rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker capable of suppressing rice cooking in a state that a part or all of things to be stored such as a pot are not stored in a housing, a state that foreign matter is put in the things to be stored, etc.SOLUTION: A rice cooker includes: a housing having a storage region for detachably storing a pot, a pot container, and a lid body of the pot container; a heating part for heating the pot in the storage region; a weight detection part for detecting the weight of things to be stored in the storage region; a rice supply part for supplying rice to the pot; a water supply part for supplying water to the pot; a control part for executing a rice cooking process for supplying the rice and the water in the pot, and heating the pot; and a storage part for storing the total weight. The total weight is the weight obtained by adding the weight of rice and water stored in the pot at each setting point set beforehand to the combined weight of the pot, the pot container, and the lid body. If the weight obtained from the weight detection part at a certain setting point is different from the total weight at the certain setting point, the control part does not execute the rice cooking process or stops the rice cooking process under way.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , ,

[0005] , , , , , , , ,

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a steam rice cooker including a main body (also referred to as a housing) and a pot that can be accommodated in the main body. In this steam rice cooker, rice cooking is performed with the pot accommodated in the main body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a rice cooker that can suppress the execution of rice cooking in abnormal conditions, such as when some or all of the contents, such as a pot, are not contained in the housing, or when foreign objects are present in the contents, such as a pot. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Exploded perspective view of the lid, pot, and pot container. [Figure 3] A perspective view showing the lower part of the rice cooker in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing the cross-section of line A1-A1 in Figure 1. [Figure 5] An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the cross-sectional view in Figure 4, showing the state in which the connecting member is positioned at the first connecting position. [Figure 6]An enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the cross-sectional view in Figure 4, showing the state where the connecting member is located at the second connecting position. [Figure 7] Plan view of the enclosure. [Figure 8] A block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of a rice cooker. [Figure 9] A flowchart to explain the rice cooking process. [Figure 10] A flowchart to explain the heating process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] (Background leading to this disclosure) In the steam rice cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pot can be removed from the main unit during cooking. In this case, there is a risk that foreign matter may be added to the pot that has been removed from the main unit. Here, foreign matter includes not only things other than rice and water, but also any extra rice and water that has been added. In addition, there is a risk that some or all of the rice and water in the pot that has been removed from the main unit may be removed from the pot. In the steam rice cooker disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to reattach the pot that has been removed from the main unit during cooking. Therefore, there is a risk that the pot with foreign matter added or the pot from which the rice and water have been removed may be reattached to the main unit and cooking may be resumed.

[0009] Furthermore, there is a risk that a pot without a lid may be attached to the main unit. In this case, there is a risk that cooking may start with the pot uncovered.

[0010] Some rice cookers have a detection unit that can detect whether a pot is attached to the main unit. However, while such rice cookers can detect whether or not a pot is attached to the main unit, they cannot detect whether or not there are foreign objects inside the pot, or whether or not the pot is properly attached to the main unit.

[0011] Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have found a configuration of a rice cooker that can suppress the execution of rice cooking in an abnormal state such as a state where part or all of the contents such as a pot are not placed in the housing, or a state where foreign matter is present in the contents of the pot or the like, and have reached the present disclosure.

[0012] The rice cooker according to the first aspect of the present disclosure is a pot, a pot container that removably houses the pot, a lid that covers the upper opening of the pot container, a housing having a storage area that removably houses the pot, the pot container, and the lid, a heating unit provided inside the housing below the storage area and heating the pot housed in the storage area, a weight detection unit provided below the storage area and detecting the weight of the object housed in the storage area, a rice supply unit that supplies rice into the pot in the storage area, a water supply unit that supplies water into the pot in the storage area, a control unit that executes a rice cooking process including a rice feeding process of controlling the rice supply unit to supply rice into the pot, a water feeding process of controlling the water supply unit to supply water into the pot, and a heating process of controlling the heating unit to heat the pot, a storage unit that stores the total weight corresponding to each of a plurality of preset setting times during and outside the execution of the rice cooking process, and is provided with The total weight corresponding to each of the plurality of setting times is the weight obtained by adding the weight of the rice and water preset as being contained in the pot at the corresponding setting time to the weight obtained by adding the weight of the pot, the weight of the pot container, and the weight of the lid. When the weight acquired from the weight detection unit at a certain setting time among the plurality of setting times is different from the total weight at the certain setting time, the control unit does not execute the rice cooking process or stops the rice cooking process being executed.

[0013] With this configuration, the weight detected by the weight detection unit is compared with the total weight stored in the memory unit, which allows for the detection of whether part or all of the pot, pot container, and lid are not housed in the casing, or whether there are foreign objects in the pot. Furthermore, with this configuration, if such detection occurs, the rice cooking process will not be executed if it is not currently running, and the rice cooking process will be stopped if it is currently running. This prevents the execution of the rice cooking process in abnormal conditions, such as when part or all of the pot, pot container, and lid are not housed in the casing, or when there are foreign objects in the pot.

[0014] Furthermore, with this configuration, it is possible to identify that the contents have been removed from the housing by detecting that the weight obtained from the weight detection unit is zero during the rice cooking process. In this case, the rice cooking process is stopped, thereby preventing the rice cooking process from being performed when the pot, pot container, and lid are not contained in the housing.

[0015] A rice cooker according to a second aspect of this disclosure is It would also be good to have a news department. In a rice cooker according to a second aspect of this disclosure, The control unit, if the weight obtained from the weight detection unit at a certain set time differs from the total weight at that set time, then the weight stored in the storage area Detainees The notification unit may be controlled to notify that the weight is inappropriate.

[0016] According to this configuration, the containment area is Detainees The user can be notified if the weight is inappropriate.

[0017] In a rice cooker according to a third aspect of this disclosure, The control unit may choose not to perform the rice cooking process or may stop the rice cooking process if it is in progress, if the weight obtained from the weight detection unit at a certain set time is outside a certain weight range that includes the total weight at that set time.

[0018] Due to factors such as water droplets adhering to the contents, the weight of the contents may differ from the total weight. However, in such cases, this is not considered abnormal, and it is desirable that the cooking process be carried out. With this configuration, as long as the weight of the contents remains within the weight range, the cooking process will not be failed or stopped. Therefore, even if there is a slight fluctuation in the weight of the contents due to factors such as water droplets adhering to the contents as described above, the possibility of the cooking process not being carried out or being stopped can be reduced.

[0019] In a rice cooker according to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, When rice is supplied to the pot, the total weight at the time of the execution among the multiple set time points may be the total weight before the execution plus the weight of the rice supplied to the pot by the execution.

[0020] In this configuration, when rice is added to the pot, the total weight is calculated by adding the weight of the added rice. This reduces the possibility that the total weight stored in the memory unit will differ from the actual total weight of the contents stored in the containment area.

[0021] In a rice cooker according to the fifth aspect of this disclosure, When water is supplied to the pot, the total weight at the time of the execution among the multiple set time points may be the total weight before the execution plus the weight of the water supplied to the pot by the execution.

[0022] In this configuration, when water is added to the pot, the total weight is calculated by adding the weight of the added water. This reduces the possibility that the total weight stored in the memory unit will differ from the actual total weight of the contents stored in the containment area.

[0023] A rice cooker according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure is The housing may further include a storage detection unit that detects the presence or absence of an object to be stored in the storage area. In a rice cooker according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure, The control unit may stop the cooking process if the storage detection unit detects that the contents to be stored are not stored in the storage area during the cooking process.

