JP7531126B2 - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

A conventional rice cooker is known that has a storage section for storing rice and a rice supply section for supplying rice from the storage section to a pot (see Patent Document 1).

The rice supply section of a conventional rice cooker includes a cylindrical rice feed guide and a rice feed shaft that is inserted into the rice feed guide and feeds rice in the axial direction. The rice feed shaft includes rice feed blades that are spirally formed around the axis. When the rice feed shaft rotates around the axis, the rice feed blades push the rice and feed it in the axial direction.

JP 2020-5669 A

If the gap between the inner surface of the rice feed guide and the rice feed blade of the rice feed shaft is narrow, a larger proportion of the rice in the rice feed guide is pushed by the rice feed blade. In this case, the amount of rice fed by the rice feed shaft can be measured with high precision, for example, by the number of rotations of the rice feed shaft. On the other hand, if the gap between the inner surface of the rice feed guide and the rice feed blade of the rice feed shaft is narrow, there is a high possibility that rice grains will get stuck between the inner surface of the rice feed guide and the rice feed blade of the rice feed shaft.

If the gap between the inner surface of the rice feed guide and the rice feed blade of the rice feed shaft is wide, the proportion of rice in the rice feed guide that is not pushed by the rice feed blade increases. In this case, the measurement accuracy of the rice fed by the rice feed shaft decreases, in contrast to when the gap between the inner surface of the rice feed guide and the rice feed blade of the rice feed shaft is narrow.

The object of the present invention is therefore to solve the above problems by providing a rice cooker that can improve the accuracy of measuring rice while reducing clogging of rice grains during rice feeding.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
A rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A pot and
A rice container for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the shaft of the rice moving portion.

The present invention can improve the accuracy of measuring rice while reducing clogging of rice grains during transportation.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice cooker according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the housing open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5 . 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the VII-VII direction of FIG. 5 . 8 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 5 . IX-IX direction of the rice cooker in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the rice container open. FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the upper cover when the movable member is in the protruding position, as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the upper cover when the movable member is in the retracted position, as viewed obliquely from below. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rice supplying member as viewed in the XVI-XVI direction of FIG. 11. 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rice supplying member as viewed in the XVII-XVII direction of FIG. 11. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a rice cooking process. 1 is a graph showing a schematic relationship between time (minutes) and temperature (° C.) in pot 2 during the pre-cooking process, the heating process, the boiling process, and the steaming process.

A rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A pot and
A rice container for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the axis of the rice moving portion.

According to this configuration, the rice supplying member is disposed at the bottom of the rice container. Therefore, the rice contained in the rice container is sent by its own weight through the first opening to the first internal space of the casing of the rice supplying member. As the rice moving part of the rice supplying member rotates around the axis, the rice in the first internal space is pushed by the rice transferring blade and sent to the second internal space. As the rice moving part of the rice supplying member rotates around the axis, the rice in the second internal space is pushed by the rice transferring blade and sent from the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening.

With this configuration, the distance between the rice transfer blade and the second inner surface when viewed in the axial direction is narrower than the distance between the rice transfer blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the axis of the rice moving part. This makes it possible to accurately measure the amount of rice sent from the second internal space to the outside of the rice supply member.

According to this configuration, the distance between the rice transfer blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the axis of the rice transfer section when viewed in the axial direction is wider than the distance between the rice transfer blade and the second inner surface. This reduces the possibility of rice getting stuck between the rice transfer blade and the first inner surface when the rice transfer section sends rice in the first internal space to the second internal space.

The rice moving unit may have one shaft, and the shaft may be arranged across the first internal space and the second internal space. With this configuration, since the rice moving unit has one shaft, the number of parts constituting the rice supplying member can be reduced. In other words, the configuration of the rice supplying member can be simplified.

When viewed in the axial direction, the gap between the rice transfer blade and the first inner surface below the center line of the shaft may be wider the higher it is. With this configuration, when the rice transfer part of the rice supply member rotates around the shaft, the rice inside the casing can be smoothly transferred from the top to the bottom of the rice transfer part.

When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the lower end of the rice transport blade and the first inner surface may be equal to or less than the distance between the rice transport blade and the second inner surface. This configuration reduces the possibility of rice grains getting stuck between the lower end of the rice transport blade and the first inner surface.

The rice supplying member may be detachable from the rice container. With this configuration, the rice supplying member can be easily cleaned by removing it from the rice container.

The casing may include a lower cover that covers the rice moving part from below and an upper cover that covers the rice moving part from above, and the first opening may be a gap formed between the lower cover and the upper cover. With this configuration, since the casing includes a lower cover and an upper cover, the rice moving part can be easily housed in the casing. This makes it easy to assemble the rice supply member.

The lower cover may have a downwardly convex bent shape when viewed in the axial direction, the upper cover may have an upwardly convex bent shape when viewed in the axial direction, the length of the lower end of the upper cover in the vertical direction and in the width direction perpendicular to the axial direction may be shorter than the length of the upper end of the lower cover in the width direction, the rice moving part may rotate such that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves upward on one side of the width direction relative to an imaginary plane that includes the center line of the shaft and extends in the vertical direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves downward on the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary plane, and the center position of the upper cover in the width direction may be located on one side of the width direction relative to the center position of the lower cover in the width direction.

According to this configuration, the rice moving part rotates so that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves upward on one side in the width direction relative to the imaginary plane, and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves downward on the other side in the width direction relative to the imaginary plane. Therefore, when the rice moving part rotates, the rice in the casing on the other side in the width direction relative to the imaginary plane is guided downward by the rotating rice moving part and pulled between the rice transfer blades adjacent in the axial direction. On the other hand, when the rice moving part rotates, the rice in the casing on one side in the width direction relative to the imaginary plane is guided upward by the rotating rice moving part and pushed out from between the rice transfer blades adjacent in the axial direction. As a result, the amount of rice in the casing on the other side in the width direction relative to the imaginary plane tends to be less than the amount of rice on one side in the width direction relative to the imaginary plane.

According to this configuration, the center position of the upper cover in the width direction is located on one side of the center position of the lower cover in the width direction. Therefore, the gap formed between the lower cover and the upper cover is wider on the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface than on one side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface. In other words, of the two first openings formed on one side and the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface, the first opening formed on the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface is wider in the width direction than the first opening formed on one side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface. Therefore, the amount of rice moving by its own weight from the rice container to the casing through the first opening formed on the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface is greater than the amount of rice moving by its own weight from the rice container to the casing through the first opening formed on one side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface. As a result, the amount of rice on the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface and the amount of rice on one side of the width direction relative to the imaginary surface can be made to approach the same amount.

One of the lower cover and the upper cover may be provided with a moving member that is movable between a protruding position where the other of the lower cover and the upper cover is protruding to an assembly position where the other cover is located when the other of the lower cover and the upper cover is assembled to the one of the covers, and a retracted position where the moving member is retracted from the assembly position, and the moving member may be located at the retracted position when the rice moving part is assembled to the one of the covers, and may be located at the protruding position when the rice moving part is not assembled to the one of the covers.

According to this configuration, the moving member is located in the retracted position with the rice moving part assembled to one of the lower cover and the upper cover. In this case, the other of the lower cover and the upper cover can be assembled to one of the lower cover and the upper cover. On the other hand, the moving member is located in the protruding position with the rice moving part not assembled to one of the lower cover and the upper cover. In this case, the other of the lower cover and the upper cover cannot be assembled to one of the lower cover and the upper cover. In other words, according to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the rice supplying member from being assembled without the rice moving part assembled.

The casing may be provided with a plurality of bearings that rotatably support the shaft of the rice moving part, and at least one of the plurality of bearings may be provided in the upper cover. With this configuration, if the upper cover is not attached to the lower cover to which the rice moving part is attached, there will be a shortage of bearings to support the rice moving part. In this case, the casing cannot stably support the rice moving part. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the rice supply member will be assembled without the upper cover attached.

The rice cooker according to one aspect of the present invention may further include an outer cover arranged on the outside of the rice supply member, and the lower cover may include a fitting portion that fits with the outer cover, and the outer cover may include a fitted portion that fits with the fitting portion of the lower cover, and the fitted portion may be held by the lower cover by fitting with the fitting portion.

According to this configuration, the fitting portion of the lower cover fits into the fitted portion of the outer cover, thereby holding the outer cover in place. Therefore, if the lower cover is not attached to the upper cover to which the rice moving portion is attached, the outer cover that is placed on the outside of the rice supplying member cannot be held in place. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the rice cooker will be used with the rice supplying member without the lower cover attached attached to the rice container.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment described below is merely one example of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice cooker according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the housing open. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the rice cooker in Fig. 1. In Figs. 3 and 4, some of the components of the rice cooker have been removed in order to show the internal structure of the rice cooker. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rice cooker in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the VI-VI direction in Fig. 5.

