JPH09108096A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker which enables cooling of rice quickly to a heat insulation temperature after the end of cooking the rice. SOLUTION: In a rice cooker in which an inner pot 4 housed in the body 2 of a rice cooker is heated by a heating means 6 for cooking rice, after the end of cooking rice, a heating means for heat insulation is controlled by a controller according to a signal outputted from a temperature sensor 5 for detecting the temperature of the inner pot to insulate heat of the inner pot at a specified temperature, a cooling means 8 with a thermoelectric generation element 9 is installed to cool the inner pot by a Peltier effect.

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, more specifically,
The present invention relates to a rice cooker that can be quickly cooled to a heat retention temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in a rice cooker having a heat retaining function, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the inner cooker after heating the inner cooker accommodated in the main body of the cooker by the heating means for cooking rice. The control device controls the heating means for heat retention on the basis of the signal output from the heating means to keep the inner pot at a predetermined temperature. This type of rice cooker has a problem that if the inner pot takes a long time to reach the heat retention temperature after the rice is cooked, the cooked rice is yellowed or has an offensive odor, and the taste becomes bad.
Japanese Patent No. 63454 discloses a rice cooker intended to solve this problem.

In this rice cooker, a cooling fan is provided below the rice cooker containing the inner cooker, and after the rice is cooked, outside air is introduced by the cooling fan through the cool air suction hole at the bottom of the rice cooker main body. The outside air passes through the gap between the inner rice cooker and the rice cooker, and is discharged through the ventilation hole in the upper part of the rice cooker.

[0004]

However, the rice cooker configured as described above has a problem that the inner pot cannot be rapidly cooled when the temperature around the rice cooker is high.

Further, in the conventional rice cooker, the heat retention temperature is about 7
The temperature is 2 to 75 ° C., and when kept warm for a long time, the cooked rice causes yellowing and an offensive odor, and since there is a large amount of water evaporation, the cooked rice has a crispy feeling and there is a problem that the taste becomes bad.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a rice cooker capable of promptly cooling to the heat retention temperature after completion of rice cooking. is there.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker in which the cooked rice does not have a yellowing or offensive odor even if it is kept warm for a long time, and the cooked rice does not become sticky.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the rice cooker of the present invention heats the inner pot accommodated in the rice cooker body by the heating means for cooking rice, and after the rice cooks, the inside In the rice cooker in which the control device controls the heating means for heat retention based on the signal output from the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cooker to keep the inner cooker at a predetermined temperature, the Peltier effect is applied to the cooker. The cooling means is provided with a thermoelectric power generation element for cooling by.

It should be noted that the rice cooker is made of a material having a high thermal conductivity, and has an inner frame which is in contact with the outer surface of the inner pot, and the cooling means is a fin for heat radiation which is in contact with the thermoelectric generator element and the inner frame. May be provided.

With this configuration, the heat of the inner pot is transferred to the heat radiation fins through the inner frame, so that the cooling of the inner pot is promoted.

A blower may be provided to blow cooling air toward the heat radiating portion of the thermoelectric generator.

In this way, the heat dissipation of the thermoelectric power generating element is promoted, so that the cooling of the inner pot is promoted.

A blower may be provided for blowing cooling air toward the outer surface of the inner pot.

By doing so, the cooling of the inner pot is promoted.

Further, the control device may be provided with a low temperature heat retaining means capable of selectively setting a state in which the cooling means keeps the temperature of the inner pot at a temperature of 15 ° C. or lower.

[0016] In this way, when the cooked rice is kept warm for a long time, the cooked rice can be kept at 15 ° C or lower, so that the cooked rice is not yellowed or has an offensive odor, and the cooked rice is not dry.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker 1 is provided with a bottomed cylindrical rice cooker main body 2 and a lid 3 that covers an upper opening of the rice cooker main body 2 so as to be openable and closable. 4 is an inner pot for accommodating rice and water, which is detachably housed in the rice cooker body 2;
Reference numeral 5 denotes a temperature sensor that is arranged so as to contact the bottom surface of the inner pot 4, and a temperature sensor 6 that detects the temperature of the inner pot 4 is provided below the inner pot 4 for cooking rice that heats the inner pot 4 when cooking rice. The rice cooking heater 7 serving as a heating means is a bottomed cylindrical inner frame made of a material having good thermal conductivity and arranged so as to contact the side surface of the inner pot 3.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a cooling means disposed on the bottom surface of the inner frame 7, which is a Peltier element 9 as a thermoelectric power generating element for cooling the inner pot 4 by the Peltier effect, and a Peltier element 9 which comes into contact with the side surface of the Peltier element 9. The first heat radiation fin 10 extends laterally from the first heat radiation fin 10, and the second heat radiation fin 11 is provided so as to contact the lower portion of the Peltier element 9. The cooling means 8 is arranged so that the first heat radiation fin 10 comes into contact with the inner frame 7. The Peltier element 9 has a size of 50.
The voltage is 120 V and the output is 50 W.

A blower 12 is provided on the inner surface of the bottom portion of the rice cooker body 1, and blows cooling air toward the second heat dissipating fins 11 of the cooling means 8. Reference numeral 13 is a blowout hole provided in the bottom wall of the rice cooker body 1. Reference numeral 14 is a heat insulating material arranged so as to cover the outer surface of the inner frame 7, and thereby prevents the heat of the inner frame 7 from escaping to the outside. Further, although not shown, a warming heater as a warming heating means for keeping the inner pot 4 at a predetermined temperature and a control device for controlling the warming heater, the rice cooking heater 6, the cooling means 8 and the blower 12 are provided. The control device is connected to the temperature sensor 5.

