JP5885880B1 - Food cutting device and food cutting method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a replacement part for coping with different numbers of cuts when a circular or regular polygonal food having a predetermined thickness is equally divided in a circumferential direction into a plurality of fan-shaped or isosceles triangular cut pieces. A food cutting apparatus and a food cutting method capable of reducing the equipment cost required for the above and the like and the work time required for parts replacement work when changing the number of cuts are provided. A pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are lowered by a cutting portion lifting mechanism 30 to cut a cut piece, and moved to the front side (radially outside of cake CK) by a cutting portion moving mechanism 50 to be cut. Is separated from the uncut portion of the cake CK after the cut piece is cut, lifted by the cutting portion lifting mechanism 30 and retracted above the cake CK, and moved rearward (inward in the radial direction of the cake CK) by the cutting portion moving mechanism 50. The intersection is moved back to the center line CC of the cake CK, and the cake rotation mechanism 40 relatively rotates around the center line CC to execute circumferential relative feed at an equal crossing angle or twice that. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention, for example, surrounds a round-shaped food or a regular polygon-shaped food having a predetermined thickness, such as a whole cake (referred to as gateau in French, or torte in German or Italian), pizza, cheese, or kagami mochi. The present invention relates to a food cutting apparatus and a food cutting method for equally dividing a direction into a plurality of fan-shaped or isosceles triangular cut pieces, and is also suitable for cutting food that is flexible and easily deformed.

  Regardless of the production scene as a product, the consumption scene at a party, etc., when dividing a circular food product having a predetermined thickness such as cake or pizza into a fan shape with a plate-shaped cutting blade, a plurality (especially odd numbers) It is difficult for even skilled craftsmen to cut all cut pieces to the same size. Therefore, for example, as in Patent Document 1, by using an auxiliary plate having a plurality of knife guide grooves formed radially according to the number of cuts, or as in Patent Document 2, radially according to the number of cuts. A technique for evenly cutting a circular food by using a lifting plate having a plurality of cutting blades arranged is known.

  According to these, it can divide | segment equally equally into the number of cuts corresponding to the guide groove (patent document 1) of an auxiliary plate, or the cutting blade (patent document 2) of an elevating plate. However, especially for business use, in order to improve the operating rate, it is necessary to always have compatible auxiliary plates and elevating plates for any number of cuts regardless of odd or even numbers. Equipment costs for jigs and tools for use are very high. Further, every time the number of cuts is changed, the work time required for the replacement, adjustment, and trial operation is also accumulated.

  In these foods, the cut surfaces immediately after cutting are easily reattached (even if they are evenly cut into a plurality of cut pieces), and when the reattached cut surfaces are pulled apart, There is also a risk of deformation and loss of shape. The cakes and pizzas shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are accompanied by decoration and toppings, and thus such deformation and deformation tend to appear remarkably.

JP 2010-268976 A Special Table 2000-505002

  An object of the present invention is to cope with different numbers of cuts in dividing a circular or regular polygonal food having a predetermined thickness into a plurality of fan-shaped or isosceles triangular cut pieces by equally dividing the food in the circumferential direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a food cutting apparatus and a food cutting method capable of reducing the equipment cost required for replacement parts and the like, the work time required for parts replacement work when changing the number of cuts, and the like.

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention

In order to solve the above problems, the food cutting device of the present invention is:
Food cutting for dividing a circular or regular polygonal food having a predetermined thickness (and being flexible and easily deformable) into a plurality of fan-shaped or isosceles triangular cut pieces by equally dividing them in the circumferential direction A device,
A cutting part including a pair of cutting blades disposed above the food in a form having a crossing point that coincides with the center line of the food in a plan view and intersecting in a V shape at a predetermined crossing angle;
An angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the crossing angle (that is, the included angle) of the pair of cutting blades so that the food can be equally divided;
An elevating mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be movable up and down so that the intersection moves on the center line;
A rotation mechanism for holding at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be rotatable around the center line;
A moving mechanism that enables relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and the food in the radial direction of the food ,
The pair of cutting blades are adjusted to an equally-intersecting angle at which the food can be equally divided by the angle adjustment mechanism, and the cut line is cut by the lowering mechanism by the lowering mechanism, and the center line by the rotation mechanism By equally dividing the food into the plurality of cut pieces by repeating the equally-divided crossing angle based on the relative rotation around or twice the circumferential relative feed ,
The pair of cutting blades are moved relative to the outer side in the radial direction of the food by the moving mechanism with the cut pieces sandwiched therebetween, and the cut pieces and the uncut portions of the food after cutting the cut pieces It is characterized by separating .

  In the food cutting apparatus, the pair of cutting blades are adjusted to the equal crossing angle by the angle adjusting mechanism, are relatively lowered by the lifting mechanism to cut the cut piece, and are relatively rotated around the center line by the rotating mechanism. Relative feed in the circumferential direction. In this way, the number of cuts can be changed regardless of whether odd or even by adjusting the equally-divided crossing angle between a pair of cutting blades, so the equipment cost and parts replacement work required for replacement parts, jigs and tools, etc. The work time required for such as is reduced. Thereby, the burden concerning a maintenance is suppressed and the operation rate of a food cutting device improves.

  Typical examples of “circular food having a predetermined thickness (and flexible and easy to deform)” are whole cakes such as decorated cakes (generally called torte in German or Italian) It is a pizza with toppings, but it also includes cheese, kagami mochi, etc. “V-shape” includes acute angles, right angles, and obtuse angles.

In the food cutting apparatus, the food cutting apparatus includes a moving mechanism that allows the pair of cutting blades and the food to move in the radial direction of the food,
The pair of cutting blades are moved relative to the outer side in the radial direction of the food by the moving mechanism with the cut pieces being sandwiched, and the cut pieces and the uncut portions of the food after cutting the cut pieces are separated.

  In this way, since the pair of cutting blades move radially outward together with the cut pieces immediately after cutting, the individual cut pieces are separated from the uncut portions, so the cut surfaces immediately after cutting can be separated from each other regardless of the number of cuts. Re-adhesion is prevented, and deformation and deformation of the cut piece can be prevented.

The “relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and food in the radial direction of the food” includes the following cases.
(1) When moving only the food in the radial direction;
(2) When moving only a pair of cutting blades in the radial direction of the food;
(3) When the pair of cutting blades and the food are both moved in the radial direction of the food (with a predetermined speed difference);
(4) A case where the pair of cutting blades and the food are moved in arbitrary directions, and the combined speed is relatively moved in the radial direction of the food.

