Rice washing device

Abstract

To provide a rice washing apparatus which facilitates maintenance of a water level sensor.SOLUTION: A water level sensor 68 having a water level detection part (68a) and a base member (68b) on a partition member (3) which forms a ceiling part of a rice washing tank (5) is attachably and detachably provided on an opening part (77) formed on the partition member (3), a front side wall of a cover member (23) which forms a space part (A) between a rice storage tank (4) and the rice washing tank (5) is freely openably and closably provided, a hollow part (C) which stores various kinds of harness via the partition member (3) on a bottom surface lower part of a space part (A), a net-like body (74) for ventilation is furnished onto the hollow part (C) on the partition member (3), and a ventilation fan (70) is arranged on one-side wall of the cover member (23).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice washing device before rice cooking, and in particular to an installation configuration of a water level sensor for a rice washing tank. [Background technology]

[0002] In a rice washing and cooking device equipped with a rice washing section and a rice cooking section, a configuration is known in which an overflow pipe is connected to the top of the rice washing tank and a float sensor (water level sensor) is provided on the ceiling of the rice washing tank to detect an overflow state (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-68111 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, a water level sensor is provided so that an overflow state can be detected and the supply of washing water can be stopped, which is convenient. However, there is no consideration for maintenance, and time is likely to be lost as the rice washing tank must be removed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to facilitate maintenance of a water level sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0007] According to the invention described in claim 1, a water level sensor (68) having a water level detection part (68a) and a base member (68b) is detachably provided at an opening of a partition member (3) forming a ceiling part of the rice washing tank (5), The front wall of the cover member (23) which forms the space (A) between the rice storage tank (4) and the rice washing tank (5) is provided so as to be freely opened and closed. A cavity (C) for accommodating various harnesses is provided at the bottom of the space (A) via a partition member (3). A mesh member (74) for ventilation is attached to the hollow portion (C) of the partition member (3), A blower fan (70) is disposed on the side wall of the cover member (23).

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, The mesh (74) and the water level sensor (68) are disposed on the upper surface of the partition member (3) at a location close to the front wall of the cover member (23). Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, the water level sensor 68 can be easily attached and detached by opening the front wall of the cover member 23, and further, when the water level sensor 68 is removed, the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be visually observed through the opening 77.

[0010] In addition, the blower fan can supply outside air into the space A, and the air that enters the space A is appropriately exhausted through the mesh body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a rice washing and cooking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the washed rice cooking device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rice storage tank and the rice washing tank of the washed rice cooking device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rice storage tank and rice washing tank. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the measuring section of the washed rice cooking device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drum case of the washed rice cooking apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the partition member and peripheral equipment of the washed rice cooking apparatus. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partition member and peripheral equipment of the washed rice cooking apparatus. [Figure 11] 2 is an overall control flowchart of the rice wash cooker. [Figure 12] FIG. 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing the operating state of the washed rice cooking device as viewed from the side, and FIG. 2(b) is a schematic diagram showing the operating state as viewed from above. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the operation of the rice cooker lid opening / closing arm of the washed rice cooking device. [Figure 14] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view of the rice cooker lid of the washed rice cooking device, and FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The support member 1, which frames the U-shaped or square tube material vertically and horizontally, is composed of a rectangular frame 1a with casters on the bottom, left and right pillars 1b, 1b of a specified width and height, and a number of horizontal bars 1c, 1c... supported between the left and right pillars 1b, 1b.

[0013] A flat partition member 3 is provided on the horizontal rail 1c to mount each piece of equipment, a rice storage tank 4 is provided above it, a rice washing tank 5 is provided below this rice storage tank 4, and a rice cooking device 6 is placed at a distance below the rice washing tank 5. This rice cooking device 6 is composed of a rice cooking kettle 7, a gas stove 8 for heating the kettle, a drawer-type stand 9, etc. In Figure 1, the drawer side of the stand 9 is the front side, and the back side is the rear side.

