JP2009017862A - Method and apparatus for molding cooked rice food product - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for molding a cooked rice food product by which even a large ingredient material can be wrapped in a small amount of cooked rice and molded, and the ingredient material in such a state that a part thereof is exposed can stably be molded. <P>SOLUTION: An apparatus A for molding the food is formed from a plurality of mechanisms. The apparatus is constituted by a feeding mechanism 1 for loosening and feeding the cooked rice B, a delivering mechanism 2 for continuously taking out the cooked rice B fed from the feeding mechanism 1 in a prescribed amount of delivery, a sheet dividing mechanism 3 for extending the continuously taken out cooked rice B, continuously molding the cooked rice B into a cooked rice sheet, dividing the molded cooked rice sheet and molding the divided sheet material, an ingredient material feeding mechanism 4 for placing the ingredient material on the divided sheet material, a premolding mechanism 5 for folding back fold-back parts on both sides of the divided sheet material on which the ingredient material is placed, sealing the folded back parts and molding the premolded product, and a reshaping mechanism 6 for individually stamping the premolded product and finishing and reshaping the stamped premolded product. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooked rice food molding method for molding cooked rice, and more particularly to a cooked rice food molding method capable of molding cooked rice food in which large ingredients are wrapped in cooked rice into various shapes.

  Conventionally, the cooked rice has been supplied directly to the mold and formed into a predetermined shape by pressing. In this case, in order to reliably join the cooked rice grains, pre-cooled cooked rice is used. Because of being over-pressed by the mold, the resulting molded product was harder and compacted than handmade. In addition, the shape was limited to make it easy to release, and the corners were also rounded, and the change and appearance were poor.

  Thus, as described in Patent Document 1, the present inventors have proposed a cooked rice food molding apparatus that can be molded in a plump state without the rice being compacted and can prevent leakage of the inner material. In this cooked rice food forming apparatus, cooked rice loosened by the supply mechanism is shaped into a cooked rice sheet of a predetermined thickness by the sheet forming mechanism, and the both sides of the cooked rice sheet by the sealing member while being transported by the sealing conveyor in the sealing mechanism Is formed into a cooked rice stick-shaped body, the cooked rice stick-shaped body is divided into a predetermined length by a dividing mechanism, and shaped into a predetermined shape by a mold in a shaping mechanism.

Moreover, in patent document 2, the rice which weighed to the predetermined amount was made into a sheet form, and it mounted in the center shaping | molding mold, the left press mold and the right press mold were rotated, and the ingredient put on the cooked rice A food molding apparatus is described in which rice balls are press-molded so as to wrap the rice.
JP 2006-075114 A JP 2007-049937 A

  With the growing interest in Japanese food, demand for cooked rice foods such as rice balls is increasing, and rice balls that have been wrapped in traditional ingredients such as plums and kelp are being offered. Among them, rice balls wrapped in large solid ingredients such as fried shrimp and salmon have become voluminous and popular because they give a luxurious impression.

  When wrapping such a large solid ingredient, wrapping the whole with cooked rice as before would increase the amount of cooked rice and make it impossible to eat, so reduce the amount of cooked rice with a large ingredient Is partly exposed, and “Tenmusu” wrapped in fried shrimp and “Hime Musubi” wrapped in shochu fillets are provided.

  However, wrapping such large ingredients with a small amount of cooked rice requires that the cooked rice be covered with a thin and even thickness, and that the cooked rice must be shaped so that a portion of the ingredients are exposed, It has been difficult to stably form such cooked rice with the conventional cooked rice forming apparatus.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a cooked rice food molding method that can be wrapped and molded with a small amount of cooked rice even in the case of large ingredients, and that can be stably molded with a portion of the ingredients exposed. Objective.

  The cooked rice food molding method according to the present invention includes a sheet forming process for continuously forming cooked rice in a thin strip shape, and a folded portion that extends on both sides of the ingredient placing section by dividing the formed cooked rice sheet. In addition, a split forming step of forming a divided sheet body formed with a material covering portion protruding in the transport direction from the folded portion, and the folded portion of the formed divided sheet body is placed on the folded tool material placing portion upward. A preforming step in which one end of the placed material is exposed and a preform is formed to form a preform, and the material covering portion is bent to cover the other end of the material And a shaping step for shaping the body. Furthermore, in the said division | segmentation shaping | molding process, it cut | disconnects so that an ingredient mounting part may protrude in a conveyance direction rather than a folding | turning part. Further, in the pre-forming step, the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are bent upward using a sealing conveyor in which the central portions of the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are attached to an endless belt, and the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are bent upward by curving the strip conveyor pieces upward. And the folded portion is sealed by reciprocally swinging a plurality of pairs of sealing members. Furthermore, in the shaping step, a pair of horizontal dies are pressed against the preform from the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveying direction, and the upper die is pressed from above.

  The cooked rice food molding apparatus according to the present invention includes sheet forming means for continuously forming cooked rice in a thin strip shape, and folded portions extending from both sides of the ingredient placing section by dividing the formed cooked rice sheet. And a split forming means for forming the divided sheet body formed with the material covering portion protruding in the conveying direction from the folded portion, and the folded portion of the formed divided sheet body is placed on the folded tool material placing portion upward. A preforming means for forming a preform by wrapping in a state where one end of the placed material is exposed, and preforming so as to cover the other end of the material by bending the material covering portion And a shaping means for shaping the body.

  By having the above configuration, the thinly cooked cooked rice sheet is divided and the ingredients are wrapped by the folded portion and the ingredient covering part, so the ingredients can be covered with the thin cooked rice. Can be done. And since the upper surface and the side surface of the ingredient are covered with the folded part and the end part of the ingredient not covered with the folded part is covered with the ingredient covering part, the overlapping of cooked rice in each part is reduced, The thickness can be formed almost uniformly.

  In addition, since the folding portion wraps and wraps the material from both sides, the wrapping operation can be performed stably with the tip portion of the material exposed. That is, since it wraps like the clothing operation | movement of a kimono, the front-end | tip part of an ingredient comes to be exposed like a head reliably. According to such a wrapping operation, if various materials other than a large solid material are placed on the material placing portion, the material can be easily molded in a partially exposed state. Since the material is securely wrapped and molded by the folded portion and the material covering portion, the molding operation is performed stably without exposing the portion other than the tip of the material.

  Further, in the split molding process, if the material placing portion is cut so as to protrude to the downstream side in the conveying direction from the folded portion, the material placed on the protruding portion of the material placing portion is surely exposed. If the shape of the protruding portion is changed in accordance with the shape of the material, the size and shape of the exposed portion of the material can be set finely.

  Further, in the preforming step, the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are bent upward using the sealing conveyor in which the center portions of the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are attached to the endless belt, and the folded portions on both sides are bent while the divided sheet bodies are conveyed. By bending upward and reciprocatingly swinging a plurality of pairs of sealing members to seal the folded portion, the folded portion can be folded and sealed without pressing the cooked rice. It becomes possible to finish it into food.

  In the shaping process, if a pair of horizontal molds are pressed against the preform from the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction and the upper mold is pressed from above, the tool on the downstream side of the preform in the transport direction It is possible to form the material covering portion so as to be surely folded to cover the material. Moreover, since it shape | molds using a horizontal type | mold and an upper type | mold, it can respond | correspond by changing a type | mold according to the rice food of various shapes to shape.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are preferable specific examples for carrying out the present invention, and thus various technical limitations are made. However, the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

  FIG. 1 is an overall schematic front view of an embodiment according to the present invention. The food molding apparatus A is formed by a plurality of mechanisms. From the left side of the drawing in the order in which the cooked rice B is molded, the supply mechanism 1 for unraveling and supplying the cooked rice B, and the cooked rice B supplied from the feed mechanism 1 are used. A feeding mechanism 2 that continuously carries out a predetermined feeding amount, a sheet dividing mechanism 3 that spreads the continuously-boiled cooked rice B, continuously forms a cooked rice sheet, divides the shaped cooked rice sheet, and forms a divided sheet body. , A material supply mechanism 4 for placing the material on the divided sheet body, a preforming mechanism 5 for folding and sealing the folded portions on both sides of the divided sheet body on which the material is placed, and forming a preform, It is composed of a shaping mechanism 6 for individually stamping and finishing and shaping the molded body.

