Material box and cooking utensil

Abstract

The invention discloses a material box and a cooking utensil, the material box comprises a lifting channel and a feeding bin, and a cleaning opening is formed in the wall body of the lifting channel; the feeding bin is arranged in the lifting channel and ascends and descends between a feeding position and a receiving position located on the lower side of the feeding position so that feeding can be achieved, the feeding bin is provided with a cleaning position and can move to the cleaning position, and the feeding bin corresponds to the cleaning opening when located at the cleaning position so that the interior of the feeding bin can be cleaned through the cleaning opening. According to the cooking utensil, materials are conveyed through the movable feeding bin, the movement space of the feeding bin is an independent space in the material box, so that the feeding bin is hidden in the material box, the outer structure of the cooking utensil is simple, the overall appearance is better, and the outer appearance of a product is improved; and the interior of the feeding bin hidden in the material box can be cleaned through the cleaning opening, for example, the interior is scrubbed with tools or washed with water, so that residual materials are prevented from mildewing and growing insects after being used for a long time, and the use experience of a user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, and more particularly to a material box and a cooking appliance. Background Art

[0002] Existing automatic cooking appliances are provided with a rice storage container. The rice in the rice storage container can be conveyed to the inner pot through a conveying channel for rice washing; the washed rice is cooked in the inner pot. In some cooking appliances, the rice storage container is located in a rice box, and the rice box is provided outside the pot body and the pot lid. The conveying channel extends between the rice storage container and the pot lid to convey rice to the inner pot. The conveying channel is hidden inside the rice box and cannot be disassembled at any time, which is not convenient for cleaning the inside of the conveying channel. Residual rice will mildew and get infested with insects after a long time.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a material box and a cooking appliance to at least partially solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A series of simplified concepts are introduced in the summary of the invention, which will be further described in detail in the detailed implementation section. The summary of the invention does not mean to attempt to define the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor does it mean to attempt to determine the protection scope of the claimed technical solution.

[0005] To at least partially solve the above problems, the present application provides a material box for a cooking appliance, the material box comprising:

[0006] A lifting channel, the wall of the lifting channel being provided with a cleaning opening; and

[0007] A feeding bin, the feeding bin being disposed in the lifting channel and moving up and down between a feeding position and a receiving position below the feeding position for feeding, and the feeding bin having a cleaning position and being movable to the cleaning position,

[0008] wherein, when the feeding bin is in the cleaning position, it corresponds to the cleaning opening so as to clean the inside of the feeding bin through the cleaning opening.

[0009] According to this solution, the material is conveyed by a movable feeding bin. The movement space of the feeding bin is an independent space inside the material box, so that the feeding bin can be hidden inside the material box. The external structure of the cooking appliance is simple, and the overall appearance is better, improving the external perception of the product; and the inside of the feeding bin hidden inside the material box can be cleaned through the cleaning opening, for example, scrubbed with tools or rinsed with a cleaning agent such as water, avoiding mildew and insect infestation of residual materials after a long time, and improving the user experience.

[0010] Optionally, the lifting channel has a top opening of the channel as a cleaning port. A channel top cover covering the top opening of the channel is provided at the top of the lifting channel, and the channel top cover is detachably or openably / closably arranged. According to this solution, the feeding bin is blocked by the channel top cover and hidden in the channel. After the channel top cover is opened, the inside of the feeding bin can be cleaned to prevent foreign objects from entering the lifting channel and / or the feeding bin when not cleaned.

[0011] Optionally, the lifting channel has a bottom opening of the channel. A channel bottom cover covering the bottom opening of the channel is provided at the bottom of the lifting channel, and the channel bottom cover is detachably or openably / closably arranged. According to this solution, the channel bottom cover can be opened to clean the bottom of the lifting channel and the channel bottom cover, preventing dust and materials dropped during feeding of the feeding bin from accumulating at the bottom.

[0012] Optionally, the feeding bin has a top opening of the feeding bin, and the top opening of the feeding bin is open. According to this solution, it is convenient to clean the inside of the feeding bin via the top opening of the feeding bin.

[0013] Optionally, the feeding bin has a top opening of the feeding bin. A feeding bin cover covering the top opening of the feeding bin is provided at the top of the feeding bin, and the feeding bin cover is detachably or openably / closably arranged. According to this solution, after the feeding bin cover is opened, the inside of the feeding bin can be cleaned to prevent foreign objects from entering the feeding bin when not cleaned.

[0014] Optionally, the material box includes a material box discharging part. The material box discharging part has a channel inlet, a channel outlet, and a discharging channel extending between the channel inlet and the channel outlet, and the material box discharging part moves between an initial position and a discharging position. Among them, when the feeding bin is in the feeding position, it can communicate with the material box discharging part located at the discharging position via the channel inlet. According to this solution, the materials in the material box can be conveyed through the movable material box discharging part, and the movement of the material box discharging part makes it easy to dock with the feeding port such as a pot lid to form a conveying path.

[0015] Optionally, the feeding position serves as a cleaning position, and the feeding bin and the material box discharging part form a cleaning agent flow path at the cleaning position. According to this solution, the inside of the feeding bin and the material box discharging part can be cleaned by flushing with a cleaning agent such as water. Two devices can be rinsed at one time, with higher cleaning efficiency and better cleaning effect.

[0016] Optionally, the feeding bin has an initial position between the material receiving position and the feeding position, and the initial position serves as a cleaning position. According to this solution, the inside of the feeding bin can be cleaned by scrubbing, and the cleaning method is easier to operate.

[0017] Optionally, the feeding bin has an initial position between the material receiving position and the feeding position. The cleaning position is located above the initial position, and the feeding bin moves between the initial position and the cleaning position. According to this solution, the cleaning position can be located at the upper part of the lifting channel, so as to be closer to the cleaning port, facilitating the user to clean the feeding bin.

[0018] Optionally, the feeding bin has a pushing position between the material receiving position and the feeding position. When the feeding bin moves from the pushing position to the feeding position, the feeding bin pushes the discharging part of the material box to move from the initial position to the discharging position. According to this solution, the movement of the feeding bin can be controlled to drive the discharging part of the material box to move to the discharging position, and the discharging part of the material box can be kept at the discharging position during the feeding state, thus facilitating automatic feeding. This can avoid setting an electric driving device for driving the discharging part of the material box, saving the manufacturing cost and the use cost.

[0019] Optionally, a third biasing member is further provided in the material box. The third biasing member is located at the discharging part of the material box, and the third biasing member is arranged to provide a biasing force to the discharging part of the material box so as to keep the discharging part of the material box at the initial position. According to this solution, the biasing force applied by the third biasing member can drive the discharging part of the material box to gradually move to the initial position and stay at the initial position.

[0020] Optionally, the lifting channel is a straight channel extending vertically, and the feeding bin moves up and down along a straight line extending vertically. According to this solution, the movement space of the feeding bin in the material box is small and the moving position can be restricted by the lifting channel, the movement is smoother, the movement path is simpler, and it is convenient to set the structure for moving the feeding bin.

[0021] Optionally, the material box further includes a storage bin. A storage bin outlet is provided at the bottom of the storage bin, and the feeding bin can communicate with the storage bin outlet when it is at the material receiving position. According to this solution, the cooking appliance has the function of storing materials, and the feeding bin is used to realize the material transfer from the storage bin to the discharging part of the material box.

[0022] Optionally, a storage bin outlet and a first closing member for closing the storage bin outlet are provided at the bottom of the storage bin. The first closing member moves between a closed position for blocking the storage bin outlet and an open position for opening the storage bin outlet. The feeding bin has a first triggering position between the material receiving position and the feeding position. When the feeding bin moves from the first triggering position to the material receiving position, it pushes the first closing member to move from the closed position to the open position. According to this solution, the movement of the feeding bin can be controlled to drive the first closing member to open the storage bin outlet, and the first closing member can be kept at the open position during the material receiving state, so that the storage bin outlet is in an open state, facilitating automatic material receiving. This can avoid setting an electric driving device for driving the first closing member, saving the manufacturing cost and the use cost.

[0023] Optionally, a first biasing member is provided inside the bin. The first biasing member is located on the lower side of the storage bin and is configured to provide a biasing force to the first closing member so as to keep the first closing member in the closed position. According to this solution, during the process of the feeding bin receiving materials and rising, the biasing force applied by the first biasing member can drive the first closing member to gradually move to the closed position, and the outlet of the storage bin is gradually blocked by the first closing member while the feeding bin is rising, avoiding the leakage of materials. Moreover, the first biasing member keeps the first closing member in the closed position, making the outlet of the storage bin in a normally closed state.

[0024] Optionally, the bottom of the feeding bin is provided with a feeding bin outlet and a second closing member for closing the feeding bin outlet. The second closing member moves between a closed position for closing the feeding bin outlet and an open position for opening the feeding bin outlet. The feeding bin has a second triggering position between the material receiving position and the feeding position. Among them, when the feeding bin moves from the second triggering position to the feeding position, it pushes the second closing member to move from the closed position to the open position. According to this solution, the movement of the feeding bin can be controlled to drive the second closing member to open the feeding bin outlet, and the second closing member is kept in the open position during the feeding state, so that the feeding bin outlet is in the open state, facilitating automatic feeding. This can avoid setting an electric driving device for driving the second closing member to move, saving the manufacturing cost and usage cost.

[0025] Optionally, a second biasing member is provided inside the bin. The second biasing member is located at the feeding bin and is configured to provide a biasing force to the second closing member so as to keep the second closing member in the closed position. According to this solution, during the process of the feeding bin feeding materials and descending, the biasing force applied by the second biasing member can drive the second closing member to gradually move to the closed position, and the feeding bin outlet is gradually blocked by the second closing member while the feeding bin is descending, avoiding the leakage of materials. Moreover, the second biasing member keeps the second closing member in the closed position, making the feeding bin outlet in a normally closed state.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present application, a cooking appliance is provided. The cooking appliance includes a pot body assembly and a bin according to any one of the above aspects. The pot body assembly includes a pot body and a pot lid. The bin is provided with a discharge port, and the bin supplies materials to the pot body assembly via the discharge port.

[0027] Optionally, the pot lid has a feeding port. The discharge port is docked with the feeding port when the pot lid is closed. Inside the pot lid, there is a washing bin with a feeding port and a feeding device. The bin transports materials from the discharge port to the feeding port, and the feeding device is used to transport the materials entering from the feeding port to the feeding port. Thus, the pot lid has a washing function, materials can be transported from the bin to the washing bin inside the pot lid, and the bin will only feed materials when the pot lid is closed.

[0028] Optionally, the feeding device is provided with a movable feeding assembly. Thus, the conveyance of materials can be achieved through mechanical transmission, and the conveyance efficiency is higher.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a cooking appliance, which includes a pot body assembly, the material box according to some of the above aspects, and a control unit. The control unit has a cleaning mode and is configured to control the feeding bin to move from an initial position to a cleaning position in the cleaning mode and control the feeding bin to return to the initial position after receiving a user input indicating that the cleaning is completed. According to this solution, the user can select the cleaning mode to control the feeding bin to move to the cleaning position for cleaning the feeding bin, and input an instruction after the cleaning is completed to automatically return the feeding bin to the initial position.

[0030] According to another aspect of the present application, there is provided a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance includes a pot body assembly and the material box according to the above specific aspect. The material box is provided with a discharge port, and the material box feeds materials to the pot body assembly through the discharge port. The pot body assembly includes a pot body with an inner pot and a pot lid. The inner pot is removably placed in the pot body. When the pot lid is opened, a cleaning agent flow path is formed between the discharge part of the material box at the discharge position and the inner pot or an external container. According to this solution, the inside of the feeding bin and the discharge part of the material box are rinsed with a cleaning agent such as water, and the sewage generated by the rinsing can flow into the inner pot or the external container, and then the inner pot and the sewage in the external container are taken out and poured.

[0031] Optionally, the cooking appliance further includes a control unit, a first position detection device for detecting the position of the pot lid, and a second position detection device for detecting the position of the inner pot or the external container. The control unit has a cleaning mode and is configured to, in the cleaning mode, control the feeding bin to move to the cleaning position according to the in-place signal of the pot lid detected by the first position detection device when the pot lid is opened and the in-place signal of the inner pot or the external container detected by the second position detection device. According to this solution, in the cleaning mode, it is necessary to first confirm that the pot lid has been opened and the inner pot or the external container is in place, and then move the feeding bin to ensure that the sewage flows smoothly into the inner pot or the external container during cleaning. Description of the Drawings

[0032] The following drawings of the present application are used as part of the present application to understand the present application. The embodiments and descriptions of the present application are shown in the drawings to explain the principles of the present application.

[0033] In the drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cooking appliance according to the present application, where the pot lid is in a closed position;

[0035] Figure 2 is Figure 1Another perspective view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the lid is in the open position;

[0036] Figure 3 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feeding bin is in the initial position;

[0037] Figure 4 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feeding bin is in the receiving position;

[0038] Figure 5 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feeding bin is in the rising position near the receiving position;

[0039] Figure 6 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feeding bin is in the pushing position near the feeding position and the discharging part of the material box is in the initial position;

[0040] Figure 7 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feeding bin is in the feeding position and the discharging part of the material box is in the discharging position;

[0041] Figure 8 is Figure 1 A perspective exploded view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the lid is in the open position;

[0042] Figure 9 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a part of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feeding bin is in the first triggering position;

[0043] Figure 10 is Figure 4 An enlarged view of part C in the figure;

[0044] Figure 11 is Figure 3 A perspective view of the feeding bin shown in the figure;

[0045] Figure 12 is Figure 3 An enlarged view of part A in the figure;

[0046] Figure 13 is Figure 3 An enlarged view of part B in the figure;

[0047] Figure 14 is Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a part of the cooking appliance shown in the figure;

[0048] Figure 15 is Figure 1Exploded perspective view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure.

[0049] Figure 16 is Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of a part of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feed bin is in the actuated position;

[0050] Figure 17 is Figure 7 Enlarged view of part D in the figure;

[0051] Figure 18 is Figure 3 Perspective view of the feed bin shown in the figure;

[0052] Figure 19 is Figure 3 Exploded perspective view of the feed bin shown in the figure;

[0053] Figure 20 is Figure 3 Perspective cross-sectional view of the feed bin shown in the figure;

[0054] Figure 21 is Figure 6 Enlarged view of part E in the figure;

[0055] Figure 22 is Figure 6 Perspective view of the discharge part of the feed box shown in the figure;

[0056] Figure 23 is Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of a part of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the discharge part of the feed box is in the initial position;

[0057] Figure 24 is Figure 1 Perspective view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the feed box cover and the channel top cover are separated;

[0058] Figure 25 is Figure 1 Perspective view of the cooking appliance shown in the figure, where the channel bottom cover is separated.

[0059] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0060] 1 Cooking appliance 2 Pot body assembly

[0061] 3 Pot body 4 Inner pot

[0062] 5 Pot lid 6 Heating device

[0063] 7 Feed inlet 8 Pot lid main body

[0064] 9 Removable lid 10 Positioning groove

[0065] 11 Positioning post 12 Material washing device

[0066] 13 Washing material bin 14 Discharge port

[0067] 15 Washing material bin body 16 Washing material bin cover

[0068] 17 Stirring part 18 Feeding port

[0069] 19 Top cover 20 Docking port

[0070] 21 Driving part 22 Material box

[0071] 23 Discharge outlet 24 Storage bin

[0072] 25 Storage bin outlet 26 Feeding bin

[0073] 27 Feeding bin inlet 28 Feeding bin outlet

[0074] 29 Material box housing 30 Screw drive mechanism

[0075] 31 Screw 32 Screw drive equipment

[0076] 33 Material box discharge part 34 Conveying device

[0077] 35 Device main body 36 Conveying component

[0078] 37 Conveyor belt 38 Clean water tank

[0079] 39 Sewage tank 41 Sewage discharge pipe

[0080] 42 Sewage outlet 43 Sewage inlet

[0081] 44 Material box cover 45 First sealing part

[0082] 46 Storage bin side wall 47 First offset member

[0083] 48 First pushing part 49 First feeding bin side wall

[0084] 50 Screw hole 51 Mounting part

[0085] 52 First mounting seat 53 Gear

[0086] 54 Lifting channel 55 Rib

[0087] 56 Groove 57 Vertical groove

[0088] 58 Position detection device 59 Material box base

[0089] 60 Channel top cover 61 Second sealing part

[0090] 62 Second offset member 63 Second pushing part

[0091] 64 Second feeding bin side wall 65 Second mounting seat

[0092] 66 Feeding bin cover 67 Notch

[0093] 68 Slide groove 69 Sliding part

[0094] 70 Mounting part 71 Mounting hole

[0095] 72 Side boss 73 Boss end face

[0096] 74 Side of feeding bin 75 Fixed wall

[0097] 76 Position-limiting rib 77 Position-limiting groove

[0098] 78 Pushing surface 80 Discharge channel

[0099] 81 Channel entrance 82 Channel exit

[0100] 83 Third offset member 84 Support side wall

[0101] 85 Side opening of channel 86 Position-limiting wall

[0102] 87 Fixed seat 88 Convex arm

[0103] 89 Guide hole 90 Guide post

[0104] 91 Third mounting seat 92 Side opening of material box

[0105] 93 Top opening of channel 94 Bottom opening of channel

[0106] 95 Bottom cover of channel 96 Top opening of feeding bin Detailed implementation mode

[0107] In the following description, a large number of specific details are given to provide a more thorough understanding of the present application. However, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present application can be implemented without one or more of these details. In other examples, in order to avoid confusion with the present application, some well-known technical features are not described.

[0108] In order to thoroughly understand the present application, a detailed description will be presented in the following. Obviously, the implementation of the embodiments of the present application is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art. The preferred embodiments of the present application are described in detail as follows. However, in addition to these detailed descriptions, the present application may also have other embodiments.

[0109] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms are also intended to include the plural forms. In addition, it should also be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0110] Ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" cited in the present application are merely identifiers and do not have any other meanings, such as a specific order, etc. Moreover, for example, the term "first component" does not imply the existence of a "second component" by itself, and the term "second component" does not imply the existence of a "first component" by itself.

[0111] It should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "inner", "outer" and similar expressions used herein are only for illustrative purposes and are not restrictive.

[0112] Now, the exemplary embodiments according to the present application will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited only to the embodiments set forth herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the present application is thorough and complete, and the concepts of these exemplary embodiments are fully conveyed to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0113] The present application provides a cooking appliance 1, which is a fully automatic cooking device and can realize various functions such as storing materials, storing clean water, washing materials, storing sewage, cooking, etc. The user can easily complete the entire rice cooking process by operating the buttons on the cooking appliance 1 or remotely operating the cooking appliance 1 through a remote device such as a mobile phone.

[0114] The cooking appliance 1 of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0115] As Figures 1 to 7 shown, the cooking appliance 1 includes a pot body assembly 2. The pot body assembly 2 includes a pot body 3, an inner pot 4 disposed in the pot body 3, and a pot lid 5 covering the pot body 3. The inner pot 4 is removably placed in the pot body 3. The pot lid 5 is pivotally provided on the pot body 3. Specifically, it is pivotally connected to the pot body 3 through a pivot shaft and can freely pivot between a closed position and an open position relative to the pot body 3 about the pivot axis where the pivot shaft is located to facilitate covering and opening of the pot body 3. When the pot lid 5 covers the pot body 3, it covers the inner pot 4 and forms a cooking space with the inner pot 4.

[0116] The pot body 3 is usually provided with a heating device 6 and a power supply module for supplying power to the heating device 6. When the power supply module supplies power to the heating device 6, the heating device 6 can heat the inner pot 4 in the cooker body. In a preferred embodiment, the heating device 6 is electromagnetic heating. Exemplarily, the heating device 6 may include a coil disk and a coil wound around the coil disk, so that when powered on, the heating device 6 can generate heat to heat the inner pot 4. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the heating device 6 can also be configured as other structures, such as electric heating wire heating, etc.

[0117] To achieve automatic material washing, the cooking appliance 1 further includes a material washing device 12. The material washing device 12 can be provided in the pot lid 5. The material washing device 12 includes a material washing bin 13 and a material washing driving device (not shown) located outside the material washing bin 13. The material washing bin 13 includes a material washing bin main body 15 having a discharge port 14, a material washing bin cover 16, and a stirring member 17. The material washing bin main body 15 forms a material washing cavity, and the materials in the material washing cavity are discharged through the discharge port 14 after washing. The material washing bin cover 16 is movably provided in the material washing bin main body 15. Specifically, the material washing bin cover 16 is movable between an open position for opening the discharge port 14 and a closed position for closing the discharge port 14. When the discharge port 14 is opened, the washed materials are automatically discharged into the inner pot 4. The stirring member 17 is connected to the material washing bin cover 16. The stirring member 17 and the material washing bin cover 16 can move together between the open position and the closed position, and the stirring member 17 is rotatable relative to the material washing bin cover 16. That is to say, when the stirring member 17 rotates, the material washing bin cover 16 does not rotate. The material washing driving device is used to drive the stirring member 17 to move and rotate to drive the material washing bin cover 16 to move. Optionally, the material washing driving device is a motor, which can be arranged in the horizontal direction.

[0118] The material washing bin cover 16 is provided with a seal, which forms a seal with the material washing bin main body 15 when it is in the closed position to prevent materials and water from flowing into the inner pot 4. The top of the material washing bin 13 is provided with a feeding port 18. Exemplarily, the material washing bin 13 further includes a top cover 19, and the top cover 19 is provided with the feeding port 18, and the materials to be cleaned enter the material washing cavity through the feeding port 18. For the illustrated embodiment, the top cover 19 is further provided with a transmission structure and a docking member connected to the stirring member 17. The docking member is rotatable and has a docking port 20 (see Figure 8 ), the docking member is at the top cover 19, the transmission structure extends vertically and its top part extends to the top cover 19 for transmission connection with the docking member, and the driving part 21 connected to the material washing driving device can be inserted into the docking port 20. The material washing bin 13 is detachably provided in the pot lid 5 for cleaning the material washing bin 13.

[0119] The cooking device 1 further includes a material box 22, which is located on one side of the pot body assembly 2 in the left-right direction, and materials can be stored in the material box 22. The material box 22 has a discharge port 23, and the pot cover 5 has a feed port 7, and materials can be transported to the washing bin 13 of the pot cover 5 through the discharge port 23 and the feed port 7. The materials can be rice, millet, corn kernels, black beans, red beans, mung beans and other ingredients. Specifically, the material box 22 includes a storage bin 24 and a feeding bin 26, the storage bin 24 is used to store materials, and the feeding bin 26 is used to transport the materials in the storage bin 24 to the discharge port 23 of the material box 22.

[0120] The material box 22 includes a material box shell 29, and the storage bin 24 and the feeding bin 26 are located in the material box shell 29. The bottom of the storage bin 24 is provided with a storage bin outlet 25. The feeding bin 26 is movable and has an initial position (see Figure 3 ), material receiving position (see Figure 4 ) and feeding position (see Figure 7 ). The initial position is between the receiving position and the feeding position. The feeding bin 26 located at the initial position first descends to the receiving position, and then receives and feeds the material. The feeding position is located on the upper side of the receiving position. The feeding bin 26 rises and falls between the receiving position and the feeding position. The feeding bin 26 is connected to the storage bin outlet 25 when it is at the receiving position, and is connected to the discharge port 23 when it is at the feeding position.

[0121] Specifically, a feeding bin inlet 27 is provided at the top of the feeding bin 26, and a feeding bin outlet 28 is provided at the bottom thereof. And the bottom wall of the feeding bin 26 is inclined so that the material can easily flow to the feeding bin outlet 28. Optionally, the feeding bin inlet 27 is in a normally open state, and the feeding bin outlet 28 is in a normally closed state, and is opened only when rice needs to be discharged. The volume of the feeding bin 26 is preset, and the amount of material fed each time is certain, so it has the function of measuring material. The cooking ingredients can be quantitatively measured by setting the number of feeding times of the feeding bin 26. It should be noted that the term "top" used in this article refers to the top part of the device that occupies a certain proportion in the height direction, for example, the top of the feeding bin 26 is not limited to its top wall, but also includes the top part of its side wall; similarly, "bottom" refers to the bottom part of the device that occupies a certain proportion in the height direction, for example, the bottom of the feeding bin 26 is not limited to its bottom wall, but also includes the bottom part of its side wall.

[0122] In order to realize the lifting and lowering of the feeding bin 26, the material box 22 also includes a feeding bin driving mechanism, which is arranged in the material box housing 29. In one embodiment, as shown in the embodiment shown in the figure, the feeding bin driving mechanism is a screw driving mechanism 30, which includes a screw 31 and a screw driving device 32 (see Figure 4)。The screw 31 is arranged vertically and rotates around its own axis. The feeding bin 26 is sleeved on the screw 31 and moves up and down by the rotation of the screw 31. The screw driving device 32 can be located at the bottom or top of the material box 22 and is in transmission connection with one end of the screw 31. Optionally, the screw driving device 32 is a motor, which can be arranged vertically. Alternatively, the feeding bin driving mechanism can be other types of linear driving mechanisms.

[0123] The material box 22 further includes a material box discharging part 33 having a discharging channel 80. The material box discharging part 33 is arranged on the material box housing 29. The discharging port 23 of the material box 22 is formed on the material box discharging part 33. When the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position, it is communicated with the discharging port 23 via the discharging channel 80. The material box discharging part 33 is movable between an initial position (see Figures 3 to 6 ) and a discharging position (see Figure 7 ) where it is docked with the feeding port 7. When the material box discharging part 33 is in the initial position, it is located inside the material box 22, and when in the discharging position, it extends out of the material box 22. The feeding bin 26 can push the material box discharging part 33 to move from the initial position to the discharging position, where Figure 6 shows that when the feeding bin 26 rises to the pushing position, it contacts the material box discharging part 33 located in the initial position.

[0124] In order to convey the material from the feeding port 7 to the washing bin 13, a feeding device 34 and a feeding driving device (not shown) are further provided inside the pot lid 5. The feeding device 34 includes a device main body 35 and a movable feeding component 36. The device main body 35 forms a receiving cavity, and the feeding component 36 is arranged in the receiving cavity; the feeding driving device can be located outside the device main body 35 and is used to drive the feeding component 36 to move. In one example, the feeding component 36 is a belt transmission component, which includes a movable conveyor belt 37. In other examples not shown, the feeding component 36 is a flat push component, which includes a movable push plate; or the feeding component 36 is a screw transmission component, which includes a rotatable screw. Optionally, the feeding driving device is a motor, which can be arranged horizontally.

[0125] Returning to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the cooking appliance 1 further includes a clean water tank 38 and a sewage tank 39. An inlet water passage can be formed between the clean water tank 38 and the washing bin 13, for example, by setting up a water inlet pipeline and a water pump, etc. to form the inlet water passage. The top of the washing bin 13 has a water inlet. Optionally, the water inlet and the material inlet 18 are the same port. When adding water, the water pump can be turned on, and the water in the clean water tank 38 is supplied to the washing bin 13 via the water inlet pipeline, etc. By controlling the opening time of the water pump, the amount of water added is controlled.

[0126] The cooking appliance 1 further includes a sewage tank 39. A drainage passage can be formed between the sewage tank 39 and the material washing bin 13. Specifically, the material washing bin 13 has a sewage discharge port, specifically, the sewage discharge port is opened on the main body 15 of the material washing bin, and the sewage after material washing is discharged from the sewage discharge port. Exemplarily, the pot lid 5 is provided with a sewage discharge pipe 41 communicated with the sewage discharge port of the material washing bin 13, and the sewage outlet 42 of the sewage discharge pipe 41 is located above the sewage inlet 43 of the sewage tank 39 and corresponds to the position of the sewage inlet 43 of the sewage tank 39. The sewage in the material washing bin 13 can flow into the sewage tank 39 through the sewage discharge pipe 41, the sewage outlet 42 of the sewage discharge pipe 41 and the sewage inlet 43 of the sewage tank 39 for collection. The sewage directly flows into the sewage tank 39 under the action of gravity, and no power device such as a drainage pump needs to be provided.

[0127] As Figure 8 shown, the positions of the various devices of the cooking appliance 1 can be arranged such that the pot body assembly 2 is arranged side by side with and connected to the material box 22 in the left-right direction, specifically, the pot body 3 is connected to the material box 22; the clean water tank 38 is arranged side by side with and connected to the material box 22 in the front-rear direction, and the sewage tank 39 is arranged on the pot body 3. For example, the sewage tank 39 is arranged side by side with and connected to the pot body 3 in the front-rear direction. One example is that, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the material box 22 is located on the left side of the pot body assembly 2, the clean water tank 38 is located behind the material box 22, and the sewage tank 39 is located in front of the pot body 3. The cooking appliance 1 of this solution is configured as a whole for easy taking and placing. Both the material box 22 and the clean water tank 38 are higher than the pot lid 5; thus, more height space can be utilized to store materials and clean water, and it is beneficial to utilize the gravity of the materials and / or clean water to convey them to the pot lid 6.

[0128] Optionally, the material box 22 is detachably connected to the pot body 3; thus, the material box 22 can be detached, so that it can be taken to the material source to load materials, which is more convenient to operate; and it is convenient for maintenance and replacement. The clean water tank 38 is detachably installed on the material box 22. Thus, the clean water tank 38 can be detached, so that it can be taken to the water source to inject clean water, which is more convenient to operate; and it is convenient for maintenance and replacement. The sewage tank 39 is detachably installed on the pot body 3. Thus, the sewage tank can be detached, making it easy to pour out the sewage so as to clean the sewage tank 39 after pouring out the sewage.

[0129] Further, as Figure 8As shown, the pot lid 5 includes a pot lid main body 8 and a detachable lid 9 located on the lower side of the pot lid main body 8. The detachable lid 9 is detachably connected to the pot lid main body 8. Thus, when the user desires to clean the detachable lid 9, it can be directly removed, which is simple and convenient. The detachable lid 9 can be sleeved on the material washing bin 13, specifically on the material washing bin main body 15. The detachable lid 9 is provided with positioning grooves 10 at intervals, and the pot lid main body 8 is correspondingly provided with positioning posts 11. Conversely, the pot lid main body 8 can be provided with positioning grooves 10, and the detachable lid 9 can be provided with positioning posts 11. After the detachable lid 9 is installed, the positioning posts 11 are inserted into the positioning grooves 10 to achieve positioning. For example, exemplarily, the number of positioning grooves 10 is three and they are arranged in an annular array. Correspondingly, the number of positioning posts 11 is three and they are arranged in an annular array.

[0130] In a preferred embodiment, the sewage discharge pipe 41 is provided on the detachable lid 9, so that the sewage discharge pipe 41 can be detached from the pot lid 5 together with the detachable lid 9 to facilitate the cleaning of the inside of the sewage discharge pipe 41. The material washing bin 13 can be connected to the detachable lid 9 so as to be detached from the pot lid 5 together with the detachable lid 9. This solution enables the material washing bin 13 to be detached together with the detachable lid 9. It is easier for the user to operate the detachment of the material washing bin 13, and it saves the detachment steps of the components to be cleaned, facilitating the user to clean the material washing bin 13 and avoiding the mildew and insect infestation of the residual materials after a long time.

[0131] For the illustrated embodiment, the sewage discharge pipe 41, the material washing bin 13 and the detachable lid 9 are constructed as an integral part. When the user desires to clean these components, the disassembly of these components can be achieved by one disassembly, which simplifies the disassembly steps and improves the user experience.

[0132] The sewage tank 39 is detachably connected to the pot body 3. For example, the pot body 3 is provided with a base, and the sewage tank 39 is removably seated on the base. A limiting structure that cooperates with each other is provided between the pot body 3 and the sewage tank 39 to make the fixation of the sewage tank 39 more reliable. This solution makes it easy to take the sewage tank 39 to pour the sewage and clean the sewage tank 39. The material box 22 further includes a material box lid 44. The material box housing 29 has a top opening, and the material box lid 44 covers the top opening.

[0133] The cooking appliance 1 further includes a control unit, which can be connected to each electric control device in the cooking appliance 1 to control the actions of these electric control devices. The electric control devices include a screw driving device 32, a feeding driving device, a material washing driving device, a water pump, etc. The cooking appliance 1 also has an operation interface, and optionally a wireless module is further provided. The wireless module can be wirelessly connected to a remote device such as a mobile phone through a wireless network / Bluetooth. The user can set cooking parameters such as the amount of materials and cooking time through the operation interface or the remote device, and automatically start cooking operations such as measuring materials, adding materials, adding water, washing materials, and cooking after pressing the confirmation key. Default parameters can also be set to complete cooking with one key operation.

[0134] Reference Figures 3 to 7 The feeding process of the cooking appliance 1 according to the preferred embodiment will be described:

[0135] As Figure 3 shown, the cooking appliance 1 is in the initial state. At this time, both the pot lid 5 and the washing material bin lid 16 are in the closed position, and both the feeding bin 26 and the material box discharging part 33 are in the initial position. Both the storage bin outlet 25 and the feeding bin outlet 28 are closed.

[0136] When a feeding operation is intended, the screw driving device 32 is started and drives the screw 31 to rotate, so that the feeding bin 26 descends from the initial position to the material receiving position. As Figure 4 shown, the cooking appliance 1 is in the material receiving state, and the feeding bin 26 is in the material receiving position. At this time, the feeding bin inlet 27 is communicated with the storage bin outlet 25, and the material in the storage bin 24 flows into the feeding bin 26. The feeding bin 26 remains at the material receiving position for a predetermined time to ensure that the feeding bin 26 is filled with material. This predetermined time can be determined according to factors such as the effective volume of the feeding bin 26 and the size of the storage bin outlet 25. After the feeding bin 26 is filled, the screw driving device 32 drives the screw 31 to rotate in the reverse direction, so that the feeding bin 26 rises, for example, rises to Figure 5 an ascending position shown, where the feeding bin inlet 27 is located above the storage bin outlet 25, and the storage bin outlet 25 can be closed.

[0137] Continue to drive the feeding bin 26 to rise to Figure 6 the pushing position shown, where the feeding bin 26 contacts the material box discharging part 33, and as the feeding bin 26 continues to rise, it pushes the material box discharging part 33 to move from the initial position to the discharging position. As Figure 7 shown, the cooking appliance 1 is in the discharging state, and the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position. At this time, the feeding bin outlet 28 is communicated with the material box discharging part 33, and the material in the feeding bin 26 is conveyed to the feeding port 7 of the pot lid 5 via the material box discharging part 33. The feeding bin 26 remains at the feeding position for a predetermined time to ensure that the material completely flows out of the feeding bin 26. Then the feeding bin 26 is driven to descend to the initial position, and at the same time the feeding bin outlet 28 is closed, and the material box discharging part 33 can retract to the initial position. If feeding is required again, the above steps can be repeated.

[0138] The material flowing into the cooking appliance 1 from the feeding port 7 of the pot lid 5 falls into the accommodating cavity of the feeding device 34, and the feeding driving device is started and drives the feeding assembly 36, such as the conveyor belt 37, to move. At this time, the cooking appliance 1 is in the feeding state, and the material is conveyed to the washing bin 13 by the feeding assembly 36. When the material is completely fed into the washing bin 13, the feeding driving device is turned off, and the feeding of the material is completed.

[0139] Furthermore, as Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, a first closing member 45 for closing the storage bin outlet 25 is further provided at the bottom of the storage bin 24. The first closing member 45 can move between a closed position for blocking the storage bin outlet 25 and an open position for opening the storage bin outlet 25. The main part of the first closing member 45 is plate-shaped, so it can also be called a baffle. By opening the first closing member 45, the feeding bin 26 can communicate with the storage bin outlet 25 when in the receiving position. In different solutions, when the feeding bin 26 is in the receiving position, the first closing member 45 has different states. One solution is that when the feeding bin 26 is in the receiving position, the first closing member 45 is always in the open state. Another solution is that when the feeding bin 26 is in the receiving position, the first closing member 45 is first in the closed state and then is moved to the open state. Further, when the feeding bin 26 is in the receiving position, there is a time period during which the first closing member 45 is in the open state, so that the feeding bin 26 can communicate with the storage bin outlet 25; where this time period can be the entire time period when the feeding bin 26 is in the receiving position, or a partial time period.

[0140] Specifically, as an example, during the process of the feeding bin 26 moving to the receiving position, the first closing member 45 is simultaneously opened, so that the feeding bin 26 can directly communicate with the storage bin outlet 25. Another example is that at the moment when the feeding bin 26 just moves to the receiving position or for a period of time, the first closing member 45 is not opened; during a time period when the feeding bin 26 remains in the receiving position, the first closing member 45 is opened, so that the feeding bin 26 can communicate with the storage bin outlet 25. For the opening method of the first closing member 45, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the feeding bin 26 can push the first closing member 45 to open, so as to open the storage bin outlet 25 by using the movement of the feeding bin 26. Alternatively, a driver can be provided separately, and the driver pushes the first closing member 45 to open. The following will specifically describe with the illustrated embodiment as an example.

[0141] The feeding bin 26 is provided with a first pushing portion 48 and has a first touching position between the receiving position and the feeding position. Further, the first touching position is located above the receiving position and close to the receiving position. Figure 9 The feeding bin 26 located at the first touching position is shown. When the feeding bin 26 is located at the first touching position, the first pushing portion 48 abuts against the first closing member 45 located at the closed position. When the feeding bin 26 descends from the first touching position to the receiving position, the first pushing portion 48 pushes the first closing member 45 to move from the closed position to the open position to realize the opening of the storage bin outlet 25. When the first closing member 45 is located at the open position, the first pushing portion 48 still abuts against the first closing member 45 to prevent the first closing member 45 from resetting.

[0142] In this embodiment, the movement of the material feeding bin 26 can be controlled to drive the first closing member 45 to open the storage bin outlet 25, and the first closing member 45 can be maintained at the open position in the material receiving state, so that the storage bin outlet 25 is in the open state, facilitating automatic material receiving. After the material receiving is completed, the material feeding bin 26 rises. At this time, the first pushing portion 48 does not provide a thrust force to the first closing member 45, so the first closing member 45 can be reset. In this way, it is possible to avoid providing an electric drive device for driving the movement of the first closing member 45, which saves the manufacturing cost and the usage cost, reduces the number of parts of the cooking appliance 1, simplifies the product structure, saves the installation space, and is beneficial to the miniaturization of the product.

[0143] The storage bin 24 has a storage bin side wall 46 extending in the vertical direction. The storage bin outlet 25 is provided on the storage bin side wall 46. That is to say, the storage bin outlet 25 is an opening arranged in the vertical direction and faces the side where the material feeding bin 26 is located. The first closing member 45 can move in the vertical direction, and the main part of the first closing member 45 can be parallel to the storage bin side wall 46. The open position of the first closing member 45 is located below its closed position. With such a setting, the moving direction of the first closing member 45 can be the same as the moving direction of the material feeding bin 26, and the two can move up and down synchronously, making it easier to open the first closing member 45, and the setting method is simple.

[0144] In the illustrated embodiment, the first closing member 45 is entirely located outside the storage bin outlet 25 on the side facing the material feeding bin 26 and abuts against the storage bin side wall 46. The first closing member 45 can block the storage bin outlet 25 from the outside of the storage bin outlet 25, and the structure of the first closing member 45 is simple, facilitating production and manufacturing. Alternatively, the bottom end of the storage bin outlet 25 is open, and the first closing member 45 includes a blocking portion and a protruding portion connected to each other. The blocking portion extends into the storage bin outlet 25. Further, the blocking portion extends into the storage bin outlet 25 from the bottom end thereof. The protruding portion protrudes from the storage bin side wall 46 toward the side where the material feeding bin 26 is located so as to abut against the first pushing portion 48. The first closing member 45 can block the storage bin outlet 25 within the storage bin outlet 25, and the height position and structure of the protruding portion can be set as needed, with a relatively large degree of design freedom.

[0145] As Figure 11As shown, the feeding bin 26 has a first feeding bin side wall 49 facing the storage bin 24, and the first feeding bin side wall 49 can be parallel to the storage bin side wall 46. The first pushing part 48 extends from the first feeding bin side wall 49 and protrudes towards the storage bin 24. That is to say, the first pushing part 48 is a boss formed on the first feeding bin side wall 49. When the feeding bin 26 is at the first touch position, the receiving position, and between these two positions, the first closing member 45 is located between the first feeding bin side wall 49 and the storage bin side wall 46, and the first pushing part 48 is located on the upper side of the first closing member 45 and abuts against the upper surface of the first closing member 45. The protruding first pushing part 48 can extend horizontally to the position where the first closing member 45 is located. The structure of the feeding bin 26 is simple and convenient for production and manufacturing.

[0146] The first pushing part 48 is arranged at the top of the feeding bin 26, so that the feeding bin inlet 27 is located at the first pushing part 48. In one example, the feeding bin inlet 27 is on the side wall surface of the first pushing part 48 and can face the side where the storage bin 24 is located. Alternatively, the feeding bin inlet 27 is on the upper wall surface of the first pushing part 48 and can face upward. With such a setting, the feeding bin inlet 27 can be closer to the storage bin outlet 25, and a receiving passage is formed between the two to prevent material leakage. In this solution, there is a gap between the side wall surface of the first pushing part 48 and the storage bin side wall 46 to prevent the feeding bin 26 from getting stuck during movement. At the same time, the gap cannot be too large to prevent material leakage from this gap. Optionally, the gap range is 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 1 mm. As described above, the feeding bin 26 is provided with a feeding bin outlet 28 at the bottom. Further, the feeding bin outlet 28 faces away from the side where the storage bin 24 is located. The feeding bin 26 feeds on one side and discharges on the other side in the left-right direction. When the feeding bin 26 is at the receiving position, it is located at the bottom of the material box 22, and the storage bin outlet 25 is higher than the inner bottom surface of the feeding bin 26. Thus, the material can feed into the feeding bin 26 by its own gravity.

[0147] To make the first closing member 45 automatically reset, as Figure 12As shown, a first biasing member 47 is also provided in the material box 22, and the first biasing member 47 is located at the lower side of the storage bin 24 and is connected to the first closure member 45. Specifically, the first closure member 45 is provided with a mounting portion 51, and a first mounting seat 52 is provided at the bottom of the material box 22, and the two ends of the first biasing member 47 are respectively connected to the mounting portion 51 and the first mounting seat 52. The first biasing member 47 can be configured to provide a biasing force to the first closure member 45 so that the first closure member 45 remains in a closed position. When the first closure member 45 is arranged vertically, the first biasing member 47 is also arranged vertically and provides an upward biasing force to the first closure member 45. At this time, the mounting portion 51 protrudes horizontally. Optionally, the first biasing member 47 is a telescopic member such as a spring for providing elastic force. With the help of the first biasing member 47, when the feeding bin 26 completes receiving the material and rises, the biasing force applied by the first biasing member 47 can drive the first closing member 45 to gradually move to the closed position, and the storage bin outlet 25 is gradually blocked by the first closing member 45 while the feeding bin 26 rises, thereby preventing the material from leaking out. In addition, the first biasing member 47 keeps the first closing member 45 in the closed position, so that the storage bin outlet 25 is in a normally closed state.

[0148] As mentioned above, the feeding bin 26 is driven by the screw drive mechanism 30. Figure 11 and Figure 13 As shown, the feeding bin 26 is provided with a screw hole 50. Optionally, the screw hole 50 is close to the side where the feeding bin inlet 27 is located and away from the side where the feeding bin outlet 28 is located. The screw 31 passes through the screw hole 50. The feeding bin 26 has a maximum one-way stroke on the screw 31, and the initial position of the feeding bin 26 is located in the middle of the maximum one-way stroke (see Figure 3 ) or upper end, and avoid the feeding position.

[0149] The transmission structure between the screw drive device 32 and the screw 31 can be a gear 53. For example, the screw 31 is sleeved with a gear 53, and the end of the screw drive device 32 is sleeved with another gear 53, and the two gears 53 are meshed with each other. The position of the storage bin outlet 25 avoids the position corresponding to the screw 31. Two storage bin outlets 25 are shown for example, correspondingly, see Figure 11 The feeding bin inlet 27 corresponds to the storage bin outlet 25 one by one, and the screw 31 is located between the two feeding bin inlets 27 .

[0150] Optionally, the shape of the feeding bin inlet 27 corresponds to the shape of the storage bin outlet 25. The diameter of the feeding bin inlet 27 is larger than the diameter of the storage bin outlet 25; thus, when the feeding bin inlet 27 is docked with the storage bin outlet 25, the material flows out from the small opening and unobstructedly flows into the large opening, and the material discharging is smoother and more efficient. The storage bin outlet 25 includes a straight edge and / or an arc edge, or has a circular edge. The storage bin outlet 25 can be a polygon, such as a rectangle, or a missing circle with an arc edge, or a circle. The length L11 of the straight edge ≥ 5 mm, the arc length L12 of the arc edge ≥ 5 mm, the diameter D1 of the circular edge ≥ 5 mm, and L11, L12, and D1 can be suitable values such as 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, etc. The area S1 of the storage bin outlet 25 ≥ 25 mm 2 , and S1 can be 25 mm 2 , 28 mm 2 , 30 mm 2 , 32 mm 2 , 35 mm 2 and other suitable values. It should be noted that these dimensions define a single storage bin outlet 25.

[0151] As Figure 14 and Figure 15 shown, the material box 22 further includes a lifting channel 54 located inside the material box housing 29. The screw 31 and the feeding bin 26 are both located inside the lifting channel 54, and the feeding bin 26 moves up and down inside the lifting channel 54. The side wall of the lifting channel 54 for forming the storage bin 24 is the storage bin side wall 46. By providing the lifting channel 54, the storage bin 24 can be separated independently, without affecting the lifting of the feeding bin 26, and it is convenient to install the feeding bin 26 and its driving mechanism on the lifting channel 54. The feeding bin 26 moves up and down along a straight line extending vertically, so the lifting channel 54 is a straight channel extending vertically.

[0152] One of the lifting channel 54 and the feeding bin 26 is provided with a rib 55, and one of the lifting channel 54 and the feeding bin 26 is provided with a groove 56, and the rib 55 slides relative to the groove 56. Figure 14 It shows that the lifting channel 54 is provided with a rib 55, and the rib 55 is arranged vertically; correspondingly, the feeding bin 26 is provided with a groove 56, which is also arranged vertically. Exemplarily, the rib 55 is provided on two side walls of the lifting channel 54 in the front-rear direction, and the groove 56 is provided on two side walls of the feeding bin 26 in the front-rear direction. With the cooperation and limitation of the rib 55 and the groove 56, when the screw 31 rotates, the feeding bin 26 remains non-rotating, so that it can perform lifting movement, and the limiting structure is simple, which is convenient for the production and manufacture of the material box 22.

[0153] Figure 14The position of the first biasing member 47 and the screw 31 in the horizontal direction is also shown. The first biasing member 47 is located at the middle of the first closure member 45, corresponding approximately to the position of the screw 31. The side wall 49 of the first feeding bin forms a recess for accommodating the screw 31. The lifting channel 54 is also provided with a vertical groove 57, and both ends of the first closure member 45 are respectively located in the corresponding vertical grooves 57. The first closure member 45 is horizontally restricted within the vertical grooves 57 to prevent the first closure member 45 from moving horizontally; when the first closure member 45 moves, the vertical grooves 57 can provide guidance to keep the first closure member 45 moving vertically without skew.

[0154] Further, as described above, the discharging portion 33 of the material bin has a discharging channel 80, and the washing bin 13 serves as a washing container. Specifically, as Figure 16 and Figure 17 shown, the discharging portion 33 of the material bin has a channel inlet 81, a channel outlet 82, and a discharging channel 80 extending between the channel inlet 81 and the channel outlet 82. The channel inlet 81 is higher than the channel outlet 82, and the discharging channel 80 is inclined so that the material can automatically discharge under the action of its own gravity. The feeding bin 26 is communicated with the outlet 25 of the storage bin at the receiving position, specifically, the inlet 27 of the feeding bin is communicated with the outlet 25 of the storage bin; the feeding bin 26 is communicated with the discharging channel 80 via the channel inlet 81 at the feeding position, specifically, the outlet 28 of the feeding bin is communicated with the discharging channel 80. The feeding bin 26 is located at the top of the material bin 22 at the feeding position, and the inner bottom surface of the feeding bin 26 is higher than the inner bottom surface of the discharging channel 80. Thus, the material can feed into the discharging portion 33 of the material bin by its own gravity.

[0155] With such an arrangement, the material in the storage bin is first carried by the feeding bin 26 and then fed to the washing container outside the material bin 22 via the discharging channel 80. The distance between the feeding bin 26 and the washing container is increased, so that the position of the feeding bin 26 in the cooking appliance can be unrestricted by the position of the washing container, improving the degree of freedom in product design; and the feeding bin 26 is for lifting and conveying, with a simple conveying structure, reducing the production and manufacturing costs.

[0156] As Figure 16 and Figure 17As shown, a second closing member 61 for closing the outlet 28 of the feeding bin 26 is further provided at the bottom of the feeding bin 26. The second closing member 61 is capable of moving between a closed position for closing the outlet 28 of the feeding bin 26 and an open position for opening the outlet 28 of the feeding bin 26. The main part of the second closing member 61 is plate-shaped, so it can also be called a baffle. By opening the second closing member 61, the feeding bin 26 can communicate with the outlet 28 of the feeding bin when in the feeding position. In different solutions, when the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position, the second closing member 61 has different states. In one solution, when the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position, the second closing member 61 is always in the open state. In another solution, when the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position, the second closing member 61 is first in the closed state and then is moved to the open state. Further, when the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position, there is a time period during which the second closing member 61 is in the open state, enabling the feeding bin 26 to communicate with the outlet 28 of the feeding bin; where this time period can be the entire time period when the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position or a partial time period.

[0157] Specifically, as an example, during the process of the feeding bin 26 moving to the feeding position, the second closing member 61 is simultaneously opened, enabling the feeding bin 26 to directly communicate with the outlet 28 of the feeding bin. Another example is that at the moment when the feeding bin 26 just moves to the feeding position or for a period of time, the second closing member 61 is not opened; during a time period when the feeding bin 26 remains in the feeding position, the second closing member 61 is opened, enabling the feeding bin 26 to communicate with the outlet 28 of the feeding bin. For the opening method of the second closing member 61, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the feeding bin 26 can push the second closing member 61 to open, thereby using the movement of the feeding bin 26 to open the outlet 28 of the feeding bin. Alternatively, a driver can be provided separately, and the driver pushes the second closing member 61 to open. The following will specifically describe with the illustrated embodiment as an example.

[0158] In this embodiment, when the feeding bin 26 rises, the discharging part 33 of the material box can push the second closing member to move from the closed position to the open position. Specifically, the discharging part 33 of the material box has a second pushing part 63, in other words, the second pushing part 63 is formed on the discharging part 33 of the material box. The feeding bin 26 has a second touching position between the material receiving position and the feeding position. Further, the second touching position is located below the feeding position and close to the feeding position. Figure 16 It shows that the feeding bin 26 is at the second touching position. When the feeding bin 26 is at the second touching position, the second pushing part 63 abuts against the second closing member 61 in the closed position. When the feeding bin 26 rises from the second touching position to the feeding position, the second pushing part 63 pushes the second closing member 61 to move from the closed position to the open position to achieve the opening of the outlet 28 of the feeding bin. When the second closing member 61 is in the open position, the second pushing part 63 still abuts against the second closing member 61 to prevent the second closing member 61 from resetting.

[0159] In this embodiment, the movement of the feeding bin 26 can be controlled to drive the second closing member 61 to open the feeding bin outlet 28, and the second closing member 61 can be held in the open position during the feeding state, so that the feeding bin outlet 28 is in the open state, facilitating automatic feeding. After the feeding is completed, the feeding bin 26 descends. At this time, the material discharging portion 33 of the material box does not provide a thrust force to the second closing member 61, so the second closing member 61 can be reset. This can avoid setting an electric driving device for driving the movement of the second closing member 61, which saves the manufacturing cost, usage cost, reduces the number of parts of the cooking appliance 1, simplifies the product structure, saves the installation space, and is beneficial to the miniaturization of the product.

[0160] The feeding bin 26 has a second feeding bin side wall 64 extending in the vertical direction. The feeding bin outlet 28 is arranged vertically and faces the side where the second pushing portion 63 is located. The second closing member 61 can move vertically, and the main part of the second closing member 61 can be parallel to the second feeding bin side wall 64. The open position of the second closing member 61 is located below its closed position. With such a setting, the moving direction of the second closing member 61 can be opposite to the moving direction of the feeding bin 26, and the two can move synchronously but in opposite directions, making it easier to open the second closing member 61, and the setting method is simple.

[0161] The feeding bin 26 has a feeding bin side surface 74 facing the side where the material box discharging portion is located, and the feeding bin outlet 28 is formed on the feeding bin side surface 74. In the illustrated embodiment, the second closing member 61 is entirely located outside the feeding bin outlet 28 on the side facing the feeding bin and abuts against the feeding bin side surface 74. The second closing member 61 can block the feeding bin outlet 28 from the outside of the feeding bin outlet 28. The structure of the second closing member 61 is simple, for example, it is configured as a plate shape, which is convenient for production and manufacturing. Alternatively, the bottom end of the feeding bin outlet 28 is open, and the second closing member 61 includes a blocking portion and a protruding portion connected to each other. The blocking portion extends inside the feeding bin outlet 28. The protruding portion protrudes from the feeding bin side surface 74 toward the side where the feeding bin 26 is located so as to abut against the pushing portion. The second closing member 61 can block the feeding bin outlet 28 inside the feeding bin outlet 28, and the height position and structure of the protruding portion can be set as needed, with a large degree of design freedom.

[0162] The feeding bin inlet 27 can face the side where the feeding bin 26 is located. Alternatively, the feeding bin inlet 27 can face upward. As Figure 18 and Figure 19As shown, the feeding bin 26 has a second side wall 64 of the feeding bin facing away from the feeding bin inlet 27, and the second side wall 64 of the feeding bin extends vertically. The feeding bin outlet 28 is provided on the second side wall 64 of the feeding bin. Thus, the feeding bin outlet 28 faces away from the side where the second pushing part 63 or the discharging part 33 of the bin is located, while the feeding bin outlet 28 faces the side where the second pushing part 63 or the discharging part 33 of the bin is located. Alternatively, the feeding bin outlet 28 can face downward. The feeding bin 26 feeds on one side in the left-right direction and discharges on the other side. Optionally, the top of the feeding bin 26 is open and covered with a feeding bin cover 66, and the feeding bin cover 66 is detachably connected to the feeding bin 26.

[0163] Figure 19 As shown, the second closing member 61 is provided with a notch 67 with an upward opening, and the notch 67 is used to receive the second pushing part 63. The second pushing part 63 can be in contact with the bottom wall surface of the notch 67 to push the second closing member 61 to move. Specifically, when the feeding bin 26 is in the second triggering position and the feeding position, the second pushing part 63 is located in the notch 67. When the feeding bin 26 moves between these two positions, there is a guiding slide between the second pushing part 63 and the vertical wall surface of the notch 67. By providing the notch 67, the position of the second pushing part 63 relative to the feeding bin 26 can be restricted, and a guide can be provided for the movement of the second closing member 61 to ensure that the second pushing part 63 smoothly pushes the second closing member 61.

[0164] The feeding bin 26 can be provided with a chute 68 extending vertically, and the second closing member 61 is connected with a sliding member 69. The sliding member 69 is at least partially located within the chute 68 and between the two vertically extending groove walls of the chute 68, and the sliding member 69 moves up and down along the chute 68. With the help of the chute 68, the feeding bin 26 can restrict the position of the sliding member 69, so that the second closing member 61 is connected to the feeding bin 26, and the chute 68 can provide a guide for the movement of the sliding member 69 to ensure that the second closing member 61 moves smoothly up and down and restricts the relative position between the second closing member 61 and the feeding bin 26 in the horizontal direction.

[0165] Optionally, the chute 68 is located on the upper side of the outlet 28 of the feeding bin, and the sliding member 69 is located on the upper side of the second closing member 61 and connected to the top end of the second closing member 61. With such an arrangement, the space occupied by the movement of the sliding member 69 is on the upper side of the outlet 28 of the feeding bin, which can avoid occupying the feeding channel at the outlet 28 of the feeding bin and does not affect the discharging flow rate of the material; moreover, the vertical dimension of the feeding bin 26 is smaller, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the feeding bin 26. Exemplarily, the top end of the second closing member 61 may be provided with a mounting portion 70 protruding toward the side where the center of the feeding bin 26 is located, and the end of the second closing member 61 may be fixed at the mounting portion 70. For example, the mounting portion 70 is provided with a mounting hole 71, and the second closing member 61 is passed through the mounting hole 71; of course, the fixing structure of the sliding member 69 is not limited, and it may also be a fixing structure including fasteners such as screws and other suitable structures.

[0166] A preferred example is that, as shown in the illustrated embodiment, the chute 68 is a through groove extending in the horizontal direction. The feeding bin 26 is provided with a side boss 72 protruding from the second side wall 64 of the feeding bin, and the chute 68 penetrates the side boss 72 in the horizontal direction. Specifically, the feeding bin 26 has a first direction and a second direction in the horizontal direction. The second side wall 64 of the feeding bin extends in the first direction, and the side boss 72 protrudes in the second direction. The side boss 72 has a boss end face 73 in the first direction and a feeding bin side face 74 in the second direction, which faces the side where the second pushing portion 63 is located. The chute 68 penetrates the boss end faces 73 at both ends. For the illustrated embodiment, the first direction is the front-back direction, and the second direction is the left-right direction.

[0167] The outlet 28 of the feeding bin is formed on the side boss 72, specifically, it is opened on the feeding bin side face 74 of the side boss 72. Optionally, the shape of the outlet 28 of the feeding bin corresponds to the shape of the channel inlet 81. The caliber of the outlet 28 of the feeding bin is smaller than the caliber of the channel inlet 81; thus, when the outlet 28 of the feeding bin is docked with the channel inlet 81, the material flows out from the small opening and smoothly flows into the large opening without obstruction, and the discharging of the material is smoother and more efficient. The outlet 28 of the feeding bin includes straight edges and / or arc edges, or has a circular edge. The outlet 28 of the feeding bin may be a polygon, such as a rectangle, or a missing circle with arc edges, or a circle. The length L21 of the straight edge ≥ 5 mm, the arc length L22 of the arc edge ≥ 5 mm, the diameter D2 of the circular edge ≥ 5 mm, and L21, L22, and D2 may be suitable values such as 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm, etc. The area S2 of the outlet 28 of the feeding bin ≥ 25 mm 2 , S2 may be 25 mm 2 , 28 mm 2 , 30 mm 2 , 32 mm 2 , 35 mm 2Suitable values such as etc. It should be noted that these dimensions define the outlet of a single feeding bin.

[0168] The sliding member 69 is inserted through the sliding groove 68 and its two ends are connected to the second closing member 61. By means of the side boss 72, the sliding groove 68 can be easily provided to facilitate the fixing of the second closing member 61; and the feeding bin outlet 28 can be closer to the second pushing portion 63 relative to the second feeding bin side wall 64, so that the second closing member 61 located outside the feeding bin outlet 28 can easily reach the second pushing portion 63 to facilitate the opening of the second closing member 61.

[0169] In other examples not shown, the sliding groove 68 has a closed inner end in the horizontal direction and is not a through groove; the side boss 72 is provided with the sliding groove 68 on the boss end face 73 in the first direction. One sliding member 69 is inserted through the corresponding sliding groove 68 at one end of the side boss 72, and the other sliding member 69 is inserted through the corresponding sliding groove 68 at the other end of the side boss 72.

[0170] The second closing member 61 is connected with two fixed walls 75, and the mounting portion 70 is located on the upper side of the fixed wall 75 and is connected to the corresponding fixed wall 75. The fixed wall 75 can be plate-shaped.

[0171] The side boss 72 is located between the two fixed walls 75 and is limitedly connected to each fixed wall 75 through a concave-convex structure. Specifically, one of the side boss 72 and the fixed wall 75 is provided with a protruding limiting rib 76, and the other is provided with a concave limiting groove 77. The limiting rib 76 is located in the limiting groove 77 and there is relative sliding between the two when the second closing member 61 moves. By means of the side boss 72, the movement of the second closing member 61 in the horizontal direction can be better restricted, specifically, the movement of the second closing member 61 in the horizontal direction and along a direction substantially parallel to the second feeding bin side wall 64, and the movement in the horizontal direction and away from the second feeding bin side wall 64 (or in a direction perpendicular to the second feeding bin side wall 64). Thus, the second closing member 61 can be kept in the closed position and the open position, and can be smoothly opened and closed. Exemplarily, the limiting rib 76 is provided on the side boss 72, specifically protruding from the boss end face 73. The limiting groove 77 is provided on the fixed wall 75.

[0172] In order to make the second closing member 61 automatically reset, such as Figure 19 and Figure 20As shown, a second biasing member 62 is also provided in the material box 22, and the second biasing member 62 is located at the feeding bin 26. Exemplarily, the second biasing member 62 is located in the chute 68. Specifically, a second mounting seat 65 is provided at the bottom of the chute 68, and the second biasing member 62 is connected to the second mounting seat 65 and clamped between the second mounting seat 65 and the sliding member 69. The second biasing member 62 can be configured to provide a biasing force to the second closure member 61 so that the second closure member 61 remains in the closed position. When the second closure member 61 is arranged vertically, the second biasing member 62 is also arranged vertically and provides an upward biasing force to the second closure member 61. Optionally, the second biasing member 62 is a telescopic member such as a spring for providing elastic force. With the help of the second biasing member 62, when the feeding bin 26 is finished feeding and descending, the biasing force applied by the second biasing member 62 can drive the second sealing member 61 to gradually move to the closed position, and the feeding bin outlet 28 is gradually blocked by the second sealing member 61 while the feeding bin 26 descends, thereby preventing the leakage of materials. In addition, the second biasing member 62 keeps the second sealing member 61 in the closed position, so that the feeding bin outlet 28 is in a normally closed state.

[0173] As mentioned above, the feeding bin 26 is driven by the screw drive mechanism 30. Figure 18 As shown, the feeding bin 26 is provided with a screw hole 50. Optionally, the screw hole 50 is close to the side where the feeding bin inlet 27 is located and away from the side where the feeding bin outlet 28 is located. The screw 31 passes through the screw hole 50. The feeding bin 26 has a maximum one-way stroke on the screw 31, and the initial position of the feeding bin 26 is located in the middle of the maximum one-way stroke (see Figure 3 ) or upper end, and avoid the feeding position.

[0174] As described above, the material box discharge portion 33 moves between the initial position and the discharge position. The material box discharge portion 33 can be connected to the feeding bin 26 when it is at the discharge position. Specifically, when the feeding bin 26 is at the feeding position and the material box discharge portion 33 is at the discharge position, the material box discharge portion 33 is connected to the feeding bin 26. Figure 21 As shown, the feeding bin 26 has a push position between the material receiving position and the material feeding position.

[0175] When the feeding bin 26 rises from the pushing position to the feeding position, the feeding bin 26 pushes the material box discharge part 33 to move from the initial position to the discharge position. Thus, the material box discharge part 33 can be driven to move to the discharge position by controlling the movement of the feeding bin 26, and the material box discharge part 33 can be kept at the discharge position in the feeding state, so as to facilitate automatic feeding. After the feeding is completed, the feeding bin 26 drops below the pushing position, and at this time, the feeding bin 26 does not provide thrust to the material box discharge part 33, so it can be reset. Thus, it is possible to avoid setting an electric drive device for driving the material box discharge part 33 to move, which saves manufacturing cost and use cost, reduces the number of parts of the cooking appliance, and simplifies the product structure.

[0176] and Figure 16 Compared with the second touch position, the push position of the feeding bin 26 is located below the second touch position. The height of the feeding bin 26 in the push position is lower than that in the second touch position. When the feeding bin 26 rises, it first rises to the push position, then to the second touch position, and then to the feeding position. With the rise of the feeding bin 26, the feeding bin 26 first pushes the material box discharge part 33 to move to the discharge position, and then the material box discharge part 33 pushes the second closing member to open the feeding bin outlet 28.

[0177] like Figure 19 and Figure 20 As shown, the feeding bin 26 has a push surface 78 for contacting the material box discharge portion 33, and the push surface 78 is inclined from top to bottom toward the side where the material box discharge portion 33 is located. The size of the push surface 78 in the horizontal direction is greater than the moving stroke of the material box discharge portion 33. The inclined push surface 78 can provide guidance for the material box discharge portion 33 to ensure that the material box discharge portion 33 moves smoothly. The material box discharge portion 33 has an angle end, which can contact the push surface 78, and the contact form can be a surface line or a surface surface. The push surface 78 and the feeding bin side 74 are formed on the side boss 72, wherein the push surface 78 is located at the top of the side boss 72. With the help of the side boss 72, the push surface 78 can be easily set and avoid occupying the internal space of the feeding bin 26. The push surface 78 is located on the upper side of the feeding bin outlet 28. In other words, the push surface 78 is located on the upper side of the feeding bin side 74 and is connected to the feeding bin side 74. In other words, the feeding bin side 74 extends downward from the bottom end of the push surface 78. The feeding bin side 74 is parallel to the end surface of the material box discharge portion 33 that forms the channel entrance 81. In the process of the feeding bin outlet 28 being opened, the end surface of the material box discharge portion 33 is kept in close contact with the feeding bin side 74.

[0178] Exemplarily, the feeding bin side surface 74 is arranged vertically, and the channel entrance 81 (or the end surface where the channel entrance 81 is located) is also arranged vertically. The dimension between the bottom end of the push surface 78 and the top end of the feeding bin outlet 28 is greater than the dimension between the top end and the bottom end of the channel entrance 81. In this way, it can be ensured that when the feeding bin outlet 28 is opened, the end surface of the material box discharge portion 33 is kept in close contact with the feeding bin side surface 74, ensuring that the feeding bin outlet 28 is seamlessly connected with the channel entrance 81 to prevent material leakage.

[0179] like Figure 22 and Figure 23As shown, a third biasing member 83 is further provided in the bin 22, and the third biasing member 83 is located at the discharging portion 33 of the bin. The third biasing member 83 is arranged to provide a biasing force to the discharging portion 33 of the bin so that the discharging portion 33 of the bin remains in the initial position. When the discharging portion 33 of the bin moves in the horizontal direction, the third biasing member 83 is arranged in the horizontal direction and provides a biasing force for the discharging portion 33 of the bin in the horizontal direction. Optionally, the third biasing member 83 is a telescopic member such as a spring for providing an elastic force. By means of the third biasing member 83, during the process of the feeding bin 26 completing feeding and descending, the biasing force applied by the third biasing member 83 can drive the discharging portion 33 of the bin to gradually move to the initial position (i.e., reset) and remain in the initial position; and during the movement of the discharging portion 33 of the bin, under the action of the biasing force, the end surface of the forming channel inlet 81 of the discharging portion 33 of the bin remains in close contact with the side surface 74 of the feeding bin, ensuring seamless docking between the outlet 28 of the feeding bin and the channel inlet 81 and preventing material leakage.

[0180] The lifting channel 54 has a plurality of side walls, and one of the side walls is used for arranging the discharging portion 33 of the bin, so this side wall is referred to as the supporting side wall 84 in this text. The supporting side wall 84 is provided with a channel side opening 85, and the discharging portion 33 of the bin passes through the channel side opening 85, and their shapes are adapted to each other. The lifting channel 54 is provided with a fixed seat 87 with a limiting wall 86 for upwardly supporting the discharging portion 33 of the bin and restricting the position of the discharging portion 33 of the bin. The fixed seat 87 is connected to the supporting side wall 84 of the lifting channel 54. The supporting side wall 84 is arranged vertically, and the limiting wall 86 is also arranged vertically. The discharging portion 33 of the bin is connected with a convex arm 88, and the convex arm 88 can be located between the limiting wall 86 and the supporting side wall 84 of the lifting channel 54. Thus, the moving stroke of the discharging portion 33 of the bin can be restricted, wherein the position of the limiting wall 86 defines the initial position of the discharging portion 33 of the bin, and the discharging portion 33 of the bin abuts against the limiting wall 86 at the initial position.

[0181] Further, the convex arm 88 is provided with a guiding hole 89, and the supporting side wall 84 of the lifting channel 54 is provided with a guiding post 90, and the guiding post 90 can pass through the guiding hole 89. With such an arrangement, the position of the discharging portion 33 of the bin relative to the lifting channel 54 can be restricted, specifically including the positions in the front-back direction and the vertical direction, and guiding is provided for the discharging portion 33 of the bin to ensure smooth movement of the discharging portion 33 of the bin. When the discharging portion 33 of the bin moves, by using the guiding hole 89, the discharging portion 33 of the bin can move along the guiding post 90.

[0182] Schematically, the convex arms 88 are provided on both sides of the discharging part 33 of the material box in the horizontal direction, for example, on both sides in the front-rear direction. The fixed seats 87 are spaced apart and provided in the lifting channel 54, and are located on both sides of the side opening 85 of the channel in the horizontal direction, corresponding to the positions of the convex arms 88. Each convex arm 88 is provided with a guiding hole 89, and the guiding columns 90 are located on both sides of the side opening 85 of the channel in the horizontal direction, corresponding to the positions of the guiding holes 89.

[0183] The third biasing member 83 can be clamped between the convex arm 88 and the supporting side wall 84. Specifically, the convex arm 88 is provided with a third mounting seat 91, and the third biasing member 83 is connected to the third mounting seat 91 and clamped between the third mounting seat 91 and the supporting side wall 84. For the illustrated embodiment, the third mounting seat 91 is also formed with a guiding hole 89, and the third biasing member 83 is sleeved on the guiding column 90.

[0184] The material box housing 29 is provided with a material box side opening 92, which corresponds to the position of the channel side opening 85. The discharging part 33 of the material box penetrates through the material box side opening 92. Specifically, the discharging part 33 of the material box is located inside the material box housing 29 in the initial position and extends out through the material box side opening 92 in the discharging position. The material box side opening 92 faces the pot lid 5 in the horizontal direction, and the pot lid 5 covers the material box side opening 92 when closed. The material box side opening 92 is covered and hidden by the pot lid 5 in the closed position, making the external structure of the cooking appliance simple and the overall appearance better.

[0185] With such a setting, it is beneficial to output the material to the position where the material washing container is located. For the illustrated embodiment, the material washing container is provided in the pot lid 5, and the extension of the discharging part 33 of the material box enables it to extend into the pot lid 5 from the feeding port 7, making the connection method easier, and then the material is conveyed to the material washing container (i.e., the material washing bin) through the feeding device 34. The material box side opening 92 is matched with the outer contour shape of the discharging part 33 of the material box. For example, the material box side opening 92 is rectangular, and the cross-section of the outer contour of the discharging part 33 of the material box is also rectangular.

[0186] The material box 22 includes a position detection device 58 (see Figure 15 ), which is used to detect the position of the feeding bin 26, the position of the first closing member 45 / second closing member 61, the position of the discharging part 33 of the material box, and / or the number of rotation turns of the screw 31. As Figure 19As shown, exemplarily, the position detection device 58 can be located at the docking position between the feeding bin 26 and the discharging part 33 of the material box, and can detect whether the feeding bin 26 is in the feeding position, whereby it can be confirmed that the feeding bin 26 and the discharging part 33 of the material box are docked in place, and at this time, the screw driving device 32 is closed. The position detection device 58 can be a microswitch, a Hall element, an optocoupler sensor, etc. The material box 22 further includes a material box base 59, which is connected to the wall of the lifting channel 54. A part of the material box base 59 is used to form the bottom wall of the storage bin 24. The material box base 59 is located inside the material box housing 29, and the first biasing member 47, the screw driving device 32, etc. are located inside the material box base 59.

[0187] The discharging part 33 of the material box in this article can be docked with the feeding port 7 of the pot lid 5. Specifically, the discharging part 33 of the material box is misaligned with the feeding port 7 when the pot lid 5 is opened (see Figure 2 ), and the discharging part 33 of the material box can move to the discharging position to be docked with the feeding port 7 when the pot lid 5 is closed (see Figure 16 and Figure 17 ). It should be noted that the "misalignment" here includes the positional relationship between the discharging part 33 of the material box and the feeding port 7 where a feeding passage cannot be formed by moving the discharging part 33 of the material box. Exemplarily, when the pot lid 5 is opened, the discharging part 33 of the material box is spaced apart from the feeding port 7 in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction; the "docking" here includes the positional relationship between the discharging part 33 of the material box and the feeding port 7 where a feeding passage can be formed. Exemplarily, a part of the discharging part 33 of the material box extends into the feeding port 7. Alternatively, the discharging part 33 of the material box is above the feeding port 7 and overlaps in the horizontal direction. The material in the material box 22 can be fed to the pot lid 5 through the movable discharging part 33 of the material box, and a feeding passage can be formed between the discharging part 33 of the material box and the feeding port 7 when the pot lid 5 is closed, and no feeding passage is formed when the pot lid 5 is opened, so that the feeding process is carried out when the pot lid 5 is closed, which can realize automatic rice feeding and improve the user experience and the automation level of the product.

[0188] The material box 22 is located on one side of the pot lid 5 in the horizontal direction, and the position of the material box 22 does not need to consider the space occupied by the opening and closing of the pot lid 5, so the design freedom of the product is relatively large. The discharging part 33 of the material box moves linearly in the horizontal direction, for example, moves linearly in the left-right direction, which makes it easier for the discharging part 33 of the material box to be docked with the feeding port 7 of the pot lid 5, and the space occupied by the movement is relatively small.

[0189] The material box discharge part 33 is hidden in the outer shell of the material box 22 when it is in the initial position, and at least partially hidden in the pot cover 5 when it is in the discharge position. The material box discharge part 33 is hidden in the cooking utensil, which makes the external structure of the cooking utensil simple, the overall appearance is better, and the external appearance of the product is improved; and the material box discharge part 33 is hidden in the material box 22 in the initial position without affecting the opening of the pot cover 5, and is hidden in the pot cover 5 when it is in the discharge position, so that it is convenient to form a material feeding passage with the feed port 7. The discharge port 23 is lower than the top wall of the pot cover 5 when the pot cover is closed; it can ensure that at least the part of the material box discharge part 33 that is connected to the pot cover 5 is covered and hidden by the pot cover 5. The material box 22 is higher than the pot cover 5, so that the channel entrance of the material box discharge part 33 can be set at a higher position than the pot cover 5, so that the material automatically flows to the feed port 7 due to its own gravity.

[0190] The feed port 7 is provided on the peripheral side wall of the pot cover 5 facing the material box 22, and the material can enter the pot cover 5 from the peripheral side of the pot cover 5; alternatively, the feed port 7 is provided on the top wall of the pot cover 5, and the material can enter the pot cover 5 from the top side of the pot cover 5. A part of the material box discharge portion 33 is located in the pot cover 5 when it is in the discharge position, and another part thereof is located in the gap between the material box 22 and the pot cover 5 and is lower than the top surface of the pot cover 5. The extended part of the material box discharge portion 33 during operation can be blocked by the pot cover 5 and hidden. The remaining part of the material box discharge portion 33 when it is in the discharge position is located in the outer shell of the material box 22. The material box discharge portion 33 can be blocked by the outer shell of the material box 22 and the pot cover 5 during operation and is almost completely hidden in the cooking utensil, so that the external structure of the cooking utensil is simple, the overall appearance is better, and the external appearance of the product is improved.

[0191] Further, the pot cover 5 or the material box 22 is provided with a position detection device for detecting the position of the material box discharge portion 33 and / or detecting the position of the pot cover 5. It can be determined whether the pot cover 5 is closed based on the detected position signal of the pot cover 5, so as to control the movement of the material box discharge portion 33 when the pot cover 5 is closed; it can be determined whether the material box discharge portion 33 is located at the discharge position based on the detected position signal of the material box discharge portion 33, so as to determine that the docking is in place, and the outlet of the feeding bin 26 can be opened for feeding.

[0192] The control unit is configured to control the movement of the material box discharge part 33 according to the closing position signal of the pot cover 5 detected by the position detection device. For the illustrated embodiment, the control unit controls the movement of the feeding bin 26 by controlling the screw drive device 32, thereby controlling the movement of the material box discharge part 33. Before the cooking appliance performs the feeding step, it is first determined that the pot cover 5 has been closed, and then the material box discharge part 33 is moved to dock with the feeding port 7.

[0193] like Figure 24 and Figure 25As shown, the lifting channel 54 encloses the movement space of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin. A cleaning port is provided in the wall of the lifting channel 54. The cleaning port can be located at the top or side of the lifting channel 54. For the illustrated embodiment, the top of the lifting channel 54 is open, so that it has a channel top opening 93, and this channel top opening 93 can be used as a cleaning port. The top opening 96 of the feeding bin has a cleaning position and can be moved to the cleaning position. For example, the top opening 96 of the feeding bin can be lifted to the cleaning position. When the top opening 96 of the feeding bin is in the cleaning position, it corresponds to the cleaning port, that is to say, it is located near the cleaning port, so as to clean the inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin through the cleaning port.

[0194] In this embodiment, the movement space of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin is an independent space inside the material box, so that the top opening 96 of the feeding bin is hidden inside the material box. The external structure of the cooking appliance is simple, the overall appearance is better, and the external perception of the product is improved; and the inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin hidden inside the material box can be cleaned through the cleaning port, such as scrubbing with tools or flushing with a cleaning agent such as water, avoiding mildew and insect infestation after the residual materials for a long time, and improving the user experience.

[0195] For the arrangement in the initial position, one example is that the feeding position is used as the cleaning position, and the top opening 96 of the feeding bin forms a cleaning agent flow path with the material box discharging part 33 located at the discharging position when in the cleaning position. The inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin and the material box discharging part 33 can be cleaned by flushing with a cleaning agent such as water. Two devices can be cleaned at one time, and the cleaning efficiency is higher and the cleaning effect is better. When the pot lid 5 is opened, a cleaning agent flow path is formed between the material box discharging part 33 located at the discharging position and the inner pot 4 or the external container. Using this solution, the pot lid 5 needs to be opened first before cleaning the feeding bin 26, so as to expose the inner pot 4 or place the external container at the position of the pot lid 5 when it is closed, so as to receive the sewage. The inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin and the material box discharging part 33 are flushed with a cleaning agent such as water, and the sewage generated by the flushing can flow into the inner pot 4 or the external container, and then the sewage in the inner pot 4 and the external container is taken and poured. Of course, if necessary and / or desired, for this example, the inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin can also be cleaned by scrubbing.

[0196] Another example is that the top opening 96 of the feeding bin has an initial position between the material receiving position and the feeding position, and the initial position is used as the cleaning position. The inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin can be cleaned by scrubbing, and the cleaning method is easier to operate.

[0197] Another example is that the cleaning position is located above the initial position, and the top opening 96 of the feeding bin moves between the initial position and the cleaning position. The cleaning position can be located in the upper part of the lifting channel 54 so as to be closer to the cleaning opening, facilitating the user's operation of cleaning the top opening 96 of the feeding bin. In this example, the cleaning position can be the feeding position, or can be located between the feeding position and the initial position and closer to the feeding position.

[0198] A channel top cover 60 covering the channel top opening 93 can be provided at the top of the lifting channel 54, and the channel top cover 60 is detachably or openably / closably arranged. For example, the channel top cover 60 can be detachably arranged by connection with fasteners such as screws. Alternatively, the channel top cover 60 is pivotally connected to the side wall of the lifting channel 54, or is openably / closably arranged by means of plugging or clamping. The top opening 96 of the feeding bin is blocked by the channel top cover 60 and hidden in the channel. After the channel top cover 60 is opened, the inside of the top opening 96 of the feeding bin can be cleaned, preventing foreign objects from entering the lifting channel 54 and the top opening 96 of the feeding bin when not cleaned.

[0199] The lifting channel 54 has a channel bottom opening 94, and a channel bottom cover 95 covering the channel bottom opening 94 is provided at the bottom of the lifting channel 54. The channel bottom cover 95 is detachably or openably / closably arranged. For example, the channel bottom cover 95 can be detachably arranged by connection with fasteners such as screws. Alternatively, the channel bottom cover 95 is pivotally connected to the side wall of the lifting channel 54, or is openably / closably arranged by means of plugging or clamping. The channel bottom cover 95 can be opened to clean the bottom of the lifting channel 54 and the channel bottom cover 95, preventing dust and materials dropped during feeding from the top opening 96 of the feeding bin from accumulating at the bottom.

[0200] As Figure 19 shown, the feeding bin 26 has a top opening 96 of the feeding bin. One solution is that the top opening 96 of the feeding bin is open. For this solution, it is convenient to clean the inside of the feeding bin 26 via the top opening 96 of the feeding bin. Another solution is, for example, in the illustrated embodiment, a feeding bin cover 66 covering the top opening 96 of the feeding bin is provided at the top of the feeding bin 26, and the feeding bin cover 66 is detachably or openably / closably arranged. For this solution, the inside of the feeding bin 26 can be cleaned after the feeding bin cover 66 is opened, preventing foreign objects from entering the feeding bin 26 when not cleaned. The feeding bin cover 66 can be detachably arranged, for example, by connection with fasteners such as screws. Alternatively, the feeding bin cover 66 is pivotally connected to the side wall of the feeding bin 26, or is openably / closably arranged by means of plugging or clamping.

[0201] For the present application, the control unit may have a cleaning mode and be configured to control the feeding bin 26 to move from the initial position to the cleaning position in the cleaning mode and control the feeding bin 26 to return to the initial position after receiving a user input indicating that the cleaning is completed. The user can select the cleaning mode to control the feeding bin 26 to move to the cleaning position for cleaning the feeding bin 26, and input an instruction after the cleaning is completed to automatically return the feeding bin 26 to the initial position. With such a setting, in the cleaning mode, the cleaning position is a position different from the initial position. For example, the cleaning position can be the feeding position, or can be located between the feeding position and the initial position and is closer to the feeding position.

[0202] The cooking appliance further includes a first position detection device for detecting the position of the pot lid 5 and a second position detection device for detecting the position of the inner pot 4 or the external container. The first position detection device can be disposed on the material box 22 or the pot body 3. In the solution for detecting the inner pot 4, the second position detection device is preferably disposed on the pot body 3. In the solution for detecting the external container, the second position detection device can be disposed on the material box 22 or the pot body 3. The control unit is configured to control the feeding bin to move to the cleaning position according to the in-place signal of the pot lid 5 detected by the first position detection device when the pot lid 5 is opened and the in-place signal of the inner pot 4 or the external container detected by the second position detection device in the cleaning mode. In the cleaning mode, it is necessary to first confirm that the pot lid 5 has been opened and the inner pot 4 or the external container is in place, and then move the feeding bin to ensure that the sewage flows smoothly into the inner pot 4 or the external container during cleaning.

[0203] In other alternative solutions not shown, a movable feeding assembly may not be provided, and an inclined feeding channel is provided in the pot lid 5. Exemplarily, the feeding channel has a feeding inclined surface that slopes downward in the direction from the feeding port 7 to the feeding inlet 18. The gravity of the material is utilized to achieve the conveying of the material, and the conveying structure is simple and convenient for production and manufacturing. In this solution, the feeding port 7 can be optionally disposed on the top wall of the pot lid 5. When the discharging part 33 of the material box is in the discharging position, it extends to the upper side of the pot lid 5 and corresponds to the feeding port 7 in the vertical position. Optionally, a cover plate can be provided on the top wall for covering the feeding port 7. The cover plate is pivotally connected to the top wall. When intending to feed the material, it is necessary to first pivot the cover plate to open the feeding port 7.

[0204] In other alternative solutions not shown, a material washing bin 13 is not provided in the pot lid 5, and the inner pot 4 serves as a receiving container, and the material entering from the feeding port 7 of the pot lid 5 is conveyed to the inner pot 4. One example is that the inner pot 4 can be a material washing container, and the pot body 3 and / or the pot lid 5 are provided with devices having a stirring function such as stirring members, and the material can be washed in the inner pot 4 and cooked in the inner pot 4 after the washing is completed. Another example is that the material is a ready-to-eat material, and the material is directly cooked after being fed into the inner pot 4.

[0205] Each of the above embodiments describes that the material bin 22 feeds materials to the pot lid 5 via the discharge port 23. However, in other alternative embodiments not shown, the material bin 22 can feed materials to the pot body 3 via the discharge port 23. Specifically, no material feeding device 34 or material feeding channel is provided in the pot lid 5. When the pot lid 5 is opened, a material feeding path can be formed between the discharge port 23 of the material bin 22 and the inner pot 4. Specifically, a material feeding path is formed between the material discharging part 33 of the material bin and the inner pot 4 when the pot lid 5 is opened. The materials flowing out of the discharge port 23 can be directly fed into the inner pot 4. The materials can be washed and cooked in the inner pot 4, or directly cooked.

[0206] In other alternative embodiments not shown, the material washing driving device may not be provided in the pot lid 5, but in the pot body 3 or the material bin 22, and is connected to the stirring member 17 in the pot lid 5 through a series of transmission structures. One example is that the material washing driving device is provided in the pot body 3, a set of transmission structures connected to the stirring member 17 are provided in the pot lid 5, and the transmission structures are connected with a docking member. The driving part of the material washing driving device can extend upward from the pot body 3. The driving part and the docking member are corresponding in the up-and-down position. When the pot lid is closed, the docking member can be docked with the extended driving part to drive the stirring member to move. Another example is that the material washing driving device is provided in the material bin 22, a set of transmission structures connected to the stirring member 17 are provided in the pot lid 5, and the transmission structures are connected with a docking member. The material washing driving device is movably arranged in the material bin 22 and its driving part can extend from the side of the material bin 22. The driving part and the docking member are corresponding in the left-and-right position. When the pot lid 5 is closed, the material washing driving device moves to make the driving part extend, and the docking member can be docked with the extended driving part to drive the stirring member to move. When it is desired to open the pot lid 5, the material washing driving device is moved to retract the driving part.

[0207] Similarly, the material feeding driving device can also not be provided in the pot lid 5, but in the pot body 3 or the material bin 22, and is connected to the conveying assembly in the pot lid 5 through a series of transmission structures. The setting method is similar to the above-mentioned material washing driving device, and will not be elaborated here for the sake of brevity.

[0208] In other alternative embodiments not shown, the material washing driving device can be detachably arranged, for example, detachable from the pot lid 5 (or the pot body 3 or the material bin 22), which is convenient for the user to clean the residues flowing into the driving part 21 of the material washing driving device, and is also convenient for later replacement and maintenance of the material washing driving device. Similarly, the material feeding driving device can be detachably arranged, for example, detachable from the pot lid 5 (or the pot body 3 or the material bin 22), which is convenient for the user to clean the residues flowing into the connecting part of the material feeding driving device, and is also convenient for later replacement and maintenance of the material feeding driving device.

[0209] In other alternative embodiments not shown, the material washing driving device can be not an electric driving device, but a device driven by electromagnetic force, or a device driven by gas, steam or heat energy, etc.

[0210] In other alternative embodiments not shown, the pot lid can be detachably connected to the pot body as a whole, so that the pot lid can be removed to clean the components on the pot lid that need to be cleaned (such as the material washing bin, the material conveying device / conveying channel), and to easily repair or replace damaged components.

[0211] The order of the steps of the method of this embodiment can be adjusted, combined or deleted according to actual needs. The units of the terminal of this embodiment can be integrated, further divided or deleted according to actual needs.

[0212] The processes described in all the above preferred embodiments are merely examples. Unless adverse effects occur, various processing operations can be performed in an order different from the order of the above processes. The order of the steps of the above processes can also be increased, combined or deleted according to actual needs.

[0213] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field of this application. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The features described in one embodiment herein can be applied to another embodiment alone or in combination with other features, unless the feature is not applicable or otherwise stated in that other embodiment.

[0214] This application has been described through the above embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of illustration and example, and this application is not limited to the above embodiments. According to the teachings of this application, more variations and modifications can be made, and these variations and modifications all fall within the scope claimed by this application.

Claims

1. A bin for a cooking appliance, characterized in that, The material box includes: a lifting channel, a cleaning opening being formed in the wall of the lifting channel; and a feeding bin, the feeding bin being arranged in the lifting channel and lifting between a feeding position and a receiving position below the feeding position for feeding, and the feeding bin having a cleaning position and being movable to the cleaning position, wherein when the feeding bin is in the cleaning position, it corresponds to the cleaning opening so as to clean the interior of the feeding bin through the cleaning opening.

2. The bin according to claim 1, wherein, The lifting channel has a channel top opening serving as a cleaning opening, and a channel top cover covering the channel top opening is provided at the top of the lifting channel, and the channel top cover is detachably or openably / closably arranged.

3. The bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting channel has a channel bottom opening, and a channel bottom cover covering the channel bottom opening is provided at the bottom of the lifting channel, and the channel bottom cover is detachably or openably / closably arranged.

4. The bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding bin has an open feeding bin top opening.

5. The bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding bin has a feeding bin top opening, and a feeding bin cover covering the feeding bin top opening is provided at the top of the feeding bin, and the feeding bin cover is detachably or openably / closably arranged.

6. The bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material box includes a material box discharging part, the material box discharging part having a channel inlet, a channel outlet, and a discharging channel extending between the channel inlet and the channel outlet, and the material box discharging part moves between an initial position and a discharging position, wherein when the feeding bin is in the feeding position, it can communicate with the material box discharging part located at the discharging position through the channel inlet.

7. The bin according to claim 6, wherein The feeding position serves as the cleaning position, and when the feeding bin is in the cleaning position, a cleaning agent flow path is formed with the material box discharging part.

8. The bin according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding bin has an initial position between the receiving position and the feeding position, and the initial position serves as the cleaning position.

9. The bin according to claim 1, wherein, The feeding bin has an initial position between the receiving position and the feeding position, the cleaning position is located above the initial position, and the feeding bin moves between the initial position and the cleaning position.

10. The bin according to claim 6, wherein, The feeding bin has a pushing position between the receiving position and the feeding position, and when the feeding bin moves from the pushing position to the feeding position, the feeding bin pushes the material box discharging part to move from the initial position to the discharging position.

11. The bin according to claim 6, wherein, A third biasing member is further provided in the material box, the third biasing member is located at the material box discharging part, and the third biasing member is arranged to provide a biasing force to the material box discharging part so as to keep the material box discharging part in the initial position.

12. The bin according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The lifting channel is a straight channel extending vertically, and the feeding bin moves up and down linearly along the vertical direction.

13. The bin according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The material box further includes a storage bin, a storage bin outlet is provided at the bottom of the storage bin, and when the feeding bin is in the receiving position, it can communicate with the storage bin outlet.

14. The material box according to claim 13, wherein a storage bin outlet and a first closing member for closing the storage bin outlet are provided at the bottom of the storage bin, and the first closing member moves between a closing position for blocking the storage bin outlet and an opening position for opening the storage bin outlet. The feeding bin has a first trigger position between the receiving position and the feeding position. Wherein, when the feeding bin moves from the first trigger position to the receiving position, it pushes the first closing member to move from the closed position to the open position.

15. The bin according to claim 14, characterized in that A first biasing member is provided in the bin, and the first biasing member is located below the storage bin and is configured to provide a biasing force to the first closing member so that the first closing member remains in the closed position.

16. The bin according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that The bottom of the feeding bin is provided with a feeding bin outlet and a second closing member for closing the feeding bin outlet, and the second closing member moves between a closed position for blocking the feeding bin outlet and an open position for opening the feeding bin outlet. The feeding bin has a second trigger position between the receiving position and the feeding position. Wherein, when the feeding bin moves from the second trigger position to the feeding position, it pushes the second closing member to move from the closed position to the open position.

17. The bin according to claim 16, wherein, A second biasing member is provided in the bin, and the second biasing member is located at the feeding bin and is configured to provide a biasing force to the second closing member so that the second closing member remains in the closed position.

18. A cooking appliance, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes a pot body assembly and the bin according to any one of claims 1 to 17. The pot body assembly includes a pot body and a pot lid. The bin is provided with a discharge port, and the bin supplies materials to the pot body assembly through the discharge port.

19. The cooking appliance according to claim 18, characterized in that, The pot lid has a feeding port. The discharge port is docked with the feeding port when the pot lid is closed. A washing bin with a feeding port and a feeding device are provided in the pot lid. The bin transports materials to the feeding port through the discharge port, and the feeding device is used to transport the materials entering from the feeding port to the feeding port.

20. The cooking appliance according to claim 19, characterized in that, The feeding device is provided with a movable feeding assembly.

21. A cooking appliance, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes a pot body assembly, the bin according to any one of claims 1 to 7, 9 to 17, and a control unit. The pot body assembly includes a pot body and a pot lid. The bin is provided with a discharge port, and the bin supplies materials to the pot body assembly through the discharge port. The control unit has a cleaning mode and is configured to control the feeding bin to move from the initial position to the cleaning position in the cleaning mode, and control the feeding bin to return to the initial position after receiving a user input indicating that the cleaning is completed.

22. A cooking appliance, characterized in that, The cooking appliance includes a pot body assembly and the bin according to claim 7. The bin is provided with a discharge port, and the bin supplies materials to the pot body assembly through the discharge port. The pot body assembly includes a pot body with an inner pot and a pot lid. The inner pot is removably placed in the pot body. When the pot lid is opened, a cleaning agent flow path is formed between the discharge part of the bin at the discharge position and the inner pot or an external container.

23. The cooking appliance according to claim 22, wherein, The cooking appliance further includes a control unit, a first position detection device for detecting the position of the pot lid, and a second position detection device for detecting the position of the inner pot or an external container. The control unit has a cleaning mode and is configured to, in the cleaning mode, control the feed bin to move to the cleaning position according to the in-place signal of the pot lid detected by the first position detection device when the pot lid is opened and the in-place signal of the inner pot or the external container detected by the second position detection device.

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