Rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of suppressing deterioration in rice cooking quality.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a pot; a pot container for storing the pot; a housing for storing the pot container; a rice container provided inside the housing for storing rice; a lid body for covering an opening of the pot; a pot heating device for heating the pot; a rice supply device for supplying the rice in the rice container to the inside of the pot; a water supply device for supplying water to the inside of the pot; and a control part for controlling the rice supply device and the water supply device. The lid body includes a hole part opposed to a central part of a bottom part of the pot when it covers the opening of the pot. The rice supply device sends the rice in the rice container above the hole part, and supplies rice inside the pot below the lid body through the hole part, the rice falling by its own weight. The water supply device is provided so as to supply water toward a region below the hole part in the pot. The control part supplies water inside the pot by controlling the water supply device after supplying rice inside the pot by controlling the rice supply device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice cooker.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of rice cooker, for example, the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-5668) is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker that can automatically perform a series of operations of rice feeding, water feeding, and rice cooking.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the rice cooker of Patent Document 1 includes a lid unit that is attached to a drawer unit via a hinge shaft and opens and closes the opening of the pot by rotating about the hinge shaft, and a storage unit for storing rice is provided above the lid unit. In this configuration, when the lid unit attached to the drawer unit rotates, a space is required so as not to contact the storage unit, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the rice cooker in the height direction. Therefore, the space occupied when installing the rice cooker cannot be reduced, and the installation location of the rice cooker is limited. Further, since the drawer unit has a housing portion for the pot and the housing portion has a heating device for heating the pot, it is difficult to wash the entire lid unit and the housing portion, and the cleanability is poor. Therefore, in the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, there is still room for improvement from the viewpoint of improving the ease of installation and cleanability.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a rice cooker capable of improving the ease of installation and cleanability.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. According to the present invention, there is provided a rice cooker including a pot, a pot container for housing the pot, a housing having a housing area for housing the pot container, a rice container provided inside the housing and above the housing area for housing rice, a lid detachably attached to the pot container so as to be disposed between the pot container and the rice container when the pot container is housed in the housing area, and covering the opening of the pot, a pot heating device provided inside the housing and below the housing area for heating the pot, and the pot container and the lid are detachable from the housing by relatively sliding between the housing area and the outside of the housing and on the side of the housing area with respect to the rice container and the pot heating device while the lid covers the opening of the pot.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the rice cooker of the present invention, the ease of installation and the cleanability can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3A

Figure 3B

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 7A

Figure 7B

Figure 8

Figure 9

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pot, a pot container that houses the pot, a housing having a housing area that houses the pot container, a rice container that is provided inside the housing and above the housing area and houses rice, a lid body that is detachably attached to the pot container so as to be disposed between the pot container and the rice container when the pot container is housed in the housing area and covers the opening of the pot, a pot heating device that is provided inside the housing and below the housing area and heats the pot, are provided, The rice cooker is provided such that the pot container and the lid body are detachable from the housing by sliding relative to the rice container and the pot heating device between the accommodation area and the outside of the housing and on the side of the accommodation area while the lid body covers the opening of the pot.

[0010] According to this configuration, since the pot container can be slid to the outside of the housing and on the side of the accommodation area while the lid body covers the opening of the pot housed in the pot container, unlike conventional rice cookers, there is no need for a space to rotate the lid body so as not to contact the rice container. Therefore, it can be made smaller than a conventional rice cooker, and the space occupied when installing the rice cooker can be reduced. As a result, the places where the rice cooker can be installed are expanded compared to the conventional ones, and the installation location of the rice cooker is less restricted. Therefore, the ease of installation can be improved.

[0011] Also, according to the above configuration, since the pot heating device is provided below the pot container housed inside the housing and in the accommodation area, the pot container does not have the pot heating device. Therefore, the pot, the pot container, and the lid body that have been slid to the outside of the housing and on the side of the accommodation area can be disassembled and the whole of each can be washed, and cleaning is easy. Therefore, the cleanability can be improved.

[0012] Incidentally, the lid further includes a rice feeding device for feeding the rice in the rice container into the pot, and a water feeding device for feeding water into the pot, and may have a hole through which the rice fed by the rice feeding device and the water fed by the water feeding device pass when being supplied into the pot. In a conventional rice cooker, when the rice and water are supplied into the pot through the same path in the lid, there is a risk of mold growth due to the adhesion of residues in which the components of the rice and the components of the water are mixed in the path in the lid. In a conventional rice cooker, since the lid is attached to the housing side and it is difficult to clean the path in the lid, the hole for supplying rice and the hole for supplying water are provided separately. On the other hand, in the rice cooker according to the above aspect, although the rice and water pass through the same hole when being supplied into the pot, the lid slides and separates from the housing, and the entire lid can be washed, so that the cleanability can be improved. Further, in the rice cooker according to the above aspect, since the rice and water are supplied into the pot through the same hole, the number of holes provided in the lid can be reduced compared to a conventional rice cooker, and the heat retention property can be improved.

[0013] Also, it may include a steam cylinder capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing, a communication member movable to a first communication position fluidly connecting the hole and the steam cylinder, and a second communication position fluidly connecting the hole and the rice feeding device and the water feeding device. When the communication member is located at the first communication position, it is configured to be able to discharge the steam generated in the pot and passing through the hole to the outside of the housing. When the communication member is located at the second communication position, it is configured to be able to supply the rice fed by the rice feeding device and the water fed by the water feeding device into the pot through the hole. According to this configuration, since the communication target of the hole can be switched by the movement of the communication member between the first communication position and the second communication position, the steam in the pot can be discharged and the rice and water can be supplied into the pot through the same hole. Therefore, the number of holes provided in the lid can be reduced compared to a conventional rice cooker, and the heat retention property can be improved. Also, since the steam in the pot can be discharged to the outside of the housing through the steam cylinder without flowing to the rice feeding device side and the water feeding device side, the rice and water before cooking are not deteriorated by the steam, and the deterioration of the cooking quality can be prevented.

[0014] Further, the communication member has a sealing material that seals around the hole portion at the first communication position. The sealing material may be configured to move upward away from the lid body and then move horizontally when the communication member moves from the first communication position to the second communication position. According to this configuration, in the first communication state, the sealing material seals around the hole portion, so that the steam in the pot can be more reliably discharged to the outside of the housing. Also, when the communication member moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, the sealing material moves upward away from the lid body and then moves horizontally, so that the friction between the sealing material and the lid body during the horizontal movement can be prevented, and the possibility of the sealing material being damaged can be reduced.

