Heating cooker
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023108150
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-17
Smart Images
Figure 2025007023000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking appliance for heating, and more specifically, to an appliance body having an upper storage chamber with an opening at the top into which a cooking container can be stored through the opening, and a lower storage chamber that communicates with the upper storage chamber and in which a burner is disposed. [Background technology]
[0002] As an example of this type of cooking utensil, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. In this utensil, a single insertion hole that allows the insertion of a gas burner is formed in the peripheral wall of the utensil body surrounding the lower storage chamber. The gas burner includes a burner body into which a mixture (a mixture of fuel gas and primary air) is supplied via a mixing tube, and a disk-shaped combustion plate that covers the upper opening of the burner body, and a number of flame holes are formed in the combustion plate. Then, after a pot (kettle) as a cooking utensil is stored in the upper storage chamber of the utensil body through the opening, the mixture is supplied to the burner body, and the pot is heated by burning the mixture that is ejected from the combustion plate through the flame holes.
[0003] In recent years, hydrogen, which does not emit carbon dioxide, has been attracting attention as an alternative fuel to hydrocarbon gas in order to prevent global warming. Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional cooking appliance, it is possible to configure the burner to diffuse and burn the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate. However, when hydrogen gas is supplied from one point in the circumferential direction into the burner body, the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from the part of the combustion plate far from the hydrogen gas supply point is reduced compared to the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from the part of the combustion plate close to the hydrogen gas supply point. Moreover, since secondary air is supplied from a single insertion hole located in the same direction as the supply direction of hydrogen gas to the burner body, the amount of secondary air to the part of the combustion plate far from the hydrogen gas supply point is also reduced. Therefore, the hydrogen flame generated at the part far from the hydrogen gas supply point is not only relatively small in size, but also inclined toward the direction of the insertion hole in search of secondary air. As a result, the height of the hydrogen flame from the combustion plate at each part of the combustion plate becomes uneven, which causes a problem of uneven heating when the cooking vessel is heated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-337071 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance that can heat a cooking container evenly by making the height of the hydrogen flame from the combustion plate uniform, even when the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from each part of the combustion plate is not uniform. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cooking appliance comprising an appliance body having an upper storage chamber having an opening at the top, in which a cooking container can be stored through the opening, and a lower storage chamber communicating with the upper storage chamber and in which a burner is disposed, the burner comprising a burner body into which hydrogen gas is supplied and a combustion plate covering the upper opening of the burner body, and which diffuses and burns the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate, the burner further comprising an intake port opening into the outer surface of an outer wall portion of the appliance body surrounding the lower storage chamber and an exhaust port opening into the inner surface of the outer wall portion, an introduction passage for introducing secondary air toward the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate, and an exhaust port opened in the peripheral wall portion of the appliance body surrounding the upper storage chamber and for exhausting hydrogen combustion gas generated by combustion of the hydrogen gas, and the introduction passages are provided in plurality at circumferential intervals when viewed in a plan view.
[0007] According to the present invention, secondary air is introduced from multiple locations in the circumferential direction. In the portion of the combustion plate where the amount of hydrogen gas ejected is relatively small, the amount of secondary air introduced through the outlet is relatively large, so that the hydrogen flame can be extended to stand above the secondary air. On the other hand, in the portion of the combustion plate where the amount of hydrogen gas ejected is relatively large, the amount of secondary air introduced through the outlet is relatively small, so that the hydrogen flame can be tilted toward the outlet. This makes it possible to make the height of the hydrogen flame from the combustion plate uniform in each portion of the combustion plate. In this way, the present invention adopts a configuration in which secondary air is introduced from multiple locations in the circumferential direction, and by appropriately setting the amount of secondary air introduced from each location in the circumferential direction, the height of the hydrogen flame from the combustion plate can be made uniform and the cooking vessel can be heated evenly, even when the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from each portion of the combustion plate is not uniform.
[0008] In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable that the combustion plate is divided into a plurality of combustion regions in the circumferential direction, and when a line connecting both ends of the circumferential outer periphery of these divided combustion regions is projected in the radial direction of the burner, the inner surface region of the outer wall portion that includes the line is defined as the outlet port forming region, and at least one outlet port is present in the outlet port forming region. This is advantageous in that the amount of secondary air can be adjusted for each of the divided combustion regions, thereby further suppressing uneven heating of the cooking utensil.
