JP2017038579A - Aligning device of pasty food material and aligning method of pasty food material - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology which aligns a cut pasty food material in a cut process of the pasty food material while suppressing displacement of the cut pasty food material in a conveyance direction and in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction in a conveyance process immediately after the pasty food material is cut.SOLUTION: An aligning method of a pasty food material includes: an extrusion process of extruding a pasty food material; a cut process of cutting the pasty food material extruded in the extrusion process; a reception process of receiving a cut material MC1 cut in the cut process; and a send-out process of adjusting a drop position of the cut material received in the reception process to a conveyance member 30. The reception process restricts stick-out of the cut material which comprises the pasty food material cut in the cut process and which starts dropping in a width direction of the conveyance member. The send-out process sends out the cut material after restriction of stick-out to the conveyance member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for aligning food products that have been kneaded and then cut into a predetermined size in the manufacturing process of processed foods using kneaded food materials.

Processed foods made by mixing animal protein foods such as minced livestock or fish meat, vegetable proteins such as soybeans, rice, wheat, konjac, carbohydrates, dietary fiber foods alone or finely chopped vegetables There are many.
For example, oval foods such as hamburg (including fish hamburger and tofu hamburger), spherical foods such as meatballs, dumplings, spring rolls, and munch cuts wrapped in other foods such as powder and dough.

The above-mentioned foodstuff is sent to the next step after a kneading step of mixing and kneading finely chopped vegetables and the like, followed by a cutting step of cutting to a predetermined size.
In many cases, the next step is a shaping step for obtaining a shape that is just cut from a cut state.
In addition, after the shaping process, it is shipped such as a freezing process in which it is frozen in an uncooked state to produce frozen foods, or a heating process such as boiling or baking to make it ready for cooking by heating. It depends on the product form.

As the manufacturing technique as described above, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 exist.
In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a hamburger received by a receiving die that receives a hamburger manufactured by a molding machine is secondarily formed by a pressing die. As a result, the shape of the hamburger with an unnatural shape is automatically adjusted to form a handmade-like shape.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is suitable for high-speed operation by adopting a motor as a drive device without using a cylinder. Specifically, a molding plate provided with a space having the shape of a molded product is provided, and the molding plate reciprocates between a filling position where the kneaded food material is filled along the guide groove and an extraction position where the molded product is taken out. A food molding apparatus that is rotatably supported by a motor, a rotating member that is pivotally attached to the rotation shaft of the motor, a rotating surface of the rotating member, and a molding plate; And a rod disposed in parallel with the reciprocating direction of the molding plate.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a method in which a kneaded food material is filled into a molded plate (receiving mold) provided with a space having a shape of a molded product, but the molded plate (receiving mold) is used. The method that does not have the advantage that maintenance is easy. For this reason, there are many cases of manufacturing by a method as shown in FIG.

The manufacturing method shown in FIG. 6 is to cut the kneaded kneaded food material (M0) down to a predetermined size by a cutting device (not shown) that pushes down the extruder (10) and reciprocates so as to be sandwiched from both sides. To do. Since the weight of the material to be cut (MC) after being cut by controlling the extrusion speed and the reciprocating speed of the cutting device is substantially constant, it is also suitable for high-speed operation.

JP-A-9-299707 JP 2008-79550 A

Now, in the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 6, the cutting device for cutting the kneaded food material M0 falls to the conveyor belt 31 at the moment when the material to be cut MC cannot withstand its own weight by continuing the operation of pinching from both sides. To do. When the material to be cut (MC) is stuck to one of the cutting devices at the moment of dropping, the dropping position on the conveyor belt 31 is shifted in the reciprocating motion direction of the cutting device. That is, in FIG. 6A, the distance from the center in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 to the left, the distance WL from the center of the material to be cut (MC) to the left end of the conveyor belt 31, and the distance to the right end. WR is not equal.
In addition to the deviation of the cutting device in the reciprocating direction, the timing at which the material to be cut MC drops onto the conveyor belt 31 may slightly shift due to sticking. That is, in FIG. 6C, the materials to be cut MC are not arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt 31, and L1, L2, and L3 are not equal.

Although there is a shaping process after the cutting process, there is a process for conveying the cut food material in any machine used in the shaping process. In most cases, the transport process is performed on a belt conveyor, but due to the sticking of the kneaded food material to the cutting device, a shift in the width direction with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor occurs, or continuous cutting is performed. The processed food materials may not line up at regular intervals with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor.
In the production site, in order to adjust the deviation in the width direction with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor and / or the non-uniformity of the interval with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor, it is necessary to arrange machines or personnel for the adjustment work. is there.

In the cutting process of the kneaded food material, the present invention suppresses a shift in the transport direction immediately after the kneaded food material is cut and the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the cut kneaded food material. Aligning them together is a problem to be solved.

The present inventor has earnestly conducted research and development in order to solve the above problems without using a molding plate (receiving mold) for the kneaded food material and without sacrificing the production speed. As a result, the cut dough-like food material is received without dropping by its own weight and added to the transfer process at the same timing, so that the cut dough-like food material is conveyed in the conveying direction and the conveying direction. We have devised a technique for aligning while suppressing the deviation in the width direction at right angles.
The specific means will be described below. The numbers in parentheses in the following description are the corresponding part numbers in the figure.

(First invention)
In order to achieve the above object, a first invention devised by the present inventor is a cutting apparatus for cutting a kneaded food material (MO) extruded from an extruder (10) that extrudes a kneaded food material (M0). (20), and a material to be cut (which is placed between the conveying member (30) to which the material to be cut (MC1) cut by the cutting device (20) is conveyed and falls to the conveying member (30) ( The present invention relates to a kneaded food material aligning device provided with a receiving and feeding machine (40) for adjusting the drop position of MC1).
The receiving and feeding machine (40) is located between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30) and reciprocates between the receiving member (41) and the receiving member (41). And a reciprocating mechanism.
The said receiving member (41) is provided with the parallel control piece (42) which makes the longitudinal direction parallel to the conveyance direction in the said conveyance member (30).
When the parallel regulating piece (42) is positioned on the side of the extruder (10) by the reciprocating mechanism, the conveying member (30) in the material to be cut (MC1) falling on the conveying member (30). Is controlled to protrude in the width direction, and when the reciprocating mechanism is positioned toward the conveying member (30), the material to be cut (MC1) after the protruding is regulated is sent to the conveying member (30). I am going to do that.

