JP2015029445A - Rice molding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily accommodate the molding of rice balls having different sizes by using one rice molding apparatus.SOLUTION: Paired rollers R and R are installed at multiple steps along the rice ball transport direction of a metering unit 10a of a provided rice molding apparatus 1. A plurality of partition boards SB are arranged, at a predetermined interval each, along the roller R longitudinal direction between the mutually adjacent paired rollers R and R. These partition boards SB are installed in an attachable/detachable state so as to enable changes of mutually neighboring intervals. It accordingly becomes possible to accommodate changes of longitudinal dimensions of rice balls by changing arranging positions of the partition boards and therefore to easily accommodate the molding of rice balls having different sizes by using one rice molding apparatus.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooked rice forming apparatus.

  The cooked rice forming device is a device for forming a cooked rice lump such as a shari ball, and the cooked rice supply unit that supplies the cooked rice to the main body of the device and the cooked rice supplied from the cooked rice supply unit are in a predetermined amount. A weighing division unit for weighing and dividing. The weighing division unit is fed from the weighing unit and the weighing unit for weighing the cooked rice chunk supplied from the cooked rice supply unit while being sandwiched by a plurality of pairs of rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the cooked rice chunk. A dividing unit that divides the cooked rice chunk at a predetermined position is disposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the case of this cooked rice forming apparatus, a fixed shaped cooked rice lump can be formed in a fixed amount, but only one cooked rice lump can be formed in one unit operation, so that it can sufficiently cope with a large amount of demand in the restaurant industry and the like. I can't. In view of this, a rice splitting mechanism is provided that cuts the plate-shaped cooked rice that is compressed and transferred by the intermittent transfer mechanism that also serves as the above-described weighing unit into a substantially strip shape at regular intervals in the width direction (the axial direction of the roller). Mass-produced cooked rice forming equipment has been put into practical use. In the case of this mass production type cooked rice molding apparatus, a plurality of cooked rice chunks can be molded simultaneously in one unit operation, so that a large amount of demand can be sufficiently met (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2004-8145 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-285262

  By the way, in the case of the above-mentioned cooked rice forming apparatus of Patent Document 2, the cooked rice can be divided during the measurement, so that it is possible to save the trouble of dividing the cooked rice in the subsequent process, and to have an excellent advantage that the apparatus can be downsized. However, since the size of the cooked rice lump to be formed (the dimension in the width direction and the dimension in the longitudinal direction intersecting with this) is determined, when changing the size of the cooked rice lump, the device should be adjusted to that size. The present inventor has found for the first time that there is a problem that it must be modified and the handling is extremely difficult.

  The present invention has been made from the technical background described above, and its object is to provide a technique that can easily cope with the formation of cooked rice chunks of different sizes with a single cooked rice forming apparatus. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the cooked rice forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a cooked rice supply unit that supplies a cooked rice lump to the apparatus main body, and a cooked rice lump supplied from the cooked rice supply unit. A measuring unit for measuring while sandwiched and conveyed by each of a plurality of pairs of rollers arranged along the conveying direction, and disposed between the pair of rollers of the measuring unit, and adjacent to the pair of rollers. A plurality of partition members that divide the region into a plurality of regions along the longitudinal direction of the roller, and a division that collectively divides the cooked rice lump conveyed from the weighing unit while being divided by the plurality of partition members A plurality of partition members, wherein the plurality of partition members are installed in a detachable state so that the arrangement position of the rollers in the longitudinal direction can be changed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cooked rice forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the pair of rollers of the plurality of stages includes a pair of rollers provided with positioning portions for determining the arrangement positions of the partition members. Of the plurality of pairs of rollers, at least the pair of rollers provided with the positioning portion is provided in a detachable state so as to be exchangeable in accordance with a change in the arrangement position of the partition member. It is characterized by.

  Moreover, this invention of Claim 3 is the cooked rice shaping | molding apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 WHEREIN: The row | line | column of the multi-stage roller of one side is a width | variety of the said cooked rice lump among a pair of said multi-stage rollers. It is installed in a movable state so that it can be changed.

  Moreover, this invention of Claim 4 is a cooked rice forming apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3, The row | line | column of the multi-stage roller of one side among the pair of said multi-stage rollers is, It is characterized in that it is installed so as to be pivotable about the rotation axis of the uppermost roller in the row of plural rollers on one side.

  Moreover, the present invention described in claim 5 is the cooked rice forming apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of pairs of rollers are arranged in three stages.

  According to invention of Claim 1, since it can respond to the change of the magnitude | size of the longitudinal direction of a cooked rice lump by changing the arrangement position of a partition member, the cooked rice from which a magnitude | size differs by one cooked rice shaping | molding apparatus. It becomes possible to easily cope with the molding of the lump.

