JP2001292899A - Continuous rice cooker - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rapidly put in/out inner pots (93) to/of a heating device 5 in a continuous rice cooker in which the inner pots (93) are attached/detached to/ from the heating device (5) by a pot delivery device (40). SOLUTION: A before-cooking process part, the pot delivery device (40) and an after-cooking process part are serially connected and the heating device (5) is arranged at a position away from the serial connection route. The heating device (5) is provided with a plurality of rice cooking units where a heating source for heating one inner pot (93) and an individual controller are incorporated and with a rice cooking unit transfer device (50) for rotating and moving the rice cooking units along a closed loop shape rotation route which passes through a pot putting-in/out position in the neighborhood of the pot delivery device (40). The device (40) is provided with a function for putting-in/out the inner pot 93 concerning the specified rice cooking unit which is transferred to the pot putting-in/out position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous rice cooker installed in a catering company that cooks a large amount of rice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an entire apparatus illustrating a conventional continuous rice cooking apparatus. In this thing, the rice measurement department (81)
→ Water metering section (82) → Rice washing / immersion section (83) → Seasoning feeding section (84)
→ Heating device (85) entrance (851) → Crane (92) → Heating device
(85) Exit (852) → Conveyor (86) → Steaming section (87) → Unraveling / transferring section (88) → Conveyor (86) → Circulation path (91) connected in order of washing section (89) Are formed.

[0003] In the heating device (85), a plurality of rice cooking units (71), (71) are arranged in two rows.
A crane (92) moving along the rails (94) (94) is provided above the heating device (85). In this device, rice grains and water are put into an inner pot (93) (93) conveyed along the circulation path (91) in a rice measuring section (81) and a water measuring section (82), and this is washed and immersed in rice. Section (83) → seasoning input section (84) → heating device (85)
And is temporarily stocked at the entrance (851).

[0004] Inner pot (93) stocked at the inlet (851)
(93) is carried by the crane (92) and is sequentially set in the rice cooking units (71) and (71) of the heating device (85), and the inner pots (93) and (93) after the completion of the rice cooking are crane (92) And transported to the outlet (852). After that, the inner pot (9
3) The (93) is conveyed to the steaming section (87), where the cooked rice is steamed, and then the cooked rice in the inner pots (93), (93) is disintegrated and transferred in the transfer section (88). ), And the empty inner pots (93) and (93) are conveyed from the conveyor (86) to the pot washing section (89).

[0005]

However, in the above conventional apparatus, the rice cooker units (71) and (71) are
There was a problem that it was not possible to take in and out of (93) quickly.
In the above-mentioned conventional type, the crane (92) takes out the inner pot (93) after the completion of rice cooking from a specific rice cooking unit (71), and takes out the outlet (85).
After being transported to 2), return to the entrance (851) and hold a new inner pot (93) before cooking, and put it in the specific rice cooking unit (71)
It is necessary to carry out a one-cycle operation in which the sheet is conveyed to and set on it. When the operation of this one cycle is performed, the traveling distance of the crane (92) needs to be at least longer than the reciprocating distance between the entrance (851) and the exit (852) of the heating device (85). However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the inlet (851) and the outlet (852) are located at positions separated from both ends of the heating device (85).
Is formed, the traveling distance of the crane (92) during the operation of the one cycle is increased, and the quickness of the attaching / detaching work of the inner pots (93) and (93) is hindered. It is.

