Processing machine and processing method

Abstract

To provide a processing machine capable of easily and properly cutting off a fin of a fish or the like from the fish or the like even by an unskilled person.SOLUTION: This processing machine for cutting fins projecting from the body wall of a fish body is provided with a plate-like lower blade body 6 having a notch 11 formed backward from the front edge and lower cutting edges 12 formed on the lower surface side along the opposite side edges of the notch 11, a plate-like upper blade body 7 slidably superposed on the lower blade body 6 and having a notch 14 formed backward from the front edge and an upper cutting edge 17 formed on the upper surface side along the opposite side edges of the notch 14, a guide part 8 installed on the lower blade body 6 for guiding the upper blade body 7 to the fin F advancing forward at the time of cutting, and a reciprocating drive mechanism 20 reciprocating the upper blade body 7 in the right and left direction between a cutting execution position and a fin receiving position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing machine used to cut, for example, fish fins from the body of the fish, and to a processing method for cutting fins from the body of the fish. [Background technology]

[0002] When cooking fish, the common way to remove fins is to use a knife to cut the base of the fin, but this is difficult for fish like conger eels, which have slimy bodies and long dorsal fins that run along the body. When cooking conger eels, they are often opened up, boned, and then scalded before being served. The texture of the opened conger eel deteriorates if the dorsal fin or other parts remain, so they are removed before the bones are removed. To remove the dorsal fin, open the conger eel and remove the spine, then place the opened conger eel on a cutting board with the flesh side facing up and the skin side facing down. Then, cut the knife along the small bones on both sides of the dorsal fin, and peel the dorsal fin off to the outside of the skin. When inserting the knife along the fin bones, it is important to ensure that the flesh of a single eel does not separate into two pieces, and that the skin where the dorsal fin is located is left intact, in order to preserve the quality of the eel dish. Performing this fin removal process properly and quickly requires a great deal of skill. However, the number of skilled eel chefs has been decreasing recently, and since demand for eel dishes is concentrated in the summer, there tends to be a shortage of skilled chefs during peak seasons. While eel bone removal has already been automated to some extent, eel fin removal is still done by hand. Therefore, for fish that are difficult to prepare, such as eel, there is a need for a method to efficiently and properly remove the fins, even for non-experts.

[0003] Conventionally, as a cutting device for reducing the burden on workers when processing large quantities of fish, for example, a cutter equipped with a rotating circular tooth and a cover with a notch for exposing a portion of the cutting edge of the circular tooth has been proposed, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Application No. Hei 6-47175 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the cutter described in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 is designed to cut the fins of frozen fish, and is not suitable for cutting the fins of fresh, slimy fish that still retain elasticity, such as conger eel or conger eel that have just been killed by ikijime.

[0006] That is, the rotating circular teeth are pressed against the fin as they move toward it, cutting it in a scraping motion, resulting in a poorly cut surface. Furthermore, during cutting, the angle and position of the handheld cutter must be constantly adjusted while visually checking the tips of the circular teeth to ensure the proper cutting position and angle of the circular teeth relative to the fin, making it difficult to achieve a stable cutting position. This makes it easy for the tips of the circular teeth to hit the fish, and even with a cover, there is a risk of injury to the operator from the rotating circular teeth. Furthermore, the cover may prevent the cutting edges of the circular teeth from being moved to the desired position or from being freely adjusted. Furthermore, for example, fresh fish immediately after ikijime (killing fish) are not as rigid and flexible as frozen fish. Therefore, the circular teeth push the fin in the direction of movement and circumferentially during cutting, easily causing it to slip away from the circular teeth, making it difficult to accurately cut the desired position. Furthermore, since the circular teeth are not constrained in the thickness direction, vibrations in the thickness direction may occur during rotation. Therefore, it is difficult to properly cut fins with the above-mentioned cutter.

[0007] The inventor of the present invention has developed and sold machines for cutting bones from conger eels and other fish, which have been well-received. However, fish such as conger eels, eels, and conger eels, which have a large amount of slime on their bodies, are round and slender, and have cross-sectional shapes and sizes that vary from tail to head, are a type of fish for which it is difficult to apply a processing machine, and no satisfactory practical machine for cutting the fins of such fish has been developed until now.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing machine that enables even an unskilled person to easily and appropriately cut off the fins of a fish or the like from the fish or the like. Means for solving the problem and effects of the invention

[0009] A processing machine according to a first aspect of the present invention is a processing machine for cutting fins protruding from a body wall of a fish, and includes a plate-shaped lower blade body having a notch formed rearward from a front edge and a lower cutting edge that is a cutting edge formed along at least one of the side edges opposite to the notch, and a sliding blade attached to an upper surface of the lower blade body having an upper cutting edge that is a cutting edge formed rearward from a front edge and a notch that is a cutting edge formed along at least one of the side edges opposite to the notch. The cutting blade can be configured to include plate-like upper blade bodies that can be stacked, a guide section attached to the lower blade body that guides the upper blade body in the left-right direction relative to the lower blade body that advances toward the fin during cutting, and a reciprocating drive mechanism that reciprocates the upper blade body in the left-right direction between a cutting position where at least the cutting edge of the upper cutting blade passes the cutting edge of the lower cutting blade that forms a pair with the upper cutting blade, and a fin receiving position where at least a portion of the notch in the lower blade body and the notch in the upper blade body overlap.

[0010] A processing machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is a processing machine for cutting fins protruding from the body wall of a fish, and can be configured to include: a plate-shaped lower blade body having a notch formed inward from its front edge and a lower cutting edge that is a cutting edge formed on at least a part of the notch; a plate-shaped upper blade body slidably superimposed on the upper surface of the lower blade body, having a notch formed inward from its front edge and an upper cutting edge that is a cutting edge formed on at least a part of the notch; and a reciprocating drive mechanism that reciprocates the upper blade body in a specific direction that intersects the extension direction of the fin between a cutting position where at least the cutting edge of the upper cutting edge passes the cutting edge of the lower cutting edge that forms a pair with the upper cutting edge, and a fin receiving position where at least a part of the notch of the lower blade body and the notch of the upper blade body overlap.

[0011] With this configuration, the lower blade body moves while its lower surface abuts the body wall, so the posture of the lower blade body is stable and the teeth do not damage the body wall, as with conventional rotating circular teeth. Furthermore, because the fin is cut along the upper surface of the lower blade body, the height of the cutting position relative to the fin is maintained constant during cutting. This makes it possible to provide a processing machine that allows even an unskilled operator to easily and appropriately cut off the fins of fish, etc.

[0012] In a processing machine according to a third aspect of the present invention, the lower cutting edge is formed so as to be single-edged on the lower surface along at least one of the opposing side edges of the notch in the lower blade body, and the upper cutting edge is formed so as to be single-edged on the upper surface along at least one of the opposing side edges of the notch in the upper blade body, and the lower blade body can be configured so that the angle of inclination of the surface of the lower cutting edge with respect to the upper surface of the lower blade body is adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the lower blade body and the width of the notch in the lower blade body so that when the lower blade body is placed on the body wall and the fin is received in the notch in the lower blade body, the height of the upper surface of the lower blade body is the same height as the desired cutting position of the fin.

[0013] With this configuration, the fin is sheared in the thickness direction by a lower cutting blade with a single edge formed on the underside and an upper cutting blade with a single edge formed on the top side, resulting in a clean cut surface. Furthermore, the base of the fin that enters the notch of the lower blade body during cutting is not pressed by the underside of the lower blade body, so it resiliently rises into the notch along the surface of the lower cutting blade. By adjusting the inclination angle of the surface of the lower cutting blade relative to the top surface of the lower blade body, the raised apex of the fin base can be made to protrude further upward from the notch of the lower blade body, i.e., slightly above the cutting edge of the lower cutting blade. Therefore, for example, by cutting the fin while leaving a portion of the skin at the base of the fin intact, it is possible to cut the fin very accurately at its base so that the flesh on both sides of the fin will not separate when the fish is opened up after the fin is cut.

[0014] In a processing machine according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the lower cutting edge has a cutting edge region extending along the cutting edge at a predetermined width from the cutting edge, and a region on the ridge side of the cutting edge region, and can be configured so that the angle of inclination of the surface of the lower cutting edge in the cutting edge region relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body is different from the angle of inclination of the surface of the lower cutting edge in the ridge side region of the cutting edge region relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body.

[0015] This configuration makes it possible to obtain a lower cutting edge that is sharp and has a long life.

