rice cooker

Abstract

To provide a rice cooker having a mechanism where external force is not applied to an operation panel even when pressure in the rice cooker increases.SOLUTION: A rice cooker in the present invention includes: an inner pot 1; a body 3 for accommodating the inner pot 1; a lid body 21 for covering a part above the body 3; a cord heater for heating the inner pot 1; a heating coil 15; and lid heating means 23; first pressure adjusting means 76 for increasing pressure inside the inner pot 1; steam discharge means 65 that constitutes a discharge route of steam generated inside the inner pot 1; an accommodation part 64 for accommodating the steam discharge means 65; an outer lid 41 disposed above the accommodation part 64; and an operation panel 35 that covers the outside surface of the outer lid 41. The accommodation part 64 is provided with an opening cylindrical part 75 for discharging steam. The outer lid 41 and the operation panel 35 are provided with a lid steam port 70 through which the opening cylindrical part 75 is inserted and a panel steam port 40. An inner surface part 158 of the accommodation part 64 is provided with an abutment part 160 on which the steam discharge means 65 abuts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice cooker that can prevent a force from being applied to an operation panel even when the pressure inside the cooker increases. difficulty mechanism to have and is related to a rice cooker.

Background Art

[0002] The applicant of the present application discloses a rice cooker that discharges steam generated inside the inner pot to the outside of the cooker in Patent Document 1. The rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which steam generated inside the inner pot (1) flows through a steam discharge means (65) accommodated in an accommodation part (64) and is discharged to the outside of the cooker through an opening outside discharge port (69) formed in an opening cylinder part (75) of an outer lid cover (42).

[0003] In this rice cooker, the clearances between the accommodation part (64) and the steam discharge means (65) and between the operation panel (35) and the accommodation part (64) are set to be extremely narrow. Therefore, when the inside of the inner pot (1) becomes high temperature and the pressure increases, the steam discharge means (65) is lifted upward, and by the steam discharge means (65) pushing up the accommodation part (64), the accommodation part (64) pushes up the outer lid (41), and when the outer lid (41) is pushed up, an external force is applied to the operation panel (35) disposed on the entire upper surface of the outer lid (41).

[0004] As described above, when the pressure inside the rice cooker increases, an external force is applied to the operation panel (35). Although not described in Patent Document 1, the operation panel (35) was formed of a synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) having relatively high strength and heat resistance.

[0005] On the other hand, as an operation means for performing various operations of the rice cooker, it is required to adopt a capacitive touch-type operation panel. However, a capacitive touch-type operation panel is generally formed of an acrylic resin or a glass material. However, acrylic resins and glass materials have the property of not having high strength and heat resistance.

Prior Art Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-186075 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Therefore, in the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1, if a capacitive touch-type control panel is adopted and the entire control panel (35) is made of acrylic resin or glass, there is a risk that the control panel (35) may be damaged due to repeated external force being applied to it. Furthermore, since high-temperature steam comes into contact with the control panel (35) near the outlet (69) of the opening, damage is particularly likely to occur in the portion of the control panel (35) near the outlet (69).

[0008] Thus, in rice cookers, which are cooking appliances where the internal pressure increases, there was a problem in that the materials that could be used for the control panel were limited.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems and prevents external force from being applied to the control panel even when the pressure inside the rice cooker increases. difficulty The objective is to provide a rice cooker with a suitable mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The rice cooker of the present invention comprises an inner pot, a main body that houses the inner pot, a lid that covers the top of the main body, a heating means for heating the inner pot, a pressure regulating means for increasing the pressure inside the inner pot, a steam discharge means that constitutes a steam discharge path for steam generated inside the inner pot, and a housing that houses the steam discharge means. , Misao The structure comprises a work panel and the lid, the lid having an outer lid disposed above the housing section, The control panel covers the outer surface of the outer cover,The housing section has an opening cylindrical portion for discharging the steam, the outer lid and the operation panel have insertion holes through which the opening cylindrical portion is inserted, the inner surface of the housing section has abutment portions against which the steam discharge means abuts, a gap is formed between the outer lid and the housing section, an elastic member is disposed in the gap, and when the pressure inside the inner kettle increases and the housing section lifts up, the elastic member elastically deforms and absorbs the upward force, so that the housing section does not come into direct contact with the outer lid. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the rice cooker of the present invention, even if the pressure inside the rice cooker increases, an external force is applied to the control panel. difficult It is possible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is an external perspective view of a rice cooker showing one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker with the steam exhaust mechanism attached. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the inner lid assembly unit from the top. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the inner lid assembly unit from the bottom. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the steam discharge mechanism. [Figure 6] This is a rear view of the steam discharge mechanism, shown on the right. [Figure 7] This is an upper perspective view of the steam discharge mechanism. [Figure 8] This is a lower perspective view of the steam discharge mechanism. [Figure 9] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the steam discharge mechanism. [Figure 10] (a) Front view of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly, and (b) Cross-sectional view along line AA. [Figure 11] The same shows (a) a right side view of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly and (b) a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 12]It is a front view of a rice cooker showing the state where the steam discharge means is removed. [Figure 13] It is a view showing the removal operation of the steam discharge means. [Figure 14] It is a view showing the state where the steam discharge means is removed. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view of the rice cooker with the lid opened. [Figure 16] It is a view showing the state where the pressure regulating valve holder assembly is removed from the steam port assembly. [Figure 17] It is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the steam discharge path inside the lid. [Figure 18] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration. [Figure 19] It is a longitudinal sectional view of the rice cooker with the steam discharge means not attached. [Figure 20] It is a perspective view of the lid with the accommodating part exposed. [Figure 21] It is a perspective view showing the inside (accommodating space) of the accommodating part. [Figure 22] It is a perspective view showing the lower side face side of the outer lid bottom plate part. [Figure 23] It is a perspective view showing a part of the upper side face side of the outer lid bottom plate part.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the heating cooker according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below do not limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Also, not all of the configurations described below are essential requirements of the present invention.

[0014] First, based on Figures 1 and 2, the overall configuration of the rice cooker as a heating appliance in this embodiment will be explained. 1 is a bottomed cylindrical inner pot that contains the ingredients to be cooked, such as rice and water. This inner pot 1 is mainly made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 2 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel is joined to the lower side and bottom of the outer surface of the main material. The reason why the heating element 2 is not provided from the center to the top of the side of the inner pot 1 is to reduce the weight of the inner pot 1.

[0015] The main body 3, which houses the inner pot 1, has an outer frame formed by an upper frame 4 that makes up the top and sides, and an outer frame 5 that makes up part of the top, and a bottom plate 6 that covers the bottom of the upper frame 4 is further provided. In this case, the upper frame 4 and bottom plate 6 are made of synthetic resin such as polypropylene (PP), and the outer frame 5 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel.

[0016] A concave inner pot housing section 7 is formed in the center of the main body 3, and the inner pot housing section 7 is made of synthetic resin such as PP and integrated with the upper frame 4. The bottom of the inner pot housing section 7 is formed by an inner frame 8 made of synthetic resin such as PET.

[0017] A cord heater 9 (see Figure 18) is provided at the upper end of the inner pot housing 7, and the cord heater 9 is covered with a metal plate portion 10 such as an aluminum plate which has good heat conductivity. This metal plate portion 10 is positioned opposite the gap 11 between the lid 21 and the main body 3, which will be described later, as a heat dissipation part, and these cord heater 9 and metal plate portion 10 constitute a flange heater as a heating means. The lower surface of the flange portion 12, which extends from the upper end of the inner pot 1 in the outer peripheral direction, is placed on the upper surface of the metal plate portion 10, and the inner pot 1 is housed in the inner pot housing 7 in a suspended state. Therefore, in this state, there is almost no gap between the inner pot 1 and the upper end of the inner pot housing 7. However, a partial gap 13 is formed in the metal plate portion 10 in a plan view so that the handle portion formed on the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1 does not come into contact with the metal plate portion 10, so that if rice is cooked with water adhering to the outer surface of the inner pot 1, steam can be discharged from this gap 13. Furthermore, the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1 is formed to have an outer shape equal to or larger than that of the cord heater 9, so as to cover the cord heater 9, which serves as the heating element.

[0018] On the outer surface of the inner frame 8, specifically the lower side and bottom of the inner frame 8 facing the heating element 2, a heating coil 15 is positioned as the main heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the inner pot 1. In addition, a thermistor-type inner pot temperature sensor 16 is in contact with the outer bottom surface of the inner pot 1, which detects the bottom temperature of the inner pot 1 and primarily controls the heating temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 by the heating coil 15.

[0019] During cooking and keeping warm, the inner pot 1 is heated by a heating means. During the keep-warm period, the heating coil 15, which is the heating means, is heated according to the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16, which is in contact with the outer bottom surface of the inner pot 1, to maintain the inner pot 1 at a constant temperature. After cooking, the cord heater 9, which is the heating means, is heated until the temperature of the rice in the inner pot 1 drops to the keep-warm temperature (approximately 100°C → approximately 73°C), and again when the keep-warm temperature stabilizes (approximately 73°C). Heat is radiated from the metal plate part 10 into the gap 13 between the lid 21 and the main body 3, suppressing cooling due to the intrusion of outside air through the gap 13, and heating the inner pot 1. Furthermore, during the hot reheating period when the rice in the inner pot 1 is being reheated during the keep-warm period, the inner pot 1 is also heated to prevent moisture generated by heating from condensing on the upper inner surface of the inner pot 1.

[0020] 21 is a lid that is rotatably mounted on the top of the main body 3 and, together with the main body 3, forms the outer casing of the rice cooker. The lid 21, which opens and closes the upper opening of the inner pot 1, is equipped with a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 22 (see Figure 18) that detects the temperature of the inner lid 45 (described later), and a lid heating means 23 such as a cord heater, and the temperature of the inner lid 45 is mainly controlled by the lid heating means 23.

[0021] Reference numeral 25 denotes a heating control means for controlling the heating of the bottom and sides of the inner pot 1 and the inner lid 45 of the lid 21 by detecting the temperature of the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 during cooking and warming. The heating control means 25 receives detection signals from the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 and adjusts the heating of the heating means, namely the cord heater 9, heating coil 15, and lid heating means 23.

[0022] The heating control means 25 is equipped with an element 26 that drives the heating coil 15. The element 26 that drives the heating coil 15 is heated together with the oscillation of the heating coil 15. The element 26 that drives the heating coil 15 has an operating temperature, so it needs to be driven at a temperature below a certain temperature. For this reason, the element 26 is attached to a heat sink 27 made of a material with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and is cooled by air emitted from a cooling fan 28, which is a cooling means, so that it is driven within the operating temperature range. The cooling fan 28 is located below or to the side of the heat sink 27 attached to the heating control means 25.

[0023] The bottom or side of the rice cooker is provided with holes 29 for expelling air heated by a heat exchanger 27 from a cooling fan 28 to the outside. The heating control means 25 is housed inside the main body 3 of the product, but it can be positioned at any location relative to the inner pot 1, and the holes 29 can also be positioned at any location. However, given the recent demand for miniaturized product designs, it is preferable to position the heating control means 25 and cooling fan 28 and the air-exhausting holes 29 on approximately opposite sides of the inner pot 1.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, a display operation unit 31 is provided on the front of the upper surface of the lid 21. The display operation unit 31 consists of an LCD 32 that displays the time and the selected cooking course, an LED display unit 33 that displays the current process, and operating means 39 for starting cooking and selecting a cooking course, all of which are located on top of a circuit board 34 installed inside the lid 21.

[0025] Above the display operation unit 31 is an operation panel 35, which is a capacitive touch-type operation panel for touch operation of the operation means 39. This operation panel 35 covers the outer surface (upper surface) of the outer cover 41 and prevents dust and water from adhering to the electronic components, such as the aforementioned LCD 32, LED display unit 33, operation means 39, and circuit board 34. In this embodiment, the operation panel 35 is made of transparent acrylic resin, but it may be made of other materials such as glass, as long as it can be used as a capacitive touch-type operation panel. An opening 44 for a button, where a lid open button 38 (described later) is provided, is formed in the front part of the operation panel 35, and a panel steam vent 40, which is an insertion hole for inserting an opening cylinder portion 75 (described later), is formed in the rear part of the operation panel 35.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the operation means 39 is operated to instruct the start of rice cooking, in order to promote water absorption by the rice in the inner pot 1, the heating coil 15 and cord heater 9 heat the bottom and sides of the inner pot 1 respectively based on the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16, and the water temperature is maintained at approximately 45-60°C for 15-20 minutes to perform soaking cooking. After that, the amount of heat from the heating coil 15 is increased to strongly heat the inner pot 1 and heat the contents of the inner pot 1 to boiling. During this boiling heating, based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22, when the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 reaches 90°C or higher and the temperature of the lid 21, especially the inner lid 45, stabilizes at 90°C or higher (temperature rise rate detection), boiling is detected, and the amount of heat is reduced to continue boiling heating. In this boiling detection process, the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 can confirm that both the bottom of the inner pot 1 and the inner lid 45 have reached 90°C or higher, enabling accurate detection of complete boiling inside the inner pot 1.

[0027] Furthermore, if either the bottom of the inner pot 1 or the inner lid 45 reaches an unusually high temperature of 120°C or higher, it is determined to be abnormal, and the amount of heat used in rice cooking is reduced, all operations are stopped, the system transitions to the steaming process described later, or the warming function is activated to prevent abnormal heating. Also, if either the bottom of the inner pot 1 or the inner lid 45 reaches a temperature of 90°C or higher and a predetermined time has elapsed (for example, 5 minutes), but the temperature of the other part of the inner pot 1 or the lid 21 remains below 90°C, it is determined that either the inner pot temperature sensor 16 or the lid temperature sensor 22 has deteriorated in temperature detection accuracy for some reason (dirt, tilt, poor contact, etc.), and the amount of heat used in rice cooking is reduced, all operations are stopped, the system transitions to the steaming process described later, or the warming function is activated to prevent abnormal heating.

[0028] When boiling continues, the lid heating means 23 starts heating the inner lid 45 attached to the lid body 21. Heating of the inner lid 45 is controlled by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 22 so that the temperature of the inner lid 45 is 100-110°C. When the bottom of the inner pot 1 reaches a predetermined temperature, the cooking is detected and the unit switches to steaming. During steaming, the temperature of the inner lid 45 is controlled to prevent condensation on the upper inner surface of the inner pot 1, and the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 is controlled to maintain a high temperature (98-100°C) so that the rice does not burn. After 15-20 minutes of steaming, the unit switches to keep warm mode.

[0029] During the warming process, the heating coil 15 heats the bottom and lower sides of the inner pot 1, while the lid heating means 23 heats the inner lid 45, which forms the underside of the lid 21, to a temperature slightly higher than the rice temperature. Furthermore, flange heaters are used to control the temperature of the sides of the inner pot 1 to prevent the rice from drying out and excessive condensation from forming. The rice inside the inner pot 1 is maintained at a temperature of 70-76°C. During the warming process, if the two sensors show abnormally high or low temperatures relative to each other, the system detects the abnormality and prevents overheating. The heating control means 25 is configured to perform all of the above operations.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, a hinge portion 36 is provided at the rear of the upper frame 4, which connects to the lid 21. A hinge spring 37, made of a torsion coil spring or the like, is housed in this hinge portion 36. A lid open button 38 is exposed on the front upper surface of the lid 21. When this lid open button 38 is pressed, the engagement between the lid 21 and the main body 3 is released, and the lid 21 automatically opens with the hinge portion 36 as the pivot point due to the elastic force of the hinge spring 37.

[0031] The lid 21 consists of an outer lid 41, which is an external component, and an outer lid cover 42 that forms the lower part of the outer lid 41. The outer lid cover 42 is provided with a metal heat sink 43 made of anodized stainless steel or aluminum, and the heat sink 43 is provided with a lid heating means 23. The lid heating means 23 may be an electric heater such as a cord heater or an electromagnetic induction heater.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, a metal inner lid 45 made of anodized stainless steel or aluminum is provided below the heat sink 43. On the outer circumference of the inner lid 45, which forms the lower surface of the lid 21, there is a lid packing 46 made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber or fluororubber that acts as a sealing member to close the gap between the inner pot 1 and the inner lid 45, and the lid packing 46 is in contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1.

[0033] The inner lid 45 and the lid gasket 46 are integrated by a gasket base 48, and this inner lid assembly unit 49 is detachably mounted on the inner surface of the outer lid cover 42.

[0034] A hole (not shown) is provided in the outer cover 42 at the rear, opposite to a hole (not shown) provided in the hinge portion 36. The hinge shaft 50 provided in the hinge portion 36 connects these holes, thereby pivotally supporting the main body 3 and the cover 21 so that they can be opened and closed. The aforementioned hinge spring 37 is hooked onto the outer cover 42 and constantly biases the cover 21 in the opening direction.

[0035] Approximately opposite the hinge shaft 50, which is the pivot point of the lid 21, is a clamp 51 that is linked to the lid open button 38. The clamp 51 is pivotally supported on the outer lid cover 42 by a clamp shaft 52 and is rotatable about the clamp shaft 52. Approximately opposite the hinge portion 36 of the upper frame 4 is a clamp receiver 53 (see Figures 14 and 15) that engages with the clamp 51. The clamp 51 on the lid 21 rotates about the clamp shaft 52 as its central axis and engages with the clamp receiver 53 on the main body 3. This engagement between the clamp 51 and the clamp receiver 53 keeps the main body 3 and the lid 21 closed. Conversely, to open the lid 21, the lid open button 38 is pressed to rotate the clamp 51 in the opposite direction and release the engagement between the clamp 51 and the clamp receiver 53.

[0036] Next, the configuration of the inner lid assembly unit 49, which is equivalent to the actual inner lid of this embodiment, will be further described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The inner lid assembly unit 49 is provided with a steam discharge hole 54 and a pressure reduction hole 55, which open into the inner lid 45, respectively. In addition, the resin packing base 48, which is formed in a substantially annular shape, has a convex insertion portion 56 that partially protrudes in the outer circumference direction. With the lid 21 open, the insertion portion 56 is inserted into a recess 57 formed on the base end side near the hinge portion 13 on the inner surface of the lid 21, and the packing base 48 is fitted onto the outer lid cover 42, thereby allowing the inner lid assembly unit 49 to be attached to a predetermined position on the inner surface of the lid 21.

[0037] Above the pressure relief hole 55, a cylindrical pressure relief packing 63 (see Figure 12) is positioned, protruding downward from the heat sink 43. The inner lid assembly unit 49 is detachably attached to the inner surface, i.e., the lower surface, of the lid 21. When the lid 21 is closed to the main body 3 with the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached, the lid packing 46 contacts the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1, so that the inner lid assembly unit 49 completely covers the upper opening of the inner pot 1 without any gaps.

[0038] Next, the internal structure of the lid 21 will be further explained with reference to Figures 2, 5 to 12. The lid 21 is equipped with a detachable unitized steam exhaust means 65 that communicates with the inside of the inner pot 1 and discharges steam generated from inside the inner pot 1 to the outside of the rice cooker. The steam exhaust means 65 may be detachably provided from the top surface, which is the upper surface of the lid 21 when the lid 21 is closed. However, as in this embodiment, it is more preferable to form a mounting hole 66 (see Figure 12) as an inner pot side opening on the inner surface of the lid 21, which stands almost upright away from the upper opening of the inner pot 1 when the lid 21 is opened, and to detachably provide a single steam exhaust means 65 through this mounting hole 66. With this configuration, there is no need to provide a mounting hole for the steam exhaust means 65 on the top surface of the lid 21, and the top surface of the lid 21 can be made flat without any irregularities. As shown in Figure 12, a packing 67, which is as elastic as the lid packing 46 and the pressure reducing packing 63, is attached and fixed around the entire circumference of the mounting hole 66, so that when the steam discharge means 65 is attached from the inner surface side of the lid 21, the packing 67 is in close contact with the outer surface of the steam discharge means 65 without any gaps. As shown in Figure 2, 67A is the sealing portion of the packing 67 that is in close contact with the steam discharge means 65, and 67B is the sealing portion of the packing 67 that is in close contact with the inner lid 45.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 and 19, inside the lid 21, a housing space 68 for housing and arranging the steam discharge means 65 is formed by a housing section 64 formed in a partially concave shape on the inner surface side of the lid 21, on the outer lid cover 42. The lower end opening of the housing section 64 corresponds to a mounting hole 66, and the opening cylindrical section 75 that forms another external discharge port 69 provided at the upper end of the housing section 64 is inserted through a lid steam port 70, which is an insertion hole formed in the outer lid 41 on the top surface side of the lid 21, and a panel steam port 40 formed in the operation panel 35, with its tip protruding slightly outside the vessel. In addition, the housing section 64 is provided with similar through-holes: a hole 72 into which a pressure-regulating packing 71 is fitted, and a hole 74 (see Figure 20) into which an opening / closing packing 73 (see Figure 12) is fitted. However, both of these holes 72 and 74 are permanently sealed with highly elastic packings 71 and 73, creating an airtight structure that prevents steam and foreign matter from entering other parts of the lid 21 from the housing space 68, except for the mounting holes 66 and the external outlet 69. Furthermore, the mounting holes 66 are sized to allow a hand to be inserted into the housing space 68 from the inner surface of the lid 21 when the inner lid assembly unit 49 is removed from the lid 21, allowing for easy cleaning of the inner surface of the housing space 68 when maintaining the lid 21.

[0040] As shown in Figures 5 to 11 and Figure 16, the steam discharge means 65 mainly consists of a steam port assembly 81 as a first component into which a first pressure regulating means 76, a second pressure regulating means 77, and a third pressure regulating means 78 (described later) are incorporated into the steam port base 80, and a pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 as a second component attached and fixed to the upper part of the steam port assembly 81.

[0041] The first pressure regulating means 76 functions as a pressure regulating means (pressure regulating valve assembly) that adjusts the pressure inside the inner casing 1 to above atmospheric pressure, and mainly consists of the aforementioned spherical valve 61, a valve holder 88 (see Figure 16) that holds the valve 61, and a valve case 89 formed to cover the valve 61 and valve holder 88. The valve 61 can be any component made of a corrosion-resistant material with a certain amount of weight, for example, an austenitic stainless steel sphere. The valve holder 88 is also provided with a vent hole 90 that serves as an intake port communicating with the inside of the inner casing 1. On the side of the valve case 89, an opening 89A and an insertion hole 109 (see Figure 16) are formed, which are large enough to prevent the valve 61 disposed inside from rolling out. A holder upper part 87 (see Figure 16) is formed between the opening 89A and the insertion hole 109, separating the two. The opening 89A allows a pressure regulating frame 93 (see Figure 2), which is covered with a pressure regulating packing 71, to be inserted so that the valve 61 can be moved from the outside of the valve case 89.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, inside the valve case 89, a valve opening means (not shown) that acts as a pressure regulating drive means is incorporated inside the lid 21 in order to operate the valve 61 at a predetermined timing. The valve opening means mainly consists of a pressure regulating frame 93 that moves using a solenoid 92 (see Figure 18) as a driving source, and the aforementioned pressure regulating packing 71 attached to one end of the pressure regulating frame 93. The valve 61 is constantly pressed by one end of the pressure regulating frame 93, which is covered by the pressure regulating packing 71, and is configured to open a vent hole 90 that communicates with a steam discharge hole 54 provided in the inner lid 45. On the other hand, when the solenoid 92 is energized and the valve opening means is operated, one end of the pressure regulating frame 93 moves away from the valve 61, and the valve 61 closes the vent hole 90. The relationship between the opening area of ​​the vent hole 90 at this time and the weight of the valve 61 is configured to adjust the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 to a first set pressure value.

[0043] As shown in Figures 9 and 16, the second pressure regulating means 77 functions as a safety valve that opens to reduce the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 when the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 rises above a set value for any reason. It is constructed by housing and holding a valve body 62 and an elastic member 96 in a cylindrical valve holder 95. The elastic member 96 of the second pressure regulating means 77 communicates with a steam discharge hole 54 provided in the inner lid 45 and biases the valve body 62 in a direction that keeps the vent hole 97 (see Figure 8), which is formed to open on the inlet side of the valve holder 95, closed at all times. When the valve 61 of the first pressure regulating means 76 remains blocked by foreign matter or the like, the second pressure regulating means 77 adjusts the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 to a second set pressure value based on the relationship between the opening area of ​​the vent hole 97 and the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 96.

[0044] In this embodiment, a third pressure regulating means 78 and a pressure reducing means 101 (see Figure 2) are incorporated as pressure adjustment means other than the first pressure regulating means 76 and the second pressure regulating means 77. The third pressure regulating means 78 functions as a check valve assembly for returning the pressure inside the inner casing 1 from a pressure other than atmospheric pressure back to atmospheric pressure, and is constructed by housing and holding an elastic member 103 and a valve body 104 in a cylindrical valve holder 102. In addition, in order to operate the valve body 104 of the third pressure regulating means 78 at a predetermined timing, an opening / closing drive means (not shown) separate from the valve opening means is incorporated inside the lid 21. This opening / closing drive means mainly comprises an opening / closing frame (not shown) that moves with a solenoid 105 (see Figure 18) as the drive source, and the aforementioned opening / closing packing 73 (see Figure 12) attached to one end of the opening / closing frame.

[0045] The elastic member 103 of the third pressure regulating means 78 is configured to bias the valve body 104 in a direction that keeps the vent hole 106 (see Figure 8), which is formed on the inlet side of the valve holder 102 and communicates with the steam discharge hole 54, open at all times. When the solenoid 105 of the opening / closing drive means is not energized, the vent hole 106 of the third pressure regulating means 78 is opened, allowing the steam discharge means 65 to communicate the inside of the inner lid 1 with the outside air and maintain the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 at the same level as atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, when the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 is to be changed to a pressure other than atmospheric pressure, the solenoid 105 of the opening / closing drive means is energized to operate the opening / closing drive means. Against the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 103, one end of the opening / closing frame covered with the opening / closing packing 73 presses against the end of the valve body 104 exposed on the outlet side of the valve holder 102, causing the valve body 104 to close the vent hole 106. This makes it possible to return the pressure inside the inner pot 1 to atmospheric pressure as needed, or to introduce a desired pressure other than atmospheric pressure into the inner pot 1.

[0046] As shown in Figure 16, the valve case 89 and the valve holder 102 are connected by a locking receiving portion 98. A gap 99 is formed between the locking receiving portion 98 and the bottom plate portion 113, which will be described later. The tip portion 124A of the locking claw portion 124, which will be described later, is positioned in this gap 99, so that the tip portion 124A can be locked into the locking receiving portion 98.

[0047] As shown in Figure 16, the steam vent base 80 has a plate-shaped bottom plate portion 113 and a vertical wall portion 114 erected on the periphery of the bottom plate portion 113. The vertical wall portion 114, which acts as an enclosing portion, has an inner wall portion 114A and an outer wall portion 114B that is lower than the inner wall portion 114A. The outer wall portion 114B is formed around the entire circumference of the bottom plate portion 113, but the inner wall portion 114A is not formed in some parts of the periphery of the bottom plate portion 113.

[0048] The steam discharge means 65 is provided with a handle 115 that is shaped to be grasped with a finger F (see Figures 13 and 14) when attaching or detaching the steam discharge means 65 to the storage space 68 of the lid 21. As shown in Figure 8, the handle 115 is formed in a semi-circular shape on the lower side surface of the bottom plate portion 113 of the steam vent base 80. As shown in Figures 2 and 15, when the steam discharge means 65 and the inner lid assembly unit 49 are attached to the lid 21, the handle 115 is inserted through the hole 54 of the inner lid 45 and protrudes toward the inner pot 1. This prevents foreign matter such as ingredients placed in the inner pot 1 from sticking to the hole 54 from the inner surface side of the inner lid 45 when cooking mixed rice in the inner pot 1, for example, by using the handle 115 which is originally intended to hold the steam discharge means 65 with a finger F. This makes it possible to smoothly guide the steam generated from inside the inner pot 1 to the steam discharge means 65 without adding any extra parts. With the lid 21 open relative to the main body 3, removing the inner lid assembly unit 49 from the lid 21 allows you to grasp the exposed handle 115 with your fingers F to hold the steam discharge means 65, and then pull it towards you to easily remove the steam discharge means 65 from the inner surface of the lid 21. Conversely, when installing the steam discharge means 65 into the storage space 68 of the lid 21, you can similarly grasp the exposed handle 115 with your fingers F to hold the steam discharge means 65, and then push the steam discharge means 65 towards the storage space 68 to easily install the steam discharge means 65 from the inner surface of the lid 21.

[0049] With the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached to the lid 21, the handle 115 of the steam discharge means 65 does not completely block the hole 54, allowing intake and exhaust of steam from inside and outside the inner pot 1 through the gap between the outer circumference of the handle 115 and the hole 54.

[0050] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is detachably attached to the steam port assembly 81 so as to cover the opening 89A side (rear side) of the valve case 89, the second pressure regulating means 77, and the third pressure regulating means 78. Therefore, the user can clean the steam discharge means 65 thoroughly by removing the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 from the steam port assembly 81.

[0051] The pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 includes a cap covering portion 116 that covers a part of the valve case 89, a passage forming portion 117, and a third pressure regulating means covering portion 118 that covers the third pressure regulating means 78. The top plate portion 117A of the passage forming portion 117 is positioned higher than the top plate portion 116A of the cap covering portion 116, and the top plate portion 118A of the third pressure regulating means covering portion 118 is positioned lower than the top plate portion 116A of the cap covering portion 116.

[0052] As shown in Figures 9 and 16, a locking claw portion 124 extending downward is provided at the connection point between the passage forming portion 117 and the third pressure regulating means covering portion 118. The locking claw portion 124 has a plate-shaped elastic plate portion 124B and a tip portion 124A protruding from the front side of the lower end portion of the elastic plate portion 124B. The tip portion 124A has a roughly triangular prism shape, with the upper surface portion 124C inclined so that the front side is lower, and the lower surface portion 124D inclined so that the front side is higher. The inclination angle is gentler on the upper surface portion 124C than on the lower surface portion 124D. Furthermore, an exposure opening 125 is formed in the side wall portion 116B of the cap covering portion 116 opposite to the passage forming portion 117 to expose the valve case 89 and the insertion hole 109. Therefore, the pressure regulating frame 93 can be inserted through the exposure opening 125 and the insertion hole 109, allowing the valve 61 to be moved from the outside of the valve case 89.

[0053] A restricting portion 126 is formed at the lower end of the side wall portion 116B, where the opening 125 for exposure of the cap covering portion 116 is formed, which restricts the direction in which the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 can be removed from the steam port base 80. The restricting portion 126 is formed in a plate shape and is positioned so as to abut against the bottom plate portion 113 of the steam port base 80 and against the inner surface of the outer wall portion 114B of the steam port base 80 when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached to the steam port assembly 81. Therefore, even if one tries to tilt the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 toward the restricting portion 126 (forward side), the restricting portion 126 abuts against the bottom plate portion 113, making it impossible to tilt the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82. In this embodiment, with the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 attached to the steam port assembly 81, the regulating portion 126 contacts the bottom plate portion 113 and the outer wall portion 114B. However, the regulating portion 126 may be positioned slightly away from the bottom plate portion 113 and the outer wall portion 114B, and the regulating portion 126 may come into contact with the bottom plate portion 113 when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is slightly tilted toward the regulating portion 126.

[0054] On the upper part of the side wall portion 117B opposite to the cap covering portion 116 of the passage forming portion 117 (rear side), a flow path opening 127 is formed on the upper side, serving as an outlet that connects the inside and outside of the passage forming portion 117. In addition, a guide wall 128 for flowing steam is formed at the rear end portion of the passage forming portion 117. The guide wall 128 is erected upward from the top plate portion 117A of the passage forming portion 117. The guide wall 128 has a substantially arc shape that is convex upward. Furthermore, a finger grip portion 128A that protrudes to the rear is formed on the peripheral edge of the guide wall 128. In other words, the guide wall 128 has a substantially concave shape. The finger grip portion 128A allows a finger F to be placed to pull the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 when disassembling the steam discharge means 65 into the steam port assembly 81 and the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82. Furthermore, the steam and sticky residue flowing upward from the flow path opening 127 hit the finger grip portion 128A, preventing the steam and other substances from being forcefully discharged outside the rice cooker.

[0055] A shallow, concave recess 117C is formed in the upper part of the side wall portion 117B. The presence of the recess 117C makes it difficult for the side wall portion 117B (recess 117C) to come into contact with the housing portion 64 when the steam discharge means 65 is pulled out of the housing space 68 of the lid 21.

[0056] As shown in Figure 7, a circular opening 134 is formed in the third pressure regulating means covering portion 118. When the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached to the steam port assembly 81, the third pressure regulating means 78 is covered by the third pressure regulating means covering portion 118, and the valve body 104 is exposed through the opening 134.

[0057] With the above configuration, when the steam discharge means 65 is disassembled, that is, when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is removed from the steam port assembly 81, the steam port assembly 81 and the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 can be thoroughly washed. At this time, the ball-shaped valve 61 does not come out of the valve case 89, so the valve 61 will not be lost.

[0058] Here, we will explain how to attach and detach the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82. First, regarding the installation method of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82, when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is assembled into the steam port assembly 81 from above, the lower surface portion 124D of the locking claw portion 124 comes into contact with the locking receiving portion 98. Furthermore, when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is pushed down, the elastic plate portion 124B of the locking claw portion 124 elastically deforms, the tip portion 124A of the locking claw portion 124 goes over the locking receiving portion 98, and the upper surface portion 124C of the locking claw portion 124 locks into the lower side portion 98A of the locking receiving portion 98 (see Figure 9). In addition, the enclosed portion 84 of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 comes into contact with the inner surface portion of the vertical wall portion 114 of the steam port base 80. At this time, the regulating section 126 abuts against the bottom plate section 113 of the steam port base 80, and the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached and fixed to the steam port assembly 81. In other words, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is positioned inside the vertical wall section 114 of the steam port assembly 81.

[0059] Next, the method for removing the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 will be described. As shown in Figure 6, the guide wall 128 has an arrow indicator T that indicates the direction in which to pull the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 when removing it. When the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is pulled in the direction indicated by this arrow indicator T, the elastic plate portion 124B elastically deforms, the tip portion 124A of the locking claw portion 124 goes over the locking receiving portion 98, and the locking between the locking claw portion 124 and the locking receiving portion 98 is released. After the locking between the locking claw portion 124 and the locking receiving portion 98 is released, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 can be pulled up and removed from the steam port assembly 81.

[0060] Furthermore, even if one attempts to tilt and lift the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 toward the regulating section 126 (front side) or the side wall section 117B (rear side), the contact section 84 of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is surrounded and in contact with the vertical wall section 114, making it impossible to tilt. In other words, the direction in which the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 can be pulled when removing it is limited to straight relative to the steam port assembly 81.

[0061] As shown in Figure 8, the handle 115 is positioned towards the side wall 117B side (rear side) of the bottom plate portion 113, and as shown in Figure 15, when the lid 21 is open, it is positioned towards the lower side of the inner lid 45. Therefore, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, when removing the steam discharge means 65 from the lid 21, if the user puts their finger F on the handle 115 and pulls it towards them, a force is easily applied in a direction that presses the bottom plate portion 113 against the restricting portion 126. Also, because of the main body 3, it is difficult for the user to pull the handle 115 downwards. Even if the handle 115 is pulled downwards, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 cannot be pulled at an angle relative to the steam port assembly 81, so the steam port assembly 81 and the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 are removed as a single unit of the steam discharge means 65. Therefore, when removing the steam discharge means 65 from the lid 21, it is possible to prevent the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 from detaching from the steam port assembly 81 and remaining in the storage space 68.

[0062] As mainly shown in Figure 20, the housing section 64 has an upper space forming section 151 in which the guide wall 128 is housed, a middle space forming section 152 in which the cap covering section 116 and the passage forming section 117 are housed, and a lower space forming section 153 in which the third pressure regulating means covering section 118 is housed.

[0063] Above the top wall portion 154 of the hollow space forming portion 152, the outer cover bottom plate portion 155, which constitutes part of the outer cover 41, is provided. As shown in Figure 22, a shallow groove portion 156 with a concave shape is formed on the upper side of the lower surface portion 155A of the outer cover bottom plate portion 155, in the portion facing the top wall portion 154. The shallow groove portion 156 is formed in a slight step-like manner and has a substantially trapezoidal shape. As shown in Figure 23, the upper surface portion 155B of the outer cover bottom plate portion 155 has a substantially trapezoidal protrusion where the shallow groove portion 156 is formed. As shown in Figures 2, 17, and 19, the shallow groove portion 156 extends forward beyond the top wall portion 154. Therefore, the clearance 157 between the top wall portion 154 and the shallow groove portion 156 is increased by the depth of the groove of the shallow groove portion 156. Furthermore, the position of the top wall portion 154 of the hollow space forming portion 152 is slightly lower compared to the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1, and the clearance 157 between the top wall portion 154 and the shallow groove portion 156 is larger compared to conventional rice cookers.

[0064] As shown in Figure 21, the inner surface 158 of the housing section 64 has abutment sections 159 and 160 formed therein, which abut the vertical wall section 114 of the steam vent assembly 81, which will be described later. The abutment section 159 is formed as a short section on the front part of the inner surface 158, while the abutment section 160 is formed as a long section that extends continuously on the left, rear, and right parts of the inner surface 158. The abutment surface 159A of the abutment section 159 and the abutment surface 160A of the abutment section 160 are formed as flat surfaces and are at the same height. A concave groove 161 is formed on the rear part of the abutment section 160, and a convex projection 162 formed on the vertical wall section 114 of the steam vent assembly 81 engages with this groove 161 to position it.

[0065] As shown in Figure 17, an elastic cushioning material 163 is placed in the gap S between the outer lid 41 and the uppermost wall 146 of the housing 64. Therefore, when the housing 64 moves upward, the cushioning material 163 is compressed and elastically deformed, applying strong force to the outer lid 41 and the uppermost wall 146, preventing damage to the outer lid 41 and the uppermost wall 146. The cushioning material 163 also serves to prevent water droplets and other substances that have entered the lid body 21 from entering the interior through the lid steam vent 70.

[0066] With the steam discharge means 65 attached to the lid 21, the vertical wall portion 114 of the steam port assembly 81 abuts against the abutments 159 and 160 of the housing portion 64. Therefore, when the inside of the inner kettle 1 becomes hot and the pressure increases, causing the steam discharge means 65 to lift upward, the vertical wall portion 114 of the steam port assembly 81 abuts against the abutments 159 and 160, causing the outer lid cover 42 (housing portion 64) to be pushed up together with it. At this time, since the outer lid cover 42 is not in direct contact with the outer lid 41, even if the outer lid cover 42 (housing portion 64) is pushed upward, the cushioning material 163 elastically deforms, reducing the upward force applied to the outer lid 41. Therefore, the operation panel 35 is not subjected to an upward external force from the outer lid 41. In other words, the amount of upward movement of the outer lid cover 42 (housing section 64) and the steam discharge means 65 due to the increase in pressure inside the container can be absorbed by the cushioning material 163.

[0067] On the other hand, if the pressure inside the container drops from a high-pressure state, the raised outer lid cover 42 (housing section 64) and steam discharge means 65 move downward, and the compressed cushioning material 163 returns to its original shape.

[0068] When the internal pressure is high, the outer cover 42 (housing section 64) is raised, increasing the amount the tip of the opening cylinder 75 that forms the external outlet 69 protrudes outside the vessel. As a result, the high-temperature steam discharged from the external outlet 69 is less likely to come into contact with the control panel 35. When the internal pressure drops from the high-pressure state, the raised outer cover 42 (housing section 64) moves downward, and the amount the opening cylinder 75 protrudes outside the vessel returns to its original position. In other words, when steam is being discharged, the length of the opening cylinder 75 that protrudes outside the vessel increases as it moves upward, and when steam is not being discharged, the length of the protrusion outside the vessel decreases.

[0069] Next, the steam discharge path through which the steam generated inside the inner pot 1 flows until it is discharged outside the rice cooker will be explained with reference to Figure 17. The steam generated inside the inner pot 1 moves from the hole 54 into the containment space 68 (arrow Y1). After that, if the valve 61 is not blocked, the steam moves from the vent hole 90 into the steam discharge means 65 (arrow Y2). The steam that has moved into the steam discharge means 65 moves out of the valve case 89 from the opening 89A (arrow Y3). After that, the steam flows inside the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 (arrow Y4) and moves out of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 from the flow path opening 127 (arrow Y5). At this time, the steam flows upward along the guide wall 128 within the space enclosed by the guide wall 128 and the rear wall portion 144 of the containment section 64 (hereinafter referred to as the "confluence space 145"). When the steam reaches the uppermost wall 146 or finger grip 128A of the containment section 64, it flows around the guide wall 128 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) and moves to a position above the top plate 117A of the passage forming section 117 (arrow Y6). From there, the steam flows upward, flows through the opening cylinder section 75 and is discharged outside the unit from the external discharge port 69 (arrow Y7). Thus, in this rice cooker embodiment, the steam flows in the order of arrow Y1 → arrow Y2 → arrow Y3 → arrow Y4 → arrow Y5 → arrow Y6 → arrow Y7. Of these, the section from hole 54 to vent hole 90 is called the first path (arrow Y1), the section from vent hole 90 to flow path opening 127 is called the second path (arrows Y2, Y3, Y4), and the section from flow path opening 127 to external discharge port 69 is called the third path (arrows Y5, Y6, Y7).

[0070] As shown in Figure 17, a finger-grip portion 128A of the guide wall 128 is positioned directly above the flow path opening 127. Therefore, the sticky residue and condensation carried along the guide wall 128 from the flow path opening 127 adhere to the uppermost wall portion 146 and the finger-grip portion 128A. On the other hand, the steam flows around the guide wall 128 at the point where it reaches the uppermost wall portion 146 and the finger-grip portion 128A, so that only the steam is discharged outside the vessel from the external outlet 69. Furthermore, the sticky residue and condensation that moves from inside the inner kettle 1 to inside the lid 21 also adhere to the inside of the steam discharge means 65, thereby suppressing the amount of sticky residue and condensation discharged to the outside of the steam discharge means 65. In this way, the containment portion 64 and the steam discharge means 65 form a non-linear steam discharge path that causes the steam to flow in a bypass manner, thereby discharging only the steam outside the vessel and making it difficult for sticky residue and condensation to be discharged outside the vessel.

[0071] Steam that moves from the vent hole 90 into the steam discharge means 65 moves out of the valve case 89 not only through the opening 89A but also through the insertion hole 109. Steam that moves out of the valve case 89 from the insertion hole 109 flows to the rear (arrow Y8) in the gap space 148 between the wall portion 147 of the housing portion 64 and the steam discharge means 65, circling the steam discharge means 65 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction), and merges with the steam discharged from the flow path opening 127 in the confluence space 145. Therefore, all the steam that moves from the vent hole 90 into the steam discharge means 65 is collected in the confluence space 145 before being discharged outside the appliance. Thus, in this rice cooker embodiment, steam flows in the order of arrow Y1 → arrow Y2 → arrow Y8 → arrow Y6 → arrow Y7. Of these, the path from the vent hole 90 to the insertion hole 109 is called the fourth path, and the path from the insertion hole 109 to the confluence space 145 is called the fifth path. Furthermore, the rear wall section 114 and the uppermost wall section 146 constitute a part of the wall section 147.

[0072] In this embodiment, the steam discharge path is formed by a first steam discharge path through which the steam flows within the internal space 149 of the steam discharge means 65, and a second steam discharge path through which the steam flows within the gap space 148 after moving outside the steam discharge means 65. The second and fourth paths are the first steam discharge path, and the third and fifth paths are the second steam discharge path.

[0073] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a pressure reduction means 101 is further provided to allow the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 to be freely adjusted, thereby reducing the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 to below atmospheric pressure when the lid 21 is closed to the main body 3. The pressure reduction means 101 consists of a pressure reduction pump 121, which serves as a pressure reduction drive source and is located at the rear of the lid 21, and a tubular path 122 (see Figure 14) that runs from the pressure reduction pump 121 to a pressure reduction hole 55 (see Figures 3 and 4) provided in the inner lid 45. In addition, a solenoid valve 123 (see Figure 18) is provided inside the lid 21 to open and close the base end of the path 122.

[0074] When the inner lid assembly unit 49, including the inner lid 45, is attached to the inner surface of the lid 21, the pressure reducing packing 63 attached to the heat sink 43 elastically deforms and comes into close contact with the upper surface of the inner lid 45, thereby forming a path 122 that connects the pressure reducing hole 55 provided in the inner lid 45 to the pressure reducing pump 121. Furthermore, when the inner pot 1 is set in the inner pot housing section 7 of the main body 3 and the lid 21 with the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached is closed, the lid packing 46 comes into contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1, the valve 61 of the first pressure regulating means 76 closes the vent hole 90, and the valve body 104 of the third pressure regulating means 78 closes the vent hole 106, thereby creating communication between the sealed inner pot 1 and the pressure reducing pump 121 via the path 122. When the pressure reducing pump 121 is activated from this state, the solenoid valve 123 opens the path 122, allowing air inside the inner pot 1 to be discharged to the outside of the rice cooker through the path 122 and the pressure reducing pump 121, thus reducing the pressure inside the sealed inner pot 1. Furthermore, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 falls below a certain value below atmospheric pressure, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 121 is stopped, and the solenoid valve 123 closes the path 122, maintaining a reduced pressure state inside the inner pot 1. In addition, if the pressure inside the inner pot 1 rises due to a slow leak, the solenoid valve 123 similarly opens the path 122 and restarts the pressure reducing pump 121, maintaining the pressure inside the inner pot 1 below atmospheric pressure.

[0075] When the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is lower than atmospheric pressure, and the solenoid 105 (see Figure 18) of the opening / closing drive means switches from energized to de-energized, the valve body 104 of the third pressure regulating means 78 moves away from the vent hole 106, opening the vent hole 106 and creating communication between the inside of the inner pot 1 and the outside of the rice cooker. This makes it possible to immediately release the negative pressure inside the inner pot 1.

[0076] As described above, the rice cooker of this embodiment has an airtight structure in which the containment space 68 is located in a part other than the mounting hole 66 and the external outlet 69, preventing steam and foreign matter from entering the other interior of the lid 21 from the containment space 68. Therefore, as shown in Figure 19, rice cooking is possible even when the steam exhaust means 65 is not installed. In this case, the steam inside the inner pot 1 moves from the mounting hole 66 into the containment space 68, flows through the opening cylinder 75, and is discharged outside the container through the external outlet 69. Furthermore, when the steam exhaust means 65 is not installed, the valve 61 does not function, so the air pressure inside the inner pot 1 is the same as atmospheric pressure, and the force that moves the starch toward the external outlet 69 is only the upward force of the steam, which is weak, making it difficult for the starch to be discharged outside the container. If the steam exhaust means 65 is not installed, the rice cooker cannot perform the function of adjusting the internal pressure of the inner pot 1 to control the cooking process. However, it has the advantage that rice can still be cooked even if the user forgets to install the steam exhaust means 65.

[0077] Next, the control system of the rice cooker in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 18. In the figure, 131 is a control means, which receives temperature information from the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22, as well as operation signals from the operation means 39 which is the operation unit, and controls the heating coil 15, the cord heater 9, and the lid heating means 23 which is the lid heater, respectively, during cooking and keeping warm, and also controls the solenoids 92 and 105, the pressure reducing pump 121, and the solenoid valve 123, respectively.

[0078] In this embodiment, the control means 131 mainly controls the heating coil 15 based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16 to manage the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1, and mainly controls the lid heating means 23 based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 22 to manage the temperature of the heat dissipation plate 43 and thus the inner lid 45. The control means 131 reads a program stored in its own storage means (not shown), which serves as a storage medium, and when the operating means 39 is operated, for example, the rice cooking key, it functions as a rice cooking control means 132 that executes the rice cooking process in the following order to cook the rice in the inner pot 1 at a desired pressure: soaking to promote water absorption of the rice put into the inner pot 1 from the start of cooking; boiling to raise the temperature of the food to be cooked in the inner pot 1 to a boil in a short time; continuing boiling to maintain the boiling state of the food to be cooked until the rice is cooked to a dry state; and steaming to maintain the cooked rice at a high temperature that does not burn it, and finally to finish the cooking process. The heat retention control means 133 that follows the cooking process and maintains the rice in the inner pot 1 at a desired temperature at a desired pressure.

[0079] 135 is a heating coil driving means that incorporates a high-frequency inverter circuit and the like, which receives a control signal from the control means 131 and supplies a predetermined high-frequency current to the heating coil 15. Separately, on the output side of the control means 131, there is a lid heater driving means 136 that receives a control signal from the control means 131 and drives the lid heating means 23 to heat the heat sink 43 and the inner lid 45; a cord heater driving means 137 that turns the cord heater 9 on or off; a solenoid driving means 138 that turns the solenoids 92 and 105 on or off individually; a pump driving means 139 that drives the pressure reducing pump 121; a solenoid valve driving means 140 that turns the solenoid valve 123 on or off; and a display driving means 142 that drives the display means 141, which includes the aforementioned LCD 32 and LEDs. During cooking by the rice cooking control means 132 and during keeping warm by the keep-warm control means 133, the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 detect temperatures, and the heating coil 15 heats the bottom to the lower side of the inner pot 1, the cord heater 9 heats the area around the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1, and the lid heating means 23 heats the lid 21. After cooking by the rice cooking control means 132 is completed and the contents of the inner pot 1 have been cooked into rice, the system automatically switches to keeping warm by the keep-warm control means 133. Based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16, the heating of the inner pot 1 by the heating coil 15 and the cord heater 9 is adjusted to keep the rice warm at a predetermined keep-warm temperature (approximately 70°C to 76°C).

[0080] In this embodiment, multiple heating patterns corresponding to the type of food to be cooked and the cooking method are stored in advance in the storage means. The cooking control means 132 selects a specific heating pattern from these multiple heating patterns by operating, for example, the selection key of the operating means 39. When the cooking start is instructed by operating the cooking key, the cooking control means 132 controls the cord heater 9, heating coil 15, lid heating means 23, solenoids 92, 105, pressure reducing pump 121, and solenoid valve 123 according to the selected specific heating pattern, thereby cooking the food placed in the inner pot 1 according to the selected pattern and finally producing cooked rice. The selection key of the operating means 39, which can be manually selected by the user, is a means for selecting cooking courses categorized by the type of food to be cooked and the cooking method. When one cooking course is selected from the multiple cooking courses by selecting this selection key, a specific heating pattern corresponding to it is selected. Note that such selection means are not limited to selection keys, and may also include a function in which the cooking control means 132 automatically selects a specific heating pattern by default.

[0081] As described above, the rice cooker of this embodiment comprises an inner pot 1, a main body 3 that houses the inner pot 1, a lid 21 that covers the top of the main body 3, a cord heater 9, a heating coil 15, a lid heating means 23 that heat the inner pot 1, a first pressure regulating means 76 that increases the pressure inside the inner pot 1, a steam discharge means 65 that constitutes a steam discharge path for steam generated inside the inner pot 1, a housing 64 that houses the steam discharge means 65, an outer lid 41 disposed above the housing 64, and an operation panel 35 that covers the outer surface of the outer lid 41. The housing 64 has an opening cylinder portion 75 for discharging steam, the outer lid 41 and the operation panel 35 have a lid steam port 70 and a panel steam port 40 through which the opening cylinder portion 75 is inserted, and the inner surface portion 158 of the housing 64 has abutment portions 159 and 160 that the steam discharge means 65 contacts. Therefore, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 increases, the housing section 64 (outer lid cover 42) and the steam discharge means 65 lift up together, and the cushioning material 163 placed in the gap S between the outer lid 41 and the housing section 64 can absorb the external force applied to the outer lid 41 from the housing section 64. In addition, the clearance 157 between the top wall section 154 and the shallow groove section 156 prevents the outer lid 41 from receiving external force from the top wall section 154, and as a result, external force is not applied to the operation panel 35. difficult It is possible.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the rice cooker, a shallow groove 156 is formed in the outer lid 41 in the portion facing the top wall 154 of the steam discharge means 65, which houses a part of the first pressure regulating means 76. Therefore, even if the pressure inside the inner pot 1 increases and the housing portion 64 (outer lid cover 42) lifts up, there is sufficient clearance 157 between the top wall 154 and the shallow groove 156, so the top wall 154 does not come into contact with the outer lid 41, and the outer lid 41 does not receive external force from the top wall 154.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the rice cooker, a gap S is formed between the outer lid 41 and the housing 64, and a cushioning material 163 is placed in the gap S. Even if the housing 64 is lifted, the cushioning material 163 elastically deforms to absorb the upward force, making it difficult to apply external force to the outer lid 41. As a result, external force is also difficult to apply to the operation panel 35 that covers the outer surface (upper surface) of the outer lid 41, and repeated deformation of the operation panel 35 and subsequent damage can be suppressed.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the rice cooker, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 increases, the opening cylinder portion 75 moves in a direction that protrudes from the control panel 35. As a result, the high-temperature steam discharged from the opening cylinder portion 75 is less likely to come into contact with the control panel 35, thereby suppressing heat damage to the control panel 35. Also, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is not high, the amount of protrusion of the opening cylinder portion 75 is small, allowing the top surface of the lid 21 to have a flat appearance, thus providing a design aesthetic.

[0085] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the inner pot of this embodiment includes any container or pot that can hold the food to be cooked. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] 1. Inner pot 3 Main unit 9. Cord heater (heating means) 15. Heating coil (heating means) 21 Lid 23 Lid heating means (heating means) 35 Control Panel 40 Panel steam vent (insertion hole) 41 Outer lid 64 Storage Units 65 Steam discharge means 70. Lid steam vent (insertion hole) 75 Opening cylinder part 76 First pressure regulating means (pressure adjustment means) 154 Top wall section 156 Shallow groove section 158 Inner surface 159 Assault Section 160 Assault Section 163 Cushioning material S Gap

Claims

1. Inner pot and The main body that houses the inner pot, A cover that covers the upper part of the main body, A heating means for heating the inner pot, A pressure adjustment means for increasing the pressure inside the inner pot, A steam discharge means that constitutes a steam discharge path for steam generated in the inner boiler, A housing section for housing the steam discharge means, It is equipped with an operation panel, The lid has an outer lid disposed above the housing section, The control panel covers the outer surface of the outer cover, The aforementioned storage section has an open cylindrical section formed for discharging the steam. The outer cover and the operation panel have through holes through which the opening cylinder portion is inserted. An abutment is formed on the inner surface of the housing portion, against which the steam discharge means abuts. A gap is formed between the outer cover and the housing portion. An elastic member is placed in the aforementioned gap. A rice cooker characterized in that, when the pressure inside the inner pot increases and the housing portion lifts up, the elastic member elastically deforms to absorb the upward force, thereby preventing the housing portion from directly contacting the outer lid.

2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer lid has a shallow groove formed in the portion facing the top wall of the steam discharge means, which houses a part of the pressure adjustment means.

3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, characterized in that the shallow groove portion has a concave shape on the upper side.

4. The rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that when the pressure inside the inner pot increases, the opening cylindrical portion moves in a direction that protrudes from the control panel by the amount by which the elastic member elastically deforms.

Images