JP2009055849A - Method and apparatus for cutting polygonal food - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for cutting a polygonal food without damaging its appearance form. <P>SOLUTION: The method for cutting a food extruded polygonally via the extrusion port 11 of a nozzle 13 is provided, wherein the section of the extrusion port 11 is polygonal. The apparatus for the method is also provided. Specifically, the apparatus has the nozzle 13, a shutter mechanism 19 movable in the extrusion direction of a food to be extruded via the nozzle 13, and a plurality of shutter pieces furnished openably on the shutter mechanism 19 in order to cut the food. In this apparatus, the number of the shutter pieces is the same as that of the sides of the polygon of the food, wherein each of the shutter pieces is put correspondingly to each of the sides of the extrusion port 11. When the food within the region surrounded by the respective shutter pieces is to be cut by subjecting the respective shutter pieces to opening/closing action, the cutting action is started by keeping the respective shutter pieces at acute angles with the respective sides of the polygon. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cutting food discharged from a polygonal discharge port provided in a nozzle into a polygonal rod shape, and more particularly, to maintain the outer shape of a polygonal food in a good state. The present invention relates to a cutting method and apparatus capable of cutting.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a configuration has been proposed in which, for example, a bean paste is ejected from a nozzle into a middle skin and the discharged bean paste is cut by a shutter device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Registered Utility Model No. 3017045

  The configuration described in Patent Document 1 discharges bean paste into the lower skin in the middle from the discharge port of the nozzle in which the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port for discharging bean is formed in a circular shape, and below the nozzle. It is the structure which cut | disconnects the said etc. with the shutter apparatus provided. In the above configuration, the bean paste is discharged into the lower skin in the middle of the circular shape, and the bean paste is cut by a shutter device provided with four shutter pieces that can be opened and closed. The epidermis is covered with the epidermis in the middle of the product to make it in the middle of the product.

  By the way, the skin in the middle is not limited to a circular shape, but may be a polygonal shape such as a quadrangle. Moreover, as a confectionery product, there is also a confectionery product in which a polygonal shape discharged from a polygonal discharge port of a nozzle is held as it is as an external shape and formed into a cone shape. In this case, for example, for a container such as a leather in the middle of a quadrangle, it is desirable to discharge bean paste or the like corresponding to the shape of the container, and it is desirable to cut the container without destroying the external shape.

  However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port in the nozzle is circular, and the shape of the region surrounded by the plurality of shutter pieces provided in the shutter device is a quadrangle, It is the structure which opens and closes and cuts the said etc. Therefore, for example, when sprinkling etc. into the lower skin in the shape of a quadrangle, it may not be sufficiently spread to each corner portion of the middle skin. Moreover, the external shape of the bean paste discharged from the nozzle outlet is a circular shape, and the cutting part by the shutter device is a square shape. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of the conventional problems as described above, and is a method for cutting food that is discharged in a polygonal cross-sectional shape from a discharge port of a nozzle, and is movable in the discharge direction of the food. When the provided shutter device includes shutter pieces respectively corresponding to the sides of the polygonal shape, and the shutter pieces are opened and closed to cut the food in the area surrounded by the shutter pieces, the polygonal shaped foods The cutting is started by operating each shutter piece with respect to each side.

  In addition, a nozzle having a discharge port for discharging food so that the cross-sectional shape of the food becomes a polygonal shape, a shutter device movable in the discharge direction of the food discharged from the nozzle, and for cutting the food A plurality of shutter pieces that can be freely opened and closed on the shutter device, the number of the shutter pieces is the same as the number of polygonal sides of the food, and each shutter piece is a polygonal shape of the food It is characterized by being arranged corresponding to each side.

  Further, in the polygonal food cutting apparatus, the discharge port in the nozzle has a polygonal cross-sectional shape, and an inward protruding portion is provided on the inner surface of each side of the discharge port. Is.