  According to invention of Claim 2, since it can respond to the change of the magnitude | size of the longitudinal direction of a cooked rice lump by the change of the arrangement position of a partition member and a roller, it is a simple structure and the cooked rice lump with a different magnitude | size It is possible to easily cope with the molding.

  According to invention of Claim 3, since it can respond to the change of the magnitude | size of the width direction of a cooked rice lump by moving the row | line | column of the multistage roller of one side, it is size with one cooked rice formation apparatus. It becomes possible to easily cope with the formation of different masses of cooked rice.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the row of the plurality of rollers on one side is moved by turning the row of the rollers on one side about the rotation axis of the uppermost roller. Thus, it becomes possible to easily cope with the formation of cooked rice chunks having different sizes with a simple structure.

It is a front view of the cooked rice shaping | molding apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the back side of the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. It is a principal part block diagram of the main process part of the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. It is an enlarged front view of the measurement part of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the II line of the measurement part of FIG. (A), (b) is a front view of the measurement part of the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. 6A is a front view of the main part of the mechanism unit on the back side of the back plate of the measuring unit in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7B is a front view of the main part of the mechanism unit on the back side of the back plate of the measuring unit showing the rotating gear in FIG. FIG. (A)-(e) is sectional drawing of the location corresponded to the II line | wire of FIG. 4 which showed the case where the shape and installation state of a partition plate were changed. It is a block diagram of the main process part in the formation process of the cooked rice lump in the cooked rice shaping | molding apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram of the main process part in the formation process of the cooked rice lump in the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. 1 following FIG. It is a block diagram of the main process part in the formation process of the cooked rice lump in the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. 1 following FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of a cooked rice forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the back side of the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG.

  The cooked rice forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a cooked rice forming apparatus that forms a cooked rice lump such as a sharp ball or a bowl-shaped cooked rice lump, and is capable of simultaneously forming a plurality of cooked rice lump in one unit operation. In addition, this is a cooked rice molding apparatus that can change the size (type) of the cooked rice lump in a single unit.

  This cooked rice molding apparatus 1 includes a gantry 2, a rice lifter (rice cooker supply unit) 3a, a supply hopper (rice cooker supply unit) 3b, a leveling unit (rice cooker supply unit) 3c, a main processing unit 4, and a tray stocker 5a. And an air inlet part 5b, an alcohol spray part 5c, a tray transport part 5e, a main operation part 6a, and a sub operation part 6b.

  The rice lifter 3 a is a mechanism unit that feeds cooked rice into the supply hopper 3 b, and is installed on one side of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1.

  The supply hopper 3 b is a mechanism unit that unwinds the cooked rice introduced from the rice lifter 3 a and unwinds it by rotating the wings, and then feeds it to the leveling unit 3 c, and is installed at the top of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1. The rotation operation of the unwinding wings of the supply hopper 3b is controlled based on the detection information from the optical sensor installed in the leveling unit 3c.

  The leveling unit 3c is a mechanism unit that evenly mixes the cooked rice supplied from the supply hopper 3b with two pairs of rollers, and supplies the cooked rice to the main processing unit 4 via the scraped feathers and the downwardly inclined conveyor. The supply hopper 3b And the main processing unit 4.

  The rotation operation of the two pairs of rollers and the scraping blades of the leveling unit 3c is controlled based on detection information from two pairs of optical sensors installed below the leveling unit 3c, that is, above the main processing unit 4. Is done. For example, when cooked rice is not detected by the two pairs of optical sensors, the two pairs of rollers and scraped feathers of the leveling unit 3 c are driven, and the cooked rice from the leveling unit 3 c is supplied to the main processing unit 4. On the other hand, when the cooked rice is detected by the two pairs of optical sensors, the two pairs of rollers and the scraped feathers of the leveling unit 3c are stopped, and the supply of the cooked rice from the leveling unit 3c to the main processing unit 4 is stopped. .

  The main processing unit 4 is a mechanism unit that measures and divides the cooked rice supplied from the leveling unit 3 c into a cooked rice lump, and is installed between the leveling unit 3 c and the gantry 2. The main processing unit 4 will be described in detail later.

  The tray stocker 5a is a mechanism unit that accommodates a plurality of trays on which a plurality of molded rice balls are placed and takes them one by one and supplies them to the tray transport unit 5e. It is installed between the parts 4. The tray stocker 5a can accommodate, for example, 50 trays.

  The air inlet 5b (see FIG. 2) is a mechanism that supplies external air for adsorbing the tray when the tray is transported from the tray stocker 5a to the tray transporter 5e. It is installed behind the rice lifter 3a.

  The alcohol spray unit 5c is a mechanism unit that sprays sterilizing alcohol in an alcohol tank (not shown) onto the surface of the tray that has been transported from the tray stocker 5a, and is installed in the middle of the tray transport path. ing.

  The tray transport unit 5e is a mechanism unit that transports a tray, on which a plurality of molded rice chunks after being formed are placed, which is supplied from the tray stocker 5a, to the input unit and the outlet, and is installed at the subsequent stage of the main processing unit 4. ing.

