Heating cooker

Abstract

To provide a heating cooker which can enhance an insulation property at a coil end part of a heater.SOLUTION: A cooker of the present invention includes: a protection frame 30 in which an inner pot containing food materials is accommodated; a water discharge path 90 formed in a bottom of the protection frame; a coil heater 61(60) provided directly below the protection frame for heating the inner pot; and a coil end part 62 of the coil heater. The water discharge path and the coil end part are aligned in a radial direction of the protection frame, and a partitioning wall 53 is formed between a lower end of the water discharge path and the coil end part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking appliance such as a rice cooker, and more specifically to a cooking appliance having excellent insulation performance. [Background technology]

[0002] In a cooking appliance such as a rice cooker, the inner pot into which the ingredients are placed is placed in the rice cooker body, which is then closed with a lid. The inner pot is heated by a heater built into the rice cooker body to cook rice or other dishes. The outer periphery of the rice cooker body is covered by an exterior casing.

[0003] The outer casing has a protective frame that houses the inner pot, and the heater is placed directly below the protective frame or on the shoulder, etc. For example, in Patent Document 1, a work coil is placed directly below the protective frame as the heater.

[0004] Water may spill from the inner pot or get into the protective frame during cleaning, so it needs to be drained. For this reason, Patent Document 1 provides drainage holes at the bottom of the protective frame so that water inside the protective frame can be drained through the drainage holes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-180788 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Any electrical appliance for home use that is likely to spill liquid under normal circumstances must pass the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) flood test in order to be sold overseas. Rice cookers are included in this category of electrical appliance for home use.

[0007] Water discharged from the drain hole may spread around the hole. When a work coil is used as a heater, the end of the coil winding is located directly below the protective frame. This end of the winding may connect to the exterior casing due to the water that has spread, making it impossible to maintain insulation performance and failing to meet IEC standards.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooker that can improve the insulation of the heater winding ends. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The cooker of the present invention comprises: a protective frame that houses the inner pot into which the ingredients are placed; a drainage channel formed at the bottom of the protective frame; a coil heater disposed directly below the protective frame and configured to heat the inner pot; a winding end portion of the coil heater; A cooking appliance having the drainage channel and the winding end are arranged side by side in the radial direction of the protective frame, A partition is formed between the lower end of the drainage channel and the end of the winding.

[0010] The drainage channel includes a drainage hole formed in the protective frame, The drain hole may extend below the end of the winding.

[0011] The lower end of the drainage channel communicates with the drainage hole and opens at a drainage lower hole provided below the drainage hole, A member that does not require insulation is disposed close to the drainage hole, The water seeping out from the drainage holes can flow along the members that do not require insulation due to surface tension, thereby preventing the winding ends from getting wet.

[0012] The member that does not require insulation may be a member that houses a ferrite core.

[0013] The cooking appliance may be a rice cooker. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the cooking appliance of the present invention, by providing a partition between the drain hole and the winding end, water that passes through the drain hole from inside the protective frame of the winding end is prevented from spreading toward the winding end due to the partition, thereby improving the insulation of the winding end. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker body with a lid removed according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the rice cooker body. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rice cooker body with the exterior cover and bottom case removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the rice cooker body with the exterior cover and bottom case removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 and seen in the direction of the arrow. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the bottom of the rice cooker body with the exterior cover and bottom case removed, and shows a state in which part of the core holder has been removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4 and seen in the direction of the arrow. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the rectangular area C in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, an embodiment in which the cooking device of the present invention is applied to a rice cooker will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to rice cookers, and can be applied to various cooking devices including pressure cookers, waterless pots, electric kettles, soup jars, multi-cookers, electric kettles, and other heating cooking devices and heating and pressure cooking devices.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of rice cooker body 10 with the lid removed, and Fig. 2 is a bottom view of rice cooker body 10. The rice cooker of the present invention comprises rice cooker body 10 and a lid (not shown) that is attached to rice cooker body 10. The lid is hinged, for example, to the rear of rice cooker body 10, and is opened and closed by operating lever 11 on rice cooker body 10.

[0018] The rice cooker main body 10 houses an inner pot (not shown) into which ingredients are placed, and performs cooking such as heating. The inner pot can be a metal pot or a clay pot, and is the container into which ingredients (rice, water, etc. in the case of a rice cooker) are placed. The rice cooker main body 10 is composed of an outer casing 20 covering a chassis 12 (see Figure 3, etc.) on which various parts are mounted. The outer casing 20 is composed of a casing main body 21 that covers almost the entire periphery as shown in Figure 1, and a cover 22 that covers the back surface and part of the bottom surface on the back side as shown in Figure 2. The bottom side of the rice cooker main body 10 is covered by the cover 22 and bottom case 23 shown in Figure 2.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, cover 22 on the underside of rice cooker body 10 is formed with air intake 221, exhaust vent 222, and sound vent 223. A fan is located above air intake vent 221, and a speaker (neither shown) is located above sound vent 223. Bottom case 23 is also provided with legs 231 that serve as the grounding surface of the rice cooker, as well as heat vent 232 that releases heat from heater 60, and is formed in the center with drainage outlet 233 that relays drainage from protective frame 30, which will be described later, and releases it to the outside.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, a shoulder case 24 is provided on the inside of the upper edge of the exterior casing 20, which serves as the top plate of the rice cooker body 10. A protective frame 30 with an open top is attached to the shoulder case 24.

[0021] The protective frame 30 is recessed and bowl-shaped, and the inner pot is removably housed within it. A hole 33 is formed in the center of the protective frame 30, from which a temperature sensor unit 40 that abuts against the bottom surface of the inner pot and measures the temperature of the inner pot protrudes. This hole 33 also serves as an upper drainage hole 33 for draining water that leaks into the protective frame 30. The upper drainage hole 33 forms part of the drainage channel 90 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the rice cooker of this embodiment has a bottom decorative plate 32 disposed on the upper surface of the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30, and the temperature sensor unit 40 protrudes above the bottom decorative plate 32.

[0022] Fig. 3 is an upside-down perspective view of rice cooker body 10 with outer casing 20 and bottom case 23 removed. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of bottom 31, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of squared area C in Fig. 4.

[0023] 3 to 6, the rice cooker main body 10 has a protective frame 30, electric circuit components 80, and various other components arranged inside the exterior casing 20. In this embodiment, by positioning the protective frame 30 slightly toward the front of the rice cooker main body 10, the inner pot is positioned toward the front, making it easier to serve and remove cooked ingredients. To this end, the protective frame 30 is positioned at the front, and the electric circuit components 80 are positioned at the rear, where there is more space. Of course, the electric circuit components 80 may also be positioned at the front or to the side.

[0024] 5 and 6, the protective frame 30 has an opening 35 in the center of the bottom 31 surrounded by a cylindrical portion 34. The opening 35 is formed directly below the upper drainage hole 33 of the protective frame 30 and is connected to the upper drainage hole 33, as shown in FIGS.

[0025] The opening 35 of the protective frame 30 has drainage holes 36 formed on its inner surface. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , the drainage holes 36 are formed by a U-shaped drainage frame 37 protruding from the inside of the tubular portion 34, and the arc-shaped space surrounded by the drainage frame 37 and the inner surface of the tubular portion 34 serves as the drainage hole 36. The drainage holes 36 constitute part of the drainage channel 90 of the present invention. In FIG. 7 , the arrow indicates the drainage channel 90 for water within the protective frame 30. As will be described in detail later, the drainage channel 90 is a route for guiding water that flows in from the upper drainage hole 33, from which the temperature sensor unit 40 is exposed, along the inner surface of the tubular portion 34 to the drainage hole 36 and discharging it downward from the drainage hole 36. In this embodiment, the drainage holes 36 are provided in two locations, one in front of the center of the opening 35 and one in back, and are formed within an arc range of approximately 60° from the center of the opening 35 (see FIG. 8 ). Of course, the number and size of the openings 35 are not limited to this.

[0026] In the present invention, as shown in Fig. 7, the drain hole 36 that constitutes the drainage channel 90 is configured to open at a position H2 that is lower than the height H of the winding end 62 of the heater 60, which will be described later. Specifically, the lower edge of the tubular portion 34 extends downward below the winding end 62. This allows water that drains through the drain hole 36 to be drained without heading toward the winding end 62, which is located higher than the lower edge of the drain hole 36, preventing the winding end 62 from getting wet.

[0027] 6, recesses 38 into which insertion pieces 71 at the ends of core holders 70, which will be described later, fit are formed on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 34 that forms the opening 35 of the protective frame 30. The recesses 38 are formed at equal intervals corresponding to the number of core holders 70, and in this embodiment, four recesses 38 are formed every 90°.

[0028] As described above, the temperature sensor unit 40 is disposed in the opening 35. As shown in FIG. 7, the temperature sensor 41 is inserted into an insertion hole 45 formed in the central cylindrical portion 44 of the support member 43. The upper surface of the cylindrical portion 44 is covered with a protective cover 49, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the protective cover 49 protrudes from the protective frame 30. The lower edge of the support member 43 has a flange portion 46 that protrudes toward the outer periphery. A substantially oval-shaped support tube 47 is formed on the central lower surface of the flange portion 46, and the wiring 42 of the temperature sensor 41 extends downward from the support tube 47. In addition, a pair of claw members 48 protrude downward from the outer periphery of the flange portion 46. The claw members 48 have outward-facing claws 481 at their tips, and the claws 481 engage with the cap 50, which will be described next, to secure the temperature sensor unit 40.

[0029] The cap 50 is attached to the protective frame 30, and serves to cover the underside of the opening 35 and the recess 38 of the protective frame 30 from below, as well as to support the temperature sensor unit 40. The cap 50 has a substantially disk-shaped base body 51, and as shown in Figure 7, a drainage hole 52 is formed in the center of the base body 51, which communicates with the drainage hole 36 when the cap 50 is attached to the protective frame 30. The drainage hole 52 also constitutes the drainage channel 90 of the present invention.

[0030] The drainage hole 52 can have the same arc-shaped configuration as the drainage hole 36. The drainage hole 52 has two arc-shaped partition walls 53, 54 protruding downward from the outer and inner peripheries of the base 51. This partition wall 53 forms the lowest end of the drainage channel 90. The partition walls 53, 54 are connected in the center by a bridge 531 for reinforcement. On the left and right sides of the drainage hole 52, there are open sections 55 without the partition walls 53, 54. The drainage hole 52 is located directly above the drainage outlet 233 of the bottom case 23 shown in FIG. 2, and water that passes through the drainage hole 52 is discharged to the outside through the drainage outlet 233.

[0031] The drainage lower hole 52 is configured to open at a position H1 that is lower than the height H of the winding end 62 of the heater 60, which will be described later. Specifically, the lower edge of the drainage lower hole 52 extends downward further than the winding end 62. This allows water that is discharged through the drainage lower hole 52 to be drained without heading toward the winding end 62, which is located higher than the lower edge of the drainage lower hole 52, preventing the winding end 62 from getting wet.

[0032] Furthermore, partition wall 53 is configured to extend to a position H0 that is lower than a height H of winding end 62 of heater 60, which will be described later. Specifically, the lower edge of partition wall 53 extends downward below winding end 62. This allows water that is discharged through between partition walls 53, 54 to be drained without heading toward winding end 62, which is located higher than the lower edge of partition wall 53, preventing winding end 62 from getting wet.

[0033] 7 and 8, the base 51 of the cap 50 is configured so that the outer periphery of the drainage hole 52 bulges outward, and this bulging portion forms a flow stopper 56 that extends outward from the tubular portion 34 and bends upward. The flow stopper 56 has a shape that follows the periphery of the tubular portion 34, and prevents water flowing from the drainage hole 36 toward the drainage hole 52 from flowing out through a joint 57 between the protective frame 30 and the cap 50.

[0034] 6 and 7, the base 51 of the cap 50 is formed with a generally oval-shaped outer cylinder 58 in the center into which the support cylinder 47 of the temperature sensor unit 40 is inserted, and with claw holes 59 into which the claw members 48 enter and into which the claws 481 engage. The temperature sensor unit 40 is attached to the cap 50 by fitting the support cylinder 47 into the outer cylinder 58 and engaging the claws 481 with the claw holes 59.

[0035] The cap 50 to which the temperature sensor unit 40 is attached is attached to the protective frame 30 by, for example, screws.

[0036] 3 and other figures, the protective frame 30 has a heater 60 wound concentrically around the periphery of the opening 35. In the illustrated embodiment, the heater 60 consists of a bottom coil heater 61 arranged on the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30 around the periphery of the opening 35, and a horizontal coil heater 64 wound around a tapered, expanded portion slightly diagonally above the outer periphery of the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30. These coil heaters 61, 64 are work coils (IH coils) that induce eddy currents in the inner pot during rice cooking by passing an alternating current through them, thereby heating the rice.

[0037] The bottom coil heater 61 and the horizontal coil heater 64 can be constructed by concentrically winding, for example, multiple bundles of insulated copper wires. The bottom coil heater 61 and the horizontal coil heater 64 are connected in series. In the illustrated heater 60, the bottom coil heater 61 and the horizontal coil heater 64 are constructed by winding a continuous bundle of insulated copper wires inward from the outer periphery of the horizontal coil heater 64 as the winding start point 65, and then pulling the inner periphery of the horizontal coil heater 64 inward and winding it from the outer periphery of the bottom coil heater 61, with the inner periphery of the bottom coil heater 61 as the winding end point 62. In Figures 3 and 4, reference numeral 67 denotes a bundle of wires connecting the bottom coil heater 61 and the horizontal coil heater 64.

[0038] Power supply cords 63 and 66 are connected to the winding end 62 of the bottom coil heater 61, which is the end of the winding of the series-connected bottom coil heater, and the winding start 65 of the side coil heater 64, which is the end of the winding of the series-connected side coil heater. The power supply cords 63 and 66 are connected to an electric circuit component 80 of the rice cooker, which will be described later.

[0039] Because the winding end 62 of the bottom coil heater 61 is located close to the drainage channel 90, water passing through the drainage channel 90 may spread and cause a short circuit. Therefore, in the present invention, an optimal positional relationship between the drainage channel 90 and the winding end 62 is specified, as described below. Although the detailed positioning will be described later, as shown in FIG. 7, the winding end 62 is located higher than the drainage holes 36 and lower drainage holes 52 that make up the drainage channel 90, and the lower edge of the partition wall 53, and as shown in FIG. 8, the winding end 62 is arranged in line with the drainage holes 36 in the radial direction of the protective frame 30.

[0040] In this embodiment, ferrite cores 72 are arranged as shielding members for the coil heaters 61, 64 to reduce leakage magnetic flux. The ferrite cores 72 have a generally V-shaped rectangular cross section, and in this embodiment, four ferrite cores 72 are arranged so as to face the bottom coil heater 61 and the side coil heater 64. The ferrite cores 72 are housed in a resin core holder 70. The core holder 70 also has a generally V-shaped configuration, and its lower end is fitted into a recess 38 in the cylindrical portion 34 of the protective frame 30 for positioning. The core holder 70 itself is attached to the protective frame 30 with screws. The core holder 70 housing the ferrite cores 72 is a component that does not require insulation.

[0041] This core holder 70 is positioned to prevent water from getting into the bottom coil heater 61. The detailed positioning will be described later, but to prevent water from draining from the drainage holes 52 and seeping through the opening 55 between the partition walls 53 and 54 from running down the cap 50 and wetting the bottom coil heater 61, the core holder 70 is positioned near the opening 55 of the cap 50, i.e., near the edge of the outer partition wall 53, and the tip of the core holder 70 and the periphery of the cap 50 are close to or in contact with each other so that water can run down due to surface tension.

[0042] Additionally, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a side heater 68 is arranged on the side of the protective frame 30 to heat the inner pot when cooking rice or keeping it warm.

[0043] Electrical circuit components 80 are provided inside the rice cooker main body 10. In this embodiment, the electrical circuit components 80 are located behind the protective frame 30. The electrical circuit components designated by the reference numeral 80 are mounted on a circuit board and include electrical elements such as a microcomputer that controls various aspects of the rice cooker's operation, a noise filter circuit for lightning and noise protection, and a charging section that connects to the power supply system. A power cord (not shown) is connected to the charging section.

[0044] The power supply cords 63 and 66 of the heater 60, the wiring of the side heater 68, the wiring of the fan, the wiring 42 of the temperature sensor 41, and the speaker are connected to the electric circuit component 80. The fan and speaker are also connected to the electric circuit component 80. In addition, although not shown in the figure in this embodiment, the operation switches, display unit, etc., arranged on the lid are electrically connected to the electric circuit component 80 by wiring such as a flexible flat cable.

[0045] The rice cooker body 10 configured as described above has each part attached to the protective frame 30 and chassis 12, a shoulder case 24 is attached to the upper edge of the protective frame 30, the exterior is covered with an exterior casing 20 consisting of a casing body 21 and a cover 22, and a bottom case 23, and a lid (not shown) is attached to complete the rice cooker.

[0046] While a detailed description of the operation and functions of the rice cooker will be omitted, when cooking rice or during cleaning, water may enter the protective frame 30 due to overflow from the inner pot or other reasons. This water drains below the protective frame 30 through the upper drain holes 33 provided in the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30, as shown by the arrows in Figure 7, indicating the drainage channel 90. If this water wets the bottom coil heater 61 or the winding end 62 of the bottom coil heater 61 located in the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30, it will connect with the exterior casing 20 and other components, preventing it from maintaining its insulation performance. For this reason, the present invention specifies the positions of the drainage channel 90 and winding end 62, and the arrangement of the core holder 70, as follows:

[0047] First, regarding the drainage channel 90, as best shown above and in Figure 7, the drainage channel 90 is configured to include an upper drainage hole 33 formed in the center of the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30, an opening 35 defined by a tubular portion 34 protruding downward from the bottom 31 of the protective frame 30, a drainage hole 36 provided within the opening 35, a lower drainage hole 52 formed in the cap 50 that covers the opening 35, and partitions 53, 54 at the lower edge of the lower drainage hole 52.

[0048] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the winding end 62 of the bottom coil heater 61 is arranged to be aligned with this drainage channel 90 in the radial direction of the protective frame 30, and as shown in Figure 7, the winding end 62 is arranged adjacent to the drainage channel 90 with a partition wall 53 interposed between them. Because the partition wall 53 is formed between the drainage channel 90 and the winding end 62, the partition wall 53 prevents water discharged from the drainage channel 90 from diffusing, preventing the winding end 62 from getting wet.

[0049] 7, height position H of winding end 62 is higher than height H0 of the tip of partition wall 53, which is the lowest point of drainage channel 90. Height position H of winding end 62 is preferably higher than height H1 of the lower edge of drainage hole 52. Height position H of winding end 62 is desirably higher than height H2 of the lower edge of drainage hole 36.

[0050] Height position H of winding end 62 is positioned higher than height H0 of the tip of partition 53, which is the lowest position of drainage channel 90. As a result, partition 53 prevents water discharged from drainage hole 52 from diffusing toward winding end 62, preventing water from getting on winding end 62. Even if water spreads on partition 53, the difference in height between partition 53 and winding end 62 prevents the water from spreading all the way to winding end 62, preventing water from getting on winding end 62. The difference in height H-H0 is preferably 10 mm or greater.

[0051] Furthermore, height position H of winding end 62 is positioned higher than height H1 of the lower edge of drainage hole 52. As a result, even if water spreads from opening 55 of partition walls 53, 54, the difference in height between winding end 62 and winding end 62 prevents the water from spreading to winding end 62, preventing water from getting into winding end 62. The difference in height H-H1 is preferably 8 mm or greater.

[0052] Furthermore, the height position H of the winding end 62 is preferably positioned higher than the height H2 of the lower edge of the drain hole 36. As a result, even if water spreads from the joint 57 between the drain hole 36 and the lower drain hole 52, the difference in height between the winding end 62 and the lower drain hole 52 prevents the water from spreading to the winding end 62, preventing the water from getting into the winding end 62. In particular, as shown in Figure 7, by blocking the joint 57 between the drain hole 36 and the lower drain hole 52 with a flow stopper 56, water leakage from the joint 57 can be effectively prevented, preventing the winding end 62 from getting wet. The difference in height H-H2 between these is preferably 2 mm or more.

[0053] Furthermore, there is a possibility that water that has spread from the left and right openings 55 of the partition walls 53, 54 that protrude downward from the drain hole 52 may run down the cap 50 and the tubular portion 34, wetting the winding end 62 and the bottom coil heater 61. However, the core holder 70 has the periphery of the cap 50, where the openings 55 are provided, close to or in contact with the tip of the core holder 70 by a distance L that allows water to flow due to surface tension. Because the core holder 70 is a component that does not require insulation, even if the core holder 70 becomes wet, its insulation is not affected, and the winding end 62 and the bottom coil heater 61 can be effectively prevented from becoming wet. For example, the distance L is preferably 1.0 mm or less.

[0054] The rice cooker of the present invention has the above-described configuration, which allows the insulation of the winding end 62 and the bottom coil heater 61 to be improved.

[0055] The above description is for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or narrowing its scope. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10 Rice cooker body 30 Protective Frame 33 Upper drainage hole 36 Drain hole 50 caps 52 Drainage hole 53 Bulkhead 55 Open area 60 Heater 61 Bottom coil heater 62 Winding termination (winding end) 63 Power cord 70 Core Holder 90 Drainage Channel

Claims

1. a protective frame that houses the inner pot into which the ingredients are placed; a drainage channel formed at the bottom of the protective frame; a coil heater disposed directly below the protective frame and configured to heat the inner pot; a winding end portion of the coil heater; A cooking appliance having the drainage channel and the winding end are arranged side by side in the radial direction of the protective frame, A partition is formed between the lower end of the drainage channel and the winding end. Cooker.

2. The drainage channel includes a drainage hole formed in the protective frame, The drain hole extends below the end of the winding. The cooking device according to claim 1 .

3. The lower end of the drainage channel communicates with the drainage hole and opens at a drainage lower hole provided below the drainage hole, A member that does not require insulation is disposed close to the drainage hole, Water seeping out from the drainage holes flows along the members that do not require insulation due to surface tension, thereby preventing the winding ends from getting wet. The cooking device according to claim 2.

4. The member that does not require insulation is a member that houses a ferrite core. The cooking device according to claim 3.

5. The cooking appliance is a rice cooker. The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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