As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the rice cooker 1 includes a cylindrical pot 2 with a bottom, a housing 3 that houses the pot 2, an upper frame 4, a lower frame 5, a hinge portion 6 disposed above the upper frame 4, a lid 7, a heating unit 8, and a control unit 20 that controls the operation of the entire rice cooker 1.

The pot 2 shown in FIG. 4 can be removed from the housing 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 3 is arranged to face the outer periphery of the pot 2 with a gap therebetween. The upper frame 4 and the control unit 20, etc. are arranged in the gap.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the upper frame 4 forms the upper part of the housing 3. The upper frame 4 is provided so as to cover the space between the housing 3 and the pot 2 in a plan view. In other words, the upper frame 4 has an insertion opening 41 in the center in a plan view, through which the pot 2 is inserted. The pot 2 can be inserted into the insertion opening 41 from above. This allows the pot 2 to be accommodated in the housing 3 (see Figure 2). The pot 2 accommodated in the housing 3 can be removed upward from the insertion opening 41. This allows the pot 2 to be removed from the housing 3.

The lower frame 5 forms the lower part of the housing 3.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper frame 4 and the lower frame 5 protrude in the width direction relative to the other parts of the housing 3 than the upper frame 4 and the lower frame 5. The width direction is the left-right direction when the rice cooker 1 is viewed from the front. An opening is formed in the protruding part of the upper frame 4 into which the rice container 100 described below is inserted. The protruding part of the lower frame 5 supports the rice container 100 described below.

As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the cover 7 is attached to the hinge portion 6. The cover 7 can rotate around the hinge portion 6. The cover 7 is supported by the housing 3 so that it can rotate.

The lid 7 can be rotated between the pot open position shown in FIG. 2 and the pot closed position shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

When the lid body 7 rotates, the pivot tip 7A of the lid body 7 moves toward and away from the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. In other words, the lid body 7 covers the opening 2A (see FIG. 2) of the pot 2 in an openable and closable manner. The hinge portion 6 is disposed at the rear of the rice cooker 1. Therefore, the pivot tip 7A of the lid body 7 is located at the front of the rice cooker 1. As a result, when the lid body 7 rotates to the pot open position, the front side of the rice cooker 1 opens (see FIG. 2). This allows the user to easily access the pot 2 and serve rice.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the lid 7 is in the pot-opening position, the pivot tip 7A of the lid 7 is separated from the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. At this time, the lid 7 exposes the pot 2 upward.

As shown in Figures 1 and 6, when the lid body 7 is in the pot closing position, the pivoting tip 7A of the lid body 7 is supported by the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. At this time, the lid body 7 covers the opening 2A (see Figure 2) of the pot 2 from above. As shown in Figure 2, the lid body 7 has an engaging portion 71, and the upper frame 4 of the housing 3 has a mated portion 42. When the lid body 7 is in the pot closing position shown in Figures 1 and 6, the engaging portion 71 and the mated portion 42 engage with each other. This prevents the lid body 7 from unintentionally separating from the upper frame 4 of the housing 3.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rice cooker 1 includes a heating unit 8. The heating unit 8 includes a heating section 81 that heats the pot 2 housed in the housing 3, and a holding section 82 that holds the heating section 81.

The heating unit 81 is, for example, an induction heating (IH) type heating device. An induction heating (IH) type heating device includes a heating coil. An induction heating (IH) type heating device generates eddy currents in the metal pot 2 by a high-frequency magnetic field that is generated when a high-frequency current is passed through the heating coil. This heats the pot 2. The heating unit 81 is located below the pot 2. In this embodiment, the heating unit 81 covers the bottom surface of the pot 2 and the lower part of the outer surface of the pot 2.

The holding section 82 comprises an overheat protection frame 821 and a protective frame cover 822. The overheat protection frame 821 covers the underside of the pot 2 from below and covers the outer side of the pot 2 from the side. The lower part of the overheat protection frame 821 is located between the pot 2 and the heating section 81. The protective frame cover 822 covers the underside of the pot 2 from below and covers the side of the pot 2 from the side. The protective frame cover 822 covers the heating section 81 from below and the side. The protective frame cover 822 and the overheat protection frame 821 hold the heating section 81 in a sandwiched manner.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is a pressure type rice cooker that cooks rice by pressurizing the inside of the pot 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the VII-VII direction of FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 7, a pressure valve 15 is provided inside the lid 7. The pressure valve 15 operates to open and close a hole 14 that connects the inside of the pot 2 to the inside of the lid 7 according to the control of the control unit 20. The inside of the lid 7 is connected to the outside of the rice cooker 1. In other words, when the hole 14 is opened by the pressure valve 15, the inside of the pot 2 is connected to the outside of the rice cooker 1. On the other hand, when the hole 14 is closed by the pressure valve 15, the inside of the pot 2 is isolated from the outside of the rice cooker 1 and the inside of the pot 2 is sealed. In this state, when the water in the pot 2 boils, the inside of the pot 2 is pressurized.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is an automatic-add type rice cooker that automatically moves rice and water to the pot 2 to cook rice. Therefore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rice cooker 1 includes, in the housing 3, a rice container 100 that contains rice, a water container 300 that contains water, and a supply unit 500 that supplies rice and water to the pot 2 contained in the housing 3. The supply unit 500 includes a water supply unit 400 that supplies water contained in the water container 300 to the pot 2 when the rice contained in the rice container 100 is supplied to the pot 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rice container 100 is supported by the lower frame 5 of the housing 3. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the rice container 100 includes a container body 110, a tube portion 120, an outer cover 140, and a lid body 150.

The container body 110 is box-shaped and open at the top. Rice is stored in the internal space 111 of the container body 110 (see Figure 4).

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the VIII-VIII direction of Figure 5. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker as viewed in the IX-IX direction of Figure 5. As shown in Figure 8, the container body 110 has an inclined side surface 112A at the bottom of the rear inner surface 112. The inclined side surface 112A is inclined so that the length of the container body 110 in the front-rear direction gradually decreases downward when viewed in the width direction of the rice cooker 1. The front-rear direction is a direction perpendicular to the front surface 3A of the housing 3 (see Figures 1 and 5), a direction extending up and down on the paper surface of Figure 5, a left-right direction on the paper surface of Figure 8, and a depth direction on the paper surface of Figure 9. The width direction is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, a direction extending left and right on the paper surfaces of Figures 5 and 9, a depth direction on the paper surface of Figure 8, and a left-right direction on the paper surface of Figure 9.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the inclined side surface 112A constituting the lower portion of the rear inner surface 112 of the rice container 100 is inclined, while the front inner surface 113 of the container body 110 facing the rear inner surface 112 is not inclined.

As shown in FIG. 9, the container body 110 has an inclined side surface 114A at the bottom of the right inner surface 114. When the rice cooker 1 is viewed in the front-to-rear direction, the inclined side surface 114A is inclined so that the width of the container body 110 gradually decreases toward the bottom.

The inclined side surface 112A may be formed not only on the lower part of the rear inner surface 112, but also from the lower part to the rest of the lower part. For example, the inclined side surface 112A may be formed from the upper end to the lower end of the rear inner surface 112. In addition, the front inner surface 113 of the container body 110 may be inclined, or both the rear inner surface 112 and the front inner surface 113 of the container body 110 may be inclined.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the inclined side surface 114A constituting the lower portion of the right inner side surface 114 of the rice container 100 is inclined, while the left inner side surface 115 of the container body 110 facing the right inner side surface 114 is not inclined.

The inclined side surface 114A may be formed not only on the lower part of the right inner side surface 114, but also from the lower part to the rest of the lower part. For example, the inclined side surface 114A may be formed from the upper end to the lower end of the right inner side surface 114. The left inner side surface 115 of the container body 110 may be inclined, or both the right inner side surface 114 and the left inner side surface 115 of the container body 110 may be inclined.

Rice supplied to the internal space 111 of the container body 110 slides down the inclined sides 112A and 114A and collects downward.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tube portion 120 constitutes the upper portion of the rice container 100. The tube portion 120 extends upward from the upper end of the container body 110. In other words, the tube portion 120 extends in the up-down direction. The tube portion 120 is open on the lower and upper sides. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the internal space 123 of the tube portion 120 communicates with the internal space 111 of the container body 110 through the lower opening of the tube portion 120. As shown in FIG. 3, the internal space of the tube portion 120 communicates with the outside through the inlet 121, which is the upper opening of the tube portion 120. Rice is supplied from the inlet 121 through the internal space of the tube portion 120 to the internal space 111 of the container body 110.

The cylindrical portion 120 and the container body 110 are integrally formed. The cylindrical portion 120 and the container body 110, which are integrally formed, are inserted into an opening formed in the protruding portion of the upper frame 4. As a result, the container body 110 is positioned below the upper frame 4, and the cylindrical portion 120 is positioned above the upper frame 4. Therefore, the input port 121 of the cylindrical portion 120 is positioned above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3. In addition, the input port 121 of the cylindrical portion 120 is positioned above the pot 2 inserted into the insertion port 41 of the upper frame 4. Note that the cylindrical portion 120 and the container body 110 may be integrally formed with the upper frame 4.

