JP7312041B2 - Cooking environment forming device and cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooking environment forming device and a cooker having the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as described in Patent Literature 1, there has been known a cooker that heats and cooks foodstuffs in a state in which the pressure inside the cooking tank is reduced to a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. Since the boiling point of the cooking liquid can be lowered in such a vacuum heating cooker, convection can be generated by boiling the cooking liquid even in low-temperature cooking, and the cooking time can be shortened.

The cooker described in Patent Document 1 includes a tank body in which foodstuff and cooking liquid are stored, a lid part attached to the tank body so as to be openable and closable, and the tank by sucking air in the tank body. A decompression means for decompressing the inside of the main body and an atmosphere introduction means for restoring the inside of the tank main body to the atmospheric pressure by introducing air into the main body are provided. The decompression means has a decompression pipe connected to the upper surface of the lid, and the atmosphere introduction means has an atmosphere introduction pipe connected to the upper surface of the lid along with the decompression pipe.

JP 2017-93947 A

When the decompression pipe and the atmosphere introduction pipe are connected to the lid portion as in Patent Document 1, the handling of the cooker may be inconvenient as follows. For example, it is difficult to handle the lid when removing and attaching the lid when putting in and out foodstuffs, and it is difficult to clean the lid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a cooking environment forming device capable of improving the handleability of the cooker and a cooker provided with the same.

A cooking environment forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an annular packing for sealing a space in a cooking vessel, and a ventilation pipe for circulating air or steam, wherein the packing serves as a cooking device for a cooker. It is fixed to the tank or the lid or arranged between the cooking tank and the lid, and includes a cooking tank side contact portion that contacts the cooking tank, a lid side contact portion that contacts the lid, and the packing. a connecting portion that extends in the circumferential direction and connects the cooking vessel side contact portion and the lid side contact portion, and the connection portion includes the ventilation pipe that penetrates neither the cooking vessel nor the lid. A connection port is formed to be connected to the packing, and the connection port extends so as not to penetrate either the cooking vessel side contact portion or the lid side contact portion.

In order to improve the handleability of the cooker, the present inventors diligently studied the connecting position of the ventilation pipe. As a result, the inventors of the present invention came up with the idea of intentionally forming a connection port for a ventilation pipe in a packing having a sealing function, and giving the packing the mutually contradictory functions of a sealing function and a pipe connecting function, and arrived at the present invention. bottom.

In the above-described cooking environment forming apparatus, the ventilation pipe for circulating air or steam can be connected to the connection port formed in the packing, so there is no need to connect the ventilation pipe to the lid of the cooker. Therefore, the lid can be handled independently of the vent pipe, unlike the conventional case where the vent pipe such as the decompression pipe or the atmosphere introduction pipe is connected to the lid. Therefore, the lid can be easily handled when the lid is removed or attached, and the ventilation pipe, its connector, etc. do not become an obstacle when cleaning the lid, so that the handleability of the cooker can be improved.

In the cooking environment forming apparatus, the connection port may be a hole into which the ventilation pipe is inserted. The inner surface of the hole may be provided with a protruding portion that protrudes radially inward of the hole.

According to this configuration, it is possible to keep the gap between the outer surface of the ventilation pipe and the inner surface of the hole while allowing the projecting portion to contact the outer surface. As a result, compared to the case where the entire inner surface of the hole is in contact with the outer surface of the ventilation pipe, the degree of sealing is improved, and friction when inserting the ventilation pipe can be reduced.

The cooking environment forming apparatus may further include a packing reinforcing member made of a material harder than the packing and at least a portion of which is arranged in the connection port.

According to this configuration, the packing reinforcement member can compensate for the local strength reduction of the packing due to the formation of the connection port. This makes it possible to improve the strength uniformity of the entire packing.

In the above cooking environment forming apparatus, the connection port may be a hole into which the ventilation pipe is inserted, and may be a bottomed hole defined by a bottom against which the tip of the ventilation pipe abuts.

According to this configuration, when the inside of the cooking vessel is decompressed, it is possible to prevent the ventilation pipe from entering the cooking vessel due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cooking vessel.

In the cooking environment forming apparatus, the packing may be formed with a sensor insertion opening into which a temperature sensor is inserted.

According to this configuration, the temperature sensor can be inserted into the cooking vessel through the sensor insertion opening when directly measuring the temperature of the food material or the cooking liquid contained in the cooking vessel. Therefore, it is not necessary to attach the temperature sensor to the lid, and the handleability of the cooker can be improved.

The cooking environment forming apparatus may further include a plug member that closes the sensor insertion opening.

According to this configuration, even when the temperature sensor is not inserted into the sensor insertion opening, the degree of airtightness in the cooking vessel can be ensured.

In the cooking environment forming apparatus, the packing may include a packing body including the connection portion formed with the connection port , and the cooking vessel side contact portion and the lid side contact portion are connected to the packing body. It may also be a portion that can move around the connection portion together with it, and that can be a close contact portion that can come into close contact with the seal portion of the cooker.

