JP7475965B2 - rice cooker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a rice cooker equipped with a steam exhaust path that makes it difficult for sticky rice and water droplets (dew) to escape.

Conventionally, there is known a rice cooker that has a steam opening that discharges steam from inside the rice cooker to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a steam discharge path that connects the inside of the rice cooker to the steam opening, and the steam flows through this steam discharge path and is discharged to the outside from the steam opening.

During the rice cooking process in a rice cooker, the pressure inside the inner pot can sometimes exceed atmospheric pressure, causing sticky rice and water droplets (dew) adhering to the steam exhaust passage to flow through the steam exhaust passage along with the steam, posing a risk of being ejected from the steam opening.

Therefore, the rice cooker described in Patent Document 1 has a partition wall with multiple through holes formed in the passage member that constitutes the steam exhaust path, and the sticky rice and water droplets (dew) adhere to the partition wall and the steam passes through the through holes, allowing the steam to be exhausted to the outside, but a structure is adopted that makes it difficult for the sticky rice and water droplets (dew) to scatter to the outside.

JP 2016-198439 A

However, because the steam vent and steam opening are located directly above the multiple through holes formed in the partition wall, there is a risk that sticky rice and water droplets (dew) that do not adhere to the partition wall and pass through the through holes will flow upward and be expelled to the outside through the steam vent, especially when a large amount of rice is being cooked.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a rice cooker with a steam exhaust path that makes it difficult for sticky rice and water droplets (dew) to be discharged to the outside.

The rice cooker of the present invention comprises an inner pot, a main body for accommodating the inner pot, an inner lid for covering the upper part of the inner pot, and a lid body for covering the upper part of the main body and for which the inner lid is detachably attached, the lid body being provided with a steam exhaust means through which steam generated in the inner pot flows, a storage section for attaching the steam exhaust means is formed inside the lid body, the steam exhaust means can be removed from the storage section by pulling it out of an attachment hole of the storage section with the inner lid removed from the lid body, and can be attached to the storage section by pushing it through the attachment hole, the steam exhaust means has an inlet for taking in the steam inside the inner pot and an outlet for exhausting it to the outside of the steam exhaust means, the storage section is formed with an external exhaust port for exhausting the steam to the outside of the rice cooker, and has a first steam exhaust path formed inside the steam exhaust means and a second steam exhaust path formed between the steam exhaust means and a wall of the storage section.

The rice cooker of the present invention makes it difficult for sticky rice and water droplets (dew) to be discharged to the outside.

1 is an external perspective view of a rice cooker showing one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker with the steam exhaust means attached. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner lid assembly unit as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inner lid assembly unit as viewed from the bottom side of the same. FIG. FIG. This is a photograph taken of the rear side of the steam exhaust means. 13 is a photograph of the bottom side of the steam exhaust means. FIG. This is a photograph of the bottom side of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly. FIG. 11 is a view of the inside of the lid seen from the underside of the heat sink of the same embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the removal operation of the steam exhaust means. FIG. 2 shows the state in which the steam exhaust means has been removed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rice cooker with the lid open. 11A and 11B are views showing the operation of removing the pressure regulating valve holder assembly from the steam port assembly. 15 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 14. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a steam exhaust path inside the lid according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the same. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rice cooker in the same manner as above, in a state in which the steam exhaust means is not installed.

Below, preferred embodiments of the cooking device of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiments described below do not limit the contents of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the configurations described below are necessarily essential requirements of the present invention. Below, the directions indicated by the arrows (up, down, front, rear, left, right) in Figure 1 will be described as the upper, lower, front, rear, left, and right sides of the rice cooker, respectively.

First, the overall structure of the rice cooker in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. 1 is a cylindrical inner pot with a bottom that contains rice, water, and other food to be cooked. This inner pot 1 is mainly made of aluminum, which has good thermal conductivity, and a heating element 2 made of a magnetic metal plate such as ferritic stainless steel is joined to the outer surface of the main material from the lower side to the bottom. The reason that the heating element 2 is not provided from the center to the upper part of the side of the inner pot 1 is to reduce the weight of the inner pot 1.

The main body 3 that houses the inner pot 1 is made up of an upper frame 4 that forms the top and sides of the main body 3, and an outer frame 5 that forms part of the top, forming the outer shell of the rice cooker, and a bottom plate 6 that covers the bottom of the upper frame 4. The upper frame 4 and bottom plate 6 are made of synthetic resin such as PP, and the outer frame 5 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel.

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

The upper end of the inner pot housing 7 is provided with a cord heater 9 (see FIG. 20), which is covered with a metal plate 10 such as an aluminum plate having good thermal conductivity. This metal plate 10 is provided as a heat dissipation part at a position facing the gap 11 between the lid 21 and the main body 3 described later, and these cord heater 9 and metal plate 10 constitute a flange heater as a heat generating means. The lower surface of the flange 12 extending from the upper end of the inner pot 1 to the entire outer periphery direction is placed on the upper surface of the metal plate 10, and the inner pot 1 is housed in the inner pot housing 7 in a suspended state. Therefore, in this state, there is almost no gap between the upper end of the inner pot 1 and the inner pot housing 7. However, by forming a partial gap 13 in a plan view in the metal plate 10 so that the handle portion formed on the flange 12 of the inner pot 1 is not in contact with the metal plate 10, steam is discharged from the gap 13 when cooking rice with water attached to the outer surface of the inner pot 1. Furthermore, the flange portion 12 of the inner kettle 1 is formed with an outer shape that is equal to or larger than the cord heater 9 so as to cover the cord heater 9, which is the heat generating portion.

A heating coil 15 is arranged on the outer surface of the inner frame 8, on the lower side and bottom of the inner frame 8 facing the heating element 2, as the main heating means for electromagnetic induction heating of the inner pot 1. In addition, a thermistor-type inner pot temperature sensor 16 (see Figure 20) is in contact with the outer surface of the bottom of the inner pot 1, which detects the temperature at the bottom of the inner pot 1 and mainly controls the heating temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 by the heating coil 15.

During cooking and keeping warm, the inner pot 1 is heated by the heating means. During keeping warm, the inner pot 1 is kept at a constant temperature by adjusting the heating coil 15, which serves as the heating means, according to the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16 in contact with the outer bottom surface of the inner pot 1. After cooking, the cord heater 9, which serves as the heating means, is heated until the temperature of the rice in the inner pot 1 drops to the keeping warm temperature (from about 100°C to about 73°C) and when the temperature is stable (about 73°C), and heat is radiated from the metal plate part 10 to the gap 13 between the lid 21 and the main body 3, suppressing cooling caused by outside air entering through the gap 13 and heating the inner pot 1. Furthermore, during keeping warm, the inner pot 1 is heated during the period when hot reheating is being performed to reheat the rice in the inner pot 1, and the moisture generated by heating is prevented from condensing on the upper inner surface of the inner pot 1.