As a result of being configured as described above, the upper frame 4 protrudes from the lower end of the outer surface of the side wall 122 of the tube portion 120 toward the outside of the tube portion 120 in a plan view.

The outer cover 140 shown in FIG. 1 covers the sides of the container body 110 (see FIG. 3). This prevents the container body 110 from being exposed to the outside. On the other hand, the outer cover 140 is located below the tube portion 120 and does not cover the tube portion 120.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice cooker with the lid of the rice container open. As shown in Figure 8, the lid 150 is attached to the hinge portion 160. The hinge portion 160 is located behind the tube portion 120. In other words, the hinge portion 160 is located at the rear of the rice cooker 1. The hinge portion 160 is supported by the container body 110. The lid 150 can rotate around the hinge portion 160.

The lid 150 can be rotated between the inlet open position shown in FIG. 10 and the inlet closed position shown in FIG. 1.

The lid body 150 is box-shaped and open on the bottom. The internal space of the lid body 150 is larger than the cylindrical portion 120 and can accommodate the cylindrical portion 120.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, when the lid body 150 is in the inlet blocking position, the lid body 150 covers the inlet 121 and the side wall 122 of the tube portion 120 from above and accommodates the tube portion 120. At this time, the lid body 150 blocks the inlet 121. Also, at this time, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the inner surface 150A of the lid body 150 faces the side wall 122 of the tube portion 120, and the inner top surface 150C of the lid body 150 faces the inlet 121 of the tube portion 120. The lower end portion 150B (see Fig. 10) of the lid body 150 in the inlet blocking position contacts the upper surface of the upper frame 4 from above. As a result, the lid body 150 in the inlet blocking position is supported by the upper frame 4.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the lid body 150 is in the insertion opening position, the lower end portion 150B of the lid body 150 is separated from the upper frame 4, except for the rear portion connected to the hinge portion 160. At this time, the lid body 150 exposes the tube portion 120 to the outside, and opens the insertion opening 121.

As shown in Figures 4 and 8, the rice sending section 200 includes a rice supply member 600, a rice sending path 700, and a motor 800.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the rice supplying member 600 is disposed at the bottom of the rice container 100. In the following description of the rice supplying member 600, an axial direction 600A and a width direction 600B are specified. The axial direction 600A is the direction in which an axis 611A described later extends (see Figure 11, for example). The width direction 600B is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction 600A and the up-down direction (see Figure 11, for example). In this embodiment, the width direction of the rice supplying member 600 is referred to as "width direction 600B" with a symbol, and the width direction of the rice cooker 1 is referred to as "width direction" without a symbol.

The rice supply member 600 is detachable from the rice container 100, as described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the outer cover 140 includes an opening/closing cover 141. The opening/closing cover 141 is an example of an exterior cover. The opening/closing cover 141 is provided on the front of the outer cover 140. The opening/closing cover 141 is detachable from the rice supply member 600 attached to the rice container 100. When the opening/closing cover 141 is attached to the rice supply member 600, the rice supply member 600 is not exposed to the outside. In this case, the opening/closing cover 141 is disposed on the outside of the rice supply member 600. When the opening/closing cover 141 is removed from the rice supply member 600, the rice supply member 600 disposed at the bottom of the rice container 100 is exposed to the outside. In this case, the rice supply member 600 can be removed from the rice container 100 by pulling it forward. In this case, the rice supply member 600 can be attached to the bottom of the rice container 100 by inserting it backwards.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice supplying member. Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the rice supplying member.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the rice supplying member 600 includes a rice moving part 610 and a casing 620 that covers the rice moving part 610.

Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the rice moving part. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the rice moving part 610 includes a screw 611, a shaft 612, end pieces 613 and 614, and fixing pins 615 and 616.

The screw 611 comprises a shaft 611A and a rice transport blade 611B. The shaft 611A extends along the axial direction 600A. The shaft 611A is cylindrical and has a through hole 611Aa along the axial direction 600A. The rice transport blade 611B is formed in a spiral shape on the outer circumferential surface 611Ab of the shaft 611A.

In this embodiment, the rice transport blades 611B are formed so as to be equally spaced in the axial direction 600A. "Equally spaced in the axial direction 600A" means the following. In other words, when the rice transport blades 611B make one revolution around the outer circumferential surface 611Ab of the shaft 611A, the displacement of the position of the rice transport blades 611B in the axial direction 600A is the same for each revolution.

The shaft rod 612 is inserted into the through hole 611Aa of the shaft 611A of the screw 611. The shaft rod 612 has through holes 612A and 612B.

The end piece 613 has a disk portion 613A and protruding portions 613B and 613C. The protruding portion 613B protrudes from the disk portion 613A in the axial direction 600A. The protruding portion 613C protrudes from the disk portion 613A in the opposite direction to the protruding portion 613B. The protruding portion 613B is inserted into the through hole 611Aa at one end of the screw 611. This allows the end piece 613 to fit with the screw 611. A hole 613Ca is formed in the protruding portion 613C.

The end piece 614 has a disk portion 614A and protruding portions 614B and 614C. The protruding portion 614B protrudes from the disk portion 614A in the axial direction 600A. The protruding portion 614C protrudes from the disk portion 614A in the opposite direction to the protruding portion 614B. The protruding portion 614B is inserted into the through hole 611Aa at the other end of the screw 611. This allows the end piece 614 to fit with the screw 611. A hole 614Ba is formed in the protruding portion 614B.

When the shaft rod 612 is inserted through the through hole 611Aa of the shaft 611A of the screw 611 and the end parts 613 and 614 are engaged with the screw 611, the fixing pin 615 is inserted through the through hole 612A of the shaft rod 612 and the hole 613Ca of the convex part 613C of the end part 613. In this state, the fixing pin 616 is also inserted through the through hole 612B of the shaft rod 612 and the hole 614Ba of the convex part 614B of the end part 614. As a result, the rice moving part 610 is composed of the screw 611, the shaft rod 612, the end parts 613 and 614, and the fixing pins 615 and 616 as shown in FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 12, the casing 620 includes a lower cover 630 and an upper cover 640. The lower cover 630 covers the rice moving unit 610 from below. The upper cover 640 covers the rice moving unit 610 from above.

The lower cover 630 comprises a main body 631, a lower member 632, a pair of engaging members 633, and a pair of springs 634.

The main body 631 has a first portion 631A, a second portion 631B, and a third portion 631C. The first portion 631A extends in the axial direction 600A. The second portion 631B extends in the axial direction 600A from one end of the first portion 631A in the axial direction 600A. In other words, the second portion 631B is in a different position in the axial direction 600A from the first portion 631A. The third portion 631C extends downward from the other end of the first portion 631A in the axial direction 600A.

The first portion 631A and the second portion 631B are curved and convex downward when viewed in the axial direction 600A. The first portion 631A is longer in the width direction 600B than the second portion 631B.

The first portion 631A and the second portion 631B may have any bent shape that is convex downward when viewed in the axial direction 600A, for example, a bent shape that is convex downward when viewed in the axial direction 600A. The first portion 631A and the second portion 631B may have different bent shapes. For example, the first portion 631A may have a curved shape, and the second portion 631B may have a bent shape.

A bearing 631D and multiple ribs 631E are formed on the inner surface 631Aa of the first portion 631A. The inner surface 631Aa is an example of a first inner surface. The bearing 631D is formed at the other end of the first portion 631A. The bearing 631D supports the protrusion 613C of the end part 613 of the rice moving portion 610, thereby rotatably supporting the rice moving portion 610. The multiple ribs 631E are formed at intervals in the axial direction 600A. Each rib 631E is formed at both ends in the width direction 600B so as to sandwich the rice moving portion 610 in the width direction 600B.

An opening 631Bb is formed in the inner surface 631Ba of the second portion 631B. The inner surface 631Ba is an example of a second inner surface. The opening 631Bb is an example of a second opening. The opening 631Bb faces downward.

A wall 631Bc perpendicular to the axial direction 600A is formed at the end of the second portion 631B opposite the first portion 631A. A through hole 631Bd is formed in the wall 631Bc.

The third portion 631C has a protrusion 631Ca that protrudes downward.

The lower member 632 has a hole 632A and a fitting portion 632B. The lower member 632 is assembled to the third portion 631C of the main body 631 by fitting the protrusion 631Ca of the third portion 631C into the hole 632A (see FIG. 11).

