Rice washer / cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice washer / cooker capable of producing delicious cooked rice by adjusting a moisture penetration state and moisture content of rice before cooking based on amylose content.SOLUTION: A rice washer / cooker, including a rice cooker on the lower side of a rice storage tank 4 and a rice washing tank 5, includes an internal quality detector 81 for measuring amylose content of the rice in the rice storage tank 4, and water amount adjustment control means W1, when the rice is low-amylose rice with the amylose content of a prescribed value or less, adjusting an amount of water to be supplied to the rice washing tank 5 to be less than a standard amount, and when it is high-amylose rice with the amylose content of the prescribed value or more, adjusting the amount of water to be supplied to the rice washing tank 5 to be more than the standard amount. The rice washer / cooker further includes soaking time adjustment control means W2, when the rice is the low-amylose rice with the amylose content of the prescribed value or less, reducing a soaking time in a soaking step to less than a standard time, and when it is the high-amylose rice with the amylose content of the prescribed value or more, increasing the soaking time from the standard time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice washing and cooking device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an invention in which amylose is washed away from rice that has been soaked in water, and then the rice is cooked (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, there is a method for evaluating the taste of rice based on the content of multiple components, such as the ratio of amylose or amylopectin in starch and the protein content, among the components contained in the rice (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-97260 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2000-283917 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] According to Patent Document 1, washing away the amylose dissolved during cooking has the effect of suppressing rice aging, but washing away the amylose can cause problems such as broken rice.

[0006] The object of this invention is to obtain a rice washing and cooking device that produces delicious rice by adjusting the moisture penetration state and moisture content of rice before cooking based on the amylose content. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0008] The invention described in claim 1 relates to a rice washing and cooking apparatus having a rice cooking device 6 disposed below a rice storage tank 4 and a rice washing tank 5, which is provided with an internal quality detection device 81 that measures the amylose content of the rice in the rice storage tank 4, and a water addition adjustment control means W1 that reduces the amount of water supplied to the rice washing tank 5 from a standard amount when the rice is low-amylose rice with an amylose content below a predetermined value, and increases the amount of water supplied to the rice washing tank 5 from the standard amount when the rice is high-amylose rice with an amylose content above a predetermined value.

[0009] The invention described in claim 2 relates to a rice washing and cooking apparatus having a rice cooking device 6 disposed below a rice storage tank 4 and a rice washing tank 5, which is provided with an internal quality detection device 81 for measuring the amylose content of the rice in the rice storage tank 4, and a soaking time adjustment control means W2 for making the soaking time in the soaking process shorter than the standard time when the rice is low-amylose rice with an amylose content below a predetermined value, and for making the soaking time longer than the standard time when the rice is high-amylose rice with an amylose content above a predetermined value.

[0010] The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 2, in which an outside air temperature detection device 83 is provided, and when the outside air temperature is within a preset outside air temperature range, the soaking time adjustment control means W2 performs soaking time adjustment control, and when the outside air temperature is below a predetermined temperature, the soaking time is set longer than the standard time, and when the outside air temperature is above the predetermined temperature, the soaking time is set shorter than the standard time. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the inventions described in claims 1 and 2, when the rice is determined to be low amylose rice, the amount of water can be reduced from the standard amount to a specified amount, thereby preventing stickiness when cooked and resulting in delicious rice. Conversely, when the rice is determined to be high amylose rice, the amount of water can be increased from the standard amount to a specified amount, thereby preventing dryness when cooked and resulting in delicious rice.

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect described in claim 2, the soaking time can be adjusted and controlled appropriately depending on the outside air temperature, making it possible to cook delicious rice. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a rice washing and cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the rice washing and cooking apparatus of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a front cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the rice washing and cooking device of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a rice storage tank and a rice washing tank of the embodiment of the rice washing and cooking apparatus of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a plan view of a rice storage tank and a rice washing tank of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a measuring section of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a drum case of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a rice washing and cooking device according to the present invention; [Figure 9] 2 is a plan view of a partition member and peripheral equipment of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view of a partition member and peripheral equipment of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is an overall control flowchart of the rice washing and cooking machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2A is a side view showing the operating state of the rice washing and cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the operating state of the rice washing and cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] 1 is a front view showing the operating status of a rice cooker lid opening / closing arm of the rice washing and cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view of a rice cooker lid of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2(b) is a side view of the rice cooker lid of the rice washing and cooking apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15]2 is a flowchart of a rice washing and cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 2 is a flowchart of a rice washing and cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of a rice washing and cooking apparatus incorporating a particle size sorting means according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] (A) is a front view of a washed rice cooking device according to another embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a plan view of a washed rice cooking device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and (C) is a side view of a washed rice cooking device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] First, mainly with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, the configuration and operation of a rice washing and cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described.