[0015] Further, it includes a weight detection device on which the pot container housed in the accommodation region is placed. Based on the weight detected by the weight detection device, the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot housed in the pot container may be measured. In a conventional rice cooker, for example, based on the number of rotations or driving time related to the rice feeding device and the water feeding device, the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot are measured before the rice and water are supplied into the pot, and the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot are estimated. Therefore, the measurement of the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot lacks accuracy. On the other hand, in the rice cooker according to the above aspect, since the measurement is performed after the rice and water are supplied into the pot based on the weight detected by the weight detection device for the pot container in which the pot is housed, the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot can be measured more accurately.

[0016] Further, a control unit is provided that measures the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot based on the weight detected by the weight detection device and controls the rice feeding device and the water feeding device. After controlling one of the rice feeding device and the water feeding device to supply one of rice and water into the pot, the control unit controls the other of the rice feeding device and the water feeding device to supply the other of rice and water into the pot. Also, by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device before rice and water are supplied into the pot, the amount of one of rice and water supplied into the pot is measured. And by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after rice and water are supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot, the amount of the other of rice and water supplied into the pot may be measured.

[0017] According to this configuration, the weight detected by the weight detection device before rice and water are supplied into the pot is measured as the weight of the pot container, and the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot is measured as the weight of the pot container and one of the rice and water supplied into the pot. Therefore, by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device before rice and water are supplied into the pot, the amount of one of the rice and water supplied into the pot is measured. Also, the weight detected by the weight detection device after rice and water are supplied into the pot is measured as the weight of the pot container and the rice and water supplied into the pot. Therefore, by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after rice and water are supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot, the amount of the other of the rice and water supplied into the pot is measured. Thereby, the rice cooker according to the above aspect can measure the rice and water in the pot based only on the measurement result by the weight detection device.

[0018] Further, the weight detection device may detect the weight when the sealing material is located away from the lid body. According to this configuration, since the sealing material is away from the lid body when measuring the weight, it is possible to prevent the weight from being applied to the pot container from the outside of the pot container through the sealing material. Therefore, the measurement accuracy of the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot by the weight detection device can be improved.

[0019] Further, the control unit may control the water supply device to supply water into the pot, measure the amount of water supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device, and then control the rice feeding device to feed and supply an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot. According to this configuration, the control unit can control the water supply device to supply water into the pot, measure the amount of water supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device, and then control the rice feeding device to feed and supply an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot. For example, when the water supplied into the pot by the water supply device is stored in a water container, the amount of water that can be stored in the water container is limited, and by repeating the rice cooking, an amount of water less than the amount of water suitable for the amount of cooked rice desired by the user of the rice cooker may remain in the water container. At this time, if the user of the rice cooker first supplies an amount of rice suitable for the amount of cooked rice desired into the pot for rice cooking, there is a possibility that the amount of water supplied to the pot is insufficient and the rice with the desired taste cannot be cooked. On the other hand, in the rice cooker of the above aspect, since water is first supplied into the pot to measure the amount of water, and an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water is supplied to the pot, it is possible to cook rice with the desired taste.

[0020] Further, a water container capable of storing the water supplied into the pot by the water supply device may be provided, and an opening through which the water supplied into the pot by the water supply device passes may be provided at the upper part of the water container. According to this configuration, an opening through which the water supplied into the pot by the water supply device passes is provided at the upper part of the water container capable of storing the water supplied into the pot by the water supply device. Therefore, by storing water in the water container so that the water surface is located below the opening of the water container, it is possible to prevent the water in the water container from leaking from the opening of the water container.

[0021] Further, a recess is provided on one of the placement surface of the weight detection device on which the pot container is placed and the bottom surface of the pot container, and a convex portion corresponding to the recess is provided on the other of the placement surface and the bottom surface. By the convex portion sliding relative to the recess within the recess, the pot container may be guided to move to a predetermined position where the weight detection device can detect the weight of the pot container. According to this configuration, a recess is provided on one of the placement surface of the weight detection device and the bottom surface of the pot container, and a convex portion corresponding to the recess is provided on the other. By the convex portion sliding relative to the recess within the recess, the pot container is guided to move to a predetermined position where the weight detection device can detect the weight of the pot container. Therefore, even if the sliding movement of the pot container is repeated, it can be surely moved to the predetermined position, so that a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the weight detection device can be prevented.

[0022] Furthermore, it further includes a water supply device for supplying water into the pot. The water supply device has a water supply pipe through which a fluid can flow. One end of the water supply pipe opens toward the hole of the lid body. In the water supply pipe, a first pump for sending fluid only from the other end side of the water supply pipe to the pot side of the water supply pipe and a second pump for sending gas into the water supply pipe between the first pump and the other end of the water supply pipe may be provided. According to this configuration, by the first pump sending fluid only from the other end side of the water supply pipe to the pot side, the flow of the fluid flowing from the first pump to the pot side can be regulated in one direction. Also, even when water stays in the water supply pipe, by the second pump sending gas into the water supply pipe, the water in the water supply pipe can be discharged to the other end side of the water supply pipe or into the pot through the first pump and the hole of the lid body.

[0023] Further, a heat insulating layer or an air layer made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the pot container may be formed inside the side wall of the pot container. Since the pot container for accommodating the pot does not have a pot heating device, the side wall can be made thin along the shape of the pot. When holding a pot container with a thin side wall by hand, there is a risk of burns. In the rice cooker of the above aspect, since a heat insulating layer or an air layer is formed inside the side wall of the pot container, heat conduction from the pot to the outer surface of the pot container can be suppressed, the temperature of the outer surface of the pot container can be lowered, and the risk of burns can be suppressed. Further, in the rice cooker of the above aspect, since a heat insulating layer or an air layer is formed inside the side wall of the pot container, the amount of heat radiated from the heat applied from below the pot container by the pot heating device from the pot during rice cooking to the outside of the pot container can be suppressed. Therefore, the heating of the pot can be controlled more efficiently and finely, so that the rice cooking performance can be improved and rice cooking can be performed with energy saving.

[0024] Further, a non-contact type temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the bottom of the pot may be provided inside the housing and below the accommodation area. According to this configuration, a non-contact type temperature detection device for measuring the temperature at the center of the bottom of the pot is provided inside the housing and below the accommodation area. Therefore, the temperature of the bottom of the pot accommodated in the accommodation area can be measured without hindering the sliding movement of the pot container, so that a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the temperature can be prevented.

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Also, substantially the same members in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0026] Further, hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, terms indicating directions such as "up", "down", "front", "rear", "side" are used assuming the state during normal use, but this does not mean to limit the use state of the rice cooker according to the present invention.

[0027] (Embodiment) The overall configuration of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present invention. The rice cooker according to the present embodiment is a so-called fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform the supply of rice and water into the pot and the rice cooking.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment includes a housing 11, a rice container 301, a pot 2, a pot container 21, and a lid 22.

