JPH0115356Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) This invention relates to a popcorn cooking pot that is intended to automatically produce popcorn with a constant expansion rate. It is used in the field.

(Conventional technology) Conventionally, when popcorn was automatically manufactured,
The heating time of the raw corn was controlled by a timer.

(Problem to be solved) According to timer control, the time from the time when the switch of the main heater embedded in the cooking pot is turned on is turned on, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the main motor is turned off, the pot is opened, and the product is heated. However, if the temperature of the pot is low when the main heater is turned on, the rising time is long and the actual heating time is short, resulting in insufficient expansion and a small product volume. Ta.

(Means for solving the problem) The popcorn cooking pot of this invention includes an upper pot and a cooking pot rotatably fixed to one side of the upper pot.
A cone swelling detector is provided, and a heater switch is linked to the movement of the cone swelling detector.

The expansion detector is a member that is pushed up and moved upward as the raw material corn expands due to heating, and when the expansion detector rises by a predetermined amount, the heater switch is activated. ,
It is configured so that the heater is turned off. Further, it is preferable that the swelling detection body is biased downward so that it does not move upward due to the bouncing of the raw material cone.

(Function of the invention) According to this invention, when the raw material cone in the pot is heated and expanded by input from the heater, the expansion detector is pushed up by the expanded cone. When the swelling detector is pushed up to a predetermined height, the switch is actuated by the movement of the swelling detector, and the heater is turned off. Therefore, uniformly expanded popcorn is produced regardless of the pot temperature when the heater is turned on.

Note that the raw material corn may be difficult to expand due to its nature, and in this case, if the heater is turned off depending on the operation of the swelling detector, the raw material corn may be burnt. Therefore, it is preferable to use it together with timer control.

Although the popcorn cooking pot of this invention is suitable for being incorporated into a vending machine, it is not limited to use in a vending machine. Examples of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) A cooking pot 1 is composed of an upper pot 1a having a cylindrical shape with a cap and a lower pot 1b having a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The lower hook 1b is the upper hook 1.
The lower hook 1 is rotatably fixed to one side of a.
The tip of a rod 2a of an air cylinder 2 for opening and closing the lower hook is rotatably connected to the lower side of b.

A vertical shaft 3 passes through the cooking pot 1, and its upper end is connected to a motor 4, and its lower end is attached to a stirring arm 5 which also serves as a pot cleaning tool.

An insertion hole 6 for a swelling detection rod 7 is provided in the peripheral wall of the pot 1a.
is provided, and one side of a swelling detection rod 7 serving as a swelling detection body projects into the cooking pot 1 through the insertion hole 6. The swelling detection rod 7 is tiltable about the lower edge of the insertion hole 6 as a fulcrum, so that the inner portion 7a of the pot is pushed upward by the swelling of the raw material cone. On the other hand, the outside portion 7b of the swelling detection rod 7 moves down as the raw material corn expands, and a switch 9 is provided at a position corresponding to a predetermined amount of swelling, so that the swelling detection rod 7 does not touch the switch 9. As a result, the limit switch 9 is activated and the heater 10 of the lower hook 1b is turned off. In the figure, 11 is a sleeve with a pattern 12, 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a spring that biases the inside of the pot of the swelling detection rod 7 downward.

(Example 2) Next, in the example shown in FIG.
The disk 14 is attached to the shaft 3 of the stirring arm 5 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and the operating rod 15 of the switch 9 is projected into the upper pot 1a, so that the disk 14 is raised to a predetermined height by swelling of the raw material cone. When pushed up, the operating rod 15 is pushed up by the disc 14, the switch is activated, and the heater 10 is turned off. In the figure, 16 is a spring.

(Embodiment 3) Next, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
5 directly protrudes into the upper pot 1a, and the protruding portion 15a
is used as a swelling detection body, and if necessary,
A wide pressure receiving piece can also be attached to the protrusion 15a.

(Example of use) Next, an example of use in which the popcorn cooking pot of this invention is attached to a vending machine will be explained based on FIG. 4.

The corn stocker 17 is connected to the cooking pot 1 via a corn measuring device 18, and the cooking pot 1 is connected to an oil supply pipe 19. A cone receiver 20 is provided below the cooking pot 1, and a cone receiver 20 whose bottom surface is formed of a number of wire rods arranged in parallel is provided, and a cone extrusion frame 21 is slidably installed on the cone receiver 20.
In the figure, 22 is a spice container, 23 is a chute, and 24
is a germicidal lamp, 25 is a container receiver, 26 is a steam exhaust pipe,
27 is a ventilation fan.

