JP7398889B2 - Rice cooker and rice cooker heating control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker including a side heating section and a bottom heating section, and a heating control method for the rice cooker.

In conventional rice cookers, a configuration is known in which heating coils are provided on the bottom and side surfaces of a pot-shaped container, respectively, and these heating coils are driven independently. By providing heating coils on the bottom and side surfaces of the pot-shaped container, the entire pot-shaped container can be heated uniformly. Further, Patent Document 1 proposes that an upper coil and a lower coil are provided on the side surface of a pot-shaped container, and the amount of heat generated by the upper coil and the lower coil is changed depending on the amount of rice to be cooked.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-225374

However, in the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, the amount of heat generated by the upper coil and the lower coil is changed based on only whether the amount of rice to be cooked is small or large, and thus optimal heating cannot be performed depending on the amount of rice to be cooked. If the amount of heat transferred to the rice differs depending on the amount of rice cooked, uneven cooking, that is, unevenness in the hardness and moisture content of the cooked rice will occur.

The present invention solves the above problems, and aims to provide a rice cooker and a heating control method for a rice cooker that can perform heating according to the amount of rice cooked and suppress uneven cooking. .

The rice cooker according to the present invention includes a pot-shaped container having a side surface and a bottom surface, a bottom surface heating section that heats the bottom surface, and a plurality of regions that heat at least a part of the side surface divided into three or more regions in the vertical direction. a side heating section, a rice cooking amount detection section that detects the amount of cooked rice in the pot-shaped container , a bottom heating section, and a side heating section according to the amount of cooked rice among the plurality of side heating sections in the temperature raising step. a heating control unit to be driven , and the plurality of side heating units are arranged such that their lower ends coincide with the water level line of the pot-shaped container, and the side surfaces are inclined such that the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container increases upward in the vertical direction. has a department .

A heating control method for a rice cooker according to the present invention heats a bottom heating section that heats the bottom of a pot-like container and at least a part of the side surface of the pot-like container in each region divided into three or more vertically. a plurality of side heating parts, the plurality of side heating parts are arranged such that their lower ends coincide with the water level line of the pot-shaped container, and the side surfaces are inclined such that the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container increases upward in the vertical direction. A heating control method for a rice cooker having a heating control method for a rice cooker having a bottom heating section and a side heating section of a plurality of side heating sections in a step of detecting the amount of cooked rice, a preheating step and a temperature raising step. and a step of driving the side heating section so that the amount of heat generated from the side heating section according to the amount of rice cooked is greater than the amount of heat generated from the bottom heating section; and a step of driving a bottom heating part and a side heating part according to the amount of rice to be cooked so as to maintain a uniform temperature in the pot-shaped container during the steaming process and the warming process.

According to the rice cooker and the heating control method for a rice cooker of the present invention, a plurality of side heating parts are provided which heat each region divided into three or more in the vertical direction, and the plurality of side heating parts are arranged according to the amount of rice to be cooked. By controlling the heating of the rice, it is possible to reduce variations in the amount of heat transferred to the rice due to differences in the amount of rice cooked. As a result, uneven cooking can be suppressed and delicious rice can be cooked.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a rice cooker in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of side heating parts in the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a control unit in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the rice cooking process of the rice cooker and the temperature of the pot-shaped container in Embodiment 1. 5 is a flowchart showing heating control of the side heating section in the first embodiment. 7 is a flowchart showing heating control of the side heating section in Modification 1-1. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of side heating parts in Modification 1-2. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of side heating parts in Modification 1-3. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of side heating parts in Modification 1-4. 12 is a flowchart showing heating control of the side heating section in Modification 1-4. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of side heating parts in Modification 2-1. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a pot-shaped container according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container of Modification 3-1. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container of Modification 3-2.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the rice cooker will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings, the size relationship of each component may differ from the actual one. Further, in the following drawings including FIG. 1, the same reference numerals are the same or correspond to the same, and this is common throughout the entire specification.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. The rice cooker 100 cooks the food by heating the pot-shaped container 5 containing the food in a heating section. As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker 100 includes a main body 1 having a cylindrical appearance with a bottom, a lid 10 that is attached to the main body 1 and opens and closes an upper opening of the main body 1, and a lid body 10 that is housed inside the main body 1. A pot-shaped container 5 is provided.

(Rice cooker configuration)
The main body 1 includes a container cover 2, a bottom heating section 31, a side heating section 32, a pot bottom temperature sensor 4, a hinge section 6 that supports the lid 10 so as to be openable and closable, a time measuring section 7, and a rice cooker 100. and a control section 8 that controls each section of the rice cooker to execute the rice cooking process.

The container cover 2 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and the pot-shaped container 5 is removably accommodated therein. A hole 2a into which a pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is inserted is provided at the center of the bottom of the container cover 2. Further, a shoulder portion 2b is provided on the upper side of the container cover 2, and by placing the flange portion 5a of the pot-shaped container 5 on the shoulder portion 2b of the container cover 2, the pot-shaped container 5 is accommodated in the container cover 2. be done.

The bottom heating section 31 is arranged below the pot-shaped container 5 and heats the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 by induction using a high-frequency current supplied from the first inverter 85. The bottom heating section 31 is a heating coil formed by winding a conducting wire such as a copper wire or an aluminum wire. Note that an electric heater such as a sheathed heater may be provided as the bottom heating section 31 instead of the heating coil. The bottom heating section 31 includes a first bottom heating section 31a and a second bottom heating section 31b, which are arranged concentrically.

