JP7129007B2 - washed rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice-washing rice cooker having a rice-washing tank.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a rice-washing rice cooker in which rice washed in a rice-washing tank containing a stirring means is supplied to a rice-cooking device disposed below the rice-washing tank to cook the rice. For example, the rice-washing rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 is equipped with an air blower capable of blowing air into the rice-washing tank, and is configured to blow air into the rice-washing tank to dry the inside of the rice-washing tank, thereby preventing sanitary conditions from deteriorating. It is

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-3305

However, when rice is cooked with a conventional rice-washing and rice-cooking machine, rice-cooking steam is generated from the rice-cooker, rises, and condenses on the outer wall of the rice-washing tank. There was a problem that leftover rice adhered to the inner wall of the tank. In particular, when condensation occurs on the inner wall of the ceiling of the rice washing tank, it is difficult for the blower to blow air. As a result, it is difficult for the condensed water droplets to flow downward in the rice washing tank and is difficult to be discharged, which causes adhesion of leftover rice and deterioration of sanitary conditions inside the rice washing tank.

Therefore, the present invention prevents dew condensation on the inner wall and outer wall of the rice washing tank due to rice cooking steam, prevents the remaining rice in the rice washing tank from adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank, and improves the sanitary condition inside the rice washing tank. To provide a rice-washing rice cooker capable of maintaining the

Such objects of the present invention are
A washed rice cooker comprising a rice washing tank below a rice storage tank from which rice can be fed by a weighing device having a constant feeding valve, and a rice cooking device below the washed rice tank, wherein a blowing mechanism for blowing air to the washed rice tank is provided. , the air blowing mechanism includes a branched air passage to communicate with the outside and inside of the rice washing tank, and is configured to be able to blow air to the inside and outside of the rice washing tank by a blower connected to the air blowing passage. It is achieved by the washed rice cooker.

According to the present invention, the air blowing mechanism of the washed rice cooker includes a branched air passage that communicates with the outside and the inside of the rice washing tank, and the air blower connected to the air passage blows air to the inside and outside of the rice washing tank. Therefore, by blowing air into the rice washing tank, it is possible to keep the inside of the rice washing tank in good sanitary condition. It is possible to prevent dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice washing tank due to rice cooking steam, and to prevent adhesion of leftover rice in the rice washing tank.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ceiling of the rice washing tank is provided with an outwardly downwardly inclined portion.

According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, since the ceiling portion of the rice washing tank is provided with an outwardly downwardly inclined portion, condensation on the ceiling portion of the outer wall and inner wall of the rice washing tank is prevented. water droplets can be guided outward and downward along the slope and removed. In a conventional rice-washing rice cooker, the water droplets adhering to the inner wall of the ceiling are difficult to remove because they are not easily exposed to the air from the blower. Since the water droplets tend to flow downward, the water droplets can be preferably removed by blowing air from the air blower. As a result, adhesion of leftover rice and deterioration of sanitary conditions in the rice washing tank can be more effectively prevented.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a guide plate is provided outside the rice washing tank for guiding air blown by the air blowing mechanism.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a guide plate is provided outside the rice washing tank to guide the air blown by the air blowing mechanism. Since the wind can be guided along the outer wall of the rice washing tank, condensation on the outer wall of the rice washing tank can be effectively prevented, and the wind from the blower can be efficiently blown to the outer wall of the rice washing tank. It becomes possible to

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, a switching valve is provided at the branch portion of the air-blowing path so that the air from the air blower can be selectively blown into or out of the rice washing tank.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to selectively blow the air from the blower to the inside or the outside of the rice washing tank by means of the switching valve.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air blowing mechanism controls the switching valve to blow air from the air blower to the outside of the rice washing tank when the rice cooker is in operation, and the rice is cooked. When the device is in a stopped state, it is configured to blow air from the blower into the inside of the rice washing tank.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the rice cooker is in operation and rice cooking steam is generated, the air from the blower is blown to the outside of the rice washing tank to prevent dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice cooker. is stopped, the air from the blower is blown into the inside of the rice washing tank to keep the inside of the rice washing tank hygienic.

