JPH04288106A - Fully automatic rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently wash rice with little quantities of water. CONSTITUTION:An agitating wing 4 is rotated to wash rice in a rice-washing pot 1 with mechanical power. A water-feeding valve 5a is opened to wash rice. Water is supplied while the agitating wing 4 is being rotated to wash rice. Water containing dirt or rice bran is released through a drain hole 27 by a drain pump 6a. After washing rice, a plug 8 is opened. Rice is transferred from the rice-washing pot 1 to a rice-cooking pot 41 with water power.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fully automatic rice cooker that integrates rice washing and rice cooking processes, or rice washing, rice cooking, and warming processes.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional fully automatic rice cooker is equipped with a rice washing section that washes rice, and a rice cooking section that supplies a predetermined amount of water to the washed rice and cooks the rice.

[0003] In the rice washing section, the rice is washed by a swirling water stream or a fountain stream. Furthermore, water for washing rice and water for cooking rice is directly connected to city water.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in conventional rice washing, since the rice is directly connected to city water or a pump is used as the power source for washing the rice, there is a tendency for the rice to be rubbed together insufficiently. In addition, there have been cases where the rice rots easily and the color and luster of the cooked rice is poor because the rice is not washed properly.

[0005] Therefore, in order to be able to wash the rice thoroughly, it is possible to increase the amount of water supplied, but this increases the amount of water used and also slows down the drainage rate after washing the rice, causing the rice to become dirty after being washed cleanly. The water will be absorbed and the rice will taste bad.

Furthermore, since water for washing rice and water for cooking rice is directly connected to city water, the odor of the water transfers to the rice, which tends to make the rice taste bad, especially in the summer.

[0007] Furthermore, when the rice is transferred from the rice washing section to the rice cooking section after washing, rice may remain in the rice washing section, and the remaining rice rots, which is unhygienic.

[0008] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a fully automatic rice cooker that can efficiently wash rice with a small amount of water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fully automatic rice cooker that can cook delicious rice without causing the rice to absorb the odor of water.

0010

[Means for Solving the Problems] The means for solving the problems according to claim 1 of the present invention includes a rice washing section 2 that washes rice and water while stirring them with a stirring blade 4 in a rice washing pot 1, and a rice cooking section that cooks the washed rice. A fully automatic rice cooker equipped with 3 is provided with a rice washing control device 9 that executes a series of rice washing steps, and the rice washing control device 9 rotates the stirring blade 4 to polish the rice in the rice washing pot 1. A sharpening means 10, a rough washing means 11 for washing the rice with water by stopping the stirring blade 4, a main washing means 12 for washing the rice by rotating the stirring blade 4 while supplying water, and a rinsing means 1 for rinsing the rice.
3, and a rice transfer means 14 for supplying water and flowing rice into the rice cooking section 3 while rotating the stirring blades 4.

According to claim 2, a stopper 8 is provided to open and close the communication port 7 for transferring rice from the rice washing pot 1 to the rice cooking section 3, and the rice washing control device 9 closes the stopper 8 once after transferring the rice. The remaining rice transfer means 15 is provided for draining the remaining rice into the rice cooking section 3 by opening the stopper 8 again while supplying water.

According to claim 3, a plurality of drainage holes 27 are formed in the lower part of the rice washing pot 1 to a size that prevents rice from coming out.

According to claim 4, a water supply device 50 is provided for supplying water necessary for rice cooking to the rice cooking section 3, and the water supply device 50 is provided with a purifying water filter 56.

[0014]

[Operation] In the above-mentioned means for solving the problem, the communication port 7 is closed by the stopper 8 and the rice is put into the washed rice pot 1. First, rice sharpening method 1
The stirring blade 4 is rotated by 0, and the rice is polished by the mechanical force of the stirring blade 4. After a certain period of time, the stirring blade 4 is stopped.

Next, water is supplied to the washed rice pot 1 by the rough washing means 11, and the rice is washed with water. Then, the waste water containing bran and dirt generated when the rice is polished passes through the drain hole 27 of the rice washing pot 1 and is disposed of and drained.

