JPH0399613A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the using convenience of a cooker to make it convenient by composing a device so that a rice cooking state may be changed even after starting the rice cooking. CONSTITUTION:When water content in rice is boiled in all and a rice temperature rises suddenly and comes to 115 deg.C, the ON/OFF of a menu switch 6 is discriminated, and if it is OFF, electrification to a heater is stopped and is shifted to a steaming process. In case that the menu switch is ON, in other words, when a rice cooking state is changed to a fragrant cooking state from a standard state, then it is discriminated whether the rice temperature comes to 130 deg.C or not, and if it comes to 130 deg.C, the electrification to the heater is stopped and is shifted to the steaming process of the fragrant rice cooking state. Cooking twice in the seaming process is the same as in the standard state, but an electrifying time(t) in case of the cooking twice is 60 seconds and is two times 30 seconds in case of the standard state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in a rice cooking method using a rice cooker.

[Prior Art] Rice cookers that heat and cook rice using electricity are now popular throughout the country and have become essential appliances in the kitchens of every household.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the rice cooking process after the start when cooking rice using the above rice cooker. The rice cooking is completed through a steaming process in which the heater is stopped, and then the warming process begins.

The operations of each of the above steps are automatically performed by various control devices including a sensor such as a temperature sensor provided in the rice cooker. For example, in the preheating step, the output of the heater is reduced to maintain the temperature at a level (for example, 50° C.) that does not cause the rice to gelatinize, and after a predetermined time TI has elapsed, the process moves to the rice cooking step in which the rice is cooked over high heat.

During the rice cooking process, the water in the inner pot boils and then the temperature is 1.
Maintain temperature at 00°C. Once all the water has boiled, the temperature inside the inner pot rises rapidly, but when the temperature sensor detects a predetermined temperature θ, the heater is stopped and the process begins. During this shading process, the heater is stopped as described above, but in order to maintain the temperature of the cooked rice at a high temperature and evaporate excess moisture, the heater is turned on during the shading process.
It is common to heat the food for a predetermined time T3 (so-called double cooking). When the predetermined time T2 elapses unevenly, the process moves to a heat-retaining process in which the lid heater and the body heater heat the lid heater.

By the way, the rice cooked through the above process is always cooked in almost the same state, and one of the characteristics of the rice cooker is that it never fails to cook. This is because we have researched the rice cooking method that everyone prefers, and determined the specifications to ensure that the rice is cooked to that taste. However, the preferences of rice cooker users regarding the degree of cooking of rice are not necessarily the same; some people prefer soft rice, while others prefer charred and fragrant rice, and each person is different. Therefore, rice cookers that are configured to change the rice cooking state according to the preference of the rice cooker user have appeared.

Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of a rice cooker control device that allows you to select the rice cooking state, in which 1 is a microcomputer, 2 is a timer, and 3
is a comparison circuit, 4 is a relay control circuit, 5 is a memory, 6 is a menu switch, 7 is a timer start switch, 8 is a transistor, 9 is a relay circuit, 10 is a contact, 11 is a power supply, 12 is a heater, 13 is a rice cooking switch It is.

In the memory 5 shown in the figure, a program for cooking rice to a standard state that everyone likes, and a program for cooking rice to a charred and fragrant state are stored, and a menu switch 6 is stored. When the switch 6 is opened, the rice is cooked in a standard state, and when the switch 6 is closed, the rice is cooked in a fragrant state.

Note that there are mainly two factors that determine the rice cooking state; one is the temperature θ when the rice cooking process moves to the shading process in Fig. 2, and the other is the heater heating time T3 in the shading process.
It is. If θ is 115° C. and T3 is 30 seconds, the rice will be in a standard cooking state, and if θ is 130° C. and T3 is 60 seconds, the rice will be fragrant. and menu switch 6
If it is OFF, the cooking quality is normal, and if it is ON, the rice will be cooked to a fragrant state.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the rice cooking operation of the rice cooker in which the rice cooking state described above can be selected. After the start (sl), determine whether the menu switch is 0N10FF (S2), and if it is OFF, energize the bottom heater with low output (S3), and begin the preheating process. Next, it is determined whether the elapsed time after energization has reached TI (S4), and if it has been reached, the heater is energized with a strong output 85
), move on to the cooking process. When all the water in the cooked rice boils and the temperature of the cooked rice rapidly rises to 115°C (S6), the power to the heater is stopped (S7) and the process moves on to the shading process, where the temperature of the cooked rice rises to 105°C. When it becomes below (S8),
The heater is energized (S9), and when the energization time reaches 30 seconds (SIO), the energization to the heater is stopped (Sll). Further, when the unevenness time reaches a predetermined T3, the process moves to a heat retention process (823).

At this point, standard rice has been cooked.

