JP2017100250A - Method for cutting bulky foodstuff and its device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To develop a new method for cutting a bulky foodstuff and its device in which the foodstuff can be cut into a dice shape while preventing the occurrence of cracks to a foodstuff, and furthermore the cost reduction of the whole device can be achieved.SOLUTION: A method for cutting a bulky foodstuff is characterized by: providing a blade unit 75 comprising a cutting blade 751 in one across a set space S1 of the bulky foodstuff being a workpiece; providing a pressing force block 74 approaching or separating to/from the blade unit 75 in the other side; pressing the workpiece to the blade unit 75 by the pressing force block 74; and cutting the workpiece by multiple blades 751 in the blade unit 75. The method for cutting the bulky foodstuff is characterized in that the workpiece being cut by primary extruded cutting is rotated by 90° around an axial direction without changing an extruded shaft direction from a pre-process while maintaining an original bulky shape as a whole, and the extruded cutting is performed, or the cut direction in the pre-process is changed in posture in the direction perpendicular to the shaft direction to perform the extruded cutting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for cutting a blocky food such as cheese and an apparatus therefor.

  For cheese production, raw milk is sterilized, followed by injecting starter (lactic acid bacteria, fungi), lactic acid fermentation, and rennet (milk coagulant based on chymosin, a curdling component). After injecting and mixing, it is allowed to stand for a predetermined time to form a card (solid component). Next, the curd is molded and aged under appropriate conditions to obtain various types of cheese (final product).

By the way, the cheese as the final product is in a somewhat large block shape, and after being cut into a stick shape, a dice shape or the like, the cheese is shipped in a product form appropriately packaged. At that time, large-scale production facilities use large cutting devices with high processing capacity (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
On the other hand, in a small-scale production facility, it is not realistic to introduce a large cutting device without considering cost effectiveness, and a desktop type cutting device is used.

Therefore, the present applicant has developed a new cutting apparatus that can be applied not only to a small-scale production facility but also to a large-scale production facility, and has applied for a patent application (see Patent Document 2). Has been highly evaluated.
Such an apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a pressing block and a blade unit that is disposed in a sliding direction of the pressing block and has a storage portion of a pressing element provided in the pressing block. . Then, the food material is pressed against the blade unit by a pressing block to cut it, and as a pressing shifter for this purpose, Patent Document 2 discloses an air cylinder or a manual link mechanism.

However, especially when an air cylinder is employed as the pressure shifter, cracks may occur depending on the properties of the foodstuff, and further improvement of the function is expected by searching for the improvement.
In other words, the rod of the air cylinder is expanded and contracted by the compressed air sent from the compressor. However, it is difficult to control the expansion and contraction speed and pressure, so an excessive pressing force acts depending on the properties of the food. In some cases, cracks may occur. Of course, it is possible to control the expansion / contraction speed and pressure of the air cylinder by using a flow rate adjusting valve, a pressure reducing valve, a pressure adjusting valve, etc., but the control becomes complicated.
On the other hand, when a manual link mechanism is employed as the pressure shifter, the generation of cracks in the food can be avoided by changing the speed and / or pressure of the pressure block with the operator's sense. However, some skill is required to deal with various foods.

  When the air cylinder is used, a compressor, air piping, a flow rate adjustment valve, a pressure reducing valve, a pressure adjustment valve, a control device, etc. are indispensable for the operation. I couldn't deny being.

Furthermore, especially when block-shaped cheese is cut into a dice shape, cutting in at least three directions is indispensable, and the occurrence rate of the cracks is inevitably increased.
And when cutting into a dice shape, what is obtained by slicing block-shaped cheese into a certain thickness is placed on a cutting device in which stainless steel wires are stretched in a lattice shape inside the frame and pressed from above. A device with a dice shape is also used. However, in such an apparatus, only a small amount of cheese can be cut at a time, so the work efficiency is not good, and further, loosening and elongation of the stainless steel wire occurs, so frequent adjustments and rewiring are required. It has become.
Incidentally, the so-called dice cut cheese cut into the above dice shape is baked in bread or hamburger or used as a topping for salads or dishes.

Special table 2003-522538 JP2013-230522A

  The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and it is possible to cut a food material into a dice shape while preventing cracks from occurring in the food material, and to further reduce the cost of the entire apparatus. It is a technical problem to develop a novel cutting method and apparatus for lump food that can be used.

