JP3576855B2 - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a rice cooker capable of surely adjusting the amount of water.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a rice cooker that automatically measures rice after weighing, washing, and supplying water to a polished rice, and is used in restaurants and the like for business use.
[0003]
In such a rice cooker, a rice hopper, a rice washer, and a rice cooker are arranged in a machine frame, and an operation panel is provided in the machine frame.
[0004]
Then, use the operation panel to set the amount of cooked rice and turn on the start switch to supply a predetermined amount of milled rice from the milling hopper to the rice washer, and after washing the rice a predetermined number of times, transfer the rice to the rice cooker and supply a predetermined amount of water. Then, the rice cooking process of heating for a predetermined time and then steaming for a predetermined time is automatically performed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional rice cooker described above has a following problem because a general-purpose flowmeter is used when supplying water.
[0006]
That is, the flow meter is provided in the middle of the water pipe, but since it measures the amount of water in a narrow and limited place in a thin pipe, errors tend to occur with respect to water pressure fluctuations and flow rate fluctuations, and There was a problem that the rice was harder or softer than the set hardness and was not stable.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker capable of solving the above-mentioned problems.
[0008]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the present invention according to claim 1, a rice hopper, a rice washer, a rice cooker is provided , a flow path for supplying water into the rice washer, a main flow path, and a flow rate higher than the main flow path. In a rice cooker configured with a squeezed sub-flow path, a water supply pipe in which the main flow path and the sub-flow path join to communicate with a valve body that opens and closes a rice discharge port provided at the lower part of the rice washing machine by being raised and lowered. In addition to supplying water into the rice washing machine from the water supply port provided in the valve body, the water after washing rice is drained from the drain pipe connected to the valve body according to the siphon principle, making it possible to supply and drain water from the lower part of the rice washing machine. By connecting the water supply pipe where the main flow path and the sub flow path join to the valve body that opens and closes the rice discharge port provided at the lower part of the rice washer by raising and lowering, Water, and drain the water after washing the rice from a drain pipe connected to the valve body. The water is drained from the bottom of the rice washing machine, and water can be supplied and drained from the bottom of the rice washing machine.The water level monitoring means provided at the top of the rice washing machine monitors the rise in water level when water is supplied to the rice washing machine. , Water was supplied from the main flow path until the water level was monitored, and then water was gradually supplied from the sub flow path until the set water level was reached .
[0009]
According to the present invention, the water level monitoring means is an ultrasonic sensor .
[0010]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, an operation panel capable of setting various conditions of time and amount in the rice washing step and the rice cooking step in detail is provided, so that the cooked state can be arbitrarily determined.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The rice cooker according to the present invention is a rice cooker including a rice hopper, a rice washer, and a rice cooker, wherein a flow path for supplying water into the rice washer, a main flow path, and a sub flow path having a smaller flow rate than the main flow path. It consists of.
[0014]
The milling hopper, the rice washer, and the rice cooker are arranged in order from the upper part to the lower part in the machine frame, and the machine frame is provided with an operation panel for operating the rice cooker.
[0015]
By operating this operation panel, it is possible to automatically perform a process of weighing and transferring rice from a rice hopper, transferring the rice to a rice washing machine, transferring the rice to a rice cooker after rice washing, and cooking rice.
When washing rice with a rice washer, it is necessary to supply water, but in the present invention, the water supply flow path is composed of a main flow path and a sub flow path whose flow rate is narrower than the main flow path, and a water supply port of the flow path is provided. Installed below the rice washer.
[0016]
In other words, the flow rate is determined by the water level in the rice washing machine, and at the beginning water is supplied at a large flow rate through the main flow path, and at some point the water flow is changed from the sub flow path to a predetermined flow level at a small flow rate. Water is being supplied until. Therefore, water can be accurately supplied to a predetermined water level. In addition, at this time, since the water supply port is located at the lower part of the rice washing machine, the water level can be measured stably without a large waving of the water surface.
[0017]
Further, a water level monitoring means for monitoring the rise of the water level can be provided, and the water supply to the predetermined water level can be automatically performed by the water level detection means.
[0018]
With this configuration, a constant amount of water can be reliably supplied without being affected by fluctuations in water pressure or flow rate in the water supply flow path (piping), and the configuration is simplified.
[0019]
In particular, if the water level monitoring means is an ultrasonic sensor, it can be easily mounted at low cost and the water level can be reliably measured.
