Heating Regulator

Abstract

To provide a cooker including passage opening / closing means of a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A rice cooker comprises a pot 4 for storing cooking objects, an inner lid 24 for sealably covering an opening of the pot 4, a decompression pump 39 for decompressing the inside of the pot 4, a steam exhaust path 33 for communicating between the inside and the outside of the pot 4, and a pressure regulation part 26 for opening and closing the steam exhaust path 33. The pressure regulation part 26 includes an air bag 58 operating as a drive part for closing the steam exhaust path 33, where the air bag 58 is connected to the decompression pump 39, and when the decompression pump 39 is driven, the air bag 58 causes a pressure regulating valve 57 to close a steam hole 56 so as to close the steam exhaust path 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooking device that includes a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure inside a container and a passage opening / closing means for opening and closing a passage that connects the inside and outside of the container, and that closes the passage to reduce the pressure inside the container. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of this type of cooking appliance, which includes a cooking cavity with an open top, a lid that hermetically covers the cooking cavity, a vacuum device that can bleed air into the cooking cavity, a pressure relief hole that communicates with the interior of the cooking cavity, a sealing assembly that closes the pressure relief hole, and a drive assembly that opens and closes the pressure relief hole using the sealing assembly. The drive assembly includes an electromagnet and an electromagnet push rod, and the movement of the electromagnet push rod is controlled by turning the electromagnet on and off, which drives and moves the sealing assembly to open or close the pressure relief hole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2021-508569 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the pressure relief hole is opened and closed by driving a drive assembly including an electromagnet and an electromagnet push rod, which drives and moves a sealing assembly, which causes problems such as a complicated structure. Also, an electromagnet is required to drive the drive assembly, which raises concerns about increased costs.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking device having a passage opening and closing means with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The rice cooker of the present invention comprises a container for accommodating food to be cooked, a lid that hermetically covers the opening of the container, a vacuum pump that reduces the pressure inside the container, a passage that connects the inside and outside of the container, and a passage opening / closing means that opens and closes the passage, wherein the passage opening / closing means has a closing means that operates as a drive unit for closing the passage, the closing means is connected to the vacuum pump, and when the vacuum pump is driven, the closing means closes the passage. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the rice cooker of the present invention, the passage opening and closing means can be made to have a simple structure, and the number of parts can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view of a rice cooker showing a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main part of the lid body with the outer lid removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the pressure reducing pump, the pressure adjusting section and the main parts around the pressure adjusting section. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the pressure adjustment section and its surrounding essential parts when the steam hole is open. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the cover operating body, the pressure adjusting unit, and the surrounding essential parts when the steam hole is closed. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a top view of the main parts of the lid body of the rice cooker according to the second embodiment of the present invention with the outer lid removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the pressure adjustment section and its surrounding essential parts when the steam hole is open. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main part of the lid body of the rice cooker according to the third embodiment with the outer lid removed. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the airbag and its surrounding essential parts. [Figure 11] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the airbag and its surrounding main parts. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the rice cooker of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that common parts will be designated by common reference numerals throughout these drawings. [Example]

[0010] Figures 1 to 6 show a first embodiment of a rice cooker as a cooking appliance according to the present invention. First, the overall configuration of the rice cooker will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Reference numeral 1 denotes a main body, which, when viewed from above, is generally rectangular with a front, rear, left, and right sides facing each other, and has an open top. Reference numeral 2 denotes a lid that can be opened and closed to cover the top opening of main body 1. Like main body 1, lid 2 also has a generally rectangular shape with a front, rear, left, and right sides facing each other, and has a generally flat top. Main body 1 has a pot housing 3 with an open top. When lid 2 is opened, a bottomed pot 4, which serves as a container for holding water and rice to be cooked, is removably housed in pot housing 3. Pot housing 3 is constructed by combining a bowl-shaped resin inner frame 5 and other components, and the overall shape is cylindrical with a bottom.

[0011] Pot 4 has a main material 7 made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 8 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel, which is bonded to the outer surface of main material 7 from the lower side to the bottom. Additionally, on the outer surface of inner frame 5, which faces the lower side of pot 4 toward the bottom, a heating coil 11 is provided as a heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of heating element 8 of pot 4. When high-frequency current is supplied to heating coil 11, the alternating magnetic field generated by heating coil 11 causes heating element 8 of pot 4 to heat, thereby heating the food inside pot 4 during cooking and keeping warm. Additionally, pot sensor 12, which serves as a pot temperature detection means, is disposed in the center of the bottom of inner frame 5 so that it comes into elastic contact with the outer bottom surface of pot 4.

[0012] The exterior shape of the lid 2 is generally formed by an outer lid 9 and an outer lid cover 10 attached so as to cover the lower opening of the outer lid 9. A hinge portion 13 is provided at the rear of the lid 2, which serves as a connection portion with the main body 1. A lid operating body 14 is disposed in an exposed state on the front upper surface of the lid 2, and when the lid operating body 14 is pressed, the engagement between the main body 1 and the lid 2 is released, and a hinge spring 13b provided at the upper rear of the main body 1 causes the lid 2 to open around a hinge shaft 13a of the hinge 13 as the rotation center.

[0013] A steam vent 15 is located on the upper rear surface of the lid 2, which allows steam generated from the food inside the pot 4 to be released to the outside of the rice cooker. In addition to the steam vent 15 and the lid operating mechanism 14, the top surface of the lid 2 also houses an operation panel 22, which serves as the rice cooker's display and operation unit and displays button names. The operation panel 22 includes an LCD 16, which displays various information such as the time and the selected cooking mode, and a switch 17, which operates as an operation unit, for starting and stopping cooking and selecting a cooking mode. The LCD 16 and switch 17 are mounted on a control PC (Printed Circuit) board 21 located inside the lid 3. Therefore, the operation panel 22 protects the electronic components of the LCD 16, switch 17, and control PC board 21 from dust and water. In addition to the LCD 16, the display may also include an LED display that displays the current cooking process.

[0014] An inner lid assembly 23 is disposed below the lid 2 as a lower component of the lid 2. The inner lid assembly 23 is made of a metal material and has a disk-like shape with approximately the same diameter as the upper opening of the pot 4. It includes an inner lid 24 that covers the upper opening of the pot 4, a lid gasket 25 as an elastic member provided around the entire outer periphery of the inner lid 24 to seal the gap between the inner lid 24 and the pot 4, and a pressure regulator 26 that adjusts the internal pressure of the pot 4. When the lid 2 is closed as shown in FIG. 2 , the annular lid gasket 25 abuts against the top surface of the opening of the pot 4, sealing the gap between the pot 4 and the inner lid 24 and sealing out steam generated from the pot 4. Regarding the pressure regulator 26, a steam exhaust path 33 is formed inside the lid 2, connecting the steam port 15 to the pressure regulator 26, and serving as a passageway for releasing steam generated in the pot 4 to the outside. A pressure sensor may also be provided inside lid 2 facing pressure adjustment unit 26 to detect the pressure inside pot 4. Pressure adjustment unit 26 will be described in detail later.

[0015] Reference numeral 38 denotes a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure inside pot 4 below normal atmospheric pressure when lid 2 is closed on main body 1. Pressure reducing means 38 reduces the internal pressure of sealed pot 4 when pot 4 is housed in pot housing 3, lid 2 is closed, and steam exhaust path 33 is blocked by pressure adjusting unit 26. When the pressure inside pot 4 drops below atmospheric pressure by a certain value, pressure reducing pump 39, which is the power source for pressure reducing means 38, stops operating, maintaining the inside of pot 4 at a reduced pressure. When the pressure inside pot 4 is to be returned from the reduced pressure state to the same pressure as the outside air, pressure reducing pump 39 stops operating and steam exhaust path 33 is opened.

[0016] Reference numeral 42 denotes a unitized heating board assembly disposed inside the main body 1. This heating board assembly, together with a control IC, a readable / writable memory for storing various information and data, and a timer for measuring times related to rice cooking, constitutes a microcomputer as control means (not shown), which electrically controls each part of the rice cooker. Specifically, the control means receives a temperature detection signal from the pot sensor 12 and an operation signal from the switch 17, outputs a display control signal to the LCD 16, outputs a heating control signal to the heating coil 11, and outputs a drive control signal to the pressure reducing means 38.

[0017] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of lid body 2 with outer lid 9 removed, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing pressure adjustment unit 26, vacuum pump 36, and their surrounding main parts. Vacuum pump 39 in this embodiment is a rotary or diaphragm vacuum pump, and has intake port 39a as an intake part that draws gas into vacuum pump 39, and exhaust port 39b as an exhaust part that discharges gas from within vacuum pump 39. A silicone rubber intake pipe 51 is disposed between the interior of pot 4 and intake port 39a, and serves as a path through which vacuum pump 39 draws gas from within pot 4. A vacuum valve 52 that opens and closes intake pipe 51 is provided at the end of intake pipe 51 facing pot 4. The intake pipe 51 is divided into a first intake pipe 51-1 on the vacuum valve 52 side and a second intake pipe 51-2 on the pressure reducing pump 39 side, and a three-way joint 53 is connected between the first and second intake pipes 51-1, 51-2.

[0018] In this embodiment, vacuum valve 52 is configured to open when the pressure inside intake pipe 51 drops to a predetermined negative pressure and to close when the pressure inside intake pipe 51 rises above that predetermined pressure. Therefore, when vacuum pump 39 is operated and the pressure inside intake pipe 51 drops to a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 opens, opening intake pipe 51 and connecting vacuum pump 39 to the inside of pot 4. Furthermore, when the operation of vacuum pump 39 is stopped and the pressure inside pot 4 rises above the predetermined pressure, the pressure inside intake pipe 51 also rises above the predetermined pressure via vacuum valve 52, and vacuum valve 52 closes.

[0019] The three-way joint 53 can connect pipes in three directions and fluidly connects the three connected pipes. In this embodiment, a T-shaped three-way joint 53 is used. The three-way joint 53 consists of three cylindrical ends and a hollow connecting portion that connects these three ends. Of these three ends, two opposing ends are connected to first and second intake pipes 51-1 and 51-2. An end of the three-way joint 53 that is angled relative to the other two ends is connected to an airbag exhaust pipe 55 made of silicone rubber, which is a path through which a vacuum pump 39 exhausts air from an airbag 58 (described later).

[0020] Referring to Figure 5, pressure adjustment section 26 is mainly composed of steam hole 56 as a hole portion that communicates with the inside of pot 4, pressure adjustment valve 57 as a valve located above steam hole 56 that opens and closes steam hole 56, air bag 58 as a closing means that contracts when air is discharged and acts as a drive unit for pressure adjustment valve 57 to close steam discharge path 33, arm portion 59 as a plate-shaped portion attached to arm holding portion 58-3 formed at the upper end of air bag 58, opening portion 60 for opening steam hole 56, and pressure adjustment section main body 61 in which pressure adjustment valve 57, air bag 58, and arm portion 59 are arranged.

[0021] The pressure regulating unit main body 61 has a pressure regulating valve guide hole 61-1 drilled above the steam hole 56, and an airbag mounting portion 61-2 is provided near the pressure regulating valve guide hole 61-1. Reference numeral 61-3 denotes a cylindrical exhaust pipe mounting portion that is disposed below the airbag mounting portion 61-2 and is configured to communicate with the exhaust pipe mounting portion 61-3 and the airbag mounting portion 61-2. Reference numeral 61-4 denotes an arm support portion that is formed in a straight line connecting the pressure regulating valve guide hole 61-1 and the airbag mounting portion 61-2. In this embodiment, a wall portion 61-5 extends upward from the end of the pressure regulating unit main body 61 on the airbag mounting portion 61-2 side, and the arm support portion 61-4 is provided at the upper end of the wall portion 61-5.

