Rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of enhancing installation easiness and cleanability.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a pot; a pot container for storing the pot; a housing having a storage region for storing the pot container; a rice container provided above the storage region inside the housing for storing rice; a lid body for covering an opening of the pot, which is attached to / detached from the pot container so as to be disposed between the pot container and the rice container when the pot container is stored in the storage region; and a pot heating device for heating the pot, which is provided below the storage region inside the housing. The pot container and the lid body can be attached to / detached from the housing by slidably moving relatively to the rice container and the pot heating device between the storage region and the side of the storage region outside the housing while the lid body is covering the opening of the pot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of rice cooker, for example, the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2020-5668 A) is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker that can automatically perform a series of operations of supplying rice, supplying water, and cooking rice. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-5668 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the rice cooker of Patent Document 1 includes a lid unit attached to the drawer unit via a hinge shaft, which opens and closes the opening of the pot by rotating around the hinge shaft, and a storage section for storing rice is provided above the lid unit. In this configuration, a space is required to prevent the lid unit attached to the drawer unit from contacting the storage section when it rotates, making it difficult to reduce the height of the rice cooker. Therefore, the space occupied when installing the rice cooker cannot be reduced, and the installation location of the rice cooker is limited. In addition, since the drawer unit has a storage section for the pot, and the storage section has a heating device for heating the pot, it is difficult to wash the entire lid unit and the storage section, and cleaning is poor. Therefore, the rice cooker of Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement in terms of improving ease of installation and cleaning.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a rice cooker that can be easily installed and cleaned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. According to the present invention, a pot and A pot container for accommodating the pot; A housing having a storage area for storing the pot container; A rice container provided inside the housing and above the storage area for storing rice; A lid body that is detachably attached to the pot container so as to be positioned between the pot container and the rice container when the pot container is accommodated in the accommodation area and covers an opening of the pot; a pan heating device provided inside the housing and below the storage area for heating the pan; Equipped with The rice cooker provided is one in which the pot container and the lid are detachable from the housing by sliding relative to the rice container and the pot heating device between the storage area and the outside of the housing and to the side of the storage area while the lid covers the opening of the pot. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the rice cooker of the present invention, ease of installation and cleaning can be improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lid, pot, and pot container 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 diagram showing a convex portion provided on the mounting surface of the weight detection device so as to correspond to a concave portion provided on the bottom of the pot in the rice cooker of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A1 of FIG. 1. [Figure 5A] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which a communication member has moved to a second communication position, the cross-sectional view being partially enlarged in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 5B] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which a communication member has moved to a first communication position, the cross-sectional view being partially enlarged in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6A] 5B is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the protrusion of the communication member in the second communication position shown in FIG. 5A and the elongated hole into which the protrusion is inserted. FIG. [Figure 6B] 5C is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the protrusion of the communication member in the first communication position shown in FIG. 5B and the elongated hole into which the protrusion is inserted. FIG. [Figure 7A] 4 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the water supply device of the rice cooker of FIG. 1, illustrating a state in which a communication member has been moved to a second communication position. FIG. [Figure 7B] 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the water supply device of the rice cooker of FIG. 1, illustrating a state in which a communication member has moved to a first communication position. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the rice cooker of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the operation of the rice cooker in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pan and A pot container for accommodating the pot; A housing having a storage area for storing the pot container; A rice container provided inside the housing and above the storage area for storing rice; A lid body that is detachably attached to the pot container so as to be positioned between the pot container and the rice container when the pot container is accommodated in the accommodation area and covers an opening of the pot; a pan heating device provided inside the housing and below the storage area for heating the pan; Equipped with The rice cooker provided is one in which the pot container and the lid are detachable from the housing by sliding relative to the rice container and the pot heating device between the storage area and the outside of the housing and to the side of the storage area while the lid covers the opening of the pot.

[0010] According to this configuration, the pot container can be slid outside the housing and to the side of the storage area while the lid covers the opening of the pot contained in the pot container, so unlike conventional rice cookers, no space is required to rotate the lid so that it does not come into contact with the rice container. Therefore, the rice cooker can be made smaller than conventional rice cookers and the space it occupies when installed can be reduced, so the place where the rice cooker can be installed is larger than before and the installation location is less restricted. Therefore, the ease of installation can be improved.

[0011] In addition, according to the above configuration, since the pan heating device is provided inside the housing and below the pan container housed in the storage area, the pan container does not have a pan heating device. Therefore, the pan, pan container, and lid that are slid outside the housing and to the side of the storage area can be disassembled and washed in their entirety, making cleaning easy. Therefore, cleaning can be improved.

[0012] The lid may further include a rice feed device that feeds rice from the rice container into the pot and a water feed device that feeds water into the pot, and may have holes through which the rice fed by the rice feed device and the water fed by the water feed device pass when they are fed into the pot. In a conventional rice cooker, when rice and water are fed into the pot through the same path in the lid, residues of mixed rice and water components may adhere to the path in the lid, which may cause mold to grow. In a conventional rice cooker, the lid is attached to the housing side, and it is difficult to clean the path in the lid, so holes for feeding rice and holes for feeding water are provided separately. In contrast, in the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, rice and water pass through the same hole when they are fed into the pot, but the lid slides and moves to separate from the housing, so that the entire lid can be washed, improving cleanability. In addition, in the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, rice and water are fed into the pot through the same hole, so that the number of holes provided in the lid can be reduced compared to conventional rice cookers, improving heat retention.

[0013] The rice cooker may further include a steam cylinder capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing, and a communication member movable between a first communication position that fluidly connects the hole to the steam cylinder and a second communication position that fluidly connects the hole to the rice sending device and the water sending device, and the communication member is configured to be capable of discharging steam generated in the pot and passing through the hole to the outside of the housing when located at the first communication position, and to be capable of supplying rice sent by the rice sending device and water sent by the water sending device through the hole to the pot when located at the second communication position. According to this configuration, the communication target of the hole can be switched by moving the communication member to the first communication position and the second communication position, so that steam in the pot can be discharged and rice and water can be supplied to the pot through the same hole. Therefore, the number of holes provided in the lid can be reduced compared to conventional rice cookers, improving heat retention. In addition, since the steam inside the pot can be discharged to the outside of the housing through the steam tube without flowing to the rice sending device and water sending device, the rice and water before cooking are not altered by the steam, and a decrease in the quality of the cooked rice can be prevented.

[0014] The communication member may have a sealant that seals the periphery of the hole in the first communication position, and the sealant may be configured to move upward away from the lid and then move horizontally when the communication member moves from the first communication position to the second communication position. With this configuration, the sealant seals the periphery of the hole in the first communication state, so that steam in the pot can be more reliably discharged to the outside of the housing. Furthermore, when the communication member moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, the sealant moves upward away from the lid and then moves horizontally, preventing friction between the sealant and the lid during the horizontal movement and reducing the possibility of the sealant being damaged.

