JP6852879B2 - Rice molding equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cooked rice molding apparatus.

The cooked rice molding apparatus is used, for example, in a food retail store or the like as an apparatus for producing a cooked rice molded product (sushi ball) for nigiri sushi.

The cooked rice molding apparatus includes, for example, a hopper, a compression portion, a molding portion, and a transport portion. The hopper stores cooked rice, which is the raw material for rice balls, and supplies the cooked rice to the compression section. The compression part compresses the cooked rice supplied from the hopper and forms it into a rod shape. The molding section molds the cooked rice, which has been molded into a rod shape, into rice balls having a predetermined shape. The transport unit receives and transports the rice balls molded by the molding unit.

The molding unit includes a pair of rotating shafts and a pair of forming rollers attached to the rotating shafts. The molding roller is provided with a plurality of storage portions on the outer peripheral surface. The pair of forming rollers are attached to a pair of rotating shafts and rotate in opposite directions. The rotations of the pair of forming rollers are synchronized so that the accommodating portions face each other as the forming rollers rotate.

Cooked rice is filled (stored) in the storage portion of the rotating molding roller. When the storage portions face each other, the cooked rice in the storage portions is formed into a rice ball having a predetermined shape (for example, substantially a bale shape). The rice balls are released (fall) from the storage portion to the transport portion as the forming roller rotates.

The cooked rice forming apparatus for forming the rice balls in this way creates a gap in the contact portion of the pair of forming rollers in the process of forming the rice balls. If cooked rice enters the same gap in the process of molding the rice balls, molding defects (burrs) are likely to occur at the top of the rice balls when the molded rice balls are released. If there is a burr on the top of the released rice ball, the appearance of the rice ball is bad.

On the other hand, the cooked rice that has entered the gap is crushed as the pair of forming rollers rotate. Crushed cooked rice is sticky. That is, the burr portion generated on the top of the molded rice ball is cooked rice with stickiness. The sticky cooked rice is hard to separate from the pair of molding rollers. That is, the sushi balls with burrs are harder to separate from the pair of forming rollers than the sushi balls without burrs, and it takes time from the molding of the sushi balls to the release.

As described above, the conventional cooked rice forming apparatus in which a gap is formed in the contact portion between the pair of forming rollers cannot form a rice ball having a good appearance at high speed.

So far, a technique for suppressing the generation of burrs on rice balls has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the cooked rice molding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, unevenness is provided on the ridgeline portion of the outer peripheral surface of the forming roller, and the unevenness is engaged with each other to suppress the occurrence of burrs on the rice balls.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-197823

However, the cooked rice molding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 creates a zigzag-shaped elongated gap in the meshing portion between the irregularities of the pair of molding rollers. Further, the pair of forming rollers receives a force toward increasing the distance between the rice in the storage portion and the pair of forming rollers when forming the rice balls. Therefore, in the cooked rice molding apparatus, the gap between the uneven meshing portions of the pair of molding rollers becomes large. As a result, zigzag burrs are generated on the rice balls.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides a cooked rice molding apparatus capable of molding a cooked rice molded product at high speed while suppressing the occurrence of molding defects of the cooked rice molded product. The purpose is to do.

The present invention is a rice rice molding apparatus, comprising a storage unit for storing rice rice and a molding unit for molding rice rice stored in the storage unit into a rice rice molded product, and the molding unit has a fixed direction. A first rotating shaft that rotates in a direction, a second rotating shaft that rotates in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of the first rotating shaft, a first forming roller attached to the first rotating shaft, and a second rotating shaft attached to the second rotating shaft. It is characterized in that the distance between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft is shorter than the sum of the pitch circle radius of the first forming roller and the pitch circle radius of the second forming roller. And.

According to the present invention, the cooked rice molded product can be molded at high speed while suppressing the occurrence of molding defects of the cooked rice molded product.

It is a perspective view which shows the embodiment of the cooked rice molding apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a front view of the cooked rice molding apparatus in the state which the panel provided in the cooked rice molding apparatus of FIG. 1 is removed. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the cooked rice molding apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view of a pair of molding rollers provided in the cooked rice molding apparatus of FIG. It is a front view sectional view of a pair of molding rollers of FIG. It is a partially enlarged sectional view of the forming roller of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the forming roller of FIG. (A) is a front view sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of FIG. 4 in the first state, and (b) is a front view sectional view of cooked rice stored in the pair of forming rollers in the first state. (A) is a front view sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of FIG. 4 in the second state, and (b) is a front view sectional view of cooked rice stored in the pair of forming rollers in the second state. (A) is a front view sectional view of the pair of forming rollers of FIG. 4 in the third state, and (b) is a front view sectional view of cooked rice stored in the pair of forming rollers in the third state. (A) is a front sectional view of the pair of molding rollers of FIG. 4 in the fourth state, and (b) is a front sectional view of the cooked rice molded product released from the pair of molding rollers in the fourth state. It is a front view sectional view of the cooked rice molded product immediately after being discharged from the pair of molding rollers of FIG. It is a front view sectional view of the cooked rice molded article which a predetermined time has passed since it was released.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the following description, the XYZ coordinate system shown in the drawings indicates a front-rear direction in the X direction, a left-right direction in the Y direction, and a vertical direction in the Z direction. In each direction, the direction indicated by the arrow is the + direction. In the X direction, the + X direction is the front direction and the −X direction is the rear direction. In the Y direction, the + Y direction is the left direction and the −Y direction is the right direction. In the Z direction, the + Z direction is the upward direction and the −Z direction is the downward direction. In addition, in the figure, the notation in which "・" is described in "○" indicates an arrow (+ direction) from the back side to the front side of the paper.

● Rice molding equipment ●
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention.
The cooked rice molding apparatus 100 molds, for example, cooked rice R (hereinafter referred to as “sharitama”) RB for nigiri sushi from cooked rice R (see FIG. 2; the same applies hereinafter) such as sushi rice. The rice ball RB formed by the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 has a predetermined shape (for example, substantially a bale shape). The cooked rice molding apparatus 100 includes a hopper 1, a housing 2, a compression unit 3, a molding unit 4, a transport unit 5, a drive unit 6, a control unit (not shown), a panel 7, and an operation unit 8. And have.

● Configuration of cooked rice forming apparatus FIG. 2 is a front view of the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 with the panel 7 removed.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 of FIG.

The hopper 1, which is a storage unit for cooked rice R, stores, stirs, and supplies cooked rice R. The hopper 1 includes a storage unit 11, a stirring unit 12, and a supply unit 13. The storage unit 11 stores cooked rice R inside. The storage portion 11 is detachably attached to the upper part of the housing 2. The stirring unit 12 stirs the cooked rice R in the stirring unit 12 by a plurality of stirring arms (not shown). The stirring unit 12 is arranged below the storage unit 11. The stirring unit 12 is attached to the upper front surface of the housing 2. The supply unit 13 sends the cooked rice R stirred by the stirring unit 12 below the supply unit 13. The supply unit 13 is provided below the stirring unit 12 integrally with the stirring unit 12.

The housing 2 supports the compression unit 3, the molding unit 4, and the transport unit 5, and houses the drive unit 6 and the like. The housing 2 includes a plurality of support portions. The support portion supports, for example, the compression portion 3 and the molding portion 4.

The compression unit 3 compresses the cooked rice R supplied from the hopper 1 so that the rice ball RB can be easily formed by the molding unit 4. The compression unit 3 is located below the hopper 1 and in front of the housing 2. The compression unit 3 includes a plurality of rotating shafts 31, an upper compression roller pair 32, a lower compression roller pair 33, and a support plate pair 34.

The rotating shaft 31 supports the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33. The rotating shaft 31 is rotatably supported by the housing 2 via the supporting portion of the housing 2. The upper compression roller pair 32 compresses the cooked rice R supplied from the hopper 1. The upper compression roller pair 32 is composed of a first compression roller 32a and a second compression roller 32b. The lower compression roller pair 33 further compresses the cooked rice R compressed by the upper compression roller pair 32. The lower compression roller pair 33 is composed of a third compression roller 33a and a fourth compression roller 33b.

The upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33 are attached to the housing 2 via the rotating shaft 31. The upper compression roller pair 32 is arranged below the supply unit 13 of the hopper 1 at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction. The lower compression roller pair 33 is arranged below the upper compression roller pair 32 with a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The distance between the third compression roller 33a and the fourth compression roller 33b is narrower than the distance between the first compression roller 32a and the second compression roller 32b.

The rotating shaft 31 is rotated by a rotational driving force from the driving unit 6. The rotation speed and rotation direction of the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33 supported by the rotation shaft 31 are controlled by the control unit. The rotation direction of the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33 is a direction in which the cooked rice R supplied to the compression unit 3 is moved from above to below.

The support plate pair 34 supports the cooked rice R supplied to the compression portion 3 and the molding portion 4 from the front and back. The support plate pair 34 is composed of a front support plate (not shown) and a rear support plate 34a. The rear support plate 34a is attached to the front surface of the housing 2. The front support plate is attached to the rear surface of the panel 7.

