JP4372641B2 - Valve structure and frozen dessert manufacturing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a frozen structure such as soft ice cream having a valve structure capable of adjusting the supply of liquid by opening and closing a path for supplying a liquid and a mix feeder for adjusting the supply of the mix from the mix tank to the cylinder. The present invention relates to a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus.

  In frozen dessert manufacturing equipment that manufactures ice cream and shakes such as ice cream, the supply of the mix is adjusted by opening and closing the supply path for supplying the mix from the mix tank that stores the mix that is the raw material for soft cream to the cylinder of the ice cream manufacturing equipment A mix feeder is used. The mix feeder generally includes an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder inserted into the outer cylinder, and each cylinder is formed with a hole that communicates the inside and the outside. Then, the mix supply path is opened and closed by changing the relative positional relationship between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder and overlapping or shifting the positions of the holes communicating with the inside and outside of each cylinder.

  The above mix feeder mixes air from the upper end opened to the atmosphere when producing frozen confectionery and mixes the mixture and supplies it to the cylinder, and when sterilizing the frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus from the mix tank to the cylinder. It is necessary to block the leakage of the mix.

  For this reason, conventionally, there are various means for preventing the mix that has entered from the hole of the outer cylinder from leaking in a state in which the position of the hole communicating between the inside and the outside of each cylinder is shifted and the supply path of the mix is closed. It is provided in the mix feeder. As a structure for preventing such leakage of the mix, there is a structure in which a pair of seal members that can be positioned above and below the hole of the outer cylinder are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder (for example, Patent Document 1). ~ 2). With such a structure, when the positions of the hole of the inner cylinder and the hole of the outer cylinder are shifted (the supply path is closed), the mix is placed inside the mix feeder through the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. Intrusion can be prevented.

  FIG. 10 shows a schematic configuration of a mix feeder provided in a conventional frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. As shown in the figure, the conventional mix feeder 100 includes an outer cylinder 110 and an inner cylinder 120 inserted into the outer cylinder 110, and the relative position of both is in the longitudinal direction of the mix feeder 100. The mix supply path is closed by shifting to a position where the communication hole 111 of the outer cylinder and the communication hole 121 of the inner cylinder do not overlap.

  The mix feeder 100 prevents the mix 141 from the communication hole 111 from entering the mix feeder 100 from between the outer cylinder 110 and the inner cylinder 120 in a state where the supply path of the mix is closed. The O-ring 130a and the O-ring 130b for sealing (closing) between the outer cylinder 110 and the inner cylinder 120 are provided at positions where the upper and lower sides of the communication hole 111 can be sealed.

  Further, an O-ring 150 for sealing between the outlet vertical pipe 142 at the lower part of the hopper (mix tank) 140 and the mix feeder 100 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 110. In this way, a total of three O-rings for sealing each part of the mix feeder 100 are provided.

  Three O-rings are used in the mix feeder described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. An increase in the number of processing steps and the number of parts of the ring groove leads to an increase in the manufacturing cost of the mix feeder and an increase in the user's labor (man-hour) in disassembly and cleaning, resulting in complicated operations. For this reason, it is desired to reduce the number of parts for sealing the mix feeder 100 as much as possible from the viewpoint of cost reduction of the mix feeder and labor saving of the disassembly and cleaning work. In response to such a request, a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that realizes a seal of a mix feeder by using two O-rings has been proposed (Patent Document 3).

FIG. 11 shows a schematic configuration of the mix feeder described in Patent Document 3. As shown in the figure, the mix feeder 200 includes an outer cylinder 210 and an inner cylinder 220 inserted into the outer cylinder 210, and an inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 210 and a raw material tank (mix tank). The inner peripheral surface of the outlet vertical pipe 242 extending downward from 240 is configured to form the same surface. Further, in the mix feeder 200 described in Patent Document 3, the positions of the communication hole 211 of the outer cylinder 210 and the communication hole 221 of the inner cylinder 220 are shifted, and the communication hole 211 is closed when the mix supply path is closed. An O-ring 230a and an O-ring 230b are provided at positions above and below. The frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus of Patent Literature 3 realizes the seal of the mix feeder with the two O-rings with the above configuration.
JP 2001-245596 (Publication date: September 11, 2001) JP 2002-65171 (Publication date March 5, 2002) JP 2002-176919 (release date June 25, 2002)

