pressure cooker

Abstract

We offer a pressure cooker with even greater ease of use. [Solution] The pressure cooker according to this disclosure comprises a main body having a pot storage section and a rotatable lid attached to the main body via a hinge shaft. The lid has a lid base that covers the opening of the pot, a pair of beams provided on the lid base that extend in the front-rear direction, a rotatable lid engaging section provided on the front part of the lid base, and a holding member connected to both of the pair of beams that holds the pivot shaft between the pair of beams. The lid engaging section has a pivot shaft that extends parallel to the hinge shaft and is shorter than the shortest distance between the pair of beams, and is rotatable between a fixed position that engages with the main body to maintain the lid in a closed position and a released position that disengages from the main body and allows the lid to be opened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pressure cooker.

Background Art

[0002] The pressure cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a main body capable of accommodating a pot, and a lid attached to a rear portion of the main body via a hinge shaft and capable of opening and closing an opening of the pot. A pair of beam portions extending in a front-rear direction intersecting the hinge shaft and suppressing deformation of the lid are provided in an internal space of the lid. The lid includes a lid engaging portion that engages with the main body to maintain the lid in a closed state. The lid engaging portion has a rotating shaft extending along an extending direction of the hinge shaft. The rotating shaft is inserted into and held by shaft holding holes provided at front end portions of the respective beam portions.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The pressure cooker of Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement from the perspective of further improving usability.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a pressure cooker with further improved usability.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A pressure cooker according to one aspect of the present disclosure is A pressure cooker that performs cooking by pressurizing an internal space of a pot, the pressure cooker comprising: a main body having a pot accommodating portion that accommodates the pot; and A lid is attached to the main body via a hinge shaft and is rotatable around the hinge shaft to a closed position that closes the opening of the pot and an open position that opens the opening of the pot. Equipped with, The aforementioned cover is A lid base that covers the opening of the pot on its inner surface, A pair of beam portions are provided on the outer surface of the lid base, extending in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the hinge axis, and configured to suppress deformation of the lid base, A lid engaging portion provided in the front part of the lid base away from the hinge axis, having a pivot axis that extends parallel to the hinge axis and is shorter than the shortest distance between the pair of beam portions, the lid engaging portion is rotatable by rotating about the pivot axis to a fixed position in which it engages with the main body to maintain the lid in the closed position, and a released position in which it disengages from the main body to allow the lid to open. A holding member connected to both of the pair of beam sections and holding the pivot shaft between the pair of beam sections, It holds. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a pressure cooker with improved usability. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a pressure cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the lid is in the closed position. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a pressure cooker with the lid in the open position. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lid of the pressure cooker shown. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the lid. [Figure 6] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line B1-B1 in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the inner surface of the lid base. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] <Knowledge that forms the basis of this disclosure> The disclosers have diligently studied ways to further improve the usability of pressure cookers and have obtained the following findings.

[0010] In the pressure cooker described in Patent Document 1, the pair of beams need to be positioned in a desirable location to suppress deformation of the lid. On the other hand, since the pivot axis of the lid engagement part is directly held by the pair of beams, the length of the pivot axis is determined by the distance between the beams. When the internal space of the pot is pressurized, the force of the air in the internal space pushing against the lid is concentrated on the pivot axis. At this time, the longer the length of the pivot axis, the higher the possibility of deformation such as bending occurring in the pivot axis. If the pivot axis deforms, the rotation of the lid engagement part will not be smooth, which may make the pressure cooker difficult to use.

[0011] Therefore, after diligent study, the Disclosers have found a configuration in which the pivot shaft is held not by the pair of beam sections, but by a holding member connected to both of the pair of beam sections. With this configuration, the length of the pivot shaft is not constrained by the distance between the beam sections, making it possible to make the pivot shaft shorter than that distance. As a result, the pivot shaft becomes less prone to deformation, and the smooth rotation of the lid engagement part is maintained. Therefore, the usability of the pressure cooker can be further improved. Based on this novel finding, the Disclosers have made the following disclosures.

