Rice milling apparatus

Abstract

To provide a rice milling apparatus which can perform re-milling of rice while improving convenience of a user and preferably preventing generation of crushed rice.SOLUTION: A control part of a rice milling apparatus is constructed to be capable of executing a rice milling treatment at a plurality of control modes. The plurality of control modes includes: a normal mode which performs the rice milling treatment with a standard milling degree based on supply amount set in advance by a supply amount adjustment part and control volume of pressure by a pressure adjustment part; and a re-milling mode which reduces pressure of a pressure plate through the pressure adjustment part relative to the normal mode and increases stirring rate through a stirring rate adjustment part to perform the rice milling treatment. The control part includes a re-milling execution determination part which determines whether the re-milling mode is automatically executed based on state detection information representing rice state obtained from a state detection sensor I. The re-milling execution determination part determines, when starting the rice milling treatment, whether the re-milling mode is automatically executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to rice milling equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of rice polishing equipment, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. This conventional rice milling equipment is housed in a simple building with a roof and four side walls and includes a brown rice input section that receives brown rice, a foreign matter removal section that removes foreign matter contained in the brown rice, a rice milling section that mills the input brown rice, and a white rice removal section for removing white rice. An example of the rice milling section is known, for example, from Patent Document 2. This conventional rice milling section has a mechanism in which a milling roll is rotated in a milling chamber where the brown rice is milled, and the brown rice is milled by having it interfere with a mesh arranged inside the milling chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-36961 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-104504 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, as time passes after rice is polished, the surface of the rice oxidizes and the flavor deteriorates. In response to this, the deterioration of flavor can be improved by polishing the rice that has been polished again (hereinafter referred to as re-polishing). There is also a need for users to re-polish the rice after checking the polished rice finish and determining that the polishing is insufficient. However, with conventional rice polishing equipment, re-polishing the rice is prone to causing rice breakage due to deterioration over time and the load placed on the grains that have become brittle after being polished once. Furthermore, when using conventional rice polishing equipment to re-polish the rice, users are unsure of what settings to use for re-polishing, and there is a risk of causing rice breakage by re-polishing the rice with inappropriate settings.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide rice milling equipment that can perform re-milling while effectively preventing the occurrence of broken rice and improving user convenience. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the first invention provides: It is equipped with a rice polishing section that polishes the rice put into the input hopper. The rice polishing section includes a brown rice tank for storing brown rice, a polishing chamber for polishing the brown rice, a rotary valve for feeding the brown rice from the brown rice tank to the polishing chamber, and a pressure plate provided at an outlet of the polishing chamber. The polishing chamber is provided with a polishing roll which rotates to stir and polish the brown rice, and a rice polishing screen which is disposed so as to surround the polishing roll and which comes into contact with the stirred brown rice to polish the rice, A rice milling facility comprising a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber, and a control unit that controls a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the pressure plate, A state detection sensor that detects the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper; and an agitation speed adjusting unit for adjusting the agitation speed of the whitening roll, The control unit is configured to be able to execute the rice polishing process in a plurality of control modes, and includes a normal mode in which rice polishing process is performed with a standard degree of polishing based on a preset supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit and a preset control amount of the pressure by the pressure adjustment unit; The pressure adjusting unit reduces the pressure of the pressure plate to a value lower than that of the normal mode, and the stirring speed adjusting unit increases the stirring speed to perform a rice polishing process. The present invention provides rice milling equipment, which is characterized in that it is equipped with a re-milling execution determination unit that determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on status detection information indicating the status of the rice obtained from the status detection sensor, and is configured so that, at the start of the rice milling process, the re-milling execution determination unit determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode, thereby enabling the re-milling mode to be executed automatically.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper is detected by a state detection sensor, and based on the state detection information, it is determined whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode, and if it is judged necessary based on the state of the rice, the re-milling mode is automatically executed. This makes it possible to perform re-milling while effectively preventing the occurrence of broken rice, while improving user convenience.

[0008] A second invention is the same as the first invention, in which the state detection sensor includes a temperature detection sensor that detects the temperature of rice, The control unit is configured to acquire detection information from the temperature detection sensor during the rice polishing process, and to lower the target whiteness of the finished product when the rice temperature is equal to or higher than a first set temperature, and to raise the target whiteness of the finished product when the rice temperature is equal to or lower than a second set temperature.

[0009] According to the second invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention, the softness of the surface of the rice changes depending on the temperature of the rice, and the degree to which the rice is polished during the rice polishing process is also taken into consideration, so that the target whiteness of the finished product can be satisfactorily achieved.

[0010] The third invention has the features of the first or second invention, in addition to the above. The rice milling equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the state detection sensor includes a whiteness detection sensor that detects the whiteness of rice, and the re-milling execution determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on the detection value of the whiteness of the rice.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect of the present invention, Since the device is configured to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-polishing mode based on the detection value of the fatty acid content of the rice, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-polishing mode, taking into account changes in whiteness due to oxidation of the rice surface.

[0012] A fourth invention is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of the first or second invention, the state detection sensor is equipped with a fatty acid content detection sensor that detects the fatty acid content of rice, and the re-milling execution determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on the detection value of the fatty acid content of the rice.

[0013] According to the fourth invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the invention is configured to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-polishing mode based on the detection value of the fatty acid content of the rice, so that the automatic execution of the re-polishing mode can be appropriately determined taking into account the change in fatty acid content due to oxidation of the rice surface.

[0014] The fifth invention is a rice milling unit that mills rice put into the input hopper, The rice polishing section includes a brown rice tank for storing brown rice, a polishing chamber for polishing the brown rice, a rotary valve for feeding the brown rice from the brown rice tank to the polishing chamber, and a pressure plate provided at an outlet of the polishing chamber. The polishing chamber is provided with a polishing roll which rotates to stir and polish the brown rice, and a rice polishing screen which is disposed so as to surround the polishing roll and which comes into contact with the stirred brown rice to polish the rice, A rice milling facility comprising a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber, and a control unit that controls a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the pressure plate, A state detection sensor that detects the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper; and an agitation speed adjusting unit for adjusting the agitation speed of the whitening roll, The control unit is configured to be able to execute the rice polishing process in a plurality of control modes, and includes a normal mode in which rice polishing process is performed with a standard degree of polishing based on a preset supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit and a preset control amount of the pressure by the pressure adjustment unit; a re-milling mode configured to execute a rice milling process by reducing the pressure of the pressure plate by the pressure adjustment unit to a value lower than that of the normal mode and increasing the stirring speed by the stirring speed adjustment unit, and a re-milling execution determination unit that determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on state detection information indicating the state of rice obtained from the state detection sensor, The state detection sensor includes a moisture value detection sensor for detecting the moisture value of rice, The control unit is configured to acquire information regarding the moisture value of the rice detected by the state detection sensor when starting the rice polishing process, and to reduce the pressure of the pressure plate below a set control amount the lower the moisture value is, and to increase the pressure of the pressure plate above a set control amount the higher the moisture value is. .