The side surface heating section 32 is disposed so as to surround the outer periphery of the pot-shaped container 5, and heats the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 by induction using a high-frequency current supplied from the second inverter 86. The side heating section 32 is a heating coil formed by winding a conducting wire such as a copper wire or an aluminum wire. Note that an electric heater such as a sheathed heater may be provided as the side heating section 32 instead of the heating coil. The side heating section 32 includes a first side heating section 32a, a second side heating section 32b, a third side heating section 32c, a fourth side heating section 32d, and a fifth side heating section 32e arranged in the vertical direction. It consists of. Note that the "vertical direction" is the vertical direction when the pot-shaped container 5 is placed on a horizontal surface.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating section 32 in the first embodiment. The side surface heating unit 32 of this embodiment performs induction heating on at least a portion of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 divided into three or more regions. In this embodiment, a portion of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 from the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of the maximum number of pot-shaped containers 5 is the first region S1 and the second region S1. It is divided into five regions: region S2, third region S3, fourth region S4, and fifth region S5. The maximum number of pot-shaped containers 5 in this embodiment is 5.5.

The first region S1 is an area from the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the 1 cup water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The second region S2 is an area from the 1st cup water level line of the pot-shaped container 5 to the 2nd cup water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The third region S3 is an area from the 2nd cup water level line of the pot-shaped container 5 to the 3rd cup water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The fourth region S4 is an area from the 3rd water level line of the pot-shaped container 5 to the 4th water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The fifth region S5 is an area from the water level line of the 4th cup of the pot-shaped container 5 to the water level line of the 5.5th cup of the pot-shaped container 5.

A first side heating section 32a is arranged in the first region S1, a second side heating section 32b is arranged in the second region S2, a third side heating section 32c is arranged in the third region S3, and a fourth side heating section 32c is arranged in the third region S3. A fourth side heating section 32d is arranged in S4, and a fifth side heating section 32e is arranged in fifth region S5. The first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e can be placed at any position within the first to fifth regions S1 to S5. In the example of FIG. 2, the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e are arranged at the center of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5. Further, each of the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e may be arranged so as to extend over the entirety of each of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5.

Returning to FIG. 1, the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is composed of, for example, a thermistor, and detects the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5. The pot bottom temperature sensor 4 of this embodiment is biased upward by an elastic means (not shown) such as a spring, and is in contact with the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 housed in the container cover 2. Detect the bottom surface temperature of 5. The temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 detected by the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is output to the control section 8. Note that the specific configuration of the pot bottom temperature sensor 4 is not limited to a thermistor, and in addition to a contact type temperature sensor that detects the temperature by contacting the pot-shaped container 5, a non-contact type sensor such as an infrared sensor that detects the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 can be used. A non-contact temperature sensor may also be used.

The hinge part 6 is provided on one end side of the upper part of the main body 1 (on the left side of the paper in FIG. 1), and supports the lid body 10 so as to be openable and closable. Note that the main body 1 may be provided with a handle (not shown) for transporting the rice cooker 100. When a handle is provided, it is preferable that the handle is pivotally supported approximately at the front and back center of the upper side surface of the main body 1, and the direction of rotation of the handle is made to coincide with the direction of rotation of the lid body 10. With this configuration, when transporting the rice cooker 100, the user can rotate and lift the handle so that it is positioned almost directly above the pivot point of the handle, and transport the rice cooker 100 by holding only the handle. becomes.

The time measuring section 7 counts the elapsed time based on the instruction signal from the control section 8. The elapsed time counted by the time measurement section 7 is output to the control section 8. Note that the time measurement section 7 may be provided as a functional section of the control section 8.

The first inverter 85 and the second inverter 86 are drive circuits that convert AC power from a commercial power source (not shown) into high-frequency current and supply it to the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 . The first inverter 85 has a relay circuit, and switches and drives the first bottom heating section 31a and the second bottom heating section 31b. The second inverter 86 has a relay circuit and individually drives the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e. Note that the number of inverters is not limited to two, and an inverter may be installed individually for the first bottom heating section 31a, the second bottom heating section 31b, and each of the first to fifth side heating sections 32a to 32e. It is good also as a structure where it is provided.

In the above-mentioned conventional rice cooker, the amount of heat generated by the side heating section is 10 to 30 W, which is very small compared to the 1200 W of heat generated by the bottom heating section. I can't say I'm giving it away. In this case, since the heating is mainly from the bottom of the pot-shaped container, there is a temperature difference between the cooked rice at the bottom and the top of the pot-shaped container, which is one of the causes of uneven cooking. Moreover, this temperature difference becomes larger as the amount of cooked rice increases. For example, when the amount of rice to be cooked is large, the unevenness of cooking on the top and bottom of the pot-shaped container becomes large. In addition, if the amount of rice to be cooked is small, the uneven cooking on the top and bottom of the pot-like container will disappear, but the rice near the surface of the pot-like container will be overheated, resulting in soft and watery rice. The cooking becomes more uneven between the center and the surface. On the other hand, in this embodiment, by providing two inverters, both the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 can be heated with the maximum calorific value (for example, 1200 W).

The control unit 8 controls the entire rice cooker 100 and executes the rice cooking process. The control unit 8 is composed of a microcomputer and software executed on the microcomputer. Alternatively, the control unit 8 may be configured with hardware such as a circuit device that realizes its functions.

The lid body 10 has an outer lid 11 and an inner lid 12. The outer lid 11 is provided with a removable cartridge 14, and the upper surface of the outer lid 11 is provided with an operation display section 15.

The outer lid 11 constitutes the upper and side parts of the lid body 10, and the inner lid 12 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the outer lid 11 (the surface facing the pot-shaped container 5). The inner lid 12 is made of metal such as stainless steel, and is attached to the surface of the outer lid 11 on the main body 1 side via a locking member 13. A lid packing 9, which is a sealing material that ensures airtightness with the outer periphery of the upper end of the pot-shaped container 5, is attached to the peripheral edge of the inner lid 12. Further, the inner cover 12 is formed with a hole 12a into which the internal temperature sensor 16 is inserted, and the outer cover 11 is provided with a packing that closes a gap around the outer periphery of the internal temperature sensor 16 inserted into the hole 12a of the inner cover 12. 11a is attached. Further, the inner lid 12 is provided with a steam port 12b through which steam generated within the pot-shaped container 5 passes, and communicates with a steam intake port 14a of a cartridge 14, which will be described later.

