member, the lock member pressing portion suppresses the release suppression lock member from releasing the lock of the lid lock mechanism with the operation of the operation member. When the pressure valve is opened by the movement of the operating member, the unlocking lock member is unlocked by the operation of the swing cam along with the movement of the operating member. It is made to move so that the rice cooker of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The link mechanism is formed of a link bar whose substantially central portion is pivotally supported by the lid,
Through holes are respectively formed at both ends of the link bar, one of the through holes is slidably connected to the end of the plunger, and the other through hole is slidably connected to the actuating member. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the rice cooker is rotated around a pivotal support portion with the lid body.   A moving member capable of following the movement of the plunger is provided at an end of the plunger, and the one through hole of the link bar is movably connected to the moving member. The rice cooker according to claim 3.   The release suppression mechanism has a guide member that movably holds the release suppression lock member, the swing cam is pivotally supported by the guide member, and the release suppression lock member is guided by the guide member, 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a cam protrusion that has an opening restraining protrusion at a tip end portion and engages with the swing cam at the other end portion.   6. The rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein the swing cam has a concave portion that engages with the cam projection and has a shaft for pivotally supporting the guide member.   6. The rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein the swing cam is pivotally supported by the cam projection and pivotally supported by the guide member.   The rice cooker according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a weight plate is provided on the swing cam.

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