rice cooker

Abstract

To suppress an increase in installation area and to improve usability in a rice cooker that is capable of automatically supplying a rice cooking pot with cooking rice and water.SOLUTION: A rice cooker 1 includes: a housing 10 having a rice cooking part 23, a rice storage part 24, and a water storage part 25; a rice cooking pot 30 arranged in the rice cooking part 23; a rice container 70 arranged in the rice storage part 24; a water vessel 90 arranged in a water storage part 25; a rice supply mechanism 75 for supplying cooking rice in the rice container 70 for the rice cooking pot 30; a water supply mechanism 94 for supplying the rice cooking pot 30 with water in the water vessel 90; a reception part 121 receiving rice cooking information including a quantity of rice to cook; and a control part 125 which supplies the rice cooking pot 30 with cooking rice and water on the basis of the rice cooking information received by the reception part 121. The rice storage part 24 and the water storage part 25 are provided on an upper side of the rice cooking part 23, and an opening on the front surface side is openably closed with a door 18.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 including a rice cooking section in which a rice cooking pot is detachably disposed, a rice storage section in which a rice container is detachably disposed, and a water storage section in which a water container is detachably disposed. This rice cooker is provided with a rice supply mechanism including a rice supply passage, a water supply mechanism including a water supply passage, and a control section that controls these mechanisms to automatically supply polished rice and water in amounts corresponding to a specified rice cooking quantity from the rice container and the water container to the rice cooking pot respectively, and performs rice cooking in the rice cooking section.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the rice cooker of Patent Document 1, the rice storage section and the water storage section are disposed adjacent to one side of the rice cooking section respectively, so the installation area thereof increases compared with a known rice cooker that does not have the function of automatically supplying polished rice and water. Therefore, for example, there is a possibility that the rice cooker cannot be installed in the limited dedicated space provided in a cupboard. Further, the rice container and the water container need to be lifted when being removed, and the door needs to be pivoted upward when opening the rice cooking section. Therefore, even if the rice cooker can be installed in the dedicated space of the cupboard, there is a possibility that these components will hit the top plate of the dedicated space when the rice container and the water container are removed, and when the door is pivoted to open the rice cooking section. Accordingly, the rice cooker of Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in suppressing an increase in installation area and enhancing usability.

[0005] The present invention aims to address the challenges of suppressing an increase in installation area and improving usability in a rice cooker capable of automatically supplying cooked rice and water into the cooking pot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a rice cooker comprising: a housing having a rice cooking section, a rice storage section and a water storage section provided above the rice cooking section, and a door that can open and close the openings on the front side thereof; a rice cooker pot detachably disposed in the rice cooking section; a rice container detachably disposed in the rice storage section and capable of storing more than the maximum cooking capacity of the rice cooker pot; a water container detachably disposed in the water storage section and capable of storing more than the amount of water necessary for cooking the maximum cooking capacity of rice; a rice supply mechanism for supplying the rice in the rice container into the rice cooker pot; a water supply mechanism for supplying the water in the water container into the rice cooker pot; a receiving section for receiving cooking information including the amount of rice to be cooked; and a control unit that controls the rice supply mechanism and the water supply mechanism based on the cooking information received by the receiving section, and supplies an amount of rice and water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked to the rice cooker pot to cook rice.

[0007] In this rice cooker, a rice storage section and a water storage section are provided above the cooking unit, and the rice pot, rice container, and water container are detachably arranged in these sections. Therefore, although the overall height of the casing is greater than that of a well-known rice cooker that does not have a function to automatically supply rice and water into the cooking pot, the installation area does not increase. Thus, the rice cooker can be installed in a limited dedicated space, such as that of a cupboard.

[0008] The rice cooking section, rice storage section, and water storage section can all be opened by the front-opening door. Therefore, the rice cooker pot, rice container, and water container can be inserted into and removed from the front of the rice cooker, respectively. Thus, when the rice cooker is installed in a dedicated space in a cupboard, the door, rice cooker pot, rice container, and water container will not come into contact with the top of the dedicated space, improving usability.

