JP6626939B2 - Tofu cutting device and tofu packing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a tofu cutting device and a tofu packing device provided with the same.

As a processing device for cutting a material such as tofu into a cubic shape having a predetermined size, for example, devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. In the processing device of Patent Document 1, a horizontal blade is installed at a predetermined height position on a transport conveyor. Thus, when the transport conveyor horizontally transports the sheet-like tofu or the like, the transported tofu or the like is horizontally cut into a plurality of sheets by the horizontal blade. In addition, the processing device disclosed in Patent Document 2 causes a cutting line made of a fishing line having a fishing line stretched horizontally to enter a gap on the side of the tofu in the pack such that the fishing line is at an intermediate level of the height of the tofu. Then, while maintaining the height of the fishing line, the cutting line made of the fishing line is horizontally moved in the tofu. Thereby, the tofu in the pack is divided into two in the vertical direction.
Patent Literature 3 discloses an apparatus for packing tofu on land. In this packing device, tofu is gripped by a pair of positioning plates and transported to a position of a packaging pack arranged at a predetermined position on a transport conveyor. Then, the tofu gripped at the position of the packaging pack is dropped into the packaging pack, so that the tofu is stored on land on the packaging pack.

JP-A-10-165128 JP 2000-135064 A JP 2012-140158 A

However, in the processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the tofu is transported while being placed on the transport conveyor, the tofu itself may bend during horizontal cutting due to the resistance of the plurality of horizontal blades. When the tofu is bent, the cutting position is shifted, and the shape of the tofu after cutting is disturbed. Therefore, it is difficult to stably cut the tofu into a uniform shape. In addition, if the tofu is cut into pieces at one time, the cut pieces of the tofu are likely to fall apart, and it is difficult to store them in a packaging pack in an orderly manner. On the other hand, in the processing apparatus of Patent Document 2, since one fishing line is used for the cutting blade, foreign matter may be mixed into the tofu when the fishing line is broken. Thick yarns can be used to avoid contamination, but in that case, the cut surface of the tofu becomes rough.
In addition, when cutting tofu in a dice pattern by horizontal cutting and vertical cutting (lattice cutting), if these cuttings are performed at the same position, the stop time of the tofu on the processing line becomes longer, and it is difficult to increase the throughput. It becomes.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a tofu cutting device that can prevent damage to tofu, can cut tofu with high precision without generating foreign matter, and can orderly and efficiently store the tofu in a packaging pack at high speed and high efficiency. And an apparatus for packing tofu.

The present invention has the following configuration.
(1) A tofu cutting device for cutting a plurality of tofus placed on a horizontal surface on land and arranged at substantially equal intervals,
A positioning member that contacts the side surface of the tofu to position the tofu;
A horizontal cutter that is horizontally movably arranged within a height range of a region of the positioning member that comes into contact with the tofu,
A cutter driving unit that drives the horizontal cutter horizontally,
With
The positioning member has a pair of positioning plates each extending in the arrangement direction of the plurality of tofu, and one of the positioning plates is movable toward and away from the other positioning plate, and the plurality of the tofu Positioning by gripping between the one positioning plate and the other positioning plate,
At least one of the pair of positioning plates is opened along the horizontal direction, and a slit through which the horizontal cutter is inserted is formed,
A tofu cutting device, wherein the tofu is horizontally positioned between the one positioning plate and the other positioning plate, and the horizontal cutter is horizontally inserted into the slit to cut a plurality of the tofu horizontally.
(2) A tofu cutting device for cutting at least a pair of tofu that is horizontally conveyed and placed on a horizontal surface on land,
A positioning member that contacts the side surface of the tofu to position the tofu;
A horizontal cutter that is horizontally movably arranged within a height range of a region of the positioning member that comes into contact with the tofu,
A cutter driving unit that drives the horizontal cutter horizontally,
With
The positioning member,
A spacer plate disposed between facing sides of the pair of tofu;
An upstream positioning plate that is movable toward and away from the spacer plate and grips one of the tofu on the upstream side in the transport direction with the spacer plate, and the other tofu on the downstream side in the transport direction is the spacer. A downstream positioning plate gripped between the plate,
Has,
The horizontal cutter is driven by the cutter driving unit, respectively, has an upstream horizontal cutter provided on the upstream side of the spacer plate, and a downstream horizontal cutter provided on the downstream side of the spacer plate,
The upstream positioning plate is provided with a slit through which the upstream horizontal cutter is inserted,
The downstream positioning plate is formed with a slit through which the downstream horizontal cutter is inserted,
While the one tofu is positioned between the spacer plate and the upstream positioning plate, the upstream horizontal cutter is horizontally inserted into a slit formed in the upstream positioning plate to remove the one tofu. Cut horizontally,
While positioning the other tofu between the spacer plate and the downstream positioning plate, the downstream horizontal cutter is horizontally inserted into a slit formed in the downstream positioning plate to remove the other tofu. A tofu cutting device that cuts horizontally.
(3) The cutter driving unit according to (2), wherein the cutter driving unit simultaneously drives the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter to move them toward the spacer plate, and cuts the pair of tofus at a time. Tofu cutting equipment.
(4) A plurality of tofu are arranged at regular intervals along the spacer plate between the spacer plate and the upstream positioning plate and between the spacer plate and the downstream positioning plate. A plurality of sets of the pair of tofu are arranged;
Wherein the plurality of sets arranged the upstream horizontal cutter tofu, and cut at once by the downstream horizontal cutter, (2) or (3) Tofu cutting device according to.
(5) tips of the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter each have a blade width that is wider than a total width in an arrangement direction in which the plurality of tofu are arranged along the spacer plate;
The tofu cutting device according to (4), wherein the slits formed in the upstream positioning plate and the downstream horizontal cutter are wider than a total width of the tofu in the arrangement direction.
(6) tips of the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter have a plurality of blades corresponding to each of the tofu;
The tofu cutting device according to (4), wherein the upstream positioning plate and the downstream positioning plate have slits corresponding to the individual tofu.
(7) The upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter each have a comb-shaped blade having an uneven tip, and only the individual convex blades cut through the slit to cut the tofu. The tofu cutting device according to (4).
(8) The upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter have a narrow knife-like shape having a width in a cutter short-axis direction smaller than a horizontal width of a side surface of each of the tofu and having a cutting edge along a cutter long-axis direction. Formed,
The cutter driving unit moves the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter to a cutting start position along the cutting edge of the horizontal cutter on one of the side surfaces of the tofu, respectively, and the upstream horizontal cutter and the While contacting the cutting edge of the downstream horizontal cutter with all of the horizontal cross section of the tofu, the cutting edge of the horizontal cutter is moved from the cutting start position of the tofu to the end position of the opposing side surface. The tofu cutting device according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the tofu is horizontally cut in a direction crossing the direction to cut the tofu horizontally.
(9) A tofu cutting device according to any one of (1) to (8),
Having the horizontal surface on which the tofu is placed, a horizontally movable shutter plate,
A shutter plate drive unit that drives the shutter plate forward and backward between a tofu support position where the tofu is placed and a non-support position that is separated from the tofu support position;
A packaging pack supply unit that is disposed immediately below the shutter plate at the tofu support position and supplies a packaging pack;
A drive control unit that drives and controls at least the cutter drive unit and the shutter plate drive unit;
With
The drive control unit controls the cutter drive unit so that the horizontal cutter in a state where the horizontal cutter is inserted through the slit is directed toward a plate surface disposed on the end side of the horizontal cutter in a cutting direction of the horizontal cutter. And moving the shutter plate from the tofu supporting position to the non-supporting position by controlling the shutter plate driving section by horizontally moving the tofu into a horizontally divided tofu cut horizontally. An apparatus for packing tofu, wherein the horizontally divided tofu is dropped from the shutter plate and stored in the packaging pack.
(10) The horizontal plate which is disposed below the horizontal divided tofu cut horizontally by the horizontal cutter on the horizontal plane of the shutter plate, and which falls from the shutter plate by moving the shutter plate to the non-support position. The tofu packing device according to (9), further comprising a vertical cutter having a lattice-shaped cutting blade that cuts the horizontal split tofu in a vertical direction by passing the split tofu, thereby converting the horizontal split tofu into a rounded tofu.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the tofu cutting device of this invention, damage of tofu can be prevented, and tofu can be cut with high precision, without generating a foreign substance. Further, according to the tofu packing device of the present invention, on land, tofu that has been horizontally divided and tofu cut in a dice pattern can be stored in a packaging pack at high speed and with high efficiency and in an orderly manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure for demonstrating embodiment of this invention, and is a schematic block diagram of the tofu packing apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the tofu positioning part of an tofu packing device, an upstream horizontal cutting part, and a downstream horizontal cutting part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of tofu typically. It is process explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a tofu is positioned from a tofu supply line with a horizontal tofu cutting apparatus. (A), (B), (C) is a process explanatory view showing how tofu is horizontally cut by a horizontal tofu cutting device. (A), (B) is process explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a horizontal divided tofu is accommodated in a packaging pack. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 1st modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 2nd modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 3rd modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 4th modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 5th modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 6th modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 7th modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 8th modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 9th modification typically. It is an expanded sectional view of the A section in the waveform horizontal cutter shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 10th modification. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 11th modification. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of the horizontal cutting device of the tofu of the 12th modification typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the principal part of the tofu packing apparatus including a vertical cutter. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of another tofu packing device including a vertical cutter typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of another tofu packing device including a vertical cutter typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of another tofu packing device including a vertical cutter typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of another tofu packing device including a vertical cutter typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of another modification of a horizontal cutting device typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of further another modification of a horizontal cutting device typically. It is explanatory drawing which shows the principal part of further another modification of a horizontal cutting device typically.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic configuration diagram of a tofu packing device. The tofu packing device shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configuration example.

