JP2009112284A - Device for leveling noodle cluster - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for leveling a noodle cluster for unfolding and also leveling the upper surface of the noodle cluster placed in a molding frame before its frying process in the production processes of an instant noodle. <P>SOLUTION: This device arranged on a molding frame-conveyer 1 between a cutting and putting-in machine and a fryer in the production line of the instant noodle and used for unfolding and also leveling the upper surface of the noodle cluster in the molding frame 3 preceding to the frying is provided by equipping a transferring frame 4 reciprocating in a prescribed section in parallel to the progressing direction of the molding frame-conveyer 1 and also performing lifting up and down movements at the end of the reciprocating movements, a means 11 driving to reciprocate the transferring frame 4 within the above prescribed section, a means 15 driving to lift up and down the transferring frame 4 at the end of the above reciprocating movements, rotary nozzles 5 arranged as capable of revolving at the transferring frame 4 as corresponding to the position of the molding frame 3 of the molding frame conveyer 1, means 35 to 37, 40 arranged at the transferring frame 4 and driving to revolve the rotary nozzles 5, and a means for supplying air for ejection to each of the rotary nozzles 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a noodle mass leveling device, and more specifically, in the manufacturing process of instant noodles, the upper surface of the noodle mass that has been weighed and cut into portions of a mold conveyor and put into a formwork of a mold conveyor is fried with a fryer. The present invention relates to a noodle mass leveling device for leveling and leveling while loosening before adjusting the shape of the noodle mass in the mold.

  Instant noodles such as cup noodles and bag noodles are manufactured through processes such as outline, noodle making, cutting, boiling, seasoning, metering, filling, frying, cooling, cup filling, filling of ingredients / soup, and packaging.

  In the above-mentioned process, after the boil and seasoning process, the noodle strips from which excess moisture has been released are cut one serving at a time while loosening them slightly, and then put into the formwork of the formwork conveyor that moves underneath. Is. Since this charging is performed simply by dropping from above, the dropped noodle mass does not necessarily fit tightly within the mold, but rather tilts, the noodle ends protrude from the upper surface, There are many more. When fried in that state, the noodle mass solidifies into a bad-looking shape, so it is necessary to loosen the noodle mass a little before fried and level the top surface.

  However, no apparatus has been proposed for performing the work sufficiently effectively and efficiently.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-51490 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-31409

  As described above, in the instant noodle manufacturing process, it is necessary to loosen and level the top surface of the noodle mass placed in the mold prior to the frying process. Conventionally, the work is performed sufficiently effectively and efficiently. Since an apparatus has not been proposed, an object of the present invention is to provide a noodle mass leveling apparatus that can sufficiently satisfy the demand.

  The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above-described problem is arranged on a formwork conveyor between a cutting machine and a fryer in an instant noodle production line, and the upper surface of the noodle mass in the formwork prior to frying A moving frame that reciprocates in a predetermined section in parallel with the advancing direction of the form conveyor and moves up and down at the end of the reciprocating operation, and a reciprocating drive of the moving frame in the predetermined section Means for moving up and down the moving frame at the reciprocating end, a rotating nozzle arranged to rotate on the moving frame in correspondence with the position of the mold of the mold conveyor, and the moving frame The noodle mass leveling device is provided with means for rotating the rotating nozzles and means for supplying the air for injection to the rotating nozzles.

  As the rotating nozzle, it is preferable to use a nozzle in which a plurality of injection ports are arranged in a row from the center toward the peripheral portion on the bottom surface of the container. Further, as means for rotating the rotating nozzle, it is preferable to use one that crosses two magnet rings 90 degrees non-contacting and transmits a rotational driving force from one magnet ring to the other magnet ring.

  The rotating nozzle is preferably exchangeable. The replacement of the rotating nozzle can be performed by rotating the rotating nozzle by 90 degrees.

  Furthermore, the interval between the rows of the rotating nozzles can be configured to change according to the size of the mold.

  The present invention is as described above, and the noodles in the mold which are arranged on the mold conveyor between the cutting machine and the fryer in the instant noodle production line and are conveyed by the mold conveyor prior to frying Since air is blown on the top surface of the lump to swing the noodle lump, the noodle lump is better accommodated in the mold and the noodle shape is automatically and appropriately adjusted.