[0012] According to the first aspect of this disclosure, A pressure cooker that cooks by pressurizing the internal space of the pot, A main body having a pot storage section for storing the aforementioned pot, a lid attached to the main body via a hinge shaft, the lid being rotatable between a closed position for closing the opening of the pot and an open position for opening the opening of the pot by rotating about the hinge shaft; comprising: the lid includes: a lid base body that covers the opening of the pot with an inner surface thereof; a pair of beam portions provided on an outer surface of the lid base body, extending in a front-rear direction orthogonal to the hinge shaft, and configured to suppress deformation of the lid base body; a lid engaging portion provided at a front portion of the lid base body away from the hinge shaft, the lid engaging portion having a rotation shaft extending parallel to the hinge shaft and shorter than the shortest distance between the pair of beam portions, the lid engaging portion being rotatable between a fixed position where it engages with the main body to maintain the lid at the closed position and a release position where it disengages from the main body to allow opening of the lid by rotating about the rotation shaft; a holding member connected to both of the pair of beam portions and holding the rotation shaft between the pair of beam portions; having a pressure cooker is provided.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the holding member has two wall portions extending in a vertical direction intersecting both the extending direction of the hinge shaft and the front-rear direction, and provided with holes or recesses for holding the rotation shaft, the lid has a beam connecting portion positioned between the lid base body and the holding member in the vertical direction and connecting the pair of beam portions to each other, the two wall portions are positioned overlapping the beam connecting portion in a plan view of the lid viewed from the vertical direction, and are separated from the beam connecting portion when the internal space is not pressurized,[] a pressure cooker according to the first aspect is provided.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided the pressure cooker according to the second aspect, wherein when the internal space is pressurized, the beam connecting portion is displaced in a direction away from the main body by pressure from the internal space and comes into contact with the two wall portions.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect of this disclosure, The lid base is provided in a position that overlaps with at least one of the two wall portions in the plan view, and has a projection that protrudes toward the beam connection portion. The protruding portion contacts the beam connection portion when the internal space is pressurized, causing the beam connection portion to move toward the two wall portions. A pressure cooker according to the third embodiment is provided.

[0016] According to the fifth aspect of this disclosure, Each beam section has a rear end and a front end that is further from the hinge axis than the rear end. The pivot axis is located further away from the hinge axis than the front end. The present invention provides a pressure cooker according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments.

[0017] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the lid has an arc-shaped outer edge between the pair of beams in the extending direction, in a plan view from the vertical direction that intersects both the extending direction of the hinge axis and the front-rear direction, as described in the fifth aspect of the pressure cooker.

[0018] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (for example, terms including "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "back") will be used assuming a typical installation of a pressure cooker. The use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, and the meaning of these terms will not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the following description is essentially illustrative and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses.

[0019] For illustrative purposes, the drawings show an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system, which is provided to facilitate understanding of this disclosure and does not limit it. The X-axis corresponds to the "extension direction of the hinge axis" in this disclosure, the Y-axis to the "forward-backward direction," and the Z-axis to the "up-down direction."

[0020] <Embodiment> The overall configuration of the pressure cooker according to the embodiment of this disclosure will be described using Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the pressure cooker according to the embodiment of this disclosure, with the lid in the closed position. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the pressure cooker of Figure 1, with the lid in the open position. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 in Figure 1. The pressure cooker according to this embodiment is, for example, a pressure rice cooker.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressure cooker according to this embodiment comprises a main body 1 with an upper opening 1A, a pot 2 housed inside the main body 1 through the upper opening 1A, and a lid 3 that can open and close the upper opening 1A.

[0022] In this embodiment, the main body 1 has a bottomed cylindrical pot storage section 12 that is recessed inward from the upper wall 11. The upper opening of the pot storage section 12 coincides with the upper opening 1A. The pot 2 is detachably stored inside the pot storage section 12 through the upper opening 1A. The pot 2 has an annular flange portion 21 that protrudes outward from its upper end. The inner surface of the pot storage section 12 is formed so as to leave a predetermined gap between it and the outer surface of the pot 2. Food to be cooked, such as rice or water, is placed in the pot 2.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, a heating section 13 for heating food to be cooked in the pot 2 is provided inside the main body 1 and on the outer circumferential surface of the pot storage section 12. In this embodiment, the heating section 13 is composed of an induction heating coil unit that induction heats the pot 2 via the pot storage section 12. The induction heating coil unit comprises a bottom internal heating coil 131 and a bottom external heating coil 132. The bottom internal heating coil 131 is positioned to face the central part of the bottom of the pot 2 via the pot storage section 12. The bottom external heating coil 132 is positioned to face the corners of the bottom of the pot 2 via the pot storage section 12.

