JPH08164066A - Electric rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an electric rice cooker capable of offering a regular good taste cooked rice regardless of quantity of rice. CONSTITUTION: This rice cooker is equipped with a pan 1, a heating means 2 to heat the pan 1, a temperature detecting means 3 to detect the temperature of the pan 1, a power adjusting means 4 capable of outputting at least two different maximum power W1 and W2 to the heating means, and a control means 5 to control the power adjusting means 4 using the output of the temperature detecting means 3 as an input. After beginning the cooking process with the first maximum power W1, the cooking process is controlled so as to output the second maximum power where W2>W1, and to return to the first maximum power W1 to finish the cooking process.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric rice cooker mainly used at home.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, consumers' tastes have diversified, and the need for cooking more delicious rice has increased,
Electric rice cookers controlled by a microcomputer have become mainstream.

The rice cooking process in the conventional electric rice cooker will be described below. FIG. 3 is a graph showing the relationship between temperature, time, and electric power during the rice cooking process in the conventional electric rice cooker. As shown in the figure, this rice cooking process is a water absorption process that makes the rice absorb water, a temperature raising process that evens the inside of the pan to a uniform temperature, a boiling process that boils the inside of the pan, and water inside the pan. The process consists of a boiling process to maintain the boiling until the rice disappears and gelatinize the rice with water absorption, and a steaming process to smooth the inside of the pan and accelerate the gelatinization.

In the above steps, the rice cooking power can output only a predetermined maximum power W.

[0005]

However, at the predetermined maximum electric power W of the conventional electric rice cooker described above, the convection having the strength sufficient to make the inside of the pan uniform at the beginning of the heating process cannot be obtained, and the uneven cooking is caused. It had the problem of occurring. In addition, because the amount of rice cooked is uniformly heated with the specified maximum power W, the larger the amount of rice cooked, the more the rice is in a state of power shortage. There was a problem of getting out.

Further, in order to solve this problem, if the predetermined maximum power W is raised to a value suitable for cooking the maximum amount of cooked rice, the temperature of the portion in contact with the pan during the water absorption process is particularly high when cooking a small amount of cooked rice. Only rises sharply and gelatinization begins to prevent convection in the pan. For this reason, the unevenness of cooking and the collapse of grains increase, and the temperature rises too quickly in the temperature raising step and the cooking step for any amount of rice cooked. For this reason, the heating time becomes insufficient, and the desired taste cannot be obtained. For these reasons, there is a problem in that even if the maximum power is simply raised, it has an adverse effect.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric rice cooker that produces rice with a good taste in a constant state regardless of the amount of rice cooked, with less uneven cooking. .

[0008]

In order to solve this problem, the rice cooker according to the present invention has a pan for containing an object to be cooked, a heating means for heating the pan, and at least two different maximum powers for the heating means. After starting rice cooking with the first maximum power W1 and the power adjusting means capable of outputting, the second maximum power W2 with W2> W1 is output during the process, and the first maximum power W is again output.
The electric rice cooker is provided with a control means for controlling the power adjusting means so as to return to 1 and complete the rice cooking process.

[0009] Further, the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot and the water absorption step with the first maximum electric power W1 after starting the rice cooking, and then the second maximum step with W2> W1 in the subsequent temperature raising step. When electric power W2 is output and the temperature detecting means detects a predetermined temperature, the electric power is returned to the first maximum electric power W1 to continue heating, and the rice cooking process is completed after the cooking process, the boiling maintaining process, and the steaming process. Thus, the electric rice cooker is provided with the control means for controlling the power adjusting means.

An induction heating coil is used as the heating means for heating the pot.

[0011]

With this configuration, after the water absorption process with the first maximum power W1 is completed, the second maximum power W2 is W2> W1 suitable for heating the maximum amount of cooked rice when the temperature raising process is started.
Is entered. Here, even when the maximum amount of rice is cooked, a sufficient amount of heat is given to raise the temperature. In addition, strong convection causes the temperature in the pan to be made uniform quickly and uneven cooking can be suppressed.

Further, during the temperature raising step, it is considered that the temperature inside the pan becomes uniform at the time when the temperature detecting means detects a predetermined temperature before boiling, and the temperature is returned to the first maximum power W1 again. Is to continue.

As a result, a cooking process of boiling the inside of the pan, a boiling maintaining process of maintaining the boiling until the water in the pan is exhausted to make the water absorb gelatinize, and a steaming process of accommodating the inside of the pan to promote gelatinization. Through the rice cooking process consisting of, it is possible to obtain rice with excellent taste and little unevenness in cooking regardless of the amount of rice cooked.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the main parts of the electric rice cooker are a pan 1 for putting a food to be cooked, a heating means 2 including an induction heating coil for heating the pan 1, and a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pan 1. 3, a heating means 2, a power adjusting means 4 capable of outputting at least two different maximum powers, and a control means 5 for controlling the power adjusting means 4 by using the output of the temperature detecting means 3 as an input. The control means 5
After starting rice cooking with the first maximum power W1, W2 during the process
The second maximum electric power W2 which is> W1 is output, and the electric power adjusting means 4 is controlled so as to return to the first maximum electric power W1 and finish the rice cooking process.

