JP7539324B2 - Cooking equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking device.

Patent document 1 discloses a cooking appliance in which a flat cable is led out from the display unit and connected to a connector on the circuit board with a certain amount of slack, and is held down against the circuit board by a rib.

JP 2015-008877 A

However, in the cooking device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the ribs merely hold down the slack in the flat cable when it is connected to the connector on the circuit board. Therefore, there is no disclosure of how to store the routed flat cable in a specified position.

For example, if the flat cable routed in the lid is not stored in a specified position, the position of the flat cable cannot be visually confirmed when closing the cover (top panel) of the lid during assembly. Furthermore, when changing the direction of the flat cable during routing, the flat cable needs to be bent. At that time, a slight elastic force acts on the bent part, causing the flat cable to float. This causes slack in the routed flat cable, and the flat cable may be stored inside the lid in an unintended state. That is, for example, the flat cable may get caught between parts, causing poor contact between the parts, or the flat cable may break. Therefore, if the flat cable is not stored in a specified position, it may cause a decrease in assembly accuracy, i.e., a decrease in quality.

The objective of the present invention is to store the laid flat cable in a specified position in a cooking appliance and improve assembly precision.

The present invention provides a cooking appliance comprising a main body, a lid body attached to the top of the main body so as to be freely opened and closed and having a bottom with a recess, an opening provided in the recess, a substrate having a first connector disposed in the recess and spaced apart from the opening, a first flat cable having one end connected to the first connector, wired into the recess, and extending from the recess to the outside of the recess via the opening, and a holding mechanism for holding the first flat cable to the bottom in the recess.

According to the cooking appliance of the present invention, the first flat cable that is routed from the first connector to the opening can be stored in a predetermined position on the bottom by the holding mechanism. This can improve assembly accuracy.

The cooking appliance may further include a liquid crystal holding portion that holds the liquid crystal display unit in the recess, and the holding mechanism may be a first rib provided on the liquid crystal holding portion.

With the above configuration, the holding mechanism is provided in the liquid crystal holding section, so there is no need to provide the holding mechanism as a separate part, making it possible to secure a large space for the recess, and improving design freedom.

The LCD holding section may include a bottom plate on which the LCD display section is placed, and a side wall section extending upward from the entire periphery of the bottom plate relative to the surface of the bottom plate, and the first rib may be a plate member protruding outward from the side wall section parallel to the surface of the bottom plate.

According to the above configuration, the first flat cable can be held by the first rib so that it is pressed against the bottom. Therefore, the holding mechanism can be configured at the same time as placing the liquid crystal holding part in the recess. In other words, a holding mechanism that stores the first flat cable in a predetermined position can be configured with a simplified configuration and assembly process.

The retention mechanism may be a second rib provided on the bottom.

With the above configuration, since the second rib is provided on the lower cover, the first flat cable can be stored in a predetermined position on the lower cover without the need for components such as an LCD holder.

The recess may include a guide portion, and the first flat cable may be routed along the guide portion.

The above configuration suppresses or prevents the first flat cable from moving horizontally, allowing the first flat cable to be stored in a specified position more reliably. In addition, it serves as a marker for the routing position of the first flat cable, preventing installation errors during assembly.

The cooking appliance may also include a second connector provided on the substrate near the opening, and a second flat cable having one end connected to the second connector and extending from the recess to the outside of the recess through the opening.

According to the above configuration, both the first flat cable and the second flat cable extend from the same opening to the outside of the recess. In other words, multiple flat cables can be placed in the recess without creating a new opening in the recess.

The cooking device of the present invention allows the laid flat cable to be stored in a specified position, improving assembly precision.

1 is a perspective view of a cooking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a lid of a cooking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a plan view of a cooking appliance according to a first embodiment of the present invention with a top panel, a liquid crystal display unit, and a switch spacer removed from the lid. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a rear view of the cooking appliance according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of portion VII of FIG. 6 excluding the rear cover. FIG. 5 is a plan view similar to FIG. 3 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8 .