[0016] The rice washing and cooking device is assembled using a vertically long support member 1. The support member 1, which frames the U-shaped or square tubular material vertically and horizontally, is made up of a rectangular frame 1a with casters at the bottom, left and right support pillars 1b, 1b of a specified width and height, and multiple horizontal bars 1c, 1c... supported between the left and right support pillars 1b, 1b.

[0017] A flat partition member 3 is provided on the horizontal rail 1c to mount each piece of equipment, a rice storage tank 4 is provided above it, a rice washing tank 5 is provided below this rice storage tank 4, and a rice cooking device 6 is placed at a distance below the rice washing tank 5. This rice cooking device 6 is composed of a rice cooking kettle 7, a gas stove 8 for heating the kettle, a drawer-type stand 9, etc. In Figure 1, the drawer side of the stand 9 is the front side, and the back side is the rear side.

[0018] The rice storage tank 4 is composed of an upper main tank 4a with a square cross section, and a lower funnel-shaped hopper section 4b, also called simply a hopper or hopper section, and a measuring drum case 10, also called a measuring section, is attached to the lower end of the hopper section 4b. Inside the measuring drum case 10, a cylindrical drum section 11a with a notch 11 and a measuring drum 13 consisting of front and rear side walls 12a, 12b are provided, and the measuring drum 13 is supported on the drum case 10 so as to be rotatable by a horizontal shaft 14 that penetrates the front and rear side walls 12a, 12b. A motor 15 is attached to the rear side of the drum case 10 to directly drive the shaft 14. A fixed amount of rice flows down from the rice storage tank 4 through the notch 11 into the measuring drum 13, and when the notch 11 is rotated downward and reaches the discharge port 16 formed in the drum case 10, the rice flows down and is discharged from the measuring drum 13.

[0019] The partition member 3 is provided with an opening 17 corresponding to the discharge port 16, and is configured so that a predetermined amount of rice is delivered from the rice storage tank 4 to the rice washing tank 5 by rotating the measuring drum 13 a predetermined number of revolutions. Also, the predetermined amount can be supplied by detection of a rotation sensor (not shown) that counts the number of deliveries.

[0020] The drum case 10 and the funnel-shaped hopper 4b are constructed as an integral unit, and after removing the upper main tank 4a, the integral unit of the hopper 4b and the drum case 10 can be removed from the partition member 3. That is, an engagement portion 20 is provided on the rear side so that an engagement protrusion 19 of the drum case 10 can be detached from a hook-shaped portion 18 formed on the partition member 3, and a detachable engagement stay 21 that can be detachably fixed with a screw is provided on the front side between the partition member 3 and the drum case 10, and the engagement with the drum case 10 can be released by loosening the screw 22 and rotating the stay 21 around the screw portion. The drum case 10 is formed so that its lower edge fits into the rectangular opening of the partition member 3, but by disengaging the engaging stay 21 and lifting that side slightly upward to release the engagement of the lower edge with the partition member 3, and then pulling it out diagonally from the front toward the user, the rear lower edge can be released from engagement with the engaging portion 20.

[0021] The rice storage tank 2 and the measuring section are covered on the outside with a cover member 23, and the left and right side walls and the rear side wall are appropriately fixed to the partition member 3, etc., and the lower half of the front wall 23a is configured as a door that can be opened and closed, for example, with the right side part as seen from the front as a fulcrum. The upper half of the front wall 23b is connected to the left and right side walls and configured as a fixed wall. Therefore, the rice storage tank 2 and the drum case 10 can be inspected and removed with the lower half of the front wall 23a open. Reference numeral 24 denotes a square cover plate that detachably covers the main tank 4a from above.

