JP3065942B2 - Food material transport structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a food material conveying structure, and more particularly, to a viscous semi-solid material such as cooked rice, bean paste, rice cake, ground meat, natto, butter, jam, cream, bread dough, and edible food. The present invention relates to a food material transport structure capable of efficiently transporting kneaded products while stirring.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the food industry, nigiri sushi
In order to manufacture so-called sharibe in Inari sushi, rice cookers have been introduced. For example, the cooked rice forming machine 60 shown in FIG.
By passing the cooked rice 63 between 2, 62 (62A to 62C), the cooked rice 63 is divided into a predetermined volume and pressed into a predetermined shape, thereby producing a shari part 64 of nigiri sushi and Inari sushi. In FIG. 6, the forming rollers 62A to 62C are illustrated with the rotation axis directed in the depth direction in the figure for the sake of understanding, but actually the rotation axes are arranged in the horizontal direction in the figure. Have been.

[0003] By the way, even if the cooked rice 63 is cooked so as to obtain a suitable degree of looseness, it gradually loses its looseness when cooled or dried over time. On the other hand, in the above-described cooked rice forming machine 60, it is necessary to continuously supply the cooked rice 63 to the forming section 61 in a moderately easy manner in order to manufacture a large number of uniform shading portions 64. For this reason, the cooked rice forming machine 60 has a hopper 65 capable of charging a large amount of cooked rice 63,
A transport means 68 is provided for transporting the cooked rice 63 along the transport path 67 while loosening the cooked rice 63 from the discharge port 66 to the forming section 61.

[0004] The hopper 65 is formed in a substantially rectangular cylindrical shape tapered downward, and the cooked rice 63 falls from the discharge port 66 toward the transport means 68 by its own weight. The conveying means 68 includes a belt conveyor 69 extending from immediately below the discharge port 66 to the forming section 61, and a plurality of conveying means provided to cooperate with the belt conveyor 69 to convey the rice 63 and to loosen the rice 63. And a member 70.

The transporting member 70 has a rotating shaft 71 intersecting the transporting direction of the cooked rice 63 (horizontal direction in the figure) and a plurality of arms 72 extending radially from the rotating shaft 71. . The length of the transfer member 70 from the center of rotation of the rotation shaft 71 to the tip of each arm 72 is the same, and when the rotation shaft 71 is driven to rotate clockwise in the drawing by a motor or the like (not shown), The tip of each arm 72 rotates in the same circular locus, thereby rotating the belt conveyor 6.
9 to disperse the cooked rice 63
3 is carried. In addition, such a conveying member 70 is, for example, a sushi rice supply machine disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-116987,
It is also used in the automatic rice feeder disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9 (JP-A-9).

[0006]

However, in the above-described conveying member 70, since the tip of each arm 72 rotates along the same trajectory, if the cooked rice 63 is not easily loosened,
After excavating the cooked rice 63 to some extent, there is a possibility that the tip of each arm 72 may fall into an idling state where it does not contact the cooked rice 63. In other words, the transporting means 68 cannot supply the cooked rice 63 to the molding unit 61 continuously if the cooked rice 63 loses the ease of loosening. there were.

[0007] Such a problem does not occur only in the conveying means 68 of the cooked rice forming machine 60 that manufactures the nigiri sushi / inari sushi section 64 using the cooked rice 63 as a material, but includes, for example, bean paste, rice cake, minced meat, natto. It also occurs when semi-solid food materials having a predetermined viscosity are conveyed, such as, butter, jam, cream, bread dough, and various paste products. The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to transport a semi-solid food material having a predetermined viscosity in order to improve the transport efficiency of a food material. To provide.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transportation method for transporting semi-solid food material having a predetermined viscosity along a transportation path. A food material transport structure comprising a member, wherein the transport member has a rotating shaft arranged to intersect with the transport direction of the food material, and a plurality of arms extending radially from the rotary shaft. The member is characterized in that the length from the rotation axis to the tip of each of the arms is different.

In this case, the rotation axis means a center of rotation for rotating each arm, not a drive shaft for rotating each arm. Therefore, as a form as a conveying member, for example, a structure in which a drive shaft having a circular cross section is arranged to intersect with the conveying direction of the food material and an arm is provided on the peripheral surface of the drive shaft can be adopted, or It is also possible to employ a structure in which a drive shaft is arranged along the material conveying direction, and each arm is rotated via a pair of bevel gears provided at an end of the drive shaft.

The number and location of the rotating shafts can be arbitrarily selected as long as the rotating shafts are arranged to intersect the conveying direction of the food material. And when providing a plurality of rotating shafts,
The rotation axes may be arranged in parallel, or they may be arranged so that their extension lines cross each other. On the other hand, as the arm portion, a bar or a plate, a protrusion covered with a cubic curved surface, or the like can be adopted, and an arbitrary number of radial portions may be provided. In addition, these arms are arranged at predetermined intervals (equal intervals / unequal intervals) along the rotation axis.
May be provided.

When the arms are provided on the peripheral surface of a drive shaft having a circular cross section arranged to intersect with the direction of conveying the food material, the length of each arm in the radial direction is set to be the same. In addition, a structure in which the drive shaft is eccentrically rotated, or a structure in which the radial length of each arm portion is changed and the drive shaft is rotated about the center can be adopted.

In the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention, since the length from the rotation axis of the transport member to the tip of each arm is different, when the transport member rotates about the rotation axis, Thus, the tip of each arm draws a different circular locus. That is, in the invention described in claim 1, for example, even if the food material such as cooked rice is loosened, the tip of each arm excavates while drawing a different circular locus, so that the food material is easily loosened. Thus, the above-mentioned object is achieved.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, the transport member has an annular member which supports a base portion of each of the arm portions and is fixed through the rotary shaft. Is characterized by being eccentrically arranged with respect to. In the invention described in claim 2, since the annular member rotates eccentrically with respect to the rotation axis, even if the length from the base to the tip of each arm is the same, the tip of each arm from the rotation axis. Length will be different. That is, in the invention described in claim 2, the extremely simple structure of disposing the annular member eccentrically with respect to the rotation axis eliminates the need to prepare a plurality of types of arms having different lengths from the base to the tip. The manufacturing cost of the transport member can be reduced.

[0014] Further, the invention described in claim 3 is that the plurality of transport members are provided at predetermined intervals along the rotation axis, and the annular members adjacent to each other are eccentrically arranged. Features. In the invention described in claim 3, when each transport member rotates, each arm portion excavates or stirs the food material irregularly. In other words, according to the third aspect of the invention, the food material can be transported more reliably and continuously.

On the other hand, the invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that each of the arms is formed of a non-viscous resin. Here, when the base of each arm is supported by the annular member, each arm and the annular member may be integrally formed of a non-viscous resin. By the way, generally, a member for stirring or transporting a food material is
It is often formed of a metal, and its surface is often coated with a non-viscous resin. In such a member, there is a possibility that the non-viscous resin is peeled off due to aging, abrasion, impact, or the like, and the metal exposed outside may come into contact with the food material. On the other hand, in the invention described in claim 4, since each arm portion is formed of a non-viscous resin, there is no possibility that the metal may come into contact with the food material due to a change over time.

The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that a plurality of the rotating shafts are arranged along a plane inclined with respect to the transport direction. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the plurality of rotating shafts are arranged along a plane inclined with respect to the carrying direction, the carrying member rotating about these rotating shafts with respect to the food material. They will come in contact at different depths. Therefore, in the invention described in claim 5, the transport efficiency is further improved by effectively stirring the food material. In addition, the invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the rotation speeds of the respective conveying members are different from each other, so that the agitation of the food material becomes remarkable and the conveying efficiency is further improved.

Furthermore, the invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the rotating shaft is detachable from the transport path, so that cleaning, replacement, adjustment, etc. of the transport member can be easily performed. become. In the invention described in claim 8, a detecting means capable of detecting the food material is provided near a transport outlet of the transport path, and the transport member reverses when the detecting means does not detect the food material. It is characterized by: In this case, as the detection means, for example, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a limit switch, or the like can be adopted and may be provided at an appropriate position. Claim 8
In the invention described in the above, since the transport member reverses when the food material does not pass near the transport outlet of the transport path, if the food material is solidified and stagnant in the transport path, the transport member is rotated with the reverse rotation. Each arm may again come into contact with the food material. Therefore, in the invention described in claim 8, even if the food material stagnates in the transport path and the transport is interrupted,
Transport can be resumed by itself.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, the members already described in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a cooked rice forming machine 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This rice cooker 1
In the case of No. 0, the forming part 61 is disposed immediately below the hopper 11 into which the cooked rice 63 is charged in order to manufacture the rice sushi / inari sushi tori part 64. The hopper 11 is a hopper table 1
1A and a hopper main body 11B of a substantially rectangular tube shape laminated on the hopper base 11A.

