Foodstuff stirring device

Abstract

The present application provides a food stirring device which can easily realize the plurality of cups and can more appropriately perform stirring using rotation of the cups. The food stirring device includes a ring-shaped conveying device having a conveying surface which is annularly surrounded and is obliquely arranged, a plurality of cups which are installed to the ring-shaped conveying device in a perpendicular manner with respect to the conveying surface, and a rotation mechanism which rotates the cups. The rotation mechanism includes a rotation shaft, a driven magnet, a driving magnet, and a rotation driving device. One end of the rotation shaft is fixed to a bottom plate of the cup. The driven magnet is provided at the other end of the rotation shaft. The driving magnet faces the driven magnet with a predetermined interval. The rotation driving device rotates the driving magnet.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a food stirring device. In particular, the present application relates to a boiled noodle stirring device that stirs boiled noodles. BACKGROUND

[0002] When packing boiled noodles into a commodity container, in order to prevent the boiled noodles from solidifying into a lump, it is desirable to apply a loosening agent containing water or edible oil, etc. in advance to the boiled noodles. A boiled noodle stirring device that sprays a loosening agent onto boiled noodles and stirs the boiled noodles so that the loosening agent is uniformly attached to the boiled noodles is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 3260136 B1 discloses a boiled noodle stirring device that mixes boiled noodles with a loosening agent. The boiled noodle stirring device includes a support base that is arranged obliquely, and a plurality of cups into which boiled noodles and a loosening agent are to be put, which are arranged at a prescribed interval with respect to the support base. The cups are positioned by rotating the support base, and the boiled noodles and the loosening agent are stirred and mixed by rotating the cups. After the stirring, the cups are positioned at a prescribed discharge position, and the boiled noodles to which the loosening agent is attached are discharged to the outside of the device.

[0004] In order to season the boiled noodles, a boiled noodle stirring device that supplies a seasoning material, etc. to the boiled noodles and stirs the boiled noodles so that the boiled noodles and the seasoning material, etc. are uniformly mixed is known.

[0005] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-083536 A discloses a boiled noodle stirring device that mixes boiled noodles with a seasoning material. The boiled noodle stirring device includes a ring-shaped conveyance device (hereinafter, referred to as a ring-shaped conveyance device) as a conveyance device for the cups. A plurality of cups into which boiled noodles and a sauce and an ingredient are to be put are fixed at a prescribed interval to the ring-shaped conveyance device that extends in the horizontal direction. The cups are intermittently conveyed, and the boiled noodles, the sauce, and the ingredient are sequentially dropped. Then, the boiled noodles, the sauce, and the ingredient in the cups are stirred and mixed by a stirring rod, and are discharged downward.

[0006] When stirring the boiled noodles, a method of stirring by rotating the cups, and a method of stirring by inserting a stirring rod into the cups and causing the stirring rod to act, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3260136 B1 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-083536 A, respectively, are known. SUMMARY

[0007] [PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION]

[0008] In a noodle cooking and stirring device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3260136 B1, a cup is positioned by rotating a support base. In such a noodle cooking and stirring device, in order to increase the number of cups, the support base must be upsized, and since the entire device is upsized and the load on a rotation shaft that supports the support base becomes large, there is a limit to the upper limit of the number of cups in terms of design.

[0009] On the other hand, in a case where a ring-shaped conveyance device is used as a cup conveyance member as in the noodle cooking and stirring device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-083536 A, it is relatively easy to increase the number of cups.

[0010] From the viewpoint of the stirring method, a method in which a cup is rotated to stir is more excellent in that food materials do not get entangled on a stirring rod, the mechanism or control for stirring is relatively simple, and maintenance is good. In a case where a cup itself is rotated to stir, it is conceivable to use a magnetic coupling to non-contactingly connect the cup and a rotation drive device. The magnetic coupling has a driven magnet and a driving magnet, which need to be arranged facing each other with a prescribed interval therebetween. Specifically, by arranging the driven magnet in the cup and arranging the driving magnet facing the driven magnet with a prescribed interval therebetween, the cup can be indirectly rotated by magnetic force.