[0020]
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably detect the amount of water supply, and it is possible to reliably cook rice with a desired amount of water, so that the result is stable.
[0021]
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a rice cooker A according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker A has a rice cooker 2 disposed below a machine frame 1, a rice washer 3 above the rice cooker 2, and a rice hopper 4 above the rice cooker 3. In addition, H is an IH induction inverter provided at the lowermost part of the machine frame 1, and H1 is an inverter cooling fan.
[0024]
A measuring device 5 is attached to the bottom of the rice polishing hopper 4 so that a predetermined amount of rice R can be dropped into the rice washing device 3.
[0025]
That is, an operation touch panel 6 is provided on the front panel 10 of the machine casing 1. When, for example, automatic rice cooking is selected by the touch panel 6, a predetermined amount of rice is automatically measured and the rice washer 3 is washed. It is accommodated and operates as rice washing → rice cooking according to the set conditions.
[0026]
The present invention is characterized by the configuration and control for supplying water to the rice washer 3. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the water supply pipe 30 connected to a water source (not shown) is connected to the rice washer 3. A flow path switching valve V composed of an electromagnetic valve is attached in the middle of the water supply pipe 30, and the downstream side of the flow path switching valve V is branched into a main flow path 31a and a sub flow path 31b provided with an orifice 32. And the selected flow paths 31a and 31b are joined again to the water supply pipe 30 so that water can be supplied from the lower part in the rice washing machine 3. Reference numeral 33 denotes a drain pipe, which drains water after washing the rice out of the system according to the siphon principle.
[0027]
In addition, in FIG. 3, S is a control unit that controls the operation of the rice cooker A according to the present embodiment, and is stored and disposed above the machine casing 1 (see FIG. 2). Then, it is electrically connected to the touch panel 6 and outputs a switching signal of the flow path switching valve V and an operation signal to other devices such as the measuring device 5 according to the input condition from the touch panel 6.
[0028]
Reference numeral 34 denotes a rice discharge port provided at a lower portion of the rice washing machine 3. A valve 35 communicating with the water supply pipe 30 and supplying water into the rice polishing machine 3 is attached to the rice discharge port 34 so as to be able to move up and down. Can be opened and closed freely.
[0029]
Reference numeral 36 denotes a water supply port provided in the valve body 35, which communicates with the water supply pipe 30 so that water can be supplied from below the rice washing machine 3.
[0030]
Further, an ultrasonic sensor 7 is provided at a substantially central position in the upper part of the rice washing machine 3 as a water level monitoring means for monitoring a rise in the water level in the rice washing machine 3.
[0031]
Then, while monitoring the water level with the ultrasonic sensor 7, water is supplied at a relatively large flow rate from the main flow path 31a up to the vicinity of the set water level, and thereafter water is gradually supplied from the sub flow path 31b until the set water level is reached. Make up.
[0032]
Therefore, it is possible to supply an accurate amount of water even if the pressure or flow rate of the water sent from the water source fluctuates with a simple configuration.
[0033]
That is, after the rice washing is completed, it is necessary to supply water accurately in an amount corresponding to the rice cooking condition input on the touch panel 6, and it is desirable that water can be supplied in a short time. Then, water is supplied at a stroke to the flow switching water level set immediately before the set water level, and thereafter the flow path of the flow switching valve V is switched, and the water level is monitored by the ultrasonic sensor 7 in the sub flow path 31b having a reduced flow rate. Water is gradually supplied to the set water level. Since the water is gradually supplied from the lower part of the rice washing machine 3, the surface of the water hardly undulates, and the ultrasonic sensor 7 reliably detects the water level.
[0034]
When the water is supplied to the predetermined water level, the valve body 35 of the rice washer 3 descends, and the water and the rice R fall and are stored in the rice cooker 2. Naturally, at this time, the lid 20 attached to the rice cooker 2 so as to be openable and closable is automatically opened (see FIG. 2).
[0035]
Then, in the rice cooker 2, the rice is heated and cooked for a predetermined time and then steamed to complete the rice cooking. In this embodiment, when the rice cooking is completed, the motor M provided at the lower portion of the machine casing 1 is driven to tilt the rice cooker 2 forward through the rice cooker tilting link M1. It is easy to take out.
[0036]
Further, in the present rice cooker A, as shown in FIG. 4, a steam temperature sensor 8 for detecting a steam temperature in the rice cooker 2 is provided. After recognizing that the inside of 2 has boiled, a heating time until cooking is completed is set.
[0037]
Further, the bottom of the rice cooker 2 is provided with a temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature of the bottom of the rice cooker. The temperature sensor 8 detects the steam temperature and recognizes that the inside of the rice cooker 2 has boiled. , A target value of the pot bottom temperature is set, and the heating is controlled until the pot bottom temperature sensor 9 detects the target temperature. Reference numeral 90 denotes an electric signal line connecting the temperature sensor 9 for the bottom of the pot and the control unit S.
[0038]
To describe this control more specifically, the steam temperature is detected by the steam temperature sensor 8, the control unit S recognizes that the inside of the rice cooker 2 has boiled, and then the scheduled heating time and the target bottom temperature Is set, and heating is performed until either the scheduled heating time has elapsed or the target temperature of the kettle bottom is detected, or either one of the conditions is satisfied.
[0039]
By providing the steam temperature sensor 8 as described above, a portion where rice starch is precipitated and heat transfer is reduced occurs in the rice cooker 2 or when so-called mixed rice is cooked. Even if oil, seasonings, etc. are added, even if the conduction of heat is still poor, it is possible to reliably detect that the inside of the rice cooker 2 has boiled. Therefore, based on this boiling state, the best cooking can be realized by heating to the heating time or the bottom temperature of the pot, which is empirically known to be the best cooking.
[0040]
Meanwhile, the steam temperature sensor 8 is disposed in a steam discharge hole 21 provided at a substantially central position of the lid 20 of the rice cooker 2, as shown in FIG.
[0041]
In the present embodiment, a substantially L-shaped sensor installation pipe 22 is attached to the steam discharge hole 21, and the sensor installation pipe 22 is provided inside the pipe 22 so that the tip of the sensor faces. They are connected by a line 23. The electric signal line 23 is installed above the lid 20 and is wired so as to pass through a bar 25 pivotally connected to an arm 24 that opens and closes the lid 20, so that it is not visible from the outside.
[0042]
In addition, since the steam outlet 21 is provided, unnecessary moisture can be blown off at the time of steaming.
[0043]
The lid 20 of the rice cooker 2 is formed with a flange portion 20a whose peripheral edge is folded upward to improve the strength of the lid 20 and to be in close contact with the inner upper edge of the pot main body 26. In this way, spills are prevented.
[0044]
In addition, the steam exhaust port 21 does not necessarily need to be provided at the center position of the lid 20, and may be provided at a position slightly offset from the center of the rice cooker 2 as shown in FIG. 5.
[0045]
Here, a case where rice is actually cooked by the rice cooker A according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0046]
The rice cooker A can automatically cook rice from washing to steaming, and the user only needs to select automatic rice cooking on the touch panel 6 shown in FIG. 1 (FIG. 6).
[0047]
If automatic rice cooking is selected, standard rice can be cooked based on preset conditions. A predetermined amount of rice R is supplied from the rice polishing hopper 4 into the rice washing machine 3, and the amount of rice R is reduced. The appropriate amount of water is supplied, and rice is cooked in a standard cooking manner as set.
[0048]
At the time of water supply, as described above, while monitoring the water level with the ultrasonic sensor 7, water is supplied at a relatively large flow rate from the main flow path 31a to near the set water level, and then gradually from the sub-flow path 31b until the water level reaches the set water level. As the water is supplied to the water, an accurate amount of water can be obtained, and a stable standard cooking can be obtained at any time.
[0049]
In the rice cooker A according to the present embodiment, detailed preference setting is possible so that a rice cooking state according to the preference can be realized.
[0050]
That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, in the initial state, the screen of "Menu 1" is displayed on the touch panel 6, and normally, "Automatic rice cooking" is selected, and the screen is switched to the confirmation screen. At this point, the user can press the “confirmation button” and then press the “cooking start switch” to perform standard automatic rice cooking. When the “next” button of “menu 1” is pressed, the menu shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a "Menu 2" screen is displayed, and if "Detailed Settings" on the "Menu 2" screen is selected, it is possible to perform a favorite rice cooking in which rice is automatically cooked according to the preference.
[0051]
Hereinafter, the detailed setting for performing the desired rice cooking will be described.
[0052]
As shown in FIG. 7A, when "Detailed setting" is selected, a screen for selecting the contents of the detailed setting is displayed (FIG. 7B).
[0053]
(A) On the screen for setting the water content in detail, select "water content" (FIG. 7B), and then specify the amount of rice R. For example, in the case of three cells, the button is pressed (FIG. 7C). Then, the cooker is selected from “soft”, “normal”, and “hard” according to his / her preference. If necessary, the amount of water can be further fine-tuned in the selected by the increase / decrease button ( FIG. 7D).
[0054]
At this time, as described above, since the ultrasonic sensor 7 for monitoring the rise of the water level in the rice washing machine 2 is provided, reliable fine adjustment can be performed.
[0055]
When the setting is completed, the user presses "Return" to return to the "Menu 2" screen. Then, if necessary, "detailed setting" is selected again from the "menu 2" screen, and detailed settings for other items can be made from the contents of the detailed setting.
[0056]
(B) To set the heating mode in detail For example, if "heating mode" is selected (FIG. 8 (a)), rice cooking can be divided into a plurality of stages and individually adjusted. It is configured to select from cooking adjustment, cooking adjustment 1, cooking adjustment 2, and steaming adjustment. When "Pre-cooking adjustment" is selected (FIG. 8 (b)), the screen changes to a pre-cooking adjustment screen (FIG. 8 (c)), where "pre-cooking temperature", "pre-cooking output", "pre-cooking time". Is changed from the basic settings stored in advance by the “increase / decrease switch”. If the user presses "return" here, the screen returns to the "white rice adjustment" screen again, and other "cooking adjustment 1", "cooking adjustment 2", and "steaming adjustment" can be newly set.
[0057]
When "Cooking adjustment 1" is selected (FIG. 9 (a)), the screen changes to a cooking 1 adjustment screen (FIG. 9 (b)). Here, "Cooking 1 temperature", "Cooking 1 output", "Cooking 1" The "upper hour" is changed from the basic setting stored in advance by the "increase / decrease switch". If the user presses "Return", the screen returns to the "white rice adjustment" screen again, and "cooking adjustment 2" and "steaming adjustment" can be newly set.
[0058]
When "Cooking adjustment 2" is selected (FIG. 10A), the screen changes to a cooking 2 adjustment screen (FIG. 10B), where "Cooking 2 temperature", "Cooking 2 output", and "Cooking 2 output". "2 hours of cooking" is changed from the basic setting stored in advance by the "increase / decrease switch". Here, if "return" is pressed, the screen returns to the "white rice adjustment" screen again, and "steaming adjustment" can be newly set.
[0059]
When "Steaming adjustment" is selected (FIG. 11 (a)), the screen changes to a steaming and cooking adjustment screen (FIG. 11 (b)), where "steaming temperature" and "steaming and cooking output" are stored in advance. The setting is changed by the “increase / decrease switch”.
[0060]
If "Return" is pressed here, the screen returns to the "Menu 2" screen, and other detailed settings are made as necessary. If not necessary, the user may press the “Back” button displayed on the screen to return to the “Menu 1” screen and select “Automatic rice cooking”.
[0061]
(C) Setting the rice washing adjustment in detail If the user wants to set “rice washing adjustment” in detail, a screen for selecting “detailed setting” and selecting the content of the detailed setting is displayed (FIG. 11C). ), If "Rice washing adjustment" is selected, although omitted here, first, a screen for specifying the amount of rice is displayed as shown in FIG. 7 (c). Then, the screen shifts to a screen where the user can set “rice washing time”, “number of sharpenings”, and “rinsing time” (FIG. 11D).
[0062]
Here, the basic settings stored in advance are appropriately changed to the contents according to the preference by the “increase / decrease switch”.
[0063]
During the setting operation, "return" is always displayed on each screen, so that it is possible to always return to the previous screen at any time and finally return to the "menu 1" screen.
[0064]
In addition to the above, on the menu 1 screen, you can select “reserved rice cooker” for setting the rice cooking start time, “forced rice cooker” to start directly from rice cooking, “rice wash only” for only rice washing, and On the “2” screen, in addition to the “detailed settings” described above, it is possible to select contents related to maintenance, contents for troubleshooting, and the like.
[0065]
As described above, in the rice cooker A according to the present embodiment, the steam temperature sensor 8 for detecting the steam temperature in the rice cooker 2 is provided so that the accurate temperature can be detected. Detailed rice cooking conditions can be arbitrarily selected and set, and cooked rice can be obtained at any time according to taste.
[0066]
Further, in this embodiment, the worktable 11 on which the container B for transferring the rice from the rice cooker 2 after the completion of the rice cooking is placed in the machine frame 1 so as to be freely stored and pulled out.