[0022] Reference numeral 25 denotes a discharge shutter for discharging rice, which is provided on one side of the funnel-shaped hopper section 4b (the front side in the illustrated example), and is configured to block the discharge of rice when in an upright position and to become an inclined guide chute by rotating around the pivot support section, thereby discharging the rice inside.

[0023] Next, the configuration and operation of the washed rice cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference mainly to Figs.

[0024] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the measuring drum 13. Gaskets 26a, 26b that guide the rice at an angle are obliquely installed between the funnel-shaped lower hopper 4b and the drum case 10. The gap between the outer periphery of the measuring drum 13 and the inner periphery of the drum case 10 is a gap t (e.g., about 1 mm) that is large enough to prevent the rice from being crushed even if it enters the drum.

[0025] The measuring drum 13 is rotated and stopped repeatedly in a fixed direction by the motor 15, and the measuring drum 13 is stopped at the position shown in Fig. 7. That is, a vibration means (in the illustrated example, a pump 66 for supplying air, which will be described later) is attached to the inclined wall of the side wall of the funnel-shaped hopper 4b near the side where the rear gasket 26b is present, in order to promote the flow of rice inside, and the measuring drum 13 is designed so that its opening edge stops behind the rotation of the vibration-side gasket 26b, and the other opening edge stops in front of the non-vibration-side gasket 26a, so that the measuring drum 13 blocks rice that tries to get in due to the vibration of the vibration means, while the non-vibration side naturally sends rice into the measuring drum 13, stabilizing the accuracy of the supply amount.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the rice washing tank 5 is provided with a receiving tube portion 101 on the ceiling portion that guides the rice supplied from the drum case 10, a cylindrical body portion in the middle portion, and a hopper-shaped portion at the bottom. A jacket portion 102 is connected to the bottom of the hopper-shaped portion of the rice washing tank 5, and a filter 33 made of a mesh body with openings that do not allow rice grains to leak out is provided at the boundary between the hopper-shaped portion and the jacket portion 102.

[0027] A vertical rotating shaft 34 is provided in the center of the rice-washing tank 5, and a number of stirring rods 35, 35... each formed by bending a rod-shaped body into an inverted L shape are attached to the rotating shaft 34 by welding or the like at their upper ends. The rotating shaft 34 is rotated by a rice-washing motor 36 via a bevel gear mechanism 37, and is configured to stir the rice and water in the tank by the rotation.

[0028] The rotating shaft 34 is a hollow shaft, and the inner shaft 38 is loosely fitted inside the outer hollow shaft 34 so as to be vertically slidable, and extends downward. A cone-shaped rice discharge valve 39, also called a drop valve, is detachably attached to the lower end of this shaft 38. The upper end of the shaft 38 is moved up and down by a linkage mechanism including a cam 41 driven by a rice discharge valve drive motor 40 and a drop arm, which will be described later, to control the opening and closing of the rice discharge valve 39. When the rice discharge valve 39 opens, the rice in the rice washing tank 5 falls into the inner pot of the rice cooker 6 below.

[0029] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through two systems: an upper water supply route that passes through a main distribution pipe 46 that communicates with a water faucet, an upper water supply valve 47, two flexible upper water supply pipes 48, 48, and upper water supply ports 49, 49 in the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5, and a lower water supply route that branches off from the main distribution pipe 46, passes through a lower water supply valve 50, a distribution pipe 51, the lower water supply port of the lower water supply pipe 52, and passes through the jacket part 102. Each water supply route is equipped with a flow rate sensor.

[0030] That is, two upper water supply pipes 48, 48 leading to the main water distribution pipe 46 are arranged near the drum case 10, using the partition member 3 as a base, and a lower water supply pipe 53 is connected to a water distribution pipe 51 that penetrates the partition member 3.

[0031] Reference numeral 55 denotes a shutter that opens and closes the discharge port 16 in cooperation with the electric motor 15, and the motor 15 is connected to a shutter support shaft 58 via link mechanisms 56, 57, and is configured so that the shutter 55 opens when the drum opening coincides with the discharge port 16 due to the rotation of the motor 15. For this reason, the shutter 55 is normally in a closed position, preventing the scattering of diffusion water during the washing of the rice in the rice washing tank 5 and preventing the infiltration of water into the measuring drum 13.

[0032] The upper water supply pipes 48, 48 are arranged so as to be located on the left-right center line in a plan view, and this position corresponds to the left-right center line in a plan view of the rice washing tank 5 described below. The drum case 10 is located to the left of the position where the upper water supply pipes 48, 48 are arranged, and the motor 40 for the rice discharge valve 39 and the stirring rods 35, 35... and the rice washing motor 36 for driving them are arranged to the right.

[0033] A drain box 60 is provided at the lower rear of the rice washing tank 5. The drain box 60 has a drain outlet 61 and is connected to the lower end of an overflow pipe 62, the upper end of which opens into the upper side surface of the rice washing tank 5, and to one end of the jacket portion 102, the other end of which communicates with the jacket portion 102. Water is drained from the jacket portion 102 by opening and closing a drain valve 64, and the water level in the rice washing tank 5 is adjusted while draining water with a water level valve 65.

[0034] The drain box 60 is normally closed by the drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65, but when water is to be drained from the rice-washing tank 5, it is drained from the filter 33 of the jacket portion 102 through the drain valve 64 and / or the water level valve 65, the drain box 60, and the drain port 61. The drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65 are opened and closed by appropriate opening and closing outputs. In addition, a water level sensor 68 that detects the amount of water in the rice-washing tank 5 is provided at the top inside the rice-washing tank 5.

[0035] The overflow pipe 62 has a horizontal pipe section 62a connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the rice washing tank 5 and a vertical pipe section 62b connected to the horizontal pipe section 62a, and the lower end of the vertical pipe section 62b is connected to the drain box 60. The upper end of the vertical pipe section 62b is extended upward to form an extension pipe section 62c, which is also called an extension section, and is appropriately fixed and supported by a mounting holder 69 provided on the lower surface of the partition member 3 in a state where it penetrates the partition member 3.

[0036] The space A, which is substantially closed between the bottom of the rice storage tank 4 and the partition member 3, is for housing the measuring unit 10, various drive units, piping, etc., and is designed to ensure ventilation to prevent water vapor from being trapped. That is, a blower fan 70 is arranged on one side wall of the cover member 23, and is configured to be constantly energized and driven during operation of the device to supply outside air into the space A. The air that enters the space A flows through the space A as appropriate and is exhausted to the outside of the device through the mesh holes, etc., described later. Therefore, humidity is reduced by the flow of outside air through the space A that receives the water vapor that rises during rice cooking. A controller 71 is arranged on the inner surface of the cover member 23 on the side facing the blower fan 70, and moisture can be removed by providing ventilation to this controller 71 as well. Furthermore, if the upper end opening of the extension pipe section 62c is viewed near the controller 71, for example below the front of the controller 71, an appropriate air flow will be generated and the air that acts on the controller 71 can be efficiently introduced into the extension pipe section 62c.

[0037] By passing the extension 62c of the overflow pipe 62 through the partition member 3 as described above, the upper end opening faces the space A, and ventilation air from the blower fan 70 is supplied into the rice washing tank 5 through the overflow pipe 62. In other words, air that enters from the upper end of the extension pipe part 62c of the overflow pipe 62 passes through the extension part 62c and the horizontal pipe part 62a and enters the rice washing tank 5. This has the effect of drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. In this way, by forming a ventilation part B, also called a communication part like the extension pipe part 62c of the overflow pipe 62, between the space A and the rice washing tank 5, the circulating air from the blower fan 70 can be introduced into the rice washing tank 5, and the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried.

[0038] If the extension pipe section 62c of the overflow pipe 62 is provided as the ventilation section B, even if dust in the space section A is transported by air, this dust will fall through the vertical pipe section 62b of the overflow pipe 62 and reach the drain box 60, and there is little risk of this dust entering the rice washing tank 5.