[0009] The rice supply mechanism has a rice measuring unit that measures cooked rice in the rice container to a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the minimum cooking capacity, and the water supply mechanism has a water measuring unit that can measure water in the water container to a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking rice of the minimum cooking capacity.

[0010] With this configuration, the rice cooker does not use electrical components such as weight sensors to measure the amount of rice and water supplied to the cooking pot. Therefore, the cost of a rice cooker capable of automatic measurement and automatic supply can be reduced. In addition, while errors may occur in measurements when using weight sensors over long-term use, errors cannot occur in measurements based on the volume of the structure, thus improving the stability of measurements.

[0011] The rice measuring unit is formed in a measuring member located at the bottom of the rice container, and the measuring member is movable between a measuring position in which the rice measuring unit communicates with the inside of the rice container and prevents the supply of cooked rice to the rice cooker, and a rice supply position in which communication between the rice measuring unit and the inside of the rice container is blocked and allows the supply of cooked rice to the rice cooker. The rice supply mechanism is located in the rice storage section and is connected to the measuring member by the placement of the rice container in the rice storage section, and has a drive unit that moves the measuring member between the measuring position and the rice supply position.

[0012] With this configuration, the rice measuring unit is formed in a measuring cup located at the bottom of the rice container, allowing the cooked rice in the rice container to be supplied to the measuring unit by its own weight. Furthermore, the rice supply mechanism has a drive unit that moves the measuring cup from a measuring position that communicates with the rice container to a rice supply position that is disconnected from it, so that the cooked rice measured by the measuring unit can be reliably supplied to the rice cooker in fixed amounts.

[0013] The water measuring section is formed in the upper part of the water container, separated by a partition wall, and the water supply mechanism includes a shut-off valve located at the bottom of the water measuring section and a drive unit located in the water storage section that opens the shut-off valve.

[0014] This configuration ensures that the measured water can be reliably supplied to the rice cooker in fixed amounts. 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 unit can be suppressed.

[0015] The water supply mechanism comprises a pump body provided in the water container and communicating with the water container body, and a drive unit positioned in the water storage section and connected to the pump body when the water container is positioned in the water storage section, and includes a pump that draws water from the water container body up to the water metering section.

[0016] This configuration ensures that water from the water container body is reliably supplied to the water metering section at the top.

[0017] The rice supply mechanism has a rice supply channel connected to an input section and a rice measuring section that are in communication with the rice cooker pot, and is capable of supplying cooked rice from the rice measuring section into the rice cooker pot by gravity. The water supply mechanism has a water supply channel connected to an input section and a water measuring section, and is capable of supplying water from the water measuring section into the rice cooker pot by gravity.

[0018] When a fan or other pressurized means is used to supply rice and water to a rice cooker, unpleasant noise is generated in the surrounding area. However, this noise problem does not occur when rice and water are supplied by gravity. Moreover, since the water supply channel and the rice supply channel are connected to the same input port, the supply port to the rice cooker can be consolidated into a single port. Therefore, compared to supplying rice and water to the rice cooker from different parts, the number of parts required to reduce steam backflow during cooking can be reduced, making miniaturization possible.

[0019] The rice cooking section is equipped with a lid that closes the opening of the rice cooking pot, and the lid has a supply port that communicates with the input section, and a valve body that opens the supply port when rice and water are supplied and closes the supply port when cooking, and the valve body has a cone-shaped valve body that widens towards the bottom.

[0020] According to this configuration, during supply, the supply port is opened by the valve element, so that rice and water hit the conical valve body and can be uniformly dispersed and supplied into the rice cooking pot, enabling excellent cooked rice quality. In addition, during rice cooking, the supply port is closed by the valve element, which can prevent steam generated in the rice cooking pot from flowing into the rice container and the water container. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the rice from becoming moist and the water from rising in temperature, so that deterioration of the rice and the water can be suppressed.

[0021] The water storage portion is provided adjacent to one side of the rice storage portion when viewed from the front side.