(Explanation of abstract terms)
"Kneaded food material (M0)" means animal protein foods such as minced meat and fish, or vegetable proteins and carbohydrates such as soybeans, rice, wheat, konjac, or dietary fiber foods alone or It is a food ingredient mixed and kneaded with finely chopped vegetables. The surface has viscosity, and has a property of sticking to a contact member (for example, a blade of a cutting device or a conveying member).
In the embodiment described later, the “cutting device (20)” employs a cutting device having a pair of blades sandwiched by reciprocating motion. However, the cutting device can continuously cut the extruded food material (M0). If it is a device, the present invention is not limited to a cutting device provided with a pair of blades. It may be a device that cuts by a squeezing movement, a cutting by reciprocating a single blade, a cutting by a revolving operation of a rotating blade, a cutting by high frequency, a device that cuts in a non-contact manner using a laser beam, or the like.
The “conveying member (30)” is generally a belt conveyor that rotates an endless conveying belt (31) by a conveying roller (32). However, the present invention is not limited to a belt conveyor as long as it can be transported to the next process (for example, a shaping process in which the shape is changed from a state of being cut).

(Function)
The extruder (10) extrudes the kneaded food material (M0), and the cutting device (20) cuts the extruded kneaded food material (M0).
The material to be cut (MC1) which is about to fall after being cut is received by the receiving member (41) positioned toward the extruder (10) by the reciprocating mechanism. The parallel regulating piece (42) in the receiving member (41) regulates the protrusion of the material to be cut (MC1) in the width direction of the conveying member (30). That is, the material to be cut (MC1) is adjusted to some extent in the width direction of the conveying member (30).
The material to be cut (MC1) whose shape in the width direction of the conveying member (30) is adjusted to some extent by being received by the receiving member (41) is brought close to the conveying member (30) by the reciprocating mechanism, and is conveyed to the conveying member (30). Sent out.

By continuing the above operation as one cycle, the material to be cut (MC1, MC2, MC3,...) Sent out to the conveying member (30) is sent out at equal intervals in the conveying direction of the conveying member (30). At the same time, the protrusion of the conveying member (30) in the width direction is restricted, and variations are suppressed. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange a machine or personnel for aligning the materials to be cut (MC1, MC2, MC3,...) Immediately after the conveying member (30).
In addition, the dimension of the conveyance member (30) in the width direction can be reduced.

(Variation 1 of the first invention)
In the reciprocating mechanism, the receiving member (41) draws an arc-shaped locus having a rotation center on the side far from the conveying member (30) between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30). Shall move,
The transport member (30) is a belt conveyor that revolves in the direction in which the upper surface of the endless transport belt (31) is away from the extruder (10),
When the parallel regulating piece (42) is positioned toward the conveying member (30) by the reciprocating mechanism, the material to be cut (MC1) is brought into contact with the conveying belt (31) to thereby convey the conveying member (30). ).

(Explanation of abstract terms)
As a “reciprocating mechanism that moves to draw an arcuate locus”, in a later-described embodiment, a rod (43) that is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable and a rod (43 in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the rod) ) And a cylinder piston mechanism (46, 47) that reciprocates the action piece (45) so as to form an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the rod (43). . However, the reciprocating mechanism that moves to draw an arc-shaped locus is not limited to this, and for example, it is achieved by a rod that is pivotally supported by a cam so as to be rotatable and a rotating mechanism that rotates the cam. (The illustration is omitted).

(Function)
When the reciprocating mechanism is operated, the receiving member (41) moves in an arcuate path between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30). The receiving member (41) receives the material to be cut (MC1) in a state of starting to fall at the upper part in the arc-shaped locus.
By continuously operating the reciprocating mechanism, the receiving member (41) draws an arc-shaped locus and approaches the conveying member (30). The longitudinal direction of the parallel regulating piece (42) and the moving direction of the conveyor belt (31) form an acute angle. When the material to be cut (MC1) received by the receiving member (41) touches the conveyor belt (31), it starts to adhere to the conveyor belt (31) due to the viscosity of the material to be cut (MC1). Since the conveyor belt (31) is moving in the direction away from the extruder (10), the material to be cut (MC1) that has started to adhere to the conveyor belt (31) is peeled off from the receiving member (41). Then, it is placed on the conveyor belt (31). The material to be cut (MC1) placed on the conveyor belt (31) is sent to the next process.

  By continuing the above operation as one cycle, the material to be cut (MC1, MC2, MC3,...) Sent to the conveying member (30) is moved in the moving direction of the upper surface of the conveying belt (31). There will be little dispersion | variation in the width direction of (31), and it will send out smoothly.

(Variation 2 of the first invention)
The first invention is more preferably formed as follows. That is, the reciprocating mechanism includes an adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting an end position between the extruder (10) where the receiving member (41) is positioned and the conveying member (30). is there.

(Explanation of abstract terms)
Examples of the “adjustment mechanism that can adjust the end position” include a screw that can adjust the length of the rod used for the reciprocating motion.

(Function)
Depending on the kind of “kneaded food material (M0)” (particularly the difference in surface viscosity), the size of the food, the change in the production rate in the production process, etc., the alignment of the kneaded food material may differ. In such a case, the end position between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30) where the receiving member (41) is positioned is adjusted by the adjusting mechanism.

