Electric cooker

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can prevent a lid gasket from being pulled into the interior of a pot to a desired degree or more even when the interior of the pot becomes negative pressure, and that makes it difficult for an upper sheet portion of the lid gasket to deteriorate. A rice cooker (100) according to the present invention is provided with: a main body for housing a pot (5); a cover body; and an inner lid assembly (25) disposed between the lid body and the pot (5), the inner lid assembly (25) having: a lid pad (27) in close contact with the pot (5); and a gasket base (51) for mounting the cover gasket (27), the cover gasket (27) having an upper piece portion (54) in close contact with the upper surface portion (53) of the pot (5), a protruding portion (58) formed on the upper piece portion (54), and a groove portion (59) formed on the gasket base (51), the upper piece portion (54) being sandwiched between the upper surface portion (53) and the gasket base (51) when the cover body is in a closed state, and the protruding portion (58) being locked to the groove portion (59).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric rice cooker that can close the lid with a smaller force compared to existing products. Background Art

[0002] Regarding the electric rice cooker described in Patent Document 1, as Figure 13 shown, when the lid is in the closed state, the upper piece portion 154 of the lid gasket 127 is clamped by the upper surface portion 153 of the flange 128 of the pot 105 and the gasket base 151. Moreover, this electric rice cooker sometimes decompresses the inside of the pot 105, and if it becomes a negative pressure state, the lid gasket 127 is pulled into the pot 105. Therefore, a protrusion 158 is formed over the entire circumference of the gasket base 151, and the upper piece portion 154 is pressed by the protrusion 158, thereby preventing the lid gasket 127 from being pulled into the pot 105 more than necessary.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-156077 Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, the lid gasket 127 is made of a thin material such as silicone rubber, and the portion pressed by the protrusion 158 may deteriorate due to long-term use.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric rice cooker that can prevent the lid gasket from being pulled into the pot more than necessary even when the inside of the pot becomes negative pressure, and that makes it difficult for the upper piece portion of the lid gasket to deteriorate.

[0008] The electric rice cooker of the present invention is characterized by including: a main body that houses a pot; a lid; and an inner lid assembly disposed between the lid and the pot. The inner lid assembly has: a lid gasket that is in close contact with the pot; and a gasket base for mounting the lid gasket. The lid gasket has: an upper piece portion that is in close contact with the upper surface portion of the pot, and a protrusion is formed on the upper piece portion. A groove portion is formed in the gasket base. When the lid is in the closed state, the upper piece portion is clamped by the upper surface portion and the gasket base, and the protrusion is caught in the groove portion.

[0009] Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, when the inside of the pot becomes negative pressure, it is possible to prevent the lid gasket from being pulled into the pot more than necessary, and it is possible to make it difficult for the upper piece portion of the lid gasket to deteriorate. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the exterior of an electric rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the electric rice cooker according to this embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the electric rice cooker with the lid opened according to this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the lid gasket according to this embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the inner lid assembly according to this embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the pot and the inner lid assembly according to this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the lid gasket according to this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the pot and the inner lid assembly according to this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 9 This is a perspective view of the clip support portion and its surroundings according to this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 10 This is a longitudinal sectional view showing the locking state of the clip and the clip support portion according to this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 11 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the inner lid assembly of an existing electric rice cooker.

[0022] Figure 12 This is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the lid gasket of an existing electric rice cooker.

[0023] Figure 13 This is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the pot and the inner lid assembly of an existing electric rice cooker.

[0024] Figure 14 This is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the lower piece portion of the lid gasket and the pot during the operation of closing the lid of an embodiment of the present invention and an existing electric rice cooker.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals

[0026] 1... Main body, 2... Lid, 5... Pot, 25... Inner lid assembly, 27... Lid gasket, 45... Clamping member, 47... Clamping member support portion (support portion), 51... Gasket base, 53... Upper surface portion, 54... Upper sheet portion, 55... Inner surface portion, 56... Lower sheet portion, 58... Protrusion portion, 59... Groove portion, 64A... Guide rib, 64B... Guide rib, 67A... Locking plate, 67B... Locking plate, 100... Rice cooker. Detailed implementation

[0027] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. In addition, common reference numerals are assigned to common parts in all the above-mentioned drawings. Also, not all the structures described below are necessarily essential elements of the present invention.

[0028] Figures 1 to 10 A rice cooker 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Based on these drawings, the overall structure of the rice cooker 100 of this embodiment will be described. 1 is the main body, which is formed into an approximate rectangle with the front surface and the rear surface facing each other and the left side surface and the right side surface facing each other when viewed from above, and the upper part is open. 2 is a lid that can freely open and close to cover the upper surface opening of the main body 1. Similar to the main body 1, it is formed into an approximate rectangle with the front surface and the rear surface facing each other and the left side surface and the right side surface facing each other when viewed from above, and the upper surface is formed to be substantially flat. The main body 1 is formed into the following structure: It has an outer frame 3 that serves as an exterior component and a pot receiving portion 4 with an upper opening. When the lid 2 is opened, a bottomed pot 5, which is a container for receiving cooking ingredients, namely water or rice, can be detachably received in the pot receiving portion 4. The pot receiving portion 4 is composed of a combination of an upper frame 6 and an inner frame 7, etc., and is integrally formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape. The upper frame 6 constitutes the upper part and the side surface part of the pot receiving portion 4, and the inner frame 7 is bowl-shaped and made of resin. In this embodiment, it is formed into the following structure: The upper frame 6 and the outer frame 3 are combined in such a way that the outer peripheral portion of the upper end portion of the outer frame 3 is higher than the outer peripheral portion of the upper frame 6 extending outward, and the outer frame 3 covers the upper frame 6 so that the outer peripheral portion of the upper frame 6 is not exposed on the outside, and the joint portion of the components of the outer frame 3 and the upper frame 6 is not exposed on the appearance surface.

[0029] The pot 5 is mainly made of aluminum with good thermal conductivity 8, and a heating element 9 composed of a ferromagnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel is joined to the bottom from the lower part of the side of the outer surface of the main material 8. In addition, from the lower part of the side surface of the pot 5 to the outer surface of the inner frame 7 facing the bottom surface, a heating coil 11 is provided as a heating mechanism for electromagnetic induction heating of the heating element 9 of the pot 5. Moreover, it is configured such that when a high-frequency current is supplied to the heating coil 11, the heating element 9 of the pot 5 generates heat due to the alternating magnetic field generated from the heating coil 11, thereby heating the cooking ingredients in the pot 5 during cooking and keeping warm. In addition, the pot sensor 12 as a pot temperature detection mechanism is elastically in contact with the bottom surface of the outer surface of the pot 5 at the central part of the bottom of the inner frame 7.

[0030] On the upper surface part of the lid body 2, a steam port 14 for discharging the steam generated from the cooked food in the pot 5 to the outside of the rice cooker 100 is formed. In addition, a lid body operation body 15 as an opening / closing mechanism is disposed in a exposed state in front of the upper surface part of the lid body 2.

[0031] On the upper surface part of the lid body 2, in addition to the steam port 14 or the lid body operation body 15, a display operation unit 17 is also provided. The display operation unit 17 is mainly configured to include: a display mechanism 18 for displaying various information related to cooking, and is composed of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display); an operation mechanism 19 composed of a push-type switch or the like for starting cooking or selecting a cooking process; and a control PC (Printed Circuit) board 20 on which a control IC (not shown) for controlling each part of the above display mechanism 18, operation mechanism 19, and display operation unit 17 is mounted. In addition, an operation panel 21 for protecting the above display mechanism 18, operation mechanism 19, or control PC board 20 is disposed above the display operation unit 17.

[0032] The lid body 2 is configured to have: an outer lid 22, which is an appearance component; and an outer lid cover 23, which is formed below the outer lid 22. A heat dissipation plate 24 made of metal for acid and corrosion resistance of stainless steel or aluminum is provided on the outer lid cover 23. An inner lid assembly 25 as a lower part component of the lid body 2 is disposed on the lower side of the lid body 2. The inner lid assembly 25 includes: an inner lid 26, which is made of a disk-shaped metal material having a diameter substantially the same as that of the upper opening of the pot 5 and covers the upper opening of the pot 5; and a lid gasket 27 as an elastic component, which is provided on the entire outer circumference of the inner lid 26 to seal between the inner lid 26 and the pot 5. As Figure 1As shown, when closing the lid 2, the annular lid gasket 27 abuts against the flange 28 that is the upper surface portion of the pot 5 or the inner surface of the upper end portion of the pot 5, sealing the gap between the pot 5 and the inner lid 26, and enabling the steam generated from the pot 5 to be sealed. The inner lid 26 made of a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum that has been acid and corrosion resistant is disposed outside the heat dissipation plate 24.

[0033] Inside the lid 2, there are respectively provided: a lid heater 31 as a lid heating mechanism that heats the inner lid 26; a thermistor type lid temperature sensor 32 that is used for temperature management of the inner lid 26 based on the above-mentioned lid heater 31; and a pressure regulating portion 33 that is used for adjusting the pressure in the space inside the pot 5. Moreover, inside the lid 2, there is formed a steam discharge path 34 that connects the steam port 14 and the pressure regulating portion 33 as a path for releasing the steam generated inside the pot 5 to the outside.

[0034] In the pressure regulating portion 33, there is provided a pressure regulating valve 35 that opens and closes the steam discharge path 34 between the inside of the pot 5 and the steam port 14. The pressure regulating valve 35 is linked with a solenoid 36 provided inside the lid 2, and the solenoid 36 moves the pressure regulating valve 35 up and down in the following manner: when releasing the steam inside the pot 5 to the outside, the steam discharge path 34 is opened, and when making the inside of the pot 5 in a pressurized or depressurized state, the steam discharge path 34 is closed. Moreover, it is formed into the following structure: during pressurization, the cooking ingredients inside the pot 5 are heated by high-frequency energization of the heating coil 11, the cooking ingredients boil and generate steam, and if the internal pressure of the pot 5 reaches a specified value due to the steam filling the inside of the pot 5, the spring 37 provided inside the pressure regulating valve 35 will be overcome and the spring 37 will contract upward, the pressure regulating valve 35 will move upward and the steam discharge path 34 will be opened, thereby maintaining the pressure inside the pot 5 above atmospheric pressure.

[0035] 38 is a heating substrate assembly that is disposed inside the main body 1 and is unitized including a heating control mechanism 39. In order to perform electrical control on various parts of the rice cooker 100 in combination with the display operation unit 17, the heating control mechanism 39 is configured to include: control ICs such as a CPU, a memory that can store various information or data and can perform reading and writing, or a microcomputer (microprocessor) that has a timer capable of measuring the time related to cooking rice, etc., and performs electrical control on various parts of the rice cooker 100. Specifically, the heating substrate assembly 38 is connected to the display operation unit 17, the heating control mechanism 39 receives each temperature monitoring signal from the pot sensor 12 or the lid temperature sensor 32, outputs heating control signals to the heating coil 11 or the lid heater 31 respectively, and outputs a drive control signal to the solenoid 36 that makes the pressure regulating valve 35 act.

[0036] Reference numeral 41 denotes a hinge portion which includes a hinge shaft 42 provided at the lower rear of the lid body 2 and a hinge spring 43 formed of a coil spring or the like and provided at the upper rear of the main body 1. Further, it is configured such that when the lid body operating body 14 provided on the front upper surface of the lid body 2 is pressed, the engagement between the main body 1 and the lid body 2 is released, and the lid body 2 is opened about the hinge shaft 42 by the hinge spring 43.

[0037] In addition, a hinge cover 44 is attached to the rear of the hinge portion 41, and the hinge cover 44 is configured to be coplanar with the outer frame 3 and the outer lid 22. Thus, the outer frame 3, the outer lid 22, and the hinge cover 44 form the outer shape of the rice cooker 100.

[0038] The hinge shaft 42 pivotally supports the main body 1 and the lid body 2 so as to be openable and closable, and the hinge spring 43 abuts against the outer lid cover 23 and constantly biases the lid body 2 in the opening direction. On the substantially opposite side of the hinge shaft 42 which is the rotation center of the lid body 2, there is disposed a clamping member 45 linked to the lid body operating body 14, and the clamping member 45 is pivotally supported by the outer lid cover 23 via a clamping shaft 46. Further, on the outer frame 3 and on the substantially opposite side of the hinge portion 31, there is provided a clamping member support portion 47 which is a support portion that engages with the clamping member 45 (see Figure 3 ).

[0039] The clamping member 45 provided on the lid body 2 rotates about the clamping shaft 46 as a central axis and engages with the clamping member support portion 47 provided on the main body 1. The main body 1 and the lid body 2 are held in a closed state by the engagement between the clamping member 45 and the clamping member support portion 47. On the other hand, when the lid body 2 is opened, the lid body operating body 15 is pressed to rotate the clamping member 45 in the opposite direction, thereby releasing the engagement between the clamping member 45 and the clamping member support portion 47.

[0040] Reference numeral 48 denotes a decompression mechanism for making the inside of the pot 5 lower than the normal atmospheric pressure when the lid body 2 is closed on the main body 1. The decompression mechanism 48 is configured such that after the pot 5 is housed in the pot housing portion 4 and the lid body 2 is closed, a solenoid 36 is energized to move a pressure regulating valve 35 downward, and the internal pressure of the sealed pot 5 is reduced while the steam discharge path 34 is closed. Further, when the pressure inside the pot 5 is lower than the atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the operation of a decompression pump 49 which is the operation source of the decompression mechanism 48 is stopped, and the inside of the inner pot 1 is maintained in a decompressed state. Also, when the inside of the pot 5 is restored from the decompressed state to the pressure equal to the external atmosphere, the operation of the decompression pump 49 is stopped, and a path (not shown) that connects the decompression pump 49 and the inside of the pot 5 is opened. That is, the decompression mechanism 48 is configured to also serve as a pressure recovery mechanism for restoring the inside of the pot 5 from the decompressed state to the pressure equal to the external atmosphere.

[0041] Here, the lid gasket 27 will be described in detail. As Figures 4 to 8 shown, the lid gasket 27 is integrally formed with: a base portion 52, which is formed in an annular shape and is mounted on the gasket base 51; an upper piece portion 54, which extends substantially horizontally outward from the base portion 52 and abuts against the upper surface portion 53 of the flange 28 of the pot 5; and a lower piece portion 56, which extends downward from the base portion 52 and abuts against the inner surface portion 55 of the pot 5. The outer diameter L1 of the lower piece portion 56 is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter L2 of the lower piece portion 156 of the lid gasket 127 of the conventional rice cooker described later.

[0042] Protrusion portions 58 are formed over the entire circumference on the upper surface portion 57 of the upper piece portion 54. In addition, a groove portion 59 is formed over the entire circumference on the gasket base 51 formed in an approximately annular shape. When the inside of the pot 5 becomes a decompressed state, the inner lid assembly 25 is pulled downward, and the upper piece portion 54 is clamped between the upper surface portion 53 of the pot 5 and the gasket base 51. At this time, the protrusion portions 58 are caught by the groove portion 59, and it is possible to prevent the lid gasket 27 from being pulled into the pot 5 by more than the required amount in the inner direction.

[0043] As Figure 7 shown, when no external force is applied to the upper piece portion 54, the upper piece portion 54 extends slightly downwardly inclined compared to the horizontal state. On the other hand, when no external force is applied to the lower piece portion 56, the lower piece portion 56 extends straight downward.

[0044] When the lid 2 is closed, as Figure 8 shown, when the upper piece portion 54 abuts against the upper surface portion 53 of the pot 5 and an upward external force is applied to the upper piece portion 54, the thin wall portion 60, which is the connecting portion between the base portion 52, the upper piece portion 54, and the lower piece portion 56, will elastically deform. The upper piece portion 54 is more inclined upward compared to the horizontal state, and the lower piece portion 56 also approaches and abuts against the inner surface portion 55 of the pot 5. Thereby, the lid gasket 27 is hermetically sealed to the pot 5.

[0045] Next, the holding mechanism (the clamping member 45 and the clamping member support portion 47) that is held by the main body 1 in the state where the lid 2 is closed will be described. The clamping member 45 is formed of a metal material and, as Figure 3 shown, has: a pair of left and right locking portions 61A, 61B. At the lower end portions of the locking portions 61A, 61B, locking claw portions 62A, 62B that are bent backward are formed.

[0046] The clamping member support portion 47 is formed of a synthetic resin and, as Figure 3 、 Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, there are inclined faces 63A and 63B that are inclined in such a way that the lower side is located in a position more forward than the upper side. In the substantially central portion in the left-right direction of the inclined faces 63A and 63B, narrow guide ribs 64A and 64B are formed. The guide ribs 64A and 64B slightly protrude from the inclined faces 63A and 63B, and extend from the upper end portions 65A and 65B of the inclined faces 63A and 63B to the lower surface portions 66A and 66B of the holder support portion 47.

[0047] The holder support portion 47 has, on the lower surface portions 66A and 66B, plate-shaped locking plates 67A and 67B formed of a metallic material. As Figure 10 shown, the cover body 2 is held in the closed state by locking claws 62A and 62B being locked to the locking plates 67A and 67B. In the front end portions 68A and 68B of the locking plates 67A and 67B, recessed portions 69A and 69B that are recessed rearward are formed. In the recessed portions 69A and 69B, the front surface portions 70A and 70B and the lower surface portions 71A and 71B of the guide ribs 64A and 64B are disposed.

[0048] The front surface portions 70A and 70B of the guide ribs 64A and 64B slightly protrude forward compared to the front end portions 68A and 68B of the locking plates 67A and 67B. Further, the lower surface portions 71A and 71B of the guide ribs 64A and 64B slightly protrude downward compared to the lower surface portions 72A and 72B of the locking plates 67A and 67B.

[0049] If the user closes the cover body 2, the locking claws 62A and 62B come into contact with the guide ribs 64A and 64B. If the cover body 2 is further pressed down to close it, the locking claws 62A and 62B slide on the sliding surface portions 72A and 72B, the front surface portions 70A and 70B, and the lower surface portions 71A and 71B of the guide ribs 64A and 64B, and are locked to the lower surface portions 72A and 72B of the locking plates 67A and 67B. Although the locking claws 62A and 62B contact the locking plates 67A and 67B when the cover body 2 is completely closed, during the opening and closing operation of the cover body 2, they do not contact portions of the holder support portion 47 other than the guide ribs 64A and 64B. The guide ribs 64A and 64B are formed of a synthetic resin and are formed with a smaller width compared to the lateral width of the holder support portion 47, thereby reducing the resistance between the locking claws 62A and 62B and the guide ribs 64A and 64B.

[0050] Figures 11 to 13The inner lid assembly 125 of an existing rice cooker (not shown) is illustrated. The lid gasket 127 that constitutes the inner lid assembly 125 is formed in an annular shape and is integrally formed with: a base portion 152, which is formed in an annular shape and is engaged with a gasket base 151 of the inner lid 126; an upper piece portion 154, which extends obliquely upward in an outward direction from the base portion 152 and is bent to extend downward; and a lower piece portion 156, which extends downward from the base portion 152 and abuts against an inner surface portion 155 of the pot 105.

[0051] At the lower part of the gasket base 151, a protrusion portion 158 is formed over the entire circumference. When the lid body (not shown) is closed and the upper surface portion 153 of the flange 128 of the pot 105 and the gasket base 151 clamp the upper piece portion 154, the protrusion portion 158 presses the upper piece portion 154, and it is possible to prevent the lid gasket 127 from being pulled into the pot 105 in the inner direction. However, the lid gasket 127 is formed thin, such as from silicone rubber, and the portion pressed by the protrusion portion 158 may deteriorate and be damaged due to long-term use.

[0052] As Figure 12 shown, when no external force is applied to the upper piece portion 154, the end side of the upper piece portion 154 extends obliquely downward. On the other hand, when no external force is applied to the lower piece portion 156, the lower piece portion 156 extends straight downward.

[0053] When the lid body 2 is closed, as Figure 13 shown, the upper piece portion 154 abuts against the upper surface portion 153 of the pot 105. If an upward external force is applied to the upper piece portion 154, a thin wall portion 160, which is a connecting portion between the base portion 152, the upper piece portion 154, and the lower piece portion 156, will elastically deform. The upper piece portion 154 tilts upward, and the lower piece portion 156 also approaches and abuts against the inner surface portion 155 of the pot 105.

[0054] Figure 14 The relationship between the lower piece portion 56 of the lid gasket 27 and the pot 5 during the operation of closing the lid body 2 is shown in comparison with an existing rice cooker. Since the thermal expansion amount of the lid gasket 27 also has an impact, the relationship during cooling and during warming is also shown. Cooling refers to the state where the rice cooker 100 is at room temperature, and warming refers to the state where the rice cooker is at a high temperature, such as just after cooking rice or during warming.

[0055] In the present embodiment, when the lid body 2 is closed and in a state where the locking claw portions 62A, 62B of the clamping member 45 are in contact with the guide ribs 64A, 64B (I), during cooling and during warming, the lower piece portion 56 does not abut against the pot 5, and thus does not elastically deform. As a result, no resistance is generated in the lower piece portion 56 with respect to the force for closing the lid body 2 (the force for pressing down the lid body 2).

[0056] Regarding the existing rice cooker, in the state of (I), during cooling, the lower piece portion 156 does not contact the pot 105, and during warming, the lower piece portion 156 contacts the pot 105. However, the lower piece portion 156 does not undergo elastic deformation, and the lower piece portion 156 does not generate a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body (not shown) (the force for pressing down the lid body).

[0057] In the present embodiment, when the lid body 2 is further closed and in the state of (II) where the locking claw portions 62A and 62B slide on the sliding surface portions 73A and 73B, during cooling and warming, the lower piece portion 56 does not contact the pot 5, and thus, no elastic deformation occurs. As a result, the lower piece portion 56 does not generate a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body 2.

[0058] Regarding the existing rice cooker, in the state of (II), during cooling, the lower piece portion 156 contacts the pot 105 but does not undergo elastic deformation. During warming, the lower piece portion 156 contacts the pot 105 and undergoes elastic deformation. Therefore, during cooling, the lower piece portion 156 does not generate a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body, but during warming, the lower piece portion 156 rubs against the pot 105 and generates a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body.

[0059] In the present embodiment, when the lid body 2 is further closed and in the state of (III) where the locking claw portions 62A and 62B contact the front surface portions 70A and 70B, the force applied to the clamping member 45 from the clamping member support portion 47 is the largest, and the maximum force is required to close the lid body 2. In this state, during cooling, although the lower piece portion 56 does not contact the pot 5, during warming, the lower piece portion 56 contacts the pot 5. However, the lower piece portion 56 does not undergo elastic deformation, and thus, the lower piece portion 56 does not generate a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body 2.

[0060] Regarding the existing rice cooker, in the state of (III), during cooling and warming, the lower piece portion 156 contacts the pot 105 and undergoes elastic deformation. Therefore, during cooling and warming, the lower piece portion 156 generates a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body.

[0061] In the present embodiment, in the state of (IV) where the lid body 2 is completely closed, during cooling, the lower piece portion 56 contacts the pot 5 but does not undergo elastic deformation. On the other hand, during warming, the lower piece portion 56 contacts the pot 5 and undergoes elastic deformation. Therefore, during cooling, the lower piece portion 56 does not generate a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body 2, but during warming, the lower piece portion 56 generates a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body 2.

[0062] Regarding the existing rice cooker, in the state of (IV), during cooling and warming, the lower piece portion 156 abuts against the pot 105 and undergoes elastic deformation. Therefore, during cooling and warming, the lower piece portion 156 generates a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body.

[0063] In this way, the lower piece portion 56 of the lid gasket 27 of the present embodiment is designed such that no resistance force is generated relative to the force for closing the lid body 2 from the start of closing the lid body 2 until it is completely closed. That is, even in the state of (III) where the maximum force is required to close the lid body 2, the lower piece portion 56 does not generate a resistance force relative to the force for closing the lid body 2. Moreover, in the state where the lid body 2 is completely closed, the lower piece portion 56 reliably abuts against the inner surface portion 55 of the pot 5.

[0064] As described above, the rice cooker 100 of the present embodiment includes: a main body 1 that houses the pot 5; a lid body 2; and an inner lid assembly 25 disposed between the lid body 2 and the pot 5. The inner lid assembly 25 has: a lid gasket 27 that is in close contact with the pot 5; and a gasket base 51 for mounting the lid gasket 27. The lid gasket 27 has: an upper piece portion 54 that is in close contact with the upper surface portion 53 of the pot 5. A protrusion portion 58 is formed on the upper piece portion 54, and a groove portion 59 is formed on the gasket base 51. When the lid body 2 is in the closed state, the upper piece portion 54 is clamped between the upper surface portion 53 and the gasket base 51, and the protrusion portion 58 is engaged with the groove portion 59. Therefore, when the inside of the pot 5 is depressurized in the state where the lid body 2 is in the closed state, the engagement of the protrusion portion 58 and the groove portion 59 can prevent the lid gasket 27 from being pulled into the pot 5 to an extent exceeding the required level. In addition, the protrusion portion 58 engaged with the groove portion 59 is formed to be thicker than other parts of the upper piece portion 54. Therefore, even if it is pulled by the internal pressure (negative pressure) of the pot 5, it is difficult to deteriorate or be damaged.

[0065] In addition, regarding the rice cooker 100 of the present embodiment, the upper surface portion 53 is formed in an annular shape, and the protrusion portion 58 is formed over the entire circumference. Therefore, the protrusion portion 58 can be engaged with the groove portion 59 regardless of the position in the circumferential direction.

[0066] In addition, regarding the rice cooker 100 of the present embodiment, the gasket base 51 is formed in an approximately annular shape, and the groove portion 59 is formed over the entire circumference. Therefore, the protrusion portion 58 can be engaged with the groove portion 59 over the entire circumference of the gasket base 51.

[0067] In addition, the rice cooker 100 of the present embodiment includes a holding mechanism that holds the lid 2 in a closed state. The holding mechanism has a clip support portion 47 provided on the main body 1 and a clip 45 provided on the lid 2. The clip support portion 47 has synthetic resin guide ribs 64A and 64B, and metal locking plates 67A and 67B disposed below the guide ribs 64A and 64B. The lid gasket 27 has a lower piece portion 56 that is in close contact with the inner surface portion 55 of the pot 5. The clip 45 slides in a state of abutting against the guide ribs 64A and 64B during the closing operation of the lid 2. When the lid 2 is in the closed state, it is locked to the locking plates 67A and 67B. The lower piece portion 56 does not abut against the inner surface portion 55 in an elastically deformed state until the clip 45 is locked to the locking plates 67A and 67B during the closing operation of the lid 2. Therefore, during the operation of closing the lid 2, no resistance is generated due to the friction between the lower piece portion 56 of the lid gasket 27 and the inner surface portion 55 of the pot 5. As a result, compared with the prior art, the lid 2 can be closed with a smaller force.

[0068] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. The present invention is established based on the relationship between the pot, the lid gasket, the clip, and the clip support portion. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately change the appearance components (outer frame, outer lid) not related to the above structure, the shape of the display operation unit, and the like.

Claims

1. An electric rice cooker, characterized in that: The electric rice cooker comprises: a main body for housing a pot; a cover; and an inner cover assembly disposed between the cover and the pot. The inner cover assembly comprises: a cover gasket which is in close contact with the pot; and a gasket base for mounting the cover gasket, The lid gasket comprises: an upper sheet portion in close contact with the upper surface of the pot; A protrusion is formed on the upper sheet portion, A groove portion is formed in the pad base, When the cover is in a closed state, the upper piece is sandwiched by the upper surface and the cushion base, and the protrusion is locked in the groove.

2. The electric rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface portion is formed in a circular ring shape, The protrusion is formed over the entire circumference.

3. The electric rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gasket base is formed into a substantially circular ring shape, The groove portion is formed over the entire circumference.

4. The electric rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric rice cooker comprises: a holding mechanism for holding the lid in a closed state; The holding mechanism comprises: a supporting portion provided on the main body; and a clamping member provided on the cover body. The support portion includes: a guide rib made of synthetic resin; and a metal stopper plate disposed on the lower side of the guide rib. The lid gasket comprises: a lower sheet portion in close contact with the inner surface of the pot; The clamp slides in contact with the guide rib during the closing operation of the cover, and is locked to the locking plate when the cover is in the closed state. The lower piece portion does not come into contact with the inner surface portion in an elastically deformed state until the clip is locked to the locking plate during the closing operation of the cover.

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