JP7595602B2 - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a rice cooker.

As an example of a conventional rice cooker, for example, the rice cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a concave main body with an opening on the top surface, and a lid that is attached to the main body by a hinge provided on the back side of the main body and can be opened and closed freely, covering the opening of the main body. A power supply board is disposed inside the main body. Internal components such as an operation board and a sensor are disposed inside the lid. The power supply board and the internal components are connected by wiring members that are disposed through an internal space provided in the hinge. An air intake and a cooling fan are provided on the bottom surface of the main body. The power supply board is cooled by cooling air taken in by the cooling fan.

JP 2012-75510 A

In the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the cooling air taken into the inside of the main body from the cooling fan will pass through the internal space of the hinge and flow into the internal space of the lid. Therefore, in this rice cooker, the lid will be cooled by the cooling air that has flowed into the internal space of the lid, and the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the inner pot will increase, which may cause uneven heating during cooking.

This disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a rice cooker that can suppress the cooling air flowing into the inside of the lid, reduce the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the inner pot, and suppress uneven heating during cooking.

The rice cooker according to the present disclosure includes a concave main body having an opening on an upper surface, an inner pot stored in the concave interior of the main body so as to be freely inserted and removed from the opening, a heating unit provided inside the main body and heating the inner pot, a lid body that is attached to the main body so as to be freely opened and closed by a hinge unit provided on the rear side of the main body and covers the opening of the main body, internal components housed inside the lid body, a power supply board provided inside the main body and driving the heating unit, wiring members that pass through the internal space of the hinge unit and connect the power supply board and the internal components, a cooling fan that takes in cooling air into the inside of the main body, and an internal air space provided in the hinge unit that takes in cooling air from the cooling fan and cools the inside of the main body. and a partition section that receives cooling air that attempts to flow through the gap toward the inside of the lid body, the main body having an outer case and an inner case fixed to the inside of the outer case, the power supply board is housed inside a board case having an opening at the bottom and is arranged in a space surrounded by the outer case and the inner case, the board case is arranged below the hinge section with a gap between its front side and the inner case and its back side facing the outer case, and the wiring member passes from the inside of the lid body through the internal space of the hinge section, passes through the gap between the board case and the inner case, and is connected to the power supply board from the opening of the board case .
The rice cooker according to the present disclosure includes a concave main body having an opening on an upper surface, an inner pot stored in the concave interior of the main body so as to be freely inserted and removed from the opening, a heating unit provided inside the main body and heating the inner pot, a lid body that is attached to the main body so as to be freely opened and closed by a hinge unit provided on the rear side of the main body and covers the opening of the main body, internal components housed inside the lid body, a power supply board provided inside the main body and driving the heating unit, wiring members that pass through the internal space of the hinge unit and connect the power supply board and the internal components, a cooling fan that takes in cooling air into the inside of the main body, and an internal heat exchanger provided in the hinge unit that takes in cooling air from the cooling fan into the inside of the main body. and a partition portion that receives cooling air that attempts to flow through the internal space toward the inside of the lid body, the main body having an outer case and an inner case fixed to the inside of the outer case, the inner case having a wall portion extending upward and forming the front side of the internal space of the hinge portion, the upper part of the inner case being formed with an L-shaped cross section so that the wall portion protrudes toward the rear side of the internal space of the hinge portion, the partition portion protruding from the rear side of the internal space of the hinge portion toward the wall portion on the front side, and the wiring member passes through the gap between the wall portion at the top of the inner case and the tip of the partition portion, and the upper side of the wiring point in the gap is wired in the vertical direction along the wall portion.

The rice cooker according to the present disclosure is equipped with a partition that receives the cooling air that is taken into the main body from the cooling fan and attempts to flow into the lid through the internal space provided in the hinge section, so that the cooling air that flows into the lid can be suppressed, the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the inner pot can be reduced, and uneven heating during cooking can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice cooker according to a first embodiment; 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a rice cooker according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view showing the configuration of a rice cooker according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the rice cooker according to the first embodiment with wiring members provided; 2 is a plan view showing the inside of the lid of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the direction in which cooling air flows in the rice cooker according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view showing a modified example of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the lid of a modified example of the rice cooker according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member of a rice cooker according to a second embodiment. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member of a rice cooker according to a second embodiment, illustrating a state in which a first wiring and a second wiring are connected. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member of a rice cooker according to a second embodiment, illustrating how a wiring relay member is stored in a case member. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member of a rice cooker according to a second embodiment, illustrating how a wiring relay member is stored in a case member. FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member of a rice cooker according to a second embodiment, illustrating a state in which a wiring relay member is stored in a case member. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing how the wiring member is installed in the hinge portion in the rice cooker according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the rice cooker according to embodiment 2, in which the wiring member is installed in the hinge portion. FIG. A plan view showing the inside of the lid of the rice cooker in accordance with embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member of a modified example of the rice cooker according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the rice cooker according to the second embodiment, in which the first wiring and the second wiring of the wiring member are connected by a wiring relay member.

Below, an embodiment of the rice cookers 100, 101 according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, the relative dimensional relationship or shape of each component may differ from the actual one. In each drawing, X is the width direction of the rice cooker 100, Y is the depth direction of the rice cooker 100, and Z is the height direction of the rice cooker 100. In the width direction X, X1 is the right direction and X2 is the left direction. In the depth direction Y, Y1 is the front direction of the rice cooker 100 and Y2 is the back direction of the rice cooker 100. The height direction Z is, for example, a vertical direction, with Z1 being the upward direction and Z2 being the downward direction.

Embodiment 1.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a rice cooker 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the rice cooker 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the rice cooker 100 according to embodiment 1. Note that in Figs. 2 and 3, the wiring member 7 is omitted in order to explain the components arranged inside the rice cooker 100. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the rice cooker 100 according to embodiment 1 with the wiring member 7 provided.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the rice cooker 100 comprises a concave body 1 having an opening 13 on the top surface, an inner pot 2 housed in the concave interior of the body 1 so as to be freely inserted and removed from the opening 13, a heating unit 3 for heating the inner pot 2, a lid 4 which is attached to the body 1 by a hinge unit 5 provided on the rear side of the body 1 and covers the opening 13 of the body 1 and has internal components 44 and 45 housed inside the lid 4. The rice cooker 100 also comprises a power supply board 60 which drives the heating unit 3, a wiring member 7 which connects the power supply board 60 and the internal components 44 and 45 through an internal space 52 provided in the hinge unit 5, a cooling fan 8 which draws cooling air into the body 1, and a control unit (not shown) which controls the operation of the rice cooker 100.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the main body 1 has a cylindrical exterior with a bottom, and the inner pot 2 is detachably attached inside the recess. The main body 1 has a cylindrical outer case 10 that forms the side of the rice cooker 100, a bottom case 11 provided at the lower end of the outer case 10, and an inner case 12 fixed inside the outer case 10. The outer case 10 and the bottom case 11 form a bottomed cylindrical outer shell with an open top. The main body 1 also has an internal space surrounded by the outer case 10, the bottom case 11, and the inner case 12. The shape of the outer case 10 in a plan view is, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, or a combination thereof. However, the shape of the outer case 10 is not limited to the shape shown in the figures. A lid opening/closing button 10a for opening and closing the lid 4 is provided on the front side of the outer case 10. By pressing the lid opening/closing button 10a, the user can release the closed state of the lid body 4 and open the top of the main body 1.

The bottom case 11 is attached so as to cover the open bottom end of the outer case 10. The outer case 10 and the bottom case 11 may be formed as separate members and then combined, or may be formed as one piece. The bottom case 11 has an intake port 11a formed on the rear side and an exhaust port 11b formed on the front side. The intake port 11a is formed to take in outside air (cooling air) from the outside by the cooling fan 8. The exhaust port 11b is formed to exhaust the cooling air that has passed through the internal space of the main body 1 to the outside.

The inner case 12 has a cylindrical shape with an open top and a bottom. The inner kettle 2 is housed in the recessed interior of the inner case 12 so that it can be freely attached and detached. The shape of the inner case 12 in a plan view is, for example, a circle, an ellipse, a rectangle, or a combination thereof. However, the shape of the inner case 12 is not limited to the shape shown in the figure.

The inner pot 2 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the top, and is made of a carbon material that generates heat when it receives induction heating from the heating unit 3. The inner pot 2 may be a container (a so-called clay pot) made of a non-metallic material such as ceramic, a metal container such as an aluminum and stainless steel clad material, or other materials. The inner pot 2 contains food to be heated, such as rice and water, in its concave interior. In the rice cooker 100, the food to be heated contained in the inner pot 2's concave interior is heated and cooked by the heat generated by the inner pot 2.

The inner pot 2 has an L-shaped flange 20 that protrudes radially outward on the periphery of the top opening. The flange 20 is provided around the entire periphery of the top opening of the inner pot 2 along the circumferential direction of the top opening. The flange 20 has an extension 20a that extends radially outward from the periphery of the top opening of the inner pot 2, and a rising portion 20b that rises upward from the outer periphery of the extension 20a. When the inner pot 2 is placed inside the recess of the main body 1, the extension 20a of the flange 20 is placed on the opening edge of the opening 13. In addition, the inner pot 2 has a wider upper internal space in the part where the rising portion 20b of the flange 20 is provided, so that the overflow of bubbles that occur during boiling during cooking can be suppressed.

The heating unit 3 is, for example, a coil for electromagnetic induction heating provided on the outer wall of the inner case 12. The heating unit 3 is provided in the internal space of the main body 1. The heating unit 3 is disposed on the bottom of the inner case 12 and on a side surface near the bottom. The heating unit 3, which is made of an induction heating coil, is wound, for example, in a spiral shape, and a high-frequency current is supplied to it via, for example, a rectifier circuit and an inverter circuit provided on the power supply board 60. Note that the heating unit 3 is not limited to an induction heating coil, and may have other configurations.

The lid 4 is attached to the main body 1 so as to be freely opened and closed, and covers the opening 13 of the main body 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lid 4 has an outer lid 40 which constitutes the upper part of the lid 4, and an inner lid 41 which is detachably attached to the outer lid 40 and closes the top opening of the inner pot 2 when the lid 4 closes the opening 13 of the main body 1. The inner lid 41 is attached to the lower part of the outer lid 40 which is the part facing the inner pot 2.

The lid body 4 has one end of the outer lid 40 connected to the top of the main body 1 by a hinge portion 5. The hinge portion 5 is provided on the rear side of the main body 1. A hinge shaft 50 and a hinge spring 51 are housed in an internal space 52 provided in the hinge portion 5. The lid body 4 is biased by the hinge spring 51 in a direction to open the opening 13 of the main body 1. When the lid opening/closing button 10a is pressed in the closed state, the lid body 4 rotates around the hinge shaft 50 in a direction away from the main body 1 due to the biasing force of the hinge spring 51. This opens the opening 13 of the main body 1.

The outer lid 40 is placed on top of the inner lid 41 so as to cover the inner lid 41. The outer lid 40 is placed so as to cover the opening 13 of the main body 1 and the top opening of the inner pot 2 when the opening 13 of the main body 1 is closed. At this time, the outer lid 40 is formed so as to surround the periphery of the flange portion 20 of the inner pot 2. Furthermore, when the outer lid 40 is in the open state, the rice cooker 100 allows the food to be heated in the inner pot 2 to be put in and taken out. Furthermore, when the outer lid 40 is in the open state, the rice cooker 100 allows the inner pot 2 to be attached and detached from the main body 1.

An operation display unit 42 is provided on the upper surface of the outer lid 40. The operation display unit 42 has, for example, a switch, various buttons, and a display screen such as a display. The user can execute each operation of the rice cooker 100 by operating the various buttons on the operation display unit 42. The display screen also displays the cooking status and the contents of the cooking menu set by the user's operation. The operation display unit 42 is connected to an operation board 43 housed inside the outer lid 40. The operation board 43 is a part of the internal components of the lid body 4. The contents of the operation on the operation display unit 42 are transmitted to the control unit (not shown) via the operation board 43. Note that the specific configuration and arrangement of the operation display unit 42 shown in FIG. 1 are one example and are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the operation display unit 42 may be provided on the front surface of the main body 1.

The inner lid 41 is a lid that covers the inner pot 2 and is placed inside the outer lid 40. A lid packing (not shown) that is a sealing material is attached to the peripheral portion of the inner lid 41. The lid packing is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber. The lid packing ensures airtightness between the flange portion 20 of the inner pot 2 and the inner lid 41. The inner lid 41 is attached to the inner wall surface of the outer lid 40 by the user when the outer lid 40 is in an open state. As a result, the outer lid 40 and the inner lid 41 are connected to each other, and when the lid body 4 is opened or closed, the inner lid 41 is opened and closed simultaneously in conjunction with the outer lid 40. The inner lid 41 is attached to the outer lid 40 in a removable manner, and is removed from the outer lid 40 by the user when the inner lid 41 is washed.

The lid 4 is also provided with a temperature sensor 44. The temperature sensor 44 detects the temperature inside the inner kettle 2. The temperature sensor 44 is part of the internal components of the lid 4. The temperature sensor 44 is arranged, for example, to pass through a through hole formed in the inner lid 41. Note that the temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the inner kettle 2 may be provided inside the lid 4, or may be provided, for example, at the bottom of the inner case 12, or in other locations.

A lid heater 45 is provided inside the lid body 4. The lid heater 45 is part of the internal components of the lid body 4. The lid heater 45 is controlled by the control unit. During the rice cooking operation and the warming operation of the rice cooker 100, the temperature of the upper part of the inner pot 2 tends to be lower than the temperature of the lower part of the inner pot 2 where the heating unit 3 is located. Therefore, in the rice cooker 100, the lid heater 45 is placed between the outer lid 40 and the inner lid 41 to heat the upper part of the inner pot 2. By using the heating unit 3 and the lid heater 45 together, it is possible to suppress temperature unevenness in the inner pot 2 and the adhesion of sauce to the inner lid 41, so that the rice can be cooked deliciously and the deliciousness of the rice can be maintained even during warming.

2 and 3, the power supply board 60 is accommodated in a board case 61 having an opening 61a at the bottom. The power supply board 60 accommodated in the board case 61 is arranged on the rear side of the internal space of the main body 1. The board case 61 is arranged below the hinge portion 5 and above the cooling fan 8 so that the opening 61a at the bottom faces the cooling fan 8. The board case 61 is arranged with a gap between the front side and the inner case 12, and the back side faces the outer case 10. The board case 61 is formed as a rectangular box by bending a metal plate so that a quadrilateral opening 61a is formed at the bottom facing the bottom of the bottom case 11. The power supply board 60 is erected in the height direction (Z direction). The power supply board 60 supplies high-frequency current to the heating unit 3 using power from an external power source such as a commercial power source to drive the heating unit 3. Inside the board case 61, heat dissipation fins 62 are arranged to dissipate heat from heat-generating components mounted on the power supply board 60 and cool the power supply board 60. One end of a power cord (not shown) is connected to the power supply board 60. The other end of the power cord is provided with a power plug 63 that can be detachably connected to an external power source such as a commercial power source. The power cord is housed in a cord reel 14 provided in the center of the bottom case 11.

Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the wiring member 7 is provided in the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 5 is a plan view showing the inside of the lid body 4 of the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the wiring member 7 is a wire that passes through the internal space 52 of the hinge part 5 and connects the power supply board 60 and the internal components of the lid body 4. The internal components in this embodiment 1 are, for example, the temperature sensor 44 and the lid heater 45. Note that the internal components may be only one of the temperature sensor 44 and the lid heater 45, or may include other components such as the operation board 43. In addition, the internal components are not limited to the temperature sensor 44 and the lid heater 45 shown in the figure, and may be other components as long as they are housed inside the lid body 4 and connected to the power supply board 60 by the wiring member 7.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the wiring member 7 is wired from inside the outer lid 40 through the internal space 52 of the hinge section 5, through the gap between the front surface of the board case 61 and the outer surface of the inner case 12, and from the opening 61a of the board case 61 to the board case 61, with one end connected to the temperature sensor 44 and the lid heater 45, which are internal components, and the other end connected to the power supply board 60. Note that the wiring member 7 is not limited to the wiring path shown in the figure. For example, a through hole may be formed in the upper surface of the board case 61 and the wiring member 7 may be wired through the through hole, or other configurations may be used.

The cooling fan 8 is disposed below the circuit board case 61. The cooling fan 8 is disposed opposite the air intake 11a formed in the bottom case 11. The cooling fan 8 blows outside air (cooling air) taken in from the air intake 11a toward the power supply board 60 and the heat dissipation fins 62, thereby cooling the power supply board 60 and the heat dissipation fins 62.

The control unit receives the detection results of the temperature sensor 44 and other sensors. In addition, various settings such as a cooking menu input by the user via the operation display unit 42 are sent to the control unit. The control unit controls the operation of the power supply board 60 and the cooling fan 8 based on the detection results of the temperature sensor 44 and other sensors and the various settings input to the operation display unit 42. The control unit is composed of, for example, a processor and a memory. Each function of the control unit is realized by the processor executing a program stored in the memory.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker 100 will be described. When operating the rice cooker 100, the user first places the food to be cooked, such as rice and water, inside the inner pot 2. After that, when the user closes the outer lid 40, the lid gasket of the inner lid 41 is pressed against the flange portion 20 of the inner pot 2, sealing the internal space of the inner pot 2. Next, the user selects a rice cooking menu on the operation display unit 42 and turns on the switch of the operation display unit 42, and cooking rice in the rice cooker 100 begins. When cooking in the rice cooker 100 begins, a high-frequency current is supplied from the power supply board 60 to the heating unit 3. This generates a high-frequency magnetic field from the heating unit 3, exciting the bottom portion of the inner pot 2 that is magnetically coupled to the heating unit 3, and inducing an eddy current in the bottom portion of the inner pot 2. This eddy current and the resistance of the inner pot 2 generate Joule heat, causing the bottom portion of the inner pot 2 to heat up, and the food to be cooked is heated.

Next, the flow direction of the cooling air taken into the inside of the main body 1 from the cooling fan 8 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow direction of the cooling air in the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram in which arrows indicating the flow direction of the cooling air have been added to FIG. 3.

At least one of the multiple components mounted on the power supply board 60 is a heat-generating component such as a semiconductor switching element that constitutes an inverter circuit and a rectifier circuit. At least another of the multiple components mounted on the power supply board 60 is a consumable component such as an electrolytic capacitor that is easily damaged by heat and whose life span is easily affected by heat. Since a failure of the power supply board 60 leads to a failure of the entire rice cooker 100, improving the cooling performance of the power supply board 60 is important for the rice cooker 100. Therefore, in the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment, a cooling fan 8 is provided to take in outside air as cooling air from the intake port 11a to cool the power supply board 60.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cooling air generated by the operation of the cooling fan 8 is taken in through the intake port 11a, and after cooling the inside of the main body 1, is discharged to the outside of the main body 1 through the exhaust port 11b. As shown in FIG. 6, more than half of the cooling air generated by the operation of the cooling fan 8 flows into the inside of the board case 61 from the opening 61a of the board case 61, and the remaining cooling air flows toward the heating unit 3 side without flowing into the board case 61. The cooling air that flows into the inside of the board case 61 rises while cooling the power supply board 60 and the heat dissipation fins 62, and after swirling inside the board case 61, it is discharged to the outside of the board case 61 through the opening 61a of the board case 61. The cooling air then flows toward the center of the bottom case 11 and is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker 100 through the exhaust port 11b formed in the bottom case 11.

On the other hand, part of the cooling air that flows toward the heating unit 3 flows upward, while the other part flows horizontally. The cooling air that flows upward uses the space between the inner case 12 and the base case 61 as an air passage and rises, hitting the inner lid 41. The cooling air then flows into the gap between the outer case 10 and the inner case 12 of the rice cooker 100, and while absorbing heat from the heating unit 3, is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker 100 from the exhaust port 11b. The cooling air that flows horizontally flows into the space between the bottom of the inner case 12 and the bottom case 11, and around the bottom of the inner case 12, and is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker 100 from the exhaust port 11b while cooling the heating unit 3 and the cord reel 14.

Here, as described above, the rice cooker 100 is configured such that the internal space of the outer lid 40 and the internal space of the main body 1 are connected through the internal space 52 of the hinge portion 5 in order to pass the wiring member 7 that connects the power supply board 60 and the internal components. Therefore, in the rice cooker 100, there is a risk that the cooling air taken in from the cooling fan 8 will flow into the internal space of the outer lid 40 through the hinge portion 5. When the cooling air flows into the internal space of the outer lid 40, the outer lid 40 is cooled, and the inner lid 41, which is the upper part of the inner pot 2, is cooled. In addition, if the flange portion 20 provided on the opening edge of the inner pot 2 is L-shaped, the area facing the lid body 4 formed to surround the periphery of the flange portion 20 becomes large, so that the flange portion 20 of the inner pot 2 is cooled by the lid body 4 cooled by the cooling air. As a result, the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the inner pot 2 in the rice cooker 100 becomes large, which may cause uneven heating during cooking.

The rice cooker 100 according to this embodiment 1 is therefore provided with a partition section 9 that receives the cooling air that is drawn into the internal space of the main body 1 from the cooling fan 8 and attempts to flow through the internal space 52 of the hinge section 5 toward the inside of the outer lid 40.

The partition 9 is formed as a plate-shaped partition protruding from the inner wall surface on the rear side to the inner wall surface on the front side in the internal space 52 of the hinge part 5. The partition 9 is provided integrally with the hinge part 5 as a part of the hinge part 5. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts due to the provision of the partition 9, thereby reducing the manufacturing effort and cost. The partition 9 may be formed as a separate member from the hinge part 5 and attached to the inner wall surface of the hinge part 5, or may be attached to another member. In the illustrated example, the partition 9 is provided below the hinge shaft 50, but it may be provided above the hinge shaft 50. The partition 9 is formed to a size that provides a gap between the inner wall surface of the hinge part 5 and the partition 9 for passing the wiring member 7. The partition 9 may be formed to a size that blocks the internal space 52 of the hinge part 5, and may be provided with a notch or a through hole for passing the wiring member 7.

The rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment is provided with a partition section 9 that receives the cooling air that is taken into the inside of the main body 1 from the cooling fan 8 and attempts to flow through the internal space 52 of the hinge section 5 toward the inside of the lid body 4. This makes it possible to suppress the cooling air that attempts to flow into the inside of the lid body 4, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the upper part of the inner pot 2 and the lower part of the inner pot 2 and suppressing uneven heating during cooking.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the wiring member 7 passes from inside the outer lid 40 through the internal space 52 of the hinge section 5, passes through the gap between the front surface of the board case 61 and the outer surface of the inner case 12, and is connected to the power supply board 60 from the opening 61a of the board case 61. Therefore, since the wiring member 7 is disposed in the air path of the cooling air flowing toward the inside of the lid body 4, the wiring member 7 can suppress the cooling air that tries to flow into the inside of the lid body 4.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional perspective view showing a modified example of the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lid body 4 of the modified example of the rice cooker 100 according to the first embodiment. In the rice cooker 100 shown in Figures 7 and 8, a plate-shaped partition 90 is provided as part of the lid body 4 and is integral with the outer lid 40. As an example, the partition 90 is provided at the boundary between the internal space 52 of the hinge part 5 and the inside of the outer lid 40. The partition 90 is formed on the back side of the outer lid 40 so as to rise from the inner bottom surface of the outer lid 40 toward the inner top surface along the left-right direction (width direction X). Two recesses 90a are formed on the upper edge of the partition 90 through which the hinge spring 51 of the hinge part 5 and the wiring member 7 pass. The recesses 90a may be provided on the lower edge or the left and right edges of the partition 90. In addition, one recess 90a may be provided, or three or more recesses 90a may be provided. Also, the partition 90 may have a through hole formed in the plate surface instead of the recess 90a. Also, the partition 90 may be formed as a separate member from the lid 4 and attached to the lid 4.

In the rice cooker 100 shown in Figures 7 and 8, the partition 90 can also receive the cooling air that is taken into the main body 1 from the cooling fan 8 and attempts to flow into the lid 4 through the internal space 52 of the hinge 5. This can suppress the cooling air that attempts to flow into the lid 4, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the inner pot 2 and suppressing uneven heating during cooking. The partition 90 may be provided together with the plate-shaped partition 9 provided in the internal space 52 of the hinge 5.

The partition 9 is not limited to being provided on the hinge 5 and the lid 4 as described above. The partition 9 may be provided on other parts as long as it can receive the cooling air that is taken into the inside of the main body 1 from the cooling fan 8 and attempts to flow through the internal space 52 of the hinge 5 toward the inside of the lid 4.

Embodiment 2.
Next, a rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment, in which the first wiring 70 and the second wiring 71 are connected. Note that descriptions of the same configuration as the rice cooker 100 described in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment, the structure of the wiring member 7 differs from that of the first embodiment.

The wiring member 7 in the second embodiment has a first wiring 70, one end of which is connected to the power supply board 60, and a second wiring 71, one end of which is connected to the temperature sensor 44 and the lid heater 45, which are internal components. A connector terminal 72a is attached to the other end of the first wiring 70 as a wiring relay member 72. A connector terminal 72b is attached to the other end of the second wiring 71 as a wiring relay member 72. The first wiring 70 and the second wiring 71 are electrically connected by connecting the connector terminals 72a and 72b. The connected connector terminals 72a and 72b can also be arranged in the internal space 52 of the hinge section 5 to function as a partition section.

In the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment, the wiring member 7 has a first wiring 70 and a second wiring 71, and the first wiring 70 and the second wiring 71 are detachably connected via a wiring relay member 72. Therefore, the lid body 4 and the main body 1 can be assembled separately and independently, and the first wiring 70 and the second wiring 71 can be connected when the lid body 4 is attached to the main body 1. In other words, compared to assembling the lid body 4 and the main body 1 together after connecting the power supply board 60, the temperature sensor 44, and the lid heater 45 with the wiring member 7, the workload of assembling the main body 1 and the lid body 4 is reduced, which contributes to improving productivity.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 100 according to the second embodiment, in which the wiring relay member 72 is stored in the case member 73. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 100 according to the second embodiment, in which the wiring relay member 72 is stored in the case member 73. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 100 according to the second embodiment, in which the wiring relay member 72 is stored in the case member 73. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment, in which the wiring member 7 is installed in the hinge part 5. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the wiring member 7 of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment, in which the wiring member 7 is installed in the hinge part 5. FIG. 16 is a plan view showing the inside of the lid body 4 of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment. Note that FIGS. 14 and 15 show a state in which the inside of the lid body 4 is disclosed.

As shown in Figs. 11 to 16, it is preferable that the wiring relay member 72 consisting of the connector terminals 72a and 72b is housed in a case member 73. By protecting the wiring relay member 72 with the case member 73, it is possible to prevent the risk of poor contact due to external factors. The case member 73 is made of synthetic resin, for example. The case member 73 has an opening 73a formed therein for passing the wiring member 7. As shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the case member 73 can be disposed in the internal space 52 of the hinge portion 5 to function as a partition. The case member 73 may function as a partition together with the plate-like member that is the partition 9 described in the first embodiment, or it may function as a partition alone without providing the plate-like member. Note that the wiring member 7 shown in FIG. 15 is configured to be wired from the top surface of the substrate case 61 to the inside of the substrate case 61, but as shown in FIG. 4, the wiring may be wired from the inside of the outer lid 40 through the internal space 52 of the hinge portion 5, through the gap between the front surface of the substrate case 61 and the outer surface of the inner case 12, and from the opening 61a of the substrate case 61 to the substrate case 61.

Figure 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring member 7 in a modified example of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment. Figure 18 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the rice cooker 101 according to the second embodiment, in which the first wiring 70 and the second wiring 71 of the wiring member 7 are connected by a wiring relay member 72. The wiring relay member 72 shown in Figures 17 and 18 has a connector terminal 72a attached to the other end of the first wiring 70, a connector terminal 72b attached to the other end of the second wiring 71, and a connection terminal member 72c connecting the connector terminals 72a and 72b. The connection terminal member 72c is rectangular in shape as an example. A first connection terminal 74a to be connected to the connector terminal 72a of the first wiring 70 and a second connection terminal 74b to be connected to the connector terminal 72b of the second wiring 71 are provided on the side of the connection terminal member 72c. The first wiring 70 and the second wiring 71 are electrically connected by connecting the connector terminal 72a of the first wiring 70 to the first connection terminal 74a and connecting the connector terminal 72b of the second wiring 71 to the second connection terminal 74b. The connection terminal member 72c can also be disposed in the internal space 52 of the hinge portion 5 to function as a partition. The connection terminal member 72c may function as a partition together with the plate-like member that is the partition 9 described in the first embodiment, or it may function as a partition alone without providing the plate-like member.

It is preferable that the wiring relay member 72 including the connection terminal member 72c is also housed in the case member 73. By protecting the wiring relay member 72 with the case member 73, it is possible to prevent the risk of poor contact due to external factors. The case member 73 can also be disposed in the internal space 52 of the hinge portion 5 to function as a partition. The case member 73 may function as a partition together with the plate-like member that is the partition 9 described in the first embodiment, or it may function as a partition alone without providing the plate-like member.

The rice cooker 100 has been described above based on the embodiment, but the rice cooker 100 is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the internal configuration of the illustrated rice cooker 100 is not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and may include other components, or the above-mentioned components may be omitted. In short, the rice cooker 100 includes the range of design modifications and application variations that are normally made by a person skilled in the art, within the scope that does not deviate from the technical concept.

1 main body, 2 inner pot, 3 heating section, 4 lid body, 5 hinge section, 7 wiring member, 8 cooling fan, 9 partition section, 10 outer case, 10a lid opening/closing button, 11 bottom case, 11a intake port, 11b exhaust port, 12 inner case, 13 opening, 14 cord reel, 20 flange section, 20a extension section, 20b rising section, 40 outer lid, 41 inner lid, 42 operation display section, 43 operation board, 44 temperature sensor (internal component), 45 lid heater (internal component), 50 hinge shaft, 51 hinge spring, 52 internal space, 60 power supply board, 61 board case, 61a opening, 62 heat dissipation fin, 63 power supply plug, 70 first wiring, 71 second wiring, 72 wiring relay member, 72a, 72b Connector terminal, 72c connection terminal member, 73 case member, 73a opening hole, 74a first connection terminal, 74b second connection terminal, 90 partition, 90a recess, 100, 101 rice cooker.

Claims (8)

A concave body having an opening on an upper surface;
An inner pot that is freely inserted and removed from the opening into the recess of the main body;
A heating unit provided inside the main body for heating the inner pot;
a cover that is attached to the main body so as to be freely opened and closed by a hinge portion provided on a rear side of the main body and covers the opening of the main body;
An internal component housed inside the lid;
a power supply board provided inside the main body and configured to drive the heating unit;
a wiring member that passes through an internal space of the hinge portion and connects the power supply board and the internal components;
A cooling fan that takes in cooling air into the main body;
a partition portion that receives cooling air that is taken into the inside of the main body from the cooling fan and attempts to flow toward the inside of the lid through an internal space provided in the hinge portion ,
The main body has an outer case and an inner case fixed to the inside of the outer case,
the power supply board is accommodated in a board case having an opening at a bottom, and is disposed in a space surrounded by the outer case and the inner case,
the substrate case is disposed below the hinge portion, with a front surface thereof being spaced from the inner case and a rear surface thereof being opposed to the outer case,
the wiring member passes from inside the lid through an internal space of the hinge portion, passes through a gap between the board case and the inner case, and is connected to the power supply board from the opening of the board case.
Rice cooker. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the partition is provided as part of the hinge. A concave body having an opening on an upper surface;
An inner pot that is freely inserted and removed from the opening into the recess of the main body;
A heating unit provided inside the main body for heating the inner pot;
a cover that is attached to the main body so as to be freely opened and closed by a hinge portion provided on a rear side of the main body and covers the opening of the main body;
An internal component housed inside the lid;
a power supply board provided inside the main body and configured to drive the heating unit;
a wiring member that passes through an internal space of the hinge portion and connects the power supply board and the internal components;
A cooling fan that takes in cooling air into the main body;
a partition portion that receives cooling air that is taken into the inside of the main body from the cooling fan and attempts to flow toward the inside of the lid through an internal space provided in the hinge portion,
The main body has an outer case and an inner case fixed to the inside of the outer case,
the inner case has a wall portion extending upward and constituting a front side of the internal space of the hinge portion, and an upper portion of the inner case is formed into an L-shaped cross section so that the wall portion protrudes toward a rear side of the internal space of the hinge portion,
the partition portion protrudes from a rear side of the internal space of the hinge portion toward the wall portion on the front side,
The wiring member passes through a gap between the wall portion at the upper part of the inner case and the tip of the partition portion, and an upper side of a wiring portion in the gap is wired in a vertical direction along the wall portion.
Rice cooker. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 3 , wherein the partition is provided as a part of the lid. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the partition is a plate-shaped member. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wiring member has a first wiring having one end connected to the power supply board and a second wiring having one end connected to the internal component, and the other end of the first wiring and the other end of the second wiring are detachably connected via a wiring relay member. The wiring relay member is accommodated in a case member,
The rice cooker according to claim 6 , wherein the partition portion includes the case member. An L-shaped flange portion protruding outward is provided on the opening edge of the inner kettle,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the lid body is formed so as to surround a periphery of the flange portion when the opening of the main body is closed.

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