JPH0856834A - Electric rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable selection of a desired cooked state by operating polished rice selective cooking means before the start of cooking, and switching a quantity of heat to be applied from the start of boiling until the settlement for completion. CONSTITUTION: An operation dial 14 is operated to select a desired cooking state from standard, strong and weak cooking courses. In the standard cooking course, the rice cooker follows a predetermined heating pattern. In the strong cooking course, the rice cooker follows the same heating pattern as in the standard course from the soak cooking at the beginning, through boiling, until the rice cooker enters the cooking completing control period, but during the entire period of the cooking completing control period, an electronic circuit unit 6 controls so as to continuously energize a cooking heater 4. In the weak cooking course, the rice cooker follows the same heating pattern as in the standard course during the period from the soak cooking until the start of boiling. Following the start of boiling, the cooking heater 4 is controlled on a (60"-off)-(30"-on) input pattern during a stable control period, and then switched to a (30"-off)-(10"-on) input pattern during the cooking completing control period.

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 which includes a pot heating means for heating a pot and controls the input of the pot heating means to cook rice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in this type of electric rice cooker,
It has become possible to select the rice cooking menu for various courses such as white rice, brown rice, cooked rice, and porridge by controlling the input of the rice cooking heater as a pot heating means by an electronic circuit.

FIG. 4 shows a general structure of such an electric rice cooker. Reference numeral 1 denotes a rice cooker main body, and the rice cooker main body 1 is composed of an outer frame 2 and an inner frame 3. Rice heater 4
Further, a temperature detector 5 is provided, and an electronic circuit unit 6 for controlling the input of the rice cooking heater 4 is arranged at the bottom of the outer frame 2 based on the temperature detection information from the temperature detector 5. A pot 7 is removably housed in the inner frame 3, and an opening at the upper end of the pot 7 is closed by a lid 8.

When cooking white rice, for example, the pot 7 is taken out from the inner frame 3 and the pot 7 is filled with a required amount of washed white rice and a predetermined amount of water in accordance with the amount of the white rice. Thereafter, the pot 7 is inserted into the inner frame 3 and its opening is closed with the lid 8, and in this state, a start switch (not shown) is turned on manually or by a timer. In response to this, the input to the rice cooker 4 is controlled via the electronic circuit unit 6, and the rice is cooked through the rice cooker process shown in FIG.

The rice cooking process shown in FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the temperature change of the pot with the passage of time and the input state of the rice cooking heater. First, hot water is cooked in response to the start switch being turned on. In the process of this hot water cooking,
Control of 20 "off-40" on for rice cooker is 4
And 5'off-40 "on-
5'20 "off is controlled, and the water in the pan is heated to an appropriate temperature by such control, and the water is sufficiently permeated into the rice grain.""Represents second of time and" minute ".

[0006] After such an undercooked cooking is performed, the process shifts to a substantial rice cooking process, and first, the rice cooking heater is continuously energized. Due to this energization, the temperature of the pot gradually increases, and the amount of rice in the pan is detected during the rise, that is, while the temperature of the pan rises from 70 ° C. to 80 ° C. This rice amount detection takes time T until the temperature of the pot rises from 70 ° C to 80 ° C.
Is calculated from. That is, when the amount of rice is small, the time T is short, and when the amount of rice is large, the time T is long. Therefore, it is determined that the amount is small when T <55 ″ and large when T ≧ 55 ″. ..

When the pot reaches 94 ° C., boiling detection is started. This boiling detection is carried out by utilizing the fact that when the water in the pan begins to boil, the temperature rise of the pan is suppressed by the latent heat of vaporization. In other words, from the point of time P0 after the pot has reached 94 ° C., if the amount of rice is small, after 60 ″,
Similarly, when the amount is large, a state in which the temperature rise of the pan is 5 deg or less is detected at the point of time after 2'20 "has elapsed, and it is determined that the water in the pan has boiled by this detection.

[0008] After such a boiling detection is performed, control of the rice cook heater to 60 "off-60" on (stable control) is performed, whereby the boiling of the water in the pot is stably continued. I do.