  The main operation unit 6a is an operation unit for operating the entire operation of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1, and is installed in a state where it can be moved according to the standing position of the operator. The cable length of the main operation unit 6a is, for example, about 10 m.

  The sub operation unit 6b is an emergency operation unit in which only a stop button and an emergency stop button are arranged. The sub operation unit 6b is fixed in position because it performs an operation requiring urgency.

  Next, FIG. 3 is a main part configuration diagram of the main processing unit of the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the measuring unit of FIG. 3, and FIG. FIG. In FIG. 3, the partition plate SB is hatched to make the drawing easy to see. In FIG. 4, the roller R is hatched to make the drawing easy to see.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the main processing unit 4 includes a weighing division unit 10, a buffer unit 11, a cooked rice conveying mold 12, a molding unit 13, and a feeding unit 14.

  The measuring and dividing unit 10 is a mechanism unit that measures and divides the cooked rice supplied from the leveling unit 3c so as to have a predetermined size, shape, and weight, and includes a measuring unit 10a and a dividing unit 10b. ing.

  The weighing unit 10a is a mechanism unit that conveys the cooked rice supplied from the leveling unit 3c to the dividing unit 10b while weighing the rice in a predetermined size, shape, and weight. It is installed directly below.

  For example, a three-stage pair of rollers R, four partition plates (partition members) SB, and a scraper SP are arranged in the measuring unit 10a. However, the number of stages of the pair of rollers R is not limited to three, and may be two or four, for example. Further, the number of partition plates SB is not limited to four, and may be three or less or five or more, for example.

  The pair of rollers R are disposed so as to face each other across the conveying space for the cooked rice lump, and are fixed to the rotation axis Ax so as to be rotatable in the opposite direction (inward). And each pair of roller R is arrange | positioned so that the opposing space | interval (conveyance space of cooked rice lump) of each pair may become narrow along the conveyance direction (downward) of cooked rice lump. As a result, the cooked rice lump supplied to the weighing unit 10a is sandwiched in order by the pair of rollers R at each stage while the density of the rice grains is kept constant, and is sent downward while being compressed.

  Each roller R is formed of a horizontally long cylindrical body along the axial direction, and a plurality of protrusions P for scraping down the cooked rice lump downward form an unevenness along the circumferential direction. Are formed at predetermined intervals.

  Further, between the inner periphery of each roller R and the outer periphery of the rotation shaft Ax, rotation transmission members Ta and Tb for transmitting the rotation operation of the rotation shaft Ax to the roller R are provided. Thus, each roller R is mounted on the rotation axis Ax in a rotatable and detachable state.

  In other words, as shown in FIG. 4, the uppermost roller R and the middle roller R are formed with a hollow hole Ha having a substantially square shape on the end surface side of the roller R. On the other hand, on the outer periphery of the rotation shaft Ax at the uppermost stage and the middle stage, a rotation transmission member Ta formed in a substantially square shape whose end face shape is just fit in the hollow hole Ha of the uppermost and middle stage rollers R is joined. Yes. The uppermost and middle rollers R are detachably mounted on the rotation shaft Ax by fitting the rotation transmitting member Ta into the hollow hole Ha.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the lowermost roller R has a hollow hole in which the shape of the end surface side of the roller R has a circular region and a spreading region that extends radially in two symmetrical positions on the outer periphery thereof. Hb is formed. On the other hand, on the outer periphery of the lowermost rotation axis Ax, the end face shape is a circular portion and a protruding portion that protrudes radially at two symmetrical positions on the outer periphery (not shown in FIG. 4; reference numeral in FIG. 7A). Rotation transmission member Tb formed in a shape having Tbp) is joined. The lowermost roller R is detachably mounted on the rotation shaft Ax by fitting the rotation transmitting member Tb into the hollow hole Hb.

  A fixing groove (not shown) extending in the circumferential direction of the lowermost roller R is formed on the side surface of the hollow hole Hb of the lowermost roller R. By fitting the protruding portion of the rotation transmission member Tb (see Tbp in FIG. 7A) into the fixed groove of the lowermost roller R, the lowermost roller R does not move in the axial direction (longitudinal direction). So that it is fixed.

  Further, on the outer periphery of the lowermost roller R, a positioning groove (positioning portion: not shown in FIG. 4; see the symbol PT in FIG. 8E) for positioning and fixing the partition plate SB is formed. . The positioning groove is formed so as to make one round along the outer periphery of the roller R at predetermined intervals along the axial direction of the lowermost roller R. The partition plate SB is positioned and fixed by fitting both end portions in the width direction of the partition plate SB into the positioning groove. This positioning groove is not formed in the uppermost and middle rollers R. By forming the positioning groove only on the lowermost roller R, only the lowermost roller R needs to be replaced when the number of divisions by the partition plate SB is changed. For this reason, replacement work can be facilitated. Moreover, since the number of replacement parts can be reduced, the cost of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1 can be reduced.