[0011] On the other hand, in order to improve the stirring performance, it is desirable to tilt the cup.

[0012] Therefore, in a food stirring device, it is desirable to use a ring-shaped conveyance device as a cup conveyance device, rotate the cup using a magnetic coupling, and tilt the cup. However, in a food stirring device using a ring-shaped conveyance device, if the cup is to be connected to a rotation drive device via a magnetic coupling and the cup is to be tilted and mounted to the ring-shaped conveyance device extending in the horizontal direction, a transmission mechanism such as a gear must be provided between the cup and the driven magnet to change the direction of rotation. Furthermore, since the transmission mechanism and a dirt prevention member thereof are needed, the cost increases and the maintenance becomes poor.

[0013] The present application was made in view of such circumstances, and aims to provide a food stirring device in which a plurality of cups can be easily realized and stirring using rotation of the cups can be more appropriately performed.

[0014] [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0015] According to the present application, there is provided a food stirring device including: a ring-shaped conveyance device having a conveyance surface that is ring-shaped and surrounds in a ring shape, and configured to be inclined at a prescribed inclination angle with respect to a horizontal direction in a length direction; a plurality of cups having a bottom plate, a side plate that surrounds a periphery of the bottom plate, and an opening formed at an upper end of the side plate, and being put in as a main material of food; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the cup about a center line that passes through a center of the bottom plate and a center of the opening as a center, the cup being installed to the ring-shaped conveyance device in a manner that is perpendicular with respect to the conveyance surface, the rotation mechanism having: a rotation shaft having one end and the other end, the one end being fixed to the bottom plate of the cup; a driven magnet that is a permanent magnet provided at the other end of the rotation shaft; a driving magnet that is a permanent magnet that faces the driven magnet at a prescribed interval; and a rotation driving device having an actuator that rotates the driving magnet.

[0016] [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] In the food stirring device of the present application, the ring-shaped conveyance device is provided in an inclined manner, and the cup is fixed in a perpendicular manner with respect to the conveyance surface of the ring-shaped conveyance device. Therefore, the cup is also provided in an inclined manner, and the stirring property is improved. Furthermore, when the cup is rotated, a magnetic coupling that includes the driven magnet and the driving magnet can be used to transmit rotational power in a non-contact manner. At this time, since it is not necessary to provide a transmission mechanism to change the direction of rotation, the structure can be simplified. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic configuration view of a food stirring device of the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a cup and a rotation mechanism.

[0020] Figure 3 indicates an example of a cup.

[0021] Figure 4 indicates an example of a cup.

[0022] Figure 5 indicates an example of a cup.

[0023] Figure 6 indicates an example of a cup.

[0024] Figure 7 is a schematic configuration view of a food stirring device including a heater. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described using the drawings. The various modifications described below can be implemented in any combination.

[0026] The term "main ingredient" in this instruction manual refers to the food initially added to the cup, such as boiled noodles, but is not limited to this. "Noodles" in this instruction manual refers to a category of food formed by mixing edible powder with water, including udon noodles, soba noodles, somen noodles, cold noodles, Chinese noodles, pasta, rice noodles, and vermicelli. Boiled noodles refer to noodles that are cooked before being fed to the food mixing device. Materials mixed with boiled noodles in the food mixing device are generally referred to as secondary ingredients, which also include materials other than leavening agents. Specifically, secondary ingredients include water, edible oils, seasonings (including spices, herbs, condiments, etc.), sauces (including those containing solid substances), and food additives.

[0027] The food mixing device 1 is a device that mixes and blends the main material and auxiliary material supplied from the preceding process device 91 together, and discharges them to the subsequent process device 93. In particular, the food mixing device 1 of this embodiment is a noodle mixing device where the main ingredient is boiled noodles. Figure 1 As shown, the food mixing device 1 of this embodiment includes an annular conveying device 2, multiple cups 3, a rotating mechanism 4, an inlet gate 51, an input chute 52, a material nozzle 53, a discharge chute 54, an outlet gate 55, a cleaning nozzle 56, a drying nozzle 57, a cleaning device 6, and a control device 7.