  In particular, in the invention according to claim 2, since the noodle mass can be swung while rotating in the mold, there is an effect that the noodle shape can be satisfactorily adjusted by adapting to the mold.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 3, there exists an effect which can autorotate and drive the rotation nozzle with a simple structure.

  In the inventions according to claims 4 to 6, there is an effect that the apparatus can be used corresponding to different types of molds.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a plan view of a noodle mass leveling device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB, and FIG. The CC line expanded sectional view and FIG. 6 are the DD line expanded sectional views.

  This apparatus is arranged on the formwork conveyor 1 between the cutting machine and the fryer of the instant noodle production line, and is installed so that the frame body 2 straddles the formwork conveyor 1. Inside, the form conveyor 1 passes in the direction indicated by the arrow d in FIG. The frame main body 2 includes leg portions arranged on both sides of the form conveyor 1 and joint bars 2a that join ends of the upper ends of the leg portions.

  The formwork conveyor 1 is not different from the conventional one, and is a regular arrangement of a large number of formwork 3 into which noodle strings that have been weighed and cut are placed (in the example shown, the formwork is in the width direction). Eight pieces are formed in one row.), The noodle strings are put into each mold 3 and pass under this apparatus.

  On the frame body 2, a moving frame 4 in which a rotating nozzle 5 is disposed corresponding to each mold 3 of the mold conveyor 1 is installed. In the illustrated moving frame 4, the rotating nozzles 5 are arranged in two rows. However, the rotating nozzles 5 may be arranged in one row or in three or more rows. Each rotary nozzle 5 is pivotally supported on the moving frame 4 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. The means for rotating each rotary nozzle 5 will be described in detail later. The rotary nozzle 5 is constituted by a container such as a cylindrical shape or a box shape, and a plurality of injection ports 50 are arranged in a row on the bottom surface of the container so as to go from the rotation axis toward the peripheral edge (see FIG. 8). ). In the case of a cylindrical container as shown in the figure, the rotation axis is the center, but in the case of a box-shaped container, one end is rotated around the rotation axis.

  The moving frame 4 is a box-shaped body having an open top surface, and includes side plates 6 on both sides in the longitudinal direction, end plates 7 and bottom plates 8 on both ends, and is predetermined in parallel with the traveling direction d of the form conveyor 1. The section is reciprocated. The mechanism for reciprocating the moving frame 4 is as described below, and is arranged substantially symmetrically on both sides of the moving frame 4.

  The drive mechanism includes a servo motor 11 provided on a base frame 10 provided on the upper side surface of the frame body 2, an output screw shaft 12 directly connected to the servo motor 11, and a screwing portion for the output screw shaft 12 on the bottom surface. And a slide bracket 13 having 13a. The slide bracket 13 reciprocates along the output screw shaft 12 via the screwing portion 13 a as the output screw shaft 12 rotates in the forward and reverse directions.

  A cylinder plate 14 is fixed to the slide bracket 13 in the vertical direction, and an elevating cylinder 15 is attached thereto. The rod of the elevating cylinder 15 is connected to a shaft support plate 16 disposed in parallel with the cylinder plate 14 (see particularly FIG. 7), and the shaft support plate 16 is fixed to the end face plate 7 of the moving frame 4. Further, a support shaft 18 and a linear bush 19 into which the support shaft 18 is slidably inserted are provided between the cylinder plate 14 and the shaft support plate 16 on both sides of the lifting cylinder 15. The support shaft 18 and the linear bushing 19 are for supporting the lifting and lowering operation of the moving frame 4. In the illustrated example, the support shaft 18 is attached to the cylinder plate 14 and the support plate 16 is linear. Although the bush 19 is attached, it is good also as attaching to the reverse.

Thus, the moving frame 4 can be driven up and down through the shaft support plate 16 by the action of the lifting cylinder 5, and the lifting operation is supported by the support shaft 18 and the linear bush 19. The elevation height can be adjusted by operating the adjustment screw 54 (see FIG. 7).

