JP2012102780A - Engaging clutch and automatic bread machine using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an engaging clutch having clutch members which are easily disengaged from each other, and an automatic bread machine reliably transmitting and interrupting power to a kneading blade using the engaging clutch.SOLUTION: The engaging clutch 56 includes multiple pawls 561a, 562a disposed in the circumferential direction on an opposing surface of an upper clutch member 561 and a lower clutch 562. The upper clutch member 561 and the lower clutch member 562 come closer to each other so that the pawls 561a, 562a are engaged with each other. In the pawl 562a of the lower clutch member 562, a projection 562c extending in the vertical direction is formed on an engaging surface 561b engaging with the upper clutch member 561. The projection 562c is formed for each pawl 562a, and has a semicircular horizontal cross section. The engaging surface 562b of the pawl 562a is spaced by a predetermined distance from a radial directional line RD of the lower clutch member 562 parallel to the engaging surface 562b.

Description

  The present invention relates to a meshing clutch and an automatic bread maker using the same.

  A mesh clutch (dog clutch) that forms claws (teeth) on opposing surfaces of a pair of clutch members and transmits the rotation by meshing the claws (teeth) with each other is simple in structure and easy to use. It's being used. Patent Document 1 shows an example of a dog clutch.

  Moreover, in an automatic bread maker mainly used at home, a bread material put in a bread container is kneaded into bread dough with a kneading blade, and then baked as bread through a fermentation process and a baking process. Patent Document 2 shows an example of an automatic bread maker.

JP 2009-293675 A JP 2010-35476 A

  The kneading blade of an automatic bread maker does not always rotate, and it may be necessary to transmit and shut off power using a clutch device such as a meshing clutch. On the other hand, the meshing clutch has a point to be considered. That is, it is difficult for the claws (teeth) to be separated from each other while power transmission is continued.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a meshing clutch in which the clutch members are well separated. Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic bread maker using such a meshing clutch and capable of reliably transmitting power to the kneading blade and interrupting power.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the meshing clutch has a plurality of pawls arranged in the circumferential direction on opposite surfaces of the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member, and the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member are By approaching each other, the respective claws mesh with each other at the meshing surface, and a protrusion is formed on the meshing surface of one of the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion is formed on the meshing surface of the claw of the lower clutch member.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the meshing clutch configured as described above, the number of the protrusions is one per claw, and the cross-sectional shape is a semicircular shape.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the meshing clutch of the above configuration, the meshing surface of the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is not formed is along a radial line of the clutch member parallel to the meshing surface, The engaging surface of the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is formed is retracted a predetermined distance from the radial line of the clutch member parallel to the engaging surface.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the meshing clutch configured as described above, the protrusion of the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is formed is in line contact with the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is not formed. The direction of the line contact line is along the clutch disengagement direction.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the meshing clutch having the above-described configuration, the clutch member on the side where the protrusions are not formed is attached to the rotating shaft to which the protruding member belongs in an axially slidable and relatively non-rotatable manner, The clutch member on the side where the ridge is formed is fixed to the rotating shaft to which it belongs.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automatic bread maker uses the mesh clutch having the above-described configuration for power transmission to a kneading blade for kneading bread ingredients.

  By forming protrusions extending in the vertical direction on the meshing surface of one of the claws of the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member, the contact between the claws is changed from the surface contact to the line contact, and the direction of the line is changed to the clutch separating direction. Therefore, the upper and lower clutch members are smoothly separated without the claws being in close contact with each other. Further, since the contact is not a point contact but a line contact, the contact portion is not easily crushed and a large force can be transmitted. Therefore, if this meshing clutch is used for power transmission to the kneading blade of the automatic bread maker, power transmission to the kneading blade and power interruption can be reliably performed, and sufficient torque can be transmitted to the kneading blade.

  When an engagement clutch comprising an upper clutch member and a lower clutch member is disposed in a device that generates water vapor such as an automatic bread maker, water droplets or dirt caused by the water droplets tends to remain on the lower clutch member. However, if a protrusion is formed on the lower clutch member to limit the contact location, water drops and dirt are less likely to adversely affect movement, and stable operation is ensured over a long period of time.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] It is a perspective view of the automatic bread maker based on one Embodiment (henceforth "this embodiment") of this invention. It is a mimetic diagram for explanation of an internal configuration of an automatic bread maker of this embodiment. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the meshing clutch contained in the 1st power transmission part with which the automatic bread maker of this embodiment is provided, (a) shows a power cutoff state, (b) shows a power transmission state. It is the perspective view which looked at the upper clutch member and lower clutch member of the meshing clutch of FIG. 3 from diagonally below. It is the perspective view which looked at the upper clutch member and lower clutch member of the meshing clutch of FIG. 3 from diagonally above. It is a bottom view of the upper clutch member of the meshing clutch of FIG. It is a top view of the lower clutch member of the meshing clutch of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the baking chamber in which the bread container was accommodated in the automatic bread maker of this embodiment, and the periphery structure. It is a perspective view of the blade unit with which the automatic bread maker of this embodiment is provided. It is a disassembled perspective view of the blade unit with which the automatic bread maker of this embodiment is provided. It is a figure which shows the structure of the blade unit with which the automatic bread maker of this embodiment is provided, (a) is a side view, (b) is sectional drawing in the AA position of (a). It is a bottom view of the blade unit with which the automatic bread maker of this embodiment is provided, (a) shows the state where the kneading blade was in the folding posture, and (b) shows the state where the kneading blade was in the open posture. It is a top view of the bread container with which the automatic bread maker of this embodiment is provided, (a) shows the state where the kneading blade was in the folded posture, and (b) shows the state where the kneading blade was in the open posture. It is a block block diagram of the automatic bread maker of this embodiment. It is a time chart of the bread-making course for rice grains performed with the automatic bread maker of this embodiment.

Hereinafter, an engagement clutch according to the present invention and an embodiment of an automatic bread maker using the clutch will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the specific time, temperature, etc. which appear in this specification are illustrations to the last, and they do not limit the content of this invention.
(Configuration of automatic bread maker)
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an external configuration of an automatic bread maker. As shown in FIG. 1, an operation unit 20 is provided on a part of the upper surface of a main body 10 (the outer shell of which is formed of, for example, metal or synthetic resin) of an automatic bread maker 1 provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. It has been. The operation unit 20 includes an operation key group and a display unit that displays time, contents set by the operation key group, errors, and the like. The operation key group includes, for example, a start key, a cancel key, a timer key, a reservation key, a bread manufacturing course (a course for manufacturing bread using rice grains as a starting material, a course for manufacturing bread using rice flour as a starting material) And a selection key for selecting a course for producing bread using flour as a starting material. The display unit is configured by, for example, a liquid crystal display panel.

  Inside the main body 10, a housing portion that receives the bread container 80 is provided. In the present embodiment, the baking chamber 30 to which the bread container 80 is attached serves as a storage unit. The firing chamber 30 is a box-shaped chamber having a substantially rectangular shape, which is composed of, for example, a bottom wall 30a made of sheet metal and four side walls 30b (see also FIG. 8 described later), and an upper surface thereof is open. The upper surface opening of the baking chamber 30 is closed by a lid 40 provided at the upper part of the main body 10. The lid 40 is attached to the back side of the main body 10 with a hinge shaft (not shown), and rotates with the hinge shaft as a fulcrum. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the lid 40 is opened.

