Portable electric rice cooker

Abstract

This product provides a portable rice cooker with a timer that can provide freshly cooked rice and side dishes prepared in a built-in steamer, using an independent power source without relying on a 100V household power supply. [Solution] This portable electric rice cooker features an electric rice cooker 1 with a power consumption of 100W or less and a portable power supply 2 capable of supplying an output power of 100W and an output energy of 150Wh, connected via a timer 3 equipped with relay and switch functions. The electric rice cooker 1, portable power supply 2, and timer 3 are stored in an insulated bag 4, and cooking is started at a predetermined time. Cooking can be completed while the rice cooker is stored in the insulated bag 4, allowing employees to enjoy freshly cooked rice and side dishes prepared with the built-in steamer at their desks during lunch breaks using an independent power supply and timer, and it can be easily carried anywhere.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a portable electric rice cooker integrated and stored in a heat-insulating bag.

Background Art

[0002] Salaried workers and career women with clear and limited lunch break times find it difficult to secure time to eat out and queue due to their busy schedules. Even if they can cook a bento before going to work, by lunchtime, the food has cooled down and lost its flavor, and they have no choice but to eat it. Although there are small electric rice cookers (see Non-Patent Document 1), many workplaces prohibit cooking using the 100V AC power supply at their own desks. There are also some that are driven by 12V or 24V DC power supplies, but many of them require the use of a car cigarette socket power supply or a large portable power supply with a large power capacity, making it very difficult to carry them around. And those without timer control cannot complete cooking the rice and the side dishes in the built-in steamer at the same time as lunch break, and have to cook the rice again. If cooking starts at lunch break, there will be no time left to eat the rice.

[0003] Timer-type rice cookers driven by 12V or 24V DC power supplies are commercially available, and most of them require more than 200W of power. However, portable power supplies with a power capacity capable of driving them are large and heavy, making it difficult to carry them in a bag and take them on a crowded train to make a lunch bento. Also, there is no rice cooker that can be timer-controlled and is driven by a 12V or 24V DC power supply of about 100W, and carrying it together with a portable power supply is not considered.

[0004] As a solution to the above problems, Patent Document 1 discloses a rechargeable battery-type electric rice cooker in which a cartridge rechargeable battery can be inserted into the power supply part of an electric rice cooker that can be used outdoors. However, it cannot be timer-controlled, and there is also a problem of being limited to the use of specific batteries.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-319638 [Non-patent literature]

[0006] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Koizumi Seiki Co., Ltd. Rice Cooker Mini KSC-1511 Instruction Manual" [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The objective of this invention is to provide a portable rice cooker that can provide freshly cooked rice and side dishes prepared with a built-in steamer using an independent power source without using a 100V household power supply. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is a portable electric rice cooker characterized by connecting an electric rice cooker (1) with a power consumption of 100W or less and a portable power supply (2) capable of supplying an output power of 100W and an output energy amount of 150Wh via a timer (3) equipped with relay and switch functions, storing the electric rice cooker (1), the portable power supply (2), and the timer (3) inside an insulated bag (4), and starting rice cooking at a predetermined time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the portable electric rice cooker of this invention, a low-power 12V DC voltage driven rice cooker, a portable power supply with the minimum capacity to drive it, a timer to control them, and these are all housed in an insulated bag. By controlling the 12V DC power supply driven rice cooker with the timer, cooking can be completed at a predetermined time while the rice cooker remains stored in the insulated bag. This allows for the provision of freshly cooked rice and side dishes prepared with the built-in steamer at one's desk in the workplace during lunchtime, using an independent power supply and timer, and it can be easily carried anywhere. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a conceptual diagram of a portable electric rice cooker. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] A low-power electric rice cooker, operating on a 12V DC voltage and consuming approximately 100W or less, is connected to a portable power supply with sufficient capacity to safely supply 100W of output power and 150Wh of energy via a timer equipped with relays and switches. This allows the rice cooker to receive power at a set time, start up, and complete cooking while stored inside the insulated bag. [Examples]

[0012] 12V DC powered electric rice cooker (Guangdong European Zhibao Mini Rice Cooker CFXBOB-MR C2) I connected a portable power supply (ROCKPALS K27 150W 178Wh ("ROCKPALS" is a registered trademark of Shenzhen Yuanding Intelligent Innovation Co., Ltd.)) via a timer (JILIMIJD WEEKLY PROGRAMMABLE TIMER), set the timer at 5:06 AM to switch on at 10:24 AM, loaded 1 cup of rice, the necessary amount of water for cooking, and 2 frozen dumplings (Marushin Foods Co., Ltd. Utsunomiya Vegetable Dumplings), and placed everything inside an insulated bag (Academy BroadWay Item No. 82002) (external dimensions: length x width x height = 155 x 235 x 265 mm) and placed it on a desk. At 10:40 AM, I checked the rice cooker's cooking indicator light and confirmed that it was lit. Subsequently, at 11:45 AM, I checked the rice cooker's keep-warm indicator light and confirmed that it was lit (rice cooking complete). I opened the rice cooker at 12:00 PM and confirmed that 1 cup of rice and 2 dumplings were cooked through. They were served at the perfect temperature and tasted delicious. The portable power supply still had over 50% charge remaining. [Industrial applicability]

[0013] This invention can be manufactured using the manufacturing technologies of commercially available electric rice cookers, rechargeable batteries, timers, and carrying bags. By ensuring sufficient cooking time, power consumption can be reduced, leaving room for further miniaturization and performance improvements, making it possible for home appliance manufacturers to mass-produce it. By utilizing pre-washed rice or frozen foods, even more time can be saved on preparing ingredients before leaving home. Furthermore, it can be widely used by people of all ages, including working professionals, students who want to eat a freshly cooked meal immediately during their lunch break, travelers, and outdoor enthusiasts. After cooking a meal during lunchtime, the rechargeable battery's power is not completely depleted, leaving some remaining power which can be used as an emergency power source, such as for charging a smartphone, until returning home, making it a valuable disaster preparedness item. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0014] 1. Electric rice cooker 2 Portable Power Supply 3 Timer 4. Insulated bag

Claims

[Claim 1] A portable electric rice cooker characterized by connecting an electric rice cooker (1) with a power consumption of 100W or less and a portable power supply (2) capable of supplying an output power of 100W and an output energy amount of 150Wh via a timer (3) equipped with relay and switch functions, storing the electric rice cooker (1), the portable power supply (2), and the timer (3) inside an insulated bag (4), and starting rice cooking at a predetermined time.

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