The pot 1 for containing the food to be cooked is placed on top of the heating means 2, the temperature detecting means 3 is arranged in contact with the bottom surface of the pot 1, and a signal is sent to the power adjusting means 4 equipped with a microcomputer. Is output. The electric power adjusting means 4 performs electric power adjustment for various inputs and outputs such as heating control.

FIG. 2 shows the relationship between time, temperature and electric power when cooking rice. The operation of cooking rice in the rice cooker configured as described above will be described. First, the pot 1 is placed on the heating means 2 in a state where rice and water are put in the pot 1. When rice cooking is started, as shown in FIG. 2, the water absorption step is performed with the first maximum power W1. In the water absorption step, heating control is performed in a constant on / off cycle for a constant time t1, and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means 3 is a predetermined temperature θ1.
When the temperature is lower, the heating means 2 is operated, and when the temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature θ1, the operation of the heating means 2 is stopped, and the temperature in the pan 1 is always kept at θ1. At this time, the maximum electric power output to the heating means 2 is the first maximum electric power W1.

Here, it is assumed that heating is controlled in a cycle of 16 seconds, and the heating means 2 is operated for 12 seconds. Also,
t1 is 18 minutes, θ1 is 58 ° C., and W1 is 1200 W. After a lapse of a certain time t1, the water absorption process is terminated, and W2> W
A temperature rising process with the second maximum electric power W2 of 1 is started. In the temperature raising step, the temperature detecting means 3 causes the predetermined temperature θ2 before boiling.
The heating is continued with the second maximum power W2 until is detected. When the temperature detecting means 3 detects the predetermined temperature θ2, it is considered that the temperature in the pan 1 has become uniform, and the temperature raising step is terminated, and the first maximum power W1 is restored again to continue the subsequent steps.

Here, W2 is 1300 W and θ2 is 84.
℃. In the cooking step, the pan 1 is heated with the first maximum electric power W1 until it boils, the amount of cooked rice is determined from the rate of temperature rise at that time, and the next boiling maintaining step is performed with the heating power according to the amount of cooked rice. The maximum power in the boiling maintaining process is W1, and the heating power is adjusted by changing the energization rate in a constant time period. When the temperature detecting means 3 detects the predetermined temperature θ3, this process ends.

Here, θ3 is 136 ° C. After that, the steaming process is started, and heating is performed a plurality of times according to the amount of cooked rice during a certain time.

From the above-mentioned cooking process of boiling the inside of the pan, boiling until the water in the pan is exhausted to maintain the water absorption and gelatinization of rice, and the steaming process of accelerating the gelatinization in the pan It is possible to obtain rice with excellent taste and little unevenness in cooking regardless of the amount of rice cooked.

The heating cycle, the heating means operating time, t1, θ1, θ2, θ3, W in the water absorption step in this embodiment.
It is needless to say that the values of 1 and W2 are only examples, and that appropriate values can be set according to the situation.

[0022]

As is apparent from the above embodiments, according to the electric rice cooker of the present invention, the electric power adjusting means capable of outputting at least two different maximum electric powers to the heating means and the first maximum electric power W1. After starting, the second maximum power W2 with W2> W1 is output during the process, and the first maximum power W is again output.
Since it has a control means for controlling the power adjusting means so as to finish the rice cooking process by returning to 1, the rice with a small taste can be cooked in a constant state regardless of the amount of cooked rice. it can.

Further, the heating from the second maximum power W2 to the first maximum power W1 again is performed by detecting a predetermined temperature by the temperature detecting means, so that better rice cooking can be performed. is there.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram including a control means of an electric rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing cooking time, temperature, and electric power of the electric rice cooker.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing cooking time, temperature, and power of a conventional electric rice cooker.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 pan 2 heating means 3 temperature detecting means 4 power adjusting means 5 control means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazunori Kono 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Makoto Katakasu, 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Within

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A rice cooker for starting cooking with a first maximum power W1; a pan for containing an object to be cooked; a heating means for heating the pan; a power adjusting means capable of outputting at least two different maximum powers to the heating means. After that, the control means controls the power adjusting means so as to output the second maximum power W2 of W2> W1 during the process and return it to the first maximum power W1 again to end the rice cooking process. Electric rice cooker. 2. A pan for containing a food to be cooked, a heating means for heating the pan, an electric power adjusting means for outputting at least two different maximum electric powers to the heating means, and a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pan. , The first maximum power W after starting rice cooking
After performing the water absorption step at 1, in the subsequent temperature raising step, W2> W1
When the temperature detecting means detects a predetermined temperature, the temperature is returned to the first maximum power W1 to continue heating, and the heating step, boiling maintaining step, and steaming step are performed. An electric rice cooker provided with a control means for controlling the electric power adjusting means so as to end the rice cooking process. 3. The electric rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising an induction heating coil as a heating means for heating the pan.