[0029] The housing 11 has a substantially D-shaped shape in a top view. In other words, the housing 11 has a shape in which one side of a rectangular shape is bent into an arc shape of a semicircle in a top view. In the present embodiment, the curved surface side of the housing 11 is referred to as the front. Also, the plane side facing the curved surface side of the housing 11 is referred to as the rear. Further, the direction toward the front and rear of the housing 11 is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction is referred to as the lateral direction. In the present embodiment, the direction toward the upper left and lower right of FIG. 1 is defined as the lateral direction X. Also, the direction toward the lower left and upper right is defined as the front-rear direction Y. Further, the direction orthogonal to the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y and toward the upper and lower of FIG. 1 is defined as the height direction Z. Also, in the present embodiment, the lateral direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the direction intersecting the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y are referred to as the side direction.

[0030] Below and in front of the housing 11, there is a storage area 12 capable of accommodating the pot container 21. The storage area 12 is configured to be able to accommodate the pot container 21 by sliding it from the side of the storage area 12. In FIG. 1, as an example, it shows a configuration in which the pot container 21 can be accommodated by sliding it along the front-rear direction Y from the front of the storage area 12. Above the storage area 12 and at the curved portion of the front surface of the housing 11, a steam port 53b described later is provided. At the upper end of the housing 11, a housing lid 11a that covers the housing 11 and also covers the rice container 301 described later is detachably attached. At the lower side of one side portion (the lower right side in FIG. 1) of the housing 11, a water container placement portion 11b is provided. In the water container placement portion 11b, the water container 401 is arranged such that the opening 401a provided at the upper part of the water container 401 faces upward. In this embodiment, as an example of the water container 401, a plastic bottle is arranged.

[0031] The rice container 301 is a container for storing rice. The rice container 301 is provided inside the housing 11 and above the storage area 12. In other words, the rice container 301 is provided inside the housing 11 adjacent to the housing lid 11a below the housing lid 11a.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage area 12 houses the pot container 21, the pot 2 (see FIG. 2) housed in the pot container 21, and the lid body 22 detachably attached to the pot container 21. The pot container 21 is placed on the convex portion 61 (see FIG. 3B) of the weight detection device 6 described later. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 houses the pot 2 and has the lid body 22 attached.

[0033] The pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 is provided such that the height of the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 is lower than the height of the storage area 12. The pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid body 22 can be detached from the housing 11 by sliding between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and on the side of the storage area 12 along the front-rear direction Y with the lid body 22 attached to the pot container 21.

[0034] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the pot, the pot container, and the lid of the rice cooker shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3A is a view of the recess provided at the bottom of the pot container in the rice cooker shown in FIG. 1 as seen from below. FIG. 3B is a view of the protrusion provided on the mounting surface of the weight detection device so as to correspond to the recess provided at the bottom of the pot container in the rice cooker shown in FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from above. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A1-A1 of FIG. 1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the pot 2 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. That is, the pot 2 has a bottom 2a, a side wall 2b, an opening 2c, and a flange portion 2d. The flange portion 2d extends outward from the upper end portion of the side wall 2b over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the upper end portion of the side wall 2b.

[0036] The pot container 21 has a bottomed cylindrical shape capable of accommodating the pot 2. That is, the pot container 21 has a bottom 21a, a side wall 211, and an opening 21h. The pot container 21 is formed of, for example, resin or the like.

[0037] The side wall 211 has an inner wall portion 21b, ribs 21c, and an outer wall portion 21d. A plurality of ribs 21c are provided protruding on the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall portion 21b such that the longitudinal direction is along the height direction Z. The outer wall portion 21d is provided so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall portion 21b and sandwich a plurality of ribs 21c therebetween. An air layer 21e is formed inside the side wall 211, that is, between the inner wall portion 21b and the outer wall portion 21d.

[0038] When the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, it is housed so that a gap is formed between the inner wall portion 21b of the pot container 21 and the side wall 2b of the pot 2, and between the bottom portion 21a of the pot container 21 and the bottom portion 2a of the pot 2. Therefore, even when the pot 2 is heated by the pot heating device 7 described later, the heat transmitted to the pot container 21 can be suppressed compared to the case where there is no gap between the pot container 21 and the pot 2, so damage to the pot container 21 due to heat can be suppressed. As shown in FIG. 4, when the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the flange portion 2d of the pot 2 is placed on the upper end portion of the inner wall portion 21b of the pot container 21. In other words, when the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the pot 2 is supported by the flange portion 2d.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3A, on the lower surface side of the bottom portion 21a of the pot container 21, that is, on the bottom surface, a concave portion 21f is provided. The concave portion 21f has a side wall 21g of the concave portion. The side wall 21g of the concave portion has straight portions provided at both ends, and the two straight portions are connected by a curved portion formed by a semi-circular arc and has a U-shaped configuration. In other words, a U-shaped groove portion is provided in the bottom portion 21a of the pot container. The length between the straight portions of the side wall 21g of the concave portion, that is, the length of the width of the U-shaped groove portion, is provided to be longer than the length of the radius of the bottom portion 21a of the pot container 21. The lower surface of the side wall 21g of the concave portion is a plane provided along the U-shape. Further, a through hole that penetrates the bottom portion 21a in the vertical direction is provided at the central portion of the bottom portion 21a of the pot container 21.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3B, a convex portion 61 corresponding to the concave portion 21f is provided at the bottom of the accommodation area 12 for placing the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12. The convex portion 61 is provided such that a ring-shaped flat plate protrudes from the housing 11. A glass plate 61a described later is provided at the center of the convex portion 61. The convex portion 61 is provided such that the height of the convex portion 61 is higher than the height of the side wall 21g of the concave portion. A convex portion peripheral portion 11c is provided outside the convex portion 61 over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the convex portion 61. The convex portion peripheral portion 11c is a ring-shaped plane provided so as to face the lower surface of the side wall 21g of the concave portion when the pot container 21 is accommodated in the accommodation area 12. The length of the diameter of the convex portion 61 is such that when the convex portion 61 is located between both straight portions of the side wall 21g of the concave portion, the outer surface of the convex portion 61 is located in the vicinity of both straight portions of the side wall 21g of the concave portion, and is provided to be longer than the length of the radius of the convex portion peripheral portion 11c.

