Noodle rolling device

Abstract

To mainly allow noodles to be divided into smaller portions using simple structures and movements.SOLUTION: A noodle rolling device 1 comprises: an input section 3 for feeding noodle strands 2; a cutting section 4 for cutting the noodle strands 2 exiting the input section 3 to a required length; a rolling section 6 for rolling the noodle strands 2 cut by the cutting section 4 into noodle balls 5; and an output section 7 for discharging the noodle balls 5 rolled by the rolling section 6. The rolling section 6 comprises: a horizontal first roll 8; a second roll 9; and a third roll 10, all rotating in the same direction to feed the noodle strands 2 in one direction. The upstream first roll 8 and second roll 9 are positioned below the feeding section 3 to receive the noodle strands 2 cut by the cutting section 4. The downstream third roll 10 is positioned above the second roll 9 to guide the noodle strands 2 fed from the second roll 9 upward. A tip of the upward-guided noodle strand 2 is folded back downward by its own weight as it moves away from the third roll 10, thus being fed onto the top of a middle portion of the noodle strands 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a noodle rolling device. [Background technology]

[0002] Noodles such as udon, soba, Chinese noodles, etc. are usually portioned into single servings, and a noodle bagging device has been developed to portion the noodles (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The noodle bagging device of Patent Document 1 is designed to fold a serving of noodles produced in a noodle making machine and transported on an infeed conveyor in half to flatten them and pack them into a bag. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-265006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The noodle bagging device in Patent Document 1 moves the tray sideways along the carry-in conveyor and receives a serving of noodles from the carry-in conveyor. The tray has two movable pieces that tilt open, folding downward from the center. By opening the two movable pieces of the tray, the noodles fall downward from an opening formed in the center of the tray. As a result, the noodles are discharged from the tray folded in half from the center. This type of noodle bagging device has a complex structure and movement, as it moves the tray sideways along the carry-in conveyor and tilts the two movable pieces of the tray open, folding downward from the center. This makes it difficult to increase the productivity of the noodle bagging device.

[0006] Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to contribute to improving the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In response to the above problems, the present invention provides: An input section for inputting noodles; a cutting unit that cuts the noodle strings discharged from the feeding unit into a required length; a rounding unit that rolls the noodle strings cut by the cutting unit into noodle balls; a discharge section that discharges the noodle balls that have been rounded by the rounding section, the rounding unit includes a horizontal first roll, a second roll, and a third roll that rotate in the same direction to feed the noodle strings in one direction, The noodle rolling device is characterized in that the first roll and second roll on the upstream side are located below the feeding section and receive the noodle strings cut in the cutting section, and the third roll on the downstream side is located above the second roll and guides the noodle strings sent from the second roll upward, causing the tips of the noodle strings guided upward to fold back under their own weight and head downward, thereby sending them above the middle parts of the noodle strings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] With the above-described configuration, the present invention can portion noodles into small portions with a simple structure and movement. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a noodle rounding device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the noodle rounding device as seen from the left side of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the noodle rounding device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a left side view of the noodle rounding device of FIG. 2. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the noodle rounding device. [Figure 5B] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which noodle strings are being rolled into noodle balls in the rounding section. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9A] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the roll of the rounding unit. [Figure 9B] (a) is a side view of the roll of the rounding section, and (b) is a plan view of the roll. [Figure 10] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 2. [Figure 11] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the feeding section (hopper). [Figure 12B] The figures show the insertion section from various angles, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a plan view, (c) being a bottom view, (d) being a side view, and (e) being a rear view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] This embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12B. [Example]

[0011] <Configuration> This embodiment has the following configuration.

[0012] 1 to 4 are diagrams showing the entire noodle rounding device 1. FIG.

[0013] (1) The noodle-rounding device 1 of Fig. 1 (to Fig. 4) has, as shown in Figs. 5A to 8 (mainly Fig. 5A), an input section 3 (FIG. 1) into which noodle strings 2 are input; a cutting unit 4 (FIG. 5A) that cuts the noodle strings 2 discharged from the input unit 3 to a required length; a rounding unit 6 (FIGS. 5A and 5B) that rounds the noodle strands 2 cut by the cutting unit 4 into noodle balls 5 (FIG. 7); and a discharge section 7 (FIG. 8) that discharges the noodle balls 5 that have been rounded by the rounding section 6. In this noodle rolling device 1, As shown in FIG. 6 (FIG. 7), the rounding unit 6 in FIGS. 5A and 5B includes a horizontal first roll 8, a second roll 9, and a third roll 10 that rotate in the same direction and feed the noodle strings 2 in one direction (sequentially). The first roll 8 and second roll 9 on the upstream side are located below the feeding section 3 and receive the noodle strands 2 cut in the cutting section 4. The third roll 10 on the downstream side is located above the second roll 9 and guides the noodle strands 2 sent from the second roll 9 upward, and when the tips of the noodle strands 2 guided upward leave the third roll 10, they are folded back under their own weight and sent downward, above the middle part of the noodle strands 2. Note that the tips of the noodle strands 2 guided upward are folded back away from the third roll 10 around the middle part, because the middle part, which is the boundary between the lower and upper parts of the third roll 10, protrudes most horizontally.

