Food conveyance path

Abstract

To provide a food conveyance path in which peeling of a coating film can be easily detected.SOLUTION: A food conveyance path 10 includes a food supply part 11 having a first placement surface 11C on which food F is placed and a coating layer 16 covering the first placement surface 11C. The coating layer 16 includes: a first coating layer 16A that covers the first placement surface 11C and a second coating layer 16B that covers the first coating layer 16A. The hue of the second coating layer 16B is blue, and the color of the first coating layer 16A is different from the color of the second coating layer 16B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to conveyance paths for food products. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which food supplied from a dispersing table is received by a radial feeder. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-13099 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, it is conceivable to form a water- and oil-repellent coating on the surface that comes into contact with food to prevent food from sticking to it, but if the coating peels off, it is difficult to detect.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a food conveying path in which peeling of a coating film can be easily detected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The food conveying passage of the present disclosure comprises: a food supply unit having a placement surface on which food is placed; a coating layer covering the mounting surface; Equipped with The coating layer includes a first coating layer covering the placement surface and a second coating layer covering the first coating layer, the hue of the second coating layer is blue; The color of the first coating layer is different from the color of the second coating layer.

[0007] Even if the second coating layer peels off, the peeled portion of the second coating layer exposes the first coating layer, which has a different color from the second coating layer, making it easy to identify the peeled portion. The term "color" as used here includes hue, lightness, and saturation. Hue refers to relative differences in color. Hue refers to differences in color tone (shade), such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Lightness refers to the degree of brightness of a color. The higher the lightness, the whitish the color, and the lower the lightness, the darker the color. Saturation refers to the vividness of a color. The higher the saturation, the more vivid the color, and the lower the saturation, the duller and more opaque the color. The statement that the color of the first coating layer is different from the color of the second coating layer includes the meaning that the first coating layer and the second coating layer differ in at least one of hue, lightness, and saturation.

[0008] Therefore, it is possible to provide a food conveying path in which peeling of the coating film can be easily detected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a food conveying path according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the food conveying path of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing an overlap eliminating portion and its surroundings. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part showing the take-out portion and its surroundings. [Figure 8] 10 is a schematic diagram showing how an upper food item overlapping a lower food item in parallel comes into contact with a first dissolving portion. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing how an upper food overlapping a lower food at an angle comes into contact with the first dissolving portion in a state where the upper food is shifted so that the upper food reaches the first dissolving portion later than the lower food. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing how an upper food overlapping a lower food at an angle comes into contact with the first dissolving portion in a state where the upper food is shifted so that the upper food reaches the first dissolving portion before the lower food. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram showing how stacked food items enter the lower side of a first dissolving section, and then the upper food item comes into contact with a second dissolving section. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

[0011] The first coating layer of the present invention may have a red hue. With this configuration, when the second coating layer is peeled off to expose the first coating layer, the area where the second coating layer has peeled off can be clearly identified.

[0012] <Embodiment 1> The food conveying path 10 shown in FIG. 1 is installed and used on a substantially horizontal installation surface. A plurality of flat food items F can be placed into the food conveying path 10. The food conveying path 10 eliminates overlaps between the placed food items F and conveys the food items F one by one out of the food conveying path 10 via the removal section 15. The food items F are, for example, disk-shaped candy, rice crackers, biscuits, etc. In the following description, the vertical direction is defined as the Z-axis direction. The positive direction on the Z-axis is upward.

[0013] [Configuration of food conveyor route] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, food conveying path 10 includes food supply section 11, food conveying section 12, coating layer 16 (see Figure 3), case 13, overlap eliminating section 14, and removal section 15.

[0014] [Food Supply Department Composition] Food supply section 11 is made of, for example, synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 3, food supply section 11 has first placement section 11A formed in a conical shape so that the diameter decreases toward the upper end, and hanging wall 11B hanging down from the outer periphery of first placement section 11A. The surface exposed upward in first placement section 11A is first placement surface 11C, which is the placement surface. First placement surface 11C has multiple concentric grooves 11D formed from the top to the outer periphery (see FIG. 2). The upper part of first placement section 11A is made of a separate part that is detachable. With this configuration, if the upper end of first placement section 11A becomes worn, it can be replaced with a new one.

