JPH09172977A - Production of ice cream and manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an ice cream product easy to be eaten with good appearance by varying the rate of eccentric rotation of ice cream charging valves to which a plurality of ice cream-delivering nozzles are arranged to disperse the positions of ice cream deposition and prepare a suitable space inside. SOLUTION: When ice cream is charged into vessels, as an ice cream-feeding valve 22 followed by a plurality of ice cream-delivering nozzles 23 each extruding a string of ice cream is eccentrically rotated, the rate of the eccentric rotation is varied. In an embodiment, a servomotor 14 is driven simultaneously at the start of discharge of the ice cream string to eccentrically rotate the feeding valve 22 and, in addition, the frequency of the pulse voltage sent to the servomotor 14 is varied to change the eccentric rotation rate. If a sauce is extruded from a sauce nozzle 24 which is set near an ice cream nozzle 22 and put on the outer surface of the ice cream string, the shape of the delivered ice cream is desirably maintained even in the slow cooling after charging in 21 vessel.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing ice cream and an apparatus for producing the same, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for filling a container with ice cream at a coarse packing density.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art By providing an ice cream with a three-dimensional structure and providing a space inside the ice cream, it is possible to provide an ice cream which is easy to scoop and eat, and which is good in appearance. If you usually fill the container with ice cream, you can simply discharge it into the container and fill it, but as one means of providing a space inside,
It is conceivable that the ice cream is discharged in a string shape by a large number of pipe nozzles and stacked in the container. At this time, the pipe nozzle preferably makes some movement depending on the shape of the container, one of which is eccentric rotation.

[0003] As a conventional product in which a container is filled with ice cream by utilizing eccentric rotation, there are soft ice cream and desserts having whipped as a decoration on the upper surface. However, none of these products has the idea of providing a space inside the ice cream as described above, and naturally no such effect has been obtained.

[0004]

However, when ice cream is discharged in a thin string shape by using a large number of pipe nozzles and is eccentrically rotated, a large number of strings are spirally stacked at the same place. As a result, an excessive space is created between the strings, which not only impairs the aesthetic appearance but also causes the product to run out of quantity and become unusable as a product.

[0005]

Therefore, a method for producing an ice cream according to the present invention is a method for producing an ice cream in which a container is filled with the ice cream material. When filling the container while rotating the eccentric rotation of the filling valve having a large number of nozzles, the filling is performed while changing the speed of the eccentric rotation.

According to the above method, when the ice cream material is discharged in the form of a string and deposited, the dropping position can be changed, and therefore the deposition positions can be dispersed.

When the string-like ice cream has a three-dimensional structure, it must be frozen and hardened to maintain its shape. If it can be frozen quickly here, there will be no problem, but if the cooling rate is slow, it will not be able to bear its own weight due to the small cross-sectional area of the string-shaped ice cream, and the shape will collapse and settle in the container, There is a problem that the density of the bottom portion becomes high.

Therefore, in another method for producing an ice cream according to the present invention, the source is discharged from a source discharge nozzle adjacent to the tip of the discharge outlet of the cream discharge nozzle, and the ice cream material discharged in the shape of a string is discharged. The source is arranged along the surface. As a result, the sauce along the ice cream material is solidified by being cooled by the ice cream material, so that the three-dimensional structure of the string-shaped ice cream can be supported.

As a manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the above manufacturing method, a filling valve having a large number of cream discharging nozzles for discharging the ice cream material in a string shape is arranged, and an eccentric rotating means for eccentrically rotating the filling valve. The eccentric rotation means is configured to be adjustable in speed during the filling operation. Further, a plurality of source discharge nozzles for discharging a source may be provided, and the tip of the cream discharge nozzle and the tip of the source discharge nozzle may be arranged close to each other.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION First, an ice cream manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, and then a manufacturing method will be described together with the operation of the manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an ice cream manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part near an ice cream filling portion,
FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part near the ice cream filling portion, FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the eccentric rotation means of the filling valve, and FIG. 5 is a side view near the tip of the filling valve.
FIG. 6 shows an example of the formed ice cream.

The ice cream manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG.
This is a device for performing a series of operations for filling an ice cream in a cup 30, which is a container. A belt conveyor (not shown) that conveys the ice cream cup 30 is provided on the upper surface of the trolley 2. The belt conveyor is stretched between the belt drive pulleys 10 provided at the ends of the trolley and is given a driving force. Further, on the upper surface of the trolley 2, a cup supply unit 4, a sauce filling unit 5 for supplying chocolate as a sauce, a cream filling unit 6, a nut feeder 7, and an inversion capper 8 for covering the cup are provided from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the belt conveyor. A hanging chute 9 for discharging the finished product from the ice cream manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided. In addition, an operation panel 3 is provided on the side surface of the trolley so that an operator can drive, stop, and perform other operations on a series of devices.

Two vertical axes are provided at both ends in the width direction of the central portion of the carriage 2.
11 is provided so that it can move up and down, and cream filling section 6
Form the pillar of. As shown in FIG. 2, the vertical axis 11 has one end of an arm 11a pivotally supported inside the carriage 2, and the arm 11a is pivotally supported by a shaft 11b and attached to a vertically movable cam 12 by a spring 11c. It is energized. Here, when the vertical movement cam 12 rotates, the arm 11a moves to the shaft 11b.
The vertical axis 11 moves up and down in accordance with the swinging.

An arm 13 is attached above the vertical axis 11 and eccentric rotation means and the like, which will be described later, are mounted. Servo motor 14 is attached to arm 13 attached to one vertical axis 11.
Is mounted, and a pulley 15a is attached to its drive shaft. An intermediate shaft 17 (not shown in FIG. 3) is horizontally passed over both arms 13 and is rotatably supported.
A pulley 15b is attached to the end on the servo motor 14 side. A belt 16 is provided between the pulleys 15a and 15b.
The drive force of the servo motor 14 is increased by applying
17 is configured to be transmitted.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate shaft 17
A first helical gear 18 is attached near the ends on both sides of the. A second helical gear 19 is meshed with each of the helical gears 18 so that the axes thereof are orthogonal to each other, and the rotary shaft 19a of the helical gear 19 is mounted on the arm 13 in the orthogonal direction. That is, due to these, the driving force that was rotating in the vertical plane by the horizontal intermediate shaft 16 is changed to the vertical rotating shaft by the action of the helical gears 18 and 19.
It is converted into a rotational force in the horizontal plane by 19.

An eccentric pin 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the helical gear 19, and an eccentric shaft 20a eccentric with respect to the rotary shaft 19 stands upright on the upper surface of the eccentric pin 20. The eccentric rotation radius of the eccentric pin 20, that is, the distance between the shaft center of the rotating shaft 19 and the shaft center of the eccentric shaft 20a is configured corresponding to the diameter of the cup 30 used. A frame 21 is pivotally attached to both ends of the eccentric shaft 20a on both sides of the apparatus. When the eccentric shaft 20a is eccentrically rotated by the rotation of the helical gear 19, the frame 21 is driven.

The frame 21 has a plurality of filling valves 22.
Are attached at equal intervals, various devices and members attached to the filling valve 22 are attached, and are configured to move integrally with the frame 21. Therefore, when the servo motor 14 is driven, its rotation changes to the helical gear.
The eccentric shaft 20a is eccentrically rotated via 18 and 19, and the eccentric rotation is transmitted by the frame 21 to eccentrically rotate the filling valve 22 and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the fill valve 22
A cream supply pipe 22a is attached to the upper side surface of the above, and guides the ice cream pressure-fed from an ice cream supply device (not shown) into the filling valve 22.

A needle valve 27 is provided at the upper end of the filling valve 22 so that the cream supply pipe 22a and the filling valve 22 can be opened and closed. The upper ends of the needle valves 27 of all the filling valves 22 are collectively connected to a frame 28 shown in FIG. 3, and the frame 28 is connected at both ends thereof to a needle valve opening / closing air cylinder 29 provided on the frame 21. There is. Therefore, by expanding and contracting the needle valve opening / closing air cylinder 29, the needle valves 27 of all the filling valves 22 are opened / closed, and the ice cream pressure feeding pipe 22a is opened.
And the filling valve 22 can be connected or shut off.

A large number of cream discharge nozzles 23, which are straight pipes, are provided at the tip of the filling valve 22 so that the ice cream supplied from the filling valve 22 can be discharged in a string shape. It is configured.

Further, at the tip of the filling valve 22, a source supply section 25 consisting of a source discharge nozzle attachment member 25a and a ring member 25b is attached. The nozzle mounting member 25a is a substantially cylindrical member fixed to the tip of the filling valve 22 with screws or the like, and has a large number of communication holes 25e. A source discharge nozzle 24 that bends and extends downward is provided at a position corresponding to the communication hole 25e on the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle mounting member 25a, and the tip thereof is close to the tip of the cream discharge nozzle 23.

A ring member is provided on the outer periphery of the nozzle mounting member 25a.
25b is fitted. The ring member 25b has a double circular pipe structure, and the inner circular pipe portion has a source supply pipe 25.
c is connected and connected to the source filling unit 5 shown in FIG. A hot water supply pipe 25d is connected to the outer circular pipe portion, and hot water is supplied by a device (not shown).

A back suction 26 is attached to the side surface near the tip of the filling valve 22. The back suction 26 is a cylinder, and is configured to suck the ice cream in the filling valve 22 by driving an air cylinder 26a provided behind the cylinder.

Next, the operation of the ice cream manufacturing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment when the ice cream is manufactured will be described. In FIG. 1, when an operation start instruction is issued from the operation panel 3, the belt drive pulley rotates to drive a belt conveyor (not shown) and the cup supply unit 4 supplies the cup onto the belt. Cup 30
When the cream reaches the cream filling section 6, the vertical movement cam 12 is rotated to lower the filling valve 22 to bring it closer to the cup.
Start filling ice cream and chocolate.

First, the needle valve opening / closing air cylinder 29 is extended to connect the ice cream supply pipe 22a and the filling valve 22 to supply the ice cream, and at the same time, the source supply portion 5 shown in FIG.
Chocolate is supplied to the sauce supply part 25 via c.
Here, when the chocolate cools, it hardens and becomes difficult to discharge. Therefore, the hot water supply pipe 25 is attached to the ring member 25b.
Warm water is supplied through b to constantly warm the water to ensure fluidity.

The ice cream pumped into the filling valve 22 is discharged in a thin string from a cream discharge nozzle 23 provided at the tip of the filling valve 22. The chocolate supplied into the ring member 25b is pressure-fed to the source discharge nozzle 24 and discharged through the communication hole 25e provided in the nozzle mounting member 25a.

Since the source discharge nozzle 24 is constructed such that its tip is bent and along the tip of the cream discharge nozzle 23, the chocolate discharged from the source discharge nozzle 24 is discharged from the cream discharge nozzle 23. It is applied to the outer surface of a string of ice cream. Therefore, the discharged chocolate is cooled rapidly and solidifies at the same time as it is laminated in the cup.

Therefore, since the chocolate applied to the outer surface of the ice cream discharged in the form of a string is cooled and solidified in a laminated state, the ice cream can be cooled even after the laminating is slow. To prevent sedimentation and prevent the density of the bottom of the container from increasing.

At the same time when the discharge of ice cream and chocolate is started, the servo motor 14 is driven to rotate the filling valve 22 eccentrically. At this time, the frequency of the pulse voltage sent to the servo motor is changed every time the eccentric rotation makes one revolution, and the eccentric rotation speed is changed. Then, by changing the rotation speed, the laminated position of the ice cream also changes, and the ice cream is not laminated at the same place. As a result, an excessive space is not formed between the ice creams discharged and laminated in a string shape, and the position and thickness of the ice creams in a string shape are changed, which is good for the appearance. can do.

When the container is filled with a predetermined amount of ice cream and chocolate, the needle valve opening / closing air cylinder 29
To lower the frame 28 and close the needle valve 27 at each filling valve 22 to stop the ice cream supply. However, since the cream discharge nozzle 23 and the source discharge nozzle 24 are thin and long, the discharge does not immediately stop just by closing the needle valve above the filling valve 22. Therefore, as a supplement, the needle valve 27 is closed and at the same time, the back suction 26 is driven by the air cylinder 26a to suck the ice cream between the filling valve 22 and the cream discharge nozzle 23. Thereby, the discharge of the ice cream can be stopped at a predetermined amount.

When the filling of the ice cream and chocolate is completed, the belt conveyor is driven to move the cup 30, nuts are fed in the nut feeding section 7 shown in FIG. 1, and a cap is fitted in the reversing capper 8. After that, it is discharged from the manufacturing apparatus by the suspension chute 9.

An example of the ice cream formed is shown in FIG. In the figure, A indicates ice cream, B indicates chocolate, and C indicates a space formed by a three-dimensional structure. Thus, by using the manufacturing method and apparatus according to the present invention, the ice cream and the chocolate form an irregular pattern and the shape is three-dimensional and the appearance is good, and by providing a space inside, it is easy to scoop and eat. An easy ice cream can be provided.

In the above embodiment, the rotation speed is changed for each rotation, but the speed may be changed gradually. Further, although the sauce attached to the ice cream has been described as chocolate, the use of other sauce does not change the gist of the present invention.
Further, although six filling nozzles are shown in the drawing, other numbers may be provided depending on the scale of the apparatus.

[0033]

As described above, by rotating the cream discharge nozzle for discharging ice cream eccentrically and changing the rotation speed, the stacking position of the ice cream can be changed, so that the ice cream is not stacked at the same position. A proper space can be formed between the ice creams discharged and laminated in a string shape. Further, since the position and the thickness of the string-shaped ice cream change, the appearance can be improved.

Further, since the sauce applied to the outer surface of the ice cream discharged in the form of a string is cooled and solidified in a laminated state, the ice cream is slow even if the cooling rate after the lamination is slow. To prevent sedimentation and prevent the density of the bottom of the container from increasing.

From the above, it is possible to easily give an ice cream a three-dimensional structure to form a space inside the ice cream, and to provide an ice cream that is easy to scoop and eat, and that also has a good appearance. You can

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an ice cream manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the main part near the ice cream filling part.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part near the ice cream filling part.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating eccentric rotation means of the filling valve.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the vicinity of the tip of the filling valve.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an ice cream formed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Ice cream manufacturing device 2 ... Truck 3 ... Operation panel 4 ... Cup supply section 5 ... Sauce filling section 6 ... Cream filling section 7 ... Nuts feeding section 8 ... Reverse capper 9 ... Suspension chute 10 ... Belt drive pulley 11 ... Vertical axis 12 ... Vertical movement cam 13 ... Arm 14 ... Servo motor 15 ... Pulley 16 ... Belt 17 ... Intermediate shaft 18 ... Helical gear 19 ... Helical gear 19a ... Rotation shaft 20 ... Eccentric pin 21 ... Frame 22 ... Filling valve 23 ... Cream discharge nozzle 24 ... Source discharge nozzle 25 ... Source supply unit 26 ... Back suction 27 ... Needle valve 28 ... Frame 29 ... Needle valve opening / closing air cylinder 30 ... Cup A ... Ice cream B ... Chocolate C ... Space

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of manufacturing an ice cream in which a container is filled with ice cream material, wherein the container is filled while eccentrically rotating a filling valve having a plurality of cream discharge nozzles for discharging the ice cream material in a string shape. At this time, the ice cream manufacturing method is characterized in that filling is performed while changing the speed of the eccentric rotation. 2. The source is discharged from a source discharge nozzle adjacent to a tip of a discharge port of the cream discharge nozzle, and the source is made to follow the surface of the ice cream material discharged in a string shape. Item 1. The method for producing ice cream according to Item 1. 3. A filling valve having a large number of cream discharge nozzles for discharging the ice cream material in a string shape, and an eccentric rotating means for eccentrically rotating the filling valve, wherein the eccentric rotating means is being filled. An ice cream manufacturing device characterized in that the speed is adjustable. 4. The ice cream according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of source discharge nozzles for discharging the sauce, wherein the tip of the cream discharge nozzle and the tip of the source discharge nozzle are arranged close to each other. Cream production equipment.