FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an electric cooker, especially to an electric cooker with an autofeeder.

BACKGROUND

For traditionally designed electric cookers, taste of cooked rice is related to the heating and temperature control approaches of the electric cookers, quality of the rice and the amount of water added. For further improvement of the taste of the rice, other materials should be added manually. However, since the materials are added manually, the amount of the materials to be added cannot be accurately controlled. Furthermore, these materials in general can be added only at the beginning of the cooking. As such, the accurate control over the timing and the amount of the materials to be added is impossible. The operations involved therein are also complicated.

Hence, it is required to provide an electric cooker with an auto-feeder, which can add the materials (liquid seasoning, such as cooking oil, water liquor and the like) automatically into the electric cooker without manual intervention.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides an electric cooker with an auto-feeder to address the above and other potential problems in the prior art.

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electric cooker. The electric cooker comprises: an electric cooker cover comprising a lower surface facing an inner chamber of the electric cooker and an upper surface opposite to the lower surface; a supply device configured to receive and output feeding materials to be added into the inner chamber of the electric cooker; and a feeding tube having a first end extending towards the lower surface of the electric cooker cover to lead to the inner chamber of the electric cooker, and a second end connected to the supply device to receive the feeding materials output by the supply device.

Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an electric cooker with the auto-feeder, in which the supply device receives the feeding materials and can output the feeding materials to the second end of the feeding tube to add the feeding materials into the inner chamber. Therefore, the electric cooker can add a variety of liquid seasoning into the food being cooked without manual intervention to make the food more delicious. Besides, the supply device may be partially disposed in the cover or in the space above the cover. Alternatively, all components of the supply device and the feeding tube may be disposed in the cover or in the space above the cover. In such case, the space within the cover is effectively utilized without adding other additional space to receive the supply device. Improvements may be made based on the existing electric cooker to give an aesthetic feeling to the electric cooker while keeping the volume unchanged.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device may comprise: a storage unit configured to store the feeding materials and to be connected to the second end of the feeding tube; and a pressure unit configured to pressurize the storage unit to add materials stored therein into the inner chamber of the electric cooker. The supply device includes a storage unit and a pressure unit separated from each other. The pressure unit is arranged to pressurize the storage unit, so as to squeeze the materials received in the storage unit into the inner chamber through the feeding tube. The pressure unit can be of various types, and the pressure applied by the pressure unit may directly act either on the materials or on the storage unit that receives the materials, so as to extrude the materials from the storage unit. The storage unit and the pressure unit are configured in a separate manner to facilitate the design of the respective components.

In one embodiment, the pressure unit may comprise a flexible air bag connected to the storage unit, and wherein the flexible air bag is fixed to the electric cooker cover at a position corresponding to a pot body of the electric cooker, and a bottom of the flexible air bag extends beyond the lower surface of the electric cooker cover. Due to the above arrangement, the flexible air bag is pressed when the cover is being closed. As such, the gas in the flexible air bag is squeezed into the storage unit to push the materials into the inner chamber. The materials thus can be added by the operation of closing the cover, which makes it easy and convenient to add materials.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit may comprise a flexible storage capsule disposed horizontally on the upper surface and connected to the second end in a case where a liquid level of materials in the flexible storage capsule is lower than a height of the second end of the feeding tube, and the pressure unit may comprise an extrusion sheet arranged in the proximity of the flexible storage capsule, the extrusion sheet being configured to press the flexible storage capsule to extrude materials stored therein out from the flexible storage capsule. Since the extrusion sheet is configured to extrude the flexible storage capsule that receives the materials, the materials can be added by a simple extrusion operation. In addition, the extrusion sheet can be driven by various driving means. For example, the extrusion sheet may act as one end of the piston or may be driven by actuating means, such as motors. Preferably, the extrusion sheet contacts the entire extruded surface of the flexible storage capsule.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure unit may further comprise a motor, wherein the extrusion sheet is coupled to an output shaft of the motor, such that rotation of the output shaft causes the extrusion sheet to squeeze the flexible storage capsule. When the extrusion sheet is coupled to the output shaft of the motor, the rotation movement of the motor can drive the extrusion sheet to move. Since the flexible storage capsule receives materials that can be used for multiple times, the motor may be started multiple times to drive the extrusion sheet. Thus, the materials may be added repeatedly.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, there may be provided with a plurality of flexible storage capsules and each is provided with a feed inlet for refilling the flexible storage capsules with the feeding materials. The plurality of flexible storage capsules may receive different materials to enrich the types of materials to be added. When the materials are about to go empty, materials may be refilled via the feed inlet and the flexible storage capsules accordingly become reusable.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage device may comprise a storage cylinder disposed horizontally on the upper surface and coupled to the second end in a case where a liquid level of materials in the storage cylinder is lower than a height of the second end of the feeding tube, and the pressure unit comprises a piston movably disposed in the storage cylinder to extrude materials from the storage cylinder. In this embodiment, the piston directly contact and extrude the materials. Because the volume by which the piston moves corresponds to the discharged amount of materials, the amount of materials to be added can be more accurately controlled.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure unit may further comprise a motor, wherein an output shaft of the motor is provided with a gear; wherein the piston is provided with a rack at one end; wherein the rack is meshed with the gear, such that the piston is driven by the motor to move in the storage cylinder. As such, the piston is driven to move by the meshing between the gear and the rack. Thus, the movement of the piston can be implemented by a simple structure.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage cylinder may be provided with a feed inlet leading to the inner chamber of the electric cooker. The storage cylinder is located in proximity of the upper surface of the cover and may be provided with a pipe extending through the cover. With one end of the pipe leading to the inner chamber, the pipe may form the feed inlet. Due to the arrangement of the feed inlet, the user may fill the storage cylinder with the materials after opening the cover, such that the materials can be added repeatedly when cooking.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric cooker may further comprise a control device configured to control a rotation angle of the output shaft of the motor, to regulate an amount of materials added into the inner chamber of the electric cooker. The mapping table between the rotation angle of the output shaft of the motor, the amount of materials added and the amount of materials remained may be set up by the control device. Therefore, the rotation angle of the motor is controlled in accordance with the mapping table to add the materials at a determined amount. An alarm is also issued when the materials are about to go empty.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit may comprise a flexible storage tube received in the electric cooker cover and coupled to the second end of the feeding tube, wherein the flexible storage tube is configured to receive feeding materials; and the pressure unit comprises a protrusion disposed on a pot body of the electric cooker at a position corresponding to the flexible storage tube to squeeze the flexible storage tube when the electric cooker cover engages with the pot body of the electric cooker. The flexible storage tube is received in the cover and the protrusion is provided at the corresponding position of the pot body. Accordingly, when the cover is being closed, the protrusion can squeeze the flexible storage tube so as to extrude the materials. The materials can be added by an operation as simple as closing of the cover. Furthermore, after the flexible tube is removed, the materials may be re-drawn by pressing the flexible storage tube. As such, the refill operation of the materials can be easily performed.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device comprises: a vertical storage tank located above the upper surface; and a solenoid valve connected between a bottom of the vertical storage tank and the second end of the feeding tube, wherein the electric cooker further comprises a control device configured to control the solenoid valve. No other driving means are required when the vertical storage tank is provided. The materials are driven to flow by their own gravity. The amount of the materials added can be controlled by regulating the opening time of the solenoid valve.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the vertical storage tank may comprise a feed inlet located on the top thereof and extending to the exterior of the electric cooker. The materials may be refilled through the feed inlet, and the vertical storage tank is thus reusable.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device also may further comprise: a liquid level sensor configured to sense a liquid level of materials in the vertical storage tank; and the control device is further configured to receive a signal from the liquid level sensor and control opening time of the solenoid valve based on the received signal. The liquid level sensor can sense the liquid level of the materials as the liquid level is associated with the pressure suffered by the liquid level sensor. The control device can accurately control the opening time of the solenoid valve based on the liquid level (i.e., the pressure suffered by the liquid level sensor), to regulate the amount of materials added.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device may comprise a storage tank located in the pot body of the electric cooker; and a fluid pump disposed on the upper surface and coupled to the storage tank, so as to extract materials from the storage tank and measure flow of the materials. The supply device comprises a fluid pump that directly draws the fluid. As such, the component required for outputting the materials needs a fluid pump only. Since the storage tank is arranged in the pot body, its volume can be large. This means that the fluid pump can draw the materials more times.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device may further comprise: a solenoid valve connected to the fluid pump at the fluid pump’s upstream or downstream, and the electric cooker further comprises a control device configured to control both the solenoid valve and the fluid pump, to regulate an amount of materials added into the inner chamber of the electric cooker. The mapping between the opening time of the solenoid valve, the amount of materials drawn and the amount of materials remained may be stored in the control device. On the basis of the mapping table, the control device can control the opening time of the solenoid valve, and control the amount of the materials added more accurately.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric cooker cover comprises an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion, wherein the upper surface is positioned on the upper cover portion and the lower surface is positioned on the lower cover portion. Various advantageous effects can be fulfilled by designing the electric cooker cover in a two-part manner. For example, the lower cover portion may prevent the food within the inner chamber from contaminating the various mechanisms, e.g., sensor and relief valve behind the cover, and may protect the supply device provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Additionally, the lower cover portion may be detached when needed to clean the structures between the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a stereogram of an electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure in a closed state;

Fig. 2 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with auto-feeder shown in Fig. 1 in an open state, in which an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion are in disassembly state.

Fig. 3 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with auto-feeder shown in Fig. 1 in an open state, in which an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion are in assembly state.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown by Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the second embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 5 in an open state, wherein the lower cover portion is not mounted to the upper cover portion;

Fig. 8 is a further stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 5 in an open state, wherein the lower cover portion is mounted to the upper cover portion;

Fig. 9 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the third embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 10 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 9 in a closed state;

Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown by Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 13 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 12 in a closed state; Fig. 14 is a top view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown by Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 16 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 15 in a closed state;

Fig. 17 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated in accordance with the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 18 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a further stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 17 in an open state, wherein the lower cover portion is mounted to the upper cover portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is further elaborated below with reference to the drawings and the specific embodiments. It is to be understood that the embodiments are provided only for explaining the present invention, rather than restricting its protection scope. After reviewing the disclosure of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various modifications or alterations to the present invention. These equivalent modifications or alterations also fall within the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

As used herein, the term “comprise” and its variants are to be read as open-ended terms that mean “comprise, but is not limited to.” The term “or” is to be read as “and/or” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “based on” is to be read as “based at least in part on.” The terms “one example embodiment” and “one embodiment” are to be read as “at least one example embodiment.” The term “a further embodiment” is to be read as “at least a further embodiment.” The terms “first”, “second” and so on can refer to same object or different objects.

In the frame described herein, when reference is made to “embodiment” or “one embodiment”, it indicates that specific configuration, structure or characteristics described for the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment. As such, expressions like “in the embodiment” or “in one embodiment of the present disclosure” disclosed in one or more aspects of the description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, in one or more embodiments, the specific configuration, structure or characteristics may be combined in any appropriate ways.

In the following embodiments of the present disclosure, although the electric cooker is made as an example of the cooking appliances, those skilled in the art may apply the technical solution of the present disclosure into electric heating appliances, such as electric pressure pot and electric steamer etc. in accordance with the following embodiments.

Principles of the present disclosure are described below with reference to Figs. 1-19. The description is provided with reference to Figs. 1-4 in the first place. Fig. 1 is a stereogram of an electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure in a closed state. Fig. 2 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with auto-feeder shown in Fig. 1 in an open state, in which an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion are in disassembly state. Fig. 3 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with auto-feeder shown in Fig. 1 in an open state, in which an upper cover portion and a lower cover portion are in assembly state. Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown by Fig. 1. According to Figs. 1 to 4, the electric cooker 100 described here generally includes an electric cooker cover 1, a pot body 2 and an auto-feeder. The electric cooker cover 1 contains a lower surface 11 facing an inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker and an upper surface 12 opposite to the lower surface 11. The auto-feeder includes a supply device 200 and a feeding tube 21, wherein the supply device 200 is adapted to receive and output feeding materials that are to be added into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker. A first end 211 of the feeding tube 21 extends towards the lower surface 11 of the electric cooker cover 1 to lead to the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker, and a second end 212 of the feeding tube is connected to the supply device 200. In one embodiment, the first end 211 of the feeding tube 21 may extend beyond the lower surface 11 of the electric cooker cover 1, e.g., via a hole disposed on the lower surface 11. In one embodiment, the first end 211 of the feeding tube 21 may be flushed with the lower surface 11 of the electric cooker cover 1. For example, the first end 211 is accommodated in the hole disposed on the lower surface 11 such that the first end 211 is flushed with the lower surface 11. In one embodiment, another connecting tube (not shown) may be provided in the electric cooker cover 1 in accordance with the design requirements in practice. The connecting tube leads to the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker and are connected to the feeding tube 21, such that the feeding tube 21 can connect to the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker via the connecting tube. The supply device 200 outputs the feeding materials to the feeding tube 21, so as to add the feeding materials into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker via the first terminal 211 of the feeding tube 21.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Fig. 2, the electric cooker cover 1 comprises the upper cover portion 14 and the lower cover portion 13 detachably mounted to the upper cover portion 14. That is, the upper surface 12 is the upper surface of the upper cover portion 14, and the lower surface 11 is the lower surface of the lower cover portion 13. The electric cooker cover may comprise a temperature sensor and a pressure relief valve among other various structures. The lower cover portion 13 is used to prevent the food in the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker from contacting the structures. Although the cover 1 includes the upper cover portion 14 and the lower cover portion 13 in the embodiment shown by Fig. 2, those skilled in the art should understand that there is no need for dividing the cover 1 into two portions. When the detachment of the lower cover portion 3 is not required, the cover may be provided in one piece. Besides, the electric cooker 100 also includes an outer casing covering the cover 1. In order to demonstrate the internal structure, the outer casing is not shown in the drawings. Those skilled in the art also should appreciate that the upper surface and the lower surface of the electric cooker cover 1 do not necessarily form a flat surface. Instead, unusual shapes may be present. For example, both the upper surface and the lower surface may have a dent in the middle to receive components.

In the electric cooker 100 in accordance with the present disclosure, the supply device 200 is partially disposed in the cover 1 or on the upper surface 12 of the cover 1. Further, the first end 211 of the feeding tube 21 leads to the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker and the second end 212 is connected to the supply device 200. In such way, the auto-feeder can be received in the space in the cover 1 without adding other additional space to receive the supply device 200. Improvements may be made based on the existing electric cooker to give an aesthetic feeling to the electric cooker while keeping the volume unchanged. Moreover, during the cooking, the auto-feeder can also add a variety of liquid seasonings to the cooked food to make the food more delicious without manual intervention. For example, if the feeding material is cooking oil, about 2 to 10 drops of cooking oil are dripped into the rice. Although only several drops of oil are added, the cooked rice or porridge may smell pleasant and taste soft and savory. Besides, the grains of the rice look fluffy and bright as crystal, taste chewy to the right amount and do not easily stick to the pot. The feeding materials in the present disclosure are not limited to the cooking oil. The feeding materials may comprise tea liquor, soy source, vinegar, seasoning wine, cooking wine and other liquids.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device 200 includes a storage unit 20 and a pressure unit (e.g., flexible air bag 301 etc.) according to Figs. 1 to 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the storage unit 20 is configured to store the feeding materials and to be connected to the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21. The first end 211 of the feeding tube 21 extends from the lower surface of the lower cover portion 13 into the inner chamber 10. In Fig. 4, the first and second ends of the feeding tube 21 are perpendicular to each other, and the diameter of the second end 212 is smaller than that of the first end 211. The second end 212 may be a plug-in tube plugged into the pipe at the first end 211. The pipe at the first end 212 may include a horizontal part into which the second end 212 is plugged and a vertical part that extends into the inner chamber 10. However, the shape and material of the feeding tube 21 are not limited to the above disclosed examples.

As shown in Figs. 1-3, the flexible air bag 301 is arranged in the cover 1 and at a position corresponding to the pot body 2 of the electric cooker. The flexible air bag 301 is fixed to the electric cooker cover 1. For example, the flexible air bag 301 is permanently received in one groove of the electric cooker cover 1. A bottom 3011 of the flexible air bag 301 extends beyond the lower surface 11 of the electric cooker cover 1. As such, when the cover 1 is engaged to the pot body 2 (i.e., when the cover 1 is closed), the bottom 3011 of the flexible air bag 301 is squeezed. The gas in the flexible air bag 301 is thus extruded into the storage unit 20 to squeeze the feeding materials in the storage unit 20 into the inner chamber 10. In Fig. 2, the storage unit 20 is received in a recess of the cover 1, and an end 20e of the storage unit 20 is engaged with the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21. Preferably, the end 20e is disposed at an upper part of the storage unit 20, to prevent the materials in the storage unit 20 from flowing into the feeding tube 21 under the action of gravity.

In this embodiment, the bottom 3011 of the flexible air bag 301 extends beyond the lower surface 11 of the cover 1 by such an amount that a small amount of materials (e.g., oil) in the storage unit 20 are extruded into the inner chamber every time the cover 1 is closed. For example, about 2 to 10 drops of the material are dripped into the inner chamber 10. After that, until the cover 1 is opened, the pressure is continuously applied onto the flexible air bag 301 to constantly squeeze the gas between the flexible air bag 301 and the storage unit 20. In such case, the pressure of the gas therebetween is comparable to the atmospheric pressure, and the remainder of the materials squeezed into the feeding tube 21 will not drip into the inner chamber 10 by the force of gravity. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid materials may be added into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker by dripping, so as to ensure that a small amount of materials are dripped into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the lower cover portion 13 may be detachably mounted to the upper cover portion 14 as illustrated by Fig. 2. The supply unit 200 is required to be detached after one use to refill the feeding materials into the storage unit 20. In order to remove the supply device 200, a user firstly detaches the lower cover portion 13 from the upper cover portion 14 and then detaches the storage unit 20 and the flexible air bag 301 from the cover 1. Then the user may insert the first end of the feeding tube 21 into a storage vessel. Afterwards, the user squeezes the flexible air bag 301 to draw materials from the storage vessel into the storage unit 20. The user may assemble the storage unit 20 and the flexible air bag 301 at a suitable position in the cover 1, such that the end 20e of the storage unit 20 engages with the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21, and the flexible air bag 301 is received in the cover 1 with the bottom 3011 protruding beyond the lower surface 11.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the materials can be conveniently added and redrawn by means of the flexible air bag 301, especially in the process of material addition. In other words, the addition may be automatically completed without manual intervention.

Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate an electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the second embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 5 in an open state, wherein the lower cover portion is not mounted to the upper cover portion; and Fig. 8 is a further stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 5 in an open state, where the lower cover portion is mounted to the upper cover portion.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device 200 includes a flexible storage tube 305 and a protrusion 306 according to Figs. 5-8. As shown in Fig. 6, the flexible storage tube 305 includes a main body 3051 and a tube section 3052, both of which are integrally manufactured by flexible materials. As shown in Fig. 6, the feeding tube 21 comprises a first end 211 extending into the inner chamber 10 and a second end 212 engaging with the above tube section 3052. For example, the tube section 3052 is inserted into the second end 212. The flexible storage tube 305 is formed in the shape of a dropper, and the materials are drawn into the tube section 3052 or even into the main body 3051 by squeezing the main body 3051. In Fig. 7, the lower cover portion 13 is not mounted to the upper cover portion 14 and the flexible storage tube 305 is mounted into the cover 1, wherein the flexible storage tube 305 is accommodated in the recess of the cover 1 and the position of the main body 3051 corresponds to the position of the pot body 2. The tube section 3052 is inserted into the second end 212. As shown in Fig. 8, the lower cover portion 13 is mounted to the upper cover portion 14 and the tube section 3052 is blocked by the lower cover portion 13 such that only the main body 3051 can be observed. As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the pot body 2 of the electric cooker is provided with the protrusion 306 thereon. Atop portion of the protrusion 306 is formed as a spherical shape to match the main body 3051. Due to the above arrangement, the protrusion 306 squeezes the main body 3051 in the process of closing the cover 1, so as to squeeze the materials that have been drawn into the tube section 3052 into the inner chamber 10.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the materials can be conveniently added or re-drawn owing to the arrangement of the storage tube 305 and the protrusion 306. The addition of the materials in particular can be completed automatically without manual intervention.

In comparison to the first embodiment, fewer components are used in the second embodiment shown by Figs. 5 to 7 with easy mounting and lower costs. Preferably, after each use, the user only needs to detach the flexible storage tube 305 from the cover 1 to re-fill the storage tube 305. However, the storage tube 305 may store a large amount of materials that can be used for multiple times. In this embodiment, when the main body 3051 of the flexible storage tube 305 is being squeezed, the materials are squeezed from the main body 3051 to the tube section 3052 and further into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker, or the materials stored in the tube section 3052 are directly squeezed into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker. In the embodiment, a small amount of materials (e.g., oil) in the flexible storage tube 305 are squeezed into the inner chamber 10 by the design of the protrusion 306. For example, about 2 to 10 drops of materials are dripped into the inner chamber 10. Afterwards, the pressure is continuously applied to the flexible storage tube 305 until the cover 1 is opened, such that the pressure in the flexible storage tube 305 is equivalent to the atmospheric pressure, and the remainder of the materials squeezed into the feeding tube 20 will not continuously drip into the inner chamber 10 under the action of gravity. Thus, in these embodiments, the liquid materials can be dripped into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker, so as to ensure that only a small amount of materials are added into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker.

Figs. 9 to 11 illustrate an electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the third embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. 10 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 9 in a closed state. Fig. 11 is an exploded view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown by Fig. 9.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the storage unit 20 includes a flexible storage capsule 201 disposed horizontally on the upper surface 12 as indicated by Figs. 9 to 11. The flexible storage capsule 201 is permanently mounted onto the upper surface 12, e.g., by gluing and the like, to avoid displacement. As shown in Fig. 11, the flexible storage capsule 201 is connected to the second end

212 of the feeding tube 21 via a horizontally disposed pipe 213, wherein the pipe 213 comprises a vertical portion 2131 and a horizontal portion 2132. The height of the horizontal portion 2132 is higher than the upper surface of the flexible storage capsule 201, making it impossible for the materials to enter the pipe

213 under the force of gravity. The horizontal portion 2132 is connected to the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21. The supply device 200 also comprises a pressure unit, e.g., an extrusion sheet 302. The extrusion sheet 302 is disposed in the proximity of the flexible storage capsule 201 and configured to press the flexible storage capsule 201 to extrude the stored materials therefrom. In preferred embodiments, the extrusion sheet 302 contacts the entire extruded surface of the storage capsule. That is, the extrusion sheet can extrude a large area of the storage capsule to avoid extruding only a part of the materials and leaving the unextruded materials in the storage capsule. For example, in one embodiment, the extrusion sheet 302 may move in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the storage capsule to extrude the storage capsule. For instance, in an alternative embodiment, a suction pad may be provided at the end of the extrusion sheet 302. The suction pad adheres to the upper surface of the storage capsule 201, so as to squeeze the entire upper surface of the storage capsule in a direction substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the storage capsule.

As shown in Figs. 9 to 11, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure unit may further comprise a motor 303 and the extrusion sheet 302 is coupled to an output shaft 3031 of the motor 303, such that the extrusion sheet 302 is movable to squeeze the flexible storage capsule 201. The rotation of the output shaft 3031 causes the extrusion sheet 302 to squeeze the flexible storage capsule 201. The motor 303 here is just an example mechanism that drives the movement of the extrusion sheet 302, and the present disclosure is not limited to this. Those skilled in the art also may conceive of other mechanisms for driving the extrusion sheet 302, e.g., linkage mechanism, hydraulic mechanism and the like.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric cooker 100 further comprises a control device 3 capable of controlling a rotation angle of the motor 303 as shown by Fig. 11. In the memory of the control device 3, a mapping table between the rotation angle of the motor and the amount of materials added and the amount of the materials remained may be stored. As such, in case of material addition, the amount of materials added is controlled by regulating the rotation angle of the motor, and an alarm signal may be issued when the materials are about to go empty. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the control device 3 may be configured to add the desired amount of materials all at once or by multiple times. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, there are provided with a plurality of flexible storage capsules 201 as shown in Fig. 11, and each is provided with a . The feed inlet 2012 may extend to the exterior of the electric cooker cover 1 (e.g., the exterior of the outer casing) through pipes. Thus, when the materials are about to go empty, the user may re-fdl the feeding materials into the flexible storage capsules 201 via the feed inlet 2012.

In this embodiment, since the flexible storage capsule 201 is horizontally fixed on the upper surface, the materials could not directly flow into the feeding tube 21 by the force of gravity. Instead, the materials are added into the inner chamber 10 only by an extrusion operation of the extrusion sheet 302. In addition, the rotation angle of the output shaft of the motor 303 may be appropriately controlled, such that only a small amount of materials are squeezed into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker at a time, e.g., about 2 to 10 drops of materials are dripped into the inner chamber 10. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the materials in the flexible storage capsule 201 also can be squeezed into the inner chamber 10 in a small amount by dripping. Compared to the first and second embodiments, the electric cooker in accordance with the third embodiment is more convenient because no grooves are required in the cover 1 to receive the storage unit 20. Further, the entire auto-feeder may be provided on the upper surface 12 of the cover 1. As such, no structural modifications are needed for the existing electric cooker. The autofeeder in accordance with the embodiment can add the materials multiple times, and the materials can be refilled without removing the supply device 200 after each addition. Further, the refill is made only when the materials are about to go empty, and even when the refill is made, it can be done directly from the exterior of the electric cooker cover 1 without removing the supply device 200. Since the auto-feeder is mounted without disassembling the lower cover portion 13, the cover 1 may be formed in one piece in the embodiment.

Figs. 12 to 14 illustrate an electric cooker 100 with an auto-feeder in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 12 is an exploded view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. 13 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 12 in a closed state. Fig. 14 is a top view of the auto-feeder included in the electric cooker shown by Fig. 12.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auto-feeder comprises a storage unit 20, such as a storage cylinder 202, and a pressure unit e.g., piston 304. As shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the storage cylinder 202 is horizontally disposed on the upper surface 12, e.g., fixed on the upper surface 12. The piston 304 is movably disposed in the storage cylinder 202 to extrude the materials therefrom. In this embodiment, when the cover 1 is closed, the piston 304 can move horizontally in the storage cylinder 202. To drive the piston 304 to move in the storage cylinder 202, the auto-feeder also includes a motor 303 as shown in Figs. 12 to 14. Further, the output shaft 3031 of the motor is provided with a gear 3032 and the piston 304 is provided with a rack 3041 at one end. The rack 3041 and the gear 3032 are meshed such that the piston 304 is driven by the motor 303 to move in the storage cylinder 202. However, the motor 303 is just an example mechanism for driving the movement of the piston 304, and the present disclosure is not limited to this. Those skilled in the art may conceive of other mechanisms for driving the piston 304, such as linkage mechanism, hydraulic mechanism and the like.

In the embodiment, the storage cylinder 202 is coupled to the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21 in a case where the liquid level of the materials in the storage cylinder 202 is below the height of the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21. For example, in Fig. 12, the storage cylinder 202 may not be fdled full with the materials, making the liquid level below the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21. In other embodiments, the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21 may be connected to the storage cylinder 202 at a position of the cylinder wall where the height of the storage cylinder 202 reaches the maximum level. In various embodiments, the materials in the storage cylinder 202 could not enter the feeding tube 21 under the action of gravity. Instead, the materials can go into the feeding tube 21 only by the push of the piston 304. The amount of movement of the piston 304 is accurately controlled by a fine regulation of the rotation angle of the motor 303, such that a small amount of materials (e.g., about 2 to 10 drops of materials) are squeezed into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker by dripping.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to refill the storage cylinder 202 after completing the addition of the materials in the storage cylinder 202, the storage cylinder 202 preferably includes a feed inlet 2012 as indicated by Fig. 12. The feed inlet leads to the inner chamber 10 the electric cooker, for example by pipes. In other words, the feed inlet extends beyond the lower surface 11 of the cover 1. Besides, the feed inlet 2012 is blocked by a stopper when the piston is moving for feeding. The feeding materials may be re-filled into the storage cylinder 202 in manual or automatic way. The manual way is completed mainly through the following steps of: selecting a manual fill option on a control panel (not shown) under the standby mode of the electric cooker to return the piston 304; manually or automatically shutting off the power of the electric cooker; manually opening the upper cover portion of the electric cooker and placing it upside down on a table with the upper cover portion of the electric cooker facing upward; removing the stopper plugged at the feed inlet 2012 and filling the materials via the feed inlet 2012 until a slight amount of materials flow out; plugging the stopper into the feed inlet 2012, wiping the overflowed materials and flipping the electric cooker over. The automatic way is fulfilled primarily by the steps of: opening the upper cover portion of the electric cooker, and inserting one end of the pipe for filling (not shown) into the first end 211 (indicated in Fig. 12) of the feeding tube 21 and another end into the container (not shown) of the feeding materials; selecting an auto fill option on the control panel under the standby state of the electric cooker; automatically filling the materials into the storage cylinder 202 along with the return of the piston 304; removing the pipe for filling and wiping the overflowed materials.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric cooker 100 may further comprise a control device 3 capable of controlling a rotation angle of the motor 303 as shown by Fig. 13. In the memory of the control device 3, a mapping table between the rotation angle of the motor, the amount of materials added and the amount of materials remained may be stored. As such, in case of material addition, the amount of materials added is controlled by regulating the rotation angle of the motor, and an alarm signal may be issued when the materials are about to go empty. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the control device 3 may be configured to add the desired amount of materials all at once or by multiple times. Compared to the electric cooker in accordance with the third embodiment, the storage cylinder is provided in replacement of the flexible storage capsule in the auto-feeder of the electric cooker in accordance with the fourth embodiment. The piston squeezes the materials, and the amount of movement of the piston corresponds to the discharged amount of the materials. As such, the amount of materials added and the amount of materials remained can be calculated more accurately and a finer control is achieved.

Figs. 15 and 16 illustrate an electric cooker 100 with an auto-feeder in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 is a partially cross-sectional view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder in accordance with the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure and Fig. 16 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 15 in a closed state. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the auto-feeder comprises a storage unit 20, such as a vertical storage tank 40 located above the upper surface 12 and fixed to the upper surface 12 e.g., via a support 401 as indicated in Figs. 15 and 16. The auto-feeder also comprises a solenoid valve 50 connected between a bottom of the vertical storage tank 40 and the second end 212 of the feeding tube 21. When the solenoid valve 50 is opened, the materials in the vertical storage tank 40 may flow downwardly under the action of gravity.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to accurately control the opening time of the solenoid valve 50, the electric cooker 100 may further comprise a control device 3. The control device 3 is configured to open the solenoid valve 50 at a predetermined time, e.g., at a given time during the initial phase, middle stage or final stage of cooking, in accordance with the cooking mode selected by the user, and keep the solenoid valve 50 open for a period of time so as to add a certain amount of materials into the inner chamber 10. The length of the period of time is associated with the amount of materials added. Those skilled in the art should understand that the vertical storage tank 40 preferably is in fluid communication with the outside, for example, in communication with the outside air via the feed inlet 2012 as discussed below. The stopper on the feed inlet 2012 may for example provide with a hole(s) (not shown) to ensure fluid communication. In such way, when the solenoid valve 50 is opened, the air in the upper portion of the vertical storage tank 40 communicates with the outside such that atmospheric pressure is applied to the materials in the tank to facilitate discharge of the materials therefrom. Further, those skilled in the art also should appreciate that the control device 3 may be configured to add the desired amount of materials all at once or by multiple times.

When the amount of materials in the vertical storage tank 40 is large, the pressure applied on the materials also is high. Accordingly, the flow rate of the materials is also great. In contrary, when the amount of materials in the vertical storage tank 40 is small, the pressure applied on the materials is low. Accordingly, the flow rate of the materials is also small. Therefore, for the vertical storage tanks 40 containing different amounts of materials, the amount of materials added varies during the same opening time of the solenoid valve 50. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in order to more accurately control the amount of materials added into the inner chamber 10, the auto-feeder in accordance with the present embodiment further comprises a liquid level sensor 402 configured to sense the liquid level of the materials in the vertical storage tank 40. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a mapping table between the liquid level, the opening time of the solenoid valve, the amount of materials added and the amount of materials remained is stored in a memory of the control device 3. The control device 3 may be configured to receive a signal from the liquid level sensor 402, and this signal indicates a liquid level of the materials in the vertical storage tank 40. In addition, the control device 3 may control the opening time of the solenoid valve 50 according to the mapping table based on the received signal, such that the amount of materials added into the inner chamber 10 is controlled accurately.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the materials in the vertical storage tank 40 are about to go empty, the control device 3 issues an alarm signal. At this time, the user is required to refill the vertical storage tank 40. For this, the vertical storage tank 40 comprises a feed inlet 2012 located on the top. The feed inlet 2012 extends to the exterior of the electric cooker 100 as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. The user may refill the materials from the outside of the electric cooker 100 via the feed inlet 2012.

In this embodiment, the time for adding the materials is controlled by setting up the solenoid valve 50. The opening time of the solenoid valve 50 is accurately controlled. For example, a short opening time is set for the solenoid valve 50, so as to add a small amount of materials (e.g., oil) into the inner chamber 10. For instance, about 2 to 10 drops of materials are dripped into the inner chamber 10. Figs. 17 to 19 illustrate an electric cooker 100 with an auto-feeder in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Fig. 17 is a stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated in accordance with the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure; and Fig. 18 is an exploded view of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a further stereogram of the electric cooker with an auto-feeder illustrated by Fig. 17 in an open state, where the lower cover portion is mounted to the upper cover portion.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric cooker 100 comprises a storage tank 60 (shown in Fig. 19) and a fluid pump 70 (as indicated by Figs. 17 and 18). In contrast with other embodiments, the storage tank 60 has a large volume and can be disposed in the pot body 2 of the electric cooker 100. The fluid pump 70 is disposed (e.g., fixed to) on the upper surface 12 and coupled to the storage tank 60, e.g., by a pipe, so as to extract materials from the storage tank 60 and measure the flow of the materials.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the supply device 200 further comprises a solenoid valve 50 connected to the fluid pump 70 at the fluid pump’s upstream or downstream as shown in Figs. 17 and 18. In Fig. 17, the electric cooker 100 further comprises a control device 3 configured to control both the solenoid valve 50 and the fluid pump 70, so as to regulate the amount of materials added into the inner chamber 10 of the electric cooker. Specifically, the control device 3 opens the solenoid valve 50 at a predetermined time of the cooking (e.g., initial stage, middle stage or end of the cooking) in accordance with the cooking mode selected by the user, such that the materials can be drawn into the fluid pump 70 and further added into the inner chamber 10. The fluid pump 70 may be configured to measure the amount of materials flowing by and provides a flow signal to the control device 3 as a feedback. In the memory of the control device 3, a mapping table between the opening time of the solenoid valve 50, the flow of the materials flowing through the fluid pump 70 and the amount of the materials remained is stored. The control device 3 controls the opening time of the solenoid valve 50 based on the flow signal fed back by the fluid pump 70, so as to regulate the amount of materials extracted by the fluid pump 70. In this embodiment, the storage tank 60 is disposed in the pot body 2. In such case, the height of the materials in the storage tank 60 is constantly below the feeding tube 21 disposed in the cover 1. As such, the materials could not directly fall into the feeding tube 21 under the force of gravity. Moreover, the time for adding the materials is controlled by setting up the solenoid valve 50. The opening time of the solenoid valve 50 is accurately controlled. For example, a short opening time is set for the solenoid valve 50, so as to add a small amount of materials (e.g., oil) into the inner chamber 10. For instance, about 2 to 10 drops of materials are dripped into the inner chamber 10.

In an embodiment not shown, the pressure in the storage tank 60 may be increased, for example, by introducing gas into the storage tank 60, to extrude the materials therefrom. The storage tank 60 is also provided with a liquid level sensor to sense the liquid level of the materials therein. The control device 3 receives the liquid level information from the liquid level sensor (not shown) to calculate the amount of the materials that have been added, and further controls the opening time of the solenoid valve 50 on the basis of the calculation result. In this embodiment, the fluid pump 70 may be omitted or replaced by a flow meter. In an embodiment not shown, the storage tank 60 may be removed from the pot body 2 to facilitate cleaning or replacement. In a further embodiment not shown, the storage tank 60 may be disposed external to the electric cooker 100 (add-on style), i.e., selectively connected with the electric cooker 100.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above and the above description is only exemplary rather than exhaustive. The present application is not limited to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Many modifications and alterations, without deviating from the scope and spirit of the explained various embodiments, are obvious for those skilled in the art. The selection of terms in the description aims to best explain principles , actual applications of each embodiment and technical improvements made in the market by each embodiment, or enable those ordinary skilled in the art to understand embodiments of the present disclosure. These or other alterations may be performed in accordance with the above detailed description of the embodiments. Usually, the terms used in the following claims shall not be interpreted as limiting the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the description and claims. Instead, it should be understood that the terms indicate a scope including all possible embodiments and equivalents that enable the claims in the same way. Therefore, the claims shall not be restricted by the disclosure.