JP3041455B2 - Tea making method in tea making process - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a control method for operating each tea making step in each tea making step constituting a tea making plant.

(Prior art)

The green tea production process consists of a plurality of steps in which the raw green tea leaves are steamed and then the drying and shaping operation is sequentially performed while applying a rubbing pressure, as is well known in the art. It is divided into leafing, coarse kneading, kneading, medium kneading, fine kneading, and drying processes in descending order.

In controlling each of the above-mentioned steps, sufficient care must be taken so that a skilled worker called a “tea master” observes the state of the original leaves and the state of each step to achieve the best condition. The machine was adjusted while paying

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Tea-making is a long-time job, and it is very hard work. It is also becoming difficult to commission the skilled "tea master" mentioned above.

In recent years, as a means for solving these problems, the automation of the tea making machine has been advanced, and labor saving such as feeding and unloading of tea leaves in each process, and a transport operation to the next process has been attempted. In addition, the air volume in each process,
It is also practiced to prepare a program such as temperature and number of rotations and to perform a tea making operation by changing the program according to time.

However, these merely change the operating conditions according to time, and it is completely unknown whether or not they match the state of the tea leaves during the operation.

The present invention not only automatically performs the tea making operation according to time, but also performs the operation performed by a skilled "tea master", particularly, the tea leaves being operated by hand, and the wetness of the tea leaves by the touch, so-called "shitori" (In the present specification, the condition of the wetness of the tea leaves during the tea-making process is referred to as "shitori"), and attention is paid to the fact that the operating conditions of the machine are set. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for controlling a tea making process for automatically controlling the tea making process.

[Means for solving the problem]

The control method in the tea making process according to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves sampled at a position in contact with the tea leaves in the sampling device that automatically samples the tea leaves in the tea making process from inside the tea machine A measuring sensor is provided, and pressing means for pressing the sampling tea leaves in the sampling device at a constant pressure is provided. The pressing means presses the sampling tea leaves at a constant pressure to measure the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves by the sensor. Start, within a predetermined measurement time, the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves at a predetermined elapsed time from the start of the measurement, and a predetermined target value is compared, the tea leaves by the elapsed time reaching the target value It is characterized by detecting a bark and performing control according to the bark.

[Action]

The method of controlling a tea making process according to the present invention automatically samples tea leaves during the tea making process, and measures the electrical conductivity of the sampled tea leaves to determine the amount of tea leaves. The current value of the tea leaves is compared with a preset target value to detect the degree of tea leaves that have elapsed since the start of the measurement, and set the air volume, temperature, and rotation speed according to the state of the leaves. If this is done, the optimal control of the tea making process can be performed by numerical values.

〔Example〕

Although the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, the method of controlling the tea making process of the present invention has a correlation between the degree of wetness due to the touch of the tea leaves during the tea making process, the so-called “shitori”, and the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves. Focusing on this, an automatic sampling device for sampling tea leaves during the tea making process is provided, and the state of the "shitori" is known by measuring the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves collected in the automatic sampling device. First, the automatic sampling device A will be described with reference to FIGS.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a sample storage box. The sample storage box 1 is attached to an opening 3 formed at an appropriate position on the side wall 2 of the tea making machine.

The inner wall of the sample container 1 is made of an insulator, and two conductors 4, 4 are laid at the bottom.
Reference numeral 5 denotes an extruding lateral wall made of an insulating material which can be moved in the sample storage box 1 by an air cylinder 6. Reference numeral 7 denotes a tea leaf pressing plate which presses the sampled tea leaves. It is made up of a body and can be moved up and down by an air cylinder 8 provided above the sample storage box 1. Reference numeral 9 denotes a cover body that is integrally or separately provided upright at the end of the tea leaf pressing plate 7 on the side of the tea machine side wall 2,
When the tea leaf pressing plate 7 is lowered, the cover 9 closes the opening 3 of the tea machine side wall 1. Also
Reference numeral 10 denotes a tea temperature sensor fixed to the above-described tea leaf pressing plate 7, which measures the tea temperature by moving up and down as the tea leaf pressing plate 7 moves up and down.

Reference numerals 11 and 12 denote a pressure gauge and a pressure reducing valve disposed in a pipe of the air cylinder 8 for moving the tea leaf pressing plate 7 up and down. When the tea leaf pressing plate 7 is lowered to compress the sampled tea leaves. The pressure is adjusted by the pressure gauge and the pressure reducing valve 12 so that the pressing force is constant and the strength is adjusted to the strength of the tea leaves. Reference numeral 13 denotes an electromagnetic valve provided in a pipe of the air cylinder 8 for moving the tea leaf pressing plate 7 up and down, and reference numeral 14 denotes an electromagnetic valve provided in a pipe of the air cylinder 6 for operating the pressing horizontal wall 5.

In the automatic sampling apparatus A of the present embodiment, the air cylinder 6 is normally extended so as to cover the opening of the sample storage box 1 and the extrusion horizontal wall 5 is positioned, and at this time, the tea leaf pressing plate 7 is also moved upward. It is positioned (see FIG. 1). When the sampling is started, the extrusion lateral wall 5 is retracted by operating the air cylinder 6 so that the tea leaves in the tea machine can be removed.
a, a,... are received in the sample container 1 (see FIG. 2). A predetermined amount of tea leaves for sampling is stored in the sample container 1
When the tea leaves are sampled, the air cylinder 8 at the top of the sample container 1 is operated to lower the tea leaf pressing plate 6 to compress the sampled tea leaves downward.

At this time, the pressure is adjusted by the pressure gauge 11 and the pressure reducing valve 12 in order to make the pressing force constant and to make the strength suitable for the tea leaves. The compressed tea leaves are pressure-bonded to a sensor S composed of conductors 4 laid on the bottom of the sample storage box 1. The bar sensor S is a meter relay 15
, And the electrical conductivity of the sampled tea leaves a, a,... Is measured by a current value.

At this time, a tea leaf temperature sensor fixed to the tea leaf pressing plate 7
Measured at 10 at the same time as the tea temperature.

As described above, when the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves a, a,... Sampled by the retaining sensor S for a certain period of time is measured, the tea leaf pressing plate 7 is raised, and the air cylinder 6 is operated to move the pushing lateral wall 5. Is moved toward the front machine side, and the measured tea leaves in the sample storage box 1 are pushed back into the machine, thereby completing one cycle of sampling and measurement. By repeating such a cycle every predetermined time, the degree of tea leaf picking at that time is measured.

The degree of wetness of the tea leaves a, a, a,... Measured as the current value by the above-described teat sensor S increases with the passage of time from the start of pressing the tea leaf pressing plate 7 in the above-described one-cycle measurement. Then, an equilibrium state is reached at a constant value (see FIG. 5), and the current value of the tea leaves rises rapidly as it gets wet, and decreases as it dries.

FIG. 5 shows the state of the change in the current value in one cycle of measurement, from a tea leaf having a low degree of wetness, to a leaf 1 and a leaf 2 to a leaf 5.

The meter relay 15 can measure a current value and set a constant current value, as is well known, so that a target value is set as the settable current value, and a signal is taken out using the set target value as a boundary. It is a contact point.

FIG. 7 shows the contact P of the meter relay 15 and the timers T1, T2, T3.
And T4 (contact points of timers T1 to T4 are respectively 21, 22, 23 and 24) to determine the degree of wetness of the tea leaves, and the signal 25 of the shitori 1, the signal 26 of the shitori 2 and the signal of the shitari 3 FIG. 3 shows an electric circuit which is extracted as a signal 27 and a signal 28 of the interceptor 4.

At the same time as starting to compress the sampled tea leaves by the tea leaf pressing plate 7, the contact point P of the meter relay 15 is closed,
Start from timers T1 to T4, but usually the above timers
T1 = 30 seconds, T2 = 20 seconds, T3 = 15 seconds, T4 = about 10 seconds, and the measured current value is set in advance for the contacts P (17 to 20) of the meter relay 15 The target value is set to close (ON) when the value is smaller than the target value, and open (OFF) when the value is larger.
For example, in the case of wet tea leaves such as the stile 5 in FIG. 5, the contact P of the meter relay 15 is turned off before the time T4 elapses.
Since the output signal becomes F, the output signals 25 to 28 of the shim 1 to the shim 4 are not generated, so that the same process is continued according to the set air volume, temperature, and rotation speed, and the result of the measurement by the next sampling is observed. . Then, in this way, sampling is performed at predetermined time intervals, the current value of the sampled tea leaves is measured, and the measured current value is compared with a preset target value to reach the target value. The machine is operated according to the conditions according to the condition.

