JPH10249219A - Automatic rice feeding/washing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a rice washing container from becoming soiled by loading the rice measured/batched off by a measuring/batching means attached to the bottom of a rice storage hopper, into a rice washing container and unloading the washed rice and rice cooking water into a receiver container, and further, sending the measured and batched-off rice to an auxiliary container to be delivered into the rice washing container. SOLUTION: A measuring/batching means 2 is attached to the bottom of a rice storage hopper 1 provided at the lower part of the automatic rice feeding/washing device and the lower end 4a of a feeder pipe 4 of conductive rubber is introduced into a feeder hopper 3. Further, the upper end 4b of the feeder pipe 4 is fitted into the top cylinder of an auciliary container 6 structured above a rice washing container 5. In this case, the auxiliary container 6 is vacuumized through an exhaust pipe 8 communicating with a vacuumizing means 7, so that the rice blown into the auxiliary container 6 generates a vortical current along the inner wall of the container when the rice is fed. In addition, a bag filter is provided as a dust collecting means 13 in an exhaust pipe 8 to capture a discharged bran and a discharged pulverized rice. The rice void of the bran and the pulverized rice by separation in the auxiliary container 6 is loaded into the rice washing container 5 to be washed and then is delivered into a receiver container on a mounting table 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a commercial automatic rice washing apparatus, an automatic rice cooker, and the like used in a kitchen, and more particularly, to a technique of feeding polished rice weighed and collected from a rice storage means to the rice washing means. About.

[0002]

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, hotels, restaurants,
In commercial kitchens such as sushi restaurants, automatic rice washing equipment, automatic rice brewing equipment, automatic rice cooking equipment, etc. are used to wash and cook large quantities of rice with stable quality and without human intervention. Examples of such an apparatus used include storage of polished rice, weighing and fractionation, feeding into a rice washing section, water supply, washing, sharpening, sewage separation and drainage as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-53-1115866. What automatically processes various processes such as metering and supply of water for cooking rice and discharging and charging into a rice cooking container is widely known and used.

The above-mentioned apparatus has a configuration in which a rice storage is provided at a lower portion, a rice washing section is provided at an upper portion, and a mounting table of a rice cooker is disposed therebetween, and a rotary cylinder and a small hopper are provided at the bottom of the rice storage. The rice weighing and dispensing means is provided, and the rice is put into the decompressed rice washing container through the feed pipe communicating the small hopper and the rice washing container, and the rice is washed, and the water for rice cooking is added and discharged into the rice cooking container. I do.

[0004] The apparatus having the above configuration has a great advantage that the rice storage is arranged at the lower part, so that a larger amount of rice can be stored than that arranged at the upper part, the structure is stable, and rice can be easily replenished. Yes, there is an advantage that the installation area is smaller than that of a separate rice storage.

[0005]

However, the automatic rice-washing apparatus having the above-mentioned structure reduces the pressure inside the rice-washing container and directly sucks in the rice and air from the weighing and dispensing hopper to put the rice and bran into the rice-washing container. It soars with the airflow exhausted inside, hits the upper wall of the container, and contaminates it.

When water is supplied, most of the dirt is washed with water, but is not perfect. If left untreated, the dirt accumulates, so that the dirt is periodically cleaned and burdens the user.

[0007] Furthermore, the sowed rice may jump out of the upper overflow opening, and if water adheres to the inside of the rice washing container or the overflow pipe, the water is sucked into the blower together with the exhaust flow, which may cause the blower to malfunction. .

If a T-joint is used in the drainage pipe and the exhaust pipe branch of the overflow pipe, the accumulated rice may cause clogging. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a gas-liquid separation box so that cleaning can be performed.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems In the automatic rice feeding and washing apparatus of the present invention, a rice weighing and dispensing means 2 is provided on the bottom of the rice storage at the bottom.
Is added, the rice is weighed and dispensed into the upper rice washing container 5 and washed, and the washed rice discharged from the rice washing container 5 between the rice storage 1 and the rice washing container 5 and the water for cooking rice are added. An automatic rice-feeding / washing apparatus comprising a receiving table 16 for a receiving container into which the rice is put, wherein an auxiliary container 6 is provided substantially directly above the rice-washing container 5, and the pressure in the auxiliary container 6 is reduced by a pressure reducing means 7. The metered and dispensed rice from the rice storage 1 is once fed to the auxiliary container 6 through a feed pipe 4 arranged in communication with the weighing and dispensing means 2 and the auxiliary container 6, and then the rice washing container 5 Discharge to

In the automatic rice feeding and washing apparatus of the present invention, the auxiliary container 6 is a cylindrical container having an upper portion formed in a cylindrical shape and a lower portion formed in a funnel shape, and an exhaust pipe 8 communicating with the pressure reducing means 7 is fitted airtightly. The inserted upper lid 9 is provided at the top and hermetically sealed, the feed pipe 4 is airtightly fitted to the upper side wall, and the rice washing container 5 is fitted to the bottom opening.
It is preferable that the rice discharge pipe 10 communicating with the rice is airtightly fixed to serve as a discharge port, and the slope of the lower funnel 12 is set to be equal to or greater than the angle of repose of rice.

In the automatic rice feeding and washing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that a rice discharge valve 11 that can be opened and closed is inserted into the rice discharge pipe 10 so as to be hermetically sealed.

In the automatic rice-feeding cleaning device of the present invention, the direction in which the feed pipe 4 is fitted to the auxiliary container 6 is such that the rice blown into the auxiliary container 6 at the time of feeding the rice is swirled along the inner wall of the container. It is preferable that the rice is in a substantially tangential inflow state in the direction in which rice is generated.

The automatic rice-feeding and cleaning apparatus of the present invention includes a shape of the auxiliary container 6, an inner diameter of the feed pipe 4, an inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 8, and a circumference of particles blown into the container 6 from the feed pipe 4. Most of the foreign matter such as bran and rice flour mixed in the rice is discharged from the container through the exhaust pipe 8 together with the airflow without separating from the air, and substantially only the rice is separated from the airflow at the bottom of the container. You may do it.

The automatic rice-feeding cleaning device according to the present invention has a shape of the auxiliary container 6, an inner diameter of the feed pipe 4, an inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 8, and a circumference of particles blown into the container 6 from the feed pipe 4. The speed and the like may be such that rice, bran, rice flour and the like mixed in the rice are dropped on the bottom of the auxiliary container 6 to be substantially separated from the airflow.

In the automatic rice feeding and washing apparatus of the present invention, a dust collecting means 13 may be provided in either the exhaust pipe 8 or the pressure reducing means 7.

In the automatic rice-feeding and cleaning apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the auxiliary container 6 is formed of a conductive material and is provided with a grounding means insulated from other sections to be engaged.

In the automatic rice cleaning apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the feed pipe 4 is formed of a conductive material and provided with a grounding means insulated from other sections to be engaged.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a water supply passage for explaining a rice feed passage of the apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are explanatory diagrams illustrating water supply channels, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams of the device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the water supply channels are omitted. FIG.

[0019]

Embodiment 1 As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a weighing and dispensing means 2 is provided with a lowermost end of a rice storage 1 provided at a lower portion of the apparatus as a discharge port, and is provided on an upper surface of a feeding hopper 3. The lower end 4a of the feed pipe 4 at least partially formed of conductive rubber is hermetically inserted into the feed hopper 3 so as to prevent insects and foreign matter from entering. Opened about 10 mm away from the bottom surface, the upper end 4b of the feed pipe 4 is fitted to the upper cylinder of the auxiliary container 6 provided above the rice washing container 5 so that the feed pipe 4 faces substantially tangentially to the cylinder. The rice blown into the auxiliary container 6 at the time of feeding the rice is caused to generate a swirling flow along the inner wall of the container. In the first embodiment, only the rice grains having a large size and specific gravity are separated from the airflow and dropped. Therefore, it is not necessary to be strictly related to the direction. It may be inclined instead of horizontal mounting, as shown in I.

The auxiliary container 6 is a stainless steel cylinder having an upper portion formed in a cylindrical shape and a lower portion formed in a funnel shape.
Lid 9 in which an exhaust pipe 8 communicating with the airtightly and substantially vertically is inserted.
Is provided on the top and is removably sealed.
The upper end 4b is airtightly fitted, a rice discharge pipe 10 communicating with the rice washing container 5 is airtightly fixed to the bottom opening to serve as a discharge port, and a rice discharge valve 11 which can be opened and closed is inserted into the rice discharge pipe 10. Lower funnel 12
Was formed at about 30 °, but in Example 1, the gradient was 3 °.
The gradient is not limited to 0 °, and the gradient may be increased within a range where only rice can be separated. However, if the gradient is small, the height of the apparatus can be reduced.

As described above, in the apparatus of the first embodiment, the auxiliary container 6 can be hermetically sealed by the rice discharging valve 11 provided in the rice discharging pipe 10, so that the inside of the auxiliary container 6 is affected by the air pressure in the rice washing container 5. It is possible to quickly decompress the container without receiving
Although the load of the intake blower of the pressure reducing means 7 of the present embodiment is small, if the flow of rice is interfered by the air pressure in the rice washing container 5 when the rice discharge valve 11 is opened, the auxiliary container 6 or the exhaust A valve and an opening may be provided in the pipe 8 or the like to open the valve when the supply of rice is completed, return the pressure in the auxiliary container 6 to normal pressure, and then open the rice discharging valve 11.

A bag filter is provided in the exhaust pipe 8 as dust collecting means 13 to separate bran and rice flour discharged from the auxiliary container 6 by airflow, thereby preventing contamination of the pressure reducing means 7 and contamination around the apparatus. The means 13 is not limited to a bag filter, and may be a centrifugal dust collector or the like in addition to a filter dust collecting means, an electric dust collecting means, and the like.

As described above, in the apparatus of the first embodiment, most of the bran and rice flour are separated and discharged from the rice in the auxiliary container 6, and the rice is fed without depressurizing the rice washing container 5. There is little dirt on the upper part of the rice washing container due to the exhausted air flow, and the contamination of the washed garlic juice is also low, so the amount of washing water is reduced, and it is also effective in reducing environmental pollution or pollution prevention treatment. The flavor of cooked rice also improves.

Further, the rice washing container 5 and the overflow pipe 1
Even if water adheres to the inside of the rice washing container 4, the water is not exhausted from the rice washing container, so that water is not sent to the pressure reducing means 7, and rice is not sent to the pressure reducing means. The simple T-joint can be used since there is no deviation of the rice from the tube and no clogging of the piping.

The feed pipe 4 is made of conductive rubber and the auxiliary container is made of stainless steel, and grounding means (not shown) is provided insulated from other parts to be engaged with each other. When stored in the rice, the amount of static electricity accumulated in the rice becomes extremely small, and the induced voltage due to the induced voltage generated in the transmission part near the feed pipe 4 and the electric shock caused by the electric charge discharged when the rice hits each member such as the rice washing container etc. Although semiconductor failures and program errors have been prevented, these conductive materials are made of stainless steel, conductive resin, conductive rubber, etc., and are durable and have no problems in food hygiene. Are preferred.

In the apparatus of the first embodiment, the decompression means 7 is mounted on the top of the rice washing container 5 as shown in the figure. However, the present invention is not particularly limited to this location. It may be on the side of the feeding hopper 3 or the like.

In the apparatus of the first embodiment, since the purpose is to separate and drop only rice grains without separating fine particles such as bran and rice flour from the airflow, the inner diameter of the auxiliary container 6 is increased and the height is reduced. If the slope of the funnel part 12 is further reduced, the installation and maintenance can be easily performed because the slope can be suppressed considerably. In that case, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of containers in parallel.

The advantage of temporarily storing the rice in the auxiliary container 6 is that the time for the next rice washing can be shortened because the next rice washing can be stored in advance, but if the next rice washing is stored in advance, When the remaining rice remaining amount detection sensor 15 provided at the lower part of the rice storage 1 outputs a signal for rice replenishment, there is an advantage that the rice can be replenished with a sufficient time in addition to the time, and the storage time in the auxiliary container 6 is long. The effect of increasing the attenuation of the residual charge of the static electricity is further increased.

There are two pillars 17a and 17b on the back surface on which the rice storage 1 and the rice washing container 5 and the like are erected.
A discharge pipe 18 extending from the discharge port of the decompression means 7 is inserted and used as an extension of the discharge pipe 18, and the feed pipe 4 is provided inside the other channel-like support 17b for protection and protection. However, there is an effect that the mechanical strength of the whole apparatus is further increased, the balance is improved, and it is easy to grip during transportation and movement, thereby facilitating the work.

[0030]

Second Embodiment FIGS. 5 and 6 are explanatory views in which most of a water supply system is omitted to make it easier to see the apparatus of a second embodiment according to the present invention. The configuration is almost the same, and only the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described below.

In the apparatus of the first embodiment, since most of the fine particles such as bran and rice flour are not sent to the rice washing container 5, the inner diameter of the upper cylindrical portion of the auxiliary container 6 can be increased, and the lower funnel can be reduced to shorten the length. Although the gradient of the portion 12 could be formed to be small, the device of the second embodiment is configured to also send fine particles such as bran and rice flour to the rice washing container 5, so the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is configured to be smaller than that of the device of the first embodiment, Because the angle of repose of the funnel portion 12 'is increased due to the large angle of repose, the length of the auxiliary container 6 in the height direction becomes large. If there is a problem, it is preferable to divide the container into a plurality of containers and provide them in parallel. In order to improve the efficiency, it may be necessary to use a stronger means than the pressure reducing means of Example 1 in order to increase the particle velocity at the inlet of the container.

In the apparatus of the second embodiment, not only rice but also fine particles such as bran and rice flour can be almost completely fed into the rice washing container 5. Therefore, the decompression means is not particularly provided without the dust collecting means 13 provided in the first embodiment. And the periphery of the apparatus can be hardly contaminated, but it is better to provide it in order to reduce dirt even a little.

The device of the second embodiment configured as described above is
As described above, almost all of the fine particles can be collected and removed from the exhaust gas, so that contamination in the kitchen due to the exhaust gas from the apparatus can be substantially prevented, and failure of the decompression means due to the dirt can also be prevented.

Since the soil of the juice is larger than that of the apparatus of the first embodiment, it is preferable to treat by microbial treatment, filtration, concentration, and other appropriate means. Also, if the recycled water is reused, the consumption of water is reduced. it can.

[0035]

The apparatus of the present invention configured as described above has the following effects.

In the automatic rice cleaning apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the pressure in the auxiliary container is reduced and the rice is fed from the weighing and sorting means to the auxiliary container through the feed pipe. Feeding can be performed quickly and accurately with a simple mechanism. Dirt at the top of the rice washing container and loss of rice are extremely reduced as compared with the case where rice is directly fed by depressurizing the rice washing container. Almost no water or rice is mixed in the water, so there is almost no breakdown.

