WO2017049634A1

WO2017049634A1 - Rice cooker and heating control method therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2017049634A1
Application number: PCT/CN2015/090830
Authority: WO
Inventors: 龚圆杰; 林毅; 詹兴; 黄韦铭; 梁志佳; 罗志晓; 李新宇
Original assignee: 佛山市顺德区美的电热电器制造有限公司; 美的集团股份有限公司
Priority date: 2015-09-25
Filing date: 2015-09-25
Publication date: 2017-03-30

Abstract

A rice cooker comprises a cooker body (5), a cooker lid (4), and an air suction device (6). A cooking cavity is defined inside the cooker body (5). The cooker lid (4) is openably provided on the cooker body (5) to open or close the cooking cavity. The air suction device (6) is used for sucking air out of the cooking cavity and is configured to suck air out of the cooking cavity when the temperature of the soup inside the cooking cavity rises to a bumping temperature T_bumping, thereby implementing bumping of the soup inside the cooking cavity, wherein T_bumping is lower than T_boiling, T_boiling being the temperature when the soup inside the cooking cavity boils under an external pressure of the rice cooker. Also disclosed is a heating control method for the rice cooker.

Description

Rice cooker and heating control method thereof

Technical field

The invention relates to the field of cooking equipment, and in particular to a rice cooker and a heating control method thereof.

Background technique

According to the related art, in the process of cooking rice, as the immersion time increases and the water temperature rises, the surface of the rice grain begins to gelatinize and become sticky, and the rice grain and the rice grain will bond together to form a rice cluster, due to the rice The heat conduction performance is far lower than the heat conduction performance of water, so that the agglomerated rice grains will hinder the heat transfer to the whole pot of rice evenly, so that the rice grains wrapped in the middle of the rice group may not be completely gelatinized because of the inability to absorb water. Moreover, the rice in the rice cooker is unevenly heated due to the upper and lower layers, so that the degree of gelatinization of the rice in different positions in the rice cooker is also inconsistent, which causes the rice in some places to be excessively gelatinized and deteriorated, and in some places, the rice is not completely eliminated. Gelatinization leads to a great difference in the maturity of the whole pot of rice, which affects the taste of the rice.

Summary of the invention

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention is directed to a rice cooker which ensures the cooked mouthfeel and color of the rice.

The present invention also provides a heating control method for the above rice cooker.

A rice cooker according to a first aspect of the present invention, comprising: a body defining a cooking chamber; a lid, the lid being openably closable on the body to open or close the cooking chamber; evacuation means for evacuating from said cooking chamber outwardly, when the air suction means configured decoction chamber temperature was raised to the cooking temperature T bumping _bumping when the suction device from the cooking cavity outwardly so that evacuation of the cooking chamber decoction bumping, wherein: T _bumping <T _boiling, T is the _{boiling point} of the cooking chamber decoction at the boiling temperature of the external air pressure cooker, wherein The cooking chamber is isolated from the outside of the rice cooker when the air extracting device is pumped outward from the cooking chamber such that the pressure in the cooking chamber is lower than the external air pressure of the rice cooker.

According to the rice cooker of the present invention, by setting the temperature detecting device and the pressure releasing device, the boiling and boiling phases of the rice cooking can be effectively realized, the agglomeration problem of the rice is improved, the taste of the rice is optimized, and the structure of the rice cooker is simple and easy to process. The production cost is low.

In some embodiments, the air extracting device is further configured to continuously communicate with the outside of the rice cooker after the air is drawn from the cooking chamber at least once to increase the temperature of the soup liquid in the cooking chamber Up to the boiling temperature T is _boiling and the soup is maintained at the boiling temperature T _{boiling and boiling} continuously until it is boiled.

In some embodiments, bumping the _bumping temperature T satisfy the relationship: 90 ℃ ≤T _bumping ≤98 ℃.

In some embodiments, the air extractor process, the cooking chamber pressure P satisfies: 0.6atm≤T _{_bumping} ≤0.95atm.

In some embodiments, the rice cooker further includes a venting device configured to close the venting device when the venting device is venting from the cooking chamber to the cooking chamber The external insulation of the rice cooker is described such that the pressure in the cooking chamber is lower than the external air pressure of the rice cooker.

In some embodiments, the clamshell is formed with a vent communicating with the outside of the rice cooker and the cooking chamber, the pressure relief device comprising: a pressure limiting valve and a pressure relief mechanism for driving the pressure relief mechanism The pressure limiting valve opens or closes the vent.

In some embodiments, the flip cover has a curved slide, the vent penetrates the bottom end of the curved slide, and the pressure limiting valve is slidably disposed on the curved slide and often Resisting the vent to close the vent, the pressure relief mechanism is configured to urge the pressure limiting valve to slide up the arcuate slide to open the vent.

In some embodiments, the pressure relief mechanism includes: a cam assembly including a rotatable cam, the cam assembly configured to limit when the long shaft end of the cam pushes the pressure limiting valve A pressure valve slides up the arcuate slide to open the vent.

In some embodiments, the pressure relief device further includes: a reset linkage assembly disposed between the pressure relief mechanism and the pressure limiting valve, the reset linkage assembly configured to stop when the pressure relief mechanism is no longer pushed When the pressure limiting valve opens the vent, at least a portion of the reset linkage assembly moves away from the pressure limiting valve, such that the pressure limiting valve is free to slide along the curved slide to close the chamber Said vent.

In some embodiments, the reset linkage assembly includes: an elastic seal disposed between the pressure relief mechanism and the vent to isolate the pressure relief mechanism from the vent And a linkage member, the linkage member being connectably coupled between the pressure relief mechanism and the sealing member.

In some embodiments, the pressure limiting valve is a sphere.

In some embodiments, the pressure limiting valve is movably disposed above the vent opening, the pressure relief mechanism includes: a cam assembly, the cam assembly includes a rotatable cam, and the cam assembly is configured to The pressure limiting valve moves down to close the vent when the long shaft end of the cam pushes the pressure limiting valve.

