JPH0710219B2 - Tofu cutting equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tofu cutting device for cutting a large area of molded tofu after molding into rectangular rods.

[0002]

2. Description of the Prior Art Conventionally, a plate-shaped mold tofu after molding has been
There is a tofu cutting device shown in FIG. 9 as a tofu cutting device that can be laterally cut into one pack of tofu that can be packed. In this tofu cutting device, a mold tofu 1 is placed on a cutting table 2, and the tofu 1 is cut into a rectangular bar shape having a rectangular cross section by a cutter 3 having a plurality of blades 3a arranged at equal intervals, and then cut. Extruded tofu 1 was extruded by the extruding mechanism 4 one pitch at a time in the direction of arrow A, and one extruded square bar-shaped tofu 1a was extruded by the extruding mechanism 5 in the direction of arrow B perpendicular to the extruding direction of the extruding mechanism 4. After extruding on the cutting table 6, the cutter 7
Then, cut into tofu 1b of a size. Then, there is one in which the tofu 1b cut into the size of one is extruded toward the packing processing side by the extrusion mechanism 8 in the aligned state.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional tofu cutting apparatus, it is general that all the steps of cutting and transferring tofu are carried out in the water of the water tank. Therefore, there is a problem that the installation space for these means becomes large and the water tank also becomes large.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, enables the mold tofu to be cut into square sticks in a small space, and separates and transfers the cut tofu, thereby making it possible to downsize the water tank and breaking the cut stick-shaped tofu. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tofu cutting device which is suitable for automatization of packing.

[0005]

The tofu cutting apparatus of the present invention supports a tofu pushing plate that pushes out the mold tofu forward and a mold tofu pushed by the push plate, and guides the mold tofu in the pushing direction. A guide plate, a cutter that is arranged close to the front end of the guide plate and reciprocates in a direction that traverses the guide plate, an elevating table that is arranged on the front end side of the cutter and that supports and raises the square bar-shaped tofu, A backing plate vertically arranged on the front end side of the table is provided in the water in the water tank.

[0006]

In the tofu cutting device according to the present invention, the large-sized mold tofu supported on the guide plate is pushed onto the elevating table which is descended by the forward movement of the tofu push plate, and the tip of the mold tofu touches the backing plate. At the stage of contact, stop the tofu pressing plate. Next, move the cutter to cut the part of the mold tofu on the lift base into square bars, and then raise the lift base to a level that matches the upper edge of the backing plate, leaving the cut square bar tofu. Separated above the type tofu. Then, the square bar-shaped tofu is moved in the forward extension direction above the tofu pressing plate, cut into one tofu, and each one tofu is packed.

[0007] The mold tofu is cut on the lift, and the cut stick-shaped tofu is three-dimensionally separated from the rest of the mold tofu by raising the lift, so that the conventional tofu cutting device has a square stick shape. Compared to horizontally moving tofu to separate it from the rest of the tofu, the space required is small and the aquarium can be made smaller. Further, it is possible to move the square stick tofu in the extension direction above the tofu pressing plate and the mold tofu and cut it into one tofu, the moving distance of the square stick tofu is short, and its damage is small, Easy to pack automatically.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 show an embodiment of a tofu packing device to which the tofu cutting device according to the present invention is applied,
1 is a vertical side view of the whole, FIG. 2 is a front view of a tofu cutting part,
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the whole.

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the water tank 10 is
A tofu molding area 10a, a pallet setting area 10b for transferring the molded tofu 11, a cutting area 10c for cutting the molded tofu 11 into one tofu 11b, and a pack 12 are transferred at regular intervals. The conveyor installation areas 10d are provided respectively.

In the pallet setting area 10b of the water tank 10,
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of endless chains 13a, 13b are installed along the longitudinal direction, and the endless chains 13a, 13b are driven sprockets 14a, 14b.
And the driven sprockets 15a and 15b. Rotation is transmitted to the drive sprockets 14a and 14b from a drive device (not shown) installed outside the water tank 10.
Further, between the endless chains 13a and 13b, a plurality of tofu transfer pallets 16 are connected at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the endless chains 13a and 13b.
It is designed to be transported endlessly in zero water.
17 is a pallet 1 at a position facing the tofu cutting area 10c.
Guide rails for holding 6 horizontally, 18a, 18
Reference numeral b is a guide plate (see FIG. 4) for guiding the pallet 16 to the guide rail 17 side and the water tank bottom side at the inverted position of the pallet 16.

Numeral 19 is a pushing device which intermittently pushes the molded tofu 11 on the pallet 16 conveyed to the position facing the tofu cutting area 10c toward the tofu cutting area 10c at regular intervals, at a right angle to the transfer direction of the pallet 16. And a guide bar 19a arranged on the water tank 10 and a movable body 19b slidably attached to the guide bar 19a in the longitudinal direction thereof.
And a tofu pushing plate 19d attached to the movable body 19b via a support member 19c. The movable body 19b can be moved back and forth along the guide bar 19a by a drive device (not shown).

In the tofu cutting area 10c, a guide plate 20 is formed for guiding the mold tofu 11 extruded from the pallet 16 by the pushing device 19 in the extruding direction. On the front end side of the guide plate 20, the molded tofu 1 pushed out by this
Cutter 2 that cuts the tip of 1 into a rectangular rod shape with a rectangular cross section
1 is disposed, and the cutter 21 is reciprocated by a pneumatic cylinder 22 in a direction transversely crossing the front end face of the guide plate 20.

The pneumatic cylinder 22 is installed outside the water tank 10 in the tofu cutting area 10c as shown in FIG.
A lower end of a cutter 21 is pivotally attached to the tip of a piston rod 22a penetrating the water tank 10 in a watertight manner so as to be tiltable in the longitudinal direction of the piston rod 22a. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the cutter 21 reaches the forward end indicated by the solid line, it collides with the stopper 23 and tilts in the direction of arrow A, and the cutter 21 reaches the backward end indicated by the two-dot chain line. When the stopper 24
And tilts in the direction of arrow B.
The mold tofu 11 extruded from the front end of the guide plate 20 by the reciprocating operation is sequentially cut into a square rod shape.

At the front end of the guide plate 20, an elevating table 25 for separating the tofu 11a cut into a rectangular rod shape and lifting it horizontally.
Are arranged. The lift table 25 is fixed to a piston rod 26a of a pneumatic cylinder 26 installed on the lower surface of the water tank 10, and the guide plate 20 is moved by the forward / backward movement of the pneumatic cylinder 26.
From this level, it can be moved up and down by a distance that is slightly smaller than the thickness of the square bar-shaped tofu 11a.

Numeral 27 is one stick of tofu 11a
A detailed configuration of the cutting and separating mechanism that cuts into 1b and separates into pack arrangement intervals will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Cut separation mechanism 27 has a plurality aliquoted square rod tofu 11a coming being raised by the lifting table 25, a cutter 28 _{1-28 4} for cutting, for example, 5 equal parts, the cutter 28 _1-28
Each tofu 11b one Ding partial cut by ₄ and a tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{1-29 5} sandwiched from both sides, these tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{1-29 5} support block 29 _1a ~ 29
_5a , pneumatic cylinders 29 _{1b to} 295 _5b for holding tofu installed on the support blocks 29 _{1a to} 295 _5a , and a movable holding member 2 operated by the pneumatic cylinders 29 _{1b to} 295 _5b.
9 _1c ~ 29 and _5c, opposite the movable clamping member 29 _1c ~ 29 _5c, these opposite side of the supporting block 29 _1a ~ 29 fixed fixed to _5a clamping member 29 _1d ~ 29 _5d (fixed clamping member 29
_2d ~ 29 _5d is not shown, fixed clamping member 29 _1d
It has a similar arrangement relationship with)).

Further, the cutter 28 _{1-28 4} intended to be disposed respectively between each tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{1-29 5,}
Support tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{2-29 5} block 29 _2a to 2
9 _5a by the guide members 30 ₁ to 30 ₄ is vertically movably supported on the further tofu gripping pneumatic cylinder 29 _2b ~ 29
Pneumatic cylinder 31 ₁ for cutter operation mounted on _5b
It is possible to operate in the vertical direction by 31 ₄ .

Of the tofu gripping mechanisms thus configured, the leftmost tofu gripping mechanism 29 ₁ is fixed to a pair of guide rods 32 and 33 arranged horizontally and in parallel, and the other tofu gripping mechanisms 29 _{2 to} 29 ₅ are fixed. the support block 29 _2a ~ 29 of _5a is slidably supported along their longitudinal direction on the guide rods 32, 33. Then, between the support blocks 29 _1a ~ 29 _5a adjacent phase, connecting rod 3 of a predetermined length
4 _{1 to} 34 ₄ are connected so as to be expandable and contractible. In addition, the right end support block _295a includes an elevating frame body 35 described later.
Is connected to a piston rod 36a of a pneumatic cylinder 36 for telescopic operation attached to the. Pneumatic cylinder 36
Includes a square bar tofu disconnected contacting tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{1-29 5} together, but to stretch in a state corresponding to the arrangement pitch of the delivery pack.

Both ends of the guide rods 32 and 33 for supporting the respective tofu gripping mechanisms are laterally fixed to the lower end of the elevating frame body 35, and the elevating frame body 35 is a left and right guide member that hangs down from a moving frame 37. It is supported by 38, 38 so as to be vertically movable. A pneumatic cylinder 39 for raising and lowering is installed on the moving base 37, and a piston rod 39 protruding downward is provided.
a is connected to the elevating frame body 35.

The movable base 37 is movably mounted on a rail 41 laid horizontally on an upper portion of a support frame 40 which is erected on the edge of the water tank 10, and is mounted by a chain mechanism (not shown) and other traveling means. It can run in the directions of arrows X ₁ and X ₂ .

In the tofu cutting area of the water tank 10, a guide member 42 whose upper plate is aligned with the rising end level of the lifting table 25 is provided at the rear stage of the tofu lifting table 25, as shown in FIGS. . The guide member 42 is arranged such that a backing plate 42a hangs at a right angle from the rear end of the horizontal upper plate, and the rear surface of the backing plate 42a contacts the front end of the elevating table 25. Then, the guide member 42 conveys one tofu 11b cut and separated by the tofu cutting and separating mechanism 27 to the conveyor installation area 1
It guides in the 0d direction, and each cutter 2
A plurality of slits 43 into which the tips of 8 _{1 to} 28 ₄ are recessed are formed, and the cutters 28 _{1 to} 28 ₄ correspond to the slits 43.
By lowering the cutters 28 _{1 to} 28 ₄ until the tip of the tongue is immersed, the square rod-shaped tofu 11a is completely cut into one piece.

In FIGS. 1 and 3, reference numeral 44 denotes a pack transfer conveyor that travels in a longitudinal direction of the water tank 10 in a conveyor installation area 10d, and a pack supply device (not shown) installed at a pack supply position 45 on the conveyor 44. The packs 12 are supplied one by one. Also,
Conveyor installation area 10d facing tofu cutting area 10c
Inside, a movable conveyor guide 46 is arranged,
This conveyor guide 46 is provided with a piston rod 48 a of a pneumatic cylinder 48 for lifting the conveyor via a support member 47.
Are linked to. In addition, L shows the water surface level in the water tank 10.

Next, the operation will be described. First, the aquarium 10
In the tofu demolding area 10a, the demolded tofu 11 taken out from the mold box (not shown) is stored in the empty pallet 16 on the guide rail 17, and the intermittently driven chains 13a and 13b run. Guide rail 17
The top is transferred to the tofu pushing position. When the pallet 16 reaches the tofu pushing position facing the insertion port of the guide plate 20, the movement of the pallet 16 stops and the pushing device 19 starts operating.

When the pushing device 19 operates, the movable body 19b
Is moved in the direction of arrow C in FIG.
d also moves forward in the same direction, and the mold tofu 11 on the pallet 16
Is pushed onto the guide plate 20. As a result, when the tip end side of the mold tofu 11 reaches the elevating table 25 and the tip end surface comes into contact with the vertical contact plate 42a (see FIG. 1) of the guide member 42, the advance of the movable body 19b is stopped. . Then, as the pneumatic cylinder 22 moves forward, the operation shown in FIG.
The cutter 21 in the state shown by the dotted line cuts the mold tofu 11 into square rod shapes. And when the cutter 21 reaches the end of the advance,
It engages with the stopper 23 and is inverted to the state shown by the solid line in FIG.

