HK1119923A1 - Cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a cooking pot including: a pot used for inputting the cooked things; a cooking pot main body having an open for holding the pot and a heating unit for heating the cooked things; a control device for controlling the heating unit to heat and cook the cooked things; an upper cover connected with one side of the cooking pot main body through the pivot used for covering the open. The upper cover has an internal cover for covering the pot and an external cover for covering the whole open, and is provided with a take-up reel with scheduled height for receiving the overflowing part at the lower part of the internal cover. An overflowing part holding part and a plurality of overflowing components dispersing holes are formed on the take-up reel, which are configured to make the overflowing components dispersing holes dispersed to the open calibre in a wider range.

Description

Cooking device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cooker, and more particularly, to a cooker which effectively returns delicious components of cooked items to a pot and discharges only steam when an overflow occurs during cooking.

Background

The cooking device of the invention is a type that the cooked object is put into the pot and is heated to cook. Among them, there is a rice cooker designed especially as an electric rice cooker, in which rice and water are put in a pot to cook rice. Among such cookers are those designed as pressure cookers, which, as a pressure cooker, if heated, raise the pressure in the cooker, and cook the object to be cooked efficiently by heat and pressure.

The cooking device is provided with a steam discharge part for discharging steam generated in the heating process to the outside. When the object to be cooked is boiled, the surface components of the object to be cooked rise and are ejected together with steam. This is the "overflow" phenomenon. This phenomenon is common when cooking food. The overflow generated during cooking is sticky pasty juice, so-called "rice soup", which is a starch film formed by the sticky liquid and sugar and is all delicious components of rice, and therefore, the rice soup is discharged together with steam, and waste is caused.

Therefore, there has been proposed a cooker having a holding case for holding "rice water" (hereinafter, in this specification, including a material generated by cooking rice, the word "rice water" is used as a name indicating an overflow), which prevents the rice water from overflowing to the outside of a lid body and allows only excessive steam to be discharged, and which can return the rice water held in the holding case to a pot by a negative pressure (compared to a pressure in the holding case) in the pot after a heating process is finished.

For example, fig. 9 is a partial sectional view of a lid body of the rice cooker disclosed in patent document 1 below, and shows an overflow preventing structure formed on the lid body.

The cover 101 shown in fig. 9 prevents the steam from overflowing to the outside by improving the steam discharging passage. Namely, the steam discharge passage has: a steam hole 102 and a rice water returning hole 103 which are penetratingly provided on an inner surface of the cover body 101; an upper guide cylinder 104 for guiding the steam and the rice water entering the steam hole 102 and the rice water return hole 103 upward; a lower guide cylinder 105 located on the outer periphery of the upper guide cylinder 104 and guiding the steam and the rice water rising from the inside of the upper guide cylinder 104 downward; a steam discharge hole 107 provided through the outer wall portion 106 of the lid body 101; and a steam passage chamber 108 formed on the outer periphery of the upper guide cylinder 104 and guiding the steam guided by the lower guide cylinder 105 to the steam discharge hole 107. An opening 109 is formed in the side wall of the upper guide cylinder portion 104, and a rib 110 inclined with respect to the normal direction of the upper guide cylinder portion 104 is formed from the edge of the opening 109.

According to this configuration, steam and rice water generated in the pot enter the lid body 101 through the steam hole 102 and the rice water return hole 103, rise from the inside of the upper guide cylinder 104, and descend along the outer peripheral surface of the upper guide cylinder 104 through the lower guide cylinder 105. A part of the steam is discharged to the side surface from an opening 109 formed in the upper guide cylinder portion 104. The discharged steam collides with the rice water descending along the upper guide cylinder 104, and is guided by the ribs 110 to form an air flow rotating along the outer periphery of the upper guide cylinder 104. Thus, the bubbles of the rice water are broken and become smaller in diameter. The rice water is stirred by the rotation movement of the steam passing chamber 108, and thus the rice water is not immediately discharged from the steam discharging hole 107.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the rice cooker disclosed in patent document 2.

The rice cooker shown in fig. 10(a) includes: an electric cooker main body 201 for accommodating a pot; a lid 202 for opening and closing an opening of the rice cooker main body 201; a bottomed cylindrical pot 203 housed in the rice cooker main body 201; a heating unit that heats the pan 203; and a steam port unit 205 detachably attached to a communication hole 204, the communication hole 204 being provided in the lid body 202 and communicating with the pot 203. As shown in fig. 10(b), the steam port unit 205 includes: a lower housing 206; an upper case 207 fitted to the lower case 206; a hinge 208 for pivotally supporting the upper and lower cases 207 and 206 to be openable and closable; a locking piece 209b having a locking protrusion 209 a; a rotating shaft 210 for rotatably supporting the locking piece 209 b; an engaging portion 211 that engages with the locking projection 209a when the upper case 207 is pressed from above; a lock mechanism 212 for locking the lower case 206 and the upper case 207, opposite to the hinge portion 208; and a projection provided near the lock mechanism 212 on the lower side of the lower case 206 and inserted into the communication hole 204 of the cover 202.

The protrusion has a guide cylinder guiding steam containing rice water emitted from the pot 203 into the steam port unit 205, and a holding recess 213 for holding rice water is formed at a rear side of the guide cylinder. The bottom of the lower case 206 is formed as an inclined surface descending from the rear side toward the storage recess 213 to easily store the rice water in the storage recess 213. An opening 214 is provided at the bottom of the storage recess 213, a plurality of rice water returning holes 215 are provided at the peripheral edge of the storage recess, and the rice water returning holes 215 are formed by steam provided in the inner lid 202a of the lid body 202Hole 202a₁The inside of the steam port unit 205 is communicated with the pot 203. The rice water returning hole 215 is opened and closed by an opening/closing valve 216 provided in the opening portion 214 to be movable up and down. After the heating step, when the heating is stopped and the pressure in the pot 203 is lowered, the on-off valve 216 is lowered by its own weight and the weight of the rice water, and the rice water returning hole 215 is opened.

When the rice water reflux hole 215 is opened, the rice water remaining in the holding recess 213 flows through the rice water reflux hole 215 and then through the steam hole 202a₁Flows back into the pot 203. By returning the rice water to the cooked rice in the pot 203 and adding the delicious components contained in the rice water to the cooked rice, it is possible to produce a glossy and viscous tasty cooked rice.

The rice cookers described in patent documents 1 and 2 retain rice water produced in the heating process, and after the heating process is completed, the retained rice water is returned into the rice cooker through the rice water returning holes (grooves) to adhere delicious components to the surface of the rice.

However, the rice water return holes of these rice cookers are only narrow, and the rice water falls only in a limited area, and the rice water cannot be spread over the whole rice. Therefore, the delicious ingredients and the water content of the cooked rice differ between the portion where the rice water returning holes are provided and the portion where the rice water returning holes are not provided.

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 11-18930

[ patent document 2] Japanese patent No. 3820541

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking device that can return rice water generated during cooking in a scattered manner so that the rice water spreads over the entire object to be cooked.

In order to solve the above problems, the cooking device of the present invention comprises; a pot for putting cooked objects; a cooker body having an opening into which the pot is fitted and a heating unit for heating an object to be cooked in the pot; a control device for controlling the heating unit to heat and cook the cooked object; and a lid body pivotally connected to one side of the cooker body to cover the opening, the lid body having an inner lid to cover the pot and an outer lid to cover the entire opening, the cooker being characterized in that a receiving tray having a predetermined depth is provided below the inner lid, an overflow component accommodating portion to receive the fallen overflow component and a plurality of overflow component dispersing holes are formed in the receiving tray, and the overflow component dispersing holes are arranged to disperse the overflow component over a wide range within an opening diameter of the pot.

According to this configuration, when spilled ingredients (typically "rice water" produced during cooking) which are a delicious factor produced during heating fall from the inner lid, the spilled ingredients are once received by the spilled ingredient receiving portion of the receiving tray, and then sprinkled through the plurality of distribution holes, so as to return to substantially the entire surface of the object to be cooked.

The present invention is the cooker of the above-mentioned construction, wherein the outer lid has a holding case for holding the spilled ingredients.

According to this structure, the overflowing component generated during the heating cooking is temporarily stored in the storage box and then flows back to the receiving tray, whereby the overflowing component can be efficiently returned to the object to be cooked.

The present invention is the cooker having the above-described configuration, wherein the receiving tray is inclined at a predetermined angle so as to be gradually deepened from an edge of the overflowing component accommodating portion toward an outer circumferential direction of the receiving tray.

According to this structure, the overflowing component flows over the surface of the receiving tray along the inclination, and therefore, the overflowing component is made to easily reach the overflowing component dispersing hole, and the overflowing component can be more effectively returned to the object to be cooked.

The present invention is the cooker having the above-described configuration, wherein a guide groove having a predetermined depth is formed between the optional overflow component dispersing holes on the upper surface of the receiving tray.

According to this structure, the overflowing component can easily reach the overflowing component dispersing hole along the guide groove, and the overflowing component can be more effectively returned to the cooked object.

The present invention is the cooker having the above-described configuration, wherein a rib portion having a predetermined size is formed on the upper surface of the receiving tray at the periphery of any of the overflow component dispersing holes.

According to this structure, the overflowing component can easily reach the overflowing component dispersing hole along the rib, and the overflowing component can be more effectively returned to the cooked object.

In the cooking device according to the present invention, the receiving tray has a gasket at a portion inside of a mounting portion for mounting the inner lid.

According to this configuration, the seal prevents the overflowing component from flowing when the lid is opened, and it is possible to prevent an unsanitary condition from occurring due to the old overflowing component remaining in the portion difficult to clean.

In the cooking device according to the present invention, the receiving plate has a mounting portion for mounting to the inner lid, and the receiving plate is detachably mounted to the inner lid by engaging the mounting portion with a mounting stay of the inner lid by rotating the receiving plate as a whole.

According to the structure, the receiving tray can be simply detached, and the receiving tray is easy to clean and relatively sanitary.

The cooking device according to the present invention is characterized in that the receiving tray is made of metal and is formed by die casting or press working.

According to this structure, a receiving pan that is thin and lightweight and has high rigidity can be obtained.

The present invention is the cooker having the above-described configuration, wherein the lid body has a pressure valve for adjusting the pressure in the pot and a pressure valve release mechanism for controlling the pressure valve, and the control device controls the heating unit and the pressure valve release mechanism to heat and cook the object to be cooked in the pot.

According to this structure, even when a large amount of the spilled ingredients are generated due to the pressure adjustment, the spilled ingredients can be sprinkled and returned to almost the entire area of the surface of the object to be cooked.

According to the present invention, the overflowing component generated during cooking is received by the overflowing component containing part of the receiving tray, and the overflowing component serving as a delicious factor is sprinkled through the overflowing component dispersing holes and returned to the surface of the cooked object, so that the taste of the cooked object can be improved over a wide range.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view showing an embodiment of a receiving tray mounted on the cooker of fig. 1, wherein (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a sectional view taken along line a-a of (b).

Fig. 3 is a view showing another embodiment of a receiving tray mounted on the cooker of fig. 1, wherein (a) is a front view, (B) is a top view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a sectional view taken along line B-B of (B).

Fig. 4 is a view showing a cooker according to another embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a vertical sectional view of the cooker, and (b) is a plan view of a receiving tray mounted on the cooker.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a cooking utensil according to still another embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a vertical sectional view of the cooking utensil, (b) is a bottom view of a receiving tray mounted on the cooking utensil, and (c) is a top view of the receiving tray mounted on the cooking utensil.

Fig. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between temperature and pressure during cooking.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart of cooking rice.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the cooking process following FIG. 7.

Fig. 9 is a partial vertical sectional view of a conventional pressure cooker.

Fig. 10 is a view showing another conventional pressure cooker, in which (a) is a vertical sectional view and (b) is an enlarged sectional view of a steam port unit.

Description of the symbols

1 cooking device

2 cooking device body

3 outer case

4 inner shell

5a bottom heater

5b side heater

6 pot bottom temperature sensor

7 pan

8 receiving disc

8a overflow ingredient accommodating part

8b overflow ingredient dispersing hole

8c guide groove

8d mounting part

9 sealing gasket

10 cover body

11 inner cover

12 outer cover

13 solenoid valve

18 pressure valve release mechanism

20 cover body clamping mechanism

22 locking member

23 Release button

30 display operation part

40 storage box

41 steam port

42 negative pressure valve

43 steam vents

Detailed Description

The structure of cooking utensil 1 will be explained below. The cooking device 1 is designed as an electric rice cooker.

As shown in fig. 1, the cooker 1 includes: a pot 7 for putting cooked objects; a cooker body 2 having an opening for fitting a pot 7 on its upper surface, and a heating means 5 for heating the pot 7 and an object to be cooked in its interior; an upper cover 10 pivotally connected to one side of the cooker body 2, covering the opening, and lockable in a state of closing the opening; an electromagnetic valve 13 mounted on the upper cover 10 and functioning as a pressure valve for adjusting the pressure in the pot 7; a pressure valve release mechanism 18 for controlling the solenoid valve 13; a display operation unit 30 for displaying various cooking menus for selection; and a control device (not shown). When cooking rice, the control device controls the heating unit 5 and the pressure valve releasing mechanism 18 according to the selected cooking menu to heat the cooked object (rice and water in this case) in the pot 7 to a predetermined temperature, and sequentially executes a water absorption process for absorbing a predetermined amount of water by rice for a predetermined time; and (4) heating up. Heating the rice absorbed with water to raise the temperature until the water is boiled; a boiling maintaining process for maintaining the rice and water in a boiling state; and a steaming process for steaming the cooked rice after the boiling maintaining process.

Next, the structure and control device of the cooker 1 will be further described.

The cooker body 2 includes a bottomed box-shaped outer case 3, and an inner case 4 housed in the outer case 3. A gap is formed between the outer housing 3 and the inner housing 4, and a control circuit board and the like (not shown) constituting a control device are disposed in the gap. The inner case 4 has a heating unit 5 composed of a bottom heater 5a at a bottom 4a thereof and a side heater 5b at a side 4b thereof. The bottom heater 5a uses an electromagnetic induction coil wound in a ring shape. A pan bottom temperature sensor 6 for detecting the bottom temperature of the pan 7 is also provided on the bottom 4 a. The pan bottom temperature sensor 6 is composed of a thermistor or the like.

As shown in fig. 1, a display operation unit 30 including a display panel for displaying various cooking menus and an operation button for selecting a cooking menu is provided on the front surface of the cooker body 2.

The pot 7 for receiving the object to be cooked (rice and water in cooking) has a deep bottomed shape and reaches the vicinity of the bottom of the inner case 4. The pan 7 is formed of a composite steel material of aluminum and stainless steel.

As shown in fig. 1, the upper lid 10 has an inner lid 11 for covering the opening of the pot 7 and an outer lid 12 for covering the entire upper opening of the cooker body 2. One side of the upper lid 10 is pivotally connected to the cooker body 2 by a hinge mechanism h, and the other side is locked by a lid locking mechanism 20 of the cooker body 2 when the upper lid is in a lid closed state.

A receiving tray 8 for overflowing ingredients is mounted on the inner lid 11 for receiving the overflowing ingredients generated from the cooked object during a heating process for increasing temperature, particularly a boiling process. As shown in fig. 2, the receiving tray 8 has a circular shape, an overflow component accommodating portion 8a is formed in a central portion of a bottom portion on an upper surface side thereof, and rice water existing in a space between a storage case 40 or an inner lid 11 and an outer lid 12 described later is received by the overflow component accommodating portion 8 a. An overflow component dispersion hole 8b for returning rice water existing in the receiving pan 8 and mainly in the overflow component accommodating portion 8a to the pot 7 is formed in the bottom of the receiving pan 8. Between the overflowing component accommodating part 8a and any overflowing component dispersing hole 8b, a guide groove 8c is formed for guiding the rice water received by the overflowing component accommodating part 8a to the overflowing component dispersing hole 8b more reliably. Thus, the rice water is not scattered around the bottom of the receiving pan 8, but flows along the guide groove 8c to the overflow component dispersion hole 8b and then flows back into the pot 7. The guide groove 8c is formed to be inclined gradually deeper from the edge of the overflowing component accommodating portion 8a toward the overflowing component dispersing hole 8b, so that rice water can easily flow back.

As shown in fig. 3, a rib 8e having a predetermined size may be formed around any overflow component dispersion hole 8 b. The rib 8e, like the guide groove 8c, guides the rice water remaining in the overflowing component accommodating part 8a to more reliably flow toward the overflowing component dispersing hole 8 b. That is, in the receiving pan 8 of fig. 3, the rib 8e formed so as to surround the overflowing component dispersing hole 8b formed on the inner peripheral side of the receiving pan 8 can provide the same effect as the guide groove 8c, and the rice water can be concentrated in the overflowing component dispersing hole 8 b. Guide grooves 8c are formed between the overflow component dispersion holes 8b formed on the outer peripheral side of the receiving pan 8, and rice water is guided to the guide grooves 8c by ribs 8e extending toward the outer peripheral side, and the rice water can be fed to the overflow component dispersion holes 8b by the both acting together. Thus, the rice water does not remain in the receiving tray 8, but reaches the overflow component dispersion hole 8b along the side wall of the rib 8e and the guide groove 8c, and flows back into the pan 7 through the overflow component dispersion hole 8 b.

A flange-like mounting portion 8d is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the catch tray 8, and the catch tray 8 is mounted to the inner lid 11 by screws, nails, or the like via the mounting portion 8 d.

As shown in fig. 4, a gasket 9 may be provided on the receiving pan 8 at a position inside the mounting portion 8d for mounting to the inner lid 11. After the rice cooking process is finished, when the upper cover 10 is opened, since the upper cover 10 is pivotally coupled to the main body 2 by the hinge mechanism h, the steam of the rice water is cooled to be water drops and attached to the inner cover 11, and flows toward the hinge mechanism h which becomes the lower side along with the rotation of the upper cover 10 together with the rice water remaining in the receiving tray 8. At this time, water droplets containing rice water and the rice water enter the gap between the mounting portion 8d and the inner lid 11, and old rice water is left in a place difficult to clean, which is relatively unhygienic. The provision of the gasket 9 can prevent water droplets containing rice water and rice water from flowing toward the mounting portion 8d, thereby preventing the above-described situation.

As shown in fig. 5, a mounting portion 8 d' having a cutout may be provided on the catch tray 8. The inner lid 11 is provided with mounting posts 8f, and the catch tray 8 is detachably mounted to the inner lid 11 by engaging the mounting portions 8 d' with the mounting posts 8f by rotating the catch tray 8 as a whole. When the catch tray 8 is cleaned, the catch tray 8 is rotated in the opposite direction. This makes it possible to easily remove the catch tray 8, and to easily clean it, and to keep it sanitary.

The receiving tray 8 may be attached as follows. That is, the hook seat and the pin are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the center on the inner lid 11, and when the upper lid 10 is opened and raised, the hook seat is disposed at a position on the lower side of the inner lid 11 and the pin is disposed at a position on the upper side of the inner lid. The pin takes the form of a head bulge. The other catch pan is provided with a hook that engages with the hook holder and a hole for inserting the pin. It is also possible to insert an elastic bushing made of an elastic material (for example, silicone rubber) on the receiving pan 8 and insert the pin in the hole of the elastic bushing. In the state where the upper cover 10 is erected, the hook is engaged with the hook base from above.

When the catch tray 8 is mounted, the upper cover 10 is first erected, and the hook is engaged with the hook holder from above. Then, the receiving tray 8 is rotated with the engaging portion of the hook holder and the hook as a fulcrum, and the pin is fitted in the hole of the elastic bush. The receiving tray 8 is held by the inner lid 11 by engagement of the hook with the hook holder and engagement of the elastic bush with the pin protruding from the head, and the inner lid 11 does not come off even when the inner lid is closed. When removing the receiving tray 8, the upper cover 10 is similarly erected, the pin is first pulled out of the elastic bush, and then the hook is removed from the hook base.

As shown in fig. 1, the inner lid 11 is provided with a solenoid valve 13 and a pressure valve release mechanism 18 for opening the solenoid valve 13. The solenoid valve 13 includes: a valve seat 13b formed with a valve hole 13a of a predetermined diameter; a metal ball 13c that rests on the valve seat 13b to block the valve hole 13 a; a cover 13d for holding the ball 13c on the valve seat 13b by restricting the movement of the ball 13 c. The pressure valve release mechanism 18 includes: a cylinder wound with an electromagnetic coil; a plunger that moves the ball 13c by moving the solenoid coil into and out of the cylinder; an action rod mounted on the top end of the plunger; and a spring disposed between one end of the cylinder and the actuating rod.

The pressure valve release mechanism 18 is controlled by a control device (not shown). That is, if the electromagnetic coil is excited in accordance with a command from the control device, the plunger is ejected from the cylinder, hits the ball 13c, and pushes out the ball 13c in a predetermined direction. By this pushing out, the ball 13c is removed from the valve hole 13a, thereby forcibly opening the valve hole 13 a. In this open state, if the excitation of the electromagnetic coil is stopped, the plunger is pulled back into the cylinder by the elastic force of the spring. Thereby, the pressing force in the predetermined direction of the ball 13c is lost, the ball 13c returns to the valve hole 13a, and the valve hole 13a is closed by the ball 13 c.

The outer lid 12 is provided with a steam port 41 for communicating the inner lid 11 with a steam hole 43 provided in the outer lid 12. A safety valve 44 is provided on the inner lid 11, and when the steam pressure in the cooker 7 rises to an abnormal pressure higher than a predetermined pressure, the safety valve 44 is used to discharge the pressure in the cooker 7 to the outside through the steam port 41. Steam generated during cooking is discharged from the steam port 41 to the steam holes 43. Even in this case, the rice water containing the delicious components of the object to be cooked is retained in the retention case 40 formed under the steam port or in the space between the inner lid 11 and the outer lid 12. The rice water flows in the direction of the arrow shown in fig. 1 with the opening and closing of the negative pressure valve 42, flows into the receiving tray 8, further falls from the overflow component dispersion hole 8b along the receiving tray 8, and returns to the cooked object in the pot 7. A steam temperature sensor (not shown) is attached to the inner lid 11.

The control device has hardware comprising circuit board with CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. and is connected to menu key, start key, reservation key, pot bottom temperature sensor and steam sensor, and the signals of these keys and sensors are input to the CPU. Further, a timer for counting a predetermined time, a cooking menu detection unit, a ROM, and a RAM are connected to the CPU, and the CPU operates a heating control unit for controlling the heating unit, the display panel, and the solenoid valve, a display panel control unit, and a pressure valve release mechanism control unit.

Hereinafter, a cooking process when the cooking menu is selected on the cooker 1 will be described with reference to the characteristic diagram of fig. 6 and the flowcharts of fig. 7 and 8. While various rice cooking menus are displayed on the display operation unit 30, the following description will be made of a rice cooking menu.

First, in step S101, the cooker 1 stores the pot 7, into which a predetermined amount of the material to be cooked (rice and water) is put by the user, in the inner case 4, and is closed by closing the upper lid 10. Next, in step S102, cooking of the cooking menu selected by the operation of the display operation unit 30 is started. When the cooker 1 starts to operate, in step S103, the operation member (not shown) is operated to strike or push the locking member 22 to cause the locking claw 23 to be engaged with₁And locked to the locking portion 4c of the body 2, thereby locking the upper cover 10. When locked, in step S104, a high-frequency current is applied to the bottom heater 5a attached to the outer bottom wall of the inner case 4, and an eddy current is generated in the pan 7 to heat the pan 7. The pan 7 is also heated by a side heater 5b mounted on the outer side wall. Thereby starting to heat the water and the rice.

Next, the control device activates the pressure valve release mechanism 18 to move the ball 13c, and in step S105, the solenoid valve 13 is opened. In step S106, a water absorption process I is performed. When the water absorption process I is started, a water absorption timer (not shown) starts counting the water absorption time T1 in step S107, and then the pot bottom temperature K1 is measured by the pot bottom temperature sensor 6 in step S108. The measurement of the pot bottom temperature K1 is carried out until a predetermined temperature is reached. When it is confirmed in step S109 that the pot bottom temperature K1 has reached a predetermined value, for example, 55 ℃, in step S110, the control means controls the heating amount of the heating unit 5 called the bottom heater 5a and the side heater 5b to keep the temperature of the material to be cooked at a predetermined temperature and to measure the water absorption time. The water absorption process I continues for a predetermined water absorption time T1, for example 10 minutes.

When a predetermined water absorbing time T1(10 minutes) has elapsed in step S111, step S112 is performed to proceed to a temperature-increasing heating process II in which the heating units 5 called the bottom heater 5a and the side heater 5b are subjected to full heating (full-power heating) to reach the boiling state in a short time. Further, the control device actuates the pressure valve release mechanism 18 to pull back the plunger, thereby closing the solenoid valve 13 with the ball 13 c. That is, in step S113, the ball 13c returns to the valve hole 13a by its own weight, and blocks the valve hole 13a, and the solenoid valve 13 is in a closed state. In this state, the pressure in the pot 7 can be raised to a pressure value at which the ball 13c can be pushed through the valve hole 13 a. Thus, the steam pressure in the pot 7 at this time can be appropriately adjusted by setting the self weight of the ball 13c and the size of the valve hole 13 a.

In the temperature-increasing heating process II, in step S114, the steam temperature K2 is measured by a steam temperature sensor (not shown). In step S115, when the steam temperature K2 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example, 75 ℃, the temperature reaches a temperature at which boiling of the material to be cooked occurs, and the temperature-raising heating process II is terminated. The pressure in the pot 7 at this time is controlled by the electromagnetic valve 13 to a predetermined pressure equal to or higher than the atmospheric pressure, for example, 1.2 atmospheres. Then, as shown in fig. 8, in step S116, the boiling maintenance process III is started.

When the boiling maintaining process III is performed, the pressure in the pot 7 is a predetermined pressure equal to or higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, 1.2 atmospheric pressures, and the material to be cooked is boiled at the saturation temperature corresponding to the pressure.

When the boiling maintenance process III is started, the control device activates the pressure valve release mechanism 18 to move the ball 13c and thereby open the electromagnetic valve 13 in step S117. When the opening operation is performed, the heating of the heating unit 5 is stopped in step S118. In step S119, the forced opening operation of the electromagnetic valve 13 is continued for a predetermined time, for example, 4 seconds. The pressure in the pot 7 is reduced to near atmospheric pressure by the forced opening operation of the electromagnetic valve 13.

In the boiling maintenance process III as described above, when the pressure in the boiler 7 is rapidly reduced from the predetermined boiling pressure (about 1.2 atmospheres) to around atmospheric pressure, the interior of the boiler 7 becomes a violent bumping state. When the state of the boiling is changed to this bumping state, air bubbles are generated in the pot, and the material to be boiled is stirred by the air bubbles. As a result, the cooked material is uniformly heated, and cooking is completed.

The predetermined time for forcibly opening the electromagnetic valve 13 is set to a time (i.e., about 4 seconds) for returning the pressure in the pot 7 to a slight atmospheric pressure by one time of the forced opening operation of the electromagnetic valve 13. By setting the time for forcibly opening the electromagnetic valve 13 to atmospheric pressure in this manner, the maximum stirring energy can be obtained. After the elapse of the predetermined time (4 seconds) for forcibly opening the electromagnetic valve 13, the pressure valve release mechanism 18 is actuated in step S120 to again close the pressure valve. Subsequently, in step S121, heating of the pot 7 by the heating unit 5 is started again. The heating time (for example, 28 seconds) after the heating is restarted is a time required for the pressure in the pot 7 to return to the predetermined pressure (about 1.2 atmospheres). This time is determined in advance in experiments. In step S122, when it is determined that the predetermined heating time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S123.

In step S123, the opening of the electromagnetic valve 18 by the pressure valve release mechanism 18 is repeated a plurality of times, for example, 6 times. In the boiling process in steps S121 and S122, the amount of residual water in the boiler 7 decreases with the passage of time, the pressure fluctuation range decreases, and the bumping phenomenon decreases. Therefore, it is effective to concentrate the forced opening of the electromagnetic valve 13 at the initial stage of the boiling maintenance process III.

When the operation of opening the electromagnetic valve 13a plurality of times is ended, the forced opening of the electromagnetic valve 13 by the pressure valve release mechanism 18 is stopped at step S124, and the electromagnetic valve 13 is in the closed state. At this time, the rice water retained in the retention case 40 drops onto the overflowing component accommodating part 8a along with the pressure reduction in the pan 7, and is uniformly dispersed (returned) to the material to be cooked through the overflowing component dispersing hole 8 b. Then, the boiling state by the heating unit 5 is continued in step S125, and the pot bottom temperature K3 is measured in step S126. Then, when the pot bottom temperature K3 reaches a predetermined temperature, for example, 130 ℃ in step S127, the forced drying is terminated because it is determined that the water in the pot 7 is dried, and therefore, the heating action by the heating unit 5 is stopped in step S128.

The braising process IV is then started. In step S129, the process first proceeds to steaming and braising 1, and timing of steaming and braising time T2 is started. When the steaming time T2 has elapsed a predetermined time, for example, 4 minutes in step S130, the solenoid valve 13 is forcibly opened by the pressure valve releasing mechanism 18 in step S131, and the process proceeds to the additional cooking process. After the additional cooking process is started, the pot 7 is heated again by the heating means 5 to evaporate the moisture attached to the surface of the rice, and an additional cooking (reheating) time T3 is counted in step S132. By additionally cooking rice, rice water attached to the surface of the cooked object is spread over the center and bottom of the cooked object in the pot 7, so that the rice water can be effectively dispersed and the delicious ingredients can be diffused into the whole. When a predetermined additional cooking time T3 has elapsed in step S133, for example, 3 minutes, the heating operation by the heating means 5 is stopped, the process proceeds to the steaming and stewing 2, and the steaming and stewing time T4 is counted in step S134. When the steaming time T4 has elapsed a predetermined time, for example, 5 minutes in step S135, the cooking is ended in step S136, and the warming process is performed in step S137, whereby the standard cooking process is ended.

In the present embodiment, the pressure valve release mechanism 18 is used as a driving means for driving the operation member in step S130, but a driving mechanism for driving the operation member may be separately provided.

While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The present invention can be used for a closed cooker that encloses an overflow inside.

Claims (9)

1. A cooker, comprising: a pot for putting cooked objects; a cooker body having an opening portion into which the pot is fitted and a heating unit for heating an object to be cooked in the pot; a control device for controlling the heating unit to heat and cook the cooked object; and a lid body pivotally connected to one side of the cooker body for covering the opening portion, the lid body having an inner lid for covering the pot and an outer lid for covering the entire opening portion,

the outer lid has a storage box for storing spilled components, a receiving tray having a predetermined depth is provided below the inner lid, and the receiving tray is formed with a spilled component accommodating portion for receiving spilled components falling from the storage box and a plurality of spilled component dispersing holes having a wide range for dispersing the spilled components into the opening diameter of the pot.

2. The cooker according to claim 1, wherein the overflowing part remaining in said holding box falls down into said receiving tray with the opening and closing of the negative pressure valve.

3. The cooker as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving tray is inclined from the edge of the overflowing component accommodating part toward the outer circumference of the receiving tray with a predetermined angle that is gradually deepened, and each of the overflowing component dispersing holes is formed on the outer circumference side of the receiving tray.

4. The cooker as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a guide groove of a predetermined depth is formed between any of said overflowing component dispersing holes in the upper surface of said receiving tray.

5. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a rib having a predetermined size is formed at a periphery of any of the overflowing component dispersing holes in the upper surface of the receiving tray.

6. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a sealing pad is provided in the receiving tray at a portion inside of a mounting portion for mounting the inner lid.

7. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving plate has a cutout at a mounting portion thereof for mounting to the inner lid, and the receiving plate is detachably mounted to the inner lid by engaging the mounting portion with a mounting stay of the inner lid by rotating the receiving plate integrally.

8. The cooking vessel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said receiving plate is made of metal and is formed by die casting or punching.

9. The cooking device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the lid body has a pressure valve for adjusting the pressure in the pot and a pressure valve releasing mechanism for controlling the pressure valve, and the control means controls the heating unit and the pressure valve releasing mechanism to heat and cook the object to be cooked in the pot.