(Second invention)
The second invention devised by the present inventor in order to achieve the above object is the extruding process of extruding the kneaded food material (M0), and cutting the kneaded food material (M0) extruded in the extruding process. Cutting step, receiving step for receiving the material to be cut (MC1) cut in the cutting step, and adjusting the dropping position of the cutting material (MC1) received in the receiving step to the conveying member (30) A kneading-like food material alignment method comprising:
The receiving step regulates the protrusion of the conveying member (30) in the width direction with respect to the material to be cut (MC1) that has started dropping after the kneaded food material (M0) has been cut in the cutting step. In the feeding step, the material to be cut (MC1) after the protrusion is regulated is fed to the conveying member (30).

According to the present invention, in the cutting process of the kneaded food material, in the transporting process immediately after the kneaded food material is cut, the shift in the width direction perpendicular to the transporting direction and the transporting direction of the cut kneaded food material is performed. We were able to provide a technology that can be controlled and aligned.

It is a perspective view which shows the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an assembly perspective view which shows the principal part of the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing from the front which shows operation | movement of the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of the principal part in the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the front view (a) and top view (b, c) which show operation | movement of the principal part in the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the front view (a) and the top view (b, c) of the principal part which were shown for the comparison as a case where this embodiment is not employ | adopted in the manufacturing process of a kneaded-form food material.

Embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The embodiments described below do not limit the present invention, and all the elements and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Absent.

(Definition of terms)
As described above, the “kneaded food material” in the present application is a food material prepared by mixing and kneading minced livestock meat, fish meat, or vegetables that have been finely cut into protein-based food materials such as tofu. In the present embodiment, the “hamburger material” is made by mixing and kneading livestock meat minced into vegetables and the like.
The hamburger material before being cut is referred to as “M0”, and the hamburger material after being cut is referred to as “MC”. In FIG. 5, the hamburger material that has been cut and conveyed is referred to as “MC4, MC3, MC2, MC1” in the cutting order.
In the embodiment, the “cutting device 20” employs a cutting device having a pair of blades sandwiched by a reciprocating motion.

(Whole device)
In the present embodiment, a cutting device 20 that cuts the kneaded food material M0 extruded from the extruder 10 that extrudes the kneaded food material M0, and a conveying member that conveys the material to be cut MC1 cut by the cutting device 20 30 is an apparatus for aligning kneaded food materials between 30. A receiving and feeding machine 40 is provided for adjusting the drop position of the material to be cut MC1 falling onto the conveying member 30 (see FIG. 1).

(Extruder)
The extruder 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is an apparatus that can extrude the kneaded food material M0. In the present embodiment, detailed description is omitted, but the extruded kneaded food material M0 is extruded to the lower part of the extruder 10.
As the cutting device 20, the paired blades 21 and 21 that reciprocate at a predetermined timing cut the kneaded food material M0 extruded to the lower part of the extruder 10 into a material MC to be cut. The power of the reciprocating mechanism includes, for example, compressed air, hydraulic pressure, a cylinder using a solenoid, and a linear actuator unit that performs linear motion via a screw using a motor.

(Receiving and feeding machine)
The receiving delivery device 40 is located between the extruder 10 and the conveying member 30 and reciprocates between the receiving member 41 and reciprocating between the receiving member 41 in a circular path. Mechanism (see FIG. 4). The cycle of this reciprocating mechanism is controlled to coincide with the cycle of reciprocation in the cutting device 20 described above.
The structure of this reciprocating mechanism includes a rod 43 that is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable, an action piece 45 that supports the rod 43 in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the rod 43, and the action piece 45 is connected to the rod 43. This is achieved by a cylinder 46 and a piston 47 that reciprocate so as to form an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the cylinder (see FIG. 2).

(Reciprocating mechanism)
The reciprocating mechanism will be described in more detail based on FIG.
The receiving and feeding machine 40 in which the receiving member 41 reciprocates while drawing an arcuate locus has a center of the arc as a rotation fulcrum 44 that is the opposite end of the receiving member 41 in the rod 43.
An action piece 45 is fixed to the receiving member 41 of the rod 43. A piston 47 is pin-supported by the action piece 45, and there is a cylinder 46 opposite to the action piece 45 in the piston 47, and the end opposite to the action piece 45 in the cylinder 46 is the rotation described above. The shaft is supported above the fulcrum 44.

  As the cylinder 46 arranged and fixed as described above reciprocates, the receiving member 41 reciprocates along an arcuate locus. The top dead center is the position of the material MC to be cut by the cutting device 20 (see FIGS. 3B and 4A), and the bottom dead center is slightly from the upper surface of the transport belt 31 of the transport member 30. It is near the upper part (see FIG. 3C and FIG. 4C).

The aforementioned action piece 45 is fixed so that the position of the rod 43 in the longitudinal direction can be changed (not shown). By fine adjustment of this position, it is possible to adjust the position to the optimum top dead center and bottom dead center.
The necessity for adjustment depends on changes in viscosity and hardness due to differences in the type and temperature of the kneaded food material M0, differences in production speed, and the environment (ambient temperature and humidity) during production.

  The receiving member 41 includes a parallel regulating piece 42 that forms a longitudinal direction parallel to the conveying direction of the conveying member 30. The parallel restricting piece 42 has a substantially L-shaped cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the L-shaped angle is an obtuse angle (see FIGS. 3B and 2). The lower support piece 42A that supports the lower surface of the kneaded food material M0 cut by the cutting device 20 is horizontal, and the side support portion 42B that supports the side surface of the material to be cut MC is slightly expanded upward. doing.

The parallel restricting piece 42 of the present embodiment is preferably made of stainless steel, and the surface thereof is preferably “satin finish”. Stainless steel is used because it is a member that directly touches food and is easy to maintain such as cleaning. If the surface of the satin finish is employed, the frictional resistance with the material to be cut MC is reduced, and the movement to the conveyor belt 31 becomes smooth.
“Pear finish” is a process that creates a rough surface like pear by shot blasting or sand blasting. Improved slipperiness, ease of washing, and stain resistance (the surface is rough, the contact area is small and the sticky ingredients are hard to stick together, and the detergent is easy to enter between the ingredients and the metal parts, so it has the advantages of easy washing In addition, the effect is further improved by surface treatment with a passive film, Teflon (registered trademark), or an inorganic substance (ceramic, diamond, glass) in the satin finish.

