Heating Regulator
The cooking appliance addresses the issue of liquid and foam spilling by incorporating a steam passage with a storage space and foam capturing section to prevent overflow, enhancing the appliance's cleanliness and efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZOJIRUSHI CORPORATION
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing cooking appliances suffer from the spilling of liquid oneba and oneba bubbles due to high steam flow rates through narrow passages with ribs, leading to inefficiencies in suppressing these spills.
A cooking appliance design featuring a steam passage with a storage space and a foam capturing section that guides steam and captures sticky foam, using a guide wall with a foam capturing portion to prevent overflow, and a seal packing that directs foam away from the discharge section.
Effectively suppresses the overflow of both liquid and sticky foam by capturing and diverting them within the steam passage, ensuring they do not exit the discharge section, thereby maintaining cleanliness and functionality.
Smart Images

Figure 2026067691000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking appliance.
Background Art
[0002] Cooking appliances such as rice cookers include a lid that closably opens the upper end opening of a pot. A steam passage is formed in the lid to communicate the inside of the pot with the outside of the lid. The steam passage of the cooking appliance disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a storage space capable of temporarily storing oneba (liquid oneba), which is a liquid containing food ingredients flowing out of the pot. A part of the storage space is defined by a steam guide having a discharge port open to the outside. The steam guide is provided with ribs that project into the storage space to prevent the liquid oneba from flowing out (spilling) from the discharge port to the outside.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In the storage space, when steam is discharged from the pot while the liquid oneba is stored, bubbles (oneba bubbles) are generated as the steam passes through the layer of the liquid oneba. On the other hand, in the steam passage of Patent Document 1, the passage area of the portion provided with the ribs is narrow. As a result, the flow rate of the steam containing oneba bubbles becomes high when passing through the rib portion, so that the oneba bubbles may flow out from the discharge port. That is, in the cooking appliance of Patent Document 1, there is room for improvement in suppressing the spilling of oneba bubbles to the outside.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cooking appliance capable of suppressing the spilling of liquid oneba and also suppressing the spilling of oneba bubbles.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a cooking appliance comprising a lid that can openly close the upper opening of a bottomed cylindrical pot, and a steam passage provided in the lid for discharging steam from the pot to the outside, wherein the steam passage has a communication portion at one end that communicates with the inside of the pot, a discharge portion at the other end that is open to the outside of the lid, and a storage space provided between the communication portion and the discharge portion that can store liquid sticky syrup and sticky foam that flows out of the pot, wherein at least a portion of the upper side of the storage space is defined by a guide wall portion that guides steam to the discharge portion, and the guide wall portion is provided with a foam capturing portion that can capture sticky foam.
[0007] The steam passage is provided with a storage space between the communication section and the discharge section that can store liquid sticky residue and sticky residue foam. This prevents the liquid sticky residue from overflowing to the outside from the discharge section along with the steam due to the pressure inside the pot during cooking. In addition, a foam capture section capable of capturing sticky residue foam is provided in the guide wall section that defines at least a portion of the upper part of the storage space. As a result, sticky residue foam generated in the storage space during cooking is captured by the foam capture section when it flows to the discharge section along with the steam. This prevents the sticky residue foam from overflowing to the outside from the discharge section along with the steam.
[0008] The discharge section is cylindrical and protrudes upward, and the foam capturing section bulges above the lower end of the discharge section. This prevents the sticky foam captured by the foam capturing section from being discharged to the outside from the discharge section.
[0009] The connecting section and the discharge section are spaced apart in the radial direction of the pot, and at least a portion of the foam capturing section is located closer to the connecting section than to the discharge section in the radial direction of the pot, and extends in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction in the steam passage. This ensures that the foamy foam that flows along the guide wall towards the discharge section together with the steam is reliably captured by the foam capturing section. Furthermore, the captured foamy foam can be made to flow away from the discharge section along a portion of it.
[0010] A portion of the foam-catching section bulges upward in an arc shape. This ensures that spherical sticky foam is reliably captured and that it is directed away from the discharge section.
[0011] The total width of the foam capturing section in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction within the steam passage is wider than the width of the discharge section. This ensures sufficient volume for capturing sticky foam in the foam capturing section, thereby reliably preventing sticky foam from being discharged to the outside from the discharge section.
