CN107455653B - Rice forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a rice forming device which can inhibit the generation of poor forming condition of a rice forming object and can quickly form the rice forming object. A rice molding device (100) comprises: a storage unit (1) for storing cooked rice; and a molding section (4) for molding the cooked rice stored in the storage section into a cooked rice molded product. The molding part has: a1 st rotating shaft (41) which rotates in a certain direction; a2 nd rotating shaft (42) which rotates in a direction opposite to the rotating direction of the 1 st rotating shaft; a1 st forming roller (43) mounted on the 1 st rotating shaft; and a2 nd forming roller (44) mounted on the 2 nd rotating shaft. The distance (L) between the 1 st and 2 nd rotary shafts is shorter than the sum of the pitch circle radius r1 of the 1 st forming roller and the pitch circle radius r2 of the 2 nd forming roller.

Description

Rice forming device

Technical Field

The invention relates to a rice forming device.

Background

For example, in a retail food store, a rice molding apparatus is used as an apparatus for producing a molded rice product (rice ball) for hand-holding sushi.

The rice molding device is configured to include, for example, a hopper, a compression section, a molding section, and a conveying section. The hopper stores the cooked rice as a raw material of the rice roll and supplies the cooked rice to the compressing section. The compression part compresses the rice supplied by the hopper to form a rod shape. The molding section molds the rod-shaped cooked rice into a rice ball of a predetermined shape. The conveying section receives and conveys the lump of rice molded by the molding section.

The molding section has a pair of rotating shafts and a pair of molding rollers attached to the rotating shafts. The forming roller has a plurality of receiving portions on an outer peripheral surface. The pair of forming rollers are attached to the pair of rotating shafts and rotate in opposite directions to each other. The rotation of the pair of forming rollers is synchronized so that the accommodating portions face each other with the rotation of the forming rollers.

The cooked rice is filled (housed) in a housing portion of the rotating molding roller. When the housing portions face each other, the rice in the housing portions is formed into a rice ball having a predetermined shape (for example, a substantially straw bag shape). The rice dough is discharged (dropped) from the storage portion to the conveying portion in accordance with the rotation of the forming roller.

In the rice-molding device for molding rice balls, a gap is formed between the abutting portions of the pair of molding rollers during the molding of the rice balls. If rice enters the gap during the formation of the rice ball, poor formation (residue) is likely to occur at the top of the rice ball when the formed rice ball is discharged. If there is a residue on the top of the discharged rice ball, the appearance of the rice ball is affected.

On the other hand, the rice entering the gap is crushed by the rotation of the pair of forming rollers. The crushed rice has viscosity. That is, a portion of the residue generated at the top of the shaped rice ball is rice having stickiness. The rice having viscosity is difficult to separate from the pair of forming rollers. That is, the rice ball with the residue is more difficult to separate from the pair of forming rollers than the rice ball without the residue, and it takes more time from the forming to the discharging of the rice ball.

Therefore, with the conventional rice molding apparatus in which a gap is generated at the contact portion of the pair of molding rollers, it is not possible to rapidly mold a rice ball having a good appearance.

A technique for suppressing the generation of sludge on a rice ball has been proposed (for example, see patent document 1). According to the rice molding device disclosed in patent document 1, uneven portions are provided on ridge line portions of the outer peripheral surface of the molding roller, and the uneven portions are engaged with each other to suppress the generation of the residue on the rice ball.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2006-197823.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, the rice molding device disclosed in patent document 1 generates a saw-toothed elongated gap in a portion where the concave and convex portions of the pair of molding rollers mesh with each other. In addition, the pair of forming rollers receives a force in a direction to increase the distance between the pair of forming rollers from the rice in the housing portion when the rice ball is formed. Therefore, in the rice molding apparatus, the gap between the engaging portions of the uneven portions of the pair of molding rollers is increased. As a result, jagged residues are generated on the rice ball.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rice molding apparatus capable of quickly molding a molded rice product while suppressing the occurrence of molding defects of the molded rice product.

Means for solving the problems

The invention is a rice forming device, characterized in that, it has: a storage unit for storing the cooked rice; and a molding section for molding the cooked rice stored in the storage section into a cooked rice molded product. The molding part has: a1 st rotating shaft which rotates in a certain direction; a2 nd rotation shaft which rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the 1 st rotation shaft; a1 st forming roller mounted on a1 st rotating shaft; and a2 nd forming roller installed on the 2 nd rotating shaft. The distance between the 1 st rotating shaft and the 2 nd rotating shaft is shorter than the sum of the pitch circle radius of the 1 st forming roller and the pitch circle radius of the 2 nd forming roller.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, molded cooked rice products can be molded quickly while suppressing the occurrence of molding defects in the molded cooked rice products.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the rice molding device of fig. 1 with a panel removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of the rice molding apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of molding rollers of the rice molding apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the mold roll of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the forming roll of fig. 5 taken along line B-B.

Fig. 8 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of fig. 4 in the 1 st state, and fig. 8 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of cooked rice contained in the pair of forming rollers in the 1 st state.

Fig. 9 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of fig. 4 in the 2 nd state, and fig. 9 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of the cooked rice contained in the pair of forming rollers in the 2 nd state.

Fig. 10 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of fig. 4 in the 3 rd state, and fig. 10 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of cooked rice contained in the pair of forming rollers in the 3 rd state.

Fig. 11 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of molding rolls of fig. 4 in the 4 th state, and fig. 11 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of a molded cooked rice product discharged from the pair of molding rolls in the 4 th state.

Fig. 12 is a front cross-sectional view of the molded cooked rice immediately after being discharged from the pair of molding rollers of fig. 4.

Fig. 13 is a front cross-sectional view of the molded cooked rice product after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of discharge.

Description of symbol mark

100: rice forming device

1: hopper (storage part)

2: frame body

3: compression part

4: forming section

41: 1 st rotation axis

42: 2 nd rotation axis

43: no. 1 Forming roll

43 a: storage part (1 st storage part)

43a 1: side wall surface

43a 2: upper wall surface

43a 3: bottom wall surface

44: no. 2 Forming roll

44 a: storage part (No. 2 storage part)

44a 1: side wall surface

44a 2: upper wall surface

44a 3: bottom wall surface

5: conveying part

6: driving part

7: panel board

8: operation unit (indication unit)

RB: molded cooked rice product

r 1: pitch radius of No. 1 Forming roll

r 2: pitch radius of No. 2 form roll

L: distance between the 1 st and 2 nd rotation axes

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, in an XYZ coordinate system shown in the drawings, the X direction represents the front-back direction, the Y direction represents the left-right direction, and the Z direction represents the up-down direction. In each direction, the direction indicated by the arrow is the + direction. In the X direction, the + X direction is the front and the-X direction is the rear. In the Y direction, the + Y direction is the left side, and the-Y direction is the right side. In the Z direction, the + Z direction is upward and the-Z direction is downward. In the figure, the mark marked "·" on "·" indicates an arrow (+ direction) from the back to the front of the paper surface.

● Rice molding device ●

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention.

The rice molding apparatus 100 molds rice R (see fig. 2, the same below) such as sushi rice into a rice molded product (hereinafter referred to as "rice ball") RB for hand-holding sushi. The rice ball RB molded by the rice molding device 100 has a predetermined shape (for example, a substantially straw bag shape). The rice molding apparatus 100 includes a hopper 1, a frame 2, a compression section 3, a molding section 4, a conveying section 5, a driving section 6, a control section (not shown), a panel 7, and an operation section 8.

● Structure of rice forming device

Fig. 2 is a front view of the rice molding apparatus 100 with the panel 7 removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of the rice molding apparatus 100 of fig. 2.

The hopper 1 serves as a storage section for cooked rice R, and stores, stirs, and supplies the cooked rice R. The hopper 1 includes a storage portion 11, a stirring portion 12, and a supply portion 13. The storage portion 11 stores rice R therein. The housing portion 11 is detachably attached to the upper portion of the frame 2. The stirring section 12 stirs the cooked rice R in the stirring section 12 by a plurality of stirring arms (not shown). The stirring section 12 is disposed below the storage section 11. The stirring section 12 is attached to the front surface of the upper side of the frame 2. The supply unit 13 feeds the cooked rice R stirred by the stirring unit 12 to a position below the supply unit 13. The supply unit 13 is provided integrally with the stirring unit 12 below the stirring unit 12.

The frame body 2 supports the compression section 3, the molding section 4, and the conveying section 5, and accommodates the driving section 6 and the like. The frame 2 has a plurality of support portions. The support portion supports, for example, the compression portion 3 and the molding portion 4.

The compression part 3 compresses the cooked rice R supplied from the hopper 1 to facilitate the molding of the rice ball RB by the molding part 4. The compression section 3 is disposed below the hopper 1 and in front of the frame 2. The compression unit 3 includes a plurality of rotary shafts 31, an upper compression roller pair 32, a lower compression roller pair 33, and a pair of support plates 34.

The rotary shaft 31 supports the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33. The rotary shaft 31 is rotatably supported by the housing 2 via a support portion of the housing 2. The upper compression roller pair 32 compresses the cooked rice R supplied from the hopper 1. The upper compression roller pair 32 is composed of a1 st compression roller 32a and a2 nd compression roller 32 b. The lower compression roller pair 33 further compresses the cooked rice R compressed by the upper compression roller pair 32. The lower compression roller pair 33 is composed of a3 rd compression roller 33a and a4 th compression roller 33 b.

The upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33 are attached to the frame 2 via the rotary shaft 31. The upper compression roller pair 32 is disposed below the supply portion 13 of the hopper 1 with a predetermined gap therebetween in the left-right direction. The lower compression roller pair 33 is disposed below the upper compression roller pair 32 with a predetermined gap therebetween in the left-right direction. The interval between the 3 rd compression roller 33a and the 4 th compression roller 33b is narrower than the interval between the 1 st compression roller 32a and the 2 nd compression roller 32 b.

The rotary shaft 31 is rotated by a rotational driving force from the driving unit 6. The rotation speed and the rotation direction of the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33 supported by the rotation shaft 31 are controlled by a control unit. The rotation direction of the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33 is a direction in which the cooked rice R supplied to the compression section 3 moves from above to below.

The pair of supporting plates 34 support the rice R supplied to the compression part 3 and the molding part 4 from front to rear. The pair of support plates 34 is composed of a front side support plate (not shown) and a rear side support plate 34 a. The rear support plate 34a is attached to the front surface of the housing 2. The front side support plate is mounted behind the face plate 7.

The configuration of the compression unit 3 is not limited to the present embodiment. That is, for example, the roller pair of the compression section 3 is 2 stages of the upper stage compression roller pair 32 and the lower stage compression roller pair 33, but the roller pair of the compression section may be 1 stage or 3 stages or more. In addition, the compression section may be a belt system instead of a roller system.

The molding section 4 molds the cooked rice R compressed by the compression section 3 into a rice ball RB. The molding portion 4 is disposed below the compression portion 3 and in front of the frame 2. The molding section 4 includes a1 st rotation shaft 41, a2 nd rotation shaft 42, a1 st molding roller 43, and a2 nd molding roller 44.

The 1 st rotating shaft 41 supports the 1 st forming roller 43. The 2 nd rotation shaft 42 supports the 2 nd forming roller 44. The rear half portions of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 are rotatably supported by the support portion of the housing 2 at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The 1 st and 2 nd rotary shafts 41 and 42 have respective axial directions in the front-rear direction. The front half portions of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 project forward from the support portion of the frame 2. That is, the 1 st rotation shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotation shaft 42 are supported on the support portion in a cantilever manner.

The 1 st and 2 nd rotation shafts 41 and 42 are rotated by a rotational driving force from the driving unit 6. The rotation speed and the rotation direction of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 are controlled by a control unit.

The 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 form the cooked rice R compressed by the compression part 3 into a cooked rice cluster RB. The 1 st forming roller 43 is mounted on the front half of the 1 st rotating shaft 41. The 2 nd forming roller 44 is installed at the front half of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. The outer peripheral surface of the 1 st forming roller 43 faces the outer peripheral surface of the 2 nd forming roller 44.

The rotation direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 is a direction in which the cooked rice R supplied from the compression part 3 is formed and the formed cooked rice cluster RB is discharged downward. That is, the rotation direction of the 1 st form roller 43 is a clockwise direction (clockwise direction in fig. 2) when viewed from the front. The rotation direction of the 2 nd forming roller 44 is a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front (counterclockwise direction in fig. 2). The rotation of the 1 st forming roller 43 is synchronized with the rotation of the 2 nd forming roller 44.

In a state where the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are removed, distances L between the axial center (shaft center) of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 at different positions in the axial direction of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 (hereinafter referred to as "inter-shaft distances") are different from each other. That is, in a state where the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are removed, the distance L1 between the rear ends of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 is longer than the distance L2 between the front ends of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. That is, in a state where the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are detached, the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 are not parallel.

Next, the structure of the 1 st forming roller 43 and the structure of the 2 nd forming roller 44 will be described. The structure of the 1 st forming roller 43 and the structure of the 2 nd forming roller 44 are bilaterally symmetrical except for the later-described irregularities. Therefore, the structure of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 will be described below using the 1 st forming roller 43.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44.

The 1 st forming roller 43 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as a fluorine-based resin. The 1 st form roller 43 is cylindrical. The 1 st forming roller 43 has a shaft hole 43h and a plurality of receiving portions 43 a.

Fig. 5 is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44.

This figure shows a cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 after the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are cut at the central portion in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. In the figure, the hollow arrows adjacent to the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 indicate the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 (hereinafter, the same as fig. 6, 8 to 11).

The shaft hole 43h is a hole through which the 1 st rotating shaft 41 is inserted. The shaft hole 43h is disposed on the axis (central axis) of the 1 st forming roller 43. The shaft hole 43h penetrates the 1 st forming roller 43. The shaft hole 43h is hexagonal when viewed from the front. The first half of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 is fitted in the shaft hole 43 h.

The accommodating portion 43a accommodates the cooked rice R together with the accommodating portion 44a of the 2 nd forming roller 44, and forms the cooked rice R into a rice ball RB. The receiving portion 43a is recessed from the outer peripheral surface of the 1 st forming roller 43 toward the center in a substantially boat bottom shape. The length of the receiving portion 43a in the axial direction of the 1 st forming roller 43 is longer than the length of the receiving portion 43a in the circumferential direction of the 1 st forming roller 43 (see fig. 4). The receiving portions 43a are disposed at 6 positions on the outer peripheral surface of the 1 st forming roller 43 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the 1 st forming roller 43.

The number of accommodating portions of the 1 st forming roller is not limited to "6".

Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the 1 st form roller 43.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the 1 st form roller 43 of fig. 5 taken along line B-B.

The receiving portion 43a has a side wall surface 43a1, an upper wall surface 43a2, a bottom wall surface 43a3, a front wall surface 43a4, and a rear wall surface 43a 5. The side wall surface 43a1 shapes the side surface of the rice ball RB. The upper wall surface 43a2 molds the upper surface of the rice ball RB. The bottom wall surface 43a3 shapes the bottom surface of the rice ball RB. The front wall surface 43a4 and the rear wall surface 43a5 shape the longitudinal end surfaces (front end surface, rear end surface) of the rice ball RB. The volume of the space (the space surrounded by the side wall surface 43a1, the upper wall surface 43a2, the bottom wall surface 43a3, the front wall surface 43a4, and the rear wall surface 43a 5) in the accommodating portion 43a corresponds to approximately half of the volume of the rice ball RB.

As shown in fig. 5, the side wall surfaces 43a1 are arranged so that 6 side wall surfaces 43a1 form a polygon (hexagon) together when viewed in cross section. The upper wall surface 43a2 is located rearward of the side wall surface 43a1 (in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the 1 st forming roller 43) in the rotation direction of the 1 st forming roller 43 (clockwise direction in fig. 5). The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the upper wall surface 43a2 is an obtuse angle.

The bottom wall surface 43a3 is located forward of the side wall surface 43a1 in the rotation direction of the 1 st forming roller 43 (rotation direction of the 1 st forming roller 43). The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the bottom wall surface 43a3 is an acute angle. That is, the angle formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the bottom wall surface 43a3 is smaller than the angle formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the upper wall surface 43a 2.

As shown in fig. 7, the front wall surface 43a4 is located on the front end side of the side wall surface 43a1 (lower side of the paper surface in fig. 7). The rear wall surface 43a5 is located on the rear end side (upper side of the sheet of fig. 7) of the side wall surface 43a 1. The angle (inner angle) between the side wall surface 43a1 and the front wall surface 43a4 is substantially a right angle. The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the rear wall surface 43a5 is the same as the angle formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the front wall surface 43a 4.

Of the outer peripheral surfaces of the first forming roller 43, the outer peripheral surface 43b located between the receiving portions 43a has a convex portion 43b1 and a concave portion 43b 2. The convex portions 43b1 and the concave portions 43b2 are provided repeatedly on the outer peripheral surface 43b along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the 1 st forming roller 43. That is, the outer peripheral surface 43b of the 1 st forming roller 43 has a wavy shape having irregularities in a side view. The convex shape of the convex portion 43b1 and the concave shape of the concave portion 43b2 are symmetrical to each other.

Next, the relationship between the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 will be described.

The accommodating portion 43a of the 1 st forming roller 43 as the 1 st accommodating portion and the accommodating portion 44a of the 2 nd forming roller 44 as the 2 nd accommodating portion are repeatedly moved closer to and away from each other in accordance with the rotation of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. As shown in fig. 5, when the accommodating portion 43a and the accommodating portion 44a are closest to each other, a space S surrounded by the accommodating portions 43a and 44a (hereinafter referred to as "cooked rice molding space") is a closed space when viewed in cross section.

The outer peripheral surface 43b of the 1 st forming roller 43 and the outer peripheral surface 44b of the 2 nd forming roller 44 repeatedly come into contact with and separate from each other with the rotation of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. When the outer peripheral surface 43b of the 1 st molding roller 43 and the outer peripheral surface 44b of the 2 nd molding roller 44 are in contact with each other, the convex portion 43b1 of the 1 st molding roller 43 fits into the concave portion 44b2 of the 2 nd molding roller 44, and the concave portion 43b2 of the 1 st molding roller 43 fits into the convex portion 44b1 of the 2 nd molding roller 44.

The pitch circle C1 of the 1 st forming roller 43 circumscribes the pitch circle C2 of the 2 nd forming roller 44.

The pitch circle C1 of the 1 st forming roller 43 is a virtual circle connecting the intermediate portion between the top of the convex portion 43b1 and the bottom of the concave portion 43b2 of the 1 st forming roller 43 in the radial direction of the 1 st forming roller 43 in the circumferential direction of the 1 st forming roller 43. The pitch circle C2 of the 2 nd forming roller 44 is a virtual circle connecting the top of the convex portion 44b1 of the 2 nd forming roller 44 and the middle of the bottom of the concave portion 44b2 in the radial direction of the 2 nd forming roller 44 in the circumferential direction of the 2 nd forming roller 44. In the following description, the radii r1 and r2 of the 2 virtual circles C1 and C2 are referred to as pitch circle radii. That is, the pitch circle C1 of the 1 st forming roller 43 has a pitch circle radius r1, and the pitch circle C2 of the 2 nd forming roller 44 has a pitch circle radius r 2. Pitch radius r1 of form 1 roll 43 is the same as pitch radius r2 of form 2 roll 44.

In a state where the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are not yet mounted, an inter-shaft distance L2 between the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 on the tip side is shorter than the sum of the pitch radius r1 of the 1 st forming roller 43 and the pitch radius r2 of the 2 nd forming roller 44. Therefore, when the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 abut against each other on the outer circumferential surfaces 43b and 44b, the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 receive stress (hereinafter referred to as "stress between shafts") acting in a direction in which the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 approach each other. As described above, the distance L2 between the 1 st rotation shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotation shaft 42 is shorter on the front side than on the rear side than the distance L1. Therefore, the influence of the stress between the shafts on the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 becomes larger from the rear end toward the front end of the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44.

The conveying section 5 conveys the rice ball RB molded by the molding section 4. The conveying unit 5 has a circular turntable 51 in a plan view.

The driving unit 6 supplies a rotational driving force to the upper compression roller pair 32, the lower compression roller pair 33, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44, and the turntable 51. The driving unit 6 is, for example, a motor. The rotational driving force from the driving unit 6 is supplied to each member via a gear (not shown) or the like.

The control unit controls the overall operation of the cooked rice molding device 100 including the rotation of the 1 st and 2 nd rotary shafts 41, 42. The control unit is housed in the housing 2, for example.

The panel 7 protects the stirring section 12, the supply section 13, the compression section 3, and the molding section 4 of the hopper 1 from contamination by dust and the like around the rice molding apparatus 100. The panel 7 is attached to the front surface of the frame 2.

The operation unit 8 sets the amount of cooked rice or the number of molded rice balls RB. The operation unit 8 includes a display unit, a power switch, an emergency stop button, a mode selection button, and the like. The operation unit 8 is an example of an instruction unit in the present invention.

● action of rice forming device

Next, the operation of the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 will be described.

First, cooked rice R such as sushi rice is put into the storage portion 11 of the hopper 1 by an operator of the cooked rice molding apparatus 100. When the operator turns on the power switch of the rice molding device 100 in a state where the cooked rice R is put into the storage portion 11, the cooked rice R is stirred and dispersed by the stirring portion 12.

Then, the control section controls the driving section 6 to drive the compression section 3 (rotate the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33). By the rotation of the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33, the cooked rice R supplied from the supply portion 13 of the hopper 1 is conveyed to the molding portion 4 while being compressed.

If the cooked rice R reaches the molding part 4, the control part stops driving the compression part 3. At this time, the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 is in a standby state. When the rice molding device 100 is in a standby state, the pair of molding rollers 43 and 44 are in a state where the outer peripheral surface 43b of the 1 st molding roller 43 and the outer peripheral surface 44b of the 2 nd molding roller 44 are in contact (hereinafter referred to as "1 st state").

Then, the control unit controls the driving unit 6 to rotate the upper compression roller pair 32, the lower compression roller pair 33, and the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. The molding section 4 repeats the operations of storing the cooked rice R, molding the rice ball RB, and discharging the rice ball RB by the rotations of the upper compression roller pair 32, the lower compression roller pair 33, and the pair of molding rollers 43 and 44.

Fig. 8 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of molding rollers 43 and 44 in the 1 st state, and fig. 8 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of the cooked rice R accommodated in the molding section 4 in the 1 st state.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 1 st state, the accommodating portions 43a and 44a located rearward in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 with respect to the outer peripheral surfaces 43b and 44b that are in contact therewith are opposed to each other in a V-shape in front view.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 1 st state, the receiving portion 43a and the receiving portion 44a are not positioned between the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. That is, when the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 1 st state, there is no space between the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. At this time, the shaft center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the shaft center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 are in a tight state by the action of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 1 st state, the cooked rice R supplied from the compression section 3 is stored in the storage sections 43a and 44a facing each other in a V-shape in front view.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 further rotate from the 1 st state, the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 enter a state (hereinafter referred to as "the 2 nd state") where the receiving portions 43a and 44a are interposed between the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42.

Fig. 9 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of molding rollers 43 and 44 in the 2 nd state, and fig. 9 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of the cooked rice R accommodated in the molding section 4 in the 2 nd state.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 2 nd state, at least a part of the receiving portions 43a and 44a is positioned between the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. That is, when the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 2 nd state, a space (rice R is present in the space) formed by the receiving portions 43a and 44a exists between the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 2 nd state, the cooked rice R accommodated in the accommodating portions 43a and 44a starts to be formed into the cooked rice cluster RB.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are further rotated from the 2 nd state, the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 are brought into a state where the accommodating portion 43a and the accommodating portion 44a are opposed to each other substantially in parallel (hereinafter referred to as "3 rd state").

Fig. 10 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of molding rollers 43 and 44 in the 3 rd state, and fig. 10 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of the cooked rice R accommodated in the molding section 4 in the 3 rd state.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 3 rd state, the receiving portion 43a and the receiving portion 44a face each other. When receiving portion 43a and receiving portion 44a face each other, receiving portion 43a and receiving portion 44a are closest to each other. When receiving portion 43a and receiving portion 44a face each other, the distance between upper wall surfaces 43a2 and 44a2 is substantially the same as the distance between bottom wall surfaces 43a3 and 44a 3.

When receiving portion 43a and receiving portion 44a face each other, a line connecting upper wall surface 43a2 of receiving portion 43a and upper wall surface 44a2 of receiving portion 44a has a dome shape protruding rearward (upward in the paper of fig. 10) in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in front view. On the other hand, a line connecting the bottom wall surface 43a3 of the receiving portion 43a and the bottom wall surface 44a3 of the receiving portion 44a is formed in a mountain shape protruding rearward in the rotation direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in front view.

When the receiving portions 43a and 44a face each other, the rice molding space S formed by the receiving portions 43a and 44a has a dome shape with an upper portion protruding upward and a mountain shape with a bottom portion protruding upward in front view.

When the receiving portions 43a and 44a face each other, the cooked rice R in the cooked rice molding space S is molded into a cooked rice cluster RB by the receiving portions 43a and 44 a. At this time, the bottom surface of the rice ball RB is provided with a concave part RBa. The concave portion RBa is recessed toward the center of the rice ball in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the rice ball. The recessed portion RBa is formed in a mountain shape protruding rearward in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 when viewed from the front.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are further rotated from the 3 rd state, the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 are in a state in which the bottom of the cooked rice forming space S is spread in the right-left direction from the 3 rd state (hereinafter referred to as "4 th state") when viewed from the front.

FIG. 11 (a) is a front cross-sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in the 4 th state, and FIG. 11 (b) is a front cross-sectional view of the lump of rice RB formed by the forming section 4 in the 4 th state.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 4 th state, the outer peripheral surfaces 43b and 44b on the rear side of the cooked rice forming space S are in close contact with each other by the stress between the shafts in the rotating direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. That is, the convex portions 43b1 of the outer peripheral surface 43b are in close contact with the concave portions 44b2 of the outer peripheral surface 44b, and the concave portions 43b2 of the outer peripheral surface 43b are in close contact with the convex portions 44b1 of the outer peripheral surface 44 b. Therefore, cooked rice R does not remain between outer peripheral surface 43b and outer peripheral surface 44 b. As a result, the molding failure (residue) does not occur on the upper surface of the rice ball RB. That is, the rice ball RB is separated from the cooked rice R in a well formed state without residue.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 rotate from the 3 rd state to the 4 th state, the bottom wall surface 43a3 of the accommodating portion 43a and the bottom wall surface 44a3 of the accommodating portion 44a are separated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the 4 th state, a line connecting the bottom wall surfaces 43a3 and 44a3 is substantially straight when viewed from the front.

If the bottom wall surfaces 43a3, 44a3 are separated from each other in the right-left direction, the bottom surface of the lump of rice RB spreads in the right-left direction in accordance with the movement of the bottom wall surfaces 43a3, 44a 3. As a result, the density of the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB is lower than the density of the upper surface side of the rice ball RB. That is, the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB contains more air than the upper surface side of the rice ball RB.

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 is in the 4 th state, the lump of rice RB is pressed from the upper wall surfaces 43a2, 44a2 toward the front in the rotating direction of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44. Therefore, the recessed portion RBa of the bottom surface of the rice cluster RB becomes smaller than that in the 3 rd state of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 further rotate from the 4 th position, the rice ball RB is discharged (dropped) from the rice forming space S to the lower turntable 51.

As described above, no sludge is formed on the rice ball RB. The rice ball RB without the residue is more easily separated from the accommodating parts 43a, 44a than the rice ball with the residue. That is, the rice ball RB without the residue can be separated from the housing parts 43a and 44a more quickly than the rice ball with the residue. In addition, the rice ball RB discharged from the rice molding space S does not fall or incline. Therefore, the falling position and the falling posture of the rice ball RB onto the turntable 51 are relatively stable. As a result, the rotation angle of the turntable 51 can be reduced, and the time required for rotating the turntable 51 can be shortened.

FIG. 12 is a front sectional view of the rice cluster RB just after the discharge (molding).

The state of the rice ball RB immediately after the molding is substantially the same as the state of the rice ball RB when the pair of molding rollers 43, 44 are in the 4 th state. That is, the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB contains more air than the upper surface side of the rice ball RB.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the rice ball RB as seen from the front after a predetermined time has elapsed after the molding.

