JPH04319315A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To moderate the pressing force added to a hooking tool add prevent the movement of a rice cooker body by indirectly driving the hooking tool through a push button to open a lid body at the time of pushing the push button to release the engagement of a latch mechanism. CONSTITUTION:In a latch mechanism 14 provided on a side surface of a rice cooker body 1, a push button 14j for indirectly driving a hooking tool 14f is provided, and an upward pressing surface 14m is formed on the push button 14j. When the pressing surface 14m is pushed, the pressing force is divided into horizontal and vertical component forces, and the oscillating end of the push button 14j is moved counterclockwise around a pin 14k. Thus, the hooking tool 14f is oscillated around a pin 14h while pressing a spring 14i, and the engagement of a locking part 14g with a receiving part 24a on a lid body 24 side is released. The force added to the push button 14j is thus divided into two component forces, whereby the force horizontally pressing the rice cooker body 1 is weakened, and the movement of the body 1 is prevented.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker, and more particularly to a rice cooker whose lid is opened and closed by a push button provided on the side of the main body.

0002

[Prior Art] Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a conventional rice cooker, and Fig. 6
is an enlarged explanatory diagram of the main part thereof, and JP-A-1-277518 is exemplified. In Figures 5 and 6, 1 is the main body;
2 is the body and 3 is the pot. 7 is the lid body, 8 is the hinge, 1
3 is a hook lever located on the side substantially opposite to the hinge 8; 15;
1 is a hook lever button portion constituted by a part of the hook lever 13, and 16 is a light emitting body. Hook lever button part 15
is exposed on the side surface of the main body, and the exposed surface is substantially perpendicular to the side surface of the body 2. Reference numeral 17 indicates an operation section, 18 indicates a display section, 19 indicates a heating element, and 20 indicates a thermostat for detecting the completion of rice cooking.

In the conventional rice cooker configured as described above, when the hook lever button part 15 is pressed, the engagement between the hook lever 13 and the lid body 7 is released, and the lid body 7 is attached to the hinge 8 by a spring (not shown). The upper part of the main body 1 is opened by rotating around the fulcrum. Then, after putting rice and water in the pot 3, closing the lid 7 and operating the operation part 17 while looking at the display part 18, the heating element 19 starts heating and the light emitting element 16 emits light to cook the rice. Show action. When the rice cooking progresses and a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the thermostat 20 detects the completion of the rice cooking and the rice is cooked.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional rice cooker as described above, a light emitting body 16 is provided on the hook lever button part 15 along the vertical surface of the side surface of the main body 1. It is convenient to be able to check the status from a distance. However, when opening the lid 7, the button part 15 of the flat hook lever 13 along a substantially vertical plane is pushed in the horizontal direction, so the main body 1 often moves together.

Although it is possible to prevent the main body 1 from moving by pressing the hook lever button part 15 while holding the hinge side with the other hand, it is necessary to hold the hinge side with one hand each time, making handling operations extremely cumbersome. In addition, the force of pressing the button horizontally is combined with the opening operation of the lid 7 that causes the center of gravity to shift, causing the main body 1 to suddenly move and knock over a bottle or container placed on the hinge 8 side, or the recoil of the push may cause the pot to move. The water inside 3 may vibrate and spill out. In particular, when a large amount of rice is cooked, the amount of water that flows out increases, and not only does the reduced amount of water have to be added, but it is also troublesome to clean up the rice and water that flow out. If the amount of water spilled is not replenished, there are problems such as the possibility of cooking raw rice with a core, which may be harmful to health.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of conventional rice cookers, and has a push button that prevents the main body from moving when the lid is opened and closed, so that the rice cooker can be tipped over. This is to realize a rice cooker that will not break or spill seasonings.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes a main body whose upper part is covered with a lid body, which is provided with heating means for heating a pot disposed inside, and a heating means provided at one end of the body and which is opened to the lid body. It has a hinge mechanism that has a hinge spring that applies spring force, and a latch mechanism that has a push button that is provided on the other end side of the main body and is exposed on the side of the main body. In a rice cooker that automatically opens the top of the main unit by rotating around a hinge shaft, there is a hanger in which the upper end of the rice cooker is movably attached to the main body, and the locking part of the hanger faces toward the front side. A latch mechanism is comprised of a spring that applies spring force and a push button that is swingably suspended from the main body and has an upwardly inclined surface at the lower front surface, and that releases the engagement of the latch by pushing the inclined surface of the push button. This is a rice cooker that has been realized.

[0008]

[Operation] When the pressing surface of the push button of the latch mechanism is pressed, the swinging end presses the latch, disengages the locking part of the latch from the lid, and opens the lid. At this time, when the push button is pressed, the pushing force is divided into horizontal and vertical components by the upward pressing surface, and the push button rotates about the upper fulcrum. Since the pressing force applied to the push button is divided into two component forces, the force pushing the rice cooker body in the horizontal direction is weakened accordingly, and the movement of the rice cooker body is regulated. When the push button is rotated, the hanger is removed from the receiving part, and the lid body is automatically rotated by the spring around the hinge, and the upper part of the main body is opened. You can set the inner pot containing polished rice and water inside the open body, and press the button again to open the lid and check the water level. In addition, the rice that has just been cooked in the inner pot,
It is served in a rice bowl with shamoji.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a latch mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the latch mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, a rice cooker that cooks rice by generating heat in a pot using electromagnetic induction is exemplified.

In FIG. 1, 1 is the main body of the rice cooker, and 2 is a case. The case 2 consists of a trunk case 3, a bottom case 4, and a middle frame 5, all of which are molded from synthetic resin. The legs 6 provided on the bottom of the bottom case 4 are provided with a non-slip mechanism using friction, if necessary, and the middle frame 5 moves inside the main body 1 upward and downward.
divide into parts. 7 is a coil base shaped like a shallow pot bottom provided inside the main body 1, and 8 is a heating coil. The coil base 7 is made of a poor thermal conductor with heat resistance, and a heating coil 8 is attached to the coil base 7 by positioning it in a mounting groove 7a provided on the outside, although it is not clearly shown in the figure. For example, the heating coil 8 is made of about 20 stranded copper conductive wires with a thickness of 0.5 mmφ, and starts being wound in a spiral shape from near the center of the main body 1, leaving a small circle in contact with a temperature sensor, which will be described later. It is constructed by uniformly winding it in a spiral shape from the corner to the middle of the side.

11 is a pot, and 12 is a shielding plate. The pot 11 has a two-layer structure with different metals polymerized on the inner and outer surfaces.
The outer layer side 11a is made of an iron-based material with high magnetic permeability and high electrical resistance, and the inner layer 11b is made of aluminum or the like with good thermal conductivity. The pot 11 has both inner and outer layers 11a and 11b that are brought into close contact and thermally bonded, and the inner surface is coated with Teflon (
A coating layer of an anti-affinity material such as (trade name) is formed. A standard water level scale is engraved inside the pot 11 to indicate the appropriate amount of water for the rice capacity, for convenience when cooking rice, and can be freely taken out from the main body 1. Also. The shielding plate 12 is a thin metal plate made of magnetic material whose inner surface is polished to form a reflective surface, which is said to reflect heat and shield magnetism.
Equipped with two shield functions.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a latch mechanism provided on the side surface of the main body 1. The construction of the latch mechanism 14 is shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. 14a is a latch mechanism 14 provided on the main body 1 side
14b is the inner frame, and 14b is the outer frame. 14c and 14d are inner frame 1
4a and a pin hole bored in the outer frame 14b, and 14e is a window formed in the inner frame. In addition, 14f is a hanger having a locking part 14g in the shape of a claw on the upper part and a pin 14h protruding from the lower part;
Reference numeral 14i represents a spring, and a push button is provided with a pin 14k on the back side of the upper part of 14j.

[0013] The hanger 14f connects the pin 14h to the pin hole 14c.
It is fitted into the inner frame 14a so that the locking portion 14g side can be displaced around the pin 14h as a fulcrum. Also,
The push button 14j inserts the pin 14k into the pin hole 14 on the outer frame 14b side.
d, and is swingably suspended from the outer frame 14b using the pin 14k as a fulcrum. And the hanger 14f has a spring 1
4i applies a counterclockwise force, pushing the push button 14j to the front side and exposing the locking portion 14g from the window 14e. In particular, the push button 14j is formed in a concave arc shape with an upward pressing surface 14m on the front side, and a spherical non-slip 14n is formed on this pressing surface 14m. Although the anti-slip 14n is shown as having a spherical shape in the figure, it may also have a rough surface such as a concave shape or a jagged surface.