  Further, in the polygonal food cutting apparatus, each of the shutter pieces is configured to start cutting from a corner of the polygon while maintaining an acute angle with respect to a corresponding side of the polygonal food. Is.

  According to the present invention, the polygon of the discharge port of the nozzle matches the shape of the region surrounded by the plurality of shutter pieces in the shutter device, and the appearance shape of the polygonal food discharged from the discharge port is destroyed. It can cut without.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a polygonal food cutting device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a frame 3, and forward from the frame 3 (front side from the back side of the paper surface in FIG. 1, left side in FIG. 2). A nozzle unit 7 is detachably / replaceably provided on the support bracket 5 provided protruding in the direction). An upper portion of the nozzle unit 7 is provided with a supply pipe 9 for receiving an appropriate food (not shown) such as an anion from a food supply means (not shown). A nozzle 13 having a discharge port 11 for discharging food having a polygonal cross-sectional shape is provided via a nut 15 so as to be detachable and replaceable.

  The cross-sectional shape of the discharge port 11 in the nozzle 13 is formed in a polygonal shape (square shape), and slightly protrudes inward on the inner surface of each side between the polygonal corners of the discharge port 11. The protruding portion 17 is provided over an appropriate length in the flow direction of the food. When the protrusion (17) around the food discharged from the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13 in a polygonal shape is released and the outer surface is slightly swollen, the sides of the protrusion 17 are flat. The protrusion 17 may be omitted depending on the properties and characteristics of food discharged in a polygonal shape from the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13.

  By the way, depending on the properties, characteristics, etc. of the food, when protruding from the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13 into the middle skin, the trace of the protruding portion 17 may remain as a recess. Therefore, in this case, after supplying food such as bean jam into the lower skin during the process, when the food is slightly crushed by covering the lower skin with an epithelial lid, it should function as a food escape part It is possible to prevent the food from protruding from between the lower skin and the epithelium. Therefore, when the upper and lower skins in the middle are put together, it is easy to supply food such as bean paste in a state where there is almost no space, and the appearance can be maintained well.

  A shutter device 19 for cutting the food discharged from the nozzle 13 is provided so as to be movable in the discharge direction of the food discharged from the nozzle 13. In the present embodiment, since the food is discharged downward from the nozzle 13, the shutter device 19 is configured to move up and down. However, when the food is discharged from the nozzle 13 in the horizontal direction, the shutter device 19 may be configured to reciprocate in the horizontal direction.

  In order to reciprocate the shutter device 19 in the direction of food discharge, the frame 3 is provided with a reciprocating actuator 21 such as an air cylinder, for example. A movable plate 25 is integrally attached to a reciprocating operation rod 23 such as a piston rod. As shown in FIG. 3, the movable plate 25 includes left and right arm portions 25B and 25C projecting forward on the left and right sides of a body portion 25A that is long in the left-right direction. It is formed.

  Brackets 27A and 27B are attached to the movable plate 25 at opposite positions of the left and right arm portions 25B and 25C, respectively, and arc-like long holes formed in the brackets 27A and 27B are attached to the brackets 27A and 27B, respectively. A support plate 29 is attached to be horizontally adjustable via a fixture 28 such as a bolt penetrating the shaft.

  The support plate 29 is formed with a through hole whose axis substantially coincides with the axis of the nozzle 13, and the support plate 29 rotates horizontally around the axis of the nozzle 13. A free annular shutter opening / closing plate 31 is provided. The shutter opening / closing plate 31 is covered with a cover plate 33 fixed to the support plate 29, and a cylindrical portion 33A provided in the cover plate 33 is passed through the shutter opening / closing plate 31 to form the support plate. The shutter opening / closing plate 31 is centered by being fitted into the 29 through holes 29A.