[0039] A mesh body 73 made of a ventilation net or punched metal may be attached to the upper end of the extension pipe portion 62c (ventilation portion B) to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0040] A hollow portion C is provided in the lower part of the bottom surface of the space portion A surrounded by the cover member 23, the partition member 3, etc., to accommodate various harnesses (not shown). More specifically, the partition member 3 is formed by drawing and integrally molding the side walls, and a bottom plate 72 is provided below it in a lid-like manner to form the hollow portion C. A mesh-like body 74 made of a ventilation net or punched metal is attached to an appropriate position of the partition member 3 so as to communicate with the hollow portion C. In this case, the mesh size of the mesh-like body 73 at the upper end of the extension tube portion 62c (ventilation portion B) is made smaller than the mesh size of the mesh-like body 74 disposed in an appropriate position of the partition member 3, thereby improving the effect of preventing the intrusion of foreign objects, particularly microscopic insects.

[0041] Next, the water level sensor 68 will be described. The water level sensor 68 is provided to detect whether the amount of water in the rice washing tank 5 is at a water level immediately before reaching an overflow state or at an overflow state, and is a known configuration that has a detection electrode 68a (water level detection unit) that detects a change in capacitance based on the presence or absence of a water level to detect that the predetermined water level has been reached. The water level sensor 68 is detachably supported on the partition member 3. The detection electrode 68a is connected and fixed to the supporting base member 68b. That is, the detection electrode 68a is located on the upper surface of the partition member 3 at a location close to the front wall lower half portion 23a of the cover member 23 and connected and fixed to the base member 68b. The base member 68b of the water level sensor 68 is fixed by fastening and loosening the rotation lock pieces 75 arranged at two locations on the left and right with wing bolts 76, respectively, and the rotation operation of the wing bolts 76 can be performed by hand, so that it is provided in a so-called tool-less manner. When the base member 68b is removed, the large opening 77 formed in the partition member 3 can be opened. Therefore, by opening the front wall lower half 23a of the cover member 23, an operator can visually check inside the rice washing tank 5 through the opening 77 that opens to the front side.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the water level detection portion of the water level sensor 68 is in the form of an electrode that can detect the presence or absence of electrostatic capacitance, but it can also be in various other configurations, such as a float type that can turn an electrical contact ON and OFF as the float rises.

[0043] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through two systems: an upper water supply route via the upper water supply port of the upper water supply pipe 48 on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5, and a lower water supply route via the lower water supply port of the lower water supply pipe 52 through the jacket section 102. An air ejection pipe 67 that communicates with the pump 66 and ejects air is arranged in parallel to the lower water supply pipe 52 of the lower water supply route, and is ejected into the jacket section 102 together with the water from the lower water supply route together with air. The lower water supply pipe 52 and the air ejection pipe 67 are each located eccentrically from the center of the jacket section 102 in Figure 12(b), making it easier to generate a swirling flow in which air and water are mixed.

[0044] During the rice washing operation in the rice washing tank 5, the rotation direction of the large and small stirring rods 35, 35... attached to the rotating shaft 34 in the rice washing tank 5, the water jetting direction from the lower water supply route, and the air jetting direction from the air jetting pipe 67 are configured to be opposite to each other.

[0045] In addition, supplying air through the air ejection pipe 67 when the rice washing tank 5 is empty contributes to drying inside the rice washing tank 5. For this reason, the switch means for driving the pump 66 can be turned on even when the rice is not being washed, so that the operator can optionally dry the rice washing tank 5. This air supply by driving the pump 66 may be performed independently, or may be performed in a manner that overlaps with the air supply from the communication part B.

[0046] Next, the operation of the rice cooking device will be described.

[0047] First, the control unit of the computer (not shown) is configured to set the conditions necessary for operating the rice cooking device, such as the amount of rice to be cooked, the time for washing rice (the rotation time of the stirring rod 35), the time for polishing rice (the rotation time of the stirring rod 35), and the time for soaking in the rice washing tank or kettle, using the operation panel (operation display device) 80 disposed on the lower half 23a of the front wall of the cover member 23. It is equipped with a liquid crystal display screen, and the above conditions necessary for washing and cooking rice can be set while displaying and guiding the functions and operation procedures of the surrounding switch groups.

[0048] The operation of the above example will now be described.

[0049] The power switch is turned on, and the rice cooking conditions are set by operating each switch on the operation panel 80. After various rice cooking conditions are set, the start switch is turned on, and operation begins according to the rice cooking flow shown in FIG.