The fitting portion 632B protrudes upward. As shown in FIG. 8, the fitting portion 632B can be fitted with the fitting portion 141A provided on the opening and closing cover 141 of the rice container 100. The fitting portion 141A protrudes from the surface facing the inside of the rice cooker 1 when the opening and closing cover 141 is attached. The fitting portion 141A fits with the fitting portion 632B from above. The fitting portion 141A is biased downward by the spring 142. As a result, when the opening and closing cover 141 is moved backward and attached to the rice cooker 1, the backward force acting on the opening and closing cover 141 causes the fitting portion 141A to move upward against the negative force of the spring 142 and overcome the fitting portion 632B. As a result, the fitting portion 632B and the fitting portion 141A fit together. As a result, the opening/closing cover 141 is held by the lower member 632 of the lower cover 630. Meanwhile, conversely to the above, when the opening/closing cover 141 is moved forward and removed from the rice cooker 1, the forward force acting on the opening/closing cover 141 causes the fitted portion 141A to move upward against the negative force of the spring 142 and overcome the fitting portion 632B. This releases the engagement between the fitting portion 632B and the fitted portion 141A.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, each of the pair of engaging members 633 is rotatably supported by the third part 631C of the main body 631 of the lower cover 630 via each of the pair of springs 634. When the rice supplying member 600 is attached to the rice container 100, the pair of engaging members 633 are biased by the springs 634 to engage with the container body 110 (see Figure 3) of the rice container 100. When the rice supplying member 600 is attached to or detached from the rice container 100, the force acting on the rice supplying member 600 causes the engaging members 633 to rotate against the negative force of the springs 634, and the engagement is released.

As shown in FIG. 12, the upper cover 640 includes a main body 641, a movable member 642, and a spring 643.

The main body 641 has a first portion 641A and a second portion 641B. The first portion 641A extends in the axial direction 600A. The second portion 641B extends in the axial direction 600A from one end of the first portion 641A in the axial direction 600A. In other words, the second portion 641B is located at a different position in the axial direction 600A from the first portion 641A.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 12, the first portion 641A has a curved shape that is convex upward when viewed in the axial direction 600A. As shown in Fig. 12, the second portion 641B has a curved shape that is convex upward when viewed in the axial direction 600A. The first portion 641A faces the first portion 631A of the lower cover 630 in the vertical direction. The second portion 641B faces the second portion 631B of the lower cover 630 in the vertical direction. The first portion 641A has approximately the same length in the width direction 600B as the second portion 641B. The upper end of the first portion 641A is located higher than the upper end of the second portion 641B.

The first portion 641A and the second portion 631B may have a curved shape that is convex upward when viewed in the axial direction 600A. For example, the first portion 641A may have a curved shape that is convex upward when viewed in the axial direction 600A, and the second portion 641B may have a curved shape that is convex upward when viewed in the axial direction 600A.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the upper cover when the movable member is in the protruding position, as viewed from diagonally below. Figure 15 is a perspective view of the upper cover when the movable member is in the retracted position, as viewed from diagonally below. Figure 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rice supply member when viewed in the XVI-XVI direction in Figure 11.

The inner surface 641Aa of the first part 641A shown in Figs. 14 and 15 faces the inner surface 631Aa of the first part 631A of the lower cover 630 shown in Fig. 12 in the vertical direction. The inner surface 641Aa is an example of the first inner surface. When the rice supplying member 600 is assembled (see Fig. 11), as shown in Figs. 8 and 16, an internal space 650 defined by the mutually opposing inner surfaces 631Aa and 641Aa is formed inside the casing 620. In this embodiment, the part surrounded by the dashed line in Fig. 16 is the internal space 650. The internal space 650 is an example of the first internal space. Note that when the rice supplying member 600 is assembled, the first part 641A is supported by a rib 631E (see Fig. 12) formed on the first part 631A.

16, the upper end of the first part 631A of the lower cover 630 is longer in the width direction 600B than the lower end of the first part 641A of the upper cover 640. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 16, a gap is formed between the first part 631A of the lower cover 630 and the first part 641A of the upper cover 640. In this embodiment, gaps 651 and 652 are formed at both ends in the width direction 600B. The gaps 651 and 652 face upward and outward in the width direction 600B. As shown in FIG. 9, the gaps 651 and 652 face the internal space 111 of the container body 110 of the rice container 100. In other words, the gaps 651 and 652 communicate the internal space 650 of the casing 620 and the internal space 111 of the container body 110 of the rice container 100. The gaps 651 and 652 are an example of a first opening.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the center position 630C of the lower cover 630 is located between the center position 640C of the upper cover 640 and the gap 651 in the width direction 600B. In other words, the center position 630C is located on the gap 651 side, not the gap 652 side, of the center position 640C in the width direction 600B. In further words, the center position 640C is located on the gap 652 side, not the gap 651 side, of the center position 630C in the width direction 600B. The center position 630C is the middle position between both ends of the lower cover 630 in the width direction 600B. The center position 640C is the middle position between both ends of the upper cover 640 in the width direction 600B. By being configured as described above, the gap 651 is longer in the width direction 600B than the gap 652.

Figure 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the rice supply member as viewed in the XVII-XVII direction of Figure 11.

The inner surface 641Ba of the second part 641B shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 faces the inner surface 631Ba of the second part 631B of the lower cover 630 shown in FIG. 12 in the vertical direction. The inner surface 641Ba is an example of the second inner surface. As shown in FIG. 11, when the rice supplying member 600 is assembled, the second part 631B of the lower cover 630 and the second part 641B of the upper cover 640 form a cylinder. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, an internal space 660 defined by the mutually opposing inner surfaces 631Ba and 641Ba is formed inside the casing 620. As shown in FIG. 8, the internal space 660 is in communication with the internal space 650. In other words, two internal spaces 650 and 660 that are in communication with each other are formed inside the casing 620. The internal space 660 is an example of the second internal space.

As described above, in the lower cover 630, the first portion 631A is longer in the width direction 600B than the second portion 631B. Also, in the upper cover 640, the upper end of the first portion 641A is located higher than the upper end of the second portion 641B. Therefore, the cross-sectional area of the internal space 650 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the internal space 660. The cross-sectional area of the internal space 650 is the area of the portion surrounded by the dashed line in FIG. 16. The cross-sectional area of the internal space 660 is the area of the inner portion of the second portions 631B, 641B in FIG. 17.

The opening 631Bb formed on the inner surface 631Ba of the second part 631B of the lower cover 630 is in communication with the internal space 660. The area below the opening 631Bb is the outside of the rice container 100. Thus, the opening 631Bb connects the internal space 660 to the outside of the rice container 100.

As shown in FIG. 12, a cylindrical portion 641C is formed at the other end of the first portion 641A. The cylindrical portion 641C protrudes from the other end of the first portion 641A in the axial direction 600A. The cylindrical portion 641C has a through hole 641Ca extending in the axial direction 600A. As shown in FIG. 8, the moving member 642 and the spring 643 are disposed in the through hole 641Ca.

As shown in Figures 8 and 12, the base end of the tubular portion 641C is thicker than the tip end of the tubular portion 641C. A step surface 641Cb is formed on the outer surface of the tubular portion 641C. Similarly, a step surface 641Cc is formed on the inner surface of the tubular portion 641C. The step surface 641Cc formed on the inner surface of the tubular portion 641C is the reverse side of the step surface 641Cb formed on the outer surface of the tubular portion 641C. As a result, the diameter of the through hole 641Ca is larger at the base end side of the tubular portion 641C than at the tip end side of the tubular portion 641C.

As shown in FIG. 12, the moving member 642 includes a cylindrical body 642A and a protrusion 642B. The protrusion 642B protrudes from the bottom surface of the cylindrical body 642A in the axial direction 600A. The cylindrical body 642A is located on the base end side of the cylindrical portion 641C. The protrusion 642B is located on the tip end side of the cylindrical portion 641C. As shown in FIG. 8, the spring 643 is disposed around the protrusion 642B. One end of the spring 643 is in contact with the bottom surface of the cylindrical body 642A. The other end of the spring 643 is in contact with a step surface 641Cc formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 641C.

The moving member 642 can move along the axial direction 600A between a protruding position shown in FIG. 14 and a retracted position shown in FIG. 15, as described in detail below. When no external force is acting on the spring 643, the cylindrical body 642A of the moving member 642 protrudes from the tube portion 641C toward the first portion 641A side, as shown in FIG. 14. In other words, the cylindrical body 642A of the moving member 642 protrudes into the internal space 650. The position of the moving member 642 at this time is the protruding position. When a force in a direction that causes the spring 643 to contract acts on the spring 643 from the outside, the moving member 642 moves toward the tube portion 641C side against the biasing force of the spring 643. As a result, the cylindrical body 642A of the moving member 642 retracts from the internal space 650 into the through hole 641Ca of the tube portion 641C, as shown in FIG. 15. The position of the moving member 642 at this time is the retracted position.

As shown in FIG. 14, a bearing 641D is formed on the inner surface 641Ba of the end of the second part 641B opposite the first part 641A. The bearing 641D supports the protrusion 614C (see FIG. 12) of the end part 614 of the rice moving part 610, thereby rotatably supporting the rice moving part 610.