[0012] The foam-catching section extends radially from the side of the communication section to the side opposite the communication section relative to the discharge section. This ensures sufficient volume for capturing the foamy foam by the foam-catching section, thereby reliably preventing the foamy foam from being discharged to the outside from the discharge section.
[0013] The storage space is defined by a lid body that surrounds the communication portion and has a storage body portion that at least a portion of it penetrates through it, an inner lid that includes the communication portion and is attached to the lid body on the pot side so as to close the storage body portion, and a guide wall portion that is attached to the lid body on the opposite side from the pot so as to close the storage body portion. A seal packing is attached to the lid body that extends in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction within the storage body portion and is pressed against the inner lid, and the seal packing is inclined from the center outward in the direction intersecting the steam flow direction, from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of steam flow. As a result, sticky foam generated upstream of the seal packing flows outward along the seal packing in the direction intersecting the flow direction. In other words, sticky foam can be made to flow in a roundabout way to the discharge portion. Thus, it is possible to suppress the direct discharge of sticky foam to the outside from the discharge portion.
[0014] The portion of the lid body to which the seal packing is attached is provided with a through-mounting portion, and the upper end of the seal packing is provided with an outwardly protruding flange portion, which is sandwiched between the lid body and the guide wall portion. This improves the ease of assembling the seal packing, which is separate from the lid body.
[0015] The seal packing extends between opposing portions on the inner surface of the storage body so as to divide the storage space into the communication portion side and the discharge portion side. The upper part of the seal packing is provided with a plurality of through holes that allow steam and sticky foam to pass through, and the foam capture portion is provided downstream of the seal packing in the direction of steam flow. As a result, liquid sticky foam is accumulated only upstream of the seal packing in the storage space, while steam containing sticky foam can flow downstream of the seal packing through the through holes. Therefore, spillage of liquid sticky foam can be reliably suppressed, and spillage of sticky foam can also be reliably suppressed by the foam capture portion located downstream of the seal packing.
[0016] The portion of the lid body to which the seal packing is attached is provided with a cylindrical mounting portion that protrudes downward, and the mounting portion is provided with a through hole corresponding to the through hole. This allows liquid sludge to accumulate only upstream of the seal packing in the steam passage, and allows only sludge foam and steam to be discharged downstream of the seal packing. [Effects of the Invention]
[0017] In this invention, it is possible to suppress both the overflow of liquid sticky substance and the overflow of sticky substance foam. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0018] [Figure 1] A partial cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A disassembled perspective view of a rice cooker with the lid open. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the lid and rice cooker pot, seen from above. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of the steam passage of the lid body. [Figure 5] Exploded perspective view of the steam passage of the lid body as seen from above. [Figure 6] Exploded perspective view of the steam passage of the lid body as seen from below. [Figure 7] Exploded perspective view of the lid main body as seen from below. [Figure 8] Bottom view of the lid body with the inner lid removed. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional perspective view of the guide wall member as seen from above. [Figure 10] Cross-sectional perspective view of the guide wall member as seen from below. [Figure 11] Bottom view of the guide wall member that defines a part of the steam passage. [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view showing steam, liquid oden, and oden bubbles that have flowed into the steam passage.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a rice cooker 10, which is an example of a cooking appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention, includes a rice cooker main body 20 that houses a rice cooking pot (pan) 15, and a lid body 30 that is attachable to and detachable from the rice cooker main body 20.
[0021] A steam passage 40 for discharging the steam generated in the rice cooking pot 15 to the outside is formed in the lid body 30. In the present embodiment, while suppressing the liquid oden Ow (see FIG. 12) that can flow out from the rice cooking pot 15 from spilling out to the outside through the steam passage 40, the spilling of oden bubbles Ob (see FIG. 12) is also suppressed. Here, the liquid oden Ow (see FIG. 12) means water (liquid) having viscosity containing rice (food ingredient) components. The oden bubbles Ob (see FIG. 12) mean bubbles that can be generated when steam passes through a layer of accumulated liquid oden Ow (see FIG. 12).
[0022] In the attached drawing, the X direction represents the front-to-back direction of the rice cooker 10, with the arrow indicating the front and the opposite direction being the rear. The Y direction represents the width direction (left-to-right direction) of the rice cooker 10, with the arrow indicating the left side and the opposite direction being the right side. The Z direction represents the height direction of the rice cooker 10, with the arrow indicating the top and the opposite direction being the bottom.