[0015] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the state of the rice put into the input hopper is detected by a state detection sensor, and it is possible to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on the state detection information. This makes it possible to perform re-milling while effectively preventing the occurrence of broken rice, while improving user convenience. In addition, since the likelihood of the occurrence of broken rice differs depending on the moisture value of the rice, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of broken rice by adjusting the pressure taking the moisture value of the rice into consideration.

[0016] The sixth invention is a rice milling unit that mills rice put into the input hopper, The rice polishing section includes a brown rice tank for storing brown rice, a polishing chamber for polishing the brown rice, a rotary valve for feeding the brown rice from the brown rice tank to the polishing chamber, and a pressure plate provided at an outlet of the polishing chamber. The polishing chamber is provided with a polishing roll which rotates to stir and polish the brown rice, and a rice polishing screen which is disposed so as to surround the polishing roll and which comes into contact with the stirred brown rice to polish the rice, A rice milling facility comprising a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber, and a control unit that controls a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the pressure plate, A state detection sensor that detects the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper; and an agitation speed adjusting unit for adjusting the agitation speed of the whitening roll, The control unit is configured to be able to execute the rice polishing process in a plurality of control modes, and includes a normal mode in which rice polishing process is performed with a standard degree of polishing based on a preset supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit and a preset control amount of the pressure by the pressure adjustment unit; a re-milling mode configured to execute a rice milling process by reducing the pressure of the pressure plate by the pressure adjustment unit to a value lower than that of the normal mode and increasing the stirring speed by the stirring speed adjustment unit, and a re-milling execution determination unit that determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on state detection information indicating the state of rice obtained from the state detection sensor, The present invention provides a rice milling equipment, characterized in that an ammeter for measuring a current value is attached to a drive motor that drives and rotates the milling roll, and the control unit is equipped with a brown rice supply amount correction unit that corrects the supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit based on information regarding the acquired measurement value of the ammeter.

[0017] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the state of the rice put into the input hopper is detected by a state detection sensor, and based on the state detection information, it is possible to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode. This makes it possible to improve user convenience while effectively preventing the occurrence of broken rice and perform re-milling. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent overloading caused by an increase in the rotation speed of the milling roll.

[0018] The seventh invention is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of the fourth invention, the re-polishing execution determination unit is configured to acquire information on the number of days elapsed since the last rice polishing input by the user, and to increase the value of the fatty acid content of the rice, which is a condition for automatically executing the re-polishing mode, as the acquired number of days elapsed is greater.

[0019] According to the seventh invention, in addition to the effect of the fourth invention, the need for re-milling can be determined taking into account the number of days that have passed since the previous milling, thereby making it possible to accurately determine whether or not re-milling is necessary. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide rice milling equipment that can perform re-milling while effectively preventing the occurrence of broken rice while improving user convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic system configuration diagram relating to the rice milling process of the rice milling facility of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an indoor plan view of the rice milling equipment of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the partition wall in FIG. 3 as seen from the passenger compartment side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of the rice polishing unit of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the rice milling section of the rice milling equipment of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a list of the control amounts of each mode executed by the control unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of the rice milling unit of FIG. 2 during rice milling processing in the germ protection mode. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion around the polishing chamber in the normal mode, and FIG. 11(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main portion around the polishing chamber in the germ protection mode. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the main part around the operation panel in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the re-polishing mode execution determination process. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a graph for determining the execution condition based on the whiteness. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a graph for determining the execution condition based on the fatty acid degree. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic front view showing the configuration around the polished rice tank. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a list of control amounts in each mode executed by a control unit of another embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a list of control amounts in each mode executed by the control unit of the second modified embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] <1. Configuration of rice milling equipment> Regarding an embodiment specifically configured based on the above technical concept, the configuration of the rice milling equipment A will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an external perspective view of the rice milling equipment A according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the rice milling equipment A is constructed as a simple building with a roof and four side walls, with a front entrance a1 used by users at the front of the building and a back entrance a2 used by workers at the side.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a schematic system configuration diagram (side view) relating to the rice milling process of the rice milling equipment A. As shown in FIG. 2, the rice milling equipment A is equipped with, from the upstream side of the processing path for rice to be milled (more specifically, this refers to brown rice before milling and rice that has been milled once for re-milling (i.e. white rice), but since normal rice milling mainly involves brown rice, hereinafter this refers to rice to be milled and may be referred to as brown rice), a brown rice input section S1 that receives the brown rice, a foreign matter removal section S2 that removes foreign matter contained in the brown rice, a rice milling section S3 that mills the input brown rice, and a white rice removal section S4 for removing white rice (also called polished brown rice or white rice). In addition, a first grain lifting machine E1 is provided between the brown rice input section S1 and the foreign matter removal section S2, and a second grain lifting machine E2 is provided between the foreign matter removal section S2 and the rice milling section S3, and they are configured to transport the brown rice upwards.

[0025] The brown rice input section S1 is equipped with a generally funnel-shaped input hopper 1 into which the user inputs brown rice brought by the user, and is configured to deliver the brown rice input into the input hopper 1 to the first huller E1. In addition, an opening / closing door 1a for closing / opening the input port of the input hopper 1 is provided in front of the brown rice input section S1, and the user can input rice into the input hopper 1 by opening the opening / closing door 1a. Here, a state detection sensor I for detecting the state of rice input into the input hopper 1 is provided near the input port of the input hopper 1. This state detection sensor I is configured to automatically detect when the user inputs rice into the input hopper 1 by putting a small amount of rice into a sample collection vessel. The state detection sensor I is also capable of detecting the presence or absence of rice in the input hopper 1.

[0026] The status detection sensor I detects information regarding the status of the rice. The information detected by the status detection sensor I (hereinafter referred to as status detection information) is sent to a control unit C described later. The status detection sensor I includes a whiteness detection sensor i1 that detects the whiteness of the rice fed in, a fatty acid degree detection sensor i2 that detects the fatty acid degree, and a temperature detection sensor i3 that detects the temperature.

[0027] The whiteness detection sensor i1 is a sensor that detects the whiteness of rice by measuring the spectral reflectance of the grain surface, and can detect the whiteness of rice, for example, as a numerical value from 0 to 100 (the higher the numerical value, the higher the whiteness). It may also be configured to detect the whiteness by image analysis of a camera that captures an image of the rice.

[0028] The fatty acid degree detection sensor i2 is a sensor that detects the fatty acid degree of rice, and can detect the fatty acid degree of rice as a numerical value of 0 to 50 (the higher the numerical value, the higher the fatty acid degree), for example.

[0029] The temperature detection sensor i3 is a sensor that detects the temperature of rice. Here, since it is estimated that the temperature of rice becomes substantially the same as the air temperature over time, the temperature detection sensor i3 is configured to detect the temperature of rice by measuring the air temperature in the vicinity of the input hopper 1.

[0030] The foreign matter removal section S2 is equipped with a stone remover 2 that separates stones mixed in with the brown rice, and a foreign matter removal device 3 that separates long foreign matter such as straw mixed in with the brown rice. The brown rice supplied to the foreign matter removal section S2 from the first threshing machine E1 is passed from the stone remover 2 through the foreign matter removal device 3 to the second threshing machine E2.

[0031] The rice polishing section S3 is equipped with a brown rice tank 4 for temporarily storing brown rice, a rotary valve 5 for delivering the brown rice in the brown rice tank 4, a rice polisher 6 for polishing the brown rice, and a bran removal fan 7 for sucking up the bran generated by the rice polishing process in the rice polisher 6. The rice polishing section S3 will be described in detail later. The brown rice supplied from the second grain raising machine E2 to the brown rice tank 4 is delivered from the rotary valve 5 and supplied to the rice polisher 6, where it is polished and then transferred to the white rice removal section S4.

[0032] The polished rice removal section S4 is provided with a polished rice tank 8 having a substantially funnel shape for receiving the polished rice polished by the rice polishing section S3, and the polished rice can be removed from the polished rice tank 8.

[0033] FIG. 3 is an indoor plan view of the rice milling equipment A in FIG. As shown in Fig. 3, the interior of the rice milling equipment A is divided by a partition wall a3 into a guest room a4 where users stay and a machine room a5 where various equipment is installed. The guest room a4 can be accessed from the front door a1, and the machine room a5 can be accessed from the back door a2. On the machine room a5 side, the above-mentioned feeding hopper 1, stone remover 2, foreign body remover 3, brown rice tank 4, rotary valve 5, rice milling machine 6, bran removal fan 7, white rice tank 8, etc. are arranged.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a front view of the partition wall a3 in FIG. 3 as seen from the passenger compartment a4 side. An opening / closing door 1a is provided in this partition wall a3, and a polished rice outlet a6 is provided facing the polished rice tank 8, allowing the user to insert brown rice through the opening / closing door 1a and remove the polished rice from the outlet a6. Also, provided approximately in the center of the partition wall a3 are an operation panel S that accepts user operations and a fee insertion port G that accepts fee insertion. Details will be described later, but the operation panel S is provided with a selection switch SW that accepts user operations.

[0035] <2. Configuration of rice milling section S3> Fig. 5 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the main part of the rice polishing unit S3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 5, the rice polishing unit S3 is equipped with a polishing chamber 9 for polishing brown rice, and a rotary valve 5 is disposed in a supply passage 10 that connects the polishing chamber 9 with the brown rice tank 4.

[0036] This rotary valve 5 is configured to deliver a predetermined amount of brown rice stored in the brown rice tank 4 to the polishing chamber 9 by rotation. Therefore, the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber 9 per unit time is determined according to the rotation speed of the rotary valve 5. A valve motor M1 that rotates the rotary valve 5 is controlled by a control unit C, which will be described later. As a result, the control unit C can control the amount of brown rice supplied to the rice polishing section S3 (polishing chamber 9) by controlling the valve motor M1. The rotary valve 5 and valve motor M1 described above constitute a supply amount adjustment unit J1 that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber 9.

[0037] The polishing chamber 9 has a rotary shaft 11 therein that is rotated by a drive motor M2. On this rotary shaft 11, there are provided, in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction F1 of the brown rice, a conveying roll 12 that conveys the brown rice dropped from the rotary valve 5 and sends it to the polishing chamber 9, and a polishing roll 13 that stirs and polishes the brown rice in the polishing chamber 9.

[0038] The transport roll 12 is provided with a screw thread, so that when the rotating shaft 11 rotates, the brown rice is transported along the longitudinal direction of the shaft and sent out from the supply path 10 into the polishing chamber 9. The speed at which the brown rice is transported by the transport roll 12 is sufficiently faster than the speed at which the brown rice is supplied by the rotary valve 5.

[0039] In addition, a rice polishing screen 14 having mesh-like slits formed on its plate surface is disposed in the polishing chamber 9 so as to surround the polishing roll 13. As shown in Fig. 6, this rice polishing screen 14 is formed to have a regular hexagonal cross section. In addition, the size of the rice polishing screen 14 in a preferred embodiment of the present invention is, for example, width W1 = 100 mm (mm), height W2 = 120 mm (mm), and depth W3 = 400 mm (mm). In addition, the polishing chamber 9 in this embodiment is in an inclined position with the supply side at the upper position and the outflow side at the lower position.

[0040] The polishing roll 13 has stirring blades 13a for stirring the brown rice formed to protrude from the circumferential surface along the longitudinal direction of the polishing roll 13. The arrow F2 in FIG. 6 indicates the rotation direction of the polishing roll 13. The peripheral speed of the polishing roll 13 (referring to the speed Vs of the tip of the stirring blade 13a; the same applies below) can be controlled by the control unit C described later, which drives and controls the drive motor M2 that rotates the polishing roll 13. As a result, the control unit C can control the stirring speed of the polishing roll 13 by controlling the drive motor M2. Here, the stirring speed refers to the number of rotations (min-1) of the polishing roll 13 per unit time. When the peripheral speed and stirring speed of the polishing roll 13 increase, the straight-line speed of the brown rice in the polishing chamber 9 also increases. As a result, the polishing speed of the brown rice (the speed at which it is polished) also increases. The above-mentioned rotating shaft 11, whitening roll 13, and driving motor M2 constitute an agitation speed adjusting section J2 in the whitening chamber 9.

[0041] In addition, an ammeter I2 that measures a current value is attached to the drive motor M2, and the control unit C is configured to acquire information regarding the measurement value of the ammeter I2 and to be able to control the current supplied to the drive motor M2 based on the measurement value.

[0042] In this way, when the polishing roll 13 rotates, the brown rice in the polishing screen 14 in the polishing chamber 9 is stirred and moves straight while interacting with the plate surface of the polishing screen 14, and is polished (polished) by friction between the grains.

[0043] An outlet 9a, which is an opening through which polished rice flows out, is provided at the bottom of the polishing chamber 9, and a pressure plate 15 biased towards the polishing chamber 9 is disposed over the outlet 9a so as to cover it. The pressure plate 15 is fixed to one end of a pressure arm 17 which is rotatably mounted on a pressure support shaft 16, and the other end of the pressure arm 17 is biased by an elastic spring 18. The pressing force of the elastic spring 18 is adjusted by the position of a pressure adjustment head 19 which advances and retreats as a result of the drive of a pressure adjustment motor M3. The pressure adjustment motor M3 is driven and controlled by a control unit C which will be described later. As a result, the control unit C is able to control the pressure of the pressure plate 15.

[0044] Here, the brown rice polished in the polishing chamber 9 flows out from the outlet 9a against the biasing force of the pressure plate 15, and is supplied to the polished rice tank 8 in the polished rice removal section S4. Therefore, the greater the pressure of the pressure plate 15, the higher the pressure inside the polishing chamber 9 and the higher the degree of polishing. Conversely, the smaller the pressure of the pressure plate 15, the lower the pressure inside the polishing chamber 9 and the lower the degree of polishing. The above-mentioned pressure adjustment motor M3, pressure support shaft 16, pressure arm 17, and pressure plate 15 constitute a pressure adjustment section J3 that adjusts the pressure inside the polishing chamber 9.

[0045] A bran removal fan 7 is provided below the polishing chamber 9 to suck up the bran generated in the polishing chamber 9, and is configured to appropriately suck up and remove the bran generated during the rice polishing process by driving the bran removal fan 7. The fan motor M4 that drives the bran removal fan 7 is controlled by the control unit C.

[0046] <3. Configuration of the control unit> FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system for the rice milling section S3 of the rice milling equipment A in FIG. The control unit C is an information processing device that includes a CPU that performs arithmetic processing and a memory that can read and write information required for the arithmetic processing, and the configuration shown as functional blocks in Fig. 7 is realized by the CPU operating in accordance with various control programs stored in the memory. Note that the control unit C may be a sequence control unit instead of a CPU.

[0047] A selection switch SW is connected to the input side of the control unit C, and the control unit C can obtain operation information of the selection switch SW. As described above, the state detection sensor I is also connected, and state detection information can be obtained. That is, information detected by the whiteness detection sensor i1, the fatty acid content detection sensor i2, and the temperature detection sensor i3 can be obtained. Furthermore, an ammeter I2 is connected, and information related to the measurement value of the ammeter I2 can be obtained.

[0048] Furthermore, the output side of the control unit C is connected to a supply amount adjustment unit J1, an agitation speed adjustment unit J2, a pressure adjustment unit J3, and a bran removal fan 7. This allows the control unit C to control the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber 9 by the supply amount adjustment unit J1, the agitation speed of the polishing roll 13 by the agitation speed adjustment unit J2, the pressure of the pressure plate 15 by the pressure adjustment unit J3, and the bran removal by the bran removal fan 7.

[0049] The control unit C is configured to be able to execute the rice milling process in a plurality of control modes (hereinafter referred to as rice milling modes) with different control amounts. As shown in Fig. 7, the control unit C is equipped with a normal mode execution unit c1 that executes the "normal mode", a no-rinse mode execution unit c2 that executes the "no-rinse mode", a germ protection mode execution unit c3 that executes the "germ protection mode", and a re-milling mode execution unit c4 that executes the "re-milling mode", as the rice milling modes, and is configured to be able to select and execute these modes. The control unit C also includes a re-milling execution determination unit c5 that determines whether or not to execute the re-milling process, and a brown rice supply amount correction unit c6 that corrects the brown rice supply amount by the rotary valve 5 of the supply amount adjustment unit J1.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a list of control amounts for each mode of the rice polishing mode executed by the control unit C. In FIG. 8, the control mode (rice polishing mode), control items, and control amounts are listed, and X (kg / hr), P (MPa), and R (min-1) in the figure are set values ​​that are set according to the scale of the rice polishing unit S3, and the control amounts that are the basis of the rice polishing process are set. Note that such set values ​​are set in advance by an operator before the rice polishing process. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, for example, values ​​of X=380, P=1, and R=900 are set as these set values. These set values ​​mean that the control amounts are controlled to be 380 kg of brown rice supply per hour, 1 MPa of the pressure plate 14, and 900 min-1 of the rotation speed of the polishing roll 13.

[0051] The normal mode execution unit c1 is a program that executes the normal mode, which is a mode that performs normal rice polishing processing. In the normal mode, the user can switch between three types of states with different degrees of polishing: standard, partially polished, and upper white, depending on the user's needs. The switching is performed by operating the selection switch SW.

[0052] The normal mode (standard) in the figure is a control mode in which the control amount that is the standard for normal rice polishing processing is set, and rice polishing processing is performed by the supply amount X of brown rice of the rotary valve 5, the pressure P, and the stirring speed R. Here, the normal mode (standard) is a mode in which rice polishing processing is performed by the control amount that is the standard for other rice polishing modes. Therefore, it is desirable to set the control amount in the normal mode (standard) to a control amount that can perform rice polishing processing with a standard degree of polishing. On the other hand, in the normal mode (partial polishing), the pressure P is reduced by about 30% compared to the normal mode (standard). This allows the degree of polishing in the finish to be lowered. In the normal mode (upper white), the pressure P is increased by about 20% compared to the normal mode (standard). This allows the degree of polishing in the finish to be increased.

[0053] The no-rinse-rice-mode execution unit c2 is a program that executes the no-rinse-rice mode, which is a control mode for finishing brown rice as no-rinse rice. In the no-rinse-rice mode, the amount of brown rice supplied is reduced by about 20% and the pressure P is increased by about 40% compared to the normal mode (standard). This increases the degree of polishing in the finish, allowing the rice to be finished as no-rinse rice.

[0054] The germ protection mode execution unit c3 is a program that executes the germ protection mode, which is a control mode that performs rice polishing while preventing the removal of the germ of brown rice. In the germ protection mode, it is possible to switch between two states, standard and partially polished, which have different degrees of polishing at the finish. The switching is performed by operating the selection switch SW.

[0055] In the germ protection mode (standard), the amount of brown rice supplied is reduced by about 20% compared to the normal mode (standard). Also, in the germ protection mode (standard), the pressure is about the same as in the normal mode, and in the germ protection mode (partial threshing), the pressure P is reduced by about 30%.

[0056] Next, the effect of the germ protection mode will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. Fig. 9 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of the main parts of the rice milling section S3 in Fig. 2 during rice milling processing in the germ protection mode. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 9. Fig. 11(a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts around the polishing chamber 9 in the normal mode, and Fig. 11(b) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts around the polishing chamber 9 in the germ protection mode.

[0057] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, during rice milling in the germ protection mode (standard), brown rice grains br are supplied from the brown rice tank 4 to the polishing chamber 9, but the amount of brown rice supplied is configured to be reduced by about 20% compared to the normal mode (standard).

[0058] Here, as shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part around the polishing chamber 9 in the normal mode in FIG. 11(a), in the normal mode, the density of the grains br in the polishing chamber 9 is high (the packing rate is increased), so the orientation of the grains br becomes irregular, and the tips of the grains br in which the germs are present come into contact with the rice polishing screen 14, making it easier for the germs to be scraped off. In addition to contact with the rice polishing screen, when the orientations of the grains are irregular, the grains also have the effect of removing the germs from each other due to friction between the grains. In contrast, in the germ protection mode, the amount of brown rice supplied is reduced by about 20% compared to the normal mode (standard), so that the density of the grains br in the polishing chamber 9 is reduced (the packing rate is reduced), and the longitudinal orientation of the grains br is more likely to be aligned in the traveling direction (the direction along the polishing roll 13). As a result, the degree of polishing desired by the user can be achieved by the contact of the sides of the grains br with the rice polishing screen 14 and the friction between the brown rice grains, while preventing the tips of the grains br containing the germ from contacting the rice polishing screen 14 and preventing the germ from being removed by the brown rice grains. This makes it possible to perform rice polishing processing that prevents the germ from being scraped off. In addition, by reducing the friction between the brown rice grains, not only is it possible to prevent the germ from being scraped off, but the surface of the brown rice is scraped evenly, leaving the flavor layer of the finished rice and achieving a good taste.

