Food container conveyance device

Abstract

To provide a food container conveyance device that stores food in a container such that the food is not easily shifted to one side, and can easily convey the container to the next process after storing the food therein.SOLUTION: A food container conveyance device places a container 21 on a placing part 40 with a lifting conveyance part 60 in a receiving state, and receives food in the container 21 while moving the container 21 below a discharge port 13 by a rotation mechanism 50, thereby making it difficult for the food to shift to one side within the container 21. Then, by switching the lifting conveyance part 60 to a conveyance state, the container 21 floats off the placing part 40 and is placed on a sliding surface 61c that is inclined downward toward the front, and the container 21 slides forward on the sliding surface 61c under its own weight and is conveyed. With such a simple configuration, the container 21 containing the food can be conveyed to the next process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food container conveying device, and more particularly to a food container conveying device that stores food in a manner that prevents the food from shifting to one side within the container, and that can easily transport the container to the next process after the food has been stored inside. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, the food slicer described in Patent Document 1 cuts food and releases the food downward from a release opening. The released food is stored in a container that is previously placed below the release opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-202386 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the container for storing the cut food is generally significantly larger than the outlet, so the food released from the outlet is stored in a biased position within the container, near the bottom of the food slicer's outlet. When stored in this state, the food piles up on the biased side and spills out of the container. Furthermore, the center of gravity is also biased, making the container unstable and risking loss of balance and tipping over during removal or transportation. To prevent this, workers are required to smooth out the biased food before transporting the container to the next process, which reduces work efficiency. Furthermore, when the food is washed in the next process, the biased food can cause uneven washing, hindering the operation of the next process.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a food container conveying device that stores food in a way that prevents it from shifting to one side within the container, and that can easily transport the container to the next process after the food has been stored inside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve this purpose, the food container conveying device of the present invention has a placing section on which a container can be placed, and after the container placed on the placing section receives food, conveys the container in a conveying direction, and is equipped with a driving means for moving the container placed on the placing section within a range in which the food can be received, and a lifting and lowering conveying section that can be raised and lowered and has a sliding surface on which the container can slide, and the lifting and lowering conveying section raises and lowers the sliding surface between a conveying state in which the container floats from the placing section and is placed on the sliding surface while the sliding surface slopes downward toward the conveying direction, and a receiving state in which the container is placed on the placing section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the food container conveying device of claim 1, by placing a container on the placement section with the lifting conveying section in the receiving state and then using the drive means to move the container within a range that allows it to receive food, food can be placed into the container, preventing the food from becoming unevenly distributed within the container. Then, by switching the lifting conveying section to the conveying state, the container floats off the placement section and is placed on a sliding surface that slopes downward in the conveying direction, allowing the container to slide along the sliding surface in the conveying direction under its own weight and be conveyed. With this simple configuration, the container containing the food can be conveyed to the next process.

[0008] The food container conveying device of claim 2 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the food container conveying device of claim 1. The lifting conveying unit raises and lowers the sliding surface between a conveying state, a receiving state, and a standby state in which a container is placed on the sliding surface and the sliding surface is horizontal. This allows workers to set containers in the food container conveying device by sliding the containers on the sliding surface in the standby state and bringing them above the placement unit. Therefore, the standby state makes it easier to set the containers.

[0009] The food container conveying device of claim 3 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the food container conveying device of claim 2. The food container conveying device is equipped with a guide unit that positions a container above the mounting unit by contacting the side of a container placed on the sliding surface in the standby state opposite to the conveying direction. As a result, when setting a container, the container sliding on the sliding surface in the standby state can be stopped above the mounting unit by contacting the guide unit. As a result, the setting of the container can be made easier.

[0010] The food container conveying device of claim 4 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the food container conveying device of claim 1. The placing unit is configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction by a driving means. This makes it possible to prevent food from shifting to one side in round containers.

[0011] The food container conveying device of claim 5 achieves the following effect in addition to the effects achieved by the food container conveying devices of claims 3 and 4. When viewed from above and below in the standby state, the guide portion is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis. By using a round container that matches the radius of this arc, it is easy to align the radial center of the container in contact with the guide portion with the rotation axis. As a result, the container setting operation can be made even easier.

[0012] The food container conveying device of claim 6 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the food container conveying device of any one of claims 1 to 5. The weighing means weighs the containers placed on the placement section. As more food is received in the containers, the weighing results of the weighing means increase, and when a value based on the weighing results exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control means switches the lifting conveying section from the receiving state to the conveying state. This makes it easier to convey food received in the containers to the next process in predetermined amounts, and reduces processing variations in subsequent processes including the next process.

