CN112137391A

CN112137391A - Cooking apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN112137391A
Application number: CN202010513175.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 秋叶梓
Original assignee: Zensho Holdings Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zensho Holdings Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-06-27
Filing date: 2020-06-08
Publication date: 2020-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-08
Also published as: JP2021003528A; JP7282615B2; CN112137391B

Abstract

The cooking device is provided with: a cooking table having a plurality of placement positions; a cooking container mounted on the cooking table; a container carrying mechanism for carrying the cooking container to different loading positions; and an automatic cooker for performing a cooking process on the cooking container conveyed to a different placement position by the container conveying mechanism, wherein the container conveying mechanism comprises: a rotating part which is horizontally and rotatably arranged on the cooking platform; and a clamping and separating part which is arranged on the rotating part and can be clamped and separated with the cooking container, and the cooking container moves to different loading positions through the rotation of the rotating part under the clamping and separating state of the clamping and separating part.

Description

Cooking apparatus

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cooking apparatus.

Background

In JPH 08-140843 JP, a cooking apparatus is disclosed, which comprises: a stand; a pan formed with a discharge port; a holding part formed on the stand in a manner of freely rotatably holding the pot; a plug (Japanese plug) detachably attached to the discharge port; a partition plate rotatably provided to the stopper, the partition plate dividing the pot into a heat insulating part and a cooking part; and a heating part arranged below the pot in a manner of independently heating the heat preservation part and the cooking part.

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, when cooking food materials using the cooking apparatus described in JPH 08-140843 JP, all manual operations are required to perform each cooking step, and therefore, there is a problem that variations in cooking quality such as taste are likely to occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking apparatus capable of reducing variations in cooking quality by automating at least a part of a cooking process.

Means for solving the problems

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooking apparatus, comprising: a cooking table having a plurality of placement positions; a cooking container mounted on the cooking table; a container transfer mechanism for transferring the cooking container to a different placement position; and an automatic cooking device for performing a cooking process on the cooking container conveyed to a different placement position by the container conveying mechanism, the container conveying mechanism including: a rotating part which is horizontally and rotatably arranged on the cooking platform; and an engaging/disengaging unit provided in the rotating unit and capable of engaging/disengaging with/from the cooking container, wherein the cooking container is moved to a different placement position by rotation of the rotating unit in a state of being engaged with the engaging/disengaging unit.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

With the above-described technical means, variations in cooking quality can be reduced by automating at least a part of the cooking process.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooking apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a cooking apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the cooking table.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cooking container.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V shown in fig. 4.

Fig. 6A is a schematic explanatory view for explaining engagement between the cooking container and the engagement/disengagement portion.

Fig. 6B is a schematic explanatory view for explaining the separation between the cooking container and the engaging and separating portion.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking apparatus.

Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view showing a cooking apparatus according to a modification.

Detailed Description

The present embodiment is described below with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as a whole.

(cooking apparatus)

First, a cooking apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 6B.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooking apparatus 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the cooking apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the cooking table 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cooking container 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V-V shown in fig. 4. Fig. 6A is a schematic explanatory view for explaining engagement between the cooking container 3 and the disengaged portion 42A. Fig. 6B is a schematic explanatory view for explaining the separation between the cooking container 3 and the engaging and separating portion 42A. In the figure, the longitudinal direction of the cooking apparatus 1, the width direction of the cooking apparatus 1, and the vertical direction of the cooking apparatus 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the longitudinal direction, the width direction, and the vertical direction) are referred to as the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction, respectively.

The cooking apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an automatic cooking apparatus for cooking food materials. Specifically, the cooking apparatus 1 is installed in a shop, for example, and provides cooking for cooking (stewing) food materials (meat, fish, vegetables, and the like). Of course, the cooking device 1 may be used for cooking such as stir-frying, steaming, boiling, or frying, in addition to stewing.

As shown in fig. 1, a cooking apparatus 1 includes: a cooking station 2; a cooking container 3 mounted on the cooking platform 2; a container transfer mechanism 4 for transferring the cooking container 3 to a different placement position 212; an automatic cooker (not shown) for performing a cooking process for the cooking container 3 conveyed to the different placement position 212 by the container conveying mechanism 4; an automatic food material loading device (not shown) for automatically loading food materials into the cooking container 3; and a control unit 5 for controlling the operations of the container transfer mechanism 4, the automatic cooking device, and the automatic food material loading device.

[ cooking bench ]

The cooking table 2 includes: a rectangular placement plate 21 provided in a horizontal direction so as to extend in a longitudinal direction; a rectangular lower plate 22 provided below the mounting plate 21 so as to be parallel to the mounting plate 21; and four support columns 23 extending in the vertical direction and connecting four corners of the mounting plate 21 and four corners of the lower plate 22, respectively.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the mounting plate 21 is a mounting portion for mounting the cooking container 3. The mounting plate 21 is provided with a flat mounting surface 211 on which a plurality of (six in this case) mounting positions 212 are formed. Thereby, the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved in contact with the mounting surface 211 of the mounting plate 21. Therefore, cooking container 3 can be horizontally moved to different placement positions 212 along the extending direction of placement surface 211 by container transfer mechanism 4 without lifting cooking container 3 from placement surface 211. The flat placement surface 211 may have minute irregularities to the extent that the horizontal movement of the cooking container 3 is not hindered.

