JPH02279113A - automatic rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a small fully automatic rice cooking device.

(Conventional technology) In order to save labor in rice cooking, which has conventionally been a labor-intensive task, the rice cooking process includes storage of polished rice, measurement, washing, water adjustment,
A fully automatic rice cooking device that automatically processes a series of work processes from soaking, cooking, and steaming using a program was developed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58.
There is a technique disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No.-105723.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the prior art disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, the polished rice storage and rice cooker are constructed to be pulled out toward the front of the main body, which solves problems such as hygiene. However, the rice washing equipment is
Since it is fixed within the main body, there is a problem in cleaning the remaining rice in the rice washing device.

Furthermore, although the rice cooker is provided at the bottom of the rice washing device so that it can be pulled out freely, there are still unresolved issues regarding the supply of washed rice to the inner pot of the rice cooker and the sealing of the rice cooker after supply.

The present invention solves the complexity of rice cooking at home, significantly reduces housewives' housework, and modernizes ancient customs all at once. The purpose of the problem and installation is to solve all problems such as space.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a rice washing mechanism comprising a cylindrical body 12 having an agitation means 8 and a water supply means 9, a drain port 10 that can be opened and closed at the bottom, and a spout 11 that can be opened and closed. 7, and an upper lid 42 having an opening 52 corresponding to the spout 11 of the rice washing mechanism 7.
This is a small fully automatic rice cooking device that is equipped with a rice cooker 38 and is housed in a box 5, and in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the following technical measures are taken.

That is, the present invention first stores the rice washing mechanism 7 in the upper part and the rice cooker 38 in the lower part of the rice washing mechanism 7 so that they can be taken in and out in the horizontal direction.
Locking means 15 and 39 are provided for locking the rice washing mechanism 7 and the rice cooker 38, respectively, and the upper lid 4
A shutter 53 that allows the opening 52 of No. 2 to be freely shielded and opened;
It is characterized in that it is provided on the upper lid 42 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a rice storage 1 having a quantitative sorting means 2, a cylindrical body 12 having a stirring means 8, a water supply means 9, and a drain port 10 that can be opened and closed at the bottom and a spout 11 that can be opened and closed. A rice washing mechanism 7 and a spout 1 of the rice washing mechanism 7
1 and a rice cooker 38 equipped with an upper lid 42 having a corresponding opening 52, the rice cooker 38 is housed in a box 5, and the following technical measures are taken.

That is, the present invention secondly arranges the rice storage 1 at the top, the rice washing mechanism 7 at the bottom of the rice storage 1, and the rice cooker 38 at the bottom of the rice washing mechanism 7. The rice storage warehouse 1, the rice washing mechanism 7, and the rice cooker 38 are each housed in a box 5 so as to be freely accessible in the horizontal direction, and the rice storage warehouse 1, the rice washing mechanism 7, and the rice cooker 38 are each freely lockable in the box 5. Locking means 6, 15.39 are provided, and furthermore,
The present invention is characterized in that the upper lid 42 is provided with a shutter 53 which can freely cover and open the opening 52 of the upper lid 42 and is movable in the horizontal direction.

(Embodiments and Operations) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention and their operations will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a rice storage 1 formed in the shape of a hopper has quantitative sorting means 2 at its lower bottom, and is placed on top of a box 5 having a cubic shape.

The quantitative sorting means 2 shown in this embodiment has a fixed volume cylinder horizontally arranged with a partially cut-out opening 2A on its circumferential surface and sealed at both ends, and the axis of the cylinder is fixed by an electric motor 3. It rotates in the direction to cause the polished rice in the rice storage 1 to fall downward, and detects a pulse output corresponding to a preset rotation speed.
The desired amount is determined by driving the electric motor 3.

A sensor S is provided at the bottom of the rice storage 1 to detect the remaining amount of polished rice.

