JP2017047002A - Food heating apparatus and cup - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a food heating apparatus that can uniformly heat a fluid food in a cup while maintaining the quality of the fluid food.SOLUTION: A food heating apparatus for heating a fluid food in a cup comprises a steam jet nozzle 8 for jetting steam toward a recess 7c formed in a bottom part of a cup 7, and a swing mechanism for swinging the cup 7 in a horizontal plane. The food heating apparatus also comprises a cut support body for placing the cup 7 thereon and causes the cup support body to swing. The swing mechanism comprises a motor 70, a first rotor and second rotor rotated by the motor, a first eccentric shaft provided in the first rotor, and a second eccentric shaft provided in the second rotor. The first eccentric shaft and the second eccentric shaft are engaged with a first engaging hole and second engaging hole provided in the cup support body (a swing holder 30) respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a food heating apparatus for heating fluid food in a cup and a cup used therefor.

  As a method of heating milk in the cup (an example of fluid food), there is a method of heating with gas or IH using a milk pan. However, this method is difficult to control the temperature because the residual heat of the milk pan is transmitted even if the heating is stopped. There is also a method of heating using a microwave oven. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately detect the temperature of the milk in the cup placed in the cabinet. In addition, in the case of a beverage having a viscosity, the microwave oven does not convect at the time of heating, so that the center is difficult to warm and uneven heating occurs.

  Further, Patent Document 1 below discloses a liquid food heating apparatus that heats liquid food by steam ejected from a steam ejection nozzle. Means for relatively changing the position of the nozzle on the liquid level of the liquid food is provided so that the vapor is evenly distributed to the liquid food.

  In addition, as a device for heating a canned beverage with steam, although not a cup, a containerized beverage heating device disclosed in Patent Document 2 below is known. The canned beverage is rotated while being laid down by the rotation of the support roller, and steam is ejected toward the surface of the can.

JP 2008-142182 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-159772

  However, Patent Document 1 has a problem that the concentration of food (beverage) changes because it is configured to eject steam to liquid food. There is also a problem that noise is generated due to the rapid condensation of the vapor in the liquid. Furthermore, it becomes easier for the beverage to enter the nozzle, which causes a problem in hygiene management.

  Patent Document 2 has a structure in which a can is rotated sideways and cannot be applied to a cup placed in a vertical state.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a food heating apparatus capable of heating evenly while maintaining the quality of the fluid food in the cup, and a cup used therefor It is to be.

In order to solve the above problems, a food heating apparatus according to the present invention is a food heating apparatus for heating fluid food in a cup,
A steam ejection part for ejecting steam toward the recess formed in the bottom of the cup;
And a swing mechanism that swings the cup or the steam ejection portion in a horizontal plane.

  The operation and effect of the food heating apparatus having such a configuration will be described. The cup used in this food heating apparatus has a recess formed at the bottom. A steam ejection part for ejecting steam toward the recess is provided. Since it is the structure which ejects a vapor | steam to the outer side of a cup, the density | concentration of the fluid food put in it does not change. Moreover, the surface area can be increased and the heating can be efficiently performed by forming the recesses. Furthermore, it can be stirred by swinging the cup and uniform heating can be performed. As a result, it is possible to provide a food heating apparatus capable of heating evenly while maintaining the quality of the fluid food in the cup.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to have a cup support on which the cup is placed, and to swing the cup support.

  By oscillating the cup support, the cup placed on the cup support can be oscillated, and the fluid food in the cup can be stirred to perform uniform heating.

  In the present invention, the swing mechanism is provided in a motor, a first rotating body and a second rotating body that are rotationally driven by the motor, a first eccentric shaft provided in the first rotating body, and a second rotating body. A second eccentric shaft, and the first eccentric shaft and the second eccentric shaft are fitted in a first fitting hole and a second fitting hole provided in the cup support, respectively. preferable.

  According to this configuration, the first and second eccentric shafts perform an eccentric motion by driving the motor. Accordingly, the cup support fitted to the first and second eccentric shafts swings. Thus, a cup support body and the cup mounted on this can be rock | fluctuated by simple structure.