[0009] Furthermore, in the present invention, a leg portion protruding downward may be provided on the bottom surface of the appliance body, and the outer surface of the outer wall portion where the air intake is opened may be used as the bottom surface of the appliance body. In this way, when the cooking appliance is installed, the air intake of the introduction passage cannot be seen directly and is not noticeable, thereby improving the design.
[0010] In the present invention, it is also preferable to provide an adjustment means for adjusting the amount of secondary air introduced through the introduction passage, which is advantageous in that the amount of secondary air supplied to the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate can be adjusted according to variations in the manufacture of the cooking appliance and the conditions under which the cooking appliance is installed and used. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a cooking utensil for heating according to an embodiment of the present invention with the cooking utensil removed; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2 . [Diagram 5] 13(a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining an area in the outer wall portion of the device body where an air outlet is formed. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in Figure 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cooking utensil according to a modified example, viewed from the bottom side. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the cooking utensil HC will be described using a rice cooker in which rice and water are stored as a cooking utensil. Note that the "hydrogen" in the present invention is not limited to pure hydrogen, and also includes, for example, a case where a small amount of odorant is added to give a smell.
[0013] 1 and 2, the cooking utensil HC of this embodiment includes a rectangular parallelepiped utensil body 1. The utensil body 1 has an upper opening 11 at the top, an upper storage chamber 12 in which a rice cooker Kt can be stored through the opening 11, and a lower storage chamber 13 in which a burner Bn (described later) for heating the rice cooker Kt is arranged and communicates with the upper storage chamber 12. A bottom wall portion 13a, which is one of the outer wall portions of the utensil body 1 surrounding the lower storage chamber 13, is raised above the floor surface on which the utensil body 1 is placed, as a peripheral wall portion 13b, which is the other outer wall portion of the utensil body 1 surrounding the lower storage chamber 13, extends below the bottom wall portion 13a. An air intake 14a is formed in the peripheral wall portion 13b located below the bottom wall portion 13a, and an air intake 14b is also formed in the bottom wall portion 13a. The peripheral wall portion 13b located below the bottom wall portion 13a constitutes a leg portion Lp that is provided on the bottom surface of the device main body 1 and protrudes downward.
[0014] The upper surface of the appliance body 1 has an annular protruding wall 15 which is a part of the peripheral wall of the appliance body 1 surrounding the upper storage chamber 12 and defines the opening 11. When the rice cooker Kt is inserted from above through the opening 11 of the appliance body 1, the flange Kf which protrudes radially from the outer circumferential surface of the rice cooker Kt is seated on the upper surface of the protruding wall 15, and the rice cooker Kt is supported in a state where the part of the rice cooker Kt located below the flange Kf is stored in the upper storage chamber 12. A plurality of exhaust ports 16 are formed in the protruding wall 15 at intervals in the circumferential direction, and hydrogen combustion gas generated by the combustion of hydrogen gas is exhausted. In addition, a lid kd is placed on the upper opening of the rice cooker Kt during cooking.
[0015] 3 to 6, the burner Bn arranged in the lower storage chamber 13 includes a burner body 2 to which hydrogen gas is supplied and a combustion plate 3 that covers the upper opening of the burner body 2. The burner body 2 includes an annular base plate portion 21 having an opening 21a in the center, an inner cylinder portion 22 that stands upward from the inner peripheral edge of the base plate portion 21, and an outer cylinder portion 23 that stands upward from the outer peripheral edge of the base plate portion 21. The burner body 2 is installed on the inner surface (upper surface) of the bottom wall portion 13a via support legs 24, 24 provided on the lower surface of the base plate portion 21. In addition, a bulging portion 23a that bulges outward in the radial direction is provided at one location in the circumferential direction of the outer cylinder portion 23, and a connecting pipe 25 is connected to the bulging portion 23a from the radial direction. A gas pipe 27 having a gas nozzle 26 at its tip is connected to the connecting pipe 25. Although not specifically shown or described, a valve such as an electromagnetic valve or a gas cock is provided in the gas pipe 27, and hydrogen gas is supplied through the valve to the space 2a in the burner body 2 defined between the inner cylindrical portion 22 and the outer cylindrical portion 23. Since known parts can be used as these parts necessary for combustion in the burner Bn, further description will be omitted.
[0016] The combustion plate 3 has an annular main body portion 31 in which a large number of flame holes 31a are formed and which blocks the upper side of the space 2a, and a partition plate portion 33 which is installed on the upper surface of the main body portion 31 and which partitions the combustion plate 3 into a plurality of combustion regions 32 in the circumferential direction. The partition plate portion 33 has an inner annular plate portion 33a which is screwed to the upper surface of the inner cylindrical portion 22 with the inner peripheral edge of the main body portion 31 sandwiched between it and an annular inner packing 34a placed on the upper surface of the inner cylindrical portion 22, an outer annular plate portion 33b which is screwed to the upper surface of the outer cylindrical portion 23 with the outer peripheral edge of the main body portion 31 sandwiched between it and an annular outer packing 34b placed on the upper surface of the outer cylindrical portion 23, and a beam plate portion 33c which radially bridges the inner annular plate portion 33a and the outer annular plate portion 33b. In this embodiment, the beam plate portions 33c are provided at 90 degree intervals in the circumferential direction, and the four openings defined by the inner annular plate portion 33a, the outer annular plate portion 33b and the beam plate portion 33c each constitute a combustion region 32 of the combustion plate 3.
[0017] However, the hydrogen flame generated by the combustion of hydrogen gas is hardly visible because there is no active species accompanied by chemiluminescence in the visible light region. Therefore, a flame color reaction agent can be applied to the upper surface of the main body part 31 of the combustion plate 3 or the upper surface of the partition plate part 33. In such a case, for example, a known heat-resistant paint is prepared, and a granular flame color reaction agent is added to this paint at a predetermined weight ratio, and the paint to which the flame color reaction agent has been added is applied to the surface. There is no particular restriction on the flame color reaction agent as long as it does not cause hygienic problems and expresses chemiluminescence in the visible light region, and for example, compounds such as sodium chloride (yellow), sodium carbonate (yellow), and potassium chloride (reddish purple) can be used. As a result, the hydrogen flame reacts with the flame color reaction agent to cause a flame color reaction, making it possible to confirm the hydrogen flame.
[0018] In the peripheral wall portion 13b surrounding the lower storage chamber 13 of the appliance body 1, a plurality of introduction passages 4 for introducing secondary air toward the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate 3 through the flame holes 31a are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction in a plan view. In this embodiment, four introduction passages 4 extending in the radial direction are provided corresponding to each combustion region 32. The introduction passages 4 have an intake port 41 opening on the outer surface 131 of the peripheral wall portion 13b and an exhaust port 42 opening on the inner surface 132 of the peripheral wall portion 13b. As shown in FIG. 5(a), when a line Vl connecting both ends of the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral edge of the combustion region 32 is projected in the radial direction of the burner Bn, the inner surface region of the peripheral wall portion 13b containing the line Vl is defined as an exhaust port forming region 42a, and at least one exhaust port 42 is formed in the exhaust port forming region 42a.
[0019] The outline of the outlet-forming region 42a is not particularly limited as long as it can supply secondary air evenly to the hydrogen gas ejected from each combustion region 32 while suppressing the hydrogen flame generated in each combustion region 32 from penetrating under the burner Bn as much as possible. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the outlet-forming region 42a has a rectangular outline in a side view, and its upper side has a length equal to or greater than the line Vl and is located above the combustion plate 3, and both sides are located on extension lines extending from the beam plate portion 33c, and their lower ends reach the bottom wall portion 13a, with the inner surface of the bottom wall portion 13a forming the lower side. A single outlet 42 is formed in the outlet-forming region 42a. The intake port 41 is set to have an opening area equal to that of the outlet 42. Although an example will be described in which a single outlet 42 is formed in the outlet-forming region 42a, for example, a plurality of outlets 42 with the same opening area may be formed in the outlet-forming region 42a so as to be aligned, for example, in the vertical and horizontal directions, and in this case, the introduction passage 4 may also be divided into a plurality of parts. On the other hand, a plurality of outlets 42 with different opening areas may be formed in the combustion region 32 corresponding to the outlet-forming region 42a so that the region is divided into a portion where the amount of secondary air introduced is large and a portion where the amount of secondary air introduced is small.