When the mold tofu 11 is cut into a square rod shape by the forward movement of the cutter 21, the pneumatic cylinder 26 is moved upward to raise the lift table 25 to a level corresponding to the upper plate of the guide member 42. Along with this, the square bar-shaped tofu 11 on the lift 25
a is each tofu gripping mechanism 29 ₁ to which is in a contracted state
The movable holding members 29 _{1c to} 29 _{5c of} 29 ₅ and the fixed holding member 2
Since it is pushed from below between 9 _{1d to} 295 _d , the square rod-shaped tofu 11 a is cut by each cutter 28 _{1 to} 28 ₄ between each tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{1 to} 29 ₅ .

[0025] At this time, since each cutter 28 _{1-28 4} is located in upper end, each cutter 28 as shown in FIG. ₆₁
To 28 ₄ of the lower edge is slightly apart from the surface of the elevation frame 25, thus square bar tofu 11a are not completely cut.
Note that the cutters 28 _{1 to} 28 ₄ are cut in the middle of the square stick-shaped tofu 11a as shown in FIG. 6, so that the square stick-shaped tofu 11a is moved in the arrangement direction of the tofu gripping mechanisms 29 _{1 to} 29 _5. To prevent.

When the lifting table 25 reaches the rising end, the tofu-holding pneumatic cylinders 29 _{1b to} 29 _5b move in and out, thereby moving the rectangular rod-shaped tofu 11a being cut to the movable holding member 29 _1c.
To sandwiched from both sides by the ~ 29 _5c and the fixed clamping member 29 _1d ~ 29 _5d. Then, the movable base 37 starts to move forward in the direction of arrow X _{1 in} FIG. Then, the tofu cutting / separating mechanism 27 also advances in the same direction, and moves the rectangular rod-shaped tofu 11a in the middle of cutting from the elevating table 25 onto the guide member 42. As a result, when the square bar-shaped tofu 11a is moved to a position directly above the slit 43, the movement of the moving base 37 in the direction of the arrow X ₁ is temporarily stopped.

After that, the cutters 28 _{1 to} 28 ₄ are moved by moving the pneumatic cylinders 31 _{1 to} 31 ₄ forward.
These tip edges are lowered until they are inserted into the corresponding slits 43 (see FIG. 7). This makes square stick tofu 1
1a is completely cut into one tofu 11b. Pneumatic cylinder 3 after being cut into one tofu
Immediately move 1 _{1 to 3 1 4} into and out of the cutter 28 ₁ to 2
8 ₄ is raised to the position shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the moving base 37 is again moved forward in the direction of the arrow X ₁ to move the tofu gripping mechanisms 29 _{1 to} 29 ₅ holding the cut tofu 11b of _one couch to the outside of the guide member 42.
Thereafter, the pneumatic cylinder 36 in the stretching operation while the moving platform 37 is advanced to the stop state or the direction of arrow X ₁ be advancing operation, tofu connected to one after another by a connecting rod 34 _{1-34 4} gripping mechanism 29 ₂ through 29 ₅ along the guide rods 32 and 33 move in the direction of arrow D in FIG. As a result, each tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{1 to} 29 ₅
As shown in FIG. 3, the one tofu 11b gripped by is separated into intervals corresponding to the transfer pitch of the packs 12 transferred by the conveyor 44.

At this time, each tofu 11b cut into one piece
Is a corresponding movable holding member 29 _1c- 2 as shown in FIG.
9 _5c and fixed holding members 29 _{1d to} 29 _5d are held from both sides, and the rear surface of the tofu 11b which is moved in the extension direction is supported by the cutters 28 _{1 to} 28 ₄ , so that the tofu 11b is moved when moving underwater. The posture does not change and does not fall.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the tofu 11b spread at the transfer pitch interval of the pack 12 comes right above the conveyor 44, the moving pedestal 37 stops, and then the conveyor lifting pneumatic cylinder 48 retreats. To do. Then, the conveyor guide 46 is lifted in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 1, and the pack 12 is lifted together with the conveyor 44 in the same direction. And the pneumatic cylinders 29 _{1b to} 29 of the respective tofu gripping mechanisms 29 _{1 to} 29 _5
5b is moved forward to release the grip on one tofu 11b, and the lifting pneumatic cylinder 39 is moved back and forth so that the cutting / separating mechanism 27 including the lifting frame 38 is moved in accordance with the lifting operation of the conveyor guide 46. To raise. As a result, each opened tofu 11b is automatically inserted into the ascending corresponding pack 12. At this time, the pack inserting operation for one tofu 11b is performed in water close to the water surface.

When the insertion of one tofu 11b into the pack 12 is completed, the conveyor 44 moves a certain amount in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 3 to move the empty pack 12 to the tofu cutting area 10c, and the next pack. I will wait for you to finish.

Further, after each tofu gripping mechanism 29 _{2-29 5} opening the tofu 11b one Ding fraction returned to the contracted condition shown in Figure 2 with retraction of the pneumatic cylinder 36, moving platform 37
Is retracted to the end in the direction of arrow X _{2 in} FIG. 1 to position the entire cutting / separating mechanism 27 above the lift table 25. Then, the pneumatic cylinder 39 is advanced to lower the cutting / separating mechanism 27 to a predetermined position, and waits for the next tofu cutting operation.

The elevating table 25 is lowered to the original position when the cutting and separating mechanism 27 moves the rectangular bar-shaped tofu 11a onto the guide member 42, whereby the pushing device 19 is again moved by a predetermined amount in the direction of arrow C. It moves and pushes the remaining mold tofu 11 on the lifting table 25. Then, by moving the tofu cutting pneumatic cylinder 22 back and forth, the mold tofu 11 is cut into a square rod shape by the cutter 21 in the state shown by the solid line in FIG.
Wait for the next tofu cutting and separating operation.

Thereafter, by repeating the above-mentioned operation in the same manner, the molded tofu 11 can be automatically cut into one tofu 11b and packed automatically and continuously.

[0035]

As described above, the tofu cutting device according to the present invention pushes a large area of mold tofu, which is supported on the guide plate, onto the elevating table which is descended by the forward movement of the tofu push plate. At the stage where the tip of the tofu touches the backing plate,
Stop the tofu push plate. Next, move the cutter to cut the part of the mold tofu on the lift base into square bars, and then raise the lift base to a level that matches the upper edge of the backing plate, leaving the cut square bar tofu. Separated above the type tofu. Then, the square bar-shaped tofu is moved in the forward extension direction above the tofu pressing plate, cut into one tofu, and each one tofu is packed.

Then, the mold tofu is cut on the lifting table, and the cut stick-shaped tofu is three-dimensionally separated from the rest of the mold tofu by raising the lifting table. Compared to horizontally moving tofu to separate it from the rest of the tofu, the space required is small and the aquarium can be made smaller. Further, it is possible to move the square stick tofu in the extension direction above the tofu pressing plate and the mold tofu and cut it into one tofu, the moving distance of the square stick tofu is short, and its damage is small, Easy to pack automatically.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a tofu packing device including a tofu cutting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a main part of a tofu cutting device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the tofu packing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the mold tofu transport section of FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a cutter mechanism that cuts the mold tofu into a rectangular rod shape.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram during the operation of cutting the square stick-shaped tofu into one tofu

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a state where the square stick-shaped tofu is completely cut into one tofu.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a gripped and separated state of cut tofu.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional tofu cutting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Water Tank 11 Type Tofu 11a Square Rod Tofu 11b One Tofu 19d Tofu Push Plate 20 Guide Plate 21 Cutter 25 Lifting Table 42a Patch Plate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tofu pushing plate which pushes out the mold tofu to the front, a guide plate which supports the mold tofu pushed by the push plate and guides it in the pushing direction, and a proximity to a front end of the guide plate. Cutters that reciprocate in the direction that traverses the guide plate, a lift table that is placed on the front end side of this cutter to support and raise the square rod-shaped tofu, and a pad plate that is vertically arranged on the front end side of this lift table. And, respectively, are provided in the water in the water tank.