  That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for cutting a block of food, wherein a blade unit having a cutting blade is provided on one side of the set space for the block of food to be processed, and the blade unit is moved closer to and away from the blade unit. A method in which a pressing block is provided, the workpiece is pressed against the blade unit by the pressing block, and the workpiece is cut by a plurality of blades in the blade unit, and the workpiece cut by primary extrusion cutting is entirely While maintaining the original lump shape, do the extrusion cutting by rotating 90 ° around the axial direction without changing the extrusion axis direction with the previous process, or the cut direction in the previous process in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction It is characterized in that the posture is changed and extrusion cutting is performed.

  In addition to the above requirements, a plurality of blades are arranged in parallel within the frame of the blade unit, and the cutting method for the block food according to claim 2 is configured to block the workpiece by primary extrusion cutting. From the shape, a thinly sliced slice shape is formed, and then the workpiece, which is sliced shape and maintains the aggregated shape as a whole, is rotated 90 ° around the axial direction without changing the direction of the extrusion axis, The work piece that has been made stick-shaped by extrusion cutting and then made stick-shaped and maintained in a lump-like shape as a whole is transformed into a dice shape by tertiary extrusion cutting after changing the orientation of the cut direction in the previous process to a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. It is characterized by being cut into pieces.

  Furthermore, in addition to the above requirements, the method for cutting a lump food material according to claim 3 is provided with a retainer case that can hold the cut workpieces in a lump after the blade unit. The workpiece is received, and the workpiece is set together with the retainer case in the set space of the next process.

  Furthermore, in addition to the above requirements, the method for cutting a blocky food material according to claim 4 includes a plurality of blades arranged inside the frame as the blade unit, and each blade is provided at both ends thereof. A fixed piece made of an elastically deformable material is provided, and the fixed piece is fitted into a receiving groove formed in the frame, and the blade is fixed to the frame. It is characterized by this.

  Furthermore, the cutting method of the blocky foodstuff of Claim 5 adjusts the speed of a press block based on the data preset for every foodstuff according to the load at the time of the cutting | disconnection of the blocky foodstuff in addition to the said requirements. It is characterized by doing.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for cutting a massive food material, wherein a blade unit having a blade for cutting is provided on one side of the set space for the massive food material to be processed, and the blade unit is approached and separated from the other. In the apparatus in which a pressing block is provided, the workpiece is pressed against the blade unit by the pressing block, and the workpiece is cut by a plurality of blades in the blade unit, the set space is in a state where the workpiece is accommodated in the retainer case. It is characterized by being configured to receive and to allow the pressing block to enter the retainer case in this state.

  Furthermore, in the mass food cutting apparatus according to claim 7, in addition to the requirement of claim 6, the blade unit is formed by arranging a plurality of blades inside a frame body, and each blade is The fixing piece is made of a material that can be elastically deformed at both ends, and the blade is fixed to the frame body by fitting the fixing piece into a receiving groove formed in the frame body. It is characterized by being.

  Furthermore, in addition to the requirement of the said Claim 6 or 7, the said cutting device of the massive foodstuff of Claim 8 can take out this workpiece | work which the retainer case exposed inside is exposed. Thus, it is configured to be separable.

  Furthermore, in addition to the requirement of the said Claim 6, 7 or 8, the cutting device of the massive foodstuff of Claim 9 is characterized by the said press block being provided in the press rod of the electric cylinder. .

Furthermore, in addition to the requirement of the said Claim 9, the cutting device of the blocky food of Claim 10 is comprised so that the speed of the said press block can be adjusted based on the data preset for every foodstuff. It is characterized by being.
The above problems can be solved by using the configuration of the invention described in each of the claims as a means.

  First, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently cut the bulk food material that is the workpiece into small pieces.

  Moreover, according to invention of Claim 2, the massive foodstuff which is a to-be-processed object can be more efficiently cut | disconnected to a dice-shaped small piece.

Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the workpiece immediately after being cut by the blade is received in the retainer case in a state where the block state which is the original shape is maintained. The spread of the workpiece can be suppressed, and the occurrence of cracks can be prevented.
In addition, in order to supply the cut workpiece to the next process while maintaining the block state and being received in the retainer case, the working position of the blade on the workpiece is set as desired, Can be accurately cut.