[0022] According to this configuration, compared with the case where the rice storage portion and the water storage portion are arranged vertically adjacent to each other, it is possible to prevent the overall height of the housing from becoming excessively high.

[0023] The rice cooking unit includes a lid that closes the opening of the rice cooking pot, and the housing is provided with a link mechanism that, in conjunction with the closing rotation of the door, lowers the lid to close the opening of the rice cooking pot, and in conjunction with the opening rotation of the door, raises the lid to open the opening of the rice cooking pot.

[0024] According to this configuration, the rice cooking pot in the rice cooking unit can be easily taken in and out by opening the door, so that usability can be improved.

[0025] At least on the wall of the door among the housing including the door that defines the rice cooking unit, a body heater for heating the outer peripheral portion of the rice cooking pot is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] In the present invention, it is possible to suppress an increase in the installation area of a rice cooker capable of automatically supplying rice and water into the rice cooking pot, and to improve usability. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A perspective view of the rice cooker with the door opened and the side panel removed. [Figure 3] Schematic diagram of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Block diagram of the rice cooker shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] A front perspective view of a rice cooker with the exterior panels removed. [Figure 6] Rear perspective view of a rice cooker with the exterior panels removed. [Figure 7] A perspective view of a rice cooker, showing the rice storage and water storage sections separated from the rice cooking section. [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] Disassembled perspective view of the enclosure. [Figure 19] A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the rice cooking section, rice storage section, and water storage section of the rice cooker of the first comparative example. [Figure 20] A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the rice cooking section, rice storage section, and water storage section of the rice cooker of the second comparative example. [Figure 21] A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the rice cooking section, rice storage section, and water storage section of the rice cooker of the third comparative example. [Figure 22] A perspective view showing the relationship between the lid containing the valve body and the valve body's drive mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0029] 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).

[0030] 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).

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] (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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] (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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] (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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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 30.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] (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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] 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.

[0087] 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.

[0088] 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.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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 (not shown) located at its lower end.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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.

[0098] 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.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] (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.

[0102] 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.

[0103] When the rice cooking switch 122 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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.

[0111] 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.

[0112] Next, we will explain the configuration of the enclosure 10 in more detail.

[0113] Referring to Figures 8 to 10, the housing 10 comprises the aforementioned lower frame 11, upper frame 12, frame 13, a pair of side panels 14, a rear panel 15, a bottom panel 16, a top panel 17, a lower door 18, and an upper door 19. In addition, a first partition member 21 and a second partition member 22 are positioned on the upper side of the upper frame 12.

[0114] Referring to Figure 18, the lower frame 11 comprises a pair of side walls 11a extending along the YZ plane and a partition wall 11b extending along the XY plane, with the side walls 11a connected to both sides of the partition wall 11b. Further on the front side of the partition wall 11b, a partition wall 11d is provided that extends along the XY plane to the front end of the side plate 11a. This partition wall 11d has a U-shaped notch 11e that extends backward from the front end when viewed from above. The inner body 36 shown in Figure 5 is attached to the lower side of this notch 11e.

[0115] The upper frame 12 comprises a pair of side walls 12a extending along the YZ plane and a bottom wall 12b extending along the XY plane, with the side walls 12a connected to both sides of the bottom wall 12b. The widthwise spacing of the pair of side walls 12a is the same as the widthwise spacing of the pair of side walls 11a of the lower frame 11. The bottom wall 12b is provided with a partition wall 12c extending along the YZ plane slightly to the left of the widthwise center, and a communication hole 12d forming the rice supply passage 83 shown in Figure 3 is provided so as to be located in the widthwise center.

[0116] On the right side of the partition wall 12c in the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame body 12, there is a bulge 12e that bulges upward and forward from the rear end. Below this bulge 12e are the rice supply motor 80 and drive gear 81 shown in Figure 6, and the driven gear 82 shown in Figure 13. A through hole 12f is provided in this bulge 12e to allow the driven gear 82 shown in Figure 13 to protrude into the upper frame body 12. On the left side of the partition wall 12c in the bottom wall 12b, there is a bulge 12g that bulges upward and forward from the rear end. Below this bulge 12g are the water supply motor 101 shown in Figure 6 and a pair of operating members 105. In addition, a water receiving section 109 that constitutes the water supply channel 108 shown in Figure 3 is formed in the bulge 12g.

