JPH01178209A - Rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent rice from being cooked in error, by setting a forced rice cooking means for executing a rice cooking stroke, even if demonstration is selected by a switch means, when it is detected by a sensor that a vessel is contained in the main unit of a rice cooker. CONSTITUTION:A cookpot switch 10 is composed so that it may be detected that a cookpot 5 is contained in an internal case 2, and by a pair of operating rods 14, 14 selected by switching either one side of a rice cooking program and a demonstration program, a thermistor short-circuiting switch 16 is operated in the same manner as a reset switch 15 set on a lower plate 17 is operated. By a CPU 30, the selection of the switches 15, 16 is detected, and when the cookpot switch 10 is in an OFF-state, then by a forced rice cooking means 36, the demonstration program is selected from memory 33, and demonstration is executed, and when the cookpot switch 10 is in an ON-state, then, even if the demonstration is set, the rice cooking program is selected from the memory 33, and a rice cooking stroke selected without demonstration is executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a rice cooker that allows demonstrations to be carried out.

(Prior art) Recent rice cookers have a built-in microcomputer as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-92629, so white rice cooking course, brown rice cooking course, and WJ rice fucose cooking are Various functions can be implemented, such as arbitrarily selecting and implementing a rice cooking course such as a porridge cooking course, cooking rice on a reservation timer, selecting mizutaki or hayataki, and making multiple reservations. Rice cookers are becoming mainstream. However, if there are many functions, the switch operation of the operation section becomes complicated, and there is a problem that it is difficult to understand just by referring to a predetermined operation manual.

For this reason, in order to easily explain the operation to consumers and to improve the display effect, rice cookers that can be demonstrated at stores have been developed.

In this demonstration, when you operate a switch on the control unit, each indicator lamp on the display unit will be displayed in the same way as in a normal rice cooking process with the rice cooking heater and warming heater stopped. This demonstration program is stored in a microcomputer along with a normal rice cooking program, and can be used to switch between normal and normal rice cookers at any time using a switch installed on the back of the rice cooker. It is possible to select either the rice cooking process or the demonstration.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) When a consumer uses a rice cooker that has a built-in microcomputer that stores such a rice cooking program and a demonstration program, the changeover switch may be mistakenly switched to the demonstration side. If you try to cook rice while the rice cooker is still warm, even though you set the steel inside the rice cooker and operated the switch normally, a demonstration will be carried out and the heater will not work, and the rice will not cook even after the scheduled time. The problem is that it hasn't been done. Furthermore, since the display section shows the same display as the normal rice cooking process, there is also the problem that it may be mistakenly determined that the rice cooker is malfunctioning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rice cooker that can prevent mistakes in rice cooking by carrying out the normal rice cooking process once the rice cooking preparation is completed even if the demonstration is selected.

Means for Solving the Problems of Invention C) The present invention provides a container 5 for storing food to be boiled, a heater 6 for heating the container 5, and a rice cooker for cooking rice by selecting from a plurality of rice cooking processes. A process selection means 34, a heater control means 35 for energizing the heater 6 according to the selected rice cooking process, a display means 22 for displaying the rice cooker process, and a display unit 22 for displaying the rice cooker process, with the heater 6 stopped. Switch means 15 and 16 for selecting and implementing a demonstration display based on the rice cooking process selection means 34; and a sensor 10 for detecting that the container 5 is housed in the rice cooker main body 1.
and a forced rice cooking means 36 for carrying out the rice cooking process even if the switch means 15, 16 has selected the demonstration when the sensor 10 detects the container 5.

(Function) With the above configuration, when the operation of storing the container 5 in the rice cooker main body 1, which is essential for the actual rice cooking process, is performed, even if the switch means 15 and 16 are set to the demonstration, this demonstration will not be performed. It is not carried out, and the normal rice cooking process is carried out. Mistakes are prevented.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In Fig. 2, 1 is the main body of the rice cooker consisting of an inner case 2, an outer case 3, etc., 4 is a lid, 5 is a pot stored in the inner case 2 and contains the food to be cooked, and 6 is the bottom of the inner case 2. A rice-cooking heater 7 is disposed on the side of the inner case 2. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cup-shaped heat-sensitive portion provided so as to be in elastic pressure contact with the outer bottom of the IS5, and a temperature sensor 9 for detecting the temperature of #15 is provided inside. Reference numeral 10 denotes a pot switch disposed on the inner bottom of the inner case 2 so as to be pressed by the outer bottom of the steel 5, and is configured to detect that the pot 5 is housed in the inner case 2. Reference numeral 11 denotes a case disposed at the outer bottom of the rice cooker main body 1, and a control circuit 12 is housed inside the case.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, a power plug 13 is provided on the outer bottom of the rice cooker main body 1 and is pulled out in a cord reel manner, and is used to switch between a rice cooking program and a demonstration program, which will be described later. A pair of operating tabs 14.14 are exposed for selection.

