Cooker

Abstract

To provide a cooker in which rattling of an operation dial is reduced and rotation can be performed smoothly.SOLUTION: A cooker 10 of the present invention includes an operation unit 20 including: an operation board 30; a dial knob 41 having a circular outer periphery that is held and rotated by a user; an operation dial 40 formed with a dial flange 42 having an annular shape, outward in a lower edge side of the dial knob; a first plate 70 attached to a front side of the operation board, having a first hole 71 through which the dial knob penetrates, and having a front side in which a rear surface of the dial flange slides in a peripheral edge of the first hole; and a second plate 80 attached to the front side of the first plate, having a second hole 81 through which the dial knob penetrates, and having a rear side in which a front surface of the dial flange slides in a peripheral edge of the second hole. The first plate is formed with a projection 75 that contacts the dial flange on a transition path of the rear surface of the dial flange to suppress rattling.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking appliance such as a rice cooker, and more particularly to a cooking appliance equipped with an operation unit that can reduce rattle of an operation dial. [Background technology]

[0002] Some cooking appliances, such as rice cookers and electric pressure cookers, use an operation dial to select a cooking menu, select a cooking time, set the current time, or set a timer time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By rotating the operation dial left or right, the rotation is detected by a rotation detection unit, such as a rotary switch, provided on the operation board, and various settings can be made. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-078885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The operation dial is rotatably supported on a mounting part such as an exterior cover, but if there is a large clearance between the mounting part and the operation dial, the operation dial will wobble. On the other hand, if the clearance between the operation dial and the mounting part is zero, friction will occur when the operation dial rotates, and the operation dial will not rotate smoothly.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance that can reduce rattle of an operation dial and enable smooth rotation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cooker of the present invention comprises: an outer casing having an opening; an operation unit that is attached to the opening and that inputs operations; Including, The operation unit includes: an operation board having a rotation detection unit; an operation dial whose rotation is detected by the rotation detection unit, the operation dial having a circular outer periphery dial knob that is gripped and rotated by a user, and an annular dial flange formed outward on the lower edge of the dial knob; a first plate attached to the front side of the operation board, having a first hole through which the dial knob passes, the back surface of the dial flange slidingly contacting the periphery of the first hole on the front side; a second plate attached to the front side of the first plate, having a second hole through which the dial knob passes, and on the back side thereof, the surface of the dial flange slidingly contacts the periphery of the second hole; having A cooking appliance, The first plate has a protrusion formed on the rear surface of the dial flange on the transition path, which abuts against the dial flange and suppresses rattle.

[0007] The first plate may have a tongue portion cut out on three sides, and the protrusion may be formed at a tip of the tongue portion.

[0008] The first plate may be configured such that a plurality of tongue portions are formed on the transition path on the rear surface of the dial flange.

[0009] The tongue portion may have an arc shape that follows the transition path on the back surface of the dial flange.

[0010] The dial knob is cylindrical, A push-button is provided inside the dial knob and is slidable in the axial direction relative to the dial knob, The operation board may be configured to include a pressure detection unit that is pressed by the press operation button. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the cooker of the present invention, the operation dial of the operation unit can reduce rattle by pressing the dial flange against the second plate with tension applied by the protrusion of the first plate. Also, the contact area between the dial flange and the first plate can be reduced, allowing for smooth rotation of the operation dial. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric pressure cooker equipped with an operation unit of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1 and seen in the direction of the arrow. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the operation unit taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the exterior casing and the operation unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a front view of the inner plate (first plate). [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the inner plate (first plate). [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inner plate (first plate) and the outer plate (second plate) to which the operation dials are attached, as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the operation unit with the outer plate (second plate) removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the rectangular area B in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The following describes an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a heat and pressure cooker (electric pressure cooker 10). However, the present invention can also be applied to various other cookers, such as pressure rice cookers, thermal cookers, soup jars, food processors, mixers, blenders, electric pots, electric kettles, microwave ovens, ovens, toasters, and induction cookers.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a front view of an electric pressure cooker 10 (hereinafter referred to as "pressure cooker") according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the operation unit 20, and FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the outer casing 14 and the operation unit 20.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, pressure cooker 10 has a pressure cooker body 12, which serves as the cooking appliance main body, and a lid 16 attached to the top of the pressure cooker body 12 in an openable and closable manner. Lid 16 is connected to the rear end of pressure cooker body 12 by hinge 13. Lid 16 is biased in the opening direction by spring 13a, and can be opened by pressing open button 17 located on the front of lid 16. Lid 16 can also be closed by pressing the front side of lid 16 downward and toward you.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the pressure cooker 10 of this embodiment is provided with a pressurizing mechanism 18 in the lid 16 for pressurizing the inner pot 11. The pressurizing mechanism 18 has a steam passage 18a in the lid 16 that connects the inner pot 11 to the outside, and a pressure valve 18b that blocks the steam passage 18a to keep the inside of the inner pot 11 airtight. The pressure valve 18b can be operated using a pressurizing operation button 18c that protrudes from the top surface of the lid 16. For example, the pressurizing operation button 18c can have a knock cam structure, and each time the pressurizing operation button 18c is pressed, the inside of the inner pot 11 can be switched between a pressurizable state and a non-pressurizable state.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressure cooker body 12 is covered by an exterior casing 14. As shown in Figure 2, an inner pot 11 into which ingredients are placed is removably housed inside the exterior casing 14. The inner pot 11 is heated and kept warm by a heater 15 located on the bottom side.