According to the present invention, dew condensation on the inner wall and outer wall of the rice washing tank due to rice cooking steam is prevented to prevent residual rice in the rice washing tank from adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank, and the sanitary condition inside the rice washing tank is improved. It becomes possible to provide a washed rice cooker that can be kept.

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic overall front view of a rice-washing rice cooker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic overall side view thereof. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the rice-washing tank of the rice-washing rice cooker shown in FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the scale of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the water supply system of the rice-washing rice cooker shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of essential parts around a drainage mechanism of the rice-washing rice cooker shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control system of the rice-washing rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing basic processing steps of washing and cooking rice in the washed rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the blower mechanism of the washed rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the washing rice cooker of FIG. 1 in the vicinity of the stand. FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing another process of washing and cooking rice in the washed rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1(a) is a schematic overall front view of a rice-washing rice cooker according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic overall side view thereof.
As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), a rice-washing rice cooker 1 according to the present embodiment includes a rice storage tank 2 disposed inside a box-shaped housing 2A and a rice-washing tank 3. and a rice cooker 5 disposed below the rice washer S. In addition, an operation panel 11 is provided on the front of the housing 2A, which is operated by the user to change settings and operations of the rice-washing rice cooker 1 and the like.

The rice washing machine S is provided with a rice storage tank 2 above the supporting machine frame, and a rice washing tank 3 having a water supply mechanism and a drainage mechanism is integrally connected to the lower part of the rice storage tank 2. .

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the rice cooker 5 is arranged below the rice washing tank 3 with a predetermined space therebetween. A pedestal 10 on which the heating burner 7 and the rice cooker 6 are placed is provided.

The washed rice cooker 1 follows the rice cooking setting conditions set by the user from the operation panel 11, and the rice storage tank 2 performs weighing processing, and the rice washing tank 3 performs each processing of washing, immersing, adjusting the amount of water, and dropping the rice, and then the rice cooker 5. It is configured to perform a series of rice cooking processes by.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the vicinity of the rice washing tank 3 of the rice washing machine shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the rice storage tank 2 is configured to receive rice input from a rice input port 18 provided on the upper surface of the housing 2A and store it in the rice storage tank 2. , the rice inlet 18 is provided with an opening/closing lid 19 that can be opened and closed.

The lower half of the rice storage tank 2 is configured in a hopper shape, and a scale 12 is attached to the lower end. The weighing machine 12 is composed of a metered delivery valve driven by a weighing machine motor (see FIG. 6), and the rice flowing down from the rice storage tank 2 at a fixed amount is filled in the weighing machine 12 . In this way, a desired amount of rice can be supplied from the rice storage tank 2 to the rice washing tank 3 by rotating the weighing device 12 filled with rice by a predetermined number of rotations. Here, the weighing device 12 and the rice washing tank 2 are connected by a rice guide tube 2b, and the rice drawn out by the weighing device 12 passes through the inside of the rice guide tube 2b and is supplied into the rice washing tank 3. ing.

FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the scale 12 of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the rice-washing tank 3 has a ceiling portion 3A formed in an inverted mortar shape on its upper portion. is provided with an opening 13 through which the Further, the ceiling portion 3A has an inclined portion 3a that slopes downward so as to descend outward. As a result, water droplets such as dew condensation adhering to the outer wall and inner wall of the ceiling portion 3A of the rice washing tank 3 can be guided along the slope of the slope portion 3a and suitably dropped and removed. Conventionally, the water droplets adhering to the inner wall of the ceiling are difficult to remove because the wind supplied from the opening 13 by the blower 61 is difficult to remove. is provided, and since water droplets are guided downward along this inclined portion 3a, the air from the blower 61 can be blown against the water droplets guided along the inclined portion 3a, and the ceiling portion 3A Water droplets attached to the inner wall can also be preferably removed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rice washing tank 3 has a cylindrical body portion 3b in the middle and a hopper-like portion 3c in the lower portion.

Further, a cylindrical guide plate 34 having a diameter larger than that of the body portion 3b is attached to the lower surface of the partition plate 2a. It is set up to surround A predetermined gap is provided between the body portion 3b and the guide plate 34, so that an air-permeable space is provided between the partition plate 2a forming the bottom portion of the housing 2A and the inclined portion 3a. Part S is formed.