[0028] The annular conveying device 2 is a device having a conveying surface S that is arranged in a ring. In this embodiment, the annular conveying device 2 is specifically a chain conveyor, having a pair of lower sprockets 21, a pair of upper sprockets 23 positioned higher than the lower sprockets 21, and a pair of chains 25 wound around the lower sprockets 21 and the upper sprockets 23 respectively. The area sandwiched between the pair of chains 25 constitutes the conveying surface S. The cup 3 is fixed to a mounting plate 27 mounted on the pair of chains 25, and moves intermittently and is positioned on the conveying surface S. The annular conveying device 2 can be any device having a conveying surface S that is arranged in a ring, or other conveying devices such as belt conveyors can also be used. The annular conveying device 2 is easy to scale up, so that a larger number of cups 3 can be conveyed. By setting a large number of cups 3, productivity is improved. It is also easy to increase the amount of auxiliary materials, thereby enabling the use of the food mixing device 1 in the manufacture of a wider variety of foods.

[0029] The ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is configured to be inclined in the length direction at a prescribed inclination angle θ with respect to the horizontal direction. The inclined configuration of the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 has the effect of improving the stirring property in cooperation with the vertical configuration of the cups 3 described later, and also has the advantage of being able to reduce the setting area in the horizontal direction. In order to improve the stirring property, it is desirable for the cups 3 to face the front side, i.e., the inclination angle of the cups 3 is desirably close to 0°. On the other hand, in order to easily pour the main material into the cups 3, and to prevent the main material and the sub-material from leaking out of the cups 3, the cups 3 in the process of stirring need to face the upper side to some extent. In light of the above, the inclination angle of the cups 3 disposed on the upper side of the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is configured to be, for example, 20° or more and 45° or less. In other words, the inclination angle θ of the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is preferably, for example, 45° or more and 70° or less. In the present embodiment, the inclination angle θ of the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is approximately 55°. The ring-shaped conveyance device 2 of the present embodiment is inclined with the side on which the main material is poured being the lower side, and the side on which the main material and the sub-material are discharged being the upper side, but can also be inclined with the side on which the main material is poured being the upper side, and the side on which the main material and the sub-material are discharged being the lower side.

[0030] The cups 3 are containers into which the main material and the sub-material are poured, and which hold the main material and the sub-material in the process of stirring. The cups 3 are provided in a plurality of numbers, and are installed in the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 in a vertical manner with respect to the conveyance surface S at prescribed intervals. As described above, the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is inclined at a prescribed inclination angle θ, and the cups 3 installed in a vertical manner with respect to the conveyance surface S are also inclined, so the stirring property is improved. That is, by the inclined configuration of the cups 3, the action of the main material located on the lower side inside the cups 3 being lifted up to the upper side, and then falling down due to gravity, is continuously performed in conjunction with the rotation of the cups 3. Thus, stirring can be performed with good efficiency. As shown in FIG. 2, the cups 3 have a bottom plate 31, a side plate 33 that surrounds the periphery of the bottom plate 31, and an opening 35 formed at the upper end of the side plate 33. Figure 2

[0031] The rotation mechanism 4 is a device that rotates the cups 3 to perform stirring. More specifically, the rotation mechanism 4 rotates the cups 3 with the center line that passes through the center of the bottom plate 31 and the center of the opening 35 as the center. The center line of the cups 3 is perpendicular to the conveyance surface S. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation mechanism 4 is disposed on the lower side of the ring-shaped conveyance device 2. Figure 2 ​As shown, the rotation mechanism 4 has a rotation shaft 41, a driven magnet 43, a driving magnet 45, and a rotation drive device 47. The rotation shaft 41 is shaft-supported by the mounting plate 27, and one end is fixed to the bottom plate 31 of the cup 3. That is, the cup 3 is mounted to the mounting plate 27 via the rotation shaft 41. When connecting the cup 3 and the rotation shaft 41, it is desirable to use a fastening member 49 such as a clamp band that is easily fixed and released. In this way, even if the cup 3 is removed for maintenance or the like, the work can be easily performed. The driven magnet 43, which is a permanent magnet, is provided at the other end of the rotation shaft 41. The driving magnet 45 is a permanent magnet that faces the driven magnet 43 at a prescribed interval. That is, the driven magnet 43 and the driving magnet 45 constitute a magnetic coupling. In conjunction with the rotation of the driving magnet 45, the driven magnet 43 rotates due to magnetic force, and the cup 3 rotates via the rotation shaft 41. The rotation drive device 47 is provided corresponding to each driving magnet 45. The rotation drive device 47 is a device having an arbitrary actuator that can rotate the driving magnet 45, such as a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the power of the motor to the driving magnet 45.