[0020] A pair of guide rails 5, 5 extending vertically are provided on the outer surface of the appliance body 1, positioned on both sides of the intake port 41 (see FIG. 1). A plate-shaped opening and closing door 6 that increases and decreases the opening area of the intake port 41 is engaged with both guide rails 5, 5 so as to be slidable vertically, and the opening and closing door 6 can be positioned and held by a locking device 7. In this embodiment, the opening and closing door 6 constitutes an adjustment means that increases and decreases the opening area of the intake port 41 to adjust the amount of secondary air introduced into the lower storage chamber 13. The opening and closing door 6 is made of a heat-resistant and light-transmitting material such as glass so that the inside of the lower storage chamber 13 in which the burner Bn is present can be visually observed, and a handle portion 61 is provided on the upper edge portion. The locking device 7 is made of a support portion 71 and two locking pins 72 that protrude from the support portion 71 in a perpendicular direction. A plurality of through holes 62 are formed on both sides of the opening / closing door 6 at equal intervals in the vertical direction and penetrating in the plate thickness direction, and a plurality of fitting recesses 63 into which locking pins 72 fit are formed in the outer surface of the device body 1 at the same intervals in the vertical direction as the through holes 62 in correspondence with the through holes 62. The opening / closing door 6 is then moved up or down via the handle portion 61 according to the amount of secondary air to be adjusted, and the locking pins 72 are fitted into the fitting recesses 63 through the through holes 62, whereby the opening / closing door 6 is locked.
[0021] On the outer surface of the device body 1, a control box Cb is provided that incorporates a control board (not shown) that receives power from a battery, for example, and controls the operation of the burner Bn. A mounting plate 28 is provided on the bulging portion 23a of the outer cylinder 23, and a pair of rod-shaped electrodes 8a, 8b are attached to the mounting plate 28. When a valve interposed in the gas pipe 27 is opened, hydrogen gas is supplied to the space 2a in the burner body 2, and the hydrogen gas is ejected from the combustion plate 3 through the flame hole 31a, and secondary air is introduced from each introduction passage 4 corresponding to the combustion region 32. Furthermore, secondary air is introduced through the air intakes 14a, 14b through the inner space of the inner cylinder 22. A high voltage is applied between the pair of rod-shaped electrodes 8a, 8b from an igniter (not shown) controlled by the control board, and the hydrogen gas is ignited by the pyrotechnic discharge generated at that time, and the hydrogen gas is diffused and burned. As a result, the bottom surface of the rice cooker Kt is heated by the hydrogen flames generated in each combustion region 32, and the rice cooker Kt is heated by the hydrogen combustion gas generated by the combustion of the hydrogen gas while being exhausted to the exhaust port 16 along the outer peripheral wall of the rice cooker Kt. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, the exhaust port 16 is formed to straddle the combustion regions 32 adjacent to each other in a plan view so that the hydrogen combustion gas flows evenly around the rice cooker Kt.
[0022] Here, when hydrogen gas is supplied to the space 2a in the burner body 2 from one connecting pipe 25 in the circumferential direction, the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion area 32 (hereinafter referred to as "combustion area 32b") of the combustion plate 3 far from the connecting pipe 25 is reduced compared to the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion area 32 (hereinafter referred to as "combustion area 32a") close to the connection point of the connecting pipe 25. Therefore, in the introduction passage 4 corresponding to the combustion area 32b, the position of the opening door 6 relative to the intake port 41 is appropriately adjusted to increase the opening area of the intake port 41. This increases the amount of secondary air introduced toward the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion area 32b, so that the hydrogen flame can be extended to stand above the secondary air. On the other hand, in the introduction passage 4 corresponding to the combustion area 32a, the position of the opening door 6 relative to the intake port 41 is appropriately adjusted to decrease the opening area of the intake port 41. This reduces the amount of secondary air introduced toward the hydrogen gas, so that the hydrogen flame can be tilted toward the discharge port 42. As a result, the height of the hydrogen flame from the combustion plate 3 can be made uniform in each combustion region 32.
[0023] According to the above embodiment, the amount of secondary air can be adjusted for each combustion area 32 to make the height of the hydrogen flame in each combustion area 32 uniform, so that the bottom of the rice cooker Kt can be heated evenly by the burner Bn. Moreover, since the position of the opening and closing door 6 relative to the intake port 41 can be appropriately adjusted, even if the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from each combustion area 32 of the combustion plate 3 changes depending on the variation in the manufacturing process of the cooking appliance HC or the situation when the cooking appliance HC is installed and used, the amount of secondary air can be further adjusted to match this change, which is advantageous.