A jacket portion 31 is connected to the lower portion of the hopper-shaped portion 3c of the rice washing tank 3, and a filter 15 having an opening large enough to prevent the leakage of rice grains is provided at the boundary between the hopper-shaped portion 3c and the jacket portion 31. ing.

In this embodiment, a rotating shaft 16 consisting of a vertical hollow shaft is provided at the center of the rice washing tank 3 as a stirring means, and a rice discharging shaft 16a penetrates the rotating shaft 16 in the hollow portion of the rotating shaft 16. are arranged as A plurality of stirring rods 17 . The rotary shaft 16 is rotated by a rice washing motor 20 (see FIG. 2) attached to the frame of the supporting machine through a bevel gear 21 (see FIG. 2) so as to be able to control forward and reverse directions and rotation speed.

The rice discharge shaft 16a is loosely fitted inside the outer rotary shaft 16 so as to be vertically slidable, and a detachable rice discharge valve 22 is attached to its lower end. The rice discharge valve 22 is formed in a substantially conical shape, and the opening and closing of the rice discharge valve 22 is controlled by vertically moving the upper end of the rice discharge shaft 16a by a cam 24 driven by a rice discharge valve driving motor 23. , thereby opening and closing the lower end of the rice washing tank 3 . Here, when the rice discharge valve 22 is opened, the rice in the rice washing tank 3 drops into the rice cooker 5 below.

The washed rice cooker 1 has a blower mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, the blower mechanism is provided on the side of the scale 12 and includes a blower 61 that blows air by driving a fan, and a tubular air passage 62 . is located at the beginning of the The terminal end of the air duct 62 is bifurcated. One of the bifurcations is connected to the first air blast port 63a that communicates with the inside of the rice washing tank 3, and the other of the bifurcations is the rice washing tank 3. It is connected with a second blower port 63b that communicates with the outside of the.

Specifically, the first air blowing port 63a is provided on the side of the rice guide cylinder 2b and is provided so as to communicate with the bottom of the weighing scale 12, and the second air blowing port 63b is provided on the partition plate 2a. , and is provided so as to communicate with the space S.

Further, a switching valve 64 that can be electromagnetically switched by the control section C is provided at a branch portion of the blowing passage 62 . Therefore, by switching the switching valve 64, the blower mechanism is configured to selectively blow the air from the blower 62 to one of the first blower port 63a and the second blower port 63b. .

With such a configuration, when the switching valve 64 is switched to select the first air blow port 63a as the air blowing destination of the air blower 62, the air generated by the air blower 62 passes through the air passage 62 and reaches the first air outlet 63a. The rice is sent below the scale 12 through the air blowing port 63a, passes through the rice guide tube 2b, and is sent into the rice washing tank 3 through the opening 13. As a result, moisture in the weighing device 12 is removed, dew condensation is prevented from occurring on the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3, and water droplets present in the rice washing tank 3 are sent downward to promote drainage. In addition, the inside of the rice washing tank 3 can be dried and kept in a sanitary condition. In particular, since the rice-washing tank 3 has an outwardly downwardly sloping portion 3a, air is sent into the rice-washing tank 3 from above, causing the air to adhere to the ceiling of the rice-washing tank 3. Dropped water droplets can be guided along the inclined portion 3a and dropped to be removed.

On the other hand, when the switching valve 64 is switched to select the second blower port 63b as the blowing destination of the blower 62, the wind generated by the blower 62 flows into the space S from the second blower port 63b. , is blown to the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3 . Further, the air blown into the space S is directed outward by the inclined portion 3a of the rice washing tank 3, and is further guided downward along the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3 by the guide plate 34. Therefore, conventionally, the steam from the rice cooker 5 causes dew condensation on the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3, but in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the dew condensation due to the blowing of air to the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. be possible. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the rice remaining in the rice washing tank 3 from adhering to the rice washing tank 3 . Further, since the guide plate 34 for guiding the air sent to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 is arranged outside the rice washing tank 3, the air blown by the blower 62 is guided along the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. Therefore, the rice cooking steam reaching the vicinity of the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3 is blown off, thereby suitably preventing condensation from occurring on the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3. can be efficiently blown. In this way, the blowing mechanism selectively switches the blowing destination of the blower 61 to the inside or outside of the rice washing tank 3 by the switching valve 64 according to the situation, and efficiently blows the inside or outside of the rice washing tank 3. It is possible.

4 is a schematic perspective view of the water supply system of the rice-washing rice cooker shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the rice washing tank 3 is supplied with water and air by connecting a lower water supply pipe 27 and an air supply pipe 27a to a jacket portion 31 at the lower end. Also, as shown in the schematic perspective view of the water supply system in FIG. An upper water supply pipe 29 for guiding water from the water distribution pipe 26 is branched to provide two shower nozzles 29a and 29b. As shown in FIG. 4, the water pipe 26 is provided with a flow rate sensor 25 for measuring the flow rate. 27 , a second solenoid valve 35 is provided on the upper water supply pipe 29 .

During rice washing, water is supplied from the lower water supply pipe 27 to the lower jacket portion 31 of the rice washing tank 3, and the water distribution pipe 26 provided at the upper height position of the rice washing tank 3 and the lower portion positioned at the bottom of the rice washing tank 3 are connected. Since the water supply pipe 27 is in communication, the water in the water supply system is drained without remaining. Therefore, when water is supplied to the washed rice, the entire amount of water supplied descends through the lower water supply pipe 27 by the solenoid valve 28 controlled based on the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 25. , is supplied to the lower portion of the rice washing tank 3, the amount of water supplied can be controlled with high accuracy, and therefore rice can be cooked with the desired amount of water.

The air supply pipe 27a having the above structure has an air inlet in the lower jacket portion 31, and constantly or intermittently supplies air during the rice washing process, which will be described later, and during the rice/water throwing process after the water adjustment process, which will be described later. By temporarily supplying air for a short time, the discharge of rice and water in the rice washing tank 3 is accelerated.

The upper water supply pipe 29 branches off from the water pipe 26 at the height above the washed rice tank 3 and is equipped with an electromagnetic valve 35 that operates according to the flow rate detected by the flow rate sensor 25. It is possible to control the amount of water during immersion treatment in which water is sprinkled intermittently.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of essential parts around a drainage mechanism of the rice-washing rice cooker 1 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a drain box 39 having a drain port (not shown) is provided at the lower side of the rice washing tank 3, and the upper end of the drain box 39 opens to the upper side of the rice washing tank 3. It is connected to an overflow pipe 41 (see FIG. 1(b)) through a connecting pipe 36, and its inner portion is connected to a jacket drain pipe 42 communicating with the jacket portion 31. As shown in FIG. Also, water is drained from the jacket drain pipe 42 by opening and closing the drain valve 44 , and the water level in the rice washing tank 3 can be adjusted by the water level valve 54 . 5, the water level valve 54 is shown integrally with the drain valve 44 for the sake of convenience.

The drain box 39 is always closed by the drain valve 44 and the water level valve 54, but when the water in the rice washing tank 3 is drained, the filter 15 of the jacket part 31 is connected to the jacket water pipe 42, the drain valve 44 and /or drains through level valve 54, drain box 39 and drain 40;

The drain valve 44 and the water level valve 54 are opened and closed by control wires (not shown) connected to respective solenoids (not shown) fixed to the ceiling of the rice washing tank 3 . In addition, a float sensor 32 with an electric contact for detecting the amount of water in the rice washing tank 3 is provided in the upper part of the rice washing tank 3 .