15 is a reset switch provided on the lower plate 17;
16 is a switch for shorting the thermistor, for example, an automatic reset type push button switch can be used, and by pressing one side of the operating rod 14, the reset switch 15 is activated.
However, each thermistor shorting switch 16 is turned on by pressing the other one.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 18 denotes an operation panel disposed on the outer surface of the outer case 3. At the top of this operation panel 18, there is a time display section 19 that displays the current time and cooking completion time, and a "
It is equipped with various display sections such as a menu display section 20 that displays rice cooking menus such as "white rice", "cooked rice", "brown rice", and "porridge J", and a demonstration display section 21 that indicates that a demonstration is being performed. Display section 22 consisting of a CD
is provided. Also, at the bottom of the operation panel 18 is a start switch 23 for starting rice cooking or keeping warm. Cancel switch 24. Reservation switch 25. Menu switch 26
゜Kitchen timer 27. A switch operation section 29 is provided that includes various switches such as a timer 28.

In FIG. 1, 30 is a CPLJ (microcomputer), which inputs the temperature of the steel 5 detected by the temperature sensor 9 via the A/D converter 31 and the input circuit 32, and also inputs the temperature of the steel 5 detected by the temperature sensor 9. Reset switch 15
, the thermistor shorting switch 16 and the signals of the switches 22 to 28 in the switch operating section 29 are inputted via the input circuit 32. Reference numeral 33 is a memory for storing rice cooking programs for each rice cooking process and a demonstration program for displaying the same display as for a normal rice cooking process with the rice cooking heater 6 and the warming heater 7 cut off by switch operation. . The CPU 30 includes a rice cooking process selection means 34 that selects and executes a rice cooking program from the memory 33 corresponding to the rice cooking process selected by the menu switch 26 among the plurality of rice cooking processes, and a rice cooking process selection means 34 that selects and executes a rice cooking program corresponding to the rice cooking process selected by the menu switch 26 from among the plurality of rice cooking processes; The heater control means 35 controls energization of the rice cooking heater 6 and the heat-retaining heater 7, and if the demonstration is set by detecting the selection of the switch 15. A demonstration program is selected and the demonstration is carried out, and if the pot switch 10 is on, even if the demonstration is set, a rice cooking program is selected from the memory 33 and the selected rice cooking process is carried out without carrying out the demonstration. The rice cooking heater 6 or the heat retention heater 7 is controlled via the output circuit 37 and the relay drive circuit or the triac drive circuit 39 in accordance with the processing of the rice cooking program or the demonstration program. The display unit 22 is controlled via the circuit 31 and the LCD drive circuit 40.

The present invention configured as described above will be explained in detail. First, a method of setting the demonstration using the switches 15 and 16 for switching between the rice cooking process and the demonstration in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be explained. To select and set a demonstration, first insert the power plug 13 into the power source, and while pressing the operating rod 14 of the thermistor shorting switch 16, press the operating rod 14 of the reset switch 15.

Next, first release the operating rod 14 of the reset switch 15, and when the display section 22 is fully lit, release the operating rod 14 of the thermistor short switch 16.
2 is fully lit for 5 seconds, for example, a demonstration will be set. On the other hand, to release this set, insert the power plug 13 and reset switch 1.
Press and release the operation key 14 of 5. If the pointer on the time display section 19 blinks at 12 o'clock, for example, it indicates that the release has been canceled. still,
After the demonstration, if this release is not done, it will not be released even if the power is turned off, and then the power plug 1
When the 3 is plugged into the power supply, the demonstration will be performed again.

Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to chart 70 of FIG.

First, the CP (J30) determines whether the steel switch 10 is turned on in step 1. Normally, to cook rice, the rice cooker 15 containing the food to be cooked is stored in the inner case 2,
To demonstrate, switch operations will be performed without storing the II5. For this reason, step 1
When the pot switch 10 is turned on, the CP 130 selects a rice cooking program from the memory 33 and executes the rice cooking process in step 2, and the rice cooking process of the predetermined menu selected by the user by the switch operation is performed as usual. It will be held in

- On the other hand, if the pot switch 10 is off in step 1,
In step 3, the CPU 30 determines whether the demonstration is set by the switches 15 and 16. If the demonstration has been set, the CPU 30 drives the LCD drive circuit 40 to light up "DEMO" on the demo display section 21 in step 4 to show that the demonstration has been set.

Then, the CPU 30 selects a demonstration program from the memory 33 and causes the demonstration to be performed in step 5. In addition, the CPU 30 monitors the on operation of the reset switch 15 to cancel the demonstration in step 6, and when the reset switch 15 is turned on, the process returns to step 1 and the reset switch 15 is turned off. If it remains as it is, the process returns to step 4 so that the demonstration is not canceled even if the N source is cut off. Further, if the demonstration is not set in step 3, the CPU 30 moves to step 2. Furthermore, even if the demonstration is in progress, if the steel switch 10 is turned on, the demonstration is canceled and the rice cooking process is carried out.

In this way, when the pot switch 10 is on, the CPU 30 selects the rice cooking program and forcibly executes the rice cooking program without performing the demonstration, regardless of whether the switches 15, 16 are set to demonstration or not. In order to carry out the rice cooking process, the switch 15.16 may have been set to demonstration when purchasing the rice cooker, or the switch 15.16 may have been set to the demonstration mode by mistake.
Even if you set the demonstration setting and operate the switch for rice cooking without noticing the demonstration setting, if vA5 is set, rice will be cooked, but the rice will not be cooked even though you have operated the rice cooking operation. Not only can you prevent rice cooking mistakes like this, but you can also avoid misjudging that there is a malfunction. Therefore, in a rice cooker that can carry out demonstrations, by storing the w45 in the inner case 2, which is an essential operation for rice cooking,
Even though the demonstration is set, normal rice cooking is definitely performed. Also, when a demonstration is being performed, the demo display section 21 displays "
Since "demonstration" is displayed, you can see that the demonstration is being carried out by looking at the - eye, and the difference from actual rice cooking becomes clear.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, it can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in FIG. 6, the switches 15 and 16 are tested after the pot switch 10 is tested, but these orders may be reversed. In addition, the display section 22 is entirely L.
Although the demo display section 21 is configured using a CD, a portion of the demo display section 21 and the like may be configured using other light emitting elements such as LEDs. It should be noted that the normal rice cooking process mentioned above also includes a maintenance process and the like. Further, one heater can also serve as both the rice cooking heater 6 and the warming heater 7. Furthermore, the switches 15, 16 can also consist of one switch or button.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention makes it impossible to carry out the demonstration even if the demonstration is selected by the switch means when the container is housed in the rice cooker main body, allowing the rice cooking process to be carried out and preventing rice cooking mistakes. A rice cooker can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of the rice cooker, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the main parts of the rice cooker seen from the bottom, and Fig. 4 is FIG. 5 is a front view of the operation panel, and FIG. 6 is a 70 chart showing the operation. 1...Rice cooker body 5...m<container) 6...Rice cooking heater (heater) 10...Steel switch (sensor) 15, 16...Switch (switch means) 22...
Display unit (display means) 34... Rice cooking process selection means 35... Heater control means 36... Forced rice cooking means patent Applicant: Toshiba Heat Appliances Co., Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Ushiki
Patent Attorney Bo 1) Part 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A container for storing food to be boiled, a heater for heating the container, a rice cooking process selection means for selecting from a plurality of rice cooking processes and cooking rice, and a rice cooking process according to the selected rice cooking process. a heater control means for controlling energization of the heater; a display means for displaying a rice cooking process; and a switch means for selecting and carrying out a demonstration that displays based on the rice cooking process selection means with the heater stopped. , a sensor for detecting that the container is housed in the rice cooker body; and a forced rice cooking means for carrying out a rice cooking process even if the switch means has selected demonstration when the sensor detects the container. A rice cooker characterized by the following: