Rice cooker and control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of cooking utensils, in particular to a rice cooker and a control method thereof. The rice cooker comprises a pressure monitoring mechanism used for monitoring a first pressure value of an external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of an internal environment of the rice cooker; the pressure relief mechanism is used for exhausting and relieving pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker; the air inlet mechanism is used for performing air inlet pressurization on the internal environment of the rice cooker; the controller is connected with the pressure monitoring mechanism, the pressure relief mechanism and the air inlet mechanism and used for controlling the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air inlet mechanism according to the numerical value relation between the second pressure value and the first pressure value. Whether the internal environment of the rice cooker needs to be subjected to exhaust and pressure relief or not is judged according to the pressure value difference of the internal environment and the external environment of the rice cooker, and therefore the problem that internal structural parts of the rice cooker are damaged due to too large pressure is avoided; therefore, the problem that the cooker cover is difficult to open due to the fact that the internal pressure of the rice cooker is too small is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of cooking appliances, and in particular to a rice cooker and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Using negative pressure preservation can increase the storage time of food and the retention time of flavor, and using micro-pressure cooking can increase the gelatinization degree of rice under high temperature. Therefore, in the prior art, there is a positive and negative pressure rice cooker that can adjust its cooking pressure during the cooking process, so that food can be cooked under negative pressure or micro-positive pressure conditions, thereby improving the cooking effect. However, if the pressure inside and outside the cooking cavity cannot be balanced in time at the end of negative pressure preservation, the rice cooker will be unable to open. When the pressure inside the cooker is too high during micro-pressure cooking and cannot be released in time, there is a risk of damage to the rice cooker structure.

[0003] Therefore, after negative pressure or micro-pressure cooking is completed and before the lid of the rice cooker is opened, the rice cooker is difficult to open due to the pressure difference between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker, and the structural parts of the rice cooker are easily damaged. Summary of the invention

[0004] The invention provides a rice cooker and a control method thereof, which are used to solve the defects in the prior art that after cooking, the positive and negative pressure rice cooker is difficult to open due to the pressure difference between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker, and the structural parts of the rice cooker are easily damaged.

[0005] The present invention provides a rice cooker, comprising:

[0006] A pressure monitoring mechanism, used for monitoring a first pressure value of an external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of an internal environment of the rice cooker;

[0007] A pressure relief mechanism, used to exhaust and relieve pressure from the internal environment of the rice cooker;

[0008] An air intake mechanism, used for increasing the air intake pressure inside the rice cooker;

[0009] A controller is connected to the pressure monitoring mechanism, the pressure relief mechanism and the air intake mechanism respectively, and is used to control the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake mechanism according to the numerical value relationship between the second pressure value and the first pressure value.

[0010] A rice cooker according to the present invention further comprises: a cooker cover, wherein the pressure monitoring mechanism is arranged on the inner side of the cooker cover;

[0011] When the rice cooker cover is opened, the pressure monitoring mechanism is used to monitor a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker; when the rice cooker cover is closed, the pressure monitoring mechanism is used to monitor a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker.

[0012] A rice cooker according to the present invention further comprises: a cooker cover, on which a pressure relief hole is formed;

[0013] The pressure relief mechanism comprises:

[0014] A guide rod, the guide rod being movably disposed on the pressure relief hole;

[0015] A driving unit is connected to the guide rod and electrically connected to the controller, and is used to drive the guide rod to move relative to the pressure relief hole, so as to adjust the pressure relief state under the control of the controller.

[0016] According to a rice cooker provided by the present invention, the pressure relief mechanism further comprises: an elastic member, one end of the elastic member is connected to the pressure relief hole, and the other end of the elastic member is connected to the guide rod;

[0017] When the internal environmental pressure of the rice cooker exceeds the elastic force of the elastic member, the guide rod overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member and moves to connect the pressure relief hole with the external environment of the rice cooker; when the internal environmental pressure of the rice cooker is less than or equal to the elastic force of the elastic member, the pressure relief hole is sealed by the guide rod.

[0018] A rice cooker provided according to the present invention further comprises: a negative pressure mechanism, wherein the negative pressure mechanism is connected to the controller and is used to evacuate the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby forming a negative pressure environment inside the rice cooker.

[0019] A rice cooker provided according to the present invention further comprises: a cooker cover, on which an exhaust hole is formed; the negative pressure mechanism comprises: a negative pressure pump, and the negative pressure pump is connected to the exhaust hole.

[0020] The present invention also provides a rice cooker control method, comprising:

[0021] Receiving a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker, and when receiving a rice cooker cover opening instruction, calculating a difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value;

[0022] According to the difference, the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to relieve the pressure in the internal environment of the rice cooker, or the air intake mechanism is controlled to increase the pressure in the internal environment of the rice cooker.

[0023] According to a control method of a rice cooker provided by the present invention, after the step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference, the method further comprises:

[0024] A current second pressure value is received, and a working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake structure is controlled according to an absolute value of a difference between the current second pressure value and the first pressure value.

[0025] According to a control method of a rice cooker provided by the present invention, the step of controlling a pressure relief mechanism to relieve pressure on the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling an air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference specifically comprises:

[0026] When the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is greater than or equal to the preset pressure value, the air intake mechanism is controlled to be closed, and the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to be started.

[0027] According to a control method of a rice cooker provided by the present invention, the step of controlling a pressure relief mechanism to relieve pressure on the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling an air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference specifically comprises:

[0028] When the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is smaller than the preset pressure value, the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to be closed, and the air intake mechanism is controlled to be started.

[0029] The present invention provides a rice cooker, which monitors a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker through a pressure monitoring mechanism, and a controller controls the working state of a pressure relief mechanism or an air intake mechanism according to the numerical value relationship between the second pressure value and the first pressure value. The present invention provides a rice cooker, which can judge whether it is necessary to exhaust and relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the pressure value difference between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker, thereby avoiding the problem of damage to the internal structural parts of the rice cooker due to excessive pressure, improving the safety of the rice cooker and extending the service life; or whether it is necessary to intake and pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby avoiding the problem of difficulty in opening the rice cooker lid due to too low internal pressure of the rice cooker, facilitating use and improving user experience.

[0030] Furthermore, the present invention provides a control method for a rice cooker, which controls a pressure relief mechanism or an air intake mechanism according to the pressure difference between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker, thereby achieving pressure relief or pressurization to ensure that the rice cooker can be opened smoothly without damaging internal structural parts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present invention or the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 is a front structural schematic diagram of a rice cooker provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the back structure of a rice cooker provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a pot cover provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a pot cover provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the local structure of A;

[0037] Figure 6 It is a module diagram of a rice cooker provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 It is one of the flow charts of the control method of the rice cooker provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 It is one of the flow charts of the control method of the rice cooker provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Reference numerals:

[0041] 100: pot body; 200: pot cover; 300: water tank;

[0042] 101: water pump; 102: controller; 201: negative pressure pump; 202: first solenoid valve; 203: electromagnet; 204: exhaust hole; 205: water inlet; 206: temperature sensor; 207: three-way; 209: pressure monitoring mechanism; 210: second solenoid valve; 211: flow meter; 215: driving member; 216: rotating shaft; 217: gasket; 218: guide rod; 219: elastic member; 220: sealing ring; 221: pressure relief hole; 223: cover opening monitoring mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0044] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0047] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0048] Combine the following Figure 1-Figure 6 The rice cooker of the present invention is described as follows. The rice cooker comprises: a pressure monitoring mechanism 209 , a pressure relief mechanism, an air intake mechanism and a controller 102 .

[0049] Among them, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 is used to monitor the first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker and the second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker; the pressure relief mechanism is used to exhaust and relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker; the air intake mechanism is used to intake and pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker; the controller 102 is respectively connected to the pressure monitoring mechanism 209, the pressure relief mechanism and the air intake mechanism, and is used to control the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake mechanism according to the numerical relationship between the second pressure value and the first pressure value.

[0050] Specifically, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 can use a pressure sensor to monitor the pressure value of the environment in which the rice cooker is located (i.e., the first pressure value) and the pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker (i.e., the second pressure value), and determine whether the internal environment of the rice cooker needs to be vented or pressurized according to the difference in pressure values ​​between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker (i.e., the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value).

[0051] According to the actual situation of the rice cooker, one (or two) pressure values ​​are preset, and the preset pressure value is generally a negative value, preferably -5KPa; when the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is greater than the preset pressure value, it means that the pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker is too large, and pressure relief is required before opening the lid. The controller 102 controls the air intake mechanism to close, controls the pressure relief mechanism to start, and exhausts and relieves the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby avoiding the problem of damage to the internal structural parts of the rice cooker due to excessive pressure; when the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is less than or equal to the preset pressure value (which may be equal to or unequal to the above-mentioned preset pressure value), it means that the internal pressure environment of the rice cooker is too small, and it is inconvenient to open the lid. Before opening the lid, pressurization is required. The controller 102 controls the pressure relief mechanism to close, controls the air intake mechanism to start, and performs air intake and pressurization on the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby avoiding the problem that the rice cooker lid 200 is difficult to open due to the low internal pressure of the rice cooker.

[0052] The present invention provides a rice cooker, which monitors a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker through a pressure monitoring mechanism 209, and the controller 102 controls the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake mechanism according to the numerical value relationship between the second pressure value and the first pressure value. The present invention provides a rice cooker, which can judge whether it is necessary to exhaust and relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the pressure value difference between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker, thereby avoiding the problem of damage to the internal structural parts of the rice cooker due to excessive pressure, improving the safety of the rice cooker and extending the service life; or whether it is necessary to intake and pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby avoiding the problem that the cover 200 is difficult to open due to the excessively low internal pressure of the rice cooker, facilitating use and improving user experience.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the rice cooker also includes: a cover 200, and a pressure monitoring mechanism 209 is arranged on the inner side of the cover 200; when the cover 200 is opened, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 is used to monitor the first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker; when the cover 200 is buckled, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 is used to monitor the second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker. In this embodiment, by setting the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 on the inner side of the cover 200, only one pressure monitoring mechanism 209 is used to realize the pressure monitoring of the internal environment of the rice cooker and the pressure monitoring of the external environment of the rice cooker. When the cover 200 is in an open state, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 can monitor the pressure change of the external environment of the rice cooker (that is, the first pressure value); when the cover 200 is in a closed state, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 can monitor the pressure change of the internal environment of the rice cooker (that is, the second pressure value).

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the rice cooker also includes: a pot cover 200, and a pressure relief hole 221 is formed on the pot cover 200. The pressure relief mechanism includes: a guide rod 218 and a drive unit. Among them, the guide rod 218 is movably arranged in the pressure relief hole 221; the drive unit is connected to the guide rod 218, and the drive unit is electrically connected to the controller 102, and is used to drive the guide rod 218 to move relative to the pressure relief hole 221, so that the pressure relief state is adjusted under the control of the controller 102. In this embodiment, the drive unit is controlled by the controller 102, which can drive the guide rod 218 to move, thereby controlling its blocking state of the pressure relief hole 221. Specifically, when the controller 102 issues an active pressure relief command, the control driving unit is moved and drives the guide rod 218 to move above the pressure relief hole 221, so that the pressure relief hole 221 is connected to the external environment, and the rice cooker is subjected to pressure relief operation; when the controller 102 does not issue a pressure relief command, the control driving unit is moved and drives the guide rod 218 to move below the pressure relief hole 221, and ensures that the guide rod 218 blocks the pressure relief hole 221, so that the pressure relief hole 221 is sealed.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 As shown, the guide rod 218 can rotate clockwise around the rotating shaft 216 under the drive of the driving unit. The driving unit is composed of an electromagnet 203 and a driving member 215. The electromagnet 203 can be switched between powered and powered-off states under the control of the controller 102. The electromagnet 203 is in a normally open state. When the controller 102 issues a pressure relief command, the electromagnet 203 is energized, driving the driving member 215 and the guide rod 218 to rotate clockwise around the rotating shaft 216, so that the pressure relief hole 221 is connected to the outside to perform a pressure relief operation.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure relief mechanism further includes: a sealing ring 220, which is sleeved on the outer side of the guide rod 218, and the sealing ring 220 is used to achieve a sealed connection between the guide rod 218 and the pressure relief hole 221 to avoid air leakage.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure relief mechanism further includes: a gasket 217, which is disposed between the driving member 215 and the guide rod 218. The gasket 217 is used to achieve a tight connection between the driving member 215 and the guide rod 218, thereby improving the connection stability.

[0058] In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure relief mechanism further includes: an elastic member 219, one end of the elastic member 219 is connected to the pressure relief hole 221, and the other end of the elastic member 219 is connected to the guide rod 218. When the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker exceeds the elastic force of the elastic member 219, the guide rod 218 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member 219 and moves so that the pressure relief hole 221 is connected to the external environment of the rice cooker; when the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker is less than or equal to the elastic force of the elastic member 219, the pressure relief hole 221 is sealed by the guide rod 218. In this embodiment, the elastic member 219 is arranged between the pressure relief hole 221 and the guide rod 218, so as to realize automatic pressure relief of the rice cooker. Preferably, the elastic member 219 can be a pressure spring, which is in a compressed state. Due to the blocking effect of the guide rod 218, the pressure relief hole 221 is in a normally closed sealed state; when the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker is greater than the pressure provided by the pressure spring, the guide rod 218 moves upward, so that the pressure relief hole 221 is connected to the external environment of the rice cooker, and automatic pressure relief is realized.

[0059] Furthermore, the spring compression amount and spring elastic coefficient of the above-mentioned spring are related to the maximum pressure during cooking, wherein the maximum pressure during cooking is preferably in the range of 101 kPa to 150 kPa, and then has the following mathematical relationship: KX = (Pmax-P0)S

[0060] When the internal pressure of the rice cooker exceeds the maximum pressure, the spring is compressed, the pressure relief hole 221 is connected to the outside, the pressure is relieved and the pressure in the cooking cavity is kept stable. In the formula, X is the spring compression amount of the spring, K is the spring elastic coefficient of the spring, Pmax is the maximum pressure during cooking, S is the cross-sectional area of ​​the pressure relief hole 221, and P0 is the outside atmospheric pressure.

[0061] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rice cooker further comprises: a negative pressure mechanism, the negative pressure mechanism is connected to the controller 102, and the negative pressure mechanism is used to evacuate the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby forming a negative pressure environment inside the rice cooker. In this embodiment, the negative pressure mechanism is used to evacuate the inside of the rice cooker to achieve a negative pressure cooking mode.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rice cooker further comprises: a rice cooker cover 200, on which an exhaust hole 204 is formed. The negative pressure mechanism comprises: a negative pressure pump 201, which is connected to the exhaust hole 204. In this embodiment, the negative pressure mechanism adopts the negative pressure pump 201, such as Figure 3 As shown, the negative pressure pump 201 and the exhaust hole 204 are connected through an exhaust pipe. After the negative pressure pump 201 is started, air is extracted from the inside of the rice cooker, thereby realizing a negative pressure cooking mode.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 As shown, the exhaust hole 204 on the pot cover 200 is connected through an exhaust pipe, and the exhaust pipe is connected to the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 (i.e., pressure sensor) and the negative pressure pump 201 through a three-way 207, respectively. A first electromagnetic valve 202 is arranged between the negative pressure pump 201 and the three-way 207 to realize the on-off of the pipeline. The air intake mechanism includes: an exhaust pipe and a first electromagnetic valve 202. When the rice cooker needs to be pressurized by air intake, the first electromagnetic valve 202 controls the exhaust pipe to connect the internal and external environments of the rice cooker. At this time, the gas flow direction in the exhaust pipe is to intake air into the rice cooker. It should be understood that during the air intake process, the negative pressure pump 201 should be in a closed state. Specifically, when the pot cover 200 is open, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 monitors the external pressure of the rice cooker through the three-way 207, the exhaust pipe and the exhaust hole 204; when the pot cover 200 is closed, the pressure monitoring mechanism 209 monitors the internal pressure of the rice cooker through the three-way 207, the exhaust pipe and the exhaust hole 204. The opening and closing of the first electromagnetic valve 202 controls the connection and disconnection between the negative pressure pump 201 and the internal environment of the rice cooker. When the gas path is connected and the negative pressure pump 201 is turned on, the negative pressure cooking mode can be realized; after cooking, when the gas path is connected and the negative pressure pump 201 is turned off, the intake pressure can be increased to balance the internal pressure of the rice cooker so as to open the lid. It can be seen that the above-mentioned negative pressure mechanism and the intake mechanism share the gas path and the first electromagnetic valve 202, which has the advantages of simple structure and reasonable layout.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the rice cooker further includes: a water adding mechanism; a water injection port 205 is formed on the pot cover 200. The water adding mechanism includes: a water tank 300, a water pump 101, a second electromagnetic valve 210, a flow meter 211 and a water pipe. The water tank 300 is connected to the water pump 101 through a water pipe, and the water pipe extends into the interior of the rice cooker. The second electromagnetic valve 210 controls the on-off of the water pipe, and the flow meter 211 monitors the amount of water added. The water pump 101 provides a driving force to transport water from the water tank 300 to the interior of the rice cooker.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, a temperature sensor 206 is disposed inside the rice cooker cover 200 for monitoring temperature changes inside the rice cooker.

[0066] Based on the above embodiments, the rice cooker is composed of a lid 200 and a body 100. A lid opening monitoring mechanism 223 is provided on the body 100. The lid opening monitoring mechanism 223 can detect whether the lid 200 is in an open or closed state. The lid opening monitoring mechanism 223 can adopt an infrared sensor or a photosensitive sensor. Taking the photosensitive sensor as an example, when the lid 200 is opened, the photosensitive sensor is sensitive to light and is judged to be in an open state; when the lid 200 is closed, the photosensitive sensor is not sensitive to light and is judged to be in a closed state. The rice cooker also includes other structural parts and modules such as Figure 6 shown.

[0067] Combine the following Figure 7 and Figure 8 The present invention provides a control method for a rice cooker, which specifically comprises the following steps:

[0068] S1, receiving a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker, and after receiving a rice cooker cover opening instruction, calculating the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value;

[0069] S2. Determine whether pressure relief or pressure increase is required according to the difference, and correspondingly control the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure in the rice cooker or control the air intake mechanism to pressurize the rice cooker.

[0070] The present invention provides a control method for a rice cooker, which is specifically a control method for a controller 102 in the rice cooker, which can receive a first pressure value and a second pressure value, and based on a user's lid opening instruction, balance the internal pressure of the rice cooker before opening the lid, so as to open the lid smoothly without damaging the internal structural parts.

[0071] The invention provides a control method for a rice cooker. According to the pressure difference between the internal and external environments of the rice cooker, a pressure relief mechanism or an air intake mechanism is controlled to achieve pressure relief or pressure increase, so as to ensure that the rice cooker can be opened smoothly without damaging internal structural parts.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, after the step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference, that is, after step S2, it also includes: S3, receiving the current second pressure value, and controlling the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake structure according to the absolute value of the difference between the current second pressure value and the first pressure value. In this embodiment, according to the current pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker, it is judged whether it is necessary to continue to relieve pressure or pressurize, and the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake structure is controlled accordingly. If pressure relief is still needed, the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to be continuously opened, and if pressure relief is not needed, the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to be closed, and the rice cooker is opened; if pressurization is still needed, the air intake mechanism is controlled to be continuously opened, and if pressurization is not needed, the air intake mechanism is controlled to be closed, and the rice cooker is opened. It can be understood that the above step S3 can be repeated until the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker meets the requirements for opening the cover.

[0073] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 As shown, the step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference, that is, step S2 specifically includes: S21, when the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is greater than or equal to the preset pressure value, controlling the air intake mechanism to close, controlling the pressure relief mechanism to start, and relieving the pressure of the rice cooker.

[0074] Furthermore, after the pressure relief is completed, it also includes: S31, receiving the current second pressure value, if the absolute value of the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is less than the preset pressure value (the preset pressure value is preferably 5KPa), controlling the rice cooker to open the lid; otherwise, controlling the pressure relief mechanism to start and continuously relieve the pressure on the rice cooker until the absolute value of the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is less than the preset pressure value.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 As shown, the step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference, that is, step S2 specifically includes: S22, when the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is less than the preset pressure value, controlling the pressure relief mechanism to close and controlling the air intake mechanism to start.

[0076] Furthermore, after the pressurization is completed, it also includes: S32, receiving the current second pressure value, if the absolute value of the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is less than the preset pressure value (the preset pressure value is preferably 5KPa), controlling the rice cooker to open the lid; otherwise, controlling the air intake mechanism to start and continuously pressurize the rice cooker until the absolute value of the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is less than the preset pressure value.

[0077] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this embodiment. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand and implement it without paying creative labor.

[0078] Through the description of the above implementation methods, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a necessary general hardware platform, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solution is essentially or the part that contributes to the prior art can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, a disk, an optical disk, etc., including a number of instructions for a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in each embodiment or some parts of the embodiments.

[0079] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rice cooker, characterized in that: include: A pressure monitoring mechanism, used for monitoring a first pressure value of an external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of an internal environment of the rice cooker; A pressure relief mechanism, used to exhaust and relieve pressure from the internal environment of the rice cooker; An air intake mechanism, used for increasing the air intake pressure inside the rice cooker; A controller is connected to the pressure monitoring mechanism, the pressure relief mechanism and the air intake mechanism respectively, and is used to control the working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake mechanism according to the numerical value relationship between the second pressure value and the first pressure value.

2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The pressure monitoring mechanism is arranged on the inner side of the pot cover; When the rice cooker cover is opened, the pressure monitoring mechanism is used to monitor a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker; when the rice cooker cover is closed, the pressure monitoring mechanism is used to monitor a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker.

3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A pot cover, on which a pressure relief hole is formed; The pressure relief mechanism comprises: A guide rod, the guide rod being movably disposed on the pressure relief hole; A driving unit is connected to the guide rod and electrically connected to the controller, and is used to drive the guide rod to move relative to the pressure relief hole, so as to adjust the pressure relief state under the control of the controller.

4. The rice cooker according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pressure relief mechanism further comprises: an elastic member, one end of which is connected to the pressure relief hole, and the other end of which is connected to the guide rod; When the internal environmental pressure of the rice cooker exceeds the elastic force of the elastic member, the guide rod overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member and moves to connect the pressure relief hole with the external environment of the rice cooker; when the internal environmental pressure of the rice cooker is less than or equal to the elastic force of the elastic member, the pressure relief hole is sealed by the guide rod.

5. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A negative pressure mechanism is connected to the controller and is used to evacuate the internal environment of the rice cooker, thereby forming a negative pressure environment inside the rice cooker.

6. The rice cooker according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: A pot cover, on which an exhaust hole is formed; The negative pressure mechanism comprises: a negative pressure pump, and the negative pressure pump is connected to the exhaust hole.

7. A rice cooker control method, characterized in that: include: Receiving a first pressure value of the external environment of the rice cooker and a second pressure value of the internal environment of the rice cooker, and when receiving a rice cooker cover opening instruction, calculating a difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value; According to the difference, the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to relieve the pressure in the internal environment of the rice cooker, or the air intake mechanism is controlled to increase the pressure in the internal environment of the rice cooker.

8. The control method of the rice cooker according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference, the method further includes: A current second pressure value is received, and a working state of the pressure relief mechanism or the air intake structure is controlled according to an absolute value of a difference between the current second pressure value and the first pressure value.

9. The control method of the rice cooker according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference specifically includes: When the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is greater than or equal to the preset pressure value, the air intake mechanism is controlled to be closed, and the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to be started.

10. The control method of the rice cooker according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The step of controlling the pressure relief mechanism to relieve the pressure of the internal environment of the rice cooker or controlling the air intake mechanism to pressurize the internal environment of the rice cooker according to the difference specifically includes: When the difference between the second pressure value and the first pressure value is smaller than the preset pressure value, the pressure relief mechanism is controlled to be closed, and the air intake mechanism is controlled to be started.

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