Tofu packaging apparatus

Abstract

A kind of bean curd packing equipment is provided with: packing covering device (20), it covers multiple bean curd blocks (A1) with inverted package (P) respectively, and the multiple bean curd blocks are aligned with predetermined interval on the conveying surface of conveying conveyor (5) in front-back direction and left-right direction;And turnover device (30) is arranged in the downstream side of packing covering device, and the bean curd block covered with package is turned upside down. Set end holding part (23b) to keep package in inverted mode, and cover half of bean curd block with package. Turnover device (30) turns upside down the bean curd block covered with package and contains bean curd block into package. Therefore, it can accelerate package, and even for tender bean curd, fast and accurate packing is possible.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a tofu packaging apparatus that continuously and automatically performs a process from cutting a continuously manufactured sheet-shaped tofu to packaging the tofu. BACKGROUND

[0002] Generally, in the production process of soft tofu, soy milk as a raw material is coagulated and aged in a mold with the addition of a coagulant, and in the production process of hard tofu, soy milk is coagulated and aged in a suitable container such as a tub, a vat or a mold in the same manner. Then, the coagulated and aged product is poured into a mold so as to be compacted and shaped. Then, tofu is made by taking out the tofu from the mold, cutting into a predetermined size and packaging. In recent years, the number of continuous mass production lines has increased. In the continuous mass production line, a continuously coagulated and aged sheet-shaped soft tofu or a hard tofu obtained by being crushed and continuously pressed and shaped is cut into tofu pieces one by one, and each of the tofu pieces is packaged in a package.

[0003] An example of a tofu packaging apparatus in the related art is disclosed in Patent Literature 1. The automatic continuous tofu packaging apparatus according to Patent Literature 1 includes a cutting device (not shown) for cutting a shaped tofu in a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction in a water tank, a tofu guide device that guides the tofu pieces in one foremost lateral row (i.e., aligned tofu pieces) of the tofu pieces obtained by cutting the shaped tofu toward a packaging supply device installed outside the water tank, a transfer conveyor positioned on an extension line of the tofu guide device and guiding the tofu (aligned tofu pieces) in one lateral row supplied from the tofu guide device to the packaging supply device, and the packaging supply device that sequentially packages each of the transferred tofu pieces in one lateral row (aligned tofu pieces). By using this apparatus, it is possible to automatically and continuously perform a cutting process of the shaped tofu in the water tank and then perform a packaging process.

[0004] LIST OF CITATIONS

[0005] PATENT LITERATURE

[0006] Patent Literature 1: JP-A-S63-203516 SUMMARY

[0007] TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0008] However, in Patent Document 1, the tofu supply package is cut and conveyed from above. In this case, the package is supplied so as to be pressed against the tofu vertically from above, and at this time the tofu can be damaged due to the pressing operation of the package, which leads to a problem of deterioration of the yield. Therefore, high-speed packaging is difficult, and the upper limit of the processing capacity is 3,000 pieces / hour.

[0009] In addition, with this method of supplying the package, air is retained between the tofu and the package, so that when the package is quickly covered, the tofu is easily damaged by the increased air flow generated by the air in the package pushed out by the tofu. Therefore, the workability deteriorates due to the problems in the package covering process. As a method to solve this problem, for example, increasing the size of the package with respect to the size of the tofu to increase the gap therebetween will allow the air to be easily released. Alternatively, pressing the package more strongly against the tofu will accelerate the accommodation of the tofu in the package and improve the productivity. However, in the former solution, when the size difference between the tofu and the package is large, it is desirable from the viewpoint of operability in protecting the tofu and dispensing, but there are problems of deterioration of the appearance due to the large visible gap between the package and the tofu, and another problem of unnecessary increase in the transportation cost due to the increase in the amount of water in the package. In the latter solution, there is a problem of further increasing the risk of damaging the tofu due to the pressing. In particular, in the case of relatively soft tofu such as soft tofu, the air is hardly released, and the risk of damage increases, so that there is a great problem in achieving fast packaging with good yield.

[0010] In addition, the package supply device (so-called package supply magazine) of Patent Document 1 needs to be provided for each column of tofu of the arrangement, and in the case where the number of columns is large, the operation of supplying the package becomes complicated.

[0011] The present application was completed in view of the above-described circumstances, and aims to provide a tofu packaging apparatus that can accelerate the packaging and perform the packaging quickly and correctly even in the case where the tofu is soft.

[0012] Solution to the problem

[0013] The above-described object of the present application is achieved by the following configuration.

[0014] (1) A tofu packaging apparatus including: a package covering device configured to cover a plurality of tofu blocks each with a package in an inverted state, the plurality of tofu blocks being arranged at a predetermined interval along front, rear, left, and right on a conveying surface of a conveying conveyor; and a turnover device provided at a downstream side of the package covering device, the turnover device being configured to turn the tofu upside down while the tofu is covered with the package, wherein the package covering device includes a tip holding portion configured to hold the package in the inverted state and cover one half of the tofu with the package, and the turnover device is configured to turn the tofu covered with the package in the inverted state to store the tofu in the package.

[0015] (2) In the tofu packaging apparatus according to (1), the package covering device includes a robot having a parallel link mechanism or a SCARA mechanism configured to drive the tip holding portion three-dimensionally at a high speed while the tip holding portion holds the package.

[0016] (3) In the tofu packaging apparatus according to (1) or (2), the turnover device includes a turnover support portion configured to turn the conveying surface, and a package holding portion provided on the turnover support portion along the conveying surface, the package holding portion being configured to hold the package until the package is turned over.

[0017] (4) In the tofu packaging apparatus according to (1) or (2), the turnover device includes a turnover support portion configured to turn the conveying surface, and a package holding portion provided at a position facing the turnover support portion, the package holding portion being configured to: accommodate and hold the tofu covered with the package and slid from the conveying surface to accommodate and hold the tofu; and guide the tofu while fixedly supporting the tofu until the package is turned upside down, or rotationally move until the package is turned upside down.

[0018] (5) In the tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4), the package covering device includes a first image sensor configured to detect a state of the tofu.

[0019] (6) In the tofu packaging apparatus according to (5), in response to detection of an abnormality of the tofu not covered with the package as a result of image analysis of the tofu by the image sensor.

[0020] (7) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein two units of the packaging covering device are provided on the left and right sides in the width direction of the conveyance surface, or three units of the packaging covering device are provided on the center and the left and right sides in the width direction of the conveyance surface.

[0021] (8) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the packaging covering device covers the tofu with the packaging in an inclined posture with the downstream side of the packaging facing downward and the upstream side of the packaging facing upward.

[0022] (9) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the tofu has a hardness of 20 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 .

[0023] (10) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the packaging has a groove on an inner surface of the packaging, the groove extending at least from a bottom of the packaging toward an opening of the packaging.

[0024] (11) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (10), further comprising a packaging supply device configured to supply the packaging, wherein the packaging supply device includes at least one packaging supply library configured to store the packaging.

[0025] (12) The tofu packaging apparatus according to (11), wherein the packaging supply device includes a conveyer configured to continuously convey the packaging.

[0026] (13) The tofu packaging apparatus according to (11) or (12), wherein the packaging supply device includes a second image sensor configured to detect a state of the packaging.

[0027] (14) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (13), wherein the packaging covering device supports a dust and water proofing level of IP54 or a higher level.

[0028] (15) The tofu packaging apparatus according to any one of (1) to (14), wherein the packaging covering device includes a moving base.

[0029] Advantages of the Invention

[0030] According to the above (1) of the present application, since the end gripping portion is configured to grip the package in an inverted state and cover half of the tofu with the package, damage to the tofu when covered with the package can be reduced, and the tofu can be prevented from being damaged. Also, in the turning device, the tofu covered with the package is turned upside down and stored in the package without excessive force being applied to the tofu. Thus, in a state in which the tofu is contained in the package, during a process of changing the tofu from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture, air in a space between the package and the tofu is well released, and the tofu can be easily and smoothly stored in the package without causing the tofu to collapse.

[0031] According to the above (2) of the present application, the package covering device includes a robot having a parallel link mechanism or a SCARA mechanism configured to drive the end gripping portion in three dimensions at a high speed while the end gripping portion grips the package. Thus, the package can be covered at a high speed. In one reciprocating motion (cycle), the speed is 0.6 seconds or less, or 100 CPM or more.

[0032] According to the above (3) of the present application, the turning device includes a turning support portion configured to turn the conveying surface, and a package holding portion provided on the turning support portion along the conveying surface, the package holding portion being configured to hold the package until the package is turned. Thus, the package containing the tofu can be turned while being held on the conveying surface, so that the tofu can be stored in the package while being conveyed.

[0033] According to the above (4) of the present application, the turning device includes a turning support portion configured to turn the conveying surface, and a package holding portion provided at a position facing the turning support portion, the package holding portion being configured to: contain and hold the tofu, the tofu being covered with the package and sliding from the conveying surface to contain and hold the tofu; and guide the tofu while fixedly supporting the tofu until the package is turned upside down, or rotationally move until the package is turned upside down. Thus, the package containing the tofu can be turned while moving to a position away from the conveying surface.

[0034] According to the above (5) of the present application, the package covering device is provided with an image sensor capable of detecting a state (defect, foreign matter, bubble, orientation, posture, sag, etc.) of the tofu. Thus, the position, shape, orientation (inclination), etc. of the tofu can be measured and monitored, and based on the detection information, the package speed and accuracy can be improved by controlling the orientation of the package to be used to cover the tofu according to the orientation of the tofu.

[0035] According to the above (6) of the present application, in response to detection of an abnormality of the tofu as a result of image analysis of the tofu by the image sensor, the tofu is not covered with the package. Therefore, waste of the package can be eliminated, and unnecessary work of the inspector can be reduced, so that workability can be improved. Further, since the inspection work in the subsequent step can be reduced, the margin for inspection can be distributed and the reference level can be increased, so that the quality of the product can be improved.

[0036] According to the above (7) of the present application, since the package covering devices are respectively provided on both sides in the width direction of the conveying surface, the target area of the covering operation of the package can be divided into two in the left and right directions of the conveying surface, the operation range of the package covering devices can be reduced, so that the package covering operation can be accelerated. In addition, by widening the operation range in the row direction, the width of the conveying belt can be widened. Therefore, the number of the tofu arranged in the row direction can be increased, and the space can be saved without increasing the machine length, so that high production capacity can be achieved.

[0037] According to the above (8) of the present application, the package covering devices can always cover the tofu with the package in a posture in which the downstream side of the package is downward and the upstream side of the package is upward. As a result, since the package always covers the tofu with the downstream side downward, the tofu is inserted into the package obliquely at the time of turning over from the downstream side to the upstream side, the residual air between the package and the tofu is smoothly discharged. As a result, the package can be accelerated.

[0038] According to the above (9) of the present application, since the tofu has a hardness of 20 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 , the tofu can be quickly and accurately packaged even when the tofu is easily damaged. The tofu can have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a substantially cubic shape, or a substantially triangular prism shape, such as soft tofu, hard tofu, soft tofu, soft-hard tofu, grilled tofu obtained by grilling tofu, deep-fried soft tofu and deep-fried hard tofu obtained by grilling tofu of the above-described kinds, and puffed deep-fried tofu, and can be in a form in which one tofu piece is the minimum unit or a plurality of tofu pieces are stored in one package.

[0039] According to the above (10) of the present application, the package has a groove on the inner surface of the package, the groove extending at least from the bottom of the package toward the opening of the package. Therefore, when the tofu and the package are turned over in a state in which the air between the package and the tofu is released, the groove on the inner surface of the package serves as an air release path, so that the air is quickly released, and the tofu can be quickly, smoothly, and easily stored in the package.

[0040] According to the above (11) of the present application, the package supply device configured to supply the package is provided with a package supply magazine configured to store the package. The number of supply magazines can be one package supply device with at least one supply magazine regardless of the number of columns of tofu. If a sufficient amount of packages is set in one magazine, the operator can perform other work until the next replenishment. However, in recent tofu continuous production lines, the capacity exceeds 5,000 pieces / hour, and reaches 8,000 pieces / hour to 12,000 pieces / hour or more, the number of columns of tofu becomes 15 to 30, and the same number of package supply magazines as the number of columns of tofu is provided, the cost of the equipment increases, individual adjustments are required, the package needs to be set individually and manually, and a dedicated operator is required.

[0041] According to the above (12) of the present application, the package supply device includes a conveyor configured to continuously convey the package so that the package is continuously supplied, the package during movement is subjected to image analysis of the image sensor, and the end gripping portion of the robot can grasp the package. Thus, it is not necessary to stop the package, and acceleration is possible.

[0042] According to the above (13) of the present application, the package supply device includes a second image sensor configured to detect the state of the package. Thus, even when the package moves or tilts, the package can be accurately gripped and received according to the position or orientation of the package, and deformed or crushed packages can be removed.

[0043] According to the above (14) of the present application, the package covering device supports a dustproof and waterproof level of IP54 or higher. In terms of the IP standard, the package covering device supports IP54 or higher, preferably IP65 or higher. The ingress protection standard (IP standard) is a waterproof and dustproof standard for electronic devices defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission and also adopted by the Japanese Industrial Standards, and the support level is indicated by an indication such as IP00 to IP68, IP69, etc., and the dustproof index is indicated as the tenth place and the waterproof index is indicated as the first place. The larger the number, the more excellent the dustproof and waterproof function.

[0044] According to the above (15) of the present application, the package covering device includes a moving base. Preferably, there is a margin in the number of robots and the processing capacity so that other robots can compensate even when one robot fails. Since the production line has a high processing capacity, the disadvantage of time loss becomes large even in the case of a temporary failure. Therefore, the recovery function of compensation is important so that continuous production can continue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing an overall view of a tofu packaging apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present application.

[0046] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a perspective view of a main part of a tofu delivery part in the tofu packaging apparatus shown in

[0047] Figure 3 shows a package according to the present application, wherein Figure 3 (a) of Figure 3 (b) is a side view.

[0048] Figure 4 is a front view of a package covering device of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in Figure 1

[0049] Figure 5 is Figure 1 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in

[0050] Figure 6 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in Figure 1

[0051] Figure 7 is Figure 1 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in

[0052] Figure 8 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in Figure 1

[0053] Figure 9 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in Figure 1

[0054] Figure 10 is an enlarged side view of a main part of the tofu packaging apparatus shown in Figure 1

[0055] Figure 11 is a schematic side view showing a main part of a tofu packaging apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present application.

[0056] ​​​​​Figure 12 This is a schematic side view showing the main parts of a tofu packaging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 13 This is a schematic side view showing the main parts of a tofu packaging device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and a schematic side view showing the state in which the flipping device receives the package.

[0058] Figure 14 This is a schematic side view showing the main parts of a tofu packaging device according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and a schematic side view showing the state in which the flipping device flips the packaging.