The configuration of the compression unit 3 is not limited to the present embodiment. That is, for example, the roller pair provided in the compression unit 3 has two stages of the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33, but the roller pair provided in the compression unit may have one stage or three or more stages. Further, the compression unit may be a belt type instead of a roller type.

The molding unit 4 molds the rice ball RB from the cooked rice R compressed by the compression unit 3. The molding portion 4 is arranged below the compression portion 3 and in front of the housing 2. The molding unit 4 includes a first rotating shaft 41, a second rotating shaft 42, a first forming roller 43, and a second forming roller 44.

The first rotating shaft 41 supports the first forming roller 43. The second rotating shaft 42 supports the second forming roller 44. The latter half of each of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 is rotatably supported by the supporting portion of the housing 2 at a predetermined distance in the left-right direction. The axial directions of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 are along the front-rear direction. The front halves of each of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 project forward from the supporting portion of the housing 2. That is, the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 are cantilevered and supported by the support portion.

The first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 rotate by the rotational driving force from the driving unit 6. The rotation speed and rotation direction of the first rotation shaft 41 and the second rotation shaft 42 are controlled by the control unit.

The first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 form the cooked rice R compressed by the compression unit 3 into the rice balls RB. The first forming roller 43 is attached to the front half of the first rotating shaft 41. The second forming roller 44 is attached to the front half of the second rotating shaft 42. The outer peripheral surface of the first forming roller 43 faces the outer peripheral surface of the second forming roller 44.

The rotation direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 is a direction in which the cooked rice R supplied from the compression unit 3 is formed and the formed rice balls RB are discharged downward. That is, the rotation direction of the first forming roller 43 is the clockwise direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 2) in the front view. The rotation direction of the second forming roller 44 is a counterclockwise direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) when viewed from the front. The rotation of the first forming roller 43 is synchronized with the rotation of the second forming roller 44.

With the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 removed, the distance between the axis (axis center) of the first rotating shaft 41 and the axis of the second rotating shaft 42 at different positions in the axial direction of the first rotating shaft 41. (Hereinafter referred to as "inter-axis distance") L is different. That is, in a state where the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are removed, the distance L1 between the shafts on the rear end side of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 is the distance L1 between the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. It is longer than the inter-axis distance L2 on the front end side. That is, in a state where the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are removed, the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 are not parallel to each other.

Next, the configuration of the first forming roller 43 and the configuration of the second forming roller 44 will be described. The configuration of the first forming roller 43 and the configuration of the second forming roller 44 are symmetrical except for the unevenness described later. Therefore, the configuration of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 will be described below using the first forming roller 43.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44.
The first forming roller 43 is made of a synthetic resin such as a fluorine-based resin. The first forming roller 43 has a columnar shape. The first forming roller 43 includes a shaft hole 43h and a plurality of accommodating portions 43a.

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44.
The figure shows a cut surface of a pair of forming rollers 43, 44 obtained by cutting a pair of forming rollers 43, 44 at a central portion of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). In the figure, the white arrows adjacent to the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 indicate the rotation directions of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 (hereinafter, the same applies to FIGS. 6 and 8 to 11).

The shaft hole 43h is a hole through which the first rotating shaft 41 is inserted. The shaft hole 43h is arranged on the shaft core line (central axis) of the first forming roller 43. The shaft hole 43h penetrates the first forming roller 43. The shaft hole 43h is hexagonal in front view. The front half of the first rotating shaft 41 is fitted into the shaft hole 43h.

The storage portion 43a stores the cooked rice R together with the storage portion 44a of the second molding roller 44, and molds the cooked rice R into a rice ball RB. The storage portion 43a is recessed in a substantially ship bottom shape from the outer peripheral surface of the first forming roller 43 toward the center. The length of the accommodating portion 43a in the axial direction of the first forming roller 43 is longer than the length of the accommodating portion 43a in the circumferential direction of the first forming roller 43 (see FIG. 4). The storage portions 43a are arranged at six locations on the outer peripheral surface of the first forming roller 43 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the first forming roller 43.

The number of storage portions included in the first forming roller is not limited to "6".

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the first forming roller 43.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB of the first forming roller 43 of FIG.
The storage portion 43a includes a side wall surface 43a1, an upper wall surface 43a2, a bottom wall surface 43a3, a front wall surface 43a4, and a rear wall surface 43a5. The side wall surface 43a1 forms the side surface of the rice ball RB. The upper wall surface 43a2 forms the upper surface of the rice ball RB. The bottom wall surface 43a3 forms the bottom surface of the rice ball RB. The front wall surface 43a4 and the rear wall surface 43a5 form end faces (front end face, rear end face) in the longitudinal direction of the rice ball RB. The volume of the space inside the storage portion 43a (the space surrounded by the side wall surface 43a1, the upper wall surface 43a2, the bottom wall surface 43a3, the front wall surface 43a4, and the rear wall surface 43a5) corresponds to approximately half the volume of the rice ball RB.

As shown in FIG. 5, the side wall surfaces 43a1 are arranged so that a polygon (hexagon) is formed between the six side wall surfaces 43a1 in a cross-sectional view. The upper wall surface 43a2 is located behind the side wall surface 43a1 (in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first forming roller 43) in the rotation direction of the first forming roller 43 (clockwise direction in FIG. 5). The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the upper wall surface 43a2 is an obtuse angle.

The bottom wall surface 43a3 is located in front of the side wall surface 43a1 (in the rotation direction of the first forming roller 43) in the rotation direction of the first forming roller 43. The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the bottom wall surface 43a3 is an acute angle. That is, the angle formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the bottom wall surface 43a3 is smaller than the angle formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the upper wall surface 43a2.

As shown in FIG. 7, the front wall surface 43a4 is located on the front end side (lower side of the paper surface in FIG. 7) of the side wall surface 43a1. The rear wall surface 43a5 is located on the rear end side (upper side of the paper surface in FIG. 7) of the side wall surface 43a1. The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the front wall surface 43a4 is substantially a right angle. The angle (inner angle) formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the rear wall surface 43a5 is the same as the angle formed by the side wall surface 43a1 and the front wall surface 43a4.

Of the outer peripheral surfaces of the first forming roller 43, the outer peripheral surface 43b located between the storage portions 43a includes a convex portion 43b1 and a concave portion 43b2. The convex portion 43b1 and the concave portion 43b2 are repeatedly provided on the outer peripheral surface 43b along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the first forming roller 43. That is, the outer peripheral surface 43b of the first forming roller 43 is wavy with irregularities in the side view. The protruding shape of the convex portion 43b1 and the concave shape of the concave portion 43b2 are symmetrical to each other.

Next, the relationship between the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 will be described.
The storage portion 43a of the first molding roller 43, which is the first storage portion, and the storage portion 44a of the second molding roller 44, which is the second storage portion, are brought close to each other and separated from each other as the pair of molding rollers 43, 44 rotate. repeat. When the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a are closest to each other, the space S surrounded by both the storage portions 43a and 44a (hereinafter referred to as “rice molding space”) S is, as shown in FIG. It becomes a closed space.

The outer peripheral surface 43b of the first forming roller 43 and the outer peripheral surface 44b of the second forming roller 44 repeatedly come into contact with each other and separate from each other as the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 rotate. When the outer peripheral surface 43b of the first forming roller 43 and the outer peripheral surface 44b of the second forming roller 44 come into contact with each other, the convex portion 43b1 of the first forming roller 43 is fitted into the concave portion 44b2 of the second forming roller 44, and the second forming roller 43 is fitted. The concave portion 43b2 of the 1 forming roller 43 is fitted into the convex portion 44b1 of the 2nd forming roller 44.

The pitch circle C1 of the first forming roller 43 circumscribes the pitch circle C2 of the second forming roller 44.

The pitch circle C1 of the first forming roller 43 has an intermediate portion between the top of the convex portion 43b1 of the first forming roller 43 and the bottom of the concave portion 43b2 in the radial direction of the first forming roller 43 in the circumferential direction of the first forming roller 43. It is a virtual circle connected along. The pitch circle C2 of the second forming roller 44 has an intermediate portion between the top of the convex portion 44b1 of the second forming roller 44 and the bottom of the concave portion 44b2 in the radial direction of the second forming roller 44 in the circumferential direction of the second forming roller 44. It is a virtual circle connected along. In the following description, the radii r1 and r2 of the two virtual circles C1 and C2, respectively, are referred to as pitch circle radii. That is, the radius of the pitch circle C1 of the first forming roller 43 is the pitch circle radius r1, and the radius of the pitch circle C2 of the second forming roller 44 is the pitch circle radius r2. The pitch circular radius r1 of the first forming roller 43 is the same as the pitch circular radius r2 of the second forming roller 44.

In the state before mounting the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44, the distance L2 between the axes of the first rotating shaft 41 and the front end side of the second rotating shaft 42 is the pitch circular radius r1 of the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller. It is shorter than the sum of 44 pitch circle radii r2. Therefore, when the outer peripheral surfaces 43b and 44b of the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 come into contact with each other, the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 43 are separated from the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. 2 Receives stress (hereinafter referred to as "stress between shafts") acting in a direction close to the forming roller 44. As described above, the distance L2 between the axes of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 on the front end side is shorter than the distance L1 between the axes on the rear end side. Therefore, the influence of the stress between the shafts on the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 increases from the rear end to the front end of the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44.

