JPH07204090A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To most suitably perform a delicate heating control just around the end of cooking by a method wherein a detecting device to detect a rice-cooking condition by a boiling sound of an object to be heated, which is generated in the heating process, or physical changes accompanying with the heating process is provided, and the heating output of a heating device is controlled by a control device in response to the detecting signal. CONSTITUTION:In a rice-cooker main body l, a heating device 3, a control device 4, a detecting device 5 to detect physical changes accompanying with a heating, and a promoting means 6 are provided. The detecting device 5 is a sonic wave sensor which detects changes of a boiling sound, etc., of an object to be heated 7 in the heating process. The promoting means 6 consists of, e.g. a resonance device and sound amplifying device, etc., and promotes the detection of the detecting device 5 by resonating with the change of the boiling sound, etc., of the object to be heated 7. Also, the control device 4 is equipped with a storage means, and detects a rice-cooking condition by the change of the detecting signal of the detecting device 5, and most suitably controls the heating output of the heating device 3. As the result, a delicate condition wherein a water foam component, especially right before the end of a rice- cooking, disappears as a boiling sound, is assuredly detected, and the control is performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker which detects a sound wave generated from an object to be heated and controls it so as to obtain an optimum heating pattern.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional rice cooker comprises a heating container for accommodating an object to be heated, a heating device, a temperature sensor, and a control device. The temperature sensor indirectly detects the temperature of the object to be heated through the heating container. It is general to control the heating output of the heating device from the temperature change by the control device to cook up.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the temperature curve of the heating container is detected by the temperature sensor, and the estimated rice cooking amount of the object to be heated is specified from the information,
Since the heating control is performed by selecting a corresponding one of several types of heating patterns stored in advance, the contact condition between the temperature sensor and the heating container not only greatly affects the rice cooking performance, but also the object to be heated. If there are variations in the amount of cooked rice or changes in the water temperature, the optimum heating control will not always be achieved, and even the delicate heating control such as the timing of the unevenness will have a large effect, and the optimal heating control will also be due to the uneven temperature of the heated object. There was a problem in that there was a shift compared to.

In addition, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when the temperature sensor is located on the bottom side of the heating container, the rice lumps are easily collected, so that the rice lumps are sandwiched between the heating container and the temperature sensor and the temperature of the heating container There was a problem in practical use that a gap was created between the sensors and the detected temperature was significantly deviated, or the temperature sensor interfered with the cleaning process.

In order to improve this point, a temperature sensor is not provided on the bottom surface of the heating container.
When it is located on the side of the heating container as shown in Japanese Patent No. 6,
It is necessary to have a special structure that uses a spring to press the temperature sensor to the heating container so that there is no gap between the heating container and the temperature sensor, which will increase the cost and change the amount of rice cooked to be heated. There were problems such as being affected and being affected by uneven temperature.

On the other hand, as a method for detecting a physical change other than the temperature that occurs during cooking of an object to be heated, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
As shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. -100234, a vibration sensing element is fixed to a transmitting body which is in contact with a heating container, and the vibration sensing element captures the vibration of sound when the boiling bubbles of the object to be heated disappear, and the heating output of the heating device What is controlled by the control device, or an ultrasonic sensor is provided in a supporting device provided above the heating container as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-212516, and water contained in the heating container using ultrasonic waves is provided. Detect the water level,
There is one in which the heating output of the heating device is controlled by the control device by the rice cooking program corresponding to this water level.

However, the former can prevent spillage with a simple structure and is convenient and saves energy, but since it only responds to boiling, it is affected by changes in the amount of the object to be heated, such as when cooking rice. However, there is a problem of being affected by the ambient temperature in the final stage, and the latter can cook rice with an appropriate amount of heat depending on the amount of rice cooked from the start of rice cooking with easy operation, and the usability is improved and the rice cooking performance is improved. However, there is a problem that it is affected by the ambient temperature because it corresponds only to the water level at the start of rice cooking.