  The lid 40 is provided with a viewing window 41 made of, for example, heat-resistant glass so that the inside of the baking chamber 30 can be seen. A bread raw material storage container 110 is detachably attached to the lid 40. The bread ingredient storage container 110 enables a part of bread ingredients to be automatically charged during the bread manufacturing process. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the bread ingredient storage container 110 is attached to the lid 40, and more specifically shows a state in which the container lid of the bread ingredient storage container 110 is opened.

  The lid 40 has an inclined structure in which substantially the entire upper surface becomes higher from the front side to the back side of the main body 10 in the closed state. For this reason, it is easy to observe the inside of the bread container 80 accommodated in the baking chamber 30 from the viewing window 10 disposed near the front surface of the main body 10 in a state where the lid 40 is closed. In addition, in the state where the lid 40 is closed, the bread ingredient storage container 110 attached to the back side of the main body 10 is disposed in a portion where the thickness of the lid 40 is thick. You can earn volume.

  FIG. 2 assumes a case where the automatic bread maker 1 is viewed from above, and the lower side of the figure is the front side of the automatic bread maker 1 and the upper side of the figure is the back side. As shown in FIG. 2, in the automatic bread maker 1, a low-speed / high-torque type kneading motor 50 used in the kneading process is fixedly disposed on the right side of the baking chamber 30, and the grinding process is performed behind the baking chamber 30. The high-speed rotation type crushing motor 60 used in the above is fixedly arranged. The kneading motor 50 and the crushing motor 60 are both shafts.

  A first pulley 52 is fixed to an output shaft 51 protruding from the upper surface of the kneading motor 50. The first pulley 52 is connected by a first belt 53 to a second pulley 55 having a diameter larger than that of the first pulley 52 and fixed to the upper side of the first rotating shaft 54. ing. A second rotation shaft 57 is arranged under the first rotation shaft 54 so that the rotation center thereof is aligned with the rotation center of the first rotation shaft 54 (see FIG. 3). The first rotating shaft 54 and the second rotating shaft 57 are rotatably supported inside the main body 10. Between the first rotating shaft 54 and the second rotating shaft 57, a meshing clutch 56 that performs power transmission and power shut-off is provided (see FIG. 3). The structure of the meshing clutch 56 will be described in detail later.

  A third pulley 58 is fixed to the lower side of the second rotating shaft 57 (see FIG. 3). The third pulley 58 is provided on the lower side of the firing chamber 30 by the second belt 59 and is fixed to the driving shaft 11 and has a first driving shaft pulley 12 (having substantially the same diameter as the third pulley 58). (See FIG. 3). Since the kneading motor 50 itself is of a low speed / high torque type, and the rotation of the first pulley 52 is decelerated by the second pulley 55 (for example, decelerated to a speed of 1/5), the meshing clutch 56 When the kneading motor 50 is driven in a state where power is transmitted, the driving shaft 11 rotates at a low speed (for example, about 180 rpm) and a high torque.

  The first pulley 52, the first belt 53, the first rotating shaft 54, the second pulley 55, the meshing clutch 56, the second rotating shaft 57, the third pulley 58, the second belt 59, In addition, the power transmission unit including the first driving shaft pulley 12 may be hereinafter referred to as a first power transmission unit PT1.

  A fourth pulley 62 is fixed to the output shaft 61 protruding from the lower surface of the grinding motor 60. The fourth pulley 62 is fixed to the driving shaft 11 by the third belt 63 (second driving shaft pulley 13 (fixed below the first driving shaft pulley 12; see FIG. 3)). Connected to The second driving shaft pulley 13 has substantially the same diameter as the fourth pulley 62. A grinding motor 60 that can rotate at high speed is selected. Since the rotation of the fourth pulley 62 is maintained at substantially the same speed in the second driving shaft pulley 13, the driving shaft 11 rotates at a high speed (for example, 7000 to 8000 rpm) by the high speed rotation of the grinding motor 60. Do.

  In addition, the power transmission unit including the fourth pulley 62, the third belt 63, and the second driving shaft pulley 13 may be hereinafter referred to as a second power transmission unit PT2. The second power transmission unit PT2 has a configuration that does not have a clutch, and connects the output shaft 61 of the crushing motor 60 and the driving shaft 11 so that power can be transmitted constantly.

  FIG. 3 assumes the case seen along the direction of arrow X in FIG. The meshing clutch 56 includes an upper clutch member 561 and a lower clutch member 562 each having a circular planar shape. When the claw 561a provided on the upper clutch member 561 and the claw 562a provided on the lower clutch member 562 are engaged with each other (the state shown in FIG. 3B), the engagement clutch 56 transmits power. When the claws 561a and 562a do not mesh with each other (the state shown in FIG. 3A), the meshing clutch 56 cuts off the power.

  In the present embodiment, the lower surface of the upper clutch member 561 and the upper surface of the lower clutch member 562, i.e., the opposing surface, are circumferentially (in the upper clutch member 561, when viewed from below, the upper clutch member 562 6) of the claws 561a and 562a arranged at almost equal intervals are provided. The number and shape of the claws 561a and 562a may be appropriately selected from a preferable number and a preferable shape.

  The upper clutch member 561 is attached to the first rotating shaft 54 so as to be slidable in the axial direction (up and down direction in FIG. 3) and not to be relatively rotatable, after taking measures against retaining. A spring 71 is loosely fitted on the upper side of the upper clutch member 561 of the first rotating shaft 54. The spring 71 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between a stopper portion 54a provided on the first rotating shaft 54 and the upper clutch member 561, and urges the upper clutch member 561 downward. On the other hand, the lower clutch member 562 is fixed to the upper end of the second rotating shaft 57.

  Switching between the power transmission state and the power cut-off state in the meshing clutch 56 is performed using an arm portion 72 that can move between a lower position and an upper position. A part of the arm portion 72 is disposed below the upper clutch member 561 and can come into contact with the outer peripheral side of the upper clutch member 561.

  The arm unit 72 is driven using a clutch solenoid 73. The clutch solenoid 73 includes a permanent magnet 73a and is a so-called self-holding solenoid. The plunger 73 b of the clutch solenoid 73 is fixed to the plunger fixing attachment portion 72 a of the arm portion 72. For this reason, the arm part 72 moves according to the movement of the plunger 73b in which the amount of protrusion from the housing 73c varies due to the application of voltage.

  When the arm portion 72 is moved from the lower position (the state shown in FIG. 3B) to the upper position (the state shown in FIG. 3A), the upper clutch member 561 is pushed by the arm portion 72 and the biasing force of the spring 71 is applied. Then, it moves upward and disengages from the lower clutch member 562. When the arm portion 72 reaches the upper position, the upper clutch member 561 and the lower clutch member 562 are not engaged with each other. That is, when the arm portion 72 is in the upper position, the meshing clutch 56 performs power cutoff.

  On the other hand, when the arm portion 72 moves from the upper position to the lower position, the upper clutch member 561 moves downward while being pushed by the urging force of the spring 71 and approaches the lower clutch member 562. When the arm portion 72 reaches the lower position, the upper clutch member 561 and the lower clutch member 562 are engaged with each other. That is, when the arm portion 72 is in the lower position, the meshing clutch 56 transmits power.

  Of the claws 561a of the upper clutch member 561, the meshing surface 561b that meshes with the claws 562a of the lower clutch member 562 is a substantially vertical surface. Of the claws 562a of the lower clutch member 562, a meshing surface 562b that meshes with the claws 561a of the upper clutch member 561 is also a substantially vertical surface.