The transport unit 5 transports the rice ball RB molded by the molding unit 4. The transport unit 5 includes a turntable 51 that is circular in a plan view.

The drive unit 6 supplies a rotational driving force to the upper compression roller pair 32, the lower compression roller pair 33, the pair of forming rollers 43, 44, and the turntable 51. The drive unit 6 is, for example, a motor. The rotational driving force from the driving unit 6 is supplied to each member via a gear (not shown) or the like.

The control unit controls the operation of the entire cooked rice forming apparatus 100, such as controlling the rotation of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. The control unit is housed in, for example, a housing 2.

The panel 7 protects the stirring unit 12, the supply unit 13, the compression unit 3, and the molding unit 4 of the hopper 1 from dust and the like around the cooked rice forming apparatus 100. The panel 7 is attached to the front surface of the housing 2.

The operation unit 8 sets the amount of cooked rice R , the number of rice balls RB formed, and the like. The operation unit 8 includes a display unit, a power switch, an emergency stop button, a mode selection button, and the like. The operation unit 8 is an example of an instruction unit in the present invention.

● Operation of the cooked rice forming apparatus Next, the operation of the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 will be described.

First, cooked rice R such as sushi rice is put into the storage portion 11 of the hopper 1 by an operator of the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 or the like. When the power switch of the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 is turned on by the operator with the cooked rice R charged into the storage section 11, the cooked rice R is stirred and solved by the stirring section 12.

Next, the control unit controls the drive unit 6 to drive the compression unit 3 (rotate the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33). By rotating the upper compression roller pair 32 and the lower compression roller pair 33, the cooked rice R supplied from the supply unit 13 of the hopper 1 is sent to the molding unit 4 while being compressed.

When the cooked rice R reaches the molding unit 4, the control unit stops driving the compression unit 3. At this time, the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 is in the standby state. When the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 is in the standby state, the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in a state in which the outer peripheral surface 43b of the first forming roller 43 and the outer peripheral surface 44b of the second forming roller 44 are in contact with each other (hereinafter, "first state"). ".).

Next, the control unit controls the drive unit 6 to rotate the upper compression roller pair 32, the lower compression roller pair 33, and the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. The rotation of the upper compression roller pair 32, the lower compression roller pair 33, and the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 causes the forming unit 4 to repeatedly store the cooked rice R, form the rice ball RB, and release the rice ball RB.

FIG. 8A is a front sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in the first state, and FIG. 8B is a front sectional view of cooked rice R housed in the forming portion 4 in the first state. ..

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the first state, the storage portions 43a, 44a located behind the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 in the rotational direction with respect to the outer peripheral surfaces 43b, 44b that are in contact with each other are viewed from the front. Faces in a V shape.

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the first state, the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a are not located between the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42. That is, when the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the first state, there is no space between the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42. At this time, the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42 are in a close state by the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44.

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the first state, the cooked rice R supplied from the compression unit 3 is stored in the storage portions 43a, 44a facing in a V shape when viewed from the front.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 further rotate from the first state, the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 have the accommodating portions 43a and 44a with the axis of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. It is in a state of advancing between the shaft core and the shaft (hereinafter referred to as "second state").

FIG. 9A is a front sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in the second state, and FIG. 9B is a front sectional view of the cooked rice R housed in the forming portion 4 in the second state. ..

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the second state, at least a part of the storage portions 43a, 44a is located between the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42. That is, when the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the second state, a space (in the space) provided by the storage portions 43a, 44a is between the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42. There is rice R).

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the second state, the cooked rice R stored in the storage portions 43a, 44a begins to be formed into the rice balls RB.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 further rotate from the second state, the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 are in a state in which the accommodating portion 43a and the accommodating portion 44a face each other substantially in parallel (hereinafter, "first". It is called "3 states").

FIG. 10A is a front sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in the third state, and FIG. 10B is a front sectional view of cooked rice R housed in the forming portion 4 in the third state. ..

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the third state, the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a face each other. When the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a face each other, the storage portion 43a is closest to the storage portion 44a. When the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a face each other, the distance between the upper wall surfaces 43a2 and 44a2 is substantially the same as the distance between the bottom wall surfaces 43a3 and 44a3.

When the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a face each other, the line connecting the upper wall surface 43a2 of the storage portion 43a and the upper wall surface 44a2 of the storage portion 44a is rearward in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 in the front view. It has a convex dome shape (above the paper surface in FIG. 10). On the other hand, the line connecting the bottom wall surface 43a3 of the storage portion 43a and the bottom wall surface 44a3 of the storage portion 44a has a mountain shape that is convex rearward in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 when viewed from the front.

When the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a face each other, the cooked rice molding space S formed by the storage portions 43a and 44a has a dome shape whose upper part is convex upward and a mountain shape whose bottom is convex upward when viewed from the front. is there.

When the storage portion 43a and the storage portion 44a face each other, the cooked rice R in the cooked rice molding space S is molded into a rice ball RB by the storage portions 43a and 44a. At this time, the bottom surface of the rice ball RB is provided with a recess RBa. The recess RBa is recessed toward the center of the rice ball along the longitudinal direction (front-back direction) of the rice ball. The concave RBa has a mountain shape that is convex rearward in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 when viewed from the front.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 further rotated from the third state, the bottom portion of the cooked rice forming space S of the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 expanded in the left-right direction from the third state in the front view. It becomes a state (hereinafter referred to as "fourth state").

FIG. 11A is a front sectional view of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in the fourth state, and FIG. 11B is a front sectional view of the rice ball RB formed by the forming portion 4 in the fourth state. is there.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the fourth state, the outer peripheral surfaces 43b and 44b on the rear side of the cooked rice forming space S are brought into close contact with each other in the rotational direction of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 due to the stress between the shafts. That is, the convex portion 43b1 of the outer peripheral surface 43b is in close contact with the concave portion 44b2 of the outer peripheral surface 44b, and the concave portion 43b2 of the outer peripheral surface 43b is in close contact with the convex portion 44b1 of the outer peripheral surface 44b. Therefore, the cooked rice R does not remain between the outer peripheral surface 43b and the outer peripheral surface 44b. As a result, molding defects (burrs) are not formed on the upper surface of the rice ball RB. That is, the rice ball RB is separated from the cooked rice R in a good molded state without burrs.

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 rotate from the third state to the fourth state, the bottom wall surface 43a3 of the storage portion 43a and the bottom wall surface 44a3 of the storage portion 44a are separated from each other in the left-right direction in the front view. When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in the fourth state, the line connecting the bottom wall surfaces 43a3, 44a3 is substantially a straight line when viewed from the front.

When the bottom wall surfaces 43a3 and 44a3 are separated from each other in the left-right direction, the bottom surface of the rice ball RB expands in the left-right direction in accordance with the movement of the bottom wall surfaces 43a3 and 44a3. As a result, the density on the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB is smaller than the density on the upper surface side of the rice ball RB. That is, the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB contains a larger amount of air than the upper surface side of the rice ball RB.

When the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the fourth state, the rice ball RB is pushed from the upper wall surfaces 43a2 and 44a2 toward the front of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 in the rotational direction. Therefore, the concave portion RBa on the bottom surface of the rice ball RB is smaller than that when the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are in the third state.

When the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 further rotate from the fourth state, the rice ball RB is discharged (falls) from the cooked rice forming space S onto the turntable 51 below.

As described above, no burr is formed on the rice ball RB. The sushi ball RB without burrs is easier to separate from the storage portions 43a and 44a than the sushi balls with burrs. That is, the sushi ball RB without burrs separates from the storage portions 43a and 44a earlier than the sushi balls with burrs. In addition, there is no tipping or tilting of the rice ball RB released from the cooked rice molding space S. Therefore, the drop position and the drop posture of the rice ball RB on the turntable 51 are stable. As a result, the rotation angle of the turntable 51 is narrowed, and the time required for the rotation of the turntable 51 is shortened.

FIG. 12 is a front view sectional view of the rice sushi ball RB immediately after being released (molded).
The state of the rice ball RB immediately after molding is almost the same as the state of the rice ball RB when the pair of molding rollers 43 and 44 are in the fourth state. That is, the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB is in a state of containing a larger amount of air than the upper surface side of the rice ball RB.

FIG. 13 is a front view sectional view of the rice sushi ball RB after a lapse of a predetermined time from the molding.
When a predetermined time elapses after the rice ball RB is formed, the cooked rice R on the upper surface side of the rice ball RB moves to the bottom surface side of the rice ball RB due to its own weight. Therefore, the sushi ball RB after a lapse of a predetermined time after being molded is in a state in which air is also contained on the upper surface side of the sushi ball RB as compared with the sushi ball RB immediately after molding. As a result, the texture of the rice ball RB molded by the cooked rice molding device 100 is more airy and plump than the texture of the rice ball molded by the conventional cooked rice molding device. The bottom surface of the rice ball RB becomes flat along the surface of the turntable 51.