[0014] The rice storage tank 4 is composed of a main tank 4a at the top with a square cross section and a funnel-shaped hopper section 4b at the bottom, and a measuring drum case 10 is attached to the bottom end of the hopper section 4b. Inside the measuring drum case 10, a measuring drum 13 is provided, which is composed of a cylindrical drum section 11a with a notch 11 and front and rear side walls 12a, 12b, and is supported by the drum case 10 so as to be rotatable by a horizontal shaft 14 that penetrates the front and rear side walls 12a, 12b. A motor 15 is attached to the rear side of the drum case 10 to directly drive the shaft 14. A fixed amount of rice flows down from the rice storage tank 4 through the notch 11 into the measuring drum 13, and when the notch 11 is rotated downward and reaches the discharge port 16 formed in the drum case 10, the rice flows down and is discharged from the measuring drum 13.

[0015] The partition member 3 is provided with an opening 17 corresponding to the discharge port 16, and is configured so that a predetermined amount of rice is delivered from the rice storage tank 4 to the rice washing tank 5 by rotating the measuring drum 13 a predetermined number of revolutions. Also, the predetermined amount can be supplied by detection of a rotation sensor (not shown) that counts the number of deliveries.

[0016] The drum case 10 and the funnel-shaped hopper 4b are constructed as an integral unit, and after removing the upper main tank 4a, the integral unit of the hopper 4b and the drum case 10 can be removed from the partition member 3. That is, an engagement portion 20 is provided on the rear side so that an engagement protrusion 19 of the drum case 10 can be detached from a hook-shaped portion 18 formed on the partition member 3, and a detachable engagement stay 21 that can be detachably fixed with a screw is provided on the front side between the partition member 3 and the drum case 10, and the engagement with the drum case 10 can be released by loosening the screw 22 and rotating the stay 21 around the screw portion. The drum case 10 is formed so that its lower edge fits into the rectangular opening of the partition member 3, but by disengaging the engaging stay 21 and lifting that side slightly upward to release the engagement of the lower edge with the partition member 3, and then pulling it out diagonally from the front toward the user, the rear lower edge can be released from engagement with the engaging portion 20.

[0017] The rice storage tank 2 and the measuring section are covered on the outside with a cover member 23, and the left and right side walls and the rear side wall are appropriately fixed to the partition member 3, etc., and the lower half of the front wall 23a is configured as a door that can be opened and closed, for example, with the right side part as seen from the front as a fulcrum. The upper half of the front wall 23b is connected to the left and right side walls and configured in a removable form. Therefore, the rice storage tank 2 and the drum case 10 can be inspected and removed with the lower half of the front wall 23a open. Reference numeral 24 denotes a square cover plate that detachably covers the main tank 4a from above.

[0018] Reference numeral 25 denotes a discharge shutter for discharging rice, which is provided on one side of the funnel-shaped hopper section 4b (the front side in the illustrated example), and is configured to block the discharge of rice when in an upright position and to become an inclined guide chute by rotating around the pivot support section, thereby discharging the rice inside.

[0019] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the measuring drum 13. Gaskets 26a, 26b that guide the rice at an angle are obliquely installed between the funnel-shaped lower hopper 4b and the drum case 10. The gap between the outer periphery of the measuring drum 13 and the inner periphery of the drum case 10 is a gap t (e.g., about 1 mm) that is large enough to prevent the rice from being crushed even if it enters the drum.

[0020] The measuring drum 13 is rotated and stopped repeatedly in a fixed direction by the motor 15, and the measuring drum 13 is stopped at the position shown in Fig. 7. That is, a vibration means (in the illustrated example, a pump 66 for supplying air, which will be described later) is attached to the inclined wall of the side wall of the funnel-shaped hopper 4b near the side where the rear gasket 26b is present, in order to promote the flow of rice inside, and the measuring drum 13 is designed so that its opening edge stops behind the rotation of the vibration-side gasket 26b, and the other opening edge stops in front of the non-vibration-side gasket 26a, so that the measuring drum 13 blocks rice that tries to get in due to the vibration of the vibration means, while the non-vibration side naturally sends rice into the measuring drum 13, stabilizing the accuracy of the supply amount.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the rice washing tank 5 is provided with a receiving tube section 31 on the ceiling that guides the rice supplied from the drum case 10, a cylindrical body section in the middle, and a hopper-shaped section at the bottom. A jacket section 32 is connected to the bottom of the hopper-shaped section of the rice washing tank 3, and a mesh filter 33 with openings that do not allow rice grains to leak out is provided at the boundary between the hopper-shaped section and the jacket section 32.

[0022] A vertical rotating shaft 34 is provided in the center of the rice-washing tank 5, and a number of stirring rods 35, 35... each formed by bending a rod-shaped body into an inverted L shape are attached to the rotating shaft 34 by welding or the like at their upper ends. The rotating shaft 34 is rotated by a rice-washing motor 36 via a bevel gear mechanism 37, and is configured to stir the rice and water in the tank by the rotation.

[0023] The rotating shaft 34 is a hollow shaft, and the inner shaft 38 is loosely fitted inside the outer hollow shaft 34 so as to be vertically slidable, and extends downward. A cone-shaped rice discharge valve 39 is detachably attached to the lower end of this shaft 38. The upper end of the shaft 38 is moved up and down by a linkage mechanism including a cam 41 driven by a rice discharge valve drive motor 40 and a drop arm, which will be described later, to control the opening and closing of the rice discharge valve 39. When the rice discharge valve 39 opens, the rice in the rice washing tank 5 falls into the inner pot of the rice cooker 6 below.

[0024] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through two systems: an upper water supply route that passes through a main distribution pipe 46 that communicates with a water faucet, an upper water supply valve 47, two flexible upper water supply pipes 48, 48, and upper water supply ports 49, 49 in the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5, and a lower water supply route that branches off from the main distribution pipe 46 and passes through a lower water supply valve 50, a distribution pipe 51, a water supply hose 51a, a lower water supply port 52, and the jacket portion 32. Each water supply route is equipped with a flow rate sensor (not shown). It should be noted that the water supply hose 51a is omitted from the drawings such as FIG. 8 and FIG.

[0025] That is, two upper water supply pipes 48, 48 leading to the main water distribution pipe 46 are arranged near the drum case 10, using the partition member 3 as a base, and a lower water supply pipe 53 is connected to a water distribution pipe 51 that penetrates the partition member 3.

[0026] Reference numeral 55 denotes a shutter that opens and closes the discharge port 16 in cooperation with the electric motor 15, and the rotation of the motor 15 is linked to a shutter support shaft 58 via link mechanisms 56, 57, so that the shutter 55 opens when the drum opening coincides with the discharge port 16. For this reason, the shutter 55 is normally in a closed position, preventing the scattering of diffusion water during washing of the rice in the rice washing tank 5 and preventing the infiltration of water into the measuring drum 13.

[0027] The drum case 10 is located to the left of the position where the upper water supply pipes 48, 48 are arranged, and on the right side are arranged the motor 40 for the rice discharge valve 39 described below and the rice washing motor 36 for driving the stirring rods 35, 35..., as will be described later.

[0028] A drain box 60 is provided on the lower side of the rice washing tank 5. The drain box 60 has a drain outlet 61 and is connected to the lower end of an overflow pipe 62, the upper end of which opens W into the upper side surface of the rice washing tank 5, and to one end of the jacket portion 32, the other end of which communicates with the jacket portion 32. Water is drained from the jacket portion 32 by opening and closing a drain valve 64, and the water level in the rice washing tank 5 is adjusted while draining water with a water level valve 65.

[0029] The drain box 60 is normally closed by the drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65, but when water is to be drained from the rice washing tank 5, it is drained from the filter 33 of the jacket portion 32 through the drain valve 64 and / or the water level valve 65, the drain box 60, and the drain port 61. The drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65 are opened and closed by appropriate opening and closing outputs. In addition, a water level sensor 68 that detects the amount of water in the rice washing tank 5 is provided at the upper part inside the rice washing tank 3.

[0030] The overflow pipe 62 has a horizontal pipe section 62a connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the rice washing tank 3 and a vertical pipe section 62b connected to the horizontal pipe section 62a, and the lower end of the vertical pipe section 62b is connected to the drain box 60. The upper end of the vertical pipe section 62b is extended upward, and this extension pipe section 62c is appropriately fixed and supported by a mounting holder 69 provided on the lower surface of the partition member 3 in a state where it penetrates the partition member 3.

[0031] The space A, which is substantially closed between the bottom of the rice storage tank 4 and the partition member 3, is for housing the measuring unit 10, various drive units, piping, etc., and is designed to ensure ventilation to prevent water vapor from being trapped. That is, a blower fan 70 is arranged on one side wall of the cover member 23, and is configured to be constantly energized and driven during operation of the device to supply outside air into the space A. The air that enters the space A flows through the space A as appropriate and is exhausted to the outside of the device through the mesh holes, etc., described later. Therefore, humidity is reduced by the flow of outside air through the space A that receives the water vapor that rises during cooking. A controller 71 is arranged on the inner surface of the cover member 23 on the side facing the blower fan 70, and moisture can be removed by providing ventilation to this controller 71 as well. Furthermore, if the upper end opening of the extension pipe section 62c is viewed near the controller 71, for example below the front of the controller 71, an appropriate air flow will be generated and the air that acts on the controller 71 can be efficiently introduced into the extension pipe section 62c.

[0032] By passing the extension 62c of the overflow pipe 62 through the partition member 3 as described above, the upper end opening faces the space A, and ventilation air from the blower fan 70 is supplied into the rice washing tank 5 through the overflow pipe 62. In other words, air that enters from the upper end of the extension pipe part 62c of the overflow pipe 62 passes through the extension part 62c and the horizontal pipe part 62a and enters the rice washing tank 5. This has the effect of drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. In this way, by forming a ventilation part B such as the extension pipe part 62c of the overflow pipe 62 between the space A and the rice washing tank 5, the circulating air from the blower fan 70 can be introduced into the rice washing tank 5, and the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried.

[0033] If the extension pipe section 62c of the overflow pipe 62 is provided as the ventilation section B, even if dust in the space section A is transported by air, this dust will fall through the vertical pipe section 62b of the overflow pipe 62 and reach the drain box 60, and there is little risk of this dust entering the rice washing tank 5.

[0034] A mesh body 73 made of a ventilation net or punched metal may be attached to the upper end of the extension pipe portion 62c (ventilation portion B) to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0035] A hollow portion C is provided in the lower part of the bottom surface of the space portion A surrounded by the cover member 23, the partition member 3, etc., to accommodate various harnesses (not shown). More specifically, the partition member 3 is formed by drawing and integrally molding the side walls, and a bottom plate 72 is provided below it in a lid-like manner to form the hollow portion C. A mesh-like body 74 made of a ventilation net or punched metal is attached to an appropriate position of the partition member 3 so as to communicate with the hollow portion C. In this case, the mesh size of the mesh-like body 73 at the upper end of the extension tube portion 62c (ventilation portion B) is made smaller than the mesh size of the mesh-like body 74 disposed in an appropriate position of the partition member 3, thereby improving the effect of preventing the intrusion of foreign objects, particularly microscopic insects.

[0036] Next, the water level sensor 68 will be described. The water level sensor 68 is provided to detect whether the amount of water in the rice washing tank 5 is at a water level immediately before reaching an overflow state or at an overflow state, and is a known configuration that has a detection electrode 68a (water level detection unit) that detects a change in capacitance based on the presence or absence of a water level to detect that the predetermined water level has been reached. The water level sensor 68 is detachably supported on the partition member 3. The detection electrode 68a is connected and fixed to the supporting base member 68b. That is, the detection electrode 68a is located on the upper surface of the partition member 3 at a location close to the front wall lower half portion 23a of the cover member 23 and connected and fixed to the base member 68b. The base member 68b of the water level sensor 68 is fixed by fastening and loosening the rotation lock pieces 75 arranged at two locations on the left and right with wing bolts 76, respectively, and the rotation operation of the wing bolts 76 can be performed by hand, so that it is provided in a so-called tool-less manner. When the base member 68b is removed, the large opening 77 formed in the partition member 3 can be opened. Therefore, by opening the front wall lower half 23a of the cover member 23, an operator can visually check inside the rice washing tank 5 through the opening 77 that opens to the front side.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the water level detection portion of the water level sensor 68 is in the form of an electrode that can detect the presence or absence of electrostatic capacitance, but it can also be in various other configurations, such as a float type that can turn an electrical contact ON and OFF as the float rises.

[0038] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through two systems: an upper water supply route via the upper water supply inlet 48 on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5, and a lower water supply route via the lower water supply inlet 51 and the jacket section 32. An air ejection pipe 67 that communicates with a pump 66 and ejects air is arranged in parallel to the lower water supply pipe 52 of the lower water supply route, and is ejected into the jacket section 32 together with the water from the lower water supply route together with air. The lower water supply pipe 52 and the air ejection pipe 67 are each located eccentrically from the center of the jacket section 32 in Figure 12(b), making it easier to generate a swirling flow in which air and water are mixed.

[0039] During the rice washing operation in the rice washing tank 5, the rotation direction of the large and small stirring rods 35, 35... attached to the rotating shaft 34 in the rice washing tank 5, the water jetting direction from the lower water supply route, and the air jetting direction from the air jetting pipe 67 are configured to be opposite to each other.

[0040] In addition, supplying air through the air ejection pipe 67 when the rice washing tank 5 is empty contributes to drying inside the rice washing tank 5. For this reason, the switch means for driving the pump 66 can be turned on even when the rice is not being washed, so that the operator can optionally dry the rice washing tank 5. This air supply by driving the pump 66 may be performed independently, or may be performed in a manner that overlaps with the air supply from the communication part B.

[0041] Next, the operation of the rice cooking device will be described.

[0042] First, the control unit of the computer (not shown) is configured to set the conditions necessary for operating the rice cooking device, such as the amount of rice to be cooked, the time for washing rice (the rotation time of the stirring rod 35), the time for polishing rice (the rotation time of the stirring rod 35), and the time for soaking in the rice-washing tank or kettle, using an operation panel (operation display device) 80 disposed on the lower half 23a of the front wall of the cover member 23. It is equipped with a liquid crystal display screen 81, and the above conditions necessary for washing and cooking rice can be set while displaying and guiding the functions and operation procedures of the surrounding switch group 82.

[0043] The operation of the above example will now be described.

[0044] The power switch is turned on, and the rice cooking conditions are set according to the various operations on the operation panel 80. After the various rice cooking conditions are set, the start switch is turned on, and the operation begins according to the rice cooking flow shown in FIG.

[0045] That is, first, the power switch is turned on (step 1), the rice cooking conditions are set and input (step 2), and the start switch 75 is pressed (step 3). In step 4, the rice in the rice storage tank 4 is weighed in the measuring drum, a set amount of rice is supplied to the rice washing tank 5, and the rice is washed in step 5.

[0046] Step 5, the rice washing process, consists of a bran removal process in which the rice is agitated while water is running, a polishing process in which the rice is first given water, then drained and the rice is agitated in a wet state, a rough rinsing process in which the rice is agitated at a specified water level, and a final rinsing process in which the rice is agitated while water overflows from the tank.

[0047] After the rice washing process in step 5 above, the next step is the water adjustment process in step 6. In step 7, the washed rice in the rice-washing tank 5 and the measured amount of water in step 3 are dropped into the rice cooker 7 by opening and closing the rice discharge valve 139.

[0048] In step 8, the rice in the rice cooker 7 is soaked in water for a specified time. After the specified time has elapsed, ignition is performed in step 9, the rice is cooked in step 10, steaming is performed in step 11, and the rice is cooked in step 12, completing the specified cooked rice.

[0049] Before turning on the start switch, the reservation screen can be displayed by operating the reservation switch, and the time for completion of cooking can be set, so that the rice will be cooked at the scheduled time.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the water level is gradually reduced from the full level of the rice washing tank by opening the water level valve 65 to ensure a predetermined amount of water, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a flow rate sensor may be provided to manage the amount of water supplied.

[0051] The blower fan 70 is configured to operate continuously during the rice washing and cooking operation after the start switch is turned on, but also to operate for a predetermined time after the rice cooking operation. This configuration allows the inside of the rice washing tank 5 to be dried after the rice cooking operation is completed. After the rice cooking operation, the drain valve 64 and the drop valve 39 are set to be closed and the drain valve 64 to be open when the blower fan 70 is driven. Therefore, the air blown by the blower fan 70 is introduced from the extension pipe section 62c and enters the upper side of the rice washing tank 5 through the horizontal pipe section 62a, while entering the lower side of the rice washing tank 5 through the vertical pipe section 62b and the drain box 60, thereby improving the drying efficiency compared to air supply only from the upper side.

[0052] In this embodiment, the drain box 60 is provided on the side of the rice washing tank 5 (on the right side in the example shown in FIG. 1), making it easy to perform maintenance on the drain box 60. In addition, if the kettle lid opening / closing arm 81 (described later) moves left and right and is configured to be located directly below the drain box 60 in the lid open position (FIG. 13), it will not get in the way when attaching or detaching the rice washing tank 5.

[0053] Regarding the rice cooker 7, in FIG. 14, the rice cooker 7 is provided with a container 31 and a removable rice cooker lid 32 that covers the main body opening of the container 31 and has a high center. A supply hole 32h is formed in the center of this rice cooker lid 32, and a slide shutter 33S is attached in an openable and closable manner as a supply hole opening and closing means to close this supply hole 32h.

[0054] The slide shutter 33S is slidably arranged along horizontal guide rails 33a, 33a in the left-right direction, and is configured so that rice dropping from the rice washing tank 5 and water to be added or removed can be supplied into the rice cooking pot 31 by opening the supply hole 32h. In addition, the slide shutter 33S can open and close the supply hole 32h by controlling the left and right movement when the lid opening and closing arm 81 engages with the central knob 32c of the rice cooker 32, and is configured to be located directly below the drainage box 60 in the lid open position as described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 3 Partitioning material 4 Rice storage tank 5 Rice washing tank 10 Measuring part 23 Cover member 70 Blower fan 62 Overflow pipe A space part B Ventilation section (extension pipe section 62c) C Cavity W Aperture 71 Controller 73 Reticulum 74 Reticulum

Claims

1. A water level sensor (68) having a water level detection portion (68a) and a base member (68b) is detachably provided at an opening of a partition member (3) forming a ceiling portion of the rice washing tank (5); The front wall of the cover member (23) which forms the space (A) between the rice storage tank (4) and the rice washing tank (5) is provided so as to be freely opened and closed; A cavity (C) for accommodating various harnesses is provided at the bottom of the space (A) via a partition member (3), A mesh body (74) for ventilation is attached to the hollow portion (C) of the partition member (3), A rice washing device characterized in that a blower fan (70) is arranged on a side wall of a cover member (23).

2. 2. The rice washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mesh (74) and the water level sensor (68) are located on the upper surface of the partition member (3) close to the front wall of the cover member (23).

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