[0117] The bulging portions 12e and 12g bulge out to a position that roughly coincides with the upper ends of the pair of side walls 12a. A rear wall portion 12h is provided above the bulging portions 12e and 12g so as to be located at the rear end of the upper frame body 12, and a pair of water supply solenoids 104 shown in Figure 6 are attached to the rear of this rear wall portion 12h. The rear wall portion 12h is separate from the upper frame body 12 and is fixed by screws. However, the rear wall portion 12h may be provided integrally with the upper frame body 12.

[0118] The frame 13 comprises a pair of side walls 13a extending along the YZ plane and a rear wall 13b extending along the XZ plane, with the side walls 13a connected to both sides of the rear wall 13b. The pair of side walls 13a are located outside the pair of side walls 11a of the lower frame 11 and the pair of side walls 12a of the upper frame 12, respectively, and are fixed together by screws or the like.

[0119] Referring to Figures 8 to 10, the pair of side panels 14 are fixed to the bottom panel 16 by screws, and this bottom panel 16 is fixed to the lower frame 11 by screws. The rear panel 15 and the top panel 17 are fixed to the frame 13 by screws. The lower door 18 is rotatably mounted to the lower front end of the lower frame 11, and the upper door 19 is rotatably mounted to the lower front end of the upper frame 12.

[0120] Referring to Figure 18, the first partition member 21 comprises a pair of side walls 21a extending along the YZ plane and a rear wall 21b extending along the XZ plane, with the side walls 21a connected to both sides of the rear wall 21b. The widthwise spacing of the pair of side walls 21a is the same as the widthwise spacing between the right side wall 12a and the partition wall 12c of the upper frame 12. The front-to-back length of the pair of side walls 21a is shorter than the front-to-back length of the side wall 12a and partition wall 12c of the upper frame 12 by the thickness of the rear wall portion 12h.

[0121] The second partition member 22 comprises a pair of vertical walls 22a extending along the YZ plane and a pair of horizontal walls 22b extending along the XY plane. The length of the second partition member 22 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the side wall 12a and partition wall 12c of the upper frame body 12 by the thickness of the rear wall portion 12h. The widthwise spacing of the pair of vertical walls 22a is slightly smaller than the widthwise spacing of the left side wall 12a and partition wall 12c of the upper frame body 12, and is sized to fit between them. The heightwise spacing of the pair of horizontal walls 22b is the same as the distance from the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame body 12 to the upper end of the first partition member 21. The pair of vertical walls 22a and the lower horizontal wall 22b are provided with notches 22c corresponding to the bulging portion 12g of the upper frame body 12.

[0122] Referring to Figures 8, 9, and 18, the rice cooking section 23 consists of a rectangular parallelepiped space at the bottom of the housing 10 where the lower frame 11 is located. This rice cooking section 23 is defined by the bottom panel 16, the pair of side walls 11a of the lower frame 11, the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame 12, the rear panel 15, and the lower door 18.

[0123] The rice storage section 24 consists of a rectangular parallelepiped space in the right-hand region, including the central region in the width direction, above the rice cooking section 23, which is the upper part of the housing 10 where the upper frame 12 is located. This rice storage section 24 is defined by the bottom wall 12b of the upper frame 12, the right side wall 12b of the upper frame 12 and the right wall portion 21a of the first partition member 21, the partition wall 12d of the upper frame 12 and the left wall portion 21a of the first partition member 21, the top panel 17, the rear panel 15, and the top door 19.

[0124] Referring to Figures 8, 10, and 18, the water storage section 25 consists of a rectangular parallelepiped space in the left region of the upper part of the housing 10 where the upper frame 12 is located, excluding the rice storage section 24. 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.

