Rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of suppressing the execution of a rice cooking process without attaching a lid body.SOLUTION: The rice cooker includes a pot, a pot container which detachably stores the pot and to which a lid body covering an upper opening of the pot is detachably attached, a housing having a placing surface on which the pot container is placed, and a weight detection part which detects the weight of the pot container. The rice cooker includes a load member provided so as to be brought into contact with a lid body, a moving part for moving the load member to a first position in contact with the lid body and a second position away from the first position, a heating part for heating a pot in a pot container, and a control part for controlling the moving part and the heating part to execute a rice cooking process. The control part does not execute the rice cooking process when a difference between a first detection weight by the weight detection part when the load member is moved to the first position by controlling the moving part and a second detection weight by the weight detection part when the load member is moved to the second position is within a predetermined range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rice cooker. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional rice cooker of this type is known, for example, from Patent Document 1 (JP 2023-4398 A). Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker that includes a pot, a pot container that detachably houses the pot, a detachable lid that covers the upper opening of the pot, a housing with a mounting surface on which the pot container is placed, and a weight detection unit that detects the weight of the pot container placed on the mounting surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-4398 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, the user slides the pot container from the side of the housing toward the inside of the housing to place it on the placement surface. The user places a pot in the pot container and attaches a lid. This can lead to the user forgetting to attach the lid and placing the pot container on the placement surface. In this case, the rice cooking process can be performed without the lid attached. Therefore, conventional rice cookers still have room for improvement in terms of preventing the rice cooking process from being performed without the lid attached.

[0005] Therefore, the object of the present disclosure is to solve the above problem and to provide a rice cooker that can prevent the rice cooking process from being performed when the lid is not attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the rice cooker according to the present disclosure comprises a pot, a pot container that detachably accommodates the pot and has a detachable lid that covers an upper opening of the pot; a housing having a mounting surface on which the pot is placed; a weight detection unit that detects the weight of the pot placed on the placement surface; a load member disposed above the mounting surface and capable of contacting the lid; a moving unit that moves the load member between a first position in contact with the lid and a second position away from the first position; a heating unit that heats the pot in the pot container placed on the placement surface; a control unit that controls the moving unit and the heating unit to execute a rice cooking process including a heating process of heating the pot; Equipped with the control unit does not execute the rice cooking process when a difference between a first weight detected by the weight detection unit when the movement unit is controlled to move the load member to the first position and a second weight detected by the weight detection unit when the movement unit is controlled to move the load member to the second position is within a predetermined range. It is structured as follows. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the rice cooker of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the rice cooking process from being performed without the lid being attached. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view of a pot, a pot container, and a lid of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3A] 2 is a diagram showing a recess provided in the bottom of a pot in the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3B] 2 is a perspective view of the housing of the rice cooker of FIG. 1 with the pot, pot container, and lid removed. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a pot and part of the housing of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view showing a pot and part of the housing of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 2 is a left side view and a right cross-sectional view showing a pot and part of a housing of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the variation in the position of the center of gravity of the pot when the rice cooker of FIG. 1 is arranged so that the weight of the pot is supported by two support parts and one weight sensor at different heights. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of components related to the rice supply unit in the rice cooker of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view of parts related to a relay pipe and a communication member in the rice cooker of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from below. FIG. [Figure 11A] 11 is a plan view showing the state in which the relay pipe and the communication member in FIG. 10 move. FIG. [Figure 11B] 11 is a plan view showing the state in which the relay pipe and the communication member in FIG. 10 move. FIG. [Figure 11C] 11 is a plan view showing the state in which the relay pipe and the communication member in FIG. 10 move. FIG. [Figure 12A] 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in FIG. 11A. [Figure 12B] FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B1 in FIG. 11B. [Figure 12C] FIG. 11D is a cross-sectional view taken along line C1-C1 of FIG. 11C. [Figure 13] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration related to the control unit in the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control operation by a control unit in the rice cooker of FIG. [Figure 15] 2 is a graph showing an example of a change in weight detected by a weight detection unit while a load member moves in the rice cooker of FIG. 1. [Figure 16]2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state in which the tip of a load member in the rice cooker of FIG. 1 is deformed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a pot, a pot container that detachably accommodates the pot and has a detachable lid that covers an upper opening of the pot; a housing having a mounting surface on which the pot is placed; a weight detection unit that detects the weight of the pot placed on the placement surface; a load member disposed above the mounting surface and capable of contacting the lid; a moving unit that moves the load member between a first position in contact with the lid and a second position away from the first position; a heating unit that heats the pot in the pot container placed on the placement surface; a control unit that controls the moving unit and the heating unit to execute a rice cooking process including a heating process of heating the pot; Equipped with The control unit does not perform the rice cooking process when the difference between the first weight detected by the weight detection unit when the moving unit is controlled to move the load member to the first position and the second weight detected by the weight detection unit when the moving unit is controlled to move the load member to the second position is within a predetermined range.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker as described in the first aspect, wherein the first position is a pressable position in which the load member can press the lid body downward, and the second position is a retracted position in which the load member is separated from the lid body.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker as described in the first aspect, wherein the first position is a pressable position where the load member can press the lid body downward, and the second position is a contactable position where the tip of the load member can contact the lid body.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker according to the first or second aspect, wherein the second position is a retracted position where the load member is separated from the lid body, and the control unit determines whether or not an error has occurred based on the second detected weight when the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within the predetermined range.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the weight detection unit continues to detect the weight of the pot container while the load member moves between the first position and the second position, and the control unit determines whether or not an error has occurred based on a change in the detected weight of the weight detection unit.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker according to the fourth or fifth aspect, wherein the control unit does not perform the rice cooking process and / or notifies the user of the error when it determines that there is an error, and performs the rice cooking process when it determines that there is no error.

[0015] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the first position is a pressable position where the load member can press the lid body downward, and the weight detection unit is positioned at a position where the first detected weight is smaller than the second detected weight.

[0016] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker as described in the seventh aspect, in which the weight detection unit is positioned biased to one side of two areas on either side of a first imaginary line passing through the center of the pot when viewed in a plan view from above the pot, and the load member is configured to apply a pressing force to press the lid body more toward the other side of the two areas than toward one side of the two areas when in the pressing position.