[0013] The food container conveying device of claim 7 achieves the following effect in addition to the effect achieved by the food container conveying device of any one of claims 1 to 5. The food container conveying device includes a discharge unit that is arranged on the conveying direction side of the lifting conveying unit and can be raised and lowered. In its lowered state, the discharge unit receives containers conveyed in the conveying direction by sliding on the sliding surface in the conveying state. Then, by switching the discharge unit from its lowered state to its raised state, the containers received in the lowered state are lifted by the discharge unit and conveyed in the conveying direction. Here, the process following the process of receiving food in containers is often a cleaning process in which the food is placed in a cleaning tank from above, which often requires lifting the containers. As described above, the discharge unit can lift the containers and convey them to the next process, making it easier to connect the food container conveying device to the next process device and reducing the burden on the worker when lifting the containers to the height of the next process device's loading surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a food container conveying device and a food slicer according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the food container conveying device. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the food container conveying device taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the food container conveying device taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the food container conveying device taken along line VV in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a method for conveying containers by a food container conveying device. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the food container conveying device. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart of a rotational weighing process executed by a CPU of the food container conveying device. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart of a carry-out process executed by a CPU of the food container conveying device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a food container conveying device 20 and a food slicer 10 in one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a top view of food container conveying device 20. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of food container conveying device 20 taken along line III-III in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of food container conveying device 20 taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of food container conveying device 20 taken along line VV in Fig. 2.

[0016] In addition, arrows U, D, L, R, F, and B in each drawing indicate the upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward, and backward directions of food container conveying device 20, respectively. In Fig. 3, the cross section of rotation mechanism 50 is omitted, and only a cross section of a portion of food slicer 10 is shown. In Figs. 4 and 5, part of the configuration visible on the far side of the cross section is omitted.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, food slicer 10 is a known device that finely cuts (slices) food such as vegetables. Food slicer 10 may be, for example, the food slicer disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-202386. With food slicer 10, when an operator turns on operation switch 14 and places food on belt conveyor 11, belt conveyor 11 transports the food to cutting section 12 at the front, where the food is cut by a rotary blade provided inside cutting section 12. The cut food is then discharged to the outside from discharge port 13 that opens below cutting section 12.

[0018] Food container conveying device 20 is a device for receiving food discharged downward from discharge outlet 13 of food slicer 10 in container 21 and conveying container 21 that has received the food to the next process. Food container conveying device 20 of this embodiment is suitable for round container 21 (circular when viewed from the top and bottom). Note that round container 21 has a shape that makes it easy to efficiently process food in the washing process and centrifugal dehydration process that are subsequent processes of food container conveying device 20.

[0019] Food container conveying device 20 mainly comprises a rectangular parallelepiped housing 30, a placing section 40 located at the rear of housing 30 (below discharge port 13), a lifting conveying section 60 that can be raised and lowered and that conveys containers 21 on placing section 40 forward (in the conveying direction), a connecting conveying section 70 connected to the front of connecting conveying section 70, and a control device 90 that controls the operation of each of these sections. Control device 90 is located near housing 30. A stacked signal light 90a that indicates the control status is provided at the top end of control device 90. Stacked signal light 90a is an indicator light that can emit at least green and red light.

[0020] The housing 30 comprises a rectangular bottom wall 31 that forms the bottom surface of the housing 30, a rear end wall 32 that rises approximately vertically from the rear end edge of the bottom wall 31, a front end wall 33 that rises approximately vertically from the front end edge of the bottom wall 31, a left side wall 34 that rises approximately vertically from the left end edge of the bottom wall 31, a right side wall 35 that faces the left side wall 34 in the left-right direction, and a top surface portion 36 that extends to the right from the upper end edge of the right side wall 35.

[0021] A plurality of ribs 31a arranged in the front, rear, left and right directions rise substantially vertically from the lower surface of the bottom wall 31, and the ribs 31a reinforce the bottom wall 31. Casters 31b are attached to the four corners of the lower surface of the bottom wall 31 to support the housing 30 so that it can be moved.

[0022] The left and right edges of the rear end wall 32 and the front end wall 33 are connected by a left side wall 34 and a right side wall 35, respectively, and a transfer space 37 enclosed by these walls opens upward. The bottom wall 31, the rear end wall 32, and the front end wall 33 are formed to extend to the right of the right side wall 35. The top surface portion 36 is a portion that closes the upper end of a storage space 38 (see FIG. 4) enclosed by these right-extending walls. The front side of the top surface portion 36 is formed higher in a stepped shape than the rear side. Accordingly, portions of the front end wall 33 and the right side wall 35 also extend upward.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, two fixed brackets 32a are fixed to the rear surface of the rear end wall 32 on the conveying space 37 side. When viewed in the vertical direction, the fixed brackets 32a are formed in a U-shape that opens rearward. The two legs 16 on the front side (the cutting portion 12 side) of the food slicer 10 are respectively housed inside the fixed brackets 32a. Furthermore, the fixed brackets 32a are provided with through-holes in a position rearward of the housed legs 16. By inserting fixing rods 32b into the through-holes, the food slicer 10 is fixed to the food container conveying device 20.

