rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of inhibiting non-uniform cooking.SOLUTION: A rice cooker comprises: a pot; a housing comprising a housing region for housing the pot; a lid body for covering an upper opening part of the pot; and a rice supply part for supplying rice into the pot. The lid body is provided with a rice charging port for charging the rice into the pot. The rice supply part comprises a cylindrical rice conveying pipe comprising an opening part open toward the rice charging port, in one end part. The lid body comprises a rice diffusing member arranged in a passage region through which the rice to be charged into the pot through the rice charging port passes, and is arranged on the pot side with respect to the rice charging port. The rice diffusing member comprises a center part, and a plurality of arm parts extending radially from the center part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rice cooker.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a rice cooker capable of automatically supplying rice into a pot has been known. As an example of this type of rice cooker, Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker including a rice storage section for storing rice, a rice husking section for husking the rice, and a rice cooking section for cooking the husked rice in the rice husking section. In the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, the husked rice is automatically put into the inner pot of the rice cooking section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a conventional rice cooker, unevenness in the hardness of the cooked rice (hereinafter sometimes referred to as cooking unevenness) may occur.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a rice cooker capable of suppressing cooking unevenness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present disclosure is configured as follows. A rice cooker according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a pot a housing having a housing area for housing the pot, a lid for covering an upper opening of the pot, a rice supply section for supplying rice into the pot and is provided with wherein the lid is provided with a rice inlet for putting rice into the pot. The rice supply unit is equipped with a cylindrical rice supply pipe having an opening at one end that opens toward the rice input port, The lid has a passage region through which rice is introduced into the pot via the rice input opening, and includes a rice diffusion member positioned on the pot side relative to the rice input opening. The aforementioned rice diffusion member is central area and Multiple arms extending radially from the central part It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a rice cooker that can suppress uneven cooking. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the pot, pot container, and lid of the rice cooker. [Figure 3A] Figure 1 shows a recessed area at the bottom of the pot container in the rice cooker. [Figure 3B] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the rice cooker with the pot, pot container, and lid removed. [Figure 4] A vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in Figure 1 when the communicating member according to the embodiment of this disclosure is in the first communicating position. [Figure 5] A vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in Figure 1 when the connecting member according to the embodiment of this disclosure is in the second connecting position. [Figure 6] A top view of a communication member in a first communication position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] A top view of a communication member in a second communication position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] A top view of a lid according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 9] Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the line IX-IX. [Figure 10] A schematic perspective view of a rice diffusion member according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 8. [Figure 12] Vertical cross-sectional view of a rice cooker according to a modified example of an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (Knowledge on which the present disclosure is based) As a result of intensive studies to reduce uneven cooking, the present inventors have obtained the following knowledge.

[0010] In a conventional rice cooker, usually, rice is supplied into the pot by dropping the rice from above the pot by its own weight through a rice inlet provided in the lid. For this reason, the rice put into the pot forms a mountain, and all the rice in the pot may not be soaked in water. As a result, uneven cooking may occur between the soaked rice and the unsoaked rice.

[0011] Therefore, the present inventors have found a configuration in which a rice diffusion member is arranged on the pot side with respect to the rice inlet in a passage region through which the rice introduced into the pot through the rice inlet passes. According to this configuration, when the rice is introduced into the pot through the rice inlet, the introduced rice hits the rice diffusion member and is diffused in each direction. As a result, the rice put into the pot is prevented from forming a mountain, and uneven cooking can be suppressed. Based on this new knowledge, the present inventors have arrived at the following invention.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a pot and a housing having a housing region for housing the pot, a lid for covering an upper opening of the pot, a rice supply unit for supplying rice into the pot are provided, the lid is provided with a rice inlet for introducing rice into the pot, <00OO104>the rice supply unit includes a cylindrical rice feeding pipe having an opening at one end facing the rice inlet, The lid has a passage region through which rice is introduced into the pot via the rice input opening, and includes a rice diffusion member positioned on the pot side relative to the rice input opening. The aforementioned rice diffusion member is central area and Multiple arms extending radially from the central part We provide a rice cooker equipped with the following features.

[0013] With this configuration, the rice introduced into the pot through the rice input opening is dispersed in all directions by contact with the center and arms of the rice diffusion member. As a result, the rice is prevented from piling up in the pot, thus reducing uneven cooking.

[0014] The central portion may be formed such that the cross-sectional area in the cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction decreases as it rises.

[0015] With this configuration, the cross-sectional area of ​​the section perpendicular to the vertical direction of the center decreases towards the top. As a result, rice that is added to the pot and hits the center is more easily dispersed to the sides of the center. Consequently, the rice is less likely to pile up in the pot, thus reducing uneven cooking.

[0016] The distance between two adjacent arms among the multiple arms may be less than 120 degrees in the circumferential direction of the axis of the central part.

[0017] Here, the circumferential direction of the central axis refers to the circumferential direction of a virtual circle centered on the central axis. This is also true in the following explanation.

