An easy-to-clean rice cooker

Abstract

This invention proposes an easy-to-clean rice cooker, comprising a cooker body, a heating plate, a cooling fan, and an inner pot placed within the cooker body. The heating plate heats the inner pot. The key feature is that a ventilation gap exists between the inner pot and the heating plate. A cooling air inlet is provided on the inner wall of the cooker body. Cooling air blown in from the cooling air inlet by the cooling fan enters the ventilation gap during its flow, hindering heat transfer from the heating plate to the inner pot. The cooker body includes a heat preservation cover and an outer shell. The heating plate and the inner pot are located inside the heat preservation cover. An exhaust vent is provided at the bottom of the heat preservation cover to create a heat dissipation space between the heat preservation cover and the outer shell. The wiring terminals of the heating plate extend through the bottom wall of the heat preservation cover to the heat dissipation space. This application prevents rice from turning yellow and sticking to the pot by cooling the heating plate, and facilitates cleaning of the inner pot.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application No. 202111511407.7, filed on December 6, 2021, entitled "An Easy-to-Clean Rice Cooker". [Technical Field]

[0002] This invention relates to kitchen cooking appliances, and more particularly to a rice cooker that is easy to clean. [Background Technology]

[0003] Current rice cookers typically use either an electromagnetic coil to heat the inner pot or a heating plate to heat the inner pot. Electromagnetic coil heating relies on the inner pot's own heating principle, allowing the temperature to drop immediately after the cooker stops operating. Heating plate heating, on the other hand, uses the heating plate's own heat to transfer heat to the inner pot. Therefore, even after the cooker stops operating, the heating plate retains thermal inertia and continues to transfer heat to the inner pot, making it difficult to immediately stop the temperature from dropping. This can easily cause the rice to turn yellow at the bottom or even stick to the pot.

[0004] Existing technologies disclose many methods for cooling the inner liner, such as using cooling fans or semiconductor cooling, but their effectiveness needs improvement. Cooling fans typically cool the inner liner, but the heating element continues to heat it due to thermal inertia, resulting in poor cooling. Semiconductor cooling is costly and has a complex manufacturing process. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a rice cooker that is easy to clean. By cooling the heating plate, the rice is prevented from turning yellow and sticking to the pot, and the inner pot is easy to clean.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] An easy-to-clean rice cooker includes a cooker body, a heating plate, an inner pot placed inside the cooker body, and a cooling fan. The heating plate heats the inner pot. There is a first gap between the heating plate and the inner wall of the cooker body. There is a second gap between the side wall of the inner pot and the inner wall of the cooker body. The first gap and the second gap are connected. The inner wall of the cooker body is provided with a cooling air inlet. The cooling air inlet faces at least the first gap. Cooling air blown in by the cooling fan from the cooling air inlet flows from the first gap to the second gap.

[0008] Furthermore, the heating plate has grooves or protrusions in certain areas to create a ventilation gap between the inner liner and the heating plate.

[0009] Furthermore, the heating plate has a through hole at its center, and a guide plate is provided at the through hole. The guide plate guides at least part of the cooling air from the first gap into the ventilation gap.

[0010] Furthermore, the pot body includes a heat preservation cover, the heating plate and the inner pot are located inside the heat preservation cover, the cooling fan is located outside the heat preservation cover, and the heat preservation cover is provided with the cooling air inlet.

[0011] Furthermore, the pot body includes an outer shell, the outer shell is provided with an air inlet, and the cooling fan is located between the air inlet and the cooling air inlet, drawing in the cooling air from outside the outer shell through the air inlet and blowing it out through the cooling air inlet.

[0012] Furthermore, an air duct is provided between the cooling fan and the cooling air inlet, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct gradually decreases.

[0013] Furthermore, the ventilation gap includes alternating circumferential and radial gaps.

[0014] Furthermore, the second gap gradually decreases from bottom to top.

[0015] Furthermore, the inner pot sidewall and the inner pot body wall have an abutment portion, the height of which is greater than the height of the maximum rice filling mark on the inner pot.

[0016] Furthermore, the bottom of the heating plate is provided with baffles.

[0017] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1. By incorporating a cooling fan, the cooling air blown in from the cooling air inlet flows from the first gap to the second gap, ensuring orderly airflow and effective cooling of the heating plate. This, in turn, cools the bottom of the inner pot, preventing the rice from turning yellow and sticking to the pot. After cooking, the rice in the inner pot cools down due to the cooling fan, causing the inner wall to condense and form a barrier between the inner wall and the rice. This prevents the rice from sticking to the pot and makes it easy to scoop the rice out with a rice paddle along the inner wall of the pot.

[0019] 2. After the heating plate stops heating, there will be a certain residual temperature. This application uses a cooling fan to blow cooling air into the first gap, which can directly and effectively cool down the heating plate. The cooling air flows from the first gap to the second gap, which can further cool down the inner wall.

[0020] 3. The cooling fan is located outside the insulation cover, while a heating plate is installed inside the insulation cover. This prevents the heat from the heating plate from radiating onto the cooling fan, thus improving the service life of the cooling fan.

[0021] 4. The heating plate has grooves or protrusions in certain areas to create a ventilation gap between the inner liner and the heating plate. Since the inner liner directly contacts the heating plate to transfer heat, the ventilation gap allows cooling air to enter during its flow, hindering heat transfer from the heating plate to the inner liner and thus rapidly reducing the temperature of the inner liner.

[0022] 5. The heating plate has a through hole at its center, and a guide plate is provided at the through hole. The guide plate guides at least part of the cooling air from the first gap into the ventilation gap. In this application, the cooling air blown in by the cooling fan first enters the first gap, and then enters the ventilation gap through the guide plate. The contact area between the inner liner and the heating plate is the most critical area for heat transfer. The timely entry of cooling air into the ventilation gap can effectively reduce the temperature at the bottom of the inner liner.

[0023] 6. The inner pot sidewall and the inner pot body wall have an abutment portion, which can prevent cooling air from flowing upward from the second gap. By setting the abutment portion, it is ensured that the cooling air flows in the lower area of ​​the inner pot. The bottom of the inner pot is in contact with the heating plate, which is the area with higher temperature and the area that needs more cooling air.

[0024] 7. An air duct is provided between the cooling fan and the cooling air inlet, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct gradually decreases. When the cooling fan speed is constant, the decrease in the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct can accelerate the flow of cooling air and improve the cooling effect of the cooling fan.

[0025] These features and advantages of the present invention will be disclosed in detail in the following specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. [Attached Image Description]

[0026] The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0027] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of a portion of the image;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the rice cooker according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the heating plate in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the heating plate in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0032] Icon labels:

[0033] 1. Pot body, 11. Outer shell, 12. Insulation cover, 13. Cooling air inlet, 14. Air inlet, 2. Heating plate, 21. Through hole, 22. Wiring terminal, 23. Baffle, 24. Air guide plate, 3. Inner liner, 4. Cooling fan, 5. First gap, 6. Second gap, 7. Ventilation gap, 8. Air duct.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0034] This invention proposes an easy-to-clean rice cooker, comprising a cooker body, a heating plate, an inner pot placed inside the cooker body, and a cooling fan. The heating plate heats the inner pot. A first gap exists between the heating plate and the inner wall of the cooker body, and a second gap exists between the side wall of the inner pot and the inner wall of the cooker body. The first gap and the second gap are connected. A cooling air inlet is provided on the inner wall of the cooker body, with the cooling air inlet at least facing the first gap. Cooling air blown in by the cooling air inlet flows from the first gap to the second gap. This application prevents rice from turning yellow and sticking to the pot by cooling the heating plate, and facilitates cleaning of the inner pot.

[0035] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be explained and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the following embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in the implementation methods without creative effort are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] This embodiment presents a rice cooker that is easy to clean, referring to... Figures 1-3 The container includes a pot body 1, a heating plate 2, an inner pot 3 placed inside the pot body 1, and a cooling fan 4. The heating plate 2 heats the inner pot 3. There is a first gap 5 between the heating plate 2 and the inner wall of the pot body. There is a second gap 6 between the side wall of the inner pot and the inner wall of the pot body. The first gap 5 and the second gap 6 are connected. The inner wall of the pot body 1 is provided with a cooling air inlet 13. The cooling air inlet 13 faces at least the first gap 5. The cooling air blown in by the cooling fan 4 from the cooling air inlet flows from the first gap 5 to the second gap 6.

[0038] The inner pot 3 is used to hold food. The heating plate 2 is attached to the inner pot 3 and is used to transfer heat to the inner pot 3. In existing technologies, the side walls of the inner pot 3 are generally cooled to cool the inner pot 3. However, for rice cookers heated by the heating plate 2, due to the high thermal inertia of the heating plate, even if the side walls of the inner pot 3 are cooled, the heating plate 2 is still transferring heat to the inner pot 3, resulting in poor cooling effect, and the food mainly accumulates at the bottom of the inner pot 3. Therefore, this application can cool the heat source, the heating plate 2, through the setting of ventilation gaps, to achieve the best cooling effect, thereby cooling the bottom of the inner pot and preventing the rice at the bottom of the inner pot from turning yellow and sticking to the pot. After the rice in the inner pot is cooked, the temperature of the inner pot decreases due to the cooling fan at the bottom, causing the inner wall of the inner pot to liquefy and form condensate. The condensate forms an insulating layer between the inner wall of the inner pot and the rice, thereby preventing the rice from sticking to the pot and making it easy to scoop the rice out with a rice paddle along the inner wall of the inner pot. While existing technologies also employ structures for cooling the heating element, these typically involve placing a cooling medium beneath the heating element, which is costly and complex to manufacture. In this application, however, cooling of the heating element 2 is achieved solely through a cooling fan 4 and ventilation gaps, effectively cooling the inner liner. The cooling air blown in through the cooling inlet 13 first enters the first gap 5, directly and effectively cooling the heating element 2, and then enters the second gap 6, cooling the side walls of the inner liner 3. This creates an orderly flow of cooling air, achieving an ideal air-cooling effect with lower cost and a longer product lifespan.

[0039] Furthermore, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The pot body 1 includes an outer shell 11 and a heat insulation cover 12 located inside the outer shell. The heating plate 2 and the inner pot 3 are located inside the heat insulation cover 12. The heating plate 2 heats the inner pot 3. There is a first gap 5 between the heating plate 2 and the bottom wall of the heat insulation cover 12, and a second gap 6 between the side wall of the inner pot 3 and the side wall of the heat insulation cover 12. The first gap 5 and the second gap 6 are connected. The inner wall of the pot body 1 is provided with a cooling air inlet 13. The cooling air inlet faces at least the first gap 5. The cooling air blown in by the cooling fan 4 from the cooling air inlet 13 flows from the first gap 5 to the second gap 6. The bottom of the heat insulation cover 12 is provided with an exhaust vent, so that a heat dissipation space is formed between the heat insulation cover 12 and the outer shell 11. The exhaust vent can discharge hot air in time, reduce the temperature inside the heat insulation cover 12, and prevent the cooling air from flowing inside the heat insulation cover 12 but failing to carry away the hot air, which would affect the cooling effect.

[0040] In this embodiment, it can be referred to Figure 2The cooling fan 4 is located outside the insulation cover 12. The inner wall of the insulation cover 12 has a cooling air inlet 13, which is lower than the heating plate 2. The cooling air blown in by the cooling fan from the cooling air inlet is directed towards the heating plate 2. The insulation cover 12 is generally made of metal, which reduces the heat diffusion from the heating plate 2 and the inner pot 3 to the outside of the insulation cover 12, preventing the rice cooker's outer shell from becoming too hot. The insulation cover 12 also reduces heat loss from the heating plate 2 during heating. Because the cooling fan 4 is located outside the insulation cover 12, while the heating plate 2 is located inside, the heat radiated from the heating plate 2 to the cooling fan is prevented, thus extending the cooling fan's lifespan. Furthermore, the space inside the insulation cover 12 is limited, and the cooling fan 4 does not occupy internal space. Since the cooling fan 4 is located outside the insulation cover 12, it is closer to the outside environment, making it easier to draw in cool air from outside. In this embodiment, the height of the cooling air inlet 13 is lower than that of the heating plate 2, so that the cooling air from the cooling air inlet 13 can be blown toward the heating plate 2 instead of directly onto the inner liner 3, thereby cooling the heat source of the heating plate 2.

[0041] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 1 The outer casing 11 is provided with an air inlet 14, and the cooling fan 4 is located between the air inlet 14 and the cooling air inlet 13. It draws in cooling air from outside the outer casing 11 through the air inlet 14 and blows it out through the cooling air inlet 13. With the help of the air inlet 14 on the outer casing 11, the cooling fan 4 can directly draw in a large amount of external cooling air and then blow it into the insulation cover 12 to cool the heating plate 2. In this embodiment, the air inlet 14 is located on the side wall of the outer casing 11; in other embodiments, the air inlet 14 may also be located on the bottom wall of the outer casing 11.

[0042] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The heating plate 2 has grooves or protrusions in certain areas to create a ventilation gap 7 between the inner liner 3 and the heating plate 2. For the structure where the heating plate 2 heats the inner liner 3, the key to cooling the inner liner 3 is to cut off heat transfer from the heating plate 2 to the inner liner 3. In this embodiment, by providing grooves or protrusions in certain areas of the heating plate 2, a ventilation gap is formed between the inner liner 3 and the heating plate 2. When cooling is required, cooling air is blown into the ventilation gap, effectively and quickly reducing the temperature of the inner liner. Preferably, the ventilation gap 7 includes alternating circumferential gaps 71 and radial gaps 72. The alternating gaps allow the cooling air to diffuse rapidly for cooling.

[0043] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5The heating plate 2 has a through hole 21 at its center, and a guide plate 24 is provided at the through hole 21. The guide plate 24 guides at least part of the cooling air from the first gap 5 into the ventilation gap 7. Through the through hole 21 and the guide plate 24 on the heating plate 2, cooling air can flow from the first gap 5 into the ventilation gap 7. When the cooling air flows through the first gap 5, it cools the bottom of the heating plate 2. Guided by the guide plate 24 into the ventilation gap 7, it diffuses to other areas of the heating plate 2, cooling the top of the heating plate 2, achieving a cooling effect from top to bottom. The cooling air from the first gap 5 is also freshly blown in from the cooling air inlet 13, and its temperature is relatively low. Therefore, after entering the insulation cover 12, the cooling air can immediately cool the bottom and top of the heating plate 2, achieving the best cooling effect. In this embodiment, the cooling problem of the heating plate being in contact with the inner liner for heating is solved by using the guide plate 24 and the ventilation gap 7.

[0044] In this embodiment, to ensure that the cooling air coming from the first gap 5 can flow smoothly, refer to Figure 5 At the bottom of the heating plate 2, baffles 23 are provided, forming air guide channels. Multiple baffles 23 are arranged in parallel, and the cooling air inlet 13 is set corresponding to the air guide channels. The formed air guide channels can just allow the cooling air to flow smoothly. Figure 2 Part of the cooling air, in conjunction with the air guide plate 24, passes through the through hole 21 to reach the top of the heating plate 2, and diffuses to other areas of the heating plate 2 through the ventilation gap 7.

[0045] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 2 An air duct 8 is provided between the cooling fan 4 and the cooling air inlet 13, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct 8 gradually decreases. When the cooling fan 4 rotates at a constant speed, the decrease in the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct can accelerate the flow of cooling air and improve the cooling effect of the cooling fan 4.

[0046] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 2 The second gap 6 gradually decreases in size from bottom to top. This design ensures that most of the cooling air remains below the inner pot 3, and since the rice also mainly stays below the inner pot 3 during cooking, the rice area inside the inner pot can be effectively cooled.

[0047] In this embodiment, the inner liner is spherical, and the spherical inner liner has a maximum lateral radius. The cooling fan is positioned below the maximum lateral radius. The characteristic of a spherical inner liner is that it has a maximum lateral radius, meaning it has a widest point in the vertical direction, and the width gradually decreases upwards or downwards from this maximum lateral radius. In this embodiment, the cooling fan is positioned below the maximum lateral radius. Firstly, due to the shape of the spherical inner liner, the lateral space at the maximum lateral radius is minimized, while there is corresponding space above or below it. Secondly, the lower part of the inner liner requires more cooling. Therefore, this application positions the cooling fan below the maximum lateral radius, balancing space availability and cooling effect.

[0048] In this embodiment, the inner pot 3 is made of stainless steel. In the prior art, to prevent rice from sticking to the pot, a non-stick coating is applied to the inner surface of the inner pot 3. However, the problem with this non-stick coating is that it is not scratch-resistant; after long-term use, the coating peels off, causing the inner pot 3 to stick and affecting its lifespan. In this embodiment, after the rice in the inner pot is cooked, the bottom cooling fan lowers the temperature of the inner pot, causing condensation to form on the inner wall. This condensation forms a barrier between the inner wall and the rice, preventing the rice from sticking and making it easy to scoop the rice out with a rice paddle along the inner wall. Because the cooling fan prevents the rice from sticking, in this embodiment, the inner pot can be made of stainless steel, eliminating the need for a non-stick coating on its inner surface, greatly improving the lifespan of the inner pot 3. Since there is no non-stick coating on the inner surface, there is no concern about coating peeling off, and the inner surface can be cleaned with a steel wool pad.

[0049] In this embodiment, the wiring terminal 22 of the heating plate 2 extends through the bottom wall of the insulation cover 12 to the heat dissipation space. The wiring terminal 22 is located below the insulation cover 12, where the temperature is relatively low, which can improve the service life of electrical components. Furthermore, the airflow discharged from the exhaust vent can further cool the wiring terminal 22 and other components. The exhaust vent can be formed by through holes on the bottom wall of the insulation cover 12. Multiple exhaust vents can be provided, with some allowing electrical components such as the wiring terminal 22 to pass through, and others allowing temperature sensing elements to pass through.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] This embodiment is an improvement upon Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the inner pot sidewall and the inner wall of the pot body have an abutment portion, which is used to prevent cooling air from flowing upward from the second gap 6. The abutment portion ensures that the cooling air flows in the lower part of the inner pot, preventing it from flowing above the abutment portion. Since the bottom of the inner pot is in contact with the heating plate, which is the area with higher temperature and requires more cooling air, this abutment portion can be a baffle ring on the inner wall of the insulation cover 12 or a sealing ring fixed to the inner wall of the insulation cover 12.

[0052] Preferably, the height of the contact portion is greater than the height of the maximum rice measurement line in the inner pot. During cooking, the rice is below the maximum rice measurement line, while the contact portion is above it. Since there is generally no rice above the contact portion, there is no need to cool the rice as described in this application. Therefore, it can be ensured that the cooling air flows and cools within the rice area of ​​the inner pot, improving the cooling efficiency of the cooling air.

[0053] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the contents described in the accompanying drawings and the specific embodiments above. Any modifications that do not depart from the functional and structural principles of the present invention will be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rice cooker that is easy to clean, comprising a cooker body, a heating plate, a cooling fan, and an inner pot placed inside the cooker body, wherein the heating plate heats the inner pot, characterized in that, There is a ventilation gap between the inner pot and the heating plate. The inner wall of the pot is provided with a cooling air inlet. The cooling air blown in by the cooling fan from the cooling air inlet enters the ventilation gap during the flow process, which hinders the heat transfer from the heating plate to the inner pot. The pot body includes a heat preservation cover and an outer shell. The heating plate and the inner pot are located inside the heat preservation cover. The bottom of the heat preservation cover is provided with an exhaust vent so that a heat dissipation space is formed between the heat preservation cover and the outer shell. The wiring terminals of the heating plate extend through the bottom wall of the heat preservation cover to the heat dissipation space.

2. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, There is a first gap between the heating plate and the inner wall of the pot, and a second gap between the side wall of the inner pot and the inner wall of the pot. The first gap and the second gap are connected. Cooling air blown in by the cooling fan from the cooling air inlet enters the ventilation gap as it flows from the first gap to the second gap.

3. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The heating plate has a through hole in the center, and a guide plate is provided at the through hole. The guide plate guides at least part of the cooling air from the first gap into the ventilation gap.

4. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling fan is located outside the insulation cover, and the insulation cover is provided with the cooling air inlet.

5. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heating plate has a groove or protrusion in a certain part so that there is a ventilation gap between the inner liner and the heating plate.

6. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer casing is provided with an air inlet, and the cooling fan is located between the air inlet and the cooling air inlet, drawing in cooling air from outside the casing through the air inlet and blowing it out through the cooling air inlet.

7. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, An air duct is provided between the cooling fan and the cooling air inlet, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the air duct gradually decreases.

8. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ventilation gaps include alternating circumferential and radial gaps.

9. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple exhaust vents, some of which also allow wiring terminals to pass through, and some of which also allow temperature sensing elements to pass through.

10. The easy-to-clean rice cooker as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner pot sidewall and the inner pot body wall have an abutment portion, and the height of the abutment portion is greater than the height of the maximum rice mark line of the inner pot.

Images