Cooking utensil with holding structure

Abstract

A cooking utensil with a retaining structure, the cooking utensil comprising a pot base, an inner pot placed on the pot base and a pot cover hingedly connected to the rear end of the pot base in a flip manner, the inner pot having a rigid pot rim protruding outward, the pot cover comprising an outer cover and a rigid member installed under the outer cover, the pot cover being used to cover the pot mouth of the inner pot based on a lid closing action; the characteristic is that a locking mechanism is arranged on the outer cover, the locking mechanism comprises at least one pair of support frames slidably arranged on the outer cover, the support frames are provided with at least one rigid clamp with a clamping mouth, the rigid clamp is used to clamp the rigid member and the rigid pot rim of the inner pot; and the cooking utensil also comprises an intermediate transition arm body movably arranged on the outer cover, when the intermediate transition arm body moves in the forward direction, it can drive the support frame to move toward the outer side of the outer cover so as to allow the rigid clamp to separate from the rigid member and the rigid pot rim of the inner pot to achieve unlocking, and when moving in the reverse direction, it allows the support frame to move toward the center direction of the outer cover so as to achieve locking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a cooking utensil which can be used for cooking food, and in particular to a cooking utensil with a retaining structure. Background Art

[0002] Pressure cookers are common kitchen cooking appliances in daily life. They use the principle that the boiling point of liquid increases with the increase of air pressure to create a high-pressure cooking environment in the food cooking chamber of the pressure cooker, thereby achieving the effect of accelerating the cooking speed of food. The air pressure in the food cooking chamber is very high, often up to 4KPa or more. If the lid of the pressure cooker is accidentally opened under the high-pressure expansion force, it will inevitably cause serious harm to the user. In order to avoid accidents, the traditional solution is to set a plurality of spaced upper rotating pot teeth on the outer edge of the pot of the pot cover, and set lower rotating pot teeth matching the upper rotating pot teeth on the top of the pot base, and the pot cover is tightly locked to the pot base through the rotational connection between the upper rotating pot teeth and the lower rotating pot teeth. However, such a structure limits the pot cover and the pot base to be installed in a rotating manner, and the pot cover and the pot base must also be a separate structure. In this way, whether the pot cover is installed on the pot base or removed from the pot base, it must be operated with both hands, which is very inconvenient.

[0003] In order to solve the above problems, a clamping cover structure was later proposed. For example, the cooking utensil with safe lid opening disclosed in patent 201820047685.9 includes a pot body and a pot cover, and a flange is provided on the upper end of the pot body. The pot cover is provided with a radially movable connecting rod, and a clamp is provided on the connecting rod, and the clamp is radially movable to cooperate with the flange. In order to facilitate the user to operate the radial movement of the connecting rod 5, a motor 6 is provided on the pot cover 2, and a transmission gear 7 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 6. A rack 504 is provided at the inner end of the connecting rod 5, and the transmission gear 7 is meshed with the rack 504 for transmission. When the motor 6 is working, it drives the connecting rod 5 to move radially along the pot cover 2, so as to realize the locking or unlocking of the clamp 501 and the flange 101. Summary of the invention

[0004] The clamp in patent 201820047685.9 is driven to move by the motor. Since the motor is often not equipped with a self-locking mechanism, if the clamp is accidentally hit, it can reversely drive the clamp to move to the locked position, which will definitely affect the next lid closing operation. In view of this, one of the inventive purposes of the present invention is to further improve the lid locking mechanism of the cooking utensil, so as to achieve not only smooth opening of the lid but also smooth closing of the lid.

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a cooking utensil with a retaining structure, the cooking utensil comprising a pot base, an inner pot placed on the pot base, and a pot cover hingedly connected to the rear end of the pot base in a flip manner, the inner pot having a rigid pot edge protruding outward, the pot cover comprising an outer cover and a rigid member installed under the outer cover, the pot cover being used to cover the pot opening of the inner pot based on a cover closing action; characterized in that a locking mechanism is arranged on the outer cover, the locking mechanism comprising at least a pair of support frames slidably arranged on the outer cover, the support frames being provided with at least one rigid member with a clamping opening The rigid clamp is used to clamp the rigid component and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot; it also includes an intermediate transition arm body that is movably arranged on the outer cover, and when the intermediate transition arm body moves in the positive direction, it can drive the support frame to move toward the outer side of the outer cover so as to allow the rigid clamp to separate from the rigid component and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot to achieve unlocking, and when moving in the reverse direction, the support frame is allowed to move toward the center direction of the outer cover so as to achieve locking; it also includes an unlocking holding mechanism, and the unlocking holding mechanism is used to keep the intermediate transition arm body in the unlocking position after the intermediate transition arm body is moved in the positive direction into place.

[0006] Wherein, the locking mechanism includes at least one pair of support frames slidably arranged on the outer cover, and at least one rigid clamp with a clamp is arranged on the support frame. The above characteristics define that the locking mechanism may include two or three, four or even more support frames. And each of the support frames may be provided with one or two, three or even more rigid clamps. The rigid clamp may be configured with one clamp or multiple clamps. The rigid component and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot may be clamped simultaneously by the same clamp on the same rigid clamp; or the rigid component may be clamped by one clamp on the same rigid clamp, and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot may be clamped by another clamp. There are many clamping schemes for the rigid clamp, which are not described one by one here.

[0007] Wherein, the unlocking and holding mechanism is a component capable of keeping the intermediate transition arm body in an unlocked position, and under the holding action of the unlocking and holding mechanism, the intermediate transition arm body cannot move.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the beneficial technical effect of the present invention is that, since the unlocking and holding mechanism is used to keep the intermediate transition arm body in the unlocked position after the intermediate transition arm body is moved forward to the position, the intermediate transition arm body can be kept in the unlocked position under the action of the unlocking and holding mechanism, so that the rigid clamp is separated from the rigid component and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot and kept in the unlocked position. In this way, even if the rigid clamp is subjected to external force, it is not easy to move toward the center direction of the outer cover and mistakenly switch to the locked position to affect the next closing operation of the pot cover. In this way, not only can the lid be opened smoothly, but also the lid can be closed smoothly.

[0009] As for the unlocking retainer, the following technical solution can be further adopted, wherein the unlocking retainer includes a movable positioning column movably arranged on the intermediate transition arm body, a retaining spring arranged between the intermediate transition arm body and the movable positioning column and capable of driving the movable positioning column to move downward, a receiving hole arranged on the outer cover for receiving one end of the movable positioning column, and a protrusion arranged on the pot base facing the receiving hole; when the pot lid is closed, the protrusion can be inserted into the receiving hole to push the movable positioning column out of the receiving hole, at which time the intermediate transition arm body loses its retaining force and moves in the reverse direction and takes the movable positioning column away from the receiving hole, and when the intermediate transition arm body moves forward to complete the unlocking, the pot lid begins to flip up, and the movable positioning column not only moves to the top of the receiving hole but also is reinserted into the receiving hole under the drive of the retaining spring to keep the intermediate transition arm body in the unlocking position.

[0010] A further technical solution may also include a button, which is used to provide a positive moving torque for the intermediate transition arm body and drive the intermediate transition arm body to move forward and then drive a pair of support frames to move away from each other relative to each other.

[0011] In order to drive the support frame to move toward the center direction of the outer cover and keep the rigid clamp on the support frame in a clamping state, the following technical solution can be further adopted, which also includes a locking driver, the locking driver is used to drive the support frame to move toward the center direction of the outer cover, and the locking driver is a tension spring with a reset driving force. According to the above technical solution, the tension spring can make the rigid clamp on the support frame move toward the center direction of the outer cover and keep it in a clamping state, but the tension spring cannot prevent the intermediate transition arm from moving forward to drive the support frame to move toward the outer side of the outer cover. In addition, the tension spring allows a pair of the support frames to form a flexible connection relationship, which is conducive to allowing the rigid clamp to flexibly adjust the clamping position and adapt to clamp the rigid member and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot, avoiding the rigid clamp being unable to clamp the rigid member and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot due to assembly errors or manufacturing errors, thereby increasing safety hazards. Therefore, the above solution can improve the operational stability and use safety of the cooking utensil and reduce malfunctions of the equipment operation.

[0012] The installation structure of the tension spring can further select one of the following implementations:

[0013] The first implementation method of the installation structure of the tension spring: the two ends of the tension spring are respectively connected to a pair of support frames arranged on the left and right, the intermediate transition arm body directly presses against the pair of support frames arranged on the left and right or presses against the pair of support frames arranged on the left and right through a pair of swing arms. When the intermediate transition arm body has a positive moving torque and moves forward, it can drive the pair of support frames to move away from each other, that is, move toward the outer side of the outer cover and drive the return spring to open and store energy. Conversely, when the intermediate transition arm body loses the positive moving torque, the tension spring can drive the pair of support frames to move closer to each other, that is, move toward the center of the outer cover, and the power of the pair of support frames moving closer to each other can reversely drive the intermediate transition arm body to move in the opposite direction.

[0014] The second implementation method of the installation structure of the tension spring: one end of the tension spring is connected to the outer cover and the other end is connected to the intermediate transition arm body, the intermediate transition arm body is movably connected to the support frame or is movably connected to the support frame through a swing arm, when the intermediate transition arm body has a positive moving torque and moves forward, it can drive the support frame to move toward the outer side of the outer cover and drive the tension spring to open and store energy, conversely, when the intermediate transition arm body loses the positive moving torque, the tension spring can drive a pair of the support frames to move toward the center direction of the outer cover, and can also drive the intermediate transition arm body to move in the opposite direction.

[0015] If the pot cover is opened rashly when the cooking environment in the inner pot is in a high pressure state or a high temperature state, the food in the pot will be ejected and scald the user, or even the pot cover will be blown out and hit the user under the high pressure, which is very dangerous, so it is necessary to limit the opening conditions of the pot cover. In view of this, a further technical solution can also be that the pot cover is also provided with a self-locking mechanism that can respond to the air pressure or temperature in the inner pot, the self-locking mechanism includes a self-locking column, and the intermediate transition arm body or the support frame is provided with a self-locking hole that can receive the self-locking column, and the self-locking column is used to insert the self-locking hole when the air pressure or temperature in the pot of the inner pot is higher than the threshold value, so that the intermediate transition arm body or the support frame cannot move on the outer cover to achieve self-locking. The above technical solution can be used to achieve that when the air pressure or temperature in the pot of the inner pot is higher than the threshold value, the movement of the intermediate transition arm body or the support frame is limited by the self-locking column, and the pot cover cannot be opened at this time. The pot cover can be opened only when the gas pressure or temperature in the inner pot is lower than a threshold value and the self-locking column is separated from the self-locking hole to release the movement of the intermediate transition arm or the support frame, thereby effectively improving the safety performance of the cooking utensil.

[0016] A further technical solution may be that the rigid component forms an inner cover of the pot cover, or an inner cover is installed under the rigid component, and the inner cover is used to cover the pot mouth of the inner pot based on a lid closing action.

[0017] A further technical solution may be that a clamping edge of the rigid clamp is tightly attached to the outer edge of the rigid component and moves left and right along with the support frame on the outer edge of the rigid component.

[0018] A further technical solution may be that a threaded column is provided on the outer cover, the column passes through the support frame above the outer cover, a pressure screw is screwed on the top of the column, a spring sleeve is also sleeved on the column, a pressure spring is provided between the spring sleeve and the screw head of the pressure screw, the spring sleeve presses on the support frame so that one edge of the clamp of the rigid clamp is kept close to the outer edge of the rigid component. According to the above technical solution, the pressure spring is limited and compressed between the spring sleeve and the screw head of the pressure screw and presses the spring sleeve downward so that one edge of the clamp of the rigid clamp is kept close to the outer edge of the rigid component, and a soft connection can be formed between the support frame and the outer cover. When the high-pressure expansion causes the inner cover to float up during the cooking pressurization process, the inner cover can drive the support frame to float up against the elastic pressure of the pressure spring through the rigid clamp, and the high-pressure expansion force will not act on the outer cover, thereby avoiding serious deformation of the outer cover.

[0019] Since the present invention has the above characteristics and advantages, it can be applied to cooking utensils, and in particular to a cooking utensil with a retaining structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a top view of a cooking utensil with a double safety locking structure using the technical solution of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the AA direction;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the BB direction;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the CC direction;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the outer cover 21;

[0025] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the pot cover 2, in which the decorative surface cover 23 is omitted;

[0026] Figure 7 It is the second installation structure of the tension spring;

[0027] Figure 8 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a rigid clamp 4' having a clamping opening, wherein the dotted lines respectively represent the rigid member 22, the rigid pot edge 110 and the outer flange 1a on the pot base 1 which are clamped on the rigid clamp 4' at the same time;

[0028] Fig. 9 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a rigid clamp 4' having two clamping openings, wherein the dotted line portion represents a rigid member 22, a rigid pot edge 110 and an outer flange 1a on a pot base 1 respectively clamped on the two clamping openings of the rigid clamp 4';

[0029] Fig.10 It is a flow chart for controlling the cooking appliance to start heating or pressurizing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] As shown in the figure, the present invention proposes a cooking utensil with a double safety locking structure, the cooking utensil comprises a pot base 1, an inner pot 11 placed on the pot base 1, and a pot cover 2 which is hingedly connected to the rear end of the pot base 1 in a flippable manner, the pot cover 2 being used to cover the pot mouth of the inner pot 11 based on a cover closing action. The inner pot 11 has a rigid pot edge 110 protruding outward, the pot cover 2 comprises an outer cover 21, a decorative surface cover 23 arranged on the outer cover 21, and a rigid member 22 installed under the outer cover 21, the rigid member 22 being used to bear or share the air pressure in the inner pot 11. In this embodiment, the rigid member 22 forms the inner cover of the pot cover 2, and of course, in other embodiments, an inner cover can also be installed under the rigid member 22. The inner cover is used to cover the pot mouth of the inner pot 11 based on a cover closing action. It also includes a locking mechanism, which is used to complete a double locking mechanism. The double locking mechanism includes not only locking the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110, but also locking one of the outer cover 21, the rigid component 22 or the rigid pot edge 110 with the pot base 1 when the pot base 1 and the pot lid 2 are closed. The locking mechanism is used to automatically complete the double locking mechanism in response to a cover closing instruction action of the pot lid 2 that allows flipping and closing the lid, thereby realizing a flip-closed lid. The locking mechanism is also used to automatically release the double locking mechanism in response to an allowed cover opening instruction, thereby realizing one-button cover opening. It also includes an unlocking device, which is used to transmit the cover opening instruction and drive the locking mechanism to release the double locking mechanism. A allowed cover opening instruction is a command or behavior action that expresses the need to open the lid. Among them, automatically releasing the double lock mechanism of the pot lid to achieve one-click opening of the lid refers to automatically releasing the locking relationship in the double lock mechanism that restricts the opening of the pot lid, including the following locking relationships: a first locking relationship, releasing the lock between the rigid component and the rigid pot edge; a second locking relationship, releasing the lock between the outer cover or one of the rigid components and the pot base. As for the first locking relationship and the second locking relationship, they can be released at the same time, or they can be released in chronological order. The "one button" in the one-click opening of the lid refers to a lid opening instruction, an opening action that expresses an opening instruction, or a button that executes an opening instruction. The one-click opening of the lid means that the double lock mechanism is released after responding to a lid opening instruction.

[0031] The structure of the cooking utensil with double safety locking structure applying the technical solution of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the locking mechanism comprises a first locking mechanism 100, and the first locking mechanism 100 comprises a pair of left and right support frames (3, 3a) slidably arranged on the outer cover 21, and the support frames (3, 3a) can not only move relatively close to each other in response to the cover closing action, i.e., move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21, but also move relatively away from each other in response to the cover opening instruction transmitted by the unlocking device 200, i.e., move toward the outer side direction of the outer cover 21. Two rigid clamps 4 (rigid clamp 4a and rigid clamp 4b, rigid clamp 4c and rigid clamp 4d, respectively) are arranged on the support frames (3, 3a). Of course, in other embodiments, three, four or even more support frames may be arranged, and it is also feasible to arrange one, three or even more rigid clamps on each support frame), and the rigid clamp 4 has an upper clamp edge 41 and a lower clamp edge 42 arranged in an upper and lower manner, and a clamp connection wall 43 connected between the upper clamp edge 41 and the lower clamp edge 42. A clamping opening 40 is formed between the upper clamping opening edge 41, the lower clamping opening edge 42 and the connecting wall 43 (of course, in other embodiments, each rigid clamp 4 may also be provided with two, three or more clamping openings). The rigid clamp 4 is used to clamp the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 through the clamping opening 40 when the support frame (3, 3a) moves it toward the center direction of the outer cover 21, and the rigid clamp 4 is also used to release the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 when the support frame (3, 3a) moves it toward the outer side of the outer cover 21. Of course, when the rigid clamp 4 moves toward the outer side of the outer cover 21, the rigid clamp 4 can also release the rigid component 22. In order to be able to drive the support frame (3, 3a) to move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 and keep the rigid clamp 4 on the support frame (3, 3a) in a clamping state, the locking mechanism also includes a locking driver, which is a tension spring 6 with a reset driving force, and the two ends of the tension spring 6 are respectively connected to a pair of left and right support frames (3, 3a). The tension spring 6 is used to drive the support frame (3, 3a) to move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 in response to the cover closing action.

[0033] The unlocking device 200 comprises an intermediate transition arm 5 movably arranged on the outer cover 21, and the intermediate transition arm 5 is associated with the support frame (3, 3a). Specifically, the intermediate transition arm 5 indirectly abuts against the pair of support frames (3, 3a) through a pair of swing arms (51, 52). Of course, in other embodiments, the intermediate transition arm 5 can also directly abut against the pair of support frames (3, 3a). When the intermediate transition arm 5 has a positive moving torque in response to the cover opening instruction and moves forward, it can drive the support frames (3, 3a) to move relatively away from each other, that is, move toward the outer side of the outer cover 21, and also drive the tension spring 6 to open and store energy. When the intermediate transition arm 5 loses the positive moving torque in response to the cover closing action, the tension spring 6 can drive the pair of support frames (3, 3a) to move relatively close to each other, that is, move toward the center of the outer cover 21, and the power of the pair of support frames (3, 3a) to move relatively close to each other can reversely drive the intermediate transition arm 5 to move in the opposite direction.

[0034] Furthermore, second magnets (not shown in the figure) that can attract each other are respectively arranged on the outer cover 21 and the intermediate transition arm 5. When the intermediate transition arm 5 loses the forward moving torque in response to the cover closing action, the intermediate transition arm 5 will be subjected to a dual driving force that can drive it to move in the reverse direction. One driving force comes from the magnetic attraction driving force of the second magnet, and the other driving force comes from the direct or indirect driving force of the tension spring 6. The second magnet and the tension spring 6 cooperate to drive the intermediate transition arm 5 to move in the reverse direction.

[0035] In addition, in other embodiments, the tension spring may also adopt another installation structure, such as Figure 7As shown, one end of the tension spring 6' is connected to the outer cover 21' and the other end is connected to the intermediate transition arm 5', and the intermediate transition arm 5' is movably connected to the support frame (3', 3a'). There are various movable connection structures between the intermediate transition arm 5' and the support frame (3', 3a'), for example, the support frame (3', 3a') is respectively provided with a slide groove (30', 30a') inclined thereto, and the intermediate transition arm 5' is respectively provided with a lever arm (51', 52') extending into the slide groove (30', 30a'). When the intermediate transition arm body 5' has a positive moving torque and moves forward, it can cooperate with the slide groove (30', 30a') and the lever arm (51', 52') to drive a pair of support frames (3', 3a') to move toward the outer side of the outer cover 21' and drive the tension spring 6' to open and store energy. On the contrary, when the intermediate transition arm body 5' loses the positive moving torque in response to the cover closing action, the tension spring 6' can drive the intermediate transition arm body 5' to move in the opposite direction, and at the same time, the slide groove (30', 30a') and the lever arm (51', 52') cooperate to drive the support frames (3', 3a') to move relatively close, that is, to move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21'. Of course, in other embodiments, the intermediate transition arm body 5' can also be movably connected to the support frame (3', 3a') through a swing arm.

[0036] According to the above technical solution, the tension spring 6 can make the rigid clamp 4 on the support frame (3, 3a) move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 and maintain it in a clamping state, but the tension spring 6 cannot prevent the intermediate transition arm 5 from moving forward to drive the support frame (3, 3a) to move toward the outer side of the outer cover 21. In addition, the tension spring 6 forms a flexible connection between a pair of the support frames (3, 3a), which is conducive to allowing the rigid clamp 4 to flexibly adjust the clamping position to adapt to clamp the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11, avoiding the rigid clamp 4 from being unable to clamp the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 due to assembly errors, manufacturing errors or deformation of the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 during use, thereby increasing safety hazards. Therefore, the above solution can improve the operational stability and use safety of the cooking appliance and reduce malfunctions of the equipment operation.

[0037] In addition to being the tension spring, in other embodiments, the locking driver may also be a pair of first magnets (not shown) that can attract each other, and the pair of first magnets are disposed on a pair of left and right support frames (3, 3a). When the intermediate transition arm 5 has a positive moving torque and moves forward, it can resist the mutual magnetic attraction between the first magnets and drive the pair of support frames (3, 3a) to move toward the outer side of the outer cover 21. On the contrary, when the intermediate transition arm loses the positive moving torque in response to the closing action, the first magnet can drive the support frames (3, 3a) to move relatively close, that is, to move toward the center of the outer cover 21, and can also drive the intermediate transition arm 5 to move in the opposite direction.

[0038] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the connection relationship between the pair of support frames (3, 3a) and the outer cover 21 is the same, and the connection relationship between the support frame 3 and the outer cover 21 is taken as an example for description. Two left and right escape notches (210, 211) are arranged on the left side of the outer cover 21. The rigid clamp 4a is arranged in the escape notch 210, the upper clamp edge 41 of the rigid clamp 4a is arranged above the rigid member 22, and the lower clamp edge 42 is arranged below the rigid member 22. Threaded columns (212, 213) are arranged on the outer cover 21. The columns (212, 213) respectively pass through the support frame 3 above the outer cover 21. Top ends of the columns (212, 213) are respectively screwed with pressure screws (31, 32). Spring sleeves (33, 34) are also respectively sleeved on the columns (212, 213). Pressure springs (35, 36) are respectively arranged between the spring sleeves (33, 34) and the screw heads of the pressure screws (31, 32). The spring sleeves (33, 34) press on the support frame 3 so that the upper clamping edge 41 of the rigid clamp 4a is kept in close contact with the outer edge of the rigid component 22 and moves left and right on the outer edge of the rigid component 22 along with the support frame 3. According to the above technical solution, the pressing spring (35, 36) is limited and compressed between the spring sleeve (33, 34) and the screw head of the pressing screw (31, 32) and presses the spring sleeve (33, 34) downward to keep the upper clamp edge 41 of the rigid clamp 4a close to the upper outer edge of the rigid member 22. In this way, during assembly, the upper outer edge of the rigid member 22 can provide a positioning reference for the assembly positioning of the rigid clamp 4a. Compared with the existing solution of configuring the upper and lower double gaps, the operation of controlling the assembly dimensions of the rigid member 22 and the rigid clamp 4a in the upper and lower directions is reduced, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembly. In addition, it is also beneficial to reduce the amount of consumables of the rigid clamp 4a and reduce costs. Secondly, it can also form a flexible connection between the support frame 3 and the outer cover 21. When the high-pressure expansion force pushes the inner cover to float up during the cooking pressurization process, the rigid component 22 can drive the support frame (3, 3a) to float up against the elastic pressure of the pressure spring (35, 36) through the rigid clamp 4c, thereby buffering the high-pressure expansion force, which is beneficial to reducing the high-pressure expansion force transmitted from the inner cover to the outer cover 21, thereby avoiding serious deformation of the outer cover 21 after being stressed. In addition, the rigid clamp 4b is arranged in the avoidance gap 211, and the upper clamp edge of the rigid clamp 4b is also kept in close contact with the outer edge of the rigid component 22 through the above structure.

[0039] like Figure 4As shown, the locking mechanism further includes a second locking mechanism 100a, and the second locking mechanism 100a includes a pair of upper and lower hooks (8, 8a) that can be hooked to each other, the upper hook 8 is arranged on the outer cover 21, and the lower hook 8a is rotatably arranged on the pot base 1. The pair of upper and lower hooks (8, 8a) can not only be hooked relative to each other in response to the cover closing action, but also can be unhooked from each other in response to the cover opening instruction transmitted by the unlocking device 200. The intermediate transition arm 5 is not only associated with the support frame (3, 3a) but also associated with the upper and lower hooks (8, 8a). The intermediate transition arm 5 is used to respond to the cover opening instruction and has a positive moving torque. When moving forward, it can drive the support frame (3, 3a) to move toward the outer side of the outer cover 21, and can also drive the pair of upper and lower hooks 8a to disengage; the intermediate transition arm 5 is also used to respond to the cover closing action and lose the positive moving torque and move backward to allow the support frame (3, 3a) to move toward the center of the outer cover 21, and can also release the pair of upper and lower hooks (8, 8a) to hook them together. According to the above technical solution, the action of the support frame (3, 3a) and the upper and lower hooks (8, 8a) can be indirectly controlled by controlling the intermediate transition arm 5, so that the clamping state of the rigid clamp 4 on the support frame (3, 3a) and the hooking state of the upper and lower hooks (8, 8a) can be controlled. The intermediate transition arm 5 becomes an intermediate transmission member for transmitting the cover opening instruction to the locking mechanism. In other embodiments, the upper hook 8 can also be arranged on the rigid component 22.

[0040] like Fig.10As shown, the cooking utensil with a double safety locking structure further includes a central controller (not shown in the figure) and a position sensor (not shown in the figure), the position sensor is used to sense the position signal of the locking mechanism (100, 100a) completing the double locking mechanism and feeding back the position signal to the central controller, and the central controller is used to determine whether to start heating or pressurizing according to the position signal. Further, the sensor is used to sense the position signal of whether the support frame (3, 3a) or the rigid clamp 4 moves toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 to reach a predetermined position, and the central controller is used to determine to start heating or pressurizing according to the position signal of the support frame (3, 3a) or the rigid clamp 4 moving toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 to the predetermined position, otherwise, heating or pressurizing is not started. In this way, the central controller can intelligently and effectively control the conditions for starting heating or pressurizing of the cooking utensil, which is beneficial for the cooking utensil to effectively ensure the cooking effect of heating or pressurizing, meet the cooking needs of the user, and also help optimize the safety performance of the cooking utensil. Furthermore, a display is included, through which an analog signal indicating that the double locking mechanism has been executed is displayed. Of course, in other embodiments, it is also possible to control that when the locking mechanism (100, 100a) has not completed the double locking mechanism, pressurization cannot be started but heating can be started, or pressurization can be started but only within a micro-pressure range.

[0041] The intermediate transition arm 5 is often in a storage state and cannot be directly touched and operated. In view of this, the unlocking device 200 further includes a button 7, which is used to respond to the cover opening action instruction to provide a positive moving torque to the intermediate transition arm 5 and drive the intermediate transition arm 5 to move forward. In this way, in response to an allowed cover opening instruction, the double locking mechanism of the pot cover 2 is automatically released by means of the driving force provided by the cover opening instruction, thereby realizing one-key cover opening.

[0042] In the above technical solution, the first locking mechanism 100 locks the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 in response to the lid closing action instruction, and the second locking mechanism 100a locks the outer cover 21 and the pot base 1 in response to the lid closing action instruction. In other embodiments, only one general locking mechanism can be provided, and the structure of the general locking mechanism is similar to that of the first locking mechanism 100, with the main difference being that three, four or more support frames are provided, and the rigid clamps on the support frames can clamp the rigid component 22, the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 and the outer flange 1a of the pot base 1 at the same time. Figure 8As shown, the rigid clamp 4' is provided with a clamping opening 40', and the rigid member 22, the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 and the outer flange 1a of the pot base 1 are clamped in the same clamping opening 40'. Alternatively, the rigid clamp can be used as follows Fig. 9 In the structure shown, for the sake of easy distinction, the rigid clamp shown is marked as 4", and the rigid clamp 4" is provided with two clamps, namely clamp 40a" and clamp 40b", wherein the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 are clamped in the clamp 40a" at the same time, and the outer flange 1a of the pot base 1 is clamped in the clamp 40b". The total locking mechanism responds to a cover closing instruction action of the pot cover that allows the lid to be flipped and closed, and simultaneously completes the double locking mechanism to achieve a flip-closed lid. In response to an allowed cover opening instruction, the double locking mechanism is released at the same time to achieve one-key cover opening. The outer cover 21 is stably covered on the pot base 1 by its connection relationship with the rigid component 22, which is beneficial to improve the ability of the pot cover 2 to resist the pressure in the pot and further improve the safety of the cooking utensil. In this way, the provision of the second locking mechanism 100a can be omitted. Of course, the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 can be locked by one locking mechanism, and the rigid component 22 and the pot base 1 can be locked by another locking mechanism. Alternatively, the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 of the inner pot 11 can be locked by one locking mechanism, and the rigid pot edge 110 and the pot base 1 can be locked by another locking mechanism. The outer cover 21 can stably cover the pot base 1 through the connection relationship between the outer cover 21 and the rigid component 22 and the locking relationship between the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110, and the inner pot 11 can be directly placed on the pot base 1 in a correct posture to ensure the normal use of the cooking utensil.

[0043] If the rigid clamp 4 is restored to the locked position after opening the cover and before closing the cover, it will definitely affect the next closing operation, so it is necessary to keep the rigid clamp 4 in the unlocked position after opening the cover and before closing the cover. Figure 4As shown, the unlocking device 200 also includes an unlocking holding mechanism 300, which is used to keep the intermediate transition arm 5 in the unlocking position after the intermediate transition arm 5 loses the forward moving torque. Specifically, the unlocking retainer includes a movable positioning column 9 movably arranged on the intermediate transition arm 5, a holding spring 91 arranged between the intermediate transition arm 5 and the movable positioning column 9 and capable of driving the movable positioning column 9 to move downward, a receiving hole 214 arranged on the outer cover 21 for receiving one end of the movable positioning column 9, and a protrusion 12 arranged on the pot base 1 facing the receiving hole 214. When the pot cover 2 is closed, the protrusion 12 can be inserted into the receiving hole 214 to push the movable positioning column 9 out of the receiving hole 214. At this time, the intermediate transition arm 5 loses its holding force and moves in the opposite direction and takes the movable positioning column 9 out of the receiving hole 214. When the intermediate transition arm 5 moves forward to complete unlocking, the pot cover 2 begins to flip up, and the movable positioning column 9 not only moves to the top of the receiving hole 214 but also reinserts into the receiving hole 214 under the drive of the retaining spring 91 to keep the intermediate transition arm 5 in the unlocked position. In this way, even if the rigid clamp 4 is subjected to external force, it is not easy to move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 and mistakenly switches to the locked position to affect the next closing operation of the pot cover 2. In this way, not only can the cover be opened smoothly, but also the cover can be closed smoothly. Before the closing instruction action is completed, the double lock mechanism of the pot cover 2 is kept released.

[0044] like Figure 4As shown, if the pot cover 2 is opened rashly when the cooking environment in the pot of the inner pot 11 is in a high pressure state, the food in the pot will be ejected and scald the user, or even the pot cover 2 will fly out under the high pressure and hit the user, which is very dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the opening condition of the pot cover 2. In view of this, the unlocking action between the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 is subject to the gas pressure in the pot of the inner pot 11. When the gas pressure in the pot of the inner pot is higher than the threshold, the unlocking action between the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 is restricted by the self-locking mechanism 400. The self-locking mechanism is arranged on the rigid component 22 of the pot cover 2 and can respond to the gas pressure in the inner pot 11. The self-locking mechanism 400 includes a self-locking column 92, and the intermediate transition arm 5 is provided with a self-locking hole 50 capable of receiving the self-locking column 92. Of course, in other embodiments, the self-locking hole 50 can also be arranged on the support frame (3, 3a). The self-locking column 92 is used to insert into the self-locking hole 50 when the gas pressure in the inner pot 11 is higher than the threshold value, so that the intermediate transition arm 5 cannot move on the outer cover 21 to achieve self-locking and remain in the locked position. According to the above technical solution, when the gas pressure in the inner pot 11 is higher than the threshold value, the movement of the intermediate transition arm 5 is restricted by the self-locking column 92, and the pot cover 2 cannot be opened at this time. Only when the gas pressure in the inner pot 11 is lower than the threshold value, the self-locking column 92 is disengaged from the self-locking hole 50 and the movement of the intermediate transition arm 5 is released before the pot cover 2 can be opened. In this way, the self-locking column 92 limits the unlocking action between the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 in response to the gas pressure in the inner pot, which effectively improves the safety performance of the cooking utensil. In addition, the unlocking action between the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 can also be subject to the temperature inside the inner pot 11. When the temperature of the inner pot is higher than a threshold, the unlocking action between the rigid component 22 and the rigid pot edge 110 is restricted by a self-locking mechanism.

[0045] In order to be able to drive the support frame (3, 3a) to move automatically, in other embodiments, the following driving scheme can also be adopted, wherein the locking mechanism also includes an electric drive arranged on the outer cover 21, the electric drive is connected to the support frame (3, 3a) in a transmission manner, and the electric drive is used to drive the support frame (3, 3a) to move toward the center direction of the outer cover 21 in response to a cover closing instruction action, and can also move toward the outer side direction of the outer cover 21 in response to a cover opening instruction transmitted by the unlocking device 200. According to the technical solution, the support frame (3, 3a) can be automatically controlled by the electric drive.

[0046] According to the above technical solution, it can be found that, compared with the prior art, since the present invention is provided with the double locking mechanism, not only the sealing solution of the inner pot 11 is simplified by locking the rigid component 22 with the rigid pot edge 110, but also the closing solution of the entire cooking utensil is simplified, especially the connection stability and controllability between the outer cover 21 of the pot cover 2 and the pot base 1 during the cooking process are improved. For example, in the solution of locking the outer cover 21 with the pot base 1, the outer cover 21 is directly and stably covered on the pot base 1, which is conducive to well controlling the matching gap between the outer cover 21 and the pot base 1, and the inner pot 11 is placed on the pot base 1 in a correct posture with the help of the top pressure of the outer cover 21, so as to ensure the normal use of the cooking utensil. In addition, in response to a lid closing instruction action that allows the lid to be flipped and closed, the pot lid 2 completes the double locking mechanism to achieve a flip-closed lid. In response to an allowed lid opening instruction, the double locking mechanism of the pot lid 2 is automatically released to achieve one-key lid opening. In this way, the lid opening and closing operations of the pot lid 2 can be completed simply and conveniently, thereby improving the convenient application experience of the cooking appliance.

Claims

1. A cooking utensil with a retaining structure, the cooking utensil comprising a pot base, an inner pot placed on the pot base, and a pot cover hingedly connected to the rear end of the pot base in a flip manner, the inner pot having a rigid pot edge protruding outward, the pot cover comprising an outer cover and a rigid member installed under the outer cover, the pot cover being used to cover the pot opening of the inner pot when the pot is closed; characterized in that: The outer cover is provided with a locking mechanism, which includes at least one pair of support frames slidably provided on the outer cover, the support frames are provided with at least one rigid clamp with a clamping opening, the rigid clamp is used to clamp the rigid component and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot; it also includes an intermediate transition arm body movably provided on the outer cover, when the intermediate transition arm body moves in a positive direction, it can drive the support frame to move toward the outer side of the outer cover so as to allow the rigid clamp to separate from the rigid component and the rigid pot edge of the inner pot to achieve unlocking, and when it moves in a reverse direction, it allows the support frame to move toward the center direction of the outer cover so as to achieve locking; it also includes an unlocking holding mechanism, which is used to keep the intermediate transition arm body in an unlocking position after the intermediate transition arm body is moved in a positive direction into position; The unlocking and holding mechanism includes a movable positioning post movably arranged on the intermediate transition arm body, a holding spring arranged between the intermediate transition arm body and the movable positioning post and capable of driving the movable positioning post to move downward, a receiving hole arranged on the outer cover for receiving one end of the movable positioning post, and a protrusion arranged on the pot base facing the receiving hole; when the pot cover is closed, the protrusion can be inserted into the receiving hole to push the movable positioning post out of the receiving hole, at which time the intermediate transition arm body loses its holding force and moves in the reverse direction and leaves the receiving hole with the movable positioning post, and when the intermediate transition arm body moves forward to complete the unlocking, the pot cover begins to flip up, and the movable positioning post not only moves to the top of the receiving hole but also is reinserted into the receiving hole under the drive of the holding spring to keep the intermediate transition arm body in the unlocking position.

2. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a button, which is used to provide a positive moving torque for the intermediate transition arm body and drive the intermediate transition arm body to move forward and then drive a pair of support frames to move away from each other relative to each other.

3. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a locking driver, which is used to drive the support frame to move toward the center direction of the outer cover, and the locking driver is a tension spring with a reset driving force.

4. The cooking device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two ends of the tension spring are respectively connected to a pair of support frames arranged on the left and right, and the intermediate transition arm body directly presses against the pair of support frames arranged on the left and right or presses against the pair of support frames arranged on the left and right through a pair of swing arms. When the intermediate transition arm body has a positive moving torque and moves forward, it can drive the pair of support frames to move away from each other, that is, move toward the outer side of the outer cover and drive the tension spring to open and store energy. Conversely, when the intermediate transition arm body loses the positive moving torque, the tension spring can drive the pair of support frames to move closer to each other, that is, move toward the center of the outer cover, and the power of the pair of support frames moving closer to each other can reversely drive the intermediate transition arm body to move in the opposite direction.

5. The cooking device according to claim 3, characterized in that: One end of the tension spring is connected to the outer cover and the other end is connected to the intermediate transition arm body. The intermediate transition arm body is movably connected to the support frame or is movably connected to the support frame through a swing arm. When the intermediate transition arm body has a positive moving torque and moves forward, it can drive the support frame to move toward the outer side of the outer cover and drive the tension spring to expand and store energy. Conversely, when the intermediate transition arm body loses the positive moving torque, the tension spring can drive a pair of support frames to move toward the center of the outer cover, and can also drive the intermediate transition arm body to move in the opposite direction.

6. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pot cover is also provided with a self-locking mechanism that can respond to the air pressure or temperature in the inner pot. The self-locking mechanism includes a self-locking column. The intermediate transition arm body or the support frame is provided with a self-locking hole that can receive the self-locking column. The self-locking column is used to insert into the self-locking hole when the air pressure or temperature in the inner pot is higher than a threshold value, so that the intermediate transition arm body or the support frame cannot move on the outer cover to achieve self-locking.

7. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rigid component forms an inner cover of the pot cover, or an inner cover is installed below the rigid component, and the inner cover is used to cover the pot mouth of the inner pot based on a cover closing action.

8. The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A clamping edge of the rigid clamp is closely attached to the outer edge of the rigid component and moves left and right along with the support frame on the outer edge of the rigid component.

9. The cooking device according to claim 8, characterized in that: A threaded column is arranged on the outer cover, and the column passes through the support frame above the outer cover. A pressure screw is screwed on the top of the column, and a spring sleeve is also sleeved on the column. A pressure spring is arranged between the spring sleeve and the screw head of the pressure screw. The spring sleeve presses on the support frame so that a clamping edge of the rigid clamp is kept tightly against the outer edge of the rigid component.

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