JPH02305520A - Electric jar/rice boiler - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To fit and remove an outer lid on/from the body freely by equipping each of the outer lid and body with an electric-photo signal transducer and a light signal transmitting means separately, arranging the two light signal transmitting means oppositely at the boundary between the outer lid and body, and thereby certainly transmitting signals from a maneuvering part to the control part of a heating means. CONSTITUTION:Light signal transmitting means 8, 9 are formed from optical fiber and installed on the outer lid 1 and the body 2 separately in such a way as facing each other at the boundary between the outer lid 1 and body 2 so that signal transmission can be performed. Even though the maneuvering part 3 inside of the outer lid 1 is separated from the control part 10 of a heating means 11 furnished on the body, it is still practicable to transmit signals upon converting from electrical signal into an optical by the light transmitting means 8, 9, so that this embodiment constitution in which the outer lid is removed from the body facilitates cleaning the inside of the outer lid which is easily contaminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric jar rice cooker for general household use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A conventional electric jar rice cooker has an outer lid 42 attached to the main body 43 that can be opened and closed as shown in FIG.
A removable pot 44 is placed on this heater. Further, a heat sink 45 is attached to the outer cover 42, and an inner cover 46 is attached to this heat sink 45. Recently, electric jar rice cookers have also been manufactured that have an operating section inside the outer lid, allowing operations such as turning the cooker on and off and setting a timer from the top of the main body.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the above structure, although the inner cover 46 is attached above the pot 44, the inner cover 46 has a hole for releasing steam, so that when cooking rice, Niowabaga outer lid 42
The outer cover 42 often gets dirty by squirting on the inside of the main body 43, and because the outer cover 42 is attached to the main body 43, it cannot be removed and washed. Furthermore, in an electric jar rice cooker having an operation section on the outer lid, it is necessary to transmit signals between the operation section and the heater control section, so it has been difficult to make the outer lid removable.

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a removable outer cover and ensuring reliable signal transmission between the operating section provided inside the outer cover and the heater control section provided below the main body. The aim is to provide an electric jar rice cooker that can be used.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a pot removably disposed within a main body, heating means for heating the pot, and an outer lid provided on the top of the main body that can be opened and closed. , an operating section is provided inside the outer lid, and a control section for the heating means is provided at the bottom of the main body, an electric-optical signal conversion section is provided for each, and an optical signal transmission means is provided between the operating section and the control section for the heating means. The electric rice cooker was constructed such that the optical signal transmitting means was installed separately in the main body and the outer cover, and faced each other at the boundary between the two to enable optical signal transmission.

Operation In the present invention, the electrical-to-optical signal converter and the optical signal transmission means are separately provided in each of the outer lid and the main body, and the optical signal transmission means of both are provided facing each other at the boundary between the outer lid and the main body. This makes it possible to reliably transmit signals from the operating section to the control section of the heating means. Therefore, the outer cover can be configured to be detachable from the main body.

Example Hereinafter, the drawings shown as one embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a removably locked outer lid, 2 is the main body of the electric jar rice cooker, and 3 is an operating section provided inside the outer lid l, including an input switch 4, an LCD 5, and a microcomputer 6. is installed. Reference numeral 7 denotes a light emitting diode as an electric-optical signal converter, which converts the signal from the operating section 3 into an optical signal and sends it out. 8.9 is an optical signal transmission means,
It is composed of optical fibers, etc., and is installed separately into the outer cover 1 and the main body 2, respectively, but they are attached to face each other at the boundary between the outer cover and the main body so that signals can be transmitted. Reference numeral 1'0 is a control unit for heating means, which controls a rice-cooking heater 11 as a heating means provided at the bottom of the main body and a heat-retaining heater 12 provided on the side of the main body according to an optical signal from the operation unit 3.
The sensor 13 detects the end temperature of rice cooking and ends the rice cooking operation. Note that these heating means are not limited, and instead of a heater, a heating coil for induction heating may be used. Reference numeral 14 denotes a pot provided inside the main body, which is placed on the rice cooking heater 11. 15 is the inner lid, 1
6 is a heat sink, which is made of aluminum or the like and is installed on the outer cover l.
I7 is a heat insulating material.

In this embodiment, the aluminum heat sink 16 serves as the heater 1 for heat retention.
2 is attached to the inner frame 18 to conduct heat, thereby keeping the upper part warm.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit of an electric jar rice cooker as an example. In this FIG. 2, 19 is an operating section, 620 provided inside the outer lid l is a control section for the heating means provided at the bottom of the main body 2, 21.22 is an input switch,
The operation unit 19 is used to turn on/off, set time, etc. 23 is an LCD that displays the status set by the operation unit 19.

24 is a microcomputer with timer operation and LCD
25, which drives 23 or encodes optical signals.
is an LED and sends out a coded light signal. A battery 26 is used as a power source for the operating section 19.

, 27 is a phototransistor as an electric-optical signal converter, which detects the optical signal from the operating unit 19 and converts the coded optical signal into a coded electrical signal. 28
is a microcomputer with a phototransistor 27
The device decodes the electrical signals output from the device and determines its operating status. Reference numeral 29 denotes a drive circuit that controls on/off the relay 30 and triac 31 based on the output of the microcomputer 28. 32 is a negative characteristic thermistor used as a temperature sensor, which provides a temperature signal to the microcomputer 28 through an AD conversion circuit 33. 34 is a power supply circuit, 35 is a heater for cooking rice as heating means provided at the bottom of the main body, and 36 is a heater for keeping warm as heating means provided on the side of the main body.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the outer lid of the electric jar rice cooker separated; 1 is the removable outer lid, 2 is the main body of the electric jar rice cooker, 37 is a hinge fitting of the outer lid; outer lid 1
to lock. Reference numerals 8 and 9 denote optical signal transmission means that are provided separately and are provided facing each other.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the hinge part, where 37 is a hinge metal fitting of the outer cover, 38 is a hinge shaft, and the hinge metal fitting 37 is locked to the outer cover 1. A stopper 39 is pivotally supported by the main body 1, and is attached to the main body 2 by being engaged with a connecting portion 40 of the hinge 37. A metal spring 41 biases the stopper 39 to prevent the stopper 39 from returning in the direction of the arrow.

When the stopper 39 is pushed in the direction of the arrow against the spring 4I, the hinge 37 becomes free and the outer cover I can be removed upward.

Effects of the Invention Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, even if the operation section inside the outer cover and the control section of the heating means provided in the main body are separated, the electrical signal can be converted into an optical signal by the optical transmission means. Convert and
The outer cover can be removed from the main body.

Furthermore, since the signal transmission part can be sealed, the outer lid can be washed with water. This has the effect of making it easier to clean the inside of the outer lid, which tends to get dirty.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the main part of the electric jar rice cooker body showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the electric jar rice cooker with the outer lid removed. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the hinge portion, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional electric jar rice cooker. ■...Outer lid 2...Main body 3.19...Operation unit 7.27...Electric-optical signal converter 8.9...Optical signal transmission means In, 20...Heating means Control unit 11.12.35.36... Heating means 14... Pot

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) The main body includes a removably placed pot, heating means for heating the pot, and an openable/closable outer cover provided at the top of the main body, with an operating section provided inside the outer cover and an operating section located at the bottom of the main body. A heating means control section is provided, each of which is provided with an electric-optical signal conversion section, an optical signal transmission means is provided between the operation section and the heating means control section, and this optical signal transmission means is connected to the main body and the outer cover, respectively. An electric jar rice cooker characterized in that the rice cooker is installed separately and faced at the boundary between the two to enable transmission of optical signals.