Powder adhesion apparatus and method for food

Abstract

To provide a powder adhesion apparatus and method for adhering powders to a desired range of a food product.SOLUTION: A powder adhesion apparatus has: a carrier conveyor (5) including a conveyor conveyance surface (5B) carrying a food product; and at least one of rotors (3A, 3B) disposed sideways on the conveyor conveyance surface. The rotor is configured to fly powders (11) to the food product being carried on the conveyor conveyance surface by rotation of the rotor. The rotor includes a rotating shaft (33) disposed tilted against a horizontal direction. The rotating shaft is configured to be tilted in the direction away from the conveyor conveyance surface as it goes up from below.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for adhering powder to the surface of food, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for supplying powder to a rotating body (the surface of a flat rotating plate or a rotating brush) and causing the powder to fly toward the food by the rotation of the rotating body, thereby adhering the powder to the surface of the food. [Background technology]

[0002] The powder application device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a transport conveyor for transporting food, a rotating body arranged to the side of the transport conveyor, and a powder supply mechanism for supplying powder to the rotating body. The rotating body includes a rotatable rotating shaft and at least one flat rotating plate attached to the rotating shaft. This powder application device can adjust the height at which the powder is thrown by changing the height position of the rotating plate. Furthermore, this powder application device can adjust the amount of powder thrown per rotation of the rotating plate by adjusting the rotation speed of the rotating plate.

[0003] The powder deposition device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes, for example, two pairs of rotating bodies arranged on either side of a transport conveyor. Each rotating body includes a rotating shaft arranged perpendicular to the transport surface of the transport conveyor, and an upper rotating plate and a lower rotating plate attached to the rotating shaft at a distance above and below. Therefore, the upper and lower rotating plates are arranged parallel to the transport surface of the transport conveyor.

[0004] The powder application device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a conveyor that forms a food passageway, a pair of rotating brushes arranged facing each other on either side of the conveyor, and a powder supply mechanism that supplies powder to the rotating brushes from above. The powder application device also includes a force adjustment means for adjusting the force with which the powder is thrown from the rotating brushes toward the food, and a direction adjustment means for adjusting the height direction (angle) of the powder thrown from the rotating brushes toward the food. The direction adjustment means is composed of a movable inclined plate and a moving device that moves the inclined plate.

[0005] The powder deposition device described in Patent Document 3 has two pairs of rotating bodies arranged on the sides of a transfer conveyor. Each rotating body includes a rotating shaft and a brush attached to the rotating shaft. The powder deposition device also has a pin that comes into contact with the rotating brush when the powder is scattered from the brush. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-236706 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-000234 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-023862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the powder application device described in Patent Document 1, powder is thrown horizontally from an upper rotating plate and falls along a parabolic trajectory, adhering primarily to the top and sides of food. The lower rotating plate is positioned close to the conveyor surface, scattering the powder from the lower rotating plate along the conveyor surface and adhering primarily to the sides of food. However, there are cases where the powder adheres unevenly to the sides of food, with more powder adhering to the upper and lower parts and less to the middle part.

[0008] Furthermore, air pockets can form between the conveyor surface and the lower inclined surface (the side of the inverted truncated cone) located between the side and bottom of the food due to the air flow generated by the rotation of the rotating plate. This can make it difficult to adhere the powder to the lower inclined surface of the food. If the rotation speed of the rotating plate is increased in an attempt to adhere the powder to the lower inclined surface, the air flow becomes faster, which can cause the powder that has adhered to the food to come off.

[0009] The powder application device described in Patent Document 2 uses a moving device to move an inclined plate in a desired inclination direction, thereby adjusting the vertical position of the powder thrown by centrifugal force from the tip of the rotating brush. This powder application device is also used when the direction of the powder throw needs to be specified, such as when applying powder to the underside of a protruding portion of a food product like an umbrella, or when applying powder only to the bottom (hem) of a tall food product. Therefore, it is difficult to apply powder over a wide area across the entire surface of the food product.