Such a cooked rice molding machine 10 includes a hopper 1
Transport path 1 for transporting cooked rice 63 from 1 to forming section 61
2 are provided (only shown in FIG. 2). Transport path 12
Is formed in a substantially L-shape such that after the cooked rice 63 moves along the hopper table 11A (see arrow A in FIG. 2), it falls vertically toward the forming portion 61 (see arrow B in FIG. 2). ing. In the transport path 12, a large number of transport members 20 configured according to the present invention are provided. The transport member 20 includes a rotating shaft 21 (21) intersecting with the transport direction of the cooked rice 63 (see arrows A and B in FIG. 2).
A to 21C). These rotating shafts 21
(21A to 21C) use a rod having a circular cross section, and can be rotated clockwise in the figure by a motor (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying member 20 has four arms 22 to 25 extending radially from the rotating shaft 21. The arms 22 to 25 have respective tips 22A to 2
The length from 5A to the bases 22B to 25B is the same, and the bases 22B to 25B are supported by an annular member 26 fixed to the rotating shaft 21.

The transport member 20 is formed of an annular member 26.
Is eccentrically passed through the rotating shaft 21, so that the length L 1 from the center of rotation C of the rotating shaft 21 to the tip 22 A of the arm 22 and the length from the center of rotation C to the tip 23 A of the arm 23. The length L3 from L2 and the rotation center C to the tip 24A of the arm 24 is different from the length L4 from the rotation center C to the tip 25A of the arm 25. That is, the transport member 2
Numeral 0 indicates that the tips 22A to 25A of the arms 22 to 25 draw concentric trajectories with three kinds of radii with the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 (see the dotted line, the dashed-dotted line, and the dashed-dotted line in the figure). ). In such a transport member 20, the arms 22 to 25 and the annular member 26 are integrally formed of a non-viscous resin.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of transport members 20 are provided at predetermined intervals along a rotating shaft 21, and adjacent annular members 26 are eccentrically arranged. For this reason, when the rotation shaft 21 rotates, the tips 22A to 25A of the arms 22 to 25 draw concentric trajectories with three different radii when the rotation shaft 21 rotates, and excavate and transport the cooked rice 63 while stirring. It has become.

Returning to FIG. 2, the conveying member 20 as described above
The rotating shaft 21 (21A-21C) through which the rice 63
Are arranged along a plane inclined with respect to the transport direction. In addition, as shown in FIG.
1C) shows the arm portion 22 of each transport member 20 with its rotation.
-25 are arranged appropriately so that they do not cross each other, and both ends of the rotating shaft 21 (21A to 21C) are
And a hopper body 11B along a boundary line 11C. Therefore, the transport member 20 can be easily attached to and detached from the transport path 12 by removing the hopper body 11B from the hopper table 11A and then removing the rotary shafts 21 (21A to 21C).

These transport members 20 are each
Drive gear 27 provided at the end of (21A to 21C)
(27A to 27C), the rotating shaft 21B is
The arms 22 to 25 come into contact with the cooked rice 63 at different peripheral speeds because they rotate at a lower speed as compared with A and 21C. Further, the rotation shafts (21A to 21C) of these conveying members 20 are rotated when the detecting means 30 (see FIG. 2) provided near the conveying outlet of the conveying path 12 stops detecting the rice 63. ing. As the detection means 30, for example, an optical sensor is employed.

According to the present embodiment as described above, since the tips 22A to 25A of the arms 22 to 26 of the conveying member 20 rotate in different circular trajectories, the cooked rice 63 loses the ease of loosening. Also, the rice 63 can be easily loosened by randomly excavating and stirring it, and the rice 63 can be reliably and continuously transported to the forming unit 61. In addition, since the annular member 26 that supports the bases 22B to 25B of the arms 22 to 26 is eccentrically arranged with respect to the rotation shaft 21,
From the tip 22A-25A of each arm 22-26 to the base 22B
The objective can be achieved even if the lengths up to 25B are the same. That is, the transport member 20 may have the arm members 22 to 25 having the same shape and length supported by the annular member 26.
It can be easily manufactured as compared with a case where arms having different lengths are used.

Furthermore, since a plurality of transport members 20 are provided at predetermined intervals along the rotating shaft 21 and the annular members 26 adjacent to each other are eccentrically arranged with respect to each other,
Is rotated, the rice comes in random contact with the rice 63, and the rice 63 can be transported reliably and continuously. Since each of the arms 22 to 25 is formed of a non-viscous resin, the metal is exposed to the outside by the aging, and the cooked rice 63 is formed as compared with a case where the metal material is coated with the non-viscous resin. There is no risk of contact.

Further, since the plurality of rotating shafts 21 are arranged along a plane inclined with respect to the direction in which the cooked rice 63 is conveyed, each conveying member 20 contacts and stirs the cooked rice 63 at different depths. Thereby, the transportation efficiency of the cooked rice 63 can be further improved. In addition, since the rotation speeds of the rotating shafts 21 of the transport member 20 are different from each other, the food material can be effectively agitated, and the transport efficiency can be further improved.

Further, since the transport member 20 is detachable from the transport path 12, cleaning, replacement, adjustment and the like of the transport member 20 can be easily performed. When the detecting means 30 provided near the transport outlet of the transport path 12 does not detect the cooked rice 63, the respective transport members 20 are reversed, so that, for example, even if the cooked rice 63 is solidified and stagnated in the transport path 12. , Conveying member 20
The arms 22 to 25 come into contact with the cooked rice 63 again with the reversal of, and the conveyance of the cooked rice 63 can be resumed by itself.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes improvements, modifications, etc. within a range in which the present invention can be achieved. , Conveyance path, conveyance member, conveyance direction, rotation axis,
The material, shape, size, form, number, location, rotational speed, rotational direction, and the like of the arm, the annular member, and the detecting means can be arbitrarily selected.

[0031]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the food material can be easily unraveled even if the looseness of the food material has been lost, whereby the food material can be continuously transported. Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, by adopting the arm portions having the same length, the manufacturing cost of the transport member can be reduced. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the plurality of transport members randomly excavate or agitate the food material, so that the food material can be transported more reliably and continuously.

On the other hand, according to the invention described in claim 4,
Since each arm is formed of a non-viscous resin, there is no possibility that the metal will come into contact with the food material due to a change over time. According to the invention described in claim 5, since the plurality of transport members contact the food material at different depths,
By effectively agitating the food material, the transport efficiency can be further improved. In addition, according to the invention described in claim 6, since the rotation speeds of the respective conveying members are different from each other, the stirring of the food material becomes remarkable.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 7, cleaning, replacement, adjustment, etc. of the transport member can be easily performed. According to the invention described in claim 8, since the transport member reverses when the food material does not pass near the transport outlet of the transport path, even if the food material stagnates in the transport path and transport is interrupted. The transport can be resumed by itself.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a cooked rice molding machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an outline of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a transport member.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an annular member and an arm.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing an arrangement of a conveying member.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a conventional cooked rice molding machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cooked rice forming machine 12 Conveying path 20 Conveying member 21 Rotating shaft 22-25 Arm 22A-25A Tip of arm 26 Annular member 30 Detecting means 63 Food rice A, B Conveying direction C Rotation center

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/10 A23L 1/325 B01F 7/02

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A transport member for transporting a semi-solid food material having a predetermined viscosity along a transport path, wherein the transport member has a rotating shaft intersecting with a transport direction of the food material. And a plurality of arms extending radially from the rotation axis, a food material transport structure, wherein the transport member is different in length from the rotation axis to the tip of each arm. Food material transport structure. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transporting member has an annular member that supports a base of each of the arms and is fixed through the rotating shaft. The annular member is eccentrically arranged with respect to the rotating shaft. The food material conveying structure according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the conveying members are provided at predetermined intervals along the rotation axis, and the annular members adjacent to each other are eccentrically arranged. Food material transport structure. 4. The food material conveying structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the arms is formed of a non-viscous resin. 5. The food material transport structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the rotation shafts are arranged along a plane inclined with respect to the transport direction. 6. The food material transport structure according to claim 5, wherein the rotation speeds of the transport members are different from each other. 7. The food material transport structure according to claim 1, wherein the transport member is detachable from the transport path. 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein a detecting means for detecting the food material is provided near a conveying outlet of the conveying path, and the conveying member reverses when the detecting means does not detect the food material. Item 4. The food material conveying structure according to Item 1.