JPH1196455A - Product heating supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the uniformity and efficiency of appropriate temperature heating by removing waterdrops stuck to a product and rotating the product without slipping. SOLUTION: The product 9 is at a broken line position at the time of being mounted on a receiving frame 21 and at a solid line position at the time of being rotated during heating. For that, respective receiving rollers 3 and 4 are positioned slightly on a right side on an upper side, an arm 7 is provided swingably around the output shaft of a motor 5 and it is swung through a connection link 14 by bidirectional movement indicated by an arrow at the output end part of the solenoid 6. Gears 11-13 of which the adjacent ones are engaged with each other are disposed in a columnar shape along the longitudinal direction of the arm 7. The gear 11 is provided coaxially with the output shaft of the motor 5, the gear 13 is provided coaxially with a driving roller 1 and the gear 12 in the middle is provided coaxially with the rotation connection part of the connection link 14 and the arm 7. A wiper 10 is attached to the tip part of the arm 7, the tip part is strongly abutted to the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 at an almost right angle and the waterdrops are wiped so as to be completely scrubbed off.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for assisting uniform and efficient heating of a product at a vending machine at the time of selling the product in a uniform and efficient manner. By providing a wiper to wipe off the product, the product can be rotated without slipping,
The present invention relates to a product heating support device that further improves uniformity and efficiency of heating at an appropriate temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-282742.
The gist of the technology described in Japanese Patent Publication No.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional example,
FIG. 6 is a front view of a conventional example, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a receiving roller serving also as a drive in the conventional example. In FIG. 5, a product 9 is placed and guided on the inner peripheral surface of a receiving frame 21, and an induction heating coil 20 is disposed near and below the inner surface of the receiving frame 21. Product 9
A beverage sealed in a cylindrical can, a so-called can product, which is cooled and stored in advance at a temperature lower than an appropriate temperature (sale temperature) when stored in a product rack of a vending machine, and is sold at the time of sale. The product is quickly heated to an appropriate temperature in the product passage that is paid out from the product and carried out to the product outlet, and is supplied to customers. A heating device represented by an induction heating coil 20 is used for the appropriate temperature heating. A receiving frame 21 which is an arc-shaped plate-shaped member is provided in the product passage, and a guide (chute) for guiding the product 9 to the receiving frame 21 is provided in front of the receiving frame 21 although not shown here. To be more precise, the receiving frame 21 is arranged at an angle to receive the goods 9 introduced via the guides by gravity conveyance, and a stopper (not shown) above the induction heating coil 20 for holding the goods 9. Position in position. After the product 9 is heated to an appropriate temperature, the stopper is removed and the receiving frame 2 is removed.
From 1 is sold to the outlet by gravity transport.

Now, when the product 9 is heated to an appropriate temperature,
Product 9 so that the heating is performed uniformly and efficiently
Need to be rotated about its axis. In other words, if the product 9 is heated with the product 9 fixed, heat convection may occur, but in extreme cases, local heating may cause a deterioration in quality due to partial overheating of the beverage or a risk of can rupture due to an increase in internal pressure. There is. To a lesser extent, uneven heating and the resulting reduction in heating efficiency result in additional heating at an appropriate temperature. To improve it, the product 9 is rotated around its axis. In FIG. 5, the means for rotation includes a pair of receiving rollers 22 and 23 disposed on the lower side so as to stably receive the product 9 and a pressing roller 24 disposed on the upper side. Each roller 2
2, 23 and 24 are configured so that they can be changed from the solid line position to the broken line position. When rotating, the position of the solid line that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 is set. Although not shown here, this position change is performed via a link mechanism and an actuator such as a solenoid.

Here, the receiving roller 23 and the pressing roller 2
Reference numeral 4 denotes a driven roller for the product 9, while the receiving roller 22 also serves as a driving roller for the product 9, and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the motor 25 has a driving torque via a belt which is not labeled. Further, each roller 22, 23,
As shown in FIG. 5, 24 is arranged on the same circumference so as to come into contact with or separate from the front end outer peripheral surface protruding from the receiving frame 21 of the product 9 at the heating position. Note that the position of the same circumference may be any of the front and rear ends in the transport direction protruding from the receiving frame 21 of the product 9.

As shown in FIG. 7, the receiving roller 22, which also serves as a drive, is provided with a groove for removing water droplets for removing adhering water droplets due to condensation of the product 9, as shown in FIG.
Without the water drop elimination groove, the water drop on the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 causes the gap between the product 9 and the receiving roller 22 to slide partially, thereby impairing the intended rotation purpose of the product 9. Will be. The groove for removing water droplets has, for example, a width of 2 on the outer peripheral surface.
One main groove 22a cut along the circumference in a divided form,
The main groove 22a is formed of a sub-groove 22b which is obliquely cut from the many positions of the main groove 22a to the outer periphery of each end face on both sides so as to take a receding angle with respect to the rotation direction of the arrow. The retreat angle of the sub-groove 22b promotes the elimination of water droplets together with the rotation of the receiving roller 22.

