JP6895628B2 - Pressure type rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pressure-type rice cooker that cooks rice by pressurizing the pressure in the pot to atmospheric pressure or higher.

Conventionally, as a pressure type rice cooker of this kind, for example, the pressure type rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 is known. According to Patent Document 1, in order to remove excess water and further bring out the chewy feeling of rice, the pressure adjusting unit is operated after the end of the boiling maintenance step to reduce the pressure in the pot and repressurize during the steaming step. A pressure-type rice cooker configured in is disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-313156

However, in the conventional pressure type rice cooker, there is still room for improvement from the viewpoint of further improving the taste of rice.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a pressure-type cooker capable of further improving the taste of cooked rice in solving the above-mentioned problems.

In order to achieve the above object, the pressure type rice cooker according to the present invention includes a pot and
A lid that covers the opening of the pot so that it can be opened and closed,
The heating part that heats the pot and
A pressure valve that opens and closes a steam discharge hole that communicates between the inside of the pot and the inside of the lid.
A control unit that controls the heating unit and the pressure valve to perform a rice cooking process including a boiling maintenance step and a steaming step is provided.
Before the end of the boiling maintenance step, the control unit controls the pressure valve to open the steam discharge hole, and shifts to the steaming step in a state where the pressure in the pot is reduced.
It is configured as follows.

According to the pressure type rice cooker according to the present invention, the taste of rice can be further improved.

It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the pressure type rice cooker which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows in the perspective view of the pressure type rice cooker of FIG. It is a top view which shows the state which the part on the upper outer part member side of the outer lid is removed from the pressure type rice cooker of FIG. It is a schematic cross-sectional view which shows the arrangement of the steam supply part in the pressure type rice cooker of FIG. The temperature inside the pot, the electric energy of the pot bottom heating unit, the pressure inside the pot, the open / closed state of the pressure valve, and the operating state of the steam supply unit when an example of the rice cooking process is performed using the pressure type rice cooker shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship.

(Knowledge on which this disclosure was based)
As a result of diligent studies in order to further improve the taste of cooked rice, the present inventors have obtained the following new findings.

In the conventional pressure type rice cooker, the pressure in the pot is maintained in a high pressure state until the end of the boiling maintenance step, and the pressure in the pot is reduced after the end of the boiling maintenance step. At the end of the boiling maintenance step, the water in the pot has evaporated and there is almost no water in the pot. When the pressure in the pot is reduced in this state, the rice cake (viscous broth, which is the umami component of rice) generated during the boiling maintenance process adheres to the surface of the rice. As a result, the stickiness of the rice may become too strong and the taste may deteriorate.

On the other hand, the present inventors have found that the pressure in the pot is reduced before the end of the boiling maintenance step, and the process shifts to the steaming step in that state. According to this configuration, a small amount of water remains in the pot before the end of the boiling maintenance process, so it is possible to prevent the surface of the rice from collapsing due to the adhesion of the rice cake and to make the rice sticky appropriately. It can be suppressed to the range. Based on this new finding, the present inventors have arrived at the following inventions.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a pot and
The heating part that heats the pot and
A pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure inside the pot,
A control unit that controls the heating unit and the pressure adjusting unit to perform a rice cooking process including a boiling maintenance step and a steaming step is provided.
The control unit controls the pressure adjusting unit to reduce the pressure in the pot raised above the atmospheric pressure before the end of the boiling maintenance step, and shifts to the steaming step. I will provide a.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pot temperature detecting unit for detecting the temperature of the pot is further provided.
In the boiling maintenance step, the control unit controls the pressure valve to open the steam discharge hole after the detection temperature of the pot temperature detection unit exceeds the boiling point of the water in the pot, and the inside of the pot is opened. The pressure-type rice cooker according to the first aspect, which reduces the pressure of the above.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the steaming step, the control unit controls the pressure valve to close the steam discharge hole and increase the pressure in the pot, according to the first or second aspect. The pressure cooker described is provided.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the steaming step, the control unit executes a reheating step of controlling the heating unit to heat the pot a plurality of times, and is predetermined from the start of the steaming step. After performing at least one additional cooking step within the specified time, the pressure valve is controlled to open the steam discharge hole, and the remaining additional cooking step is performed in a state where the pressure in the pot is reduced. The pressure type rice cooker according to a third aspect is provided.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a steam supply unit for supplying steam into the pot is further provided.
The control unit provides the pressure-type rice cooker according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, which controls the steam supply unit to supply steam into the pot in the steaming step.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the steaming step, the control unit executes a reheating step of controlling the heating unit to heat the pot a plurality of times, and is predetermined from the start of the steaming step. In the additional cooking process executed within the time, the pressure valve is controlled to close the steam discharge hole, and the steam supply unit is controlled to supply steam into the pot to reduce the pressure in the pot. The pressure type rice cooker according to a fifth aspect for raising is provided.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the pressure valve to open the steam discharge hole in the additional cooking step executed after the lapse of a predetermined time from the start of the steaming step. The pressure type rice cooker according to the sixth aspect is provided, which stops the steam supply operation by the steam supply unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