According to this configuration, even if the packing is deformed when the ventilation pipe is connected, the deformation can be absorbed by the tight contact portion, so that good tight contact of the packing to the seal portion of the cooker can be ensured.
In the cooking environment forming apparatus, the connection port has an outer cylindrical hole that opens to the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion, and an inner cylindrical hole that opens to the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion and communicates with the outer cylindrical hole. The ventilation pipe may extend radially outward of the packing from the outer cylindrical hole in a state in which the packing is arranged between the cooking vessel and the lid.

A cooking appliance according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a cooking vessel, a lid for opening and closing the cooking vessel, an annular packing for sealing a space in the cooking vessel, and a ventilation pipe for circulating air or steam. and a cooking environment forming device. The packing of the cooking environment forming apparatus includes: a cooking tank side contact portion that contacts the cooking tank; a lid side contact portion that contacts the lid; and a connection portion that connects the lid-side tight contact portion, and is fixed to the cooking vessel or the lid or arranged between the cooking vessel and the lid , and the connection portion includes the cooking vessel and the lid. A connecting port is formed to connect the ventilation pipe, which does not penetrate through anything, to the packing.

In the cooker described above, the ventilation pipe can be connected to the connection port formed in the packing. can be handled independently from This makes it possible to improve the handleability of the cooker.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cooking environment forming device capable of improving the handleability of the cooker and a cooker having the same.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cooking environment forming device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1; 2 is a cross-sectional view along line III-III in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1; It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the cooker which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating height adjustment of the temperature sensor for inside a tank. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a cooking environment forming device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a cooking environment forming device according to a first modified example of Embodiment 3 of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a cooking environment forming device according to a second modified example of Embodiment 3 of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a cooking environment forming device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A cooking environment forming device and a cooker according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration of a cooking environment forming apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 to 4 show only main components of the cooking environment forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, and the cooking environment forming apparatus 1 includes other components not shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. can also be provided.

The cooking environment forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is for sealing the space inside the cooking vessel and for reducing and restoring the pressure inside the cooking vessel in a vacuum heating cooker. As shown in FIG. 1, the cooking environment forming apparatus 1 includes a packing 10, a pressure reduction pipe 11 (ventilation pipe), an atmosphere introduction pipe 12 (ventilation pipe), an in-bath temperature sensor 13, and a pressure reduction pump. 14 and .

The packing 10 is a member for sealing the space inside the cooking vessel. The packing 10 is a molded product made of an elastic material such as silicone resin, and has a ring shape as shown in FIG. The packing 10 has a decompression connection port 20 (connection port) to which the decompression pipe 11 is connected, an atmosphere introduction connection port 21 (connection port) to which the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is connected, and an in-vessel temperature sensor. A sensor insertion opening 22 into which the sensor 13 is inserted is formed.

The shape and size of the packing 10 can be appropriately designed according to the shape and size of the cooking vessel and lid, and are not particularly limited. That is, the user can appropriately select the type of cooking vessel and lid, and employ the packing 10 that matches the shape and size of the cooking vessel and lid. Also, the material of the packing 10 is not particularly limited as long as it has a sealing function.

The decompression pipe 11 is a ventilation pipe for circulating air, and is used to suck the air from the space inside the cooking vessel. The decompression pipe 11 has a hollow cylindrical shape in which an air passage through which air can flow is formed. The other end 11B is connected to the suction port of the decompression pump 14 . Further, the decompression pipe 11 is provided with a switching valve for switching between air circulation and blocking.

The decompression pipe 11 is detachable from the packing 10 (can be inserted into and removed from the decompression connection port 20), and is removed from the packing 10 during cleaning, for example. The decompression pipe 11 is made of an elastic material such as silicone resin, but the material is not particularly limited.

The atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is a ventilation pipe for circulating air in the same manner as the decompression pipe 11, and is used to restore the pressure in the decompressed space in the cooking vessel to the atmospheric pressure. The atmosphere introduction pipe 12 has a hollow cylindrical shape in which an air passage through which air can flow is formed. At the same time, the other end (not shown) is open to the atmosphere. Also, the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is provided with a switching valve for switching between circulation and blocking of air.

The atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is detachable from the packing 10 (can be inserted into and removed from the atmosphere introduction connection port 21), and is removed from the packing 10, for example, during cleaning. The atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is made of an elastic material such as silicone resin, but the material is not particularly limited.

The tank internal temperature sensor 13 is a sensor for directly measuring the temperature of the food material and cooking liquid (for example, water, seasoning liquid, etc.) in the cooking tank. The in-vessel temperature sensor 13 is composed of a sheathed thermocouple, for example, and is inserted into the sensor insertion port 22 of the packing 10 . Further, when it is not necessary to directly measure the temperature of the food material or the cooking liquid, the temperature sensor 13 for inside the tank can be pulled out from the sensor insertion port 22 . Note that the in-vessel temperature sensor 13 is not limited to a sheath thermocouple, and any temperature sensor can be used.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view along line II-II in FIG. 1) when the packing 10 is cut in the thickness direction at a portion where the pressure reducing connection port 20 is formed. As shown in FIG. 2, the packing 10 is connected to a ring-shaped packing main body 15 having a pressure reducing connection port 20 and having a rectangular cross section and an upper surface 15A of the packing main body 15, and is movable about the connecting portion. It has an upper contact portion 16 and a lower contact portion 17 connected to the lower surface 15B of the packing body 15 and movable about the connecting portion.

More specifically, the upper contact portion 16 is connected to a radially inner portion of the upper surface 15A, and has a shape that spreads radially outward from the connecting portion so as to separate from the upper surface 15A. The lower contact portion 17 is connected to a radially inner portion of the lower surface 15B, and has a shape that widens radially outward from the connecting portion so as to separate from the lower surface 15B. Both the upper contact portion 16 and the lower contact portion 17 are provided in a ring shape over the entire circumferential direction of the packing body 15 .

The pressure-reducing connection port 20 is configured by a hole into which the pressure-reducing pipe 11 is inserted, and is formed so as to radially penetrate an arbitrary portion of the packing 10 in the circumferential direction. More specifically, the pressure reducing connection port 20 has a bottom defined by a bottom portion 18 against which the tip portion (tip surface) of the pressure reducing pipe 11 inserted radially inward from the outer peripheral surface 10A of the packing 10 hits. Consists of holes.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pressure reducing connection port 20 opens to the outer peripheral surface 10A side of the packing 10 and to an outer cylindrical hole 20A into which the pressure reducing pipe 11 is inserted, and to the inner peripheral surface 10B side of the packing 10. and an inner cylindrical hole 20B communicating with the outer cylindrical hole 20A. The inner cylindrical hole 20B has a smaller diameter than the outer cylindrical hole 20A and is formed to penetrate through the center of the bottom portion 18 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the inner surface of the outer cylindrical hole 20A is provided with a plurality of protrusions 19 that protrude radially inward of the outer cylindrical hole 20A. The projecting portion 19 is annularly formed along the inner surface of the outer cylindrical hole 20A so as to surround the pressure reducing pipe 11 . Further, in the present embodiment, a plurality of projections 19 (two in FIG. 2) are provided at intervals in the radial direction of the packing 10 (the insertion direction of the decompression pipe 11), but only one is provided. may

The inner diameter of the projecting portion 19 is designed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the decompression pipe 11 . As a result, when the decompression pipe 11 is inserted into the decompression connection port 20 (the outer cylindrical hole 20A), the projecting portion 19 is formed with a gap between the outer surface of the decompression pipe 11 and the inner surface of the outer cylindrical hole 20A. contacts the outer surface of the decompression pipe 11 and is crushed (compressed) radially outward. As a result, the degree of airtightness at the connecting portion between the packing 10 and the decompression pipe 11 is ensured. The inner diameter of the projecting portion 19 may be the same as the outer diameter of the decompression pipe 11 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1) when the packing 10 is cut in the thickness direction at a portion where the air introduction connection port 21 is formed. The atmosphere introduction connection port 21 is basically formed in the same manner as the decompression connection port 20 . That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the atmosphere introduction connection port 21 is a hole into which the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is inserted, and is defined by a bottom portion 32 against which the tip portion (tip surface) of the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 abuts. It is composed of bottomed holes, and includes an outer cylindrical hole 21A and an inner cylindrical hole 21B. A plurality of protruding portions 31 protruding radially inward of the outer cylindrical hole 21A are provided on the inner surface of the outer cylindrical hole 21A.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1) when the packing 10 is cut in the thickness direction at a portion where the sensor insertion port 22 is formed. As shown in FIG. 4 , the sensor insertion port 22 is a hole into which the in-bath temperature sensor 13 is inserted, has a constant inner diameter, and is formed so as to penetrate the packing 10 in the radial direction.

A plurality of protruding portions 23 protruding radially inward are provided on the inner surface defining the sensor insertion opening 22 . The projecting portion 23 is formed in an annular shape along the inner surface of the sensor insertion port 22 so as to surround the in-bath temperature sensor 13 . In the present embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 23 (two in FIG. 4) are provided at intervals in the radial direction of the packing 10 (the insertion direction of the in-tank temperature sensor 13), but only one protrusion is provided. may be The in-bath temperature sensor 13 is movable in the radial direction while being inserted into the sensor insertion port 22 .

The inner diameter of the projecting portion 23 is smaller than the outer diameter of the in-bath temperature sensor 13 . As a result, when the in-bath temperature sensor 13 is inserted into the sensor insertion port 22 , the tip of the protruding portion 23 is pushed out with a gap between the outer surface of the in-bath temperature sensor 13 and the inner surface of the sensor insertion port 22 . It comes into contact with the outer surface of the in-bath temperature sensor 13 and is crushed (compressed) radially outward. As a result, the degree of airtightness at the connecting portion between the packing 10 and the in-bath temperature sensor 13 is ensured. The inner diameter of the projecting portion 23 may be the same as the outer diameter of the in-bath temperature sensor 13 .

As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the pressure reduction connection port 20, the air introduction connection port 21, and the sensor insertion port 22 are formed in portions of the packing 10 that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the pressure reduction connection port 20 and the air introduction connection port 21 are preferably formed at positions shifted by 90° or less in the circumferential direction of the packing 10, and are formed at positions shifted by 45° or less. It is more preferable that they are formed, and more preferably that they are formed at positions shifted by 30° or less. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensor insertion port 22 is formed in a portion between the decompression connection port 20 and the atmosphere introduction connection port 21 and having a short distance in the circumferential direction.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, the configuration of the cooker 2 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The cooker 2 according to the present embodiment is a vacuum heating cooker that heats and cooks the foodstuff 100 in a state where the space S1 in the cooking vessel 40 is decompressed to a predetermined pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. As shown in FIG. 5, the cooking appliance 2 includes a cooking vessel 40, a lid 50, a heating unit 60, an external temperature sensor 61, a control unit 70, and the cooking environment forming apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment. and are mainly provided.

The cooking vessel 40 is a pot having a space S1 in which the foodstuff 100 and the cooking liquid 101 are accommodated. As shown in FIG. 5, the cooking vessel 40 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with an opening formed on the upper side, and has a bottom wall 41 and side walls 42 rising from the bottom wall 41 so as to surround the space S1. are doing. The cooking vessel 40 is made of, for example, a metal material such as aluminum, copper, or ferritic stainless steel, but the material of the cooking vessel 40 is not limited to these. Also, the shape and size of the cooking vessel 40 are not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped tray.

The lid 50 opens and closes the opening of the cooking vessel 40, and is made of a heat-resistant material such as glass or polycarbonate. As shown in FIG. 5, the lid 50 is a disk-shaped member having a size that covers the entire upper opening of the cooking vessel 40, and a handle 51 is provided at the center of the upper surface thereof.

The packing 10 has a ring shape along the opening edge 43 of the cooking vessel 40 . The packing 10 is arranged between the cooking vessel 40 and the lid 50 so that the inner peripheral surface 10B faces the space S1, and seals the space S1 inside the cooking vessel 40. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the packing 10 is sandwiched between the opening edge portion 43 of the cooking vessel 40 and the peripheral edge portion of the lower surface 52 of the lid 50, and the upper contact portion 16 (seal portion), and the lower contact portion 17 is in close contact with the opening edge portion 43 (seal portion) of the cooking vessel 40 . The decompression connection port 20, the air introduction connection port 21, and the sensor insertion port 22 are arranged in the direction in which the packing 10 is in close contact (the direction in which the packing 10 is sandwiched, and the direction in which the opening edge 43 and the peripheral edge of the lower surface 52 face each other). ) penetrates the packing 10 in a direction crossing (perpendicular to). The packing 10 may be fixed to the opening edge 43 of the cooking vessel 40, may be fixed to the peripheral edge of the lower surface 52, or may not be fixed to any of them.

The decompression pipe 11 is used for sucking air from the space S1 in the cooking vessel 40 to reduce the pressure, and the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 is used for introducing air into the space S1 in the cooking vessel 40 and restoring the pressure. . More specifically, as indicated by the dashed arrow in FIG. 2 , the air in the cooking vessel 40 is sucked into the decompression pump 14 after passing through the inner cylindrical hole 20B and the air passage 11D of the decompression pipe 11 in order. be done. Further, as indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. 3, the air passing through the ventilation path 12D of the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 and the inner cylindrical hole 21B in order is introduced into the space S1 inside the cooking vessel 40. As shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 , the in-vessel temperature sensor 13 is bent in an L-shape, and penetrates the packing 10 in the radial direction to be inserted into the space S<b>1 in the cooking vessel 40 . The in-bath temperature sensor 13 is used to directly measure the temperature of the food material 100 and the cooking liquid 101 . As indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 5 , the in-vessel temperature sensor 13 is movable forward and backward with respect to the center of the cooking vessel 40 . By rotating the in-bath temperature sensor 13 inserted into the packing 10, as shown in FIG. is also possible.

The heating unit 60 is for heating the cooking vessel 40, and is arranged below the mounting surface 40A on which the cooking vessel 40 is mounted. Specifically, the heating unit 60 is a coil for heating the cooking vessel 40 by an electromagnetic induction heating method, and the supply of current to the heating unit 60 is controlled by the control unit 70 .

The tank external temperature sensor 61 is a sensor used for heating control of the cooking tank 40, and is arranged below the mounting surface 40A. The outside temperature sensor 61 is, for example, a thermistor or the like, measures the temperature near the bottom of the cooking vessel 40 , and transmits the measurement result to the control section 70 . Then, the current supply to the heating unit 60 is controlled by the control unit 70 so that the temperature measured by the external temperature sensor 61 approaches a predetermined set temperature.

The control unit 70 is a controller that controls various operations in the cooking device 2 (heating of the cooking vessel 40, pressure reduction in the cooking vessel 40, pressure recovery in the cooking vessel 40, etc.). Specifically, the control unit 70 controls the current supply to the heating unit 60, controls the ON/OFF of the operation of the pressure reducing pump 14, and controls the pressure reducing valve 11C ( The switching valve described in the first embodiment above) and the opening and closing of the air introduction valve 12C (the switching valve described in the first embodiment above) provided in the air introduction pipe 12 are controlled.

Next, an example of how to use the cooker 2 will be described.

First, cooking of the foodstuff 100 by heating mode is demonstrated. In the heating mode, first, the current supply to the heating unit 60 is started, and the decompression valve 11C is opened while the atmosphere introduction valve 12C is closed, and the decompression pump 14 is turned on. As a result, the temperature of the cooking vessel 40 rises toward a predetermined set temperature (for example, 60° C.), and the air inside the cooking vessel 40 is sucked through the decompression pipe 11. is depressurized. Then, when the pressure in the cooking vessel 40 reaches a predetermined pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, specifically, the saturated steam pressure at the set temperature or less, the pressure reducing valve 11C is closed and the operation of the pressure reducing pump 14 is turned off. .

After the temperature of the cooking vessel 40 reaches the set temperature, the current supply to the heating unit 60 is controlled to maintain the temperature of the cooking vessel 40 at the set temperature, and the pressure in the cooking vessel 40 is reduced to the saturated steam. The food material 100 is heated and cooked for a predetermined time while the pressure is maintained. By reducing the pressure in the cooking vessel 40 in this manner, the cooking liquid 101 boils and convection occurs in the cooking vessel 40 even during low-temperature cooking at less than 100° C., thereby shortening the cooking time.

Next, cooking of the food material 100 in the impregnation mode will be described. In the impregnation mode, first, the heating temperature of the food material 100, the time for depressurizing the inside of the cooking tank 40, the time for releasing the inside of the cooking tank 40 to the atmosphere, and the number of repetitions of depressurization and opening to the atmosphere are set. Then, by repeating depressurization and opening to the atmosphere in the cooking tank 40 based on the above set conditions, the seasoning liquid or the like is quickly permeated into the inside of the foodstuff 100 . During pressure reduction, the pressure reduction valve 11C is opened while the pressure reduction valve 12C is closed, and the pressure reduction pump 14 is turned on. In addition, it is not limited to the case where the pressure reduction and the pressure recovery are repeated while the food material 100 is heated, and the pressure reduction and the pressure recovery may be repeated under normal temperature.

As described above, the decompression pipe 11 and the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 can be connected to the connection ports (the decompression connection port 20 and the atmosphere introduction connection port 21) formed in the packing 10, respectively. It is no longer necessary to connect to the lid 50 of the cooker 2. Therefore, unlike the case where the decompression pipe 11 and the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 are connected to the lid 50, the lid 50 can be handled independently of these pipes. As a result, handling of the lid 50 is facilitated when the lid 50 is removed and attached when the food material 100 is put in and taken out, and the pipe and its connector do not interfere with the cleaning of the lid 50. It is possible to improve the handling of the. In addition, since a connector for pipe connection is not required, it is possible to reduce the number of failure factors of the cooker 2 and reduce the cost.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a cooking environment forming apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. The cooking environment forming device according to Embodiment 3 basically has the same configuration and effects as the cooking environment forming device 1 according to Embodiment 1, but further comprises a packing reinforcing member. It is different from the first embodiment in one point. Only points different from the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 2 of Embodiment 1) when the packing 10 is cut in the thickness direction at the portion where the pressure reducing connection port 20 is formed. As shown in FIG. 7 , the cooking environment forming apparatus according to the third embodiment includes a packing reinforcing member 80 arranged inside the pressure reducing connection port 20 of the packing 10 . The packing reinforcing member 80 is made of a material harder than the packing 10, and is a molded product made of silicone resin harder than the packing 10, for example.

More specifically, the packing reinforcing member 80 in this embodiment has a bottomed cylindrical shape that is inserted into the outer cylindrical hole 20A of the pressure reducing connection port 20, and opens toward the outer peripheral surface 10A of the packing 10. , a bottom hole 80A is formed in the center of the bottom portion 80B. The bottom hole 80A penetrates the bottom portion 80B and overlaps the inner cylindrical hole 20B of the packing 10. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the decompression pipe 11 is inserted into the packing reinforcing member 80 from the radially outer side toward the inner side, and the tip end (tip end face) abuts the bottom 80B.

An inner peripheral surface 81 of the packing reinforcing member 80 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 82 that protrude radially inward. The projecting portion 82 is annularly formed along the inner peripheral surface 81 so as to surround the pressure reducing pipe 11 . In the present embodiment, a plurality of protrusions 82 (two in FIG. 7) are provided at intervals in the radial direction of the packing 10 (the insertion direction of the decompression pipe 11), but only one protrusion is provided. good too.

The inner diameter of the projecting portion 82 is designed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the decompression pipe 11 . As a result, when the decompression pipe 11 is inserted into the packing reinforcing member 80, the distal end of the decompression pipe 11 can be inserted into the decompression pipe 11 with a gap left between the outer surface of the decompression pipe 11 and the inner peripheral surface 81. It contacts the outer surface and becomes crushed (compressed) radially outward. As a result, the degree of airtightness at the connecting portion of the decompression pipe 11 is ensured.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the reduction in strength of the packing 10 due to the formation of the pressure reducing connection port 20 can be compensated for by inserting the hard packing reinforcing member 80 into the pressure reducing connection port 20 . As a result, variations in the strength of the packing 10 in the entire circumferential direction can be suppressed, and deterioration of the sealing function can be suppressed. Note that the packing reinforcing member 80 may be arranged not only in the pressure reduction connection port 20 but also in the air introduction connection port 21 , or may be arranged only in the air introduction connection port 21 .

8 and 9 respectively show the configurations of packing reinforcing members 83 and 88 according to modifications of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the packing reinforcing member 83 according to the first modification includes a reinforcing portion 85 inserted into the pressure reducing connection port 20 and inserted into the pressure reducing pipe 11 (the pressure reducing pipe 11 is fitted on the outside). ) and a flange portion 86 against which the tip portion (tip surface) of the decompression pipe 11 abuts. A through hole 83A is formed in the packing reinforcing member 83 along the entire length thereof, and air can flow through the through hole 83A.

The reinforcing portion 85 is a columnar portion that is inserted into the pressure reducing connection port 20, and has a plurality of projecting portions 85A on its outer peripheral surface. The projecting portion 85A is annularly formed along the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing portion 85 and is in contact with the inner surface of the connection port 20 for pressure reduction. A plurality of projecting portions 85A (two in FIG. 8) are provided at intervals in the length direction of the reinforcing portion 85, but only one projecting portion 85A may be provided.

The pipe connecting portion 87 is a columnar portion similar to the reinforcing portion 85, and is provided with a plurality of projecting portions 87A on its outer peripheral surface. The projecting portion 87A is annularly formed along the outer peripheral surface of the pipe connecting portion 87 and is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the decompression pipe 11 . A plurality of projections 87A (two in FIG. 8) are provided at intervals in the length direction of the pipe connection portion 87, but only one may be provided.

The flange portion 86 is a disc-shaped portion located radially outside the pressure reducing connection port 20 and connecting the base end portion of the reinforcing portion 85 and the base end portion of the pipe connection portion 87. 20 radially expanding shape. The outer diameter of the flange portion 86 is larger than the outer diameters of the reinforcement portion 85 and the pipe connection portion 87 . As shown in FIG. 8, one flange surface 86A of the flange portion 86 (a flange surface facing radially inward of the packing 10) abuts the outer peripheral surface 10A of the packing 10, and the other flange surface 86B (a radial direction of the packing 10). The front end surface of the decompression pipe 11 abuts against the flange surface facing outward.

In this way, the packing reinforcing member 83 is a member that compensates for the decrease in strength of the packing 10 and also functions as a joint (connector) member that connects the packing 10 and the decompression pipe 11 . According to the first modified example, it is not necessary to make the pressure reducing connection port 20 into a hole with a bottom, so the molding of the packing 10 becomes easier. Note that the packing reinforcing member 83 according to the first modification may be arranged not only in the pressure reduction connection port 20 but also in the air introduction connection port 21 , or may be arranged only in the air introduction connection port 21 . may be

FIG. 9 shows the configuration of a packing reinforcing member 88 according to a second modified example. As shown in FIG. 9, a packing reinforcing member 88 according to the second modified example has basically the same configuration as the packing reinforcing member 83 (FIG. 8) according to the first modified example. No projection is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the packing 10 , and the outer peripheral surface is in close contact with the inner surface of the pressure reducing connection port 20 of the packing 10 . In this configuration, it is desirable to integrally mold the packing 10 and the reinforcing member 88 . The packing reinforcing member 88 according to the second modification may also be arranged not only in the pressure reducing connection port 20 but also in the air introduction connection port 21 , or may be arranged only in the air introduction connection port 21 . may

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a cooking environment forming apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The cooking environment forming apparatus according to Embodiment 4 basically has the same configuration as the cooking environment forming apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1, and has the same effects. It is different from the first embodiment in that it further includes 90 . Only points different from the first embodiment will be described below.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view (corresponding to FIG. 4 of Embodiment 1) when the packing 10 is cut in the thickness direction at the portion where the sensor insertion port 22 is formed. 13 has been pulled out from the sensor insertion port 22 . As shown in FIG. 10, the cooking environment forming apparatus according to this embodiment includes a plug member 90 that plugs the sensor insertion opening 22. As shown in FIG. The plug member 90 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the projecting portion 23 and is inserted into the sensor insertion port 22 . The projecting portion 23 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the plug member 90 in a state of being crushed (compressed) radially outward, thereby ensuring a tight seal. Note that the outer diameter of the plug member 90 may be the same as the inner diameter of the projecting portion 23 .

Although not shown, the plug member 90 may be provided with a flange portion extending in the radial direction of the sensor insertion port 22 so as to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 10A of the packing 10 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the plug member 90 from entering the cooking vessel 40 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cooking vessel 40 while the inside of the cooking vessel 40 is decompressed.

According to the cooking environment forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, even when the temperature of the food material 100 or the cooking liquid 101 does not need to be directly measured, even when the temperature sensor 13 for inside the tank is pulled out from the sensor insertion port 22, The airtightness within 40 can be ensured. Specifically, since there is a difference between the temperature of the food material 100 and the cooking liquid 101 and the temperature of the cooking vessel 40, the temperatures of the food material 100 and the cooking liquid 101 are first directly measured using the temperature sensor 13 for inside the vessel. sometimes. After the difference between the two temperatures is clarified, the food 100 may be cooked at the target heating temperature by heating control using only the external temperature sensor 61 without using the internal temperature sensor 13 . In such a case, by removing the in-bath temperature sensor 13 from the sensor insertion port 22 and inserting the plug member 90 instead, the in-bath temperature sensor 13 does not interfere with cooking.

It should be understood that each of the embodiments disclosed above is illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the claims rather than the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the scope of the claims. Therefore, the following modifications are included in the scope of the present invention.

In the packings of Embodiments 1, 3, and 4, one or both of the plurality of projecting portions 19, 23, 31, 82, 85A, and 87A may be omitted.

In the packings of Embodiments 1, 3, and 4, the pressure reduction connection port 20 and the air introduction connection port 21 are not limited to bottomed holes, and one or both of the bottoms 18 and 32 are omitted. may

In the packings of Embodiments 1 and 3, the sensor insertion port 22 may be omitted. Further, in the packings of the first, third, and fourth embodiments, either one of the connection port 20 for pressure reduction and the connection port 21 for air introduction may be omitted.

In the packings of Embodiments 1, 3, and 4, one or both of the upper contact portion 16 and the lower contact portion 17 may be omitted.

In the packings of Embodiments 1, 3, and 4 above, the connection port 20 for pressure reduction and the connection port 21 for introduction of air may be formed at positions shifted by an angle exceeding 90° in the circumferential direction of the packing 10 .

In the first embodiment, the decompression pipe 11 and the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 are connected to the decompression connection port 20 and the atmosphere introduction connection port 21 and integrated with the packing 10 . And the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 may be separated from the packing 10 .

In the second embodiment, the cooking device 2 adopting the electromagnetic induction heating method has been described, but the heating method of the cooking vessel 40 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a gas stove method.

In the second embodiment, the cooking device 2 includes the heating unit 60 that is an electromagnetic induction heating coil, and the heating unit 60 heats the cooking vessel 40 for cooking. You may cook without heating. In addition, the cooker of the present invention is not limited to one having both functions of heating and depressurizing the cooking tank (a decompression heating cooker), and is a decompression cooker in which the heating unit 60 is omitted. good too. In this case, only the impregnation mode by repeating depressurization and opening to the atmosphere in the cooking vessel 40 at room temperature can be performed. Furthermore, the vacuum cooker is placed on a separately prepared various heater (for example, a gas stove, an IH heater, etc., which is not a component of the vacuum cooker), and the vacuum cooker and the heater are By using in combination, it is possible to perform not only impregnation cooking at normal temperature but also cooking with heat.

In the second embodiment, the case where the food 100 is directly placed in the cooking vessel 40 has been described, but a container such as a tray may be placed in the cooking vessel 40 and the food 100 may be placed in the container. .

In the third embodiment, the packing reinforcing member is provided inside the decompression connecting port 20 and the air introducing connecting port 21 , but the packing reinforcing member may be provided inside the sensor insertion port 22 .

In the second embodiment, the heating control of the cooking vessel 40 is performed based on the temperature detected by the external temperature sensor 61. However, the heating control is performed based on the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 13. may be performed. Alternatively, the cooking device may be a cooking device without the external temperature sensor 61 or a cooking device without the internal temperature sensor 13 .

In the third embodiment, the packing reinforcing member is used to improve the uniformity of the strength of the packing as a whole, but other means can be employed. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the connection port 20 for pressure reduction, the connection port 21 for air introduction, and the sensor insertion port 22 are formed in portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and the portion located on the opposite side in the radial direction to these is formed. The strength may be balanced by reducing the thickness of . Further, the thickness of the packing 10 may be increased at the portion where the connection port 20 for pressure reduction, the connection port 21 for air introduction and the sensor insertion port 22 are formed.

In the above embodiments 1, 2, and 3, the decompression pipe 11 and the atmosphere introduction pipe 12 are used as ventilation pipes for circulating air, but the ventilation pipes may be those for circulating steam. That is, the ventilation pipe may be connected to a steam source (not shown) and steam may be supplied from the steam source through the ventilation pipe into the cooking vessel. As a result, it is possible to heat and cook the food while moistening the inside of the cooking tank.

Also, only one connection port may be formed in the packing 10 and only one ventilation pipe may be connected to the packing 10 . In this case, one vent pipe may be branched into two on the way, one branch pipe being used for pressure reduction, and the other branch pipe being used for introducing the atmosphere. For example, a switching mechanism such as a valve may be provided at the branching portion of the ventilation pipe so as to switch between depressurization and atmospheric introduction. Also, a switching mechanism provided at a branching portion of the ventilation pipe may switch between the circulation of air (depressurization or introduction of atmospheric air) and the supply of steam.

1 cooking environment forming device 2 cooker 10 packing 11 decompression pipe (ventilation pipe)
12 atmosphere introduction pipe (ventilation pipe)
13 temperature sensor for tank (temperature sensor)
15 packing body 16 upper contact portion (contact portion)
17 lower adhesion part (adhesion part)
19, 31 protrusion 20 decompression connection port (connection port)
21 Atmospheric inlet connection port (connection port)
22 Sensor insertion port 40 Cooking tank 43 Opening edge (seal portion)
50 Lid 52 Lower surface (seal portion)
80, 83, 88 packing reinforcing member 85, 89 reinforcing portion 86 flange portion 90 plug member S1 space

Claims (10)

an annular packing for sealing the space in the cooking vessel;
a ventilation pipe for circulating air or steam,
The packing is fixed to the cooking vessel or the lid of the cooker, or is arranged between the cooking vessel and the lid, and includes a cooking vessel side contact portion that contacts the cooking vessel and a lid that contacts the lid. and a connection portion extending in the circumferential direction of the packing and connecting the cooking vessel side contact portion and the lid side contact portion,
The connection portion is formed with a connection port for connecting the ventilation pipe, which does not penetrate neither the cooking vessel nor the lid, to the packing,
The cooking environment forming device, wherein the connecting port extends so as not to penetrate through either the cooking vessel side contact portion or the lid side contact portion . 2. The cooking environment forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said packing has a sensor insertion opening into which a temperature sensor is inserted. The packing is
including a packing body including the connection portion in which the connection port is formed;
2. The cooking vessel side contact portion and the lid side contact portion are portions connected to the packing body and movable about the connection portion, and are contact portions capable of contacting a sealing portion of the cooker. 3. The cooking environment forming device according to 2 . The connection port has an outer cylindrical hole that opens to the outer peripheral surface of the connecting portion, and an inner cylindrical hole that opens to the inner peripheral surface of the connecting portion and communicates with the outer cylindrical hole,
4. The ventilation pipe according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ventilation pipe extends radially outward of the packing from the outer cylindrical hole in a state in which the packing is arranged between the cooking vessel and the lid. 2. The cooking environment forming device according to 1. The connection port is configured by a hole into which the ventilation pipe is inserted,
The cooking environment forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the inner surface of the hole is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes radially inward of the hole. The cooking environment forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising a packing reinforcing member made of a material harder than the packing and at least a portion of which is arranged in the connection port. 7. The connection port according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein said connection port is a hole into which said ventilation pipe is inserted, and is constituted by a bottomed hole defined by a bottom against which the tip of said ventilation pipe abuts. A cooking environment forming device as described. 3. The cooking environment forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a plug member that closes said sensor insertion opening. a cooking vessel;
a lid for opening and closing the cooking vessel;
A cooking environment forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
The cooking appliance , wherein the packing of the cooking environment forming device seals a space within the cooking vessel. a cooking vessel;
a lid for opening and closing the cooking vessel;
A cooking environment forming device comprising an annular packing for sealing the space in the cooking vessel and a ventilation pipe for circulating air or steam,
The packing of the cooking environment forming apparatus includes: a cooking tank side contact portion that contacts the cooking tank; a lid side contact portion that contacts the lid; and a connection portion that connects the lid-side tight contact portion, and is fixed to the cooking vessel or the lid, or arranged between the cooking vessel and the lid ,
The connection portion is formed with a connection port for connecting the ventilation pipe, which does not penetrate neither the cooking vessel nor the lid, to the packing,
The cooking appliance, wherein the connection port extends so as not to penetrate through either the cooking vessel side contact portion or the lid side contact portion .

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