[0024] With this configuration, the control unit can determine whether or not to stop the rice cooking process based not only on the weight of the object contained in the containment area, but also on the presence or absence of the object contained in the containment area. This means that, for example, even if the weight detection unit cannot detect weight because the temperature around it is higher than the operating temperature of the weight detection unit, the control unit can still determine whether or not to stop the rice cooking process.

[0025] In a rice cooker according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure, The water supply process may be performed after the rice supply process.

[0026] With this configuration, even if the rice in the pot is piled up, the water supplied to the pot can reduce the pile and bring the surface of the rice closer to horizontal.

[0027] The rice cooker according to the eighth aspect of this disclosure is It may also be equipped with rice tanks for storing rice. In a rice cooker according to the eighth aspect of this disclosure, The rice supply unit may supply rice from the rice tank into the pot.

[0028] With this configuration, rice can be stored in a rice tank, allowing it to be supplied from the tank to the pot whenever needed.

[0029] A rice cooker according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure is It may also be equipped with a water tank for storing water. In a rice cooker according to the ninth aspect of this disclosure, The water supply unit may supply water from the water tank into the pot.

[0030] With this configuration, there is no need to connect the rice cooker to a water supply or similar to supply water to the pot.

[0031] In a rice cooker according to the tenth aspect of this disclosure, The total weight at the setting point during the heating process among the multiple setting points may be the weight obtained by subtracting the amount of water evaporated from the pot during the heating process, which is set in advance, from the total weight before the execution of the heating process.

[0032] When water boils during the heating process, the weight of the contents decreases as the water evaporates. In this case, during the heating process, the weight of the contents obtained from the weight detection unit may become less than the total weight recorded in the memory unit, potentially causing the rice cooking process to stop unintentionally. With this configuration, the total weight is changed in accordance with the evaporation of water. This makes it possible to suppress the aforementioned unintentional stopping of the rice cooking process.

[0033] In a rice cooker according to the eleventh aspect of this disclosure, The memory unit may store the weight of the pot, the weight of the pot container, and the weight of the lid. The control unit may determine whether the pot, the pot container, and the lid are each housed in the storage area based on the weight of the pot, the weight of the pot container, and the weight of the lid stored in the storage unit.

[0034] This configuration allows for identification of whether an item not contained within the storage area is a pot, a pot container, or a lid.

[0035] (Embodiment) [Rice cooker] The rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rice cooker according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. The rice cooker 1 of 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.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the rice cooker 1 comprises a housing 11, a rice tank 301, a pot 2, a pot container 21, and a lid 22.

[0037] In a plan view, the housing 11 has a rectangular shape with one side bent into a semicircular arc.

[0038] In this embodiment, the curved side of the housing 11 is the front, the side opposite the curved surface of the housing 11 is the rear, and the direction toward the front and rear is the front-rear direction Y.

[0039] In this embodiment, the side of the housing 11 and the rice tank 301 on which the rice tank 301 is located is upward, the side of the housing 11 on which the rice tank 301 is located is downward, and the direction toward upward and downward is the vertical direction Z.

[0040] In this embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction Y and the up-to-down direction Z is the lateral direction X. When viewing the rice cooker 1 from the front, the left and right sides of the lateral direction X are defined. For example, the water tank 401 is located on the right side of the rice cooker 1.

[0041] The lateral direction X, the front-back direction Y, and the up-down direction Z are all orthogonal to each other. In this embodiment, the direction orthogonal to the Z direction is the lateral direction.

[0042] A storage area 12 capable of accommodating a pot container 21 is provided at the front lower part of the housing 11. The pot container 21 can be accommodated in the storage area 12 from the side by sliding. Figure 1 shows, as an example, a configuration in which the pot container 21 is accommodated in the storage area 12 from the front by sliding.

[0043] A steam vent 53b, described later, is provided above the containment area 12 on the curved front surface of the housing 11.

[0044] A water tank mounting section 11b is provided on the lower right side of the housing 11. A water tank 401 is placed on the water tank mounting section 11b. The water tank 401 is a container for holding water. In this embodiment, a PET bottle is placed as an example of the water tank 401.

[0045] The rice tank 301 is a container for storing rice. The rice tank 301 is located above the housing 11 and is supported by the housing 11. A lid 11a that covers the rice tank 301 is detachably attached to the upper end of the rice tank 301.

[0046] The water tank 401 may also be part of the rice cooker 1, like the rice tank 301. Furthermore, the rice cooker 1 does not necessarily have to be connected to the water tank 401. In this case, for example, the rice cooker 1 is connected to a water supply and supplied with water from the water supply. Also, the rice tank 301 may be provided separately from the rice cooker 1, like the example of the plastic bottle used for the water tank 401.

[0047] The storage area 12 houses a pot container 21, a pot 2 (see Figure 2) that is removably housed in the pot container 21, and a lid 22 that is detachably attached to the pot container 21. The pot container 21, the pot 2, and the lid 22 can be housed in and removed from the storage area 12. The pot container 21, with the pot 2 housed inside and the lid 22 attached, is housed in the storage area 12 by sliding from front to back, and is pulled out from the storage area 12 by sliding from back to front. In other words, the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22 are detachable from the housing 11 by sliding between the storage area 12 and the outside of the housing 11 along the front-to-back direction Y.

[0048] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lid, pot, and pot container.

[0049] As shown in Figure 2, the pot 2 has a bottomed cylindrical shape. The pot 2 has a bottom 2a, a side wall 2b extending upward from the bottom 2a, an opening 2c formed by the upper end of the side wall 2b, and a flange portion 2d. The flange portion 2d extends from the upper end of the side wall 2b outwards from the upper end of the side wall 2b, along the entire circumference in the circumferential direction of the upper end of the side wall 2b. The pot 2 is made of metal.

[0050] The pot container 21 has a bottomed cylindrical shape capable of accommodating the pot 2. The pot container 21 has a bottom 21a, a side wall 211 extending upward from the bottom 21a, and an upper opening 21h formed by the upper end of the side wall 211. The pot container 21 is made of, for example, resin.

[0051] The side wall 211 has an inner wall portion 21b, ribs 21c, and an outer wall portion 21d. Multiple ribs 21c are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall portion 21b, oriented in the vertical direction Z. The outer wall portion 21d faces the outer circumferential surface of the inner wall portion 21b. Multiple ribs 21c are located between the outer wall portion 21d and the inner wall portion 21b. An air layer 21e is formed between the inner wall portion 21b and the outer wall portion 21d.

[0052] When the pot 2 is placed in the pot container 21, gaps are created 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 transferred from the pot 2 to the pot container 21 is reduced.

[0053] When the pot 2 is placed in the pot container 21, the flange portion 2d of the pot 2 rests on the upper end of the inner wall portion 21b of the pot container 21. Thus, when the pot 2 is placed in the pot container 21, the pot 2 is supported by the pot container 21.

[0054] A through hole (not shown) is provided in the center of the bottom 21a of the pot container 21, penetrating the bottom 21a in the vertical direction.

[0055] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the lower part of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1.

[0056] As shown in Figure 3, a protrusion 61 is provided at the bottom of the storage area 12. The pot container 21 housed in the storage area 12 is supported by the protrusion 61.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lid 22 covers the upper opening 21h of the pot container 21. As shown in Figure 2, the lid 22 comprises a lid body 22a, a hole 22b, a pot packing 22c, and a mounting member 22d.

