JP4070679B2 - Frozen confectionery manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a frozen dessert such as soft cream (soft ice cream).

  Conventionally, this kind of frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus is equipped with a cooling device comprising a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, a cooling cylinder and a cooler equipped in a hopper (mix tank), and this cooling device supplies liquefied refrigerant to the cooler during the manufacture of frozen dessert. The cooling cylinder and hopper are cooled by flowing after reducing the pressure. A beater is attached in the cooling cylinder, and the mix in the cooling cylinder is stirred by the beater while being cooled by a cooler to produce a frozen dessert such as soft cream or sherbet.

And the frozen dessert manufactured in the cooling cylinder was extracted by operating the extraction lever provided in the freezer door which obstruct | occludes the front opening of a cooling cylinder (for example, refer patent document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-271957

  In this case, conventionally, an arm that abuts on the upper end of the plunger that moves up and down by the operation of the take-out lever is provided, and the switch is turned on and off by the operation that the arm moves up and down by the operation of the plunger. Thus, the beater was rotated to extrude the frozen dessert and extracted into a container such as a cone or a paper cup. However, the structure using such a switch has a complicated mechanism and easily breaks down, and an improvement has been desired.

  Therefore, if a proximity switch is provided on the front of the main body corresponding to the lower part of the plunger, and the cone or container is addressed to the lower part of the plunger, this is detected by the proximity switch and the beater is rotated. There is no need to use such a mechanical take-off switch. However, when the operator's hand touches the vicinity of the proximity switch at the time of cleaning or the like, there is a problem that a malfunction occurs in which the beater rotates.

  The present invention has been made to solve the conventional technical problems, and is a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that simplifies the structure for rotating the beater during the extraction of frozen dessert and stabilizes the operation. It is to provide.

The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a cooling cylinder to which a mix is supplied, a beater that stirs the mix in the cooling cylinder, and a cooling device that cools the cooling cylinder, and cools the mix while stirring the cooling cylinder. To produce a frozen dessert, and by tilting it forward from the standing state , the takeout lever for extracting the frozen dessert produced in the cooling cylinder and the takeout lever stand up and approach The proximity switch that detects the presence of the take-out lever in the tilted state and the proximity switch that does not detect the presence of the take-out lever in the tilted state and the beater when the proximity switch detects the presence of the take-out lever. And a control means for operating the beater when the proximity switch does not detect the presence of the take-out lever .

In the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the rear surface of the upper end of the take-out lever is a flat surface, the proximity switch is provided corresponding to the rear of the upper end of the take-out lever, and the control means includes a proximity switch The beater is operated when the presence of the take-out lever is not detected continuously for a predetermined period.

According to the present invention, a cooling cylinder to which the mix is supplied, a beater that stirs the mix in the cooling cylinder, and a cooling device that cools the cooling cylinder are provided and cooled while stirring the mix in the cooling cylinder. In the frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus that produces frozen confectionery, the take-out lever for extracting the frozen confection produced in the cooling cylinder by performing the operation of tilting forward from the standing state, and the take-out lever standing up and approaching The proximity switch that detects the presence of the take-out lever and the proximity switch that does not detect the presence of the take-out lever in a tilted and separated state, and if the proximity switch detects the presence of the take-out lever, stops the beater. And a control means for operating the beater when the proximity switch does not detect the presence of the take-out lever. If the take-out lever to extract inner with ice confection produced performed operations tilting the front, the control unit is able to operate the beater proximity switch is no longer detect the presence of the take-out lever.

As a result, there is no need to provide a mechanical take-off switch using an arm that interlocks with the vertical movement of the plunger as in the prior art, the number of parts can be reduced, and the mechanism is simplified so that failure is less likely to occur. . In particular, when the take-out lever stands and is close to the proximity switch, the proximity switch detects the presence of the take-out lever, and the control means does not operate the beater. That is, the control means does not operate the beater unless the take-out lever is tilted and the proximity switch does not detect its presence. This means that the control means does not operate the beater when the proximity switch detects the presence of something. Therefore, even if an operator touches the vicinity of the proximity switch at the time of cleaning or the like, a malfunction in which the beater is erroneously operated does not occur.

In addition, if the rear surface of the upper end of the take-out lever is a flat surface and the proximity switch is provided corresponding to the rear of the upper end of the take-out lever as described in claim 2, infrared rays and sound waves emitted from the proximity switch are emitted. It becomes possible to reflect well, and the proximity switch can accurately detect the presence or absence of the take-out lever. In addition, if the beater is operated when the proximity switch does not detect the presence of the take-out lever for a predetermined period of time, it is possible to prevent a malfunction that occurs when the take-out lever is tilted by mistake. .

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a front view of a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a side view of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM, and FIG. FIG. 5, FIG. 5 is a front view of the freezer door 14 portion of the frozen dessert manufacturing device SM, FIG. 6 is a longitudinal side view of the freezer door 14 portion, FIG. 7 is a side view of the takeout lever 15 of the frozen dessert manufacturing device SM, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of the lever 15, FIG. 9 is a rear view of the take-out lever 15, FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram relating to the mix supply of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM, FIG. 11 is an exploded configuration diagram of the components around the mix raw material bag 5 in FIG. Shows a block diagram of an electric circuit of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM.

  The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM according to the embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing and selling frozen confectionery (in the embodiment, soft ice cream is manufactured) such as soft cream and sherbet (shake). In the upper part, a heat insulating cool box 2 for storing and cooling the mixed material bag 5 containing the raw material mix of soft cream (mixed as a frozen confectionery material such as soft cream and sherbet) is provided. The front side of the interior 2A of the cool box 2 is open, and the front opening is closed by a rotatable heat insulating door 3 so that the heat insulating door 3 can be opened and closed when the mixed material bag 5 is replaced. Opened. Reference numeral 33 denotes a cool box opening / closing switch for detecting opening / closing of the heat insulating door 3.

  On the other hand, a cool box cooler 4 and a blower (not shown) are arranged on the ceiling 2A of the cool box 2, and a cool box compressor 18A and a cool box condenser (not shown) are installed on the back of the cool box 2. Thus, the cold storage cooler 4 and a known refrigerant circuit are configured. When the cool box compressor 18A is operated, the cool box cooler 4 exhibits a cooling action. Then, the cool air cooled by the cool box cooler 4 is circulated to the inside 2 </ b> A by the blower, and the mixed material bag 5 in the cool box 2 and peripheral components described later are kept at a predetermined temperature.

  The mixed material bag 5 is housed in a rack 31 so as to be delivered freely, and is housed and loaded in the inside 2A of the cool box 2 while being held down by the sheet material 32 from above. At this time, the rack 31 is supported by the holding rails 6 and 6 on both side walls of the interior 2A, and the mixed material bag 5 is held in such a state that the front portion is inclined low.

  From the inner wall of the cool box 2, there are provided a connecting portion 7A of a bag pressurizing pipe 7 constituting a bag pressurizing passage and a connecting portion 51A of an air circuit 51 as an air supply passage. Furthermore, a mix inlet 9 of a cooling cylinder 8 (described later) is provided on the bottom wall 2A of the cool box 2 so as to open.

  Here, the mixed raw material bag 5 is made of, for example, a resin-made bag body 21 that is vapor-deposited with aluminum, and is attached to one surface of the bag body 21, and is made of a hard resin that communicates the inside of the bag body 21 with the outside. The outlet member 22, a flexible outer layer body 23 made of the same material as the bag body 21, and a non-adhesion described later between the outer layer body 23 and the bag body 21. It is comprised from the connection port member 24 made from hard resin attached to the one surface of the bag main body 21 so that it may communicate with a part (FIG. 10).

  The outer layer body 23 and the bag main body 21 are in a non-adhesive state except for the periphery of the outer layer body 23, whereby a sealed space can be formed between the outer layer body 23 and the bag main body 21. The communication port member 24 communicates between the outer layer body 23 and the bag body 21 (sealed space) and the outside. The mix (indicated by M in FIG. 10) is housed in the bag body 21 and compressed air (indicated by AI in FIG. 10) is supplied to the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 and the bag body 21. It is possible.

  The mix material bag 5 storing the mix as described above is stored and held in the rack 31 as described above, and stored in the interior 2A of the cool box 2 while being suppressed by the sheet material 32. In this state, the mix raw material tube 34 for constituting the mix supply passage attached in advance to the outlet member 22 is connected to the Y-type mixer 57 as described later, and the space between the communication port member 24 and the connection portion 7A is connected. The bag pressurization pipe 7 is connected for communication. In addition, the air circuit 51 connects the connection portion 51 </ b> A and the Y-type mixer 57.

  The mix raw material tube 34 is composed of a flexible resin tube, and is connected to the outlet member 22 of the mix raw material bag 5 in advance. The mix outlet 34A at the other end (front end) of the mix raw material tube 34 is initially sealed, and the inside of the mix raw material tube 34 is sanitarily held so as not to come into contact with the outside. It is cut and opened. Further, on the outer surface of the portion on the side of the mix raw material bag 5 from the mix outlet 34A at the other end, a flange portion 34B projects outwardly and is integrally formed (FIG. 10). And the rear surface on the opposite side to this mix outlet 34A side of this collar part 34B is comprised with the hard resin.

  On the other hand, 8 in FIG. 1 is the above-described cooling cylinder in which the mix flowing in from the mix inlet 9 is rotated and stirred by the beater 10 to produce a frozen dessert, and a cylinder cooler 11 is attached around the cylinder. The beater 10 is rotated via a beater motor 12, a drive transmission belt, a speed reducer 13, and a rotating shaft. The manufactured frozen dessert moves the plunger 16 up and down and opens the extraction path 30 by operating the take-out lever 15 disposed in the freezer door 14 that closes the front opening of the cooling cylinder 8 so that it can be opened and closed. At the same time, the beater 10 is driven to rotate and taken out. The freezer door 14, the takeout lever 15 and the plunger 16 constitute a frozen dessert extraction unit. Reference numeral 35 denotes a front cylinder member which is provided so as to protrude forward from the main body 1 so as to correspond to the front of the cooling cylinder 8, and to which the freezer door 14 is detachably attached. The freezer door 14 is attached to the front cylinder member 35. The front opening of the cooling cylinder 8 is closed by being attached.

  5 to 9, the freezer door 14 is made of transparent glass or transparent hard resin, and the inside of the cooling cylinder 8 can be seen through from the front through the freezer door 14. An extraction passage 40 is formed in the freezer door 14 so as to penetrate vertically. A front end of the extraction passage 30 opens in a side wall of the extraction passage 40, and a rear end communicates with the cooling cylinder 8. . Like the freezer door 14, the plunger 16 is made of a transparent hard resin or the like, and has an enlarged flange portion 16A formed at the upper end thereof, and an engagement recess 16B formed at the upper front surface. The plunger 16 is inserted into the take-out passage 40 so as to be vertically movable from above. Reference numeral 41 denotes a cover for the outlet 40A at the lower end of the extraction passage 40, which is removed during use.

  An attachment groove 41 for attaching the take-out lever 15 is formed on the upper surface of the freezer door 14 on the front side of the plunger 16 inserted into the take-out passage 40. The mounting groove 41 is open upward and in the front-rear direction, and the rear portion communicates with the take-out passage 40, and the bottom surface 41A is inclined lower toward the front side (FIG. 6).

On the other hand, a pivot shaft hole 42 penetrating left and right is formed at the lower end portion of the take-out lever 15, and an engaging portion 43 extending rearward is formed from the lower end portion. In addition, on the upper side of the rotation shaft hole 42, a flange portion 44 which is inclined to the front side is formed on both sides, and a shoulder portion 45 formed in a step shape is formed at a portion located behind the flange portion 44. Is formed. Further, the upper portion of the take-out lever 15 is bent forward at an acute angle, and a finger hooking portion 46 protruding left and right is formed at the front end thereof (FIGS. 8 and 9). In addition, the upper surface of the take-out lever 15 reaching the finger-hanging portion 46 is formed so as to be inclined lower toward the front side (FIG. 7). Further, the rear surface of the upper end portion of the take-out lever 15 is a flat surface as shown in FIGS.

  The take-out lever 15 formed in this way is attached to the freezer door 14. When attaching, the lower end of the take-out lever 15 is first inserted into the attachment groove 41, and the rotation shaft hole 42 is inserted into both side walls of the attachment groove 41. It is made to correspond to the screw hole which is formed in (1). Further, the engaging portion 43 is inserted into the engaging recess 16B of the plunger 16 and engaged therewith. In this state, the rotary shaft 50 is inserted into the screw hole and the rotary shaft hole 42 from the side, screwed into the screw hole, and the takeout lever 15 is detachably attached to the freezer door 14.

  In this state, the take-out lever 15 is pivotally supported by the freezer door 14 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction about the rotation shaft 50. 6, the plunger 16 is lowered when the takeout lever 15 is upright. In this state, the extraction passage 30 and the takeout port 40 </ b> A of the takeout passage 40 are closed by the plunger 16. In this standing state, the finger hooking portion 46 of the take-out lever 15 is located on the front side of the rotation shaft 50. Further, the shoulder 45 abuts or approaches the lower edge of the flange 16A at the upper end of the plunger 16 behind the take-out lever 15.

  And when extracting the frozen dessert manufactured in the cooling cylinder 8, a finger | toe is hung on the finger-hanging part 46 of the taking-out lever 15 in the standing state as shown in FIG. With this extraction operation, the take-out lever 15 rotates about the rotation shaft 50, and the upper part tilts forward. On the other hand, since the engaging part 43 extending to the rear of the lower end part is raised, the plunger 16 is lifted and raised. When the plunger 16 is raised, the take-out port 40A of the take-out passage 40 is opened and the extraction path 30 is also opened. Taken from.

  Since the finger hooking portion 46 is positioned in front of the rotary shaft 50 in the standing state of the take-out lever 15 as described above, when returning the take-out lever 15 to close the extraction path 30 after extracting the frozen dessert, the operator takes out The lever 15 is reliably returned to the standing state. As a result, it is possible to prevent inconvenience that the frozen dessert leaks from the outlet 40A in a state where the plunger 16 is lowered incompletely.

  Further, since the upper surface of the take-out lever 15 is inclined to the front side, the water that has fallen on the upper surface of the take-out lever 15 flows to the front of the take-out lever 15 and drops. Thereby, since the water which concerns does not flow down toward the plunger 16 or the extraction channel | path 40, they become difficult to be contaminated with various germs. Moreover, since the collar part 44 also inclines low toward the front side, the water that has flowed down the take-out lever 15 is received by the collar part 44 and flows forward and drops. This also makes it possible to avoid contamination of the plunger 16 and the extraction passage 40 due to various germs. Furthermore, since the bottom surface 41A of the mounting groove 41 is also inclined low toward the front side, the water that has entered the mounting groove 41 also flows forward through the bottom surface 41A and drops. As a result, contamination of the plunger 16 and the extraction passage 40 due to water immersion from the mounting groove 41 can be avoided. Furthermore, since the shoulder portion 45 is in contact with or close to the flange portion 16A of the plunger 16, the clearance between the take-out lever 15 and the plunger 16 is eliminated or extremely narrow, and enters the take-out passage 40 from here. Can also prevent water.

  Here, a permanent magnet 36 is embedded in the surface of the freezer door 14 on the main body 1 side, and a reed switch 37 is attached to the cylinder front member 35 at a position corresponding to the permanent magnet 36. When the freezer door 14 is attached to the cylinder front member 35 and the front opening of the cooling cylinder 8 is closed, the contact of the reed switch 37 is closed by the permanent magnet 36, the freezer door 14 is removed, and the cooling cylinder 8 is removed. When the front opening is opened, the contact of the reed switch 37 is opened.

