JP6530009B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present embodiment relates to a rice cooker.

  In recent years, IH rice cookers have become widespread. IH is electromagnetic induction heating (Induction Heating). An IH rice cooker is a rice cooker of a system which generates an electromagnetic wave by the IH coil installed in the bottom part, generates heat from the bottom itself of a rice cooker by the electromagnetic wave, and cooks rice.

  In addition, a separate-type rice cooker is also known (Patent Document 1). In the rice cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1, a separately installed rice cooker is mounted on an IH cooker that can be used for multiple purposes, and the rice cooker on the rice cooker side is heated by the IH coil on the IH cooker side to cook rice. It is supposed to be.

Utility model registration 3103627 gazette

  However, according to the rice cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1, the operation button of the IH cooker is exposed in a state where the rice cooker is mounted on the IH cooker (see FIG. 2 of Patent Document 1). Since this IH cooker is premised on multipurpose use, there is a possibility that the operation button which is unnecessary for rice cooking may be pressed in the state where the rice cooker is mounted on the IH cooker.

  The present embodiment provides a rice cooker of the upper and lower separation type whose operability is improved.

According to one aspect of the present embodiment, the rice cooker has a function of measuring the weight of food to be cooked in the rice cooker, and a calculation unit that calculates the optimum amount of water according to the measured weight. A rice cooker comprising a display unit for displaying a necessary amount of water necessary for cooking based on the optimum amount of water, and a main body in which a rice cooker is accommodated detachably and a main body that can be opened and closed by the hinge The apparatus comprises a lid provided, at least two hinge side legs on the hinge side and at least two reverse hinge side legs on the opposite side of the hinge at the bottom of the main body, the two hinge side legs comprising It is a weight detection leg for detecting weight, and the two hinge side legs are located on both sides in the rotation axis direction of the hinge with respect to the center of gravity of the rice cooker with the lid opened, Reverse hinge side legs are said hinges The center of gravity of the rice cooker located on both sides in the rotational axis direction and with the lid opened is relative to the intersection of two virtual diagonals formed by the two hinge side legs and the two reverse hinge side legs. Is located on the hinge side, and located near the center of the rice cooker directly below the intersection point, and the calculation unit uses the two weight detection legs to obtain the optimum amount of water with the lid opened. A rice cooker to calculate is provided.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a rice cooker of the upper and lower separation type whose operability is improved.

The perspective view of the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The perspective view of the rice cooker part with which the IH rice cooker shown by FIG. 1 is equipped. Sectional drawing of the rice cooker part shown by FIG. The perspective view of the IH cooker with which the IH rice cooker shown by FIG. 1 is equipped. The perspective view of the state which removed the top plate of the IH cooker shown by FIG. Sectional drawing of the IH cooker shown by FIG. Sectional drawing of IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The perspective view of the bottom of IH rice cooker shown by FIG. The enlarged view to which the weight sensor part shown by FIG. 7 was expanded. The schematic circuit block diagram of the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the operation part with which the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment is equipped, (a) Rice cooker operation part, (b) measurement display part. The screen transition figure of the measurement display part shown by FIG.11 (b). The flowchart which shows the measurement rice cooking operation of IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows the measurement rice cooking operation of IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows the measurement rice cooking operation of IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows the measurement rice cooking operation of IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows the measurement rice cooking operation of IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows the weight sensor zero point adjustment operation of the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows the weight sensor control operation of the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the IH cooker with which the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment is equipped. The side view of the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment. The bottom view of the IH rice cooker shown by FIG. The circuit block diagram of the weight sensor with which the IH rice cooker which concerns on embodiment is equipped. FIG. 20 is a circuit diagram of a single load cell shown in FIG. 19;

  Next, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.

  In addition, the embodiments shown below exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical idea, and do not specify the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements and the like of the components to the following ones. . This embodiment can be variously modified within the scope of the claims.

[Exemplary configuration of IH rice cooker]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an IH rice cooker (electromagnetic rice cooker) 1 according to the embodiment. This IH rice cooker 1 is an IH jar rice cooker that enables separation of a main body and an IH part by wireless communication and power supply using rice cooking technology by IH.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the IH rice cooker 1 can be vertically separated into the rice cooker unit 100 and the IH cooker 200. Although the appearance is a jar rice cooker, when the rice cooker unit 100 is removed, the operation unit of the IH cooker 200 appears. The IH cooker 200 side can be used alone for IH cooking, and the rice cooker part 100 side can be easily carried to the table as a chopsticks.

  Moreover, IH rice cooker 1 which concerns on embodiment is provided with an automatic measurement function. As a result, "the optimal amount of water is notified" according to the amount of rice cooked and the brand of rice, it is possible to cook delicious rice anytime and enjoy the characteristics of rice more.

  Moreover, IH rice cooker 1 which concerns on embodiment is equipped with the brand-name cooking division function of rice. As a result, for rice brand of rice and rice cooking of each menu, the time of the electric power and the rice cooking process can be controlled from temperature sensor information, and delicious rice can be cooked.

[Example of configuration of rice cooker section]
Hereinafter, the configuration of the rice cooker unit 100 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rice cooker unit 100 provided in the IH rice cooker 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the rice cooker unit 100 includes a lid 100A, a rice cooker body 100B, and a bottom 100C. A rice cooker operation unit 101 for operating the rice cooker unit 100 is provided on the top surface of the lid unit 100A. On the front surface of the rice cooker body 100B, a weighing display unit 102 for displaying the weight of rice or water is provided. The external appearance of the rice cooker unit 100 is substantially rectangular. It is desirable that the front surface of the rice cooker body 100B be slightly inclined in order to make the user easily see the weighing display unit 102.

