JP2014042500A - Food molding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a low-cost, stably operable food molding device in which the thickness of the food product to be rolled can be changed by changing the spacing of a pair of rolling rollers, and an energization mechanism for regulating the tension of a belt driving the rolling rollers is made needless.SOLUTION: A rolling part 4 comprises: rolling rollers 41, 42 of carrying a food material while rolling the same; a belt 155 of rotatively driving the rolling rollers 41, 42; and a motor 151 of driving the belt. One of the rolling rollers to make a pair is supported by a fixed supporting plate 168, the other of the rolling rollers to make a pair is supported by a movable supporting plate 167, the spacing of the rolling rollers to make a pair can be changed by the movement of the movable supporting plate 167, and the fixed supporting plate 168 is located between the motor 151 supported by the movable supporting plate 167 and the other of the rolling roller.

Description

  The present invention relates to a food molding apparatus suitable as, for example, a laver roll sushi molding apparatus, and particularly has a feature in a thickness changing mechanism in a rolling process.

  For example, a rice rolling device that can mass-produce nori-waki sushi without requiring skill has been put to practical use. The cooked rice rolling apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is one of them, and includes a hopper for feeding sushi rice, a rolling unit for rolling the sushi rice, and a forming unit including a winding plate. The said rolling part rolls the sushi rice supplied from a hopper in plate shape. A sheet-shaped dried nori (hereinafter simply referred to as “nori”) is laid on the curd plate, and the plate-shaped sushi rice is layered on the nori, and the curl plate is rolled up in the molding part, Form sushi rice with nori into a stick.

  The cooked rice rolling apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of rolling rollers at the upper and lower portions of the rolling section, and the thickness of the rolled plate-shaped sushi rice can be changed by changing the interval between the roller pairs. It has become. By changing the thickness of the sushi rice, the size of the seaweed sushi formed into a rod shape at the forming portion can be switched to, for example, thin winding, medium winding, and thick winding.

  In the cooked rice rolling apparatus described in Patent Document 1, in order to change the thickness of the plate-shaped sushi rice, one position of the paired rolling rollers is fixed, and the other rolling roller is supported by a swing arm. By changing the rotation angle of the arm, the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed. In addition, the rolling rollers that are paired up and down use a single motor as a drive source, and a rotational driving force is obtained by placing a belt between a pulley attached to the output shaft of the motor and a pulley attached to one rolling roller. Is transmitted to the one rolling roller. To the other rolling rollers, the rotational driving force of the one rolling roller is transmitted through a power transmission mechanism such as a gear.

  When the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed, the distance between the pulley of the output shaft of the motor and the pulley of the one rolling roller is changed. Generally, even if the distance between the two pulleys changes, the tension pulley is pressed against the belt with a predetermined urging force so that the tension of the belt applied to the two pulleys does not vary greatly.

  However, the mechanism for adjusting the belt tension fluctuation using the tension pulley requires a biasing mechanism using a spring for biasing the tension pulley, which increases the number of components and increases the cost. . Even if the tension fluctuation of the belt is adjusted, the tension fluctuation is not eliminated, but there is a tension fluctuation corresponding to the relaxation of the spring. In addition, the quality is unstable, for example, the life of the belt is affected by variations in spring strength.

  In some cases, a double-tooth type timing belt in which teeth are formed at regular intervals on both the inside and outside is used, and the rolling roller is rotationally driven by this double-tooth type timing belt. However, the tension pulley for adjusting the tension of the double-tooth type timing belt needs to be a pulley corresponding to the timing belt with teeth, which increases the cost.

JP 2008-211992 A

  The present invention has made it possible to eliminate the problems of the prior art, that is, to drive the rolling roller with a belt and change the thickness of the food to be rolled by changing the interval between the rolling rollers that make a pair. An object of the present invention is to provide a food molding apparatus that is stable at low cost and eliminates the need for an urging mechanism such as a tension pulley for adjusting the tension of the belt.

The food molding apparatus according to the present invention is
A food forming apparatus having a rolling part that rolls food into a plate shape, and a forming part that shapes the rolled food material into a rod shape,
The rolling section includes a pair of rolling rollers that are rotated and conveyed while rolling the food, a belt that rotationally drives the paired rolling rollers, and a motor that drives the belt,
One of the pair of rolling rollers is supported by a fixed support plate,
The other of the paired rolling rollers and the motor are supported by a movable support plate, and the distance between the paired rolling rollers can be changed by moving the movable support plate.
The most important feature is that the fixed support plate is located between the motor supported by the movable support plate and the other of the rolling rollers.

  By moving the movable support plate, the distance between the paired rolling rollers can be changed, and the plate pressure of the food rolled by the rolling roller can be changed. Even if the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed by the movement of the movable support plate, the distance between the other of the pair of rolling rollers supported by the movable support plate and the motor does not change. The belt extension connecting the motor is almost unchanged. Therefore, there is no need for a tension roller for adjusting the tension of the belt, and a food molding apparatus with stable operation can be obtained at low cost.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the Example of the food molding measure which concerns on this invention. It is a vertical side view of the said Example. It is a side view which shows the drive mechanism of the rolling part of the said Example. It is a side view which shows the different operation | movement aspect of the said rolling part. It is a side view which shows the further different operation | movement aspect of the said rolling part. It is a perspective view which shows the drive mechanism of the said rolling part. It is a perspective view which shows the drive mechanism of the said rolling part from the back surface side of the support plate. It is a perspective view which shows the shaping | molding part of the said Example. It is a perspective view which shows the guide plate part of the said shaping | molding part. It is a perspective view which shows the drive part of the slide base of the said Example. It is a perspective view which shows the slide base of the said Example. It is a perspective view which shows the slide base and curl of the said Example. It is a perspective view which shows the winding aspect of the said curl from the bird's-eye view direction. It is a perspective view shown from the direction which looks up at the winding aspect of the said curl. It is a side view which shows the winding aspect of the said curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the winding aspect of the said curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the lifter and curl of the said Example. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the operation | movement aspect from which the said lifter and a winding rod differ. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the further different operation | movement aspect of the said lifter and a curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the further different operation | movement aspect of the said lifter and a curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the further different operation | movement aspect of the said lifter and a curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the further different operation | movement aspect of the said lifter and a curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows the retightening operation | movement by the said curl. It is a top view of the said curl. It is side surface sectional drawing of the said curl. It is side surface sectional drawing which expands and shows a part of said curl.

