Rice washing and cooking apparatus

Abstract

To dry the inside of a rice washing tank by a simple means in a rice washing and cooking device.SOLUTION: A measuring part 10 is provided in a space part A formed between a rice storage tank 4 and a rice washing tank 5, and a cover member 23 forming the space part A is provided with a blower fan 70 in the space part A. In the rice washing and rice cooking device provided with a ventilation part B between the space part A and the rice washing tank 5, a blower fan 70 is provided so as to be switched between normal rotation and reverse rotation, and is driven by the normal rotation during the rice washing and rice cooking operation, and is driven by the reverse rotation after the rice washing operation is finished. Further, a drain valve is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank 5, a dropping valve 39 for dropping and supplying rice and water to the rice cooking pot 6 is provided, and when the blower fan 70 is reversely driven, the drain valve is closed and the dropping valve 39 is opened.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice cooking device that washes rice before cooking, and in particular to a drying means for a rice washing tank. [Background technology]

[0002] In a known configuration of a rice washing and cooking device equipped with a rice washing section and a rice cooking section, a measuring section 10 is provided in space A formed between a rice storage tank 4 and a rice washing tank 5, a blower fan 70 that supplies external air to space A is provided in a cover member 23 that forms space A, and a ventilation section B is provided between space A and the rice washing tank 5 (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-99509 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, the inside of the rice washing tank can be dried, which is effective from a hygienic standpoint, but pressure loss can easily become large depending on the distance from the position of the blower fan that introduces outside air to the rice washing tank.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to dry the inside of a rice washing tank by a simple means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides the following technical means to solve the above problems.

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is a rice washing and cooking device that has a measuring section 10 in space A formed between the rice storage tank 4 and the rice washing tank 5, a blower fan 70 in space A on the cover member 23 that forms space A, and a ventilation section B between space A and the rice washing tank 5. The blower fan 70 is switchable between forward and reverse rotation, and is configured to run in forward rotation during rice washing and cooking operation and run in reverse rotation after the rice washing operation is completed.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, in which a drain valve 64 is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank 5, and a drop valve 39 is provided to drop rice and water into the rice cooker 6, and when the blower fan 70 is driven in reverse, the drain valve 64 is opened and the drop valve 39 is closed.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1, in which a drain valve 64 is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank 5, and a drop valve 39 is provided to drop rice and water into the rice cooker 6, and when the blower fan 70 is driven in reverse, the drain valve 64 is closed and the drop valve 39 is opened.

[0010] The invention described in claim 4 is the invention described in claim 1, in which, when the blower fan 70 is driven in the reverse direction, a drain valve 64 is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank 5, and a drop valve 39 is provided to drop rice and added / adjusted water into the rice cooker 6, and after the rice washing and cooking operation is completed, the drain valve 64 is first opened and the drop valve 39 is closed, and then the drain valve 64 is closed and the drop valve 39 is opened.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which stirring rods 35, 35... are provided in the rice washing tank 5, and when the blower fan 70 is driven in the reverse direction, the stirring rods 35, 35... are driven to rotate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 1, the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried by using the air sucked by the blower fan 70.

[0013] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, when the drain valve 64 is open, the air sucked in by the reverse rotation of the blower fan 70 enters the rice washing tank 5, and the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried.

[0014] According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, when the drop valve 39 is open, the air sucked in as a result of the reverse rotation of the blower fan 70 enters the rice washing tank 5 through the drop port, thereby drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5 and preventing water droplets from inside the rice washing tank 5 from dripping into the rice cooker 6.

[0015] According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, when the drop valve 39 is opened and the suction air is introduced into the rice washing tank 5, the number of water droplets in the rice washing tank 5 is reduced, so that the drying action inside the rice washing tank 5 can be promoted while suppressing the falling of water droplets.