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control system of the rice-washing rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 6, the control system for the rice-washing rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes various operation switches on the operation panel 11, a flow rate sensor 25, and the rice-washing tank 3. The float sensor 32 for detecting the rice cooker 5, the drawer fixed position sensor 75 provided on the pedestal 10, and the foot operation switch 76 are provided. The motor 12a of the scale 12 for measuring the amount, the drive motor 23 for the rice discharge valve 22 for dropping rice and water, the rice washing motor 20 for driving the stirring rod 17, the electromagnetic valve 35 and electromagnetic valve 28 communicating with the rice washing tank 3, The switching valve 64 of the air blowing mechanism, the kettle heating burner 7 of the rice cooker 5, the display screen of the operation panel 11 for displaying setting contents and operating conditions, and the drawer moving motor 74 provided on the frame 10 are connected to each other. The controller C is configured to be controllable according to the input information.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing basic processing steps of washing and cooking rice in the washed rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 7, first, in the weighing process, a set amount of rice is supplied from the rice storage tank 2 to the rice washing tank 3 (S1), and then in the rice washing tank 3, the rice washing process (S2) and the soaking process. (S3), the draining step (S4), and the water adjustment step (S5). , the rice cooking step (S7) is executed.

In the rice washing step (S2), while washing water is supplied from the lower water supply pipe 27, air is supplied to this washing water from the air supply pipe 27a, and the stirring rod 17 is constantly rotated to wash the rice. As a result, air bubbles are generated in the rice washing tank, so that the impact when the rice collides with the stirring rod 17 can be reduced, and the rice can be prevented from cracking.

In the immersion step (S3), after the stirring rod 17 is stopped and the washing water is drained, immersion in a strainer is performed. That is, water is supplied from the upper water supply pipe 29 every set time in a drained state, and water is sprinkled in a shower-like manner. At this time, by controlling the flow rate sensor 25 to spray a predetermined amount of water (for example, 160 cc), the amount of water sprayed can be stabilized more than in the case of water supply control for a predetermined period of time.

During the immersion step (S3), the stirring rod 17 may be operated every set time (eg, every 10 minutes) for a predetermined time (eg, 10 seconds). As a result, it is possible to prevent rice from adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3 .

In the soaking step (S3), soaking is performed according to a preset soaking time, but this soaking time varies depending on the store that uses the washed rice cooker. For example, in stores that offer set meals, the soaking time is about 2 hours to serve white rice as it is, and it is cooked fluffy, whereas in stores that offer rice balls, sushi, and rice bowls, the soaking time is shortened and the grains are cooked. Make it firm and elastic.

In the draining step (S4), the water is drained and then the stirring rod 17 is rotated for a short period of time.

In the water adjustment step (S5), the stirring rod 17 is stopped, and a required amount of water is supplied from the lower water supply pipe 27 to the rice washing tank 3 for water adjustment. The amount of water to be supplied is controlled by a flow sensor 25 that detects the amount of water supplied to the lower water supply pipe 27 by a flow sensor 25 and controls the opening and closing of an electromagnetic valve 28. There is a static water control method that drains water only for a predetermined period of time. Information from the float sensor 32 is used to determine whether the rice washing tank 3 is full.

In the rice/water dropping step (S6), the drain valve 22 is opened to drop the water-adjusted rice from the rice washing tank 3 into the rice cooker 5. At this time, it is preferable that the stirring rod 17 is rotated for a short period of time and the air is blown out from the air pipe 27a for a short period of time so that no rice remains in the rice washing tank 3.

When the rice/water throwing process (S6) is completed, the rice cooking process (S7) is executed in the rice cooker 5, which consists of ignition by the kettle heating burner 7, rice cooking by the rice cooker 6, steaming, and finishing of cooking. By acquiring information from the rice cooker 5, the control unit C is configured to be able to determine whether the rice cooker 5 is in the rice cooking step (S7), that is, whether the rice cooker 5 is in an operating state or a stopped state. ing.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the blower mechanism of the washed rice cooker of FIG. 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

When the user operates the blower button provided on the operation panel 11, the controller C acquires this operation information and starts the blower control of the blower mechanism (S1a).

When the blowing control of the blowing mechanism is started, the control unit C first acquires information from the rice cooker 5 and determines whether the rice cooker 5 is in the rice cooking process, that is, whether the rice cooker 5 is in operation. It judges (S2a).

