Cooking appliance and method of controlling a cooking appliance

Abstract

This application discloses a cooking appliance and a method for controlling the cooking appliance. The cooking appliance includes a pot body, a bottom heating element, and a side heating element. The pot body includes a bottom and a side. The bottom heating element corresponds to the bottom of the pot body, and the side heating element corresponds to the side of the pot body. The control method includes: making the cooking process of the cooking appliance include a boiling stage, the boiling stage including a temperature maintenance zone and a temperature rise zone, and controlling the temperature T of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot body. 底 To determine whether the cooking process has entered the heating zone, once it is determined that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating elements, and 80℃≤T 底 The sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot. 侧 Higher than T 底 .

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cooking appliance technology, and more specifically to a cooking appliance and a method for controlling the cooking appliance. Background Technology

[0002] To facilitate scraping and cleaning, the inner pot of a rice cooker needs to have good non-stick properties. Currently, the non-stick property of the inner pot is achieved by spraying a non-stick coating onto it. However, over time or with improper use (such as cleaning with a steel brush or metal spatula), this non-stick coating can peel off. This not only reduces the non-stick performance of the inner pot, making it difficult to scrape and clean, but also risks the coating residue potentially entering the body with the rice, potentially impacting health. Therefore, achieving a non-stick coating-free rice cooker is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The summary section introduces a series of simplified concepts, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description section. The summary section is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0004] To at least partially solve the above problems, a first aspect of this application provides a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising:

[0005] The pot body, wherein the pot body is provided with a heating element; and

[0006] The inner pot is removably installed in the pot body, and the interior of the inner pot forms a cooking cavity for holding food. The inner pot includes a bottom and a side portion of the inner pot located above the bottom.

[0007] Temperature sensing device for sensing heating temperature; and

[0008] A control device, electrically connected to the temperature sensing device, determines the temperature of the inner surface of the pot liner based on the sensing value from the temperature sensing device. The control device is also electrically connected to the heating assembly.

[0009] The heating assembly includes a bottom heating assembly and a side heating assembly. The bottom heating assembly is located below the side heating assembly, and its position corresponds at least to the bottom of the inner pot. The position of the side heating assembly corresponds at least partially to the side of the inner pot.

[0010] The cooking appliance is configured such that its cooking process includes a boiling stage, which comprises a temperature maintenance zone and a temperature rise zone, performed sequentially.

[0011] The control device is based on the temperature T of the bottom inner surface of the pot. 底 Determine whether the cooking process has entered the heating zone. If it is determined that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, ensure that the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element.

[0012] The T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 3℃

[0013] The temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body 侧 Higher than the T 底 .

[0014] At the bottom of the pot, the movement of starch is hindered by the supporting force and friction of the inner surface of the pot, and gravity can no longer change the position of the starch, making this the area where it sticks most heavily. According to this application, after the food boils and the starch begins to solidify, the main heating source is switched from the bottom heating element to the side heating element. This controls the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot, preventing the starch from solidifying and sticking to the pot. At the same time, the higher temperature on the side ensures that the food receives sufficient heat to ensure that the rice is cooked thoroughly.

[0015] Optionally, the temperature sensing device is used to sense the temperature of the bottom inner surface, and the control device is further configured to:

[0016] During the boiling stage, the temperature is maintained. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is greater than the maintained temperature, and the difference between the two is greater than or equal to the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is less than the sum of the maintained temperature and the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to be in the maintained temperature range.

[0017] According to this application, the method for determining whether a temperature range or a temperature rise range has been entered is simple and effective.

[0018] optional

[0019] The control device is configured to: after entering the boiling stage, record the average temperature value of the temperature sensing device within a first preset monitoring time period as the boiling temperature, wherein the first preset monitoring time period is 2-4 minutes; and / or

[0020] The preset temperature rise is greater than or equal to 3°C.

[0021] According to this application, the method for obtaining the temperature is simple and effective. Setting a preset temperature rise of 3°C or greater allows for sensitive detection that the cooking process has entered the heating range.

[0022] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0023] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, immediately reduce the average power of the bottom heating element to below the average power of the side heating element; or

[0024] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, and after a preset delay period, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element; or

[0025] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, at T 底 Once the marked temperature is reached, the average power of the bottom heating assembly is lower than the average power of the side heating assembly.

[0026] According to this application, the main heat source can be switched immediately after the cooking process enters the heating zone, thereby completely preventing the starch from solidifying. Alternatively, the main heat source can be switched after a certain period of time, which helps to increase the supply of heat to the bottom and ensure that the rice is cooked. Or, the main heat source can be switched after the temperature of the bottom inner surface reaches a marked temperature, which corresponds to the temperature at which the starch is about to solidify. This allows for more precise control, preventing sticking to the pot while ensuring the supply of heat to the bottom.

[0027] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0028] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, reduce the power of the bottom heating element, or stop the bottom heating element from working, so that the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating elements; and / or

[0029] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the side heating component is increased, or the side heating component is started to work, so that the average power of the bottom heating component is lower than the average power of the side heating component.

[0030] According to this application, the methods for switching the main heating source include adjusting the power of the heating element and changing the on / off state of the heating element.

[0031] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0032] Before the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is made lower than the average power of the side heating element. After the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element and the side heating element is kept constant.

[0033] According to this application, if the bottom heating component is already the main heating source before entering the heating zone, the original heating power can be maintained after entering the heating zone.

[0034] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0035] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, such that the time interval between the moment when the temperature control target is first reached and the moment when the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element does not exceed a first preset interval duration.

[0036] The temperature control target is: T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body. 侧 Higher than the T 底 ,

[0037] The first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 5 minutes.

[0038] Furthermore, the first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 1 minute.

[0039] According to this application, after the cooking process enters the later stage of boiling, the bottom temperature is quickly controlled, which can completely prevent the starch glue from solidifying and achieve a good non-stick effect.

[0040] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0041] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the T... 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 1℃≤ΔT≤60℃.

[0042] According to this application, the side of the inner pot is less prone to sticking, and the side temperature can be flexibly controlled during the steaming stage to ensure that the rice is cooked.

[0043] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0044] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the bottom inner surface is reduced. 底 The range is: 92℃≤T 底 ≤ Boiling point temperature.

[0045] According to this application, the temperature at the bottom of the pot can prevent food from sticking while ensuring that the food is cooked through.

[0046] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0047] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element... 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 60℃.

[0048] According to this application, when the food is boiling and the starch is about to solidify, the cooking utensil has a high temperature on its side wall, which is less prone to sticking, so that the food can get enough heat to cook the rice.

[0049] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0050] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element is reduced. 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 40℃.

[0051] According to this application, after the food boils and the starch is about to solidify, the inner surface of the side of the cooking utensil is kept at a certain temperature while the bottom temperature is controlled to prevent it from getting too high. This ensures that the rice is cooked through without overcooking (overcooking will reduce the aroma of the rice and may even produce a raw, unpleasant smell). However, the temperature of the inner surface of the side should not be too high, otherwise there will still be some sticking to the pot.

[0052] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0053] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the T... 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 3℃≤ΔT≤20℃.

[0054] According to this application, the temperature at the bottom of the pot can prevent sticking while ensuring the food is cooked thoroughly. The temperature on the sides of the pot will not be too high, avoiding excessive temperature differences between the side walls and the bottom walls, which could lead to uneven cooking of the food.

[0055] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0056] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element is reduced. 侧 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃.

[0057] According to this application, the cooking appliance controls the side temperature between the sum of the boiling point and 5°C and the sum of the boiling point and 20°C after the food has boiled and the starch is about to solidify. Within this temperature range, the food can receive more heat, thus ensuring that the rice has a good stickiness and texture. At the same time, the temperature difference between the rice near the side wall of the inner pot and the rice in the center of the inner pot is reduced, resulting in better uniformity of rice cooking.

[0058] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0059] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the bottom heating element is first stopped. The bottom heating element is then restarted only when the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot has not reached 80°C; or...

[0060] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the bottom heating component is first reduced. When the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot has not reached 80°C, the power of the bottom heating component is then increased.

[0061] According to this application, when the starch adhesive is about to solidify, the heating method is adjusted to primarily heat the side walls, which helps control the temperature of the bottom of the pot and prevents sticking. However, it is also necessary to maintain the bottom temperature to ensure the rice is cooked thoroughly.

[0062] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0063] Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, both the bottom heating element and the side heating element are activated; or

[0064] Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, the bottom heating element is activated, while the side heating element is deactivated.

[0065] According to this application, the heating method can be flexibly set before the starch adhesive is about to cure.

[0066] Optionally, the side heating assembly includes a second heating assembly and a third heating assembly, with the third heating assembly located above the second heating assembly.

[0067] According to this application, the side of the pot is heated by two heating components, which can make different parts of the side of the pot have different temperatures and more precise control.

[0068] Optionally, the inner pot has a central axis, and in a cross-section of the inner pot passing through the central axis, the angle between the tangent at any point on the inner surface of the inner pot and the horizontal line is θ. This angle is located on one side of the outer surface of the inner pot and above the horizontal line.

[0069] Wherein, the inner surface of the pot liner with an included angle within the range of [0°, 31°] is the bottom inner surface; and / or, the inner surface of the pot liner within a region extending upwards from the lowest point of the inner surface of the pot liner not exceeding 2cm is the bottom inner surface.

[0070] The portion of the inner surface of the pot, excluding the bottom inner surface, is the side inner surface.

[0071] According to this application, the precise division between the bottom and sides of the inner pot helps to accurately control the temperature of the inner surface of the inner pot and prevents sticking.

[0072] Optionally, the inner side surface includes a first side region and / or a second side region, wherein the included angle of the first side region is in the range of 90° > θ > 31°, and the included angle of the second side region is in the range of θ ≥ 90°.

[0073] In the second side region, gravity can change the position of the starch, so there is almost no starch adhering to it and almost no sticking to the pan. In the first side region, the movement of starch is hindered by the supporting force and friction of the inner surface of the pan, but gravity can still change the position of the starch, making it a region prone to slight sticking.

[0074] Optionally, the control device is further configured to:

[0075] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element.

[0076] Temperature T in the first side region 侧1 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧1 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 40°C; and / or, the temperature T of the second side region. 侧2 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧2 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 60℃.

[0077] According to this application, the temperature of different parts of the inner pot can both prevent sticking and ensure that the food is given enough heat.

[0078] Optionally, the control device is further configured to, after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, reduce the average power of the bottom heating element to be lower than the average power of the side heating element, and:

[0079] Temperature T in the second side region 侧2 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧2 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃, and / or

[0080] Temperature T in the first side region 侧1 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧1 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃.

[0081] According to this application, the cooking appliance controls the side temperature between the sum of the boiling point and 5°C and the sum of the boiling point and 20°C after the food has boiled and the starch is about to solidify. Within this temperature range, the food can receive more heat, thus ensuring that the rice has a good stickiness and texture. At the same time, the temperature difference between the rice near the side wall of the inner pot and the rice in the center of the inner pot is reduced, resulting in better uniformity of rice cooking.

[0082] Optionally, the inner surface of the side portion includes a first side portion region and a second side portion region, wherein,

[0083] The side heating assembly includes a second heating assembly and a third heating assembly. The third heating assembly is located above the second heating assembly. The bottom heating assembly is positioned corresponding to the bottom of the inner pot. The second heating assembly is positioned corresponding to the first side region, and the third heating assembly is positioned corresponding to the second side region; or

[0084] The bottom heating element is positioned corresponding to the bottom of the pot and the first side region, and the side heating element is positioned corresponding to the second side region; or

[0085] The bottom heating component is located at a position corresponding to the bottom of the pot, a portion of the first side region, and a portion of the second side region, and the side heating component is located at a position corresponding to a portion of the second side region.

[0086] According to this application, the heating positions of the bottom heating assembly and the side heating assembly can be flexibly adjusted.

[0087] Optionally, the inner surface of the side portion includes the first side portion region and the second side portion region.

[0088] The control device is further configured to, after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, make the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, and make the temperature of the second side region higher than the temperature of the first side region.

[0089] According to this application, the temperature of the first side region is lower than that of the second side region, which helps to prevent serious sticking to the pan in the first side region and also helps the food to cook thoroughly.

[0090] Optionally, the cooking appliance further includes a lid for covering the pot body and a top heating component disposed in the lid, the top heating component being electrically connected to the control device, and the control device being configured to control the top heating component to operate after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range.

[0091] Alternatively, the cooking appliance may further include a steam generating component electrically connected to the control device and also connected to the inner pot. The control device is further configured to control the steam generating component to operate after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, so as to heat the rice with hot steam.

[0092] According to this application, after the ingredients have boiled and the starch is about to solidify, the cooking appliance can use other methods to supplement the ingredients with heat in order to cook the rice, since the temperature at the bottom of the pot is controlled.

[0093] Optionally,

[0094] The temperature sensing device includes an additional temperature sensor disposed on the side heating assembly for sensing the temperature of the side heating assembly or the temperature of the side of the inner pot; and / or

[0095] The rated power of the side heating assembly is 100W to 2200W.

[0096] According to this application, the cooking appliance controls the side temperature via an additional temperature sensor, which facilitates more precise control. The rated power of the side heating element can be flexibly set.

[0097] Optionally, the side heating assembly includes at least one side heating component for realizing the heating function, and the total height of all the side heating components is greater than or equal to 30 mm.

[0098] According to this application, the heating height covered by the side heating component is greater than or equal to 30 mm, so that the food can receive sufficient heat.

[0099] Optionally, the side heating assembly includes a plurality of side heating elements arranged in a vertical direction.

[0100] According to this application, there are multiple side heating components arranged vertically, so that the number of side heating components can be controlled according to the amount of food, thus avoiding energy waste.

[0101] Optionally, the side heating assembly is provided with a temperature control switch and / or a thermal fuse.

[0102] According to this application, the temperature control switch and / or thermal fuse can control the highest temperature on the side, which is beneficial for temperature control and ensuring heating safety.

[0103] Optionally,

[0104] The temperature sensing device includes a top temperature sensor for detecting the temperature at the top of the cooking cavity. The control device is further configured to acquire the top sensing value of the top temperature sensor, determine whether to enter the boiling stage based on the top sensing value, and determine the boiling point temperature based on the top sensing value during the boiling stage; or

[0105] The cooking appliance also includes a pressure sensor for detecting ambient air pressure, the pressure sensor being electrically connected to the control device, the control device being configured to determine the boiling point temperature based on the sensing value of the pressure sensor.

[0106] Alternatively, the cooking appliance may further include:

[0107] A wireless communication device for wireless communication with the server, the wireless communication device being electrically connected to the control device; and

[0108] A positioning device is used to determine the position of the cooking appliance, and the positioning device is electrically connected to the control device.

[0109] The control device is configured to send the location information of the cooking appliance to the server via the wireless communication device, so that the server can determine the altitude of the cooking appliance and thus determine the boiling point temperature based on the altitude.

[0110] According to this application, there are various methods for determining the boiling point temperature.

[0111] Optionally,

[0112] The side heating component is a hot air convection heating device, which surrounds the outer periphery of the side of the pot, and forms an annular airflow channel between the hot air convection heating device and the side of the pot.

[0113] According to this application, the side is heated by hot air convection, which helps to make the side temperature more uniform and the rice more even.

[0114] Optionally, the hot air convection heating device includes a side heating component and an airflow generating device. The side heating component is used to heat the air in the pot and / or the airflow channel, and the airflow generating device is used to generate airflow in the airflow channel. The airflow inlet and airflow outlet of the airflow generating device are both connected to the airflow channel.

[0115] According to this application, the cooking appliance allows the air in the airflow channel to be circulated and heated, which helps to maintain a higher temperature on the side.

[0116] Optionally,

[0117] The cooking appliance also includes a barrier mechanism for preventing the side heating assembly from transferring heat to the bottom of the pot from the outside of the inner pot.

[0118] According to this application, the barrier mechanism makes it difficult for heat to flow from the side to the bottom, which helps to maintain a higher temperature on the side and facilitates zoned temperature control between the side and the bottom.

[0119] Optionally, a bottom gap is provided between the bottom heating assembly and the outer surface of the pot, and a side gap is provided between the side heating assembly and the outer surface of the pot. The blocking mechanism is used to prevent the bottom gap from communicating with the side gap.

[0120] According to this application, the barrier mechanism makes it difficult for heat to exchange between the side and the bottom, which is beneficial for temperature control in separate zones on the side and bottom.

[0121] Optionally, a heat-conducting partition is provided between the bottom of the pot and the side of the pot. The heat-conducting partition extends for a full circumference along the pot. Along the extension direction of the generatrix of the pot wall, the heat conductivity of the heat-conducting partition is lower than that of the bottom and side of the pot.

[0122] According to this application, the bottom and side of the pot are connected by a heat-conducting partition, thereby hindering heat transfer between the bottom and side of the pot, which is beneficial for temperature control in different zones between the bottom and the side.

[0123] A second aspect of this application provides a method for controlling a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising: a pot having a bottom and a side portion, a bottom heating element corresponding to the bottom of the pot, and a side heating element corresponding to the side portion of the pot.

[0124] The control method includes:

[0125] The cooking process of the cooking appliance includes a boiling stage, which comprises a temperature maintenance zone and a temperature rise zone, performed sequentially.

[0126] According to the temperature T of the bottom inner surface of the pot bottom 底 Determine whether the cooking process has entered the heating range.

[0127] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and:

[0128] The T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 3℃

[0129] The temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body 侧 Higher than the T 底 .

[0130] At the bottom of the pot, the movement of starch is hindered by the supporting force and friction of the inner surface of the pot, and gravity can no longer change the position of the starch, making this the area where it sticks most heavily. According to this application, after the food boils and just before the starch paste is about to solidify, the main heating source is switched from the bottom heating element to the side heating element. This controls the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot, preventing the starch paste at the bottom from solidifying and sticking to the pot. At the same time, the higher temperature on the side ensures that the food receives sufficient heat to ensure that the rice is cooked thoroughly.

[0131] In some existing rice cookers, the inner pot is initially maintained at 100°C to 120°C during the cooking stage, and then cooled down. This causes condensation to form on the inner pot wall, which then wets the rice adhering to the inner wall. As the inner pot wall cools, its temperature gradually increases from the outside in, ensuring continuous condensation on the rice-contacting portion to prevent sticking. However, in this method, because the inner pot remains at 100°C to 120°C for a certain period during the cooking stage, the starch has already solidified, leading to sticking and limiting the effectiveness of the subsequent condensation. In contrast, the proposed solution ensures that the temperature at the bottom of the inner pot does not exceed the sum of the boiling point and 3°C during the cooking stage, preventing starch solidification and thus eliminating sticking.

[0132] Optionally, the cooking appliance further includes a temperature sensing device for sensing the temperature of the bottom inner surface, and the control method further includes:

[0133] During the boiling stage, the temperature is maintained. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is greater than the maintained temperature, and the difference between the two is greater than or equal to the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is less than the sum of the maintained temperature and the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to be in the maintained temperature range.

[0134] According to this application, the method for determining whether a temperature range or a temperature rise range has been entered is simple and effective.

[0135] Optionally,

[0136] The control method further includes: after entering the boiling stage, recording the average value of the temperature sensing value of the temperature sensing device within a first preset monitoring time as the boiling temperature, wherein the first preset monitoring time is 2-4 minutes; and / or

[0137] The preset temperature rise is greater than or equal to 3°C.

[0138] According to this application, the method for obtaining the temperature is simple and effective. Setting a preset temperature rise of 3°C or greater allows for sensitive detection that the cooking process has entered the heating range.

[0139] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0140] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, immediately reduce the average power of the bottom heating element to below the average power of the side heating element; or

[0141] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, and after a preset delay period, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element; or

[0142] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, at T 底 Once the marked temperature is reached, the average power of the bottom heating assembly is lower than the average power of the side heating assembly.

[0143] According to this application, the main heat source can be switched immediately after the cooking process enters the heating zone, thereby completely preventing the starch from solidifying. Alternatively, the main heat source can be switched after a certain period of time, which helps to increase the supply of heat to the bottom and ensure that the rice is cooked. Or, the main heat source can be switched after the temperature of the bottom inner surface reaches a marked temperature, which corresponds to the temperature at which the starch is about to solidify. This allows for more precise control, preventing sticking to the pot while ensuring the supply of heat to the bottom.

[0144] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range,

[0145] Reduce the power of the bottom heating assembly, or stop the bottom heating assembly from operating, so that the average power of the bottom heating assembly is lower than the average power of the side heating assembly; and / or

[0146] Increase the power of the side heating assembly, or start the side heating assembly to make the average power of the bottom heating assembly lower than the average power of the side heating assembly.

[0147] According to this application, the methods for switching the main heating source include adjusting the power of the heating element and changing the on / off state of the heating element.

[0148] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0149] Before the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is made lower than the average power of the side heating element. After the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element and the side heating element is kept constant.

[0150] According to this application, if the bottom heating component is already the main heating source before entering the heating zone, the original heating power can be maintained after entering the heating zone.

[0151] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0152] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the bottom heating element is lower than the power of the side heating element, such that the time interval between the moment when the temperature control target is first reached and the moment when the power of the bottom heating element is lower than the power of the side heating element does not exceed a first preset interval, wherein:

[0153] The temperature control target is: T 底 The range is: 80℃ ≤ T_bottom ≤ the sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃, and the temperature T_side of the inner surface of the side of the pot is higher than that of the bottom.

[0154] The first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 5 minutes.

[0155] Furthermore, the first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 1 minute.

[0156] According to this application, after the cooking process enters the later stage of boiling, the bottom temperature is quickly controlled, which can completely prevent the starch glue from solidifying and achieve a good non-stick effect.

[0157] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, making the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, wherein T 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 1℃≤ΔT≤60℃.

[0158] According to this application, the side of the inner pot is less prone to sticking, and the side temperature can be flexibly controlled during the steaming stage to ensure that the rice is cooked.

[0159] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, making the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, and the temperature T of the bottom inner surface... 底 The range is: 92℃≤T 底 ≤ Boiling point temperature.

[0160] According to this application, the temperature at the bottom of the pot can prevent food from sticking while ensuring that the food is cooked through.

[0161] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, making the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, so that the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating component is lower than the average power of the bottom heating component. 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 60℃.

[0162] According to this application, when the food is boiling and the starch is about to solidify, the cooking utensil has a high temperature on its side wall, which is less prone to sticking, so that the food can get enough heat to cook the rice.

[0163] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, making the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, wherein T 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 3℃≤ΔT≤20℃.

[0164] According to this application, the temperature at the bottom of the pot can prevent sticking while ensuring the food is cooked thoroughly. The temperature on the sides of the pot will not be too high, avoiding excessive temperature differences between the side walls and the bottom walls, which could lead to uneven cooking of the food.

[0165] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, making the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating component... 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 40℃.

[0166] According to this application, after the food boils and the starch is about to solidify, the inner surface of the side of the cooking utensil is kept at a certain temperature while the bottom temperature is controlled to prevent it from getting too high. This ensures that the rice is cooked through without overcooking (overcooking will reduce the aroma of the rice and may even produce a raw, unpleasant smell). However, the temperature of the inner surface of the side should not be too high, otherwise there will still be some sticking to the pot.

[0167] Optionally, the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, making the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating component... 侧 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃.

[0168] According to this application, the cooking appliance controls the side temperature between the sum of the boiling point and 5°C and the sum of the boiling point and 20°C after the food has boiled and the starch is about to solidify. Within this temperature range, the food can receive more heat, thus ensuring that the rice has a good stickiness and texture. At the same time, the temperature difference between the rice near the side wall of the inner pot and the rice in the center of the inner pot is reduced, resulting in better uniformity of rice cooking.

[0169] Optionally, the cooking appliance further includes a lid for covering the inner pot and a top heating element disposed in the lid, and the control method further includes: controlling the top heating element to operate after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone; and / or

[0170] The cooking appliance also includes a steam generating component, and the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, controlling the steam generating component to work so that hot steam heats the rice.

[0171] According to this application, after the ingredients have boiled and the starch is about to solidify, the temperature at the bottom of the pot is controlled, so the cooking appliance can use other methods to supplement the heat to the ingredients in order to cook the rice.

[0172] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0173] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the bottom heating element is first stopped. The bottom heating element is then restarted only when the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot has not reached 80°C; or...

[0174] After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the bottom heating component is first reduced. When the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot has not reached 80°C, the power of the bottom heating component is then increased.

[0175] According to this application, when the starch adhesive is about to solidify, the heating method is adjusted to primarily heat the side walls, which helps control the temperature of the bottom of the pot and prevents sticking. However, it is also necessary to maintain the bottom temperature to ensure the rice is cooked thoroughly.

[0176] Optionally, the control method further includes:

[0177] Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, both the bottom heating element and the side heating element are activated; or

[0178] Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, the bottom heating element is activated, while the side heating element is deactivated.

[0179] According to this application, the heating method can be flexibly set before the starch adhesive is about to cure. Attached Figure Description

[0180] The following drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference and used to understand this application, illustrate embodiments of the application and their descriptions, thereby explaining the principles of the application.

[0181] In the attached image:

[0182] Figure 1 This is a side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0183] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A side view of the inner pot of the pot;

[0184] Figures 3 to 13 This is a schematic diagram of various combinations of the inner pot and heating element of a cooking appliance according to a specific embodiment of this application;

[0185] Figure 14 and Figure 15 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the inner pot wall, showing the heat-conducting partition;

[0186] Figures 16 to 18 for Figure 1 Schematic diagrams of different examples of the second heating component;

[0187] Figure 19 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the second heating element and the inner pot;

[0188] Figure 20 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of the first heating component;

[0189] Figure 21 This is a side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the second embodiment of this application;

[0190] Figure 22 This is a side cross-sectional view of the inner pot and heating assembly of a cooking appliance according to the third embodiment of this application.

[0191] Figure 23 This is a side cross-sectional schematic diagram of the inner pot and heating assembly of a cooking appliance according to the fourth embodiment of this application;

[0192] Figure 24 This is a side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the fifth embodiment of this application;

[0193] Figure 25 for Figure 24 A partial cross-sectional view of the inner pot wall in the third region of the inner pot.

[0194] Figures 26 to 28 for Figure 24 A partial cross-sectional view of the inner pot wall in the second region of the inner pot.

[0195] Figure 29 This is a side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the sixth embodiment of this application;

[0196] Figure 30 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a cooking appliance according to the seventh embodiment of this application;

[0197] Figure 31 This is a side cross-sectional view of a cooking appliance according to the eighth embodiment of this application;

[0198] Figure 32 for Figure 31 A top view of the second heating element and the inner pot.

[0199] Figure 33 A schematic diagram of the temperature curve during the cooking process of rice using a cooking appliance according to a specific embodiment of this application;

[0200] Figure 34 A photograph of the inner pot of a cooking appliance after cooking rice according to a specific embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0201] The following description provides numerous specific details to offer a more thorough understanding of this application. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this application can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described to avoid confusion with this application.

[0202] To fully understand this application, a detailed description will be provided below. It is obvious that the implementation of embodiments of this application is not limited to the specific details familiar to those skilled in the art. Preferred embodiments of this application are described in detail below; however, other embodiments may also be available in addition to these detailed descriptions.

[0203] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of the stated features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0204] In understanding the scope of this application, the term "comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open-ended terms that specify the presence of a described feature, element, component, group, whole, and / or step, but do not exclude the presence of other undescribed features, elements, components, groups, wholes, and / or steps. This concept also applies to words with similar meanings, such as the terms "comprising," "having," and their derivatives.

[0205] The term "attached" or "joined" as used herein includes: a construction in which one element is directly fixed to another element by fixing it directly to another element; a construction in which one element is indirectly fixed to another element by fixing it to an intermediate member, which in turn is fixed to another element; and a construction in which one element is integral with another element, that is, one element is substantially part of another element. This definition also applies to words with similar meanings, such as "connect," "joint," "couple," "install," "adhere," "fix," and their derivatives. Finally, degree terms such as "substantially," "approximately," and "approximately" as used herein indicate the amount of deviation from which modifications to the terminology do not significantly alter the final result.

[0206] The ordinal numbers such as “first” and “second” used in this application are merely identifiers and have no other meaning, such as a specific order. Furthermore, for example, the term “first component” does not imply the existence of a “second component,” and the term “second component” does not imply the existence of a “first component.” The use of words such as “first,” “second,” and “third” does not indicate any order and can be interpreted as names.

[0207] It should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "back," and "left" used in this article are different.

[0208] The terms "right," "inner," "outer," and similar expressions are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be restrictive.

[0209] In this document, terms such as “equal” and “same” are not strict mathematical and / or geometric limitations, but also include errors that are understandable to those skilled in the art and permissible in manufacturing or use.

[0210] Unless otherwise stated, the numerical ranges in this document include not only the entire range within its two endpoints, but also the subranges contained therein.

[0211] Exemplary embodiments according to this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. It should be understood that these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application is thorough and complete, and that the concept of these exemplary embodiments is fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0212] This application provides a cooking appliance and a method for controlling the same. In particular, it is a cooking appliance using an uncoated cooking container.

[0213] Exemplary embodiments according to this application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0214] like Figure 1 As shown, in a specific embodiment, the cooking appliance 100 according to this application may include a pot body 12 and a lid 11. Typically, the pot body 12 is used to heat the inner pot 20, which is a cooking container for holding food. The internal space of the inner pot 20 is a cooking cavity. The pot body 12 may have a cylindrical (or other shaped) receiving cavity 14, from which the inner pot 20 can be freely placed or removed for easy cleaning. The inner pot 20 is made of metal and constructed as a rotating body with an opening and an inner cavity formed by the pot wall; that is, the inner pot 20 is constructed as a rotating body shape with an axis PA extending in the vertical direction as its axis (the inner pot wall is formed by rotating a fixed-shape generatrix around the axis PA by 360 degrees). The inner surface of the inner pot 20 has no coating, such as a non-stick coating. The capacity of the inner pot 20 is typically less than 6L; for example, the capacity of the inner pot 20 may be 2L or 4L, etc. The lid 11 is pivotally connected to the pot body 12 via a pivot shaft for closing the pot body 12.

[0215] The cooking appliance 100 has a heating element 40 for performing cooking heating. The heating element 40 is disposed around or near the inner pot 20 for heating the inner pot 20. The heating element 40 is electrically connected to a control device (not shown) for heating the inner pot 20 under the control of the control device, thereby realizing the cooking function. The control device is configured, for example, as a MUC chip. The control device has built-in control program software.

[0216] The cooking appliance 100 also includes a temperature sensing device for sensing the cooking temperature. The temperature sensing device is electrically connected to a control device, allowing the control device to obtain cooking temperature information and control the heating element 40 to operate based on that information. The temperature sensing device may include, for example, at least a top temperature sensor 18 and a bottom temperature sensor 19. The top temperature sensor 18, for example, is disposed in the lid 11 and senses the cooking temperature at the top of the cooking cavity. The bottom temperature sensor 19, for example, is disposed in the pot body 12 and contacts the bottom of the inner pot 20 to sense the cooking temperature at the bottom of the cooking container. The temperature sensing device may also include temperature sensors disposed in other locations.

[0217] Understandably, the cooking appliance 100 is controlled by a control device.

[0218] The substance that causes rice to stick to the pot is mainly starch. During the cooking process, as the water temperature rises, the starch granules inside the rice grains expand and release into the water, forming a starch solution. In the initial stages of cooking, the starch granules only form a mixed solution with the water. At this time, most of the starch granules are in an ungelatinized state and are suspended in the mixed solution, while a small portion settles on the surface of the pot (in a non-stick state).

[0219] As cooking progresses, starch granules absorb heat and gradually gelatinize, forming a viscous substance called starch gum. Gelatinized starch granules have different adhesive strength than non-gelatinized ones; the gelatinized starch granules form starch gum, which has a stronger adhesive force. The gelatinized starch gum gradually adheres to the surface of the pot, and the number of starch granules transforming into starch gum gradually increases during the gelatinization process. When the water is about to boil away during the boiling stage, the starch gum has relatively low adhesion to the pot surface due to the presence of moisture, making it easy to scrape off or remove the starch gum adhering to the inner surface of the pot, thus maintaining a non-stick state at this point. If heating continues at a high temperature, the moisture between the starch gum and the inner surface of the pot gradually decreases, causing the adhesive force to gradually increase, eventually leading to sticking and even burning.

[0220] During cooking, the adhesive strength of starch glue is related to whether it cures or carbonizes. When the adhesive strength of starch glue to the inner surface of the pot liner 20 is relatively strong, it becomes more difficult to scoop rice, which is what is known as sticking to the pot. Whether the starch glue cures or carbonizes is the result of the combined effects of temperature and time. Only prolonged high temperatures will cause the starch glue to cure or even carbonize.

[0221] The cooking process is actually a gradual increase in temperature at the bottom. Especially after boiling, as the water gradually evaporates, the bottom temperature continues to rise, eventually reaching the high temperature that causes the rice to stick to the pot—that is, the sticking phenomenon begins. Because this high temperature needs to be maintained to cook the rice thoroughly, it leads to increased sticking the longer it cooks. This explains why the rice doesn't stick in the early stages of cooking but does stick later, and why sticking usually occurs when the water has almost evaporated.

[0222] During cooking, rice releases starch into the water. A large amount of starch, under the influence of gravity, settles at the bottom, while a smaller amount adheres to the side walls of the inner pot 20. Therefore, the inner surface of the inner pot 20 exhibits a starch distribution pattern: less starch on the sides and more on the bottom, with the amount of starch gradually increasing from the sides to the bottom. Areas with higher starch distribution are also more prone to sticking. Generally speaking, as... Figure 2 As shown, based on the amount of starch adhering to the inner surface of the inner wall of the inner pot 20, the inner wall of the inner pot 20 can be divided into the following areas:

[0223] 1. The area where starch moves freely and gravity can change the position of starch is called the non-starch adhesion area, or the third area 23 of the pot. Since starch hardly adheres to the third area 23 of the pot, sticking to the pot is almost non-existent.

[0224] 2. The area where starch movement is hindered by the supporting force and friction of the inner surface of the pot liner 20, but gravity can still change the position of the starch, is called the small amount of starch adhesion area, or the second area 22 of the pot liner, which is a slightly sticky area.

[0225] 3. The area where starch movement is hindered by the supporting force and friction of the inner surface of the pot liner 20, and gravity can no longer change the position of the starch, is called the starch sedimentation area, or the first area 21 of the pot liner, which is the area of ​​severe sticking.

[0226] In this application, as Figure 2 As shown, the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23 of the pot can be simply divided according to the following method: In the cross section of the pot 20 passing through the axis PA (the cross section is in a vertical plane), the tangent at any point on the inner surface of the pot 20 has a first angle with the horizontal line on one side of the outer surface of the pot 20 and above the horizontal line. The portion with the first angle less than or equal to 31 degrees forms the first region 21 of the pot, the portion with the first angle greater than 31 degrees and less than 90 degrees forms the second region 22 of the pot, and the portion with the first angle greater than or equal to 90 degrees forms the third region 23 of the pot.

[0227] For example, the tangent LA at point A on the inner surface of the bottom of the pot liner 20 intersects the horizontal line LH, forming a first angle α on one side of the outer surface of the pot liner 20 and above the horizontal line LH. Angle α is less than 31 degrees, thus the pot liner region at point A is the first pot liner region 21. The tangent LB at point B on the inner surface of the side of the pot liner 20 intersects the horizontal line LH, forming a first angle β on one side of the outer surface of the pot liner 20 and above the horizontal line LH. Angle β is greater than 31 degrees and less than 90 degrees, thus the pot liner region at point B is the second pot liner region 22. The tangent LC at point C on the inner surface of the upper part of the pot liner 20 intersects the horizontal line LH, forming a first angle γ on one side of the outer surface of the pot liner 20 and above the horizontal line LH. Angle γ is greater than 90 degrees, thus the pot liner region at point C is the third pot liner region 23.

[0228] The above scheme is an illustrative method for dividing the inner pot into zones. These zones are primarily based on the different amounts of starch adhesive that can adhere to different areas. Generally speaking, the lower the pot, the more severe the sticking. The first zone 21 of the inner pot is located at the bottom, forming the bottom wall of the inner pot 20, also known as the bottom of the inner pot. Regardless of the shape of the inner pot, it will always have a first zone 21. The second zone 22 and the third zone 23 provide the side walls of the inner pot 20, collectively referred to as the side portion 24. The inner pot 20 has at least one of the second zone 22 and the third zone 23. The side portion is located above the bottom of the inner pot. The second zone 22 is also called the first side portion, and the inner surface of this part of the inner pot is the first side portion. The third zone 23 is also called the second side portion, and the inner surface of this part of the inner pot is the second side portion.

[0229] exist Figures 3 to 5 In the example shown, the inner pot 20A is approximately spherical, and the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23 of the inner pot are arranged continuously from bottom to top, that is, the inner pot wall of the inner pot 20A has three continuously distributed inner pot regions.

[0230] exist Figure 6 In the example shown, the sidewall of the inner pot 20B is cylindrical, and the bottom wall is basically planar. Therefore, the inner pot 20B only includes two continuously distributed inner pot regions: the first inner pot region 21 and the third inner pot region 23. Or, the side portion of the inner pot 24 only includes the third inner pot region 23.

[0231] exist Figure 7 and Figure 8 In the example shown, compared to Figure 6In the example shown, to reduce the area of ​​the first region 21 of the pot, the sidewall of the pot 20C is inclined inward to form a trapezoidal pot, so that the pot 20 only includes two continuously distributed pot regions: the first region 21 and the second region 22. Or, the side portion 24 of the pot only includes the second region 22.

[0232] exist Figure 9 and Figure 10 In the example, the sidewalls of the inner pot 20D are further recessed, causing the horizontal bottom wall to disappear, forming a V-shaped inner pot. In this embodiment, when the first included angle at any point on the inner surface of the inner pot 20 is not less than or equal to 31 degrees, the portion whose height difference with the lowest point of the inner surface of the inner pot 20 does not exceed 2 cm forms the first region 21 of the inner pot; that is, the portion always located at the bottom is the first region 21 of the inner pot. The second region 22 of the inner pot has a uniform first included angle, for example, approximately 60 degrees.

[0233] exist Figure 11 and Figure 12 In the example, the pot liner 20E comprises three continuously distributed pot liner regions: a first pot liner region 21, a second pot liner region 22, and a third pot liner region 23. In a cross-section of the pot liner 20E passing through the axis PA, the first pot liner region 21, the second pot liner region 22, and the third pot liner region 23 all extend generally along a straight line. Specifically, the first included angle α in the first pot liner region 21 is mostly 0 degrees, the first included angle β in the second pot liner region 22 ranges from 31 degrees to 60 degrees, and the first included angle γ in the third pot liner region 23 is approximately 90 degrees. The first pot liner region 21 and the second pot liner region 22 are smoothly connected. The second pot liner region 22 and the third pot liner region 23 are smoothly connected.

[0234] exist Figure 13 In the example, compared to Figure 6 For example, the outer periphery of the first region 21 of the pot liner 20F is curved, similar to that of the pot liner 20A. The pot liner 20F includes two continuously distributed pot liner regions: the first region 21 and the third region 23. The side portion 24 of the pot liner only includes the third region 23. The first region 21 can be smoothly connected to the third region 23.

[0235] like Figure 33 As shown, the cooking process of the cooking appliance 100 includes, for example, a water absorption process, a boiling process, a simmering process, and a rice cooking process (each process is a stage).

[0236] During the water absorption process, the ingredients fully absorb water in warm water (e.g., the temperature at the bottom of the cooking cavity is maintained at 30-70℃, also known as the water absorption temperature) to improve texture. Typically, the water absorption process lasts for a preset duration (e.g., 1-90 minutes). The average heating power during the water absorption process is, for example, no more than 1000W. To save cooking time, a short period of full-power heating can be performed first, followed by stopping the heating. The cooking appliance 100 also supports cold water soaking and / or hot water cooking. During cold water soaking, the heating element 40 does not operate during the water absorption process. When cooking with hot water, the water initially added to the cooking cavity is hot water, so the water absorption process can be omitted or the heating element 40 can remain inactive during the water absorption process.

[0237] In the boiling stage, the cooking appliance 100 heats the food to near-boiling temperature using high heat (e.g., the temperature at the top of the cooking chamber is 70-90°C, also known as the boiling temperature), and then maintains boiling in the boiling stage to ensure the food is basically cooked. The average heating power of the boiling stage is, for example, 400-2000W, and full power heating is possible. In some cases, such as in high-altitude environments, where the temperature rise in the cooking chamber is limited, the boiling stage can proceed to the boiling stage after a preset boiling time (not exceeding 40 minutes).

[0238] The boiling process continues for a preset boiling time (e.g., 4-40 minutes) before proceeding to the next process. The average heating power of the boiling process is, for example, 200-1000W.

[0239] The rice-cooking process dries out any remaining free moisture, further cooking the ingredients. This process can be continued for a preset cooking time (e.g., 2-20 minutes) while maintaining the food temperature within a certain range. The average heating power of the rice-cooking process is, for example, 100-1000W. Cooking is complete when the rice-cooking process ends.

[0240] After cooking, a low heat can be used to keep the food warm during the keep-warm process, allowing users to enjoy hot food. The keep-warm process typically maintains the food temperature at a set temperature (e.g., 40-80°C at the bottom of the cooking container). This process usually lasts for a relatively long time (e.g., at least 30 minutes) and can be ended manually. The average heating power of the keep-warm process is, for example, 100-1000W.

[0241] As mentioned earlier, during the rice cooking process, the internal temperature of the inner pot 20 enters the boiling stage (boiling process) after reaching the boiling point. The boiling stage includes at least a temperature-maintaining interval (segment, time period) and a heating interval. The temperature-maintaining interval is the stage where the temperature is basically maintained at the boiling point. Since there is still water at the bottom of the inner pot 20 at the beginning of the boiling stage, the boiling point of water limits the temperature of the bottom of the pot to fluctuating only around the boiling point during the heating period of the temperature-maintaining interval (for example, when the boiling point is 100℃, the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot is between 101℃ and 102℃). After continuous heating for a period of time, the heating interval begins. At this point, the water has mostly boiled away, and the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 20 gradually rises. If the area of ​​the inner pot 20 with the starch adhesive is continuously heated at high temperature after the heating interval, the starch adhesive will begin to solidify, causing sticking. Therefore, the temperature of the inner surface of the inner pot 20 can be controlled to prevent the starch adhesive from solidifying and carbonizing. Especially in the first area 21 of the inner pot, which is prone to sticking, it is even more important to control the temperature of the inner surface within a suitable range in a timely manner.

[0242] For example, the control device is configured to, during the rice cooking process, control the heating component 40 to operate after a preset condition is met, so that the average power of the bottom heating component is lower than the average power of the side heating component (i.e., switching the heat source). Then (e.g., during the rice-simmering process), the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot is not lower than 65°C and not higher than the sum of the boiling point of water and 15°C. Preferably, the control device is configured to, during the rice cooking process, control the heating component 40 to operate after a preset condition is met, so that during the rice-simmering process, the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot is greater than or equal to 80°C and less than or equal to the sum of the boiling point of water and 3°C. Taking the boiling point of water as 100°C as an example, the maximum temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot does not exceed 103°C. At 103°C, the moisture in the starch adhesive adhering to the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot does not evaporate or evaporates only slightly, thus keeping the starch adhesive in a moist state and ultimately achieving non-stick cooking. Of course, the lower the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot, the less it affects the moisture in the starch adhesive adhering to it, and the less likely it is to stick to the pot. The preset condition is that the food in the pot 20 has boiled and entered the heating zone. For example, the following method can be used to determine whether it has entered the heating zone.

[0243] The control device can determine whether the cooking process has entered the heating range based on the temperature change trend. For example, during the boiling stage, the control device acquires the temperature of the maintained temperature range. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is greater than the maintained temperature, and the difference between the two is greater than or equal to the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is less than the sum of the maintained temperature and the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to still be within the maintained temperature range. The preset rising temperature is, for example, greater than or equal to 3°C. For example, after entering the boiling stage, the average value of the temperature sensing device within a first preset monitoring time is recorded as the maintained temperature. The first preset monitoring time is, for example, 2-4 minutes. The temperature sensing device can be a temperature probe specifically designed to sense the temperature of the bottom 21 of the pot or the inner surface of the bottom 21 of the pot, such as the bottom temperature sensor 19.

[0244] Actual temperature detection is subject to errors due to other factors, and heating has thermal inertia. The temperature sensor's reading may not accurately reflect the actual temperature of the inner surface of the pot liner 20. Therefore, the actual temperature of the pot liner 20 is greater than the detected value. At this point, the moisture in the first region 21 of the pot liner has evaporated, and the starch adhesive has solidified, leading to sticking. Therefore, during the boiling stage of heating, the temperature of the first region 21 of the pot liner is detected at regular intervals (e.g., 5s, 10s, 15s). The temperature reading is continuously compared with the sum of the current temperature and the preset temperature rise. Because the detection interval is short and the preset temperature rise is small, it can more accurately reflect whether the pot liner 20 has a temperature rising trend. Once the rising trend is detected, the power of the heating components can be adjusted in time. Therefore, detecting the temperature change trend is more accurate than detecting the specific temperature, resulting in better consistency in mass production.

[0245] When the fluctuation of the temperature sensing value of the temperature sensing device does not exceed a preset fluctuation range within a first preset monitoring period, the food is determined to be boiling, i.e., entering the boiling stage temperature range. The start time of the first preset monitoring period is the start time of the temperature range. For example, the average, maximum, or minimum value of all temperature sensing values ​​of the same temperature sensor within the first preset monitoring period whose fluctuations do not exceed the preset fluctuation range can be used as the boiling temperature of the food (the boiling temperature of the food is not necessarily 100°C due to different altitudes). The boiling point temperature can be determined based on the boiling temperature of the food. Those skilled in the art can establish a correspondence between the sensing value of the temperature sensor and the actual temperature of the food through experiments. Based on this correspondence, the boiling point temperature can be determined based on the sensing value of the temperature sensor. Alternatively, if simplified, the boiling temperature of the food can be directly used as the boiling point temperature.

[0246] Of course, in addition to the above-mentioned method of detecting the heating range by temperature detection, it is also possible to determine whether the food in the inner pot 20 has maintained boiling for a preset boiling time t. For example, from the start of the first preset time, after the preset boiling time t has elapsed, it is considered that the cooking process has entered the heating range.

[0247] In addition to the aforementioned temperature rise range for determining the boiling stage as a preset condition, another preset condition could be the temperature T of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot. 底 Has the indicated temperature T0 been reached? If T 底 When the marked temperature T0 is reached, the heating element 40 is controlled to operate, ensuring that the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating elements. For example, during rice cooking, the boiling point of the food in the inner pot 20 is first determined, and the boiling point temperature can be determined. Then, when the temperature T of the inner surface of the first region 21 reaches... 底 Increase, and T 底 T is higher than the boiling temperature of the food. 底 When the sum of the preset heating temperatures is equal to the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot, the temperature T is considered to be... 底 The indicated temperature T0 is reached. The preset temperature range is, for example, [3℃, 4℃]. For example, during the boiling stage, the boiling temperature of the food is the boiling point temperature, for example, 100℃. Due to the existence of superheat, corresponding to the boiling temperature of the food, or in other words, when the food boils, the temperature of the bottom inner surface of the pot 20 is usually greater than or equal to the boiling point plus 1℃-2℃ (e.g., 101℃, 102℃). The indicated temperature T0 is set based on the principle that the inner surface temperature of the pot 20 will rise after the water boils dry. To avoid interference and ensure the accuracy of the program judgment, it is generally necessary to detect a temperature rise of 3-4℃. Therefore, the indicated temperature T0 is, for example, a preset temperature rise temperature increased from 101℃-102℃. Usually, T0 is greater than or equal to the sum of the boiling point and 4℃.

[0248] The maximum value of the labeled temperature T0 can be the sum of the boiling point and 40°C. At this temperature, the rice will undergo the Maillard reaction, releasing its aroma. Preferably, the labeled temperature T0 is not higher than the sum of the boiling point of water and 15°C. Boiling temperature rise detection is a better method for judging preset conditions than the labeled temperature T0. However, judging based on the labeled temperature T0 is simpler. Whether the rice sticks to the pan is the result of the combined effect of time and temperature on the starch adhesive. Therefore, it is acceptable for the labeled temperature T0 to be higher than the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot during subsequent cooking, because the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot will not be at the temperature point of the labeled temperature T0 for a long time. Thus, a brief "high temperature" state (the temperature point of the labeled temperature T0) on the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot will not immediately cause the water in the starch adhesive to evaporate rapidly, nor will it cause sticking to the pan.

[0249] Temperature T0 is indicated for example as the sum of boiling point and 5℃, boiling point and 6℃, boiling point and 7℃, boiling point and 8℃, boiling point and 9℃, boiling point and 10℃, boiling point and 11℃, boiling point and 12℃, boiling point and 13℃, boiling point and 14℃, boiling point and 15℃, boiling point and 20℃, boiling point and 25℃, boiling point and 30℃, boiling point and 35℃, and boiling point and 40℃.

[0250] Another method for determining the preset conditions is to consider the preset conditions met when the food in the inner pot 20 maintains boiling for a preset boiling time t, and then control the heating element 40 to operate. The preset boiling time t is, for example, 4 to 15 minutes, or 6 to 10 minutes. Controlling the timing of switching to the main heating element based on the preset boiling time t requires eliminating the influence of environmental factors and the amount of food, making adaptive control difficult. Therefore, time-based control usually requires a margin of safety. For example, assuming it takes 8 minutes to heat before sticking, to ensure it doesn't stick, the preset boiling time t could be 7 minutes, thus guaranteeing non-sticking. However, this might result in insufficient heating and poor rice quality. Judging by the boiling time is simpler.

[0251] Preferably, the temperature sensing value of the bottom temperature sensor 19 is used to determine whether the temperature range and the temperature rise range have been entered.

[0252] It should be noted that after the preset conditions are met, the heating component 40 is controlled to work, so that the average power of the bottom heating component is lower than the average power of the side heating component. It can be considered that the rice cooking process begins after the heating component 40 is controlled to work, or it can be considered that the rice cooking process begins after the heating component has been controlled to work for a period of time. There is no restriction here. Whether the preset conditions are met is only a sign that the heating component 40 is controlled to proceed to the next step.

[0253] More preferably, when preset conditions are met, the control device is configured to control the heating component 40 to operate, so that during the rice-cooking process, the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot is not lower than 80°C and not higher than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 3°C. More preferably, when preset conditions are met, the control device is configured to control the heating component 40 to operate, so that during the rice-cooking process, the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot is not lower than 92°C and not higher than the boiling point temperature. Basically, this application mainly avoids sticking to the pot by strictly controlling the bottom temperature of the pot 20 during the rice-cooking stage.

[0254] After entering the rice-cooking stage, controlling the bottom temperature to be greater than or equal to 80℃ is to ensure the rice is cooked through, while controlling the bottom temperature to be less than or equal to the sum of the boiling point and 3℃ is to prevent sticking. When 92℃≤T 底With a temperature ≤ boiling point, the rice will not be undercooked and will be cooked more thoroughly. Furthermore, during the steaming stage, when the bottom temperature cannot be too high, in order to dry the free moisture in the inner pot 20 and further cook the rice, the temperature of the remaining parts can preferably be appropriately increased. For example, the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and / or the third region 23 of the inner pot can be appropriately increased. For instance, when preset conditions are met, the control device is configured to control the heating component 40 to operate such that during the steaming stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and / or the inner surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot is greater than the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the inner pot. In other words, the control device is configured to, during the rice cooking process, after the preset conditions are met, control the heating component 40 to operate such that the average power of the bottom heating component is lower than the average power of the side heating components, and then, at least during the steaming stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21, the lowest region of the inner pot, is lower than the temperature of the inner surfaces of the other regions of the inner pot; that is, the inner surface temperature of the bottom of the inner pot is lower than the inner surface temperature of the sides of the inner pot. For example, at least during the rice-cooking stage, the temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the inner pot. 侧 Temperature T above the inner surface of the bottom of the pot 底 The value is ΔT, where 1℃≤ΔT≤60℃.

[0255] In this application, the preferred range of ΔT is: 3℃ ≤ ΔT ≤ 20℃. For example, ΔT can be selected as one of 5℃, 10℃, and 15℃. Under this temperature difference, the cooking appliance 100 can cook the rice well while reducing sticking, bringing out the aroma of the rice, and ensuring a certain taste. Similarly, in this application, T 底 You can choose one of 80℃, 85℃, 90℃, 95℃, or 100℃. 侧 You can choose from 110℃, 115℃, 120℃, 125℃, or 130℃. It should be noted that the actual temperature of the inner surface of the pot during heating may vary. 底 and T 侧 The selected value may fluctuate, but this is also within the scope of protection of this application.

[0256] In this application, the heat source is switched after entering the heating zone. After switching the heat source, until cooking is complete, preferably, the inner surface temperature T of the bottom 21 of the pot is... 底 It needs to be kept at 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃. After switching the heat source, the temperature of the side of the pot should be higher than the temperature of the bottom of the pot for at least a certain period of time. It is not required that the side temperature be kept high and always higher than the bottom temperature of the pot from the time the heat source is switched until the end of cooking, but the bottom of the pot 21 needs to be kept at a "low temperature" (80℃≤T). 底(≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 3℃). After determining that the heating zone has been entered, the average power of the bottom heating element can be immediately lower than the average power of the side heating element; or, after determining that the heating zone has been entered, after a preset delay period, the average power of the bottom heating element can be lower than the average power of the side heating element; or, after determining that the heating zone has been entered, and at T... 底 After reaching the designated temperature, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element.

[0257] Alternatively, if the average power of the bottom heating element is already lower than the average power of the side heating element before the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element and the side heating element can be kept constant after the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating zone.

[0258] In some embodiments where the inner pot 20 includes a second region 22, when preset conditions are met, the control device is configured to control the heating component 40 to operate, ensuring that during the rice-cooking stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the inner pot is not lower than the boiling point temperature and not higher than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 40°C. While the bottom temperature is controlled to prevent excessive heat, the inner surface of the second region 22 of the inner pot must maintain a certain temperature to ensure the rice is cooked thoroughly without overcooking (overcooking time will reduce the aroma of the rice and may even produce a raw, unpleasant smell). However, the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 should not be too high either, otherwise, some sticking to the pot will still occur. More preferably, during the rice-cooking stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the inner pot is not lower than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 5°C and not higher than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 20°C. Within this temperature range, the ingredients can receive more heat, thus ensuring the rice has a good stickiness and texture. Simultaneously, the temperature difference between the rice near the side walls of the inner pot and the rice in the center of the inner pot is reduced, resulting in better uniformity of rice cooking.

[0259] In some embodiments where the inner pot 20 includes a third region 23, when preset conditions are met, the control device is configured to control the heating component 40 to operate, ensuring that during the rice-cooking stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot is not lower than the boiling point temperature and not higher than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 60°C. If the sidewall temperature is too high while ensuring the rice is cooked, it will cause poor temperature uniformity in the rice cooking process; that is, the rice near the sidewalls will turn yellowish-brown, while the rice in the center will not be cooked. More preferably, during the rice-cooking stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot is not lower than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 5°C and not higher than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 20°C.

[0260] Optionally, before the preset conditions are met, the control device is configured to control the heating component 40 to operate, also ensuring that the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and / or the inner surface of the third region 23 of the pot is greater than the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot. That is, throughout the entire cooking process, the temperature of the upper or side part of the pot 20 is always kept higher than the temperature of the bottom.

[0261] In this application, there is no limitation on the relationship between the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and the inner surface of the third region 23 of the pot. They may be equal or unequal. It is possible that the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 is greater than the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23, or it is possible that the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 is less than the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23.

[0262] The reason why the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and / or the third region 23 of the pot is not lower than the sum of the boiling point and 5°C is that this temperature can make the temperature of the rice in the pot higher, thereby ensuring that the rice in the pot receives more heat, thus ensuring that the cooked rice has a good stickiness and texture.

[0263] The reason why the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and / or the third region 23 of the pot is not higher than the sum of the boiling point and 20°C is that if the temperature is too high, it will cause an excessive temperature difference between the rice around the side wall of the pot and the rice in the center of the pot, thus making the cooking of rice less uniform.

[0264] As shown in Tables 1-1 and 1-2, the viscosity of the rice increases with the increase of the temperature on the side of the pot, and the moisture content deviation of the rice also increases, indicating a decrease in the uniformity of the rice and an increase in the degree of gelatinization. The greater the degree of gelatinization, the better the rice tastes. Therefore, during the cooking stage, the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 and / or the third region 23 of the pot is preferably not lower than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 5°C, and not higher than the sum of the boiling point temperature and 20°C.

[0265] Table 1-1

[0266]

[0267] Table 1-2

[0268]

[0269] In this application, because the amount of starch adhering to the second region 22 of the pot is relatively small, even a moderate increase in temperature will not cause serious sticking. The third region 23 of the pot has almost no starch adhering to it, so there is no need to strictly control the temperature. In order to avoid sticking and to cook the rice properly, the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot is primarily controlled, and the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the pot is secondarily controlled.

[0270] The solution of this application lies in determining the timing of switching the heat source and achieving a low bottom temperature on the inner surface of the pot 20 during the rice cooking stage, thereby ensuring that the pot 20 will not stick severely during the cooking process. In addition, the side heating component heats the side of the pot 20 to supplement the heat of the rice. During the boiling stage, the bottom of the inner pot can be heated at high power to ensure the rice in the cooking cavity boils fully, giving the rice grains enough time to tumble and absorb heat, allowing for complete gelatinization and resulting in better-tasting rice with enhanced aroma. Monitoring the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot during the boiling stage and determining whether it has entered the heating zone allows for more accurate assessment of any remaining moisture before switching the heat source. This ensures the rice has sufficient time to boil while minimizing heating of the bottom before the starch gel hardens, achieving a good non-stick effect. The switching timing is more precise. Furthermore, during at least a portion of the simmering stage, the inner pot achieves a temperature zone effect with a low bottom and high sides, balancing excellent rice quality with a good non-stick effect, improving heating efficiency and shortening cooking time.

[0271] In some existing technologies, the bottom of the pot is heated at a high temperature in the early stages of the rice-cooking process to provide heat to the rice, and then cooled down by air cooling. Since the initial heating temperature of the bottom of the pot is 100℃-120℃, exceeding the evaporation temperature of water, the moisture in the starch adhesive continues to evaporate, leading to excessive solidification of the starch adhesive. This increases interfacial adhesion and causes the starch adhesive to stick to the pot. The stickiness of the starch adhesive mainly comes from the gelatinization of starch molecules during heating to form a homogeneous solution, which is further enhanced by intermolecular forces (such as hydrogen bonds) upon cooling. Relying solely on condensation from cooling the pot in the later stages of the rice-cooking process is insufficient once the starch adhesive has solidified. Its molecular structure is stable, and its viscosity has significantly increased. Therefore, the condensation cannot penetrate the solidified starch adhesive to alter its molecular structure, thus failing to effectively solve the stickiness problem and resulting in poor non-stickiness. Compared to the solutions in the aforementioned existing technologies, this application switches the heat source before the rice-cooking stage and ensures that the moisture in the starch adhesive at the bottom of the pot does not evaporate or evaporates minimally throughout the entire cooking process, resulting in better non-stickiness.

[0272] In GB / T 32095.2—2015, the non-stick surface properties and test specifications for household food metal cooking utensils, Part 2: Non-stick and abrasion resistance test specifications, the steps for the non-stick test of cooked rice are specified as follows:

[0273] a) Add rice and water according to the different types and volumes specified in Table 1;

[0274] b) Turn on the power to cook rice, and keep warm for 10 minutes after cooking is complete;

[0275] c) Invert the cooking appliance and observe whether all the rice has fallen out by gravity or by gently shaking the inner pot:

[0276] d) After cleaning the cooking utensils, repeat the above test a total of 5 times to check the non-stick properties of the coating on the cooking utensils. The rice residue is used to determine the rating level based on the average of the residue weights in the last 4 tests.

[0277] Note: Rice cookers and pressure cookers should be used according to the usual family method for cooking dry rice, including rice-water ratio and cooking.

[0278] The solution in this application, after being cooked using the above-mentioned test methods, if... Figure 34 As shown, this solution achieves a Level II non-stick effect, meaning that even with gentle shaking of the cooking appliance, some rice still adheres to the uncoated inner pot, but the weight of the rice is less than 50g. Furthermore, after actual cooking, the weight of rice adhering to the heated uncoated inner pot is less than 20g, which is closer to a Level I non-stick effect, where all rice can be removed from the appliance with gentle shaking or without any shaking. In contrast, existing uncoated inner pots, even after cooking, still have rice adhering to them with gentle shaking (50g < rice weight ≤ 100g), achieving only a Level III non-stick effect. This solution results in less rice adhering to the uncoated inner pot, demonstrating a superior non-stick performance.

[0279] Under normal circumstances, the boiling point of water can be assumed to be 100℃. For more precise control (e.g., to prevent overflow), analysis can be performed based on the actual situation during operation.

[0280] For example, the control device can determine whether the food in the inner pot 20 is boiling or close to boiling based on the temperature sensing value of the top temperature sensor 18 (when boiling, the temperature sensing value of the top temperature sensor 18 tends to be constant or rises slowly). Then, during the period when the food is maintaining boiling (during the boiling phase), the boiling point temperature is determined based on the sensing value of the top temperature sensor 18 (during the period of maintaining boiling, the sensing value of the top temperature sensor 18 is basically the temperature of the steam in the cooking chamber).

[0281] Alternatively, the boiling point temperature can be determined based on altitude. For example, the cooking appliance 100 also includes a wireless communication device and a positioning device. The wireless communication device is used for wireless communication with a server. The wireless communication device is electrically connected to a control device to operate under the control of the control device. The positioning device is used to determine the position of the cooking appliance 100. The positioning device is also electrically connected to the control device to operate under the control of the control device. The control device is configured to send the position information of the cooking appliance 100 determined by the positioning device to the server via the wireless communication device, so that the server can determine the altitude of the cooking appliance 100 based on the position information, and thus determine the boiling point temperature based on the altitude. Specifically, the server can determine the boiling point temperature and then send the boiling point temperature information to the wireless communication device, or the server can send the altitude information to the wireless communication device, and the control device can determine the corresponding boiling point temperature.

[0282] Alternatively, the cooking appliance 100 may be equipped with a pressure sensor for detecting ambient air pressure, which is electrically connected to the control device, and the control device determines the boiling point temperature based on the ambient air pressure value.

[0283] To achieve the temperature distribution trend of lower temperature at the bottom and higher temperature at the top on the inner surfaces of the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23 of the pot, the cooking appliance 100 can use multiple independent heating elements to heat the pot 20. That is, a control device is electrically connected to each heating element to independently control the operation of each heating element.

[0284] like Figure 3 As shown, the heating assembly 40 includes a first heating assembly 41, a second heating assembly 42, and a third heating assembly 43 arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The position of the first heating assembly 41 (its location within the pot body 12) corresponds to the first region 21 of the inner pot and is mainly used to heat the first region 21. The position of the second heating assembly 42 corresponds to the second region 22 of the inner pot and is mainly used to heat the second region 22. The position of the third heating assembly 43 corresponds to the third region 23 of the inner pot and is mainly used to heat the third region 23. Thus, the heating assemblies are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the regions of the inner pot, and the temperature of each region of the inner pot is mainly determined by the power of the corresponding heating assembly.

[0285] like Figure 4As shown, the heating assembly 40 includes a first heating assembly 41 and a second heating assembly 42 arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The first heating assembly 41 is positioned corresponding to the first region 21 of the pot and is mainly used to heat the first region 21. The second heating assembly 42 is positioned corresponding to the second region 22 and the third region 23 of the pot and is mainly used to heat the second region 22 and the third region 23. The temperature of the first region 21 of the pot is mainly determined by the first heating assembly 41. The power of the second heating assembly 42 prioritizes ensuring the temperature requirements of the second region 22 of the pot.

[0286] like Figure 5 As shown, the heating assembly 40 includes a first heating assembly 41 and a second heating assembly 42 arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The position of the first heating assembly 41 corresponds to the first region 21, the second region 22, and at least part of the third region 23 of the inner pot, and can heat the first region 21, the second region 22, and the third region 23. The second heating assembly 42 is positioned corresponding to the third region 23. The power of the first heating assembly 41 is controlled to achieve a preset temperature for the first region 21. The second heating assembly 42 can be selected to be controlled to heat the third region 23. That is, at this time, the temperatures of the first region 21 and the second region 22 are the same, both reaching the preset temperature of the first region 21, while the temperature of the third region 23 is higher than the former two. The control device can control the second heating assembly 42 to heat the third region 23, so that the temperature of the third region 23 reaches its preset temperature at least during the rice cooking stage.

[0287] In some embodiments, the first heating element 41 is positioned corresponding to the first region 21 and the second region 22 of the inner pot, and the second heating element 42 is positioned corresponding to the third region 23 of the inner pot. That is, at this time, the temperatures of the first region 21 and the second region 22 of the inner pot are the same, both being the preset temperature of the first region 21. The temperature of the third region 23 of the inner pot is higher than the temperatures of the former two. The control device can control the second heating element 42 to heat the third region 23 of the inner pot, so that the temperature of the third region 23 of the inner pot reaches its preset temperature at least during the rice cooking stage.

[0288] like Figure 6As shown, the heating assembly 40 includes a first heating assembly 41 and a second heating assembly 42 arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The first heating assembly 41 is positioned corresponding to the first region 21 of the inner pot and is mainly used to heat the first region 21. The second heating assembly 42 is positioned corresponding to the third region 23 of the inner pot and is mainly used to heat the third region 23. The temperature of the first region 21 of the inner pot is mainly determined by the first heating assembly 41. The temperature of the third region 23 of the inner pot is mainly determined by the second heating assembly 42. In this example, because the bottom wall area of ​​the inner pot 20B is relatively large, a corresponding heating assembly needs to be set for the first region 21 of the inner pot in order to heat the food in the middle through the thermal convection of water.

[0289] like Figure 7 As shown, the heating assembly 40 includes a first heating assembly 41 and a second heating assembly 42 arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The first heating assembly 41 is positioned corresponding to the first region 21 of the pot and is mainly used to heat the first region 21. The second heating assembly 42 is positioned corresponding to the second region 22 of the pot and is mainly used to heat the second region 22. The first heating assembly 41 can be selected to heat the first region 21 at a preset temperature. The second heating assembly 42 can be selected to heat the second region 22 at a preset temperature. The temperature of the first region 21 is mainly determined by the power of the first heating assembly 41. The temperature of the second region 22 is mainly determined by the power of the second heating assembly 42.

[0290] In this application, the heating component that corresponds at least to the first region 21 of the inner pot is also referred to as the bottom heating component. For example Figures 3 to 7 The first heating element 41 in the pot can be referred to as the bottom heating element. The heating elements provided corresponding to the second region 22 and / or the third region 23 of the pot are also referred to as the side heating elements.

[0291] exist Figures 3 to 7 and Figure 13In the example shown, each pot area has at least one corresponding heating element within the pot body 12; in other words, at least one heating element is provided at each location within the pot body 12 corresponding to each pot area. It is understood that each heating element 40 primarily heats the pot area corresponding to its location, but also affects the temperature of other pot areas. As heating continues, heat conduction occurs continuously within the pot wall of the pot 20, within the food, and between the pot wall and the food. Therefore, strictly speaking, the temperature of any part of the pot wall of the pot 20 is the result of the combined effect of all heating elements 40. Therefore, to save costs, some pot areas may not have directly corresponding heating elements. For example, at least the lowest pot area 21 may not have a directly corresponding heating element for heating; that is, the cooking appliance may not have a bottom heating element but only side heating elements.

[0292] like Figure 8 As shown, and then relative to Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the example, after reducing the area of ​​the bottom wall of the pot, to avoid sticking, there is no corresponding heating element in the first region 21 of the pot. The heating element 40 only includes the first heating element 41. The position of the first heating element 41 corresponds to the second region 22 of the pot. Thus, both the first region 21 and the second region 22 of the pot are heated by the first heating element 41. The power of the first heating element 41 prioritizes ensuring the temperature requirement of the first region 21. It is understandable that the first heating element 41 is relatively far from the first region 21, therefore, its heating capacity for the first region 21 is weaker than its heating capacity for the second region 22, thus generally ensuring that the temperature of the first region 21 is lower than the temperature of the second region 22.

[0293] like Figure 9 As shown, the heating assembly 40 only includes a first heating assembly 41, and the position of the first heating assembly 41 corresponds to both the first region 21 and the second region 22 of the pot. Figure 10 As shown, the heating assembly 40 only includes a first heating assembly 41, the position of which corresponds to the second region 22 of the pot. In both examples, the power of the first heating assembly 41 prioritizes ensuring the temperature requirement of the first region 21 of the pot. It is understandable that when the temperature of the first region 21 of the pot meets the requirements, Figure 9 The power of the first heating element 41 in the middle will be lower than Figure 10 The power of the first heating component 41 in the middle, thereby Figure 9 The temperature in the second zone 22 of the inner pot will be lower than Figure 10 The temperature of the second zone 22 in the inner pot makes the overall temperature of the food lower, resulting in a longer cooking time.

[0294] Therefore, when there is no direct heat source at the bottom of the pot 20, the heat source on the side of the pot can ensure the temperature requirement at the bottom of the pot, while making the temperature of the side wall higher than that of the bottom wall.

[0295] like Figure 11 As shown, the first region 21 of the pot has no corresponding heating element. The heating element 40 includes a first heating element 41 and a second heating element 42 arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The position of the first heating element 41 corresponds to the second region 22 of the pot. The position of the second heating element 42 corresponds to the third region 23 of the pot. The power of the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 prioritizes ensuring the temperature requirements of the first region 21 of the pot. The temperature of the first region 21 of the pot is mainly determined by the first heating element 41. When the power of the first heating element 41 is adjusted so that the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the pot meets the control requirements, if the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the pot does not reach the preferred temperature range, the power of the second heating element 42 can be adjusted to make the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the pot even more optimal.

[0296] like Figure 12 As shown, the first region 21 of the pot has no corresponding heating element. The heating element 40 only includes a first heating element 41. The position of the first heating element 41 corresponds to the second region 22 and the third region 23 of the pot. The power of the first heating element 41 is prioritized to ensure the temperature requirements of the first region 21 of the pot.

[0297] In this application, the presence of a heating element in a specific pot area can be determined using the following methods: In the vertical projection of the cooking appliance 100, if a heating element 40 is present in the first pot area 21, then the heating element 40 is considered to correspond to the position in the first pot area 21. In the horizontal projection of the cooking appliance 100, if a heating element 40 is present in the second pot area 22, then the heating element 40 is considered to correspond to the position in the second pot area 22. In the horizontal projection of the cooking appliance 100, if a heating element 40 is present in the third pot area 23, then the heating element 40 is considered to correspond to the position in the third pot area 23.

[0298] In this application, when the maximum diameter of the first region 21 of the inner pot is no greater than 15cm, a heating element corresponding to the position of the first region 21 of the inner pot may not be required. Since the bottom area is small, side heating can meet the heat requirements of the bottom. Avoiding direct heating of the bottom helps to control the bottom temperature and prevents sticking.

[0299] In this application, it is not limited to a one-to-one correspondence between the pot cavity area and the heating component. Multiple heating components can be set for the same pot cavity area, or no heating components can be set for one or more pot cavity areas, or one heating component can correspond to multiple pot cavity areas.

[0300] The heating element 40 of the pot body 12 may include a bottom heating element and a side heating element. The bottom heating element is positioned at least corresponding to the bottom of the inner pot, and the side heating element is positioned at least partially corresponding to the sides of the inner pot. In other words, the bottom heating element is used at least to heat the bottom of the inner pot, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 13 The first heating element 41 can also heat the side of the inner pot, such as... Figure 5 The first heating element 41; while the side heating element can only heat the side of the pot, for example, heating the entire side of the pot (e.g. Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 13 The second heating component 42, or as Figure 8 , Figure 10 and Figure 12 The first heating component 41) or a portion thereof (such as Figure 3 The second heating element 42 and the third heating element 43, or Figure 5 The second heating component 42, or Figure 11 (First heating component 41 and second heating component 42 in the middle).

[0301] For example, when the pot body 12 is provided with a bottom heating component and a side heating component, the inner surface of the inner pot 20 includes a continuous inner surface of the bottom of the inner pot and a first side region. The bottom heating component heats at least the bottom of the inner pot, and the side heating component heats at least a portion of the first side region. Alternatively, the inner surface of the inner pot 20 includes a continuous inner surface of the bottom of the inner pot and a second side region. The bottom heating component heats at least the bottom of the inner pot, and the side heating component heats at least a portion of the second side region. Alternatively, the inner surface of the inner pot 20 includes a continuous inner surface of the bottom of the inner pot, a first side region, and a second side region. The bottom heating component heats the bottom of the inner pot, and the side heating component heats at least one of the first side region and the second side region. Alternatively, the inner surface of the inner pot 20 includes a continuous inner surface of the bottom of the inner pot, a first side region, and a second side region. The bottom heating component heats the bottom of the inner pot and at least a portion of the first side region, and the side heating component heats the second side region. Alternatively, the heating components may also cover the bottom and sides of the inner pot.

[0302] In this application, for the same heating element, different parts can generate different amounts of heat, thereby causing different temperatures at different parts of the pot wall corresponding to the same heating element. For example, as Figure 12 In the example shown, the first heating component 41 can make the temperature of the second region 22 of the pot interior different from the temperature of the third region 23 of the pot interior.

[0303] Understandably, if the temperature of the inner pot area is determined only by the heating element corresponding to its location, the temperature of that area will be easier to control. This requires that the heat from the heating element be conducted as little as possible to other areas of the inner pot besides the area corresponding to its location. Optionally, such as... Figures 11 to 15 As shown, a heat-conducting partition 70 is provided on the pot wall between two pot regions. This ensures that the thermal conductivity of the pot wall without the heat-conducting partition along the extension direction DG of the pot wall is better than that of the heat-conducting partition 70 along the extension direction DG of the pot wall. Specifically, in the vertical direction, the thermal conductivity of the two pot regions adjacent to the heat-conducting partition 70 is better than that of the heat-conducting partition 70 itself. This hinders heat transfer between two pot regions adjacent to the same heat-conducting partition 70, allowing each pot region to maintain or adjust its temperature relatively independently. For example, a first heat-conducting partition 71 can be provided between the first pot region 21 and the second pot region 22, and a second heat-conducting partition 72 can be provided between the second pot region 22 and the third pot region 23.

[0304] In particular, when two adjacent pot chamber regions have different heating components corresponding to them, a heat-conducting partition 70 can be constructed between the two pot chamber regions. For example, the portion connecting at least one of the two adjacent pot chamber regions to the other is constructed with a heat-conducting partition 70.

[0305] Alternatively, when one of two adjacent pot chamber regions has a heating element corresponding to its position, while the other does not, a heat-conducting partition 70 can be constructed between the two pot chamber regions. For example, as Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, at least one of the portion of the second region 22 of the pot liner connecting to the first region 21 of the pot liner and the portion of the first region 21 of the pot liner connecting to the second region 22 of the pot liner is provided with a first thermally conductive partition 71. In the vertical direction, the thermal conductivity of the first region 21 and the second region 22 of the pot liner adjacent to the first thermally conductive partition 71 is better than the thermal conductivity of the first thermally conductive partition 71 itself.

[0306] Or, such as Figure 13 As shown, the first heat-conducting partition 71 connects the first region 21 of the pot and the third region 23 of the pot.

[0307] For example, the point on the inner surface of the aforementioned pot liner 20 with a first included angle of 31 degrees is located in the first heat-conducting partition 71. Alternatively, the point on the inner surface of the pot liner 20 with a height difference of 2 cm from the lowest point of the inner surface of the pot liner 20 is located in the first heat-conducting partition 71.

[0308] Similarly, at least one of the portions of the second region 22 of the pot body connecting to the third region 23 of the pot body and the portions of the third region 23 of the pot body connecting to the second region 22 of the pot body is provided with a second heat-conducting partition 72. In the vertical direction, the heat conduction performance of the second region 22 and the third region 23 of the pot body adjacent to the second heat-conducting partition 72 is better than the heat conduction performance of the second heat-conducting partition 72 itself.

[0309] For example, the point with a first included angle of 90 degrees on the inner surface of the aforementioned pot liner 20 is located in the second heat-conducting partition 72.

[0310] like Figure 14 As shown, the walls of two adjacent pot regions (e.g., pot region 21 and pot region 22) are made of a first material (e.g., metal), while the pot wall of the heat-conducting partition 70 includes a second material 52. The first material has better thermal conductivity than the second material. The second material 52 is preferably a high thermal resistance material, such as silicone, porous materials, non-metallic polymers or non-metallic compounds, ceramic materials, glass fiber wool, asbestos, silicates, aerogel felt, etc. Therefore, the thermal resistance of the heat-conducting partition 70 is greater than that of pure metal. In other words, the high thermal resistance material constitutes the heat-conducting partition 70. The high thermal resistance material is, for example, installed in an annular groove of the pot 20.

[0311] like Figure 15 As shown, the thickness of the pot wall of the heat-conducting partition 70 is less than the thickness of the pot walls of two adjacent pot regions. That is, the thickness of the pot wall of the heat-conducting partition 70 is less than the thickness of the pot walls on both sides extending along the generatrix of the pot 20. For example, at the location of the heat-conducting partition 70, the pot wall can be thinned by making a material defect, such as constructing an annular groove on the outer surface of the pot 20, thereby reducing the heat conductivity.

[0312] Alternatively, the walls of two adjacent pot chamber regions may be made of a first material, while the pot chamber wall of the thermally conductive partition 70 may include a second material. The thermal conductivity of the first material is superior to that of the second material along the extension direction DG of the generatrix of the pot chamber wall. For example, the second material may have different bidirectional thermal conductivity, with its thermal conductivity along direction DG being lower than its thermal conductivity along the circumferential direction of the pot chamber 20, thereby hindering heat transfer between adjacent pot chamber regions.

[0313] In this application, when the pot body 12 includes a bottom heating assembly and a side heating assembly, a heat-conducting partition 70 is disposed on the inner pot 20 at the portion corresponding to the boundary between the bottom heating assembly and the side heating assembly. The bottom end of the heat-conducting partition 70 extends to the inner pot area corresponding to the bottom heating assembly, and the top end of the heat-conducting partition 70 extends to the inner pot area corresponding to the side heating assembly. Alternatively, the heat-conducting partition is disposed within the inner pot area corresponding to the bottom heating assembly, and / or, the heat-conducting partition is disposed within the inner pot area corresponding to the side heating assembly.

[0314] The side heating assembly for heating the second region of the pot interior is also called the first side heating assembly. The side heating assembly for heating the third region of the pot interior is also called the second side heating assembly. When the side heating assembly includes the first side heating assembly and the second side heating assembly arranged in the vertical direction, a heat-conducting partition 70 may also be provided at the portion of the pot interior 20 corresponding to the boundary between the first side heating assembly and the second side heating assembly.

[0315] Once the cooking appliance 100 is designed and finalized, the thermal resistance between any two parts of the pot body 12 is fixed. With the power of the heating element 40 known, the temperature of any part of the pot body 12 at any given time can be calculated. The temperature of one part of the inner pot wall can be extrapolated from the temperature of another part, and thus the temperature of any part of the inner surface of the inner pot 20 at any given time can also be calculated. To more conveniently obtain the temperature of the inner surface of the inner pot 20, the cooking appliance 100 also includes an additional temperature sensor for sensing the heating temperature. The additional temperature sensor is electrically connected to the control device. The sensing value of the additional temperature sensor can be used to characterize the temperature of the inner surface of the inner pot 20.

[0316] Furthermore, once the design of the inner pot 20 is finalized, the thermal resistance of the inner pot wall in each direction is fixed. For example, the bottom temperature sensor 19 is used to sense the temperature of the outer surface of the first region 21 of the inner pot. Once the design of the inner pot 20 is finalized, the thermal resistance of the inner pot wall in the first region 21 along the thickness direction of the inner pot wall is fixed. For example, the thermal resistance of the inner pot wall in the first region 21 along the thickness direction of the inner pot wall can be determined by testing. When the power of the heating assembly 40 is known, the relationship between the temperature of the inner surface of the inner pot and the temperature of the outer surface of the inner pot at that location can be established experimentally or by calculation. The control device incorporates a first correspondence between the sensing value of the bottom temperature sensor 19 and the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the inner pot, thereby allowing the inner surface temperature to be determined based on the outer surface temperature.

[0317] Alternatively, the relationship between the temperature of one part of the pot wall and the temperature of another part of the pot wall can be determined experimentally. Similarly, the control device can establish a correspondence between the sensing value of an auxiliary temperature sensor and the temperature of the inner surface of the pot 20, thereby determining the temperature at various locations on the inner surface of the pot 20 based on the sensing value of the auxiliary temperature sensor. For example, a first relationship between the sensing value of the auxiliary temperature sensor built into the control device and the temperature of the inner surface of the first region of the pot; a second relationship between the sensing value of the auxiliary temperature sensor built into the control device and the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the pot; and a third relationship between the sensing value of the auxiliary temperature sensor built into the control device and the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23 of the pot.

[0318] The bottom temperature sensor 19 can be understood as an additional temperature sensor. Alternatively, a side temperature sensor can be provided to monitor the temperature of the sides of the pot liner 20. To more accurately reflect the temperature of different areas of the pot liner 20, each area of ​​the pot liner 20 can have a corresponding additional temperature sensor. Preferably, the additional temperature sensor is used to sense the temperature of the outer surface of the pot liner 20, or it is used to sense the temperature of the heating element 40. The temperature of the heating element 40 also has a certain correlation with the temperature of the inner surface of the pot liner 20, thus indirectly reflecting the temperature of the inner surface of the pot liner 20 in the above manner.

[0319] Preferably, the cooking appliance 100 includes a bottom heating element and a side heating element. Considering both hardware cost and cooking effect, the cooking appliance 100 preferably includes two heating elements: a first heating element 41 and a second heating element 42. The first heating element 41 corresponds to the first region 21 of the inner pot, and the second heating element 42 corresponds to the remaining regions of the inner pot. After meeting preset conditions, the power of the bottom heating element is lower than that of the side heating element; for example, the power of the bottom heating element is reduced and / or the power of the side heating element is increased, making the side heating element the primary heat source (i.e., so that more of the food's heat comes from the side heating element). This achieves the aforementioned temperature control targets for each region of the inner pot during and before the rice-cooking stage, effectively controlling the bottom temperature of the inner pot 20 and preventing rice from sticking to the pot. This application mainly avoids sticking by changing the primary heating source in the later stages of the boiling stage, thus ensuring strict control of the bottom temperature of the inner pot 20. Typically, the cooking process enters the rice-cooking stage after a second preset interval (e.g., 10-20 seconds) between switching the primary heating source. Typically, after switching the main heating source for the first preset interval (e.g., 1-5 minutes), the temperature of each pot area reaches the target temperature mentioned above.

[0320] Preferably, after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the control device controls the heating component 40 to operate, so as to ensure that T is heated before entering the rice-simmering stage. 底 The range is: 80℃≤T底 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot. 侧 Higher than T 底 In other words, the temperature control target is achieved within the time period corresponding to the second preset interval mentioned above, thereby better controlling the bottom temperature and preventing sticking.

[0321] Alternatively, the starting point for switching the main heating source after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating phase can be used as the starting point for starting the rice-cooking process. Alternatively, T can be... 侧 and T 底 The moment the desired temperature for the non-stick pan is reached is used as the starting point for the rice-cooking stage.

[0322] Before the preset conditions are met, the cooking appliance 100 can either make both the bottom heating element and the side heating element work, or make only the bottom heating element work and disable the side heating element.

[0323] After the preset conditions are met, the cooking appliance 100 reduces the power of the bottom heating element or stops heating; simultaneously, it increases the power of the side heating element or starts heating. Alternatively, after the preset conditions are met, the bottom heating element can be stopped first, and then restarted when the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot reaches 80°C. Or, after the preset conditions are met, the bottom heating element can be reduced in power first, and then increased in power when the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot reaches 80°C. That is, after switching the main heating source during the heating phase, regardless of the state in which the bottom heating element operates, as long as the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot is less than 80°C, the bottom heating element will increase its power or start heating to raise the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot, ensuring that the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom of the pot is maintained at 80°C or higher during the heating phase until the end of cooking.

[0324] During rice cooking, once preset conditions are met, the first heating element 41 is first stopped. When the temperature sensed by the additional temperature sensor indicates that the inner surface temperature of the second region 22 of the inner pot has reached the sum of the boiling point temperature and 40°C, while the inner surface temperature of the first region 21 of the inner pot has not reached 80°C, the first heating element is then activated. Alternatively, once preset conditions are met, the power of the first heating element 41 is first reduced. When the temperature sensed by the additional temperature sensor indicates that the inner surface temperature of the second region 22 of the inner pot has reached the sum of the boiling point temperature and 40°C, while the inner surface temperature of the first region 21 of the inner pot has not reached 80°C, the power of the first heating element 41 is then increased.

[0325] Therefore, after the preset conditions are met, the side heating component becomes the main heat source, which can effectively control the bottom temperature of the inner pot 20 and prevent the rice from sticking to the pot.

[0326] Or, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cooking appliance 100 may simultaneously include a first heating element 41, a second heating element 42, and a third heating element 43. The first heating element 41 is a bottom heating element, and the second heating element 42 and the third heating element 43 are side heating elements. The bottom heating element is located at the bottom of the inner pot, the second heating element 42 is located in the first side area, and the third heating element 43 is located in the second side area. The control device is configured to, when preset conditions are met, reduce the power of the bottom heating element and / or increase the power of the side heating elements, so that the temperature of the second side area is higher than the temperature of the first side area during the rice-cooking stage.

[0327] Or, such as Figure 5 As shown, the cooking appliance 100 may include a first heating element 41 and a second heating element 42. The first heating element 41 is a bottom heating element. The second heating element 42 is a side heating element. The bottom heating element is positioned corresponding to the bottom of the inner pot and at least a portion of the first side region, and the side heating element is positioned corresponding to a portion of the second side region of the first side region (not overlapping with the first side region corresponding to the bottom heating element), or the side heating element is positioned only corresponding to the second side region. Alternatively, the bottom heating element is positioned corresponding to the bottom of the inner pot, a portion of the first side region and the second side region, and the side heating element is positioned corresponding to a portion of the second side region. The control device is configured to, when a preset condition is met, reduce the power of the bottom heating element and / or increase the power of the side heating element, so that the temperature of the second side region is higher than the temperature of the first side region during the rice cooking stage.

[0328] In both embodiments, the bottom heating component corresponds to heating at least the bottom of the pot and at least a portion of the first side region, and the side heating component corresponds to heating at least a portion of the first side region and the second side region. After satisfying preset conditions, the temperature of the inner surface of the pot region corresponding to the bottom heating component is greater than or equal to 80°C and less than or equal to the sum of the boiling point temperature and 3°C, and the temperature of the inner surface of the pot region corresponding to the side heating component is greater than the boiling point temperature and less than or equal to the sum of the boiling point temperature and 60°C.

[0329] Optionally, the heating power of the side heating component (e.g., the second heating component 42) is 100W to 1000W, such as 300W to 500W, such as 400W.

[0330] Preferably, the cooking appliance 100 has a second heating element 42 surrounding the outer periphery of the side portion of the inner pot 20. To accommodate the shape of the rotating body of the inner pot 20, the second heating element 42 has a generally cylindrical shape.

[0331] like Figure 16 As shown, the second heating assembly 42 includes a second heating element 62 and a second supporting element 61. The second heating element 62 is used to perform the heating function, that is, to generate heat in the corresponding pot area. The second supporting element 61 is used to support the second heating element 62, or in other words, the second heating element 62 is mounted on the second supporting element 61. The second supporting element 61 is generally cylindrical and surrounds the outer periphery of the pot 20. When the pot 20 is placed in the pot body 12, the pot 20 and the second supporting element 61 are substantially coaxial. The second heating assembly 42 can be constructed, for example, as an electromagnetic heating device. The second supporting element 61 is constructed as a winding frame. The second heating element 62 is constructed as an electromagnetic heating coil 54, which is wound around the second supporting element 61, thereby surrounding the pot 20.

[0332] like Figure 17 As shown, an additional temperature sensor 17 can be disposed on the second heating assembly 42, for example, on the second support member 61, for sensing the temperature of the second heating assembly 62, or the temperature of the outer surface of the side of the pot liner 20. The additional temperature sensor 17 can be disposed on the outer or inner surface of the cylinder of the second heating assembly 42. Figure 16 In the example, the additional temperature sensor 17 is, for example, an infrared temperature sensor, used to sense the temperature of the outer surface of the pot liner 20.

[0333] like Figure 17 As shown, the second support component 61 is constructed as a heat insulation ring 63. The second heating component 62 is constructed as a heating element 64, which is disposed in contact with the outer surface of the heat insulation ring 63. For example, the two ends of the heating element 64 are connected by fasteners 65, so that the heating element 64 is tightly bound to the outer surface of the heat insulation ring 63, and the heating element 64 heats the pot liner 20 by thermal radiation. The fasteners 65 of two adjacent heating elements 64 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the pot liner 20. The fasteners 65 are, for example, tension springs. An additional temperature sensor 17 is disposed between the heat insulation ring 63 and the heating element 64, or at least the temperature sensing part 73 of the additional temperature sensor 17 is sandwiched between the heat insulation ring 63 and the heating element 64, so that the additional temperature sensor 17 can sense the temperature of the second heating component 42. The number of heating elements 64 is one or more.

[0334] Optionally, in this application, the side heating assembly includes at least two side heating elements arranged in a vertical direction for achieving the heating function. The control device can also be configured to control the number of side heating elements for heating according to the amount of food, wherein the more food there is, the more side heating elements are used for heating. Optionally, the side heating assembly includes a main heating element and an auxiliary heating element. During cooking, the corresponding main heating element is activated according to the amount of food, while the auxiliary heating element operates in a low-temperature maintenance state.

[0335] For example, the second heating assembly 42 may include a plurality of second heating elements 62 arranged in a vertical direction. The control device is also configured to control the number of second heating elements 62 used for heating according to the amount of food. Specifically, the more food there is, the more second heating elements 62 are used for heating, and the lower-positioned second heating elements 62 are preferentially heated. The total height occupied by all the second heating elements 62 is greater than or equal to 30 mm, thereby ensuring sufficient heating of the sides of the pot.

[0336] For example, the second heating assembly 42 includes N second heating elements 62 arranged vertically for heating, with the N second heating elements numbered 1, 2...N from bottom to top. The control device is further configured to divide the amount of food that can be cooked into N consecutive food quantity ranges based on the amount of food. The smaller the number of the food quantity range, the less food is in that range. Specifically, when the amount of food actually being cooked falls into the Mth food quantity range, the control device activates the first to Mth second heating elements 62.

[0337] Alternatively, the control device calculates the height of the ingredients based on the amount of food, and then determines one of the multiple heating elements that corresponds to the height of the ingredients (e.g., the horizontal plane at the height of the ingredients passes through this heating element), causing this heating element and the heating elements below it to operate. The height of the ingredients varies with the amount of food. The second heating element 42 heats the side of the inner pot 20; the side heating height varies when the heating elements at different heights are operating. The side heating height adjusts with the amount of food; the more food, the higher the heating height, and the less food, the lower the heating height. This avoids energy waste and prevents the surface of the rice from becoming dry and hard.

[0338] For example, the second heating element 62 includes multiple heating elements 64, all of which are arranged vertically within the insulation ring 63, so that each heating element 64 forms a second heating element 62. The two ends of the heating elements 64 are prone to forming weak heating points at the locations of the fasteners 65; therefore, the positions of the fasteners 65 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the insulation ring 63 to prevent the weak heating points from concentrating. In the illustrated example, the second heating assembly 42 includes two second heating elements 62A and 62B. The two fasteners 65 are spaced 180 degrees apart along the circumferential direction of the insulation ring. Of course, the second heating assembly 42 may include more second heating elements 62.

[0339] When the second heating component 42 is an electromagnetic heating device, the height of side heating can be varied by setting multiple electromagnetic heating coils 54 in the vertical direction.

[0340] like Figure 18 As shown, the second heating assembly 42 includes an annular (e.g., circular) heating coil 48 that surrounds the inner pot 20. When in operation, the heating coil 48 generates heat as a whole, providing even heat to the sides of the inner pot 20.

[0341] like Figure 19 As shown, the second heating element 42 may also be equipped with a temperature control switch 75. The temperature control switch 75 contacts the heating element 64, thereby sensing the temperature of the second heating element 62. The temperature control switch 75 is connected in series with the second heating element 62. When the temperature of the second heating element 62 is too high, the temperature control switch 75 disconnects, preventing the side heating element from working, thus avoiding excessively high temperatures on the side of the pot that could cause the rice to become dry and hard, and ensuring safe use. The second heating element 42 may also be equipped with a thermal fuse 76. The thermal fuse 76 is connected in series with the second heating element 62. The thermal fuse 76 contacts or is close to the insulation ring 63, so that when the heating element 64 causes the insulation ring 63 to become too hot, the thermal fuse 76 melts, also preventing the side heating element from working.

[0342] Because of the thermal resistance between the temperature control switch 75 and the heat source, the temperature control switch 75 exhibits a lag in detecting the heat source's temperature. When the actual temperature of the heat source reaches the trigger temperature of the temperature control switch 75, but the actual temperature of the temperature control switch 75 has not yet reached its trigger temperature, the heating element 64 continues to heat until the actual temperature of the temperature control switch 75 reaches its trigger temperature. Therefore, using the temperature control switch 75 for temperature control will always result in temperature spikes and control lag. The insulation ring 63, for example, can be a metal component with a thin wall thickness, high thermal resistance, and a certain heat capacity, so the temperature fluctuation is more gradual and temperature spikes are avoided. The thermal fuse 76 is installed in the insulation ring 63 to prevent the thermal fuse 76 from accidentally melting due to temperature spikes.

[0343] like Figure 20As shown, similar to the second heating assembly 42, the first heating assembly 41 may also include a first heating element 46 and a first supporting element 45. The first heating element 46 is used to perform the heating function, and the first supporting element 45 is used to support the first heating element 46. The first supporting element 45 contacts the bottom of the second heating assembly, such as the bottom of the second supporting element 61, and provides support for the second heating assembly 42. The first heating assembly 41 is used to correspond to the first region 21 of the inner pot and is directly mounted on the base of the pot body 12. Therefore, the first heating assembly 41 (especially the first supporting element 45) is usually constructed in a disc shape. The top edge of the disc can support the second heating assembly 42. The first heating assembly 41 can be an electromagnetic heating device, a thermal radiation heating device, etc.

[0344] Alternatively, the cooking appliance may not have a bottom heating element. For example, the first heating element 41 corresponds to the second region 22 of the inner pot, and the second heating element 42 corresponds to the third region 23 of the inner pot. In such an embodiment, during rice cooking, when preset conditions are met, the first heating element 41 is first stopped. When the temperature sensed by the additional temperature sensor indicates that the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot has reached the sum of the boiling point temperature and 60°C, while the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the inner pot has not reached 80°C, the first heating element 41 is then activated again. Alternatively, when preset conditions are met, the power of the first heating element 41 is first reduced. When the temperature sensed by the additional temperature sensor indicates that the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot has reached the sum of the boiling point temperature and 60°C, while the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 of the inner pot has not reached 80°C, the power of the first heating element 41 is then increased.

[0345] During rice cooking, before the preset conditions are met, both the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 can be activated, thereby rapidly heating the food and saving cooking time. Alternatively, before the preset conditions are met, only the first heating element 41 can be activated, while the second heating element 42 remains inactive, avoiding excessive heat supply to the side.

[0346] During the rice cooking process, in the heat preservation stage, the first heating element 41 can be activated while the second heating element 42 remains inactive to avoid excessive heat supply to the sides. Alternatively, in the heat preservation stage, both the first heating element 41 and the second heating element 42 can be activated to ensure even temperature distribution of the rice throughout the cooking process.

[0347] exist Figures 21 to 23In the illustrated embodiment, the heating element 40 is positioned corresponding to both the second region 22 and the third region 23 of the inner pot. The first region 21 of the inner pot has no corresponding heating element. The cooking appliance 100 may include only one heating element 40, meaning the same heating element 40 simultaneously corresponds to both the second region 22 and the third region 23 of the inner pot.

[0348] For example, the inner pot 20 may be an inner pot 20E, in which the second region 22 and the third region 23 are straight lines. Adapted to the shape of the inner pot 20E, in a cross-section of the cooking appliance 100 passing through axis PA, the heating element 40 also has a zigzag shape formed by the intersection of two straight lines. That is, the heating element 40 includes a first heating part 57 and a second heating part 58. The first heating part 57 is located corresponding to the second region 22 of the inner pot, and the second heating part 58 is located corresponding to the third region 23 of the inner pot. The first heating part 57 is constructed in the shape of the side of a frustum, and its generatrix is ​​generally parallel to the generatrix of the second region 22 of the inner pot. The second heating part 58 is constructed as a vertically extending cylinder, and its axis is basically coincident with the axis PA of the inner pot 20E, thus the second heating part 58 and the third region 23 of the inner pot are also parallel to each other.

[0349] To achieve zoned temperature control in the inner pot 20, with lower surface temperatures in the lower regions, the cooking appliance 100 can be configured such that the thermal resistance of the second region 22 of the inner pot, in the direction perpendicular to the inner pot wall (i.e., along the thickness direction of the inner pot wall), is higher than that of the third region 23 of the inner pot, in the same direction. In other words, in the second region 22, the resistance to heat transfer from the outer surface to the inner surface is greater, resulting in a lower temperature on the inner surface of the second region 22. For example, the inner pot 20 can be configured such that the thickness of the inner pot wall in the second region 22 is greater than the thickness of the inner pot wall in the third region 23. Alternatively, the thermal resistance of the material in the second region 22 can be greater than that of the material in the third region 23.

[0350] Alternatively, the cooking appliance 100 may be configured such that the heat flux density of the heating element 40 on the inner surface of the third region 23 of the pot is higher than that on the inner surface of the second region 22 of the pot.

[0351] For example, such as Figure 21 As shown, the cooking appliance 100 is configured such that the distance d3 between the heating element 40 and the outer surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot is less than the distance d2 between the heating element 40 and the outer surface of the second region 22 of the inner pot. Specifically, the distance d3 between the second heating element 58 and the outer surface of the third region 23 of the inner pot is less than the distance d2 between the first heating element 57 and the outer surface of the second region 22 of the inner pot. When the heating element 40 is a heating element, the second heating element 58 is closer to the inner pot 20E, therefore the temperature of the third region 23 of the inner pot is higher.

[0352] Alternatively, the heating assembly 40 may be configured as an electromagnetic heating device. The first heating section 57 has a first electromagnetic heating coil 55. The first electromagnetic heating coil 55 surrounds the second region 22 of the pot. The second heating section 58 has a second electromagnetic heating coil 56. The second electromagnetic heating coil 56 surrounds the third region 23 of the pot. The first electromagnetic heating coil 55 and the second electromagnetic heating coil 56 are formed by winding the same enameled wire, thus the two parts cannot be heated independently. The second heating section 58 is closer to the pot 20E, resulting in a stronger magnetic field of the second electromagnetic heating coil 56 in the third region 23 of the pot, leading to a higher temperature in the third region 23.

[0353] Alternatively, the heating assembly 40 includes heating elements surrounding the inner pot 20, meaning that both the first heating element 57 and the second heating element 58 are multiple turns of heating elements surrounding the inner pot 20E, with all heating elements connected in series. The second heating element 58 is closer to the inner pot 20E, resulting in less radiant energy loss and a higher temperature in the third region 23 of the inner pot.

[0354] When the heating component 40 is configured as an electromagnetic heating device, the winding density of the first electromagnetic heating coil 55 can be less than that of the second electromagnetic heating coil 56. For example, the spacing between the turns of the first electromagnetic heating coil 55 is greater than the spacing between the turns of the second electromagnetic heating coil 56, that is, the first electromagnetic heating coil 55 is wound more loosely, resulting in a lower magnetic field strength. Alternatively, the number of layers in the first electromagnetic heating coil 55 is less than the number of layers in the second electromagnetic heating coil 56, which also results in a lower magnetic field strength in the first electromagnetic heating coil 55.

[0355] The methods described above for adjusting thermal resistance, adjusting the distance between the electromagnetic heating coil and the inner pot 20, and adjusting the winding density of the electromagnetic heating coil can be used in combination.

[0356] When the heating assembly 40 consists of multiple heating tubes encircling the inner pot 20, the density of the heating tubes in the first heating section 57 can be less than the density of the heating tubes in the second heating section 58. For example, the spacing between the coils of the heating tubes in the first heating section 57 is greater than the spacing between the coils of the heating tubes in the second heating section 58. Alternatively, the number of layers of the heating tubes in the first heating section 57 is less than the number of layers of the heating tubes in the second heating section 58.

[0357] The methods described above for adjusting thermal resistance, adjusting the distance between the heating element and the inner pot 20, and adjusting the density of the heating element can be used in combination.

[0358] In one embodiment (not shown), the heating element 40 covers the bottom and sides of the heating pot. The cooking appliance 100 may be configured such that the heat flux density of the heating element 40 on the inner surface of the side of the pot is higher than the heat flux density on the inner surface of the bottom of the pot. The heating element 40 is, for example, an electromagnetic heating device with an electromagnetic heating coil. Thus, with Figures 21 to 23 The example shown is similar; the distance between the coil and the outer surface of the bottom of the pot can be greater than the distance between the coil and the outer surface of the side of the pot; or, the degree of winding of the coil corresponding to the side of the pot can be greater than the degree of winding of the coil corresponding to the bottom of the pot can be greater; or, the number of layers of the coil corresponding to the side of the pot can be greater than the number of layers of the coil corresponding to the bottom of the pot can be. Understandably, these three methods can be used in combination.

[0359] exist Figure 24 In the illustrated embodiment, the heating component 40 corresponds only to the second region 22 of the pot, while there are no corresponding heating components 40 in the first region 21 and the third region 23 of the pot. Figure 25 Therefore, the inner pot wall of the inner pot 20, such as the inner pot wall of the third region 23, is typically a double-layer structure, consisting of an outer wall 28 and an inner wall 29. The outer wall 28 is, for example, made of a highly thermally conductive metal material (copper, aluminum). The inner wall 29 is, for example, made of a food-grade metal material (stainless steel, titanium).

[0360] When the second region 22 of the pot is heated, heat is transferred to the third region 23. For example, firstly, heat is transferred from the outer wall 28 of the second region 22 to the outer wall 28 of the third region 23, and then from the outer wall 28 of the third region 23 to the inner wall 29. The inner wall 29 of the second region 22 also transfers heat to the inner wall 29 of the third region 23. To ensure that the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 is not higher than that of the inner surface of the third region 23, the pot 20 is constructed such that the thermal resistance of the second region 22 in the direction perpendicular to the pot wall is higher than that of the third region 23 in the same direction. That is, in the second region 22, the resistance to heat transfer from the outside to the inside is greater, which makes the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 significantly lower than that of the outer surface. In the third region 23 of the pot, due to the small resistance to heat transfer from the outside to the inside, the temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces is relatively small, so that the temperature of the inner surface of the third region 23 of the pot is not lower than the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22 of the pot.

[0361] Specifically, such as Figure 26 As shown, in the second region 22 of the pot liner, a high thermal resistance material 52 (e.g., silicone) can be disposed between the inner wall 29 and the outer wall 28. Alternatively, as... Figure 27 As shown, a cavity 53 can be constructed between the inner wall 29 and the outer wall 28. The cavity 53 can be filled with air (air is a poor conductor of heat) or evacuated. Thus, the high thermal resistance material 52 or the cavity 53 hinders the transfer of heat from the outer wall 28 to the inner wall 29, and the temperature of the inner wall 29 is significantly lower than the temperature of the outer wall 28.

[0362] Or, such as Figure 28As shown, the pot liner 20 is constructed such that the thickness of the pot liner wall in the second region 22 is greater than the thickness of the pot liner wall in the third region 23, thereby increasing the thermal resistance. For example, the thickness of the inner wall 29 of the second region 22 is greater than the thickness of the inner wall 29 of the third region 23 (comparison). Figure 25 and Figure 28 Of course, it is also possible that the thickness of the outer wall 28 of the second region 22 of the pot is greater than the thickness of the outer wall 28 of the third region 23 of the pot.

[0363] After the second region 22 of the pot is heated, heat will also be transferred to the first region 21 of the pot. To ensure that the temperature of the inner surface of the first region 21 is lower than the temperature of the inner surface of the second region 22, a heat-conducting barrier 70 can be constructed between the first region 21 and the second region 22. For example, a heat-conducting barrier 70 can be provided in at least one of the portions of the second region 22 connecting the first region 21 and the first region 21 connecting the second region 22, to prevent heat transfer from the second region 22 to the first region 21. The thermal conductivity of the portion of the pot wall in the second region 22 excluding the portion with the heat-conducting barrier 70, along the extension direction of the generatrix of the pot wall, is superior to the thermal conductivity of the portion with the heat-conducting barrier 70 along the extension direction of the generatrix of the pot wall.

[0364] exist Figure 29 In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 11 of the cooking appliance 100 is equipped with a top heating element 84. The top heating element 84 can be, for example, an electromagnetic heating device, an infrared heating device, or a heat convection heating device. When preset conditions are met, the control device also controls the top heating element 84 to operate, increasing the heating of the upper part of the food and supplementing its heat. When the preset conditions are not yet met, because there is still a lot of moisture in the inner pot, the efficiency of the top heating for supplementing the heat of the rice is low; in this case, the top heating element 84 may or may not operate. When the top heating element 84 is an infrared heating device, its heating power ranges from 100W to 800W, preferably from 100W to 300W.

[0365] exist Figure 30In the illustrated embodiment, the cooking appliance 100 further includes a steam generating assembly 83 and a steam channel 88. The steam generating assembly 83 includes, for example, a steam cup 87 and a heating element 86. The steam cup 87 is used to hold water, and the heating element 86 is used to heat the steam cup 87 to bring the water to a boil. The two ends of the steam channel 88 are connected to the steam cup 87 and the inner pot 20, respectively, allowing hot steam to enter the inner pot 20. The steam generating assembly 83 is, for example, disposed in the pot body 12, located on the outer periphery of the side heating assembly. The steam channel 88 may consist of multiple pipe segments extending from the pot body 12 to the lid 11, ultimately opening onto the lower surface of the lid 11. A bypass is provided in, for example, a portion of the steam channel 88 located in the lid 11, which can accommodate a steam temperature probe 85 for sensing the temperature within the steam channel 88. The heating element 86 and the steam temperature probe 85 are electrically connected to a control device, thereby controlling the operation of the heating element 86 based on the sensing value of the steam temperature probe 85. Once the preset conditions are met, the control device can control the heating element 86 to operate, thereby generating hot steam to heat the rice. The power of the heating element 86 is, for example, between 100W and 2000W, with 150W to 500W being preferred.

[0366] exist Figure 31 and Figure 32 In the illustrated embodiment, the heating element 40 of the cooking appliance 100 includes a first heating element 41 at the bottom and a second heating element 42 on the side. The cooking appliance 100 also includes a barrier mechanism 51, which prevents the side heating element from transferring heat to the bottom 21 of the inner pot 20 from the outside of the inner pot. Thus, the barrier mechanism 51 makes it difficult for heat to flow from the side to the bottom, which helps to maintain a higher temperature on the side and facilitates separate temperature control between the side and the bottom.

[0367] The second heating component 42 includes, for example, an airflow generating device 30, which includes a fan, an air pump, etc., so that the second heating component 42 is configured as a hot air convection heating device.

[0368] Specifically, a bottom gap 103 exists between the bottom heating assembly 41 and the outer surface of the inner pot 20. A side gap 13 exists between the side heating assembly 44 and the outer surface of the inner pot 20. It is understood that both the bottom gap 103 and the side gap 13 are part of the receiving cavity 14. To better achieve independent temperature control of the bottom and sides, a barrier mechanism 51 is located between the bottom heating component 46 and the side heating component 62 to prevent communication between the bottom gap 103 and the side gap 13. For example, the barrier mechanism 51 is an annular structure surrounding the outer periphery of the inner pot 20, having two opposing sides, one side contacting the outer surface of the inner pot 20 and the other side contacting the pot body 12 (e.g., the cavity wall of the receiving cavity 14), thereby blocking the bottom gap 103 from the side gap 13.

[0369] The side gap 13 also forms an airflow channel 13 between the second heating component 42 and the pot liner 20. The airflow generating device 30 generates airflow in the airflow channel 13, which makes the air temperature in the airflow channel 13 evenly distributed, so that the side of the pot liner can be evenly heated. The blocking mechanism 51 is located at the bottom of the airflow channel 13 and is used to block the airflow channel 13 to prevent the airflow in the airflow channel 13 from flowing downward. The blocking mechanism 51 allows the airflow to flow in the side of the pot liner 20 without leaking to the bottom liner 21. At the same time, the heat of the bottom heating component 41 is blocked by the blocking mechanism 51 and is difficult to flow to the side, which is beneficial for precise temperature control of the side and bottom of the pot liner respectively.

[0370] An airflow generating device 30 is mounted, for example, on the outer periphery of the second support member 61. The airflow generating device 30 includes an airflow inlet 34 and an airflow outlet 35. The edges of the airflow inlet 34 and the airflow outlet 35 are in close contact with the surface of the second support member 61. The second support member 61 is provided with an air inlet corresponding to the airflow inlet 34 and an air outlet corresponding to the airflow outlet 35. When the airflow generating device 30 is in operation, airflow flows out from the airflow outlet 35 of the airflow generating device 30, enters the airflow channel 13 through the air outlet, flows through the airflow channel 13 once, exits the airflow channel 13 from the air outlet, and then returns to the airflow generating device 30 from the airflow inlet 34 (see...). Figure 32 (Red arrow in the image). The airflow inlet 34 and airflow outlet 35 of the airflow generator 30 are both connected to the airflow channel 13. The air in the airflow channel 13 is circulated and heated for use, which helps to maintain a high temperature on the side.

[0371] The side-mounted hot air convection heating method ensures uniform temperature on the sides of the pot, guaranteeing consistent heating temperature and thus improving the uniformity of the finished rice, resulting in better rice quality.

[0372] In this application, the component in the bottom heating assembly that performs the heating function is also referred to as the bottom heating component, and the support component in the bottom heating assembly that supports and mounts the bottom heating component is also referred to as the bottom support component. Similarly, the component in the side heating assembly that performs the heating function is also referred to as the side heating component, and the support component in the side heating assembly that supports and mounts the side heating component is also referred to as the side support component. The side support component can also serve an insulation function, for example, preventing heat from diffusing outwards.

[0373] The processes described in all the preferred embodiments above are merely examples. Unless adverse effects occur, various processing operations can be performed in a different order than those described above. The order of steps in the above processes can also be added, combined, or deleted according to actual needs.

[0374] Furthermore, the commands, command numbers, and data items described in all the preferred embodiments above are merely examples; therefore, these commands, command numbers, and data items can be set in any way, as long as the same function is achieved. The terminal units in each preferred embodiment can also be integrated, further divided, or reduced according to actual needs.

[0375] Unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Features described in one embodiment may be applied, alone or in combination with other features, to another embodiment, unless that feature is not applicable in that other embodiment or is otherwise stated.

[0376] This application has been described through the above embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit this application to the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that this application is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications can be made based on the teachings of this application, all of which fall within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

Claims

1. A cooking appliance characterized by, The cooking appliance includes: The pot body, wherein the pot body is provided with a heating element; and The inner pot is removably installed in the pot body, and the interior of the inner pot forms a cooking cavity for holding food. The inner pot includes a bottom and a side. Temperature sensing device for sensing heating temperature; and A control device, electrically connected to the temperature sensing device, determines the temperature of the inner surface of the pot liner based on the sensing value from the temperature sensing device. The control device is also electrically connected to the heating assembly. The heating assembly includes a bottom heating assembly and a side heating assembly. The bottom heating assembly is located below the side heating assembly. The bottom heating assembly heats at least the bottom of the inner pot, and the side heating assembly heats at least a portion of the sides of the inner pot. The cooking appliance is configured such that its cooking process includes a boiling stage, which comprises a temperature maintenance zone and a temperature rise zone, occurring sequentially. The control device is based on the temperature T of the bottom inner surface of the pot. 底 Determine whether the cooking process has entered the heating zone. If it is determined that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, ensure that the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element. The T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 3℃ The temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body 侧 Higher than the T 底 .

2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The temperature sensing device is used to sense the temperature of the bottom inner surface, and the control device is further configured to: During the boiling stage, the temperature is maintained. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is greater than the maintained temperature, and the difference between the two is greater than or equal to the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range. When the temperature value sensed by the temperature sensing device is less than the sum of the maintained temperature and the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to be in the maintained temperature range.

3. The cooking utensil according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control device is further configured to: after entering the boiling stage, record the average temperature sensing value of the temperature sensing device within a first preset monitoring time period as the boiling temperature, wherein the first preset monitoring time period is 2-4 minutes; and / or The preset temperature rise is greater than or equal to 3°C.

4. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, immediately reduce the average power of the bottom heating element to below the average power of the side heating element; or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, after a preset delay period, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element; or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, at T 底 Once the marked temperature is reached, the average power of the bottom heating assembly is lower than the average power of the side heating assembly.

5. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, reduce the power of the bottom heating element, or stop the bottom heating element from working, so that the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating elements; and / or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the side heating component is increased, or the side heating component is started to work, so that the average power of the bottom heating component is lower than the average power of the side heating component.

6. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: Before the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is made lower than the average power of the side heating element. After the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element and the side heating element is kept constant.

7. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, such that the time interval between the moment when the temperature control target is first reached and the moment when the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element does not exceed a first preset interval duration. The temperature control target is: T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body. 侧 Higher than the T 底 , The first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 5 minutes.

8. The cooking appliance of claim 7, wherein, The first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 1 minute.

9. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the T... 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 1℃≤ΔT≤60℃; and / or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the bottom inner surface is reduced. 底 The range is: 92℃≤T 底 ≤ Boiling point temperature; and / or; After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element is reduced. 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 60℃.

10. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element is reduced. 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 40℃; and / or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the T... 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 3℃≤ΔT≤20℃.

11. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element is reduced. 侧 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃.

12. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the bottom heating element is first stopped, and then restarted when the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom has not reached 80°C; or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the bottom heating component is first reduced. When the temperature of the bottom inner surface has not reached 80°C, the power of the bottom heating component is then increased.

13. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The control device is also configured to: Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, both the bottom heating element and the side heating element are activated; or Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, the bottom heating element is activated, while the side heating element is deactivated.

14. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The side heating assembly includes a second heating assembly and a third heating assembly, with the third heating assembly located above the second heating assembly.

15. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein, The inner pot has a central axis. In a cross-section of the inner pot passing through the central axis, the angle between the tangent at any point on the inner surface of the inner pot and the horizontal line is θ. This angle is located on one side of the outer surface of the inner pot and above the horizontal line. Wherein, the inner surface of the pot liner within the angle range of [0°, 31°] is the bottom inner surface; and / or, the inner surface of the pot liner within a region extending upwards from the lowest point of the inner surface of the pot liner not exceeding 2cm is the bottom inner surface. The inner surface of the pot, excluding the bottom inner surface, is the side inner surface.

16. The cooking appliance of claim 15, wherein, The inner surface of the side portion includes a first side portion region and / or a second side portion region, wherein the included angle of the first side portion region is in the range of 90° > θ > 31°, and the included angle of the second side portion region is in the range of θ ≥ 90°.

17. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein, The control device is also configured to: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element. The inner surface of the side portion includes a first side portion region, the temperature of which is T. 侧1 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧1 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 40°C; and / or, the inner surface of the side portion includes a second side portion region, the temperature of which is T 侧2 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧2 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 60℃.

18. The cooking appliance of claim 17, wherein, The control device is further configured to, after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, reduce the average power of the bottom heating element to a lower than the average power of the side heating element, and: Temperature T in the second side region 侧2 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧2 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃, and / or Temperature T in the first side region 侧1 The range is: the sum of boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧1 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 20℃.

19. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein, The inner surface of the side portion includes a first side region and a second side region, wherein, The side heating assembly includes a second heating assembly and a third heating assembly. The third heating assembly is located above the second heating assembly. The bottom heating assembly is positioned corresponding to the bottom of the inner pot. The second heating assembly is positioned corresponding to the first side region, and the third heating assembly is positioned corresponding to the second side region; or The bottom heating element is positioned corresponding to the bottom of the pot and the first side region, and the side heating element is positioned corresponding to the second side region; or The bottom heating component is located at a position corresponding to the bottom of the pot, a portion of the first side region, and a portion of the second side region, and the side heating component is located at a position corresponding to a portion of the second side region.

20. The cooking appliance of claim 16, wherein, The inner surface of the side portion includes the first side portion region and the second side portion region. The control device is further configured to, after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, make the average power of the bottom heating component lower than the average power of the side heating component, and make the temperature of the second side region higher than the temperature of the first side region.

21. The cooking utensil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooking appliance also includes a lid for covering the pot body and a top heating component disposed in the lid. The top heating component is electrically connected to the control device, and the control device is further configured to control the top heating component to operate after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range.

22. The cooking utensil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooking appliance also includes a steam generating component, which is electrically connected to the control device and also connected to the inner pot. The control device is further configured to control the steam generating component to operate after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, so as to heat the rice with hot steam.

23. The cooking utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that, The temperature sensing device includes an additional temperature sensor disposed on the side heating assembly for sensing the temperature of the side heating assembly or the temperature of the side of the inner pot; and / or The rated power of the side heating assembly is 100W to 2200W.

24. The cooking appliance of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein, The side heating assembly includes at least one side heating component for achieving the heating function, and the total height of all the side heating components is greater than or equal to 30 mm.

25. The cooking appliance of claim 24, wherein, The side heating assembly includes a plurality of side heating elements arranged in a vertical direction.

26. The cooking appliance of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein, The side heating assembly is equipped with a temperature control switch and / or a thermal fuse.

27. The cooking utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that, The temperature sensing device includes a top temperature sensor for detecting the temperature at the top of the cooking cavity. The control device is further configured to acquire the top sensing value of the top temperature sensor, determine whether to enter the boiling stage based on the top sensing value, and determine the boiling point temperature based on the top sensing value in the boiling stage. or The cooking appliance also includes a pressure sensor for detecting ambient air pressure, the pressure sensor being electrically connected to the control device, the control device being configured to determine the boiling point temperature based on the sensing value of the pressure sensor.

28. The cooking appliance of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein, The cooking appliance also includes: A wireless communication device for wireless communication with the server, the wireless communication device being electrically connected to the control device; and A positioning device is used to determine the position of the cooking appliance, and the positioning device is electrically connected to the control device. The control device is configured to send the location information of the cooking appliance to the server via the wireless communication device, so that the server can determine the altitude of the cooking appliance and thus determine the boiling point temperature based on the altitude.

29. The cooking utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that, The side heating component is a hot air convection heating device, which surrounds the outer periphery of the side of the pot, and forms an annular airflow channel between the hot air convection heating device and the side of the pot.

30. The cooking appliance of claim 29, wherein, The hot air convection heating device includes a side heating component and an airflow generating device. The side heating component heats the air in the pot and / or the airflow channel. The airflow generating device is used to generate airflow in the airflow channel, and the airflow inlet and airflow outlet of the airflow generating device are both connected to the airflow channel.

31. The cooking utensil according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that, The cooking appliance also includes a barrier mechanism for preventing the side heating assembly from transferring heat to the bottom of the pot from the outside of the pot.

32. The cooking appliance of claim 31, wherein, There is a bottom gap between the bottom heating assembly and the outer surface of the pot, and there is a side gap between the side heating assembly and the outer surface of the pot. The blocking mechanism is used to prevent the bottom gap from communicating with the side gap.

33. The cooking appliance of any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein, A heat-conducting partition is provided between the bottom of the pot and the side of the pot. The heat-conducting partition extends around the entire circumference of the pot. Along the extension direction of the generatrix of the pot wall, the heat conductivity of the heat-conducting partition is lower than that of the bottom and side of the pot.

34. A method for controlling a cooking appliance, the cooking appliance comprising: A pot having a bottom and sides, a bottom heating assembly corresponding to the bottom of the pot, and a side heating assembly corresponding to the sides of the pot. The control method is characterized by comprising: The cooking process of the cooking appliance includes a boiling stage, which comprises a temperature maintenance zone and a temperature rise zone, performed sequentially. According to the temperature T of the bottom inner surface of the pot bottom 底 Determine whether the cooking process has entered the heating range. After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and The T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 3℃ The temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body 侧 Higher than the T 底 .

35. The control method according to claim 34, wherein The cooking appliance further includes a temperature sensing device for sensing the temperature of the bottom inner surface, and the control method further includes: During the boiling stage, the temperature is maintained. When the temperature sensing value of the temperature sensing device is greater than the maintained temperature, and the difference between the two is greater than or equal to a preset rising temperature, the heating range of the cooking process is determined. When the temperature sensing value of the temperature sensing device is less than the sum of the maintained temperature and the preset rising temperature, the cooking process is determined to be within the maintained temperature range.

36. The control method according to claim 35, characterized in that, The control method further includes: after entering the boiling stage, recording the average value of the temperature sensing value of the temperature sensing device within a first preset monitoring time as the boiling temperature, wherein the first preset monitoring time is 2-4 minutes; and / or The preset temperature rise is greater than or equal to 3°C.

37. The control method of claim 34, wherein The control method further includes: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, immediately reduce the average power of the bottom heating element to below the average power of the side heating element; or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, after a preset delay period, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element; or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, at T 底 Once the marked temperature is reached, the average power of the bottom heating assembly is lower than the average power of the side heating assembly.

38. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The control method further includes: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, reduce the power of the bottom heating element, or stop the bottom heating element from working, so that the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating elements; and / or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the side heating component is increased, or the side heating component is started to work, so that the average power of the bottom heating component is lower than the average power of the side heating component.

39. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The control method further includes: Before the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is made lower than the average power of the side heating element. After the cooking process is determined to have entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element and the side heating element is kept constant.

40. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The control method further includes: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, such that the time interval between the moment when the temperature control target is first reached and the moment when the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element does not exceed a first preset interval duration. The temperature control target is: T 底 The range is: 80℃≤T 底 ≤The sum of the boiling point temperature and 3℃, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side of the pot body. 侧 Higher than the T 底 , The first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 5 minutes.

41. The control method according to claim 40, characterized in that, The first preset interval duration is less than or equal to 1 minute.

42. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The control method further includes: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the T... 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 1℃≤ΔT≤60℃; and / or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the bottom inner surface is reduced. 底 The range is: 92℃≤T 底 ≤ Boiling point temperature; and / or; After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element... 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 60℃.

43. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The control method further includes: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the temperature T of the inner surface of the side heating element is reduced. 侧 The range is: boiling point temperature ≤ T 侧 ≤The sum of boiling point temperature and 40℃; and / or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the average power of the bottom heating element is lower than the average power of the side heating element, and the T... 侧 Higher than the T 底 The value is ΔT, and the range of ΔT is: 3℃≤ΔT≤20℃.

44. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process enters the temperature increasing section, making the average power of the bottom heating assembly lower than the average power of the side heating assembly, the temperature T 侧 of the inner surface of the side portion is in the range of: the sum of the boiling point temperature and 5℃ ≤ T 侧 ≤ the sum of the boiling point temperature and 20℃.

45. The control method according to claim 34, characterized in that, The cooking appliance further includes a lid for covering the inner pot and a top heating element disposed in the lid. The control method further includes: controlling the top heating element to operate after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone; and / or The cooking appliance also includes a steam generating component, and the control method further includes: after determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, controlling the steam generating component to work so that hot steam heats the rice.

46. ​​The control method according to any one of claims 34 to 45, characterized in that, The control method further includes: After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating zone, the bottom heating element is first stopped, and then restarted when the temperature of the inner surface of the bottom has not reached 80°C; or After determining that the cooking process has entered the heating range, the power of the bottom heating component is first reduced. When the temperature of the bottom inner surface has not reached 80°C, the power of the bottom heating component is then increased.

47. The control method according to any one of claims 34 to 45, characterized in that, The control method further includes: Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, both the bottom heating element and the side heating element are activated; or Before the cooking process enters the heating zone, the bottom heating element is activated, while the side heating element is deactivated.

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