[0010] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new powder deposition device and method that can deposit powder onto a desired area on the surface of food. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the powder application device according to the present invention comprises a transport conveyor including a conveyor surface for transporting food, and at least one rotating body arranged to the side of the conveyor surface, the rotating body being configured to cause powder to fly toward the food being transported by the conveyor surface by rotation of the rotating body, the rotating body including a rotation axis arranged at an incline relative to the horizontal direction, and the rotation axis being configured to incline in a direction away from the conveyor surface as it moves from bottom to top.

[0012] Preferably, the conveyor conveying surface has a flat central portion and end portions on both sides thereof that are inclined downward toward the outside in the width direction, and the rotating body is configured to throw the powder from below the central portion of the conveyor conveying surface, Furthermore, preferably, the rotating body includes a rotating plate attached to the rotating shaft, and the outer periphery of the rotating plate is configured to rotate while contacting the edge of the conveyor transport surface.

[0013] Preferably, the rotating body is configured to include a rotating plate or a rotating brush attached to a rotating shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the rotating body is configured so that the rotation speed of the rotating body is repeatedly changed under the control of the control device of the powder deposition device while the powder is being sprayed, and further preferably, the rotating body is configured so that the rotation speed is repeatedly changed alternately between a predetermined low rotation speed and a predetermined high rotation speed, or is continuously and repeatedly changed between a predetermined low rotation speed and a predetermined high rotation speed while the powder is being sprayed.

[0015] Preferably, the rotating body is configured to periodically change its rotation speed while the powder is being ejected.

[0016] Preferably, the rotating body is a plurality of rotating bodies, and the low rotation speeds and / or high rotation speeds of the plurality of rotating bodies are the same as or different from each other, and the times for which the plurality of rotating bodies rotate at the low rotation speeds and / or the times for which they rotate at the high rotation speeds are the same as or different from each other.

[0017] Preferably, the rotating bodies are two pairs of rotating bodies arranged on either side of the conveyor conveying surface, and are configured so that the timing for changing the rotational speed of the two pairs of rotating bodies is shifted clockwise or counterclockwise in a plan view; also, preferably, the rotating bodies are multiple rotating bodies, and the timing for changing the rotational speed of the multiple rotating bodies is configured to be the same as or different from each other.

[0018] Preferably, the distance between the conveyor transport surface and the rotation axis is configured to be adjustable.

[0019] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the powder application method of the present invention, which applies powder to the surface of food in a powder application device equipped with a transport conveyor and a rotating body, transports the food on the conveyor conveying surface of the transport conveyor, and throws the powder toward the food by at least one rotating body arranged to the side of the conveyor conveying surface, and the rotating body includes a rotating shaft arranged at an angle to the horizontal direction and a rotating plate attached to the rotating shaft, and the powder is thrown diagonally upward from the rotating plate.

[0020] Preferably, the conveyor conveying surface has a flat central portion and edges on both sides that slope downward toward the outside in the width direction, and the powder is thrown toward the gap between the food and the edges by a rotating body, and further preferably, the rotating body includes a rotating plate that is rotated while in contact with the edges of the conveyor conveying surface, and the rotating plate throws away powder that has accumulated on the edges of the conveyor conveying surface.

[0021] Preferably, while the powder is being thrown, the rotation speed of the rotating body is repeatedly changed under the control of a control device of the powder deposition device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] In the powder application device and method according to the present invention, the rotation speed of the rotating plate is controlled to vary, thereby scattering the powder scattered from the rotating plate over a wide area, thereby allowing the powder to be applied to a wide area of ​​the food surface. Furthermore, by transporting the food with the lower inclined surface of the food and the conveyor conveyor conveyor surface open, the powder can be applied to the lower inclined surface of the food. Therefore, the powder can be applied to a desired area of ​​the food surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view of a powder deposition device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view of a powder deposition device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional plan view of a powder deposition device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a rotating body and a transfer conveyor of the powder deposition device of FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a powder deposition device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6a] 2 is a schematic time chart of rotation control of a rotating body of the powder deposition device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6b] 2 is a schematic time chart of rotation control of a rotating body of the powder deposition device of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a powder deposition device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a powder adhesion mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of a powder adhesion mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10a] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a powder deposition device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10b] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a powder deposition device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a rotating body and a transport conveyor of a powder deposition device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a rotating body and a transport conveyor of a powder deposition device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] A powder application device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The powder application device 1 is configured to apply powder 11 to food 10.

[0025] 1 to 5, the powder deposition device 1 includes a base 6, and further includes a powder supply mechanism 2, a rotating body 3, a box 4, a transport conveyor 5, a shaping roller 7, and a powder circulating device 8, all of which are attached to the base 6. The powder deposition device 1 also includes a control device 15 that controls the driving of each part (each component).

[0026] The transfer conveyor 5 is disposed below the front (front face) of the base 6. The transfer conveyor 5 is configured to transfer the food products 10 in a continuous or intermittent motion.

[0027] Two pairs (four) of rotating bodies 3 are arranged on either side of the conveyor conveying surface 5B of the conveyor 5, sandwiching the conveyor 5. The box body 4 is attached to the front (front face) of the base 6 so as to cover the rotating bodies 3 and part of the conveyor 5.

[0028] The powder supply mechanism 2 is attached to the top of the box 4, has a discharge port 22, and is configured to supply powder 11 from the discharge port 22 to the rotor 3 and the transport conveyor 5 arranged below the powder supply mechanism 2. The powder supply mechanism 2 employs known technology, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] Box 4 has entrance 4A for carrying in food 10 and exit 4B for carrying out food 10. Box 4 further has air curtains 9A and 9B disposed near entrance 4A and exit 4B.

[0030] The shaping roller 7 is disposed above the transport conveyor 5 and downstream of the outlet 4B. The powder circulating device 8 has a powder recovery slope 81 disposed below the transport conveyor 5 and the rotating body 3.

[0031] The powder circulating device 8 further includes a powder separating mechanism 82 that separates the reusable powder 11 from the collected powder 11, and is configured to re-introduce the separated powder 11 into the powder supplying mechanism 2. The powder circulating device 8 employs known technology, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the transfer conveyor 5 is a belt conveyor. The transfer conveyor 5 has a rotating, endless belt 5A. The belt 5A has an inverted trough-shaped conveyor surface 5B (upper surface), i.e., a portion (the center in the width direction) of the conveyor surface 5B protrudes upward. More specifically, the transfer conveyor 5 includes a conveyor plate 5C and a rectangular parallelepiped spacer plate 5D disposed on the upper surface of the conveyor plate 5C. The belt 5A is disposed so as to be hung on the upper surface of the spacer plate 5D, so that the conveyor surface 5B has a flat central portion 5AC in the center in the width direction and end portions 5AS on both sides thereof that slope downward toward the outside in the width direction. The central portion 5AC is a flat surface on which the food product 10 is placed, and the end portions 5AS are inclined surfaces. The width of the central portion 5AC is preferably smaller than the width of the bottom surface 10D of the food product 10.

[0033] Each of the rotating bodies 3 is disposed on one side of the inverted trough-shaped conveyor transfer surface 5B. The rotating body 3 includes a rotating shaft 33 disposed at an angle (relative to the horizontal direction) to a center 5AC of the conveyor transfer surface 5B, and an upper rotating plate 31 and a lower rotating plate 32 attached to the rotating shaft 33 with a gap between them in the vertical direction.

[0034] The rotating shaft 33 is inclined outward in the width direction (away from the conveyor transfer surface 5B) as it moves from bottom to top. As shown in Fig. 2, the rotating shaft 33 is connected to a control motor M, for example, a servo motor. As shown in Fig. 3, on the opposing sides of the rotating bodies 3 (sides facing the transport conveyor 5), a pair of rotating bodies 3A and 3B arranged on the upstream side of the transport conveyor 5 in the transport direction R are configured to rotate in the upstream direction of the transport conveyor 5, and a pair of rotating bodies 3C and 3D arranged on the downstream side of the transport direction R are configured to rotate in the downstream direction of the transport conveyor 5.

[0035] Both the upper rotating plate 31 and the lower rotating plate 32 are thin, disk-shaped. The diameter of the lower rotating plate 32 is larger than that of the upper rotating plate 31. The upper rotating plate 31 and the lower rotating plate 32 are each attached so as to be perpendicular to the rotation axis 33. The lower rotating plates 32 of two rotating bodies 3 adjacent to each other in the conveying direction R on one side of the transport conveyor 5 are positioned slightly apart so as not to interfere with each other.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 4, the lower rotating plate 32 is positioned lower than the flat surface on which the food product 10 is placed (the central portion 5AC of the conveyor conveying surface 5B). The lower rotating plate 32 is positioned so that a portion of the outer periphery of its lower surface rotates (slides) while in contact with the edge 5AS of the conveyor conveying surface 5B. A plurality of spacer collars 34 are sandwiched between the upper rotating plate 31 and the lower rotating plate 32, and the upper rotating plate 31 is fixed to a rotating shaft 33. The height position of the upper rotating plate 31 can be changed by changing the number of spacer collars 34. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the upper rotating plates 31 of the rotating bodies 3B and 3C, which are diagonally opposed to each other across the transport conveyor 5 in a plan view, are positioned higher than the upper rotating plates 31 of the other rotating bodies 3A and 3D, which are diagonally opposed to each other.

[0037] The rotating body 3 is configured to rotate based on the conditions set by the control device 15. As will be described later, by rotating the upper rotating plate 31, which is positioned at an angle relative to the horizontal direction, it is possible to cause the powder 11 supplied to the upper rotating plate 31 to fly diagonally upward and scatter in a parabolic trajectory. At this time, the height at which the powder 11 is flown can be changed depending on the rotation speed of the upper rotating plate 31, and the distance at which the powder 11 is flown can be made farther or closer. In other words, it is possible to change the area over which the powder 11 is flown.

[0038] The control device 15 is configured to control the rotation speed of the rotating body 3 by controlling the rotation speed of the control motor M. The rotation speed can be changed arbitrarily. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the control device 15 controls the rotation speed of the rotating body 3 to alternate between a predetermined low rotation speed and a predetermined high rotation speed. For example, the low rotation speed is 500 rotations per minute, and the high rotation speed is 1500 rotations per minute. The control device 15 controls the rotation speed of the rotating body 3 so that the low-speed period during which the rotating body 3 rotates at the low rotation speed and the high-speed period during which the rotating body 3 rotates at the high rotation speed (including the acceleration and deceleration periods of the rotation) change periodically (every 0.5 seconds). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rotation speed of the rotating body 3 may be controlled so that the rotation speed changes continuously between the predetermined low rotation speed and the predetermined high rotation speed in a wave-like manner (e.g., a sinusoidal wave) with a cycle time of 2t seconds. The predetermined low rotation speed and / or the predetermined high rotation speed may always be the same or may change over time. Furthermore, the time for which the rotor rotates at the predetermined low rotation speed and the time for which the rotor rotates at the predetermined high rotation speed may be always the same or may vary over time.

[0039] Next, a method according to the present invention for applying powder to food 10 using powder application device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Food 10 is, for example, daifuku mochi (rice cake with rice cakes), and powder 11 is, for example, potato starch. Food 10 is approximately cylindrical, and more specifically, the surface of food 10 is composed of curved upper surface 10A, cylindrical circumferential surface 10B, a downwardly tapering lower sloping surface (circumferential surface of an inverted truncated cone) 10C, and flat bottom surface 10D.

[0040] Food product (daifuku mochi) 10, which has been encased using a known encrusting machine, is placed on a transport conveyor 5. At this time, powder 11 is already attached to the bottom surface 10D of food product 10. Food product 10 is transported inside box 4 by the rotation of belt 5A. Powder (potato starch) 11 is supplied from discharge outlet 22 of powder supply mechanism 2 to the upper surfaces of upper and lower rotating plates 31 and 32 of rotor 3. Centrifugal force generated by the rotation of rotor 3 causes powder 11 attached to the upper surfaces of rotor 3 (upper and lower rotating plates 31 and 32) to fly in tangential directions 12 of upper and lower rotating plates 31 and 32, respectively (see Figure 3).

[0041] At this time, by repeatedly changing the rotation speed of the rotors 3 between a high rotation speed and a low rotation speed, the fan-shaped area into which the powder 11 is thrown repeatedly fluctuates, widening and narrowing. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the pair of rotors 3A and 3B on the upstream side are rotated in the upstream direction of the conveyor 5 on the sides opposite to them, so that the powder 11 thrown by the rotors 3A and 3B is mainly deposited on the downstream surface (front surface) and side surfaces of the food 10 being conveyed by the conveyor 5. The pair of rotors 3C and 3D on the downstream side are rotated in the downstream direction (the same direction as) the conveyor 5 on the sides opposite to them, so that the powder 11 thrown by the rotors 3C and 3D is mainly deposited on the side surfaces and upstream surface (rear surface) of the food 10.

[0042] 4 and 5, powder 11 is thrown diagonally upward from upper rotating plate 31 and scattered along a parabolic trajectory. Furthermore, by repeatedly changing the rotation speed of rotor 3, the vertical region from which powder 11 is thrown is repeatedly shifted from top to bottom and bottom to top. In this embodiment, powder 11 thrown from upper rotating plate 31, which is positioned relatively high on rotors 3B and 3C, is moved up and down mainly within the range of top surface 10A and peripheral surface 10B of food 10, and adheres to food 10. Furthermore, powder 11 thrown from upper rotating plate 31, which is positioned relatively low on rotors 3A and 3D, is moved up and down mainly within the range of peripheral surface 10B of food 10, and adheres to food 10.

[0043] Repeatedly changing the rotation speed of the rotors 3 also changes the distance that the powder 11 is thrown from the upper rotating plate 31. By repeatedly varying the throwing distance of the powder 11 between far and near, more powder 11 can be deposited on the downstream surface (front surface) and upstream surface (rear surface) of the food 10 being transported by the transport conveyor 5 than in the prior art. Furthermore, more powder 11 can be deposited on the upstream surface (rear surface) of the food 10 by the upstream pair of rotors 3A, 3B, and on the downstream surface (front surface) of the food 10 by the downstream pair of rotors 3C, 3D, than in the prior art.

[0044] Lower rotating plate 32 is positioned lower than center portion (placing surface) 5AC of conveyor conveyance surface 5B and rotates (slides) while in contact with end portion (inclined surface) 5AS of conveyor conveyance surface 5B (upper surface), thereby scattering powder 11 supplied from powder supply mechanism 2 onto the upper surface of lower rotating plate 32. Furthermore, lower rotating plate 32 of downstream rotators 3C and 3D scatters powder 11 that has been deposited on inclined surface 5AS of conveyor conveyance surface 5B upstream and then supplied to the upper surface of lower rotating plate 32. Powder 11 scattered from lower rotating plate 32 is scattered along the upper surface of inclined surface 5AS and adheres to the lower portion of food 10, particularly lower inclined surface 10C.

[0045] Next, a powder deposition apparatus 101 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Note that components of the powder deposition apparatus 101 that are similar to those of the powder deposition apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as those of the powder deposition apparatus 1, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The rotating body 3 of the powder deposition apparatus 101 is configured to rotate in a different direction (opposite direction) from that of the rotating body 3 of the powder deposition apparatus 1. Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the discharge ports 22 of the powder supply mechanism 102 of the powder deposition apparatus 101 are different from the number and arrangement of the discharge ports 22 of the powder supply mechanism 2 of the powder deposition apparatus 1.

[0046] Like powder application device 1, powder application device 101 includes two pairs (four) of rotors 3 arranged on either side of conveyor 5. On the opposing sides of rotors 3 (sides facing conveyor 5), the upstream pair of rotors 3A and 3B are configured to rotate in the downstream direction of conveyor 5, while the downstream pair of rotors 3C and 3D are configured to rotate in the upstream direction of conveyor 5. As a result, powder 11 thrown by rotors 3A and 3B is mainly deposited on the upstream surface (rear surface) and side surfaces of food 10 being conveyed by conveyor 5, while powder 11 thrown by rotors 3C and 3D is mainly deposited on the downstream surface (front surface) and side surfaces of food 10. By repeatedly changing the rotation speed of rotors 3, the deposition effect of powder 11 is improved compared to conventional techniques.

[0047] Furthermore, the pair of upstream rotating bodies 3A, 3B can adhere more powder 11 to the downstream surface (front surface) of food 10 than in conventional technology, and the pair of downstream rotating bodies 3C, 3D can adhere more powder 11 to the upstream surface (rear surface) of food 10.

[0048] Next, a powder deposition apparatus 201 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that the same components of the powder deposition apparatus 201 as those of the powder deposition apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the powder deposition apparatus 1, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The orientation of the rotating body 3 of the powder deposition apparatus 201 is different from the orientation of the rotating body 3 of the powder deposition apparatus 1.

[0049] The rotation shaft 33 of the rotor 3 of the powder deposition device 201 is disposed vertically (perpendicular to the center 5AC of the conveyor transfer surface 5B or the horizontal direction). Of the pair of rotors 3A, 3B on the upstream side of the transfer direction R, the upper rotation plate 31 of the rotor 3B is disposed higher than the upper rotation plate 31 of the rotor 3A. In this embodiment, the lower rotation plate 32 is disposed so that its upper surface is at the same height as or slightly lower than the center 5AC (loading surface) of the conveyor transfer surface 5B. The lower rotation plate 32 is disposed slightly spaced apart from the belt 5A without contacting the end (inclined surface) 5AS of the conveyor transfer surface 5. The downstream rotor 3D is configured similarly to the rotor 3A, and the downstream rotor 3C is configured similarly to the rotor 3B.

[0050] The rotating body 3 is configured to change its rotation speed based on the conditions set by the control device 15. The powder 11 is thrown horizontally from the upper rotating plate 31 and scattered along a parabolic trajectory. Furthermore, by repeatedly changing the rotation speed of the rotating body 3, the vertical region from which the powder 11 is thrown is repeatedly changed.

[0051] The powder 11 thrown from the lower rotating plate 32 is scattered along the inclined surface 5AS and adheres to the lower portion of the food 10, particularly to the lower inclined surface 10C.

[0052] As described above, according to the present invention, by controlling the rotation speed of the rotor 3 to vary the area into which the powder 11 is thrown, it is possible to spread the powder 11 over a wide area and cause it to adhere to a wide area of ​​the surface of the food 10. Furthermore, by arranging the rotating plates 31 and 32 at an angle relative to the horizontal, the area into which the powder 11 is spread can be further widened.

[0053] Furthermore, by configuring the belt conveying surface 5B in an inverted trough shape, the lower inclined surface 10C of the food 10 is open relative to the conveyor conveying surface 5B, which makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of air pockets between the food 10 and the conveyor conveying surface 5B more effectively than with conventional flat conveyor conveying surfaces, thereby enabling the powder 11 to adhere stably to the food 10, particularly to its lower inclined surface.

[0054] The powder deposition devices 1, 101 according to the embodiments of the present invention have been generally described above, but the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0055] For example, as shown in Figure 10a, rotating bodies 3 may be provided at two locations on either side of the transport conveyor 5. In this case, by arranging one rotating body 3A on the upstream side of the transport conveyor 5 and the other rotating body 3D on the downstream side of the transport conveyor 5, the effect of adhering powder 11 to the entire surface of food 10 can be obtained.

[0056] Furthermore, while the powder deposition devices 1, 101, 201 have two pairs (four) of rotating bodies 3, as shown in FIG. 10b, the rotating bodies 3 may be attached with only the upper rotating plate 31, rather than multiple rotating plates. Furthermore, when powder 11 is to be deposited on only a portion of food 10, the rotating bodies 3 may be disposed on only one side of the transport conveyor 5. In this way, the number and arrangement of rotating bodies 3 and the number of rotating plates can be selected appropriately depending on the portion of the food to which powder is to be deposited.

[0057] 11, when food product 110 has a shape that does not have a downwardly inclined surface, powder 11 does not need to be sprayed from below food product 110 to adhere to upper surface 10A or peripheral surface 10B of food product 110. In this case, conveyor conveying surface 5B of transport conveyor 5 may be flat instead of being in an inverted trough shape.

[0058] 12 may be used to scatter powder 11 accumulated on conveyor surface 5B toward food 10. Rotator 203 preferably includes a horizontally disposed rotation shaft 37 and a rotation plate 36 attached to rotation shaft 37 and having a required thickness, and is configured so that the outer periphery (peripheral surface 36A) of rotation plate 36 rotates (slides) while in contact with inclined surface 5AS. Adding rotor 203 to powder deposition device 201 or the like can scatter more powder 11 around the food.

[0059] 6a, the time length for the rotor at 500 rpm (low rotation speed) and the time length for 1500 rpm (high rotation speed) are roughly the same, but the ratio of high rotation speed time to low rotation speed time within one cycle of speed control may be changed depending on the state of powder adhesion to the food. For example, if there is a lot of powder adhesion to the top of the food and a little to the bottom of the food, the time at high rotation speed can be made relatively short and the time at low rotation speed relatively long, allowing the powder to adhere to the food without being concentrated on one side.

[0060] 6a, a period of rotation at a medium rotation speed may be added between the low and high rotation speeds. Alternatively, multiple medium rotation speeds may be added to change the rotation speed in stages.

[0061] The rotating body 3 may be a rotating brush as described in Patent Document 3. In this case, by adopting an inverted trough-shaped conveyor belt conveying surface, powder can be adhered to the lower inclined surface of the food being conveyed by the conveyor.

[0062] In addition, by changing the rotation speed of the rotating brush (brush), the force with which the rotating brush contacts the pin and throws the powder can be changed, thereby repeatedly changing the area where the powder is thrown. Furthermore, by tilting the rotation axis relative to the horizontal, that is, by tilting it outward in the width direction as it goes from bottom to top, the powder can be thrown diagonally upward, allowing the powder to be scattered farther.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the rotors 3, 203 may be configured so that the positions of the rotation axes 33, 37 can be adjusted in the width direction relative to the conveyance direction R. This allows the distance between the rotors 3, 203 and the food 10, 100 (i.e., the distance between the rotors 3, 203 and the conveyor conveying surface 5B of the transport conveyor 5) to be adjusted depending on the weight of the powder 11, thereby adjusting the adhesion of the powder 10 to the food 10, 100. For example, in the case of a relatively heavy powder such as starch, changes in this distance tend to change the adhesion state.

[0064] Changes in the rotation speed of the rotating body 3 other than those shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b are also possible. For example, in the first embodiment, the timing of the change in rotation speed of the four rotating bodies 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D may be shifted in sequence clockwise or counterclockwise in a plan view to scatter the powder 11 in a vortex pattern and promote adhesion of the powder 11 to the entire food 10. The timing of the change in rotation speed of the four rotating bodies 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D is arbitrary and may be the same or different from each other. The predetermined low rotation speed and / or the predetermined high rotation speed of the four rotating bodies 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D may be the same or different from each other. The time for which the four rotating bodies 3A, 3B, 3C, and 3D rotate at the predetermined low rotation speed and / or the time for which they rotate at the predetermined high rotation speed may be the same or different from each other. It is preferable to use a combination of such changes in rotation speed to randomly scatter the powder 11, adjust the range over which the powder 11 is scattered, and promote adhesion of the powder 11 to the entire food 10.

[0065] The above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in any manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1, 101, 201 Powder deposition device 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 203 Rotating body 31 Upper rotating plate 32 Lower rotating plate 33 Rotation axis 36 Rotating Plate 37 Rotation axis 5. Transport conveyor 5AC center (mounting surface) 5AS end (slanted surface) 5B Conveyor conveying surface 10, 110 food 11 Powder

Claims

1. A powder adhering device (1, 101) for adhering powder (11) to the surface of food (10, 110), comprising: a conveyor (5) including a conveyor conveying surface (5B) for conveying the food (10, 110); At least one rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) arranged on the side of the conveyor conveying surface (5B), the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) are configured to cause the powder (11) to fly toward the food (10, 110) being conveyed by the conveyor conveyance surface (5B) by rotation of the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D); The rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) includes a rotation shaft (33) arranged at an incline with respect to the horizontal direction, and the rotation shaft (33) is inclined in a direction away from the conveyor transport surface (5B) as it moves from bottom to top.

2. The conveyor conveying surface (5B) has a flat central portion (5AC) and end portions (5AS) on both sides thereof that are inclined downward toward the outside in the width direction, The powder deposition device (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is configured to throw the powder (11) from below the center (5AC) of the conveyor transport surface (5B).

3. The powder deposition device (1, 101) described in claim 2, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) includes a rotating plate (32) attached to the rotating shaft (33), and the outer periphery of the rotating plate (32) is configured to rotate while in contact with the end (5AS) of the conveyor conveying surface (5B).

4. The powder deposition device (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) comprises a rotating plate (31, 32) or a rotating brush attached to the rotating shaft (33).

5. Further, it includes a control device (15), The powder deposition device (1, 101) of claim 1, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is configured to repeatedly change the rotational speed of the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) under the control of the control device (15) while the powder (11) is being sprayed.

6. The powder deposition device (1, 101) of claim 5, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is configured to alternately and repeatedly change between a predetermined low rotation speed and a predetermined high rotation speed, or to continuously and repeatedly change between a predetermined low rotation speed and a predetermined high rotation speed, while the powder (11) is being scattered.

7. The powder deposition device (1, 101) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is configured to periodically change its rotation speed while scattering the powder (11).

8. The powder deposition device (1, 101) of claim 6, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is a plurality of the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D), the low rotation speeds and / or the high rotation speeds of the plurality of rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) are the same as or different from each other, and the times for which the plurality of rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) rotate at the low rotation speeds and / or the times for which they rotate at the high rotation speeds are the same as or different from each other.

9. The powder deposition device (1, 101) described in claim 5, wherein the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) are two pairs of rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) arranged on either side of the conveyor transport surface (5B), and the timing for changing the rotational speed of the two pairs of rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is shifted clockwise or counterclockwise in a planar view.

10. The powder deposition device (1, 101) described in claim 5, wherein the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) is a plurality of the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D), and the timings for changing the rotational speeds of the plurality of rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) are the same as or different from each other.

11. 2. The powder deposition device (1, 101) according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the conveyor transport surface (5B) and the rotation axis (33) is adjustable.

12. A powder application method for applying powder (11) to a surface of food (10, 110) in a powder application device (1, 101) including a transport conveyor (5) and a rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D), comprising: The food (10, 110) is conveyed by the conveyor conveying surface (5B) of the conveyor (5); The powder (11) is thrown toward the food (10) by at least one of the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) arranged on the side of the conveyor transport surface (5B), the rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) including a rotating shaft (33) arranged at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction and rotating plates (31, 32) attached to the rotating shaft (33), and the powder (11) is thrown obliquely upward from the rotating plates (31, 32).

13. 13. The powder application method of claim 12, wherein the conveyor conveying surface (5B) has a flat central portion (5AC) and end portions (5AS) on both sides thereof that slope downward toward the outside in the width direction, and the powder (11) is thrown toward between the food (10) and the end portions (5AS) by the rotating bodies (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D).

14. The rotating body (3A, 3B, 3C, 3D) includes a rotating plate (32), The rotating plate (32) is rotated while being in contact with the end (5AS) of the conveyor conveying surface (5B), 14. The powder deposition method according to claim 13, wherein the powder (11) deposited on the end (5AS) of the conveyor transport surface (5B) is blown off by the rotating plate (32).

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