In the automatic rice-feeding and cleaning apparatus according to the second aspect, the auxiliary container has an airtight structure except for the openings of the feed pipe, the exhaust pipe, and the rice discharge pipe. Air and rice can be sucked up through the pipe, and the lower part has a funnel-shaped slope larger than the angle of repose, so that one drop can be quickly put into the rice washing container.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the automatic rice feed cleaning device is provided with a rice discharge valve that can be opened and closed in the rice discharge pipe below the auxiliary container. The rice can be fed quickly, the rice washing container can be reduced to dirt and rice loss, and the rice fed can be stored in the auxiliary container, so the rice for the next time can be stored in advance even while using the rice washing container. By weighing and storing the rice, the time for weighing and feeding can be saved the next time the rice is washed, and the rice can be replenished with sufficient time even when the remaining amount detection sensor in the rice storage instructs rice replenishment. Since water is not exhausted from the rice-washing container, water adhering to the rice-washing container and the overflow pipe is not sucked into the exhaust pipe and the decompression means, so that failure can be prevented.

In the automatic rice cleaning apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the rice and particles blown into the auxiliary container generate a swirling flow along the inner wall of the container. It accumulates at the bottom and can be reliably separated from the airflow.

In the automatic rice-feeding cleaning device according to the fifth aspect, the rice bran and rice flour mixed in rice are mixed according to the shape of the auxiliary container, the peripheral speed of the particles blown from the inner diameter feed pipe of the feed pipe and the exhaust pipe, and the like. Most of the foreign matter is discharged from the exhaust pipe to the outside of the container together with the airflow,
Since only rice is dropped on the bottom of the container to separate it from the air and a kind of dry rice washing is preliminarily performed, the rice washing container is less contaminated and the washed garnish is extremely low in contamination. The amount of washing water is small, and the load of environmental pollution and pollution prevention treatment is reduced. This has a remarkable effect, and the flavor of cooked rice is also improved.

In the structure of the fifth aspect, finer and lighter particles do not need to be separated and removed from the airflow.
The inner diameter of the auxiliary container is large and the slope of the lower funnel is also small, so that the height of the container can be kept considerably low.
Maintenance and costs can be made easier or lower.

In the automatic rice-feeding washing device according to the sixth aspect, bran or rice flour mixed with rice is used depending on the shape of the auxiliary container, the peripheral speed of particles blown from the inner diameter feeding pipe of the feeding pipe and the exhaust pipe, and the like. The separation of rice from the air stream is performed by separating most of the foreign matter from the air stream together with the rice and dropping it to the bottom of the auxiliary container so as not to be substantially discharged out of the container from the exhaust pipe. It is more reliable than the configuration, and it can clean the exhaust without damaging the decompression means, reducing dirt on the decompression means and exhaust pipe, making maintenance extremely easy and keeping the kitchen clean. it can.

The automatic rice-feeding and cleaning apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is particularly effective when the dust collecting means is used in front of the depressurizing means of the above-described apparatus of the fifth aspect. In addition, when the device is provided in the device of the sixth aspect, the exhaust becomes extremely clean, so that the above effects can be obtained, and also a safety measure can be taken.

In the automatic rice-feeding cleaning device according to the eighth aspect, the auxiliary container is formed of a conductive material and is provided with a grounding means insulated from other parts to be engaged, so that the fed rice is charged with static electricity. Even if it is thrown into the auxiliary container and contacts the wall surface and discharges, it does not propagate to other parts of the device, so it does not receive an electric shock and escapes to the ground, and static electricity remaining on rice during storage in the auxiliary container As the amount is attenuated and lowered, the amount of charge that is discharged when hit into a rice washing container and hits a wall surface or a stirrer also decreases, resulting in a semiconductor shock due to electric shock caused by electric discharge and induced potential generated in transmission lines. This has the effect of preventing failures and program errors.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic rice cleaning apparatus, wherein a feed pipe for feeding rice from a feed hopper to an auxiliary container is formed of a conductive material, and a grounding means is provided insulated from other parts to be engaged. Therefore, when fed through a feed pipe made of a non-conductive material, the amount of static electricity generated by friction with the rice in large quantities is charged to the rice, and it is extremely unlikely that the rice will be carried into the auxiliary container or the rice washing container. Damage, program errors, and the like can be prevented, and a greater effect can be obtained by combining the configuration of the eighth aspect.