As a result, when it is determined that the rice cooking process is in progress, that is, when the rice cooker 5 is in an operating state, the controller C performs processing for blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 (S3a). Specifically, the switching valve 64 is controlled to switch the air blowing destination of the air blowing passage 62 to the second air blowing port 63b, and the air blower 61 is driven to start blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3. As a result, conventionally, dew condensation occurs on the outer wall of the rice washing tank 3 due to steam from the rice cooking device 5 during the rice cooking process. can be effectively prevented.

After the blower 61 starts blowing air, the user operates the stop button provided on the operation panel 11, and when the control unit C acquires this operation information, or according to the information acquired from the rice cooker 5, the control is performed. When the part C determines that the rice cooking process is completed (S4a), the air blower 61 is stopped to end the air blowing (S5a).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2a that it is not the rice cooking process, ie, if the rice cooker 5 is in a stopped state, the controller C performs a process for blowing air into the rice washing tank 3 (S3b). Specifically, the control unit C controls the switching valve 64 to switch the air blowing destination of the air blowing passage 62 to the first air blowing port 63a, drives the air blower 61, and blows air into the rice washing tank 3. Start. As a result, when the rice cooker 5 is stopped, air is blown into the rice washing tank 3, so that the inside of the rice washing tank 3 can be dried and kept in a sanitary condition. In addition, since the first air blowing port 63a is provided on the side of the rice guide cylinder 2b, the air blown by the blower 61 passes below the scale 12, thereby removing moisture from the scale 12 as well. can be done.

Since it is not in the rice cooking process, the user operates the stop button provided on the operation panel 11 after air blowing to the inside of the rice washing tank 3 is started, and the control unit C acquires this operation information, or When a predetermined time has passed since the start of air blowing into the rice washing tank 3, the air blower 61 is stopped to end air blowing (S5a).

On the other hand, when the stop button provided on the operation panel 11 is not operated by the user after the air blowing into the rice washing tank 3 is started, or when a predetermined time has passed since the air blowing into the rice washing tank 3 was started. If not, it is determined whether or not it is in the rice cooking process (S5b). As a result, when it is determined that the rice is not in the rice-cooking process, the control unit C checks whether the stop button provided on the operation panel 11 is operated by the user, or determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of blowing air into the rice washing tank 3 . has elapsed (S4b).

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S5b that the rice cooking process is in progress, that is, when the rice cooker 5 is in an operating state, the controller C performs processing for blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 (S3a). .

In this manner, in this embodiment, the control unit C controls the air blowing mechanism so that air is blown to the outside of the rice washing tank 3 when the rice cooker 5 is in operation and rice cooking steam is generated. , dew condensation on the outer wall is prevented, and on the other hand, when the rice cooker 5 is stopped, the air blowing mechanism is controlled so as to blow air into the rice washing tank 3 to dry the inside of the rice washing tank 3 and maintain a hygienic state. can be ensured, air can be efficiently blown.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure in the vicinity of the stand 10 of the rice-washing rice cooker.
As shown in FIG. 9, the pedestal 10 has a drawer 71 on which the rice cooker 6 can be placed. It is configured to be movable back and forth through the

The gantry 10 also includes a drawer fixed position sensor 75 that detects the position of the drawer 71, whereby the controller C can determine whether the drawer 71 is housed in the gantry 10 or pulled forward. It is configured so that the state can be determined.
As described above, since the gantry 10 is provided with the drawer fixed position sensor 75 for detecting the position of the drawer 71, the controller C obtains ON/OFF of the drawer fixed position sensor 75, and when it is ON, As long as it is possible to shift to the rice washing step. By configuring in this way, the user can shift the rice-washing rice cooker to the rice-washing process without bothering to check the position of the drawer 71, so that the working efficiency can be improved.

Further, a foot operation switch 76 is provided in front of the side frame of the gantry 10, and this foot operation switch 76 is operated by the user when the drawer 71 is pulled forward. When the foot operation switch 76 is operated, the control unit C acquires the operation information and drives the drawer moving motor 74 so that the drawer 71 is moved to the state where it is housed in the pedestal 10. It is configured. Therefore, even if the user's hands are occupied when the drawer 71 is pulled forward, the drawer 71 is automatically retracted by operating the foot operation switch 76 with the user's foot. Work efficiency is improved.