[0018] Various operations on the pressure cooker 10, such as starting cooking, selecting a cooking menu or cooking time, and setting the current time and timer, can be performed using an operation unit 20 provided on the front of the pressure cooker body 12. As shown in Figure 4, the operation unit 20 is attached to an opening 14a formed in the front of the exterior casing 14. An operation unit engaging portion 14b for attaching the operation unit 20 is formed on the inner surface of the opening 14a. In the illustration, the operation unit engaging portion 14b is a claw-shaped member.

[0019] 3 and 4, the operation unit 20 includes switches 40, 50, and 60 operated by the user, an operation board 30 that accepts operations of the switches 40, 50, and 60, an inner plate 70 arranged on the front side (front side in the illustration) of the operation board 30, and an outer plate 80 arranged on the front side (front side in the illustration) of the inner plate 70. In the illustration, the operation unit 20 is attached to the exterior casing 14 so that the outer plate 80 is flush with the exterior casing 14. The inner plate 70 corresponds to the first plate of the present invention, and the outer plate 80 corresponds to the second plate of the present invention.

[0020] In this embodiment, the switches 40, 50, 60 of the operation unit 20 are a rotary operation dial 40, a push button 50 provided on the operation dial 40, and a plurality of non-contact switches 60. In the present invention, the operation dial 40 is an essential component, and the other switches 50, 60 can be installed as needed, and their configurations and forms are not important.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation dial 40 has a dial knob 41 with a circular outer periphery and a dial flange 42 that protrudes outward from the lower edge side of the dial knob 41 (the front side in FIG. 4).

[0022] The dial knob 41 is a member that the user grips and rotates during operation, and has anti-slip irregularities formed on its outer periphery along the axial direction. The dial knob 41 passes through a dial outer hole 81 provided in an outer plate 80 (described later) and is attached so that the center of rotation is perpendicular to the operation board 30.

[0023] In this embodiment, the dial knob 41 is cylindrical, and the push-operated button 50 is fitted inside. For this reason, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the dial knob 41 is formed with an inner flange 43 that faces inward and continues from the lower edge side to the dial flange 42, and a button support cylinder 44 for the push-operated button 50 is formed from the inner flange 43 toward the surface. The inner flange 43 constitutes a part of the dial flange 42.

[0024] A detector engagement piece 45 protrudes from the back side of the inner flange 43. The detector engagement piece 45 engages with the rotation detection unit 31 of the operation board 30 (described later) and rotates the rotation detection unit 31 integrally. The detector engagement piece 45 is concentric with the dial knob 41 and protrudes from a circumference with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the dial knob 41. The detector engagement piece 45 passes through a dial inner hole 71 provided in the inner plate 70.

[0025] As described above, the dial flange 42 is an annular member that protrudes outward from the lower edge side of the dial knob 41. The outer diameter of the dial flange 42 is formed to be larger than the inner diameters of the dial outer hole 81 and the dial inner hole 71, and when the operation dial 40 is fitted into the dial outer hole 81 and the dial inner hole 71, the operation dial 40 is prevented from falling out of these holes 71, 81.