  Moreover, the rail 21 for cable bears is installed on the slide bracket 13, and the lower step part of the movable cable bear 22 which exhibits a U shape in side view is arrange | positioned on it. A large number of flexible power cables 23 connected to driving means such as a motor and air tubes 25 described later are inserted into the cable bear 22. The cable bearer 22 is supported at its upper end by a cable bear bracket 26 erected on the base plate 10, and its lower step moves as the slide bracket 13 moves.

  Next, the rotation driving mechanism of the rotating nozzle 5 will be described. The rotary nozzle 5 has a plug 28 on its upper surface, and the plug 28 is screwed to a socket 31 at the tip of the rotary shaft 30 supported by a bearing 29 installed on the bottom plate 8 of the moving frame 4. One row or a plurality of rows (two rows in the illustrated example) are attached to the bottom plate 8 of the moving frame 4 (see FIG. 7). The attachment position is made to correspond to the position of the formwork of the formwork conveyor 1. Each rotary nozzle 5 is covered with a nozzle cover 44 installed on a cover installation plate 43 suspended from the bottom plate 8. The upper end of the rolling shaft 30 is connected to the air tube 25 via a rotary joint 32.

  A drive shaft 35 that is pivotally supported on the inner surface of the side plate 6 of the moving frame 4 and extends in the length direction is disposed. A special magnet is crossed 90 degrees between the drive shaft 35 and each rotary shaft 30 so as not to move. Magtran (registered trademark), which is a mechanism for transmitting rotational driving force by contact, is provided. That is, the driven magnet ring 36 is fitted in the middle of the rotating shaft 30, and the driving magnet ring 37 is fitted at a position corresponding to each driven magnet ring 36 of the driving shaft 35. A bevel gear 38 is attached in the middle of the drive shaft 35, and a bevel gear 39 attached to the output shaft of the rotary nozzle drive motor 40 is provided so as to mesh with the bevel gear 38 (see FIG. 3). ). The rotary nozzle driving motor 40 is installed on a motor bracket 41 installed on the bottom plate 8.

  When the rotary nozzle drive motor 40 operates in the rotation drive mechanism having such a configuration, the drive shaft 35 is rotationally driven via the bevel gears 38 and 39, and each drive magnet ring 37 acts on the driven magnet ring 36. The rotary shaft 30 and the rotary nozzle 5 attached thereto are rotated.

  An air tank 24 is arranged on the frame main body 2 in front of the moving end of the moving frame 4, and a number of flexible air tubes 25 corresponding to the rotating nozzles 5 are divided into left and right hands and extended through the cable bear 22. These air tubes 25 are put together and inserted into the center pipe 45 passed between the end face plates 7 of the moving frame 4 from both ends. On the upper surface of the center pipe 45, outlets 46 are formed corresponding to the respective rotary nozzles 5, and the air tube 25 can be drawn therefrom. The drawn air tubes 25 are connected to the corresponding rotary nozzles 5 respectively.

  In a preferred embodiment, the rotary nozzle 5 can be exchanged according to the size of the mold 3. In the illustrated configuration example, the moving frame 4 is rotated 90 degrees and the downward rotating nozzle 5 is turned sideways. For this purpose, one end of the center pipe 45 is fixed to the end face plate 7 and the other end is projected from the other end face plate 7 (see FIG. 7). Then, the protruding portion is pivotally supported by the pivot support plate 16.

  A worm wheel 53 is attached to one end of the center pipe 45, and a gear shaft 55 having a worm 52 that meshes with the worm wheel 53 is supported by a gear shaft bracket 56 installed on the shaft support plate 16. A handle 51 is attached to the gear shaft 55 via a universal joint 57. By operating the handle 51, the center pipe 45 and the moving frame 4 having one end fixed thereto are fixed via the worm wheel 53 and the worm 52. It can be turned 90 degrees. Replacement of the rotary nozzle 5 is performed by removing it from the cover installation plate 43.

  In addition, it is preferable that the interval between the rows of the rotating nozzles 5 can be expanded in accordance with the size of the mold 3. For this purpose, the moving frame 4 may be divided into two in the short width direction, and one of them may be configured to be movable away from the other. In the example shown as the configuration example, a slide guide 59 is installed on the outer side surface of the end plate 7, and a guide bar 60 that is guided by the slide guide 59 and slides is installed on the opposite shaft support plate 16 (FIG. 5). reference). Reference numeral 61 denotes a stopper which plays a role of releasing or fixing the movable side frame in the separating operation of the moving frame 4.