  The process of forming the cooked rice food by the food molding apparatus A will be described. First, when the worker puts the cooked rice B into the supply mechanism 1, the cooked rice B that has been properly adhered to each other due to the viscosity of the cooked rice B is moved on the conveyor 11. It is conveyed to the right side of the drawing. And the rice lump of the cooked rice B is moderately loosened by being caught in the rotating loosening member 12 and supplied from the upper part of the sheet forming mechanism 2 so as to fall from the conveyor 11. The supplied cooked rice B is fed by the pair of feed rollers 21 and is continuously fed to the lower part, and is conveyed to the right sheet dividing mechanism 3 by the conveyor 22.

  The sheet dividing mechanism 3 includes a spreading roller 30 that spreads the continuously-boiled cooked rice B and continuously forms the cooked rice sheet, and a cutting device 32 that divides and continuously forms the cooked rice sheet. 2 and 3 show a plan view and a side view of the sheet dividing mechanism 3, respectively.

  The cooked rice carried out by the conveyor 22 is formed into a predetermined width by the guide 33 and reaches the spreading roller 30, and is formed into a continuous strip-shaped cooked rice sheet that is thinly spread to a predetermined thickness. A protruding portion 30a is formed in a band shape at the center of the peripheral surface of the spreading roller 30, and a linear groove is formed in the center of the cooked rice sheet along the conveying direction by the protruding portion 30a.

  The groove formed by the protrusion 30a is for stably placing the material as will be described later. However, if the groove does not have to be formed depending on the type and shape of the material, the protrusion is formed. You may use the spreading roller without.

  The formed cooked rice sheet is transferred to the conveyor 31 and conveyed, and is cut by a predetermined length by the cutting device 32 and divided. The cutting device 32 cuts the cooked rice sheet with a cutting blade 33 attached to a drive bar 35 that moves up and down. The cutting blade 33 is made of a metal belt-like plate material, and is installed so as to cross the transport surface of the transport conveyor 31. As shown in FIG. 4, the central portion 33 a of the cutting blade 33 is bent so as to protrude downstream in the transport direction, and both end portions 33 b are extended to the side end of the transport conveyor 31.

  A pair of mounting plates 33c are projected between the central portion 33a and both end portions 33b toward the upstream side in the transport direction, and a pair of pressing rods for forming grooves is formed at the tip of the mounting plate 33c. 34 is suspended. The pressing bar 34 has a circular cross section and is attached along the transport direction.

  The cooked rice sheet is cut by operating the cutting device 32 to move the cutting blade 33 downward and in pressure contact with the conveyor surface. A pair of pressing bars 34 are pressed against the cooked rice sheet together with the cutting blade 33 to form a linear groove along the conveying direction.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view (FIG. 5A), a side view (FIG. 5B), and a perspective view (FIG. 5C) regarding the divided sheet body C cut and formed. In the divided sheet body C, folded portions C2 are formed on both sides of the material placement portion C1 in the central portion. A material covering portion C3 is formed on the upstream side of the pair of folded portions C2. A wide mounting groove C11 is formed in the central portion of the material mounting portion C1 by the protrusion 30a of the spreading roller 30, and a narrow width by the pressing rod 34 is formed in the folded portion C2 and the material covering portion C3. A folded groove C12 is formed.

  Since the upstream and downstream ends of the divided sheet body C in the conveyance direction are cut by the cutting blade 33, the downstream end of the material placement portion C1 corresponding to the central portion 33a of the cutting blade 33 is folded back. It protrudes downstream from the end of the part C2, and the upstream end of the ingredient placing part C1 is formed in a shape that is recessed downstream from the ingredient covering part C3. Therefore, the ingredient covering portion C3 protrudes further upstream than the upstream end of the ingredient placing portion C1.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the divided sheet body C. FIG. In this example, a circular insertion groove C13 is further formed at the center of the mounting groove C11. The insertion groove C13 can be formed, for example, by pressing a predetermined position of the placement groove C11 using a stamp member that moves up and down. The shape of the placement groove C11 may be changed as appropriate according to the type and shape of the material to be placed. In some cases, only the insertion groove C13 may be formed without forming the placement groove.

  In the above-described example, the groove shape is wide so that the shochu fillet is placed in the placement groove C11. In addition, for example, granular salmon roe may be introduced into the insertion groove C13 so that the shochu fillet is placed thereon. Thus, it is possible to place a plurality of kinds of ingredients, and the shape of the placement groove for that purpose can be changed as appropriate.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view relating to the ingredient supply mechanism 4. In this example, the material supply mechanism 4 is provided with a conveyance conveyor 40, and the cut and divided divided sheet body C is unloaded from the conveyance conveyor 31 and transferred to the conveyance conveyor 40. By setting the transport speed of the transport conveyor 40 slightly faster than that of the transport conveyor 31, the divided sheet body C is transported at a predetermined interval when it is transported to the transport conveyor 40.

  The operator M sequentially places the shochu fillet on the ingredient placement portion C1 of the divided sheet C conveyed by the conveyance conveyor 40 by hand. As a method for supplying ingredients, such manual work is preferable in the case of large solid ingredients, but in the case of granular, powdery or bowl-like ingredients, a predetermined amount is used by a machine such as a powder shaker or a vane pump. You may make it supply one by one.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the preforming mechanism 5, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are a front view and a plan view of the preforming mechanism 5 with the sealing conveyor 51 omitted, respectively.

  A drive shaft 56 and a drive shaft 57 project from the main body frame 50 in the horizontal direction. The drive shaft 56 is connected to the drive pulley 53, and the drive shaft 57 is connected to the crank mechanism 55. A driven pulley support member 512 made of a pair of plate members is fixed to the transport base 511 with a bolt or the like so as to sandwich the transport base 511 at the right end of the transport base 511 fixed to the main body frame. The driven pulley 54 is rotatably supported by pivotally supporting both ends thereof by a driven pulley support member 512.

  A sealing conveyor 51 is stretched between the driving pulley 53 and the driven pulley 54. The sealing conveyor 51 is configured by connecting a plurality of strip conveyor pieces 514 made of a flexible material to the outer peripheral surface of an endless V-belt 513 by an adhesive, heat fusion, or the like. Each strip conveyor piece 514 has a central portion connected to the central portion of the V-belt 513 and is arranged so as to overlap with the adjacent strip conveyor piece 514 by a predetermined length. Therefore, each strip conveyor piece 514 can bend both sides freely from the connected center part.

  Grooves are formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the drive pulley 53 and the driven pulley 54 so that the protrusions of the V belt 513 of the sealing conveyor 51 are engaged with each other, and the protrusions of the V belt 513 are engaged with the grooves of the drive pulley 53 and the driven pulley 54. By being stretched in this state, the conveying conveyor 53 can be reliably transported without the sealing conveyor 51 slipping due to the rotation of the driving pulley 53.

  A pair of interval adjusting members 515 are arranged on both sides of the conveyance base 511, and the interval between them can be adjusted by operating the knob 516. A shaft support member 517 is attached to both ends of each spacing adjustment member 515, and a guide support bar 518 is horizontally provided on the upper portion of the shaft support member 517 so as to face each other. A guide plate member 519 is attached to the distal end portion of the guide support bar 518 in the vertical direction. The lower part of each guide plate member 519 is shaped to be curved toward each other and is a free end, and supports the strip conveyor piece 514 of the sealing conveyor 51 in a curved state upward. The guide plate material 519 is cut out at portions corresponding to the three contact portions of the sealing member 52.

  One end portion of the guide bar member 520 is fixed to the upper side of each guide plate member 519 on the upstream side in the transport direction of the sealing conveyor 51, and obliquely downward toward the upstream side in the transport direction as it goes to the other end portion. It is provided to become. The distance between the two guide bar members 520 is gradually widened along the width of the drive pulley 53 as it goes to the other end, and the other end is a free end.

  A swing bar member 521 is pivotally supported at the lower part of the shaft support member 517, and one end of the swing bar member 521 is connected to the crank mechanism 55. Sealing members 52 are disposed on both sides of the transport base 511 along the transport direction, and the lower part of the seal member 52 is fixed to the swinging rod member 521. Three contact portions are formed so as to protrude from the surfaces of the sealing members 52 facing each other. When the crank mechanism 55 is driven and the swinging rod member rotates, the sealing member 52 performs a reciprocating swinging operation in synchronism so as to approach and separate from each other. The three contact portions of the attaching member 52 approach and separate from each other, and the opening and closing operation is performed in a state where the strip conveyor piece 514 of the sealing conveyor 51 is curved upward.