[0050] That is, first, the power switch is turned on (step S1), the rice cooking conditions are set and input (step S2), and the start switch 105 is pressed (step S3). In step S4, the rice in the rice storage tank 4 is weighed in the measuring drum, a set amount of rice is supplied to the rice washing tank 5, and the rice is washed in step S5.

[0051] The rice washing process in step S5 consists of a bran removal process in which the rice is agitated while water is dripping, a polishing process in which the rice is first supplied with water, then drained and agitated in a wet state, a rough rinsing process in which the rice is agitated at a specified water level, and a final rinsing process in which the rice is agitated while water overflows from the tank.

[0052] After the rice washing process in step S5, the process proceeds to the water addition process in step S6. In step S7, the washed rice in the rice washing tank 5 and the water measured for the amount of water in step S3 are dropped into the rice cooker 7 by opening and closing the rice discharge valve 39.

[0053] In step S8, the rice in the rice cooker 7 is soaked in water for a specified time. After the specified time has elapsed, ignition is performed in step S9, the rice is cooked in step S10, steaming is performed in step S11, and the rice is cooked in step S12, completing the desired cooked rice.

[0054] Before turning on the start switch, the reservation screen can be displayed by operating the reservation switch, and the time for completion of cooking can be set, so that the rice will be cooked at the scheduled time.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the water level is gradually reduced from the full level of the rice washing tank by opening the water level valve 65 to ensure a predetermined amount of water, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a flow rate sensor may be provided to manage the amount of water supplied.

[0056] The blower fan 70 is configured to operate continuously during the rice washing and cooking operation after the start switch is turned on, but also to operate for a predetermined time after the rice cooking operation. This configuration allows the inside of the rice washing tank 5 to be dried after the rice cooking operation is completed. After the rice cooking operation, the drain valve 64 and the drop valve 39 are set to be closed and the drain valve 64 to be open when the blower fan 70 is driven. Therefore, the air blown by the blower fan 70 is introduced from the extension pipe section 62c and enters the upper side of the rice washing tank 5 through the horizontal pipe section 62a, while entering the lower side of the rice washing tank 5 through the vertical pipe section 62b and the drain box 60, thereby improving the drying efficiency compared to air supply only from the upper side.

[0057] In this embodiment, the drain box 60 is provided to the side of the rice washing tank 5 (to the right in the example shown in FIG. 1), making it easy to perform maintenance on the drain box 60. In addition, if the kettle lid opening / closing arm 78 (described later) moves left and right and is configured to be located directly below the drain box 60 in the lid open position (FIG. 13), it will not get in the way when attaching or detaching the rice washing tank 5.

[0058] Regarding the rice cooker 7, in FIG. 14, the rice cooker 7 is provided with an inner pot 31 and a detachable rice cooker lid 32 that covers the main body opening of the inner pot 31 and has a high center. A supply hole 32h is formed in the center of this rice cooker lid 32, and a slide shutter 33S is attached in an openable and closable manner as a supply hole opening / closing means to close this supply hole 32h.

[0059] The slide shutter 33S is provided slidably along horizontal guide rails 33a, 33a, and is configured so that by opening the supply hole 32h, rice dropping from the rice-washing tank 5 and water to be added or removed can be supplied into the inner kettle 31. The slide shutter 33S is configured so that the kettle lid opening / closing arm 78 engages with the knob 32c at the center of the inner kettle 31 and can open and close the supply hole 32h by controlling the left and right movement, and is positioned directly below the drain box 60 in the lid open position as described above.

[0060] Next, the water adjustment control in the water adjustment process of step S6 will be described. In Fig. 7, a sample path 110 is formed between the rice storage tank 4 and the partition member 3 to bypass the measuring drum case 10, and an internal quality detection device 81 is provided midway along the path. The internal quality detection device 81 has a known configuration that can perform component analysis using near-infrared analysis (near-infrared absorption spectroscopy), and is designed to detect the amylose content (content ratio) of the sample brown rice from the sample path 110. In general, the lower the amylose content, the stickier the rice, and rice with a high amylose content is hard and dry.