[0059] Figure 15 This is a schematic side view showing the main part of the modification of the flipping device in the packaging equipment of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 16 This is a schematic side view showing the main part of the modification of the flipping device in the packaging equipment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0061] In the following, embodiments of the tofu packaging equipment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] (First Implementation)

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, the tofu packaging equipment 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first conveyor 3 that conveys the end of a continuous sheet of tofu A to a water tank 2; a cutting device 4 for sequentially cutting the continuous sheet of tofu A from its end in a suitable order in the longitudinal and transverse directions on land or in water to cut the tofu A into individual pieces of tofu A1; a second conveyor 5 that sequentially places the cut tofu A1 at intervals on land or in water and conveys the tofu A1; a packaging covering device 20 installed downstream of the second conveyor 5 and sequentially covers and packages the conveyed tofu A1 with packaging P; and a flipping device 30 installed downstream of the packaging covering device 20 and flips the packaging P (when the tofu A1 is half covered) up and down. The packaging equipment 1 also includes a delivery device 7, which can smoothly convey the continuous slices of tofu A (each piece of tofu A1 in the foremost row) cut by the cutting device 4 from the side of the first conveyor 3 to the side of the second conveyor 5.

[0064] The first conveying conveyor 3 serves to convey the end of the continuous sheet tofu A into the water tank 2 and to be curved at a predetermined slope from the vicinity of the peripheral portion of the rear side of the water tank 2 to enter the water tank 2. After the end of the continuous sheet tofu A conveyed into the water tank 2 by the first conveying conveyor 3 is cut into the size of an appropriate piece by the cutting device 4 in the water or on land, the second conveying conveyor 5 sequentially arranges the cut piece tofu Al and conveys the tofu Al outside (on land) of the water tank 2. In addition, on the downstream side of the second conveying conveyor 5, a packing cover device 20 that sequentially packs the conveyed tofu on land is installed to be designed to perform as many series of packing operation steps as possible on the second conveying conveyor 5 from the water to the semi-land or land. The cutting device is not limited as long as a method of cutting the continuous sheet tofu A into pieces one by one by using any one of devices (1) to (3) whether in the water or on land. In device (1), the end of the continuous sheet tofu A is cut longitudinally in the column direction and then cut into pieces one by one or into groups of pieces one by one in the transverse direction. In device (2), the end of the continuous sheet tofu A is cut into thick strip-shaped tofu dough having the width of a plurality of pieces in the transverse direction and then cut longitudinally and then cut into one unit piece in the transverse direction. In device (3), the end of the continuous sheet tofu A is cut into thick strip-shaped tofu dough having the width of a plurality of pieces in the transverse direction and then cut into one unit piece in the transverse direction and then cut into one unit piece in the column direction. The tofu can be cut into the size of one unit piece (the smallest unit) at a time with a grid of cutting blades. In addition, the packing apparatus 1 includes a distribution and arrangement device 11 (a transversely opened cutting blade, staggered arrangement, etc.) for distributing and arranging the piece tofu Al at intervals in the left, right, front, and rear on the second conveying conveyor 5 regardless of whether the tofu A or the like is in the water or on land.

[0065] In the present application, the direction of travel of the continuous sheet tofu is referred to as the longitudinal direction or the column direction, and the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel is referred to as the transverse direction or the row direction.

[0066] The continuous sheet tofu A conveyed by the first conveying conveyor 3 is cut in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction by a cutting device 4 continuously installed on the first conveying conveyor 3. The cutting device 4 includes, for example, auxiliary bases 4a, 4a provided on the extension line of the conveying surface 3a of the first conveying conveyor 3, and rotary blades 4b and press-cut blades 4c provided above the auxiliary bases 4a, 4a. Above the auxiliary bases 4a on the side closer to the first conveying conveyor 3 among the auxiliary bases 4a, a plurality of rotary blades 4b configured to cut the continuous sheet tofu A in the longitudinal direction are installed at predetermined intervals on a rotary shaft LI extending in the direction perpendicular to the advancing direction of the continuous sheet tofu A. When the continuous sheet tofu A is conveyed from the first conveying conveyor 3 and passes through the auxiliary bases 4a, the plurality of rotary blades 4b rotate to cut the continuous sheet tofu A in the longitudinal direction.

[0067] Next, a slight gap is provided between the auxiliary bases 4a, 4a, above which the press-cut blades 4c are installed to be movable up and down, so that the continuous sheet tofu A that has been cut in the longitudinal direction is further cut in the lateral direction. The press-cut blades 4c are installed on the tip portion of a rod that operates in the vertical direction, and are moved up and down when the continuous sheet tofu A cut in the longitudinal direction by the plurality of rotary blades 4b passes between the auxiliary bases 4a, 4a, to cut the continuous sheet tofu A in the lateral direction at predetermined lengths. The rotary blades 4b and the press-cut blades 4c cut the continuous sheet tofu A into one unit piece of tofu Al. Instead of the press-cut blades, a knife-type cutting blade that operates in the lateral direction can be provided.

[0068] Here, the continuous sheet tofu A can be cut in water, or cut in a "semi-underwater" state in which the continuous sheet tofu A is partially immersed in water on the side of the first conveying conveyor 3, but considering the deformation of the continuous sheet tofu A in the case of soft tofu, it is preferable to cut the continuous sheet tofu A in a state of being completely immersed in water, as it is easier to achieve cutting size accuracy. If a device that ensures cutting accuracy (for example, a device that fixes both end faces of the tofu with a holding plate during cutting, etc.) is used in combination, cutting in air (on land) without water is possible. In this case, some cutting devices are provided on the upstream side of the first conveying conveyor 3 to cut the continuous sheet tofu A, and the continuous sheet tofu A is conveyed in a cut state into the water tank 2. It is effective, for example, to replace the water in the water tank 2 with potable clean water such as tap water or well water, high-temperature water of 60°C or higher and 99°C or lower, or water prepared by containing hypochlorous acid (trade name: Haccpper water) or sodium hypochlorite in accordance with the food additive standards to have an effective concentration of 0.1 ppm to 200 ppm, or to use a sanitation device in combination, etc.

[0069] The cutting device for the continuous sheet tofu A is not limited to this form, and can be any device as long as it cuts the continuous sheet tofu A into a unit piece of tofu Al. For example, the cutting device 4 can include a first lateral cutting and dispensing device for cutting the end of the continuous sheet tofu A into a thick strip tofu group having a width of a plurality of pieces at the rear end of the first conveyance conveyor 3, and then can include a longitudinal cutting and dispensing device for conveying the thick strip tofu group to the second conveyance conveyor 5 and cutting the thick strip tofu group longitudinally to widen the interval in the lateral direction, and thereafter can include a second lateral cutting and dispensing device for cutting the tofu into a unit piece of tofu Al to widen the interval in the front-rear direction, so that the piece tofu Al is arranged one by one in the front, rear, left, and right with widened intervals (see JP-A-2014-207901).

[0070] Similarly, the cutting device 4 can include a first lateral cutting and dispensing device for cutting the end of the continuous sheet tofu A into a thick strip tofu group having a width of a plurality of pieces at the rear end of the first conveyance conveyor 3, and then can include a second lateral cutting and dispensing device for conveying the thick strip tofu group to the second conveyance conveyor 5 and further cutting the thick strip tofu group into a thin strip tofu group having a width of one piece to widen the interval in the front-rear direction, and thereafter can include a longitudinal cutting and dispensing device for cutting the thin strip tofu group into a unit piece of tofu Al to widen the interval in the lateral direction, so that the piece tofu Al is arranged piece by piece in the front, rear, left, and right with widened intervals.

[0071] The operation can be performed in the form of water, semi-water, semi-land, or land, or can be performed on land by these cutting and dispensing devices. There is no limitation as long as the device finally conveys the tofu Al one by one to the land and arranges the tofu Al in the front, rear, left, and right with intervals.

[0072] A positioning device can be used at the time of each cutting to cut the tofu accurately to the desired cutting size. In addition, a turnover mechanism can be appropriately provided to turn the thick strip tofu group, the thin strip tofu group, or the unit piece of tofu upside down by 180 degrees.

[0073] In the related art, in a package landing packaging device that makes tofu fall into a package below, since the bottom surface at the time of coagulation molding is smooth, a turnover mechanism for turning the tofu alone is provided to guide the bottom surface to the film surface of the package. In contrast, in the present application, a turnover mechanism for turning the tofu alone is not required, but is used after the tofu is naturally stored in the package so that the surface on which the film is applied serves as the bottom surface.

[0074] In Figure 1In the illustrated example, for each piece of tofu Al in the foremost horizontal row, the tofu Al obtained by cutting the continuous sheet of tofu A in water by means of the cutting device 4 is transferred from the first conveyer 3 side to the second conveyer 5 side by means of the delivery device 7. The delivery device 7 is installed between the first conveyer 3 and the second conveyer 5, and has a rotating plate 8 that receives the tofu Al in the foremost horizontal row from the first conveyer 3 side. The delivery device 7 includes a doctor conveyer 9 that is provided above the second conveyer 5, takes over the tofu Al received by the rotating plate 8, and guides the tofu Al to the second conveyer 5. Then, the delivery device 7 includes a guide auxiliary base 10 (see Figure 2 ) that is suspended between the rotating plate 8 and the second conveyer 5, and assists the doctor conveyer 9 in guiding each piece of tofu Al to the second conveyer 5.

[0075] The rotating plate 8 that receives the tofu Al in the foremost horizontal row from the first conveyer 3 side is provided so that the center of the rotation axis L2 of the rotating plate 8 is installed near the intersection of the extension line of the first conveyer 3 (its conveyance surface 3a) and the extension line of the second conveyer 5 (its conveyance surface 5s). The rotating plate 8 has a plurality of blades 8a installed at equal intervals. The blades 8a have a comb structure, and can rotate around the rotation axis L2 without being affected by the doctor conveyer 9 and the guide auxiliary base 10 described below. The number of blades 8a of the rotating plate 8 is two in the illustrated example, but can be about 1 to 6. Figure 2

[0076] The doctor conveyer 9 that takes over the tofu Al received by the rotating plate 8 and guides the tofu Al to the second conveyer 5 is installed above the second conveyer 5 in parallel with the second conveyer 5 (its conveyance surface 5s). The doctor conveyer 9 has a plurality of doctors 9a arranged at predetermined intervals, and each doctor 9a takes over the tofu Al received from the first conveyer 3 side by the blades 8a of the rotating plate 8, and guides the tofu Al to the second conveyer 5. Here, the blades 8a of the rotating plate 8 have a comb structure as described above, but each doctor 9a also has a comb structure, and the comb structure of the doctor 9a has combs corresponding to the positions of the combs of the blades 8a, so that the blades 8a and the doctors 9a do not contact each other.

[0077] ​A guide assisting base 10, which initially assists the doctor conveyor 9 in guiding the tofu Al from the water to the land in synchronization with the second conveying conveyor 5, is installed to be suspended between the rotating plate 8 and the second conveying conveyor 5. After the doctor blade 9a of the doctor conveyor 9 takes over the tofu Al from the blade 8a of the rotating plate 8, until the doctor blade 9a reaches the second conveying conveyor 5, the guide assisting base 10 serves as a guide path for the tofu Al. Here, the guide assisting base 10 has a comb structure having combs corresponding to the positions of the combs of the blade 8a of the rotating plate 8, so that even when the blade 8a of the rotating plate 8 rotates, there is no possibility that the blade 8a and the guide assisting base 10 contact each other.

[0078] The delivery device 7 (the rotating plate 8, the doctor conveyor 9, and the guide assisting base 10) allows the tofu Al to be smoothly conveyed from the first conveying conveyor 3 side to the second conveying conveyor 5 side. That is, among the tofu Al cut in the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction by the cutting device 4, the rotating plate 8 receives the pushed-out tofu Al in the foremost lateral row while rotating the blade 8a. Then, each of the tofu Al received in the lateral row is delivered to the doctor blade 9a of the doctor conveyor 9. Each doctor blade 9a of the doctor conveyor 9 guides each piece of tofu Al along the guide assisting base 10 to the second conveying conveyor 5 side. When the rotating plate 8 rotates 180 degrees, the blade 8a of the rotating plate 8 again receives the tofu Al in the foremost lateral row from the first conveying conveyor 3 side and delivers the tofu Al to the doctor blade 9a of the doctor conveyor 9. In this way, even when the continuous sheet-shaped tofu A is continuously advanced into the sink 2, the cut continuous sheet-shaped tofu A can be smoothly delivered to the packaging line, i.e., the second conveying conveyor 5, so that the operation efficiency of the entire apparatus 1 can be maintained at a high level.

[0079] The second conveying conveyor 5 is provided with an interlacing arrangement device 11 that temporarily stops the tofu Al in the lateral row that is conveyed while being longitudinally cut and conveyed side by side to the conveying conveyor 5 every other row, so as to be interlaced in front, rear, left, and right widened intervals of the tofu Al. At least one of the interlacing arrangement device 11 is provided in front of a wrapping cover device 20 installed on the downstream side of the second conveying conveyor 5, and has an interlacing arrangement plate 11a rotatably installed on a rotation shaft 11c orthogonal to the advancing direction of the tofu Al. The interlacing arrangement plate 11a has a comb structure having combs in conformity with the left and right widths of each piece of tofu Al. In addition, the upper end portion of the interlacing arrangement plate 11a is rotatably connected to a stretchable rod 11b (of a driving cylinder).

[0080] When each block of tofu A1 in the lateral row is about to be passed by the second conveyer 5 and is delivered side by side, the rod lib first contracts upward, and the upper end of the staggered arrangement plate 11a connected to the rod lib also moves upward. Therefore, the staggered arrangement plate 11a rotates in the upright direction around the rotation axis 11c, and every other block of tofu A1 in the lateral row is stopped. A portion of the tofu A1 is stopped in its position by the staggered arrangement plate 11a, and the other tofu A1, which is not stopped, advances. Therefore, the tofu A1, which was previously arranged side by side in the lateral row with the left and right sides almost in close contact with each other, is now arranged in a staggered arrangement with intervals in the front, rear, left, and right. Then, the staggered arrangement plate 11a is rotated in the opposite direction to the above, and the staggered arrangement of tofu A1 is conveyed to the package covering device 20 while maintaining the arrangement of the tofu A1.

[0081] By the staggered arrangement device 11, the tofu A1 conveyed in a side-by-side state in the lateral row is placed in a staggered arrangement so that the tofu A1 is spaced apart from each other, the space for covering the package P by the package covering device 20 can be secured, and the package covering can be smoothly performed.

[0082] In addition, in the case of manufacturing soft tofu, it is desirable that the auxiliary conveyer 12 be provided above the second conveyer 5 to assist in conveying the wet and slippery soft tofu.

[0083] The hardness (breaking force) of the tofu A1 in the present embodiment is 20 gf / cm 2 to 200 gf / cm 2 , more preferably 20 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 , measured by a breaking force measurement near the rear end of the continuous sheet tofu A. Then, in the present specification, the soft tofu A1 refers to tofu in a state of being deformed in that it is sagging when placed on the conveyance surface 5s to form a trapezoidal shape or tilt in a side view, i.e., 20 gf / cm 2 to 60 gf / cm 2 , and the hard tofu A1 refers to tofu in a state of being placed on the conveyance surface 5s to reliably maintain a square state without deformation, i.e., 60 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 or more. The breaking force measurement is a field determination in a warm state at a core temperature of 50°C to 80°C at the outlet of the molding machine or immediately before packaging, and a simple physical property measuring device, a portable hardness tester, a dynamometer, or the like can be appropriately used. Although depending on the manufacturing conditions, the hardness after heating and cooling after packaging is about 1.5 to 3 times.

[0084] As Figure 3As shown, the packaging P used in this embodiment includes a packaging flange portion Pf on the opening side opposite to the bottom Pb, and the sidewall portion Pw has a shape that is slightly widened from the bottom Pb toward the opening side, and includes a groove Pg from the bottom Pb toward the opening side.

[0085] The packaging covering device 20 covers each piece of tofu A1 in a staggered arrangement with packaging P. (Example) Figure 4 As shown, in the packaging covering device 20, a support rail 21 is suspended above a second conveyor 5 driven by a motor 5m in the width direction of the conveyor. A movable base 22 is slidably mounted on the support rail 21, and a parallel linkage mechanism 23 is mounted on the movable base 22. That is, the packaging covering device 20 includes a robot with a parallel linkage mechanism 23 comprising three linkage axes 23a that three-dimensionally drive an end-gripping portion 23b that grips the packaging P. The end-gripping portion 23b is not particularly limited as long as it can firmly grip the packaging in the same orientation. The end-gripping portion 23b can be an suction type that draws and adsorbs the packaging P using suction cups, a clamp type that uses two to four fingers to grip the packaging P, or a combination of suction and clamp types. The movable base 22 and the end-gripping portion 23b can also be provided with horizontal or vertical rotation axes, and can have a total of four to six control axes to provide degrees of freedom. Additionally, a parallel linkage mechanism is preferred, but a SCARA robot may also be used, provided that the SCARA robot is a high-speed robot capable of performing 100 or more reciprocating motions per minute (100 CPM) over a horizontal distance of 200 mm to 300 mm. More preferably, the SCARA robot is a high-speed robot capable of performing 100 or more reciprocating motions per minute (100 CPM) over a horizontal distance of 0.5 m to 1.5 m.

[0086] The support track 21 can be used to surround the conveyor 5 and the robot with a cover to prevent hazards, prevent foreign objects from entering, and perform automated cleaning with cleaning functions inside the cover. Additionally, the robot mounted above the tofu is preferably a robot with hygiene standards for food factories, such as dustproof standards to prevent grease or foreign objects from falling, or waterproof standards that allow the robot itself to be washed with water or cleaned with chemical solutions (CIP cleaning). According to IP standards, the packaging cover device 20 supports IP54 or higher, preferably IP65 or higher. In related technologies, the robot itself is mounted in the form of being covered by a cover, but the cover itself may deteriorate and become damaged, leading to the entry of foreign objects.

[0087] The package covering device 20 includes an image sensor 24 (camera device) on the moving base 22, which captures an image of each piece of tofu Al flowing on the conveying surface 5s. The package P can be accurately covered on each piece of tofu Al according to the position of each piece of tofu Al imaged by the image sensor 24. Although not shown in the figure, an illumination member of the image sensor 24 can be appropriately provided.

[0088] The image of the tofu Al is analyzed based on a detection signal from the image sensor 24. Therefore, in response to detection of an abnormality of the tofu Al based on the image analysis, a process is performed so that the tofu Al is not covered with the package P. As used herein, the abnormality of the tofu Al refers to, for example, detection of tofu Al having a small size (cut size), tofu Al cut and deformed into a trapezoidal shape or a diamond shape, tofu Al collapsed or broken, or tofu Al having a large number of air bubbles on a cut surface or having foreign matter adhered thereto. In addition, by performing image analysis on an image signal immediately before each piece of tofu Al on the second conveyance conveyor 5, the covering position of the package P by the tip holding portion 23b with respect to the tofu Al is corrected even if there is a slightly displaced piece of tofu Al, and the package covering is accurately performed.

[0089] The image of the package P is also analyzed based on a detection signal of the second image sensor 25. Therefore, when an inclination or an abnormality of the package P is detected based on the image analysis, a process is performed so that the package P is not gripped. As used herein, the abnormality of the package P refers to, for example, deformation, overlap, inversion, or a different size of the package P, or the package P having foreign matter adhered thereto. In addition, by performing image analysis on an image signal immediately before each package P on the package supply conveyor 40, the gripping position of the package P by the tip holding portion 23b with respect to the package P is corrected even if there is a package P with a slightly poor posture or displaced, and the package P is correctly gripped. The image sensor 24 and the second image sensor 25 can be the same, or can be provided separately. In addition, it is preferable to provide one image sensor for one robot, or one image sensor for the package P, and two image sensors for the tofu A, and the number of robots, the number of image sensors, and the correspondence therebetween are not particularly limited.

[0090] In addition, two package covering devices 20 are installed on the left and right in the conveyor width direction. Therefore, the operation area of the two package covering devices 20 is divided into two in the left and right width direction of the conveyor. Here, because the arrangement width of the tofu Al is in the range of 1.0 meters to 3.0 meters, and the operation accuracy is within ±2.0 millimeters, preferably within ±0.2 millimeters, and more preferably within ±0.02 millimeters, the horizontal movement range of the package covering device 20 is set in the range of, for example, 0.5 meters to 1.5 meters.

[0091] The package P is supplied by a package supply conveyor (package supply device) 40 provided on both sides of the second conveying conveyor 5 in the width direction. It is preferable that the same number of package supply conveyors 40 as the number of package covering devices 20 be provided, that is, the ratio of the number of package covering devices 20 to the number of package supply conveyors 40 is 1:1. However, the number of package covering devices 20 to the number of package supply conveyors 40 can be provided in a ratio of 1:2, 1:3, 2:1, 3:1, etc. Since one package supply conveyor 40 is provided with at least one package supply magazine that stores a large number of empty packages, an operator who supplies empty packages can concentrate on one magazine and reduce the burden. Once the magazine is replenished to a certain extent, the package supply device on the opposite side can be replenished with packages P, or other operations can be performed for a certain period of time.

[0092] Although Figure 4 The package supply conveyor 40 shown is shown as supplying the package P in the conveyor width direction (a direction orthogonal to the second conveying conveyor 5), but the package supply conveyor 40 can also extend to cover the upper side of the second conveying conveyor 5, or can also straddle the second conveying conveyor 5. In addition, as Figure 5 As shown in the following drawings, the package supply conveyor 40 can be configured to supply the package P along the conveying direction of the package P of the second conveying conveyor 5. In addition, the package P is supplied to a height substantially the same as the start position of the package P. That is, it is advantageous to supply the tofu Al horizontally at the shortest distance along the conveying direction of the tofu Al of the second conveying conveyor 5 without moving up and down. In addition, it is more efficient and more desirable to take into account the case where a plurality of packages P are simultaneously gripped.

[0093] In addition, the parallel link mechanism 23 (of the robot) and the SCARA mechanism (not shown) (of the robot) of the present embodiment desirably are robots having a high-speed processing capability (ability to be driven at high speed) of 100 reciprocations (100 CPM) or more over a horizontal distance of, for example, 0.2 m to 3 m, preferably 0.5 m to 1.5 m, in horizontal reciprocation. As used herein, high-speed processing refers to a processing capability of 4000 pieces to 6000 pieces or more per hour with one package covering device 20. If there are two units, three units, four units, etc., the processing capability is twice, three times, four times, etc. In the unlikely event, it is preferable to have a margin in the number of robots and the processing capability so that even when one robot fails, the other robots can compensate. In this case, the moving base 22 is adjusted so that the arrangement of the remaining robots can be adjusted so as to fall within the operating range regardless of where the package P or the tofu A is positioned. A multi-joint (serial link mechanism) robot can be used as long as it can process at the same speed or higher.