[0017] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the rice cooker according to the eighth aspect, wherein the weight detection unit is configured with one weight sensor.

[0018] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker as described in the ninth aspect, in which the pot container is placed on the placement surface by sliding from the side of the housing in the plan view, and the weight detection unit is positioned downstream of the center of the pot in the direction in which the pot container slides in the plan view.

[0019] According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the rice cooker according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the load member is a packing that can come into contact with the periphery of a hole provided in the lid.

[0020] According to a 12th aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a rice cooker described in any one of the first to 11th aspects, wherein the pot container is placed on the placement surface by sliding from the side of the housing in a plan view seen from above the pot, with the tip of the load member positioned in a contactable position where it can contact the lid body, and the control unit controls the moving unit to move the load member in a direction opposite to the direction in which the pot container slides, and then moves the load member back to the contactable position.

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, substantially the same components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0022] Furthermore, for the sake of convenience, the following uses terms indicating directions such as "up," "down," "front," "back," and "side," assuming a state of normal use, but this does not mean to limit the state of use of the rice cooker according to the present disclosure.

[0023] (Embodiment) The overall configuration of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The rice cooker according to this embodiment is a so-called fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform all processes from supplying rice and water to the pot to cooking the rice.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker according to this embodiment includes a housing 1, a pot container 21, a lid 22, a rice container 3, and a water container 4.

[0025] The housing 1 has a rounded rectangular shape when viewed from above. In other words, when viewed from above, the housing 1 has a shape such that two opposing sides of a rectangle are bent into semicircular arcs. In this embodiment, one curved side of the housing 1 is referred to as the front. The other curved side of the housing 1 is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the direction toward the front and rear of the housing 1 is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is referred to as the lateral direction. In this embodiment, the direction toward the upper left and lower right in FIG. 1 is referred to as the lateral direction X. Furthermore, the direction toward the lower left and upper right in FIG. 1 is referred to as the front-rear direction Y. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y and toward the upper and lower parts of FIG. 1 is referred to as the height direction Z. In this embodiment, the height direction Z coincides with the up-down direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lateral direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and a direction intersecting the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y may be referred to as the lateral direction.

[0026] A storage area 11 capable of accommodating a pot 21 is provided on the lower front side of the housing 1. The storage area 11 is part of the housing 1 and defines a space for accommodating the pot 21 and lid 22. The storage area 11 is configured so that the pot 21 and lid 22 can be accommodated by sliding them from the side of the storage area 11. FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a configuration in which the pot 21 can be accommodated by sliding it from the front of the storage area 11 along the front-to-rear direction Y. A housing lid 12 is detachably attached to the top end of the housing 1, covering both the housing 1 and the rice container 3.

[0027] The storage area 11 accommodates a pot 21 and a lid 22 that is removably attached to the pot 21. As shown in FIG. 2, a pot 2 is removably accommodated in the pot 21. The pot 21 is placed on a mounting surface 13 (see FIG. 3B), which is the bottom of the storage area 11, as described below. The lid 22 is configured to cover the upper opening of the pot 2. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the pot 21 accommodated in the storage area 11 is assumed to accommodate the pot 2 and to have the lid 22 attached.

[0028] The height of pot container 21 accommodated in storage area 11 is lower than the height of storage area 11. Pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 can be attached to and detached from housing 1 by sliding them in the front-to-back direction Y between storage area 11 and the outside of housing 1 and the side of storage area 11 while pot 2 and lid 22 remain attached to pot container 21.

[0029] The rice container 3 is a container for storing rice. The rice container 3 is provided inside the housing 1 and above the storage area 11. In other words, the rice container 3 is provided inside the housing 1 below the housing lid 12 so as to be adjacent to the housing lid 12.

[0030] The water container 4 is a container for storing water. The water container 4 is provided on the rear and upper side of the housing 1.

[0031] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 of the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 3A is a diagram showing recess 21f provided in the bottom of pot container 21 in the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 3B is a perspective view of housing 1 of the rice cooker of Fig. 1 with pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 removed.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, pot 2 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. That is, pot 2 has a bottom 2a, a side wall 2b, an opening 2c, and a flange 2d. Flange 2d extends laterally from the upper end of side wall 2b around the entire circumferential circumference of the upper end of side wall 2b toward the outside of pot 2. Pot 2 is made of, for example, metal.

[0033] Pot container 21 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom that can accommodate pot 2. That is, pot container 21 has bottom 21a, sidewall 211 (see FIG. 1), and opening 21h. Pot container 21 is made of, for example, resin.

[0034] The side wall 211 has an inner wall portion 21b, ribs 21c, and an outer wall portion 21d. A plurality of ribs 21c are provided protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall portion 21b, with their longitudinal directions aligned with the height direction Z. The outer wall portion 21d is provided opposite the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall portion 21b, with the plurality of ribs 21c sandwiched between the outer wall portion 21d and the inner wall portion 21b. An air layer 21e is formed within the side wall 211, i.e., between the inner wall portion 21b and the outer wall portion 21d.