[0015] The container further includes a weight detection device on which the pot container accommodated in the accommodation area is placed, The amount of rice and water supplied to the pot contained in the pot container may be measured based on the weight detected by the weight detection device. In conventional rice cookers, the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot is measured before the rice and water are supplied to the pot based on the rotation speed or driving time of the rice and water supply device, for example, and the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot is estimated. Therefore, the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot is not measured accurately. In contrast, in the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, the amount of rice and water is measured after the rice and water are supplied to the pot based on the weight detected by the weight detection device of the pot container in which the pot is contained, so that the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot can be measured more accurately.

[0016] The control unit may also be provided with a control unit that measures the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot based on the weight detected by the weight detection device and controls the rice feeding device and the water feeding device, and the control unit controls one of the rice feeding device and the water feeding device to supply one of the rice and water into the pot, and then controls the other of the rice feeding device and the water feeding device to supply the other of the rice and water into the pot, and measures the amount of one of the rice and water supplied into the pot by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of the rice and water has been supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device before the rice and water are supplied into the pot, and measures the amount of the other of the rice and water supplied into the pot by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of the rice and water has been supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device after the rice and water have been supplied into the pot.

[0017] According to this configuration, the weight detected by the weight detection device before rice and water are supplied into the pot is measured as the weight of the pot container, and the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot is measured as the weight of the pot container and one of rice and water supplied into the pot. Therefore, the amount of one of rice and water supplied into the pot is measured by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device before rice and water are supplied into the pot. Also, the weight detected by the weight detection device after rice and water are supplied into the pot is measured as the weight of the pot container and the rice and water supplied into the pot. Therefore, the amount of the other of rice and water supplied into the pot is measured by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device after rice and water are supplied into the pot. As a result, the rice cooker according to the above aspect can measure the rice and water in the pot based only on the measurement results by the weight detection device.

[0018] The weight detector may detect the weight when the seal is separated from the lid. With this configuration, the seal is separated from the lid when the weight is measured, so that weight is prevented from being applied to the pot from outside via the seal. This improves the accuracy of the weight detector in measuring the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot.

[0019] The control unit may also control the water supply device to supply water into the pot, measure the amount of water supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device, and then control the rice supply device to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot. According to this configuration, the control unit can control the water supply device to supply water into the pot, measure the amount of water supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device, and then control the rice supply device to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot. For example, when the water supplied into the pot by the water supply device is stored in the water container, the amount of water that can be stored in the water container is limited, and by repeatedly cooking rice, an amount of water less than the amount of water suitable for the amount of rice cooked by the user of the rice cooker may remain in the water container. In this case, if an amount of rice suitable for the amount of rice cooked by the user of the rice cooker is supplied into the pot in advance for cooking rice, the amount of water supplied to the pot may be insufficient, making it impossible to cook rice with the desired taste. In contrast, in the rice cooker of the above embodiment, water is first supplied to the pot and the amount of water is measured, and then an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water is supplied to the pot, so that rice with the desired flavor can be cooked.

[0020] The pot may further include a water container capable of containing water supplied by the water supply device into the pot, and an opening through which the water supplied by the water supply device passes is provided at the top of the water container. According to this configuration, an opening through which the water supplied by the water supply device passes is provided at the top of the water container capable of containing water supplied by the water supply device into the pot. Therefore, by storing water in the water container such that the water level is located below the opening of the water container, it is possible to prevent the water in the water container from leaking out from the opening of the water container.

[0021] In addition, a recess may be provided on one of the mounting surface of the weight detection device on which the pot is placed and the bottom surface of the pot, and a protrusion corresponding to the recess may be provided on the other of the mounting surface and the bottom surface, and the pot is guided to move to a predetermined position where the weight detection device can detect the weight of the pot by the protrusion sliding within the recess relative to the recess. According to this configuration, a recess is provided on one of the mounting surface of the weight detection device and the bottom surface of the pot, and a protrusion corresponding to the recess is provided on the other. The protrusion slides within the recess relative to the recess, and the pot is guided to move to a predetermined position where the weight detection device can detect the weight of the pot. Therefore, even if the pot is repeatedly slid, it can be moved to the predetermined position more reliably, and the measurement accuracy of the weight detection device can be prevented from decreasing.

[0022] The water supply device may further include a water supply pipe for supplying water into the pot, the water supply device having a water supply pipe through which a fluid can flow, one end of the water supply pipe opening toward the hole in the lid, and the water supply pipe may be provided with a first pump for supplying fluid only from the other end of the water supply pipe to the pot side of the water supply pipe, and a second pump for supplying gas into the water supply pipe between the first pump and the other end of the water supply pipe. With this configuration, the first pump supplies fluid only from the other end of the water supply pipe to the pot side, thereby restricting the flow of fluid from the first pump to the pot side in one direction. Even if water is stagnant in the water supply pipe, the second pump supplies gas into the water supply pipe, thereby discharging the water in the water supply pipe to the other end side of the water supply pipe or into the pot through the first pump and the hole in the lid.

[0023] In addition, an insulating layer or an air layer may be formed in the side wall of the pot container, which is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the pot container. The pot container for housing the pot does not have a pot heating device, so the side wall can be made thin to fit the shape of the pot. If a pot container with a thin side wall is held by hand, there is a risk of getting burned. In the rice cooker of the above embodiment, an insulating layer or an air layer is formed in the side wall of the pot container, so that heat conduction from the pot to the outer surface of the pot container is suppressed, and the temperature of the outer surface of the pot container can be lowered to reduce the risk of getting burned. In addition, in the rice cooker of the above embodiment, an insulating layer or an air layer is formed in the side wall of the pot container, so that the amount of heat applied from the bottom of the pot container by the pot heating device to the outside of the pot container during cooking can be reduced. Therefore, the heating of the pot can be controlled more efficiently and finely, so that the rice cooking performance can be improved and rice can be cooked with less energy.

[0024] A non-contact temperature detector for detecting the temperature of the bottom of the pot may be provided inside the housing and below the storage area. According to this configuration, a non-contact temperature detector for measuring the temperature of the center of the bottom of the pot is provided inside the housing and below the storage area. Therefore, the temperature of the bottom of the pot stored in the storage area can be measured without interfering with the sliding movement of the pot container, thereby preventing a decrease in the accuracy of the temperature measurement.

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In the drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0026] In addition, for ease of explanation, the following uses terms indicating directions such as "up," "down," "front," "rear," and "side," assuming a state of normal use, but this is not meant to limit the state of use of the rice cooker of the present invention.

[0027] (Embodiment) The overall configuration of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rice cooker according to this embodiment is a so-called fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform processes from supplying rice and water to a pot to cooking rice.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the rice cooker according to this embodiment includes a housing 11, a rice container 301, a pot 2, a pot container 21, and a lid 22.

