JPH0213565B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to a weight detection device for detecting the weight of contents such as rice and water, including the inner pot, in a rice cooker.

(Prior art) Generally, in the preparation stage of rice cooking, first measure the desired amount of rice with an attached measuring cup (usually 0.18) and place it in an inner pot.After washing the rice with water, place it on the inner side of the inner pot. The required amount of water is added based on the engraved water level scale, and after these preparations, the rice is cooked.

By the way, in order to cook rice deliciously, it is necessary to accurately measure the amount of rice and the amount of water appropriate for the amount of rice, but conventional methods have not been very accurate in terms of measuring accuracy. It wasn't enough. For example, the more rice you cook, the more times you have to measure the rice with a measuring cup, which becomes a tedious task. The water level scale was also engraved on the inner surface of the inner pot, so the water level scale had to be measured visually from diagonally above, making it difficult to adjust.

(Purpose) However, recently, as a way to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks, it is possible to detect the weight of the contents of rice, water, etc., including the inner pot, and display the weight. It has been considered to be possible to measure weight easily and accurately while visually observing the weight display, and the present invention provides a weight detection device that is particularly useful for putting this into practical use.

(Example) Examples of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described in detail below.

First, in FIGS. 1 to 3, the exterior body 1 is composed of a cylindrical body 2, a bottom cover 3 connected to the lower end of the body 2, and an upper ring 4 connected to the upper end of the body 2. It has a hinge part 5 and a latch engaging part 6 at a position opposite thereto. An operation panel 7 containing a control board 8, a power supply board 9, etc. is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the body 2.

The outer pot 10 is internally fixed to the exterior body 1, and is provided with a temperature fuse 11 at the upper end of its outer circumferential surface, a side heater 12 for heat preservation appropriately below this, and a thermal reed switch 13 for heat preservation appropriately below this.
Therefore, a rice cooking heater 1 is installed at the inner bottom of this outer pot 10.
5 is elastically supported by a support device 16 so as to be vertically movable. The support device 1
6 is composed of a vertically movable table 17 that fixes the hot plate 14 and three springs 18 that support the movable table 17 and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. move downwards accordingly.

The vertically movable table 17 elastically supports a heat-sensitive case 19 having a heat-sensitive element 20 such as a thermistor therein so that the upper surface of the case 19 protrudes above the heat plate 14 . When placed, it comes into elastic contact with the outer bottom surface of the inner pot 21, and the temperature change at the bottom is sensed by the heat sensitive element 20. The inner pot 21 stores rice and water, is housed in the exterior body 1, that is, the outer pot 10, and is placed on the hot plate 14.
In the figure, reference numeral 22 indicates a heat shielding cover that prevents direct thermal influence from the heat plate 14 to the heat sensitive case 19.

As is well known in the art, the outer cover 23 is pivoted to the hinge part 5 so as to be openable and closable, and is locked in the closed state by engaging a latch (not shown) with the latch engaging part 6. A heat-retaining lid heater 24 is provided. The inner lid 25 is removably supported by a packing 27 on a hanging rod 26 protruding from the center of the inner surface of the outer lid 23, and is used to open and close the opening of the inner pot 21. steam valve 29
A built-in steam vent cylinder 28 is erected and inserted through the outer cover 23 so that its tip faces outward.

The weight detection device 30 includes an angle 3 near the outer circumference of the upper surface of the vertically movable table 17, the spring 18, and the bottom cover 3.
1, 31', a fixed electrode 32 arranged and fixed in the vertical direction, a movable electrode 34 that is disposed opposite to the electrode 32 and supported by a spring 33, and whose distance from the fixed electrode 32 changes by horizontal movement; It is comprised of a movement direction converting means that is located between the vertically movable table 17 and the movable electrode 34 and converts vertical movement into horizontal movement, and the distance between both electrodes 32 and 34 changes as the vertically movable table 17 moves vertically, Both electrodes 32, 34
The capacitance between the two changes. The moving direction converting means has a cam body 45 whose rotation center is the point O, one end of which is fixed to the vertical moving body 17, and the other end is in contact with the cam body 45, so that the cam body 45 rotates as the vertical moving table 17 moves downward. a first transmission angle 46 that rotationally displaces the
Due to the rotational displacement of the cam body 45, the movable electrode 3
4 and a second transmission angle 47 for horizontally moving it.

Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the weight measurement and display system, where 30 is a weight detection device, and 35 is a change in capacitance between both electrodes 32 and 34 of the weight detection device 30 as a function of frequency. CR oscillation circuit that converts into changes,
36 is a weight determination means for counting the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit 35 and determining the weight based on the frequency;
37 is a weight display means formed by combining a plurality of numerical display elements; 38 is a display drive means for driving the weight display means 37 based on the signal from the weight determination means 36 to display the measured weight value; and 39 is a display drive means. This is a zero correction means that applies a signal to the means 38 to correct the display by the weight display means 37 to zero display. Incidentally, FIG. 6 shows the relationship between oscillation frequency and weight. The weight detection device 30, the oscillation circuit 35, the weight determination means 36, etc. constitute a weight measurement device that measures the weight of contents such as rice and water, including the inner pot 21.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the operation panel. This operation panel 7 includes a display section 40 that is used for both time and weight display, a timer hour set key 41, a minute set key 42, a weight measurement key 43, and a clear key 44. It is also equipped with various other operation keys, display elements, etc.

In the above configuration, first, when the weight measurement key 43 is pressed and the empty inner pot 21 is placed on the hot plate 14,
The vertically moving body 17 uses the weight of the inner pot 21 and the spring 1.
8 and the distance between the electrodes 32 and 34 changes. Then, the capacitance between the two electrodes 32 and 34 changes, this change is converted into a change in frequency by the oscillation circuit 35, this frequency is counted by the weight judgment means 36, and the weight is judged based on this. Then, the display drive means 38 is operated to display the weight value (the weight of the inner pot 21) on the display section 40 by the weight display means 37. Next, after pressing the clear key 44 to correct the weight display on the display section 40 to zero display, when a desired amount of rice is put into the inner pot 21, the vertically movable body 17 moves downward by an amount corresponding to the weight of the rice. Accordingly, the capacitance between the electrodes 32 and 34 changes, and based on this, the weight of the rice is measured, and the display section 4 of the operation panel 7 changes.
Only the weight of rice is displayed at 0. Next, after washing the weighed rice with water, it is placed in the inner pot 21, and the inner pot 21 is placed on the hot plate 14, and then water is poured into the inner pot 21. Then, the display unit 40 of the operation panel 7 displays the weight of the rice plus the water poured into it. Continue pouring water until the weight reaches the weight (adding the amount of water most suitable for cooking rice), and stop pouring water when the weight display reaches the indicated weight. As a result, the inner pot 21 contains rice and the most suitable amount of water for cooking the rice.
Ideal cooking is done.

Here, the opening and closing of the lid and the inner pot 2 in the above embodiment will be described.
The relationship with the vertical movement of 1 will be explained below. When the outer cover 23 is closed, the inner pot 21 has its opening closed by the inner cover 25 and is pressed downward, thereby moving downward against the spring 18 and being held at the lowest position. In this state, the gap t (shown in Figure 7) created between the upper end of the upper ring 4 (the upper end of the exterior body 1) and the upper end of the inner pot 21 is approximately the same as that of a conventional rice cooker, for example, 4 mm. Set to a certain degree. next,
When the inner lid 25 separates from the inner pot 21 due to the opening operation of the outer lid 23, the inner pot 21 moves upward together with the hot plate 14 due to the elasticity of the spring 18, and the gap between the upper end of the inner pot 21 and the upper end of the exterior body 1 is closed. t expands. The gap t at this time changes depending on the amount inside the inner pot 21, and is set to be a size (for example, 8 mm) that allows at least the tip of a finger to fit into the inner pot 21 when the maximum amount is stored.
Therefore, when the outer lid 23 is opened, there is always a gap between the upper end of the outer casing 1 and the upper end of the inner pot 21, and when inserting or removing the inner pot 21, the finger tip gets caught on the upper end of the inner pot 21. This can be done easily, and there is no risk of the inner pot 21 falling onto the hot plate 14 due to slipping of the fingertips.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which the outer pot is also used as a vertically moving table of the support device.
In the figure, the outer pot 10' is elastically supported by the upper ring 4 with three springs 48 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and is movable up and down. and a spring 48.

Moreover, FIG. 10 shows another different embodiment of the present invention,
The outer pot is divided into an upper body and a lower body, and the lower body is also used as a vertically movable table of a support device. In the figure, the upper body 10a of the outer pot is fixed to the upper ring 4 side, and the lower body 10b is elastically supported on the upper surface of the bottom lid 3 by three springs 49 via an angle 50, and a support device 16 is the lower body 10b
and a spring 49.

Note that the procedure for measuring rice and water is not particularly limited to the above. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be modified and implemented as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention.

(Effects) As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, the weight of rice, water, etc. can be detected by the change in capacitance between both electrodes, and since the electrodes are provided in the vertical direction, the weight of rice, water, etc. It is difficult for dust to adhere to the surface and is extremely useful in terms of operational reliability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional configuration diagram showing an example of a rice cooker implementing the device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a top view of the exterior body side of the same, and Fig. 3 a and b are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the main parts of the above.
4 shows the same weight measurement and display system in block form. 5 shows the front view of the same operation panel. 6 shows the relationship between the oscillation frequency and the weight. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between the inner pot and the exterior body, FIG. 8 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a top view of the exterior body side, and FIG. The figure is a schematic vertical cross-sectional configuration diagram showing another different embodiment of the present invention. 16: Vertical moving body, 18: Spring, 21:
Inner pot, 30: Weight detection device, 32: Fixed electrode, 3
4: Movable electrode, 45: Cam body.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vertically movable body that is elastically supported in a vertically movable manner and on which an inner pot is placed, and a fixed electrode installed vertically,
Consisting of a movable electrode placed opposite the fixed electrode so as to change the distance from the fixed electrode by horizontal movement, and a movement direction conversion means located between the vertically movable body and the movable electrode to convert vertical movement into horizontal movement. A weight detection device for a rice cooker, characterized in that the weight of the inner pot and its contents is detected by a change in capacitance between the two electrodes.