[0041] When the pot container 21 slides between the accommodation area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and laterally of the accommodation area 12, the convex portion 61 slides relatively within the concave portion 21f. More specifically, the side wall 21g of the concave portion slides relatively with respect to the outer surface of the convex portion 61. Thereby, the sliding movement of the pot container 21 is guided. Further, in the present embodiment, since a curved portion is provided on the side wall 21g of the concave portion, the outer surface of the convex portion 61 and the curved portion of the side wall 21g of the concave portion can be abutted. Therefore, even if the sliding movement of the pot container 21 is repeated, the pot container 21 can be surely moved to a predetermined position within the accommodation area 12. In other words, the pot container 21 slides in the direction in which the U-shaped groove portion of the bottom portion 21a of the pot container extends, and the sliding movement is guided by relatively sliding the side wall 21g of the groove portion and the outer surface of the convex portion 61. Further, since the outer surface of the convex portion 61 and the curved portion of the groove portion can be abutted, even if the sliding movement of the pot container 21 is repeated, the pot container 21 can be surely moved to a predetermined position within the accommodation area 12. Furthermore, when the pot container 21 is placed on the convex portion 61, the pot container 21 can rotate forward and backward in the circumferential direction of the convex portion 61 so that the side wall 21g of the concave portion and the outer surface of the convex portion 61 slide relatively.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the lid 22 includes a lid body 22a, a hole portion 22b, a pot packing 22c, and an attachment member 22d. In the present embodiment, the lid body 22a has a ring-shaped flat plate portion and a cylindrical portion having an outer peripheral surface flush with the outer peripheral surface in the circumferential direction of the ring-shaped flat plate. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the lid body 22a is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 211 of the pot container 21 when the lid 22 is detachably attached to the pot container 21. Note that in the present embodiment, the flat plate includes a substantially flat plate, and being flush includes being substantially flush. The hole portion 22b is provided at the center in the width direction of the flat plate portion of the lid body 22a. The lid 22 has the hole portion 22b through which the rice fed by the rice feeding device 3 described later and the water fed by the water feeding device 4 described later pass when being supplied into the pot 2. The pot packing 22c is provided so as to contact the pot 2 when the lid 22 is detachably attached to the pot container 21 so as to cover the opening of the pot 2. The attachment member 22d is attached to the lid body 22a so as to sandwich the pot packing 22c therebetween.

[0043] FIG. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state where a part of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 is enlarged and the communication member has moved to the second communication position. FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state where a part of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 is enlarged and the communication member has moved to the first communication position. FIG. 6A is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the protrusion of the communication member at the second communication position shown in FIG. 5A and the long hole into which the protrusion has entered. FIG. 6B is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the protrusion of the communication member at the first communication position shown in FIG. 5B and the long hole into which the protrusion has entered. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view in a plan view showing the water feeding device according to the rice cooker of FIG. 1, showing a state where the communication member has moved to the second communication position. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view in a plan view showing the water feeding device according to the rice cooker of FIG. 1, showing a state where the communication member has moved to the first communication position.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7B, the housing 11 includes a rice feeding device 3, a water feeding device 4, a communication member 5, a weight detection device 6, a pot heating device 7, a temperature detection device 8, and a control unit 9.

[0045] The rice feeding device 3 includes a rice feeding shaft 31 and rice feeding blades 32. The rice feeding shaft 31 is horizontally arranged from below the rice container 301 to above the accommodation area 12. The rice feeding blades 32 are formed spirally around the axis of the rice feeding shaft 31. The rice stored in the rice container 301 falls due to gravity and is fed horizontally upward toward the accommodation area 12 by the rice feeding shaft 31 and the rice feeding blades 32 rotated by, for example, a motor. When the pot container 21 is stored in the accommodation area 12, the rice fed above the accommodation area 12 falls due to gravity and enters the pot 2 through the hole 22b of the lid 22. That is, the rice feeding device 3 can supply the rice in the rice container 301 into the pot 2.

[0046] The water feeding device 4 includes a water feeding pipe 41, a water feeding pump 42 which is an example of a first pump, and a water pipe drain pump 43 which is an example of a second pump. As shown in FIGS. 7A to 7B, the water feeding device 4 is arranged inside the housing 11.

[0047] The water feeding pipe 41 has one end 41a and the other end 41b. The one end 41a is provided to open toward the hole 22b of the lid 22 stored in the accommodation area 12. The other end 41b is provided to be in fluid communication with the outside of the housing 11. In the present embodiment, the other end 41b is arranged on the back surface of the housing 11 and is connected to a water intake member 402 that takes water from inside a water container 401 placed on the water container placement portion 11b outside the housing 11 so as to be in fluid communication with each other. More specifically, the water intake member 402 has a water intake pipe 402a through which fluid can flow and a cap portion 402b that is detachably attached to the opening of various water containers. The other end 41b of the water feeding pipe 41 is connected to the water intake pipe 402a of the water intake member 402 arranged outside the housing so as to be in fluid communication with each other.

[0048] The water supply pipe 41 is provided with a water supply pump 42 and a water supply pipe drain pump 43. The water supply pump 42 is an example of a first pump that sends fluid (including water and gas) only from the other end 41b side of the water supply pipe 41 to the pot 2 side of the water supply pipe 41. The water supply pump 42 is, for example, a positive displacement pump such as a diaphragm pump, a plunger pump, or a piston-type pump. In the present embodiment, the water supply pump 42 is attached so as to connect two water supply pipes 41. In the present embodiment, the water supplied into the pot 2 by the water supply pump 42 of the water supply device 4 is sent from the water container 401 through the opening 401a. The water supply pipe drain pump 43 is arranged between the water supply pump 42 and the other end 41b of the water supply pipe 41, and is an example of a second pump that sends gas (for example, air) into the water supply pipe 41. In the present embodiment, the water supply pipe drain pump 43 is connected to a branch pipe branched from the water supply pipe 41.

[0049] The communication member 5 includes a communication member main body 51, a sealing material 52, and a steam cylinder 53. As shown in FIGS. 5A to 6B, the communication member 5 is arranged so as to be movable to a first communication position that fluidly communicates the hole 22b of the lid body 22 with the steam cylinder 53 capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing 11, and a second communication position that fluidly communicates the hole 22b of the lid body 22 with the rice feeding device 3 and the water supply device 4.

[0050] The communication member body 51 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 51a. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, each protrusion 51a is provided inside the housing 11 and enters into the long hole 501 of the support member that supports the communication member 5 via the protrusion 51a, and is slidably movable within the long hole 501. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the protrusion 51a is located at the left end of each long hole 501, the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position. Also, when the protrusion 51a is located at the right end of each long hole 501, the communication member 5 is located at the second communication position. The long hole 501 includes a first section that extends obliquely upward (upper right in FIGS. 6A and 6B) from one end of the long hole 501 corresponding to the first communication position of the communication member 5 toward the other end side corresponding to the second communication position of the communication member 5, and a second section that extends horizontally to the other end of the long hole 501 corresponding to the second communication position of the communication member 5 continuously with the first section. When the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, each protrusion 51a can move upward by sliding through the first section of the corresponding long hole 501.