[0059] 7 and 8, the re-polishing mode execution unit c4 is a program that executes the re-polishing mode, which is a control mode for re-polishing brown rice (i.e., white rice) that has been polished once. In other words, the surface of white rice oxidizes over time after polishing, causing it to lose flavor, so the re-polishing mode can improve the deterioration of flavor by polishing the rice again.

[0060] In the re-polishing mode, the pressure P is reduced by about 30% compared to the normal mode (standard). This makes it possible to prevent the breakage of white rice that has become brittle over time. In addition, it is possible to prevent the surface of the white rice from being over-shaved. Furthermore, it is configured to increase the stirring speed R by about 10%. By increasing the stirring speed R by about 10%, the ratio of the circumferential speed Vs to the speed of the white rice moving through the whitening chamber 9 is increased, and the straightness of the grains br is increased. This makes it possible to reduce the time that the white rice stays in the whitening chamber 9, thereby reducing the load on the white rice and preventing the rice from breaking. At this time, the pressure P of the pressure plate 15 is also reduced to make it easier for the grains to flow out of the whitening chamber 9, so that the time that the white rice stays in the whitening chamber 9 is reduced by the synergistic effect of these. In this way, in the re-polishing mode, the pressure P of the pressure plate 15 is reduced and the stirring speed R is increased, so that the re-polishing process can be quickly performed, the load on the grains can be reduced, and the breakage of the rice can be effectively prevented.

[0061] <4. Configuration of selection switch SW> Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of the main parts around the operation panel S in Fig. 4. Although not shown in Fig. 12, the operation panel S is provided with a display screen (display unit) capable of displaying various information, and is configured to display a setting screen on the display screen and, during the rice polishing process, to display the currently executed rice polishing mode, the remaining time until the rice polishing process is completed, etc.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 12, the operation panel S includes a plurality of press-type switches (sw1 to sw7) corresponding to the above-mentioned control modes as the selection switches SW. The control unit C is configured to first accept a user's operation, acquire operation information of the selection switches SW, and execute each of the above-mentioned control modes corresponding to the operated selection switch SW after determining whether or not the re-milling mode is automatically executed by the re-milling execution determination unit c5, except when the seventh switch sw7, which is a button dedicated to the re-milling mode, is pressed and selected. That is, when the control unit C acquires operation information of the selection switch SW, first, the re-milling execution determination unit c5 executes a re-milling mode execution determination process for determining whether or not the re-milling mode is automatically executed.

[0063] Here, the first switch sw1 is a switch for executing the normal mode (standard), the second switch sw2 is a switch for executing the normal mode (partially polished rice), the third switch sw3 is a switch for executing the normal mode (superior white rice), and the fourth switch sw1 is a switch for the user to select the no-rinse rice mode.

[0064] The fifth switch sw1 is a switch for selecting the germ protection mode (standard), and the sixth switch sw6 is a switch for selecting the germ protection mode (partially hulled). The seventh switch sw7 is a switch for selecting and executing the re-polishing mode. The eighth switch sw8 is a switch for returning the input brown rice to the user. The ninth switch sw9 to the eleventh switch sw11 are switches for switching ON / OFF the execution of the re-polishing mode execution decision process and for making various settings.

[0065] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, there is one type of polishing in the normal mode, but this is not limiting, and selection switches SW corresponding to multiple polishing degrees, such as 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 8 minutes, may be provided. Also, the system may be configured so that polishing degrees of 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 8 minutes can be selected according to the number of times the second switch sw2 is pressed.

[0066] Here, the control unit C is configured to be able to appropriately switch between the normal mode (standard), normal mode (partially polished), and normal mode (upper white) in response to the operation of the selection switch SW during the normal mode (rice polishing process). This allows the user to fine-tune the degree of polishing of the brown rice during the polishing process while watching the finished polished rice.

[0067] On the other hand, the germ protection mode and re-milling mode are configured to restrict switching to other modes during the rice milling process. The germ protection mode is configured to prevent erroneous operation, and the re-milling mode is configured to prevent clogging of the milling chamber 9 due to broken rice caused by switching to another mode. The re-milling mode is configured to prevent erroneous operation by the user by providing a dedicated switch.

[0068] <Re-milling mode execution determination process> FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the re-polishing mode execution determination process. As described above, the re-milling mode execution determination process is a process in which the re-milling execution determination unit c5 determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode. When the user puts rice into the input hopper 1 and further operates the selection switch SW to select either the normal mode (standard, partially milled, upper white) or the germ protection mode (standard, partially milled) other than the re-milling mode, the re-milling mode execution determination process is started before executing the rice milling process in the rice milling mode selected by the user.

[0069] Next, a flow of the re-milling mode execution determination process will be described. First, the re-milling execution determination unit c5 acquires information on the rice milling mode selected by the user through the user's operation of the selection switch SW (step #1).

[0070] Next, status detection information (whiteness, fatty acid degree, and temperature of the rice fed in) is obtained from the status detection sensor I (step #2). Next, based on the obtained status detection information, it is determined whether the execution condition based on whiteness is met (step #3). If the execution condition based on whiteness is met (Y in step #3), it is determined whether the execution condition based on fatty acid degree is met (step #4). Furthermore, if the execution condition based on fatty acid degree is also met (Y in step #4), the re-polishing mode is executed (step #5). On the other hand, if the execution condition based on whiteness or the execution condition based on fatty acid degree is not met, the rice polishing process is performed in the rice polishing mode selected by the user (step #6). In this way, with a configuration that automatically executes the re-polishing mode when the execution conditions based on whiteness and the execution conditions based on fatty acid content are satisfied, information regarding the condition of the rice input is obtained and determined, and when the rice is in a state suitable for re-polishing, the re-polishing mode is automatically executed, allowing the rice to be polished while reducing the load on the grains, thereby improving user convenience and effectively preventing the occurrence of broken rice when re-polishing.

[0071] <Execution conditions based on whiteness> FIG. 14 is a graph for determining the execution condition based on the whiteness. In the graph of FIG. 14, the vertical axis is whiteness and the horizontal axis is temperature, and thus, one point on the graph is determined from the detected values ​​of whiteness and temperature in the state detection information acquired from the state detection sensor I. Then, a line for judging whether the condition is satisfied or not is determined depending on the rice polishing mode selected by the user. The line displayed as "No-rinse rice" is the line selected when the user selects the no-rinse rice mode. The line displayed as "Upper white" is the line selected when the user selects the normal mode (Upper white). The line displayed as "Standard" is the line selected when the user selects the normal mode (Standard) or the germ protection mode (Standard). The line displayed as "Partially polished" is the line selected when the user selects the normal mode (partially polished) or the germ protection mode (partially polished).