After a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the formation of the rice ball RB, the cooked rice R on the upper surface side of the rice ball RB moves toward the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB by its own weight. Therefore, the rice ball RB after the lapse of the predetermined time from the start of molding is in a state of including air on the upper surface side of the rice ball RB as compared with the rice ball RB just molded. As a result, the rice ball RB molded by the rice molding device 100 has a softer texture because it contains more air than the texture of the rice ball molded by the conventional rice molding device. The bottom surface of the rice ball RB becomes flat along the surface of the turntable 51.

As described above, the rice ball RB is molded along with the rotation of the pair of molding rollers 43, 44. At this time, the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 receive a force (hereinafter, referred to as a "reaction force") by an elastic force or the like from the rice R at the time of forming the rice ball RB. The direction of the reaction force acting on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 is the direction in which the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are separated (the left-right direction of the paper surface in fig. 10).

Since the 1 st and 2 nd rotation shafts 41, 42 are supported by cantilevers, the influence of the reaction force increases toward the free ends (tips) of the 1 st and 2 nd rotation shafts 41, 42. On the other hand, the influence of the inter-shaft stress is also larger toward the free ends (tips) of the 1 st and 2 nd rotating shafts 41 and 42. Here, the distance between the tip of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the tip of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 is adjusted, so that the stress between the shafts is set to be larger than the reaction force. Therefore, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are not separated by the reaction force. That is, no residue is generated on the rice ball RB molded by the rice molding device 100. That is, the rice ball RB is easily separated from the accommodating portions 43a and 44 a. As a result, the rice molding apparatus 100 can mold the rice ball quickly while suppressing the occurrence of molding defects.

The magnitude of the stress between the shafts may be the same as the magnitude of the reaction force. In this case, the 1 st forming roller and the 2 nd forming roller contact with a uniform force in the axial direction (front-rear direction) of the pair of forming rollers.

● disassembling and assembling of a pair of forming rollers 43, 44

Next, the attachment and detachment of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 will be described.

As described above, the 1 st forming roller 43 and the 2 nd forming roller 44 receive stress from the shaft of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. The influence of the inter-axis stress on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 differs depending on the rotational position of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. That is, when the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 are relatively close to each other, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are most affected by the inter-axial stress. On the other hand, if there is a space between the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42, the influence of the inter-axial stress on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 is reduced. Therefore, when the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are detachable, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are detached. The detachable state is a state in which the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are positioned such that at least a part of the housing portions 43a and 44a is positioned between the axis of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axis of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 (on a line connecting the axes). That is, the 2 nd state is a detachable state among the 1 st state, the 2 nd state, the 3 rd state, and the 4 th state.

The switching of the state of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 to the detachable state is performed, for example, when the operator operates the operation unit 8. That is, when the operator operates the operation unit 8, the operation unit 8 instructs the control unit to switch to the detachable state of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44.

When receiving an instruction to switch to a detachable state of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44, the control unit controls the rotation of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 so that at least a part of the accommodating portions 43a and 44a is positioned on a line connecting the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42.

On the other hand, the state of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 when the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are attached is the same as the state of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 in the detachable state.

Further, the instruction of the control portion to switch to the detachable state of the pair of forming rollers may be automatically performed when the rice ball forming apparatus finishes forming the rice ball (for example, when forming of the rice ball is finished for the number of forming set by the operator), without depending on the operation of the operator, by detecting the end of forming by the operation portion.

The instruction to switch the control section to the detachable state of the pair of forming rollers may be automatically executed when the control section stops the operation of the rice forming apparatus, such as when there is no place to place a rice ball on the turntable, when the panel is detached from the housing, or when there is no rice in the supply section of the hopper.

● summary

According to the embodiment described above, the distance L2 between the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 is shorter than the sum of the pitch radius r1 of the 1 st forming roller 43 and the pitch radius r2 of the 2 nd forming roller 44. Therefore, cooked rice R located above the accommodating portions 43a and 44a does not remain between the outer peripheral surface 43b and the outer peripheral surface 44 b. As a result, the cooked rice dough RB molded by the cooked rice molding device 100 is separated from the cooked rice R in a good molded state without residue.

The time from the molding to the discharging of the residue-free rice dough RB molded by the rice molding device 100 is shorter and fixed than that of the residue-containing rice dough molded by the conventional rice molding device.

The residue-free rice ball RB molded by the rice molding device 100 is more easily separated from the housing parts 43a and 44a than the residue-containing rice ball molded by the conventional rice molding device. Therefore, the rice ball RB can be discharged from the housing parts 43a, 44a in a stable state. As a result, the rice ball RB can be more stably dropped onto the turntable 51. In addition, the rice ball RB fallen to the turntable 51 does not fall or incline on the turntable 51. That is, the posture of the rice ball RB on the turntable 51 is more stable.

Since the posture of the rice ball RB on the turntable 51 is more stable, the rice ball RB does not fall or incline on the turntable 51 even if the molding speed of the rice ball RB is increased. Therefore, the rotation angle of the turntable 51 can be adjusted to a rotation angle irrespective of the toppling or inclination of the rice ball RB. That is, the interval between the rice balls RB on the turntable 51 can be reduced, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the arrayed rice balls RB.

As described above, the cooked rice molding apparatus of the present invention can rapidly mold the rice ball RB while suppressing the generation of the residue.

Further, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 can be detached from the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 by positioning at least a part of the receiving portions 43a and 44a on a line connecting the axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft 42. Therefore, the rice molding apparatus of the present invention can improve maintainability while reducing the gap between the 1 st molding roller 43 and the 2 nd molding roller 44.

The distance L1 between the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 on the rear end side is longer than the distance L2 between the 1 st rotating shaft 41 and the 2 nd rotating shaft 42 on the front end side. Therefore, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are not separated by the reaction force of the cooked rice R from the accommodating portions 43a and 44 a. That is, no residue is generated on the upper surface of the rice ball RB due to the rice R entering the gap between the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. That is, the rice molding device of the present invention can rapidly mold a rice ball while suppressing the generation of residue.

In a state where the pair of molding rolls 43 and 44 are not yet mounted, the 1 st rotation axis and the 2 nd rotation axis may be parallel to each other as long as the distance L2 between the axes is shorter than the sum of the pitch circle radius r1 and the pitch circle radius r 2.

In the above-described embodiment, the outer peripheral surfaces 43b, 44b of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 have the convex portions 43b1, 44b1 and the concave portions 43b2, 44b2, but the outer peripheral surfaces of the pair of forming rollers may not have the concave portions and the convex portions. That is, for example, the pair of forming rollers may be positioned between the accommodating portions so that the outer peripheral surfaces thereof contact each other with the circumferential surfaces thereof. In this case, the pitch circle radius in the above-described embodiment corresponds to the radius of the forming roll.

Claims (5)

1. A rice molding device is characterized by comprising:

a storage unit for storing the cooked rice; and

a molding section for molding the cooked rice stored in the storage section into a cooked rice molded product,

the molding portion has:

a1 st rotating shaft which rotates in a certain direction;

a2 nd rotation shaft that rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the 1 st rotation shaft;

a1 st forming roller mounted on the 1 st rotating shaft;

a2 nd forming roller mounted on the 2 nd rotating shaft; and

a support portion that cantileverly supports the 1 st and 2 nd rotation shafts,

the 1 st rotating shaft has a1 st end supported by the support portion and a1 st other end as the other end of the 1 st end,

the 2 nd rotating shaft has a2 nd end supported by the supporting portion and a2 nd other end that is the other end of the 2 nd end,

in a state where the 1 st forming roller and the 2 nd forming roller are detached, an axial distance between the 1 st other end and the 2 nd other end is shorter than a sum of a pitch circle radius of the 1 st forming roller and a pitch circle radius of the 2 nd forming roller.

2. A rice molding apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

the 1 st forming roller is provided with a1 st accommodating part,

the 2 nd forming roller is provided with a2 nd accommodating part,

the cooked rice stored in the storage part is stored in the 1 st storage part and the 2 nd storage part to form the cooked rice forming object,

when at least a part of the 1 st receiving part and the 2 nd receiving part is located on a line connecting an axial center of the 1 st rotating shaft and an axial center of the 2 nd rotating shaft, the 1 st forming roller and the 2 nd forming roller are detachable from the 1 st rotating shaft and the 2 nd rotating shaft.

3. A rice molding apparatus according to claim 2, comprising:

a control unit that controls rotation of the 1 st and 2 nd rotating shafts; and

an indicating section that indicates switching to a detachable state of the 1 st forming roller and the 2 nd forming roller,

the control unit controls the rotation of the 1 st rotating shaft and the 2 nd rotating shaft so that at least a part of the 1 st accommodating unit and the 2 nd accommodating unit is positioned on a line connecting an axis of the 1 st rotating shaft and an axis of the 2 nd rotating shaft when the instruction unit instructs to switch to the detachable state is received.

4. A rice molding apparatus as claimed in claim 3,

when the 1 st mold roll has been detached from the 1 st rotating shaft, the 1 st rotating shaft and the 2 nd rotating shaft have different inter-shaft distances at different positions in the axial direction of the 1 st rotating shaft.

5. A rice molding apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

an inter-axis distance between the 1 st end side of the 1 st rotation shaft and the 2 nd end side of the 2 nd rotation shaft is longer than an inter-axis distance between the 1 st other end side of the 1 st rotation shaft and the 2 nd other end side of the 2 nd rotation shaft.

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