JPH08308721A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily watch and easily use an operating part by decreasing the number of operating switches by sending respective signals for starting rice cooking from an input means, with which the signals are sent to a rice cooking control means, before the start of rice cooking or for start of reheating for further increasing the temperature of cooked rice in a heat insulating state. CONSTITUTION: This rice cooker is provided with a heating means 2 for heating a pot 1, rice cooking control means 5 for controlling the heating means 2 while receiving an input from a temperature detecting means 3, and input means 4 with which a signal for operating the rice cooker is inputted to the rice cooking control means 5. In this case, in the state of the rice cooker before the start of rice cooking, the input means 4 is operated as an input means for inputting a rice cooking start signal to the rice cooking control means 5, but in the heat insulating state of the rice cooker, this input means 4 is operated as an input means for operating the heating means 2 so that the temperature of cooked rice can be higher than the heat insulating temperature at that time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker having a heat retaining function used in ordinary households.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a microcomputer has been built in,
Many rice cookers that control rice cooking operations have been released. This type of rice cooker has a heating means for heating a pot containing water, rice, etc., a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot, an input means for operating the rice cooker, and a start signal from the input means. Based on the temperature data from the temperature detecting means, the rice cooking control means configured to optimally control the heating means by executing a preset rice cooking / warming operation.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, it is general that one operation switch is provided for one function, and as the function for cooking rice increases, the number of operation switches increases accordingly. Since the number of operating switches becomes small, the operating unit becomes small and the operating unit becomes complicated and the operating unit is difficult to see, and it is difficult to use the present invention. The purpose is to make it easy to see and use.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pot for containing water, rice, etc., heating means for heating the pot, and temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot. A rice cooking control means for controlling the heating means in response to an input from the temperature detecting means, and an input means for sending a signal for operating the rice cooker to the rice cooking control means, the input means before starting the rice cooking In that case, a signal for starting rice cooking is sent, and in a heat retaining state, a signal for starting reheating to further raise the temperature of the rice is sent.

[0005]

With the above structure, the present invention can cope with two functions with one operation switch, reduce the number of operation switches, and make the operation section easy to see and use. The cost of the department can be reduced.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a main block diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a pot for containing water, rice, etc., a heating means 2 for heating the pot 1, a rice cooking control means 5 for controlling the heating means 2 in response to an input from the temperature detecting means 3, and a rice cooker. A signal for operating the rice cooking control means 5
The input means 4 for inputting to the rice cooker functions as an input means for inputting a rice-cooking start signal to the rice-cooking control means 5 before the rice cooker starts to cook rice, and when the rice cooker keeps the rice warm, The heating means 2 is operated so that the temperature becomes higher than the heat retention temperature at that time.

A circuit diagram of the first embodiment is shown in FIG.
In this figure, reference numeral 10 is an input switch for operating the rice cooker, which has the function of the input means 4. 11 is pot 1
The heater 11 is a heater for heating the
ON / OFF of this relay 12
Is controlled by the transistor 13. In this way, the heater 11, the relay 12, and the transistor 13 constitute the heating means 2. 14 is a thermistor, a pot 1
It is a specific example of the temperature detecting means 3 for detecting the temperature of. 16
Is a microcomputer with a built-in A / D converter, inputs signals from the input switch 10 and the thermistor 14, and outputs a control signal to the transistor 13. Further, the signal from the thermistor 14 is A / D converted by an A / D converter in the microcomputer 16 to create temperature data. The microcomputer 16 has the function of the rice cooking control means 5.

FIG. 3 shows the rice cooking operation in the above configuration.
Will be described with reference to. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a rice cooking program from the start to the end of rice cooking. In step 20, it is determined whether or not the input switch 10 has been pressed before the start of rice cooking, and the input switch 10 is pressed. Then, the microcomputer 16 starts cooking rice. When rice cooking is started, first, the process proceeds to a precooking step 21 for efficiently absorbing water of rice. When the pre-cooking process 21 is completed, the process proceeds to the leveling process 22 and the rice cooking amount determination process 23, and the heater 11 is operated according to the rice cooking amount determined in the rice cooking amount determination process 23.
Control the energization time of. Next, there is a forced-off step 24 and a power-down step 25 to prevent the rice from spilling during cooking, and a boiling maintaining step 26, a pause step 27, and a follow-up cooking step 2 for making the rice delicious and full.
8. Move to Murashi step 29. When the above steps are completed, the rice cooking is completed, and the rice is heated to the heat retention step 30 to maintain the cooked rice in a state close to freshly cooked rice. When the input switch 10 is pressed in the heat retention step 30, the microcomputer 1
6 starts the reheating step 31. In the reheating step 31,
In the heat-retaining step 30, the temperature of the bottom of the pot was controlled by the rice-cooking control means 5 so as to be 70 degrees. To heat. When the reheating step 31 ends, the process returns to the heat retaining step 30 again.

As described above, the rice cooking process or the reheating process can be started by determining whether the state when the input switch 10 is pressed is the state before starting the rice cooking or the heat retaining state. Therefore, the rice cooking start switch and the switch for starting reheating can be combined, and the number of switches can be reduced by one.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the input switch acts as a switch for starting rice cooking when the rice is not cooked, and when the temperature is kept warm, the temperature of the rice is lower than the temperature at that time. It works as a switch to start reheating to operate the heating means to a higher temperature, and it is possible to respond to two functions with one operation switch, reducing the number of operation switches,
The operation unit can be easily seen and used, and the cost of the display unit can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

[Fig. 2] The same circuit diagram of the rice cooker

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a rice cooking program of the rice cooker.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 pan 2 heating means 3 temperature detecting means 4 input means 5 rice cooking control means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pot for containing water, rice, etc., a heating means for heating the pot, a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot, and an input from the temperature detecting means for controlling the heating means. And a means for operating the rice cooker to send a signal for operating the rice cooker to the rice cooking control means. The input means sends a signal for starting rice cooking before the rice is cooked, and may be in a warm state. A rice cooker configured to send a signal to start reheating to further raise the temperature of rice.