[0022] The pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1 guides the movement of the pressure adjustment valve 57 in the vertical direction, and the pressure adjustment valve 57 is disposed through the pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1. In this embodiment, the pressure adjustment valve 57 moves along the inner wall of the pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1, and the shape and size of the pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1 are formed in a circular shape that is substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the pressure adjustment valve 57 and in substantially the same size, but this is just an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0023] The airbag mounting portion 61-2 is configured to have an opening 58-2 of the airbag 58 attached thereto and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outer shape of the cross-sectional shape of the airbag mounting portion 61-2 is formed to be substantially the same as the inner shape of the opening 58-2, but this is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The exhaust pipe mounting portion 61-3 is configured to have the airbag exhaust pipe 55 attached thereto, and in this embodiment, the airbag 58 is configured to communicate with the intake port 39a of the pressure reducing pump 39 via the second intake pipe 51-2, the three-way joint 53, the airbag exhaust pipe 55, the exhaust pipe mounting portion 61-3, and the airbag mounting portion 61-2.

[0024] The arm support portion 61-4 supports the arm portion 59. In this embodiment, the arm support portion 61-4 is a pair of bearings, and rotatably supports arm shaft portions 59-3, 59-3 provided at one end of the arm portion 59. The arm portion 59 is configured to rotate up and down around the arm shaft portions 59-3, 59-3. Note that this configuration is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0025] The airbag 58 is made almost entirely of silicone or PE (polyethylene) blow molding, has a bellows shape with one end open and the other closed, and is hollow inside to define an internal space S. The airbag 58 is mainly composed of an airbag body 58-1 that has a bellows shape and can inflate and deflate, an opening 58-2 formed at one end of the airbag body 58-1, and an arm holding part 58-3 formed at the other end of the airbag body 58-1.

[0026] The airbag body 58-1 has a spring, and is configured so that the airbag body 58-1 is biased in the direction of inflation by this spring. Therefore, the pressure inside the airbag body 58-1 when the airbag body 58-1 is inflating can be lower than the pressure inside the airbag body 58-1 when the airbag body 58-1 is deflating. In this embodiment, the pressure inside the airbag body 58-1 when the airbag body 58-1 is deflating is higher than the predetermined negative pressure at which the vacuum valve 52 opens and closes, i.e., the airbag body 58-1 is configured to deflating at a negative pressure higher than that of the vacuum valve 52, and the pressure inside the airbag body 58-1 when the airbag body 58-1 is inflating is lower than the predetermined negative pressure at which the vacuum valve 52 opens and closes, i.e., the airbag body 58-1 is configured to inflate at a negative pressure lower than that of the vacuum valve 52. The opening 58-2 is attached to the airbag attachment portion 61-2, so that the airbag body 58-1 is arranged to expand and contract in the vertical direction of the rice cooker.

[0027] The arm holding portion 58-3 has a constriction, and the airbag 58 is attached to the arm portion 59 by passing this constriction through the airbag attachment hole 59-2 of the arm portion 59 and holding the arm main body 59-1 with the arm holding portion 58-3.

[0028] The pressure regulating valve 57 is mainly composed of a generally cylindrical pressure regulating valve main body 57-1, a valve portion 57-2 provided at the lower end of the pressure regulating valve main body 57-1, a membrane portion 57-3 formed integrally with the valve portion 57-2, an extension portion 57-4 formed so as to extend upward from the upper end of the pressure regulating valve main body 57-1, a flange portion 57-5 provided at the upper end of the extension portion 57-4 and formed so as to extend outward from the extension portion 57-4, and a protrusion portion 57-6 provided at the upper end of the extension portion 57-4 and formed so as to protrude further upward from the extension portion 57-4. As shown in FIG. 5 , the pressure regulating valve main body 57-1, the extension portion 57-4, the flange portion 57-5, and the protrusion portion 57-6 are formed integrally.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5 , the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 is disposed through the pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1 and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The valve portion 57-2 closes the steam hole 56 when the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 is in the closed position, which is the lowest position. In this embodiment, the valve portion 57-2 is formed from a flexible material in a generally suction cup shape. Therefore, when the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 moves to the lowest position, the valve portion 57-2 comes into suction contact with the inner lid 24, thereby reliably closing the steam hole 56. The membrane portion 57-3 biases the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 and the valve portion 57-2 upward and is formed from a resilient, flexible material. When no external force is applied to the pressure adjustment valve 57, the membrane portion 57-3 moves the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 upward so that the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 is in the open position, which is the highest position, as shown in FIG. 5 . Here, the integrally formed valve portion 57-2 and membrane portion 57-3 are provided so as to completely cover the pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1 from below the pressure adjustment portion main body 61, and prevent steam flowing in from the steam hole 56 from entering the pressure adjustment valve guide hole 61-1. Note that this configuration is one example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0030] The flange portion 57-5 moves the pressure regulating valve main body 57-1 upward in cooperation with the opening portion 60. A scooping portion 60-3 of the opening portion 60 is disposed on the lower surface of the flange portion 57-5, and when this scooping portion 60-3 moves upward, the lower surface of the flange portion 57-5 comes into contact with the scooping portion 60-3, and the flange portion 57-5 moves upward together with the scooping portion 60-3, thereby moving the pressure regulating valve main body 57-1 upward, and the valve portion 57-2 at the lower end of the pressure regulating valve main body 57-1 also moves upward, opening the steam hole 56.