  The parallel regulating piece 42 at the top dead center during the reciprocating motion mainly receives the material to be cut MC cut by the cutting device 20 by the lower support piece 42A. Then, during the movement up to the bottom dead center during the reciprocating motion (see FIG. 3B), the side support portion 42B presses the protruding portion in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 below the material to be cut MC ( (See FIGS. 5A and 5B). As a result, the amount of the material MC to be cut out of the conveyor belt 31 in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 is suppressed, and the alignment state on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31 is ensured.

5A is for showing whether or not the central portion of the material to be cut MC in the width direction of the conveying belt 31 is located at the center of the conveying belt 31. FIG. If the dimension WL from the left end and the dimension WR from the right end are the same, the center of the conveyor belt 31 is located.
Note that the prior art shown in FIG. 6A shows a state in which the dimension WL from the left end is larger than the dimension WR from the right end (that is, there is a possibility). In this embodiment, it is possible to make the width dimension of the conveyance belt 31 smaller than that of the prior art. As a result, it contributes to space saving of the entire production equipment and suppression of power loss.

FIG. 5A illustrates the height dimension H of the material MC to be cut. This height dimension H is continuously reduced until the kneaded food material M0 is cut by the cutting device 20 to become the material MC to be cut and is received by the receiving member 41 and then moved by the conveyor belt 31. . This is because the material to be cut MC has a constant volume when cutting is completed, and tends to spread due to its own weight.
However, after the material MC to be cut is placed on the transport belt 31, the change in the height dimension H is smaller than before. Depending on the type of the kneaded food material M0, there is a thing that hardly changes after being placed on the conveyor belt 31. This is because a frictional force is generated by contact with the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31 and resists deformation due to its own weight.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by utilizing the property of being deformed by the weight of the material MC to be cut, the physical shape based on the receiving member 41 and the movement of the receiving member 41 and the conveying belt 31 with time are used. It is not necessary to adopt the manufacturing method of putting the food material M0 into the mold. That is, since the “mold” can be omitted in the manufacturing method, not only the physical existence of the mold becomes unnecessary, but also maintenance such as keeping the mold clean becomes unnecessary.

  At the bottom dead center during the reciprocating motion, the lower part of the material MC to be cut that protrudes from the space between the two parallel regulating pieces 42 due to its own weight comes into contact with the upper surface of the transport belt 31 (see FIG. 3C). . The material MC to be cut that has contacted the conveyor belt 31 is pulled by the moving conveyor belt 31 due to the stickiness of the surface thereof, and is separated from the parallel regulating piece 42 of the receiving member 41 during the reciprocating motion, to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31. (See FIG. 4C).

  The materials to be cut MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4 placed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31 are aligned with the reciprocating cycle of the receiving and feeding machine 40. That is, L1, L2, and L3, which are the distances between adjacent materials to be cut MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4, are substantially equally spaced. Since L1, L2, and L3 are substantially equidistant and the position in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 is substantially the same, the position adjustment process that is necessary before the next process is almost unnecessary. If the position adjustment process is performed manually, it contributes to the reduction of personnel, and if the position adjustment process is mechanized, it contributes to the reduction of facilities.

(Conveying member)
The conveyance member 30 is a belt conveyor provided with a conveyance belt 31 that is an endless belt and a conveyance roller 32. In the part which conveys to-be-cut material MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 continuously, it arrange | positions so that the conveyance belt 31 may become an angle which goes up toward the next process. This is because the material MC to be cut easily separates from the parallel regulating piece 42 of the receiving member 41 immediately after the material MC to be cut is placed on the conveyor belt 31.
In addition, about the conveyance belt 31, it is formed so that adjustment is possible also about "the angle which goes up toward the next process" (illustration is abbreviate | omitted). As a result, adjustments can be made according to changes in viscosity and hardness due to differences in the type and temperature of the kneaded food material M0, differences in manufacturing speed, the environment on the date of manufacture (ambient temperature and humidity), and the like.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing industry for manufacturing processed foods using kneaded food materials, a manufacturing industry for manufacturing machines for manufacturing processed foods using kneaded food materials, and processed foods using kneaded food materials. The present invention has applicability in a maintenance business for maintaining a machine for manufacturing, a rental business for renting a machine for manufacturing processed foods using kneaded food materials, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Extruder 20 Cutting device 21 Blade 30 Conveying member 31 Conveying belt 32 Conveying roller 40 Receiving delivery device 41 Receiving member 42 Parallel regulating piece 42A Lower supporting piece 42B Side surface supporting part 43 Rotating rod 44 Rotating fulcrum 45 Working piece 46 Cylinder 47 piston

M0 kneaded food material (hamburger material before cutting)
MC Material to be cut (hamburger material after being cut)
MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 Material to be cut (hamburger material being transported)
L1, L2, L3 Distance of drop position of material to be cut

  The present invention relates to a technique for aligning food products that have been kneaded and then cut into a predetermined size in the manufacturing process of processed foods using kneaded food materials.

Processed foods made by mixing animal protein foods such as minced livestock or fish meat, vegetable proteins such as soybeans, rice, wheat, konjac, carbohydrates, dietary fiber foods alone or finely chopped vegetables There are many.
For example, oval foods such as hamburg (including fish hamburger and tofu hamburger), spherical foods such as meatballs, dumplings, spring rolls, and munch cuts wrapped in other foods such as powder and dough.

The above-mentioned foodstuff is sent to the next step after a kneading step of mixing and kneading finely chopped vegetables and the like, followed by a cutting step of cutting to a predetermined size.
In many cases, the next step is a shaping step for obtaining a shape that is just cut from a cut state.
In addition, after the shaping process, it is shipped such as a freezing process in which it is frozen in an uncooked state to produce frozen foods, or a heating process such as boiling or baking to make it ready for cooking by heating. It depends on the product form.

