Flyer

Abstract

To restrain a guide plate and / or a carrier of a flyer from wearing out.SOLUTION: A flyer 10 comprises: a first rotary member 12; a first support shaft 16 for supporting the first rotary member 12; an annular member 20 that is looped over the first rotary member 12; a plurality of carriers 22 that are held by the annular member 20; a guide plate 30 that inhibits contents from falling from the carrier 22 when the carrier 22 rotates with the first rotary member 12; and a holding member 32 that cannot move with respect to the first support shaft 16 and that holds the guide plate 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fryer.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, fryers have been used to continuously produce fried products such as deep-fried foods, fried foods, tempura, and shrimp tempura. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of such a fryer.

[0003] When frying materials in a fryer, first, the materials to be fried are put into a carrier held by a chain stretched between a plurality of sprockets. Here, the upper surface of the carrier is open. Next, as the sprocket rotates, the carrier turns upside down, and the materials in the carrier are immersed in the high-temperature oil held in an oil tank disposed below. Thereby, the materials are fried.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In such a fryer, in order to prevent the materials in the carrier from falling when the open upper surface of the carrier faces downward, a guide plate may be provided along the entire surface of the carrier width. Conventional guide plates have been pressed against the carrier by the elastic force of a spring or the elastic force of a flexible plate in order to prevent the materials from protruding from the carrier. In this case, the guide plate and the carrier may rub against each other, and there is a risk that the guide plate and / or the carrier will wear out.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such points, and an object thereof is to suppress wear of a guide plate of a flyer and / or a carrier.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The flyer according to the present invention [1] a first rotating member, a first support shaft that supports the first rotating member, an annular member spanned over the first rotating member, a plurality of carriers held by the annular member, a guide plate that suppresses the fall of the contents from the carrier when the carrier rotates together with the first rotating member, a flyer including a holding member that is immovable with respect to the first support shaft and holds the guide plate.

[0008] The flyer according to the present invention [2] a second rotating member over which the annular member is spanned, a second support shaft that supports the second rotating member, the flyer according to [1], further comprising an adjustment mechanism that moves the first support shaft with respect to the second support shaft to adjust the distance between the first support shaft and the second support shaft.

[0009] The flyer according to the present invention [3] the flyer according to [2], wherein the adjustment mechanism moves the guide plate and the holding member together with the first support shaft.

Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, wear of the guide plate of the flyer and / or the carrier can be suppressed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings attached to this specification, for the convenience of illustration and easy understanding, the scale, the aspect ratio of the vertical and horizontal dimensions, etc. may be appropriately changed and exaggerated from those of the actual object.

[0013] Also, with regard to the terms used in this specification for specifying shapes, geometric conditions, and their degrees, such as terms like "parallel", "orthogonal", "identical", etc., and values of lengths and angles, etc., they shall not be bound by strict meanings, and shall be interpreted to include ranges to the extent that similar functions can be expected.

[0014] In this embodiment, the direction in which the central axis A of the first support shaft 16 extends is defined as the width direction of the flyer 10. Also, the direction orthogonal to the width direction and parallel to the horizontal direction is defined as the first direction d1 of the flyer 10 (see Figure 1).

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram schematically showing an example of a fryer 10. FIG. 2 is a top view of the fryer 10. The fryer 10 is an apparatus for manufacturing fried food products by frying materials in high-temperature oil. The fried food products manufactured by the fryer 10 include, for example, tempura, fries, karaage, and tempura, but are not limited thereto. The fryer 10 of the present embodiment has an annular member 20 such as a chain, a plurality of carriers 22 held by the annular member 20, and an oil tank 40 disposed below the annular member 20. Oil 90 is held in the oil tank 40. The fryer 10 has a heating device (not shown), and the oil 90 in the oil tank 40 is heated to a predetermined temperature by this heating device. In the present embodiment 10, with the material 80 held in the carrier 22, the carrier 22 moves together with the annular member 20. As a result, the material 80 is immersed in the oil 90 in the oil tank 40. At this time, the material 80 is fried in the oil 90, and fried food products are manufactured from the material 80.