[0032] As described above, the rotation mechanism 4 of the present embodiment is configured so that the rotation power is transmitted in a non-contact manner using a magnetic coupling. Such a rotation mechanism 4 is excellent in terms of high waterproofness. In addition, since the member connected to the chain 25 via the mounting plate 27 can be provided only as the driven element of the cup 3 and the rotation mechanism 4, the load of the endless conveyance device 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, it can be configured so that the cup 3 is easily removed from the device, and the maintainability is improved.

[0033] The rotation mechanism 4 can also be configured so that the rotation direction of the cup 3 can be switched. By appropriately switching the forward rotation / reverse rotation of the cup 3, the stirring can be more appropriately performed. The forward rotation / reverse rotation can be switched for each position of the cup 3, or the forward rotation / reverse rotation can be switched at one position.

[0034] The driven element of the rotation mechanism 4, that is, the rotation shaft 41 and the driven magnet 43, are each provided one for each cup 3, and are fixed to the mounting plate 27 together with the cup 3. The driving element of the rotation mechanism 4, that is, the driving magnet 45 and the rotation drive device 47, are held on the inner side of the endless conveyance device 2 via a support member or the like not shown, corresponding to each position at which the cup 3 is positioned. The positions at which the driving magnet 45 and the rotation drive device 47 are provided can be only the positions at which the rotation of the cup 3 is required. In other words, the driving magnet 45 and the rotation drive device 47 can not be provided at all positions at which the cup 3 is positioned.

[0035] The mounting plate 27 on which the cup 3, the rotation shaft 41, and the driven magnet 43 are fixed is taken as one group, and a plurality of mounting plates 27 are erected at a prescribed interval on one pair of chains 25. As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting plate 27 is provided at a position at which the cup 3 is positioned, and the cup 3 is positioned on the mounting plate 27. The cup 3 is positioned on the mounting plate 27 so that the rotation shaft 41 of the cup 3 is aligned with the driven magnet 43 of the rotation mechanism 4. The cup 3 is positioned on the mounting plate 27 so that the rotation shaft 41 of the cup 3 is aligned with the driven magnet 43 of the rotation mechanism 4. The cup 3 is positioned on the mounting plate 27 so that the rotation shaft 41 of the cup 3 is aligned with the driven magnet 43 of the rotation mechanism 4. Figure 3As shown, a plurality of cups 3, a rotating shaft 41, and a driven magnet 43 can be fixed to one mounting plate 27. In this case, the number of cups 3 can be further increased. In the case where a plurality of cups 3, a rotating shaft 41, and a driven magnet 43 are mounted to one mounting plate 27, other devices such as a driving magnet 45, a rotating drive device 47, an inlet gate 51, a feeding chute 52, a material nozzle 53, a discharge chute 54, an outlet gate 55, a cleaning nozzle 56, and a drying nozzle 57 can be appropriately added in accordance with the number of cups 3.

[0036] The cup 3 can have a simple cylindrical shape, or as shown in Figures 4 to 6 at least one of the side plate 33 side of the bottom plate 31 and the opening 35 side can be inclined inward. By inclining the side plate 33 on the bottom plate 31 side inward, the stirring performance can be improved. By inclining the side plate 33 on the opening 35 side inward, the main material and the sub-material can be prevented from leaking out of the cup 3. In order to appropriately stir and efficiently mix the main material and the sub-material, an obstacle for the main material to collide against when moving can be provided inside the cup 3. For example, as shown in Figure 4 a rod-shaped protrusion 37 can be provided, or as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 a flat-plate-shaped fin 39 can be provided.