  The partition plates SB are arranged at predetermined intervals along the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the roller R. Thereby, in this Embodiment, the cooked rice supplied from the leveling part 3c can be divided | segmented into the some cooked rice lump in the measurement part 10a. For this reason, since the division | segmentation operation | work of the cooked rice in a post process becomes unnecessary, the cooked rice shaping | molding apparatus 1 can be reduced in size.

  Moreover, the partition plate SB is installed in a detachable state in a state where it is fixed to a positioning groove formed in the pair of rollers R at the lowermost stage. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, by removing and replacing the lowermost pair of rollers R (replacement with another roller R having a different positioning groove position or number), the adjacent interval or number of the partition plates SB Can be changed. That is, the length (kind) of the cooked rice lump in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) can be variously changed with a single cooked rice forming apparatus 1 without modifying the apparatus main body and with a simple structure.

  In addition, there is a structure in which a transfer drive unit (corresponding to the roller R) of the cooked rice lump is provided for each area divided by the plurality of partition plates SB. I can not cope. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the number of cooked rice chunks and the number of cooked rice chunks can be reduced by using the horizontally long roller R without dividing the cooked rice chunk transport drive unit for each region divided by the plurality of partition plates SB. It is possible to easily cope with a change in the axial length.

  Further, the partition plate SB may be pushed in the axial direction of the roller R depending on the supply state of the cooked rice lump, and the pair of rollers R at the lowest stage may move in the axial direction. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, a rice lump is formed between the front plate FB and the partition plate SB on the front side in the axial direction of the roller R, and the back plate RB and the partition plate on the back side in the axial direction of the roller R. Since the cooked rice lump is formed between the SB and the bottom roller R moves in the axial direction, the longitudinal length of the cooked rice lump on both axial sides is different from the longitudinal length of the other cooked rice lump. End up. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as described above, the pair of lowermost rollers R are fixed so as not to move in the axial direction. It can be avoided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the partition plate SB extends from the height position of the center of the rotation axis Ax of the uppermost roller R to a height position slightly lower than the center of the rotation axis Ax of the lowermost roller R, and terminates. And has a taper that gradually increases in thickness from the upper part toward the lower part. Thereby, in the measuring part 10a, the cooked rice lump can be satisfactorily conveyed without causing troubles in conveyance such as omission or excessive kneading of rice or clogging. This will be explained later.

  In addition, it is desirable that the lower part of the partition plate SB extends to the vicinity of the upper surface of the movable blade C of the dividing part 10b. Here, since the scraper SP is disposed, it is desirable that the lower part of the partition plate SB is close to the upper surface of the scraper SP.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, although the case where the adjacent space | interval of partition plate SB was made into equal intervals was illustrated, it is not limited to this, You may change the adjacent space | interval of partition plate SB with a place. Thereby, the cooked rice lump with which length differs by 1 unit operation | movement can be shape | molded simultaneously.

  The scraper SP is a member that prevents the cooked rice from entering between the pair of lowermost rollers R and the movable blade C of the dividing portion 10b. That is, by providing the scraper SP, it is possible to prevent the cooked rice from spreading over time in the lower part between adjacent pairs of the lowermost rollers R and to measure the cooked rice mass well. .

  The scraper SP is installed in the lower part between adjacent pairs of the lowermost rollers R, and has an opening for each divided rice cake lump. The inner surface of the opening portion of the scraper SP is formed with an inclination such that the opening surface gradually decreases downward, and a plurality of grooves SPT (see FIG. 5) for reducing the frictional resistance of cooked rice. Is formed.

  The division part 10b shown in FIG. 3 is a mechanism part which divides | segments the some cooked rice lump sent from the weighing | measuring part 10a collectively, and is arrange | positioned at the lowermost cooked rice exit of the measurement part 10a. The dividing unit 10b includes two movable blades C and C. The movable blades C and C are installed in a state in which the blade edges are opposed to each other and are movable in the directions approaching and separating from each other. The cooked rice lump sent from the measuring unit 10a is divided by the sliding movement of the two movable blades C, C in the proximity direction at a predetermined size, shape and weight. It is accommodated in the buffer area BA.

  The buffer unit 11 adjusts the timing of supplying the cooked rice lump supplied from the weighing division unit 10 to the lower cooked rice conveyance mold 12, and enables the weighing division unit 10 and the cooked rice conveyance mold 12 to operate independently. Part. The buffer unit 11 is installed immediately below the cooked rice outlet of the weighing division unit 10 and includes a pair of rollers BR and BR, an opening / closing plate BB, and the buffer area BA.

  The pair of rollers BR is a mechanism unit for forcibly dropping the cooked rice lump accommodated in the buffer area BA, and is installed in two stages along the height direction, for example. The open / close plate BB is a mechanism that controls the holding and dropping of the cooked rice lump accommodated in the buffer area BA, and is installed at the bottom of the buffer area BA so as to be freely openable and closable (movable in the horizontal direction in FIG. 3). Yes.

  If the buffer unit 11 is not provided, the measurement division in the measurement division unit 10 must be stopped while the cooked rice conveyance mold 12 is moved to the molding unit 13 or the like. During this time, the cooked rice conveyance mold 12 must be kept waiting just below the buffer unit 11, so that the productivity of cooked rice lump is lowered. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by providing the buffer unit 11, the movement of the cooked rice transport mold 12 and the weighing division at the weighing division unit 10 can be performed independently. That is, while the cooked rice transport mold 12 is moving, the weighing division in the weighing division unit 10 is possible, so that the productivity of the cooked rice lump can be improved.

  The cooked rice conveyance mold 12 is a member that conveys the cooked rice lump supplied from the buffer unit 11 to the molding unit 13 and the feeding unit 14 and constitutes a horizontal mold at the time of molding and a cooked rice loading guide at the time of feeding. It is installed in a state in which it can be moved (moved in the left and right lateral directions in FIG. 3) directly below and between the forming unit 13 and the charging unit 14 on the transport table CS.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of cooked rice conveyance molds 12 are arranged along the axial direction of the roller R, and a plurality of cooked rice chunks divided by the partition plate SB of the weighing division unit 10 are formed into the molding unit 13 and the like. It can be simultaneously conveyed to the loading unit 14.

  When the molding unit 13 and the charging unit 14 are installed directly below the buffer unit 11 without adopting the method of transporting the cooked rice mass with the cooked rice transport mold 12 as described above, the molding unit 13 and the charging unit immediately below the buffer unit 11. The height of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1 is increased by the amount of the 14 constituent devices. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by adopting the transfer method of the cooked rice transfer mold 12 as described above, the molding unit 13 and the charging unit 14 can be arranged side by side next to the weighing division unit 10. The height of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1 can be reduced.

  The shaping | molding part 13 is a mechanism part which shape | molds the cooked rice lump conveyed by the shaping | molding position with the cooked rice conveyance type | mold 12, the upper mold | type 13a, and the lower mold | type 13b. The upper mold 13a and the lower mold 13b are installed in a state of being movable in directions close to and away from each other (vertical direction). The pressing surface of the upper mold 13a is formed in a curved shape in accordance with the required shape of the cooked rice lump to be molded.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of upper molds 13a and lower molds 13b are arranged side by side along the axial direction of the roller R so as to correspond to the plurality of cooked rice conveying molds 12. By simultaneously operating the mold 13b, it is possible to simultaneously mold a plurality of cooked rice chunks divided by the partition plate SB of the weighing division unit 10.

  The input unit 14 is a mechanism unit that pushes the cooked rice mass formed by the forming unit 13 downward through the input hole 14b by the input member 14a and places it on the tray that has been conveyed downward. The input member 14a is installed in a state of being movable up and down immediately above the input hole 14b. The pressing surface of the charging member 14a is also formed in a curved shape in accordance with the required shape of the cooked rice lump to be molded.

  In the present embodiment, a plurality of throwing members 14a and throwing holes 14b are arranged along the axial direction of the roller R so as to correspond to the plurality of cooked rice conveying molds 12, and the plurality of throwing members 14a are simultaneously arranged. By descending, a plurality of cooked rice chunks divided by the partition plate SB of the weighing division unit 10 can be placed on the tray at the same time.

  Next, FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) are front views of the weighing unit of the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 (a) is a front view of essential parts of the mechanism unit on the back side of the back plate of the weighing unit of FIG. FIG.7 (b) is a principal part front view of the mechanism part by the side of the back plate of the measurement part which showed the rotation gear of Fig.7 (a). In FIG. 7B, the rotating gear connected to the roller R is hatched to make the drawing easy to see.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the three rows of rollers R in the right row rotate in the horizontal direction about the rotation axis Ax of the uppermost roller R in the right row. Installed as possible. That is, the pair of rollers R in the middle and lowermost stages are installed in a state in which their adjacent intervals can be enlarged or reduced.

  Thereby, in the cooked rice shaping | molding apparatus 1 of this Embodiment, the width direction length (kind) of a cooked rice lump can be changed by one unit, without modifying an apparatus main body. For example, when forming a sprout ball, the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R at the middle and lowermost stages is narrowed, and when forming a bowl-shaped cooked rice lump, the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R at the middle and lowermost stages is increased. . Thereby, it can respond easily to shaping | molding of different types of cooked rice chunks, such as a shrimp ball and a bowl-shaped cooked rice cake, etc. with one apparatus. However, although the case where the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R can be changed in two steps has been described here, the present invention is not limited to this and can be changed in three or more steps.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rotation shaft Ax of the three-stage roller R in the right row is engaged with the connecting plate 20a via a bearing or the like. The connecting plate 20a is connected to the operation unit 21 through the connecting plate 20b. Then, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the operation lever 21a of the operation unit 21 is moved up and down, the middle and lowermost rollers R in the right row move laterally, and the middle and lowermost rollers are moved. The adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R is configured to expand and contract.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the rotation gear Ga is joined to the axial direction end side of the rotation axis Ax of the three-stage rollers R in the right row. A rotation gear Gb is joined to the axial end of the rotation axis Ax of the three-stage rollers R in the left row.

  The rotation gear Ga joined to the rotation axis Ax of the uppermost roller R in the right row and the rotation gear Gb joined to the rotation axis Ax of the uppermost roller R in the left row are two rotation gears Gc between them. , Gc. The two rotation gears Gc engage with each other and are pivotally fixed to the back wall 22 in a rotatable state.

  The rotation gear Gb joined to the rotation axis Ax of the roller R in the uppermost row in the left column is engaged with the rotation gear Gd on the upper left side. A rotation motor (not shown) for rotating the upper roller is connected to the rotation gear Gd. When the rotation gear Gd is rotated by a rotation motor for rotating the upper roller, the uppermost pair of rollers R are simultaneously rotated in the opposite direction by the action of the rotation gear.

  The rotation gear Ga joined to the rotation axis Ax of the middle row roller R and the rotation gear Gb joined to the rotation axis Ax of the left row middle roller R are two rotation gears Ge, Gf between them. Is engaged through. The two rotation gears Ge and Gf are engaged with each other.

  Further, the rotation gear Gb joined to the rotation axis Ax of the roller R in the middle row on the left row is engaged with the rotation gear Gg on the upper left side. A rotation motor (not shown) for rotating the middle roller is connected to the rotation gear Gg. When the rotation gear Gg is rotated by a rotation motor for rotating the middle roller, the pair of rollers R in the middle row are simultaneously rotated in the opposing direction by the action of the rotation gear.

  Further, the rotation gear Ga and the rotation gears Ge and Gf joined to the rotation axis Ax of the roller R in the middle row of the right row are connected via link plates La and Lb. One rotation gear Gf is pivotally fixed to the back wall 22 in a rotatable state, while the other rotation gear Ge has two link plates La, La, Lb, Lb arranged in the thickness direction. The shaft is fixed to the link plates La, La, Lb, and Lb in a floating state.

  As a result, when the roller R in the middle row on the right side is moved in the horizontal direction in order to expand or contract the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R in the middle row, the rotation gear Ge moves obliquely in the vertical direction by the action of the link plates La and Lb. (The link plates La and Lb are in a bent state or a linear state), but move while maintaining the engaged state with the rotating gear Gf. For this reason, even when the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R in the middle stage is enlarged or reduced, the rotation operation of the rotary gear Gg can be transmitted to the rollers R in the middle stage of the right row.

  The rotation gear Ga joined to the rotation axis Ax of the lowermost roller R of the right row and the rotation gear Gb joined to the rotation axis Ax of the lowermost roller R of the left row are two rotation gears Gh between them. , Gi are engaged. The two rotation gears Gh and Gi are engaged with each other.

  The rotation gear Gb joined to the rotation axis Ax of the roller R in the lowermost row in the left row is engaged with the rotation gear Gk via the two left rotation gears Gj and Gj. The two rotary gears Gj and Gj are engaged with each other. In addition, a rotation motor (not shown) for rotating the lower roller is connected to the rotation gear Gk. When the rotating gear Gk is rotated by the rotating motor for rotating the lower roller, the lower pair of rollers R are simultaneously rotated in the opposite direction by the action of the rotating gear.

  Further, the rotation gear Ga and the rotation gears Gh, Gi joined to the rotation axis Ax of the lowermost roller R in the right row are connected via link plates Lc, Ld. One rotating gear Gi is pivotally fixed to the back wall 22 in a rotatable state, while the other rotating gear Gh is provided with two link plates Lc, Lc, Ld, Ld arranged in the thickness direction thereof. The shaft is fixed to the link plates Lc, Lc, Ld, and Ld in a floating state.

  As a result, when the lowermost roller R in the right row is moved in the left-right direction in order to expand or contract the adjacent interval between the pair of lowermost rollers R, the rotating gear Gh is moved obliquely up and down by the action of the link plates Lc and Ld. It moves (the link plates Lc and Ld are in a bent state or a linear state), but moves while maintaining the engaged state with the rotating gear Gi. For this reason, even if the interval between adjacent pairs of the lowermost rollers R is enlarged or reduced, the rotation operation of the rotating gear Gk can be transmitted to the lowermost roller R in the right row.

  As a structure for changing the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R, the row of the rollers R on one side may be moved in the left-right direction. However, when the row of the rollers R on one side is rotated as described above, it is linked to the rotating gear. The interval between adjacent pairs of rollers R can be changed with a simple structure using a plate.