[0018] If the distance between two adjacent arms of the multiple arms is excessively wide, the proportion of rice that passes between the two adjacent arms and does not come into contact with either the center or the arms of the rice diffusion member may increase. In contrast, with this configuration, the distance between two adjacent arms of the multiple arms is less than 120 degrees in the circumferential direction of the axis of the center, so compared to the case where the distance is 120 degrees or more, the proportion of rice that does not come into contact with either the center or the arms of the rice diffusion member can be reduced. As a result, the rice that is put into the pot through the rice input opening comes into contact with the center or arms of the rice diffusion member, which suppresses the rice from piling up in the pot and thus suppresses uneven cooking.

[0019] The multiple arms may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the axis of the central part.

[0020] With this configuration, multiple arms are arranged at equal intervals around the central axis, so that when rice is added to the pot and hits the arms, it is evenly distributed in all directions. As a result, the rice is prevented from piling up in the pot, thus reducing uneven cooking.

[0021] The lid may comprise a lid body provided with the rice input opening, and a mounting member positioned below the lid body at a distance from the lid body and provided with a rice discharge opening that communicates with the rice input opening. The rice diffusion member may be positioned to cover the rice discharge opening from below.

[0022] When the rice diffusion member is installed so as to cover the rice input opening from below, the rice being introduced into the pot through the input opening may bounce off the rice diffusion member and spill out onto the outside of the lid. In this configuration, the rice diffusion member is positioned so as to cover from below the rice discharge opening, which is located on the lower lid and is spaced apart from the lid on which the rice input opening is provided. As a result, the distance between the rice diffusion member and the rice input opening is greater compared to the case where the rice diffusion member is installed so as to cover the rice input opening from below. This makes it possible to suppress the spillage of rice from the rice input opening onto the outside of the lid, even if the rice being introduced into the pot through the input opening bounces off the rice diffusion member.

[0023] The opening area of ​​the rice input port may be smaller than the opening area of ​​the rice discharge port.

[0024] With this configuration, since the opening area of ​​the rice input port is smaller than the opening area of ​​the rice output port, even if the rice being introduced into the pot through the input port hits the rice diffusion member, which is provided to cover the rice output port from below, and bounces back, it is possible to prevent the rice from spilling out of the input port onto the outside of the lid.

[0025] The rice cooker may also include a cylindrical guide tube positioned between the rice supply pipe and the rice input port, which guides the rice that has passed through the opening of the rice supply pipe to the rice input port.

[0026] If the opening of the rice delivery pipe and the rice input port are far apart, rice passing through the opening of the rice delivery pipe may not enter the rice input port and may spill onto the outside of the lid. In contrast, with this configuration, the cylindrical guide pipe guides the rice that has passed through the opening of the rice delivery pipe to the rice input port, thereby preventing the rice that has passed through the opening of the rice delivery pipe from spilling onto the outside of the lid.

[0027] The guide pipe may be configured to move between a position between the rice supply pipe and the rice input port and a position in which the rice supply pipe is located inside the guide pipe, and the rice supply pipe and the guide pipe may be configured to move to a position in which, when viewed from above, the rice supply pipe and the guide pipe are offset from the rice input port, with the rice supply pipe located inside the guide pipe.

[0028] With this configuration, for example, during rice cooking, by moving the rice supply pipe and guide pipe to a position offset from the rice input port, it is possible to suppress steam generated in the pot from entering the inside of the rice supply pipe or guide pipe through the rice input port. Also, for example, if the rice supply pipe and guide pipe are moved to a position offset from the rice input port within the housing, the rice supply pipe is located inside the guide pipe, so the rice supply pipe and guide pipe can be compactly housed within the housing.

[0029] The rice delivery pipe may be configured to move to a position that is offset from the rice input port when viewed from above.

[0030] With this configuration, for example, during rice cooking, by moving the rice supply pipe to a position offset from the rice input opening when viewed from above, it is possible to suppress steam generated in the pot from entering the inside of the rice supply pipe through the rice input opening.

[0031] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited by these embodiments. In addition, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

[0032] Furthermore, for the sake of clarity, the following terms will be used to indicate directions such as "up," "down," "front," "back," and "side," assuming the state of normal use. However, this does not mean that the usage conditions of the rice cooker related to this disclosure are limited.

[0033] (Embodiment) The overall configuration of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of this disclosure will now be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of this disclosure. The rice cooker according to this embodiment is a so-called fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform the entire process from supplying rice and water to the pot to cooking the rice. The rice cooker according to this disclosure is not limited to a so-called fully automatic rice cooker, but may be any rice cooker that automatically supplies rice to the pot.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the rice cooker according to this embodiment comprises a housing 11, a pot 2 (shown in Figure 2), a pot container 21, a lid 22, a rice container 301, and a water container 401.

[0035] The housing 11 is a rounded rectangle when viewed from above. In other words, when viewed from above, the housing 11 has a shape in which two opposing sides of a rectangle are bent into semicircular arcs. In this embodiment, one curved side of the housing 11 is called the front. The other curved side of the housing 11 is called the rear. Furthermore, the directions toward the front and rear of the housing 11 are called the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is called the lateral direction. In this embodiment, the directions toward the upper left and lower right of Figure 1 are called the lateral direction X. Furthermore, the directions toward the lower left and upper right are called the front-rear direction Y. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y, and toward the top and bottom of Figure 1, is called the height direction Z. In this embodiment, the height direction Z coincides with the up and down direction. Also, in this embodiment, the directions that intersect the lateral direction X, the front-rear direction Y, and the lateral direction X and the front-rear direction Y are sometimes called the lateral direction.

[0036] A storage area 12 capable of accommodating a pot container 21 is provided on the lower and front side of the housing 11. The storage area 12 is part of the housing 11 and defines a space for accommodating the pot container and lid 22. The storage area 12 is configured so that the pot container 21 and lid 22 can be slid in from the side of the storage area 12. In Figure 1, as an example, a configuration is shown in which the pot container 21 can be slid in from the front of the storage area 12 along the front-rear direction Y. A housing lid 11a that covers the housing 11 and the rice container 301 (described later) is detachably attached to the upper end of the housing 11.

[0037] The storage area 12 contains a pot container 21, a pot 2 (see Figure 2) which is housed in the pot container 21, and a lid 22 which is detachably attached to the pot container 21. The pot container 21 is placed on the bottom 12a (see Figure 3B) of the storage area 12, which will be described later. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 is assumed to contain the pot 2 and to have the lid 22 attached.

[0038] The height of the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 is lower than the height of the storage area 12. The pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22 can be attached to and detached from the housing 11 by sliding them along the front-rear direction Y between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and to the side of the storage area 12, while the lid 22 remains attached to the pot container 21.

[0039] The rice container 301 is a container for storing rice. The rice container 301 is located inside the housing 11 and above the storage area 12. In other words, the rice container 301 is located inside the housing 11 below the housing lid 11a and adjacent to the housing lid 11a.

[0040] The water container 401 is a container for holding water. The water container is located on the rear and top side of the housing 11.

[0041] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the pot, pot container, and lid of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1. Figure 3A shows the recess provided at the bottom of the pot container in the rice cooker shown in Figure 1. Figure 3B is a perspective view of the casing of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1 with the pot, pot container, and lid removed.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, the pot 2 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. That is, the pot 2 has a bottom 2a, a side wall 2b, an opening 2c, and a flange portion 2d. The flange portion 2d extends laterally from the upper end of the side wall 2b towards the outside of the pot 2, along the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the side wall 2b.

[0043] The pot container 21 has a bottomed cylindrical shape capable of accommodating the pot 2. That is, the pot container 21 has a bottom 21a, a side wall 211 (shown in Figure 4), and an opening 21h. The pot container 21 is made of, for example, resin.

[0044] The side wall 211 has an inner wall portion 21b, ribs 21c, and an outer wall portion 21d. Multiple ribs 21c are provided protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall portion 21b such that their longitudinal direction is aligned with the height direction Z. The outer wall portion 21d is provided facing the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall portion 21b and sandwiching multiple ribs 21c between it and the inner wall portion 21b. An air layer 21e is formed inside the side wall 211, that is, between the inner wall portion 21b and the outer wall portion 21d.

[0045] When the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, gaps are formed between the inner wall 21b of the pot container 21 and the side wall 2b of the pot 2, and between the bottom 21a of the pot container 21 and the bottom 2a of the pot 2. Therefore, compared to the case where there are no gaps between the pot container 21 and the pot 2, the heat transmitted to the pot container 21 when the pot 2 is heated by the pot heating device 7 (described later) can be reduced, thus reducing heat damage to the pot container 21. As shown in Figure 4, when the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the flange portion 2d of the pot 2 rests on the upper end of the inner wall 21b of the pot container 21. In other words, when the pot 2 is housed in the pot container 21, the pot 2 is supported by the upper end of the inner wall 21b of the pot container 21.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3A, a recess 21f is provided on the lower surface of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21, i.e., the bottom surface. The recess 21f has a side wall 21g. The side wall 21g of the recess has a U-shape, with straight sections at both ends, and the two straight sections connected by a curved section composed of a semicircular arc. In other words, a U-shaped groove is provided in the bottom 21a of the pot container. The length between the straight sections of the side wall 21g of the recess, i.e., the width of the U-shaped groove, is set to be longer than the radius of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21. The lower surface of the side wall 21g of the recess is a plane that follows the U shape. In addition, a through hole is provided in the center of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21, penetrating the bottom 21a in the height direction Z.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3B, the bottom 12a of the storage area 12 is provided with a protrusion 61 for placing the pot container 21 to be stored in the storage area 12. The shape and dimensions of the protrusion 61 correspond to the shape and dimensions of the recess 21f of the pot container 21. The protrusion 61 is arc-shaped and is provided to protrude from the housing 11. The height of the protrusion 61 is provided to be higher than the height of the side wall 21g of the recess. As a result, when the pot container 21 is stored in the storage area 12, a gap is formed between the bottom 21a of the pot container 21 and the bottom 12a of the storage area 12. In addition, an opening 12b is provided in the bottom 12a of the storage area 12. The opening 12b is provided to divide the protrusion 61 into two parts.

