JPH119445A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably, surely and tightly close a bucket and a cap in a rice cooker with separatable bucket and cap constituting a steam port. SOLUTION: Four spiral lock projection parts 66 are formed on the top part of the outer circumferential face of a bucket 51 forming the bottom part of a steam port 42. Four lock jaw parts 69 are formed in a cap 61 forming the top part of the steam port 42 in the bottom part of the internal circumferential face of a vertical rib 68. To connect the bucket 51 to the cap 61, the lock jaw parts 69 are hung on and fastened to the bottom sides of the lock projection parts 66 while rotating the cap 61. Consequently, a seal part 72 in the circumferential part in the bottom face of the top wall part of the cap 61 is brought in contact with a seal part 71 in the circumferential end face of the top opening part of the bucket 51. This constitution suppresses or prevents the steam leakage from a clearance between the bucket 51 and the cap 61.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rice cooker such as a rice cooker serving as a jar, and more particularly to a closed structure of a decomposable steam port.

[0002]

The rice cooker is provided with a steam port for discharging steam generated in the pot at the time of cooking rice in a lid covering the pot. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a rice cooker in which a steam port is detachable from a lid in order to improve the cleaning property of the steam port and enhance usability. There are various configurations of the removable steam port, but generally, the configuration is mainly composed of a bottomed container-like bucket and a cap that covers the bucket from above. Then, the steam generated in the pot enters the steam port from the steam inlet port at the bottom of the bucket, and is opened in the cap through a process such as separation of steam from the steam (melted starch) in the steam port. Only the steam is released from the steam outlet to the outside. At this time, if the sealing between the bucket and the cap is incomplete, steam or lumps leak from the joint between the bucket and the cap, and the periphery of the bucket and the upper surface of the lid are also contaminated. For this reason, sealing between the bucket and the cap is indispensable.

[0003] Means for suppressing or preventing steam leakage from between the bucket and the cap include sealing with rubber packing, bonding by ultrasonic welding and the like, a vertical rib provided on the outer periphery of the cap and the upper side surface of the bucket. There is a fit. However, this method has a problem that the number of parts increases and the cost increases. In addition, since the bucket and the cap cannot be disassembled, the inside of the steam port cannot be directly washed, and the number of processing steps increases, resulting in an increase in cost. Further, the means of
It is necessary to control the dimensions of the fitting with high precision, and in particular, it is necessary to consider heat shrinkage due to steam during cooking and wear due to attachment and detachment, and quality assurance is difficult. There is also a problem that the attachment and detachment of the bucket and the cap are not easy.

The present invention is intended to solve such a problem. In a rice cooker in which a bucket and a cap constituting a steam port can be separated from each other, the gap between the bucket and the cap can be increased without increasing the cost. It is an object of the present invention to be able to stably suppress or prevent steam leakage from the air.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a rice cooker according to the present invention has a pot, a lid for covering an upper opening of the pot, and a steam provided on the lid. A steam port, wherein the steam port forms a lower portion of the steam port and has an upper opening, a cap that forms the upper portion of the steam port and is detachably coupled to the bucket, and a bucket and a cap. Coupling means for coupling, wherein the coupling means has a configuration in which a seal portion formed on an upper opening of the bucket and a seal portion formed on a lower surface of the cap are pressed vertically, and these seal portions are Is used to suppress or prevent steam leakage from the gap between the bucket and the cap.

[0006] The steam generated in the pot during rice cooking is released through a steam port formed of a bucket and a cap on the lid. If the cap is removed from the bucket, the inside of the steam port can be washed directly. While the bucket and the cap can be separated in this way, the coupling means presses the seal portion of the bucket and the seal portion of the cap in the vertical direction, so that rubber packing and high-precision dimensional management and the like can be performed. Without the joining step, steam leakage from the gap between the bucket and the cap is reliably suppressed or prevented. With this,
Even if there is heat shrinkage due to steam during cooking or wear due to attachment and detachment, the pressed state of the seal portion is stably maintained.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, the connecting means includes a plurality of inclined engaging projections provided on an outer surface of the bucket and an inner surface of the cap. A plurality of locking claws are provided, and the upper side of the locking claw and the lower side of the locking projection are connected in a state of being in contact with each other in the vertical direction.

[0008] As described above, since the connection between the bucket and the cap is made by the vertical contact between the inclined engagement projection and the locking claw, the temperature of the bucket and the cap is increased due to the high temperature caused by steam during the cooking of rice. Deformed, or
Even if the dimensional accuracy deteriorates slightly during the manufacture of the bucket or the cap, the contact position of the locking claw portion with respect to the inclined engaging convex portion only slightly moves, and the contact state between the bucket seal portion and the cap seal portion is reduced. The bucket and the cap are combined while being securely held.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the rice cooker according to the first or second aspect, the steam discharge port having an opening area larger than an opening area of a hole through which steam enters the bucket is provided with the cap and the cap. It is formed on the upper surface of the cap near the seal with the bucket.

[0010] The steam is discharged into the atmosphere from the steam discharge port. However, since the seal portion is provided near the steam discharge port having a sufficient opening area, the vapor pressure applied to the vicinity of the seal portion is reduced. Therefore, a gap is not formed between the bucket and the cap due to the steam pressure, and there is no inconvenience that steam leaks from the gap.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the rice cooker according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1 which is a cross-sectional view of the entire rice cooker, reference numeral 1 denotes a rice cooker main body, and the rice cooker main body 1 is provided in the outer frame 2 and a bottom plate 3 covering a substantially cylindrical outer frame 2 and a lower surface opening thereof. And a bottomed cylindrical inner frame 4 forming a pan storage portion. This inner frame 4
Is made of an aluminum material having a high infrared emissivity. Reference numeral 5 denotes a rotatable handle for carrying the rice cooker body 1.

6 is a pot mainly made of aluminum material.
The pan 6 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper surface. The pot 6 accommodates rice and water to be cooked therein and is removably accommodated in the inner frame 4. The pan 6 is supported by the flange 7 formed on the periphery of the upper end thereof resting on the flange 8 formed on the periphery of the upper end of the inner frame 4.

On the bottom surface of the inner frame 4, a radiant heating type main heater 11, which is a heating means for heating the pan 6, such as a sheathed heater, is fixed via an insulator 12. The main heater 11 has a single or double circular or spiral shape.
It is prepared to be separated from the inner frame 4. On the other hand, a body heater 13 composed of a cord heater or the like, which is a heating means for keeping the temperature of the inner frame 4, is provided above the outer surface of the inner frame 4. At the center of the bottom of the inner frame 4, a pan sensor 14 that contacts the outer bottom surface of the pan 6 is provided so as to be vertically movable and urged upward. Although not shown, the pan sensor 14 has a built-in negative characteristic thermistor for detecting the outer surface temperature of the pan 6. Further, the pot sensor 14 has a switch lever 15. When the pot 6 is stored in the inner frame 4, the switch lever 15 is pushed by the pot 6 and the switch lever 15 is linked with the downward movement of the pot sensor 14. By lowering and operating the on / off lever 17 of the pan switch 16, the pan switch 16 generates a pan presence signal.

Further, at the rear of the lower surface of the rice cooker main body 1, a cord reel 21 for winding a power cord is provided. A power supply board 22 and a display board 23 are provided at a front portion in the rice cooker main body 1 and held by a board holder 24. The display board 23 has a display LCD 25 and an LED 26.
And an operation switch. An operation panel 27 for displaying and operating is provided on the front surface of the outer frame 2.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a lid provided on the rice cooker main body 1 so as to be rotatable and openable. The lid 51 is composed of an outer lid 32 and a frame fixed to a lower peripheral portion of the outer lid 32. Plate 33 and this frame plate 33
Heat sink 34 made of aluminum material fixed inside
And so on. The radiator plate 34 forms the lower surface of the lid 31 and covers the upper opening of the pan 6. The lid 31 is rotatably supported by the hinge shaft 35 at the rear of the rice cooker main body 1 at the rear thereof, and is urged in the opening direction by the hinge spring 36. The closed state is maintained by a clamp 37 provided at the upper part. On the back surface, that is, on the upper surface, of the heat radiating plate 34, there is provided a lid heater 38 such as a cord heater which is a heating means for heating the heat radiating plate 34. The lid heater 38 electrically forms a parallel circuit with the body heater 13. Further, a lid packing 39 is provided between the frame plate 33 and the heat radiating plate. The lid packing 39 comes into contact with the flange 7 of the pan 6 when the lid 31 is closed.