As the manufacturing technique as described above, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 exist.
In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a hamburger received by a receiving die that receives a hamburger manufactured by a molding machine is secondarily formed by a pressing die. As a result, the shape of the hamburger with an unnatural shape is automatically adjusted to form a handmade-like shape.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is suitable for high-speed operation by adopting a motor as a drive device without using a cylinder. Specifically, a molding plate provided with a space having the shape of a molded product is provided, and the molding plate reciprocates between a filling position where the kneaded food material is filled along the guide groove and an extraction position where the molded product is taken out. A food molding apparatus that is rotatably supported by a motor, a rotating member that is pivotally attached to the rotation shaft of the motor, a rotating surface of the rotating member, and a molding plate; And a rod disposed in parallel with the reciprocating direction of the molding plate.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a method in which a kneaded food material is filled into a molded plate (receiving mold) provided with a space having a shape of a molded product, but the molded plate (receiving mold) is used. The method that does not have the advantage that maintenance is easy. For this reason, there are many cases of manufacturing by a method as shown in FIG.

In the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 6, the kneaded dough-like food material (M0) is extruded below the extruder (10) and cut into a predetermined size by a cutting device (not shown) that reciprocates so as to be sandwiched from both sides. Is. Since the weight of the material to be cut (MC) after being cut by controlling the extrusion speed and the reciprocating speed of the cutting device is substantially constant, it is also suitable for high-speed operation.

JP-A-9-299707 JP 2008-79550 A

Now, in the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 6, the cutting device for cutting the kneaded food material M0 falls to the conveyor belt 31 at the moment when the material to be cut MC cannot withstand its own weight by continuing the operation of pinching from both sides. To do. When the material to be cut (MC) is stuck to one of the cutting devices at the moment of dropping, the dropping position on the conveyor belt 31 is shifted in the reciprocating motion direction of the cutting device. That is, in FIG. 6A, the distance from the center in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 to the left, the distance WL from the center of the material to be cut (MC) to the left end of the conveyor belt 31, and the distance to the right end. WR is not equal.
In addition to the deviation of the cutting device in the reciprocating direction, the timing at which the material to be cut MC drops onto the conveyor belt 31 may slightly shift due to sticking. That is, in FIG. 6C, the materials to be cut MC are not arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor belt 31, and L1, L2, and L3 are not equal.

Although there is a shaping process after the cutting process, there is a process for conveying the cut food material in any machine used in the shaping process. In most cases, the transport process is performed on a belt conveyor, but due to the sticking of the kneaded food material to the cutting device, a shift in the width direction with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor occurs, or continuous cutting is performed. The processed food materials may not line up at regular intervals with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor.
In the production site, in order to adjust the deviation in the width direction with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor and / or the non-uniformity of the interval with respect to the flow direction of the belt conveyor, it is necessary to arrange machines or personnel for the adjustment work. is there.

  In the cutting process of the kneaded food material, the present invention suppresses a shift in the transport direction immediately after the kneaded food material is cut and the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the cut kneaded food material. Aligning them together is a problem to be solved.

The present inventor has earnestly conducted research and development in order to solve the above problems without using a molding plate (receiving mold) for the kneaded food material and without sacrificing the production speed. As a result, the cut dough-like food material is received without dropping by its own weight and added to the transfer process at the same timing, so that the cut dough-like food material is conveyed in the conveying direction and the conveying direction. We have devised a technique for aligning while suppressing the deviation in the width direction at right angles.
The specific means will be described below. The numbers in parentheses in the following description are the corresponding part numbers in the figure.

(First invention)
In order to achieve the above object, a first invention devised by the present inventor is a cutting apparatus for cutting a kneaded food material (MO) extruded from an extruder (10) that extrudes a kneaded food material (M0). (20), and a material to be cut (which is placed between the conveying member (30) to which the material to be cut (MC1) cut by the cutting device (20) is conveyed and falls to the conveying member (30) ( The present invention relates to a kneaded food material aligning device provided with a receiving and feeding machine (40) for adjusting the drop position of MC1).
The receiving and feeding machine (40) is located between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30) and reciprocates between the receiving member (41) and the receiving member (41). And a reciprocating mechanism.
The said receiving member (41) is provided with the parallel control piece (42) which makes the longitudinal direction parallel to the conveyance direction in the said conveyance member (30).
When the parallel regulating piece (42) is positioned on the side of the extruder (10) by the reciprocating mechanism, the conveying member (30) in the material to be cut (MC1) that falls to the conveying member (30). Is controlled to protrude in the width direction, and when the reciprocating mechanism is positioned toward the conveying member (30), the material to be cut (MC1) after the protruding is regulated is sent to the conveying member (30). I am going to do that.

(Explanation of abstract terms)
"Kneaded food material (M0)" means animal protein foods such as minced meat and fish, or vegetable proteins and carbohydrates such as soybeans, rice, wheat, konjac, or dietary fiber foods alone or It is a food ingredient mixed and kneaded with finely chopped vegetables. The surface has viscosity, and has a property of sticking to a contact member (for example, a blade of a cutting device or a conveying member).
In the embodiment described later, the “cutting device (20)” employs a cutting device having a pair of blades sandwiched by reciprocating motion. However, the cutting device can continuously cut the extruded food material (M0). If it is a device, the present invention is not limited to a cutting device provided with a pair of blades. It may be a device that cuts by a squeezing movement, a cutting by reciprocating a single blade, a cutting by a revolving operation of a rotating blade, a cutting by high frequency, a device that cuts in a non-contact manner using a laser beam, or the like.
The “conveying member (30)” is generally a belt conveyor that rotates an endless conveying belt (31) by a conveying roller (32). However, the present invention is not limited to a belt conveyor as long as it can be transported to the next process (for example, a shaping process in which the shape is changed from a state of being cut).

(Function)
The extruder (10) extrudes the kneaded food material (M0), and the cutting device (20) cuts the extruded kneaded food material (M0).
The material to be cut (MC1) which is about to fall after being cut is received by the receiving member (41) positioned toward the extruder (10) by the reciprocating mechanism. The parallel regulating piece (42) in the receiving member (41) regulates the protrusion of the material to be cut (MC1) in the width direction of the conveying member (30). That is, the material to be cut (MC1) is adjusted to some extent in the width direction of the conveying member (30).
The material to be cut (MC1) whose shape in the width direction of the conveying member (30) is adjusted to some extent by being received by the receiving member (41) is brought close to the conveying member (30) by the reciprocating mechanism, and is conveyed to the conveying member (30). Sent out.

By continuing the above operation as one cycle, the material to be cut (MC1, MC2, MC3,... ) Sent out to the conveying member (30) is sent out at equal intervals in the conveying direction of the conveying member (30). At the same time, the protrusion of the conveying member (30) in the width direction is restricted, and variations are suppressed. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange a machine or personnel for aligning the materials to be cut (MC1, MC2, MC3,...) Immediately after the conveying member (30).
In addition, the dimension of the conveyance member (30) in the width direction can be reduced.

(Variation 1 of the first invention)
In the reciprocating mechanism, the receiving member (41) draws an arc-shaped locus having a rotation center on the side far from the conveying member (30) between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30). Shall move,
The transport member (30) is a belt conveyor that revolves in the direction in which the upper surface of the endless transport belt (31) is away from the extruder (10),
When the parallel regulating piece (42) is positioned toward the conveying member (30) by the reciprocating mechanism, the material to be cut (MC1) is brought into contact with the conveying belt (31) to thereby convey the conveying member (30). ).

(Explanation of abstract terms)
As a “reciprocating mechanism that moves to draw an arcuate locus”, in a later-described embodiment, a rod (43) that is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable and a rod (43 in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the rod) ) And a cylinder piston mechanism (46, 47) that reciprocates the action piece (45) so as to form an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the rod (43). . However, the reciprocating mechanism that moves to draw an arc-shaped locus is not limited to this, and for example, it is achieved by a rod that is pivotally supported by a cam so as to be rotatable and a rotating mechanism that rotates the cam. (The illustration is omitted).

(Function)
When the reciprocating mechanism is operated, the receiving member (41) moves in an arcuate path between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30). The receiving member (41) receives the material to be cut (MC1) in a state of starting to fall at the upper part in the arc-shaped locus.
By continuously operating the reciprocating mechanism, the receiving member (41) draws an arc-shaped locus and approaches the conveying member (30). The longitudinal direction of the parallel regulating piece (42) and the moving direction of the conveyor belt (31) form an acute angle. When receiving material to be cut member (41) has been received (MC1) touches the conveyor belt (31), begins to adhere to the conveyor belt by the viscosity of the material to be cut (MC1) (31). Since the conveyor belt (31) is moving in the direction away from the extruder (10), the material to be cut (MC1) that has started to adhere to the conveyor belt (31) is peeled off from the receiving member (41). Then, it is placed on the conveyor belt (31). The material to be cut (MC1) placed on the conveyor belt (31) is sent to the next process.

By continuing the above operation as one cycle, the material to be cut (MC1, MC2, MC3,... ) Sent to the conveying member (30 ) is moved in the moving direction of the upper surface of the conveying belt (31). There will be little dispersion | variation in the width direction of (31), and it will send out smoothly.

(Variation 2 of the first invention)
The first invention is more preferably formed as follows. In other words, the reciprocating mechanism of the is a comprise an adjustable adjusting mechanism end position between said receiving member (41) is the extruder located (10) and said conveying member (30) It is.

(Explanation of abstract terms)
Examples of the “adjustment mechanism that can adjust the end position” include a screw that can adjust the length of the rod used for the reciprocating motion.

(Function)
Depending on the kind of “kneaded food material (M0)” (particularly the difference in surface viscosity), the size of the food, the change in the production rate in the production process, etc., the alignment of the kneaded food material may differ. In such a case, the end position between the extruder (10) and the conveying member (30) where the receiving member (41) is positioned is adjusted by the adjusting mechanism.

Second invention by the present inventors in order to achieve the above object has been devised is cut, the extrusion step of extruding a paste-like food material (M0), paste-like food material extruded by the extrusion process the (M0) The cutting process to be performed , the receiving process for receiving the material to be cut (MC1) cut in the cutting process, and the position where the material to be cut (MC1) received in the receiving process is dropped onto the conveying member (30) A kneading-like food material alignment method comprising:
The receiving step regulates the protrusion of the conveying member (30) in the width direction with respect to the material to be cut (MC1) where the kneaded food material (M0) has been cut in the cutting step and started dropping. and, wherein the delivery step is to be delivered material to be cut after regulating protrusion a (MC1) to the conveying member (30).

  According to the present invention, in the cutting process of the kneaded food material, in the transporting process immediately after the kneaded food material is cut, the shift in the width direction perpendicular to the transporting direction and the transporting direction of the cut kneaded food material is performed. We were able to provide a technology that can be controlled and aligned.

It is a perspective view which shows the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an assembly perspective view which shows the principal part of the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing from the front which shows operation | movement of the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of the principal part in the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the front view (a) and top view (b, c) which show operation | movement of the principal part in the alignment apparatus of the kneaded food material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the front view (a) and the top view (b, c) of the principal part which were shown for the comparison as a case where this embodiment is not employ | adopted in the manufacturing process of a kneaded-form food material.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The embodiments described below do not limit the present invention, and all the elements and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Absent.