[0006]

In the prior art, as shown in FIG. 7, a groove for removing water droplets composed of a main groove 22a and a sub-groove 22b is cut on the outer peripheral surface of the receiving roller 22, and the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 is cut off. The adhering water droplets due to dew condensation are removed so that no slippage occurs between the product 9 and the receiving roller 22, so that the expected product 9
The purpose of the rotation was not impaired. However, in reality, the water droplet elimination groove is not enough to remove the attached water droplets, and the actual situation is that some slippage occurs. The cause of the insufficient removal is that the outer peripheral layer of the receiving roller 22 originally scrapes off water droplets at the portion in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 and flows them into the water droplet eliminating grooves (the main groove 22a and the sub groove 22b) to eliminate the water droplets. However, since the receiving roller 22 and the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 are rolling, the contact area is small and the degree of scraping of water droplets by the receiving roller 22 is essentially weak. is there.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a means for sufficiently removing water droplets attached to the outer peripheral surface of a product,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a product heating support device that allows a product to rotate without slipping, thereby further improving uniformity and efficiency of heating at an appropriate temperature.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting heating of a cylindrical product performed at the time of selling at an automatic vending machine, and is connected to a product path at a preceding stage above a heat source portion of the heating device. A receiving frame for commodities arranged as described above; and a receiving roller for rotating the commodities mounted on the upper surface of the receiving frame around its axis, supported by an outer peripheral surface portion protruding from the receiving frame. And a drive roller which comes into contact with or separates from the outer peripheral surface thereof; and a wiper for wiping off water droplets adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the product in contact with the drive roller.
And a wiper that comes into contact with or separates from the outer peripheral surface portion.

Here, the wiper is provided in parallel with the support member of the drive roller, or is also used as a drive roller of a water-absorbing material, for example, a sponge rubber containing open cells.
It is preferable that it is a structure. Here, the receiving roller has two axes whose axis is fixed and is disposed above the receiving frame, and the driving roller has a form in which the product is pressed against the two receiving rollers when it comes into contact with the product. It is preferable that the number is one.

Therefore, in the present invention, the product is rotated around the axis by the receiving roller and the driving roller while being supported by the receiving frame. And with the wiper
Water droplets adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the product in contact with the drive roller are wiped or removed by, for example, being scraped or sucked. In addition, the product is designed so that the outer peripheral portion protruding to the side of the receiving frame is slightly lifted from the surface of the receiving frame by two receiving rollers fixed to the axis and one driving roller that comes in contact with or separates from the receiving frame. Rotated.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First and second embodiments will be described as embodiments of the present invention with reference to the following drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the product 9 is
The front end protrudes from the receiving frame 21 (see FIG. 5), taking the position of the broken line when placed and guided on the inner peripheral surface of the receiving frame 21, and taking the position of the solid line when rotated during heating. Slightly rises from the inner peripheral surface. To do this,
The two receiving rollers 3 and 4 are slightly shifted rightward on the upper side, and above the outer periphery of the product 9 so as not to hinder when the product 9 is gravity-conveyed and introduced along the receiving frame 21 at right angles to the paper surface. Position. That is, each receiving roller 3,
Reference numeral 4 denotes an axis fixed. The drive roller 1 is provided so as to be able to select one of the positions indicated by a broken line and a solid line. In other words, the drive roller 1 moves from the inner peripheral surface of the receiving frame 21 slightly when the product 9 is rotated during heating while the product 9 is placed and guided on the inner peripheral surface of the receiving frame 21. Float and take the positions of the solid lines. A mechanism for rotating the drive roller 1 and changing the position is configured as follows.

An arm 7 is provided so as to be swingable around the output shaft of the motor 5, and the arm 7 is swung through the connecting link 14 by a bidirectional movement indicated by an arrow at the output end of the solenoid 6. I do. That is, each end of the connection link 14 is rotationally coupled to the output end of the solenoid 6 and an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the arm 7. The gears 1 are arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the arm 7 and in such a manner that adjacent ones mesh with each other.
1, 12, and 13 are provided. The gear 11 is provided on the output shaft of the motor 5, the gear 13 is provided coaxially with the drive roller 1, and the intermediate gear 12 of each of the gears 11 and 13 is connected to a connecting link 14.
And is provided coaxially with the rotational coupling part. Therefore, rotation of the output shaft of the motor 5 in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow corresponds to the gear 1.
It is transmitted to the drive roller 1 via 1, 12 and 13, and when this is brought into contact with the product 9, the product 9 can be rotated counterclockwise. As described above, when the product 9 is rotated by the two receiving rollers 3 and 4 fixed to the axis and the one driving roller 1 that comes in contact with or separates from the other, each of the rollers in the conventional example can be changed in the axial position. The structure is simpler than that of the configuration, and the reliability can be further improved and the cost can be reduced.