[0026] The rear surface of the dial flange 42 is adapted to come into contact with a protrusion 75 formed on the inner plate 70 (described later) in order to prevent the operation dial 40 from rattling.

[0027] The surface of the dial flange 42 abuts against the back surface of the outer plate 80. In order to reduce frictional resistance with the outer plate 80, the dial flange 42 has a curled portion 42a that is bent at its outer periphery toward the surface, and the tip of the curled portion 42a abuts against the outer plate 80.

[0028] The press operation button 50 is housed in the dial knob 41 of the operation dial 40. The press operation button 50 has a fitting cylinder portion 51 formed on its outer periphery that fits onto the outer periphery of the button support cylinder 44 described above, and the tip of the fitting cylinder portion 51 is bent inward and connected to a pressing shaft portion 52 that extends in the axial direction. A pressing element 53 that engages with the pressing detection portion 32 of the operation board 30 is formed on the lower end (back side) of the pressing shaft portion 52. The upper end (front side) of the pressing shaft portion 52 is covered with a cap 54 that the user touches when pressing.

[0029] The non-contact switch 60 can be, for example, a capacitance switch, and can have a configuration in which a coil spring 61 serving as an operator is provided so as to protrude from the operation board 30 .

[0030] The above-mentioned switches 40, 50, 60 are arranged on the operation board 30, as shown in Fig. 4 etc. The arrangement and number of the switches are not limited to this, but in Figs. 1 and 4, the operation dial 40 (including the push-button 50) is arranged slightly below the center of the operation unit 20, and two non-contact switches 60 are arranged on each side of the operation dial 40.

[0031] The operation board 30 is a plate-like body made of a hard synthetic resin such as an epoxy board. The operation board 30 detects the operation of the switches 40, 50, and 60 and transmits an operation signal to the control board 19 of the pressure cooker 10. In this embodiment, the control board 19 is located on the rear side of the pressure cooker body 12, as shown in FIG. 2. Although a detailed description will be omitted, the control board 19 has a control unit such as a microcomputer, and controls the pressure cooker 10 by operating the heater 15 and other components in accordance with a pre-stored cooking program.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 4, the operation board 30 is formed with detection units 31, 32, and 33 that detect the operation of the switches 40, 50, and 60. For example, the operation board 30 is provided with a rotation detection unit 31 for detecting the rotation of the operation dial 40, a pressure detection unit 32 for the push button 50, and a capacitance detection unit 33 for the non-contact switch 60 that detects a change in capacitance when the user's finger touches a coil spring 61. The rotation detection unit 31 is, for example, a rotary encoder. The switch pressure detection unit 32 incorporates a spring or the like that biases the push button 50 toward the front side, and detects the pressure when the push button 50 is pressed by the user, and returns the push button 50 to its original position when the pressure is released.

[0033] The operation board 30 is also provided with a display unit 34 that displays various information about the pressure cooker 10, such as the current time, remaining timer time, cooking completion time, cooking menu, etc. In this embodiment, the display unit 34 is made up of LEDs 34a and 34b, but may also be a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the LEDs 34a and 34b in this embodiment are arranged above the operation dial 40, and are LEDs 34a and 34b that digitally display the time and LEDs 34b that are arranged around it and display the cooking menu, etc.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, an inner plate 70 is arranged on the surface of the operation board 30. Figures 5 and 6 are views of the inner plate 70 as seen from the front side, and Figure 7 is a perspective view of the inner plate 70 to which the operation dial 40 and the press operation button 50 are attached, and the outer plate 80, as seen from the back side. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the inner plate 70 has holes 71 and 72 through which the operation dial 40 and the non-contact switch 60 pass, and a window hole 73 through which light from the LEDs 34a and 34b passes. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the window holes 73 for the LEDs 34a and 34b of the inner plate 70 are covered on the front side with a translucent cover 74.

[0035] The hole through which the operation dial 40 passes is the above-mentioned dial inner hole 71. The dial inner hole 71 corresponds to the first hole of the present invention. A protrusion 75 is formed around the dial inner hole 71 at a position facing the transition path of the dial flange 42 of the operation dial 40. The protrusion 75 has a height that abuts against the back surface of the dial flange 42 when the dial flange 42 of the operation dial 40 is sandwiched between the inner plate 70 and the outer plate 80. More specifically, the protrusion 75 has a height that applies tension to the dial flange 42 so that the operation dial 40 can rotate freely without rattle. If the protrusion 75 is lower than this height, the dial flange 42 will not be supported properly, causing the operation dial 40 to rattle. On the other hand, if the protrusion 75 is higher than this height, the operation dial 40 will become stiff and difficult to rotate.

