JP2011087998A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rice cooker, which is capable of making a situation where a lid member will not open recognizable in a case where pressure reduction means functions. <P>SOLUTION: The rice cooker includes a body equipped with a pot, the pressure reduction means to reduce the pressure in the pot to less than atmospheric pressure, the lid member 31 that is openable/closable to cover the body, and an LED 142 which operates as the pressure reduction means functions. In this case, when the LED 142 is operating as a cover opening button 46 is to be pushed, it is recognizable that the pressure reduction action is being performed, and that the lid member 31 does not open immediately. Such operation as to forcedly push the lid opening button 46, or push the lid opening button 46 repeatedly can thus be reduced, and performance deterioration of the lid opening button 46, or the rice cooker, is thus alleviated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a rice cooker provided with a pot for charging an object to be cooked.

  In general, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a pressure rice cooker in which a pan is provided in a main body so as to be freely housed, a lid is provided so as to cover the main body, and a pressure regulator is provided in the lid. In this patent document 1, rice cooking is performed by pressurizing the inside of the pan with a pressure equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure by the pressure adjusting device, and then returning the inside of the pan to the atmospheric pressure.

JP 2006-350 A

  However, the structure of the conventional rice cooker described above has the following problems.

  Generally, the rice cooker has a structure in which the engagement portion and the engagement receiving portion are disengaged and the lid is opened. However, when the decompression means is activated, the lid may not open, and the user is not sure whether the lid has been opened. Could have an adverse effect.

  In the pressure rice cooker mentioned above, what can cook to-be-cooked material is known. In this case, temperature and time can be set, and the inside of the pan can be cooked at the set temperature and time. Conventionally, the control means starts measuring the timer with the start of heating, and when the temperature in the pan reaches the set temperature, the pan is heated so that the temperature in the pan is maintained at the set temperature. It came to control.

  However, in the cooking heating as described above, for example, before the temperature in the pan rises to the set temperature, the elapsed time from the start of heating reaches the set time, and the desired cooking state cannot be obtained. was there. Moreover, since the range of the time which can be set is constant irrespective of the set temperature, there exists a possibility that a to-be-cooked object may be heated too much, for example. Improvements were sought for these points.

  In addition, such a device can only set the temperature and time, and has not been able to perform its function sufficiently even though it has a pressurizing means. That is, a rice cooker that can freely adjust not only the temperature and time but also the pressure has been demanded.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can recognize a situation in which the lid does not open when the decompression means operates.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can obtain a desired cooking state regardless of how the temperature and time are set.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker in which an object to be cooked is not excessively heated regardless of a set temperature.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can freely adjust not only temperature and time but also pressure when cooking an object to be cooked.

  In the rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the lid opening operation is to be performed, if the alarm means is activated, it is possible to recognize a situation in which the pressure reducing operation is performed and the lid is not opened. Therefore, operations such as forcibly performing the lid opening operation or performing the lid opening operation many times are reduced, and the performance deterioration of the rice cooker can be improved.

  In the rice cooker according to the second aspect of the present invention, the detection means detects the operation when the engagement between the engaging portion and the engagement receiving portion is to be released, and the lid can be opened.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 3 of the present invention, it is possible to immediately recognize whether or not the pressure reducing operation is performed depending on whether or not the alarm means provided in the lid opening / closing means is activated.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 4 of the present invention, it is possible to confirm whether or not the decompression operation is being performed only by looking at the display means provided on the lid opening / closing means.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 5 of the present invention, it is possible to confirm whether or not the decompression operation is being performed only by listening to the sound from the notification means.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 6 of the present invention, when the temperature in the pan reaches the set temperature, the pan is heated so as to maintain the set temperature until the set time is reached. Therefore, a desired cooking state can be obtained regardless of how the temperature and time are set.

  Moreover, since the range of the time which can be set by the time setting means changes according to the temperature set by the temperature setting means, for example, the food to be cooked can be prevented from being heated excessively.

  In the rice cooker in Claim 7 of this invention, the upper limit of the time which can be set by a time setting means becomes short, so that the temperature set by the temperature setting means is high. That is, since the maintenance time is set shorter as the temperature in the pan is higher, it is possible to reliably prevent the object to be cooked from being heated excessively.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 8 of the present invention, not only the temperature and time but also the pressure setting means can set a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and cooking is performed at the set pressure and the set temperature during the set time. The control means can control the operation of the heating means and the pressure reducing means.

  In the rice cooker according to claim 9 of the present invention, not only the temperature and time but also the pressure setting means can set a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, and at the set pressure and the set temperature, during the set time. The control means can control the operation of the heating means and the pressure means so that cooking is performed.

  According to the rice cooker in Claim 1 of this invention, when performing lid | cover opening operation, the situation where a cover body does not open can be recognized.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 2 of the present invention, the detecting means detects the operation when the engagement between the engaging portion and the engagement receiving portion is to be released, and the lid can be opened.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 3 of the present invention, it is possible to immediately recognize whether or not the pressure reducing operation is being performed using the alarm means provided in the lid opening / closing means.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 4 of the present invention, it can be visually confirmed whether or not the decompression operation is performed.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 5 of the present invention, it can be confirmed by sound whether or not the pressure reducing operation is being performed.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 6 of the present invention, a desired cooking state can be obtained regardless of how the temperature and time are set.

  Moreover, it can prevent that a to-be-cooked thing is heated too much.

  According to the rice cooker in Claim 7 of this invention, it can prevent reliably that a to-be-cooked item is heated too much.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 8 of the present invention, not only the temperature and time but also the pressure can be freely adjusted when cooking the food.

  According to the rice cooker in claim 9 of the present invention, when cooking the cooking object, not only temperature and time but also pressure can be freely adjusted.

It is whole sectional drawing of the rice cooker in the reference example of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the principal part at the time of pressurization same as the above. It is an enlarged sectional view of the principal part at the time of pressure reduction same as the above. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part at the time of pressurization represented by a cross-section different from FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an electrical structure same as the above. It is a timing chart showing the transition of the temperature and pressure in a pan, and the operation state of each part. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure of the lid opening button periphery in 1st Example of this invention. It is a top view of a rice cooker same as the above. It is a perspective view inside a cover body of the state which removed the outer cover same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows a structure of the periphery of a clamp and a pressure regulating solenoid and an opening / closing solenoid. It is a perspective view which shows a solenoid for pressure regulation and its surrounding structure same as the above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the opening / closing solenoid and the surrounding structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part when the open / close solenoid is not energized. It is sectional drawing of the principal part at the time of energization of the solenoid for opening / closing same as the above. It is a block diagram which shows an electrical structure same as the above. It is a timing chart showing the transition of the temperature and pressure in a pan, and the operation state of each part. It is a perspective view of the rice cooker in 2nd Example of this invention. It is a top view which shows an example of the display form of LCD same as the above. It is a graph showing the temperature transition in the pan.

  Hereinafter, reference examples of the rice cooker in the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, based on FIG. 1, the structure of the rice cooker which is one reference example of this invention is demonstrated. In the figure, a main body 1 that forms the outline of a rice cooker is formed by an upper frame 2 that constitutes an upper surface and an upper side surface thereof, and a substantially cylindrical outer frame 3 that constitutes a side surface. A covering bottom plate 4 is provided. Moreover, it is provided covering the bottom opening of the substantially cylindrical pan accommodating portion 6 formed integrally from the inner peripheral portion of the upper surface of the upper frame 2 and the pan accommodating portion 6, such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The inner frame 8 formed of a synthetic resin forms a pan container 9 made of a nonmagnetic material and having a bottomed cylindrical shape for accommodating a pan 11 described later.

  In the pot housing 9, a bottomed cylindrical pot 11 for storing a rice to be cooked such as rice or water is detachably accommodated. The pan 11 has a pan body 12 mainly made of aluminum having good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 13 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel joined from the lower side to the bottom of the outer surface of the pan body 12; Consists of. An annular flange portion 14 is formed around the upper end of the pan 11 so as to extend to the outer periphery thereof.

  A heating coil 16 as heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the bottom of the pan 11 is provided on the lower and bottom sides of the inner frame 8 facing the heating element 13 on the outer surface. When a high frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 16, the heating element 13 of the pan 11 is heated by the alternating magnetic field generated from the heating coil 16, and the cooked rice in the pan 11 and thus the pan 11 is heated. Yes.

  In addition, a temperature sensor 21 serving as a pan temperature detecting means is disposed in the center of the bottom of the inner frame 8 so as to elastically contact the outer surface of the bottom of the pan 11, and detects the temperature of the pan 11. The heating temperature of the bottom of the pan 11 by 16 is mainly controlled.

  In a state where the pan 11 is suspended from the upper frame 2 of the main body 1, the pan 11 is accommodated in the pan housing 9.

  The lid 31 is formed by combining the outer lid 32 as an external component forming the outer shell of the upper surface, the heat radiating plate 34 that forms the lower surface that is the inner surface of the lid 31, and the outer lid 32 and the heat radiating plate 34. The main component is an outer lid cover 35 as a lid base material forming the skeleton of the main frame. A lid heater 36 as a lid heating means is provided on the upper surface of the heat radiating plate 34 inside the lid 31. The lid heater 36 may be an electric heating heater such as a cord heater or a heating coil by electromagnetic induction heating.

  A hinge portion 38 connected to the lid 31 is provided behind the upper frame 2. The hinge portion 38 is provided with a pair of holes (not shown) in the left-right direction when viewed from the front, and a hinge spring 40 formed of a torsion coil spring or the like is accommodated therein. On the other hand, an outer lid cover hinge hole (not shown) as a hinge receiving portion is also provided behind the outer lid cover 35 so as to face the hole provided in the hinge portion 38. By inserting a rod-shaped hinge shaft 41 in common with the hinge hole and the hole of the hinge portion 38, the main body 1 and the lid 31 are pivotally supported with the hinge shaft 41 as a fulcrum. Further, one end and the other end of the hinge spring 40 are hooked on the outer lid cover 35 and the upper frame 2, respectively, so that the lid 31 is always urged in the opening direction.