[0031] The protrusion 57-6 moves the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 downward in cooperation with the arm portion 59. As shown in Fig. 5, the protrusion 57-6 is in contact with the valve contact portion 59-4 of the arm portion 59. When the valve contact portion 59-4 moves downward, the protrusion 57-6 moves downward together with the valve contact portion 59-4, thereby moving the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 downward. When the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 moves to the closed position, the valve portion 57-2 closes the steam hole 56.

[0032] The arm portion 59 has a plate-shaped arm main body 59-1, an airbag mounting hole 59-2 through which an arm holding portion 58-3 of an airbag 58 passes, arm shafts 59-3, 59-3 provided at one end of the arm main body 59-1, and a valve contact portion 59-4 that comes into contact with the protrusion 57-6 of the pressure adjustment valve 57. In this embodiment, the length of the arm main body 59-1 and the positions of the arm shafts 59-3, 59-3, the airbag mounting hole 59-2, and the valve contact portion 59-4 are adjusted, and the shapes and positions of the pressure adjustment valve 57 and the airbag 58 are also adjusted, so that the pressure adjustment valve main body 57-1 moves to the closed position when the air is sucked out of the airbag main body 58-1 by the decompression pump 39 and the airbag main body 58-1 contracts and the volume of the internal space S becomes a minimum.

[0033] 6, the opening section 60 is mainly composed of an opening section main body 60-1 formed in a substantially plate shape, a lid body operation body contact portion 60-2 formed at one end of the opening section main body 60-1, a scooping portion 60-3 formed at the other end of the opening section main body 60-1, a shaft portion 60-4 provided near the center of the opening section main body 60-1, and an opening section bearing 60-5 that supports the shaft portion 60-4. In this embodiment, the opening section main body 60-1, the lid body operation body contact portion 60-2, and the scooping portion 60-3 are made of metal and formed integrally, but this configuration is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0034] The open section main body 60-1 extends from the pressure adjustment valve 57 to below the lid operation body 14. The lid operation body contact portion 60-2 is disposed near the bottom of the underside 14-1 of the lid operation body 14, and the scooping portion 60-3 is disposed near the bottom of the flange portion 57-5. The lid operation body contact portion 60-2 has a flat upper surface and is wide in the width direction, allowing good contact between the underside 14-1 and the lid operation body contact portion 60-2 when the lid operation body 14 is pushed. In this embodiment, the scooping portion 60-3 is formed in a bifurcated shape, and this bifurcated shape is positioned so as to sandwich the extension portion 57-4 of the pressure adjustment valve 57. The open section bearing 60-5 is formed in the outer lid cover 10, and the open section main body 60-1 is configured to swing in a seesaw-like manner relative to the outer lid cover 10 around the shaft portion 60-4.

[0035] Next, the operation of the rice cooker configured as described above will be described. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when reducing the pressure inside pot 4 with pot 4 housed in pot housing 3 and lid 2 closed to main body 1, the control means outputs a drive control signal to pressure reducing means 38, which activates pressure reducing pump 39 to draw air in through intake port 39a and exhaust it through exhaust port 39b. The air in the intake circuit connected to intake port 39a, i.e., the air in first and second intake pipes 51-1 and 51-2, three-way joint 53, airbag exhaust pipe 55, exhaust pipe mounting portion 61-3, airbag mounting portion 61-2, and airbag body 58-1, is drawn into pressure reducing pump 39, reducing the pressure.

[0036] Because the airbag body 58-1 is configured to contract under a negative pressure higher than that of the vacuum valve 52, the airbag body 58-1 contracts before the vacuum valve 52 opens, thereby reducing the volume of the interior space S. As the airbag body 58-1 contracts, the arm body 59-1 held by the arm holder 58-3 rotates downward about the arm shafts 59-3, 59-3, and the pressure adjustment valve body 57-1 moves downward together with the protrusion 57-6 in contact with the valve contact portion 59-4. When the volume of the interior space S of the airbag 58 subsequently contracts to its minimum, the pressure adjustment valve body 57-1 moves to the closed position, and the valve portion 57-2 closes the steam hole 56, creating an airtight space inside the pot 4.

[0037] When the volume of internal space S of air bag 58 is minimized while vacuum pump 39 is operating, the decrease in pressure within the intake circuit accelerates further. When the pressure within the intake circuit drops to a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 opens, and vacuum pump 39 draws in the air within pot 4, reducing the pressure within pot 4. Even if vacuum pump 39 is stopped at this time, the reduced pressure state is maintained because the interior of pot 4 is an airtight space, and vacuum valve 52 remains open because the intake circuit is also in a reduced pressure state. In this way, when vacuum pump 39 is operating, vacuum valve 52 is opened in conjunction with vacuum pump 39 after valve portion 57-2 closes steam vent 56 and the interior of pot 4 becomes an airtight space, thereby reducing the pressure within pot 4.

[0038] For example, suppose the pressure in pot 4 is reduced during the soaking step during the rice cooking process, and then the process transitions to the boiling and heating step. The control means stops the operation of vacuum pump 39 and drives heating coil 11 to heat pot 4 and boil the food in pot 4. Steam from the food fills pot 4, causing the pressure inside pot 4 to rise. Because vacuum valve 52 is open, the pressure in the intake circuit rises, just like the pressure in pot 4, and the pressure inside airbag body 58-1 also rises. Because airbag body 58-1 is configured to inflate at a negative pressure lower than that of vacuum valve 52, airbag body 58-1 expands before vacuum valve 52 is closed, and the volume of internal space S increases accordingly. As airbag body 58-1 expands, arm body 59-1 held by arm holding portion 58-3 rotates upward about arm shafts 59-3, 59-3.

[0039] Then, against the negative pressure in pot 4, pressure regulating valve 57 moves upward by membrane portion 57-3, and valve portion 57-2 moves upward, opening steam hole 56 and steam exhaust path 33. When the pressure in the intake circuit rises above a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 closes.

[0040] Next, when the lid operating body 14 is pushed while the pressure inside the pot 4 is reduced and the vacuum pump 39 is not operating, the underside 14-1 of the lid operating body 14 comes into contact with the lid operating body contact portion 60-2 of the opening portion 60, causing the lid operating body contact portion 60-2 to move downward together with the lid operating body 14. This causes the opening portion main body 60-1 to swing in a seesaw motion around the shaft 60-4 relative to the outer lid cover 10, causing the scooping portion 60-3 to come into contact with the underside of the flange portion 57-5 and moving the pressure adjustment valve 57 upward together with the flange portion 57-5. The valve portion 57-2 then moves upward, opening the steam hole 56 and the steam exhaust path 33, causing the pressure inside the pot 4 to rise to atmospheric pressure.

[0041] When the pressure inside pot 4 rises to atmospheric pressure, the pressure inside the intake circuit also rises because vacuum valve 52 is open, and the pressure inside airbag body 58-1 also rises, causing airbag body 58-1 to expand and increasing the volume of internal space S. When the pressure inside the intake circuit rises above a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 closes. Note that a switch may be provided in lid operating body 14 so that operation of pressure reducing pump 39 is stopped when lid operating body 14 is operated.

[0042] As described above, the rice cooker as a heating cooker of this embodiment comprises pot 4 as a container for containing the food to be cooked, inner lid 24 as a lid that sealably covers the opening of pot 4, pressure reduction pump 39 for reducing the pressure inside pot 4, steam exhaust path 33 as a passage connecting the inside and outside of pot 4, and pressure adjustment unit 26 as a passage opening / closing means for opening and closing steam exhaust path 33, and pressure adjustment unit 26 has air bag 58 as a closing means that operates as a drive unit for closing steam exhaust path 33, air bag 58 is connected to pressure reduction pump 39, and when pressure reduction pump 39 is driven, air bag 58 causes pressure adjustment valve 57 to close steam hole 56, thereby closing steam exhaust path 33.

[0043] By configuring it in this manner, the air bag 58 can be operated by the vacuum pump 39 that reduces the pressure inside the pot 4, thereby blocking the steam exhaust path 33, and the pressure adjustment section 26 can be made simple in structure, reducing the number of parts.

[0044] Pressure adjustment unit 26 of this embodiment also has steam hole 56 as a hole that communicates with the inside of pot 4, and pressure adjustment valve 57 that is located above steam hole 56 and serves as a valve that opens and closes steam hole 56, and is configured so that pressure adjustment valve 57 closes steam hole 56 when air bag 58 contracts. Therefore, steam hole 56 can be closed by contracting air bag 58 with pressure reducing pump 39, and pressure adjustment unit 26 can have a simple structure and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0045] Furthermore, in pressure adjustment unit 26 of this embodiment, air bag 58 contracts in the vertical direction of the rice cooker, and pressure adjustment unit 26 further has arm portion 59 as a plate-like portion attached to the upper end of air bag 58, with protrusion 57-6 as the upper end of pressure adjustment valve 57 contacting the underside of arm portion 59. Therefore, by contracting air bag 58, pressure adjustment valve 57 can be moved downward to close steam hole 56, and pressure adjustment unit 26 can have a simple structure and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0046] In addition, the contraction portion of this embodiment is configured as the air bag 58, and the air bag 58 can be used as the contraction portion to reliably contract / inflate in the vertical direction of the rice cooker. [Example]

[0047] 7 and 8 show a second embodiment of a rice cooker as a cooking appliance according to the present invention. In this embodiment, one end of arm 59' is attached to the lower end of airbag 58, and the other end is in contact with the upper end of pressure regulating valve 57, so that arm body 59'-1 of arm 59' swings in a seesaw manner.

[0048] Explaining with reference to Figures 7 and 8, in the pressure regulating section 26" of the present embodiment, an airbag mounting portion 61'-2 is provided on the inner surface of the upper wall of a box-shaped airbag storage section 62 having an open side facing the pressure regulating valve 57, and an exhaust pipe mounting portion 61'-3 is provided on the outer surface of the upper wall. Therefore, in this embodiment, the airbag 58 is mounted to the airbag mounting portion 61'-2 with the opening 58-2 facing upward, which is the opposite to the first embodiment, and the lower end of the airbag 58 is mounted to one end of the arm main body 59'-1. Note that in this embodiment, the lower end surface of the airbag 58 is mounted by directly bonding it to the upper surface of one end of the arm main body 59'-1 with an adhesive or the like, but an airbag mounting hole 59-2 may be formed in the arm main body 59'-1 so that the airbag can be mounted in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0049] The arm body 59'-1 of this embodiment is made of metal, and an arm shaft portion 59'-3 is provided near the center of the arm body 59'-1, and an arm bearing 63 formed on the outer lid cover 10 pivotally supports the arm shaft portion 59'-3. The arm body 59'-1 swings in a seesaw manner relative to the outer lid cover 10, with the arm bearing 63 as a fulcrum, and therefore also swings in a seesaw manner relative to the inner lid 24. The other configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, and the upper end of the pressure adjustment valve 57 is configured to contact the lower surface of the other end of the arm body 59'-1.

[0050] Next, the operation of the rice cooker configured as described above will be explained. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when the pressure inside pot 4 is reduced with pot 4 stored in pot storage section 3 and lid 2 closed on main body 1, when the control means outputs a drive control signal to pressure reducing means 38, pressure reducing pump 39 is driven, and air in the intake circuit is sucked into pressure reducing pump 39, reducing the pressure.

[0051] Because the airbag body 58-1 is configured to contract under a negative pressure higher than that of the vacuum valve 52, the airbag body 58-1 contracts before the vacuum valve 52 opens, thereby reducing the volume of the interior space S. As the airbag body 58-1 contracts, one end of the arm body 59-1 attached to the lower end of the airbag 58 moves upward, and the arm body 59-1 swings about the arm shaft 59-3, causing the other end of the arm body 59-1 to move downward. This causes the pressure adjustment valve body 57-1, together with the protrusion 57-6 in contact with the valve contact portion 59-4 provided at the other end of the arm body 59-1, to also move downward. When the volume of the interior space S of the airbag 58 subsequently contracts to its minimum, the pressure adjustment valve body 57-1 moves to the closed position, and the valve portion 57-2 closes the steam hole 56, creating an airtight space inside the pot 4.

[0052] When the volume of internal space S of air bag 58 is minimized while decompression pump 39 is operating, the decrease in pressure within the intake circuit is further accelerated. Then, when the pressure within the intake circuit drops to a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 is opened, and decompression pump 39 draws in the air within pot 4, reducing the pressure within pot 4. In this way, when decompression pump 39 is operating, valve portion 57-2 closes steam vent 56 in conjunction with decompression pump 39, creating an airtight space within pot 4, and then vacuum valve 52 is opened to reduce the pressure within pot 4.

[0053] As described above, the rice cooker as a heating cooker of this embodiment comprises pot 4 as a container for accommodating the food to be cooked, inner lid 24 as a lid that hermetically covers the opening of pot 4, pressure reduction pump 39 for reducing the pressure inside pot 4, steam exhaust path 33 as a passage connecting the inside and outside of pot 4, and pressure adjustment unit 26" as a passage opening / closing means for opening and closing steam exhaust path 33, pressure adjustment unit 26 having air bag 58 as a contraction unit that contracts when air is discharged, air bag 58 is connected to pressure reduction pump 39, and is configured to operate as a drive unit for pressure adjustment unit 26".

[0054] With this configuration, steam exhaust path 33 can be closed by operating air bag 58 using vacuum pump 39, which reduces the pressure inside pot 4, and pressure adjustment unit 26" can have a simple structure, reducing the number of parts.

[0055] Furthermore, pressure adjustment section 26" of the present embodiment further includes steam hole 56 as a hole portion that communicates with the interior of pot 4, and pressure adjustment valve 57 that is located above steam hole 56 and serves as a valve that opens and closes steam hole 56, and pressure adjustment valve 57 closes steam hole 56 when air bag 58 contracts. Therefore, steam hole 56 can be closed by contracting air bag 58 with pressure reducing pump 39, and pressure adjustment section 26" can have a simple structure and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the pressure regulating section 26" is configured so that the air bag 58 contracts in the vertical direction of the rice cooker, and the pressure regulating section 26" further has an arm body 59'-1 as a swinging section, one end of which is attached to the lower end of the air bag 58 and the other end of which is in contact with the upper end of the pressure regulating valve 57, and the outer lid cover 10 to which the inner lid 24 is attached has an arm bearing 63 as a support section that supports the arm body 59'-1, and the arm body 59'-1 swings in a seesaw manner relative to the outer lid cover 10, with the arm bearing 63 as a fulcrum, so that it also swings in a seesaw manner relative to the inner lid 24.

[0057] With this configuration, the pressure regulating valve 57 can be moved downward to close the steam hole 56 by deflating the air bag 58, and the pressure regulating section 26" can be simplified in structure to reduce the number of parts. [Example]

[0058] 9 to 11 show a third embodiment of a rice cooker as a cooking appliance according to the present invention. In this embodiment, an air bag 58' that operates as a drive unit for a pressure adjustment unit 26' contracts in the lateral direction of the rice cooker, and a sliding portion 57'-2 of a pressure adjustment valve 57' moves in the lateral direction to open and close a steam hole 56.

[0059] Referring to Figure 9, in this embodiment, the intake pipe 51 is divided into a third intake pipe 51-3 on the vacuum valve 52 side and a fourth intake pipe 51-4 on the pressure reducing pump 39 side, and an airbag 58' of the pressure adjusting section 26' is connected between the third and fourth intake pipes 51-3, 51-4.

[0060] The pressure regulating section 26' is mainly composed of a steam hole 56 (see Figure 2) that communicates with the inside of the pot 4, a pressure regulating valve 57' that is positioned above the steam hole 56 and opens and closes the steam hole 56, an air bag 58' as a contraction section, an air bag holder 64 that houses the air bag 58', and an opening section 60.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 9 , the pressure regulating valve 57′ is primarily composed of a base 57′-1 disposed above the steam vent 56, a slide portion 57′-2 that slides horizontally on the base 57′-1, i.e., in the lateral direction of the rice cooker, a slide portion guide 57′-3 disposed on the base 57′-1, a connection portion 57′-4 provided at one end of the slide portion 57′-2, and a slide operation portion 57′-5 disposed above the base 57′-1 and the slide portion 57′-2. In this embodiment, the steam vent 56 is opened or closed depending on the position of the slide portion 57′-2 on the base 57′-1. The steam vent 56 has two positions: an open position where the steam vent 56 is open, and a closed position where the steam vent 56 is closed. The position of the slide portion 57′-2 shown in FIG. 9 is the open position. Therefore, the slide portion 57′-2 also functions as a valve that opens and closes the steam vent 56.

[0062] The slide portion guide 57'-3 guides the sliding movement of the slide portion 57'-2 in the lateral direction of the rice cooker, that is, the left-right direction in FIG. 9, and the slide portion 57'-2 moves along the slide portion guide 57'-3 in a direction away from or toward the airbag holder 64. The connection portion 57'-4 connects the airbag shaft 58-2 of the airbag 58' to the slide portion 57'-2. In this embodiment, the connection portion 57'-4 is formed so that a disc portion provided at the tip of the airbag shaft 58-2 can be fitted into the connection portion 57'-4, and the airbag shaft 58-2 and the slide portion 57'-2 are connected by fitting this disc portion into the connection portion 57'-4. When the slide operating part 57'-5 is moved upward, a slide mechanism (not shown) slides the slide part 57'-2 laterally in a direction away from the airbag holder 64, and in this embodiment, the scooping part 60-3 is arranged near the bottom of the slide operating part 57'-5.

[0063] 10 , the airbag 58′ is mainly composed of a bellows-shaped airbag body 58′-1 that can inflate and deflate, an airbag shaft 58′-2 provided at one end of the airbag body 58′-1, a cylindrical base portion 58′-3 with a bottom provided at the other end of the airbag body 58′-1, and two cylindrical intake and exhaust portions 58′-4, 58′-4 provided on the base portion 58′-3. Note that in this embodiment, the airbag body 58′-1, airbag shaft 58′-2, base portion 58′-3, and intake and exhaust portions 58′-4, 58′-4 are integrally formed, but the base portion 58′-3 and the intake and exhaust portions 58′-4, 58′-4 may be formed separately, and the airbag body 58′-1 may be formed with an opening like the airbag body 58-1 of the first embodiment, and the base portion 58′-3 may be connected to the opening.

[0064] The airbag body 58'-1 is made almost entirely of silicone or PE (polyethylene) blow molding. Like the airbag body 58-1 of the first embodiment, the airbag body 58'-1 is configured to deflate under a negative pressure higher than that of the vacuum valve 52. The airbag shaft 58'-2 connects the airbag 58' to the slide portion 57'-2 by fitting into the connection portion 57'-4 of the pressure adjustment valve 57'. The airbag shaft 58'-2 of this embodiment is made of POM (polyacetal) and is composed of a rod-shaped shaft and a disk portion provided at the tip of the shaft. The length of the shaft is longer than the inflation / deflation length of the airbag body 58'-1, for example, 8 to 10 mm. Note that this configuration is merely an example, and the material and shape of the airbag shaft 58'-2 are not limited to this.

[0065] The base portion 58'-3 is fixed to the airbag holder 64, and by fixing the base portion 58'-3 on the other end side of the airbag body 58'-1 to the airbag holder 64, the end on one end side of the airbag body 58'-1 becomes the operating end of the airbag 58', and as the airbag body 58'-1 expands / contracts, this end moves laterally in the rice cooker together with the airbag shaft 58'-2.

[0066] The intake and exhaust sections 58'-4, 58'-4 are fitted with the third and fourth intake pipes 51-3, 51-4, and in this embodiment, an intake circuit is formed in which the vacuum valve 52 communicates with the intake port 39a of the pressure reducing pump 39 via the third intake pipe 51-3, the airbag 58' and the fourth intake pipe 51-4.

[0067] The airbag holder 64 is made entirely of PP (polypropylene) and is formed in a box shape with an open top. The airbag holder 64 has fixing portions 64-1, 64-1 formed extending outward from the airbag holder 64, a holding portion 64-2 formed in one side wall of the airbag holder 64, and a through-hole 64-3 drilled in the side wall opposite the holding portion 64-2. In this embodiment, the fixing portions 64-1, 64-1, the holding portion 64-2, and the through-hole 64-3 are all formed in different side walls, but this configuration is an example and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0068] The fixing portion 64-1 is used when fixing the airbag holder 64 to the outer lid cover 10, and in this embodiment has a hole for a screw to pass through, and a screw is passed through this hole to fasten the fixing portion 64-1 to the outer lid cover 10, thereby fixing the airbag holder 64 to the outer lid cover 10. Note that this configuration is one example, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0069] The holding portion 64-2 holds the base portion 58'-3 of the airbag 58' housed in the airbag holder 64, and in this embodiment, the holding portion 64-2 and the base portion 58'-3 are joined together with, for example, an adhesive. Note that this configuration is just one example, and for example, the holding portion 64-2 or the base portion 58'-3 may have an engaging portion, and the holding portion 64-2 may hold the base portion 58'-3 by means of this engaging portion.

[0070] The through-hole 64-3 is configured to have an airbag shaft 58'-2 disposed therethrough. Therefore, the airbag shaft 58'-2 moves laterally while passing through the through-hole 64-3. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 , when the airbag body 58'-1 is inflated to maximize the volume of the interior space thereof and the airbag body 58'-1 comes into contact with the side wall where the through-hole 64-3 is formed, the slide portion 57'-2 is in the open position. When the airbag body 58'-1 contracts to minimize the volume of the interior space thereof, the slide portion 57'-2 is in the closed position. As shown in FIG. 8 , the diameter of the through-hole 64-3 is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the shaft mounting portion provided on one end of the airbag body 58'-1. This also functions as a positioning element when the airbag 58' is placed in the airbag holder 64.

[0071] Next, the operation of the rice cooker configured as described above will be explained. For example, as shown in Figure 2, when reducing the pressure inside pot 4 with pot 4 housed in pot housing 3 and lid 2 closed to main body 1, the control means outputs a drive control signal to pressure reducing means 38, which activates pressure reducing pump 39 to draw air in through intake port 39a and exhaust it through exhaust port 39b. Air in the intake circuit connected to intake port 39a, i.e., air in third intake pipe 51-3, air bag 58', and fourth intake pipe 51-4, is then drawn into pressure reducing pump 39, reducing the pressure.

[0072] Because the airbag body 58'-1 is configured to contract under a negative pressure higher than that of the vacuum valve 52, the airbag body 58'-1 contracts before the vacuum valve 52 opens. As the airbag body 58'-1 contracts, the airbag shaft 58'-2 attached to one end of the airbag body 58'-1 also moves in the direction of contraction of the airbag body 58'-1, i.e., laterally in the rice cooker, and the slide part 57'-2 connected to the airbag body 58'-1 also moves laterally on the base 57'-1 along the slide part guide 57'-3. When the volume of the internal space within the airbag body 58'-1 subsequently contracts to its minimum, the slide part 57'-2 moves to the closed position, closing the steam vent 56 and sealing the pot 4.

[0073] When the volume of internal space S of air bag 58 is minimized while vacuum pump 39 is operating, the decrease in pressure within the intake circuit is further accelerated. Then, when the pressure within the intake circuit drops to a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 is opened, and vacuum pump 39 draws in the air within pot 4, reducing the pressure within pot 4. In this way, when vacuum pump 39 is operating, slide portion 57'-2 moves to the closed position in conjunction with vacuum pump 39 to close steam vent 56, and once the interior of pot 4 has become an airtight space, vacuum valve 52 can be opened to reduce the pressure within pot 4.

[0074] Next, when the lid operating body 14 is pushed while the vacuum pump 39 is not operating and the pot 4 is under reduced pressure, the underside 14-1 of the lid operating body 14 comes into contact with the lid operating body contact portion 60-2 of the opening portion 60, causing the lid operating body contact portion 60-2 to move downward along with the lid operating body 14. This causes the opening portion main body 60-1 to swing in a seesaw motion around the shaft 60-4 relative to the outer lid cover 10, causing the scooping portion 60-3 to come into contact with the slide operating portion 57'-5, moving the slide operating portion 57'-5 upward. The slide mechanism then moves the slide portion 57'-2 along the slide portion guide 57'-3 in a direction away from the air bag holder 64. When the slide portion 57'-2 reaches the open position, the steam vent 56 is opened, the steam exhaust path 33 is opened, and the pressure in the pot 4 rises to atmospheric pressure.

[0075] When the pressure in pot 4 rises to atmospheric pressure, the pressure in the intake circuit also rises because vacuum valve 52 is open. When the pressure in the intake circuit rises above a predetermined pressure, vacuum valve 52 closes.

[0076] As described above, the rice cooker as a heating cooker of this embodiment comprises pot 4 as a container for containing the food to be cooked, inner lid 24 as a lid that sealably covers the opening of pot 4, pressure reduction pump 39 for reducing the pressure inside pot 4, steam exhaust path 33 as a passage connecting the inside and outside of pot 4, and pressure adjustment unit 26' as a passage opening / closing means for opening and closing steam exhaust path 33, and pressure adjustment unit 26' has an airbag 58' as a blocking means that operates as a drive unit for blocking steam exhaust path 33, and airbag 58' is connected to pressure reduction pump 39, and when pressure reduction pump 39 is driven, steam exhaust path 33 is blocked by airbag 58'.

[0077] With this configuration, pressure adjustment unit 26' can be operated by vacuum pump 39, which reduces the pressure inside pot 4, and pressure adjustment unit 26' can have a simple structure and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0078] Furthermore, pressure regulating unit 26' in this embodiment further includes steam hole 56 as a hole that communicates with the inside of pot 4, and slide portion 57'-2 as a valve that opens and closes steam hole 56, and is configured so that slide portion 57'-2 closes steam hole 56 when air bag 58' contracts. Therefore, steam hole 56 can be closed by contracting air bag 58' with pressure reducing pump 39, and pressure regulating unit 26' can have a simple structure and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0079] Furthermore, in the pressure adjustment unit 26 of this embodiment, the air bag 58' contracts in the lateral direction of the rice cooker, and the sliding part 57'-2 moves in the lateral direction of the rice cooker to open and close the steam vent 56. The sliding part 57'-2 is connected to one end of the air bag 58', which serves as the operating end, via the air bag shaft 58'-2 and the connecting part 57'-4. Therefore, by contracting the air bag 58', the sliding part 57'-2 can be moved in the lateral direction to close the steam vent 56, and the pressure adjustment unit 26' has a simple structure, allowing for a reduction in the number of parts.

[0080] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the first to third embodiments may be combined. In addition, although a rice cooker has been described as an example in this embodiment, other cooking appliances may also be used. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​exemplified in the embodiments are merely examples, and may be modified as appropriate depending on the specifications of the cooking appliance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 4 pots (containers) 24 Inner pot (lid) 26, 26', 26" Pressure adjusting section (passage opening and closing means) 39 Pressure reducing pump 33 Steam exhaust path (passage) 56 Steam vent (hole) 57 Pressure Regulating Valve (Valve) 57-6 Projection (upper end) 58,58' Airbag (blocking means) 59 Arm part (plate-shaped part) 59'-1 Arm body (swinging part)

Claims

1. A container for accommodating food to be cooked; a lid that sealably covers the opening of the container; a vacuum pump for reducing the pressure inside the container; a passage communicating the inside and outside of the container; a passage opening / closing means for opening and closing the passage, the passage opening / closing means has a closing means that operates as a drive unit for closing the passage, The cooking device is characterized in that the closing means is connected to the vacuum pump, and when the vacuum pump is driven, the closing means closes the passage.

2. the passage opening and closing means further includes a hole communicating with the inside of the container and a valve for opening and closing the hole; 2. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the valve closes the hole when the closing means contracts.

3. The closing means contracts in the vertical direction of the cooking appliance, the valve is positioned above the hole; the passage opening and closing means further has a plate-like portion attached to an upper end of the closing means, 3. The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein an upper end of the valve is in contact with a lower surface of the plate-like portion.

4. The closing means contracts in the lateral direction of the cooking appliance, the valve opens and closes the hole by moving in the lateral direction, 3. The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein the valve is connected to an end of the closing means on the operating side.

5. The closing means contracts in the vertical direction of the cooking appliance, the valve is positioned above the hole; the passage opening and closing means further includes a swinging part having one end attached to the lower end of the closing means and the other end contacting the upper end of the valve, and a support part supporting the swinging part, 3. The cooking device according to claim 2, wherein the lid has a support portion that supports the swinging portion, and the swinging portion swings in a seesaw manner relative to the lid, with the support portion as a fulcrum.

6. 6. The cooking device according to claim 3, wherein the closing means is an air bag.

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