JPH0764B2 - Fully automatic rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has been proposed for the purpose of completely saving labor in a rice cooking operation that has conventionally required human labor. The present invention relates to a novel fully-automatic rice cooker capable of automatically processing a series of work processes from storage, weighing, rice washing, water addition, water absorption, rice cooking, steaming, and completion of (rice polishing) with an accurate program. Various proposals have been made for an automatic rice cooker, but most of them have been designed for small household use, and the frequency of use, the amount of processing, and the operability are related to the business of the present invention. There is a big difference from the use, and it is a different dimension in terms of practicality and continuity. Therefore, as fully-automatic rice cookers that can be used for business purposes, JP-A-61-206411 and JP-A-62-206411.
There is a technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 26031. All of the above-mentioned publications disclose a rice storing section for storing rice, a measuring section for measuring and discharging rice in the rice storing section, and the measuring section. It is provided with a rice washing section for washing the rice discharged from the rice and a rice cooking section for cooking the rice discharged from the rice washing section, but the supply of rice from the rice washing section to the rice cooking section is complicated. . Therefore, there is an apparatus in which a cone valve that moves up and down is provided at the outflow port formed at the bottom of the rice-washing section so that the rice-feeding guide, which is most suitable for rice cooking, can be controlled by the cone valve. However, in the case of adopting this conical valve, since the valve moves up and down to discharge rice, if the valve posture is not maintained in the correct posture, residual rice occurs between the outlet and the conical valve. There was a problem. Further, when the rice cooker is pulled out from the inside of the refrigerator, if the conical valve collides with the rice cooker, there is a problem that the valve posture collapses. It is an object of the present invention to prevent an external force from being applied to a conical valve by using an opening / closing arm that opens and closes the upper lid of the rice cooker in a fully automatic rice cooker using a conical valve. The present invention is directed to a rice storing section for storing rice, a measuring section for measuring and discharging the rice in the rice storing section, and washing rice for washing the rice discharged from the measuring section. And a rice cooking unit for cooking the rice discharged from the rice washing unit, wherein the rice washing unit is
A rice cooker provided with an outlet that can be opened and closed by a conical valve that moves up and down at the bottom of a rice washing tank having a conical bottom, and the rice cooker that is horizontally movable directly below the rice washing tank and the rice cooker. In a fully-automatic rice cooker equipped with an upper lid for opening and closing the bowl, the following technical measures are taken to achieve the above-mentioned object. That is, according to the present invention, an opening / closing arm that surrounds the left and right sides and the front of the conical valve 14 and moves the upper lid 29 up and down.
It is characterized by having 34. According to the present invention, the external force acting on the conical valve 14 when the inside of the device is inspected, the rice cooker 44 is taken in and out, etc. is protected by the opening / closing arm 34 and the posture of the conical valve 14 is deformed. Prevent. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof. The rice storage tank (rice storage part) 1 arranged at the top in FIG.
The raw material is stored in the hopper, and a quantifier (measuring unit) 2 is connected to the bottom of the hopper-shaped rice storage tank 1. The metering machine shown in this embodiment is a drum type that rotates in one direction by the electric motor 3, and the quantity of raw material is quantitatively divided according to the number of revolutions while keeping the inner volume constant, and the material is dropped downward. According to the pulse counting method, which is controlled by transmitting the set value pulse of the counter set by. On the other hand, a funnel-shaped raw material chute 4 is arranged immediately below the metering device 2, and a raw material supply port 7 is opened through a top plate 6 of a rice washing tank (rice washing section) 5. Rice washing tank
Reference numeral 5 denotes a cylindrical body whose lower part is formed into an inverted conical shape.
A hollow rotating shaft 9 having the above structure is rotatably arranged by an electric motor 11 via a bearing 10 provided so as to penetrate the top plate 6.
At the bottom of the rice washing tank 5, inserted coaxially with the hollow shaft 9,
A shaft rod 13 vertically movable by a rotary cam mechanism 12 provided above the top plate 6 and a conical valve fixed to the lower end of the shaft rod.
An outlet 15 is provided for opening and closing the ingredients and cooking water. Further, above the outflow port 15, a separation plate 16 formed in the shape of an inverted cone having a large number of water passage ports, an annular drainage jacket 17 provided so as to hermetically surround the separation plate, and a ceiling plate.
An overflow port 18 is provided at the bottom of 16 in series. A side pipe 19 is open for communication on the outer peripheral surface of the drainage jacket 17, and a float 20 for detecting a rise in the water level in the pipe is enclosed.