The cartridge 14 includes a steam intake port 14a equipped with a valve (not shown) that moves up and down according to the steam pressure generated during rice cooking, and a steam exhaust port that discharges the steam that has passed through the valve of the steam intake port 14a to the outside. An outlet 14b is provided. The steam inlet 14a communicates with the steam inlet 12b, and the steam generated in the pot-shaped container 5 passes through the steam inlet 12b, enters the cartridge 14 from the steam inlet 14a, flows inside the cartridge 14, and becomes steam. It flows out of the cartridge 14 from the discharge port 14b.

The operation display section 15 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 11. The operation display section 15 receives operation inputs from the user and displays information regarding the operation inputs and the operating state of the rice cooker 100. Items that can be set on the operation display section 15 include, for example, starting or canceling rice cooking, rice cooking reservation, and rice cooking menu. Specific examples of rice cooking menus include those related to the type of rice such as white rice or brown rice, those related to the cooking time such as standard cooked rice or quick cooked rice, and those related to the hardness of cooked rice such as hard or soft. can be mentioned. Items displayed by the operation display unit 15 include, for example, the status of the rice cooker 100 such as cooking rice or waiting for a reservation, the contents of the rice cooking menu that has been set, the expected time of completion of cooking, the current time, and the amount of rice 200 to be cooked. etc. Note that the specific configuration of the operation display section 15 shown here is just an example, and other items may be set or displayed.

The internal temperature sensor 16 is composed of, for example, a thermistor, and detects the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5. The internal temperature sensor 16 is attached to the outer lid 11, and a portion thereof is inserted into the hole 12a of the inner lid 12. Internal temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature inside pot-shaped container 5 through hole 12a. The temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 detected by the internal temperature sensor 16 is output to the control section 8. Note that the specific configuration of the internal temperature sensor 16 is not limited to a thermistor, and may include other contact temperature sensors as well as non-contact temperature sensors such as infrared sensors that detect the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 without contact. May be adopted.

The pot-shaped container 5 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom and is made of a material containing a magnetic metal that generates heat by induction heating. Note that the shape of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 may be circular, elliptical, or polygonal in plan view. Inside the pot-shaped container 5, rice 200 and water 201, which are objects to be heated, are stored. Further, the pot-like container 5 of the present embodiment has a pot-like shape, and a flange portion 5a that protrudes outward is provided on the side surface 5c over the entire circumference. By placing the flange 5a of the pot-shaped container 5 on the shoulder 2b of the container cover 2, a closed space is created between the container cover 2 and the pot-shaped container 5. If the pot-shaped container 5 is heated in this state, the temperature of the portion of the pot-shaped container 5 located below the flange 5a and the rice 200 stored therein will cool down due to the heat insulation provided by the closed space. This makes it possible to heat efficiently.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 8 in the first embodiment. The control unit 8 includes a heating control unit 81, a display control unit 82, and a cooked rice amount detection unit 83 as functional units realized by executing a program. The control unit 8 also includes a storage unit 84 that is made of a nonvolatile or volatile memory such as a RAM, ROM, or flash memory, and stores various programs and data used in each functional unit. Note that the storage section 84 may be provided separately from the control section 8.

The heating control section 81 controls the first inverter 85 and the second inverter 86 based on the outputs from the pot bottom temperature sensor 4, the operation display section 15, and the internal temperature sensor 16, and controls the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32. It is driven to carry out the rice cooking process. At this time, the heating control section 81 controls the first side heating section 32a, the second side heating section 32b, the third side heating section 32c, and the fourth side heating section 32c based on the rice cooking amount detected by the rice cooking amount detection section 83. The side surface heating section 32d and the fifth side surface heating section 32e are individually driven.

Further, the heating control unit 81 may detect that overheating has occurred in the pot-shaped container 5 due to dry cooking or the like. The heating control unit 81 determines whether or not there is empty cooking by monitoring the temperature change inside the pot-shaped container 5 detected by the internal temperature sensor 16. Specifically, the heating control unit 81 determines that dry cooking has occurred when the slope of the temperature change detected by the internal temperature sensor 16 is larger than a threshold value. When the heating control unit 81 determines that dry cooking is occurring, the heating control unit 81 stops driving the bottom heating unit 31 and the side heating unit 32. It should be noted that a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5 may be further provided, and the heating control section 81 may determine dry cooking based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

The display control unit 82 causes the operation display unit 15 to display information regarding the operation input on the operation display unit 15, the operating state of the rice cooker 100, and the like. It also accepts operation input from the user via the operation display section 15 and outputs it to the heating control section 81 .

The rice cooking amount detection unit 83 detects the amount of rice cooking in the pot-shaped container 5 based on the output from the pot bottom temperature sensor 4. Specifically, the rice cooking amount detection unit 83 detects the rice cooking amount based on a temperature change during a preheating process in which the pot-shaped container 5 is repeatedly heated and stopped. Specifically, the amount of cooked rice is determined by comparing the temperature change when heating is stopped with a threshold value of temperature change for each amount of cooked rice, which has been determined in advance through experiments or the like.

Note that the rice cooking amount detection section 83 is not limited to being provided as a functional section of the control section 8. For example, a weight sensor may be provided as the rice cooking amount detection section 83 at the lower part of the pot-shaped container 5 or at the leg of the rice cooker 100. In this case, the amount of cooked rice is directly detected from the weights of water 201 and rice 200 measured by a weight sensor. Alternatively, as the rice cooking amount detection section 83, a distance sensor such as an ultrasonic sensor may be provided on the inner lid 12. In this case, the distance from the inner lid 12 to the surface of the water 201 and the rice 200 is measured by the distance sensor, and the amount of cooked rice is indirectly detected from the positions of the water 201 and the rice 200 determined from the distance. Furthermore, the amount of cooked rice may be detected by providing a "total number button" on the operation display section 15 for the user to set the total number.