In some embodiments, the pressure relief device further includes: a return spring disposed between the pressure limiting valve and the clamshell, the return spring configured to be a long axis end of the cam The pressure limiting valve is compressed by the downward pressure when the pressure limiting valve is pushed, and the pressure limiting valve is pushed up to open the vent when the return spring is bounced.

According to a heating control method of a rice cooker according to a second aspect of the present invention, the rice cooker is the rice cooker according to the above embodiment of the present invention, the heating control method comprising the step of: after the rice cooker enters a heating stage, the suction device is activated Pumping the cooking chamber to bring the cooking chamber into a vacuum state, the air pumping device stops running after the first time t, and the air pumping device stops running after the second time i, so that the cycle is repeated until the The temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than Equivalent to Tb, so that the air pressure in the cooking chamber is maintained within a set range by the start or stop of the air suction device; when the temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than or equal to Tb, the air suction device stops pumping, The rice cooker exits the vacuum state.

According to the heating control method of the rice cooker according to the present invention, since the food can be in a negative pressure state during the heating phase, the boiling point of the water is lowered, and the water in the pot can enter the boiling stage more quickly, which is advantageous for breaking up the granular food and avoiding the phenomenon of food agglomeration. This control method of controlling the operation and stop of the air suction device by means of time is simple and straightforward, and the rice cooker does not need to be provided with an air pressure measuring instrument, thereby reducing the cost.

In some embodiments, the first time t of the aspirator operating in multiple cycles is different.

Specifically, the first time t _{m of} the air suction device operating in the latter cycle is greater than the first time t _{(m-1) of the} previous cycle operation.

In some embodiments, the second time i of the aspirator that ceases to operate during multiple cycles is different.

Specifically, the second time i _n at which the air suction device stops operating in the latter cycle is smaller than the second time i _{(n-1) in which the} previous cycle is stopped. This will help to produce an instant boiling effect to better avoid food agglomeration.

The additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows.

DRAWINGS

1 is a schematic structural view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2 is a rice cooking control temperature and pressure curve of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a venting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the vent is closed;

Figure 4 is a schematic view of a venting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the vent opening is opened;

Figure 5 is a schematic view of a venting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the vent is closed;

Figure 6 is a schematic view of a venting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which the vent opening is opened;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a rice cooker in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of the heating step of a rice cooker in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Reference mark:

100: rice cooker; 1: aeration device; 11: pressure limiting valve; 111: sphere; 112: sealing member; 114: gasket; 117: baffle; 119: return spring; 12: exhaust mechanism; 121: linkage Pieces; 122: seal; 1221: middle; 124: motor; 1241: output shaft; 1242: cam; 2: temperature sensor; 3: control device; 4: cover; 40: vent; 41: cover; : support block; 421: curved slide; 43: slip channel; 44: mounting member; S1: preheating stage; S2: water absorption stage; S3: heating stage; S4: sudden boiling stage; S5: boiling stage; S6: Risotto stage; S7: heat preservation stage; 5: carcass; 6: suction device;

The first time t, the second time i.

detailed description

The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and the examples of the embodiments are illustrated in the drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are intended to be illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the present invention. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present invention, the components and arrangements of the specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in different examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and is not in the nature of the description of the various embodiments and/or arrangements discussed. Moreover, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the applicability of other processes and/or the use of other materials.

A rice cooker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a rice cooker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cartridge 5, a lid 4, a heating device, a detecting device, and a venting device 1. The detecting device may be the temperature sensor 2 or the like.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 1, the cooking chamber is defined in the body 5, and the lid 4 is openably and closably provided on the body 5 to open or close the cooking chamber, and the heating device is used to heat the cooking chamber. For example, in a specific example of the present invention, the body 5 may include an inner body and an outer body, the inner body being disposed in the outer body, the outer body being supported outside the inner body, and the inner body defining the food for receiving the food. The cooking chamber, the lid 4 can be pivotally connected to the body 5 by a hinge, so that the lid 4 can be freely rotated about the axis of the tip end of the body 5, and the heating device can be a heating plate or the like for converting electric energy. The cooking chamber is heated for thermal energy.

Specifically, the detecting device is configured to detect the temperature of the soup solution in the cooking chamber. When the detecting device is the temperature sensor 2, the temperature sensor 2 is used to directly or indirectly detect the temperature of the soup liquid (for example, rice soup) in the cooking chamber. For ease of installation, the temperature sensor 2 can be mounted in the lid 4 and communicated with the gas layer at the top of the cooking chamber to detect the temperature of the steam at the top of the cooking chamber. In this case, the soup solution in the cooking chamber can be indirectly detected by derivation. temperature. For example, the temperature value detected by the temperature sensor 2 can be added to the difference between the steam temperature and the temperature of the soup solution to indirectly obtain the temperature of the soup solution in the cooking chamber.

The air extracting device 6 is used for extracting air from the cooking chamber. Specifically, the air extracting device 6 is used for forcibly extracting the gas in the cooking chamber so that the gas pressure in the cooking chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure. The state of the pressure is such that the soup (e.g., rice soup) in the cooking chamber can produce a sudden boiling effect at a state below 100 °C. Preferably, the air suction device 6 may be a vacuum pump, a plunger pump, an air compressor or the like.

Specifically, the suction device 6 is configured, when the cooking chamber temperature is raised to decoction bumping _bumping temperature T, the suction means 6 outwardly from the cooking chamber to allow evacuation of cooking soup liquid chamber bumping, in which: T _{The boiling point} <T _boiling , T _boiling is the boiling temperature of the soup liquid in the cooking chamber at the external pressure P of the rice cooker. For example, when P is often 1 atm, T _boiling = 100 °C.