An object of the present invention is to detect a rice cooked state by a sound wave such as a boiling sound and perform optimum heating control as a method for detecting a physical change that occurs when cooking an object to be cooked.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and includes a heating container for storing an object to be heated, a heating device for heating the object to be heated, and heating from the start of heating. A detection device including a sound wave sensor that detects a rice cooking state by detecting a boiling sound of an object to be heated or a physical change accompanying it, which occurs in the heating process at the end, and a heating device of the heating device according to a detection signal from the detection device. The rice cooker is configured with a control device that determines the operating time and the output of and the heating device is controlled under the determined conditions.

Further, the control device is provided with storage means for storing the heating pattern of the rice cooker, and compares the specific heating pattern stored in the storage means with the change state of the detection signal of the detection device to heat the heating device. It controls the output.

Further, at least one of the main body side of the rice cooker and the heating container side is provided with a facilitating means for facilitating the detection of the cooked rice state by the detection device, and further, the facilitating means is a boiling object to be heated generated in the heating process of the rice cooker. It is preferable to use a resonance utilizing means for facilitating the detection of sound or physical change accompanying it.

Further, the heating device is more effective when electromagnetic induction heating is used as a heat source.

[0013]

With the above structure, the boiling starts at a certain time after the start of rice cooking, the moisture is gradually discharged as steam from the heating container, and the heating is finished when the proper moisture is finally obtained. In the heating process, a detection device including a sound wave sensor detects a rice cooked state by detecting a change in the amount of water as a change in boiling sound or the like.

Further, the control device provided with the storage means for storing the heating pattern of the rice cooker compares the specific heating pattern stored in the storage means with the output of the detection device and the change state of the detection signal of the detection device. Then, the heating output of the heating device is controlled so as to obtain an optimum heating pattern.

Further, the facilitating means provided on at least one of the main body side and the heating container side of the rice cooker facilitates the detection of the rice cooked state by the detecting device, and the promoting means comprising the resonance utilizing means is used in the heating process of the rice cooker. The detection of the boiling sound of the object to be heated that occurs or the physical change accompanying it is resonated to further promote the detection.

Further, the heating device using electromagnetic induction heating as a heat source can produce a delicate and smooth heating output in the latter half of the rice cooking process.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram of the same detection device installation, FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing the same sound wave detection, and FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram thereof.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a rice cooker body in which a heating container 2 is detachably accommodated. Further, in the rice cooker main body 1, a heating device 3 for heating the heating container 2, a control device 4 for controlling the entire heating device 3 and the like, a detection device 5 for detecting a physical change due to heating, a resonance means and the like. Means 6 are provided. Reference numeral 7 is an object to be heated made of rice and water stored in the heating container 2, 8 is a lid of the heating container 2, 9 is a steam outlet provided in the lid 8, and 10 is an operating portion of the control device 4.

The heating device 3 is an electromagnetic induction heating device capable of finely controlling the induction current, and the detection device 5 is a sound wave for detecting changes such as boiling noise of the object to be heated 7 in a series of heating processes from the start to the end of heating. The facilitating means 6 is a sensor and is composed of, for example, a resonance space, a diaphragm, a resonance device, a sound amplifying device, and the like, and resonates with a change in the boiling sound of the object 7 to be heated and promotes detection by the detection device 5.

Further, the control device 4 comprises a storage means 11,
The heating device 3 detects the cooked rice state by the detection signal change of the detection device 5 which detects the change of the boiling sound or the change of the ultrasonic signal as the physical change of the object to be heated 7 such as the change of the water amount in the heating process.
The heating output of is controlled so as to be the optimum output.

