AU2017206269B2

AU2017206269B2 - Method for controlling an electric cooker

Info

Publication number: AU2017206269B2
Application number: AU2017206269A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Annabelle GOYON; Hua LV; Chao Ma
Original assignee: SEB SA
Current assignee: SEB SA
Priority date: 2016-07-22
Filing date: 2017-07-21
Publication date: 2019-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 2037-07-21
Also published as: AU2017206269A1; EP3272255A1; FR3054112B1; FR3054112A1; CA2972675A1

Abstract

METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRIC COOKER A method for controlling an electric cooker, characterized in that the electric cooker comprises an inner receptacle (2), a heating element (6), and, installed inside said inner receptacle (2), a steaming basket (3); said heating element (6) heats said inner receptacle (2); the lower part of said steaming basket (3) comprises an opening mechanism (22) oriented toward the bottom wall and/or situated in the extension of the side wall of the inner receptacle (2); said steaming basket (3) comprises a permeable zone and a filling chamber (11) situated above this permeable zone; the opening area surrounded by the opening mechanism (22) is connected to the filling chamber (11) via said permeable zone; the upper part of said steaming basket (3) is connected to the opening of the inner receptacle (2); the method for controlling said electric cooker comprises a heating step during which the heating element (6) of the electric cooker heats the inner receptacle (2), until reaching a programmed temperature, followed by a simultaneous step for rinsing and cooking of the rice with water, in which the activation of the pressure regulating element (50) of the electric cooker first keeps the pressure inside a compartment (31) formed by the interval situated between the outer surface of the steaming basket (3) and the inner wall of the inner receptacle (2) at a value greater than the pressure inside the filling chamber (11), during the first programmed duration tl, then, secondly, the pressure regulating element (50) keeps the pressure values equal inside the compartment (31) and inside the filling chamber (11), during the second programmed duration t2; the step for rinsing and cooking of the rice with water is repeated NI times; and a step for cooking the rice with steam in which the operation of the pressure regulating element (50) keeps the pressure inside the compartment (31) at a value equal to the pressure inside the filling chamber (11). Activation of the electric cooker The electric cooker stops Continuous heating of the operating inner receptacle Process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water After the third programmed duration t3 Pressure inside the compartment higher than the pressure inside the filling chamber Pressure inside the compartment equal to the pressure inside the After the first programmed filling chamber duration t1 Pressure inside the compartment equal to Process of cooking the rice with the pressure of the filling chamber Yes After the second programmed Was there a cycle N1 times? duration t2 No Fig 1

Description

METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRIC COOKER [0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of cooking technology, in particular, a method for controlling an electric cooker.

[0002] In the current electric cookers equipped with an inner receptacle, a steaming basket is placed inside the inner receptacle, the rice is arranged in the steaming basket and the water is arranged in the inner receptacle; the current method for controlling rice cookers consists of using the heating of the water located inside the inner receptacle to bring it to a boil, this boiling of the water causing the water and the rice in the steaming basket to come into contact, and thus causing the water to be absorbed by the rice; next, only the rice is cooked by steam so as to obtain rice with a low glycemic index (GI).

[0003] However, the current methods for controlling rice cookers do not make it possible to guarantee that a sufficient quantity of water enters the steaming basket, which makes it impossible for part of the rice to come into contact with the water and therefore makes it impossible to effectively rinse the rice and have the water absorbed by the rice, which definitively affects the mouth feel of the obtained rice; furthermore, the current methods for controlling rice cookers also do not make it possible to guarantee the proper performance of the process of separating the water and the rice, the water only taking away a small quantity of the sugar contained in the rice by rinsing, which makes it difficult to obtain rice with a low glycemic index (GI).

[0004] It may thus be desirable to provide a method for controlling an electric cooker that allows an effective reduction of the glycemic index (GI) of the rice, improved mouth feel of the rice, and quick and practical use of the automatic rice cooker owing to effective control.

[0005] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for controlling an electric cooker, wherein the electric cooker comprises an inner receptacle, a heating element, and, installed inside said inner receptacle, a steaming basket; said heating element heats said inner receptacle; a lower part of said steaming basket comprises an opening mechanism oriented toward a bottom wall and/or situated in an extension of a side wall of the inner receptacle; said steaming basket comprises a permeable zone and a filling chamber situated above the permeable zone; an opening area surrounded by the opening

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 mechanism is connected to the filling chamber via said permeable zone; an upper part of said steaming basket is connected to an opening of the inner receptacle; the method for controlling said electric cooker comprises:

- a heating step during which the heating element of the electric cooker heats the inner receptacle, until reaching a programmed temperature, followed by:

- a simultaneous step for rinsing and cooking of rice with water, in which activation of a pressure regulating element of the electric cooker first keeps a pressure inside a compartment formed by an interval situated between an outer surface of the steaming basket and an inner wall of the inner receptacle at a value greater than a pressure inside the filling chamber, during a first programmed duration, then, secondly, the pressure regulating element keeps the pressure values equal inside the compartment and inside the filling chamber, during a second programmed duration; the step for rinsing and cooking of the rice with water is repeated N1 times

- a step for cooking the rice with steam in which operation of the pressure regulating element keeps the pressure inside the compartment at a value equal to the pressure inside the filling chamber.

[0006] According to an embodiment, during the step for simultaneous rinsing and cooking of the rice with water, the activation of the pressure regulating element increases the pressure inside the compartment until reaching a first programmed pressure value Pl or reduces the pressure inside the filling chamber until reaching a second programmed pressure value P2.

[0007] According to an embodiment, the first programmed pressure value Pl is greater than or equal to 5 Pa and less than or equal to 2000 Pa, and the second programmed pressure value P2 is greater than or equal to -5000 Pa and less than or equal to -5 Pa.

[0008] According to an embodiment, the first programmed duration is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 120 seconds, and the second programmed duration is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 120 seconds, and N1 is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 100.

[0009] According to an embodiment, the programmed temperature is greater than or equal to

30° and less than or equal to 95°, and the first programmed duration is greater than or equal to 120 seconds and less than or equal to 1200 seconds.

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 [0010] According to an embodiment, the programmed temperature is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 80°, and the first programmed duration is greater than or equal to 600 seconds and less than or equal to 900 seconds.

[0011] According to an embodiment, during the step for cooking the rice with steam, the heating element heats the inner receptacle continuously, during a third programmed duration t3.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the third programmed duration t3 is greater than or equal to 1 second and less than or equal to 1800 seconds.

[0013] According to an embodiment, during the step for cooking the rice with steam, and in a first phase, the heating element heats the inner receptacle continuously, during a fourth programmed duration t4, then in a second phase, the heating element stops heating during a fifth programmed duration t5, and the first and second phases are repeated N2 times before stopping the electric cooker.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the fourth programmed duration t4 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 150 seconds, and the fifth programmed duration t5 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 150 seconds, and N2 is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 100.

[0015] According to an embodiment, before the step for rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the ratio between the weight of the rice in the filling chamber and the weight of the water in the inner receptacle is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to 3.

[0016] According to an embodiment, before the step for rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the ratio between the weight of the rice in the filling chamber and the weight of the water is greater than or equal to 0.3 or less than or equal to 1.2.

[0017] During the application of the present disclosure, according to an embodiment, after the electric cooker is activated, the heating element of the electric cooker heats the inner receptacle, the electric cooker enters the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water;

during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the pressure regulating

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 element of the electric cooker may help to ensure that the pressure inside the compartment formed by the interval situated between the outer surface of the steaming basket and the inner wall of the inner receptacle is higher than the pressure inside the filling chamber during the first programmed duration, then the continuous operation of the pressure regulating element may help to equalize the pressure values inside the compartment and inside the filling chamber, during the second programmed duration t2; in order to complete the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water is repeated N1 times; the electric cooker then enters the process of cooking with steam, the operation of the pressure regulating element may help to equalize the pressure inside the compartment and the pressure inside the filling chamber, the heating element heats the inner receptacle of the electric cooker until the electric cooker is stopped.

[0018] In this way, the regulation of the pressure inside the compartment or inside the filling chamber owing to the pressure regulating element may make it possible to ensure that the water inside the compartment enters or leaves the filling chamber and that the water comes into contact with or is separated from the rice; the use of the pressure regulating element also may make it possible to effectively control the number of contacts of the water and the rice as well as the retention time of the water inside the filling chamber, and the heating element helps makes it possible to control the temperature of the water, which makes it possible to carry out the steam cooking process following the process of rinsing and cooking the rice in the electric cooker with water, and to potentially obtain more nutritional rice with a lower glycemic index (Gl) as well as to potentially raise the user's satisfaction level regarding the cooking process. That is why the control method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may make it possible to effectively control a multifunctional, highly automated and very practical electric cooker.

[0019] The appended Figures are intended to improve the understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure, and the schematic example applications of the present disclosure and their explanations are intended to explain the present disclosure, without inappropriately restricting the present disclosure. In the appended Figures:

[0020] Figure 1 is a diagram of the control principles for the electric cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 [0021] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of a rice cooker according to one possible example application of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional diagram of the inner receptacle and the steaming basket of the rice cooker of Figure 2.

[0023] Figure 4 is an enlargement of Zone A of figure 3.

[0024] Figure 5 is a structural diagram of a rice cooker according to another possible example application of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 6 is an enlargement of Zone B of Figure 5.

[0026] Figure 7 is a diagram of the control principles for the rice cooker of Figure 5.

[0027] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of a rice cooker according to another possible example application of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 9 is a diagram of the control principles for the rice cooker of Figure 8.

[0029] It must be specified that in the absence of incompatibility, the example applications of the present application and the features of these example applications may be combined with one another. Below, we will concisely explain the present disclosure using the appended reference drawings, combined with example applications.

[0030] It must be noted that the detailed explanations below are all provided as examples with the aim of providing a more in-depth explanation of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise stated, all of the technical and scientific terms used here have the commonly accepted meaning given to them by ordinary technical personnel in the technical field to which the present application belongs.

[0031] In the present disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, the directional terms such as above, below, on top of, beneath generally refer to the orientations indicated in the appended drawings, or refer to the vertical, or gravitational directions of the parts themselves;

likewise, in order to facilitate the understanding and the description, inside and outside

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 refer to the inside or outside of the silhouette of the part in question; however, the aforementioned directional terms in no way limit the present disclosure.

[0032] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for controlling an electric cooker, which may: provide effective control of electric cookers so as to effectively reduce the glycemic index (GI) of the rice, improve the mouth feel of the rice, and/or make the automatic rice cooker quick and practical to use.

[0033] An electric cooker being a rice cooker as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 8, which comprises an inner receptacle (2), a heating element (6), installed inside said inner receptacle (2), a steaming basket (3); below the steaming basket (3) is an opening mechanism (22) that faces the bottom of the inner receptacle and/or that extends the outer wall of the inner receptacle (2); the steaming basket (3) comprises a permeable zone and a filling chamber (11) situated above this permeable zone; the opening area surrounded by the opening mechanism (22) is connected to the filling chamber via said permeable zone; the upper part of the steaming basket (3) is connected to the opening of the inner receptacle (2) such that the interval situated between the outer surface of the steaming basket (3) and the inner wall of the inner receptacle (2) forms a sealed compartment (31).

[0034] Of course, the electric cooker according to embodiments of the present disclosure may also be a microwave oven, an electric stewpot or an electric pressure cooker.

[0035] The heating element (6) may be a hot plate, a heating coil, an electronic induction heating device or a heating wire heating device.

[0036] Before using the electric cooker, rice is placed inside the filling chamber (11) of the steaming basket (3) and adding water in the inner receptacle (2).

[0037] The ratio between the weight Gl of the rice in the filling chamber (11) and the weight G2 of the water in the inner receptacle (2) is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to 3.

[0038] Preferably, the ratio between the weight Gl of the rice in the filling chamber (11) and the weight G2 of the water in the inner receptacle (2) is greater than or equal to 0.3 and less than or equal to 1.2.

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 [0039] As shown by the diagram of the principles for controlling the electric cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in Figure 1, the method for controlling the electric cooker is as follows: after the electric cooker is activated, the heating element (6) heats the inner receptacle (2), the electric cooker thus entering a process or a step for rinsing and cooking the rice with water.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the rinsing and cooking of the rice take place simultaneously during this step.

[0040] During the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the activation of a pressure regulating element (50) of the electric cooker may keep the pressure inside a compartment (31) higher than the pressure inside the filling chamber (11) during the first programmed duration tl, then the continuous operation of the pressure regulating element (50) may equalize the pressure values inside the compartment (31) and inside the filling chamber (11), during the second programmed duration t2. In order to complete the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water is repeated Ν1 times. Rinsing the rice effectively may make it possible to reduce the sugar content of the rice and to thus obtain rice with a low glycemic index (GI).

[0041] Figures 7 and 9 show two different example applications. During the process of rinsing and cooking of the rice with water, the activation of the pressure regulating element (50) increases the pressure inside the compartment (31) until it reaches the first programmed pressure value Pl or reduces the pressure inside the filling chamber (11) until it reaches the second programmed pressure value P2. Whether the pressure is increased in the compartment (31) or decreased in the filling chamber (11), these actions may help to ensure that the pressure of the compartment (31) is higher than that of the filling chamber (11), such that the water in the compartment (31) can pass through the opening mechanism (22) to penetrate the filling chamber (11) and come into contact with the rice.

[0042] In this way, the regulation of the pressure inside the compartment (31) or inside the filling chamber (11) owing to the pressure regulating element (50) may make it possible to ensure that the water inside the compartment (31) enters or leaves the filling chamber (11) and that the water comes into contact with or is separated from the rice; the use of the

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 pressure regulating element (50) also may make it possible to effectively control the number of contacts of the water and the rice as well as the retention time of the water inside the filling chamber, and the heating element (6) may make it possible to control the temperature of the water, which may make it possible to carry out the steam cooking process following the process of rinsing and cooking the rice in the electric cooker with water, and to obtain more nutritional rice with a lower glycemic index (GI) as well as to raise the user's satisfaction level regarding the cooking process. That is why the control method according to the present disclosure may make it possible to effectively control a multifunctional, highly automated and very practical electric cooker.

[0043] The first programmed pressure value Pl is greater than or equal to 5 Pa (absolute pressure) and less than or equal to 2000 Pa (absolute pressure), and the second programmed pressure value P2 is greater than or equal to -5000 Pa (absolute pressure) and less than or equal to -5 Pa (absolute pressure). In this way, it may be possible to guarantee complete contact between the water and the rice.

[0044] During the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 120 seconds, and the second programmed duration t2 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 120 seconds, and N1 is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 100.

[0045] In one example application, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 30 seconds, and the second programmed duration t2 is greater than or equal to 8 seconds, andNl is equal to 4. This process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water may be extremely regular; the same heating duration and the same heating stop duration are used each time to carry out the cooking process.

[0046] It must be specified that given that the temperature of the rice that is not in contact with the boiling water is relatively low, during the first contact of the boiling water with the rice, the temperature of the water decreases rapidly and the water level that has risen also decreases rapidly.

[0047] It must additionally be specified that after the activation of the electric cooker

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the heating element (6) is in the first operating position so as to heat and boil the water in the inner receptacle (2); once brought to a boil, the water in the inner receptacle (2) is sent, under the action of the pressure, through the opening mechanism (22) into the filling chamber (11) to come into contact with the rice; once the rice has been submerged in the water, the heating element (6) then returns to the second heating position, with the power of the heating element (6) in the first operating position greater than the power of the heating element (6) in the second operating position. This helps ensure that the water does not overflow following excessive boiling; the boiling water cooks the rice continuously, which may make it possible to shorten the total cooking time of the rice.

[0048] In another example application, N1 equals 1, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, after the operation of the heating element (6) has brought the temperature of the water inside the inner receptacle (2) to the programmed temperature, the pressure regulating element (50) of the electric cooker is activated, then, the pressure of the compartment (31) increases, the water located in the inner receptacle (2) is sent through the opening mechanism (22) into the filling chamber (11), which may make it possible to maintain the contact between the water and the rice so as to submerge the rice; and once the rice has correctly absorbed the water, the water inside the filling chamber (11) flows back outside the filling chamber (11) through the opening mechanism (22) into the inner receptacle (2); thus, the electric cooker has completed the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, and directly enters the process of cooking the rice with steam. In this way, the heating element (6) will preferably be activated before the pressure regulating element (50); one may choose to heat the water to help ensure that when the water and the rice are in context, the water has a certain temperature favorable to rinsing and cooking of the rice with water simultaneously, and at the same time to help ensure that the water and the rice are completely in contact, and that the rice is fully steeped in the water and is absorbing the water correctly.

[0049] In another example application, N1 equals 1, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the heating element (6) and the pressure regulating element (50) of the electric cooker are activated at the same time, then the heating element (6) brings the water in the inner receptacle (2) to the programmed temperature, then, the pressure of the compartment

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 (31) increases, the water located in the inner receptacle (2) is sent through the opening mechanism (22) into the filling chamber (11), which may make it possible to maintain the contact between the water and the rice so as to submerge the rice; and once the rice has correctly absorbed the water, the water inside the filling chamber (11) flows back outside the filling chamber (11) through the opening mechanism (22) into the inner receptacle (2); thus, the electric cooker has completed the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, and directly enters the process of cooking the rice with steam. Given that a certain amount of time is necessary for the heating element (6) to bring the temperature of the water to the programmed temperature, after the pressure regulating element (50) has been activated, the water will be aspirated directly in the filling chamber (11), such that the water comes into contact with the rice before being heated, and submerges the rice, which may be favorable to good absorption of the water by the rice; next, after the water has been brought to a boil, the cooking of the rice with water begins.

[0050] In the above example application, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the programmed temperature is greater than or equal to 30°C and less than or equal to 95°C, and the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 120 seconds and less than or equal to 1200 seconds.

[0051] Furthermore, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the programmed temperature is greater than or equal to 60°C and less than or equal to 80°C, and the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 600 seconds and less than or equal to 900 seconds. Practice shows that the operation of the heating element (6) and the pressure regulator element (50) as set out above may make it possible to improve the mouth feel of the cooked rice.

[0052] In another example application, N1 is greater than 1, during the first process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the pressure regulating element (50) of the electric cooker is activated, then the water in the inner receptacle (2) is sent through the opening mechanism (22) into the filling chamber (11), which may make it possible to maintain the contact between the water and the rice so as to see to the rinsing of the rice with water and the absorption of water by the rice; next, the water inside the filling chamber (11) flows back outside the filling chamber through the opening mechanism (22) into the inner receptacle (2); and, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water from the second time to the N1 time, the water in the inner receptacle (2) enters and leaves the filling chamber (11)

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 several times, and when the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water has been completed N1 times, the electric cooker directly enters the process of cooking the rice with steam. In this way, after the water has risen in the filling chamber (11) and has come into contact with the rice, and it has descended again outside the filling chamber (11) and then separated from the rice, the water rises and lowers several times in order to carry out the process of rinsing the rice inside the filling chamber (11), which makes it possible to help ensure that the water washes and effectively carries away the sugar contained in the rice.

[0053] Of course, during the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the pressure regulating element (50) does not necessarily operate regularly; in other words, it may vary as a function of the progress of the cooking, by adjusting the first programmed duration tl and the second programmed duration t2 of each cycle.

[0054] Table 1 below shows the method for controlling the process of rinsing and cooking rice with water using the electric cooker according to an embodiment.

[0055] Method for controlling the process of rinsing and cooking rice with water using the electric cooker.

	Process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water
Number of times	Prior water absorption Phase for cooking the rice with water	Rapid water absorption Phase for cooking the rice with water	Final water absorption Phase for cooking the rice with water
	til (seconds)	t21 (seconds)	tl2 (seconds)	t22 (seconds)	tl3 (seconds)	t23 (seconds)
1	112	120	62	36	35	12
2	120	95	42	28	19	10
3	92	78	50	25	15	6
4	87	75	30	21	3	3

[0056] Once the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water is complete, the electric cooker enters the process of cooking the rice with steam. At this time, the operation of the pressure regulating element (50) may keep the pressure inside a compartment (31) higher than the pressure inside the filling chamber (11) until the electric cooker is stopped.

[0057] In one example application, during the process of cooking the rice with steam, the

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 heating element (6) heats the inner receptacle (2) continuously and, after a third programmed duration t3 is complete, the electric cooker stops operating. One thus may have a fairly simple control method.

[0058] During the process of cooking the Rice with steam, the third programmed duration t3 is greater than or equal to 1 second and less than or equal to 1800 seconds.

[0059] The third programmed duration t3 is preferably equal to 720 seconds.

[0060] In another example application, during the process of cooking the rice with steam, the heating element (6) heats the inner receptacle (2) continuously and, after the fourth programmed duration t4 is complete, the heating element (6) stops operating, during a fifth programmed duration t5, in order to complete the process of cooking the rice with steam, said process of cooking the rice with steam being repeated N2 times before stopping the electric cooker. It must be specified that, after the process of rinsing and cooking the rice with water, the water remaining in the inner receptacle (2) may be excessive in quantity; in this case, in order to prevent the water in the inner receptacle (2) from entering the opening mechanism (22) and causing a pressure imbalance between the compartment (31) and the filling chamber (11), it may be necessary to control the on-off device of the heating element (6) to help ensure that the water does not enter the opening mechanism (22) and that the compartment (31) and the filling chamber (11) remain connected from the beginning to the end of the process. This may help ensure one or both: the effectiveness of the heating of the electric cooker during the process for cooking the rice with steam, or that water will not come into contact with the rice during this process, which may make it possible to improve the reliability of the entire process of cooking the rice with steam.

[0061] During the process of cooking the rice with steam, the fourth programmed duration t4 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 150 seconds, and the fifth programmed duration t5 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 150 seconds, and N2 is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 100.

[0062] Of course, during the process of cooking the rice with steam, the on and off duration of the heating element (6) is not necessarily completely regular. In other words, the heating or stop duration of the heating element (6) may be optimized based on the evolution of the

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 cooking, such that the heating duration and the stop duration of the heating element (6) are different for each cycle from those of the previous cycle.

[0063] Table 2 below shows the method for controlling the process of cooking rice with steam using the electric cooker according to an embodiment.

	Method for cooking rice with steam
Number of times	Fourth programmed time t4 (seconds)	Fifth programmed time t5 (seconds)
1	35	10
2	3	8
3	75	30
4	68	35
5	105	65
6	115	58

[0064] In the example applications of Figures 2 to 4 or 5, the pressure regulating element (50) and the compartment (31) are connected; the pressure regulating element (50) goes to the first operating position, the pressure inside the compartment (31) increases and is kept constant at the first programmed pressure value Pl; the water in the inner receptacle (2) is sent through the opening mechanism (22) into the filling chamber (11) to be in contact with the rice therein; the pressure regulating element (50) goes to the second operating position, the pressure inside the compartment (31) is reduced until it is equal to the pressure inside the filling chamber (11); the water in the filling chamber (11) flows back outside the filling chamber (11) through the opening mechanism (22) to the inner receptacle (2). In this way, it may be possible to change the pressure regulating element (50) stably from operating position 1 to operating position 2, and thus to successfully control the pressure inside the compartment (31).

[0065] In one example application that has not been illustrated in the Figures, the upper cover (5) is closed; this upper cover (5) comprises an orifice for releasing the pressure connected to the filling chamber; thus, after the water inside the compartment (31) has risen to the filling chamber (11), the air contained in the filling chamber (11) can be discharged effectively.

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 [0066] In the example applications as described in Figures 2 to 4, the pressure regulating element (50) comprises an installation cylinder (53) situated on the steaming basket (3), an elastic part (542) and a stop part (541); the elastic part (542) and the stop part (541) are movable inside the installation cylinder (53); the stop part (541) has an open position close to the opening of one end of the compartment (31) intended to open the installation cylinder (53) and a stop position that narrowly closes the opening; when the pressure regulating element (50) is in the first operating position, the stop part (541) is in the open position, the installation cylinder (53) and the compartment (31) are connected, the pressure inside the compartment (31) increases and is kept constant at the first programmed pressure value P1; when the pressure regulator element (50) is in the second operating position, the stop part (541) is in the stop position, the pressure inside the compartment (31) decreases until it becomes equal to the pressure of the filling chamber (11). In this way, via the passage between the open position and the stop position of the stop part (541), the pressure regulating element (50) may be easily transitioned between the first operating position and the second operating position, and the reliability of the pressure regulating element (50) may be improved as a result.

[0067] As shown by the example applications as described in Figures 5 and 6, the pressure regulating element (50) comprises an installation cylinder (53) situated on the steaming basket (3), an elastic part (542), a stop part (541), a sealing part (543) and a compression pump (55), the stop part (541) being a hollow tube, the installation cylinder (53) having a junction cavity (531), the elastic part (542) and the sealing part (543) being installed movably inside the junction cavity (531), the sealing part (543) being pressed, owing to the elastic part (542), on the opening of one of the ends remote from the compartment (31), the sealing part (543) being provided with a passage orifice (5431) situated in the extension of the longitudinal axis of the installation cylinder (53); the compression pump (55) passes through the hollow tube, the passage orifice (5431) to connect the junction cavity (531) and the compartment (31); the hollow tube either has a position blocking the passage orifice (5431), in which it is in contact with the sealing part (543), or a separated position opening the passage orifice (5431), in which it is separated from the sealing part (543); when the pressure regulating element (50) is in the first operating position, the hollow tube is in the blocking position, the compression pump (55) injects air through the hollow tube, the passage orifice (5431) and the junction cavity (531) inside the compartment (31) in order to increase the pressure inside the compartment (31) and keep it at a first programmed pressure value Pl; when the pressure

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 regulating element (50) is in the second operating position, the pressure inside the compartment (31) may decrease until it becomes equal to the pressure inside the filling chamber (11).

[0068] As shown by the example applications of Figure 8, the pressure regulating element (50) and the compartment (31) are connected; the pressure regulating element (50) goes to the first operating position, the pressure inside the filling chamber (11) decreases and is kept constant at the second programmed pressure value P2; the water in the inner receptacle (2) is sent through the opening mechanism (22) into the filling chamber (11) to be in contact with the rice therein; the pressure regulating element (50) goes to the second operating position, the pressure inside the compartment (31) is reduced until it is equal to the pressure inside the filling chamber (11); the water in the filling chamber (11) flows back outside the filling chamber (11) through the opening mechanism (22) to the inner receptacle (2). In this way, by switching the pressure regulating element (50) between the first and second operating positions, one may be easily able to effectively control the pressure inside the filling chamber.

[0069] As shown by Figure 8, the pressure regulating element (50) comprises an air suction mechanism (51) and an air injection mechanism (52) that are independent of one another; when the air suction mechanism (51) is activated and the air injection mechanism (52) is deactivated, the pressure regulating element (50) is in the first operating position, the pressure of the compartment (31) is higher than the pressure of the filling chamber (11); when the air suction mechanism (51) is deactivated and the air injection mechanism (52) is activated, the pressure regulating element (50) is in the second operating position, the pressure of the compartment (31) may be equal to the pressure of the filling chamber (11).

[0070] The activation of the air suction mechanism (51), the air injection mechanism (52) being deactivated, causes the air suction mechanism (51) to suction air found inside the filling chamber (11) so as to effectively reduce the pressure of the filling chamber (11), such that the water found inside the compartment (31) is compressed and sent toward the filling chamber (11) and comes into contact with the rice; the deactivation of the air suction mechanism (51) and the activation of the air injection mechanism (52) cause the filling chamber (11) to be directly connected to the compartment (31) or the outer area of the electric cooker, such that the pressure of the compartment (31) is equal to the pressure of the filling chamber (11), and

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 the water level inside the filling chamber (11) decreases and flows back outside the filling chamber (11) to return into the compartment (31).

[0071] It must be specified that in the example application as described in Figure 8, after having closed the upper cover (5), the upper cover (5) and the filling chamber (11) are sealably joined. The upper edge of the first steaming basket (3) and/or the inner receptacle (2) is provided with a passage orifice (no image available); the upper cover (5) is provided with a junction channel that connects the passage orifice and the outer space of the electric cooker. In this way, one helps to ensure that the compartment (31) and the outer space of the electric cooker are connected such that the air situated outside the electric cooker effectively penetrates the inside of the compartment (31), which may provide a stable atmospheric pressure to the water found inside the compartment (31) and may help to ensure that this water inside the compartment (31) can easily enter the filling chamber (11).

[0072] The air suction mechanism (51) can be a vacuum pump or a suction pump.

[0073] The air injection mechanism (52) can be an air injection circuit provided with a valve or a regulator.

[0074] It should be noted that the technical terms used here are intended solely to describe concrete embodiments, and not to limit the applications provided as examples according to the present application. The terms as used here, unless otherwise mentioned based on context, when used in the singular also include the plural; furthermore, it must also be understood that the use in the present description of the terms “comprise and/or include implies that features, steps, tasks, components, parts and/or elements making them up exist.

[0075] It must be specified that the technical terms first and second used in the description, the claims, and the drawings appended to this application are used to distinguish similar phenomena and not to describe a specific sequence or before-after order. It must be understood that the data thus used can, under appropriate conditions, be interchanged.

[0076] The aforementioned examples only constitute preferred example applications of the present disclosure, and in no way constitute a restriction of the present disclosure.

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 [0077] In the claims which follow and in the preceding description, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments.

[0078] It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an electric cooker, wherein the electric cooker comprises an inner receptacle, a heating element, and, installed inside said inner receptacle, a steaming basket; said heating element heats said inner receptacle; a lower part of said steaming basket comprises an opening mechanism oriented toward a bottom wall and/or situated in an extension of a side wall of the inner receptacle; said steaming basket comprises a permeable zone and a filling chamber situated above the permeable zone; an opening area surrounded by the opening mechanism is connected to the filling chamber via said permeable zone; an upper part of said steaming basket is connected to an opening of the inner receptacle; the method for controlling said electric cooker comprises:

a heating step during which the heating element of the electric cooker heats the inner receptacle, until reaching a programmed temperature, followed by:

a simultaneous step for rinsing and cooking of rice with water, in which activation of a pressure regulating element of the electric cooker first keeps a pressure inside a compartment formed by an interval situated between an outer surface of the steaming basket and an inner wall of the inner receptacle at a value greater than a pressure inside the filling chamber, during a first programmed duration tl, then, secondly, the pressure regulating element keeps the pressure values equal inside the compartment and inside the filling chamber, during a second programmed duration t2; the step for rinsing and cooking of the rice with water is repeated N1 times; and a step for cooking the rice with steam in which operation of the pressure regulating element keeps the pressure inside the compartment at a value equal to the pressure inside the filling chamber.

2. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to claim 1, wherein during the step for simultaneous rinsing and cooking of the rice with water, the activation of the pressure regulating element increases the pressure inside the compartment until reaching a first programmed pressure value Pl or reduces the pressure inside the filling chamber until reaching a second programmed pressure value P2.

3. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to claim 2, wherein the first programmed pressure value Pl is greater than or equal to 5 Pa and less than or equal to 2000 Pa, and the second programmed pressure value P2 is greater than or equal to -5000 Pa and

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 less than or equal to -5 Pa.

4. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 120 seconds, and the second programmed duration t2 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 120 seconds, and N1 is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 100.

5. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the programmed temperature is greater than or equal to 30° and less than or equal to 95°, and the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 120 seconds and less than or equal to 1200 seconds.

6. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the programmed temperature is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 80°, and the first programmed duration tl is greater than or equal to 600 seconds and less than or equal to 900 seconds.

7. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein during the step for cooking the rice with steam, the heating element heats the inner receptacle continuously, during a third programmed duration t3.

8. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to claim 7, wherein the third programmed duration t3 is greater than or equal to 1 second and less than or equal to 1800 seconds.

9. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein during the step for cooking the rice with steam, and in a first phase, the heating element heats the inner receptacle continuously, during a fourth programmed duration t4, then in a second phase, the heating element stops heating during a fifth programmed duration t5, and the first and second phases are repeated N2 times before stopping the electric cooker.

10. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to claim 9, wherein the fourth programmed duration t4 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 150

2017206269 17 Jul 2018 seconds, and the fifth programmed duration t5 is greater than or equal to 3 seconds and less than or equal to 150 seconds, and N2 is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 100.

11. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a ratio between a weight Gl of the rice in the filling chamber and a weight G2 of the water in the inner receptacle is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to

3.

12. The method for controlling an electric cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a ratio between a weight Gl of the rice in the filling chamber and a weight G2 of the water in the inner receptacle is greater than or equal to 0.3 and less than or equal to 1.2.