Then, water is supplied by the main washing means 12 and the stirring blade 4 is rotated to wash the rice thoroughly while thoroughly rubbing the rice together. At this time, excess water, small garbage, and bran overflow from the upper part of the rice washing pot 1 and are discharged from the rice washing pot 1.

After washing the rice for several minutes, the stirring blade 4 is stopped and water is drained. After draining, the rice is rinsed and drained by the rinsing means 13.

[0018] When washing rice, since the rice is larger than the drain hole 27, it does not spill out.

Next, the stopper 8 is opened by the rice transfer means 14, and the rice washing pot 1 and the rice cooking section 3 are communicated with each other. At the same time, the stirring blade 4 is rotated while water is being supplied so that the rice can easily fall through the communication port 7, and the rice and water are transferred to the rice cooking section 3.

After transferring the rice, the stopper 8 is closed to block the communication port 7. At the same time, the stirring blade 4 is stopped and the water supply is stopped.

Since the rice on top of the stopper 8 remains without being transferred, the stopper 8 is closed again by the remaining rice transfer means 15, and after water is supplied and the rice on top of the stopper 8 is dropped, the stopper 8 is removed. Open the
The remaining rice is transferred to the rice cooking section 3 along with water. After that, the stopper 8 is closed.

Then, the water level is adjusted according to the rice cooking conditions using water supplied from the water supply device 50. At this time, the supplied water passes through a water purification filter 56 to remove impurities.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a fully automatic rice cooker showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram, FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of the fully automatic rice cooker during transfer of rice, and FIG. is a perspective view of the external unit of the fully automatic rice cooker, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the external unit of the fully automatic rice cooker when the door of the rice cooking section is opened, FIG. 6 is a front view of the stirring blade, and FIG. 7 is its plan view. Figure, Figure 8-
A and B are flowcharts of the rice washing process.

The fully automatic rice cooker of this embodiment includes a rice washing section 2 that washes rice and water while stirring them in a rice washing pot 1, and a rice cooking section 3 that cooks the washed rice.

The rice washing section 2 includes a stirring blade 4 rotatably installed in the rice washing pot 1, a water supply means 5 for supplying water to the washing rice pot 1, a drainage means 6 for discharging water from the rice washing pot 1, and a rice washing pot 1. It is equipped with a communication port 7 for transferring rice from the rice washing pot 1 to the rice cooking section 3, and a stopper 8 for opening and closing the communication port 7. A rice washing control device 9 for driving and controlling the stopper 8 is provided.

The rice washing control device 9 includes a rice polishing means 10 for rotating the stirring blade 4 to polish the rice in the rice washing pot 1, and a rough washing means 11 for stopping the stirring blade 4 and washing the rice with water. A main washing means 12 for washing the rice by rotating the stirring blade 4 while supplying water, a rinsing means 13 for rinsing the rice, and a rice cooking section 3 for cooking the rice by opening the stopper 8 and supplying water while rotating the stirring blade 4. The remaining rice transfer means 15 is provided with a rice transfer means 14 for discharging the rice into the rice cooker 3, and a remaining rice transfer means 15 for once closing the stopper 8 after transferring the rice and, while supplying water, opening the stopper 8 again to allow the remaining rice to flow into the rice cooking section 3.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fully automatic rice cooker is built into a rice cooking unit main body 21, with a rice washing section 2 disposed in the upper part of the unit main body 21, and a rice cooking section 3 disposed in the lower part. There is.

The rice washing pot 1 is housed in an outer rice washing pot 22 disposed above the rice cooking section 3, as shown in FIG. The rice washing outer pot 22 is fixed to the unit main body 21 by a support member 21a.

The top opening of the rice washing outer pot 22 is covered with a lid 23 to prevent rice and water from scattering.
A water supply valve 5a consisting of an electromagnetic valve as a water supply means 5 directly connected to a water supply hose 25 and a rice chamber 24 for storing rice is disposed above the rice chamber 24, and each supply port is connected to the lid 23.
It is arranged above the washing rice pot 1 by penetrating through it.

A drain pipe 26 is attached to the bottom of the outer rice washing pot 22 for discharging the water and garbage flowing out from the rice washing pot 1, and a drain pump 6a is installed as a drainage means 6 to forcefully drain water into the drain pipe 26. is interposed.

