JP7813982B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

So-called fully automatic rice cookers are known in the past, capable of automatically performing processes from supplying rice and water to the pot to cooking the rice. As an example of this type of fully automatic rice cooker, Patent Document 1 discloses a fully automatic rice cooker equipped with a rice bin section for storing rice, a rice washing section for washing the rice, and a rice cooking section for cooking the rice washed in the rice washing section. In the fully automatic rice cooker of Patent Document 1, rice washed in the rice washing section is supplied to a rice supply path, and then fed from the rice supply path into the rice cooking section through a rice inlet. The rice inlet is covered by an opening/closing device that moves up and down to open and close the rice inlet.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-218113

Conventional fully automatic rice cookers have room for improvement in terms of sealing the rice inlet.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a rice cooker with a rice inlet lid that can be freely opened and closed to cover the rice inlet for adding rice to the pot, and which can prevent deterioration of the sealing ability of the rice inlet.

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 comprises:
A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
a rice-input lid that covers the rice-input opening provided on the lid body in an openable and closable manner,
The rice supply unit has a cylindrical rice supply pipe whose one end communicates with the inside of the rice container and whose other end penetrates the inside of the lid and opens toward the rice inlet,
The rice-inlet lid is movable between a closed position for closing the rice inlet and an open position for opening the rice inlet,
When the rice-introducing lid portion is in the open position, it is positioned away from the passage area through which rice passes after protruding from the opening of the rice-transporting pipe and being introduced into the pot through the rice-introducing port.

This invention makes it possible to prevent deterioration of the sealing ability of a rice inlet in a rice cooker that has a rice inlet lid that can be freely opened and closed to cover the rice inlet for adding rice to the pot.

1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the rice cooker of FIG. 1 with the outer lid open. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 . 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of components related to the rice storage section and the rice supply section, seen obliquely from above. FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view showing the internal structure of the outer lid. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A1-A1 in FIG. 5. The rice lid is shown in the closed position. The rice-inlet lid is shown in a half-open position. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 7 . FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the state in which the inner lid is attached to the outer lid. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 taken in the depth direction. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a rice pouring lid according to another embodiment of the present invention.

(Findings that form the basis of the present invention)
The present inventors have conducted extensive research to prevent deterioration of the sealing performance at the rice inlet, and have come to the following findings.

Conventional fully automatic rice cookers are typically configured to supply rice into the pot by allowing the rice to fall from above the pot under its own weight through a rice inlet in the lid. In this configuration, when using an opening/closing device that moves up and down to freely open and close the rice inlet, the rice supplied to the pot can adhere to the opening/closing device located below the rice inlet. If rice adheres to the opening/closing device, the rice can become trapped between the opening/closing device and the lid, creating a gap between the opening/closing device and the lid. This can result in a loss of sealing ability at the rice inlet.

The inventors therefore discovered a configuration in which, when the rice-introducing lid is in the open position that opens the rice inlet, it is positioned away from the passage area through which rice passes before being introduced into the pot via the opening of the rice feed pipe and the rice inlet. With this configuration, when rice is introduced into the pot while the rice-introducing lid is in the open position, the rice-introducing lid is positioned away from the passage area, preventing the rice from adhering to the rice-introducing lid. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the sealing performance of the rice inlet. Based on this novel finding, the inventors arrived at the following invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention,
A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
a rice-input lid that covers the rice-input opening provided on the lid body in an openable and closable manner,
The rice supply unit has a cylindrical rice supply pipe whose one end communicates with the inside of the rice container and whose other end penetrates the inside of the lid and opens toward the rice inlet,
The rice-inlet lid is movable between a closed position for closing the rice inlet and an open position for opening the rice inlet,
When the rice-introducing lid is positioned at the open position, it is located away from a passage area through which rice introduced into the pot through the opening of the rice-transport pipe and the rice-introducing port passes.

With this configuration, when rice is placed in the pot with the rice-introducing lid in the open position, the rice-introducing lid is positioned away from the area through which the rice passes as it is placed in the pot via the opening of the rice-feeding pipe and the rice-introducing port. This prevents rice from adhering to the rice-introducing lid and reduces the deterioration of the sealing performance of the rice-introducing port.

The passage area may be an area vertically below the opening of the rice conveying pipe.

With this configuration, when rice is supplied to the pot by letting it fall under its own weight from the opening of the rice delivery pipe, the rice is prevented from adhering to the rice inlet lid, and the sealing performance of the rice inlet is prevented from decreasing.

The rice cooker may be equipped with a detection unit that detects whether the rice-inlet lid is open or closed, and the rice supply unit may be configured to supply rice from the rice delivery pipe into the pot through the rice inlet when the detection unit detects that the rice-inlet lid is in the open position.

With this configuration, when rice is poured into the pot through the rice inlet, the rice pouring lid is in the open position, preventing the rice from adhering to the rice pouring lid. As a result, deterioration of the sealing performance of the rice pouring opening can be prevented.

The rice cooker may be equipped with a detection unit that detects whether the rice pouring lid is open or closed, and the heating unit may be configured to operate when the detection unit detects that the rice pouring lid is in the closed position, and not operate when the detection unit detects that the rice pouring lid is in the open position.

When steam generated by the operation of the heating unit flows into the rice delivery pipe, the rice before it is added to the pot may absorb moisture, reducing the accuracy of rice measurement. Furthermore, when sticky rice (a viscous broth that contains the rice's flavor) generated by the operation of the heating unit flows into the rice delivery pipe, rice delivery errors may occur. In contrast, with this configuration, the heating unit operates when the rice insertion lid is in the closed position and does not operate when the rice insertion lid is in the open position, preventing steam or sticky rice generated by the heating unit heating the pot from flowing into the rice delivery pipe through the rice insertion opening. As a result, a reduction in measurement accuracy or rice delivery errors can be prevented.