[0015] The hanging wall 11B hangs down in a band shape from the outer peripheral edge of the first mounting surface 11C so as to narrow downward. The hanging wall 11B is curved so as to bulge outward. A plurality of grooves 11E are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the hanging wall 11B (see FIG. 4). The plurality of grooves 11E extend in the vertical direction and are formed so as to be recessed from the upper end to the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the hanging wall 11B (see FIG. 4). The upper ends of the grooves 11E open upward (see FIG. 4). The lower ends of the grooves 11E open downward (see FIG. 4). The grooves 11E are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the hanging wall 11B.

[0016] Food supply unit 11 is positioned with its own axis, the first axis A1, tilted relative to the vertical direction. A drive shaft of first motor M1 is connected to food supply unit 11. Food supply unit 11 is rotatable around first axis A1 by first motor M1 at a predetermined rotational speed ω1 (rad / s). The rotation direction of food supply unit 11 around first axis A1 is clockwise Cw when food conveyor path 10 is viewed from above (see FIG. 2).

[0017] [Food conveying section configuration] Food conveying section 12 is made of, for example, synthetic resin. Food conveying section 12 has a circular ring-shaped second placement section 12A arranged to surround the outer periphery of food supplying section 11, and gear section 12B provided to protrude inward from the inner periphery of the lower end of second placement section 12A. The upper end surface of second placement section 12A is second placement surface 12C.

[0018] The second mounting portion 12A is curved to bulge outward and narrow downward. As shown in FIG. 5, the second mounting portion 12A has a plurality of through holes 12D and a plurality of grooves 12E formed therein. The upper end of each through hole 12D penetrates the second mounting surface 12C and opens upward. The lower end of each through hole 12D penetrates the outer circumferential surface of the second mounting portion 12A and opens outward. The plurality of through holes 12D are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the second mounting portion 12A. The plurality of grooves 12E extend in the vertical direction and are recessed from the upper end to the lower end of the second mounting portion 12A. The upper ends of the grooves 12E open upward. The lower ends of the grooves 12E open downward. The grooves 12E are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the second mounting portion 12A. The through holes 12D and the grooves 12E are arranged so as not to intersect with each other.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, the gear portion 12B rises from the lower end of the second mounting portion 12A and extends inward. A gear 12F is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the gear portion 12B over the entire circumferential direction (see Fig. 5). A plurality of communication holes 12G are formed to penetrate in the up-down direction at the portion where the gear portion 12B and the second mounting portion 12A are connected. These communication holes 12G are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction at the portion where the gear portion 12B and the second mounting portion 12A are connected.

[0020] Food conveying section 12 has its own axis, second axis A2, oriented vertically. In other words, second placement surface 12C is disposed substantially horizontally. Gear 12F of food conveying section 12 meshes with a gear connected to the drive shaft of second motor M2. The gear of second motor M2 is not shown. Food conveying section 12 is rotatable about second axis A2 at a predetermined rotational speed ω2 (rad / s) by second motor M2. The rotation direction of food conveying section 12 about second axis A2 is clockwise Cw in a plan view from above (see FIG. 2). The rotational speed ω1 (rad / s) of food supplying section 11 is set to be faster than the rotational speed ω2 (rad / s) of food conveying section 12. By rotating about second axis A2, food conveying section 12 rotates in a direction along the outer periphery of first placement surface 11C.

[0021] [Location of food supply section and food conveying section] The first axis A1, which is the axis of food supply unit 11, is inclined relative to the vertical direction. The second axis A2, which is the axis of food conveyance unit 12, is inclined relative to the vertical direction. That is, first axis A1 is inclined relative to second axis A2. As a result, a portion of the outer circumferential edge of first placement surface 11C of food supply unit 11 is positioned slightly higher than second placement surface 12C of food conveyance unit 12 (the right-hand portion in FIG. 3). Furthermore, the remaining portion of the outer circumferential edge of first placement surface 11C, excluding that portion, is positioned lower than second placement surface 12C (the left-hand portion in FIG. 3).

[0022] [Coating layer composition] Coating layer 16 is made of a paint that complies with the Food Sanitation Act. For example, a two-component acrylic urethane resin paint is used as the paint. As shown in FIG. 3, coating layer 16 is arranged to cover first placement surface 11C of food supply unit 11 and second placement surface 12C of food conveyance unit 12. Specifically, in food supply unit 11, coating layer 16 is provided only on first placement surface 11C of the upper part of first placement unit 11A, which is formed as a separate part. Coating layer 16 is also provided on the surface on which the upper part of first placement unit 11A is placed. Coating layer 16 is also provided on the inner circumferential surface of food conveyance unit 12.