  The outer edge of the bottom portion 100C is structured to fit with the outer edge of the top surface of the IH cooker 200. Specifically, the case on the side of the rice cooker unit 100 and the case on the side of the IH cooker 200 overlap by about 8.5 mm. Since the installation area of the IH cooker 200 and the installation area of the rice cooker unit 100 are substantially the same, the upper and lower casings match exactly, the appearance is smart, and space saving can be achieved. The outer edge of the top surface of the IH cooker 200 and the outer edge of the bottom 100C may be tapered as a device for the upper and lower fitting, or R may be different between the front and rear in order to eliminate front and back errors.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker unit 100 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the front side of the lid 100 </ b> A pivots in the vertical direction with the lid hinge 129 provided on the rear side as a fulcrum. A lid lock mechanism 124 is provided at the opposing position between the front lid portion 100A and the rice cooker main body 100B. The inner pot (rice cooker) 121 is accommodated from the upper opening of the rice cooker body 100B. A heat insulating material and a protective frame are provided around the inner hook 121, and a thermistor 131 for measuring the temperature is provided at the bottom of the inner hook 121. The steam generated in the inner pot 121 is discharged to the outside through a steam cylinder 128 provided on the inner lid 127. A handle for carrying the rice cooker unit 100 is rotatably provided on the side wall of the rice cooker body 100B.

  In the vicinity of the rice cooker operation unit 101, a rice cooker operation substrate 126 for controlling the rice cooker operation unit 101 is disposed. In the vicinity of the weighing display unit 102, a weighing display substrate 123 for controlling the weighing display unit 102 is disposed. Below the measurement display substrate 123, an interface substrate 122 to which a communication terminal 112 and a power reception coil are connected is disposed. The communication terminal 112 is a terminal for wirelessly communicating with the IH cooker 200. The power receiving coil is a coil for receiving power by electromagnetic induction from the power supply coil on the IH cooker 200 side.

  In addition, although the case where the thermistor 131 is provided in the bottom of the rice cooker part 100 is illustrated here, it is not limited to this. For example, the thermistor 131 may be provided on the side surface of the rice cooker unit 100 or may be provided on the inner lid 127.

[Configuration example of IH cooker]
The configuration of the IH cooker 200 will be described in detail below.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the IH cooker 200 provided in the IH rice cooker 1 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the IH cooker 200 is a tabletop electromagnetic cooker that is used by being placed on a table or the like, and has a thin, substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance. A top plate 200B made of crystallized glass or the like is disposed to close the upper opening of the IH cooker body 200A. On the front side of the top surface of the IH cooker 200, an IH operation unit 201 having a power button, a temperature adjustment button, and the like is provided. The top plate 200B and the IH operation unit 201 are arranged so as not to overlap each other in plan view. On the rear side of the IH cooker 200, a socket is provided for detachably mounting a plug of a power cord with a magnet.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the IH cooker 200 shown in FIG. 4 from which the top plate 200B is removed. As shown in FIG. 5, when the top plate 200B on the IH cooker body 200A is removed, the IH coil 211, the power supply coil 212, the communication terminal 213, and the reed switch 214 appear. The IH coil 211 is a heating coil that electromagnetically heats an object to be heated. The power supply coil 212 is a coil for supplying power to the power supply coil on the rice cooker unit 100 side by electromagnetic induction. The communication terminal 213 is a terminal for wirelessly communicating with the rice cooker unit 100. The reed switch 214 is a switch that operates when the magnet approaches. The action of these members will be described later.

  6 is a cross-sectional view of the IH cooker 200 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the IH coil 211 is arrange | positioned in the upper part of the approximate center of IH cooker main body 200A. The heat generated inside the IH cooker main body 200A is exhausted to the outside by the FAN 221. The IH operation board 224 which controls the IH operation part 201 is arrange | positioned on the front side of the upper part of the IH cooking device main body 200A. In the vicinity thereof, a main substrate 225 for IH heating is disposed. Four pedestals 223 protrude from the four corners of the bottom of the IH cooker body 200A to the outer surface. The pedestal 223 is attachable to a mold and can be attached with a weight sensor.

[Example of weight sensor configuration]
Hereinafter, the configuration of the weight sensor will be described in detail.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom of the IH rice cooker 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a weight sensor portion (a pedestal 223) shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, strain gauges 223B are provided on pedestals 223 at the four corners, and weight measurement is performed. Specifically, a strain gauge 223B, a weight sensor pedestal 223C, and a rubber foot 223D are attached to the base member 223A and fixed by a weight sensor cover 223E. When the rice cooker unit 100 is mounted on the IH cooker 200, the rubber foot 223D pushes up the entire weight sensor pedestal 223C to deform the strain gauge 223B. Thus, the weight sensor substrate 224a (see FIG. 10) measures the weight based on the strain of each strain gauge 223B.

[Example of schematic circuit configuration of rice cooker]
FIG. 10 is a schematic circuit diagram of the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a power cord is connected to the main substrate 225 of the IH cooker 200 via the magnet plug 226. When the rice cooker unit 100 is mounted on the IH cooker 200, the detection magnet 111 on the rice cooker unit 100 side turns on the reed switch 214 on the IH cooker 200 side.

  In this state, the main substrate 225 of the IH cooker 200 applies a drive signal to the power supply coil 212 via the IH operation substrate 224. As a result, an electric power signal is generated in the electric power receiving coil 113 on the rice cooker unit 100 side by the electromagnetic induction action, and is applied to the measurement display substrate 123, the rice cooker operation substrate 126, etc. via the interface substrate 122. As a result, wireless communication such as infrared communication becomes possible via the communication terminal 213 on the IH cooker 200 side and the communication terminal 112 on the rice cooker unit 100 side.