According to the apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to select and respond to the different effects of the configurations of the fifth and sixth aspects in accordance with the needs of various kitchens. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory front view illustrating an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view illustrating the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory front view illustrating the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view illustrating the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory front view illustrating an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory side view illustrating an apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rice storage 2 Metering / dispensing means 3 Feeding hopper 4 Feeding pipe 4a Feeding pipe lower end 4b Feeding pipe upper end 5 Rice washing container 6 Auxiliary container 7 Decompression means 8 Exhaust pipe 9 Top lid 10 Rice discharging pipe 11 Rice discharging valve 12 Lower funnel part of the first embodiment 12 'Lower funnel part of the second embodiment 13 Dust collecting means 14 Overflow pipe 15 Remaining amount detection sensor 16 Mounting table 17a Column a 17b Column b18 Discharge pipe

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A rice weighing and dispensing means (2) is attached to the bottom of a rice storage (1) at a lower portion, and the rice is weighed and dispensed into a rice washing container (5) at an upper portion to wash the rice. In an automatic rice-supplying / cleaning apparatus having a receiving container mounting table 16 into which washed rice discharged from the rice-washing container 5 and rice-cooking water are inserted between the rice-washing container 5 and a position substantially directly above the rice-washing container 5 Is provided with an auxiliary container 6, and the inside of the auxiliary container 6 is depressurized by the decompression means 7,
The metered and dispensed rice from the rice storage 1 is once fed to the auxiliary container 6 through a feed pipe 4 arranged in communication with the weighing and dispensing means 2 and the auxiliary container 6, and then the rice washing container 5 An automatic rice-feeding washing device, characterized in that it is configured to discharge to rice. 2. The auxiliary container 6 is a cylindrical container having an upper portion formed in a cylindrical shape and a lower portion formed in a funnel shape. An upper lid 9 in which an exhaust pipe 8 communicating with the decompression means 7 is hermetically inserted is provided at the top. The rice feed pipe 4 is airtightly fitted to the upper side wall, and the rice discharge pipe 10 communicating with the rice washing container 5 is airtightly fixed to the bottom opening to form a discharge port. 2. The automatic rice feeding and cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angle of repose is equal to or larger than the angle of repose of rice. 3. A rice discharge valve 11 which can be opened and closed on the rice discharge pipe 10.
3. The automatic rice-feeding and cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic rice-feeding and cleaning apparatus is configured to be inserted in a sealable manner. 4. The direction in which the feed pipe 4 is fitted to the auxiliary container 6 is set such that the rice blown into the auxiliary container 6 at the time of feeding the rice produces a swirling flow along the inner wall of the container. The automatic rice feeding and cleaning apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the apparatus is substantially tangential inflow. 5. The shape of the auxiliary container 6, the inner diameter of the feed pipe 4, the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 8, the peripheral velocity of particles blown into the container 6 from the feed pipe 4, and the like are mixed in rice. Most of the foreign substances such as bran and rice flour are discharged from the exhaust pipe 8 to the outside of the container together with the airflow without being separated from the air, and substantially only rice is separated from the airflow at the bottom of the container. The automatic rice feeding and washing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The shape of the auxiliary container 6, the inner diameter of the feed pipe 4, the inner diameter of the exhaust pipe 8, the peripheral velocity of particles blown into the container 6 from the feed pipe 4, etc. Characterized in that the bran, rice flour and the like mixed into the auxiliary container 6 are dropped on the bottom of the auxiliary container 6 to be substantially separated from the airflow,
The automatic rice feed cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 7. The automatic rice feeding and cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a dust collecting means 13 is provided in any one of the exhaust pipe 8 and the pressure reducing means 7. 8. The automatic rice feeder according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary container 6 is formed of a conductive material and is provided with a grounding means insulated from other sections to be engaged. Cleaning equipment. 9. The automatic feeding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said feeding pipe is formed of a conductive material and is provided with a grounding means insulated from other sections to be engaged. Rice washing equipment.