  However, the conventional mix feeder 200 described in Patent Document 3 includes a communication hole 211 and a communication hole 221 by translating the outer cylinder 210 and the inner cylinder 220 in the axial direction thereof. It is the structure which opens and closes the supply path | route of a mix. In such a conventional mix supply device 200, the communication hole 211 and the communication hole 221 are in a predetermined positional relationship by engaging the inner cylinder 210 and the outer cylinder 220. Specifically, a convex portion 222 is formed at the upper end of the inner cylinder, and an engaging portion 212 and an engaging portion 213 that can be engaged with the convex portion 222 are formed at the upper end of the outer cylinder 210. Then, the communication hole 211 and the communication hole 221 are in a predetermined positional relationship by engaging one of the engaging portion 212 and the engaging portion 213 of the outer cylinder 210 with the convex portion 222 of the inner cylinder 220. Designed to be

  Therefore, in the conventional mixing apparatus 200, when the mix supply path is opened and closed, the inner cylinder 220 is once lifted and rotated to a position higher than a predetermined position, and then the convex portion 222 is engaged with the outer cylinder 210. “Axial movement” operation and “rotation” operation of lowering the inner cylinder 220 to a position where it engages with the joint portion 212 or the engaging portion 213 are required.

  In such an opening / closing operation, when the inner cylinder 220 cannot be sufficiently lowered downward after rotating the inner cylinder, when the mix supply path is closed, the position accidentally raised higher than a predetermined position. Thus, the inner cylinder 220 is fixed. In such a case, there is a problem that the O-ring 230b becomes higher than the position of the communication hole 211, and the mix 141 falls from the communication hole 211 into the mix feeder 200. In addition, since a relatively large force is required to translate the outer cylinder 210 and the inner cylinder 220 in the axial direction, the above-described mix is caused by the positional relationship between the outer cylinder 210 and the inner cylinder 220. 141 falls easily.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and its purpose is to easily and reliably open and close the mix supply path from the mix tank to the cylinder, and the mix supply path is closed. The present invention is to realize a valve structure such as a mix feeder that can be reliably manufactured at a low cost, and a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus equipped with the mix feeder.

  A valve structure according to the present invention is a valve that opens and closes a communication hole composed of an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole that communicate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface by relatively moving the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. In the state where the communication hole is closed, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are located at substantially the same height, and the region overlapping with the outer cylinder hole on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder hole are It is characterized by being separated by a first seal portion that blocks between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder.

  With the above configuration, a valve structure that can reliably prevent liquid from leaking from other than the communication hole in a state where the supply path is closed can be manufactured at low cost.

  That is, in the valve structure of the present invention, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are positioned at substantially the same height in a state where the communication hole is closed. For this reason, since the communication hole can be opened and closed by relatively rotating the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder in the horizontal direction, the opening and closing of the communication hole can be controlled easily and reliably. In addition, the first seal portion can be easily formed with a small number of members such as one O-ring. In this case, for example, the first seal portion can be configured by providing an O-ring obliquely with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder.

  In the present invention, “the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are positioned at substantially the same height” means that the height of the lower end in the vertical direction of one of the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole is determined. It means that the upper end or the lower end of the other hole is located between the heights of the upper ends, in other words, by rotating the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder relative to each other in the horizontal direction, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole. And the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are located at a position where a communication hole can be formed.

  As described above, in the valve structure of the present invention, the first seal portion can be configured with a small number of parts, and thus the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. Further, when the valve structure of the present invention is configured to be disassembled, it can be realized with a small number of parts, and therefore, the number of man-hours required for disassembling and assembling operations can be reduced. For this reason, the valve structure of the present invention can be suitably used as a raw material supply device for an apparatus that requires frequent disassembly and cleaning, such as a food production apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus including a mix feeder that opens and closes a supply path of the mix from the mix tank to the cylinder, and the mix feeder is externally provided. The outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are provided with an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole that communicate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface. Can be opened and closed as the supply path can open and close a mix hole composed of an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole. When the mix hole is closed, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are substantially the same. A region that overlaps with the outer cylinder hole on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder hole are separated from each other by a first seal portion that blocks between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder. It is characterized by being.

  With the above configuration, the mix supply path from the mix tank to the cylinder can be opened and closed easily and reliably, and leakage of the mix can be reliably prevented when the mix supply path is closed. A frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus equipped with a simple mix feeder can be realized.

  That is, in the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, in the state where the mix hole is closed, the region overlapping the outer cylinder hole on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder hole are between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder. Since it is separated by the first seal portion to be closed, the mix that has entered between the outer cylinder inner surface and the inner cylinder outer surface from the outer cylinder hole reaches the inner cylinder hole and leaks into the mix feeder. Can be prevented.