  When the rice cooker operation unit 101 (see FIG. 2) is operated in this state, the operation signal is transmitted from the rice cooker operation board 126 to the main board 225 on the IH cooker 200 side via the communication terminals 112 and 213. . The main substrate 225 controls the start and stop of the current supply to the IH coil 211 based on the received operation signal, and controls the current value of the high frequency current flowing through the IH coil 211. In this control, weight information of food to be cooked (such as rice and water) obtained from the weight sensor substrate 224a and temperature information of the inner pot 121 obtained from the thermistor 131 can be used. The weight information can also be displayed on the weighing display unit 102 (see FIG. 2) via the weighing display substrate 123 on the rice cooker unit 100 side.

  As described above, the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment uses the rice cooking technology by IH, enables separation of the rice cooker unit 100 and the IH cooker 200 by wireless communication and power supply, and enables rice using a weight sensor.・ Measuring water. Because it has such an automatic weighing function, it can "notify the optimum amount of water" according to the amount of rice cooked and the brand of rice, can cook delicious rice anytime, and can enjoy the feature of rice more.

  Since the top surface of the IH cooker 200 is exposed when the rice cooker unit 100 is not mounted on the IH cooker 200, the IH operation unit 201 (see FIG. 4) can be operated. When the IH operation unit 201 is operated, the operation signal is transmitted from the IH operation board 224 to the main board 225. That is, since the operation part 201 of the IH cooker 200 appears when the rice cooker part 100 is removed from the IH cooker 200, the IH cooker 200 side can be independently used for IH cooking.

[Configuration Example of Operation Unit]
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of an operation unit provided in the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment.

  Specifically, FIG. 11A shows the rice cooker operation unit 101 provided on the top surface of the rice cooker unit 100. The rice cooker operation unit 101 includes, in addition to the display unit D1, various buttons such as a menu button B1, a heat retention / cancel button B2, a rice brand button B3, and a rice cook button B4. The display unit D1 is a display device that displays the setting status and the like of the IH rice cooker 1. The menu button B1 is a button for selecting how to cook and the like. The heat retention / cancellation button B2 is a button for instructing heat retention and its cancellation. The US brand button B3 is a button for selecting a brand of rice. By pressing the US brand button B3, it is possible to select a brand such as Koshi Hikari, Akitakomachi, Glossy Hime, Yumepirika, Hitomebore, Hinohikari and the like. The rice cooking button B4 is a button for instructing rice cooking.

  Moreover, FIG.11 (b) has shown the measurement display part 102 provided in the front of the rice cooker part 100. As shown in FIG. The weighing display unit 102 includes a weighing button B11 in addition to the display unit D11. The display unit D11 is a display device that displays measurement values and the like. The measurement button B11 is a button for instructing use of the measurement mode or the like.

[Outline of weighing operation example]
Hereinafter, an outline of the weighing operation example will be described.

  First, the user selects the menu, hardness and rice brand in the rice cooker operation unit 101, opens the lid portion 100A of the rice cooker unit 100, and puts the rice in the inner pot 121. Next, the weighing button B11 of the weighing display unit 102 is pressed (the rice weight is navigated by display), the inner pot 121 is taken out and washed, then the inner pot 121 is set in the rice cooker part 100, and then the inner pot 121 Put the water into (the amount of water is navigated by the display and sound). Here, in order to make the user recognize the use of the weighing mode, the weighing button B11 is pressed. However, when the lid 100A is opened, the weighing mode may be automatically switched. Finally, when the lid portion 100A of the rice cooker unit 100 is closed and the rice cooking button B4 of the rice cooker operation unit 101 is pressed, rice cooking is started.

[Details of weighing operation example]
FIG. 12 is a screen transition diagram of the weighing display unit 102 shown in FIG.

  First, when the user puts rice in the inner pot 121 in the weighing mode, the weight of rice is measured. Here, when the weight of rice is equal to or less than the specified range, as shown in FIG. 12A, the display section D11 displays “insert rice and press the measurement button” or the like (the measurement button B11 blinks). In addition, although zero point adjustment is performed in the state which mounted the inner pot 121 in the rice cooker main body 100B before entering into measurement mode, the detail is mentioned later. On the other hand, when the weight of rice is larger than the allowable weight, as shown in FIG. 12B, an error is displayed on the display section D11 (the weighing button B11 is turned off).

  Then, when the user presses the weighing button B11, the rice weight is fixed, and the mode shifts to the water weighing mode. However, if the measured rice weight is out of the specified weight range, it does not shift to the water measurement mode, and the rice measurement mode remains. If there is no problem, as shown in FIG. 12C, the display unit D11 displays "(After washing), put in water," or the like. At this time, the required water amount is displayed on the display unit D11.

  Next, when the rice is washed (if the rice is not washed, this step is unnecessary) and water is added by a cup not shown, the water weight is measured, and as shown in FIG. The required amount of water displayed on the display unit D11 decreases. When the water weight falls within the optimum range, it makes a beep once, and when it falls outside the optimum range, it makes a double beep. In the optimum value range, as shown in FIG. 12 (e), “0” etc. are displayed on the display D11, and when the optimum value range is passed, “water” is displayed on the display D11 as shown in FIG. 12 (f). To reduce the

  Finally, when the lid 100A is closed, the weighing display is turned off. When the rice cooking button B4 (or the rice cooking button B4 after reservation) is pressed in this state, rice cooking is started.

[Example of measuring rice cooking operation]
13A to 13E are flowcharts showing the measuring and cooking operation of the IH rice cooker 1.

  First, when the rice cooker unit 100 is not placed on the IH cooker 200, the rice cooker operation unit 101 only displays the time, and the weighing display unit 102 remains unlit (S1 → S2 → S3 → S2). When the rice cooker unit 100 is placed on the IH cooker 200, the menu display and the like of the rice cooker operation unit 101 is activated, but the weighing display unit 102 remains unlit (S2 → S4). At this time, the previous information on the menu, brand, and hardness is maintained (S5).