In the rice cooker thus constructed, when the operating portion 10 is operated to operate the heating device 3 to start cooking rice, boiling is started at a time corresponding to the amount of cooked rice of the object to be heated 7 and the water temperature. However, until the boiling starts, the output of the heating device 3 is substantially high and the induction heating is started. After the start of boiling, the water of the object to be heated 7 is discharged as steam from the steam discharge port 9 provided in a part of the lid 8 and gradually decreases. However, the water is heated at an arbitrary time depending on the decrease in the amount of water. The heating output of the device 3 is controlled so as to be reduced. Finally, control is performed so that the heating of the heating device 3 is stopped when the water disappears and the water bubble component disappears to give an appropriate amount of water.

A large boiling noise is generated at the start of boiling in this heating process of cooked rice, but the volume of the boiling noise gradually decreases as shown in FIG. 3 (A) as the water of the object to be heated 7 evaporates and the amount of water decreases. Or, the frequency of boiling noise decreases as shown in (B), or the frequency changes as shown in (C), so that the water bubble component disappears and the boiling noise also disappears. Become.

The induction heating output of the heating device 3 is controlled so as to appropriately decrease the heating output at an arbitrary time according to the decrease in the amount of water. This change causes the boiling noise generated from the object 7 to be heated as described above. Since the rice cooking state can be detected by detecting a physical change, the detection device 5 detects a change in the boiling sound of the object 7 to be heated in the series of heating processes from the start of heating to the end of heating. Thus, the control device 4 can optimally control the heating output of the heating device 3 according to the progress of rice cooking. Moreover, it is possible to reliably detect a delicate state in which the bubbly component just before cooking and disappears as a boiling noise is detected, and the heating control can be performed according to it.

In particular, the detecting device 5 surely detects even a delicate state in which the bubbly component immediately before cooking disappears as a boiling sound by being promoted by the boiling sound promoting means 6 and the control device 4 adjusts accordingly. Heating control can be performed.

The detection device 5 for detecting the cooked state of the object to be heated 7 may be a simple microphone as long as it has a function of converting sound into an electric signal. As the detection method, as shown in FIG. 3, (A) the boiling sound of the object to be heated 7 may be detected as a change in sound volume, or (B) it may be detected as an interval change in the time when the boiling sound is emitted. , (C) may be detected as a change in the frequency of the boiling sound. Further, the detection device 5 may be a device that is provided with an ultrasonic wave transmitting / receiving device that does not emit a boiling sound generated from the object to be heated 7, and transmits ultrasonic waves to the object to be heated 7 to change the moisture content of the object to be heated 7. A method of receiving a change in the water content of rice as a change in ultrasonic waves may be used.

As described above, the controller 4 controls the heating device 3
The heating output of is optimally controlled according to the progress of cooking rice, but by adopting induction heating in the heating device 3, the energization amount is finely adjusted according to the delicate detection signal detected by the detection device 5. Moreover, smooth control can be performed, and ideal heating control is possible. Of course, the heating device 3 is not limited to the induction heating device, but may be a general sheath heater or the like as long as the energization amount can be controlled.

Further, the control device 4 is configured as shown in FIG. 4 as an example, and the microcomputer 11 stores an arbitrary heating pattern or a change pattern of the sound wave sensor as a storage means 11 provided therein, and the heating pattern of this heating pattern is stored. Naka operating part 1
The heating pattern determined by comparing the heating pattern set at 0 and the detection signal change from the detection device 5 that occurs in the progress of heating the rice cooked, and if there is a deviation, correct the control of the heating device 3 according to the deviation. By doing so, more appropriate heating control can be performed.

Since the detection device 5 for detecting the cooked state of the object to be heated 7 is a sound wave sensor, the degree of freedom of its installation position is greatly increased. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the detection device 5 is installed on the same substrate as the control device 4. In addition to improving productivity, there is no need to directly contact the heating container 2 and it can be installed on any part of the main body 1 without protruding, so cleaning is easy and other advantages are obtained. It is possible to eliminate the problem that the crushed particles are sandwiched between the heating container 2 and the detection device 5 and drastically deteriorate the detection performance.