[0051] The sealing material 52 is provided on the lower surface of the communication member body 51, that is, the surface facing the accommodation region 12. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the communication member 5 is located at the second communication position, the sealing material 52 moves away from the lid body 22 and the communication member 5 moves away from the lid body 22. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position, the sealing material 52 contacts the lid body 22 and seals so as to cover the periphery of the hole portion 22b of the lid body 22. That is, when the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position and the inside of the pot 2 and the steam cylinder 53 are in fluid communication via the hole portion 22b of the lid body 22, the steam in the pot 2 is introduced into the steam cylinder 53 without leaking into the housing 11 by the sealing material 52. Also, when the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, the sealing material 52 moves upward so as to move away from the lid body 22 and then moves horizontally.

[0052] The steam cylinder 53 has one end 53a and a steam port 53b which is an example of the other end. One end 53a of the steam cylinder 53 is provided on the upper surface of the communication member main body 51 so as to communicate with the inside of the pot 2 through the hole 22b of the lid 22 when the communication member 5 is in the first communication position. The steam port 53b is provided above the accommodation area 12 and at the curved portion on the front surface of the housing 11. Therefore, when the communication member 5 is in the first communication position and the pot container 21 is accommodated in the accommodation area 12, the steam in the pot 2 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the hole 22b of the lid 22 and the steam cylinder 53.

[0053] The weight detection device 6 has a placement surface. A convex portion 61 is provided on the placement surface, and the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12 is placed thereon. The weight detection device 6 is disposed inside the housing 11 below the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12. The weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12 and placed on the convex portion 61 of the placement surface. In the present embodiment, the weight of the pot container 21 includes the weight of the pot 2 accommodated in the pot container 21, the lid 22 detachably attached to the pot container 21, and the rice and water supplied into the pot 2. In the present embodiment, the control unit 9 described later measures the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 4, inside the housing 11 and below the accommodation area 12, a pot heating device 7 is provided at a position facing the bottom 2a of the accommodated pot 2. The pot heating device 7 is, for example, an induction heating coil that induction-heats the pot 2 when energized.

[0055] The pot heating device 7 and the rice container 301 are provided inside the housing 11. Therefore, the pot container 21 and the lid 22 can relatively slide between the accommodation area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and on the side of the accommodation area 12 with respect to the rice container 301 and the pot heating device 7 while the lid 22 covers the opening 2c of the pot 2.

[0056] At the center of the convex portion 61 on the mounting surface of the weight detection device 6, a glass plate 61a that can transmit light is provided. Inside the housing 11 and below the glass plate 61a of the weight detection device 6, that is, inside the housing 11 and below the accommodation region 12, a non-contact temperature detection device 8 is provided. The temperature detection device 8 is, for example, an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of the bottom 2a of the pot 2 by non-contact detecting the infrared rays radiated from the bottom 2a of the pot 2 through the through-hole in the bottom 21a of the pot container 21 and the glass plate 61a.

[0057] The control unit 9 is provided inside the housing 11. The control unit 9 measures the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 and controls the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4. Further, the control unit 9 has a storage unit (not shown) that stores a plurality of rice cooking sequences for cooking rice. Here, the "rice cooking sequence" refers to the procedure of rice cooking in which mainly four processes of preheating, temperature rising, boiling maintenance, and steaming are sequentially executed, and the energization time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc. are determined in advance for each process. Each rice cooking sequence corresponds to one of a plurality of rice cooking courses. The control unit 9 controls the pot heating device 7 based on the rice cooking information selected by the display operation unit (not shown) and the detected temperature of the temperature detection device 8, and executes the rice cooking process. The control unit 9 controls the water supply pump 42 and the water pipe drain pump 43, and controls the communication member 5.

[0058] Next, the operation of the rice cooker according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the rice cooker according to the present embodiment.

[0059] First, in step S1, the user sets rice in the rice container 301 and sets water in the water container 401.

[0060] Next, in step S2, the user selects the rice cooking information. More specifically, the user selects the amount of rice to be cooked, the rice cooking course, etc. using the display operation unit.

[0061] Next, in step S3, the control unit 9 detects whether or not there is an instruction to start cooking, such as when the user operates the display operation unit. If there is no instruction to start cooking ( "NO" in step S13), the control unit 9 waits without driving the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4 and the like. On the other hand, if there is an instruction to start cooking ( "YES" in step S13), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S14.

[0062] Next, in step S4, the control unit 9 controls the communication member 5 and moves the communication member 5 to a second communication position where the communication member 5 fluidly connects the hole portion 22b of the lid body 22 with the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4. As a result, in subsequent steps, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight when the sealing material 52 is positioned away from the lid body 22.

[0063] Next, in step S5, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2.

[0064] Next, in step S6, the control unit 9 controls one of the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4 to supply one of the rice and water into the pot 2.

[0065] Next, in step S7, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2.

[0066] Next, in step S8, the control unit 9 calculates the difference between the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 in step S14 and the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 in step S16. Thereby, the control unit 9 measures the amount of one of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2.

[0067] Next, in step S9, the control unit 9 controls the other one of the rice feeder 3 and the water feeder 4 to supply the other one of the rice and water into the pot 2. In steps S15 and S18, the amounts of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 may be supplied once in an amount corresponding to the rice cooking amount selected by the display operation unit (hereinafter referred to as the set rice cooking amount), or may be supplied in multiple portions divided from the set rice cooking amount.

[0068] Next, in step S10, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2.

[0069] Next, in step S11, the control unit 9 calculates the difference between the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 in step S6 and the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 in step S9. Thereby, the control unit 9 measures the amount of the other one of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2.

[0070] Next, in step S12, the control unit 9 controls the water pump 42 and the water pipe drain pump 43 to drain the water in the water pipe 41 to the outside of the water pipe 41. Details will be described in detail later.

[0071] Next, in step S13, the control unit 9 controls the communication member 5 to move the communication member 5 to the first communication position where the hole 22b of the lid body 22 and the steam cylinder 53 are in fluid communication, and then performs rice cooking. In the present embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the pot heating device 7 based on the rice cooking information selected by the display operation unit and the detected temperature of the temperature detection device 8 to perform rice cooking. The steam generated in the pot 2 during rice cooking is discharged from the steam cylinder 53 to the outside of the housing 11 through the hole 22b through which the rice and water pass when they are supplied into the pot 2.

[0072] As described above, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment can automatically perform rice cooking.

[0073] Next, the process of draining the water in the water pipe 41 to the outside of the water pipe 41 in step S12 will be described in more detail.