  Then, when the user presses the menu button B1, the menu selection is switched (S6 → S7 → S6). For example, (1) No-wash rice → (2) No-wash rice, new rice → (3) no-wash rice, energy saving → (4) no-wash rice, early cooking → (5) white rice → (6) white rice, new rice → (7) white rice, Energy saving → (8) white rice, early cooking → (9) cooking → (10) rice porch → (11) brown rice → (12) stew / steaming → (1) no-wash rice → ... in order.

  Next, when the user presses the rice brand button B3, if the selection menu is not white rice or non-washed rice, the brand selection remains unlit (S8 → S9 → S10 → S8). On the other hand, when the selection menu is white rice or non-washed rice, the brand selection is switched (S8 → S9 → S11 → S8). For example, (0) Other → (1) Koshihikari → (2) Akitakomachi → (3) Tsuyahime → (4) Yumepirika → (5) Hitomebore → (6) Hinohikari → (0) Other → Switch in order It is supposed to be.

  Then, when the user presses the hardness button, if the selection menu is not white rice or non-washed rice, the hardness selection remains unlit (S12 → S13 → S14 → S12). On the other hand, when the selection menu is white rice or non-washed rice, hardness selection is switched (S12 → S13 → S15 → S12). For example, it is configured to switch in the order of (1) standard → (2) or → → (3) soft → (1) standard →.

  Next, when the lid portion 100A is open, the weight is equal to or more than the kettle appropriate weight, and the heat retention is “off”, the weighing display is started (S16 → S18 → S20 → S24). The pot appropriate weight is a weight obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the pot weight.

  On the other hand, if the lid portion 100A is not open, or the weight is not more than the kettle appropriate weight, or if the heat retention is not "off", the condition is left as it is (S16 → S17, S18 → S19, S20 → S21). However, if the heat retention / cancel button B2 is pressed, the weighing display is started (S21 → S22 → S24). When the lid 100A is closed (S23: YES), the process returns to step S16.

  Next, when the weighing display is left for 10 minutes or more, the weighing display is turned off unless the weighing button B11 is pressed (S25 → S26 → S27 → S26). Even if it has not been left for 10 minutes or more, when the heat retention / cancel button B2 is pressed, the weighing display is turned off from the viewpoint of energy saving unless the weighing button B11 is pressed (S25 → S28 → S29 → S30 → S30 → S29) .

  On the other hand, when the weight of rice is equal to or less than the allowable weight and upper limit of the rice cooking menu in the case where the heat retention / cancel button B2 is not pressed or not left for 10 minutes or more, It displays as "push" etc. (S25-> S28-> S31-> S33). If the rice weight is not below the allowable rice weight / upper limit of the rice cooking menu, an error is displayed (S25 → S28 → S31 → S32). In addition, although leaving time was made into 10 minutes in this flow, it is not limited to this.

  Next, if the rice weight is within the allowable rice weight of the rice cooking menu, the display of “insert rice and press the measurement button” is maintained, and the measurement button B11 is blinked (S34 → S35). Thus, when the user presses the measurement button B11, the weight of rice is stored when the weight of rice is within the allowable weight range, and the amount of water optimum for the amount of rice is displayed. Specifically, the water measurement mode “insert (decrease) cc cc water” or the like is displayed (S36 → S37 → S38). In addition, allowable rice weight "(circle) combination-(circle) combination" is decided for every rice cooking menu.

  Here, when the menu is "no-wash rice", it is displayed such as "Pour ○ cc water" (S39 → S40). On the other hand, when the menu is other than "non-washed rice", it is displayed as "add water after ○ cc washing" (S39 → S41).

  Then, when the cancel button is not pressed, if the water (+ rice) weight is not within the optimum water amount range, a sound is emitted “Peep, peep” and the rice cook button B 4 and the reservation button are turned off (S 42 → S 43 → S44 → S43). On the other hand, when the water (+ rice) weight is within the optimum water amount range, a beep is sounded, the rice cooking button B4 and the reservation button are blinked, and if the lid 100A is closed, the weighing mode is released. Then, "Time mode: 00:00" and the like are displayed (S42 → S43 → S45 → S46 → S47). In addition, the optimal water volume range "optimum water volume ± ○%" is determined based on the combination of the rice cooking menu, the brand, and the hardness setting. Further, when the optimum water amount range is reached, it is desirable to urge the display 100A to be closed by means of display, sound or the like.

  Next, when the user presses the reservation button, the mode is shifted to the reservation mode and displayed as "00:00" etc., and "reservation 1" is turned on to display the previous registration time (S48-> S49-> S50). Here, when the user presses the hour / minute button without pressing the cancel button or the reservation button, the registration time of reservation 1 is updated (S51 → S52 → S58 → S59). On the other hand, when the user presses the reservation button without pressing the cancel button, "Reserved 2" is turned on to display the previous registration time, and when the user presses the hour / minute button without pressing the reservation button, The registration time of reservation 2 is updated (S51 → S52 → S53 → S54 → S56 → S57). When the user presses the reservation button in step S54, the reservation mode is canceled and displayed as "time mode: 00:00" (S54 → S55).

  Finally, when the user presses the rice cooking button B4, when the lid 100A is closed, rice cooking is started in the selected rice cooking menu / brand course (S60 → S61 → S62). Thereafter, when the rice cooking is completed, the heat retention is started (S63), and the process returns to step S16.

[Example of weight sensor zero point adjustment operation]
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the weight sensor zero point adjustment operation.

  First, when the lid 100A is not open, the state is kept as it is (S71 → S72). On the other hand, when the user long-presses the weighing button B11 when the lid portion 100A is open, if the weight falls within the kettle weight appropriate range, the zero point adjustment is started, and the mode is shifted to the rice weighing mode (S71 → S73 → S74 → S75 → S76). Pot weight reasonable range "pot weight ± ○%" is determined based on the pot weight.