  A protrusion is formed on one of the meshing surface 561b of the claw 561a of the upper clutch member 561 and the meshing surface 562b of the claw 562a of the lower clutch member 562. In the present embodiment, the protrusion is formed on the side of the lower clutch member 562, and a protrusion 562c extending in the vertical direction is formed on the meshing surface 562b of the claw 562a. As shown in FIG. 7, one protrusion 562 c is provided for each claw 562 a, and the cross-sectional shape (horizontal cross-sectional shape) is semicircular. All the protrusions 562c are arranged on the same circumference. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper end of the protrusion 562c is a guide slope 562d that is slanted off so as to easily attract the claw 561a.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the two claws 561a of the upper clutch member 561 are arranged so as to be point-symmetric with respect to the rotation center of the upper clutch member 561, and the meshing surface 561b is parallel to the meshing surface 561b. The clutch member 561 is disposed along the radial line RU.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the two claws 562a of the lower clutch member 562 are arranged so as to be point-symmetric with respect to the rotation center of the lower clutch member 562, but the meshing surface 562b is parallel to the meshing surface 562b. The lower clutch member 562 is not disposed along the radial line RD, but is retracted a predetermined distance from the radial line RD, that is, so as to generate an offset OS. For this reason, the claw 562a does not contact the claw 561a except for the protrusion 562c.

  As described above, the protrusions 562c extending in the vertical direction are formed on the meshing surface 562b of the claw 562a of the lower clutch member 562, whereby the contact of the claws 561a and 562a is changed from the surface contact to the line contact. And since the direction of the line is along the clutch separating direction (vertical direction), the claws 561a and 562a are not in close contact with each other, and the upper clutch member 561 and the lower clutch member 562 are smoothly separated. Further, since the contact is not a point contact but a line contact, the contact portion is not easily crushed and a large force can be transmitted. Therefore, by using the meshing clutch 56 for power transmission to the kneading blade, which will be described later, power transmission to the kneading blade and power interruption can be performed crisply and reliably, and sufficient torque can be transmitted to the kneading blade.

  In an apparatus that generates water vapor, such as the automatic bread maker 1, when the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member are present in the meshing clutch, water droplets or dirt caused by the water droplets remains on the lower clutch member. However, since the lower clutch member 562 of the meshing clutch 56 limits the contact portion by providing the protrusion 562c on the claw 562a, water drops and dirt are less likely to adversely affect the movement, and for a long period of time. Stable operation is guaranteed. In the meshing clutch 56, the upper clutch member 561 is slidable in the axial direction with respect to the first rotating shaft 54, but the lower clutch member 562 is also fixed to the second rotating shaft 57. Contributes to the guarantee of operation.

  When the crushing motor 60 is driven, if the meshing clutch 56 is in a state where power is transmitted (the state shown in FIG. 3B), rotational power for rotating the driving shaft 11 at high speed is transmitted to the output shaft 51 of the kneading motor 50. (See FIG. 2). In this case, if the crushing motor 60 is rotated at, for example, 8000 rpm, the output shaft 51 of the kneading motor 50 is rotated at 40000 rpm depending on the radius ratio (for example, 1: 5) between the first pulley 52 and the second pulley 55. The power to make it necessary. As a result, a very large load is applied to the pulverization motor 60, and the pulverization motor 60 may be damaged. For this reason, when driving the grinding motor 60, it is necessary to prevent the rotational power for rotating the driving shaft 11 from being transmitted to the output shaft 51 of the kneading motor 50. Thus, as described above, the automatic bread maker 1 includes a meshing clutch 56 that performs power transmission and power cutoff in the first power transmission unit PT1.

  As described above, in the automatic bread maker 1, the second power transmission unit PT2 is not provided with a clutch. This is due to the following reason. That is, even if the kneading motor 50 is driven, the driving shaft 11 is only rotated at a low speed (for example, 180 rpm). For this reason, even if the rotational power for rotating the driving shaft 11 is transmitted to the output shaft of the crushing motor 60, a large load is not applied to the kneading motor 50. And the manufacturing cost of the automatic bread maker 1 is suppressed by adopting the structure in which the clutch is not provided in the second power transmission part PT2 in this way. However, it goes without saying that a configuration in which a clutch is provided in the second power transmission unit PT2 may be adopted.

  FIG. 8 assumes a configuration when the automatic bread maker 1 is viewed from the front side, and the configurations of the baking chamber 30 and the bread container 80 are generally shown in cross-sectional views. In addition, the bread container 80 used as a baking mold while the bread raw material is input can be taken in and out of the baking chamber 30.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a sheathed heater 31 is arranged inside the baking chamber 30 so as to surround a bread container 80 accommodated in the baking chamber 30. By energizing the sheathed heater 31, it is possible to heat bread ingredients (including dough) in the bread container 80.

  A bread container support portion 14 (for example, formed of an aluminum alloy die-cast product) that supports the bread container 80 is fixed to a location corresponding to the approximate center of the bottom wall 30 a of the baking chamber 30. The bread container support 14 is formed so as to be recessed from the bottom wall 30a of the baking chamber 30, and the shape of the recess is substantially circular when viewed from above. The driving shaft 11 is supported at the center of the bread container support portion 14 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the bottom wall 30a. A main body side connecting portion 11 a is fixed to the upper end of the driving shaft 11.

  The bread container 80 is, for example, an aluminum alloy die-cast molded product (others may be made of sheet metal or the like), has a bucket-like shape, and is handed to the flange 80a provided on the side edge of the opening. A handle (not shown) is attached. The horizontal cross section of the bread container 80 is a rectangle with rounded corners. In addition, the bottom portion of the bread container 80 is formed with a substantially circular concave portion 81 that accommodates a part of a blade unit 90 described later in detail.

  A blade rotation shaft 82 extending in the vertical direction is supported at the center of the bottom of the bread container 80 so as to be rotatable in a state where a countermeasure against sealing is taken. A container-side connecting portion 82a is fixed to the lower end of the blade rotation shaft 82 (projecting outward from the bottom of the bread container 80).

  A cylindrical base 83 is provided on the outer surface side of the bottom of the bread container 80 so as to surround the blade rotation shaft 82. The bread container 80 is accommodated in the baking chamber 30 in a state where the base 83 is received by the bread container support part 14. The pedestal 83 may be formed separately from the bread container 80 or may be formed integrally with the bread container 80.

  When the bread container 80 is received in the baking chamber 30 in a state where the pedestal 83 of the bread container 80 is received by the bread container support portion 14, the container side connection portion 82 a provided at the lower end of the blade rotation shaft 82, and the driving force The main body side connecting portion 11a fixed to the upper end of the shaft 11 is coupled. As a result, the blade rotation shaft 82 can transmit the rotational power from the driving shaft 11. That is, the main body side connecting portion 11a and the container side connecting portion 82a constitute a coupling.

  A blade unit 90 is detachably attached to a portion of the blade rotation shaft 82 protruding into the bread container 80. The configuration of the blade unit 90 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13.

  The blade unit 90 includes a unit shaft 91, a crushing blade 92 that is attached to the unit shaft 91 so as not to rotate relative to the unit shaft 91, and a blade that is attached to the unit shaft 91 so as to be relatively rotatable and cover the crushing blade 92 from above. A circular dome-shaped cover 93, a kneading blade 101 attached to the dome-shaped cover 93 so as to be relatively rotatable, and a guard 106 attached to the dome-shaped cover 93 and covering the grinding blade 92 from below. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the guard 106 is removed.

  In a state where the blade unit 90 is attached to the blade rotation shaft 82, the crushing blade 92 is positioned slightly above the bottom surface of the recess 81 of the bread container 80. Almost the entire grinding blade 92 and dome-shaped cover 93 are accommodated in the recess 81 (see FIG. 8).