[0032] Further, the rice washing pot 1 has an upper half containing rice dregs,
It is formed from a stainless steel mesh 1a with a mesh of about 2 mm so that garbage can be disposed of together with water, and the lower half has multiple meshes of about 2 mm that allow water to drain easily without letting the rice out of the washing rice pot 1. A drain hole 27 is formed.

The communication port 7 is formed at the center of the bottom of the rice washing pot 1, and a communication pipe 28 is attached to the communication port 7, which passes through the rice washing outer pot 22 and reaches the rice cooking section 3.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the stirring blade 4 has a long diameter blade 4a and a short diameter blade 4 having different blade diameters on the rotating shaft 30.
b are attached alternately in pairs in a cross shape. The rotating shaft 30 is connected to a motor 32 via a coupling ring 31 passing through the center of the lid 23, and the motor 32 is attached to the top surface of the lid 23.

The plug 8 is loosely fitted into the lower part of the rotating shaft 30, and the plug 8 is a disk having a center hole 33 that is approximately 1 mm larger than the diameter of the rotating shaft 30, and has tapered upper and lower surfaces. has been done. The rotating shaft 30 is inserted through the center hole 33, and the stopper 8 is held by a split pin 34 attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 30 to prevent it from coming off.

A stopper opening/closing device 35 is provided which opens and closes the stopper 8 to switch the rice washing section 2 and the rice cooking section 3 into a closed state or a communicating state.
consists of a plurality of elliptical cams 36 that are in contact with the periphery of the lower surface of the lid 23, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the cams 36 around a shaft 36a. The lid 2 is rotated by the rotation of the cam 36.
3 and the rotating shaft 30 move up and down, the stopper 8 is moved up and down.

The rice cooking section 3 includes a rice cooking pot 41 that is removably housed in a rice cooking tank 40, and a heater 42 that heats the rice cooking pot 41. A drain port 43 is formed at the bottom of the rice cooking pot 41, a drain pipe 44 is attached to the drain port 43 passing through the rice cooking tank 40, and a solenoid valve 45 for adjusting the amount of water in the rice cooking pot 41 is attached to the drain pipe 44. The drain pipe 44 is connected to the drain pipe 26 via a bellows hose 46.

A rice cooking lid 47 is placed over the top of the rice cooking pot 41, and the communicating tube 28 is inserted through the convex portion 47a of the lid 47.

[0039] The rice cooking tank 40 is connected to the unit main body 21.
The bellows hose 4 is placed on a slide shelf 48 that is slidably supported by the hose.
6 can be extended and taken out from the unit main body 21.

[0040] A water supply device 50 is connected to the communication pipe 28, which supplies water necessary for rice cooking to the rice cooking pot 41.
The water supply device 50 includes a water storage tank 51 that stores water for adjusting the water level of rice during cooking to be supplied to the rice cooker 41, and a water supply valve 53 that supplies water to the water storage tank 51 from a water supply pipe 52 directly connected to the water supply. , outlet 51 at the bottom of the water storage tank 51
It consists of a water level adjustment water supply valve 55 interposed in a connecting pipe 54 that connects the communication pipe 28 and the water supply valve 28.

A water purification filter 56 is attached to the bottom of the water storage tank 51 to filter water and remove impurities.

[0042] In the figure, 57 is a stainless steel net with a mesh of about 2 mm, which is installed to prevent the rice from being discarded.
58 is an O-ring that seals to prevent water from leaking out when the rice cooking tank 40 is taken out or put in, 59 is a coupling ring, 60 is a lid for opening and closing the rice inlet, 6
Reference numerals 1 and 62 are intake and exhaust ports for exhausting steam generated during rice cooking.

The rice washing control device 9 is composed of a microcomputer, and as shown in FIG. 2, it adjusts the rice cooking conditions set by the set key 63 for changing and confirming the cooking time, rice cooking menu, amount of rice cooked, amount of water, etc. Accordingly, in order to execute the rice washing process of rice polishing → rough washing → main washing → rinsing → rice transfer → remaining rice transfer, the rotation drive timing of the stirring blade 4, the opening/closing timing of the water supply valve 5a, and the drive timing of the drain pump 6a are adjusted. and controls the drive timing of the stopper opening/closing device 50.