  On the downstream side of the sealing member 52, restriction rollers 530 and 531 are disposed in the upper part, and the restriction rollers 530 and 531 are pivotally supported on pivotal support members that are suspended from the support base 534, respectively. Has been. The rotating shafts of the regulating rollers 530 and 531 are set in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the leading ends of the strip conveyor pieces 514 bent upward by the sealing member 52 abut against the regulating roller 530 and overlap each other. In this way, the strip conveyor piece 514 is pressed from above by the regulating roller 531 and the overlapping state is maintained.

  On the downstream side of the regulating roller 531 in the conveying direction, an upper shaping roller 533 having a diameter larger than that of the regulating roller 531 is rotatably supported by a shaft supporting member that is suspended from the support base 534. The rotation shaft of the upper shaping roller 533 is set in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, like the regulating roller 531. At both ends of the upper shaping roller 533, a pair of horizontal shaping rollers 532 having a rotation axis set in the vertical direction are vertically suspended from the support base 534.

  When the drive pulley 53 is driven to rotate, the sealing conveyor 51 starts the conveying operation. When the sealing conveyor 51 moves, the strip conveyor piece 514 moved from the drive pulley 53 side is pushed up as the pair of guide bar members 520 come in contact with the lower surfaces on both sides and move. Further, since the interval between the guide bar members 520 is gradually narrowed, both sides of the strip conveyor piece 514 are raised substantially vertically and guided between the pair of guide plate members 519. Since the lower part of the guide plate material 519 is curved, the strip conveyor piece 514 is curved in a U-shaped cross section.

  Then, when the drive shaft 57 reciprocally swings only a predetermined angle, the crank mechanism 55 reciprocates the swing rod member 521 by a predetermined angle, and reciprocally swings the sealing member 52 attached thereto. The pair of sealing members 52 arranged opposite to each other are reciprocally swung in directions opposite to each other because the respective crank mechanisms 55 are arranged so as to be symmetric with respect to the sealing conveyor 51. Therefore, the three abutting portions of each sealing member 52 repeatedly approach and separate from each other in accordance with the reciprocal swing, and pass through the notch portions of the guide plate material 519 and the both side portions rising vertically of the strip conveyor piece 514. The actuator is pushed at a predetermined timing.

  By transporting the sealing conveyor 51, the strip conveyor piece 514 that has reached the regulation roller 530 is deformed into a state where the front end portion is curved and overlapped from both sides, and the overlapping state of the strip conveyor pieces 514 is maintained by the regulation roller 531. In this state, the toner is introduced into a space surrounded by the upper shaping roller 533 and the horizontal shaping roller 532. Then, after passing the upper shaping roller 533 and the horizontal shaping roller 532, the strip conveyor pieces 514 on both sides return to the original flat plate shape from the overlapped curved shape, and even if both sides are slightly lifted, the guide rails It is smoothly introduced into the driven pulley and conveyed downward.

  FIGS. 11-16 is a schematic sectional drawing in the cross section orthogonal to the conveyance direction which shows the process of shaping the division | segmentation sheet | seat body C in which the ingredient | tool G was mounted in the preforming body, FIG. 11 is FIG. FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views at position B in FIG. 10, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view at position C in FIG. 10, and FIG. 15 is at position D in FIG. A cross-sectional view is shown.

  When the divided sheet body C on which the material G is placed is conveyed to the pre-forming mechanism 5 by the conveying conveyor 40, it is loaded into the sealing conveyor 51, and both sides of the strip conveyor pieces 514 are guided by the guide bar member 520. The intervals are gradually narrowed and raised, and the folded portion C2 of the divided sheet C is lifted upward as shown in FIG.

  When the divided sheet body C is further conveyed and reaches the B position, the strip conveyor piece 514 is bent into a U-shaped cross section by the guide plate material 519, and the folded portions C2 on both sides of the divided sheet body C are moved upward by the folding groove C12. And is bent in a U-shaped cross section along the strip conveyor piece 514. At this time, the interval between the guide plate members 519 is adjusted so that the placed material G is not crushed (FIG. 12).

  In the B position, the sealing member 52 is reciprocally swung by the crank mechanism 55, the contact portion of the sealing member 52 protrudes from the notch portion of the guide plate material 519, and pushes the upper portion of the strip conveyor piece 514, Both sides of the strip conveyor piece 514 are brought closer to each other (FIG. 13). The three abutting portions of the sealing member 52 are set so that the pressing height of the abutting portion gradually decreases toward the downstream side in the transport direction, and passes between the three abutting portions. The side ends of the folded portions C2 on both sides of the divided sheet body C gradually approach and are sealed. Therefore, it is sealed with a pressing force that does not crush the rice grains, and sealing is performed in a plump state. Moreover, even when a soft or easily broken material is used, it can be sealed with cooked rice without damaging the material.

  By sealing the folded portions C2 on both sides, the upper surface and side surfaces of the ingredient G are wrapped so as to be covered with the folded portions C2. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the restriction roller 530 is pressed against the leading end of the strip conveyor piece 514 from above, and is regulated so that the leading end is curved and overlapped. For this reason, the sealed folded portion C2 is covered in a state of being in close contact with the upper surface of the ingredient G.

  The strip conveyor piece 514 is wound around the sealed divided sheet body C, passes through the regulating roller 531, and is carried into the space surrounded by the upper shaping roller 533 and the horizontal shaping roller 532 as shown in FIG. Is done. Both end portions of the upper shaping roller 533 are formed in a curved shape so as to gradually increase in diameter, and similarly, the lower end portion of the horizontal shaping roller 532 is also formed in a curved shape so as to gradually increase in diameter. Therefore, the space surrounded by the horizontal shaping roller 532 and the upper shaping roller 533 is formed in an approximately elliptical shape, and the cross-section is wound and shaped in an approximately elliptical shape by passing the sealed divided sheet C. (FIG. 16). In this example, since the cross-sectional shape of the ingredient G is an elliptical cross-section like a shochu fillet, it is thinned with cooked rice having a substantially uniform thickness around the ingredient G by shaping it accordingly. Since it can be preformed so as to be wrapped, and the cooked rice is molded in close contact with the ingredient G, it is possible to prevent the cooked rice from peeling off when eating as a rice ball, for example.

  FIG. 17 is a perspective view (FIG. 17A) and a cross-sectional view (FIG. 17B) related to the molded preform D. The lower surface of the ingredient G is covered with the ingredient placing portion C1, and the upper surface and the side surface of the ingredient G are wrapped by the folded portion C2. And as shown in FIG. 5, since the ingredient mounting part C1 is formed so as to protrude to the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the turn-back part C2, the tip end part on the downstream side in the transport direction of the ingredient G is exposed. It has become. In addition, the ingredient placing portion C1 and the folded portion C2 are tightly wound around the ingredient G by the horizontal shaping roller 532 and the upper shaping roller 533 and are in close contact with each other.

  The material covering portion C3 is folded upward together with the folded portion C2 and extends so as to protrude downstream in the transport direction. As shown in FIG. 5, since the material covering portion C3 is formed so as to protrude to the upstream side in the transport direction from the material placing portion C1, the material covering portion C3 includes the material G and the material placing portion. It protrudes from the rear end of C1. Therefore, the material covering portion C3 is not wound by the shaping roller.

  FIG. 18 shows a schematic front view (FIG. 18 (a)) and a plan view (FIG. 18 (b)) of the shaping mechanism 6 for shaping the preform D. In the shaping mechanism 6, three transfer conveyors 63, 64 and 65 are arranged on the upper part of the main body frame 60 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transfer direction. Is going. Further, the transport conveyor 64 in the center is controlled so as to be stopped once when the preform D is detected at a substantially central position of the transport conveyor 64 when the preform D is detected by a sensor (not shown). In addition, a pre-shaping mechanism 61 is installed on the upper part of the transport conveyor 63, and a mold operating mechanism 62 having a pair of horizontal molds 70 and an upper mold 71 is installed on the upper part of the transport conveyor 64.

  The pre-shaping mechanism 61 includes an abutting plate 611 and a pair of abutting plates 612. The abutting plate 611 is disposed so as to cross the conveying direction and is provided so as to move up and down by driving means (not shown). It has been. In the lowered position, the conveying path of the preform D is set to be cut off, and in the raised position, the preform D is set so as to be retractable. The pair of abutment plates 612 are set so that the abutment surfaces are slightly inclined so that the tips are inward with respect to the transport direction, and are controlled to move toward and away from each other by a driving unit (not shown). Is done.

  FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram regarding the operation of the pre-shaping mechanism 61. When the preform D is transferred from the sealing conveyor 51 to the transport conveyor 63 and reaches a predetermined position, the abutting plate 611 is lowered by a detection signal from a detection sensor (not shown) and set to the blocking position. Then, at the timing when the tip of the preform D is abutted against the abutting plate 611, the pair of abutment plates 612 are driven to move so as to approach each other so that the preform D is sandwiched from both sides. Touch. Therefore, the cooked rice is pressed against the periphery of the ingredient G so that the tip of the preform D has a sharp shape.

  In this example, such pre-shaping process is performed in order to reshape into a rice ball having a triangular shape in plan view as will be described later, but it is pre-shaped into a shape other than a sharp shape according to the shape of the ingredient G. Also good. In that case, the shape of the butting plate and the contact plate may be changed. Further, when the pre-shaping is not necessary, the pre-shaping mechanism may not be provided.

  The mold operating mechanism 62 is provided such that a pair of support members 621 protrudes along the conveying direction from both sides of the mounting base 620 that is moved up and down by driving means such as an air cylinder. The pair of support members 621 are controlled to move toward or away from each other along the conveyance direction by a driving unit such as an air chuck. An arm member 622 protrudes from the pair of support members 621 above the conveyor 64, and a horizontal die 70 is attached to the tip of each arm member 622. Further, an arm member 623 is provided on the upper portion of the mounting base 620 so as to protrude above the conveyor 64, and an upper die 71 is suspended from the tip of the arm member 623. The upper die 71 is moved up and down by the arm member 623 moving up and down by a driving means 624 such as an air cylinder provided on the mounting base 620.

  FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of shaping with the horizontal mold 70 and the upper mold 71, and FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view in the transport direction in each process. When it is detected that the pre-shaped preform D transferred from the conveyor 63 to the conveyor 64 has reached a predetermined position, the conveyor 64 is temporarily stopped. Then, the mounting base 620 of the mold operation mechanism 62 is lowered so that the horizontal mold 70 abuts on the conveyor surface on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the preform D (FIG. 20A). Next, the horizontal molds 70 are moved and controlled so as to come close to each other, and the horizontal molds 70 are pressed from both sides of the preform D (FIG. 20B). In this state, as shown in FIG. 21 (b), the material covering portion C3 protruding from the rear end portion of the preform D is pressed by the horizontal mold 70 and bent downward so that the material G It is deformed so as to cover the entire rear end. Then, in a state where the horizontal molds 70 are in close contact with each other, the movement is controlled so that the upper mold 71 descends from above, so that the upper mold 71 is fitted to the upper part of the horizontal mold 70 so as to close the lid (FIG. 20 (c)). . In this state, as shown in FIG. 21 (c)), the folded portion C 2 and the material covering portion C 3 are pressed against each other by the upper mold 71. In particular, since the material covering portion C3 is not tightened by the preforming mechanism 5, the material covering portion C3 is in pressure contact with the upper die and the horizontal die in the shaping mechanism 6 so that the rear end portion of the material G is in close contact. It comes to wrap up.

  FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the molded product E. FIG. The molded product E is shaped into a triangular rice ball shape by a mold, and a part of the ingredient G is exposed. The rice bowl part is placed so that the ingredient placement part C1, the folded part C2 and the ingredient covering part C3 are in close contact with the ingredient G and are wrapped so that it has a handmade feeling. Can be finished. As shown in FIG. 23, the molded product E can be finished by winding the roasted seaweed F around the whole.

  FIG. 24 is a perspective view of another molded product E ′. This molded product E ′ uses a tempura such as shrimp tempura called “Tenmusu” as a material G ′, and can be molded with such a material. In this case, since the shrimp's tail part protrudes, it is necessary to cut off the shape of the mold in the shaping mechanism so that the tail is not damaged. Even in the case of this molded product, it can be finished in a plump state with cooked rice in close contact with the shrimp heaven.

  The shape of the molded product E can be easily changed by exchanging the mold used in the shaping mechanism 6. For example, it can be formed into a circular shape shown in FIG. 25 or an oval shape shown in FIG. Besides, molded products having various outer shapes such as a spherical shape, a chestnut shape, a hexagonal shape, a rhombus shape, and a roll shape can be obtained. Moreover, by adjusting the lowering position of the upper mold 71, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the molded product to be harder or softer.

  In the above-described example, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 16, sealing is performed so that the leading end portion of the folded portion C2 abuts. However, as shown in FIG. 27, one folded portion C2 is folded first. It may be. In FIG. 27, one of the guide bar members 520 is set to be arranged on the inner side compared to the other (guide bar member 520 '), and one of the folded portions C2 is folded first. Instead of disposing the guide rod member 520 on the inside, one strip conveyor piece 514 may be pressed by a driving rod such as an air cylinder so that one folded portion C2 is folded first. Then, as shown in FIG. 28, one folded portion C2 is sealed so as to alternately overlap with the other folded portion C2, and as shown in FIG. C2 can be shaped alternately.

  As described above, by using the molding processing method of the present invention, it is possible to wrap and mold large ingredients and to stably mold cooked rice foods of various designs.

1 is an overall schematic front view relating to an embodiment of a molding method according to the present invention. It is a top view regarding a sheet division mechanism. It is a side view regarding a sheet dividing mechanism. It is a perspective view regarding a cutting blade. It is the top view, side view, and perspective view regarding a division | segmentation sheet | seat body. It is a perspective view regarding the modification of a division | segmentation sheet | seat body. It is a top view regarding an ingredient supply mechanism. It is a perspective view regarding a preforming mechanism. It is a front view regarding the preforming mechanism of the state which abbreviate | omitted the sealing conveyor. It is a top view regarding the preforming mechanism of the state which abbreviate | omitted the sealing conveyor. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the AA position of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the BB position of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the BB position of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in CC position of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the DD position of FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing in the EE position of FIG. It is the perspective view and sectional drawing regarding a preforming body. It is the schematic front view and top view regarding the shaping mechanism which shapes a preforming body. It is explanatory drawing regarding operation | movement of a front shaping mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process of shaping by a horizontal type | mold and an upper type | mold. It is sectional drawing of the conveyance direction in each process of FIG. It is a perspective view regarding a molded article. It is a perspective view regarding a molded article. It is a perspective view regarding another molded article. It is a perspective view regarding another molded article. It is a perspective view regarding another molded article. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing process of another molded article. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the manufacturing process of another molded article. It is a perspective view regarding another molded article.

Explanation of symbols

A Food forming apparatus B Cooked rice C Divided sheet body D Preliminary molded body E Molded product F Grilled seaweed G Ingredient 1 Supply mechanism 2 Feeding mechanism 3 Sheet dividing mechanism 4 Ingredient supply mechanism 5 Preliminary forming mechanism 6 Shaping mechanism

Claims (5)

  A sheet forming process for continuously forming cooked rice into a thin strip shape, and a folded portion that divides the formed cooked rice sheet and extends on both sides of the ingredient placing portion, and protrudes from the folded portion in the conveying direction. A split forming step for forming the divided sheet body on which the material covering portion is formed, and one end portion of the material placed on the return material placing portion by folding the folded portion of the formed divided sheet body upward A preforming step of forming a preform by wrapping the material in an exposed state, and a shaping step of shaping the preform so as to cover the other end of the material by bending the material covering portion. A method for forming cooked rice food, characterized in that:   The cooked rice food molding method according to claim 1, wherein in the division molding step, the ingredient placing portion is cut so as to protrude in the transport direction from the folded portion.   In the preforming step, the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are bent upward while conveying the divided sheet body using a sealing conveyor in which the central portions of the plurality of strip conveyor pieces are attached to an endless belt, and the folded portions on both sides are moved upward. The cooked rice food molding method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the folded portion is sealed by bending the plurality of sealing members in a reciprocating manner and bending the plurality of pairs of sealing members.   4. The shaping process according to claim 1, wherein in the shaping step, a pair of horizontal molds are pressed against the preform from the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveying direction, and the upper mold is pressed from above. Cooked rice food molding method.   Sheet forming means for continuously forming cooked rice into a thin strip shape, and a folded portion that divides the formed cooked rice sheet and extends on both sides of the ingredient placing portion, and protrudes from the folded portion in the conveying direction. Split forming means for forming the divided sheet body on which the material covering portion is formed, and one end portion of the material placed on the folded material placing portion with the folded portion of the formed divided sheet body turned upward And a shaping means for shaping the preform so as to bend the ingredient covering portion and cover the other end of the ingredient. A cooked rice food molding apparatus.

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