Here, two foot-operated switches 76 may be set according to the form of the drawer 71 when the frame 10 has a two-hook specification.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing another process of washing and cooking rice in the washed rice cooker according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 10, the air supply step is executed between the rice/throwing step and the rice cooking step in FIG.

The air supply process is started by operating a predetermined switch on the operation panel 11 after the rice/throwing process. When the air supply process is started, the controller C supplies air from the air pipe 27a. As a result, air is supplied into the rice washing tank 3, and moisture adhering to the inner wall of the rice washing tank 3, the stirring rod 17, and the rice discharge shaft 16a is removed.

At this time, when the drop valve 22 and the drain valve 44 are closed and the air is supplied while the stirring rod 17 is being rotated, the air circulates in the rice washing tank 3, so that the dehumidifying ability can be improved. can.
In addition, by configuring the drop valve 22 to be opened after the stirring rod 17 is stopped, water droplets remaining in the lower part of the rice washing tank 3 can be discharged to the outside of the rice washing tank 2 without scattering outside the tank 2. can be done. At this time, foreign substances can be prevented from entering the rice washing tank 3 by setting the time for opening the drop valve 22 to a predetermined time (for example, about 10 seconds) or less.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.

2 and 3, a switching valve 64 that can be electromagnetically switched by the control of the control unit C is provided at the branch of the air blowing passage 62. By switching the switching valve 64, the air from the blower 62 is switched to the first Although it is configured to selectively blow air to one of the second air blowing port 63a and/or the second air blowing port 63b, the switching valve 64 may be omitted. In that case, when the blower 61 is driven, the air from the blower 61 is blown into and out of the rice washing tank 3 at the same time. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, although the efficiency of air blowing is lowered.

Further, in the basic process of washing and cooking rice shown in FIG. 8, when the user operates the air blowing button provided on the operation panel 11, the air blowing control of the air blowing mechanism is started. However, when the rice cooking process is started by the rice cooker 5, the controller C can acquire information from the rice cooker 5 and automatically start blowing air to the outside of the rice washing tank 3. .

1 Washed Rice Cooker 2 Rice Storage Tank 2A Case 2a Partition Plate 3 Washed Rice Tank 3A Ceiling Part 3a Inclined Part 3b Body Part 3c Hopper-shaped Part 6 Rice Cooker 13 Opening 15 Filter 17 Stirring Rod 22 Drain Valve 25 Flow Sensor 27 Lower Water Supply Pipe 27a air pipe 28 solenoid valve 29 upper water supply pipe 29a shower nozzle 29b shower nozzle 31 jacket part 32 float sensor 34 guide plate 35 solenoid valve 41 overflow pipe 42 jacket drain pipe 44 drain valve 61 blower 62 air passage 63a first blower port 63b Second blower port 64 Switching valve 74 Drawer movement motor 75 Fixed position sensor 76 Foot operation switch C Control unit S Rice washer

Claims (5)

A washed rice cooker comprising a rice washing tank below a rice storage tank from which rice can be fed by a weighing device having a constant feeding valve, and a rice cooking device below the washed rice tank, wherein a blowing mechanism for blowing air to the washed rice tank is provided. , the air blowing mechanism includes a branched air passage to communicate with the outside and inside of the rice washing tank, and is configured to be able to blow air to the inside and outside of the rice washing tank by a blower connected to the air blowing passage. Washed rice cooker. 2. The rice-washing rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the ceiling of the rice-washing tank is provided with an outwardly downwardly inclined portion. 3. The washed rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein a guide plate is provided outside said washed rice tank for guiding air blown by said air blowing mechanism. 4. Any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a switching valve is provided at a branching portion of the air blowing passage so that the air from the blower can be selectively blown into or out of the rice washing tank. 1. The washed rice cooker according to 1. By controlling the switching valve, the blower mechanism blows air from the blower to the outside of the rice washing tank when the rice cooker is in an operating state, and blows air from the blower to the outside of the rice washing tank when the rice cooker is in a stopped state. 5. The rice-washing and rice-cooking machine according to claim 4, wherein the rice-washing machine is configured to blow the air from the washing-rice tank into the inside of the rice-washing tank.

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