First Embodiment
The rice cooker (cooking device) 1 of this embodiment will be described below. In the following description, the front side refers to the side where a user normally sits when operating the rice cooker, and the back side refers to the side opposite the front side with respect to the rice cooker 1. The right side refers to the right side as seen from a user when operating the rice cooker 1 from the front side, and the left side refers to the left side as seen from a user when operating the rice cooker 1 from the front side. The front-rear direction refers to the direction connecting the front side and the back side as seen from the front side, and the width direction refers to the direction connecting the right side and the left side as seen from the front side.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the rice cooker 1 comprises a main body 3 and a lid 4. The lid 4 is attached to the top of the main body 3 so as to be freely opened and closed. The lid 4 comprises a bottom 80 and a top panel 10 that covers an upper surface 89 of the bottom 80.

The top panel 10 is provided with a transparent section 11 and an operation section 12. The transparent section 11 is a transparent portion that allows the user to see the liquid crystal display section 20, such as an LCD display, which displays various information such as the cooking course and cooking time. The operation section 12 has a number of buttons 12a for selecting a cooking course, starting cooking, canceling cooking, setting a timer, etc. The buttons 12a are arranged around the transparent section 11, i.e., the liquid crystal display section 20, except for the rear side. The user can select a specific cooking course on the operation section 12 while referring to the display content of the liquid crystal display section 20, and give the command to start cooking.

A steam vent 81 is provided on the back side of the top panel 10 through which steam is released when cooking rice.

An open button 82 is provided on the front side of the top panel 10 for opening the lid 4 relative to the main body 3. When the lid 4 is closed relative to the main body 3, pressing the open button 82 opens the lid 4 relative to the main body 3.

The bottom 80 is a molded resin part, and has a recess 83 in approximately the center when viewed from above. The recess 83 is a portion recessed from the top surface 89 of the bottom 80. The recess 83 also contains the substrate 70, the switch spacer 60, the first flat cable 40, the second flat cable 50, the LCD holding unit 30, and the LCD display unit 20.

Referring to Figures 2 and 7, the first flat cable 40 has first flat cable connectors 41, 42 at both ends. The second flat cable 50 has second flat cable connectors 51, 52 at both ends.

Referring to Figures 2, 3, and 4, the recess 83 has a raised portion 84 provided on the back side, and a guide portion 86 provided on the top surface 84a of the raised portion 84. The raised portion 84 and the guide portion 86 are molded integrally with the bottom portion 80. The guide portion 86 has ridges 86a, 86b that are provided linearly across the entire width of the raised portion 84 and protrude from the top surface 84a. The ridges 86a, 86b are aligned parallel to each other with a gap between them in the front-to-rear direction.

In addition, a roughly rectangular opening 88 is provided on the bottom surface 87 on the right side of the rear side of the recess 83.

Referring to FIG. 2, a switch spacer 60 and a liquid crystal holding part 30 are attached to the upper surface of a substrate 70. A plurality of guide ribs 61 are provided on the switch spacer 60. The switch spacer 60 is attached to the substrate 70 by inserting the guide ribs 61 into guide rib attachment parts 71 provided on the substrate 70. Similarly, a plurality of guide ribs 31 are provided on the liquid crystal holding part 30. The liquid crystal holding part 30 is attached to the substrate 70 by inserting the guide ribs 31 into guide rib attachment parts 72 provided on the substrate 70. As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid crystal holding part 30 is disposed approximately in the center of the recess 83.

Referring to FIG. 2, the substrate 70 has a generally rectangular shape with cutouts 73-75. The substrate 70 has a second connector 77 at the right corner, i.e., near the opening 88. The substrate 70 also has a first connector 76 at the left corner, i.e., spaced apart from the opening 88. One end of the first flat cable 40, i.e., the first flat cable connector 41, is connected to the first connector 76. One end of the second flat cable 50, i.e., the second flat cable connector 51, is connected to the second connector 77.

The switch spacer 60 has multiple operation interlocking parts 62. Each of the multiple operation interlocking parts 62 is provided in correspondence with the button 12a, and can move up and down in response to an external force. That is, when a user presses the button 12a, the operation interlocking part 62 is pushed downward, and a tact switch (not shown) mounted on the substrate 70 is pressed. In other words, the operation interlocking part 62 is a member that transmits the force acting on the button 12a to the tact switch.