  Next, FIGS. 8A to 8E are cross-sectional views corresponding to the line II in FIG. 4 showing the case where the shape and installation state of the partition plate are changed.

  Fig.8 (a) has shown the shape and arrangement | positioning of the partition plate SB of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1 of this Embodiment. In this case, as described above, the cooked rice lump could be transported satisfactorily without causing troubles in transportation such as omission or excessive kneading of the cooked rice or clogging.

  In FIG. 8B, the upper part of the partition plate SB is higher than the upper part of the uppermost roller R, and only the upper part of the partition plate SB is tapered, and the lower part is a vertical surface. Shows the case. In this case, there was a frequent problem that the cooked rice was not picked up by the uppermost roller R, and the cooked rice was removed.

  In FIG. 8 (c), the upper part of the partition plate SB is at the height position of the rotation center of the uppermost roller R, but only the upper part of the partition plate SB is tapered, and the lower part is a vertical surface. It shows the case. In this case, the grip of the uppermost roller R was insufficient and a problem that the cooked rice was lost occurred.

  FIG. 8D shows a case where the upper part of the partition plate SB is at the height position of the rotation center of the middle roller R, and the taper is formed from the upper part to the lower part of the partition plate SB. In this case, the rice was gradually clogged and the rice had been kneaded.

  FIG. 8 (e) shows a case where the partition plate SB is provided at the cooked rice outlet of the measuring unit 10a and a taper is formed from the upper part to the lower part of the partition plate SB (integrated scraper type). In this case, the rice was immediately jammed. In addition, the code | symbol PT of FIG.8 (e) is the said positioning groove formed in the roller R for positioning fixing of the partition plate SB.

  Next, the cooked rice forming method of the cooked rice forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 9 to 11. FIGS. 9-11 is a block diagram of the main process part in the formation process of the cooked rice lump in the cooked rice forming apparatus of FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the cooked rice in the rice lifter 3a of the cooked rice molding apparatus 1 is put into the supply hopper 3b, and is unraveled moderately by the rotating operation of the unwinding wings in the supply hopper 3b to the leveling portion 3c. send.

  Subsequently, in the leveling unit 3c, the cooked rice sent from the supply hopper 3b is leveled evenly by two pairs of rollers and sent to the weighing unit 10a of the main processing unit 4.

  Subsequently, in the measuring section 10a, the cooked rice sent from the leveling section 3c is compressed and sent downward while being measured by measuring the inward rotation of the three pairs of rollers R as shown in FIG. At this time, the weighing unit 10a can feed the cooked rice lump satisfactorily without causing omission, over-kneading, clogging, etc. of the cooked rice because the partition plate SB has the above shape and arrangement.

  Subsequently, the dividing unit 10b divides the cooked rice lump sent to the dividing unit 10b by moving the two movable blades C and C in the proximity direction at a predetermined timing. As a result, the cooked rice mass RM having a predetermined size, shape and weight is dropped into the buffer area BA of the buffer unit 11.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10, after the cooked rice transport mold 12 is moved directly below the cooked rice transport port (buffer unit 11) of the weighing unit 10a, the opening / closing plate BB of the buffer unit 11 is opened and the pair of rollers BR is rotated. Then, the cooked rice lump RM in the buffer area BA is forcibly dropped into the cooked rice transfer mold 12. In this step, the weighing operation in the weighing unit 10a is stopped, the two movable blades C, C are moved in directions close to each other, and the stacked cooked rice conveyance port is closed. Further, the upper mold 13a, the lower mold 13b, and the input member 14a are stopped at a fixed position (standby position).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, after the cooked rice conveyance mold 12 containing the cooked rice lump RM has been conveyed to the molding unit 13, the upper mold 13a and the lower mold 13b are moved in directions close to each other to form the cooked rice lump RM. To do. In this step, the open / close plate BB of the buffer unit 11 is closed, the pair of rollers BR is stopped, the two movable blades C, C of the dividing unit 10b are moved away from each other, and the cooked rice in the weighing unit 10a Start weighing. The throwing member 14a is stopped at a fixed position (standby position).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, after the cooked rice transport mold 12 containing the molded cooked rice mass RM is transported to the input unit 14, the molded rice cooked mass RM is trayed by moving the input member 14 a downward. (Not shown). In this step, the upper mold 13a and the lower mold 13b of the molding unit 13 are returned to the fixed positions. The weighing unit 10a performs a weighing operation for cooked rice.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by providing the buffer unit 11, the weighing division unit 10 can start and execute the division of the cooked rice even during the molding and charging process of the cooked rice lump. Can be improved.