[0014] Here, the noodle rounding device 1 is a machine that forms noodles such as udon, soba, and Chinese noodles into noodle balls 5. Noodle balls 5 are lumps of noodle strands 2 that have been divided into serving sizes and rolled together. In this embodiment, noodle balls 5 are rolled into a roughly cylindrical or roughly spherical shape in the rounding unit 6. The noodle rounding device 1 is installed downstream of, for example, a noodle making machine or a cutting machine. The noodle making machine produces a wide noodle sheet 11, and the cutting machine cuts the wide noodle sheet 11 produced by the noodle making machine into multiple noodle strips in the width direction by making longitudinal slits, thereby creating elongated noodle strips 2. The noodle rounding device 1 trims (or adjusts the amount of) the elongated noodle strips 2 cut by the cutting machine to a length for one serving and rolls them into noodle balls 5. The noodle sheet 11 is a strip-shaped or plate-shaped noodle dough, and the noodle strips 2 are elongated linear noodle dough that have been cut from the noodle sheet 11 to an easy-to-eat width.

[0015] The main body of the noodle rolling device 1 has an inner frame portion 12 and an outer frame portion 13 provided outside the inner frame portion 12 (FIGS. 1 and 5A). In this embodiment, the inner frame portion 12 is formed from two parallel plate-like elements. A first space S1 is formed between the two parallel plate-like elements of the inner frame portion 12. The outer frame portion 13 is also formed from two plate-like elements parallel to the inner frame portion 12. A second space S2 and a third space S3 are formed between each plate-like element of the inner frame portion 12 and each plate-like element of the outer frame portion 13. The second space S2 and the third space S3 are formed in pairs on both sides of the first space S1. The inner frame portion 12 and the outer frame portion 13 are connected together at a fixed distance by rod-shaped connecting members 14. The inner frame portion 12 and the outer frame portion 13 are not limited to the above, and may be, for example, container-shaped. Furthermore, the noodle rounding device 1 may be covered from the outside with a cover, except for the inserting section 3 of the main body, so that the outer frame section 13 and its interior cannot be seen.

[0016] The noodle strands 2 come in two types: long ones before being trimmed to their length, and short ones after being trimmed to their length, but the noodle rounding device 1 of this embodiment feeds the long ones (multiple servings' worth of noodles connected together) before being trimmed to their length into the feeding unit 3. Furthermore, the noodle strands 2 come in two types: raw noodles before being boiled, and boiled noodles after being boiled, but the noodle rounding device 1 of this embodiment feeds the raw noodles before being boiled into the feeding unit 3.

[0017] The feeding unit 3 is the entrance for the noodle strands 2 into the noodle rounding device 1, and is installed at the top of the inner frame 12 of the noodle rounding device 1. When the noodle rounding device 1 is in use, the feeding unit 3 is fixed in position relative to the main body of the noodle rounding device 1. The feeding unit 3 is mainly composed of a flat hopper shaped like an inverted triangle. The feeding unit 3 is made of metal or resin. Multiple noodle strands 2 before their length is trimmed are fed into the feeding unit 3 from above, in a wide, horizontal row, with their longitudinal directions facing up and down, just like in the case of noodle sheets 11. However, the feeding unit 3 can also feed noodle strands 2 after their length has been trimmed (in this case, the noodle rounding device 1 does not operate the cutting unit 4). The noodle strands 2 fed into the feeding unit 3 are gathered into a roughly bundle and removed by the hopper of the feeding unit 3.

[0018] The cutting unit 4 cuts the long noodle strands 2 that have been removed from the feeding unit 3 in a roughly bundle-like shape, and arranges them into lengths for one serving. The noodle strands 2 are cut roughly horizontally by the cutting unit 4 with their longitudinal directions facing up and down. The cutting unit 4 can adjust the length to which the noodle strands 2 are cut by changing the timing of its operation. Therefore, the cutting unit 4 serves as a unit for adjusting the amount of noodle strands 2 in the noodle rounding device 1.

[0019] The rounding unit 6 is the unit that rolls the noodle strings 2 to form noodle balls 5. The discharge unit 7 is the unit that serves as the outlet for the noodle balls 5 from the noodle rounding device 1, and has the function of discharging the noodle balls 5 that have been rounded in the rounding unit 6 from the noodle rounding device 1 to the outside. In this embodiment, the discharge unit 7 discharges the noodle balls 5 downward.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5A, the three rolls (first roll 8, second roll 9, and third roll 10; hereinafter referred to as rolls 8-10) of the rounding unit 6 are rotating members that are formed in a substantially cylindrical or columnar shape and are made of resin or metal. The three rolls 8-10 rotate in the same direction around mutually parallel rotation axes 15-17, respectively, to transport the noodle strings 2, thereby functioning as transport members. The three rolls 8-10 may have a hollow structure in which a central hub through which the rotation axes 15-17 pass and an outer rim are connected by radial spokes. Like the connecting member 14, the rotation axes 15-17 extend perpendicular to the planes of the plate-like bodies of the inner frame 12 and the outer frame 13.

[0021] The three rolls 8-10 are housed in (the first space S1 of) the inner frame portion 12 of the noodle-rounding device 1. Both ends of the rotating shafts 15-17 pass through the inner frame portion 12 and protrude into at least the second space S2 and the third space S3 outside the inner frame portion 12.

[0022] As shown in Figure 6 (Figure 7), the noodle strands 2 cut in the cutting unit 4 fall tip-first onto one or both of the first roll 8 and second roll 9, and are fed in sequence by the three rotating rolls 8 to 10. As a result, the noodle strands 2 are wound into a neat spiral shape when viewed from the side, and are gathered into a roughly cylindrical shape. The first roll 8 and second roll 9 function as receiving members for the noodle strands 2, and the third roll 10 functions as a turning member for the noodle strands 2.

[0023] The three rolls 8 to 10 may all have the same diameter, or only one may have a different diameter, or all may have different diameters. In this embodiment, the three rolls 8 to 10 all have the same diameter.

[0024] 5B, the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 are placed so that they are at approximately the same height, or so that the first roll 8 is slightly higher than the second roll 9. By placing the second roll 9 slightly lower than the first roll 8, the weight of the noodle strands 2 can be used to send the noodle strands 2 more smoothly from the first roll 8 to the second roll 9. The first roll 8 and the second roll 9 are placed with a distance approximately equal to the sum of their respective radii, so that their peripheral surfaces are either in contact with each other, or there is a slight gap between them that prevents the noodle strands 2 from getting caught in between them.

[0025] Additionally, third roll 10 is placed diagonally above second roll 9 on the opposite side from first roll 8. The second roll 9 and third roll 10 are placed with a distance of approximately the sum of their respective radii, with their peripheral surfaces either nearly touching or with a slight gap between them that prevents noodle strings 2 from getting caught in between. In this embodiment, third roll 10 is placed so that the middle portion that protrudes most laterally is located almost directly above the top of second roll 9.

[0026] The noodle strings 2 are then fed counterclockwise by the upper right portion of the first roll 8 in FIG. 6, the upper left portion of the second roll 9 in the figure, and the lower left portion of the third roll 10 in the figure, in that order.

[0027] 9A and 9B, the three rolls 8-10 may have uneven portions 18 formed on their surfaces (outer peripheries) to prevent the noodle strings 2 from slipping during transport. Any uneven portion 18 will do as long as it prevents the noodle strings 2 from slipping, but as a result of experimenting with various prototype patterns, it was found that an arrangement of fine protrusions in a lattice pattern, particularly a diagonal lattice pattern, is optimal.

[0028] The diagonal lattice-like uneven portion 18 is made up of numerous fine protrusions formed almost without gaps over the entire surface of the three rolls 8-10, with the protrusions being offset by half a pitch in the axial direction of the rolls 8-10 as they proceed in the circumferential direction of the rolls 8-10. The fine protrusions of the uneven portion 18 are shaped like truncated cones or truncated pyramids (for example, truncated triangular pyramids or truncated square pyramids) with no sharp tops so as not to damage the noodle strings 2. In this embodiment, the protrusions are shaped like truncated square pyramids, which increase the contact with the noodle strings 2. The truncated square pyramid-shaped protrusions are formed so that their diagonals face in the circumferential direction of the three rolls 8-10 and in the axial direction of the three rolls 8-10.

[0029] (2) In the noodle rounding device 1, As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the discharge section 7 may include opening / closing arms 21 and 22 that move at least the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 toward and away from each other.

[0030] Here, when the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 are placed close to each other as shown in Fig. 6, they function as a rounding section 6 that receives and rounds the noodle strings 2. Conversely, when the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 are placed apart as shown in Fig. 8, they function as a discharge section 7 that discharges the rolled noodle balls 5 downward.

[0031] The opening and closing arms 21, 22 may have any configuration as long as they can move the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 toward and away from each other. The opening and closing arms 21, 22 are made of resin or metal and are formed from flat, approximately rod-shaped or approximately strip-shaped members.

[0032] The opening and closing arms 21, 22 may, for example, move only the first roll 8 ( FIG. 11 ), or may move only the second roll 9 ( FIG. 10 ). In this embodiment, the opening and closing arms 21, 22 move both the first roll 8 and the second roll 9. That is, they are provided separately so that the opening and closing arm 21 moves the first roll 8, and the opening and closing arm 22 moves the second roll 9. This keeps the movement of the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 small, while allowing the overall distance between the outer surfaces of the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 to be larger than the diameter of the noodle balls 5 with some leeway.

[0033] More specifically, the opening / closing arm 21 (first arm) of the first roll 8 is pivotally supported by a shaft 23 provided parallel to the rotation shafts 15 to 17 on the diagonally upper side of the first roll 8 opposite the second roll 9, so as to be tiltable about the shaft 23. The shaft 23 is disposed at a distance of approximately the diameter of the first roll 8 from the rotation shaft 16 of the first roll 8.

[0034] The opening / closing arm 22 (second arm) of the second roll 9 is supported by the rotation shaft 17 of the third roll 10 so as to be tiltable about the rotation shaft 17 as the center.

[0035] The first roll 8 is supported on the lower end of the first arm via a rotary shaft 15. The second roll 9 is supported on the lower end of the second arm via a rotary shaft 16.

[0036] The opening / closing arms 21 are provided in a pair, one on each side of the first roll 8, and the opening / closing arms 22 are provided in a pair, one on each side of the second roll 9. The two pairs of opening / closing arms 21, 22 are installed in a second space S2 and a third space S3 outside the inner frame portion 12. The inner frame portion 12 is formed with arc-shaped elongated holes 24, 25 centered on the shaft 23 and the rotation shaft 17, respectively, to guide the movement of the rotation shafts 15, 16 caused by the tilting of the opening / closing arms 21, 22.

[0037] The opening / closing arms 21, 22 are moved independently by opening / closing cylinders 26, 27 installed in the second space S2 and the third space S3 outside the inner frame portion 12. Both ends of the opening / closing cylinders 26, 27 are connected between the lower part of the main body of the noodle rounding device 1 (the inner frame portion 12 or the outer frame portion 13) and the lower end of each opening / closing arm 21, 22, in a substantially horizontal position.

[0038] As a result, the discharge section 7 tilts the opening / closing arms 21, 22 around the shaft 23 at the upper end and the rotation shaft 17 by extending and retracting the opening / closing cylinders 26, 27, and can move the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 journaled at the lower end and the lower end closer to or farther apart. That is, by extending the opening / closing cylinders 26, 27, the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 are moved farther apart, and by retracting the opening / closing cylinders 26, 27, the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 are moved closer to each other.

[0039] The noodle rounding device 1 may also be provided with a discharge conveyor 28 ( FIG. 1 ) below the discharge section 7 or the first roll 8 and second roll 9, which carries the noodle balls 5 discharged from between the first roll 8 and second roll 9 from the bottom of the noodle rounding device 1 to the outside. The noodle rounding device 1 may also be provided with a tray below the discharge section 7 for receiving and storing the discharged noodle balls 5, a bagging device for bagging the noodle balls 5, and the like, as appropriate.

[0040] (3) In the noodle rounding device 1, As shown in FIG. 5A, the cutting unit 4 may have a rotary blade 31 and a clutch 32 that can switch between rotating and stopping the rotation of the rotary blade 31. The rotary blade 31 may be connected via a clutch 32 to a drive device 33 that drives the three rolls 8 to 10 of the rounding unit 6 .

[0041] Here, the rotary blade 31 is a metal blade that cuts the noodle strings 2 by rotation. The rotary blade 31 is installed below the input unit 3, in the upper part of the first space S1 of the inner frame part 12. Any type of rotary blade 31 may be used, but in this embodiment, the cutting unit 4 is formed to have approximately the same width as the first space S1, and is configured to cut the noodle strings 2 with two rotary blades 31 that have sharp blades at their tips. The two rotary blades 31 are installed on both sides of the input unit 3. The two rotary blades 31 cut the noodle strings 2 when they emerge below the input unit 3. The two rotary blades 31 retract from their positions below the input unit 3, allowing the noodle strings 2 to pass through without cutting them.

[0042] The two rotary blades 31 are respectively attached to two shafts 34, 35 that are parallel to the rotary shafts 15-17. The two shafts 34, 35 are installed at approximately the same height with a gap slightly wider than the feeding section 3. Both ends of the two shafts 34, 35 penetrate the inner frame 12 and protrude at least into the second space S2 and the third space S3 outside the inner frame 12. As shown in FIG. 4, at least one of the shafts 34 to which the rotary blades 31 are attached, and the rotary shafts 17 and 23 that support the upper ends of the opening / closing arms 21, 22 may be long enough to penetrate the plate-like body of the outer frame 13.

[0043] The clutch 32 is an interrupting device for transmitting or interrupting the transmission of rotation. The clutch 32 may be of any type, but may be, for example, one having inner and outer rings that are rotatable relative to one another, with a roller inserted in a wedge-shaped space provided between the inner and outer rings.

[0044] In this type of clutch 32, the position of the roller within the wedge-shaped space is controlled from the outside by a lever 36 (Fig. 10), which causes the clutch 32 to either wedger the roller between the inner and outer rings to stop relative rotation between them (transmission state), or to disengage the roller from between the inner and outer rings to allow relative rotation between them (disconnection state).

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the clutch 32 is attached to the outer periphery of the shaft 34 in the third space S3 outside the inner frame portion 12. The lever 36 is moved by an actuator 37 to externally operate the clutch 32, switching between a transmission state of the clutch 32, which allows the rotary blade 31 to rotate, and a disengaged state of the clutch 32, which stops the rotary blade 31 from rotating. The clutch 32 has a trip cam 38 connected to a roller, and the lever 36 operates the position of the roller within the wedge-shaped space via the trip cam 38.

[0046] The trip cam 38 is ring-shaped and has a spiral curved periphery with a step portion serving as a stopper portion 38a at one location in the circumferential direction.

[0047] Lever 36 has a return spring 39 connected to its upper end, a locking portion 36a at its middle that locks onto stopper portion 38a of trip cam 38, and a lower end that is pivotally supported by shaft 41 parallel to shafts 34 and 35 so that it can tilt toward trip cam 38. Lever 36 is driven to tilt by actuator 37 connected near locking portion 36a. Return spring 39 is a tension spring that biases lever 36 so that it tilts in the direction in which locking portion 36a engages with stopper portion 38a. The biasing force of return spring 39 causes locking portion 36a to function as a cam follower, with its tip fitting against the outer periphery of trip cam 38. Actuator 37 tilts lever 36 in the direction in which locking portion 36a moves away from stopper portion 38a. One end of return spring 39 and actuator 37 is connected to lever 36, and the other end is connected to the main body of the noodle rounding device 1. The lever 36, the actuator 37, and the return spring 39 constitute an operating mechanism of the clutch 32 and are provided in the third space S3.

[0048] Then, when the locking portion 36a of the lever 36 is locked with the stopper portion 38a of the trip cam 38, the clutch 32 is disengaged and the rotary blade 31 is stopped from rotating and retracted from below the feeding unit 3. Conversely, when the actuator 37 is temporarily operated to separate the locking portion 36a of the lever 36 from the stopper portion 38a of the trip cam 38, the clutch 32 is engaged and the rotary blade 31 is allowed to rotate. As the rotary blade 31 rotates, it moves out below the feeding unit 3 and cuts the noodle strings 2 to the desired length.

[0049] After the actuator 37 is temporarily activated, the biasing force of the return spring 39 causes the locking portion 36a of the lever 36 to engage with the trip cam 38, and the trip cam 38 rotates, thereby maintaining the transmission state and rotating the rotary blade 31. Then, after the trip cam 38 has rotated, the biasing force of the return spring 39 causes the locking portion 36a of the lever 36 to lock with the stopper portion 38a of the trip cam 38. When the rotation of the trip cam 38 is stopped, the clutch 32 is disengaged, and the rotary blade 31 is stopped from rotating in a retracted state.