  Embodiments of a food molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The illustrated embodiment is an example of a food forming apparatus suitable for forming seaweed roll sushi.

[Overview of the whole]
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the food molding apparatus 1 includes, as main components, a hopper 2 that contains sushi rice as a food material, the sushi rice stirring unit 3, and a rolling unit that rolls the stirred sushi rice into a plate shape. 4 and a forming part 5 for forming the rolled sushi rice into a rod shape. The stirring unit 3 includes first and second stirring blades 31 and 32 that stir the sushi rice in the hopper 2 below the hopper 2. The second stirring blade 32 is positioned obliquely below the first stirring blade 31, further stirs the sushi rice that is stirred by the first stirring blade 31 and descends obliquely downward due to gravity. Derived toward the rolling unit 4.

  The sushi rice led out from the outlet 33 is led to the rolling part 4 by the inclined guide 34. The rolling unit 4 includes four rollers: a first upper rolling roller 41, a rear upper second rolling roller 42, a front lower third rolling roller 43, and a rear lower fourth rolling roller 44. Yes. The upper first and second rolling rollers 41 and 42 are rotationally driven as a pair, and the lower third and fourth rolling rollers 43 and 44 are rotationally driven as a pair. While the upper pair of rollers 41 and 42 and the lower pair of rollers 43 and 44 are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals, and are driven to rotate in opposite directions, the sushi rice is rolled into a plate shape. It is conveyed diagonally forward. The sushi rice rolled by the upper rolling rollers 41 and 42 and further rolled into a plate shape by the lower rolling rollers 43 and 44 is guided to the forming portion 5 by the guide member 46 having an inclined surface.

[Molding part]
The molding unit 5 is mainly composed of the curl 6 shown in FIG. 1, the front and rear lifters 7 and 8, the slide base 9, the guide plate 10, and the like. The guide plate 10 is fixed so as to form a horizontal plane on the lower front side of the main body of the food molding apparatus 1. Guide rails 11 are formed on both sides of the guide plate 10 in the left-right direction so that left and right side walls of the slide base 9 are fitted to guide the slide base 9 sliding in the front-rear direction. A clearance hole 12 for the lift of the lifters 7 and 8 is formed in a slit shape in the front-rear direction at the center in the left-right direction of the guide plate 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the slide base 9 has a quadrangular planar shape, and racks 95 are formed on the lower surfaces of the left and right sides of the slide base 9 across the entire longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 10, a slide base drive mechanism 100 is incorporated below the guide plate 10. The slide base drive mechanism 100 includes a substrate 101, a motor 102 fixed to the substrate 101, and a pair of pinions 104 that are rotationally driven by the motor 102. The pair of pinions 104 rotate together as a result of being coupled to a single rotating shaft. The pair of pinions 104 are located on both sides in the left-right direction of the guide plate 10, and a part of the pair of pinions 104 is above the upper surface of the guide plate 10 through holes formed on both sides in the left-right direction of the guide plate 10. It protrudes. In FIG. 9, only a part of one pinion 104 is drawn.

  As shown in FIG. 1, when the left and right side walls of the slide base 9 are fitted to the guide rail 11 of the guide plate 10 and the slide base 9 is pushed in while being guided by the guide rail 11, the left and right racks 95 of the slide base 9 are respectively pinion. Mesh with 104. Thereafter, by controlling the rotation of the motor 102 to control the rotation of the rack 95, the slide position of the slide base 9 in the front-rear direction can be controlled.

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the slide base 9 is formed with a slit-shaped escape hole 91 at the center in the left-right direction. The escape hole 91 is long in the front-rear direction and is formed at a position overlapping the escape hole 12 of the guide plate 10. The slide base 9 is provided with a receiving hole 94 into which the pin 605 of the curl 6 can be fitted so that the curl 6 can be attached and detached. The receiving hole 94 is formed in a block 92 made of a rectangular parallelepiped fixed to the bottom surface of the slide base 9 and a metal plate 93 fixed to the slide base 9 so as to cover the block 92. The receiving holes 94 are formed in pairs, one on the left and one on the left. Correspondingly, two pins 605 of the winding rod 6 are provided in pairs on the left and right. By fitting the pin 605 of the curl 6 into these receiving holes 94, the curl 6 can be moved back and forth integrally with the slide base 9.

[Composition of rolls]
Next, the configuration of the curl 6 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 24, 25, and 26, the curl 6 includes a fixed plate 60, first and second rotary plates 61 and 62 that are rotatably connected to both sides of the fixed plate 60, and a first The third rotating plate 63 includes a total of four plates that are rotatably connected to the second rotating plate 62 that is one of the second rotating plates 61 and 62. Each of the four plates 60, 61, 62, and 63 includes base materials 601, 611, 621, and 631, each made of a metal plate, and a resin layer 602 that is integrally formed on the surface of each base material by outsert molding. , 612, 622, 632. The upper surface of the curl 6 is almost entirely covered with resin layers 602, 612, 622, and 632. An appropriate number of positioning projections 638 are formed on the front edge of the third rotating plate 63 to regulate the position of the front side of the seaweed placed on the roll 6 when a part of the resin layer 632 rises. The resin layers 602, 612, 622, 632 can be formed of, for example, polypropylene.

