Cooker

Abstract

To provide a cooker that facilitates maintenance of a pack holder after cooking, the pack holder being provided for holding a cooking bag in an open state in a pot for cooking the cooking bag containing a material to be cooked through water.SOLUTION: A water level memory 3e is provided on an inner surface side of a body part of the inner pot the water, the level memory 3e indicating a target position of a water surface when a cooking bag in a sealed state and water are stored in an inner pot 3. The water level memory is provided at a position where an inner pot side volume, which is a volume of the inner pot above the water level memory is larger than a cooking bag side volume, which is a volume accommodated in the cooking bag. Cooking can be performed in a state that an opening of the cooking bag containing a material to be cooked is closed so that a work load related to the maintenance after cooking can be reduced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device that heats and cooks food using a cooking bag that contains the food. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known cookers in which a cooking bag containing food and water are placed in a pot and cooked at a low temperature of 90°C or less. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cooker in which food is contained in a cooking bag and cooked while the cooking bag is held in an open state by a pack holder that holds the cooking bag in the pot. Patent Document 1 also discloses that the pack holder has markings on the inside of the pot and the inside of the pack holder for pouring a specified amount of water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-178760 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The cooker described in Patent Document 1 requires a pack holder to hold the cooking bag in the open position while cooking, but the pack holder requires maintenance after cooking.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a cooking appliance that makes maintenance after cooking easy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooking appliance disclosed herein is a cooking appliance comprising an inner pot with an open top, a main body having a heating means for heating the inner pot and an inner pot storage section for accommodating the inner pot, a lid for covering the top of the main body, and a control means for a low-temperature cooking process that controls the heating means and heats the food and water in the cooking bag in the inner pot at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water, and the inner pot is provided with a water level mark on the inner side of the body of the inner pot that indicates the target position of the water level to be added when the cooking bag is stored in a sealed state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the cooking device of the present disclosure, cooking is performed with the opening of the bag-shaped container containing the food closed, thereby reducing the workload associated with maintenance after cooking. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a cooking device with a lid closed according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an external perspective view of a cooking device with a lid opened according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a cooking device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the inner hook according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an inner hook according to embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a front view of a cooking bag according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of an open cooking bag according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a cooking bag containing food according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view of a cooking bag according to the first embodiment, simulating a maximum expanded state. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of an inner pot housing a cooking bag according to embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view of an inner pot containing a cooking bag according to embodiment 1 and filled with water up to a specified amount. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an inner hook according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the technology of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and the invention is not limited to the configurations described in the embodiments. Furthermore, the drawings below are examples of configurations that utilize the technology of the present disclosure, and the size relationships between the components may differ from the actual ones.

[0010] Embodiment 1 The structure of the cooking device 100 will be described with reference to the following FIGS. Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of a cooking device with the lid closed. Fig. 2 is an external perspective view of the cooking device with the lid open. Fig. 3 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the cooking device. Fig. 4 is an external perspective view of the inner pot. Fig. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the inner pot. For ease of explanation, the directions indicated by the dotted arrows in Figure 1 are the anterior / posterior (dorsal) directions, the directions indicated by the solid arrows are the right / left directions or lateral directions, and the directions indicated by the thick arrows are the upper / lower directions.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the cooking device 100 is mainly composed of a main body 1 and a lid 2.

[0012] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the main body 1 is configured to house the inner pot 3 therein and includes an inner pot housing section 11 that forms a housing space for housing the inner pot 3. The main body 1 also includes a heating coil 12 provided under the bottom of the inner pot housing section 11 and a body heater 13 provided on the side of the inner pot housing section 11 as heating means for induction heating the inner pot 3. The main body 1 also includes a bottom temperature sensor 15 provided in the center of the bottom of the inner pot housing section 11 for detecting the temperature of the inner pot 3, and a power supply board 17 provided at the rear of the main body 1 and on which a circuit is mounted that converts commercial power into high-frequency power and supplies the heating coil 12 and body heater 13 with power. The front of the main body 1 is provided with a lid-opening button 16 that is used to release the support structure that secures the lid 2 to the top of the main body 1 in a closed position.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the lid body 2 includes an outer lid 20 that covers the entire upper surface of the main body 1, and an inner lid 30 that is detachably attached to the lower surface of the outer lid 20 that faces the main body 1.

[0014] Outer lid 20 is rotatably connected to the rear of main body 1 by hinge portion 14, and is structured so that the entire lid body 2 can cover or open the top of main body 1. Outer lid 20 has an operation panel 21 on the front side of its top surface, which is equipped with various operation buttons and a display portion that displays information. In addition, outer lid 20 has an outer lid vent 22 that connects the inside of inner pot 3 to the outside of cooker 100, located at a position shifted toward hinge portion 14 from near the center of inner pot 3 when viewed from above cooker 100, and a vent portion 23 that connects outer lid vent 22 to inner pot 3. The outer lid ventilation port 22 and the ventilation section 23 may be formed integrally with the outer lid 20 or may be configured as separate parts, and their shape and configuration are not important.