  Further, according to the invention of claim 4, the stress applied to the blade can be absorbed by the fixing piece made of the elastically deformable material, and the work piece is prevented from being cracked. be able to.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 5, the speed of the pressing block can be set to an optimum value for each food material, and the occurrence of cracks in the workpiece can be reliably prevented.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the workpiece immediately after being cut by the blade is received in the retainer case in a state in which the block state which is the original shape is maintained. The spread of the workpiece can be suppressed and the occurrence of cracks can be prevented.
In addition, in order to supply the cut workpiece to the next process while maintaining the block state and being received in the retainer case, the working position of the blade on the workpiece is set as desired, Can be accurately cut.

  Further, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the stress applied to the blade can be absorbed by the fixed piece made of the elastically deformable material, and the work piece can be prevented from being cracked. be able to.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 8, by dividing the retainer case into a divided state, the work piece which is made stick-shaped and maintains the overall shape as a whole, the cut direction in the previous step is defined as the axial direction. A state in which the posture is changed in the orthogonal direction can be obtained. After that, the retainer case is brought into an assembled state to be ready for extrusion cutting in the next process.

  Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim 9, since the electric cylinder requires fewer peripheral devices than the air cylinder, the initial cost can be reduced, and the power consumption is lower than that of the air cylinder and its peripheral devices. Since it has a long service life, running costs can be reduced.

  Furthermore, according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the speed of the pressing block can be set to an optimum value for each food material, and the occurrence of cracks in the food can be reliably prevented.

It is a perspective view which shows the cutting device of this invention. It is a front view, a side view, and a top view same as the above. It is a perspective view showing an electric cylinder as a pressure shifter partially exploded and seeing through. FIG. 4 is a partially broken perspective view showing the blade unit and an exploded perspective view showing the blade unit with a different blade configuration. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a cutter unit. It is the perspective view and longitudinal section side view which show a mode that cheese is cut | disconnected by a cutter unit in steps. It is a perspective view which partially sees and shows the state of primary extrusion cutting and secondary extrusion cutting. It is a perspective view which shows the mode of the attitude | position change of the workpiece prepared for the tertiary extrusion cutting. It is a perspective view which shows a part of perspective appearance of tertiary extrusion cutting. It is a perspective view which shows the cutting device which used the manual shifter as a press shifter.

  The method for cutting a lump food material and the form of the apparatus according to the present invention are as described in the following embodiment as an example, but the embodiment is appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is also possible to add.

In the figure, the reference numeral D indicates a lump food cutting device of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a cutting device D), which sandwiches a lump food set space S1 as a workpiece, A blade unit 75 having a cutting blade 751 is provided, and a pressing block 74 that approaches and separates from the blade unit 75 is provided on the other side. That is, a configuration is adopted in which the workpiece is pressed against the blade unit 75 by the pressing block 74 and the workpiece is cut by the plurality of blades 751 in the blade unit 75.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 as an example, an operation main body 2 including a table base 1, a pressure shifter 20 that is disposed above and is movable toward and away from the table base 1, and a pressure shifter A description will be given based on a vertical configuration including a cutter unit 7 attached to the machine 20.
The set space S1 is configured to receive the workpiece in a state where it is accommodated in a retainer case 5 described later, and the pressing block 74 can enter the retainer case 5 in this state.
In addition, in the following description, although the Example which cut | disconnects cheese F as a lump food is demonstrated, it is also possible to apply the cutting device D of this invention, for example to cutting vegetables, ham, etc.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the cutting device D will be described in detail. First, the table base 1 is configured by appropriately assembling steel materials in a frame shape and provided with a top plate 10, and the operation main body with respect to the machine frame 11 erected on the table base 1. 2 is assembled. As the pressing shifter 20, an electric cylinder 20A in which the pressing rod 21 extends and contracts is employed.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the electric cylinder 20A, a nut 25 provided in a nut bracket 24 is screwed into a ball screw 23 provided along a linear guide 22, so that the ball screw 23 rotates. The nut bracket 24 moves on the linear guide 22 in a linear direction.
The ball screw 23 is connected to a rotation shaft of a motor M, and an encoder 26 is provided for recognizing the rotation angle of the rotation shaft.
By adopting such a configuration, the pressing rod 21 connected to the nut bracket 24 expands and contracts, and further, the load at the time of cutting the food by the pressing block 74 and the blade unit 75 provided on the pressing rod 21 is increased. Accordingly, the speed of the pressing block 74 can be adjusted. Note that the pressure by the pressing block 74 can be adjusted by adjusting the torque of the motor M.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cutter unit 7 includes a frame unit 70, a pressing block 74, and a blade unit 75 provided below the pressing block 74.
Further, the frame unit 70 has, for example, a guide surface 71 that is V-shaped in a plan view and extends in the vertical direction, and two rod receivers 70a are provided near the upper and lower ends of the guide surface 71, respectively. A post 72 along the guide surface 71 is provided for the rod receiver 70a. The lower end side of the post 72 is projected from the rod receiver 70a, and a thread is formed on the projected portion.