The rice cooker may be provided with an elastic, annular sealing member that is positioned around the rice inlet and seals the gap between the rice inlet lid and the lid body. The sealing member may have a base that is attached to the lid body and a sloped portion that is connected to the base via a bent portion and slopes downward toward one radial side of the sealing member. When the rice inlet lid is in the closed position, the sloped portion may come into contact with the rice inlet lid and elastically deform so as to bend around the bent portion.

With this configuration, when the rice-inlet lid is in the closed position, the sealing member elastically deforms, bending around the bent portion. This causes pressure to act on the contact area between the inclined portion and the rice-inlet lid, bringing the sealing member and the rice-inlet lid into contact. This improves the sealing performance of the rice-inlet opening.

In addition, with this configuration, the inclined portion is inclined downward toward one radial side of the sealing member, so even if rice is attached to the inclined portion, the rice will easily fall due to its own weight. Furthermore, even if rice is present between the rice inlet lid and the inclined portion of the sealing member when the rice inlet lid is in the closed position, when the rice inlet lid is moved from the closed position to the open position, the force of the sealing member returning to its original shape will easily cause the rice to fall from the inclined portion. As a result, deterioration of the sealing performance at the rice inlet can be prevented.

The rice cooker may also include an arm unit having one end to which the rice-inlet lid unit is connected and which rotates around a pivot shaft located to the side of the other end of the rice-transport pipe, and the arm unit may be configured to move the rice-inlet lid unit between the closed position and the open position by rotating around the pivot shaft.

One possible method for moving the rice loading lid between the open and closed positions is to slide it in a direction that intersects the vertical direction. However, with this method, if you attempt to close the rice loading opening while pressure is acting on the contact area between the rice loading lid and the sealing member, you must first slide the rice loading lid from the open position in this direction to position it below the rice loading opening, and then move the rice loading lid upward to press it against the sealing member. This method therefore requires a mechanism for sliding the rice loading lid in this direction and a mechanism for moving it vertically, making the mechanism for moving the rice loading lid complex. In contrast, with this configuration, when moving the rice loading lid from the open position to the closed position, the rice loading lid can be pressed against the sealing member by rotating the arm about its pivot axis. As a result, compared to the method of sliding the rice loading lid in the above direction, the rice loading opening can be closed while pressure is acting on the contact area between the rice loading lid and the sealing member with a simpler configuration.

The amount of deformation of the sealing member due to contact with the rice pouring lid portion when the heating unit is operating and the lid portion is in the closed position may be greater than the amount of deformation of the sealing member due to contact with the rice pouring lid portion when the heating unit is not operating and the lid portion is in the closed position.

With this configuration, the pressure acting on the contact area between the rice-inlet lid and the sealing member when the heating unit is operating is greater than the pressure acting on the contact area between the rice-inlet lid and the sealing member when the heating unit is not operating. This improves the sealing performance of the rice inlet when the heating unit is operating, and prevents steam or sticky rice generated by the heating unit heating the pot from flowing into the rice delivery pipe through the rice inlet. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in weighing accuracy or abnormal rice delivery.

The rice supply unit may be equipped with a rice supply fan that generates an air flow in the rice supply pipe from the rice container side toward the rice inlet and pushes the rice in the rice supply pipe through the rice inlet into the pot. The rice inlet lid may be positioned between the closed position and the open position, and may open the rice inlet and be capable of stopping in a half-open position where at least a portion of the rice inlet lid is positioned in the passage area. The rice supply fan may be driven to generate an air flow in the rice supply pipe from the rice container side toward the rice inlet when the rice inlet lid is positioned in the half-open position before being driven to supply rice into the pot.

When the rice lid is wet, rice tends to stick to it. If rice is stuck to the lid, when the lid is closed, the rice can get caught between the lid and the lid body, creating a gap between the lid and the lid body and reducing the seal at the rice inlet. In contrast, with this configuration, before the rice fan is driven to supply rice to the pot, the rice fan is driven with the lid in the half-open position to generate an airflow in the rice feed pipe from the rice container toward the rice inlet. This allows the airflow to hit the rice lid, drying it. As a result, even if the rice lid is wet before rice is added to the pot, it will be dry by the time the rice is added, preventing rice from sticking to the lid and reducing the seal at the rice inlet.

According to another aspect of the present invention,
A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
A rice-injection lid that freely opens and closes the rice-injection port provided on the lid body;
and a detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the rice-introducing lid unit,
The rice supply unit includes a cylindrical rice supply pipe having one end communicating with the inside of the rice container and the other end penetrating the inside of the lid and opening toward the rice inlet.

This configuration has a detection unit that detects whether the rice-inlet lid is open or closed. For example, by operating the heating unit when the detection unit detects that the rice-inlet lid is closed, steam or sticky rice generated by heating the pot in the heating unit is prevented from flowing into the rice-transport pipe. As a result, a decrease in weighing accuracy or abnormal rice-transport can be prevented.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention,
A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
a rice-input lid that covers the rice-input opening provided on the lid body in an openable and closable manner,
The rice supply department
a cylindrical rice-feeding pipe having one end communicating with the interior of the rice container and the other end penetrating the interior of the lid and opening toward the rice inlet;
a rice sending fan that generates an air flow in the rice sending pipe from the rice container side toward the rice inlet, and pushes the rice in the rice sending pipe into the pot through the rice inlet;
The rice-inlet lid is movable between a closed position for closing the rice inlet, an open position for opening the rice inlet, and a half-open position located between the closed position and the open position,
The rice cooker is provided in which the rice-feeding fan is driven to generate an air flow in the rice-feeding pipe from the rice container side toward the rice-feeding port with the rice-feeding lid in the open position or the half-open position before being driven to feed rice into the pot.

With this configuration, before the rice feeding fan is driven to supply rice into the pot, with the rice charging lid in the open or half-open position, the rice feeding fan is driven to generate an airflow in the rice feeding pipe from the rice container toward the rice inlet. This allows the airflow to hit the rice charging lid, drying it. As a result, even if the rice charging lid is wet before rice is charged into the pot, it is dry by the time the rice is charged, preventing rice from adhering to the rice charging lid and reducing the deterioration of the seal at the rice inlet.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, substantially identical components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

Furthermore, for the sake of convenience, the following uses terms indicating directions such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," and "side," assuming normal use, but these terms are not intended to limit the use state of the rice cooker according to the present invention.