[0035] When the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, gaps are formed between the inner wall 21b of the pot container 21 and the side wall 2b of the pot 2, and between the bottom 21a of the pot container 21 and the bottom 2a of the pot 2. Therefore, compared to when there is no gap between the pot container 21 and the pot 2, less heat is transferred to the pot container 21 when the pot 2 is heated by the heating unit 6 (described below), thereby reducing damage to the pot container 21 due to heat. When the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the flange 2d of the pot 2 rests on the upper end of the inner wall 21b of the pot container 21. In other words, when the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the pot 2 is supported by the upper end of the inner wall 21b of the pot container 21.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3A, a recess 21f is provided on the underside of the bottom 21a of the pot 21, i.e., the bottom surface. The recess 21f has a recess sidewall 21g. The recess sidewall 21g has a U-shape with straight sections at both ends and the two straight sections connected by a curved section formed by a semicircular arc. In other words, a U-shaped groove is provided in the bottom 21a of the pot 21. The distance between the straight sections of the recess sidewall 21g, i.e., the width of the U-shaped groove, is longer than the radius of the bottom 21a of the pot 21. The underside of the recess sidewall 21g is a flat surface that follows the U-shape. In addition, a through-hole is provided in the center of the bottom 21a of the pot 21, penetrating the bottom 21a in the height direction Z.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 3B, the mounting surface 13, which is the bottom of the storage area 11, is provided with a protrusion 13a for placing the pot 21 to be stored in the storage area 11. The shape and dimensions of the protrusion 13a correspond to the shape and dimensions of the recess 21f of the pot 21. The protrusion 13a is arc-shaped and protrudes from the housing 1. The height of the protrusion 13a is greater than the height of the side wall 21g of the recess. This creates a gap between the bottom 21a of the pot 21 and the mounting surface 13 when the pot 21 is stored in the storage area 11. The mounting surface 13 also has an opening 13b. The opening 13b is provided so as to divide the protrusion 13a into two.

[0038] A convex peripheral portion 13c is provided around the entire circumferential circumference of convex portion 13a on the outside of convex portion 13a. Convex peripheral portion 13c is a flat surface provided in a ring shape so as to face the underside of side wall 21g of the recess when pot container 21 is accommodated in accommodation area 11. The diameter of convex portion 13a is the length at which the outer surface of convex portion 13a is positioned near both straight portions of side wall 21g of the recess when convex portion 13a is positioned between both straight portions of side wall 21g of the recess, and is longer than the radius of convex peripheral portion 13c.

[0039] When pot container 21 slides between storage area 11 and the side of storage area 11 outside housing 1, protrusion 13a slides relative to itself within recess 21f. More specifically, sidewall 21g of the recess slides relative to the outer surface of protrusion 13a. This guides the sliding movement of pot container 21. In addition, in this embodiment, sidewall 21g of the recess has a curved portion, allowing the outer surface of protrusion 13a to abut against the curved portion of sidewall 21g of the recess. Therefore, even if pot container 21 slides repeatedly, pot container 21 can be reliably moved to a predetermined position within storage area 11. In other words, pot container 21 slides in the direction of the U-shaped groove in bottom 21a of pot container 21, and its sliding movement is guided by the relative sliding between sidewall 21g of the groove and the outer surface of protrusion 13a. In addition, the outer surface of the protrusion 13a can be brought into contact with the curved portion of the groove, so even if the pot container 21 is repeatedly slid, the pot container 21 can be reliably moved to a predetermined position within the storage area 11. Furthermore, when the pot container 21 is placed on the protrusion 13a, the pot container 21 can rotate forward and backward in the circumferential direction of the protrusion 13a so that the side wall 21g of the recess and the outer surface of the protrusion 13a slide relative to each other.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, lid 22 has lid body 22a, hole 22b, pot gasket 22c, and mounting member 22d.

[0041] In this embodiment, lid body 22a has a ring-shaped flat plate portion and a circular hole portion having an outer peripheral surface flush with the circumferential outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped flat plate. Furthermore, when lid 22 is detachably attached to pot 21, the outer peripheral surface of the circular hole portion of lid body 22a is flush with the outer peripheral surface of side wall 211 of pot 21. Note that in this embodiment, "flat plate" includes "approximately flat plate," and "flush" includes "approximately flush."

[0042] Hole 22b is located in the center of the width of the flat portion of lid body 22a. Rice sent from rice container 3 and water sent from water container 4 pass through hole 22b when supplied to pot 2. Hole 22b in this embodiment is located in the center of lid body 22 when viewed from above. Hole 22b in this embodiment is a circular hole when viewed from above. Hole 22b is located coaxially with pot 2 housed in pot container 21.

[0043] Pot gasket 22c is provided so as to come into contact with pot 2 when lid 22 is removably attached to pot container 21 so as to cover the opening of pot 2. A through hole communicating with hole 22b is provided in the center of pot gasket 22c when viewed from above.

[0044] Mounting member 22d is attached to lid body 22a with pot gasket 22c sandwiched therebetween. Mounting member 22d is disposed below lid body 22a at a distance from lid body 22a in the height direction Z. Mounting member 22d also has drain outlet 22e that communicates with hole 22b. Drain outlet 22e is a circular hole in top view. Drain outlet 22e is disposed coaxially with hole 22b. The diameter of drain outlet 22e is larger than the diameter of hole 22b. In other words, the opening area of ​​hole 22b is smaller than the opening area of ​​drain outlet 22e.

[0045] Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing pot container 21 and part of housing 1 in the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an assembled perspective view showing pot container 21 and part of housing 1 in the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a left side view and right cross-sectional view showing pot container 21 and part of housing 1 in the rice cooker of Fig. 1.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the housing 1 includes a base 14 having a mounting surface 13 on which a pot 21 is placed, and a chassis 15 that supports the base 14.

[0047] The upper surface of base 14 is mounting surface 13 on which pot 21 is placed, and includes protrusion 13a, opening 13b, and protrusion periphery 13c. Base 14 has a through-hole 14a formed in the center. Base 14 has an upwardly recessed recess 14b on its outer periphery. In this embodiment, base 14 has two recesses 14b on its outer periphery, located on the front side of housing 1, spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction X.

[0048] The chassis 15 is provided below the base 14. The chassis 15 has a weight detection unit 5, a heating unit 6, a temperature detection unit 7, and a control unit 8 attached thereto.

[0049] The weight detection unit 5 is disposed below the placement surface 13 and receives the weight of the pot 2 placed on the placement surface 13 to detect the weight of the food to be cooked contained in the pot 2. In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 5 is composed of one weight sensor and is configured to receive the weight of the pot container 21, the pot 2, and the lid 22 placed on the placement surface 13.

