JPH0610646B2 - Food property testing equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for testing physical properties of foods.

Technical background In addition to the taste, aroma, and color of foods, so-called "physical tastes" such as texture and mouth feel are important factors for eating and drinking.

A card meter has been known as a conventional device for measuring such a physical taste. That is, the conventional card meter is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, and is attached to a support column 12 extending upward from the base 10 so as to be vertically movable, and a movable base 14 on which a food F to be tested is placed.
And a weight 18 connected to the lower end of the precision spring 16 vertically aligned with the movable table, and a pressure-sensitive shaft 20 attached below the weight as main constituent members. After setting the food placed on it so as to come into contact with the lower end of the pressure-sensitive shaft 20, the movable table is moved by the motor 22.
The weight 18 is moved upward through the pressure-sensitive shaft 20 against the pressure of the weight 18 (actually, the weight of the weight minus the contraction force of the spring because the spring 16 is extended by the weight). The displacement of the pressure-sensitive axis of the recording pen 2 is recorded on the recording drum 24 that rotates in synchronization with the movable base 14.
It is set to record at 6. An example of the recording paper thus recorded is shown in FIG. In this recording paper, the solid line A indicates the displacement of the pressure-sensitive axis, and the broken line B indicates
Is the displacement of the movable table. The displacement of the pressure-sensitive axis indicated by the solid line A differs depending on the food to be tested, but the foods exhibiting the displacement of the pressure-sensitive axis as illustrated include, for example, tofu, kamaboko,
It is a sausage or the like, and from such a record, it is possible to derive the breaking force at the time of breaking of the food surface, which can be seen from the hardness and the portion indicated by H, for example.

This card meter can test the physical properties of foods as described above, and thus can measure the physical taste of foods, but since the size of each unit is relatively large, it can be used when needed. Not very suitable for easy use where it is needed.

In addition to the card meters described above, several other types are known. The principle drawings of these main parts are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The structure shown in FIG. 5 has a structure similar to that of a card meter as a whole, but the table 30 on which the food is placed is a fixed type, and the pressure sensitive shaft 32 is placed on the table 30. It is designed to be moved toward.

The one shown in FIG. 6 also has a similar structure as a whole, but in this case, the table 40 on which the food is placed and the pressure-sensitive shaft 42 are moved so as to approach each other.

Similar to the device shown in FIG. 3, the device shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a relatively large size per unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a device which is small and is capable of performing an appropriate physical taste test of food.

Configuration of the Invention That is, the test apparatus according to the present invention, the food support member (indicated by reference numeral 62 in the examples described below) set to be reciprocable in a fixed linear direction, and movable in the linear direction A contact member (64) which is set and is adapted to come into contact with the food supported by the support member
And the food support member that is set on the opposite side of the food support member with respect to the linear direction with respect to the contact member and that moves the contact member to press the food product with the straight line. A driving device (66) for driving in a direction, and a driving device (66) that is set substantially parallel to and adjacent to the driving device and is connected between the fixed frame of the test device and the food supporting member. A resistance force imparting device (78) having a spring that imparts a resistance force to the food support member, the device being stretched in the linear direction with the movement of the member, and the measuring device for measuring the displacement of the food support member, A recording drum (102) that is rotated by an amount proportional to the displacement of a contact member driven by a drive device.
And a means (104) which is connected to the food support member and is moved together with the food support member, and records the displacement of the food support member on the circumferential surface of the recording drum.

Action of the Invention The device according to the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and in the test, the contact member is brought into contact with the food on the food support member, and the contact force is applied to the resistance force exerted by the resistance imparting device. Then, the resistance force at that time is measured, and desired physical properties of the food can be investigated based on the resistance force.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, the driving device that drives the joint member that comes into contact with food and the resistance imparting device are set in parallel, so those devices are set linearly in the vertical direction. Compared with the above-mentioned conventional device, the size thereof can be considerably reduced, and therefore, it is suitable for use in a factory or the like.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the examples shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the test apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, this testing device is provided with a pair of base members 5
0, a frame 56 composed of a side member 52 attached to the member and a top member 54 provided between the tops of the side members.

A pair of vertically extending guide posts 58 are provided between the top member 54 and the base member 50. A horizontal movable plate 60 is set on the guide pillar, and is guided in the vertical direction by the guide pillar 58. At the center of the lower surface of the movable member 60, an abutting member 64 which is in contact with a food F supported on a food supporting member 62, which will be described in detail later, and which tapers downward is attached.

The top member 54 extends vertically through its central position,
A drive rod 66 as a drive device is provided to abut on the central top surface of the movable plate 60 and move it downward. The rod is provided with an external thread 68, which is threadedly engaged with an internal thread (not shown) provided on the top member 54. Therefore, this rod moves up and down relatively with respect to the top member 54 by rotating the rotation handle 70 attached to the top portion thereof to the right or left.

The food support member 62 described above is vertically guided by a pair of vertically extending guide columns 72 attached to the frame 56. That is, between the base members 50, the first support member 74 that extends substantially horizontally at the rear position of the guide column 58 is attached, and the side member 52.
A second support member 76 that extends horizontally above the first support member 74 is provided at a substantially central position of
The guide post 72 is attached between the first and second support members.

As can be seen from the rear view of the apparatus according to the present invention in FIG. 2, a resistance force is provided between the top member 54 of the frame and the food support member 62 to resist downward movement of the food support member 62. A resistance-applying device 78 for this purpose, in the illustrated embodiment a spring scale, is attached. That is, the upper end of the tubular member 80 of this spring balance is fixed to the top member 54 of the frame, and the rod 82 extending from the lower end to the tubular member (connected to a spring (not shown)) has the lower end which is the food support member. It is fixed to 62. Therefore, when the food F is set on the food support member and the contact member 64 attempts to move the food downward, the resistance imparting device, that is, the spring scale 78 is proportional to the movement amount of the food support member. The resisting force is applied to the food support member.

Next, an apparatus for measuring and recording the amount of resistance applied to the food support member 62 by the resistance applying device 78 will be described.
That is, this recording apparatus extends vertically fixed to the right end (FIG. 1) of the movable plate 60 to which the contact member is attached,
A rack 86 that moves up and down as the movable plate 60 moves up and down,
A gear 88 rotatably mounted on the side member 52 of the frame 56 and engaged with the rack 86, and a bevel gear 90 mounted on the same shaft as the gear 88 and rotated therewith.
(FIG. 2) and a second bevel gear 9 that engages with the bevel gear.
2, a third bevel gear 96 fixed to the rotating shaft 94 of the second bevel gear 92 and rotating therewith, a fourth bevel gear 98 engaged with the third bevel gear, and the bevel gear. Gear 9
8, a rotary shaft 100 extending vertically, a recording drum 102 attached to the rotary shaft 100, and a recording pen 10 attached to the right end (FIG. 2) of the food support member 62 described above.
4 and. The member 106 attached to the inner surface of the rack 86 is a guide member that engages with the guide column 58 and stabilizes the drum of the rack.

The test apparatus according to the embodiment described above is operated as follows.

First, the food F to be tested is placed on the food support member 62. Next, the handle 70 is rotated to push down the movable plate 60 supporting the contact member, and the tip (lower end) of the contact member 64 is brought into contact with the food F. This allows
The exam is ready.

When the handle 70 is further rotated from the above state, the contact member pushes down the food F while denting the food F, as shown in FIG. The change in food due to the depression depends on the type, but when the food is a kamaboko or sausage as in the example described with reference to FIG. 4, the contact member 64 changes the food. When recessed to a certain depth,
Breakage occurs on (the surface of) the food. Therefore, the food (and thus the food support member) is momentarily slightly lifted, and the contact member pierces the food product. That is, since the spring of the spring scale connected to the food support member acts on the food support member due to the breakage of the food surface, the food product supported by the spring is lifted, so that the contact member is the food product. It sticks inside. Then, as a result, when the resistance of the food to the contact member increases and exceeds a certain level, the food (and the food support member) again starts descending together with the contact member. Therefore, if the displacement of the food support member accompanying this is recorded on the recording drum, it becomes the same as that shown by A in FIG. Although not shown, this recording device is provided with the contact member 62 until the contact member 62 is set to a position in contact with the food F.
It is preferable not to perform the recording operation as described above. As means for that, for example, the gear train 8
A clutch may be provided in each of 8, 90, 92, 96 and 98, or the printing operation may be performed when the contact member 62 brings the recording pen into contact with food.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a test apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view of the apparatus, FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a conventionally known card meter, and FIG. 4 is FIG. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are recording graphs when a physical property test of food is performed by the card meter of FIG. 62 ... Food support device 64 ... Contact member 66 ... Drive device 78 ... Resistance imparting device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A food support member (62) set to be reciprocally movable in a fixed linear direction, and a food set to be movable in the linear direction and brought into contact with a food product supported by the support member. Abutment member (64)
And the food support member that is set on the opposite side of the food support member with respect to the linear direction with respect to the contact member and that moves the contact member to press the food product with the straight line. A driving device (66) for driving in a direction, and a driving device (66) that is set substantially parallel to and adjacent to the driving device and is connected between the fixed frame of the test device and the food supporting member. A resistance force imparting device (78) having a spring that imparts a resistance force to the food support member, which is extended in the linear direction with the movement of the member, and a measuring device for measuring the displacement amount of the food support member, The recording drum (10) which is rotated by an amount proportional to the displacement of the contact member driven by the drive device
2) and a measuring device that is connected to the food support member and is moved together with the food support member and that records the displacement of the food support member on the circumferential surface of the recording drum (104). An apparatus for testing physical properties of foods characterized by the above.