Automatic supply system, adjustment device, and automatic supply method

Abstract

The present application provides an automatic feeding system and an adjustment device, which can promote the automation of the food serving process and easily cope with various types of food. The automatic feeding system (1) has a container conveyor (5) that conveys food containers (3), a food conveyor (7) that conveys food (19) to be stored in the food containers (3), and a filling robot (11) that holds the food (19) conveyed by the food conveyor (7) and transfers the food (19) to the food containers (3) conveyed by the container conveyor (5).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to an automatic supply system, an automatic supply method, and an adjustment device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In Patent Literature 1, there is described a work system having a conveyor that conveys a food container and a work robot that is disposed in the vicinity of the conveyor and performs a food loading work on the food container.

[0003] Further, in the conventional mass production line of food, the weight of the food material supplied in a large amount is large, and therefore, the supply part of the food material is provided in a door type configuration with respect to the conveyor and is fixedly provided.

[0004] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT LITERATURE

[0006] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-189862

[0007] In the related art, a system capable of advancing automation of a food loading process is sought. Further, since the supply part of the door type configuration is a specific single food dedicated and is fixedly provided, in the case of changing food, a large-scale food replacement work, a large-scale cleaning work, a large-scale modification of the supply device main body, and the like are required, and there is a problem that it is difficult to cope with multiple varieties. Further, in the case where a variety switch occurs or a failure of the supply device occurs, there is also a problem that it is required to stop the entire production line for a long time. SUMMARY

[0008] The present application is made in view of such a problem point, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic supply system, an automatic supply method, and an adjustment device capable of advancing automation of a food loading process, and capable of easily coping with multiple varieties of food.

[0009] In order to solve the problem, according to one aspect of the present application, an automatic supply system is applied, the automatic supply system having: a first conveying device that conveys a food container; a second conveying device that conveys food to be accommodated in the food container; and a first robot that holds the food conveyed by the second conveying device and transfers the food to the food container conveyed by the first conveying device.

[0010] Further, according to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an automatic supply system including: an automatic machine that holds a food container in which food is accommodated, and that transfers the food to the food container; and an adjustment device that adjusts the food accommodated in the food container held by the automatic machine to a prescribed amount, the adjustment device including: two first members; and a first drive device that moves the two first members in a manner that the two first members advance and retreat in directions that oppose each other with respect to a horizontal direction of the food container.

[0011] Further, according to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an adjustment device that adjusts food accommodated in a food container held by an automatic machine to a prescribed amount, the adjustment device including: two first members; and a first drive device that moves the two first members in a manner that the two first members advance and retreat in directions that oppose each other with respect to a horizontal direction of the food container.

[0012] Further, according to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an automatic supply method including: a step of transferring a food container by a first conveyance device; a step of transferring food to be accommodated in the food container by a second conveyance device; and a step of holding the food transferred by the second conveyance device by a first automatic machine, and transferring the food to the food container transferred by the first conveyance device.

[0013] Further, according to another aspect of the present application, there is provided an automatic supply method including: a step of holding a food container by an automatic machine; and a step of moving two first members in a manner that the two first members advance and retreat in directions that oppose each other with respect to a horizontal direction of the food container, with respect to food accommodated in the food container held by the automatic machine, by an adjustment device, to adjust the food to a prescribed amount.

[0014] According to the automatic supply system and the like of the present application, it is possible to advance automation of a food serving process, and it is possible to easily cope with a variety of food. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a plan view showing an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 is a side view from the front side showing an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 is a side view from the left side showing an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4is a side view from the left side of an example of the structure of a food conveyor that is a modification of the case where the weight of the food is measured by the conveyor in the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 is a side view from the left side of an example of the structure of a food conveyor that is a modification of the case where the volume of the food is measured by the conveyor in the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 is a plan view of an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the second embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 is a side view from the left side of an example of the structure of the food supply line of the automatic supply system of the second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 is a side view from the left side of an example of the structure of the food serving line of the automatic supply system of the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 9 is a plan view of an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the third embodiment.

[0024] Figure 10 is a side view from the front side of an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the third embodiment.

[0025] Figure 11 is a side view from the left side of an example of the overall structure of the adjustment unit.

[0026] Figure 12A is a side view of an example of the state where the knife member of the adjustment unit is separated.

[0027] Figure 12B is a side view of an example of the state where the knife member of the adjustment unit is approaching.

[0028] Figure 13A is a plan view of an example of the combination of the knife member in the separated state.

[0029] Figure 13B is a side view of an example of the combination of the knife member in the separated state.

[0030] Figure 14A is a plan view of an example of the combination of the knife member in the approaching state.

[0031] Figure 14B is a side view of an example of the combination of the knife member in the approaching state.

[0032] Figure 15Ais a plan view showing another example of the combination of the blade members in a separated state.

[0033] Figure 15B is a side view showing another example of the combination of the blade members in a separated state.

[0034] Figure 16A is a plan view showing another example of the combination of the blade members in an approaching state.

[0035] Figure 16B is a side view showing another example of the combination of the blade members in an approaching state.

[0036] Figure 17A is a plan view showing still another example of the combination of the blade members in a separated state.

[0037] Figure 17B is a side view showing still another example of the combination of the blade members in a separated state.

[0038] Figure 18A is a plan view showing still another example of the combination of the blade members in an approaching state.

[0039] Figure 18B is a side view showing still another example of the combination of the blade members in an approaching state.

[0040] Figure 19A is a plan view showing an example of the combination of the blade members in a separated state in a modification in which the two blade members are opposed to each other with abutting or a slight gap therebetween.

[0041] Figure 19B is a side view showing an example of the combination of the blade members in a separated state in a modification in which the two blade members are opposed to each other with abutting or a slight gap therebetween.

[0042] Figure 20A is a plan view showing an example of the combination of the blade members in an approaching state in a modification in which the two blade members are opposed to each other with abutting or a slight gap therebetween.

[0043] Figure 20B is a side view showing an example of the combination of the blade members in an approaching state in a modification in which the two blade members are opposed to each other with abutting or a slight gap therebetween.

[0044] Figure 21A is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state in which the blade members are separated in a modification in which the upper portions of the two blade members are further shaved.

[0045] Figure 21B is a side view from the left side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state in which the blade members are separated in a modification in which the upper portions of the two blade members are further shaved.

[0046] Figure 21C is a side view from the front side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the knife members are separated in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0047] Figure 22A is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the knife members approach in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0048] Figure 22B is a side view from the left side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the knife members approach in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0049] Figure 22C is a side view from the front side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the knife members approach in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0050] Figure 23A is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the plate member shaves the upper portions of the approaching knife members in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0051] Figure 23B is a side view from the left side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the plate member shaves the upper portions of the approaching knife members in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0052] Figure 23C is a side view from the front side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the plate member shaves the upper portions of the approaching knife members in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0053] Figure 24A is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the plate member ends the shaving in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0054] Figure 24B is a side view from the left side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the plate member ends the shaving in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0055] Figure 24C is a side view from the front side showing an example of the arrangement structure of the plate member in a state where the plate member ends the shaving in a modification example in which the upper portions of the two knife members are further shaved.

[0056] Figure 25 is a side view from the front side showing an example of the structure of the adjustment unit in a modification example in which the plate member is automatically replaced depending on the kind of food.

[0057] REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0058] 1 automatic supply system

[0059] 1A automatic supply system

[0060] 1B automatic supply system

[0061] 3 food container

[0062] 5 container conveyor (first conveying device)

[0063] 7 food conveyor (second conveying device)

[0064] 7A food conveyor (second conveying device)

[0065] 7B food conveyor (third conveying device)

[0066] 9 food supply unit (food supply device)

[0067] 11 dosing robot (first automatic machine)

[0068] 13 smoothing robot (second automatic machine)

[0069] 15 cleaning unit (cleaning device)

[0070] 17 conveying container

[0071] 19 food

[0072] 21 drop opening

[0073] 23 meter

[0074] 25 supply opening

[0075] 57 measurer

[0076] 59 abutment member

[0077] 65 dosing area (first area)

[0078] 67 cooking area (second area)

[0079] 69 loader (first drop device)

[0080] 71 unloader (first take-out device)

[0081] 73 loader (second drop device)

[0082] 75 unloader (second take-out device)

[0083] 81 dosing robot (automatic machine)

[0084] 83 adjustment unit (adjusting device)

[0085] 89 food storage device

[0086] 113A drive device (first drive device)

[0087] 113B drive device (first drive device)

[0088] 115A knife member (first member)

[0089] 115Aa tip portion (end portion)

[0090] 115B knife member (first member)

[0091] 115Ba tip portion (end portion)

[0092] 121 plate member (second member)

[0093] 123 drive device (second drive device)

[0094] 127 sensor

[0095] 129 replacement device DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0096] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, in order to facilitate the explanation of the structure of the automatic supply system and the like, the directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear are appropriately used, but the positional relationship of each structure of the automatic supply system and the like is not limited. In the present embodiment, the up-down direction refers to the vertical direction, the left-right direction refers to the direction in which, for example, the container conveyor is extended, and the front-rear direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the left-right direction.

[0097] <1. First Embodiment>

[0098] The first embodiment will be described. The first embodiment is an embodiment in which the supply of food and the serving of food are performed in the same area.

[0099] (1-1. Structure of Automatic Supply System)

[0100] Use Figures 1 to 3 An example of the structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a plan view showing an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment, Figure 2 is a side view from the front side showing an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment, Figure 3 is a side view from the left side showing an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system of the first embodiment. The support members and the like of each device are appropriately omitted from the drawings.

[0101] The automatic supply system 1 is a mechanical system that automatically performs a work of filling the food 19 into the food container 3 (also referred to as scooping). As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The automatic supply system 1 of the first embodiment has a container conveyor 5, a food conveyor 7, a food supply unit 9, a scooping robot 11, a flattening robot 13, and a cleaning unit 15.

[0102] The container conveyor 5 (an example of a first conveying device) conveys the food container 3. In Figure 1 and Figure 2 the example shown in FIG. 1, the container conveyor 5 conveys the food container 3, for example, in a direction from left to right (indicated by an arrow Ar1). The food container 3 is, for example, a container that accommodates a food such as rice, noodles, side dishes, and the like. The food container 3 can be made of a plastic material such as polypropylene, or can be made of a material other than plastic. The food container 3 is, for example, formed in a quadrangular shape, but can be a shape other than quadrangular such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, and the like. The container conveyor 5 can be intermittent operation (pitch conveying based on a pitch pl) that repeatedly performs conveying and stopping, or can be continuous operation that continuously performs conveying.

[0103] In the present embodiment, in order to improve the production efficiency, the food containers 3 arranged in one row at a predetermined pitch pl in the left-right direction in the container conveyor 5 are conveyed in two rows at a predetermined pitch p2 in the front-rear direction. The arrangement of the food containers 3 is not limited to the above-described arrangement, and the food containers 3 can be arranged to be conveyed in one row, or can be arranged to be conveyed in three or more rows in the front-rear direction in order to further improve the production efficiency.

[0104] The food conveyor 7 (an example of a second conveying device) conveys the food 19 to be accommodated in the food container 3. The food conveyor 7 conveys the food 19 accommodated in the conveying container 17 by conveying the conveying container 17 for conveying the food. In Figure 1 and Figure 2 the example shown in FIG. 2, in the food conveyor 7, the conveying containers 17 are arranged in one row at intervals of a predetermined pitch p2 (approximately the same as the pitch p2 in the front-rear direction of the food container 3) to be conveyed. The conveying container 17 is, for example, a cup-shaped container, but can be a container of another shape. The food 19 is, for example, rice, noodles, various side dishes (vegetables), and the like, and the kind is not particularly limited as long as it can be accommodated in the conveying container 17. The food 19 can be, for example, a solid, a liquid, a powder, and the like.

[0105] The food conveyor 7 is a circulating conveying device that conveys the conveying container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 to the scooping robot 11, and conveys the empty conveying container 17 to the food supply unit 9.Figure 1 In the example shown, the food conveyor 7 is, for example, a quadrangular conveyor that conveys the transport container 17 forward, rightward, backward, leftward, and forward, and makes it circulate (indicated by an arrow Ar2). The food conveyor 7 is configured so that one pair of sides of the quadrangle is substantially parallel to the container conveyor 5, and one side is located in the vicinity of the container conveyor 5. The food conveyor 7 can be any shape that can circulate, and can be a polygon other than a quadrangle (triangle, etc.), or a circular shape. The food conveyor 7 can be, for example, a belt-type, chain-type, roller-type, or the like, and can be a turntable, or the like. The food conveyor 7 can be, for example, a linear conveyor arranged in four, or can be a conveyor having a direction conversion portion at the four corners, or can be a structure in which a slider on which the transport container 17 is mounted moves on a track arranged in a quadrangular shape, or the like. The food conveyor 7 performs intermittent operation in which it repeatedly conveys and stops. For example, the food conveyor 7 stops the transport container 17 during the period in which the food 19 is supplied to the transport container 17 by the food supply unit 9, and otherwise performs distance conveyance based on the distance p2 in which the transport container 17 is conveyed.

[0106] The food supply unit 9 (an example of a food supply device) supplies the food 19 to the transport container 17 in a prescribed amount. As shown in Figure 1 The food supply unit 9 is arranged in a casting area 65 (an example of a first area) in which the casting robot 11 performs a casting operation. As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 The food supply unit 9 has a drop port 21, a measurer 23, and a supply port 25. The food 19 is dropped into the drop port 21. The dropping of the food 19 can be performed manually by an operator, or can be performed automatically by a drop device (omitted from the drawing) provided separately. The measurer 23 measures the weight or volume of the food 19 dropped into the drop port 21, and feeds out the food 19 in a manner in which the weight becomes a prescribed amount or the volume becomes a prescribed amount. The supply port 25 supplies the food 19 of the prescribed amount fed out by the measurer 23 to the transport container 17 conveyed to the lower side of the food supply unit 9 and stopped. The manner of supplying the food 19 is not particularly limited, and various supply manners such as dropping, vibration conveyance, filling, or the like can be adopted.

[0107] The food-stuffing robot 11 (an example of the first automatic machine) holds the food 19 delivered by the food delivery machine 7 and transfers the food 19 to the food container 3 delivered by the container delivery machine 5. The food-stuffing robot 11 holds the delivery container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 and delivered to the holding area 26 by the food delivery machine 7. The food-stuffing robot 11 moves the held delivery container 17 above the food container 3 to tilt, and transfers the held food 19 from the delivery container 17 to the food container 3. In the case where the container delivery machine 5 is intermittently operated, the food-stuffing robot 11 stuffs the food 19 into the stopped food container 3. In the case where the container delivery machine 5 is continuously operated, the food-stuffing robot 11 stuffs the food 19 while the hand 31 follows the movement of the food container 3.

[0108] The food-stuffing robot 11 returns the empty delivery container 17 to the food delivery machine 7. During the period in which the food 19 is stuffed into the food container 3, in the case where the delivery container 17 is moved by the food delivery machine 7, the food-stuffing robot 11 returns the delivery container 17 to the empty area (an area from which two delivery containers 17 are withdrawn) moved from the holding area 26. Thereafter, the food-stuffing robot 11 holds the delivery container 17 newly moved into the holding area 26.

[0109] The food-stuffing robot 11 is configured as a horizontal multi-joint robot (so-called SCARA robot), for example. The food-stuffing robot 11 has a body portion 27, an arm 29, and a hand 31. The body portion 27 is disposed inside the food delivery machine 7. The arm 29 is provided to an upper end portion of the body portion 27 and has a first arm portion 33 and a second arm portion 35. As shown in FIG. 1, the first arm portion 33 is coupled to the upper end portion of the body portion 27 in a manner capable of rotating about a rotation axis Axl which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The second arm portion 35 is coupled to a distal end portion of the first arm portion 33 in a manner capable of rotating about a rotation axis Ax2 which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1, the first arm portion 33 is coupled to the upper end portion of the body portion 27 in a manner capable of rotating about a rotation axis Axl which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The second arm portion 35 is coupled to a distal end portion of the first arm portion 33 in a manner capable of rotating about a rotation axis Ax2 which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 1, the first arm portion 33 is coupled to the upper end portion of the body portion 27 in a manner capable of rotating about a rotation axis Axl which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The second arm portion 35 is coupled to a distal end portion of the first arm portion 33 in a manner capable of rotating about a rotation axis Ax2 which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. Figure 3As shown, the hand 31 is connected to the lower part of the tip end part of the second arm part 35. The hand 31 is connected to the tip end part of the second arm part 35 in a manner that it can rotate around the rotation axis Ax3 which is substantially parallel to the vertical direction and can rotate around the rotation axis Ax4 which is substantially parallel to the horizontal direction. The hand 31 is an end effector for holding the transport container 17. The hand 31 has two sets of a pair of gripping parts 37 which are driven by air or electric motors to move away from or close to each other. The hand 31 holds two transport containers 17 in the holding area 26 at a substantially equal interval of the interval p2 by the two sets of the gripping parts 37. The hand 31 tilts the held two transport containers 17 by rotating around the rotation axis Ax4 and transfers the food 19 as the contents to the two food containers 3 which are arranged side by side in the front-back direction at one time. The hand 31 can be any configuration as long as it can hold the transport container 17 and tilt it, and for example, can be configured by a suction pad or the like.

[0111] In the present embodiment, the hand 31 is configured to be able to hold two transport containers 17 in order to improve the production efficiency, but the configuration of the hand 31 is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, the hand 31 can be configured to be able to hold one transport container 17 or can be configured to be able to hold three or more transport containers 17 in order to further improve the production efficiency. In this case, as long as the food containers 3 are arranged in three or more rows in the front-back direction in the container transport machine 5 and transported, it is not necessary to change the configuration of the hand 31.

[0112] The pouring robot 11 can also be a robot other than the horizontal multi-joint type. For example, as an industrial robot, it can be a general vertical multi-joint type robot (for example, a six-axis robot having six joints or the like), a parallel link robot, or a special-purpose work machine designed to have an actuator capable of linearly moving in the XYZ directions of the orthogonal coordinate axes and capable of rotating in the θ direction, in addition to a general-purpose robot.

[0113] The smoothing robot 13 (an example of a second automatic machine) is arranged at a position downstream of the pouring robot 11 in the transport direction of the container transport machine 5. The smoothing robot 13 performs at least one of a work of pressing from above or a work of adjusting the position on the food 19 transported to the food container 3 by the pouring robot 11, and thereby smoothes the upper surface of the food 19 to be flat or performs alignment to a regular position or the like. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the above-described embodiment, the smoothing robot 13 is configured to perform the work of pressing from above on the food 19, but the present application is not limited to this. For example, the smoothing robot 13 can be configured to perform the work of adjusting the position on the food 19.

[0114] The leveling robot 13 is configured, for example, as a horizontal articulated robot (a so-called SCARA robot). The leveling robot 13 has a main body 39, an arm 41, and a hand 43. The main body 39 is located on the outside of the food conveyor 7. If there is sufficient space inside the food conveyor 7, the leveling robot 13 can also be located inside the food conveyor 7. The arm 41 is located at the upper end of the main body 39 and has a first arm 45 and a second arm 47. The first arm 45 is connected to the upper end of the main body 39 in a manner that allows it to rotate about a rotation axis Ax5 that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction. The second arm 47 is connected to the end portion of the first arm 45 in a manner that allows it to rotate about a rotation axis Ax6 that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction.

[0115] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hand 43 is connected to the lower part of the end portion of the second arm 47. The hand 43 is connected to the end portion of the second arm 47 in a manner that allows it to rotate about a rotation axis Ax7 that is approximately parallel to the vertical direction. The hand 43 is an end effector used to flatten the upper surface of the food 19 transferred to the food container 3. Figure 2 As shown, the hand 43 has a pressing part 49 that is driven by air or an electric motor to move back and forth in the vertical direction. The lower surface of the pressing part 49 is, for example, formed as a downwardly bulging spherical shape. The lower surface of the pressing part 49 can also be flat. The hand 43 uses the pressing part 49 to press the food 19 from above, flattening the upper surface of the food 19. When adjusting the position of the food 19, the hand 31 may also have a rod-shaped or plate-shaped component, such as a scraper. In this case, the hand 43 adjusts the position by laterally pressing the rod-shaped or plate-shaped component against the food 19.

[0116] In this embodiment, to improve production efficiency, the hand 31 has a structure with two pressing parts 49, but the structure of the hand 43 is not limited to the above structure. For example, the hand 43 can have a structure with one pressing part 49, or it can have a structure with three or more pressing parts 49 to further improve production efficiency. In this case, it is sufficient to arrange the food containers 3 in three or more rows in the front-to-back direction for conveying in the container conveyor 5.

[0117] The leveling robot 13 can also be a robot other than a horizontal multi-joint type. For example, as an industrial robot, it can be a general vertical multi-joint type robot (such as a 6-axis robot with 6 joints), a parallel linkage robot, or, in addition to a general-purpose robot, a special-purpose work machine designed to perform leveling operations with actuators that can move linearly in the XYZ directions of the Cartesian coordinate axis and rotate in the θ direction.

[0118] Cleaning unit 15 (an example of a cleaning device) performs cleaning, rinsing, and drying on the empty conveyor container 17 transported by food conveyor 7. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning unit 15 is, for example, disposed in the leftward conveying section of the food conveyor 7 (the section corresponding to the side farther away from the other of the two sides that are approximately parallel to the container conveyor 5). The cleaning unit 15 may also be disposed, for example, in the rearward conveying section of the food conveyor 7. The cleaning unit 15 includes a washing unit 51, a rinsing unit 53, and a drying unit 55. Each unit is arranged in the conveying direction of the container conveyor 5 from upstream to downstream in the order of washing unit 51, rinsing unit 53, and drying unit 55. The washing unit 51 washes the used conveying container 17 with a cleaning solution, the rinsing unit 53 rinses the washed conveying container 17 with water, and the drying unit 55 dries the rinsed conveying container 17.

[0119] In this embodiment, the cleaning unit 15 is a structure that performs all processes of washing, rinsing, and drying, but it is not limited to this; it may also be a structure that performs one or two of the processes of washing, rinsing, and drying. The cleaning unit 15 may also perform processes other than those described above on the conveying container 17. For example, if the supplied food 19 is in a form that easily adheres to the container (such as powder), a process of applying a flowing liquid may be performed after washing, rinsing, and drying.

[0120] The structure of the automatic supply system 1 described above is an example and is not limited to the above content. For example, sensors that detect the position and orientation of the food container 3 conveyed by the container conveyor 5 can be preset, and the actions of the pouring robot 11 and the leveling robot 13 can be corrected based on the sensor detection results. In this case, a camera can also be used as a sensor, and the position and orientation of the food container 3 can be detected by performing prescribed image processing on the captured image of the food container 3.

[0121] (1-2. Operation of the automatic supply system)

[0122] An example of the operation of the automatic supply system 1 will be described. The food conveyor 7 transports the conveyor container 17 in a manner that involves intermittent operation of repeatedly conveying and stopping (pitch conveying based on pitch p2). The food supply unit 9 supplies food 19 to the conveyor container 17, which has been conveyed to the lower part and stopped, in a predetermined amount. The food conveyor 7 then transports the conveyor container 17, which has been supplied with food 19 by the food supply unit 9, toward the holding area 26 based on the pouring robot 11.

[0123] The casting robot 11 holds the two transport containers 17 conveyed to the holding area 26 and stopped, using the hand 31. The casting robot 11 moves the hand 31 holding the transport container 17 toward the upper side of the food container 3 while adjusting the orientation about the rotation axis Ax3. The casting robot 11 tilts the transport container 17 by rotating the hand 31 about the rotation axis Ax4, and transfers the food 19 accommodated in the transport container 17 to the food container 3. The casting robot 11 returns the empty transport container 17 to the food conveyor 7.

[0124] The food conveyor 7 conveys the empty transport container 17 toward the cleaning unit 15. The cleaning unit 15 washes the transport container 17 with a washing liquid by means of the washing unit 51, rinses the transport container 17 with water by means of the rinsing unit 53, and dries the transport container 17 by means of the drying unit 55. The food conveyor 7 conveys the dried transport container 17 toward the food supply unit 9.

[0125] The container conveyor 5 conveys the food container 3 in which the food 19 is accommodated by the casting robot 11, toward the flattening robot 13 on the downstream side. The flattening robot 13 flattens the upper surface of the food 19 to be flat, or performs alignment to a regular position, or the like, by performing at least one of a pressing operation from above or a position adjustment operation on the food 19 accommodated in the food container 3 by the casting robot 11.

[0126] The automatic supply system 1 repeatedly performs the operations of the above-described devices in parallel.

[0127] (1-3. Effects of the First Embodiment)

[0128] As described above, the automatic supply system 1 of the first embodiment has the container conveyor 5 that conveys the food container 3, the food conveyor 7 that conveys the food 19 accommodated in the transport container 17, and the casting robot 11 that holds the food 19 conveyed by the food conveyor 7 and transfers the food 19 to the food container 3 conveyed by the container conveyor 5.

[0129] In the automatic supply system 1, the food container 3 is conveyed by the container conveyor 5, the food 19 accommodated in the transport container 17 is conveyed by the food conveyor 7, the casting robot 11 holds the food 19 conveyed by the food conveyor 7 and transfers the food 19 to the food container 3 conveyed by the container conveyor 5, whereby the food 19 is accommodated in the food container 3. Thus, it is possible to automate the process of transferring the food 19 to the food container 3 by the casting robot 11, and it is also possible to automate the process of supplying the food 19 to the casting robot 11. Therefore, it is possible to advance the automation of the process of accommodating the food.

[0130] In addition, by using different conveyance devices for the conveyance of the food container 3 and the conveyance of the food 19, it is possible to divide each process. Thus, by changing a part of the processes, it is possible to cope with other kinds of food, and it is possible to easily cope with a variety of food. In addition, by dividing each process, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom of layout, and it is possible to simplify the structure of each process, so maintenance also becomes easy.

[0131] Further, at the time of switching the kind, only a part of the necessary process (for example, the food supply unit 9) is changed, so it is possible to suppress the time required for switching the kind to a minimum, and it is possible to complete in a short time. In addition, even in the case where the kind switching occurs or the like, it is possible to cope with the production line (the production line of the container conveyer 5 that conveys the food container 3) separately, so it is possible to cope with without stopping the production line.

[0132] In the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1 can also have a food supply unit 9 that supplies the food 19 in a prescribed amount.

[0133] In this case, it is also possible to automate the process of sending out the food 19 in a prescribed amount. Thus, it is possible to further advance the automation of the food serving process. In addition, by changing the food supply unit 9, it is possible to cope with a variety of food, so it is possible to easily cope with a variety without having to make a large modification.

[0134] In the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1 can also have a flattening robot 13 that is disposed at a position on the downstream side from the depositing robot 11 in the conveyance direction of the container conveyer 5, and performs at least one of a pressing operation from above or a position adjustment operation on the food 19 that is transferred to the food container 3 by the depositing robot 11.

[0135] In this case, for the food 19 that is served into the food container 3 by the depositing robot 11, it is possible to flatten the upper surface using the flattening robot 13, or perform alignment to a normal position, or the like. Thus, it is possible to make the appearance of the served food 19 good. In addition, the installation of the lid with respect to the food container 3 in the subsequent process becomes easy.

[0136] In the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1 can also have a conveyance container 17 that is conveyed by the food conveyer 7, and is used for conveying the food 19, in which case the depositing robot 11 can also hold the conveyance container 17 that is conveyed by the food conveyer 7 and to which the food 19 is supplied, and transfer the food 19 from the conveyance container 17 to the food container 3, and return the empty conveyance container 17 to the food conveyer 7.

[0137] In this case, the food 19 of any shape, size, softness, and property (for example, solid, liquid, powder, and the like) can be filled in the transport container 17, and thus, the filling work can be performed. Therefore, the filling work can be performed on the food other than the liquid, which cannot be filled in the filling machine used in the past. In addition, the food supply robot 11 can be configured to hold a specific transport container 17 (for example, a transport container designed specifically), and thus, the hand 31 does not need to be replaced according to the type of food to be handled, and the multi-type handling becomes easier. Further, since a 3D camera or an AI (artificial intelligence) or the like, which is expensive and not reliable, does not need to be used in order to hold the multi-type food 19 different in shape, size, softness, and the like, the reliability of the filling work can be improved while the cost is suppressed.

[0138] In the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1 can also have a food supply unit 9 that supplies the food 19 to the transport container 17. In this case, the food supply unit 9 can also have a supply port 21 that supplies the food 19, a measurer 23 that measures the food 19 supplied, and a supply port 25 that supplies the food 19 measured to the transport container 17 in a predetermined amount.

[0139] In this case, if the food 19 is filled in the food supply unit 9, the food 19 of a predetermined amount can be accurately measured and supplied to the transport container 17. In addition, by increasing the number of the food supply units 9 (increasing the number of the food 19 held in the food supply robot 11), the productivity can also be improved. In addition, for example, in a case where a structure that directly supplies the food 19 to the food container 3 is adopted, it is possible that the food container 3 is contaminated by a falling object (for example, a drop from a nozzle in a case where the food is a liquid) from the food supply unit. In the present embodiment, by supplying the food 19 to the transport container 17, even if a falling object (drop, and the like) from the food supply unit 9 occurs, the transport container 17 is contaminated, and the contamination of the food container 3 can be minimized. Therefore, the decrease in the quality of the product (bento, side dish, and the like) produced can be suppressed.

[0140] In the present embodiment, the food supply unit 9 can also be arranged in the food supply area 65 in which the transfer work is performed by the food supply robot 11. In this case, the food supply robot 11 and the food supply unit 9 can be arranged in the food supply area 65, and thus, the system can be downsized.

[0141] In the present embodiment, the food transport machine 7 can also be configured as a circulating transport device that transports the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 to the food supply robot 11 and transports the empty transport container 17 to the food supply unit 9.

[0142] In this case, the feeding of the food 19 to the transport container 17, the supply of the food 19 to the dosing robot 11, and the transfer of the food 19 from the dosing robot 11 to the food container 3 can be continuously and efficiently performed while circulating the transport container 17 by the food conveyor 7. Therefore, the production efficiency can be improved.

[0143] In the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1 can also have a cleaning unit 15 that performs at least one of cleaning, rinsing, and drying on the empty transport container 17 transported by the food conveyor 7. In this case, the used transport container 17 can be washed and used hygienically back and forth while circulating the transport container 17 by the food conveyor 7. Thus, the production efficiency can be improved and the hygiene can be improved.

[0144] (1-4. Modification of the first embodiment)

[0145] The first embodiment described above is not limited to the above-described content, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist and the technical idea thereof. Hereinafter, such a modification will be described.

[0146] (1-4-1. In the case where the weight of the food is measured in the conveyor)

[0147] For example, the weight of the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied can be measured in the food conveyor 7, and it can be determined whether the amount of food supply is excessive or insufficient.

[0148] Figure 4 is a side view from the left side showing an example of the structure of the food conveyor 7 and the like of the present modification. As shown in Figure 4 In the food conveyor 7, a measurer 57 is provided at a position below the food supply unit 9. The measurer 57 measures the weight of the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9. The measurement result obtained by the measurer 57 is transmitted to a control device (omitted from the drawing).

[0149] According to the present modification, by determining whether the weight is within an appropriate range using the control device, it can be checked whether the amount of supply of the food 19 based on the food supply unit 9 is excessive or insufficient. Thus, in the case where the amount of supply of the food 19 is excessive or insufficient, for example, an error process such as discharging the corresponding transport container 17 from the food conveyor 7 can be performed, and thus the quality of the product produced can be improved.

[0150] (1-4-2. In the case where the volume of the food is measured in the conveyor)

[0151] For example, the volume of the food 19 can be measured in the food conveyor 7 to supply a fixed amount of the food 19.

[0152] Figure 5 This is a side view taken from the left, showing an example of the structure of the food conveyor 7 in this modified example. (See image below.) Figure 5 As shown, in the food conveyor 7, an abutment member 59 is provided downstream of the food supply unit 9. The abutment member 59 is, for example, a rod-shaped or plate-shaped component. The abutment member 59 abuts against the portion of the food 19 supplied by the food supply unit 9 that protrudes upward from the upper end of the conveying container 17, thus scraping and discharging the protruding portion. The discharged food 19 is collected by a recycling bin 61 located below the food conveyor 7 and then returned to the feeding port 21 of the food supply unit 9 by a transfer device 63 (e.g., a dust collector if the food 19 is powder). The food 19 discharged by the abutment member 59 may also be discarded without being collected.

[0153] According to this modified example, when the food 19 is a powder or a bulk solid, the portion of the food 19 that protrudes upward from the top of the conveying container 17 is made to abut against the abutment member 59 and discharged, thus allowing the volume of the food 19 to be measured in a fixed manner. This enables the supply of food 19 to be precisely fixed, thereby improving the quality of the produced goods. Furthermore, by recovering the scraped and discharged food 19 and refilling it into the food supply unit 9, waste of food 19 can be prevented. Moreover, since high-precision measurement is not required in the food supply unit 9, the food supply unit 9 can be simplified and its cost reduced.

[0154] <2. Second Implementation Method>

[0155] The second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is an embodiment in which food supply and food packaging are carried out in different areas.

[0156] (2-1. Structure of an automatic supply system)

[0157] use Figures 6 to 8 An example of the structure of the automatic supply system of the second embodiment will be described. Figure 6 This is a top view illustrating an example of the overall structure of the automatic supply system according to the second embodiment. Figure 7 This is a side view from the left, showing an example of the structure of the food supply line L1 of the automatic supply system according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 This is a side view from the left, showing an example of the structure of the food container line L2 of the automatic supply system according to the second embodiment. Support components for each device are omitted from the illustration as appropriate. Figures 6 to 8 In this document, the same reference numerals are used for structures identical to those in the first embodiment described above, and descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0158] like Figure 6As shown, the automatic serving system 1A of the second embodiment has the container conveyor 5, the food conveyors 7A, 7B, the food serving unit 9, the ladling robot 11, the smoothing robot 13, and the cleaning unit 15. The container conveyor 5, the food conveyors 7A, the ladling robot 11, the smoothing robot 13, and the cleaning unit 15 are arranged in a ladling area 65 (an example of the first area) in which the ladling operation is performed by the ladling robot 11. The food conveyor 7B and the food serving unit 9 are arranged in an area different from the ladling area 65, for example, a cooking area 67 (an example of the second area) in which cooking of the food 19 is performed. The ladling area 65 and the cooking area 67 can be different rooms divided by a wall or the like, or can be different areas divided by a partition or the like in the same room. The area in which the food conveyor 7B and the food serving unit 9 are arranged is not limited to the cooking area, and can be, for example, a carrying-in area in which the food 19 is carried in from the outside, or the like.

[0159] The food conveyor 7A arranged in the ladling area 65 is provided with a loader 69 and an unloader 71 at both ends thereof. The loader 69 (an example of the first dropping device) drops the transport container 17, which is supplied with the food 19 by the food serving unit 9 at the cooking area 67 and moved from the cooking area 67 to the ladling area 65, to the food conveyor 7A at intervals of a prescribed pitch p2. The unloader 71 (an example of the first taking-out device) takes out the transport container 17, which is emptied by transfer of the food 19 to the food container 3, from the food conveyor 7A. The food conveyor 7A conveys the transport container 17 dropped by the loader 69 toward the ladling robot 11, and conveys the empty transport container 17 toward the unloader 71.

[0160] The food conveyor 7A conveys the transport containers 17, for example, in such a manner that the transport containers 17 are conveyed in one column at intervals of the prescribed pitch p2 (approximately the same as the pitch p2 in the front-rear direction of the food container 3). The food conveyor 7A stops the transport containers 17 during the period in which the ladling robot 11 transfers the food 19 to the food container 3, and otherwise performs pitch conveyance based on the pitch (2 x p2) at which the transport containers 17 are conveyed.

[0161] The food conveyor 7B (an example of the third conveying device) is arranged in the cooking area 67. The food conveyor 7B conveys the empty transport container 17 moved from the ladling area 65 to the food serving unit 9. The food conveyor 7B conveys the transport containers 17, for example, in such a manner that the transport containers 17 are conveyed in one column at intervals of a prescribed pitch p3 (which can be the same as the pitch p2, or a different pitch). The food conveyor 7B stops the transport containers 17 during the period in which the food 19 is supplied to the transport containers 17 by the food serving unit 9, and otherwise performs pitch conveyance based on the pitch p3 at which the transport containers 17 are conveyed.

[0162] Loaders 73 and unloaders 75 are provided at both ends of the food conveyor 7B located in the cooking area 67. The loader 73 (an example of a second dispensing device) dispenses empty conveyor containers 17, which have moved from the pouring area 65, onto the food conveyor 7B at intervals of a predetermined distance p3. The unloader 75 (an example of a second removal device) removes conveyor containers 17, which have been supplied with food 19 by the food supply unit 9, from the food conveyor 7B. The food conveyor 7B then conveys the empty conveyor containers 17 dispensed by the loader 73 toward the food supply unit 9 and conveys the conveyor containers 17 supplied with food 19 toward the unloader 75.

[0163] Figure 7 This illustrates an example of the structure of the loader 73 and unloader 75 in food supply line L1. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the loader 73 includes: multiple pallets 77 arranged in multiple layers in the vertical direction, on which empty conveyor containers 17 are placed; a lifting device (not shown) that moves the pallets 77 vertically; an infeed device (not shown) that allows the conveyor containers 17 placed on the pallets 77 to enter and exit relative to the food conveyor 7B; and a frame 79 that houses the pallets 77, the lifting device, and the infeed device. The loader 73 uses the lifting device to adjust the pallets 77 to approximately the same height as the food conveyor 7B, and uses the infeed device to push the empty conveyor containers 17 placed on the pallets 77 toward the food conveyor 7B. When a pallet 77 becomes empty, the lifting device is used to adjust other pallets 77 to approximately the same height as the food conveyor 7B, and this process is repeated.

[0164] The unloader 75 has the same structure as the loader 73. The unloader 75 uses a lifting device to adjust the pallet 77 to approximately the same height as the food conveyor 7B, and uses an infeed device to pull the conveyor container 17, which has been supplied with food 19 by the food supply unit 9, from the food conveyor 7B onto the pallet 77. If the pallet 77 is full, the lifting device is used to adjust other pallets 77 to approximately the same height as the food conveyor 7B, and the same action is repeated.

[0165] Figure 8 This illustrates an example of the structure of the loader 69 in food loading line L2. For example... Figure 8 As shown, the loader 69 has the same structure as the loader 73 and unloader 75. The loader 69 uses a lifting device to adjust the pallet 77 to approximately the same height as the food conveyor 7A, and pushes the conveyor container 17 containing food 19, which is placed on the pallet 77 using an inlet / outlet device, toward the food conveyor 7A. When the pallet 77 is empty, the lifting device is used to adjust other pallets 77 to approximately the same height as the food conveyor 7A, and the same action is repeated.

[0166] The unloader 71 (not shown in Figure 8 has the same structure as the above-described loader 73, unloader 75, and loader 69. The unloader 71 adjusts the tray 77 to be substantially the same height as the food conveyor 7A by the elevating device, and pulls the emptying conveyor container 17 from the food conveyor 7A onto the tray 77 by the access device. If the tray 77 is full, the unloader 71 adjusts another tray 77 to be substantially the same height as the food conveyor 7A by the elevating device, and repeats the same operation.

[0167] The conveyor container 17 taken out from the food conveyor 7A by the unloader 71 is moved to the loader 73. The conveyor container 17 taken out from the food conveyor 7B by the unloader 75 is moved to the loader 69. The movement of these conveyor containers 17 can be performed in various ways. For example, the operator can store the conveyor container 17 on the tray 77 in a carrying container (e.g., a plastic frame or the like) and move it by a cart or the like. For example, the tray 77 can be made detachable with respect to the frame 79, and the operator can store the tray 77 in a carrying container (e.g., a plastic frame or the like) and move it by a cart or the like. For example, wheels can be provided at the lower portion of the frame 79, and the operator can move the frame 79. For example, the tray 77 and the frame 79 can be automatically conveyed by an unmanned transport vehicle (AGV).

[0168] A cleaning unit 15 is provided midway in the path of the emptying conveyor container 17 moving from the unloader 71 to the loader 73. In the present embodiment, the cleaning unit 15 is provided in the pouring area 65, but the placement site is not particularly limited, and it can be provided in the cooking area 67 or in another area. The cleaning unit 15 is of the same structure as the first embodiment described above, and performs washing, rinsing, and drying of the emptying conveyor container 17 moving from the unloader 71 to the loader 73. Figure 6

[0169] The structures of the automatic supply system 1A other than the above, such as the container conveyor 5, the food supply unit 9, the pouring robot 11, and the flattening robot 13, are the same as those of the automatic supply system 1 of the first embodiment described above, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0170] (2-2. Operation of the automatic supply system)

[0171] ​An example of the operation of the automatic supply system 1A will be described. The food conveyor 7B of the food supply line L1 conveys the transport container 17 dropped from the loader 73 toward the food supply unit 9 by intermittent operation (pitch conveyance based on the pitch p3). The food supply unit 9 supplies the food 19 to the transport container 17 conveyed to the lower portion and stopped by a prescribed amount. The food conveyor 7B conveys the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 toward the unloader 75. The unloader 75 takes out the transport container 17 from the food conveyor 7B.

[0172] The transport container 17 taken out from the food conveyor 7B by the unloader 75 is moved from the cooking area 67 to the loader 69 of the topping area 65. The loader 69 drops the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied to the food conveyor 7A. The food conveyor 7A of the food serving line L2 conveys the transport container 17 dropped from the loader 69 toward the topping robot 11 by intermittent operation (pitch conveyance based on the pitch p2).

[0173] The topping robot 11 holds the two transport containers 17 conveyed to the holding area 26 and stopped by the food conveyor 7A by the hand 31. The topping robot 11 moves the hand 31 holding the transport container 17 toward the upper portion of the food container 3 while adjusting the orientation about the rotation axis Ax3. The topping robot 11 tilts the transport container 17 by rotating the hand 31 about the rotation axis Ax4 and transfers the food 19 accommodated in the transport container 17 to the food container 3. The topping robot 11 returns the empty transport container 17 to the food conveyor 7A. The food conveyor 7A conveys the empty transport container 17 toward the unloader 71. The unloader 71 takes out the transport container 17 from the food conveyor 7A.

[0174] The transport container 17 taken out from the food conveyor 7A by the unloader 71 is moved to the cleaning unit 15. The cleaning unit 15 cleans the transport container 17 with the cleaning liquid by the cleaning unit 51, rinses the transport container 17 with water by the rinsing unit 53, and dries the transport container 17 by the drying unit 55. The dried transport container 17 is moved to the loader 73 of the cooking area 67. The loader 73 drops the empty transport container 17 to the food conveyor 7B.

[0175] Since the operation of the flattening robot 13 is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, the description is omitted. The automatic supply system 1A repeatedly performs the operation of each device described above in parallel.

[0176] (2-3. Effects of the Second Embodiment)

[0177] In the second embodiment described above, the food supply unit 9 is arranged in a region (e.g., the cooking region 67) different from the panning region 65 in which the panning operation is performed by the panning robot 11. In this case, the food supply line LI in which the food 19 is supplied from the food supply unit 9 to the transport container 17 can be arranged in a free region according to the layout of the factory. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the layout can be improved.

[0178] In addition, in the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1A can arrange the food transport machine 7B, which transports the empty transport container 17 moved from the panning region 65 to the food supply unit 9, in the cooking region 67, in which case, the food transport machine 7A can also be arranged in the panning region 65, and the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 and which is moved from the cooking region 67 can be transported to the panning robot 11 by the food transport machine 7A.

[0179] In this case, in the cooking region 67, the empty transport container 17 can be continuously and efficiently transported by the food transport machine 7B while the food 19 is supplied to the transport container 17 by the food supply unit 9. Therefore, the production efficiency can be improved.

[0180] In addition, in the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1A can also have a loader 69 arranged in the panning region 65, which drops the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 and which is moved from the cooking region 67 to the food transport machine 7A, an unloader 71 arranged in the panning region 65, which takes out the empty transport container 17 from the food transport machine 7A, a loader 73 arranged in the cooking region 67, which drops the empty transport container 17 moved from the panning region 65 to the food transport machine 7B, and an unloader 75 arranged in the cooking region 67, which takes out the transport container 17 to which the food 19 is supplied by the food supply unit 9 from the food transport machine 7B.

[0181] In this case, the transport container 17 can be automated with respect to the entry and exit of the food transport machine 7A in the panning region 65 and the entry and exit of the food transport machine 7B in the cooking region 67. Therefore, the automation of the food serving process can be further improved.

[0182] In addition, in the present embodiment, the automatic supply system 1A can also have a cleaning unit 15 that performs at least one of washing, rinsing, and drying on the empty transport container 17 moved from the panning region 65 to the cooking region 67.

[0183] In this case, the delivery container 17 can be circulated between the cooking area 67 and the pouring area 65 while being cleaned and reused hygienically. This improves production efficiency and cleanliness.

[0184] (2-4. Variations of the second embodiment)

[0185] The second embodiment described above is not limited to the above content, and various modifications can be made without departing from its main idea and technical concept.

[0186] For example, it can also be combined with the aforementioned Figure 4 Similarly, in the structure shown, in the food conveyor 7B of the food supply line L1, the weight of the conveyor container 17 to which food 19 has been supplied is measured to determine whether the food supply is excessive or insufficient. Although not shown in the figure, a measuring device 57 is provided in the food conveyor 7B below the food supply unit 9. The measuring device 57 measures the weight of the conveyor container 17 to which food 19 has been supplied by the food supply unit 9. The measurement result obtained by the measuring device 57 is sent to the control device (not shown).

[0187] According to this modified example, by using a control device to determine whether the weight is within an appropriate range, it is possible to check whether the supply quantity of food 19 based on food supply unit 9 is excessive or insufficient. Therefore, in the event of excessive or insufficient supply of food 19, error handling such as discharging the corresponding conveying container 17 from food conveyor 7B can be performed, thereby improving the quality of the produced goods.

[0188] For example, it can also be combined with the aforementioned Figure 5 Similarly, in the food conveyor 7B of the food supply line L1, the volume of food 19 is measured to supply a fixed amount of food 19. Although not shown in the figure, an abutment member 59 is provided in the food conveyor 7B downstream of the food supply unit 9. The abutment member 59 is, for example, a rod-shaped or plate-shaped component. The abutment member 59 abuts against the portion of the food 19 supplied by the food supply unit 9 that protrudes upward from the upper end of the conveying container 17, performing a so-called scraping action to discharge the protruding portion. The discharged food 19 is collected by a recycling bin 61 located below the food conveyor 7B and is then returned to the inlet 21 of the food supply unit 9 by a transfer device 63 (e.g., a dust collector if the food 19 is powder). Food 19 discharged by the abutment member 59 may also be discarded without being collected.

[0189] According to this modified example, when the food 19 is a powder or a bulk solid, the portion of the food 19 that protrudes upward from the top of the conveying container 17 abuts against the abutting member 59 to discharge it, thus allowing the volume of the food 19 to be measured in a fixed manner. This enables the supply of food 19 to be precisely fixed, thereby improving the quality of the produced goods. Furthermore, by recovering the food 19 discharged by scraping and refilling it into the food supply unit 9, waste of food 19 can be prevented. Moreover, since high-precision measurement is not required in the food supply unit 9, the food supply unit 9 can be simplified and its cost reduced.

[0190] <3. Third Implementation Method>

[0191] The third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is an embodiment in which the amount of food held by the pouring robot is adjusted using the adjustment unit and then the food is placed in a food container.

[0192] (3-1. Structure of an automatic supply system)

[0193] use Figure 9 as well as Figure 10 An example of the structure of the automatic supply system according to the third embodiment will be described. Figure 9 as well as Figure 10 In this document, the same reference numerals are used for structures identical to those in the first and second embodiments described above, and descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0194] like Figure 9 as well as Figure 10 As shown, the automatic supply system 1B of the third embodiment includes the aforementioned container conveyor 5, pouring robot 81, adjustment unit 83, and transport container 85. The pouring robot 81, adjustment unit 83, and transport container 85 are mounted on a platform 87. These devices may also be mounted on the ground instead of on the platform 87.

[0195] The food scooping robot 81 (an example of an automatic machine) holds a food container 89, scoops out the food 19 held in the transport container 85, and transfers the food 19 held in the food container 89 to the food container 3. The food container 89 is, for example, a tray having a hollow container portion 89a in a semispherical shape, a handle portion 89b, and an operation portion 89c. After the food 19 is scooped out in the transport container 85, the food scooping robot 81 holds the food 19 in a state in which the opening of the container portion 89a faces upward, moves the food container 89 above the food container 3, and transfers the food 19 to the food container 3 with the opening of the container portion 89a facing downward. By operating the operation portion 89c by the food scooping robot 81, a scraping member passes through the inner side portion of the container portion 89a, and the food 19 in the container portion 89a is scraped off.

[0196] In the present embodiment, the case in which the food scooping robot 81 holds one food container 89 is described, but a plurality of (for example, the same number as the number of rows of the food containers 3 on the container conveyor 5) food containers 89 can be held, and the food containers 3 conveyed by the container conveyor 5 can be scooped out at one time. Thus, the production efficiency can be improved. The food container 89 can also be changed in kind depending on the kind and properties of the food 19. As the food container 89, an instrument other than a tray can also be used.

[0197] The food scooping robot 81 is, for example, a general vertical multi-joint type robot as an industrial robot. The food scooping robot 81 has a base 91, a turning portion 93, and an arm 95. The base 91 is fixed to the stand 87. The arm 95 has a lower arm portion 97, an elbow portion 99, an upper arm portion 101, a wrist portion 103, and a flange portion 105. The food scooping robot 81 is configured, for example, as a 6-axis robot having six joints. The food scooping robot 81 can also be provided with a number of axes other than six. The food scooping robot 81 can be, for example, a horizontal multi-joint type robot, a parallel link robot, or a dedicated work machine for a scooping work, for example, designed to have an actuator capable of linearly moving in XYZ directions of a rectangular coordinate axis and capable of rotating in a θ direction, in addition to a general robot. The food scooping robot 81 can also be provided in a plurality of units.

[0198] The adjustment unit 83 (an example of an adjustment device) is disposed, for example, adjacent to the right side of the food scooping robot 81. The adjustment unit 83 adjusts the food 19 held by the food scooping robot 81 with the food container 89 to a prescribed amount. The adjustment unit 83 performs scraping by moving two knife members in a manner of advancing and retreating in directions opposite to each other. By this scraping, the portion of the food 19 above the knife members is excluded, and the food 19 is measured in a manner of becoming a prescribed volume. The detailed structure of the adjustment unit 83 will be described later.

[0199] A transport container 85 is positioned, for example, between the pouring robot 81 and the container conveyor 5. The transport container 85 is configured to include the area below the blade component of the adjustment unit 83, allowing the food 19, after being scraped in the adjustment unit 83, to fall into the transport container 85. The transport container 85 is, for example, a plastic frame, and holds the food 19. The transport container 85 can be moved and replaced, for example, by a trolley, or it can be transported by a conveyor. Alternatively, instead of the transport container 85, a structure can be formed that uses a conveyor to transport the food 19.

[0200] Other structures of the automatic supply system 1B, such as the food container 3 and the container conveyor 5, are the same as those in the first and second embodiments described above, so descriptions are omitted.

[0201] (3-2. Adjusting the structure of the unit)

[0202] use Figure 11 Figure 12 illustrates an example of the structure of the adjustment unit 83.

[0203] like Figure 11 As shown, the adjustment unit 83 has a pair of pillars 107, a pair of support members 109, a base 111, a pair of bases 117A and 117B, a pair of drive devices 113A and 113B, and a pair of blade members 115A and 115B.

[0204] A pair of support columns 107 are erected with a predetermined interval in the front-to-back direction. The support columns 107 are fixed to the upper surface of the platform 87. Support members 109 are configured to project to the left from each support column 107 at a predetermined height. The support members 109 extend in a generally horizontal direction. A pedestal 111 is a generally rectangular plate member, suspended from the lower part of the pair of support members 109. The pedestal 111 extends approximately horizontally along the front-to-back direction in the longitudinal direction to the left of the pair of support columns 107.

[0205] In the lower portion of the front side of the pedestal 111, a drive device 113A is provided via a base portion 117A. The drive device 113A (an example of a first drive device) is, for example, an air cylinder. In the tip end portion of a rod 113Aa of the drive device 113A, a knife portion 115A is provided via a height adjustment member 119A. The drive device 113A moves the knife portion 115A in such a manner as to advance and retreat in the front-rear direction. In the lower portion of the rear side of the pedestal 111, a drive device 113B is provided via a base portion 117B. The drive device 113B (an example of a first drive device) is, for example, an air cylinder. In the tip end portion of a rod 113Ba of the drive device 113B, a knife portion 115B is provided via a height adjustment member 119B. The drive device 113B moves the knife portion 115B in such a manner as to advance and retreat in the front-rear direction. The drive devices 113A, 113B can also be, for example, a motor, a solenoid, or the like.

[0206] As shown in Figure 12A and Figure 12B , the drive devices 113A, 113B (examples of first drive devices) move the two knife portions 115A, 115B (examples of first portions) in such a manner as to advance and retreat in directions opposite to each other with respect to the horizontal direction of the food container 89 at substantially the same time. The "horizontal direction of the food container 89" refers to the direction of a straight line that links the edge portion on the one end side of the opening of the container portion 89a and the edge portion on the other end side in a direction (front-rear direction) orthogonal to the axial direction of the handle portion 89b. As shown in Figure 12A and Figure 12B , in a case where the opening of the container portion 89a faces the vertical direction upper side, the horizontal direction of the food container 89 becomes a horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 12A , in a state where the knife portions 115A, 115B are separated, the food robot 81 holds the container portion 89a of the food container 89 in which the food 19 is contained so as to be positioned between the tip ends of the knife portions 115A, 115B. The two knife portions 115A, 115B are configured so that the height positions in the vertical direction differ from each other by substantially the thickness of one knife portion by the height adjustment members 119A, 119B. As shown in Figure 12B , the adjustment unit 83 causes the two knife portions 115A, 115B to approach in such a manner as to at least partially overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. Thereby, the food 19 can be scraped or cut. The food 19 that is scraped or cut falls into the transport container 85 and is reused.

[0207] The length L in the front-rear direction of the portion in which the two knife portions 115A, 115B overlap is, for example, set to be substantially the same as the diameter of the container portion 89a of the food container 89. The gap G in the height direction between the opening of the container portion 89a and the lower knife portion 115B is set to an appropriate value in advance in accordance with the prescribed amount of adjustment of the food 19.

[0208] (3-3. Combination of knife members)

[0209] The adjustment unit 83 combines a plurality of knife members 115A, 115B having different tip shapes in accordance with the kind and properties of the food 19. The knife members 115A, 115B are prepared, for example, in a plurality of kinds having a circular shape, a substantially U-shaped, a rectangular shape, and the like. The knife members 115A, 115B having a shape corresponding to the kind and properties of the food 19 to be processed are selected in advance and attached to the adjustment unit 83. Specific examples of the combination of the knife members will be described using FIGS. 13 to 18.

[0210] In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the knife member 115A is a knife member having a circular shape as a tip shape, and the knife member 115B is a knife member having a substantially U-shaped as a tip shape. The semicircular-shaped sector, i.e., the tip portion 115Aa of the knife member 115A is formed so as to be tapered toward the tip side by means of the wedge-shaped portion 115Ab. The diameter of the tip portion 115Aa is formed, for example, to be substantially twice the diameter of the accommodation portion 89a of the food accommodation device 89. The knife member 115A is arranged so that the tip portion 115Aa faces the knife member 115B side and the wedge-shaped portion 115Ab faces the upper side. The tip portion 115Ba, which is a semicircular-shaped recess of the knife member 115B, is formed so as to be tapered toward the tip side by means of the wedge-shaped portion 115Bb. The diameter of the tip portion 115Ba is formed, for example, to be substantially equal to the diameter of the accommodation portion 89a of the food accommodation device 89. The knife member 115B is arranged so that the tip portion 115Ba faces the knife member 115A side and the wedge-shaped portion 115Bb faces the lower side.

[0211] With the adjustment unit 83, the two knife members 115A, 115B are separated from each other as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, and are brought close to each other in a state in which a part of the knife member 115A overlaps a part of the knife member 115B as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. In the example shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, for example, the knife member 115A is moved to a position in which the end portion of the inner periphery side of the wedge-shaped portion 115Ab substantially coincides with the edge portion of the rear side of the accommodation portion 89a of the food accommodation device 89, and the knife member 115B is moved to a position in which the end portion of the tip portion 115Ba substantially coincides with the edge portion of the rear side of the accommodation portion 89a of the food accommodation device 89. Figure 13A Figure 13B Figure 14A Figure 14B Figure 14A Figure 14B In the example shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, for example, the knife member 115A is moved to a position in which the end portion of the inner periphery side of the wedge-shaped portion 115Ab substantially coincides with the edge portion of the rear side of the accommodation portion 89a of the food accommodation device 89, and the knife member 115B is moved to a position in which the end portion of the tip portion 115Ba substantially coincides with the edge portion of the rear side of the accommodation portion 89a of the food accommodation device 89.

[0212] With the combination of the knife members, the food 19 can be scraped and cut off toward the rear side. This is particularly effective, for example, in the case where the food 19 such as cooked onion or meat is a long strip-shaped food material.

[0213] ​​​​​In the examples shown in Figures 15 and 16, both blade components 115A and 115B have a generally U-shaped end. The blade tips 115Aa and 115Ba, which are semi-circular recesses of blade components 115A and 115B, are formed to taper towards the end via wedge-shaped portions 115Ab and 115Bb. The diameters of the blade tips 115Aa and 115Ba are, for example, formed to be approximately equal to the diameter of the storage portion 89a of the food storage container 89. Blade component 115A is configured such that the blade tip 115Aa faces towards blade component 115B, and the wedge-shaped portion 115Ab faces upward. Blade component 115B is configured such that the blade tip 115Ba faces towards blade component 115A, and the wedge-shaped portion 115Bb faces downward.

[0214] For adjustment unit 83, the two tool components 115A and 115B are from... Figure 15A as well as Figure 15B The state of separation shown is as follows, Figure 16A as well as Figure 16B The blade components 115A and 115B shown are approximately completely overlapped. Figure 16A and Figure 16B In the example shown, for instance, the knife component 115A moves to the position where the end of the knife tip 115Aa is at the center in the left-right direction and reaches the rear edge of the storage portion 89a of the food storage container 89, and the knife component 115B moves to the position where the end of the knife tip 115Ba is at the center in the left-right direction and reaches the front edge of the storage portion 89a of the food storage container 89.

[0215] The combination of the blade components allows food 19 to be scraped and cut close to the center in the front-to-back direction. This is particularly effective, for example, when the food 19 is a long, irregularly shaped ingredient such as cooked onions or meat.

[0216] In the examples shown in Figures 17 and 18, the blade components 115A and 115B are both generally rectangular blade components with flat ends. The flat blade tips 115Aa and 115Ba of the blade components 115A and 115B are formed to taper towards the end via wedge-shaped portions 115Ab and 115Bb. The blade component 115A is configured such that the blade tip 115Aa faces the blade component 115B and the wedge-shaped portion 115Ab faces upward. The blade component 115B is configured such that the blade tip 115Ba faces the blade component 115A and the wedge-shaped portion 115Bb faces downward.

[0217] For adjustment unit 83, the two tool components 115A and 115B are from... Figure 17A and Figure 17B The state of separation shown is as follows, Figure 18A and Figure 18B The blade components 115A and 115B shown are partially overlapping.Figure 18A and Figure 18B In the example shown in FIG. 11, for example, the knife member 115A is moved to a position where the end of the knife tip portion 115Aa reaches the edge portion on the rear side of the storage portion 89a of the food storage 89, and the knife member 115B is moved to a position where the end of the knife tip portion 115Ba reaches the edge portion on the front side of the storage portion 89a of the food storage 89.

[0218] With the combination of the knife members, the food 19 can be scraped and cut in the central direction in the front-rear direction. This is particularly effective when the food 19 is a granular food material such as fish meat, scrambled egg, and the like.

[0219] (3-4. Effects of the Third Embodiment)

[0220] In the automatic serving system 1B of the third embodiment described above, the food storage 89 in which the food 19 is stored is held by the dumper robot 81, the adjustment unit 83 adjusts the food 19 held by the dumper robot 81 to a prescribed amount, and then the dumper robot 81 transfers the food 19 adjusted to the prescribed amount to the food container 3, thereby serving the food 19 into the food container 3. Thus, the process of transferring the food 19 to the food container 3 by the dumper robot 81 can be automated, and the process of adjusting the amount of the food 19 to a fixed amount can also be automated. Therefore, the serving process of the food can be automated.

[0221] In the process of adjusting the amount of the food to a fixed amount, in the case where the food is served by being scraped with the knife members, for example, in the case of an amorphous food material such as fish meat, muscle, onion, and the like, a concave-convex is generated on the upper surface due to the stickiness of the food 19 held at the time of scraping, or it is difficult to scrape due to the length of the food 19, and the like, so there is a case where it is difficult to serve a prescribed amount.

[0222] In the present embodiment, by causing the two knife members 115A and 115B to advance and retreat in directions opposite to each other in the horizontal direction with respect to the food storage 89, scraping or cutting can be performed in a manner that the food 19 becomes a fixed amount. Thus, even in the case of a food 19 having high stickiness, it is possible to suppress the generation of a concave-convex on the surface, and it is possible to cut a food 19 having a length. Thus, it is possible to adjust the amount of the food to a fixed amount with high precision in correspondence with a variety of foods. Thus, it is possible to automate the serving process of the food, and it is possible to easily cope with a variety of foods.

[0223] In addition, the food storage container 89 used by the user can be directly used, and the food material can be measured by one scraping operation, so that the food material is repeatedly held and measured to a standard amount, and thus the production speed is fast. Furthermore, the production speed can be increased by increasing the number of the depositing robots 81 and the number of the food storage containers 89 held by the depositing robots 81.

[0224] In addition, in the present embodiment, the adjustment unit 83 can also cause the two knife members 115A and 115B to approach in a manner that at least a part of the two knife members 115A and 115B overlap when viewed in the upward and downward direction. Thereby, the two knife members 115A and 115B can apply a shearing force to the food 19, and the cutting can be more effectively performed.

[0225] In addition, in the present embodiment, the adjustment unit 83 can also combine a plurality of knife members 115A and 115B having different end shapes according to the kind of the food 19. Thereby, the shape of the knife members 115A and 115B can be changed according to the kind and properties of the food 19 held by the depositing robot 81, and thus the food 19 can be more effectively scraped or cut, and the accuracy of the quantitative delivery can be improved.

[0226] (3-5. Modification of the Third Embodiment)

[0227] The third embodiment described above is not limited to the above-described content, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist and the technical idea thereof.

[0228] (3-5-1. Case where two knife members are opposed or abutted with a slight gap)

[0229] For example, the end portions of the knife members 115A and 115B can be caused to approach in a manner that the end portions are opposed with a slight gap or in a manner that the end portions are abutted. The structure of the present modification will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20.

[0230] In the example shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the knife members 115A and 115B are both knife members having a flat and substantially rectangular shape. The flat tip portions 115Aa and 115Ba of the knife members 115A and 115B are formed so as to be tapered toward the end side by means of the wedge portions 115Ab and 115Bb. The knife member 115A is arranged so that the tip portion 115Aa faces the knife member 115B side and the wedge portion 115Ab faces the upward side. The knife member 115B is arranged so that the tip portion 115Ba faces the knife member 115A side and the wedge portion 115Bb faces the upward side. The two knife members 115A and 115B are arranged so as to have substantially the same height position in the upward and downward direction by means of the height adjustment members 119A and 119B (not shown).

[0231] For adjustment unit 83, the two tool components 115A and 115B are from... Figure 19A and Figure 19B The state of separation shown is as follows, Figure 20A and Figure 20B The blade parts 115Aa and 115Ba (an example of the end portion) of the blade components 115A and 115B shown are positioned close to each other with a small gap between them. Figure 20A as well as Figure 20B In the example shown, the blade tips 115Aa and 115Ba are positioned near the center of the storage portion 89a in the front-rear direction of the food storage container 89.

[0232] exist Figure 20A and Figure 20B In the example shown, a small gap is provided between the ends of the blade components 115A and 115B, but they can also be brought close together by their ends abutting against each other. The above description focuses on the case where the ends of the blade components 115A and 115B are flat rectangular, but even blade components 115A and 115B with rounded or roughly U-shaped ends can be positioned opposite or abutting each other with a small gap.

[0233] According to this modified example, by using two blade components 115A and 115B to clamp and compress the food 19 from both sides, it can be effectively scraped or cut.

[0234] (3-5-2. Scraping the upper part of the two blade components)

[0235] Alternatively, the upper parts of the two blade components 115A and 115B can be scraped using other plate components. The structure of this modified example will be described with reference to Figures 21 to 24.

[0236] As shown in FIGS. 21 to 24, the adjustment unit 83 of the present modification example has a plate member 121 (an example of a second member) that is provided upright along the up-down direction (an example of a direction that intersects the horizontal direction), and a drive device 123 that moves the plate member 121 in a manner that advances and retreats in the left-right direction (an example of a direction that intersects the advancing and retreating direction of the two knife members 115A, 115B, in this example, the front-rear direction). The drive device 123 (an example of a second drive device) is, for example, a pneumatic cylinder. The plate member 121 is attached to the tip end portion of the rod 123a of the drive device 123 via a height adjustment member 125. The height position of the plate member 121 is adjusted by the height adjustment member 125 so that the lower end portion is in contact with the upper surfaces of the knife members 115A, 115B. The plate member 121 is prepared in a variety of materials, such as an elastic body of rubber or the like, a resin, or a metal or the like. The plate member 121 is selected in advance in terms of material and shape that correspond to the kind and properties of the food product 19 that is the object of processing, and is attached to the adjustment unit 83. The plate member 121 is not limited to one piece, and a plurality of pieces can be provided.

[0237] In FIGS. 21 to 24, a case is described in which the tip end shape of the knife members 115A, 115B is a flat oblong shape. The knife members 115A, 115B are each configured so that the wedge-shaped portions 115Ab, 115Bb face toward the lower side.

[0238] With the adjustment unit 83, the two knife members 115A, 115B are separated from each other in a state in which Figure 21A Figure 21B and Figure 21C are shown, and are brought close to each other in a manner in which the blade tip portions 115Aa, 115Ba that are the tip end portions of the knife members 115A, 115B face each other with a slight gap therebetween, as shown in Figure 22A Figure 22B and Figure 22C . At this time, the food product 19 that is being shaved sometimes remains on the upper surfaces of the knife members 115A, 115B. The plate member 121 is positioned in a standby position on the right side of the knife members 115A, 115B before the knife members 115A, 115B are brought close to each other.

[0239] As shown in Figure 23A Figure 23B and Figure 23C , the adjustment unit 83 extends the rod 123a of the drive device 123, and moves the lower end of the plate member 121 to the left side while the lower end is in contact with the upper surfaces of the knife members 115A, 115B. As shown in Figure 24A Figure 24B and Figure 24C , the adjustment unit 83 further extends the rod 123a of the drive device 123, and moves the plate member 121 to a position that is further to the left side than the left end portions of the knife members 115A, 115B. ​​​​

[0240] In FIGS. 21 to 24, the blade members 115A, 115B are arranged with the wedge portions 115Ab, 115Bb facing downward, but the blade members 115A, 115B can also be arranged with the wedge portions 115Ab, 115Bb facing upward as in the aforementioned Figure 19A and Figure 19B Likewise, the blade members 115A, 115B are arranged with the wedge portions 115Ab, 115Bb facing upward. In this case, the lower end portion of the plate member 121 can also be formed in a shape that protrudes in correspondence with the wedge portions 115Ab, 115Bb. Also, the case where the tip shape of the blade members 115A, 115B is a flat oblong shape has been described, but the same structure as described above can also be employed in blade members 115A, 115B whose tip shape is a circular shape or a substantially U-shaped.

[0241] In the present modification, the plate member 121 is caused to advance and retreat in a direction that intersects the advancing and retreating directions of the two blade members 115A, 115B, and comes into contact with the upper surfaces of the blade members 115A, 115B, so that food 19 that was not completely cut by the blade members 115A, 115B can be more reliably cut by shredding or the like. Also, since it is possible to remove food that remains on the upper portions of the blade members 115A, 115B, it is possible to improve hygiene, and it is possible to promote the reuse of food that was scraped off.

[0242] (3-5-3. Case where the type of food is detected to automatically replace the plate member)

[0243] It is also possible to configure the adjustment unit 83 so as to detect the type of food 19 and automatically replace the blade members 115A, 115B. Referring to Figure 25 The structure of the present modification will be described.

[0244] As shown in Figure 25 The adjustment unit 83 of the present modification has a sensor 127 and a replacement device 129. The sensor 127 is provided to a lower portion of a support member 131 that is provided to protrude from the pillar 107 toward the left side at a position lower than the support member 109, and detects the type of food 19 that is housed in the conveyance container 85. The sensor 127 is, for example, a camera. The replacement device 129 replaces the blade members 115A, 115B with blade members of a shape that corresponds to the type of food 19 based on the detection result of the sensor 127. The adjustment unit 83 has, for example, a lifting mechanism 133 that moves the support member 109 in the up and down direction, and moves the blade members 115A, 115B toward the replacement device 129 when replacing the blade members 115A, 115B.

[0245] According to the present modification, the kind of the food 19 held by the scooping robot 81 is detected by the sensor 127, and based on the detection result of the sensor 127, the blade members 115A, 115B can be automatically replaced with blade members suitable for the kind of the food 19. Thus, the automation of the holding process of the food 19 can be further promoted.

[0246] (3-5-4. Other)

[0247] In the third embodiment, the scooping robot 81 holds the food container 89, and scoops out the food 19 held in the transport container 85 using the food container 89, thereby holding the food 19, but the method of scooping out the food 19 is not limited to the above-described method. For example, it can be configured that another mechanism that scoops out the food 19 held in the transport container 85 is provided in advance, and the food 19 scooped out by the mechanism is supplied to the food container 89 held by the scooping robot 81. In addition, it can be configured that a supply unit that supplies the food 19 in a predetermined amount like the food supply unit 9 described above is provided in advance, and the food 19 is supplied to the food container 89 held by the scooping robot 81 by the supply unit.

[0248] In the above description, in the case where there is a description of "vertical", "parallel", "plane", and the like, the description is not strictly meant. These "vertical", "parallel", "plane" allow design and manufacturing tolerances, errors, and are meant to be "substantially vertical", "substantially parallel", "substantially planar".

[0249] In the above description, in the case where there is a description of "the same", "identical", "equal", "different", and the like in terms of appearance, size, shape, position, and the like, the description is not strictly meant. These "the same", "identical", "equal", "different" allow design and manufacturing tolerances, errors, and are meant to be "substantially the same", "substantially identical", "substantially equal", "substantially different".

[0250] In addition to the above-described, the methods using the embodiments, the modifications, and the like can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, although not exemplified one by one, the above-described embodiments, the modifications, and the like can be implemented by applying various changes within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

[0251] The problems to be solved and the effects of the embodiments, the modifications, and the like described above are not limited to the above-described contents. By the embodiments, the modifications, and the like, the problems not described above can be solved, or the effects not described above can be exerted, and sometimes only a part of the problems described or only a part of the effects described can be solved or exerted.

Claims

1. An automatic supply system, comprising: An automatic machine that holds a food container containing food and transfers the food to a food container; and An adjusting device that adjusts the food to a specified quantity. The adjustment device has: Two first components; and A first drive mechanism moves the two first components in a forward and backward motion in a direction opposite to each other in the horizontal direction relative to the food container. The two first components are brought close together such that they at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, or are positioned opposite each other with their ends separated by a small gap.

2. An automatic supply system, comprising: An automatic machine that holds a food container containing food and transfers the food to a food container; and An adjusting device that adjusts the food to a specified quantity. The adjustment device has: Two first components; A first drive mechanism that causes the two first components to move forward and backward in a direction opposite to each other in the horizontal direction relative to the food container; and A removal device that removes food residue remaining on the upper part of the two first components. The two first components are brought close together such that they at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, or are positioned opposite each other with their ends separated by a small gap.

3. The automatic supply system according to claim 2, wherein, The removal device has: The second component extends in a direction intersecting the horizontal direction; and The second drive device causes the second component to move in a forward and backward manner in a direction that intersects with the forward and backward directions of the two first components.

4. The automatic supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The adjustment device combines the first components with different end shapes according to the type of food.

5. The automatic supply system according to claim 4, wherein, The automatic supply system also has: A sensor that detects the type of food; and A replacement device replaces the first component of the adjustment device based on the detection results of the sensor.

6. An automatic supply system, comprising: An automatic machine that holds a food container containing food and transfers the food to a food container; and An adjusting device that adjusts the food to a specified quantity. The adjustment device has: Two first components; and A removal device having a second component extending in a direction intersecting the horizontal direction of the food container to remove food residue remaining on the upper part of the first component. The two first components are close together in such a way that they at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, or that they are positioned opposite each other with a small gap between their ends.

7. An adjusting device for adjusting the amount of food stored in a food container held by an automatic machine to a predetermined quantity, said adjusting device comprising: Two first components; and A first drive mechanism moves the two first components in a forward and backward motion in a direction opposite to each other in the horizontal direction relative to the food container. The two first components are brought close together in such a way that they at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, or in such a way that the ends of the two first components are separated by a small gap and are placed opposite each other.

8. An automatic supply method comprising the following steps: The automatic machine holds the food storage container in place; and The adjusting device adjusts the amount of food stored in the food container by moving two first components back and forth in a direction opposite to each other in the horizontal direction relative to the food container. The step of adjusting the food to a specified quantity includes: The two first components are brought close together in such a way that they at least partially overlap when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction, or in such a way that the ends of the two first components are separated by a small gap and are placed opposite each other.

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