[0037] The food stirring device 1 can further include a heater 8 configured to heat the cup 3. As shown in Figure 7 specifically, the heater 8 of the present embodiment is provided below the cup 3 in close proximity to the bottom plate 31, and is fixed to a predetermined position via a support member or the like, not shown. The cup 3 is conveyed by the ring-shaped conveying device 2 from the paper face of Figure 7 to the inside in the inside direction, and in order not to interfere with the rotating mechanism 4 during the conveying, the heater 8 is disposed avoiding the center of the cup 3. The heater 8 can be provided only at a position where the cup 3 needs to be heated, that is, can not be provided at all positions where the cup 3 is positioned. The heater 8 can be any of various types as long as it can achieve heating of the cup 3, and desirably is a heater capable of non-contact heating such as an induction heater, a gas burner, a radiant heater, or the like. By using a non-contact type heater 8, the position of the heater 8 can be fixed, and the heater 8 does not need to be moved during heating. By providing the heater 8, stirring can be performed while heating cooking, and thus the use of the food stirring device 1 can be expanded. In the rotating mechanism 4 of the present embodiment, heat generated at the driven element does not directly conduct to the driving element, and the magnetic coupling has high heat resistance, and thus even if the cup 3 is heated, adverse situations rarely occur.

[0038] The cup 3 is intermittently conveyed and positioned at a prescribed position on the conveying surface S. Hereinafter, the position at which a prescribed operation is performed in the production will be referred to as a cup position, particularly for the cup 3 set on the conveying surface S. In the present embodiment, the cup position has a main material feeding position at which the main material is fed to the cup 3, a sub-material feeding position at which the sub-material is fed to the cup 3, a stirring position at which the main material and the sub-material are mixed and stirred, a discharging position at which the main material and the sub-material are discharged from the cup 3, a cleaning position at which the cup 3 is cleaned, and a drying position at which the cup 3 is dried.

[0039] An inlet gate 51 and a feeding chute 52 are provided above the main material feeding position. The inlet gate 51 is a gate that temporarily intercepts the main material supplied from the preceding process device 91. The inlet gate 51 of the present embodiment has a cylinder through which the main material passes, a pair of shutter members that swing to open and close the bottom of the cylinder, and a driving device that swings the shutter members. Among others, various types of gates such as a sliding type, a rotary type, and the like can be employed as the inlet gate 51. In the present embodiment, the inlet gate 51 is provided above the feeding chute 52, but can also be provided below or inside the feeding chute 52. The feeding chute 52 is provided above the one end side of the ring-shaped conveying device 2 and guides the main material supplied from the preceding process device 91 into the cup 3 at the main material feeding position.

[0040] In the food stirring device 1 of the present embodiment, since the ring-shaped conveying device 2 is provided obliquely, depending on the positional relationship with the preceding process device 91, the main material is sometimes dropped into the food stirring device 1 from a relatively high position. By temporarily intercepting the main material at a position close to the cup 3 with the inlet gate 51 and then dropping it, it is possible to prevent the load from being applied to the cup 3 or the rotating mechanism 4, or the main material from overflowing from the cup 3. The timing at which the main material is fed to the cup 3 can also be adjusted.

[0041] A feeding member such as a material nozzle 53 can also be provided in the vicinity of the main material feeding position, so that the sub-material is also supplied to the cup 3 at the main material feeding position. The driving magnet 45 and the rotation driving device 47 can also be provided at the main material feeding position, so that the rotation of the cup 3 is also performed at the main material feeding position. When the main material is, for example, boiled noodles, the loosening of the boiled noodles can be more appropriately performed by stirring at the main material feeding position as well.

[0042] A material nozzle 53 is provided in the vicinity of the sub-material feeding position. The material nozzle 53 supplies the sub-material to the cup 3 at the sub-material feeding position. Depending on the type of the sub-material, another feeding member such as a chute can be provided instead of the material nozzle 53. Depending on the amount of the sub-material, the sub-material feeding position can be provided at a plurality of places. The material nozzle 53 is connected to a not-shown material tank and a not-shown pump via a not-shown on-off valve and is configured to be able to switch the start and stop of the supply of the sub-material at a desired timing.

[0043] It is desirable to provide the driving magnet 45 and the rotation driving device 47 at the sub-material feeding position, so that the rotation of the cup 3 is performed also at the sub-material feeding position.

[0044] The driving magnet 45 and the rotation driving device 47 are provided at the stirring position. The cup 3 at the stirring position is rotated, so that the mixing and stirring of the main material and the sub-material is performed. In the case where the stirring is performed also at the sub-material feeding position, the stirring position is arbitrarily set, and the stirring can be more appropriately performed by providing one or more stirring positions.

[0045] The discharge chute 54 and the outlet gate 55 are provided below the discharge position. The discharge chute 54 is provided below the other end side of the ring-shaped conveyance device 2, and guides the main material and the sub-material discharged from the cup 3 at the discharge position to the subsequent process device 93. The outlet gate 55 is a gate that can temporarily intercept the main material and the sub-material supplied from the cup 3. The outlet gate 55 of the present embodiment has a cylinder through which the main material and the sub-material pass, a pair of blocking members that swing to open and close the bottom of the cylinder, and a driving device that swings the blocking members. Among them, as the outlet gate 55, various gates such as a sliding type, a rotating type, and the like can be adopted. In the present embodiment, the outlet gate 55 is provided below the discharge chute 54, and can also be provided above or inside the discharge chute 54.

[0046] In the food stirring device 1 of the present embodiment, since the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is provided obliquely, depending on the positional relationship with the subsequent process device 93, the main material and the sub-material can sometimes be dropped to the subsequent process device 93 from a relatively high position. By temporarily intercepting the main material and the sub-material at a position close to the subsequent process device 93 using the outlet gate 55 and then dropping them, it is possible to prevent the main material and the sub-material from overflowing from a container or the like provided at the subsequent process device 93. The discharge timing of the main material and the sub-material to the subsequent process device 93 can also be adjusted.

[0047] It is desirable to provide the driving magnet 45 and the rotation driving device 47 at the discharge position, so that the rotation of the cup 3 is performed also at the discharge position.

[0048] The cleaning nozzle 56 is provided in the vicinity of the cleaning position. The cleaning nozzle 56 sprays a cleaning liquid to the cup 3 at the cleaning position, and performs the cleaning of the cup 3. The cleaning liquid is, for example, water, a detergent, or hot water. The cleaning liquid can be switched to be used in multiple, and different cleaning liquids can be used depending on the cleaning position. The cleaning position is arbitrarily set, and production can be more hygienically performed by providing one or more cleaning positions. The cleaning nozzle 56 is connected to a not-shown cleaning liquid source via a not-shown opening and closing valve, and is configured to be able to switch the start and stop of the spraying of the cleaning liquid at a desired timing.

[0049] It is desirable to provide the driving magnet 45 and the rotation driving device 47 at the cleaning position, so that the rotation of the cup 3 is performed also at the cleaning position.

[0050] A drying nozzle 57 is provided in the vicinity of the drying position. The drying nozzle 57 sprays gas such as high-pressure air or warm air toward the cup 3 at the drying position to dry the cup 3. The drying position is arbitrarily set, and by providing more than one drying position, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid used in the cleaning from remaining on the cup 3. The drying nozzle 57 is connected to a not-shown gas source via a not-shown on-off valve, and is configured to be able to switch the start and stop of the spraying of the gas at a desired point in time.

[0051] Ideally, the driving magnet 45 and the rotary driving device 47 are provided at the drying position, so that the rotation of the cup 3 is also performed at the drying position.