The venting device 1 is configured such that when the venting device 6 draws air from the inside of the cooking chamber, the venting device 1 isolates the cooking chamber from the outside of the rice cooker such that the pressure within the cooking chamber is lower than the external air pressure of the rice cooker. Preferably, when the air extracting device 6 has not been pumped out from the cooking chamber, the venting device 1 can communicate the cooking chamber with the outside of the rice cooker to make the pressure in the cooking chamber equal to the external air pressure of the rice cooker, and can also make the cooking chamber The external isolation of the rice cooker; after the suction device 6 is evacuated from the inside of the cooking chamber, the ventilation device 1 can communicate the cooking chamber with the outside of the rice cooker such that the pressure in the cooking chamber is equal to the external air pressure of the rice cooker.

Specifically, during the rice cooking process, the ventilating device 1 controls the cooking chamber to communicate with the outside of the rice cooker, that is, the gas pressure in the cooking chamber is usually the air pressure outside the rice cooker (for example, 1 standard atmospheric pressure, thereby cooking in the cooking chamber). The soup solution can often boil at 1 standard atmospheric pressure. When the air extracting device 6 performs pumping, the ventilating device 1 controls the cooking chamber to be insulated from the outside of the rice cooker, so that the air extracting device 6 can make the cooking chamber The air pressure is lower than the air pressure outside the rice cooker. At this time, the temperature of the soup liquid in the cooking cavity is higher than the boiling point of the soup liquid corresponding to the pressure in the current cooking cavity, so that the soup liquid can suddenly boil, and the stirring churning effect is generated, thereby dispersing the cooking cavity. The agglomerated rice mass promotes the uniformity of water absorption and the uniformity of heating.

After the air extracting device 6 is further configured to draw air from the cooking chamber at least once, the venting device 1 no longer isolates the cooking chamber from the outside of the rice cooker to raise the temperature of the soup liquid in the cooking chamber to a boiling temperature T _boiling and maintain the soup solution. _Boil at the boiling temperature T boiling until it is boiled.

That is to say, after one or more of the sudden boiling stages of pumping, the soup is continuously boiling at the temperature of T _boiling , in other words, the soup in this stage is no longer boiled. Therefore, since the surface of the rice grains has been gelatinized after the boiling, the later soup will be less and less, and if it is further boiled, the distribution of the rice in the cooking cavity will be uneven, resulting in uneven hardness of the rice, and finally cooking. The rice will also become uneven and affect the taste. Further, after the rice after bumping boiling continued at high temperatures T _boiling, the rice will be more easily formed uniformly distributed "grotto", so that the bottom of the cooking cavity by heat "grotto" upload upper rice, thereby The upper and lower layers of the rice are uniformly heated. In other words, if the boiling is continued, the distribution of the cavities is likely to be uneven, thereby causing the rice to be soft and hard.

Specifically, the sudden boiling phase is not premature or too late, and if the sudden boiling phase occurs too early, such as in the water absorption phase (which will be described in detail below), the rice will still be agglomerated after the water is absorbed. Affects the heat transfer to the central rice grain during the boiling phase, resulting in the formation of rice. If the boiling phase occurs too late, such as in the boiling stage (described in more detail below), the boiling will occur, and excessive boiling will result in uneven distribution of rice. And affecting the gelatinization of rice, resulting in uneven hardness of rice. Therefore, the inrush phase preferably occurs between the water absorption phase and the boiling phase, that is, the boiling temperature is relatively close to the boiling phase, for example, when the boiling temperature T is _saturated : 90 ° C ≤ T _{sudden boiling} ≤ 98 ° C is better. This provides the opportunity to finally break up the rice and ensure the even distribution and taste of the rice.

In addition, referring to FIG. 7, the rice cooker 100 may further include a control device 3, and the control device 3 may include a single chip microcomputer and a phase. The circuit device hardware circuit, the signal receiving and the control circuit, etc., the control device 3 can collect the real-time signal of the detecting device, and output the control of the air extracting device 6 and the venting device 1 through the program processing operation to realize the exhaust state of the cooking chamber. control.

According to the rice cooker 100 of the embodiment of the present invention, by sudden vacuuming during the heating of the rice cooking, the pressure sudden drop is caused to be less than 100 ° C, that is, the sudden boiling agitation effect is generated, so that the agglomerated rice mass can be broken up to achieve uniform heating of the rice. Specifically, the boiling stage of the rice cooking can be controlled by the aeration device 1, and the inflating stage can be realized before the boiling stage by the aeration device 1 and the air suction device 6, so that the agglomerated rice in the cooking cavity can be effectively dispersed in the inrushing stage. The water absorption uniformity and heat efficiency of the rice are improved, so that each rice can be well hydrated and gelatinized, the consistency and uniformity of the rice gelatinization are improved, and the taste of the rice is optimized.

Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto. The rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention may not include a ventilation device. For example, the user may manually control whether the cooking chamber communicates with the external atmosphere. For example, the rice cooker may be formed with a gas hole, and the air hole may be manually provided. The plug can be inserted or pulled out manually by the user to isolate or connect the cooking chamber to the outside atmosphere.

In this way, when the cooking chamber is started, the user can insert the plug (not through the ventilation device 1) to achieve isolation. After the cooking chamber is exhausted, the user can manually pull out the plug (rather than through the ventilation device 1). Ventilation is achieved so that the air pressure in the cooking chamber can be naturally restored to the external atmospheric balance by stopping the vacuum pump. In addition, the pressure of the cooking chamber and the external atmosphere can be quickly balanced by various other means, for example, by inverting the motor of the air extracting device 6, such as a vacuum pump, to achieve a pressurization effect on the cooking chamber.