[0015] The inner lid 30 is detachably attached to the underside of the outer lid 20 facing the main body 1, and is configured to cover the opening on the top of the inner pot 3 when the lid 2 is fixed in a position that closes the top of the main body 1. The inner lid 30 is primarily composed of a disk-shaped plate 31 made of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like. The inner lid 30 has an inner lid vent 32 that connects the inside of the inner pot 3 to the ventilation section 23, located at a position offset from the center of the inner pot 3 toward the hinge section 14 when viewed from above the cooking appliance 100. The inner lid 30 also has a liquid return port 33, which is an opening for returning liquid liquefied in the ventilation section 23 to the inner pot 3. The liquid return port 33 is provided with a valve that can be switched between open and closed depending on the pressure inside the inner pot 3. Normally, this valve closes the liquid return port 33 when the pressure inside the inner pot 3 is at a predetermined pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and opens the liquid return port 33 when the pressure inside the inner pot 3 is close to atmospheric pressure.

[0016] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inner pot 3 is a cylindrical shape with an open top and a closed bottom, and is made of a material that can be heated by the heating coil 12 or the body heater 13 described above. In the first embodiment, the inner pot 3 is heated by induction heating generated by the heating coil 12 or the body heater 13, and is therefore made of a material such as metal that generates Joule heat due to overcurrent or electrical resistance. The inner pot 3 also stores food or water, which acts as a thermal conductor to facilitate heat transfer to the food, inside, and heats the food by the heating coil 12 or the body heater 13 described above.

[0017] Specifically, the inner pot 3 is composed of a bottom 3a with a slightly upwardly convex central portion, a cylindrical body 3b, a connecting portion 3c with a gradually increasing diameter that forms a continuous wall connecting the bottom 3a and body 3b, and a flange 3d formed in a flange shape that flares outward above the body 3b. Furthermore, a water level scale 3e is printed on the inside surface of the body 3b at a predetermined height WH above the bottom 3a, indicating the target water level for the user to pour in. The body 3b is designed to maintain an inner diameter Da from the top side where the flange 3d is located to the position where the water level scale 3e is printed.

[0018] The user places a sealed cooking bag 40 (described later) in the inner pot 3 and pours water into the inner pot 3 until the water level reaches the water level mark 3e. In this way, the cooking appliance 100 has a water level indicator inside the body 3b of the inner pot 3 that indicates the target position of the water level, so that the user can add water while watching the cooking bag 40 after storing the sealed cooking bag 40. This allows the user to check that air has entered the cooking bag 40 before starting cooking.

[0019] Here, the position of the water level mark 3e is set at a position where water will not overflow from the inner pot 3 even if the cooking bag 40, which satisfies the specifications described below, expands to its maximum when water is poured up to the position of the water level mark 3e. Specifically, the water level memory 3e is positioned so that the memory upper volume Va, which is the volume of the inner pot 3 above the water level memory 3e of the inner pot 3, is larger than the bag maximum volume Vb, which is the maximum volume that can be accommodated in the cooking bag 40.

[0020] In other words, the position of the water level memory 3e indicates the position of the water surface at which water will not leak out of the inner pot 3 even when the cooking bag 40 is stored in the inner pot 3 without any food inside and the gas inside the cooking bag 40 expands to its maximum volume due to the temperature rise during the cooking process. By providing the water level mark 3e at such a position, it is possible to obtain a cooking appliance 100 in which water does not leak out of the inner pot 3, even if the user mistakenly performs the low-temperature heating step without placing food in the cooking bag 40. Similarly, if the user mistakenly pours water up to the water level mark 3e and then places the cooking bag 40 in the inner pot 3, the volume Va above the mark is larger than the maximum bag volume Vb, which is the maximum volume that can be stored in the cooking bag 40, so water leakage out of the inner pot 3 can be prevented. In addition, even if the user mistakenly selects a cooking step in which the inner pot 3 is heated to a higher temperature than the low-temperature heating step (for example, a rice cooking step in which the cooking bag 40 is heated to 100°C), water leakage out of the inner pot 3 can be prevented because the volume Va above the mark is larger than the maximum bag volume Vb, which is the maximum volume that can be stored in the cooking bag 40.

[0021] The volume above the scale Va is calculated from the inner diameter Da of the body 3b and the distance AH from the water level scale 3e to the flange 3d. The maximum bag volume Vb, which is the maximum volume that can be contained in the cooking bag 40, will be explained later.

[0022] The water level mark 3e is positioned so that the cooking bag 40 remains submerged even when the cooking bag 40 satisfies the specifications described below and is filled to the maximum with food. Specifically, the water level memory 3e is positioned so that the memory lower volume Vd, which is the volume of the inner pot 3 below the water level memory 3e of the inner pot 3, is larger than the bag maximum volume Vb, which is the maximum volume that can be accommodated in the cooking bag 40. The volume below the scale Vd is calculated from the inner diameter Da of the body 3b and the distance WH from the bottom 3a to the water level scale 3e.