The water level for cooking rice in the rice washing tank 5 is configured to be detected and adjusted by a sensor 22 which can be moved up and down in conjunction with a quantitative dial mechanism 21. In addition, a plurality of sprinklers 23 are provided in the upper part of the rice washing tank 5 through the top plate 6 to open. As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the side pipe 19 on the outer peripheral surface of the drainage jacket 17, the drainage pipe 25 for draining the washing water to the outside of the system through the drain valve 24 which can be opened and closed and the inside of the rice washing tank 5 are provided. A water supply port 27 is provided which is open for communication via a solenoid valve 26 in order to generate a countercurrent and discharge the floating pollutants from the overflow port 18 to the outside of the system. As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of guide plates 28 fixed to the side surfaces of the drainage jacket 17 and a lower end held by the guide plates are fixed to a shutter rail 30 provided on the upper surface of the upper lid 29 immediately below the same axis of the rice washing tank 5. A lid 31 that is vertically slidable and a lid 31 that is vertically slidable by a member 31 that is slidable up and down, and a pin 33 that has a fulcrum 32 and that is provided on the member 31 and that extends vertically. 29 are arranged. The upper lid is stroked H by an opening / closing arm 34.
As shown by the dotted line in the figure, the opening / closing arm 34 is configured to seal the inserted inner pot 35 and hold it by the hook 36 in the open position. It is a so-called closed loop that surrounds the interior of the container and is routed through the inner part. As shown in FIG. 3, an opening 37 of rice and water is opened at the center of the upper lid 29, and the opening 41 is opened and closed by a shutter 41 which has a fulcrum 39 and can be opened and closed by a swing arm 40 driven by an electric motor 38. It has a flexible structure. The shutter 41 is a shutter rail 30 provided on the upper lid.
Is used as a guide to move the stroke H1 to slide and seal the opening 37, and a sensor 42 for detecting opening / closing of the shutter is provided, and a rectangular opening / closing arm 34 along the shutter rail 30 is provided. It is provided. In the apparatus of the present invention, the outflow curve of rice and water drawn out when the conical valve 14 provided at the bottom of the rice washing tank 5 is opened has a parabolic shape in which the conical surface is extended as shown by the dotted line 43 in FIG. . Therefore, the diameter of the opening 37 provided in the upper lid 29 is determined so as not to intersect with the parabola in the closed position of the upper lid. The operation mode of the device of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to the drawings showing the embodiment thereof. In FIG. 1, the rice cooker 44 on which the empty inner pot 35 is mounted is pulled out, the mount 45 is pushed in, and the shaft of the upper lid 29 is pushed. It is moved to a position directly below the center of the axis, and the opening / closing arm 34 lowers the upper lid to seal the inner pot. Here, the sensor 46 detects the inner pot 35. Next, by setting the fixed quantity dial 21 to the required amount of cooked rice, the pulse counter for controlling the rotation speed of the constant quantity machine 2 is selected and the sensor 22 for detecting the float 20 for detecting the water level in the side pipe 19 is moved. The water level adjustment point 47 in the rice washing tank 5 required for cooking rice. By pressing the start button, the quantifier 2 rotates and the raw material in the rice storage tank 1 is quantitatively sorted and supplied through the chute 4 into the rice washing tank 5 through the raw material supply port 7. At the same time, the electric motor 11 is started to rotate the stirring blade 8 at a high speed and the solenoid valve 48 communicating with the pressure water system is opened to start water supply from the plurality of water spray ports 23 to start the rice washing process. The waste water that has accumulated in the rice washing tank and passed through the agitated raw material layer to become rice-washed polluted water passes through the separation plate 16 provided at the bottom and is drained through the drainage jacket 17, drainage pipe 25 and drainage valve 24. Drained out of the system through mouth 49. Then, the water supply is temporarily stopped by the previously entered rice washing program, the rice polishing process is started, and after the predetermined rice polishing process, water sprinkling is restarted to drain the polluted water. After repeating the above steps, the drain valve 24 shown in FIG. 2 is closed and water is supplied from the water inlet 27 communicating with the drain jacket 17 through the electromagnetic valve 26. The water supply becomes an upward flow upward in the rice washing tank 5 due to the sealing of the drain valve 24, and the overflow port 18
The water overflows further and is drained to the outside of the system through the drainage pipe 50 and the drainage box 51 and the drainage port 49. When a predetermined overflow time has elapsed, the solenoid valve 26 is closed and the drain valve 24 is opened, so that the wash water stored up to the overflow point in the tank is discharged to the outside of the system at once. The rice washing process is completed as described above, and subsequently the drain valve 24 is closed and the solenoid valve 48 is opened to start water supply in the water control process. In the process, the circuit of the water level detection sensor 22 is turned on, the water level in the rice washing tank 5 rises, and the float in the side pipe 19 increases.