[Example of weight sensor control operation]
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the weight sensor control operation.

  First, the sensor values of four weight sensors (strain gauges) are measured, and the values for a fixed time are averaged based on the following equation (S81 → S82).

Sensor output average (voltage) = average (sensor output ALL (voltage))
Next, the output voltage is converted to a load (weight) based on the following equation (S83). The strain gauge coefficient is determined by in-kind confirmation and experiment.

Measured value [g] = (sensor output average (voltage)) / (strain gauge coefficient [voltage / N]) / g (gravity acceleration [m / s ^ 2])
Next, the measured weight is calculated based on the following equation (S84).

Weighing weight [g] = measured value [g]-zero point weight [g]
At this time, in the case of the rice weighing mode, the weight of rice is recorded in units of g (S 85 → S 86). On the other hand, in the case of the water measurement mode, the water weight is output in cc units based on the following equation (S87 → S88).

Output value [cc] = (Required rice amount calculated from recorded rice weight, grade of rice, etc.)-((Weighing weight [g])-(Recorded rice weight [g]))
[IH cooking operation example]
FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the operation of the IH cooker 200.

  First, when the rice cooker unit 100 is placed on the IH cooker 200, the display of the IH operation unit 201 is turned off (S91 → S92 → S93 → S92). In addition, even when the rice cooker unit 100 is not on the IH cooker 200, the display of the IH operation unit 201 is turned off until the user presses the "heat start" or "fry start" button 201a or 201b. (S94 → S95 → S92).

  Next, when the user presses the "heat start" or "fry start" button 201a or 201b, the heating is started with the lowest heating power (S94 → S96). The reason for starting heating with the lowest thermal power is to prevent safety from rising inadvertently. When the user presses the "strong" button 201c, the power is raised accordingly (S97-> S98), and when the "weak" button 201d is pressed, the power is lowered accordingly (S99-S100) . Finally, when the user presses the “off” button 201e, the power is reduced (S101 → S102).

[About the brand and taste of rice]
The following describes the relationship between rice brand and taste.

  The brands "Koshihikari", "Hinohikari" and "Akitakomachi" are relatively sticky in terms of taste, and the hardness of rice belongs to a relatively hard category. Also, the brands "Yumepirika", "Forest's Kuma", "Hitemebore" and "Tsuyahime" are relatively sticky in terms of taste, and the hardness of rice belongs to a relatively soft category. In addition, the brands "Nanaboshi", "Haenuki" and "Mashigura" are relatively easy in terms of taste, and the hardness of rice belongs to a relatively hard category. In addition, the brand "Sasaniki" is relatively easy in terms of taste, and the hardness of rice belongs to a relatively soft category.

  As described above, since the taste and physical properties differ depending on the brand of rice, the main substrate 225 of the IH cooker 200 is used in the cooking process according to the brand of rice selected by the rice brand button B3 of the rice cooker operation unit 101. The amount of heat (electric power) to be applied is calculated, and the IH coil 211 or the like is controlled based on the calculated amount of heat. Thereby, it is possible to properly perform cooking according to brand.

  As described above, the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment is an IH rice cooker 1 capable of cooking by mounting the rice cooker unit 100 on the IH cooker 200. The IH cooker 200 includes an IH coil 211 that electromagnetically heats an object to be heated, and an IH operation unit 201 that is an operation unit of the IH cooker 200. The rice cooker unit 100 includes an inner pot 121 for storing food to be cooked, and a rice cooker operation unit 101 which is an operation unit of the rice cooker unit 100. With the rice cooker unit 100 mounted on the IH cooker 200, the IH operation unit 201 is covered by the rice cooker unit 100. Thereby, since the IH operation part 201 can not be operated in the state which mounted the rice cooker part 100 on the IH cooking device 200, the operation mistake is prevented and operativity can be improved. Further, according to the configuration in which the IH operation unit 201 is hidden behind the rice cooker unit 100 as described above, it is possible to increase the amount of cooked rice while the installation area of the rice cooker unit 100 is small. When the upper and lower sides are separated, the IH cooker 200 side can be used alone for IH cooking, and the rice cooker unit 100 side can be easily carried to the table as a chopsticks.

  Alternatively, the IH operation unit 201 may be provided on the top surface of the IH cooker 200, and the outer edge of the top surface of the IH cooker 200 may be fitted with the outer edge of the bottom surface of the rice cooker 100. That is, since the installation area of the IH cooker 200 and the installation area of the rice cooker unit 100 are substantially the same, the upper and lower casings match exactly, the appearance is smart, and space saving can be achieved.

  Moreover, IH rice cooker 1 which concerns on embodiment is provided with an automatic measurement function. As a result, "the optimal amount of water is notified" according to the amount of rice cooked and the brand of rice, it is possible to cook delicious rice anytime and enjoy the characteristics of rice more. Specifically, a weight sensor may be provided to measure the weight of the food to be cooked stored in the inner pot 121.

  Also, a weight sensor may be provided on the IH cooker 200 side. Thereby, the space by the side of the rice cooker part 100 is securable.

  Alternatively, weight sensors may be provided at the four corners of the bottom surface of the IH cooker 200, and the weight of the food may be calculated by averaging the sensor values of the weight sensors at the four corners. Thereby, even when the installation place of the IH rice cooker 1 is inclined, the sensor values of the weight sensors at the four corners can be averaged, so that it is possible to further improve the measurement accuracy.

  In addition, power may be supplied from the IH cooker 200 to the rice cooker unit 100 by a non-contact power feeding method. Since it is not necessary to connect a power cord etc. to rice cooker part 100 by this, it is easy to remove rice cooker part 100 and to carry as a chopsticks.