  On the front upper surface of the lid 31, a lid opening button 46 is disposed in an exposed state. When the lid opening button 46 is pressed, the engagement between the lid 31 and the main body 1 is released and the lid is opened by the hinge spring 40. The body 31 opens automatically.

  Reference numeral 55 denotes an inner lid assembly as a lower member of the lid 31 provided on the outer side, ie, the lower side of the heat radiating plate. The inner lid assembly 55 includes an inner lid 56 having a disk shape substantially the same diameter as the upper opening of the pan 11 and an outer side of the inner lid 56 for sealing between the pan 11 and the inner lid 56. A lid packing 57 made of an elastic member such as silicone rubber or fluorine rubber, and a pressure adjusting unit 58 for adjusting the internal pressure of the pan 11 are provided. When the lid 31 is closed (when the lid is closed), the ring-shaped lid packing 57 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 14 of the pan 11 and closes the gap between the pan 11 and the inner lid 56. The steam generated from the pan 11 is sealed.

  The heat radiating plate 34 is provided with a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 61 for managing the temperature of the inner lid 56 by the lid heater 36 as lid temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the inner lid 56 of the lid 31 in particular. It is. Further, a steam port (not shown) that can be attached and detached from the upper surface side of the lid body 31 is provided in a portion closer to the upper surface of the lid body 31. The steam port and the pressure adjusting unit 58 communicate with each other inside the lid 31, and a steam discharge mechanism for discharging the steam generated in the pan 11 to the outside is formed by the steam port and the pressure adjusting unit 58. Is done.

  Here, the configuration of the pressure adjusting unit 58 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The pressure regulating unit 58 includes a pressure regulating valve 65 for regulating pressure, a pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 that holds the pressure regulating valve 65, and a dome-shaped pressure regulating valve cover 67 that covers the pressure regulating valve 65. The pressure regulating valve 65 is a material excellent in corrosion resistance and may be a component having a certain weight, and is formed of, for example, a ball made of austenitic stainless steel.

  The pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 includes a first holder 68, a second holder 69, a first pressure regulating packing 71 corresponding to a pressure reducing support member, a second pressure regulating packing 72, and a pressure from the inside of the pan 11. In order not to directly apply to the 1 pressure regulation packing 71, there is a valve support 73 below the first pressure regulation packing 71, corresponding to a pressure support member, and a valve support on the lower surface of the first pressure regulation packing 71. And a pressure regulating spring 74 as an elastic body that urges the valve support 73 in the direction in which the 73 abuts. The valve support 73 is provided with a communication hole 70 that abuts below the pressure regulating valve 65 when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized. The communication hole 70 is for communicating the pan 11 and the inner lid 56, and the steam passing through the communication hole 70 is discharged from the steam port to the outside air. The first holder 68 and the second holder 69 are provided with a convex engaging portion 75 and a concave engaged portion 76 for fitting each other. The first holder 68 and the second holder 69 are mounted in a hole 77 provided in the inner lid 56 as a holding member for holding the first pressure regulating packing 71, the valve support 73, and the like. The first holder 68 is entirely formed in a cap shape, and has a through hole 68A at the center thereof. The first holder 68 has a peripheral portion 68B of the through hole 68A and an upper end portion 69A of the second holder 69. The base is clamped. The second holder 69 has a cylindrical shape. A flange 69B is formed on the lower side of the second holder 69 so as to abut the lower surface of the inner lid 56 around the hole 77. A concave groove 69 </ b> C for fitting the pressure regulating packing 72 is formed. Furthermore, a projecting piece 69d having an L-shaped cross section is formed on the inner peripheral side of the second holder 69 in order to fit one end of the pressure adjusting spring 74.

  In assembling the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66, first, the second pressure regulating packing 72 fitted into the concave groove 69C of the second holder 69 is inserted into the hole 77 provided in the inner lid 56, and the second holder 69 is mounted. The valve support 73 is inserted from above the second holder 69 so as to sandwich the pressure adjusting spring 74 on the inner peripheral side. Next, the first pressure regulation packing 71 is placed on the valve support 73 so as to cover the valve support 73 and the upper end 69A of the second holder 69, and the first pressure regulation packing 71 is further sandwiched from this state. In this manner, the first holder 68 is covered from above, the engaging portion 75 and the engaged portion 76 are fitted to each other, and the first holder 68 is attached to the second holder 69. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 is assembled, the inner surface of the second holder 69 and the lower surface of the valve support 73 are directly opposed to the inside of the pan 11. The first pressure regulating packing 71 arranged on the upper side of the two holders 69 and the valve support 73 has a structure that does not require direct pressure from the inside of the pan 11.

  The pressure regulating valve 65 is held by the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 assembled in this manner, and the pressure regulating portion 58 is configured by covering the pressure regulating valve cover 67 from above. At this time, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 and the pressure regulating valve cover 67 may be attached by claw fitting or may be stopped using a fastening member such as a screw or a rivet. The pressure regulating valve cover 67 is for restricting the movement range of the pressure regulating valve 65, and is provided with a plurality of holes (not shown) for guiding the steam discharged from the communication hole 70 to the steam port. Further, since the inner lid 56 is supported by the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 66 and the pressure regulating valve cover 67, the hole 77 of the inner lid 56 is not exposed.

  The opening area of the communication hole 70 of the valve support 73 is smaller than the area of the surface 80 that receives pressure directly from the pot 11 inside the leg 79 formed on the lower side of the valve support 73. Thereby, the pressure in the pan 11 can be adjusted by the opening area of the communication hole 70 and the weight of the pressure regulating valve 65.

  A solenoid 78 that adjusts the sealing degree of the lid 31, that is, the internal pressure of the pan 11, by moving the pressure regulating valve 65 is provided inside the lid 31. When the solenoid 78 is not energized, its tip is held in the advanced position, and the pressure regulating valve 65 is retracted from the communication hole 70, while when the solenoid 78 is energized, its tip is retracted and the pressure regulating valve 65 is retracted from the communication hole. 70 is caused to roll by its own weight, the communication hole 70 is closed, and pressure is put into the pan 11.

  Both the first pressure regulating packing 71 and the second pressure regulating packing 72 are made of an elastic member such as silicone rubber. Thereby, particularly when the pressure in the pan 11 shown in FIG. 3 is reduced, the pressure regulating valve 65 comes into close contact with the first pressure regulating packing 71 due to the elastic deformation of the first pressure regulating packing 71, and the opening in the first pressure regulating packing 71. That is, the sealing performance of the hole 71A is improved.

  In addition, the inner lid assembly 55 is provided with a safety valve 62 that opens when the pressure in the pan 11 is increased to an abnormal pressure that is equal to or higher than a set value for some reason, and reduces the internal pressure of the pan 11. The pressure adjusting unit 58 and the safety valve 62 are provided facing the inlet side of the steam port when the inner lid 56 is attached to the lower side of the outer lid cover 35. The inner lid 56, the lid packing 57, the pressure adjusting unit 58, and the safety valve 62 are integrated by a packing base 59 provided on the outer periphery of the inner lid assembly 55, and are detachably provided on the inner surface of the outer lid cover 35.

  81 is a pressure reducing means provided to lower the inside of the pan 11 below the normal atmospheric pressure with the lid 31 closed to the main body 1. The decompression means 81 includes a decompression pump 82 as a decompression drive source provided at the rear portion of the main body 1, and a tubular path from the decompression pump 82 through the main body 1 and the lid 31 to the hole 83 provided in the inner lid 56. 84. In addition, an electromagnetic valve 87 as an opening / closing means for opening and closing the base end portion of the path 84 and a valve accommodating body 88 for accommodating the electromagnetic valve 87 are provided inside the lid 31. Connected to the valve housing 88 is a cylindrical decompression packing 89 protruding downward from the heat radiating plate 34 toward the periphery of the hole 83 of the inner lid 56.

  Then, when the inner lid assembly 55 including the inner lid 56 is attached to the lower surface of the lid body 31, the decompression packing 89 is hermetically abutted against the upper surface of the inner lid 56 while being elastically deformed, whereby the hole 83 and the decompression pump 82 are connected. A communication path 84 is formed. When the lid 31 is closed with the inner lid assembly 55 attached, the lid packing 57 is in close contact with the pan 11 and the pressure regulating valve 65 blocks the communication hole 70. 82 is communicated by a path 84. When the decompression pump 82 is started from this state, the solenoid valve 87 and thus the path 84 are opened, and the air in the pan 11 is exhausted to the outside of the main body 1 through the path 84 and the decompression pump 82, and the inside of the sealed pan 11 The pressure drops. In addition, when the pressure in the pan 11 drops below the atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 are closed to keep the pan 11 in a reduced pressure state. Further, when the pressure in the pan 11 rises due to the slow leak, the pressure detecting means (not shown) similarly detects this, opens the electromagnetic valve 87 and consequently the path 84, and activates the decompression pump 82. Thus, the inside of the pan 11 is maintained in a state lower than the atmospheric pressure.

  In such a state where the inside of the pan 11 is lower than the atmospheric pressure, the air inside the leg 79 constituting the valve support 73 is sucked into the pan 11 and the pressure regulating valve 65 and this pressure regulating valve 65 are mounted accordingly. The valve support 73 to be installed is lowered against the bias of the pressure adjusting spring 74. However, when the communication hole 70 of the valve support 73 moves to a position lower than the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, the pressure regulating valve 65 is mounted on the first pressure regulating packing 71 in place of the previous valve support 73. And the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71 is closed, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured and the pressure reduction can be continued (see FIG. 3).

  Conversely, when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized to atmospheric pressure or higher, for example during rice cooking, the inside of the valve support body 73 receives direct pressure from the inside of the pan 11, so that the valve support body 73 resists the weight of the pressure regulating valve 65. To rise. Here, when the communication hole 70 of the valve support 73 moves to a position higher than the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, the pressure regulating valve 65 is replaced by the valve support 73 instead of the first pressure regulating packing 71 so far. The pressure regulating valve 65 that is placed and closes the communication hole 70 and that is placed on the valve support 73 rises in the same manner as the valve support 73. After the valve support 73 is lifted, the valve support 73 comes into contact with the first pressure regulating packing 71, thereby blocking the steam and the like trying to pass through the hole 71 </ b> A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, thereby maintaining the hermetic seal in the pot 11. Yes (see FIG. 2).

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, an operation panel 101 is provided at the front of the main body 1. Inside this operation panel 101 is an LCD 102 for displaying the time and the selected menu, an LED for displaying the current process, and an operation for starting cooking and selecting a menu, although none of them are shown in the figure. In addition to the switch 103 (see FIG. 5), a substrate on which a depressurization selection switch for selecting a depressurization state in the pan 11 is disposed. The operation panel 101 displays button names and the like. The operation panel 101 may be provided on the front side of the lid 31.

  111 is a heating control means provided in the front inside the main body 1. The heating control unit 111 includes a heating element (not shown) for driving the heating coil 16, which is a heating unit, on a substrate. This heating control means 111 is housed inside the product, that is, in the main body 1.

  Next, the control system will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, 111 is the heating control means described above, which receives each temperature information from the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61, and a heating coil 16 that heats the bottom of the pan 11 during cooking and warming. The lid heater 36 that heats the lid 31 is controlled, and the decompression pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are controlled. In particular, the heating control means 111 of this reference example mainly controls the heating coil 16 based on the temperature detected by the pan temperature sensor 21 to control the temperature of the bottom of the pan 11 and based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 52. Then, the lid heater 26 is controlled so that the temperature of the heat radiating plate 34 and the inner lid 56 is controlled. The heating control means 111 includes, as a function on the control sequence of the program stored in its own storage means (not shown), a rice cooking control means 118 that heats the cooked food in the pan 11 during rice cooking, Insulation control means 119 for maintaining and heating the rice in the pan 11 to a predetermined temperature is provided.

  The heat retention control means 119 here includes a timer means 120. When the heat retention operation starts, the timer means 120 is activated to measure the elapsed heat retention time, and this heat retention elapsed time is set to a preset time (for example, 1 hour). When the temperature reaches, the pressure in the pan 11 returns from the pressurized state to almost the atmospheric pressure, and the temperature in the pan 11 is reduced to the heat retention temperature, so that the so-called heat retention is in a stable state. In addition, the heating control means 11 receives a command for starting reserved rice cooking from the operation switch 103, and the rice cooking control means 118 so that the cooked rice in the pan 11 is cooked at a predetermined time previously stored in the storage means. Reservation rice cooking control means 121 capable of executing a reservation rice cooking course for controlling the cooking is provided. The predetermined time can be changed as appropriate by operating, for example, the hour key or minute key of the operation switch 103.

  Reference numeral 122 denotes a heating coil driving unit that incorporates a high-frequency inverter circuit that receives a control signal from the heating control unit 111 and supplies a predetermined high-frequency current to the heating coil 16. Separately from this, the output side of the heating control means 111 receives a control signal from the heating control means 111 and drives the lid heater 36 so as to heat the radiator plate 34 and the inner lid 56. 123, code heater driving means 124 for turning on the code heater 26, solenoid driving means 125 for turning on or off the solenoid 78, pump driving means 126 for driving the decompression pump 82, and the electromagnetic valve 89 on or off And a display driving means 129 for driving the display means 128 composed of the LCD or LED described above. At the time of cooking by the rice cooking control means 118 and at the time of heat retention by the heat retention control means 119, the heating to the bottom of the pan 11 by the heating coil 16 and the code heater 26 are detected by detecting each temperature from the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61. The heating is performed on the side surface of the pan 11 and the lid 31 is heated by the lid heater 36. In addition, after the rice cooking by the rice cooking control means 118 is finished and the cooked food in the pan 11 is cooked as rice, it automatically shifts to heat insulation by the heat insulation control means 119, and the temperature detected by the pot temperature sensor 21 is reached. Based on this, by adjusting the heating of the pan 11 by the heating coil 16 and the cord heater 26, the rice is kept at a predetermined temperature (about 70 ° C. to 76 ° C.).

  Furthermore, the heating control means 111 in the present reference example is a period until the rice cooking at the standby time of the reserved rice cooking by the reserved rice control means 121 or the time until the rice cooking control means 118 starts substantial cooking. Depressurization control to operate the decompression pump 82 and the decompression state maintaining electromagnetic valve 87 so that the inside of the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure after the period and the heat insulation control means 119 determine that the above-mentioned heat insulation is stable. A function as means 130 is also provided.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described based on the timing chart of FIG. In FIG. 5, each graph in the uppermost stage and the next stage shows changes in pressure and temperature in the pan 11, and hereinafter, the operation timing of the pressure reducing selection switch and the pressure reducing display lamp of the LCD are shown. The operation timing, the operation timing of the decompression pump 82, and the operation timing of the electromagnetic valve 87 are shown (the painting state is on).

  First, the operation at the time of reserved rice cooking will be described. By operating the hour key and minute key of the operation switch 103, the desired cooking time corresponding to the predetermined time is set, and the cooked rice is in the pan 11. When rice and water are added and then another timer switch, for example, of the operation switch 103 is operated, a reserved rice cooking course is set (set) by the reserved rice control means 121, and the state shifts to a standby state for reserved rice. In this reserved rice cooking course, the rice cooking control means 118 is controlled so that the cooked rice in the pan 11 is cooked at a predetermined time, but the pressure is reduced between the standby state of the reserved rice cooking and the time when rice cooking starts substantially. The pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are controlled so that the control means 130 operates and the pressure in the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure (1 atm = 1013 hPa).

  Specifically, when the reserved rice cooking course is set, the decompression control means 130 turns on the decompression selection switch until immediately before the rice cooking starts, and the LCD of the display means 128 indicates that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Display. Thereby, the user can know that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Further, the decompression control means 130 outputs a signal for driving the decompression pump 82 to the pump drive means 126 in order to discharge air from the inside of the pan 11, and the electromagnetic valve 87 and the path 84 in synchronization with the decompression pump 82. Is output to the solenoid valve driving means 127. Thereafter, the decompression control means 130 stops driving the decompression pump 82 and closes the electromagnetic valve 87 and consequently the path 84 to maintain the inside of the pan 11 in a decompressed state.

  While waiting for reserved cooking, the heating control means 111 turns the solenoid 78 on (energized), so the pressure regulating valve 65 is rolled to a position that closes the communication hole 70, but is slightly in the pan 11. However, air enters (slow leak), and the pressure in the pan 11 gradually increases from the time when the solenoid valve 87 is closed. The depressurization control means 130 drives the depressurization pump 82 again after a certain period of time and opens the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 to discharge air from the pot 11. Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated, and the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are simultaneously turned on and off, and the pressure in the pan 11 is maintained at a value within a desired range. In addition, since the operation | movement after substantial rice cooking started is common with the normal rice cooking operation mentioned later, it abbreviate | omits here.

  Thus, even when the standby time until the rice cooking is started is set long after the reserved rice cooking course is set, the inside of the pan 11 is kept in a decompressed state. At the time of this pressure reduction, the pressure regulating valve 65 is placed on the first pressure regulating packing 71 and closes the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent various germs from growing in the pan 11 and the rot of rice and water as cooked rice. Therefore, finally, delicious rice can be obtained when cooking. Moreover, in this reference example, the pressure control means 130 performs control to reduce the pressure in the pan 11 over the entire period of waiting for reserved rice cooking. When the time (for example, 2 hours) elapses, the pressure reduction control for the pan 11 may be performed. In this way, by reducing the pressure of the pan 11 below the atmospheric pressure for a certain period of time while waiting for reserved rice cooking, for example, the waiting time until the start of rice cooking is not so long, but decompression control into the pan 11 is Forcibly performed, it is possible to eliminate the concern of consuming unnecessary electric power to operate the decompression pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87.

  Next, the operation | movement is demonstrated about the normal rice cooking which does not perform reservation rice cooking. In addition, as above-mentioned, the operation | movement after the substantial rice cooking in a reservation rice cooking course is started is common with the operation | movement of the normal rice cooking demonstrated from now on.

  When rice and water, which are to be cooked, are put into the pan 11 and a rice cooking key of the operation switch 103 is operated, for example, rice cooking by the rice cooking control means 118 is started. Here, the rice cooking control means 118 is based on the temperature detection of the bottom of the pan 11 by the pan temperature sensor 21 in order to promote water absorption of the rice in the pan 11 before starting the substantial rice cooking. Then, the bottom and side portions of the pan 11 are heated by the cord heater 26, respectively, and the water temperature in the pan 11 is kept at about 45 to 60 ° C. for 15 to 20 minutes. During this time, the solenoid 78 is turned on.

  Even at this time, the decompression control means 130 operates to control the decompression pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 so that the pressure in the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure. Specifically, when the start of the process is started, the decompression control means 130 turns on the decompression selection switch until just before the substantial rice cooking is started, and the LCD of the display means 128 indicates that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Display. Thereby, the user can know that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Further, the decompression control means 130 outputs a signal for driving the decompression pump 82 to the pump drive means 126 in order to discharge air from the inside of the pan 11, and the electromagnetic valve 87 and the path 84 in synchronization with the decompression pump 82. Is output to the solenoid valve driving means 127. Thereafter, the decompression control means 130 stops driving the decompression pump 82 and closes the solenoid valve 87 and consequently the path 84 to maintain the inside of the pan 11 in a decompressed state. After a lapse of time, the decompression control means 130 drives the decompression pump 82 again and opens the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 to discharge air from the pot 11. Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated, and the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are simultaneously turned on and off, and the pressure in the pan 11 is maintained at a value within a desired range.

  In this manner, the inside of the pan 11 is maintained in a reduced pressure state at the time of time. At the time of this pressure reduction, the pressure regulating valve 65 is placed on the first pressure regulating packing 71 and closes the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured. Therefore, the inside of the pan 11 can be depressurized in a sealed state at the time of passing, and the rice can sufficiently absorb water in the pan 11.

  After that, when the predetermined time is over, the rice cooking control means 118 starts a substantial rice cooking operation, the decompression control to the pan 11 by the decompression control means 130 is interrupted, the decompression selection switch is turned off, and the LCD The display indicating that the pressure is reduced is also stopped. At the same time, the decompression pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are turned off until the subsequent heat retention becomes stable.

  When shifting to the rice cooking process, the rice cooking control means 118 strongly heats the pan 11 by the heating coil 16 and performs boiling heating to the cooked rice. When the temperature of the bottom of the pan 11 becomes 90 ° C or higher during this boiling heating and the temperature of the lid 31 is stabilized at 90 ° C or higher, it is assumed that the inside of the pan 11 is in a boiling state, and the heating amount is reduced more than before. Shift to continuous boiling heating. During boiling heating, the rice cooking control means 118 turns off the solenoid 78 to retract the pressure regulating valve 65 from the communication port 70. As a result, the pressure adjusting unit 58 is in an open state in which the inside and outside of the pan 11 are communicated without being sealed, and the pan 11 is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure. Note that the fact that the temperature of the lid 31 described above is stable at 90 ° C. or higher is detected by the rate of temperature increase of the detected temperature from the lid temperature sensor 61. In this boiling detection, the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61 can confirm that both the bottom of the pan 11 and the lid 31 have reached 90 ° C. or more, and the pan 11 has completely boiled. Can be detected accurately.

  Further, when any of the bottom part of the pan 11, the side part of the pan 11 or the lid 31 reaches a detection temperature that is not normally 120 ° C. or higher, the heating control means 111 determines that there is some abnormality and cooks rice. The amount of heating in the heating is reduced so that all operations are stopped, or the operation is shifted to the unevenness described later, or the heat is kept to prevent abnormal heating. Conversely, either the bottom of the pan 11 or the lid 31 has reached 90 ° C. or more and a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) has passed, but either the bottom of the pan 11 or the lid 31 other than that. When the temperature is lower than 90 ° C, the pan temperature sensor 21 or the lid temperature sensor 61 in the low temperature state determines that the temperature detection accuracy has deteriorated for some reason (dirt, tilt, poor contact, etc.). In the same manner, the amount of heating in rice cooking heating is reduced to a state where all operations are stopped, or the operation is shifted to unevenness, or the heat is kept to cope with this.

  When shifting to continuation of boiling, the rice cooking control means 118 starts lid heating by the lid heater 36. The lid heating here is managed by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 61 so that the temperature of the inner lid 56 becomes 100 to 110 ° C. In addition, when shifting to boiling continuous heating, the rice cooking control means 118 periodically turns the solenoid 78 on and off. In this continuous boiling heating, it is preferable to change the timing for turning on and off the solenoid 78 in accordance with the menu selected by the operation switch 103. Thereby, the sealing degree of the pressure adjusting unit 58 leading to the pan 11 can be changed to an optimum one according to the selected menu.

  And when the bottom of the pan 11 has a predetermined temperature rise, the cooking in the pan 11 is detected, the rice cooking process by the rice cooking control means 118 is terminated, and the heat insulation control means 119 shifts to the heat insulation process. It shifts to nomura. During unevenness, the lid heater 36 is cut off by temperature control based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 61 to prevent dew condensation on the inner lid 56, and the temperature is high enough that the rice does not burn (98-100 ° C). The temperature at the bottom of the pan 11 is controlled so that it is maintained. The unevenness is continued for a predetermined time (15 to 20 minutes), and when the unevenness is completed, the operation shifts to heat retention by the heat retention control means 119.

  When the temperature is kept warm, the heating coil 16 heats the bottom and the lower side of the pan 11 and is slightly higher than the temperature of the rice contained in the pan 11, and the lower surface of the lid 31 is heated by the lid heater 36. The temperature of the side of the pan 11 is controlled by the code heater 26 so that the rice does not dry and a large amount of dew does not adhere. The temperature of the rice in the pan 11 is maintained at 70 to 76 ° C. Even when the temperature is kept, the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61 are abnormally high or abnormally low. Detects abnormalities and prevents this abnormal heating.

  In addition, the degree of sealing of the pressure adjusting unit 58 in the above-described unevenness varies depending on the selected rice cooking menu, but when a predetermined time before the end of unevenness has been reached, the solenoid 78 is turned off to increase the degree of sealing of the pressure adjusting unit 58. The pressure is reduced to such an extent that there is no problem in opening the lid 31 at the end of cooking.

  On the other hand, the heat retention control means 119 starts to measure the heat retention elapsed time by the timer means 120 when the rice cooking process is completed. At this time, the decompression control means 130 repeatedly performs decompression display for a short time using the LCD of the display means 128 until the heat retention elapsed time reaches a preset time, that is, until it is determined that the heat retention is stable. Make it. Thereby, the user can understand that the inside of the pan 11 has not yet shifted to the reduced pressure state after cooking.

  Thereafter, when the above-mentioned heat retention elapsed time reaches a preset time, that is, when the heat retention is stable in the pan 11, the pressure is reduced so that the pressure in the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure by the pressure reduction control means 130. The pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are controlled. The specific operation of this decompression control is as described above. The decompression control means 130 turns on the decompression selection switch until at least the lid 31 is opened and the decompression selection switch is turned off. Is displayed on the LCD of the display means 128. Thereby, the user can know that the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. Further, the decompression control means 130 outputs a signal for driving the decompression pump 82 to the pump drive means 126 in order to discharge air from the inside of the pan 11, and the electromagnetic valve 87 and the path 84 in synchronization with the decompression pump 82. Is output to the solenoid valve driving means 127. Thereafter, the decompression control means 130 stops driving the decompression pump 82 and closes the solenoid valve 87 and consequently the path 84 to maintain the inside of the pan 11 in a decompressed state. After a lapse of time, the decompression control means 130 drives the decompression pump 82 again and opens the electromagnetic valve 87 and thus the path 84 to discharge air from the pot 11. Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated, and the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 are simultaneously turned on and off, and the pressure in the pan 11 is maintained at a value within a desired range.

  Thus, when the heat insulation after the completion of cooking is in a stable state, the inside of the pan 11 is maintained in a reduced pressure state. At the time of this pressure reduction, the pressure regulating valve 65 is placed on the first pressure regulating packing 71 and closes the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured. Therefore, even if the temperature inside the pan 11 is not lowered or steam is not introduced into the pan 11, if the pressure inside the pan 11 is reduced in a sealed state during the heat insulation, the oxygen concentration in the pan 11 will decrease and the cooked rice It is possible to prevent the evaporation of water and to sufficiently suppress the Maillard reaction and oxidation. Therefore, rice with good taste can be obtained over a long period of time.

  Furthermore, the heating control means 111 can select one cooking menu from a plurality of rice cooking menus (for example, white rice, brown rice, non-washed rice, etc.) in response to an operation signal from the menu selection key of the operation switch 103, for example. Depending on the selected rice cooking menu, the heating coil 16, the lid heater 36, the code heater 26, and the like are independently controlled, and the above-described decompression control method can be applied to a rice cooker that can perform rice cooking and heat retention. In that case, it is preferable that different pressure reduction controls can be performed by changing the pressure in the pan 11 and the time during which pressure reduction control is performed depending on the selected rice cooking menu. For example, due to the difference in the moisture content of the rice to be cooked in the pan 11, in the white rice menu using white rice as the cooked rice, the pressure in the pan 11 is reduced to 0.8 atm (atm), and the brown rice is In the brown rice menu for cooking rice, the pressure in the pan 11 is controlled to be 0.6 atm, which is lower than the white rice menu. If pressure reduction control is performed so that the pressure is 0.7 atm, which is higher than the white rice menu and lower than the brown rice menu, optimum pressure reduction control according to the rice cooking menu can be performed. Note that these are merely examples, and in other rice cooking menus, an optimal decompression control corresponding to that may be adopted. Furthermore, it is good also as a structure which does not dare pressure control depending on the selected rice cooking menu.

  As described above, according to this reference example, the pan 11, the lid body 31 covering the pan 11, the pressure regulating unit 58 as a pressure regulating device provided in the lid body 31, and the inside of the pan 11 are atmospheric pressure A pressure reducing means 81 for reducing the pressure to less than that, and the pressure adjusting unit 58 includes a movable pressure adjusting valve 65 for opening and closing a communication port (opening 70 and hole 71A) between the inside of the pan 11 and the outside, and a pressure inside the pan 11 A valve support 73 as a pressurizing support member that supports the pressure regulating valve 65 at the time of pressure and a first pressure regulating packing 71 as a pressure reducing support member that supports the pressure regulating valve 65 at the time of pressure reduction are provided.

  In this case, when the inside of the pan 11 is pressurized to atmospheric pressure or higher, the valve support 73 supports the pressure regulating valve 65, and the pressure regulating valve 65 closes the communication hole 70 of the valve support 73, while the inside of the pan 11 When the pressure is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure, another first pressure regulating packing 71 holds the pressure regulating valve. Therefore, in the pressure regulating unit 58, the pressure regulating valve 65 and the valve support 73 or the first pressure regulating packing 71 The inside of the pan 11 can be kept hermetically secured while ensuring the optimum sealing performance according to the pressure in the pan 11. Therefore, the inside of the pan 11 can be depressurized in a sealed state at the time of time, and the rice can sufficiently absorb water in the pan 11. Further, if the inside of the pan 11 is depressurized in a hermetically sealed state at the time of heat retention, the oxygen concentration in the pan 11 is lowered, and moisture evaporation of the cooked rice can be prevented, and Maillard reaction and oxidation can be sufficiently suppressed. Therefore, water absorption in the pan 11 can be promoted, and further, yellowing and oxidation of the cooked rice can be prevented, and delicious rice can be obtained for a long period of time.

  In this reference example, the valve support 73, which is a pressurizing support member, rises when pressurizing in the pan 11 and closes the opening 70 of the valve support 73 with the pressure regulating valve 65. 73 is lowered when the pressure in the pan 11 is reduced, and the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71 is closed by the pressure regulating valve 65.

  Accordingly, the valve support 73 can be moved up and down reliably as the pan 11 is pressurized or depressurized, so that the sealing performance by the pressure regulating valve 65 and the valve support 73 or the first pressure regulating packing 71 is further improved. It is surely kept and can effectively seal the inside of the pan 11. Therefore, pressurization and depressurization are performed reliably, and the inside of the pan 11 can be kept hermetically in both the pressurization and depressurization.

  In the present reference example, the first pressure regulating packing 71 is provided so that the pressure from the pan 11 is not directly applied. That is, since the first pressure regulating packing 71 is not affected by the pressure from the pan 11, it is possible to prevent pressure leakage in the pan 11 due to deformation of the first pressure regulating packing 71, and more effectively seal the inside of the pan 11. Can be secured. Therefore, pressurization and decompression are performed more reliably, and the inside of the pan 11 can be kept hermetically in both the pressurization and decompression.

  Further, in the valve support 73 in this reference example, the opening area of the opening 70 on the mounting surface of the pressure regulating valve 58 is different from the area of the surface 80 that directly receives the pressure from the pan 11 and is smaller than the area. Yes. Thereby, the pressure in the pan 11 can be adjusted by the opening area of the opening 70 on the mounting surface of the pressure regulating valve 58 and the weight of the pressure regulating valve 58.

  Further, the first pressure regulating packing 71 in the present reference example is configured by an elastic member such as silicone rubber. As a result, when the pressure regulating valve 58 is supported by the first pressure regulating packing 71 during pressure reduction in the pan 11, the first pressure regulating packing 71 comes into contact with the pressure regulating valve 58 in an elastically deformed state. The sealing performance with the 1 pressure regulating packing 71 is improved, and the sealing of the inside of the pan 11 can be secured more effectively. Therefore, pressurization and decompression are performed more reliably, and the inside of the pan 11 can be kept hermetically in both the pressurization and decompression.

  Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part as the said reference example, and since description of the common location overlaps, it abbreviate | omits as much as possible.

  FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view around the lid opening button 46. First, the opening / closing structure between the lid body 31 and the main body 1 will be described. The lid body 31 is provided with a clamp 44 corresponding to an engaging portion. The clamp 44 is rotatably supported with respect to the outer lid cover 35 around a clamp shaft 45 provided inside the lid body 31. The lid opening button 46 corresponding to the lid opening / closing means is disposed in an exposed state from the front upper surface of the lid 31 so that the user can operate it. Clamp biasing means (not shown) such as a spring for biasing the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44 toward the lid opening button 46 is provided inside the lid 31 so that the lid opening button 46 is always upward. The force to push up is applied.

  In addition to the base end portion 44 </ b> A that contacts the lid opening button 46, the clamp 44 has a drooping portion 44 </ b> B that protrudes downward from a clamping hole 48 on the lower surface of the outer lid cover 35, and a substantial distal end portion of the clamp 44. It corresponds to an engaging portion 44C extending from the lower end of the hanging portion 44B to the inside of the main body 1 as a starting point. The clamp 44 is formed of a metal part such as stainless steel, and the engaging portion 44C is substantially L-shaped. By doing so, it is possible to obtain engagement with the clamp receiver 50 having a higher strength than when the clamp 44 is made of synthetic resin. Further, the engaging portions 44C are provided at substantially equal positions on the left and right sides from the center. The hanging portion 44B and the engaging portion 44C are provided on the lower side of the clamp 44 and are provided in a pair on the left and right. The clamp shaft 45 serving as the rotation center of the clamp 44 is disposed along the upper end of the hanging portion 44B, and the engaging portion 44C swings substantially in the front-rear direction of the main body 1.

  On the other hand, a clamp receiver 50 corresponding to an engagement receiving portion is disposed in front of the upper frame 2 and is located on the substantially opposite side of the hinge portion 38 provided on the upper frame 2. When closing to 1 side, the clamp 44 rotates around the clamp shaft 45 by the biasing force of the clamp biasing means and engages with the clamp receiver 50, thereby closing the lid 31 with respect to the main body 1. It is designed to hold the state. The clamp receiver 50 is formed of a metal part such as stainless steel. By doing so, compared with the case where the clamp receiver 50 is made of a synthetic resin, the engagement with the clamp 44 having a higher strength can be obtained. On the other hand, when opening the lid 31, the lid opening button 46 is pushed, the base end of the clamp 44 is pushed downward, the clamp 44 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the engaging portion 44 </ b> C is moved to the body 1. The engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is released by moving forward. The lower part of the clamp receiver of the upper frame 2 needs to have a depth that does not collide when the clamp 44 rotates about the clamp shaft 45. The clearance between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is set to have a dimensional relationship that is larger than the normal engagement amount of the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50. Further, the dimensional relationship is set to be larger than the gap between the outer lid cover 35 and the upper frame 2.

  Here, the movable clamp 44 on the lid body 31 side is referred to as an engagement portion, and the fixed clamp receiver 50 on the main body 1 side is used as the engagement reception portion. The main body 1 may be provided with a movable engagement receiving portion.

  Reference numeral 141 denotes a substrate attached to the back (inside) side of the lid opening button 46. On this substrate 141, an LED 142 as an alarm means that is turned on when the pressure reducing means 81 operates and a Hall element 143 as a magnetic detection element are mounted. As shown in FIG. 8, the LED 142 is provided opposite to the upper surface of the lid opening button 46, and the Hall element 143 is provided on the outer lid 32 when the lid opening button 46 is not pressed. It is arranged to face the magnet 144 as a magnetic body. When the Hall element 143 tries to release the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50, the Hall element 143 is separated from the magnet 144 to detect its operation and output a detection signal to the heating control means 111. Provided. In addition, you may comprise the detection means which has an equivalent function with another sensor.

  The LED 142 in this example is continuously lit only when the pressure reducing means 81 is activated in the initial stage of rice cooking or the heat retaining process, and the inside of the pan 11 is at atmospheric pressure or less, and the inside of the pan 11 is at atmospheric pressure or less during the heat retaining process. Sometimes, when the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is to be released, it is provided as a display means that receives a detection output from the Hall element 143, blinks for a predetermined time, and then turns off. Instead of the LED 142, other display means such as an LCD may be used, or a notification means such as a buzzer may be provided. In this case, the notification means may be configured in a similar manner or in conjunction with the process. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 146 denotes a steam port not shown in the reference example.

  In addition to the lid 32, the radiator plate 34, the outer lid cover 35, and the inner lid assembly 55 described above, the lid 31 has an upper surface of the outer lid 32 in order to improve the appearance quality as the lid 31. A three-dimensional metal cover 33 is provided to cover the part. Here, a decompression pump 82 constituting the decompression means 81 is provided not on the main body 1 but on the rear part of the lid 31 (see FIG. 9). The configuration of each part in the decompression means 81 other than the decompression pump 82 is the same as that in the reference example.

  The difference between the internal configuration of the lid 31 and the reference example will be further described. As described above, the pressure regulating solenoid 78 moves the pressure regulating valve 65 to adjust the sealing degree of the lid 31, that is, the internal pressure of the pan 11. In this configuration, the plunger 151 is moved in and out from the inside by electromagnetic force, and the pressure regulating valve 65 in the pressure regulating unit 58 is moved. In addition, a pressure adjusting frame 152 that moves together with the plunger 151 toward the outer lid cover 35 and a flexible pressure adjusting packing 153 for holding the inside of the lid 31 in a watertight state are provided inside the lid 31. . As shown in FIG. 9, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the pressure adjusting frame 152 are accommodated and arranged in a pressure regulating accommodating portion 154 formed in the lid 31 by the outer lid cover 35.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the pressure adjusting frame 152 includes a pressure adjusting operation portion 161 as an operation portion protruding toward the pressure adjusting valve 65, and a frame portion 162 provided so as to surround the pressure adjusting solenoid 78. And a pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 provided on the substantially opposite side of the pressure adjusting operation part 161.

  Further, in this embodiment, an opening / closing solenoid 172 is arranged in another opening / closing means accommodating portion 171 formed in the lid 31 by the outer lid cover 35. Similarly to the pressure adjusting solenoid 78, the opening / closing solenoid 172 also has a configuration in which the plunger 173 is moved in and out by an electromagnetic force. Also, inside the lid 31 is movable together with the plunger 173, and the open / close frame 175 accommodated in the pressure regulation accommodating portion 154 together with the open / close solenoid 172, and a flexible for holding the inside of the lid 31 in a watertight state. An open / close packing 176 (see FIGS. 13 and 14) is provided.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, the inner lid 56 is provided with an opening / closing hole 181 different from the hole 77 facing the pressure adjusting portion 58, and the upper and lower faces facing the opening / closing hole 181. A valve opening / closing means 183 containing a moving opening / closing valve 182 is mounted on the upper surface side of the inner lid 56. Therefore, in this embodiment, the valve opening / closing means 183 is provided on the inner lid 56 in addition to the pressure adjusting unit 58 and the safety valve 62. The valve opening / closing means 183 includes an opening / closing valve 182 above the opening / closing hole 181 and an opening / closing valve spring 184 as an urging means for urging the opening / closing valve 182 in the direction in which the opening / closing hole 181 is opened. I have. Further, the flexible opening / closing packing 176 is disposed on the lid 31 side so as to face the upper part of the opening / closing valve 182 and have a predetermined gap. The flexible opening / closing packing 176 is interlocked with the operation of the opening / closing shaft 186 provided on the outer lid cover 35.

  Between the opening / closing shaft 186 and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172, an arm-shaped opening / closing shaft operating portion 188 provided integrally with the front of the opening / closing frame 175 is disposed. The opening / closing shaft operating portion 188 is formed with a cam surface 188A facing the upper portion of the opening / closing shaft 186. The opening / closing shaft operating portion 188 opens and closes as the opening / closing shaft operating portion 188 interlocked with the plunger 173 appears. By changing the position of the cam surface 188A with which the upper portion of the shaft 186 contacts, the opening / closing shaft 186 and thus the on-off valve 182 move up and down. Specifically, in the non-energized state of the on-off solenoid 172 shown in FIG. 13, the on-off valve spring 184 causes the on-off valve 182 to leave the on-off hole 181 so that the on-off valve 182 and the on-off shaft 186 are pushed up. When the plunger 173 and the opening / closing shaft operating portion 188 are moved to the advanced position, and when the opening / closing solenoid 172 shown in FIG. 14 is energized, the opening / closing shaft operating portion is resisted against the bias of the opening / closing valve spring 184. The plunger 173 and the opening / closing shaft operating section 188 are configured such that the cam surface 188A of the opening / closing valve 188 pushes down the opening / closing shaft 186 and thus the opening / closing valve 182 so that the lower portion of the opening / closing valve 182 closes the opening / closing hole 181 of the inner lid 56. Moves to the retracted position. Therefore, in the energized state of the open / close solenoid 172, the open / close valve 182 closes the open / close hole 181 communicating with the steam port 146 so that pressure can be applied into the pan 11.

  As described above, in the vicinity of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78, a pressure adjusting operation part 161 for moving the pressure adjusting valve 65 is provided in front of the pressure adjusting frame 152, while on the rear side of the pressure adjusting frame 152. A protruding pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 is provided. Similarly, an opening / closing shaft operating portion 188 having a cam surface 188A is provided in front of the opening / closing frame 175 around the opening / closing solenoid 172, and a protruding opening / closing frame lock piece is provided behind the opening / closing frame 175. 189 is provided. When the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 is in the retracted position, the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 is connected to the base end of the clamp 44 in order to restrict the movement of the clamp 44 in the direction of disengagement from the clamp receiver 50. The opening / closing frame locking piece 189 is arranged so as to sink under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44 even when the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 is in the retracted position. Is done. Conversely, when the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 is in the advanced position, the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 is separated from the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 is in the advanced position. In addition, the open / close frame lock piece 189 is separated from the base end portion 44 </ b> A of the clamp 44. That is, when the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and / or the open / close frame lock piece 189 are located below the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the operation of the clamp 44 is restricted, and the clamp 44 is clamped by the clamp receiver 50. However, when both the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and the opening / closing frame lock piece 189 are separated from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the operation of the clamp 44 is not restricted, and the lid opening button 46 When the push operation is performed, the clamp 44 is detached from the clamp receiver 50 and the lid 31 is opened.

  Differences from the reference example regarding electrical connection will be described with reference to FIG. In addition to the temperature detection signal from the pan temperature sensor 21 and the lid temperature sensor 61 and the operation signal from the operation switch 103, the heating control means 111 opens and closes the hall element 143 provided on the lid opening button 46 and the lid 31 In response to a detection signal from another Hall element 191 for detecting the signal, each part is controlled. Here, the Hall element 191 that is a lid opening / closing detection means will be described. The Hall element 191 faces, for example, a magnet (not shown) that is a magnetic body provided at the rear of the lid body 31 so as to face the interior of the main body 1. Attached to. Note that another sensor may be used instead of the Hall element 191 as long as the same function can be exhibited.

  In this embodiment, since the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are provided inside the lid 31, these solenoids 78, 172 receive a drive signal from the solenoid driving means 125 and are individually turned on. , Drive off. Further, the above-described LED 142 is also included as the display unit 128.

  Next, the operation of each part performed by the heating control means 111 will be described based on the timing chart of FIG. In FIG. 16, each graph in the uppermost stage and the next stage shows changes in temperature and pressure in the pan 11, and hereinafter, the operation timing of the pressure regulating valve 65 (pressure regulating solenoid 78), and the on-off valve 182. The operation timing of the (opening / closing solenoid 172) is shown (the painting state is on).

  In a cut-off state where rice cooking or heat insulation is not performed, both the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are in a non-energized (off) state. At this time, the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 is in the advanced position, the pressure adjusting valve 65 is moved so that the communication hole 70 is opened, and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 is also in the advanced position, The opening / closing valve 96 moves upward so that the opening / closing hole 181 of the lid 56 is opened. Therefore, the inside of the pan 11 communicates with the outside through the communication hole 70 and the opening / closing hole 181 and is maintained at atmospheric pressure. Further, since both the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and the open / close frame lock piece 189 are located away from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the operation of the clamp 44 is not restricted and the lid opening button 46 is pressed. When operated, the clamp 44 is detached from the clamp receiver 50. That is, in the cut state, the lid 31 can be freely opened and closed.

  After that, when rice and water to be cooked are put into the pan 11 and the rice cooker key of the operation switch 103 is operated, for example, the rice cooking process by the rice cooking control means 118 and the heat insulation process by the heat insulation control means 119 as described above are continuous. It is done. At the time of the rice cooking process, the pressure reducing pump 82 and the electromagnetic valve 87 of the pressure reducing means 81 are operated, and when the inside of the pan 11 is below atmospheric pressure, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are both energized (ON). Thus, the plunger 151 of the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the plunger 173 of the opening / closing solenoid 172 move to the retracted positions, respectively. As a result, the pressure regulating valve 65 closes the hole 71A of the first pressure regulating packing 71 and the opening / closing valve 96 closes the opening / closing hole 181 of the inner lid 56, so that the inside of the pan 11 is secured. In addition, since both the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and the opening / closing frame lock piece 189 sink under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the rotation of the clamp 44 is restricted and the lid opening button 46 is to be pushed. In addition, the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is double-locked, and the lid 31 is prevented from opening.

  Thereafter, when the process ends and the process shifts to boiling heating, the rice cooking control means 118 stops the operation of the pressure reducing means 81, turns off the pressure adjusting solenoid 78, and retracts the pressure adjusting valve 65 from the communication port 70. As a result, the pan 11 is maintained at substantially atmospheric pressure, but the open / close solenoid 172 is still on, and the open / close frame lock piece 189 is positioned below the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44 to open the lid 31. I can't do that.

  When the boiling state in the pan 11 is detected, cooking (continuous boiling heating) and unevenness are performed continuously, but in order to make the inside of the pan 11 above atmospheric pressure until the middle of the unevenness, the rice cooking control means 118 is While the operation of the decompression means 81 is stopped, the pressure regulating solenoid 78 is turned on, and the communication port 70 is closed by the pressure regulating valve 65. Thereby, the communication between the inside of the pan 11 and the outside is blocked. Further, since both the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and the open / close frame lock piece 189 sink under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is double-locked, and the lid body 31 cannot be opened.

  When shifting to the unevenness, the operation of gradually returning the inside of the pan 11 to the atmospheric pressure is performed in consideration of the fact that the lid 31 can be opened immediately after the start of the subsequent heat insulation. The rice cooking control means 118 first switches the pressure regulating solenoid 78 from the on state to the off state in the middle of the unevenness, retracts the pressure regulating valve 65 from the communication port 70, and then opens and closes after a predetermined time has elapsed. The solenoid 172 is switched from the on state to the off state. In this way, at least after the communication port 70 is opened, the lid body 31 cannot be opened until the opening / closing solenoid 172 is turned off, and the pan 11 cannot be returned to the atmospheric pressure before It is possible to prevent the lid 31 from being opened.

  Immediately after the unevenness is completed and the process proceeds to the heat retaining step, the inside of the pan 11 communicates with the outside through the communication hole 70 and the opening / closing hole 181 and is maintained at atmospheric pressure. At the same time, since both the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and the open / close frame lock piece 189 are located away from the lower side of the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, the lid 31 can be freely opened and closed.

  Thereafter, as described in the reference example, the heat retention control unit 119 is configured to reduce the pressure in the pan 11 so that the pressure in the pan 11 becomes lower than the atmospheric pressure by the pressure reduction control unit 130 when the heat retention elapsed time reaches a preset time. 82 and solenoid valve 87 again control the operation. At the same time, the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are simultaneously turned on in order to seal the inside of the pan 11. As a result, both the pressure adjusting frame lock piece 163 and the open / close frame lock piece 189 enter under the base end portion 44A of the clamp 44, and the rotation of the clamp 44 is restricted. Such an operation may be performed when the pan temperature sensor 21 detects that the inside of the pan 11 has reached the predetermined temperature in the heat retaining step, not after the predetermined time of the heat retaining step.

  When the process proceeds to the heat retaining step, the heat retaining control means 119 receives the detection signals from the Hall elements 143 and 191. That is, during the operation control of the pressure reducing means 81 for reducing the pressure inside the pan 11, the user intends to open the lid 31 with the pressure adjusting solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 turned on simultaneously. When the lid opening button 46 is pushed, the clamp 44 is restricted in its rotation, but the lid opening button 46 is pushed slightly downward due to the elasticity of the clamp 44 and the hall element 143 is magnetized. Move away from 144. When the heat retention control means 119 receives the detection signal from the hall element 143 at this time, the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 are turned off in conjunction with each other, and both plungers 151 and 173 are advanced to communicate with each other. In addition to opening the opening 70 and the opening / closing hole 181, the rotation restriction on the clamp 44 is also released, and the lid 31 can be opened by continuing to press the lid opening button 46.

  After that, when the cooked rice is taken out of the pan 11 and the lid 31 is closed again, another hall element 191 detects the closed state of the lid 31 and sends the signal to the heat retaining control means 119. Send it out. In response to this, the heat retention control means 119 activates the pressure reducing means 81 again after a predetermined time and simultaneously turns on the pressure regulating solenoid 78 and the opening / closing solenoid 172 so that the lid 31 is not opened carelessly.

  Further, during the unevenness and heat retention process, when the pressure reducing means 81 is operated and the inside of the pan 11 is at atmospheric pressure or lower, the heating control means 111 sends a control signal for continuously lighting the LED 142 to the display driving means 129. Thereby, the user can recognize immediately that the lid 31 and the main body 1 are engaged and locked because the inside of the pan 11 is being decompressed. In addition, since there is a slight time lag from when the lid opening button 46 is intended to be pushed to when the lid 31 can actually be opened, the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 When the Hall element 143 outputs a detection signal when it is intended to release the engagement of the LED, the LED 142 switches to a blinking operation. After a predetermined time has elapsed, if the LED 142 is automatically turned off, the lid is immediately turned off. The user can understand whether the body 31 does not open.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the main body 1 including the pan 11 and the openable / closable lid 31 covering the main body 1 are provided. The lid 31 is a clamp receiver as an engagement receiving portion provided in the main body 1. 50 includes a clamp 44 which is an engaging portion detachable from 50, a pressure adjusting portion 58, and a valve opening / closing means 183. The clamp 44 is engaged with the clamp receiver 50 and the lid 31 is closed to the main body 1. In this state, the pressure adjusting unit 58 locks the engagement of the clamp 44 with the clamp receiver 50 when a predetermined process (spotting or keeping warm) and the valve opening / closing means 183 are not at atmospheric pressure. It has a movable configuration.

  That is, if the inside of the pan 11 is other than atmospheric pressure during the process such as unevenness and heat insulation, the pressure regulator 58 and the valve opening / closing means 183 cause the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 to The engagement is double locked. Therefore, even when an unintentional operation to open the lid 31 is performed, the lid 31 does not open, preventing the cooking of rice to be cooked in the pan 11, steam, rice balls, etc. The main body 1 and its surroundings can be prevented from becoming dirty.

  Further, in this embodiment, when a predetermined time before the end of the rice cooking process, the pressure adjusting unit 58 and the valve opening / closing means 183 are operated, the engagement lock between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is released, and the lid 31 is opened. It is configured as follows.

  In this way, the engagement lock between the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 is released when the inside of the pan 11 becomes atmospheric pressure, particularly before the end of the rice cooking process. The lid 31 is not forcibly opened by pressure, and it is possible to surely prevent the cooked rice, steam, rice balls, etc. in the pan 11 from being scattered, and to prevent the main body 1 and its surroundings from getting dirty. it can.

  In this case, in order to release the engagement lock between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50, it is preferable that the pressure adjusting unit 58 operates first, and then the valve opening / closing means 183 operates. That is, since the engagement between the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 is continuously locked by the valve opening / closing means 183 for a while after the pressure adjusting unit 58 is operated, It is possible to prevent the lid 31 from being inadvertently opened before the pressure has returned to atmospheric pressure.

  In the present embodiment, the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is locked after reaching a predetermined temperature in the heat retention process or after a predetermined time in the heat retention process.

  In this case, since the engagement between the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 is locked when a predetermined temperature is reached in the heat retaining process or after a predetermined time after the heat retaining process, the pan is kept in the heat retaining process. It is possible to prevent the lid 31 from being inadvertently opened in a situation other than the atmospheric pressure inside 11.

  Further, in this embodiment, when the Hall element 143 as the detecting means provided on the lid opening button 46 which is the lid opening / closing means detects the operation when the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is released, the clamp The engagement lock between 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is released.

In this way, even if the inside of the pan 11 is in a state other than atmospheric pressure during the heat retaining process, this engagement is performed only when the engagement between the clamp 44 of the lid 31 and the clamp receiver 50 of the main body 1 is intended to be released. Since the lock is released, the lid 31 can be opened at any time during the heat insulation process, and the cooked rice can be taken out from the pan 11.
In this embodiment, the main body 1 provided with the pan 11, the decompression means 81 for decompressing the inside of the pan 11 to less than atmospheric pressure, the openable / closable cover 31 covering the main body 1, and the decompression means 81 are operated. An LED 142 is provided as an alarm means.

  In this case, if the LED 142 is activated when the lid opening button 46 is pressed, it is possible to recognize a situation in which the pressure reducing operation is performed and the lid 31 does not open immediately. Therefore, operations such as forcibly pushing the lid opening button 46 or pushing the lid opening button 46 many times can be reduced, and the performance degradation of the lid opening button 46 and thus the rice cooker can be improved.

  Further, the lid 31 here is provided with a clamp 44 that can be engaged with and disengaged from the clamp receiver 50 provided in the main body 1, and when the lid 44 is pushed to release the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50. When the hall element 143 as the detecting means detects this operation, the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is released. By doing so, the Hall element 143 detects the operation when the engagement between the clamp 44 and the clamp receiver 50 is to be released, and the lid 31 can be opened.

  Further, here, a lid opening button 46 as lid opening / closing means is provided, and the LED 142 is provided on the lid opening button 46. In this way, it is possible to immediately recognize whether or not the pressure reducing operation is being performed based on whether or not the LED 142 provided on the lid opening button 46 is operating.

  The alarm means is preferably a display means such as LED 142 or a notification means such as a buzzer. That is, it is possible to confirm whether or not the pressure reducing operation is performed only by looking at the display means provided on the lid opening button 46, and whether or not the pressure reducing operation is performed only by listening to the sound from the notification means. I can confirm.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part as the said reference example and 1st Example, and since the description of the common location overlaps, it abbreviate | omits as much as possible.
This embodiment relates to a heating control means 111 that can selectively execute a favorite cooking course. Therefore, the configuration other than the heating control means 111 is common to the reference example and the first embodiment.

  First, based on FIG. 17 showing a front view of a rice cooker, the configuration of the operation panel 101 will be described. 201 is an LCD that constitutes the display means 128 disposed substantially at the center of the operation panel 101. Can be operated with rice cooker key 202, cut key 203, course / heat key 204, reservation key 205, hour key 206, minute key 207, menu key 208, and pressure key 209, respectively. An operation switch 103 is provided. Further, below the LCD 201, a heat retention / reheating lamp 211 and a reservation lamp 212 which are process display means in the display means 128 are provided.

  In each of the above configurations, the LCD 201 includes a course display unit 215 that displays a course selected by the course / heat retention key 204, a menu display unit 216 that displays a menu selected by the menu key 208 for the selected course, A segment display unit 217 that displays set values, current values, and the like of time, temperature, and pressure, and a reservation display unit 218 that lights up when the segment display unit 217 displays a reservation time.

  The heating control means 111 that is electrically connected to the operation switch 103 and the display means 128 stores a control pattern corresponding to all courses and menus that can be selected by the course / heat retention key 204 and the menu key 208, respectively. (Not shown) and when a specific course or menu is selected with the course / heat keeping key 204 or the menu key 208, a corresponding control pattern is called from the storage means, and each unit is based on the control pattern. Is controlled.

  And every time the course / heat retention key 204 is pressed, the course of cooking and heat insulation is selected in the order of white rice → washless rice → brown rice → germinated brown rice → milled rice → automatic cooking → favorite cooking → vacuum heat insulation → heat insulation → white rice Is displayed on the course display unit 215. Among them, “white rice”, “washless rice”, “brown rice”, “germinated brown rice”, and “milled rice” are rice cooking courses that cook rice as cooked items, respectively, "," Favorite cooking "is a cooking course for cooking cooked food not limited to rice. Since the operation of the white rice course is as described above, the operation when the favorite cooking course is selected will be described here.

  When the favorite cooking course is selected by the course / heat keeping key 204, the heating control means 111 accepts the input of the set temperature and the set time. Specifically, when the favorite cooking course is selected, the heating control unit 111 displays a set temperature of, for example, 80 ° C. on the segment display unit 217 as an initial value. If it is desired to change the set temperature, the set temperature can be varied every 5 ° C., for example, by pressing the reservation key 205 as a time setting means. Thereafter, the time can be set by pressing the hour key 206 or the minute key 207 as time setting means. That is, every time the hour key 206 is pressed, the set time is changed in units of one hour, and every time the minute key 207 is pressed, the set time is changed in units of one minute. However, if the key 207 is continuously pressed for a predetermined time or more in order to reduce the number of operations of the minute key 207, the heating control means 111 recognizes the operation signal, and the set time is changed in units of 10 minutes, for example. FIG. 18 shows a display form of the LCD 201 when the set temperature is 85 ° C. and the set time is 1 hour 20 minutes in the favorite cooking course.

  In the above series of operations, the heating control means 111 is provided as a software function so that if the temperature set by the reservation key 205 is varied, the time range that can be set by the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 changes accordingly. Yes. Table 1 shows the relationship between the set temperature and the time that can be set accordingly.

  As shown in the above table, the upper limit value of the time that can be set by the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 is set to be shortened step by step as the temperature set by the reservation key 205 is higher. That is, if the set temperature is about 70 ° C., the upper limit value of the settable time is set to approximately the same time (for example, 9 hours and 50 minutes) as the longest heat retention time during the white rice heat retention. Conversely, when the set temperature is around 100 ° C, the upper limit of the time that can be set is intentionally shortened (in this example, 1 hour), thereby preventing excessive heating of the food in the pan 11 in advance. it can.

  When the temperature and time are set and the rice cooking key 202 is pressed, the heating control means 111 starts cooking on the pan 11 according to the control pattern of the favorite cooking course. In this favorite cooking course, as shown in FIG. 19, the pan 11 is continuously moved by the heating coil 16 and the cord heater 26 until the temperature in the pan 11 detected by the pan temperature sensor 21 reaches the set temperature T1. When the temperature in the pan 11 reaches the set temperature T1, the heating control means 111 is controlled by the heating coil 16 and the cord heater 26 so that the temperature in the pan 11 is maintained at the set temperature T1. Control the amount of heating and start counting the built-in timer. Thereafter, the temperature in the pan 11 is maintained at the temperature T1 set by the heating control means 111. When the timer count reaches the set time t1, the heating control means 111 applies the heating coil 16 or the code heater 26 to the pan 11. Finish heating.