[0125] Figures 19 to 21 show comparative examples of rice cookers 1A to 1C, which are different from rice cooker 1 of this embodiment.

[0126] Referring to Figure 19, in the first comparative example rice cooker 1A, a rice storage section 24A is set in the lower right region of the rice cooking section 23A, and a water storage section 25A is set in the lower left region of the rice cooking section 23A. Furthermore, the rice cooking section 23A is closed in a way that it can be opened by an upward-opening door 18A, similar to well-known rice cookers that do not have an automatic rice and water supply function.

[0127] In the rice cooker 1A of this first comparative example, the rice storage section 24A and the water storage section 25A are located below the rice cooking section 23A. Therefore, when supplying cooked rice from the rice storage section 24A to the rice cooking section 23A, a pressurized feeding means such as a fan is required. In this case, the collision of cooked rice with the wall defining the rice supply path may generate unpleasant noise in the surrounding area. Also, if the rice cooker 1A is installed in a limited dedicated space, such as a cupboard, the door 18A may come into contact with the top surface of the dedicated space. Thus, the usability of the rice cooker 1A may be reduced.

[0128] Referring to Figure 20, in the rice cooker 1B of the second comparative example, the rice storage section 24B is set adjacent to the left side of the rice cooking section 23B, and the water storage section 25B is set adjacent to the front side of the rice cooking section 23B. The rice cooking section 23B is also closed so as to be retractable by an upward-opening door 18B.

[0129] In this second comparative example, rice cooker 1B, similar to rice cooker 1A in the first comparative example, a pumping mechanism such as a fan is required to supply cooked rice from the rice storage section 24B to the cooking section 23B, which may generate unpleasant noise during rice supply. Furthermore, when viewed from above, the rice storage section 24B and water storage section 25B are arranged around the cooking section 23B, so the area required for the installation of rice cooker 1B is significantly increased compared to a well-known rice cooker that does not have an automatic rice and water supply function. Therefore, the usability of rice cooker 1A may be reduced.

[0130] Referring to Figure 21, in the third comparative example rice cooker 1C, the rice storage section 24C is set adjacent to the left side of the rice cooking section 23C, and the water storage section 25C is set adjacent to the right side of the rice cooking section 23C. The rice cooking section 23C is also closed so as to be retractable by an upward-opening door 18C.

[0131] In this third comparative example, rice cooker 1C, similar to rice cooker 1A in the first comparative example, a pumping mechanism such as a fan is required to supply cooked rice from the rice storage section 24C to the cooking section 23C, which may generate unpleasant noise during rice supply. Furthermore, as viewed from above, the rice storage section 24C and the water storage section 25C are located on both sides of the cooking section 23C, so, similar to rice cooker 1B in the second comparative example, the area required for the installation of rice cooker 1C is significantly increased. Therefore, the usability of rice cooker 1C may be reduced.

[0132] In contrast, in this embodiment, the rice cooker 1 has the entire lower part of the casing 10 set as the rice cooking section 23, the right area above the rice cooking section 23 is set as the rice storage section 24, and the left area above the rice cooking section 23 is set as the water storage section 25.

[0133] Viewed from above, the outer circumference of the rice cooking section 23 does not contain the parts that make up the rice storage section 24 and the water storage section 25. Therefore, the installation area of ​​the rice cooker 1 is equivalent to the area of ​​the rice cooking section 23 and is the same as a well-known rice cooker that does not have an automatic rice and water supply function. Thus, the installation area of ​​the rice cooker 1 does not increase, as shown in the second comparative example in Figure 20 and the third comparative example in Figure 21. Therefore, the rice cooker 1 can be installed, for example, in the limited dedicated space provided by a cupboard.

[0134] Furthermore, a gravity-fed method can be used for supplying rice from the rice storage section 24 to the cooking section 23, and for supplying water from the water storage section 25 to the cooking section 23. Therefore, as shown in the comparative examples from Figures 19 to 21, there is no need to use a pressurized feeding means such as a fan, which may generate unpleasant noise during rice supply.

[0135] Furthermore, the rice cooking section 23 is opened by the front opening of the lower door 18, and the rice storage section 24 and water storage section 25 are opened by the front opening of the upper door 19. As a result, the rice cooker pot 30, rice container 70, and water container 90 can be inserted and removed from the front side of the housing 10. Therefore, as in the first comparative example, there is no need to consider the height of the place where the rice cooker 1 is to be installed, and the rice cooker 1 can be installed in a limited dedicated space such as a cupboard.

[0136] Next, with reference to Figure 22, 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.

[0137] Referring to Figure 22, 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 22 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.

[0138] 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 22) when the supply solenoid 54 is operated, and moves backward (to the position shown in Figure 22) when the supply solenoid 54 stops operating. An upwardly protruding operating part 54b is provided on the front end of the movable member 54a.

[0139] 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.

[0140] 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 22, 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.

[0141] 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 22. In this state, the control unit 125 does not automatically supply cooked rice from the rice container 70 without operating the rice supply motor 80 shown in Figure 3. Also, it does not automatically supply water from the water container 90 without operating the pump 98 and water supply solenoid 104 shown in Figure 3.

[0142] The rice cooker 1 configured in this way has the following features.

[0143] A rice storage section 24 and a water storage section 25 are provided above the rice cooking section 23, and the rice cooking pot 30, rice container 70, and water container 90 are detachably arranged in these sections, respectively. Therefore, compared to a well-known rice cooker that does not have a function to automatically supply rice and water into the rice cooking pot 30, the overall height of the casing 10 is greater (for example, 37 cm), but the installation area does not increase. Thus, the rice cooker 1 can be installed in a limited dedicated space, such as a cupboard.

[0144] The rice cooking section 23, the rice storage section 24, and the water storage section 25 can all be opened by the front doors 18 and 19. Therefore, the rice cooker pot 30, the rice container 70, and the water container 90 can be inserted into and removed from the front of the rice cooker 1 from the rice cooking section 23, the rice storage section 24, and the water storage section 25, respectively. Thus, when the rice cooker 1 is installed in a dedicated space in a cupboard, the lower door 18, the rice cooker pot 30, the rice container 70, and the water container 90 will not come into contact with the top of the dedicated space, thus improving usability.

[0145] The rice supply mechanism 75 has a rice measuring unit 77 that measures rice in a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the minimum cooking capacity, and the water supply mechanism 94 has a water measuring unit 95 that measures water in a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking the minimum cooking capacity. In other words, the rice cooker 1 does not use electrical components such as weight sensors to measure the rice and water to be supplied to the rice cooker pot 30. Therefore, the cost of the rice cooker 1, which is capable of automatic measuring and automatic supply, can be reduced. In addition, while errors may occur in measuring when using weight sensors due to long-term use, errors cannot occur in measuring by volume of the structure, thus improving the stability of the measuring.

[0146] The rice measuring unit 77 is formed in a measuring cup member 76 positioned on the bottom wall 71a of the rice container 70. Therefore, the cooked rice in the rice container 70 can be supplied to the rice measuring unit 77 by its own weight. The rice supply mechanism 75 also has a rice supply motor 80 that moves the measuring cup member 76 between a measuring position where the rice measuring unit 77 communicates with the inside of the rice container 70 and a rice supply position where communication is blocked. Therefore, the cooked rice measured by the rice measuring unit 77 can be reliably supplied to the rice cooker pot 30 in fixed amounts.

[0147] The water measuring unit 95 is located at the top of the water container 90, and the water supply mechanism 94 includes a shut-off valve 103 positioned on the bottom wall 95b of the water measuring unit 95, and a water supply solenoid 104 that opens the shut-off valve 103. Therefore, the amount of water measured by the water measuring unit 95 can be reliably supplied to the rice cooker 30 in fixed amounts. 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.

[0148] The water supply mechanism 94 includes an impeller 99 provided on the water container 90 and a water supply motor 101 located in the water storage section 25, and is equipped with a pump 98 that pumps water from the water container body 90b to the water metering section 95. Thus, water from the water container body 90b can be reliably supplied to the water metering section 95 at the top.

[0149] The rice supply mechanism 75 has an input member 56 that communicates with the inside of the rice cooker 30 and a rice supply passage 83 connected to the rice measuring unit 77, and the water supply mechanism 94 has an input member 56 and a water supply passage 108 connected to the water measuring unit 95, so that cooked rice and water can be supplied into the rice cooker 30 by gravity. If a pressurized means such as a fan is used to supply cooked rice and water to the rice cooker 30, unpleasant noise is generated in the surroundings, but such noise problems cannot occur when cooked rice and water are supplied by gravity. Moreover, since the water supply passage 108 and the rice supply passage 83 are connected to the same input member 56, the supply port (opening 47b) to the rice cooker 30 can be combined into one. Therefore, compared to the case in which cooked rice and water are supplied into the rice cooker 30 from different parts, the number of parts required to reduce backflow of steam during cooking can be reduced, making miniaturization possible.

[0150] The lid 40 of the rice cooking section 23 has a valve body 47 that can open and close the opening 47b, and this valve body 47 has a cone-shaped valve body 47a that widens towards the bottom. Therefore, when supplying, the opening 47b by the valve body 47 causes the rice and water to come into contact with the cone-shaped valve body 47a and be supplied uniformly to the rice cooker pot 30, thus enabling well-cooked rice. Also, when cooking, the opening 47b by the valve body 47 can suppress the inflow of steam generated in the rice cooker pot 30 into the rice container 70 and water container 90. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rice from becoming damp and the water from rising in temperature, thus suppressing the deterioration of the rice and water.

[0151] The water storage section 25 is located adjacent to one side of the rice storage section 24 when viewed from the front. Therefore, compared to the case where the rice storage section 24 and the water storage section 25 are arranged adjacent to each other vertically, it is possible to prevent the overall height of the housing 10 from becoming excessively high.

[0152] The housing 10 is equipped with a link mechanism 61 that lowers the lid 40 in conjunction with the closing rotation of the lower door 18 to close the opening of the rice cooker pot 30, and raises the lid 40 in conjunction with the opening rotation of the lower door 18 to open the opening of the rice cooker pot 30. This allows the rice cooker pot 30 to be easily inserted into and removed from the rice cooking section 23 by opening the lower door 18, thereby improving usability.

[0153] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0154] For example, the rice storage section 24 and the water storage section 25 may be adjacent to each other vertically, and may be located above the rice cooking section 23. In this case, either the rice storage section 24 or the water storage section 25 may be located above the other.

[0155] The rice supply mechanism 75 can be modified as needed, as long as it is configured to supply cooked rice from the rice container 70 into the rice cooker 30. The water supply mechanism 94 can be modified as needed, as long as it is configured to supply water from the water container 90 into the rice cooker 30.

[0156] The rice measuring unit 77 can be configured to measure rice in a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the minimum cooking capacity, and the location where the measuring cup 76 is placed and the shape of the rice measuring unit 77 can be changed as needed. The water measuring unit 95 can be configured to measure water in a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking rice of the minimum cooking capacity, and its formation location and arrangement can be changed as needed.

[0157] A water measuring unit 95 may be provided on the lower side of the water container body 90b, and water may be supplied from the water container body 90b to the water measuring unit 95 by gravity. In this case, it is preferable to install an electric solenoid valve that can be switched between an open state and a closed state at the part connecting the water container body 90b and the water measuring unit 95.

[0158] The lid 40 may be configured to be attached to and detached integrally with the rice cooker pot 30. In this case, it is preferable to provide a non-movable shelf member in the rice cooking section 23 instead of the lifting platform 48. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0159] 1. Rice cooker 10 cabinets 11 Lower frame 11a side wall 11b Partition wall 11c Guide projection 11d Partition wall 11e Notch 12 Upper frame 12a side wall 12b Bottom wall 12c partition wall 12d communication hole 12e bulge 12f through hole 12g bulge 12h Rear wall 13 frames 13a side wall 13b Back wall 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 21a side wall 21b Back wall 22 Second partition member 22a vertical wall 22b Side wall 22c Notch 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 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 Guide 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 91 Lid 94 Water supply mechanism 95 Water metering section 95a Partition wall 95b bottom wall 96A First Section 96B 2nd square section 98 pumps 99 Impeller (pump body) 99a Case section 99b Communication hole 100 Pipe section 101 Water supply motor (drive unit) 102 Fittings 103 Water shut-off valve 104, 104A, 104B Water supply solenoid (drive unit) 105 Operating member 108 Water supply channel 109 Water receiving section 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 comprising a rice cooking section, a rice storage section and a water storage section located above the rice cooking section, and a door that allows the openings on the front side of these sections to be opened and closed, A rice cooker pot is detachably disposed in the rice cooking section, A rice container capable of storing rice exceeding the maximum cooking capacity of the aforementioned rice cooker, and detachably positioned in the rice storage section, A water container capable of storing more than the amount of water necessary for cooking rice of the maximum rice cooking capacity, and which is detachably disposed in the water storage section, A rice supply mechanism for supplying cooked rice from the rice container into the rice cooker pot, 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 rice supply mechanism and the water supply mechanism based on the rice cooking information received by the reception unit, and supplies an amount of cooked rice and water corresponding to the amount of rice to be cooked to the rice cooker pot to perform rice cooking. Equipped with, The aforementioned rice supply mechanism has a rice measuring unit that measures cooked rice in the rice container in a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the minimum cooking capacity, The water supply mechanism is a rice cooker having a water measuring unit capable of measuring water in the water container to a volume less than or equal to the volume corresponding to the amount of water required for cooking the minimum rice cooking capacity.

2. The rice measuring section is formed in a measuring cup member located at the bottom of the rice container. The measuring member is movable between a measuring position in which the rice measuring unit is in communication with the rice container and it is impossible to supply cooked rice to the rice cooker, and a rice supply position in which communication between the rice measuring unit and the rice container is blocked and it is possible to supply cooked rice to the rice cooker. The rice supply mechanism is located in the rice storage section, connected to the measuring member by the placement of the rice container in the rice storage section, and has a drive unit that moves the measuring member to the measuring position and the rice supply position. The rice cooker according to claim 1.

3. The water measuring section is formed in the upper part of the water container, separated by a partition wall. The water supply mechanism is A shut-off valve is located at the bottom of the water measuring section, A drive unit is disposed in the water storage section and opens the shut-off valve. A rice cooker according to claim 1, having the following features.

4. The rice cooker according to claim 3, wherein the water supply mechanism comprises a pump body provided in the water container and communicating with the water container body, and a drive unit disposed in the water storage section and connected to the pump body when the water container is placed in the water storage section, and includes a pump that draws water from the water container body up to the water measuring section.

5. The rice supply mechanism has a rice supply path that is connected to an input section and a rice measuring section that are in communication with the rice cooker pot, and is capable of supplying cooked rice from the rice measuring section into the rice cooker pot by its own weight. The water supply mechanism is connected to the input section and the water measuring section and has a water supply channel capable of supplying water from the water measuring section into the rice cooker pot by gravity. A rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The rice cooking section is equipped with a lid that closes the opening of the rice cooking pot. The lid has a supply port that communicates with the input section, and a valve that opens the supply port when rice and water are supplied and closes the supply port when cooking rice. The valve body has a cone-shaped valve body that widens towards the bottom. The rice cooker according to claim 5.

7. The rice cooking section is equipped with a lid that closes the opening of the rice cooking pot. The housing is provided with a linkage mechanism that lowers the lid in conjunction with the closing rotation of the door to close the opening of the rice cooker, and raises the lid in conjunction with the opening rotation of the door to open the opening of the rice cooker. A rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least the wall of the door of the housing, which includes the door defining the rice cooking section, is provided with a body heater for heating the outer periphery of the rice cooking pot.

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