<Structure of tofu packing device>
The tofu packing device 100 (hereinafter, referred to as a packing device) positions the tofu T1 and T2 supplied on the horizontal plane of the tofu supply line 11 on land, and the tofu transport direction indicated by a chain line P in the figure. Is transported horizontally along During this horizontal transport, the tofu T1 and T2 are cut horizontally. Then, the cut horizontal split tofu is dropped toward the packaging pack 15 arranged in the packaging pack supply unit 13. Thereby, the horizontally divided tofu divided horizontally is stored in the packaging pack 15. Further, when the horizontally divided tofu is dropped toward the packaging pack 15, the horizontally divided tofu may be further cut in the vertical direction and stored in the packaging pack 15 as dice-like tofu.

  The pack packing apparatus 100 includes a carrier 17, a carrier driving unit 19, and a shutter plate driving unit 23.

  The carrier 17 is equipped with a horizontal cutting device 200 for cutting the tofu T1 and T2 horizontally. The carrier 17 is transported by the carrier drive unit 19 from the tofu supply position on the tofu supply line 11 holding the tofu T1 and T2 to a position above the packaging pack supply unit 13. Between the tofu supply line 11 and the shutter plate 21, a transfer path 22 for transferring a plate, a conveyor or the like is arranged.

  The transfer path 22 for transfer may be disposed without a step with the front and rear transfer paths, but the transfer surface is disposed at a position lower than the transfer surface of the tofu supply line 11 and higher than the mounting surface of the shutter plate 21. Is preferred. Further, a large number of blowout holes from which water, air, and the like blow out may be provided on the transport surface. Thereby, the tofu T1 and T2 of the tofu supply line 11 can be smoothly moved onto the shutter plate 21.

  The carrier driving section 19 fixes the hook section 18 provided on the upper portion of the carrier 17 to the conveyor belt 20 and drives the conveyor belt 20 to move the carrier 17 horizontally.

  The shutter plate drive unit 23 includes the shutter plate 21 and a horizontal motion actuator 67 that drives the shutter plate 21 forward and backward horizontally. The shutter plate 21 is disposed below the horizontal cutting device 200 and has a horizontal surface on which the tofu T1 and T2 are placed.

  Further, the shutter plate 21 is disposed at the tofu support position where the tofu T1 and T2 are placed, and when the tofu T1 and T2 are dropped in the manner of darting and stored in the packaging packs 15 and 15, the tofu support position is provided. Is horizontally moved to a non-support position distant from. Then, after storing the tofu T1 and T2 in the packaging packs 15 and 15, the shutter plate 21 is returned to the tofu support position again.

  Although not shown in the figure, the vertical cutter for cutting the tofu T1 and T2 in the vertical direction between the shutter plate 21 and the packaging pack 15 of the packaging pack supply unit 13 is omitted. It may be a form that is arranged close to.

  This vertical cutter is not limited to a configuration in which a sharp cutting edge is formed on the upper side (forming a so-called “shinogi”) and disposed between the shutter plate 21 and the packaging pack 15. , T2. That is, the vertical cutter may be any configuration as long as it cuts the tofu T1 and T2 horizontally and then cuts it vertically. Although not shown, a guide for guiding the falling horizontally divided tofu may be provided on the outer periphery of the vertical cutter.

Next, the horizontal cutting device 200 will be described.
The horizontal cutting device 200 includes a tofu positioning section 25 that grips and positions a pair of tofu T1 and T2, an upstream horizontal cutting section 27 that cuts the tofu T1, and a downstream horizontal cutting section 29 that cuts the tofu T2. Prepare.

(Tofu positioning section)
The tofu positioning section 25 includes a vertical actuator 31 having a cylinder connected to the carrier 17, a central frame 33 having a piston rod connected to the vertical actuator 31, a sub-horizontal actuator 37, and an upstream positioning plate (positioning member). ) 39. The tofu positioning section 25 includes a vertical actuator 47 having a cylinder connected to the carrier 17, a downstream frame 45 to which a piston rod of the vertical actuator 47 is connected, a sub-horizontal actuator 43, and a downstream positioning plate. (Positioning member) 41.

  The positioning plates 39 and 41 of the tofu positioning section 25 can adjust the gripping strength of the tofu to be stronger to weaker as appropriate. In some cases, the tofu is positioned with a weaker gripping force or a degree of contact with almost no gripping.

  The center frame 33 has a pair of hanging parts provided along the tofu conveying direction P. A spacer plate 35 inserted between the facing side surfaces of the pair of tofu T1 and T2 is connected to the hanging portion on the downstream side in the tofu conveying direction P.

  The spacer plate 35 contacts the side surfaces of the tofu T1 and T2 to position the tofu T1 and T2, and supports the tofu T1 and T2 between the upstream positioning plate 39 and the downstream positioning plate 41. Although not shown, a configuration in which a positioning plate is provided downstream of the tofu T1 and a positioning plate is provided upstream of the tofu T2 instead of the spacer plate 35 may be used.

  A sub-horizontal movement actuator 37 is connected to a hanging part on the upstream side in the tofu conveying direction P. The upstream horizontal positioning plate 39 facing the spacer plate 35 is connected to the tip of the piston rod of the sub horizontal actuator 37.

  The upstream positioning plate 39 can move forward and backward toward the spacer plate 35 by driving of the sub-horizontal motion actuator 37, and positions one tofu T <b> 1 by gripping it with the spacer plate 35. It should be noted that while holding the tofu in a gripping state is particularly effective when horizontally transferring and dropping the tofu, in the case of horizontal cutting, on the contrary, the tofu is distorted and cutting accuracy may be reduced. . Therefore, during horizontal cutting, it is preferable that the gripping strength is loosened and the positioning state is set to such a degree as to lightly touch the tofu.

  The downstream horizontal frame 45 is connected to the sub-horizontal motion actuator 43, and the distal end of the piston rod of the sub-horizontal motion actuator 43 is connected to the downstream positioning plate 41 facing the spacer plate 35.

  The downstream positioning plate 41 can move forward and backward toward the spacer plate 35 by driving of the sub-horizontal motion actuator 43, and positions the other tofu T2 by gripping it with the spacer plate 35.

(Upstream horizontal cutting section)
The upstream horizontal cutting unit 27 includes a vertical actuator 51, an upstream frame 53, an upstream horizontal actuator 55 (a cutter driving unit), and an upstream horizontal cutter 57.

  The vertical movement actuator 51 has a cylinder connected to the carrier 17, a piston rod connected to the upstream frame 53, and drives the upstream frame 53 up and down. This is to prevent the tofu conveyed from the upstream from the tofu supply line 11 and the transfer conveyance path 22 from interfering with the horizontal cutter 57 on the upstream side. If there is no risk of the interference, the vertical actuator 51 is unnecessary, and the support fixed to the carrier 17 may be arranged instead of the vertical actuator 51.

  An upstream horizontal motion actuator 55 is provided below the upstream frame 53. The upstream horizontal motion actuator 55 has an upstream horizontal cutter 57 connected to the piston rod, and moves the upstream horizontal cutter 57 from the starting end in the cutting direction toward the spacer plate 35 disposed on the end in the cutting direction. It is movably supported.