  In this way, the control for maintaining the temperature inside the pan 11 at the set temperature T1 is reliably performed over the set time t1 regardless of the capacity of the food contained in the pan 11, so that when the heating is finished, it is used. The desired cooking state intended by the person can be obtained. Also, as described above, the maximum value of the set time t1 is variable according to the set temperature T1, and the higher the set temperature T1, the shorter the maximum value of the set time t1. It is possible to prevent the food to be cooked from being heated excessively at the setting stage.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the reservation key 205 as the temperature setting means for setting the temperature, the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 as the time setting means for setting the time, and the food to be cooked are heated. In addition to the heating coil 16 and the code heater 26 as the heating means and the rice cooking course for cooking rice as the food to be cooked, it is possible to select and execute a favorite cooking course for cooking food to be cooked that is not limited to rice When the favorite cooking course is selected, the heating control means 111 starts cooking time when the cooking object is heated and the temperature reaches the set temperature, and this time setting is set. Until the time is reached, the heating coil 16 and the code heater 26 are controlled so that the temperature of the object to be cooked is maintained.

  In this way, when the temperature of the cooking object in the pan 11 reaches the set temperature, the cooking object is heated so as to maintain the set temperature until the set time is reached from that point. Therefore, regardless of its capacity, the object to be cooked will be heated at the set temperature for the set time, and the desired cooking state will be maintained regardless of how the temperature and time are set. Obtainable.

  Further, the heating control means 111 in this case is configured such that the time range that can be set by the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 is variable according to the temperature set by the reservation key 205. In this way, the time range that can be set by the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 changes according to the temperature set by the reservation key 205, so that it is possible to avoid heating for a long time at a temperature close to boiling, for example. The cooking object in the pan 11 can be prevented from being heated excessively.

  Further, in this case, it is preferable that the upper limit value of the time that can be set by the hour key 206 or the minute key 207 is shortened as the temperature set by the reservation key 205 is higher. In this way, the upper limit value of the time that can be set by the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 becomes shorter as the temperature set by the reservation key 205 is higher. That is, since the maintenance time is set shorter as the temperature of the object to be cooked is higher, the object to be cooked in the pan 11 can be reliably prevented from being heated excessively.

  In the favorite cooking course, it is preferable that not only time and temperature but also the pressure in the pan 11 can be set to other than atmospheric pressure. As an example, in this modified example, it is provided with a pressure reducing means 81 for reducing the food to be cooked below atmospheric pressure, and a pressure adjusting unit 58 as a pressure means for pressing the food to be heated to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure. Therefore, each time the pressure key 209 is pressed, the set pressure can be changed from atmospheric pressure → pressurization (for example, 1.2 atm) → decompression (for example, 0.8 atm) → atmospheric pressure. The setting of the temperature, time, and pressure is not limited to that shown in this modification. For example, each time the pressure key 209 is pressed, the set pressure may be changed by a predetermined amount, for example, 0.1 atm. In addition, in a rice cooker that does not include the pressure reducing means 81 and includes only the pressure adjusting unit 58, the pressure that can be set by the pressure key 209 is set to a range from atmospheric pressure to over atmospheric pressure, and conversely, the pressure adjusting unit 58 is provided. First, in the rice cooker provided with only the decompression means 81, it is preferable that the pressure that can be set by the pressure key 209 is in the range from less than atmospheric pressure to atmospheric pressure. Based on the set temperature, time, and pressure, the heating control means 111 is a heating coil 16 that is a heating means so that the cooking object in the pan 11 is maintained at the set temperature and the set pressure for the set time. In addition, the cord heater 26 and the pressure adjusting unit 58 or the pressure reducing means 81 are controlled.

  The temperature, time, and pressure may be set with priority. For example, when the pressure is first set by the pressure key 209, the heating control means 111 changes the temperature range that can be set by the reservation key 205 in accordance with the set pressure. When the set pressure is atmospheric pressure, the upper limit of the temperature range that can be set by the reservation key 205 is set to 100 ° C. However, when a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure is set, the upper limit of the settable temperature range is set. The value is higher than 100 ° C. depending on the set pressure. In this way, when the inside of the pan 11 is maintained at the set pressure by the pressure adjusting unit 58, the object to be heated can be cooked at a higher temperature. For example, it is possible to avoid an unreasonable setting such that the set temperature is higher than 100 ° C. even though the set pressure is atmospheric pressure. Conversely, when a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure is set, the upper limit value of the settable temperature range is set to a value lower than 100 ° C. according to the set pressure. Also in this case, the inside of the pan 11 can be maintained at a temperature corresponding to a low pressure, and an unreasonable setting can be avoided in advance. If the range of time that can be set with the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 is made variable according to the set temperature, the food to be cooked in the pan 11 can be prevented from being heated excessively.

  Conversely, the temperature may be set before the pressure is set. First, when the temperature is set by the reservation key 205, the heating control means 111 varies the pressure range that can be set by the subsequent pressure key 209 in accordance with the set temperature. For example, if the set temperature is higher than 100 ° C., the lower limit value of the settable pressure range is higher than the atmospheric pressure, whereas if the set temperature is less than 100 ° C., the lower limit of the settable pressure range The value is lower than atmospheric pressure. Therefore, when the temperature set by the reservation key 205 is higher than 100 ° C., the pressure control by the pressure adjusting unit 58 is performed automatically. In this way, an optimum temperature can be set according to the set pressure, for example, an unreasonable setting that can set a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure even though the set temperature is higher than 100 ° C. Can be avoided in advance. In this case, the time may be set before the pressure is set or after the pressure is set.

  As described above, here, the reservation key 205 for setting the temperature, the hour key 206 and the minute key 207 for setting the time, the pressure key 209 as pressure setting means capable of setting a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and the cooking target In addition to the heating coil 16 and the cord heater 26 for heating the food, the decompression means 81 for decompressing the food to be cooked to less than atmospheric pressure, and the rice cooking course for cooking rice as the food to be cooked, it is not limited to rice A heating control means 111 capable of selecting and executing a favorite cooking course for cooking an object to be cooked. When the favorite cooking course is selected, the heating control means 111 sets a set temperature and a set pressure during a set time. The heating coil 16, the cord heater 26, and the decompression means 81 are controlled so that the food to be cooked is maintained.

  This makes it possible not only to set the temperature and time, but also to set the pressure below atmospheric pressure using the pressure key 209, and control the heating so that cooking is performed at the set pressure and set temperature for the set time. The means 111 can control the operations of the heating coil 16, the cord heater 26, and the decompression means 81, respectively.

  In the case where the pressure key 209 is provided as a pressure setting means capable of setting a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, the pressure adjustment unit 58 as a pressure means for pressurizing the food to be heated to a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. Is preferably provided in place of the decompression means 81 or together with the decompression means 81.

  This makes it possible to set not only the temperature and time but also the pressure below atmospheric pressure by the pressure setting means, and heating control is performed so that cooking is performed at the set pressure and the set temperature during the set time. The means 111 can control the operation of the heating coil 16, the cord heater 26, and the pressure adjusting unit 58, respectively.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, It can change in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. The set values and set times of pressure in the examples are merely examples, and may be appropriately changed according to the specifications of each rice cooker. Further, the configuration as the decompression means 81 is not limited to a combination of the decompression pump 82, the path 84, and the electromagnetic valve 87 as in the present embodiment.

1 body
11 Pot
16 Heating coil (heating means)
26 Code heater (heating means)
31 lid
44 Clamp (engaging part)
46 Open / close button (lid open / close means)
50 Clamp holder (engagement receiving part)
58 Pressure regulator (pressurizing means)
81 Pressure reducing means
111 Heating control means (control means)
142 LED (alarm means, display means)
205 Reserved key (temperature setting means)
206 hour key (time setting means)
207 minute key (time setting means)
209 Pressure key (Pressure setting means)

Claims (9)

  A rice cooker comprising: a main body provided with a pan; a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure to less than atmospheric pressure; a lid covering the main body; and an alarm means that is activated when the pressure reducing means is operated.   An engagement receiving portion is provided with an detachable engagement portion, and the engagement is released when the detection means detects an operation when the engagement between the engagement portion and the engagement reception portion is to be released. The rice cooker of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a lid opening / closing means, wherein the alarm means is provided in the lid opening / closing means.   The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the alarm means is a display means.   The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the warning means is a notification means. A pan for charging the cooking object, a temperature setting means for setting the temperature, a time setting means for setting the time, a heating means for heating the inside of the pot, and a control means for cooking the cooking object,
The control means starts timing when the temperature in the pan reaches the set temperature, and maintains the set temperature in the pan until the time reaches the set time. Control the means,
A rice cooker configured to vary a range of time that can be set by the time setting means according to the temperature set by the temperature setting means.   The rice cooker according to claim 6, wherein the upper limit value of the time that can be set by the time setting means is shorter as the temperature set by the temperature setting means is higher. A pan for charging the cooking object, a temperature setting means for setting the temperature, a time setting means for setting the time, a pressure setting means capable of setting a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, and a heating means for heating the inside of the pot. A pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure below atmospheric pressure, and a control means for cooking the food to be cooked,
The control means controls the heating means and the decompression means so that the inside of the pan is maintained at the set temperature and the set pressure during the set time. rice cooker. A pan for charging the cooking object, a temperature setting means for setting the temperature, a time setting means for setting the time, a pressure setting means capable of setting a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, and a heating means for heating the inside of the pot And pressurizing means for pressurizing to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and control means for cooking the food to be cooked,
The control means controls the heating means and the pressurizing means so that the inside of the pan is maintained at the set temperature and the set pressure during the set time. Rice cooker.