Rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker with a maintenance-free steam port unit capable of suppressing contamination and adhesion of solid matter to the steam port unit.SOLUTION: A rice cooker 1 includes a steam port unit 52 constituting a steam discharge route 51 for steam S generated from the rice to be cooked stored in a pot 5. The steam port unit 52 includes a steam port cap 58 equipped with a steam discharge port 58a for discharging the steam S, and a steam port body 57 equipped with a hole 57h through which the steam S from the pot 5 flows in, and water droplets W phased-changed from the stem S are flowed into the pot 5. The steam port cap 58 is provided with an inner peripheral wall 58g for dropping the water droplets W adhering to the steam port cap 58 to the steam port body 57.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice cooker equipped with a steam vent unit that forms an exhaust path for steam generated from food being cooked. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, rice cookers have been known that are equipped with a steam vent unit that forms an exhaust path for steam generated from the food being cooked and exhausts the steam generated from the food being cooked to the outside. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a rice cooker in which a steam vent unit is provided as a sticky rice separation case that can be easily attached and detached to the rice cooker, steam is exhausted to the outside through a steam exhaust hole, and the sticky rice is returned to the pot through a hole at the bottom of the sticky rice separation case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-177386 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional technologies including Patent Document 1, there are many parts to be cleaned, such as the steam exhaust port and the steam port unit, making the cleaning work troublesome. On the other hand, if cleaning of the steam port unit is neglected, dirt and solid matter will adhere to the inner surface of the steam port unit, making it unsanitary, and there is also a risk that the hole at the bottom of the steam port unit and the steam exhaust hole will become blocked.

[0005] Figure 11 shows an exploded view of steam vent unit 101 of a conventional rice cooker 100. Because steam vent unit 101 needs to be attached and detached to rice cooker 100, there are a large number of parts, including outer lid 102 and outer lid cover 103, steam vent cap 104, steam vent body 105, packings 106, 107, steam vent hook 108 and steam vent cap cover 109. With so many parts to clean, cleaning is troublesome, the assembly of rice cooker 1 is complicated and the costs are high.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can prevent adhesion of dirt and solid matter to the steam vent unit and has a maintenance-free steam vent unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The rice cooker of the present invention is equipped with a steam vent unit that forms an exhaust path for steam generated from a cooked item placed in a pot, and the steam vent unit has a steam vent cap equipped with a steam exhaust port for exhausting steam to the outside, and a steam vent body equipped with holes into which steam from the pot flows and through which water droplets that have changed phase from the steam flow into the pot, and the steam vent cap is characterized in that it is provided with a dripping section that drips the water droplets adhering to the steam vent cap onto the steam vent body. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the rice cooker of the present invention, steam constantly changes phase to water droplets inside the steam vent unit during cooking, and these water droplets adhering to the steam vent cap flow to the steam vent body, so that water droplets always flow onto the steam vent body during cooking, making it difficult for solid matter to adhere to the inside of the steam vent body and suppressing the adhesion of dirt and solid matter, making the steam vent unit 52 maintenance-free and eliminating the need for cleaning. Therefore, even if the steam vent unit is a fixed type that cannot be removed by the user, it will not become unsanitary, and there is no risk of the holes in the steam vent body becoming blocked by dirt or solid matter. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is an external perspective view of a rice cooker showing one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the inner lid assembly unit as viewed from above. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the inner lid assembly unit as viewed from the bottom side. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of steam and water droplets in the steam exhaust path according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a steam vent unit of a rice cooker showing a modified example of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a steam vent unit of a rice cooker showing a further modified embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a steam vent unit of a rice cooker showing a further modified embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a steam vent unit of a conventional rice cooker. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not limit the contents of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, all of the configurations described below are not necessarily essential requirements of the present invention. Hereinafter, the directions indicated by the arrows (up, down, front, rear, right, left) shown in FIG. 1 will be described as the upper side, lower side, front side, rear side, right side, and left side of the rice cooker, respectively. Furthermore, common symbols will be used for common parts throughout these drawings. EXAMPLES

[0011] 1 to 7 show an embodiment of the rice cooker of the present invention. The overall configuration of the rice cooker in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. 1 is a rice cooker, and is generally rectangular with a front and rear, left and right sides facing each other when viewed from above, and is composed of a main body 2 of the rice cooker 1 with an open top, and a lid 3 that covers the top opening of the main body 2 in an openable and closable manner. The main body 2 has a pot housing section 4 with an open top, and when the lid 3 is opened, a bottomed pot 5 serving as a container for holding water or rice to be cooked is detachably housed in the pot housing section 4. The outer shell of the main body 2 is formed by an upper frame 6 that constitutes the upper and side parts, an outer frame 7 that constitutes a part of the upper part, and a bottom plate 8 that covers the lower part of the upper frame 6. In this case, the upper frame 6 and the bottom plate 8 are formed of a synthetic resin such as PP, and the outer frame 7 is formed of a metal member such as stainless steel. Pot accommodating section 4 is formed integrally with upper frame 6, and the bottom is configured by combining with a bowl-shaped inner frame 9 made of resin such as PET, etc., so that the whole is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom.