  The upstream horizontal cutter 57 is a metal plate such as an aluminum plate or a stainless steel plate, and has a downstream end provided with a cutting edge equal to or wider than the horizontal width of the side surface of the tofu T1 (the side surface in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). I have. Thus, the entire edge of the horizontal section of the tofu T1 can be brought into contact with the blade portion of the upstream horizontal cutter 57.

(Downstream horizontal cutting section)
The downstream horizontal cutting section 29 includes a support section 61, a downstream horizontal motion actuator (cutter driving section) 63, and a downstream horizontal cutter 65.

  An upper end of the support 61 is connected to the carrier 17, and a downstream horizontal actuator 63 is provided at a lower end of the support 61. The downstream horizontal motion actuator 63 is connected to the piston rod and the downstream horizontal cutter 65, and supports the downstream horizontal cutter 65 so as to be able to move forward and backward toward the spacer plate 35 arranged at the end side in the cutting direction.

  Like the upstream horizontal cutter 57, the downstream horizontal cutter 65 is a metal plate such as aluminum or a stainless steel plate, and is equal to or wider than the horizontal width of the side surface of the tofu T2 (the side surface in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1). A wide blade is provided at the upstream end. Thereby, the blade portion of the downstream horizontal cutter 65 can be brought into contact with the entire horizontal cross section of the tofu T2.

  The spacer plate 35 against which the cutting edge of each of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 abuts may be provided with a resin or rubber that eases the contact with the cutting edge, or a concave groove may be provided at the abutting location. When a positioning plate is provided instead of the spacer plate 35, a slit serving as a through-hole may be formed, and the cutting edge may be slightly inserted through the slit. In that case, contact between metals can be prevented, and damage to the cutting edge can be prevented. In addition, the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 have sharp edges on their cutting edges. Further, in order to reduce the frictional resistance with the tofu, the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 may be made of a thin plate material of 1 mm or less, and furthermore, various surface treatments (such as fluorine resin coating) may be applied to the cutter surface.

(Shutter plate driver)
The shutter plate driving unit 23 includes the shutter plate 21, a horizontal motion actuator 67, and a suspension arm 71 that supports them. In particular, when there are a plurality of product types having different packaging packs 15, a plurality of packaging pack supply units 13 are arranged in parallel. For example, the packaging pack supply units 13 are provided in parallel according to product types having different pack sizes. In that case, the shutter plate 21 of the shutter plate driving unit 23 is moved to a predetermined position above the packaging pack supply unit 13 according to each product type.

  Although not shown, two sets of the shutter plate driving unit 23, the shutter plate 21, the horizontal motion actuator 67, and the hanging arms 71 that support them may be provided on the upstream side and the downstream side. In this case, by separately opening and closing the shutter plates disposed below the tofu T1 and the tofu T2, the tofu T1 and the tofu T2 can be individually dropped.

  Further, when the tofu falls, the package pack 15 may be raised to contain the tofu, and the tofu may be lowered after the package is stored, or water may be poured into the package pack 15 before the tofu is stored.

  Alternatively, a rotary drive type openable / closable shutter plate may be used as a substitute for or in combination with the shutter drive by the horizontal motion actuator 67. The rotary drive type openable / closable shutter plate is disposed below the tofu, and causes the opening to appear or close above the packaging pack by the rotation of the shutter plate by the rotary actuator. This shutter plate may be a single shutter plate or a plurality of shutter plates. Further, the horizontal movement actuator 67 and the rotation movement actuator may cooperate to drive the shutter plate in combination of the horizontal movement and the vertical movement.

  Further, a configuration may be provided that includes a drop guide plate that guides the falling tofu to the packaging pack below the shutter plate and along the tofu falling path.

  The shutter plate 21 is horizontally movably disposed below the tofu T1 and T2 gripped between the spacer plate 35 and the upstream positioning plate 39 and the downstream positioning plate 41.

  The horizontal movement actuator 67 has the shutter plate 21 connected to the piston rod, and moves the shutter plate 21 horizontally. Thereby, the shutter plate 21 can be made to be able to come and go under the tofu T1, T2 grasped.

  The lower end of the suspension arm 71 is connected to a horizontal motion actuator 67, and the upper end is supported at the upper end by a ball screw type or rack & pinion type shaft 69 attached to the carrier drive unit 19.

  In addition, the tofu mentioned here is a substantially cube (substantially regular hexahedron) or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having one side size of 20 to 150 mm and a height of 10 to 100 mm as one piece in one pack. The tofu is preferably a substantially cubic (substantially regular hexahedron) or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having a side of 50 to 120 mm and a height of 20 to 80 mm. The soybean-shaped tofu cut into soybeans is a substantially cuboid (substantially regular hexahedron) or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped having a side of 10 to 50 mm.

The breaking force of tofu is 0.2 to 20 N / m ² (about 20 to 2000 gf / cm ² ), and preferably 0.4 to 10 N / m ² (about 40 to 1000 gf / cm ² ). The tofu to be packed in this configuration includes general cotton tofu, soft cotton tofu, baked tofu, hard tofu, silken tofu, soft tofu, and soft pudding tofu, as well as those for freezing and freeze-drying. It is targeted. The tofu cutting apparatus of the present configuration can be applied to the cutting of dough for secondary processed products of tofu such as raw fried, silk fried and oil fried dough.

  The drive source represented by each actuator of this configuration is, for example, a linear actuator such as an air cylinder or an electric cylinder, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a drive source that can perform linear reciprocal drive and can be positioned. In addition, as the type of the drive source, a crank type using a linear actuator, an angle control function such as a rotary encoder, a direct connection type such as a motor or a servo motor with various speed reducers and inverter control, or a belt or a chain is used. Examples include a motor power transmission system, a linear drive mechanism using a rotary actuator, and the like. However, the drive source of this configuration is not limited to these.

  Although not shown, each of the above actuators is driven based on a drive signal output from a drive control unit. The drive control unit includes a CPU, a memory, a drive driver for each actuator, and drives the respective actuators collectively based on a program or sequence created in advance or based on an instruction input from an operation panel or the like. .

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the tofu positioning unit 25, the upstream horizontal cutting unit 27, and the downstream horizontal cutting unit 29 of the tofu packing device 100. The spacer plate 35, the upstream positioning plate 39, and the downstream positioning plate 41 are extended in the arrangement direction in which the plurality of tofu T1 and T2 are arranged at substantially equal intervals every one.

  The upstream positioning plate 39 is formed with a rectangular slit 75 that opens in the horizontal direction and through which the upstream horizontal cutter 57 is inserted. Similarly, the downstream positioning plate 41 is formed with a rectangular slit 77 which opens in the horizontal direction and through which the downstream horizontal cutter 65 is inserted.

  The slits 75 and 77 are formed in a height range of a region where the upstream positioning plate 39 and the downstream positioning plate 41 abut on the tofu T2. Therefore, the upstream horizontal cutter 57 and the downstream horizontal cutter 65 inserted into the slits 75 and 77 project toward the tofu T1 and T2 within the height range of the tofu T1 and T2, and cut the tofu T1 and T2 horizontally. .

  In the illustrated example, one upstream horizontal cutter 57 and one downstream horizontal cutter 65 are arranged for each of the tofu T1 and T2, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the positioning plates 39 and 41 may be provided with a plurality of rows of slits arranged in a vertical direction, and the tofu T1 and T2 may be cut at the same time by a plurality of horizontal cutters. Further, a configuration may be employed in which one horizontal cutter is sequentially inserted into a plurality of slits to cut the tofu T1 and T2. In these cases, horizontally divided tofu divided into three or more layers is obtained. Each of the positioning plates 39 and 41 functions as a stopper when the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 are retracted after the horizontal cutting, and prevents the position shift of the tofu after the horizontal cutting.

  Next, a mechanism for cutting one tofu in the horizontal direction and storing it in a packaging pack by the packing device 100 configured as described above will be described in further detail. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of the horizontal cutting device for tofu. In the illustrated example, the configuration of each section will be described for the downstream horizontal cutting section 29, but the upstream horizontal cutting section 27 has the same configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the tofu T <b> 2 transported in the direction of the arrow D <b> 1 in the figure is positioned between the aforementioned spacer plate 35 and the downstream positioning plate 41. A shutter plate 21 is arranged between the tofu T2 and the packaging pack 15 below the tofu T2.

  With the tofu T2 positioned between the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41, the downstream horizontal cutter 65 is horizontally inserted into the slit 77 formed in the positioning plate 41 (arrow D2 in the figure). Then, after the downstream horizontal cutter 65 abuts against the spacer plate 35, the downstream horizontal cutter 65 is pulled back horizontally (arrow D3 in the figure). By this operation, the tofu T2 is horizontally divided into two.

  Next, the shutter plate 21 is horizontally moved while holding the horizontally divided tofu T2 between the spacer plate 35 and the downstream positioning plate 41 (arrow D4 in the figure), and from below the tofu T2. Evacuate. Then, the tofu T2 falls by its own weight in the manner of dropping the daruma, and is stored in the packaging pack 15. Alternatively, the tofu T2 may be forcibly dropped by retracting the shutter plate 21 and separating the downstream positioning plate 41 from the spacer plate 35.

  The packaging pack 15 in which the tofu T2 is stored is transported toward the arrow D5 in the figure, and the next new packaging pack is placed at the position where the tofu T2 falls.

<Procedures for gripping, transporting, horizontally cutting, and packing tofu using a packing machine>
Next, a description will be given of the transport of the tofu, the horizontal cutting, and the packing process by the packing device 100 having the above-described configuration. FIG. 4 is a process explanatory view showing how tofu is positioned from the tofu supply line 11 by the horizontal tofu cutting device 200.

(Gripping / positioning process)
The drive control unit (not shown) drives the carrier drive unit 19 to move the carrier 17 to the tofu supply line 11 as shown in FIG. Then, the movement is stopped at a position where the spacer plate 35 is disposed immediately above the tofu T1 and T2 placed at a predetermined interval on the tofu supply line 11. Next, the vertical movement actuator 31 is lowered to insert the spacer plate 35 between the tofu T1 and T2.

  Then, the drive control unit drives the sub-horizontal motion actuators 37 and 43 to move the upstream positioning plate 39 and the downstream positioning plate 41 toward the spacer plate 35.

  Thereby, the two side surfaces of the tofu T1 on the tofu supply line 11 facing each other are gripped between the spacer plate 35 and the upstream positioning plate 39, and are positioned in the horizontal direction. Similarly, the two sides facing each other are held between the spacer plate 35 and the downstream positioning plate 41, and the tofu T2 is positioned in the horizontal direction. By setting the force for gripping the tofu T1 and T2 to be weaker, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of distortion and damage of the tofu.

(Transportation process, horizontal cutting process)
Next, the drive control unit drives the carrier drive unit 19 to move the carrier 17 toward the packaging pack supply unit. FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 5C are process explanatory diagrams showing how tofu is conveyed by the horizontal tofu cutting device 200. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (A), the drive control unit moves the carrier 17 horizontally, passes the tofu T1 and T2 from the tofu supply line 11 over the transfer path 22 and transfers the tofu onto the shutter plate 21. Transfer to Further, the carrier 17 is horizontally moved, and the tofu T1 and T2 are transported so as to slide while the shutter plate 21 is arranged below the tofu T1 and T2.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the drive control unit simultaneously or sequentially drives the upstream horizontal actuator 55 and the downstream horizontal actuator 63 while the carrier 17 is moving, and 57 and the downstream horizontal cutter 65 are moved toward the spacer plate 35.

  That is, the drive control unit moves the upstream horizontal cutter 57 horizontally while inserting it through the slit 75 formed in the upstream positioning plate 39, and hits the spacer plate 35. In addition, the drive control unit horizontally moves the downstream horizontal cutter 65 in a state of being inserted through the slit 77 formed in the downstream positioning plate 41, and abuts the spacer plate 35. Thus, the tofu T1 and T2 are cut horizontally while the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 are guided by the slits 75 and 77.

  After the horizontal cutting of the tofu T1 and T2, the drive control unit drives the upstream horizontal actuator 55 and the downstream horizontal actuator 63 simultaneously or sequentially to connect the upstream horizontal cutter 57 and the downstream horizontal cutter 65 to each other. It is separated from the spacer plate 35. Then, the upstream-side horizontal cutter 57 and the downstream-side horizontal cutter 65 are extracted from the slits 75 and 77, and the tofu T1 and T2 become horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a obtained by cutting horizontally.

  The operation of abutting each of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 on a spacer plate (a positioning plate when abutting on a positioning plate described later) 35 is performed by making the cutting edges of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 contact the surface of the spacer plate 35 on which the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 abut. It will be in the state of substantially contact.

Here, the “substantially abutting” of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 means
(1) The state where the cutting edges of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 are in contact with the surface of the spacer plate 35 (2) The state where there is a slight gap due to manufacturing errors in the dimensions of the devices and members (3) 65, immediately before the tip of the spacer 65 abuts against the spacer plate 35, or in a state in which a predetermined gap is intentionally left (so-called "dimming" state), leaving a small uncut portion in the tofu. Shall be included.

  In the following description, “contact” or “substantially contact” of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 (the same applies to knife-shaped cutters 91 (FIG. 17), 92A (FIG. 18), and 92B (FIG. 19) described later). And the meanings of the above (1) to (3). In particular, in the case of the state (3), it is possible to prevent damage to the tip of the horizontal cutter. Further, in that case, a small uncut portion is generated in the tofu, but the tofu becomes naturally invisible and inconspicuous in the subsequent handling of the tofu.

(Packing process)
Next, the drive control unit stores the horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a in the packaging pack 15, respectively. 6 (A) and 6 (B) are process explanatory diagrams showing a state in which the horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a is stored in the packaging pack 15. FIG.

  The drive control unit conveys the horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a to above the packaging pack supply unit 13, as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 6 (B), the drive control unit drives the horizontal motion actuator 67 to move the shutter plate 21 from the tofu support position where the horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a are placed, to this tofu support position. Move horizontally to a remote, unsupported position. That is, the shutter plate 21 is pulled out from under the horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a.

  Then, the horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a falls while being guided by the respective positioning plates 39, 41 in a manner of dropping the balls, and is accommodated in the packaging packs 15, 15 prepared in the packaging pack supply unit 13, respectively. The positioning plates 39 and 41 guide the side surfaces of the horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a at the time of falling, thereby allowing the tofu to fall to the position of the packaging packs 15 and 15 accurately.

  Further, depending on the size and shape of the tofu, the drive control unit drives the sub-horizontal motion actuators 37 and 43 in synchronization with the drive of the shutter plate 21 so that each of the positioning plates 39 and 41 and the spacer plate 35 are connected. The grip between the horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a between them may be forcibly released.

  Next, the drive control unit drives the packaging pack supply unit 13 to transport the packaging packs 15, 15 containing the horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a to the downstream side in the transport direction, and transfer the new packaging packs 15, 15 to each other. It is arranged below the tofu positioning part 25. The horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a transported downstream in the transport direction and stored in the packaging packs 15, 15 is cut into dice by a separately provided vertical cutter, and is packaged in the downstream process.

<Effects of tofu packing device 100 and tofu horizontal cutting device 200>
According to the tofu packing device 100 and the horizontal tofu cutting device 200 having the above configuration, the tofu T1 is located between the upstream positioning plate 39 and the spacer plate 35 and between the downstream positioning plate 41 and the spacer plate 35. , T2 are respectively gripped. Then, the tofu T1 and T2 are cut horizontally by the upstream horizontal cutter 57 and the downstream horizontal cutter 65 along the gripping direction with the two sides gripped.

  Therefore, the tofu T1 and T2 are cut after being positioned while being lightly restrained between the respective positioning plates 39 and 41 and the spacer plate 35, and the posture and position of the tofu T1 and T2 are changed by the cutting. There is no.

  Since the posture and position of the tofu T1 and T2 do not change at the time of cutting, the cut surfaces of the horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a after cutting are parallel with high accuracy to the bottom and bottom surfaces of the tofu T1 and T2. Therefore, each horizontally divided tofu T1a, T2a after the horizontal cutting becomes an accurate rectangular parallelepiped, and the shape of the tofu T1, T2 is not chipped.

  In addition, since the upstream horizontal cutter 57 and the downstream horizontal cutter 65 have a blade width wider than the horizontal width of the two side surfaces of the tofu T1 and T2 gripped, the horizontal cutter 57 and 65 perform one horizontal movement operation. Tofu T1 and T2 can be cut at once. For this reason, the processing capability of the horizontal cutting of the tofu is enhanced, and the cut surfaces of the horizontally divided tofu T1a and T2a after the horizontal cutting are smoother than the fishing line type or the like.

  Further, in the present configuration, the step of cutting the tofu T1 and T2 horizontally and the step of cutting the tofu vertically are performed at different positions by different operations. In addition, as described later, when a vertical cutter provided below the shutter plate is provided, the tofu T1 and T2 are cut horizontally, and then cut immediately before packing, so that the dice-shaped tofu after the dice is formed The distance and time for moving the dice-like tofu can be minimized. Therefore, the soybean-shaped tofu arranged in a state immediately after cutting can be packed in an orderly manner without disturbing the arrangement, and the soybean-shaped tofu can be continuously mass-produced with high efficiency. Note that a specific method of cutting the tofu vertically will be described later in detail.

  Further, the drive control unit performs the above-described horizontal cutting of the tofu T1 and T2 while the carrier 17 moves. For this reason, the throughput of the tofu packing process can be increased as compared with the case where the tofu T1 and T2 are cut in a stationary state.

<Another configuration example of the horizontal cutting device>
Next, other examples of the configuration of the horizontal tofu cutting apparatus having the above-described configuration will be sequentially described.
(First Modification)
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of the horizontal tofu cutting device 210 of the first modified example. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to members common to those in FIG. 3 to simplify or omit the description of the members. The configuration of the upstream horizontal cutting section 27 and the downstream horizontal cutting section 29 are equivalent configurations as described above. Therefore, the downstream positioning plate 41 described below can be read as the upstream positioning plate 39, the downstream horizontal cutter 65 as the upstream horizontal cutter 57, the slit 77 as the slit 75, and the tofu T2 as the tofu T1.

  The horizontal cutting device 210 of this configuration includes a pair of side regulating plates 81 and 83 in addition to the configuration of the horizontal cutting device 200 shown in FIG. The side regulating plates 81 and 83 are positioning members that regulate the position of the other two side surfaces orthogonal to the two side surfaces of the tofu T2 sandwiched between the spacer plate 35 and the downstream side positioning plate 41.

  Like the spacer plate 35 and the downstream positioning plate (hereinafter abbreviated as the positioning plate) 41, the pair of side restriction plates 81 and 83 abut on the side surface of the tofu T2 to restrict the horizontal movement of the tofu T2. I do.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 210 of this configuration, by providing the pair of side regulating plates 81 and 83 in addition to the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41, the side surfaces of the tofu T2 are pressed from all sides. Thereby, at the time of horizontal cutting of the tofu T2 by the downstream horizontal cutter (hereinafter, abbreviated as horizontal cutter) 65, deformation and displacement of the tofu T2 in a direction intersecting with the cutting direction in the horizontal plane can be prevented. Therefore, the tofu T2 can be cut horizontally with higher accuracy.

(Second Modification)
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting device 220 of a second modified example.

  In the horizontal cutting device 220 of this configuration, a linear concave groove 85 into which the tip of the downstream horizontal cutter 65 is inserted is formed along the horizontal direction in the spacer plate 35 of the horizontal cutting device 200 shown in FIG. ing. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 200 described above.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 220 of this configuration, the tip of the horizontal cutter 65 is inserted into the groove 85 when the tofu T2 is horizontally cut. That is, the distal end of the horizontal cutter 65 extends to a position further ahead of a position flush with the downstream side surface of the spacer plate 35.

  Therefore, the tofu T2 can be reliably cut from the side surface on the positioning plate 41 side to the downstream side surface on the spacer plate 35 side, and there is no uncut portion. In addition, the concave groove 85 may be a through hole penetrating the front and back surfaces of the spacer plate 35.

  The cutting edge at the tip of the horizontal cutter 65 in this configuration substantially abuts the bottom surface of the concave groove 85 formed in the spacer plate 35. This substantially abutting state includes a state where a slight gap or a predetermined gap remains as described above. Further, the horizontal cutter 65 is substantially in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the concave groove 85 within the thickness of the spacer plate 35, and in the case of a through-hole, the inner peripheral surface thereof.

(Third Modification)
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting device 230 of a third modified example.

  The horizontal cutting device 230 of this configuration includes a vertical positioning plate (vertical positioning member) 87 that contacts the upper surface of the tofu T2 of the horizontal cutting device 200 shown in FIG. 3 and a vertical movement that drives the vertical positioning plate 87 in the vertical direction. And an actuator 89. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 200 described above.

  The horizontal cutting device 230 of this configuration positions the tofu T2 sandwiched between the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41 in the vertical direction by the vertical positioning plate 87 when the tofu T2 is horizontally cut.

  The bottom surface of the tofu T2 is in contact with the shutter plate 21, and the horizontal cutter 65 holds the tofu T2 between the vertical positioning plate 87 and the shutter plate 21 with the tofu T2 being weakly sandwiched so as to reduce distortion. Cut horizontally.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 230 of this configuration, when the tofu T2 is cut horizontally by the horizontal cutter 65, the tofu T2 is positioned in the vertical direction of the cut surface. Thereby, the deformation of the tofu T2 in the vertical direction at the time of cutting is suppressed, and the vertical cutting position of the tofu T2 is determined more accurately. Therefore, the tofu T2 is cut into a more uniform thickness.

(Fourth modification)
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting device 240 of a fourth modified example.

  The horizontal cutting device 240 of this configuration is provided with a pair of side regulating plates 81 and 83, which are positioning members, in addition to the configuration of the horizontal cutting device 230 shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 230 described above.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 240 of this configuration, the entire periphery of the side surface of the tofu T2 is surrounded by the spacer plate 35, the positioning plate 41, and the pair of side regulating plates 81 and 83. The upper and lower surfaces of the tofu T2 are vertically positioned by the shutter plate 21 and the vertical positioning plate 87.

  As a result, the tofu T2 is cut by the horizontal cutter 65 in a state where all of the four side surfaces and the upper and lower surfaces are fixed, and the uniformity of the thickness is further improved.

(Fifth Modification)
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting device 250 of a fifth modified example. In this modification, any one side surface of the tofu is an unsupported side surface on which no positioning member is provided.

  The horizontal cutting device 250 of this configuration omits the positioning plate 41 of the horizontal cutting device 200 shown in FIG. 3 described above, and is similar to the horizontal cutting device 210 shown in FIG. , 83. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 200 described above.

  That is, the other three side surfaces of the tofu T2 except the side facing the horizontal cutter 65 are surrounded by the spacer plate 35 and the side regulating plates 81 and 83.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 250 of this configuration, the tofu T2 is accommodated in the area surrounded by the spacer plate 35 and the side regulating plates 81 and 83, and the position of the tofu T2 in the horizontal plane is regulated. Therefore, when the horizontal cutter 65 is moved toward the spacer plate 35 to cut the tofu T2 horizontally, the position of the tofu T2 does not shift. Therefore, the tofu T2 can be cut with high precision.

(Sixth modification)
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view schematically showing a main part of a tofu horizontal cutting device 260 according to a sixth modification. Also in this modification, any one side surface of the tofu is an unsupported side surface on which no positioning member is provided.

  In the horizontal cutting device 260 of this configuration, guide plates 121 and 123 facing the front and back surfaces of the horizontal cutter 65 are added to the horizontal cutting device 250 shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 250 described above.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 260 of this configuration, the horizontal cutter 65 can be accurately adjusted to the desired cutting height position of the tofu T2 by the guide plates 121 and 123. Further, since the horizontal cutter 65 is guided along the guide plates 121 and 123, the horizontal cutter 65 can be moved horizontally with high accuracy. As a result, the parallelism of the horizontal cut surface of the tofu T2 is further increased. Further, even when the horizontal cutter 65 is in the retracted state, the tip of the horizontal cutter 65 is arranged within the range of the guide plates 121 and 123 so as to assist the insertion operation when inserting into the tofu side. You can also.

(Seventh modification)
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting device 270 of a seventh modified example.

  In the horizontal cutting device 270 having this configuration, a positioning plate 41 is added to the horizontal cutting device 260 shown in FIG. 12 described above, and guide plates 121 and 123 are arranged above and below a slit 77 of the positioning plate 41. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 260 described above.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 270 of this configuration, the horizontal cutter 65 can be accurately adjusted to the position of the slit 77 by the guide plates 121 and 123, and the horizontal cutter 65 can be horizontally aligned with high precision along the guide plates 121 and 123. Can be moved. Thereby, the parallelism of the horizontal cut surface of the tofu T2 is further enhanced. Furthermore, since the four side surfaces of the tofu T2 are positioned by the positioning plate 41, the spacer plate 35, and the side regulating plates 81 and 83, horizontal cutting can be performed with high precision while preventing the deformation of the tofu T2.

(Eighth Modification)
FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a tofu horizontal cutting device 280 according to an eighth modification. This modification has a configuration in which the tofu is provided with an unsupported side face without a positioning member, and minimizes the number of positioning members that come into contact with the tofu.

  In the horizontal cutting device 280 of this configuration, the positioning plate 41 of the above-described horizontal cutting device 200 shown in FIG. 3 is omitted. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 200 described above.

  According to the horizontal cutting device 280 of this configuration, the spacer plate 35 is disposed on the front side in the cutting direction of the tofu T2, and the tofu T2 can be cut horizontally by abutting the horizontal cutter 65 against the spacer plate 35. Accordingly, the configuration becomes a minimum necessary simple structure, the number of washing points is reduced, and it becomes easy to maintain a sanitary state with high cleanliness. Thus, the maintainability is improved and the running cost can be reduced.

(Ninth modification)
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting apparatus 290 of a ninth modification. Each of the horizontal cutters 65 of the above-described tofu horizontal cutting device is a flat-plate cutter having a rectangular vertical section. The horizontal cutter 65 is not limited to the above-described flat plate shape, and may be, for example, a waveform horizontal cutter 95 having a vertical cross section as shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in the waveform horizontal cutter 95 shown in FIG. In addition, by making the cut surface of the tofu corrugated, the cut surface of the tofu T2 can be made corrugated, and there is obtained an old handmade feeling, the tofu is easily entangled with the seasoning liquid, and the tofu which is easy to pass through the fire is obtained.

  When the waveform horizontal cutter 95 is used as the horizontal cutter 65, the slit 78 of the positioning plate 41 is also made to have the same waveform shape as the waveform horizontal cutter 95 or a slit wider than the wave amplitude. When the slit 78 has a waveform shape, the waveform horizontal cutter 95 can be prevented from shifting in the width direction along the slit 78.

  Although horizontal cutting of the waveform is difficult with the fishing line type, it can be easily cut into a waveform with this configuration. In addition, by making the horizontal cut into a corrugated cross section, the upper and lower horizontally divided tofu are meshed with each other when dropped and stored in the packaging pack 15, so that it is unlikely to be shifted sideways in the packaging pack 15. In particular, in the case of soybean-shaped tofu, even if it is shaken during transportation, it is difficult to dance (is difficult to move) in the packaging pack, and the product can be ordered and arranged to have a good appearance.

(Tenth Modification)
FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting apparatus 300 of a tenth modification.

  The horizontal cutting device 300 of this configuration includes a narrow and elongated knife-shaped cutter 91 instead of the horizontal cutter 65 of the horizontal cutting device 200 shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 200 described above.

  The knife-shaped cutter 91 has a width in the cutter short-axis direction smaller than the horizontal width of the side surface of the tofu, and has a cutting edge along the cutter long-axis direction. The knife-shaped cutter 91 is connected to the cutter driving mechanism 93, and the drive control unit drives the cutter driving mechanism 93 to cut the tofu T2 horizontally.

  At the end of the tofu T2 in the horizontal cutting direction by the knife-shaped cutter 91, a side regulating plate 81 is provided as a positioning member that comes into contact with the side surface of the tofu T2. Note that the cutter driving mechanism 93 in the illustrated example is an example, and other known driving mechanisms can be used.

  The drive control unit moves the knife-shaped cutter 91 along P1, P2, P3, and P4 shown in FIG. In the movement process of P1, the knife-shaped cutter 91 is inserted from the origin position into the slit 77, and is advanced toward the tofu T2.

  In the moving step of P1, the tofu T2 does not come into contact with the tofu T2, and the side surface of the tofu T2 and the cutting edge of the knife-like cutter 91 are slightly separated from each other and are parallel to each other (cutting start position). Next, in the moving step of P2, the blade edge of the knife-shaped cutter 91 contacts the side surface of the tofu T2, and the knife-shaped cutter 91 moves in one direction from the cutting start position to the end position of the opposing side surface. By this one movement operation, a smooth and clean cut surface of tofu can be obtained. In addition, if the shape of the knife-like cutter 91 is formed into a waveform along the cutting edge as in the above-described wavy horizontal cutter 95, the cross section of the tofu can be formed neatly into an uneven cross section such as a waveform, and the seasoning is often entangled with the tofu. Become like

  In the moving step of P1, the tofu T2 is advanced while cutting the tofu T2 at the tip of the knife-shaped cutter 91, and in the moving step of P2, the tofu T2 is horizontally moved by moving the knife-shaped cutter 91 in a direction orthogonal to the forward direction. You may cut it. In this case, the moving step of P2 is set to a distance equal to or longer than the width obtained by subtracting the width of the knife-like cutter 91 from the width of the tofu.

  In the moving step of P3, the knife-like cutter 91 is moved backward. In the process of P4, the knife-like cutter 91 is moved horizontally to return to the origin position.

  The drive control unit executes these steps under drive control of the cutter drive mechanism 93.

  In the horizontal cutting step of P2, when the tofu T2 is cut by the knife-like cutter 91, the side regulating plate 81 receives a force acting on the tofu T2 that is pushed toward the front in the cutting direction. This prevents the tofu T2 from being distorted, displaced, or moved along the cutting direction.

  According to this configuration, since the cutting resistance can be suppressed by reducing the size of the horizontal cutter, it is possible to cut the tofu with less distortion and to improve the maintainability for maintaining the cutter clean. Further, the cutting speed can be changed according to the cutting position of the tofu T2 by the drive control of the cutter driving mechanism 93, and the tofu T2 can be cut in a programmable manner, and the optimum cutting according to the tofu T2 can be easily performed. Further, in this configuration, the cutting state is close to that of the pull-cut type, and the cut surface of the tofu is more beautiful than the push-cut type blade.

(Eleventh modification)
FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a tofu horizontal cutting device 310 according to an eleventh modification.

  The horizontal cutting device 310 of this configuration includes a narrow and elongated knife-shaped cutter 92A instead of the horizontal cutter 65 of the horizontal cutting device 280 shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 280 described above.

  The knife-like cutter 92A cuts the tofu T2 horizontally, abuts on the spacer plate 35, and returns to the cutting start side of the tofu T2 as it is. At this time, in order to more reliably avoid breaking the cut surface of the tofu T2, for example, the spacer plate 35 is temporarily raised after or immediately before the knife-like cutter 92A is brought into contact with the spacer plate 35. Then, the tofu T2 is cut out in one direction by the knife-like cutter 92A. After cutting out the tofu T2, the tofu T2 is dropped and stored in the packaging pack 15 in the same manner as described above, and then the knife-like cutter 92A is returned to the home position.

  According to this configuration, the cutting state is close to the pull-cut type, and the cut surface of the tofu is more beautiful than the push-cut type blade. Further, since cutting resistance is small and distortion of tofu is small, cutting can be performed accurately.

(Twelfth Modification)
FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of a horizontal tofu cutting device 320 of a twelfth modified example.

  In the horizontal cutting device 320 of this configuration, a knife-like cutter 92B in which the cutting direction of the knife-like cutter 92A of the horizontal cutting device 310 shown in FIG. Along with this, a side regulating plate 81 is provided on the end side in the cutting direction. Other configurations are the same as those of the horizontal cutting device 310 described above.

  According to this configuration also, the cutting by the knife-shaped cutter 92B is close to a pull-cut type cutting state, the cut surface of the tofu is more clean than the push-cut type blade, the cutting resistance is small, the distortion of the tofu is small, and the cutting can be accurately performed. .

<Configuration example of vertical cutter>
Next, a configuration example of the vertical cutter will be sequentially described.
(First Configuration Example of Vertical Cutter)
FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of the tofu packing device including the vertical cutter 400.

  The vertical cutter 400 is disposed between the shutter plate 21 and the packaging pack 15 below the tofu T2 gripped between the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41. Although the shutter plate 21, the vertical cutter 400, and the packaging pack 15 are shown separated from each other in the illustrated example for explanation, they are actually arranged close to each other. Also, a configuration may be adopted in which a drive source (not shown) moves the vertical cutter 400 and the packaging pack 15 up and down relatively to the shutter plate 21 and arranges them at positions close to each other.