(Definition of terms)
As described above, the “kneaded food material” in the present application is a food material prepared by mixing and kneading minced livestock meat, fish meat, vegetables or other finely chopped vegetables into protein-based food materials such as tofu. In the present embodiment, the “hamburger material” is made by mixing and kneading livestock meat minced into vegetables and the like.
The hamburger material before being cut is referred to as “M0”, and the hamburger material after being cut is referred to as “MC”. In FIG. 5, the hamburger material that has been cut and conveyed is referred to as “MC4, MC3, MC2, MC1” in the cutting order.
In the embodiment, the “cutting device 20” employs a cutting device having a pair of blades sandwiched by a reciprocating motion.

(Whole device)
In the present embodiment, a cutting device 20 that cuts the kneaded food material M0 extruded from the extruder 10 that extrudes the kneaded food material M0, and a conveying member that conveys the material to be cut MC1 cut by the cutting device 20 30 is an apparatus for aligning kneaded food materials between 30 . A receiving and feeding machine 40 is provided for adjusting the drop position of the material to be cut MC1 falling onto the conveying member 30 (see FIG. 1).

(Extruder)
The extruder 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is an apparatus that can extrude the kneaded food material M0. In the present embodiment, detailed description is omitted, but the extruded kneaded food material M0 is extruded to the lower part of the extruder 10.
As the cutting device 20, the paired blades 21 and 21 that reciprocate at a predetermined timing cut the kneaded food material M0 extruded to the lower part of the extruder 10 into a material MC to be cut. The power of the reciprocating mechanism includes, for example, compressed air, hydraulic pressure, a cylinder using a solenoid, and a linear actuator unit that performs linear motion via a screw using a motor.

(Receiving and feeding machine)
The receiving delivery device 40 is located between the extruder 10 and the conveying member 30 and reciprocates between the receiving member 41 and reciprocating between the receiving member 41 in a circular path. Mechanism (see FIG. 4). The cycle of this reciprocating mechanism is controlled to coincide with the cycle of reciprocation in the cutting device 20 described above.
The structure of this reciprocating mechanism includes a rod 43 that is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable, an action piece 45 that supports the rod 43 in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the rod 43, and the action piece 45 is connected to the rod 43. This is achieved by a cylinder 46 and a piston 47 that reciprocate so as to form an acute angle with the longitudinal direction of the cylinder (see FIG. 2).

(Reciprocating mechanism)
The reciprocating mechanism will be described in more detail based on FIG.
The receiving and feeding machine 40 in which the receiving member 41 reciprocates while drawing an arcuate locus has a center of the arc as a rotation fulcrum 44 that is the opposite end of the receiving member 41 in the rod 43.
An action piece 45 is fixed to the receiving member 41 of the rod 43. A piston 47 is pin-supported by the action piece 45, and there is a cylinder 46 opposite to the action piece 45 in the piston 47, and the end opposite to the action piece 45 in the cylinder 46 is the rotation described above. The shaft is supported above the fulcrum 44.

  As the cylinder 46 arranged and fixed as described above reciprocates, the receiving member 41 reciprocates along an arcuate locus. The top dead center is the position of the material MC to be cut by the cutting device 20 (see FIGS. 3B and 4A), and the bottom dead center is slightly from the upper surface of the transport belt 31 of the transport member 30. It is near the upper part (see FIG. 3C and FIG. 4C).

The aforementioned action piece 45 is fixed so that the position of the rod 43 in the longitudinal direction can be changed (not shown). By fine adjustment of this position, it is possible to adjust the position to the optimum top dead center and bottom dead center.
The necessity for adjustment depends on changes in viscosity and hardness due to differences in the type and temperature of the kneaded food material M0, differences in production speed, and the environment (ambient temperature and humidity) during production.

  The receiving member 41 includes a parallel regulating piece 42 that forms a longitudinal direction parallel to the conveying direction of the conveying member 30. The parallel restricting piece 42 has a substantially L-shaped cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the L-shaped angle is an obtuse angle (see FIGS. 3B and 2). The lower support piece 42A that supports the lower surface of the kneaded food material M0 cut by the cutting device 20 is horizontal, and the side support portion 42B that supports the side surface of the material to be cut MC is slightly expanded upward. doing.

The parallel restricting piece 42 of the present embodiment is preferably made of stainless steel, and the surface thereof is preferably “satin finish”. Stainless steel is used because it is a member that directly touches food and is easy to maintain such as cleaning. If the surface of the satin finish is employed, the frictional resistance with the material to be cut MC is reduced, and the movement to the conveyor belt 31 becomes smooth.
“Pear finish” is a process that creates a rough surface like pear by shot blasting or sand blasting. Improved slipperiness, ease of washing, and stain resistance (the surface is rough, the contact area is small and the sticky ingredients are hard to stick together, and the detergent is easy to enter between the ingredients and the metal parts, so it has the advantages of easy washing . Incidentally, satin finish to the passive film and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), inorganic (ceramic, diamond, glass) by surface treatment with, for further improving the effect.

  The parallel regulating piece 42 at the top dead center during the reciprocating motion mainly receives the material to be cut MC cut by the cutting device 20 by the lower support piece 42A. Then, during the movement up to the bottom dead center during the reciprocating motion (see FIG. 3B), the side support portion 42B presses the protruding portion in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 below the material to be cut MC ( (See FIGS. 5A and 5B). As a result, the amount of the material MC to be cut out of the conveyor belt 31 in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 is suppressed, and the alignment state on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31 is ensured.

5A is for showing whether or not the central portion of the material to be cut MC in the width direction of the conveying belt 31 is located at the center of the conveying belt 31. FIG. If the dimension WL from the left end and the dimension WR from the right end are the same, the center of the conveyor belt 31 is located.
Note that the prior art shown in FIG. 6A shows a state in which the dimension WL from the left end is larger than the dimension WR from the right end (that is, there is a possibility). In this embodiment, it is possible to make the width dimension of the conveyance belt 31 smaller than that of the prior art. As a result, it contributes to space saving of the entire production equipment and suppression of power loss.