[0012] Pot 5 is mainly made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, and a heating element made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel is joined to the outer surface of the main material from the lower side to the bottom. In addition, a heating coil 11 is provided on the outer surface of inner frame 9, which faces the bottom surface from the lower side of pot 5, as heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the heating element of pot 5. In addition, a thermistor-type pot sensor 15 is disposed in the center of the bottom of inner frame 9 as pot temperature detection means so as to come into elastic contact with the outer bottom surface of pot 5. Pot sensor 15 in this embodiment is configured to detect the temperature of pot 5 and mainly control the heating temperature of the bottom of pot 5 by heating coil 11.

[0013] A cord heater (not shown) is provided at the top end of pot housing 4, and this cord heater is covered with metal plate 12 made of a material such as aluminum that has good thermal conductivity. Metal plate 12 is provided at a position facing gap 13 between main body 2 and lid 3, which serves as a heat dissipation section, and the cord heater and metal plate 12 form a flange heater as a heat generating means. The lower surface of flange 14, which extends from the top end of pot 5 to the entire outer periphery, is placed on the top surface of metal plate 12, and pot 5 is housed in pot housing 4 in a suspended state. Therefore, in this state, there is almost no gap between pot 5 and the top end of pot housing 4. However, partial gap 13 is formed by metal plate 12 so that the handle portion formed on flange 14 of pot 5 is not in contact with metal plate 12, so that steam is discharged from gap 13 when rice is cooked with water attached to the outer surface of pot 5. Furthermore, flange portion 14 of pot 5 is formed with an outer shape that is equal to or larger than the size of the cord heater so as to cover the cord heater, which is the heat generating portion.

[0014] During cooking and keeping warm, the pot 5 is heated by the heating means, while during keeping warm, the heating coil 11 is heated and adjusted according to the temperature detected by the pot sensor 15 to keep the pot 5 at a constant temperature. After cooking, the cord heater, which serves as the heating means, is made to generate heat until the temperature of the rice in the pot 5 drops from the freshly cooked temperature of approximately 100°C to the keeping temperature of approximately 73°C, and the cord heater is also made to generate heat when the temperature of the rice is stably kept at approximately 73°C, radiating heat from the metal plate portion 12 to the gap 13 between the main body 2 and the lid 3, suppressing cooling caused by the intrusion of outside air from the gap 13 and heating the pot 5. Furthermore, during keeping warm, the cord heater is also made to generate heat to heat the pot 5 during the period when hot reheating is being performed to reheat the rice in the pot 5, thereby preventing moisture generated by reheating from condensing on the upper inner surface of the pot 5.

[0015] The lid body 3 is provided with a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 17 that detects the temperature of the inner lid 37 described later, and a lid heating means 18 such as a cord heater, and this lid heating means 18 is configured to mainly control the temperature of the inner lid 37.

[0016] Reference numeral 19 denotes a heating control means for controlling the temperature of the pot 5 and the inner lid 37 when cooking rice or keeping warm, based on temperature detection from the pot sensor 15 and the lid temperature sensor 17. This heating control means 19 receives detection signals from the pot sensor 15 and the lid temperature sensor 17, and adjusts the heating of the heating coil 11, the cord heater, and the lid heating means 18, which serve as heating means. The heating control means 19 also includes an element 21 for controlling the driving of the heating coil 11, which drives the heating coil 11 to heat the heating element of the pot 5 by electromagnetic induction. This element 21 has a usage condition temperature and must be operated at or below a certain temperature. Therefore, a radiator 22 made of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, is attached to the element 21, and the element 21 is cooled by air from a cooling fan 23, which serves as a cooling means, and is driven within the usage condition temperature. This cooling fan 23 is disposed below or to the side of the radiator 22 attached to the heating control means 19.

[0017] Holes 24 are provided on the bottom or side of the rice cooker that is the product, for discharging air that has been blown from cooling fan 23 and heated by radiator 22 to the outside. Heating control means 19 is housed inside main body 2 that is the inside of the product, but may be disposed in any position relative to pot 5, and holes 24 may also be disposed in any position. However, given the recent trend toward more compact product designs, it is preferable that heating control means 19 and cooling fan 23 are disposed in approximately opposite directions to hole 24 that discharges air, with pot 5 in between.

[0018] 1 and 2, a display operation unit 25 is provided on the front of the top surface of the lid 3. This display operation unit 25 is configured by providing, on a board 28 disposed inside the lid 3, a switch 27 for starting and stopping rice cooking, selecting a rice cooking course, and the like, in addition to an LCD 26 for displaying the time and the selected rice cooking course, and an LED (not shown) for displaying the current process.

[0019] An operation panel 29 for displaying button names and the like is disposed above the display operation unit 25. This operation panel 29 also prevents dust and water from adhering to the electronic components, such as the LCD 26, LEDs, switches 27, and board 28.

[0020] In this embodiment, when the start of rice cooking is commanded by operating switch 27, the bottom and flange part 14 of pot 5 are heated by heating coil 11 and cord heater based on the temperature detection of the bottom of pot 5 by pot sensor 15 in order to promote water absorption by the rice in pot 5, and the temperature is maintained at about 45 to 60°C for 15 to 20 minutes for soaking cooking. After that, the amount of heat from heating coil 11 is increased to continuously heat pot 5, and a boiling heating process is performed in which the food to be cooked in pot 5 is heated to boiling. Once boiling has occurred, the temperature of the bottom of pot 5 is stabilized at 90°C or higher based on the detected temperatures from pot sensor 15 and lid temperature sensor 17, and boiling is detected by detecting that the temperature of lid 3, especially inner lid 37, has stabilized at 90°C or higher (temperature rise rate detection), and then a boiling continuation process is performed in which the amount of heat from heating coil 11 is controlled to continue boiling. In this boiling detection, the pot sensor 15 and the lid temperature sensor 17 can confirm that the bottom of the pot 5 and the inner lid 37 have both reached approximately 90°C or higher, making it possible to accurately detect when the food being cooked in the pot 5 has completely boiled.

[0021] If either the bottom of pot 5 or inner lid 37 reaches an unusual temperature of 120°C or higher, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, and the amount of heat used for rice cooking heating is reduced and all operations are stopped in the OFF state, or a transition is made to the soaking process or warming process described below to prevent abnormal heating. If either the bottom of pot 5 or inner lid 37 reaches 90°C or higher and a predetermined time, for example 5 minutes, has elapsed while the other of the bottom of pot 5 or inner lid 37 is at a low temperature below 90°C, it is determined that the temperature detection accuracy of either pot sensor 15 or lid temperature sensor 17 has deteriorated for some reason, for example dirt, tilt of pot 5, poor contact, etc., and the amount of heat used for rice cooking heating is reduced and all operations are stopped in the OFF state, or a transition is made to the soaking process or warming process described below to prevent abnormal heating.

[0022] In the boiling continuation step, the lid heating means 18 starts heating the inner lid 37 attached to the lid body 3. Heating of the inner lid 37 is controlled by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 17 so that the temperature of the inner lid 37 is 100 to 110°C. If the temperature detected by the pot sensor 15 detects that the bottom of the pot 5 has dried up, which is a predetermined temperature rise, then it is determined that the rice has been cooked and the process moves to the steaming step. In the steaming step, the temperature of the inner lid 37 is controlled by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 17 to prevent dew from adhering to the upper inner surface of the pot 5, and the temperature of the bottom of the pot 5 is controlled by the temperature detected by the pot sensor 15 so that the temperature is kept high enough to prevent the rice in the pot 5 from burning, for example, about 98 to 100°C. After that, when the steaming step of 15 to 20 minutes is completed, the process moves to the warming step.

[0023] In the warming process, the heating coil 11 heats the bottom and lower sides of the pot 5, while the lid heating means 18 heats the inner lid 37, which is the underside of the lid body 3, to a temperature slightly higher than that of the rice, and furthermore, the cord heater in the metal plate part 12 controls the temperature of the sides of the pot 5 so that the rice does not dry out and so that a large amount of dew does not adhere to the sides of the pot 5. The temperature of the rice in the pot 5 is kept at, for example, about 70 to 76°C, but if one or both of the two sensors, the pot sensor 15 and the lid temperature sensor 17, detect an abnormally high or low temperature as described above even during the warming process, it is determined that an abnormality has been detected and the amount of heat used for cooking the rice is reduced or all operations are stopped to prevent abnormal heating.

[0024] 2, a hinge portion 31 that connects to the lid body 3 is provided at the rear of the upper frame 6. A hinge spring 32 formed of a torsion coil spring or the like is housed in this hinge portion 31. A lid-opening button 33 is provided in an exposed state on the front upper surface of the lid body 3. When this lid-opening button 33 is pressed, the engagement between the lid body 3 and the main body 2 is released, and the elastic force of the hinge spring 32 causes the lid body 3 to automatically open with the hinge portion 31 as the center of rotation.

[0025] The lid body 3 is composed of an outer lid 34, which is an outer shell part, and an outer lid cover 35 that forms the lower part of the outer lid 34. The outer lid cover 35 is provided with a heat sink 36 made of metal, which is made of stainless steel or aluminum and is anodized (alumite), and the heat sink 36 is provided with a lid heating means 18. As shown in FIG. 2, an inner lid 37 made of metal, which is made of stainless steel or aluminum and is anodized, is provided below the heat sink 36. The outer periphery of the inner lid 37 that forms the lower surface of the lid body 3 is provided with a lid packing 38 as a sealing member that seals the gap between the pot 5 and the inner lid 37 when the lid body 3 is closed. The lid packing 38 is made of silicone rubber or fluororubber, and is configured to abut against the upper surface of the flange portion 14 of the pot 5 when the lid body 3 is closed. The inner lid 37 and the lid packing 38 are integrated with a packing base 39, and an inner lid assembly unit 41 mainly composed of these parts is detachably attached to the inner surface of the outer lid cover 35. Therefore, when the lid body 3 is closed on the main body 2 with the inner lid assembly unit 41 attached, the lid gasket 38 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 14, and the inner lid assembly unit 41 is configured to cover the upper opening of the pot 5 without any gaps.

