JPH044050A - Turbidity detector for water tank of rice washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a turbidity sensor to detect the turbidity at the specified depth from a water surface regardless of a set position by integrally connecting the turbidity sensor to a water levels sensor which is to be installed in an arbitrary set position and is freely vertically adjustable. CONSTITUTION:The turbidity 41 of the rice washing machine which stirs and washes the rice in a water tank together with the water by a stirrer equipped in the water tank has light emitting and receiving elements 41A, 41B facing each other and detects the turbidity of the water from the attenuation quantity of the light which transmits the water and arrives at the light receiving element 41B from the light emitting element 41A. The turbidity sensor 41 is integrally connected to the water level sensor 40 which is to be installed in the arbitrary set position and is freely vertically adjustable. Consequently, the adequate use of the water at the time of washing is possible and the effective utilization of water resources is attained without making wasteful use of the water. The turbidity sensor can detect the turbidity at the specified depth from the water surface regardless of the set water level.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an improvement in a rice washer that is used in facilities that require a large amount of rice, such as school lunch centers, and that washes rice before cooking it in a pot. .

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as this type of apparatus, one is known in which rice in a water tank is stirred and washed with water using a stirrer provided in the water tank.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, with such conventional devices, it is not possible to know the turbidity in the water tank during the rice washing period, so more water than necessary is used for washing, resulting in wasted water resources. There was a problem with being exposed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use water appropriately when washing rice, thereby eliminating wasteful use of water resources.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.

In other words, the present invention provides a rice washing machine that stirs and washes rice in a water tank with water using a stirrer provided in the water tank, which has opposing light-emitting and light-receiving elements, and is capable of transmitting light that passes through water and reaches the light-receiving element from the light-emitting element. A turbidity sensor that detects water turbidity based on the amount of attenuation is integrally connected to a vertically adjustable water level sensor that is installed at an arbitrary set water level.

(Function) In the present invention configured as described above, when the water level sensor is adjusted, the turbidity sensor integrated therein moves together.

During the period when the rice is washed in the water tank, the degree of turbidity of the washing water in the water tank is detected by a turbidity sensor. Since the turbidity sensor moves together with the water level sensor, it can detect turbidity at a predetermined depth from the water surface.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is an external view of the embodiment, Fig. 2 is its vertical cross-sectional view, and Fig. 3 is an external view of the embodiment.
The figure is a cross-sectional view thereof.

In the figure, 1 is an outer case, and this outer case 1
Arrange each component as described below. Reference numeral 2 denotes an operation plate provided at an operation position, and various setting devices, etc., which will be described later, are arranged on this operation plate 2.

3 is a rice tank for storing rice, and has a lid 4 that can be opened and closed. Reference numeral 5 denotes a measuring rice tank that stores the rice in the rice tank 3 for measurement. 6 is a main rice washing tank for washing rice discharged from the measuring rice tank 5. 7 is main washed rice #fj
This is a finishing rice washing tank which is disposed above the tank 6 and rinses the rice that has been washed in the tank 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a pot in which the rice that has been rinsed in the final rice washing tank 7 is taken out and cooked.

Next, a piping system diagram of each of these parts will be explained with reference to FIG.

The rice tank 3 is provided with a cross-feeding helix 9 at the bottom for discharging the rice in the tank, and this cross-feeding helix 9 is driven by a cross-feeding helix motor IO. The terminal end of the cross-feeding helix 9 is connected to the lower end of a grain lifting pipe 11 which is connected to the upper part of the measuring tank 5.

A suction fan 12 is provided at the top of the measuring rice tank 5 for air transporting the rice discharged by the horizontal feed helix 9 through the grain lifting pipe 11, and this suction fan 12 is driven by a suction fan drive motor 13. A rotary valve 14 is provided at the discharge port of the measuring rice tank 5 to discharge a predetermined amount of rice from the tank 5 every predetermined rotation.
is driven by a rotary valve drive motor 15. A predetermined amount of rice discharged by the rotary valve 14 is put into the main rice washing tank 6 as shown by the arrow.

A level sensor 16 is provided in the metering rice tank 5 to keep the amount of rice charged into the tank 5 constant.

At the bottom of the main rice washing tank 6, a rice washing/water pump 17 having a built-in screw is arranged. In this pump 17, when the screw rotates forward, rice and water are discharged from a rice washing discharge pipe 18 connected to one discharge pipe 17A to perform rice washing, and when the screw rotates in the reverse direction, a water pump 19 is connected to the other discharge pipe 17B. Configure it so that rice and water are drained from it. Therefore, the re-discharge pipes 17A and 17B are formed parallel to each other with a screw (not shown) in between, as shown in FIG. 5, and both are arranged substantially parallel to each other. And the screw is
It is connected to a screw drive motor 20 that can be rotated forward and backward. The discharge port of the water pump 19 is connected to the finishing rice washing tank 7.