As described above, the bearing 631D is formed on the inner surface 631Aa of the first portion 631A of the lower cover 630, as shown in FIG. 12. That is, in this embodiment, the casing 620 has two bearings (bearings 631D, 641D), and one of the two bearings, bearing 641D, is provided in the upper cover 640.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the rice moving part 610 is sandwiched between the lower cover 630 and the upper cover 640 from above and below, and is covered by the casing 620. At this time, the rice moving part 610 is rotatably supported at both ends in the axial direction 600A by the bearings 631D of the lower cover 630 and the bearings 641D of the upper cover 640.

When the convex portion 613C of the end part 613 of the rice moving part 610 is supported by the bearing 631D, the support is hindered by the convex portion 613C coming into contact with the moving member 642 in the protruding position. Therefore, when the rice moving part 610 is supported by the bearing 641D, the moving member 642 is pressed toward the cylindrical portion 641C by the convex portion 613C. This causes the moving member 642 to move from the protruding position to the retracted position against the biasing force of the spring 642. As a result, the rice moving part 610 is supported by the bearing 631D without being hindered by the moving member 642.

Suppose that the upper cover 640 is assembled to the lower cover 630 when the upper cover 640 does not have the moving member 642. The position of the lower cover 630 at this time is the assembly position. When the lower cover 630 is in the assembly position, the position of the bearing 631D of the lower cover 630 is the same as the moving member 642 in the protruding position. In other words, the moving member 642 in the protruding position protrudes to the assembly position. Therefore, the upper cover 640 cannot be assembled to the lower cover 630 without the rice moving part 610 being assembled. This is because the moving member 642 is biased by the spring 643 to the protruding position unless an external force is acting on the spring 643. On the other hand, when the upper cover 640 is assembled to the lower cover 630 with the rice moving part 610 assembled, the rice moving part 610 can press the moving member 642 to move it to the retracted position as described above. In this embodiment, the tip of the convex portion 613C of the end part 613 of the rice moving part 610 is spherical. When this spherical surface presses the moving member 642 from above, a force in a direction that causes the spring 643 to contract acts on the moving member 642. This causes the moving member 642 to move from the protruding position to the retracted position. In the retracted position, the moving member 642 is retracted from the assembly position and does not occupy the same position as in the assembly position. Therefore, with the rice moving part 610 in place, the upper cover 640 can be assembled to the lower cover 630.

As a result, the moving member 642 is positioned in the retracted position when the rice moving unit 610 is attached to the upper cover 640, and is positioned in the extended position when the rice moving unit 610 is not attached to the upper cover 640.

As shown in FIG. 8, the rice moving part 610 is arranged in both the internal space 650 and the internal space 660 when covered by the casing 620. In other words, the axis 611A of the rice moving part 610 is arranged from the internal space 650 to the internal space 660.

The spacing between each part when the rice moving part 610 is placed inside the casing 620 (as shown in Figure 11) is described below.

The interval G1 shown in FIG. 17 is narrower than the intervals G3 and G4 shown in FIG. 16. The interval G2 shown in FIG. 17 is narrower than the intervals G3 and G4 shown in FIG. 16. The interval G1 is the length between the rice transport blade 611B and the inner surface 631Ba when viewed in the axial direction 600A. The interval G2 is the length between the rice transport blade 611B and the inner surface 641Ba when viewed in the axial direction 600A. In this embodiment, the intervals G1 and G2 are equal. The intervals G3 and G4 are the lengths in the width direction 600B between the rice transport blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa at the same height as the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A of the rice moving part 610. The interval G3 is the length in the width direction 600B on the gap 651 side with respect to the center line 611Ac. The interval G4 is the length on the gap 652 side with respect to the center line 611Ac. In this embodiment, gap G3 is wider than gap G4.

As shown in FIG. 16, when viewed in the axial direction 600A, the distance between the rice transport blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa below the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A is wider the higher up the position. In FIG. 16, three distances G5, G6, and G7 are shown as examples of the distances. In this case, distance G7 is wider than distance G6, and distance G6 is wider than distance G5. In this embodiment, the distances are the shortest distance between a predetermined position and the inner surface 631Aa when the outer periphery of the rice transport blade 611B is set to a predetermined position.

The gap G8 shown in FIG. 16 is equal to the gaps G1 and G2 shown in FIG. 17. The gap G8 is the length between the lower end of the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa when viewed in the axial direction 600A. Note that the gap G8 may be narrower than the gaps G1 and G2. In other words, in this embodiment, the gap G8 may be equal to or smaller than the gaps G1 and G2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the motor 800 is disposed behind the rice supplying member 600. The motor 800 rotates the rice moving part 610 around the axis 611A under the control of the control part 20 (see FIG. 6).

The driving force of the motor 800 is transmitted to the metering blade via the shaft 800A. When the rice supplying member 600 is attached to the rice container 100, the shaft 800A enters the internal space 660 of the casing 620 via a through hole 631Bd (see FIG. 12) formed in the lower cover 630. The shaft 800A that enters the internal space 660 is connected to the end part 614 of the rice moving part 610. This allows the driving force of the motor 800 to be transmitted to the rice moving part 610.

When the rice supply member 600 is removed from the rice container 100 by being pulled forward, the connection between the shaft 800A of the motor 800 and the end piece 614 of the rice moving part 610 is released.

In this embodiment, the rice moving unit 610, to which driving force is transmitted from the motor 800, rotates clockwise in FIG. 16.

This will be described in detail below. When the rice moving part 610 rotates, the outer peripheral surface 611Ab moves upward on the gap 652 side of the width direction 600B relative to an imaginary plane that includes the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A and extends in the vertical direction. On the other hand, when the rice moving part 610 rotates, the outer peripheral surface 611Ab moves downward on the gap 651 side of the width direction 600B relative to the imaginary plane. In this embodiment, the gap 652 side of the width direction 600B relative to the imaginary plane corresponds to one side of the width direction relative to the imaginary plane, and the gap 651 side of the width direction 600B relative to the imaginary plane corresponds to the other side of the width direction relative to the imaginary plane. In FIG. 16, the imaginary plane coincides with the dashed line shown as indicating the center position 640C.

When the rice moving part 610 rotates around the axis 611A, the rice in the internal space 650 of the casing 620 is pushed by the rice transfer blade 611B and sent to the internal space 660. Also, when the rice moving part 610 rotates around the axis 611A, the rice in the internal space 660 of the casing 620 is pushed by the rice transfer blade 611B and sent to just above the opening 631Bb. The rice that has reached just above the opening 631Bb is sent to the outside of the rice container 100 through the opening 631Bb by its own weight.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 17, the gaps G1 and G2 between the inner surfaces 631Ba and 641Ba constituting the internal space 660 and the rice transport blade 611B are small. Therefore, the rice transport blade 611B can transport most of the rice in the internal space 660. The amount of rice transported is proportional to the amount of rotation of the rice transport blade 611B. In addition, the amount of rice that can be sent each time the rice transport blade 611B makes one revolution is determined by the inner diameter of the internal space 660, the size of the rice transport blade 611B, the gap between adjacent rice transport blades 611B, and the diameter of the shaft 611A. Therefore, the amount of rice supplied to the rice feed path 700 can be measured based on, for example, the amount of rotation or rotation time of the rice transport blade 611B.

The rice transport path 700 shown in FIG. 4 is a path for transporting rice supplied from the rice supply member 600 to the pot 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rice sending path 700 is piped from below the rice supplying member 600, facing upward at the rear of the rice cooker 1, to above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3, and then piped approximately horizontally above the upper frame 4 to above the pot 2. One end of the rice sending path 700 communicates with the internal space 660 through the opening 631Bb of the lower cover 630 of the rice supplying member 600. In other words, rice sent by the rice moving section 610 from the internal space 660 to the outside of the rice container 100 through the opening 631Bb is sent to the rice sending path 700. The other end of the rice sending path 700 communicates with the rice separating device 170.

The rice separation device 170 is disposed above the pot 2. The rice separation device 170 is connected to the rice feed path 700 and the exhaust path 180 on the side. The rice separation device 170 is also connected to the inside of the pot 2 on the bottom. The rice separation device 170 is equipped with a rice feed fan. The rice feed fan is an intake fan that transfers the rice and air in the rice feed path 700 to the rice separation device 170 by sucking in the air in the rice feed path 700. The air sucked from the rice feed path 700 into the rice separation device 170 proceeds to the exhaust path 180. The rice sucked from the rice feed path 700 into the rice separation device 170 falls into the pot 2 by its own weight and does not proceed to the exhaust path 180. As a result, the rice and air sucked from the rice feed path 700 into the rice separation device 170 are separated in the rice separation device 170. The air separated in the rice separating device 170 is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker 1 through the exhaust passage 180. The rice separated in the rice separating device 170 is discharged into the inside of the pot 2. Since the structure of the rice separating device 170 for separating the rice and the air is publicly known, further detailed description of the internal structure of the rice separating device 170 will be omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 3, the water container 300 is provided inside the housing 3. The water container 300 has an internal space. Water is stored in the internal space of the water container 300.

The water container 300 is located at the lower front part of the housing 3. The water container 300 is supported by the lower frame 5 of the housing 3. In other words, the water container 300 is located above the lower frame 5.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the water container 300 is located below the pot 2 and the heating unit 8. In a plan view, the water container 300 overlaps with the pot 2 and the heating unit 8. In this embodiment, in a plan view, a portion of the water container 300 overlaps with the pot 2 and the heating unit 8, but the entire water container 300 may overlap with the pot 2 and the heating unit 8.

The water container 300 is located next to the rice container 100. In other words, in a plan view, the rice container 100 is positioned away from the water container 300.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 3 has an opening/closing door 31. The opening/closing door 31 is provided at the bottom of the front surface 3A of the housing 3. When the opening/closing door 31 is opened, the water container 300 (see FIG. 3) arranged inside the housing 3 is exposed to the outside. The water container 300 is removably stored inside the housing 3. To replenish water, the user can pull the exposed water container 300 forward and remove it.

As shown in FIG. 4, the water supply unit 400 includes a water supply channel 410 for transporting water from the water container 300 to the pot 2, and a water supply pump 420 for moving the water.

The water supply channel 410 is piped from the bottom of the water container 300, facing upward at the rear of the rice cooker 1, to above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3, and then piped approximately horizontally above the upper frame 4 to above the pot 2. One end of the water supply channel 410 is connected to the water supply channel inlet 310. The water supply channel inlet 310 is formed in the bottom of the side wall of the water container 300. The internal space of the water container 300 is connected to the water supply channel 410 via the water supply channel inlet 310. The other end of the water supply channel 410 is connected to the inside of the pot 2.

The water supply pump 420 is, for example, a gear pump, a tubing pump, or other pump that can control the direction of water supply. When the water supply pump 420 is driven, the water contained in the water container 300 is supplied to the inside of the pot 2 via the water supply channel 410. The amount of water supplied to the inside of the pot 2 is measured based on, for example, the driving time of the water supply pump 420.

Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 18, the rice cooker 1 is equipped with a reinforcing member 9.

The reinforcing member 9 is located below the heating unit 8 and above the lower frame 5. In other words, the reinforcing member 9 is located between the heating unit 8 and the lower frame 5 in the vertical direction.

Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the reinforcing member. As shown in Figure 19, the reinforcing member 9 has a pair of vertical extensions 91 and a horizontal extension 92. In this embodiment, the pair of vertical extensions 91 and the horizontal extension 92 are integrally formed.

As shown in FIG. 18, one of the pair of vertical extension portions 91, vertical extension portion 91A, is located to the right of the water container 300 when the rice cooker 1 is viewed from the front. The other of the pair of vertical extension portions 91, vertical extension portion 91B, is located to the left of the water container 300 when the rice cooker 1 is viewed from the front. In other words, the pair of vertical extension portions 91 are arranged to sandwich the water container 300 in a plan view.

As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the horizontal extension portion 92 extends in the width direction. One end of the horizontal extension portion 92 in the width direction is connected to the upper end of the vertical extension portion 91A. The other end of the horizontal extension portion 92 in the width direction is connected to the upper end of the vertical extension portion 91B. In other words, the pair of vertical extension portions 91 extend downward from the horizontal extension portion 92.

As shown in FIG. 18, a plate-like member 18 is connected to the lower portion of each of the pair of vertical extension portions 91 by a screw 19. The lower end of the plate-like member 18 is bent. The bent lower end of the plate-like member 18 is supported by the lower frame 5 of the housing 3. In other words, in this embodiment, the pair of vertical extension portions 91 are supported by the lower frame 5 via the plate-like member 18. The pair of vertical extension portions 91 may also be supported directly by the lower frame 5.

In the vertical direction, the lateral extension portion 92 is located between the heating unit 8 and the water container 300. In other words, the lateral extension portion 92 is located directly below the heating unit 8 and directly above the water container 300. In further words, the lateral extension portion 92 overlaps with the heating unit 8 and the water container 300 in a plan view.

In this embodiment, the lateral extension portion 92 is curved as shown in FIG. 19. The lateral extension portion 92 includes a pair of inclined portions 921 and a central portion 922. The pair of inclined portions 921 constitute both ends of the lateral extension portion 92 in the width direction. The central portion 922 is located between the pair of inclined portions 921.

The outer end in the width direction of one of the pair of inclined portions 921 is connected to the vertical extension portion 91A. The outer end in the width direction of the other of the pair of inclined portions 921 is connected to the vertical extension portion 91B. The inner end in the width direction of each of the pair of inclined portions 921 is connected to the central portion 922. Each of the pair of inclined portions 921 is inclined with respect to the width direction so as to be positioned forward as it approaches the central portion in the width direction. The central portion 922 extends along the width direction.

Because of the above configuration, in plan view, the horizontal extension portion 92 is bent so as to be positioned further forward as it moves away from the vertical extension portion 91, as shown in FIG. 18. The horizontal extension portion 92 bent forward in plan view is out of the center of the pot 2 and is forward. The horizontal extension portion 92 may also be bent so as to be positioned further backward as it moves away from the vertical extension portion 91.

19, a through hole 93 is formed at the boundary between the central portion 922 and the inclined portion 921 in the horizontal extension portion 92. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the holding portion 82 of the heating unit 8 has a supported portion 823. The supported portion 823 is formed on the outer surface of the protective frame cover 822 and extends downward. The lower end of the supported portion 823 is inserted into the through hole 93 of the horizontal extension portion 92. The supported portion 823 has a large diameter portion 823A, which has a larger diameter than the other portions of the supported portion 823, above the lower end of the supported portion 823. The large diameter portion 823A is supported by the upper surface of the horizontal extension portion 92. In other words, the horizontal extension portion 92 supports the holding portion 82 of the heating unit 8. The position where the through hole 93 is formed is not limited to the above position, and the through hole 93 can be formed at any position of the horizontal extension portion 92. Additionally, the supported portion 823 is located directly above the through hole 93.

In this embodiment, the supported portion 823 is located directly below the pivot tip 7A of the lid body 7 in the pot closing position, as shown in FIG. 6. In other words, when the lid body 7 is in the pot closing position, the through hole 93 formed at the support position for the holding portion 82 of the horizontal extension portion 92 is located directly below the pivot tip 7A. The supported portion 823 may be located directly below the fitting position between the fitting portion 71 of the lid body 7 and the fitting portion 42 of the upper frame 4 of the housing 3.

The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the rice cooker 1. For example, the control unit 20 includes a program stored in a memory unit (not shown) and a processor 22 (see FIG. 6) that reads and executes the program. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 20 includes a printed circuit board 21 and electronic components mounted on the printed circuit board 21. The electronic components are, for example, the processor 22, a memory unit, a heat sink 23, and various other electronic components 24.

The printed circuit board 21 is disposed behind the water container 300 and the pot 2. The front side of the printed circuit board 21 faces rearward. The back side of the printed circuit board 21 faces forward. The processor 22, memory unit, heat sink 23, and various other electronic components 24 are mounted on the front side of the printed circuit board 21.

The control unit 20 may control the overall operation of the rice cooker 1 by using wired logic, which is not programmable. In this case, the control unit 20 may include an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) as an example of wired logic instead of the CPU and memory unit, or in addition to at least one of the CPU and memory unit.

The rice cooking process of the rice cooker 1, which is executed under the control of the control unit 20, is described below. When the control unit 20 acquires cooking instruction information from outside the control unit 20, it starts the rice cooking process. For example, the cooking instruction information is sent from an input unit to the control unit 20 in response to a cooking instruction input by a user through an input unit such as a switch or touch panel provided on the housing 3 and lid 7 of the rice cooker 1. Also, for example, the cooking instruction information may be a cooking instruction input by a user on an external device such as a smartphone or personal computer, and sent from the external device to the control unit 20 of the rice cooker 1. In this case, the rice cooker 1 and the external device are configured to be able to communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly.

Figure 20 is a flow chart showing an example of the rice cooking process. As shown in Figure 20, the rice cooking process starts when the rice cooking instruction as described above is received (S10). The rice cooking process includes a rice sending process S20, a water sending process S30, a pre-cooking process S40, a heating process S50, a boiling process S60, and a steaming process S70.

In the rice sending step S20, the control unit 20 determines the amount of rice required for cooking in accordance with the cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the rice sending unit 200 to send the determined amount of rice from the rice container 100 into the pot 2.

In the water supply step S30, the control unit 20 determines the amount of water required for cooking rice in accordance with the cooking instruction. The control unit 20 controls the water supply unit 400 to send the determined amount of water from the water container 300 into the pot 2.

The rice sending step S20 and the water sending step S30 may be performed in parallel. The water sending step S3 may be performed prior to the rice sending step S2.