[0094] The flipping device 30 includes: a flipping support portion 31, which is a roller configured to flip the conveying surface 5s of the second conveyor 5; an arc-shaped packaging holding portion 32, which is disposed along the conveying surface 5s positioned on the flipping support portion 31 and holds the package P until the package P is flipped; and a connecting chute 33, which discharges the flipped package P at the downstream end of the packaging holding portion 32. The package P discharged by the connecting chute 33 is conveyed to the next processing step (packaging step) via the third conveyor 50.

[0095] The operation of the packaging covering device 20 and the flipping device 30 will be described.

[0096] The following description will cover cases where tofu A1 is smaller than the size of packaging P. Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 (In cases where there is a gap of 5mm or more between the tofu and the internal dimensions of the packaging), and the tofu A1 is larger than the dimensions of the packaging P. Figure 8 (The gap between the tofu and the internal dimensions of the packaging is less than 5mm), and the tofu A1 is slightly droopy and soft. Figure 9 The tensile strength of tofu is 60 gf / cm. 2 Up to 100gf / cm 2 ), and the tofu's softness and significant sagging ( Figure 10 The breaking force of tofu is 20 gf / cm. 2 Up to 60gf / cm 2 ).

[0097] First, the overall operation of the packaging covering device 20 will be described.

[0098] When each piece of tofu A1 arranged at predetermined intervals on the conveying surface 5s flows to the vicinity of the packaging covering device 20, the image sensor 24 detects the tofu A1 covered by the packaging P, and based on the detection information, drives the end clamping part 23b of the packaging covering device 20 according to the position of the tofu A1.

[0099] In this packaging covering device 20, the movable base 22 moves toward the packaging supply conveyor 40, and when the packaging P is in an inverted state (the opening of the packaging P is facing downwards), the end clamping portion 23b clamps the packaging P. Thereafter, as... Figure 5 As shown, the movable base 22 moves to approach directly above the tofu A1, and the package P is positioned substantially directly above the tofu A1. The movable base 22 can be omitted when the operating range of the end clamping portion 23b of the packaging covering device 20 is sufficiently wide.

[0100] Then, asFigure 6 As shown, the driving parallel link mechanism 23 is extended to bring the package P close to the upper side of the tofu Al. After this operation, as shown (similar to Figure 7 Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 ), the package P is released from the grip by the tip grip portion 23b, and the package P falls. At this time, the package P does not forcefully press against the tofu Al, but gently falls due to its own weight to cover the tofu Al.

[0101] Next, a case in which the tofu Al is smaller in size than the package P will be described.

[0102] In this case, when the package P falls from directly above the tofu Al, the package P covers the tofu Al so as to float up from the conveyance surface 5s, or the package P is slightly caught so as to be slightly tilted, or one end of the package P contacts the conveyance surface 5s. That is, as shown Figure 5 to Figure 7 , a state in which the package P is laid flat on the tofu Al, or a state in which the package P is tilted on the tofu Al in the front, rear, left, and right to cover the tofu Al occurs.

[0103] Next, a case in which the tofu Al is larger in size than the package P (a gap between the package and the tofu is less than 5 mm) will be described with reference to Figure 8 .

[0104] In this case, even if the package is positioned directly above the tofu Al, the package P falls slightly from the downstream side. As a result, the upstream side of the package P is caught on the upstream end of the tofu Al. Therefore, the package P covers in a tilted state in which the upstream side of the package P is in a floating appearance. In some cases, as shown Figure 8 , the downstream end of the package P contacts the conveyance surface 5s.

[0105] Next, a case in which the tofu Al is slightly sagging and soft (60 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 ) will be described with reference to Figure 9 .

[0106] In this case, since the tofu Al is slightly large on the lower side, when the package P falls from directly above the tofu Al, the package P can be slightly tilted, but almost all of the package P is in a state of covering the tofu Al to float up from the conveyance surface 5s.

[0107] Next, a case in which the tofu Al is soft and greatly sagging (20 gf / cm 2 to 60 gf / cm 2 ) will be described with reference to Figure 10 .

[0108] ​In this case, the tofu Al has a large sag on the lower side, is flat overall, and has a fairly large planar size (larger than Figure 9 the size in the package P). Therefore, when the package P falls from directly above the tofu Al, the package P can be slightly tilted, but as Figure 10 shown, almost all of the package P is in a state of covering the tofu Al with a large appearance of floating.

[0109] As described above, in the present embodiment, the tofu Al is covered with the package P under various conditions of the hardness of the tofu Al, but in any case, the tofu Al is conveyed to the turnover device 30 in a state of being covered with the package P halfway.

[0110] Next, the turnover device 30 will be described.

[0111] In the turnover device 30, the package P is raised from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture in a state where the bottom Pb is held by the package holding portion 32, and continues to be turned over to become the horizontal posture again. At this time, while the package P is moving, the bottom Pb of the package P is always held, and the tofu Al in the package P is restricted by the conveying surface 5s at a position on the opening side of the package P. Therefore, the tofu Al falls downward (moves downward) in the package due to gravity. As a result, most of the air accumulated between the package P and the tofu Al is quickly discharged to the outside along the side wall portion Pw on the upper side of the package P and the recess Pg. As a result, the tofu Al is quickly stored in the package P.

[0112] The package P that accommodates the tofu Al and is turned over so as to wrap under the belt of the second conveyance conveyor 5 is conveyed to a packaging machine (not shown) in which the opening side of the package P faces and is sealed with a film.

[0113] As described above, in the packaging apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, since the package covering device 20 covers the tofu Al halfway with the package P by the tip holding portion 23b, damage to the tofu Al when it is covered with the package can be reduced, and damage to the tofu Al can be avoided. Further, in the turnover device 30, the tofu Al covered with the package P is turned over upside down and stored in the package without applying a force to the tofu Al, so that in a state where the tofu Al is accommodated in the package P, air in the space sandwiched between the package P and the tofu Al is well released in the process of changing the tofu Al from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture, and the tofu Al can be easily and smoothly stored in the package P without causing the tofu Al to collapse.

[0114] In addition, the package covering device 20 according to the present embodiment includes a parallel link mechanism 23 or a SCARA mechanism (not shown) configured to drive the end gripping portion 23b gripping the package P in three dimensions at a high speed, and thus has a high-speed processing capacity of 100 CPM or more, and can cover and store the warm soft tofu having a breaking force of 20 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 at an extremely high speed and high precision with the package P. Accordingly, although the number of packages is limited to 3,000 pieces / hour in the related art, the number of packages of the tofu Al can be significantly increased to, for example, 4,000 pieces / hour to 12,000 pieces / hour or more.

[0115] In the present embodiment, the turnover device 30 includes a turnover support portion 31 configured to turn over the conveying surface 5s and a package holding portion 32 provided on the turnover support portion 31 along the conveying surface 5s and holding the package P until the package P is turned over, so that the package P containing the tofu Al can be turned over while being held on the conveying surface 5s, and the tofu Al can be stored in the package while being conveyed.

[0116] In the present embodiment, the image sensor 24 capable of detecting the state of the tofu Al is provided, so that the position, shape, and the like of the tofu Al can be measured and monitored, and the speed and precision of the packaging can be improved based on the detection information of the image sensor 24.

[0117] In the present embodiment, when the image of the tofu Al is analyzed by the image sensor 24 and an abnormality of the tofu Al is detected, the tofu Al is not covered with the package P, so that unnecessary operations can be reduced, workability can be increased, and yield can be improved. As a result, the inspection operation in the subsequent step can be reduced, and the quality of the product can be improved.

[0118] Since the package covering device 20 according to the present embodiment is provided on both left and right sides in the width direction of the conveying surface 5s, the area covered with the package P can be divided into two parts in the left and right directions of the conveying surface 5s, the operation range of the package covering device 20 can be reduced, and the package covering operation can be significantly accelerated. Of course, the package covering device 20 can be provided on only one side, even though the capacity is slightly reduced.

[0119] In the package covering device 20 according to the present embodiment, as the hardness at the outlet of the molding machine in a warm state, since the hardness (breaking force) of the tofu is 20 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 , preferably 30 gf / cm 2 to 80 gf / cm 2Therefore, even if the tofu Al is soft, easily sagging, and easily damaged, the tofu Al can be quickly and accurately packed.

[0120] Since the package P in the present embodiment has the groove Pg extending on the inner surface of the package at least from the bottom Pb toward the opening side, when the tofu Al and the package P are turned over in a state where the tofu Al is covered with the package P, and air trapped between the package P and the tofu Al is released, the groove Pg serves as an air release path, and the air is quickly released. As a result, the tofu Al can be easily, quickly, and smoothly stored in the package P.

[0121] In the related art, when the tofu Al falls into the package P, the gap between the tofu Al and the package P needs to be about 5 to 10 mm, but in the present embodiment, the air can be easily released so that the dimensional difference between the tofu Al and the package P can be reduced to less than 5 mm. According to the present embodiment, this dimensional difference can be significantly reduced from 5 to 10 mm to 1 to 4.9 mm. In addition, therefore, the tofu Al can be more reliably held by the package P, and the size of the package P can be reduced.

[0122] (Second Embodiment)

[0123] Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 11 and Figure 12 .

[0124] Figure 11 A soft and sagging tofu Al is shown, Figure 12 A hard tofu is shown. In Figure 11 and Figure 12 , the same components as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0125] The package covering device 20 in the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the package P covers the tofu Al in a posture with the downstream side of the package facing downward and the upstream side of the package facing upward. That is, even in the first embodiment, it is possible that the downstream side of the package P accidentally falls downward, but in the case of the present embodiment, all of the packages P are always in a posture with the downstream side facing downward and the upstream side facing upward.

[0126] First, a soft and sagging tofu Al shown in Figure 11 will be described.

[0127] In this configuration, after package P is clamped by end clamping portion 23b, end clamping portion 23b tilts via parallel linkage mechanism 23. Therefore, with package P tilted by a predetermined amount, package P is positioned essentially directly above tofu A1. At this time, the upstream-downstream position of package P is positioned downstream of tofu A1. Then, the clamping of package P is released, allowing package P to fall. Here, since tofu A1 droops slightly more downwards, the downstream end of package P covers tofu A1 to be positioned at or near the downstream end of tofu A1. As a result, package P significantly floats on tofu A1, and the entire package P separates from the conveying surface 5s, or a portion of package P contacts the conveying surface 5s; however, the way package P covers tofu A1 is such that all of package P is in a posture with the downstream side downwards and the upstream side upwards. As the package P and tofu A1 are received by the flipping device 30, the gap between the flipping support portion 31 and the flipping device 30 forms a narrow channel. Near the vertical position of the package P and tofu A1, the gap is formed on the upper side (upstream side) between the package P and tofu A1, while the tofu droops slightly downwards (downstream side), deeply covering the upstream side of the package P over the upstream side of the tofu A1. Therefore, tofu A1 and package P are almost completely together from the downstream side of tofu A1 to the upstream side, and the flipping of package P is completed.

[0128] Next, we will describe Figure 12 The tofu A1 shown.

[0129] Aside from a slight difference in how the packaging P is covered, this situation is similar to... Figure 11 The situation is exactly the same. That is, when tofu A1 is firm, tofu A1 does not sag, preventing the lower part of tofu A1 from expanding significantly. As a result, as shown... Figure 12 As shown, the packaging P is covered such that the open end located on the downstream side of the packaging P is always in contact with the conveying surface 5s.

[0130] In this embodiment, after the packaging P is covered, the flipping performed by the flipping device 30 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0131] As described above, the wrapping covering device 20 in the present embodiment is always able to cover the bean curd Al with the wrapping P in the same state in which the posture of the downstream side of the wrapping P is downward and the posture of the upstream side of the wrapping P is upward. As a result, since the wrapping P is always inclined to cover the bean curd Al from the downstream side, the bean curd Al is inclined to be inserted into the wrapping P from the downstream side to the upstream side at the time of the turnover, the residual air between the wrapping P and the bean curd Al is smoothly discharged. As a result, the wrapping can be accelerated. In the present embodiment, the gap between the turnover support portion 31 and the turnover device 30 is not always necessary to be formed as a narrow passage. In addition, the bean curd Al can not be covered with the wrapping P with high precision, the wrapping P can not be inclined, but the bean curd Al can be covered with the wrapping P transferred to the downstream side, the wrapping P performing horizontal covering or the wrapping P performing inclined covering can be mixed.

[0132] (Third Embodiment)

[0133] Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 13 and Figure 14 .

[0134] In Figure 13 and Figure 14 , the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0135] As Figure 13As shown, the turnover device 30a according to the present embodiment includes a turnover support portion 31 configured to turn over the conveying surface 5s, a package holding portion 35 provided at a position facing the turnover support portion 31, the package holding portion 35 being configured to accommodate and hold the tofu Al covered with the package P and slid from the conveying surface 5s to accommodate the tofu Al and to be rotationally moved until the package P is turned upside down, a chute portion 36 configured to put the tofu Al from the conveying surface 5s into the package holding portion 35, and a connecting chute 33 configured to feed the turned package P from the package holding portion 35. The chute portion 36 includes an upper plate and a lower plate and functions as a narrow passage to allow the tofu Al covered with the package P to be covered deeper with the package P from the receiving side toward the discharging side. Then, the package holding portion 35 includes a rotation shaft 34 at a downstream side of the chute portion 36 and has two package accommodation portions 35c that receive the tofu Al from the chute portion 36 and accommodate the tofu Al. The lower plate of the chute portion 36 has a downward slope so that the tofu Al covered with the package P easily slides. The lower plate of the chute portion 36 can be provided with a large number of small holes for spraying water or air to reduce frictional resistance, or can be provided with a sprinkling device that appropriately sprinkles water from above. In addition, in a case where the lower plate of the chute portion 36 extends in a substantially horizontal direction, the two package accommodation portions 35c can be configured in a comb blade shape, a pushing device can be separately provided to perform a pushing and feeding operation in engagement with the comb blade feeding plate.

[0136] In the thus configured turnover device 30a, first, the tofu Al covered with the package P halfway from the second conveyance conveyor 5 is covered deeper with the package P via the chute portion 36 and accommodated in the package holding portion 35. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the package holding portion 35 is rotated about the rotation shaft 34 in the clockwise direction in the figure while holding the tofu Al covered with the package P. By this rotation, the package P is turned upside down in a state held by the upper and lower wall surfaces of the package accommodation portion 35c. Then, the turned package P is conveyed to the third conveyance conveyor 50 side via the connecting chute 33. On the other hand, the other package accommodation portion 35c of the package holding portion 35 is in a state capable of receiving the next package P corresponding to the chute portion 36. The turnover device 30a thereby conveys the package P while rotating. Figure 14

[0137] ​According to the configuration of the present embodiment, therefore, the turnover device 30a includes a turnover support portion 31 configured to turn over the conveyance surface 5s, and a package holding portion 35 provided at a position facing the turnover support portion 31, which slides the tofu Al covered with the package P from the conveyance surface 5s to accommodate the tofu Al, and also holds the tofu Al to move the tofu Al rotationally until the package P is turned over upside down, so that the package P accommodating the tofu Al can be turned over while moving to a position away from the conveyance surface 5s.