[0052] The cleaning device 6 is a device provided below the ring-shaped conveyance device 2, and performs the cleaning of the cup 3 during non-production. The cleaning device 6 has a cleaning tank 61, a supply port 63 that supplies the cleaning liquid L to the cleaning tank 61, a discharge port 65 that discharges the cleaning liquid L from the cleaning tank 61, and an overflow port 67 that maintains the water level of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 61 constant. When the cleaning device 6 is used, the cleaning liquid L is stored in the cleaning tank 61 up to a water level at which at least one cup 3 conveyed by the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 is immersed. The cleaning liquid L is, for example, hot water, and the cleaning device 6 can also be a device that performs boiling sterilization of the cup 3. In the case where hot water is used as the cleaning liquid L, a heater for heating the water can be provided in the cleaning tank 61, or water heated outside the device can be supplied to the cleaning device 6. Instead of hot water, a detergent or the like can also be used as the cleaning liquid L. The cleaning device 6 is not used during production, i.e., when the mixing and stirring of the main material and the sub-material is performed. In other words, during production, the cleaning liquid L is not stored in the cleaning tank 61.

[0053] The control device 7 performs various controls by operating the food stirring device 1. Specifically, the control device 7 drives the ring-shaped conveyance device 2 to position the cup 3, and drives the rotary mechanism 4 to rotate the cup 3. The control device 7 controls the inlet gate 51 and the outlet gate 55 to perform the dropping of the main material and the discharge of the main material and the sub-material. The control device 7 controls the material nozzle 53, the cleaning nozzle 56, and the drying nozzle 57 to perform the supply of the sub-material, the cleaning of the cup 3, and the drying of the cup 3, respectively. The control device 7 can be configured by arbitrarily combining hardware and software as long as the desired controls are achieved.

[0054] Here, the stirring method using the food stirring device 1 of the present embodiment described above will be described. In the present embodiment, the cup 3 is positioned in the order of the main material dropping position, the sub-material dropping position, the stirring position, the discharge position, the cleaning position, and the drying position. The operations at the respective positions are performed in parallel, and in the following description, the operations will be described with one cup 3 in focus.

[0055] First, the main material is fed to the cup 3 positioned at the main material feeding position from the preceding process device 91 via the inlet gate 51 and the feeding chute 52. At this time, the sub-material can also be fed to the cup 3 via the material nozzle 53 or the like. The rotation of the cup 3 can also be performed at the main material feeding position. After a prescribed time has elapsed, the cup 3 is moved to the next position by the ring conveyance device 2.

[0056] Next, the sub-material is fed to the cup 3 positioned at the sub-material feeding position via the material nozzle 53 or the like. The cup 3 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 4, and the main material and the sub-material are mixed and stirred. After a prescribed time has elapsed, the same operation is performed at the next sub-material feeding position in the case where a plurality of sub-material feeding positions are provided. After the operation at all of the sub-material feeding positions has ended, the cup 3 is moved to the next position by the ring conveyance device 2.

[0057] The cup 3 positioned at the stirring position is rotated by the rotation mechanism 4, and the main material and the sub-material are mixed and stirred. After a prescribed time has elapsed, the same operation is performed at the next stirring position in the case where a plurality of stirring positions are provided. After the operation at all of the stirring positions has ended, the cup 3 is moved to the next position by the ring conveyance device 2.

[0058] The opening 35 of the cup 3 positioned at the discharge position is directed downward, and thus the main material and the sub-material are discharged from the cup 3. At this time, in order to promote the discharge, it is desirable to rotate the cup 3 by the rotation mechanism 4. The main material and the sub-material discharged from the cup 3 are conveyed to the subsequent process device 93 via the discharge chute 54 and the outlet gate 55. After a prescribed time has elapsed, the cup 3 is moved to the next position by the ring conveyance device 2.

[0059] After the main material and the sub-material are discharged, the cup 3 positioned at the cleaning position is cleaned. At the cleaning position, a cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning nozzle 56 toward the cup 3, and dirt adhering to the cup 3 is washed away. At this time, it is preferable to rotate the cup 3 by the rotation mechanism 4, and to uniformly bring the cleaning liquid into contact with the inside of the cup 3. After a prescribed time has elapsed, the cup 3 is moved to the next position by the ring conveyance device 2.