  The illustrated vertical cutter 400 is configured as a grid-shaped cutting blade in which a plurality of band-shaped flat plates 111 are arranged in a grid in plan view. At the intersection of the strip-shaped flat plates 111, the strip-shaped flat plates 111 are orthogonal to each other, and a plurality of rectangular spaces 113 surrounded by the strip-shaped flat plates 111 are defined.

  The cutting edge of the cutting blade is formed on the upper part of the band-shaped flat plate 111, and sharp cutting is performed. Further, in order to reduce the resistance of the lattice-shaped cutting blade from passing through the tofu, a blade having a small band width (height) or various surface treatments (such as fluororesin coating) may be performed.

  In the above configuration, the horizontally divided tofu T2 gripped between the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41 of the horizontal tofu cutting apparatus 200 falls down by retracting the shutter plate 21. At this time, the tofu T2 is guided and dropped by the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41 while maintaining the posture of the tofu T2. The grip between the spacer plate 35 and the positioning plate 41 may be released when the tofu T2 falls.

  The dropped tofu T2 is vertically divided by the vertical cutter 400 disposed immediately below the tofu T2. The tofu divided in a dice shape falls as it is and is stored in the packaging pack 15.

  According to the vertical cutter 400 of the present configuration, after the tofu T2 is divided in the horizontal direction, the tofu T2 is vertically divided by the vertical cutter 400 as a series of operations at the same position. Each of these steps can be performed by a single cutting process, so that the efficiency is high and the processing capacity is enhanced. In addition, each of the soybean-shaped tofu can be stored neatly in the packaging pack 15 without disturbing the arrangement state. Note that a drop guide plate for guiding the falling tofu T2 to the packaging pack 15 may be provided on the side (square) of the outer periphery of the vertical cutter.

(Second configuration example of vertical cutter)
FIG. 21 is an explanatory view schematically showing a main part of another tofu packing device including the vertical cutter 400.

  This configuration uses a horizontal tofu cutting device 230 shown in FIG. 9 instead of the horizontal cutting device 200 of the tofu packing device shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the packing device shown in FIG.

  According to this configuration, when the tofu T2 drops, the vertical positioning plate 87 is pushed down by the drive of the vertical motion actuator 89, so that the tofu T2 has an initial speed and an acceleration in the manner of a tokoroten thruster. It can be evenly and reliably dropped downward and vigorously. Accordingly, the tofu T2 can be supplied to the vertical cutter 400 in a state where the posture change and the bending of the tofu T2 during the fall are suppressed. Therefore, high-precision and high-speed cutting of the tofu can be performed, and so-called tofu with high dimensional accuracy can be obtained.

  Although not shown, the vertical positioning plate 87 is provided below the thick member (for example, a resin plate) with a notch into which a grid-shaped vertical blade is inserted, so that the cut diced tofu can be more securely pushed off to form a pack. It is possible to drop.

(Third configuration example of vertical cutter)
FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of another tofu packing device including the vertical cutter 410.

  This configuration uses a vertical cutter 410 having a configuration in which strip-shaped corrugated plates 115 are arranged in a lattice shape in plan view, instead of the vertical cutter 400 shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the packing device shown in FIG.

  According to the vertical cutter 410 having this configuration, the tofu T2 is cut into a waveform in a plan view by the corrugated plate 115, and a plurality of tofu having a cut surface with a corrugated side surface is obtained. In addition, as described in the ninth modified example (FIG. 15), the number of wave fronts of the lentil tofu can be increased by combining with the corrugated horizontal blade. As a result, the seasoning liquid is easily entangled with the tofu, and the cooking suitability can be further improved. Further, even if it is shaken during transportation, it is difficult to dance (is difficult to move) in the packaging pack, and the product can be arranged neatly and have a good appearance.

(Third configuration example of vertical cutter)
FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of another tofu packing device including the vertical cutter 420.

  In this configuration, instead of arranging the vertical cutter 400 between the shutter plate 21 and the packaging pack 15 shown in FIG. Has been placed. In this configuration, although not shown, a drive mechanism for taking the vertical cutter 420 in and out of the pack is provided.

  According to this configuration, the tofu T2 can be divided vertically only by dropping the tofu T2 into the packaging pack 15. In other words, since the tofu T2 can be cut in the vertical direction in the packaging pack 15, the tofu T2 has a dice shape in the packaging pack 15, and the arrangement of the cut tofu is not disturbed. This makes it possible to orderly pack the soybean-shaped tofu. The drive mechanism (not shown) finally removes the vertical cutter 420 from the pack, returns to a predetermined position, and installs the vertical cutter 420 in the next pack again.

(Fourth configuration example of vertical cutter)
FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of another tofu packing device including the vertical cutter 430.

  In this configuration, a vertical cutter 430 formed by stretching a plurality of wires 117 in a lattice pattern in a vertical and horizontal direction on a plane is used instead of the vertical cutter 400 shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the packing device shown in FIG.

  The wires 117 are assembled in a lattice shape, and if the intersections are reinforced, the strength is relatively increased, and the risk of breakage is reduced. The wire 117 has a sufficient strength against repeated cutting of tofu, and is made of a thin wire member that is unlikely to cause rust or corrosion. As the wire 117, for example, a resin such as a resin wire (yarn) including a resin material such as polyamide, polyethylene, or polyvinylidene fluoride, in addition to a metal wire (yarn) such as a stainless fine wire or a germicidal copper wire. Examples include a coated metal wire and a wire material combining these.

  The wires 117 are formed in a lattice shape in a plural number, and are hardly broken by fixing means such as welding or bundling of intersections, thereby reducing the possibility of foreign matter entering. If the wire is as thin as possible, the cut surface of the tofu can be cleaned. Conversely, if you use a spiral wire to form a roughly corrugated cross section, or use a thicker wire, it is possible to make the cross section of the tofu slightly rough and to add moderate irregularities to the cross section of the tofu And the seasoning liquid and the like easily become entangled with the tofu.

  According to this configuration, since the portion that contacts the falling tofu is limited to the wire 117 arranged on one plane, the resistance when the tofu passes through the vertical cutter 430 can be reduced. For this reason, even if the number of vertical divisions of the tofu is large, the tofu will surely fall into the packaging pack 15 and the wire 117 will not be clogged with the tofu.

  In addition, by using the wire 117 that is easy to process as the cutter of the vertical cutter 430, it is easy to change the design of the cutter such as the division style, the number of cuts, and the cutting direction. As a result, the cutting pattern of the tofu can be easily changed to a desired pattern.

<Other modification of horizontal cutting device>
The horizontal tofu cutting device described above has a configuration in which one horizontal cutter 57, 65 and knife-like cutters 91, 92 each cut one tofu. However, the horizontal cutting device is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may be configured to cut a plurality of tofus at once by one horizontal cutter.

  FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a main part of another modification of the horizontal cutting device. The horizontal tofu cutting device 330 of this configuration includes a plurality of tofus (three tofus as an example in the illustrated example) T1-1, T1-2, and T1-3 between the spacer plate 35 and the upstream positioning plate 39. Are arranged at equal intervals along the spacer plate 35. Similarly, between the spacer plate 35 and the downstream positioning plate 41, a plurality of tofu T2-1, T2-2, T2-3 are arranged at equal intervals along the spacer plate 35.

  These plurality of tofu T1-1, T1-2, T1-3, and T2-1, T2-2, T2-3 are cut at once by one upstream horizontal cutter 57 or downstream horizontal cutter 65. That is, the tip of the upstream horizontal cutter 57 has a blade width that is wider than the total width of the plurality of tofu T1-1, T1-2, and T1-3 in the arrangement direction, and the slit 75 of the upstream positioning plate 39 is Is wider than the total width of the array (the sum of the horizontal lengths of the sides). Similarly, the tip of the downstream horizontal cutter 65 also has a blade width that is wider than the total width of the plurality of tofu T2-1, T2-2, and T2-3 in the arrangement direction, and the slit 77 has the entire width of the tofu (horizontal length of the side surface). Is wider than the sum).

  The horizontal cutters 57 and 65 may be knife-shaped and have a narrow blade width, and may be configured to sequentially cut out a plurality of tofu (see FIG. 17). Further, the tips of the horizontal cutters 57 and 65 and the slits 75 and 77 may be provided with a plurality of blades and slits corresponding to individual tofu, and may be operated simultaneously.