  Moreover, as mentioned above, the frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus of the present invention seals (closes) the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder of the mix feeder by the first seal portion, and this is made up of one member. Since it can be configured, it is possible to reduce the number of processing steps and the number of parts of the seal portion as compared with the conventional one using two O-rings for the seal between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder. For this reason, while being able to hold down manufacturing cost, in order to ensure a hygienic state, it is possible to realize labor saving of disassembly and cleaning work, which is important for a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that requires frequent disassembly and cleaning. .

  The mix feeder is preferably made of resin. By using resin, it is possible to manufacture by injection resin molding, so that the cost can be greatly reduced as compared with conventional metal products.

  The mix feeder is preferably capable of opening and closing the mix hole by relatively rotating the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder in the horizontal direction.

  With the above configuration, the force required for the opening / closing operation can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the outer hole and the inner cylinder are relatively moved in the axial direction to open and close the mixing hole. Further, in the opening / closing operation of the mix hole, the relative positional relationship between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder in the axial direction is constant. Mix leakage due to the relative axial position of the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder deviating from a predetermined position can be prevented.

  In addition, the said mix feeder of the frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus of this invention is set as the structure which opens and closes the said mix hole by rotating an inner cylinder, or the structure which opens and closes the said mix hole by rotating an outer cylinder. Also good.

  When the 2nd seal | sticker part which block | closes between a mix tank and a mix supply device is provided, the frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus of this invention is provided below the lower end of the said outer cylinder of the outer peripheral surface of the said inner cylinder. It is the composition which is.

  The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention can be configured such that one of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder is fixed to the mix tank and the other is removable, but the inner cylinder is removably inserted into the outlet vertical pipe at the bottom of the mix tank. Therefore, when a mix feeder of the type installed in the mix tank is used, it is preferable that the second seal portion is provided as described above. In a state where the mix hole is closed, the mix of the mix tank can be prevented from falling into the cylinder by the second seal portion that blocks between the mix tank and the mix feeder.

  Moreover, the conventional mix feeder installed by inserting the outer cylinder into the outlet vertical pipe at the lower part of the mix tank opens and closes the mix hole by moving the inner cylinder in the axial direction with respect to the fixed outer cylinder. Is. Therefore, in order to seal between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder in a state where the supply path of the mix is closed, two seal portions for sealing the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder above and below the hole of the outer cylinder, and the outlet vertical pipe A total of three seal portions, that is, a seal portion that seals between the outer cylinder and the outer cylinder are required. On the other hand, the mix feeder provided in the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention has a first seal portion that closes the path from the outer cylinder hole to the inner cylinder hole in the state where the supply path of the mix is closed, and a vertical outlet. Due to the second seal portion that seals between the pipe and the inner cylinder, leakage of the mix (drop of the mix into the cylinder) can be prevented. That is, compared with the conventional mix supply device, it can be comprised by a small number of seal parts.

  In the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the first seal portion can be configured by an O-ring that is provided obliquely with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder. .

  By surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and by providing an O-ring obliquely with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder, the inner cylinder outer peripheral surface area and the inner cylinder overlapping the outer cylinder hole in a state where the mix hole is closed The hole can be easily separated from the hole by the first seal portion.

  With this configuration, for example, the space between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder can be sealed only by the first seal portion on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, which can be configured by one O-ring, thereby reducing the number of processing steps and the number of parts. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that can be manufactured at a lower cost than the conventional one, and can be disassembled and washed with less man-hours and has good workability.

  In the case where the first seal portion is constituted by an O-ring that is provided obliquely with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, the O-ring is connected to the outer cylinder. It is preferable that the upper end is positioned at a height higher than the upper end of the hole and the lower end is positioned at a height lower than the lower end of the outer cylinder hole.

  With the above configuration, the O-ring prevents the mix from leaking from the outer cylinder hole to the inner cylinder hole and, for example, when the lower end of the outer cylinder is located in the mix of the mix tank, The mix from between the cylinders can be prevented from reaching the inner cylinder hole.

  In the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the first seal part and the second seal part are made of the same type of O-ring. Here, the same type of O-ring means an O-ring having the same size, thickness, material, and the like.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent the performance of the mix feeder from being deteriorated due to an error in the disassembly cleaning and reassembly work.

  In order to maintain the sanitary condition, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus needs to be disassembled and washed at regular intervals. For this reason, at the time of reassembly after disassembly and cleaning, an error may occur such that the O-ring is arranged in a seal portion different from the original position. However, in the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the first seal part and the second seal part are made of the same O-ring. Even if it is placed in a different site, there will be no problem with the function of the mix feeder. Therefore, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to save the user's trouble in disassembly and cleaning and further simplify the work.

  On the other hand, the conventional mix feeder, which is installed by inserting an outer cylinder into the outlet vertical pipe at the lower part of the mix tank, has two seal portions for sealing the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder, and between the outlet vertical pipe and the outer cylinder. Different types of O-rings are used for the seal portion that seals. For this reason, when reassembling after disassembly and cleaning, if the O-ring is mistakenly arranged at a position different from the predetermined position, there is a problem that the mix feeder cannot perform the predetermined sealing function due to the error. Arise. In particular, since the O-ring is generally formed of a stretchable resin or the like, it can be attached even if it is different from a predetermined size, so it can be said that such a problem is likely to occur.

  Note that, as described above, the first seal portion is provided in an oblique direction with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder. Even when the outer diameter of the inner cylinder is different between the position of the second seal portion and the position of the second seal portion, the first seal portion can be adjusted by adjusting the inclination in the oblique direction with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder. It is possible to use the same O-ring for the first seal portion and the second seal portion.

  The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may be configured such that the outer cylinder of the mix feeder is provided with a protrusion that restricts the rotatable range of the outer cylinder by engaging with the inner cylinder.

  With the above configuration, the mix hole can be opened and closed easily and reliably. For example, a notch is provided in a part of the inner cylinder so that the mix hole is opened when the protrusion is located at one end of the rotatable range and the mix hole is closed when the protrusion is located at the other end. In this case, it is possible to easily open and close the mix hole by rotating the outer cylinder.

  A valve structure according to the present invention is a valve that opens and closes a communication hole composed of an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole that communicate the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface by relatively moving the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. In the state where the communication hole is closed, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are located at substantially the same height, and the region overlapping with the outer cylinder hole on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder hole are It is the structure separated by the 1st seal | sticker part which plugs between the inner peripheral surface of an outer cylinder, and the outer peripheral surface of an inner cylinder.

  With the above configuration, a valve structure that can reliably prevent liquid from leaking from other than the communication hole in a state where the supply path is closed can be manufactured at low cost.

  A frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus provided with a mix feeder that opens and closes a supply path of a mix from a mix tank to a cylinder, the mix feeder having an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder. The outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are provided with an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole communicating the inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface, and the above-mentioned supply is achieved by relatively moving the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder. A mix hole composed of an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole as a path can be opened and closed. When the mix hole is closed, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are positioned at substantially the same height. The area | region which overlaps with the outer cylinder hole of a cylinder outer peripheral surface and the inner cylinder hole are the structures separated by the 1st seal part which plugs up between the inner peripheral surface of an outer cylinder, and the outer peripheral surface of an inner cylinder.

  With the above configuration, the mix hole as the mix supply path from the mix tank to the cylinder can be opened and closed easily and reliably, and it is possible to reliably prevent mix leakage when the mix hole is closed. A possible frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus can be realized.

[Embodiment 1]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a mix tank and a mix feeder that constitute the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment. In the figure, for convenience of explaining the state of the mix supply device arranged in the mix tank, the mix tank is shown as a cross-sectional view, and the mix supply device is shown as a front view.

  As shown in the figure, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to supply the mix 41 to the cylinder by the mix feeder (valve structure) 1 provided in the outlet vertical pipe 42 at the bottom of the mix tank 40. Open and close. The outer cylinder 10 of the mix feeder 1 has an outer cylinder hole 11 that communicates the inner and outer sides of the outer cylinder 10, and the inner cylinder 20 has an inner cylinder hole 21 that communicates the inner and outer sides of the inner cylinder 20. Is formed. Then, by overlapping the positions of the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21, the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 form a mix hole (communication hole) 50 that communicates the inside and outside of the mix feeder 1. The mix 41 of the mix tank 40 can be guided to the inside of the mix feeder 1 through the mix hole 50 and supplied to a cylinder (not shown). The mix supplied to the cylinder is stirred and cooled to produce a frozen dessert such as soft cream.

  The mix feeder 1 includes an outer cylinder 10 and an inner cylinder 20 inserted into the outer cylinder 10. The inner cylinder 20 is formed such that the outer diameter of the portion located in the outlet vertical pipe 42 at the lower part of the mix tank is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the outlet vertical pipe 42. In addition, a seal member (second seal portion) 31 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20 to seal (close) the space between the outlet longitudinal officer 42 and the mix 41 in the mix tank 40. Further, it is possible to prevent the leakage from the inner cylinder 20 and the outlet vertical pipe 42 to the cylinder.

  Of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20, a portion located in the mix tank 40 is inserted into the outer cylinder 10, and in FIG. 3, the mix in which the positions of the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 are overlapped. The state in which the hole 50 is formed is shown. From the state shown in the figure, the outer cylinder 10 is rotated around the inner cylinder 20 so that the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 do not overlap each other, thereby closing the mix hole 50. it can. That is, the outer cylinder from the state of FIG. 3 is such that the position where the outer cylinder hole 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20 overlap, in other words, the position where the inner cylinder hole 21 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10 overlap. The mix hole 50 can be closed by rotating 10.

  In the state where the mix hole 50 is closed as described above, if there is a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20, the inner cylinder hole 21 passes through the gap from the outer cylinder hole 11. The mix 41 that has reached the point enters the inner cylinder 20 and falls into the cylinder. In order to prevent the mix from dropping, the mix feeder 1 according to the present embodiment is configured so that the outer peripheral surface area of the inner cylinder 20 that overlaps the outer cylindrical hole 11 and the inner cylindrical hole 21 are the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 20. And the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 10 are separated by a seal member 30 (first seal portion, see FIG. 1).

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a state where the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20 of the mix feeder 1 included in the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment are disassembled. As shown in the figure, if the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10 overlaps with the inner cylinder hole 21, the inner cylinder hole 21 is blocked by the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10, so that the mix hole 50 (FIG. 3). Can be closed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the inner cylinder 20 of the present embodiment includes a region overlapping with the inner cylinder hole 21 on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10, and the back of the outer cylinder 10, shown by a broken line in FIG. 1. A seal member 30 is provided to separate the outer cylinder hole 11 formed on the side. The seal member 30 prevents the mix 41 (see FIG. 3) from entering the inner cylinder hole 21 from the outer cylinder hole 11 through the gap between the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20, and enters the mix cylinder. Can be prevented.

  In addition, the mix feeder 1 in the assembled state with the inner cylinder 20 inserted into the outer cylinder 10 opens and closes the mix hole 50 by rotating the outer cylinder 10 with respect to the inner cylinder 20 as already described. can do. In this opening / closing operation, it is not necessary to relatively move the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20 in the axial direction. For this reason, the mix when the inner cylinder is not sufficiently pushed into the outer cylinder, like a conventional mix feeder that opens and closes the mix supply path by relatively moving the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder in the axial direction. Can be prevented.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper end 12 of the outer cylinder 10 and the upper end 22 of the inner cylinder 20 are formed in shapes indicating the positions of the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, in the state in which the mix feeder 1 is provided in the mix tank 40, the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 are in the mix 41. This is because it cannot be confirmed.

  2A and 2B are examples of a configuration for showing the open / close state of the mix hole 50 (see FIG. 3) by the upper end 12 and the upper end 22, and FIG. The opened state is shown, and (b) shows the mixed hole 50 being closed.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, a mark indicating the position of the inner cylinder hole 21 is formed on the upper end 22 of the inner cylinder 20. An upper end hole 12 a indicating the position of the outer cylinder hole 11 is formed in the upper end portion 12 of the outer cylinder 10. For this reason, by aligning the upper end hole 12a with the mark position of the upper end portion 22, the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 are overlapped to form the mixed hole 50 as shown in FIG. Can do. Further, the open / close state of the mix hole 50 can be confirmed based on whether or not the upper end hole 12a is at the mark position of the upper end portion 22.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the outer cylinder hole of the outer cylinder 10 is formed by aligning the closed mark 12b formed on the opposite side of the upper end hole 12a of the upper end part 12 with the mark of the upper end part 22. 11 is a state in which the inner peripheral surface located on the opposite side of 11 and the inner cylindrical hole 21 overlap, in other words, the outer cylindrical hole 11 is covered by the outer peripheral surface located on the opposite side of the inner cylindrical hole 21 of the inner cylinder 20. Since it can be in a state, the mix hole 50 can be in a closed state. Further, the open / close state of the mix hole 50 can be confirmed based on whether or not the upper end hole 12a is at the mark position of the upper end portion 22.

  For example, when the upper end 12 of the outer cylinder 10 and the upper end 22 of the inner cylinder 20 have a color combination that can be easily distinguished, such as white and amber, the upper end hole 12a is formed on the upper end. It is easy to determine whether or not it is at the 22 mark position.

  4A and 4B show a state in which the mix feeder 1 is disassembled, FIG. 4A shows a side view of the outer cylinder 10, and FIG. 4B shows the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 removed. The side view of the inner cylinder 20 of the state which showed is shown. In the present embodiment, the side of the inner cylinder 20 where the inner cylinder hole 21 can be seen is referred to as the front.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the outer cylinder 10 has an outer cylinder hole 11 formed in the vicinity of the lower end thereof, and has a tapered shape in which the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10 is gradually narrowed from the lower end toward the upper end. Has been. Thereby, when forming the outer cylinder 10 with resin, it can shape | mold easily.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, at least a part of the inner cylinder 20 is externally rotated by rotating the outer cylinder in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction in a state where the outer cylinder 10 is inserted and assembled. An inner cylinder hole 21 is formed at a position substantially the same height as the outer cylinder hole 11 so as to overlap the cylinder hole 11. Further, the portion of the inner tube 20 into which the outer tube 10 is inserted has a tapered shape that gradually decreases from the lower end of the portion toward the upper end. Thereby, when forming the inner cylinder 20 with resin, it can shape | mold easily.

  An O-ring groove 32 and an O-ring groove 33 are formed in the inner cylinder 20 for arranging an O-ring, and a sealing member 30 and a sealing member 31 are formed by arranging the O-ring in each of them. Further, as shown in the figure, in the mix feeder 1 of the present embodiment, a seal is provided by providing an O-ring obliquely with respect to the central axis of the inner cylinder 20 so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20. The member 30 is formed.

  For this reason, although the outer diameter of the position where the O-ring groove 33 is formed is larger than the outer diameter of the position where the O-ring groove 32 of the inner cylinder 20 is formed, the length of the O-ring groove 32 and the O-ring groove 33 are increased. The length can be matched. Therefore, the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 can be configured using O-rings (the same type of O-rings) having the same thickness and diameter.

  The O-ring groove 32 for providing the O-ring as the seal member 30 is such that the upper end of the seal member 30 is higher than the upper end of the outer cylinder hole 11 in a state where the mix feeder 1 is disposed in the mix tank 40. And the lower end of the seal member 30 is positioned at a height below the lower end of the outer cylinder hole 11. Thereby, in the state where the mix hole 50 is closed, the region of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20 that overlaps the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 are formed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20. The gap can be separated by a seal member 30.

  In general, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus needs to be disassembled and cleaned at regular intervals in order to maintain its sanitary condition. At this time, the O-rings constituting the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 are removed from the inner cylinder 20. The Here, if the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 are configured by different O-rings, the O-ring for the seal member 30 and the O-ring for the seal member 31 are separated when reassembling after disassembly and cleaning. When assembled in a switched state (that is, in a state where the O-ring is arranged at an incorrect position), the mix feeder may not be able to exhibit its performance. In this embodiment, the seal member 30 and Since the seal member 31 is composed of the same type of O-ring, it is impossible for the O-ring to be disposed at a wrong position.

  Considering the fact that frozen dessert manufacturing equipment is often disassembled and washed by other people than experts, such as when used in convenience stores, Then, the structure using the same kind of O-ring for the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 greatly contributes to simplification of the disassembly and cleaning operation and maintenance of the performance of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus after the disassembly and cleaning.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the inner cylinder 20 includes a portion surrounded by the outer cylinder 10 and a portion arranged in the outlet vertical pipe 42 (see FIG. 3) of the mix tank 40. It is delimited by a step portion 23 formed so as to surround the outer peripheral surface. In the state where the mix feeder 1 is assembled, the axial relationship between the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20 is made constant by joining the lower end 13 of the outer cylinder 10 to the step portion 23 of the inner cylinder 20. Can do. For this reason, by rotating the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20 relative to each other about the axis, the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21 are overlapped, or the inner cylinder hole 21 is covered with the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10. The mix hole 50 (see FIG. 3) can be opened and closed.

  Further, the seal member 31 seals (closes) the space between the inner cylinder 20 and the outlet vertical pipe 42 in a state where the mix supply device 1 is installed in the mix tank 40 (see FIG. 3). It is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20 at a position lower than the lower end 13 of the cylinder 10.

  FIGS. 5A to 5C show a state where the mix feeder 1 is disassembled, and FIG. 5A shows a front view of the outer cylinder in a state where the mix hole 50 is closed, and FIG. ) Shows a front view of the outer cylinder in a state where the mix hole 50 is opened, and (c) shows a front view of the inner cylinder 20 in a state where the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 are removed.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the mix hole 50 is closed by aligning the closed mark 12b of the outer cylinder 10 with the front surface of the inner cylinder 20, that is, the inner cylinder hole 21 side. Moreover, as shown in FIG.5 (b), the mix hole 50 will be in the state opened by positioning the open mark 12a of the outer cylinder 10 in the front of the inner cylinder 20. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (c), in the mix feeder 1 of the present embodiment, an O-ring groove 32 is formed so that the seal member 30 passes under the inner cylinder hole 21 of the inner cylinder 20. With this configuration, the mix 41 can be prevented from reaching the inner cylinder hole 21 from the lower side of the inner cylinder hole 21.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the mix feeder 1 as viewed from the side, and shows a state in which the mix hole 50 is opened by the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21. As shown in the figure, a protrusion 14 is provided on the inner peripheral surface near the upper end of the outer cylinder 10, and an upper end 22 of the inner cylinder 20 is a notch 24 that accommodates the protrusion 14 of the outer cylinder 10. The shape is formed. 6 at the position where the protrusion 14 is engaged with the upper end 22 on the back side of the paper surface (one end of the rotatable range of the outer cylinder 10) and the outer cylinder hole 11 of the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder of the inner cylinder 20. The hole 21 overlaps. In this way, by bringing the protrusion 14 into contact with the upper end 22, the outer hole 11 and the inner hole 21 can be overlapped with each other and the mix hole 50 can be opened.

  On the other hand, the outer cylinder hole 11 of the outer cylinder 10 is the inner cylinder at a position where the protrusion 14 engages with the upper end 22 on the front side in FIG. 6 (the other end of the rotatable range of the outer cylinder 10). Since it overlaps with the outer peripheral surface of 20, the mix hole 50 can be closed easily and reliably. Thus, a configuration is provided to limit the rotation of the outer cylinder 10 so that the outer cylinder 10 rotates within a certain range with respect to the inner cylinder 20, and the mix hole 50 opens at one end of the rotatable range. By adopting a configuration in which the mix hole 50 is closed at the end, the mix hole 50 can be opened and closed more reliably and easily by the rotation of the outer cylinder 10.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views of a portion where the mix hole 50 is formed in a state where the mix feeder 1 is assembled, as viewed from the side, and FIG. 7A is a view in which the mix hole 50 is opened. (B) shows a state in which the mix hole 50 is closed.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the mix feeder 1, the mix hole 50 is opened by overlapping the outer cylinder hole 11 and the inner cylinder hole 21, and the mix tank 50 is mixed using the mix hole 50 as a mix supply path. 41 is supplied to the cylinder from the inside of the inner cylinder 20 (see FIG. 3).

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, the outer cylinder hole 11 of the outer cylinder 10 and the closed region 25 that is the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20 on the opposite side of the inner cylinder hole 21 are overlapped. The hole 50 is closed. When the mix hole 50 is closed, the closed region 25 and the inner cylinder hole 21 are separated by a seal member 30 that blocks between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 10 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder 20. The mix 41 is prevented from reaching the inner cylinder 20 from between the outer cylinder 10 and the inner cylinder 20.

  In addition, as for the mix feeder 1 of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of this Embodiment, the inner cylinder 20 is inserted in the exit vertical pipe 42, and the sealing member 31 formed between the inner cylinder 20 and the exit vertical pipe 42 is used. Since it is blocked by (see FIG. 3), the mix 41 does not fall into the cylinder from between the inner cylinder 20 and the outlet vertical pipe 42.

[Embodiment 2]
Another embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 as follows. The mix feeder of the present embodiment is different from the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the above-described embodiment in that the seal member of the mix feeder is configured by an H ring instead of an O ring. Are identical. In the present embodiment, members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and only different configurations will be described below.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the mix feeder in a state where the mix holes are opened, as viewed from the side. As shown in the figure, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment has a structure in which an O-ring provided with seal members 34 (first seal portions) at the top and bottom of the inner cylinder hole 21 is joined by two joining members. It corresponds to a so-called H-ring. The H-ring has a configuration in which two joining members are joined to the O-ring at two locations on the front side and the back side in FIG.

  Since the mix supply device 51 of the present embodiment is formed of a different shape such as the seal member 34 is an H-ring and the seal member 31 is an O-ring, after the mix supply device 51 is disassembled and washed When reassembling, it is possible to prevent errors such as arranging them in the wrong positions. That is, for example, as compared with the case where the seal member is configured by a combination of O-rings having different sizes, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem that the desired performance cannot be exhibited due to an error during disassembly and cleaning and reassembly. Can do.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the position of opening and closing the mix hole 50 in the mix feeder 51 as viewed from the side, where (a) shows the state where the mix hole 50 is open, and (b) shows that the mix hole 50 is closed. Indicates the state.