Even when the menu switch is turned on after the start, that is, when the rice is cooked to a fragrant state, the preheating and rice cooking processes are the same as in the standard state described above, but when the rice temperature θ reaches 130'C during the rice cooking process, 816, electricity is turned on to the heater. is stopped, and the process proceeds to step S17. Cook twice in the uneven process S1
8.819 is the same as in the standard state, but 2
The energization time t for boiling is 60 seconds 820, which is twice the 30 seconds in the standard state. After the unevenness process, the process moves to the same heat retention process as in the standard state.

Some rice cookers are equipped with a timer in the control device mentioned above, and if you use this timer to set a reserved time, the rice will automatically be cooked at a predetermined time, so for example when you turn on the switch at bedtime. If you turn it on, you can conveniently serve the cooked rice to your table at breakfast.

[Problem to be solved by invention C] By the way, the conventional rice cooker that allows you to select the degree of cooking is a convenient rice cooker in its own way, but when the menu switch is set to 0N10.
Once any FF is selected and rice cooking is started, subsequent reselection is not possible. Therefore, even if it is desired to change the rice cooking state after rice cooking has started, it is not possible to change the rice cooking state, which has been a problem for some time.

The present invention was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems with conventional rice cookers. Even after rice cooking has started, it is possible to change the rice cooking state as long as it does not start the steaming process, and it is also possible to set the timer. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker with which the rice cooking state can be changed when the timer is operating.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the rice cooker according to the present invention is equipped with a method for cooking rice in a standard state and a method for cooking rice in a fragrant state. The program was designed so that the rice cooking status can be changed even after the rice cooking process has started but before the rice cooking process starts.

[Function] Since the rice cooking control program of the rice cooker is configured as described above, it is possible to change the rice cooking state even after rice cooking has started, making it possible to provide an easy-to-use rice cooker.

[Embodiments of the Invention] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a control program for a rice cooker according to the present invention. After starting rice cooking (S31), check the menu switch 0N10FF (532)
, if it is OFF, the bottom heater should be energized with a weak output 833
), the preheating process begins. Next, it is determined whether the elapsed time after energization has reached T1 (534), and if so, the heater is energized with a strong output 535), and the rice cooking process begins. If all the water in the cooked rice boils and the temperature of the cooked rice rapidly rises to 115°C (S36), it is determined whether the menu switch 6 is 0N10FF (537), and if it is OFF, the power to the heater is stopped (838), and the uneven When the temperature of the cooked rice becomes 100°C or lower during the unevenness process (S39), the heater is energized (540), and when the energization time reaches 30 seconds (S39).
41), the power supply to the heater is stopped (S42). Furthermore, it is determined whether the unevenness time has reached a predetermined T3.
43) If the temperature has been reached, the process moves to the warming process (S56). At this point, standard rice has been cooked.

In addition, in S37, if the menu switch is ON, that is, if the rice cooking state is changed from the standard state to the fragrant rice cooking state after the rice cooking starts, it is determined whether the cooked rice temperature has reached 130°C (549). For example, the heating process is stopped and the rice is cooked in a fragrant state.
50, S51, S52, S54, and S55. In other words, after starting rice cooking, the rice cooking state was changed from the standard state to the fragrant state.

When the menu switch is turned on after the start, that is, when the rice is cooked to a fragrant state, the preheating and rice cooking processes are the same as in the standard state, but it is determined whether the cooked rice temperature θ has reached 115°C during the cooking process.547 ), if it has reached 0N10FF of menu switch 6, judge 84.
8) If it is OFF, the cooked rice temperature θ is further increased to 130℃.
It is determined whether or not the temperature has been reached (S49), and if it has been reached, the energization to the heater is stopped ('550), and the process moves to the unevenness process. The double cooking S51.352 in the unevenness process is the same as in the standard state, but the energization time t for double cooking is 60
seconds (853), which is twice the 30 seconds in the standard state. After the unevenness process, the process moves to the same heat retention process as in the standard state. In this case as well, after determining whether the cooked rice temperature θ has reached 115°C (S47), press the menu switch 0N1.
If it is OFF, the standard condition unevenness processes S38, S39, S40. S41, S42
Then, the rice is cooked to a standard state. In other words, by switching the menu switch from ON to OFF after starting rice cooking, the fragrant state can be changed to the standard state.

Note that in the case of a rice cooker in which a reservation timer time can be set using a timer, it is of course possible to change the rice cooking state within the reservation timer time.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention provides a rice cooker in which the cooking state of rice can be selected.
Since the control program is configured as described above, it is possible to change the rice cooking state even after the rice cooking has started but before the steaming process starts. As a result, the rice cooker has become easier to use and even more convenient.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a flowchart of the rice cooking operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the heating curve of the rice cooker, Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of the rice cooker control device, and Fig. 4 is a conventional rice cooker control device. It is a flowchart of rice cooking operation. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A rice cooker configured so that the rice cooking state can be changed according to the preference of the rice cooker user by changing the final temperature of the rice cooking process and the heating time in the unevenness process. A rice cooker characterized in that the rice cooker is configured such that the change can be made even after the rice cooking has started.