  In this invention, it is preferable to have a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the fluid food in the said cup. With such a configuration, the temperature of the fluid food can be monitored, and stirring can be performed uniformly at an appropriate temperature.

  In this invention, it is preferable that the drain outlet is provided adjacent to the said vapor | steam ejection part. Thereby, after the vapor | steam ejected from the vapor | steam ejection part condensed, it can be made to discharge | emit from a drain outlet.

  The cup which concerns on this invention is a cup used with said heating apparatus, Comprising: The recessed part is formed in the bottom part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. By using such a cup, the surface area can be increased and the fluid food can be efficiently heated.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of a food heating apparatus Longitudinal sectional view showing details of swing mechanism for swinging cup A plan view showing the configuration of a rocking mechanism for rocking the cup Diagram showing the operation of the swing mechanism The figure which shows another embodiment of a rocking | fluctuation mechanism The figure which shows operation | movement of the rocking | fluctuation mechanism of FIG. The figure which shows another embodiment of a temperature sensor

  A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the food heating apparatus 100. The food heating apparatus 100 has a function of heating milk in the cup (an example of fluid food) to a predetermined temperature, for example.

<Configuration of food heating device>
The food heating apparatus 100 includes an upper main body 1, a lower main body 2, and a placement unit 3. The upper main body 1 is provided with a power switch 1a, a temperature selection unit 1b, a heating temperature display unit 1c, and a hot water tank temperature display unit 1d. The temperature selection unit 1b is, for example, a button type and can select one of 70 ° C., 80 ° C., and 90 ° C. The heating temperature display part 1c displays the temperature of the milk in the cup. The hot water tank temperature display section 1 d displays the temperature of hot water in the tank in the lower main body section 2.

  A hot water tank is provided inside the lower main body 2 and the heat dissipation effect is enhanced by the exterior of the aluminum fins. Sensor units 4 are provided on the left and right side surfaces of the lower main body 2. The sensor unit 4 includes a sensor lever 4a and a temperature sensor 4b. The sensor unit 4 can be rotated around a rotation fulcrum 4c provided on the side surface of the lower main body 2. In FIG. 1, the sensor unit 4 on the back side is not used, and the cutting unit 4 on the front side is in use. Indicates. By tilting the sensor lever 4a forward, the sensor unit 4 can be put into use, and the temperature of the milk in the cup can be measured.

  The steam pressure gauge 5 displays the steam pressure value. The hot water pouring spout 6 can pour hot water into the cup by operating this.

  The mounting portion 3 has a stainless steel deck 3a on the surface. Two cups can be placed on the deck 3a. In order to place the cup, a swing holder 30 and a cup support case 31 are provided. The swing holder 30 and the cup support case 31 correspond to a cup support.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing details of the swing mechanism for swinging the cup 7. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the swing mechanism. The cup 7 has a main body portion 7a and an upper portion 7b, and a step is formed between the main body portion 7a and the upper portion 7b. That is, the upper part 7b is formed with a larger diameter than the main body part 7a. The main body 7a has a taper that becomes smaller in diameter toward the bottom. Moreover, the recessed part 7c is formed in the bottom part of the main-body part 7a. The concave portion 7c has a shape in which a taper with a smaller diameter is formed toward the top. A handle 7d is provided on the upper portion 7b. A spout 7e is formed on the opposite side of the handle 7d. The cup 7 is preferably made of metal in terms of heat transfer.

  The cup support case 31 has a cylindrical shape, and the step described above of the cup 7 is placed on the cylindrical upper end surface. Thereby, the cup 7 can be placed in a stable state on the cup support case 31. The cup support case 31 and the swing holder 30 are integrated by an appropriate method (screw, welding, press-fitting, etc.). The sealing member 32 is provided in the lower part of the cup support case 31, and the lower space of the cup 7 is set in a sealed state.