[0016] According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to the effects described in claims 1 to 4, the suction effect can be promoted by rotating the stirring rods 35, 35... to create turbulence in the rice washing tank 5. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a rice washing and cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the rice washing and cooking device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the rice washing and cooking device. [Figure 4] This is an oblique view of the rice storage tank and rice washing tank. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the rice storage tank and rice washing tank. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drum case. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rice washing and cooking device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the partition member and peripheral devices. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partition member and peripheral devices. [Figure 11] 1 is an overall control flowchart of the rice washing and cooking machine. [Figure 12] FIG. 1A is a side view showing the operating state, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the operating state. [Figure 13] This is a table showing the relationship between each valve, etc. and the dryness status of each part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] The support member 1, which frames the U-shaped or square tubular material vertically and horizontally, is composed of a rectangular frame 1a with casters at the bottom, left and right pillars 1b, 1b of a specified width and height, and multiple cross bars 1c, 1c... supported between the left and right pillars 1b, 1b.

[0020] A flat partition member 3 is provided on the crosspiece 1c to accommodate various pieces of equipment, with a rice storage tank 4 above it, a rice washing tank 5 below this rice storage tank 4, and a rice cooking device 6 placed at some distance below the rice washing tank 5. This rice cooking device 6 is made up of a rice cooker 7, a gas range 8 for heating the rice cooker, a drawer-type stand 9, etc. In Figure 1, the drawer side of the stand 9 is the front side, and the back side is the rear side.

[0021] The rice storage tank 4 consists of an upper main tank 4a with a rectangular cross section and a lower funnel-shaped hopper section 4b, with a measuring drum case 10 attached to the bottom of the hopper section 4b. Inside the measuring drum case 10 is a cylindrical drum section 11a with a cutout 11 and a measuring drum 13 consisting of front and rear side walls 12a, 12b. The measuring drum 13 is rotatably supported on the drum case 10 by a horizontal shaft 14 that passes through the front and rear side walls 12a, 12b. A motor 15 is attached to the rear side of the drum case 10 to directly drive the shaft 14. A fixed amount of rice flows down from the rice storage tank 4 through the cutout 11 into the measuring drum 13, and when the cutout 11 rotates downward and reaches the discharge port 16 formed in the drum case 10, the rice flows down and is discharged from the measuring drum 13.

[0022] The partition member 3 is provided with an opening 17 corresponding to the discharge port 16, and is configured so that by rotating the measuring drum 13 a predetermined number of revolutions, a predetermined amount of rice is delivered from the rice storage tank 4 to the rice washing tank 5. In addition, the predetermined amount can be supplied by detecting the number of deliveries detected by a rotation sensor (not shown) that counts the number of deliveries.

[0023] The drum case 10 and funnel-shaped hopper 4b are constructed as an integrated unit, and after removing the upper main tank 4a, the integrated unit of the hopper 4b and drum case 10 can be removed from the partition member 3. That is, at the rear side, an engagement portion 20 is provided that allows an engagement protrusion 19 of the drum case 10 to be engaged with and disengaged from a hook-shaped portion 18 formed on the partition member 3, and at the front side, a detachable engagement stay 21 that can be attached and detached with a screw is provided between the partition member 3 and the drum case 10, and the engagement with the drum case 10 can be released by loosening a screw 22 and rotating the stay 21 around the screw portion. The drum case 10 is formed so that its lower edge fits into the rectangular opening of the partition member 3, but by disengaging the engagement stay 21 and lifting that side slightly upward to release the engagement of the lower edge with the partition member 3, and then pulling it out diagonally from the front toward you, the engagement of the rear lower edge can be released and the case can be released from the engagement of the engagement portion 20.

[0024] The rice storage tank 2 and measuring section are covered externally by a cover member 23, with the left and right side walls and rear wall being fixed to the partition member 3 as appropriate, and the lower half of the front wall 23a configured as a door that can be opened and closed, for example, with the right side as viewed from the front as a fulcrum. The upper half of the front wall 23b is connected to the left and right side walls and configured as a fixed wall. Therefore, inspection and removal of the rice storage tank 2 and drum case 10 can be performed with the lower half of the front wall 23a open. Reference numeral 24 denotes a rectangular cover plate that detachably covers the main tank 4a from above.