In the case of the floor 4 in FIG. 5, when the time T4 has elapsed, the current value does not exceed the set target value.
The contact 20 of the meter relay of FIG. 7 is closed and the contact of the timer T4
24 is closed, and the output signal of the bin 4 is output, and the output signal indicates the state of drying.

As described above, the time of timers T1 to T4 and the meter relay
By combination with the set value set to 15, it is possible to obtain an output signal corresponding to the state of the barn, and to accurately judge the state of the tea leaves at that time during the current process.

In addition, by repeating the above-described measurement at predetermined time intervals until the target value is reached, it is possible to accurately grasp the condition of the in-flight tea leaves, and the air volume, If you set the temperature, rotation speed, etc.,
The optimum control of the tea-making process can be performed by using the signal obtained by the above-mentioned sensor S.

Further, it is possible to take out the tea leaves a and a from the signal of the bin 1 in FIG. 5 and send them to the next step.

When according to the present embodiment, the tea leaves during the tea making process are sampled by an automatic sampling device, the sampled tea leaves are measured for the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves under a constant pressure, and the state of the change in the current value at the time of the measurement is defined as a timer. By combining with a meter relay, the condition of tea leaves is determined and taken out as a signal, and the operation of the tea plant is performed according to the numerical value of the operating conditions of the tea plant set according to the degree of the tea leaves. It is not necessary for the operator to directly take out the sampling from the device being operated by the operator, and the operator can be released from physical and mental fatigue.

〔The invention's effect〕

The method for controlling a tea making process according to the present invention is characterized in that a tea leaf during the tea making process is sampled by an automatic sampling device equipped with a sensor, and a sensor for measuring the electrical conductivity of the sampled tea leaves is provided at a position in contact with the tea leaves in the sampling device. Pressing the tea leaves for sampling at a constant pressure to start measuring the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves by the sensor, and within a predetermined time, the tea leaves from the electrical conductivity of the tea leaves at an elapsed time from the start of the measurement. Since the operator determines the degree of the work and operates the tea plant according to the numerical values of the operating conditions of the tea plant that are set in advance according to the degree of the work, the operator is sampling the tea leaves. Since it is not necessary to take out the equipment directly from the equipment, the worker can be released from physical and mental fatigue.

The inexpensive and simple device of measuring electrical conductivity and combining a meter relay and a timer can take out the `` shitori '' of tea leaves, which could only be measured by human touch, as an electrical signal, thereby enabling the tea making process. This makes it possible to control not only skilled workers but also anyone to increase the maximum efficiency under the optimum operating conditions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a state before an automatic sampling device samples tea leaves, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view at the time of sampling, and FIG. 3 is a measurement of electric conductivity of tea leaves. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sample container, and FIG. 5 is a tea leaf with a low degree of wetness of the tea leaves 1
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of a change in a current value during measurement depending on the degree thereof, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a meter relay,
Fig. 7 shows the combination of a meter relay contact and a timer.
FIG. 2 shows an electric circuit for taking out signals as tea leaves 1 to 4 to determine the wetness of tea leaves. 1: sample storage box, 2: tea machine side wall 4, 4: conductor, 5: extrusion side wall 6, 8: air cylinder, 7: tea leaf pressing plate 10: tea temperature sensor, 11: pressure gauge 12: pressure reducing valve, T1-T4: Timer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23F 3/00-3/42

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sensor for measuring electrical conductivity of a sampled tea leaf is provided at a position in contact with the tea leaf in a sampling device for automatically sampling tea leaves in a tea making process from a tea machine, and the sampling tea leaf in the sampling device is provided. A pressing means for pressing at a constant pressure is provided, and the tea means for sampling is pressed by the pressing means at a constant pressure to start measurement with the electric conductivity sensor, and within a predetermined measurement time, from the start of the measurement. The electrical conductivity of the tea leaves at a preset elapsed time is compared with a preset target value, and a bark of the tea leaf is detected based on the elapsed time when the target value is reached, and control is performed according to the harvest. Control method in the tea making process.