  Next, the operation of the noodle mass leveling device according to the present invention having the above-described configuration will be described. The mold conveyor 1 passes under the apparatus while holding a large number of molds 3 filled with noodle strings in the same manner as in the prior art. The moving frame 4 is lowered by the action of the elevating cylinder 15 at the most retracted position (lower end in FIG. 1), and each nozzle cover 44 is covered with the corresponding mold 3 and the rotary nozzle 5 is covered with the mold 3. Let's face inside.

  When the moving frame 4 reaches the descending end and each rotary nozzle 5 faces each mold 3, the servo motor 11 operates, and the moving frame 4 is moved in the same direction as the mold conveyor 1 (arrow d) via the slide bracket 13. In the direction) at the same speed. When the servo motor 11 is stopped when the fixed position is reached, the elevating cylinder 15 is operated to raise the moving frame 4 and lift the rotary nozzle 5 from the mold 3. Immediately thereafter, the servo motor 11 reverses to return the moving frame 4 to the original last retracted position. This backward movement is performed at once. The moving frame 4 repeats the above operation.

  The rotating nozzle 5 rotates by the action of the rotating nozzle driving motor 40 and the magnet rings 36 and 37 at least when the rotating nozzle 5 is positioned in the mold 3 during the above process. Will continue to be supplied. The supplied air is blown from the injection port 50 onto the upper surface of the noodle mass.

  Since the injection ports 50 of the rotary nozzle 5 are arranged in a row from the plurality of centers (rotating shafts) toward the peripheral edge, a pressing force is applied to the upper surface of the noodle mass by the movement of a clock hand with the rotation. Is done. As a result, the noodle mass is swung and rotated in the mold 3 so that the noodle mass gradually settles from the coarse state to the dense state, and becomes a good noodle shape. Is sent to.

  Although the present invention has been described in some detail with respect to its most preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that a wide variety of different embodiments can be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention being defined by the appended claims. It is not restricted to the specific embodiment other than limiting in.

It is a top view of the noodle mass leveling device concerning the present invention. It is a front view of the noodle mass leveling device concerning the present invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line in FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 1. It is a partial detail drawing of the noodle mass leveling device concerning the present invention. It is a figure which shows the rotation nozzle in the noodle mass leveling apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Formwork conveyor 2 Frame main body 3 Formwork 4 Moving frame 5 Rotating nozzle 11 Servo motor 12 Output screw 13 Slide bracket 15 Lifting cylinder 22 Cable bear 24 Air tank 25 Air tube 35 Drive shaft 36 Driven magnet ring 37 Drive magnet ring
40 Rotating nozzle drive motor 44 Nozzle cover 45 Center pipe 50 Injection port

Claims (6)

An apparatus for loosening and leveling the upper surface of the noodle mass in the form prior to frying, placed on the form conveyor between the cutting machine and the fryer in the instant noodle production line,
A moving frame that reciprocates in a predetermined section in parallel with the advancing direction of the form conveyor and moves up and down at a reciprocating end thereof; means for reciprocating the moving frame in the predetermined section; and Means for driving up and down, a rotating nozzle arranged to rotate on the moving frame in correspondence with the position of the mold of the mold conveyor, and a rotating nozzle installed on the moving frame to rotate the rotating nozzle. Noodle mass leveling device comprising: means for supplying air and means for supplying air for injection to each of the rotating nozzles.   2. The noodle mass leveling device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary nozzle has a plurality of spray ports arranged in a row from the center toward the peripheral edge on the bottom surface of the container.   2. The means for rotating the rotating nozzle is configured to cause two magnet rings to cross 90 degrees in a non-contact manner and transmit a rotational driving force from one magnet ring to the other magnet ring. Noodle mass leveling device.   The noodle mass leveling device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary nozzle is replaceable.   The noodle mass leveling device according to claim 4, wherein the rotation nozzle is replaced by rotating the rotation nozzle by 90 degrees.   The noodle mass leveling device according to claim 1, wherein the interval between the rows of the rotating nozzles can be changed according to the size of the mold.

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