[0009] The water content in the pot decreases due to the continuation of the boiling, and when the temperature of the pot starts to rise again, the control of the rice cooker is switched to the 20 "off-10" on control (cooking control). By such control, the temperature of the pot rises, and when the temperature reaches 120 ° C., the rice cooking is completed. After that, the pot is kept at a temperature substantially equal to that at the time of boiling water, the rice inside is uneven, and after this unevenness, the temperature is maintained via a warming heater 9.10 shown in FIG.

[0010]

[0006] White rice is cooked by such a heating pattern, and rice cooked in white rice is frequently selected on a daily basis as compared with rice cooked menus such as brown rice, cooked rice and porridge. Nevertheless, the heating pattern is always constant, so that only cooked rice can be obtained.

[0011] From the viewpoint of taste, there are cases where soft, hard, or burnt rice is preferred. However, as described above, conventionally, rice can be cooked only with a fixed heating pattern, so that the demand is met. It was difficult. If you are trying to get a strong, soft or hard rice, you can meet the expectation to some extent by adjusting the amount of water added to the pot. There is a problem that spills occur or the core remains on the cooked rice.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to select a cooked state according to preference when cooking white rice. To provide a rice cooker.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pot for cooking rice, a pot heating means for heating the pot, a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the pot, and a pot. Control means for controlling the amount of pot heating by the pot heating means in accordance with the temperature of the rice, and selects only the cooked state when white rice is cooked by storing only a predetermined amount of rice and water before the start of rice cooking. The rice heating amount by the pot heating means during the period from the start of boiling to the spotting through the control means is provided by operating the white rice cooking means in advance before starting the rice cooking. Is configured to be switchable,
Further, the heating amount under each switching state is divided into a plurality of sections and switched.

[0014]

[Function] When the total power consumption of the pot heating means after boiling starts in cooking rice is increased, the rice is moderately charred and cooks rice harder than the standard, and conversely the pot after boiling starts Decreasing the total power consumption of the heating means cooks rice that is softer than the standard. In any case, since the total power consumption of the pot heating means is switched after the start of boiling, the cooked rice is moderately sticky and has no core.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
In FIG. 3, reference numeral 11 denotes an operation panel provided on the front surface of the rice cooker main body 1. The operation panel 11 includes various display units 12 for displaying a current time, a timer setting state, a rice cooking menu, and the like, and a time setting unit. There are provided various operation keys 13 for setting a reservation, selecting a rice cooking menu, canceling the rice, and starting the rice. In addition, when cooking white rice, the cooked state is standard, strong (hard), weak An operation dial 14 is provided as white rice cooking means for selecting (soft eyes).

When rice is cooked on the standard course by operating the operation dial 14, rice is cooked according to the heating pattern shown in FIG. Similarly, for the strong course, the heating pattern shown in FIG. 1 is used, and for the weak course, the heating pattern shown in FIG. 2 is used.

The strong heating pattern (FIG. 1) will be described. In this case, the heating pattern is the same as the heating pattern of the standard course described above, from the time of cooking to the time of shifting to cooking control through boiling. In the section of the cooking control, the rice cooker as a pot heating means is continuously energized through the entire area.

Further, the heating pattern of the weak course (FIG. 2)
In the above, the heating pattern of the standard course is the same from the time of boiling to the start of boiling, but in the stable control section after the start of boiling, the rice cooking heater as a pot heating means is 60 ″ off. The input state of -30 ″ on is narrowed down, and then 20 ″ in the section for cooking control.
The input state is switched to off-10 ″ on.

In this weak course, the cooking temperature is set to 115 ° C. In addition, the amount of rice detected on the strong course is 5 deg or less / 5'20 "
In the weak course, a large amount is detected at 5 deg or less / 2 ', and a small amount is detected at 5 deg or less / 60 ".