[0061] The detected amylose content is input to the computer's control unit. The control unit adjusts the amount of water to be added, which is set according to the amylose content. For example, if the measurement result of the amylose content is 16% or less and the rice is judged to be low amylose rice, the amount of water is automatically reduced by about 5% from the standard amount, and conversely, if the measurement result of the amylose content is judged to be high amylose rice, the amount of water is automatically increased by about 5% from the standard amount, provided with water amount adjustment control means W1. If the rice is judged to be low amylose rice, the amount of water is reduced from the standard amount to a specified amount, thereby preventing stickiness at the end of cooking and resulting in delicious rice, and conversely, if the rice is judged to be high amylose rice, the amount of water is increased from the standard amount to a specified amount, thereby preventing dryness at the end of cooking and resulting in delicious rice (Figure 15).

[0062] Next, a configuration for adjusting and controlling the soaking time in the soaking step of step S8 will be described based on the amylose content. By providing a soaking time adjustment control means W2 that adjusts the soaking time for low amylose rice to be shorter than the standard and for high amylose rice to be longer according to the measurement results of the amylose content, it is possible to suppress stickiness and dryness at the end of cooking and cook deliciously. For example, in the case of low amylose rice with an amylose content of 16% or less, the soaking time is adjusted to be 5% shorter than the standard soaking time, while in the case of high amylose rice with an amylose content of 24% or more, the soaking time is adjusted to be 5% longer than the standard soaking time (Figure 16).

[0063] The soaking time is changed and controlled based on the detection value of the outside air temperature detection device 83. That is, an outside air temperature of 15°C is set as the standard soaking time (for example, 1 hour), and if the outside air temperature drops by 10°C, the soaking time is set to approximately 2 hours, and conversely, if the outside air temperature rises by 10°C, it is set to approximately 40 minutes. The appropriate soaking time can be adjusted and controlled depending on the outside air temperature to produce deliciously cooked rice. This control can also be performed in combination with the water amount adjustment control means W1 and the soaking time adjustment control means W2.

[0064] In addition, the washing time setting in the rice washing step in step S5 can be adjusted based on the measurement result of the amylose content, so that the rice can be cooked deliciously. For example, if the measurement result of the amylose content is 16% or less and the rice is judged to be low amylose rice with a soft surface hardness and prone to rice breakage during polishing, the washing time is made shorter than the standard time. If the measurement result of the amylose content is 24% or more and the rice is judged to be high amylose rice with a hard surface hardness, the washing time is made longer than the standard time. In addition to this washing time adjustment control, when low amylose rice is used, the rotation of the rice washing motor 36 that rotates and links the shaft 34 supporting the stirring rods 35, 35... is slowed down, and when high amylose rice is used, the rotation of the rice washing motor 36 is speeded up to promote the breaking of the rice bran by washing, resulting in a delicious finish.

[0065] In addition to normal rice cooking, rice is used for a variety of purposes, including fried rice, sushi, and rice balls. For example, fried rice needs to be dry, so the amount of water is less than that of normal rice cooking, sushi needs to be adjusted by mixing vinegar, so the amount of water is less than that of normal rice cooking, and rice balls need to be hard, so the amount of water is less than that of normal rice cooking while preventing stickiness due to broken rice, etc. By applying the water amount adjustment control means W1 and the soaking time adjustment control means W2, etc., the amount of water and the soaking time can be set to less than the adjustment settings for normal acid rice cooking in the fried rice mode, sushi mode, and rice ball mode, so that appropriate rice cooking conditions can be obtained. In addition, the amount of water in each mode is adjusted in the order of fried rice mode > sushi mode > rice ball > normal rice cooking mode.

[0066] A broken rice rate detection device 84, also called broken rice rate detection means, is provided in parallel to the internal quality detection device 81. This broken rice rate detection device 84 outputs shape data of sample grains to the control unit by an external shape recognition method, and the control unit judges whether the grains are broken or not, calculates the ratio of broken rice to the number of sample grains, and stores the calculated ratio as the broken rice rate.