Figure 21 is a graph that shows a schematic diagram of the relationship between time (minutes) and temperature (°C) inside pot 2 during the pre-cooking process, heating process, boiling process, and steaming process.

As shown in FIG. 21, in the pre-cooking process S40, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2. At this time, the control unit 20 keeps the temperature inside the pot 2 below the gelatinization temperature (e.g., 55°C) to allow the rice to absorb water. The control unit 20 recognizes the temperature inside the pot 2 based on information input from a temperature sensor (not shown).

The temperature sensor is disposed below and adjacent to the pot 2. The temperature sensor is disposed below the center of the pot 2 in a plan view. The temperature sensor detects the temperature inside the pot 2 by detecting the temperature at the bottom of the pot 2. The temperature sensor outputs information related to the detected temperature.

In the temperature-raising step S50, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 more strongly than in the pre-cooking step S40, raising the temperature inside the pot 2 and bringing the pot 2 to a boiling state.

In the boiling step S60, the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 less strongly than in the temperature increasing step S50. However, the heating intensity of the heating unit 81 is maintained at a level that maintains the boiling of the water in the pot 2.

In the boiling step S60, the control unit 20 opens and closes the pressure valve 15. By closing the pressure valve 15, the pressure inside the pot 2 increases. Note that in FIG. 21, the pressure valve 15 is closed three times, causing the pressure inside the pot 2 to increase three times, but the number of times the pressure valve 15 is closed is not limited to three. When the pressure valve 15 is opened, the pressure inside the pot 2 drops suddenly to near atmospheric pressure, causing bumping. Bubbles generated by the bumping stir the rice grains.

When the water in pot 2 is depleted due to absorption by the rice and boiling, the temperature in pot 2 rises due to heating and becomes higher than the boiling point of water (100°C). When the temperature in pot 2 reaches a temperature higher than the boiling point of water (e.g. 120°C), the control unit 20 controls the heating unit 81 to stop heating pot 2. This period during which heating of pot 2 is stopped is the steaming process S70.

In the steaming process S70, the control unit 20 closes the pressure valve 15 for a short time and controls the heating unit 81 to heat the pot 2 for a short time. This causes the water droplets adhering to the underside of the lid 7 that covers the pot 2 from above to evaporate.

According to this embodiment, the rice supplying member 600 is disposed at the bottom of the rice container 100. Therefore, the rice stored in the rice container 100 is sent by its own weight through the gaps 651, 652 to the internal space 650 of the casing 620 of the rice supplying member 600. When the rice moving part 610 of the rice supplying member 600 rotates around the axis 611A, the rice in the internal space 650 is pushed by the rice transferring blade 611B and sent to the internal space 660. When the rice moving part 610 of the rice supplying member 600 rotates around the axis 611A, the rice in the internal space 660 is pushed by the rice transferring blade 611B and sent from the internal space 660 to the outside of the rice container 100 through the opening 631Bb.

According to this embodiment, when viewed in the axial direction 600A, the distance G1 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Ba and the distance G2 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 641Ba are narrower than the distances G3 and G4 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa at the same height as the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A of the rice moving part 610. This makes it possible to accurately measure the amount of rice sent from the internal space 660 to the outside of the rice supplying member 600.

According to this embodiment, when viewed in the axial direction 600A, the gaps G3 and G4 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa at the same height as the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A of the rice transfer section 610 are wider than the gap G1 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Ba and the gap G2 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 641Ba. This reduces the possibility of rice getting stuck between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa when the rice transfer section 610 sends rice in the internal space 660 to the internal space 650.

According to this embodiment, the rice moving part 610 has only one shaft 611A, so the number of parts constituting the rice supplying member 600 can be reduced. In other words, the configuration of the rice supplying member 600 can be simplified.

According to this embodiment, when viewed in the axial direction 600A, the gap between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa below the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A is wider the higher up the gap is. Therefore, when the rice transfer part 610 of the rice supply member 600 rotates around the shaft 611A, the rice in the casing 620 can be smoothly transferred from the top to the bottom of the rice transfer part 610.

According to this embodiment, the gap G8, which is the length between the lower end of the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa when viewed in the axial direction 600A, is equal to or less than the gap G1 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Ba, and equal to or less than the gap G2 between the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 641Ba. This reduces the possibility of rice grains getting stuck between the lower end of the rice transfer blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa.

According to this embodiment, the rice supplying member 600 can be easily cleaned by removing the rice supplying member 600 from the rice container 100.

In this embodiment, the casing 620 includes a lower cover 630 and an upper cover 640, so the rice moving part 610 can be easily housed in the casing 620. This makes it easy to assemble the rice supplying member 600.

According to this embodiment, the rice moving part 610 rotates so that the outer peripheral surface 611Ab of the shaft 611A moves upward on the gap 652 side relative to a virtual plane that includes the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A and extends in the vertical direction, and the outer peripheral surface 611Ab of the shaft 611A moves downward on the gap 651 side relative to the virtual plane. Therefore, when the rice moving part 610 rotates, the rice in the casing 620 on the gap 651 side relative to the virtual plane is guided downward by the rotating rice moving part 610 and pulled between the adjacent rice transfer blades 611B in the axial direction 600A. On the other hand, when the rice moving part 610 rotates, the rice in the casing 620 on the gap 652 side relative to the virtual plane is guided upward by the rotating rice moving part 610 and pushed out from between the adjacent rice transfer blades 611B in the axial direction 600A. Therefore, if gap 651 and gap 652 are the same size, then of the rice in casing 620, the amount of rice on the gap 651 side of the imaginary surface is likely to be less than the amount of rice on the gap 652 side of the imaginary surface.

According to this embodiment, the center position 640C of the upper cover 640 in the width direction 600B is located in the gap 652 in the width direction 600B with respect to the center position 640C of the lower cover 630 in the width direction 600B. Therefore, the gap 651 formed between the lower cover 630 and the upper cover 640 is wider in the width direction 600B than the gap 652 formed between the lower cover 630 and the upper cover 640. Therefore, the amount of rice moving by its own weight from the rice container 100 to the inside of the casing 620 through the gap 651 is greater than the amount of rice moving by its own weight from the rice container 100 to the inside of the casing 620 through the gap 652. As a result, the amount of rice on the gap 651 side with respect to the imaginary plane and the amount of rice on the gap 652 side with respect to the imaginary plane can be made to approach the same amount.

According to this embodiment, the moving member 642 is located in the retracted position with the rice moving unit 610 assembled to the upper cover 640. In this case, the lower cover 630 can be assembled to the upper cover 640. On the other hand, the moving member 642 is located in the protruding position with the rice moving unit 610 not assembled to the upper cover 640. In this case, the lower cover 630 cannot be assembled to the upper cover 640. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the rice supply member 600 from being assembled with the rice moving unit 610 not assembled.

According to this embodiment, if the upper cover 640 is not attached to the lower cover 630 to which the rice moving part 610 is attached, the rice moving part 610 is not supported by the bearing 641D provided on the upper cover 640. In other words, there is a shortage of bearings to support the rice moving part 610. In this case, the casing 620 cannot stably support the rice moving part 610. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the rice supply member 600 will be assembled without the upper cover 640 attached.

According to this embodiment, the fitting portion 632B of the lower cover 630 fits into the fitted portion 141A of the opening/closing cover 141, thereby holding the opening/closing cover 141 in place. Therefore, if the lower cover 630 is not attached to the upper cover 640 to which the rice moving portion 610 is attached, the opening/closing cover 141, which is located outside the rice supplying member 600, cannot be held. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the rice cooker 1 will be used in a state in which the rice supplying member 600 to which the lower cover 630 is not attached is attached to the rice container 100.

In this embodiment, the opening 631Bb (see FIG. 12) formed in the lower cover 630 of the casing 620 faces downward. However, the opening 631Bb may face diagonally downward. In other words, the opening 631Bb may face a direction that has a downward component. The opening 631Bb may also face in the axial direction 600A. In this case, the rice in the internal space 660 of the casing 620 is pushed by the rice transport blade 611B and sent along the axial direction 600A to the opening 631Bb, and is pushed out from the opening 631Bb to the outside of the rice supplying member 600.

In this embodiment, the gaps 651 and 652 face upward and outward in the width direction 600B. However, the gaps 651 and 652 may face only upward. The gaps 651 and 652 may also face diagonally upward. In other words, the gaps 651 and 652 may face in a direction that has an upward component.

In this embodiment, the casing 620 is composed of a lower cover 630 that is bent in a downward convex shape and an upper cover 640 that is bent in an upward convex shape, and has a shape as shown in FIG. 11, etc. However, the shape of the casing 620 is not limited to the shape as shown in FIG. 11, etc. For example, the lower cover 630 may be in a flat plate shape. Also, for example, the casing 620 may be a single cylindrical member.