(Rice cooker operation)
Next, the rice cooking process of rice cooker 100 in this embodiment will be explained. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 drives the bottom heating unit 31 and the side heating unit 32 according to the rice cooking program stored in the storage unit 84 in response to the user's operation input on the operation display unit 15, and the rice cooking process is started. Execute. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 100 and the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rice cooking process includes a preheating process, a temperature raising process, a boiling maintenance process, and a steaming process. The preheating step is a step in which the temperature of the rice and water is maintained at a constant temperature of 50 to 60 degrees, at which gelatinization of the starch in the rice does not begin, and water absorption is promoted to the inside of the rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5. The next temperature raising process is a process from the end of the preheating process until the water in the pot-shaped container 5 boils. When the water in the pot-shaped container 5 boils, the control unit 8 moves to the next boiling maintenance step. In this boiling maintenance step, the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 is heated to maintain the boiling temperature to promote gelatinization of the rice starch. The final steaming step is a step in which the rice in the pot-shaped container 5 is steamed to advance gelatinization to the center of the rice grains and further to uniformize the distribution of moisture within the rice grains. When the rice cooking process is completed, the process moves to a heat retention process in which the inside of the pot-shaped container 5 is maintained at a predetermined temperature.

In the rice cooking process, the heating control section 81 may drive the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 at the same timing, or may drive them alternately at arbitrary time intervals. Alternatively, the heating control unit 81 may switch between driving the bottom heating unit 31 and the side heating unit 32 at the same timing and driving them alternately. By driving the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 at the same timing, intense boiling like a furnace can be caused from the entire pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice 200 can be strongly heated. Further, by alternately driving the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32, convection can be generated within the pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice can be heated uniformly. However, when driving the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 at the same timing, the amount of heat generated is adjusted so that the maximum power consumption does not exceed the rated power.

An example of heating control of the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 in the rice cooking process will be explained. In addition, although the standard rice cooking process will be explained below as an example, similar effects can be obtained even in rice cooking in other modes by performing heating control for each rice cooking process. First, in the preheating step, the heating control section 81 drives the side heating section 32 more actively than the bottom heating section 31 . In other words, the heating control section 81 controls the first inverter 85 and the second inverter 86 so that the amount of heat generated by the side surface heating section 32 is greater than or equal to the amount of heat generated from the bottom surface heating section 31 . Specifically, the heating control unit 81 makes the total heating time of the side heating unit 32 equal to or longer than the total heating time of the bottom heating unit 31, or supplies the amount of electric power supplied to the side heating unit 32 to the bottom heating unit 31. The amount of electricity shall be greater than or equal to the amount of electricity.

If only the bottom surface 5b is heated by the bottom surface heating section 31, heat will be absorbed by the rice 200, making it impossible to uniformly heat the rice 200. Furthermore, if the rice 200 on the bottom surface 5b of the pot-like container 5 is heated too much, only a portion of the rice will become gelatinized, resulting in uneven cooking. On the other hand, by heating the pot-shaped container 5 from the side using the side heating section 32, not only the rice 200 but also the water 201 can be heated. This makes it easier to heat the water 201 to a temperature at which water absorption progresses (approximately 50 to 60 degrees) without gelatinizing the rice 200. As a result, the time for the preheating process can be shortened, the temperature difference within the pot-shaped container 5 can be reduced, and intensive heating of the rice 200 can be eliminated, and the entire rice 200 can be uniformly absorbed and heated.

Next, in the temperature raising step as well, the heating control section 81 actively drives the side heating section 32 similarly to the preheating step. In the temperature raising step, the temperature of the pot-shaped container 5 is rapidly raised, so the amount of electric power supplied to the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 is larger than that in the preheating step. Therefore, by heating only by the bottom heating section 31, the rice 200 on the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 will be heated more than in the preheating process. On the other hand, by actively heating the sides of the pot-shaped container 5 by the side heating section 32, uneven gelatinization of the rice 200 can be prevented and the entire rice 200 can be uniformly heated to 100°C. . As a result, it is possible to eliminate differences in the degree of cooking, or so-called uneven cooking.

Next, in the boiling step, the heating control section 81 drives the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 at maximum power. Thereby, boiling bubbles can be generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5 to promote convection, and the entire rice can be heated uniformly and with strong heat from the surface to the center of the pot-shaped container 5. Further, the heating control unit 81 may switch between the bottom heating unit 31 and the side heating unit 32 and drive them intermittently to non-uniformly generate boiling bubbles in the pot-shaped container 5. This allows air bubbles to be spread throughout the rice 200, making it possible to generate crab holes, promote further convection, and achieve more uniform heating.

In the steaming process and the warming process, the heating control unit 81 drives the bottom heating unit 31 and the side heating unit 32 with small electric power in order to keep the temperature inside the pot-shaped container 5 uniform. This eliminates the temperature difference in the vertical direction of the pot-shaped container 5, making it possible to evenly distribute the moisture inside the rice grains during the steaming process and to prevent excess moisture from evaporating during the warming process.

In this way, by controlling the heating of the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32 according to the rice cooking process, the entire rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5 can be heated uniformly, and delicious rice can be cooked evenly. becomes possible.

In addition, when driving the side heating section 32 in the rice cooking process, the heating control section 81 controls the first to fifth side heating sections 32a to 32e according to the amount of cooked rice detected by the rice cooking amount detection section 83. One of them is selected and driven by the second inverter 86.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing heating control of the side heating section 32 in the first embodiment. First, the rice cooking amount detection section 83 of the control section 8 detects the amount of rice cooking in the pot-shaped container 5 (S1). Then, depending on the amount of cooked rice (S2), the first side heating section 32a, the second side heating section 32b, the third side heating section 32c, the fourth side heating section 32d, and the fifth side heating section 32e are activated. are driven individually.

Specifically, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 cup or less, the heating control section 81 drives only the first side heating section 32a (S3). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 cup or less, the second to fifth side heating units 32b to 32e are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 2 cups, the heating control section 81 drives only the first side heating section 32a and the second side heating section 32b (S4). That is, when the amount of rice to be cooked is 2 cups, the third to fifth side heating parts 32c to 32e are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 3 cups, the heating control section 81 drives only the first to third side heating sections 32a to 32c (S5). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 3 cups, the fourth side heating section 32d and the fifth side heating section 32e are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 4 cups, the heating control section 81 drives only the first to fourth side heating sections 32a to 32d (S6). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 4 cups, the fifth side heating section 32e is not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 5 cups or more, the heating control section 81 drives the first to fifth side heating sections 32a to 32e (S7). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 5 cups or more, all the side heating parts 32 are driven in the rice cooking process.

Note that when two or more of the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e are driven, they may all be driven at the same timing or may be driven alternately at arbitrary time intervals. Alternatively, driving at the same timing and driving alternately may be switched. By driving two or more of the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e at the same timing, intense boiling can be caused from the entire pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice 200 can be strongly heated. Further, by alternately driving two or more of the first to fifth side heating units 32a to 32e, convection can be generated within the pot-shaped container 5, and the entire rice can be heated uniformly.

As described above, in this embodiment, by selecting and driving any one of the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e according to the amount of rice to be cooked, rice on the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 is heated. The area corresponding to the amount can be heated. Thereby, convection can occur between the water 201 and the rice 200 due to air bubbles generated from the sides of the pot-shaped container 5, and variations in the amount of heat transmitted to the rice 200 due to differences in the amount of rice cooked can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress so-called uneven cooking, which is unevenness in the hardness and moisture content of cooked rice, and to cook delicious rice. Further, regardless of the amount of rice cooked, boiling bubbles can be generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5 like a furnace, and the entire rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5 can be heated uniformly.

(Modification 1-1)
The heating control of the side heating section 32 for each amount of cooked rice is not limited to the control for each cup as shown in FIG. For example, different heating controls may be performed depending on the amount of cooked rice: a small amount, a medium amount, or a large amount. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing heating control of the side heating section 32 in Modification 1-1.

First, the amount of cooked rice in the pot-shaped container 5 is detected by the amount of cooked rice detection section 83 of the control section 8 (S11). Then, depending on the amount of cooked rice (S12), the first side heating section 32a, the second side heating section 32b, the third side heating section 32c, the fourth side heating section 32d, and the fifth side heating section 32e are activated. are driven individually. Specifically, when the amount of cooked rice is small, the heating control section 81 drives only the first side heating section 32a and the second side heating section 32b (S13). That is, when the amount of rice to be cooked is small, the third to fifth side heating units 32c to 32e are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is small, for example, the amount of cooked rice is 0.5 to 1.5 cups.

When the amount of cooked rice is medium, the heating control section 81 drives only the first to third side heating sections 32a to 32c (S14). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is medium, the fourth side heating section 32d and the fifth side heating section 32e are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is medium, for example, the amount of cooked rice is 2 to 3.5 cups.

If the amount of cooked rice is large, the heating control section 81 drives the first to fifth side heating sections 32a to 32e (S15). When the amount of rice to be cooked is large, by heating the entire pot-shaped container 5, the rice 200 can be heated evenly from the bottom surface 5b to the top surface, and uneven cooking can be reduced. When the amount of cooked rice is large, for example, the amount of cooked rice is 4 to 5.5 cups.

In addition, in the heating control of the side heating part 32, the range of the side heating part 32 to be driven for each of small quantity, medium quantity, and large quantity is one example, and if the side heating part 32 is within a range where dry cooking does not occur, how can the side heating part 32 be driven? It may be driven.

(Modification 1-2)
Furthermore, the positional relationship between the pot-shaped container 5 and the side heating section 32 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating section 32 in Modification 1-2. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper ends of the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e may be aligned with the water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The water level line of the pot-shaped container 5 corresponds to the upper ends of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5, respectively. Specifically, the upper end of the first side heating part 32a is arranged so as to coincide with the water level line of 1 cup. Similarly, the second to fifth side heating parts 32b to 32e are arranged to coincide with the water level lines of 2 to 5.5 degrees, respectively.

By arranging the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e in this manner, it is possible to heat to the maximum range that does not cause dry cooking, and it is possible to enhance the effect of heating control for each amount of cooked rice. Furthermore, since it is possible to heat from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the top surface of the water 201, and it is easier to separate and heat the rice 200 and the water 201, the effect of heating control for each rice cooking process can be further enhanced. I can do it. Thereby, uneven cooking can be further suppressed.

(Modification 1-3)
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating section 32 in Modification 1-3. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower ends of the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e may be arranged at the lower ends of the first to fifth regions S1 to S5. The lower end of the first region S1 is the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5, and the lower ends of the second to fifth regions S2 to S5 are the water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. Specifically, the lower end of the first side heating part 32a is arranged so as to match the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5, and the lower end of the second side heating part 32b is arranged so as to match the water level line of 1 cup. Ru. Similarly, the third to fifth side heating parts 32c to 32e are arranged to coincide with the water level lines of 2nd to 4th, respectively.

By arranging the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e in this way, even if the amount of rice to be cooked is less than a specified number, such as 0.5 cups or 1.5 cups, the pot-shaped container 5 can be Heating can be suppressed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent damage to the pot-shaped container 5 and improve convenience.