  In addition, a thermistor 131 that measures the temperature of the inner pot 121 may be provided, and the temperature of the inner pot 121 may be transmitted from the rice cooker unit 100 to the IH cooker 200 by infrared rays. Thereby, since the infrared rays are not affected by IH, the temperature of the inner pot 121 can be transmitted with high accuracy.

  Further, an inclined portion may be provided on the front of the rice cooker unit 100, and a weighing display portion 102 may be provided on the inclined portion to display the weight measured by the weight sensor. As a result, since the user can easily see the weighing display unit 102, it is possible to provide the IH rice cooker 1 that is more convenient.

  Moreover, the IH rice cooker 1 which concerns on embodiment is equipped with a brand-name cooking division function. As a result, for rice brand of rice and rice cooking of each menu, the time of the electric power and the rice cooking process can be controlled from temperature sensor information, and delicious rice can be cooked.

  Moreover, although the IH rice cooker 1 which concerns on this Embodiment is equipped with a measurement function, even if it is an IH rice cooker which does not have a measurement function temporarily, according to each rice cooking mode, the number determination of the number of rice to cook rice You may have control to do Thereby, according to the number of rice cooking modes (a rice cooking mode, such as cooking and rice porridge) and the number of pieces of rice, optimal rice cooking can be ensured.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the upper and lower separation type IH rice cooker 1 with improved operability.

[Arrangement relationship of weight detection legs to center of gravity position of rice cooker]
By the way, in order to cook delicious rice with a rice cooker, it is important to introduce an optimal amount of water to the total number (weight) of rice. Therefore, as the weight sensor, it is necessary to use one with high detection accuracy (specifically, one with accuracy on the order of grams).

  When it is going to actually adjust the amount of water precisely in a rice cooker, if it carries out lid closing one by one and weighs, it will take time, and operativity will also become troublesome. In such a case, it is desirable to measure the weight with the lid open.

  However, when the lid is opened, the weight of the lid moves upward. Then, the center of gravity of the rice cooker tends to be unstable because it moves upward as compared to the state in which the lid is closed. It is preferable to have many legs in order to reduce such instability and instability due to such movement. In particular, at least two legs should be provided since the hinge side is susceptible to the influence. Furthermore, stable weight measurement becomes possible if the fluctuation (unstableness) in the lateral direction which is orthogonal not only in the front and rear direction of the rice cooker side and the hinge side can be suppressed.

  Also, although a weight sensor is used to detect weight, a patent application has been made for a rice cooker or cooking device that also uses a leg as a weight detection leg (for example, Japanese Patent No. 5231591). Japanese Patent No. 5231591 is an arrangement of weight detection legs with respect to the center of gravity position of a rice cooker for the purpose of achieving both improvement in weight detection accuracy with the lid closed and stability improvement with the lid open. It defines the relationship.

  However, Japanese Patent No. 5231591 is for measuring the weight of the contents by closing the lid, and it is premised to measure the weight in a stable state from the beginning. That is, no consideration is given to weighing in an unstable state with the lid open.

  Thus, the present embodiment provides a rice cooker capable of achieving highly accurate weight measurement of gram order even when the lid is opened.

(Implementation technology)
It is ideal in terms of cost and design if it is possible to measure the weight with one weight detection leg. However, for example, if there is unevenness on the installation surface and the weight detection leg is at that position, the weight detection leg may float from the installation surface and it may not be possible to measure the weight.

  In addition, at least three legs basically provide body stability. However, with the three legs, when the lid is opened or the lid is opened, the rice cooker body becomes weak, particularly in the lateral direction. In addition, since the same problem as the above generate | occur | produces when one of them is made into a weight detection leg, two or more weight detection legs are needed.

  Use four or more legs to eliminate these instability factors. By doing so, compared to the three legs, it is possible to suppress the front / rear and left / right, especially the lateral / lateral instability / unstableness. Also, if four of them are used as weight detection legs (especially if at least two weight detection legs are provided on the hinge side), temporary weight detection legs will be installed while absorbing the instability / unevenness at lid opening. The weight measurement can be covered by the remaining weight detection legs even if they are separated from the surface. This makes it possible to achieve gram-order high-accuracy weight measurement even when the lid is open.

(Example of weight measurement configuration)
FIG. 17 is a side view of the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment. When the lock by the lid lock mechanism 124 (see FIG. 3) is released, the front side of the lid 100A pivots upward about the rotation shaft 129a of the lid hinge 129 as a fulcrum, and stands substantially upright. . The center of gravity of the IH rice cooker 1 with the lid 100A opened is G.

  FIG. 18 is a bottom view of the IH rice cooker 1 shown in FIG. Here, the case where four pedestal parts 223 are provided at the four corners of the bottom of the IH rice cooker 1 is illustrated. Weight sensors are attached to all the four pedestals 223. In the following description, the pedestal 223 is referred to as a weight detection leg 223. When the four weight detection legs 223 are distinguished, they are referred to as weight detection legs 223A, 223B, 223C, 223D.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the two weight detection legs 223C and 223D are located on both ends of the lid hinge 129 side with respect to the center of gravity G with respect to the direction of the rotation axis 129a. On the other hand, the two weight detection legs 223A and 223B are located on the opposite side of the lid hinge 129 with respect to the center of gravity G and at both ends with respect to the direction of the rotation shaft 129a. Let L1 and L2 be two virtual diagonals of the square formed by the weight detection legs 223A, 223B, 223C and 223D, and let P be an intersection of the two virtual diagonals L1 and L2. In this case, the center of gravity G is preferably closer to the lid hinge 129 than the intersection point P of the two virtual diagonals L1 and L2.

  Specifically, a triangular area formed by the intersection point P and the weight detection legs 223A and 223B is referred to as "area E1". When the center of gravity G exists inside the region E1, it is easily affected by the deviation of rice and the vibration due to the water injection, and it becomes easy to shake in the front-rear direction.