[0016] The fryer 10 of the present embodiment includes a first rotating member 12, a first support shaft 16, an annular member 20, and a carrier 22. The first support shaft 16 is a shaft that supports the first rotating member 12. The fryer 10 may further include a second rotating member 13, a third rotating member 14, a second support shaft 17 that supports the second rotating member 13, and a third support shaft 18 that supports the third rotating member 14.

[0017] The rotating members 12 to 14 are members that support the annular member 20 and convey the annular member 20. The annular member 20 is a member that is stretched over the first rotating member 12. When the flyer 10 further includes a second rotating member 13 and a second support shaft 17 that supports the second rotating member 13, the annular member 20 may be stretched over the first rotating member 12 and the second rotating member 13. Also, when the flyer 10 further includes a third rotating member 14 and a third support shaft 18 that supports the third rotating member 14, the annular member 20 may be stretched over the first rotating member 12, the second rotating member 13, and the third rotating member 14. The specific form of the annular member 20 is not particularly limited as long as it is an annular member, and it may be a chain, a belt, a cable, a wire, or the like. When the annular member 20 is a chain, the rotating members 12 to 14 may be sprockets.

[0018] The first support shaft 16 is fixed to the first rotating member 12 and rotates together with the first rotating member 12. The second support shaft 17 is fixed to the second rotating member 13 and rotates together with the second rotating member 13. Also, the third support shaft 18 is fixed to the third rotating member 14 and rotates together with the third rotating member 14. One of the support shafts 16 to 18 may be driven by a drive source (not shown). In this case, the rotating members 12 to 14 supported by the support shafts 16 to 18 driven by the drive source rotate by the driving force of the drive source. The other rotating members 12 to 14 may be members that do not rotate by the driving force of the drive source and idle. In particular, either one of the first rotating member 12 and the second rotating member 13 may be driven by the driving force of the drive source. For example, the first rotating member 12 may be driven by the driving force of the drive source, and the second rotating member 13 and the third rotating member 14 may idle. The central axes of the support shafts 16 to 18 extend in the width direction of the flyer 10.

[0019] The annular member 20 moves in the rotation direction of the rotating members 12 to 14 as the rotating members 12 to 14 rotate. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the rotating members 12 to 14 each rotate in the clockwise direction. Along with this, the annular member 20 also moves in the clockwise direction.

[0020] The fryer 10 has a plurality of carriers 22. The carrier 22 is a member that accommodates and holds the material 80 that is to become a fried product after being fried in the oil 90. Each carrier 22 is attached to and held by the annular member 20. The plurality of carriers 22 are arranged side by side with a predetermined interval therebetween along the extending direction of the annular member 20. The carrier 22 moves around the rotating members 12 to 14 together with the annular member 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier 22 may have a plurality of sections in the width direction of the fryer 10, and the material 80 may be accommodated in each section.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the carrier 22 has an opening 24 in a portion located outside the conveyance path. The outside of the conveyance path is, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the surface facing away from the annular member 20, and when moving along the outer periphery of the rotating members 12 to 14, it is the surface facing away from the rotating members 12 to 14. When the carrier 22 moves above the rotating members 12 to 14 along the conveyance path, the opening 24 faces upward. On the other hand, when the carrier 22 moves below the rotating members 12 to 14 along the conveyance path, the opening 24 faces downward.

[0022] The fryer 10 of the present embodiment further has an oil tank 40. The oil tank 40 is a member that accommodates and holds the oil 90. A heating device (not shown) is attached to the oil tank 40. The oil 90 held in the oil tank 40 is heated to a predetermined temperature by this heating device. The oil 90 is the oil used for frying the material 80. Edible oil is used as the oil 90. The oil tank 40 is disposed below the annular member 20, and when the carrier 22 moves below the rotating members 12 to 14 along the conveyance path, the material 80 accommodated in the carrier 22 is configured to be immersed in the oil 90. At this time, at least a part of the carrier 22 is also immersed in the oil 90.

[0023] When the carrier 22 moves above the rotating members 12 to 14, the carrier 22 moves generally from one side to the other along the first direction d1. On the other hand, when the carrier 22 moves within the oil tank 40, the carrier 22 moves generally from the other side to one side along the first direction d1. In FIG. 1, the left side is one side of the first direction d1, and the right side is the other side of the first direction d1.