In one embodiment of the present invention, in some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a ventilating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a pressure limiting valve 11 and an exhaust mechanism 12 formed on the sill cover 4. There is a vent 40 that communicates with the exterior of the lid 4 and the cooking chamber, and the venting mechanism 12 is used to drive the pressure limiting valve 11 to open or close the vent 40. Thus, the exhaust operation can be controlled by controlling the exhaust mechanism 12, thereby facilitating handling and control, and facilitating implementation and installation. The vent 40 is configured to communicate between the cooking chamber and the atmosphere outside the rice cooker 100, and is controlled between the open state and the closed state by the forced control of the pressure limiting valve 11 and the exhaust mechanism 12, when the vent 40 is opened. When the cooking chamber is in communication with the atmosphere outside the rice cooker 100, the pressures may be equal. When the vent 40 is closed, the cooking chamber is isolated from the atmosphere outside the rice cooker 100, and the pressure may be unequal.

Hereinafter, a ventilation device 1 according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

Embodiment 1,

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the pressure limiting valve 11 is a ball 111 having a curved slide 421, the vent 40 extends through the bottom end of the curved slide 421, and the ball 111 is slidably disposed in a curved shape. The chute 421 and often resists the vent 40 to close the vent 40, and the venting mechanism 12 can push the ball 111 to slide up along the curved chute 421 to open the vent 40. Such as As shown in FIG. 3, the flip cover 4 may include an outer cover and a cover 41. The cover 41 is disposed at the bottom of the outer cover, and the ventilation device 1 may be disposed between the outer cover and the cover 41. The center of the cover 41 may have a through hole. The mounting hole 42 can be mounted at the mounting hole. The curved slide 421 is formed by the lower surface of the support block 42. The vent 40 can penetrate the support block 42 in the up and down direction and pass through the curved slide 421. The lowermost end is connected to the cooking cavity and the space above the cover plate 41 and communicating with the outside of the rice cooker 100.

Specifically, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the ball 111 is rollably disposed on the curved slide 421. When the ball 111 is not subjected to other external forces, the ball 111 can always stop at the curved slide 421 under the action of gravity. The bottom end blocks the vent 40 (as shown in FIG. 3), so that the cooking chamber and the rice cooker 100 are externally blocked. When the ball 111 receives a thrust from a substantially horizontal direction, the ball 111 can slide up along the curved slide 421. To open the vent 40 (as shown in FIG. 4), the cooking cavity is connected to the outside of the rice cooker 100. When the thrust acting on the ball 111 is removed, the ball 111 can fall back to the curved shape under the action of gravity. The bottom end of the track 421 again blocks and closes the vent 40 (also shown in Figure 3). Repeatedly, the opening and closing of the vent 40 can be achieved.

Further, the ventilating device 1 further includes: a reset linkage assembly disposed between the venting mechanism 12 and the pressure limiting valve 11, the reset linkage assembly being configured to open the vent 40 when the venting mechanism 12 no longer pushes the pressure limiting valve 11 At least a portion of the reset linkage assembly moves away from the pressure limiting valve 11 such that the pressure limiting valve 11 is free to slide along the curved ramp 421 to close the vent 40.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the reset linkage assembly may include: an elastic seal 122 and a linkage 121, and the seal 122 is disposed between the exhaust mechanism 12 and the vent 40 to vent the exhaust mechanism 12 and The port 40 is isolated to prevent the steam discharged from the vent 40 from interfering with the normal operation of the venting mechanism 12, and the linking member 121 is operatively coupled between the venting mechanism 12 and the seal 122, that is, exhausting The mechanism 12 can drive the movement of the seal 122 through the linkage 121, and the seal 122 can also drive the exhaust mechanism 12 through the linkage.

For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the left end of the linkage 121 is coupled to the exhaust mechanism 12 and the seal 122 is coupled to the right end of the linkage 121.

When the linkage 121 is not driven by the venting mechanism 12, the seal 122 is in a natural shape and the central portion 1221 is retracted away from the sphere 111 (as shown in Figure 3). When the linking member 121 is driven to move to the right by the exhaust mechanism 12, the linking member 121 pushes the central portion 1221 of the sealing member 122 to protrude toward the spherical body 111 (as shown in FIG. 4) to deform the sealing member 122. The elastic potential energy can push the ball 111 to the upper right to open the vent 40. When the linking member 121 no longer pushes the middle portion 1221 of the sealing member 122 to the right, the central portion 1221 of the sealing member 122 can be restored by the elastic force to retract the original shape away from the spherical body 111, thereby pushing the linking member 121 to the left. In translation, the ball 111 can slide down under the effect of gravity to close the vent 40. Thus, the ventilating device 1 of the first embodiment has a simple structure and is easy to implement and control.

Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the leftward withdrawal of the linking member 121 can be realized by providing a return spring at one end in the longitudinal direction of the linking member 121, which will not be described in detail herein.

Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 3, the glide cover 4 can define a slip channel 43 in which the linkage member 121 can be horizontally slidably disposed.

Specifically, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the exhaust mechanism 12 includes a motor 124 and a cam 1242. The motor 124 has an output shaft 1241. The cam 1242 is mounted on the output shaft 1241 to be driven to rotate by the motor 124. The linkage 121 is disposed at Between the cam 1242 and the ball 111, during the rotation of the motor 124 driving the cam 1242, the outer peripheral surface of the cam 1242 can be rotated in the left-right direction by pushing the right end surface of the linking member 121, when the cam 1242 is rotated to the same When the outer peripheral surface of the long-axis end is in contact with the linking member 121 (as shown in FIG. 4), the linking member 121 moves toward the direction of the ball 111 to push the ball 111 to slide upward along the curved chute 421 to open the vent 40, when the cam When the outer peripheral surface of the 1242 is rotated to contact with the link member 121 (as shown in FIG. 3), the link member 121 is no longer subjected to the rightward thrust, thereby releasing the thrust to the ball 111, and the ball 111 can be gravity-gravable. The action slides down to close the vent 40. Thus, the ventilating device 1 of the first embodiment has a simple structure and is easy to implement and control.

Therefore, in order to ensure that the vent 40 is in the normally open state, the ventilating device 1 should be in the normally open state (even if the outer peripheral surface of the long axis end of the cam 1242 is often in contact with the linking member 121), so that the pressure limiting valve 11 normally opens the venting port. 40. When evacuation is required, the ventilating device 1 is closed (even if the outer peripheral surface of the short-axis end of the cam 1242 is in contact with the linking member 121) so that the pressure limiting valve 11 closes the vent 40.

Therefore, since there is no working noise during the operation of the cam assembly, the opening and closing operation of the pressure limiting valve 11 can be quietly controlled, so that the user does not have working noise during the cooking of the rice cooker, thereby improving the rice cooker. The comfort of use makes the rice cooker more suitable for home use.

Embodiment 2,

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the pressure limiting valve 11 is vertically movable above the vent 40. The venting mechanism 12 includes a cam assembly including a rotatable cam 1242. The cam assembly is configured as a cam 1242. When the long shaft end pushes the pressure limiting valve 11, the pressure limiting valve 11 moves down to close the vent 40. 5 and 6, the exhaust mechanism 12 includes a motor 124 (eg, a stepper motor) and a cam 1242 having an output shaft 1241 mounted on the output shaft 1241 for driving rotation by the motor 124, the cam 1242 The outer peripheral surface directly or indirectly abuts against the sealing member 112. For example, in the example of FIG. 5, the upper end of the sealing member 112 may be fixed with a horizontally disposed stepped baffle 117, and the outer end surface of the cam 1242 is abutted against the baffle The upper end surface of the 117 is indirectly stopped against the sealing member 112. When the motor 124 drives the cam 1242 to rotate, when the long-axis outer peripheral surface of the cam 1242 is stopped against the shutter 117, the sealing member 112 is The baffle 117 is moved downward to close the vent 40 (as shown in FIG. 5), and when the outer peripheral surface of the short axis of the cam 1242 is stopped against the baffle 117, the sealing member 112 is no longer pushed downward, thereby The vent 40 can be opened (as shown in Figure 6).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the vent 40 can directly penetrate the cover plate 41 in the up and down direction, and the top of the cover plate 41 can be provided with a mounting member 44. The upper end of the sealing member 112 passes through the mounting member 44 and passes through the mounting member 44. Orientation can be up and down Moving, the lower end of the sealing member 112 has a gasket 114 that seals the outer periphery of the vent 40 when the sealing member 112 moves downward to block the vent 40 to achieve a better sealing action.

Further, the pressure limiting valve 11 may further include a return spring 119 disposed between the pressure limiting valve 11 (ie, the sealing member 112) and the cover 4, and the return spring 119 is configured to be pushed by the long axis end of the cam 1242. The pressure limiting valve 11 is compressed by the downwardly moving pressure limiting valve 11, and pushes the pressure limiting valve 11 upward to open the vent 40 when the return spring 119 is raised.

For example, in the examples of FIGS. 5 and 6, the return spring 119 is expandable in the up and down direction, and the upper and lower ends of the return spring 119 are respectively abutted against the lower end surface of the shutter 117 and the upper end surface of the mounting member 44. The return spring 119 is configured to be compressed when the long-axis outer peripheral surface of the cam 1242 is stopped against the seal member 112 (as shown in FIG. 5), when the short-axis outer peripheral surface of the cam 1242 is stopped against the seal member 112. The return spring 119 can restore its shape to bounce upwards, causing the sealing member 112 to pop up to open the vent 40 (as shown in FIG. 6).

Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the resetting action of the sealing member 112 can also be achieved by other means.

Therefore, in order to ensure that the vent 40 is in the normally open state, the ventilating device 1 should be in the normally open state (even if the outer peripheral surface of the short axis of the cam 1242 is stopped against the baffle 117), so that the pressure limiting valve 11 normally opens the vent 40. When suction is required, the ventilating device 1 is opened (even if the outer peripheral surface of the long axis of the cam 1242 is stopped against the baffle 117), and the pressure limiting valve 11 closes the vent 40.

A heating control method of the rice cooker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the horizontal axis shown in Fig. 2 represents time, the vertical axis on the left side represents the temperature at the bottom of the cooking chamber, and the vertical axis on the right side represents the vertical axis. The pressure in the cooking chamber, the temperature curve T represents the change in temperature of the bottom of the cooking chamber with time, and the pressure curve P represents the change in pressure in the cooking chamber with time.

Specifically, the bottom of the cooking chamber may be provided with a heating device for heating the bottom of the cooking chamber and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bottom of the cooking chamber (the temperature curve T shown in FIG. 2 is measured by the temperature sensor) According to the temperature change at the bottom of the cooking chamber, the whole cooking process can be roughly divided into six stages: a preheating stage S1, a water absorption stage S2, a heating stage S3, a sudden boiling stage S4, a boiling stage S5, and a risotto stage S6. In addition, after the end of the risotto phase S6, there may be a heat retention phase S7. Of course, the invention is not limited thereto, and the heating device may not be provided at the bottom of the cooking chamber.

The first stage: preheating stage S1

After the rice cooking function of the rice cooker 100 is started, the cooking chamber can be heated by the heating device so that the temperature of the rice soup in the cooking chamber is raised from room temperature to the water absorption temperature T, optionally, 40 ° C ≤ T suction ≤ 60 ° C . Thus, the main function of the preheating stage S1 is to raise the temperature of the rice soup to the optimum temperature range suitable for water absorption of the rice grains by rapid heating.

Second stage: water absorption stage S2

After the preheating stage Sl, a heating means for heating may be performed by low-power, so that the temperature of the cooking rice suction chamber is maintained at T, the long t _1, preferably, 5min≤t ₁ ≤30min for a period of time. Thus, the water absorption stage allows the rice grains to sufficiently absorb water so that the moisture content of the rice is ensured to rise to a level of 20% to 28% after the end of the water absorption stage. In addition, the temperature of the rice soup is kept at the optimum temperature for the water absorption of the rice. The purpose of the suction is that the temperature of the rice soup is too low, which will cause the water absorption speed of the rice to decrease, resulting in too long a water absorption time. If the temperature is too high, the surface of the rice will be gelatinized during the water absorption stage. Sticky, prematurely forming agglomerated rice clusters, hindering the water absorption of the rice grains in the center of the rice cluster.