Further, the detection device 5 may detect the sound wave when the water bubble component bursts due to the boiling sound of the object to be heated 7 as a slight vibration without directly detecting the sound wave. 9 may be provided with a whistle or the like that sounds by steam and the sound may be used, which has the advantage of expanding the range of detection applications.

Further, the facilitating means 6 partitions the main body 1 or the lid 8 to form a resonance space, or forms a resonance space in a part of the heating container 2, or doubles the heating container 2. It may be used as a resonance space, and may have an effect of facilitating the detection of a boiling sound generated in the cooking process of the object to be heated 7. In particular, if a method of partitioning the main body 1 and a part of the lid 8 to form a resonance space is selected, it is advantageous in terms of cost and cost, and no special device is required.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the progress of cooking rice can be surely detected by the detecting device composed of the sound wave sensor from the start to the end of heating, so that there is a slight difference in the vicinity of the cooked rice. Optimal heating control.

In particular, since it is possible to directly detect the physical change in the progress of cooking rice by the boiling sound generated from the object to be heated, it is necessary to use the electromagnetic induction heating device as the heating device in the latter half of the cooking process. It is possible to provide a rice cooker that can effectively exhibit the advantages such as control with a delicate and smooth heating output.

Further, since the sound wave sensor can detect a change in the boiling sound generated from the object to be heated as a change in sound volume, sound generation interval, generation frequency, etc. by various methods, these can be used alone or in combination to cook rice. It is possible to detect the physical change of the progress state more accurately.

Further, since the sound wave sensor greatly increases the degree of freedom in its installation position, it can be installed on the same substrate as the control device to improve productivity, and it is not necessary to directly contact the heating container. Also, it can be installed on any part of the main body without protruding so that it is easy to clean, and the problem that rice smash is caught between the heating container and the detection device and the detection performance is drastically changed Can be removed.

Further, the facilitating means having the resonance function has a great effect of facilitating the detection of the boiling noise generated in the cooking process of the object to be heated, and it is useless if the method of partitioning the main body or a part of the lid to form the resonance space is selected. It is also advantageous in terms of cost because it does not require special equipment.

Further, since the control device is provided with a storage means for storing an arbitrary heating pattern or a change pattern of the sound wave sensor, the change of the detection signal from the sound wave sensor caused by the progress of the heating of the cooked rice is compared with the heating means. Since the pattern is judged and the control of the heating device is corrected according to the deviation, more appropriate heating control can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual configuration diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation of the detection device.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing the same sound wave detection.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the same operation block.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 main body 2 heating container 3 heating device 4 control device 5 detection device (sound wave sensor) 6 promoting means 7 object to be heated 11 storage means

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A heating container (2) for containing an object to be heated (7) and a heating device (3) for heating the object to be heated (7).
And a rice cooker equipped with a control device (4) for controlling the heating device (3) detects a boiling sound of the object to be heated (7) or a physical change accompanying it which occurs in the heating process from the start of heating to the end of heating. It is equipped with a detection device (5) for detecting the cooked rice state, and the control device (4) includes the detection device (5).
The rice cooker characterized in that the heating output of the heating device (3) is controlled according to the detection signal of. 2. Rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that the detection device (5) is a sound wave sensor. 3. The control device (4) includes a storage means (11) for storing a heating pattern of the rice cooker, and the control device (4) detects a specific heating pattern stored in the storage means (11). The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the heating device (3) is controlled so that the heating output of the heating device (3) has an optimum heating pattern by comparing the changed states of the detection signals of the device (5). 4. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising an encouraging means (6) for encouraging detection of the rice cooked state by the detection device (5). 5. The resonance utilizing means for promoting the detection of a boiling sound of an object to be heated (7) which occurs during a heating process of a rice cooker or a physical change accompanying it, as the promoting means (6). Item 4. The rice cooker according to item 4. 6. The rice cooker according to claim 4, wherein the facilitating means (11) is located on at least one of the rice cooker body (1) and the heating container (2) side. 7. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the heating device (3) uses electromagnetic induction heating as a heat source.