  The unit shaft 91 is a substantially cylindrical member formed of a metal such as a stainless steel plate, for example, and has an opening at one end (lower end), and the inside is hollow. That is, the unit shaft 91 has a configuration in which an insertion hole 91c is formed so that the blade rotation shaft 82 can be inserted from the lower end (see, for example, FIG. 11B).

  On the lower side (opening side) of the side wall of the unit shaft 91, a pair of notches 91a are formed symmetrically arranged with the rotation center of the unit shaft 91 in between (see FIG. 10). Only one of the pair of notches 91a is shown). The side shape of the shape of the notch 91a is a vertically long rectangle, and the upper end is rounded. The notch 91a is provided to engage the pin 821 (see FIG. 11B) that penetrates the blade rotation shaft 82 horizontally. When the pin 821 of the blade rotating shaft 82 and the notch 91a are engaged, the unit shaft 91 is attached to the blade rotating shaft 82 so as not to be relatively rotatable.

  As shown in FIG. 11 (b), the inner side of the unit shaft 91 is engaged with the convex portion 82b provided at the center of the upper end surface (substantially circular) of the blade rotation shaft 82 (shown by a broken line). A recess 91b is formed at the center of the upper surface of the substrate. Accordingly, the blade unit 90 can be easily attached to the blade rotation shaft 82 in a state where the centers of the unit shaft 91 and the blade rotation shaft 82 are aligned. In addition, when the blade rotation shaft 82 is rotated, unnecessary rattling is suppressed. In the present embodiment, the convex portion 82b is provided on the blade rotating shaft 82 side and the concave portion 91b is provided on the unit shaft 91 side, but conversely, the concave portion is provided on the blade rotating shaft 82 side and the unit shaft 91 side is provided. A configuration in which a convex portion is provided may be employed.

  The pulverizing blade 92 for pulverizing grains is formed by processing a stainless steel plate, for example. As shown in FIG. 10, the pulverizing blade 92 includes a first cutting portion 921, a second cutting portion 922, a connecting portion 923 that connects the first cutting portion 921 and the second cutting portion 922, and Is provided. An opening 923 a having a planar shape is formed at the center of the connecting portion 923. The crushing blade 92 is attached to the unit shaft 91 such that the lower side of the unit shaft 91 is fitted into the opening 923a.

  On the lower side of the unit shaft 91, a flat surface is formed by shaving a part of the side surface (near the position where the notch 91a is provided). As a result, when the unit shaft 91 is viewed from below, the lower side of the unit shaft 91 has a cross section that has substantially the same shape (oval shape) as the opening 923 a provided in the connecting portion 923. Since such a shape is adopted, the pulverization blade 92 attached to the unit shaft 91 cannot be rotated relative to the unit shaft 91. The cross-sectional area of the lower part of the unit shaft 91 is slightly smaller than the opening 923a, so that the unit shaft 91 and the grinding blade 92 can be fitted. Since the stopper member 94 for preventing the retaining member 94 is fitted into the unit shaft 91 on the lower side of the pulverizing blade 92, the pulverizing blade 92 does not fall off the unit shaft 91.

  The dome-shaped cover 93 disposed so as to surround and cover the crushing blade 92 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy die-cast product, and a bearing 95 (in this embodiment, a rolling bearing is used on the inner surface side thereof. ) (See FIG. 11B) is formed. In other words, in order to form the accommodating portion 931, the dome-shaped cover 93 has a configuration in which a substantially cylindrical convex portion 93a is formed in the central portion when viewed from the outer surface. No opening is formed in the convex portion 93 a, and the bearing 95 accommodated in the accommodating portion 931 is in a state where the side surface and the upper surface are enclosed by the wall surface of the accommodating portion 931.

  An inner ring 95a is attached to the unit shaft 91 in a state in which the bearing 95 is provided with upper and lower retaining rings 96a and 96b so as not to rotate relative to the unit shaft 91 (the unit shaft 91 is press-fitted into a through hole inside the inner ring 95a. Have been). The bearing 95 is press-fitted into the housing portion 931 so that the outer wall of the outer ring 95b is fixed to the side wall of the housing portion 931. The dome-shaped cover 93 is attached to the unit shaft 91 so as to be rotatable relative to the bearing 95 (the inner ring 95a rotates relative to the outer ring 95b).

  The housing portion 931 of the dome-shaped cover 93 is, for example, silicon-based or fluorine-free so that foreign matter (for example, liquid used when pulverizing grain grains or paste-like material obtained by pulverization) does not enter the bearing 95 from the outside. A seal material 97 formed of a system material and a metal seal cover 98 that holds the seal material 97 are press-fitted from the lower side of the bearing 95. The seal cover 98 is fixed to the dome-shaped cover 93 with a rivet 99 so that the fixing to the dome-shaped cover 93 is ensured. Fixing with rivets 99 is not essential, but it is preferable to do so in order to obtain secure fixing.

  On the outer surface of the dome-shaped cover 93, a kneading blade 101 (for example, aluminum) in a planar shape is formed by a support shaft 100 (see FIG. 10) arranged so as to extend in a vertical direction at a location adjacent to the convex portion 93 a. (Made of die-cast alloy product) is attached. The kneading blade 101 is attached to the support shaft 100 so as not to be relatively rotatable, and moves together with the support shaft 100 attached to the dome-shaped cover 93 so as to be relatively rotatable. In other words, the kneading blade 101 is attached to the dome-shaped cover 93 so as to be relatively rotatable.

  A cushioning material 107 is attached to one surface near the tip of the kneading blade 101 (assuming a portion that draws the largest circle when the kneading blade 101 is rotated around the support shaft 100). The buffer material 107 is provided so as to slightly protrude from the tip of the kneading blade 101 (see, for example, FIG. 12B). In the present embodiment, it is provided so as to protrude about 3 mm (d≈3 mm).

  The buffer material 107 is fixed by sandwiching the buffer material 107 between the side surface of the kneading blade 101 and the fixing plate 108, inserting a rivet 109 from the other side of the kneading blade 101, and caulking. In the present embodiment, the number of rivets 109 is two, but it goes without saying that the number is not limited.

  The cushioning material 107 is for preventing the kneading blade 101 in the open posture (details will be described later) from directly contacting the bread container 80 (inner wall thereof). When the kneading blade 101 and the bread container 80 are in direct contact with each other, damage may occur due to interference between them, and the buffer material 107 is provided to prevent such damage.

  In the automatic bread maker 1 of the present embodiment, the surface of the bread container 80 and the kneading blade 101 is coated with fluorine. For this reason, it can be said that the buffer material 107 of the present embodiment is provided so that the fluorine coating is not peeled off by contact between the kneading blade 101 and the pan container 80. From this point, the material constituting the cushioning material 107 is preferably a material softer than the coating material so as not to peel off the fluorine coating. For example, silicone rubber or TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomers) is used. . The buffer material 107 also functions as a soundproofing measure, which will be described later. Note that the cushioning material 107 may also be described as a part of the kneading blade 101.

  In the present embodiment, a complementary kneading blade 102 (for example, made of an aluminum alloy die cast product) is fixedly arranged on the outer surface of the dome-shaped cover 93 so as to be aligned with the kneading blade 101. The complementary kneading blade 102 is not essential, but is preferably provided in order to increase the kneading efficiency in the kneading process for kneading the bread dough.

  Here, the operation of the kneading blade 101 will be described. The kneading blade 101 rotates around the axis of the support shaft 100 together with the support shaft 100, and the folding posture shown in FIGS. 9, 11, 12A and 13A, and FIGS. Two postures are taken, the open posture shown in (b). The kneading blade 101 in the folded position is stopped from rotating by a stopper portion 93b provided on the inner surface of the dome-shaped cover 93, and further rotated counterclockwise (assuming when viewed from above) with respect to the dome-shaped cover 93. Can not do. In the folded position, the tip of the kneading blade 101 protrudes slightly from the dome-shaped cover 93.

  When the kneading blade 101 rotates in the clockwise direction (assumed when viewed from above) with respect to the dome-shaped cover 93 from the folded posture (the state of FIG. 13A), the open posture shown in FIG. The tip of the kneading blade 101 protrudes greatly from the dome-shaped cover 93. The opening angle of the kneading blade 101 in the opening posture is also limited by the stopper portion 93b. For details, the kneading blade 101 reaches the maximum opening angle when a second engagement body 103b (fixed to the support shaft 100), which will be described later, hits the stopper portion 93b and cannot rotate.

  When the kneading blade 101 is in the folded position, for example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the complementary kneading blade 102 is aligned with the kneading blade 101, and the size of the kneading blade 101 having a “<” shape is the same. It becomes larger.

  A first engagement body 103 a (see FIG. 10) constituting the cover clutch 103 is attached to the unit shaft 91 between the grinding blade 92 and the seal cover 98. For example, the first engaging body 103a made of a zinc die-cast product has a planar oval shape opening 103aa, and the lower oval cross section of the unit shaft 91 is fitted into the opening 103aa, so that the first The engaging body 103 a is not rotatable relative to the unit shaft 91. The first engaging body 103a is attached from the lower side of the unit shaft 91 prior to the pulverizing blade 92, and the stopper member 94 prevents the detachment from the unit shaft 91 together with the pulverizing blade 92. In the present embodiment, the washer 104 is arranged between the first engagement body 103a and the seal cover 98 in consideration of prevention of deterioration of the first engagement body 103a, but the washer 104 is not essential.

  A second engagement body 103b constituting the cover clutch 103 in cooperation with the first engagement body 103a is attached to the lower side of the support shaft 100 to which the kneading blade 101 is attached. For example, the second engagement body 103b made of a zinc die-cast product has a planar oval shape opening 103ba, and the oval cross section on the lower side of the support shaft 100 is fitted into the opening 103ba, thereby The two engagement bodies 103b are not rotatable relative to the support shaft 100. In the present embodiment, the washer 105 is arranged above the second engagement body 103b in consideration of prevention of deterioration of the second engagement body 103b, but the washer 105 is not essential.

  The cover clutch 103 composed of the first engagement body 103a and the second engagement body 103b functions as a clutch that switches whether or not to transmit the rotational power of the blade rotation shaft 82 to the dome-shaped cover 93. In the cover clutch 103, the rotation direction of the blade rotation shaft 82 when the kneading motor 50 rotates the drive shaft 11 (this rotation direction is referred to as “forward rotation”. In FIG. 12, the counterclockwise rotation is illustrated, and in FIG. In this case, the rotational power of the blade rotation shaft 82 is transmitted to the dome-shaped cover 93. Conversely, the rotation direction of the blade rotation shaft 82 when the crushing motor 60 rotates the driving shaft 11 (this rotation direction is referred to as “reverse rotation”. In FIG. 12, clockwise rotation, and in FIG. 13 counterclockwise rotation). The cover clutch 103 does not transmit the rotational power of the blade rotating shaft 82 to the dome-shaped cover 93. Hereinafter, the structure and operation of the cover clutch 103 will be described in more detail.

  The second engaging body 103b has engaging portions formed at two locations on the side surface. One is a first engagement portion 103bb which is an engagement portion with respect to the first engagement body 103a, and the second is a second engagement portion 103bc which is an engagement portion with respect to the stopper portion 93b.

  When the kneading blade 101 is in the folded position (for example, the state shown in FIGS. 12A and 13A), the first engagement portion 103bb of the second engagement body 103b is the engagement portion 103ab of the first engagement body 103a. The angle is such that it interferes with the rotation trajectory (in this embodiment, there may be one, but one), and the second engagement portion 103bc engages with the stopper portion 93b (see FIG. 12A). The stopper portion 93b functions as an angle determining unit that determines an angle when the kneading blade 101 is in the folded posture.

  When the blade rotation shaft 82 rotates in the forward direction in this state, the engagement portion 103ab of the first engagement body 103a and the first engagement portion 103bb of the second engagement body 103b are engaged. In the second engagement body 103b, a moment around the support shaft 100 is generated by the torque applied from the blade rotation shaft 82 through the first engagement portion 103bb. This moment is received by the stopper portion 93 b, whereby the rotational power of the blade rotation shaft 82 is transmitted to the dome-shaped cover 93.

  The force transmitted from the first engagement body 103a to the second engagement body 103b holds not only the support shaft 100 to which the kneading blade 101 is attached but also the support shaft 100 through the engagement of the second engagement body 103b and the stopper portion 93b. Since the dome-shaped cover 93 is also received, the rotational power of the blade rotating shaft 82 is reliably transmitted to the kneading blade 101 when the kneading blade 101 enters the kneading posture by being folded.

  On the other hand, when the kneading blade 101 is in the open posture (for example, the state shown in FIGS. 12B and 13B), the first engagement portion 103bb of the second engagement body 103b is the engagement portion of the first engagement body 103a. The angle retracts from the rotation trajectory 103ab (see FIG. 12B). For this reason, even if the blade rotation shaft 82 rotates, the first engagement body 103a and the second engagement body 103b are not engaged. Accordingly, the rotational power of the blade rotation shaft 82 is not transmitted to the dome-shaped cover 93. At this time, the second engagement portion 103bc of the second engagement body 103b is detached from the stopper portion 93b.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the dome-shaped cover 93 is formed with a window 93 d that communicates the space inside the cover and the space outside the cover. The window 93d is arranged at a height equal to or higher than the grinding blade 92. In the present embodiment, a total of four windows 93d are arranged at intervals of 90 °, but other numbers and arrangement intervals can be selected.

  A total of four ribs 93e are formed on the inner surface of the dome-shaped cover 93 corresponding to each window 93d (see FIG. 12). Each rib 93e extends obliquely in the radial direction from the vicinity of the center of the dome-shaped cover 93 to the outer peripheral annular wall, and the four ribs 93e form a kind of bowl shape. Moreover, each rib 93e is curving so that the side which faces the bread raw material pressed toward it may become convex.

  A guard 106 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the dome-shaped cover 93. The guard 106 covers the lower surface of the dome-shaped cover 93 and prevents the user's finger from approaching the crushing blade 92. The guard 106 is made of heat-resistant engineering plastic, and can be a molded product such as PPS (polyphenylene sulfide). The guard 106 may not be provided, but is preferably provided for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the user.

  As shown in FIG. 10, at the center of the guard 106, there is a ring-shaped hub 106a through which a stopper member 94 fixed to the unit shaft 91 is passed. At the periphery of the guard 106, there is a ring-shaped rim 106b provided concentrically outside the hub 106a. The hub 106a and the rim 106b are connected by a plurality of spokes 106c. The plurality of spokes 106c are arranged at a predetermined interval, and between the spokes 106c are openings 106d through which grain grains pulverized by the pulverizing blade 92 pass. The opening 106d has a size that prevents a finger from passing through.

  When the spoke 106 c of the guard 106 is attached to the dome-shaped cover 93, the spoke 106 c comes into close proximity with the grinding blade 92. The guard 106 is shaped like an outer blade of a rotary electric razor, and the grinding blade 92 is shaped like an inner blade.