Further, in this embodiment, the control device is
There is provided a low temperature heat retaining means capable of selectively setting a state in which the inner pot 4 is kept at a temperature of 15 ° C. or less by the cooling means 9. This low temperature heat retaining means comprises an electric circuit and a switch for operating this electric circuit. When the switch is turned on, the heat retaining heater does not operate and the cooling means 8 keeps the inner pot 4 at a temperature of 15 ° C. or lower. It is designed to be kept warm.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as described above will be described. When the rice cooking is completed, the control device applies a voltage to the Peltier element 9 of the cooling means 8 based on the signal output from the temperature sensor 5, and at the same time drives the blower 12. The heat of the inner pot 4 is transferred through the inner frame 7 to the first heat radiation fin 1
Heat is absorbed by 0 and the inner pot 4 is cooled. Also, the blower 12
Since the heat radiation of the second heat radiation fins 11 is promoted by the air blown from the inside, the inner pot 4 is rapidly cooled. The air heated by the second heat dissipation fins 11 flows out through the outlet 13.

Immediately after cooking rice, the cooked rice which had been at about 100 ° C. is cooled to about 70 ° C. in about 1 hour. When this temperature is reached,
Based on the output from the temperature sensor 5, the control device stops energizing the Peltier element 9, and at the same time operates the heat retention heater to keep the inner pot 4 warm. If the switch of the low temperature heat retaining means is turned on in advance, the heat retaining heater does not operate, and the inner pot 4 is further cooled by the cooling means 8 and kept at 15 ° C. or lower by the cooling means 8. In this way, the cooked rice will not turn yellow or have an offensive odor even if it is kept warm for a long time.
Also, the cooked rice is not dry.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the rice cooker 15 of the second embodiment. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this rice cooker 15,
A pair of blowers 16, 16 are arranged on the inner surface of the side wall of the rice cooker body 2 so as to face each other. Also, the inner frame 7 is
The side wall 7a is formed so as to face the side surface of the inner hook 4 with a gap therebetween, whereby an annular space 17 is formed between the side wall 7a of the inner frame 7 and the inner hook 4. The side walls 7a are provided with air suction holes 7b and 7b at positions facing the blowers 16 and 16, and the side walls 7a are provided with a pair of air discharge holes 7c and 7c.

In the rice cooker 15, after the rice is cooked, the control device drives the blowers 16, 16 based on the signal output from the temperature sensor 5. The air blown from the blowers 16 and 16 passes through the air suction holes 7b and 7b of the inner frame 7 to the space 1
7 and then rises in the space 17 as shown by the arrow and flows out from the air discharge holes 7c and 7c. As a result, the inner pot 4 is cooled, and the heated air staying around the inner pot 4 is discharged to the outside of the inner frame 7.

Then, the control device applies a voltage to the Peltier element 9 and simultaneously drives the blower 12. The heat of the inner pot 4 is absorbed by the first heat dissipating fins 10 through the inner frame 7, and the air blown from the blower 12 promotes the heat dissipation of the second heat dissipating fins 11 to accelerate the cooling of the inner pot 4. It As described above, in the rice cooker 15, the cooling means 8 and the blower 12 are driven after the heated air accumulated between the inner pot 4 and the inner frame 7 is exhausted. The inner pot 4 can be rapidly cooled by the rice cooker 1 of the embodiment.

[0028]

As described above, since the rice cooker of the present invention is provided with the cooling means having the thermoelectric power generating element for cooling the inner pot by the Peltier effect, after the rice is cooked, the influence of the temperature of the outside air is reduced. It is possible to rapidly cool the inner pot to the heat retaining temperature without receiving it. Therefore, it is possible to provide cooked rice with good taste without causing yellowing or offensive odor.

According to the present invention, the heat of the inner pot is transferred to the heat radiation fins of the cooling means through the inner frame, so that the cooling of the inner pot is promoted. Therefore, the inner pot can be cooled more rapidly.

According to the third aspect, since the cooling air is blown toward the heat radiating portion of the thermoelectric power generating element, the heat radiating of the thermoelectric power generating element is promoted and the cooling of the inner pot is promoted. Therefore, the inner pot can be cooled more rapidly.

According to the fourth aspect, the cooling air is blown toward the outer surface of the inner pot, so that the cooling of the inner pot is promoted. Therefore, the inner pot can be cooled more rapidly.

According to the fifth aspect, when the cooked rice is kept warm for a long time, the cooked rice can be kept at 15 ° C. or lower, so that the cooked rice does not cause yellowing or offensive odor, and the cooked rice does not become sticky.
Therefore, cooked rice can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Rice Cooker 2 Rice Cooker Main Body 4 Inner Pot 5 Temperature Sensor 6 Rice Cooker (Heating Means for Rice Cooker) 8 Cooling Means 9 Peltier Element (Thermoelectric Generator)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A heating device for heating an inner pot housed in a rice cooker body, and after the completion of rice cooking, a controller keeps the temperature of the inner pot based on a signal output from a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the inner pot. In a rice cooker in which the heating means for heating is controlled to keep the inner pot at a predetermined temperature, the rice cooker is provided with a cooling unit including a thermoelectric power generating element for cooling the inner pot by a Peltier effect. vessel. 2. An inner frame made of a material having good thermal conductivity, which is in contact with an outer surface of the inner pot, and the cooling means is provided with the thermoelectric power generating element and a heat radiation fin in contact with the inner frame. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the rice cooker is a rice cooker. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a blower that blows cooling air toward a heat radiation portion of the thermoelectric power generating element. 4. The rice cooker according to claim 1, further comprising a blower that blows cooling air toward the outer surface of the inner pot. 5. The low temperature heat retention means capable of selectively setting a state in which the temperature of the inner pot is kept at 15 ° C. or lower by the cooling means in the control device. Rice cooker described in.