JPH08332148A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide stable rice cooking and heat insulating states throughout a year regardlessly of seasons and to improve convenience for usage by providing a calendar function for a rice cooker and performing temperature control and time control corresponding to the season while utilizing this calendar function. CONSTITUTION: At the time of rice cooking, a microcomputer unit 61 controls energizing to a work coil 7, lid heater 64 and heat insulating heater 65, drives a time display circuit 81 and a date display circuit 82 and displays time and date on a liquid crystal display means 54. At the time of heat insulation, the season is judged from the date, and a reference control temperature to be the reference of a heat insulating temperature in a heat insulating process is changed and set to the side of a lower temperature than the summer of high room temperature in the winter of low room temperature. Thus, the detection error caused by the room temperature at temperature sensors 23 and 24, with which the temperature a little lower than the real temperature of cooked rice is detected in winter but a little higher temperature is detected in summer, is supported and the optimum heat insulating state of cooked rice can be secured throughout the year.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rice cooker,
More specifically, it relates to time control or temperature control during rice cooking or heat retention of a rice cooker.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a rice cooker, there are a heating rice cooking function for heating and cooking rice, a reservation function for reserving a time to cook rice and executing heating rice at a reserved time, and a heat retaining function for keeping the cooked rice warm. In addition to basic functions related to rice cooking, heat retention, etc., it is equipped with a clock function that measures the time and outputs the current time, and a display function that displays the current time and reserved time, etc. (See, for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 1-276584).

[0003]

By the way, generally, the properties of rice gradually change with the passage of the season, and especially the properties of rice of the same harvest year change greatly depending on whether or not the summer is over. The rice in the past season has a reduced water content as it becomes old, but the rice in the season before summer has a large water content. However, in the conventional rice cooker, both the rice cooked in the season before summer and the rice cooked in the season after summer are executed under the same water absorption condition, so that the taste of cooked rice is different from that of rice at the time of rice cooking. It was not preferable because it was different due to the difference in water content.

In Japan, in particular, since the temperature changes significantly depending on the season, the atmospheric temperature during the rice cooking or the temperature of the water used for the rice cooking varies greatly depending on the season when the rice is cooked. However, in the conventional rice cooker, the temperature control during rice cooking or the temperature control during warming was performed in the same way throughout the year regardless of such temperature changes due to such seasons. Was occurring.

That is, first, regarding rice cooking, a water absorption step for absorbing water in the rice is provided prior to the actual heating and cooking step during rice cooking. In this case, in this water absorption process, it is common to raise the water temperature so that the rice can easily absorb water, but conventionally, despite the change in water temperature depending on the season, the water absorption water temperature can be set to a constant temperature suitable for water absorption. , Or because the water heating time was set to a constant value, in the former case, it takes more time to absorb water in winter when the water temperature is low compared to summer when the water temperature is high. Therefore, there was a problem that the cooking time itself would be long. In the latter case, the water temperature does not rise sufficiently to the water absorption temperature suitable for water absorption in the winter when the water temperature is low, or the time for which the water absorption water temperature suitable for water absorption is maintained is shortened, resulting in sufficient water absorption. There was a problem that it could not be secured.

On the other hand, there are the following two problems with keeping warm. One of them is the problem that the heat-retaining temperature, that is, the temperature of the rice to be kept warm, varies depending on the season. That is, generally, the control of the heat retention temperature in the heat retention step is performed based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, but this temperature sensor is affected by the room temperature, and in winter when the room temperature is low, the temperature lower than the actual rice temperature is set. In summer, when the room temperature is high, a temperature higher than the actual rice temperature is detected. However, in the conventional rice cooker, the control reference temperature, which is the reference for the heat retention control, is always set to a constant temperature regardless of the change of the season, so the heat retention temperature of rice is high in winter and low in summer. However, there is a problem that a stable heat retention state cannot be obtained.

The other one is the problem of dew adhesion on the lid of the rice cooker. That is, the rice cooker in the warm state is naturally affected by the room temperature, and in winter when the room temperature is low, the heat released from the lid of the rice cooker increases and the temperature of the inner surface of the lid or the inner surface of the inner pot decreases and dew here. However, there is a problem that the rice that is kept warm becomes sticky and its deliciousness is impaired.

In order to solve such a problem, it is necessary to perform temperature control and time control according to the season at the time of cooking rice or keeping it warm. However, in the case of a conventional rice cooker having only a clock function, it is seasonal. It is impossible to perform temperature control or time control according to the change of.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the rice cooker is provided with a calendar function, and by utilizing this calendar function, temperature control and time control according to the season are performed, so that stable rice cooking and heat retention can be achieved throughout the year regardless of the season. It is made for the purpose of providing a rice cooker that can be obtained and also can be conveniently used.

[0010]

In the present invention, the following constitution is adopted as a concrete means for solving such a problem.

In the first invention of the present application, heating rice cooking means for heating and cooking rice in an inner pot containing rice and water, and rice cooking start time by the heating rice cooking means are set in advance and rice cooking is started at the reserved time. Reservation means for causing, heat retention means for retaining heat of cooked rice, clock means for measuring and outputting the current time, current time output from the clock means and reservation time set by the reservation means In a rice cooker having a display means for displaying, at least a calendar means for displaying a date, and a control means for performing a time control or a temperature control relating to rice cooking or heat retention according to the display date of the calendar means are provided. There is.

According to a second invention of the present application, in the rice cooker according to the first invention, the control means changes the control reference temperature which is a reference for the heat retention control in the heat retention step according to the display date of the calendar means. It is characterized in that it is constituted by a control reference temperature changing means to be set.

According to a third invention of the present application, in the rice cooker according to the first invention, the control means changes the heat retention heating temperature in the heat retention step in accordance with the display date of the calendar means. It is characterized in that it is configured by means.

According to a fourth invention of the present application, in the rice cooker according to the first invention, the control means is configured to change and set a water absorption time in a water absorption step at the time of cooked rice according to a display date of the calendar means. It is characterized in that it is composed of time changing means.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the first aspect, the control means changes the water absorption heat amount in the water absorption step according to the display date of the calendar means. It is characterized in that it is configured by means.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, the reservation means includes a reservation memory capable of reserving the rice cooking time for each day of the week and a reservation time setting switch for setting the reserved rice cooking time. In addition to the above, the calendar means has a day of the week display function, and the control means is set to the same day of the previous week based on the current day of the week displayed by the calendar means when the reservation time setting switch is operated. It is characterized in that it is constituted by a display time priority means for reading out the reserved time which has been reserved from the reservation memory and displaying it preferentially on the display means.

In a seventh invention of the present application, in the rice cooker according to the first invention, the control means controls the display time on the display means according to the display date and time of the calendar means by the clock means. The display time changing means is configured to change and set between the current time and a virtual time advanced or delayed by a predetermined time from the current time.

[0018]

According to the present invention, the following actions and effects can be obtained by adopting such a configuration.

(A) According to the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, the control means controls the time or temperature of rice cooking or heat retention according to the display date of the calendar means. Control or temperature control can be performed according to seasonal changes, and good rice and heat retention can be achieved throughout the year without being affected by, for example, differences in rice properties depending on the season, differences in room temperature depending on the season, etc. As a result, it can contribute to improving the commercial value of rice cookers.

(B) According to the rice cooker according to the second aspect of the present invention, the control means controls the control means to change and set the control reference temperature which is the reference for the heat retention control in the heat retention step according to the display date of the calendar means. Since it is composed of temperature changing means, the control reference temperature in winter should be set lower than that in summer by a predetermined value in consideration of the difference in room temperature between winter and summer and the effect of room temperature on the temperature sensor. Therefore, regardless of the difference in room temperature between winter and summer, the actual heat retention temperature of rice will be kept almost constant throughout the year, and delicious rice in a good heat retention state can be eaten all year round. It is a thing.

(C) According to the rice cooker of the third invention of the present application, the control means is constituted by the heat retaining / heating temperature changing means for changing and setting the heat retaining / heating temperature in the heat retaining step according to the display date of the calendar means. Therefore, for example, by setting the energization rate of the heater for heat insulation heating by the heat insulation heating temperature changing means to be high in the winter when the room temperature is low and to be low in the summer when the room temperature is high, for example, the lid of the rice cooker in the winter. Even if there is more heat radiated from the above, the heat retention heating temperature is higher due to the higher electrical conductivity to the heater, so the heat radiated from the lid etc. is compensated for, and the temperature of the inner surface of the lid or the inner surface of the inner pan is It is maintained at the same level as the above and dew adhesion is suppressed as much as possible, so that sticky rice due to the dew of warmed rice disappears and delicious rice is eaten throughout the year regardless of the season. In It can be done.

(D) According to the rice cooker according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the control means is a water absorption time changing means for changing and setting the water absorption time in the water absorption step at the time of cooking rice according to the display date of the calendar means. Since it is configured, for example, the water absorption time in the water absorption process is divided into the water absorption time in the season before summer and the water absorption time in the season after summer, and the water absorption time in the latter is set to be longer than the water absorption time in the former. By adjusting the water absorption of rice, the total water content in rice at the start of cooked rice despite the change in the characteristics of the rice depending on the season, that is, the water content contained before and after summer is significantly different. Is maintained at about the same level throughout the year, so that rice that has absorbed water well throughout the year can be cooked and eaten deliciously regardless of seasonal changes. Things.

(E) According to the rice cooker of the fifth invention of the present application, the control means is constituted by the water absorption heating amount changing means for changing and setting the water absorption heating amount in the water absorption step according to the display date of the calendar means. Therefore, for example, by adjusting the water absorption heating amount by setting the electric conductivity in the water absorption process by the water absorption heating amount changing means to be higher in the winter when the water temperature is low than in the summer when the water temperature is high, the difference in the water temperature depending on the season can be obtained. Regardless, it is possible to raise the water temperature to a temperature suitable for water absorption in rice at almost the same time throughout the year, and to make the water absorption duration time at the same water temperature almost the same, which results in seasonal changes. Despite this, rice can be cooked with almost the same water absorption throughout the year.

(F) According to the rice cooker of the sixth invention of the present application, if the reserved time setting switch is operated,
First, since the reservation time set on the same day of the previous week is displayed on the display means, if the reservation time is desired, it is not necessary to perform any further reservation operation, and the predetermined time is set only when a different reservation time is desired. You can make the reservation operation. Therefore,
In the modern life where time is managed, the daily life patterns such as meal time are determined for each day of the week, and the time for cooking rice to be matched with this meal time is also determined for each day. When the reservation time of the same day of the previous week is prioritized during the reservation operation, this is rarely changed, so compared with the case where the reservation time must be set each time the rice is reserved, It is expected that the operation will be greatly simplified and the operability of the rice cooker will be improved.

(G) According to the rice cooker of the seventh invention of the present application, the control means controls the display time on the display means in accordance with the display date and time of the calendar means to be the current time measured by the clock means. Since the display time changing means is configured to change and set between the virtual time advanced or delayed by the predetermined time from the current time, for example, when the summer time is adopted, the current time is kept as it is except the summer time period. By setting the display time to a virtual time that is advanced by a predetermined time from the current time during the summer time period, the rice cooking time can be reserved in the same way throughout the year, and during the summer time period, it will be automatically displayed during other periods. The rice will be cooked for a specified time earlier than in the case of, and the user can set the reserved rice cooking time during summer time and other periods. The operability is improved as compared with the case where the user has to change the operation.

[0026]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the rice cooker of the present invention will be specifically described based on Examples.

First Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 3 show a concrete structure of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the invention described in claims 1 and 2 of the present application. The rice cooker 1 has a rice cooking function, a heat retention function, and a reheating function during heat retention, as will be described later, and also has a clock function and a calendar function in order to execute these respective functions more accurately. The specific structure is as follows.

The rice cooker 1 is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a synthetic resin formed so that an inner pot (rice cooker) 2 made of stainless steel or the like capable of generating heat by an eddy current can be set inside. Bottomed cylindrical inner case 3 and the inner case 3
The container main body includes a cylindrical outer case 4 that supports the container. A lid unit 5 is provided on the upper part of the container body so as to be openable and closable.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the bottom portion 3a of the inner case 3 is provided with concentric first and second ribs 91 and 92 near the outer periphery thereof. The two ribs 91 and 92 are configured so that the respective coils 7a and 7b of the work coil 7 including the inner and outer two sets of coils 7a and 7b can be fitted at a predetermined interval. The coils 7a and 7b are configured to be bonded to both bottom-side fitting surface portions on the inner side and the outer side in the radial direction via the first and second ribs 91 and 92 with an adhesive agent. The work coil 7 corresponds to "heating and cooking means" in the claims.

The outer case 4 has a cylindrical cover portion 4a formed of a synthetic resin plate, a synthetic resin shoulder portion 4b connected to an upper end portion of the cover portion 4a, and a lower end of the cover portion 4a. The bottom portion 4c made of synthetic resin and the bottom portion 3c of the inner case 3 form a space portion 6 having a predetermined area between the bottom portion 4c and the bottom portion 4c. As described above, it supports the inner case 3 made of a synthetic resin and having a cylindrical shape with a bottom for setting the inner pot 2 so that it can be taken out. Further, below the bottom portion 3a of the inner case 3, the coils 7a and 7b of the work coil 7 and the coil base 8 are respectively provided in the vertical direction. Further, a control board 36 having power components such as a work coil control circuit is provided below the coil base 8.

The coil base 8 has a saucer-shaped inner case supporting surface for supporting the work coil 7, and a ferrite core fitting groove 9 formed in the work coil supporting portion 8a. , 9 and legs 10, 10 provided at the bottom of the work coil support portion 8, and are supported on the outer case bottom portion 4c by the legs 10, 10. Further, on the outer peripheral surface of the side of the work coil supporting portion 8a of the coil base 8, both ends of the ferrite core fitting grooves 9, 9 ... A pair of spacers 11 and 11 are provided, and a ring-shaped magnetic shield plate 12 is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the spacers 11 and 11 from the lower side with a predetermined gap therebetween.

The ferrite core insertion grooves 9, 9.
······································· is formed in a state of extending in the radial direction with a circumferential interval of 90 degrees therebetween, and also penetrating in the vertical direction. • is fitted.

Further, an opening portion having a predetermined diameter is formed in a portion of the coil base 8 corresponding to the thin portion 30 of the inner case bottom portion 3a, and the work coil supporting portion 8 is provided above the opening portion through the opening portion. The thermal fuse holder 14 having an H-shaped cross section is detachably attached to the bottom of the inner case 3 by the thermal fuse holder 14 and the cylindrical thermal fuse 15 is inserted into an insulating tube. The thin wall portion 30 is supported so as to be in contact with the lower surface 30a.

That is, the thermal fuse holder 14 has a thermal fuse 15 in the recess 14a at the upper end of the holder portion having an H-shaped cross section.
And a part of the side wall on the lower side is bent outward in the horizontal direction to attach it to the bottom surface of the coil base 8 b.
By attaching the mounting portion 14b to the lower surface of the coil base 8 with a screw, the mounting portion 14b is detachably fixed from the lower side.

On the other hand, in the inner case 3, the bottom portion 3a and the side wall portion 3b are integrally molded, and the center portion of the bottom portion 3a and the center portion of the work coil supporting portion 8a of the coil base 8 are
Center sensor housing space that penetrates vertically and concentrically
A (fitting / inserting hole) 17 is formed, and a center sensor 22 is provided in the center sensor housing space 17 so as to be vertically movable and constantly urged upward by a coil spring 18. Has been. A heat retaining heater 65 (corresponding to "heat retaining means" in claims) is arranged outside the side wall member 3b.

The center sensor accommodating space 17 is formed in a cylindrical body 19 formed by ribs extending vertically in the central portion of the coil base 8, and a sensor cover 20 is fitted in the lower opening thereof. The screws 21 are fixed to the pressure wall portion on one side of the coil base 8 side tubular body 19 with screws 21.

In the center sensor 22, for example, a temperature fuse for detecting an abnormal temperature is not provided in the sensor holding portion 94 at the upper end of the cylindrical sensor holder 22a, which is considerably smaller than the temperature fuse. First and second thermistors (temperature sensors) 2 for detecting the temperature of the inner pot 2
Only 3, 24 are provided in parallel in the central portion and the sensor holding portion 9 at the upper end portion of the sensor holder 22a.
4 On the upper surface, the small first and second thermistors 23, 2
A sensor cap 25 made of a metal material having a small diameter and having a good thermal conductivity, which is small enough to cover the small-diameter sensor holding portion 94 provided with only 4, is integrally fixed. And
A ring-shaped shield member 93 provided with a lip portion 93a for shielding in the circumferential direction is fitted to the lower portion of the upper side edge portion 26 of the cylindrical sensor holder 22a, and the shield member 93 and the lower sensor cover 20 are fitted. The sensor holder 2 is provided by the coil spring 18 interposed between the sensor holder 2 and
The whole 2a can be raised and lowered, and is supported while being constantly urged upward so as to come into contact with the bottom 2a of the inner pot 2.

Sensor holder 9 in the sensor holder 22a
The lower part of 4 extends downward by a predetermined length in a rectangular tube shape to form a reed switch mounting portion 96 at the lower end thereof, while the lower sensor cover 20 is formed with a cylindrical magnet mounting portion 95. . Then, the magnet 28 attached to the magnet attaching portion 95 and the reed switch 29 attached to the reed switch attaching portion 96 are brought into contact with and separated from each other according to the ascending / descending operation of the sensor holder 22a.
The reed switch 29 is turned on and off, and the on,
The OFF signal detects whether the inner pot 2 is not set or set. Reference numeral 34 denotes an ascending position regulating edge portion of the sensor holder 22a of the inner case bottom portion 3a. The edge portion 34 is erected above the upper surface of the inner case bottom portion 3a by a predetermined height, and the sensor storage space portion is provided. It is made difficult for water and the like to enter the inside of 17.

On the other hand, on the opposite side of the shoulder portion 4b of the outer case 4 from the hinge mechanism 40, an operation panel 56 constituting an operation portion is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, various switches necessary for cooking rice, that is, a reservation switch 46 for setting a reservation time for cooking rice, a rice cooking switch 47 for starting a rice cooking menu, and a rice cooking menu are selected on the operation panel 56. Rice cooking menu switch 48, reheat switch 49 for starting reheat while keeping warm, heat retention / cancel switch 50 for canceling the start of heat retention and the program currently being executed, and time switch for setting the time digit of the time 5
1 and minute switch 52 for setting minute digits, and liquid crystal display 54
(Corresponding to “display means” in the claims).

The lid unit 5 is fitted into an outer cover 37 made of synthetic resin which constitutes the outer peripheral surface of the lid unit 5 and inside the outer peripheral edge of the outer cover 37, and the lid unit 5 is engaged with the inner pot 2. Inner frame part 38 made of synthetic resin and the inner frame part 38
It is formed into a hollow structure by a heat radiating plate 57 that is fitted inside and has a lid heater 64. The outer cover 37 and the heat radiating plate 57 have their outer peripheral edge portions mutually connected via an inner frame portion 38. Is bound to. The lid unit 5 is rotatably attached to the shoulder portion 4b of the outer case 4 via a hinge mechanism 40, and its open end side is engaged with a predetermined position of the lid unit 5. A lock lever 39 for opening and closing the lid unit 5 is provided. Further, a vapor discharge port 43 is formed so as to penetrate in the vertical direction at a substantially central portion of the lid unit 5. Then, the vapor discharge port 4
A rubber-made packing 45 is fitted to the unit 3, and a vapor discharge cylinder 44 is attached through the packing 45.

Next, the construction of the electric control circuit portion in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment will be described based on the electric circuit diagram shown in FIG. The parts corresponding to the parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals.

First, the electric power from the commercial AC power source 62 is supplied to the lid heater 64 and the heat retention heater 65 through the temperature fuse 15 that detects and abnormally heats the inner pot 2, and the step-down transformer 68 steps down the voltage. And rectifier 69
It is rectified by and is supplied to the microcomputer unit 61 as its power source. The power from the commercial power source 62 is supplied to the work coil 7 via the diode bridge 67 and the choke coil 66. Also, reference numeral 7
0,71 is a smoothing capacitor, 72 is a resonance capacitor, 7
3 is a diode.

The work coil 7, the heat retaining heater 65 and the lid heater 64 are connected in parallel with each other. Between the heat insulation heater 65 and the commercial AC power supply 62, and the lid heater 6
4 and the commercial AC power supply 62 are connected to triacs 75 and 76, respectively. At the gates of these triacs 75 and 76, PNPs which are ON / OFF controlled by a command from the microcomputer unit 61.
Control signals from the transistors 77 and 78 are provided. The work coil 7 is turned on / off by a command from the microcomputer unit 61.
A control signal from the switching transistor 74 controlled to be turned off is given.

The microcomputer unit 61
Operates based on the clock signal from the reference frequency generation circuit (OSC) 80, and controls the transistors 74, 77, 78 according to a predetermined program, whereby the work coil 7, the lid heater 64, and the heat retention heater 65 are controlled. The time display circuit 81 (corresponding to "clock means" in the claims) and the date display circuit 82 are controlled while controlling energization.
(Corresponds to "calendar means" in the claims)
Is driven to display the time and date on the liquid crystal display means 54. The energization control is performed based on the output signals from the thermistors 23 and 24 built in the center sensor 22. Also,
Reference numeral 55 is a buzzer that generates a notification sound when rice cooking is completed.

Incidentally, the microcomputer unit 6 mentioned above.
1 is equipped with the functional means which controls energization to the work coil 7 at the time of rice cooking, and energization control to the work coil 7 according to a rice cooking menu.

By the way, the rice cooker 1 of the first embodiment
Is the liquid crystal display means 54 by the date display circuit 82.
The season is judged from the date displayed on, and the control reference temperature that becomes the control reference that becomes the reference of the heat retention temperature in the heat retention process,
In winter when the room temperature is low, the temperature is changed to a lower temperature than in the summer when the room temperature is high, so that the temperature of the rice that is lower than the actual rice temperature is detected in winter and the higher temperature is detected in summer. Temperature sensor (that is, the thermistors 23, 2)
By compensating for the detection error due to room temperature in 4), the optimum heat insulation state of the rice can be ensured throughout the year without being affected by room temperature, and delicious rice can be eaten in any season. is there. That is, the calendar function is used for controlling the heat retention temperature.
Hereinafter, the actual heat retention control according to the season will be described with respect to the first control example and the second control example, respectively.

First Control Example In the first control example, the control reference temperature for heat retention is set to 72 ° C. in the summer of April to November when the room temperature is high, and the room temperature is lowered.
In the winter months from March to March, the temperature is lowered from 72 ° C to 71 ° C, which will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 5.

In the heat retention process, first, the menu is turned off (step A ₁ ), the heat retention indicator lamp is turned on (step A ₂ ), the current time is displayed (step A ₃ ), and the date is displayed (step A). ₄ ). Next, in step A ₅ , the current season is determined. That is, it is determined whether or not the winter season is currently from December to March, and if it is the winter season, the heat retention temperature is controlled at the control reference temperature of 71 ° C., and the other seasons (that is, April to November). In the summer), the heat retention temperature is controlled at the control reference temperature of 72 ° C. Specifically, it is as follows.

[0049] If it is winter, it is determined first whether rice temperature being detected current in step A ₁₄ is 71 higher or lower than ° C., when it is 71 ° C. or less, a work coil 1 / 16- The work coil output P ₅ is set to ON, the heat retention heater is set to 8 / 16-ON, and the lid heater is set to 4 / 16-ON, and is executed to raise the rice temperature (steps A _{15 to} A ₁₈ ). On the contrary, when the rice temperature is 71 ° C. or more, both OFF and the work coil insulation heater, wait for the drop in rice temperature by only a 2/16-ON Futahita (Step A ₇ to A ₉ ).

On the other hand, when it is determined in step A ₅ that it is currently in summer, in this case as well as in the above-mentioned winter, each heater is selected depending on whether the current rice temperature is higher or lower than 72 ° C. controlling the ON-OFF (step a ₆ ~ step a _13).

By changing and setting the control reference temperature which is the reference of the heat retention control according to the season as described above, the rice can be kept at the same temperature throughout the year regardless of whether the room temperature is high or low depending on the season.

Second Control Example In the second control example, the season is divided into three periods more finely than in the case of the first control example, and the control reference temperature for heat retention is changed in each period. There is. That is, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 6, one year includes the winter season from December to March, the summer season from June to September, and the other months of April, May, October, and November. Divided into three intermediate steps (step B ₅ and step B ₆ ). In winter, control reference temperature is 7
1 ° C. (Step B _9), the interim control reference temperature 72 ° C.
(Step B ₇ ), and the control reference temperature is set to 73 ° C. (Step B ₁₂ ) in summer. Then, in each season, when the rice temperature is higher than the control reference temperature "warmth Control A" is lower than the control reference temperature respectively perform "warmth Control B" (step B _10, Step B ₁₁ , step B ₈ , step B ₁₅ , step B ₁₃ , step B ₁₄ ).

[0053] Incidentally, the "insulation Control A", as the flow chart shown in FIG. 7, and both turned OFF and the work coil and the insulation heater (step B _21, Step B _22), Futahita only only 2/16 a control for ON (step B _23). Furthermore, "heat keeping control B", as the flow chart shown in FIG. 8, set the work coil output P ₅ (step B _31), the work coil only 1/16 (step B _32),
Warmth heater only 8/16 (step B _33), further Futahita only 4/16 (step B _34), a control for ON respectively.

With this heat retention control, as in the case of the first control example, the rice can be kept at the same temperature throughout the year regardless of whether the room temperature is high or low depending on the season.

In this embodiment, step A ₅ , step A ₆ and step A ₆ in the first control example are carried out.
_14, Step B ₅ .about.B ₇ in the second control example, steps B ₉ and step B _12, respectively correspond to the "control reference temperature setting means" in the claims.

[0056] cooker of the second embodiment the second embodiment, there is according to an embodiment of the invention as set forth in claim 1 and claim 3 of the present application, the specific configuration is the first embodiment Although the description is omitted because it is the same as the rice cooker 1 of No. 2, the rice cooker of the second embodiment radiates more heat from the lid and the like during heat retention in winter when the room temperature is low than in summer, and The temperature drops and it is easy for dew to adhere to it, and this dew will cause the cooked rice to become sticky and spoil the taste. It was made to be able to be eaten.
Specifically, by using the calendar function of the rice cooker, the warming temperature is increased in winter by raising the heat conduction rate to the heater during warming than in summer, and the amount of heat radiated from the lid is compensated for. The temperature drop of the pan etc. is suppressed and the dew adherence to the inner pan etc. is prevented. Hereinafter, the heat retention control in this case will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the heat retention process, after the menu is turned off (step C ₁ ), the heat retention indicator lamp is turned on (step C ₂ ), the current time is turned on (step C ₃ ), and the date is displayed (step C ₄ ), the current heat retention is performed. It is determined whether the temperature of the cooked rice is higher than 72 ° C. (step C ₅ ). If the temperature is higher than 72 ° C, both the work coil and the heat insulation heater are turned off and only the lid heater is turned on by 2/16.
Wait until the temperature of the rice drops by N (step C ₁₁ to step C ₁₃ ).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step C ₅ that the current rice temperature is 72 ° C. or lower, then in step C ₆ , the winter is currently low from December to March. If it is not winter, that is, if the room temperature is high and the heat radiated from the lid is small and the dew does not easily adhere to the inner pot, the work coil P ₅ is set ( Step C ₇ ), work coil 1/16 only (step C ₈ ), heat retention heater 8/16 only (step C ₉ ), lid heater 4/16 only (step C ₁₀ ),
Turn on each and heat to increase the rice temperature.

On the other hand, it is currently in the winter season from December to March,
When the room temperature is low and the heat is radiated from the lid so much that the dew easily sticks to the inner pot etc., set the work coil P ₅ (step C ₁₄ ), and set the work coil only 1/16 (step C ₁₅ ), the heat insulation heater is turned on 8/16 only (step C ₁₆ ), and the lid heater is turned on 4/16 only (step C ₁₇ ).
Then, heat the rice to raise the temperature.

As described above, by changing the heat-retaining heating temperature according to the season (that is, room temperature), it is possible to reliably prevent dew from adhering to the inner pot or the like even in the winter, and to keep the heat-retaining stable throughout the year. You can eat delicious rice in the state.

In this embodiment, step C ₆ for determining the season, step C ₇ to step C ₁₀ for setting the duty factor to the work coil, etc., and step C ₁₄ to step C based on the determination. Reference numeral ₁₇ corresponds to the "retaining heating temperature changing means" in claim 3.

[0062] rice cooker 1 of the Third Embodiment The third embodiment is a one of a further embodiment of the present invention according to claim 1 and 4 of the present application, the difference in rice moisture content based on seasonal changes , Which is solved by adjusting the amount of water absorption in the water absorption process, so that rice of any season of the year can be cooked deliciously with a substantially uniform water content. Specifically, depending on the season when rice is cooked. The water absorption time in the water absorption process is controlled to increase or decrease. The actual water absorption control will be specifically described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

[0063] First, when referring to FIG. 10 will be described cooking menu selection in cooking processes, upon selection of the cooking menus, the work coil, the fan motor, Futahita all warmth heater and OFF (steps D ₁ ~ Step D ₄ ) Further, the corresponding indicator lights are turned off (step D ₅ ) and the reservation display is also turned off (step D ₆ ). In this state, the current time and the current date are displayed (steps D ₇ and D ₈ ), and thereafter, the process proceeds to the execution of the menu designation flowchart.

In the menu specification flowchart, the rice cooking menu is set according to the rice cooking menu selected by the user. That is, after the buzzer notification, "rice" lit display (steps D ₉ and Step D _10), the process proceeds to cooking run through further described next water absorption process when the "white rice" cooking is selected. Further, after the buzzer informing, after lighting display the "early cook" (step D ₁₄ and step D _15), the process proceeds directly to rice executed without passing through the water process when the "fast cook" rice has been selected . Furthermore, "we cook"
After buzzer notification if cooking is selected, it lit displays "炊Komi" (step D ₁₆ and step D _17),
After the water absorption process described below, rice cooking is started. Further, after the buzzer informing, after lighting display the "rice with red beans" (step D ₂₁ and step D _22), it proceeds to cooking run without undergoing a water step when "rice with red beans," cooking is selected.

Here, in "white rice" cooked rice and "cooked" cooked rice, water is sufficiently absorbed in the water absorption step, but in that case, the water absorption time is different between "white rice" cooked rice and "cooked" cooked rice. In addition to the conventional general method of making a difference, the invention of the present application is further applied to the embodiment.
The water absorption time in this water absorption process is changed and set depending on the season.

That is, in this embodiment, as the water absorption data, three different water absorption times, that is, water absorption data No. 1 in which the water absorption time is 200 seconds and the water absorption time are 300
Water absorption data No. 2 which sets the water absorption time to 400 seconds and water absorption data No. 3 which sets the water absorption time to 400 seconds are set. Then, these three water absorption data are selectively set for each of "white rice" cooked rice and "cooked" cooked rice, and according to the season of the cooked rice. Specifically, it is as follows. First of all, for the "rice" rice, now it determines whether a summer season of July to October in step D _10, passed almost a year around the corner from the US is the harvest season is when it is summer the water content In this case, the water absorption data No. 3 having the longest water absorption time is set (step D ₁₂ ). On the other hand, when it is determined that it is not from July to October, the rice to be cooked is the rice from the time immediately after harvest until the summer, and the water content of the rice is Since it is larger than rice, in this case, the water absorption data No. 2 whose water absorption time is the intermediate value of 300 seconds is set (step D ₁₃ ).

Similarly, in the case of "cooked" rice,
In the seasons from July to October, set water absorption data NO.2 with an intermediate water absorption time of 300 seconds, and water absorption data NO.3 with the shortest water absorption time in other seasons (step D).
₁₈ -Step D ₁₉ ).

When the water absorption time is set in this way,
Based on this set value, the water absorption step as shown in FIG. 11 is executed. That is, turn on the rice cooking indicator (step E ₁ ),
The fan is turned on (step E ₂ ), the power failure confirmation flow chart is executed (step E ₃ ), and then the actual water absorption process is started. In this embodiment, the water absorption time set by the water absorption data is set as the timer setting time (for example, when the "white rice" rice is cooked in July-October, 400
The entire water absorption process is completed by repeating the water absorption action by the water absorption time three times under different water temperatures.

That is, first, at step E ₄ , the timer is started. Then, in step E ₅ , it is determined whether or not the water temperature is 40 ° C. or higher. If it is 40 ° C. or higher, the work coil, the heat retention heater and the lid heater are all set to OFF (steps E ₆ to E ₈ ). To absorb water without heating. On the other hand, 4
If the temperature is 0 ° C. or less, the work coil output is set to 70% (step E ₉ ), and the work coil, the heat-retaining heater and the lid heater are turned on at predetermined outputs (step E ₉ ).
₁₀ through Step E _12), to perform the water with heating.

When the water absorption based on the water temperature of 40 ° C. is completed (step E ₁₆ ), the water absorption at the next water temperature of 45 ° C. is executed in the same manner as the control at the water temperature of 40 ° C. (step E _18). ~ step E _22), after a further water completion under the temperature 45 ° C., running water under the temperature 50 ° C. (step E _30-step E _35), which in total water absorption step is completed.

In this way, the water absorption time in the water absorption process is changed and set according to the time when the rice is cooked, that is, the elapsed time from the time when the rice to be cooked is harvested, and the water absorption time in the rice cooked in summer is changed to the rice cooked in other seasons. The water absorption process is completed both when rice is cooked in the summer when the water content is low and when it is cooked before the summer when the water content is high, by allowing the rice to absorb more water for a longer time than the water absorption time. The water content of rice at that time is kept almost constant. Therefore, it is possible to cook rice in a constant water absorption state throughout the year, and it is possible to always eat delicious rice regardless of the season when rice is cooked.

In this embodiment, step D ₁₁ and step D ₁₈ in FIG. 10 correspond to "water absorption time changing means" in the claims.

[0073] cooker of the fourth embodiment The fourth embodiment is an maintaining about water constant in water process regardless of changes in the seasons, and to be able to eat delicious rice throughout the year. That is, since the temperature of water used for cooking rice varies greatly depending on the season, the year is divided into two seasons, the summer (April to November) and the winter (December to March). Is designed to increase the water absorption heating amount in the water absorption process compared to summer when the water temperature is high, so that the water temperature rises to a water temperature suitable for water absorption at the same time regardless of the season, and water absorption continues under the water temperature suitable for this water absorption. By making the time the same, the amount of water absorbed by rice is kept constant, so that delicious rice can be eaten throughout the year regardless of seasonal changes. Hereinafter, the control of the heating amount of water absorption according to the season will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the water absorption process, the rice cooking indicator is turned on (step F ₁ ), the current date is displayed (step F ₂ ), the fan is turned on (step F ₃ ), and the power failure confirmation flowchart is executed ( step F _5). after that, the process proceeds to the actual water process. Incidentally, in the water absorption step in this embodiment, similarly to the water absorption step in the third embodiment, water absorption under three different water temperatures (that is, 40 ° C., 45 ° C. and 50 ° C.) is sequentially executed for the same water absorption time. By doing so, the entire water absorption process is completed.

In step F ₅ , after setting a timer corresponding to a predetermined water absorption time, water is first absorbed at a water temperature of 40 ° C. That is, in step F ₆ , it is judged whether or not the current water temperature is 40 ° C. or higher. If it is 40 ° C. or higher, the work coil, the heat retention heater and the lid heater are turned on.
And FF (Step F ₇ ~ Step F _9), to perform as water without heating.

On the other hand, if the temperature is 40 ° C. or lower, first in step F ₁₀ , it is judged whether or not it is currently from December to March, and if it is from April to November in the summer. Sets the work coil 70% (step F ₁₁ ), turns on the work coil 11.5 / 16-ON (step F ₁₂ ), turns on the heat retention heater 6.0 / 16-ON (step F ₁₃ ), and sets the lid heater to 7.0 / Turn on 16-step (step F ₁₄ ), and execute water absorption with such a low heating amount.

On the other hand, in the winter season from December to March, the work coil 70% is set (step F ₁₅ ),
The work coil 13.5 / 16-ON (step F _16), a heat insulating heater 8.0 / 16-ON (step F _17), a lid heater 9.0 / 16-ON (step F _18), in such a high amount of heat To absorb water. In this way, the water absorption with the heating amount according to the season is executed for the predetermined water absorption time (step F ₁₉ ).
By doing so, the first water absorption is completed.

After the first absorption of water, the second absorption based on the water temperature of 45 ° C. is executed depending on the season (steps F ₂₃ to F ₃₇ ), and the third absorption based on the water temperature of 50 ° C. Water absorption is performed according to the season (Step F ₄₁ ~
Step F ₅₅ ), which completes the water absorption process.

As described above, by changing and setting the amount of heat absorbed by water in the water absorption process according to the season so as to be small in the summer and large in the winter, the water temperature used for cooking rice varies greatly depending on the season. Even if it is, regardless of the season (that is, regardless of the water temperature), the temperature of the water used for cooking rice is raised to the water temperature suitable for absorbing water in the rice at about the same time from the start of the water absorption process, In addition, water can be absorbed at a water temperature suitable for this absorption for the same period of time, and rice with the same water content can be cooked throughout the year so that it can be eaten deliciously.

In this embodiment, step F ₁₀ , step F ₂₈ and step F ₄₆ in the flowchart of FIG. 12 correspond to the "water absorption heating amount changing means" in the claims.

[0081] rice cooker of the fifth embodiment fifth embodiment, by using the calendar function,
The cooked rice reservation time for one week is memorized for each day of the week, and when a reservation operation is performed, the rice cooked time reserved for the same day one week ago is preferentially displayed as the reserved time this time, and the reservation operation is made accordingly. It is intended to simplify. Hereinafter, this will be described for each of two control examples.

First Control Example In this first control example, as shown in FIG. 14, there are two reserved memories, one for each day of the week, a total of 1 memory.
It has four memories 1 to 14, and stores two reserved rice cooking times of "reservation 1" and "reservation 2" for each day of the week. Then, for each day of the week, the latest (that is, last week) reservation time is stored in "reservation 1", and the reservation time one week before that is stored in "reservation 2".
This is because the reservation time of last week is most likely to be selected as the reservation time of this week.

Next, the reservation time setting control will be described with reference to FIG. When setting the reservation time, first display the current date (step G ₁ ).
After the second timer is started (step G ₂ ), the buzzer is notified of the reservation setting and the reservation display is turned on (steps G ₃ and G ₄ ).

Next, today's day of the week is selected, and the reservation time 1 and the reservation time 2 corresponding to the day of the week are set (step G ₅ to step G ₇ , step G ₈ to step G ₁₀ , step G). ₁₁ ~ Step G ₁₃ , Step G ₁₄ ~
Step G _16, steps G ₁₇ ~ Step G _19, steps G ₂₀ ~ Step G _22, steps G ₂₃ ~ Step G _24).
When the setting of the reservation time according to the day of the week is completed, next, at step ₂₅ , it is judged whether the reservation switch has been operated once or twice (step G ₂₅ ), and if it has been operated once, the previous week is determined. of reservation time is "reservation time 1" lit display (step G _26), in the case that has been operated twice lights display the "reservation time 2" is a reserved time of before last week (step _27), Set the selected reservation time. After that, reserved rice is executed according to the set reservation time.

In this way, using the calendar function,
Simplify the reservation operation by storing the weekly rice cooking reservation time for each day of the week, and prioritizing the reservation operation to display the rice cooking time reserved on the same day one week ago as the current reservation time. Therefore, it is expected that the operability of the rice cooker and the commercial value will be improved.

Second Control Example In the second control example, generally, many people live on a weekly basis, and when cooking rice, the same reservation time is often selected on the same day of the week. From this point of view, the reservation time is set for each day of the week according to the lifestyle.

For example, regarding the breakfast time, since Saturday and Sunday are holidays, the breakfast time is later than the other days. Conversely, dinner time is early on holidays and late on other weekdays. For this reason, one week is divided into two groups of days, the first group of days from Monday to Friday and the second group of Saturdays and Sundays. In the first group of days, "Reservation 1" is set to 6:00 am , "Reservation 2" is set to 7:00 PM, and in the second day group, "Reservation 1" is set to 8:00 PM and "Reservation 2" is set to 6:00 PM.
Set to 0.

In this way, the reservation time is the same as that of the reservation made on the same day last week for each day of the week, so that the reservation operation can be simplified.

Note that such reservation time setting control is not limited to the case where a week is divided into two groups of days according to the holidays and weekdays as described above, but is also performed on a specific weekday and other days, for example. It can be applied regardless of how to divide it. For example, in a family with kindergarten children, if you need to cook rice earlier than other days because you will have lunch on Tuesdays and Fridays, set the first group of days on Tuesdays and Fridays. The second day group will be constituted by the other days.