<< Embodiment >>
The pressure type rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a pressure-type rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pressure-type rice cooker of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure-type rice cooker according to the present embodiment is stored in a substantially bottomed tubular rice cooker body 1 in which a pot storage portion 1a is formed, and a pot storage portion 1a, and is stored in rice or rice. It is equipped with a pot 2 in which food such as water can be placed. An outer lid 3 having a hollow structure capable of opening and closing the upper opening of the rice cooker main body 1 is attached to the upper portion of the rice cooker main body 1. A substantially disk-shaped inner lid 4 that can seal the upper opening of the pot 2 is detachably attached to the inside of the outer lid 3 (the side that covers the upper opening of the pot 2). In the present embodiment, the outer lid 3 and the inner lid 4 form a lid that covers the opening of the pot 2 so as to be openable and closable.

The pot storage portion 1a of the rice cooker main body 1 is composed of an upper frame 1b and a coil base 1c. The upper frame 1b has a tubular portion 1ba arranged so as to leave a predetermined gap with respect to the side wall of the stored pot 2, and an upper opening of the rice cooker main body 1 protruding outward from the upper portion of the tubular portion 1ba. It is provided with a flange portion 1bb that fits into the inner peripheral portion of the rice cooker. The upper end of the tubular portion 1ba supports a flange portion 2a provided around the upper opening of the pan 2.

The coil base 1c is formed in a bottomed tubular shape corresponding to the shape of the lower portion of the pan 2, and the upper portion thereof is attached to the lower end portion of the tubular portion 1ba of the upper frame 1b. A pot bottom heating unit 5, which is an example of a heating unit for heating (induction heating) the pot 2, is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the coil base 1c. The pot bottom heating unit 5 is composed of an in-bottom heating coil 5a and an outside-bottom heating coil 5b. The in-bottom heating coil 5a is arranged so as to face the periphery of the central portion of the bottom of the pan 2 via the coil base 1c. The bottom outer heating coil 5b is arranged so as to face the corner portion of the bottom of the pan 2 via the coil base 1c.

An opening is provided in the central portion of the bottom of the coil base 1c. In the opening, a pot temperature sensor 6, which is an example of a pot temperature detecting unit for measuring the temperature of the pot 2, is arranged so as to be in contact with the bottom of the pot 2 housed in the pot storage portion 1a. .. Since the temperature of the pot 2 is substantially the same as the temperature of the object to be cooked in the pot 2, the pot temperature sensor 6 can detect the temperature of the object to be cooked in the pot 2 by detecting the temperature of the pot 2. it can.

The outer lid 3 includes an upper outer shell member 3a and a lower outer shell member 3b that form the outer shell of the outer lid 3. Further, the outer lid 3 includes a hinge shaft 3A. The hinge shaft 3A is an opening / closing shaft of the outer lid 3, and both ends thereof are rotatably fixed to the upper frame 1b of the rice cooker main body 1. A torsion coil spring 7 is attached around the hinge shaft 3A. The torsion coil spring 7 elastically biases the outer lid 3 in the direction away from the upper opening of the pan 2 (opening direction) with the hinge shaft 3A as the center.

