rice cooker

Abstract

To improve stability of measurement in a rice cooker that is capable of automatically supplying a rice cooking pot with water.SOLUTION: A rice cooker 1 includes: a rice cooking pot 30 removably arranged in a rice cooking part 23; a water container 90 removably arranged in a water storage part 25; a water supply mechanism 94 for supplying the rice cooking pot 30 with water in the water vessel 90; and a control part 125 which controls the water supply mechanism 94 on the basis of rice cooking information received by a reception part 12 and supplies the rice cooking pot 30 with water of a quantity corresponding to a quantity of cooking rice. The water supply mechanism 94 has: a water measuring part 95 capable of measuring water in the water container 90 in a volume equal to a water amount necessary for rice cooking of a minimum rice cooking volume with the rice cooking pot 30 or below; a pump 98 pumping water in the water container body 90b up to the water measuring part 95; and a water supply passage 108 capable of supplying the rice cooking pot 30 with water in the water measuring part 95 by self-weight.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a rice cooker comprising a rice cooking portion where a rice cooking pot is detachably disposed, a rice storage portion where a rice container is detachably disposed, and a water storage portion where a water container is detachably disposed. The rice cooker includes a rice supply mechanism including a rice supply path, a water supply mechanism including a water supply path, and a control unit that controls these mechanisms to automatically supply an amount of uncooked rice and water corresponding to a designated rice cooking amount from the rice container and the water container to the rice cooking pot, respectively, and perform rice cooking in the rice cooking portion. When automatically supplying uncooked rice and water, the supply amounts are determined based on detection results of three weight sensors that respectively detect the weights of the rice container, the water container, and the rice cooking pot.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Measurement of water using a weight sensor may cause errors due to ambient temperature changes, degradation due to long-term use, and the like. Therefore, the rice cooker of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in measurement stability.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve measurement stability in a rice cooker capable of automatically supplying water into a rice cooking pot.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] One aspect of the present invention comprises a housing having a rice cooking section and a water storage section provided above the rice cooking section; a rice cooking pot detachably disposed in the rice cooking section; a water container capable of storing an amount of water greater than or equal to the amount of water required to cook rice to the maximum cooking capacity of the rice cooking section, and detachably disposed in the water storage section; a water supply mechanism for supplying the water in the water container into the rice cooking pot; a receiving section for receiving rice cooking information including the amount of rice to be cooked; and a control unit that controls the water supply mechanism based on the rice cooking information received by the receiving section and supplies an amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked into the rice cooking pot, wherein the water supply mechanism The present invention provides a rice cooker comprising: a water measuring unit defined by a partition wall in the upper part of the water container and capable of measuring the water in the water container to a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required to cook the minimum cooking capacity of rice in the rice cooker; a pump body placed in the water container; a first drive unit placed in the water storage unit and connected to the pump body when the water container is placed in the water storage unit, the pump that draws the water from the water container body up to the water measuring unit; and a water supply channel that connects the water measuring unit and the inside of the rice cooker, and is capable of supplying the water in the water measuring unit into the rice cooker by gravity.

[0007] The water supply mechanism has a water measuring unit capable of measuring water in a volume less than or equal to the volume required for cooking the minimum rice cooking capacity, and water from the water container body is pumped up to the water measuring unit. In this way, the water supplied to the rice cooker is measured by the volume of a structure that is not prone to errors, rather than by a weight sensor which may develop errors over time, thus improving the stability of measurement. In addition, since the water container can be removed from the housing, the water container, including the water measuring unit, can be easily cleaned and kept clean.

[0008] The control unit operates the pump for a period of time longer than the time it takes for the water supplied to the water metering unit to overflow and return to the water container body.

[0009] This configuration allows for accurate measurement of a fixed amount of water without the need for water level sensors, thus reducing the cost of rice cookers capable of automatically supplying water to the rice cooker pot.

[0010] The water measuring unit includes a first liter section and a second liter section having a smaller volume than the first liter section. The water supply mechanism has a pair of openable and closable shut-off valves positioned at the bottom of the first and second liter sections, respectively, and a pair of second drive units that individually open the pair of shut-off valves. The control unit sets the number of times water is supplied from the first liter section to the rice cooker and the number of times water is supplied from the second liter section to the rice cooker based on the amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked, and individually controls the pair of second drive units to supply water to the rice cooker.

[0011] This configuration allows for improved resolution of water supply while shortening the water supply time compared to supplying water to the rice cooker using a single type of compartment. Furthermore, since the shut-off valve is positioned above the bottom of the water container body, water leakage caused by the shut-off valve interfering with other components when attaching or detaching the water container to the water storage section can be suppressed.

[0012] When the number of water supply cycles for the first and second water supply cycles are different, the control unit supplies water from the one with the higher number of cycles first until the number of water supply cycles equalizes, and in the final water supply stage, it supplies water to both the first and second tanks simultaneously, while the pump does not supply water to the first and second tanks.

[0013] With this configuration, once the rice cooker has been filled with water, the water measuring section will be empty. Therefore, when removing the water container from the water storage section for replenishment, it is possible to prevent water from being exposed from the water container.

[0014] The pump supplies water from the water container body to the first section, and any water overflowing from the first section is supplied to the second section.

[0015] This configuration improves the layout of the first and second manhole sections, including the pump piping.

[0016] In the measurement resolution when cooking rice of the minimum cooking capacity, the minimum unit of volume of the first sho section is set to either an even or odd number, and the minimum unit of volume of the second sho section is set to the other of either an even or odd number.

[0017] This configuration ensures that the required amount of water for cooking a specified amount of rice is reliably supplied to the rice cooker.

[0018] The water supply mechanism includes an openable and closable shut-off valve located at the bottom of the water measuring section and a second drive unit that opens the shut-off valve. The amount of water supplied to the water measuring section per unit time by the pump is greater than the amount of water supplied from the water measuring section to the rice cooker per unit time by opening the shut-off valve. The control unit supplies water to the water measuring section by the pump, and when the water measuring section is full, it opens the shut-off valve with the second drive unit while continuing to supply water to the water measuring section by the pump, supplying the amount of water necessary for cooking the amount of rice to the rice cooker based on the water supply time.

[0019] With this configuration, the water metering unit will always be supplying water to the rice cooker in an overflowing state. As a result, the water head pressure in the water metering unit will remain constant, and the amount of water supplied to the rice cooker can be reliably adjusted by adjusting the water supply time when the shut-off valve is open.

[0020] The water supply time of the water supply mechanism by the control unit is set based on the amount of water to be supplied, which is obtained by subtracting the amount of water corresponding to the volume of the water measuring unit from the amount of water required to cook the amount of rice, and the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water measuring unit to the rice cooker when the shut-off valve is opened. In the final water supply stage, the control unit stops the supply of water to the water measuring unit by the pump and supplies all the water in the water measuring unit.

[0021] With this configuration, once the rice cooker has been filled with water, the water measuring section will be empty. Therefore, when removing the water container from the water storage section for replenishment, it is possible to prevent water from being exposed from the water container.

[0022] The casing has a rice accommodating portion provided on an upper side of the rice cooking portion so as to be adjacent to one side of the water accommodating portion when viewed from the front side, and can store polished rice in an amount equal to or greater than the maximum rice cooking capacity, the rice cooker further comprising: a rice container detachably disposed in the rice accommodating portion; and a rice supply mechanism that is disposed at a bottom of the rice container, receives the polished rice in the rice container supplied by its own weight, has a rice metering portion that meters polished rice with a volume equal to or less than a volume corresponding to the minimum rice cooking capacity, and supplies the polished rice in the rice metering portion into the rice cooking pot, wherein the control unit controls the rice supply mechanism and the water supply mechanism based on the rice cooking information, and supplies polished rice and water in amounts corresponding to the rice cooking amount to the rice cooking pot to perform rice cooking.

[0023] According to this configuration, since polished rice and water can be automatically supplied into the rice cooking pot to cook cooked rice, the convenience for users can be improved. In addition, since the rice accommodating portion and the water accommodating portion are provided on the upper side of the rice cooking portion, compared with known rice cookers that cannot automatically supply polished rice and water, the overall height of the casing is increased, but the installation area does not increase. Therefore, the rice cooker can be installed, for example, in a limited dedicated space provided in a cupboard.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, the stability of metering in a rice cooker capable of automatically supplying water into a rice cooking pot can be improved.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A perspective view of the rice cooker with a door opened and a side panel removed. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram of the rice cooker in Fig. 1. [Figure 4] A block diagram of the rice cooker in Fig. 1. [Figure 5] A front perspective view of the rice cooker with an exterior panel removed. [Figure 6] A rear perspective view of the rice cooker with an exterior panel removed. [Figure 7] A perspective view of the rice cooker showing the rice accommodating portion and the water accommodating portion disassembled from the rice cooking portion. [Figure 8]Cross-sectional view along line VIII-VIII in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of line IX-IX in Figure 1. [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of line XX in Figure 1. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view similar to Figure 9, showing a rice cooker with the door open. [Figure 12] Exploded perspective view of the rice cooker pot, lid, and lifting platform. [Figure 13] Decomposed perspective view of the rice storage section, water storage section, rice container, and water container. [Figure 14] A cross-sectional perspective view of a rice container with the lid open. [Figure 15] A cross-sectional perspective view of the rice container after moving the measuring cup component from the state shown in Figure 14. [Figure 16] A cross-sectional perspective view of a water container with its lid open. [Figure 17] Rear perspective view of a water container. [Figure 18] A perspective view showing the relationship between the lid containing the valve body and the valve body's drive mechanism. [Figure 19] A plan view of a portion of a water container with its lid open. [Figure 20] Figure 19 shows a cross-sectional view along the line XX-XX. [Figure 21] Cross-sectional view of the water storage section cut along the line XXI-XXI in Figure 13. [Figure 22] A flowchart illustrating the water supply process by the control unit. [Figure 23] A flowchart illustrating the weighing steps in Figure 22. [Figure 24] A flowchart illustrating the supply steps in Figure 22. [Figure 25] A partial plan view of a water container with its lid open, representing another embodiment. [Figure 26] A flowchart illustrating the water supply process by the control unit of another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the rice cooker 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 in which a rice cooking section 23 in which a rice cooking pot 30 is detachably arranged, a rice storage section 24 in which a rice container 70 is detachably arranged, and a water storage section 25 in which a water container 90 is detachably arranged. The rice cooker 1 also comprises a rice supply mechanism 75 including a rice supply passage 83, a water supply mechanism 94 including a water supply passage 108, an operation panel 120, and a control unit 125 (see Figure 4).

[0028] In the attached drawing, the X, Y, and Z directions represent the width, front-to-back, and height directions of the rice cooker 1, respectively. Furthermore, within the Y direction, the arrow indicates the rear (back side), and the opposite direction indicates the front (front side).

[0029] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the rice cooking unit 23 includes a coil 32, a body heater 33, and a lid heater 34 as heating units for heating the rice cooking pot 30. The rice cooking unit 23 also includes a pot temperature sensor 37 and a lid temperature sensor 38 for detecting the temperature of the rice cooking pot 30.

[0030] The rice storage section 24 is provided with a rice supply mechanism 75 for supplying cooked rice from the rice container 70 to the rice cooker 30. This rice supply mechanism 75 comprises a measuring member 76 having a rice measuring section 77, a rice supply motor 80 for moving the measuring member 76 to the measuring position shown in Figure 14 and the rice supply position shown in Figure 15, and a rice supply path 83. At the measuring position shown in Figure 14, cooked rice is supplied from the rice container 70 to the rice measuring section 77 and measured, but it is not possible to supply cooked rice from the rice measuring section 77 to the rice cooker 30 through the rice supply path 83. At the rice supply position shown in Figure 15, a fixed amount of cooked rice from the rice measuring section 77 can be supplied to the rice cooker 30 through the rice supply path 83, but it is not possible to supply cooked rice from the rice container 70 to the rice measuring section 77.

[0031] The water storage section 25 is provided with a water supply mechanism 94 for supplying water from the water container 90 to the rice cooker 30. This water supply mechanism 94 comprises a water metering unit 95, a pump 98 including a water supply motor 101, a water supply solenoid 104, and a water supply channel 108. In this water supply mechanism 94, the water from the water container 90 is supplied to the water metering unit 95 by the water supply motor 101 and measured, and the water supply solenoid 104 can supply a fixed amount of water from the water metering unit 95 to the rice cooker 30 through the water supply channel 108.

[0032] Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the operation panel 120 is an example of a reception unit that receives cooking information, including the amount of rice to be cooked. The reception unit may receive cooking information, including the amount of rice to be cooked, via a network using a communication terminal such as a smartphone. The operation panel 120 is located on the front of the lower door 18, which will be described later. However, the operation panel 120 may also be located on the top surface of the housing 10 or on a part other than the lower door 18. The operation panel 120 comprises one liquid crystal panel 121 and several switches. In this specification, only two switches, the cooking switch 122 and the cancel switch 123, are shown. The liquid crystal panel 121 may be composed of a capacitive touch panel.

[0033] Referring to Figure 4, the control unit 125 is connected to a coil 32, a body heater 33, a lid heater 34, a pot temperature sensor 37, a lid temperature sensor 38, a rice supply motor 80, a water supply motor 101, a water supply solenoid 104, and an operation panel 120.

[0034] The control unit 125 controls the rice supply motor 80, the water supply motor 101, and the water supply solenoid 104 based on the rice cooking information input by operating the operation panel 120, and measures the cooked rice in the rice container 70 and the water in the water container 90 using the rice measuring unit 77 and the water measuring unit 95, respectively, and supplies them to the rice cooker pot 30. Once the supply of cooked rice and water is complete, the control unit 125 controls the coil 32, the body heater 33, and the lid heater 34 based on the detection results of the pot temperature sensor 37 and the lid temperature sensor 38, and executes a rice cooking process including a preheating process, a medium boiling process, a boil maintenance process, and a steaming process. This cooks the specified amount of cooked rice. After the rice cooking process is complete, the control unit 125 then executes a keep-warm process to keep the cooked rice warm.

[0035] In this embodiment, regarding the rice cooker 1 that can automatically measure and supply rice and water, the aim is to improve user-friendliness and to improve the stability of measurement by using a rice measuring unit 77 and a water measuring unit 95 with predetermined volumes.

[0036] The following describes the configuration of the housing 10, the rice cooking section 23, the rice storage section 24 including the rice supply mechanism 75, and the water storage section 25 including the water supply mechanism 94.

[0037] (Enclosure configuration) Referring to Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, the housing 10 comprises a resin lower frame 11, a resin upper frame 12 positioned above the lower frame 11, and a metal frame 13 that secures them together. The outer surfaces of these are covered by exterior panels. Specifically, both sides of the frame 13 are covered by side panels 14, and the rear of the frame 13 is covered by a rear panel 15. The underside of the lower frame 11 is covered by a bottom panel 16, and the upper side of the upper frame 12 is covered by a top panel 17.

[0038] The front end of the lower frame 11 is closed by the lower door 18, and the front end of the upper frame 12 is closed by the upper door 19. Referring to Figures 2 and 11, the lower door 18 is attached to the lower front end of the lower frame 11 so as to allow rotation around a pivot axis extending in the width direction, and is held in an open position by an arm member 62 positioned on the outside in the width direction of the side wall 11a. The arm member 62 constitutes part of a link mechanism 61, which will be described in detail later. The upper door 19 is attached to the lower front end of the upper frame 12 so as to allow rotation around a pivot axis extending in the width direction, and is held in an open position by an arm member 20 positioned on the outside in the width direction of the side wall 12a. However, the lower door 18 and the upper door 19 may be configured to rotate around a pivot axis extending in the height direction. Alternatively, the lower door 18 and the upper door 19 may be provided as a single unit, and the front openings of the rice cooking section 23, the rice storage section 24, and the water storage section 25 may be opened and closed with a single door.

[0039] Referring to Figures 5 and 8, the upper frame 12 is provided with a partition wall 12c that protrudes upward from the bottom wall (partition wall) 12b to separate the rice storage section 24 from the water storage section 25. To the right of the partition wall 12c on the upper frame 12, a first metal partition member 21 is positioned, which is concave when viewed from above. To the left of the partition wall 12c on the upper frame 12, a second metal partition member 22 is positioned, which is rectangular and cylindrical.

[0040] In the housing 10 configured in this way, the entire area within the lower frame 11 is set as the rice cooking section 23. Viewed from the front, the area to the right of the partition wall 12c, which includes the central area in the width direction within the upper frame 12, is set as the rice storage section 24, and the remaining area on the left is set as the water storage section 25. In other words, viewed from the front, the rice storage section 24 is located to the upper right of the rice cooking section 23, and viewed from the front, the water storage section 25 is located to the upper left of the rice cooking section 23, adjacent to the rice storage section 24. However, the rice storage section 24 and the water storage section 25 may be arranged in reverse order, as long as they are on the upper side of the rice cooking section 23.

[0041] Referring to Figures 2 and 11, the front opening of the rice cooking section 23 is opened by the front opening of the lower door 18, and the front openings of the rice storage section 24 and the water storage section 25 are opened by the front opening of the upper door 19. This allows the rice cooker 30, rice container 70, and water container 90 to be inserted and removed horizontally from the front of the housing 10. At this time, the metal inner plate 18a of the lower door 18 can be used as a stand for the rice cooker 30, and the metal inner plate 19a of the upper door 19 can be used as a stand for the rice container 70 and water container 90. Therefore, the rice cooker 30, rice container 70, and water container 90 can be easily inserted and removed from the housing 10, improving user convenience.

[0042] (Rice cooking section configuration) Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the rice cooking unit 23 is located at the bottom of the housing 10, and the rice cooking pot 30 is detachably positioned within it. Referring to Figures 3, 4, 8, and 9, the rice cooking unit 23 includes a coil 32, a body heater 33, a lid heater 34, a pot temperature sensor 37, and a lid temperature sensor 38. Also, referring to Figures 7 and 12, the rice cooking unit 23 includes a lid 40 that closes the upper opening of the rice cooking pot 30, and a lifting platform 48 on which the lid 40 is detachably positioned.

[0043] Referring to Figures 2 and 12, the rice cooker pot 30 is made of a magnetic material and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by pressing or casting. The upper end of the rice cooker pot 30 is provided with a flange portion 30a that protrudes radially outward, and a heat insulating cover 31 made of heat-resistant resin is attached to the lower side of the flange portion 30a.

[0044] Referring to Figures 5, 8, and 9, the coil 32 is positioned below the resin protective frame 35 located at the bottom of the lower frame 11, and generates eddy currents by passing a high-frequency current through it, thereby inductively heating the rice cooker pot 30. The body heater 33 is positioned on the outside of the metal inner body 36 located above the protective frame 35, and on the outside of the inner plate 18a of the lower door 18, respectively, and heats the outer circumference of the rice cooker pot 30. The lid heater 34 is positioned above the metal heat dissipation plate 51 provided on the lifting platform 48, and heats the inside of the rice cooker pot 30 via the lid 40.

[0045] Referring to Figures 3, 8, and 9, the pot temperature sensor 37 is positioned on the protective frame 35 and detects the temperature of the rice cooker pot 30 with a detection unit that penetrates the protective frame 35, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 125. The lid temperature sensor 38 is positioned on the heat dissipation plate 51 of the lifting platform 48 and detects the temperature inside the rice cooker pot 30 via the lid 40, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 125.

[0046] Referring to Figures 9, 11, and 12, the lid 40 is positioned below the lifting platform 48 and retractably closes the upper opening of the rice cooker pot 30. As is most clearly shown in Figure 12, the lid 40 comprises a rectangular, metal lid body 41 when viewed from above. The lid body 41 has a recess 41a that is slightly smaller than the opening of the rice cooker pot 30. An annular sealing member 42 is positioned on the outer circumference of the recess 41a, which is pressed against the inner surface of the rice cooker pot 30.

[0047] An exhaust unit 43 is provided on the front side of the recess 41a of the lid 40. This exhaust unit 43 has an exhaust section 43a connected to the exhaust port 44 shown in Figure 1. Inside the exhaust unit 43, a pair of pressure regulating valves 45 are arranged, similar to well-known pressure rice cookers that do not have an automatic rice and water supply function. Each pressure regulating valve 45 is switched by a pressure regulating solenoid 53 located on the lifting platform 48 between a pressurized state that can raise the pressure inside the rice cooker 30 to a set pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and a non-pressurized state that cannot raise the pressure. Also inside the exhaust unit 43, there is a safety valve 46 that opens due to the pressure inside the rice cooker 30 when the pressure inside the rice cooker 30 rises to an abnormal pressure exceeding the set pressure.

[0048] A through-hole is provided in the center of the recess 41a of the lid 40, corresponding to the axis of the rice cooker 30, and a valve body 47 is attached to this through-hole. The valve body 47 comprises a conical valve body 47a that widens towards the bottom and a valve shaft 47b that protrudes upward from the valve body 47a. The valve shaft 47b is movably supported by the valve seat 47c, and the opening 47d of this valve seat 47c constitutes a supply port that communicates with the rice supply passage 83 and the water supply passage 108 shown in Figure 3. A supply solenoid 54 located on the lifting platform 48 switches between the open valve state shown in Figures 8 to 10 and the closed valve state shown in Figure 11. When the valve shaft 47b is pressed downward by the supply solenoid 54, the valve body 47 descends and opens, allowing the supply of rice and water into the rice cooker 30. When the pressure on the valve stem 47b by the supply solenoid 54 is released, the valve body 47 rises due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown) and closes, suppressing the backflow of steam from inside the rice cooker 30 into the rice supply passage 83 and the water supply passage 108.

[0049] Referring to Figures 7 and 12, the lifting platform 48 is provided with a mounting portion 48a for attaching the lid 40. This lifting platform 48 is located on the upper part of the lower frame 11 and can be raised and lowered by a link mechanism 61 located on the lower frame 11. In the lowered state of the lifting platform 48 shown in Figures 9 and 10, the attached lid 40 closes the opening of the rice cooker pot 30. In the raised state of the lifting platform 48 shown in Figure 11, the opening of the rice cooker pot 30 is opened, allowing the rice cooker pot 30 to be inserted into and removed from the rice cooking section 23.

[0050] More specifically, the lifting platform 48 is rotatably attached to a hinge shaft 49 that is installed on the rear upper part of a pair of side walls 11a of the lower frame 11, that is, on the side opposite to the lower door 18 of the rice cooking unit 23. A pair of engagement shafts 50 that protrude outward in the width direction are provided in front of the hinge shaft 49 of the lifting platform 48. These engagement shafts 50 pass through the side walls 11a of the lower frame 11 and are moved up and down by a link mechanism 61, causing the lifting platform 48 to rotate around the hinge shaft 49 and swing up and down.

[0051] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, a heat sink 51 is positioned at the bottom of the lifting platform 48, and a lid heater 34 and a lid temperature sensor 38 are positioned on this heat sink 51. Referring to Figures 7 and 12, a reinforcing plate 52 is positioned on the top surface of the lifting platform 48, and a pair of pressure regulating solenoids 53 and one supply solenoid 54 are positioned on this reinforcing plate 52. An operating member (not shown) for switching the pressure regulating valve 45 of the lid 40 between a pressurized state and a non-pressurized state is attached to the rod of the pressure regulating solenoid 53. An operating member 55 for switching the valve body 47 of the lid 40 between an open state and a closed state is attached to the rod of the supply solenoid 54.

[0052] Referring to Figures 9 and 12, a common input member (input section) 56, which constitutes a part of the rice supply channel 83 and the water supply channel 108 shown in Figure 3, is located in the center of the lifting platform 48. This input member 56 has an outer perimeter wall 56a, a bottom wall 56b, and a connecting section 56c. Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the connecting section 56c is located directly above the valve body 47 provided on the cover 40. The valve shaft 47b of the valve body 47, which protrudes into this connecting section 56c, is operated by the supply solenoid 54 via the operating member 55.

[0053] Referring to Figures 7 and 12, duct members 57 communicating with the exhaust unit 43 provided in the lid 40 are arranged on both the front sides of the lifting platform 48. A fan 58 is positioned on the partition wall 11b of the lower frame 11. The pair of duct members 57 and the fan 58 are connected by tubes 59. During rice cooking, the fan 58 blows air into the exhaust unit 43 through the tubes 59 and the duct members 57, allowing steam flowing from the rice cooker pot 30 into the exhaust unit 43 to be discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 44 shown in Figure 1 via the exhaust section 43a.

[0054] Referring to Figures 2 and 5, the link mechanism 61 for raising and lowering the lifting platform 48 is located on the outside in the width direction of the side wall 11a of the lower frame body 11 and includes an arm member 62, a slide member 65, and a hook member 66. This link mechanism 61, in conjunction with the closing rotation of the lower door 18, lowers the lifting platform 48 together with the lid 40 to the lowered position shown in Figure 9, and restricts the movement of the lifting platform 48 to the raised position shown in Figure 11. On the other hand, in conjunction with the opening rotation of the lower door 18, the link mechanism 61 releases the restriction on the movement of the lifting platform 48 and then raises the lifting platform 48 together with the lid 40 to the raised position shown in Figure 11.

[0055] The arm member 62 comprises an outer end 62a pivotally supported by the lower door 18, an inner end 62b positioned inside the housing 10, and a guide groove 62c provided between the outer end 62a and the inner end 62b. A guide projection 11c protruding from the lower frame 11 is inserted through the guide groove 62c. When the lower door 18 is opened, the arm member 62 moves from the retracted position shown in Figure 5 to the extended position shown in Figure 2, and rotates counterclockwise around the guide projection 11c in Figure 2. This displaces the inner end 62b upward, pushing up the slide member 65. On the other hand, when the lower door 18 is closed, the arm member 62 moves from the extended position shown in Figure 2 to the retracted position shown in Figure 5, and rotates clockwise around the guide projection 11c in Figure 2. This displaces the inner end 62b downward, releasing the upward push-up of the slide member 65 and allowing the slide member 65 to move downward.

[0056] The sliding member 65 is positioned above the inner end portion 62b of the arm member 62 and is movably positioned vertically on the side wall 11a of the lower frame 11. The engagement shaft 50 of the lifting platform 48 passes through the upper part of the sliding member 65 and is engaged with it. The sliding member 65 is pushed up by the arm member 62, which is linked to the opening rotation of the lower door 18, and via the engagement shaft 50, the lifting platform 48 is raised to the raised position shown in Figure 11. On the other hand, the sliding member 65 is released from being pushed up by the arm member 62, which is linked to the closing rotation of the lower door 18, and via the engagement shaft 50, the lifting platform 48 is lowered to the lowered position shown in Figure 9.

[0057] Referring to Figures 2, 7, and 8, the hook member 66 is positioned on the side wall 11a of the lower frame 11 so as to be above the guide groove 62c of the arm member 62. The hook member 66 comprises a locking piece 66a and an operating receiving portion 66b, and is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction between the locked position shown in Figures 7 and 8 and the unlocked position shown in Figure 2. In the locked position shown in Figures 7 and 8, the locking piece 66a locks onto the upper surface of the reinforcing plate 52 of the lifting platform 48 in the lowered position, restricting the lifting platform 48 from rising to the raised position shown in Figure 11. In the unlocked position shown in Figure 2, the locking piece 66a is released from the lifting platform 48, allowing the lifting platform 48 to rise to the raised position shown in Figure 11.

[0058] The hook member 66 is biased to the locked position shown in Figure 7 by a spring (not shown). To restrict and operate the rotation of the hook member 66 from the locked position shown in Figure 7 to the unlocked position shown in Figure 2, the arm member 62 is provided with a stopper 63a and an operating piece 64. Specifically, an auxiliary member 63 is attached to the inside in the width direction of the arm member 62, and a stopper 63a and an operating piece 64 are attached to this auxiliary member 63.

[0059] The stopper 63a protrudes upward from the auxiliary member 63. When the arm member 62 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 5, the stopper 63a is located inside the operating receiving portion 66b of the hook member 66 in the width direction, restricting the rotation of the hook member 66 from the locked position shown in Figure 7 to the unlocked position shown in Figure 2. On the other hand, when the arm member 62 is in the extended position shown in Figure 2, the stopper 63a is located at a distance in front of the operating receiving portion 66b, allowing the rotation of the hook member 66 between the locked position shown in Figure 7 and the unlocked position shown in Figure 2.

[0060] The operating piece 64 is mounted behind the stopper 63a and protrudes upward from the auxiliary member 63. When the arm member 62 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 5, the operating piece 64 is positioned behind the operating receiving portion 66b of the hook member 66, preventing the hook member 66 from being rotated. On the other hand, when the arm member 62 moves to the extended position shown in Figure 2, the operating piece 64 presses the operating receiving portion 66b inward in the width direction, rotating the hook member 66 to the unlocked position shown in Figure 2. After the unlocking of the hook member 66 by the operating piece 64 is completed, the upward movement of the slide member 65 by the inner end portion 62b of the arm member 62 begins.

[0061] In the rice cooking unit 23 configured in this way, the opening of the rice cooking pot 30 is closed by the lid 40 as the lifting platform 48, which is linked to the closing rotation of the lower door 18, descends, while the opening of the rice cooking pot 30 is opened by the lid 40 as the lifting platform 48, which is linked to the opening rotation of the lower door 18, rises. Therefore, the rice cooking pot 30 can be inserted and removed with the lower door 18 open, just like a well-known rice cooker that does not have an automatic rice and water supply function. Thus, the usability of the rice cooker 1, which is capable of automatic measurement and supply of rice and water, can be improved.

[0062] (Composition of the US containment facility, including the US supply mechanism) Referring to Figures 3, 8, and 9, the rice storage section 24 is located to the upper right of the rice cooking section 23 when viewed from the front, and the rice container 70 is detachably positioned within it. The rice storage section 24, including the rice container 70, is provided with a rice supply mechanism 75 for supplying the cooked rice from the rice container 70 into the rice cooker 30.

[0063] Referring to Figures 8, 14, and 15, the rice container 70 comprises a rice container body 71 which is a rectangular cylindrical hopper when viewed from above, and a lid 72 which closes the upper opening of the rice container body 71. The rice container 70 has a volume capable of holding the maximum amount of rice that can be cooked in one cooking process, that is, rice (pre-washed rice in this embodiment) that is greater than or equal to the maximum cooking capacity. The volume of this rice container 70 will be described in detail later.

[0064] The bottom wall 71a of the rice container body 71 is an inverted square pyramidal shape that narrows towards the bottom, with a rectangular central communication opening 71b located at the very bottom. The individual inclined surfaces that make up the bottom wall 71a are inclined at an angle that allows cooked rice to flow into the communication opening 71b by its own weight. To the left of the communication opening 71b in the bottom wall 71a, that is, towards the center in the width direction of the rice cooker 1, a resin leveling member 73 is positioned. The leveling member 73 is comb-shaped and has multiple elastic pieces 73a that can be elastically deformed.

[0065] Referring to Figures 3, 8, and 13 to 15, the rice supply mechanism 75 includes a measuring bowl 76 having a rice measuring unit 77 for supplying a fixed amount of cooked rice, and a rice supply motor 80 for moving the measuring bowl 76. The rice supply mechanism 75 also includes a rice supply path 83 for guiding the cooked rice in the rice measuring unit 77 into the rice cooker pot 30.

[0066] The measuring cup 76 is rectangular in shape when viewed from above and is positioned below the bottom wall 71a of the rice container body 71. More specifically, the measuring cup 76 is positioned between the bottom cover 78 and the support cover 79 located at the bottom of the rice container body 71. This measuring cup 76 is equipped with a rack 76a having multiple teeth arranged in the width direction and is movable in the width direction relative to the rice container body 71 between the measuring position shown in Figures 8 and 14 and the rice dispensing position shown in Figure 15.

[0067] The measuring cup 76 is equipped with a rice measuring section 77 located slightly to the left, towards the center in the width direction of the rice cooker 1. This rice measuring section 77 consists of a rectangular parallelepiped space that penetrates the measuring cup 76 in the height direction and has a shape corresponding to the shape of the communication opening 71b of the rice container body 71. The volume of the rice measuring section 77 is set to be less than or equal to the minimum capacity that can be cooked in one cooking process, that is, the minimum cooking capacity. The height dimension of the rice measuring section 77, that is, the height thickness of the measuring cup 76, is determined based on the opening area of ​​the rice measuring section 77 and the volume required for the rice measuring section 77. The volume of this rice measuring section 77 will be described in detail later.

[0068] The bottom cover 78 is made of a flat resin plate and is positioned at the lower end of the communication opening 71b of the rice container body 71, extending along the horizontal direction (XY plane). The bottom cover 78 is provided with a communication hole that communicates with the communication opening 71b.

[0069] The support cover 79 is long and trough-shaped, fixed to the underside of the bottom cover 78, and supports the measuring container 76 so that it can move in the width direction. The support cover 79 has a punched section that exposes the rack 76a of the measuring container 76. The support cover 79 is also provided with a rice supply hole 79a located above the input member 56 shown in Figures 7 and 8. This rice supply hole 79a is the entrance to the rice supply path 83, is located at a distance in the width direction from the communication opening 71b of the rice container body 71, and is provided in a shape corresponding to the shape of the rice measuring section 77.

[0070] Referring to Figures 6 and 9, the rice supply motor 80 is a stepping motor capable of forward and reverse rotation and is located on the rear side of the rice storage section 24. A drive gear 81 is attached to the output shaft of the rice supply motor 80, and a driven gear (pinion) 82 that meshes with the drive gear 81 is attached to the rice storage section 24. Referring to Figure 13, a part of the driven gear 82 protrudes into the upper frame 12, and the rack 76a of the measuring cup member 76 meshes with it when the rice container 70 is placed in the rice storage section 24. This rice supply motor 80, rack 76a, and driven gear 82 is an example of a drive unit that moves the measuring cup member 76 between the measuring position shown in Figure 14 and the rice supply position shown in Figure 15. However, the drive unit can be changed as needed, as long as it is configured to move the measuring cup member 76. In addition, the measuring cup member 76 is not limited to linear motion in the width direction, but may also be configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the height direction.

[0071] In the weighing position shown in Figure 14, the rice weighing unit 77 is opposite the communication opening 71b and communicates with the inside of the rice container body 71, while being separated from the rice supply hole 79a and blocking communication with the rice supply passage 83. In addition, the lower end of the rice weighing unit 77 is closed by the support cover 79. As a result, cooked rice in the rice container 70 is supplied into the rice weighing unit 77 by its own weight, while cooked rice in the rice weighing unit 77 cannot be supplied to the rice supply passage 83. Furthermore, even if the rice container 70 is removed from the rice storage unit 24 in this state, the cooked rice in the rice container 70 and the rice weighing unit 77 will not spill out.

[0072] In the rice supply position shown in Figure 15, the rice measuring unit 77 is opposite the rice supply hole 79a and communicates with the rice supply passage 83, while being separated from the communication opening 71b and blocking communication with the rice container body 71. Furthermore, the communication opening 71b, which is the lower end of the rice container 70, is closed by the upper surface of the measuring member 76. As a result, the cooked rice in the rice measuring unit 77 is supplied to the rice supply passage 83 by its own weight, while the cooked rice in the rice container body 71 is not supplied to the rice measuring unit 77. Moreover, even if the rice container 70 is removed from the rice storage section 24 in this state, the cooked rice in the rice container 70 will not spill out.

[0073] When the measuring member 76 moves from the measuring position shown in Figure 14 to the rice supply position shown in Figure 15, any cooked rice located above the upper end of the rice measuring unit 77 is leveled off by the leveling member 73. Therefore, an amount of cooked rice exceeding the volume of the rice measuring unit 77 is never supplied to the rice supply passage 83.

[0074] The rice supply passage 83 shown in Figure 3 is composed of the communication hole 12d shown in Figure 13, the input member 56 shown in Figures 7 and 12, and the duct 84.

[0075] Referring to Figures 8 and 13, the communication hole 12d is located in the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame 12, directly below the rice supply hole 79a of the support cover 79, and is situated on the axis of the rice cooker 30. It has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the rice supply hole 79a.

[0076] Referring to Figures 7 and 12, the input member 56 is positioned on the upper surface of the lifting platform 48 and comprises an outer perimeter wall 56a, a bottom wall 56b, and a connecting portion 56c. Of these, the outer perimeter wall 56a is rectangular when viewed from above and extends backward from the axis of the rice cooker pot 30, that is, the portion located directly above the valve body 47 of the lid 40. The bottom wall 56b is provided below the outer perimeter wall 56a and slopes downward towards the front so that the connecting portion 56c is located at the lowest point.

[0077] Referring to Figures 7, 9, and 11, the duct 84 consists of an expandable and contractible bellows member. The upper end of the duct 84 is connected to the lower side of the upper frame 12 so as to surround the communication hole 12d, and the lower end of the duct 84 is connected to the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 56a of the input member 56.

[0078] In the rice supply passage 83 configured in this way, when the valve body 47 is moved to the open valve position shown in Figure 9, and the measuring member 76 is moved to the rice supply position shown in Figure 15, cooked rice in the rice measuring unit 77 is supplied by its own weight. As a result, the cooked rice passes through the communication hole 12d, the duct 84, and the input member 56 by its own weight and is supplied into the rice cooker 30 through the opened opening 47d. At this time, the cooked rice collides with the conical valve body 47a and is supplied uniformly into the rice cooker 30.

[0079] Referring to Figure 3, the rice storage section 24 is further equipped with a switch (rice container detection unit) 85 that detects the presence or absence of a rice container 70. The switch 85 detects the measuring cup 76 that has moved to the weighing position shown in Figure 14 and outputs a signal to the control unit 125.

[0080] In the rice supply mechanism 75 configured in this way, only a predetermined volume of cooked rice is supplied from the rice weighing unit 77 to the rice supply path 83. Since the weighing of this cooked rice is done by the volume of a structure that is not prone to errors, rather than by a weight sensor which may develop errors over time, the stability of the weighing can be improved.

[0081] (Configuration of the water storage section, including the water supply mechanism) Referring to Figures 3, 8, and 10, the water storage section 25 is located to the upper left of the rice cooking section 23, adjacent to the rice storage section 24 when viewed from the front, and a water container 90 is detachably positioned within it. The water storage section 25, including the water container 90, is provided with a water supply mechanism 94 for supplying the water in the water container 90 into the rice cooking pot 30.

[0082] Referring to Figures 8, 10, and 16, the water container 90 is a rectangular tube with a bottom, and its upper opening is retractably closed by a lid 91. The inside of the water container 90 is divided by a partition wall 90a into the water container body 90b and the water measuring section 95, which constitutes part of the water supply mechanism 94. Referring to Figure 17, the bottom wall 90c of the water container body 90b is lower than the bottom wall 95b of the water measuring section 95. The water container body 90b has a volume capable of storing more than the amount of water required to cook rice of the maximum cooking capacity. The volume of this water container body 90b will be described in detail later.

[0083] Referring to Figures 3, 6, and 10, the water supply mechanism 94 includes a water metering unit 95 for supplying water in fixed amounts, a pump 98 for drawing water from the water container body 90b to the water metering unit 95, and a water supply solenoid 104 for supplying water from the water metering unit 95. The water supply mechanism 94 also includes a water supply channel 108 for guiding the water from the water metering unit 95 into the rice cooker pot 30.

[0084] Referring to Figure 16, the water measuring unit 95 is provided inside the water container 90 by providing a partition wall 90a, as described above. However, the water measuring unit 95 may be provided separately from the water container 90. In this embodiment, the water measuring unit 95 is further divided into a first section 96A and a second section 96B by a partition wall 95a. The volume of the first section 96A is larger than the volume of the second section 96B. The total volume of the water measuring unit 95, composed of the first section 96A and the second section 96B, is set to be less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking rice of the minimum cooking capacity. The volume of this water measuring unit 95 will be described in detail later.

[0085] Referring to Figures 10 and 17, the pump 98 shown in Figure 3 comprises an impeller 99 located in the water container 90 and a water supply motor 101 located in the water storage section 25.

[0086] The impeller 99 is located within a case portion 99a provided below the water metering unit 95. The pump body is composed of the case portion 99a and the impeller 99. Referring to Figures 16 and 17, the inside of the case portion 99a is connected to the water container body 90b through a communication hole 99b. A pipe portion 100 is provided above the case portion 99a, and the upper end of this pipe portion 100 is positioned on the first volume 96A.

[0087] Referring to Figures 6 and 10, the water supply motor 101 is a stepping motor and is positioned in the water reservoir 25 behind the impeller 99. The water supply motor 101 and the impeller 99 are connected by a coupling 102 through the placement of a water container 90 in the water reservoir 25. A non-contact coupling such as a magnetic coupling is used for the coupling 102. The water supply motor 101 and coupling 102 are an example of a drive unit that rotates the impeller 99. However, the drive unit can be changed as needed, as long as it is connected to the impeller 99 through the placement of a water container 90 in the water reservoir 25 and is capable of rotating the impeller 99.

[0088] Referring to Figures 10 and 16, when the impeller 99 is rotated by the water supply motor 101, water in the water container body 90b is drawn into the case portion 99a and supplied to the first basin portion 96A through the pipe portion 100. When the first basin portion 96A is filled with water, the overflowing water is supplied to the second basin portion 96B, and when the second basin portion 96B is filled with water, the overflowing water is returned to the water container body 90b.

[0089] Referring to Figures 16 and 17, a water inlet is provided in the bottom wall 95b of the water metering unit 95, and a shut-off valve 103 is positioned at this water inlet. The shut-off valve 103 is a normally closed valve positioned above the water inlet and biased downward.

[0090] Referring to Figures 6 and 10, the water supply solenoid 104 is positioned in the water reservoir 25 so as to be behind the shut-off valve 103. An operating member 105 is attached to the rod of the water supply solenoid 104. The water supply solenoid 104 moves the operating member 105 upward, causing the shut-off valve 103 to move upward and open. This allows the water in the water metering unit 95 to be discharged. The water supply solenoid 104 and the operating member 105 are an example of a drive unit that opens the shut-off valve 103. However, the drive unit can be changed as needed, as long as it is configured to open the shut-off valve 103.

[0091] Referring to Figures 16 and 17, in this embodiment, shut-off valves 103 are provided in both the first basin 96A and the second basin 96B that constitute the water metering unit 95. Referring to Figures 6 and 10, the water supply solenoid 104 and the operating member 105 are arranged to correspond to each individual shut-off valve 103. In the following description, the one that operates the shut-off valve 103 of the first basin 96A may be referred to as the water supply solenoid 104A, and the one that operates the shut-off valve 103 of the second basin 96B may be referred to as the water supply solenoid 104B.

[0092] The water supply channel 108 shown in Figure 3 is composed of a water receiving section 109 shown in Figures 10 and 13, an input member 56 shown in Figures 7 and 12, and a tube 110 shown in Figures 7 and 10.

[0093] Referring to Figures 10 and 13, the water receiving section 109 consists of a groove provided in the upper frame 12 so as to be located below the shut-off valve 103. The water receiving section 109 is inclined and receives water flowing out from the shut-off valve 103 and guides it to a single water inlet located at its lower end (see Figure 21).

[0094] Referring to Figures 7, 10, and 12, the input member 56 is positioned on the upper surface of the lifting platform 48 so as described above, directly above the valve body 47, and comprises an outer peripheral wall 56a, a bottom wall 56b, and a connecting portion 56c. The input member 56 also includes a cylindrical connecting portion 56d that protrudes rearward from the rear end of the outer peripheral wall 56a.

[0095] Referring to Figures 7 and 10, the tube 110 is a flexible connecting member that connects the water receiving section 109 and the input member 56. The upper end of the tube 110 is connected to the water inlet of the water receiving section 109, and the lower end of the tube 110 is connected to the connection section 56d of the input member 56.

[0096] In the water supply channel 108 configured in this way, with the valve body 47 moved to the open position shown in Figure 10, the shut-off valve 103 is opened via the operating member 105 by the water supply solenoid 104, and water in the water metering unit 95 is supplied by gravity. As a result, the water passes through the water receiving unit 109, tube 110, and input member 56 by gravity and is supplied into the rice cooker 30 through the opened opening 47d. At this time, the water collides with the conical valve body 47a and is supplied uniformly into the rice cooker 30.

[0097] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the water storage section 25 is further equipped with a sensor (water container detection unit) 112 that detects the presence or absence of a water container 90 and the presence or absence of water, and a water container heater 113 that heats the water inside the water container 90. The sensor 112 is a water level sensor in which a light-receiving element receives light emitted by a light-emitting element that passes through the inside of the water container 90, and outputs a signal corresponding to the amount of light received by the light-receiving element to the control unit 125. The water container heater 113 is located in the second partition member 22 and suppresses the growth of bacteria in the water inside by heating the water container 90 at predetermined timings.

[0098] In the water supply mechanism 94 configured in this way, only a predetermined volume of water is supplied from the water metering unit 95 to the water supply channel 108. Since this water measurement is based on the volume of a structure that is not prone to errors, rather than a weight sensor which may develop errors over time, the stability of the measurement can be improved.

[0099] (Configuration of the control unit) Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the control unit 125 includes a timer 126 and a memory 127. This control unit 125 is composed of one or more microcomputers and other electronic devices. However, the timer 126 and memory 127 may be composed of electronic devices separate from the control unit 125.

[0100] Timer 126 measures the execution time of the defined steps in the rice cooking process and the warming process. Memory 127 stores the program for executing the rice supply process, water supply process, rice cooking process, and warming process, as well as the setting values ​​used in the program. The setting values ​​include the number of times the rice supply mechanism 75 supplies rice corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked, and the number of times the water supply mechanism 94 supplies water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked. The setting values ​​also include the temperature and time used when executing the rice cooking process and the warming process.

[0101] When the rice cooking switch 122 shown in Figure 1 is operated, the control unit 125 opens the valve body 47 using the supply solenoid 54 shown in Figure 12. Subsequently, it reads the specified amount of rice to be cooked and controls the rice supply motor 80, water supply motor 101, and water supply solenoid 104 to automatically measure and supply the corresponding amounts of cooked rice and water to the rice cooker pot 30. Once these processes are complete, the control unit 125 closes the valve body 47 using the supply solenoid 54, and then controls the coil 32, body heater 33, and lid heater 34 based on the detection results of the pot temperature sensor 37 and the lid temperature sensor 38 to execute the rice cooking process.

[0102] In the rice supply process, the rice supply process is repeated until the number of rice supply cycles, calculated by dividing the specified amount of rice to be cooked by the volume corresponding to the volume of the rice measuring unit 77, is satisfied. This rice supply process comprises a supply step and a measuring step. In the supply step, the rice supply motor 80 is rotated forward to move the measuring member 76 from the measuring position (initial position) shown in Figure 14 to the rice supply position shown in Figure 15, and the cooked rice in the rice measuring unit 77 is supplied into the rice cooker pot 30. In the measuring step, the rice supply motor 80 is rotated in reverse to move the measuring member 76 from the rice supply position shown in Figure 15 to the measuring position shown in Figure 14, and cooked rice is replenished from the rice container body 71 to the rice measuring unit 77 and measured.

[0103] In the water supply process, the number of times the first water is supplied from the first section 96A and the number of times the water is supplied from the second section 96B are set based on the amount of water required to cook a specified amount of rice, and the water supply process is repeated until these number of water supply times are satisfied. This water supply process comprises a metering step and a supply step. In the metering step, the water supply motor 101 is operated to replenish the water in the water container body 90b into the first section 96A and the second section 96B and measure the amount. The operation of the water supply motor 101 is stopped when the first section 96A and the second section 96B are filled with water and the full water time has elapsed for the overflow water to recirculate back into the water container body 90b. In the supply step, at least one of the water supply solenoids 104A and 104B is operated to supply the corresponding water from the first section 96A and the second section 96B into the rice cooker pot 30. The operation of the water supply solenoids 104A and 104B stops when the time has elapsed that allows all the water in the first tank section 96A and the second tank section 96B to be discharged.

[0104] Here, the rice cooker 1 has defined maximum and minimum cooking capacities for the rice cooking pot 30. For example, the maximum cooking capacity for the rice cooking pot 30 is set to 3 cups. In response to this, the rice container 70 and the water container 90, specifically the water container body 90b, are formed to have a volume capable of holding enough rice and water for five 3-cup cookings, respectively. The minimum cooking capacity is set to 1 / 2 cup. In response, the rice measuring unit 77 is formed to have a volume corresponding to 1 / 6 cup. The amount of water required to cook 1 / 2 cup of rice is 130 cc, and the first sho section 96A is set to have a volume corresponding to 90 cc, while the second sho section 96B is set to have a volume corresponding to 20 cc. In other words, the water measuring unit 95 is formed to have a volume corresponding to 110 cc.

[0105] The following describes the rice supply and water supply processes when the rice measuring section 77 is formed with a volume corresponding to 1 / 6 cup, the first sho section 96A is formed with a volume corresponding to 90 cc, and the second sho section 96B is formed with a volume corresponding to 20 cc.

[0106] In the rice supply process, for example, if the amount of rice to be cooked is 1 / 2 cup, the control unit 125 first executes a supply step, supplying 1 / 6 cup of cooked rice from the rice measuring unit 77 to the rice cooker 30 through the rice supply path 83. Subsequently, after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the control unit 125 executes a measuring step, supplying cooked rice from the rice container 70 to the rice measuring unit 77, and then measuring 1 / 6 cup of cooked rice to be supplied to the rice cooker 30. After this series of rice supply processes is completed and a predetermined waiting time has elapsed, the second rice supply process is performed. In this way, a total of three rice supply processes are performed, and the rice supply process is completed. If the amount of rice to be cooked is 3 cups, a total of 18 rice supply processes are performed.

[0107] In the water supply process, for example, if the amount of rice to be cooked is 1 / 2 cup, the control unit 125 first performs a measuring step to supply water from the water container body 90b to the first section 96A and the second section 96B, measuring 20cc and 90cc of water to be supplied to the rice cooker 30. Next, the control unit 125 performs a supply step, specifically by operating the water supply solenoid 104B, to supply 20cc of water from the second section 96B into the rice cooker 30 through the water supply channel 108. Once this series of water supply processes is completed, the control unit 125 performs a second water supply process. In the supply step of this second water supply process, both water supply solenoids 104A and 104B are operated to supply 90cc of water from the first section 96A and 20cc of water from the second section 96B into the rice cooker 30 through the water supply channel 108. This completes the water supply process. In other words, water is supplied once from the first section 96A and twice from the second section 96B. If the amount of rice to be cooked is 3 cups, a total of 700cc of water is supplied, requiring 6 water supply from the first section 96A and 8 water supply from the second section 96B.

[0108] The rice supply process and the water supply process described above may be performed in either order. Alternatively, the rice supply process and the water supply process may be performed alternately.

[0109] In this configuration, the rice cooker 1 can reliably measure a fixed amount of rice and water, and reliably supply the specified amount of rice and water to the rice cooker pot 30, thereby cooking the rice. Therefore, the time required for household chores can be reduced.

[0110] Next, with reference to Figure 18, the configuration of the valve body 47, the supply solenoid 54, and the operating member 55, which are equipped with a supply port (opening 47d) for rice and water to the rice cooker pot 30, will be described in more detail.

[0111] Referring to Figure 18, the valve body 47 is attached to the cover 40 and comprises a conical valve body 47a and a valve seat 47c. The valve body 47a is biased upward by a spring (not shown) so as to close the opening 47d (see Figure 8) of the valve seat 47c. The supply solenoid 54, operating member 55, and input member 56 shown in Figure 18 are arranged on the lifting platform 48 shown in Figure 12, and the valve shaft 47b protruding from the valve body 47a is located inside the input member 56.

[0112] A movable member 54a is attached to the rod of the supply solenoid 54. This movable member 54a moves forward (to the left in Figure 18) when the supply solenoid 54 is operated, and moves backward (to the position shown in Figure 18) when the supply solenoid 54 stops operating. An upward-projecting operating part 54b is provided on the front end of the movable member 54a.

[0113] The operating member 55 includes a bearing portion 55a that is pivotally supported by a shaft (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction, which is located on the lifting platform 48 shown in Figure 12. The operating member 55 is provided with an operating receiving portion 55b that protrudes from the bearing portion 55a toward the operating portion 54b of the movable member 54a. The operating member 55 is also provided with an operating portion 55c that protrudes from the bearing portion 55a toward the opposite side of the operating receiving portion 55b. This operating portion 55c protrudes into the input member 56 through the insertion hole 56e of the input member 56 and is located on the valve stem 47b of the valve body 47.

[0114] The forward movement of the movable member 54a due to the operation of the supply solenoid 54 causes the operating part 54b to move the operating receiving part 55b of the operating member 55 upward. As a result, the operating member 55 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 18, and the operating part 55c presses the valve shaft 47b of the valve body 47 downward. Consequently, the valve body 47a moves downward, resulting in the open valve state shown in Figures 8 and 9. In this state, the control unit 125 can automatically supply cooked rice from the rice container 70 to the rice cooker 30 via the rice supply passage 83 shown in Figure 3 by rotating the rice supply motor 80 shown in Figure 3 in the forward and reverse directions. In addition, the operation of the pump 98 and water supply solenoid 104 shown in Figure 3 allows water from the water container 90 to be automatically supplied to the rice cooker 30 via the water supply passage 108 shown in Figure 3.

[0115] On the other hand, the retraction of the movable member 54a due to the deactivation of the rice supply solenoid 54 releases the operation of the operating part 55b of the operating member 55 by the operating part 54b. As a result, the valve body 47 moves upward due to the biasing force of the spring, resulting in the closed valve state shown in Figure 11. Consequently, the operating member 55 rotates clockwise in Figure 18. In this state, the control unit 125 does not automatically supply cooked rice from the rice container 70 without activating the rice supply motor 80 shown in Figure 3. Also, it does not automatically supply water from the water container 90 without activating the pump 98 and water supply solenoid 104 shown in Figure 3.

[0116] Next, the configuration of the water container 90, which includes the water measuring unit 95, will be described in more detail, mainly with reference to Figures 19 to 21.

[0117] Referring to Figures 3, 8, and 10, the water container 90 is detachably positioned in the water storage section 25 above the rice cooking section 23. The water storage section 25 consists of a rectangular parallelepiped space located in the upper left region of the housing 10 where the upper frame 12 is located. This water storage section 25 is defined by the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame 12, the left side wall 12b of the upper frame 12, the partition wall 12c of the upper frame 12, the second partition member 22 positioned between the side wall 12b and the partition wall 12c, the top panel 17, the rear panel 15, and the top door 19.

[0118] Referring to Figures 10, 13, and 16, the water container 90 is a bottomed rectangular tube, and its upper opening is sealed by a lid 91 so as to be openable. Referring to Figures 16 and 19 through 21, the inside of the water container 90 is divided into the water container body 90b and the water measuring section 95 by a partition wall 90a.

[0119] The water container body 90b has a volume capable of holding more than the amount of water (e.g., 3500cc) required to cook rice of the maximum cooking capacity (e.g., 3 cups). Referring to Figures 17 and 19 through 21, the bottom wall 90c of the water container body 90b is lower than the bottom wall 95b of the water measuring unit 95. The bottom wall 90c of the water container body 90b has a recessed reservoir 90d that is lower than the rest of the body and adjacent to the water measuring unit 95.

[0120] Continuing with Figures 17 and 19 through 21, the water container 90 is provided with a water metering unit 95 at its top, and below this water metering unit 95 is an impeller 99 that constitutes the pump 98 shown in Figure 3. A shut-off valve 103 is located on the bottom wall 95b of the water metering unit 95, and a water supply solenoid 104 for opening this shut-off valve 103 is located inside the water storage unit 25. These water metering unit 95, impeller 99, and water supply solenoid 104 constitute part of the water supply mechanism 94 shown in Figure 3.

[0121] Referring to Figures 19 to 21, the water measuring unit 95 is separated from the water container body 90b by a partition wall 90a. In this embodiment, the water measuring unit 95 is further divided into a first section 96A and a second section 96B by a partition wall 95a. The volume of the first section 96A is larger than the volume of the second section 96B. The specific volumes of these sections will be described in detail later.

[0122] The partition wall 95a is positioned off-center to the left across the entire width of the water container 90. The first compartment 96A is adjacent to the rear of the water container body 90b via the partition wall 90a. The second compartment 96B is adjacent to the left of the first compartment 96A via the partition wall 95a and is positioned at a distance from the rear of the water container body 90b. The partition wall 95a is provided with a notch 95c that connects the first compartment 96A and the second compartment 96B. The lower end of this notch 95c is the upper limit of the amount of water that can be stored in the first compartment member 76.

[0123] A return groove 95d extending in the front-rear direction is provided between the second compartment 96B and the water container body 90b. This return groove 95d is adjacent to the second compartment 96B via a partition wall 95e, which has a lower overall height than the partition wall 95a, and is adjacent to the water container body 90b via a partition wall 90a. The portion of the partition wall 90a corresponding to the return groove 95d is cut out so as to be flush with the bottom of the return groove 95d. The upper end of the partition wall 95e is the upper limit at which water can be stored in the second compartment member 76, and is located at the same height as the lower end of the cutout 95c.

[0124] Referring to Figure 17, the impeller 99 constituting the pump 98 shown in Figure 3 has a disc-shaped base 99c and is rotatably arranged in a case portion 99a provided below the water metering unit 95. The case portion 99a is in communication with the water container body 90b through a communication hole 99b and is sealed by a cover 99d. Above the case portion 99a, there is a pipe portion 100 whose upper part is introduced into the water container 90, and the upper part of this pipe portion 100 is positioned on the first volume 96A.

[0125] Referring to Figures 6 and 21, the water supply motor 101 that rotates the impeller 99 is a stepping motor and is positioned in the water reservoir 25 so as to be located behind the impeller 99. The coupling 102 connecting the water supply motor 101 and the impeller 99 is a non-contact type magnetic coupling. A magnet (not shown) is attached to the output shaft of the water supply motor 101, and the base 99c of the impeller 99 is made of a magnet or a metal that can be attracted to a magnet.

[0126] Referring to Figures 19 to 21, when the impeller 99 is rotated by the water supply motor 101, the water in the water container body 90b is drawn into the case portion 99a through the communication hole 99b and supplied to the first basin portion 96A through the pipe portion 100. When the first basin portion 96A is filled with water, the overflowing water is supplied to the second basin portion 96B through the notch portion 95c. When the second basin portion 96B is filled with water, the overflowing water is returned to the water container body 90b through the return groove 95d.

[0127] The shut-off valves 103 are located at water inlets provided in the bottom walls 95b of the first and second basin sections 96A and 96B, respectively. Referring to Figures 6 and 21, water supply solenoids 104A and 104B are arranged on the rear wall 12e of the upper frame 12 that constitutes the water storage section 25, corresponding to the pair of shut-off valves 103. Operating members 105 are attached to the rods of the water supply solenoids 104A and 104B, respectively. The operating member 105 comprises a base portion 105a that extends in the front-rear direction and is fixed to the rod, and an operating portion 105b that protrudes upward from the base portion 105a.

[0128] Referring to Figures 13 and 21, a bulge 12f is provided in the water storage section 25 so as to be located below the shut-off valve 103 of the water container 90, and a water receiving section 109, which constitutes the water supply channel 108 shown in Figure 3, is provided in this bulge 12f. The bulge 12f bulges upward and forward from the rear end of the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame body 12. The water receiving section 109 is provided on the upper surface of the bulge 12f and consists of a groove that extends in the width direction and is inclined in the vertical direction. A water inlet 109a is provided at the lower end of this water receiving section 109, and a cylindrical connecting section 109b, to which the tube 110 shown in Figures 7 and 10 is connected, is provided projecting downward from the mouth wall of this water inlet 109a.

[0129] A water supply motor 101 and a pair of operating members 105 are located on the outside of the bulging section 12f. Seal members 106 are attached to through holes provided in the bulging section 12f, corresponding to the pair of operating members 105. The operating members 105 move upward due to the operation of the water supply solenoids 104A and 104B, which moves the shut-off valve 103 upward via the seal members 106, thereby opening the valve.

[0130] Next, we will explain the setting of the volumes of the first section 96A and the second section 96B, respectively.

[0131] Of the first section 96A and the second section 96B, the volume of the second section 96B is set to be less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required to cook the minimum cooking capacity. More preferably, the total volume of the water measuring section 95, which is the sum of the volumes of the first section 96A and the second section 96B, is set to be less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required to cook the minimum cooking capacity. Specifically, it is as follows.

[0132] When the minimum rice cooking capacity of the rice cooker pot 30 is 1 / 2 cup, the amount of water required for cooking is 130cc. In response to this, the first section 96A is set to a volume corresponding to a predetermined amount of water in the range of 50cc to 140cc, and the second section 96B is set to a volume corresponding to a predetermined amount of water in the range of 10cc to 40cc. More preferably, the first section 96A is set to a volume corresponding to a predetermined amount of water in the range of 50cc to 120cc. This is because, as will be described in detail later, in the final water supply stage of the water supply process by the control unit 125, water is supplied simultaneously from the first section 96A and the second section 96B (step S4-3 in Figure 24, which will be described in detail later), so that no water remains in either the first section 96A or the second section 96B after the water supply process is completed.

[0133] Furthermore, the volumes of the first section 96A and the second section 96B are set so that the smallest unit (tens digit) differs depending on whether it is even or odd, in terms of the measurement resolution when cooking the minimum rice cooking capacity. In other words, the smallest unit of the volume of the first section 96A is set to either even or odd, and the smallest unit of the volume of the second section 96B is set to the other of even or odd. This allows for water to be measured with a resolution of 10cc. More specifically, it is as follows:

[0134] In this embodiment, the first section 96A is set to a volume corresponding to 90cc, the second section 96B is set to a volume corresponding to 20cc, and the total volume of the water measuring section 95 is set to 110cc. As a result, by setting the first water supply count n1 from the first section 96A to 1 time and the second water supply count n2 from the second section 96B to 2 times, 130cc of water necessary for cooking the minimum amount of rice can be supplied to the rice cooker pot 30. However, the volumes of the first section 96A and the second section 96B may be as follows.

[0135] The first section 96A may be set to a volume corresponding to 50cc, the second section 96B to a volume corresponding to 40cc, and the total volume of the entire water measuring section 95 may be set to 90cc. In this case, by setting the first water supply cycle n1 from the first section 96A to 1 and the second water supply cycle n2 from the second section 96B to 2, 130cc of water necessary for cooking the minimum amount of rice can be supplied to the rice cooker pot 30.

[0136] Alternatively, the first section 96A may be set to a volume corresponding to 120cc, the second section 96B to a volume corresponding to 10cc, and the total volume of the entire water measuring section 95 may be set to 130cc. In this case, by setting the first water supply cycle n1 from the first section 96A to 1 and the second water supply cycle n2 from the second section 96B to 1, 130cc of water necessary for cooking the minimum amount of rice can be supplied to the rice cooker pot 30.

[0137] However, if it is acceptable for water to remain in the first section 96A after the completion of the final water supply stage of the water supply process, the first section 96A may be set to a volume corresponding to 140cc, the second section 96B to a volume corresponding to 10cc, and the total volume of the entire water measuring section 95 may be set to 150cc. In this case, by setting the first number of water supply cycles n1 from the first section 96A to 0 and the second number of water supply cycles n2 from the second section 96B to 13, 130cc of water necessary for cooking the minimum amount of rice can be supplied to the rice cooker pot 30.

[0138] Furthermore, if it is acceptable for water to remain in the second section 96B after the completion of the final water supply stage of the water supply process, the first section 96A may be set to a volume corresponding to 130cc, the second section 96B to a volume corresponding to 20cc, and the total volume of the entire water measuring section 95 may be set to 150cc. In this case, by setting the first water supply count n1 from the first section 96A to 1 and the second water supply count n2 from the second section 96B to 0, 130cc of water necessary for cooking the minimum amount of rice can be supplied to the rice cooker pot 30.

[0139] When supplying water necessary for cooking a specified amount of rice to a rice cooker pot 30 from a water container 90 equipped with a first section 96A and a second section 96B configured as described above, the control unit 125 sets the first number of water supply cycles n1 from the first section 96A and the second number of water supply cycles n2 from the second section 96B based on the amount of rice to be cooked. In this embodiment, both of these water supply cycles n1 and n2 are configured to be one or more. In other words, the volumes of the first section 96A and the second section 96B are set so that both water supply cycles n1 and n2 are one or more. The control unit 125 is configured to supply water from the larger of the two sections first until both water supply cycles n1 and n2 are equal, and to supply water from both the first section 96A and the second section 96B simultaneously in the final water supply stage.

[0140] The water supply processing by the control unit 125 will be described in detail below.

[0141] The water supply process is performed after the rice cooking switch 122 shown in Figure 1 is operated, and the control unit 125 opens the valve body 47 using the supply solenoid 54 shown in Figure 12.

[0142] Referring to Figure 22, in the water supply process, the control unit 125 reads the specified amount of rice to be cooked in step S1, and then in step S2 sets the first number of water supply cycles n1 from the first sho section 96A and the second number of water supply cycles n2 from the second sho section 96B. Subsequently, in step S3, it performs a measuring step, and then in step S4, it performs a supply step. After that, in step S5, it determines whether both the number of water supply cycles n1 and n2 have become 0 (zero), that is, whether all of the set number of water supply cycles n1 and n2 have been performed. If there are still some remaining, it returns to step S3; if all have been performed, it terminates the water supply process.

[0143] Referring to Figure 23, in the metering step of step S3, the control unit 125 turns on the water supply motor 101 in step S3-1 and waits in step S3-2 until the full water time ta has elapsed. Once the full water time ta has elapsed, that is, after the time has elapsed from supplying water to the first tank section 96A, supplying the water overflowing from the first tank section 96A to the second tank section 96B, and returning the water overflowing from the second tank section 96B to the water container body 90b, the process proceeds to step S3-3, where the water supply pump 98 is turned off and the process returns.

[0144] Referring to Figure 24, in the supply step of step S4, the control unit 125 determines in step S4-1 whether the number of first water supply cycles n1 and the number of second water supply cycles n2 are the same (n1=n2). If the number of first water supply cycles n1 and the number of second water supply cycles n2 are not the same, the process proceeds to step S4-2; if they are the same, the process proceeds to step S4-3. In step S4-2, the control unit 125 determines whether the number of first water supply cycles n1 is greater than the number of second water supply cycles n2 (n1>n2). If the number of first water supply cycles n1 is greater than the number of second water supply cycles n2, the process proceeds to step S4-5; if the number of first water supply cycles n1 is less than the number of second water supply cycles n2, the process proceeds to step S4-7.

[0145] In step S4-3, the pair of water supply solenoids 104A and 104B are turned ON, opening the shut-off valves 103 of the first basin 96A and the second basin 96B, respectively. Then, in step S4-4, 1 is subtracted from the water supply counts n1 and n2, and the process proceeds to step S4-9. In step S4-5, the first water supply solenoid 104A is turned ON, opening the shut-off valve 103 of the first basin 96A. Then, in step S4-6, 1 is subtracted from the first water supply count n1, and the process proceeds to step S4-9. In step S4-7, the second water supply solenoid 104B is turned ON, opening the shut-off valve 103 of the second basin 96B. Then, in step S4-8, 1 is subtracted from the second water supply count n2, and the process proceeds to step S4-9.

[0146] In step S4-9, the system waits until a discharge time tb has elapsed that allows all the water in the first section 96A and the second section 96B to be discharged. Once the discharge time tb has elapsed, in step S4-10, the system returns to the off state by switching off the pair of water supply solenoids 104A and 104B.

[0147] As described above, the control unit 125 sets the number of water supply cycles n1 and n2 according to the specified amount of rice to be cooked. When the number of water supply cycles n1 and n2 are different, it supplies water to the one with the larger number of cycles first until the number of water supply cycles n1 and n2 are equal. In the final water supply stage, it controls the pair of water supply solenoids 104A and 104B individually to supply water to both the first and second water supply sections 96A and 96B simultaneously. Furthermore, once the final water supply stage is completed, the water supply motor 101 stops supplying water to the first and second water supply sections 96A and 96B. Therefore, the amount of water necessary to cook the specified amount of rice can be reliably supplied to the rice cooker pot 30, and the water supply sections 96A and 96B can be left empty after supply.

[0148] The rice cooker 1 configured in this way has the following features.

[0149] The water supply mechanism 94 has a water measuring unit 95 that can measure water in a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking the minimum rice cooking capacity, and the water in the water container body 90b is pumped up to the water measuring unit 95 by the pump 98. In this way, the water supplied to the rice cooker 30 is measured by the volume of a structure that is not prone to errors, rather than by a weight sensor which may be prone to errors due to long-term use, thus improving the stability of measurement. In addition, since the water container 90 can be removed from the housing 10, the water container 90 including the water measuring unit 95 can be easily cleaned and kept clean.

[0150] The control unit 125 operates the pump 98 for longer than the time it takes for the water supplied to the water metering unit 95 to overflow and return to the water container body 90b. Therefore, since a fixed amount of water can be accurately measured without using a water level sensor or the like, the cost of the rice cooker 1, which can automatically supply water to the rice cooker pot 30, can be reduced.

[0151] The control unit 125 sets the number of times the first water is supplied from the first container 96A to the rice cooker 30 (n1) and the number of times the second water is supplied from the second container 96B to the rice cooker 30 (n2) based on the amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked, and individually controls the pair of water supply solenoids 104A and 104B to supply water into the rice cooker 30. This makes it possible to improve the resolution of water supply while shortening the water supply time compared to the case where water is supplied to the rice cooker 30 by a single type of container. In addition, since the shut-off valve 103 is positioned above the bottom wall 90c of the water container body 90b, water leakage caused by the shut-off valve 103 interfering with other components when attaching or detaching the water container 90 to the water storage section 25 can be suppressed.

[0152] When the number of water supply cycles n1 from the first section 96A and the number of water supply cycles n2 from the second section 96B are different, water is supplied from the one with the higher number of cycles n1 and n2 until they are equal, and in the final water supply stage, water is supplied simultaneously from both the first section 96A and the second section 96B. As a result, when the water supply to the rice cooker 30 is complete, the water measuring section 95 will be empty. Therefore, when the water container 90 is removed from the water storage section 25 for replenishment, water exposure from the water container 90 can be prevented.

[0153] The pump 98 supplies water from the water container body 90b to the first section 96A, and supplies the water overflowing from the first section 96A to the second section 96B. This improves the layout of the first section 96A and the second section 96B, including the pipe section (piping) 100 of the pump 98.

[0154] In the measurement resolution when cooking the minimum rice cooking capacity, the smallest unit of volume of the first section 96A is set to either an even or odd number, and the smallest unit of volume of the second section 96B is set to the other of either an even or odd number. This ensures that the amount of water required to cook the specified amount of rice is reliably supplied to the rice cooker pot 30.

[0155] The rice cooker 1 is equipped with a rice supply mechanism 75 that measures the cooked rice in a rice container 70 located in the rice storage section 24 above the rice cooking section 23 using a rice measuring unit 77 and supplies it to the rice cooker pot 30. The control unit 125 controls the rice supply mechanism 75 and the water supply mechanism 94 based on cooking information, supplying the amount of cooked rice and water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked to the rice cooker pot 30 to perform cooking. In this way, the supply of cooked rice and water to the rice cooker pot 30 is performed automatically, and cooked rice can be prepared, thus improving user convenience. Furthermore, because the rice storage section 24 and water storage section 25 are located above the rice cooking section 23, the overall height of the housing 10 is higher compared to well-known rice cookers that cannot automatically supply cooked rice and water, but the installation area does not increase. Therefore, the rice cooker 1 can be installed in a limited dedicated space, such as a cupboard.

[0156] Other embodiments and various modifications of the present invention will be described below, but unless otherwise specified, they will be the same as in the above embodiments. In the drawings referred to below, the same elements as in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0157] (Other embodiments) Referring to Figure 25, in other embodiments, the water container 90 is divided into a water container body 90b and a water measuring unit 95 by a partition wall 90a, similar to the above embodiment. In this embodiment, the water measuring unit 95 is made up of a single compartment, and while water is continuously supplied to the water measuring unit 95 by the pump 93 shown in Figure 3, the shut-off valve 103 is opened to supply water from the water measuring unit 95 to the rice cooker pot 30, and the amount of water supplied is adjusted by adjusting the supply time tc.

[0158] Specifically, the water metering unit 95 in this embodiment consists only of the first basin section 96A shown in Figure 19. Since the water metering unit 95 consists of only one basin, only one shut-off valve 103 is placed on the bottom wall 95b, and only one water supply solenoid 104 and one operating member 105 are also placed, as shown in Figures 6 and 21.

[0159] The volume of the water measuring unit 95 is set to be less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking the minimum cooking capacity. Similar to the above embodiment, for example, if the minimum cooking capacity is 1 / 2 cup, the amount of water required for cooking is 130 cc, and the water measuring unit 95 is set to a volume corresponding to, for example, 90 cc. When the water measuring unit 95 is filled with water supplied to the water measuring unit 95 by the pump 98, it is returned to the water container body 90b via the return groove 95d. The other configurations, except for the control by the control unit 125, are the same as in the above embodiment.

[0160] In this embodiment, in order to supply a predetermined amount of water by adjusting the supply time tc from the water metering unit 95, the following is done: The rotation speed of the water supply motor 101 and the inner diameter of the pipe section 100 shown in Figure 10 are set so that the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water metering unit 95 to the rice cooker 30 by the pump 98 is greater than the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water metering unit 95 to the rice cooker 30 when the shut-off valve 103 is open. As a result, when the shut-off valve 103 is open and water is continuously supplied to the water metering unit 95 by the pump 98, water continues to overflow from the water metering unit 95, and the water head pressure of the water metering unit 95 is kept constant. As a result, the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water metering unit 95 to the rice cooker 30 can be kept constant.

[0161] In the water supply process, the control unit 125 sets the water supply time tc from the water storage unit 25 to the rice cooker pot 30 according to the specified amount of rice to be cooked. This water supply time tc is set based on the amount of water to be supplied (e.g., 40cc), which is obtained by subtracting the amount of water corresponding to the volume of the water measuring unit 95 (e.g., 90cc) from the amount of water required to cook the specified amount of rice (e.g., 1 / 2 cup) (e.g., 130cc), and the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water measuring unit 95 to the rice cooker pot 30.

[0162] Furthermore, the control unit 125 supplies water to the water metering unit 95 using the pump 98. When the water metering unit 95 is full, the water supply solenoid 104 opens the shut-off valve 103 while continuing to supply water to the water metering unit 95 with the pump 98. Then, when the set water supply time tc has elapsed, the pump 98 stops supplying water to the water metering unit 95 at the final water supply stage, supplying all the water in the water metering unit 95.

[0163] Next, with reference to Figure 26, the water supply processing by the control unit 125 will be explained in detail.

[0164] The water supply process is performed after the rice cooking switch 122 shown in Figure 1 is operated, and the control unit 125 opens the valve body 47 using the supply solenoid 54 shown in Figure 12.

[0165] In the water supply process, the control unit 125 reads the specified amount of rice to be cooked in step S10, and then sets the water supply time tc in step S11. Next, in step S12, it turns on the pump 98, and in step S13, it waits until the full water time ta has elapsed, when the water metering unit 95 is filled with water. Once the full water time ta has elapsed, in step S14, it turns on the water supply solenoid 104 to open the shut-off valve 103, and then in step S15, it starts counting the water supply time tc.

[0166] Next, in step S16, the system waits until the water supply time tc has elapsed. Once the water supply time tc has elapsed, in step S17, the pump 98 is turned off to stop the water supply to the water metering unit 95. Subsequently, in step S18, the system waits until the discharge time tb has elapsed, which is sufficient time to discharge all the water in the water metering unit 95. Once the discharge time tb has elapsed, in step S19, the water supply solenoid 104 is turned off to return to the starting position.

[0167] As described above, in this embodiment, the amount of water supplied per unit time to the water metering unit 95 by the pump 98 is greater than the amount of water supplied per unit time to the rice cooker 30 through the shut-off valve 103, and the control unit 125 supplies water to the water metering unit 95 by the pump 98 with the shut-off valve 103 open. As a result, the water metering unit 95 is always overflowing when supplying water to the rice cooker 30. This keeps the water head pressure in the water metering unit 95 constant, so the amount of water supplied to the rice cooker 30 can be reliably adjusted by adjusting the water supply time tc with the shut-off valve 103 open.

[0168] Furthermore, in the final water supply stage, the control unit 125 stops the water supply from the pump 98 to the water metering unit 95 and supplies all the water in the water metering unit 95. As a result, when the water supply to the rice cooker 30 is complete, the water metering unit 95 is empty. Therefore, when removing the water container 90 from the water storage unit 25 for replenishment, it is possible to prevent water from being exposed from the water container 90.

[0169] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0170] For example, even if the water measuring unit 95 is composed of a first section 96A and a second section 96B, as shown in the water container 90 in Figure 19, the amount of water supplied from the water measuring unit 95 to the rice cooker 30 may be adjusted according to the water supply time tc, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 26. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0171] 1. Rice cooker 10 cabinets 11 Lower frame 11a side wall 11b Partition wall 11c Guide projection 12 Upper frame 12a side wall 12b Bottom wall 12c partition wall 12d communication hole 12e back wall 12f bulge 13 frames 14 Side Panels 15. Rear panel 16. Bottom panel 17 Top panel 18 Lower door 18a inner plate 19 Upper door 19a Inner plate 20 Arm members 21. First partition member 22 Second partition member 23 Rice Cooking Section 24 US Detention Center 25 Water storage section 30 Rice Cooker 30a Flange section 31 Insulation cover 32 coils 33 Body Heater 34 Lid heater 35 Protective frame 36 Inner torso 37. Pot temperature sensor 38. Lid temperature sensor 40 Lid 41 Lid body 41a depression 42 sealing member 43 Exhaust Unit 43a Exhaust section 44 Exhaust vents 45 Pressure Regulating Valve 46 Safety valve 47 Valve body 47a Valve body 47b Valve stem 47c valve seat 47d Opening (supply port) 48 Elevator 48a Mounting section 49 Hinge axis 50 Retaining shaft 51 Heat sink 52 Reinforcement plate 53 Pressure regulating solenoid 54 Supply solenoid 54a Movable member 54b Operation section 55 Operating member 55a Bearing section 55b Operation receiver 55c Control unit 56 Input component (input section) 56a Outer wall 56b Bottom wall 56c Communication part 56d Connection 56e Through hole 57 Duct components 58 Fans 59 Tubes 61 Link mechanism 62 Arm Member 62a Outer end 62b Inner end 62c guide groove 63 Auxiliary member 63a Stopper 64 Operation piece 65 Sliding member 66 Hook Member 66a Locking piece 66b Operation receiver 70 rice container 71 Rice container body 71a Bottom wall 71b Communication port 72 Lid 73 Trimming member 73a Elastic piece 75 Rice Supply Organization 76 compartment members 76a Rack 77 Rice Measuring Department 78 Bottom cover 79 Support cover 79a Rice feed hole 80 Rice supply motor (drive unit) 81 Drive gear 82 Driven gear (pinion) 83 Rice supply route 84 duct 85 Switch (rice container detection unit) 90 water container 90a Partition wall 90b Water container body 90c bottom wall 90d depression part 91 Lid 94 Water supply mechanism 95 Water metering section 95a Partition wall 95b bottom wall 95c Notch 95d Return groove 95e Partition wall 96A First Section 96B 2nd square section 98 pumps 99 Impeller (pump body) 99a Case section 99b Communication hole 99c base 99d cover 100 Pipe section (piping) 101 Water supply motor (first drive unit) 102 Fittings 103 Water shut-off valve 104, 104A, 104B Water supply solenoid (second drive unit) 105 Operating member 105a Base section 105b Operation section 106 Sealing member 108 Water supply channel 109 Water receiving section 109a Water inlet 109b Connection 110 tube 112 Sensor (Water container detection unit) 113 Water container heater 120 Control Panel (Reception Area) 121 LCD panel 122 Rice Cooker Switch 123 Cancel Switch 125 Control Unit 126 timers 127 memory

Claims

1. A housing having a rice cooking section and a water storage section provided above the rice cooking section, A rice cooker pot is detachably disposed in the rice cooking section, A water container capable of storing more water than the amount required for cooking rice to the maximum cooking capacity of the rice cooking section, and which is detachably disposed in the water storage section, A water supply mechanism for supplying water from the water container into the rice cooker pot, A reception desk that accepts cooking information, including the amount of rice cooked, A control unit controls the water supply mechanism based on the rice cooking information received by the reception unit and supplies an amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked to the rice cooker pot. Equipped with, The water supply mechanism is A water measuring unit is provided in the upper part of the water container, defined by a partition wall, which is capable of measuring the water in the water container to a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required to cook the minimum amount of rice in the rice cooker. A pump comprising a pump body positioned in the water container, and a first drive unit positioned in the water storage section and connected to the pump body by the placement of the water container in the water storage section, wherein the pump draws water from the water container body to the water metering section, A water supply channel is provided to connect the water measuring unit and the inside of the rice cooker pot, and to supply water from the water measuring unit into the rice cooker pot by gravity. It has, The control unit operates the pump for a period of time longer than the time it takes for the water supplied to the water metering unit to overflow and return to the water container body of the rice cooker.

2. The water measuring unit includes a first sho section and a second sho section having a smaller volume than the first sho section. The water supply mechanism includes a pair of openable and closable shut-off valves positioned at the bottom of the first and second sections, respectively, and a pair of second drive units that individually open the pair of shut-off valves. The control unit sets the number of times water is supplied from the first section to the rice cooker pot and the number of times water is supplied from the second section to the rice cooker pot based on the amount of water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked, and controls the pair of second drive units individually to supply water into the rice cooker pot. The rice cooker according to claim 1.

3. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein when the number of water supply cycles for the first and second water supply cycles are different, the control unit supplies water from the one with the higher number of water supply cycles first until the number of water supply cycles are equal, and in the final water supply stage, it supplies water to both the first and second sections simultaneously, and does not supply water to the first and second sections by the pump.

4. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the pump supplies water from the water container body to the first section, and the water overflowing from the first section is supplied to the second section.

5. The rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein, in the measurement resolution when cooking rice of the minimum cooking capacity, the minimum unit of volume of the first sho section is set to one of even and odd numbers, and the minimum unit of volume of the second sho section is set to the other of even and odd numbers.

6. The water supply mechanism includes an openable and closable shut-off valve located at the bottom of the water measuring section, and a second drive unit that opens the shut-off valve. The amount of water supplied per unit time from the pump to the water metering unit is greater than the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water metering unit to the rice cooker when the shut-off valve is opened. The control unit supplies water to the water metering unit using the pump, and when the water metering unit is full, the second drive unit opens the shut-off valve while continuing to supply water to the water metering unit with the pump, supplying the amount of water necessary for cooking the amount of rice to the rice cooker pot according to the water supply time. The rice cooker according to claim 1.

7. The water supply time of the water supply mechanism by the control unit is set based on the amount of water to be supplied, which is obtained by subtracting the amount of water corresponding to the volume of the water measuring unit from the amount of water required to cook the amount of rice, and the amount of water supplied per unit time from the water measuring unit to the rice cooker when the shut-off valve is opened. The control unit stops the supply of water to the water metering unit by the pump during the final water supply stage and supplies all the water in the water metering unit. The rice cooker according to claim 6.

8. The housing has a rice storage section located above the rice cooking section, adjacent to one side of the water storage section when viewed from the front. A rice container capable of storing rice in quantities exceeding the maximum cooking capacity, and detachably positioned in the rice storage section, The rice container has a rice measuring unit positioned at the bottom of the container, which supplies the cooked rice from the container by its own weight, and which measures the cooked rice in a volume less than or equal to the minimum cooking capacity, and a rice supply mechanism for supplying the cooked rice from the rice measuring unit into the rice cooker pot. Furthermore, The control unit controls the rice supply mechanism and the water supply mechanism based on the rice cooking information, and supplies an amount of cooked rice and water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked into the rice cooker to perform rice cooking. The rice cooker according to claim 1.

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