  The rotating plates 61, 62, 63 are connected to the fixed plate 60 in series so as to be independently rotatable. Therefore, the plates 60 to 63 can be folded independently of each other. The rotatable connection structure of the plates 60 to 63 is as follows. The base material 601 of the fixed plate 60 has bent portions 604 that rise from the upper surface at both left and right ends. These bent portions 604 and the bent portions formed at the left and right ends of the first rotating plate 61 are coupled by a shaft 64, and the first rotating plate 61 is rotatable about the shaft 64 with respect to the fixed plate 60. It has become. The bent portions formed at the left and right end portions of the bent portion 604 and the second rotating plate 62 are coupled by a shaft 65, and the second rotating plate 62 is rotatable about the shaft 65 with respect to the fixed plate 60. It has become. The third rotating plate 63 is also formed with bent portions at both left and right ends. The bent portion and the bent portion of the second rotating plate 62 are coupled by a shaft 66, and the third rotating plate 63 is connected to the second rotating plate 62. On the other hand, it is rotatable about a shaft 66.

  The central axis of the shaft 64 substantially coincides with the tangent line between the upper surface of the fixed plate 60 and the upper surface of the first rotating plate 61, and the first rotating plate 61 is rotatable about the tangent line with respect to the fixed plate 60. ing. Similarly, the central axis of the shaft 65 substantially coincides with the tangent line between the upper surface of the fixed plate 60 and the upper surface of the second rotary plate 62, and the second rotary plate 62 rotates around the tangent line with respect to the fixed plate 60. It is free. The central axis of the shaft 66 substantially coincides with the tangent line between the upper surface of the second rotating plate 62 and the upper surface of the third rotating plate 63, and the third rotating plate 63 makes the above tangent to the second rotating plate 62. It is rotatable around the center.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 to 17, 25, and the like, two pieces are provided on the lower surface side of the base material 601 of the fixing plate 60 in the direction orthogonal to the length direction of the fixing plate 60, that is, in the front-rear direction of the food molding apparatus 1. A pair of support plates 603 are fixed. Each support plate 603 is fixed with the pin 605 having a conical tip at the intersection with the base material 601. Each support plate 603 has a length that spans the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63. A stopper 607 is fixed to the back end of each support plate 603. The stopper 607 protrudes above the upper surface of the first rotating plate 61 and regulates the position of the back side of the seaweed placed on the roll 6.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, a roller support plate 615 is fixed to the base member 611 of the first rotating plate 61 at the center in the length direction. The roller support plate 615 is formed in a U-shape, and two rollers 616 and 617 are rotatably supported around their central axes by U-shaped opposing support pieces. The two rollers 616 and 617 are parallel to each other and are adjacent to each other, and in a mode before the winding operation by the winding rod 6 as shown in FIG. 17, the roller 616 is on the lower side and the roller 617 is on the diagonally upper front side. is there.

  A roller support plate 635 formed in a U-shape is fixed to the base member 631 of the third rotating plate 63 at the center in the length direction. Two rollers 636 and 637 are supported by the U-shaped opposing support pieces of the roller support plate 635 so as to be rotatable about their central axes. The two rollers 636 and 637 are parallel to each other and are adjacent to each other, and in the mode before the winding operation by the winding rod 6 as shown in FIG. 17, the roller 636 is on the lower side and the roller 637 is on the rear obliquely upper side. is there. As shown in FIG. 15, the support shaft of the roller 636 is supported by the roller support plate 635 so as not to be relatively movable, whereas the support shaft of the roller 637 is fitted in the long hole 639 of the roller support plate 635 and has this length. It is movable within the range of the hole 639.

  As shown in FIG. 17, there is a lifter 7 below the rollers 636 and 637, and another lifter 8 is below the rollers 616 and 617. As shown in FIG. 8, the lifters 7 and 8 are thick plate-like members that are long in the front-rear direction, and are L-shaped and inverted L-shaped, and the escape holes 12 and 91 are formed by appropriate guide members. It is designed to move straight up and down. The lifters 7 and 8 are made of a relatively hard resin. The lifters 7, 8 are moved in the vertical direction by driving arms 74, 84 that are rotationally driven by a winding driving motor (not shown), driving pins 73, 83 provided on these driving arms 74, 84, and these This is performed by cam grooves 71 and 81 into which the drive pins 73 and 83 are fitted. The drive pins 73 and 83 are so-called cam followers, and are rotatably held via bearings. The drive pins 73 and 83 are at positions deviated from the rotation centers 75 and 85 (see FIG. 20) of the drive arms 74 and 84, respectively.

  In FIG. 17, when the sushi rice is tightened by the winding rod 6, the drive arm 74 and the drive arm 84 are synchronously rotated at the same angle in the counterclockwise direction and in the clockwise direction. The cam groove 71 is longer than the cam groove 81 in the front-rear direction and is substantially linear. On the other hand, the cam groove 81 has a short and gentle S shape in the front-rear direction. The drive pin 73 of the drive arm 74 is relatively far away from the rotation center of the drive arm 74, while the drive pin 83 of the drive arm 84 is at a position close to the rotation center of the drive arm 84. Accordingly, the vertical movement stroke of the front lifter 7 is larger than the vertical movement stroke of the rear lifter 8.

  An upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7 is a contact surface with the rollers 636 and 637, and an upper end surface 82 of the lifter 8 is a contact surface with the rollers 616 and 617. A plate-like magnet 180 is embedded in the lifter 7 adjacent to the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7. The rollers 636 and 637 are made of a magnetic material, and a magnetic attractive force acts between the magnet 180 and the rollers 636 and 637.

  As described above, the sliding position of the slide base 9 is controlled by the engagement of the pair of pinions 104 and the rack 95 by controlling the rotation of the motor 102 of the slide base drive mechanism 100 (see FIG. 10). The As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the slide range of the slide base 9 is obtained by moving the sushi rice rolled by the rolling unit 4 from the advance position where the front end of the slide base 9 substantially coincides with the front end of the food molding apparatus 1. It is the range to the retreat position that can be received. In the forward movement position, the sushi rice is tightened by the roll 6 associated with the operation of the lifters 7 and 8.