[0050] The drive unit 33 is primarily composed of a motor and is attached to the main body of the noodle rounding device 1, for example, to the side surface of the inner frame unit 12. The motor transmits drive power from the output shaft 42 to the cutting unit 4 and the rounding unit 6 via two drive power transmission systems. These drive power transmission systems are provided in the second space S2 and the third space S3 outside the inner frame unit 12. The drive power transmission systems may be composed of, for example, gear mechanisms or other mechanisms. The drive power transmission systems of this embodiment are configured as follows:

[0051] First, as shown in FIG. 10 , the driving force transmission system of the cutting unit 4 transmits the driving force of the driving device 33 from a sprocket 45 attached to the end of the output shaft 42 of the driving device 33 facing the third space S3 via a belt 46 and a sprocket 47 to the shaft 34, thereby rotating one of the rotary blades 31. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the driving force transmitted to the shaft 34 is transmitted from the end of the shaft 34 facing the second space S2 via gears 48 and 49 to the shaft 35, thereby rotating the other rotary blade 31. As a result, the shafts 34 and 35 are rotated in opposite directions by the driving device 33 and the driving force transmission system of the cutting unit 4. The clutch 32 is disposed between the shaft 34 and the sprocket 45. The inner ring of the clutch 32 is fitted and fixed to the shaft 34 so as to be rotatable integrally therewith, and the sprocket 45 is fitted and fixed to the outer ring of the clutch 32 so as to be rotatable integrally therewith.

[0052] 11, the driving force transmission system of the rounding unit 6 transmits the driving force of the driving device 33 from a sprocket 51 attached to the end of the output shaft 42 of the driving device 33 on the second space S2 side to the rotation shaft 17 of the third roll 10 via a belt 52 and a sprocket 53. In this way, the driving device 33 rotates the third roll 10.

[0053] Furthermore, the driving force of the driving device 33 is transmitted from a sprocket provided coaxially with the sprocket 53 of the rotary shaft 17 to the shaft 23 via a belt 54 and a sprocket 55 .

[0054] 10 , the driving force transmitted to the rotating shaft 17 is transmitted from the end of the rotating shaft 17 on the third space S3 side to the rotating shaft 16 of the second roll 9 via a sprocket 56, a belt 57, and a sprocket 58. The belt 57 is provided so as to run substantially along the opening / closing arm 22. This allows the driving device 33 to rotate the second roll 9. Furthermore, the opening / closing arm 22 can tilt while still being able to transmit the driving force to the second roll 9.

[0055] Similarly, the driving force transmitted to the shaft 23 is transmitted from the end of the shaft 23 on the third space S3 side via the sprocket 61, the belt 62, and the sprocket 63 to the rotation shaft 15 of the first roll 8. The belt 62 is provided so as to run substantially along the opening / closing arm 21. This allows the driving device 33 to rotate the first roll 8. The opening / closing arm 21 can also tilt while still being able to transmit the driving force to the first roll 8. As a result, the three rolls 8 to 10 are rotated in the same direction by the driving device 33 and the driving force transmission system of the rounding unit 6.

[0056] Incidentally, endless driving force transmission members such as timing belts or chains may be appropriately used as the above-mentioned belts 46, 52, 54, 57, and 62. Furthermore, if necessary, the inner frame 12 and the outer frame 13 may be provided with bearings at the portions through which the rotating shafts 15 to 17 and the shafts 23, 34, 35, and 41 pass, so as to rotatably support the rotating shafts 15 to 17 and the shafts 23, 34, 35, and 41.

[0057] (4) In the noodle rounding device 1, As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the input section 3 may have a wide input opening 71 at the top, a narrow output opening 72 at the bottom, and a constricted section 73 in the middle that narrows from the input opening 71 to the output opening 72. The insertion port 71 may have a guide plate 75 (FIGS. 1 and 12B) that displaces the noodle strings 2 inserted into the widthwise center portion in the thickness direction 74 of the insertion section 3 relative to the inserted noodle strings 2.

[0058] Here, the widthwise central portion is the central portion of the insertion opening 71 in the width direction 76, and is the center portion when the insertion opening 71 is divided into three approximately equal parts. In contrast, the widthwise side portions are the portions on both sides of the insertion opening 71 in the width direction 76, and are the portions other than the center portion when the insertion opening 71 is divided into three approximately equal parts. Note that the division into three parts does not have to be exact thirds.

[0059] The input port 71 is an opening formed at the upper end of the input section 3. The input port 71 may be installed, for example, almost directly below the downstream end of a conveyor provided in a noodle making machine or a cutting machine, so that the noodle strands 2 transported by the conveyor are input. The conveyor transports multiple noodle strands 2 that are arranged in the same wide state as the noodle sheet 11. For this reason, the input port 71 is an elongated, approximately rectangular opening with long sides that are wider than the noodle sheet 11 and short sides that are several times or more the thickness of the noodle sheet 11 (or noodle strands 2), so that wide noodle strands 2 can be input from the conveyor.

[0060] The discharge outlet 72 is an opening formed at the lower end of the input section 3, and is approximately rectangular in shape with a horizontal dimension that is approximately equal to or less than the long side of the input section 71 divided into three equal parts, and a vertical dimension that is approximately the same as the short side of the input section 3.

[0061] The intermediate section is the vertically middle section of the insertion section 3, and is the section that connects the insertion opening 71 and the discharge opening 72. The narrowed section 73 is a cylindrical section in the middle that narrows its horizontal dimension while keeping its vertical dimension almost constant from the insertion opening 71 to the discharge opening 72. The narrowed section 73 has a pair of inclined surfaces 73a on both sides in the width direction 76 of the insertion section 3 to narrow the horizontal dimension of the insertion opening 71 to the horizontal dimension of the discharge opening 72.

[0062] The pair of inclined surfaces 73a have the same shape and size, are rectangular in plan view, and are installed approximately symmetrically with respect to the center line in the width direction 76 of the insertion unit 3 (width center line). The pair of inclined surfaces 73a may have a linear gradient, a curved gradient, or some other gradient, as long as they have a downwardly tapering gradient where the distance between them narrows as they extend downward. The pair of inclined surfaces 73a then move those noodle strings 2 located on both widthwise sides laterally toward the widthwise center, among the noodle strings 2 inserted into the insertion opening 71.

[0063] The drawn portion 73 also has a pair of parallel surfaces 73b that connect the side edges of the pair of inclined surfaces 73a on both sides in the thickness direction 74. The pair of surfaces 73b have, for example, a substantially inverted triangular or substantially inverted trapezoidal shape, like an upside-down triangle or trapezoid.

[0064] The width direction 76 of the insertion port 71 is the horizontal direction (horizontal direction) in which the long side of the elongated insertion port 71 extends. The insertion port 71 may be installed with the width direction 76 facing in any direction relative to the inner frame portion 12, but it is preferable to install the insertion port 71 so that the width direction 76 is aligned with the axial direction of the rotation shafts 15 to 17.

[0065] A thickness direction 74 of the insertion portion 3 is the direction of the thickness of the entire insertion portion 3. The thickness direction 74 is the horizontal direction (vertical direction) in which the short sides of the horizontally elongated insertion opening 71 extend, and is perpendicular to a width direction 76 of the insertion opening 71.

[0066] Guide plate 75 is a guide plate or baffle plate that divides the noodle strings 2 fed into input port 71 into three portions, and displaces those that pass through the center in width direction 76 in thickness direction 74 without allowing them to fall straight down. Guide plate 75 is formed at a position almost directly above discharge port 72, with a width that is almost the same as or slightly narrower than that of discharge port 72.

[0067] Guide plate 75 projects inward from input port 71 so as to cover a range of approximately 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 in thickness direction 74 of input port 71 when viewed from above.

[0068] The guide plate 75 is inclined downward so that the noodle strings 2 inserted into the widthwise center portion can be smoothly guided in the thickness direction 74. The inclination angle of the guide plate 75 is preferably a downward gradient of about 45 to 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0069] Furthermore, the height of the long side of the inlet 71 that is closer to the conveyor installed downstream of the noodle-making machine or the cutting machine may be adjustable. In this case, for example, the inlet 71 is composed of an open frame portion 71a that is approximately U-shaped in plan view, with a pair of short sides and one long side integrated together, and a closed surface portion 71b that is located on the other long side and closes the open part of the U-shaped open frame portion 71a. The open frame portion 71a is fixed integrally to the upper part of the constricted portion 73. The closed surface portion 71b is formed, for example, from a substantially hexagonal plate-like member whose upper part is approximately horizontally elongated and rectangular, and whose lower part is approximately inverted triangular or trapezoidal.

[0070] The horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular upper portion of the closed surface portion 71b is formed to have approximately the same width as the long sides of the open frame portion 71a and a lower height than the long sides of the open frame portion 71a. The approximately inverted triangular or trapezoidal lower portion of the closed surface portion 71b has both side portions that are inclined downward and narrow approximately similar to the upper portion of the surface 73b of the narrowed portion 73.

[0071] The lower portion of the closed surface portion 71b is fixed to one of the surfaces 73b of the narrowed portion 73 by an adjustment bolt 77 so as to be vertically displaceable. The closed surface portion 71b and the surface 73b of the narrowed portion 73 have through holes 78, 79 through which the adjustment bolt 77 passes, at positions where they align. The through hole 78 in the closed surface portion 71b is an elongated hole extending in the vertical direction. This provides the insertion port 71 with a height adjustment mechanism. By using the height adjustment mechanism to adjust the position of the upper portion of the closed surface portion 71b, for example, to make it lower than the upper portion of the open frame portion 71a, the insertion unit 3 can be installed closer to the conveyor. Furthermore, as described above, the insertion port 71 can easily receive the noodle strings 2 from the conveyor and prevent the noodle strings 2 from flying out of the insertion port 71. In this case, the guide plate 75 is provided integrally with the side of the closed surface portion 71b closest to the conveyor.

[0072] (5) In the noodle rounding device 1, As shown in FIG. 5B, the feeding unit 3 may be configured so that a position 81 (FIG. 6) at which the noodle strings 2 fall relative to the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 can be adjusted in a feeding direction 82 of the noodle strings 2.

[0073] Here, drop position 81 is the position where the tips of the noodle strings 2 that have left the feeding unit 3 and been cut in the cutting unit 4 fall onto the first roll 8 and second roll 9 of the feeding unit 3. Because the noodle strings 2 fall in a substantially bundled state, drop position 81 is actually a substantially flat area, but for convenience's sake, it will be described as the point of contact between the first roll 8 and second roll 9 and the center of the entire bundle of noodle strings 2.

[0074] The drop position 81 from the feeding unit 3 is basically set on the first roll 8 side between the first roll 8 and the second roll 9. This drop position 81 is set closer to the first roll 8 than the position where the tip of the noodle strands 2, which have been folded back downward by the third roll 10, reaches above the middle part of the noodle strands 2. In other words, the tip of the noodle strands 2 is folded back further downstream in the feeding direction 82 than the drop position 81. As a result, the tip of the noodle strands 2, which have been folded back downward by the third roll 10, is wrapped inside the noodle strands 2.

[0075] The feeding direction 82 of the noodle strings 2 is a substantially horizontal direction in which the noodle strings 2 are fed from the first roll 8 towards the second roll 9.

[0076] Any configuration may be used to adjust the drop position 81, but in this embodiment, the following configuration is used. That is, in order to adjust the drop position 81, the feeding unit 3 has a slide unit 83 at the discharge opening 72 that is capable of moving laterally on the inner frame unit 12. The slide unit 83 has a substantially horizontal loading surface 83a with a width and length that allows it to be placed on the substantially horizontal upper edge portions 12a of the pair of plate-like bodies of the inner frame unit 12, and a pair of guide surfaces 83b that guide movement in the feed direction 82 along the upper edge portions 12a, and is substantially C-shaped when viewed from the front.

[0077] The placing surface 83a is in the shape of a rectangular ring that surrounds the periphery of the discharge port 72. The guide surfaces 83b extend downward from both widthwise sides of the placing surface 83a and serve as locking portions that can be locked to the outer surfaces of the pair of plate-like bodies of the inner frame portion 12 in the width direction 76 of the insertion portion 3. The guide surfaces 83b are in sliding contact with the outer surfaces of the pair of plate-like bodies of the inner frame portion 12 in the feed direction 82.

[0078] After adjusting the position of the slide portion 83 in the feed direction 82, the slide portion 83 is fixed to the upper part of the inner frame portion 12 with a fixture such as a position adjustment screw. By using the position adjustment screw, the drop position 81 of the feed portion 3 can be finely adjusted at any time as needed.

[0079] <Operation> The operation of this embodiment is as follows.

[0080] The noodle rounding device 1 is used to divide noodles such as udon, soba, Chinese noodles, etc. into individual servings. The noodle rounding device 1 operates as follows.

[0081] In the noodle rounding device 1, raw noodle strands 2 are fed into the feeding section 3. The noodle strands 2 are then gathered into bundles as they pass through the feeding section 3. The noodle strands 2 that emerge from the feeding section 3 are cut into serving lengths in the cutting section 4. The noodle strands 2 cut in the cutting section 4 are then rolled into noodle balls 5 in the rounding section 6. The noodle balls 5 that have been rounded in the rounding section 6 are then discharged from the noodle rounding device 1 by the discharge section 7. In this way, noodles can be portioned into serving sizes with a relatively simple structure and movement. Because the movements of each section are small, the noodle rounding device 1 operates at high speed and with high productivity.

[0082] <Effects> The effects of this embodiment are as follows.

[0083] (Effect 1) In the noodle rounding device 1, the rounding section 6 is equipped with a horizontal first roll 8, second roll 9, and third roll 10 that rotate in the same direction and feed the noodle strands 2 in one direction (sequentially). The first roll 8 and second roll 9 on the upstream side are located below the feeding section 3 and receive the noodle strands 2 that have been cut to the desired length in the cutting section 4. The third roll 10 on the downstream side is located almost above the second roll 9 and guides the noodle strands 2 fed from the second roll 9 upward. The noodle strands 2 guided upward by the third roll 10 separate from the third roll 10 at the middle part of the third roll 10. When the noodle strands 2 separate from the third roll 10, their tips are folded back toward the first roll 8 (upstream side) under their own weight and head downward, thereby being fed above the middle part of the noodle strands 2. As a result, the tips of the noodle strands 2 enter the inside of the middle part and form a spiral, allowing them to be neatly rounded into a roughly cylindrical shape when viewed from the side.

[0084] For example, a wide noodle sheet 11 produced by a noodle-making machine is cut longitudinally by a cutting machine to form long, thin noodle strands 2. The noodle-rounding device 1 can directly feed the long, thin noodle strands 2, which have been cut into multiple strands in the width direction by the cutting machine, into the feeding section 3 using a conveyor while they are still in the same wide state as when they were noodle sheets 11. For this reason, the noodle-rounding device 1 does not require, for example, a movable tray that moves in accordance with the movement of the conveyor for feeding the noodle.

[0085] Furthermore, the noodle rounding device 1 can cut the noodle strands 2 to the desired length in the cutting unit 4, eliminating the need to cut the noodle strands 2 to a serving size before feeding them in. The noodle rounding device 1 can skillfully roll the noodle strands 2 using the three rolls 8-10 in the rounding unit 6 to quickly form the roughly cylindrical noodle balls 5. This simplifies the structure of the noodle rounding device 1 and increases production efficiency compared to when the noodle strands 2 are folded and flattened. Furthermore, the noodle balls 5 are rolled into a roughly cylindrical shape, forming neat, compact balls that have a beautiful shape when portioned, and also provides good space efficiency when stored on a tray, for example.

[0086] (Effect 2) The discharge unit 7 may include opening / closing arms 21, 22 that move at least the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 closer to or farther apart from each other. As a result, the opening / closing arms 21, 22 move at least the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 of the rounding unit 6 closer to or farther apart from each other.

[0087] The discharge unit 7 then brings the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 close to each other using the opening and closing arms 21, 22, allowing the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 to function as the rounding unit 6. The first roll 8 and the second roll 9 receive the noodle strands 2 that have emerged from the feeding unit 3 and been cut in the cutting unit 4, and roll the noodle strands 2 between the three rolls 8-10. The discharge unit 7 then uses the opening and closing arms 21, 22 to separate the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 after rolling the noodle strands 2, allowing the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 to function as the discharge unit 7. The discharge unit 7 then discharges the rolled noodle balls 5 from between the separated first roll 8 and second roll 9.

[0088] In this way, the discharge section 7 is configured to move the first roll 8 and second roll 9 of the rounding section 6 closer to or farther away from each other using the opening and closing arms 21, 22, thereby switching between the rounding section 6 and the discharge section 7. As a result, the noodle rounding device 1 can simultaneously perform the functions of both the rounding section 6 and the discharge section 7 with a simple configuration.

[0089] The first roll 8 and second roll 9, together with the third roll 10, rotate to quickly roll the noodle strands 2 into noodle balls 5. The open / close arms 21 and 22 also allow the first roll 8 and second roll 9 to quickly move closer to each other to receive the noodle strands 2, or to quickly move them apart to discharge the noodle balls 5. Therefore, the noodle rounding device 1 can achieve high productivity.

[0090] (Effect 3) The cutting unit 4 is equipped with a rotary blade 31 and a clutch 32, and the clutch 32 can switch between rotating and stopping the rotary blade 31. This allows the cutting unit 4 to freely set the timing at which the rotary blade 31 cuts the noodle strands 2. As a result, the cutting unit 4 can freely adjust the length of the noodle strands 2. Because the cutting unit 4 has the clutch 32, the noodle rounding device 1 can drive the three rolls 8 to 10 of the rounding unit 6 and the rotary blade 31 of the cutting unit 4 with the same drive unit 33. This allows the noodle rounding device 1 to use a single, common drive unit 33, thereby contributing to size and cost reductions.

[0091] The length of the noodle strings 2 can be adjusted, for example, by operating the clutch 32 at regular intervals while variably controlling the drive device 33. The length of the noodle strings 2 can also be adjusted by operating the clutch 32 at any time interval while constantly controlling the drive device 33. Alternatively, the length of the noodle strings 2 can be adjusted by operating the clutch 32 at any time interval while variably controlling the drive device 33.

[0092] (Effect 4) The feeding unit 3 may have a wide feeding opening 71 at the top, a narrow discharge opening 72 at the bottom, and a constricting section 73 in the middle that narrows in width from the feeding opening 71 to the discharge opening 72. This allows the noodle rounding device 1 to feed the wide noodle strands 2, which have been created by making slits in the noodle sheet 11, directly into the feeding unit 3, and enables the feeding unit 3 to discharge the fed noodle strands 2 in a bundle.

[0093] Furthermore, the insertion opening 71 may have a guide plate 75 in its widthwise center portion. As a result, of the noodle strings 2 inserted into the insertion opening 71 in a wide width state, the guide plate 75 displaces (retreats) the noodle strings 2 inserted into the widthwise center portion in the thickness direction 74 of the insertion section 3. The noodle strings 2 inserted into both widthwise sides are then moved to the widthwise center portion by the constricting section 73. As a result, the noodle strings 2 on both widthwise sides that are moved to the widthwise center portion and the noodle strings 2 that have been displaced in the thickness direction 74 from the widthwise center portion are allowed to overlap in the thickness direction 74 without interfering with each other, and the noodle strings 2 are neatly gathered in the widthwise center portion into a bundle.

[0094] (Effect 5) The feeding unit 3 may be configured to be able to adjust the position 81 at which the noodle strings 2 fall relative to the first roll 8 and the second roll 9 in the feeding direction 82 of the noodle strings 2 by the first roll 8 and the second roll 9. This allows the noodle rounding device 1 to fine-tune the position 81 at which the noodle strings 2 fall by the feeding unit 3 to match the dimensions such as the width and thickness of the produced noodle strings 2. Therefore, the noodle rounding device 1 can make adjustments so that the noodle balls 5 are successfully formed regardless of the width and thickness of the noodle strings 2 to be fed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1: Noodle rolling device 2: Noodle strings 3: Feeding section 4: Cutting section 5: Noodle ball 6: Rounding section 7: Discharge section 8-10: Roll 21, 22: Opening and closing arm 31: Rotary blade 32: Clutch 33: Drive device 71: Inlet 72: Outlet 73: Constriction section 74: Thickness direction 75: Guide plate 75: Width direction 82: Feed direction 81: Drop position

Claims

1. An input section for inputting noodles; a cutting unit that cuts the noodle strings discharged from the feeding unit into a required length; a rounding unit that rolls the noodle strings cut by the cutting unit into noodle balls; a discharge section that discharges the noodle balls that have been rounded by the rounding section, the rounding unit includes a horizontal first roll, a second roll, and a third roll that rotate in the same direction to feed the noodle strings in one direction, a noodle rolling device characterized in that the first roll and the second roll on the upstream side are positioned below the feeding section and receive the noodle strings cut in the cutting section, and the third roll on the downstream side is positioned above the second roll and guides the noodle strings sent from the second roll upward, causing the tips of the noodle strings that have been guided upward to fold back under their own weight and head downward, thereby delivering them above the middle of the noodle strings.

2. The noodle rounding device according to claim 1, The noodle rounding device, wherein the discharge section includes an opening / closing arm that moves at least the first roll and the second roll closer to and apart from each other.

3. The noodle rounding device according to claim 1 or 2, the cutting unit has a rotary blade and a clutch capable of switching between rotation and stop of the rotary blade, the rotary blade is connected via the clutch to a drive device that drives the first roll, the second roll, and the third roll of the rounding unit.

4. The noodle rounding device according to claim 1 or 2, the input section has a wide input port at an upper portion, a narrow output port at a lower portion, and a tapered portion at an intermediate portion whose width narrows from the input port toward the output port; the noodle rolling device, wherein the insertion opening has a guide plate that displaces the noodle strings inserted into the widthwise center of the insertion opening in a thickness direction of the insertion opening relative to the inserted noodle strings.

5. The noodle rounding device according to claim 1 or 2, The noodle rounding device is characterized in that the feeding unit is capable of adjusting the falling position of the noodle strings relative to the first roll and the second roll in a feeding direction of the noodle strings.

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