A water level sensor 21 for detecting the water level is provided at the top of the main rice washing tank 6, and an overflow pipe 22 is connected thereto. Further, a discharge port that can be opened and closed by a drain valve 23 is provided at the bottom of the main washed rice #a6, and the discharge port is connected to the overflow pipe 22 via a drain pipe 24.

The finish washing rice tank 7 has a lower part in an inverted conical shape, and an upper part thereof is partitioned with a net 25 to form a water level adjustment chamber 26 for water management and prevention of rice flowing down. A blade wheel 28 driven by a blade wheel drive motor 27 is arranged at the lower center side of the finished rice washing tank 7. Furthermore, a water supply pipe 29 for supplying tap water is connected below the finishing rice washing tank 7, and a flow rate control valve 30 and a water supply solenoid valve 31 are provided in the middle of this water supply pipe 29.

The discharge port of the finished rice washing tank 7 is provided with an on-off valve 33 that opens and closes in response to the opening and closing operations of the discharge lever 32 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a shutter switch 34 is provided to detect the closed state of the on-off valve 33 when the discharge lever 32 comes to the closed position.

A discharge port 36 is provided at the bottom of the water level adjustment chamber 26, the upper end side of the drain pipe 35 is connected to the discharge port 36, and the lower end side of the drain pipe 35 is connected to the main rice washing tank 6. Outlet 3 of water level control chamber 26
6 is provided with a valve 38 driven by a valve solenoid 37, and the discharge port 37 can be opened and closed by this valve 38.

A sensor mounting rod 39 for adjusting the water level is arranged in the water level adjustment chamber 26 so as to be movable up and down.
A water level sensor 40 is attached to one end to detect whether the water level of the finishing rice washing tank 7 is at the set water level.
A turbidity sensor 41 for detecting the degree of turbidity in the finished rice washing tank 7 is provided below the rice washing tank 7.

The water level sensor 40 includes, for example, a magnetic float 40A and a magnetic switch 40B, as shown in FIG. 7, and is configured to detect a set water level. Further, the turbidity sensor 41 is
As shown in FIG. 7, it consists of, for example, a light-emitting element 41A and a light-receiving element 41B opposite thereto, and turbidity is detected based on the magnitude of the amount of light received.

A rack 42 is attached to the other end of the sensor mounting rod 39, and the rack 42 is engaged with a pinion 44 fixed to a rotating shaft 43 which is rotatably supported as shown in FIG. Further, a rice amount/water amount setting dial 45 is attached to the tip of the rotary shaft 43 to simultaneously set the amount of rice to be washed and the amount of water required for cooking the rice in a pot.

When the dial 45 is operated, the amount of rice is set stepwise or continuously using the rice amount setting device 46, and at the same time, the sensor mounting rod 39 moves up and down, and the water level sensor 40 is activated. The location should correspond to the amount of water required.

Next, the control system of the embodiment configured as described above will be explained in the eighth section.
This will be explained with reference to the figures.

In FIG. 8, 50 is a controller composed of a microcomputer or the like, and controls each part according to a predetermined procedure as described later.

An operation stop switch 51 is provided on the input side of the controller 50.
, Sequence feed switch 5 that shortens the work of each process
21. A rice washing level setting device 53 that sets the degree of turbidity of water in the finishing rice washing tank 6, that is, the level of washing rice, a rice amount setting device 44, a shirt tas inch 34, and a sensor 16
．． 21, respectively.

In addition, to the output side of the controller 50, in addition to the water supply electromagnetic valve 31 for the motors 1O113, 15, 20, and 27 to be controlled, a rice washing end buzzer 54 is connected to notify the end of rice washing.

Next, an example of the operation of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described.

First, open M4 and fill rice tank 3 with rice, then
Operate each setting device arranged on the operation panel 2 to set each item, and then press the operation stop switch 51.
Driving begins.

Then, the cross-feeding spiral 9 and the suction fan 12 start driving, so that the rice discharged from the rice tank 3 is air conveyed through the grain lifting pipe 11 and put into the measuring rice tank 5. Then, when the level sensor 16 outputs a signal indicating that a predetermined amount of tension has been applied, the transverse helix 9 and the suction fan 12 stop driving.

Next, the rotary valve 14 is rotated by the number of revolutions corresponding to the set value set by the rice amount setting device 41, and a predetermined amount of rice in the measuring rice tank 5 is discharged into the main rice washing tank 6.

In parallel with this, the solenoid valve 31 is opened and tap water is supplied to the finishing rice washing tank 7, and when a predetermined amount is supplied, the valve 38 is in the open state at this time, so the finishing washing rice tank 7
The water inside flows down into the main rice washing tank 6 through the drain pipe 35. When the water level sensor 21 outputs a signal indicating that the water level in the main rice washing tank 6 has reached a predetermined value, the valve 38 is closed.Then, a signal indicating that the water level in the finishing rice washing tank 7 has reached the set water level is output. is output from the water level sensor 40, the solenoid valve 31
is closed, and on condition that a predetermined amount of rice is supplied from the measuring rice tank 5 to the main rice washing tank 6, the screw of the rice washing/water pump 17 starts rotating normally.

By normal rotation of the screw, the rice and water sucked up from the bottom of the main rice washing tank 6 are discharged from the outlet of the rice washing discharge pipe 18, so that the rice is washed while circulating inside the main rice washing tank 6. Then, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the above-mentioned washing of the rice is completed, and the screw of the pump 17 is switched from normal rotation to reverse rotation. At this time, both the solenoid valve 31 and the valve 38 are opened.

By reversing the screw, the rice and water sucked up from the bottom of the main rice washing tank 6 pass through the water lift pipe 19 and are discharged into the finishing rice washing tank 7. While rice is being supplied to the finishing rice washing tank 7, the turbid water from the main rice washing tank 6 is also supplied, so the turbidity may be detected by the turbidity sensor 41.

When the supply of rice is finished, the impeller 28 rotates and the rice in the finishing rice washing tank 7 starts to be rinsed, and during this rinsing,
The valve 38 is opened and water is drained so that the amount of water in the finished rice washing tank 7 can be maintained at the set water level. Further, the turbidity sensor 41 detects the turbidity in the finished rice washing tank 7.

When the detected turbidity reaches the level set by the rice washing level setting device 53, the above-mentioned rice rinsing is completed, the water supply solenoid valve 31 and the no valve 38 are closed, and at the same time, the rice washing end buzzer is activated. The 54 bell rings to signal the end of rice washing. As a result, water supply to the finish rice washing tank 7 and the main rice washing tank 6 is stopped. Next, when the discharge lever 32 is operated to open the on-off valve 33, the rice and water in the finished rice washing tank 7 flow down into the pot 8. During this flow down, a rotating flow is generated by the impeller 28, and the rice in the tank is completely discharged into the pot 8. When the flow is finished, the inside of the pot 8 is filled with rice and water necessary for cooking rice.

By the way, while rice is being washed, rice is poured from the rice tank 3 into the measuring rice tank 5, and when the rice washing is finished, the rice has been replenished. Furthermore, the main rice washing tank 6 is already filled with water as described above. Therefore, when washing rice for the second and subsequent times in the main rice washing tank 6, for example, open the water supply solenoid valve 31 and the valve 38 to supply water to the finish rice washing tank 7 and the main washing rice tank 6, and at the same time, measure the water into the main washing rice tank 6. This is possible by filling the rice tank 5 with a predetermined amount of rice.

In this way, in the embodiment of the present invention, the turbidity at a certain depth from the water surface is detected regardless of the water level in the finishing rice washing tank 7, and the rinsing water used in the finishing rice washing tank 7 is discharged to the main rice washing tank 6. This makes it possible to optimize the use of water when rinsing rice, and also to reuse the rinsing water, thereby eliminating wasteful use of water resources.

Next, other embodiments of the water level sensor 40 and the turbidity sensor 41 will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

This water level/turbidity sensor 60 has a light emitting element 61 and a light receiving element 62 arranged at the lower end of the sensor mounting rod 39 so as to be diagonal to the water surface and face each other.

With this configuration, when the water level changes from 3 to 4 as shown in FIG. 9, the amount of light received by the light receiving element 62 changes greatly due to the relationship between refraction and reflection of light on the water surface. By detecting changes in the amount of light received and the amount of light received after the change using the properties, both the set water level and turbidity can be detected.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention S is provided with a turbidity sensor that detects the turbidity in the aquarium, so the turbidity in the aquarium is detected and the degree of cleaning is judged, so when cleaning This makes it possible to use water appropriately, thereby making it possible to use water resources effectively without wasting them.

In addition, in the present invention, the turbidity sensor is integrally connected to the water level sensor that can be installed at any set position and can be adjusted vertically, so that the turbidity sensor can be placed at a constant depth from the water surface regardless of the set water level. Turbidity can be detected.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an external view of the embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is its vertical cross-sectional view, Fig. 3 is its cross-sectional view, Fig. 4 is a piping system diagram of the embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 5 is the main rice washing tank. , FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the ejection lever, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the sensor, FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the control system of the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is another implementation of the sensor. It is a figure which shows an example. 3...Rice tank, 5...Measuring rice tank, 6...
Main rice washing tank, 7... Finishing rice washing tank, 8... Pot, 17.
... Rice washing/lifting pump, 19... Lifting pipe, 26...
Water level control room, 29... Water supply pipe, 35... Drain pipe, 3
9...Sensor mounting rod, 40...Water level sensor, 41.
...Turbidity sensor. Patent applicant: Iseki Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd. Agent Tobe Maki (3 others) Figure 1 Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A rice washing machine that stirs and washes rice in a water tank with water using a stirrer provided in the water tank, which has opposing light-emitting and light-receiving elements and transmits light that passes through the water and reaches the light-receiving element from the light-emitting element. A turbidity detection device for an aquarium consisting of a turbidity sensor that detects water turbidity based on attenuation and integrally connected to a vertically adjustable water level sensor that is installed at an arbitrary set water level.