  17 to 23 sequentially show the operation of the lifters 7 and 8 and the operation of the curl 6 operated by the lifters 7 and 8 until the drive arms 74 and 84 rotate by a predetermined angle. FIG. 17 shows a state before the drive arms 74 and 84 rotate. The upper surfaces of the four plates 60, 61, 62, and 63 are on the same plane, and the curl 6 is flat. ing. The lifters 7 and 8 are in the most lowered position, and the rollers 616 and 636 are slightly separated from the upper end surfaces 72 and 82, respectively.

  FIG. 18 shows a state in which the drive arms 74 and 84 are each rotated about 20 degrees. As described above, in FIG. 18, the drive arm 74 rotates counterclockwise and the drive arm 84 rotates clockwise. As the drive arm 74 rotates, the drive pin 73 pushes the upper edge of the cam groove 71 of the lifter 7, pushes up the lifter 7, and the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7 contacts the roller 636. On the other hand, the cam groove 81 of the lifter 8 in which the drive arm 84 is fitted has an unusual shape that draws a gentle S-shape. When the drive arm 84 rotates, the drive pin 83 moves along the cam groove 81, and the lifter 8. Hardly rises. The four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 have almost no change, and the upper surfaces of the plates 60, 61, 62, 63 are on the same plane.

  FIG. 19 shows a state in which the drive arms 74 and 84 are each rotated about 40 degrees. In this operation mode, the roller 636 is pushed up by the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7, and the roller 616 is pushed up by the upper end surface 82 of the lifter 8. The drive pin 73 of the drive arm 74 that drives the front lifter 7 is far away from the rotation center 75 of the drive arm 74, and the cam groove 71 is substantially linear in the front-rear direction, so the lift stroke of the lifter 7 is It is larger than the lift stroke of the rear lifter 8. Therefore, the push-up amount of the third rotation plate 63 having the roller 636 is larger than the push-up amount of the first rotation plate 61 having the roller 616. The third rotating plate 63 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 66 (see FIG. 25) to take an oblique posture, and further pulls up the front side of the second rotating plate 62 via the shaft 66. The second rotating plate 62 rotates in a counterclockwise direction around the shaft 65 (see FIG. 25) and assumes an oblique posture. On the other hand, the first rotating plate 61 rotates in the clockwise direction around the shaft 64 (see FIG. 25) and assumes an oblique posture.

  FIG. 20 shows a state in which the drive arms 74 and 84 are each rotated about 60 degrees. In this operation mode, the front lifter 7 is further raised, the third rotating plate 63 is further rotated counterclockwise, and the roller 637 is pushed up by the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7 instead of the roller 636, The rotating plate 62 further rotates. The rear lifter 8 is further raised, and the roller 617 is pushed up by the upper end surface 82 of the lifter 8 instead of the roller 616, and the first rotating plate 61 further rotates clockwise.

  FIG. 21 shows a state in which the drive arms 74 and 84 are each rotated about 80 degrees. In this operation mode, the roller 637 is further pushed up by the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7, the third rotation plate 63 further rotates counterclockwise beyond the vertical mode, and the second rotation plate 62 is substantially vertical. Take an embodiment. The roller 617 is further pushed up by the upper end surface 82 of one lifter 8 to further rotate the first rotating plate 61 in the clockwise direction, and the first rotating plate 61 takes a form close to vertical.

  FIG. 22 shows a state where the drive arms 74 and 84 are each rotated about 100 degrees. In this operation mode, the roller 637 is further pushed up by the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7, and the roller 617 is further pushed up by the upper end surface 82 of the lifter 8, and the second and third rotating plates are further rotated counterclockwise to the first rotating plate. 61 further rotates clockwise. The first rotating plate 61 and the second rotating plate 62 are substantially vertical, and the third rotating plate 63 is surrounded on three sides by the fixed plate 60 and the first and second rotating plates 61 and 62. It takes the form which covers the upper part of the space of U-shaped cross-section which was made. In this way, the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 are folded to form a space having a quadrangular cross section. In this operation mode, the rear side surface of the lifter 7 stands up in contact with the bottom surface of the second rotating plate 62, and there is a slight gap between the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7 and the roller 637.

  As described above, by folding the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63, the sushi rice can be formed into a bar shape having a rectangular cross section. That is, as shown in FIG. 17, plate-shaped sushi rice is placed on the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 whose upper surfaces are on one plane, and the lifters 7, 8 are operated. The four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 are subjected to the tightening operation shown in FIGS. 18 to 22 by the operation of the lifters 7, 8, whereby the plate-shaped sushi rice is formed into a bar having a square cross section. When a quadrilateral laver is placed on the four plates 60, 61, 62, and 63 whose upper surfaces are on one plane, a plate-shaped sushi rice is placed on the laver and the winding operation is performed. A square rod-shaped laver rolled sushi can be manufactured.

[Reinforcement structure]
As described above, if the sushi rice or seaweed roll is simply formed by winding the lifters 7 and 8 and the four plates 60, 61, 62, and 63, the sushi rice or the seaweed roll is caught when it is released. The sushi rice or seaweed roll opens due to the reaction force of the ingredients. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, by adding an additional tightening operation by the slide operation of the slide base 9 in addition to the tightening operation by the operation of the lifters 7, 8, the seaweed winding does not open after molding, and as expected. The structure which can be shape | molded in this shape is provided. The configuration and operation for performing the above tightening will be described below.

  FIG. 22 shows a state in which the lifters 7 and 8 are both raised to the top and the sushi rice is tightened by the four plates 60, 61, 62 and 63. With this operation mode, as shown in FIG. 23, the slide base 9 is slid forwards (to the right in FIG. 23) by several millimeters. Since the winding rod 6 slides together with the slide base 9, the bottom surface of the second rotating plate 62 constituting the winding rod 6 hits the side surface on the back side of the lifter 7, and the second rotating plate 62 is centered on the shaft 66. In FIG. 23, it is further rotated counterclockwise. The sushi rice is tightened by the further rotation of the second rotating plate 62, and even if the winding by the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 is released, the formed sushi rice can be prevented from opening. it can.