[0067] The following configuration is an example of an application based on the detection results of the broken rice rate detection means 84. Based on the broken rice rate, the rice washing time and the 36 rotations of the rice washing motor are controlled to prevent further broken rice. In addition, when a specified level of broken rice rate is reached, the broken rice may be removed in advance (dotted line in the figure) by particle size sorting means 85 provided on the top of the rice storage tank 4, and brown rice may be supplied to the rice storage tank 4 (Fig. 17). The rice storage tank 4 is divided into multiple tanks, and the broken rice rate of the brown rice in each tank 4 is input to the control unit, and brown rice that meets the cooked rice quality standards is selected and discharged from the rice storage tank 4.

[0068] The broken rice detection means can also be changed to a crack detection means. Cracks are a precursor to becoming broken rice, so the crack detection means can be used to improve accuracy. Furthermore, by arranging the broken rice detection means and the crack detection means side by side, it becomes possible to detect higher quality than the detection accuracy of either one alone.

[0069] Broken rice also affects the turbidity of the washing water during washing. If the washing water is very turbid, it is assumed that there is a lot of broken rice. Therefore, if the machine is equipped with a turbidity sensor that detects the turbidity of the washing water, it is possible to use the results of the turbidity sensor to control the subsequent washing time and the number of rotations of the rice washing motor.

[0070] Fig. 18 shows a multiple-pot connection configuration that prepares the required number of rice cookers to realize efficient rice cooking. The rice washing and cooking device in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3 is a so-called single-pot specification, while the rice washing and cooking device in Fig. 18 is a two-pot specification. That is, the rice storage tank 4 and the rice washing tank 5 are integrated, and the horizontal rails 1c, 1c, which also serve as moving rails 90, 90, installed between the wide left and right supports 1b, 1b, are configured to be movable, so that they can be set above either of the pair of left and right rice cookers 6L, 6R facing downward. Therefore, washed rice is put into the pair of rice cookers 6L, 6R in sequence, and when cooking in the rice cooker 6R is finished, cooking in the rice cooker 6L can be started subsequently.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 18, a third rice cooking device 6X is provided in parallel to the first and second rice cooking devices 6L and 6R. More specifically, a moving rail 92x is provided between the left and right support columns 91x and 91x to extend to the moving rails 90 of the horizontal bars 1c and 1c. A fourth rice cooking device 6Y can be provided in parallel to the third rice cooking device 6X by connecting one of the left and right support columns 91x and 91x (the right side in the illustrated example). That is, a moving rail 92y and 92r is provided between the left and right support columns 91y and 91y to connect to the moving rails 92x and 92x. A required number of fifth rice cooking devices can be connected in parallel to the fourth rice cooking device 6Y. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 2 Rice washing and cooking equipment 4 Rice storage tank 5 Rice washing tank 6 Rice Cooker 81 Internal quality detection device 83 Outside air temperature detector W1 Water adjustment control means W2 Immersion time adjustment control means

Claims

1. This washed rice cooking apparatus has a rice cooking device (6) provided below a rice storage tank (4) and a rice washing tank (5), and is provided with an internal quality detection device (81) that measures the amylose content of the rice in the rice storage tank (4), and a water amount adjustment control means (W1) that reduces the amount of water supplied to the rice washing tank (5) from a standard amount when the rice is low-amylose rice with an amylose content below a predetermined value, and increases the amount of water supplied to the rice washing tank (5) from the standard amount when the rice is high-amylose rice with an amylose content above a predetermined value.

2. This washed rice cooking apparatus has a rice cooking device 6 located below a rice storage tank (4) and a rice washing tank (5), and is provided with an internal quality detection device (81) that measures the amylose content of the rice in the rice storage tank (4), and a soaking time adjustment control means (W2) that makes the soaking time in the soaking step shorter than the standard time when the rice is low-amylose rice with an amylose content below a predetermined value, and makes the soaking time longer than the standard time when the rice is high-amylose rice with an amylose content above the predetermined value.

3. 3. The rice washing and cooking apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an outside air temperature detection device (83), and when the outside air temperature is within a preset outside air temperature range, the soaking time adjustment control means (W2) adjusts the soaking time so that when the outside air temperature is below a predetermined temperature, the soaking time is set longer than the standard time, and when the outside air temperature is above the predetermined temperature, the soaking time is set shorter than the standard time.

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