[0058] In this embodiment, the lid body 22a has a ring-shaped flat plate portion and a cylindrical portion that protrudes downward from the outer edge of the flat plate portion. The hole 22b is formed in the center of the flat plate portion of the lid body 22a. When rice supplied by the rice supply unit 3 (described later) and water supplied by the water supply unit 4 (described later) are supplied into the pot 2, the rice and water pass through the hole 22b.

[0059] The pot gasket 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. The mounting member 22d is attached to the lid body 22a with the pot gasket 22c sandwiched in between.

[0060] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the line A1-A1 in Figure 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the cross-sectional view in Figure 4, with the connecting member in the first connecting position. Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the cross-sectional view in Figure 4, with the connecting member in the second connecting position. Figure 7 is a plan view of the housing. Note that Figure 7 shows the housing 11 when the connecting member 5, which will be described later, is in the position of the second connecting member. Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the rice cooker.

[0061] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the rice cooker 1 includes a rice supply unit 3, a water supply unit 4, a connecting member 5, a weight detection unit 6, a heating unit 7, a temperature detection unit 8, and a control unit 91. Also, as shown in Figure 8, the rice cooker 1 includes a storage unit 92 and a notification unit 93.

[0062] As shown in Figure 4, the rice supply unit 3 is located in the rice transfer space 302 within the housing 11. The rice transfer space 302 is formed below the rice tank 301 and above the storage area 12. The rear end of the rice transfer space 302 communicates with the bottom surface of the rice tank 301 through a through hole (not shown). The front end of the rice transfer space 302 communicates with the cylindrical portion 303. The cylindrical portion 303 extends downward from the rice transfer space 302 and opens toward the hole 22b of the lid 22 housed in the storage area 12.

[0063] The rice supply unit 3 has a rice delivery shaft 31 and rice delivery blades 32. The rice delivery shaft 31 extends along the front-rear direction Y within the rice transfer space 302. The rice delivery blades 32 are formed in a spiral shape around the axis of the rice delivery shaft 31.

[0064] The rice contained in the rice tank 301 falls into the rice transfer space 302 through the through-hole due to gravity. The rice in the rice transfer space 302 is transported forward by a rice transport shaft 31 and rice transport blades 32, which are rotated by a motor or the like. When the pot container 21 is contained in the storage area 12, the rice transported above the storage area 12 falls into the cylindrical section 303 due to gravity. The rice that falls further from the cylindrical section 303 enters the pot 2 contained in the pot container 21 through the hole 22b of the lid 22. In this manner, the rice supply unit 3 supplies rice from the rice tank 301 into the pot 2 in the storage area 12.

[0065] As shown in Figure 7, the water supply unit 4 is located inside the housing 11. The water supply unit 4 includes a water supply pipe 41 and a water supply pump 42.

[0066] The water supply pipe 41 has one end 41a and the other end 41b. As shown in Figure 4, the one end 41a opens toward the hole 22b of the lid 22 housed in the housing area 12. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the other end 41b is connected to the water intake member 402 on the back of the housing 11 so as to be able to communicate with each other. The water intake member 402 is a tubular member that takes water from inside the water tank 401 which is placed on the water tank mounting section 11b.

[0067] The water intake member 402 comprises a water intake pipe 402a through which a fluid such as water or gas can flow, and a cap portion 402b that can be detachably attached to the opening of the water tank 401. One end of the water intake pipe 402a is connected to the cap portion 402b and communicates with the inside of the water tank via the cap portion 402b. The other end of the water intake pipe 402a is connected to one end 41a of the water supply pipe 41.

[0068] A water supply pump 42 is provided in the water supply pipe 41. The water supply pump 42 is a positive displacement pump, such as a diaphragm pump, plunger pump, or piston pump. In this embodiment, the water supply pump 42 is installed to connect the two water supply pipes 41. When the water supply pump 42 is driven, water in the water tank 401 is drawn up to the water supply pipe 41 through the intake pipe 402a and flows from the other end 41b of the water supply pipe 41 to the one end 41a. As shown in Figure 4, the water that has flowed to the one end 41a is supplied to the pot 2 housed in the pot container 21 through the hole 22b of the lid 22 housed in the storage area 12. In this way, the water supply unit 4 supplies rice from the water tank 401 to the pot 2 in the storage area 12.

[0069] As shown in Figure 4, the connecting member 5 is located inside the housing 11 and comprises a connecting member body 51, a sealing material 52, and a steam cylinder 53. The connecting member 5 is movably positioned between a first connecting position shown in Figure 5 and a second connecting position shown in Figure 6.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5, when the connecting member 5 is in the first connecting position, the sealing material 52 blocks the hole 22b of the lid 22. Here, a steam cylinder 53 is attached to the sealing material 52. As a result, when the connecting member 5 is in the first connecting position, steam can flow between the hole 22b of the lid 22 and the steam cylinder 53. In other words, the steam cylinder 53 is in communication with the inside of the pot 2. On the other hand, when the connecting member 5 is in the first connecting position, the space between the hole 22b of the lid 22 and the rice supply unit 3 (cylinder 303) and the water supply unit 4 (water supply pipe 41) is blocked by the sealing material 52. Therefore, fluids such as rice and water cannot flow between the hole 22b of the lid 22 and the rice supply unit 3 (cylinder 303) and the water supply unit 4 (water supply pipe 41).

[0071] As shown in Figure 6, when the connecting member 5 is in the second connecting position, the sealing material 52 is retracted from the hole 22b of the lid 22. This allows fluids such as rice and water to flow between the hole 22b of the lid 22 and the rice supply unit 3 and the water supply unit 4 when the connecting member 5 is in the second connecting position. On the other hand, when the connecting member 5 is in the second connecting position, steam cannot flow between the hole 22b of the lid 22 and the steam cylinder 53.

[0072] As shown in Figure 4, one end 53a of the steam cylinder 53 is attached to the sealing material 52. The other end of the steam cylinder 53 communicates with a steam port 53b formed on the front surface of the housing 11. As a result, when the connecting member 5 is in the first communication position, the steam inside the pot 2 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the hole 22b in the lid 22 and the steam cylinder 53.

[0073] The weight detection unit 6 is located inside the housing 11 below the storage area 12. The weight detection unit 6 supports a protrusion 61. The protrusion 61 forms the bottom of the storage area 12. The pot container 21, which is stored in the storage area 12, is placed on the protrusion 61. The weight of the pot container 21 acts on the weight detection unit 6 via the protrusion 61. As a result, the weight detection unit 6 detects the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12.

[0074] For example, if a pot 2 is placed inside the pot container 21 and a lid 22 is attached to the pot container 21, the weight detection unit 6 detects the total weight of the pot container 21, the pot 2, and the lid 22. In this case, the contents are the pot container 21, the pot 2, and the lid 22. Also, for example, if a pot 2 is placed inside the pot container 21 but the lid 22 is not attached to the pot container 21, the weight detection unit 6 detects the total weight of the pot container 21 and the pot 2. In this case, the contents are the pot container 21 and the pot 2. Also, for example, if a pot 2 is placed inside the pot container 21, rice and water are placed inside the pot 2, and a lid 22 is attached to the pot container 21, the weight detection unit 6 detects the total weight of the pot container 21, the pot 2, the rice and water inside the pot 2, and the lid 22. In this case, the contents are the pot container 21, the pot 2, the rice inside the pot 2, the water inside the pot 2, and the lid 22.