[0016] The processing machine according to the fifth aspect of the present invention can be configured to include a body having a handle or that can be held by hand, for detachably holding the lower blade body, the upper blade body, and the blade section having the guide portion.

[0017] With this configuration, the body can be held by hand, making the work easier, and the blade part can be attached and detached to the body, which is convenient when, for example, a plurality of blade parts with different specifications are prepared in advance and the blade part according to the specifications is selected and used.

[0018] The processing machine according to a sixth aspect of the present invention can further be configured to include a guide frame that guides the fin cut by the blade portion rearward and above the cutting position of the fin.

[0019] With this configuration, the fin cut by the blade section is guided rearward and upward by the guide frame, so that even in the case of a fish with long fins, such as a conger eel, the cut fin can be prevented from becoming tangled near the cutting position.

[0020] A processing method according to a seventh aspect of the present invention can be configured to cut off fins protruding from the body wall of a fish using the processing machine according to the first aspect of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing the entire processing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view showing the processing machine shown in FIG. 1 with a portion thereof omitted. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the reciprocating drive mechanism with the body omitted. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a required cutting position of a fin. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic positional relationship between a lower cutting edge and a fin during cutting when the opposing side surface of the notch of the lower blade body is not inclined relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the positional relationship between the lower cutting edge and the fin during cutting when the inclination angle of the surface of the lower cutting edge relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body is adjusted to a required value. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a transverse cross section of a lower cutting edge according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a processing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams illustrating shapes of notches according to other embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing different shapes of the notches of the lower blade body and the upper blade body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of processing machines embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these. Furthermore, this specification in no way specifies the components shown in the claims as components of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described in the embodiments are merely illustrative examples, unless otherwise specified, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Note that the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the entire processing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the processing machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 with a portion thereof omitted. The processing machine 1 comprises a blade unit 2 and a body 3 that holds the blade unit 2. The processing machine 1 of this embodiment is used to cut fins from fish such as conger eels and conger eels from their bodies. A handle 4 that can be held by hand is fixed to the rear end of the body 3. When cutting the fin, an operator holds the handle 4, places the blade unit 2 on the fish, and moves the blade unit 2 in the lengthwise direction of the fish toward the fin. The processing machine 1 further comprises a guide frame 5 that guides the fin cut by the blade unit 2 rearward and upward from the cutting position of the fin.

[0024] The blade section 2 is composed of a lower blade body 6, a plate-like upper blade body 7 slidably placed on the top surface 6c of the lower blade body 6, a guide section 8 attached to the lower blade body 6 that guides the upper blade body 7 in the left-right direction as the lower blade body 6 advances toward the fin during cutting, a pressing section 9 with an adjustable pressing force that elastically presses the upper blade body 7 against the lower blade body 6, and a follower section 10 fixed to the top surface 6c of the lower blade body 6. The processing machine 1 is also equipped with a reciprocating drive mechanism 20 attached to the body 3 as shown in Figure 1 that reciprocates the upper blade body 7 in the left-right direction. In Figures 1 and 2, the direction indicated by arrow A1 is the advancement direction of the lower blade body 6, and in Figure 2, the direction indicated by arrow A2 is the left-right direction of the lower blade body 6.

[0025] 3, the lower blade body 6 has a notch 11 formed rearward from the front edge 6a, and lower cutting edges 12, 12 formed as single edges on the underside 6d of the lower blade body 6 along the opposing side edges 11a, 11a of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6. The lower blade body 6 also has a bottom cutting edge 13 formed on the bottom edge 11b of the notch 11 from the underside 6d of the lower blade body 6 so that the lower blade body 6 can move smoothly forward on the body wall when cutting the fin.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the upper blade body 7 has a notch 14 formed rearward from the front edge 7a, and upper cutting edges 15, 15 formed as single edges on the upper surface 7c of the upper blade body 7 along the opposing side edges 14a, 14a of the notch 14. The upper blade body 7 also has a bottom cutting edge 16 formed on the bottom edge 14b of the notch 14 from the upper surface 7c of the upper blade body 7 so that the cut fin moves smoothly rearward. The upper blade body 7 has guided portions 17 protruding from both left and right edges.