In order for the cooked rice to be delicious, it must have an appropriate stickiness regardless of whether it is hard or soft. A factor that makes the rice less sticky during the rice cooking process is the speed up to boiling. In other words, if the speed until boiling is slow, the temperature at which the rice becomes gelatinized (55 to 70
(° C.) to boiling is longer, so that the α-energy is smaller between (55-70 ° C.) and 98 ° C. than in the case of complete boiling (98 ° C. or more) (energy is used for water heating) Therefore, the energy of the whole rice becomes insufficient to be pregelatinized, and only the peripheral surface of the rice is pregelatinized. If the rice continues to boil from this state, only the peripheral surface of the rice is predominantly pregelatinized, so-called sticky boiled rice It will be broken rice. Ideally,
The time from the start of boiling rice to boiling is substantially 5 to 15 minutes. Therefore, in any of the standard, high-strength, and low-dose courses, the pot heating means can be used until the boiling starts after the hot water is cooked. Is continuously energized to keep the time until boiling constant.

[0021] In the strong course, even in the cooking control section, the pot heating means is continuously energized to increase the power consumption as compared with the standard course, and therefore, the rice is appropriately burnt, and Evaporation of free water adhering to the peripheral surface of the rice is promoted, and the sticky rice with a low water content is cooked.

On the other hand, in the weak course, the power consumption of the pot heating means is reduced as compared with the case where the stable control section is the standard course, and the cooking temperature is set to 115 ° C. which is lower than the standard course. As a result, the amount of evaporation is suppressed and cooked rice with a relatively high water content and almost no charring is cooked.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Because the pot heating amount by the pot heating means during the period from the start of boiling until the spots are switched can be switched, and the heating amount under each switching state is divided into a plurality of sections and switched. Depending on the choice, it promotes the evaporation of free water attached to the peripheral surface of the rice, and cooks hard rice that is sticky but has a low water content and is suitable for scorching. It is possible to cook soft-boiled rice with relatively low moisture content and almost non-burnt. In any case, the switching of the total power consumption of the pot heating means is performed after the start of boiling, so that a delicious rice with moderate stickiness and no stickiness remains.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a graph showing a rice cooking process when cooking hard rice with an electric rice cooker according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing a rice cooking process when the soft rice is cooked by the electric rice cooker.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an operation panel provided in the electric rice cooker.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a general structure of the electric rice cooker.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a standard rice cooking process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4: Rice cooker heater 5: Temperature detector 6: Electronic circuit unit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Morio Asahi 4-chome, 21-chome, Yoshihara-cho, Nishi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Nagoya Plant, Toshiba Corp. Home Appliances Technology Laboratory, Toshiba Corporation Yokohama Office (72) Inventor Tatsuya Nakagawa 33 Shinisogo-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Toshiba Audio / Video Engineering Co., Ltd. Isogo Factory (72) Inventor Yukichi Abe Kamo-shi, Niigata Prefecture Oji Gosuda 2570 Address 1 Toshiba Heater Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koichi Tamaki Koji City Niigata Pref. 2570 Gosuda Within Toshiba Heater Co., Ltd. (72) Satoru Tsukada 2570 Gosuda Kamo City Niigata Pref. Address 1 In Toshiba Heat Appliance Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroaki Kawaguchi 2570 Gosuda, Kamo City, Niigata Prefecture Ground 1 Toshiba heat instrument within Co., Ltd. (72) inventor Koichi Hasegawa Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Nishi-ku, Yoshihara-cho 4-chome 21 address Toshiba Corporation Nagoya in the factory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pot for cooking rice, a pot heating unit for heating the pot, a temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the pot, and a control unit for controlling the amount of pot heating by the pot heating unit according to the temperature of the pot. The rice cooker has a means to store the prescribed amount of rice and water before the rice is cooked and prepares a rice cooker for selecting the cooked state of the cooked rice, and starts the rice cooker. By previously operating in advance, it is possible to switch the pot heating amount by the pot heating means from the start of boiling to the spotting through the control means, and further under each of the switching states. An electric rice cooker characterized by switching the heating amount by dividing it into a plurality of sections.