[0072] When a point on the graph is located in the area below the selected line based on the whiteness and temperature detection values ​​of the status detection information acquired from the status detection sensor I, it is determined that the execution condition based on whiteness is satisfied, and when it is located above each line, it is determined that the execution condition based on whiteness is not satisfied. For example, at temperature t, the no-rinse rice line indicates whiteness y4 on the vertical axis, and if the whiteness of the status detection information is below whiteness y4, it is determined that the condition is satisfied, and if it is above whiteness y4, it is determined that the condition is not satisfied. In a similar manner, the top white line is whiteness y3, the standard line is whiteness y2, and the partially polished line is whiteness y1, with a relationship of y4>y3>y2>y1.

[0073] Here, each line is set so that the higher the temperature, the lower the whiteness value that satisfies the condition, and the lower the temperature, the higher the whiteness value that satisfies the condition. This is because the higher the air temperature (rice temperature), the softer the grain surface becomes, and the easier it is to improve the whiteness by the rice polishing process, and conversely, the lower the temperature, the harder the grain surface becomes, and the harder it is to improve the whiteness by the rice polishing process. Therefore, since it is considered that the higher the rice temperature, the less likely the rice will break, the whiteness standard value at which the re-polishing mode is automatically executed is lowered and the re-polishing mode is made less likely to be executed automatically, thereby enabling the rice polishing process to be suitable for the state of the rice. Conversely, in a situation where the rice temperature is low and rice breakage is likely to occur, the re-polishing mode is made more likely to be automatically executed, and the rice can be effectively prevented from being broken. In this way, by automatically executing the rice polishing mode taking into account the detected rice temperature, the burden on the user regarding the selection is reduced, and more appropriate rice polishing process is possible.

[0074] <Execution conditions based on fatty acid content> FIG. 15 is a graph for determining the execution condition based on the fatty acid degree. In the graph of FIG. 14, the vertical axis is the fatty acid degree and the horizontal axis is the number of days. Thus, one point on the graph is determined from the fatty acid degree of the state detection information acquired from the state detection sensor I and the information of the number of days since the previous rice polishing input by the user. Here, the number of days since the previous rice polishing is determined by outputting a message such as "If re-polishing, please input the number of days since the previous rice polishing" on the display screen at an appropriate timing after the user puts rice into the input hopper 1, and the user performs an input operation using the ninth switch sw9 to the eleventh switch sw11 according to the output message, thereby inputting the information of the number of days since the previous rice polishing. Note that if the user does not input the information of the number of days since the previous rice polishing, such as when the rice is not re-polished, the standard value of 60 days is automatically input as the number of days since the previous rice polishing.

[0075] Then, as in the case of the execution condition based on whiteness, the line for judging whether the condition is satisfied or not is determined by the rice polishing mode selected by the user. The line displayed as "No-rinse rice" is the line selected when the user selects the no-rinse rice mode. The line displayed as "Upper white" is the line selected when the user selects the normal mode (Upper white). The line displayed as "Standard" is the line selected when the user selects the normal mode (Standard) or the germ protection mode (Standard). The line displayed as "Partially polished" is the line selected when the user selects the normal mode (partially polished) or the germ protection mode (partially polished).

[0076] When a point on the graph determined by the fatty acid degree of the state detection information acquired from the state detection sensor I and the information of the number of days since the last rice polishing input by the user is located in the area above the selected line, it is determined that the execution condition based on the fatty acid degree is satisfied, and when it is located below each line, it is determined that the execution condition based on the fatty acid degree is not satisfied. For example, when the number of days is u, the line for no-rinse rice indicates the fatty acid degree x4 on the vertical axis, and if the fatty acid degree of the state detection information is fatty acid degree x4 or more, it is determined that the condition is satisfied, and if it is below fatty acid degree x4, it is determined that the condition is not satisfied. In the same manner, the upper white line is fatty acid degree x3, the standard line is fatty acid degree x2, and the partially polished line is fatty acid degree x1, and the relationship is x4>x3>x2>x1. Each line is designed to increase the standard value of the reference fatty acid content as the days pass, but the slope of this increase takes into account the fact that the fatty acid content of rice generally increases over time, and is intended to determine that re-milling is necessary when the fatty acid content of rice increases at a certain rate or faster. In this way, by determining whether or not re-milling is necessary by taking into account the number of days that have passed since the previous milling, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not re-milling is necessary.

[0077] <Adjustment of brown rice supply amount due to motor load> In the rice milling process in the re-milling mode, the number of rotations per unit time of the milling roll 13 is increased. At this time, the brown rice supply amount correction unit c6 is configured to reduce (i.e., correct) the supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit J1 (rotary valve 5) according to the motor load of the drive motor M2 to prevent overloading of the milling roll 13 due to an increase in the number of rotations of the milling roll 13. Here, since the motor load of the drive motor M2 is correlated with the current value of the drive motor M2, the control unit C corrects the supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit J1 (rotary valve 5) based on the detection value of the ammeter I2. That is, the control unit C monitors the detection value of the ammeter I2 during the rice milling process in the re-milling mode, and when the detection value becomes equal to or exceeds a predetermined threshold value, corrects the supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit J1 (rotary valve 5) to be reduced, thereby reducing the load on the milling roll 13 and managing the detection value of the ammeter I2 to be within the predetermined threshold value. This effectively prevents overloading of the polishing roll 13 due to an increase in the rotation speed of the polishing roll 13.

[0078] <Rice tank peripheral configuration> FIG. 16 is a schematic front view showing the configuration around the polished rice tank 8. As shown in FIG. 16, a placement shelf 20 for placing bags containing polished rice is provided below the polished rice tank 8, and this placement shelf 20 can be switched between a storage position (a position flipped up) and a placement position (a horizontal position) by rotating, and further comprises an upper placement shelf 20a and a lower placement shelf 20b which are disposed at different vertical heights. This allows two placement positions with different vertical heights to be set, expanding versatility and improving user convenience.

[0079] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. It goes without saying that appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the technical concept. For example, the control unit C can be configured as follows.

[0080] <Pressure control of pressure plate by current value> In the illustrated example of Figure 8, the relationship between the germ protection mode or re-milling mode and the pressure of the pressure plate 15 is shown, but instead, an ammeter may be provided in the pressure adjustment motor M3 so that the control unit C can acquire the detected current value of the pressure adjustment motor M3, and the control unit C may be configured to determine the pressure of the pressure plate 15 by controlling the current value of the pressure adjustment motor M3 when performing rice milling processing in the germ protection mode or re-milling mode.