Further, the lid 31 is provided with a removable steam port 42 which forms a steam passage 41 for discharging steam generated in the pot 6 therein. The steam port 42 is located at a position slightly behind the center of the inner diameter of the upper opening of the pot 6. Next, the configuration of the steam port 42 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The heat sink 54 has an opening 43 formed therein. On the other hand, the outer lid 32 has
On its upper surface, a steam port storage part 45 forming a fitting hole 44 having an opening of about 60 mm in diameter is integrally formed. The steam port storage section 45 extends downward from the outer lid 32, and an opening 46 facing the opening 43 of the heat sink 54 is formed at the bottom center of the steam port storage section 45. Then, the upper surface of the heat sink 34 and the steam port storage portion 45 around the openings 43 and 46.
An annular vapor port packing 47 made of silicone rubber is interposed between the lower end of the vapor port packing 47 and an opening 48 in the lower center of the vapor port packing 47. In addition, a step portion 49 is formed on the upper portion of the steam port storage section 45 so as to increase the diameter of the steam port storage section 45.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a bucket forming a lower portion of the steam port 42. The bucket 51 is removably accommodated in a fitting hole 44 of the outer lid 32 and has a bottomed container shape with an open upper surface. Has become. In the center of the bottom of the bucket 51, a cylindrical steam inlet 52 is formed to protrude downward, and a pipe 53 is formed to protrude upward. The steam inlet 52 is
Steam port packing 47 for attaching bucket 51 to outer lid 32
And is opposed to the opening 48 thereof.
The pipe 53 has a diameter of about 5 to 12 mm and is slightly smaller than the steam inlet 52, and the capacity of the bucket 51 up to the height of the upper end of the pipe 53 is about 35 ml. Also, the steam inlet
This pipe 53 is located on the inner peripheral side of
At the base portion of the base, two return holes 54 each having a size of about 2 × 2 mm are formed. Furthermore, a steam valve for opening and closing the upper opening of the pipe 53 is provided at the upper opening of the pipe 53.
55 is mounted to be able to move up and down by force fitting.
That is, the steam valve 55 is prevented from falling off from the pipe 53 by the retaining protrusion 56 formed on the lower surface thereof and the retaining claw 57 formed on the upper end of the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 53. The inside of the pipe 53 forms a hole 53a through which steam enters the bucket 51. The inside diameter of the hole 53a is about 3 to 10 mm.

Numeral 61 is a cap forming the upper part of the steam port 42. This cap 61 is detachably connected to the bucket 51 and covers the periphery and the upper part of the fitting hole 44. Together with the steam port storage part 45 and the bucket 51, the main components of the steam port 42 are formed. On the upper surface of the cap 61, a plurality of, for example, four slit-shaped vapor discharge ports 62 located concentrically are formed. As an example, the material thickness of the upper surface of the cap 81 is 2 mm, and the vapor discharge port 62 is 2.5 mm wide and 25 mm long. The total opening area of these steam discharge ports 62 is 3 to 11 in inner diameter.
It is larger than the opening area of the hole 53a of the bucket 51 of about mm. The lower corners around the steam outlets 62 are used to prevent dew condensation of steam during cooking.
It has a 5mm C-plane cut. In addition, cap 61
A cylindrical obstacle wall 63 located on the inner peripheral side of the vapor discharge port 62 is formed to project from the lower surface of.