Numeral 15 is a plurality of ferrites attached radially to the inner frame 5, 16 is a temperature sensor, and 17 is a coil spring. The ferrite 15 eliminates leakage magnetic flux from the heating coil 8, concentrates the magnetic flux on the pot 11 side, and effectively generates heat. Further, the temperature sensor 16 is applied with upward spring pressure by the coil spring 17 and comes into contact with the bottom surface of the pot 11 to detect the temperature of heat generated near the central portion. 18 is a control board made of a printed board provided at the bottom of the main body 1, and 19 is a control section. Although not particularly shown, electronic components are mounted on the control board 18, and the control section 19 is composed of, for example, a CPU, a timer, and a microcomputer having memory functions. In addition, the bottom of the main body 1 is provided with a cord reel 21 indicated by a two-dot chain line, and a power cord wound around the cord reel 21 and connected to a plug 22.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a lid provided on the top of the main body 1. 25 is a hinge for opening and closing the lid body 24, and 26 is a hinge shaft. Further, 27 is an inner lid, 28 is a shaft, and 29 is a packing. The inner cover 27 is removably attached to the shaft 28, and a packing 29 seals the inner cover 27 by eliminating a gap when the inner cover 27 is attached. Reference numeral 24a in FIG. 2 is a receiving portion formed by a stepped portion provided on the lid body 24, and the locking portion 14g of the hook 14f is locked therein.

Reference numeral 30 denotes an operating section attached to the inclined portion of the lid body 24. 31 is an operation sheet in the operation unit 30;
2 is a printed board, 33 is a display mounted on the printed board 32, and 34 is a plurality of display lamps including red LEDs provided on an inclined surface. The display 33 uses, for example, a 7-segment type liquid crystal display to numerically display the reservation time and current time when setting, and the display lamp 34 indicates "rice cooking" and "porridge cooking" when the rice cooking menu is selected. Alternatively, cooking, steaming, keeping warm, high heat and low heat, etc. are displayed by color. Reference numeral 36 indicates a touch key formed of a flexible film of the operation sheet 31, 37 a partition wall, and 38 a steam cylinder. A packing is interposed at the joint between the partition wall 37 and the lid 24, and the printed board 32 and the like inside the operating section 30 are hermetically housed. 41 is water in the pot 11, and 42 is rice.

In the rice cooker of the present invention having such a structure, a desired amount of rice 42 is polished in advance. Add polished rice 42 and an appropriate amount of water 41 to the pot 11 while checking the scale, cover with the inner lid 27, and close the lid body 24. Next, the cord is pulled out from the cord reel 21 and the plug 22 is connected to a power outlet. While looking at the display on the display 33 or the like on the top surface of the lid 24, the user operates the touch keys 36 on the operation sheet 31 of the operation unit 30 to select the rice cooking menu, and then makes reservations for meal times and the like.

When the rice cooking start time corresponding to the reserved meal time is reached after a period of time has passed, the timer of the microcomputer in the control section 19 is turned on and the heating coil 8 is energized. When energized, an excitation current of about 20 to 50 KHZ flows through the heating coil 8, and the generated alternating magnetic flux interlinks with the pot 11, generating Joule heat based on eddy currents. The heat generated in the pot 11 due to this electromagnetic induction effect is transferred to the water 41 inside.
At the same time, the temperature sensor 16 starts to detect the temperature.

[0019] Rice cooking begins by heating the water 41 in the pot 11,
The temperature of the water 41 inside rises and the steam generated flows into the steam cylinder 3.
8 is released into the atmosphere. When the rice cooking progresses and the water 41 boils and the moisture in the pot 11 decreases and the temperature rises rapidly, the control unit 19 that receives the detection signal from the temperature sensor 16 automatically stops the electricity supply to the heating coil 8 to prevent unevenness. Let's move on to the process. After the cooking process is completed, the device shifts to the warming mode, and at the scheduled time, the rice is evenly cooked until it is ready to eat, and a display and a blowing sound are emitted to indicate that the rice has finished cooking. The rice cooking, steaming, and warming processes are displayed in different colors by display lamps 34 on the inclined surface of the main body 1, and the rice cooking operation can be monitored from a distant location such as a dining table. When the latch mechanism 14 provided on the side of the main body 1 is operated, the lid body 24 rotates around the hinge shaft 26 due to the elastic force of the hinge spring, and the top surface of the main body 1 is automatically opened, allowing freshly cooked rice to be served. is served.

In this case, the latch mechanism 14 has a latch 14f.
A push button 14j is provided to indirectly drive the push button 14j, and as described above, the push button 14j is formed with an upward pressing surface 14m. For this reason, when the pressing surface 14m is pressed after receiving the notification of the end of rice cooking through a blowing sound, the pressing force F is divided into horizontal and vertical component forces fh and fv, and the swinging end of the push button 14j is held in the pin position. Move counterclockwise around 14k (Figure 2
). When the push button 14j is moved, the hanger 14f rotates clockwise around the pin 14h while pushing the spring 14i, and as shown in FIG.
As shown in , the engagement between the locking portion 14g of the hanger 14f and the receiving portion 24a on the lid body 24 side is disengaged. Since the pressing force F applied to the push button 14j at this time is divided into two component forces fh and fv by the upward pressing surface 14m, the force pushing the rice cooker main body 1 in the horizontal direction is weakened accordingly, and the movement of the main body 1 is reduced accordingly. will be prevented.

[0021] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the case of a rice cooker that heats rice in the pot 11 by the electromagnetic induction action of the heating coil 8 was explained as an example, but the rice cooker is heated by the radiant heat of the heating wire that generates heat. The present invention can also be applied to rice cookers.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a main body which is provided with a heating means for heating a pot disposed inside and whose upper part is covered with a lid, and a main body which is provided at one end of the main body and is open to the lid. a hinge mechanism having a hinge spring that applies a spring force in a direction to
A latch mechanism is provided on the other end of the main body and has a push button exposed on the side surface of the main body.Press the push button to release the engagement of the latch mechanism, and rotate the lid body around the hinge axis to open the main body. In a rice cooker that automatically opens the top, there is a hook attached to the main body so that the locking part at the upper end can be moved, a spring that applies a spring force toward the front side of the locking part of the hanger, and a swinging part to the main body. The rice cooker is provided with a push button that can be suspended and has an upwardly inclined surface at the lower part of the front surface, and has a latch mechanism that releases the engagement of the hook by pushing the inclined surface of the push button.

As a result, since the lid is opened by indirectly driving the hook through the push button, the pressing force of the button operation applied to the hook is buffered, and the movement of the rice cooker body is restricted. Moreover, since the pressing force applied to the push button provided on the side of the main body is divided into two components by the upward pressing surface, the force pushing the main body in the horizontal direction is weakened accordingly, and the movement of the main body is prevented. .

Therefore, even if the button operation is accompanied by an opening operation of the lid, the main body will not suddenly move and knock over the cup or bowl placed on the hinge side. Also, even if you open the lid to check the amount of water in the pot after setting it, the main body will not move and cause vibration due to the reaction. Therefore, even if you set up a pot containing a large amount of rice and water to cook a large amount of rice, the rice and water will not spill out onto the cooking table or floor, and there will be no need to clean up the spilled water. Not only is there no problem, but you won't forget to replenish the spilled water and end up cooking the rice raw.

Therefore, in the present invention, if a display mechanism is provided on the push button, it will not only be convenient to check the operating status from a distance, but also the main body can be moved by operating the button for opening and closing the lid. It is possible to provide a rice cooker that does not require the extra effort of knocking over and breaking the bowl or disposing of the water that flows out.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a latch mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a latch mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a conventional rice cooker.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged explanatory diagram of the main part of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Main body, 2 Main body case, 3 Trunk case, 4
Bottom case, 5 Inner frame, 6 Legs, 7 Coil base, 7a Mounting groove, 8 Heating coil, 11 Pot,
12 shielding plate, 14 latch mechanism, 14a inner frame,
14b outer frame, 14c pin hole, 14d pin hole, 14e window, 14f hanger, 14g locking part, pin 14h, 14i spring, 14j push button, 1
4k pin, 14m pressure surface, 14n non-slip,
15 ferrite, 16 temperature sensor, 17 coil spring, 18 control board, 19 control unit, 21
Cord reel, 22 Plug, 24 Lid, 24
a Receiving part, 25 hinge, 26 hinge shaft, 27
Inner lid, 28 Shaft, 29 Packing, 30 Operation section, 31 Operation sheet, 32 Printed board, 33
Display device, 34 Display lamp, 36 Touch key, 37 Partition wall, 38 Steam cylinder, 41 Water, 42
Rice.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body having a heating means for heating a pot interposed therein, the upper part of which is covered with a lid, and a hinge spring provided at one end of the main body to apply a spring force in an opening direction to the lid. and a latch mechanism having a push button provided on the other end side of the main body and exposed on the side surface of the main body, the push button is pushed to release the engagement of the latch mechanism, and the lid body is attached to the hinge shaft. A rice cooker that automatically opens the upper part of the main body by rotating using the main body as a fulcrum, the above-mentioned rice cooker includes a hanger in which a locking part at the upper end is movably attached to the main body, and a spring directed toward the front side of the locking part of the hanger. A latch mechanism comprising a spring that applies a force, and a push button that is swingably suspended from the main body and has an upwardly inclined surface at the lower front surface, and that pushes the inclined surface of the push button to release the engagement of the hook. A rice cooker characterized by comprising: