JP7522352B2 - Cooking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device.

In the past, a rice cooker has been proposed that houses a communication board and electrical components that make up the operating unit inside a board storage chamber (see, for example, JP 2018-033808 A).

JP 2018-033808 A

Generally, communication boards are arranged to avoid being located near components that may impede communication. For this reason, if an attempt is made to arrange a communication board together with the electrical components that make up the operating unit inside the board storage chamber as described above, there is a risk that the arrangement will be significantly restricted, and in some cases, the arrangement of the electrical components may need to be changed.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a cooking device that ensures not only the freedom of arrangement of the communication board, but also the freedom of arrangement of the electrical components that make up the operating unit.

The cooking device according to the present invention comprises:
A body having a heating source;
A cover attached to the main body in an openable and closable manner;
An operation board accommodated in the lid;
a communication board accommodated in the lid,
The operation board is disposed in a first space of the lid body,
the communication board is disposed in a second space in the lid body, the second space being spaced apart from the first space ;
An antenna unit is mounted on the communication board, and a mounting hole is formed on the communication board.
a boss portion for fixing the communication board through the mounting hole is formed on the lid,
In plan view, wiring is passed through the mounting hole on the side opposite to the side on which the antenna unit is mounted .

According to the above configuration, the operation board and the communication board are arranged in different spaces. Therefore, in this cooking device, not only the freedom of arrangement of the communication board but also the freedom of arrangement of the electrical components constituting the operation unit can be ensured. This not only allows the communication board to be arranged in a position where communication is good, but also makes it easy to respond to changes in the specifications of the communication board, and further allows the above-mentioned electrical components to be arranged while taking into consideration design and the like. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, not only can the boss portion keep the wiring away from the antenna portion to stabilize the reception and transmission performance of the antenna portion, but the wiring can also be arranged in a neat manner.

In the present invention,
The cover is rotatably attached to the main body via a hinge structure,
It is preferable that the communication board is disposed between the operation board and the hinge structure in a side view.

The above configuration allows for effective use of space that is normally unused. Also, normally, a power supply board and a control board are arranged in the main body, and the electrical supply wiring extending from the power supply board and the communication lines extending from the control board are extended to the lid body via the hinge structure, but by connecting these wirings to the operation board via the communication board, the wiring can be shortened. This contributes to reducing wiring costs and makes the wiring less susceptible to the effects of noise, etc.

In the present invention,
It is preferable that the communication board is connected to the operation board via a relay board.

With the above configuration, the relay board can handle voltage conversion and board language translation. This lowers the threshold for changing the specifications of the communication board, making it easier to use the latest communication board when changing models, etc.

In the present invention,
It is preferable that the wiring is housed between a part of the communication board and a base side portion of the boss portion.

The above configuration allows a portion of the communication board to be used as a wall to prevent wiring from protruding, and also prevents problems such as wiring covering the antenna section.

1 is a plan view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view showing a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which some components such as an operation button group and a display device are omitted. 2. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a lid of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention, however, some members such as a lid base plate are not shown. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the enclosed portion X in FIG. 4 . 5. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG.

<Structure of rice cooker according to embodiment of the present invention>
3, the rice cooker 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is mainly composed of a main body 110, an inner pot 130, a lid 140, and a hinge part 150. These components will be described in detail below.

3, the main body 110 is mainly composed of a housing 111, an induction heating coil (not shown), a heat insulating material (not shown), a ferrite core (not shown), a center sensor (not shown), a blower fan unit 116, a power supply circuit board 117, and an automatic retractable power cord unit 118. These components will be described in detail below.

3, the housing 111 is mainly composed of a container 111a, a shoulder member 111c, and a protective frame, and contains a heat insulating material, a ferrite core, an induction heating coil, a center sensor, a blower fan unit 116, a power supply circuit board 117, an automatic retractable power cord unit 118, etc. Each component of the housing 111 will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 111a is mainly formed of a side wall portion 111x and a bottom wall portion 111y. The side wall portion 111x is a cylindrical enclosure wall portion having a substantially rounded rectangular shape in a plan view. The bottom wall portion 111y is a substantially rounded rectangular corner dish-shaped portion in a bottom view, and is formed on the lower side of the side wall portion 111x as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, an intake port SO for drawing air from outside the housing 111 into the inside is formed on the rear side of the bottom wall portion 111y, and an exhaust port (not shown) for discharging air from inside the housing 111 to the outside is formed on the front side of the bottom wall portion 111y. As shown in FIG. 3, a blower fan unit 116 is arranged above the intake port SO. When the blower fan unit 116 is driven, outside air is drawn into the housing 111 through the intake port SO, and the resulting air flow expels the heated air from inside the housing 111 out of the system through the exhaust port.

The shoulder member 111c is a frame that has a generally rounded rectangular shape in a plan view, and is fitted to the upper side of the side wall portion 111x of the container 111a as shown in FIG. 3, covering the edge of the upper opening of the container 111a. A generally circular opening is formed in the shoulder member 111c for inserting the inner pot 130. A protective frame is attached to the underside of the shoulder member 111c. The protective frame is attached to the shoulder member 111c by a protective frame flange portion (described below).

The protective frame is a member that protects the outer periphery of the inner pot 130 and maintains the shape of the shoulder member 111c, and is mainly composed of an inner pot housing portion and a protective frame flange portion. The inner pot housing portion is a bowl-shaped portion that covers the outer periphery of the inner pot 130 and constitutes the lower part of the protective frame. An opening is formed in the center of the bottom of the inner pot housing portion, and the tip of the center sensor protrudes from this opening. The protective frame flange portion constitutes the upper part of the protective frame and is located below the shoulder member 111c, and maintains the shape of the shoulder member 111c by stretching the shoulder member 111c outward.

(2) Induction Heating Coil The induction heating coil is used to induction heat the inner pot 130 and is attached to the underside of the bottom of the protective frame and to the outer circumferential surface of the lower side.

(3) Insulating material The insulating material is wrapped around the outer periphery of the inner pot accommodating section of the protective frame and the outer periphery of the induction heating coil, and serves to prevent heat generated from the inner pot 130 during cooking from leaking outside the protective frame.

(4) Ferrite Core The ferrite core is a component that prevents the magnetic flux generated when current is passed through the induction heating coil from escaping to the outside, and is disposed around the induction heating coil.

(5) Center Sensor The center sensor is a sensor for detecting the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 130 as well as the presence or absence of the inner pot 130, and is biased upward by a coil spring so as to protrude into the opening in the center of the bottom of the protective frame.

(6) Blower Fan Unit The blower fan unit 116 is composed of an axial fan, a heat sink, and the like, and is disposed above the intake port SO of the bottom wall portion 111y of the housing 111a of the housing 111 with the rotation axis of the fan aligned substantially vertically, as described above (see FIG. 3). That is, when the blower fan in the blower fan unit 116 is driven, outside air is sucked in from the intake port SO and flows into the housing 111, and is sent upward as it is. The outside air sent upward is supplied to the power supply circuit board 117 and the like through the heat sink to cool those components and the like.

(7) Power Circuit Board The power circuit board 117 is a board that constitutes a power circuit, and is equipped with an AC power supply, an inverter, a switching power supply, and some heat generating components. The power circuit board 117 is accommodated in the rear space of the housing 111 as shown in FIG. 3. The power circuit board 117 is communicatively connected to an antenna board AB (described later) accommodated in the cover 140 by a wiring (not shown) that extends to the cover 140 via the hinge part 150. As will be described later, the antenna board AB is connected to a relay board RB (described later), and the relay board RB is connected to a control circuit board CB. Therefore, the power circuit board 117 is connected to the relay board RB via the antenna board AB, and is connected to the control circuit board CB via the antenna board AB and the relay board RB.

(8) Automatic Retractable Power Cord Unit Automatic retractable power cord unit 118 is comprised of a power cord and an automatic retracting mechanism (not shown), and is housed in the rear space of housing 111 as shown in Fig. 3. The power cord is comprised of an attachment plug PG (see Figs. 1 and 2) and an electric wire (not shown). The attachment plug PG is disposed at the tip of the electric wire. The electric wire is wound around the automatic retracting mechanism so as to be freely extensible.

2. Inner pot The inner pot 130 is a bowl-shaped pot that opens upward as shown in Fig. 3, and is inserted into the opening of the shoulder member 111c and is housed in the inner pot housing of the protective frame with a specified gap. Note that the inner pot 130 is a multi-layer body (clad material) of various aluminum alloys and stainless steel alloys, and can be induction-heated by an induction heating coil.

3. Lid Lid 140 is rotatably attached to main body 110 via hinge parts 150, as shown in Fig. 3. Lid 140 is mainly composed of a lid substrate 141, an exterior body 142, a group of operation buttons 143, an information display panel DI, a substrate support 144, a control circuit substrate CB, an antenna substrate AB, a relay substrate RB, an inner lid 146, a steam processing unit 147, and an opening/closing mechanism, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 6. These components will be described in detail below.

(1) Lid Substrate Lid substrate 141 supports parts and members such as the steam sensor, and as shown in Fig. 3, is housed inside exterior body 142 and below substrate support portion 144. Also, as shown in Fig. 3, an inner lid 146 is detachably provided on the lower surface of lid substrate 141.

(2) Exterior Body As shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 6, exterior body 142 is a cover member having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and covers the upper side of lid substrate 141. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, a steam processing unit 147 is disposed on the rear side of exterior body 142. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, operation buttons 143 and an open/close button BT are disposed on exterior body 142 such that their upper surfaces are exposed on the upper side of exterior body 142.

(3) Operation Button Group Operation button group 143 is made up of various operation buttons, such as a start/stop button and a button for selecting a rice cooking method, and is used to allow the user to select the operation method of rice cooker 100. As described above, each operation button in operation button group 143 is attached to exterior body 142 so that the upper surface is exposed on the upper side of exterior body 142.

1, the information display panel DI is disposed immediately behind the operation buttons 143. The information display panel DI is used to display various information such as information on the progress of rice cooking and information on the rice cooking menu selected by the user, and is composed of a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

(5) Board Support The board support 144 supports components and members such as the control circuit board CB and the antenna board AB, and is disposed between the exterior body 142 and the cover board 141 as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6. As shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the board support 144 is mainly formed of a main body 144a, a receptacle 144b, and a boss 144c. As shown in Fig. 4, the main body 144a has a rounded rectangular shape in bottom view. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the receptacle 144b bulges downward (is recessed/concave) at the front of the main body 144a. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a notch NO is formed at the left rear of the receptacle 144b to pass the lead wire LW (described later). As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the boss portion 144c is a cylindrical wall portion that extends downward from the left part of the main body portion 144a rearward of the receiving tray portion 144b.

As shown in FIG. 3, a first space SP1 is formed and is surrounded by the exterior body 142 and the tray portion 144b. As shown in FIG. 3, a control circuit board CB is disposed within this first space SP1. As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, a second space SP2 is formed and separated from the first space SP1 and is surrounded by the cover board 141, the rear of the main body portion 144a, and the rear wall portion of the tray portion 144b. As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, an antenna board AB and a relay board RB are disposed within this second space SP2.

(6) Control Circuit Board The control circuit board CB is a board that constitutes the control circuit, and is disposed in the first space SP1 as described above. The control circuit board CB is equipped with electronic components such as a microcomputer, and is communicatively connected to the operation buttons 143 of the lid 140, the steam sensor, etc., as well as to the induction heating coil, center sensor, and blower fan unit 116 of the main body 110. This microcomputer is equipped with a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory stores identification information of the rice cooker 100, various programs for executing the rice cooking process, user's rice cooking status information, etc. In addition, the control circuit board CB is connected to the relay board RB via lead wires LW, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

(7) Antenna Board The antenna board AB is for communicating with a server or the like managed by the manufacturer of the rice cooker 100 via an Internet line, a carrier network, a router, or the like, and is disposed in the second space SP2 together with the relay board RB as described above (that is, the antenna board AB is disposed between the control circuit board CB and the hinge part 150 in a side view as shown in FIG. 3). The antenna board AB is a substantially rectangular plate-like body as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. The antenna board AB is connected to the relay board RB as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. A connector (not shown) is used to connect the antenna board AB and the relay board RB. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a mounting hole AB1 is formed at the front end of the right part of the antenna board AB. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the antenna board AB is attached to the board support portion 144 by passing a screw SC through the mounting hole AB1 and a mounting hole in the boss portion 144c of the board support portion 144.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, an antenna unit AB2 is mounted on the left end of the antenna board AB. The antenna unit AB2 transmits data of the rice cooker 100 (e.g., rice cooking status information, etc.) to a server, etc. via the Internet, a carrier network, a router, etc. The antenna unit AB2 also receives data (e.g., rice cooking control information according to the brand of rice, update programs, etc.) from a server, etc. via the Internet line, a carrier network, a router, etc., and passes the data to the microcomputer of the control circuit board CB via the relay board RB.

(8) Relay Board The relay board RB is used for voltage conversion, board language translation, etc., and is disposed in the second space SP2 together with the antenna board AB as described above. The relay board RB is a substantially rectangular plate-like body as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5.

As described above, the relay board RB is connected to the control circuit board CB via the lead wire LW, and is also connected to the antenna board AB via a connector. In this way, the relay board RB allows the control circuit board CB to be connected to the antenna board AB. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the lead wire LW connects the relay board RB and the control circuit board CB so that it is contained between the right end of the antenna board AB and the boss portion 144c of the board support portion 144 in a bottom view (in other words, it passes through the upper side of the antenna board AB and the right side of the mounting hole AB1 of the antenna board AB (the side opposite the mounting side of the mounting hole AB1 to the antenna part AB2 mounting side)). In other words, the boss portion 144c regulates the position of the lead wire LW so that it does not approach the lower side of the antenna board AB (i.e., the mounting side of the antenna part AB2, etc.).

(9) Inner Lid The inner lid 146 is a member for covering and sealing the upper part of the inner pot 130, as shown in FIG. 3, and is removably attached to the underside of the lid base plate 141.

(10) Steam Processing Unit The steam processing unit 147 traps steam rising from the inner pot 130 during cooking and accumulated sticky rice, and returns them to the inner pot 130, and as described above, is disposed at the rear of the exterior body 142. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the steam processing unit 147 is formed with a steam port BO extending in the left-right direction, and steam is released to the outside through the steam port BO.

(11) Opening/Closing Mechanism The opening/closing mechanism is a mechanism that controls the opening and closing of the lid 140, and is disposed in the front portion of the lid 140. It is mainly composed of an opening/closing button BT and a lever member (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the opening/closing button BT is a rounded rectangular button for opening and closing the lid 140, and is biased upward by a coil spring. The lever member is for maintaining the closed state of the lid 140, and engages with the shoulder member 111c of the housing 111 of the main body 110 when the lid 140 is in the closed state. When opening the lid 140, the user presses down the opening/closing button BT. Then, the lower end portion of the opening/closing button BT abuts against the lever member, and the engagement state between the lever member and the shoulder member 111c is released. Then, the urging force of the hinge part 150 lifts the lid 140 upward, and the lid 140 is in the open state.

4. Hinge Part As described above, the hinge part 150 attaches the cover 140 to the main body 110 so that the cover 140 is rotatable relative to the main body 110. The hinge part 150 biases the cover 140 in the opening direction.

<Features of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention>
(1)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, a first space SP1 is formed, which is surrounded by the exterior body 142 of the lid body 140 and the saucer portion 144b of the substrate support portion 144 of the lid body 140. A control circuit board CB is disposed in this first space SP1. A second space SP2 is formed apart from the first space SP1, which is surrounded by the lid substrate 141 of the lid body 140, the rear portion of the main body portion 144a of the substrate support portion 144, and the rear wall portion of the saucer portion 144b of the substrate support portion 144. An antenna board AB and a relay board RB are disposed in this second space SP2. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, not only the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the antenna board AB but also the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the control circuit board CB can be ensured. This not only makes it possible to arrange the antenna board AB in a position that provides good communication, but also makes it easy to accommodate changes in specifications for the antenna board AB, and further makes it possible to arrange the control circuit board CB while taking into consideration the design, etc. of the operation button group 143.

(2)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, the antenna board AB is disposed between the control circuit board CB and the hinge part 150 in a side view. The power supply circuit board 117 of the main body 110 is communicatively connected to the antenna board AB by wiring extending to the lid body 140 via the hinge part 150, and is connected to the control circuit board CB via the antenna board AB and the relay board RB. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, the wiring extending to the lid body 140 via the hinge part 150 can be shortened. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, it is possible to contribute to reducing the cost of wiring and to make the wiring less susceptible to the effects of noise, etc.

(3)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, the relay board RB is connected to the control circuit board CB via the lead wire LW, and is also connected to the antenna board AB via a connector. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, the relay board RB can be responsible for voltage conversion and board language translation. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, the threshold for changing the specifications of the communication board is low, and it is easy to use the latest antenna board when changing models, etc.

(4)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the present embodiment, the antenna board AB is attached to the board support part 144 by inserting a screw SC through the mounting hole AB1 of the antenna board AB and the mounting hole of the boss part 144c of the board support part 144. The lead wire LW connecting the relay board RB and the control circuit board CB is stored between the right end of the antenna board AB and the boss part 144c of the board support part 144. Therefore, in this rice cooker 100, the boss part 144c of the board support part 144 not only keeps the lead wire LW away from the antenna part AB2 mounted on the antenna board AB, stabilizing the reception and transmission performance of the antenna part AB2, but also arranging the lead wire LW. In addition, in this rice cooker 100, the right part of the antenna board AB can be used as a wall to prevent the lead wire LW from protruding, and the occurrence of a defect such as the lead wire LW covering the antenna part AB2 can be suppressed.

<Modification>
(A)
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the rice cooker 100 having a specific configuration, but the present invention may be applied to rice cookers having other configurations.

(B)
In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the rice cooker 100, but the present invention may also be applied to cooking appliances other than rice cookers (for example, microwave ovens, toaster ovens, bread makers, etc.).

(C)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the previous embodiment, the power supply circuit board 117 was communicatively connected to the antenna board AB by a wiring extending to the lid body 140 via the hinge part 150. However, the power supply circuit board 117 may be communicatively connected to the relay board RB by a wiring extending to the lid body 140 via the hinge part 150. In such a case, the power supply circuit board 117 is connected to the antenna board AB and the control circuit board CB via the relay board RB.

(D)
In the rice cooker 100 according to the previous embodiment, the boss portion 144c of the board support portion 144 extends downward from the left portion of the main body portion 144a of the board support portion 144 rearward of the tray portion 144b of the board support portion 144. The antenna board AB is attached to the board support portion 144 by passing a screw SC through the mounting hole AB1 of the antenna board AB and the mounting hole of the boss portion 144c. However, a boss portion (e.g., cylindrical) extending upward from the lid board 141 located below the antenna board AB may be formed, and the antenna board AB may be attached to the lid board 141 by passing a screw through the mounting hole AB1 of the antenna board AB and the mounting hole of the boss portion. In such a case, the lead wire LW connects the relay board RB and the control circuit board CB so that it is housed between the right end of the antenna board AB and the boss portion of the cover board 141 (in other words, so that it passes under the antenna board AB and to the right of the mounting hole AB1 of the antenna board AB).

The above modifications may be used alone or in combination.

100 Rice cooker (heating cooker)
110 Main body 140 Lid 144c Boss portion 150 Hinge portion (hinge structure)
AB Antenna board (communication board)
AB1 Mounting hole AB2 Antenna part CB Control circuit board (operation board)
LW Lead wire (wiring)
RB Relay board SP1 First space SP2 Second space

Claims (4)

A body having a heating source;
A cover attached to the main body in an openable and closable manner;
An operation board accommodated in the lid;
a communication board accommodated in the lid,
The operation board is disposed in a first space of the lid body,
the communication board is disposed in a second space in the lid body, the second space being spaced apart from the first space ;
The communication board has an antenna unit mounted thereon and a mounting hole formed therein,
the lid is formed with a boss portion for fixing the communication board through the mounting hole,
A cooking appliance in which wiring is passed through the mounting hole on the side opposite the side on which the antenna unit is mounted, as viewed from above . The cover is rotatably attached to the main body via a hinge structure,
The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication board is disposed between the operation board and the hinge structure in a side view. The cooking device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the communication board is connected to the operation board via a relay board. The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the wiring is accommodated between a part of the communication board and a base side part of the boss portion.

Images