A pedestal 73 is attached to the tip of the pressing rod 21 in the electric cylinder 20 </ b> A, and a pressing block 74 is attached to the pedestal 73.
The pressing block 74 is formed with a pressing element 74 a on the lower surface side and a fixing pin 74 b on the upper surface side. The fixing pin 74 b is inserted into a fixing hole 73 b formed in the pedestal 73, and It is configured to be fixed by a stop spring 73c.

It is also possible to employ a gel pressing element 74c instead of the pressing element 74a formed with the pressing block 74. The gel pressing element 74c is formed by forming a material having a hardness (Asker C) of about 4 to 30 as an example.
When such a gel pressing element 74c is employed, the gel pressing element 74c is cut by the blade 751 because the gel pressing element 74c enters the storage portion 753 partitioned by the blade 751 without a gap, although not illustrated. It is possible to prevent the lump food from adhering to the blade 751.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4A, the blade unit 75 includes blades 751 arranged in parallel inside a substantially rectangular frame 750 as an example. Each blade 751 is provided with fixing pieces 754 at both ends thereof, and the fixing pieces 754 are fixed to the frame body 750 by fitting the fixing pieces 754 into the receiving grooves 755 formed in the lower frame 750B. ing.
The fixed piece 754 is provided so that a part of the core 571a formed at both ends of the blade 751 is buried, and is formed of, for example, an elastic material such as resin or metal. It is.
The receiving grooves 755 are respectively formed on the four sides of the lower frame 750B, and slits 757 are formed in the inner portion of the receiving groove 755.
Then, the fixed pieces 754 at both ends of the blade 751 are fitted into the opposing receiving grooves 755, and the core 756a is fitted into the slit 757, whereby the individual blades 751 are held in a replaceable manner.
The space partitioned by the blade 751 functions as a storage portion 753 into which the pressing element 74a in the pressing block 74 is fitted.
The shape of the blade 751 may be a wave blade shape as shown in FIG. 4A, and such a shape is suitable for cutting a hard material because the load applied to the blade is dispersed.

Then, the upper frame 750A is overlaid on the lower frame 750B on which the blade 751 is set, and the lower end portion of the post 72 protruding from the rod receiver 70a is inserted into the bolt hole 752 as shown in FIG. By closing the nut N, the blade unit 75 and the cutter unit 7 including the blade unit 75 are configured.
By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately replace and use the pressing block 74 having various cutting shapes, the blade unit 75, the blade 751, the support blade 756 described later, and the like.
In this embodiment, a receiving recess 750d for receiving the retainer case 5 is formed on the upper surface of the upper frame 750A and the lower surface of the lower frame 750B so as to surround the opening, and the retainer case 5 is fitted therein. It was configured to get stuck.

  Further, mounting arms 71a are formed on the upper and lower portions of the frame unit 70. Bolt holes 71b are formed in the mounting arms 71a, and the bolt holes 71b and the mounting plate 76 are formed. When the bolt B is inserted into the mounting hole 76a and the nut N is tightened, these are integrated.

  Further, a safety cover 77 for covering the set space S1 in the frame unit 70 together with the pressing block 74 and the blade unit 75 is provided. This is a transparent resin plate or the like that is pivotally supported by a post (not shown) that is erected on the mounting plate 76, and is configured so that its open / closed state can be detected by a limit switch 77a. ing.

Here, the details of the set space S1 and the cutout space S2 will be described.
First, the set space S <b> 1 is a part to be a place where the workpiece is installed in the cutting device D, and is configured to receive the workpiece accommodated in the retainer case 5. In this embodiment, the retainer case 5 is configured such that the pressing block 74 can enter the retainer case 5 installed in the set space S1, and is constituted by a rectangular tubular member. Is realized so as to fit into the receiving recess 750d in the upper frame 750A.

  The cut-out space S2 is a space that is secured below the blade unit 75 in the cutting device D, and is a part where the workpiece cut by the blade unit 75 is located. For this reason, the height dimension of the cut-out space S2 is set longer than the height dimension of the cut workpiece. In this embodiment, after being cut by the blade unit 75 into the retainer case 5 installed in the cut-out space S2, the workpiece that maintains the original lump shape as a whole can enter. This is realized by setting the retainer case 5 formed of a rectangular tubular member so as to fit into the receiving recess 750d in the lower frame 750B.

  The retainer case 5 is basically a rectangular tube like the retainer cases 51 and 52 shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the retainer case 5 is configured to be separable as the retainer elements 53a and 53b so that the workpiece accommodated therein is exposed and can be taken out. . In this case, the integrated state can be maintained by fixing the outer peripheral portions of the integrated retainer elements 53a and 53b with the fixing band 53c or the like.

The cutting device D is provided with a control device (not shown). In this control device, a control program (for example, rod protrusion length-speed curve) of the pressing rod 21 is provided for each type of workpiece. Pre-set.
Examples of the workpiece include cheese F, which is classified as “semi-hard cheese” such as Gouda cheese and cheddar cheese, “hard cheese” such as Parmigiano Reggiano, and “process cheese”. Since the mode of action of the blade 751 on the workpiece varies depending on the properties, the optimal rod protrusion length-speed curve of the pressing rod 21 also varies. The data preset in the control device may be a rod protrusion length-pressure curve of the pressing rod 21.

The phenomenon such as “the action mode of the blade 751 on the workpiece is different” described above is mainly caused by a difference in the frictional force between the blade 751 and the workpiece.
Further, the difference in the frictional force between the blade 751 and the workpiece varies depending on the contact state between the blade 751 and the workpiece, and as shown in FIG. At the time when the pressing block 74 starts to move after being extended, the workpiece is in contact with the blade 751 but is not pressed by the pressing block 74. Therefore, a frictional force is generated between the blade 751 and the workpiece. Does not occur.

Next, from the point of time when the pressing block 74 comes into contact with the workpiece (FIG. 6B), the cutting of the workpiece by the blade 751 is started, and at this time, the workpiece and the side surface of the blade 751 are separated. As the contact area gradually increases, the frictional force between the blade 751 and the workpiece also increases, and eventually the blade 751 is buried in the workpiece and all of its side surfaces come into contact with the workpiece. The maximum frictional force is obtained (FIG. 6C).
This state continues for a while, and when the workpiece is finally cut, the contact area between the workpiece and the side surface of the blade 751 gradually decreases, and the frictional force between the blade 751 and the workpiece is also reduced. Decreases and eventually becomes zero when the workpiece is pushed out.

As described above, the load applied to the pressing rod 21 mainly depends on the frictional resistance between the blade 751 and the workpiece, and the rod protrusion length-speed curve of the pressing rod 21 takes this frictional resistance into consideration. Is set.
In such setting, the optimum rod of the pressing rod 21 is obtained by conducting an experiment for actually cutting the cheese classified as “semi-hard cheese”, “hard cheese”, “process cheese”, etc. by the cutting device D. A protrusion length-velocity curve is required.
The frictional resistance between the blade 751 and the work piece naturally changes when the shape of the blade 751 (blade height, blade shape, blade interval, blade arrangement) is different. The optimal rod protrusion length-pressure curve (rod protrusion length-velocity curve) of the pressing rod 21 is required for each combination of 75 and the workpiece.
Further, in consideration of the properties of the workpiece, the pressure may be applied intermittently according to the hardness and viscosity of the cheese F. For example, in the case of cheese F having a high hardness, cracks may occur when a sudden load change is caused by the blade unit 75. For this reason, the pressing rod 21 is intermittently extended and stopped. Is called.

The configuration of the cutting device D of the present invention is as described above as an example, and a method for cutting a blocky food using this device will be described below.
In addition, the basic aspect of the cutting | disconnection of the cheese F which is a blocky foodstuff with the cutting device D is demonstrated first, referring FIG. 6, and the cutting method which makes a blocky food a dice shape is demonstrated referring FIGS. To do.

[Setting of workpiece and blade unit]
A preset control program for the electric cylinder 20A is selected from the preset menu according to the combination of the workpiece to be cut by the cutting device D and the blade unit 75. The electric cylinder 20A is controlled.

[Cheese and retainer case settings]
Next, as shown in FIG. 6A, the feed-side retainer case 51 in which the cheese F is accommodated is installed on the blade unit 75 in a state where the pressing rod 21 of the electric cylinder 20 </ b> A is contracted. Further, a retainer case 52 on the receiving side is installed below the blade unit 75.

[Cheese cutting]
When the safety cover 77 is closed in this state, the limit switch 77a detects this, and the pressure shifter 20 is activated by the control device, and the electric cylinder 20A has the rod protrusion of the pressure rod 21 preset in the control device. It is controlled according to the long-velocity curve (selected from the preset menu in the previous process).

When the extension of the pressing rod 21 starts, the pressing block 74 comes into contact with the cheese F as shown in FIG. 6B, and the cheese F is pressed down to act on the blade 751.
When the pressing block 74 is further lowered, the cutting of the cheese F by the blade 751 is started, and the blade 751 is cut into the cheese F. In this case, for example, in the case of “semi-hard cheese” or “hard cheese”, if the load of the blade 751 is suddenly applied to the cheese F, an unintended crack may occur. However, according to the present invention, since the electric cylinder 20A is controlled according to the optimal control program for each property of the workpiece and each form of the blade 751, occurrence of cracks can be prevented.
At this time, since the block cheese 75 is accommodated in the retainer case 5 above the blade unit 75, the cheese F swells outward from the original block shape by the pressurization accompanying the lowering of the pressing block 74. It is possible to prevent cracks from occurring.
According to the present invention, the stress applied to the blade 751 is absorbed by the fixing piece 754 made of an elastically deformable material to prevent the blade 751 from being damaged, and the work piece is cracked. Can be prevented.

When the cutting is further continued and the blade 751 is completely buried in the cheese F as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the contact area between the blade 751 and the cheese F is maximized, and the frictional resistance therebetween. Is also the largest. At this time, if the extension speed of the pressing rod 21 is too high, an unintended crack may occur in the workpiece. However, according to the present invention, since the electric cylinder 20A is controlled according to the optimal control program for each property of the workpiece and each form of the blade 751, occurrence of cracks can be prevented.
At this time, the cheese F cut by the blade 751 is directly accommodated in the retainer case 52 in the lower part thereof, so that it is prevented from diffusing outward from the original block shape, and is substantially the original block shape. The shape will be maintained.

Then, the cutting of the cheese F by the blade 751 proceeds as described above. Eventually, as shown in FIG. It becomes.
At this time, although not shown, the pressing element 74a provided in the pressing block 74 is in a state of being fitted into the storage portion 753 partitioned by the blade 751 (added 10/9), and the retainer case 5 However, since it functions as a traveling path guide for the pressing block 74, the pressing element 74a is fitted accurately without touching the blade 751.

[Dice shape cutting]
Subsequently, a method of manufacturing so-called dice cut cheese by cutting cheese F, which is a bulk food material, into a dice shape will be described. The dice-cut cheese is baked in bread or hamburger or used as a topping for salads or dishes. Appropriate dimensions such as 3 mm square, 5 mm square, and 8 mm square are set according to the application. Is.
In order to obtain such a die-cut cheese, it is necessary to cut the block (cubic) cheese F from three directions of the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the depth direction. For this reason, the workpiece cut by primary extrusion cutting is rotated by 90 ° around the axial direction without changing the extrusion direction from the previous step while maintaining the original lump shape as a whole, and then secondary extrusion cutting. In a state in which the workpiece cut by secondary extrusion cutting is maintained in the original lump shape as a whole, the direction of the cut line in the previous process and the previous process is perpendicular to the axial direction. The posture is changed to the third, and the third extrusion cutting is performed.

Specifically, first, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the cheese F is changed from a lump shape to a sliced slice shape by performing primary extrusion cutting.
At this time, the retainer case 51 installed above the blade unit 75 prevents the cheese F from bulging outward from the original block shape due to the pressurization accompanying the lowering of the pressing block 74, and cracks. Can be prevented from occurring.
On the other hand, the cheese F cut into the slice shape is prevented from diffusing outward from the original block shape by the retainer case 52 installed below the blade unit 75, and is substantially the original block shape. The shape will be maintained.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7 (c), the cheese F, which is located in the retainer case 52 and has a slice shape and maintains a lump shape as a whole, is retained around the axial direction without changing the extrusion axis direction. The blade unit 75 is rotated by 90 ° and installed above the blade unit 75.
By performing secondary extrusion cutting in this state, the cheese F is made into a stick shape, and at this time, by the pressurization accompanying the lowering of the pressing block 74 by the retainer case 52 installed above the blade unit 75, It is possible to prevent the cheese F from bulging outward than the original block shape, and to prevent cracks from occurring.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7 (d), the cheese F cut into a stick shape is diffused outside the original block shape by the retainer case 53 installed below the blade unit 75. Is prevented, and the original lump shape is substantially maintained.