[0081] More specifically, a current value that is greater than the current value of the pressure adjustment motor M3 when the pressure plate 15 is in an unloaded state (the minimum current value for operating the pressure plate 15) and less than the current value at a pressure of 0.7 P (Mpa) in normal mode (partial pounding) can be set as a reference current value, and the current value of the pressure adjustment motor M3 can be set to this reference current value to determine the pressure of the pressure plate 15. This makes it possible to control the pressure of the pressure plate 15 according to the load of the pressure adjustment motor M3, thereby improving the accuracy of the rice milling process in the germ protection mode or re-milling mode and improving the quality of the finished white rice.

[0082] <Automatic re-polishing mode based on whiteness and fatty acid content> In the embodiment of Figure 13, in the flowchart showing the flow of the re-milling mode execution decision process, the control unit C is configured to determine whether to automatically execute the re-milling mode by taking into account both the execution conditions based on whiteness and the execution conditions based on fatty acid content. However, it can also be configured to determine whether to automatically execute the re-milling mode based only on the whiteness value of the status detection information acquired from the status detection sensor I, or it can be configured to determine whether to automatically execute the re-milling mode based only on the fatty acid content value of the status detection information acquired from the status detection sensor I.

[0083] For example, when determining whether to automatically execute the re-polishing mode based only on the whiteness value, if the whiteness value of the state detection information acquired from the state detection sensor I is less than a preset first reference value of whiteness, the rice polishing process is executed in the rice polishing mode selected by the user, if it is equal to or greater than the first reference value and less than a second reference value, the re-polishing mode is automatically executed, and if it is equal to or greater than the second reference value, it is determined that the whiteness of the rice input is sufficient and no polishing is necessary, and the rice polishing process is not executed. Note that it is preferable that the first and second reference values ​​are set for each rice polishing mode selected by the user. This is because the finished whiteness differs depending on the rice polishing mode.

[0084] When determining whether to automatically execute the re-polishing mode based only on the value of the fatty acid degree in the status detection information acquired from the status detection sensor I, if the value of the fatty acid degree in the status detection information acquired from the status detection sensor I is below a preset specified value of the fatty acid degree, the rice polishing process in the rice polishing mode selected by the user is executed, and if it is equal to or greater than the specified value, the re-polishing mode is automatically executed. Note that it is preferable that the specified value is set for each rice polishing mode selected by the user.

[0085] <Adjusting pressure with temperature> When the rice polishing process is started by executing the germ protection mode (standard, partial polishing), the control unit C acquires information about the rice temperature (or air temperature) detected by the state detection sensor I, and when the rice temperature is equal to or higher than the first set temperature (e.g., 25 degrees), it can be determined that the surface of the rice is soft and the whiteness is easier to increase than usual, so it may be configured to lower the whiteness that is the target of the finish in the rice polishing process (i.e., lower the pressure of the pressure plate 15). Also, when the temperature is equal to or lower than the second set temperature (e.g., 15 degrees), it can be determined that the surface of the rice is hard and the whiteness is harder to increase than usual, so it may be configured to raise the whiteness that is the target of the finish (i.e., increase the pressure of the pressure plate 15). That is, for example, in the illustrated example shown in FIG. 8, when the rice temperature is equal to or higher than the first set temperature, the rice polishing process can be performed by reducing the pressure P shown in FIG. 8 by about 10% and when the rice temperature is equal to or lower than the second set temperature, the rice polishing process can be performed by increasing the pressure P shown in FIG. 8 by about 10%. This allows the rice temperature to be taken into consideration and the final target whiteness to be achieved. The same process can also be performed in the normal modes (standard, partially polished, and upper white).

[0086] <Adjusting pressure with moisture> The state detection sensor I may be configured to include a moisture value detection sensor that detects the moisture value of rice, and the control unit C may be configured to acquire information on the moisture value of rice detected by the state detection sensor I when starting the rice milling process by executing the germ protection mode (standard, partially polished), and to lower the pressure of the pressure plate 15 below the set control amount since it is estimated that the lower the moisture value, the more likely the rice is to be broken. Also, since it is estimated that the higher the moisture value, the less likely the rice is to be broken, it may be configured to increase the pressure of the pressure plate 15 above the set control amount. In this way, the rice moisture value can be taken into consideration to effectively prevent the rice from being broken. Also, the control unit C may be configured to execute the same process in the normal mode (standard, partially polished, upper white).

[0087] <Control amount of the control unit in another embodiment> Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a list of control amounts for each mode executed by the control unit C of another embodiment. As shown in Fig. 17, in the germ protection mode (standard), the control unit C of another embodiment reduces the supply amount of brown rice less than in the no-rinse rice mode and about 40% less than in the normal mode (standard).

[0088] As shown in FIG. 17, in the case of the germ protection mode (standard), if the supply amount of brown rice is reduced by about 40% compared to the normal mode (standard), the density of the grains br in the polishing chamber 9 is reduced (the packing rate is reduced) more than in the embodiment of FIG. 8, and the longitudinal direction of the grains br is more likely to be aligned in the traveling direction (the direction along the polishing roll 13). On the other hand, in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 8, the effect is that the time required for the rice polishing process is shorter than in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 17, and the manager of the rice polishing equipment can select and set the supply amount in advance according to the user's demand. In addition, when the germ protection mode is partial polishing, the rice is polished in a manner substantially equivalent to partial polishing in the normal mode. Specifically, when there are multiple types of partial polishing as described later, it is desirable to perform partial polishing at the lowest degree of polishing (for example, about 3 minutes as described later). This makes it easy to understand even for users who do not know what degree of polishing to select when leaving the germ part in partial polishing.

[0089] Next, another embodiment 2 relating to the control unit C will be described with reference to FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a list of control amounts for each mode executed by the control unit C of another embodiment 2. In the case of this embodiment 2, during rice polishing processing in the germ protection mode, brown rice grains br are supplied from the brown rice tank 4 to the polishing chamber 9, and at this time, the supply amount of brown rice is reduced by about 20% (or 40%) and the stirring speed is increased by about 10% compared to the normal mode (standard).

[0090] In the germ protection mode, the supply amount of brown rice is reduced by about 20% (or 40%) compared to the normal mode (standard), thereby reducing the density of the grains br in the polishing chamber 9 (reducing the packing rate), and the longitudinal direction of the grains br is more likely to be aligned in the moving direction (direction along the polishing roll 13). Furthermore, by increasing the stirring speed by about 10%, the ratio of the circumferential speed Vs to the speed of the brown rice moving in the polishing chamber 9 is increased, and the straightness of the grains br is increased, and the longitudinal direction of the grains br can be more effectively aligned in the moving direction by the synergistic effect of these. As a result, while realizing the degree of polishing desired by the user by the contact of the side of the grains br with the rice polishing screen 14 and the friction between the brown rice grains, it is possible to more effectively prevent the tip of the grains br in which the germ is present from contacting the rice polishing screen 14 or the germ from being removed by the brown rice grains. Therefore, more preferably, it is possible to carry out a rice polishing process that prevents the removal of the germ, while reducing the friction between the brown rice grains, thereby not only preventing the removal of the germ but also leaving the flavor layer of the finished rice, resulting in a good taste.