[0023] Here, most cooking bags 40 are specified to hold approximately 80% of the maximum bag volume Vb, which is the maximum amount of food that can be stored. This is to prevent the bag portion 41 from expanding due to food, which applies a force to the zipper portion 43 in a direction that separates the recessed and protruding portions, causing the zipper portion 43 to loosen. However, in the present disclosure, the water level mark 3e is positioned so that the cooking bag 40 will remain submerged even if the user accidentally fills the cooking bag 40 to its maximum bag volume Vb, which is the maximum amount of food that can be stored.

[0024] In other words, the position of the water level mark 3e indicates the position where the food 40 is submerged in the inner pot 3 even when the cooking bag 40 is filled to the maximum with food and placed in the inner pot 3. By providing the water level memory 3e at such a position, even if the user mistakenly fills the cooking bag 40 to its maximum capacity with food and performs the low-temperature heating process, the cooking device 100 can submerge the cooking bag 40, so the food can be cooked.

[0025] In the first embodiment, the water level mark 3e is set at one position, but multiple water level marks 3e may be provided, for example, one above the other. In this case, the volume above the mark Va is calculated from the position of the highest water level mark 3e, and the volume below the mark Vd is calculated from the position of the lowest water level mark 3e.

[0026] The heating coil 12 and the body heater 13 are heating means for induction heating the inner pot 3, and are each formed into a ring-shaped coil. The heating coil 12 and the body heater 13 generate heat by receiving power from a power supply board 17, which is obtained by converting commercial power into high-frequency power, and heat the inner pot 3. The heating coil 12 and the body heater 13 may be any heating means capable of heating the inner pot 3, and may be a heating method other than induction heating, such as a sheath heater.

[0027] The bottom temperature sensor 15 is structured to protrude from the inner pot storage compartment 11 toward the inner pot 3 so as to come into contact with the bottom surface of the inner pot 3, and is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the inner pot 3 by coming into contact with the inner pot 3. The bottom temperature sensor 15 transmits information about the detected temperature to the power supply board 17 as a power signal. The bottom temperature sensor 15 may be any sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the inner pot 3, and may be, for example, an infrared sensor or the like that detects the temperature of the inner pot 3 without contacting the inner pot 3.

[0028] When pressed by the user, the lid-opening button 16 releases the engagement between the outer lid 20 and the main body 1. The user presses the lid-opening button 16 to open the lid body 2 and remove the inner pot 3 and the food contained in the inner pot 3 stored in the main body 1.

[0029] Power supply board 17 is made up of components such as switching elements that make up an inverter circuit, and generates high-frequency power from a commercial power source to be supplied to heating coil 12 and body heater 13. Based on temperature information of inner pot 3 detected by bottom temperature sensor 15, power supply board 17 adjusts the amount of power supplied to heating coil 12 and body heater 13, and controls the temperature of inner pot 3 and the food and water inside inner pot 3 to the desired temperature. Specifically, the power supply board 17 controls the temperature of the inner pot 3 detected by the bottom temperature sensor 15 to maintain a predetermined temperature by adjusting the number of times and intervals at which the power supply to the heating coil 12 is switched on and off.

[0030] The cooker 100 of the first embodiment has a low-temperature cooking process in which the food is cooked by storing a cooking bag 40 containing food and water in the inner pot 3 and heating and maintaining the temperature lower than the boiling point of water. In this cooking process, the food in the inner pot 3 is cooked by heat transfer from the inner pot 3 to the water and from the water through the cooking bag 40. The cooking device 100 also has a rice cooking process for cooking rice. The above steps are selected by the user's operation, and are performed by the power supply board 17 controlling the heating means in accordance with the selection.

[0031] Next, cooking using the cooking bag 40 will be described. Fig. 6 is a front view of the cooking bag. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the open cooking bag. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the cooking bag containing food. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cooking bag simulating its maximum expansion. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the inner pot containing the cooking bag. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the inner pot containing the cooking bag and filled with water up to the specified amount.

[0032] The cooking bag 40 is a bag-shaped container that has an opening on one side and can hold food inside. The cooking bag 40 is made of a material that can withstand a heat temperature of more than 90°C and is soft enough to deform depending on the contents inside. The cooking bag 40 of the first embodiment is made of heat-resistant polyethylene and can withstand a heat temperature of 100°C.

[0033] Specifically, cooking bag 40 has a bag portion 41 formed in a bag shape from heat-resistant polyethylene and having an approximately rectangular shape when viewed from above, a bag opening 42 provided on one side of bag portion 41 and forming an opening communicating with the inside of bag portion 41, and a zipper portion 43 provided between bag opening 42 and bag portion 41 for opening and closing the opening between the inside and outside of bag portion 41.

[0034] The cooking bag 40 has a bag portion 41 which is an area where food can be stored, and when referring to the size of the cooking bag 40, in most cases it refers to the size of the bag portion 41 which can store food. Here, the length of the side of the bag portion 41 on the bag opening 42 side of the cooking bag 40 is referred to as the horizontal length W, and the length from the zipper portion 43 to the opposing side at the back of the bag portion 41 is referred to as the vertical length H.