[0024] An opening 12A is provided in the center of the bottom of the pot storage section 12. A pot temperature sensor 14, which is an example of a pot temperature detection unit for detecting the temperature of the pot 2, is provided in the opening 12A. The pot temperature sensor 14 is positioned so as to be in contact with the bottom of the pot 2 housed in the pot storage section 12. For example, the temperature of the food being cooked in the pot 2 is estimated based on the temperature detected by the pot temperature sensor 14.

[0025] The lid 3 is configured to be movable between a closed position (the position shown in Figures 1 and 3) that covers the opening 2A of the pot 2 and an open position that moves away from the opening 2A of the pot 2 and opens the opening 2A. In this embodiment, the lid 3 is configured to be rotatable between the closed position and the open position by rotating around a hinge shaft 3A provided on the lid 3 and extending in the X direction. In this embodiment, a torsion spring connecting the main body 1 and the lid 3 is wound around the hinge shaft 3A. When the lid 3 is in an openable state, it rotates due to the biasing force of the torsion spring and moves to the open position.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lid 3 includes a lid base 4 having an inner surface 4a that covers the opening 2A of the pot 2 and an outer surface 4b opposite to the inner surface 4a, and a cover 32 that covers the outer surface 4b. The lid base 4 and the cover 32 define the internal space of the lid 3. For example, the lid base 4 is made of a resin such as ABS resin or polypropylene.

[0027] The internal space of the lid 3 is provided with a control unit 101 and an input unit 102 for inputting various information. The control unit 101 includes a storage unit that stores multiple cooking sequences for cooking food. Here, a "cooking sequence" refers to a cooking procedure in which the energizing time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc., are predetermined. Each cooking sequence corresponds to one of several cooking courses. Based on the cooking course input by the input unit 102 and the temperature detected by the pot temperature sensor 14, the control unit 101 controls the operation of the heating unit 13 and executes the cooking process. In this embodiment, the control unit 101 is a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. The control unit 101 also controls the opening and closing of a valve provided in a fluid passage, which will be described later. For example, the internal space SP2 of the pot 2 can be pressurized by the control unit 101 controlling the heating unit 13 and the valve. In this specification, "pressurized" means that the air pressure in the internal space SP2 of the pot 2 is higher than the air pressure outside the pressure cooker (for example, atmospheric pressure).

[0028] The input unit 102 includes a display unit (not shown), such as a liquid crystal display, which displays various information such as cooking course and cooking time via the cover 32, and a selection unit (not shown) that allows the user to select a specific cooking course from among multiple cooking courses. The selection unit is configured to allow the user to select a cooking course and to instruct the user to start, cancel, or reserve cooking. The user can select a specific cooking course using the selection unit while referring to the display content of the display unit and then instruct the user to start cooking. In this embodiment, the input unit 102 is a touch panel type input unit.

[0029] A heating plate 41 (for example, an inner lid) is detachably attached to the inner surface 4a of the lid base 4. The heating plate 41 is configured to open and close to cover the opening 2A of the pot 2 in conjunction with the opening and closing (rotation) movement of the lid 3. When the lid 3 is in the closed position, the heating plate 41 is configured to cover the opening 2A of the pot 2. On the heating plate 41, an annular packing 411 is attached along the outer circumference of the heating plate 41 to the surface facing the pot 2. When the lid 3 is in the closed position, the packing 411 is configured to adhere tightly to the vicinity of the flange portion 21 of the pot 2, sealing the gap between the pot 2 and the heating plate 41.

[0030] The cover 32 is provided with a lid operating part 321, which the user operates when opening the lid, and an exhaust port 322 for releasing fluids such as steam from the internal space SP2. When the lid operating part 321 is operated, it rotates the lid engaging part 8, which will be described later. The exhaust port 322 constitutes one end of a fluid passage that fluidly connects the internal space SP2 with the outside of the pressure cooker.

[0031] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the lid of the pressure cooker shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the lid shown in Figure 4.