A lid opening device 8 is provided inside the outer lid 3. The lid opening device 8 keeps the state in which the outer lid 3 closes the upper opening of the pot 2 by engaging with a part of the rice cooker main body 1. On the other hand, the lid opening device 8 is centered on the hook shaft 8A when the lid opening button 8B (see FIG. 2) provided on the outer lid 3 is pressed while the outer lid 3 closes the upper opening of the pot 2. Rotate in the direction of arrow A1. As a result, the lid opening device 8 and a part of the rice cooker main body 1 are disengaged, and the outer lid 3 is separated from the upper opening of the pot 2 about the hinge shaft 3A by the urging force of the torsion coil spring 7. Rotate to. As a result, the outer lid 3 is in an open state that does not block the upper opening of the pot 2. The outer lid 3 is configured to stop the rotation when, for example, the outer lid 3 is rotated 90 degrees around the hinge shaft 3A from a position where the upper opening of the pot 2 is closed.

A recess 3d is provided in the vicinity of the hinge shaft 3A of the upper outer member 3a. A steam cylinder 9 is detachably attached to the recess 3d. A steam escape hole 3da is provided at the bottom of the recess 3d so that excess steam in the pot 2 can be discharged toward the steam cylinder 9. A steam relief hole 9a is provided on the upper wall of the steam cylinder 9 so that excess steam in the pot 2 can be discharged to the outside of the rice cooker. A steam temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of steam is provided at any part of the steam discharge path from the inside of the pot 2 to the steam escape hole 9a.

The inner lid 4 is provided with a steam discharge hole 4a for discharging the steam in the pot 2 and a steam discharge hole 4b for communicating the inside of the pot 2 and the inside of the lid. The diameter of the steam discharge hole 4b is larger than the diameter of the steam discharge hole 4a, and is set to be, for example, twice or more the diameter of the steam discharge hole 4a. The diameter of the steam discharge hole 4a is, for example, 4 mm, and the diameter of the steam discharge hole 4b is, for example, 10 mm.

Further, the inner lid 4 is provided with a pressure suppression valve 10 capable of opening and closing the steam discharge hole 4a and a pressure valve 11 capable of opening and closing the steam discharge hole 4b.

The pressure suppression valve 10 is a valve that suppresses the pressure in the pan 2 from rising above a predetermined value (for example, 1.2 atm) higher than the atmospheric pressure. In the present embodiment, the pressure suppression valve 10 is composed of balls and closes the steam discharge hole 4a by its own weight. On the other hand, when the pressure in the pot 2 becomes larger than its own weight (for example, when it becomes 1.2 atm or more), the pressure suppression valve 10 is pushed only by the pressure in the pot 2 and is pushed from the steam discharge hole 4a. Separate and open the steam discharge hole 4a. The pressure suppression valve 10 may be composed of a closing member that closes the steam discharge hole 4a and a spring that urges the closing member so as to close the steam discharge hole 4a. According to this configuration, when the pressure in the pot 2 rises above a predetermined value higher than the atmospheric pressure, the closing member moves against the urging force of the spring due to the pressure, and the steam discharge hole 4a is opened.

The pressure valve 11 is configured to move between a closed position that closes the steam discharge hole 4b and an open position that opens the steam discharge hole 4b.

The outer lid 3 is provided with a pressure valve moving mechanism 12 that moves the pressure valve 11 between the closed position and the open position so as to open and close the steam discharge hole 4b. The pressure valve moving mechanism 12 is configured to press the pressure valve 11 with a pressure larger than a predetermined value (for example, 1.2 atm) to hold the pressure valve 11 in the closed position. Thereby, the pressure in the pot 2 can be increased (for example, increased from 1.0 atm to 1.2 atm). Further, the pressure valve moving mechanism 12 controls the pressure valve 11 from the closed position by the control of the control unit 14, which will be described later, at a predetermined timing when the pressure in the pan 2 becomes a predetermined value (for example, 1.2 atm) or more. It is configured to move to the open position. Thereby, the pressure in the pot 2 can be reduced (for example, reduced from 1.2 atm to 1.0 atm). The specific configuration of the pressure valve moving mechanism 12 is the same as that of the conventional pressure valve moving mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and thus description thereof will be omitted here.