The six placement positions 212 are arranged in a matrix shape of 3 (longitudinal direction) × 2 (width direction) in a plan view. The six placement positions 212 include a material input position 212a, a 1 st dross removal position 212b, a 2 nd dross removal position 212c, a dish placement position 212d, a seasoning liquid suction position 212e, and a seasoning liquid supplement position 212f, which are arranged in this order in the counterclockwise direction.

As shown in fig. 3, an induction heater 213 as a heating unit for heating the cooking container 3 is embedded in at least a part of the plurality of placement positions 212. This enables the cooking container 3 positioned at least a part of the plurality of placement positions 212 to be heated. Specifically,

independent induction heaters

213a, 213b, 213c, and 213d are embedded in the food material input position 212a, the 1 st dross removal position 212b, the 2 nd dross removal position 212c, and the dish storage position 212d, respectively. The plurality of (four in this case)

induction heaters

213a, 213b, 213c, and 213d are arranged in a substantially L-shape in plan view.

The

induction heaters

213a, 213b, and 213c heat the cooking container 3 in accordance with the heating control signal output from the control unit 5, so that the temperature inside the cooking container 3 becomes an appropriate cooking temperature. On the other hand, the induction heating unit 213d heats the cooking container 3 in accordance with the warm keeping control signal output from the control unit 5, and sets the temperature inside the cooking container 3 to the warm keeping temperature of the dish (i.e., a temperature lower than the appropriate stewing temperature).

That is, the heating temperature of the induction heater 213d is set to be lower than the heating temperatures of the

other induction heaters

213a, 213b, and 213 c. Accordingly, the food material contained in the cooking container 3 located at the food material input position 212a, the 1 st descuming position 212b, or the 2 nd descuming position 212c can be heat-cooked by strong fire, and the food material contained in the cooking container 3 located at the holding position 212d after the heat-cooking is completed can be heat-preserved at the heat-preserved temperature, so that the food material can be prevented from being excessively cooked.

The seasoning supply unit (not shown) stores a seasoning liquid as an unused seasoning to be supplied to the cooking container 3 located at the food material loading position 212a by a seasoning supply mechanism (not shown). Here, the seasoning liquid is a liquid seasoning for seasoning food. However, the seasoning supply unit is not limited to the seasoning liquid, and for example, a powdered or solid seasoning may be stored.

The seasoning storage part (not shown) collects and stores the seasoning liquid (the stewed seasoning liquid) sucked from the cooking container 3 located at the seasoning liquid suction position 212e through a suction nozzle (not shown). The seasoning storage unit mixes the seasoning liquid collected by suction and the seasoning (which may be liquid, powder, or solid) stored therein, measures the sugar degree of the seasoning liquid, and adjusts the concentration of the seasoning liquid.

The seasoning storage unit supplies a predetermined amount of the seasoning liquid having an adjusted concentration to the cooking container 3 located at the seasoning liquid supply position 212f through a supply nozzle (not shown).

[ cooking vessel ]

The cooking container 3 is, for example, a container for cooking a relatively small amount of food. The cooking container 3 is a container that moves horizontally between different placement positions 212 while abutting against the placement surface 211 of the placement plate 21.

In addition, only one cooking container 3 may be used, or a plurality of cooking containers may be used. However, the number of cooking containers 3 is smaller than the number of placement positions 212. Specifically, the number of cooking containers 3 is determined according to the business hours of the store. More specifically, a relatively small number (e.g., one) of the cooking containers 3 is used during the idle business hours of the store, while a relatively large number (e.g., four) of the cooking containers 3 is used during the busy business hours of the store.

In this way, the user can appropriately adjust the cooking amount of the food material by changing the number of the cooking containers 3 used in the cooking apparatus 1 according to the business hours of the store. Therefore, the amount of food remaining without being consumed for a certain period of time after cooking can be reduced, and food of a certain quality can be supplied at an optimum timing.

In addition, in a busy business time of the shop, even when a relatively large number of cooking containers 3 are used, the number of cooking containers 3 needs to be smaller than the number of placement positions 212. If the number of cooking containers 3 is equal to the number of placement positions 212, container transfer mechanism 4 cannot transfer a plurality of cooking containers 3 to different placement positions 212.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the cooking container 3 includes a pot portion 31 having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a frame portion 32 formed independently of the pot portion 31. The pot 31 corresponds to the induction heater 213, and is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, such as stainless steel, aluminum, iron, copper, or a metal obtained by combining these materials. In order to improve the heating efficiency of the pan part 31, the bottom of the pan part 31 is preferably flat. As the pot portion 31, a commonly available pot can be used.

Similarly, the frame portion 32 may be made of a material having high thermal conductivity, such as stainless steel, aluminum, iron, or copper, or a metal combining these materials, from the viewpoint of strength and corrosion resistance.

As shown in fig. 5, the frame portion 32 includes: a placing seat 321 on which the pot part 31 is placed; a ring portion 322 as an edge portion which is located above the placing seat 321 and is provided so as to protrude toward the outer circumferential side of the cylindrical pot portion 31; a coupling portion 323 for coupling the mounting seat 321 and the ring portion 322; and a rolling unit 324 provided on the side of the mounting seat 321 opposite to the mounting surface 211.