After the cooking pot has been preheated, inserting a coin into the coin slot closes the sequence circuit. At this time, pressurized air is supplied from the compressor 28 to the air cylinder 2 for opening and closing the lower pot 1b, and the rod 2a is
is extended, and the lower hook 1b is closed. Further, the motor 4 is started and the stirring arms 5, 5a rotate. Next, oil is supplied from the oil stocker 29 to the cooking pot 1 by the pump 30, and pressurized air is supplied to the air cylinder 31 of the corn measuring device 18, so that the raw material corn in the corn stocker 17 is delivered to a predetermined amount and cooked. It is supplied into the pot 1.

On the other hand, the heater 10 of the cooking pot 1 is heated (180 to 250 degrees Celsius) by inserting a coin, and the raw corn is processed in the cooking pot 1 to become popcorn. Here, the water vapor generated in the cooking pot 1 is discharged into the atmosphere from the steam exhaust tube 26 by forced exhaust by the ventilation fan 27, so that the inside of the cooking pot 1 is maintained at low humidity and cooking is done in a dry state. , resulting in popcorn with a dry, light texture.

During the cooking process, the stirring arm 5 rotates while contacting the lower pot 1b, so the lower pot 1b is automatically cleaned.

If the cooking pot 1 is made transparent, it is possible to observe from the outside how the corn being cooked flies up through the transparent window of the door.

When the raw material cone expands, the expansion detector is pushed up by the cone, and when it is pushed up to a predetermined height, switch 9 is activated. Even if the switch 9 is not activated, the switch 9 will be activated if the average time required for expansion is significantly exceeded), the motor 4 will stop, the heater will return to its preheating state, and the rod 2a of the air cylinder 2 will move back, and the lower pot 1b will be activated. opens, and the cooked corn (hereinafter referred to as "popcorn") and corn crumbs fall onto the corn tray 20. At this point, the container indicator lamp lights up, so follow the instructions and place the container 32 into the container receiver 25.
Attach to. Next, in response to a command from the spice selection button, the spice solution is injected from the corresponding spice container 22 through the nozzle 33, and the cone receiver 2
The spice solution is sprinkled on top of the popcorn. Incidentally, since the corn dregs fall from the gap between the wire rods of the corn receiver 20 onto the corn dregs receiving tray 34, the corn dregs will not be mixed into the product.

At the same time, pressurized air is supplied to the air cylinder 35 for operating the cone extrusion frame 21, the rod expands, the extrusion frame 21 moves to the discharge side of the cone receiver 20, and the popcorn on the cone receiver 20 is sprinkled in the shape of a shower. It falls down the chute 23 while being exposed to the solution and is housed in the container 32. By setting the timing so that the spice solution is sprayed while the popcorn is pushed by the extrusion frame 21 and falling, the spices are sprinkled almost evenly as the popcorn moves.

After the popcorn is discharged, the extrusion frame 21 returns to its original position. In addition, after the spice injection, the extrusion frame 2
The timing may be set so that 1 moves.

By removing the container 32 from the container receiver 25, the lower pot 1b is closed and the switch is turned OFF.
The cycle ends. The main power supply will not be turned off, so ventilation fans, fluorescent lights, germicidal lights, preheaters, and sales lamps will continue to operate. The above series of operations is
This is done by a sequence circuit.

(Effects of the invention) According to this invention, since a corn swelling detector is provided in the cooking pot, the heater of the cooking pot can be controlled based on the degree of swelling of the corn, and the temperature of the pot at the start of heating can be controlled. Regardless of the temperature, the degree of swelling of the product remains constant. If timer control is also used, if the raw material corn is difficult to expand due to its nature, the heater will be turned off after a predetermined period of time, so there is no risk of the raw material corn being burnt.

Therefore, according to the popcorn cooking pot of this invention, popcorn of uniform quality can be manufactured and sold using a vending machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of Embodiment 1 of this invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Embodiment 2, Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Embodiment 3, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device in use. . 1...Cooking pot, 1a...Upper pot, 1b...Lower pot,
4... Motor, 5... Stirring arm, 7... Detection rod,
9...Switch, 14...Detection plate, 15...Operation rod.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] 1. A corn swelling detector is provided in a cooking pot consisting of an upper pot and a lower pot with a heater rotatably fixed to one side of the upper pot, and the swelling detector A cooking pot for popcorn in which the switch of the heater is linked to the movement of the popcorn. 2. The popcorn cooking pot according to claim 1, wherein the swelling detector is a detection rod that is attached to the pot wall so as to be tiltable. 3. The popcorn cooking pot according to claim 1, wherein the swelling detector is a detection plate mounted in the pot so that it can be raised and lowered. 4. The popcorn cooking pot described in item 1 of the utility model registration request, in which the swelling detector is an operating lever for a switch. 5. The popcorn cooking pot according to claim 1, wherein the swelling detector is biased downward.