[0029] The housing 11 has a substantially D-shaped shape in top view. In other words, the housing 11 has a shape in which one side of a rectangular shape is bent into a semicircular arc in top view. In this embodiment, the curved side of the housing 11 is referred to as the front. Also, the flat side opposite to the curved side of the housing 11 is referred to as the rear. Furthermore, the direction toward the front and rear of the housing 11 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 of FIG. 1 is referred to as the lateral direction X. Also, the direction toward the lower left and upper right 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. Also, in this embodiment, the lateral direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the direction intersecting the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y are referred to as the lateral direction.

[0030] The housing 11 is provided at the lower front side with a storage area 12 capable of storing a pot container 21. The storage area 12 is configured so that the pot container 21 can be stored by sliding it from the side of the storage area 12. FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a configuration in which the pot container 21 can be stored by sliding it from the front of the storage area 12 along the front-rear direction Y. A steam port 53b, which will be described later, is provided above the storage area 12 and at a curved portion of the front of the housing 11. A housing cover 11a, which covers the housing 11 and also covers a rice container 301, which will be described later, is detachably attached to the upper end of the housing 11. A water container mounting portion 11b is provided at the lower side of one side (the lower right side in FIG. 1) of the housing 11. A water container 401 is arranged on the water container mounting portion 11b so that an opening 401a provided at the top of the water container 401 faces upward. In this embodiment, a plastic bottle is arranged as an example of the water container 401.

[0031] The rice container 301 is a container for storing rice. The rice container 301 is provided inside the housing 11 and above the storage area 12. In other words, the rice container 301 is provided inside the housing 11 below the housing lid 11a so as to be adjacent to the housing lid 11a.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 1, the storage area 12 accommodates a pot container 21, a pot 2 (see Fig. 2) contained in the pot container 21, and a lid 22 that is removably attached to the pot container 21. The pot container 21 is placed on a protrusion 61 (see Fig. 3B) of a weight detection device 6, which will be described later. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the pot container 21 accommodated in the storage area 12 accommodates the pot 2 and has a lid 22 attached to it.

[0033] Pot container 21 accommodated in accommodation area 12 is arranged so that the height of pot container 21 accommodated in accommodation area 12 is lower than the height of accommodation area 12. Pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 can be attached to and detached from housing 11 by sliding along front-to-rear direction Y between accommodation area 12 and the outside of housing 11 and the side of accommodation area 12 while lid 22 remains attached to pot container 21.

[0034] Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the pot, pot container, and lid of the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 3A is a view from below of a recess provided in the bottom of the pot container in the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 3B is a view from diagonally above of a protrusion provided on the mounting surface of the weight detection device so as to correspond to the recess provided in the bottom of the pot container in the rice cooker of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A1-A1 in Fig. 1.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 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 from the upper end of side wall 2b toward the outside of pot 2 around the entire circumferential circumference of the upper end of side wall 2b.

[0036] Pot container 21 has a bottomed cylindrical shape capable of housing pot 2. That is, pot container 21 has bottom 21a, side wall 211, and opening 21h. Pot container 21 is formed of, for example, resin.

[0037] The side wall 211 has an inner wall portion 21b, a rib 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 such that their longitudinal direction is along the height direction Z. The outer wall portion 21d is provided so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the inner wall portion 21b and sandwich the plurality of ribs 21c between the outer wall portion 21d and the inner wall portion 21b. An air layer 21e is formed inside the side wall 211, i.e., between the inner wall portion 21b and the outer wall portion 21d.

[0038] When the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, there is a gap 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, even if the pot 2 is heated by the pot heating device 7 described below, the heat transferred to the pot container 21 is reduced compared to when there is no gap between the pot container 21 and the pot 2, so that damage to the pot container 21 due to heat can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 4, when the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the flange 2d of the pot 2 is placed 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 flange 2d.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3A, a recess 21f is provided on the lower surface side, i.e., the bottom surface, of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21. The recess 21f has a recess side wall 21g. The recess side wall 21g has a U-shape with straight parts at both ends and the two straight parts connected by a curved part composed of a semicircular arc. In other words, a U-shaped groove is provided on the bottom 21a of the pot container. The length between the straight parts of the recess side wall 21g, i.e., the width of the U-shaped groove, is set to be longer than the radius of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21. The lower surface of the recess side wall 21g is a flat surface provided along the U-shape. In addition, a through hole is provided in the center of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21, penetrating the bottom 21a in the vertical direction.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3B, a convex portion 61 corresponding to the recess 21f is provided at the bottom of the storage area 12 for placing the pot container 21 stored in the storage area 12. The convex portion 61 is provided so that a ring-shaped flat plate protrudes from the housing 11. A glass plate 61a, which will be described later, is provided at the center of the convex portion 61. The convex portion 61 is provided so that the height of the convex portion 61 is higher than the height of the side wall 21g of the recess. A convex portion peripheral portion 11c is provided on the outside of the convex portion 61 around the entire circumferential circumference of the convex portion 61. The convex portion peripheral portion 11c is a flat surface provided in a ring shape so as to face the lower surface of the side wall 21g of the recess when the pot container 21 is stored in the storage area 12. The diameter of the convex portion 61 is a length that is such that when the convex portion 61 is located between the two straight portions of the side wall 21g of the recess, the outer surface of the convex portion 61 is located near the two straight portions of the side wall 21g of the recess, and is longer than the radius of the convex portion peripheral portion 11c.

[0041] When the pan container 21 slides between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and the side of the storage area 12, the convex portion 61 slides relatively in the concave portion 21f. More specifically, the side wall 21g of the concave slides relatively to the outer surface of the convex portion 61. This guides the sliding movement of the pan container 21. In addition, in this embodiment, the side wall 21g of the concave is provided with a curved portion, so that the outer surface of the convex portion 61 and the curved portion of the side wall 21g of the concave can be abutted and stopped. Therefore, even if the pan container 21 slides repeatedly, the pan container 21 can be moved more reliably to a predetermined position in the storage area 12. In other words, the pan container 21 slides in the direction in which the U-shaped groove portion of the bottom 21a of the pan container extends, and the sliding movement is guided by the side wall 21g of the groove and the outer surface of the convex portion 61 sliding relatively. In addition, because the outer surface of the protrusion 61 and the curved portion of the groove can be brought into contact and stopped, even if the pan container 21 is repeatedly slid, the pan container 21 can be more reliably moved to a predetermined position within the storage area 12. Furthermore, when the pan container 21 is placed on the protrusion 61, the pan container 21 can rotate forward and backward in the circumferential direction of the protrusion 61 so that the side wall 21g of the recess and the outer surface of the protrusion 61 slide relative to one another.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the lid body 22 has a lid body main body 22a, a hole 22b, a pot gasket 22c, and an attachment member 22d. In this embodiment, the lid body main body 22a has a ring-shaped flat plate portion and a cylindrical portion having an outer peripheral surface that is flush with the outer peripheral surface in the circumferential direction of the ring-shaped flat plate. In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion of the lid body main body 22a is flush with the outer peripheral surface of the side wall 211 of the pot container 21 when the lid body 22 is detachably attached to the pot container 21. In this embodiment, the flat plate includes an approximately flat plate, and the flush surface includes approximately the same surface. The hole 22b is provided in the center of the width direction of the flat plate portion of the lid body main body 22a. The lid body 22 has a hole 22b through which rice sent by the rice sending device 3 described later and water sent by the water sending device 4 described later are supplied into the pot 2. 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. Mounting member 22d is attached to lid body 22a so as to sandwich pot gasket 22c therebetween.

[0043] FIG. 5A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, showing a state where the communicating member has moved to the second communicating position. FIG. 5B is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, showing a state where the communicating member has moved to the first communicating position. FIG. 6A is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the protrusion of the communicating member at the second communicating position shown in FIG. 5A and the oblong hole into which the protrusion is inserted. FIG. 6B is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the protrusion of the communicating member at the first communicating position shown in FIG. 5B and the oblong hole into which the protrusion is inserted. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of the water supply device of the rice cooker of FIG. 1, showing a state where the communicating member has moved to the second communicating position. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the water supply device of the rice cooker of FIG. 1, showing a state where the communicating member has moved to the first communicating position.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7B, housing 11 has rice sending device 3, water sending device 4, communication member 5, weight detection device 6, pan heating device 7, temperature detection device 8, and control unit 9.

[0045] The rice sending device 3 has a rice sending shaft 31 and a rice sending blade 32. The rice sending shaft 31 is arranged horizontally from below the rice container 301 to above the storage area 12. The rice sending blade 32 is formed in a spiral shape around the axis of the rice sending shaft 31. The rice stored in the rice container 301 falls due to gravity, and is sent horizontally toward the top of the storage area 12 by the rice sending shaft 31 and the rice sending blade 32 rotated by a motor or the like. When the pot container 21 is stored in the storage area 12, the rice sent to the top of the storage area 12 falls due to gravity and enters the pot 2 through the hole 22b of the lid 22. In other words, the rice sending device 3 can supply the rice in the rice container 301 to the pot 2.

[0046] The water conveying device 4 has a water conveying pipe 41, a water conveying pump 42 which is an example of a first pump, and a water conveying pipe drainage pump 43 which is an example of a second pump. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the water conveying device 4 is disposed inside the housing 11.

[0047] The water supply pipe 41 has one end 41a and the other end 41b. The one end 41a is provided so as to open toward the hole 22b of the lid 22 accommodated in the accommodation area 12. The other end 41b is provided so as to be fluidically connected to the outside of the housing 11. In this embodiment, the other end 41b is connected to a water intake member 402 that is arranged on the back surface of the housing 11 and takes in water from the inside of a water container 401 that is placed on a water container placement part 11b outside the housing 11 so as to be fluidically connected to each other. More specifically, the water intake member 402 has a water intake pipe 402a through which a fluid can flow and a cap part 402b that is detachably attached to the opening of various water containers. The other end 41b of the water supply pipe 41 is connected to the water intake pipe 402a of the water intake member 402 arranged outside the housing so as to be fluidically connected to each other.

[0048] The water pipe 41 is provided with a water pump 42 and a water pipe drain pump 43. The water pump 42 is an example of a first pump that sends fluid (including water and gas) only from the other end 41b side of the water pipe 41 to the pan 2 side of the water pipe 41. The water pump 42 is a volumetric pump such as a diaphragm pump, a plunger pump, or a piston type pump. In this embodiment, the water pump 42 is attached to connect two water pipes 41. In this embodiment, the water supplied into the pan 2 by the water pump 42 of the water supply device 4 is sent from the water container 401 through the opening 401a. The water pipe drain pump 43 is an example of a second pump that is disposed between the water pump 42 and the other end 41b of the water pipe 41 and sends gas (e.g., air) into the water pipe 41. In this embodiment, the water pipe drain pump 43 is connected to a branch pipe branched off from the water pipe 41.

[0049] The communication member 5 has a communication member body 51, a sealant 52, and a steam cylinder 53. As shown in Fig. 5A to Fig. 6B, the communication member 5 is arranged so as to be movable between a first communication position where the hole 22b of the cover body 22 is fluidly connected to the steam cylinder 53 capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing 11, and a second communication position where the hole 22b of the cover body 22 is fluidly connected to the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4.

[0050] The communication member body 51 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 51a. As shown in Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, each protrusion 51a is provided in the housing 11, and enters an elongated hole 501 of a support member that supports the communication member 5 via the protrusion 51a, and slidably moves within the elongated hole 501. In Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B, when the protrusion 51a is located at the left end of each elongated hole 501, the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position. When the protrusion 51a is located at the right end of each elongated hole 501, the communication member 5 is located at the second communication position. The long hole 501 is composed of a first section extending obliquely upward (upper right in FIGS. 6A and 6B) from one end of the long hole 501 corresponding to the first communication position of the communicating member 5 toward the other end corresponding to the second communication position of the communicating member 5, and a second section extending horizontally from the first section to the other end of the long hole 501 corresponding to the second communication position of the communicating member 5. When the communicating member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, each protrusion 51a slides and passes through the corresponding first section of the long hole 501, so that the communicating member 5 can move upward.

[0051] The sealant 52 is provided on the lower surface of the communication member body 51, that is, on the surface facing the storage area 12. As shown in FIG. 6A, when the communication member 5 is located at the second communication position, the sealant 52 is separated from the lid body 22 and the communication member 5 is separated from the lid body 22. As shown in FIG. 6B, when the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position, the sealant 52 contacts the lid body 22 and seals the periphery of the hole 22b of the lid body 22. In other words, when the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position and the inside of the pot 2 and the steam cylinder 53 are in fluid communication through the hole 22b of the lid body 22, the steam in the pot 2 is introduced into the steam cylinder 53 by the sealant 52 without leaking into the inside of the housing 11. Furthermore, when the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, the sealant 52 moves upward so as to be separated from the lid body 22 and then moves horizontally.

[0052] Steam cylinder 53 has one end 53a and a steam port 53b which is an example of the other end. One end 53a of steam cylinder 53 is provided on the upper surface of communicating member body 51 so as to communicate with the inside of pot 2 through hole 22b of lid 22 when communicating member 5 is in the first communicating position. Steam port 53b is provided above storage area 12 and in a curved portion on the front surface of housing 11. Therefore, when communicating member 5 is in the first communicating position and pot container 21 is stored in storage area 12, steam inside pot 2 is discharged to the outside of housing 11 through hole 22b of lid 22 and steam cylinder 53.

[0053] The weight detection device 6 has a mounting surface. A convex portion 61 is provided on the mounting surface, and the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12 is placed on the mounting surface. The weight detection device 6 is disposed in the housing 11 below the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12. The weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 accommodated in the accommodation area 12 and placed on the convex portion 61 of the mounting surface. In this embodiment, the weight of the pot container 21 includes the weight of the pot 2 accommodated in the pot container 21, the lid body 22 detachably attached to the pot container 21, and the rice and water supplied into the pot 2. In this embodiment, the control unit 9 described later measures the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 4, pot heating device 7 is provided inside housing 11 and below storage area 12 at a position facing bottom 2a of stored pot 2. Pot heating device 7 is, for example, an induction heating coil that inductively heats pot 2 when electricity is passed through it.

[0055] The pot heating device 7 and rice container 301 are provided inside the housing 11. Therefore, the pot container 21 and the lid 22 can slide relative to the rice container 301 and the pot heating device 7 between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and the side of the storage area 12, with the lid 22 covering the opening 2c of the pot 2.

[0056] A light-transmitting glass plate 61a is provided in the center of the protrusion 61 on the mounting surface of the weight detection device 6. A non-contact temperature detection device 8 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the glass plate 61a of the weight detection device 6, i.e., inside the housing 11 and below the storage area 12. The temperature detection device 8 is, for example, an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of the bottom 2a of the pot 2 by non-contactly detecting infrared rays radiated from the bottom 2a of the pot 2 through a through-hole in the bottom 21a of the pot container 21 and the glass plate 61a.

[0057] The control unit 9 is provided inside the housing 11. The control unit 9 measures the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6, and controls the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4. The control unit 9 also has a memory unit (not shown) that stores a plurality of rice cooking sequences for cooking rice. Here, the "rice cooking sequence" refers to a rice cooking procedure in which the power supply time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc. are predetermined for each of the four main steps of preheating, heating, maintaining boiling, and steaming in order. Each rice cooking sequence corresponds to one of a plurality of rice cooking courses. The control unit 9 controls the pot heating device 7 based on the rice cooking information selected by the display operation unit (not shown) and the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 8, and executes the rice cooking process. The control unit 9 controls the water supply pump 42 and the water supply pipe drain pump 43, and controls the communication member 5.

[0058] Next, the operation of the rice cooker according to this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the rice cooker according to this embodiment.

[0059] First, in step S1, a user places rice in the rice container 301 and water in the water container 401.

[0060] Next, in step S2, the user selects rice cooking information. More specifically, the user selects the amount of rice to be cooked, the rice cooking course, etc., using the display operation unit.

[0061] Next, in step S3, the control unit 9 detects whether or not a command to start cooking rice has been issued by the user, for example by operating the display operation unit. If there is no command to start cooking rice ("NO" in step S13), the control unit 9 waits without driving the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4. On the other hand, if there is a command to start cooking rice ("YES" in step S13), the control unit 9 proceeds to step S14.

[0062] Next, in step S4, the control unit 9 controls the communication member 5 to move the communication member 5 to the second communication position that fluidly communicates the hole 22b of the lid body 22 with the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4. As a result, in the subsequent steps, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight when the sealing material 52 is positioned away from the lid body 22.

[0063] Next, in step S5, weight detection device 6 detects the weight of pot container 21 before rice and water are supplied into pot 2.

[0064] Next, in step S6, the control unit 9 controls one of the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4 to supply one of rice and water into the pot 2.

[0065] Next, in step S7, weight detection device 6 detects the weight of pot container 21 after one of rice and water has been supplied into pot 2.

[0066] Next, in step S8, the control unit 9 subtracts the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water has been supplied into the pot 2 in step S16 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 in step S14. In this way, the control unit 9 measures the amount of either the rice or the water supplied into the pot 2.

[0067] Next, in step S9, the control unit 9 controls the other of the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4 to supply the other of the rice and the water into the pot 2. Note that, in steps S15 and S18, the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot 2 may be an amount corresponding to the amount of cooked rice selected by the display operation unit (hereinafter referred to as the set amount of cooked rice) supplied at one time, or the set amount of cooked rice may be supplied in multiple times.

[0068] Next, in step S10, weight detection device 6 detects the weight of pot container 21 after rice and water have been supplied into pot 2.

[0069] Next, in step S11, the control unit 9 subtracts the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 in step S9 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 in step S6. In this way, the control unit 9 measures the amount of the other of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2.

[0070] Next, in step S12, the control unit 9 controls the water pump 42 and the water pipe drain pump 43 to drain the water in the water pipe 41 to the outside of the water pipe 41. Details will be described later.

[0071] Next, in step S13, the control unit 9 controls the communication member 5 to move the communication member 5 to the first communication position where the hole 22b of the lid body 22 and the steam cylinder 53 are fluidly connected, and then rice is cooked. In this embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the pot heating device 7 based on the rice cooking information selected on the display operation unit and the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 8, and cooks rice. Steam generated in the pot 2 during rice cooking is discharged from the steam cylinder 53 to the outside of the housing 11 through the hole 22b, through which rice and water pass when being supplied into the pot 2.

[0072] In this manner, the rice cooker according to this embodiment can automatically cook rice.

[0073] Next, the process of draining the water in water supply pipe 41 to the outside of water supply pipe 41 in step S12 will be described in more detail.

[0074] The control unit 9 stops the operation of the water pump 42 and drives the water pipe drain pump 43. This causes gas to be sent from the water pipe drain pump 43, and the water in the water pipe 41 located closer to the water container 401 than the water pipe drain pump 43 returns to the water container 401. Next, the control unit 9 drives the water pump 42 while maintaining the operation of the water pipe drain pump 43. This causes the gas sent from the water pipe drain pump 43 to push the water in the water pipe 41 located closer to the pot 2 than the water pipe drain pump 43, and sends it into the pot 2.

[0075] In this manner, the process of draining the water in the water supply pipe 41 to the outside of the water supply pipe 41 is performed. This process makes it possible to suppress the growth of bacteria and the like due to the water remaining in the water supply pipe 41.

[0076] Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing another example of the operation of the rice cooker according to the present embodiment. Note that steps S101, S103 to S105, and S110 to S111 correspond to steps S1, S3 to S4, and S11 to S12 shown in Fig. 8, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0077] Following step S101, in step S102, the user selects rice cooking information. More specifically, the user uses the display operation unit to select a course for cooking rice based on the amount of water supplied.

[0078] Following step S105, in step S106, the control unit 9 controls the water supplying device 4 to supply water into the pot 2.

[0079] Next, in step S107, the weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 after the water has been supplied into the pot 2.

[0080] Next, in step S108, the control unit 9 subtracts the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after water is supplied into the pot 2 in step S107 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 in step S105. In this way, the control unit 9 measures the amount of water supplied into the pot 2.

[0081] Next, in step S109, the control unit 9 controls the rice sending device 3 to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the amount of water measured in step S107 into the pot 2. Note that, in steps S105 and S108, the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot 2 may be the set amount of cooked rice supplied at once, or the set amount of cooked rice may be supplied in multiple portions.

[0082] As described above, in the rice cooker according to this embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the water supplying device 4 to supply water into the pot 2, and measures the amount of water supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6. After that, the control unit 9 controls the rice supplying device 3 to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot 2. Therefore, the rice cooker according to this embodiment can automatically cook rice based on the amount of water supplied.

[0083] The rice cooker according to this embodiment includes a pot 2, a pot container 21 that houses the pot 2, a housing 11 having a storage area 12 that houses the pot container 21, and a rice container 301 that houses rice, which is provided inside the housing 11 and above the storage area 12. The rice cooker also includes a lid 22 that is detachably attached to the pot container 21 so as to be positioned between the pot container 21 and the rice container 301 when the pot container 21 is stored in the storage area 12, and covers the opening 2c of the pot 2. The rice cooker also includes a pot heating device 7 that is provided inside the housing 11 and below the storage area 12 and heats the pot 2. The pot container 21 and the lid 22 slide between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and the side of the storage area 12 relative to the rice container 301 and the pot heating device 7, with the lid 22 covering the opening 2c of the pot 2. By sliding in this manner, the pot container 21 and the lid 22 are configured to be detachable from the housing 11.

[0084] With this configuration, the pot container 21 can be slid outside the housing 11 and to the side of the storage area 12 while the lid 22 covers the opening 2c of the pot 2, so no space is required to rotate the lid 22 so that it does not come into contact with the rice container 301. This makes it smaller than conventional rice cookers and reduces the space it occupies when installed, so the rice cooker can be installed in a larger area than before, and the installation location is less restricted. This improves ease of installation.

[0085] Furthermore, because the pot heating device 7 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12, the pot container 21 does not have a pot heating device 7. Therefore, the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22 that have been slid outside the housing 11 and to the side of the storage area 12 can be disassembled and each can be washed in its entirety, making cleaning easy. This improves the ease of cleaning.

[0086] In addition, the rice cooker according to this embodiment further includes a rice feed device 3 that feeds rice from the rice container 301 into the pot 2, and a water feed device 4 that feeds water into the pot 2. The lid 22 has a hole 22b through which the rice fed by the rice feed device 3 and the water fed by the water feed device 4 are fed into the pot 2. In a conventional rice cooker, if rice and water are fed into the pot through the same path in the lid, there is a risk of mold growing due to the residue of a mixture of rice and water components adhering to the path in the lid. In a conventional rice cooker, the lid is attached to the housing side, and it is difficult to clean the path in the lid, so a hole for feeding rice and a hole for feeding water are provided separately. In contrast, in the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, the rice and water pass through the same hole 22b when they are fed into the pot 2, but the lid 22 slides and separates from the housing 11, and the entire lid 22 can be washed, improving cleanability. Furthermore, in the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 through the same hole 22b, so the number of holes 22b provided in the lid 22 can be reduced compared to conventional rice cookers, improving heat retention.

[0087] In addition, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment includes a steam cylinder 53 capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing 11, and a communication member 5 movable to a first communication position that fluidly connects the hole 22b with the steam cylinder 53. The communication member 5 is configured to be movable to a second communication position that fluidly connects the hole 22b with the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4. When the communication member 5 is located at the first communication position, steam generated in the pot 2 and passing through the hole 22b can be discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the steam cylinder 53. Furthermore, when the communication member 5 is located at the second communication position, rice sent by the rice sending device 3 and water sent by the water sending device 4 can be supplied into the pot 2 through the hole 22b. According to this configuration, the communication target of the hole 22b can be switched by moving the communication member 5 to the first communication position and the second communication position, so that steam in the pot 2 can be discharged and rice and water can be supplied into the pot 2 through the same hole 22b. Therefore, the number of holes 22b provided in the lid 22 can be reduced compared to conventional rice cookers, improving heat retention. Also, since the steam in the pot 2 can be discharged to the outside of the housing 11 via the steam tube 53 without flowing to the rice sending device 3 side and the water sending device 4 side, the rice and water before cooking are not altered by the steam, and deterioration of the cooked rice quality can be prevented.

[0088] In addition, in the rice cooker according to the present embodiment, the communication member 5 has a sealant 52 that seals the periphery of the hole 22b in the first communication position, and the sealant 52 is configured to move upward away from the lid 22 and then move horizontally when the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position. With this configuration, the sealant 52 seals the periphery of the hole 22b in the first communication state, so that the steam in the pot 2 can be more reliably discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the steam tube 53. In addition, when the communication member 5 moves from the first communication position to the second communication position, the sealant 52 moves upward away from the lid 22 and then moves horizontally, so that friction between the sealant 52 and the lid 22 during the horizontal movement can be prevented, and the possibility of the sealant 52 being damaged can be reduced.

[0089] In addition, the rice cooker according to the present embodiment is provided with a weight detection device 6 on which the pot container 21 housed in the housing area 12 is placed, and is configured to measure the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot 2 housed in the pot container 21 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6. In conventional rice cookers, the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot is measured before the rice and water are supplied to the pot based on the rotation speed or driving time of the rice and water supply device, for example, and the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot is estimated. Therefore, the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot is not measured accurately. In contrast, in the rice cooker according to the above embodiment, the amount of rice and water is measured after the rice and water are supplied to the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 of the pot container 21 in which the pot 2 is housed, so that the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot 2 can be measured more accurately.

[0090] The rice cooker according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 9 that measures the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 and controls the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4. The control unit 9 is configured to control one of the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4 to supply one of the rice and water into the pot 2, and then control the other of the rice sending device 3 and the water sending device 4 to supply the other of the rice and water into the pot 2. The control unit 9 is configured to measure the amount of one of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2. The control unit 9 is configured to measure the amount of the other of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2 by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after the rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of the rice and water is supplied into the pot 2.

[0091] According to this configuration, the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 is measured as the weight of the pot container 21. Also, the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 is measured as the weight of the pot container 21 and one of rice and water supplied into the pot 2. Therefore, the amount of one of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 is measured by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 before rice and water are supplied into the pot 2. Also, the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after rice and water are supplied into the pot 2 is measured as the weight of the pot container 21 and the rice and water supplied into the pot 2. Therefore, the amount of the other of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 is measured by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after one of rice and water is supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6 after rice and water are supplied into the pot 2. This allows the rice cooker according to the above embodiment to measure the amount of rice and water in the pot based only on the measurement result from the weight detection device 6.

[0092] Furthermore, when rice is first supplied into pot 2 through hole 22b of lid 22 and then water is supplied into pot 2, water is poured from above the rice piled up in pot 2, breaking up the pile of rice and making it easier for the rice in pot 2 to be soaked in water. This prevents a decrease in cooked rice quality. Furthermore, when water is first supplied into pot 2 through hole 22b of lid 22 and then rice is supplied into pot 2, the rice supplied into pot 2 falls onto the surface of the water that was supplied earlier, so shock can be suppressed. This prevents the rice from cracking due to shock when supplied into pot 2, and prevents a decrease in cooked rice quality.

[0093] Furthermore, in the rice cooker according to this embodiment, weight detection device 6 is configured to detect weight when sealing material 52 is positioned away from lid body 22. With this configuration, because sealing material 52 is separated from lid body 22 when measuring weight, it is possible to prevent weight from being applied to pot container 21 from outside pot container 21 via sealing material 52. This improves the accuracy with which weight detection device 6 measures the amounts of rice and water supplied into pot 2.

[0094] Moreover, according to the rice cooker of this embodiment, the control unit 9 is configured to control the water supply device 4 to supply water into the pot 2, and to measure the amount of water supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6. The control unit 9 is also configured to control the rice supply device 3 to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the measured amount of water in the pot 2 and supply it into the pot 2. According to this configuration, the control unit 9 can control the water supply device 4 to supply water into the pot 2, measure the amount of water supplied into the pot 2 from the weight detected by the weight detection device 6, and then control the rice supply device 3 to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the measured amount of water and supply it into the pot 2. For example, when the water supplied into the pot 2 by the water supply device 4 is stored in the water container 401, the amount of water that can be stored in the water container 401 is limited, and by repeatedly cooking rice, an amount of water less than the amount of water suitable for the amount of rice cooked that the user of the rice cooker desires may remain in the water container 401. In this case, if an amount of rice appropriate for the amount of rice desired by the user of the rice cooker is first supplied into pot 2 for cooking, there is a risk that the amount of water supplied to pot 2 will be insufficient and rice with the desired flavor cannot be cooked. In contrast, in the rice cooker of the above embodiment, water is first supplied into pot 2 and the amount of water is measured, and an amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water is supplied to the pot, so rice with the desired flavor can be cooked.

[0095] Furthermore, the rice cooker according to this embodiment includes water container 401 capable of containing water supplied into pot 2 by water supply device 4, and an opening 401a is provided at the top of water container 401 through which the water supplied into pot 2 by water supply device 4 passes. With this configuration, because opening 401a is provided at the top of water container 401, water can be stored in water container 401 so that the water level is located below opening 401a, preventing the water in water container 401 from leaking out from opening 401a.

[0096] The rice cooker according to this embodiment further includes a water supply device 4 that supplies water into the pot 2, and the water supply device 4 has a water supply pipe 41 through which a fluid can flow, and one end 41a of the water supply pipe 41 is configured to open toward the hole 22b of the lid 22. The water supply pipe 41 is provided with a water supply pump 42 that supplies fluid only from the other end 41b side of the water supply pipe 41 to the pot 2 side of the water supply pipe 41, and a water supply pipe drain pump 43 that supplies gas into the water supply pipe 41 between the water supply pump 42 and the other end 41b of the water supply pipe 41. With this configuration, the water supply pump 42 supplies fluid only from the other end 41b side of the water supply pipe 41 to the pot 2 side, thereby restricting the flow of fluid from the water supply pump 42 to the pot 2 side in one direction. In addition, even if water stagnates in the water supply pipe 41, the water supply pipe drainage pump 43 can send gas into the water supply pipe 41, thereby discharging the water in the water supply pipe 41 to the other end 41b of the water supply pipe 41, or into the pot 2 through the water supply pump 42 and the hole 22b in the lid 22.

[0097] In addition, according to the rice cooker of this embodiment, an air layer 21e is formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21. According to this configuration, the pot container 21 for housing the pot 2 does not have the pot heating device 7, so the side wall 211 can be made thin to fit the shape of the pot 2. If the pot container 21 with a thin side wall 211 is held in the hand, there is a risk of getting burned. In the rice cooker of the above embodiment, the air layer 21e is formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21, so that the heat conduction from the pot 2 to the outer surface of the pot container 21 is suppressed, and the temperature of the outer surface of the pot container 21 can be lowered to suppress the risk of getting burned. In addition, in the rice cooker of the above embodiment, the air layer 21e is formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21, so that the amount of heat applied from below the pot container 21 by the pot heating device 7 to the outside of the pot container 21 during cooking can be suppressed. Therefore, the heating of pot 2 can be controlled more efficiently and precisely, thereby improving rice cooking performance and enabling rice to be cooked in an energy-saving manner.

[0098] Furthermore, in the rice cooker according to this embodiment, a recess 21f is provided on the bottom surface of pot container 21, and a protrusion 61 corresponding to recess 21f is provided on the mounting surface of weight detection device 6. With this configuration, protrusion 61 slides within recess 21f relative to recess 21f, thereby guiding pot container 21 to move to a predetermined position where weight detection device 6 can detect the weight of pot container 21.

[0099] Furthermore, in the rice cooker according to this embodiment, a non-contact temperature detection device 8 for measuring the temperature of the bottom of pot 2 is provided inside housing 11 and below storage area 12. With this configuration, a non-contact temperature detection device 8 for measuring the temperature at the center of the bottom of pot 2 is provided inside housing 11 and below storage area 12. Therefore, the temperature of the bottom of pot 2 stored in storage area 12 can be measured without interfering with the sliding movement of pot container 21, preventing a decrease in the accuracy of the temperature measurement.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be embodied in various other forms. For example, in the above, the air layer 21e is formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. A heat insulating layer made of a material with a lower thermal conductivity than the material of the pot container 21 may be formed in the side wall 211 of the pot container 21.

[0101] In the above description, the bottom surface of pot container 21 is provided with recess 21f, and the support surface of weight detection device 6 is provided with protrusion 61 corresponding to recess 21f, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, pot container 21 may have protrusion 61 on the bottom surface, and weight detection device 6 may have recess 21f corresponding to protrusion 61 on the support surface.

[0102] In the above description, one recess 21f and one protrusion 61 are provided to correspond to each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of recesses 21f and a corresponding number of protrusions 61 may be provided to correspond to each other.

[0103] In the above, pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 are described as sliding along the front-to-back direction Y between storage area 12 and the outside of housing 11 and the side of storage area 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 may be slid in a direction oblique to the front-to-back direction Y between storage area 12 and the outside of housing 11 and the side of storage area 12.

[0104] Also, in the above, it has been described that steam within pot 2 is discharged to the outside of housing 11 through hole 22b through which rice and water pass when supplied into pot 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. The hole in lid 22 for discharging steam within pot 2 to the outside of housing 11 may be provided separately from hole 22b through which rice and water pass when supplied into pot 2. In other words, lid 22 may be provided with a hole in addition to hole 22b through which rice and water pass when supplied into pot 2.

[0105] In addition, although the hole 22b of the lid 22 is provided in the center of the width of the lid body 22a in the above description, the present invention is not limited to this. The hole 22b of the lid 22 may be provided in a position other than the center of the width of the lid body 22a as long as the rice and water supplied to the pot 2 can pass through it.

[0106] In the above description, the water container 401 is placed on the water container placement portion 11b of the housing 11 with the opening 401a facing upward, but the present invention is not limited to this. The water container 401 may be placed with the opening 401a facing downward as long as water does not leak from the opening 401a.

[0107] In the above, the rice feeding device 3 is configured to feed and supply the amount of rice corresponding to the measured amount of water in the pot 2 into the pot 2, so that rice can be cooked so that the water contained in the water container 401 is used up. For example, when a plastic bottle containing 500 ml of water is used as the water container 401, the amount of rice is about 2.1 cups and the amount of water required for cooking rice is 500 ml, so that rice corresponding to about 2.1 cups of rice can be cooked. Also, when a plastic bottle containing 250 ml of water is used as the water container 401, the amount of rice is 1.05 cups and the amount of water required for cooking rice is 250 ml, so that rice corresponding to 1.05 cups of rice can be cooked. Since water in a plastic bottle is easy to obtain, even if rice is cooked so that the water in the plastic bottle is used up, new water in the plastic bottle can be used every time rice is cooked by replacing the plastic bottle. In other words, by preparing a plastic bottle containing an amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice desired by the user, the burden of maintenance on the user can be reduced.

[0108] In addition, by appropriately combining any of the various embodiments or modifications described above, it is possible to achieve the effects of each of them. In addition, combinations of embodiments, combinations of examples, or combinations of embodiments and examples are possible, and combinations of features of different embodiments or examples are also possible. [Industrial Applicability]

[0109] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The rice cooker according to the present invention can be easily installed and easily cleaned, and is therefore useful as a rice cooker that can be used in places where it has been difficult to use conventional rice cookers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1. Rice cooker 11. Cabinet 11a Case cover 11b Water container placement part 11c Surrounding area of ​​convex part 12 Containment Area 2. Pot 2a bottom 2b side wall 2c opening 2d Flange part 21 Pot Container 21a bottom 21b Inner wall 21c Rib 21d Exterior wall 21e Air Layer 21f Recess 21g Recess side wall 21h opening 211 Side wall 22 Lid 22a Lid body 22b Hole 22c Pot Gasket 22d Mounting material 3 Rice feeding device 31 Rice feed shaft 32 Rice Feather 301 Rice container 4 Water supply device 41 Water pipe 41a One end 41b Other end 42 Water Pump 43 Water pipe drainage pump 401 Water container 401a opening 402 Water intake components 402a Water intake pipe 402b Cap part 5 Connecting member 51 Connecting member body 51a Protrusion 52 Sealing material 53 Steam cylinder 53a One end 53b Steam vent 501 Slot 6. Weight detection device 61 Convex 61a Glass plate 7 Pot heating device 8 Temperature detection device 9. Control Unit

Claims

1. A pot and A pot container and A housing having a storage area for storing the pot container; A rice container provided inside the housing for storing rice; A lid for covering the opening of the pot; A pan heating device for heating the pan; A rice feeding device that feeds rice from the rice container into the pot; A water supply device that supplies water into the pot; a steam cylinder capable of discharging steam to the outside of the housing; Equipped with The lid has a hole through which rice fed by the rice feeding device and water fed by the water feeding device pass when they are supplied into the pot, The rice cooker further comprises a communication member movable between a first communication position that fluidly connects the hole portion to the steam cylinder and a second communication position that fluidly connects the hole portion to the rice sending device and the water sending device.

2. 2. The rice cooker of claim 1, wherein the communication member is configured to, when located in the first communication position, allow steam generated in the pot and passing through the hole to be discharged to the outside of the housing, and when located in the second communication position, allow rice delivered by the rice delivery device and water delivered by the water delivery device to be supplied into the pot through the hole.

3. the communication member has a sealant that seals a periphery of the hole at the first communication position, The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the sealing material is configured to move upward away from the lid body and then move horizontally when the communication member moves from the first communication position to the second communication position.

4. A weight detection device is provided on which the pot container accommodated in the accommodation area is placed, The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot contained in the pot container is measured based on the weight detected by the weight detection device.

5. A control unit is provided to measure the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot based on the weight detected by the weight detection device and to control the rice feeding device and the water feeding device. The control unit is One of the rice sending device and the water sending device is controlled to supply one of rice and water into the pot, and then the other of the rice sending device and the water sending device is controlled to supply the other of rice and water into the pot; a weight detection device for detecting a weight of rice or water supplied into the pot after the rice or water is supplied into the pot from a weight detection device for detecting a weight of rice or water supplied into the pot before the rice or water is supplied into the pot, The amount of the other of the rice and the water supplied into the pot is measured by subtracting the weight detected by the weight detection device after the rice and the water are supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device after the rice and the water are supplied into the pot. The rice cooker according to claim 4.

6. The rice cooker according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the weight detection device detects the weight when the sealing material is positioned away from the lid body.

7. 6. The rice cooker of claim 5, wherein the control unit controls the water supply device to supply water into the pot, measures the amount of water supplied into the pot from the weight detected by the weight detection device, and then controls the rice supply device to supply rice in an amount corresponding to the measured amount of water into the pot.

8. a water container capable of containing water to be supplied into the pot by the water supply device; The rice cooker according to claim 7 , wherein an opening is provided in an upper portion of the water container through which water supplied into the pot by the water supply device passes.

9. A recess is provided on one of the mounting surface of the weight detection device on which the pot is placed and the bottom surface of the pot, and a protrusion corresponding to the recess is provided on the other of the mounting surface and the bottom surface. A rice cooker as described in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the pot container is guided to move to a predetermined position where the weight detection device can detect the weight of the pot container by the convex portion sliding within the recess relative to the recess.

10. Further, a water supply device is provided to supply water into the pot. The water supply device has a water supply pipe through which a fluid can flow, The water supply pipe has one end that opens toward the hole in the lid, The water supply pipe is provided with a first pump for supplying fluid only from the other end side of the water supply pipe to the pan side of the water supply pipe, and a second pump for supplying gas into the water supply pipe between the first pump and the other end side of the water supply pipe. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A rice cooker as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein an insulating layer or an air layer is formed within the side wall of the pot container, the insulating layer being made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the material constituting the pot container.

12. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a non-contact temperature detection device for detecting the temperature of the bottom of the pot is provided inside the housing and below the storage area.

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