JPH0499517A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute a rice cooker so that a cooking menu can be changed without adjusting the quantity of water by controlling an electric conduction rate of a heating means until water boils up after rice cooking is started in accordance with softness selected by a selection switch. CONSTITUTION:The rice cooker is constituted of a heating means 2 such as a heater, for heating a pot 1, a temperature detecting means 3 for detecting a temperature of the pot 1, a selective switch for selecting softness of cooking-up of rice, and a control means 5 for controlling an electric conduction rate of the heating means 2 until water boils up after rice cooking is started in accordance with softness selected by this selective switch 4, and also, executing rice cooking by controlling the heating means 2 by the temperature detecting means 3. By selecting with a properly cooking switch, the degree of softness can be selected, and also, by controlling the heater in accordance with the degree of softness with respect to the electric conduction rate of the heater until water boils up after rice cooking is started, softness of rice can be changed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker equipped with a plurality of rice cooking menus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, with the diversification of user preferences, the rice cooked in rice cookers has also become more diverse, with some users preferring softer or harder rice.

Conventional rice cookers used a microcomputer to correct and maintain constant cooking conditions even when external factors such as the amount of rice, water, and voltage changed, but there are no rice cookers that allow you to change the rice cooking menu. It didn't exist.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such conventional rice cookers, the user can only adjust the amount of water to determine the level of rice cooked, relying on intuition and adjusting the level of cooking to the desired level. There was a problem in that it was difficult to consistently cook hard rice.

The present invention solves the above problems, and allows the user to cook the rice of their choice without adjusting the amount of water, and allows the rice to be cooked according to the hardness desired by the user. The first objective is to obtain a rice cooker that can achieve this at any time.

The second object is to provide a rice cooker that can cook rice at any time according to the user's desired hardness by continuing to memorize the desired hardness once set.

The third purpose is to make it possible to set and memorize the desired doneness of rice for each user's household. The purpose is to allow you to set what kind of rice you want.

Furthermore, the fourth purpose is to control the heating rate of the heating means from the start of cooking until the water boils according to the softness selected by the selection switch, without the need for special parts. To obtain a rice cooker that can accurately determine the amount of rice to be cooked.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a first means for solving the problems: a pot for storing and cooking an object to be heated; a heating means such as a heater for heating the pot; The control means includes a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the pot, a control means for controlling the energization rate of the heating means, and a selection switch for selecting the softness of cooked rice, and the control means controls the signal of the selection switch. In accordance with this, the energization rate of the heating means is controlled from the start of rice cooking until the water boils, and the heating means is also controlled in accordance with the signal from the temperature detection means.

In addition, as a means for solving the second problem, the present invention is configured to include a storage means that continues to store the state once selected by the selection switch.

Furthermore, as a means for solving the third problem, once rice is cooked, the setting of the storage means is stored as a standard, and an adjustment means is provided for setting the energization rate to be longer or shorter than this value.

Furthermore, as a means for solving the fourth problem, a configuration includes a rice cooking amount determining means having a plurality of determination formulas for determining the rice cooker based on the temperature change of the temperature detecting means after starting rice cooking according to the softness selected by the selection switch. That is.

Operation With the above-described configuration, the operation of the first problem solving means is to control the energization rate of the heating means from the start of rice cooking until the water boils according to the softness selected by the selection switch, so that the amount of water is controlled. This allows you to change the cooked menu without adjusting the ingredients.

Moreover, the second problem-solving means works by continuing to memorize the hardness of the request once set, so that the cooking menu once set can be reproduced.

Furthermore, the function of the third problem-solving means is that once rice is cooked, the setting of the storage means is stored as a standard, and since it has an adjustment means for setting the energization rate to be longer or shorter than this value, it can be used for cooking sushi rice or fried rice. You can set the menu for the cooked state, such as.

Furthermore, the function of the fourth problem solving means is to control the energization rate of the heating means from the start of rice cooking until the water boils according to the softness selected by the selection switch, so the amount of rice to be cooked is determined and the optimum It can be cooked in any state.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

As shown in the figure, a heating means 2 such as a heater that heats #AI, a temperature detection means 3 that detects the temperature of the pot 1, a selection switch 4 that selects the softness of cooked rice, and this selection switch 4 The control means 5 controls the energization rate of the heating means 2 from the start of cooking until the water boils according to the selected softness, and further controls the heating means 2 using the temperature detection means 3 to cook the rice. ing.

FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram, which is made up of a microconvenience store having control means 5 and peripheral circuits.

Micro Convenience Taro shown here has CPU, ROM
, consists of RAM and input/output ports.
This is a so-called one-chip microcomputer. Thermistor 7 is
It is connected to an input port of the microcomputer 6 via an A/D converter 8. As a result, the temperature signal from the thermistor 7 is converted into a binary code and read into the microcomputer 6. 9 is a rice cooking switch, and ]O is a cancel switch, which are input to the microcomputer 6 to determine whether or not they have been pressed. Reference numeral 11 denotes a switch for determining the amount of cooked rice, and input is made to the microcomputer 6 to select the softness of the cooked rice by the 0N10FF of this switch, and the selected state is displayed on the liquid crystal display element 12. 13 is an AC power source, and a series circuit of a heater 14 for heating the pot 1 and a relay contact 15 is connected to this AC power source 13.
The relay contacts 15 are opened and closed by causing current to flow through the relay coil 17 via the transistor 16 in response to a signal from the output boat of the microconvenience store.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a DC power supply for operating the circuit described above, which is composed of a transformer, a diode, a capacitor, a resistor Zener diode, etc.

With the above configuration, the operation will be explained according to the program steps shown in the flowchart. First, in step 1, a constant n=3 is set, and the process proceeds to the next step 2, where it is determined whether the rice cooking switch 9 has been pressed. , when the rice cooking switch 9 is pressed, the process proceeds to step 3, enters the rice cooking mode, controls the electric power of the heater 14 based on the information from the thermistor, and performs pre-cooking, and proceeds to step 4, where the constant N is set to 17-n. , in step 5, the energization rate of the heater 14 is set to N/16 (ON for N seconds out of 16 seconds),
Proceed to step 6. In step 6, determine whether the water in pot 1 has boiled or not, and if it has not boiled, step 5
Return to step 7 and if it is boiling, proceed to step 7. Step 7
Enters the boiling maintenance mode, energizes the heater 14 at an energization rate sufficient to maintain boiling, proceeds to step 8, determines whether the temperature of the thermistor 7 exceeds 130°C, and determines whether rice cooking is completed. If the rice cooking is not completed, the process returns to step 7; if the rice cooking is completed, the process proceeds to step 9, enters the uneven mode, and waits for a predetermined period of time (1 in this example).
Steam the cooked rice for 3 minutes. Next, in step 10, it is determined whether or not the unevenness has been completed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, and if it has not been completed, the process returns to step 9, and if it has been completed, the process proceeds to step 11, enters the heat retention mode, and returns to step].

If rice cooking switch 9 is not pressed in step 2,
Proceed to step 12, determine whether it is the keep warm mode, and if it is the keep warm mode, proceed to step 13, cancel switch 1
It is determined whether the cancel switch 10 has been pressed or not, and if the cancel switch 10 has not been pressed, the process advances to step 11.

If it is determined in step 12 that it is not the keep warm mode, the process proceeds to step 14, and in step 13 the cancellation switch 10 is
If the key is pressed, the process advances to step 14.

In step 14, the system enters a standby mode, stops all outputs, and enters a standby state. The process then proceeds to step 15, and if the switch 11 is pressed for the cooked portion, the integer n is incremented by 1 in step 16, and the process proceeds to step 17. Step 1
If the switch 11 is not pressed in step 5, the process advances to step 17.

In step 17, it is determined whether the integer n exceeds 5. If the integer n is greater than 5, the process proceeds to step 18, where the integer n is set to 1, and the process proceeds to step 19. If the integer n is less than or equal to 5 in step 17, the process proceeds to step 19.

In step 19, according to the value of the integer n, the liquid crystal display element 1
2 displays the softness level and returns to step 2.

As you can see from the above operation explanation, the cooking amount is switch 11.
The degree of softness can be selected by selecting the degree of softness, and the energization rate of the heater 14 can be adjusted according to the degree of softness from the start of cooking until the water boils.
You can change the softness of the rice by controlling the

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the second problem-solving means of the present invention. In each figure, the same parts as in the embodiment shown in the above-described first problem-solving means are given the same numbers, and their explanations will be omitted. The difference from the first problem solving means is that a selection switch 4 for selecting the softness of cooked rice and a power supply 21 for bank-amplifying the ROM of the microcomputer 6 are provided, and the softness selected by the selection switch 4 is memorized. The energization rate of the heating means 2 is controlled from the start of rice cooking until the water boils according to the softness stored in the storage means 2o and the storage means 20.

With the above configuration, the degree of softness can be selected by selecting the amount of cooked rice using the switch 11, and furthermore, the energization rate of the heater 14 can be adjusted according to the degree of softness from the start of cooking until the water boils. The softness of the rice can be changed by controlling the heater]4, and the rice can be cooked according to the desired softness, and by continuing to remember the desired hardness that has been set once. ,
You can cook rice according to the hardness of your preference.

In this embodiment, a battery-powered microcomputer R
Although the OM was backed up, a non-volatile memory may be used. In this case, the softness level is displayed on the liquid crystal display element 12 according to the value of the integer n in step 19 of the flowchart shown in FIG. At the same time, an integer n is stored in a non-volatile memory, and the value of the integer n is set by reading the integer n from the non-volatile memory.

FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 show an embodiment of the third problem-solving means of the present invention. In each figure, the same parts as in the embodiment shown in the above-mentioned second problem-solving means are given the same numbers, and their explanations will be omitted. The difference from the second problem solving means is an adjustment means 23 for setting the energization rate to be longer or shorter than the value set in the storage means 20 as a standard, a softer switch 24, and a harder switch.

A switch 25 is provided to control the energization rate of the heating means 2 from the start of rice cooking until the water boils according to the setting of the adjustment means 23 and the softness stored in the storage means 20.

With the above configuration, the operation will be explained according to the steps of the flowchart shown in the flowchart.In step 4, the constant N is set to 17-n, the process advances to step 20, and it is determined whether the hard switch 25 is pressed or not. , hard switch 2
If 5 is not pressed, the process advances to step 21, and it is determined whether or not the soft switch 24 has been pressed. If the soft switch 24 has not been pressed, the process advances to step 5, and if the soft switch 24 is not pressed. For example, the process proceeds to step 22, where the constant N is set to N-2, and the process proceeds to step 5. In step 5, the energization rate of the heater 14 is set to N/16 (ON for N seconds out of 16 seconds), and the process proceeds to step 6. In step 6, it is determined whether the water in the pot 1 has boiled or not. If it has not boiled, the process returns to step 5, and if it has boiled, the process proceeds to step 7.

If it is determined in step 20 that the hard switch 25 is pressed, the process proceeds to step 23, where the constant N is set to N+2, and the process proceeds to step 24. In step 24, the constant N or 1
It is determined whether the constant N is greater than 6 or less, and if the constant N is 16 or less, the process proceeds to step 5. If the constant N is greater than 16, the process proceeds to step 25, where the constant N is set to 16 and the process proceeds to step 5- ·move on.

With the above configuration, the degree of softness can be selected by selecting the cooking amount (eggplant) 1, and the energization rate of the heater 14 can be set to the degree of softness from the start of cooking until the water boils. Accordingly, by controlling the heater 14, the softness of the rice can be changed, and the rice can be cooked according to the desired softness. Allows you to set and remember your favorite rice cooking time at home.
When selecting the hardness of rice depending on the menu such as sushi rice or fried rice, the user can set the desired hardness of rice using the soft switch 24 and the hardness switch 25, rather than the hardness of rice that is stored in memory. You can cook rice according to your taste.

FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show an embodiment of the fourth problem-solving means of the present invention. In each figure, the same parts as in the embodiment shown in the above-described first problem-solving means are given the same numbers, and their explanations will be omitted. The difference from the first problem solving means is that the rice cooking amount determination method has a plurality of determination formulas for determining the amount of rice cooked based on the temperature change of the temperature detection means 3 after the start of rice cooking according to the softness selected by the selection switch 4. A means 26 is provided to control the energization rate of the heating means 2 from the start of rice cooking until the water boils in accordance with the softness selected by the selection switch 4.

The operation of the above-described configuration will be explained according to the program procedure shown in the flowchart. Note that the steps having the same content as those in FIG. 3 are given the same numbers, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In step 4, the constant P is set to 17-n, the process proceeds to step 26, and the time T is set to O, and the process proceeds to step 5. In step 5, the heater 14 is turned on at a rate of N/16 (turned on for N seconds out of 16 seconds), and the process proceeds to step 27. In step 27, it is determined whether the detected temperature t of the thermistough has reached 60°C or higher. If it has not reached 60°C or higher, the process returns to step 5. If it has reached 60°C or higher, the process returns to step 28. move on. In step 28, time T is counted, and the process proceeds to step 6. In step 6, it is determined whether the water in the pot 1 has boiled or not. If it has not boiled, the process returns to step 5, and if it has boiled, the process proceeds to step 29. Step 29
Then, the counting of time T is completed, and in step 30, the amount of cooked rice is determined as follows, and the heater 1 in the boiling maintenance mode is
Calculate the energization rate of 4 and set it as K/16 (turn on for a second within 1.6 seconds). Then proceed to step 7.

N-16ri K=T/32shi6 N=15 Moan K=T/36-6 N-14li K=T/40=6 N-139K=T/44↑6 N=12 Q K=T/ 48shi6 As you can see from the above operation explanation, the cooking amount is switch 11.
The degree of softness can be selected by selecting the level of softness.Furthermore, from the start of cooking until the water boils, the energization rate of the heater]4 can be adjusted according to the degree of softness.
The softness of the rice can be changed by controlling the selection switch 11, and the energization rate of the heating means can be controlled from the start of cooking until the water boils depending on the softness selected by the selection switch 11. Therefore, the amount of rice to be cooked can be accurately determined and the rice can be cooked optimally without the need for special parts.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description of the embodiments, according to the present invention, a selection switch for selecting the softness of cooked rice is provided, and the control means controls the water level from the start of cooking in accordance with a signal from the selection switch. By controlling the energization rate of the heating means until it boils and controlling the heating means according to the signal from the temperature detection means, the user can select a cooking menu that suits his or her tastes, and the practical value is Remarkable.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the first problem-solving means of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the rice cooker, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a program of the rice cooker. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the second problem solving means of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the same rice cooker, and FIG.
The figure shows the third R viewing angle ii! of the present invention! A block diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the determination means, FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of the same rice cooker,
Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the program of the rice cooker.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the fourth problem-solving means of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a program of the rice cooker. 1... Pot, 2... Heating means, 3...
...Temperature detection means, 4...Selection switch, 5
...control means. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano (1 person) Figure Figure B Figure ＼. Mineral map diagram diagram diagram 1O diagram

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A pot for storing and cooking an object to be heated, a heating means such as a heater for heating the pot, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the pot, and a control means for controlling the energization rate of the heating means. A selection switch is provided to select the softness of cooked rice, and the control means controls the energization rate of the heating means from the start of rice cooking until the water boils according to a signal from the selection switch, and also controls the temperature detection means. A rice cooker configured to control heating means according to a signal. (2) The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a memory means for continuously storing the state once selected by the selection switch. (3) The rice cooker according to claim 2, further comprising an adjusting means for storing the setting of the storage means as a standard value once the rice is cooked, and setting the energization rate to be longer or shorter than this value. (4) The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a rice cooking amount determining means having a plurality of determination formulas for determining the amount of cooked rice based on the temperature change of the temperature detecting means after the start of rice cooking in accordance with the softness selected by the selection switch.