[0027] In this embodiment, the guided portion 17 is formed by cutting a plate material into a cross shape when forming the upper blade body 7. However, the guided portion 17 may be T-shaped. Alternatively, the guided portion 17 may be formed as shown in FIG. 4 by welding plate pieces for the guided portion 17 to the left and right sides of a rectangular plate material of the upper blade body 7. Alternatively, the guided portion 17 may be formed by fastening a plate material or rod material along the top surface 7c or rear edge 7b of the upper blade body 7. The lower blade body 6 and the upper blade body 7 are made of stainless steel, but they may also be made of other materials such as steel or ceramic. The lower cutting edge 12 and the upper cutting edge 15 may be formed by fastening a cutting edge member made of a material different from that of the lower blade body 6 and the upper blade body 7 to their cutting edges. The width w1 of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 shown in FIG. 3 and the width w2 of the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 shown in FIG. 4 are the same size.

[0028] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and shows the upper blade body 7 in a fin receiving position where the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 overlap so that a fin can be received in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7. The upper end of the side edge 11a of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 corresponds to the cutting edge 12a of the lower cutting edge 12, and the lower end of the side edge 14a of the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 corresponds to the cutting edge 15a of the upper cutting edge 15. Note that the fin receiving position does not only refer to a normal state in which the cutting edge 12a of the lower cutting edge 12 and the cutting edge 15a of the upper cutting edge 15 are completely aligned, as described above, but also includes a state in which at least a portion of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 overlap. Therefore, even if the shapes of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 are different, they can be said to be in the fin receiving position as long as they partially overlap.

[0029] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. 2, and shows, by means of a two-dot chain line, a state in which a fin F protruding from the skin S of a fish C is received within the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 during cutting. The lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6 forms the underside of the cutting tool section 2, and during cutting, the lower blade body 6 advances through the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 toward the fin F with its lower surface 6d in contact with the skin S of the fish C, and when the upper blade body 7 reaches the fin receiving position, the fin F is received close to the bottom edge 11b of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6. At this time, the fish C processed in this embodiment is a fresh fish, and the fish body is elastic. The body of the fish C is pressed against the lower blade body 6, which is subjected to the load of the processing machine 1, and the pressed portion of the fish is elastically recessed along the lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6. However, the fin F of the fish is not pressed by the lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6 because it is in the notch 11 of the blade body 6, and instead rises into the notch 11 due to the elasticity of the fish body. The top of the raised portion protrudes slightly upward from the cutting edges 12a, 12a of the lower cutting edges 12, 12. As the upper blade body 7 moves left and right relative to the lower blade body 6, the blade section 2 is able to shear the fin F placed in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 in the thickness direction, with the lower cutting edge 12 on the left side of the lower blade body 6 and the upper cutting edge 15 on the right side of the upper blade body 7 as shown in FIG. 5 forming a pair, and the lower cutting edge 12 on the right side of the lower blade body 6 and the upper cutting edge 15 on the left side of the upper blade body 7 forming a pair.

[0030] When the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 is not in the fin receiving position, the subsequent uncut portion of the fin F does not enter the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7, and temporarily stagnates in front of the leading edge 7a of the upper blade body 7 until the upper blade body 7 next moves to the fin receiving position. If the cutting tool section 2 advances too quickly at this time, it will be pushed forward by the leading edge 7a of the advancing upper blade body 7, but in this embodiment, since the leading edge 7a of the upper blade body 7 is behind the leading edge 6a of the lower blade body 6, even if the subsequent uncut portion of the fin F is pushed forward somewhat by the leading edge 7a of the upper blade body 7, the uncut portion of the fin F that is in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 will remain in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 in front of the leading edge 7a of the upper blade body 7. Therefore, during cutting, the subsequent uncut portion of the fin F does not come out of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 to the left or right, and when the upper blade body 7 reaches the fin receiving position, the subsequent uncut portion of the fin F is reliably introduced into the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7. Therefore, during cutting, it is possible to prevent the uncut portion of the fin F from coming out of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 to the left or right, making it impossible to cut.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7 , the reciprocating drive mechanism 20 has an actuator 21 that engages with the driven body 10 to reciprocate the driven body 10, and this actuator 21 protrudes from the body 3 toward the blade section 2 of the body 3. The actuator 21 can reciprocate the upper blade body 7 between a cutting position where the cutting edge 15a of the upper cutting blade 15 passes over the cutting edge 12a of the lower cutting blade 12 that forms a pair with the upper cutting blade 15, and a fin receiving position where the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 and the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7 overlap. In this embodiment, the actuator 21 is an eccentric shaft fixed to the front end of a drive shaft 23 that is driven to rotate by a motor 22, and is slidably fitted into a groove 24 formed in the driven body 10. The opposing sides of the groove 24 of the driven body 10 that extend in the vertical direction and the actuator 21 form a cam mechanism. The drive shaft 23 is connected to the output shaft 22a of the motor 22 by a shaft coupling 25, and is held by a bearing provided at the tip of the body 3. The motor 22 is a small electric motor, and can be started and stopped by operating a switch provided on the body 3. If necessary, a pneumatic motor that runs on compressed air may be used instead of the electric motor.

[0032] The upper blade body 7 shown in FIG. 7 is in one cutting position, while the upper blade body 7 shown in FIG. 2 is in the fin receiving position. When the drive shaft 23 rotates half a turn from the position shown in FIG. 7, the actuator 21 rotates about the drive shaft 23, pushing the wall surface of the groove 24 in the driven body 10 leftward (downward in FIG. 7), and the driven body 10 moves leftward. As a result, the upper blade body 7 passes through the notch 11 in the lower blade body 6 relative to the lower blade body 6 and reaches the other cutting position. When the drive shaft 23 is continuously rotated by the motor 22, the upper blade body 7, together with the driven body 10, repeatedly reciprocates left and right relative to the lower blade body 7. Therefore, the reciprocating drive mechanism 20 can reciprocate the upper blade body 7 between the two cutting positions, with the cutting edges 15a of the left and right upper cutting edges 15 each centered on the fin receiving position. The upper cutting edge 15 may be formed on only one of the opposing side edges of the notch 14 of the upper blade body 7. In this case, the reciprocating drive mechanism 20 may be configured to reciprocate the upper cutting edge 15 on one side between a cutting position and a fin receiving position relative to the lower cutting edge 12 that pairs with it, and the range of left and right movement of the upper blade body 7 will be halved.

[0033] The guide portion 8 is made up of a gate-shaped frame as shown in Fig. 1, and the opposing inner side surfaces of a pair of pillar portions 8a form guide surfaces 8b as shown in Fig. 7. These opposing guide surfaces 8b slide against the front and rear side surfaces of the guided portion 17 of the upper blade body 7 to guide the upper blade body 7 in the left-right direction. The gate-shaped frame is made of Duracon (a registered trademark of Polyplastics Co., Ltd.), and is fixed to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6.

[0034] The pressing portion 9 is attached between a pair of pillar portions 8a of the guide portion 8 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction along the pillar portions 8a and is composed of a pressing plate 9a that abuts against the upper surface of the upper blade body 7, a compression coil spring 9b provided on the upper surface of the pressing plate 9a, and a bolt 9c that engages with the upper part of the compression coil spring 9b and can change the height of the upper end of the compression coil spring 9b.

[0035] The lower blade body 6 is fixed to the blade attachment part 3a at the bottom of the tip of the body 3 with a flat head screw 3b, and the blade section 2 can be attached and detached relatively easily to the body 3. For example, if multiple types of blade sections 2 with appropriate widths of the notches 11 in the lower blade body 6, thicknesses of the lower blade body 6, and inclination angles of the lower cutting edges 12 are prepared in advance according to the type of fish, etc., then when the object to be processed changes, the blade section 2 that suits it can be selected and replaced with the blade section 2 that was used up until then in a short time.

[0036] Figure 8 shows a schematic cross section of the vicinity of the dorsal fin of a fish to be processed by the processing machine 1. In Figure 8, line segment DD indicates the required cutting position of the fin F of fish C. In this case, the fin F is cut off together with the upper part of the skin S of fish C, leaving approximately half the thickness of the skin S.

[0037] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the lower cutting edge and the fin during cutting. Figure 9A shows the case where the inclination angle θ of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 with respect to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is 90 degrees, in other words, the side surface facing the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 is not inclined with respect to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6, and Figure 9B shows the case where the inclination angle θ of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 with respect to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is adjusted to a required value.