(Modification 1-4)
Moreover, the number of side heating parts 32 and the number of divided regions of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 are not limited to the example of the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating section 32 in Modification 1-4. In FIG. 9, at least a portion of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 is divided into four regions: a first region S1, a second region S2, a third region S3, and a fourth region S4. The first region S1 is an area from the inner surface of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 to the middle between the 1st water level line and the 2nd water level line of the pot-shaped container 5. The second region S2 is an area from the middle between the 1st water level line and the 2nd water level line to the middle between the 2nd water level line and the 3rd water level line. The third region S3 is an area from the middle between the 2nd water level line and the 3rd water level line to the middle between the 3rd water level line and the 4th water level line. The fourth region S4 is an area from the middle of the water level line of 3rd and 4th to the water level of 5.5th.

A first side heating section 32a is arranged in the first region S1, a second side heating section 32b is arranged in the second region S2, a third side heating section 32c is arranged in the third region S3, and a fourth side heating section 32c is arranged in the third region S3. A fourth side heating section 32d is arranged at S4. For example, the first to fourth side heating parts 32a to 32d are arranged such that the position of the water level line in each case substantially coincides with the intermediate position of the first to fourth side heating parts 32a to 32d. Note that the arrangement is not limited to this, and the first to fourth side heating parts 32a to 32d may be arranged at arbitrary positions within the first to fourth regions S1 to S4.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing heating control of the side heating section 32 in Modification 1-4. First, the amount of cooked rice in the pot-shaped container 5 is detected by the amount of cooked rice detection section 83 of the control section 8 (S21). Then, depending on the amount of cooked rice (S22), the first side heating section 32a, the second side heating section 32b, the third side heating section 32c, and the fourth side heating section 32d are individually driven. Specifically, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 cup or less, the heating control section 81 does not drive the side heating section 32 (S23). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 cup, only the bottom heating section 31 is driven in the rice cooking process.

When the amount of cooked rice is 2 cups (S22: 2 cups), the heating control section 81 drives only the first side heating section 32a (S24). That is, when the amount of rice to be cooked is 2 cups, the second to fourth side heating parts 32b to 32d are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 3 cups, the heating control section 81 drives only the first side heating section 32a and the second side heating section 32b (S25). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 3 cups, the third side heating section 32c and the fourth side heating section 32d are not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 4 cups, the heating control section 81 drives only the first to third side heating sections 32a to 32c (S26). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 4 cups, the fourth side heating section 32d is not driven in the rice cooking process. When the amount of cooked rice is 5 cups, the heating control section 81 drives the first to fourth side heating sections 32a to 32d (S27). That is, when the amount of cooked rice is 5 cups or more, all the side heating parts 32 are driven in the rice cooking process.

Also in this modification, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, as in this modification, by making the position of the water level line in each case substantially coincide with the intermediate position of the first to fourth side heating parts 32a to 32d, the first to fourth side heating parts 32a to 32d At least half of the area necessarily heats the area where rice 200 or water 201 is present. As a result, if the amount of cooked rice is mistakenly detected as one higher than the actual amount, for example, if it is incorrectly detected as 2 cups when it is actually 1 cup, the overheated area where 200 rice or 201 water does not exist. can be suppressed and damage to the pot-shaped container 5 can be prevented. As a result, in this modification, it is possible to achieve both suppression of uneven cooking due to uniform heating and improvement of convenience due to suppression of breakage of the pot-shaped container 5. Furthermore, in this modification, the number of side heating parts 32 can be reduced, so it is possible to reduce costs and improve assemblability. In addition, in another modification, at least a part of the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5 may be divided into ten parts, ten side surface heating parts may be provided, and heating control may be performed every 0.5 cups. In this case, although the number of parts increases, it becomes possible to perform more detailed control according to the amount of cooked rice, and the effects of the first embodiment can be enhanced.

Embodiment 2.
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the shape of the pot-shaped container 5A is different from that in the first embodiment. The other configuration and control of rice cooker 100 are the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container 5A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 shows a longitudinal section passing through the center of the pot-shaped container 5A of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5A of this embodiment has an inclined portion 52 that slopes so that the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container 5A increases as it goes upward in the vertical direction. In FIG. 11, the inclined portion 52 is provided from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A to the upper end of the pot-shaped container 5A, and the entire side surface 5c is the inclined portion 52, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the slope portion 52 may extend from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A to the flange 5a of the pot-shaped container 5A, or to the height of the water 201 corresponding to the maximum number of rice 200 stored in the pot-shaped container 5A. .

Further, the inclined portion 52 is formed such that the vertical dimension is larger than the horizontal dimension. Here, the lower end and the upper end of the inner surface of the inclined portion 52 in a cross section perpendicular to the horizontal direction are defined as a base point P1 and a base point Q1, respectively, as shown in FIG. The distance H1 in the vertical direction from the base point P1 to the base point Q1 is larger than the distance W1 in the horizontal direction from the base point P1 to the base point Q1.

As an example, the distance H1 in the vertical direction from the base point P1 to the base point Q1 is more than twice the distance W1 in the horizontal direction from the base point P1 to the base point Q1. Further, the horizontal distance r1 from the center of the pot-shaped container 5A to the base point Q1 is, for example, twice or more the horizontal distance W1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1. The distance from the center of the pot-shaped container 5A to the base point Q1 means the distance from the center of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A to the base point Q1. In this embodiment, the vertical distance H1 from the base point P1 to the base point Q1 is larger than the horizontal distance r1 from the center of the bottom surface 5b to the base point Q1.

In addition, the specific numerical values of the distance W1, the distance H1, and the distance r1 mentioned above are reference values in an example to the last, and the inclination of the inclined part 52 of 5 A of pot-shaped containers is not limited to the said example. Also in this embodiment, the first to fifth side heating parts 32a to 32e are arranged along the inclined part 52 of the pot-shaped container 5A, and the amount of cooked rice is controlled by the control part 8 as in the first embodiment. Heating is controlled accordingly.