  On the periphery of the rim 106b, a total of four columns 106e (not limited to this configuration) are integrally formed at intervals of 90 °. A horizontal groove 106ea with one end dead end is formed on the side surface of the column 106e facing the guard 106 center side. The guard 106 is attached to the dome-shaped cover 93 by engaging the grooves 106 ea with the projections 93 f formed on the outer periphery of the dome-shaped cover 93 (also four at a 45 ° interval). Although detailed description is omitted, the groove 106ea and the protrusion 93f are provided so as to constitute a bayonet coupling. Each of the plurality of pillars 106e is inclined such that the side surface 106eb that is the front surface in the rotation direction is obliquely upward when the blade rotation shaft 82 rotates in the forward direction.

  As described above, in the automatic bread maker 1 of the present embodiment, since the crushing blade 92 and the kneading blade 101 are incorporated into one unit (blade unit 90), the handling thereof is convenient. The user can easily pull out the blade unit 90 from the blade rotating shaft 82, and can easily clean the blade after the bread making operation. Further, the pulverizing blade 92 provided in the blade unit 90 is detachably attached to the unit shaft 91, and is easily mass-produced and has excellent maintainability such as blade replacement.

  Since a liquid such as water is put in the bread container 80, the bearing 95 is preferably sealed so that the liquid does not enter the bearing 95. In this respect, in the automatic bread maker 1, since the bearing 95 is accommodated in the concave accommodating portion 931 provided in the dome-shaped cover 93, the sealing means (the sealing material 97 and the seal cover only on the inner surface side of the dome-shaped cover 93). If 98) is provided, a structure for sealing the bearing 95 is obtained. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide sealing means above and below the bearing 95, and the seal structure of the bearing 95 can be downsized. For this reason, in the automatic bread maker 1, it is possible to suppress an adverse effect on the shape of the baked bread (for example, the bottom surface of the bread is greatly recessed).

  FIG. 14 shows a block configuration of the automatic bread maker 1. The automatic bread maker 1 is controlled by the control device 130. The control device 130 is configured by a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an I / O (input / output) circuit unit, and the like. The control device 130 is preferably disposed at a position that is not easily affected by the heat of the baking chamber 30. The control device 130 has a time measurement function, and can perform temporal control in the bread manufacturing process.

  The control device 130 includes the operation unit 20 described above, the temperature sensor 15 that detects the temperature of the baking chamber 30, a kneading motor drive circuit 131, a pulverization motor drive circuit 132, a heater drive circuit 133, and a first solenoid. The drive circuit 134 and the second solenoid drive circuit 135 are electrically connected.

  The kneading motor driving circuit 131 controls the driving of the kneading motor 50 under a command from the control device 130. The crushing motor drive circuit 132 controls the driving of the crushing motor 60 under a command from the control device 130. The heater drive circuit 133 controls the operation of the sheathed heater 31 under a command from the control device 130. The first solenoid drive circuit 134 controls the driving of the automatic charging solenoid 16 that is driven when a part of the bread raw material is automatically charged in the course of the bread manufacturing process under a command from the control device 130. The second solenoid drive circuit 135 controls the drive of the clutch solenoid 73 (see FIG. 3) that switches the state of the meshing clutch 56 (see FIG. 3) under a command from the control device 130.

The control device 130 reads a program relating to a bread manufacturing course (breadmaking course) stored in a ROM or the like based on an input signal from the operation unit 20, and a kneading blade by the kneading motor 50 via the kneading motor driving circuit 131. 101, rotation control of the complementary kneading blade 102, control of rotation of the pulverization blade 92 by the pulverization motor 60 through the pulverization motor drive circuit 132, control of heating operation by the sheathed heater 31 through the heater drive circuit 133, While controlling the operation of the lock mechanism 118 by the automatic closing solenoid 16 via the solenoid drive circuit 134 and switching the engagement clutch 56 by the clutch solenoid 73 via the second solenoid drive circuit 135, the automatic bread maker 1 Execute the bread manufacturing process.
(Operation of automatic bread machine)
Next, the bread manufacturing process performed by the automatic bread maker 1 configured as described above will be described. Here, the operation of the automatic bread maker 1 will be described by taking as an example a case where bread is produced by using the rice grain as a starting material by the automatic bread maker 1.

  When rice grains are used as a starting material, a bread container 80 is set in the baking chamber 30. Then, according to the time chart of FIG. In the bread making course for rice grains, the dipping process, the crushing process, the pause process, the kneading (kneading) process, the fermentation process, and the baking process are sequentially performed in this order.

  In starting the rice grain breadmaking course, the user attaches the blade unit 90 to the blade rotation shaft 82 by covering the blade rotation shaft 82 of the bread container 80 with the unit shaft 91. As described above, since the blade unit 90 includes the guard 106, the user's finger does not touch the crushing blade 92 during this work, and the user can work safely. After the operation of attaching the blade unit 90, the user weighs rice grains, water, and seasonings (for example, salt, sugar, shortening, etc.) in predetermined amounts and puts them in the bread container 80.

  The user weighs a part of the bread ingredients that are automatically added during the manufacture of bread and puts them in the bread ingredient storage container 110. Examples of the bread ingredients stored in the bread ingredient storage container 110 include gluten and dry yeast. Instead of gluten, at least one of flour, thickener (eg, guar gum), and top fresh powder may be stored in the bread ingredient storage container 110. Further, for example, only dry yeast may be stored in the bread raw material storage container 110 without using gluten, wheat flour, thickener, super fresh powder or the like. Furthermore, depending on the case, seasonings such as salt, sugar and shortening may be stored together with gluten and dry yeast in the bread ingredient storage container 110 in order to be automatically added during the bread manufacturing process. Good. In this case, the bread raw material previously put into the bread container 80 is rice grains and water (in place of mere water, for example, a liquid having a taste component such as soup stock, a liquid containing fruit juice or alcohol, etc.) Become.

  Thereafter, the user puts the bread container 80 into the baking chamber 30 and further sets the bread material storage container 110 on the lid 40. Then, the user closes the lid 40, selects the rice grain breadmaking course using the operation unit 20, and presses the start key. Thereby, the control apparatus 130 starts control operation | movement of the bread-making course for rice grain which manufactures bread using rice grain as a starting material.

  When the rice grain breadmaking course is started, the dipping process is started by a command from the control device 130. In the dipping process, the bread raw material previously put in the bread container 80 is set in a stationary state, and the stationary state is maintained for a predetermined time (30 minutes in the present embodiment). This dipping process is a process aimed at making the rice grains easy to be pulverized to the core in the subsequent pulverization process by adding water to the rice grains.

  The water absorption speed of rice grains varies depending on the temperature of the water. If the water temperature is high, the water absorption speed increases, and if the water temperature is low, the water absorption speed decreases. For this reason, you may make it fluctuate the time of an immersion process with the environmental temperature etc. in which the automatic bread maker 1 is used, for example. Thereby, it becomes possible to suppress the dispersion | variation in the water absorption degree of a rice grain. Further, in order to shorten the immersion time, the sheathed heater 31 may be energized to increase the temperature of the firing chamber 30.

  Further, the grinding blade 92 may be rotated at the initial stage of the dipping process, and further, the grinding blade 92 may be intermittently rotated thereafter. If it does in this way, the surface of a rice grain can be damaged, and the liquid absorption efficiency of a rice grain will be improved.

  When the predetermined time elapses, the dipping process is ended by a command from the control device 130, and the pulverizing process for pulverizing the rice grains is started. In this pulverization step, the pulverization blade 92 is rotated at a high speed (for example, 7000 to 8000 rpm) in a mixture containing rice grains and water. In this crushing step, the control device 130 controls the crushing motor 60 to rotate the blade rotation shaft 82 in the reverse direction (clockwise rotation in FIG. 8 and counterclockwise rotation in FIG. 9). Since the cutting blade of the crushing blade 92 is moved forward in the rotation direction by the reverse rotation of the blade rotation shaft 82, a crushing function using the crushing blade 92 is obtained.