[0090] cooker of the sixth embodiment The sixth embodiment, the operation panel 56 displays the time displayed along with the date (see FIG. 3), corresponding to the date, the predetermined time period than the current time and the current time This is to be changed with respect to the advanced virtual time. The reason for changing the display time in this way is as follows. That is, in the case of reservation rice cooking, for example, when the summer time system is adopted, it is necessary to cook the rice earlier during the summer time than during the non-summer time. In this case, since only the current time is displayed on the operation panel 56 of the rice cooker in the past, the user needs to change and set the reserved time during the summer time period and the non-summer time period during the reservation rice cooking operation. However, it is possible that the reservation time during the non-summer time period is erroneously set and the rice has not been cooked at the meal even though it is during the summer time period. Under such circumstances, by automatically changing the display time between the current time and the virtual time during the summer time period and the non-summer time period and displaying the time, the operation for changing the reserved time during the summer time period and the non-summer time period can be performed. It is intended to improve the usability of the rice cooker by preventing the wrong reservation time setting.

Specifically, it is as follows. For example, set the summer time period from May 1 to September 30, and display the current time during the non-summer time period,
When displaying a virtual time that is one hour ahead of the current time during daylight saving time, 4 days before the start of daylight saving time
The display time changes from 30th of May to 1st of May on the first daylight saving time as follows.

[Saturday, April 30th, 10:58 pm] →
"April 30 (Sun) 10:59 pm" → "May 1 (Mon) 0:00 am" → "May 1 (Mon) am
0:01 "→ ... That is, April 30th is 23 hours on the display.

Further, the display time changes as follows from September 30, the last day of summer time, to October 1, the first day of non-summer time.

[Saturday, September 30th, 12:00 pm] →
"September 30th (Sat) 12:01 pm" → "September 30th (Sat) 12:58 pm" → "September 30th (Sat) 12:59 pm" → "October 1st (Sun)" 0:00 am →
“Sunday, October 1 0:01 am” → ... That is, September 30 is 25 hours on the display.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view on arrow III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a configuration of a control circuit unit of the rice cooker shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a control flowchart of the rice cooker according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a reservation memory of the rice cooker according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a rice cooker, 2 is an inner pot, 3 is an inner case, 4 is an outer case, 5 is a lid unit, 6 is a space portion, 7 is a work coil,
Reference numeral 8 is a coil base, 9 is a ferrite core fitting groove, 10 is a leg portion, 11 is a spacer, 12 is a magnetic shield plate, 13 is a ferrite core, 14 is a thermal fuse holder, 15 is a thermal fuse, 17 is a space portion, 18 Is a coil spring, 19
Is a cylindrical body, 20 is a sensor cover, 21 is a screw, 22 is a center sensor, 23 and 24 are thermistors, 25 is a sensor cap, 26 is an edge portion, 27 is a lid surface, 28 is a magnet, 29 is a reed switch, and 30 is Thin portion, 34 is an edge portion, 36 is a control board, 37 is an outer cover, 38 is an inner frame portion,
39 is a lock lever, 40 is a hinge mechanism, 43 is a steam discharge port, 44 is a steam discharge cylinder, 45 is a packing, 46 is a reservation switch, 47 is a heat retention switch, 48 is a reheat switch, 49 is an hour switch, and 50 is a minute. A switch, 51 is a cooking switch, 52 is a rice switch, 53 is a cancel switch, 54 is a liquid crystal display unit, 55 is a buzzer, 56 is an operation panel, 57 is a heat sink, 61 is a microcomputer, 62
Is a power supply, 64 is a lid heater, 65 is a heat retention heater, 66 is a choke coil, 67 is a diode bridge, 68 is a step-down transformer, 69 is a rectifier, 70 and 71 are smoothing capacitors, 72 is a resonant capacitor, 73 is a diode, and 74 is a diode. Switching transistors, 75 and 76 are triacs, 77 and 78 are PNP transistors, 79 is a timer setting display, 80 is a reference frequency generation circuit, 81 is a time display circuit, 82 is a date display circuit, 91 and 92 are ribs,
Reference numeral 93 is a shield member, 94 is a sensor holding portion, 95 is a magnet mounting portion, and 96 is a reed switch mounting portion.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A heating rice cooking means for heating an inner pot containing rice and water to cook rice; a reservation means for presetting a rice cooking start time by the heating rice cooking means and for starting rice cooking at the reserved time; A warming means for keeping the cooked rice warm, a clock means for measuring the time and outputting the current time, and a display means for displaying the current time output from the clock means and the reserved time set by the reservation means. A rice cooker provided with at least a calendar means for displaying a date, and a control means for controlling a time control or a temperature control relating to rice cooking or heat retention according to the display date of the calendar means. jar. 2. The control means according to claim 1, wherein the control means is a control reference temperature changing means for changing and setting a control reference temperature serving as a reference for heat retention control in a heat retention step according to a display date of the calendar means. Rice cooker to be. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control means is a heat retaining / heating temperature changing means for changing and setting the heat retaining / heating temperature in the heat retaining step according to the display date of the calendar means. 4. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control means is a water absorption time changing means for changing and setting a water absorption time in a water absorption step at the time of heating and cooking rice according to a display date of the calendar means. . 5. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is a water absorption heating amount changing unit that changes and sets the water absorption heating amount in the water absorption step according to the display date of the calendar unit. 6. The reserving means according to claim 1, further comprising: a reservation memory capable of reserving a rice cooking time for each day of the week and a reservation time setting switch for setting a reserved rice cooking time, and the calendar means has a day of the week display function. Further, the control means reads out from the reservation memory the reservation time set on the same day of the previous week based on the day of the week of the present date and time displayed by the calendar means when the reservation time setting switch is operated. A rice cooker characterized by being a display time priority means which is displayed preferentially on the display means. 7. The control means according to claim 1, wherein the control means advances the display time on the display means in accordance with the display date and time of the calendar means and the current time measured by the clock means and a predetermined time from the current time. Alternatively, the rice cooker is a display time changing means for changing and setting the virtual time delayed by a predetermined time.