[0024] When the carrier 22 moves along the outer periphery of the first rotating member 12, in other words, when the carrier 22 rotates together with the first rotating member 12, the orientation of the opening 24 of the carrier 22 changes from upward to downward. At this time, there is a possibility that the material 80 accommodated in the carrier 22 may fall from the carrier 22 through the opening 24. To address such a problem, the flyer 10 of the present embodiment has a guide plate 30. In particular, the flyer 10 of the present embodiment includes a guide plate 30 and a holding member 32 that holds the guide plate 30.

[0025] The guide plate 30 is a member for suppressing the fall of the content (material) 80 from the carrier 22 when the carrier 22 rotates together with the first rotating member 12. The guide plate 30 extends generally along a part of the outer periphery of the first rotating member 12. At least a part of the guide plate 30 extends parallel to the outer periphery of the first rotating member 12. In the portion extending parallel to the outer periphery of the first rotating member 12, the guide plate 30 has a shape that constitutes a part of a cylinder. The upper end of the guide plate 30 may be located above the central axis A of the first support shaft 16. Also, the lower end of the guide plate 30 may be located within the oil tank 40. In particular, the lower end of the guide plate 30 may be located within the oil 90 accommodated in the oil tank 40. Such a guide plate 30 is preferably formed of a heat-resistant material. For example, the guide plate 30 may be formed of a metal material such as stainless steel.

[0026] The holding member 32 is a member that holds the guide plate 30. The holding member 32 is configured to be immovable relative to the first support shaft 16. The first support shaft 16 and the first rotating member 12 rotate around the central axis A. The guide plate 30 and the holding member 32 do not rotate relative to the central axis A of the first support shaft 16. In this specification, the fact that the holding member 32 is immovable relative to the first support shaft 16 means that the holding member 32 does not move relative to the first support shaft 16 in the first direction d1, the width direction, and the vertical direction.

[0027] In the flyer 10 of the present embodiment, when the annular member 20 is rotated around the rotating members 12 to 14 while applying tension to the annular member 20, the length of the annular member 20 may increase. In this case, the tension acting on the annular member 20 decreases, and the annular member 20 may become slack. When the annular member 20 becomes slack, the annular member 20 may come off the teeth of the sprockets of the rotating members 12 to 14. To address such a problem, the flyer 10 of the present embodiment has an adjustment mechanism 50. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a portion marked III in FIG. 1 and shows an example of the adjustment mechanism 50.

[0028] The adjustment mechanism 50 has a function of moving the first support shaft 16 relative to the second support shaft 17 to adjust the distance S (see FIG. 1) between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17. In particular, the adjustment mechanism 50 adjusts the distance S along the first direction d1 between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17. The distance S is the distance between the central axis A of the first support shaft 16 and the central axis of the second support shaft 17. That is, the distance S is also the pitch between the central axis A of the first support shaft 16 and the central axis of the second support shaft 17.

[0029] The adjustment mechanism 50 includes a base portion 52, a slide member 60, a support member 64, and a spacing adjustment member 70. The base portion 52 is a member fixed to the portion that serves as the base of the flyer 10. In the flyer 10 of the present embodiment, the second support shaft 17, the third support shaft 18, and the oil tank 40 do not move relative to the portion that serves as the base of the flyer 10. Therefore, the base portion 52 and the second support shaft 17 do not move relative to each other. Similarly, the base portion 52 and the third support shaft 18 do not move relative to each other. Also, the base portion 52 and the oil tank 40 do not move relative to each other.

[0030] The base portion 52 includes a long hole 54 and a wall portion 56. The long hole 54 extends linearly in the first direction d1. The long hole 54 is a through hole that penetrates the base portion 52 in the vertical direction. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 52 has two long holes 54. The two long holes 54 are arranged side by side in the first direction d1. Note that the base portion 52 may have one long hole 54, or may have three or more long holes 54.