[0138] In the turnover device 30 according to the above-described first embodiment, the package holding portion 32 is formed of an arc-shaped plate member, and, as a modification, the configuration shown in Figure 15 and Figure 16 may also be employed. In Figure 15 and Figure 16 , the same components as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0139] In the turnover device 30b shown in Figure 15 , an endless belt 32a is provided at a position facing the turnover support portion 31 so that the package P can be turned over. The belt 32a is rotationally driven so as to rotate in accordance with the movement of the package P. In the case of the present modification, the portion holding the bottom Pb of the package P moves in accordance with the movement of the package P, and the elasticity and the slack-adjusted tension of the belt 32a allow the package P to be turned over and conveyed while being gently held.

[0140] In the turnover device 30c shown in Figure 16 , a plurality of rotation rollers 38 rotationally driven are provided in an arc shape at a position facing the turnover support portion 31. It is preferable that the distance between the turnover support portion 31 and the rotation rollers 38 be formed as a narrow passage from the receiving side toward the discharging side. In this case, the package P is turned over while the bottom Pb of the package P is held by the rotation rollers 38. Further, in the case of the present modification, since the portion holding the bottom Pb of the package P is the rotation rollers 38 arranged continuously, the rotation rollers 38 are able to impart a slight vibration to the package P, and are able to turn over and convey the package P by imparting a slight vibration while the package P is fed. As a result, the discharge of air between the package P and the tofu Al can be promoted.

[0141] Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above, the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, although the image sensor 24 is provided in the package covering device 20 in the above-described embodiments, the present application is not particularly limited thereto, and a plurality of image sensors 24 can be provided.

[0142] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a case in which the packaging covering device 20 grips one package P is described in the drawings, but a plurality of packages P can be simultaneously gripped to perform the covering process.

[0143] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the parallel link mechanism is a robot using four axes of link shafts, but the number of axes (degrees of freedom) can be appropriately increased, such as an axis that rotates the end gripping portion that grips the package or an axis that tilts the end gripping portion, and the number of link shafts is not limited thereto. In addition, instead of the robot having the parallel link mechanism 23, a horizontal multi-joint robot (SCARA robot (3 to 5 axes)) or a vertical multi-joint robot (serial link robot (3 to 7 axes)) can be used, as long as the robot has a high-speed processing capability of 100 CPM or more.

[0144] The shape of the bottom Pb of the package P is not limited to the illustrated shape, and for example, a groove can be formed in the bottom Pb, and the groove of the bottom Pb and the groove of the side wall portion Pw can form a continuous groove.

[0145] In the turnover device 30a according to the above-described third embodiment, the package holding portion 35 has a configuration in which a pair of package accommodation portions 35c are formed on opposite sides at 180 degrees with respect to the center of the rotation shaft 34, but the package accommodation portion 35c can also have a configuration of one or more than two, instead of two.

[0146] LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0147] 1 Tofu packaging apparatus

[0148] 3 First conveyance conveyor

[0149] 5 Second conveyance conveyor (conveyance conveyor)

[0150] 5s Conveyance surface

[0151] 20 Packaging covering device

[0152] 21 Support rail

[0153] 22 Mobile base

[0154] 23 Parallel link mechanism

[0155] 23b End gripping portion

[0156] 24 Image sensor

[0157] 25 Second image sensor

[0158] 30, 30a, 30b, 30c Turnover device

[0159] 31 Turnover support portion

[0160] 32, 32a, 35, 38 package holding portion

[0161] A continuous sheet of tofu

[0162] A1 a unit block of tofu

[0163] P package

Claims

1. A tofu packing apparatus comprising: a packing covering device configured to cover each of a plurality of tofu blocks with a packing in an inverted state, the plurality of tofu blocks being arranged at a predetermined interval along front, rear, left, and right on a conveying surface of a conveying conveyor; and a flipping device provided at a downstream side of the packing covering device, the flipping device being configured to flip the tofu upside down while the tofu is covered with the packing, wherein the packing covering device includes a tip holding portion configured to hold the packing in the inverted state, release the holding of the packing to make the packing fall, and cover one half of the tofu with the packing, wherein the packing covering device covers the tofu with the packing in an inclined posture with a downstream side of the packing downward and an upstream side of the packing upward, wherein the flipping device is configured to flip the tofu covered with one half of the packing in the inverted state without applying a force to the tofu to store the tofu in the packing, and wherein, in the flipping device, in a process of changing the tofu from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture in a state where one half of the tofu is accommodated in the packing, the tofu is obliquely inserted in the packing from the downstream side to the upstream side, air in a space sandwiched between the packing and the tofu is released, and the tofu is smoothly stored in the packing. 2.The tofu packing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a cutting device for cutting a sheet-shaped tofu into individual tofu blocks, wherein the packing covering device is configured to cover each of a plurality of tofu blocks cut by the cutting device. 3.The tofu packing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the packing covering device includes a robot having a parallel link mechanism or a SCARA mechanism configured to drive a tip holding portion in three dimensions at a high speed while the tip holding portion holds the packing. 4.The tofu packing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the robot having the parallel link mechanism or the SCARA mechanism has a processing capacity of 100 CPM or more of reciprocating motion over a horizontal distance of 0.2 m to 3 m. 5.The tofu packing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the packing covering device is provided at each of left and right sides in a width direction of the conveying surface, and wherein the packing covering device includes a support rail configured to allow a moving base to slide in the width direction of the conveying surface, the robot having the parallel link mechanism or the SCARA mechanism being provided on the moving base. 6.The tofu packing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Two units of the wrapping covering device are provided on the left and right sides in the width direction of the conveying surface, or three units of the wrapping covering device are provided on the center and the left and right sides in the width direction of the conveying surface.

7. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The wrapping covering device is provided on each of the left and right sides in the width direction of the conveying surface.

8. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The tip holding portion is suction type that sucks and adsorbs the wrapping by a suction cup, or is chuck type that clamps the wrapping by two to four fingers.

9. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The turning device includes: a turning support portion configured to turn the conveying surface; and a wrapping holding portion provided on the turning support portion along the conveying surface, the wrapping holding portion being configured to hold the wrapping until the wrapping is turned.

10. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The turning device includes: a turning support portion configured to turn the conveying surface; and a wrapping holding portion provided at a position facing the turning support portion, the wrapping holding portion being configured to: accommodate and hold the bean curd that is covered with the wrapping and slides from the conveying surface; and guide the bean curd while fixedly supporting the bean curd until the wrapping is turned upside down, or rotationally move until the wrapping is turned upside down.

11. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The wrapping covering device includes a first image sensor configured to detect a state of the bean curd.

12. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 11, wherein In response to detection of an abnormality of the bean curd as a result of image analysis of the bean curd by the first image sensor, the bean curd is not covered with the wrapping.

13. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The tofu has a hardness of 20 gf / cm 2 to 100 gf / cm 2 .

14. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The wrapping has a groove on an inner surface of the wrapping, the groove extending at least from a bottom of the wrapping toward an opening of the wrapping.

15. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a wrapping supply device configured to supply the wrapping.

16. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 15, wherein The wrapping supply device includes at least one wrapping supply magazine configured to store wrapping.

17. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 16, wherein The wrapping supply device includes a conveyor configured to continuously convey the wrapping.

18. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 17, wherein The conveyor is configured to supply the wrapping in a conveying direction of the conveyor.

19. The bean curd wrapping apparatus according to claim 18, wherein The package supply device includes a second image sensor configured to detect a state of the package.

20. The tofu packaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The package covering device supports a dust and water protection level of IP54 or higher.

21. The tofu packaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The package covering device includes a moving base.

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