[0038] In Figure 9A, when the lower blade body 6 is pressed against the back of the fish C and the fin F is received in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6, the body of the fish C has a certain degree of elasticity, so the portion of the fish C where the lower blade body 6 is pressed is depressed and flattens along the lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6. Because the width w1 of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 is set narrow, only a very small amount of the body of the fish C protrudes between the left and right lower cutting edges 12, i.e., into the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6. Even if the lower blade body 6 is pressed against the body of the fish with even greater force, the body of the fish simply becomes significantly distorted, and the amount of protrusion into the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 remains almost unchanged. Therefore, in this case, the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is higher than the base of the fin F. Since the fin F is cut at the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6, the planned cutting position of the fin F by the blade section 2 indicated by the line segment dd is higher than the required cutting position indicated by the line segment DD. Therefore, in this case, the fin F cannot be cut at the required cutting position.

[0039] 9B, when the inclination angle of the surface 12a of the lower cutting edge 12 relative to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is reduced, the distance between the ridges 12c of the left and right lower cutting edges 12 increases, widening the space between the surfaces 12a of the left and right lower cutting edges 12. In other words, the area enclosed by the left and right cutting edges 12a and the left and right ridges 12c increases, and the area near the base of the fin F of the fish is accommodated in this space. There is a correlation between the inclination angle θ of the surface 12a of the lower cutting edge 12 relative to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 and the size of the space between the surfaces 12b of the left and right lower cutting edges 12: if the inclination angle θ is reduced, the volume of the space between the surfaces 12b of the left and right lower cutting edges 12 increases; and there is a correlation between the volume of the space between the surfaces 12b of the left and right lower cutting edges 12 and the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 relative to the base of the fin F: if the volume of the space between the surfaces 12b of the left and right lower cutting edges 12 increases, the amount of fish body that enters the space near the base of the fin F increases, and the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 moves lower relative to the base of the fin F. In other words, by adjusting the inclination angle θ of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 relative to the upper surface 12c of the lower blade body 12 in accordance with the thickness t1 of the lower blade body 6 and the width w1 of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6, when the lower blade body 6 is placed on the body wall S and the fin F is received in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6, the height dd of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 can be made the same height as the required cutting position DD of the fin F.

[0040] The width w1 of the notch 11 in the lower blade body 6 is made slightly larger than the thickness of the fin so that it can receive the fin F, and the thickness t1 of the lower blade body 6 is set to a predetermined value taking into consideration mechanical strength, etc. In the lower blade body 6 shown in Fig. 9B, when the lower blade body 6 is placed on the skin S of a fish C as shown in Fig. 6 and the base of the fin F is received in the notch 11, the inclination angle θ of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 with respect to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is adjusted in accordance with the thickness t1 of the lower blade body 6 and the width w1 of the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 so that the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is the same height as the required cutting position of the fin F indicated by line segment DD, as shown in Fig. 9B.

[0041] The inclination angle θ of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 relative to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is adjusted by trial and error. For example, the lower cutting edge 12 is first ground so that the inclination angle θ is slightly smaller than 90 degrees. Then, as shown in FIG. 9B, the lower blade body 6 is pressed against the base of the fin F of a standard fish C to check whether the height of the desired cutting position and the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 match. If the height of the desired cutting position and the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 do not match, the inclination angle θ is made a little smaller. This adjustment process is then repeated until the height of the desired cutting position and the height of the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 match.

[0042] To cut a fin F from a fish C using the processing machine 1 configured as described above, the operator holds the handle 4 and places the cutting tool portion 2 on the fish body just before one end of the fin F in the longitudinal direction, and brings the lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6 into contact with the skin F.

[0043] Next, while the reciprocating drive mechanism 20 is activated to reciprocate the upper blade body 7, the cutting tool unit 2 is advanced over the fish body in the longitudinal direction of the fin F, with the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 facing the longitudinal front end of the fin F. The cutting tool unit 2 then advances over the fish body in the longitudinal direction of the fin F, guided by the lower blade body 6, until the fin F is received in the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6. The fin F is then sheared in the thickness direction of the fin F by the upper cutting edge 15 of the upper blade body 7 and the lower cutting edge 12 of the lower blade body 6, which reciprocate left and right, and is separated from the fish body. The cutting tool unit 2 is then advanced over the fin F until the entire length of the fin F is cut. When cutting of the fin F is complete, the operation of the reciprocating drive mechanism 20 is stopped. During cutting, the severed fin F moves backward along the guide frame 5.

[0044] During cutting, the lower blade body 6 moves with its lower surface 6d in contact with the body of the fish C, so the lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6 acts as a guide surface. The lower surface 6d of the lower blade body 6 moves along the fish body, stabilizing the posture and direction of movement of the processing machine 1 during cutting. Furthermore, when the lower blade body 6 comes into contact with the fish body, the amount by which the fish body bulges into the notch 11 of the lower blade body 6 is approximately constant, and the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is adjusted to be at the required cutting position for the fin F. Moreover, the fin F is sheared in the thickness direction by the lower cutting edge 12 and upper cutting edge 15, so it can be cut in an accurate position and a clean cut surface can be obtained.

[0045] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a transverse cross section of a lower blade body 6 according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing an enlarged view of the lower cutting edge 12 and its vicinity in a cross section corresponding to the cross section of the lower blade body 6 in Fig. 5. This lower cutting edge 12 has a cutting edge zone Z1 extending along the cutting edge 12a at a predetermined width from the cutting edge 12a, and a zone Z2 on the ridge 12c side of the cutting edge zone Z1. The inclination angle θ1 of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 in the cutting edge zone Z1 relative to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6 is different from the inclination angle θ2 of the surface 12b of the lower cutting edge 12 in the zone Z2 on the ridge 12c side of the cutting edge zone Z1 relative to the upper surface 6c of the lower blade body 6. The inclination angle θ1 in the cutting edge zone Z1 is set appropriately in consideration of the lifespan and sharpness of the cutting edge 12a, while the inclination angle θ2 in the zone Z2 is set appropriately in consideration of the capacity of fish to be accommodated between the left and right lower cutting edges 12. By dividing the cutting edge area Z1 into the other area Z2, the inclination angle θ1 can be set to a required angle regardless of the inclination angle θ2, so that the lower cutting edge 12 can be obtained with a long cutting edge life and excellent sharpness.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the reciprocating mechanism is not limited to one that uses a cam mechanism that converts rotational force into linear reciprocating motion, but may be one that uses electromagnetic force to linearly reciprocate a driven body. Furthermore, the upper blade member may be arranged to be swingable within a predetermined swing angle range around a shaft provided behind the lower blade member.

[0047] Furthermore, the direction in which the upper blade body 7 reciprocates is not limited to "the left-right direction of the lower blade body that advances toward the fin during cutting," but can be "a specific direction that intersects with the extension direction of the fin." In other words, the direction in which the upper blade body 7 reciprocates can be changed as appropriate as long as it is a direction other than the same direction as (a direction that does not intersect with) the extension direction of the fin, and a mode in which it diagonally intersects with the extension direction of the fin can be adopted, as shown in Figure 11.

[0048] Furthermore, the surfaces of the lower cutting edge and the upper cutting edge may be curved so that the center of the cutting width is convex, or curved so that the center of the cutting width is concave, or the areas other than the cutting edge area may be divided into two or more areas.

[0049] Furthermore, the shapes of the notches 11 of the lower blade member and the notches 14 of the upper blade member are not limited to the above-mentioned shapes, and may be formed from the front edge toward the inside. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the widths may be different between the front edge side and the inside side, or the center may be curved so that it is convex, or so that it is curved so that it is concave, or the notches may be asymmetrical.

[0050] Furthermore, the shapes of the notches 11 of the lower blade body and the notches 14 of the upper blade body may be different. For example, as shown in Figure 13, a lower blade body 6 having a notch 11 that is approximately perpendicular to the front edge 6a may be combined with an upper blade body 7 having a notch 14 that is inclined relative to the front edge 7a, so that a predetermined angle is formed between the cutting edge 12a of the lower blade body and the cutting edge 15a of the upper blade body.

[0051] Furthermore, the lower cutting edge 12 and the upper cutting edge 15 may be formed along at least one of the opposing side edges 11a, 14a of the notches 11, 14, and more specifically, may be formed on at least a portion of the notches 11, 14.