The present invention has been made in view of the above point. "The inner pot sequentially supplied from the pre-cooking process section is set in a heating device with a pot transfer device to cook rice, and the inner pot after the rice cooking is finished. It is an object of the present invention to provide a "continuous rice cooker which takes out from the heating device and sends it to the post-cooking process section with a kettle transfer device" so that the inner kettle can be quickly taken in and out of the heating device.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems [1] The technical means of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problem is that "the pre-cooking process unit, the pot transfer device and the post-cooking process unit are connected in series. The heating device is provided at a position deviating from the route connected in series with the connection device, and the heating device is connected to the 1
A plurality of rice cooking units incorporating a heating source for heating the two inner pots and an individual control device for controlling the heating sources, and the rice cooker along a closed loop circulation path passing through a kettle loading / unloading position near the pot transfer device. A rice cooker transfer device that circulates and moves each rice cooker, wherein the cooker transfer device takes out the inner cooker after finishing the cooked rice from the specific cooker unit transferred to the cooker loading / unloading position, and performs the rice cooker process unit. And then take out the inner kettle from the pre-cooking step and set it in the specific rice cooking unit at the kettle loading / unloading position. "

The above technical means operates as follows. A rice cooker separately provided with a heating source for heating the inner pot and an individual control device for controlling the heating source to perform a rice cooking operation,
The rice is transferred by a rice-cooking unit transfer device along a closed loop circulation path passing through a kettle loading / unloading position. Then, while the rice cooker unit is being transferred along the circulation path, the rice cooker unit returns to the kettle loading / unloading position while heating and cooking the inner kettle attached thereto. Then, the rice cooker attached to the specific rice cooking unit that has returned to the kettle loading / unloading position near the kettle delivery device after the completion of rice cooking is taken out by the kettle delivery device and transferred to the post-cooking process section. Thereafter, the kettle delivery device sets the uncooked inner kettle in the pre-cooking process unit to the specific rice cooking unit (the inner kettle has been removed) at the kettle loading / unloading position.

As described above, according to the above technical means, the inner rice cooker is set and taken out of the rice cooker unit located at the kettle loading / unloading position near the kettle transfer device, so that the inlet (851) of the heating device (85) is set. ) And the outlet (852) can be more quickly moved in and out of the inner hook as compared with the above-described conventional one in which the distance is large.

[2] In the above item [1], the pre-cooking step may include a heated object filling section for transferring rice grains and water into the inner pot while transporting the inner pot. The post-processing unit is a rice transfer unit that transfers the rice in the inner pot to be transferred to a separately provided rice container, and a washing unit that cleans the inner pot that is transported downstream from the rice transfer unit. The upstream end of the pre-cooking process unit and the downstream end of the post-cooking process unit are connected. ”
A series of operations from filling the object to be heated to washing the inner pot after cooking rice while transferring the inner pot through a route circulating from the heating device → the washing section of the inner pot → the filling section of the object to be heated. Can be continuously repeated while circulating.

[3] The method according to [1] or [2], wherein the rice-cooking-unit transfer device is configured such that the plurality of rice-cooking units are arranged on a rotary table having a vertical rotation axis. And a motor that rotates the main body about the rotation axis ”. In this apparatus, the rotary table is rotated around the rotary shaft by rotation of the motor, whereby the rice heating unit provided on the rotary table moves along a circular closed loop.

[0012]

The present invention has the following specific effects. Since the inner kettle is installed and removed from the rice cooker unit at the kettle loading / unloading position near the kettle delivery device, the heating device
As compared with the above-described prior art in which the distance between the inlet (851) and the outlet (852) of the (85) is large, the operation of taking in and out the inner pot can be speeded up.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described effects, the operation from the operation of putting the rice grains and water into the inner pot to the operation of washing the inner pot after removing the cooked rice grains can be repeatedly performed. There is.

[0014]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a continuous rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this method, rice cooking and washing of the inner pots (93) and (93) are continuously performed while the inner pots (93) and (93) and the lids (90) and (90) are conveyed by the closed loop circulation transfer path (11). Is to be performed.

An immersion rice distributing machine (13) is disposed inside the traveling area of the circulation conveying path (11), and is disposed below a hopper (14) of the immersion rice distributing machine (13). The inner pots (93) and (93) are provided with a heating object charging pipe (15) for charging a set amount of rice grains and water. A rice washing machine (16) is connected to a hopper (14) provided above the immersion rice distribution machine (13) via a transfer pipe (17), and is washed by the rice washing machine (16). The rice grains thus obtained are stored in a hopper (14) of a submerged rice distribution machine (13) through a transfer pipe (17) in a state of being immersed in water. For this reason, water is supplied to the immersion rice distribution machine (13) from a water supply pipe (not shown).