In this embodiment, the gaps 651, 652 formed between the lower cover 630 and the upper cover 640 are an example of the first opening. However, the first opening is not limited to the gaps 651, 652 as described above. For example, if the casing 620 is a cylindrical member, the first opening may be a through hole formed in the surface facing upward of the cylindrical member.

In this embodiment, the rice moving unit 610 is arranged in both the internal space 650 and the internal space 660 while covered by the casing 620 (see FIG. 8). That is, the shaft 611A of the rice moving unit 610 is arranged from the internal space 650 to the internal space 660. However, the rice moving unit 610 may have a plurality of shafts and rice transfer blades corresponding to each of the plurality of shafts. For example, the rice moving unit 610 may have a first shaft arranged in the internal space 650, a first rice transfer blade formed in a spiral shape around the first shaft, a second shaft arranged in the internal space 660, and a second rice transfer blade formed in a spiral shape around the second shaft. In this case, the first shaft and the second shaft may be connected or not connected. When the first shaft and the second shaft are not connected, for example, the first shaft and the second shaft are individually controlled by the control unit 20.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the distance between the rice transport blade 611B and the inner surface 631Aa below the center line 611Ac of the shaft 611A in the axial direction 600A is wider the higher the position, but this is not limited to this. For example, the distance may be the same regardless of the vertical position.

In this embodiment, the gap G8 shown in FIG. 16 is equal to or smaller than the gaps G1 and G2 shown in FIG. 17. However, the gap G8 may be wider than the gaps G1 and G2.

In this embodiment, the rice supplying member 600 is detachable from the rice container 100. However, the rice supplying member 600 may be fixed to the rice cooker 1.

In this embodiment, the moving member 642 is provided on the upper cover 640. However, the moving member 642 may also be provided on the lower cover 630.

In this embodiment, the casing 620 has two bearings (bearings 631D, 641D). However, the casing 620 may have three or more bearings. Even in this case, it is desirable that at least one of the multiple bearings is provided in the upper cover 640, as in this embodiment.

In this embodiment, the rice container 100 is positioned away from the water container 300 in a plan view. However, the rice container 100 and the water container 300 may overlap in a plan view.

In this embodiment, the input port 121 of the tube portion 120 is located above the upper frame 4 of the housing 3 and the pot 2 inserted into the insertion port 41 of the upper frame 4. However, the height of the input port 121 may be lower than the height of the upper frame 4 or lower than the height of the pot 2.

In this embodiment, the lid body 150 opens and closes the inlet 121 of the rice container 100 by rotating, and the lid body 7 exposes and closes the pot 2 by rotating. However, the means for moving the lid body 150 and the lid body 7 is not limited to rotation. For example, the lid body 150 and the lid body 7 may move by sliding instead of rotating. Also, for example, the lid body 150 and the lid body 7 may move by being attached and detached.

The shape and position of the reinforcing member 9 are not limited to those shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The reinforcing member 9 may be located between the heating unit 8 and the water container 300 in the vertical direction, support the heating unit, and be supported by the lower frame 5.

In this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 is a pressure type rice cooker, but it may be a rice cooker other than a pressure type.

In addition, any of the various embodiments described above can be combined as appropriate to achieve the effects of each.

Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiment with appropriate reference to the drawings, various modifications and alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and alterations are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom.

1 Rice cooker 2 Pot 100 Rice container 111 Internal space 141 Openable cover (outer cover)
141A: fitted part 600: rice supplying member 600A: axial direction 600B: width direction 610: rice moving part 611A: shaft 611Ab: outer circumferential surface 611B: rice transporting blade 620: casing 630: lower cover 630C: center position 631Aa: inner surface (first inner surface)
631Ba Inner surface (second inner surface)
631Bb opening (second opening)
631D Bearing 632B Fitting portion 640 Upper cover 640C Center position 641Aa Inner surface (first inner surface)
641Ba Inner surface (second inner surface)
641D bearing 642 moving member 650 internal space (first internal space)
651 Gap (first opening)
652 Gap (first opening)
660 Internal space (second internal space)

Claims (14)

A pot and
A rice container having an internal space for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the first opening extends along the axial direction so as to face the entire lower end of the internal space in the axial direction, and is defined by a plurality of ribs formed at intervals along the axial direction on the first inner surface ,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
A rice cooker in which, as viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the axis of the rice moving part. The rice moving unit has one of the shafts,
The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the shaft is disposed across the first internal space and the second internal space. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the rice conveying blade and the first inner surface below the center line of the shaft in the axial direction is wider the higher the distance is. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the distance between the lower end of the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface when viewed in the axial direction is equal to or less than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rice supply member is detachable from the rice container. The casing comprises:
A lower cover that covers the rice moving unit from below;
An upper cover that covers the rice moving unit from above,
The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening is a gap formed between the lower cover and the upper cover. The lower cover has a downwardly convex bent shape as viewed in the axial direction,
The upper cover has an upwardly convex bent shape as viewed in the axial direction,
a length of a lower end of the upper cover in a vertical direction and in a width direction perpendicular to the axial direction is shorter than a length of an upper end of the lower cover in the width direction;
The moving part rotates so that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves upward on one side in the width direction with respect to a virtual plane that includes a center line of the shaft and extends in the up-down direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves downward on the other side in the width direction with respect to the virtual plane,
The rice cooker according to claim 6 , wherein a center position of the upper cover in the width direction is located on one side in the width direction with respect to a center position of the lower cover in the width direction. one of the lower cover and the upper cover includes a movable member that is movable between a protruding position where the other cover protrudes to an assembly position where the other cover is located when the other cover is assembled to the one cover, and a retracted position where the other cover is retracted from the assembly position;
The rice cooker according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the movable member is positioned in the retracted position when the rice moving part is attached to the one of the covers, and is positioned in the protruding position when the rice moving part is not attached to the one of the covers. The casing includes a plurality of bearings that rotatably support the shaft of the rice moving part,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of bearings is provided in the upper cover. Further, an exterior cover is disposed on the outside of the rice supply member,
the lower cover includes a fitting portion that fits with the exterior cover,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the outer cover has a mating portion that mates with the mating portion of the lower cover, and the outer cover is held by the lower cover by mating the mating portion with the mating portion. A pot and
A rice container for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the shaft of the rice moving part,
A rice cooker in which, as viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface below the center line of the shaft is wider the higher it is located. A pot and
A rice container for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the shaft of the rice moving part,
The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the lower end of the rice-transporting blade and the first inner surface is equal to or smaller than the distance between the rice-transporting blade and the second inner surface when viewed in the axial direction. A pot and
A rice container for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the shaft of the rice moving part,
The casing comprises:
A lower cover that covers the rice moving portion from below and has a downwardly convex bent shape when viewed in the axial direction;
An upper cover that covers the rice moving part from above and has an upwardly convex bent shape when viewed in the axial direction,
the first opening is a gap formed between the lower cover and the upper cover,
a length of a lower end of the upper cover in a vertical direction and in a width direction perpendicular to the axial direction is shorter than a length of an upper end of the lower cover in the width direction;
The moving part rotates so that the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves upward on one side in the width direction with respect to a virtual plane that includes a center line of the shaft and extends in the up-down direction, and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft moves downward on the other side in the width direction with respect to the virtual plane,
A rice cooker in which a center position of the upper cover in the width direction is located on one side in the width direction with respect to a center position of the lower cover in the width direction. A pot and
A rice container for storing rice;
A rice supplying member is disposed under the rice container and supplies the rice contained in the rice container to the pot.
The rice supplying member includes:
A rice moving part having a shaft and a rice moving blade formed in a spiral shape on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft;
A casing that covers the rice moving part,
A first internal space is defined by a first inner surface of the casing, and a second internal space is defined by a second inner surface of the casing at a position different from the first inner surface in the axial direction of the shaft of the rice moving part, and the second internal space is communicated with the first internal space.
The casing is formed with a first opening that faces in a direction having an upward component and communicates the first internal space with the internal space of the rice container, and a second opening that faces in a direction having a downward component or in the axial direction and communicates the second internal space with the outside of the rice container,
the rice moving unit is disposed in the first internal space and the second internal space, and rotates around the axis to send rice in the first internal space to the second internal space, and sends rice in the second internal space to the outside of the rice container through the second opening;
When viewed in the axial direction, the distance between the rice transporting blade and the second inner surface is narrower than the distance between the rice transporting blade and the first inner surface at the same height as the center line of the shaft of the rice moving part,
The casing comprises:
A lower cover that covers the rice moving unit from below;
An upper cover that covers the rice moving unit from above,
the first opening is a gap formed between the lower cover and the upper cover,
one of the lower cover and the upper cover includes a movable member that is movable between a protruding position where the other cover protrudes to an assembly position where the other cover is located when the other cover is assembled to the one cover, and a retracted position where the other cover is retracted from the assembly position;
The moving member is positioned at the retracted position when the rice moving part is assembled to one of the covers, and is positioned at the protruding position when the rice moving part is not assembled to one of the covers.

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