Next, the operation will be explained. The amount of rice to be cooked, the amount of water, etc. are entered using the set key 63 to set the rice cooking conditions, and each timing of the rice washing process is determined by the rice washing control device 9.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8, when rice is introduced through the input port, it passes through the rice chamber 24 and then enters the rice wash pot 1. At this time, the plug 8 closes the communication port 7. First, the stirring blade 4 is rotated by the rice sharpening means 10, and the rice is polished by the mechanical force of the stirring blade 4. After a certain period of time, the stirring blade 4 is stopped.

Next, the water supply valve 5a is opened for a certain period of time by the rough washing means 11 to supply water to the washed rice pot 1 to wash the rice. Then, drainage water containing bran and dirt generated when rice is polished passes through the drain hole 27 of the rice washing pot 1, accumulates in the rice washing outer pot 22, and is drained from the drain pipe 26 by operating the drain pump 6a. It is disposed of and drained.

Then, the main washing means 12 closes the water supply valve 5a.
The rice is thoroughly washed by opening the rice cooker and supplying water while rotating the stirring blade 4 and thoroughly rubbing the rice together. At this time, excess water, small garbage, and bran overflow from the wire mesh at the top of the rice washing pot 1 and are discharged from the rice washing pot 1.

After washing the rice for several minutes, the stirring blade 4 is stopped, and the drain pump 6a drains the rice from the rice wash outer pot 22.

After draining, the water supply valve 5a is opened by the rinsing means 13, and the rice is drained while being rinsed. By doing this, the water used for cooking the rice will be clean, and any dirt or bran left on the rice will be discarded along with the overflow water.

[0050] When washing rice, since the length of the rice is 2 mm or more even on the short diameter side, there is no leakage between the stopper 8 and the rotating shaft 30, and the stopper 8 does not rotate when the blades rotate. Also, since the rice is larger than the drain hole 27, it will not spill out.

Next, the stopper opening/closing device 3 is opened by the rice transfer means 14.
5 to rotate the cam 36 and raise the lid 23. As the lid 23 rises, the rotating shaft 30 and the stopper 8 rise, the communication port 7 opens, and the rice washing pot 1 and the rice cooking pot 41 are brought into communication. At the same time, the stirring blade 4 is rotated while water is being supplied to make the rice fall easily through the communication port 7, and the rice and water are transferred to the communication pipe 2.
8 and is dropped into the rice cooker 41.

After the rice is transferred, the stopper opening/closing device 35 is operated to rotate the cam 36, and the stopper 8 is lowered to close the communication port 7. At the same time, the stirring blade 4 is stopped and the water supply valve 5a is
Close.

The washed rice falls into the rice cooker 41, but the rice on top of the stopper 8 remains without being transferred, so the stopper 8 is closed again by the remaining rice transfer means 15 and drained by the drain pump 6a. Open the water supply valve 5a to supply water. After dropping the rice on top of the stopper 8, the stopper 8 is opened and the remaining rice is transferred to the rice cooker 41 together with water. After that, the stopper 8 is closed. The transferred rice does not fall down from the drain 43 due to the action of the net 57, but only the water is drained.

Furthermore, since there is a high possibility that the amount of water will be inappropriate, the water transferred to the rice cooker 41 is first passed through the solenoid valve 45.
After opening and draining all the water, the water level is adjusted according to the rice cooking conditions using water supplied from the water storage tank 51 of the water supply device 50. At this time, the supplied water is filtered through the water purification filter 56.
Impurities are removed by passing through. Then, the heater 42 is energized to start cooking rice. The steam when cooking rice is
Due to the action of the stopper 8, there is little chance of leakage.

[0055] To take out the cooked rice, just pull out the sliding shelf 48 toward you and lift the rice cooking tank 40.

Therefore, by changing the rice washing process to polishing → rough washing → main washing → rinsing → transfer → transfer of remaining rice,
Compared to the conventional method of washing rice with water alone, water is supplied when needed, so less water is needed for washing rice, and no rice remains in the rice washing pot. Therefore, the rice can be sufficiently rubbed and washed with a small amount of water, and the rice can be transferred completely, so there is no rice left behind, and the remaining rice does not rot, making it sanitary.

[0057] Furthermore, by providing the drain hole 27 at the bottom of the rice washing pot 1, the water used for washing the rice can be quickly drained, and the rice does not absorb the dirty washing water again. The rice has good color and gloss, and you can get delicious rice.

[0058] Moreover, the water supply for cooking rice is provided through a water purification filter 56.
Because the water passes through the water, the odor of water does not seep into the rice, allowing delicious rice to be cooked.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the drain holes 27 of the rice washing pot 1 may be formed by inserting stainless steel nets with meshes of about 2 mm into a plurality of holes of about 10 mm.

Furthermore, the water supply means 5 may be a pump instead of a solenoid valve, and the water drain means 6 may be a solenoid valve instead of a pump.

Furthermore, by providing the water purifying filter 56 in the water supply means 5 for washing rice, the water purifying effect can be further enhanced.

[0063]

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, by performing the rice washing process as follows: polishing → rough washing → main washing → rinsing → transfer → transfer of remaining rice, rice can be washed with only water as compared to conventional methods. Compared to washing with rice, water is supplied when needed, so less water is needed for washing rice, and no rice remains in the washing rice pot. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently rub and wash the rice with a small amount of water.

[0064] Furthermore, by adding the transfer of leftover rice,
Since the rice can be completely transferred, there is no leftover rice, and there is no risk of leftover rice spoiling, making it sanitary.

In addition, by providing a drain hole smaller than the rice at the bottom of the rice washing pot, the water used for washing the rice can be quickly drained, and the rice does not absorb the dirty washing water again, making it possible to cook the rice. The cooked rice has a good color and gloss, and you can get delicious rice.

Moreover, since the water supplied for rice cooking passes through a water purification filter, no odor from the water permeates the rice, allowing delicious rice to be cooked.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a fully automatic rice cooker showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is also a control block diagram.

FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram of the fully automatic rice cooker during transfer of rice.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the external unit of the fully automatic rice cooker.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the external unit of the fully automatic rice cooker when the door of the rice cooking section is opened.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a stirring blade.

FIG. 7 is a plan view thereof.

FIG. 8-A is a flowchart of a rice washing process.

FIG. 8-B is a flowchart of a rice washing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

1　　　　Rice rice pot 2 Rice washing department 3　　　　Rice cooking section 4 Stirring blade 5 Water supply means 6 Drainage means 7 Communication port 8 Stopper 9 Rice washing control device 10 Rice sharpening means 11. Washing means 12 Main washing means 13 Rinsing means 14　　　　　　　Means for transporting rice 15. Means of transporting leftover rice 27 Drain hole 50 Water supply device 56 Water purification filter

Claims (4)

[Claims] Claim 1: A rice washing machine that performs a series of rice washing processes in a fully automatic rice cooker that is equipped with a rice washing section that washes rice and water while stirring them with a stirring blade in a rice washing pot, and a rice cooking section that cooks the washed rice. A control device is provided, and the rice washing control device includes: a rice polishing means for rotating the stirring blade to polish the rice in the rice washing pot; a rough washing means for stopping the stirring blade and washing the rice with water; It is characterized by having a main washing means for washing the rice by rotating the stirring blade, a rinsing means for rinsing the rice, and a rice transfer means for supplying water and flowing the rice into the rice cooking section while rotating the stirring blade. Fully automatic rice cooker. 2. The fully automatic rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein a stopper is provided for opening and closing the communication port for transferring rice from the rice washing pot to the rice cooking section, and the rice washing control device is configured to close the stopper once after transferring the rice. A fully automatic rice cooker characterized by having a means for transferring leftover rice to a rice cooking section by closing the stopper and supplying water, and then opening the stopper again to drain leftover rice into the rice cooking section. 3. A fully automatic rice cooker, characterized in that a plurality of drainage holes are formed in the lower part of the rice washing pot according to claim 1, the size of which does not allow rice to escape. 4. A fully automatic rice cooker, characterized in that a water supply device is provided for supplying water necessary for rice cooking to the rice cooking section according to claim 1, and the water supply device is equipped with a purifying water filter.