Here, conventionally, the water level difference for each batch is small, for example, the water surface position is almost the same between 1 and 2 cups, and the range that can be heated does not change, so it is not possible to perform optimal heating control according to the amount of rice cooked. It wasn't. On the other hand, by providing the inclined portion 52 on the side surface 5c like the pot-shaped container 5A, the position of the water surface changes every 1 cup or 0.5 cup, and the water level difference can be widened. Thereby, the heating range can be expanded as the amount of cooked rice increases. As a result, the first to fifth side heating sections 32a to 32e can be finely controlled, and the effect of the side heating section 32 can be enhanced. In particular, even when cooking a small amount of rice (about 0.5 to 1.5 cups), the water level difference for each 0.5 cup can be widened, so even when the amount of rice cooked is small, the optimal heating amount according to the amount of rice cooked can be achieved. It can be done. This allows fine heating control from small amounts to large amounts.

Furthermore, in the case of the same capacity, the area of the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A is smaller than that of the pot-shaped container 5 of the first embodiment. Thereby, the heat generation density of the bottom surface 5b by the bottom surface heating section 31 increases. Furthermore, the amount of boiling bubbles generated from the bottom surface 5b increases. As a result, the bubbles generated on the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5A pass through many rice 200 while rising to the water surface, and can evenly heat the rice 200 at the center of the pot-shaped container 5A.

As described above, in this embodiment, by providing the inclined portion 52 in the pot-shaped container 5A, the water level difference for each set can be widened, and the side surface heating according to the amount of rice cooked in Embodiment 1 can be achieved. The effect of controlling the heating of the portion 32 can be further enhanced.

(Modification 2-1)
The arrangement of the side heating section 32 may be changed according to the shape of the pot-shaped container 5A in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the side heating section 32 in Modification 2-1. As shown in FIG. 12, the number of turns of the side heating section disposed at the top of the pot-shaped container 5A may be greater than the number of turns of the side heating section disposed at the bottom. Specifically, the number of turns of the first side heating section 32a<the number of turns of the second side heating section 32b<the number of turns of the third side heating section 32c<the number of turns of the fourth side heating section 32d<the fifth side heating section The number of turns is 32e.

When the pot-shaped container 5A of Embodiment 2 has the inclined portion 52 on the side surface 5c, the rice 200 in the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A has a surface area in contact with the inner surface of the pot-shaped container 5A than the rice 200 in the lower part. increase. Therefore, in order to uniformly heat the entire rice 200, it is necessary to give a larger power to the side heating section 32 arranged at the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A than to the side heating section 32 arranged at the lower part. In this modification, by increasing the number of turns of the side heating section 32 toward the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A, it is possible to strengthen the heating of the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A. Thereby, the entire rice 200 can be heated uniformly, and the effects of the first embodiment can be further enhanced.

In addition, heating of the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A can be achieved similarly to Modification 2-1 by making the number of turns of the side-heating part the same and increasing the current flowing through the side-heating part toward the upper part of the pot-shaped container 5A. It can be made stronger. Specifically, the energization ratio of the first side heating section 32a<the energization ratio of the second side heating section 32b<the energization ratio of the third side heating section 32c<the energization ratio of the fourth side heating section 32d<the fifth side heating section The energization ratio is set to 32e. Furthermore, the effect can be further enhanced by increasing both the number of turns and the energization ratio toward the top of the pot-shaped container 5A.

Embodiment 3.
Next, Embodiment 3 will be described. In the third embodiment, the shape of the pot-shaped container 5 is different from that in the first embodiment. The other configuration and control of rice cooker 100 are the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container 5B according to the third embodiment. FIG. 14 is a plan view of a pot-shaped container 5B according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, the pot-shaped container 5B of this embodiment has protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c on the inside of the bottom surface 5b and side surface 5c. As shown in FIG. 14, the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c are each provided in an annular shape in plan view.

By providing the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c inside the bottom surface 5b and side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5B, boiling bubbles are easily generated and peeled off from the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c during cooking. Thereby, boiling bubbles can be dispersed throughout the pot-shaped container 5B.

Most of the boiling bubbles from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-like container 5B do not reach the top surface of the pot-like container 5B, but are absorbed by the rice 200 on the way. Further, boiling bubbles generated by heating the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5B flow along the inner surface of the side surface 5c to the upper surface, and therefore hardly pass through to the upper center of the pot-shaped container 5B. Rice 200 receives thermal energy from boiling bubbles and uses it as energy for gelatinization. Therefore, the rice 200 that is close to the surface of the pot-shaped container 5B, such as the bottom surface 5b or the side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5B, is cooked soft, and on the contrary, the rice 200 that is located in the upper center, far from the surface of the pot-shaped container 5B, is cooked hard. This results in uneven cooking.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c are provided on the inside of the bottom surface 5b and side surface 5c of the pot-shaped container 5, so that the boiling bubbles can be easily peeled off at desired locations. Air bubbles can pass through areas that are difficult to pass through. In addition, locally concentrated air bubbles can be dispersed throughout the pot-shaped container 5B, and uneven cooking can be reduced. The protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c are preferably placed in locations where boiling bubbles are unlikely to separate. For example, the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c may be provided at locations where the heating portion is not provided. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, between the first bottom heating section 31a and the second bottom heating section 31b, between the bottom heating section 31 and the side heating section 32, and between the first side heating section 32a and the second bottom heating section 31b, It is preferable to arrange it between the second side heating section 32b and the second side heating section 32b.

Note that the shapes and numbers of the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c are not limited to those shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. For example, the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c may not be arranged in a ring shape, but may be arranged in large numbers at arbitrary intervals in the circumferential direction of the pot-shaped container 5B. Further, the projections 55a, 55b, and 55c may be arranged so long as boiling bubbles are generated from the entire pot-shaped container 5B.