21 is a lid that is rotatably attached to the top of the main body 3 and forms the outer shell of the rice cooker together with the main body 3. The lid 21, which opens and closes the upper opening of the inner pot 1, is equipped with a thermistor-type lid temperature sensor 22 (see FIG. 20) that detects the temperature of the inner lid 45 (described later) and a lid heating means 23 (see FIG. 20) such as a cord heater, and the temperature of the inner lid 45 is mainly controlled by the lid heating means 23.

25 is a heating control means for controlling the temperature of heating the bottom and sides of the inner pot 1 and the inner lid 45 of the lid body 21 by detecting the temperature of the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 during cooking and keeping warm. The heating control means 25 receives detection signals from the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22, and adjusts the heating of the heating means, namely the cord heater 9, the heating coil 15, and the lid heating means 23.

The heating control means 25 is equipped with an element 26 that drives the heating coil 15. The element 26 that drives the heating coil 15 is heated as the heating coil 15 oscillates. The element 26 that drives the heating coil 15 has an operating temperature, and must be operated below a certain temperature. For this reason, the element 26 is attached to a heat sink 27 made of a material with good thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and is cooled by the wind emitted from a cooling fan 28, which serves as a cooling means, so that the element 26 is operated within the operating temperature range. The cooling fan 28 is located below or to the side of the heat sink 27 attached to the heating control means 25.

A hole 29 is provided on the bottom or side of the rice cooker that will become the product, which exhausts the air emitted from the cooling fan 28 and heated by the radiator 27 to the outside. The heating control means 25 is stored inside the main body 3 that will become the product, but it may be placed anywhere with respect to the inner pot 1, and the hole 29 may also be placed anywhere. However, in recent years, there has been a demand for more compact product designs, so it is preferable to place the heating control means 25 and the cooling fan 28 in approximately opposite positions to the hole 29 that exhausts the air, sandwiching the inner pot 1 between them.

As shown in FIG. 1, a display operation unit 31 is provided on the front of the top surface of the lid 21. The display operation unit 31 is configured by arranging, on the top of a board 34 mounted inside the lid 21, a switch 33 for starting rice cooking and selecting a rice cooking course, as well as an LCD 32 for displaying the time and the selected rice cooking course, and an LED (not shown) for displaying the current process.

A control panel 35 is disposed above the display operation unit 31 to display button names, etc. This control panel 35 also prevents dust and water from adhering to the electronic components, such as the LCD 32, LEDs, switches 33, and circuit board 34.

In this embodiment, when the switch 33 is operated to start cooking, the bottom and sides of the inner pot 1 are heated by the heating coil 15 and the cord heater 9 based on the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16 in order to promote water absorption by the rice in the inner pot 1, and the water temperature is maintained at about 45 to 60°C for 15 to 20 minutes to perform soaking cooking. After that, the amount of heat from the heating coil 15 is increased to strongly heat the inner pot 1, and the rice to be cooked in the inner pot 1 is heated to boiling. During this boiling heating, if the bottom temperature of the inner pot 1 reaches 90°C or higher based on the detected temperatures from the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22, and the temperature of the lid body 21, especially the inner lid 45, stabilizes at 90°C or higher (temperature rise rate detection), boiling is detected and the amount of heat is reduced to continue boiling heating. In this boiling detection, the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 can confirm that the bottom of the inner pot 1 and the inner lid 45 have both reached 90°C or higher, making it possible to accurately detect when the inside of the inner pot 1 has completely boiled.

If either the bottom of the inner pot 1 or the inner lid 45 reaches an unusual temperature of 120°C or higher, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred, and the amount of heat used for cooking rice is reduced and all operations are stopped in the OFF state, or the temperature is kept warm, to prevent abnormal heating. If either the bottom of the inner pot 1 or the inner lid 45 reaches 90°C or higher and a specified time has passed (e.g., 5 minutes), but the other parts of the bottom of the inner pot 1 and the lid 21 are at a low temperature below 90°C, it is determined that the temperature detection accuracy of either the inner pot temperature sensor 16 or the lid temperature sensor 22 has deteriorated for some reason (dirt, tilt, poor contact, etc.), and the amount of heat used for cooking rice is reduced and all operations are stopped in the OFF state, or the temperature is kept warm, to prevent abnormal heating.

When boiling continues, the lid heating means 23 starts heating the inner lid 45 attached to the lid body 21. Heating of the inner lid 45 is controlled by the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 22 so that the temperature of the inner lid 45 is 100-110°C. When the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 reaches a specified level, it is detected that the rice is cooked and the process moves to steaming. During steaming, the temperature of the inner lid 45 is controlled to prevent condensation from forming on the inside of the upper part of the inner pot 1, and the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1 is controlled to maintain a high temperature (98-100°C) so that the rice does not burn. After 15-20 minutes of steaming, the process moves to keeping it warm.

When keeping warm, the heating coil 15 heats the bottom and lower sides of the inner pot 1, while the lid heating means 23 heats the inner lid 45, which forms the underside of the lid body 21, to a temperature slightly higher than that of the rice. In addition, a flange heater is used to control the temperature of the sides of the inner pot 1 so that the rice does not dry out and does not accumulate a large amount of dew. The temperature of the rice in the inner pot 1 is kept at 70-76°C, but if the two sensors are abnormally high or low relative to each other even during keeping warm, the abnormality is detected and abnormal heating is prevented. The above operations are configured to be performed by the heating control means 25.

As shown in FIG. 2, a hinge portion 36 that connects to the lid body 21 is provided at the rear of the upper frame 4. A hinge spring 37 formed of a torsion coil spring or the like is housed in this hinge portion 36. A lid-opening button 38 (see FIG. 1) is provided in an exposed state on the front upper surface of the lid body 21. When this lid-opening button 38 is pressed, the engagement between the lid body 21 and the main body 3 is released, and the elastic force of the hinge spring 37 causes the lid body 21 to automatically open with the hinge portion 36 as the center of rotation.

The lid body 21 is composed of an outer lid 41, which is an external component, and an outer lid cover 42, which forms the bottom of the outer lid 41. The outer lid cover 42 is provided with a metal heat sink 43 made of anodized stainless steel or aluminum, and the heat sink 43 is provided with a lid heating means 23. The lid heating means 23 may be an electric heater such as a cord heater, or an electromagnetic induction heating type.

As shown in FIG. 2, an inner lid 45 made of metal such as stainless steel or aluminum with anodized finish is provided below the heat sink 43. The outer periphery of the inner lid 45, which forms the underside of the lid body 21, is provided with a lid packing 46, which acts as a seal and is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber or fluororubber that seals the gap between the inner pot 1 and the inner lid 45, and the lid packing 46 abuts against the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the inner pot 1.

The inner lid 45 and the lid gasket 46 are integrated with a gasket base 48, and these inner lid assembly units 49 are removably provided on the inner surface of the outer lid cover 42.

A hole (not shown) is provided in the outer lid cover 42 at the rear so as to face the hole (not shown) provided in the hinge section 36. The hinge shaft 50 provided in the hinge section 36 connects these holes, thereby supporting the main body 3 and the lid body 21 so that they can be opened and closed freely. The hinge spring 37 mentioned above is hooked onto the outer lid cover 42 and constantly urges the lid body 21 in the open direction.

A clamp 51 that is linked to the lid opening button 38 is disposed on the approximately opposite side of the hinge shaft 50 that is the rotation center of the lid body 21. The clamp 51 is supported by the clamp shaft 52 on the outer lid cover 42 and is provided so as to be rotatable around the clamp shaft 52. A clamp receiver 53 (see FIG. 14) that engages with the clamp 51 is provided on the approximately opposite side of the hinge portion 36 of the upper frame 4. The clamp 51 provided on the lid body 21 rotates around the clamp shaft 52 as the central axis and engages with the clamp receiver 53 provided on the main body 3. The main body 3 and the lid body 21 are held in a closed state by the engagement between the clamp 51 and the clamp receiver 53. Conversely, when opening the lid body 21, the lid opening button 38 is pressed to rotate the clamp 51 in the opposite direction, and the engagement between the clamp 51 and the clamp receiver 53 is released.

Next, the configuration of the inner lid assembly unit 49, which essentially corresponds to the inner lid of this embodiment, will be described further with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The inner lid assembly unit 49 has a steam exhaust hole 54 and a pressure reduction hole 55, which are opened in the inner lid 45. In addition, a convex insertion portion 56 that partially protrudes in the outer circumferential direction is formed in the resin packing base 48, which is formed in a substantially annular shape. With the lid body 21 open, the insertion portion 56 is inserted into a recess 57 formed on the base end side near the hinge portion 36 on the inner surface of the lid body 21, and the packing base 48 is fitted to the outer lid cover 42, so that the inner lid assembly unit 49 can be attached to a predetermined position on the inner surface side of the lid body 21.

Above the pressure reduction hole 55, a cylindrical pressure reduction packing 63 (see FIG. 11) is disposed, protruding downward from the heat sink 43. The inner lid assembly unit 49 is detachably mounted on the inner surface, i.e., the underside, of the lid body 21. When the lid body 21 is closed on the main body 3 with the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached, the lid packing 46 comes into contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the inner kettle 1, and the inner lid assembly unit 49 tightly covers the upper opening of the inner kettle 1.

Next, the internal structure of the lid body 21 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 to Fig. 11. The lid body 21 is provided with a unitized steam exhaust means 65 that is detachably attached to communicate with the inside of the inner pot 1 and allows steam generated from the inner pot 1 to be exhausted to the outside of the rice cooker. The steam exhaust means 65 may be provided detachably from the top surface side that is the upper surface side of the lid body 21 when the lid body 21 is closed, but it is more preferable to open and form an attachment hole 66 (see Fig. 11) as an inner pot side opening on the inner surface side of the lid body 21 that stands approximately upright away from the upper opening of the inner pot 1 when the lid body 21 is opened, as in this embodiment, and to detachably provide a single steam exhaust means 65 from this attachment hole 66. With this configuration, there is no need to provide an attachment hole for the steam exhaust means 65 on the top surface side of the lid body 21, and the top surface of the lid body 21 can be ensured to have a flat shape without unevenness. As shown in FIG. 11, a packing 67 with elasticity equivalent to the lid packing 46 and the vacuum packing 63 is attached and fixed around the entire circumference of the mounting hole 66, and when the steam exhaust means 65 is attached from the inside side of the lid body 21, the packing 67 is configured to fit tightly against the outer surface of the steam exhaust means 65 without any gaps. As shown in FIG. 2, 67A is the seal part of the packing 67 that fits tightly against the steam exhaust means 65, and 67B is the seal part of the packing 67 that fits tightly against the inner lid 45.

2 and 21, inside the lid 21, an accommodation space 68 for accommodating and positioning the steam exhaust means 65 is formed by an accommodation section 64 formed by forming the outer lid cover 42 into a partially concave shape from the inner surface side of the lid 21. The lower end opening of the accommodation section 64 corresponds to the mounting hole 66, and an opening tube section 75 forming another external exhaust port 69 provided at the upper end of the accommodation section 64 is inserted into a steam port 70 formed in the outer lid 41 on the top surface side of the lid 21, and its tip protrudes slightly outside the vessel. In addition, the storage section 64 is provided with a similar through hole, a hole 72 into which a pressure adjusting packing 71 is fitted and a hole 74 into which an opening/closing packing 73 is fitted. Both of these holes 72, 74 are always blocked by elastic packings 71, 73, and an airtight structure is formed in which steam or foreign matter does not enter the other interior of the lid body 21 from the storage space 68 at any location other than the mounting hole 66 and the external exhaust port 69. In addition, the mounting hole 66 is formed to be large enough that a hand can be inserted into the storage space 68 from the inner side of the lid body 21 when the inner lid assembly unit 49 is removed from the lid body 21, and the inner surface of the storage space 68 can be cleaned without any trouble when maintaining the lid body 21.

As shown in Figures 5 to 10, the steam exhaust means 65 mainly comprises a steam port assembly 81 as a first member in which the first pressure regulating means 76, second pressure regulating means 77, and third pressure regulating means 78 described below are assembled into a steam port base 80, and a pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 as a second member that is attached and fixed to the top of the steam port assembly 81.

The first pressure adjusting means 76 functions as a pressure adjusting valve assembly that adjusts the pressure inside the inner pot 1 to atmospheric pressure or higher, and is mainly composed of the valve 61, which is a sphere, a valve holder 88 that holds the valve 61, and a valve case 89 that is formed to cover the valve 61 and the valve holder 88. The valve 61 may be made of a material with excellent corrosion resistance and a certain amount of weight, for example, an austenitic stainless steel ball. The valve holder 88 is also provided with an air hole 90 as an intake port that communicates with the inside of the inner pot 1. An opening 89A and an insertion hole 109 are formed on the side of the valve case 89, which are large enough to prevent the valve 61 arranged inside from rolling out to the outside. A locking receiving portion 87 that separates the opening 89A and the insertion hole 109 is formed between the opening 89A and the insertion hole 109. The insertion hole 109 is designed so that a pressure adjusting frame 93 covered with a pressure adjusting packing 71 can be inserted into it so that the valve 61 can be moved from the outside of the valve case 89.

As shown in FIG. 2, in order to operate the valve 61 at a predetermined timing inside the valve case 89, a valve opening means 91 serving as a pressure adjustment drive means is incorporated inside the lid body 21. The valve opening means 91 is mainly composed of a pressure adjustment frame 93 that is movable using a solenoid 92 as a drive source, and the above-mentioned pressure adjustment packing 71 attached to one end side of the pressure adjustment frame 93. The valve 61 is constantly pressed by one end of the pressure adjustment frame 93 covered with the pressure adjustment packing 71, and is configured to open the vent hole 90 that communicates with the steam exhaust hole 54 provided in the inner lid 45. On the other hand, when the solenoid 92 is energized and the valve opening means 91 operates, one end of the pressure adjustment frame 93 separates from the valve 61, and the valve 61 closes the vent hole 90. The pressure inside the inner kettle 1 is adjusted to the first set pressure value based on the relationship between the opening area of the vent hole 90 at this time and the weight of the valve 61.

As shown in FIG. 9, the second pressure adjusting means 77 functions as a safety valve that opens when the pressure in the inner pot 1 rises above the set value for some reason, and lowers the pressure in the inner pot 1. It is composed of a valve body 62 and an elastic member 96 housed and held in a cylindrical valve holder 95. The elastic member 96 of the second pressure adjusting means 77 is connected to the steam exhaust hole 54 provided in the inner lid 45, and biases the valve body 62 in a direction that constantly closes the vent hole 97 (see FIG. 8) formed on the inlet side of the valve holder 95. When the valve 61 of the first pressure adjusting means 76 remains in a state where the vent hole 90 is blocked by a foreign object or the like, the pressure in the inner pot 1 is adjusted to the second set pressure value in relation to the opening area of the vent hole 97 of the second pressure adjusting means 77 and the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 96.

In this embodiment, a third pressure regulating means 78 and a pressure reducing means 101 (see FIG. 2) are incorporated as pressure regulating means other than the first pressure regulating means 76 and the second pressure regulating means 77. The third pressure regulating means 78 functions as a check valve assembly for returning the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 from a pressure other than atmospheric pressure to atmospheric pressure, and is composed of a cylindrical valve holder 102 that contains and holds an elastic member 103 and a valve body 104. In addition, in order to operate the valve body 104 of the third pressure regulating means 78 at a predetermined timing, an opening/closing drive means (not shown) separate from the valve opening means 91 is incorporated inside the lid body 21. This opening/closing drive means is mainly composed of an opening/closing frame (not shown) that is movable using a solenoid 105 (see FIG. 20) as a drive source, and the aforementioned opening/closing packing 73 (see FIG. 11) that is attached to one end side of the opening/closing frame.

The elastic member 103 of the third pressure adjusting means 78 is configured to bias the valve body 104 in a direction to constantly open the vent hole 106 (see FIG. 8) formed on the inlet side of the valve holder 102, which is connected to the steam exhaust hole 54. When the solenoid 105 of the opening and closing drive means is not energized, the vent hole 106 of the third pressure adjusting means 78 is opened, the steam exhaust means 65 communicates the inside of the inner lid 1 with the outside air, and the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 is kept at the same pressure as atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, when the pressure inside the inner kettle 1 is to be set to a pressure other than atmospheric pressure, when the solenoid 105 of the opening and closing drive means is energized to operate the opening and closing drive means, one end of the opening and closing frame covered with the opening and closing packing 73 presses the end of the valve body 104 exposed on the outlet side of the valve holder 102 against the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 103, and the valve body 104 closes the vent hole 106. This makes it possible to return the pressure inside the inner pot 1 to atmospheric pressure as needed, or to introduce a desired pressure other than atmospheric pressure into the inner pot 1.

As shown in FIG. 9, the steam vent base 80 has a bottom plate portion 113 formed in a plate shape, and a standing wall portion 114 erected on the peripheral portion of the bottom plate portion 113. The standing wall portion 114 has an inner wall portion 114A and an outer wall portion 114B formed lower than the inner wall portion 114A. The outer wall portion 114B is formed around the entire circumference of the bottom plate portion 113, but the inner wall portion 114A has a part of the peripheral portion of the bottom plate portion 113 that is not formed.

The steam exhaust means 65 is provided with a handle 115 in such a shape that it can be held by the fingers F (see Figures 12 and 13) when attaching or detaching the steam exhaust means 65 to or from the storage space 68 of the lid body 21. As shown in Figure 8, the handle 115 is formed in a semicircular ring shape on the lower side surface of the bottom plate portion 113 of the steam port base 80. As shown in Figures 2, 14 and 16, the handle 115 is inserted into the hole 54 of the inner lid 45 and protrudes toward the inside of the inner pot 1 when the steam exhaust means 65 and the inner lid assembly unit 49 are attached to the lid body 21, respectively. As a result, for example, when cooking rice with seasoning in the inner pot 1, the handle 115, which is originally used to hold the steam exhaust means 65 with the fingers F, can prevent foreign objects such as ingredients put into the inner pot 1 from sticking to the hole 54 from the inner side of the inner lid 45, and the steam generated from inside the inner pot 1 can be smoothly guided to the steam exhaust means 65 without adding any extra parts. When the inner lid assembly unit 49 is removed from the lid 21 with the lid 21 open relative to the main body 3, the steam exhaust means 65 can be easily removed from the inner surface of the lid 21 by holding the exposed handle 115 with fingers F and pulling it forward from there. Conversely, when attaching the steam exhaust means 65 to the storage space 68 of the lid 21, the steam exhaust means 65 can be easily attached from the inner surface of the lid 21 by holding the exposed handle 115 with fingers F in the same manner and pushing the steam exhaust means 65 toward the storage space 68.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the inner lid assembly unit 49 is attached to the lid body 21, the handle 115 of the steam exhaust means 65 does not completely cover the hole 54, and air can be sucked in and out of the inner pot 1 through the gap between the outer periphery of the handle 115 and the hole 54.

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

The pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 has a cap covering part 116 that covers a part of the steam port cap 83, a passage forming part 117, and a third pressure regulating means covering part 118 that covers the third pressure regulating means 78. The top plate part 117A of the passage forming part 117 is disposed at a higher position than the top plate part 116A of the cap covering part 116, and the top plate part 118A of the third pressure regulating means covering part 118 is disposed at a lower position than the top plate part 116A of the cap covering part 116. At the lower end of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82, a locking wall part 119 is formed with a thin plate thickness so that a step part 110 is formed on the inside.

A generally rectangular through hole 120 is formed in the top plate 116A of the cap cover 116. A downwardly extending locking claw 124 is provided on the edge of the through hole 120 on the passage forming part 117 side (rear side). An exposure opening 125 for exposing the valve case 89 and the insertion hole 109 is formed in the side wall 116B on the opposite side of the cap cover 116 from the passage forming part 117. The pressure adjustment frame 93 is inserted through the exposure opening 125 and the insertion hole 109 to move the valve 61 from outside the valve case 89.

A restricting portion 126 that restricts the direction in which the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is removed from the steam port base 80 is formed at the lower end portion of the side wall portion 116B where the exposure opening 125 of the cap cover portion 116 is formed. The restricting portion 126 is formed in a plate shape, and is arranged so that when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached to the steam port assembly 81, it abuts against the bottom plate portion 113 of the steam port base 80 and abuts against the inner surface of the outer wall portion 114B of the steam port base 80. Therefore, even if the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is tilted toward the restricting portion 126 (front side), the restricting portion 126 abuts against the bottom plate portion 113 and the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 cannot be tilted. In this embodiment, when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached to the steam port assembly 81, the restricting portion 126 abuts against the bottom plate portion 113 and the outer wall portion 114B. However, the restricting portion 126 may be disposed at a position slightly separated from the bottom plate portion 113 and the outer wall portion 114B without abutting against them, and the restricting portion 126 may abut against the bottom plate portion 113 when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is tilted slightly toward the restricting portion 126.

A flow passage opening 127 is formed in the side wall 117B on the opposite side (rear side) of the cap covering part 116 of the passage forming part 117 as an exhaust port that communicates the inside and outside of the passage forming part 117, and an induction wall 128 for flowing steam is formed on the upper and lower sides of the flow passage opening 127. The upper part of the induction wall 128 protrudes upward from the top plate part 117A of the passage forming part 117, and the lower part of the induction wall 128 protrudes downward from the top plate part 117A inside the passage forming part 117. The induction wall 128 has one long side part 129 and two short side parts 130A, 130B. In addition, a substantially rectangular junction opening 143 is formed in the part of the side wall part 117B of the passage forming part 117 that faces the upper side of the long side part 129.

A circular opening 134 is formed in the third pressure regulating means covering part 118, and when the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached to the steam port assembly 81, the third pressure regulating means 78 is covered by the third pressure regulating means covering part 118, and the valve body 104 is exposed from the opening 134.

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

Here, the method of attaching and detaching the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 will be described. First, the method of attaching the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 will be described. When the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is assembled into the steam port assembly 81 from above, the locking claw portion 124 comes into contact with the locking receiving portion 87. When the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is further pressed down, the locking claw portion 124 is elastically deformed, and the tip portion 124A of the locking claw portion 124 climbs over the locking receiving portion 87 and engages with the lower side surface portion 87A of the locking receiving portion 87. In addition, the lower end of the locking wall portion 119 comes into contact with the outer wall portion 114B of the steam port base 80, and the lower end of the step portion 110 comes into contact with the inner wall portion 114A. At this time, the restricting portion 126 comes into contact with the bottom plate portion 113 and the outer wall portion 114B of the steam port base 80, and the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is attached and fixed to the steam port assembly 81.

Next, a method for removing the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 will be described. As shown in FIG. 15, when the restricting portion 126 side (front side) of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is lifted, the tip portion 124A of the locking claw portion 124 climbs over the locking receiving portion 87, and the locking claw portion 124 and the locking receiving portion 87 are released. After the locking claw portion 124 and the locking receiving portion 87 are released, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 can be removed from the steam port assembly 81 by pulling up the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82.

Even if an attempt is made to lift the side of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 opposite the restricting portion 126 (rear side), the restricting portion 126 abuts against the bottom plate portion 113 of the steam port base 80, so the side of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 opposite the restricting portion 126 does not lift, and the engagement between the locking claw portion 124 and the locking receiving portion 87 cannot be released. The pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 cannot be pulled up and cannot be removed. Also, even if the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 is pulled up without tilting it, the engagement between the locking claw portion 124 and the locking receiving portion 87 cannot be released, so the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 cannot be removed. In other words, the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 can be removed when tilted so that the restricting portion 126 side is lifted.

8, the handle 115 is disposed at a position closer to the side wall 116B (rear side) of the bottom plate 113, and as shown in FIG. 12, when the lid 21 is open, the handle 115 is disposed at a position closer to the lower side of the bottom plate 113. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, when the user hooks the handle 115 with a finger F and pulls it toward himself when removing the steam exhaust means 65 from the lid 21, a force is likely to be applied in the direction in which the bottom plate 113 is pressed against the regulating portion 126. In addition, because of the main body 3, it is difficult for the user to pull the handle 115 downward. Therefore, when removing the steam exhaust means 65 from the lid 21, it is possible to prevent the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 from coming off the steam port assembly 81 and remaining in the storage space 68.

Next, the steam exhaust path through which the steam generated inside the inner pot 1 flows until it is exhausted outside the rice cooker will be described with reference to FIG. 17. The steam generated inside the inner pot 1 moves from the hole 54 into the storage space 68 (arrow Y1). Then, when the valve 61 is not closed, the steam moves from the vent hole 90 into the steam exhaust means 65 (arrow Y2). The steam that has moved into the steam exhaust means 65 moves from the opening 89A to the outside of the valve case 89 (arrow Y3). Then, the steam flows inside the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 (arrow Y4) and moves from the flow path opening 127 to the outside of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 (arrow Y5). At this time, the steam flows upward along the upper guide wall 128 in the space surrounded by the long side portion 129, the short side portions 130A and 130B, and the rear wall portion 144 of the storage portion 64 (hereinafter referred to as the "confluence space 145"). When the steam reaches the top wall 146 of the storage section 64, it flows around the short side sections 130A and 130B in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) and moves to a position above the top plate section 117A of the passage forming section 117 (arrow Y6). The steam flows upward from there, flows inside the opening tube section 75, and is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker from the outside exhaust port 69 (arrow Y7). In this way, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, the steam flows in the order of arrow Y1 → arrow Y2 → arrow Y3 → arrow Y4 → arrow Y5 → arrow Y6 → arrow Y7. Of these, the path from the hole 54 to the vent hole 90 is called the first path (arrow Y1), the path from the vent hole 90 to the flow path opening 127 is called the second path (arrows Y2, Y3, Y4), and the path from the flow path opening 127 to the outside exhaust port 69 is called the third path (arrows Y5, Y6, Y7).

2, 17 and 19, the top wall 146 of the storage section 64 is disposed directly above the flow path opening 127, and the outside discharge port 69 is not disposed directly above the flow path opening 127. Therefore, the sticky substance and dew carried together with the steam from the flow path opening 127 along the guide wall 128 adhere to the top wall 146, the long side 129 and the short side 130A, 130B. On the other hand, when the steam reaches the top wall 146, it flows around the short side 130A, 130B, so that only the steam is discharged to the outside from the outside discharge port 69. The sticky substance and dew that move from inside the inner pot 1 to inside the lid 21 also adhere to the inside of the steam discharge means 65, etc., thereby suppressing the amount of sticky substance and dew discharged to the outside of the steam discharge means 65. In this way, the storage section 64 and the steam exhaust means 65 form a non-linear steam exhaust path that diverts the steam, allowing only the steam to be exhausted outside the device, making it difficult for sticky residue and dew to be exhausted outside the device.

Steam that has moved from the vent hole 90 into the steam exhaust means 65 moves out of the valve case 89 not only through the opening 89A but also through the insertion hole 109. FIG. 18 shows the flow of steam moving from the insertion hole 109 to the outside of the valve case 89. Steam that has moved from the insertion hole 109 to the outside of the valve case 89 flows rearward (arrow Y8) around the steam exhaust means 65 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) in the gap space 148 between the wall portion 147 of the storage portion 64 and the steam exhaust means 65, and merges with steam discharged from the flow path opening 127 in the merging space 145. Therefore, all steam that has moved from the vent hole 90 into the steam exhaust means 65 is collected in the merging space 145 and then discharged outside the device. In this way, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, steam flows in the order of arrow Y1 → arrow Y2 → arrow Y8 → arrow Y6 → arrow Y7. Of these, the path from the vent hole 90 to the insertion hole 109 is called the fourth path, and the path from the insertion hole 109 to the merging space 145 is called the fifth path. The rear wall portion 114 and the uppermost wall portion 146 form a part of the wall portion 147.

The steam exhaust path in this embodiment is a first steam exhaust path through which steam flows through the internal space 149 of the steam exhaust means 65, and a second steam exhaust path through which steam flows through the gap space 148 after moving outside the steam exhaust means 65. The second and fourth paths are the first steam exhaust path, and the third and fifth paths are the second steam exhaust path.

As shown in FIG. 2, this embodiment further includes a pressure adjusting means 101 for adjusting the pressure in the inner pot 1 to below atmospheric pressure when the lid 21 is closed to the main body 3 as a pressure adjusting means for freely adjusting the pressure in the inner pot 1. The pressure reducing means 101 is composed of a pressure reducing pump 121 as a pressure reducing drive source provided at the rear of the lid 21, and a tubular passage 122 (see FIG. 11) that runs from the pressure reducing pump 121 to a pressure reducing hole 55 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) provided in the inner lid 45. In addition, a solenoid valve 123 (see FIG. 20) for opening and closing the base end of the passage 122 is provided inside the lid 21.

When the inner lid assembly unit 49 including the inner lid 45 is attached to the inner surface of the lid body 21, the pressure reduction packing 63 attached to the heat sink 43 elastically deforms and comes into close contact with the upper surface of the inner lid 45, thereby forming a path 122 that connects the pressure reduction hole 55 provided in the inner lid 45 and the pressure reduction pump 121. Also, when the inner kettle 1 is set in the inner kettle storage section 7 of the main body 3 and the lid body 21 with the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached is closed, the lid packing 46 comes into contact with the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the inner kettle 1, and if the valve 61 of the first pressure adjustment means 76 blocks the vent hole 90 and the valve body 104 of the third pressure adjustment means 78 blocks the vent hole 106, the inside of the sealed inner kettle 1 and the pressure reduction pump 121 communicate with each other through the path 122. When the pressure reducing pump 121 is started in this state, the solenoid valve 123 opens the path 122, and the air in the inner pot 1 is discharged to the outside of the rice cooker through the path 122 and the pressure reducing pump 121, lowering the pressure in the sealed inner pot 1. Also, when the pressure in the inner pot 1 drops below atmospheric pressure by a certain value, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 121 is stopped and the solenoid valve 123 closes the path 122, maintaining the pressure inside the inner pot 1 at a reduced pressure. Furthermore, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 rises due to a slow leak, the solenoid valve 123 similarly opens the path 122 and restarts the pressure reducing pump 121, maintaining the pressure inside the inner pot 1 at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.

When the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is lower than atmospheric pressure and the solenoid 105 (see FIG. 20) of the opening/closing drive means is switched from energized to de-energized, the valve body 104 of the third pressure adjusting means 78 moves away from the vent hole 106, opening the vent hole 106 and connecting the inside of the inner pot 1 to the outside of the rice cooker. This makes it possible to immediately release the negative pressure inside the inner pot 1.

Next, the control system of the rice cooker in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 20. In the figure, 131 is a control means, which receives temperature information from the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22, and an operation signal from the switch 33, which serves as an operation unit, and controls the heating coil 15, the cord heater 9, and the lid heating means 23, which serves as a lid heater, during cooking and keeping the rice warm, as well as the solenoids 92, 105, the pressure reducing pump 121, and the solenoid valve 123 mentioned above.

The control means 131 of this embodiment mainly controls the heating coil 15 based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16 to control the temperature of the bottom of the inner pot 1, and mainly controls the lid heating means 23 based on the temperature detected by the lid temperature sensor 22 to control the temperature of the heat sink 43 and ultimately the inner lid 45. The control means 131 reads the program stored in its own storage means (not shown) which serves as a storage medium, and when the switch 33, for example the rice cooking key, is operated, the control means 132 executes the rice cooking process in the order of soaking cooking, which promotes the water supply of the rice put into the inner pot 1 from the start of cooking, boiling, which raises the temperature of the food to be cooked in the inner pot 1 to boiling in a short time, continued boiling, which keeps the food to boil and cooks the rice to a dry-up state, and steaming, which maintains the cooked rice at a high temperature so that it does not burn, and finally finishes the cooking process. The control means 132 functions as a rice cooking control means for cooking and heating the rice in the inner pot 1 at a desired pressure, and a heat retention control means 133 for keeping the rice in the inner pot 1 warm at a desired pressure and at a desired heat retention temperature following the rice cooking process.

135 is a heating coil driving means incorporating a high-frequency inverter circuit that receives a control signal from the control means 131 and supplies a predetermined high-frequency current to the heating coil 15. In addition to this, on the output side of the control means 131, there are provided a lid heater driving means 136 that receives a control signal from the control means 131 and drives the lid heating means 23 to heat the heat sink 43 and the inner lid 45, a cord heater driving means 137 that turns the cord heater 9 on or off, a solenoid driving means 138 that turns the solenoids 92 and 105 on or off individually, a pump driving means 139 that drives the pressure reducing pump 121, a solenoid valve driving means 140 that turns the solenoid valve 123 on or off, and a display driving means 142 that drives the display means 141 including the LCD 32 and LEDs described above. During rice cooking by the rice cooking control means 132 and during warming by the warming control means 133, the inner pot temperature sensor 16 and the lid temperature sensor 22 detect the temperatures, and the heating coil 15 heats the bottom to the lower side of the inner pot 1, the cord heater 9 heats the area around the flange 12 of the inner pot 1, and the lid heating means 23 heats the lid 21. After the rice cooking control means 132 finishes cooking rice and the food in the inner pot 1 is cooked as rice, the warming control means 133 automatically switches to warming, and the heating coil 15 and the cord heater 9 adjust the heating of the inner pot 1 based on the temperature detected by the inner pot temperature sensor 16 to keep the rice warm at a specified warming temperature (approximately 70°C to 76°C).

In this embodiment, multiple heating patterns according to the type of food to be cooked and the cooking method are stored in advance in the storage means, and the rice cooking control means 132 selects a specific heating pattern from these multiple heating patterns by operating, for example, the selection key of the switch 33, and then when the rice cooking key is operated to start cooking, the rice cooking control means 132 controls the cord heater 9, heating coil 15, lid heating means 23, solenoids 92, 105, pressure reduction pump 121, and solenoid valve 123 with the selected specific heating pattern, thereby cooking the food to be cooked in the inner pot 1 based on the selected pattern, and finally finishing it into rice. The selection key of the switch 33, which can be manually selected by the user, is a selection means for selecting rice cooking courses classified according to the type of food to be cooked and the cooking method, and when one rice cooking course is selected from multiple rice cooking courses by selecting this selection key, a specific heating pattern corresponding to it is selected. Note that such a selection means is not limited to a selection key, and may include a function in which the rice cooking control means 132 automatically selects a specific heating pattern by default.

Next, the operation of the rice cooker of this embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. To cook rice with the rice cooker of this embodiment, first put the food to be cooked in the inner pot 1 and set it in the inner pot housing 7 of the main body 3. Then, with the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached to the inside surface of the lid 21, which already houses the steam exhaust means 65 in the housing space 68, close the lid 21 and operate the selection key of the switch 33 to select a specific desired rice cooking course from among multiple rice cooking courses. Next, when the rice cooking key of the switch 33 is operated, the rice cooking control means 132 incorporated in the control means 131 starts cooking rice based on a specific heating pattern corresponding to the specific rice cooking course.

The rice cooking control means 132 executes the rice cooking process in the order of soaking → boiling → continued boiling → steaming described above to finish cooking the food in the inner pot 1, but if the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is to be increased to atmospheric pressure or higher during each of these processes, it sends a control signal to the solenoid driving means 138 to energize the solenoid 105 of the opening and closing driving means so that the valve body 104 of the third pressure regulating means 78 closes the vent hole 106, and sends a control signal to the solenoid driving means 138 to energize the solenoid 92 of the valve opening means 91 so that the valve 61 of the first pressure regulating means 76 closes the vent hole 90 by its own weight. As a result, the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is adjusted to the first set pressure value based on the relationship between the opening area of the vent hole 90 and the weight of the valve 61.

In addition, if the valve 61 of the first pressure adjusting means 76 falls into a state where the vent hole 90 remains blocked for some reason while the rice cooking control means 132 is controlling the pressure inside the inner pot 1 to be equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure, the valve body 62 incorporated in the second pressure adjusting means 77 is pushed by the pressure inside the inner pot 1 against the elastic force of the elastic member 96, opening the vent hole 97. Therefore, the pressure inside the inner pot 1 in this case is adjusted to a second set pressure value higher than the first pressure set value based on the relationship between the opening area of the vent hole 97 and the elastic biasing force of the elastic member 96.

On the other hand, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is to be set to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure during the rice cooking process performed by the rice cooking control means 132 and the subsequent warming process performed by the warming control means 133, the rice cooking control means 132 and the warming control means 133 send a control signal to the solenoid drive means 138 to energize the solenoid 105 of the opening and closing drive means so that the valve body 104 of the third pressure adjustment means 78 closes the air hole 106, and also send a control signal to the pump drive means 139 to operate the pressure reducing pump 121, and further send a control signal to the solenoid valve control means 140 so that the solenoid valve 123 opens the path 122. As a result, the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is adjusted to a third set pressure value lower than atmospheric pressure.

When cooking or keeping warm the food in the inner pot 1 is finished and the lid 21 and inner lid assembly unit 49 are to be cleaned, the lid 21 is opened from the main body 3 and the inner lid assembly unit 49 is removed from the inner surface of the lid 21 exposed to the front side of the rice cooker. The inner lid 45 of the inner lid assembly unit 49 does not have the first pressure adjustment means 76 to the third pressure adjustment means 78, which serve as pressure adjustment means, and only has a steam exhaust hole 54 and a pressure reduction hole 55 that communicate with the steam exhaust means 65. Therefore, if at least one of the first pressure adjustment means 76 to the third pressure adjustment means 78 is provided in the steam exhaust means 65 rather than in the inner lid 45, the number of parts of the pressure adjustment means arranged in the inner lid 45 can be reduced accordingly, and the inner lid assembly unit 49 can be easily cleaned by itself. Furthermore, as in this embodiment, by arranging the first pressure regulating means 76, the second pressure regulating means 77, and the third pressure regulating means 78 in the steam exhaust means 65, the number of parts of the pressure regulating means arranged in the inner lid 45 can be reduced as much as possible, making it easier to clean the inner lid assembly unit 49.

After removing the inner lid assembly unit 49 from the inside surface of the lid body 21, the steam exhaust means 65 incorporating the first pressure regulating means 76 to the third pressure regulating means 78 can be easily removed by pinching and pulling out the handle 115 of the steam exhaust means 65 exposed on the front side of the rice cooker with fingers F. The steam exhaust means 65 alone can be disassembled by removing the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 from the steam port assembly 81, and the inside of the steam exhaust means 65 can be washed thoroughly by inserting a hand through the upper opening of the pressure regulating valve holder assembly 82 without the first pressure regulating means 76 to the third pressure regulating means 78 falling off.

As described above, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, the storage space 68 has an airtight structure that prevents steam or foreign matter from entering the other interior of the lid body 21 from the storage space 68 at a location other than the mounting hole 66 or the external exhaust port 69, so rice can be cooked even if the steam exhaust means 65 is not attached, as shown in FIG. 21. In this case, the steam in the inner pot 1 moves from the mounting hole 66 into the storage space 68, flows inside the opening tube 75, and is exhausted to the outside of the pot from the external exhaust port 69. In addition, if the steam exhaust means 65 is not attached, the valve 61 does not function, so the air pressure inside the inner pot 1 is the same as the atmospheric pressure, and the force that moves the sticky rice toward the external exhaust port 69 is only the upward force of the steam, which is weak, so the sticky rice is difficult to exhaust to the outside of the pot. In addition, if the steam exhaust means 65 is not attached, it is not possible to cook different rice by adjusting the air pressure inside the inner pot 1 of the rice cooker, but there is an advantage that rice can be cooked even if the user forgets to attach the steam exhaust means 65.

As described above, the rice cooker of this embodiment comprises the inner pot 1, the main body 3 for housing the inner pot 1, the inner lid assembly unit 49 for covering the upper part of the inner pot 1, and the lid body 21 for covering the upper part of the main body 3 with the inner lid assembly unit 49 attached so as to be freely attached and detached. The lid body 21 is provided with a steam exhaust means 65 through which steam generated in the inner pot assembly unit 49 flows, and a storage section 64 for attaching the steam exhaust means 65 is formed inside the lid body 21. The steam exhaust means 65 comprises an air vent 90 for taking in steam from inside the inner pot assembly unit 49 and a steam exhaust means 65 for exhausting steam to the outside. The container 64 is formed with an external exhaust port 69 for exhausting steam to the outside of the container, and the container 64 has a first steam exhaust path formed inside the steam exhaust means 65 and a second steam exhaust path formed between the steam exhaust means 65 and the wall 147 of the container 64, so that the steam and sticky substance generated in the inner pot 1 can flow through the non-linear first steam exhaust path and second steam exhaust path, and sticky substance and water droplets (dew) can be attached to the first steam exhaust path and the second steam exhaust path. Therefore, when the pressure inside the inner pot 1 is made higher than atmospheric pressure, sticky substance and water droplets (dew) of the steam and sticky substance forcefully exhausted from the inner pot 1 can be attached to the first steam exhaust path and the second steam exhaust path, and sticky substance and water droplets (dew) can be prevented from being exhausted to the outside of the container from the external exhaust port 69, and only steam can be exhausted to the outside of the container from the external exhaust port 69. This prevents the outside of the rice cooker and the area around it from becoming dirty with sticky liquid.

In addition, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, the second steam exhaust path is formed to allow steam to flow at least horizontally, so that the steam and sticky substance exhausted from the flow path opening 127 to the outside of the steam exhaust means 65 can be caused to flow in a horizontal detour. During this flow process, the sticky substance and water droplets (dew) adhere to the cap covering portion 116, the passage forming portion 117, the third pressure regulating means covering portion, and the wall portion 144 of the storage portion 64 of the steam exhaust means 65, and thus the sticky substance and water droplets (dew) can be prevented from being exhausted to the outside of the cooker through the external exhaust port 69.

In addition, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, since the external exhaust port 69 is not located directly above the flow path opening 127, the steam and sticky rice discharged from the flow path opening 127 to the outside of the steam exhaust means 65 cannot flow in a straight line when it reaches the top wall portion 146, but flows in a detour. During this flow process, the sticky rice and water droplets (dew) adhere to the top wall portion 146, etc., and it is possible to prevent the sticky rice and water droplets (dew) from being discharged outside the rice cooker through the external exhaust port 69.

In addition, in the rice cooker of this embodiment, the storage section 64 has an attachment hole 66 that communicates with the inside of the inner pot 1, and the holes 72 and 74 of the storage section 64 other than the attachment hole 66 and the external exhaust port 69 are blocked by the pressure adjustment packing 73 and the opening and closing packing 75, so that the storage space 68 has an airtight structure in which steam and foreign matter do not enter the other interior of the lid body 21 from the storage space 68 at parts other than the attachment hole 66 and the external exhaust port 69, and steam generated in the inner pot 1 can be exhausted to the outside of the cooker from the external exhaust port 69, so rice cooking is possible even if the steam exhaust means 65 is not installed. Therefore, even if the user forgets to install the steam exhaust means 65 and performs rice cooking, rice can be cooked and the user can eat rice as planned.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the inner pot of this embodiment includes any container or pot capable of accommodating the food to be cooked. In addition, a pressure adjustment means having a component configuration or function other than the first pressure adjustment means 76 to the third pressure adjustment means 78 and the pressure reduction means 101 shown in the above embodiment may be incorporated into the rice cooker of the present invention. Furthermore, the regulating portion 126 may have another shape as long as it can regulate the removal direction of the steam vent assembly and the pressure adjustment valve holder assembly, and multiple regulating portions may be provided.

1 Inner pot 3 Main body 21 Lid body 49 Inner lid assembly unit (inner lid)
64 Storage section 65 Steam exhaust means 66 Mounting hole
67 Gasket
69 External exhaust port
70 Steam vent
72 Hole (through hole)
73 Pressure adjusting packing (blocking member)
74 Hole (through hole)
75 Opening and closing packing (blocking member)
81 Steam port assembly (first member)
82 Pressure regulating valve holder assembly (second member)
90 Ventilation hole (intake hole)
113 Bottom plate portion 115 Handle 126 Regulating portion 127 Flow path opening (discharge port)
148 Interstitial space (second steam exhaust path)
149 Internal space (first steam exhaust path)

Claims (7)

The inner pot and
A main body that houses the inner pot;
An inner lid that covers the upper part of the inner pot;
The inner lid is detachably provided, and a lid body covers the upper part of the main body,
The lid body is provided with a steam exhaust means through which steam generated in the inner pot flows,
A storage portion for mounting the steam exhaust means is formed inside the lid,
the steam exhaust means can be removed from the storage section by pulling it out of the mounting hole of the storage section with the inner lid removed from the lid body, and can be attached to the storage section by pushing it into the mounting hole,
The steam exhaust means has an inlet for taking in the steam in the inner pot and an outlet for exhausting the steam to the outside of the steam exhaust means,
The container is provided with an external exhaust port for exhausting the steam to the outside of the container,
A rice cooker comprising: a first steam exhaust path formed inside the steam exhaust means; and a second steam exhaust path formed between the steam exhaust means and a wall of the storage portion. A packing is attached around the mounting hole,
2. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the steam exhaust means is in close contact with the packing when the steam exhaust means is attached to the container. A steam port is formed on the top surface of the lid,
3. The rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the external exhaust port is inserted through the steam port and has a tip protruding outside the rice cooker. The rice cooker according to claim 1, characterized in that the second steam exhaust path is formed to allow the steam to flow at least horizontally. The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the external discharge port is not located directly above the discharge port. The steam exhaust means has a first member and a second member which are detachable from each other,
A handle is formed on a bottom plate portion constituting the first member to be gripped when removing the steam exhaust means from the lid body,
The second member is formed with a restricting portion that restricts a direction in which the first member and the second member are removed from each other,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that when the handle is pulled to remove the steam exhaust means from the lid body, a force is applied in a direction in which the regulating portion abuts against the bottom plate portion. The mounting hole communicates with the inside of the inner kettle,
The housing portion has a through hole other than the mounting hole and the external exhaust port,
The rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the through hole is closed by a closing member.

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