Multifunctional boil-and-drain rice cooker and rice cooking method

Abstract

The present invention provides a multifunctional boil-and-drain rice cooker and a rice cooking method. A pot assembly of the multifunctional boil-and-drain rice cooker is separably arranged in a cooker body accommodating cavity, and the pot assembly comprises an upper pot having water draining holes and a lower pot arranged below the upper pot in a lifting / lowering mode. A heating assembly is located in the accommodating cavity and attached to the outer bottom wall of the lower pot. An airbag-driven lifting / lowering assembly is arranged at the bottom of the heating assembly and comprises an airbag and an elastic positioning member for limiting the state change of the airbag; the airbag expands or contracts to drive the lower pot to lift or lower by means of the heating assembly; the elastic positioning member comprises positioning parts surrounding the outer wall of the airbag and reset parts formed on the outer sides of the positioning parts; the outer ends of the positioning parts are connected to the heating assembly to fix the airbag, and the deformation direction of the airbag during state change is limited on the basis of the elasticity of the positioning parts; two ends of each reset part are respectively connected to the heating assembly and the bottom wall of a cooker body; when the airbag expands, the heating assembly is lifted and the reset parts elastically deform; and when the airbag contracts, the elastic restoring force of the reset parts drives the lower pot to lower.

Description

Multifunctional rice cooker and rice cooking methods Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of household appliances, and in particular to a multifunctional rice cooker and a rice cooking method. Background Art

[0002] As people's living standards continue to improve, healthy eating has gradually become a focus of attention. Compared with traditional rice cookers, rice made with a drained rice cooker has a lower sugar content, drier and fuller grains, and a better taste, because a large amount of starch from the rice is retained in the rice soup. This not only meets people's requirements for healthy eating, but is also more suitable for diabetic patients.

[0003] For a rice cooker with a draining mechanism, the key cooking steps are the rice layer's complete absorption of water (soaking the rice) and subsequent separation of the water from the rice (draining the rice). To achieve this, the inventors proposed altering the air pressure in either the upper or lower pot to cause water to flow between the two pots. This structure requires a very tight seal within the pressure-regulating chamber, and the airway must be connected to either the upper or lower pot. This not only increases the size of the product, complicates the structure, and increases the cost, but also presents issues such as slow draining speeds due to the air pressure-based water flow.