  As a swinging mechanism, a geared motor 70, a timing belt 71, a rotating body 72, and an eccentric shaft 73 are provided. A pair of the rotator 72 and the eccentric shaft 73 is provided. When it is necessary to distinguish between them, the one located on the right side of FIGS. 2 and 3 is referred to as the first rotator 72R and the first eccentric shaft 72L, and Those located are referred to as a second rotating body 73R and a second eccentric shaft 73L.

  A timing belt 71 is hung on a pulley 70 a driven by a geared motor 70 and a pulley 72 a provided on the rotating body 72. In the rotating body 72, a small diameter portion 72b and a large diameter portion 72c are integrated on a pulley 72a. A bearing 74 is fixed to the mounting portion 3, and a small diameter portion 72 b of the rotating body 72 is fitted to the inner diameter portion of the bearing 74, thereby allowing the rotating body 72 to rotate smoothly.

  An eccentric shaft 73 is provided on a large-diameter portion 72 c provided on the upper portion of the rotating body 72. The eccentric shaft 73 is at a position eccentric from the rotation axis of the rotating body 72. The swinging holder 30 has two fitting holes (corresponding to a first fitting hole and a second fitting hole, respectively), and the eccentric shaft 73 is fitted. A bearing holder 75 is fitted to the outer diameter portion of the eccentric shaft 73, and the swing holder 30 is fitted via the bearing holder 75. With this configuration, the swing holder 30 can swing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting portion 3 is provided with a steam ejection nozzle 8 (corresponding to a steam ejection portion). The steam ejection nozzle 8 ejects steam toward the bottom of the cup 7 and the recess 7c. Thereby, the milk in the cup 7 is heated (warmed). The steam is supplied to the steam ejection nozzle 8 through the steam supply pipe 80. The steam supply pipe 80 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 81, and the ejection is controlled by opening and closing the electromagnetic valve 81. A drainage port 9 is provided adjacent to the steam ejection nozzle 8, and after the steam ejected from the steam ejection nozzle 8 is changed to condensed water, the drainage is performed via the drainage port 9 and the drainage pipe 9 a. Is done. Note that the space from which the steam is ejected is a sealed space so as not to leak.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the steam ejection nozzle 8 and the drain port 9 are located on a line connecting the rotation centers of the first rotating body 72L and the second rotating body 72R. Further, the center of the cup support case 31 (cup 7) is also located substantially on this line (near the line). The two rotating bodies 72 are located at a target position of about 180 ° with respect to the center of the cup 7. Thereby, the rocking | fluctuation holder 30 can be rock | fluctuated largely and the milk in the cup 7 can be stirred efficiently.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the sensor unit 4 is set to a use state. The tip of the temperature sensor 4b is inserted into the milk M. The temperature sensor 4b is supported by the holder 4c, and the upper portion 7b of the cup 7 is inserted into a recess formed in the holder 4c.

<Heating operation>
Next, operation | movement when heating milk using the food heating apparatus 100 of FIGS. 1-3 is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the swing mechanism.

  First, a predetermined amount of milk is put into the cup 7 and set in the cup support case 31 from above (see FIG. 2). When heating is started, the electromagnetic valve 81 is opened, and steam is ejected and diffused from the steam ejection nozzle 8 to heat the bottom surface (recess 7c) of the cup 7. At this time, the geared motor 70 is driven to start the operation of the swing mechanism. Thereby, the timing belt 71 is driven, and the pair of rotating bodies 72 and the eccentric shaft 73 are driven. The rotation direction of the eccentric shaft 73 is counterclockwise as shown in FIG.

  4A shows a state in which the eccentric shaft has rotated 90 ° from the state of FIG. 3, FIG. 4B shows a state in which the eccentric shaft has rotated 180 °, and FIG. 4C shows a state in which the eccentric shaft has rotated 270 °. In this way, the swing holder 30 is swung, and as a result, the cup 7 can be swung. The milk in the cup 7 can be stirred by swinging the cup 7.

  Further, the sensor unit 4 is operated to measure the temperature by the temperature sensor 4b. The swinging operation is performed while viewing the display on the heating temperature display 1c. When the set temperature is reached, the operation is stopped. The stop of the operation may be controlled automatically instead of manually. By selecting the temperature by the temperature selection unit 1b, the temperature of the steam ejected from the steam ejection nozzle 8 is controlled to be appropriate.