[0036] By forming multiple, preferably three or more, protrusions 75, it is possible to support the dial flange 42 without tilting. In this embodiment, there are three protrusions 75, which are arranged at 120° intervals on a circle concentric with the rotation center of the operation dial 40 (see FIG. 5).

[0037] As shown in Fig. 3 and Figs. 8 and 9 which show the abutting state of the protrusion 75 and the dial flange 42, when the operation unit 20 is assembled, the protrusion 75 applies tension to the dial flange 42 from the back side in the direction of arrow C and presses it against the outer plate 80. As a result, as shown in Fig. 3, the dial flange 42 is sandwiched between the protrusion 75 and the outer plate 80, reducing rattling of the operation dial 40. Furthermore, because the only part of the dial flange 42 that comes into contact with the inner plate 70 is the protrusion 75, the contact area with the inner plate 70 is reduced, which reduces frictional resistance when the operation dial 40 rotates and allows for smoother rotation.

[0038] The protrusion 75 desirably has spring properties in both the front and back directions. This allows for reduced interference due to elastic deformation even when the inner plate 70, outer plate 80, and dial flange 42 have thickness tolerances (even if they are narrow) when assembling the operation unit 20. For example, the protrusion 75 can be provided with spring properties by forming a resin spring on the inner plate 70 and forming a protrusion on the resin spring. As a specific embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, a tongue portion 76 with three notches is formed on the outer periphery of the dial bore 71. Reference numeral 77 indicates the notched portion. The protrusion 75 is formed at the tip of the tongue portion 76, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6. Because the tongue portion 76 is notched on three sides (reference numeral 77), the protrusion 75 has spring properties, bending and elastically deforming when subjected to pressure. Furthermore, by providing spring properties to the protrusion 75, the operation dial 40 can be slightly depressed backward when the user rotates the operation dial 40, improving operability.

[0039] As described above, by providing the tongue portion 76 having spring properties on the inner plate 70, it is not necessary to dispose a separate spacer such as an O-ring or spring between the dial flange 42 and the inner plate 70 in order to reduce rattle of the dial flange 42. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the assembly process.

[0040] 5 and 6, the tongue portion 76 is preferably formed in an arc shape that follows the transition path of the dial flange 42. This allows the formation area of ​​the tongue portion 76 to be contained within the outer diameter of the dial flange 42, reducing interference with the switch 60 and LEDs 34a, 34b arranged around it.

[0041] 1 to 4, the outer plate 80 is a plate in which an outer dial hole 81 is formed, through which the dial knob 41 of the operation dial 40 passes. The outer dial hole 81 corresponds to the second hole of the present invention.

[0042] The outer plate 80 may be made of resin, and is continuous with the exterior casing 14 to form part of the exterior. In this embodiment, the outer plate 80 is made of transparent resin so that the light from the LEDs 34a and 34b can be seen.

[0043] 4, the outer plate 80 has an attachment engaging portion 82 formed on its periphery for attaching the operation section unit 20 to the opening 14a of the exterior casing 14. The illustrated attachment engaging portion 82 is a protruding piece having an engagement hole that engages with the operation section unit engaging portion 14b of the exterior casing 14.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 4, the operation unit 20 is constructed by placing the inner plate 70 on the operation board 30 with the coil spring 61 of the non-contact switch 60 already attached to the operation board 30. Then, the detection unit engagement piece 45 of the operation dial 40 is inserted through the dial inner hole 71 to engage with the rotation detection unit 31. As a result, the dial flange 42 of the operation dial 40 comes into contact with the protrusion 75.

[0045] Next, in any order, the press operation button 50 is attached to the operation dial 40, and the outer plate 80 is placed over the inner plate 70. The press operation button 50 has the pressing element 53 inserted through the button support tube 44 of the operation dial 40 and engaged with the pressure detection unit 32, and the fitting tube portion 51 is fitted into the button support tube 44. The outer plate 80 is attached to the inner plate 70 with the dial knob 41 passed through the dial outer hole 81. In this way, the operation unit 20 is produced.

[0046] The obtained operation unit 20 can be attached to the outer casing 14 by fitting it into the opening 14a of the outer casing 14 as shown in Figure 2 and engaging the mounting engagement portion 82 of the outer plate 80 shown in Figure 4 with the operation unit engagement portion 14b of the outer casing 14.

[0047] Then, the pressure cooker 10 is completed by attaching other parts to the outer casing 14 and then attaching the lid 16.

[0048] The pressure cooker 10 is operated by operating the switches 40, 50, and 60 of the operation unit 20, and cooking can be performed.

[0049] The user grips and rotates the dial knob 41 of the operation dial 40 when selecting a cooking menu, selecting a cooking time, setting the current time or timer time, etc. The rotation of the operation dial 40 is detected by the rotation detection unit 31.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 to 4, the operation dial 40 is supported by sandwiching the dial flange 42 between the protrusion 75 provided on the inner plate 70 and the outer plate 80. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, tension is applied to the dial flange 42 from the back side by the protrusion 75 as indicated by arrow C, which reduces rattle when stationary and when rotating. Furthermore, since the dial flange 42 of the operation dial 40 contacts the inner plate 70 only through the protrusion 75, frictional resistance during rotation is significantly reduced, allowing for smooth rotation. In particular, by providing the protrusion 75 on the springy tongue portion 76, elastic deformation of the tongue portion 76 can be prevented, even with large component tolerances, from applying excessive tension to the dial flange 42, preventing stiffness in rotation of the operation dial 40.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation dial 40 is configured so that only the tip of the curled portion 42a on the front side of the dial flange 42 abuts against the outer plate 80. This reduces frictional resistance when the operation dial 40 is rotated, allowing for smooth rotation.

[0052] When the user presses the cap 54, the press operation button 50 retracts toward the operation board 30 inside the operation dial 40, and the operation is detected by the press detection unit 32. When the user touches the outer plate 80 corresponding to the tip of the coil spring 61 of the non-contact switch 60, a change in capacitance is detected by the capacitance detection unit 33.

[0053] By operating these switches 40, 50, 60, various settings and cooking operations of the pressure cooker 10 can be performed, and the details of these operations can be confirmed through the outer plate 80 by the LEDs 34a, 34b lighting up or flashing.

[0054] 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.

[0055] The operation unit 20 of the present invention is not limited to cooking appliances, but can also be applied to other household electrical appliances and devices having an operation dial 40. For example, the operation unit 20 can be applied to volume dials of audio equipment, various setting dials in cars, and various setting dials in machine tools. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10 Electric pressure cooker (cooker) 14 Outer casing 14a opening 20 Operation unit 30 Operation board 31 Rotation detection unit 40 Operation Dial 41 Dial knob 42 Dial flange 50 Press-button 60 Non-contact switch 70 Inner plate (first plate) 75 Protrusion 76 Tongue part 80 Outer plate (second plate)

Claims

1. an outer casing having an opening; an operation unit that is attached to the opening and that inputs operations; Including, The operation unit includes: an operation board having a rotation detection unit; an operation dial whose rotation is detected by the rotation detection unit, the operation dial having a circular outer periphery dial knob that is gripped and rotated by a user, and an annular dial flange formed outward on the lower edge of the dial knob; a first plate attached to the front side of the operation board, having a first hole through which the dial knob passes, the back surface of the dial flange slidingly contacting the periphery of the first hole on the front side; a second plate attached to the front side of the first plate, having a second hole through which the dial knob passes, and on the back side thereof, the surface of the dial flange slidingly contacts the periphery of the second hole; having A cooking appliance, The first plate has a protrusion formed on the back surface of the dial flange on the transition path, which abuts against the dial flange and suppresses rattle. Cooker.

2. The first plate has a tongue portion cut out on three sides, and the protrusion is formed at a tip of the tongue portion. The cooking device according to claim 1 .

3. The first plate has a plurality of tongue portions formed on a transition path on the rear surface of the dial flange. The cooking device according to claim 2 .

4. The tongue portion has an arc shape that follows the transition path on the back surface of the dial flange. The cooking device according to claim 3.

5. The dial knob is cylindrical, A push-button is provided inside the dial knob and is slidable in the axial direction relative to the dial knob, The operation board includes a pressure detection unit that is pressed by the pressure operation button. The cooking device according to claim 4.

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