In addition, a proximity switch (proximity sensor) 38 is attached to the front surface of the main body 1 at a position corresponding to the rear of the flat surface described above at the upper end of the take-out lever 15 constituting the frozen dessert extraction unit. The proximity switch 38 can detect whether the take-out lever 15 is standing or tilted using infrared rays or sound waves. That is, when the take-out lever 15 is standing, the upper end portion of the take-out lever 15 is approaching the proximity switch 38, whereby the proximity switch 38 detects the presence of the take-out lever 15. When the upper end of the take-out lever 15 is tilted forward (extraction operation) and separated from the proximity switch 38, the proximity switch 38 does not detect the presence of the take-out lever 15 . In particular, since the proximity switch 38 is provided corresponding to the rear side of the flat surface of the take-out lever 15, when the take-out lever 15 is standing, infrared rays and sound waves emitted from the proximity switch 38 are reflected well. Become. As a result, the proximity switch 38 can accurately detect the presence or absence of the take-out lever 15 .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a cleaning hose connection port 39 is provided on the inner wall of the cool box 2. The cleaning hose connection port 39 is connected to a cleaning hose (not shown) for discharging cleaning water into the cooling cylinder 8 when the cooling cylinder 8 is cleaned. It communicates with a cleaning water pipe (not shown). The cleaning water pipe is connected to a water pipe (not shown), and an opening / closing plug (not shown) is provided in the middle of the cleaning water pipe, and is disposed on the front surface of the main body 1. The open / close plug always closes the cleaning water pipe, and when the cooling cylinder 8 is cleaned, it is turned to open the cleaning water pipe.

  A compressor 18, a condenser 20, a four-way valve 19, and the like constituting the refrigerant circuit of the cooling device R are housed and installed in the lower part of the main body 1. The four-way valve 19 is for causing the high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor 18 to flow into the cylinder cooler 11 so that the cooling cylinder 8 is heat sterilized.

  Next, in FIGS. 10 and 11, reference numeral 27 denotes an air pump that constitutes an air compressor, and a discharge pipe 28 of the air pump 27 is connected to a distributor 46. The distributor 46 is connected to the other end of the bag pressurizing pipe 7. The bag pressurizing pipe 7 is composed of a plurality of parts via the connection portion 7A described above. Further, an air circuit sensor (pressure sensor) 47 constituting the pressure detection means and an exhaust pipe 49 are connected to the distributor 46, and the exhaust pipe 49 is connected to an exhaust electromagnetic valve 48 in the air circuit constituting the exhaust means ( Air pump protection and air circuit exhaust) are connected.

  Furthermore, one end of the air circuit 51 as an air supply passage is connected to the distributor 46, whereby the bag pressurizing pipe 7, the air circuit 51, the air pump 27, and the sensor in the air circuit are connected via the distributor 46. 47 and the exhaust pipe 49 are in communication with each other in a branched connection. The air circuit 51 is also composed of a plurality of parts via a connecting portion 51A, and an air circuit opening / closing electromagnetic valve 52, an air filter 53, and a check valve 56 are provided therein as a flow path opening / closing means. The air filter 53 captures and removes foreign matters and germs in the compressed air flowing into the air circuit 51.

  The other end of the air circuit 51 is detachably connected to the other inlet of the Y-type mixer 57 as a confluence member which is a path component as described above. Further, the outlet of the Y-type mixer 57 is detachably connected to the mix inlet 9 of the cooling cylinder 8 via a check valve 54. The check valve 54 is directed in the direction of the cooling cylinder 8, and the check valve 56 is directed in the direction of the Y-type mixer 57. The mixed raw material bag 5, the mixed raw material tube 34, the other end portion downstream of the check valve 56 of the air circuit 51, one end portion of the bag pressurizing pipe 7, and the Y-type mixer 57 are stored in the refrigerator 2. It is located at 2A and will be kept cold.

  Here, the bag pressurizing pipe 7 is also formed of a flexible tube, and is detachably connected to the communication port member 24 of the mixed material bag 5 by a one-touch joint or the like. Further, one end of the mix raw material tube 34 is connected in advance to the outlet member 22 of the mix raw material bag 5 as described above by a tube mounting part.

  The other end of the mix raw material tube 34 is detachably connected to one inlet of the Y-type mixer 57 by a mounting nut 67. In this case, when the mix outlet 34A of the mix raw material tube 34 is inserted into the Y-type mixer 57 from one inlet of the Y-type mixer 57, the flange portion 34B comes into contact with the opening edge of the inlet. In this state, the mounting nut 67 is screwed into a thread groove formed on the outer surface of the inlet from the rear surface side of the flange 34B, and the flange 34B is pressed against the opening edge of the inlet and sealed. Thereby, the other end of the mix raw material tube 34 is detachably connected to the Y-type mixer 57. In this connected state, the mix outlet 34A faces the Y-type mixer 57 and does not contact the wall surface of the Y-type mixer 57 around it.

  Since the mix raw material tube 34 is a flexible tube as described above, it can be easily sealed by being pinched by the pinch 68. However, the pinch 68 is left open during normal use.

  On the other hand, the other end of the air circuit 51 is also detachably connected to the other inlet of the Y-type mixer 57 by the mounting nut 69 as described above. The outlet of the Y-type mixer 57 is detachably connected to the mix inlet 9 of the cooling cylinder 8 through the O-ring 71 as described above. By detachably connecting in this way, cleaning of the mix raw material tube 34, the Y-type mixer 57, etc. becomes easy.

  Next, in FIG. 12, reference numeral 73 denotes a general-purpose microcomputer constituting the control means. The input of the microcomputer 73 is connected to the cool box open / close switch 33, the air circuit sensor 47, the proximity switch 38, and the reed switch 37. Has been. Further, a precharge switch (operation switch) 76, a cooling switch 77, and a heat sterilization switch 75 disposed on a control panel 74 provided at the lower front of the heat insulating door 3 are connected to the input of the microcomputer 73. Yes.

  Further, in addition to the compressors 18 and 18A of the cooling device R and the beater motor 12 described above, the exhaust solenoid valve 48 in the air circuit, the air pump 27, and the air circuit open / close solenoid valve 52 are connected to the output of the microcomputer 73. . Furthermore, a sold-out display lamp 78 provided on the operation panel 74 is connected to the output of the microcomputer 73.

  Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. When a power plug (not shown) of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus SM is connected to the power source and turned on, the microcomputer 73 first determines whether or not the contact of the reed switch 37 is closed. If the freezer door 14 is attached and the front opening of the cooling cylinder 8 is closed, and the permanent magnet 36 allows the reed switch 37 to be closed, the operation of the subsequent operation is allowed. If it is not attached and the contact of the reed switch 37 is open, the start of the subsequent operation is prohibited, for example, the sold-out display lamp 78 is blinked to display an alarm. As a result, forgetting to attach the freezer door 14 or preventing the operation from being started in a state where the freezer door 14 is not properly attached is prevented, and the operator is prompted to attach the freezer door 14.

(1) Initial state In an initial state after the power is turned on, the microcomputer 73 first opens the air circuit exhaust electromagnetic valve 48 for a predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds). After that, after setting the mixed material bag 5 in the inside 2A of the cool box 2 as described above and detecting that the heat insulating door 3 is closed based on the detection operation of the cool box opening / closing switch 33, the microcomputer 73 Operates the air pump 27. Thereafter, when the heat insulating door 3 of the cool box 2 is opened, the microcomputer 73 stops the air pump 27 based on the detection operation of the cool box opening / closing switch 33 and exhausts the electromagnetic valve in the air circuit for a predetermined period (5 seconds). 48 is opened and exhausted from the air circuit 51 and the bag pressurizing pipe 7.

  In other words, the microcomputer 73 stops the air pump 27 when the heat insulating door 3 of the cool box 2 is opened, and allows the operation of the air pump 27 only when the heat insulating door 3 is closed. Thereby, the safety | security at the time of attachment or detachment of the pipe etc. in the case of replacement | exchange of the mix raw material bag 5 improves. In particular, when the heat insulating door 3 is opened, the exhaust electromagnetic valve 48 in the air circuit is opened and the compressed air is discharged from the air circuit 51 or the bag pressurizing pipe 7, so that the compressed air blows out when the pipe is attached or detached. Can be reliably avoided.

  In this initial state, after the air pump 27 is operated, the sensor 47 in the air circuit communicates with the bag pressurizing pipe 7 (communication with the bag pressurizing pipe 7) even after 3 minutes have passed. If the pressure rise in the air circuit 51 is not detected), the air pump 27 is stopped, and the sold out display lamp 78 is blinked. Alarm.

(2) Precharge mode Next, when the operator turns on the precharge switch 76 (presses it for less than 2 seconds), the microcomputer 73 enters the precharge mode and starts precharging. In this precharge mode, the microcomputer 73 operates the air pump 27, and the bag pressurizing pipe 7 communicated by the distributor 46 (the bag body 21 and the outer layer body of the mixed material bag 5 communicating with the bag pressurizing pipe 7. Compressed air is supplied into the air circuit 51 (in the precharge mode, the air circuit opening / closing solenoid valve 52 is closed).

  When the air pressure detected by the air circuit sensor 47 rises to a set value, the microcomputer 73 stops the air pump 27 based on the output of the air circuit sensor 47. After that, the microcomputer 73 starts counting a 3-minute timer (a predetermined value not limited to 3 minutes) that is included in the microcomputer 73.

  Compressed air is sent from the bag pressurizing pipe 7 into the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21, whereby a constant pressure is applied to the bag body 21 from the outside. As a result, the volume of the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 and the bag body 21 is expanded, so that the mix in the bag body 21 is pushed out from the outlet member 22 to the mix material tube 34. The mix pushed out to the mix raw material tube 34 exits from the mix outlet 34A, and then flows into the cooling cylinder 8 from the mix inlet 9 through the Y-type mixer 57 and the check valve 54. At this time, by removing the air circuit 51, the air in the cooling cylinder 8 exits from the other outlet of the Y-type mixer 57. As a result, the mix also smoothly flows into the cooling cylinder 8.

  Since the mix flows out from the mix raw material bag 5, the volume of the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 and the bag body 21 is expanded, so that the air pressure in the pipe from the bag pressurizing pipe 7 to the distributor 46 is also reduced. When the air circuit sensor 47 detects that the pressure has dropped to a predetermined lower limit value, the microcomputer 73 operates the air pump 27 to resume the supply of compressed air. By repeating this, the microcomputer 74 sets the air pressure (air pressure in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21) detected by the air circuit sensor 47 between the set value and the lower limit value (set value). And a predetermined pressure in the range of the lower limit).

  Thereafter, this is continued until the count of the 3-minute timer is completed, and the mix is fed into the cooling cylinder 8. As a result, the mix is stored in the cooling cylinder 8. When the count of the 3-minute timer is completed, the microcomputer 73 stops the operation of the air pump 27, opens the exhaust electromagnetic valve 48 in the air circuit for 5 seconds, and discharges the compressed air once. The operator checks the liquid level of the mix in the cooling cylinder 8 through the transparent freezer door 14, and when it does not reach the predetermined liquid level, the operator continues to press the precharge switch 76 (ON for 2 seconds or more).

  When the precharge switch 76 is continuously turned on, the microcomputer 73 operates the air pump 27 and starts supplying compressed air again. As described above, the air pressure detected by the sensor 47 in the air circuit (mixed material bag) The air pressure in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 and the bag body 21 is maintained at the set value. As a result, the mix is again fed into the cooling cylinder 8 from the mix material bag 5. When the operator visually confirms that the mix in the cooling cylinder 8 has been stored to a predetermined liquid level and releases the precharge switch 76 (OFF), the microcomputer 73 stops the air pump pump 27. Then, the air solenoid exhaust solenoid valve 48 is opened to discharge the compressed air in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21. As a result, the feeding of the mix is stopped, and the mix is stored in the cooling cylinder 8 to a predetermined liquid level.

  By providing such a precharge mode in the microcomputer 73, the mix can be smoothly stored in the cooling cylinder 8 when the store is opened. In particular, since the precharge switch 76 is provided and the precharge can be started manually, the usability is also improved.

  After the mix is stored in the cooling cylinder 8 to a predetermined liquid level in this way, the heat insulating door 3 is opened, the air circuit 51 is connected to the other inlet of the Y-type mixer 57, and the heat insulating door 3 is closed. When the heat insulating door 3 is opened, the microcomputer 73 stops the air pump 27 and opens the exhaust electromagnetic valve 48 in the air circuit to discharge the compressed air as described above, but after the air circuit 51 is connected, the heat insulating door 3 is opened. Is closed, the air pump 27 is operated again to detect the air pressure detected by the air circuit sensor 47 (the bag pressurizing pipe 7 including the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21 and the distributor 46). And the air pressure to the air circuit opening / closing solenoid valve 52 in the air circuit 51) is increased to a set value.

  When the air pressure detected by the air circuit sensor 47 rises to the set value, the microcomputer 73 opens the air circuit opening / closing electromagnetic valve 52 for a predetermined period (for example, 5 seconds) and compresses the air circuit 51 to the Y-type mixer 57. Bring in air. The pressure of the compressed air flowing into the cooling cylinder 8 from the air circuit 51 through the Y-type mixer 57 prevents the mix from flowing into the cooling cylinder 8 from the mix material tube 34.

  At this time, an overrun of the frozen dessert (a state in which air is mixed in the frozen dessert and the volume increases) is obtained depending on the amount of compressed air flowing into the cooling cylinder 8. Since the liquid level of the mix to be performed can be defined at a predetermined liquid level by operating the precharge switch 76, the amount of air in the cooling cylinder 8 can also be defined, whereby the overrun amount of the frozen dessert can be accurately set. become able to.

  At this time, since the compressed air flowing into the cooling cylinder 8 has passed through the air filter 53, foreign matter and germs contained in the air are captured by the air filter 53. As a result, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that foreign matters and various germs are mixed with the compressed air in the cooling cylinder 8, and hygiene management can be reliably performed.

  Furthermore, since the mix raw material tube 34 and the air circuit 51 are once merged in the Y-type mixer 57 as described above, they are communicated with the cooling cylinder 8 from the mix inlet 9. Both the supply of the mix and the supply of overrun air can be performed from the single mix inlet 9, and the structure of the cooling cylinder 8 can be simplified.

  Here, as described above, the mix outlet 34A of the mix raw material tube 34 is held in the Y-type mixer 57 without contacting the surrounding wall surface. Further, since compressed air is supplied from the air circuit 51 into the Y-type mixer 57, the level of the mix does not rise to the periphery of the mix outlet 34A. Therefore, since the mix outlet 34A does not contact the surrounding wall surface and the mix flowing out from the wall, even if various bacteria are attached to the outer surface of the mix raw material tube 34, the Y-type mixer 57 and the cooling cylinder 8 are used. There is no risk of contamination of the mix inside.

  This completes the precharge mode. In this state, the operation of the cooling switch 77 is awaited. The microcomputer 73 counts and holds the precharge time required to store the mix in the cooling cylinder 8 from the time when the precharge switch 76 is first operated to the predetermined liquid level as described above. In this case, the count of the precharge time ends when the precharge switch 76 is finally released.

(3) Normal Sales Mode Next, when the cooling switch 77 is turned ON (pressed) by the operator, the microcomputer 73 is provided with a cooling device on the condition that the freezer door 14 is normally attached and closed as described above. The R compressor 18 is operated to start the cooling operation. When the compressor 18 is operated, the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 20 is supplied to the cylinder cooler 11 through a decompression device (not shown), and evaporates there to exert a cooling action. In addition, the compressor 18A is also operated, and the mix of the mix material bag 5 in the inside 2A of the cool box 2 is kept cold by the cool box cooler 4 as described above. Further, since the components (such as the portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 10) such as the other ends of the mix raw material tube 68 and the air circuit 51 in the interior 2A and the Y-type mixer 57 are kept cold, they will be described later. In this way, the temperature of the mix and compressed air flowing into the cooling cylinder 8 does not rise in the process of passing through them.

  On the other hand, in the cooling cylinder 8, the mix is cooled to the freezing temperature by the cylinder cooler 11, and the microcomputer 73 rotates the beater 10 by the beater motor 12, so that the semi-cured frozen dessert ( Soft ice cream) is produced. After that, it becomes a sales standby state.

  In this state, for example, when the operator places the cone (container) below the take-out lever 15 and puts a finger on the finger-hooking portion 46 of the take-out lever 15 and tilts it forward, the take-out lever 15 is separated from the proximity switch 38. Therefore, the proximity switch 38 cannot detect the presence of the takeout lever 15. As a result, the proximity switch 38 is turned off (sales detection by extracting frozen desserts), and the microcomputer 73 itself has a sales detection function of 3 seconds (not limited to 3 seconds) according to the proximity switch 38 being turned off. Period) Start timer counting. When the timer count is completed for 3 seconds, that is, when the proximity switch 38 cannot continuously detect the presence of the take-out lever 15 for 3 seconds, the microcomputer 73 rotates the beater 10. As the beater 10 rotates, the frozen confectionery (soft cream) is pushed out from the extraction path 30 into the take-out passage 40, and the frozen confectionery is extracted into the cone from the take-out port 40A.

  When the extraction is completed and the extraction lever 15 is returned to the standing state as described above and the extraction path 30 and the outlet 40A are closed by the plunger 16, the proximity switch 38 detects the presence of the extraction lever 15 again. Therefore (ON), the microcomputer 73 stops the rotation of the beater 10 in response to the proximity switch 38 being turned on.

  As described above, since the rotation of the beater 10 is controlled using the proximity switch 38, there is no need to provide a take-off switch using an arm that interlocks with the vertical movement of the plunger 16 as in the prior art, and the number of parts can be reduced. Since the mechanism is simplified, failure is less likely to occur. Further, since the beater 10 is rotated when the presence of the takeout lever 15 cannot be detected continuously for a predetermined period (3 seconds), a malfunction that occurs when the takeout lever 15 is accidentally operated is also caused. Can be prevented.

  Since the pressure is reduced by extracting the frozen dessert from the cooling cylinder 8, the mix inlet 9 passes through the mix raw material tube 34, the check valve 54, and the Y-type mixer 57 from the bag main body 21 of the mix raw material bag 5. Then, the mix flows into the cooling cylinder 8 and is replenished.

  In this case, since the air circuit 51 is provided with the check valve 56, the inconvenience of the mix entering the Y-type mixer 57 from the mix raw material tube 34 into the air circuit 51 at this time is avoided. Therefore, it is not necessary to clean the air circuit 51 upstream of the check valve 56.

  On the other hand, the microcomputer 73 opens the air circuit opening / closing solenoid valve 52 for b seconds (predetermined period) after a second (delay time) from the sales detection. When the air circuit 51 is opened by the air circuit opening / closing solenoid valve 52, the mix from the mix material tube 34 to the cooling cylinder 8 is performed by the pressure of the compressed air flowing from the air circuit 51 through the Y-type mixer 57 into the cooling cylinder 8. Inflow is blocked and stopped as before. That is, the mix can be supplemented from the mix material tube 34 into the cooling cylinder 8 by opening the air circuit opening / closing electromagnetic valve 52 with a delay from the start of extraction of the frozen dessert from the cooling cylinder 8.

  Here, the replenishment amount of the mix at this time is determined by the delay time of a seconds, and the amount of the mix flowing into the cooling cylinder 8 during this delay time varies depending on the viscosity of the mix. That is, when the viscosity of the mix is high at the same delay time, the replenishment amount decreases, and when the viscosity is low, the replenishment amount increases. On the other hand, when the viscosity of the mix is high, the time required for the precharge described above (precharge time) becomes long, and when it is low, the time becomes short.

  Therefore, based on the precharge time counted and held as described above, the microcomputer 73 extends the delay time of a seconds when the precharge time is long, and shortens it when the precharge time is short. . As a result, the amount of the mix replenished into the cooling cylinder 8 with the extraction of the frozen dessert can be made substantially constant regardless of the viscosity of the mix. And a lack of mixing in the cooling cylinder 8 can be avoided.

  Here, the microcomputer 73 performs ON / OFF control of the air pump 27 so as to maintain the pressure detected by the air circuit sensor 47 at the set value described above. With the extraction of the frozen dessert as described above, the mix flows out from the mix raw material bag 5, and the pressure detected by the air circuit sensor 47 gradually increases as air flows into the cooling cylinder 8 from the air circuit 51. Although the pressure decreases, the pressure drops to the lower limit after approximately five extractions, and the air pump 27 is operated.

  Therefore, in most cases except for an extremely rare situation where extraction is performed six times or more continuously, the air pump 27 is not operated while the air circuit opening / closing electromagnetic valve 52 is opened for b seconds as described above. Therefore, during this b seconds, the compressed air in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21 enters the air circuit 51 via the bag pressurizing pipe 7 and the distributor 46, and the air It flows into the cooling cylinder 8 through the circuit opening / closing electromagnetic valve 52, the air filter 53 and the Y-type mixer 57.

  The compressed air in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mix raw material bag 5 and the bag main body 21 is air cooled in the interior 2 </ b> A of the cool box 2. That is, since the compressed air having a low temperature is supplied from the air circuit 51 into the cooling cylinder 8, the volume is not bulky, which is advantageous for overrun.

  Moreover, by sealing the air pressure in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21 using the air pump 27 and the sensor 47 in the air circuit in this way, the sealed space between them is sealed. Since the volume is increased and the mix stored in the bag main body 21 is pushed out to the mix raw material tube 34, automatic supply of the mix from the bag main body 21 to the cooling cylinder 8 can be realized. This eliminates the gravity-dependent mix supply system that uses the mix supply pipe as in the prior art, and enables stable automatic supply of the mix. The mix is directly cooled from the mix material bag 5 to the cooling cylinder 8. By supplying to, hygiene problems can be solved.

  Further, the air pressure in the sealed space between the outer layer body 23 of the mixed material bag 5 and the bag body 21 is set to a predetermined pressure between the set value and the lower limit value by using the air pump 27 and the air circuit sensor 47 in this way. The mix is pushed out from the bag body 21 to the mix material tube 34 by the air pressure and supplied to the cooling cylinder 8 and the air circuit opening / closing solenoid valve 52 is opened to allow the compressed air from the air circuit 51 to flow in. Accordingly, the replenishment of the mix from the mix raw material tube 34 is stopped, so that it is not necessary to provide an electromagnetic valve or the like for controlling the supply of the mix on the mix raw material tube 34 side. This makes the cleaning operation extremely easy.

(4) When sold out When the above-described sales operation is performed and the mix in the bag body 21 of the mix raw material bag 5 is lost, there is no mix to be replenished even if the frozen dessert is extracted after the sale is detected. The change in pressure detected by the in-circuit sensor 47 does not occur or becomes extremely small. In the embodiment, when there is no change in pressure after the sales are detected, the microcomputer 73 determines that the selling is out and turns on the sold-out display lamp 78 continuously (ON). Further, the operation of the air pump 27 is also stopped.

(5) Bag replacement When the operator confirms that the mix is sold out by turning on the sold-out display lamp 78 and opens the heat insulating door 3 for replacement, the microcomputer 73 sets the air circuit exhaust solenoid valve 48 for 5 seconds as described above. Open to discharge compressed air. Thereafter, the bag pressurizing pipe 7 and the mix raw material tube 34 are removed, and the mix raw material bag 5 which is empty together with the rack 31 is taken out.

  And after removing the sheet material 32 and taking out the mix raw material bag 5 from the rack 31, the new mix raw material bag 5 is stored in the rack 31, and is restrained by the sheet material 32 and set in the cabinet 2A as described above. After connecting the bag pressurizing pipe 7 and the mix raw material tube 34, when the heat insulating door 3 is closed, the microcomputer 73 operates the air pump 27 again to set the air pressure detected by the air circuit sensor 47 to the set value. To a standby state for sale.

(6) Heat Sterilization Mode Next, when the inside of the cooling cylinder 8 is heat sterilized, first, the rotating shaft 50 is loosened and pulled out, and the takeout lever 15 is removed from the freezer door 14. In this state, when the operator turns on (presses) the heat sterilization switch 75, the microcomputer 73 operates the compressor 18 of the cooling device R and switches the four-way valve 19 to start the heat sterilization operation. In this heat sterilization operation, the high-temperature gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 18 is directly supplied to the cylinder cooler 11 without passing through the condenser 20 or the decompression device. As a result, the cooling cylinder 8 is heated and the internal frozen dessert (mix) is sterilized. This heat sterilization operation is completed by holding the cooling cylinder 8 at a predetermined heat sterilization temperature for a predetermined time.

  Here, when the proximity switch 38 detects the presence of the take-out lever 15 and is turned on, the microcomputer 73 invalidates the heat sterilization switch 75 even if it is turned on. That is, as described above, the heat sterilization operation is not started without removing the take-out lever 15 from the freezer door 14 and in the standing state.

  In this case, since the inside of the cooling cylinder 8 becomes very hot during the heat sterilization operation, if the take-out lever 15 is tilted by mistake, a high-temperature mix blows out from the take-out port 40A through the extraction path 30, and burns are caused. Although there is a risk of incurring, by allowing the heat sterilization operation to be started on the condition that the take-out lever 15 is removed with the plunger 16 lowered as described above, the occurrence of such an accident can be avoided in advance. become.

  In addition, although the Example demonstrated by the system which extrudes a mix by pressurizing the mix raw material bag 5 with compressed air, this invention is effective not only to it but a normal hopper type frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus.

It is a front view of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a side view of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a top view of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a front view of the freezer door part of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a vertical side view of the freezer door part of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a side view of the extraction lever of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a top view of the extraction lever of FIG. It is a rear view of the extraction lever of FIG. It is a block diagram regarding the mix supply of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG. It is a decomposition | disassembly block diagram of the components of the mix raw material bag periphery of FIG. It is a block diagram of the electric circuit of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

8 Cooling cylinder 10 Beater 14 Freezer door 15 Extraction lever 16 Plunger 30 Extraction path 38 Proximity switch 73 Microcomputer SM Frozen dessert manufacturing equipment

Claims (2)

A cooling cylinder to which the mix is supplied, a beater that stirs the mix in the cooling cylinder, and a cooling device that cools the cooling cylinder, and manufactures frozen dessert by cooling the mix while stirring in the cooling cylinder. In the frozen dessert manufacturing equipment
An extraction lever for extracting the frozen dessert produced in the cooling cylinder by performing an operation of tilting forward from the standing state;
A proximity switch that detects the presence of the take-out lever in a state in which the take-out lever stands up and approaches, and that does not detect the presence of the take-out lever in a tilted and separated state;
Control means for stopping the beater when the proximity switch detects the presence of the take-out lever, and operating the beater when the proximity switch does not detect the presence of the take-out lever. Frozen confectionery manufacturing equipment. The rear surface of the upper end of the extraction lever is a flat surface, and the proximity switch is provided corresponding to the rear of the upper end of the extraction lever,
The frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means operates the beater when the proximity switch does not detect the presence of the take-out lever for a predetermined period.

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