In addition, various information such as rice cooking course and rice cooking time can be displayed on the outer lid 3, and a specific rice cooking course can be selected from a plurality of rice cooking courses such as white rice course, brown rice course, and white rice (soft) course. Display operation unit 13 is provided. The display operation unit 13 includes a liquid crystal display 13A that displays various information such as the rice cooking course and the rice cooking time, and a plurality of buttons 13B that instruct the execution of rice cooking start, cancellation, reservation, etc. in addition to the selection of the rice cooking course. ing. The user can select a specific rice cooking course and instruct the start of rice cooking by using the plurality of buttons 13B while referring to various information displayed on the liquid crystal display 13A.

Further, a control unit 14 is mounted inside the rice cooker main body 1. The control unit 14 includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of rice cooking sequences for cooking rice. Here, in the "rice cooking sequence", when the four main steps of preheating, raising the temperature, maintaining boiling, and steaming are performed in order, the energizing time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc. are predetermined in each step. The procedure for cooking rice. Each rice cooking sequence corresponds to one of a plurality of rice cooking courses. The control unit 14 controls the pot bottom heating unit 5, the pressure valve moving mechanism 12, and the steam supply unit 15, which will be described later, based on the rice cooking course selected by the display operation unit 13 and the detection temperature of the pot temperature sensor 6. And carry out the rice cooking process.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the parts on the upper outer shell member 3a side of the outer lid 3 are removed from the pressure type rice cooker of FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, a steam supply unit 15 for supplying steam into the pot 2 is provided inside the outer lid 3. In the present embodiment, the steam supply unit 15 is configured to supply superheated steam exceeding 100 degrees as steam into the pan 2. The steam supply unit 15 is attached to the lower outer shell member 3b of the outer lid 3 by a fastening member such as a screw. A steam introduction pipe 16 and a steam discharge pipe 17 are connected to the steam supply unit 15.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of the steam supply unit 15 in the pressure-type rice cooker of FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the steam supply unit 15 is connected to the water tank 18 via the steam introduction pipe 16. The water tank 18 is a bottomed tubular container that holds water for generating steam. A water tank storage portion 1bc for accommodating the water tank 18 is formed on the flange portion 1bb of the upper frame 1b of the rice cooker main body 1. A water tank heating coil 19 for heating (induction heating) the water tank 18 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the water tank storage portion 1bc. When the water tank heating coil 19 heats the water tank 18, the water in the water tank 18 boils, and steam at about 100 ° C. is generated.

The steam introduction pipe 16 is provided so as to communicate with the inside of the water tank 18 when the lid is in the closed state and guide the steam generated in the water tank 18 to the steam supply unit 15. The steam supply unit 15 superheats the steam introduced from the water tank 18 through the steam introduction pipe 16 to obtain superheated steam, and supplies the superheated steam into the pot 2 through the steam discharge pipe 17. An annular packing 20 is attached to the end of the steam introduction pipe 16 on the water tank 18 side. The packing 20 is provided so as to be in close contact with the flange portion of the water tank 18 when the lid is in the closed state.

When the lid is closed, the steam discharge pipe 17 communicates with the inside of the pot 2 through the steam supply hole 4c provided in the inner lid 4, and guides the steam generated by the steam supply unit 15 into the pot 2. It is provided in. An annular packing 21 is attached to the end of the steam discharge pipe 17 on the pot 2 side. The packing 21 is provided so as to be in close contact with the periphery of the steam supply hole 4c of the inner lid 4 when the lid is in the closed state. Since the specific configuration of the steam supply unit 15 is the same as the configuration of the conventional steam supply unit, description thereof will be omitted here.

Next, the operation of the pressure-type rice cooker according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 shows the temperature inside the pot 2, the electric energy of the pot bottom heating unit 5, the pressure inside the pot 2, and the opening and closing of the pressure valve 11 when an example of the rice cooking process is performed using the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the state and the operating state of the steam supply part 15.

First, the user sets the pot 2 containing the food to be cooked containing rice and water in the pot storage 1a, and sets the water tank 18 containing water in the water tank storage 1bc. After that, when the user instructs the start of rice cooking after the rice cooking course is selected by the display operation unit 13, the rice cooking process is started under the control of the control unit 14. When the rice cooking process is started, the preheating process is first started.

The preheating step is a step of immersing the rice in water having a temperature lower than the gelatinization temperature and allowing the rice to absorb water in advance so that the central part of the rice can be sufficiently gelatinized in the subsequent steps. In this preheating step, the control unit 14 raises the temperature of the water in the pot 2 to near the temperature θ1 (for example, about 60 ° C.) at which the gelatinization of rice starts, and then maintains the temperature θ1 after the temperature rise. As described above, the pot heating operation (power amount W1) of the pot bottom heating unit 5 is controlled based on the detection temperature of the pot temperature sensor 6. This promotes water absorption of rice. Further, in this preheating step, the control unit 14 drives the water tank heating coil 19 to preheat the water in the water tank 18. Further, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 so as to open the steam discharge hole 4b during the preheating step. When a predetermined time elapses from the start of the preheating step according to the selected rice cooking course, the process shifts to the heating step.

The temperature raising step is a step of heating the pot 2 at once with high heat to bring the water in the pot 2 to a boiling state (about 100 ° C.). In this temperature raising step, the control unit 14 controls the pot bottom heating unit 5 so as to rapidly heat the pot 2 and bring the water in the pot 2 to a boiling state. Further, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 so as to open the steam discharge hole 4b during the temperature raising step. It is preferable to increase the amount of electric power for a certain period from the start of the temperature raising step. As a result, the start-up of the temperature raising step can be accelerated, the collapse of rice grains can be reduced, and the rice can be made firm. Further, the time required for the temperature raising step varies depending on the amount of rice cooked (the amount of the food to be cooked in the pot 2). Therefore, the amount of cooked rice can be automatically determined based on the time required for the temperature raising step. The control unit 14 performs the subsequent steps based on the amount of cooked rice determined in the temperature raising step. When the steam temperature sensor (not shown) detects a predetermined temperature (for example, the boiling point of water) in the temperature raising step, the process shifts to the boiling maintenance step.

The boiling maintenance step is a step of maintaining the boiling state of the water in the pot 2 to gelatinize the starch of rice and raise the degree of gelatinization to about 50% to 80%. In this boiling maintenance step, the control unit 14 controls the pot bottom heating unit 5 and the pressure valve 11 so as to maintain the boiling state of the water in the pot 2.

More specifically, the control unit 14 performs duty control that repeats driving (ON) and driving stop (OFF) of the pot bottom heating unit 5 at regular time intervals, and intermittently heats the pot 2. Further, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 so as to open and close the steam discharge hole 4b in the first half of the boiling maintenance step, and changes the pressure in the pot 2 from the atmospheric pressure to the pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure (for example, 1.0 atm). To 1.2 atm). As a result, a bumping phenomenon occurs in the pot 2, and the rice in the pot 2 is agitated. Further, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 so as to close the steam discharge hole 4b in the latter half of the boiling maintenance step, and adjusts the pressure in the pot 2 to a pressure exceeding the atmospheric pressure (for example, 1.2 atm). maintain.

In the boiling maintenance step, water is continuously boiled, so that a large amount of steam is generated. This steam passes through the steam discharge holes 4a and 4b of the inner lid 4 and the steam relief holes 3da and 9a and is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker. As a result, when most of the water in the pot 2 is exhausted, the temperature of the bottom surface of the pot 2 rises above the boiling point of water. It is detected that the detection temperature of the pot temperature sensor 6 has reached a predetermined temperature θ2 (for example, 130 ° C.) equal to or higher than the boiling point, or it is predetermined from the start of the boiling maintenance step according to the selected rice cooking course. After a lapse of time, the process shifts to the steaming process.

Before the end of the boiling maintenance step, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 to open the steam discharge hole 4b, and shifts to the steaming step in a state where the pressure in the pot 2 is reduced. In the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 to open the steam discharge hole 4b after the detection temperature of the pot temperature sensor 6 exceeds the boiling point of water in the pot 2 (for example, 105 ° C.). , Reduce the pressure in the pan 2.

The steaming step is a step of evaporating excess water using preheating to raise the degree of gelatinization of rice to nearly 100%. In this steaming step, the control unit 14 controls the pot bottom heating unit 5 to heat the pot 2 a plurality of times each time the temperature of the pot 2 drops below a certain temperature (for example, 100 ° C.). .. Further, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 to close the steam discharge hole 4b in at least one additional cooking step executed within a predetermined time from the start of the steaming step, and the inside of the pot 2 is closed. Increase the pressure (eg 1.2 atm). At this time, the control unit 14 controls the water tank heating coil 19 to boil the water in the water tank 18 and generate steam. Further, the control unit 14 controls the steam supply unit 15 to superheat the steam introduced into the steam supply unit 15 through the steam introduction pipe 16, and the pot 2 through the steam discharge pipe 17 and the steam supply hole 4c of the inner lid 4. It is supplied as superheated steam inside.

Further, after performing the additional cooking step, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 to open the steam discharge hole 4b, and the pressure in the pot 2 is reduced (for example, 1.0 atm). Perform the rest of the additional cooking process. Further, the control unit 14 stops the steam supply operation of the steam supply unit 15 in the remaining additional cooking process. When a predetermined time elapses from the start of the steaming step according to the selected rice cooking course, the steaming step is ended (that is, the rice cooking step is finished).

In the pressure-type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 to open the steam discharge hole 4b before the end of the boiling maintenance step, and steams in a state where the pressure in the pot 2 is reduced. It is configured to move to the process. According to this configuration, the pressure inside the pot 2 is reduced before the end of the boiling maintenance step, which is a state in which a small amount of water remains in the pot 2. It is possible to suppress the collapse of the rice and keep the stickiness of the rice within an appropriate range.

Further, in the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 after the detection temperature of the pot temperature sensor 6 exceeds the boiling point of the water in the pot 2 in the boiling maintenance step. The steam discharge hole 4b is opened to reduce the pressure in the pot 2. Even after the detection temperature of the pot temperature sensor 6 exceeds the boiling point of the water in the pot 2, a little water remains in the pot 2 than after the end of the boiling maintenance step. It is possible to prevent the surface of the rice from collapsing due to adhesion and to suppress the stickiness of the rice to an appropriate range. Further, since the pressure in the pot 2 is higher than the atmospheric pressure until just before the end of the boiling maintenance step, the rice can be efficiently heated. Therefore, the taste of rice can be improved.

Further, in the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 is configured to control the pressure valve 11 to close the steam discharge hole 4b and increase the pressure in the pot 2 in the steaming step. ing. According to this configuration, the rice can be kept at a high temperature by increasing the pressure in the pot 2 in the steaming step, and the taste of the rice can be further improved.

Further, in the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 is configured to execute the additional cooking step of controlling the pot bottom heating unit 5 to heat the pot 2 a plurality of times in the steaming step. .. Further, after the control unit 14 performs at least one additional cooking step within a predetermined time from the start of the steaming step, the pressure valve 11 is controlled to open the steam discharge hole 4b, and the inside of the pot 2 is opened. It is configured to perform the remaining additional cooking process with the pressure reduced. According to this configuration, in the remaining additional cooking process, it is possible to suppress the collapse of the surface of the rice due to pressurization, and it is possible to keep the rice at a high temperature. Therefore, the taste of cooked rice can be further improved.

Further, in the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 is configured to control the steam supply unit 15 to supply steam into the pot 2 in the steaming step. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the rice from being excessively dried and further improve the taste of the rice.

Further, in the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 in at least one additional cooking step executed within a predetermined time from the start of the steaming step. It is configured to close the steam discharge hole 4b and control the steam supply unit 15 to supply steam into the pot 2 and increase the pressure in the pot 2. According to this configuration, since the steam comes into contact with the rice in the pressurized state, the moisture of the steam is easily contained in the rice, and the drying of the rice can be suppressed. Further, since the pressure in the pot 2 can be increased by the steam supplied into the pot 2, the heating amount of the pot 2 can be suppressed and the drying of the rice can be further suppressed.

Further, in the pressure type rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 14 controls the pressure valve 11 in the additional cooking step executed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the steaming step to control the steam discharge hole. It is configured to open 4b and stop the steam supply operation of the steam supply unit 15. According to this configuration, the steam supply operation of the steam supply unit 15 is stopped in the latter half of the steaming process, so that the steam of the steam supply unit 15 causes the rice to excessively moisturize after the steaming process is completed. It is possible to suppress the inclusion.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be implemented in various other aspects. For example, the steam supply unit 15 supplies steam into the pot 2 during the additional cooking step, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the steam supply unit 15 may start the operation of supplying steam into the pot 2 before the additional cooking step.

Further, in FIG. 5, although it is shown that the additional cooking step is performed twice in the steaming step, the present invention is not limited to this, and the additional cooking step may be performed three times or more.

Further, in FIG. 5, in the second additional cooking step, the pressure valve 11 is controlled to open the steam discharge hole 4b and stop the steam supply operation of the steam supply unit 15. Not limited to. For example, even in the additional cooking process of the second transition, the pressure valve 11 is controlled to close the steam discharge hole 4b, and the steam supply unit 15 is controlled to supply steam into the pot 2 to reduce the pressure in the pot 2. You may try to raise it.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various modifications and modifications are obvious to those skilled in the art. It should be understood that such modifications and modifications are included within the scope of the invention as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the invention according to the appended claims.

The pressure-type rice cooker according to the present invention can further improve the taste of cooked rice, and is therefore useful for, for example, home-use and commercial-use pressure-type rice cookers.

1 Rice cooker body 1A Hinge part 1a Pot storage part 1b Upper frame 1ba Cylindrical part 1bb Flange part 1bc Water tank storage part 1c Coil base 2 Pot 2a Flange part 3 Outer lid 3A Hinge shaft 3a Upper outer shell member 3b Lower outer shell member 3d 3da Steam relief hole 4 Inner lid 4a, 4b Steam discharge hole 4c Steam supply hole 5 Pot bottom heating unit (heating part)
5a In-bottom heating coil 5b Out-of-bottom heating coil 6 Pot temperature sensor 7 Torsion coil spring 8 Lid opening device 8A Hook shaft 8B Opening button 9 Steam cylinder 9a Steam relief hole 10 Pressure suppression valve 11 Pressure valve 12 Pressure valve movement mechanism 13 Display Operation unit 13A Liquid crystal display 13B button 14 Control unit 15 Steam supply unit 16 Steam introduction pipe 17 Steam discharge pipe 18 Water tank 19 Water tank heating coil 20, 21 Packing

Claims (7)

With a pot
A lid that covers the opening of the pot so that it can be opened and closed,
The heating part that heats the pot and
A pressure valve that opens and closes a steam discharge hole that communicates between the inside of the pot and the inside of the lid.
A control unit that controls the heating unit and the pressure valve to perform a rice cooking process including a boiling maintenance step and a steaming step is provided.
In the latter half of the boiling maintenance step, the control unit controls the pressure valve so as to close the steam discharge hole, and keeps the pressure in the pot at a pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure until just before the end of the boiling maintenance step. maintained, before the end of and the boiling-preserving process after the maintenance, by controlling the pressure valve opens the steam discharge hole, the process proceeds to the steaming process in a state with a reduced pressure in the pot, Pressure type rice cooker. Further equipped with a pot temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the pot,
In the boiling maintenance step, the control unit controls the pressure valve to open the steam discharge hole after the detection temperature of the pot temperature detection unit exceeds the boiling point of the water in the pot, and the inside of the pot is opened. The pressure type rice cooker according to claim 1, which reduces the pressure of the above. The pressure-type rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit controls the pressure valve to close the steam discharge hole and raise the pressure in the pot in the steaming step. In the steaming step, the control unit executes a reheating step of controlling the heating unit to heat the pot a plurality of times, and at least one reheating step is performed within a predetermined time from the start of the steaming step. The pressure-type rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein after performing the step, the pressure valve is controlled to open the steam discharge hole, and the remaining additional cooking step is performed in a state where the pressure in the pot is reduced. .. Further provided with a steam supply unit for supplying steam into the pot,
The pressure-type rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit controls the steam supply unit to supply steam into the pot in the steaming step. In the steaming step, the control unit executes a reheating step of controlling the heating unit to heat the pot a plurality of times, and the reheating step is executed within a predetermined time from the start of the steaming step. The pressure according to claim 5, wherein the pressure valve is controlled to close the steam discharge hole, and the steam supply unit is controlled to supply steam into the pot to increase the pressure in the pot. Type rice cooker. In the additional cooking step, which is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the steaming step, the control unit controls the pressure valve to open the steam discharge hole and supplies steam by the steam supply unit. The pressure-type rice cooker according to claim 6, which stops operation.

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