[0060] After the cleaning, the cup 3 positioned at the drying position is dried. At the drying position, a gas is sprayed from the drying nozzle 57 toward the cup 3, and moisture adhering to the cup 3 is dried. At this time, it is preferable to rotate the cup 3 by the rotation mechanism 4, and to uniformly bring the gas into contact with the inside of the cup 3. After a prescribed time has elapsed, the cup 3 is moved to the next position by the ring conveyance device 2.

[0061] The above operations are repeated, and the mixing and stirring of the main material and the sub-material are continuously performed. Between the discharge position and the cleaning position, and between the drying position and the main material feeding position, the cup 3 does not need to be particularly operated.

[0062] After production, the cleaning of the cup 3 can also be performed using the cleaning device 6. For example, hot water is stored in the cleaning tank 61 as the cleaning liquid L, and the cup 3 is continuously passed through the hot water by driving the ring-shaped conveyance device 2. In this way, the cleaning of the cup 3 can be performed without removing the cup 3.

[0063] As has been specifically shown in several examples, the present application is not limited to the structure of the embodiments shown in the drawings, and various modifications or applications can be made within the scope of the technical idea of the present application.

Claims

1. A food stirring device comprising: a ring-shaped conveyance device having a conveyance surface that is ring-shaped and surrounds in a ring shape, and is configured to be inclined at a prescribed inclination angle with respect to a horizontal direction in a length direction; a plurality of cups each having a bottom plate, a side plate that surrounds a periphery of the bottom plate, and an opening formed at an upper end of the side plate, and into which a main material that is a food is put; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the cups each around a center line that passes through a center of the bottom plate and a center of the opening, the cups each are installed to the ring-shaped conveyance device in a manner that is perpendicular with respect to the conveyance surface, the rotation mechanism includes: a plurality of rotation shafts each having one end and the other end, the one end being fixed to the bottom plate of one of the cups; a plurality of driven magnets each being a permanent magnet that is provided at the other end of one of the rotation shafts; a plurality of driving magnets each being a permanent magnet that faces the corresponding driven magnet of the plurality of driven magnets with a prescribed interval; and a plurality of rotation driving devices each having an actuator that rotates one of the driving magnets, wherein the plurality of rotation driving devices and the plurality of driving magnets are provided at a plurality of positions on an inner side of the ring-shaped conveyance device with respect to the conveyance surface to rotate the plurality of cups, the plurality of rotation driving devices and the plurality of driving magnets are in a one-to-one relationship so that a number of the plurality of rotation driving devices is equal to a number of the plurality of driving magnets, when the number of the plurality of cups increases, the number of the plurality of rotation driving devices and the number of the plurality of driving magnets are configured to increase.

2. The foodstuff blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein, the prescribed inclination angle is 45° or more and 70° or less.

3. The food stirring device according to claim 1, the ring-shaped conveyance device includes: a pair of lower sprockets, a pair of upper sprockets provided at a higher position than the pair of lower sprockets; a pair of chains wound on the pair of lower sprockets and the pair of upper sprockets, respectively; and a plurality of mounting plates provided on the pair of chains to fix the plurality of cups, the plurality of rotation shafts, and the plurality of driven magnets.

4. The food stirring device according to claim 1, further comprising: a putting chute provided above an end side of the ring-shaped conveyance device to guide the main material into the cups; and an ejection chute provided below the other end side of the ring-shaped conveyance device to guide the main material ejected from the cups.

5. The food stirring device according to claim 4, further comprising: an entrance gate provided above, below, or inside the putting chute to be opened and closed freely; and an exit gate provided above, below, or inside the ejection chute to be opened and closed freely.

6. The food stirring device according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning nozzle that sprays a cleaning liquid to the cups to clean the cups.

7. The food stirring device according to claim 6, further comprising a drying nozzle that sprays a gas to the cups to dry the cups.

8. The food stirring device according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning device disposed below the ring-shaped conveying device, and including a cleaning tank configured to store a cleaning liquid up to a water level at which at least one cup conveyed by the ring-shaped conveying device is immersed.

9. The food stirring device according to claim 1, further comprising a heater that heats the plurality of cups.

10. The foodstuff blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The main material is boiled noodles.

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