[0052] Furthermore, the body that detachably holds the blade portion may not have a handle and may be one that can be held by hand. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1...Processing machine 2...Cutting section 3...body; 3a...blade attachment part 4...Handle 5... guide frame; 5a... bottom plate; 5b... side plate 6…lower blade; 6a…front edge; 6b…rear edge; 6c…top surface; 6d…bottom surface 7...Upper blade body;7a...front edge;7b...rear edge;7c...upper surface;7d...lower surface 8...guide portion; 8a...pillar portion; 8b...guide surface 9...Pressing portion; 9a...Pressing plate; 9b...Compression coil spring; 9c...Bolt 10...Follower 11...notch of lower blade body; 11a...side edge; 11b...bottom edge 12...lower cutting edge; 12a...cutting edge of lower cutting edge; 12b...surface of lower cutting edge; 12c...ridge of lower cutting edge 13…Bottom cutting edge 14...Notch of upper blade body; 14a...Side edge; 14b...Bottom edge 15...upper cutting edge; 15a...cutting edge of upper cutting edge; 15b...surface of upper cutting edge; 15c...ridge of upper cutting edge 16...Bottom cutting edge 17…Guided part 20...Reciprocating drive mechanism 21...Operating shaft (eccentric shaft) 22...motor; 22a...output shaft 23...Drive shaft 24...Groove 25...Shaft coupling C...Fish F...fin S…Body wall (skin)

Claims

1. A processing machine for cutting fins protruding from the body wall of a fish, a plate-shaped lower blade body having a notch formed rearward from a front edge and a lower cutting edge formed along at least one of the side edges opposing the notch; a plate-shaped upper blade body slidably stacked on the upper surface of the lower blade body, the upper blade body having a notch formed rearward from the front edge and an upper cutting edge formed along at least one of the side edges opposing the notch; a guide portion provided on the lower blade body that guides the upper blade body in the left-right direction of the lower blade body that advances toward the fin during cutting; a reciprocating drive mechanism that reciprocates the upper blade body in the left-right direction between a cutting position where at least the cutting edge of the upper cutting blade passes the cutting edge of the lower cutting blade that forms a pair with the upper cutting blade, and a fin receiving position where at least a part of the notch of the lower blade body and the notch of the upper blade body overlap; A processing machine equipped with:

2. A processing machine for cutting fins protruding from the body wall of a fish, a plate-shaped lower blade body having a notch formed inward from a front edge and a lower cutting edge formed in at least a part of the notch; a plate-shaped upper blade body slidably stacked on the upper surface of the lower blade body, the upper blade body having a notch formed inward from a front edge and an upper cutting edge formed in at least a part of the notch; a reciprocating drive mechanism that reciprocates the upper blade body in a specific direction that intersects with the fin extension direction between a cutting position where at least the cutting edge of the upper cutting blade passes through the cutting edge of the lower cutting blade that forms a pair with the upper cutting blade, and a fin receiving position where at least a part of the notch of the lower blade body and the notch of the upper blade body overlap; A processing machine equipped with:

3. The processing machine according to claim 1 or 2, the lower cutting edge is formed as a single edge on the lower surface side along at least one of the opposing side edges of the notch of the lower blade body, the upper cutting edge is formed as a single edge on the upper surface side along at least one of the opposing side edges of the notch of the upper blade body, The lower blade body is characterized in that the angle of inclination of the surface of the lower cutting edge relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body is adjusted in accordance with the thickness of the lower blade body and the width of the notch in the lower blade body so that when the lower blade body is placed on the body wall and the fin is received in the notch in the lower blade body, the height of the upper surface of the lower blade body will be the same height as the desired cutting position of the fin.

4. The processing machine according to claim 3, The lower cutting edge has a cutting edge region extending along the cutting edge at a predetermined width from the cutting edge, and a region on the crest side of the cutting edge region, and the angle of inclination of the surface of the lower cutting edge in the cutting edge region relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body is different from the angle of inclination of the surface of the lower cutting edge in the crest side region of the cutting edge region relative to the upper surface of the lower blade body.

5. The processing machine according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A processing machine comprising a body having a handle or capable of being held by hand, for detachably holding the lower blade body, the upper blade body, and the blade section having the guide section.

6. The processing machine according to claim 5, further comprising: A processing machine comprising a guide frame that guides the fin cut by the blade portion to a position rearward and above the cutting position of the fin.

7. A processing method for cutting off fins protruding from a body wall of a fish using the processing machine according to claim 1 or 2.

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