In the food cutting device, the cutting unit includes an ultrasonic vibrator for ultrasonically vibrating the pair of cutting blades along the ascending / descending direction,
The pair of cutting blades are formed in the same rectangular shape, and each cutting blade is symmetrical to the radial blade portion formed on the lower side perpendicular to the lifting direction and the left and right side portions along the lifting direction. It has the up-and-down direction blade part formed.

  As described above, the pair of cutting blades are formed in the same rectangular shape having the radial blade portion and the lifting / lowering blade portion, and are integrally driven by the ultrasonic vibrator. Therefore, when the pair of cutting blades descend relative to the food, the food has two smooth cut surfaces that expand in a V shape, and can be cut as a cut piece having an equally-intersecting angle. The “rectangle” includes a rectangle and a square.

  In the food cutting apparatus, the pair of cutting blades are arranged such that the tips of the lifting and lowering direction blade portions forming the intersections of the cutting blades form an equal crossing angle on the food center line, and are synchronized along the lifting and lowering direction. Then, it vibrates ultrasonically.

  In this manner, the pair of cutting blades that equally divide the crossing angle move (relatively descend) on the center line of the food while synchronously ultrasonically vibrating. Therefore, the cut piece cut out from the food is simultaneously formed with a smooth cut surface that spreads out in a V shape at an equal crossing angle.

Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, the food cutting method of this invention is the following.
Food cutting for dividing a circular or regular polygonal food having a predetermined thickness (and being flexible and easily deformable) into a plurality of fan-shaped or isosceles triangular cut pieces by equally dividing them in the circumferential direction A method,
A cutting part including a pair of cutting blades disposed above the food in a form having a crossing point that coincides with the center line of the food in a plan view and intersecting in a V shape at a predetermined crossing angle;
An angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the crossing angle (that is, the included angle) of the pair of cutting blades so that the food can be equally divided;
An elevating mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be movable up and down so that the intersection moves on the center line;
A rotation mechanism for holding at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be rotatable around the center line;
A moving mechanism that enables relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and the food in the radial direction of the food,
The pair of cutting blades are:
After the food is divided by the angle adjusting mechanism so that the food can be equally divided, the cut piece is cut based on the relative lowering by the lifting mechanism, and the food is relatively moved radially outward by the moving mechanism. The cut piece is separated from the uncut portion of the food after cutting the cut piece, and retracted above the food on the basis of the relative rise by the lifting mechanism, and radially inside the food by the moving mechanism The crossing point is returned to the center line of the food based on the relative movement to the food, and the circumferential relative feed at the equally-divided crossing angle or twice based on the relative rotation around the center line by the rotation mechanism. It is characterized by performing.

  In the food cutting method, the pair of cutting blades are adjusted to an equal crossing angle by the angle adjusting mechanism, are relatively lowered by the lifting mechanism to cut the cut piece, and are relatively moved radially outward by the moving mechanism to be cut. Is separated from the uncut portion, moved upward relative to the food by the lifting mechanism, moved relatively upward in the radial direction by the moving mechanism to return the intersection to the center line, and relative to the center line by the rotating mechanism. It is rotated and fed circumferentially. In this way, the number of cuts can be changed regardless of whether odd or even by adjusting the equally-divided crossing angle between a pair of cutting blades, so the equipment cost and parts replacement work required for replacement parts, jigs and tools, etc. The work time required for such as is reduced. Also, since the pair of cutting blades move radially outward together with the cut pieces immediately after cutting, the individual cut pieces are separated from the uncut portions, so that the cut surfaces immediately after cutting are reattached regardless of the number of cuts. Can be prevented, and deformation and deformation of the cut piece can be prevented. Therefore, the production capacity of the cut pieces can be increased and the occurrence of defective products can be suppressed.

In the above food cutting method, when the number of cuts N when dividing food into cut pieces is set to an odd number,
The pair of cutting blades repeats (N + 1) / 2 cycles of cutting, separation, evacuation, return, and circumferential relative feed for food equivalent to twice the equivalent crossing angle θ = 360 ° / N. Can be executed.

  In this way, by setting the circumferential relative feed angle in the food cutting cycle to be equivalent to twice the equally-intersecting angle θ (that is, the circumferential relative feed is performed by skipping cut pieces one by one), It is possible to cut into odd-numbered N cut pieces in about half the number of cycles while preventing reattachment of the cut surfaces. Note that (N + 1) / 2 can also be expressed as [N / 2] +1 (where [N / 2] means an integer part of N / 2).

  Further, when the number of cuts N is an odd number, when the circumferential relative feed angle in the final cycle is equal to the equivalent crossing angle θ, the rotation will be exactly one round (360 °). The direction relative feed angle may be equivalent to 2θ or 0 ° (no circumferential relative feed), or any other angle.

  The reason is as follows. In the first place, regardless of whether the number of cuts N is odd or even, all the cut pieces have already been cut and separated at the start of circumferential relative feed in the final cycle. Therefore, the total circumferential relative feed angle of all cycles including the final cycle exceeds 360 ° (at this time, the final circumferential relative feed angle exceeds θ when the number of cuts N is odd, and exceeds 2θ when the number is even) On the contrary, even if it is less than 360 ° (the final circumferential relative feed angle is less than θ when the number of cuts N is odd, and less than 2θ when it is even) There will be no trouble in taking out the whole food later.

The perspective view which shows a portable cake cutter as an example of the food cutting device which concerns on this invention. The top view which expands and shows the cake cut main part of FIG. Conceptual illustration of cake cut. The flowchart showing the cake cut process in FIG. Explanatory drawing which represents each process of FIG. 4 typically. The top view which shows a stationary cake cutter as another example of the food cutting device which concerns on this invention. The partial cross section front view of FIG. Conceptual illustration of cake cut. Explanatory drawing which represents the process before cake cutting typically. 7 is a flowchart showing pre-cut processing in FIG. The flowchart showing the cake cut process in FIG. Explanatory drawing which represents each process of FIG. 11 typically. The conceptual explanatory drawing in the case of dividing a regular pentagon shaped food into 5 equal parts.

Example 1
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a portable cake cutter as a specific example of a food cutting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an enlarged main part. This portable cake cutter (hereinafter also simply referred to as a cake cutter) 100 has a predetermined height SH, is flexible and easily deforms a circular cake CK (circular food), and is equally divided in the circumferential direction. Thus, a plurality of fan-shaped cut pieces CP (9 cut pieces CP1 to CP9 in FIG. 3) can be cut. For example, a commercially available decoration cake can be easily cut into an odd number at a party venue.

  The cake cutter 100 includes a cutting portion 10 for dividing the cake CK into fan-shaped cut pieces CP, an angle adjusting mechanism 20 for changing and adjusting the cutting angle of the cut pieces CP, and a cutting for raising and lowering the cutting portion 10. A part lifting mechanism 30 (lifting mechanism), a cake turning mechanism 40 (turning mechanism) for turning the cake CK, a cutting part moving mechanism 50 (moving mechanism) for horizontally moving the cutting part 10 in the front-rear direction, A control unit 60 for controlling the operation of the cutting unit 10 and the like and an operation unit 70 for operating the cake cutter 100 are provided, and these are provided on the main table 1 (main body frame).

  The cutting part 10 includes a pair of reciprocating cutting blades 11 and 11 which are arranged above the cake CK and formed in the same rectangular shape. Each cutting blade 11 includes a radial blade portion 11a formed on a lower side perpendicular to the vertical direction (that is, a lifting direction described later), and a lifting direction formed symmetrically on the left and right side portions along the lifting direction. It has blade parts 11b and 11b. The pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 has an intersection IS that coincides with the center line CC of the cake CK in plan view, and the sector CK of the cake CK having a plurality of cut numbers N (N = 9 in this embodiment). It intersects in a V shape (here, an acute angle) at an equally-intersecting angle θ (θ = 40 ° in this embodiment) that can be equally divided into CPs (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the tips of the up-and-down direction blade portions 11b forming the intersections IS of the respective cutting blades 11 are arranged so as to form an equally-intersecting angle θ on the center line CC of the cake CK.

  Moreover, the cutting part 10 includes ultrasonic transducers 13 and 13 with a horn for integrally ultrasonically vibrating the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 along the ascending / descending direction. The vibrators 13 and 13 ultrasonically vibrate the cutting blades 11 and 11 along the ascending / descending direction by an ultrasonic vibration generator 12 (ultrasonic vibration mechanism). Therefore, the ultrasonic vibration generator 12 and the cutting unit lifting mechanism 30 described later are radially expanded at an equally-intersecting angle θ, and the lifting direction blade portion 11b formed along the center line CC. , 11b, and the circular cake CK is equally divided into fan-shaped cut pieces CP.

  The angle adjusting mechanism 20 has a double structure or a vertically divided structure coaxial with the center line CC of the cake CK. The angle adjusting mechanism 20 has a rotating shaft 21 rotatably supported by a lifting frame 31 described later, and a bifurcated shape from the rotating shaft 21. And support arms 22 and 22 that respectively hold the cutting blades 11 and 11 (specifically, the vibrators 13 and 13). By rotating and adjusting the two support arms 22 and 22 around the rotation shaft 21, the equally-divided crossing angle θ (that is, the angle between the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11) can be changed and adjusted.

  The cutting unit lifting mechanism 30 includes a lifting frame 31 (lifting frame) that supports the rotating shaft 21 (and thus the cutting unit 10) in a rotatable manner, and that moves up and down by two lifting cylinders 31a and 31a (lifting drive source). . Due to the expansion and contraction of the lifting cylinders 31a, 31a, the intersection IS of the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 moves up and down on the center line CC of the cake CK (as shown in FIG. 1, the lifting stroke SH of the pair of cutting blades 11, 11). Is set approximately equal to the height of the cake CK by an input switch 71 described later).

  The cake rotating mechanism 40 has a turn table 41 (rotating on the main table 1 by a table motor 41a (rotation drive source) while the cake CK is mounted via a mounting sheet (not shown) (for example, made of silicon). Rotation frame). Due to the rotation of the table motor 41a, the cake CK rotates around the center line CC and is fed circumferentially (in FIG. 5, the circumferential feed angle is twice the equally-intersecting angle θ). That is, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 can relatively rotate around the center line CC by the cake rotating mechanism 40, and can perform circumferential relative feed at the equally-intersecting angle θ or 2θ that is twice as much.

  The cutting part moving mechanism 50 fixes and supports the elevating cylinders 31a and 31a, and two front and rear moving cylinders 51a and 51a (moving drive) fixedly supported by a main frame 2 (main body frame) standing on the main table 1. And a forward / backward moving frame (moving frame) 51 that horizontally moves in the forward / backward direction (that is, the radial direction of the cake CK). By the expansion and contraction of the front and rear moving cylinders 51a and 51a, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 move to the outside in the radial direction of the cake CK with the cut piece CP sandwiched therebetween, and the cut piece CP and the cut piece after cutting are cut. The uncut portion NCS of the cake CK is separated (the separation stroke SR of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 shown in FIG. 5 is manually set and input by an input switch 71 described later).

  The control unit 60 includes an IC control board and the like, and controls operations of the cutting unit 10, the cutting unit lifting mechanism 30, the cake rotating mechanism 40, the cutting unit moving mechanism 50, and the like. The operation unit 70 also has an input switch 71 for inputting the number of cuts N, the lifting stroke SH, the separation stroke SR, the start switch 72 for starting continuous cake cutting, and the cake cutter 100 for stopping in an emergency. A stop switch 73 (emergency stop switch) and the like are included. These switches 71, 72, 73 are constituted by push buttons, a touch panel, etc., and their operation signals are input to the control unit 60.

  Specifically, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are operated by the control unit 60 as follows. That is, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are lowered by the cutting portion lifting mechanism 30 to cut the cut piece CP, and are moved to the front side (radially outside of the cake CK) by the cutting portion moving mechanism 50 to be cut piece CP. Is cut from the uncut portion NCS of the cake CK after cutting the cut piece, lifted by the cutting portion lifting mechanism 30 and retracted above the cake CK, and rearward by the cutting portion moving mechanism 50 (in the radial direction of the cake CK) And the intersection IS is returned to the center line CC of the cake CK, and the cake is rotated around the center line CC by the cake rotation mechanism 40, and is rotated relative to the circumferential direction at 2θ which is an equal crossing angle θ or twice that. Execute feed.

  When the number of cuts N is an odd number (N = 9 in this embodiment), the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 cuts, separates, retreats, returns to the cake CK, and performs circumferential relative feed for 2θ. (N-1) / 2 times (4 times in this embodiment), and then the cutting, separation, evacuation, return, and circumferential relative feed corresponding to θ are executed for one final cycle.

  Next, a specific example of cake cutting by the cake cutter 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the explanatory diagram of FIG.

<Initial setting>
Initial setting is performed in S1. Specifically, the angle adjustment mechanism 20 adjusts the equally-intersecting angle θ (here, θ = 40 °), the number N of cuts (here, N = 9) from the input switch 71, and the lifting stroke SH (for example, SH = 10 cm). ) And the separation stroke SR (for example, SR = 1 cm), respectively, and then the cake CK is placed on the turntable 41 via the placement sheet.

<Cut processing of the first cycle (first cut piece CP1)>
When the start switch 72 is turned on in S2, a cut counter n = 0 is set in S3 (n is a natural number including 0). In S4, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are lowered by the cutting unit lifting mechanism 30 to cut the first cut piece CP1.

  In S5, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are moved forward (in the radial direction of the cake CK) in a state where the cut first cut piece CP1 is sandwiched by the cutting portion moving mechanism 50 (separation stroke SR), The first cut piece CP1 and the uncut portion NCS are separated.

  In S6, the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 returns to the origin position. Specifically, the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 are raised above the cake CK by the cutting unit lifting mechanism 30 (retracted), and the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 are moved to the rear side (of the cake CK) by the cutting unit moving mechanism 50. (Inward in the radial direction) and the intersection IS coincides with the center line CC of the cake CK (return).

  In S7, the cut counter n is incremented. Here, n = 1 and the first cut end, that is, the end of cutting of the first cut piece CP1 is stored.

  Next, it is determined whether or not to continue the cutting process after the circumferential feed is executed. Specifically, it is determined whether or not n is N / 2 or less at S8, and if it is N / 2 or less (Yes at S8), the cake CK is equivalent to 2θ by the cake rotation mechanism 40 at S9. After executing the circumferential feed at, it is determined at S10 whether n = N / 2. If n = N / 2 is not satisfied (No in S10), the process returns to S4 and the cut process is continued. If n = N / 2 (Yes in S10), the cut process is terminated. If n is greater than N / 2 (No in S8), the cake rotation mechanism 40 performs circumferential feeding of the cake CK corresponding to θ in S99, and then the cutting process is terminated. Here, since N = 9 and n = 1, the circumferential feed corresponding to 2θ is executed in S9, and then the process returns to S4 to continue the cutting process.

<Cut processing of the second cycle (third cut piece CP3)>
Since 2θ circumferential feed (S9) is performed in the previous cycle, in the cutting process of this cycle, the third cut piece CP3 is cut (S4), separated (S5), and returned (retracted / returned S6). The process is executed. As shown in FIG. 5, the second cut piece CP2 is formed between the first cut piece CP1 and the third cut piece CP3 along with the cutting (S4) of the third cut piece CP3. In S7, the cut counter n is incremented to n = 2, and in S9, the circumferential feed corresponding to 2θ is executed, and then the process returns to S4 to continue the cutting process.

<Cut processing of the third cycle (fifth cut piece CP5)>
In the cutting process of the third cycle, as in the second cycle, the steps of cutting (S4), separating (S5), and returning (retracting / returning S6) are performed on the fifth cut piece CP5. Formed simultaneously. After the increment of the cut counter n in S7 (n = 3) and the execution of the 2θ circumferential feed in S9, the process returns to S4 again to continue the cut process.

<Cut process of 4th cycle (seventh cut piece CP7)>
In the cutting process of the fourth cycle, similarly to the third cycle, the cutting (S4), separation (S5), and return (retraction / returning S6) steps are executed for the seventh cut piece CP7, and the sixth cut piece CP6 is Formed simultaneously. Further, after the increment of the cut counter n in S7 (n = 4) and the execution of the circumferential feed of 2θ in S9, the process returns to S4 again in order to continue the cut process. However, in the case of an even-numbered cut (for example, the number of cuts N = 8), the cut process is terminated in S10 because Yes (ie, n = N / 2 = 4).

<Cut processing of 5th cycle (9th cut piece CP9)>
In the final 5th cycle cut process, the eighth cut piece CP8 is simultaneously formed by performing the cutting step S4, the separation step S5 and the return step (retraction / return) of S6 for the ninth cut piece CP9. The Since n exceeds N / 2 due to the increment of the cut counter n in S7 (n = 5) (No in S8), the cutting process is terminated after the circumferential feed process corresponding to θ is executed in S99. To do. When the circumferential feed in S99 is set to the same 2θ as in S9, the total circumferential feed angle of 1 to 5 cycles will exceed 360 °, but the first to ninth after the cutting process ends. There is no problem in taking out the cut pieces CP1 to CP9 and the cutting process of the next cake CK.

  As described above, since the number of cuts N can be changed simply by adjusting the equally-divided crossing angle θ between the pair of cutting blades 11, 11, the equipment cost required for replacement parts, jigs / tools, parts replacement work, etc. The work time required for is reduced. In addition, since the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 moves to the front side (the radially outer side of the cake CK) together with the cut piece CP immediately after cutting, the individual cut pieces CP1 to CP9 are separated from the uncut portion NCS. Reattachment of the cut surfaces immediately after cutting can be prevented, and deformation and deformation of the cut piece CP can be prevented. Therefore, the production capacity of the cut piece CP can be increased and the occurrence of defective products can be suppressed.

(Example 2)
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a stationary cake cutter as a specific example of the food cutting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a front view thereof. This stationary cake cutter (hereinafter, also simply referred to as cake cutter) 200 has a predetermined height SH and is flexible and easily deformable by dividing the circular cake CK equally in the circumferential direction into a plurality of fan shapes. Cut pieces CP (five cut pieces CP1 to CP5 in FIG. 8). For example, a decoration cake immediately after manufacture can be easily cut into an odd number at a cake manufacturing factory or the like.

  The cake cutter 200 includes a cutting unit 10 for dividing the cake CK into fan-shaped cut pieces CP, an angle adjusting mechanism 20 for changing and adjusting the cutting angle of the cut pieces CP, and the cutting unit 10 being raised and lowered. Ball screw spline mechanism 140 (elevating mechanism; rotating mechanism) for cutting, cutting part moving mechanism 150BL (moving mechanism) for horizontally moving the cutting part 10 in the front-rear direction, and horizontally moving the cake CK in the conveying direction (left and right direction) A cake moving mechanism 150CK (moving mechanism) for performing the operation, a control unit 160 for controlling the operation of the cutting unit 10 and the like, and an operation unit 70 for operating the cake cutter 200, which are the main frame 101 (fixed frame). Is provided.

  The cake cutter 200 shown in FIG.6 and FIG.7 illustrates the case where it cut | disconnects into the cut pieces CP1-CP5 of the cut number N = 5, for example, the cake CK mounted in the mounting sheet ST made from silicon | silicone is cut conveyor 152 ( An upper camera 104 for individually (one by one) photographing the cake CK on the cut conveyor 152 is placed on the cake moving mechanism 150CK that is placed on the transport surface 152b of the transport body and transports one by one in the horizontal direction. A side camera 105 is attached. Further, on the upstream side of the cut conveyor 152, the carry-in conveyor 106 for carrying the cake CK placed by the operator into the cut conveyor 152 is disposed, while on the downstream side of the cut conveyor 152, five cut pieces are provided. An unloading conveyor 107 for unloading the CP is disposed. These conveyors (the carry-in conveyor 106, the carry-out conveyor 107, and the cut conveyor 152) are made of endless belts, and each conveyor motor (the carry-in conveyor motor 106a, the carry-out conveyor motor 107a, The synchronous drive is performed by the cut conveyor motor 152a (moving drive source), and the synchronous stop is performed.

  The upper camera 104 is disposed above the cut conveyor 152, and individually captures a planar view image of the cake CK placed on the transport surface 152b. On the other hand, the side camera 105 is disposed in a side portion where the conveyance surface 152b of the cut conveyor 152 can be seen, and individually captures an elevation image of the cake CK placed on the conveyance surface 152b.

  Since the upper camera 104 and the side camera 105 are arranged at substantially the same position in the transport direction, the planar view image and the elevation view image of one cake CK are taken almost simultaneously. The cake CK that has been taken with the upper camera 104 and taken with the side camera 105 is cut with a pair of reciprocating cutting blades 11, 11 provided in the cutting part 10 (that is, (Dividing into a plurality of fan-shaped cut pieces CP).

  The pair of cutting blades 11, 11 of the cutting unit 10 are disposed downstream of the upper camera 104 and the side camera 105 in the transport direction and can be moved up and down. Further, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are changed in position in plan view above the cut conveyor 152 (in this embodiment, they are translated in the front-rear direction, that is, in the width direction of the cut conveyor 152 and rotated around the intersection IS. Is possible.

  Specifically, each of the cutting blades 11 has a flat plate shape having a predetermined cutting width (for example, 210 mm), and the intersection IS of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 is around a vertical axis 141 orthogonal to the conveyance surface 152b. It is pivotally supported so that it can rotate. The vertical shaft 141 is a ball screw spline shaft, and coincides with the center line CC of the cake CK at the time of cutting as will be described later.

  The cake cutter 200 is provided with a cutting portion moving mechanism 150BL for moving the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 together with the vertical shaft 141 in the belt width direction, that is, the front-rear direction. This cutting part moving mechanism 150BL is connected to a main frame 101 (moving drive source) fixed to a main frame 101 (fixed frame) arranged so as to surround the cut conveyor 152 in a gate shape, and to the main frame 101. A sub-frame 151 (front-rear movement frame) that can be translated in the belt width direction (front-rear direction) and a linear guide 151 b installed between the main frame 101 are included. The forward / backward movement cylinder 151a is recommended to be electric or pneumatic. A laser beam generator 103 is fixed to the main frame 101 via a stay 102 extending to the front side, and a conveyance center line BC (in the width direction of each belt, that is, in the front-rear direction) common to the cut conveyor 152 and the carry-in conveyor 106. The laser beam LB is irradiated toward the center line.

  In addition, the cake cutter 200 is configured to rotate the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 around the vertical shaft 141 (specifically, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 rotate together with the vertical shaft 141). A ball screw spline mechanism 140 is provided which serves both as a rotation mechanism and a lifting mechanism for moving the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 (that is, the vertical shaft 141) up and down. The ball screw spline mechanism 140, which is an elevating and rotating mechanism, is a combined mechanism of a ball screw and a ball spline, and the vertical shaft 141 of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 is a single formed with a screw groove and a spline groove. As a ball screw spline shaft, a vertical motion and a rotational motion are performed.

  The rotation of the screw nut motor 143 fixed to the sub frame 151 is transmitted to the vertical shaft 141 via the screw nut timing belt 144 and the ball screw nut 142 fixed to the sub frame 151. Similarly, the rotation of the spline outer cylinder motor 146 fixed to the subframe 151 is transmitted to the vertical shaft 141 via the spline outer cylinder timing belt 147 and the ball spline outer cylinder 145 fixed to the subframe 151. As a result, the vertical shaft 141 is held so as to be movable up and down and relative to the subframe 151, that is, the ball screw nut 142 and the ball spline outer cylinder 145. A rotating shaft 21 is fixed to the lower end portion of the vertical shaft 141.

  Thus, when only the screw nut motor 143 (that is, the screw nut timing belt 144) is driven and rotated, the vertical shaft 141 moves up and down (without rotating). For example, when the screw nut motor 143 is driven and rotated clockwise in a plan view, the vertical shaft 141 is lowered, and when it is rotated counterclockwise, it is raised. On the other hand, when both the screw nut motor 143 and the spline outer cylinder motor 146 are driven and rotated in the same direction, the vertical shaft 141 rotates in the same direction (without moving up and down). For example, when the screw nut motor 143 and the spline outer cylinder motor 146 are driven and rotated clockwise in plan view, the vertical shaft 141 rotates clockwise, and when driven and rotated counterclockwise, it rotates counterclockwise. When only the spline outer cylinder motor 146 (that is, the spline outer cylinder timing belt 147) is rotated, the vertical shaft 141 can simultaneously perform the rotational movement and the lifting movement (so-called spiral movement). For example, when the spline outer cylinder motor 146 is driven and rotated clockwise in plan view, the vertical shaft 141 rotates and rises clockwise, and when driven and rotated counterclockwise, it rotates and descends counterclockwise.

  In addition, since the basic transmission structure of the ball screw spline mechanism 140 is the same as that described in documents such as Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-70744, Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-9260, and Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 62-49070, Description of detailed portions (for example, the bearing structure between the ball screw nut 142 and the ball spline outer cylinder 145 and the vertical shaft 141) is omitted.

  As described above, when only the screw nut motor 143 is driven and rotated in the ball screw spline mechanism 140, the vertical shaft 141 performs only the raising / lowering motion. Therefore, the ball screw spline mechanism 140 moves the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 up and down. Acts as a mechanism. On the other hand, in the ball screw spline mechanism 140, when both the screw nut motor 143 and the spline outer cylinder motor 146 are driven and rotated in the same direction, the vertical shaft 141 performs only a rotational movement, and therefore the ball screw spline mechanism 140 has a pair of The cutting blades 11 and 11 function as a rotating mechanism.

  The control unit 160 mainly includes a CPU 161 that is an arithmetic device, a ROM 162 that is a read-only storage device, a RAM 163 that is a readable / writable main storage device that is used as a work area, and an input / output interface (I / F) 164. It is configured. Via the input / output interface 164, the controller 160, the carry-in conveyor motor 106a, the carry-out conveyor motor 107a, the cut conveyor motor 152a, the laser beam generator 103, the upper camera 104, the side camera 105, the front and rear moving cylinder 151a, and the screw nut Signals are input / output between the motor 143, the spline outer cylinder motor 146, the ultrasonic vibration generator 12 and the like (see FIG. 7). Further, the image data of the upper camera 104 and the side camera 105 is digitally processed by the image processing unit 165 and then displayed on the image display unit 165.

  The CPU 161 of the control unit 160 calibrates the length scale in the planar view image of the cake CK photographed by the upper camera 104 according to the thickness in the elevation view image of the cake CK photographed by the side camera 105. Further, the CPU 161 sets the up / down stroke SH so as to be substantially equal to the height of the cake CK, and sets the separation stroke SR (see FIG. 12) to a size corresponding to the height of the cake CK.

  The CPU 161 of the control unit 160 controls driving of the front / rear moving cylinder 151a of the cutting unit moving mechanism 150BL and the cut conveyor motor 152a of the cake moving mechanism 150CK. Thus, the movement vector in the front-rear direction (belt width direction) of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 by the cutting unit movement mechanism 150BL and the movement vector in the left-right direction (conveyance direction) of the cake CK by the cake movement mechanism 150CK. In the composite vector, the relative movement amount of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 in the radial direction of the cake CK is adjusted to be equal to the separation stroke SR (set value). The “movement vector” and the “combined vector” include positive and negative directions and an absolute value of the movement amount.

  The CPU 161 of the control unit 160 controls the drive of the screw nut motor 143 and the spline outer cylinder motor 146 of the ball screw spline mechanism 140. As a result, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 move up and down along the center line CC of the cake CK or rotate around the center line CC of the cake CK.

  Next, a specific example of cake cutting by the cake cutter 200 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 and 11 and the explanatory diagram of FIG.

<Cut pre-treatment>
In the pre-cut process of FIG. 10, manual setting is performed in S11. Specifically, the angle adjustment mechanism 20 adjusts the equal crossing angle θ (here, θ = 72 °), and inputs the number of cuts N (here, N = 5) from the input switch 71.

  When the start switch 72 is turned on in S21, the carry-in conveyor 106, the cut conveyor 152, and the carry-out conveyor 107 simultaneously start rotating in the feed direction in S22, and the laser beam generator 103 moves toward the conveyance center line BC. (See FIG. 3). The cake CK with the placing sheet ST before cutting, which is placed on the carry-in conveyor 106 by the operator in S23, is transferred to the cut conveyor 152, and the upper camera 104 and the side camera 105 take an image of the cake CK in S24. .

  Automatic setting is performed in S25. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the position of the center line CC is obtained from the image analysis of the cake CK taken in the planar imaging range PPA of the upper camera 104, and the center line CC coincides with the transport center line BC. When not, the shift amount, that is, the longitudinal adjustment movement distance LA of the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 is set. Further, an elevation stroke SH (for example, SH = 10 cm) and a separation stroke SR (for example, SR = 1 cm) are set from the elevation image of the cake CK taken by the side camera 105.

  In S26, the position of the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 is corrected. Specifically, the cutting portion moves while the cake CK to be cut is transported the transport distance LC (that is, the distance between the center line CC at the time of photographing and the intersection IS of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11). The pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 may be moved by the longitudinal adjustment movement distance LA by driving the forward / backward movement cylinder 151a of the mechanism 150BL. Thereafter, the carry-in conveyor 106, the cut conveyor 152, and the carry-out conveyor 107 are stopped in S27.

<Cake cut processing>
The cake cut process of FIG. 11 is similar to the process after S3 of the first embodiment (FIG. 4), but the number of cuts (cycle number) differs depending on the difference in the number of cuts N. Moreover, the control content in each process is also different. This will be specifically described below.

<Cut processing of the first cycle (first cut piece CP1)>
In S3, a cut counter n = 0 is set (n is a natural number including 0). In S4, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 is lowered by driving the screw nut motor 143 of the ball screw spline mechanism 140 to cut the first cut piece CP1.

  In S5, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are moved forward (outside in the radial direction of the cake CK) in a state where the cut first cut piece CP1 is sandwiched by driving the front and rear moving cylinder 151a of the cutting unit moving mechanism 150BL. It moves (separation stroke SR), and the first cut piece CP1 and the uncut portion NCS are separated.

  In S6, the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 returns to the origin position. Specifically, the reverse driving of the screw nut motor 143 of the ball screw spline mechanism 140 causes the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 to rise above the cake CK (retreat). In addition, by the reverse drive of the front / rear moving cylinder 151a of the cutting unit moving mechanism 150BL, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are moved rearward (inward in the radial direction of the cake CK), and the intersection point IS is the center line CC of the cake CK. Match (return).

  In S7, the cut counter n is incremented. Here, n = 1 and the first cut end, that is, the end of cutting of the first cut piece CP1 is stored.

  Next, it is determined whether or not to continue the cutting process after the circumferential feed is executed. Specifically, it is determined whether or not n is N / 2 or less at S8, and if N / 2 or less (Yes at S8), the screw nut motor 143 of the ball screw spline mechanism 140 and After the spline outer cylinder motor 146 is simultaneously driven in the same direction, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 perform circumferential feed corresponding to 2θ, and then in S10, it is determined whether n = N / 2. . If n = N / 2 is not satisfied (No in S10), the process returns to S4 and the cut process is continued. If n = N / 2 (Yes in S10), the cut process is terminated. If n is greater than N / 2 (No in S8), a pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are driven simultaneously and simultaneously by the screw nut motor 143 and the spline outer cylinder motor 146 of the ball screw spline mechanism 140 in S99. Is executed in the circumferential direction corresponding to θ, the cutting process is terminated. Here, since N = 5 and n = 1, the circumferential feed corresponding to 2θ is executed in S9, and then the process returns to S4 to continue the cutting process.

<Cut processing of the second cycle (third cut piece CP3)>
Since 2θ circumferential feed (S9) is performed in the previous cycle, in the cutting process of this cycle, the third cut piece CP3 is cut (S4), separated (S5), and returned (retracted / returned S6). The process is executed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, the 2nd cut piece CP2 is formed between 1st cut piece CP1 and 3rd cut piece CP3 with cutting | disconnection (S4) of 3rd cut piece CP3.

  However, in the separation step (S5) of this cycle, the front / rear moving cylinder 151a of the cutting unit moving mechanism 150BL and the cut conveyor motor 152a of the cake moving mechanism 150CK are driven and controlled. Specifically, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are moved rearward by the reverse drive of the front and rear moving cylinder 151a of the cutting unit moving mechanism 150BL, and the cut conveyor 152 is driven by the reverse drive of the cut conveyor motor 152a of the cake moving mechanism 150CK. Reversely rotates (returns). When these are combined, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 move relative to the outer side of the cake CK in the radial direction with the cut third cut piece CP3 sandwiched therebetween (separation stroke SR), and the third cut piece CP3 is not cut. Separate the partial NCS.

  In S7, the cut counter n is incremented to n = 2, and in S9, the circumferential feed corresponding to 2θ is executed, and then the process returns to S4 to continue the cutting process. However, in the case of an even-numbered cut (for example, the number of cuts N = 4), the cut process is terminated in S10 because Yes (ie, n = N / 2 = 2).

<Cut processing of the third cycle (fifth cut piece CP5)>
In the final third-cycle cutting process, the fourth cut piece CP4 is simultaneously formed by performing the cutting process of S4, the separation process of S5, and the return process (retraction / return) of S6 for the fifth cut piece CP5. The

  However, in the separation step (S5) of this cycle, the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 are moved forward by driving the front and rear moving cylinder 151a of the cutting portion moving mechanism 150BL, and the cut conveyor motor 152a of the cake moving mechanism 150CK is moved. By driving, the cut conveyor 152 rotates forward (sends). These are combined, and the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 move relative to the outer side in the radial direction of the cake CK (separation stroke SR) while sandwiching the cut fifth cut piece CP5.

  Since n exceeds N / 2 due to the increment of the cut counter n in S7 (n = 3) (No in S8), the circumferential feed process corresponding to θ is executed in S99 and the cutting process is terminated. To do. In addition, when the circumferential feed in S99 is made equal to the 2θ equivalent to S9, the total circumferential feed angle of 1 to 3 cycles will exceed 360 °, but the first to fifth after the cutting process ends. There is no problem in taking out the cut pieces CP1 to CP5 and the cutting process of the next cake CK.

  Also in this embodiment, the number N of cuts can be changed only by adjusting the equally-divided crossing angle θ between the pair of cutting blades 11, 11, so that the equipment cost and part replacement required for replacement parts, jigs / tools, etc. The work time required for work is reduced. Further, since the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 move relative to the radially outer side of the cake CK together with the cut piece CP immediately after cutting, the individual cut pieces CP1 to CP5 are separated from the uncut portion NCS. Reattachment of the cut surfaces is prevented, and deformation and deformation of the cut piece CP can be prevented. Therefore, the production capacity of the cut piece CP can be increased and the occurrence of defective products can be suppressed.

  In the second embodiment, in S25 of the pre-cut process, it is also possible to determine the decoration applied to the cake CK, the circumferential distribution of the topping, and the like from the image analysis of the upper camera 104 and the side camera 105. In this case, a circumferential origin position for cutting the first cut piece CP1 is set, and a pair of cutting is performed by simultaneously driving the screw nut motor 143 and the spline outer cylinder motor 146 of the ball screw spline mechanism 140 in the same direction. After the blades 11 and 11 have been circumferentially fed to the circumferential origin position, the cake cutting process is started. Thereby, the cutting position of the cake CK can be selected so that the decoration and the topping are dispersed in all the cut pieces CP1 to CP5 without excess or deficiency, or the decoration and the topping itself are not cut.

The cake cutters 100 and 200 described in the first and second embodiments can be expressed as follows as an independent invention. That is,
A food cutting device (cake cutter) for dividing a circular food having a predetermined thickness (and being flexible and easily deformable) into a plurality of fan-shaped cut pieces by equally dividing the circular food in the circumferential direction,
A cutting part including a pair of cutting blades arranged above the circular food in a form having an intersection that coincides with the center line of the circular food in plan view and intersecting in a V shape at a predetermined crossing angle;
An angle adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the crossing angle (that is, the included angle) of the pair of cutting blades so that the circular food can be equally divided;
An elevating mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the circular food so as to be movable up and down so that the intersection moves on the center line;
A rotation mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the circular food so as to be rotatable around the center line;
A moving mechanism that enables relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and the circular food in the radial direction of the circular food;
A control unit that outputs a control signal for controlling the operation of the lifting mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and the moving mechanism,
The control unit, with respect to the pair of cutting blades adjusted to an equal crossing angle that can equally divide the circular food by the angle adjustment mechanism,
The cut piece is cut based on the relative lowering by the lifting mechanism, and the cut piece is cut by cutting the cut piece based on the relative movement of the circular food radially outward by the moving mechanism. And is retracted above the circular food based on the relative rise by the lifting mechanism, and the intersection is returned to the center line of the circular food based on the relative movement of the circular food radially inward by the moving mechanism. A food cutting device (cake cutter) that performs circumferential relative feed at the equal crossing angle or twice the same based on relative rotation around the center line by the rotation mechanism.

Moreover, the cake cutting method using the cake cutters 100 and 200 of Examples 1 and 2 can be expressed as follows as an independent invention. That is,
A food cutting method (cake cutting method) for dividing a circular food product having a predetermined thickness (and being flexible and easily deformable) into a plurality of fan-shaped cut pieces by equally dividing the circular food product in the circumferential direction,
A cutting part including a pair of cutting blades arranged above the circular food in a form having an intersection that coincides with the center line of the circular food in plan view and intersecting in a V shape at a predetermined crossing angle;
An angle adjusting mechanism capable of adjusting the crossing angle (that is, the included angle) of the pair of cutting blades so that the circular food can be equally divided;
An elevating mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the circular food so as to be movable up and down so that the intersection moves on the center line;
A rotation mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the circular food so as to be rotatable around the center line;
A moving mechanism that enables relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and the circular food in the radial direction of the circular food;
A control unit that outputs a control signal for controlling the operation of the lifting mechanism, the rotating mechanism, and the moving mechanism,
The control unit, with respect to the pair of cutting blades adjusted to an equal crossing angle that can equally divide the circular food by the angle adjustment mechanism,
The cut piece is cut based on the relative lowering by the lifting mechanism, and the cut piece is cut by cutting the cut piece based on the relative movement of the circular food radially outward by the moving mechanism. And is retracted above the circular food based on the relative rise by the lifting mechanism, and the intersection is returned to the center line of the circular food based on the relative movement of the circular food radially inward by the moving mechanism. The food cutting method (cake cutting method) is characterized in that the circumferential feed at the equal crossing angle or twice the same is performed based on the relative rotation around the center line by the rotation mechanism.