FIG. 5A illustrates the height dimension H of the material MC to be cut. This height dimension H is continuously reduced until the kneaded food material M0 is cut by the cutting device 20 to become the material MC to be cut and is received by the receiving member 41 and then moved by the conveyor belt 31. . This is because the material to be cut MC has a constant volume when cutting is completed, and tends to spread due to its own weight.
However, after the material MC to be cut is placed on the transport belt 31, the change in the height dimension H is smaller than before. Depending on the type of the kneaded food material M0, there is a thing that hardly changes after being placed on the conveyor belt 31. This is because a frictional force is generated by contact with the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31 and resists deformation due to its own weight.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by utilizing the property of being deformed by the weight of the material MC to be cut, the physical shape based on the receiving member 41 and the movement of the receiving member 41 and the conveying belt 31 with time are used. It is not necessary to adopt the manufacturing method of putting the food material M0 into the mold. That is, since the “mold” can be omitted in the manufacturing method, not only the physical existence of the mold becomes unnecessary, but also maintenance such as keeping the mold clean becomes unnecessary.

  At the bottom dead center during the reciprocating motion, the lower part of the material MC to be cut that protrudes from the space between the two parallel regulating pieces 42 due to its own weight comes into contact with the upper surface of the transport belt 31 (see FIG. 3C). . The material MC to be cut that has contacted the conveyor belt 31 is pulled by the moving conveyor belt 31 due to the stickiness of the surface thereof, and is separated from the parallel regulating piece 42 of the receiving member 41 during the reciprocating motion, to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31. (See FIG. 4C).

  The materials to be cut MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4 placed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 31 are aligned with the reciprocating cycle of the receiving and feeding machine 40. That is, L1, L2, and L3, which are the distances between adjacent materials to be cut MC1, MC2, MC3, and MC4, are substantially equally spaced. Since L1, L2, and L3 are substantially equidistant and the position in the width direction of the conveyor belt 31 is substantially the same, the position adjustment process that is necessary before the next process is almost unnecessary. If the position adjustment process is performed manually, it contributes to the reduction of personnel, and if the position adjustment process is mechanized, it contributes to the reduction of facilities.

(Conveying member)
The conveyance member 30 is a belt conveyor provided with a conveyance belt 31 that is an endless belt and a conveyance roller 32. In the part which conveys to-be-cut material MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 continuously, it arrange | positions so that the conveyance belt 31 may become an angle which goes up toward the next process. This is because the material MC to be cut easily separates from the parallel regulating piece 42 of the receiving member 41 immediately after the material MC to be cut is placed on the conveyor belt 31.
In addition, about the conveyance belt 31, it is formed so that adjustment is possible also about "the angle which goes up toward the next process" (illustration is abbreviate | omitted). As a result, adjustments can be made according to changes in viscosity and hardness due to differences in the type and temperature of the kneaded food material M0, differences in manufacturing speed, the environment on the date of manufacture (ambient temperature and humidity), and the like.

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing industry for manufacturing processed foods using kneaded food materials, a manufacturing industry for manufacturing machines for manufacturing processed foods using kneaded food materials, and processed foods using kneaded food materials. The present invention has applicability in a maintenance business for maintaining a machine for manufacturing, a rental business for renting a machine for manufacturing processed foods using kneaded food materials, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Extruder 20 Cutting device 21 Blade 30 Conveying member 31 Conveying belt 32 Conveying roller 40 Receiving delivery device 41 Receiving member 42 Parallel regulating piece 42A Lower supporting piece 42B Side surface supporting part 43 Rotating rod 44 Rotating fulcrum 45 Working piece 46 Cylinder 47 piston <br/> M0 paste type food material (hamburger material before being cut)
MC Material to be cut (hamburger material after being cut)
MC1, MC2, MC3, MC4 Material to be cut (hamburger material being transported)
L1, L2, L3 Distance of drop position of material to be cut

Claims (4)

Installed between a cutting device for cutting the kneaded food material extruded from the extruder for extruding the kneaded food material, and a conveying member to which the material to be cut cut by the cutting device is conveyed, to the conveying member An apparatus for aligning kneaded food materials with a receiving and feeding machine for adjusting the falling position of the material to be cut,
The receiving delivery machine includes a receiving member that is positioned between the extruder and the conveying member and reciprocates between them, and a reciprocating mechanism that reciprocates the receiving member,
The receiving member includes a parallel regulating piece that forms a longitudinal direction parallel to the transport direction of the transport member,
The parallel restricting piece restricts the protruding material in the width direction of the material to be cut falling on the conveying member when the reciprocating mechanism is positioned on the extruder side, and the reciprocating mechanism. An apparatus for aligning kneaded food materials that, when positioned on the conveying member side, feeds the material to be cut after restricting the protrusion to the conveying member. In the reciprocating mechanism, the receiving member moves between the extruder and the conveying member to draw an arcuate locus having a rotation center on the side far from the conveying member.
The transport member is a belt conveyor that circulates in a direction in which the upper surface of an endless transport belt is separated from the extruder,
2. The paste-like food according to claim 1, wherein when the parallel regulating piece is positioned on the side of the conveying member by the reciprocating mechanism, the material to be cut is sent to the conveying member by contacting the material to the conveying belt. Material alignment device.   The said reciprocation mechanism is provided with the adjustment mechanism which can adjust the edge part position between the said extruder and the said conveyance member in which the said receiving member is located. Kneaded food material alignment device. An extrusion process for extruding the kneaded food material;
A cutting step of cutting the kneaded food material extruded in the extrusion step;
A receiving step for receiving the material to be cut that has been cut in the cutting step;
A feeding step for adjusting the dropping position of the material to be cut received in the receiving step to the conveying member, and
The receiving step regulates the protrusion of the conveying member in the width direction with respect to the material to be cut that has started to fall after the kneaded food material has been cut in the cutting step,
The feeding step is a method for aligning kneaded food materials in which the material to be cut after the protrusion is regulated is sent to a conveying member.