The placing base 321 is formed in an annular shape having an opening, and the inner diameter of the placing base 321 is formed smaller than the outer diameter of the pot portion 31. Thus, the bottom of the pot 31 can be brought into contact with the mounting seat 321, and therefore the pot 31 can be mounted on the mounting seat 321. The heat generated by the induction heater 213 can be transmitted to the bottom of the pot 31 through the opening of the loading seat 321. The outer diameter of the mounting seat 321 is smaller than the outer diameter of the annular portion 322. This can reduce the size of the cooking container 3 in the radial direction.

The circular portion 322 is a member for engaging the engagement/disengagement portion 42, which will be described later, of the container transfer mechanism 4 with the cooking container 3. The annular portion 322 is provided coaxially with the mounting seat 321, and the inner diameter of the annular portion 322 is formed slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pot 31. Thus, the pot 31 is inserted through the annular portion 322 and placed on the placement seat 321. An annular rib 322a extending in the vertical direction so as to face the mounting surface 211 is provided on the outer edge of the annular portion 322. That is, the annular portion 322 is bent such that the tip end thereof faces downward.

The coupling portion 323 is provided with one end coupled to the mounting seat 321 and the other end coupled to the annular portion 322. In the present embodiment, the coupling portion 323 is constituted by a plurality of (for example, four) coupling columns 323a provided at predetermined intervals on the same circumference around the axis of the mounting seat 321 or the axis of the annular portion 322. This can reduce the weight of the entire cooking container 3 as compared with the cylindrical connecting portion. As a result, since the container transfer mechanism 4 transfers the cooking container 3 that is reduced in weight, the manufacturing cost of the container transfer mechanism 4 itself can be reduced.

A plurality of (four in this case) rolling units 324 are provided (see fig. 4). Each rolling unit 324 has a spherical body 324a that rolls on the mounting surface 211. Since rolling unit 324 includes a plurality of balls 324a that can roll in all directions, cooking container 3 can be smoothly moved horizontally on placement surface 211 via rolling unit 324. The plurality of balls 324a are provided at predetermined intervals on the same circumference around the axis of the mounting seat 321 or the axis of the annular portion 322.

In the present embodiment, the rolling portion 324 has a plurality of balls 324a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of rollers may be provided instead of the plurality of balls 324 a.

In the present embodiment, the cooking container 3 has the rolling portion 324, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the rolling portion 324 may not be provided. In this case, since the bottom of the pot portion 31 can be brought into direct contact with the mounting surface 211 of the mounting plate 21, the magnetic lines of force generated by the induction heater 213 easily pass through the bottom of the pot portion 31, and the pot portion 31 is efficiently heated.

In the present embodiment, the cooking container 3 includes the pot portion 31 and the frame portion 32 formed separately from the pot portion 31, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the frame portion 32 may be omitted. In this case, the circular portion 322 and the rolling portion 324 are provided integrally with the pot portion 31 at the outer peripheral side and the bottom portion of the pot portion 31, respectively. This can further reduce the weight of the entire cooking container 3.

[ Container conveying mechanism ]

As shown in fig. 2, the container transfer mechanism 4 includes a 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and a 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B arranged in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) at the center position in the width direction (Y-axis direction). A material input position 212a, a 1 st dross removal position 212B, and a 2 nd dross removal position 212c are formed on one side in the width direction with respect to a 1 st virtual straight line k1 passing through the 1 st container conveyance mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container conveyance mechanism 4B in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the cuisine containing position 212d, the liquid seasoning suction position 212e, and the liquid seasoning supplement position 212f are formed on the other side in the width direction with respect to the 1 st imaginary straight line k 1.

As shown in fig. 2, a food material loading position 212a and a seasoning liquid replenishing position 212f are formed outside a 2 nd virtual straight line k2 passing through the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A in the width direction. A 2 nd descumming position 212c and a cooking position 212d are formed outside a 3 rd virtual line k3 passing through the 2 nd container conveyance mechanism 4B in the width direction. Further, a 1 st scum removal position 212B and a seasoning liquid suction position 212e, which are relay placement positions, are formed between the 2 nd virtual line k2 and the 3 rd virtual line k3 (i.e., between the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B).

The 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A transfers the cooking container 3 from the material input position 212a to the 1 st dross removal position 212b, and transfers the cooking container 3 from the seasoning liquid suction position 212e to the seasoning liquid replenishment position 212 f. The 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B transfers the cooking container 3 from the 1 st dross removal position 212B to the seasoning liquid suction position 212e via the 2 nd dross removal position 212c and the dish storage position 212d in this order.

That is, as shown by an arrow R1 in fig. 2, the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved from the material loading position 212a to the 1 st dross removal position 212b by the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A. Thereafter, as shown by arrows R2, R3, and R4 in fig. 2, the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved from the 1 st dross removal position 212B to the seasoning liquid suction position 212e via the 2 nd dross removal position 212c and the dish holding position 212d in this order by the 2 nd container carrying mechanism 4B. Thereafter, as indicated by an arrow R5 or R6 in fig. 2, the cooking container 3 is returned again from the liquid seasoning suction position 212e to the food material charging position 212a via the liquid seasoning replenishment position 212f by the first container transfer mechanism 4A of fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 2, 6A, and 6B, the 1 st container conveyance mechanism 4A includes a rotation portion 41A and an engagement/disengagement portion 42A. The rotating portion 41A is provided on the mounting plate 21 so as to be horizontally rotatable. The rotating portion 41A includes: a rotating portion main body 411A provided to extend in the vertical direction; a motor 412A having a drive shaft connected to one end of the rotating portion main body 411A; and a head 413A provided at the other end of the rotating portion body 411A.

A part of the rotating portion body 411A is formed to penetrate the mounting plate 21. The motor 412A is attached to the lower surface of the mounting plate 21 by screwing or the like. The motor 412A is a rotation driving unit that rotationally drives the head 413A. The motor 412A is driven in the clockwise direction or the counterclockwise direction in accordance with a control signal for rotation output from the control unit 5. The head 413A is formed coaxially with the rotating body 411A so that its outer diameter is larger than that of the rotating body 411A.

The engaging/disengaging portion 42A is provided on the head 413A of the rotating portion 41A so as to be engageable with and disengageable from the cooking container 3, and includes a plurality of (three in this case) engaging/disengaging pawls 421A. The plurality of engaging/disengaging claws 421A are configured to be able to engage with and disengage from a plurality of cooking containers 3 located at different placement positions 212, respectively and independently. Thus, the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A can simultaneously transfer a plurality of cooking containers 3 or can separately transfer some of the cooking containers 3 among the plurality of cooking containers 3.

The plurality of engagement/disengagement claws 421A are provided on the surface of the head 413A facing the mounting surface 211. The plurality of engagement/disengagement claws 421A are provided on the same circumference around the axis of the rotating portion main body 411A. Specifically, the three engagement and disengagement claws 421A are provided so that the angles between the engagement and disengagement claws 421A adjacent to each other are 90 °, and 180 °, respectively.

The plurality of engagement/disengagement claws 421A are provided so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the head 413A. The rotation shaft of the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A is a shaft extending in a tangential direction that is tangential to a circumference centered on the axis of the rotation unit 411A. By the rotation of the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A, the engagement/disengagement between the cooking container 3 and the engaging/disengaging portion 42A is switched.

The plurality of engaging/disengaging claws 421A are rotated by an actuator (not shown) independently in response to an engaging/disengaging control signal output from the control unit 5. Specifically, the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A rotates upward so that the distal end of the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A approaches the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A in accordance with the engagement control signal output from the control unit 5. On the other hand, the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A rotates downward so that the distal end of the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A moves away from the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A in response to a disengagement control signal output from the control unit 5.

When the cooking container 3 is located at the placement position 212, the rib 322a of the cooking container 3 always faces the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A. As shown in fig. 6A, when the engagement and disengagement claw 421A is rotated so that the tip end thereof approaches the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A, the rib 322a of the cooking container 3 is sandwiched by the tip end of the engagement and disengagement claw 421A and the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A. Thereby, the cooking container 3 is engaged with the engaging and disengaging portion 42A. In this way, the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the disengagement portion 42A is easily achieved.

Then, the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved to a different placement position 212 by the rotation of the head 413A in one direction (counterclockwise direction in fig. 2) while being engaged with the engaging and disengaging portion 42A. Thus, the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A can transfer the cooking container 3 to a different placement position 212.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 6B, when the tip end of the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A is rotated so as to be separated from the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A, the rib 322a of the cooking container 3 is no longer held between the tip end of the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A and the outer peripheral wall of the head 413A. Thus, the container carrying mechanism 4 temporarily releases the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portion 42A.

Then, in a state where the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portion 42A is released, the head 413A is rotated in the other direction (clockwise direction shown in fig. 2) which is the opposite direction to the one direction, and is returned to the initial position. This prevents the cables and the like inside the rotating unit body 411A and the head 413A from being twisted or damaged. In addition, the 1 st container conveyance mechanism 4A can be manufactured at low cost.

Further, when the head 413A is rotated and returned to the initial position, in order to prevent the cooking container 3 from being engaged with the disengagement portion 42A due to unintended movement (positional deviation) of the cooking container 3, it is preferable that the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A be rotated so that the rib 322A of the cooking container 3 is caught, that is, the cooking container 3 is temporarily fixed.

In the present embodiment, the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A is used as a member for temporarily fixing the cooking container 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a coil capable of conducting current may be formed in the head 413A. In this case, the coil is energized to generate electromagnetic force in head 413A and bring ribs 322a closer to each other, thereby facilitating temporary fixation of cooking container 3.

In a state where the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portion 42A is released, the cooking container 3 does not move and remains positioned at the placement position 212 even if the head 413A rotates. Thus, the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A can separately transfer another cooking container 3 to a different placement position 212 without transferring the cooking container 3.

In the present embodiment, the engaging and disengaging portion 42A includes the engaging and disengaging pawl 421A, but is not limited thereto, and may include, for example, a pin provided to the head portion 413A so as to be able to move up and down in place of the engaging and disengaging pawl 421A. In this case, the pin is inserted into the hole formed in the frame portion 32 of the cooking container 3 by raising or lowering the pin, whereby the cooking container 3 is engaged with the disengagement portion 42A.

In the present embodiment, the engagement/disengagement claw 421A is provided to be rotatable on the head 413A of the rotating portion 41A, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the engagement/disengagement claw 421A may be provided to be rotatable on the rotating portion main body 411A of the rotating portion 41A.

In the present embodiment, the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A is provided to be rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the head 413A, but is not limited to this, and the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A may be provided to be movable up and down, for example. In this case, the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A is provided to be able to move up and down in the rotating portion body 411A of the rotating portion 41A. Then, the engagement/disengagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portion 42A is switched by the upward and downward movement of the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A.

In the present embodiment, the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portion 42A is achieved by the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A sandwiching the rib 322A together with the head 413A of the rotating portion 41A, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a coil capable of conducting current may be formed as a magnet. In this case, the coil is energized to generate an electromagnetic force in the engagement/disengagement pawl 421A, thereby bringing the ribs 322a closer to each other. Thus, the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the disengagement portion 42A can be easily achieved without moving (rotating or moving up and down) the disengagement pawl 421A.

In the present embodiment, the rotating portion 41A is provided so as to be vertically immovable and rotatable, but is not limited thereto, and for example, the rotating portion 41A may be provided so as to be vertically movable and rotatable. In this case, a separate lifting mechanism for lifting the rotating portion 41A needs to be provided. By raising and lowering the rotating portion 41A, the cooking container 3 can be made to correspond to different heights.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the first container transfer mechanism 4A does not lift the cooking container 3 from the mounting surface 211, but transfers the cooking container 3 to a different mounting position 212 in a state where the cooking container 3 is in contact with the mounting surface 211, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the cooking container 3 may be transferred to a different mounting position 212 in a state where it is lifted from the mounting surface 211. In this case, the wear of the placement surface 211 by the cooking container 3 can be significantly reduced.

On the other hand, the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B includes a rotating portion 41B and an engaging and disengaging portion 42B. The rotating portion 41B and the engaging and disengaging portion 42B of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B are the same as the rotating portion 41A and the engaging and disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A, and therefore, their description is omitted.

The engaging/disengaging portion 42B of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B can engage with and disengage from the cooking container 3 conveyed to the 1 st dross removal position 212B by the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A. On the other hand, the engaging/disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A can engage with/disengage from the cooking container 3 transferred to the seasoning liquid suction position 212e by the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B.

That is, both the engaging and disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the engaging and disengaging portion 42B of the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B are configured to be engageable with and disengageable from the cooking container 3 located at the 1 st scum removing position 212B or the seasoning liquid suction position 212 e. In other words, both the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B can transfer the cooking container 3 to the 1 st dross removal position 212B or the seasoning liquid suction position 212 e.

[ automatic cooking machine ]

The automatic cooking machine comprises: a stirring unit (not shown) for stirring the food material put into the cooking container 3 located at the food material input position 212 a; and a descumming unit (not shown) for removing the scum in the cooking container 3 located at the 1 st descumming position 212b and the 2 nd descumming position 212 c.

[ automatic food material feeding machine ]

The automatic food material feeding device is disposed adjacent to the food material feeding position 212 a. The automatic food material loading device automatically loads a predetermined amount of food material into the cooking container 3 conveyed to the food material loading position 212a by the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A, in accordance with a loading control signal output from the control unit 5.

[ control section ]

As shown in fig. 1, the control unit 5 is a microcomputer including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), and an input/output interface (I/O interface). The control unit 5 may be constituted by a plurality of microcomputers. The control unit 5 is electrically connected to the induction heater 213, the seasoning liquid supply mechanism, the suction nozzle, the replenishment nozzle, the container transfer mechanism 4, the automatic cooker, and the automatic food material feeder. The control unit 5 outputs control signals to the induction heating machine 213, the container transfer mechanism 4, the automatic cooking machine, and the automatic food material charging machine to control the operations of the induction heating machine 213, the seasoning liquid supply mechanism, the suction nozzle, the replenishment nozzle, the container transfer mechanism 4, the automatic cooking machine, and the automatic food material charging machine.

(operation of cooking device)

Next, the operation of the cooking apparatus 1 will be described with reference to fig. 7. Here, the operation of the cooking apparatus 1 using a single cooking container 3 will be described as an example, assuming the most leisure business hours of the store. Further, these actions are programmed into the control section 5.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the cooking apparatus 1.

As shown in fig. 7, first, in step S1, the automatic food material loading device automatically loads a predetermined amount of food material into the cooking container 3 located at the food material loading position 212a in accordance with a loading control signal output from the control unit 5. At the same time, the seasoning liquid supply means supplies a predetermined amount of unused seasoning liquid in accordance with a supply control signal output from the control unit 5.

Then, the induction heating unit 213a heats the cooking container 3 for a predetermined time in accordance with the heating control signal output from the control unit 5, and sets the temperature inside the cooking container 3 to an appropriate cooking temperature. While heating, the stirring section stirs the food materials introduced into the cooking container 3 in accordance with the stirring control signal output from the control section 5, so that the food materials are not stuck to each other and become a lump. Then, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved from the material loading position 212A to the 1 st dross removal position 212b by rotating the rotating portion 41A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A by 90 ° counterclockwise while being engaged with the engaging and disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A. Then, the engaging and disengaging portion 42A is disengaged from the cooking container 3 conveyed to the 1 st dross removal position 212b by the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A. That is, the engaging/disengaging pawl 421A of the engaging/disengaging portion 42A is rotated.

Then, the induction heating unit 213b heats the cooking container 3 for a predetermined time in accordance with the heating control signal output from the control unit 5, and sets the temperature inside the cooking container 3 to an appropriate cooking temperature. The descumming unit removes the scum in the cooking container 3 based on a descumming control signal outputted from the control unit 5 while heating. Specifically, the scum removal unit removes scum, bitterness, and excess fat components generated by food materials or the like put in during cooking by sucking them in, or scooping out the substances generated on the surface layer with a spoon or the like, in accordance with a scum removal control signal output from the control unit 5 while heating. Then, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, in a state where cooking container 3 is engaged with engagement/disengagement portion 42B of 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B, rotating portion 41B of 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B rotates 90 ° counterclockwise, and cooking container 3 moves horizontally from 1 st descumming position 212B to 2 nd descumming position 212 c.