[0023] The following will provide a detailed explanation of the components of the rice cooker pot 15, the rice cooker body 20, and the lid 30.
[0024] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the rice cooker pot 15 is made of metal and is a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is open at the top. The outer shape of the rice cooker pot 15 is circular when viewed from the axial direction. The outer shape of the rice cooker 10 may be polygonal when viewed from the axial direction.
[0025] The rice cooker body 20 comprises an exterior body consisting of a bottomed cylindrical body 21 and a shoulder body 22 attached to the upper end opening of the body 21. A hinge portion 23 for attaching a lid 30 is provided on the back of the shoulder body 22. An opening is provided approximately in the center of the shoulder body 22, and a storage portion 24 for detachably housing the rice cooker pot 15 is provided in this opening. A heating portion 25 is attached to the bottom of the storage portion 24. In this embodiment, the heating portion 25 is a heating plate with a built-in heater that directly heats the rice cooker pot 15. The heating portion 25 may also be a coil that induces heating of the rice cooker pot 15 by passing a high-frequency current through it.
[0026] The lid 30 is configured to allow the top of the rice cooker body 20, including the opening of the rice cooker pot 15, to be opened. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the lid 30 comprises a lid body 31 and a lid cover 32 that covers the lid body 31, and is rotatably attached to the hinge portion 23 of the shoulder body 22.
[0027] A hinge shaft 33, which is pivotally supported by the hinge portion 23, is attached to the rear side of the lid body 31. A locking member 34 is attached to the front side of the lid body 31 to hold the lid body 30 in a closed position relative to the rice cooker body 20.
[0028] An operation button 35 for opening the locking member 34 is attached to the front of the lid cover 32. In the center of the lid cover 32 are several operation units 37, including a switch for selecting and executing one of several types of rice cooking processes, and a liquid crystal display unit 36 that displays the selected rice cooking process and the execution status of the rice cooking process based on the operation of the operation units 37.
[0029] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the lid 30 includes an inner lid 38 that liquid-tightly seals the opening of the rice cooker pot 15. The inner lid 38 is detachably attached to the inside of the lid body 31. The inner lid 38 may be configured to be indestructible from the lid body 31. A sealing member 39 is attached to the outer circumference of the metal inner lid 38, which tightly seals against the opening of the rice cooker pot 15 when the lid 30 is closed relative to the rice cooker body 20. Here, the inside of the lid body 31 refers to the lower side in the height direction, which is the side facing the rice cooker pot 15, in the closed state of the lid 30 shown in Figure 1. The outside refers to the upper side in the height direction, which is the opposite side from the rice cooker pot 15.
[0030] Next, the steam passage 40 provided in the lid 30 will be described in detail.
[0031] Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the steam passage 40 comprises a communication section 41 at one end that communicates with the inside of the rice cooker 15, a discharge section 42 at the other end that is open to the outside of the lid 30, and a storage space 43 capable of storing liquid syrup Ow (see Figure 12) and syrup foam Ob (see Figure 12).
[0032] Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the communication portion 41 is provided in the central region of the inner lid 38, which corresponds to the central region of the rice cooker pot 15. The communication portion 41 is composed of a plurality of through holes that penetrate the inner lid 38 in the thickness direction.
[0033] The discharge section 42 is exposed to the outside through an opening in the lid cover 32 (see Figure 1). The discharge section 42 is a long cylindrical shape, elongated horizontally in the width direction and extending in the height direction, and is integrally provided with a guide wall member (guide wall section) 48 that defines a part of the storage space 43. The discharge section 42 is positioned at a distance from the communication section 41 on the radially outer side of the rice cooker pot 15.
[0034] The storage space 43 is located between the communication section 41 and the discharge section 42. The flow area of the storage space 43 is larger than the flow area of either the communication section 41 or the discharge section 42.
[0035] When the pressure inside the rice cooker 15 increases due to heating, the steam generated inside the rice cooker 15 flows into the storage space 43 via the communication section 41, then flows radially outward from the rice cooker 15 behind the communication section 41 (flow direction), and flows out to the outside from the discharge section 42. At this time, when liquid starch Ow (see Figure 12) flows into the steam passage 40 and starch bubbles Ob (see Figure 12) are generated inside the steam passage 40, the discharge of these bubbles along with the steam from the discharge section 42 is suppressed.