  The retightening is performed by a slide base drive mechanism 100 shown in FIG. The overall operation of the food molding apparatus 1 is controlled by a control unit including a sequence control device or a microcomputer, and the operation of the motor 102 of the slide base drive mechanism 100 is also controlled by the control unit. When the sushi rice has been tightened by the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 operated by the lifters 7, 8, a rotation command signal is then sent to the motor 102 to slide the slide base 9 forward. . As the motor 102 rotates in accordance with this command signal, the slide base 9 slides and tightening is performed.

  In order to realize that the tightening is performed by moving the curl 6 together with the slide base 9, the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 can be rotated independently of each other. Are connected in series. Assuming that the four plates 60, 61, 62, 63 are connected by a link and the movement is restricted, after the tightening by the operation of the lifters 7, 8, additional tightening by sliding of the slide base 9 is performed. Can't do it. This is because if one plate is pushed by the slide of the slide base 9 and another tightening is performed, another plate connected by the link moves, and the additional tightening is not performed.

  In the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the support hole of the shaft of the roller 637 formed in the roller support plate 635 integrated with the third rotating plate 63 is a long hole 639. As shown in FIG. 19, the roller that hits the upper end surface 72 of the lifter 7 is switched from the roller 636 to the roller 637 during the lift process of the lifter 7. Since the shaft of the roller 637 can move in the range of the long hole 639 at the time of switching to the roller 637, an impact at the time of switching can be reduced.

  When the lifters 7 and 8 are lowered to their original positions, the first to third plates 61, 62, and 63 also return to their original positions. A magnetic attractive force acts between the magnet 180 embedded near the upper end of the lifter 7 and the roller 637 made of a magnetic material. When the lifter 7 descends and returns to the original position, the magnet 180 magnetically attracts the roller 637 and assists the return of the third plate 63 having the roller 637 to the source position.

[Rolling part]
Next, the rolling part 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The rolling unit 4 has a structure that makes it possible to adjust the thickness of the sushi rice to be rolled. As shown in FIG. 6, the rolling unit 4 is incorporated on the basis of a pair of vertical frames 170 fixed in parallel to each other at a predetermined interval on the left and right of the main body of the food molding apparatus 1.

  3 to 7, the left side vertical frame of the pair of vertical frames 170 has a movable support plate 167 on the outer surface side thereof that rotates about a shaft 165 in a plane parallel to the surface of the vertical frame 170. It is attached as possible. As shown in FIG. 7, two motors 151 and 152 are fixed to the back surface of the movable support plate 167 in the vertical direction. The output shafts of the motors 151 and 152 protrude to the front side of the movable support plate 167, and pulleys 153 and 154 are attached to the output shafts. Pulleys 141 and 143 are attached to the front surface of the movable support plate 167 so as to be rotatable in an obliquely upward and downward direction.

  A fixed support plate 168 is fixed to the vertical frame 170 between the pulleys 153 and 154 and the pulleys 141 and 143. The fixed support plate 168 is elongated in the vertical direction, and two idlers 157 and 158 are rotatably mounted side by side in the vicinity of the rear end edge of the fixed support plate 168. On the fixed support plate 168, a pulley 142 is disposed adjacent to an obliquely downward front of the idler 157, and a pulley 144 is disposed substantially adjacent to the front of the idler 158. As shown in FIG. 7, the fixed support plate 168 is disposed so as to overlap the back surface of the movable support plate 167, but the pulleys 142 and 144 and the idlers 157 and 158 are windows formed on the movable support plate 167. It protrudes from the hole to the surface side of the movable support plate 167. Each of the pulleys 153, 154, 141, 143, 142, 144 corresponds to a timing belt (toothed belt), and has a groove in which the teeth of the timing belt are fitted at regular intervals on the circumferential surface around which the timing belt is wound. ing.

  On the movable support plate 167, an idler 161 is rotatably attached between the pulley 141 and the pulley 142, and an idler 162 is rotatably attached between the pulley 143 and the pulley 144. An idler 163 is also rotatably attached between the pulley 143 and the pulley 154. The pulleys 141, 142, and 153 are wound around a first timing belt 155 having teeth at regular intervals only on the inner peripheral side, and the idlers 157 and 161 are pressed against the outer peripheral side of the timing belt 155. Second pulleys 143, 144, and 154 are wound with a second timing belt 156 having teeth at regular intervals only on the inner circumferential side, and idlers 158, 162, and 163 are pressed against the outer circumferential side of timing belt 156. .

  The idler 157 is for adjusting the tension of the timing belt 155 and presses the timing belt 155 between the pulleys 142 and 153 from the outside toward the inside. The idler 158 is for adjusting the tension of the timing belt 156 and presses the timing belt 156 between the pulleys 144 and 154 from the outside to the inside. The idlers 161 and 162 are also used for adjusting the tension of the timing belts 155 and 156.

  The pulley 141 is integrally coupled to the upper first rolling roller 41 shown in FIG. 2, the pulley 142 is integrally coupled to the upper second rolling roller 42, and the pulley 143 is integrally coupled to the lower first rolling roller 43. 144 is integrally coupled to the lower second rolling roller 44. The four rolling rollers 41 to 44 are located between a pair of left and right vertical frames 170 shown in FIG. The right end in FIG. 6 of the shafts of the upper second rolling roller 42 and the lower second rolling roller 44 that are fixed in position is supported through a shaft hole formed in the right vertical frame 170. . The right end in FIG. 6 of the shafts of the upper first rolling roller 41 and the lower first rolling roller 43 supported by the movable support plate 167 passes through a long hole formed in the right vertical frame 170, It is fitted to a movable support plate (not shown). The movable support plate (not shown) on the right side is integrally coupled to the left movable support plate 167 via a strong connecting rod, and can rotate around a central axis common to the shaft 165.

  On the outer peripheral surface of each of the rolling rollers 41 to 44, ridges and recesses having a semicircular cross section are formed alternately in parallel with the rotation center axis. The pair of upper rolling rollers 41 and 42 and the pair of lower rolling rollers 43 and 44 are rotationally driven in opposite directions so as to convey sushi rice downward between the rolling rollers.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a line connecting the rotation centers of the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 and a line connecting the rotation centers of the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 are inclined upward. The positions of the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 are shifted to the front side with respect to the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42, and the sushi rice is fed obliquely forward and downward. Since the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 has a role of feeding sushi rice between the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44, the distance between the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 is the lower pair of rolling rollers 43. , 44 is wider. The thickness of the sushi rice rolled into a plate shape by the rolling unit 4 is determined by the distance between the pair of lower rolling rollers 43 and 44.

  The thickness of the sushi rice to be rolled can be switched by adjusting the rotation angle of the movable support plate 167 about the shaft 165 and changing the distance between the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44. FIG. 3 shows an operation mode when the movable support plate 167 rotates in the clockwise direction so that the distance between the pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 is the smallest and the sushi rice is rolled thinnest. FIG. 4 shows an operation mode when the movable support plate 167 rotates counterclockwise to increase the distance between the pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 and roll the sushi rice to a medium thickness. FIG. 5 shows an operation mode when the movable support plate 167 is further rotated counterclockwise so that the distance between the pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 is further increased and the sushi rice is rolled thickest.

  As the distance between the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 changes, the distance between the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 also changes. However, since the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 are closer to the shaft 165 that is the center of rotation of the movable support plate 167 than the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44, the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 The amount of change in the interval 42 is smaller than the amount of change in the interval between the pair of lower rolling rollers 43 and 44.

  When the movable support plate 167 rotates around the shaft 165, the positions of the pulleys 141 and 153 change with respect to the pulley 142 whose position is fixed, and the pulley 143 with respect to the pulley 144 whose position is fixed. , 154 changes position. At this time, if the length of the path on which the timing belts 155 and 156 are hung is changed, the tension of the timing belts 155 and 156 is changed, the tension becomes weak and slips between the pulleys, and the tension is strong. Thus, there arises a problem that the rotational resistance increases.

  According to the illustrated embodiment, even if the movable support plate 167 is rotated so as to change the distance between the pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 and the pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44, the pulleys 153 and 154 of the motors 151 and 152 and the movable support plate 167 are movable. The distance between the pulleys 141 and 142 of the rolling rollers 41 and 42 supported by the plate 167 is not changed.

  Motors 151 and 152 are attached to the movable support plate 167, and one of the rolling rollers 41 and 43 that are paired up and down is attached. The fixed support plate 168 supporting the other of the pair of rolling rollers 42 and 44 is between the motors 151 and 152 supported by the movable support plate 167 and the pair of one rolling rollers 41 and 43. Is located.

  Therefore, the rolling roller 42 that is paired with the rolling roller 41 is disposed between the motor 151 and the rolling roller 41 in a fixed position. The pulley 153 of the motor 151, the pulley 141 of the rolling roller 41, and the pulley of the rolling roller 42 The timing belt 155 is hung on 142. According to such a configuration, even if the movable support plate 167 rotates about the shaft 165, the extension of the timing belt 155 is hardly changed by merely moving the pulleys 153 and 141 with the pulley 142 interposed therebetween.

  Similarly, a rolling roller 44 that is paired with the rolling roller 43 is disposed between the motor 152 and the rolling roller 43 at a fixed position. The pulley 154 of the motor 152, the pulley 143 of the rolling roller 43, and the rolling roller 44 A timing belt 156 is hung on the pulley 144. According to such a configuration, even if the movable support plate 167 rotates about the shaft 165, the extension of the timing belt 156 is hardly changed by merely moving the pulleys 154 and 143 with the pulley 144 interposed therebetween.

  The idler 161 between the pulley 141 and the pulley 142, the idler 162 between the pulley 143 and the pulley 144, and the idler 163 between the pulley 143 and the pulley 154 move together with the movable support plate 167, respectively. The positional relationship between the idlers 161 and 162 with respect to the pulley 141 and the positional relationship between the idler 163 and the pulley 143 are not changed. Therefore, even if the movable support plate 167 moves, the extension of each timing belt 155, 156 does not change, and the tension of each timing belt 155, 156 can be kept substantially constant. Thus, even if the movable support plate 16 is moved in order to change the distance between the rolling rollers 41, 42 and 43, 44 that form a pair at the top and bottom, slip and rotational resistance between the timing belts 155, 156 and the pulleys Can be prevented from increasing.

  Further, when the distance between the rolling rollers 41, 42 and 43, 44 forming a pair is changed, the fixed support plate 168 passes through the idlers 157, 158 supported by the fixed support plate 168 from the pulleys 153, 154 of the motors 151, 152. The lengths of the belts 155 and 156 reaching the pulleys 142 and 144 of the rolling rollers 42 and 44 supported by the roller, and the pulleys 142 and 144 of the rolling rollers 42 and 44 supported by the fixed support plate 168 to the movable support plate 167. One of the lengths of the belts 155 and 156 reaching the pulleys 143 and 143 of the rolling rollers 41 and 43 supported by the movable support plate 167 through the supported idlers 161 and 162 becomes longer and the other becomes shorter.

  Thus, even if the movable support plate 167 is moved around the shaft 165 and the interval between the pair of rolling rollers 41, 42 or 43, 44 is changed, the rolling rollers 42, 44 supported by the fixed support plate 168 are changed. The rolling rollers 41 and 43 supported by the pulleys 153 and 154 of the motors 151 and 152 and the movable support plate 167 move as if they are seesaws, and the timing belts 155 and 156 The extension is almost unchanged. Further, since the idlers 157 and 158 supported by the movable support plate 167 press the belts 155 and 156, even if the distance between the pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 or 43 and 44 is changed, the belt 155 , 156 does not change the tension.