The rice washing machine (16) is connected to a rice storage (18) via a transfer pipe (19), and rice grains stored in the rice storage (18) pass through the transfer pipe (19). The rice is transferred to the rice washing machine (16) via the rice washing machine (16) and is washed in the rice washing machine (16).

A circulating conveying path (11) in a certain range downstream from the disposing section (heated object filling section) of the immersion rice distributing and distributing machine (13) is constituted by a belt conveyor (12). Conveyor
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the downstream end of the roller conveyor (21) disposed downstream of (12) extends to the disposed portion of the shuttle transfer device (40).

A heating device (5) is located in the vicinity of the disposition portion of the shuttle transfer device (40) and away from the circulating transport path (11).
Is installed, and the heating device (5) is
Has the structure shown in FIG.

Next, the structure of the heating device (5) will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the heating device (5) includes a cylindrical base (51) placed on the floor (10) and having an open upper end, and the heating device (5) is mounted on the floor (10). A support roller to be described later
(52) A flange portion (53) for receiving the (52) is provided around. The support (5) is attached to the center line (vertical axis of rotation) of the base (51).
4), and bearings (55) (5)
A rotary cylinder (56) is rotatably mounted via 5), and support legs (57) extending radially from the lower end of the rotary cylinder (56).
At the outer end of (57), support rollers (52) (52) running on the above-mentioned flange portion (53) are provided.

The supporting legs (57) and (57) are coaxially provided with the intermediate drum (5) so as to surround the rotary cylinder (56).
8), and a roller chain (68) is wound around the outer periphery of the lower end of the intermediate drum (58). A sprocket (73) attached to a rotating shaft of a motor (72) is engaged with the roller chain (68). The motor (7
As 2), a general-purpose motor or a servo motor can be used.

A disk-shaped rotary table (50) is supported by the upper end of the intermediate drum (58), and a rice cooking unit (61) (6) is mounted on the outer periphery of the rotary table (50).
1) are arranged at a constant angular pitch in the circumferential direction. When the intermediate drum (58) is rotated by the motor (72), the rotary table (50) supported at the upper end of the intermediate drum (58) holds the rice cooking units (61) and (61). The rice cooking units (61) are configured to rotate intermittently in units of the arrangement pitch. In the present embodiment, the rice cooking units (61) and (61) and the rotary table (50)
The intermediate drum (58), the support legs (57) and the rotary cylinder (56) are the same as those described in the third section.
Corresponds to the main part of item. Also, a combination of the main body and a motor (72) described below for rotating the main body corresponds to the rice cooking unit transfer device described in the above-mentioned item 1.

In the rice cooking unit (61), a rice cooker bottom temperature sensor (62) for detecting the temperature of the rice cooker bottom (93) set in the rice cooker unit (61) is provided. An inverter circuit (63) for supplying a high-frequency current to a heating coil (79) as a heating source for heating the heater coil (79), and controlling the inverter circuit (63) based on a signal indicating a temperature detected by the kettle bottom temperature sensor (62). Individual control device (64) for cooking and the rice cooker unit (61)
A hook detection sensor (65) for detecting that (93) is set is provided. In the vicinity of the center of rotation of the upper surface of the turntable (50), temperature receivers (59) and (59) for receiving signals from steam temperature transmitters (67) and (67), which will be described later, are provided. The temperature receiver (59) (59) is connected to each rice cooking unit via the lead wire (66) (66).
(61) and (61) are connected to the individual control devices (64) and (64).

The outer ends of the support plates (69) (69) projecting radially from the upper end of the column (54) are fixed to the lower surface of the fan-shaped steam hood (31), and the steam hood (31). 31) has a shape that opens downward and gradually competes from the outer periphery toward the center. A duct connection tube (3) for connecting an exhaust duct (not shown) is provided at the center of the upper surface of the steam hood (31).
2) is protruding.

On the lower surface of the steam hood (31), steam guides (33) (33) extending from the outer peripheral portion toward the center are spaced at the same pitch as the rice cooking units (61) (61) in the circumferential direction. It is placed and placed. Each steam guide (33) has an inverted U-shaped cross section that opens downward, and each steam guide (3)
3) includes a steam temperature sensor (70) for detecting the temperature of steam discharged from a steam hole (35) passing through a knob (34) provided at the center of a lid (90) covering each inner pot (93). ) Is provided. A signal indicating the temperature detected by the steam temperature sensors (70) (70) disposed on the steam guides (33) (33) is supplied to the lead wire (6).
The power is transmitted to the steam temperature transmitters (67) (67) fixed to the outer periphery of the support (54) via the (0) (60). Then, the signal indicating the detected temperature is transmitted from the steam temperature transmitter (67) (67) to the temperature receivers (59) (59) on the rotary table (50) located below them, respectively. The transmission signal is further transmitted to the individual control devices (64) (64) of the rice cooking units (61) (61) via the lead wires (66) (66). Each individual control device (64) stores in advance a plurality of cooked rice heating patterns indicating a temporal change in an amount (heat generation amount) of heating the inner pot (93) by the heating coil (79). By operating the main controller (80), a specific rice heating pattern can be selected from each of the rice heating patterns.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the kettle transfer device (40) interposed between the roller conveyor (21) on the pre-cooking process side and the steaming conveyor (22) on the post-cooking process side is provided with an inner part. Hook (93)
A pair of holding arms (42) (4) opened and closed by an opening / closing drive source (not shown) so as to engage with the upper end flange (99) of the
A rotating head (43) having 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating head (43) is supported by a spindle (44) projecting downward from the rotating head (43), and the spindle (44) is At 45), the rotating head (43) is integrally rotated. The support shaft (44) is connected to the lifting drive source (4
It is designed to be raised and lowered in 6). Therefore, the holding arms (42) and (42) are opened and closed by an opening / closing drive source (not shown), and the support shaft (44) is rotated by the swing motor (45).
Is lifted and lowered by the lifting drive source (46), and the shuttle transfer device (40)
Take out the inner pot (93) from the specific rice cooker unit (61) located at the position closest to the pot (the kettle loading / unloading position near the pot transfer device (40)) while holding it with the holding arms (42) (42). Can be discharged onto the steaming conveyor (22) in the process section after cooking. Also, by opening and closing the holding arms (42) and (42) and rotating the support shaft (44), the inner pot (93) on the roller conveyor (21) can be thrown into the specific rice cooking unit (61). it can.

A steaming section provided on the downstream side of the section where the shuttle transfer device (40) is disposed in the traveling area of the circulation transport path (11).
(24) is provided with a tunnel-type covering member (25) surrounding the steaming conveyor (22) and formed of a heat insulating material, and the inner pots (93), (93) (the lid (90 ) (90)
While passing through the inside of the cover member (25), it is kept in a high temperature state and steaming proceeds.

The rice rice transfer unit (26) located downstream of the steaming unit (24) has a lid removing machine (90) for removing the lids (90) (90) covering the inner pots (93) (93). 27) and a lid (90)
The rice cooker (93) from which the rice cooker (93) is removed from the chute (28) into the rice cooker (29) from the chute (28) is lifted upside down while being held by the holding arms (20) and (20) while holding the inner cooker (93). A rice rice transfer device (23) for transfer is provided.

A reversing device (36) is provided downstream of the rice transfer section (26) in the traveling area of the circulating transport path (11) so that the inner pot (93) is turned upside down to be in an inverted state. At the downstream side of the reversing device (36), the washing device (37) serving as the washing unit described above for washing the inner kettles (93) (93) and the lids (90) (90) in the inverted state. ) Is provided.

Next, the operation of the continuous rice cooker will be described. When the inner pots (93) and (93) and the lids (90) and (90) are alternately placed on the circulating transport path (11) and pass through the disposing section of the immersion rice distributing machine (13), the hopper ( The set amount of rice grains and water stored in 14) is put into the inner pot (93). Next, when the worker puts the lid (90) on the opening of the inner pot (93) containing the objects to be heated (rice grains and water), the lid
The inner pot (93) provided with the (90) is moved from the belt conveyor (12) constituting the circulation conveyance path (11) to the roller conveyor (2
1) It is sent out and is transferred to the shuttle transfer device (40). Then, the inner pots (93) and (93) transferred to the pot transfer device (40) are heated by the pot transfer device (40) to the heating device (5).
And cooked and cooked.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the heating device (5). When the inner transfer pot (93) taken out from the roller conveyor (21) by the transfer mechanism (40) is put into the rice cooker unit (61) at the transfer position (closest to the transfer mechanism (40)), FIG. Hook detection sensor (65)
Outputs an ON signal. Then, step (ST1) of FIG.
The control operation shifts from step to step (ST2), and the motor (72) starts rotating in response to the ON signal. Then, the engagement of the sprocket (73) and the roller chain (68) causes the intermediate drum (58) to rotate together with the rotary table (50) in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3, whereby the rice cooking units (61) (6)
Rotary table (50) by an angle equivalent to the pitch of 1)
Is rotated. Also, in step (ST2), the individual control device (64) of the rice cooking unit (61) controls the inverter circuit (63) to start weakly heating the inner pot (93) with the heating coil (79). When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (62) reaches 80 ° C,
The output of the heating coil (79) is increased, and the inner pot (93) is strongly heated. Set the inner rice cooker (9
When the rotary table (50) is intermittently rotated in the above arrangement pitch every time 3) is set, the inner pot (93) set in the rice cooking unit (61) is heated by the heating coil (79). The inner pot (9
3) Boiling inside gradually. When the inside of the inner pot (93) boils, the rice cooking unit (61) in which the inner pot (93) is set reaches below the first steam temperature sensor (70a) provided in the steam hood (31). Thus, the temperature of the steam generated from the inner pot (93) (spouted from the steam hole (35) formed in the knob (34) of the lid (90)) is detected by the first steam temperature sensor (70a). ) Is detected. Then, as the rotary table (50) rotates intermittently, the inner pot (93) moves in the order of the first steam temperature sensor (70a) → the second steam temperature sensor (70b) → the third steam temperature sensor (70c). And these are sequentially opposed from below. When the temperature of the steam detected by the first steam temperature sensor (70a) or the like reaches 70 ° C., the control proceeds from step (ST5) to step (ST6), and the output of the inverter circuit (63) is reduced. By inner pot
(93) is weakly heated. At this time, the rice cooker unit (61) in which the inner pot (93), which was in a weakly heated state, was set and reached below the disposition portion of the first steam temperature sensor (70a) or the second steam temperature sensor (70b). are doing. When the temperature of the steam discharged from the inner pot (93) reaches the above 70 ° C., the rice cooking unit (61) in which the inner pot (93) is set is connected to the first steam temperature sensor (7).
Various conditions such as the rotation speed of the motor (72) are set so as to reach 0a) or below the portion where the second steam temperature sensor (70b) is provided. Eventually, when the water in the inner pot (93) evaporates almost and the temperature in the pot detected by the pot bottom temperature sensor (62) reaches 140 ° C. and the rice cooking is completed, control is performed from step (ST7) to step (ST8). And the heating operation by the heating coil (79) is stopped. At this time, the rice cooker is in a cooked rice cooked state
If the rice cooking unit (61) in which (93) is set has not moved to the kettle loading / unloading position (the closest position of the kettle delivery device (40)), the rice cooking unit (61) moves to the kettle loading / unloading position. After that, the rotary table (50) is rotated, and then the individual control device (64) outputs a rice cooking end signal. Then
The rice cooking completion signal is sent to the kettle delivery device (40) via a transmitter (not shown), whereby the kettle delivery device (40) takes out the inner cooking pot (93) in the rice cooking completion state from the rice cooking unit (61). Steaming conveyor that constitutes the process part after cooking rice
(22) Place on top. In addition, the shuttle transfer device (40) takes out the uncooked inner cooker (93) from the roller conveyor (21) and sets the cooker in the cooker unit (61) at the above-described cooker loading / unloading position.

The cooked inner pot (93) supplied to the steaming conveyor (22) is provided with a cover member (2) of the steaming section (24) shown in FIG.
5) Steamed while passing through, then cooked rice transfer section
It is transported to (26). The lid (90) of the inner pot (93) transported to the rice rice transfer unit (26) is removed by the lid remover (27), and then the inner pot (93) with the lid (90) removed is held by the clamping arm. (20) (20)
The rice in the inner pot (93) falls from the chute (28) into the rice container (29). The inner pot (93) emptied due to the absence of cooked rice is returned to the circulation transport path (11) again,
When passing through the reversing device (36), the inner pot (93) in the inverted state is washed in the pot washing device (37). Thereafter, the inner pot (93) coming out of the pot washing device (37) is turned into a pot reversing device (98).
Then, the rice is returned to the upright state, and returns to the installation section of the immersion rice distribution machine (13).

In the above-described embodiment, the heating device (5) is provided inside the circulating transport path (11) running along a rectangular locus. The arrangement of the circulation conveyance path (11), the heating device (5) and the like can be changed as shown in FIG. That is, the traveling locus of the circulation transport path (11) can be changed to various shapes such as a circle ((c)) and a triangle ((f)), and the arrangement position of the heating device (5) is also possible. May be set at any position inside or outside the traveling locus of the circulation conveyance path (11).

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an entire continuous rice cooker according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an arrangement portion of a heating device (5).

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an arrangement portion of a heating device (5).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the heating device (5).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a modification of the arrangement of the circulation conveyance path (11) and the heating device (5).

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (5) ・ ・ ・ Heating device (26) ・ ・ ・ Rice transfer part (61) ・ ・ ・ Cooking unit (79) ・ ・ ・ Heating coil (89) ・ ・ ・ Washing part (93) ・ ・ ・ Inner pot (50) ・ ・ ・ Rotary table (72) ・ ・ ・ Motor (79) ・ ・ ・ Heating coil

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An inner pot sequentially supplied from a pre-cooking process unit is set in a heating device by a pot transfer device to cook rice, and the inner pot after rice cooking is taken out of the heating device by the pot transfer device and cooked. In the continuous rice cooker to be sent to the process section, the heating apparatus is provided at a position outside the path connected to the pre-cooking process section, the pot transfer device and the post-cooking process section in series and connected in series. The heating device passes through a plurality of rice cooking units in which a heating source that heats the one inner pot and an individual control device that controls the heating source are installed, and a kettle loading / unloading position near the pot transfer device. A rice cooker transfer device that circulates and moves each of the rice cookers along a closed loop circulation path. Take out the inner pot after finishing the rice cooking from the rice cooking unit and transfer it to the post-cooking process section, and then take out the inner pot from the pre-cooking process section and set it in the specific rice cooking unit at the kettle loading / unloading position, continuous Rice cooker. 2. The continuous rice cooker according to claim 1, wherein the pre-cooking unit includes a heated object filling unit that puts rice grains and water into the inner pot while transporting the inner pot, The post-cooking process unit includes a rice transfer unit that transfers the rice in the inner pot to the separately provided rice container, and a washing unit that cleans the inner pot that is conveyed downstream from the rice transfer unit. A continuous rice cooker, comprising: an upstream end of the pre-cooking process section and a downstream end of the post-cooking process section. 3. The continuous rice cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the rice cooking unit transfer device comprises: a rotating table having a vertical rotation axis; A continuous rice cooker, comprising: a main body disposed in a lined up manner; and a motor for rotating the main body about the rotation axis.