  In order to rotate the shutter opening / closing plate 31, a rotation actuator 35 such as a fluid pressure cylinder is mounted on the support plate 29, and a piston rod or the like provided on the rotation actuator 35 so as to reciprocate. The reciprocating operation rod 37 is connected to the shutter opening / closing plate 31 through a connecting member 39 penetrating a long hole 29H formed in the support plate 29. Accordingly, when the rotary actuator 35 is operated to reciprocate the reciprocating operation rod 37, the shutter opening / closing plate 31 is reciprocally rotated about the axis of the nozzle 13.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter piece 41 in the shutter device 19 corresponds to each side SA, SB, SC, SD of the polygonal food S that is continuously discharged in a rod shape from the discharge port 11 in the nozzle 13. There are as many as you want. That is, when the cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped food S continuously discharged from the nozzle 13 is a quadrangle, four shutter pieces 41A to 41D are provided corresponding to the sides SA to SD, respectively. .

  Each of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D has the same shape, and rotates integrally with a rotating piece 45 that is rotatably supported on the lower surface of the support plate 29 via a support shaft 43 (see FIG. 4). The shutter 45 is supported so as to be freely movable in the longitudinal direction of the shutter pieces 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D. More specifically, a transmission pin 47 is erected at an eccentric position of the rotating piece 45. The transmission pin 47 passes through an arc-shaped long hole 29 h formed in the support plate 29 with the axis of the support shaft 43 as the center, and the tip of the transmission pin 47 is connected to the shutter opening / closing plate 31. The formed long hole 31H in the radial direction is rotatably fitted via a bush 47B.

  Therefore, when the rotation actuator 35 is operated to rotate the shutter opening / closing plate 31, the rotation piece 45 is rotated about the support shaft 43 via the transmission pin 47.

  The rotating piece 45 is formed with a guide surface 45G formed in parallel to a direction orthogonal to the axis, and the guide surface 45G has a longitudinal direction formed on each of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D. The guide holes 41H are slidably engaged with each other. A hole 41LH wider than the width of the guide hole 41H is continuously formed at the end of the guide hole 41H so that the shutter pieces 41A to 41D can be easily attached to and detached from the rotating piece 45. It is.

  With the above configuration, the rotating piece 45 and the shutter pieces 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D rotate integrally, and the shutter pieces 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D extend along the guide surfaces 45 </ b> G provided on the respective rotating pieces 45. It is movable in the longitudinal direction. When the shutter pieces 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D are attached to and detached from the turning piece 45, the shutter pieces 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D are moved relative to the turning piece 45 in the longitudinal direction, and the width The wide hole 41LH is positioned at the position of the rotating piece 45, and the shutter pieces 41A to 41D are removed downward from the rotating piece 45 and can be easily performed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter pieces 41 </ b> A to 41 </ b> D are formed long in the longitudinal direction of the guide hole 41 </ b> H. An engagement groove 51 is formed which is slidably engaged with a cutting blade portion 49 formed in parallel. More specifically, the cutting blade portion 49 protrudes so that the cross-sectional shape is triangular, and the engagement groove 51 is formed in a triangular groove so as to correspond to the shape of the cutting blade portion 49. is there. An annular elastic member 53 such as an O-ring is wound around each of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D. Accordingly, the engagement grooves 51 of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D are always in sliding contact with the cutting blade portions 49 of the adjacent shutter pieces 41A to 41D by the biasing force of the elastic member 53.

  In the configuration as described above, when food is supplied from the food supply means into the supply pipe 9 and the food is discharged from the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13, the food having a polygonal cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port 11. Are continuously discharged in a rod shape. Accordingly, by arranging a container 55 such as a square skin in the middle of the nozzle 13 corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port 11, the cross-sectional shape of the container 55 is rectangular in the container 55. Food will be supplied. The container 55 is moved up and down by moving up and down a container support member (not shown) that supports the container 55. When food is supplied, the container 55 is synchronized with the descending speed of the shutter device 19. It will be lowered.

  When an appropriate amount of food is supplied to the container 55 as described above, the food is cut by the shutter pieces 41A to 41D in the shutter device 19. That is, in the initial state, the shutter device 19 is in a state of being raised in advance by the action of the reciprocating actuator 21, and when cutting the food discharged from the nozzle 13, the food discharge speed (lowering speed). It is lowered almost synchronously.

  As described above, when the shutter device 19 is lowered substantially in synchronization with the food discharge speed, when the shutter opening / closing plate 31 is rotated in the forward rotation direction by operating the rotation actuator 35, each shutter piece 41A is operated. The rectangular region 57 surrounded by ~ 41D is gradually reduced, and the food S located in the region is cut.

  Under the present circumstances, each cutting blade part 49 in each shutter piece 41A-41D exists in the state substantially parallel with respect to each side SA-SD in the square shaped food S in an initial state. The engagement groove 51 at the tip of each shutter piece 41A to 41D is always held in sliding contact with the cutting blade portion 49 of the adjacent shutter piece 41A to 41D by the action of the elastic member 53.

  As described above, when the shutter opening / closing plate 31 is rotated in the forward rotation direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 3), each of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D passes through the transmission pin 47 and the rotation piece 45 in FIG. The area 57 is reduced as the shutter pieces 41A to 41D are moved in the longitudinal direction along the guide surface 45G of the turning piece 45 while being rotated in the clockwise direction. When the shutter pieces 41A to 41D are rotated in the forward rotation direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 5) as described above, the cutting blade portions 49 of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D are acutely angled with the sides SA to SD of the food S. The cutting edge 49 starts cutting at one corner of each side SA to SD corresponding to the tip side of each cutting blade 49, and the food S is cut from the corner.

  As already understood, the cutting blade portion 49 of each shutter piece 41A to 41D has a sharp edge with respect to each corresponding side SA to SD of the food S, and the distal end side of the cutting blade portion 49 has each side SA to SD. Since cutting is started at one corner, the cutting force of each of the shutter pieces 41A to 41D with respect to the food S makes each cutting blade portion 49 parallel to each side SA to SD of the food S. It is smaller than the cutting force when holding and starting cutting, and can be cut without breaking the appearance of the food S. In addition, it can also be set as the structure cut | disconnected all at once from the state which the cutting blade part 49 of each shutter piece 41A-41D line-contacted each side SA-SD to which foodstuff S respond | corresponds.

  In the above description, the case where the container 55 is lowered in synchronization with the lowering speed of the shutter device 19 has been described. However, by lowering the lowering speed of the container 55 slightly faster than the lowering speed of the shutter device 19. The food can be cut into a quadrangular pyramid.

  FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13 is formed in a triangular shape. When the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13 is triangular, the cross-sectional shape of the discharged food S is naturally triangular. Since the triangular food S is cut, the number of shutter pieces 61 in the shutter device 19 is naturally three.

  Each of the shutter pieces 61 is provided so as to rotate synchronously around a rotation shaft 63 arranged at equal intervals on the same circle. The cutting blade portions 65 in each of the shutter pieces 61 are formed on the same curved surface, and are configured so as to always maintain the relationship in which the end portion 65E is in sliding contact with the cutting blade portions 65 in the adjacent shutter pieces 61. is there. In the above configuration, each shutter piece 61 is surrounded by each cutting blade portion 65 by rotating counterclockwise in FIG. 6 (positive rotation direction in this case) about each rotation shaft 63. The food S is cut by reducing the area.

  When cutting the food S as described above, when each cutting blade portion 65 of each shutter piece 61 comes into contact with a corner portion of the food S, each cutting blade portion 65 (for example, 65A) corresponds to the corresponding side SA of the food S. And the tangent at the contact position of the cutting blade portion 65A with the corner portion is an acute angle, and can be cut from the corner portion side without breaking the appearance of the food S.

  As understood from the above description, when the cross-sectional shape of the continuous bar-shaped food S discharged from the discharge port 11 of the nozzle 13 is a polygon, the shutter pieces 41 corresponding to the number of corners of the polygon, The said food S is cut | disconnected by the shutter apparatus 19 provided with 61 freely opening and closing. At this time, when each of the shutter pieces 41 and 61 comes into contact with each side of the polygonal food S, it comes into contact with an acute angle at one side corner of each side and starts cutting from the corner side.

  Therefore, cutting of the food S can be performed with a small cutting force as compared with the case where the cutting blade portions 49, 65 of the shutter pieces 41, 61 contact the side corresponding to the food S over almost the entire length to start cutting. It can be started and can be cut without breaking the external shape of the food S. Therefore, the confectionery etc. which hold | maintain a polygonal external shape as it is can be manufactured easily. In addition, when food is stored in the container by discharging food from the nozzle in a polygonal shape corresponding to the polygonal container, it can be stored without creating a space in the corner of the container, and the polygonal shape It can be held and cut, and food can be satisfactorily stored in the container.

  By the way, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment as described above, and can be implemented in other modes by making appropriate changes. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the opening / closing operation is performed by swinging each of the plurality of shutter pieces has been described. However, the configuration in which the direction of the cutting blade portion in the shutter pieces is always kept constant and the opening / closing operation is performed. It is also possible. Furthermore, as a configuration of the shutter device, as a configuration provided with a wire cutter as an example of a shutter piece, a configuration for performing an opening and closing operation of an area surrounded by a plurality of wire cutters, and cutting food discharged from the nozzle, It is also possible to do.

  Furthermore, as the cross-sectional shape of the discharge port in the nozzle, each side of the polygon is appropriately curved and deformed, such as a configuration in which a convex or concave curved surface is formed with respect to a linear part of each side in a triangle or quadrangle. Such a shape is also included in the polygonal shape.

It is front sectional explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the polygonal food cutting device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is side sectional explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the polygonal food cutting device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is plane explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the polygonal food cutting device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional explanatory drawing of the support part of a shutter piece. It is a plane explanatory view showing the composition of a shutter. It is explanatory drawing which shows the case where there are three shutter pieces.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Polygon food cutting device 7 Nozzle unit 9 Supply pipe 11 Discharge port 13 Nozzle 17 Projection part 19 Shutter device 29 Support plate 31 Shutter opening / closing plate 33 Cover plate 35 Actuator for rotation 37 Reciprocating action rod 39 Connecting member 41 Shutter piece 45 Rotation Piece 47 Transmission pin 49 Cutting blade 51 Engaging groove 53 Elastic member 55 Container 57 region

Claims (4)

  A method of cutting food having a polygonal cross-sectional shape discharged from a discharge port of a nozzle, wherein the shutter device is provided in a movable manner in the food discharge direction, and each of the shutters corresponds to each side of the polygon. When the food in the area surrounded by each shutter piece is cut by opening and closing each shutter piece, each shutter piece acts on each side of the polygonal food to start cutting. A polygonal food cutting method characterized by the above.   A nozzle having a discharge port for discharging the food so that the cross-sectional shape of the food becomes a polygonal shape, a shutter device movable in the discharge direction of the food discharged from the nozzle, and the food for cutting the food A plurality of shutter pieces that can be freely opened and closed in the shutter device, the number of the shutter pieces is the same as the number of sides of the polygon of the food, and each shutter piece is each of the polygonal shape of the food A polygonal food cutting device, which is arranged corresponding to each side.   The polygonal food cutting device according to claim 2, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the discharge port in the nozzle is a polygon, and an inner surface of each side of the discharge port is provided with an inward protruding portion. Polygon food cutting device characterized.   4. The polygonal food cutting device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein each shutter piece is configured to start cutting from a corner of the polygon while maintaining an acute angle with respect to a corresponding side of the polygonal food. Polygon food cutting device characterized by the above.

Images