(Embodiment)
1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rice cooker according to this embodiment is a so-called fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform all processes from supplying rice and water to a pot to cooking the rice.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker of this embodiment comprises a housing 1, an outer lid 2 that covers the top of the housing 1, a water container 3 provided at the bottom of the housing 1, a rice container 4 provided along one side of the housing 1, and a rice container lid 5 that covers the top of the rice container 4.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the rice cooker of Figure 1 with the outer lid 2 open. In this embodiment, the housing 1 has a rectangular or approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in Figure 2, an upper opening 1a is provided on the top surface of the housing 1. A pot 6 is inserted through the upper opening 1a, thereby storing the pot 6 inside the housing 1. An outer lid hinge portion 1b is provided on the upper rear portion of the housing 1. The outer lid hinge portion 1b is arranged to extend in the horizontal direction X.

The outer lid 2 is configured to cover the top opening 1a of the housing 1 in an openable and closable manner by rotating around the outer lid hinge portion 1b. In this embodiment, the outer lid 2 has a rectangular or approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape. When viewed from above, the outer lid 2 and the housing 1 have the same or approximately the same shape. That is, the outer lid 2 and the housing 1 have the same or approximately the same dimensions in the horizontal direction X and the depth direction Y, which is perpendicular to the horizontal direction X.

As shown in FIG. 2, an inner lid 7 is removably attached to the outer lid 2. In this embodiment, the inner lid 7 has a disk or approximately disk shape. The inner lid 7 is configured to cover the opening of the pot 6 in an openable and closable manner as the outer lid 2 rotates. The inner lid 7 is provided with a rice inlet 7a for adding rice to the pot 6 and an exhaust port 7b for discharging fluids such as air or steam from within the pot 6. In this embodiment, the outer lid 2 and the inner lid 7 form a lid that covers the top opening of the housing 1 in an openable and closable manner.

A water container 3 for holding water is provided at the bottom of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the water container 3 is configured to be detachable from the housing 1 by sliding in the depth direction Y.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the rice cooker in Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 3, the rice container 4 contains rice. In this embodiment, the rice contained in the rice container 4 is rice that does not require washing, so-called no-wash rice. A rice container opening 4a is provided at the top of the rice container 4 for placing rice inside the rice container 4. A rice container hinge portion 4b is provided at the upper rear of the rice container 4. The rice container lid 5 (shown in Figure 1) is configured to rotate around the rice container hinge portion 4b to freely open and close the rice container opening 4a.

The rice container 4 has a rice storage section 41 that stores rice. The rice storage section 41 has an inclined surface 41a that slopes in the depth direction Y and height direction Z so that the cross-sectional area decreases downward. The rice stored in the rice storage section 41 moves downward along the inclined surface 41a due to its own weight and is collected below the inclined surface 41a. The height direction Z is perpendicular to the width direction X and depth direction Y.

Figure 4 is a perspective view from diagonally above showing the configuration of the components related to the rice storage section 41 and rice supply section.

As shown in Figure 4, one end of a cylindrical rice supply pipe 42 is connected to the bottom of the rice storage section 41. The other end of the rice supply pipe 42 passes through the interior of the outer lid 2 and opens toward the rice inlet 7a (see Figure 2) of the inner lid 7. In this embodiment, rice passing through the rice supply pipe 42 is supplied into the pot 6 (shown in Figure 2) by falling under its own weight through an opening O1 (shown in Figure 10) provided at the other end of the rice supply pipe 42. In this embodiment, the rice supply pipe 42 has an internal flow path with a uniform or approximately uniform cross-sectional area along its length. The internal flow path of the rice supply pipe 42 is formed in a straight or smoothly curved shape to avoid protrusions or recesses that could become clogged with rice.

A rice feeding device 43 is provided below the inclined surface 41a. The rice feeding device 43 measures the amount of rice corresponding to the rice cooking amount selected on the display operation unit 8 (shown in Figure 1), which will be described later, and supplies it from the rice container 4 into the rice feeding pipe 42. In other words, the rice feeding device 43 in this embodiment functions as a rice measuring unit that measures the amount of rice to be put into the pot 6 (shown in Figure 2).

A rice feed fan 44 is attached to the rice feed pipe 42. The rice feed fan 44 generates an air flow within the rice feed pipe 42 from the rice container 4 side toward the rice inlet 7a, forcing the rice in the rice feed pipe 42 into the pot 6 through the rice inlet 7a.

A filter 45 is provided below the rice sending fan 44. In this embodiment, the filter 45 is configured to be detachable from the rice container 4 by sliding in the lateral direction X. The filter 45 prevents dust and other particles from entering the rice sending fan 44 from outside the rice container 4.

A rice supply channel on-off valve 46 is provided between the rice storage section 41 and the rice delivery pipe 42 to open and close the rice supply channel from the rice storage section 41 to the rice delivery pipe 42. More specifically, the rice supply channel on-off valve 46 is provided between the rice delivery device 43 and the rice delivery pipe 42.

In this embodiment, the rice supply pipe 42, rice supply device 43, rice supply fan 44, and rice supply channel open/close valve 46 constitute a rice supply section that supplies rice from the rice container 4 (rice storage section 41) into the pot 6.

Figure 5 is a top view showing the internal structure of the outer lid 2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the straight pipe section 42a of the rice feed pipe 42 is arranged coaxially with the outer lid hinge section 1b and penetrates the side wall 2a of the outer lid 2. The outer lid-side end 42aa of the straight pipe section 42a is rotatably connected to one end 42ca of the joint section 42c via an annular sliding packing 42b. In this embodiment, the joint section 42c is formed in a substantially L-shape. The joint section 42c is configured to rotate around the straight pipe section 42a as the rotation axis. In other words, the joint section 42c is configured to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the outer lid 2. The straight pipe section 42a and the joint section 42c are made of a rigid material such as plastic.

The rice feed pipe 42 includes a flexible tube 42d. In this embodiment, the tube 42d is made of rubber. One end 42da of the tube 42d is connected to the other end 42cb of the joint 42c. The other end 42db of the tube 42d is connected to the outer casing 22 of the rice feeding unit 21 so that it penetrates the outer casing 22 and is exposed below the outer lid 2. The rice feeding unit 21 is a unit for feeding rice discharged from the rice feed pipe 42 into the pot 6. The outer shape of the tube 42d changes from a flat shape to an approximately square shape from the one end 42da to the other end 42db. However, the internal flow path of the tube 42d has a uniform or approximately uniform cross-sectional area along its length and is formed in a straight or smoothly curved shape to prevent protrusions or recesses that could become clogged with rice. In this embodiment, the other end 42db of the tube 42d constitutes the other end of the rice feed pipe 42.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in Figure 5.

As shown in Figure 6, the outer casing member 22 forms part of the inner wall (the wall on the pot 6 side) of the outer lid 2 and is recessed toward the top wall of the outer lid 2. The other end 42db of the tube 42d passes through the outer casing member 22 and opens toward the rice inlet 7a of the inner lid 7 (see Figure 10).

The rice feeding unit 21 comprises an outer casing member 22, a rice feeding lid 23, an annular sealing member 24, and an arm 25.

The rice-inlet lid 23 is configured to cover the rice inlet 7a (shown in Figure 10) in an openable and closable manner. In this embodiment, the rice-inlet lid 23 has a disk or approximately disk shape. The rice-inlet lid 23 has a diameter that is smaller than the rice inlet 7a and larger than the inner diameter of the sealing member 24. The rice-inlet lid 23 is connected to one end of the arm 25.

The rice insertion lid 23 can be moved between a closed position where it contacts the sealing member 24 to close the rice insertion opening 7a, and an open position where it moves away from the sealing member 24 to open the rice insertion opening 7a. The rice insertion lid 23 can be positioned between the closed and open positions and can be stopped in a half-open position where it opens the rice insertion opening 7a. Figure 6 shows the rice insertion lid 23 in the open position. Figure 7 shows the rice insertion lid 23 in the closed position. Figure 8 shows the rice insertion lid 23 in the half-open position.

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the rice-introducing lid 23 is in the open position, it is located away from the passage area R1, which is the area vertically below the opening O1 (shown in FIG. 10 ) of the rice-transport pipe 42. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8 , when the rice-introducing lid 23 is in the half-open position, a portion of the rice-introducing lid 23 is located in the passage area R1. The passage area R1 refers to the area through which rice is introduced into the pot 6 through the opening O1 of the rice-transport pipe 42 and the rice inlet 7a. In this embodiment, rice is introduced into the pot 6 by its own weight falling through the opening O1 provided at the other end of the rice-transport pipe 42. Therefore, the passage area R1 is the area vertically below the opening O1 of the rice-transport pipe 42. However, the passage area R1 is not limited to this. For example, if rice is introduced into the pot 6 diagonally downward from the opening O1 of the rice-transport pipe 42, the passage area R1 may be the area formed diagonally downward from the opening O1 of the rice-transport pipe 42.

In this embodiment, the arm 25 is configured to rotate about a pivot 25a located to the side of the other end 42db of the tube 42d, thereby moving the rice-introducing lid 23 between the closed position, open position, and half-open position. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the rice-introducing lid 23 is in the closed position, the arm 25 is located within an enclosed space E1 between the outer lid 2 and inner lid 7, which is enclosed except for the other end 42db of the rice-transporting tube 42. The enclosed space E1 is formed by the outer casing 22, the rice-introducing lid 23, and the sealing member 24.

The rotating shaft 25a extends in a direction intersecting (orthogonal in this embodiment) the height direction Z. The rotating shaft 25a is connected to a stepping motor 26. The rotating shaft 25a is covered by the arm portion 25 and is configured not to be exposed in the sealed space E1. The stepping motor 26 is disposed outside the sealed space E1. When the stepping motor 26 is driven, the rotating shaft 25a rotates, and the arm portion 25 rotates. In this embodiment, the stepping motor 26 is an example of a drive source. The drive source according to the present invention is not limited to a stepping motor and may be another drive mechanism.

The sealing member 24 is provided on the bottom wall of the outer lid 2 facing the inner lid 7 (shown in Figure 10). When the inner lid 7 is attached to the outer lid 2 as shown in Figure 10, the sealing member 24 is positioned around the rice inlet 7a and is configured to seal the gap between the outer lid 2 and the inner lid 7. Furthermore, when the rice-inlet lid portion 23 is in the closed position, the sealing member 24 is configured to seal the gap between the rice-inlet lid portion 23 and the inner lid 7. In other words, the sealing member 24 has the function of sealing gaps in two locations with a single component.

As shown in FIG. 6, the sealing member 24 comprises a base 24a attached to the bottom wall of the outer lid 2, and an inclined portion 24b. The base 24a and the inclined portion 24b are connected via a bent portion 24c. The base 24a extends upward from the bent portion 24c, i.e., toward the bottom wall 2, at an inclination toward the radially inward direction of the sealing member 24. The inclined portion 24b extends downward from the bent portion 24c, i.e., toward the pot 6, at an inclination toward the radially inward direction of the sealing member 24. The inclined portion 24b may extend downward from the bent portion 24c at an inclination toward the radially outward direction of the sealing member 24. In this case, it is preferable that the base 24a extend upward from the bent portion 24c at an inclination toward the radially outward direction of the sealing member 24.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 7. As shown in Figure 9, when the rice pouring lid part 23 is in the closed position, the inclined part 24b of the sealing member 24 comes into contact with the rice pouring lid part 23 and elastically deforms so as to bend around the bent part 24c. As a result, the sealing member 24 and the rice pouring lid part 23 are in contact with each other with pressure acting on the contact area between the sealing member 24 and the rice pouring lid part 23.

As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the rice insertion unit 21 includes a detector 21a that detects whether the rice insertion lid 23 is open or closed. In this embodiment, the detector 21a detects whether the rice insertion lid 23 is in the open, closed, or half-open position. In this embodiment, the detector 21a is a transmission-type photosensor.

Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the inner lid 7 attached to the outer lid 2. As shown in Figure 10, the inner lid 7 is provided with an exhaust port 7b for discharging fluids such as air or steam from within the pot 6, as described above. The outer lid 2 is provided with an exhaust passage 27. The exhaust passage 27 is located opposite the exhaust port 7b. A ring-shaped gasket (not shown) is provided around the exhaust passage 27 of the outer lid 2 to seal the gap between the inner lid 7 and the outer lid 2 when the inner lid 7 is attached to the outer lid 2. Fluid within the pot 6 flows into the exhaust passage 27 through the exhaust port 7b.

The inner lid 7 has a steam inlet 7c and a water inlet 7d. The outer lid 2 has a steam sensor 28 and a water inlet passage 29. The steam sensor 28 is located at a position corresponding to the steam inlet 7c. The water inlet passage 29 is located at a position corresponding to the water inlet 7d. In this embodiment, the steam sensor 28 measures the temperature of steam generated in the pot 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, one end of a cylindrical water supply pipe 31 is connected to the water inlet passage 29. The other end of the water supply pipe 31 is connected to the interior of the water container 3 through the outer lid hinge portion 1b. A water supply pump (not shown) is provided on the water supply pipe 31. When the water supply pump is driven, water from the water container 3 is supplied into the pot 6 through the water supply pipe 31, the water inlet passage 29, and the water inlet 7d. In this embodiment, the water supply pipe 31 and the water supply pump constitute a water supply unit that supplies water from the water container 3 into the pot 6.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker of Figure 1 taken in the depth direction Y. As shown in Figure 11, an exhaust hole 2b is provided in the upper wall of the outer lid 2. The exhaust hole 2b is connected to the exhaust passage 27. Fluid in the pot 6 that flows into the exhaust passage 27 is released to the outside through the exhaust hole 2b. In this embodiment, the exhaust hole 2b is formed to extend in the horizontal direction X, as shown in Figure 1.

The size of the rice inlet 7a (shown in FIG. 10), i.e., the opening area, is, for example, 215 ^mm2 . The size of the exhaust outlet 7b (shown in FIG. 10), i.e., the opening area, is, for example, 80.0 ^mm2 . Note that, when viewed from above, the rice inlet 7a is preferably located close to the center of the pot 6. This ensures that the mound of rice formed in the pot 6 by the rice discharged from the rice inlet 7a has a more uniform shape. Furthermore, the exhaust outlet 7b is preferably located away from the rice inlet 7a. This prevents the rice discharged from the rice inlet 7a from flowing into the exhaust passage 27 through the exhaust outlet 7b. In this embodiment, the distance L1 from the center of the pot 6 to the center of the rice inlet 7a is set to be smaller than the distance L2 from the center of the pot 6 to the center of the exhaust passage 27 (L1 < L2). When viewed from above, the centers of the rice inlet 7a and the exhaust outlet 7b are located opposite each other across the center of the pot 6. The distance L1 is, for example, 22.5 mm. The distance L2 is, for example, 44.9 mm.

As shown in Figure 1, the top wall of the outer lid 2 is provided with a display/operation unit 8 that displays various rice cooking information such as the amount of rice to be cooked and the cooking course (white rice course, brown rice course, etc.), and allows the user to select specific rice cooking information from the various rice cooking information. The display/operation unit 8 is configured to display various rice cooking information and to instruct the user to select the amount of rice to be cooked and the cooking course, as well as to start, cancel, and schedule rice cooking.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the housing 1 has a pot accommodating section 1c that accommodates the pot 6. A pot heating device 9 is provided on the outer periphery of the pot accommodating section 1c of the housing 1, facing the pot 6. The pot heating device 9 is an example of a heating section that heats the pot 6. The pot heating device 9 is, for example, an induction heating coil that inductively heats the pot 6 when electricity is applied. A through hole is provided in the central bottom of the pot accommodating section 1c of the housing 1, and a pot temperature sensor 10, an example of a temperature detection section, is provided so as to come into contact with the central bottom of the pot 6 through the through hole.

A control unit 11 is also provided inside the housing 1. The control unit 11 controls the water pump, stepping motor 26, rice feed device 43, and rice feed fan 44 to supply rice and water into the pot 6, and controls the pot heating device 9 to perform the rice cooking process. The control unit 11 is equipped with a memory unit that stores multiple rice cooking sequences for cooking rice. Here, a "rice cooking sequence" refers to a rice cooking procedure in which the power supply time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc. are predetermined for each of the four main processes of preheating, heating, maintaining boiling, and steaming. The control unit 11 controls the pot heating device 9 to perform the rice cooking process based on the rice cooking information selected on the display operation unit 8, the temperatures detected by the pot temperature sensor 10 and steam sensor 28, and the position of the rice-inlet lid 23 detected by the detection unit 21a. In this embodiment, when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid 23 is in the closed position, the control unit 11 controls the pot heating device 9 to perform the rice cooking process and the keep-warm process that follows the rice cooking process. On the other hand, when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid 23 is in the open or half-open position, the control unit 11 controls the pot heating device 9 so that the pot heating device 9 does not operate. In other words, the pot heating device 9 is configured to operate when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid 23 is in the closed position, and not operate when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid 23 is in the open or half-open position.

The control unit 11 also has a memory unit that stores multiple preparatory sequences to be performed before the rice cooking process begins. Here, a "preparatory sequence" refers to a procedure in which the operating time of each pump or fan is predetermined for each process, including rice and water feeding. Based on the rice cooking information selected on the display/operation unit 8, the control unit 11 controls the water feeding pump, stepping motor 26, rice feeding device 43, and rice feeding fan 44 to perform each process.

When the control unit 11 drives the water supply pump, water in the water container 3 is supplied into the pot 6 through the water supply pipe 31, the water inlet passage 29, and the water inlet 7d. When the control unit 11 drives the stepping motor 26, the arm 25 rotates about the pivot shaft 25a, moving the rice inlet lid 23 from the closed position to the open position. When the control unit 11 drives the rice supply device 43 and the rice supply fan 44, the rice in the rice container 4 is supplied by the rice supply device 43 into the rice supply pipe 42, and the rice in the rice supply pipe 42 is supplied by the rice supply fan 44 through the rice inlet 7a into the pot 6. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 drives the rice supply fan 44 when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice inlet lid 23 is in the open position. In other words, the rice feeding fan 44 is configured to operate when the detector 21a detects that the rice charging lid 23 is in the open position, and to feed rice from the rice feeding pipe 42 into the pot 6 through the rice charging opening 7a.

Before the rice feeding device 43 and rice feeding fan 44 are driven to supply rice from the rice feeding pipe 42 into the pot 6 through the rice inlet 7a, the control unit 11 drives the rice feeding fan 44 without driving the rice feeding device 43, with the rice feeding lid 23 in the half-open position, to generate an airflow in the rice feeding pipe 42 from the rice container 4 toward the rice inlet 7a. In other words, before the rice feeding fan 44 is driven to supply rice into the pot 6, with the rice feeding lid 23 in the half-open position, it drives the rice feeding fan 44 to generate an airflow in the rice feeding pipe 42 from the rice container 4 toward the rice inlet 7a. At this time, the rice supply channel on-off valve 46 is closed.

Furthermore, the control unit 11 controls the pot heating device 9 so that it can be operated when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid unit 23 is in the closed position, and so that it cannot be operated when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid unit 23 is in the open position. In other words, the pot heating device 9 is configured to operate when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid unit 23 is in the closed position, and not to operate when the detection unit 21a detects that the rice pouring lid unit 23 is in the open position. In other words, when the pot heating device 9 is operating (e.g., during the rice cooking process or the keep-warm process), the rice pouring lid unit 23 is in the closed position.

The control unit 11 controls the stepping motor 26 so that the amount of rotation of the stepping motor 26 before the pot heating device 9 operates (i.e., before the start of the rice cooking process or the keep-warm process) is greater than the amount of rotation of the stepping motor 26 under normal circumstances (when the pot heating device 9 is not scheduled to operate). Here, the amount of rotation in this specification refers to the amount of rotation of the stepping motor 26 when the rice pouring lid portion 23 is moved from the open position to the closed position. As a result, the amount of deformation of the sealing member 24 due to contact with the rice pouring lid portion 23 when the pot heating device 9 is operating is greater than the amount of deformation of the sealing member 24 due to contact with the rice pouring lid portion 23 when the pot heating device 9 is not operating.

In the rice cooker according to this embodiment, when the rice-introducing lid 23 is in the open position, it is located away from the passage area R1 through which rice passes when it is introduced into the pot 6 via the opening O1 of the rice-feeding pipe 42 and the rice-introducing opening 7a. This configuration prevents rice from adhering to the rice-introducing lid 23 when rice is introduced into the pot 6 while the rice-introducing lid 23 is in the open position, preventing a deterioration in the sealing performance of the rice-introducing opening 7a.

In the rice cooker according to this embodiment, the passage area R1 is the area vertically below the opening O1 of the rice feed pipe 42. With this configuration, when rice is supplied to the pot 6 by allowing it to fall under its own weight from the opening O1 of the rice feed pipe 42, the rice is prevented from adhering to the rice inlet lid 23, and the sealing performance of the rice inlet 7a is prevented from decreasing.

The rice cooker according to this embodiment is equipped with a detector 21a that detects whether the rice-inlet lid 23 is open or closed. The rice supply unit is configured to supply rice from the rice feed pipe 42 into the pot 6 through the rice inlet 7a when the detector 21a detects that the rice-inlet lid 23 is in the open position. With this configuration, when rice is added to the pot 6 through the rice inlet 7a, the rice inlet lid 23 is in the open position, preventing rice from adhering to the rice inlet lid 23. As a result, deterioration of the sealing performance of the rice inlet 7a can be prevented.

The rice cooker according to this embodiment is equipped with a detector 21a that detects whether the rice-inlet lid 23 is open or closed. The pot heating device 9 is configured to operate when the detector 21a detects that the rice-inlet lid 23 is in the closed position, and not operate when the detector 21a detects that the rice-inlet lid 23 is in the open position. With this configuration, the pot heating device 9 operates when the rice-inlet lid 23 is in the closed position, and does not operate when the rice-inlet lid 23 is in the open position. This prevents steam or sticky rice generated by the pot heating device 9 heating the pot 6 from flowing into the rice delivery pipe 42 through the rice inlet 7a. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in weighing accuracy or abnormal rice delivery.

The rice cooker according to this embodiment is equipped with an elastic, annular sealing member 24 that is positioned around the rice inlet 7a and seals the gap between the rice inlet lid 23 and the inner lid 7. The sealing member 24 includes a base 24a that is attached to the lid body, and a sloped portion 24b that is connected to the base 24a via a bent portion 24c and slopes downward toward one radial direction of the sealing member 24. When the rice inlet lid 23 is in the closed position, the sloped portion 24b contacts the rice inlet lid 23 and elastically deforms, bending around the bent portion 24c. With this configuration, when the rice inlet lid 23 is in the closed position, the sealing member 24 elastically deforms, bending around the bent portion 24c. Therefore, when pressure is applied to the contact portion between the sloped portion 24b and the rice inlet lid 23, the sealing member 24 and the rice inlet lid 23 come into contact. This improves the sealing performance of the rice inlet 7a.

Furthermore, with this configuration, the inclined portion 24b is inclined downward toward one radial side of the sealing member 24, so even if rice is attached to the inclined portion 24b, the rice will easily fall due to its own weight. Furthermore, even if rice is present between the rice pouring lid portion 23 and the inclined portion 24b of the sealing member 24 when the rice pouring lid portion 23 is in the closed position, when the rice pouring lid portion 23 is moved from the closed position to the open position, the force of the sealing member 24 returning to its original shape will cause the rice to easily fall from the inclined portion 24b. As a result, deterioration of the sealing performance at the rice pouring opening 7a can be suppressed.

The rice cooker according to this embodiment has an arm 25 that has a rice-inlet lid 23 connected to one end and rotates around a pivot 25a located to the side of the other end of the rice-transport pipe 42. The arm 25 is configured to rotate around the pivot 25a to move the rice-inlet lid 23 between the closed and open positions. With this configuration, when moving the rice-inlet lid 23 from the open position to the closed position, the arm rotates around the pivot 25a to press the rice-inlet lid 23 against the sealing member 24. As a result, with a simple configuration, the rice inlet 7a can be closed with pressure acting on the contact area between the rice-inlet lid 23 and the sealing member 24.

In the rice cooker according to this embodiment, the amount of deformation of the sealing member 24 due to contact with the rice-introducing lid 23 in the closed position when the pot heating device 9 is operating is greater than the amount of deformation of the sealing member 24 due to contact with the rice-introducing lid 23 in the closed position when the pot heating device 9 is not operating. With this configuration, the pressure acting on the contact area between the rice-introducing lid 23 and the sealing member 24 when the pot heating device 9 is operating is greater than the pressure acting on the contact area between the rice-introducing lid 23 and the sealing member 24 when the pot heating device 9 is not operating. As a result, the sealing performance of the rice inlet 7a can be improved when the pot heating device 9 is operating, and steam or sticky rice generated by heating the pot with the pot heating device 9 is prevented from flowing into the rice delivery pipe 42 through the rice inlet 7a. This prevents a decrease in weighing accuracy or abnormal rice delivery.

In the rice cooker according to this embodiment, the rice supply unit includes a rice supply fan 44 that generates an airflow in the rice supply pipe 42 from the rice container toward the rice inlet 7a and pushes the rice in the rice supply pipe 42 through the rice inlet 7a into the pot 6. The rice inlet lid 23 is positioned between a closed position and an open position, opens the rice inlet 7a, and can be stopped in a half-open position where at least a portion of the rice inlet lid 23 is located in the passage region R1. The rice supply fan 44 is configured to be driven to generate an airflow in the rice supply pipe 42 from the rice container toward the rice inlet 7a when the rice inlet lid 23 is in the half-open position before being driven to supply rice into the pot 6. With this configuration, the rice supply fan is driven to generate an airflow in the rice supply pipe 42 from the rice container toward the rice inlet 7a when the rice inlet lid 23 is in the half-open position before being driven to supply rice into the pot 6. This allows the airflow to hit the rice pouring lid 23, drying it. As a result, even if the rice pouring lid 23 is wet before rice is poured into the pot 6, the rice pouring lid 23 is dry by the time the rice is poured, preventing rice from sticking to the rice pouring lid 23 and preventing a deterioration in the sealing performance of the rice pouring opening 7a.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, the above embodiments have been described as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these, and can also be applied to embodiments in which modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc. are made. Other embodiments will be described below as examples.

In the above embodiment, when the rice throwing lid 23 is in the open position, the rice throwing lid 23 is located away from the passage area R1. As an example of another embodiment, when the rice throwing lid 23 is in the open position, a portion of the rice throwing lid 23 may be located in the passage area R1. Even in this case, it is preferable that the rice cooker according to the above other embodiment is equipped with a detector 21a that detects whether the rice throwing lid 23 is open or closed. With this configuration, for example, the pot heating device 9 is operated when the detector 21a detects that the rice throwing lid 23 is in the closed position, and the pot heating device 9 is not operated when the detector 21a detects that the rice throwing lid 23 is in the open position. This prevents steam or sticky rice generated by heating the pot 6 with the pot heating device 9 from flowing into the rice delivery pipe 42. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in weighing accuracy or abnormal rice delivery.

In the above embodiment, the rice pouring lid 23 is configured to move between an open position and a closed position by rotating the arm 25 around the pivot shaft 25a. As another example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the rice pouring lid 23 may move vertically, i.e., in the height direction Z, to cover the rice pouring opening 7a in an openable and closable manner. The rice cooker according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 has the same configuration as the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, except for the configuration of the rice pouring unit 21, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the rice loading lid portion 23 is movable between a closed position that closes the rice loading opening 7a, an open position that opens the rice loading opening 7a, and a half-open position located between the closed and open positions. In other words, the rice loading lid portion 23 can be stopped at a closed position that closes the rice loading opening 7a, an open position that opens the rice loading opening 7a, and a half-open position located between the closed and open positions. In FIG. 12, the rice loading lid portion 23 located in the open position is shown by a solid line, the rice loading lid portion 23 located in the closed position is shown by a dashed line, and the rice loading lid portion 23 located in the half-open position is shown by a dashed line. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, when the rice loading lid portion 23 is located in the open position or the half-open position, a portion of the rice loading lid portion 23 is located in the passage region R1. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the rice feed fan 44 is preferably driven to generate an airflow in the rice feed pipe 42 from the rice container 4 toward the rice inlet 7a with the rice pouring lid 23 in the open or half-open position before being driven to feed rice into the pot 6. With this configuration, the airflow hits the rice pouring lid 23, drying it before the rice feed fan 44 is driven to feed rice into the pot 6. As a result, even if the rice pouring lid 23 is wet before rice is poured into the pot 6, the rice pouring lid 23 is dry by the time the rice is poured, preventing rice from adhering to the rice pouring lid 23 and reducing the deterioration of the sealing performance of the rice pouring lid 23.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be implemented in various other forms.

For example, in the above embodiment, the rice pouring lid 23 is configured to move between the open position and the closed position by rotating the arm 25 around the rotation shaft 25a, but the method for moving the rice pouring lid 23 between the open position and the closed position is not limited to this. For example, the rice pouring lid 23 may be moved between the open position and the closed position by sliding it in a direction that intersects the vertical direction.

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

The rice cooker of the present invention can prevent deterioration of the sealing performance at the rice inlet, making it useful, for example, as a fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform everything from supplying rice and water to cooking the rice.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Housing 1a Top opening 1b Outer lid hinge portion 1c Pot storage portion 2 Outer lid 2a Side wall 2b Exhaust hole 3 Water container 4 Rice container 4a Rice container opening 4b Rice container hinge portion 5 Rice container lid 6 Pot 7 Inner lid 7a Rice inlet 7b Exhaust port 7c Steam inlet 7d Water inlet 8 Display operation portion 9 Pot heating device (heating portion)
10 Pot temperature sensor 11 Control unit 21 Rice insertion unit 21a Detection unit 22 Outer member 23 Rice insertion lid 24 Sealing member 25 Arm 25a Rotating shaft 26 Stepping motor (driving source)
27 Exhaust passage 28 Steam sensor 28a Gasket 29 Water supply passage 29a Gasket 31 Water supply pipe 32 Water supply pump 41 Rice storage section 41a Inclined surface 42 Rice supply pipe 42a Straight pipe section 42aa End 42b Sliding gasket 42c Joint section 42ca One end 42cb Other end 42d Tube 42da One end 42db Other end 43 Rice supply device 44 Rice supply fan 45 Filter 46 Rice supply passage opening/closing valve E1 Sealed space O1 Opening R1 Passage area

Claims (11)

A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
a rice-pouring lid that is provided on the lid body and that freely opens and closes a rice-pouring opening for putting rice into the pot ,
The rice supply unit includes a cylindrical rice supply pipe having one end communicating with the inside of the rice container and the other end penetrating the inside of the lid and opening toward the pot, forming an outlet of the rice supply unit for pouring rice into the pot;
The rice-inlet lid is movable between a closed position for closing the rice inlet and an open position for opening the rice inlet,
When the rice-feeding lid is located at the open position, it is located away from a passage area through which rice fed into the pot through the opening of the rice-feeding pipe and the rice-feeding port passes,
The rice cooker, wherein the rice-introducing lid portion is positioned away from the other end portion when in the open position. The rice cooker of claim 1, wherein the passage area is the area vertically below the opening of the rice delivery pipe. A detection unit is provided to detect the opening and closing of the rice insertion lid unit,
3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the rice supply unit is configured to supply rice in the rice delivery pipe into the pot through the rice inlet when the detection unit detects that the rice inlet lid is in the open position. A detection unit is provided to detect the opening and closing of the rice insertion lid unit,
3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit is configured to operate when the detection unit detects that the rice pouring lid unit is in the closed position, and not to operate when the detection unit detects that the rice pouring lid unit is in the open position. An elastic annular sealing member is provided around the rice inlet to seal the gap between the rice inlet lid and the lid body.
The sealing member is
a base attached to the lid;
a bent portion connected to the base portion and inclined downwardly to one side in the radial direction of the seal member;
5. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein when the rice pouring lid is in the closed position, the inclined portion of the sealing member comes into contact with the rice pouring lid and elastically deforms so as to bend around the bent portion. The rice feeding lid is connected to one end of the arm portion, and the arm portion rotates around a rotation axis disposed on the side of the other end of the rice feeding pipe.
The rice cooker according to claim 5 , wherein the arm portion is configured to rotate about the rotation shaft to move the rice pouring lid portion between the closed position and the open position. The rice cooker of claim 5 or 6, wherein the amount of deformation of the sealing member due to contact with the rice throwing lid portion in the closed position when the heating unit is operating is greater than the amount of deformation of the sealing member due to contact with the rice throwing lid portion in the closed position when the heating unit is not operating. The rice supply unit includes a rice supply fan that generates an air flow in the rice supply pipe from the rice container side toward the rice inlet and pushes the rice in the rice supply pipe into the pot through the rice inlet,
The rice-inlet lid is positioned between the closed position and the open position, opens the rice inlet, and can be stopped at a half-open position where at least a part of the rice-inlet lid is positioned in the passage area,
8. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the rice-feeding fan is driven to generate an air flow in the rice-feeding pipe from the rice container toward the rice-feeding opening with the rice-feeding lid in the half-open position before being driven to feed rice into the pot. A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
A rice-injection lid that freely opens and closes the rice-injection port provided on the lid body;
and a detection unit that detects the opening and closing of the rice-introducing lid unit,
The rice supply unit has a cylindrical rice supply pipe whose one end communicates with the inside of the rice container and whose other end penetrates the inside of the lid and opens toward the rice inlet,
The rice-inlet lid is movable between a closed position for closing the rice inlet and an open position for opening the rice inlet,
The rice cooker is configured such that the heating unit operates when the detection unit detects that the rice pouring lid unit is in the closed position, and does not operate when the detection unit detects that the rice pouring lid unit is in the open position. A pot and
A heating unit that heats the pot;
A housing having an upper surface opening and accommodating the pot through the upper surface opening;
a lid that covers the top opening in an openable and closable manner;
a rice container for storing rice;
a rice supply unit that supplies rice from the rice container into the pot;
a rice-input lid that covers the rice-input opening provided on the lid body in an openable and closable manner,
The rice supply department
a cylindrical rice-transport pipe having one end communicating with the interior of the rice container and the other end penetrating the interior of the lid and opening toward the rice inlet;
a rice sending fan that generates an air flow in the rice sending pipe from the rice container side toward the rice inlet, and pushes the rice in the rice sending pipe into the pot through the rice inlet;
The rice-inlet lid is movable to a closed position for closing the rice inlet, an open position for opening the rice inlet, and a half-open position located between the closed position and the open position,
In the rice cooker, before being driven to supply rice into the pot, the rice-feeding fan is driven to generate an air flow in the rice-feeding pipe from the rice container side toward the rice-feeding opening with the rice-feeding lid positioned at the open position or the half-open position. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a drive source that moves the rice-inlet lid between the closed position and the open position.