Next, at this point, the extrusion axis direction of the cheese F that has been cut into a stick shape but maintained a lump shape as a whole is changed, and as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the retainer element 53a and the retainer are changed. As shown in FIG. 8 (c), the element 53b is separated into a divided state, and then the lump shape is formed so that the direction of the extrusion axis at the time of primary extrusion cutting and secondary extrusion cutting is located in a horizontal plane. The posture change of the maintained cheese F is performed (the posture change is performed in the direction perpendicular to the extrusion axis direction in the previous step).
Further, as shown in FIG. 8 (d), the retainer element 53 a and the retainer element 53 b are combined again and fixed by the fixing band 53 c, and the cheese F maintaining the lump shape is positioned in the retainer case 53. .

Next, as shown in FIG. 9A, the cheese F and the retainer case 53 are installed above the blade unit 75.
By performing the third extrusion cutting in this state, the cheese F is formed in a dice shape. At this time, the retainer case 53 installed above the blade unit 75 is pressed by the pressure block 74 to be lowered. It is possible to prevent F from bulging outside the original block shape, and to prevent cracks from occurring.
On the other hand, the cheese F cut into a dice shape is accommodated in the receiving bat 4 installed below the blade unit 75.
And the dice-shaped cheese F cut | disconnected in this way becomes a beautiful cube without a crack and each side being isometric.
[Other Examples]

The present invention is based on the above-described embodiment, but the following embodiment can be adopted based on the technical idea of the present invention.
First, the blades 751 incorporated in the blade unit 75 may be arranged in a lattice pattern as shown in FIG. In this case, a support blade 756 in which a slit 758 for fitting with the intersecting blade 751 is formed is provided. The support blade 756 receives a load applied to all the intersecting blades 751, and is configured such that the core 756a penetrates the fixed piece 754, and a slit 759 for fitting the penetrating portion is accommodated. It is formed outside the groove 755. Further, it is preferable that the width of the flat (belly) portion of the support blade 756 is set larger than that of the blade 751 in consideration of the load. Similarly, a plurality of support blades 756 may be provided in consideration of the load.

The blade unit 75 in which such blades 751 are arranged in a lattice shape enables the above-described primary extrusion cutting and secondary extrusion cutting to be performed simultaneously, or secondary extrusion cutting and tertiary extrusion cutting to be performed simultaneously. Is.
Specifically, the cheese F that is a lump food is made into a stick shape at a stretch, and then this is cut into a dice shape using a blade unit 75 in which blades 751 are arranged in parallel, or the cheese F that is a lump food, a blade The blade unit 75 in which 751 is arranged in parallel is formed into a slice shape, and then this can be cut into a dice shape at once.
In order to efficiently perform such a cutting mode, the cutting device D including the blade units 75 in which the blades 751 are arranged in a grid pattern and the cutting device including the blade units 75 in which the blades 751 are arranged in parallel are arranged. Although it is preferable to install D in series, the blade unit 75 may be replaced by using a single cutting device D.

  Further, the blade unit 75 in which such blades 751 are arranged in a lattice pattern is designed to apply stress to the blade 751 while the assembly of the support blade 756 and the blade 751 intersecting the support blade 756 is strong. Dispersed over the entire support blade 756, the deformation of the blade 751 and the support blade 756 and thus the deformation of the storage portion 753 can be prevented, and the occurrence of cracks in the workpiece can be prevented. is there.

Further, in the case of the blade unit 75 in which the blades 751 are arranged in a lattice shape, the contact area between the object to be processed and the blade 751 is increased, so that the frictional resistance is increased, but the fixed piece made of an elastically deformable material. The stress applied to the blade 751 is absorbed by 754, and damage to the blade 751 can be prevented, and cracks in the cheese F can be prevented.
In this case, since the frictional resistance between the workpiece and the blade 751 is significantly increased compared to the case where the blades 751 are merely arranged in parallel, the speed of the pressing block 74 is adjusted as described above. Is important.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, a manual shifter 8 using a link mechanism 81 may be employed as the pressing shifter 20 instead of the electric cylinder 20A. In this case, since it is essential that the retainer case 5 is installed in the set space S1, a member such as a slider for guiding the pedestal 73 of the pressing block 74 along the extrusion axis direction cannot be installed.
Therefore, the movable range of the pressing block 74 that accompanies the operation of the lever 82 cannot be fixed within a vertical plane including the direction of the extrusion axis, as indicated by a virtual line in the drawing.
However, according to the present invention, when the retainer case 5 functions as a movement guide for the pressing block 74 and at least the pressing block 74 is positioned in the retainer case 5, the moving direction can be limited to the extrusion axis direction. It will be.

D Cutting device 1 (table food) 1 Table base 10 Top plate 11 Machine frame 2 Operating body 20 Press shifter 20A Electric cylinder 21 Press rod 22 Linear guide 23 Ball screw 24 Nut bracket 25 Nut 26 Encoder 4 Receiving bat 5 Retainer case 51 Retainer Case 52 Retainer case 53 Retainer case 53a Retainer element 53b Retainer element 53c Fixing band 7 Cutter unit 70 Frame unit 70a Rod holder 71 Guide surface 71a Mounting arm 71b Bolt hole 72 Post 73 Base 73b Fixing hole 73c Locking spring 74 Pressing block 74a Pressing Element 74b Fixing pin 74c Gel pressing element 75 Blade unit 750 Frame 750A Upper frame 750B Lower frame 750d Receiving recess 751 Blade 751a Core 7 2 Bolt hole 753 Storage part 754 Fixed piece 755 Housing groove 756 Support blade 756a Core 757 Slit 758 Slit 759 Slit 76 Mounting plate 76a Mounting hole 77 Safety cover 77a Limit switch 8 Manual shifter 81 Link mechanism 82 Lever B Bolt F Cheese M Motor N Nut S1 Setting space S2 Cutting space

Claims (10)

A blade unit with a cutting blade is provided on one side across the set space for the bulk food that is the workpiece,
On the other side, a pressing block that approaches and separates from this blade unit is provided,
A method of pressing a workpiece against a blade unit by the pressing block and cutting the workpiece with a plurality of blades in the blade unit,
With the workpiece cut by primary extrusion cutting, maintaining the original lump shape as a whole,
Do the extrusion cutting by rotating 90 ° around the axial direction without changing the extrusion axis direction with the previous process,
Or the cutting method of the lump foodstuff characterized by performing attitude | position change to the direction orthogonal to an axial direction, and performing an extrusion cutting in the cut direction in a front process.
The blade is a plurality of blades arranged in parallel in the frame of the blade unit,
By primary extrusion cutting, the work piece is changed from a lump shape to a slice shape sliced thinly,
Next, the workpiece that has been sliced and maintained in a lump shape as a whole is rotated 90 ° around the axial direction without changing the direction of the extrusion axis, and formed into a stick shape by secondary extrusion cutting,
Next, the work piece which is formed into a stick shape and maintains the shape of a lump as a whole is subjected to posture change in the direction of the cut line in the previous step to a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and cut into a dice shape by tertiary extrusion cutting. The method for cutting a blocky food material according to claim 1.
In the subsequent stage of the blade unit, a retainer case that can hold the cut workpieces in a lump is prepared and received, and the workpiece is placed in the set space for the next process together with the retainer case. The method for cutting a blocky food material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting method is set.
As the blade unit, a plurality of blades are arranged inside the frame body, and each blade is provided with a fixed piece made of an elastically deformable material at both ends thereof. The method for cutting a blocky food material according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the fixing piece is fitted into an accommodation groove formed in the frame body so that the blade is fixed to the frame body. .
  The block food according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the speed of the pressing block is adjusted based on data set in advance for each food according to a load at the time of cutting the block food. Cutting method. A blade unit with a cutting blade is provided on one side across the set space for the bulk food that is the workpiece,
On the other side, a pressing block that approaches and separates from this blade unit is provided,
In the apparatus that presses the workpiece against the blade unit by this pressing block, and cuts the workpiece with a plurality of blades in the blade unit,
The set space is configured to receive the workpiece in a state where it is accommodated in the retainer case, and in this state, the pressing block can be inserted into the retainer case. .
The blade unit is formed by arranging a plurality of blades inside a frame body, and each blade is provided with a fixed piece made of an elastically deformable material at both ends thereof. 7. The massive food material cutting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the blade is fixed to the frame body by fitting the fixing piece into an accommodation groove formed in the frame body.
The massive food material cutting device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the retainer case is configured to be divided so that a workpiece accommodated therein is exposed and can be taken out. .
The massive food cutting apparatus according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein the pressing block is provided on a pressing rod of an electric cylinder.
  The mass food cutting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the pressing block speed is configured to be adjusted based on data set in advance for each food.

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