[0035] The zipper portion 43 is composed of a recess and a protrusion provided on the inner surface between the bag portion 41 and the bag opening 42, and the user applies pressure to engage the recess and protrusion, which closes the opening of the bag portion 41 and seals the inside of the bag portion 41. The user can also apply force to the bag opening 42 to disengage the zipper portion 43, allowing items to be put in and taken out of the bag portion 41 through the bag opening 42. The zipper portion 43 is made of a harder material than the bag portion 41 in order to create a structure in which the recess and protrusion fit together firmly. The zipper part 43 is formed with a plurality of irregularities and is made of a material that is less likely to deform than the bag-shaped part so that the bag opening 42 does not open during cooking even if some air gets into the bag part 41. Furthermore, zipper portion 43 is structured so that the outside of the fitting portion is tightly sealed in order to increase the airtightness inside bag portion 41. Specifically, zipper portion 43 is processed by applying heat to the end of the fitting portion to heat seal it and eliminate the opening at the end. In other words, zipper portion 43 is structured so that the opening that can pass through on the inside can only be opened to a width smaller than the lateral length W of bag portion 41.

[0036] In the present disclosure, the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 and the size of the zipper portion 43 are the same, and the size of the zipper portion 43 is determined from the size of the bag portion 41 described as a specification of the cooking bag 40. Furthermore, the maximum bag volume Vb, which is the volume of the cooking bag 40 when it is fully expanded, is calculated from the size of the bag portion 41, taking advantage of the fact that the side of the bag portion 41 having the zipper portion 43 is less likely to deform than the other sides. The calculation method will be explained later.

[0037] Cooking using the cooking bag 40 is carried out in the following procedure. The user places the food into the bag portion 41 through the bag opening 42, and then fits the zipper portion 43 to close the bag opening 42, thereby placing the food inside the bag portion 41 and sealing it. After cooking, the user removes the cooking bag 40 from the cooking device 100, releases the fastener 43 to open the bag opening 42, and removes the cooked food from the bag 41.

[0038] Although the cooking bag 40 of the first embodiment has the zipper portion 43 formed integrally with the bag portion 41, it is also possible to use a bag portion 41 and zipper portion 43 that are separate from each other. In this case, the volume of the cooking bag 40 when it is fully expanded is the volume that can be accommodated by the bag portion 41. In this configuration, the actual volume of the cooking bag 40 when it is fully expanded is the volume of the inner region separated by the zipper portion 43, and is therefore smaller than the volume that can be accommodated by the entire bag portion 41. However, by using the volume that can be accommodated in the bag portion 41 as the maximum volume that can be accommodated by the cooking bag 40, it is possible to reliably make the maximum bag volume Vb smaller than the upper volume Va of the scale regardless of how the user uses the cooking bag 40. In addition, in the case where the bag portion 41 and the zipper portion 43 are separate bodies as described above, the zipper portion 43 may be formed by heat-sealing a part of the bag portion 41.

[0039] Next, the cooking bag 40 that can be used in the cooking device 100 will be described. Cooking device 100 comes with an instruction manual that describes how to use cooking device 100. The instruction manual also describes the specifications of cooking bags 40 that can be used with cooking device 100. A user selects and purchases a cooking bag 40 that meets the specifications from those available on the market, and uses that cooking bag 40 to perform low-temperature cooking with cooking device 100. The cooking device 100 may also be sold with a cooking bag 40 that meets predetermined specifications and can be used for cooking. This allows the user to start low-temperature cooking immediately after purchase.

[0040] Here, the above-mentioned instruction manual may be anything that can be checked by the user, such as an instruction manual included with the cooking appliance 100, a product description screen on a website, a catalog available at a retail store, etc. The instruction manual may be not only a paper instruction manual that is included with the cooking appliance 100, but also an electronic instruction manual posted on the Internet.

[0041] The specifications of cooking bag 40 are necessary conditions for ensuring that cooking can be completed without major problems even if the user misuses cooking device 100 when using sealed cooking bag 40 to perform low-temperature cooking. The specifications of cooking bag 40 in the instruction manual must be described so that the user can select a cooking bag 40 that can be used with cooking device 100. Specifically, the instruction manual describes the heat resistance temperature and the capacity or size that can be contained in cooking bag 40. The user searches the market for a cooking bag 40 that meets the conditions described in the instruction manual, purchases it, and uses it in cooking appliance 100. In addition to describing the specifications numerically as described above, the instruction manual may also provide product information regarding usable cooking bags 40. The instruction manual may also describe shapes and product information that prohibit use of cooking bags 40, rather than information about usable cooking bags 40. Furthermore, when the size of the cooking bag 40 is described as a specification, it is acceptable to describe the size of the entire cooking bag 40, including the bag portion 41 and the bag opening 42, rather than the size of the bag portion 41, as long as the description allows understanding of either the volume stored in the bag portion 41 or the length of the zipper portion 43.5

[0042] The specifications of cooking bag 40 include at least the heat resistance temperature of cooking bag 40 and the size of bag portion 1. Here, the heat resistance temperature of cooking bag 40 is set based on the temperature to which it is heated in the heating process performed by cooker 100, and the size of bag portion 41 is set by working backwards from the size of inner pot 3. The reasons for the specific settings are described below.

[0043] The heat resistance temperature of cooking bag 40 is set to a temperature higher than the temperature of the water in inner pot 3 during the low-temperature cooking process. In the low-temperature cooking process of embodiment 1, the water in inner pot 3 is heated to 90°C, so the heat resistance temperature specification of cooking bag 40 is set to at least 90°C or higher. Furthermore, since cooker 100 of embodiment 1 has a rice cooking process in which the temperature inside inner pot 3 rises to 100°C, the heat resistance temperature of cooking bag 40 is set to 100°C or higher in consideration of the possibility that a user may accidentally select the rice cooking process.

[0044] In this way, by setting the heat resistance temperature specification of cooking bag 40 to a temperature higher than the cooking temperature in the low-temperature cooking process, it is possible to prevent cooking bag 40 from being torn by heat during cooking. Furthermore, by setting the heat resistance temperature specification of cooking bag 40 to 100°C or higher, the water used as a heat transfer medium does not rise above this temperature, so even if the user mistakenly selects a cooking process with a cooking temperature higher than the low-temperature cooking process, it is possible to prevent cooking bag 40 from being torn by heat during cooking.

[0045] The size of the bag portion 41 is determined based on the size of the inner pot 3. The size specification of the bag portion 41 is determined based on different conditions for the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 and the vertical length H of the bag portion 41, so each will be explained separately.

[0046] The width W of the bag portion 41 in the horizontal direction is set as a specification value that satisfies the conditions that it is approximately the same size as the zipper portion 43 and is smaller than the inside diameter Da of the inner hook 3. Here, the inside diameter Da of the inner hook 3 that is compared with the width W of the bag portion 41 corresponds to the inside diameter Da of the body portion 3b of the inner hook 3 in the first embodiment.

[0047] When storing the cooking bag 40 in the inner pot 3, the user places the cooking bag 40 with the zipper part 43 facing up into the inner pot 3. At that time, the user places the cooking bag 40 in the inner pot 3 so that the zipper part 43 passes through the center of the widest part of the inner diameter of the inner pot 3. Here, when the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 is smaller than the inner diameter Da of the inner pot 3 as in embodiment 1, when the user stores the cooking bag 40 in the inner pot 3, the zipper portion 43 can be stored in the inner pot 3 without coming into contact with the inner pot 3. In particular, when the inner diameter is smaller than the inner diameter Da of the upper surface side of the body 3b of the inner pot 3, it becomes easier for the user to store the cooking bag 40 in the inner pot 3.

[0048] On the other hand, if the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 is greater than the inner diameter Da of the inner pot 3, when the user places the cooking bag 40 in the inner pot 3, the zipper portion 43 will come into contact with the inner pot 3, and in some cases the zipper portion 43 will be distorted into a wavy shape. When the zipper portion 43 is distorted into a wavy shape, the fit between the recesses and protrusions will become loose, and the bag portion 41 may open. In such a case, the user must perform the unnecessary task of removing the cooking bag 40 from the inner pot 3 and reclosing the zipper portion 43. In addition, the user may start cooking without noticing that the engagement between the recesses and protrusions has become loose, which may cause water to get into the cooking bag 40 and significantly deteriorate the taste of the cooked food. In the worst case, the cooked food may become inedible.

[0049] In this way, the cooking bag 40 usable in the cooking appliance 100 must have a specification in which the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 is greater than the inner diameter Da of the inner pot 3, thereby preventing the zipper portion 43 from opening when the cooking bag 40 is placed in the inner pot 3. This allows the user to perform low-temperature cooking without losing the flavor of the food.

[0050] The above specifications are intended to prevent the zipper portion 43 from distorting and opening in a wavy manner when the cooking bag 40 is placed in the inner pot 3, but do not prevent the cooking bag 40 from collapsing due to gravity or other factors after being placed in the inner pot 3 and coming into contact with the inner pot 3, causing distortion of its shape. For example, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, after being placed in the inner pot 3, the cooking bag 40 naturally collapses, causing the zipper portion 43 or bag opening 42 to come into contact with the inner pot 3, and the zipper portion 43 to curve into a bow shape in the same direction. The zipper portion 43 is designed to be difficult to open even when the convex and concave portions are distorted in the same direction, so it will not open even when distorted into a bow shape.

[0051] Next, the vertical length H of the bag portion 41 is set to a size that prevents water from leaking out of the inner pot 3 even when the bag portion 41 is fully expanded. If the volume of the bag portion 41 when fully expanded is defined as the maximum bag volume Vb, this can be obtained by calculating the volume of a cylinder. Specifically, the zipper portion 43 of the bag portion 41 is harder than the bag portion 41, so it can be simulated that the cooking bag 40 expands into a shape in which the length direction of the zipper portion 43 is the height direction of the cylinder, as shown in Figure 9. If the specifications of the cooking bag 40 indicate the capacity that can be contained in the bag portion 41, that value can be used as the maximum bag volume Vb without performing the above calculation.

