JP2012055361A - Cooker with spray mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simply-structured cooker with a spray mechanism capable of adding evenly an antioxidant in the cooker.SOLUTION: The cooker is provided with: a heating chamber with an opening for accommodating food; a lid for covering the opening of the heating chamber; the spray mechanism disposed in the lid for spraying the antioxidant to the food accommodated in the heating chamber; an opening/closing detection part for detecting the opening/closing state of the lid part; and a control part for monitoring the opening/closing state detected by the opening/closing detection part and controlling the spray mechanism, after the lid covers the opening of the heating chamber, to thereby spray the antioxidant to the food.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooking device provided with a mechanism for spraying a functional liquid agent (antioxidant or the like) having an antioxidant action.

  Due to recent advances in research, the application of an antioxidant effect to the food field in particular has been gradually put into practical use. Many of the causes such as the occurrence of various adult diseases and the occurrence of various diseases and intractable diseases have been found to be caused by the active oxygen taken into the human body, how to remove such active oxygen. Attention has been focused on whether this will lead to the enhancement of vitality and health of the human body.

  Among these, it is considered that a substance (hereinafter referred to as “platinum nanoparticles”) in which platinum is formed into a fine powder has safety to the human body. For example, Patent Document 1 below describes that metal nanoparticles as an antioxidant are added to various foods and drinks, and their usefulness and safety are shown.

JP 2008-156440 A

  As described above, the addition of functional liquids such as metal nanoparticles to foods (antioxidant and other liquids having functions useful for the human body and environment) shows the usefulness, etc. The state of addition to the solid food contained therein has not yet been considered. That is, for example, when a functional liquid is added to a liquid food, there is no particular problem because the functional liquid is dispersed in the liquid food simply by mixing and stirring the functional liquid.

However, particularly in addition to a solid food in a heating cooker, how to add a functional liquid agent to the solid food becomes a problem.
For example, there is a case where it is desired to add a food stored in a cooking device such as a rice cooker or an electric pot or a functional liquid agent in the middle of cooking.

  This invention is made | formed in order to solve such a subject, and is providing the heating cooker with a spray mechanism which can add the functional liquid agent containing a metal nanoparticle etc. with a simple structure uniformly.

(1) The cooking device with a spray mechanism of the present invention is
A heating chamber in which an opening for containing food is formed;
A lid for closing the opening of the heating chamber;
A spray mechanism that is disposed within the lid and sprays a functional liquid onto the food contained in the heating chamber;
An open / close detector for detecting an open / closed state of the lid;
The open / close state of the lid detected by the open / close detector is monitored, and after the lid closes the opening of the heating chamber, the spray mechanism is controlled to apply the functional liquid to the food. And a control unit for spraying.

(2) The cooking device with a spray mechanism of the present invention is the above (1),
The spray mechanism is
An atomization device for atomizing the functional liquid;
A supply unit for supplying the atomized functional liquid into the heating chamber;
It is characterized by comprising.

(3) The heating cooker with a spray mechanism of the present invention is the above (2),
The atomization device is
The body,
A cartridge part that is exchangeably accommodated in the main body and stores the functional liquid agent,
An atomization unit that is accommodated in the main body and atomizes the functional liquid stored in the cartridge unit;
It is characterized by comprising.

(4) The heating cooker with a spray mechanism of the present invention is the above (3),
The atomization unit
A substrate made of a piezoelectric material having a planar surface;
A surface acoustic wave generator disposed on the surface of the substrate;
A porous water retaining member that is disposed on the surface of the base side by side with the surface acoustic wave generating part, is connected to the cartridge part, and supplies a liquid containing the functional liquid agent to the surface of the base body;
It is characterized by comprising.

(5) The cooking device with a spray mechanism of the present invention is any one of the above (1) to (4),
The functional liquid agent is a liquid agent containing platinum nanoparticles.

(6) The heating cooker with a spray mechanism of the present invention is any one of the above (1) to (5),
The functional liquid is sprayed in the form of a mist on the cooked rice contained in the inner pot.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, by using the spray mechanism which atomizes a functional liquid agent in a heating cooker, a functional liquid agent can be sprayed on food simply and uniformly. Moreover, since the functional liquid agent atomized according to opening and closing of the heating chamber can be sprayed on the food, the functional liquid agent can be used efficiently without waste and can greatly contribute to cost reduction. .

It is a schematic block diagram of the heating cooker with a spray mechanism which concerns on an Example. It is a schematic block diagram of the control part in the heating cooker with a spray mechanism of an Example. It is a schematic block diagram of the spray mechanism of an Example. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 1st modification of an atomization device. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 2nd modification of an atomization device. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 3rd modification of an atomization device. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the 4th modification of an atomization device. It is a figure explaining the control flow of the heating cooker with a spray mechanism which concerns on an Example. (A) is a schematic block diagram which shows the heating cooker with a spray mechanism concerning a 2nd Example, (b) is the bottom view which looked at the cover body from the side of the inner pot.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, at least a heating chamber in which an opening for containing food is formed, a lid for closing the opening of the heating chamber, and an open / closed state of the lid are detected. A spray mechanism for atomizing the functional liquid agent and adding it to the food is further provided in a heating cooker including an open / close detection unit and a control unit that monitors the open / closed state detected by the open / close detection unit.
And a control part controls this spraying mechanism by predetermined timing, and performs control which sprays a functional liquid agent with respect to the foodstuff accommodated in the heating chamber.

The cooking device is a general term for devices that cook food by storing food in a heating chamber and applying heat to the food with a heater or the like, and examples thereof include a rice cooker, a microwave oven, and an oven toaster.
The food to be cooked and stored in the heating chamber varies depending on the type of the cooking device. For example, rice is used for a rice cooker, and bread is used for an oven toaster.
The heating chamber is a member that is disposed in the main body of the heating cooker and has a space for storing food. An opening is formed in the heating chamber, and food is taken in and out from the opening. An example of the heating chamber is an inner pot in a rice cooker, for example, and this inner pot is a concave metal pan.

The lid portion has a function of closing the opening portion of the heating chamber described above. For example, the lid portion closes the opening portion by being driven manually or automatically and connected to the main body of the heating cooker or the heating chamber. Inside the lid, a spray mechanism, a heat retaining heater, etc., which will be described later, are disposed, and spraying or heat retaining the functional liquid agent on the food stored in the heating chamber under the control of the control unit. Can do.
The open / close detection unit has a function of detecting the open / closed state of the lid of the heating cooker, and detects, for example, whether the lid is closed and the opening of the heating chamber is closed. Examples of the open / close detection unit include known various sensors provided in the main body of the cooking device, and the sensor is electrically connected to the control unit of the cooking device.

The control part can illustrate a microcomputer provided with RAM and ROM, for example, and controls the whole heating cooker. The control unit further includes a function of monitoring the open / closed state detected by the open / close detection unit, a function of controlling the spray mechanism, and the like. Moreover, the control etc. which receive the input signal from the operation panel for displaying the operation state of a cooking-by-heating machine, and display the operation state of the cooking-by-heating machine on a display panel are also performed.
The control unit controls the spray mechanism based on a predetermined timing to perform the control of spraying the functional liquid agent on the food stored in the heating chamber. As the predetermined timing, for example, when the lid portion closes the opening of the heating chamber, when the lid portion closes the opening and a predetermined time has elapsed, in the case of a rice cooker, when cooked, or a freshness switch described later When the user selects.

The spray mechanism is a device having a function of atomizing the functional liquid agent. The spray mechanism includes an atomization device that atomizes the functional liquid agent, and a supply unit that supplies the atomized functional liquid agent to the heating chamber.
A functional liquid agent is a liquid agent containing a functional component. Functional ingredients include platinum nanoparticles, various vitamins, amino acids, tea confectionery extracts (catechin, tannin, saponin, theanine, caffeine, etc.), hyaluronic acid, collagen, aroma essential oil, coffee beans, tea confectionery, wasabi, Organic soluble components such as hinokitiol, chitin, chitosan, propolis and the like can be mentioned, and other inorganic substances (inorganic soluble components) include silver or sodium chloride.
Here, “functionality” refers to properties that can improve the human health by making the living environment comfortable, deodorizing (deodorizing, decomposing, etc.), antimicrobial (antibacterial, bactericidal, bacteriostatic) , Antifungal, antiviral, etc.), relaxation (aromatherapy), moisturizing, antioxidant, harmful organism repellent and the like.

In the following description, an example in which platinum nanoparticles as an antioxidant are used as a solution will be described as an example of a functional liquid agent. The platinum nanoparticle solution is obtained by mixing ceramic particles such as alumina and silica in a platinum nanocolloid solution and firing the mixed solution. The platinum nanoparticles are adhered to the surface of ceramic particles such as alumina and silica, so that the total particle size is large, and the platinum nanoparticles do not condense in the functional liquid. Further, when the platinum nanoparticles function as an antioxidant, they gradually dissolve into the functional liquid agent from the surface of the adhering ceramic particles such as alumina and silica.
In the present invention, the functional liquid agent is not limited to platinum nanoparticles, and a functional liquid agent containing another antioxidant can also be used. This functional liquid agent is stored, for example, in a cartridge part described later.
The atomization device is a mechanism that is directly or indirectly connected to a pump as a supply unit described later and has a function of atomizing a functional liquid agent. Various mechanisms can be applied as the atomizing device. For example, a power source that supplies power to the main body, the atomizing unit and the cartridge unit, and the atomizing unit arranged in the main body are exemplified.
The main body is a housing container that houses the atomizing section and the cartridge section, and is made of metal or heat-resistant plastic.
The atomizing portion is disposed on the surface of the substrate along with the substrate made of a piezoelectric material having a planar surface, a surface acoustic wave generating portion disposed on the surface of the substrate, and the surface acoustic wave generating portion, for example. And a porous water retaining member for supplying a liquid containing an antioxidant to the surface of the surface. Among these, the “liquid containing an antioxidant” to be atomized can be exemplified by the above-described solution containing platinum nanoparticles.

The substrate is a member made of a piezoelectric material or the like having at least one surface being flat, and a flat plate material having a rectangular surface is preferably used. Further, the surface shape may be a flat plate material having a parallelogram shape with an angle of about 10 to 30 ° so that two sides intersecting the surface acoustic wave propagation direction are not orthogonal to the surface acoustic wave. By adopting a parallelogram, when the surface acoustic wave reaches the single end (edge) of the substrate, the reflection direction can be changed and the arrival time difference of the surface acoustic wave can be made, thereby suppressing heat generation due to energy loss and the like. Can do.
The material of the piezoelectric material is not particularly limited. For example, various materials such as lithium niobate (LiNbO ₃ ), lithium tantalate (LiTaO ₃ ), BaTiO ₃ ceramics, piezo (PZT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are available. Known materials are applicable.
Further, it is more preferable that a lyophilic treatment is performed on a portion of the surface of the base body where the liquid is supplied from the water retention member. According to this, the liquid supplied by the water retaining member can be made thinner and more easily adapted to the surface of the substrate, and more stable atomization can be performed. As the lyophilic treatment, a known lyophilic coating such as Teflon (registered trademark) resin-based coating or glass fiber (coating) -based coating can be applied.
The surface acoustic wave generator is a member that is arranged on the surface of the base and generates a surface acoustic wave that propagates through the surface of the base, and has a function of generating surface acoustic waves on the base made of a piezoelectric material or the like. For example, a power source and an electrode such as a comb electrode connected to the power source are exemplified. However, any other known SAW element (Surface Acoustic Wave element) may be used as long as it has a function of vibrating a water retaining member described later. A configuration may be applied.

  The water retention member is a member composed of a porous material having water absorption and water retention, and as the material thereof, one kind of a porous body or a fiber molded body such as a ceramic material, a synthetic resin material, or a metal material or What was formed by compounding 2 or more types is mentioned. In addition, the amount of liquid supply can be changed by changing the material and the cross-sectional area, thereby controlling the amount of atomization.

The water retaining member is disposed in contact with, for example, any part of the surface of the base or an element single end (edge) intersecting the traveling direction of the surface acoustic wave. In addition, the water retaining member can be arranged at an angle of about 10 to 30 ° so as not to go straight to the traveling direction of the surface acoustic wave. In this case, it is preferable because a time difference can be made in the atomization timing, and heat generation due to energy loss or the like can be suppressed in the atomization region or the piezoelectric element edge.
The ceramic material constituting the water retaining member of the porous body or fiber molded body is a single oxide such as silica, alumina, magnesia, titania, zirconia, or mullite, zeolite, bentonite, ceviolite, attapulgite, sillimanite, kaolin, Sericite, diatomaceous earth, feldspar, square mesh viscosity, silicate compounds (perlite, vanamicurite, sericite, etc.), natural fiber materials include pulp fiber, cotton, wool fiber, hemp fiber, synthetic resin Examples of the material include polyester, nylon, rayon, urethane (including polyurethane), acrylic, and polypropylene. Examples of the metal material include stainless steel, copper, titanium, tin, platinum, gold, and silver.
In addition to the shape of the porous body and the fiber molded body, a honeycomb structure and a corrugated structure are exemplified, and a pipe shape, a sheet shape, a pleat shape, and the like are also exemplified. The prerequisite is that it has excellent water absorption and water retention.

In addition, the shape of the water retaining member may be a circular or semicircular diameter, or a polygon such as a quadrangle or a triangle, and is not particularly limited. Preferably, it is a cylindrical member whose section is circular.
Further, a plurality of water retaining members can be arranged in parallel on the surface of the base. For example, by arranging two water retaining members side by side with respect to the propagation direction of the surface acoustic wave, the liquid that could not be atomized out of the liquid supplied from one water retaining member to the surface of the substrate is taken into the other water retaining member, It can be used again as an atomizing liquid.
Further, it is more preferable that the water retention member is impregnated with a functional component (platinum nanoparticles) in advance. That is, it is possible to store in advance a solution of platinum nanoparticles as an antioxidant in the cartridge part as a liquid storage part, but by varying the amount of the functional component added to the water retention member, for example, The amount of the functional component atomized when spraying can be controlled.

The cartridge unit as the liquid storage unit stores a liquid to be atomized (for example, a liquid in which platinum nanoparticles as an antioxidant is dissolved), and always uses the capillary phenomenon or the like to directly apply the liquid directly to the water retaining member. Consists of a cartridge that is indirectly supplied. This cartridge part is detachable in the atomization device. A liquid amount sensor may be provided at the bottom of the cartridge. For example, by electrically connecting to the control unit of the above-described cooking device, the liquid amount sensor may generate a signal when the liquid in the cartridge runs out to prompt replenishment of liquid (that is, replacement of the cartridge). it can.
In addition, the cartridge part and the water retention member may be directly connected, or may be indirectly connected via an infusion member.
The infusion member is made of a material that can absorb and infuse liquid by capillary action as in the case of the water retaining member and the liquid reservoir. And like a water retention member, you may comprise with components consisting of a fiber, resin, ceramics, etc., and the supply amount of a liquid can be changed by changing the material and cross-sectional area.

In addition, you may impregnate the functional component which can be melt | dissolved in the liquid mentioned above also in the inside of an infusion member or a liquid storage part. As a result, the functional component can be sprayed at a high concentration or over a relatively long period of time.
The supply unit has a function of supplying the antioxidant atomized by the atomization device to the heating chamber of the heating cooker. Examples of the supply unit include a pump, piping, and a check valve. However, the supply unit is not particularly limited thereto, and other methods may be used. For example, after forming a hole in at least a part of the outer surface of the main body of the atomizing device (a surface facing the heating chamber), a supply valve using a release valve that can open and close the hole Also good. In this case, the control unit controls the release valve and the spray mechanism to supply the atomized antioxidant to the heating chamber.
The pump is connected to the atomizing device via a pipe or the like to generate a predetermined pressure in the atomizing device. In the present embodiment, a known small pump that can be incorporated in a cooking device is desirable. The piping is a first piping that connects the pump and the atomizing device, and a second piping that connects the atomizing device and the heating chamber, and is configured by a resin or metal such as rubber or plastic, respectively. Yes.
The check valve is a member provided in the second pipe so that the antioxidant atomized by the atomization device and supplied to the heating chamber does not flow backward, and a known check valve can be applied.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a heating cooker with a spray mechanism according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control unit in the heating cooker with a spray mechanism according to the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is according to the embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of a spray mechanism.
4 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a first modification example related to the spray mechanism of the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a second modification example related to the spray mechanism of the embodiment. These are schematic block diagrams which show the 3rd modification concerning the spray mechanism of an Example, and FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram which shows the 4th modification concerning the spray mechanism of an Example.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a control flow of the cooking device with a spray mechanism according to the embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the rice cooker 11 as a heating cooker which concerns on an Example is shown. The rice cooker 11 includes a body 12 having a bottomed body, an inner pot 13 serving as a heating chamber that is disposed in the body 12 and accommodates and heat-treats rice as a food, and around the hinge shaft 14. A lid 15 as a lid that is pivotally supported by the main body 12, a control board 37 as a controller, a spray mechanism 50, and a sensor 60 as an open / close detector.
A rice cooking heater 17 is provided on the inner bottom of the main body 12 as rice cooking means for heating the bottom of the inner pot 13. Further, a heat retaining heater 18 that is a heat retaining means for heating the outer peripheral surface of the inner hook 13 is disposed on the inner side surface of the main body 12.
On the other hand, an inner lid 16 for sealing the upper opening of the inner hook 13 is attached to the inner surface of the lid 15, and a heat retaining heater 19 as a heat retaining means is disposed on the inner lid 16. As described above, the surface of the inner hook 13 that faces the lid 15 forms an opening, and the lid 15 serves as a mechanism for closing the opening of the inner hook 13 via the hinge shaft 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, an operation panel 21 on which the user inputs operating conditions or displays the operating state of the rice cooker 11 is disposed on the front surface of the main body 12. The operation panel 21 is provided with switches 24 to 31 as input means around a central liquid crystal panel 22.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, on the right side of the operation panel 21, a rice cooking switch 24 for executing rice cooking, a reservation switch 25 for selecting a reservation function for cooking rice at a desired time, and time And an upper switch 26 and a lower switch 27 for setting the time. In addition, on the left side of the operation panel 21, a cut-off switch 28 for stopping selection of an operation or condition being executed, a keeping switch 29 for spraying a functional liquid agent to be described later on rice, and a rice cooking condition are selected. A menu switch 30 and a heat retention selection switch 31 for selecting and executing heat retention control (course) are provided.

When the user selects the preservation switch 29, the functional liquid atomized from the spray mechanism under the control of the control board 37 is sprayed into the inner pot 13.
In addition, when it is desired to select the automatic continuation mode in the spray flow to be described later, it can be selected by pressing the keep switch 29 twice in succession. It may be selectable.
At the center of the operation panel 21, a liquid crystal panel 22, which is a segment display type display means for displaying by a driver built in the CPU 38 described later, is disposed. This liquid crystal panel 22 shows a numerical display 33 for displaying the current time, the remaining time of operation, etc., a heat retaining display 34 for indicating a process for setting an energy saving warming elapsed time, and a selection state among a plurality of rice cooking menus. The mark display 35 is provided.

Referring also to FIG. 1, the operation panel 21 is connected to a control board 37 as a control unit, and the CPU 38 mounted on the control board 37 follows each rice cooking menu stored in advance in the ROM 39 and a spray flow program described later. After performing a rice cooking process, it transfers to a heat retention and a fresh preservation process succeedingly. The ROM 39 stores preset heat retention conditions and the like. In addition, a RAM 40 that reads data from the ROM 39 and temporarily stores the data is provided.
The sensor 60 detects whether the opening of the inner hook 13 is closed. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the connection state between the lid 15 and the main body 12 is detected.
The power supply device 41 connected to the control board 37 supplies electric power to the rice cooking heater 17, the heat retaining heaters 18, 19, the spray mechanism 50, the sensor 60, and the like.

The spray mechanism 50 is disposed inside the lid 15 as shown in FIG. That is, a pump 51, an atomizing device 52, a pipe 53 and a check valve 55 are built in the lid 15, and the pump 51 and the atomizing device 52 are connected via the first pipe 53. Yes. Further, a hole 16 a is formed in a surface of the inner lid 16 facing the inner hook 13, and the hole 16 a and the atomizing device 52 are connected via a second pipe 54. Therefore, the mist-like (mist) functional liquid agent generated by the atomization device 52 is sprayed from the hole 16 a of the inner lid 16 into the inner pot 13 through the second pipe 54.
A check valve 55 is formed at a predetermined position of the second pipe 54, and the backflow of the atomized functional liquid agent (returns to the atomization device 52 under the control of the control board 37. ) Is prevented.
As described above, a part of the surface of the lid 15 is the opening / closing window 57 and the hinge 56, and the opening / closing window 57 can be opened / closed so that the cartridge unit 526 described later in the atomization device 52 can be opened. The lid 15 can be removed. As will be described later, the removable member may be a cartridge part, but at least the atomization device 52 including a liquid storage part for storing a functional liquid agent may be replaceable.

Next, the details of the atomization device 52 arranged in the lid 15 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the atomization device 52 is configured such that an atomization unit 528 and a cartridge unit 526 are accommodated in a main body 521. Among these, the atomization part 528 has the base | substrate 522, the surface acoustic wave generation part (the comb-tooth electrode 523, the power supply 41), and the water retention member 524, and is comprised.
A piezoelectric material composed of LiNbO ₃ is used as the substrate 522, and a comb-tooth electrode 523 serving as a surface acoustic wave generator is disposed on the surface of the substrate 522. The comb-tooth electrode 523 is wired to the power source 41, and a current flows from the power source 41 to the comb-tooth electrode 523 under the control of the control board 37 to generate a predetermined voltage between the comb-tooth electrodes. Microvibrates due to piezoelectric action.
A mist atomization space is formed above the substrate 522, and the mist-like antioxidant (solution containing platinum nanoparticles) generated in the atomization device 52 stays in the mist atomization space. It is like that.

The functional liquid retained in the mist atomization space is supplied into the inner pot 13 through the second pipe 54 by the pump 51 described above. As the power source 41, the power source of the rice cooker 11 (such as a household outlet power source) may be used.
In addition, the water retaining member 524 is arranged in contact with the surface of the base 522 along with the comb electrode 523. One end of the columnar water retaining member 524 is connected to the infusion member 525, and indirectly through the infusion member 525, a solution containing platinum nanoparticles as a functional liquid agent from the cartridge portion 526 as a liquid storage unit. The supply is to be received.
In this embodiment, the infusion member 525 is made of a porous ceramic material, and the water retaining member 524 is made of porous fibers. A functional liquid agent is stored in the cartridge portion 526 and is always supplied to the water retention member 524 due to a capillary phenomenon or the like.
In this embodiment, the cartridge part 526 is removable from the inside of the lid body 15, and after the functional liquid stored in the cartridge part 526 has been consumed, it is continued by replacing it with a new cartridge part. The functional liquid can be atomized.

A lyophilic area 529 is formed in a predetermined range around the area of the surface of the base 522 where the water retention member 524 contacts. In this embodiment, Teflon (registered trademark) is coated on the lyophilic region 529 as the lyophilic treatment. As described above, since the periphery of the surface of the base 522 where the water retention member 524 contacts is subjected to lyophilic treatment, the functional liquid agent supplied from the water retention member 524 spreads thinner. Therefore, the liquid can be supplied from the water retaining member 524 to the surface of the base 522 more efficiently.
In addition, the same effect can be acquired also by making the water retention member 524 have lyophilicity by including a surfactant.

<First Modification>
FIG. 4 shows a first modification of the atomization device 52. In the first modified example, the same configurations as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate (the same applies to the following modified examples).
In the first modification, a plurality of water retention members are arranged, and as shown in FIG. 4, the second water retention component 540 is arranged alongside the water retention member 524 in the traveling direction of the surface acoustic wave further than the water retention component 524. Has been. The second water retaining member 540 is connected to a cartridge part 526 as a liquid storage part via an infusion member 525. The second water retaining member 540 has a function of absorbing the liquid that could not be atomized by the water retaining component 524 out of the liquid (liquid agent containing platinum nanoparticles) supplied to the surface of the base 522. The liquid absorbed by the second water retention member 540 can be reused as the liquid used for atomization.

<Second Modification>
FIG. 5 shows a second modification of the atomization device 52. In the second modification, the second water retention member 540 is disposed along the direction intersecting with the water retention member 524. Similar to the first modification, the second water retaining member 540 has a function of absorbing the liquid that could not be atomized by the water retaining component 524 out of the liquid supplied to the surface of the base 522. The liquid absorbed by the second water retaining member 540 can be reused as the liquid used for atomization.

<Third Modification>
FIG. 6 shows a third modification of the atomization device 52. The third modified example is characterized in that the water retaining member 524 is disposed at an angle of about 10 to 30 ° so as not to go straight to the traveling direction of the surface acoustic wave. In this case, the surface acoustic wave is atomized from the earliest arrival, and the part where the surface acoustic wave arrives late is atomized later.Therefore, a time difference can be created in the atomization timing. And heat generation due to energy loss can be suppressed.

<Fourth Modification>
FIG. 7 shows a fourth variation of the atomization device 52. As shown in FIG. 7A, the base 522 is a parallelogram-shaped plate material so that the single end (edge) of the base 522 is not orthogonal to the propagation direction of the surface acoustic wave. In this case, since the surface acoustic wave travels in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 7B, when the surface acoustic wave reaches a single end (edge) of the base 522, the reflection direction (angle) changes (the direction in which it came). It is possible to make a difference in the arrival time of surface acoustic waves and to suppress heat generation due to energy loss.

Next, the spray flow of the cooking device with a spray mechanism according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
For example, the control program related to the spray flow is recorded in advance in the ROM 39 of the control board 37 of the rice cooker 11 described above.
First, the CPU 38 on the control board 37 detects the closing signal of the lid 15 or the pressing of the keeping switch 29 (step ST1). And CPU38 repeats this step ST1, when neither the closing signal of the cover body 15 nor pressing of the preservation switch 29 is detected. This closing signal is, for example, a signal from the sensor 60 described above, and is a signal indicating that the lid body 15 is closed.

  And when the closing signal of the cover body 15 or the press of the keeping switch 29 is detected, the atomization device 52 is controlled and control which atomizes a functional liquid agent is performed (step ST2). It should be noted that a step of confirming whether or not rice cooking has already been completed may be further provided between step ST1 and step ST2, and when it is confirmed that rice cooking has been completed, the process may proceed to step ST2 and subsequent steps. Of course, since the rice cooker 11 may have functions other than rice cooking (bread, cake, steamed food, etc.), the presence or absence of the confirmation step may be switched according to the function.

  After the atomization of the functional liquid agent is started in the atomization device 52 in step ST2, the CPU 38 controls to drive the pump 51 and open the check valve 55 (step ST3). The atomized functional liquid agent generated in the atomization device 52 by the pump 51 is supplied into the inner hook 13 through the pipe 54. And the mist-like functional liquid agent will be sprayed uniformly in the rice accommodated in the inner pot 13 and cooked, and it becomes possible to effectively impart an antioxidant action to the rice.

Subsequently, the CPU 38 monitors whether or not the first predetermined time has elapsed with a time counter (not shown) (step ST4). If the first predetermined period has not yet elapsed, the CPU 38 returns to step ST2 to function. Repeat the atomization of the liquid. The first predetermined period is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, about several tens of seconds to 30 minutes.
On the other hand, when the first predetermined period has elapsed, the CPU 38 turns off the driving of the pump 51 and the atomizing device 52 and performs control to close the check valve 55, thereby atomizing the functional liquid agent. Is stopped (step ST5).

After completing step ST5, the CPU 38 subsequently monitors whether the second predetermined period has elapsed using the time counter (step ST6), and if this second predetermined period has not elapsed, The time is counted by the time counter until the second predetermined period elapses. Although there is no restriction | limiting in particular as a 2nd predetermined period, For example, it is good also as 30 minutes-several hours.
Then, after the second predetermined period has elapsed, the CPU 38 checks whether or not the automatic continuation mode is set (step ST7). If the automatic continuation mode is not set, the spray flow is terminated.
On the other hand, when the automatic continuation mode is set, the process returns to step ST2 to restart the atomization of the functional liquid agent.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the atomized functional liquid (for example, antioxidant) is sprayed on food (such as rice) contained in the heating chamber in the heating cooker (rice cooker 11). And the antioxidant effect of food can be enhanced. Moreover, since the antioxidant is atomized automatically using the atomization device, it does not require a manpower, and yet it can effectively impart an antioxidant effect to food without unevenness.
Furthermore, since the cartridge part for storing the functional liquid agent can be exchanged, even after the consumption of the functional liquid agent is completed, the use of the atomizing device can be easily continued by replacing it with a new cartridge part.

<Second embodiment>
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig.9 (a) is a schematic block diagram which shows the heating cooker with a spray mechanism concerning the 2nd Example of this invention, FIG.9 (b) is the bottom face which looked at the cover body 15 from the inner pot 13 side. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9A, one side surface (at least a part of the outer surface of the main body 521) of the main body 521 of the atomizing device 52 directly faces the inner lid 16. That is, a recess is formed in a part of the inner lid 16, and the atomization device 52 is accommodated in the recess.
Further, the inner lid 16 is provided with an opening valve 56 that covers the one side surface so as to close the plurality of holes 16a. Under the control of the CPU 38, the opening valve 56 is driven according to the driving of the atomizing device 52. Is opened, and the mist retained in the mist atomization space of the atomization device 52 is directly sprayed into the inner pot 13 without passing through the piping.
As a form of the opening valve 56, as shown in FIG. 9A, one side of the plate-like valve is locked to the inner lid 16, and the other side is opened.
The material of the open valve 56 is not particularly limited as long as it has heat resistance for the heating function of the rice cooker 11 to the food. For example, the same material (metal) as the inner lid 16 may be used. It may be plastic.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, during the food warming period, the spray flow may be performed by automatically activating the freshness switch 29 at regular intervals by the CPU 38.
Moreover, in the said Example, although the functional liquid agent atomized by the atomization device 52 was supplied in the inner pot 13 with the pump 51, piping 53, 54, and the non-return valve 55, the function atomized by the other means A liquid chemical may be supplied into the inner pot 13.

  The cooking device with a spray mechanism of the present invention has a built-in spray mechanism for atomizing the functional liquid agent, and sprays the functional liquid agent on food easily and uniformly, so that the functional liquid agent can be efficiently and efficiently used. It can be used and can greatly contribute to cost reduction, and the industrial applicability is extremely high.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Rice cooker 12 Main body 13 Inner pot 14 Hinge shaft 15 Cover body 16 Inner lid 17 Rice cooker 18, 19 Insulation heater 21 Operation panel 22 Liquid crystal panel 24-31 Switch 29 Freshness switch 33 Numerical display 34 Insulation display 35 Mark display 37 Control board 38 CPU
39 ROM
40 RAM
41 Power supply device 421 Main body 50 Spray mechanism 51 Pump 52 Atomization device 521 Main body 522 Base 523 Comb electrode 524 Water retaining member 525 Infusion member 526 Cartridge portion 529 Lipophilic region 53, 54 Pipe 540 Second water retaining component 55 Check valve 56 Hinge 57 Opening / closing window 56 Opening valve 60 Sensor

Claims (6)

A heating chamber in which an opening for containing food is formed;
A lid for closing the opening of the heating chamber;
A spray mechanism that is disposed within the lid and sprays a functional liquid onto the food contained in the heating chamber;
An open / close detector for detecting an open / closed state of the lid;
The open / close state of the lid detected by the open / close detector is monitored, and after the lid closes the opening of the heating chamber, the spray mechanism is controlled to apply the functional liquid to the food. A heating cooker with a spray mechanism, comprising: a control unit for spraying. The spray mechanism is
An atomization device for atomizing the functional liquid;
A supply unit for supplying the atomized functional liquid into the heating chamber;
The heating cooker with a spray mechanism according to claim 1. The atomization device is
The body,
A cartridge part that is exchangeably accommodated in the main body and stores the functional liquid agent,
An atomization unit that is accommodated in the main body and atomizes the functional liquid stored in the cartridge unit;
The heating cooker with a spray mechanism according to claim 2, comprising: The atomization unit
A substrate made of a piezoelectric material having a planar surface;
A surface acoustic wave generator disposed on the surface of the substrate;
A porous water retaining member that is disposed on the surface of the base side by side with the surface acoustic wave generating part, is connected to the cartridge part, and supplies a liquid containing the functional liquid agent to the surface of the base body;
The heating cooker with a spray mechanism according to claim 3. The cooking device with a spray mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the functional liquid is a liquid containing platinum nanoparticles. The cooking device with a spray mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the functional liquid is sprayed in the form of a mist on the cooked rice contained in the inner pot.