  In Examples 1 and 2 (cake cutters 100 and 200), odd-numbered cuts (that is, the number of cuts N is odd) have been mainly described. However, a pair of V-shaped cutting blades 11 and 11 are even-numbered cuts (that is, the number of cuts N is even). ). By the way, in the case of an even-numbered cut, the operation of cutting the cake CK along the diameter by the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 adjusted so that the radial blade portions 11 a are aligned in a straight line, and the straight cutting blade 11, 11 may be controlled to repeat the circumferential relative feed operation at an equal crossing angle θ around the intersection IS (that is, the center line CC of the cake CK). In the second embodiment, when the pair of cutting blades 11, 11 aligned in a straight line is arranged in a direction intersecting (orthogonal or oblique) with the conveying direction, the rectangular cutting (in a plan view) conveyed by the cut conveyor 152 ( Other shapes of food (including squares) can be cut in parallel into strips, strips, strings, etc., and relatively long foods can be cut by a pair of cutting blades 11, 11.

  In the first and second embodiments (S1 in FIG. 4 and S11 in FIG. 10), the equally-intersecting angle θ of the pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 is manually adjusted. Adjusting means (for example, a screw shaft for connecting the support arm) and a drive source (for example, a servo motor for rotating the screw shaft in the forward and reverse directions) are provided, and by control signals from the control units 60 and 160 based on the input of the number of cuts N, etc. The minute crossing angle θ may be automatically adjusted.

(Application examples of Examples 1 and 2)
In Examples 1 and 2 described above, only the cutting device for cake has been described, but the present invention is not limited to cake or circular food. FIG. 13 illustrates a case where a regular pentagonal food is divided into five equal parts using the food cutting device 100 of Embodiment 1 (see FIG. 1) or the food cutting device 200 of Embodiment 2 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The regular pentagonal food CK ′ is divided into five equal parts by a pair of cutting blades 11 and 11 (see FIG. 2) adjusted to an equal crossing angle θ in the food cutting apparatuses 100 and 200, and is five in an isosceles triangle shape. Cut pieces CP1 ′ to CP5 ′. Therefore, the apex angle of each isosceles triangle (cut pieces CP1 ′ to CP5 ′) is an equally-intersecting angle θ (here, θ = 72 °). As described above, the food cutting apparatuses 100 and 200 can be used to cut the regular polygonal food into the number of isosceles triangular cut pieces equal to the number of vertices (number of sides).

  In Example 2 (FIGS. 6 to 12), parts having the same functions as those in Example 1 (FIGS. 1 to 5) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In addition, the embodiments can be appropriately combined and implemented within a range that does not cause technical contradiction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cutting part 11 Cutting blade 11a Radial direction blade part 11b Lifting direction blade part 12 Ultrasonic vibration generator (ultrasonic vibration mechanism)
13 Ultrasonic vibrator with horn 20 Angle adjustment mechanism 30 Cutting section lifting mechanism (lifting mechanism)
40 Cake turning mechanism (turning mechanism)
50 Cutting part moving mechanism (moving mechanism)
100 Portable cake cutter (food cutting device)
140 Ball screw spline mechanism (elevating mechanism; rotating mechanism)
150BL cutting part moving mechanism (moving mechanism)
150CK cake moving mechanism (moving mechanism)
200 Stationary cake cutter (food cutting device)
CK cake (circle shaped food; food)
CP Cut piece NCS Uncut part CC Cake center line IS Intersection N Number of cuts SH Lifting stroke SR Separating stroke θ Equal angle of intersection

Claims (5)

A food cutting device for equally dividing a circular or regular polygonal food having a predetermined thickness into a plurality of cut pieces of a fan shape or an isosceles triangle shape in the circumferential direction,
A cutting part including a pair of cutting blades disposed above the food in a form having a crossing point that coincides with the center line of the food in a plan view and intersecting in a V shape at a predetermined crossing angle;
An angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the crossing angle of the pair of cutting blades so that the food can be equally divided;
An elevating mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be movable up and down so that the intersection moves on the center line;
A rotation mechanism for holding at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be rotatable around the center line;
A moving mechanism that enables relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and the food in the radial direction of the food ,
The pair of cutting blades are adjusted to an equally-intersecting angle at which the food can be equally divided by the angle adjustment mechanism, and the cut line is cut by the lowering mechanism by the lowering mechanism, and the center line by the rotation mechanism By equally dividing the food into the plurality of cut pieces by repeating the equally-divided crossing angle based on the relative rotation around or twice the circumferential relative feed ,
The pair of cutting blades are moved relative to the outer side in the radial direction of the food by the moving mechanism with the cut pieces sandwiched therebetween, and the cut pieces and the uncut portions of the food after cutting the cut pieces A food cutting device characterized by separating food. The cutting portion includes an ultrasonic transducer for integrally ultrasonically vibrating the pair of cutting blades along the ascending / descending direction,
The pair of cutting blades are formed in the same rectangular shape, and each of the cutting blades is formed on a radial blade portion formed on a lower side portion orthogonal to the up-and-down direction and left and right side portions along the up-and-down direction. The food cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the food cutting device has a vertically moving blade portion formed symmetrically. The pair of cutting blades are arranged such that the tips of the raising and lowering direction blade portions forming the intersections of the respective cutting blades form the equally intersecting angle on the center line of the food, and are synchronized along the raising and lowering direction. The food cutting device according to claim 2 , wherein the food cutting device vibrates ultrasonically. A food cutting method for equally dividing a circular or regular polygonal food having a predetermined thickness into a plurality of fan-shaped or isosceles triangular cut pieces in the circumferential direction,
A cutting part including a pair of cutting blades disposed above the food in a form having a crossing point that coincides with the center line of the food in a plan view and intersecting in a V shape at a predetermined crossing angle;
An angle adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the crossing angle of the pair of cutting blades so that the food can be equally divided;
An elevating mechanism that holds at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be movable up and down so that the intersection moves on the center line;
A rotation mechanism for holding at least one of the pair of cutting blades and the food so as to be rotatable around the center line;
A moving mechanism that enables relative movement of the pair of cutting blades and the food in the radial direction of the food,
The pair of cutting blades are:
After the food is divided by the angle adjusting mechanism so that the food can be equally divided, the cut piece is cut based on the relative lowering by the lifting mechanism, and the food is relatively moved radially outward by the moving mechanism. The cut piece is separated from the uncut portion of the food after cutting the cut piece, and retracted above the food on the basis of the relative rise by the lifting mechanism, and radially inside the food by the moving mechanism The crossing point is returned to the center line of the food based on the relative movement to the food, and the circumferential relative feed at the equally-divided crossing angle or twice based on the relative rotation around the center line by the rotation mechanism. A method for cutting food, characterized in that it is performed. When the cut number N when dividing the food into the cut pieces is set to an odd number,
The pair of cutting blades perform (N + 1) / 2 cycles of cutting, separation, retraction, return, and circumferential relative feed at the equivalent of twice the equal crossing angle θ = 360 ° / N with respect to the food. The food cutting method according to claim 4 , wherein the food cutting method can be repeatedly performed.

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