  By changing the thickness of the sushi rice to be rolled by switching the interval between the rolling rollers 41, 42 and 43, 44 that are paired up and down, the size of the cross section of the laver roll formed in the forming part 5 is different. Therefore, the curl 6 corresponding to it is necessary. As already described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, the curl 6 is configured to be detachable from the slide base 9. Therefore, depending on the size of the seaweed roll to be formed, the curb roll 6 can be suitably used, for example, for thin winding, for medium winding, for thick winding, for other medium thin winding, for very thick winding, for rolling only, etc. A curl of the size and application is prepared, and an arbitrary curl 6 is selected and mounted on the slide base 9.

  The curb 6 is provided with an identifier corresponding to the size. When the curl 6 is mounted on the slide base 9, the identifier of the curl 6 is detected by the detection unit and the size of the curl 6 is identified. To do. This identification signal is input to the control unit, and the control unit corresponds to the rotation position of the movable support plate 167 corresponding to the identification signal, the position corresponding to the thin winding shown in FIG. 3, and the middle winding shown in FIG. Control is made to either the position or the position corresponding to the thick winding shown in FIG. The drive source for rotating the movable support plate 167 is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a motor or a solenoid. In the case of a motor, it may be a rotary motor or a linear motor, or the rotational position of the movable support plate 167 may be controlled by controlling the number of pulses using a pulse motor.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, in the rolling unit 4, the rotational drive source of the rolling rollers 41 and 42 paired on the upper side is a motor 151, and the rotational drive source of the rolling rollers 43 and 44 paired on the lower side. Is a motor 152. Thus, by providing the drive sources for the rolling rollers 41, 42 and 43, 44 that are paired vertically, the rotational speed of the upper rolling rollers 41, 42 and the rotation of the lower rolling rollers 43, 44 are provided. The speed can be controlled independently.

  The reason why the rotational speeds of the upper and lower rolling rollers are independently controlled is as follows. If the sushi rice is left in the upper part of the upper rolling rollers 41 and 42, the sushi rice is lowered by its own weight and becomes a non-uniform sushi rice lump and remains on the lower rolling rollers 43 and 44. If rolling is started in this state, the lump of sushi rice and the rolling roller slip, and normal rolling cannot be performed. Moreover, the sushi rice becomes a non-uniform lump so that the distribution of the sushi rice in the plate-like rolled body becomes non-uniform, resulting in a rolled body in which holes are partially formed in a map shape where sushi rice does not exist. Such a rolled body with a non-uniform distribution of sushi rice continues even if several sheets are rolled continuously, and then a normal rolled body can finally be obtained.

  According to the illustrated embodiment, since the drive sources of the upper and lower rolling rollers are independent, when the start switch of the rolling unit 4 is pressed, a time difference is provided at the start of operation of the drive source as described above. Trouble can be solved. That is, when sushi rice has accumulated in the upper part of the rolling unit 4 and then a start switch of the rolling unit 4 is pressed, only the drive motor 151 of the upper rolling rollers 41 and 42 is driven first, The control unit controls so as to drive the drive motor 152 of the lower rolling rollers 43 and 44 after several milliseconds. By driving the upper rolling rollers 41 and 42 first, the sushi rice is sufficiently filled between the upper rolling rollers 41 and 42 and the lower rolling rollers 43 and 44, and the sushi rice is unevenly distributed. It will be resolved. Subsequently, when the lower rolling rollers 43 and 44 are driven, a rolled body in which sushi rice is uniformly distributed can be obtained.

[Description of operation]
A series of operations of the embodiment described above will be schematically described. The food molding apparatus 1 includes a power switch, an emergency stop switch, a program switch, a start switch, and the like. The program switch sets, for example, the hardness of the seaweed roll to be formed, that is, the degree of tightening, the type of ingredients to be wrapped in the seaweed roll, and various other conditions. The start switch is a switch for operating the food molding apparatus 1. The food molding apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a manual material placement process between the rolling process by the rolling unit 4 and the molding process by the molding unit 5, and proceeds from the manual process to the next process. Also press the start switch.

  It is assumed that sushi rice is accommodated in the hopper 2, and the sushi rice is stirred by the stirring unit 3 and supplied to the rolling unit 4 so that it can be formed. In the molding part 5, the curl 6 is positioned in the first half of the guide plate 10 together with the slide base 9, and the four plates 60 to 63 constituting the curl 6 are in a flat form. Place nori on this flat roll 6. The front and rear positions of the seaweed are regulated by a stopper 607 and positioning protrusions 638 (see FIG. 12). When the start switch is pressed in this state, the motor 102 shown in FIG. 10 is driven, and the slide base 9 moves rearward together with the winding rod 6 as described above, and the plate-shaped sushi rice rolled by the rolling unit 4 is wound. Stop at the position where 簀 6 receives.

  Subsequently, the motor 151 of the rolling unit 4 and the motor 152 are driven, whereby the upper pair of rolling rollers 41 and 42 and the lower pair of rolling rollers 43 and 44 are rotationally driven to roll the sushi rice. Is done. The sushi rice rolled into a plate shape is placed on the seaweed placed on the roll 6, and a cutter (not shown) is activated and cut into a predetermined length. When the rolling is thus completed, the motor 102 is driven in the opposite direction, and the slide base 9 moves to the near side together with the curl 6 to temporarily stop the operation. Therefore, an appropriate material is manually placed on the sushi rice formed into a plate shape, and when the process is completed, the start switch is pushed again.

  When the start switch is pushed again, the drive motors of the lifters 7 and 8 are activated and the lifters 7 and 8 start to rise. As described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 23, as the lifters 7 and 8 are lifted, the first to third rotating plates 61 to 63 that constitute the curl roll 6 are folded, and plate-like together with the laver on the curl roll 6. Sushi rice is rolled up to form a rod-shaped laver roll with a square cross section. The above ingredients are surrounded by rolled sushi rice. Following the tightening step by driving the lifters 7 and 8, the motor 102 is further driven to move the slide base 9 forward, and the back surface of the second rotating plate 62 is pressed against the back surface of the lifter 7. Then, the retightening is performed.