[0023] The coating layer 16 is regarded as a part of the first mounting surface 11C and as a part of the second mounting surface 12C. The coating layer 16 has a first coating layer 16A covering the first mounting surface 11C and the second mounting surface 12C, and a second coating layer 16B covering the first coating layer 16A.

[0024] The hue of the first coating film layer 16A is red. The hue of the second coating film layer 16B is opaque blue. The hues of the first coating film layer 16A and the second coating film layer 16B are different from the hues of the first mounting surface 11C and the second mounting surface 12C. That is, the color of the first coating film layer 16A is different from the color of the second coating film layer 16B. In other words, the hue of the first coating film layer 16A is different from the hue of the second coating film layer 16B. Generally, there are not many types of foods that exhibit a blue color. Therefore, by making the hue of the second coating film layer 16B blue, it is easier to distinguish it from the hue of food F. It is preferable that the lightness of the first coating film layer 16A is higher than the lightness of the second coating film layer 16B. It is preferable that the saturation of the first coating film layer 16A is lower than the saturation of the second coating film layer 16B. In order to make it easier to distinguish the color from the color of the food F, it is preferable that the saturation of the second coating layer 16B be higher than the saturation of the food F.

[0025] For example, the thickness of the first coating layer 16A is preferably about 10 μm to 30 μm, and more preferably 20 μm to 25 μm from the viewpoint of both durability and coating man-hours, and the thickness of the second coating layer 16B is preferably about 15 μm to 35 μm, and more preferably 25 μm to 30 μm from the viewpoint of both durability and coating man-hours.

[0026] [Case Configuration] Case 13 is shaped like an upwardly open box, and houses food supply section 11, food conveying section 12, first motor M1, second motor M2, and the like.

[0027] [Configuration of overlap resolution section] As shown in Figure 6, overlap eliminating section 14 has first eliminating section 14A and second eliminating section 14B. Overlap eliminating section 14 is connected to case 13. First eliminating section 14A and second eliminating section 14B are made of, for example, synthetic resin. First eliminating section 14A and second eliminating section 14B are arranged facing upward and spaced a predetermined distance from second placing surface 12C of food conveying section 12. First eliminating section 14A and second eliminating section 14B are aligned in the rotation direction (clockwise direction Cw) of food conveying section 12 (see Figure 2).

[0028] For example, when food conveying section 12 rotates in the clockwise direction Cw about second axis A2, food F placed on second placement surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) moves in the clockwise direction Cw about second axis A2 together with food conveying section 12. Food F passes through first dissolving section 14A in the clockwise direction Cw before second dissolving section 14B, and then passes through second dissolving section 14B in the clockwise direction Cw after passing first dissolving section 14A. In other words, first dissolving section 14A is located upstream of second dissolving section 14B in the direction in which food F moves (clockwise direction Cw).

[0029] The lower ends of the first and second eliminating portions 14A and 14B are formed substantially parallel to the second mounting surface 12C and serve as opposing surfaces 14C and 14D that face the second mounting surface 12C (second coating layer 16B). These opposing surfaces 14C and 14D face the second mounting surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) from above, spaced a predetermined distance apart. The distance between each opposing surface 14C and 14D and the second mounting surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) is set to be smaller than twice the thickness of the food F and larger than the thickness of the food F (see FIGS. 8, 9, and 10).

[0030] The first eliminating portion 14A and the second eliminating portion 14B each extend vertically, and as they extend clockwise Cw, inclined surfaces 14E and 14F are formed from the inner surface of the case 13 that are inclined toward the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 (see Figure 2).

[0031] The first eliminating portion 14A is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, a shaft 13A fixed to the case 13 penetrates the first eliminating portion 14A in the vertical direction. The shaft 13A is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction. The first eliminating portion 14A is guided by the shaft 13A so as to be movable in the vertical direction. When an upward external force is applied, the first eliminating portion 14A moves upward along the shaft 13A without resistance, and when the external force is no longer applied, the first eliminating portion 14A moves downward along the shaft 13A without resistance due to its own weight. When no external force is applied to the first eliminating portion 14A, the opposing surface 14C of the first eliminating portion 14A and the second mounting surface 12C are maintained at a predetermined distance apart. That is, the first eliminating portion 14A is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction while being spaced a predetermined distance apart from the second mounting surface 12C (second coating layer 16B).