  Further, as schematically shown in FIG. 26, a main part of a horizontal cutting device 340 which is still another modified example of the horizontal cutting device, the horizontal cutter 65A is a single blade having a tip having an uneven shape (comb tooth shape). Alternatively, the tofu may be cut horizontally by inserting the slit 77 only in the convex portion. In any case, it is sufficient if the blade length is wider than the entire width of the plurality of tofu T1-1, T1-2, T1-3, or T2-1, T2-2, T2-3.

  Further, as schematically shown in FIG. 27, a main part in still another modified example of the horizontal cutting device 350, a horizontal cutter 65B is formed of a thin plate material, and an end portion is bent and suspended to secure strength. The end may be configured to have an L-shaped cross section. In this case, since the horizontal cutter 65B can be made thin, the cut surface of the tofu becomes more beautiful.

  According to the horizontal cutting devices 330, 340, and 350 configured as described above, a plurality of tofu can be cut at once by one horizontal movement of the horizontal cutter 65A. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a horizontal cutter for each tofu, and the mechanism of the horizontal cutting device can be simplified.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified by a person skilled in the art based on a combination of the components of the embodiment with each other, a description in the specification, and a well-known technique. The present invention is also intended to be applied and is included in the scope for which protection is sought.

  Further, the configuration examples of the above-described horizontal cutting devices, vertical cutters, and a packing device including the same have been described on the premise of the tofu packing device 100 shown in FIG. 1, but are limited to the configuration of the illustrated example. Never. Further, the blades of the horizontal cutter and the vertical cutter in each of the above configuration examples are not particularly limited in terms of surface processing, cross-sectional shape, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Tofu supply line 13 Packaging pack supply part 15 Packaging pack 17 Carrier 19 Carrier drive part 21 Shutter plate 23 Shutter plate drive part 25 Tofu positioning part 27 Upstream horizontal cutting part 29 Downstream horizontal cutting part 31 Vertical movement actuator 35 Spacer plate 37 Secondary horizontal actuator 39 Upstream positioning plate (positioning member)
41 Downstream positioning plate (positioning member)
43 Sub-horizontal actuator 47 Vertical actuator 55 Upstream horizontal actuator 57 Upstream horizontal cutter 63 Downstream horizontal actuator 65 Downstream horizontal cutter 67 Horizontal actuator 75, 77, 78 Slit 81, 83 Side regulating plate (positioning) Element)
85 Groove 87 Vertical positioning plate (vertical positioning member)
89 Vertical motion actuator 91 Rod cutter 93 Cutter drive unit 95 Waveform horizontal cutter 100 Tofu packing device 111 Band flat plate 113 Rectangular parallelepiped space 115 Band corrugated plate 117 Wire 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280 , 290,
300,310,320,330,340,350 Tofu horizontal cutting device 400,410,420,430 Vertical cutter T1, T2 Tofu

Claims (10)

A tofu cutting device that cuts a plurality of tofu placed on a horizontal surface on land and arranged at approximately equal intervals,
A positioning member that contacts the side surface of the tofu to position the tofu;
A horizontal cutter that is horizontally movably arranged within a height range of a region of the positioning member that comes into contact with the tofu,
A cutter driving unit that drives the horizontal cutter horizontally,
With
The positioning member has a pair of positioning plates each extending in the arrangement direction of the plurality of tofu, and one of the positioning plates is movable toward and away from the other positioning plate, and the plurality of the tofu Positioning by gripping between the one positioning plate and the other positioning plate,
At least one of the pair of positioning plates is opened along the horizontal direction, and a slit through which the horizontal cutter is inserted is formed,
While positioning the tofu between the one positioning plate and the other positioning plate, cut the plurality of tofu horizontally by inserting the horizontal cutter horizontally into the slit.
Tofu cutting equipment. A tofu cutting device that cuts at least one pair of tofu that is horizontally conveyed and placed on a horizontal surface on land,
A positioning member that contacts the side surface of the tofu to position the tofu;
A horizontal cutter that is horizontally movably arranged within a height range of a region of the positioning member that contacts the tofu,
A cutter driving unit that drives the horizontal cutter horizontally,
With
The positioning member,
A spacer plate disposed between facing sides of the pair of tofu;
An upstream positioning plate that is movable toward and away from the spacer plate and grips one of the tofu on the upstream side in the transport direction with the spacer plate, and the other tofu on the downstream side in the transport direction is the spacer. A downstream positioning plate gripped between the plate,
Has,
The horizontal cutter is driven by the cutter driving unit, respectively, has an upstream horizontal cutter provided on the upstream side of the spacer plate, and a downstream horizontal cutter provided on the downstream side of the spacer plate,
The upstream positioning plate is provided with a slit through which the upstream horizontal cutter is inserted,
The downstream positioning plate is formed with a slit through which the downstream horizontal cutter is inserted,
While the one tofu is positioned between the spacer plate and the upstream positioning plate, the upstream horizontal cutter is horizontally inserted into a slit formed in the upstream positioning plate to remove the one tofu. Cut horizontally,
While positioning the other tofu between the spacer plate and the downstream positioning plate, the downstream horizontal cutter is horizontally inserted into a slit formed in the downstream positioning plate to remove the other tofu. Cut horizontally,
Tofu cutting equipment. The cutter driving unit drives the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter simultaneously to move toward the spacer plate, and cuts the pair of tofus at a time.
The tofu cutting device according to claim 2. Between the spacer plate and the upstream positioning plate, and between the spacer plate and the downstream positioning plate, a plurality of tofu are arranged at regular intervals along the spacer plate, so that the Are arranged in multiple sets,
Cutting at once by the plurality of sets arranged tofu the upstream horizontal cutter, and the downstream horizontal cutter,
The tofu cutting device according to claim 2 or 3. The distal ends of the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter each have a blade that is wider than the total width in the arrangement direction in which the plurality of tofu are arranged along the spacer plate,
The slit formed in the upstream positioning plate and the downstream horizontal cutter is wider than the total width of the tofu in the arrangement direction,
The tofu cutting device according to claim 4. The upstream horizontal cutter and the distal end of the downstream horizontal cutter have a plurality of blades corresponding to each of the tofu,
The upstream positioning plate and the downstream positioning plate have slits corresponding to the individual tofu,
The tofu cutting device according to claim 4. The upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter each have a comb-shaped blade with a concave-convex tip, and only individual convex blades pass through the slits to cut the tofu.
The tofu cutting device according to claim 4. The upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter have a width in the cutter short axis direction smaller than the horizontal width of the side surface of each of the tofu, and are formed in an elongated knife shape having a cutting edge along the cutter long axis direction,
The cutter driving unit moves the upstream horizontal cutter and the downstream horizontal cutter to a cutting start position along the cutting edge of the horizontal cutter on one of the side surfaces of the tofu, respectively, and the upstream horizontal cutter and the While contacting the cutting edge of the downstream horizontal cutter with all of the horizontal cross section of the tofu, the cutting edge of the horizontal cutter is moved from the cutting start position of the tofu to the end position of the opposing side surface. Horizontally moving in a direction intersecting the direction to cut the tofu horizontally,
The tofu cutting device according to any one of claims 2 to 4. An apparatus for cutting tofu according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
Having the horizontal surface on which the tofu is placed, a horizontally movable shutter plate,
A shutter plate drive unit that drives the shutter plate forward and backward between a tofu support position where the tofu is placed and a non-support position that is separated from the tofu support position;
A packaging pack supply unit that is disposed immediately below the shutter plate at the tofu support position and supplies a packaging pack;
A drive control unit that drives and controls at least the cutter drive unit and the shutter plate drive unit;
With
The drive control unit controls the cutter drive unit so that the horizontal cutter in a state where the horizontal cutter is inserted through the slit is directed toward a plate surface disposed on the end side of the horizontal cutter in a cutting direction of the horizontal cutter. And moving the shutter plate from the tofu supporting position to the non-supporting position by controlling the shutter plate driving section by horizontally moving the tofu into a horizontally divided tofu cut horizontally. Dropping the horizontally divided tofu from the shutter plate and storing it in the packaging pack,
Equipment for packing tofu. The horizontal split tofu that is disposed below the horizontal split tofu that is cut in the horizontal direction by the horizontal cutter on the horizontal plane of the shutter plate, and that drops from the shutter plate by moving the shutter plate to the non-support position. A vertical cutter having a lattice-shaped cutting blade, which is passed through and cuts the horizontally divided tofu in a vertical direction to make a diced tofu.
An apparatus for packing tofu according to claim 9.