  Although the mix supply device 51 of the present embodiment is different from the mix supply device 1 described based on FIGS. 7A and 7B in that the seal member 34 is configured by an H ring, In the state where the mix hole 50 is closed, the separation between the closed region 25 and the inner cylinder hole 21 is the same between the seal member 34 and the seal member 30 and prevents the mix 41 from dropping into the cylinder. The mechanism is the same.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The valve structure and the frozen confection production apparatus of the present invention can be used for the production of frozen confectionery such as soft cream.

It is the schematic which shows the state with which the outer cylinder and inner cylinder of the mix supply device with which the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus which is one Embodiment of this invention was equipped were decomposed | disassembled. It is an example which shows the opening-and-closing state of a mix hole by the upper end part of an inner cylinder, and the upper end part of an outer cylinder, (a) shows the state where the mix hole is opened, (b) shows that the mix hole is closed It shows the state. The schematic structure of the mix tank and mix feeder which comprise the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of this Embodiment is shown, A cross-sectional view is shown about a mix tank, and the front view of the state arrange | positioned about a mix feeder about a mix tank Is shown. The state where the mix feeder is disassembled is shown, (a) shows a side view of the outer cylinder, (b) shows a side view of the inner cylinder 20 with the seal member 30 and the seal member 31 removed. Show. The state where the mix feeder is disassembled is shown, (a) shows a front view of the outer cylinder in a state where the mix hole is closed, and (b) shows a front view of the outer cylinder in a state where the mix hole is opened. (C) has shown the front view of the inner cylinder in the state where the seal member was removed. It is sectional drawing which looked at the mix feeder in the state where the mix hole was opened from the side. The position which a mix hole opens and closes in the state which assembled the mix feeder of FIG. 6 is sectional drawing seen from the side surface, (a) shows the state which the mix hole opened, (b) closed the mix hole Indicates the state. It is sectional drawing which looked at the mix feeder of the state which has the mix hole which comprises the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus which is other embodiment from the side. It is sectional drawing which looked at the position which opens and closes the mixing hole in the mixing feeder of FIG. 8 from the side, (a) shows the state which the mixing hole opened, (b) has shown the state which the mixing hole closed. . It is sectional drawing which shows a prior art and shows the outline of a structure of a mix supply apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows another prior art and shows the outline of a structure of a mix supply apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 Mix feeder (valve structure)
10 outer cylinder 11 outer cylinder hole 13 lower end 20 inner cylinder 21 inner cylinder hole 25 closed region 30 seal member (first seal portion)
31 Seal member (second seal part)
34 Seal member (first seal part)
40 Mix tank 41 Mix 50 Mix hole (communication hole)

Claims (7)

A valve structure that opens and closes a communication hole composed of an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole that communicate these inner peripheral surface and outer peripheral surface by relatively moving the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder,
In the state where the communication hole is closed, the inner cylinder hole and the outer cylinder hole are located at substantially the same height, and the area overlapping the outer cylinder hole on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the inner cylinder hole are the inner circumference of the outer cylinder. Is separated by a first seal portion that seals between the surface and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder ,
The valve structure according to claim 1, wherein the first seal portion is an O-ring provided in an oblique direction with respect to a central axis of the inner cylinder so as to surround an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder . A frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus having a mix feeder that opens and closes a mix supply path from a mix tank to a cylinder,
The mix feeder has an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, and the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are provided with an outer cylinder hole and an inner cylinder hole that connect these inner peripheral surface and outer peripheral surface, By moving the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder relative to each other, it is possible to open and close the mix hole composed of the outer cylinder hole and the inner cylinder hole as the supply path, and when the mix hole is closed, The cylindrical hole is located at substantially the same height, and the region overlapping the outer cylindrical hole on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder and the inner cylindrical hole close the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder. Separated by one seal part ,
The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first seal portion is an O-ring provided in an oblique direction with respect to a central axis of the inner cylinder so as to surround an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder . The frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mix feeder is capable of opening and closing the mix hole by relatively rotating the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder in the horizontal direction.   The second seal portion for closing the space between the mix tank and the mix feeder is provided below the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder below the lower end of the outer cylinder. The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus as described. The O-ring as the first seal portion is provided such that the upper end is positioned at a height higher than the upper end of the outer cylinder hole and the lower end is positioned at a height lower than the lower end of the outer cylinder hole. The frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, 3 or 4. The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the first seal part and the second seal part are made of the same type of O-ring. The frozen dessert manufacturing according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the outer cylinder is provided with a protrusion that limits a rotatable range of the outer cylinder by engaging with the inner cylinder. apparatus.

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