[0075] The heating unit 7 heats the pot 2 housed in the storage area 12. The heating unit 7 is located inside the housing 11 and below the storage area 12. When the pot 2 is housed in the storage area 12, the heating unit 7 faces the bottom 2a of the pot 2. The heating unit 7 is, for example, an induction heating coil that inductively heats the pot 2 when an electric current is applied.

[0076] As shown in Figure 3, a light-transmitting glass plate 61a is provided in the center of the protrusion 61 supported by the weight sensing unit 6.

[0077] As shown in Figure 4, a temperature detection unit 8 is provided inside the housing 11 and below the glass plate 61a. In this embodiment, the temperature detection unit 8 is an infrared sensor. The infrared sensor detects infrared radiation emitted from the bottom 2a of the pot 2 through a through-hole in the bottom 21a of the pot container 21 and the glass plate 61a. In this way, the infrared sensor measures the temperature of the bottom 2a of the pot 2. Note that the temperature detection unit 8 is not limited to an infrared sensor. For example, it may be a bottom sensor that detects the temperature of the pot 2 by directly contacting the bottom 2a of the pot 2.

[0078] The control unit 91 is located inside the housing 11. In this embodiment, the control unit 91 is configured as an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board. The control unit 91 controls the operation of the rice cooker 1.

[0079] The operation of the rice cooker 1 is a rice cooking process that includes, for example, a rice supply process, a water supply process, and a heating process. The rice supply process is the process of supplying rice into the pot 2. The water supply process is the process of supplying water into the pot 2. The heating process is the process of heating the pot 2. The execution of the rice cooking process by the control unit 91 will be described later.

[0080] The control unit 91 includes, for example, a processor that reads and executes a program stored in the storage unit 92 shown in Figure 8.

[0081] The control unit 91 can be implemented in various ways. For example, a processor that works in cooperation with software to perform a predetermined function may be used as the control unit 91. If a processor is used as the control unit 91, the control unit 91 can perform various processes by reading a program from the storage unit 92 that stores the program and executing it. Since the processing content can be changed by changing the program stored in the storage unit 92, the degree of freedom in changing the control content can be increased. The processor includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). Alternatively, wired logic that cannot be rewritten may be used as the control unit 91. Using wired logic as the control unit 91 is effective in improving processing speed. Examples of wired logic include ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). Furthermore, the control unit 91 may be implemented by combining a processor and wired logic. By implementing the control unit 91 by combining a processor and wired logic, processing speed can be improved while increasing the degree of freedom in software design. Furthermore, the control unit 91 and a circuit having a function other than that of the control unit 91 may be composed of a single semiconductor element. Examples of circuits having a function other than that include an A / D conversion circuit (analog to digital converter) and a D / A conversion circuit (digital to analog converter). Also, the control unit 91 may be composed of a single semiconductor element or a plurality of semiconductor elements. When composed of a plurality of semiconductor elements, each control described in the claims may be realized by different semiconductor elements. Furthermore, the control unit 91 may be composed of a configuration including semiconductor elements and passive components such as resistors and capacitors.

[0082] As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 91 controls the rice supply unit 3 during the rice supply process. In this embodiment, the control unit 91 rotates the rice supply shaft 31 by driving a motor (not shown). As a result, the rice in the rice tank 301 is supplied to the pot 2 in the storage area 12.

[0083] Furthermore, the control unit 91 controls the water supply unit 4 during the water supply process. Specifically, the control unit 91 drives the water supply pump 42. This supplies water from the water tank 401 into the pot 2 located in the storage area 12.

[0084] Furthermore, the control unit 91 controls the communication member 5. In this embodiment, the control unit 91 moves the communication member 5 between a first communication position and a second communication position by driving a motor (not shown). This allows for selective switching between communication between the inside of the pot 2 and the rice supply unit 3 and the water supply unit 4, and communication between the inside of the pot 2 and the steam cylinder 53.

[0085] Furthermore, during the heating process, the control unit 91 controls the heating unit 7 to heat the pot 2 housed in the storage area 12. This heats the pot 2 and the food to be cooked, such as rice and water, inside the pot 2. The control unit 91 outputs a control signal to the inverter circuit 94 based on the rice cooking sequence stored in the memory unit 92. The rice cooking sequence is a predetermined procedure for cooking rice, including the energizing time, heating temperature, heating time, and heating output for each step in the rice cooking process. The inverter circuit 94 outputs a high-frequency current to the heating unit 7 in accordance with the control signal from the control unit 91.

[0086] The inverter circuit 94 is located inside the housing 11. The control unit 91 acquires the voltage values ​​applied to the elements included in the inverter circuit 94 and the current values ​​flowing through those elements. Based on the acquired voltage and current values, the control unit 91 determines whether or not there is a pot 2, which is an object to be stored in the storage area 12. This is described in detail below. When a control signal is output to the inverter circuit 94 when the pot 2 is not stored in the storage area 12, the amount of change in the voltage and current values ​​will be greater than the amount of change when the pot 2 is stored in the storage area 12. Based on this amount of change, the control unit 91 determines whether or not there is a pot 2 stored in the storage area 12. The inverter circuit 94 is an example of a storage detection unit that detects whether or not there is an object to be stored in the storage area 12.

[0087] Furthermore, the control unit 91 obtains information on the weight of the object stored in the storage area 12 from the weight detection unit 6. The control unit 91 also obtains temperature information of the bottom 2a of the pot 2 from the temperature detection unit 8. Note that the temperature of the bottom 2a of the pot 2 is the same as the temperature inside the pot 2.

[0088] The storage unit 92 is a recording medium that stores various information, including programs and data necessary to realize the functions of the rice cooker 1. In this embodiment, the storage unit 92 is configured as an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board. The storage unit 92 can be realized, for example, as a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory or SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk, or other storage devices, either alone or in appropriate combinations thereof. The storage unit 92 may also include volatile memory such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) that can operate at high speed to temporarily store various information.

[0089] The memory unit 92 stores information on the total weight. The total weight is the sum of the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22, plus the weight of the rice and water that is pre-set to be contained in the pot 2 at the corresponding setting time. The setting time is a plurality of pre-set time points during and when the rice cooking process is not being executed. In this embodiment, the plurality of setting time points are four time points: when the rice cooking process is not being executed, when the rice cooking process starts, when the rice supply process is completed, and when the water supply process is completed, as well as a plurality of time points during the heating process.

[0090] In this embodiment, at the time when the rice cooking process is not being performed and at the time when the rice cooking process is being performed, the total weight, which is the sum of the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22, is stored in the storage unit 92. At the time when the rice cooking process is not being performed and at the time when the rice cooking process is being performed, the weight of the rice and water that are pre-set to be contained in the pot 2 is zero.

[0091] Furthermore, at the time of completion of the rice delivery process, the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 before the start of the rice delivery process, plus the weight of the rice supplied to the pot 2 during the rice delivery process, is stored in the storage unit 92 as the new total weight. In other words, the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 is updated when the rice delivery process is executed. In this case, the weight of the rice supplied to the pot 2 during the rice delivery process is the weight of the rice that was pre-set to be contained in the pot 2 at the time of completion of the rice delivery process. Note that the weight of the rice supplied to the pot 2 during the rice delivery process is the difference between the weight information of the contained object obtained by the control unit 91 from the weight detection unit 6 before the execution of the rice delivery process and the weight information of the contained object obtained by the control unit 91 from the weight detection unit 6 after the execution of the rice delivery process.

[0092] Furthermore, at the time of completion of the water supply process, the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 before the start of the water supply process plus the weight of the water supplied to the pot 2 during the water supply process is stored in the storage unit 92 as the new total weight. In other words, the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 is updated when the water supply process is executed. In this case, the weight of the water supplied to the pot 2 during the water supply process is the weight of the water that is pre-set to be contained in the pot 2 at the time of completion of the water supply process. Note that the weight of the water supplied to the pot 2 during the water supply process is the difference between the weight information of the contained object obtained by the control unit 91 from the weight detection unit 6 before the execution of the water supply process and the weight information of the contained object obtained by the control unit 91 from the weight detection unit 6 after the execution of the water supply process.

[0093] Furthermore, during the heating process, the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is successively reduced by a preset amount of water evaporation. The total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is updated each time the amount is reduced. In other words, the number of multiple time points during the heating process is the number of updates. The amount of water evaporation is determined based on the rice cooking sequence stored in the memory unit 92. Based on the rice cooking sequence, the timing of water boiling and the amount of boiling water evaporated per unit time (e.g., 5 seconds) can be determined. The amount of water evaporation is determined based on the determined amount of evaporation per unit time.

[0094] In this embodiment, as described above, one total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is updated according to the execution of the rice supply process, etc. As a result, the memory unit 92 stores the total weight corresponding to each of several preset points in time, both when the rice cooking process is not being executed and when it is being executed. However, multiple total weights may be stored in the memory unit 92. For example, the total weight at multiple points in time, such as when the rice cooking process is not being executed, when the rice cooking process starts, when the rice supply process is completed, when the water supply process is completed, before the water boils in the heating process, and when the water boils in the heating process, may be stored in the memory unit 92. In this case, the control unit 91 selects the total weight corresponding to the current time from the multiple total weights stored in the memory unit 92 at each point in time.

[0095] The notification unit 93 consists of a display or the like on the rice cooker 1. The notification unit 93 is, for example, located above the 53b on the front of the housing 11. The notification unit 93 is controlled by the control unit 91 and displays information sent from the control unit 91. The notification unit 93 is not limited to a display and can be anything that can notify the user of the rice cooker 1 of information. For example, the notification unit 93 may be a speaker that makes notifications by voice.

[0096] The following describes the rice cooking process of the rice cooker 1, which is performed under the control of the control unit 91. Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating the rice cooking process. The rice cooking process includes a rice supply process (S50), a water supply process (S70), and a heating process (S100).

[0097] When the rice cooking process is not being performed, the control unit 91 acquires information on the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12 from the weight detection unit 6 at pre-set intervals (S10). As mentioned above, the total weight when the rice cooking process is not being performed is the sum of the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22. The pre-set interval may be zero. In other words, the control unit 91 may continuously acquire information on the weight of the contents from the weight detection unit 6.

[0098] If the weight information of the acquired contained object differs from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 (S10: NO), the control unit 91 controls the notification unit 93 to notify that the contained object stored in the containment area 12 is inappropriate (S110).

[0099] For example, if the pot container 21 and lid 22, which do not contain the pot 2, are stored in the storage area 12, the control unit 91 obtains information on the combined weight of the pot container 21 and lid 22 from the weight detection unit 6. The obtained weight is different from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92. In this case, the control unit 91 controls the notification unit 93 to notify that the items stored in the storage area 12 are inappropriate.

[0100] In step S10 and the following steps S30, S60, S80, and S230, the weight information of the contained object obtained may differ from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92. For example, the following are presumed to be the reasons: At least one of the pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 is not contained in the containment area 12, so the weight detection unit 6 detected a weight lighter than the total weight. The position of the pot container 21 contained in the containment area 12 is shifted from the correct position, so the weight detection unit 6 detected a weight lighter than the total weight. A foreign object is contained in the pot 2, so the weight detection unit 6 detected a weight heavier than the total weight. The foreign object may be, for example, something unrelated to cooking rice other than rice and water, or leftover rice from a previously executed cooking process. The weight of the pot container 21 has been removed from the containment area 12, so the weight detection unit 6 no longer detects its weight.

[0101] After step S110, the flowchart processing ends. In other words, in this case, the rice cooking process is not performed. Step S10 is repeated until the control unit 91 acquires information for the rice cooking instruction (S20: NO).

[0102] Information regarding rice cooking instructions is sent from the input unit to the control unit 91 in response to input from the user via an input unit (not shown) such as a switch or touch panel provided on the housing 11 of the rice cooker 1. Alternatively, information regarding rice cooking instructions may be sent from an external device such as a smartphone or personal computer to the control unit 91 of the rice cooker 1, based on input from the user via the external device. In this case, the rice cooker 1 and the external device are configured to communicate via wired or wireless connection.

[0103] When the control unit 91 obtains information for a rice cooking instruction from an external device (S20:YES), it performs the same processing as in step S10. That is, the control unit 91 obtains information about the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12 from the weight detection unit 6 (S30). If this weight information differs from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 (S30:NO), the control unit 91 controls the notification unit 93 to notify that the contents stored in the storage area 12 are inappropriate (S110). In this case, the rice cooking process is not performed.

[0104] On the other hand, if the acquired weight information is the same as the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 (S30: YES), the control unit 91 starts the rice cooking process. First, the control unit 91 controls the connecting member 5 to move it to the second connecting position (S40). This enables the supply of rice from the rice tank 301 to the pot 2, and enables the supply of water from the water tank 401 to the pot 2.

[0105] Next, the control unit 91 executes the rice supply process (S50). In the rice supply process, the control unit 91 determines the amount of rice required for cooking in response to the cooking instruction. The control unit 91 controls the rice supply unit 3 to supply the determined amount of rice from the rice tank 301 into the pot 2.

[0106] At the time of completion of the rice delivery process, the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 before the start of the rice delivery process, plus the weight of the rice supplied to the pot 2 during the rice delivery process, is stored in the storage unit 92 as a new total weight. The weight of the rice is calculated by subtracting the weight information obtained from the weight detection unit 6 in step S30, which is before the start of the rice delivery process, from the weight information obtained from the weight detection unit 6 at the time of completion of the rice delivery process. Note that the weight of the rice may be determined not by the actual amount of rice delivered, but by the amount of rice determined by the control unit 91 in response to the cooking instruction. In this case, the above calculation is not performed.

[0107] Next, the control unit 91 performs the same processing as in step S10. That is, the control unit 91 obtains information on the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12 from the weight detection unit 6 (S60). If the weight information differs from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 (S60: NO), the control unit 91 controls the notification unit 93 to notify that the contents stored in the storage area 12 are inappropriate (S110). In this case, the rice cooking process is stopped, and the subsequent water supply and heating processes are not performed. The total weight stored in the storage unit 92 at the time of step S60 is the sum of the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, the weight of the lid 22, and the amount of rice in the pot 2.

[0108] On the other hand, if the acquired weight information is the same as the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 (S60: YES), the control unit 91 executes the water supply process (S70). In the water supply process, the control unit 91 determines the amount of water required for cooking rice according to the cooking instruction. The control unit 91 controls the water supply unit 4 to supply the determined amount of water from the water tank 401 into the pot 2.

[0109] At the time of completion of the water supply process, the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 before the start of the water supply process, plus the weight of the water supplied to the pot 2 during the water supply process, is stored in the storage unit 92 as a new total weight. The weight of the water is calculated by subtracting the weight information obtained from the weight detection unit 6 in step S60, which is before the start of the water supply process, from the weight information obtained from the weight detection unit 6 at the time of completion of the water supply process. Note that the weight of the water may be determined based on the amount of water determined by the control unit 91 in response to the cooking instruction, rather than the amount of water actually supplied. In this case, the above calculation is not performed.

[0110] Next, the control unit 91 performs the same processing as in step S10. That is, the control unit 91 obtains information on the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12 from the weight detection unit 6 (S80). If the weight information differs from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 (S80: NO), the control unit 91 controls the notification unit 93 to notify that the contents stored in the storage area 12 are inappropriate (S110). In this case, the rice cooking process is stopped, and subsequent heating processes are not performed. The total weight stored in the storage unit 92 at the time of step S80 is the sum of the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, the weight of the lid 22, the amount of rice in the pot 2, and the amount of water in the pot 2.

[0111] On the other hand, if the acquired weight information is the same as the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 (S80: YES), the control unit 91 controls the connecting member 5 to move it to the first connecting position (S90). This allows the steam generated inside the pot 2 during the heating process described below to flow to the steam cylinder 53.

[0112] Next, the control unit 91 executes a heating process (S100). The heating process includes a water absorption process, a boiling process, and a steaming process.

[0113] During the water absorption process, the control unit 91 controls the heating unit 7 to heat the pot 2. At this time, the control unit 91 maintains the temperature inside the pot 2 below the gelatinization temperature (for example, 55 degrees Celsius) to allow the rice to absorb water. The control unit 91 recognizes the temperature inside the pot 2 based on information input from the temperature detection unit 8.

[0114] In the boiling step, which is performed after the water absorption step, the control unit 91 controls the heating unit 7 to heat the pot 2 more strongly than in the water absorption step, raising the temperature inside the pot 2 and causing the water inside the pot 2 to boil. Once the water inside the pot 2 is boiling, the control unit 91 may reduce the heating of the pot 2. However, the heating intensity by the heating unit 7 is maintained to the extent that the boiling of the water inside the pot 2 is sustained.

[0115] In the steaming process, which is performed after the boiling process, the control unit 91 controls the heating unit 7 to heat the pot 2 for a short time. This steams the rice in the pot 2 and vaporizes any water droplets adhering to the underside of the lid 22 that covers the pot 2 from above.

[0116] When the heating process described above is being performed, the control unit 91 performs the same process as in step S10 (weight detection process) and the process of detecting the presence or absence of the pot 2 (pot detection process) at pre-set time intervals (for example, 5 seconds). The weight detection process and pot detection process during the heating process will be explained below with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a flowchart for explaining the heating process. In the explanation of the heating process in Figure 10, the process of heating the pot 2 performed in the water absorption process, boiling process, and steaming process is referred to as the heating process.

[0117] During the heat treatment (S210), the control unit 91 refers to the counter's count value and determines whether a set time has elapsed since the counter was most recently reset (S220). When the set time has elapsed, the counter is reset and starts counting again. The counter may be built into the control unit 91 or may be provided separately from the control unit 91.

[0118] If the set time has not elapsed (S220: NO), the control unit 91 determines whether the heating process is complete, or in other words, whether all steps of the heating process are complete (S250). If the heating process is not complete (S250: NO), the heating process continues (S210). On the other hand, if the heating process is complete (S250: YES), the rice cooking process is completed.

[0119] When the set time has elapsed (S220: YES), the control unit 91 performs the same process as in step S10 (weight detection process). That is, the control unit 91 obtains information on the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12 from the weight detection unit 6 (S230). If the weight information differs from the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 (S230: NO), the control unit 91 controls the notification unit 93 to notify that the contents stored in the storage area 12 are inappropriate (S110 in Figure 9). In this case, the rice cooking process is stopped. That is, the heating process is stopped midway.

[0120] As mentioned above, at the time of the heating process, the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is sequentially reduced by the amount of water evaporated, which is set in advance. An example of the reduction of the total weight is explained below. Before the water boils in the water absorption and boiling processes, the water in the pot 2 is not boiling, so the amount of water evaporated from the pot 2 is small. Therefore, before the water boils in the water absorption and boiling processes, the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is not reduced. After the water in the pot 2 starts boiling in the boiling process, the amount of water evaporated from the pot 2 is large. Therefore, after the water in the pot 2 starts boiling in the boiling process, the amount of evaporation is sequentially reduced from the total weight stored in the memory unit 92. In this example, the sequential reduction is performed each time the count is reset. In other words, the sequential reduction is performed at set intervals. During the steaming process, only a small amount of water remains in the pot 2, so the amount of water evaporated from the pot 2 is small. Therefore, during the steaming process, the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is not reduced.

[0121] Furthermore, when the set time has elapsed (S220: YES), the control unit 91 executes the pot detection process (S240). In this embodiment, in step S240, the control unit 91 acquires the voltage values ​​applied to the elements included in the inverter circuit 94 and the current values ​​flowing through those elements. Based on the acquired voltage and current values, the control unit 91 determines whether or not there is a pot 2 in the storage area 12.

[0122] Step S240 may be executed before step S230, or steps S230 and S240 may be executed in parallel.

[0123] If the control unit 91 determines that the pot 2 is not in the storage area 12 (S240: NO), the rice cooking process is stopped. In other words, the heating process is stopped midway. In this case, it is presumed that, for example, the pot container 21 containing the pot 2 was removed from the storage area 12 during the heating process.

[0124] On the other hand, if the control unit 91 determines that there is a pot 2 in the storage area 12 (S240: YES), the control unit 91 determines whether the heating process is complete or not, in other words, whether all steps of the heating process are complete or not (S250). If the heating process is not complete (S250: NO), the heating process continues (S210). On the other hand, if the heating process is complete (S250: YES), the rice cooking process is completed.

[0125] [effect] The rice cooker 1 of this embodiment can achieve the following effects.

[0126] The rice cooker 1 comprises a pot 2, a pot container 21 that removably houses the pot 2, a lid 22 that covers the upper opening 21h of the pot container 21, a housing 11 having a storage area 12 that removably houses the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22, a heating unit 7 provided inside the housing 11 below the storage area 12 and heating the pot 2 housed in the storage area 12, a weight detection unit 6 provided below the storage area 12 and detecting the weight of the contents housed in the storage area 12, a rice supply unit 3 that supplies rice into the pot 2 in the storage area 12, a water supply unit 4 that supplies water into the pot 2 in the storage area 12, a control unit 91 that executes a rice cooking process including a rice supply process that controls the rice supply unit 3 to supply rice into the pot 2, a water supply process that controls the water supply unit 4 to supply water into the pot 2, and a heating process that controls the heating unit 7 to heat the pot 2, and a storage unit 92 that stores the total weight corresponding to each of a plurality of preset time points during and outside of the rice cooking process. The total weight corresponding to each of the multiple setting points is the sum of the weight of pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22, plus the weight of the rice and water that are pre-set to be contained in pot 2 at the corresponding setting point. If the weight obtained from the weight detection unit 6 at one of the multiple setting points differs from the total weight at that setting point, the control unit 91 will not execute the rice cooking process or will stop the rice cooking process that is currently in progress.

[0127] According to this embodiment, the weight detected by the weight detection unit 6 is compared with the total weight stored in the storage unit 92, which makes it possible to detect if part or all of the pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 are not housed in the housing 11, or if there is foreign matter in the pot 2. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, if such detection occurs, the rice cooking process will not be executed if it is not currently running, and the rice cooking process will be stopped if it is currently running. This makes it possible to suppress the execution of the rice cooking process in abnormal conditions such as when part or all of the pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 are not housed in the housing 11, or when there is foreign matter in the pot 2.

[0128] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to identify that the contents have been removed from the housing 11 by the weight obtained from the weight detection unit 6 being zero during the execution of the rice cooking process. In this case, the rice cooking process can be stopped, thereby preventing the execution of the rice cooking process when the housing 11 does not contain the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22.

[0129] The rice cooker 1 further includes a notification unit 93. The control unit 91, if the weight obtained from the weight detection unit 6 at a certain set time differs from the total weight at a certain set time, stores in the storage area 12. Detainees The notification unit 93 is controlled to notify that the weight is inappropriate.

[0130] According to this embodiment, the accommodation area 12 is Detainees The user can be notified if the weight is inappropriate.

[0131] When rice is supplied to pot 2, the total weight at the time of the supply is calculated by adding the weight of the rice supplied to pot 2 by the supply to the total weight before the supply.

[0132] According to this embodiment, when rice is added to the pot 2, the total weight is the sum of the added rice and the total weight of the contents. This reduces the possibility that the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 will differ from the total weight of the contents actually stored in the storage area 12.

[0133] When water is supplied to pot 2, the total weight at the time of that supply, among several set points in time, is calculated by adding the weight of the water supplied to pot 2 by that supply to the total weight before the supply.

[0134] According to this embodiment, when water is added to the pot 2, the total weight is the weight of the added water. This reduces the possibility that the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 will differ from the total weight of the contents actually stored in the storage area 12.

[0135] The rice cooker 1 is further equipped with an inverter circuit 94 provided in the housing 11 that detects the presence or absence of an object to be stored in the storage area 12. The control unit 91 stops the rice cooking process if the inverter circuit 94 detects that no object to be stored is in the storage area 12 during the execution of the rice cooking process.

[0136] According to this embodiment, the control unit 91 can determine whether or not to stop the rice cooking process based not only on the weight of the contents stored in the storage area 12, but also on the presence or absence of the contents stored in the storage area 12. As a result, even if, for example, the area around the weight detection unit 6 is hotter than the operating temperature of the weight detection unit 6 and therefore the weight detection unit 6 cannot detect anything, the control unit 91 can still determine whether or not to stop the rice cooking process.

[0137] The water supply process is performed after the rice supply process.

[0138] According to this embodiment, even if the rice in the pot 2 is piled up, the water supplied to the pot 2 can reduce the pile of rice and bring the surface of the rice closer to horizontal.

[0139] The rice cooker 1 further includes a rice tank 301 for storing rice. The rice supply unit 3 supplies rice from the rice tank 301 into the pot 2.

[0140] According to this embodiment, by storing rice in the rice tank 301, rice can be supplied from the rice tank 301 to the pot 2 when needed.

[0141] The rice cooker 1 further includes a water tank 401 for storing water. The water supply unit 4 supplies water from the water tank 401 into the pot 2.

[0142] According to this embodiment, there is no need to connect the rice cooker 1 to a water supply or the like in order to supply water to the pot 2.

[0143] Among the multiple set time points, the total weight at the set time point during the heating process is the weight obtained by subtracting the amount of water evaporated from the pot 2 during the pre-set heating process from the total weight before the execution of the heating process.

[0144] When water boils during the heating process, the weight of the contents decreases as the water evaporates. In this case, during the heating process, the weight of the contents obtained from the weight detection unit 6 may become less than the total weight recorded in the storage unit 92, potentially causing the rice cooking process to stop unintentionally. According to this embodiment, the total weight is changed in accordance with the evaporation of water. This makes it possible to suppress the aforementioned unintentional stopping of the rice cooking process.

[0145] [Example 1] In the above embodiment, the control unit 91 compares the weight information of the contents obtained from the weight detection unit 6 with the total weight stored in the storage unit 92. If the obtained weight information differs from the total weight, the control unit 91 does not execute the rice cooking process or stops the rice cooking process that is currently in progress. On the other hand, if the obtained weight information is the same as the total weight, the control unit 91 enables the rice cooking process or continues the rice cooking process that is currently in progress.

[0146] However, instead of determining whether the weight information of the acquired contained object is the same as the total weight, the control unit 91 may determine whether the weight information of the acquired contained object falls within a weight range. The weight range is set in advance to a certain range that includes the total weight stored in the storage unit 92. For example, if the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 is 750(g), the weight range is set to a range of plus or minus 2(g) of 750(g), i.e., 748 to 752(g). The positive and negative ranges relative to the total weight may be the same range (the positive and negative sides are the same value) as described above, or they may be different ranges (the positive and negative sides are different values). For example, if the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 is 750(g), the weight range may be set to a range of plus 3(g) and minus 1(g) of 750(g), i.e., 749 to 753(g).

[0147] The total weight may change from time to time. Therefore, the weight range also changes from time to time to time. For example, if both the positive and negative ranges for the total weight are 2 (g), and the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 at the first setting time is 750 (g), the weight range will be set to 748-752 (g). Also, if the total weight stored in the memory unit 92 at the second setting time is 900 (g), the weight range will be set to 898-902 (g). The first setting time is, for example, the time when the rice cooking process has not yet been executed. At this time, the total weight is the sum of the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22 (750 (g)). The second setting time is, for example, the time when the rice delivery process has been completed. The total weight at this time is the sum of the weight of pot 2, the weight of pot container 21, and the weight of lid 22 (750g), plus the weight of the rice inside pot 2 (150g).

[0148] The positive and negative ranges relative to the total weight may differ from one setting point to the next. For example, at the first setting point, both the positive and negative ranges relative to the total weight may be 2g, and at the second setting point, the positive range relative to the total weight may be +1g and the negative range may be -3g. In this case, the weight range at the first setting point is set to 748-752g. The weight range at the second setting point is set to 897-901g.

[0149] If the weight information obtained from the weight detection unit 6 is outside the weight range, the control unit 91 will either not execute the rice cooking process or stop the ongoing rice cooking process, similar to the case in the above embodiment where the weight information differs from the total weight. On the other hand, if the weight information obtained from the weight detection unit 6 is within the weight range, the control unit 91 will either enable the rice cooking process or continue the ongoing rice cooking process.

[0150] The weight range at each setting point may be stored in the storage unit 92. Furthermore, the positive and negative ranges for the total weight at each setting point may also be stored in the storage unit 92. In this case, the weight range is calculated using the aforementioned positive and negative ranges.

[0151] According to the rice cooker 1 of the modified example 1, the following effects can be achieved.

[0152] If the weight obtained from the weight detection unit 6 at a certain set time is outside a certain weight range that includes the total weight at that time, the control unit 91 will either not execute the rice cooking process or will stop the rice cooking process that is currently in progress.

[0153] Due to factors such as water droplets adhering to the contents, the weight of the contents may differ from the total weight. However, in such cases, this is not considered abnormal, and it is desirable to proceed with the cooking process. According to Modification 1, as long as the weight of the contents remains within the weight range, the cooking process will not be failed or stopped. Therefore, even if there is a slight fluctuation in the weight of the contents due to factors such as water droplets adhering to the contents as described above, the possibility of the cooking process not being performed or being stopped can be reduced.

[0154] [Differentiation 2] The weight of pot 2, the weight of pot container 21, and the weight of lid 22 may each be stored in the memory unit 92.

[0155] In this case, the control unit 91 determines whether each of the pot 2, pot container 21, and lid 22 is housed in the storage area 12, based on the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22 stored in the memory unit 92.

[0156] For example, in step S30 of the rice cooking process (see Figure 9), if the acquired weight information is less than the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 by the weight of the pot 2, the control unit 91 determines that the pot 2 is not contained in the pot container 21 and notifies the notification unit 93 of this fact (S110 in Figure 9). Also, for example, if the acquired weight information is less than the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 by the weight of the lid 22, the control unit 91 determines that the lid 22 is not attached to the pot container 21 and notifies the notification unit 93 of this fact (S110 in Figure 9). Also, for example, if the acquired weight information is less than the total weight stored in the storage unit 92 by the weight of both the pot 2 and the lid 22, the control unit 91 determines that the pot 2 is not contained in the pot container 21 and the lid 22 is not attached to the pot container 21 and notifies the notification unit 93 of this fact (S110 in Figure 9).

[0157] According to the rice cooker 1 of Modification 2, the following effects can be achieved.

[0158] The memory unit 92 stores the weight of the pot 2, the weight of the pot container 21, and the weight of the lid 22. The control unit 91 determines whether the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22 are each housed in the storage area 12, based on the weights of the pot 2, the pot container 21, and the lid 22 stored in the memory unit 92.

[0159] According to the modified example 2, it is possible to identify whether the item not contained in the storage area 12 is the pot 2, the pot container 21, or the lid 22.

[0160] [Other variations] In the above embodiment, the water supply process is performed after the rice supply process. However, the order of the rice supply process and the water supply process is not limited to the above order. For example, the rice supply process may be performed after the water supply process. Also, for example, the rice supply process and the water supply process may be performed in parallel. Also, for example, each of the rice supply process and the water supply process may be performed in multiple steps. In this case, the rice supply process and the water supply process may be performed alternately. Also, in this case, in one rice supply process, a portion of the amount of rice determined according to the cooking instruction is supplied into the pot 2, and in one water supply process, a portion of the amount of water determined according to the cooking instruction is supplied into the pot 2. The total weight stored in the memory unit 92 is updated each time the rice supply process is performed and each time the water supply process is performed.

[0161] In the above embodiment, in step S240, the control unit 91 detects the presence or absence of the pot 2, which is the object to be stored in the storage area 12, based on voltage and current values ​​obtained from the inverter circuit 94. However, the control unit 91 may also detect the presence or absence of the object to be stored in the storage area 12 by means other than the inverter circuit 94. For example, the rice cooker 1 may be equipped with a mechanical pot detection unit that detects whether or not it is in contact with the pot container 21 stored in the storage area 12. In this case, the control unit 91 detects the presence or absence of the pot container 21, which is the object to be stored in the storage area 12, based on a signal obtained from the pot detection unit.

[0162] In the above embodiment, the control unit 91 performs a weight detection process and a process for detecting the presence or absence of an object to be contained (a pot detection process in the above embodiment) during the heating process (S100). However, the control unit 91 may perform only one of the weight detection process or the process for detecting the presence or absence of an object to be contained during the heating process (S100). Also, in the heating process (S100), the control unit 91 may perform the process for detecting the presence or absence of an object to be contained instead of the weight detection process when the weight detection unit 6 cannot be used. Here, the case when the weight detection unit 6 cannot be used is, for example, when the heating unit 7 heats the pot 2 and the temperature around the weight detection unit 6 becomes higher than the operating temperature of the weight detection unit 6.

[0163] Furthermore, by appropriately combining any of the various embodiments described above, the effects of each embodiment can be achieved.

[0164] 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 the invention as defined by the appended claims, as long as they do not fall outside that scope. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0165] 1. Rice cooker 11 cabinets 12 Containment Area 2 pot 21 Pot container 21h Upper opening 22 Lid 3 Rice supply department 301 US Tank 4 Water supply section 401 Water Tank 6. Weight detection unit 7 Heating section 91 Control Unit 92 Memory section 93 Hochi Department 94 Inverter circuit (accommodation detection unit)

Claims

1. A pot and A housing having a storage area for detachably housing the aforementioned pot, A heating unit is provided inside the housing and below the housing area for heating the pot housed in the housing area, A weight detection unit is provided below the storage area and detects the weight of the object stored in the storage area, A rice supply unit that supplies rice into the pot located in the aforementioned storage area, A water supply unit that supplies water into the pot located in the aforementioned containment area, A control unit that performs a rice cooking process including a rice supply process that controls the rice supply unit to supply rice into the pot, a water supply process that controls the water supply unit to supply water into the pot, and a heating process that controls the heating unit to heat the pot, A storage unit that stores a first set time, which is set in advance as a time when the rice cooking process is not being performed, and the weight corresponding to the first set time, It includes a notification unit that provides notifications, The control unit controls the notification unit according to the comparison result between the weight obtained from the weight detection unit at the first setting time and the weight corresponding to the first setting time.

2. The storage unit further stores a second setting time different from the first setting time and a weight corresponding to the second setting time, The second setting time is any of the following: the time when the rice cooking process begins, the time when the rice supply process is completed, the time when the water supply process is completed, and the time during the heating process. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops the ongoing rice cooking process according to the result of comparing the weight obtained from the weight detection unit at the second setting time with the weight corresponding to the second setting time.

3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein when rice is supplied into the pot, the weight at the time of the execution among the second set time points is the weight before the execution plus the weight of the rice supplied into the pot by the execution.

4. The rice cooker according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when water is supplied to the pot, the weight at the time of the execution among the second set time points is the weight before the execution plus the weight of the water supplied to the pot by the execution.

5. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the weight at the setting point during the heating process among the second setting points is the weight obtained by subtracting the amount of water evaporated in the pot during the heating process, which is set in advance, from the weight before the execution of the heating process.

6. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the comparison result is whether or not the weight obtained from the weight detection unit at a set time stored in the memory unit is outside a certain weight range that includes the weight corresponding to the set time.

7. The housing is further provided with a storage detection unit that detects the presence or absence of an object to be stored in the storage area, The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control unit stops the cooking process if the storage detection unit detects that the contents to be stored are not stored in the storage area during the cooking process.

8. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the water supply step is performed after the rice supply step.

9. It is further equipped with rice tanks to store rice, The rice supply unit supplies rice from the rice tank into the pot, according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. It also has a water tank for storing water, The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the water supply unit supplies water from the water tank into the pot.

11. A pot container for removably housing the pot, The pot container comprises a lid that covers the upper opening, The memory unit stores the weight of the pot, the weight of the pot container, and the weight of the lid, The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit determines whether the pot, the pot container, and the lid are each housed in the storage area based on the weight of the pot, the weight of the pot container, and the weight of the lid stored in the storage unit.

12. A pot container for removably housing the pot, The pot container comprises a lid that covers the upper opening, The aforementioned storage area is designed to removably house the pot, the pot container, and the lid. The weight is the sum of the weight of the pot, the weight of the pot container, and the weight of the lid, plus the weight of rice and water that is pre-set to be contained in the pot at the corresponding setting time, according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

Images