[0025] Reference numeral 25 denotes a discharge shutter for discharging rice, which is provided on one side of the funnel-shaped hopper section 4b (the front side in the illustration), and is configured to block the discharge of rice when in an upright position, and by rotating around the pivot support, become an inclined guide chute, allowing the rice inside to be discharged.

[0026] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the measuring drum 13. Gaskets 26a, 26b are installed diagonally between the funnel-shaped lower hopper 4b and the drum case 10 to guide the rice in an inclined direction. The gap between the outer periphery of the measuring drum 13 and the inner periphery of the drum case 10 is a gap t (for example, about 1 mm) that is large enough to prevent the rice from being crushed even if it enters the drum.

[0027] The measuring drum 13 is driven by a motor 15 to repeatedly rotate and stop in a fixed direction A, and the stopping position of the measuring drum 13 is as shown in Fig. 7. That is, a vibrating means (in the illustrated example, a pump 66 for supplying air, which will be described later) is attached to the inclined wall of the side wall of the funnel-shaped hopper 4b near the side where the rear rotation side gasket 26b is present, in order to promote the flow of rice inside, and the opening edge of the measuring drum 13 stops behind the rotation of the vibrating side gasket 26b, and the other opening edge stops in front of the non-vibrating side gasket 26a, so that rice that tries to get in due to the vibration of the vibrating means is blocked by the measuring drum 13, while rice is naturally sent into the measuring drum 13 on the non-vibrating side, thereby stabilizing the accuracy of the feed amount.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the rice washing tank 5 has a receiving tube 31 on the ceiling that guides the rice supplied from the drum case 10, a cylindrical body in the middle, and a hopper-shaped section at the bottom. A jacket 32 ​​is connected to the bottom of the hopper-shaped section of the rice washing tank 3, and a mesh filter 33 with openings large enough to prevent rice grains from leaking out is provided at the boundary between the hopper-shaped section and the jacket 32.

[0029] A vertical rotating shaft 34 is provided in the center of the rice washing tank 5, and a plurality of stirring rods 35, 35... each made by bending a rod into an inverted L shape are attached to this rotating shaft 34 by welding or the like at their upper ends. The rotating shaft 34 is rotated by a rice washing motor 36 via a bevel gear mechanism 37, and the rotation stirs the rice and water in the tank.

[0030] The rotating shaft 34 is a hollow shaft, and the inner shaft 38 is loosely fitted inside the outer hollow shaft 34 so as to be able to slide up and down and extends downward. A conical rice discharge valve 39 is detachably attached to the lower end of this shaft 38. The upper end of the shaft 38 is moved up and down by a linkage mechanism including a cam 41 driven by a rice discharge valve drive motor 40 and a drop arm (described later), thereby controlling the opening and closing of the rice discharge valve 39. When the rice discharge valve 39 opens, the rice in the rice washing tank 5 falls into the inner pot of the rice cooker 6 below.

[0031] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through two systems: an upper water supply route that passes through a main distribution pipe 46 that communicates with a water faucet, an upper water supply valve 47, two flexible upper water supply pipes 48, 48, and upper water supply ports 49, 49 on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5; and a lower water supply route that branches off from the main distribution pipe 46 and passes through a lower water supply valve 50, a distribution pipe 51, a lower water supply port 52, and the jacket portion 32. Each water supply route is equipped with a flow rate sensor.

[0032] That is, two upper water supply pipes 48, 48 that lead to the main water distribution pipe 46 are arranged near the drum case 10, using the partition member 3 as a base, and a lower water supply pipe 53 is connected to a water distribution pipe 51 that passes through the partition member 3.

[0033] Reference numeral 55 denotes a shutter that opens and closes the discharge port 16 in cooperation with the electric motor 15, and the rotation of the motor 15 is connected to a shutter support shaft 58 via link mechanisms 56 and 57, so that the shutter 55 opens when the drum opening is aligned with the discharge port 16. For this reason, the shutter 55 is normally in a closed position, preventing the scattering of water during washing in the rice washing tank 5 and preventing water from entering the measuring drum 13.

[0034] The upper water supply pipes 48, 48 are arranged so as to be located on the left-right center line in a plan view, and this position corresponds to the left-right center line in a plan view of the rice washing tank 5 described below. The drum case 10 is located to the left of the position where the upper water supply pipes 48, 48 are arranged, and the motor 40 for the rice discharge valve 39 and the rice washing motor 36 for driving the stirring rods 35, 35 described below are arranged to the right.

[0035] A drain box 60 is provided at the lower rear of the rice washing tank 5. The drain box 60 has a drain outlet 61 and is connected to the lower end of an overflow pipe 62, the upper end of which opens into the upper side of the rice washing tank 5, and to one end of the jacket portion 32, the other end of which communicates with the jacket portion 32. Water is drained from the jacket portion 32 by opening and closing a drain valve 64, and the water level in the rice washing tank 5 is adjusted while draining water with a water level valve 65.

[0036] The drain box 60 is normally closed by the drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65, but when water is to be drained from the rice washing tank 5, it is drained from the filter 33 of the jacket part 32 through the drain valve 64 and / or the water level valve 65, the drain box 60 and the drain port 61. The drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65 are opened and closed by appropriate opening and closing outputs. In addition, a water level sensor 68 is provided at the top inside the rice washing tank 3 to detect the amount of water in the rice washing tank 5.

[0037] The overflow pipe 62 has a horizontal pipe section 62a connected near the upper end of the rice washing tank 3 and a vertical pipe section 62b connected to this horizontal pipe section 62a, and the lower end of the vertical pipe section 62b is connected to the drain box 60. The upper end of the vertical pipe section 62b is extended upward, and this extension pipe section 62c is appropriately fixed and supported by a mounting holder 69 provided on the lower surface of the partition member 3 in a state where it penetrates the partition member 3.

[0038] The substantially closed space A within the cover member 23, between the bottom of the rice storage tank 4 and the partition member 3, houses the measuring unit 10, various drive units, piping, etc., but is breathable to prevent water vapor from building up. That is, a blower fan 70 is located on one side wall of the cover member 23 and is constantly energized and driven while the device is in operation, allowing outside air to be supplied into the space A. The air that enters the space A flows through the space A as needed and is exhausted to the outside of the machine through mesh holes, etc., as described below. Therefore, the flow of outside air reduces humidity within the space A, which is exposed to water vapor rising during rice cooking.

[0039] The controller 71 is disposed on the inner surface of the cover member 23 on the side facing the blower fan 70, and moisture can be removed by providing ventilation to the controller 71. If the upper end opening of the extension pipe portion 62c is visible near the controller 71, for example, below the front of the controller 71, an appropriate air flow is generated, and the air that acts on the controller 71 can be efficiently introduced into the extension pipe portion 62c.

[0040] By passing the extension 62c of the overflow pipe 62 through the partition member 3 as described above, the upper opening faces into the space A, and ventilation air from the blower fan 70 is supplied into the rice washing tank 5 through the overflow pipe 62. In other words, air entering from the upper end of the extension pipe 62c of the overflow pipe 62 passes through the extension 62c and horizontal pipe 62a and enters the rice washing tank 5. This has the effect of drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. In this way, by forming a ventilation section B such as the extension pipe 62c of the overflow pipe 62 between the space A and the rice washing tank 5, the circulating air from the ventilation fan 70 can be introduced into the rice washing tank 5, and the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried.

[0041] Furthermore, if the extension pipe section 62c of the overflow pipe 62 is provided as the ventilation section B, even if dust in the space section A is carried by air, this dust will fall through the vertical pipe section 62b of the overflow pipe 62 and reach the drain box 60, and there is little risk of this dust entering the rice washing tank 5.

[0042] A mesh 73 made of a ventilation net or punched metal may be attached to the upper end of the extension pipe portion 62c (ventilation portion B) to prevent foreign matter from entering.