[0091] In yet another embodiment, a moisture detection sensor detects the moisture value of rice fed into the feeding hopper 1, and when the moisture value falls below a predetermined value, the stirring speed is increased by 10%, and when the moisture value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it is determined that rice is unlikely to break, so an increase rate of more than 10% (about 40 to 50%) may be set.Furthermore, at this time, the higher the moisture value, the greater the increase rate may be. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1 Feeding hopper 1a Opening and closing door 2 Stone removal machine 3 Foreign matter removal device 4. Brown rice tank 5 Rotary Valve 6 Rice polishing machine 7. Bran Removal Fan 8. White rice tank 9. Milling Room 9a Outlet 10 Supply route 11 Rotation axis 12 Transport roll 13 White Roll 14 Rice polishing screen 15 Pressure Plate 16 Pressure support shaft 17 Pressure Arm 18 Elastic Spring 19 Pressure Adjustment Head 20 Storage Shelf A Rice milling equipment a1 Main entrance a2 Back door A3 Partition wall br grain C control section S1 Brown rice input section S2 Foreign matter removal section S3 Rice milling department S4 White rice removal section E1 1st grain hoist E2 2nd grain hoist I Status detection sensor M1 Valve Motor M2 Drive motor M3 Pressure Regulating Motor M4 Fan Motor

Claims

1. It is equipped with a rice polishing section that polishes the rice put into the input hopper. The rice polishing section includes a brown rice tank for storing brown rice, a polishing chamber for polishing the brown rice, a rotary valve for feeding the brown rice from the brown rice tank to the polishing chamber, and a pressure plate provided at an outlet of the polishing chamber. The polishing chamber is provided with a polishing roll which rotates to stir and polish the brown rice, and a rice polishing screen which is disposed so as to surround the polishing roll and which comes into contact with the stirred brown rice to polish the rice, A rice milling facility comprising a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber, and a control unit that controls a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the pressure plate, A state detection sensor that detects the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper; and an agitation speed adjusting unit for adjusting the agitation speed of the whitening roll, The control unit is configured to be able to execute the rice polishing process in a plurality of control modes, and includes a normal mode in which rice polishing process is performed with a standard degree of polishing based on a preset supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit and a preset control amount of pressure by the pressure adjustment unit; The pressure adjusting unit reduces the pressure of the pressure plate to a level lower than that of the normal mode, and the stirring speed adjusting unit increases the stirring speed to perform a rice milling process. The rice milling equipment is characterized in that it is provided with a re-milling execution determination unit that determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on status detection information indicating the status of the rice obtained from the status detection sensor, and is configured so that, at the start of the rice milling process, the re-milling execution determination unit determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode, thereby enabling the re-milling mode to be automatically executed.

2. The state detection sensor includes a temperature detection sensor for detecting the temperature of rice, The rice milling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to acquire detection information from the temperature detection sensor during the rice milling process, and to lower the target whiteness of the finished product when the rice temperature is equal to or higher than a first set temperature, and to raise the target whiteness of the finished product when the rice temperature is equal to or lower than a second set temperature.

3. The rice milling equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the state detection sensor includes a whiteness detection sensor that detects the whiteness of rice, and the re-milling execution determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on the detection value of the whiteness of the rice.

4. The rice milling equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the state detection sensor includes a fatty acid degree detection sensor that detects the fatty acid degree of rice, and the re-milling execution determination unit is configured to determine whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on the detected value of the fatty acid degree of rice.

5. It is equipped with a rice polishing section that polishes the rice put into the input hopper. The rice polishing section includes a brown rice tank for storing brown rice, a polishing chamber for polishing the brown rice, a rotary valve for feeding the brown rice from the brown rice tank to the polishing chamber, and a pressure plate provided at an outlet of the polishing chamber. The polishing chamber is provided with a polishing roll which rotates to stir and polish the brown rice, and a rice polishing screen which is disposed so as to surround the polishing roll and which comes into contact with the stirred brown rice to polish the rice, A rice milling facility comprising a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber, and a control unit that controls a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the pressure plate, A state detection sensor that detects the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper; and an agitation speed adjusting unit for adjusting the agitation speed of the whitening roll, The control unit is configured to be able to execute the rice polishing process in a plurality of control modes, and includes a normal mode in which rice polishing process is performed with a standard degree of polishing based on a preset supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit and a preset control amount of pressure by the pressure adjustment unit; a re-milling mode configured to execute a rice milling process by reducing the pressure of the pressure plate by the pressure adjustment unit to a value lower than that of the normal mode and increasing the stirring speed by the stirring speed adjustment unit, and a re-milling execution determination unit that determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on state detection information indicating the state of rice obtained from the state detection sensor, The state detection sensor includes a moisture value detection sensor for detecting the moisture value of rice, The control unit is configured to acquire information regarding the moisture value of the rice detected by the state detection sensor when starting the rice milling process, and to reduce the pressure of the pressure plate below a set control amount the lower the moisture value is, and to increase the pressure of the pressure plate above a set control amount the higher the moisture value is.

6. It is equipped with a rice polishing section that polishes the rice put into the input hopper. The rice polishing section includes a brown rice tank for storing brown rice, a polishing chamber for polishing the brown rice, a rotary valve for feeding the brown rice from the brown rice tank to the polishing chamber, and a pressure plate provided at an outlet of the polishing chamber. The polishing chamber is provided with a polishing roll which rotates to stir and polish the brown rice, and a rice polishing screen which is disposed so as to surround the polishing roll and which comes into contact with the stirred brown rice to polish the rice, A rice milling facility comprising a supply amount adjusting unit that adjusts the amount of brown rice supplied to the polishing chamber, and a control unit that controls a pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the pressure of the pressure plate, A state detection sensor that detects the state of rice fed into the feeding hopper; and an agitation speed adjusting unit for adjusting the agitation speed of the whitening roll, The control unit is configured to be able to execute the rice polishing process in a plurality of control modes, and includes a normal mode in which rice polishing process is performed with a standard degree of polishing based on a preset supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit and a preset control amount of pressure by the pressure adjustment unit; a re-milling mode configured to execute a rice milling process by reducing the pressure of the pressure plate by the pressure adjustment unit to a value lower than that of the normal mode and increasing the stirring speed by the stirring speed adjustment unit, and a re-milling execution determination unit that determines whether or not to automatically execute the re-milling mode based on state detection information indicating the state of rice obtained from the state detection sensor, A rice milling equipment characterized in that an ammeter for measuring a current value is attached to a drive motor that drives and rotates the milling roll, and the control unit is provided with a brown rice supply amount correction unit that corrects the supply amount by the supply amount adjustment unit based on information regarding the measurement value of the ammeter obtained.

7. The rice milling equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that the re-milling execution determination unit is configured to obtain information on the number of days elapsed since the previous rice milling input by a user, and to increase the value of the fatty acid content of rice, which is a condition for automatically executing the re-milling mode, as the obtained number of days elapsed is greater.

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