Next, the structure in which the bucket 51 and the cap 61 are detachably connected will be described in detail. At the upper part of the outer peripheral surface, which is the outer surface of the bucket 51, four mutually parallel spirally inclined locking projections 66 as connecting means are formed at equal intervals. The end of each locking projection 66 is substantially coincident with the starting end of the adjacent locking projection 66 in the circumferential direction.
The height of the locking projections 66 is, for example, about 2.5 mm. In addition, a small projection 67 is formed at an intermediate portion on the lower surface of the locking projection 66. On the other hand, on the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface, which is the inner surface of the vertical rib 68 bent downward from the outer peripheral portion of the cap 61, elongated locking claws 69 having a width of about 10 mm and a length of about 2 mm are provided at equal intervals. One protrusion is formed. These locking claws 69
The tip has an arc-shaped edge, and a small projection 70 that engages with the lower surface of each of the locking projections 66 is formed at the center of the upper surface. A peripheral end surface of the upper opening of the bucket 51 is a seal portion 71. On the other hand, the periphery of the lower surface of the upper wall of the cap 61 is a seal 72 against which the seal 71 of the bucket 51 is pressed. The steam discharge port 62 is
It is located near 72. Then, in order to connect the bucket 51 and the cap 61, the locking claw 69 may be hooked on the locking convex portion 66 while turning the cap 61 and tightened. At this time, the lower side of the helically inclined locking projection 66 and the locking claw 69
The upper part of the cap 51 comes into contact with and presses in the vertical direction, so that the seal part 71 of the bucket 51 and the seal part 72 of the cap 61 press each other in the vertical direction. As a result, the bucket 51 and the cap 61 are sealed, and the bucket 51 and the cap
Steam leakage from the gap with 61 is suppressed or prevented. The shape of the seal portions 71 and 72 may be a tapered surface or a shape in which the seal portions 71 and 72 are engaged with each other, but are more preferably flat.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. The steam generated in the pot 6 during the rice cooking passes through the steam inlet 52 and flows into the pipe 53 of the bucket 51 together with the dissolved water (neba) of the starch. And the steam
The pressure pushes up the steam valve 55 and opens the pipe.
It enters the inside of the bucket 51 from the upper opening of 53. Here, the steam and the ash are separated, and the ash having a large specific gravity is accommodated in a lower portion in the bucket 51, and the steam is discharged to the outside from the steam discharge port 62. Then, when the rice cooking progresses, the pressure in the pot 6 decreases, so that the rice stored in the bucket 51 is returned to the pot 6 through the required return hole 54. At the same time, the steam valve 55 goes down and the pipe 53
The outlet at the top of the is sealed to prevent heat release. As a result, it is possible to prevent the dew from sticking to this portion during the heat insulation and to prevent the dew from dripping on the rice inside the pot 6.

To clean the dirty steam port 52, first, the cap 61 and the bucket 51 are removed from the fitting hole 44 of the outer lid 32. Next, by turning the cap 61 counterclockwise with respect to the bucket 51 by several tens of degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above, the engagement between the locking projection 66 and the locking claw 69 is released, so that the bucket 51 and the cap 61 are removed.
And separate. Thus, the user can easily wash the inside of the bucket 51. After the cleaning, the cap 51 is rotated by several tens of degrees clockwise with respect to the bucket 51 so that the locking protrusion 66 and the locking claw 69 are engaged with each other.
Combine with 61. Accordingly, as described above, bucket 51
When the seal portion 71 of the cap 61 and the seal portion 72 of the cap 61 are pressed against each other in the vertical direction, the bucket 51 and the cap 61
Is sealed. Further, the bucket 51 with the cap 61 thus attached is attached to the fitting hole 44 of the outer lid 32.

As described above, by the engagement between the spiral locking projection 66 and the locking claw 69, the seal 71 of the bucket 51 and the seal 72 of the cap 61 are pressed against each other, and the bucket 51 is pressed.
The structure that suppresses or prevents steam leakage from the gap between the cap 51 and the cap 61 can reliably maintain the sealed state between the bucket 51 and the cap 61 without rubber packing, high-precision dimensional control, and a joining process. Bucket 51 and cap 61
There is no leakage of steam from between the seal portions 71 and 72. Moreover, the heat of steam generated during cooking rice makes the bucket 51 and cap
Even if the diameter of the opening changes due to heat shrinkage of 61, or
Even if there is abrasion due to attachment and detachment, the sealed state is stably maintained. In other words, as long as the inner circumference of the locking claw 69 is smaller than the outer circumference of the engaging protrusion 66, the locking claw 69 with respect to the engaging protrusion 66 inclined by the rotation of the cap 61 with respect to the bucket 51. If the contact position moves only slightly, thermal deformation due to steam, plastic bucket 51 or cap
Even if the dimensional accuracy deteriorates during the injection molding of 61, etc., the sealing portion 71 of the bucket 51 and the sealing portion 72 of the
Contact state with the bucket 51 and the cap
Steam and spill from the gap between the cylinder 61 and the bed are surely suppressed or prevented.

Further, the cost can be reduced by eliminating the need for rubber packing, high-precision dimensional control and a joining step. Further, the operation of attaching and detaching the bucket 51 and the cap 61 is as simple as turning the cap 61 with respect to the bucket 51 by several tens of degrees, so that the inside of the steam port 42 can be easily cleaned.

The steam is supplied to the steam outlet 62 of the cap 61.
Although the gas is further released into the atmosphere, the seal portions 71 and 72 are provided near the vapor discharge port 62 having a sufficient opening area, so that the vapor pressure applied to the vicinity of the seal portions 71 and 72 is reduced. Therefore, a gap is not formed between the bucket 51 and the cap 61 due to the steam pressure, and the disadvantage that steam leaks from the gap does not occur.

Next, a second embodiment of the rice cooker according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 81 denotes a rice cooker main body, and this rice cooker main body 81 has a substantially cylindrical outer frame 82 forming an outer shell thereof and a bottom plate 83 covering an opening on a lower surface thereof.
And a bottomed cylindrical inner frame 84 serving as a pan storage portion provided in the outer frame 82. The outer frame 82 has a flange portion 85 projecting from the upper portion to the inner peripheral side, a substantially cylindrical side protection frame 86 extending downward from the inner peripheral portion of the flange portion 85 and forming the upper portion of the inner frame 84. Are integrally provided. A bowl-shaped bottom protection frame 87 having an open upper end surface forming the lower portion of the inner frame 84 is fixed to the lower side of the side protection frame 86. In the periphery of the upper opening of the bottom surface protection frame 87, a flat and horizontal step 88 protruding toward the outer periphery and a fitting rib 89 bent upward from the outer periphery of the step 88 are formed all around. It is formed integrally across. The lower end of the side surface protection frame 86 is fitted on the inner peripheral side of the fitting rib 89 of the bottom surface protection frame 87, and is in contact with the upper surface of the step portion 88. In addition, a part of this step 88 is a flat wide part that is wider than other parts of the step 88.
It is 91. In the wide portion 91, a corner portion facing the inner peripheral side of the bottom surface protection frame 87 is a concave portion 92 in which a lower front end surface of the side surface protection frame 86 faces, and the width of the concave portion 92 is
86 is wider than the lower tip surface. Further, the wide portion 91 is formed with a through hole 93 which is located on the outer peripheral side of the concave portion 92 and forms a drainage portion, and a guide rib 94 extending downward from a peripheral portion of the through hole 93 is integrally formed. The projection is formed. The guide rib 94 has a portion on the concave portion 92 side extending long downward. The wide portion 91
May be formed only at one place around the upper opening of the bottom surface protection frame 87, or may be formed at a plurality of places. In any case, the wide portion 91 is provided at a position where the liquid does not adhere to electrical components provided in the rice cooker main body 81 when the liquid flows down from the through hole 93. Although not shown, a drain hole is formed in the bottom plate 83. Further, at a plurality of locations on the flange portion 85 of the outer frame 82, a pan support base 96 is provided so as to protrude upward.

Reference numeral 101 denotes a pot, which has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open upper surface. The pot 101 contains rice and water to be cooked therein and is removably accommodated in the inner frame 84. At the periphery of the upper opening of the pot 101, a substantially horizontal flange portion 102 projecting outward is integrally formed.
The lower surface of the pan 102 rests on the pan support 96 so that the pan 10
1 is now favored. Therefore, in this state, the flange portion 102 is located above the flange portion 85 of the outer frame 82. The plane shape (projection shape on the horizontal plane) of the pot 101 is substantially elliptical, and carrying handles 103 are attached to the flange portions 102 on both sides in the short axis direction a. These handles 103 are made of a separate member from the pot 101, but this member has a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the pot 101. A handle 103 protruding outward from the flange portion 102 and an outer frame 82 located thereunder.
A space 104 into which a finger can be inserted is provided between the flange 104 and the flange portion 85. Further, the flange portion 102 of the pot 101 is partially removed on both sides in the long-axis direction b of the flat shape of the pot 101 to form a notch portion 105. Pot 101 as described above
Is substantially elliptical, and handles 103 are provided on both sides in the short-axis direction a, so that the entire width A of the pot 101 including the handles 103 can be reduced to a conventional flat shape of a circular shape and a flange portion. The width of the pot is almost the same as the handle. As a result, the width of the pan 101 is increased in the direction b perpendicular to the position of the handle 103, but by removing the flange 102 by a fixed width on both sides in the direction b,
The width B of the entire pot 101 including the flange portion 102 in this direction is prevented from increasing. Since the flange portion 102 in the direction b perpendicular to the position of the handle 103 is not a portion for hanging a fingertip, there is no problem even if it is deleted.

The side protection frame 86 surrounds the upper part of the side of the pot 101 via a space having a predetermined width, and the bottom protection frame 87 is formed on the side of the pot 101 via a space having a predetermined width. It covers the bottom from the bottom. And the bottom protection frame
A heat generating layer 106 made of a magnetic metal material is provided on the lower side and the bottom of the side of the pot 101 opposed to 87. On the other hand, a heating coil 107 as a heating means is provided on the outer surface of the bottom protection frame 87. When a high-frequency current is applied to the heating coil 107, the heating layer 106 generates heat and the pot 101 is heated by electromagnetic induction. It has become so. Also, the heating coil 10
7 is covered by a coil cover 108. Bottom protection frame
87 is provided with the heating coil 107, and is made of an expensive material having better heat resistance than the side surface protection frame 86. The lower end of the guide rib 94 of the bottom protective frame 87
94a extends below the height of the upper end 108a of the coil cover 108.

A sensor cover 111 provided below the bottom of the bottom protection frame 87 has a pan 101 for heating control.
A pan sensor 112, which is a temperature-sensitive sensor for detecting the temperature, is provided to be vertically movable. The pot sensor 112 projects upward through a through hole 113 formed at the center of the bottom of the bottom protection frame 87, and the top surface of the sensor contacts the bottom surface of the pot 101.
Further, the pot sensor 112 has a convex outer side surface and a flange 114 at the bottom. The diameter of the flange portion 114 is larger than that of the through hole 113. A sensor spring 115 is provided with the upper end on the back surface of the flange portion 114 of the pan sensor 112 and the lower end on the bottom surface in the sensor cover 111, and the pan sensor 112 is attached upward by the sensor spring 115. It is being rushed.

Reference numeral 121 denotes a lid provided on the upper side of the rice cooker main body 81 so as to be freely rotatable and openable.
And a frame plate 123 fixed to a lower peripheral portion of the outer lid 122.
And a radiator plate 124 fixed inside the frame plate 123. The heat radiating plate 124 forms the lower surface of the lid 121 and covers the upper opening of the pot 101. A cover portion 12 bent downward is provided on the side surface of the lid 121.
5 is formed. The cover 125 covers the handle 103 of the pan 101 when the lid 121 is closed. A lid packing 12 is provided between the frame plate 123 and the heat radiating plate 124.
6 are provided. The lid packing 126 is
When it is closed, it comes into contact with the flange portion 102 of the pan 101. Further, a steam port 127 for discharging steam generated in the pot 101 is provided at the center of the lid 121.
Although not shown in detail, the steam port 127 has the same configuration as the steam port 42 of the first embodiment, and
2 and a cap 128 which is detachable from the bucket.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. In cooking rice, first, an appropriate amount of rice and water are put into a pot 101, and the pot 101 is stored in an inner frame 84 of the rice cooker main body 81. The pot 101 is carried by gripping handles 103 on both sides thereof. Then, when the pan 101 is accommodated in the inner frame 84, the bottom of the pan 101 is connected to the pan sensor as shown by a solid line in FIG.
By pressing 112, the pan sensor 112
As a result, the flange 102 of the pan sensor 112 is separated from the bottom surface of the bottom protection frame 87. In addition, the lid
When the door 121 is closed, the lid 103 is
Is completely concealed, and the handle 103 does not directly appear on the exterior. Then, the rice is cooked by heating by the heating coil 107, and the rice is kept warm after the rice is cooked.

For example, to wash the pot 101 after use, first open the lid 121, grasp the handles 103 on both sides of the pot 101,
Lift the pan 101 and take it out of the rice cooker body 81. At this time, the pot 101 has a plurality of pot supports 96 whose flange portions 102 are protruded above the flange portions 85 of the outer frame 82 of the rice cooker main body 81.
The handle 103 is supported on the upper portion, and there is a sufficient gap between the flange portion 85 of the outer frame 82 and the handle 103, so that the handle 103 can be easily grasped. Further, since the handle 103 is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than that of the pot 101, there is no possibility that a burn may be caused even if the pot 101 is taken out while keeping the temperature.