20 rises, and at the water level detection point 47, the solenoid valve 48 is closed and water supply is stopped. Then, the cam type opening / closing mechanism 12 provided above the shaft 13 is rotated by the output signal of the sensor, and the conical valve 14 for closing the outlet 15 at the bottom of the rice washing tank is dropped for a predetermined stroke to provide the raw material and the cooking water on the upper lid 29. It is made to flow down into the inner pot 35 through the opening 37. The opening 37 is always closed by a shutter 41, receives an output signal from the sensor 22, and is temporarily opened by an electric motor 38 so that the opening 37 is automatically closed after a lapse of a predetermined time. Upon completion of the outflow of the raw material, the conical valve 14 returns to the original position by the rotation of the cam opening / closing mechanism 12 and seals the outflow port 15. Then, when the completion of rice discharge is detected and excited, the water absorption time of the raw material is restricted by the timer, and after a predetermined time elapses, the burner (not shown) of the rice cooker 44 is ignited by the output signal of the timer to start the rice cooking process. The combustion gas is supplied by a conduit opened and closed by a gas solenoid valve (not shown), which is opened by the output signal of the timer to detect the bottom surface temperature of the inner pot 35 (not shown). It is configured to be shut off by. Completion of the rice cooking process is detected by the thermostat, the burner extinguishes, and a separate timer operates to restrain the steaming time. After the elapse of a predetermined steaming time, the completion of rice cooking is notified by the output signal of the timer, and the series of operation steps in the device of the present invention is completed. In the present invention, the proposed upper lid mechanism provided with the shutter 41 and provided with the opening 37 which can be opened and closed is extremely effective in realizing the present invention, and is arranged on the upper lid to be heated during rice cooking and the upper portion thereof. Since the bottom of the rice washing tank and the conical valve are arranged with a space in between, it is possible to eliminate all thermal adverse effects on the raw materials waiting in the rice washing tank, and it is easy to confirm the operation around the conical valve. Therefore, it has good effects such as good cleanability, smooth opening / closing operation of the upper lid, and high airtightness of the rice cooker. In the rice cooker arranged further down, during each step of water absorption, rice cooking, steaming etc. of the raw materials and after the completion of rice removal, the upper lid is raised, the inner pot is pulled out, and an empty inner pot is set. During this period, the shutter 41 is electrically interlocked so that the shutter 41 is not opened, and the conical valve 14 is opened by the output signal of the sensor 42 that detects the opening of the shutter. There is a feature that can be completely prevented. The apparatus of the present invention makes it possible to fully automatically perform a series of operations from the measurement of raw materials to the completion of rice cooking by inputting a start signal, and also to automatically process a large amount of rice continuously. It also has the capability to do so. That is, the output signals of the water level detection sensor 22 for completion of water addition and reduction, the sensor for detecting the opening of the conical valve 14 (not shown), and the sensor for detecting the sealing of the conical valve (not shown) are used for the cascade. The above-mentioned start pulse is generated and the device is automatically restarted to allow the rice cooker arranged below to move the rice washing process in the upper rice washing section while the rice cooker is in operation. Since the standby time for absorbing water can be given to the raw material, the operations of washing rice and cooking rice can be continuously processed in a single device. According to the present invention, there is provided an opening / closing arm that surrounds the left and right sides and the front of the conical valve that moves up and down to open and close the outlet of the bottom of the rice washing tank, and that opens and closes the upper lid by opening and closing. Since the open / close arm prevents external force from acting on the conical valve when the rice cooker is taken in and out and inspected, the valve posture of the conical valve is correctly maintained, and residual rice, washing water leaks, etc. are ensured. Can be prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view showing an arrangement of internal mechanisms showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the device. FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a partial cutout. [Explanation of symbols] 1 Rice storage unit 2 Measuring unit 5 Rice washing unit 14 Conical valve 29 Top lid 34 Opening / closing arm 44 Rice cooker

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rice storage unit for storing rice, a measuring unit for measuring and discharging the rice in the rice storage unit, a rice washing unit for washing the rice discharged from the measuring unit, and a rice cooking unit for cooking the rice discharged from the rice washing unit. , And the rice washing section is provided with an outlet that can be opened and closed by a conical valve that moves up and down at the bottom of the rice washing tank whose lower part is formed into a conical shape,
The rice cooker is a fully-automatic rice cooker equipped with a rice cooker that is horizontally movable directly under the rice washing tank and an upper lid that opens and closes the rice cooker. A fully-automatic rice cooking device comprising an opening / closing arm (34) that surrounds and raises and lowers the upper lid (29).