In this way, the rice ball RB is formed as the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 rotate. At this time, the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 receive a force due to elasticity or the like (hereinafter referred to as "repulsive force") from the cooked rice R at the time of forming the rice ball RB. The direction of the repulsive force acting on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 is the direction in which the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are separated from each other (the left-right direction on the paper surface in FIG. 10).

Since the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 are cantilevered, the influence of the repulsive force increases toward the free end (front end) of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. .. On the other hand, the influence of stress between the shafts also increases toward the free end (front end) of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. Here, the stress between the shafts is set to be larger than the repulsive force by adjusting the distance between the front end of the first rotating shaft 41 and the front end of the second rotating shaft 42. Therefore, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are not separated by the repulsive force. That is, no burrs are generated on the rice ball RB formed by the cooked rice forming apparatus 100. That is, the rice ball RB is easily separated from the storage portions 43a and 44a. As a result, the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 molds rice balls at high speed while suppressing the occurrence of molding defects.

The magnitude of the stress between the shafts may be the same as the magnitude of the repulsive force. In this case, the first forming roller and the second forming roller come into contact with each other with equal force in the axial direction (front-back direction) of the pair of forming rollers.

● Attachment / detachment of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 Next, attachment / detachment of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 will be described.

As described above, the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44 receive stress between the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. The effect of stress between the shafts on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 differs depending on the rotational position of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. That is, when the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42 are in a close state, the influence of the stress between the shafts on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 is the largest. On the other hand, when a space exists between the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42, the influence of the stress between the shafts on the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 becomes small. .. Therefore, the attachment / detachment of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 is executed when the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 are in a detachable state. The detachable state means that the state of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 is the storage portion 43a between the shaft core of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft 42 (on the line connecting both shaft cores). At least a part of 44a is located. That is, of the first state, the second state, the third state, and the fourth state, the second state is a detachable state.

The state of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 shifts to the detachable state, for example, when the operation unit 8 is operated by the operator. That is, when the operation unit 8 is operated by the operator, the operation unit 8 instructs the control unit to shift the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 to the detachable state.

When the transition to the detachable state of the pair of forming rollers 43, 44 is instructed, the control unit is instructed that at least a part of the storage portions 43a, 44a is the axis of the first rotating shaft 41 and the shaft of the second rotating shaft 42. The rotation of the first rotation shaft 41 and the second rotation shaft 42 is controlled so as to be located on the line connecting the cores.

On the other hand, the states of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 when the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are attached are the same as the states of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 in the detachable state.

It should be noted that the instruction to the control unit to shift to the detachable state of the pair of forming rollers is when the cooked rice forming apparatus finishes forming the rice balls (for example, the forming number of the rice balls set by the operator is formed. When it is finished), the operation unit may detect the end of molding and automatically execute it without any operation by the operator.

In addition, the instruction to shift the pair of forming rollers to the detachable state to the control unit is given to the supply unit of the hopper when there is no place to put the rice balls on the turntable, when the panel is removed from the housing, and so on. It may be automatically executed when the control unit stops the operation of the cooked rice molding apparatus, such as when the cooked rice does not exist.

● Summary According to the embodiment described above, the distance L2 between the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 is the pitch circle radius r1 of the first forming roller 43 and the pitch circle of the second forming roller 44. It is shorter than the sum with the radius r2. Therefore, the cooked rice R above the storage portions 43a and 44a does not remain between the outer peripheral surface 43b and the outer peripheral surface 44b. As a result, the rice ball RB molded by the cooked rice molding apparatus 100 is separated from the cooked rice R in a good molding state without burrs.

The burr-free rice ball RB formed by the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 has a shorter and constant time from molding to release than the burr-bearing rice ball formed by the conventional cooked rice forming apparatus.

The burr-free rice ball RB formed by the cooked rice forming apparatus 100 is easier to separate from the storage portions 43a and 44a than the burr-bearing rice ball formed by the conventional cooked rice forming apparatus. Therefore, the rice ball RB is discharged from the storage portions 43a and 44a in a stable posture. As a result, the drop position of the rice ball RB on the turntable 51 is stable. Further, the rice ball RB that has fallen on the turntable 51 does not fall or tilt on the turntable 51. That is, the posture of the rice ball RB on the turntable 51 is stable.

Since the posture of the rice ball RB on the turntable 51 is stable, the rice ball RB does not tip over or tilt on the turntable 51 even if the molding speed of the rice ball RB is improved. Therefore, the rotation angle of the turntable 51 can be adjusted to a rotation angle that does not take into consideration the overturning and tilting of the rice ball RB. That is, the space efficiency between the rice balls RBs arranged on the turntable 51 can be improved by narrowing the distance between the rice balls RBs.

As described above, the cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention makes it possible to mold the rice ball RB at high speed while suppressing the generation of burrs.

Further, in the pair of forming rollers 43, 44, at least a part of the accommodating portions 43a, 44a is located on the line connecting the axis of the first rotating shaft 41 and the axis of the second rotating shaft 42, so that the first It is removable from the rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. Therefore, the cooked rice forming apparatus according to the present invention improves maintainability while eliminating the gap between the first forming roller 43 and the second forming roller 44.

Furthermore, the distance L1 between the axes of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42 on the rear end side is longer than the distance L2 between the shafts on the front end side of the first rotating shaft 41 and the second rotating shaft 42. Therefore, the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are not separated by the repulsive force from the cooked rice R in the storage portions 43a and 44a. That is, burrs do not occur on the upper surface of the rice ball RB due to the cooked rice R entering the gaps between the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44. That is, the cooked rice molding apparatus according to the present invention can mold rice balls at high speed while suppressing the generation of burrs.

In the state before mounting the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are parallel if the distance L2 between the axes is shorter than the sum of the pitch circle radius r1 and the pitch circle radius r2. But it may be.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the outer peripheral surfaces 43b and 44b of the pair of forming rollers 43 and 44 are provided with the convex portions 43b1 and 44b1 and the concave portions 43b2 and 44b2. It is not necessary to have a concave portion and a convex portion. That is, for example, in the pair of forming rollers, the outer peripheral surfaces located between the accommodating portions may come into contact with each other. In this case, the pitch circle radius in the embodiment described above corresponds to the radius of the forming roller.

100 Cooked rice molding device 1 Hopper (storage unit)
2 Housing 3 Compression unit 4 Molding unit 41 1st rotating shaft 42 2nd rotating shaft 43 1st forming roller 43a Storage unit (1st storage unit)
43a1 Side wall surface 43a2 Upper wall surface 43a3 Bottom wall surface 44 Second forming roller 44a Storage part (second storage part)
44a1 Side wall surface 44a2 Upper wall surface 44a3 Bottom wall surface 5 Transport unit 6 Drive unit 7 Panel 8 Operation unit (indicator unit)
RB Rice molded product r1 Pitch circle radius of the first forming roller r2 Pitch circle radius of the second forming roller L Distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis

Claims (5)

A storage unit for storing rice and
A molding unit that molds the cooked rice stored in the storage portion into a cooked rice molded product,
Have
The molded part is
The first axis of rotation that rotates in a certain direction,
A second rotation axis that rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the first rotation axis,
The first forming roller attached to the first rotating shaft and
A second forming roller attached to the second rotating shaft and
A support portion that cantileverly supports the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and
With
The first rotation axis is
The first end supported by the support portion and
With the first other end, which is the other end of the first end,
With
The second rotation axis is
The second end supported by the support portion and
With the second other end, which is the other end of the second end,
With
With the pair of rollers removed, the distance between the axes of the first end end and the second end end is the pitch circle radius of the first forming roller and the pitch circle radius of the second forming roller. Shorter than the sum
A cooked rice molding device characterized by this. The first forming roller includes a first accommodating portion.
The second forming roller includes a second accommodating portion.
The cooked rice stored in the storage portion is stored in the first storage portion and the second storage portion and molded into the cooked rice molded product.
In the first forming roller and the second forming roller, at least a part of the first accommodating portion and the second accommodating portion includes the shaft core of the first rotating shaft and the shaft core of the second rotating shaft. It is removable from the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft when it is located on the line connecting the two.
The cooked rice molding apparatus according to claim 1. A control unit that controls the rotation of the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft,
An instruction unit that instructs the transition of the first forming roller and the second forming roller to a detachable state, and
With
When the control unit is instructed to shift to the detachable state, at least a part of the first storage unit and the second storage unit becomes the axis of the first rotation shaft. The rotation of the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis is controlled so as to be located on a line connecting the axis of the second rotation axis.
The cooked rice molding apparatus according to claim 2. When the first forming roller is removed from the first rotating shaft,
The distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis at different positions in the axial direction of the first rotation axis is different.
The cooked rice molding apparatus according to claim 3. Before SL center distance between the second end side of the second rotary shaft and the first end side of the first rotary shaft, the first end side of the first rotation axis of said second rotary shaft Longer than the distance between the axes with the second other end side,
The cooked rice molding apparatus according to claim 4.

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