As a feature of the first embodiment, a rectangular flat rubber wiper 10 is detachably attached to the tip of the arm 7. This wiper 10 has the same method as a wiper used for removing raindrops on a window glass on the front of an automobile. The edge of the tip of the wiper 10 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 at the same time when the drive roller 1 contacts the product 9. Hits almost at right angles. In other words, the wiper 10 wipes off water droplets having an edge portion at the tip end portion adhered to the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 by relatively linearly moving and strongly scraping the water droplets along with the rotation of the drive roller 1 of the product 9.
Can be removed. The portion to be scraped off may be only the portion that the drive roller 1 contacts. A drive roller 1 is provided immediately after the point where the tip of the wiper 10 contacts the outer peripheral surface of the product 9, and the drive roller 1 comes into contact with a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 immediately after water droplets are removed. The product 9 can be rotated without slippage. Here, the tip of the wiper 10 is slightly curved when coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the product 9,
By strongly pressing the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 with the elastic force based on the deformation, the function of wiping / removing is increased. Of course, maintenance work such as cleaning and replacement of the wiper 10 is easy. In general, the wiper 10 can be provided independently of the arm 7 which is a support member of the drive roller 1, but as in the first embodiment, the wiper 10 is A dedicated mechanism for contacting or separating from the outer peripheral surface of the product 9 is omitted, and the structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced accordingly.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the second embodiment, and FIG.
A description will be given with reference to a plan view of a main part of FIG. The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is a change in the wiper system and a slight change in the shape of the members (arms) associated therewith. In the second embodiment, the wiper is shared by the drive roller 2. Here, the drive roller 2 is made of a water-absorbing material, for example, a cylindrical sponge rubber containing open cells. As a constituent material, a fibrous material such as cloth can be selected instead of sponge rubber. Incidentally, the outer peripheral layer of the drive roller 1 in the first embodiment is made of rubber. Further, an arm 8 having a simple shape without a wiper mounting portion is used instead of the arm 7 in the first embodiment.

Therefore, in the second embodiment, the water droplets adhering to the outer peripheral surface portion of the product 9 which comes into contact with the drive roller 2 are sucked and removed by the water absorption of the drive roller 2. That is, the mechanism of removing water droplets is different from the method of wiping the wiper 10 in the first embodiment. In addition, since the drive roller 2 has a structure having a wiper function of sucking and removing water droplets, the number of components can be reduced, and the cost can be further reduced.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be expected. (1) By installing the wiper, water droplets adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the product that comes into contact with the drive roller are more completely wiped and removed as compared with the conventional groove for removing water droplets. Is prevented from slipping, and the product is continuously rotated without intermittent rotation. Therefore, it is possible to achieve more complete uniformity and more efficient heating at an appropriate temperature.

(2) If the wiper is provided in parallel with the support member of the drive roller, or is shared by the drive roller made of a water-absorbing material, a special mechanism for bringing the wiper into contact with or separated from the wiper is omitted. The cost can be reduced accordingly. In particular, by adopting a structure in which the wiper is also used as a drive roller made of a water-absorbing material, the number of components can be reduced based on the shared use of components, and the cost can be further reduced.

(3) When the product is rotated by two receiving rollers fixed to the axis and one driving roller which comes in contact with or separates from each other, each of the conventional rollers is configured to be capable of changing the axis position. Since the structure is simpler, the reliability can be further improved and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a first embodiment of a product heating support device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of the product heating support device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main part of the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional product heating support device.

FIG. 6 is a front view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a receiving roller serving also as a drive in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 drive roller 3, 4 receiving roller 5 motor 6 solenoid 7, 8 arm 9 product 10 wiper 11, 12, 13 gear 14 connecting link

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshihisa Furuta 1-1-1, Tanabe-Nitta, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] An apparatus for supporting heating of a cylindrical product performed at the time of selling at a vending machine, the product being arranged above a heat source portion of the heating device so as to be connected to a preceding product passage. A receiving frame; a receiving roller for rotating the product placed on the upper surface of the receiving frame around its axis, supported by an outer peripheral surface portion protruding from the receiving frame;
A drive roller that comes into contact with or separates from the outer peripheral surface portion; and a wiper that comes into contact with or separates from the outer peripheral surface portion for wiping water droplets attached to the outer peripheral surface portion of the product that comes into contact with the drive roller. A product heating support device comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiper is provided along with a supporting member of the driving roller. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wiper is also used as a drive roller made of a water-absorbing material. 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving roller comprises two receiving rollers whose axes are fixed and disposed above the receiving frame. A product which presses a product against two receiving rollers at the time of contact with the product.