[0032] In this embodiment, the lid base 4 constitutes the outer edge 3B of the lid 3 in a plan view from the Z direction and is substantially circular. In the central part of the lid base 4 in a plan view, a recess 42 is provided that is recessed downwards. For example, components such as a valve for opening and closing the fluid passage, a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor), a pressure sensor, a pump for supplying fluid into the pot 2, a heater for heating the fluid supplied into the pot 2, and a coil for induction heating the heating plate 41 are arranged in the recess 42. In the lid base 4, the part in front of the recess 42 (e.g., in the -Y direction) is, for example, the front part of the lid base 4, and the part behind the recess 42 (e.g., in the +Y direction) is, for example, the rear part of the lid base 4.

[0033] The lid 3 is provided with two hinge shaft holding portions 31 behind the recess 42 to rotatably hold the hinge shaft 3A. The hinge shaft holding portions 31 are provided with holes into which the hinge shaft 3A is inserted. The lid 3 is rotatably attached to the main body 1 by receiving the hinge shaft 3A on a bearing portion (not shown) provided on the main body 1.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, the outer surface 4b of the lid base 4 is provided with a reinforcing member 5 that suppresses deformation of the lid base 4 due to the force applied to the lid 3 when the internal space SP2 of the pot 2 is pressurized. The reinforcing member 5 has a pair of beam portions 51 that extend in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the hinge axis 3A and are configured to suppress deformation of the lid base 4, a beam connection portion 52 that connects the pair of beam portions 51 to each other, and an outer portion 53 that extends from each beam portion 51 in the X direction to the opposite side of the beam connection portion 52. In this specification, "orthogonal" is not limited to one member or part being completely orthogonal to the other member or part, but also includes being substantially orthogonal to the other member or part, such as being slightly inclined with respect to a direction that is completely orthogonal to the other member or part.

[0035] For example, the reinforcing member 5 is formed by bending and processing a metal sheet such as a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet (SGCC) or a stainless steel sheet. For example, the rigidity of the reinforcing member 5 is higher than the rigidity of the lid base 4.

[0036] The beam section 51 has a rear end 511 and a front end 512 located further from the hinge axis 3A than the rear end 511. The beam section 51 has two side wall sections 513 extending in the Y direction and an upper wall section 514 connecting the upper edges of the side wall sections 513 to each other. The beam connection section 52 connects the lower edges of the two side wall sections 513 that are opposite each other in the X direction. The beam connection section 52 has an opening in a position that overlaps with the recess 42 in a plan view of the cover 3. The outer section 53 extends from the lower edge of the side wall section 513 that is not connected to the beam connection section 52. In this embodiment, the pair of beam sections 51 are connected to each other by a beam reinforcing member 6 provided so as to straddle the recess 42. The beam reinforcing member 6 is screwed to each beam section 51.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, a plate-shaped retaining member 7 is provided on the reinforcing member 5, positioned on the front part of the lid base 4 in a plan view, and connected to both of the pair of beam sections 51. In this embodiment, the retaining member 7 has a substantially U-shape with a curved portion on the front side in a plan view, and is screwed to the upper wall of each beam section 51 so as to cover the front end 512. For example, the retaining member 7 is formed from a metal plate such as a hot-dip galvanized steel sheet (SGCC) or a stainless steel sheet.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the holding member 7 rotatably holds the lid engaging portion 8, which has a pivot axis 81. By rotating around the pivot axis 81, the lid engaging portion 8 is rotatable between a fixed position that engages with the main body 1 to maintain the lid 3 in a closed position (see Figure 1) and a released position that disengages from the main body 1 and allows the lid 3 to be opened (see Figure 2). The lid engaging portion 8 is maintained in the fixed position by a biasing member (e.g., a spring) not shown. The engagement between the lid engaging portion 8 and the main body 1 can be released by the user rotating the lid engaging portion 8 to the released position via the lid operating portion 321 (see Figure 1).

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the pivot axis 81 is held by the retaining member 7 between a pair of beam sections 51 in the X direction. The pivot axis 81 extends parallel to the hinge axis 3A and has a length shorter than the shortest distance D51 between the pair of beam sections 51. In this specification, “parallel” is not limited to one member or section being perfectly parallel to the other member or section, but includes being substantially parallel to the other member or section, such as being slightly inclined with respect to the other member or section.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the retaining member 7 has an outer edge portion 71 and an inner edge portion 72 in a U-shape. The retaining member 7 is provided with a retaining recess 75 that is recessed rearward from the outer edge portion 71 in a plan view, and in which the lid engaging portion 8 is provided. The portion of the outer edge portion 71 excluding the retaining recess 75 is provided with a front flange portion 73 that extends downward (for example, in the -Z direction). The inner edge portion 72 is provided with a rear flange portion 74 that extends upward (for example, in the +Z direction). The front flange portion 73 and the rear flange portion 74 contribute to improving the rigidity of the retaining member 7.

[0041] The retaining recess 75 is provided with two wall portions 76 that extend in the Z direction and face each other in the X direction. The wall portions 76 are provided with holes 761 into which the end of the pivot shaft 81 is inserted. In this embodiment, the holes 761 are located in front of the front end portion 512 of the beam portion 51. As a result, the pivot shaft 81 is located further away from the hinge shaft 3A than the front end portion 512.

[0042] Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along the line B1-B1 in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 6, the wall portion 76 is positioned in the Z direction such that it sandwiches the beam connection portion 52 between itself and the lid base 4. In other words, the wall portion 76 is provided in a position that overlaps with the beam connection portion 52 in a plan view.

[0043] When the internal space of the pot is not pressurized (for example, when the pressure cooker is not powered on), the lower edge 762 of the wall portion 76 is separated from the beam connection portion 52. For example, a gap of approximately 0.2 mm in the Z direction is provided between the lower edge 762 and the beam connection portion 52. This gap makes the position of the wall portion 76 in the Z direction less susceptible to the dimensional error of the beam connection portion 52 in the Z direction.

[0044] Figure 7 is a plan view showing the inner surface of the lid base shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 7, the inner surface 4a of the lid base 4 is provided with downwardly projecting lower protrusions 43A and 43B. In a plan view, the lower protrusions 43A and 43B are positioned to overlap with the outer edge of the heating plate 41 attached to the lid base 4. In this embodiment, the lower protrusions 43A and 43B have a cylindrical shape and contact the heating plate 41 attached to the lid base 4.

[0045] In this embodiment, two lower protrusions 43A are provided, positioned to overlap with a pair of beam sections 51 in a plan view. Two lower protrusions 43B are provided, positioned to overlap with two wall sections 76 in a plan view.

[0046] The lid base 4 is provided with upwardly projecting upper protrusions 44A and 44B at positions that overlap with the lower protrusions 43A and 43B in a plan view. The upper protrusions 44B are an example of the "protrusions" in this disclosure. Specifically, two upper protrusions 44A are provided at positions that overlap with two lower protrusions 43A and a pair of beam sections 51. Also, two upper protrusions 44B are provided at positions that overlap with two lower protrusions 43B and two wall sections 76. Here, as shown in Figure 7, a beam connection section 52 is interposed between the two wall sections 76 and the lid base 4, so the upper protrusions 44B project toward the beam connection section 52. In this embodiment, the upper protrusions 44A and 44B have a cylindrical shape with substantially the same diameter as the lower protrusions 43A and 43B and are in contact with the beam connection section 52.

[0047] Referring to Figure 6, the transmission of force when the internal space SP2 of the pot is pressurized will be explained. Figure 6 shows one lower protrusion 43B and one upper protrusion 44B.

[0048] When the internal space SP2 of the pot is pressurized, an upward pressure acts on the heating plate 41, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 6. This pressure is transmitted to the beam section 51 via the lower protrusion 43A and the upper protrusion 44A. As a result, a portion of this pressure is absorbed by the high-strength beam section 51.

[0049] Furthermore, this pressure is also transmitted to the beam connection portion 52 via the lower protrusion 43B and the upper protrusion 44B. When an upward force is applied to the portion of the beam connection portion 52 near the upper protrusion 44B, it displaces upward to fill the gap between it and the wall portion 76 located above it. Due to this displacement, the beam connection portion 52 comes into contact with the wall portion 76. The pressure is then received by the wall portion 76 through the contact between the beam connection portion 52 and the wall portion 76.

[0050] The wall portion 76 is engaged with the main body 1 via the pivot shaft 81 and the lid engagement portion 8 when the internal space SP2 is pressurized (i.e., during cooking). Therefore, the pressure applied to the wall portion 76 and the resistance force due to the engagement cancel each other out in the wall portion 76. This reduces the possibility of deformation such as twisting occurring between the wall portion 76 and other parts of the lid 3.

[0051] According to the above embodiment, the pivot shaft 81 is not held directly by the pair of beam portions 51, but is held by a holding member 7 connected to both of the pair of beam portions 51. Therefore, the length of the pivot shaft 81 is not constrained by the distance between the beam portions 51. Thus, it is possible to make the length of the pivot shaft 81 shorter than the distance between the beam portions 51, thereby suppressing deformation of the pivot shaft 81 when pressurized. As a result, the smooth rotation of the lid engagement portion 8 is more reliably maintained, further improving the usability of the pressure cooker.

[0052] According to the above embodiment, the two wall portions 76 are separated from the beam connection portion 52 when the internal space SP2 of the pot 2 is not pressurized. As a result, the vertical position of the two holes 761 is not affected by the dimensional error of the beam connection portion 52, and the deviation of the position of the holes 761 from the design position can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the two wall portions 76 contact the beam connection portion 52. For example, the tilt of the pivot axis 81 caused by the vertical position of the two holes 761 can be suppressed.

[0053] According to the above embodiment, when the internal space SP2 of the pot 2 is pressurized, the beam connection portion 52 is displaced by the pressure applied to the lid 3 and comes into contact with the two wall portions 76. As a result, the pressure applied to the lid 3 can be received by the two wall portions 76 connected to the main body 1 via the lid engagement portion 8. This further suppresses deformation of the lid 3.

[0054] The lid 3 is connected to the main body 1 via a lid engagement portion 8 held by the wall portion 76. If the force acting on the lid 3 from the internal space SP2 of the pot 2 concentrates on a part of the lid 3 other than the wall portion 76, deformation such as twisting may occur in the lid base 4 between the part where the force is concentrated and the wall portion 76.

[0055] According to the above embodiment, the lid base 4 has an upper projection 44B provided at a position that overlaps with the two wall portions 76 in a plan view. When the lid 3 is subjected to an upward force, the upper projection 44B contacts the beam connection portion 52 before the rest of the lid base 4. This allows the force acting on the lid 3 to be concentrated at the contact point between the beam connection portion 52 and the wall portion 76. Therefore, the possibility of deformation such as twisting occurring in the lid base 4 can be reduced.

[0056] According to the above embodiment, since the pivot axis 81 is located in front of the front end portion 512 of the beam portion 51, the outer edge 3B of the cover 3 can be made into an arc shape in the region between the beam portions 51.

[0057] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms. For example, the two wall portions 76 may be in contact with the beam connection portion 52 even when the internal space SP2 is not pressurized. Alternatively, the beam connection portion 52 may not be in contact with the two wall portions 76 even when the internal space SP2 is pressurized. The beam connection portion 52 may not be interposed between the lid base 4 and the two wall portions 76, and may not be provided at all.

[0058] The lid base 4 does not necessarily have to have at least one of the lower protrusions 43A, 43B and the upper protrusions 44A, 44B. The heating plate 41 may be configured to contact the lower protrusions 43A, 43B only when the internal space SP2 is pressurized. For example, the heating plate 41 may be displaced upward by pressure from the internal space SP2 and come into contact with the lower protrusions 43A, 43B. The upper protrusion 44B may be configured to contact the beam connection 52 only when the internal space SP2 is pressurized. For example, the upper protrusion 44B may come into contact with the beam connection 52 as the lid base 4 is displaced upward by pressure from the internal space SP2.

[0059] The pivot axis 81 is not limited to being in front of the front end portion 512 of the beam portion 51, but may be at the same position as the front end portion 512 in the Y direction, for example.

[0060] The outer edge 3B of the lid 3 in plan view may be made of a member other than the lid base (for example, a cover 32). The outer edge 3B is not limited to a circle, but may also be a polygon including a rectangle or an ellipse. For example, the outer edge 3B may have an arc shape between a pair of beam portions 51 in the X direction in the front portion of the lid 3.

[0061] The wall portion 76 may have a recess for holding the end of the pivot shaft 81 instead of the hole 761.

[0062] The retaining member 7 may include a first component connected to one beam portion 51 and a second component separated from the first component and connected to the other beam portion 51. However, a retaining member 7 that is a single integrated component tends to have improved rigidity compared to a retaining member that includes multiple separate components. Also, compared to a configuration in which the two holes 761 are provided separately in the first and second components, the possibility of the two holes 761 shifting in the Z direction can be reduced.

[0063] The pressure cooker is not limited to a pressure rice cooker; it can also be an automatic cooker, for example.

[0064] By appropriately combining any embodiment or modification from the various embodiments or modifications described above, the effects of each can be achieved. Furthermore, combinations of embodiments with each other, combinations of examples with each other, and combinations of embodiments with examples are possible, as well as combinations of features from different embodiments or examples.

[0065] While this disclosure is adequately described in relation to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various variations and modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications should be understood to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined by the attached claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0066] This disclosure can further improve usability and is therefore useful for, for example, rice cookers and cooking appliances. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1 Main unit 1A Top opening 2 pot 2A opening 3 Lid 3A Hinge Axis 3B Outer edge 4 Lid base 4a Inner self 4b External surface 5. Reinforcement members 6. Beam reinforcing members 7 Retaining member 8. Cover engagement portion 11 Upper wall 12 Pot storage section 12A opening 13 Heating section 14. Pot temperature sensor 21 Flange section 31 Hinge shaft holding part 32 Cover 41 Heating plate 42 recess 43A, 43B Lower protrusion 44A, 44B Upper protrusion 51 Beam section 52 Beam connection section 53 Outer part 71 Outer edge 72 Inner edge 73 Front flange section 74 Rear flange section 75 Retaining recess 76 Wall 81 rotational axes 101 Control Unit 102 Input section 131 Bottom heating coil 132 Bottom external heating coil 321 Lid operating section 322 Exhaust port 411 Packing 511 Rear end 512 Front end 513 Side wall section 514 Upper wall section 761 holes 762 Lower edge D51 Shortest distance between beam sections SP2 Pot Interior Space

Claims

1. A pressure cooker that cooks by pressurizing the internal space of the pot, A main body having a pot storage section for storing the aforementioned pot, A lid is attached to the main body via a hinge shaft and is rotatable around the hinge shaft to a closed position that closes the opening of the pot and an open position that opens the opening of the pot. Equipped with, The aforementioned cover is A lid base that covers the opening of the pot on its inner surface, A pair of beam portions are provided on the outer surface of the lid base, extending in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the hinge axis, and configured to suppress deformation of the lid base, A lid engaging portion provided in the front part of the lid base away from the hinge axis, having a pivot axis that extends parallel to the hinge axis and is shorter than the shortest distance between the pair of beam portions, the lid engaging portion is rotatable by rotating about the pivot axis to a fixed position in which it engages with the main body to maintain the lid in the closed position, and a released position in which it disengages from the main body to allow the lid to open. A holding member connected to both of the pair of beam sections and holding the pivot shaft between the pair of beam sections, Having Pressure cooker.

2. The retaining member has two wall portions that extend in a vertical direction intersecting both the extending direction of the hinge shaft and the front-rear direction, and that are provided with holes or recesses for holding the pivot shaft. The lid is located between the lid base and the holding member in the vertical direction and has a beam connecting portion that connects the pair of beam portions to each other. The two wall portions are positioned to overlap with the beam connection portion in a plan view of the lid as seen from the vertical direction, and are separated from the beam connection portion when the internal space is not pressurized. A pressure cooker according to claim 1.

3. The pressure cooker according to claim 2, wherein when the internal space is pressurized, the beam connection portion is displaced away from the main body by the pressure from the internal space and comes into contact with the two wall portions.

4. The lid base is provided in a position that overlaps with at least one of the two wall portions in the plan view, and has a projection that protrudes toward the beam connection portion. The protruding portion contacts the beam connection portion when the internal space is pressurized, causing the beam connection portion to move toward the two wall portions. The pressure cooker according to claim 3.

5. Each beam section has a rear end and a front end that is further from the hinge axis than the rear end. The pivot axis is located further away from the hinge axis than the front end. A pressure cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The pressure cooker according to claim 5, wherein the lid has an arc-shaped outer edge between the pair of beam portions in the extending direction, in a plan view taken from the vertical direction which intersects both the extending direction of the hinge axis and the front-rear direction.

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