[0050] The chassis 15 also has a support portion 15a disposed below the placement surface 13 that supports the weight of the pot 2 placed on the placement surface 13. In this embodiment, the support portion 15a is configured as a resin protrusion that protrudes upward. In a plan view of the pot 2 from above, the support portion 15a and the weight detection unit 5 are disposed on opposite sides of a first imaginary line (e.g., the dashed-dotted line VL1 in FIG. 8) that passes through the center of the pot 2. In other words, in a plan view of the pot 2 from above, the weight detection unit 5 is disposed biased toward one side of the two areas that sandwich the first imaginary line that passes through the center of the pot 2. In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 5 is disposed downstream of the support portion 15a in the front-rear direction Y in which the pot container 21 slides (rearward of the housing 1).

[0051] In this embodiment, chassis 15 is provided with two support portions 15a. The two support portions 15a are provided at positions corresponding to the two recesses 14b of base 14. When two support portions 15a are inserted into two recesses 14b and weight detection unit 5 comes into contact with the bottom of base 14, chassis 15 supports base 14 at three points. In this state, when pot 21, pot 2, and lid 22 are placed on mounting surface 13, two support portions 15a and weight detection unit 5 support the weight of pot 21, pot 2, and lid 22 via base 14.

[0052] The two support members 15a and the weight detection unit 5 are configured to be at different heights. In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 5 is configured to be lower in height than the two support members 15a. That is, the bottom of the base 14 is configured so that the contact position between the two support members 15a and the base 14 is higher than the contact position between the weight detection unit 5 and the base 14. In addition, the two support members 15a are arranged symmetrically with respect to a second imaginary line (e.g., the two-dot chain line VL2 in FIG. 8) passing through the weight detection unit 5 and the center of the pot 2 in a plan view. The pot container 21 is placed on the placement surface 13 by sliding along the second imaginary line from the side of the housing 1. By making the support members 101 and the weight sensor 102 at different heights, as shown in FIG. 8, the variation in the center of gravity of the pot 2 (the black dot in FIG. 8) can be reduced, making it easier to estimate the weight of the pot 2 based on the weight detected by one weight detection unit 5. This makes it possible to reduce component costs while preventing a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the weight of the food being cooked.

[0053] As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, a heating unit 6 that heats pot 2 and a temperature detection unit 7 that detects the temperature of pot 2 are arranged below mounting surface 13. In this embodiment, heating unit 6 is an induction heating coil that inductively heats pot 2 when current is applied. Temperature detection unit 7 is a temperature sensor that contacts the bottom of pot 2 through through-hole 14a in base 14 and detects the temperature of pot 2. Temperature detection unit 7 may also be, for example, an infrared sensor that detects the temperature of pot 2 without contact using infrared rays.

[0054] The chassis 15 has a standing wall 151 extending in the height direction Z so as to face the side of the pot 21 placed on the placement surface 13. The standing wall 151 is located inside the housing 1 and downstream (rear side of the housing 1) in the front-to-rear direction Y in which the pot 21 slides. A control unit 8, which will be described later, is attached to the surface of the standing wall 151 opposite the surface facing the pot 21. The control unit 8 is located closer to the weight detection unit 5 than the two support parts 15a.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6, a rice-transfer space 31 is formed inside the housing 1 and below the rice container 3. The rice-transfer space 31 is connected to the bottom of the rice container 3 via a through-hole (not shown). A rice supply unit 32 that supplies rice to the pot 2 is located in the rice-transfer space 31. The rice supply unit 32 has a rice-transfer shaft 33 and a rice-transfer blade 34. The rice-transfer shaft 33 extends in the front-rear direction Y within the rice-transfer space 31, and one end is connected to the output shaft 35a of the motor 35. The rice-transfer blade 34 is spirally formed around the axis of the rice-transfer shaft 33. Gravity causes the rice contained in the rice container 3 to fall into the rice-transfer space 31 through the through-hole. When the motor 35 is driven, the rice-transfer shaft 33 rotates around its axis, pushing the rice in the rice-transfer space 31 forward by the rotating rice-transfer blade 34. The operation of the motor 35 is controlled by the control unit 8.

[0056] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of components related to the rice supply unit 32. As shown in Figure 9, the bottom of the front end of the rice-transporting space 31 communicates with the relay pipe 36. The relay pipe 36 extends downward from the rice-transporting space 31 and opens toward the lid 22 housed in the storage area 11. When the pot 21 is placed on the placement surface 13 and the relay pipe 36 is positioned above the hole 22b in the lid 22, the rice pushed forward by the rice-feeding blade 34 flows by gravity through the relay pipe 36 and the hole 22b in the lid 22 into the pot 2 housed in the pot 21. In this way, the rice supply unit 32 supplies rice from the rice container 3 into the pot 2.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 6 , a water supply unit 41 is attached to the water container 4 to supply water to the pot 2. The water supply unit 41 includes a water pipe 42 and a water pump 43. One end of the water pipe 42 is connected to the relay pipe 36. The other end of the water pipe 42 is connected to the water container 4. The water pump 43 is attached to the water pipe 42. The water pump 43 is a volumetric pump such as a diaphragm pump, a plunger pump, or a piston pump. In this embodiment, the water pump 43 is attached to connect two water pipes 42. When the water pump 43 is driven, water in the water container 4 flows from the other end to one end of the water pipe 42 and is supplied to the pot 2 contained in the pot container 21 via the relay pipe 36 and the hole 22b in the lid 22. In this manner, the water supply unit 41 supplies water from the water container 4 to the pot 2 contained in the storage area 11.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6 , a communication member 9 is disposed below the rice supply unit 32 and above the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 11. The communication member 9 is a member for discharging steam generated from the pot 2 housed in the storage area 11 to the outside of the housing 1. The communication member 9 includes a communication member main body 91, a load member 92, and a steam tube 93. The communication member main body 91 is a hollow member with an open lower end. The load member 92 is an annular member attached to the lower end of the communication member main body 91. In this embodiment, the load member 92 is an annular gasket that can contact the periphery of the hole 22b provided in the lid 22. The steam tube 93 is provided so that one end communicates with the interior of the communication member main body 91 and the other end communicates with the outside of the housing 1.

[0059] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of parts related to the relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9, seen obliquely from below. Figs. 11A to 11C are plan views showing how the relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9 move. Fig. 12A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in Fig. 11A. Fig. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B1 in Fig. 11B. Fig. 12C is a cross-sectional view taken along line C1-C1 in Fig. 11C.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C, the relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9 are provided to move integrally by a moving unit 200. The moving unit 200 includes a slide plate 201 that is rotatable around a rotation shaft 201a. In this embodiment, the slide plate 201 is formed in a substantially fan shape. The relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9 are attached to the slide plate 201 at a position away from the rotation shaft 201a. A rack gear 201b is provided on the arc-shaped outer periphery of the slide plate 201, away from the rotation shaft 201a. A pinion gear (not shown) is provided to mesh with the rack gear 201b. The pinion gear is connected to a motor (shown). Under the control of the control unit 8, the motor is driven to rotate the pinion gear, and the slide plate 201 rotates around the rotation shaft 201a. As a result, the relay pipe 36 and the communication member 9 move as shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C.

[0061] The relay pipe 36 is provided with a pair of arms 36a protruding in opposite directions from the side wall. As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of inclined portions 37 are provided inside the housing 1 at positions corresponding to the pair of arms 36a. The pair of arms 36a are biased by springs 38 so as to be pressed against the inclined portions 37. As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11C, when the relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9 move in the direction of the arrow, the pair of arms 36a move along the inclined portions 37, and the relay pipe 36 moves obliquely upward due to the biasing force of the springs 38. As a result, the slide plate 201 and the communicating member 9 also move obliquely upward (dotted arrows in FIGS. 12A and 12B). Conversely, as shown in FIGS. 11C to 11A, when the relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9 move in the direction opposite to the arrow, the pair of arms 36a move along the inclined portions 37, and the relay pipe 36 moves obliquely downward against the biasing force of the springs 38. As a result, the slide plate 201 and the communication member 9 also move obliquely downward (solid arrows in FIGS. 12A and 12B).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 11A, when the center of the communication member main body 91 coincides with the center of the pot 2 in a plan view, the load member 92 is positioned in a pressable position, as shown in FIG. 12A, where it can press the lid 22 downward. In this embodiment, the pressable position is an example of a first position where the load member 92 contacts the lid 22. At this time, the load member 92 is configured to apply a pressing force that presses the lid 22 toward one side (the side where the weight detection unit 5 is provided) of two regions sandwiched between them, along a first imaginary line (the dashed-dotted line VL1 in FIG. 8) that passes through the center of the pot 2 in a plan view. Specifically, the load member 92 is configured to apply a pressing force that presses the lid 22 in the direction indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 12A. This prevents the weight detection unit 5 from receiving a load due to the pressing force of the load member 92.

[0063] By slightly rotating the slide plate 201 in the direction of the arrow from the state shown in Figure 11A, the relay pipe 36 and the communicating member 9 move to the position shown in Figure 11B. At this time, the load member 92 moves in the direction of the dotted arrow in Figures 12A and 12B and, as shown in Figure 12B, is positioned at a contactable position where its tip can contact the lid 2. In this embodiment, when the user places the pot container 21 on the placement surface 13, the load member 92 is positioned at the contactable position.

[0064] By rotating slide plate 201 in the direction of the arrow from the state shown in FIG. 11B, the center of relay pipe 36 coincides with the center of pot 2 in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 11C. At this time, load member 92 moves in the direction of the dotted arrow in FIG. 12C and is located in a retracted position away from lid 22. In this embodiment, the retracted position is an example of a second position away from the first position. In this embodiment, moving unit 200 is configured to move load member 92 between the pressable position (FIG. 12A) and the retracted position (FIG. 12C).

[0065] When the sliding plate 201 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow from the state shown in Fig. 11C, the load member 92 moves in the direction of the solid arrow in Fig. 12C and is positioned at the contactable position (Fig. 12B). When the sliding plate 201 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow from the state shown in Fig. 11B, the load member 92 moves in the direction of the solid arrow in Fig. 12B and is positioned at the pressable position (Fig. 12A).

[0066] 6, a control unit 8 is provided inside the housing 1. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 is configured as an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board.

[0067] 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration related to the control unit 8. The control unit 8 is connected to an input unit 81, a storage unit 82, and a notification unit 83 wirelessly or via a wire.

[0068] The input unit 81 is used to input rice cooking information desired by the user, such as the amount of rice to be cooked, the rice cooking course, and an instruction to start cooking. The input unit 81 is, for example, a switch or a touch panel. The input unit 81 is provided, for example, on the top or side of the housing 1. The input unit 81 may also be used to wirelessly or wiredly receive rice cooking information input by the user using an external device such as a smartphone or personal computer.

[0069] The memory unit 82 stores various information such as information regarding the weights of the pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22, as well as multiple cooking sequences for cooking rice. Here, a "cooking sequence" refers to a cooking procedure in which the power-on time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc. are predetermined for each of the four main steps of preheating, heating, maintaining boiling, and steaming. Each cooking sequence corresponds to one of multiple rice cooking courses. In this embodiment, the four steps of preheating, heating, maintaining boiling, and steaming are referred to as heating steps.

[0070] The notification unit 83 notifies the user of various information such as rice cooking information, errors, etc. The notification unit 83 is, for example, a display that displays various information, or a speaker that outputs various information by voice.

[0071] The control unit 8 controls the moving unit 200 and the heating unit 6 to carry out the rice cooking process, which includes a heating process for heating the pot 2, based on the rice cooking information (including the rice cooking course) inputted via the input unit 81 and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 7. In this embodiment, the control unit 8 further controls the rice supply unit 32 and the water supply unit 41 based on the rice cooking information (including the desired amount of rice to be cooked) inputted via the input unit 81, and carries out a rice feeding process for feeding rice into the pot 2 and a water feeding process for feeding water into the pot 2. In this embodiment, the rice feeding process and the water feeding process are included in the rice cooking process.

[0072] In this embodiment, the control unit 8 further controls the movement unit 200 to move the connecting member 9 and move the load member 92 to the pressable position (FIG. 12A) and the retracted position (FIG. 12C) based on the rice cooking information (including the rice cooking start command) input via the input unit 81. The control unit 8 also acquires a first detected weight by the weight detection unit 5 when the load member 92 is moved to the pressable position (FIG. 12A) and a second detected weight by the weight detection unit 5 when the load member 92 is moved to the retracted position (FIG. 12C). The control unit 8 does not execute the rice cooking process when the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is within a predetermined range. On the other hand, when the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within the predetermined range, the control unit 8 determines whether or not an error has occurred based on the second detected weight. In this embodiment, the predetermined range is stored in the memory unit 82. In this embodiment, the weight detection unit 5 is positioned so that the first detected weight is smaller than the second detected weight. When the control unit 8 determines that an error exists, it does not execute the rice cooking process and / or notifies the error by the notification unit 83. When the control unit 8 determines that no error exists, it executes the rice cooking process.

[0073] The control operation by the control unit 8 will be described in more detail below. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the control operation by the control unit 8.

[0074] First, the user places the pot 21 on the placement surface 13. At this time, the load member 92 is located in the contactable position (FIG. 12B).

[0075] In step S1, the control unit 8 determines whether or not rice cooking information (including a rice cooking start instruction) has been input via the input unit 81. If the control unit 8 determines that rice cooking information (including a rice cooking start instruction) has been input via the input unit 81 (step S1: YES), the control unit 8 proceeds to step S2.

[0076] In step S2, the control unit 8 controls the moving unit 200 to move the load member 92 to the pressable position (FIG. 12A).

[0077] In step S3, the control unit 8 acquires the first detected weight by the weight detection unit 5.

[0078] In step S4, the control unit 8 controls the moving unit 200 to move the load member 92 to the retracted position (FIG. 12C).

[0079] In step S5, the control unit 8 acquires the second weight detected by the weight detection unit 5.

[0080] In step S6, the control unit 8 determines whether the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is within a predetermined range (the same or approximately the same). When the lid body 22 is attached, the first detected weight and the second detected weight should be different. If the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within the predetermined range, it is assumed that the lid body 22 is attached. If the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is within the predetermined range, it is assumed that the lid body 22 is not attached. In other words, step S6 is a step for determining whether the lid body 22 is attached.

[0081] If the control unit 8 determines that the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within the predetermined range (step S6: NO), the control unit 8 proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the control unit 8 determines that the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is within the predetermined range (step S6: YES), the control unit 8 proceeds to step S8. The predetermined range is set within a range in which the detected weight of the weight detection unit 5 can vary due to various factors even when the load member 92 is not in contact with the lid body 22. The predetermined range is, for example, 15 g.

[0082] In step S7, the control unit 8 determines whether an error has occurred based on the second detected weight. If the pot 2 is contained in the pot container 21 and the lid 22 is properly attached, the second detected weight is expected to be the total weight of the pot container 21, the pot 2, and the lid 22. If the second detected weight is not the total weight, it is expected that an error has occurred, such as the pot 2 being left unattached, a foreign object remaining in the pot 2, or the lid 22 being improperly attached. For example, if the weight of the pot container 21 is 212 g, the weight of the pot 2 is 303 g, and the weight of the lid 22 is 185 g, the total weight is 700 g. Since it has been determined in step S7 that the lid 22 is already attached, if the second detected weight is, for example, between 397 g and 490 g, it can be determined that the pot 2 is not contained in the pot container 21. Furthermore, if the second detected weight is, for example, 895 g or more, it can be determined that a foreign object, such as food waste, is present in the pot 2. Furthermore, for example, if the cover 22 is installed at an angle, the load member 92 may come into contact with the relay pipe 36 while moving from the contactable position (FIG. 12B) to the retracted position (FIG. 12C), thereby correcting the inclination of the cover 22. In this case, the second detection weight may fluctuate significantly. For this reason, if the second detection weight fluctuates by 100 g or more while the load member 92 moves from the contactable position (FIG. 12B) to the retracted position (FIG. 12C), it can be determined that the cover 22 is not installed properly.

[0083] If the control unit 8 determines that there is an error based on the second detected weight (step S7: YES), it proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, if the control unit 8 determines that there is no error based on the second detected weight (step S7: NO), it proceeds to step S9.

[0084] In step S8, the control unit 8 notifies the error via the notification unit 83. After that, the control unit 8 does not execute the rice cooking process and ends the control operation. Note that the control unit 8 may not notify the error, do not execute the rice cooking process, and end the control operation.

[0085] In step S9, the control unit 8 controls the rice supply unit 32 and the water supply unit 41 based on the rice cooking information (including the desired amount of rice cooked) inputted through the input unit 81, executes the rice conveying process and the water conveying process, and then proceeds to step 10.

[0086] In this embodiment, the order of the rice-transporting step and the water-transporting step is not particularly limited. For example, the water-transporting step may be performed before the rice-transporting step. In this case, the water previously poured into the pot 2 can prevent the rice from colliding with the pot 2 and thereby prevent damage to the rice. The rice-transporting step may also be performed before the water-transporting step. In this case, the rice previously poured into the pot 2 and formed into a mountain shape can be broken down with the water, making the surface of the rice flatter. The rice-transporting step and the water-transporting step may also be performed alternately multiple times. In this case, rice and water can be fed into the pot 2 with greater precision. The rice-transporting step and the water-transporting step may also be performed overlappingly for a certain period of time.

[0087] In step S10, the control unit 8 controls the moving unit 200 and the heating unit 6 to carry out the heating process based on the rice cooking information (including the rice cooking course) input via the input unit 81 and the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 7. During the heating process, the control unit 8 controls the moving unit 200 to position the load member 92 in a pressable position. After the heating process is completed, the control unit 8 ends its control operation.

[0088] The rice cooker according to this embodiment is configured to determine whether or not the lid 22 is attached based on the first and second weights detected by the weight detection unit 5 when the load member 92 is moved between the pressable position (FIG. 12A) and the retracted position (FIG. 12C). This makes it possible to prevent the rice cooking process from being performed when the lid 22 is not attached.

[0089] Furthermore, in the rice cooker according to this embodiment, the control unit 8 is configured to determine whether or not an error has occurred based on the second detected weight when the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within a predetermined range. This makes it possible to determine that the lid 22 is attached when the difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within the predetermined range. After making this determination, by determining whether or not an error has occurred based on the second detected weight, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not an error has occurred, such as the pot 2 being left attached, foreign matter remaining in the pot 2, or the lid 22 being improperly attached.

[0090] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the control unit 8 is configured to not perform the rice cooking process and / or notify the user of the error when it determines that an error has occurred, and to perform the rice cooking process when it determines that no error has occurred. This allows the control unit 8 to automatically determine whether or not to perform the rice cooking process by determining whether or not there is an error, thereby improving usability for the user.

[0091] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the weight detection unit 5 is disposed at a position where the first detected weight is smaller than the second detected weight. This reduces the load on the weight detection unit 5, allowing for the use of an inexpensive weight sensor and extending the life of the product.

[0092] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, weight detection unit 5 is positioned, in a plan view, biased toward one of two regions sandwiching a first imaginary line passing through the center of pot 2. Furthermore, load member 92 is configured to apply a pressing force that presses lid 22 more toward one of the two regions than toward the other region when in the pressing position. This makes it possible to more reliably reduce the load on weight detection unit 5.

[0093] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the weight detection unit 5 is configured with one weight sensor, which makes it possible to further reduce component costs and also to achieve a more compact product.

[0094] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, load member 92 is a packing that can come into contact with the periphery of hole 22b provided in lid 22. By using a packing that prevents steam generated in pot 2 during the rice cooking process from leaking around hole 22b as load member 92, it is possible to further reduce component costs and make the product more compact.

[0095] According to this embodiment, support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5 are configured to be at different height positions. This allows for the dispersion of the center of gravity position of pot 2 to be consolidated, making it easier to estimate the weight of pot 2 based on the weight detected by weight detection portion 5. This makes it possible to reduce component costs while preventing a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the weight of the food being cooked.

[0096] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, weight detection unit 5 is configured to be lower in height than support unit 15a. This allows the variation in the center of gravity of pot 2 to be concentrated on the weight detection unit 5 side, making it easier to estimate the weight of pot 2 based on the weight detected by weight detection unit 5. Therefore, it is possible to reduce component costs while further preventing a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the weight of the food being cooked.

[0097] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5 are configured to receive the weight of pot 2 via base 14. By forming base 14 to accommodate the difference in height between support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5, placement surface 13 on which pot 2 is placed can be made horizontal.

[0098] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, multiple support parts 15a are provided, and the multiple support parts 15a are arranged, in a plan view, symmetrically with respect to a second imaginary line that passes through weight detection unit 5 and the center of pot 2. This allows the variation in the position of the center of gravity of pot 2 to be concentrated on the weight detection unit 5 side, making it even easier to estimate the weight of pot 2 based on the weight detected by weight detection unit 5. Therefore, it is possible to reduce component costs while further preventing a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the weight of the food being cooked.

[0099] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, pot container 21, which contains pot 2, is placed on placement surface 13 by sliding from the side of housing 1 along the second imaginary line, and weight detection unit 5 is positioned downstream of support portion 15a in the direction in which pot container 21 slides. This allows variations in the position of the center of gravity of pot 2 to be concentrated on the weight detection unit 5 side, making it even easier to estimate the weight of pot 2 based on the weight detected by weight detection unit 5. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the weight of the food being cooked while reducing component costs.

[0100] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the rice cooker is provided with a control unit 8 that controls the amount of food to be supplied to the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5, and the control unit 8 is located closer to the weight detection unit 5 than the support part 15a. This allows, for example, the wiring connecting the weight detection unit 5 and the control unit 8 to be shorter, thereby enabling the rice cooker to be made more compact.

[0101] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, in the above description, the weight detection unit 5 is configured to be lower in height than the support unit 15a, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the weight detection unit 5 may be configured to be higher in height than the support unit 15a.

[0102] Furthermore, in the above description, support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5 are configured to receive the weight of pot 2 via base 14, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5 may be configured to contact the bottom of pot 2 and receive the weight of pot 2 directly. Support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5 may also be configured to contact the bottom of pot container 21 and receive the weight of pot 2 indirectly. In this case, pot container 21 can be formed to accommodate the difference in height between support portion 15a and weight detection portion 5, allowing pot 2 to be level.

[0103] Furthermore, although the weight detection unit 5 is described above as being composed of one weight sensor, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the weight detection unit 5 may be composed of two or more weight sensors.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above description, weight detection unit 5 is arranged biased to one side of two regions sandwiching a first imaginary line passing through the center of pot 2 in a plan view, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, weight detection unit 5 may be composed of two or more weight sensors arranged at intervals from each other. Also, for example, weight detection unit 5 may be composed of three weight sensors arranged to form a triangle in a plan view.

[0105] Although the above description describes the provision of multiple support portions 15a, the present disclosure is not limited to this. There may be only one support portion 15a. In this case, it is preferable that support portion 15a be configured so that it can horizontally support pot 2 or pot container 21 (for example, so that it has a certain amount of area).

[0106] In addition, although the above description has been given with the depressible position (FIG. 12A) being an example of a first position in contact with lid body 22 and the retracted position (FIG. 12C) being an example of a second position spaced apart from the first position, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the contactable position (FIG. 12B) may be the first position and the retracted position (FIG. 12C) may be the second position. Furthermore, the depressible position (FIG. 12A) may be the first position and the contactable position (FIG. 12B) may be the second position.

[0107] Alternatively, the weight detection unit 5 may be configured to continue detecting the weight of the pot 21 while the load member 92 moves between the first and second positions, and the control unit 8 may be configured to determine whether or not an error has occurred based on changes in the detected weight by the weight detection unit 5. This allows the control unit 8 to determine whether or not an error has occurred based on changes in the detected weight even if the exact position of the load member 92 is unknown.

[0108] FIG. 15 is a graph showing an example of a change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 while the load member 92 is moving. In FIG. 15, the dashed line indicates the change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 when the load member 92 is moved in the order of the contactable position ( FIG. 12B ), the pressable position ( FIG. 12A ), the contactable position ( FIG. 12B ), and the retracted position ( FIG. 12C ) with the lid 22 not attached. When the lid 22 is not attached, the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 hardly changes. In FIG. 15, the dotted line indicates the change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 when the load member 92 is moved from the contactable position to the retracted position with the lid 22 attached. In FIG. 15, the solid line indicates the change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 when the load member 92 is moved in the order of the contactable position, the pressable position, the contactable position, and the retracted position with the lid 22 attached. When the cover 22 is attached, the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 changes, as shown by the dotted and solid lines. This allows the control unit 8 to determine whether or not an error has occurred based on the change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5. However, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 15, when the load member 92 is moved between the pressable position and the retracted position, the change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit 5 becomes greater, allowing for a more accurate determination of whether or not an error has occurred.

[0109] Furthermore, although the control unit 8 is configured to directly acquire the first detected weight and the second detected weight in the above description, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 8 may acquire an AD value, a current value, a voltage value, etc., related to the first detected weight and the second detected weight. In other words, the control unit 8 may be configured to indirectly acquire the first detected weight and the second detected weight.

[0110] Although the load member 92 is described above as a packing that can contact the periphery of the hole 22b provided in the lid 22, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the load member 92 may be made of a material harder than a packing. If the load member 92 is made of an elastic material such as a packing, the tip of the load member 92 may be deformed (turned up) when the user slides the pot 21 onto the mounting surface 13, as shown in FIG. 16 . If the load member 92 is moved to the pressable position ( FIG. 12A ) in this state, it will not be possible to apply an appropriate pressing force to the lid 22. For this reason, the control unit 8 may control the moving unit 200 to move the load member 92 in the direction opposite to the sliding direction of the pot 21, and then move the load member 92 back to the contactable position. This allows the load member 92 to return to its original position even if the tip of the load member 92 is deformed, with a simple operation.

[0111] Although the present disclosure has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments, with appropriate reference to the drawings, various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom. [Industrial Applicability]

[0112] The rice cooker of the present disclosure can prevent the rice cooking process from being performed when the lid is not attached, and is therefore particularly useful as a fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform everything from supplying rice and water to the pot to cooking the rice. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1 chassis 11 Containment Area 12 Housing lid 13 Placement surface 13a Convex part 13b opening 13c Surrounding area of ​​convex part 14 Pedestal 14a Through hole 14b Recess 15 chassis 15a Support part 151 Standing Wall 2. Pot 2a bottom 2b side wall 2c opening 2d flange 21 Pot container 21a bottom 21b Inner wall 21c Rib 21d Exterior wall 21e Air Layer 21f Recess 21g Side wall of recess 21h opening 211 Side wall 22 Lid 22a Lid body 22b Hole 22c pot gasket 22d Mounting material 22e outlet 3 rice container 31 Rice Transfer Space 32 Rice Supply Department 33 Rice feed shaft 34 Rice sending blade 35 motor 35a output shaft 36 Relay pipe 36a Arm 37 Slope 38 Spring 4 water container 41 Water supply section 42 Water pipe 43 Water pump 5 Weight detection unit 6 Heating section 7 Temperature detection unit 8 Control Unit 81 Input section 82 Memory section 83 Information Department 9 Connecting member 91 Connecting member body 92 Load-bearing member 93 Steam cylinder 200 Mobile Unit 201 Slide Plate 201a Rotating shaft 201b Rack gear

Claims

1. A pot and a pot container that detachably accommodates the pot and has a detachable lid that covers an upper opening of the pot; a housing having a mounting surface on which the pot is placed; a weight detection unit that detects the weight of the pot placed on the placement surface; a load member disposed above the mounting surface and capable of contacting the lid; a moving unit that moves the load member between a first position in contact with the lid and a second position away from the first position; a heating unit that heats the pot in the pot container placed on the placement surface; a control unit that controls the moving unit and the heating unit to execute a rice cooking process including a heating process of heating the pot; Equipped with The control unit does not perform the rice cooking process when the difference between the first weight detected by the weight detection unit when the moving unit is controlled to move the load member to the first position and the second weight detected by the weight detection unit when the moving unit is controlled to move the load member to the second position is within a predetermined range.

2. the first position is a pressing position in which the load member can press the lid body downward, The second position is a retracted position where the load member is separated from the cover body. The rice cooker according to claim 1.

3. the first position is a pressing position in which the load member can press the lid body downward, The second position is a contactable position where a tip end of the load member can contact the lid body. The rice cooker according to claim 1.

4. the second position is a retracted position where the load member is separated from the cover body, The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether or not an error has occurred based on the second detected weight when a difference between the first detected weight and the second detected weight is not within the predetermined range.

5. The weight detection unit continues to detect the weight of the pot while the load member moves between the first position and the second position, The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether or not an error exists based on a change in the weight detected by the weight detection unit.

6. The rice cooker according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control unit does not perform the rice cooking process and / or notifies the user of the error when it determines that the error exists, and performs the rice cooking process when it determines that the error does not exist.

7. the first position is a pressing position in which the load member can press the lid body downward, The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the weight detection unit is disposed at a position where the first detection weight is smaller than the second detection weight.

8. The weight detection unit is arranged biased to one side of two areas sandwiching a first imaginary line passing through the center of the pot in a plan view seen from above the pot, The rice cooker according to claim 7 , wherein the load member is configured to apply a pressing force to press the lid body more toward one side of the two regions than toward the other side when in the pressing position.

9. The rice cooker according to claim 8 , wherein the weight detection unit is configured with one weight sensor.

10. The pot is placed on the placement surface by sliding from the side of the housing in the plan view, The rice cooker according to claim 9, wherein the weight detection unit is disposed downstream of a center of the pot in a direction in which the pot slides when viewed from above.

11. The rice cooker according to claim 1 , wherein the load member is a packing that can come into contact with the periphery of a hole provided in the lid.

12. The pot is placed on the placement surface by sliding it from the side of the housing in a plan view seen from above the pot with the tip of the load member positioned at a contactable position where it can contact the lid, The rice cooker according to claim 11, wherein the control unit controls the moving unit to move the load member in a direction opposite to the direction in which the pot container slides, and then moves the load member back to the contactable position.

Images