  According to this configuration, it is the bottom surface and the concave portion of the cup 7 that ejects steam, and does not eject into the cup 7. Therefore, the concentration of milk does not change because the condensed water is not mixed into the milk. In addition, no rapid condensation of steam occurs in the milk, so no noise is generated. Furthermore, since a recess is formed on the bottom surface of the cup 7 and the steam is ejected, the surface area can be increased, heat transfer can be performed efficiently, and the heating time can be shortened. Further, since the steam is ejected from the outside of the cup 7, the cleaning of the cup 7 is easy.

  Since the mechanism for swinging the cup 7 is provided in the present invention, it is possible to uniformly heat beverages that are viscous and cannot be expected to be convected during heating, or beverages that are easily solidified by heating. Moreover, since a heat transfer with a drink and the heating surface of the cup 7 is accelerated | stimulated by stirring, a heating time can be shortened. Moreover, since the stirring blade for stirring is unnecessary, the cleaning operation | work etc. of a stirring blade become unnecessary. Moreover, since a stirring blade is unnecessary in the cup 7, mounting and taking out of the cup 7 become easy.

<Another embodiment of the swing mechanism>
FIG. 5 is a view showing another embodiment of the swing mechanism. The difference from FIG. 3 is that the timing belt 71 is applied differently, and the other configurations are the same. In this configuration, the first eccentric shaft 73L rotates clockwise and the second eccentric shaft 73R rotates counterclockwise. FIG. 6 shows the operation of the swing mechanism. In the configuration of FIG. 3, the cup 7 swings so as to turn, but in the configuration of FIG.

<Another embodiment of temperature sensor>
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the temperature sensor. An infrared radiation temperature sensor 10 is provided above the cup 7. In this case, the temperature of the milk M in the cup 7 can be measured without contact.

<Another embodiment>
In the present embodiment, milk is described as an example of fluid food, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it can be applied to soup with ingredients and heating of sauces. It can also be used to heat butter or chocolate that has been melted in a hot water bath.

  The swing mechanism is not limited to the configuration of the present embodiment, and various modifications are possible. For example, a structure that does not use a timing belt or a mechanism that combines a gear and a cam may be used. The speed at which the cup 7 is swung can also be set as appropriate. A mechanism for adjusting the speed may be provided.

  Various modifications of the shape of the concave portion of the cup are possible. Settings such as the shape, depth, and inner diameter of the recess can be changed as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper main-body part 2 Lower main-body part 3 Mounting part 4 Sensor unit 4b Temperature sensor 7 Cup 7a Main-body part 7b Upper part 7c Recessed part 8 Steam injection nozzle 9 Drain outlet 30 Swing holder (cup support body)
31 Cup support case (cup support)
70 Geared motor 71 Timing belt 72, 72R, 72L Rotating body 73, 73R, 73L Eccentric shaft 74 Bearing 75 Bearing holder 100 Food heating device M Milk

Claims (6)

A food heating device for heating fluid food in a cup,
A steam ejection part for ejecting steam toward the recess formed in the bottom of the cup;
A food heating apparatus comprising: a rocking mechanism for rocking the cup in a horizontal plane. The food heating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cup support on which the cup is placed, wherein the cup support is swung. The swing mechanism includes a motor, a first rotating body and a second rotating body that are rotationally driven by the motor, a first eccentric shaft that is provided on the first rotating body, and a second that is provided on the second rotating body. An eccentric shaft is provided, and the first eccentric shaft and the second eccentric shaft are respectively fitted into a first fitting hole and a second fitting hole provided in the cup support. Item 3. The food heating apparatus according to Item 2. It has a temperature sensor which detects the temperature of the fluid food in the said cup, The food heating apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3 characterized by the above-mentioned. The food heating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a drain outlet is provided adjacent to the steam ejection portion. It is a cup used with the foodstuff heating apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5, Comprising: The cup by which the recessed part was formed in the bottom part.

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