The LCD holding unit 30 holds the LCD display unit 20 in the recess 83. The LCD holding unit 30 comprises a bottom plate 32 and side walls 33a to 33d that extend upwardly from the entire periphery of the bottom plate 32 perpendicularly to the surface 32a of the bottom plate 32. The LCD display unit 20 is placed on the bottom plate 32, and the side walls 33a to 33d surround the LCD display unit 20.

Referring also to FIG. 3, the LCD holding portion 30 is provided with a first rib (holding mechanism) 34. The first rib 34 holds the first flat cable 40 to the bottom portion 80 in a recess 83. The first rib 34 is plate-shaped and protrudes from the side wall portion 33a toward the rear side (outside) parallel to the surface 32a of the bottom plate 32. The first rib 34 has a trapezoidal shape that covers part of the guide portion 86 in a plan view. The first rib 34 may cover the entire guide portion 86, or may have another shape, such as a rectangle.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first rib 34 is arranged so as to cover the guide portion 86 from above. That is, the first rib 34, the protrusions 86a, 86b, and the top surface 84a define the wiring space 36. Both ends of the wiring space 36 in the width direction are open. In this embodiment, there is a gap 35 between the first rib 34 and the protrusion 86a. The protrusion 86a may abut against the first rib 34, and the gap 35 may not be formed. The first flat cable 40 is routed along the guide portion 86, and the first rib 34 and the first flat cable 40 cover the guide portion 86 from above. That is, the first flat cable 40 is routed within the wiring space 36.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transmissive portion 11 is disposed on the front side of the main body 3. That is, the liquid crystal display portion 20 is disposed on the front side of the main body 3. A specific description will be given with reference to FIG. 3. As described above, the liquid crystal display portion 20 is placed on the bottom plate 32 of the liquid crystal holding portion 30. At this time, the liquid crystal display portion 20 is in contact with the side wall portions 33a to 33d. That is, the position of the liquid crystal display portion 20 and the position of the bottom plate 32 are the same in a plan view. The bottom plate 32 is provided so that the center line X of the bottom plate 32 is disposed at a position of length A from the end portion on the front side of the lid body 4. The length A is shorter than the length B from the end portion on the front side of the lid body 4 to the center line Y of the lid body 4. That is, the bottom plate 32 (liquid crystal display portion 20) is disposed so as to be located on the front side of the lid body 4. Here, the center line X is a line in the width direction passing through the midpoint between the end portion on the front side and the end portion on the back side of the bottom plate 32. The center line Y is a line in the width direction that passes through the midpoint between the front end and the back end of the lid 4.

Referring to FIG. 6, the main body 3 has a rear cover 5 on the rear side. As shown in FIG. 7, the main body 3 has an internal board 90 inside the rear cover 5. The internal board 90 has a third connector 91 and a fourth connector 92. The third connector 91 is disposed on the left side of the front side of the internal board 90. The fourth connector 92 is disposed on the right side of the front side of the internal board 90. As described below, the third connector 91 is connected to the other end of the first flat cable 40, i.e., the first flat cable connector 42. The fourth connector 92 is connected to the other end of the second flat cable 50, i.e., the second flat cable connector 52.

The assembly procedure for the lid body 4 will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

In the rice cooker 1 according to this embodiment, the liquid crystal holding section 30, the switch spacer 60, the first flat cable 40, and the second flat cable 50 are attached to the substrate 70, and then the substrate 70 is placed in the recess 83. When the substrate 70 is placed in the recess 83, the other ends of the first flat cable 40 and the second flat cable 50 are routed to the outside of the lid 4 through the opening 88.

When the substrate 70 is placed in the recess 83, the first flat cable 40 is arranged along the guide portion 86. That is, the first flat cable 40 is arranged between the protrusions 86a and 86b. Therefore, when the first rib 34 covers the guide portion 86 from above, the first flat cable 40 is arranged in the arrangement space 36. In this embodiment, since the first rib 34 has a trapezoidal shape, the position of the first flat cable 40 can be easily visually confirmed when covering the guide portion 86 from above together with the first flat cable 40. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first flat cable 40 from being arranged in an unintended position or being caught between components.

After placing the substrate 70 in the recess 83, the top panel 10 is attached to the upper surface 89 of the bottom 80, thereby assembling the lid 4. When attaching the top panel 10, the first flat cable 40 is held by the first rib 34, which prevents the first flat cable 40 from being routed in an unintended position or being placed in an unintended state. This improves the assembly accuracy when assembling the lid 4.

The following describes the routing route of the first flat cable 40 and the second flat cable 50 in the recess 83 with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 5.

One end of the first flat cable 40 is connected to the first connector 76 and is routed in the recess 83. Specifically, the first flat cable 40 has a first flat cable connector 41 connected to the rear side of the first connector 76, is bent toward the front side, and is then further bent toward the right side and routed within the routing space 36 along the guide portion 86. The first flat cable 40 is then further bent toward the rear side and extends from the recess 83 to the outside of the recess 83 through the opening 88.

One end of the second flat cable 50 is connected to the second connector 77. Specifically, the second flat cable 50 has a second flat cable connector 51 connected to the rear side of the second connector 77, and extends from the recess 83 to the outside of the recess 83 through the opening 88.

6 and 7, the first flat cable 40 outside the recess 83 is provided on the back side of the cover 4 and passes above a hinge (not shown) that supports the cover 4 on the main body 3, and the connector 42 for the first flat cable is connected to the third connector 91. Similarly to the first flat cable 40, the second flat cable 50 outside the recess 83 passes above the hinge, and the connector 52 for the second flat cable is connected to the fourth connector 92.

According to the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the first flat cable 40, which is routed from the first connector 76 to the opening 88, is routed in the routing space 36. As described above, the first flat cable 40 is routed in a bent state. A slight elastic force acts on the bent portion, causing the first flat cable 40 to float, in other words, causing the first flat cable 40 to sag. However, since the first flat cable 40 is routed in the routing space 36, that is, the first flat cable 40 is held by the first rib 34, the first flat cable 40 with sag can be suppressed or prevented from moving to an unintended position. Therefore, when assembling the lid body 4, specifically, when attaching the top panel 10, the first flat cable 40 can be prevented from being pinched by the top panel 10 or other parts. Therefore, the assembly accuracy when assembling the lid body 4 can be improved.

The first rib 34 is plate-shaped and protrudes parallel to the surface 32a of the bottom plate 32 of the LCD holding part 30. Therefore, by placing the LCD holding part 30 in the recess 83, the first rib 34 becomes a holding mechanism that holds the first flat cable 40. In other words, there is no need to provide a holding mechanism for the first flat cable 40 as a separate part. This allows a large space to be secured in the recess 83. Furthermore, the first flat cable 40 can be stored in a predetermined position at the same time as placing the LCD holding part 30 in the recess 83.

In addition, since the raised portion 84 is provided with a guide portion 86, horizontal movement of the first flat cable 40 is suppressed or prevented, and the first flat cable 40 can be reliably stored in a specified position. Furthermore, since the guide portion 86 serves as a marker for the routing position of the first flat cable 40, construction errors during assembly can be prevented. Furthermore, since the protrusions 86a, 86b are provided across the entire width of the raised portion 84, the protrusions 86a, 86b can act as reinforcing material for the top surface 84a. In other words, the raised portion 84 can be reinforced by the guide portion 86.

In this embodiment, the first rib 34 allows the first flat cable 40 to be stored in a predetermined position, so the first connector 76 and the second connector 77 can be arranged at a distance from each other. By arranging the first connector 76 and the second connector 77 at a distance from each other, the design freedom regarding the arrangement of parts within the recess 83 can be improved. This makes it possible to arrange the liquid crystal display unit 20 and the operation unit 12 on the front side of the upper surface of the lid 4. As a result, when the user operates the rice cooker 1, the liquid crystal display unit 20 and the operation unit 12 are arranged close to the user, which can improve operability.

In addition, both the first flat cable 40 and the second flat cable 50 extend from the same opening 88 to the outside of the recess 83. Because the first rib 34 is provided, the first flat cable 40 can be routed across the recess 83, so there is no need to provide an opening near the first connector 76. In other words, the first flat cable and the second flat cable can be arranged in the recess 83 without providing a new opening in the recess 83.

As described above, with the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the routed first flat cable 40 can be stored in a specified position, improving assembly precision.

Second Embodiment
8 and 9, the configuration of the rice cooker 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from that of the first embodiment in the following respects: The other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar elements as those of the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, a second rib (retaining mechanism) 100 is provided on the bottom 80 instead of the first rib 34. The second rib 100 is provided in the center of the width of the protrusion 86a in a plan view. The second rib 100 extends from the tip of the protrusion 86a toward the front side, parallel to and spaced from the top surface 84a. The second rib 100 is formed integrally with the protrusion 86a.

The second rib 100, the protrusions 86a, 86b, and the top surface 84a define a wiring space 102. The first flat cable 40 is routed in the wiring space 102 along the guide portion 86. In the second embodiment, there is a gap 101 between the second rib 100 and the side wall portion 33a of the LCD holding portion 30. When the first flat cable 40 is routed, the first flat cable 40 is passed through the gap 101 into the wiring space 102.

In the rice cooker 1 of the second embodiment, the second rib 100 is provided on the bottom 80, so the first flat cable 40 can be stored in a predetermined position on the bottom 80 without the need for components such as the liquid crystal holding part 30.

1. Rice cooker (cooking appliance)
REFERENCE SIGNS 3: main body 4: cover 5: rear cover 7: center line 8: center line 10: top panel 11: transparent portion 12: operation portion 12a: button 20: liquid crystal display portion 30: liquid crystal holding portion 31: guide rib 32: bottom plate 32a: surface 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d: side wall portion 34: first rib (holding mechanism)
35 Gap 36 Routing space 40 First flat cable 41, 42 Connector for first flat cable 50 Second flat cable 51, 52 Connector for second flat cable 60 Switch spacer 61 Guide rib 62 Operation interlocking portion 70 Base plate 71 Guide rib mounting portion 72 Guide rib mounting portion 73, 74, 75 Notch portion 76 First connector 77 Second connector 80 Bottom portion 81 Steam vent 82 Open button 83 Depression portion 84 Raised portion 84a Top surface 86 Guide portion 86a, 86b Protrusion 87 Bottom surface 88 Opening 89 Top surface 90 Main body inner base plate 91 Third connector 92 Fourth connector 100 Second rib (retention mechanism)
101 Gap 102 Routing space

Claims (5)

The main body,
A cover body that is attached to the upper part of the main body in an openable and closable manner and has a bottom portion with a recess;
An opening provided in the recess;
a substrate having a first connector disposed in the recess and spaced apart from the opening;
a first flat cable having one end connected to the first connector, disposed in the recess, and extending from the recess to an outside of the recess through the opening;
a holding mechanism for holding the first flat cable at the bottom in the recess ;
a liquid crystal display unit that holds a liquid crystal display unit in the recess,
The holding mechanism is a first rib provided on the liquid crystal holding portion . The liquid crystal holding portion is
a bottom plate on which the liquid crystal display unit is placed;
a side wall portion extending upward from an entire periphery of the bottom plate relative to a surface of the bottom plate,
The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the first rib is a plate member protruding outward from the side wall portion in parallel with the surface of the bottom plate. The main body,
A cover body that is attached to the upper part of the main body in an openable and closable manner and has a bottom portion with a recess;
An opening provided in the recess;
a substrate having a first connector disposed in the recess and spaced apart from the opening;
a first flat cable having one end connected to the first connector, disposed in the recess, and extending from the recess to an outside of the recess through the opening;
a holding mechanism for holding the first flat cable at the bottom in the recess ,
The retaining mechanism is a second rib provided on the bottom portion . The recess includes a guide portion,
The cooking device according to claim 1 , wherein the first flat cable is routed along the guide portion. a second connector provided to the substrate near the opening;
The cooking appliance according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second flat cable, one end of which is connected to the second connector and which extends from the recess to the outside of the recess through the opening.

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