[0024] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in the above embodiment, four introduction passages 4 are provided corresponding to each of the combustion regions 32 divided into four in the circumferential direction, but the number of divisions of the combustion regions 32 and the number of introduction passages 4 can be set arbitrarily. On the other hand, it is also possible to calculate in advance the amount of hydrogen gas ejected from each combustion region 32 when hydrogen gas is supplied from the connecting pipe 25 to the space 2a in the burner body 2, experimentally obtain the amount of secondary air to be introduced in accordance with the calculated amount of hydrogen gas, and set the passage area of the introduction passage 4 in advance in accordance with the experimentally determined amount of secondary air at the design stage of the cooking appliance HC to make the height of the hydrogen flame uniform.
[0025] In the above embodiment, the air intake 41 is provided in the peripheral wall portion 13b, but the present invention is not limited to this. With reference to Figs. 7 and 8, in the modified example, the bottom surface of the bottom wall portion 13a of the appliance body 1, i.e., the bottom surface of the appliance body 1, is provided with legs Lp positioned at the four corners and protruding downward. A plurality of air intakes 41 of the introduction passage 4 are provided on the bottom surface of the appliance body 1. As a result, when the cooking appliance HC is installed, the air intakes 41 of the introduction passage 4 cannot be directly seen and are therefore inconspicuous, improving the design.
[0026] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rice cooker Kt as a cooking vessel is supported by seating its flange portion Kf on the upper surface of the protruding wall portion 15, but the shape is not important as long as it can support a cooking vessel stored in the upper storage chamber 12 through the opening 11. For example, although not particularly shown and described, a mesh-like placement stand or trivet may be installed in the upper storage chamber 12 to support the cooking vessel. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the combustion plate 3 of the burner Bn is described as having a ring-shaped main body portion 31 with a large number of flame holes 31a, but this is not limited to this. For example, the combustion plate 3 can be made of a sintered sheet formed by sintering a laminate of metal fibers or metal beads. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the appliance main body 1 is described as having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the appliance main body 1 may be cylindrical. In this case, the opening and closing door 6 may be shaped to fit the outer surface of the appliance main body 1. [Explanation of symbols]
[0027] HC... cooking appliance, Kt... kettle (cooking container), 1... appliance body, 11... opening, 12... upper storage chamber, 13... lower storage chamber, 13a... bottom wall portion (outer wall portion of the appliance body surrounding the lower storage chamber), 13b... peripheral wall portion (outer wall portion of the appliance body surrounding the lower storage chamber), 16... exhaust port, Bn... burner, 2... burner body, 3... combustion plate, 32... combustion area, 4... introduction passage, Lp... legs, 41... intake port, 42... exhaust port, 42a... exhaust port forming area, 6... opening and closing door (adjustment means).
Claims
1. A cooking utensil having an appliance body including an upper storage chamber having an opening at the top, in which a cooking vessel can be stored through the opening, and a lower storage chamber communicating with the upper storage chamber and in which a burner is disposed, The burner includes a burner body into which hydrogen gas is supplied, and a combustion plate covering an upper surface opening of the burner body, and the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate is diffused and combusted, an intake passage having an intake port opening on the outer surface of an outer wall portion of the appliance body surrounding the lower storage chamber and an exhaust port opening on the inner surface of the outer wall portion, for introducing secondary air toward the hydrogen gas ejected from the combustion plate; and an exhaust port opened in a peripheral wall portion of the appliance body surrounding the upper storage chamber, for exhausting hydrogen combustion gas generated by combustion of the hydrogen gas, A cooking device comprising a plurality of the introduction passages provided at intervals in the circumferential direction in a plan view.
2. The combustion plate is divided into a plurality of combustion regions in the circumferential direction, The cooking device according to claim 1, characterized in that when a line connecting both circumferential ends of the outer peripheral edge of the partitioned combustion area is projected in the radial direction of the burner, the inner surface area of the outer wall portion that contains the line is defined as an outlet port forming area, and at least one outlet port is present in the outlet port forming area.
3. A leg portion protruding downward is provided on the bottom surface of the device body, 3. The cooking utensil according to claim 2, wherein the outer surface of the outer wall portion where the air inlet is opened is the bottom surface of the utensil body.
4. 4. The cooking device according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting means for adjusting the amount of secondary air introduced through the introduction passage.