[0074] The control unit 9 stops the drive of the water supply pump 42 and drives the water pipe drain pump 43. As a result, gas is sent from the water pipe drain pump 43, and the water in the water pipe 41 located on the water container 401 side rather than the water pipe drain pump 43 returns to the water container 401. Subsequently, the control unit 9 drives the water supply pump 42 while maintaining the drive of the water pipe drain pump 43. As a result, the water in the water pipe 41 located on the pot 2 side rather than the water pipe drain pump 43 is pushed by the gas sent from the water pipe drain pump 43 and sent into the pot 2.

[0075] As described above, the process of draining the water in the water pipe 41 to the outside of the water pipe 41 is performed. By this process, it is possible to suppress the generation of various bacteria and the like due to the water remaining in the water pipe 41.

[0076] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the rice cooker according to the present embodiment. Note that steps S101, S103 to S105, and S110 to S111 correspond to steps S1, S3 to S4, and S11 to S12 shown in FIG. 8, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0077] Subsequent to step S101, in step S102, the user selects the rice cooking information. More specifically, the user selects a course for cooking rice based on the water supply amount by operating the display operation unit.

[0078] Subsequent to step S105, in step S106, the control unit 9 controls the water supply device 4 to supply water into the pot 2.

[0079] Next, in step S107, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 after water is supplied into the pot 2.

[0080] Next, in step S108, the control unit 9 subtracts the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after water is supplied into the pot 2 in step S107 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 in step S105. Thereby, the control unit 9 measures the amount of water supplied into the pot 2.

[0081] Subsequently, in step S109, the control unit 9 controls the rice feeding device 3 to supply an amount of rice corresponding to the amount of water measured in step S107 into the pot 2. Note that in steps S105 and S108, the amounts of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 may be supplied once for the set rice cooking amount, or may be supplied in multiple portions for the set rice cooking amount.

[0082] As described above, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the water supply device 4 to supply water into the pot 2, and measures the amount of water supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6. Thereafter, the control unit 9 controls the rice feeding device 3 to feed an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water and supply it into the pot 2. Therefore, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment can also automatically perform rice cooking based on the supply amount of water.

[0083] According to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, it includes a pot 2, a pot container 21 that houses the pot 2, a housing 11 that has a housing area 12 for housing the pot container 21, and a rice container 301 that is provided inside the housing 11 and above the housing area 12 and houses rice. Further, it includes a lid body 22 that is detachably attached to the pot container 21 so as to be disposed between the pot container 21 and the rice container 301 when the pot container 21 is housed in the housing area 12 and covers the opening 2c of the pot 2. Furthermore, it includes a pot heating device 7 that is provided inside the housing 11 and below the housing area 12 and heats the pot 2. Also, the pot container 21 and the lid body 22 slide relative to the rice container 301 and the pot heating device 7 between the housing area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and the side of the housing area 12 while the lid body 22 covers the opening 2c of the pot 2. By sliding in this way, the pot container 21 and the lid body 22 are configured to be detachable from the housing 11.

[0084] According to this configuration, since the pot container 21 can be slid and moved outside the housing 11 and to the side of the accommodation area 12 while the lid 22 covers the opening 2c of the pot 2, there is no need for a space to rotate the lid 22 so as not to contact the rice container 301. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size compared to a conventional rice cooker, and the space occupied when installing the rice cooker can be reduced. As a result, the places where the rice cooker can be installed are expanded compared to the conventional case, and the installation location of the rice cooker is less restricted. Therefore, the ease of installation can be improved.

[0085] Further, since the pot heating device 7 is provided below the pot container 21 accommodated inside the housing 11 and in the accommodation area 12, the pot container 21 does not have the pot heating device 7. Therefore, the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22 that are slid and moved outside the housing 11 and to the side of the accommodation area 12 can be disassembled and the whole of each can be washed, and cleaning is easy. Therefore, the cleanability can be improved.

[0086] Moreover, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, it further includes a rice feeding device 3 that feeds the rice in the rice container 301 into the pot 2 and a water feeding device 4 that feeds water into the pot 2. The lid 22 has a hole 22b through which the rice fed by the rice feeding device 3 and the water fed by the water feeding device 4 are supplied into the pot 2. In a conventional rice cooker, when the rice and water are supplied into the pot through the same path inside the lid, there is a risk of mold growth due to the adhesion of residues in which the components of the rice and the components of the water are mixed in the path inside the lid. In a conventional rice cooker, since the lid is attached to the housing side and it is difficult to clean the path inside the lid, the hole for supplying rice and the hole for supplying water are provided separately. On the other hand, in the rice cooker according to the above aspect, although the rice and water pass through the same hole 22b when being supplied into the pot 2, the lid 22 slides and separates from the housing 11, and the whole of the lid 22 can be washed, so the cleanability can be improved. Also, in the rice cooker according to the above aspect, since the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 through the same hole 22b, the number of holes 22b provided in the lid 22 can be reduced compared to a conventional rice cooker, and the heat retention property can be improved.

[0087] Further, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, it includes a steam cylinder 53 capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing 11, and a communication member 5 movable to a first communication position fluidly connecting the hole portion 22b and the steam cylinder 53. The communication member 5 is configured to be also movable to a second communication position fluidly connecting the hole portion 22b with the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4. Further, when the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position, the steam generated in the pot 2 and passing through the hole portion 22b can be discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the steam cylinder 53. Furthermore, when the communication member 5 is located at the second communication position, the rice fed by the rice feeding device 3 and the water fed by the water feeding device 4 can be supplied into the pot 2 through the hole portion 22b. According to this configuration, by moving the communication member 5 to the first communication position and the second communication position, the communication target of the hole portion 22b can be switched. Therefore, through the same hole portion 22b, the steam in the pot 2 can be discharged, and rice and water can be supplied into the pot 2. Therefore, the number of hole portions 22b provided in the lid body 22 can be reduced compared to a conventional rice cooker, and the heat retention performance can be improved. Also, since the steam in the pot 2 can be discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the steam cylinder 53 without flowing to the rice feeding device 3 side and the water feeding device 4 side, the rice and water before cooking are not deteriorated by the steam, and a decrease in the cooking quality can be prevented.

[0088] Further, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the communication member 5 has a sealing material 52 that seals around the hole portion 22b at the first communication position. The sealing material 52 is configured to move upward away from the lid body 22 and then move horizontally when the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position. According to this configuration, in the first communication state, the sealing material 52 seals around the hole portion 22b, so that the steam in the pot 2 can be more reliably discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the steam cylinder 53. Also, when the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, the sealing material 52 moves upward away from the lid body 22 and then moves horizontally. Therefore, the friction between the sealing material 52 and the lid body 22 during the horizontal movement can be prevented, and the possibility of the sealing material 52 being damaged can be reduced.

[0089] Also, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a weight detection device 6 on which the pot container 21 housed in the accommodation area 12 is placed is provided, and based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6, the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 housed in the pot container 21 is configured to be measured. In a conventional rice cooker, for example, based on the number of rotations or driving time related to the rice feeding device and the water feeding device, the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot is measured before the rice and water are supplied into the pot, and the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot is estimated. Therefore, the accuracy of measuring the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot is lacking. On the other hand, in the rice cooker according to the above aspect, since the measurement is performed after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 for the pot container 21 in which the pot 2 is housed, the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 can be measured more accurately.

[0090] Also, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a control unit 9 is provided that measures the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 and controls the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4. The control unit 9 is configured to control one of the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4 to supply one of the rice and water into the pot 2, and then control the other of the rice feeding device 3 and the water feeding device 4 to supply the other of the rice and water into the pot 2. Further, the control unit 9 is configured to measure the amount of one of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2. Furthermore, the control unit 9 is configured to measure the amount of the other of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2.

[0091] According to this configuration, the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 is measured as the weight of the pot container 21. Also, the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 is measured as the weight of the pot container 21 and one of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2. Therefore, by taking the difference between the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 and the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2, the amount of one of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 is measured. Also, the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 is measured as the weight of the pot container 21 and the rice and water supplied into the pot 2. Therefore, by taking the difference between the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 and the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2, the amount of the other of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 is measured. Thus, the rice cooker according to the above aspect can measure the rice and water in the pot based only on the measurement result by the weight detection device 6.

[0092] Also, when first supplying rice into the pot 2 through the hole 22b of the lid body 22 and then supplying water into the pot 2, since the water is poured from above the rice deposited in a mountain shape in the pot 2, the state where the rice is deposited in a mountain shape can be disrupted, and the rice in the pot 2 can be more easily immersed in water. Therefore, a decrease in the cooking quality can be prevented. Also, when first supplying water into the pot 2 through the hole 22b of the lid body 22 and then supplying rice into the pot 2, the rice supplied into the pot 2 falls onto the water surface of the previously supplied water, so the impact can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rice from cracking due to the impact when being supplied into the pot 2 and prevent a decrease in the cooking quality.

[0093] Further, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the weight detection device 6 is configured to detect the weight when the sealing material 52 is located away from the lid body 22. According to this configuration, since the sealing material 52 is away from the lid body 22 when measuring the weight, it is possible to prevent the weight from being applied to the pot container 21 from the outside of the pot container 21 through the sealing material 52. Therefore, the weighing accuracy of the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 by the weight detection device 6 can be improved.

[0094] Further, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the water supply device 4 to supply water into the pot 2, and is configured to measure the amount of water supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6. Further, the control unit 9 is configured to control the rice feeding device 3 to feed and supply an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water in the pot 2 into the pot 2. According to this configuration, the control unit 9 controls the water supply device 4 to supply water into the pot 2, measures the amount of water supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6, and then controls the rice feeding device 3 to feed and supply an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot 2. For example, when the water supplied into the pot 2 by the water supply device 4 is stored in the water container 401, the amount of water that can be stored in the water container 401 is limited, and by repeating the rice cooking, an amount of water less than the amount of water suitable for the rice cooking amount desired by the user of the rice cooker may remain in the water container 401. At this time, if the user of the rice cooker first supplies an amount of rice suitable for the rice cooking amount desired by the user into the pot 2 for rice cooking, there is a possibility that the amount of water supplied to the pot 2 is insufficient and the rice with the desired taste cannot be cooked. On the contrary, in the rice cooker of the above aspect, water is first supplied into the pot 2 to measure the amount of water, and an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water is supplied to the pot, so that the rice with the desired taste can be cooked.

[0095] Moreover, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a water container 401 capable of storing the water supplied into the pot 2 by the water supply device 4 is provided, and an opening 401a through which the water supplied into the pot 2 by the water supply device 4 passes is provided at the upper part of the water container 401. According to this configuration, since the opening 401a is provided at the upper part of the water container 401, by storing water in the water container 401 such that the water surface is located below the opening 401a, it is possible to prevent the water in the water container 401 from leaking from the opening 401a.

[0096] Moreover, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a water supply device 4 for supplying water into the pot 2 is further provided. The water supply device 4 has a water supply pipe 41 through which a fluid can flow, and one end portion 41a of the water supply pipe 41 is configured to open toward the hole portion 22b of the lid body 22. A water supply pump 42 that sends the fluid only from the other end portion 41b side of the water supply pipe 41 to the pot 2 side of the water supply pipe 41, and a water supply pipe drain pump 43 that sends gas into the water supply pipe 41 between the water supply pump 42 and the other end portion 41b of the water supply pipe 41 are provided in the water supply pipe 41. According to this configuration, by the water supply pump 42 sending the fluid only from the other end portion 41b side of the water supply pipe 41 to the pot 2 side, the flow of the fluid flowing from the water supply pump 42 to the pot 2 side can be regulated in one direction. Further, even when water remains in the water supply pipe 41, by the water supply pipe drain pump 43 sending gas into the water supply pipe 41, the water in the water supply pipe 41 can be discharged to the other end portion 41b side of the water supply pipe 41 or into the pot 2 through the water supply pump 42 and the hole portion 22b of the lid body 22.

[0097] Moreover, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, an air layer 21e is formed inside the side wall 211 of the pot container 21. According to this configuration, since the pot container 21 for accommodating the pot 2 does not have a pot heating device 7, the side wall 211 can be made thin along the shape of the pot 2. When holding the pot container 21 with a thin side wall 211 by hand, there is a risk of burns. In the rice cooker of the above aspect, since an air layer 21e is formed inside the side wall 211 of the pot container 21, heat conduction from the pot 2 to the outer surface of the pot container 21 can be suppressed, and the temperature of the outer surface of the pot container 21 can be lowered to suppress the risk of burns. Further, in the rice cooker of the above aspect, since an air layer 21e is formed inside the side wall 211 of the pot container 21, the amount of heat radiated from the heat applied from below the pot container 21 by the pot heating device 7 from the pot 2 during rice cooking to the outside of the pot container 21 can be suppressed. Therefore, the heating of the pot 2 can be controlled more efficiently and finely, so that the rice cooking performance can be improved and rice cooking can be performed with energy saving.

[0098] Moreover, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a concave portion 21f is provided on the bottom surface of the pot container 21, and a convex portion 61 corresponding to the concave portion 21f is provided on the mounting surface of the weight detection device 6. According to this configuration, as the convex portion 61 slides relatively inside the concave portion 21f with respect to the concave portion 21f, the pot container 21 is guided to move to a predetermined position where the weight detection device 6 can detect the weight of the pot container 21.

[0099] Moreover, according to the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, a non-contact type temperature detection device 8 for measuring the temperature of the bottom of the pot 2 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the accommodation area 12. According to this configuration, a non-contact type temperature detection device 8 for measuring the temperature at the center of the bottom of the pot 2 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the accommodation area 12. Therefore, the temperature of the bottom of the pot 2 accommodated in the accommodation area 12 can be measured without hindering the sliding movement of the pot container 21, so that a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the temperature can be prevented.

[0100] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be implemented in various other modes. For example, in the above, it is assumed that an air layer 21e is formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A heat insulating layer made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the pot container 21 may be formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21.

[0101] Further, in the above, it is assumed that a concave portion 21f is provided on the bottom surface of the pot container 21 and a convex portion 61 corresponding to the concave portion 21f is provided on the mounting surface of the weight detection device 6, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a convex portion 61 may be provided on the bottom surface of the pot container 21, and a concave portion 21f corresponding to the convex portion 61 may be provided on the mounting surface of the weight detection device 6.

[0102] Further, in the above, it is assumed that one concave portion 21f and one convex portion 61 are provided to correspond to each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a plurality of concave portions 21f and the same number of convex portions 61 corresponding thereto may be provided to correspond to each other.

[0103] Further, in the above, it is assumed that the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid body 22 slide in the front-rear direction Y between the accommodation region 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and on the side of the accommodation region 12, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid body 22 may slide in a direction oblique to the front-rear direction Y between the accommodation region 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and on the side of the accommodation region 12.

[0104] Further, in the above, it is assumed that the steam in the pot 2 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the hole portion 22b through which rice and water pass when being supplied into the pot 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The hole portion of the lid body 22 for discharging the steam in the pot 2 to the outside of the housing 11 may be provided separately from the hole portion 22b through which rice and water pass when being supplied into the pot 2. In other words, the lid body 22 may be provided with a hole portion in addition to the hole portion 22b through which rice and water pass when being supplied into the pot 2.

[0105] In addition, in the above description, the hole 22b of the lid 22 is provided at the central portion in the width direction of the lid main body 22a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The hole 22b of the lid 22 may be provided at a position other than the central portion in the width direction of the lid main body 22a as long as the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 can pass through it.

[0106] In addition, in the above description, the water container 401 is placed on the water container placement portion 11b of the housing 11 with the opening 401a facing upward. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The water container 401 may be placed with the opening 401a facing downward as long as water does not leak from the opening 401a.

[0107] In addition, in the above description, the rice feeding device 3 is configured to control the feeding of an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water in the pot 2 and supply it into the pot 2. Therefore, it is possible to cook rice so as to use up all the water contained in the water container 401. For example, when using a PET bottle with 500 ml of water as the water container 401, since the amount of water required for cooking rice is 500 ml for about 2.1 cups of rice, it is possible to cook rice corresponding to about 2.1 cups of rice. Also, for example, when using a PET bottle with 250 ml of water as the water container 401, since the amount of water required for cooking rice is 250 ml for 1.05 cups of rice, it is possible to cook rice corresponding to 1.05 cups of rice. Since the water in the PET bottle is easily available, even if cooking is performed to use up all the water in the PET bottle, by replacing the PET bottle, it is possible to use fresh water in the PET bottle each time cooking is done. That is, by preparing a PET bottle containing an amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice the user desires, the burden of maintenance by the user can be reduced.

[0108] In addition, by appropriately combining any of the above-described various embodiments or modifications, the respective effects can be achieved. Also, combinations of embodiments with each other, combinations of examples with each other, or combinations of embodiments and examples are possible, and combinations of features from different embodiments or examples are also possible.

Industrial Applicability

[0109] The rice cooker according to the present invention can improve the ease of installation and cleaning, and thus is useful as a rice cooker that can be used in places where it was difficult to use a conventional rice cooker.

Explanation of Signs

[0110] 1 Rice cooker 11 Housing 11a Housing lid 11b Water container placement part 11c Peripheral part of convex part 12 Accommodation area 2 Pot 2a Bottom part 2b Side wall 2c Opening 2d Flange part 21 Pot container 21a Bottom part 21b Inner wall part 21c Rib 21d Outer wall part 21e Air layer 21f Concave part 21g Side wall of concave part 21h Opening 211 Side wall 22 Lid 22a Lid body 22b Hole part 22c Pot packing 22d Attachment member 3 Rice feeding device 31 Rice feeding shaft 32 Rice feeding blade 301 Rice container 4 Water feeding device 41 Water feeding pipe 41a One end part 41b The other end part 42 Water feeding pump 43 Water feeding pipe drain pump 401 Water container 401a Opening 402 Water intake member 402a Water intake pipe 402b Cap part 5 Connecting member 51 Connecting member body 51a Protrusion 52 Sealing material 53 Steam cylinder 53a One end 53b Steam port 501 Long hole 6 Weight detection device 61 Protrusion 61a Glass plate 7 Pot heating device 8 Temperature detection device 9 Control unit

Claims

1. A pot, a pot container for housing the pot, a housing for housing the pot container, a rice container provided inside the housing for storing rice, a lid for covering the opening of the pot, a pot heating device for heating the pot, a rice feeding device for feeding the rice in the rice container into the pot, a water feeding device for feeding water into the pot, a control unit for controlling the rice feeding device and the water feeding device, comprising: The lid has a hole portion that faces the central portion of the bottom of the pot when covering the opening of the pot, The rice feeding device is provided to feed the rice in the rice container above the hole portion and supply the rice into the pot below the lid through the hole portion by self-weight dropping, The water feeding device is provided to supply water toward the region below the hole portion in the pot, The control unit controls the rice feeding device to supply rice into the pot, and then controls the water feeding device to supply water into the pot, a rice cooker.

2. The rice feeding device is provided below the rice container, The rice feeding device has a rice feeding shaft and rice feeding blades formed around the axis of the rice feeding shaft, The rice feeding blades are configured to contact the rice supplied from the rice container into the rice feeding device, send the rice above the hole portion, and drop the rice into the pot through the hole portion by self-weight, the rice cooker according to claim 1.

3. The housing has a housing area for housing the pot container, The lid is detachably attached to the pot container so as to be disposed between the pot container and the rice container when the pot container is housed in the housing area, The pot heating device is provided inside the housing and below the housing area, The pot container and the lid are detachable from the housing by sliding relatively to the rice container and the pot heating device between the housing area and the outside of the housing and on the side of the housing area while the lid covers the opening of the pot, the rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The water feeding device is configured to drop water into the region below the hole portion in the pot through the hole portion, the rice cooker according to claim 3.

5. It further has a sealing material capable of closing the hole portion, The control unit controls the rice feeding device and the water feeding device to supply rice and water into the pot, and then drives the pot heating device after the sealing material closes the hole portion, the rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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