JPH0574364B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention relates to an electric rice cooker.

[Prior Art] As a conventional electric rice cooker, there is one shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a fragmented cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a conventional electric rice cooker. In the figure, 1 is a handle, 2 is a lid, 3 is a partition plate, 4 is a heat-retaining lid, 5 is an inner pot, 6 is an outer pot, 7 is a heater placed between the inner pot 5 and the outer pot 6, 8 is a heat shield cylinder, 9 is a sensor, 10 is a support frame ring, 11 is an outer case, 12 is a control panel, 13 is a cord reel, 14 1 is a menu key, 15 and 16 are timer buttons, 17 is a start button, 18 is a timer display section, and 19 is a lock release button.

The detailed structure of the electric rice cooker is not directly related to this invention, so it will be omitted here, but an eccentrically formed support frame ring 10 is installed on the top surface of the main body, and an outer pot 6 is installed near the inner periphery of the support frame ring 10. and a heat shield cylinder 8 are fixed, and the outer periphery is continuous with the upper end of the outer case 11. Further, a control panel 12 is provided on an eccentric thick wall portion of the support frame ring 10.

Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the opening/closing operation of the lid 2 when loading and unloading the inner pot 5 and when serving cooked rice in a bowl in a conventional electric rice cooker, as shown in Figure A. Like unlock button 19
Press with your hand to release the lock that fixed the lid 2 and the main body, and open the lid 2 by pulling up the handle 1 around the hinge part 20 to the stopping position.
Furthermore, the opened lid 2 is balanced by its own weight, which is about to fall down, and comes to rest at the position shown in Figure B.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional electric rice cooker as described above is configured and operates as described above, there is a problem in that the lid is difficult to open during use. In other words, when serving the cooked rice in a bowl, one must hold the Yamoji in the right hand and the bowl in the left, so both hands are occupied and the lid must be opened first before serving. Must be. Also, with the lid open,
The lid only remains stationary due to the balance of gravity, so if you accidentally touch the lid while serving food, the balance will be lost and the lid will slam shut, posing the risk of pinching your fingers and causing injury.

This invention was made to solve this problem, and even if both hands are occupied, the lid can be opened smoothly and automatically by simply pressing the lock release button. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electric rice cooker in which the lid does not suddenly close even if the lid is touched.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The electric rice cooker according to the present invention includes a locking mechanism for locking the lid to the main body, and a hinge portion connecting the lid and the main body that is activated by a biasing force when the lock is released. The present invention is provided with a biasing member for automatically rotating and opening the lid, and a braking mechanism for braking the rotation of the lid.

[Function] In this invention, when the lock mechanism for locking the lid to the main body and the hinge portion connecting the lid to the main body are released, the lid is automatically rotated and opened by the biasing force. Since it is equipped with a biasing member to prevent the lid from rotating, and a braking mechanism to brake the rotation of the lid, the lid can be opened automatically while applying braking by pressing the lock release button, and it also prevents accidental opening of the lid. Even if you touch an open lid, the lid will no longer close suddenly.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of the electric rice cooker according to the present invention. 20 is different in configuration from the conventional electric rice cooker, and the other parts are the same as the conventional electric rice cooker.
It is omitted in the drawing.

In FIG. 1, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 5 indicate the same or equivalent parts, 21 is a spring A built in the lock release button 19, 22 is a latch, and is an engaging part integrally formed on the support frame ring 10. A hole is provided in which 10a engages. 23 is a spring B for biasing the latch 22, 24 is a stopper, and 25 is a spring C. The stopper 24 is attached to the support frame ring 10 and is pushed up from below by a spring C25.
The end of the latch 22 is pushed up to securely fix the hole provided in the latch 22 and the engaging portion 10a. Reference numeral 26 denotes a holding plate for the stopper 24, which constitutes a locking mechanism.

Also, 27 is a lid bearing, 28 is a twisting spring D, 29
32 is a reinforcing plate A, 32 is a rotary cylinder, and 34 is a compression spring E, which constitute the hinge portion 20.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing in detail the structure of the lock mechanism shown in FIG. 1, where the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same parts, and the broken line 22' indicates the position to which the latch 22 moves. .

Further, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of each part assembling the hinge part 20 shown in FIG. 1, where the same reference numerals as in FIG. fixed part,
30 is a reinforcing plate B, 31 is a detent hole into which the fixed part 28b provided on the support frame ring 10 is fitted, 33 is a support frame receiving shaft, 35 is a sliding head provided on the compression spring E34, 36 is a cylindrical hole on the support frame ring 10 into which the compression spring E34 is inserted, 37 is a drain hole provided in this cylindrical hole 36, 38 is a sliding surface provided on the lid bearing 27, 39 is a rotating shaft, 40
is the cover.

The lid bearing 27 is provided on the hinge portion 20 inside the lid 2, and twist springs D28 are attached to both sides thereof. This twisting spring D28 has an arm portion 28a that lifts up the lid 2 with its elastic force, and a hole 3 for preventing rotation.
1, and a fixed part 28b inserted into the arm part 28a of the twisting spring D28 and the fixed part 28.
To prevent b from directly hitting the resin and causing deformation,
A reinforcing plate A29 and a support frame ring 10 are installed inside the lid 2.
A reinforcing plate B30 is attached to. The rotating shaft 32 is mounted inside the torsion spring D28, and a supporting frame receiving shaft 33 is formed integrally with the supporting frame ring 10, and the rotating shaft 39 passes through the center thereof. Moreover, the compression spring E34 is equipped with a sliding head 35 molded from plastic on its upper part.
It is inserted into a cylindrical hole 36 formed on the support frame ring 10, and the sliding head 35 is in contact with an involute-shaped sliding surface 38 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lid bearing 27. Further, the cover 40 is attached after the assembly is completed to prevent the rotary shaft 39 from coming off.

Next, the operation will be explained. When rice is cooked and placed in a bowl in the electric rice cooker configured as described above, by pressing the lock release button 19, the latch 22 rotates as shown in FIG. The engaging portion 10a that was engaged with
is released and the latch 22 moves to the position indicated by the broken line 22'. When this latch 22 rotates, the spring C2
The stopper 24 is pushed up by the elastic force of step 5, fixing the latch 22 at the position indicated by the broken line 22', and even if you release your finger from the lock release button 19, the latch 22 remains.
The lock is released without returning to the original position.

When the lock is released, the lid 2 rotates about the rotating shaft 39 and opens due to the elastic force of the twisting spring D28, and stops at a position where the opening angle is 90° to 95°.

The opening speed of the lid 2 is determined by the sliding head 35 pushed up by the compression spring E34 and the sliding surface 3 so that there is no danger.
Brake is applied and adjusted by friction with 8. That is, if the lid 2 is rotated as it is by the elastic force of the torsion spring D28, the opening speed of the lid 2 will increase in terms of acceleration, so this is adjusted to ensure smooth movement.

FIG. 4 is a diagram explaining the operation for adjusting the opening speed of the lid 2. In the figure, A indicates the opening speed of the lid 2.
a shows the position of the sliding surface 38 of the lid bearing 27 and the sliding head 35 at that time, and B shows the position of the sliding head 35 when the lid 2 starts to open.
FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the position of the sliding surface 38 of the lid bearing 27 and the sliding head 35 when the lid bearing 27 is almost completely opened. As shown in the figure, the sliding head 35 applies a brake to the rotation of the lid bearing shaft 27 by pushing the sliding surface 38 of the lid bearing 27 by the elastic force of the compression spring E34, but this braking force is When the lid 2 starts to open, that is, in the state shown in FIG. As this distance becomes smaller, the braking force becomes progressively stronger, canceling out the acceleration of the opening speed of the lid 2 and allowing smooth opening and closing operations.

If this is shown by the force relationship of each spring, when the lid 2 starts to open, the twisting spring D28>the compression spring E3
4, and when the lid 2 is fully opened, the twisting spring D28<compression spring E34. Since it is configured as described above, even if you accidentally touch the open lid 2, it will not close suddenly, and when you want to close the lid 2, just press the lid 2 with your hand and return it to its original position, and it will automatically close. It will become locked.

Note that a drain hole 37 is formed at the bottom of the cylindrical hole 36, and a drain tray (not shown) is installed below this hole, so that even if water enters during rice cooking, it will not drain away from the bottom of the cylindrical hole 36. Water will not accumulate in the area.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, this invention allows the lid to be automatically opened while applying braking by pressing the lock release button, and also prevents the lid from suddenly closing even if the lid is accidentally touched. This has the effect of eliminating

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of the electric rice cooker according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing the detailed structure of the lock mechanism, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the hinge part, and FIG. Figure 4 is a diagram explaining the operation for adjusting the opening speed of the lid, Figure 5 is a broken sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional electric rice cooker, and Figure 6 is a diagram showing the opening and closing operation of the lid in a conventional electric rice cooker. Diagram for explanation. 2 is a lid, 5 is an inner pot, 7 is a heater, 8 is a heat shield cylinder,
10 is a support frame ring, 10a is an engagement part, 11 is an outer case, 19 is a lock release button, 20 is a hinge part, 21 is a spring A, 22 is a latch, 23 is a spring B, 24 is a stopper, 25 is a spring C , 26 is a press plate, 27 is a lid bearing, 28 is a twist spring D, 32 is a rotating cylinder, 34 is a compression spring E, 36 is a cylindrical hole, 35
38 is the sliding head, 38 is the sliding surface, and 39 is the rotating shaft. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A main body including an outer case in which a heater for heating an inner pot is provided and a storage section for accommodating the inner pot; a support frame connected to the outer case and near the inner periphery to which the outer pot is fixed; a lid that covers the opening of the inner pot by engaging with the support frame; a locking mechanism for locking the lid in a closed state; a lock release operation section for releasing the locking mechanism; a hinge portion rotatably supported; a reinforcing plate provided on the inner upper surface of the lid; one end extending toward the reinforcing plate and press-contacting the reinforcing plate so as to bias the lid in the opening direction; , a biasing member whose other end is attached to the support frame, which contacts the circumferential surface of the lid bearing and responds to changes in the contact portion with the circumferential surface based on rotation of the lid bearing;
An electric rice cooker comprising: a braking mechanism that controls the biasing force of the biasing member in the lid opening direction. 2. The braking mechanism includes a sliding surface formed on the circumferential surface of the lid bearing, and a sliding head formed with a friction surface that comes into contact with the sliding surface and exerts a frictional force against rotation of the lid; The friction surface of the sliding head is provided with a compression spring that contacts the sliding surface, and the change in the contact portion between the sliding surface and the sliding head based on the rotation of the lid bearing is controlled by the rotation of the lid. 2. The electric shock absorber according to claim 1, wherein as the rotation angle increases, the amount of compression of the compression spring increases when the rotation angle is within a range of 0° to 90°. rice cooker.