  Subsequently, the lifters 7, 8 are lowered, the winding tightening by the winding kite 6 is released, and a series of operations is completed in a state where the seaweed winding is placed on the winding kite 6. To continue forming the seaweed roll, remove the seaweed roll on the roll 6 and place the seaweed on the roll 6 and press the start switch.

  In the said Example, the fixed plate 60, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rotating plates 61-63 which comprise the winding rod 6 are metal base materials 601,611,621,631, and the said base material, respectively. One of the features is that the resin layers 602, 612, 622, 632 are integrated by outsert molding. Conventionally, the surface of each metal plate has been painted with a fluororesin or the like in order to improve the releasability of sushi rice. However, when the resin is applied, the coating film deteriorates and peels off during use, and the coating film may be mixed into the sushi rice. In order to avoid such a problem, it is necessary to repaint regularly before the coating film is peeled off, which requires troublesome maintenance and increases costs. Furthermore, there is a problem that the coating film is easily damaged by an impact such as dropping.

  In that respect, according to what integrated the resin layer by the outsert molding to the metal base material like each plate 60-63 which comprises the curl 6 in the Example of this invention, a resin layer peels. Therefore, there is no troublesome maintenance such as forming the resin layer again, and the resin layer is not damaged by an impact such as dropping.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the resin layer of the curl 6 uses a resin with good moldability, such as polypropylene. A resin having good moldability is inferior in mold releasability to sushi rice as compared with a fluororesin. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the surfaces of the resin layers 602, 612, 622, and 632 of the plates 60 to 63 are intentionally roughened to improve the peelability.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the upper and lower rolling roller pairs constituting the rolling unit are driven by individual motors 151 and 152, but the upper and lower rolling roller pairs may be driven by a single motor. Good. Even in this case, one of the pair of rolling rollers is supported by a fixed support plate, the other of the pair of rolling rollers and the motor are supported by the movable support plate, and the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed by moving the movable support plate. The fixed support plate is positioned between the motor supported by the movable support plate and the other of the rolling rollers.

  Although the embodiment has been described as a sushi rice forming apparatus, for example, a laver roll forming apparatus, the present invention is not limited to sushi rice forming but can be used as various food forming apparatuses. For example, the present invention can be used as a molding apparatus such as a bowl made of fish meat surimi, a bamboo ring molding apparatus that wraps and molds fish surimi around a cylindrical winding core, and a cut danpo molding apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Food shaping | molding apparatus 2 Hopper 3 Stirring part 4 Rolling part 5 Molding part 6 Roller 7 Lifter 8 Lifter 9 Slide base 10 Guide plate 11 Guide rail 12 Escape hole 31 Stirring blade 32 Stirring blade 33 Outlet port 34 Inclination guide 41 Upper first Rolling roller 42 Upper second rolling roller 43 Lower first rolling roller 44 Lower second rolling roller 46 Guide member 60 Fixed plate 61 First rotating plate 62 Second rotating plate 63 Third rotating plate 64 Connecting shaft 65 Connecting shaft 66 connecting shaft 71 cam groove 72 upper end surface 73 drive pin 74 drive arm 81 cam groove 82 upper end surface 83 drive pin 84 drive arm 91 escape hole 94 receiving hole 95 rack 100 slide base drive mechanism 104 pinion 167 movable support plate 168 fixed support plate 170 Vertical frame 601 base Material 602 Resin layer 603 Support plate 604 Side plate 605 Pin 607 Stopper 611 Base material 612 Resin layer 614 Side plate 615 Roller support plate 616 Roller 617 Roller 621 Base material 622 Resin layer 624 Side plate 631 Base material 632 Resin layer 635 Roller plate 632 Roller 638 Positioning protrusion

Claims (11)

A food molding apparatus having a rolling part that rolls food into a plate shape,
The rolling section includes a pair of rolling rollers that are rotated and conveyed while rolling the food, a belt that rotationally drives the paired rolling rollers, and a motor that drives the belt,
One of the pair of rolling rollers is supported by a fixed support plate,
The other of the paired rolling rollers and the motor are supported by a movable support plate, and the distance between the paired rolling rollers can be changed by moving the movable support plate.
The food molding apparatus, wherein the fixed support plate is positioned between the motor supported by the movable support plate and the other of the rolling rollers.   An idler is rotatably supported by the movable support plate between the rolling roller supported by the fixed support plate and the rolling roller supported by the movable support plate, and the idler presses the belt. The food molding apparatus according to claim 1.   The food molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the idler presses the belt, so that the tension of the belt does not change even if the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed.   4. The food molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pulley is integrally coupled to each of the pair of rolling rollers and the output shaft of the motor, and the belt is hung across the pulleys.   5. The food molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the belt is a toothed timing belt, and each pulley is a pulley corresponding to the timing belt, and a pair of rolling rollers are driven to rotate synchronously.   The food forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rolling roller includes a rolling roller that forms a pair on the upper side and a rolling roller that forms a pair on the lower side.   7. A motor and a belt for driving a pair of rolling rollers on the upper side and a motor and a belt for driving a pair of rolling rollers on the lower side are provided separately, and each of the motors is attached to a movable support plate. The food molding apparatus described.   The food molding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an idler that presses each belt individually is supported by the fixed support plate between the motors and a rolling roller supported by the fixed support plate.   The food forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the distance between the pulley of the motor and the pulley of the rolling roller supported by the movable support plate does not change even if the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed.   When the distance between the pair of rolling rollers is changed, the belt length from the pulley of the motor to the pulley of the rolling roller supported by the stationary support plate through the idler supported by the stationary support plate, and the fixed The length of the belt extending from the pulley of the rolling roller supported by the support plate to the pulley of the rolling roller supported by the movable support plate through the idler supported by the movable support plate is increased. The food molding apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, which is shortened.   The food molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a molding unit that molds the food material rolled in the rolling unit into a rod shape.

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