The third stage: heating stage S3

After the water absorption stage S2, the power can be heated by the heating means so that the temperature of the cooking rice is _sucked from the cavity T rapid increase to a predetermined temperature T migration bumping _bumping. Preferably, 90 ℃ ≤T _bumping ≤98 deg.] C, at this stage, the rice on the one hand will continue swelling, on the other hand because of the high temperatures rice, rice gelatinization starts a surface portion becomes sticky rice grains will stick together resulting in When the rice mass is formed, the rice grains in the middle of the rice group may have a problem that the water absorption speed is lowered or the water absorption is difficult due to the surrounding rice group.

The fourth stage: the sudden boiling stage S4

After the end of the heating phase S3 and before the start of the boiling phase S5, a sudden agitation stirring step S4 is inserted, and by abruptly pumping and lowering the pressure, the rice soup in the cooking chamber is caused to have a boiling effect to stir the rice to perform the rolling motion to break up the agglomeration. Rice balls promote the uniformity of water absorption and heating of whole pot rice.

Specifically, when the temperature sensor 2 detects that the temperature of the rice soup in the cooking chamber rises to a sudden boiling temperature T, the vent 40 can be closed by the venting device 1 to isolate the inside of the cooking chamber from the outside of the rice cooker 100, and at the same time, by controlling the above pumping The gas device 6 is operated at least once (the length of each time can be set according to actual requirements) to forcibly reduce the pressure in the cooking chamber to a negative pressure state below the normal pressure state in a short time, thereby causing the rice soup in the cooking chamber It can be suddenly and vigorously boiled at the T-bumping temperature, and the effect of stirring and tumbling is generated. The impact force is generated by the sudden boiling, and the rice grains are stirred and stirred to break up the agglomerated rice mass caused by the gelatinization and viscosity of the rice grain surface during the heating stage, and promote the whole rice. Water absorption consistency and heating uniformity.

At the end of the inrush phase S4, the vent 40 is returned to the open state by the venting device 1, and the suction device 6 is controlled to stop pumping, so that the gas pressure in the cooking chamber is restored to be stronger than the external atmospheric pressure of the rice cooker 100 (normally 1.0atm) equal normal state.

Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and by controlling the number of times of pumping and the length of each pumping period to control the duration of the overall sudden boiling phase S4, it is also possible to control the duration of the overall sudden boiling phase S4 by controlling the total length of the repeated pumping operation. .

In addition, when the rice soup in the cooking cavity suddenly and vigorously boils at the T- _bump temperature, the normal boiling temperature (for example, 1.0 atm standard atmospheric pressure) corresponding to the liquid in the cooking chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure outside the rice cooker 100. The boiling temperature is 100 ° C), because the boiling temperature is low, the degree of gelatinization and viscosity of the surface of the rice grains is not high under normal boiling temperature conditions during this process, so it is easier to break the rice at this stage, and Due to the low degree of gelatinization, the content of dissolved starch in water is relatively low. At this time, the surface tension of water has not decreased to a large extent. Therefore, boiling at this stage is not easy to cause the hidden danger of rice soup and rice spilling.

The boiling temperature is affected by the gas pressure in the cooking chamber. The boiling temperature is different under different pressure conditions. The specific correspondence is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Correspondence between boiling point and pressure of water

气压值P/(一个标准大气压atm)Air pressure value P / (a standard atmospheric pressure atm)	沸腾温度T/(摄氏度℃)Boiling temperature T / (degree Celsius ° C)
1.01.0	100100
0.90.9	96.896.8
0.80.8	93.593.5
0.90.9	90.390.3

The fifth stage: the boiling stage S5

After the end of the inrush phase S4, a certain heating power is maintained so that the rice soup in the cooking chamber is maintained at the boiling temperature T _boiling under normal atmospheric pressure of the rice cooker 100 (normally, _boiling = 100 ° C), and boiling continues until the free water in the cooking chamber After the portion is completely absorbed by the rice or evaporated with boiling (that is, after the soup is boiled), the temperature at the bottom of the pot rapidly rises to the preset migration temperature T with the heating (preferably, 120 ° C ≤ T ≤ 130 °C). At this stage, the rice grains can be gelatinized at a high temperature of 100 ° C for a long period of time, and the rice-densified β-starch is fully converted into a loose α-starch structure which can be digested and absorbed by the human body, thereby improving the taste of the rice.

The sixth stage: risotto stage S6

From the end of the boiling phase S5 until the end of the cooking period, the maintenance time t dimension (preferably, 3 min ≤ t dimension ≤ 15 min), during which time the rice cooker 100 can be heated at a relatively low power, or not heated to directly, for example, the cooking cavity. The heat storage inside continues to replenish the rice with heat, which further promotes the gelatinization of the rice and enhances the taste of the rice. Here, it should be noted that the difference between low-power heating and high-power heating is that the heating speed is different. For example, low-power heating can be understood as reaching a certain temperature at a slower speed, and high-power heating can be understood as a faster speed. The above temperature is reached.

In summary, by sudden venting to achieve the sudden boiling of the rice soup, it is possible to effectively break up the agglomerated rice clusters, improve the heating uniformity and gelatinization consistency of the rice, and improve the taste of the rice and the cooking efficiency of the rice.

In one embodiment of the invention, a specific control method for the rice cooker 100 in the heating stage S3 is also shown.

As shown in Fig. 8, after the rice cooker 100 enters the heating stage S4, the air suction device 6 is activated to evacuate the cooking chamber to bring the cooking chamber into a vacuum state.

After the first time t, the air pumping device 6 stops running, and the air pumping device 6 stops running for a second time i, and then restarts, so that the cycle is repeated until the temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than or equal to Tb to start or stop the cooking device 6 to make cooking. The air pressure in the cavity is maintained within the set range;

When the temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than or equal to Tb, the air extracting device 6 stops pumping, and the rice cooker 100 exits the vacuum state.

That is, after the rice cooker 100 enters the heating stage S4, the cooking chamber is closed. After the air suction device 6 is operated, the operation is stopped, and then the air suction device 6 is restarted and then stopped, and thus repeated until the temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than or equal to Tb.

As shown in FIG. 8, for convenience of description, the length of time for each operation of the air suction device 6 (such as an air pump) is collectively referred to as the first time t, and the length of time for the first operation of the air suction device 6 is t ₁ , and so on. The length of time for the mth operation of the air extracting device 6 is t _m .

In addition, the length of time each time the air suction device 6 is stopped is collectively referred to as the second time i. The length of time that the air pumping device 6 stops running after the first operation is i ₁ , and so on, the length of time that the air pumping device 6 stops running after the nth operation, that is, the length of time that the air pumping device 6 stops operating for the _nth time is i _n .

According to the heating control method of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the cooking chamber is in a negative pressure state by the suction device 6 in the heating stage S4, the boiling point of the water is lowered, and the water in the pot can enter the boiling stage more quickly, which is beneficial to break up. Granular food to avoid food agglomeration.

Here, in some examples, the rice cooker 100 may not be provided with the venting device 1, such that when the air extracting device 6 stops pumping, as the rice cooker 100 is continuously heated, the air pressure in the cooking chamber also rises.

In other examples, the rice cooker 100 is provided with a venting device 1 configured to isolate the cooking chamber from the exterior of the rice cooker to allow for the interior of the cooking chamber when the venting device 6 is venting from within the cooking chamber The pressure is lower than the external air pressure of the rice cooker.

Thus, when the venting device 1 is turned on the vent 40, a large airflow is generated when the vacuum is released, and the airflow impacts the food in the pan, which further facilitates the breaking of food such as rice grains.

It should be noted here that after research and experimental verification, the inventors found that when the specifications of the cooking chamber, the heating parameters of the rice cooker 100 and the operating parameters of the air extracting device 6, and the amount of food to be heated are determined, the air extracting device 6 will The air pressure in the cooking chamber is substantially the same as the time during which the atmospheric pressure is pumped to the set range. The time during which the air pump 6 is pumped to the set range when the air pump 6 is operated again after the air pump 6 is stopped for the second time i can also be determined. Therefore, when the rice cooker 100 is produced, the manufacturer can preset the time value of the first time t of each operation of the air suction device 6 and the second time i of each stop operation, corresponding to the cooking chambers of different capacities. Such a control method for controlling the operation and stop of the air suction device 6 by the time is simple and straightforward, and the rice cooker 100 does not need to be provided with an air pressure measuring instrument, thereby reducing the cost.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, as shown in Figure 8, the first time t of the pumping device 6 operating in multiple cycles is different. That is to say, the length of the first time t of each operation of the air extracting device 6 is different.

For example, in the first operation, since the air suction device 6 needs to evacuate the cooking chamber in the normal pressure state to the negative pressure state, the first time t ₁ at the first operation is the first time after the second operation Time t is long.

In a specific example, the first time t _{m of the} aspirator 6 operating in the latter cycle is greater than the first time t _{(m-1) of the} previous cycle, that is, in a single cooking, pumping The operating time of the gas device 6 is getting longer and longer.

It should be noted here that the higher the temperature of the food in the pot, the easier the food is agglomerated, so the running time of the air extracting device 6 is set longer and longer, which is favorable for the food to boil and avoid food agglomeration.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the second time i of the aspirator 6 is stopped during a plurality of cycles. That is to say, the length of the second time i each time the air suction device 6 stops operating is different.

In a specific example, the second time i _n at which the suction device 6 is stopped in the latter cycle is smaller than the second time i _{(n-1) in the} previous cycle, that is, in a single cooking operation In the middle, the running time interval of the air extracting device 6 is shorter and shorter, so as to facilitate the instantaneous boiling effect, so as to better break up the food.

For convenience of explanation, the cooking rice is taken as an example for description. Specifically, in the heating stage S4, the temperature of the rice soup will become higher and higher. Since the inside of the pot is in a vacuum negative state, when the temperature of the rice soup reaches a certain temperature point Q (Q is less than 100 degrees), the rice soup will boil to achieve the stirring effect. Moreover, the higher the temperature of the rice soup, the longer the pumping device 6 works, and the more obvious the boiling effect. However, when the temperature is high, the speed at which the rice sticks into pieces is also accelerated, and the speed at which the water vapor is emitted is also accelerated, and the time interval from the boiling state to the non-boiling state is also shortened. Therefore, shortening the pause time of the air suction device 6 is more conducive to instantaneous boiling, so that the rice can be better broken.

Of course, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the first time t of the operation of the air pumping device 6 in multiple cycles may be the same, and the second time i of the stopping operation of the air pumping device 6 in multiple cycles may be the same, which is not limited herein.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the orientation or positional relationship of the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside" and the like is based on the drawings. The orientation or positional relationship is merely for the purpose of describing the present invention and the simplification of the description, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to has a particular orientation, is constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus is not to be construed as limiting the invention.

In the present invention, the terms "installation", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like shall be understood broadly, and may be either a fixed connection or a detachable connection, unless explicitly stated and defined otherwise. Or integrated; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, which can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction of two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood on a case-by-case basis.

In the present invention, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may be a direct contact of the first and second features, or the first and second features may be indirectly through an intermediate medium, unless otherwise explicitly stated and defined. contact. Moreover, the first feature "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly above or above the second feature, or merely that the first feature level is higher than the second feature. The first feature "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or merely that the first feature level is less than the second feature.

In the description of the present specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" and the like means a specific feature described in connection with the embodiment or example. A structure, material or feature is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In the present specification, the schematic representation of the above terms is not necessarily directed to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, various embodiments or examples described in the specification, as well as features of various embodiments or examples, may be combined and combined.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the embodiments of the invention may The scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A rice cooker characterized by comprising:

a body defining a cooking cavity in the body;

a cover (4), the cover (4) is openably closable on the body to open or close the cooking cavity;

When a suction means (6) from the cooking cavity pumping outwardly, said evacuation means (6) configured soup liquid when the temperature of the cooking chamber temperature T is raised to bumping bumping, the An air suction device (6) draws air from the inside of the cooking chamber to cause the soup liquid in the cooking chamber to boil, wherein: T is boiling <T boiling , T boiling is the soup liquid in the cooking chamber in the rice cooker The boiling temperature at the external pressure,

Wherein, when the air extracting device (6) draws air from the inside of the cooking chamber, the cooking chamber is insulated from the outside of the rice cooker such that the pressure in the cooking chamber is lower than the external air pressure of the rice cooker .
The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein said air extracting means (6) is further configured to continuously communicate with said outside of said rice cooker after said air is drawn from said cooking chamber at least once The temperature of the soup solution in the cooking chamber rises to the boiling temperature T boiling and the soup is maintained at the boiling temperature T boiling and continues to boil to dry.
The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the sudden boiling temperature T has a sudden boiling satisfying relationship: 90 ° C ≤ T sudden boiling ≤ 98 ° C.
The cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that said suction means (6) during pumping, said cooking chamber pressure P satisfies: 0.6atm≤T bumping ≤0.95atm.
The rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that the rice cooker further comprises a venting device (1) configured to draw the suction device (6) out of the cooking chamber When venting, the venting device (1) is closed to isolate the cooking chamber from the exterior of the rice cooker such that the pressure within the cooking chamber is lower than the external air pressure of the rice cooker.
The rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein the lid (4) is formed with a vent (40) that communicates with the outside of the rice cooker and the cooking chamber, and the venting device (1) includes: A pressure valve (11) and an exhaust mechanism (12) for driving the pressure limiting valve (11) to open or close the vent (40).
The rice cooker according to claim 6, characterized in that the flip cover (4) has a curved slide (421), and the vent (40) penetrates the bottom end of the curved slide (421) The pressure limiting valve (11) is slidably disposed on the curved slide (421) and often resists the vent (40) to close the vent (40), the exhaust The mechanism (12) is for driving the pressure limiting valve (11) to slide up along the curved slide (421) to open the vent (40).
The rice cooker according to claim 7, wherein the exhaust mechanism (12) comprises:

a cam assembly including a rotatable cam (1242) configured to limit the pressure valve (11) when the long shaft end of the cam (1242) pushes the pressure limiting valve (11) ) along the curved slide (421) Slide to open the vent (40).
The rice cooker according to claim 7, wherein the venting device (1) further comprises: a reset interlocking assembly disposed between the exhausting mechanism (12) and the pressure limiting valve (11), The reset linkage assembly is configured such that when the exhaust mechanism (12) no longer pushes the pressure limiting valve (11) to open the vent (40), at least a portion of the reset linkage assembly faces away from the limit The direction of movement of the pressure valve (11) causes the pressure limiting valve (11) to freely slide along the curved slide (421) to close the vent (40).
The rice cooker according to claim 9, wherein the reset linkage assembly comprises:

a resilient seal (122) disposed between the venting mechanism (12) and the vent (40) to vent the venting mechanism (12) (40) isolated; and

The linking member (121) is operatively coupled between the exhausting mechanism (12) and the sealing member (122).
[Correct according to Rule 91 08.12.2015]
A rice cooker according to any one of claims 6-8, characterized in that the pressure limiting valve (11) is a sphere (111).
The rice cooker according to claim 6, wherein the pressure limiting valve (11) is vertically movable above the vent (40).

The venting mechanism (12) includes a cam assembly including a rotatable cam (1242) configured to urge the pressure limiting valve when a long shaft end of the cam (1242) 11) When the pressure limiting valve (11) is moved down to close the vent (40).
A rice cooker according to claim 12, wherein said venting means (1) further comprises: a return spring (119), said return spring (119) being provided at said pressure limiting valve (11) and said weir Between the covers (4), the return spring (119) is configured to be compressed by the downwardly moving pressure limiting valve (11) when the long shaft end of the cam (1242) pushes the pressure limiting valve (11) When the return spring (119) pops up, the pressure limiting valve (11) is pushed up to open the vent (40).
A heating control method for a rice cooker, characterized in that the rice cooker is the rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the heating control method comprising the following steps:

After the rice cooker enters the heating stage, the air suction device (6) is activated to pump the cooking chamber to bring the cooking chamber into a vacuum state, and the air suction device (6) stops after the first time t Running, the aspirating device (6) is started after the second time i is stopped, and the cycle is repeated until the temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than or equal to Tb to start or stop the cooking device (6) to cause the cooking The air pressure in the cavity is maintained within the set range;

When the temperature in the cooking chamber is greater than or equal to Tb, the air extracting device (6) stops pumping, and the rice cooker exits the vacuum state.
A heating control method for a rice cooker according to claim 14, wherein said air extracting means (6) is The first time t running in multiple cycles is different.
The heating control method for a rice cooker according to claim 15, wherein the first time t m of the air suction device (6) operating in the latter cycle is greater than the first time t (m) of the previous cycle operation -1) .
The rice cooker heating control method according to claim 16, characterized in that the second time i of the air suction means (6) being stopped in a plurality of cycles is different.
The rice cooker heating control method according to claim 17, wherein the second time i n at which the air suction device (6) stops operating in the latter cycle is smaller than the second time i in the previous cycle (n-1) .