  Further, a triangular area formed by the intersection point P and the weight detection legs 223B and 223C is referred to as "area E2". When the center of gravity G exists inside the region E2, when the lid 100A is opened or in a state where the lid 100A is opened, it is easy to shake in the left-right direction.

  Further, a triangular area formed by the intersection point P and the weight detection legs 223D and 223A is referred to as "area E4". Even when the center of gravity G exists inside the region E4, when the lid 100A is opened or in a state where the lid 100A is opened, it is easy to shake in the left-right direction.

  Finally, a triangular area formed by the intersection point P and the weight detection legs 223C and 223D is referred to as "area E3". When the center of gravity G exists inside the region E3, the center of gravity G is closer to the lid hinge 129 than the intersection point P of the two virtual diagonals L1 and L2, so that it is less likely to shake in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction.

  Therefore, each component is arranged so that the center of gravity G comes to the inside of the area E3. Here, the inner pot 121, the IH coil 211, and the like, which are heavy objects, are disposed closer to the rear of the IH rice cooker 1. As a result, the center of gravity G of the IH rice cooker 1 with the lid 100A opened can be disposed immediately below the center O of the inner pot 121 (see FIG. 17). Here, the center O of the inner hook 121 means the volume center (space center) of the inner hook 121.

  Although the case where the four weight detection legs 223 are provided is illustrated here, even in the case where the four or more weight detection legs 223 are provided, the inside of the triangular region including the two hinge side weight detection legs at the top is similarly It is good if there is a center of gravity G. The two hinge-side weight detection legs are weight detection legs located on both ends of the lid hinge 129 side with respect to the center of gravity G with respect to the direction of the rotation shaft 129a. Also in this case, since the point of the center of gravity G is closer to the lid hinge 129 than the intersection point of the virtual diagonal lines, it becomes difficult to wander in the front-rear direction as well as in the left-right direction.

(Example of weighing operation)
An example of the weight measurement operation is as described in FIGS. 13 to 15. That is, at the start of operation of the IH rice cooker 1, the zero point adjustment of the weight sensor is performed with the cover 100A open (FIG. 14, S71 → S73 → S74 → S75). In addition, after performing the zero point adjustment, the weight of the food to be cooked stored in the inner pot 121 is measured in a state where the lid portion 100A is open (S16 → S18 → S20 → S24 in Fig. 13B). , S46 of FIG. 13D → S47). Of course, the zero point adjustment of the weight sensor may be performed with the lid 100A closed, or the weight of the food to be cooked stored in the inner pot 121 may be measured. However, these processes do not take time and are easier to perform when performed with the lid 100A open.

  That is, the user adjusts the amount of water of the inner pot 121 set in the rice cooker unit 100 while looking at the weighing display unit 102 (see FIG. 2) provided on the front surface of the rice cooker unit 100. For example, when the inner pot 121 is filled with water too much, water is scooped out of the inner pot 121 until the amount of water becomes appropriate while looking at the measurement display unit 102. Even when the lid portion 100A is open, it is important to be able to stably measure the weight by eliminating the fluctuation in the front and rear, right and left directions.

(Example of weight sensor circuit configuration)
Next, a weight sensor circuit configuration example will be described. In the above description, the weight of the food is calculated by averaging the sensor values of the weight sensors at the four corners (S81 → S82 in FIG. 15), but the invention is not limited to this. That is, it is also possible to calculate the weight of the food to be cooked by the sum of the sensor values of the weight sensors at the four corners.

  FIG. 19 is a circuit diagram of a weight sensor provided in the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment, and FIG. 20 is a circuit diagram of a single load cell shown in FIG. The weight sensor includes load cells SEL1 to SEL4, a differential amplifier circuit 11, an A / D converter (12 bits) 12, a CPU 13, and an RC smoothing circuit 14, as shown in FIG. The load cells SEL1 to SEL4 are formed by connecting four single load cells in series as shown in FIG. A total minute voltage signal of four single load cells is output.

  First, the basic circuit operation will be described. A minute voltage signal (analog small signal) corresponding to the applied weight (distortion amount) is output from the bridge connection of the load cells SEL1 to SEL4. This minute voltage signal is voltage amplified by the differential amplifier circuit 11, the amplified analog voltage signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 12, and the superimposed data is transmitted to the CPU 13 by I2C communication.

  Next, offset adjustment (microcomputer control) by the CPU 13 will be described. The necessary range of the weight measurement is “a state where the empty inner pot 121 is put (about 5 kg)” to “a state where three sets of rice and water are put in the inner pot 121 (about 6 kg)”. Therefore, when the strain gauge is mounted on the weight detection leg 223, it is necessary to measure from zero g to 6 kg, and the measurement accuracy in the range of 5 kg to 6 kg is lowered. Further, in the vicinity of the output zero V of the differential amplifier circuit 11, the measurement accuracy is reduced due to the influence of noise and the like.

  In order to solve these problems, the CPU 13 uses a PWM signal so that the output voltage of the differential amplifier circuit 11 is in the range of 1 V to 1.5 V when “in the state where the empty inner pot 121 is inserted (approximately 5 kg)”. Output In the process of factory inspection, it is made to carry out individual adjustment individually. In addition, the CPU 13 is configured such that the output voltage of the differential amplifier circuit 11 is approximately Vcc-1 V when “a state where approximately 3 kg of rice and water are put in the inner pot 121 (about 6 kg)”. Adjust the gain. As a result, measurement accuracy in the necessary measurement range (5 kg to 6 kg) can be secured, and a weight sensor that is not easily affected by noise or the like can be realized.

  As described above, the IH rice cooker 1 according to the embodiment has the main body in which the inner hook 121 is detachably accommodated, the lid 100A provided on the main body so as to be opened and closed, and the lid 100A. A lid hinge 129 having a rotary shaft 129a provided on the upper part of the main body, and four or more legs provided on the bottom of the main body, at least four of the legs being weight detection legs 223 for detecting weight The weight detection legs 223 are two hinge side weight detection legs 223C, which are located at both ends of the lid hinge 129 side with respect to the rotation shaft 129a direction with respect to the center of gravity G of the IH rice cooker 1 with the lid 100A opened. 223H and two reverse hinge side weight detection legs 223A and 223B located at both ends on the opposite side of the lid hinge 129 to the direction of the rotation shaft 129a, and the IH cooker with the lid 100A opened. The center of gravity G of the container 1 is a lid hinge 129 with respect to an intersection point P of two virtual diagonal lines L1 and L2 formed by two hinge side weight detection legs 223C and 223D and two reverse hinge side weight detection legs 223A and 223B. The weight is measured using the four weight detection legs 223 with the lid 100A being positioned on the side. As a result, there are two weight detection legs 223 on the lid hinge 129 side, and the center of gravity G is on the lid hinge 129 side from the intersection point P of the two imaginary diagonals L1 and L2. Weight can be measured.

  In addition, the center of gravity G of the IH rice cooker 1 in a state in which the lid portion 100A is opened may be disposed in the vicinity immediately below the center of the inner pot 121. As a result, the center of gravity G is disposed at the central portion of the inner hook 121, and hardly receives vibration due to deviation of rice or water injection.

  In addition, at the start of the operation of the IH rice cooker 1, the weight sensor may be zero-adjusted while the lid 100A is open. Thereby, it is possible to absorb the time-dependent change of the weight sensor in a state in which the lid 100A is open, and maintain the weight measurement with high accuracy.

  Moreover, after performing zero point adjustment, you may measure the weight of the to-be-cooked food accommodated in the inner pot 121 in the state which lid | cover part 100A is open. Thus, the amount of water can be precisely adjusted in a state where the lid 100A is open, so that it is not necessary to close the lid 100A and measure the weight one by one, and the operation is simple.

  In addition, although the IH rice cooker 1 of the up-and-down separation type was illustrated and explained here, arrangement relation of a weight detection leg to the gravity center position of a rice cooker as mentioned above is applied to a general rice cooker which does not separate up and down It can also be applied to microcomputer-type rice cookers.

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although described by the embodiment, it should not be understood that the statement and drawing which make a part of this disclosure are an illustration, and are limited to this. Various alternative embodiments, examples and operation techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

  Thus, the present embodiment includes various embodiments that are not described herein. For example, although the case where a weight sensor was provided in the IH cooker 200 side was illustrated, it is also possible to provide a weight sensor in the rice cooker part 100 side. In addition to strain gauges, pressure sensors and other types of load cells can also be used as weight sensors.

  The rice cooker according to the present embodiment can be applied to a vertically separated IH rice cooker or the like which needs to be improved in operability.

1 ... IH rice cooker (rice cooker)
100 ... rice cooker unit 101 ... rice cooker operation unit 102 ... weighing display unit 111 ... detection magnet 112 ... communication terminal 113 ... power receiving coil 121 ... inner pot (rice cooker)
122 Interface board 123 Weighing indication board 124 Lid lock mechanism 126 Rice cooker operation board 127 Inner lid 128 Steam cylinder 129 Lid hinge 131 Thermistor (temperature measurement part)
200 ... IH cooker (electromagnetic cooker)
201 ... IH operation unit (electromagnetic cooker operation unit)
211 ... IH coil (heating coil)
212: Power supply coil 213: Communication terminal 214: Reed switch 221: FAN
223 ... pedestal part (weight detection leg)
224 ... IH operation board 224a ... weight sensor board 223A ... base member 223B ... strain gauge 223C ... weight sensor pedestal 223D ... rubber foot 223 E ... weight sensor cover 225 ... main board 226 ... magnet plug D1, D11 ... display part B1 ... menu button B2 ... heat retention / cancellation button B3 ... rice brand button B4 ... cooking button B11 ... measurement button

Claims (6)

A rice cooker having a function of measuring the weight of food to be cooked in a rice cooker,
A calculation unit that calculates an optimum amount of water according to the measured weight;
It is a rice cooker provided with the display part which displays the required water quantity required for rice cooking based on the calculated said optimal water quantity, Comprising:
With the main body in which a rice cooker is stored removably,
A lid portion provided on the body so as to be openable and closable by a hinge;
The bottom surface of the main body includes at least two hinge side legs on the hinge side and at least two reverse hinge side legs on the opposite side of the hinge,
The two hinge side legs are weight detection legs for detecting weight, and with respect to the center of gravity of the rice cooker with the lid opened, the two hinge side legs have a rotational axis direction of the hinge. Located on both sides, and the two reverse hinge side legs are located on both sides in the rotational axis direction of the hinge,
The center of gravity of the rice cooker with the lid open is located on the hinge side with respect to the intersection of two virtual diagonal lines formed by the two hinge side legs and the two reverse hinge side legs, and It is disposed near the center of the rice cooker directly below the intersection point,
The said calculation part calculates an optimal water quantity using the said two weight detection legs in the state which opened the said cover part. The rice cooker characterized by the above-mentioned.   The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the display unit decreases the value of the required water amount displayed according to the amount of water added to the rice cooker. An optimal water volume range having a predetermined range for the optimal water volume is determined,
The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein water is added to the rice cooker and the user is notified when the amount of water enters the optimum amount of water range and exceeds the optimum amount of water amount.   The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the notification to the user is a notification by sound or display.   The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the display unit displays that the amount of water is reduced when the amount of water exceeds the optimum amount of water range.   The rice cooker according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the optimum water amount range is determined based on a combination of a rice cooking menu, a brand name, and a hardness setting.

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