Then, the induction heating unit 213c heats the cooking container 3 for a predetermined time in accordance with the heating control signal output from the control unit 5, and sets the temperature inside the cooking container 3 to an appropriate cooking temperature. The descumming unit removes the scum in the cooking container 3 based on a descumming control signal outputted from the control unit 5 while heating. Then, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, in a state where the cooking container 3 is engaged with the engagement/disengagement portion 42B of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B, the rotating portion 41B of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B rotates 90 ° counterclockwise, and the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved from the 2 nd dross removal position 212c to the food holding position 212 d. The cooking container 3 is heated by the

induction heaters

213a, 213b, and 213c at an appropriate cooking temperature, and thus can be horizontally moved to the cooking storage position 212d in a state of the delicious food.

Then, the induction heater 213d heats the cooking container 3 in accordance with the warm keeping control signal output from the control unit 5, and the temperature in the cooking container 3 is set to the warm keeping temperature. In this way, since the cooking container 3 is heated at a temperature lower than the proper cooking temperature, the quality of the food can be maintained. The food in the cooking container 3 located at the food storage position 212d is used while being stored, and light is gradually taken out. Then, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the cooking container 3 with the food completely lighted is rotated 90 ° counterclockwise by the rotating portion 41B of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B while being engaged with the engaging and disengaging portion 42B of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B, and is horizontally moved from the food holding position 212d to the seasoning liquid suction position 212 e. Then, the engaging and disengaging portion 42B is disengaged from the cooking container 3 conveyed to the seasoning liquid suction position 212e by the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B. That is, the engaging/disengaging pawl 421B of the engaging/disengaging portion 42B is rotated.

Then, the suction nozzle sucks all of the stewed seasoning liquid from the cooking container 3 in accordance with the suction control signal output from the control unit 5. Then, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, the empty cooking container 3 is horizontally moved from the seasoning liquid suction position 212e to the seasoning liquid replenishment position 212f by rotating the rotating portion 41A of the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A by 90 ° counterclockwise while being engaged with the engaging and disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A.

Then, the replenishment nozzle replenishes the cooking container 3 with a predetermined amount of seasoning liquid whose concentration has been adjusted, in accordance with the replenishment control signal output from the control unit 5. Then, the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the cooking container 3 is horizontally moved (returned) from the seasoning liquid replenishing position 212f to the food material loading position 212A by rotating the rotating portion 41A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A by 90 ° counterclockwise while being engaged with the engaging/disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A. Then, the above steps S1 to S7 may be repeated again.

In this way, in the most leisure business hours of the store, the single cooking container 3 cooks the food in the pot portion 31 while horizontally moving from the food input position 212a to the 2 nd descum position 212c via the 1 st descum position 212B by the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B. Thereafter, the single cooking container 3 is horizontally moved to the cooking position 212d by the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B and kept warm. This minimizes the amount of food cooked, and therefore, the amount of food remaining without being consumed for a certain period of time after cooking can be minimized.

As described above, the operation of the cooking apparatus 1 using a single cooking container 3 has been described, but the operation is not limited to this, and for example, a plurality of cooking containers 3 may be used. In this case, the cooking apparatus 1 can transport a plurality of cooking containers 3 to different placement positions 212 at the same time, or can transport a plurality of cooking containers 3 to different placement positions 212 individually. As a result, the degree of freedom in use of the container transfer mechanism 4 is improved.

In a busy business time of the store, the plurality of cooking containers 3 cook the food in the pot portions 31 of the plurality of cooking containers 3 by different processes while being horizontally moved between different placement positions 212 by the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B at the same time. Thereafter, the cooking containers 3 are sequentially horizontally moved to the cooking position 212d by the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B and kept warm. This allows the food to be continuously provided according to the busy business hours of the store. In addition, since the time when the food in each pot portion 31 reaches the best taste can be intentionally shifted, food of a certain quality can be supplied at the best time.

Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.

As described above, the cooking apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes: a cooking table 2 having a plurality of placement positions 212; a cooking container 3 mounted on the cooking platform 2; a container transfer mechanism 4 for transferring the cooking container 3 to a different placement position 212; and an automatic cooker for performing a cooking process for the cooking container 3 conveyed to the different placement position 212 by the container conveying mechanism 4. The container conveyance mechanism 4 includes: rotating parts 41A, 41B provided on the cooking table 2 so as to be horizontally rotatable; and engagement/disengagement portions 42A and 42B provided in the rotation portions 41A and 41B and engageable with and disengageable from the cooking container 3. The cooking container 3 is moved to the different placement positions 212 by the rotation of the rotating portions 41A and 41B in a state of being engaged with the engaging and disengaging portions 42A and 42B.

Accordingly, since cooking container 3 is moved to a different placement position 212 on cooking bench 2 by container transfer mechanism 4, cooking container 3 can be automatically moved, not manually moved. The automatic cooking device can automatically perform at least a part of the cooking process for the cooking container 3 conveyed to the different placement position 212 by the container conveying mechanism 4. As a result, variations in cooking quality can be reduced. Further, it is possible to reduce the number of people who are disposed in the store, and to reduce the labor cost.

The cooking container 3 is moved to the different placement position 212 by the rotation of the rotating portions 41A and 41B of the container conveying mechanism 4 in a state of being engaged with the engagement and disengagement portions 42A and 42B of the container conveying mechanism 4. Therefore, the cooking container 3 can be moved to the different placement positions 212 only by using the container conveying mechanism 4 having the rotating portions 41A and 41B and the engaging and disengaging portions 42A and 42B.

In the present embodiment, the cooking platform 2 has a flat placement surface 211 on which a plurality of placement positions 212 are formed, and the cooking container 3 moves in contact with the placement surface 211 of the cooking platform 2.

Accordingly, cooking container 3 can be moved to different placement positions 212 along the extending direction of placement surface 211 by container transfer mechanism 4 without lifting cooking container 3 from placement surface 211. As a result, the container transfer mechanism 4 can be manufactured at low cost without increasing the rigidity of the container transfer mechanism 4. Further, since the mounting surface 211 supports the cooking container 3 during movement of the cooking container 3, the load on the motor for rotationally driving the rotary units 41A and 41B is reduced, and the cost of the motor can be reduced, as compared with a case where the cooking container 3 is lifted from the mounting surface 211 and the cooking container 3 is moved to a different mounting position 212.

In the present embodiment, the cooking container 3 has a rolling portion 324 at the bottom thereof, which rolls on the placement surface 211 of the cooking platform 2. This allows cooking container 3 to be moved on placement surface 211 via rolling unit 324. As a result, wear of the mounting surface 211 by the cooking container 3 can be reduced. Further, the load on the motor for rotationally driving the rotating portions 41A and 41B is reduced, and the cost of the motor can be further reduced.

In the present embodiment, the engaging and disengaging portions 42A and 42B include engaging and disengaging

pawls

421A and 421B, and the engaging and disengaging

pawls

421A and 421B are provided to be rotatable with respect to the rotating portions 41A and 41B, and switch between engagement and disengagement between the cooking container 3 and the engaging and disengaging portions 42A and 42B. Thus, the engagement/disengagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portions 42A and 42B can be easily switched by simply rotating the engagement/

disengagement pawls

421A and 421B.

In the present embodiment, the rib 322A is provided on the outer periphery of the cooking container 3, and the cooking container 3 and the engaging and disengaging portions 42A and 42B are engaged with each other by the rib 322A being sandwiched between the engaging and disengaging

pawls

421A and 421B and the

head portions

413A and 413B of the rotating portions 41A and 41B. This facilitates the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portions 42A and 42B.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of engaging/disengaging

claws

421A and 421B are provided along the circumferential direction around the axis of the rotating portions 41A and 41B, and each of the plurality of engaging/disengaging

claws

421A and 421B is independently configured to be engageable with/disengageable from the cooking container 3.

Thus, the plurality of cooking containers 3 are moved to different placement positions 212 by the rotation of the rotating portions 41A and 41B in a state where the plurality of engagement/

disengagement claws

421A and 421B are engaged. On the other hand, in a state where the engagement/

disengagement claws

421A and 421B are engaged with some of the plurality of cooking containers 3 and the engagement/

disengagement claws

421A and 421B are not engaged with the other cooking containers 3 among the plurality of cooking containers 3, when the rotating section 41A and 41B rotates, only some of the plurality of cooking containers 3 individually move to the different placement positions 212. Therefore, container carrying mechanism 4 can move a plurality of cooking containers 3 simultaneously, or can move some of cooking containers 3 among a plurality of cooking containers 3 individually. As a result, the degree of freedom in use of the container transfer mechanism 4 is improved.

In the present embodiment, the container transfer mechanism 4 includes the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B, the placement position includes the 1 st dross removal position 212B or the seasoning liquid suction position 212e as the intermediate placement position provided between the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B, and both the engaging and disengaging portion 42A of the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A and the engaging and disengaging portion 42B of the 2 nd container transfer mechanism 4B are configured to be engageable with and disengageable from the cooking container 3 located at the 1 st dross removal position 212B or the seasoning liquid suction position 212 e.

Thus, the conveying (moving) area of the cooking container 3 can be expanded by using only the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A and the 2 nd container conveying mechanism 4B. As a result, more cooking processes can be performed on the cooking container 3.

In the present embodiment, after the cooking container 3 has moved to any one of the placement positions 212, the container transfer mechanism temporarily releases the engagement between the cooking container 3 and the engagement/disengagement portions 42A and 42B. Accordingly, the cooking container 3, which is temporarily disengaged from the engagement/disengagement portions 42A and 42B, does not move to a different placement position 212. As a result, for example, cooking can be performed for a predetermined time for the cooking container 3 that is not moving, and another cooking container 3 can be moved individually to a different placement position 212 by the container transfer mechanism 4.

In the present embodiment, an induction heater 213 for heating the cooking container 3 is provided at least a part of the plurality of placement positions 212. Accordingly, the cooking container 3 located at the partial placement position 212 can be heated by the induction heater 213, and heating cooking and heat preservation can be performed.

In the present embodiment, when a plurality of induction heaters 213 are provided, the heating temperature of the induction heater 213d is set to be lower than the heating temperatures of the

other induction heaters

213a, 213b, and 213 c.

Accordingly, the food material contained in the cooking container 3 located at the food material input position 212a, the 1 st descuming position 212b, or the 2 nd descuming position 212c can be heated and cooked by strong fire, and the food material contained in the cooking container 3 moved to the holding position 212d after completion of cooking can be kept warm at a warm temperature, thereby preventing the food material from being excessively cooked.

Further, by changing the number of cooking containers 3 used in the cooking apparatus 1 according to the business hours of the store, the cooking amount of the food can be appropriately adjusted. Therefore, the amount of food remaining without being consumed for a certain period of time after cooking can be reduced, and food of a certain quality can be supplied at an optimum timing.

The present embodiment has been described above, but the above embodiment is merely an illustration of an application example of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configuration of the above embodiment.

(modification example)

Next, a cooking apparatus 1 according to a modification will be described with reference to fig. 8. Note that, in this modification, the same portions as those of the above embodiment will be omitted, and the portions different from the above embodiment will be mainly described.

Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view of a cooking apparatus 1 according to a modification.

In the above embodiment, the mounting surface 211 has six mounting positions 212, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, four mounting positions 212 may be formed as in the present modification. In this case, the container transfer mechanism 4 is constituted only by the 1 st container transfer mechanism 4A. This makes it possible to omit the 2 nd container conveyance mechanism 4B described in the above embodiment. As a result, the cost of the entire cooking apparatus 1 can be reduced.

As shown in fig. 8, the four placement positions 212 are arranged so that two placement positions are provided in the longitudinal direction and two placement positions are provided in the width direction in plan view. The four placement positions 212 include a material feed position 212a, a scum removal position 212g, a dish placement position 212d, and a seasoning liquid suction/supplement position 212h, which are arranged in this order in the counterclockwise direction. The container transfer mechanism 4 is provided at the center of the four placement positions 212.

The descumming position 212g of the present modification is a combination of the 1 st descumming position 212b and the 2 nd descumming position 212c of the above embodiment. The seasoning liquid suction/supplement position 212h of the present modification example is a combination of the seasoning liquid suction position 212e and the seasoning liquid supplement position 212f of the above embodiment. In this manner, a plurality of operations (for example, suction and replenishment of seasoning liquid) can be performed at least one mounting position 212 among the plurality of mounting positions 212.

Independent induction heaters

213a, 213e, and 213d are embedded in the food material loading position 212a, the scum removal position 212g, and the dish storage position 212d, respectively. The

induction heaters

213a and 213e heat the cooking container 3 to set the temperature inside the cooking container 3 to an appropriate cooking temperature. On the other hand, the induction heater 213d heats the cooking container 3 to set the temperature inside the cooking container 3 to the cooking temperature.

In this way, the six placement positions can be reduced to four placement positions without sacrificing the functions of the above-described embodiment. As a result, the size of the placement plate 21 on which the placement surface 211 is formed can be reduced, and the cooking device 1 can be easily installed even in a store with a small installation space.

In the present modification, as in the above-described embodiment, the cooking container 3 is moved to a different placement position 212 by the rotation of the rotating portion 41A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A in a state of being engaged with the engagement/disengagement portion 42A of the 1 st container conveying mechanism 4A.

Claims

1. A cooking apparatus, wherein,

the cooking device comprises:

a cooking table having a plurality of placement positions;

a cooking container mounted on the cooking table;

a container transfer mechanism for transferring the cooking container to a different placement position; and

an automatic cooking device for performing a cooking process for the cooking container conveyed to a different placement position by the container conveying mechanism,

the container conveying mechanism comprises:

a rotating part which is horizontally and rotatably arranged on the cooking platform; and

an engaging/disengaging part provided on the rotating part and capable of engaging/disengaging with/from the cooking container,

the cooking container is moved to a different placement position by rotation of the rotating part in a state of being engaged with the engaging and disengaging part.

2. The cooking apparatus according to claim 1,

the cooking table has a flat placing surface on which a plurality of placing positions are formed,

the cooking container moves in contact with the placement surface of the cooking table.

3. The cooking apparatus according to claim 2,

the cooking container has a rolling portion at a bottom thereof, the rolling portion rolling on the mounting surface of the cooking table.

4. The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the engaging/disengaging unit includes an engaging/disengaging pawl that is rotatable with respect to the rotating unit and switches engagement/disengagement between the cooking container and the engaging/disengaging unit.

5. The cooking apparatus according to claim 4,

an edge part is arranged on the periphery of the cooking container,

the cooking container is engaged with the engaging and disengaging portion by the edge portion being sandwiched between the engaging and disengaging pawl and the rotating portion.

6. The cooking apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,

a plurality of the engaging/disengaging claws are provided along a circumferential direction around an axis of the rotating portion,

the plurality of engaging/disengaging claws are configured to be able to engage with/disengage from the cooking container, respectively and independently.

7. The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the container handling mechanism comprises a 1 st container handling mechanism and a 2 nd container handling mechanism,

the placement position includes a relay placement position provided between the 1 st container transfer mechanism and the 2 nd container transfer mechanism,

the engaging/disengaging portion of the 1 st container conveying mechanism and the engaging/disengaging portion of the 2 nd container conveying mechanism are both configured to be engageable with/disengageable from the cooking container located at the relay placement position.

8. The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

after the cooking container is moved to any one of the placement positions, the container transfer mechanism temporarily releases the engagement between the cooking container and the engagement/disengagement portion.

9. The cooking apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,

at least a part of the plurality of placement positions is provided with a heating portion for heating the cooking container.