When the pot 101 is removed from the rice cooker main body 81, as shown by a dashed line in FIG. 11, the pot sensor 112 is no longer in contact with the pot 101.
The flange portion 114 is pushed up by the force of 115 until it hits the bottom surface of the bottom surface protection frame 87. As a result, the through hole 113 of the bottom protection frame 87 through which the pan sensor 112 passes is in a closed state.

In this state, if a large amount of liquid such as water is erroneously put into the inner frame 84, this liquid is
3 and accumulates at the contact portion between the lower end surface of the side protection frame 86 and the step portion 88 at the upper end of the bottom protection frame 87, and overflows from this contact portion to the outside, Bottom protection frame 87
A fitting rib 89 protruding upward and surrounding the lower end of the side surface protection frame 86 is provided all around the outer periphery of the step portion 88. Even if it invades, it still does not overflow downward along the outer surface of the bottom surface protection frame 87. At this stage, the liquid has reached the wide portion 91 of the step portion 88, but since the wide portion 91 has the through hole 93,
It flows down from the through hole 93. Thus, the liquid that has entered the bottom surface protection frame 87 at a position other than the through hole 93 does not overflow outside the bottom surface protection frame 87. Moreover, since the inner corners of the bottom surface protection frame 87 in the wide portion 91 are recessed portions 92 with a width wider than the width of the front end surface of the side surface protection frame 86, the corner portions are smaller than other portions in the step portion 88. The liquid easily flows into the wide portion 91, and this liquid is positively guided to the wide portion 91 having the through hole 93. Then, the liquid that has flowed down from the through hole 93 is
The guide rib 94 on the lower side of the periphery of the through hole 93 guides the rice cooker main body 81 to the lower surface of the rice cooker main body 81 without transmitting along the outer surface of the bottom protection frame 87, and is discharged out of the rice cooker main body 81 through a drain hole there. .

When the pot 101 is housed in the rice cooker main body 81, the pot sensor 11 is used by the pot 101 as described above.
2 is pushed down and the through hole 11 at the bottom of the bottom protection frame 87
Since 3 is open, when a liquid such as water enters the inner frame 84, the liquid is drained through the through hole 113.

Meanwhile, in an electromagnetic induction heating type rice cooker in which an inner frame for accommodating a pot having a heat-generating portion at a lower portion is constituted by a side protection frame and a bottom protection frame, a conventional cylindrical side protection frame is used. The configuration was such that the lower end was simply brought into planar contact with the upper end of the bowl-shaped bottom protection frame. Therefore, if a large amount of water or other liquid is poured into the inner frame while the pot is not stored, if the liquid enters the inner protective frame more than the height of the abutment between the side and bottom protective frames, The liquid may overflow from the entire circumference of the contact portion to the outside of the bottom protection frame, and the liquid may adhere to a heating coil, a cooling fan, and an electric unit such as a heating unit on the outer surface of the bottom protection frame, thereby causing a short circuit. was there.

On the other hand, according to the rice cooker of the second embodiment, even if a liquid such as water is erroneously put into the inner frame 84 with the pan 101 removed, this liquid is determined. Since the water can be drained from a certain position, the liquid does not adhere to the electrical components, and there is no risk of short-circuiting the electrical components.

In the conventional rice cooker, a special handle is not provided on the pan as in the second embodiment, and a finger is provided on a horizontal flange portion integrally formed in an opening at the upper end of the pan. In general, a configuration in which a handle portion for carrying a pot was also used as a device having a width sufficient to be hung was used. However, in this conventional configuration, it is difficult to hold the flange portion because the flange portion is small, and when the pan is taken out while keeping the temperature, the flange portion formed integrally with the pan has the same heat as the temperature at which the rice is kept warm. Causes discomfort. Therefore, a rice cooker in which a handle of another part is provided on the side portion of the pan has been proposed.However, in a conventional rice cooker having a pan with a handle, in order to avoid an increase in the size of the rice cooker, a lid or an external cover is provided. Because the handle is exposed on the side of the rice cooker body even when the lid is closed with a part of the frame cut off, to reduce the appearance or to put the handle inside the rice cooker body, There was a problem that the width of the rice cooker body was increased.

On the other hand, in the rice cooker according to the second embodiment, the flat shape of the pot 101 is substantially elliptical, and
The handle 103 is provided on both sides of the rice cooker, and the flange portions 102 are deleted on both sides in the long-axis direction b, so that the handle 103 can be mounted on the rice cooker with the lid 121 closed without increasing the overall width of the rice cooker body 81. It can be prevented from being exposed outside the main body 81. That is, when the lid 121 is closed, the handle 103 is accommodated in the cover portion 125 on the side surface of the lid 121, so that the appearance of the rice cooker is not impaired. Along with this, the lid 12
1 completely covers the handle 103, so that the outside air does not hit the pot 101 locally and the pot 101 does not cool down. In addition, since the pot 101 has a substantially elliptical shape and has a direction in a planar shape, when the user inserts the pot 101 into the inner frame 84 of the rice cooker main body 81, the direction is not mistaken.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the various dimensions related to the steam port and the number of locking projections and locking claw portions described in the first embodiment are merely examples, and can be set as appropriate.

[0040]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the steam port forms the lower portion of the steam port and is open at the upper portion, and the cap which forms the upper portion of the steam port and is detachably connected to the bucket. A rice cooker having a coupling means for coupling the bucket and the cap, wherein a seal portion is formed at an upper opening of the bucket, a seal portion is formed at a lower surface of the cap, and the coupling means comprises a seal portion of the bucket and the cap. By pressing the seal portion in the vertical direction, the steam leakage from the gap between the bucket and the cap is suppressed or prevented, so that the steam leakage can be stably and reliably suppressed or prevented without increasing the cost.

According to the rice cooker of the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect of the present invention, the connecting means includes a plurality of inclined engaging projections provided on the outer surface of the bucket; It comprises a plurality of locking claws provided on the inner surface of the cap, and the upper side of these locking claws and the lower side of the locking projection are connected in a state of being in contact with each other in the vertical direction, so that steam Even if the bucket or cap is slightly thermally deformed due to, or if the dimensional accuracy deteriorates somewhat during the manufacture of the bucket or cap,
Only by slightly moving the contact position of the locking claw portion with the inclined engagement convex portion, it is possible to reliably maintain the contact state between the seal portion of the bucket and the seal portion of the cap, and to more stably and surely prevent steam leakage. Can be suppressed or prevented.

According to the rice cooker of the third aspect, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first or second aspect, the steam discharger having an opening area larger than the opening area of the hole through which steam enters the bucket. Since the outlet is formed on the upper surface of the cap near the seal between the cap and the bucket, the steam pressure applied near the seal is reduced.Therefore, a gap is created between the bucket and the cap due to the steam pressure. The inconvenience of steam leaking from this gap can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view showing a first embodiment of a rice cooker according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of the steam port.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bucket.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the bucket.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the bucket.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the bucket.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the same cap.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the same cap.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the same cap.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the same cap.

FIG. 11 is an overall sectional view showing a second embodiment of the rice cooker according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a wide portion of a step portion of the bottom protection frame.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the pot.

[Description of Signs] 6 Pot 31 Lid 42 Steam port 51 Bucket 53a Hole 61 Cap 62 Steam outlet 66 Locking projection (joining means) 69 Locking claw (joining means) 71 Sealing section 72 Sealing section 101 Pot 121 Lid 127 Steam port 128 Cap

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Tsurumaki 2570-1, Gosuda, Kamo-shi, Niigata Toshiba Home Techno Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pot, a lid covering an upper opening of the pan, and a steam port provided in the lid, wherein the steam port forms a lower portion of the steam port and opens an upper portion. A bucket, a cap forming an upper portion of the steam port and detachably coupled to the bucket, and coupling means for coupling the bucket and the cap, the coupling means being formed at an upper opening of the bucket; The pressed seal portion and the seal portion formed on the lower surface of the cap are configured to be pressed in the vertical direction, and the pressing of these seal portions suppresses or prevents steam leakage from a gap between the bucket and the cap. Characterized rice cooker. 2. The coupling means comprises a plurality of inclined engaging projections provided on an outer surface of the bucket and a plurality of locking claws provided on an inner surface of the cap. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein an upper side of the pawl portion and a lower side of the locking projection are connected in a state of being vertically contacted. 3. A steam discharge port having an opening area larger than an opening area of a hole through which steam enters the bucket is formed on an upper surface of the cap near a seal between the cap and the bucket. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein