Intermittent supply device for ingredient to be processed

Abstract

To provide a supply device which is a device for supplying a powdery or granular ingredient to a food processing machine and which can supply the ingredient to a predetermined position in such a way that the ingredient is in a stable state.SOLUTION: An intermittent supply device for an ingredient to be processed includes: a measuring part 1 which has through-holes 10 having a predetermined volume; a filling part 2 which fills the through-holes with the ingredient to be processed; a discharging part 3 which is for discharging the ingredient to be processed with which the through-holes are filled; and driving means which gives driving power to the measuring part to reciprocate the through-holes between the filling part and the discharging part. The measuring part is provided with an opening-closing part 13 which causes the bottom part of the through-holes to assume two forms of a closed state and an open state. The discharging part is provided with an intrusion part which can intrude an inside of the through-holes of the measuring part. The intrusion part is caused to assume two types of intrusion form of: a compression stroke which, when the opening-closing part causes the bottom part of the through-holes to be in the closed state, intrudes the inside of the through-holes to compress the ingredient to be processed; and a discharging stroke which, when the opening-closing part causes the bottom part of the through-holes to be in the open state, intrudes the inside of the through-holes to discharge the ingredient to be processed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an intermittent supply device for processed food materials, and more particularly to a device for intermittently supplying powdered or granular processed food materials in a state before being processed by a food processor, in predetermined amounts.

Background Art

[0002] Processing by a food processor can include heat cooking such as steaming, baking, and frying. As a pre-step of these heat cookings, various food materials blended at a predetermined blending ratio are mixed or kneaded, and then the mixed processed food materials are separated into predetermined amounts and supplied to a heat cooker. Here, the processed food materials measured in predetermined amounts need to be supplied intermittently in order to maintain the separated state before being heat cooked. Therefore, highly viscous processed food materials can be separated into individual supply food materials and intermittently supplied by performing cutting processing (cutting with a blade or the like) for each predetermined amount (or at each predetermined time) while continuously supplying the processed food materials. On the other hand, weakly viscous (powdered or granular) processed food materials are separated into predetermined amounts by being filled in a measuring container, and a predetermined amount of the processed food materials is individually supplied from the measuring container to the heat cooker.

[0003] However, when the powdered or granular processed food in a state of being filled in the measuring container is supplied to the cooking appliance, it will be discharged from the measuring container. Therefore, when supplied to the cooking appliance, the shape of the food was unstable. For this reason, it has been well-known to use a funnel-shaped supply aid (hopper) for the supply from the measuring container to supply the food at a predetermined position at its end (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When using such a supply aid (hopper), the powdered or granular food to be supplied is in a state of bulging in a mountain shape at the supply position, and thus was formed into a predetermined shape during (or before) cooking. However, even though it is a powdered or granular (weakly viscous) food, since it retains an appropriate amount of moisture (has a slight viscosity) due to the food itself or the addition of seasonings, etc., it may adhere to the surface of the funnel-shaped supply aid, and it was not possible to reliably supply the measured appropriate amount of food.

[0004] Also, as described above, after supplying the powdered or granular food, it is to be formed into a predetermined shape during (or before) cooking. However, since the state of bulging in a mountain shape is not constant, it caused variations in the shape after forming. In some cases, a slight variation in shape and size, such as in baked confectionery or tempura pancakes, may be preferred as it gives a handmade-like texture. However, for the food supplied to the cooking appliance while being aligned at predetermined intervals, if the state before forming is unbalanced, the adjacent supplied foods may approach each other excessively during forming and may be partially continuous with each other. In particular, in the case of the above-mentioned baked confectionery or tempura pancakes, etc., since the supplied food is appropriately compressed and deformed into a predetermined thickness, etc., and then cooked, when the supplied food has a distorted shape, the surrounding food expanded by compression may contact the adjacent food, and the finished state after cooking was often poor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] When processing powdery or granular food ingredients while shaping them with a food processor (especially a cooking heater), in order to prevent the surrounding food ingredients from contacting each other, it is assumed that the interval between the supply positions is increased. However, in that case, the number that can be supplied to the food processor decreases, resulting in a reduction in production efficiency, which is not preferable. Also, in the case of a shaping method such as the above-mentioned baked confectionery or tempura pancakes, where the food ingredients are moderately compressed to expand the area, if it expands without limit, it may result in a product with an area outside the specifications (unexpectedly large), and thus may become a defective product.

[0007] Therefore, there has been a strong desire for a supply device that can supply powdery or granular food ingredients to a predetermined position in a stable state. Such a supply device is supposed to temporarily compress and mold the ingredients and then supply them to the supply position, and then mold them into a predetermined shape during cooking (before cooking). As a technique for compression molding powdery or granular food ingredients, a device has been developed that compresses and molds the powder material filled in a through-hole with a protrusion, and then inverts the through-hole and extrudes it in the reverse direction for discharge (see Patent Document 2).

[0008] However, since the above technology completes food through compression processing, it does not intermittently supply food ingredients. Also, since it processes by applying sufficient compressive force, there was no need to consider subsequent shaping (such as expansion deformation by compression). Therefore, it could not be used as a device for supplying food ingredients in a formable state to a food processor (cooking heater). Further, even if the above technology is diverted to a supply device for processed food ingredients, since the food ingredients before processing (before cooking) have different viscosities depending on the food ingredients themselves or the blending state of seasonings and other various conditions, although the viscosity is weak, depending on the degree of the viscosity, it was also assumed that it would adhere to the bottom plate portion (the "flange plate" in the above technology) that supports the compressive force during compression and would not be easily peeled off during discharge.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a device for supplying powdery or granular food ingredients to a food processor, which can supply the food ingredients to a predetermined position in a stable state.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] Therefore, the present invention is a device for intermittently supplying a predetermined amount of powdery or granular processed food ingredients before processing by a food processor, comprising a metering unit having a through-hole with a predetermined volume inside, a filling unit for filling the through-hole of the metering unit with the processed food ingredients, a discharging unit for discharging the processed food ingredients filled in the through-hole of the metering unit from the through-hole, and driving means for applying a driving force to the metering unit to reciprocate the through-hole between the filling unit and the discharging unit. The metering unit includes an opening / closing unit that exhibits two forms, a closed state and an open state, at the bottom of the through-hole. The discharging unit includes an intrusion unit that can intrude into the inside of the through-hole of the metering unit. This intrusion unit exhibits two types of intrusion forms: a compression stroke in which it intrudes into the through-hole to compress the processed food ingredients when the bottom of the through-hole is in the closed state by the opening / closing unit, and a discharge stroke in which it is intruded into the through-hole to discharge the processed food ingredients when the bottom of the through-hole is in the open state by the opening / closing unit.

[0011] According to the above configuration, when the opening and closing part of the measuring part closes the bottom of the through hole, the through hole becomes a bottomed container, and a predetermined amount of processed food material can be measured by flowing the processed food material into the through hole. After the weighing, the intrusion part of the discharge part intrudes into the through hole to compress the processed food material and form a provisional block of processed food material according to the shape of the through hole, and the intrusion part intrudes into the through hole again after opening the bottom of the through hole, thereby discharging the processed food material from the through hole and supplying the processed food material to a predetermined position. Here, the through hole is cylindrical or other tubular with a uniform cross section, so that the through hole becomes a bottomed container in the closed state, and the compressed provisional block of processed food material can be discharged from the bottom side in the open state while maintaining its shape. In addition, the shape of the tip of the intrusion part is substantially the same as the cross section of the through hole (a shape reduced to a degree that allows for easy intrusion), so that the compressive force can be applied to the entire processed food material. When the through hole is closed, the compressive force acting due to the penetration of the penetration part is supported by the opening and closing part, and by transitioning from the closed state to the open state, the adhesion of the processed food material to the opening and closing part due to its viscosity can be cut off. Even in the open state, the compressed processed food material remains loosely attached to the inner side wall of the through hole due to its slight viscosity, and can be maintained until the penetration part penetrates again. Note that the penetration part is capable of penetrating into the through hole by the compression stroke during compression, and is retracted after compression to prevent the processed food material from adhering (coming into close contact) to the penetration part.

[0012] In the present invention, in the invention of the above configuration, the opening / closing portion is positioned at least in the lower part of the area in which the through hole is arranged, and is constituted by a sliding member that is arranged to be slidable between the lower part of the area, and the sliding member has a bottom surface forming portion that closes the bottom of the through hole, and a communicating portion that opens the bottom of the through hole, and by sliding the lower part of the area, either the bottom surface forming portion or the communicating portion can be positioned at the bottom of the through hole.

[0013] According to the above configuration, in the lower part of the area where the through-hole is disposed, by sliding the slide member, the opening / closing state of the bottom of the through-hole can be operated. Since a communication part for making the opening state continuous with the through-hole is formed in the slide member, the entire peripheral area other than this communication part can be used as the bottom surface forming part. In a general food supply device, since a plurality of supply foods (supply foods in a separated state) are supplied at once, a plurality of through-holes are provided in a single measuring part, and accordingly, a plurality of communication parts are also formed in the slide member. Therefore, when the slide member is slid to the closed state, the drilling positions are adjusted so that all the communication parts can move to positions deviated from all the through-holes. Further, since the communication part only needs to be able to open the bottom of the through-hole, it can be configured to have substantially the same shape as the cross-section of the through-hole (a shape slightly larger in consideration of the error during sliding).

[0014] Further, in the invention having the above configuration, the intrusion part is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat downward from the upper part of the through-hole, and after being advanced and retreated in the compression stroke, it can be advanced and retreated by the discharge stroke, so that the processed food filled in the through-hole can be compressed and then discharged.

[0015] According to the above configuration, in addition to operating the bottom of the through-hole to the open state or the closed state by the slide member, by making the intrusion part capable of advancing and retreating downward from the upper part, the compressed food can be dropped downward to enable supply. At this time, the compression and discharge of the processed food are achieved by advancing and retreating the intrusion part by two different types of strokes. By advancing (descending), compression and discharge are enabled, and by retreating (ascending), the contact time with the food can be made short, and poor supply due to adhesion to the food can be avoided.

[0016] Furthermore, in the invention having the above-described configuration, the metering unit is divided into a metering area where the through-hole is disposed and a non-metering area that does not have the through-hole, and when moving by the moving means, either one of the metering area and the non-metering area is disposed on the bottom surface of the filling unit. The filling unit includes a frame having a height capable of storing an appropriate amount of processed food, and a rubbing portion that is in sliding contact with the surface of the metering area or the non-metering area of the metering unit inside the frame. After the processed food is filled into the through-hole with the metering area of the metering unit disposed inside the frame, when the metering area moves outward from the frame, it can be provided so as to rub the processed food filled at the position of the upper opening of the through-hole of the metering unit.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the metering unit moves the through-hole from the filling part to the discharging part. However, regardless of before and after the movement, the metering unit can function as the bottom surface part of the filling part. That is, when filling the processed food into the through-hole, the metering area becomes the bottom surface part of the filling part (arranged on the bottom surface of the frame body). When discharging from the through-hole, the non-metering area becomes the bottom surface part of the filling part to maintain the storage of the processed food inside the frame body. Further, since the rubbing part provided inside the frame body is in a state of being in sliding contact with the surfaces of the metering area and the non-metering area, when the metering unit moves, the excess part of the processed food filled in the through-hole is rubbed off, and only the amount of the processed food corresponding to the volume of the through-hole can be held in the through-hole and moved to the discharging part. Note that the rubbing part is in a form such that the linear edge of a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member is provided in a state of contacting the upper opening of the through-hole, and by straddling and contacting the upper opening of the through-hole, the processed food filled in the through-hole can be rubbed off at the position of the end surface of the upper opening. This rubbing part may be individually installed as a dedicated member, or the lower edge of the frame body may be used. Also, when providing a plurality of rubbing parts individually, when filling the processed food into the through-hole (when the metering area is the bottom surface part of the filling part), by swinging these plurality of rubbing parts, the processed food remaining inside the filling part (inside the frame body) can be moved, and it can also function as a filling guiding part for promoting the inflow into the through-hole.

[0018] In the invention of each of the above configurations, the filling portion is provided so as to be movable along parallel hollow first and second regulating rails disposed on both sides in the moving direction, the discharging portion includes a hollow frame provided across the regulating rails on both sides, the intrusion portion is provided so as to be movable up and down while being supported by this frame, the hollow portion of the frame is formed continuously with the hollow portion of the regulating rails, the first regulating rail includes air supply means for forcibly introducing cooling air into the hollow interior, the second regulating rail includes an air supply passage configuration portion continuous with the hollow portion of the regulating rail, and the cooling air flowing into the hollow interior of the frame from the first regulating rail and flowing through the frame is moved along a predetermined flow path from the second regulating rail and discharged toward the members constituting the discharging portion.

[0019] According to the above configuration, it is possible to cool the discharging portion that operates closest to the food processor (particularly the cooking device), and it is possible to prevent the cause of deformation or malfunction of each component member constituting the discharging portion due to a temperature rise. In particular, when used in a manufacturing device for baked confectionery or the like, the supply destination of the processed food by the discharging portion is generally a heating plate for baking, and when supplying by dropping, the heating plate is often installed at a very close position in order not to collapse the temporary lump state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temperature rise due to the heat transfer remaining on the heating plate. Moreover, although there are differences depending on the food processor, the heating plate rises to 100 ° C or higher (it may reach 180 ° C to 200 ° C), and the members constituting the discharging portion also become high temperature (it may reach 150 ° C). Therefore, by cooling this (by reducing it to generally 30 ° C or lower), it is possible to prevent the cause of burns when an operator touches it.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, since the powdery or granular food ingredients are temporarily formed into lumps and supplied to the food processor, the food ingredients can be supplied to a predetermined position in a stable state. Note that the temporary lumps mean those that exhibit a lump shape only at the stage of food ingredient supply and can be easily disintegrated by the action of an external force. Therefore, the supplied food ingredients can be appropriately deformed into a desired shape by molding when being processed by the food processor (such as a cooking heater) (or before that).

[0021] This type of food ingredient supply device supplies the food ingredients intermittently. However, by supplying a large quantity of them at once to the food processor (such as a cooking heater), the processing efficiency is improved. Therefore, a plurality of through holes are provided in a single metering section, and by performing metering and discharging simultaneously, a plurality of supplied food ingredients (the supplied food ingredients in a separated state) can be supplied at once. Even in this case, since the supplied position and shape are stable, it is possible to avoid a state where the surrounding food ingredients are continuous in the molding during processing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. <Outline of the First Embodiment> Fig. 1 shows an outline of a first embodiment of an intermittent supply device for processed food according to the present invention. As shown in this figure, this embodiment can be broadly classified into a weighing unit 1 for weighing the food to be supplied, a filling unit 2 for filling the weighing unit 1 with the food, and a discharging unit 3 for discharging the food from the weighing unit 1. The specific configuration of the weighing unit 1 will be described later. The filling unit 2 and the discharging unit 3 are arranged below the weighing unit 1 and move the weighed food from the filling unit 2 to the discharging unit 3. This movement is caused by the wheel parts R1 and R2 that roll while being restricted by the left and right rails L1 and L2 respectively. By configuring the weighing unit 1 (base part) to straddle the wheels R1 and R2, it can move together with the wheel parts R1 and R2. The wheel parts R1 and R2 may be driving wheels provided with a driving device, or may be driven wheels interlocked with an external driving device. The discharging unit 3 basically drops the food, and a conveying unit such as a conveyor C is provided below it. The conveyor C may be a heating plate such as an iron plate that can be a baking mold when the food to be processed is a baked confectionery or the like. By repeating movement and stop, the conveyor C drops and supplies the food in a stopped state and conveys the food to a desired position by moving. A plurality of through holes are provided in the weighing unit 1, and the food is filled into these through holes, pushed down from the through holes in the discharging unit 3, dropped, and supplied to the conveyor C or the like.

[0024] <Configuration of the Weighing Unit> Next, the details of the configuration of the weighing unit 1 will be described. Fig. 2 shows a state in which only the weighing unit 1 is disassembled. This weighing unit 1 is mainly composed of three members: a base part 11, a main body part 12, and an opening / closing part 13. The main body part 12 is fixed to the base part 11 or integrally formed, and the opening / closing part 13 is slidably mounted on the lower surface side of the main body part 12.

[0025] The base portion 11 is configured to be thin-walled and has rollable wheel portions R1 and R2 on both its left and right sides. At least two wheel portions R1 and R2 are provided on each of the left and right sides, and as a whole, there are four or more wheels to stabilize the posture. These wheel portions R1 and R2 roll along the left and right rails (restricting rails that restrict the movement of the wheel portions) L1 and L2, which are part of the frame group constituting the entire device. As for the driving means necessary for rolling, it can be rotationally driven as a driving wheel using a servo motor or the like, or can be rolled by a cylinder or the like that moves the wheel portions R1 and R2 forward and backward with a predetermined stroke while using the wheel portions R1 and R2 as driven wheels. Although the driving means is not shown, as long as it can be moved forward and backward by an appropriate means as described above, the wheel portions R1 and R2 can be rolled on the upper part of the rails L1 and L2. Note that as long as it can move within a predetermined range, not limited to rolling along the rails L1 and L2 (movement by the wheel portions R1 and R2), a mechanism that moves by a slidable sliding member may also be used.

[0026] The main body portion 12 is composed of a plate-shaped member with a predetermined thickness having an area approximately the same as the planar portion of the base portion 11 (inside the left and right wheel portions R1 and R2). By fixing this main body portion 12 to the lower surface side of the base portion 11, the basic structure of the weighing portion 1 required for weighing food ingredients is formed. That is, both the base portion 11 and the main body portion 12 are divided into a weighing region 11a, 12a and a non-weighing region 11b, 12b, and through holes 10a and 10b are formed in the weighing regions 11a and 12a, and these together form a through hole 10 having a predetermined volume for weighing. Therefore, when the amount of food ingredients to be weighed is changed, the depth of the through hole 10b of the main body portion 1 (that is, the thickness of the main body portion 12) can be changed. In this case, it can be dealt with by making the main body portion 12 replaceable, or by making the integrated base portion 11 and main body portion 12 replaceable. Note that as will be described later, since the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) receives the compression force when compressing the food ingredients filled inside, in order to make the pressure during compression uniform, it basically has a circular cross-section.

[0027] The opening / closing part 13 is provided in a state of being in sliding contact with the lower surface side of the main body part 12, and a thin plate-shaped communication part 14 communicating with the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) is provided. The communication part 14 in the present embodiment is exemplified as being drilled in substantially the same shape at intervals corresponding to the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b). However, if the bottom of the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) can be opened (communicating with the through holes), it does not have to be an individually independent hole, and the diameter thereof may be larger than that of the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b). On the other hand, the other surface part 13a of the opening / closing part 13 excluding the above communication part 14 can constitute the bottom surface of the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) by moving directly below the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b), and functions as a bottom surface forming part.

[0028] Therefore, the opening / closing part 13 is in sliding contact with the lower part of the main body part 12 and slides in a predetermined direction. When moving the communication part 14 directly below the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b), the bottom is in an open state, and when the bottom surface forming part 13a (the surface other than the communication part) is arranged directly below the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b), the bottom is in a closed state. These movements are operated by a cylinder 15 that advances and retreats by a certain distance. In order to regulate the moving direction, a long hole 13b is provided in the opening / closing part 13. In connection with the main body part 12, a support pin 16 is inserted into the long hole 13b to allow linear movement along the long hole 13b.

[0029] With such a configuration, the opening / closing part 13 advances and retreats along the longitudinal direction of the long hole 13b by the operation of the cylinder 15, aligns the communication part 14 with the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b), or deviates the communication part 14 from the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b), thereby enabling the opening / closing operation of the bottom of the through hole 10 (through holes 10a and 10b).

[0030] Note that, as described above, since the metering unit 1 (base unit 11 and main body unit 12) including the opening / closing unit 13 is movable along the rails L1 and L2 by the driving means, by moving the metering areas 11a and 12a of the metering unit 1 from the filling unit 2 to the discharging unit 3 (see FIG. 1), the food ingredients filled in the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) can be moved. When the metering areas 11a and 12a reach the discharging unit 3 due to this movement, the non-metering areas 11b and 12b will be positioned below the filling unit 2, which will form the bottom surface of the filling unit 2 as described later.

[0031] <Configuration of the discharging unit> Here, the configuration of the discharging unit 3 for discharging the food ingredients from the metering unit 1 will be described. FIG. 3(a) shows only the discharging unit 3. The discharging unit 3 has an intrusion part 30 that protrudes downward in a state facing the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) of the metering unit 1 that has moved below it, and is provided with a mechanism for raising and lowering (advancing and retreating with respect to the through holes) the intrusion part 30. The intrusion part 30 is provided on the substrate part 31 with the same protruding length so as to be able to intrude into all of the plurality of through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) simultaneously, and is arranged at the same interval as the individual through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b), and protrudes in a substantially the same shape (a shape with a slightly smaller diameter to facilitate intrusion (a loose-fitting state)). Since the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) basically have a circular cross-section, the intrusion part 30 is basically cylindrical correspondingly.

[0032] In order to raise and lower the above-mentioned intrusion part 30, a support part 32 that supports the substrate part 31 is fixed to the operating part 34 of the driving device 33. The driving device 33 of the present embodiment illustrated by the drawing basically uses a servo motor. The rotational motion of forward and reverse rotation obtained by the servo motor is converted into a reciprocating motion by the gear box 35 to raise and lower the operating part 34. Note that the driving force for this raising and lowering may use a cylinder or the like, but in order to advance and retreat with a controlled stroke length as described later, a driving means that is easy to control is preferable.

[0033] In order to stabilize the lifting position of the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31), the above-described drive device 33 is fixed to the support frame 37 via the connecting part 36. The connecting part 36 is composed of a plate-shaped member and is fixed by a fastening member such as a bolt while adjusting the height with respect to the support frame 37. Further, both ends of the support frame 37 are suspended from the device frames F1 and F2 via the connection frames 38 and 39. The device frames F1 and F2 are provided integrally with the aforementioned rails L1 and L2 and constitute the framework of the entire device. By being supported by the device frames F1 and F2, the positional relationship with other components (such as the weighing part 1) can be kept constant.

[0034] With such a configuration, the intrusion part 30 can be opposed to the through holes 10 (through holes 10a and 10b) of the weighing part 1 that has moved directly below and intrude into the inside. Fig. 3(b) shows that state. Note that Fig. 3(b) is a view showing the cross-section IIIB-IIIB in Fig. 3(a) together with the cross-section of the weighing part 1. As shown in Fig. 3(b), since the intrusion part 30 of the discharge part 3 is arranged to face the upper opening of the through hole 10 of the weighing part 1, in the illustrated state, by lowering the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31), the entire intrusion part 30 can be made to intrude into the individual through holes 10 simultaneously. At this time, when the opening / closing part 13 of the weighing part 1 closes the bottom, the internal food ingredients are compressed, and when the bottom is in the open state, the internal food ingredients are discharged.

[0035] <Operating mode of the discharge part> Here, the operation mode of the discharge unit 3 will be described. FIGS. 4 to 5 show the operation mode of the discharge unit 3. Each of these figures shows the cross-section IV-IV in FIG. 3(a) and combines it with the cross-section of the metering unit 1 in order to also explain the operating state of the opening / closing unit 13 of the metering unit 1. Note that FIG. 4(a) shows the initial state (before operation), FIG. 4(b) shows the state during food material compression, FIG. 5(a) shows the state during temporary retraction, and FIG. 5(b) shows the state during discharge operation. Also, the cylindrical bodies 36a and 36b in the figures are regulating cylindrical bodies fixed to the above-mentioned connecting portion 36. The sliding shafts 34a and 34b erected on the support portion 32 slide inside the regulating cylindrical bodies 36a and 36b, whereby the lifting direction of the support portion 32 is regulated, and the lifting posture of the substrate portion 31 is stabilized.

[0036] First, as shown in FIG. 4(a), before the discharge unit 3 operates, the intrusion portion 30 (substrate portion 31) is in a standby state at a predetermined position (raised position). In this state, when the metering unit 1 moves to a predetermined position (the state shown in the figure), the discharge unit 3 can be operated. When the metering unit 1 moves, the stop position of the through-hole 10 of the metering unit 1 is basically adjusted so that its center line coincides with the center line of the intrusion portion 30. However, since the intrusion portion 30 is configured to have a slightly smaller diameter than the through-hole 10, it has an appropriate clearance and allows an error in the stop position. At this time, the bottom surface forming portion 13a of the opening / closing unit 13 is located at the bottom of the through-hole 10, and the opening / closing unit 13 closes the bottom of the through-hole 10. Therefore, the through-hole 10 has a bottomed container shape, and the filled food material X is held in a state where an amount corresponding to the internal capacity of the through-hole 10 is filled.

[0037] In the state as described above, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31) is lowered and made to intrude from the upper opening of the through hole 10, thereby compressing the food material X. At this time, the bottom surface forming part 13a of the opening / closing part 13 is positioned at the bottom of the through hole 10, and since the food material X is compressed in a state where the through hole 10 is in the shape of a bottomed container, the food material X is exclusively in a state where its volume is reduced in the height direction. The movement width (compression stroke) S1 of the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31) at this time is set to such an extent that the food material X can be made into a provisional lump shape, and it does not perform complete shaping. Therefore, the intrusion length is about several millimeters from the upper opening of the through hole 10, but it is appropriately adjusted according to the moisture content and overall viscosity of the food material X. Basically, the food material X to be supplied is in powder or granular form, but since it contains a small amount of moisture and has an appropriate viscosity by itself or due to additives, etc., the pressure during compression acts on the periphery (side wall) of the through hole 10 and can lightly adhere due to its viscosity. Also, the provisional lump shape is not the final formed state, but is a state where the food materials are temporarily grouped together in order to enable subsequent shaping, and it is at a level where it can be easily collapsed when shaping into a desired shape. By making it into a provisional lump shape, supply to an accurate position is enabled.

[0038] When the compression of the food material X is completed, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31) is raised, and the intrusion part 30 is made to escape from the through-hole 10. Due to the escape of this intrusion part 30, the tip (lower end face) of the intrusion part 30 can end the compression operation on the food material X. Moreover, by sliding only the opening / closing part 13 and moving the communication part 14 to the bottom of the through-hole 10, the lower part of the through-hole 10 will open. At this time, the food material X inside the through-hole 10 remains inside the through-hole 10 without falling naturally due to the action of the pressure from the compression process and the viscosity of the food material X. Also, although the bottom surface forming part 13a that formed the bottom surface of the through-hole 10 during compression is assumed to cause the food material X to adhere closely (adhere strongly) due to the downward pressure acting on the food material X, since the opening / closing part 13 slides along the lower part (lower surface) of the main body part 12 of the measuring part 1, the bottom surface forming part 13a will move in the plane direction of the lowermost part of the food material X, and without changing the state of the food material X remaining inside the through-hole 10 (without accompanying the food material X), the assumed close adhesion state can be easily broken.

[0039] Subsequently, as shown in Fig. 5(b), again, the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31) is lowered, and by making the intrusion part 30 enter from the upper opening of the through-hole 10, the food material X that is temporarily in a lump shape is discharged from the lower opening (communication part 14 of the opening / closing part 13) and dropped onto the surface of the conveyor C installed below to complete the supply. The movement width (discharge stroke) S2 of the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31) at this time is set to an extent that can surely discharge the food material X from the through-hole 10, and is a stroke larger than the aforementioned compression stroke S1. Since the dischargeable state varies depending on the state of the food material X, the discharge stroke S2 is appropriately adjusted according to the state of the food material X (such as the degree of adhesion to the inner wall surface of the through-hole 10).

[0040] Incidentally, the downward movement of the intrusion part 30 (substrate part 31) during the aforementioned compression stroke S1 and exhaust stroke S2 is extremely short (almost instantaneous), and it does not stop when it has descended by the movement width of the predetermined strokes S1, S2, but is raised immediately after descending to a predetermined position. This is to extremely shorten the time during which the lower end surface of the intrusion part 30 contacts (presses) the food X, and to avoid, in advance, the two from adhering closely (strongly attaching).

[0041] Note that the conveyor C that is the supply destination of the food X is capable of intermittent conveyance, and by temporarily stopping it when supplying the food X, it is possible to maintain the provisional lump state of the food X that is drop-supplied. Further, in order to suppress as much as possible the collapse of the lump state due to the fall of the food X, the conveyor C is preferably installed at a position close to the opening / closing part 13. Here, although the supply destination is the conveyor C, this is in the sense of exemplifying a device that conveys the food X to a food processor (such as a cooking heater), and when used for processing such as baked confectionery, this conveyor C becomes a member to which a heating plate or the like directly moves to transfer the food X.

[0042] <Configuration of filling part> The main part as the intermittent device for the food is as described above. Here, the configuration of the present embodiment regarding the filling part 2 will be described. In the present embodiment, since the measurement areas 11a, 12a divided in the measurement part 1 move from the filling part 2 to the discharge part 3, it is necessary to stabilize the state of filling the food X in the measurement areas 11a, 12a (particularly the through holes 10) in the filling part 2.

[0043] Fig. 6 shows the configuration of the filling part 2. As shown in this figure, the filling part 2 is basically constituted by a frame body 20 that isolates the surroundings, and an appropriate amount of food can be retained by the frame body 20 having a cylindrical shape with an appropriate height (see Fig. 6(a)). By bringing the lower end edge 21 of this frame body 20 into sliding contact with the surface of the measurement part 1 (the surface of the base part 11), the surface of the measurement part 1 (the surface of the base part 11) can be made to function as the bottom surface of the filling part 2 (see Fig. 6(b)).

[0044] As described above, the metering unit 1 is divided into metering areas 11a and 12a and non-metering areas 11b and 12b, and is configured to move the metering areas 11a and 12a from the filling unit 2 to the discharging unit 3. Therefore, when the lower edge 21 of the frame body 20 is in sliding contact with the surface of the metering unit 1 (the surface of the base portion 11), when the metering unit 1 moves, the lower edge 21 slides on the surface (the surface of the base portion 11), and the metering unit 1 always forms the bottom surface of the filling unit 2 without creating a gap between the lower edge 21 of the frame body 20 and the metering unit 1.

[0045] In this way, by configuring the filling unit 2 with a cylindrical frame body 20 and using the metering unit 1 as the bottom surface, when the metering areas 11a and 12a are moved to the inside of the frame body 20 of the filling unit 2 (the position serving as the bottom surface), the food ingredients stored in the filling unit 2 will inevitably flow into the through holes 10 of the metering areas 11a and 12a, enabling the filling of the food ingredients into the through holes 10.

[0046] <Operating Mode of Filling Unit> With the above configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, in the state where the metering areas 11a and 12a of the metering unit 1 are arranged inside the frame body 20 of the filling unit 2 (FIG. 7(a)), the food ingredient X flows into the through holes 10 of the metering unit 1. Then, when the metering unit 1 is moved toward the discharging unit 3 (FIG. 1), since the lower edge (the lower edge on the discharging unit side) 21 of the frame body 20 remains in contact with the surface of the metering unit 1, the excess food ingredient X above the upper opening of the through hole 10 will be scraped off (FIG. 7(b)). Therefore, the lower edge (especially the lower edge on the discharging unit side) 21 of the frame body 20 functions as a scraping portion.

[0047] In this way, the excess food ingredient X that has been rubbed off remains inside the frame body 20 and will be used for the next filling. In this manner, by moving the entire metering areas 11a and 12a of the metering unit 1 (all the through holes 10) until they are separated from the frame body 20 of the filling unit 2, the filling of the food ingredient X into all the through holes 10 is completed, and a quantity of the food ingredient X corresponding to the predetermined volume formed inside the through holes 10 is metered (in a state where the excess has been rubbed off) and sent to the discharge unit 3 (Fig. 7(c)). At this time, the bottom surface of the frame body 20 of the filling unit 2 will be formed by the non-metering areas 11b and 12b of the filling unit 1, and the state of storing the food ingredient X inside the frame body 20 can be maintained. Then, when the metering unit 1 retracts and the metering areas 11a and 12a move inside the frame body 20 again, filling into the through holes 10 becomes possible again. By repeating this, a predetermined quantity of the food ingredient X can be continuously moved to the discharge unit 3.

[0048] <Modification example of the filling unit> The basic structure of the filling unit 2 is as described above. However, as mentioned above, the excess food ingredient X is rubbed off by the lower edge 21 of the frame body 20 (the lower edge on the discharge unit side), and the rubbed-off food ingredient X is likely to accumulate near the lower edge 21. Also, since the food ingredient X to be supplied has a slight viscosity, it does not surely flow into the through holes 10 by natural flow.

[0049] Therefore, a modification example for eliminating these concerns is shown in Fig. 8. This modification example installs a filling guiding unit 4 for adjusting the state of the food ingredient X inside the frame body 20 of the filling unit 2 (especially near the bottom). The device exemplified in this modification example has a configuration in which a plurality of rod-shaped leveling parts 41 that can be arranged near the inner bottom of the frame body 20 are provided, and both ends of these leveling parts 41 are connected and integrated by connecting parts 42 and 43. By transmitting a driving force to any of the plurality of leveling parts 41, the leveling part 41 is moved.

[0050] The movement of this leveling part 41 is to quickly move forward and backward (vibrate) with a short stroke, and the vibration direction is the direction perpendicular to the axis of the leveling part 41. The driving force for vibration is transmitted from a support member 45 that supports the upper end of a transmission part 44 erected on a part of the leveling part 41. This support member 45 supports the leveling part 41 at a predetermined height via the transmission part 44 and is fixed to an operating part 46 that moves forward and backward, and is driven according to the forward and backward movement of the operating part 46. Note that a servo motor 47 is used as the drive source of the operating part 46. By controlling this servo motor 47, the forward and backward width, forward and backward speed, etc. during the forward and backward operation can be adjusted, and a suitable leveling operation can be performed according to the state of the food material X to be filled (such as the strength of viscosity, etc.).

[0051] When using the above-described filling guiding part 4, it is also possible to perform the abrasion of the material by the leveling part 41 of the same device 4. That is, by bringing the leveling part 41 into a state of being in sliding contact with the surface of the measuring part 1 (see Fig. 8(b)), the individual leveling parts 41 come into contact with the measuring part 1 that moves, and the excess food material X in the through-hole 10 can be abraded, and the accumulation of the food material X abraded at one location (near the lower end edge 21 on the discharge part side) can also be suppressed.

[0052] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, while the basic structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, the rails L1 and L2 are deformed into a hollow structure, and the device frame F of the part where the discharge part 3 is mounted is also deformed. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the device frame F is also made into a hollow structure, and the hollow parts of the rails L1 and L2 and the hollow part of the device frame F are made continuous with each other. An opening part (inflow part) F where the bottom surface part of one rail (the first regulating rail) L1 is partially opened in is provided with a blower part (air supply means) 5 to forcibly introduce cooling air (such as outside air or air managed at a low temperature), and further, the bottom surface part of the other rail (the second rail) L2 is partially opened, and an exhaust part F where an air supply passage constituting part 6 is mounted here to discharge the cooling air toward the constituent members of the discharge part 3 outIt is configured to allow cooling air to flow until. By making the interiors of the rails L1, L2 and the device frame F hollow and continuous, a series of ventilation passages can be formed. As a result, the inflow part F of one rail (the first regulating rail) L1 in The cooling air forcibly introduced from reaches the opening of the other rail (the second regulating rail) L2 via the ventilation passage, and further, is discharged from the exhaust part F provided at a desired position via the air supply passage configuration part 6 out . By constantly operating the blower part 5, it is possible to air-cool the members such as the rails L1, L2, the device frame F and the discharge part 3 as a whole.

[0053] The air supply passage configuration part 6 is basically composed of a flexible pipe. Its base end part 61 is attached to the opening of the other rail (the second regulating rail) L2, and the tip end part 62 is connected to an exhaust control part 63 arranged above a driving device (servo motor) or the like. This exhaust control part 63 exhausts the cooling air downward from the upper part of a cylindrical case 64 provided in a state of covering the driving device or the like, and further discharges the cooling air from the lower opening of the cylindrical case 64 toward the intrusion part 30 (specifically, the upper surface part of the substrate part 31).

[0054] The above configuration is specifically for the case where the food is processed in a high-temperature state. Since the supply destination of the food supplied from the discharge part 3 is the heating plate, the heating plate is circulated via the food processor (heating cooker), so as to cope with being maintained in a high-temperature state. That is, for example, when manufacturing baked confectionery or the like, the food supplied to the heating plate is formed into an appropriate state by being compressed and expanded by a compression plate or the like, and in that state, is sent to the heating cooker. After heating, the cooked food is discharged from the heating plate and receives the supply of food again. At this time, the heating plate can be circulated in a state of maintaining a high temperature without cooling, so that heating and cooking can be continuously performed efficiently (without requiring wasteful heating).

[0055] Therefore, in order to receive the supply of food ingredients, it will move directly below the discharge unit 3. However, as the continuously high-temperature heating plate moves directly below the discharge unit 3, the discharge unit 3 is gradually heated, so there is a concern that the temperatures of each member (the intrusion part 30, the substrate part 31, the drive device 33, etc.) constituting the discharge unit 3 will also rise. In particular, when the intrusion part 30 is heated, it may expand and hinder the intrusion into the through hole 10 (loose fitting state), and when the drive device 33 in the case of using a servo motor becomes high temperature, it may cause malfunction. For cooling such constituent members, there may be measures such as providing a heat sink for each member, but when the temperature rise is extreme, it cannot be dealt with by a heat sink, so the peripheral members of the discharge unit 3 are cooled to suppress the temperature rise of the entire device.

[0056] That is, when the temperature of the weighing unit 1 rises, the heat of the weighing unit 1 is transmitted from the base 11 to the wheel parts R1, R2, so by cooling the rails L1, L2, the temperature rise of the lightweight unit 1 can be suppressed. Further, since the frame F is provided at a predetermined position (a position where it is likely to become high temperature) to support the discharge unit 3, by allowing the cooling air to flow inside, the temperature rise of the frame F itself can be suppressed. On the other hand, since the cooling air is sent to the cylindrical case 64 via the exhaust control unit 63, it is possible to directly cool a drive device (not shown) or the like disposed inside the cylindrical case 64. Further, the cooling air passing through the cylindrical case 64 is discharged downward from the lower opening and poured onto the intrusion portion 30 (specifically, the upper surface portion of the substrate portion 31), and it is possible to cool the substrate portion 31 and the intrusion portion 30 fixed thereto. Note that the heat of the intrusion portion 30 is transmitted to the connecting portion 36 via the support portion 32 and the operating portion 43, and further transmitted to the frame F via the support frame 37 and the connection frames 38 and 39. Therefore, by cooling the frame F and the cylindrical case 64, it is also possible to absorb the transmitted heat. Further, in order to remove the heat of the discharge portion 3, a hollow portion may be configured to communicate with the support frame 37 and the connection frames 38 and 39 so that the cooling air also flows therethrough. Further, as the cooling air, in addition to the specially temperature-controlled air, outside air at an appropriate temperature may flow in, or instead of these, a coolant may be allowed to flow in to make it a water-cooled type.

[0057] Incidentally, the heating plate in the device for manufacturing baked confectionery becomes a high temperature of 180°C to 200°C. In a state where no cooling mechanism is provided, the temperatures of the frame F, the rails L1 and L2, and the discharge portion 3 (its constituent members) reached about 150°C. In such a temperature environment, it cannot be used because it exceeds the heat-resistant temperature of a servo motor or the like, and it is assumed that it may cause an accidental burn due to an operator touching it. By providing a cooling mechanism, the temperatures of the frame F and other members could be reduced to 20°C to 30°C. The cooling air at this time is the case where outside air without temperature control is used as it is. Therefore, when the outside air temperature is high, such as in summer, the same effect can be obtained by using temperature-controlled low-temperature air. Thus, if the temperatures of each part of the device are within the range of 20°C to 30°C, electronic devices such as servo motors can be used, and it is also possible for an operator to touch it. Therefore, even when a problem occurs in the device, it is possible to immediately check or repair it without worrying about accidental burns.

[0058] <Parentheses> Since the embodiment of the present invention has the above-described configuration, even when the food ingredient X is in powder or granular form, it can be supplied to the food processor as a provisional lump by the compression process in the discharge section 3 and can be accurately supplied to a desired supply position. Further, in this embodiment, the food ingredient X is intermittently supplied to the conveyor C (such as a heating plate), but since the same number of intrusion parts 30 can simultaneously intrude into the numerous through-holes 10 provided in the measuring section 1, a large quantity can be supplied at once to the intrusion food processor (such as a cooking device), and the processing efficiency can be improved. Even in such a case, since the supplied position and shape are stable, the supplied food ingredient X can be appropriately shaped.

[0059] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described as above, the above embodiment shows an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not intended to be limited to the above embodiment. Therefore, within the scope of the present invention, each component may be appropriately changed or other components may be added. For example, various driving devices (for example, a cylinder 15 that slides the opening / closing part 13, a servo motor 33 that raises and lowers the intrusion part 30, a servo motor 47 that moves the leveling part 41 forward and backward, etc.) are shown as examples, and devices other than these driving means can be used. Also, regarding the control method of starting and stopping when moving in the embodiment, although no special explanation has been given, as long as it can move to the state described in the embodiment, in addition to being controlled by a computer, it may be mechanically controlled.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0060] 1 Measuring section 2 Filling section 3 Discharge section 4 Material arranging device 5 Air blowing section 10 Through-hole (entire) 10a Through-hole (base part) 10b Through-hole (main body part) 11 Base part 11a Measuring area (base part) 11b Non-measuring area (base part) 12 Main body part 12a Measuring area (main body part) 12b Non-measuring area (main body part) 13 Opening / closing part 13a Bottom surface forming part 13b Long hole 14 Communication part 15 Cylinder 16 Support pin 20 Frame body 21 Lower edge 30 Invasion part 31 Substrate part 32 Support part 33 Driving device (servo motor) 34 Actuating part 34a, 34b Sliding shaft 35 Gear box 36 Connecting part 36a, 36b Cylindrical body (for regulation) 37 Support frame 38, 39 Connection frame 41 Leveling part 42, 43 Connecting part 44 Transmission part 45 Support member 46 Actuating part 47 Servo motor F, F1, F2 Device frame F in Outside air inflow part (one opening) F out Exhaust part (the other opening) L1, L2 Rail R1, R1 Wheel part X Food ingredient

Claims

1. An apparatus for intermittently supplying a powdery or granular processed food material before processing by a food processor in predetermined amounts, comprising: a measuring unit having a through-hole with a predetermined internal volume, a filling unit for filling the through-hole of the measuring unit with the processed food material, a discharging unit for discharging the processed food material filled in the through-hole of the measuring unit from the through-hole, and driving means for applying a driving force to the measuring unit to reciprocate the through-hole between the filling unit and the discharging unit; the measuring unit includes an opening / closing unit that exhibits two forms of a closed state and an open state of the bottom of the through-hole; the discharging unit includes an intrusion part that can intrude into the through-hole of the measuring unit. When the bottom of the through-hole is in the closed state by the opening / closing unit, the intrusion part intrudes into the through-hole to compress the processed food material, and when the bottom of the through-hole is in the open state by the opening / closing unit, the intrusion part intrudes into the through-hole to discharge the processed food material, thereby presenting two types of intrusion forms, namely, a compression stroke and a discharge stroke; An intermittent supply device for a processed food material, characterized in that.

2. The opening / closing unit is disposed at least at the lower part of the region where the through-hole is disposed, and is constituted by a slide member slidably provided between the lower part of the region. The slide member includes a bottom surface forming part for closing the bottom of the through-hole and a communication part for opening the bottom of the through-hole. By sliding on the lower part of the region, either the bottom surface forming part or the communication part is disposed at the bottom of the through-hole. The intermittent supply device for a processed food material according to Claim 1.

3. The intermittent supply device for a processed food material according to Claim 2, wherein the intrusion part is provided so as to be retractable downward from the upper part of the through-hole, and after performing a retraction / extension operation in the compression stroke, the intrusion part is further operated by the discharge stroke to compress and then discharge the processed food material filled in the through-hole.

4. The measuring unit is divided into a measuring region where the through-hole is disposed and a non-measuring region without the through-hole. When moving by the moving means, either the measuring region or the non-measuring region is disposed on the bottom surface of the filling unit. The filling part includes a frame having a height capable of storing a proper amount of processed food, and a rubbing part that is slidably contacted with the surface of the metering area or non-metering area of the metering part inside the frame. After the processed food is filled into the through hole with the metering area of the metering part arranged inside the frame, when the metering area moves outward from the frame, it is provided so as to rub the processed food filled at the position of the upper opening of the through hole of the metering part. The intermittent feeding device for processed food according to claim 3.

5. The filling part is provided so as to be movable along parallel hollow first and second regulating rails arranged on both sides in the moving direction. The discharging part includes a hollow frame provided across the regulating rails on both sides, and the intrusion part is provided so as to be movable up and down while being supported by this frame. The hollow part of the frame is continuously formed with the hollow part of the regulating rail. The first regulating rail is provided with an air supply means for forcibly introducing cooling air into the hollow interior. The second regulating rail includes an air supply passage forming part continuous with the hollow part of the regulating rail. By this air supply passage forming part, the cooling air flowing in from the first regulating rail and flowing through the hollow interior of the frame is moved along a predetermined flow path from the second regulating rail and discharged toward the member constituting the discharging part. The intermittent feeding device for processed food according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images