(Modification 3-1)
FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container 5C of Modification 3-1. As shown in FIG. 15, the pot-shaped container 5C may have grooves 56a, 56b, and 56c instead of the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c.

(Modification 3-2)
FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pot-shaped container 5D of Modification 3-2. As shown in FIG. 16, the pot-shaped container 5D may have coating layers 57a, 57b, and 57c instead of the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c. The coating layers 57a, 57b, and 57c are hydrophilic and are applied to the inner surface of the pot-shaped container 5D. Furthermore, instead of the protrusions, grooves, and hydrophilic coating layer, the inner surface roughness of the pot-shaped container 5 may be partially changed.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, heating control was explained using rice 200 as an example of the object to be heated in the rice cooker 100, but the object to be heated is not limited to the rice 200.

Furthermore, the first to third embodiments described above can be combined arbitrarily. For example, the protrusions 55a, 55b, and 55c of the third embodiment may be provided on the pot-shaped container 5A having the inclined portion 52 of the second embodiment. When the bottom surface 5b has a smaller area than the top surface like the pot-shaped container 5A, the generation and separation of boiling bubbles from the side surface 5c is important for dispersing the boiling bubbles throughout the pot-shaped container 5A.

Further, the number of bottom heating sections 31 and side heating sections 32, and the number of divided regions of side surface 5c are not limited to those in the above embodiment. For example, the bottom heating section 31 may be configured with one heating coil, or may be configured with three or more heating coils. Similarly, the number of divided regions of the side surface 5c and the number of side surface heating parts 32 can also be set to arbitrary numbers. However, considering the ease of control according to the amount of cooked rice, it is desirable to have three or more.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, only the side heating section 32 is driven according to the amount of cooked rice, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, in the first embodiment, when the amount of cooked rice is 1 cup or less, the second to fifth side heating units 32b to 32e are not driven. 32b to 32e may be driven with low power that does not cause dry cooking. Thereby, the temperature difference between the upper and lower sides of the pot-shaped container 5 can be reduced. As a result, the steam generated from the bottom surface 5b of the pot-shaped container 5 becomes difficult to condense, and it is possible to prevent the temperature of the rice cooking liquid or rice 200 in the pot-shaped container 5 from decreasing due to condensed water. Even in the case of other rice cooking amounts, the side heating parts that are not selected may be driven with low power that does not cause dry cooking.

1 Main body, 2 Container cover, 2a Hole, 2b Shoulder, 4 Pot bottom temperature sensor, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D Pot-shaped container, 5a Flange, 5b Bottom, 5c Side, 6 Hinge, 7 Time measurement Part, 8 Control part, 9 Lid packing, 10 Lid body, 11 Outer lid, 11a Packing, 12 Inner lid, 12a Hole, 12b Steam port, 13 Locking material, 14 Cartridge, 14a Steam intake port, 14b Steam outlet , 15 operation display section, 16 internal temperature sensor, 31 bottom heating section, 31a first bottom heating section, 31b second bottom heating section, 32 side heating section, 32a first side heating section, 32b second side heating section, 32c Third side heating section, 32d Fourth side heating section, 32e Fifth side heating section, 52 Inclined section, 55a, 55b, 55c projection, 56a, 56b, 56c groove, 57a, 57b, 57c coating layer, 81 heating control section, 82 display control section, 83 rice cooking amount detection section, 84 storage section, 85 first inverter, 86 second inverter, 100 rice cooker.

Claims (7)

a pot-shaped container having sides and a bottom;
a bottom heating section that heats the bottom surface;
a plurality of side heating units that heat at least a portion of the side surface divided into three or more regions in the vertical direction;
a rice cooking amount detection unit that detects the amount of cooked rice in the pot-shaped container;
In the temperature raising step, a heating control unit that drives the bottom heating unit and a side heating unit among the plurality of side heating units according to the amount of cooked rice ;
Equipped with
The plurality of side heating parts are arranged so that the lower ends thereof coincide with the water level line of the pot-shaped container,
In the rice cooker, the side surface has an inclined portion where the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container increases as it goes upward in the vertical direction . comprising three or more of the side heating parts,
The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein one said side heating part is arranged for each said area. The side heating section is a heating coil,
According to claim 1 or 2 , the number of turns or energization ratio of the side heating section disposed at the upper part of the pot-shaped container is larger than the number of turns or energization ratio of the side heating section disposed at the lower part of the pot-shaped container. The rice cooker mentioned. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the heating control section controls heating of the bottom heating section and the side heating section according to the rice cooking process. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein projections, grooves, or a hydrophilic coating layer are provided on the inside of the bottom surface and the side surfaces of the pot-shaped container. The rice cooker according to claim 5 , wherein the protrusion, the groove, or the coating layer is provided between the plurality of side heating parts. A bottom heating section that heats the bottom surface of the pot-shaped container, and a plurality of side heating sections that heat at least a part of the side surface of the pot-shaped container in each region divided into three or more regions in the vertical direction , The side heating part is arranged such that a lower end thereof is aligned with the water level line of the pot-shaped container, and the side surface has an inclined part in which the inner diameter of the pot-shaped container increases as it goes upward in the vertical direction. A heating control method for a container,
a step of detecting the amount of cooked rice;
In the preheating step and the temperature raising step, the bottom heating section and the side heating section corresponding to the rice cooking amount among the plurality of side heating sections are heated such that the calorific value of the side heating section corresponding to the rice cooking amount is the bottom heating section. a step of driving the device so that the amount of heat generated is greater than the amount of heat generated by the device;
In the boiling step, driving the bottom heating section and the side heating section according to the amount of rice cooked at maximum power;
In the steaming step and the warming step, driving the bottom heating section and the side heating section according to the amount of rice cooked so as to keep the temperature inside the pot-shaped container uniform;
A heating control method for a rice cooker comprising:

Images