[0032] The second eliminating portion 14B is fixed to the case 13 so that the opposing surface 14D and the second mounting surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) are kept spaced apart by a predetermined distance. That is, the second eliminating portion 14B is provided at a predetermined distance from the second mounting surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) and its movement in the up and down direction is restricted.

[0033] [Configuration of the extraction section] As shown in FIG. 2, the take-out section 15 is provided in the case 13. The take-out section 15 has an inlet section 15A arranged above the second placement surface 12C and a guide section 15B that protrudes outward from the case 13. As shown in FIG. 7, the inlet section 15A has an opening 15C formed on the side to which the food conveying section 12, which rotates clockwise Cw, approaches. The distance between the upper end of the opening 15C and the second placement surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) is set to be less than twice the thickness of the food F but greater than the thickness of the food F. The gap between the lower end of the inlet section 15A along the inner periphery of the second placement surface 12C and the second placement surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) is set to be smaller than the thickness of the food F.

[0034] For example, food F placed on second placement surface 12C (second coating layer 16B) rotating in the clockwise direction Cw enters opening 15C, passes through guide path 15D (see FIG. 2) formed through case 13, and moves to guide section 15B. This allows food F to be supplied to the outside from food conveyor path 10.

[0035] [Example of the function of the food conveying path 10] Next, an example of the operation of food conveying path 10 will be described. First, first motor M1 and second motor M2 are operated to rotate food supply unit 11 and food conveying unit 12 in the clockwise direction Cw. Specifically, food supply unit 11 is rotated about first axis A1, and food conveying unit 12 is rotated about second axis A2 (see FIG. 3). At this time, the rotational speed ω1 (rad / s) of food supply unit 11 about first axis A1 and the rotational speed ω2 (rad / s) of food conveying unit 12 in a direction along the outer periphery of first placement surface 11C (about second axis A2) satisfy the relationship shown in Equation 1.

[0036]

number

[0037] Here, r1 is the radius of food supply section 11 (see FIG. 4), and r2 is the radius of food conveying section 12. In other words, the rotational speed ω1 (rad / s) of food supply section 11 about first axis A1 is greater than the product of the rotational speed ω2 (rad / s) of food conveying section 12 in a direction along the outer periphery of first placing surface 11C (about second axis A2) and the square root of the value obtained by dividing radius r2 of food conveying section 12 by radius r1 of food supply section 11. Furthermore, the moving speed (m / s) of the outer periphery of food supply section 11 is at least greater than the moving speed (m / s) of the outer periphery of food conveying section 12.

[0038] Next, multiple food items F are placed into the food conveying path 10. The food items F placed into the food conveying path 10 are placed on the first placement surface 11C (second coating layer 16B) of the food supplying section 11 and rotate together with the food supplying section 11 around the first axis A1.

[0039] In the region where the first placement surface 11C is positioned slightly higher than the second placement surface 12C of the food conveying section 12 (the right portion in FIG. 3), food F moves from the first placement surface 11C to the second placement surface 12C of the food conveying section 12. Food F that moves to the second placement surface 12C tends to become stacked one above the other. Here, if the region where food F moves from the first placement surface 11C to the second placement surface 12C (i.e., the region where the first placement surface 11C is positioned slightly higher than the second placement surface 12C of the food conveying section 12) is defined as the inflow section R where food F flows into the second placement surface 12C, the overlap eliminating section 14 is located downstream of the inflow section R in the rotational direction (clockwise Cw) (see FIG. 2). The removal section 15 is also located downstream of the overlap eliminating section 14 in the rotational direction (clockwise Cw) (see FIG. 2). The second eliminating portion 14B is located downstream of the first eliminating portion 14A in the rotational direction (clockwise direction Cw) (see FIG. 2).

[0040] In the inflow section R, the vertically stacked food products F rotate together with the food conveying section 12 in the clockwise direction Cw around the second axis A2 and reach the first dissolving section 14A. At this time, when an upper food product F overlaps parallel to the lower food product F (see FIG. 8), or when an upper food product F overlaps at an angle relative to the lower food product F and is shifted so that it reaches the first dissolving section 14A later than the lower food product F (see FIG. 9) (i.e., the upper food product F is shifted and tilted upstream in the rotation direction (clockwise direction Cw) compared to the lower food product F), the upper food product F is removed from above the lower food product F by the first dissolving section 14A, and the overlapping foods F can be resolved.