[0031] The wall portion 56 is a wall portion formed to protrude from the main body portion of the base portion 52. In the illustrated example, the wall portion 56 extends upward perpendicular to the extending direction of the main body portion of the base portion 52. The wall portion 56 may be integrally formed with the main body portion of the base portion 52, or may be a member formed separately from the main body portion and fixed to the main body portion. A through hole 57 extending in the first direction d1 is formed in the wall portion 56. An internal thread portion 58 is formed on the inner surface of the through hole 57.

[0032] The slide member 60 is a member configured to be slidable in the first direction d1 with respect to the base portion 52. The slide member 60 includes a receiving portion 62 that receives the tip of a bolt 72 described later. The receiving portion 62 is a wall portion formed to protrude from the main body portion of the slide member 60. In the illustrated example, the receiving portion 62 extends upward perpendicular to the extending direction of the main body portion of the slide member 60. Also, the wall portion 56 of the base portion 52 and the receiving portion 62 face each other in the first direction d1. In particular, the internal thread portion 58 of the base portion 52 and the receiving portion 62 face each other in the first direction d1.

[0033] A support member 64 is disposed on the slide member 60. The support member 64 supports the first support shaft 16 via a bearing 66. The support member 64 is fixed to the slide member 60 by a fastening member 68. The fastening member 68 may be a bolt and a nut. The support member 64 is fixed to the slide member 60 by inserting the bolt of the fastening member 68 through a through hole formed in the slide member 60 and a through hole formed in the support member 64. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the bolt of the fastening member 68 is also inserted through the long hole 54 of the base portion 52. In this case, by loosening the nut of the fastening member 68, the fastening member 68 can move in the first direction d1 within the long hole 54. Thereby, the slide member 60 and the support member 64 are configured to be movable in the first direction d1 with respect to the base portion 52.

[0034] The spacing adjustment member 70 positions the slide member 60 and adjusts the spacing between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17. The spacing adjustment member 70 of the present embodiment includes a bolt 72 and a nut 76. An external thread portion 74 is formed on the outer surface of the bolt 72. The bolt 72 is attached to the wall portion 56 of the base portion 52. In particular, the bolt 72 is attached to the wall portion 56 by screwing the external thread portion 74 of the bolt 72 into the internal thread portion 58 of the wall portion 56. In the spacing adjustment member 70 of the present embodiment, by rotating the bolt 72 and moving the bolt 72 in the first direction d1 with respect to the wall portion 56, the protruding length of the bolt 72 from the wall portion 56 can be adjusted. Thereby, the positions of the slide member 60, the support member 64, and the first support shaft 16 with respect to the base portion 52 can be adjusted. As described above, the second support shaft 17 does not move relative to the base portion 52. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the first support shaft 16 with respect to the base portion 52, the spacing S between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17 can be adjusted.

[0035] Nut 76 functions as a locking device for bolt 72. That is, after adjusting the protruding length of bolt 72 from wall portion 56 to a desired length, by tightening nut 76 against bolt 72, it is possible to prevent bolt 72 from rotating and the protruding length of bolt 72 from wall portion 56 from changing unintentionally. Note that the specific configuration of the spacing adjustment member 70 only needs to be able to position the slide member 60 and adjust the spacing between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17, and is not limited to the above-described configuration.

[0036] Figure 4 is a view showing the attachment portion of the holding member 32 of the flyer 10, and shows the attachment portion as viewed from above. As described above, the holding member 32 is a member that holds the guide plate 30. The holding member 32 is fixed to the fixing member 34 using the fastening member 36. The fastening member 36 may be a bolt and a nut. The fixing member 34 is fixed to the slide member 60. Therefore, the holding member 32 is fixed to the slide member 60 via the fixing member 34. In this case, when the slide member 60 is moved, the first support shaft 16, the guide plate 30, and the holding member 32 move together with the slide member 60. That is, the adjustment mechanism 50 can move the guide plate 30 and the holding member 32 together with the first support shaft 16.

[0037] In the illustrated example, the first support shaft 16 is disposed within a through-hole formed in the fixing member 34. A gap is formed between the outer surface of the first support shaft 16 and the inner surface of the through-hole of the fixing member 34. The first support shaft 16 is not fixed to the fixing member 34 and is rotatable about the rotation axis A within the through-hole of the fixing member 34.

[0038] The flyer 10 of the present embodiment includes a first rotating member 12, a first support shaft 16 that supports the first rotating member 12, an annular member 20 spanned over the first rotating member 12, a plurality of carriers 22 held by the annular member 20, a guide plate 30 that suppresses the fall of the contents from the carriers 22 when the carriers 22 rotate together with the first rotating member 12, and a holding member 32 that is immovable relative to the first support shaft 16 and holds the guide plate 30.

[0039] According to such a flyer 10, the guide plate 30 is held immovably with respect to the first support shaft 16. It is possible to prevent the guide plate 30 from being pressed against the carrier 22. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the guide plate 30 and the carrier 22 from rubbing against each other and the guide plate 30 and / or the carrier 22 from wearing out.

[0040] The flyer 10 of the present embodiment further includes a second rotating member 13 around which the annular member 20 is wound, a second support shaft 17 that supports the second rotating member 13, and an adjustment mechanism 50 that moves the first support shaft 16 relative to the second support shaft 17 to adjust the distance between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17.

[0041] According to such a flyer 10, the distance between the first support shaft 16 and the second support shaft 17 can be adjusted to adjust the tension acting on the annular member 20 wound around the first rotating member 12 and the second rotating member 13 to an appropriate magnitude. Thereby, the carrier 22 can be appropriately conveyed by the annular member 20. Further, it is possible to prevent the annular member 20 from loosening and coming off from the teeth of the sprockets of the rotating members 12 to 14.

[0042] In the flyer 10 of the present embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 50 moves the guide plate 30 and the holding member 32 together with the first support shaft 16.

[0043] In a conventional flyer, the guide plate was fixed to the base portion. In this case, when the position of the first support shaft was changed, it was necessary to change the position of the guide plate accordingly. Therefore, additional labor was required to change the position of the guide plate. Further, if the distance between the guide plate and the carrier is too large, there is a risk that the material 80 will slip down from the gap between the guide plate and the carrier. If the distance between the guide plate and the carrier is too small, the guide plate and the carrier may rub against each other and the guide plate and / or the carrier may wear out. Therefore, it was necessary to readjust the distance between the guide plate and the carrier to an appropriate magnitude.

[0044] In contrast, according to the flyer 10 of the present embodiment, since the guide plate 30 and the holding member 32 can be moved together with the first support shaft 16 by the adjustment mechanism 50, when the position of the first support shaft 16 is changed, the position of the guide plate 30 is also changed according to the position of the first support shaft 16. Therefore, no additional effort is required to change the position of the guide plate 30. Further, when initially attaching the guide plate 30 and the holding member 32, if the distance between the guide plate 30 and the carrier 22 is adjusted to an appropriate size, the distance between the guide plate 30 and the carrier 22 will not change even when the position of the first support shaft 16 is changed. Therefore, there is no need to readjust the distance between the guide plate 30 and the carrier 22.

Explanation of Signs

[0045] 10 Flyer 12 First rotating member 13 Second rotating member 14 Third rotating member 16 First support shaft 17 Second support shaft 18 Third support shaft 20 Annular member 22 Carrier 30 Guide plate 32 Holding member 34 Fixed member 36 Fastening member 40 Oil sump 50 Adjustment mechanism 52 Base portion 54 Long hole 56 Wall portion 57 Through hole 58 Female screw portion 60 Slide member 62 Receiving portion 64 Support member 66 Bearing 68 Fastening member 70 Spacing adjustment member 72 Bolt 74 Male screw portion 76 Nut 80 Material 90 oil d1 First direction A Axis of rotation S Spacing

Claims

1. a first rotating member, a first support shaft for supporting the first rotating member, an annular member spanned over the first rotating member, a plurality of carriers held by the annular member, a guide plate for suppressing the fall of the content from the carrier when the carrier rotates together with the first rotating member, a retainer member that is immovable relative to the first support shaft and holds the guide plate, a flyer comprising the same.

2. a second rotating member over which the annular member is spanned, a second support shaft for supporting the second rotating member, The flyer according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for moving the first support shaft relative to the second support shaft to adjust the distance between the first support shaft and the second support shaft.

3. The flyer according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment mechanism moves the guide plate and the retainer member together with the first support shaft.

Images