JPS62213710A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a microcomputer-controlled rice cooker for use in general households.

Conventional technology This type of conventional rice cooker can only store the timer time, and when the user wants to cook rice at the same time every day, the user calls up the stored timer time and then presses the rice cooking switch to start timer cooking. was.

In recent years, some rice cookers of this type have been made available that allow users to select from several different rice cooking menus, and these have been very popular with users.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such conventional rice cookers, unless a menu is selected, white rice is usually cooked. When cooking rice with rice, for example, a user who regularly eats brown rice cubes must call up the memorized timer time and then use the menu selection means to adjust the menu to brown rice, which is extremely inconvenient. Ta.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that solves these conventional problems.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a menu storage means for storing the selected menu, and a method for storing the stored timer time and menu once when the user cooks rice using a timer. This system is equipped with a timer and menu calling means that can be called simultaneously.

Function According to the above configuration, when the user wants to cook rice on a timer, the timer/menu calling means allows the user to call up the already stored timer time and menu at the same time, and then presses the rice cooking switch. This makes it possible to cook rice using a timer according to the desired timer time and menu.

Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes clock means, which indicates the current time. 2
is a timer time setting means for setting the timer time, and the timer time set by the timer time setting means 2 is stored in the timer time storage means 3.

4 is a menu selection means for selecting a rice cooking menu (for example, white rice, steamed rice, steamed rice, brown rice, etc.).

The menu selected by the menu selection means 4 is stored in the menu selection means 5.

6 is a timer/menu calling means, and this calling means 6 calls the timer time and menu stored in the timer time storage means 3 and the menu storage means 6.

When the rice cooking switch 7 is pressed, the rice cooking means 8 cooks the rice on a timer basis so that the rice cooking operation is performed according to the timer time and menu.

In addition, if the timer time and menu are not called by the timer/menu calling means 6, the rice cooking means 8 uses the timer time set and selected by the timer time setting means 2, the menu selection means 4, or both.・
Depending on the menu, rice can be cooked on a timer or immediately. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the clock means 1 is used, and the timer is not set so as to set the time to start cooking rice, but to set the timer to finish cooking at what hour and minute. It is also possible to memorize the menu and cook rice on a timer using the timer method, which is set to complete the cooking process.

Next, a specific circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention will be explained using FIG. 2.

11 is an AC power supply, and a triac 12 and a rice cooking heater 13 are connected in series to both ends of the AC power supply. Similarly, a capacitor 14, a resistor 15, and a diode 16 are connected in series. A voltage regulator diode 17 and a resistor 18 are connected in series to both ends of the capacitor 14, and both ends of the voltage regulator diode 17 serve as a DC power source for the circuit.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a timer/menu call switch, and this call switch 19 is connected to a DC power supply in series with a resistor 20, and is connected to a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as microcomputer) 3.
Enter o. 21 is a timer time setting switch, 23
2 is a menu selection switch, and 26 is a rice cooking start switch, which are respectively connected to resistors 22, 24 and 26 in the same manner as the timer/menu call switch 19, and are input to the microcomputer 3o. 2A is a thermistor, and this thermistor 27 is connected in series with a resistor 28, and inputs the temperature to the microcomputer 3o via an A/D converter 29. 31
is an LCD, and this LCD 31 displays the menu, time, and rice cooking status based on the output of the microcomputer 30. Further, the output of the microcomputer 30 is connected to the triac 12 via a resistor 32 and a transistor 33 with a resistor 34, and controls the rice cooking heater 13 on and off. 35 is a clock means which inputs the current time into the microcomputer 3o and displays it on the LCD 31.

Next, the operation of the circuit will be explained using FIG. FIG. 3a shows the LCD 31 during rice cooking operation.

For example, if the user regularly eats brown rice, the user presses the menu selection switch 23 to set the menu to brown rice, and then presses the rice cooking start switch 25 to start the rice cooking operation using brown rice. In this case, unless the menu selection switch selection switch 23 is pressed, the rice cooking operation is generally performed with white rice. Figure 3 shows an example of a conventional rice cooker, and when the timer/menu call switch 19 of an embodiment of the present invention is pressed, the timer time is called up to the stored time (8:40 PM in this example). , the menu will be white rice. For example, if the user regularly eats brown rice, he or she must then select brown rice with the menu selection switch 23 and press the rice cooking start switch 26.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3C, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the timer menu call switch 19 is pressed,
Since the timer time (6:10 PM in this example) and the menu (brown rice in this example) are called up at the same time, the user can then timer cook brown rice by simply pressing the rice cooking start switch 26.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the menu storage means for storing menus and the timer/menu calling means for calling up the timer time and menu at the same time are provided. The time and menu can be set at once, and as a result, there is no need to call up the timer time and then select the menu, which is the case with conventional rice cookers.This makes it possible to provide a rice cooker that is extremely convenient in practice. be.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice cooker showing an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a specific circuit diagram of the rice cooker, Figure 3 a, b, c
1 is a diagram showing LCD displays of a conventional example and an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Clock means, 2...Timer time setting means, 3...Timer time storage means, 4.
... Menu selection means, 6 ... Menu storage means, 6 ... Timer/menu calling means, 7 ... Rice cooking switch, 8 ... Rice cooking means, 30...Microcomputer. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] a clock means for indicating the current time; a timer time setting means for setting the timer time; a timer time storage means for storing the set timer time; a menu selection means for selecting a rice cooking menu; a menu storage means for storing the selected menu;
When a user cooks rice on a timer, a timer/menu calling means calls up the timer time and menu stored in the timer time storage means and menu storage means, a rice cooking switch for starting rice cooking and timer cooking, and this rice cooking. When the switch is pressed, if the timer time is set or called by the timer time setting means or the timer/menu calling means, at that point the timer time is selected or called by the menu selection means or the timer/menu calling means. This rice cooker is equipped with a rice cooking means that performs timer cooking so that the rice is cooked at the timer time according to a called menu, and if not, immediately starts the rice cooking operation.