  When the grinding blade 92 is rotated using the grinding motor 60, the control device 130 drives the clutch solenoid 73 so that the meshing clutch 56 shuts off the power (the state shown in FIG. 3A). To do). This is because, as described above, there is a possibility that the motor is damaged unless it is controlled in this way.

  When the blade rotation shaft 82 is rotated in the reverse direction to rotate the grinding blade 92, the dome-shaped cover 93 also starts to rotate following the rotation of the blade rotation shaft 82. The rotation of the cover 93 is immediately blocked (stopped). It is preferable that the pulverizing blade 92 is rotated at a low speed in the initial stage of the pulverization process and then rotated at a high speed.

  The rotation direction of the dome-shaped cover 93 accompanying the rotation of the blade rotation shaft 82 for rotating the grinding blade 92 is the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 13, and the kneading blade 101 has been folded until then (see FIG. 13A). In the case of the posture shown in FIG. 13, the posture is changed to the open posture (posture shown in FIG. 13B) by the resistance received from the mixture containing rice grains and water.

  When the kneading blade 101 is in the open posture, the first engagement portion 103bb of the second engagement body 103b retreats from the rotation track of the engagement portion 103ab of the first engagement body 103a. As a result, the cover clutch 103 disconnects the blade rotation shaft 82 and the dome-shaped cover 93 from each other. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13B, a part of the kneading blade 101 in the open position (more precisely, the cushioning material 107 provided on the front end side) is formed on the inner wall of the bread container 80 (more specifically, The rotation of the dome-shaped cover 93 is prevented (stopped) in order to come into contact with the bowl-shaped protrusion 80b provided on the inner wall of the bread container 80 in order to improve the grinding efficiency.

  In the pulverization step, vibration is generated while the pulverization blade 92 is rotating. However, since the cushioning material 107 is in contact with the pan container 80, the collision sound generated by the vibration is reduced.

  The pulverization of the rice grains in the pulverization step is performed in a state where water is soaked in the rice grains by the previously performed immersion step, and thus the rice grains can be easily pulverized to the core. In the present embodiment, the rotation of the pulverizing blade 92 in the pulverization step is intermittent. This intermittent rotation is performed, for example, in a cycle of rotating for 30 seconds and stopping for 5 minutes, and this cycle is repeated 10 times. In the last cycle, the stop for 5 minutes is not performed. The rotation of the crushing blade 92 may be continuous rotation, but for the purpose of, for example, preventing the temperature of the raw material in the bread container 80 from becoming too high, it is preferable to perform intermittent rotation.

  In the pulverization step, the pulverization of the rice grains is performed in the dome-shaped cover 93 whose rotation is stopped, so that the possibility that the rice grains scatter outside the bread container 80 is low. Further, the rice grains entering the dome-shaped cover 93 from the opening 106d of the guard 106 in the rotation stopped state are sheared between the stationary spoke 106c and the rotating pulverizing blade 92, so that the pulverization can be performed efficiently. Further, the rib 93e provided on the dome-shaped cover 93 suppresses the flow of the mixture containing rice grains and water (the flow in the same direction as the rotation of the pulverizing blade 92).

  The mixture containing the pulverized rice grains and water is guided in the direction of the window 93d by the rib 93e of the dome-shaped cover 93 and is discharged out of the dome-shaped cover 93 from the window 93d. Since the rib 93e of the dome-shaped cover 93 is curved so that the side facing the mixture pressing toward it is convex, the mixture hardly stays on the surface of the rib 93e and flows smoothly toward the window 93d. . Instead of the mixture being discharged from the inside of the dome-shaped cover 93, the mixture existing in the space above the concave portion 81 enters the concave portion 81 and passes through the opening portion 106 d of the guard 106 from the concave portion 81. Get inside. Since the pulverization by the pulverization blade 92 is performed while being circulated as described above, the pulverization can be performed efficiently.

  In the automatic bread maker 1, the crushing process is completed in a predetermined time (in this embodiment, 50 minutes). However, the grain size of the pulverized powder may vary depending on the hardness of the rice grains and the environmental conditions. For this reason, the end of the crushing process may be determined using, for example, the magnitude of the load of the crushing motor 60 (for example, it can be determined by the control current of the motor) as an index.

  When the pulverization process is completed, a pause process is executed according to a command from the control device 130. The pause process is provided as a cooling period for lowering the temperature of the contents in the bread container 80 raised by the crushing process. The reason for lowering the temperature is that the next kneading step is carried out at a temperature at which the yeast is active (for example, around 30 ° C.). In this embodiment, the pause process is fixed at a predetermined time (30 minutes), but the pause process may be continued until the temperature of the bread container 80 reaches a predetermined temperature.

  When the pause process ends, the kneading process is started by a command from the control device 130. At the start of the kneading process, the control device 130 drives the clutch solenoid 73 so that the meshing clutch 56 transmits power (state shown in FIG. 3B). The control device 130 controls the kneading motor 50 to rotate the blade rotation shaft 82 in the forward direction (counterclockwise rotation in FIG. 12 and clockwise rotation in FIG. 13).

  When the blade rotation shaft 82 is rotated in the forward direction, the grinding blade 92 is also rotated in the forward direction. In this case, the pulverizing blade 92 rotates with the cutting blade behind in the rotation direction, and does not exhibit the pulverizing function. Due to the rotation of the grinding blade 92, the bread ingredients around the grinding blade 92 flow in the forward direction. Accordingly, when the dome-shaped cover 93 moves in the forward direction (clockwise in FIG. 13), the kneading blade 101 receives resistance from the non-flowing bread material and is folded from the open position (see FIG. 13B). The angle is changed to (see FIG. 13A). As a result, the engaging portion 103bb of the second engaging body 103b has an angle that interferes with the rotation trajectory of the engaging portion 103ab of the first engaging body 103a. Then, the cover clutch 103 connects the blade rotation shaft 82 and the dome-shaped cover 93, and the dome-shaped cover 93 enters a state of being driven in earnest by the blade rotation shaft 82. The dome-shaped cover 93 and the kneading blade 101 in the folded position rotate together with the blade rotation shaft 82 in the forward direction.

  In order to reliably connect the cover clutch 103 described above, it is preferable that the rotation of the blade rotation shaft 82 at the initial stage of the kneading process is intermittent rotation or low speed rotation.

  When the kneading blade 101 is in the folded position as described above, the complementary kneading blades 102 are arranged on the extension of the kneading blade 101, so that the kneading blade 101 is enlarged and the bread raw material is pressed strongly. For this reason, the dough can be kneaded firmly.

The rotation of the kneading blade 101 (this term is used as an expression including the complementary kneading blade 102 in the folded position, the same applies hereinafter) is very slow in the initial stage of the kneading process, and the speed is increased stepwise. Control is performed by the control device 130 as described above. In the initial stage of the kneading process in which the rotation of the kneading blade 101 is very slow, the control device 130 drives the automatic charging solenoid 16 to unlock the container lid of the bread ingredient storage container 110. This opens the container lid of the bread ingredient storage container 110 as shown in FIG.
Bread ingredients such as gluten and dry yeast are automatically charged into the bread container 80.

  In this embodiment, the bread ingredients stored in the bread ingredient storage container 110 are charged while the kneading blade 101 is rotating. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the kneading blade 101 is stopped. You may throw in the state. However, it is preferable to add the bread ingredients while the kneading blade 101 is rotating as in this embodiment because the bread ingredients can be uniformly dispersed.