[0067]
That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the rice cooker 2 is supported by the cooker frame 27, the rice cooker tilting link M1 is connected to the cooker frame 27, and the cooker frame 27 is stored in the machine frame 1. It is rotatably attached to a hook machine frame 28 that can be freely pulled out.
[0068]
Then, horizontal rails 12 are provided on both lower sides of the machine frame 1 (see FIG. 2), and the hook machine frame 28 is disposed via the horizontal rail 12 so as to be freely drawn out. A pull-up rail 13 inclined obliquely upward is provided on both lower side surfaces of the work table 11, and the workbench 11 is attached to the pull-up rail 13 so as to be stored and pulled out.
[0069]
As shown in FIG. 13, the workbench 11 includes left and right frames 11a, 11a that slide on the pull-up rail 13, and a beam 11b that connects the left and right frames 11a, 11a. In FIG. 13, reference numeral 14 denotes a horizontal support rod for supporting the work table 11 when it is horizontally lowered.
[0070]
As described above, since the worktable 11 is disposed in the machine frame 1 such that it can be stored and pulled out, a worktable for mounting the container B for transferring the cooked rice is not required separately. Since the place for storing is unnecessary, the kitchen and the like can be widely used.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention is embodied in the above-described embodiment. By accurately supplying water, the cooked rice can be stabilized, and the following effects can be obtained.
[0072]
(1) The valve body that opens and closes the rice discharge port provided at the lower part of the rice washer by raising and lowering is connected to a water supply pipe in which the main flow path and the sub flow path join, and the rice is washed from the water supply port provided in the valve body. In addition to supplying water into the bowl, the rice after washing is drained from the drain pipe connected to the valve body by the siphon principle. A water supply pipe in which the main flow path and the sub flow path merged was communicated with a valve body for opening and closing the provided rice discharge port, and water was supplied into the rice washing machine from a water supply port provided in the valve body and connected to the valve body. It is configured to drain the water after washing rice from the drain pipe according to the siphon principle, and it is possible to supply and drain water from the lower part of the rice washing machine, and the water level monitoring means provided at the upper part of the rice washing machine controls the water level at the time of water supply into the rice washing machine. Monitor the rise and keep the main By supplying water from the road and then gradually monitoring the water level and gradually supplying water from the sub flow path until the set water level is reached, the water surface can be reliably prevented from waving and accurate water level detection can be performed. Water can be supplied.
[0073]
(2) Since the water level monitoring means is an ultrasonic sensor, it can be easily mounted at low cost, and the water level can be reliably measured.
[0074]
(3) Equipped with an operation panel that can set various conditions of time and amount in the rice washing process and the rice cooking process in detail, and the cooked state can be arbitrarily determined. Obtainable.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of an automatic rice cooker according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the rice cooker.
FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view of a rice washer of the rice cooker.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a rice cooker of the rice cooker.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the rice cooker.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a touch panel.
FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the touch panel.
FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory diagram of the touch panel.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the touch panel.
FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram of the touch panel.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the touch panel.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view of a shuttle frame.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a work table.
[Explanation of symbols]
A rice cooker 1 machine frame 2 rice cooker 3 rice washer 4 rice polishing hopper 7 ultrasonic sensor (water level monitoring means)
31 Water supply pipe (flow path)
31a Main flow path 31b Sub flow path 36 Water supply port

Claims (3)

In a rice cooker comprising a rice hopper, a rice washer, a rice cooker, and a flow path for supplying water into the rice washer, comprising a main flow path and a sub flow path having a smaller flow rate than the main flow path ,
By connecting the water supply pipe where the main flow path and the sub flow path join to the valve body that opens and closes the rice discharge port provided at the lower part of the rice washing machine by raising and lowering it, the water supply port provided on the valve body enters the rice washing machine. In addition to supplying water, the rice after washing is drained from the drain pipe connected to the valve body by the siphon principle, and it is possible to supply and drain water from the lower part of the rice washing machine,
The water level monitoring means provided at the top of the rice washer monitors the rise in the water level when water is supplied into the rice washer, and water is supplied from the main flow path up to the vicinity of the set water level, and then reaches the set water level while monitoring the water level. A rice cooker characterized in that water is gradually supplied from a sub flow path to the rice cooker. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the water level monitoring means is an ultrasonic sensor . The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an operation panel capable of setting various conditions of time and amount in the rice washing step and the rice cooker in detail, so that the cooked state can be arbitrarily determined. apparatus.

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