[0048] A peripheral portion 11c is provided on the outside of the protrusion 61, extending around its entire circumference in the circumferential direction. The peripheral portion 11c is a ring-shaped plane that faces the lower surface of the side wall 21g of the recess when the pot container 21 is housed in the storage area 12. The diameter of the protrusion 61 is such that when the protrusion 61 is positioned between the two straight sections of the side wall 21g of the recess, the outer surface of the protrusion 61 is located near the two straight sections of the side wall 21g of the recess, and is also longer than the radius of the peripheral portion 11c.

[0049] When the pot container 21 slides between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and to the side of the storage area 12, the protrusion 61 slides relative to the recess 21f. More specifically, the side wall 21g of the recess slides relative to the outer surface of the protrusion 61. This guides the sliding movement of the pot container 21. In addition, in this embodiment, a curved portion is provided on the side wall 21g of the recess, so that the outer surface of the protrusion 61 and the curved portion of the side wall 21g of the recess can come into contact with each other. Therefore, even if the sliding movement of the pot container 21 is repeated, the pot container 21 can be reliably moved to a predetermined position within the storage area 12. In other words, the pot container 21 slides in the direction in which the U-shaped groove of the bottom 21a of the pot container extends, and its sliding movement is guided by the relative sliding of the side wall 21g of the groove and the outer surface of the protrusion 61. Furthermore, since the outer surface of the protrusion 61 and the curved portion of the groove can be brought into contact with each other, even if the pot container 21 is repeatedly slid, the pot container 21 can be reliably moved to a predetermined position within the storage area 12. Moreover, when the pot container 21 is placed on the protrusion 61, the pot container 21 can rotate in both forward and reverse directions in the circumferential direction of the protrusion 61 so that the side wall 21g of the recess and the outer surface of the protrusion 61 slide relative to each other.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, the lid 22 has a lid body 22a, a rice input opening 22b, a pot packing 22c, and a mounting member 22d.

[0051] In this embodiment, the lid body 22a has a ring-shaped flat plate portion and a cylindrical portion having an outer surface that is flush with the outer surface of the ring-shaped flat plate in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, when the lid 22 is detachably attached to the pot container 21, the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the lid body 22a is flush with the outer surface of the side wall 211 of the pot container 21. In this embodiment, "flat plate" includes a substantially flat plate, and "flush" includes a substantially flush surface.

[0052] The rice input port 22b is located in the center of the width direction of the flat portion of the lid body 22a. The rice supplied by the rice supply device 3 (described later) and the water supplied by the water supply device 4 (described later) pass through the rice input port 22b when supplied into the pot 2. In this embodiment, the rice input port 22b is located in the center of the lid body 22 when viewed from above. In this embodiment, the rice input port 22b is a circular hole when viewed from above. The rice input port 22b is located coaxially with the pot 2 housed in the pot container 21.

[0053] The pot packing 22c is provided to contact the pot 2 when the lid 22 is detachably attached to the pot container 21 so as to cover the opening of the pot 2. In a top view, the pot packing 22c has a through hole in its center that communicates with the rice input opening 22b.

[0054] The mounting member 22d is attached to the lid body 22a with the pot packing 22c sandwiched between them. The mounting member 22d is positioned below the lid body 22a, with a gap in the height direction Z from the lid body 22a. The mounting member 22d also has a rice discharge port 22e that communicates with the rice input port 22b. The rice discharge port 22e is a circular hole when viewed from above. The rice discharge port 22e is positioned coaxially with the rice input port 22b. The diameter of the rice discharge port 22e is larger than the diameter of the rice input port 22b. In other words, the opening area of ​​the rice input port 22b is smaller than the opening area of ​​the rice discharge port 22e. Although not shown in Figure 2, a rice diffusion member 23 (shown in Figure 4), which will be described later, is attached to the mounting member 22d.

[0055] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1. More specifically, Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1 when the connecting member 5, which will be described later, is in the first connecting position. Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1 when the connecting member 5, which will be described later, is in the second connecting position.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the housing 11 includes a rice supply device 3, a water supply device 4, a connecting member 5, a weight detection device 6, a pot heating device 7, a temperature detection device 8, and a control unit 9 (shown in Figure 5).

[0057] The rice supply device 3 includes a rice supply shaft 31, rice supply blades 32, a rice supply pipe 33, and a guide pipe 34. The rice supply shaft 31 is positioned horizontally from below the rice container 301 to above the storage area 12. The rice supply blades 32 are spirally formed around the axis of the rice supply shaft 31. The rice contained in the rice container 301 falls due to gravity and is supplied horizontally towards the top of the storage area 12 by the rice supply shaft 31 and rice supply blades 32, which are rotated, for example, by a motor. When a pot container 21 is contained in the storage area 12, the rice supplied to the top of the storage area 12 falls due to gravity and enters the pot 2 through the rice supply pipe 33 and guide pipe 34 and the rice input port 22b of the lid 22. In other words, the rice supply device 3 can supply rice from the rice container 301 into the pot 2. The rice supply device 3 of this embodiment is an example of a rice supply unit according to the present disclosure.

[0058] The rice supply pipe 33 is a cylindrical member having an opening 33a at one end that opens toward the rice input port 22b. The other end of the rice supply pipe 33 communicates with the inside of a cylindrical body that houses the rice supply shaft 31 and the rice supply blades 32. The rice supply pipe 33 is movable relative to the body. The rice supply pipe 33 is arranged coaxially with the pot 2. In other words, the central axis of the rice supply pipe 33 coincides with the central axis C of the pot 2 (shown in Figure 9). Here, "coincident" as used herein is not limited to coincidence in a strict sense. "Coincident" as used herein includes both a mode of "coincident" in a strict sense and a mode that deviates slightly from "coincident" in a strict sense within an acceptable range of uneven cooking.

[0059] The guide tube 34 is a cylindrical member positioned between the rice supply pipe 33 and the rice input port 22b, guiding the rice that has passed through the rice supply pipe 33 to the rice input port 22b. The guide tube 34 is positioned coaxially with the rice supply pipe 33. In other words, the central axis of the guide tube 34 coincides with the central axis of the rice supply pipe 33. As a result, the rice supply pipe 33, the guide tube 34, and the pot 2 are positioned coaxially. The inner diameter of the guide tube 34 is larger than the outer diameter of the rice supply pipe 33. The guide tube 34 is also movable in the height direction Z. As a result, the guide tube 34 can move upward from the position shown in Figure 4 to a position where the rice supply pipe 33 is housed within the guide tube 34 (the position shown in Figure 5). On the other hand, the inner diameter of the guide tube 34 is smaller than the diameter of the rice input port 22b.

[0060] The water supply device 4 includes a water supply pipe 41 and a water supply pump (not shown). The water supply device 4 is located inside the housing 11.

[0061] One end of the water supply pipe 41 is provided to open toward the rice input port 22b of the lid 22 housed in the containment area 12. The other end of the water supply pipe 41 is connected to the inside of the water container 401 (shown in Figure 1). A water supply pump is provided in the water supply pipe 41. When the water supply pump is driven, water from the water container 401 is supplied to the pot 2 through the water supply pipe 41.

[0062] The connecting member 5 comprises a connecting member body 51 (shown in Figures 6 and 7) and a steam cylinder 52. The connecting member 5 is positioned to move between a first connecting position (shown in Figure 4) that fluidly connects the rice input port 22b of the lid 22 with the rice supply device 3 and the water supply device 4, and a second connecting position (shown in Figure 5) that fluidly connects the rice input port 22b of the lid 22 with the steam cylinder 52, which can discharge steam to the outside of the housing 11.

[0063] One end of the steam cylinder 52 is provided on the upper surface of the communication member body 51 (shown in Figure 6) so as to communicate with the inside of the pot 2 via the rice input port 22b of the lid 22 when the communication member 5 is in the second communication position, as shown in Figure 5. When the communication member 5 is in the second communication position and the pot container 21 is housed in the storage area 12, the steam inside the pot 2 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 via the rice input port 22b of the lid 22 and the steam cylinder 52.

[0064] Figure 6 is a top view of the connecting member 5 in the first connecting position. Figure 7 is a top view of the connecting member 5 in the second connecting position.

[0065] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the communication member body 51 is a plate-shaped member. The communication member body 51 is mounted on the housing 11 (shown in Figure 4) so ​​as to be rotatable around the pivot axis 51a. The communication member body 51 also has a rice supply pipe 33, a guide pipe 34, and a steam cylinder 52 attached to it. The rice supply pipe 33, the guide pipe 34, and the steam cylinder 52 are arranged on a virtual circle V that passes through the central axis C of the pot 2 with the pivot axis 51a as the center. As a result, by rotating the communication member body 51 around the pivot axis 51a, the communication member 5 can move between a first communication position where the rice supply pipe 33 and the guide pipe 34 are located on the central axis C of the pot 2, i.e., above the rice input port 22b (shown in Figure 4), and a second communication position where the steam cylinder 52 is located on the central axis C of the pot 2, i.e., above the rice input port 22b. Furthermore, as described above, the guide tube 34 is movable to a position where the rice supply pipe 33 is housed inside the guide tube 34 (the position shown in Figure 5). When the connecting member 5 moves from the first connecting position to the second connecting position, the guide tube 34 moves to a position where the rice supply pipe 33 is housed inside the guide tube 34, and also moves to a position offset from the rice input port 22b when viewed from above. This allows the rice supply pipe 33 and the guide tube 34 to be compactly housed inside the housing 11. The guide tube 34 may also move in the height direction Z as the connecting member body 51 rotates around the pivot axis 51a by a cam mechanism (not shown). The guide tube 34 may also move in the height direction Z by a drive mechanism such as a motor (not shown).

[0066] Referring to Figure 4, the weight detection device 6 has a mounting surface. A protrusion 61 (shown in Figure 3B) is provided on the mounting surface, on which the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 is placed. The weight detection device 6 is located inside the housing 11 below the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12. The weight detection device 6 detects the weight of the pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 and placed on the protrusion 61 on the mounting surface. In this embodiment, the weight of the pot container 21 includes the weight of the pot 2 housed in the pot container 21, the lid 22 detachably attached to the pot container 21, and the weight of the rice and water supplied into the pot 2. In this embodiment, the control unit 9, described later, measures the amount of rice and water supplied into the pot 2 based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4, a pot heating device 7 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the storage area 12, at a position opposite the bottom 2a of the stored pot 2. The pot heating device 7 is, for example, an induction heating coil that inductively heats the pot 2 when energized.

[0068] The pot heating device 7 and the rice container 301 are located inside the housing 11. Therefore, the pot container 21 and the lid 22 can slide relative to the rice container 301 and the pot heating device 7 between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 and to the side of the storage area 12, while the lid 22 covers the opening 2c of the pot 2.

[0069] A non-contact temperature detection device 8 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the storage area 12. The temperature detection device 8 is, for example, an infrared sensor that measures the temperature of the bottom 2a of the pot 2 by non-contact detecting infrared rays emitted from the bottom 2a of the pot 2 through a through-hole in the bottom 21a of the pot container 21.

[0070] The control unit 9 is located inside the housing 11. Based on the weight detected by the weight detection device 6, the control unit 9 measures the amount of rice and water supplied to the pot 2 and controls the rice supply device 3 and the water supply device 4. The control unit 9 also has a memory unit (not shown) that stores multiple rice cooking sequences. Here, a "rice cooking sequence" refers to a rice cooking procedure in which the energizing time, heating temperature, heating time, heating output, etc., are predetermined for each of the four main steps: preheating, heating, boiling maintenance, and steaming. Each rice cooking sequence corresponds to one of several rice cooking courses. Based on the rice cooking information selected on the display operation unit (not shown) and the temperature detected by the temperature detection device 8, the control unit 9 controls the pot heating device 7 and executes the rice cooking process.

[0071] Figure 8 is a top view of the lid 22. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Figure 8. Figure 10 is a schematic perspective view of the rice diffusion member 23. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Figure 8.

[0072] Referring to Figures 8 to 10, the rice diffusion member 23 comprises a central part 23a and six arm parts 23b extending radially from the central part 23a.

[0073] As shown in Figure 9, the rice diffusion member 23 is attached to a mounting member 22d which is located below the lid body 22a and spaced apart from the lid body 22a. As a result, the rice diffusion member 23 is positioned at a distance in the height direction Z from the rice input port 22b provided on the lid body 22a. The rice diffusion member 23 is also attached to the mounting member 22d so as to cover the rice discharge port 22e provided on the mounting member 22d from below. In this embodiment, the rice diffusion member 23 is provided separately from the mounting member 22d. The rice diffusion member 23 may also be provided integrally with the mounting member 22d. Furthermore, the rice diffusion member 23 is positioned above the imaginary line L which indicates the maximum cooked rice height when cooking the maximum amount of rice in the rice cooker shown in Figure 1.

[0074] Referring to Figure 9, the rice diffusion member 23 is located on the pot 2 side relative to the passage region R through which the rice passes and the rice input port 22b. In this embodiment, the rice is supplied into the pot 2 by dropping the rice under its own weight through an opening 33a provided at one end of the rice supply pipe 33, so the passage region R is the area vertically below the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33.

[0075] Referring to Figure 10, the central part 23a of this embodiment is formed such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the section perpendicular to the height direction Z decreases upward. The central part 23a of this embodiment tapers upward. Specifically, the central part 23a is a roughly conical shape pointing upward. Also, the top of the central part 23a is rounded to form a hemisphere. The shape of the central part 23a of the rice diffusion member 23 is not limited to a conical shape, but may be hemispherical or pyramidal.

[0076] As shown in Figure 9, the central part 23a is located below the rice discharge port 22e provided on the mounting member 22d. The central part 23a is located in the passage region R.

[0077] In this embodiment, one end of the arm portion 23b is fixed to the mounting member 22d, and the other end of the arm portion 23b is connected to the central part 23a.

[0078] The six arms 23b extend radially (hereinafter simply referred to as the radial direction) of a virtual circle centered on the axis of the central part 23a. The six arms 23b are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the circumferential direction) of the virtual circle centered on the axis of the central part 23a. In other words, the six arms 23b are arranged at 60-degree intervals in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the arms 23b extend with an upward inclination as they move away from the central part 23a. The arms 23b may also extend in a direction horizontal to the height direction Z. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the direction in which the arms 23b extend is an upward-facing triangle.

[0079] The number, shape, and arrangement of the arms 23b are not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the number of arms 23b is not limited to six, but can be two or more. Preferably, the number of arms 23b is four or more. In other words, the distance between two circumferentially adjacent arms is preferably less than 120 degrees in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the distance between two circumferentially adjacent arms is preferably 45 degrees or more in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, it is preferable that the multiple arms 23b are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0080] According to the rice cooker of this embodiment, the rice that is put into the pot 2 through the rice input opening 22b is dispersed in all directions by hitting the central part 23a and the arm part 23b of the rice diffusion member 23. As a result, the rice that is put in is prevented from piling up in the pot 2, thereby preventing uneven cooking.

[0081] In this embodiment, the central part 23a is formed such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the section perpendicular to the height direction Z decreases towards the top. With this configuration, because the cross-sectional area of ​​the central part 23a perpendicular to the height direction Z decreases towards the top, the rice that is put into the pot 2 and hits the central part 23a is more easily dispersed to the sides of the central part 23a. As a result, the rice that is put into the pot 2 is suppressed from forming a mound, thereby suppressing uneven cooking.

[0082] In this embodiment, the distance between two adjacent arm portions 23b is less than 120 degrees in the circumferential direction of the axis of the central portion 23a.

[0083] If the distance between two adjacent arms 23b is excessively wide, the proportion of rice that passes between the two adjacent arms 23b and does not come into contact with either the center 23a or the arms 23b of the rice diffusion member 23 may increase. In contrast, according to this embodiment, since the distance between two adjacent arms 23b is less than 120 degrees in the circumferential direction, the proportion of rice that does not come into contact with either the center 23a or the arms 23b of the rice that is put into the pot 2 can be reduced. As a result, the rice that is put into the pot 2 through the rice input opening 22b comes into contact with either the center 23a or the arms 23b of the rice diffusion member 23, which suppresses the rice from piling up in the pot 2 and thus suppresses uneven cooking.

[0084] In this embodiment, the six arm portions 23b are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction along the axis of the central portion 23a.

[0085] With this configuration, multiple arm sections 23b are arranged at equal intervals around the axis of the central section 23a, so that when rice is put into the pot 2 and hits the arm sections 23b, it is evenly distributed in all directions. As a result, the rice being added to the pot 2 is prevented from forming a mound, thereby reducing uneven cooking.

[0086] The lid 22 according to this embodiment comprises a lid body 22a provided with a rice input port 22b, and a mounting member 22d provided with a rice output port 22e communicating with the rice input port 22b, and positioned below the lid body 22a and spaced apart from the lid body 22a. The rice diffusion member 23 is positioned to cover the rice output port 22e from below. If the rice diffusion member 23 is attached to cover the rice input port 22b from below, the rice that is put into the pot 2 through the rice input port 22b may hit the rice diffusion member 23 and bounce back, causing the rice to spill out of the lid 22b. With this configuration, the rice diffusion member 23 is positioned to cover the rice output port 22e provided on the mounting member 22d, which is spaced apart from the lid body 22a provided with the rice input port 22b, from below. Therefore, compared to the case where the rice diffusion member 23 is installed so as to cover the rice input port 22b from below, the distance between the rice diffusion member 23 and the rice input port 22b is increased. As a result, even if the rice that is put into the pot 2 through the rice input port 22b hits the rice diffusion member 23 and bounces back, it is possible to suppress the rice from spilling out of the rice input port 22b onto the outside of the lid 22.

[0087] In this embodiment, the opening area of ​​the rice inlet 22b is smaller than the opening area of ​​the rice outlet 22e. With this configuration, since the opening area of ​​the rice inlet 22b is smaller than the opening area of ​​the rice outlet 22e, even if the rice introduced into the pot 2 through the rice inlet 22b hits the rice diffusion member 23, which is provided to cover the rice outlet 22e from below and bounces back, it is possible to suppress the spillage of rice from the rice inlet 22b to the outside of the lid 22.

[0088] The rice cooker of this embodiment is equipped with a cylindrical guide tube 34 positioned between the rice supply pipe 33 and the rice input port 22b, which guides the rice that has passed through the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33 to the rice input port 22b. If the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33 and the rice input port 22b are far apart, the rice that has passed through the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33 may not enter the rice input port 22b and may spill out onto the outside of the lid 22. In contrast, with this configuration, the cylindrical guide tube 34 guides the rice that has passed through the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33 to the rice input port 22b, thus preventing the rice that has passed through the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33 from spilling out onto the outside of the lid 22.

[0089] In this embodiment, the guide tube 34 is configured to move between a position between the rice supply pipe 33 and the rice input port 22b, and a position in which the rice supply pipe 33 is located inside the guide tube 34. The rice supply pipe 33 and the guide tube 34 are configured to move to a position offset from the rice input port 22b when the rice supply pipe 33 is located inside the guide tube 34, as viewed from above. With this configuration, for example, during rice cooking, moving the rice supply pipe 33 and the guide tube 34 to a position offset from the rice input port 22b can suppress steam generated in the pot 2 from entering the inside of the rice supply pipe 33 or the guide tube 34 through the rice input port 22b. Furthermore, for example, when the rice supply pipe 33 and the guide tube 34 are moved to a position offset from the rice input port 22b inside the housing 11, the rice supply pipe 33 is located inside the guide tube 34, allowing the rice supply pipe 33 and the guide tube 34 to be compactly housed inside the housing 11.

[0090] (modified version) As described above, the embodiments described above have been presented as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and can also be applied to modified versions that involve changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc.

[0091] In the above embodiment, rice is supplied into the pot 2 by dropping it through an opening 33a provided at one end of the rice supply pipe 33 due to its own weight; therefore, the passage region R is the region vertically below the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33. In the modified example shown in Figure 12, rice is introduced into the pot 2 diagonally downward from the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33. In this case, the passage region R may be the region formed diagonally downward from the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33. In this case, the rice diffusion member 23 is positioned in the passage region R and on the pot 2 side of the rice input port 22b. In particular, the central part 23a of the rice diffusion member 23 is located in the passage region R.

[0092] In the above embodiment, a cylindrical guide pipe 34 is arranged between the rice supply pipe 33 and the rice input port 22b to guide the rice that has passed through the opening 33a of the rice supply pipe 33 to the rice input port 22b. As a modification of the above embodiment, the guide pipe 34 (shown in Figure 4) may not be arranged between the rice supply pipe 33 and the rice input port 22b. Even in this modification, it is preferable that the rice supply pipe 33 is configured to move to a position offset from the rice input port 22b when viewed from above. With this configuration, for example, when cooking rice, by moving the rice supply pipe 33 to a position offset from the rice input port 22b when viewed from above, it is possible to suppress steam generated in the pot 2 from entering the inside of the rice supply pipe 33 through the rice input port 22b.

[0093] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and their variations, and can be implemented in various other forms.

[0094] For example, the above embodiments and modifications describe a rice cooker comprising a pot 2, a pot container 21, and a lid 22 that are detachable from a housing 11 by sliding, but the rice cooker according to this disclosure is not limited thereto. The rice cooker according to this disclosure only needs to automatically dispense rice into the pot 2, and may be a conventional type of rice cooker in which the lid rotates around a hinge axis provided at the rear upper part of the housing that houses the pot.

[0095] While this disclosure is adequately described in relation to preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings as appropriate, various modifications and alterations will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and alterations should be understood to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined by the appended claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0096] The rice cooker according to this disclosure can suppress uneven cooking, and is therefore useful as a fully automatic rice cooker that can automatically perform tasks such as supplying rice and water to the pot and cooking the rice. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 11 cabinets 11a Housing cover 12 Containment Area 2 pot 2a bottom 2b side wall 2c opening 2d flange section 21 Pot container 21a bottom 21b Inner wall 21c Rib 21d Exterior wall 21e Air layer 21f recess 21g recessed side wall 21h opening 211 Side wall 22 Lid 22a Lid body 22b Rice input port 22c pot gasket 22d Mounting component 22e Rice outlet 23. Diffusion component 23a Center 23b Arm 3 Rice feeding device 31 Rice feed shaft 32 rice delivery feathers 33 Rice feeding tube 34 Guide tube 301 Rice container 4 Water supply device 41 Water pipe 401 Water container 5 Connecting members 51 Main body of connecting member 52 Steam cylinder 6. Weight detection device 61 Convex part 7 Pot heating device 8. Temperature detection device 9. Control Unit

Claims

1. pot and A housing having a storage area for accommodating the aforementioned pot, A lid that covers the upper opening of the aforementioned pot, A rice supply unit that supplies rice into the aforementioned pot and Equipped with, The lid is provided with a rice input opening for putting rice into the pot. The rice supply unit is equipped with a cylindrical rice supply pipe having an opening at one end that opens toward the rice input port, The cover is located below the one end of the rice supply pipe, The lid has a passage region through which rice is introduced into the pot via the rice input opening, and includes a rice diffusion member positioned on the pot side relative to the rice input opening. The aforementioned rice diffusion member is central area and Multiple arms extending radially from the central part A rice cooker equipped with [a specific feature].

2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the central part is formed such that the cross-sectional area of ​​the cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction decreases as it moves upward.

3. The rice cooker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between two adjacent arms among the plurality of arms is less than 120 degrees in the circumferential direction of the axis of the central part.

4. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of arms are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the axis of the central part.

5. The aforementioned cover is The lid body having the aforementioned rice input opening, An attachment member is positioned below the lid body, at a distance from the lid body, and is provided with a rice discharge port that communicates with the rice input port. Equipped with, The rice diffuser is arranged to cover the rice outlet from below, according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The rice cooker according to claim 5, wherein the opening area of ​​the rice input port is smaller than the opening area of ​​the rice discharge port.

7. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a cylindrical guide tube positioned between the rice supply pipe and the rice input port, which guides the rice that has passed through the opening of the rice supply pipe to the rice input port.

8. The guide pipe is configured to move between a position between the rice supply pipe and the rice input port and a position in which the rice supply pipe is located inside the guide pipe. The rice supply pipe and the guide pipe are configured such that, with the rice supply pipe positioned inside the guide pipe, the rice supply pipe and the guide pipe move to a position offset from the rice input opening when viewed from above.

9. The rice supply pipe is configured to move to a position offset from the rice input port when viewed from above, according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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