[0004] Some have also proposed mechanical methods for raising and lowering the inner pot, such as installing a screw at the bottom of the inner pot to drive the pot upward and downward. However, this structure not only makes it difficult to seal the screw connection but also presents problems such as difficulty cleaning the inner pot. Alternatively, as shown in Chinese Patent CN112006516A, an airbag is deployed and retracted to raise and lower the inner pot. In this configuration, the airbag is placed in the cooking chamber below the container. Because the cooking chamber contains the rice soaking water, the placement of the airbag not only significantly affects the hygienic cooking of rice, but also necessitates a highly sluggish airway arrangement, requiring the airway to extend from the top of the cooking chamber. More importantly, this configuration makes it difficult to stably position the airbag within the cooking chamber. Due to the elasticity of the airbag itself, irregular movements during inflation and deflation can cause the inner pot to tilt during raising and lowering, making it difficult to raise and lower the pot smoothly. Furthermore, existing drain rice cookers typically only have the limitation of being able to cook drained rice.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a multifunctional rice cooker and a rice cooking method which has a simple and stable lifting structure and can realize multiple cooking methods.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a multifunctional rice cooker with draining function, comprising a cooker body, a pot assembly, a heating assembly, and an airbag lifting assembly. The cooker body has a receiving cavity. The pot assembly is detachably disposed within the pot cavity and includes an upper pot with a drain hole and a lower pot that is liftable below the upper pot. The heating assembly is located within the receiving cavity and abuts against the outer bottom wall of the lower pot. The airbag lifting assembly is disposed at the bottom of the heating assembly and includes an airbag and an elastic positioning member that defines the airbag's state. The airbag is deployed or retracted based on gas, and the heating assembly drives the lower pot to rise and fall relative to the upper pot. The elastic positioning member includes a positioning portion surrounding the outer wall of the airbag and a return portion formed around the positioning portion. The outer end of the positioning portion is connected to the heating assembly to secure the airbag to the bottom of the heating assembly, and the elasticity of the positioning portion determines the direction of deformation of the airbag when its state changes. The return portion has two ends connected to the heating assembly and the pot bottom wall, respectively. When the airbag deploys, the heating assembly rises and elastically deforms the return member. When the airbag retracts, the elastic restoring force of the return member drives the lower pot back down.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the elastic positioning member includes a plurality of elastic rubber strips whose inner ends are connected to each other and whose ends are connected to the bottom wall of the pot body. The middle part of each elastic rubber strip is connected to the heating component. The elastic rubber strip on the inner side of the connection forms a positioning part, and the elastic rubber strip on the outer side of the connection forms a reset part.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the air bag air inlet is formed on the bottom surface of the air bag, and the air bag lifting assembly also includes a support plate located below the air bag and fixed to the pot body, the fixed support plate abuts the bottom surface of the air bag, provides bottom support for the air bag and enables the air bag to expand upward, and the support plate has a support plate through hole for accommodating the air bag air inlet. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper pot includes an upper pot body and an upper pot edge, and the lid of the multi-functional draining rice cooker is opened or sealed on the mouth of the upper pot body. An air outlet is formed on the lid and is located on the inner periphery of the lid sealing ring to introduce steam into the lid steam channel in the upper pot body, an exhaust channel is formed between the upper pot and the lower pot and between the upper pot and the pot body accommodating cavity, and an upper pot edge exhaust hole is provided on the upper pot edge; the steam entering the upper pot body from the lid steam channel penetrates the rice layer and the drain hole at the bottom of the upper pot body, enters the exhaust channel and is discharged through the upper pot edge exhaust hole.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pot cover includes a pot cover body and a pot cover edge located at the periphery of the pot cover body, a pot cover steam channel is formed on the pot cover body, a lid sealing ring is arranged on the pot cover body to seal the mouth of the upper pot body, the pot cover edge and the upper pot edge are not sealed, and an exhaust gap connected to the exhaust hole of the upper pot edge is formed between the two; and / or, the pot cover edge has a pot cover exhaust hole located at the periphery of the lid sealing ring and connected to the exhaust hole of the upper pot edge.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the multifunctional rice cooker further comprises a steam generator disposed on the cooker body, wherein a steam outlet of the steam generator is connected to an air inlet of a steam passage of the cooker cover.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a side mounting groove is provided on the pot body, and a steam coupler and a steam joint are provided on the side wall of the side mounting groove close to the accommodating cavity. The steam generator body is horizontally pushed into and engaged in the side mounting groove, and the coupling part on the steam generator body is aligned with the steam coupler to be electrically connected to the controller in the pot body, and the air outlet part on the steam generator body is aligned with the steam joint to input steam into the steam channel of the pot cover.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the airbag lifting assembly also includes an air pressure regulating component arranged in the pot body and connected to the airbag, and the air pressure regulating component is an air pump for supplying or extracting air to the airbag; or, the air pressure regulating component includes an air pump for supplying air to the airbag and an electromagnetic valve for releasing the gas in the airbag.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pot body includes an outer shell, a bottom shell, a hollow lining with open ends, and a panel connected to the hollow lining. The hollow lining is placed in a cavity surrounded by the outer shell and the bottom shell. The interior of the hollow lining forms a accommodating cavity and the inner wall of the hollow lining forms a lining step that is sealed and buckled with the edge of the lower pot. The panel is connected to the upper end of the hollow lining.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the heating component includes a heating plate abutting against the outer bottom wall of the lower pot and a heat-insulating bracket arranged outside the heating plate, and the airbag is fixed to the bottom of the heat-insulating bracket.

[0016] In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for cooking rice using the multifunctional rice cooker. The method comprises the following steps:

[0017] Step 1: Fill the lower pot with water, place the washed rice in the upper pot with a drain hole and seal the lid;

[0018] Step 2: Based on the gas drive and the definition of the positioning part in the elastic positioning member, the airbag is deployed and pushes the heating component and the lower pot to rise. The water in the lower pot enters the upper pot through the drainage hole and completely immerses the rice in the upper pot to achieve water absorption;

[0019] Step 3: After the rice has absorbed water for a set time, the airbag is evacuated or deflated to shrink. Based on the weight of the lower pot and the traction of the reset member in the elastic positioning member, the lower pot falls back to separate the water and rice.

[0020] Step 4: Steam is introduced into the upper pot to steam the rice layer after absorbing water; at the same time, the heating element is turned on to heat the water in the lower pot to a preset temperature;

[0021] Step 5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to soak the rice in the water heated in the pot.

[0022] Step 6: Add steam to the pot and steam until the rice is cooked.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the multifunctional rice cooker further has a second cooking method, which includes the following steps:

[0024] Step 1: Remove the inner pot and place the washed rice and water in the lower pot. Place the lid on the open part of the pot.

[0025] Step 2: Start the heating component to heat and cook the rice and water;

[0026] Step 3. When the heating reaches the preset time or rice soup is detected in the lower pot, based on the limitations of gas drive and elastic positioning parts, the airbag switches between expanded and contracted states to drive the lower pot to rise and fall, vibrate the rice layer and adjust the air pressure in the lower pot. The inner pot exchanges hot and cold gases with the outside of the pot body through the gap between the lid and the pot body; at the same time, the heating component continues to heat until the rice is cooked.

[0027] In summary, in the multifunctional rice draining rice cooker provided by the present invention, the inner pot for holding the rice layer is disposed stationary within the pot body; the airbag lifting assembly is disposed at the bottom of the lower pot for holding water, and the airbag changes state under the drive of gas to drive the lower pot to rise and fall, thereby achieving soaking and draining of the rice. The lifting movement of the lower pot eliminates the need for the airbag to be disposed within the cooking chamber, which not only facilitates installation of the airbag, but also allows for clean and hygienic rice cooking, and requires fewer parts to be cleaned after cooking. Furthermore, in the installation of the airbag, while the airbag is fixed to the bottom of the heating component by an elastic positioning member, the elastic deformation of the positioning member is utilized to limit the deformation direction of the airbag when its state changes, thereby guiding the airbag to smoothly expand or collapse in the height direction of the pot body to avoid irregular deformation, thereby achieving stable lifting of the lower pot. Furthermore, the elastic positioning member also includes a reset member connected to the heating element and the bottom wall of the pot body. When the airbag expands to lift the heating element, the reset member is stretched, generating a downward elastic restoring force. When the airbag contracts, this downward elastic restoring force is superimposed on the weight of the lower pot, causing the lower pot to quickly return to its original position. This arrangement not only greatly improves the drainage speed and improves the consistency of water absorption by the rice layer, but also shortens the cooking time of the rice. At the same time, during the descent, the positioning member gradually contracts to wrap around the airbag, maintaining its deformation direction and causing it to gradually and smoothly collapse in the direction of rise and fall.

[0028] In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below with reference to the accompanying drawings for detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a multifunctional rice cooker provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of FIG1 .

[0031] FIG3 is an exploded schematic diagram of FIG1 .

[0032] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the upper pot in FIG1 .

[0033] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the airbag in a folded state.

[0034] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the elastic positioning member in FIG. 4 .

[0035] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram showing the airbag in a deployed state.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the elastic positioning member in FIG. 6 .

[0037] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of a multifunctional rice cooker in a steaming state.

[0038] FIG9 is an enlarged schematic diagram of point A in FIG8 .

[0039] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of the upper pot.

[0040] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a pot cover.

[0041] FIG12 is a schematic structural diagram of the pot cover from another perspective.

[0042] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of the multifunctional rice cooker in the draining state when making drained rice.

[0043] FIG14 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the lower pot rising to soak rice in FIG13 .

[0044] FIG15 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the multifunctional rice cooker for making stewed rice.

[0045] FIG16 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the lower pot descending in FIG14 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the multifunctional rice cooker provided in this embodiment includes a cooker body 1, a pot body assembly 2, a heating assembly 3, and an airbag lifting assembly 4. The cooker body 1 has a accommodating cavity 10. The pot body assembly 2 is detachably arranged in the pot body accommodating cavity 10, and the pot body assembly 2 includes an upper pot 21 with a drain hole 210 and a lower pot 22 that is liftable below the upper pot 21. The heating assembly 3 is located in the accommodating cavity 10 and is attached to the outer bottom wall of the lower pot 22. The airbag lifting assembly 4 is arranged at the bottom of the heating assembly 3 and includes an airbag 41 and an elastic positioning member 42 that limits the state change of the airbag 41. Driven by gas, the airbag 41 expands or contracts and drives the lower pot 22 to rise and fall relative to the upper pot 21 through the heating component 3. The elastic positioning member 42 includes a positioning portion 421 arranged around the outer wall of the airbag 41 and a reset portion 422 formed on the outer periphery of the positioning portion 421. The outer end of the positioning portion 421 is connected to the heating component 3 to fix the airbag 41 to the bottom of the heating component 3 and limit the deformation direction of the airbag 41 when the state changes based on the elasticity of the positioning portion 421; the two ends of the reset member 422 are respectively connected to the heating component 3 and the bottom wall of the pot body 1. When the airbag 41 expands, the heating component 3 rises and causes the reset member 422 to undergo elastic deformation. When the airbag 41 contracts, the elastic recovery force of the reset member 422 drives the lower pot 22 to fall back.

[0047] In the multifunctional rice cooker with draining function provided in this embodiment, the upper pot 21 remains stationary while the lower pot 22 and the heating element 3 move up and down following the state change of the airbag 41. When the lower pot 22 rises, the water in it enters the upper pot 21 through the drain hole 210 at the bottom of the upper pot 21 to soak the rice layer. When the lower pot 22 descends as the airbag 41 contracts, the upper and lower pots 21 and 22 separate to achieve draining. Compared to existing rice cookers with draining function that lifts the inner pot, the heating element 3 in the rice cooker with draining function provided in this embodiment is separated from the pot body 1, and the heating element 3 moves up and down following the lower pot 22. This arrangement allows the airbag 41, which acts as a lifting drive, to be installed at the bottom of the heating element 3 without being directly connected to the lower pot 22. This not only provides conditions for separating the lower pot 22 from the pot body 1 for cleaning, but also eliminates the need to consider connection and sealing issues when setting up the lower pot 22, greatly simplifying its structure. Furthermore, by providing an elastic positioning member 42 around the outer wall of the airbag 41, the elastic positioning member 42 secures the airbag 41 to the bottom of the heating element 3, while the positioning member 421 and the reset member 422 thereon also elastically deform along with the airbag 41. The elastic restoring force of the positioning member 421 limits and guides the deformation direction of the airbag 41, allowing it to expand or contract as much as possible in the direction of lower pot lifting, thus avoiding the problem of unstable lower pot lifting caused by irregular deformation of the airbag 41. The restoring force generated by the elastic deformation of the reset member 422 acts on the lower pot 22 when the airbag 41 is contracted, pulling the lower pot 22 to rapidly descend and return, thereby achieving high-speed draining.

[0048] In this embodiment, the elastic positioning member 42 includes a plurality of elastic rubber strips whose inner ends are connected to each other and whose ends are connected to the bottom wall of the pot body 1. The middle part of each elastic rubber strip is connected to the heating component 3. The elastic rubber strip on the inner side of the connection forms the positioning portion 421, and the elastic rubber strip on the outer side of the connection forms the reset portion 422. However, the present invention does not impose any limitation on this. In other embodiments, the elastic positioning member may also be an elastic net or elastic cover wrapped around the outside of the airbag. Similarly, although this embodiment is described as an example in which the positioning portion and the reset portion are integrally formed. However, the present invention does not impose any limitation on this. In other embodiments, the reset portion may also be an independent elastic rubber strip. In this embodiment, the elastic positioning member 42 is an elastic rubber strip made of gas-phase rubber. However, the present invention does not impose any limitation on this. In other embodiments, the elastic positioning member may also be made of other elastic materials such as silicone and springs.

[0049] Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the structure of the airbag when it is collapsed. At this point, the elastic positioning member 42 is relaxed, securing the airbag 41 to the bottom of the heating element 3. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the structure of the airbag 41 when it is inflated. Specifically, the airbag 41 expands and stretches the positioning member 421, causing it to elastically deform. The elastic restoring force generated by the elastic deformation of the positioning member 421 opposes the expansion force of the airbag 41. These two opposing forces act on the airbag 41, limiting the deformation direction and speed of the airbag 41 and ensuring smooth deployment. In this embodiment, an airbag inlet 411 is formed on the bottom surface of the airbag 41. Gas is introduced into the airbag 41 from the bottom up, causing it to expand as far as possible in the lifting direction, thereby driving the heating element 3 and the lower pot 22 to rise and fall smoothly. In this embodiment, the airbag lifting assembly 4 also includes a support plate 43 located below the airbag 41. The support plate 43 has a support plate through-hole 430 for accommodating the airbag inlet 411. The setting of the support plate through hole 430 allows the outer wall near the airbag air inlet 411 to abut the support plate 43 in a surface contact manner when the airbag 41 is deployed. The support plate 43 provides lower support for the airbag 41 and enables the airbag 41 to deploy upward. At the same time, the surface contact method further improves the stability of its deployment.

[0050] Furthermore, the provision of the support plate through-hole 430 allows the air supply pipe for the airbag 41 to be routed within the interlayer space between the support plate 43 and the bottom wall of the pot body 1, greatly simplifying the routing of the air supply pipe. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, a groove for accommodating the airbag air inlet and a hole for routing the air supply pipe connected to the groove may be provided between the bottom walls of the pot body.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7 , the reset portion 422 on the elastic positioning member 42, connected to the heating element 3, is also stretched when the airbag 41 is inflated and deployed, generating an elastic restoring force directed toward the bottom wall of the pot body 1. The elastic restoring force provided by the reset member 422 is in the same direction as the deadweight of the lower pot 22. Together, the two forces pull the heating element 3 and the lower pot 22 back, rapidly separating the upper pot 21 and the lower pot 22, thereby precisely controlling the soaking time of the rice (especially the soaking time during the high-temperature water replenishment stage) to ensure the quality of the cooked rice.

[0052] In this embodiment, the heating assembly 3 includes a heating plate 31 that abuts the outer bottom wall of the lower pot 22, a thermal insulation bracket 32 ​​disposed outside the heating plate 31, and an airbag 41 secured to the bottom of the thermal insulation bracket 32. The heating plate 31, thermal insulation bracket 32, airbag 41, elastic positioning member 42, and support plate 43 are assembled to form a single unit. The upper end of the unit is in close contact with the outer bottom wall of the lower pot 22, while the lower end of the unit abuts the inner bottom wall of the pot body 1 via the support plate 43.

[0053] In this embodiment, the pot body 1 includes an outer shell 11, a bottom shell 12, and a hollow liner 13 with open ends. The hollow liner 13 is placed in the cavity surrounded by the outer shell 11 and the bottom shell 12, and the interior of the hollow liner 13 forms a accommodating chamber 10 to accommodate the airbag lifting component 4, the heating component 3 and the pot body assembly 2. The support plate 43 is fixed to the bottom end of the hollow liner 13 and abuts the inner bottom wall of the bottom shell 12. Preferably, the inner diameter of the hollow liner 13 is set to be only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the lower pot 22 to further improve the stability of the lower pot 22 in lifting. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the inner wall of the hollow liner 13 is formed with a lining step 131, and the pot body assembly 2 also includes a lower pot sealing ring 23 installed on the edge of the lower pot. The lower pot 22 is sealed against the lining step 131 by the lower pot sealing ring 23, effectively preventing steam from entering the accommodating chamber 10 outside the lower pot 22 and affecting the heating component 3.

[0054] In this embodiment, the airbag lifting assembly 4 also includes an air pressure regulating member 44 disposed within the pot body 1 and connected to the airbag 41. As shown in Figure 1, the air pressure regulating member 44 includes an air pump 441 that supplies air to the airbag 41 and a solenoid valve 442 that releases the air within the airbag 41. Specifically, the air outlet of the air pump 441 and the solenoid valve 442 are connected to one end of a flexible air supply pipe via a three-way adapter. The other end of the flexible air supply pipe extends through the interlayer space below the support plate 43 to the airbag inlet 411. When soaking rice, the air pump 441 operates, inflating the airbag 41 and expanding it to lift the lower pot 22. At this time, the solenoid valve 442 is closed. When draining rice, the solenoid valve 442 opens to release the air within the airbag 41, causing it to collapse and lower the lower pot 22. At this time, the air pump 441 is closed. However, the present invention does not impose any limitations on the structure of the air pressure regulating member. In other implementations, the air pressure regulating component may simply be an air pump for supplying or draining air to the airbag.

[0055] The multifunctional rice cooker with drained rice provides steam that is introduced into the upper pot 21 through the lid 5 and allows the steam to penetrate the rice layer from top to bottom. Specifically, as shown in Figures 8 to 12, the upper pot 21 includes an upper pot body 211 and an upper pot rim 212. The lid 5 of the multifunctional rice cooker with drained rice is opened or sealed over the mouth of the upper pot body 211. The lid 5 is formed with an air outlet 502 located within the inner periphery of the lid sealing ring 6 to direct steam into the lid steam channel 50 within the upper pot body 211. An exhaust channel 20 is formed between the upper pot 21 and the lower pot 22, and between the upper pot 21 and the pot body accommodating cavity 10. The upper pot rim 212 is provided with exhaust holes 2121. As shown by the arrows in Figure 8, steam entering the upper pot body 21 from the lid steam channel 20 penetrates the rice layer and the drain holes 210 at the bottom of the upper pot body 211, enters the exhaust channel 20, and is discharged through the exhaust holes 2121 in the upper pot rim. In this structure, the vent holes 2121 on the upper pot rim and the vent channels 20 around the upper pot body 211 allow steam to penetrate the rice layer from top to bottom. This steam penetrates the rice layer while removing any remaining moisture at the bottom of the upper pot body 211 after draining, effectively preventing excessive gelatinization of the rice at the bottom due to excess residual moisture. Furthermore, the steam output from the vent holes 2121 on the upper pot rim significantly shortens the steam's discharge path, allowing it to quickly exit the pot body 1. This reduces the amount of heat transferred to the pot body 1 during steam discharge, effectively preventing overheating. Furthermore, placing the vent holes on the upper pot rim 212 significantly simplifies the structure of the upper pot 21, facilitating its manufacture.

[0056] As shown in Figures 9, 11, and 12, the pot lid 5 includes a pot lid body 51 and a pot lid rim 52 located on the periphery of the pot lid body 51. A pot lid steam passage 50 is formed in the pot lid body 51. A pot lid sealing ring 6 is provided on the pot lid body 51 to seal the opening of the upper pot body 211. The pot lid rim 52 covers the upper pot rim 212 to prevent debris from falling into and clogging the upper pot rim vent 2121. However, the pot lid rim 52 does not seal the upper pot rim 212. A venting gap is formed between the pot lid rim 52 and the upper pot rim 212. Steam discharged from the upper pot rim vent 2121 is discharged through the venting gap. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pot lid rim 52 also has a pot lid vent 521 located on the periphery of the pot lid sealing ring 6 and connected to the upper pot rim vent 2121. The lid vents 521 direct most of the steam toward the top of the multi-functional rice cooker, preventing steam from inconvenience to the user. Furthermore, the dual-channel exhaust system, based on the exhaust gap and the lid vents 521, further accelerates steam discharge. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the lid vents may not be provided on the edge of the lid.

[0057] In the rice cooker provided in this embodiment, the lid 5 and upper pot 21 are sealed on the inside but not on the outside. Due to this structure, steam enters the upper pot 211 from the inner seal and penetrates downward through the rice layer. The steam then enters the exhaust duct 20 through the drain hole 210 and is discharged through the exhaust gap between the lid 5 and upper pot 21 and the lid vent 521. This arrangement greatly simplifies the structure of the lid 5. The lid 5 only needs to have a single exhaust port 502 extending to the lid steam duct 50 inside the lid sealing ring 6. Furthermore, the exhaust duct 20 is directly formed between the upper pot 21, lower pot 22, and pot housing 10, resulting in a very simple channel structure. Although this example illustrates steaming from top to bottom through the rice layer, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, a heating element may be used to heat water in the lower pot to generate steam, which then penetrates the rice layer from bottom to top.

[0058] In this embodiment, the multifunctional rice cooker further includes a steam generator 7 disposed on the pot body 1, and the steam outlet end of the steam generator 7 is connected to the air inlet 501 of the steam channel 50 of the pot cover. Specifically, the steam generator 7 includes a steam generator body 71, a steam coupler 72, a first steam joint 73, and a second steam joint 74. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a side mounting groove 111 is provided on the pot body shell 11, and the pot body 1 further includes a panel 14 connected to the hollow liner 13 and extending to the top of the side mounting groove 111. The steam coupler 72 and the first steam joint 73 are disposed in the side mounting groove 111 near the inner wall of the pot body accommodating cavity 10, and the second steam joint 74 is disposed on the panel 14, one end of which is connected to the first steam joint 73 and the other end of which is connected to the air inlet 501 of the steam channel 50 of the pot cover. This arrangement allows the steam generator body 71 to be pushed horizontally into the side mounting groove 111 without obstruction. The coupling portion 712 on the steam generator body 71 aligns with the steam coupler 72 to electrically connect to the controller in the pot body 1. The steam outlet portion 711 on the steam generator body 71 aligns with the first steam connector 73, and steam is input into the upper pot body 211 through the first steam connector 73, the first steam connector 73, and the pot lid steam channel 50. This installation method greatly facilitates the assembly and separation of the steam generator body 71 from the pot body 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, an upward-opening assembly cavity can be formed in the pot body, and the steam generator body can be inserted into the assembly cavity from top to bottom, just like the pot body assembly.

[0059] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 10, the sidewall 2111 of the upper pot body 211 is flared. This configuration allows the lower pot rim 212 to abut against the sidewall 2111 of the upper pot body after the lower pot 22 is raised into position, slightly lifting the upper pot 21. The upper pot rim 212 has a raised trigger portion 2122, and a wireless trigger coupler (not shown) is installed on the pot lid at a location corresponding to the trigger portion 2122. When the lower pot 22 rises and lifts the upper pot 21, the trigger portion 2122 on the upper pot rim 212 abuts the wireless trigger on the pot lid. The wireless trigger sends a signal to the controller indicating that the lower pot has been raised into position, and the controller starts the rice soaking timer.

[0060] The multifunctional drained rice provided in this embodiment has multiple cooking methods, including drained rice cooking method, stewed rice cooking method and separate steaming method. The specific steps of each cooking method will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The first cooking method: drained rice making. Figures 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams of the structure of the multifunctional drained rice cooker when making drained rice.

[0062] Step S10: Fill the lower pot 22 with water 100, place the washed rice 200 in the upper pot 21 with the drain hole 210, and seal the pot lid 5, as shown in FIG13 .

[0063] Step S20: Start the air pump 441 in the air pressure regulating member 44 to input gas into the airbag 41. The pressure in the airbag 41 increases and the airbag expands. The positioning portion 421 and the reset portion 422 in the elastic positioning member 42 are both stretched. The elastic restoring force generated by the stretching of the positioning portion 421 constrains the expansion direction of the airbag 41, fully straightens the inflated airbag 41 and guides its expansion direction to the lifting direction of the lower pot. Based on the support plate 43 supporting the bottom end of the airbag 41, the airbag 41 rises and expands toward the top, pushing the heating element 3 up and pushing the lower pot 22 that is in contact with the heating element 3 to rise. The water in the lower pot 22 enters the upper pot 21 through the drain hole 210 and completely immerses the rice in the upper pot 21 so that the rice absorbs water, as shown in Figure 14.

[0064] In step S30, after the rice has absorbed water for a set time, the air pump 441 is turned off and the solenoid valve 442 is opened. The gas in the airbag 41 is discharged through the solenoid valve 442, and the positioning portion 421 gradually contracts along with the airbag 41 to adhere to the outer wall of the airbag 41. Due to the weight of the lower pot 22, the weight of the heating element 3, and the traction of the stretched return portion 422, the lower pot 22 quickly falls back to separate the water and rice, as shown in Figure 13.

[0065] Step S40: The steam generator 7 inputs steam into the upper pot 21 through the steam channel 50 of the pot cover. The steam penetrates the rice layer from top to bottom to steam the rice. At the same time, the heating plate 31 in the heating component is turned on to heat the water in the lower pot 22 to a preset temperature.

[0066] Step S50: After steaming for a period of time, the steam generator 7 is turned off and steps S20 and S30 are repeated to soak the rice with the water heated in the lower pot 22, thereby replenishing water during the steaming process;

[0067] Step S60: Turn on the steam generator 7 and continue to introduce steam into the upper pot 21 until the rice is cooked.

[0068] However, the present invention does not limit the above-mentioned drained rice making steps. In other embodiments, steps S50 and S60 may not be provided, that is, the steam is continuously supplied in step S40 until the rice is cooked. Alternatively, steps S20 to S40 may be repeated multiple times.

[0069] The second cooking method: stewing rice; as shown in Figures 15 and 16, the steps are as follows:

[0070] Step S100: remove the inner pot and place the washed rice 200 and water 100 in the lower pot, and cover the pot lid 5 on the opening of the pot body 1;

[0071] Step S200: Start the heating component and adjust it to maximum power, and cook 200ml of rice and 100ml of water over high heat;

[0072] Step S300: When the heating time reaches a preset value or rice soup is detected in the lower pot, the air pressure regulator 44 is activated, switching the airbag 41 between expanded and contracted states to drive the lower pot 22 upward and downward. The upward and downward movement of the lower pot 22 changes the air pressure within the lower pot, drawing outside air into the lower pot 22 through the gap between the lid 5 and the pot body 1. This draws in cool air and expels hot air from the pot, lowering the temperature within the lower pot 22. This eliminates the conditions that cause the rice soup to form, thus enabling high-heat cooking without overflowing. Furthermore, the vibrations generated by the raising and lowering of the lower pot 22 cause the rice and water to collide constantly, accelerating the flow of the rice soup and improving the uniformity of the heating layer. Simultaneously, the heating element 3 continues heating until the rice is cooked.

[0073] The third cooking mode is steaming. In this mode, the airbag lifting assembly 4 and the steam generator 7 are not working and the lid does not seal the opening of the upper pot body 211. The heating assembly 3 heats the water in the lower pot 22 to generate steam, which directly steams the food in the upper pot.

[0074] Although the present embodiment uses rice cooking as an example to describe the structure of the multifunctional rice cooker in detail, the present invention is not limited thereto. The multifunctional rice cooker provided by the present invention can also be used to steam whole grains such as sweet potatoes and dishes such as fish.

[0075] In summary, in the multifunctional rice draining rice cooker provided by the present invention, the inner pot for holding the rice layer is fixedly disposed inside the pot body; the airbag lifting assembly is disposed at the bottom of the lower pot for holding water, and the airbag changes state under the drive of gas to drive the lower pot to rise and fall, thereby achieving soaking and draining of the rice. The lifting movement of the lower pot eliminates the need for the airbag to be disposed in the cooking chamber. This not only facilitates the installation of the airbag, but also allows for clean and hygienic rice cooking, and reduces the number of parts that need to be cleaned after cooking. In addition, during the installation of the airbag, the airbag is fixed to the bottom of the heating assembly by an elastic positioning member, while also utilizing the elastic deformation of the positioning member to limit the deformation direction of the airbag when its state changes, thereby guiding the airbag to smoothly expand or collapse in the height direction of the pot body to avoid irregular deformation, thereby achieving stable lifting of the lower pot. Furthermore, the elastic positioning member also includes a reset member connected to the heating element and the bottom wall of the pot body. When the airbag expands to lift the heating element, the reset member is stretched, generating a downward elastic restoring force. When the airbag contracts, this downward elastic restoring force is superimposed on the weight of the lower pot, causing the lower pot to quickly return to its original position. This arrangement not only greatly improves the drainage speed and improves the consistency of water absorption by the rice layer, but also shortens the cooking time of the rice. At the same time, during the descent, the positioning member gradually contracts to wrap around the airbag, maintaining its deformation direction and causing it to gradually and smoothly collapse in the direction of rise and fall.

[0076] Although the present invention has been disclosed above by means of preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may make slight changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of protection required by the claims.

Claims

1. A multifunctional rice cooker. It is characterized in that include: The pot body has a containing cavity; A pot body assembly is detachably disposed in the pot body accommodating cavity, and the pot body assembly comprises an upper pot with a drain hole and a lower pot which is liftably disposed below the upper pot; The heating component is located in the accommodating cavity and is attached to the outer bottom wall of the lower pot; An airbag lifting component is arranged at the bottom of the heating component and includes an airbag and an elastic positioning member that limits the change of the airbag state; the airbag is driven to expand or contract based on gas and drives the lower pot to rise and fall relative to the upper pot through the heating component, the elastic positioning member includes a positioning part surrounded by the outer wall of the airbag and a reset part formed on the periphery of the positioning part, the outer end of the positioning part is connected to the heating component to fix the airbag to the bottom of the heating component and limit the deformation direction of the airbag when the state changes based on the elasticity of the positioning part; the two ends of the reset member are respectively connected to the heating component and the bottom wall of the pot body, when the airbag is expanded, the heating component rises and causes the reset member to undergo elastic deformation, and when the airbag contracts, the elastic restoring force of the reset member drives the lower pot to fall back.

2. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The elastic positioning member includes multiple elastic strips whose inner ends are connected to each other and whose ends are connected to the bottom wall of the pot body. The middle part of each elastic strip is connected to the heating component. The elastic strip on the inner side of the connection forms a positioning part, and the elastic strip on the outer side of the connection forms a reset part.

3. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The airbag air inlet is formed on the bottom surface of the airbag. The airbag lifting assembly also includes a support plate located below the airbag and fixed to the pot body. The fixed support plate abuts against the bottom surface of the airbag to provide bottom support for the airbag so that the airbag can be deployed upward. The support plate has a support plate through hole for accommodating the airbag air inlet.

4. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The upper pot comprises an upper pot body and an upper pot edge. The lid of the multifunctional rice draining cooker is opened or sealed on the mouth of the upper pot body. An air outlet is formed on the lid and is located on the inner periphery of the lid sealing ring to introduce steam into the lid steam channel in the upper pot body. An exhaust channel is formed between the upper pot and the lower pot and between the upper pot and the pot body accommodating cavity. An upper pot edge exhaust hole is provided on the upper pot edge. The steam entering the upper pot body from the lid steam channel penetrates the rice layer and the drain holes at the bottom of the upper pot body, then enters the exhaust channel and is discharged through the upper pot edge exhaust hole.

5. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The pot cover includes a pot cover body and a pot cover edge located at the periphery of the pot cover body, a pot cover steam channel is formed on the pot cover body, a cover body sealing ring is arranged on the pot cover body to seal and cover the mouth of the upper pot body, the pot cover edge and the upper pot edge are not sealed, and an exhaust gap connected to the exhaust hole of the upper pot edge is formed between the two; and / or, the pot cover edge has a pot cover exhaust hole located at the periphery of the cover body sealing ring and connected to the exhaust hole of the upper pot edge.

6. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 4, It is characterized in that The multifunctional rice cooker further comprises a steam generator arranged on the cooker body, and the steam outlet end of the steam generator is connected to the air inlet of the steam channel of the cooker cover.

7. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 6, It is characterized in that The pot body is provided with a side mounting groove, and a steam coupler and a steam joint are arranged on the side wall of the side mounting groove close to the accommodating cavity. The steam generator body is horizontally pushed into and engaged in the side mounting groove, the coupling part on the steam generator body is aligned with the steam coupler to be electrically connected to the controller in the pot body, and the air outlet part on the steam generator body is aligned with the steam joint to input steam into the steam channel of the pot cover.

8. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The airbag lifting assembly also includes an air pressure regulating component arranged in the pot body and connected to the airbag, and the air pressure regulating component is an air pump for supplying or exhausting air to the airbag; or, the air pressure regulating component includes an air pump for supplying air to the airbag and an electromagnetic valve for releasing the gas in the airbag.

9. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The pot body includes an outer shell, a bottom shell, a hollow liner with open ends, and a panel connected to the hollow liner. The hollow liner is placed in a cavity surrounded by the outer shell and the bottom shell. The interior of the hollow liner forms a accommodating cavity and the inner wall of the hollow liner forms a lining step that is sealed and buckled with the edge of the lower pot. The panel is connected to the upper end of the hollow liner.

10. The multifunctional rice cooker according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The heating component comprises a heating plate abutting against the outer bottom wall of the lower pot and a heat insulation bracket arranged outside the heating plate, and the air bag is fixed to the bottom of the heat insulation bracket.

11. A method of cooking rice. It is characterized in that The multifunctional rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is used for cooking, and the rice cooking method comprises the following steps: Step 1: Pour water into the lower pot, place the washed rice into the upper pot with a drain hole and seal the pot lid; Step 2: Based on the gas drive and the definition of the positioning part in the elastic positioning member, the airbag is deployed and pushes the heating component and the lower pot to rise, and the water in the lower pot enters the upper pot through the drain hole and completely immerses the rice in the upper pot to achieve water absorption of the soaked rice; Step 3: After the rice absorbs water for a set time, the airbag is evacuated or deflated to shrink, and the lower pot falls back based on its own weight and the traction of the reset part in the elastic positioning part to separate the water from the rice. Step 4: introducing steam into the upper pot to steam the rice layer after absorbing water; at the same time, turning on the heating component to heat the water in the lower pot to a preset temperature; Step 5: Repeat steps 2 and 3, and soak the rice in the water heated in the pot; Step 6: Pour steam into the pot and steam until the rice is cooked.

12. The rice cooking method according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The multifunctional rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10 also has a second cooking method, which comprises the following steps: Step 1: Remove the inner pot and place the washed rice and water in the lower pot, and cover the pot lid on the open part of the pot; Step 2: Start the heating component to heat and cook the rice and water; Step three: when the heating reaches the preset time or rice soup is detected in the lower pot, based on the limitation of gas drive and elastic positioning parts, the airbag switches between the expanded and contracted states to drive the lower pot to rise and fall, vibrate the rice layer and adjust the air pressure in the lower pot, and the inner pot exchanges hot and cold gases with the outside of the pot body through the gap between the lid and the pot body; at the same time, the heating component continues to heat until the rice is cooked.

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