[0041] In contrast, when a food F is stacked on top of the food F at an angle relative to the food F below, and the food F stacked on top of the food F is shifted so that it reaches the first dissolving section 14A before the food F below it (see Figure 10) (i.e., the upper food F is shifted and tilted downstream in the rotation direction (clockwise direction Cw) compared to the lower food F), the foods F stacked on top of each other will get stuck between the first dissolving section 14A and the second loading surface 12C (second coating layer 16B).

[0042] At this time, the first dissolving portion 14A is pressed upward by the food F overlapping above it, which causes the first dissolving portion 14A to be pushed upward (see FIG. 11). Then, as the first dissolving portion 14A moves upward, the vertically overlapping foods F move further into the first dissolving portion 14A. When the overlapping food F pushes the first dissolving portion 14A upward, it is pressed downward by the weight of the first dissolving portion 14A. As a result, the overlapping food F is pressed against the upper surface of the lower food F, and its inclination is corrected so that it becomes parallel to the lower food F. Then, the overlapping food F comes into contact with the second dissolving portion 14B while remaining parallel to the lower food F, and is removed from above the lower food F, thereby eliminating the overlap between the foods F. In this way, the overlap eliminating section 14 eliminates overlaps between the food items F as the second placement surface 12C of the food items F moves.

[0043] In addition, when the upper food F is tilted downstream in the rotation direction (clockwise direction Cw) compared to the lower food F, to eliminate the overlap of the food F, the upper overlapping food F must be pressed downward by the weight of the first eliminating section 14A, and the upper overlapping food F must contact the second eliminating section 14B while maintaining the tilted state. Therefore, the distance W between the first eliminating section 14A and the second eliminating section 14B in the rotation direction (clockwise direction Cw) must include an area smaller than the minimum dimension M of the food F in the direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction (see FIG. 11). In the first embodiment, the distance W near the outer periphery of the food conveying section 12 is smaller than the minimum dimension M of the food F (see FIG. 2).

[0044] In this way, the food F, whose overlap has been resolved by the overlap resolution section 14, enters the opening 15C of the take-out section 15 and moves to the guide section 15B.

[0045] As described above, the food conveying passage 10 of the first embodiment includes a food supply section 11 having a first placement surface 11C on which food F is placed, and a coating layer 16 covering the first placement surface 11C. The coating layer 16 includes a first coating layer 16A covering the first placement surface 11C and a second coating layer 16B covering the first coating layer 16A. The hue of the second coating layer 16B is blue, and the color (at least one of hue, brightness, and thickness) of the first coating layer 16A is different from the color of the second coating layer 16B. With this configuration, even if the second coating layer 16B peels off, the peeled portion of the second coating layer 16B exposes the first coating layer 16A, which has a different color from the second coating layer 16B, making it easy to identify the peeled portion of the second coating layer 16B.

[0046] The hue of the first coating layer 16A is red. With this configuration, when the second coating layer 16B peels off and the first coating layer 16A is exposed, the area where the second coating layer 16B has peeled off can be clearly seen.

[0047] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] (1) The outer shape of the food is not limited to a circle, but may be a polygon. The food may also be cut vegetables or fruits. In this case, it is possible to address this by removing the overlap-eliminating section and increasing the vertical height of the opening of the removal section. (2) The color of the first coating film layer is not limited to red, but may be yellow, white, etc. In other words, the hue and brightness of the first coating film layer may be higher than the hue and brightness of the second coating film layer. Furthermore, the first coating film layer and the second coating film layer may differ in at least one of hue, saturation, and brightness. (3) Unlike the embodiment, the food supply section and food conveying section may be configured using a belt conveyor, or the food supply section and food conveying section may be configured with multiple flat plates made of synthetic resin lined up in one direction so that the loading surfaces of adjacent flat plates are flush with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10...food conveying path, 11...food supply section, 11C...first placing surface (placing surface), 16...coating layer, 16A...first coating layer, 16B...second coating layer

Claims

1. a food supply unit having a placement surface on which food is placed; a coating layer covering the mounting surface; Equipped with The coating layer includes a first coating layer covering the placement surface and a second coating layer covering the first coating layer, the hue of the second coating layer is blue; A food conveying passage, wherein the color of the first coating layer is different from the color of the second coating layer.

2. 2. The food transport passage of claim 1, wherein the first coating layer has a red hue.

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