  Further, when changing the size of the cooked rice lump in the width direction, the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers at the middle and lowermost stages is changed by turning the row of three-stage rollers R on one side. For example, when forming a spruce ball, the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R in the middle and lowermost stages is narrowed, and when forming a bowl-shaped cooked rice lump, the adjacent interval between the pair of rollers R in the middle and lowermost stages is increased. Make it wide. Thereby, even if it does not remodel the apparatus main body, it can respond easily to shaping | molding of the cooked rice lump with which width | variety (kind) differs with one apparatus.

  In addition, when changing the size of the cooked rice lump in the longitudinal direction, the pair of rollers R at the uppermost stage and the middle stage are removed, the plurality of partition plates SB are removed, the pair of rollers R at the lowermost stage is removed, Other rollers R having different positions and numbers of positioning grooves are mounted on the. Then, after arranging a plurality of partition plates SB in alignment with the positioning grooves of the lowermost roller R, the pair of rollers R in the middle and uppermost stages are mounted. In this way, the number and position of the partition plates SB are changed by removing the lower pair of rollers R and changing the type of the rollers. Thereby, even if it does not remodel the apparatus main body, it can respond easily to shaping | molding of the cooked rice lumps from which length (kind) differs with one apparatus.

  Therefore, in the cooked rice forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, various cooked rice chunks having different widths and lengths can be easily formed with one apparatus.

  Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment, the embodiment disclosed in this specification is an example in all respects and is limited to the disclosed technology. Should not be considered. That is, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed restrictively based on the description in the above-described embodiment, but should be construed according to the description of the scope of claims. All modifications are included without departing from the technical scope equivalent to the described technique and the gist of the claims.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, a case where a plurality of pairs of rollers in a plurality of stages are all detachable has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least a pair of lowermost stages in which positioning grooves for partition plates are formed. The roller may be detachable. In this case, when changing the arrangement of the partition plates, the bottom pair of rollers are moved horizontally with the partition plates attached and removed, and instead, the other pair of lowermost rollers with different positions and numbers of positioning grooves are used. After preparing and attaching a partition plate to the positioning grooves of the pair of rollers, the other pair of lowermost rollers may be moved horizontally and attached to the rotating shaft while maintaining the state.

  In the above description, the case where the present invention is applied to a cooked rice forming apparatus that forms a shari ball or a bowl-shaped cooked rice lump is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, sushi rice stuffed inside Inari sushi is used. You may apply to other cooked rice forming apparatuses, such as a cooked rice forming apparatus to shape | mold.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice cooker 2 Base 3a Rice lifter 3b Supply hopper 3c Leveling part 4 Main processing part 5a Tray stocker 5b Air inlet part 5c Alcohol spraying part 5e Tray conveyance part 6a Main operation part 6b Sub operation part 10 Measurement division part 10a Measurement part 10b Dividing part 11 Buffer part 12 Rice transfer mold 13 Molding part 13a Upper mold 13b Lower mold 14 Input part 14a Input member 14b Input hole 20a, 20b Connecting plate 21 Operation part 21a Operation lever Ax Rotating shaft R Roller Ha, Hb Hollow hole Ta, Tb Rotation transmission member Tbp Protruding part C Movable blade BR Roller BB Opening and closing plate BA Buffer region SB Partition plate SP Scraper SPT Scraper groove FB Front plate RB Rear plate CS Carriage Ga, Gb Rotating gears Gc, Ge, Gf, Gh, Gi, Gj Rotating gears Gd, Gg, Gk Rotating gears La, Lb Lc, Ld link plate PT positioning groove RM cooked rice mass

Claims (5)

A cooked rice supply unit for feeding cooked rice chunks to the apparatus body
A weighing unit for measuring the rice mass supplied from the cooked rice supply unit while being sandwiched and conveyed by each of a plurality of stages of rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the cooked rice mass;
A plurality of partition members arranged between the pair of rollers adjacent to the weighing unit and dividing a region between the pair of rollers into a plurality of regions along the longitudinal direction of the roller;
A dividing unit for dividing the batch of cooked rice conveyed from the weighing unit in a state divided by the plurality of partition members;
With
The cooked rice forming apparatus, wherein the plurality of partition members are installed in a detachable state so that the arrangement position of the rollers in the longitudinal direction can be changed.   The pair of rollers of the plurality of stages has a pair of rollers provided with positioning portions for determining the arrangement position of the partition member, and at least the positioning unit is provided among the pair of rollers of the plurality of stages. 2. The cooked rice forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of rollers are provided in a detachable state so as to be exchangeable in accordance with a change in the arrangement position of the partition member.   The row of rollers on one side of the plurality of pairs of rollers is installed in a movable state so that the width of the cooked rice lump can be changed. The described cooked rice forming apparatus.   Among the plurality of pairs of rollers, the row of the plurality of rollers on one side is installed in a state of being rotatable around the rotation axis of the uppermost roller of the row of rollers on the one side. The cooked rice forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein   The cooked rice forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of pairs of rollers are arranged in three stages.

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