[0036] The storage space 43 is defined by the storage body portion 31a provided on the lid body 31, the inner lid 38, and the guide wall member 48 attached to the lid body 31.
[0037] The storage body 31a includes an opening 31b surrounding the communication portion 41 of the inner lid 38. The opening 31b has a predetermined width when viewed from the front and extends from the central region of the lid body 31 to the rear so as to include the communication portion 41. Of the opening 31b, the upper part of the front first portion 31c corresponding to the communication portion 41 is closed by a closing plate portion 31f integrally provided via a frame plate portion 31e. Of the opening 31b, the rear second portion 31d, which is other than the first portion 31c, penetrates in the height direction. The storage body 31a further includes a recess (third portion) 31g that is recessed from the top to the bottom so as to be spatially in communication with the rear side of the second portion 31d.
[0038] Referring to Figures 4, 6, and 7, a metal heat sink 44 is attached to the inside of the lid body 31. The heat sink 44 has an opening 44a that corresponds to the opening 31b. The space between the lid body 31 and the heat sink 44 is sealed liquid-tight by a sealing member 45. The sealing member 45 protrudes toward the rice cooker pot 15 side through the opening 44a and is pressed against the inner lid 38, thus sealing the space between the lid body 31 and the inner lid 38 liquid-tight as well.
[0039] The closure plate portion 31f is provided with a mounting portion 31h for attaching a seal packing 46. The mounting portion 31h is a rectangular tube that penetrates in the height direction and protrudes downward from the closure plate portion 31f so as to be located on the rear side (radially outward) of the communication portion 41. The mounting portion 31h extends in the width direction of the storage body portion 31a, which is perpendicular to the steam flow direction. One end of the mounting portion 31h in the width direction is connected to one of a pair of opposing walls of the storage body portion 31a in the width direction, and the other end of the mounting portion 31h in the width direction is connected to the other of a pair of opposing walls of the storage body portion 31a in the width direction. In other words, the mounting portion 31h is provided between opposing walls of the storage body portion 31a. In the mounting portion 31h, near the closing plate portion 31f, multiple through holes 31i are provided at intervals in the width direction to allow the passage of steam and sticky bubbles Ob (see Figure 12).
[0040] Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the seal packing 46 is configured to work in cooperation with the mounting portion 31h to partition the storage space 43 into the communication portion 41 side and the discharge portion 42 side. The seal packing 46 is attached to the mounting portion 31h by insertion from above and extends across the opposing portions in the width direction of the storage body portion 31a and the seal member 45. The lower end of the seal packing 46 protrudes downward from the mounting portion 31h and is pressed against the inner lid 38 at the rear side of the communication portion 41.
[0041] The upper end of the seal packing 46 is provided with a flange portion 46a that protrudes outward along the XY plane. The flange portion 46a is sandwiched between the lid body 31 and the guide wall member 48 when the guide wall member 48 is attached to the lid body 31. The upper part of the seal packing 46 is provided with a number of through holes 46b that correspond to the through holes 31i of the mounting portion 31h and allow the passage of steam and sticky bubbles Ob (see Figure 12).
[0042] Referring to Figures 5, 6, and 8, the seal packing 46 and mounting portion 31h extend in the width direction perpendicular to the rearward direction of steam flow. Furthermore, the seal packing 46 and mounting portion 31h are inclined from the center outward in the width direction, from the upstream side to the downstream side in the steam flow direction. Inclination includes a curved configuration in which both ends are located further back than the center. In this embodiment, the seal packing 46 and mounting portion 31h are arc-shaped when viewed from the height direction and curve backward as they extend outward in the width direction. However, the seal packing 46 and mounting portion 31h may be inclined to form a V-shape when viewed from the height direction.
[0043] Referring to Figures 4 to 6, the inner lid 38 closes the openings 31b and 44a of the storage body 31a by being attached to the lid body 31. The space between the inner lid 38 and the rice cooker 15 is sealed by a sealing member 39. The space between the inner lid 38 and the storage body 31a is sealed by a sealing member 45. The inside of the storage body 31a is partitioned by a sealing packing 46. Therefore, the fluids inside the rice cooker 15, namely steam and liquid starch Ow (see Figure 12), can flow out only into the first part 31c of the storage space 43 via the communication part 41.
[0044] Steam flowing into the first section 31c flows downstream to the second section 31d through the through holes 31i and 46b. The volume below the through holes 31i and 46b in the first section 31c is set to be greater than or equal to the assumed volume of liquid starch Ow (see Figure 12) that can flow out from the rice cooker 15 into the steam passage 40. Therefore, the liquid starch Ow (see Figure 12) flowing into the first section 31c does not exceed the liquid level of the through holes 31i and 46b, and does not flow into the second section 31d through the through holes 31i and 46b.
[0045] Continuing to refer to Figures 4 to 6, the guide wall member 48 is configured to guide the steam that has flowed from the first portion 31c to the second portion 31d of the storage space 43 to the discharge portion 42. The guide wall member 48 is attached to the lid body 31 on the outside (opposite side from the rice cooker 15) by screws so as to close the storage body portion 31a. The guide wall member 48 is positioned above the inner lid 38 with a gap, and secures the space formed by the second portion 31d and the recess 31g. A sealing member 49 is positioned between the guide wall member 48 and the lid body 31 to seal the space between them in a liquid-tight and airtight manner.
[0046] Specifically, the guide wall member 48 comprises a base portion 48a, a first bulge portion 48b, a second bulge portion 48d, and a foam capturing portion 48e, and protrudes upward in stages.
[0047] The base portion 48a is plate-shaped and extends along the XY plane, and is equipped with a grid-like reinforcing rib. The base portion 48a covers the upper side of the closing plate portion 31f and the mounting portion 31h of the lid body 31, and sandwiches the flange portion 46a of the seal packing 46 between itself and the lid body 31.
[0048] Referring to Figures 4, 9, and 10, the first bulge 48b is connected to the rear side of a part of the base 48a and bulges upward from the base 48a. The first bulge 48b is located above the second part 31d of the lid body 31. A recess 48c is provided in the part of the first bulge 48b located upstream of the discharge section 42. The recess 48c is configured to cause steam and sticky foam Ob (see Figure 12) to bypass the discharge section 42 through fluid resistance, preventing them from directly heading towards the discharge section 42.
[0049] The second bulge 48d bulges further upward than the first bulge 48b. A portion of the width of the second bulge 48d is connected to the rear side of the base 48a, and the remaining width of the second bulge 48d is connected to the rear side of the first bulge 48b. The second bulge 48d is located above the recess 31g of the lid body 31. The cylindrical discharge portion 42 described above is provided on the second bulge 48d so as to protrude upward.
[0050] The foam capturing section 48e is configured to capture sticky foam Ob (see Figure 12). The foam capturing section 48e is located downstream of the seal packing 46 in the steam flow direction. The foam capturing section 48e is formed by further expanding the second bulge section 48d upward. As a result, the foam capturing section 48e bulges above the lower end of the discharge section 42. In other words, the upper end of the foam capturing section 48e is located above the lower end of the discharge section 42 and below the upper end of the discharge section 42.
[0051] Referring to Figures 9 to 11, the foam capturing section 48e is provided around the discharge section 42. The total width of the foam capturing section 48e in the width direction is wider than the width of the discharge section 42. Using the radial direction of the rice cooker 15 as a reference, the foam capturing section 48e comprises a first part (part) 48f located upstream of the discharge section 42 and a second part 48g located downstream of the first part 48f.
[0052] The first part 48f is located inward (towards the communication part 41) of the rice cooker pot 15 in the radial direction, beyond the discharge part 42. The first part 48f extends in the width direction perpendicular to the steam flow direction and bulges upward in an arc shape. More specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the first part 48f is roughly a semicircular shape in the upper half. The diameter of the first part 48f is greater than or equal to the expected amount of sticky foam Ob (see Figure 12).
[0053] The second section 48g is connected to both sides of the first section 48f in the width direction and extends radially outward from the rice cooker 15, that is, to the opposite side of the communication section 41 from the discharge section 42. The second section 48g ensures the capacity to capture the sticky foam Ob (see Figure 12).
[0054] Next, the discharge of steam through the steam passage 40 will be explained with reference to Figure 12.
[0055] As the pressure inside the rice cooker 15 increases during the rice cooking process, the steam generated inside the rice cooker 15 flows into the first portion 31c of the storage space 43 via the communication section 41, and then flows into the second portion 31d through the through holes 31i and 46b. Subsequently, the steam flows into the region where the recess 31g is formed and flows out to the outside through the discharge section 42.
[0056] As the rice cooking process progresses, the water in the rice cooker 15 turns into liquid starch Ow, and if the cooking capacity is large, it may flow into the first portion 31c of the storage space 43 along with the steam. The first portion 31c is defined by the storage body portion 31a of the lid body 31, the inner lid 38, and the seal packing 46 including the mounting portion 31h. On the other hand, although a communication portion 41 is formed in the first portion 31c, if the exhaust pressure of steam from the rice cooker 15 is high, the liquid starch Ow will not be returned to the rice cooker 15 but will be accumulated in the first portion 31c. However, since the capacity of the first portion 31c is set to be greater than the assumed capacity of liquid starch Ow that can flow out from the rice cooker 15, it will not flow out from the first portion 31c to the second portion 31d through the through holes 31i and 46b.
[0057] When steam flows from the rice cooker 15 into the steam passage 40 with liquid sticky residue Ow accumulated in the first section 31c, the steam may foam as it passes through the layer of liquid sticky residue Ow, generating sticky foam Ob. Since the generated sticky foam Ob is lighter than the liquid sticky residue Ow, it flows along with the steam to the upper part of the first section 31c where the through holes 31i and 46b are formed. On the other hand, the mounting section 31h, including the seal packing 46 in this embodiment, is curved outward in the width direction toward the downstream side in the direction of steam flow. Therefore, the sticky foam Ob moves outward in the width direction along the curved surface of the mounting section 31h. Then, it flows into the second section 31d through the through holes 31i and 46b formed in the outer regions on both sides in the width direction. In other words, it does not flow towards the discharge section 42 by the shortest distance, but takes a detour towards the discharge section 42.
[0058] Here, one possible method for diverting the sticky foam Ob to the discharge section 42 without it flowing along the shortest distance is to provide multiple diverting ribs. However, if diverting ribs are provided, the structure of the storage body 31a becomes complex, and the ease of maintenance (cleaning) by the user becomes poor. In contrast, in this embodiment, without providing diverting ribs, the mounting section 31h including the seal packing 46 is curved outward in the width direction toward the downstream side in the steam flow direction. Therefore, the structure of the storage body 31a can be simplified, and the difficulty of maintenance by the user can be prevented.
[0059] The viscous foam Ob that flows into the second portion 31d of the storage space 43 travels along the guide wall member 48 towards the discharge section 42 together with the steam. At this time, the first bulge 48b of the guide wall member 48 that defines the second portion 31d of the storage space 43 is provided with a recess 48c on the upstream side of the discharge section 42. Therefore, the steam and viscous foam Ob detour further outward in the width direction and head towards the second bulge 48d where the discharge section 42 is formed.
[0060] The sticky foam Ob that flows into the portion of the storage space 43 where the second bulge 48d is formed moves along the guide wall member 48 and enters the first portion 48f of the foam capture section 48e. Since the first portion 48f bulges upward above the discharge section 42, the sticky foam Ob cannot cross these boundaries and head towards the discharge section 42. On the other hand, sticky foam Ob continues to flow in one after another. As a result, a large number of sticky foam Ob concentrate in the first portion 48f of the foam capture section 48e, and the sticky foam Ob that is captured earlier is crushed by the sticky foam Ob that comes later. Alternatively, the spherical sticky foam Ob that is captured earlier is pushed by the sticky foam Ob that comes later and moves outward in the width direction. The sticky foam Ob that has moved outward in the width direction then moves to the second portion 48g which is connected to the first portion 48f. As a result, it is difficult for it to flow out to the outside from the discharge section 42.
[0061] The rice cooker 10 configured as described above has the following features.
[0062] The steam passage 40 is provided with a storage space 43 between the communication section 41 and the discharge section 42 that can store liquid starch Ow and starch foam Ob. This prevents liquid starch Ow from overflowing to the outside from the discharge section 42 along with the steam due to the pressure inside the rice cooker pot 15 during cooking. In addition, a foam capturing section 48e capable of capturing starch foam Ob is provided on the guide wall member 48 that defines a part of the upper side of the storage space 43. As a result, when starch foam Ob generated in the storage space 43 during cooking flows to the discharge section 42 along with the steam, it is captured by the foam capturing section 48e. This prevents starch foam Ob from overflowing to the outside from the discharge section 42 along with the steam.
[0063] The foam capturing section 48e bulges upward above the lower end of the discharge section 42. This prevents the sticky foam Ob captured by the foam capturing section 48e from being discharged to the outside from the discharge section 42.
[0064] The first portion 48f of the foam capturing section 48e is located radially in the rice cooker 15, closer to the communication section 41 than to the discharge section 42, and extends in a width direction perpendicular to the steam flow direction in the steam passage 40. This ensures that the foamy foam Ob that flows along the guide wall member 48 towards the discharge section 42 together with the steam is reliably captured by the foam capturing section 48e. Furthermore, the captured foamy foam Ob can be made to flow along the first portion 48f in a direction away from the discharge section 42.
[0065] The first portion 48f of the foam capturing section 48e bulges upward in an arc shape. This ensures that spherical sticky foam is reliably captured and that it is allowed to flow away from the discharge section 42.
[0066] The total width of the foam capturing section 48e is wider than the width of the discharge section 42. This ensures that the foam capturing section 48e has sufficient volume to capture the sticky foam Ob, thereby reliably preventing the sticky foam Ob from being discharged to the outside from the discharge section 42.
[0067] The foam capturing section 48e extends radially from the side of the communication section 41 to the side opposite the communication section 41 relative to the discharge section 42. This ensures that the foam capturing section 48e has sufficient volume to capture the sticky foam Ob, thereby reliably preventing the sticky foam Ob from being discharged to the outside from the discharge section 42.
[0068] The seal packing 46, which is pressed against the inner lid 38, is inclined from the center outward in the width direction perpendicular to the steam flow direction, and from the upstream side to the downstream side in the steam flow direction. As a result, the sticky foam Ob generated upstream of the seal packing 46 flows outward in the width direction perpendicular to the flow direction along the seal packing 46. In other words, the sticky foam Ob can be made to flow in a roundabout way to the discharge section 42. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the direct discharge of sticky foam Ob to the outside from the discharge section 42.
[0069] The lid body 31 is provided with a mounting portion 31h for attaching the seal packing 46, and the flange portion 46a of the seal packing 46 is sandwiched between the lid body 31 and the guide wall member 48. This improves the ease of assembly of the seal packing 46, which is separate from the lid body 31.
[0070] The seal packing 46 extends between opposing parts of the storage body 31a so as to partition the steam passage 40, and the upper part of the seal packing 46 is provided with multiple through holes 46b that allow steam and sticky foam Ob to pass through. As a result, the liquid sticky foam Ow is accumulated only upstream of the seal packing 46 in the storage space 43, while the steam containing sticky foam Ob can flow downstream of the seal packing 46 through the through holes 46b. Therefore, spillage of the liquid sticky foam Ow can be reliably suppressed, and spillage of sticky foam Ob can also be reliably suppressed by the foam capture section 48e downstream of the seal packing 46.
[0071] The lid body 31 is provided with a cylindrical mounting portion 31h for attaching a seal packing 46, and the mounting portion 31h is provided with a through hole 31i corresponding to the through hole 46b of the seal packing 46. This allows liquid viscous Ow to accumulate only upstream of the seal packing 46 in the steam passage 40, while only viscous foam Ob and steam can be discharged downstream of the seal packing 46.
[0072] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.
[0073] For example, a cylindrical mounting portion 31h may be provided in the storage body portion 31a without providing the closing plate portion 31f. In other words, the storage body portion 31a may be configured to also penetrate the first portion 31c. Alternatively, the mounting portion 31h may be formed by a hole that penetrates the closing plate portion 31f in the height direction.
[0074] The seal packing 46, including the mounting portion 31h, may be formed with a dimension shorter than the distance between opposing wall portions in the width direction of the storage body portion 31a, and may be configured to be spaced apart from each other. In this case, through holes 31i and 46b do not need to be provided in the mounting portion 31h and the seal packing 46.
[0075] The foam-catching section 48e may be composed solely of the first section 48f without providing the second section 48g. The first section 48f is not limited to a configuration that bulges out in an arc shape, but may be configured to have an inverted V-shape in cross-section. Multiple foam-catching sections 48e may be provided intermittently. The foam-catching section 48e may be provided on the first bulging section 48b, and the formation position of the foam-catching section 48e can be changed as needed.
[0076] In the above embodiment, a rice cooker 10 was used as an example, but the heating appliance of the present invention may be a cooker used to heat and cook vegetables or meat as ingredients. [Explanation of symbols]
[0077] 10. Rice cooker (heating appliance) 15. Rice cooker pot (pot) 20 Rice cooker body 21 Torso 22 Shoulder body 23 Hinge section 24 Storage Unit 25 Heating section 30 Lid 31 Lid body 31a Storage main body 31b opening 31c Part 1 31d 2nd part (part) 31e Frame plate section 31f Closure plate part 31g recess 31h Mounting part 31i through hole 32 Lid cover 33 Hinge axis 34 Locking member 35 Operation buttons 36 LCD display section 37 Control section 38 Inner lid 39. Sealing member 40 Steam passage 41 Communication part 42 Discharge section 43 Storage space 44 Heat sink 44a opening 45 sealing member 46. Seal packing 46a Flange section 46b Through hole 48 Guide wall member (guide wall section) 48a base 48b 1st bulge 48c depression 48d 2nd bulge 48e Foam capture part 48f Part 1 (part) 48g 2nd portion 49. Sealing member Ow liquid sticky Ob Sticky foam
Claims
1. A lid that can open and close the top opening of a bottomed cylindrical pot, A steam passage is provided in the lid for discharging steam from the pot to the outside. Equipped with, The aforementioned steam passage is A connecting portion at one end that communicates with the inside of the pot, The other end of the cover is an open discharge section, A storage space is provided between the aforementioned communication section and the aforementioned discharge section, and is capable of storing the liquid syrup and syrup foam that has flowed out of the pot. It has, At least a portion of the upper part of the storage space is defined by a guide wall that guides steam to the discharge section. A cooking appliance is provided with a foam-catching section on the guide wall that can capture sticky foam.
2. The aforementioned discharge section is cylindrical and protrudes upward, The heating appliance according to claim 1, wherein the foam capturing section bulges upward above the lower end of the discharge section.
3. The aforementioned communication section and the aforementioned discharge section are provided with a gap between them in the radial direction of the pot. The heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a portion of the foam capturing section is located in the radial direction of the pot closer to the communication section than to the discharge section, and extends in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction in the steam passage.
4. The heating appliance according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the foam capturing section bulges upward in an arc shape.
5. The heating appliance according to claim 3, wherein the total width of the foam capturing section in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction in the steam passage is wider than the width of the discharge section.
6. The heating appliance according to claim 5, wherein the foam capturing portion extends in the radial direction of the pot from the side of the communication portion to the side opposite the communication portion with respect to the discharge portion.
7. The aforementioned storage space is A lid body is formed which surrounds the aforementioned communication portion and through which at least a portion of the storage body portion is penetrated, An inner lid is attached to the pot side of the lid body so as to close the storage body portion, including the aforementioned communication portion, The guide wall portion is attached to the lid body on the opposite side from the pot so as to close the storage body portion. It is defined by, A sealing packing is attached to the lid body, extending in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction within the storage body and pressed against the inner lid. The heating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing packing is inclined from the center outward in a direction intersecting the steam flow direction, and from the upstream side to the downstream side in the steam flow direction.
8. The portion of the lid body to which the seal packing is attached is provided with a through-mounting portion. The upper end of the seal packing is provided with a flange portion that protrudes outward. The heating appliance according to claim 7, wherein the flange portion is sandwiched between the lid body and the guide wall portion.
9. The sealing packing extends between opposing portions on the inner surface of the storage body so as to divide the storage space into the communication portion side and the discharge portion side. The upper part of the seal packing is provided with a plurality of through holes that allow steam and sticky foam to pass through. The heating appliance according to claim 7, wherein the foam capturing section is provided downstream of the seal packing in the direction of steam flow.
10. The portion of the lid body to which the seal packing is attached is provided with a cylindrical mounting portion that protrudes downward, The heating appliance according to claim 9, wherein the mounting portion is provided with a through hole corresponding to the through hole.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Heating cooker
JP2017176824A