[0052] Next, the procedure for calculating the volume of the simulated cylinder is described below. The diameter Db of the cylinder is calculated by utilizing the fact that the circumferential length of the cylinder is equal to twice the vertical length H of the bag portion 41. Specifically, the diameter Db of the cylinder is equal to the value obtained by dividing twice the vertical length H of the bag portion 41 by pi.

[0053] Next, the height X of the cylinder is calculated assuming that the surface area S of the bag portion 41 is the same as the surface area SS of the cylinder. The surface area S of the bag portion 41 is twice the product of the lateral length W and the height H of the bag portion 41. The surface area SS of the cylinder is the sum of the lateral area Sa of the cylinder and the two circular areas Sb. The lateral area Sa of the cylinder is also calculated by multiplying the circumference by the height X of the cylinder. The height of the cylinder, X, can be calculated by solving the above equation.

[0054] Finally, the volume of the cylinder is calculated from the diameter Db of the cylinder obtained by the above formula and the height X. Since the volume of this cylinder is almost the same as the volume of the bag portion 41 when it is maximally expanded, this value can be obtained as the maximum bag volume Vb.

[0055] In the above calculation formula, there is an area at the corner where the vertical and horizontal sides of the bag portion 41 connect that is not used for the volume, but this is not included in the calculation formula. The effect of excluding this area is that the volume of the cylinder is calculated to be slightly larger than if the bag portion 41 were actually inflated, so this results in an error in the direction of being more safe. In other words, the volume of this area is excluded from the calculation as a safety margin for calculations using simulated calculations.

[0056] However, this disclosure does not exclude such exclusion from its scope of rights. For example, the region can be simulated as a triangle whose height is half the difference between the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 and the height X of the cylinder, and by taking this surface area into account, the volume of the cylinder can be calculated with greater accuracy.

[0057] As described above, the maximum bag volume Vb, which is the volume when the bag portion 41 is fully expanded, can be calculated from the size of the bag portion 41 by simulating it as a cylinder with the length direction of the zipper portion 42 being the height direction.

[0058] The specification for the vertical length H of the bag portion 41 is set to a value that satisfies the condition that the volume Vb of the cylinder is smaller than the volume above the scale Va, which is the volume at the height AH from the water level scale 3e to the flange portion 3d of the inner kettle 3. Note that the specification for the vertical length H of the bag portion 41 can also be set to the specification for the volume that can be accommodated in the bag portion 41, as this can produce the same effect.

[0059] Next, an outline of the above calculation will be explained using, as an example, a cooking bag 40 in which the bag portion 41 has a horizontal length of 18 cm and a vertical length of 13 cm.

[0060] The diameter Db of the cylinder is calculated as 8.3 cm, which is twice the length H of the bag portion 41 in the vertical direction divided by π.

[0061] The height X of the cylinder is calculated by solving an equation such that the sum of the cylinder's lateral area Sa and the two circular areas Sb is equal to twice the product of the width W and height H of the bag portion 41. Using the above-mentioned dimensions of the cooking bag 40 and the diameter Db of the cylinder, the height X of the cylinder is 13.9 cm. In other words, when the cooking bag 40 is fully inflated, it has a cylindrical shape with a height that is smaller than the width length of the bag portion 41.

[0062] Finally, the volume of the cylinder is calculated. The volume of the cylinder is calculated from the height X of the cylinder, the diameter Db of the cylinder obtained using the formula above, and the height X. Using the above values, the volume of the cylinder is calculated to be 746 ml. In other words, the maximum bag volume Vb of the cooking bag 40 can be calculated to be 746 ml based on the size of the bag portion 41.

[0063] On the other hand, when the capacity of the cooking bag 40 was actually measured in its fully expanded state, it was 660 ml. In other words, the difference between the calculated result and the actual measurement, 86 ml, is the safety margin.

[0064] On the other hand, the inner pot 3 of the cooking appliance 100 has an inner diameter of the body 3c of 18.6 cm, and the water level mark 3e is located at a position where the height WH from the bottom 3a to the water level mark 3e is 5.5 cm and the distance AH from the water level mark 3e to the flange portion 3d is 6.0 cm. From the above, the volume Va above the memory is calculated to be 1630 ml, and the volume Vd below the memory is calculated to be 1494 ml.

[0065] Here, the cooking device 100 has a water level scale 3e at a position where the upper volume Va (1630 ml) of the scale is greater than the maximum bag volume Vb (746 ml) calculated from the size of the bag portion 41. This makes it possible to prevent water from spilling out of the inner pot 3 even if the cooking bag 40 expands to its maximum after cooking has started.

[0066] Furthermore, the cooking device 100 has the water level mark 3e located at a position where the volume below the mark Vd (1494 ml) is greater than the maximum bag volume Vb (746 ml) calculated from the size of the bag portion 41. By doing so, the water level mark 3e is located at a position where the cooking bag 40 will be submerged in water even if it is filled with food to the maximum extent.

[0067] Furthermore, in the cooking appliance 100, the inner diameter Da of the body 3c of the inner pot 3 is set so that the horizontal length (18 cm) of the bag portion 41 is smaller than the inner diameter Da (18.6 cm) of the upper surface of the body 3c of the inner pot 3. By setting the specifications of the cooking bag 40 in this way, it is possible to prevent the zipper portion 43 from coming into contact with the inner pot 3 and becoming distorted when the cooking bag 40 is stored in the inner pot 3, which can result in the zipper portion 43 becoming loose.

[0068] Furthermore, the specifications of cooking bags 40 that satisfy the above conditions are described in an easily accessible instruction manual attached to the cooker 100. This allows the user to select a cooking bag 40 that can be used with the cooker 100 from cooking bags 40 available on the market.

[0069] Note that there is also a special cooking bag 40 in which the zipper portion 43 is larger than the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41, thereby making the opening that can be passed through inside the zipper portion 43 the same size as the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41. For such cooking bags 40, if the length of the zipper portion 43 is specified in the instruction manual, that value should be used; however, if it is not specified, the length of the side of the bag portion 41 on which the zipper portion 43 is located can be compared with the body portion 3b, as described above.

[0070] In addition, in the case of a cooking bag 40 in which the bag portion 41 and zipper portion 43 are separate, the volume of the sphere can be calculated by calculating the diameter of the sphere, assuming that the surface area of the bag portion 41 is the same as the surface area of the sphere.

[0071] Next, the cooking process in the cooking device 100 will be described.

[0072] The user processes the ingredients to be cooked into a size that can be placed in cooking bag 40, and places them into cooking bag 40 along with seasonings and the like. The user presses down on bag portion 41, starting from the side farthest from zipper portion 43, to release the air inside cooking bag 40, until only the ingredients are contained inside bag portion 41. After doing this up to the vicinity of zipper portion 43, the user engages zipper portion 43 to close bag opening 42 and seal bag portion 41.

[0073] Next, the user places cooking bag 40 in inner pot 3 and pours water, which serves as a heat transfer fluid thermal conductor from inner pot 3 to cooking bag 40, up to the water level mark 3e on inner pot 3. After that, the user closes lid 2 and operates operation panel 21 to start the low-temperature cooking process. In the low-temperature cooking process of cooking device 100 of embodiment 1, the temperature inside inner pot 3 is selected from 65°C, 70°C, 75°C, 80°C, and 85°C, and the heating time is selected from 5 to 180 minutes. The heating time can be set in 5-minute increments between 5 and 60 minutes, and in 10-minute increments between 60 and 180 minutes. Note that these temperatures and heating times are merely examples for explaining the present disclosure and are not limited to these ranges.

[0074] In the low-temperature cooking step, the cooking device 100 controls the heating means based on the conditions set on the operation panel 21 so as to heat the inner pot 3 to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. After a predetermined time has elapsed, the cooking device 100 stops the heating means and then notifies the user that cooking is complete.

[0075] The user presses the lid-opening button 16 to open the lid 2 and remove the cooking bag 40 from the inner pot 3. Then, the user applies a load in the direction of opening the bag opening 42 to release the engagement of the zipper portion 43 and open the bag opening 42. The user then removes the food from the cooking bag 40 and begins eating. After eating, the user discards the water remaining in the inner pot 3 and cleans the inner pot 3 in preparation for the next use.

[0076] In this way, the cooking appliance 100 has a water level indicator inside the body 3b of the inner pot 3 that indicates the target position of the water level, so that the user can add water while watching the cooking bag 40 after storing the sealed cooking bag 40. This allows the user to check that air has entered the cooking bag 40 before starting cooking. Furthermore, the user can easily perform maintenance after cooking and can easily perform low-temperature cooking.

[0077] The cooking device 100 has a water level indicator 3e at a position where water will not spill from the inner pot 3 even if the cooking bag 40 that satisfies the specifications is expanded to its maximum after cooking has started. Therefore, the cooking device 100 can prevent boiling water from leaking outside the cooking device 100 even if the user uses it incorrectly.

[0078] Furthermore, the cooking device 100 has a water level indicator 3e at a position where the cooking bag 40 that satisfies the specifications will be submerged in water even if it is filled to the maximum with food. Therefore, the cooking device 100 can cook food even if the user uses it incorrectly.

[0079] Furthermore, by clearly indicating the specifications of the cooking bag 40 that can be used with the cooker 100 in the instruction manual, the user can select a cooking bag 40 that can be used with the cooker 100 from cooking bags 40 available on the market. This allows the user to purchase a cooking bag 40 on the market that is sized to suit the user's individual household circumstances, and thus allows the user to cook food that meets their usage conditions.

