JP2002101807A - Baking or steaming apparatus for food dough - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a baking apparatus giving no damage to the performance of a CCD camera and capable of obtaining image data free from the contamination of noises or the like even under conditions of high temperature and high humidity above a baking belt or the like. SOLUTION: A cooling water passage 60 is formed on at least one side face of a CCD camera 30 which photographs a food dough 1 placed on a baking belt or a steaming belt 20 and carried. An air passage 72 for sending purging air 50 is formed between the cooling water passage 60 and the CCD camera 30, and an opening 73 which jets purging air from the air passage downward to the photographing visual field of the CCD camera 30 or the periphery of the camera, is formed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for baking or steaming food dough. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for photographing food dough while traveling on a baking zone or a steaming zone with a CCD camera.
In a food dough baking or steaming apparatus for performing image processing on the image data and performing secondary processing on the food dough based on instructions from the image processing, a CCD camera is mounted on the baking zone or the steaming zone. On the other hand, a cooling water passage for water cooling the CCD camera from at least the side is provided, and an air passage for sending a pager is provided between the cooling water passage and the CCD camera to image the pager with the CCD camera. The present invention relates to an apparatus for baking or steaming food dough which injects downward from the visual field or its surroundings to enhance the observation effect of the CCD camera and removes noise and the like mixed in imaging data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Foods, especially Japanese confectionery and Western confectionery, are placed on a moving zone such as a baking zone or a steaming zone which moves continuously or intermittently, and the confectionery fabric is moved with the moving zone.
By heating from above or below or from below, the confectionery dough is baked or steamed to produce Dora-yaki, castella, buns and the like.

[0003] Further, in the production by such mechanical means, it is secondary to attach a pattern, a shape, or the like to the baked or steamed confectionery dough, or to put an additional material called tapping. It may be performed as processing. Further, when a pattern or a figure is to be formed on the confectionery dough, the dough once baked on the moving belt is turned over, and then a pattern or the like is formed on the inverted baking dish.

[0004] When baking is performed by mechanical means in this way, the work originally relying on manual work can be mass-produced by mechanical means, remarkably improved, and most confections are now manufactured. . However, even in the case of mass production, when secondary processing such as adding a pattern or tapping is performed, the secondary processing tools involved in the secondary processing are manually adjusted.
For example, as described above, since the confectionery is turned over on the moving belt moved by the mechanical means, and then the secondary processing of applying a pattern or the like is performed, in order to perform the secondary processing by the mechanical means, It is necessary to properly measure the position of the confectionery dough moved by turning over, and to position the secondary processing tool based on this position.

[0005] However, it is almost impossible to measure the confectionery dough after inversion each time, and even if it is measured,
It is not an exaggeration to say that it is not possible to position the secondary processing tool based on that.

[0006] On the other hand, it is widely used for detecting misregistration, defects, and the like of printed matter continuously running on a printing machine or the like.
This is a technique for detecting a positional shift of a printed matter by imaging with a CCD camera and image processing of the captured image data, and correcting the positional shift and the like based on a command from an image processing apparatus based on this. If this technique is used, it is considered that instruments and the like involved in the secondary processing are accurately positioned, thereby rationalizing the secondary processing itself.

[0007] However, confectionery dough and the like are steamed or baked in a high-temperature and high-humidity atmosphere, in which a secondary treatment is performed, and the position of the confectionery dough moved during the secondary treatment is measured. When a CCD camera is used, if the temperature of the CCD element inside it exceeds 40 ° C, the performance will be greatly deteriorated, and the lens of the CCD camera will be coated on the moving band under this high temperature and high humidity atmosphere. The released oil adheres as vapor, thereby causing a trouble. In addition, the image data obtained includes a large amount of undesired data called various kinds of noises. There is no point in processing image data that includes.

In short, even if image data having a lot of noise is processed, the accuracy of the processed data is low, and most of the data cannot be used even if positioning is performed based on the data.

[0009] In other words, the production of high-temperature and high-humidity food is essentially different in atmosphere from printing by a printing machine or the like. Therefore, although the technology of position control by a CCD camera is already established in a printing machine or the like, In the field of food production, there is no technology used at all.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a baking or steaming apparatus for imaging food dough by a CCD camera while traveling on a baking zone or a steaming zone, and image-processing the image data. , A cooling water passage for cooling the CCD camera from at least the side surface is provided, and an air passage for sending a pager is provided between the cooling water passage and the CCD camera so that the pager can be imaged by the CCD camera. Alternatively, a baking or steaming device for food dough is proposed which sprays downward from the surroundings to enhance the observation effect of the CCD camera, while removing noise and the like mixed in the imaging data.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a food dough is imaged by a CCD camera while traveling on a baking zone or a steaming zone, and the image data is processed. A food dough baking or steaming device that performs a secondary treatment on the food dough based on the directive by
A cooling water passage for water-cooling a CCD camera provided on the baking zone or the steaming zone from at least a side surface is provided, and an air passage for sending a pager is provided between the cooling water passage and the CCD camera. The pager from the passage is CCD
It is characterized in that an opening for jetting downward from the imaging field of view of the camera or its surroundings is provided.

This food dough is a confectionery dough.

At least two CCD cameras are provided in the width direction of the firing zone or the steaming zone.

An outer casing surrounding the CCD camera is provided. The CCD camera is suspended in the outer casing, while a cooling water duct is formed between the CCD camera to form a cooling water passage. Provided with an air passage.

An opening is provided on the bottom surface of the outer casing.

The air passage is configured to be supplied downwardly over the periphery of the CCD camera.

The configuration and operation of these means will be described below in detail.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an example of a food baking or steaming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the arrangement of the CCD camera.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 designates an apparatus for manufacturing a half-fold Dora-yaki skin, which is squeezed and squeezed into a substantially circular shape, and a pattern or the like is imprinted on the baking surface of the skin. It is attached by

The manufacturing apparatus 10 has a baking zone or a steaming zone 20 on which the food dough 1 is placed and travels. The sintering zone 20 has a sintering plate 21 continuously connected to form a non-terminal shape. In order to image the food dough being baked or steamed on the running path of the baking zone 20, a CC is placed on the baking zone 20.
A D camera 30 is provided. Accordingly, the confectionery dough 1 inverted by the reversing device 3 by the CCD camera 30 is imaged when it is moved to a position immediately below the CCD camera 30, and the image data is sent to an image processing device (not shown), where it is provided with a predetermined image. Image processing is performed.

That is, in the image processing apparatus, analog image data sent from the CCD camera is converted into A / D signals as usual.
Conversion is performed, that is, analog image data is switched to digital and sent to an image processing device for image processing.

More specifically, in the image processing apparatus, the food dough 1 is recognized by an observation mechanism such as the CCD camera 30, and the recognized image data is sent from the observation mechanism to the preprocessing mechanism to perform preprocessing. Then, the features extracted by the feature extraction mechanism are compared by the identification mechanism, and the secondary processing tool is positioned based on the comparison.

That is, optical means such as a CCD camera 30 is used as a mechanism for observing the inverted food dough 1 on the baking zone 20, observing an externally applied dough image, and converting the light density difference image into an image. The image is converted into an electric signal and stored as a digital image in the image processing apparatus.

This image data is shaped by a preprocessing mechanism. In this shaping, individual pixels are deformed so that the basic conditions are satisfied, and noise is removed at the same time.

This noise elimination is the elimination of the irregular component (noise) mixed as described above, which is performed by statistically analyzing the noise and removing the noise of the irregular component using a statistical method. Any of such processes can be used.

The characteristic part is extracted from the image data preprocessed in this way.

By this feature extraction, the information of the image data is expressed in a simple format, and features useful for detecting the position of the cloth 1 after being inverted by the inverting device 3 or the like are extracted. .

For example, a dough 1 such as a half-fold Dora-yaki skin
Can be regarded as almost an ellipse, and are laid side by side on the firing plate 21 and baked. When the dough 1 is inverted by the reversing device 3 and turned over, the dough 1 comes off. In order to determine the displacement of the fabric 1, the contour line of the fabric 1 can be extracted from the image data because the light density greatly changes, and the contour line is recognized as a pattern. However, it is also possible to obtain a position shift due to reversal as compared with the preceding cloth 1.

Further, after extracting the contour line from the image data as described above, the center is obtained, and the center of the reference image subjected to the secondary processing and the center of the comparison image for confirming the position are extracted. This can also be compared. When the center of the image is extracted in this way, the center misalignment is caused by the running direction of the firing plate 21 (hereinafter, referred to as the Y-axis direction), the width direction orthogonal thereto (hereinafter, referred to as the X-axis direction), Is obtained by three conversions of the rotation angle (hereinafter, also referred to as θ).

As described above, image processing is performed in the image processing apparatus, and the preprocessed image data, such as noise removal and feature extraction, is compared with the reference material that has been subjected to the secondary processing first and the material that has been displaced by inversion. And the difference between the center displacements is X
The values such as the axis, the Y axis, and the rotation angle are obtained, and the values, ΔX, ΔY, θ, are sent to the secondary processing device 40.

The secondary processing device 40 is used for the baked dough 1
This is a process to be added, such as attaching a pattern to the fired surface. When the pattern, pattern, character, figure, or the like is to be stamped by a branding, a branding member that moves up and down is used.

When a predetermined tapping or the like is performed on the baked dough, a gripping device for gripping a tapping material or the like is used.

Further, other than the above-described examples, a knife for cutting the dough or the like can be attached as the secondary processing device 40.

The secondary processing device 40 receives X from the image processing device.
Commands such as axis, Y axis or rotation angle (θ) are given,
Any structure can be used as long as it can be moved two-dimensionally by the command.

Incidentally, the secondary processing device 40 squeezes the dough 1 into an elongated elliptical shape, and the dough 1 is baked by the sintering plate 21 of the sintering zone 20 at the position where it is squeezed. This is a device in which a pattern is formed on the fired surface by turning upside down by the reversing device 3 in the middle, placing it on the firing plate 21 again, and stamping the fired surface turned upside down. This secondary processing device 4
The fabric 1 on which the pattern is formed by 0 is folded in two,
An bean is sandwiched between folded doughs. Therefore, in order to manufacture half-fold Dora-yaki dough (that is, skin) and form a pattern on it, the dough must be turned over as a prerequisite, such as a pattern formed on the fired surface when turned over It is necessary to ensure that the position of the branding does not shift when the two are folded.

The reason why the design is shifted in each product when folded in two is that the position of the design is not always formed at the same position with respect to each baked material.

As described above, the sintering zone 2 is formed by an operation such as inversion.
When an action or movement is added to the dough 1 sent at 0, the dough is baked before and after an action such as inversion is applied.
The position with respect to is shifted. For this reason, if the pattern is formed by positioning the branding 41 based on the position of the cloth in the squeezed state, the position of the pattern will be different among the individual cloths, and the value as a half-fold Dora-yaki will be lost. .

From such a point, the position of the fabric is shifted after the operation such as inversion, and after the operation such as inversion, the position of the newly changed fabric is checked.
Position secondary processing equipment such as.

In order to detect the position of each sent fabric 1, the inverted fabric 1 is photographed by the CCD camera 30, and this image data is sent to the image processing device, and the image data after the inversion is obtained. Check the new position of dough 1.

As described above, the new position is obtained by obtaining the outer contour of the cloth and then analyzing the image data to obtain the new position.
Is preferably determined.

This center is, for example, if the dough is elliptical,
The center of the ellipse is determined assuming that the ellipse is substantially elliptical, and the Y axis, the X axis orthogonal thereto, and the rotation angle θ of the center are determined.

The X-axis, Y-axis, and rotation angle θ of the inverted cloth are compared with the cloth which has been subjected to the secondary processing, and displacement amounts, ΔX, ΔY, Δθ, are obtained for three values. When an instruction is given to the secondary processing unit 40, the respective pulse motors rotate accordingly, and the secondary processing unit 40 moves in the X and Y directions. Rotate and always attach a pattern to the subsequent fabric in the same state as the previously processed fabric.

In the above description, the reference image is composed of the image of the preceding fabric. However, the reference image does not necessarily have to be the image of the preceding fabric, but the reference image must be a predetermined standard image. Can also.

In the sintering or steaming apparatus 10 constructed as described above, the CC or
A D camera 30 is provided, and a conventional CCD camera can be used. As is well known, the CCD camera 30 has a CCD element (not shown).

However, since the heat resistance temperature of the CCD element is within the range of 40 ° C., the temperature of the CCD element tends to be 40 ° C. or more due to heat from the baking zone 20 or the like. Further, release oil is applied on the firing plate 21 of the firing zone 20, and the release oil and the like are evaporated by heating from below, and a large amount of oil droplets are contained in the atmosphere. Also, the water from the dough is very high. Because of such an atmosphere, as described above, the picked-up image contains many noises, and even if it is processed as image data, there are many errors and the accuracy is reduced.

For this purpose, air 50 is blown out from around the CCD camera 30, and noise-causing substances such as oil droplets and water vapor in the field of view of the camera lens 31 are removed by the air 50. Although this purging effect can be achieved even when the air is at room temperature, it is preferable that the air be blown from the surroundings as much as possible.

A cooling duct 60 is provided around the CCD camera 30 for cooling the CCD element. The cooling duct 60 is configured to be able to cool the CCD camera 30 from both sides as shown in FIG. 2, and for this purpose, is configured to circulate cooling water through the cooling ducts 60 on the outward path and the return path.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of columns 70, 7 are sandwiched between the baking zones 20 on which the dough 1 is placed.
0 is arranged. A bridging member 7 is provided between these columns 70, 70.
1 and at least one CCD camera 30 from this bridging member 71, two C
The CD camera 30 is suspended.

An outer casing 72 is provided around the CCD camera 30 in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the firing zone 30, and the outer casing 72 surrounds the CCD camera 30. Further, cooling ducts 60 are arranged around the outer casing 72.

In such an arrangement, an air passage can be formed inside the outer casing 72, and air can be sent through this passage.

The sent air passes around the periphery of the CCD camera 30, and is blown downward from the outer casing 72 through the opening 73.

Although the air can be used at room temperature as long as it can achieve the cooling and purge effect, it is preferably cooled.

That is, the CCD camera 30 is cooled by the surrounding air, and the air itself is further cooled by the cooling water. With such cooling through air, the CCD camera 3
The air that comes into contact with 0 itself is air-
Is preferably cooled. However, such 2
In the case of a heavy cooling structure, the air that comes into contact with the camera lens and the like has no problem at all, and the air used for cooling is opened around the CCD camera 30, especially around the camera lens. Since it is blown downward from 73, a purging effect can be achieved.

Further, such air can be supplied from a connected ordinary cooling device, and it is sufficient if the cooling water can be supplied through a cooling cooler (not shown). It is. Reference numeral 80 denotes a device for removing oil or the like, which can also enhance the imaging effect of the CCD camera.

As described above, the cooling of the CCD camera is not provided by the cooling duct 60 or the air passage in the outer casing 72, but an air passage for sending air and purging around the CCD camera is provided. On the other hand, if a structure is adopted in which a cooling water passage for cooling the air itself is provided, any structure can be adopted.

[0060]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a food dough is imaged by a CCD camera while traveling on a baking zone or a steaming zone, and the image data is processed. In a food dough baking or steaming apparatus that performs secondary processing on food dough based on an instruction by this image processing, a CCD camera is provided on a baking zone or a steaming zone, and the CCD camera is water-cooled from at least a side surface. A cooling water passage is provided, and an air passage for sending a pager is provided between the cooling water passage and the CCD camera, and the pager from the air passage is directed downward from the imaging field of view of the CCD camera or its surroundings. An opening for jetting is provided.

Therefore, since the CCD camera is effectively cooled without hindrance, its performance is not impaired, and the blowing of the pager does not hinder the imaging of the CCD camera.

Further, with this configuration, the captured image is hardly mixed with noise, and positioning at high temperature can be achieved with high accuracy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a food baking or steaming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the arrangement of the CCD camera in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fabric 30 CCD camera 50 Purge 60 Cooling duct 72 Outer casing (air passage) 73 Opening

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A food dough is imaged by a CCD camera while traveling on a sintering zone or a steaming zone, and the image data is image-processed. In a food dough baking or steaming device that performs a secondary treatment on the food dough, while providing the CCD camera on the baking zone or steaming zone, providing a cooling water passage that water-cools the CCD camera from at least a side surface, An air passage is provided between the cooling water passage and the CCD camera for sending a pager, and an opening for injecting the purger from the air passage downward from the imaging field of view of the CCD camera or the periphery thereof. An apparatus for baking or steaming food dough, comprising: 2. The apparatus for baking or steaming food dough according to claim 1, wherein said food dough is confectionery dough. 3. The apparatus for baking or steaming food dough according to claim 1, wherein at least two CCD cameras are provided in a width direction of the baking zone or the steaming zone. 4. An outer casing surrounding the CCD camera is provided, and while the CCD camera is suspended in the outer casing, a cooling water duct is formed to form the cooling water passage with the CCD camera interposed therebetween. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said air passage is provided inside said cooling water duct. 5. The food dough baking or steaming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opening is provided in a bottom surface of the outer casing. 6. An apparatus for baking or steaming food dough according to claim 1, wherein said air passage is provided so as to be able to be supplied downward over the periphery of said CCD camera.