Horizontal slide rails 5A are attached to the upper inner surfaces of the left and right side plates of the box 5, as shown in FIG. By attaching it to the upper outer surface of the left and right side plates and fitting the slide shoe 4 to the slide rail 5A so that it can be freely drawn out, the rice storage 1 can be stored in the box 5 so that it can be freely moved in and out as shown by arrow A in FIG. In addition to being supported, the box 5
A locking means 6 provided inside allows the vehicle to be locked as necessary during operation.

A rice washing mechanism 7 is disposed at the bottom of the rice storage 1, and the rice washing mechanism 7 has a stirring means 8 and a water supply means 9, and has a drain port 10 that can be opened and closed at the bottom as shown in FIG. It is mainly composed of a cylindrical body 12 equipped with a flexible spout 11.

The cylindrical body 12 has a conical part with an open top and a conical shape that tapers downward from the lower half, and extends from the upper mount 13 with the cylinder axis in the vertical direction. By fitting the slide shoes 14 attached to the left and right sides of the pedestal 13 to the horizontal slide rails 5B attached to the horizontal slide rails 5B, the rice washing mechanism 7 is moved horizontally as shown by arrow B in FIG. It is housed and supported in a box 5 so that it can be put in and taken out, and can be locked by a locking means 15 provided on the box 5 in the stored state.

The stirring means 8 is attached to a cylindrical shaft 17 that is rotatably driven by an electric motor 16 provided on a pedestal 13, and extends radially on a horizontal plane and parallel to the axis and extends downward so as to follow the conical portion of the cylindrical body 12. comprising a bar 18 formed;
The cylinder axis 17 is aligned with the cylinder centerline of the cylindrical body 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the water supply means 9 has a plurality of fountain nozzles 20 and a solenoid valve 21 connected to the pressure water system through a solenoid valve 19 disposed above the device. Consists of a water supply pipe 23 etc. connected to a constant water level tank 22,
The fountain nozzle 20 is arranged so as to be able to always wash the wall surface above the maximum value of the amount of water corresponding to the maximum throughput of rice milling, depending on its spray angle.

At the bottom of the cylindrical body 12, as shown in FIG.
A drainage jacket 24 having a spout 11 and a spout 11 is disposed to surround the bottom part in an annular manner, and a funnel-shaped perforated plate 25 is attached to the drainage jacket 24. is communicated with a drainage gutter 27 via an on-off valve 26.

The spout 11 can be opened and closed by a conical valve 28, and the conical valve 28 has a valve stem 29 inserted into the cylindrical shaft 17 so as to be vertically movable, and the valve stem 29 is moved vertically by a control mechanism (not shown). Thus, the conical valve 28 can be opened and closed.

Here, the rice washing mechanism 7 configured as described above transfers the polished rice supplied from the quantitative sorting means 2 of the rice storage 1 to the chute 3.
0 into the cylindrical body 12.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the constant water level tank 22 is constructed by using the depth space when the rice storage l is housed in the box 5.
The constant water level tank 22 has an overflow port 31 connected to an overflow pipe 32 that communicates with a drainage gutter 27, and a pressure water system via an upper limit water level detection sensor 33 and a solenoid valve 34. The water supply port 35 is provided with a water supply port 35 communicating with the water supply port 35.

In the constant water level tank 22, the water level detection sensor 33 is configured to detect the water level at 11 points slightly above the overflow level L2 and close the solenoid valve 34. The flow rate that flows out is the water level L2 in the tank 22.
In addition, the water supply amount of the solenoid valve 34 is determined by the flow rate flowing out from the solenoid valve 21 and the water overflow port 3 depending on the water level head height H.
The flow rate is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the sum of the overflow amount from 1.

At the bottom of the rice washing mechanism 7, a rice cooker 38 is mounted on an L-shaped pedestal 37 having a pair of slide shoes 36 so as to be removable and capable of being positioned and held. horizontal guide rail 5
By fitting the slide shoe 36 to C, the rice cooker 38 is housed in the case 5 so that it can be moved in and out horizontally as shown by arrow C in FIG. It is housed in a lockable case 5.

Here, a rice storage 1, a rice washing mechanism 7, and a rice cooker 38
are each individually movable in and out of the box 5 in the horizontal direction.
The locking means 6, 15, 39 are in the form of electromagnets in this embodiment, and the hooks 6, 6, 15, and 39 can be freely engaged and detached.
A, 15A, and 39A.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the rice cooker 38 has an outer pot 40.
, an inner pot 41, and an outer pot 40 has an upper lid 42 which can be opened and closed by pivoting in the vertical direction by a pivot part 43, and can be closed tightly by a hook 44. Further, the upper lid 42 has an inner M45, so that when the upper lid 42 is sealed with the hook 44, the inner pot 41 is sealed with the inner lid 45 at the same time.

Furthermore, the rice cooker 38 includes a heater 46 and a rice cooking completion sensor 47.
, a sensor 48 for detecting the presence or absence of the inner pot 41, and a heat retention control circuit means, and as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the rice cooker 38 can be removed from the pedestal 37 by having a handle 49 provided on the upper lid 42.

When removed from the pedestal 37, the electrical connection between the rice cooker 38 and the main body of the device can be cut off by the power supply mechanism 50 such as the heater 46. On the other hand, the rice cooker 38 taken out to the outside is of a cord reel type. It is configured so that it can be kept warm by a separate power source using the plug 51.

An opening 52 is formed in the top lid 42 of the rice cooker 38, and when the rice cooker 38 is housed in the box 5, the opening 52 is located above and below the spout 11 of the rice washing mechanism 7 disposed above. The shutters 53 are arranged to face each other, and can be opened and closed by a shutter 53.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a U-shaped slide rail frame 54 is provided around the opening 52 of the upper lid 42, and a rail groove 54A of the slide rail frame 54 has a
The shaft 53 having projections 538 is fitted so as to be movable in the horizontal direction, thereby making the opening 52 freely openable and closable.

A shutter drive mechanism 55 is provided at the rear inside the lower half of the box 5, and this shutter drive mechanism 55 is connected to a third
As shown in the figure, there is an electric motor 56 that can be freely switched between forward and reverse directions, and a screw shaft 5 that is supported by bearings 57 and 58 below the electric motor 56 and having its axis in the depth direction (back and forth direction) of the box 5.
9, a transmission body 60 shown as a gear that interlocks and connects the screw shaft 59 and the electric motor 56, a driver 61 supported on the screw shaft 59 so as to be capable of screw feeding, and a support shaft 62 attached to the driver 61. Mooring hook 6 provided on the fulcrum so that it can be rotated freely
3, and a spring 64 that urges the hook 63 to the mooring position.
It is composed of sensors 65, 66, etc. that control the stopping and reciprocating switching of the driver 61 that reciprocates between intervals.

The drive element 61 of the shutter drive mechanism 55 is awaited at the C position in FIG. Hold in a ready position.

In this state, when the rice cooker 38 is housed in the box 5 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5, and the opening 52 is sealed in conjunction with the storage operation of the rice cooker 38.

To open the shutter 53, the driver 61 is moved from the C position to the A position by the screw feeding action of the screw shaft 59 by starting the electric motor 56.
When the hook 63 is moved to the position B in the movement process, the elastic force of the spring 64 causes the hook 63 to fall down on the support shaft 62, and is moored to the protrusion 53^ of the shutter 53, as shown by the arrow in FIG. The shutter 53 is accompanied by the drive element 61 to open the opening 52 so that the inner pot 41 can be replenished with washed rice.

To seal the shutter 53 after replenishing a predetermined amount of washed rice, moving the driver 61 in the opposite direction pushes the protrusion 53A of the shutter 53 with the front of the driver 61, so the shutter 53 closes. Move as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5 to open the opening 52.
Seal it tightly.

Additionally, in the figure, 67 is a console panel;
Data such as the desired amount of rice to be cooked, amount of water, soaking time, steaming time, and cooking time are entered. 68 is a top plate, which is detachable from the top of the box 5. 69 is a wheel, and 70 is a steam exhaust means.

In addition, the device of the present invention is equipped with a drain port, and various hoses (pipes), wiring, etc. are connected to allow the drawing stroke.

Next, the operation mode of the embodiment of the present invention will be explained.

In Fig. 1, when a rice storage 1 filled with a predetermined amount of polished rice is inserted into a predetermined position inside the box, a sensor (not shown) detects the rice storage, and at the same time, a sensor S detects the presence or absence of polished rice. Ru. Similarly, when the rice washing mechanism 7 is inserted into a predetermined position, a sensor (not shown) detects this, and when the rice cooker 38 is inserted into a predetermined position, a sensor (not shown) detects this. The presence or absence of the inner pot 41 of the rice cooker 38 is detected by a sensor 48.

Preparation for startup is completed only when all sensors operate as described above. On the other hand, after inputting data such as the desired amount of rice to be cooked, amount of water, soaking time, steaming time, and cooking time from the console panel 67, and pressing the start button, the rice storage 1, the rice washing mechanism 7, and the rice cooker 38 are activated. The locking means 6.15.39 operate simultaneously to lock all mechanisms in the refrigerator.

In the above state, the start signal can be received.

After the closing of the conical valve 28 that seals the rice washing mechanism 7 is confirmed by inputting a start signal, the quantitative sorting means 2 rotates and a predetermined amount of polished rice is passed through the chute 30 and transferred to the cylindrical body 12 of the rice washing mechanism 7 (hereinafter referred to as the rice washing tank). ). Upon completion of the quantitative determination, the stirring means 8 rotates, the solenoid valve 19 opens, and the fountain nozzle 20 starts sprinkling water as indicated by the dotted arrow 2OA in FIG.

The washed rice waste water in the rice washing tank 12 is drained from the drain jacket 24 at the bottom.
The water passes through a perforated plate 25 provided therein, passes through a drain port 10 that can be opened and closed, and is drained out of a drainage gutter 27.

When the rice washing process for a predetermined period of time is completed, the water sprinkling in the rice washing tank 12 is temporarily interrupted, and the process shifts to the rice polishing process in which only the stirring means 8 rotates. During this time, the solenoid valve 34 opens and water supply starts to the constant water level tank 22, and once the water supply is stopped at the water level of the water level sensor 33,
Water is stored up to the overflow port 31. After repeating the rice washing process and the rice polishing process a predetermined number of times, the process moves to the rinsing process.

In the rinsing process, the on-off valve 26 is closed and the rice washing tank 12
After the water is stored up to a predetermined level in the rice cooker, the opening/closing valve 26 is opened to drain water all at once, and the purpose is to wash away the rice bran and clarify the rice washing waste water.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the maximum amount of water corresponding to the preset amount of rice to be cooked, for example, the amount of water 30% more than the same amount of water, can be used as the amount of water for one rinse step. It is extremely effective in clarifying wastewater and conserving water. That is, in the rinsing process, when the solenoid valve 21 of the conduit 23 that communicates with the bottom of the constant water level tank 22 is opened, the solenoid valve 34 is simultaneously opened to start supplying water into the washed rice tank 12. Since the water level H in the constant water level tank 22 is kept constant by the overflow port 31, the flow rate of water supplied by the solenoid valve 21 is always constant. Therefore, by opening the solenoid valve 21 for a preset period of time, an accurate amount of water storage can be ensured. The flow rate flowing in from the water supply electromagnetic valve 34 is adjusted to be equal to or slightly larger than the sum of the flow rate flowing out from the electromagnetic valve 21 and the amount of water overflowing from the water overflow port 31. Therefore, the water level H can always be maintained stably.

The rinsing process is repeated several times and when the water in the rice washing tank 12 is completely drained, the process moves to the water adjustment process. Drain port IO on/off valve 2
6 is closed, and the solenoid valve 21 is opened for a preset time to adjust the water level. Shutter drive mechanism 5 at the same time as water adjustment is completed
5, the shutter 53 opens to open an opening 52 provided in the upper lid 42, which is an inlet for rice and water. shutter 53
At the same time as the opening of the conical valve 28 is detected, the rice and water are discharged into the inner pot 41.

The rice and water discharged from this rice washing tank 12 are discharged from the conical valve 28.
As a result, the rice deposited in the inner pot 41 exhibits an ideal distribution curve and does not require any means to level the surface layer of the rice.

On the other hand, when discharging rice from the rice washing tank 12, the stirring means 8 is rotated for a short time at the same time as the conical valve 28 is opened in order to improve rice discharging efficiency.

Here, when the amount of polished rice to be processed is small, a large amount of rice grains may remain particularly at the bottom of the tank, and furthermore, a large amount of rice grains may remain attached to the area indicated by the reference numeral in FIG.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, at the final stage of the rice discharging process, that is, when the rice in the rice washing tank 12 has almost completely been discharged, water is sprayed for a short time from the fountain nozzle 20 to remove the remaining rice at the top and the bottom. Wash away instantly.

Also, the amount of water used for washing is constant regardless of the amount of polished rice, and is added to the amount of water used to adjust the water level. This means that the water that evaporates during rice cooking is almost constant regardless of the amount of rice being cooked, so this method replaces the amount of water that evaporates during rice cooking, making it possible to eliminate the difficult quantitative work of adding extra water depending on the amount of rice being cooked. can be excluded.

The conical valve 28, which has been opened for a predetermined period of time for the above-mentioned cleaning, ie, disposal of leftover rice, is automatically closed, and upon detecting the closing of the conical valve 28, the shutter drive mechanism 55 rotates in reverse to close the shutter 53.

This completes the rice washing process and moves on to the soaking process.

If only the rice washing process is selected in advance, the automatic operation ends here, all mechanisms are unlocked, and the rice can be pulled out from the box.

When the preset immersion time has elapsed, the heater 46 starts to be energized and the rice cooking process begins. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the start of the rice cooking process, the steam exhaust means 70 having a fan is activated to exhaust steam to the outside of the system.

Completion of rice cooking is detected by a sensor 47, and then the steaming process is started. The rice cooker 38 has a built-in heat retention control circuit and is configured to detect a drop in the temperature of the inner pot 41 and automatically perform heat retention after the steaming process is completed. At the end of the above steaming process, the rice cooker 38 is unlocked and can be pulled out from the box 5.

This concludes the series of operating steps in the apparatus of the present invention.

The compact fully automatic rice cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention, which has the structure and operation mode described above, eliminates all the complexity of rice cooking and allows you to cook freshly cooked hot rice at the desired time by simply setting the timer. In addition to the groundbreaking utility value of being able to eat it, it also has many other benefits as listed below.

The small fully automatic rice cooking device according to the embodiment of the present invention has each mechanism configured independently and can be freely pulled out from the box, making it convenient for replenishing polished rice. The top plate can be used as a cooking table or storage space, the rice washing mechanism, which requires special cleaning, can be cleaned easily, and each part can be inspected easily, and each machine tank or parts can be replaced in the event of a breakdown. It has many advantages such as being easy to perform.

Furthermore, by equipping the rice cooker with a shutter on the top lid that can be opened and closed in the horizontal direction, the rice cooker can be set in the main body of the device with the top lid closed, significantly reducing the overall height of the device. In addition to Chinode single unit type,
It is possible to realize a highly practical device that can be provided in a compact size that can be stored in a system kitchen.

Furthermore, regarding water supply means, conventionally proposed float types, moving electrode types, and metered water storage types have complex structures, poor cleaning performance, and frequent errors in water level detection due to dirt, changes in water quality, etc. In view of these many problems, a digital control system using a constant water level tank has been adopted, which completely eliminates the above problems and has the advantage of being able to accurately control a small water flow range.

The first feature of the present invention is that a rice storage is not an essential requirement, so polished rice can be replenished from the cylindrical body of the rice washing mechanism each time. A structure that replenishes polished rice by opening and closing or sliding, a structure in which the metering device in the rice storage storage is removed and only a hopper is used, and a structure in which pre-quantified milled rice is replenished each time, and other design changes to the metering device are all within the scope of the present invention. It belongs to the technical scope.

(Effects of the Invention) The present invention is as described above, and according to the first feature of the present invention, in a small fully automatic rice cooking device, the rice washing mechanism is mounted on the upper part.
The rice cooker is housed in a box at the bottom of the rice washing mechanism so that it can be taken in and out in the horizontal direction, and the box is provided with a locking means that allows the rice washing mechanism and the rice cooker to be locked. Since the upper lid is equipped with a horizontally movable shutter that can cover and open the opening, the rice washing mechanism and the rice cooker, which are the heart of the rice cooker, can be cleaned independently, which is beneficial for hygiene. At the same time, the quality of the cooked rice becomes excellent.

Furthermore, since the top lid of the rice cooker is equipped with a shutter that can be opened and closed, sufficient pressure is maintained during the cooking process, and the quality of the cooked rice is greatly improved.

Furthermore, according to the second feature of the present invention, the rice storage mechanism provided at the top of the rice washing mechanism and the rice cooker can also be moved in and out horizontally, making it easy to replenish the rice storage with polished rice. The rice washing mechanism can be inspected with the rice storage compartment pulled out.

In addition, the rice storage, rice washing mechanism, and rice cooker are arranged in the upper, middle, and lower tiers so that they can all be taken in and out, so they can be stored alone or together with the system kitchen in the kitchen room of the home.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a side view showing the arrangement of internal mechanisms, FIG. 2 is a side view explaining how to handle the rice cooker, and FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section showing the inside of the rice cooker. Side view, 4th
5 and 5 are plan views showing the opening and closing operations of the shutter, respectively, and FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the water supply means. ■... Rice storage, 2... Quantitative sorting means, 5... Box, 6°15.39... Locking means, 7... Rice washing mechanism, 8... Stirring means, 9... ... Water supply means, 10... Drain port, 11... Spout, 12... Cylindrical body, 38...
・Rice cooker, 42...Top lid, 52...Opening, 53.
··Shutter. Patent applicant Kubota Iron Works Co., Ltd. Volte Nox Co., Ltd. Figure 2

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A rice washing mechanism consisting of a cylindrical body (12) that has a stirring means (8) and a water supply means (9), and also has a drain port (10) that can be opened and closed at the bottom and a spout (11) that can be opened and closed. (7) and a rice cooker (38) equipped with a top lid (42) having an opening (52) corresponding to the spout (11) of the rice washing mechanism (7) are housed in the box (5). The rice washing mechanism (7) is placed in the upper part of the rice washing mechanism (7), and the rice cooker (38) is placed in the lower part of the rice washing mechanism (7) so that they can be taken in and out in the horizontal direction. In addition to storing the rice washing mechanism (7) and the rice cooker (38), the box (5) is provided with locking means (15) and (39) for freely locking the rice washing mechanism (7) and the rice cooker (38), respectively. A small fully automatic rice cooking device characterized in that a top cover (42) is provided with a shutter (53) capable of freely shielding and opening a part (52) and is movable in the horizontal direction. (2) A rice storage (1) having a quantitative sorting means (2), a stirring means (8), a water supply means (9), a drain port (10) that can be opened and closed at the bottom, and a spout that can be opened and closed. (11
), and a top lid (42) having an opening (52) corresponding to the spout (11) of the rice washing mechanism (7). (38
) and are housed in a box (5), the rice storage (1) is in the upper part, and the rice washing mechanism (7) is in the lower part of the rice storage (1). ) and the rice washing mechanism (7)
The rice cooker (38) is arranged at the bottom of the rice storage box (1), the rice washing mechanism (7), and the rice cooker (38) are housed in the box (5) so that they can be moved in and out horizontally. The body (5) is provided with locking means (6), (15), and (39) for freely locking the rice storage (1), the rice washing mechanism (7), and the rice cooker (38), respectively, and furthermore, the upper lid ( 4
A shutter (2) that allows the opening (52) to be opened and closed.
53) is provided on the upper lid (42) so as to be movable in the horizontal direction.