[0080] Furthermore, by clearly indicating the specifications of the cooking bag 40 in terms of the size of the bag portion 41, which is easy for the user to check, the user can easily select a cooking bag 40 that can be used with the cooking device 100.

[0081] Furthermore, the specifications of the cooking bag 40 are such that the length of the side of the bag portion 41 on the zipper portion 43 side is set to a value smaller than the inner diameter of the top side of the inner pot 3. By setting the specifications of the cooking bag 40 in this way, it is possible to prevent the zipper portion 43 from coming into contact with the inner pot 3 and becoming distorted or loose when the cooking bag 40 is placed in the inner pot 3. This allows the user to perform low-temperature cooking without compromising the flavor of the food being cooked.

[0082] Embodiment 2 FIG. 12 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the inner hook in the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the inner pot 3 of the cooking device 100 of the first embodiment is changed to an inner pot 50 having a different shape, but the other structures and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0083] The inner pot 50 is made up of a bottom 51 with a slightly upwardly convex central portion, a cylindrical body 52 that continues from the bottom 51, and an upper body 53 that is stepped and spreads outward from the top end of the body 52, and is shaped so that it is open on the top side. The body 52 is provided with a water level marking 54 at a height near the center, and a convex portion 55 that convexly faces the inside of the inner pot 50 is formed on the upper body 53 side. Specifically, the body 52 is formed so that the inner diameter Dd of the convex portion 55 on the upper body 53 side is 0.9Dc relative to the inner diameter Dc at the position of the water level mark 54. The upper body 53 is configured so that its inner diameter is larger than the inner diameter Dc of the body 52 at the position of the water level mark 54.

[0084] Here, the horizontal length W of the bag portion 41 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter Dc at the water level marking 54 of the body portion 52 and larger than the inner diameter Dd of the convex portion 55 on the upper body portion 53 side. By setting the specifications of cooking bag 40 in this way, cooking bag 40 can be prevented from moving above convex portion 55 on upper body portion 53. In other words, even if some air gets into cooking bag 40 and causes it to float up, cooker 100 can prevent a decrease in the contact area with water in inner pot 3. As a result, the cooking device 100 of the second embodiment can prevent the food from being undercooked even if some air gets into the cooking bag 40 and causes it to float up. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1 main unit, 2 lid body, 3 inner pot, 3a bottom, 3b Torso, 3c connection part, 3d flange part, 3e water level memory, 11 Inner pot storage compartment, 12 heating coils, 13 Body heater, 14 hinge part, 15 Bottom temperature sensor, 16 Lid opening button, 17 Power supply board, 20 outer lid; 21 Operation panel, 22 outer lid vent, 23 ventilation section, 30 inner lid, 31 Board material, 32 Inner lid vent, 33 Liquid return port, 40 cooking bags, 41 Fukurobe, 42 bag opening, 43 zipper section, 50 inner pot, 51 bottom, 52 torso, 53 upper body, 54 water level memory, 55 convex part, 100 Cooker, Da: inner diameter of the body Va memory upper volume, Vb bag maximum volume, Vd memory lower volume, W: Horizontal length of the bag part, H: Vertical length of the bag part Db diameter of the cylinder, X Cylinder height

Claims

1. A cooking device comprising: a main body having an inner pot with an open top, a heating means for heating the inner pot, and an inner pot storage section for accommodating the inner pot; a lid for covering the upper part of the main body; and a control means for controlling the heating means and having a low-temperature cooking process for heating the food and water in the cooking bag in the inner pot at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water, The inner pot is provided with a water level mark on the inner surface of the body of the inner pot, which indicates a target position of the water level to be poured in when the cooking bag is stored in a sealed state, The water level marker is provided at a position where the volume above the marker, which is the volume of the inner pot above the water level marker, is larger than the maximum volume of the bag, which is the capacity that can be contained in the cooking bag. Heating cooker.

2. The water level memory is The volume below the water level mark, which is the volume of the inner pot below the water level mark, is provided at a position where it is larger than the maximum volume of the bag. The cooking device according to claim 1 .

3. The cooking device includes: and instructions for use that describe information related to the maximum volume of the bag. The cooking device according to claim 2 .

4. The instruction manual describes the length of the side of the bag portion of the cooking bag in which the food is stored, on the side where the zipper portion for opening and closing the opening of the bag portion is located. The cooking device according to claim 3.

5. The inner diameter of the upper surface of the body is greater than the length of the side on which the zipper for opening and closing the opening of the bag is located. The cooking device according to claim 4.

6. The inner kettle has a protrusion on the body portion that protrudes into the inner kettle above the water level mark, The inner diameter of the water level mark is larger than the length of the side of the bag on which the zipper for opening and closing the opening is located. The inner diameter at the position of the protrusion is smaller than the length of the side on which the zipper portion for opening and closing the opening of the bag portion is located. The cooking device according to claim 4.

7. The instruction manual describes the size of the bag portion as information related to the maximum volume of the bag. The cooking device according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. The water level memory is provided in plurality on the body portion. The cooking device according to claim 2 or 3.

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