  After the bread ingredients stored in the bread ingredient storage container 110 are put into the bread container 80, the bread ingredients are kneaded into one dough having a predetermined elasticity by the rotation of the kneading blade 101. Go. When the kneading blade 101 swings the dough and knocks it against the inner wall of the bread container 80, an element of “kneading” is added to the kneading. As the kneading blade 101 rotates, the dome-shaped cover 93 also rotates. When the dome-shaped cover 93 rotates, the rib 93e formed on the dome-shaped cover 93 also rotates, so that the bread material in the dome-shaped cover 93 is quickly discharged from the window 93d and the kneading blade 101 kneads the bread. Assimilate into a lump of material.

  In the kneading step, the guard 106 is also rotated in the forward direction together with the dome-shaped cover 93. The spoke 106c of the guard 106 has a shape in which the center side of the guard 106 precedes and the outer peripheral side of the guard 106 follows when rotating in the forward direction. For this purpose, the guard 106 rotates in the forward direction to push the bread ingredients (bread dough) inside and outside the dome-shaped cover 93 outward with the spokes 106c. Thereby, the ratio of the raw material used as a waste after baking bread can be reduced.

  Further, the pillar 106e of the guard 106 has a configuration in which a side surface 106eb which is a front surface in the rotational direction when the guard 106 rotates in the forward direction is inclined upward. For this reason, at the time of kneading, the bread material (bread dough) around the dome-shaped cover 93 is splashed upward on the side surface 106eb of the column 106e. Since the boiled bread material is assimilated into the lump (dough) of the upper bread material, the proportion of the raw material that becomes waste after baking the bread can be reduced.

  In the automatic bread maker 1, the time of the kneading process is configured to employ a predetermined time (10 minutes in the present embodiment) obtained experimentally as the time for obtaining dough having a desired elasticity. However, if the time of the kneading process is constant, the degree of bread dough may vary depending on the environmental temperature or the like. Therefore, for example, the end point of the kneading process may be determined using the magnitude of the load of the kneading motor 50 (which can be determined by the control current of the motor) as an index.

  In the case of baking bread containing ingredients (for example, raisins, nuts, cheese, etc.), it may be added during the kneading process.

  When the kneading process is completed, the fermentation process is started by a command from the control device 130. In this fermentation process, the control device 130 controls the sheathed heater 31 to maintain the temperature of the baking chamber 30 at a temperature at which fermentation proceeds (for example, 38 ° C.). Then, it is left for a predetermined time (in this embodiment, 60 minutes) in an environment in which fermentation proceeds.

  In some cases, in the middle of the fermentation process, the kneading blade 101 may be rotated to perform degassing or dough rounding.

  When the fermentation process ends, the firing process is started by a command from the control device 130. The control device 130 controls the sheathed heater 31 to raise the temperature of the baking chamber 30 to a temperature suitable for baking (for example, 125 ° C.). Then, the control device 130 performs control so that the bread is baked for a predetermined time (in this embodiment, 50 minutes) in the baking environment. The end of the firing process is notified to the user by, for example, a display on the liquid crystal display panel of the operation unit 20 or a notification sound. When the user detects the completion of bread making, the user opens the lid 40 and takes out the bread container 80 to complete the bread production.

The bread in the bread container 80 can be taken out by turning the opening of the bread container 80 obliquely downward. Simultaneously with taking out the bread, the blade unit 90 attached to the blade rotating shaft 82 is also taken out from the bread container 80. Due to the presence of the guard 106, the user can safely work without touching the crushing blade 92 when the bread is taken out. At the bottom of the bread, burn marks of the kneading blade 101 of the blade unit 90 and the complementary kneading blade 102 (projecting upward from the recess 81 of the bread container 80) remain. However, since the dome-shaped cover 93 and the guard 106 are housed in the recess 81, the traces that they remain on the bottom of the pan are conservative.
(Other)
This embodiment is an example of the present invention, and the configurations of the meshing clutch and the automatic bread maker to which the present invention is applied are not limited to this embodiment.

  For example, in this embodiment, the bread ingredient storage container 110 is attached to the lid 40, but the bread ingredient storage container 110 may be attached to the main body 10.

  In addition, when producing bread using wheat flour or rice flour as a starting material, the bread material storage container 110 can be used to contain ingredients for producing bread containing ingredients such as raisins and nuts. is there.

  In this embodiment, rice grains are exemplified as representative examples of grain grains used as starting materials, but grain grains other than rice grains such as wheat, barley, straw, buckwheat, buckwheat, corn, soybeans, etc. are used as starting materials. You can also.

  Moreover, the manufacturing flow of the rice grain breadmaking course described above is an example, and other manufacturing flows are possible. For example, the pause process after the pulverization process may be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the pulverization blade 92 and the kneading blade 101 are included in the blade unit 90, and the blade unit 90 is attached to and detached from the blade rotation shaft 82. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the pulverizing blade 92 and the kneading blade 101 may be separately mounted on the blade rotation shaft 82. In some cases, the pulverization blade and the kneading blade may be separated from each other, and only one blade that exhibits the pulverization function and the kneading function may be provided.

  In the present embodiment, separate motors are used for the case where the grain is pulverized by the pulverizing blade 92 and the case where the dough is kneaded by the kneading blade 101. However, the bread dough making machine of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, for example, only one motor may be provided, and the same motor may be used as a power source when the grain is crushed by the pulverizing blade 92 or when the dough is kneaded by the kneading blade 101.

  In addition, as the present embodiment, an automatic bread maker that starts from the crushing process and consistently performs the kneading process, the fermentation process, and the baking process has been presented. It is also possible to configure as a device that performs the above. In this case, the firing process, or the fermentation process and the firing process, are left to an external device such as an oven. In addition, the apparatus can be developed as a device for business use instead of home use.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is suitable for a meshing clutch and a household automatic bread maker using the clutch.

1 Automatic bread machine 10 Main body 30 Baking chamber (container)
40 Lid 54 First Rotating Shaft 56 Engagement Clutch 561 Upper Clutch Member 561a Claw 561b Engagement Surface 562 Lower Clutch Member 562a Claw 562b Engagement Surface 562c Projection 57 Second Rotation Shaft 80 Bread Container 90 Blade Unit 101 Kneading Blade

Claims (7)

A plurality of pawls arranged in the circumferential direction are formed on the opposing surfaces of the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member, respectively, and the pawls mesh with each other at the meshing surfaces when the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member approach each other. In the clutch,
An engagement clutch, wherein a protrusion is formed on an engagement surface of one of the claws of the upper clutch member and the lower clutch member.   The engagement clutch according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion is formed on an engagement surface of the claw of the lower clutch member.   The meshing clutch according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of protrusions is one per claw and the cross-sectional shape is a semicircular shape.   The engaging surface of the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is not formed is along the radial line of the clutch member parallel to the engaging surface, and the engaging surface of the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is formed is The engagement clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the engagement clutch is retracted a predetermined distance from a radial direction line of the clutch member parallel to the engagement surface.   The protrusion of the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is formed is in line contact with the claw of the clutch member on the side where the protrusion is not formed, and the direction of the line contact line is along the clutch separating direction. The meshing clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:   The clutch member on the side where the ridges are not formed is attached to the rotating shaft to which the ridges belong so as to be axially slidable and relatively non-rotatable. The meshing clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the meshing clutch is fixed.   An automatic bread maker using the mesh clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for power transmission to a kneading blade for kneading bread ingredients.

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