[0026] A hole (not shown) is provided at the rear of outer lid cover 35 so as to face a hole (not shown) provided in hinge section 31, and hinge shaft 42 of hinge section 31 connects these holes to axially support main body 2 and lid body 3 so that they can be opened and closed freely. Here, hinge spring 32 is hooked onto outer lid cover 35 and constantly urges lid body 3 in the opening direction. In addition, a steam vent unit 52 is provided on the rear upper surface of lid body 3, which constitutes an exhaust path for exhausting steam generated from the food to be cooked in pot 5 to the outside of rice cooker 1.

[0027] Next, the configuration of the inner lid assembly unit 41, which essentially corresponds to the inner lid of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. The inner lid assembly unit 41 has a steam exhaust hole 45 and a pressure reduction hole 46, which are opened in the inner lid 37. The resin packing base 39, which is formed in a substantially annular shape, has a convex insertion portion 47 that partially protrudes in the outer circumferential direction. With the lid body 3 open, the insertion portion 47 is inserted into a recess 48 formed on the base end side near the hinge portion 31 on the inner surface of the lid body 3, and the packing base 39 is fitted into the outer lid cover 35, so that the inner lid assembly unit 41 can be attached to a predetermined position on the inner surface side of the lid body 3. Above the pressure reduction hole 46, a cylindrical pressure reduction packing (not shown) that protrudes downward from the heat sink 36 is provided.

[0028] Next, the internal configuration of lid body 3 will be further described with reference to Fig. 2. Lid body 3 is formed with steam exhaust path 51 that communicates with the inside of pot 5 and connects steam port unit 52 and pressure adjustment section 53 as a passage for discharging steam generated from inside pot 5 to the outside of the rice cooker. In this embodiment, pressure adjustment section 53 of steam exhaust path 51 is provided with pressure adjustment valve 54 that opens and closes steam exhaust path 51 between the inside of pot 5 and steam port unit 17. Pressure adjustment valve 54 is, for example, a solenoid valve, and can be driven up and down. When steam in pot 5 is to be discharged to the outside, pressure adjustment valve 54 is driven upward to open steam exhaust path 51, and when the pressure inside pot 5 is reduced, pressure adjustment valve 54 is driven downward to close steam exhaust path 51.

[0029] 55 is a pressure reducing pump for lowering the pressure inside the pot 5 below normal atmospheric pressure when the lid 3 is closed on the main body 2. The pressure reducing pump 55 reduces the internal pressure of the sealed pot 5 through a path (not shown) that connects the pressure reducing pump 55 to the pressure reducing hole 46 when the pot 5 is housed in the pot housing 4 and the lid 3 is closed and the pressure adjusting valve 26 is driven downward to close the steam exhaust path 51. When the pressure inside the pot 5 drops below atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 55 is stopped to maintain the inside of the pot 5 in a reduced pressure state. When the pressure inside the pot 5 is to be returned from the reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 55 is stopped and the pressure adjusting valve 26 is driven upward to open the steam exhaust path 51. In other words, the pressure reducing pump 55 and the path that connects the pressure reducing pump 55 to the pressure reducing hole 46 act as a pressure reducing means for lowering the pressure inside the pot 5 below normal atmospheric pressure, and also serve as a pressure returning means for returning the pressure inside the pot 5 from the reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air. A valve capable of opening and closing the path that communicates between the decompression pump 55 and the decompression hole 46 may be provided in the path.

[0030] 5 shows an exploded perspective view of the steam vent unit 52. The steam vent unit 52 of this embodiment is of a fixed type that is fixed to the outer lid cover 35, and is mainly composed of a steam vent body 57, a steam vent cap 58, a packing 59 between the steam vent body 57 and the steam vent cap 58, and a packing 60 between the steam vent body 57 and the outer lid cover 35. Therefore, the steam vent unit 52 can be composed of fewer parts than in the past, making the assembly of the rice cooker 1 simpler and reducing costs.

[0031] The steam vent cap 58 covers the upper opening of the steam vent body 57, and is fixed to the outer lid cover 35 together with the steam vent body 57 and the packings 59, 60 by screws (not shown). The steam vent cap 58 has substantially the same shape as the upper opening of the steam vent body 57 when viewed from above, and has a steam exhaust port 58a for exhausting steam from the steam vent body 57, a packing groove 58b for accommodating the packing 59, fixing parts 58c, 58c having screw holes for receiving screws, and escape grooves 58d, 58d for screwing the screws in and out. The steam vent cap 58 of this embodiment has a substantially pottery-like shape (gourd-like shape) when viewed from above, with the escape grooves 58d, 58d formed in the narrowed parts of this pottery-like shape, and the fixing parts 58c, 58c formed at the bottoms of the escape grooves 58d, 58d. The steam vent cap 58 has two portions, a front portion 58e and a rear portion 58f, separated by the escape grooves 58d, 58d, and the steam exhaust port 58a is provided in the rear portion 58f. The packing groove 58 has an inner circumferential wall 58g and an outer circumferential wall 58h that are parallel to the outer periphery of the front portion 58e and the rear portion 58f, which are the top surface of the steam vent cap 58, and is vertically extended downward from the front portion 58e and the rear portion 58f to the steam vent cap 58, and the inner circumferential wall 58g and the outer circumferential wall 58h are provided around the entire circumference of the steam vent cap 58 in a generally pot-shaped (gourd-shaped) shape when viewed from above.

[0032] 1 and 2, the upper part of the steam vent cap 58 is covered with the outer lid 34, and only the steam exhaust port 58a is exposed to the outside. As shown in Fig. 2, the outer periphery of the steam exhaust port 58a inside the steam vent unit 52, i.e., the outer periphery below the steam exhaust port 58a, is provided with a downwardly protruding portion 58i, which prevents the water droplets from flowing out to the outside from the steam exhaust port 58a when the steam from the steam port body 57 hits the steam vent cap 58 and turns from the steam to water droplets.

[0033] Next, the steam vent body 57 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The steam vent body 57 is generally funnel-shaped with a narrow lower portion and a wide upper portion, and is made as a single unit. The steam vent body 57 is made up of a bottom 57a formed in an annular shape, an upper opening 57b formed in a generally pot-shaped shape in top view that is generally the same as the steam vent cap 58, and a side wall 57c extending between the bottom 57a and the upper opening 57b and having an inclination angle of 45° or more with respect to the bottom 57a. The inner surface of the side wall 57c is water-repellent, and water droplets adhering to the inner surface of the side wall 57c are returned from the bottom 57a to the inside of the pot 5 via the steam exhaust path 51. For this reason, the steam vent body 57 may be made of a resin composition mixed with a water-repellent resin, or the steam vent body 57 may be made of a synthetic resin and the inner surface of the side wall 57c may be covered with a hydrophobic silicon film by, for example, plasma etching, or other methods may be used.

[0034] Like the steam vent cap 58, the steam vent body 57 also has two parts, a front shape part 57d and a rear shape part 57e, separated by a narrowed part that is shaped like a potbellied doll when viewed from above. Furthermore, the front shape part 57d corresponding to the front part 58e of the steam vent cap 58 and the rear shape part 57e corresponding to the rear part 58f of the steam vent cap 58 do not have the same shape, and the bottom part 57a is provided closer to the front shape part 57d. Further, the front shape portion 57d arranged on the front side where there is not much space has a side wall 57c angled nearly straight down at about 90°, and is configured to allow water droplets to slide from the vicinity of the upper opening 57b to the bottom 57a in a state where they nearly drip, while the rear shape portion 57e arranged on the rear side where there is relatively more space has a tapered side wall 57c with an inclination angle of 45° or more in order to increase the internal volume of the steam hole body 57, but the inclination angle of the side wall 57c of the front shape portion 57d is gentler, and allows water droplets to slide along the inner surface of the side wall 57c from the vicinity of the upper opening 57b to the bottom 57a. Therefore, even if there is a different space based on the hole 57h of the bottom 57a, the steam hole body 57, i.e., the steam hole unit 52, can be arranged in the rice cooker 1. Furthermore, as described above, the inner surface of side wall 57c is water repellent, and the structure can be designed to prevent solid matter from adhering to the inner surface of side wall 57c, making it possible to prevent the adhesion of dirt and solid matter even if steam vent unit 52 is fixed, eliminating the need for maintenance.

[0035] Bottom 57a is in the shape of a plate-like ring with a hole 57h in the center, has a flat lower surface and an inner peripheral end that protrudes downward. This protruding end fits into the inner edge of annular gasket 60, and is formed so that the upper surface of gasket 60 is in surface contact with the entire lower surface of bottom 57a.

[0036] The upper opening 57b is configured to have a steam port flange portion 57f extending from the upper end of the steam port body 57 in the outer circumferential direction all around, and a protruding portion 57g extending upward from the base end of this steam port flange portion 57f. The steam port flange portion 57f is configured to have a short length at a portion corresponding to the relief grooves 58d, 58d of the steam port cap 58. It is also preferable that the length of the other portion of the steam port flange portion 57f is formed to match the outer shape of the steam port cap 58, so that the steam port cap 58 and the steam port body 57 can be quickly aligned, and by holding the steam port flange portion 57f and the outer periphery of the steam port cap 58 at the same time, the steam port unit 52 before being fixed can be carried without the steam port cap 58 and the steam port body 57 becoming misaligned. The protrusion 57g is formed around the entire circumference of the upper opening 57b and is approximately the same as the packing groove 58 in top view; when the steam vent cap 58 is fixed to the outer lid cover 35 together with the steam vent body 57 and packings 59, 60, the protrusion 57g and the packing 59 housed in the packing groove 58 come into close contact with each other to prevent leakage of water, steam, etc. from between the steam vent cap 58 and the steam vent body 57, and is also configured to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter into the steam vent unit 52 from outside the steam vent unit 52.

[0037] The packing 59 prevents water, steam, and the like passing through the steam exhaust path from leaking out from between the steam port cap 58 and the steam port body 57, and also prevents foreign matter from entering the steam port unit 52 from outside. The packing 59 is housed in the packing groove 58 of the steam port cap 58, and is sandwiched between this packing groove 58 and the protruding part 57g of the steam port body 57 when the steam port unit 52 is fixed, so that the packing 59 is in close contact with the packing groove 58 and the protruding part 57g, closing the gap between the steam port cap 58 and the steam port body 57.

[0038] The packing 60 prevents water, steam, and the like passing through the steam exhaust path from leaking out from between the steam port body 57 and the outer lid cover 35, and also prevents foreign matter from entering the steam port unit 52 from outside. When the steam port unit 52 is fixed, the inner edge of the packing 60 fits into the protruding end of the bottom 57a of the steam port body 57, and the upper surface of the packing 60 is in surface contact with the entire lower surface of the bottom 57a, and by being sandwiched between the steam port body 57 and the outer lid cover 35, the packing 60 is in close contact with the lower surface of the bottom 57a and the outer lid cover 35, closing the gap between the steam port body 57 and the outer lid cover 35.

[0039] Next, the operation of the rice cooker 1 configured as described above in the rice cooking process will be described with reference to Fig. 7. For example, when the food to be cooked in pot 5 is boiled in the boiling heating process or the boiling continuing process, steam S is generated from the food to be cooked. When pressure regulating valve 54 is driven upward, steam S rises from inside pot 5 and flows into steam exhaust path 51 from steam exhaust hole 45, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 7.

[0040] The steam S that has flowed into the steam exhaust path 51 rises further and flows into the steam port body 57 through the hole 57h of the bottom 57a. Here, the bottom 57a is provided closer to the front shape portion 57d, while the steam exhaust port 58a of the steam port cap 58 is provided in the rear portion 58f corresponding to the rear shape portion 57e, not in the front portion 58e corresponding to the front shape portion 57d of the steam port body 57. Therefore, the steam exhaust port 58a is not located directly above the hole 57h of the bottom 57a, but is shifted rearward. Therefore, in the steam port unit 52, the hole 57h of the bottom 57a, which is the inlet, and the steam exhaust port 58a, which is the outlet, are provided at different positions in the front-rear direction, and therefore the path of the steam S from the hole 57h of the bottom 57a to the steam exhaust port 58a can be lengthened, the steam S can be cooled by that amount, and the inside of the cover body 3 cannot be seen from the steam exhaust port 58a. The steam S that flows into the steam port body 57 from the hole 57h in the bottom 57a continues to rise and collides with the front portion 58e of the steam port cap 58. Some of the steam S travels from there to the steam exhaust port 58a and is released to the outside, while the rest of the steam S is cooled by the front portion 58e and the rear portion 58f and changes phase from the steam S to water droplets W.

[0041] Then, the water droplets W adhering to the front portion 58e and the rear portion 58f move to the outer periphery of the steam vent cap 58 together with the steam S. Here, there is a raised portion 58i on the outer periphery of the lower side of the steam exhaust port 58a, and since the inside of the pot 5 is not pressurized during cooking, the water droplets W are not discharged to the outside from the steam exhaust port 58a during this movement. Then, the water droplets W move downward along the inner periphery wall 58g of the packing groove 58 as a protruding portion. Here, the inner periphery wall 58g of the packing groove 58 is provided around the entire circumference of the steam vent cap 58, so that the water droplets W can move downward along the inner periphery wall 58g regardless of whether the water droplets W move together with the steam S in any direction of the front, back, left, or right of the steam vent cap 58. Therefore, the inner periphery wall 58g acts as a dripping portion that drips the water droplets W adhering to the steam vent cap 58 onto the steam vent body 57.

[0042] Furthermore, the protruding portion 57g and the packing 59 housed in the packing groove 58 come into close contact with each other, causing the packing 59 to change elastically, and since the protruding portion 57g protrudes into the packing groove 58, the inner circumferential wall 58g of the packing groove 58 protrudes downward from the packing 59 and protrudes toward the side wall 57c of the steam port body 57. Water droplets W moving along the inner circumferential wall 58g of the packing groove 58 do not move toward the gap between the inner circumferential wall 58g and the protruding portion 57g, but drip from the tip of the inner circumferential wall 58g onto the side wall 57c of the steam port body 57. Since the inner surface of the side wall 57c is water-repellent and the angle of the side wall 57c is 45° or more all around, the water droplets W flow smoothly along the inner surface of the side wall 57c from the vicinity of the upper opening 57b to the hole 57h in the bottom portion 57a. At this time, on the side wall 57c on the front shape portion 57d side, the water droplets W flow in a state close to dripping, while on the side wall 57c on the rear shape portion 57e side, the water droplets W flow in a gliding manner along the inner surface of the side wall 57c. Here, the steam S collides with the front portion 58e of the steam vent cap 58, so that more of the steam S changes phase to water droplets W at the front portion 58e and can flow in a state close to dripping from the front shape portion 57d, so that even if there is a lot of steam S, the water droplets W do not accumulate in the steam vent body 57, and solid matter is less likely to adhere to the inner surface of the side wall 57c, suppressing the adhesion of dirt and solid matter. In addition, steam S is constantly generated while the food to be cooked in the pot 5 is boiling in the boiling heating step and the boiling continuing step, and steam S is generated in the steaming step, and these steam S are constantly phase-changed into water droplets W in the steam vent unit 52 during cooking, and these water droplets W flow to the side wall 57c, so that water droplets W are always flowing on the side wall 57c of the steam vent body 57 during cooking. Therefore, solid matter is less likely to adhere to the inner surface of the side wall 57c, and adhesion of dirt and solid matter is suppressed. Therefore, the steam vent unit 52 is maintenance-free and does not need to be cleaned, so that even if the steam vent unit 52 is made a fixed type that cannot be removed by the user, it will not become unsanitary, and there is no risk of the hole 57h in the bottom part 57a being blocked by dirt or solid matter.

[0043] Thereafter, the water droplets W flowing from the holes 57h in the bottom 57a into the steam exhaust path 51 of the outer lid cover 35 flow along the steam exhaust path 51 and into the pot 5 through the steam exhaust holes 45. As the food boils, the water droplets W change into steam S again and repeat the above-mentioned action.

[0044] As described above, the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a steam port unit 52 which constitutes a steam exhaust path 51, which is an exhaust path for steam S generated from the cooked food contained in the pot 5, and the steam port unit 52 has a steam port cap 58 equipped with a steam exhaust port 58a for exhausting steam S, and a steam port body 57 equipped with a hole 57h in a bottom part 57a through which steam S from the pot 5 flows in and through which water droplets W that have changed phase from the steam S flow into the pot 5, and the steam port cap 58 is configured to have an inner wall 58g of a gasket groove 58b which serves as a dripping section through which water droplets W adhering to the steam port cap 58 drip into the steam port body 57.

[0045] With this configuration, steam S constantly changes phase to water droplets W inside steam vent unit 52 during cooking, and these water droplets W adhering to steam vent cap 58 flow onto side wall 57c, so that water droplets W always flow onto side wall 57c of steam vent body 57 during cooking, making it difficult for solid matter to adhere to the inner surface of side wall 57c and suppressing the adhesion of dirt and solid matter, eliminating the need to clean steam vent unit 52. Therefore, even if the steam vent unit 52 is made a fixed type that cannot be removed by the user, it will not become unsanitary, and there is no risk of the hole 57h in bottom 57a becoming blocked by dirt or solid matter.

[0046] In the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the steam hole body 57 has a generally funnel shape narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, and the inclination angle of the side wall 57c of the steam hole body 57 is 45° or more, so that water can flow smoothly along the inner surface of the side wall 57c from near the upper opening 57b to the hole 57h of the bottom 57a. This makes it difficult for solid matter to adhere to the inner surface of the side wall 57c, and prevents dirt and adhesion of solid matter from adhering.

[0047] Furthermore, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the inner wall 58g of the packing groove 58b is configured to hang down downward from the front part 58e and the rear part 58f which form the top surface of the steam vent cap 58, so that water droplets W can drip from the tip of the inner wall 58g onto the side wall 57c of the steam vent body 57 without moving in the direction of the gap between the inner wall 58g and the protruding part 57g.

[0048] Furthermore, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the inner circumferential wall 58g of the packing groove 58b is configured to be provided around the entire circumference of the steam vent cap 58, so that no matter in which direction the water droplets W move together with the steam S around the steam vent cap 58, they can be moved downward along the inner circumferential wall 58g.

[0049] Furthermore, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the steam vent unit 52 includes a steam vent cap 58, a steam vent body 57, a packing 59 as a first packing between the steam vent body 57 and the steam vent cap 58, and a packing 60 as a second packing between the steam vent body 57 and the outer lid cover 35 of the lid body 3 as the main body of the rice cooker 1, and the steam vent cap 58 is fixed to the outer lid cover 35 of the rice cooker 1, so that the steam vent unit 52 is fixed to the rice cooker 1. Therefore, the steam vent unit 52 can be configured with fewer parts than before, making the assembly of the rice cooker 1 simpler and reducing costs.

[0050] In addition, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, since the steam exhaust port 58a is not located directly above the hole 57h, the path of the steam S from the hole 57h in the bottom 57a to the steam exhaust port 58a can be lengthened, and the steam S can be cooled accordingly. In addition, the inside of the lid 3 can be made invisible from the steam exhaust port 58a.

[0051] Furthermore, in the rice cooker 1 of this embodiment, the steam port body 57 has a first shaped portion and a second shaped portion with different inclination angles of the side wall 57c, and has a front shaped portion 57d as the first shaped portion in which the inclination angle of the side wall 57c is close to straight down, and a rear shaped portion 57e as the second shaped portion in which the side wall 57c is tapered with an inclination angle of 45° or more. Therefore, when there are different spaces based on the hole 57h of the bottom 57a, for example, the front shaped portion 57d can be arranged on the front side where there is not much space and the rear shaped portion 57e can be arranged on the rear side where there is relatively more space, so that the steam port body 57, i.e., the steam port unit 52, can be arranged in the rice cooker 1 even when there are different spaces based on the hole 57h of the bottom 57a.

[0052] Fig. 8 shows a modification of this embodiment. In this modification, a vertical drip-inducing steam vent unit 52' is shown in which a front portion 58e and a rear portion 58f, which are the top surface of the steam vent cap 58, are inclined, and the tip of the inner peripheral wall 58g of the packing groove 58b is formed to be sharp.

[0053] 8, in the steam port unit 52', the front portion 58e and the rear portion 58f of the steam port cap 58 are formed in an arch shape with the steam exhaust port 58a at the zenith, and the front portion 58e and the rear portion 58f are inclined to move water droplets W adhering to the front portion 58e or the rear portion 58f to the outer periphery of the steam port cap 58. In addition, the tip of the inner circumferential wall 58g of the packing groove 58b is formed at an acute angle in a cross-sectional view, and the inner circumferential wall 58g is formed so as to protrude further downward than the packing 59, and the tip of the inner circumferential wall 58g is configured to be sharp and protrude further toward the side wall 57c of the steam port body 57, so that the water droplets W that have moved along the inner circumferential wall 58g of the packing groove 58 are easily able to drip vertically from the tip of the inner circumferential wall 58g onto the side wall 57c of the steam port body 57. Even with this configuration, water droplets W flow onto side wall 57c, so that water droplets W always flow onto side wall 57c of steam outlet body 57 during cooking, making it difficult for solid matter to adhere to the inner surface of side wall 57c and suppressing the adhesion of dirt and solid matter.

[0054] Figure 9 shows a further modified example of this embodiment. In this modified example, a slope-drop type steam vent unit 52" is shown in which a front portion 58e and a rear portion 58f, which are the top surface of the steam vent cap 58, are inclined, and the slope to the tip of the inner circumferential wall 58g of the packing groove 58b is formed so as to be linear.

[0055] Explaining with reference to Fig. 9, the front part 58e and the rear part 58f of the steam vent cap 58 are formed in an inverse tapered shape with the steam exhaust port 58a at the zenith, and the tip of the inner peripheral wall 58g of the packing groove 58b is formed to be on the outer periphery of the front part 58e and the rear part 58f, and the slope from the steam exhaust port 58a to the tip of the inner peripheral wall 58g is configured to be linear. Therefore, the water droplets W attached to the front part 58e and the rear part 58f are easily moved to the outer periphery side of the steam vent cap 58, and furthermore, it is easy to drip from the tip of the inner peripheral wall 58g to the side wall 57c of the steam vent body 57. Even with this configuration, the water droplets W flow to the side wall 57c, so that the water droplets W always flow to the side wall 57c of the steam vent body 57 during cooking, making it difficult for solid matter to adhere to the inner surface of the side wall 57c, and the adhesion of dirt and solid matter can be suppressed.

[0056] 10 shows a further modified example of this embodiment. In this modified example, a front portion 58e and a rear portion 58f, which are the top surface of the steam vent cap 58, are inclined, and the slope from the packing groove 58b to the inner peripheral wall 58g is formed to be semispherical. III is shown.

[0057] Explaining with reference to Fig. 10, the front part 58e and the rear part 58f of the steam vent cap 58 are formed in a hemispherical shape with the steam exhaust port 58a at the zenith. Therefore, it is possible to further promote the movement of the water droplets W attached to the front part 58e or the rear part 58f toward the outer periphery side of the steam vent cap 58, and also promote the movement of the water droplets W from the front part 58e or the rear part 58f to the inner periphery wall 58g. Even with this configuration, the water droplets W flow to the side wall 57c, so that the water droplets W always flow to the side wall 57c of the steam vent body 57 during cooking, making it difficult for solid matter to adhere to the inner surface of the side wall 57c, and thus suppressing the adhesion of dirt and solid matter.

[0058] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​exemplified in the embodiment are merely examples, and may be modified as appropriate according to the specifications of the rice cooker. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Rice cooker 5. Pot 52 Steam vent unit 57 Steam port body 57c side wall 57d Front shape portion (first shape portion) 57e Rear shaped portion (second shaped portion) 57h hole 58 Steam vent cap 58a Steam exhaust port 58g Inner wall (dripping part) 59 Gasket (first gasket) 60 Gasket (second gasket) S Steam W water drop

Claims

1. In a rice cooker having a steam vent unit that constitutes an exhaust path for steam generated from the food to be cooked in the pot, The steam port unit includes a steam port cap having a steam exhaust port for exhausting steam to the outside, and a steam port body having a hole through which steam from the pot flows in and through which water droplets that have undergone a phase change from the steam flow into the pot. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the steam vent cap is provided with a dripping portion that causes the water droplets adhering to the steam vent cap to drip onto the steam vent body.

2. 2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the steam hole body has a generally funnel shape with a narrow lower portion and a wide upper portion, and an inclination angle of a side wall of the steam hole body is 45 degrees or more.

3. 3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the dripping portion is hung from a top surface of the steam vent cap.

4. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the dripping portion is provided around the entire circumference of the steam vent cap.

5. the steam port unit comprises the steam port cap, the steam port body, a first gasket between the steam port body and the steam port cap, and a second gasket between the steam port body and a main body of the rice cooker; The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the steam vent unit is fixed to the rice cooker by fixing the steam vent cap to the rice cooker.

6. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that in the steam vent unit, the steam exhaust outlet is not positioned directly above the hole.

7. The rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein the steam hole body has a first shaped portion and a second shaped portion, the side walls of which have different inclination angles.

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