[0043] A hollow portion C is provided below the bottom surface of space portion A surrounded by cover member 23, partition member 3, etc., to accommodate various harnesses (not shown). More specifically, partition member 3 is formed by drawing and integrally molding the side walls, and a bottom plate 72 is provided below it in a lid-like manner to form hollow portion C (Fig. 3). Note that a mesh-like body 74 made of a ventilating net or punched metal is attached to an appropriate position on partition member 3 so as to communicate with hollow portion C. In this case, the mesh size of mesh-like body 73 at the upper end of extension tube portion 62c (ventilating portion B) is smaller than the mesh size of mesh-like body 74 disposed in an appropriate position on partition member 3, thereby improving the effect of preventing the entry of foreign objects, particularly microscopic insects.

[0044] Next, the water level sensor 68 will be described. The water level sensor 68 is provided to detect whether the water level in the rice washing tank 5 is at or just about to reach an overflow state or has already reached an overflow state. It has a known configuration, including a detection electrode 68a (water level detection unit) that detects a change in capacitance based on the presence or absence of the water level to detect when the predetermined water level has been reached. The water level sensor 68 is detachably supported on the partition member 3. The detection electrode 68a is connected and fixed to the supporting base member 68b. That is, the detection electrode 68a is connected and fixed to the base member 68b at a location on the upper surface of the partition member 3 close to the front wall lower half 23a of the cover member 23. The water level sensor 68 is fixed to the base member 68b by fastening and loosening two rotation lock pieces 75, one on each side, with butterfly bolts 76, respectively. The butterfly bolts 76 can be rotated manually, making the installation tool-less. Removing the base member 68b opens a large opening 77 formed in the partition member 3. Therefore, by opening the front wall lower half 23a of the cover member 23, an operator can visually check the inside of the rice washing tank 5 through the opening 77 that opens on the front side.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the water level detection section of the water level sensor 68 is in the form of an electrode that can detect the presence or absence of capacitance, but it can also be in various other configurations, such as a float type that can turn an electrical contact on and off as the float rises.

[0046] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through two routes: an upper water supply route via the upper water supply port 48 on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5, and a lower water supply route from the lower water supply port 51 via the jacket section 32. An air jet pipe 67, which is connected to a pump 66 and jets air, is arranged in parallel to the lower water supply pipe 52 of the lower water supply route, so that the air is jetted into the jacket section 32 in parallel with the water from the lower water supply route. The lower water supply pipe 52 and the air jet pipe 67 are both located eccentrically from the center of the jacket section 32 in Figure 12(b), making it easier to generate a swirling flow of mixed air and water.

[0047] During the rice washing operation in the rice washing tank 5, the rotation direction of the large and small stirring rods 35, 35... attached to the rotary shaft 34 in the rice washing tank 5, the water jetting direction from the lower water supply route, and the air jetting direction from the air jetting pipe 67 are configured to be opposite to each other.

[0048] In addition, supplying air through the air ejection pipe 67 when the rice washing tank 5 is empty contributes to drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. For this reason, the switch means for driving the pump 66 can be turned on even when the rice is not being washed, so that the operator can optionally dry the rice washing tank 5. This air supply by driving the pump 66 may be performed independently, or may be performed in conjunction with the air supply from the communication part B.

[0049] Next, the operation of the rice cooking device will be described.

[0050] First, the control unit of the computer (not shown) is configured to set the conditions necessary for operating the rice cooking device, such as the amount of rice to be cooked, the rice washing time (the rotation time of the stirring rod 35), the rice polishing time (the rotation time of the stirring rod 35), and the soaking time in the rice washing tank or kettle, using an operation panel (operation display device) 80 arranged on the lower half 23a of the front wall of the cover member 23. It is equipped with an LCD display screen 81, and the above conditions necessary for washing and cooking rice can be set while displaying and guiding the functions and operation procedures of the surrounding switch group 82.

[0051] The operation of the above example will be explained.

[0052] Turn on the power switch, set the rice cooking conditions by following the operations on the operation panel 80, and after setting the various rice cooking conditions, turn on the start switch, and the operation will begin according to the rice cooking flow shown in Figure 11.

[0053] That is, first, the power switch is turned on (Step 1), then the rice cooking conditions are set and input (Step 2), and when the start switch 75 is pressed (Step 3), the rice in the rice storage tank 4 is weighed in the measuring drum in Step 4, the set amount of rice is supplied to the rice washing tank 5, and the rice is washed in Step 5.

[0054] Step 5, the rice washing process, consists of a bran removal process in which the rice is stirred while water is dripping, a polishing process in which the rice is first supplied with water, then drained and stirred in a wet state, a rough rinsing process in which the rice is stirred at a specified water level, and a final rinsing process in which the rice is stirred while water overflows from the tank.

[0055] After the rice washing process in step 5 above, the next step is the water adjustment process in step 6.

[0056] In step 7, the washed rice in the rice washing tank 5 and the water measured according to the amount of water added in step 3 are dropped into the rice cooker 7 by opening and closing the rice discharge valve 39.

[0057] In step 8, the rice in the rice cooker 7 is soaked in water for a specified time. After the specified time has passed, the rice is ignited in step 9, cooked in step 10, steamed in step 11, and cooked to the specified standard in step 12.

[0058] Before turning on the start switch, the reservation screen can be displayed by operating the reservation switch, and the cooking completion time can be set in advance, so that the rice can be cooked at the scheduled time.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the water level is gradually reduced from the full state of the rice washing tank by opening the water level valve 65 to ensure a predetermined amount of water, but the invention is not limited to this configuration; for example, a flow rate sensor may be provided to manage the amount of water supplied.

[0060] The blower fan 70 is configured to operate continuously during the rice-washing and cooking operation after the start switch is turned on, but also to operate for a predetermined time after the rice-cooking operation has ended. This configuration allows the inside of the rice-washing tank 5 to be dried after the rice-cooking operation has ended. After the rice-cooking operation, the drain valve 64 and the drop valve 39 are set to be closed and the drain valve 64 open when the blower fan 70 is operating. Therefore, the air blown by the blower fan 70 is introduced from the extension pipe portion 62c and enters the upper side of the rice-washing tank 5 through the horizontal pipe portion 62a, and also enters the lower side of the rice-washing tank 5 through the vertical pipe portion 62b and the drain box 60, thereby improving drying efficiency compared to air supplied only from the upper side.

[0061] Next, an improved configuration of the blowing and drying means using the blower fan 70 will be described. The blower fan 70 was previously configured to simply supply external air to the space A, but by configuring the blower fan as a forward / reverse rotating fan, the rice washing tank 5 can be dried more efficiently. That is, as described above, after rice cooking operation, the air blown by the blower fan 70 is introduced from the extension pipe portion 62c and enters the upper side of the rice washing tank 5 through the horizontal pipe portion 62a, and then enters the lower side of the rice washing tank 5 through the vertical pipe portion 62b and the drain box 60 to dry the rice washing tank 5. However, depending on the distance from the blower fan 70, pressure loss cannot be ignored. Therefore, the inside of the rice washing tank 5 is dried more efficiently by reversing the rotation of the blower fan 70 as described above.

[0062] The blower fan 70 is designed to be switchable between forward and reverse rotation, and is linked to the open / closed states of the drain valve 64 and the drop valve 39 to improve drying efficiency. After rice cooking is complete, it is preferable to pull out the rice cooker 6 and allow normal air, without steam, to exist below the rice washing tank 5. When a reverse command signal is output to the blower fan 70 to rotate in reverse, suction air is generated, drawing in outside air from the ventilation section of the equipment surrounding the rice washing tank 5. In conjunction with the status of this peripheral equipment, the suction air generated by the blower fan 70 in the reverse rotation performs a drying function as follows:

[0063] When the drain valve 64 is opened, outside air flows in from the drain port 61 into the rice washing tank 5 and the overflow pipe 62, where it dries the rice (Nos. (2) to (7) in FIG. 13).

[0064] Furthermore, when the dropping valve 39 is opened, outside air is introduced into the rice washing tank 5 through the dropping port, drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. This may be used in conjunction with the opening of the drain valve 64, or each may be opened independently. Even if the rice cooking pot 6 is not pulled out and is positioned below the rice washing tank 5, the open state of the dropping valve 39 creates suction air flow at the dropping port, preventing water droplets in the rice washing tank 5 from dripping into the rice cooking pot 6 (Fig. 13, Nos. (3), (4), and (6)).

[0065] When the blower fan 70 is driven in the reverse direction, after the rice-washing and cooking operation is completed, the drain valve 64 is first opened and the drop valve 39 is closed for a predetermined time. After this predetermined time, the drain valve 64 is closed and the drop valve 39 is opened, and the blower fan 70 continues to be driven in the reverse direction. As a result, when the drop valve 39 is opened and suction air is introduced into the rice-washing tank 5, the number of water droplets in the rice-washing tank 5 has decreased, so that the drying action inside the rice-washing tank 5 can be promoted while suppressing the fall of water droplets.

[0066] In conjunction with the opening of the drain valve 64 and the dropping valve 39, the stirring rods 35, 35... are rotated to stir the outside air sucked into the rice washing tank 5, thereby promoting the drying effect (Nos. (4) to (7) in FIG. 13).

[0067] Furthermore, by rotating the measuring drum 13, the cutout portion 11 faces downward, and the outside air that is sucked in acts to dry the measuring drum 13 (No. (6) and (7) in FIG. 13).

[0068] When the blower fan 70 is rotated in the reverse direction with the drain valve 64 and the drop valve 39 closed, outside air is drawn into the overflow pipe 62 from the drain outlet 61, and the inside of the overflow pipe 62 can be dried.

[0069] In the improved embodiment, during the rice washing and cooking operation, the blower fan 70 is rotated forward to supply outside air to the space A as described above, but after the rice cooking operation, the blower fan 70 is rotated in the reverse direction to promote drying of the rice washing tank 5 (Figure 13 No. (1)). [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 4 Rice storage tank 5 Rice washing tank 6. Rice cooker 10 Measuring part 23 Cover member 35 Stirring rod 39 Drop valve 64 Drain valve 70 Blower fan A space part

Claims

1. In this rice washing and cooking device, a measuring section (10) is provided in a space (A) formed between a rice storage tank (4) and a rice washing tank (5), a blower fan (70) for supplying outside air to the space (A) is provided in a cover member (23) that forms the space (A), and a ventilation section (B) is provided between the space (A) and the rice washing tank (5), and the blower fan (70) is switchable between forward and reverse rotation, and is configured to be driven in forward rotation during rice washing and cooking operation and to be driven in reverse rotation after the rice washing operation is completed.

2. 2. The rice washing and cooking device according to claim 1, wherein a drain valve (64) is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank (5), a drop valve (39) is provided for dropping rice and water into the rice cooker (6), and when the blower fan (70) is driven in reverse, the drain valve (64) is opened and the drop valve (39) is closed.

3. 2. The rice washing and cooking device according to claim 1, wherein a drain valve (64) is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank (5), a drop valve (39) is provided for dropping rice and water into the rice cooker (6), and when the blower fan (70) is driven in reverse, the drain valve (64) is closed and the drop valve (39) is opened.

4. 2. The rice washing and cooking device according to claim 1, wherein when the blower fan (70) is driven in the reverse direction, a drain valve (64) is provided on the drain side of the rice washing tank (5), and a drop valve (39) is provided for dropping rice and added / adjusted water into the rice cooking pot (6), and after the rice washing and cooking operation is completed, the drain valve (64) is first opened and the drop valve (39) is closed, and then the drain valve (64) is closed and the drop valve (39) is opened, and the blower fan (70) is continuously driven during the rice washing and cooking operation and is also driven for a predetermined time after the rice cooking operation.

5. 5. The rice washing and cooking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stirring rod (35, 35...) is provided in the rice washing tank (5), and the stirring rod (35, 35...) is rotated when the blower fan (70) is driven in the reverse direction.

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