[0024] 3 and 4, placing section 40 is a section on which container 21 is placed to receive food discharged downward from discharge port 13, and is located on the rear end wall 32 side of conveying space 37. Since placing section 40 is located at a position less than half the height of rear end wall 32, left side wall 34, and right side wall 35 that surround it, when food is received in container 21, food, water, etc. are prevented from scattering outside housing 30, and the surrounding area is prevented from becoming dirty.

[0025] The mounting unit 40 includes a disk-shaped turntable 41 on whose upper surface the container 21 can be placed, a round rod-shaped rotating shaft 42 extending vertically downward from the center of the turntable 41, and a cylindrical support 43 that surrounds the rotating shaft 42 and is fixed to the bottom wall 31. The mounting unit 40 rotates the turntable 41 to rotate the container 21 placed on the turntable 41. A rubber plate is attached to the upper surface of the turntable 41 to prevent the container 21 from slipping on the turntable 41 during rotation. Note that instead of the rubber plate, the upper surface of the turntable 41 may be provided with irregularities or the like that can catch on the underside of the container 21 during rotation, or the irregularities and the rubber plate may be combined.

[0026] The support body 43 has a flange 43a that protrudes radially outward from its lower end, and the flange 43a is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom wall 31. A radial bearing 44 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the support body 43 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft body 42. This allows the rotating shaft body 42 and the turntable 41 to rotate around the rotation axis 42a, which is the axis of the rotating shaft body 42, relative to the support body 43. A seal portion 45 seals the gap between the rotating shaft body 42 and the support body 43 above the radial bearing 44. This prevents fine food debris and moisture from entering the inside of the support body 43.

[0027] The rotating shaft 42 extending downward from the support 43 is connected to a rotation mechanism 50. The rotation mechanism 50 includes a rectangular parallelepiped case 51 disposed below the bottom wall 31 and extending in the left-right direction, a mounting drive motor 52 fixed to the case 51, and a transmission belt 53 that transmits the driving force from the mounting drive motor 52 to the rotating shaft 42.

[0028] The rotating shaft 42 is supported on the upper surface of the left end of the case 51 via a thrust bearing 51a. The lower end of the rotating shaft 42 passes through the center of this thrust bearing 51a and protrudes into the case 51. The case 51 extends to the right of the right wall 35. A mounting wall 51b rises substantially vertically upward from the upper surface of the right end of the case 51. This mounting wall 51b protrudes into the accommodation space 38 through an opening 31c provided in the bottom wall 31.

[0029] The mounting drive motor 52 is an electric motor that rotates a drive shaft 52a. The mounting drive motor 52 is fixed to the right surface of the mounting wall 51b with the drive shaft 52a facing downward, and protrudes into the accommodation space 38 in the same manner as the mounting wall 51b. The top surface of the case 51 opens to the right of the mounting wall 51b, and the drive shaft 52a protrudes into the case 51 through this opening.

[0030] The transmission belt 53 is wound around a pulley 53a attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 42 and a pulley 53b attached to the drive shaft 52a inside the case 51. As a result, when the mounting drive motor 52 rotates the drive shaft 52a, the driving force transmitted via the transmission belt 53 rotates the rotating shaft 42 and the turntable 41.

[0031] In rotation mechanism 50, the transmission of driving force by transmission belt 53 allows placement drive motor 52 to be housed within storage space 38 rather than directly below turntable 41. This reduces the risk of placement drive motor 52 breaking down due to small food debris or moisture that is thrown into conveying space 37. In addition, compared to when placement drive motor 52 is located below bottom wall 31, bottom wall 31 can be placed closer to the floor, allowing food container conveying device 20 to be lower overall.

[0032] A shaft 51c protrudes leftward from the mounting wall 51b. A guide roller 51d having a groove 51e formed in the center of its outer circumferential surface is rotatably attached to the tip of the shaft 51c. A guide wall 31d rises substantially vertically upward from the left edge of the opening 31c in the bottom wall 31. The groove 51e fits into the front and rear side edges of the guide wall 31d, and a pair of guide rollers 51d and shafts 51c are provided in front and rear positions so that the guide wall 31d is sandwiched between the guide rollers 51d from the front and rear.

[0033] This allows the rotation mechanism 50, which is not fixed to the housing 30, to move up and down along the guide wall 31d. Furthermore, since the rotating shaft 42 placed on the rotation mechanism 50 is slidable up and down relative to the support 43, the rotating shaft 42 and the turntable 41 can move up and down together with the rotation mechanism 50.

[0034] Box-shaped bracket 31e is suspended and fixed to rib 31a on bottom wall 31 of housing 30, and case 51 of rotation mechanism 50 is supported from below by mass meter 23 housed in box-shaped bracket 31e. As described above, rotation mechanism 50, turntable 41, and rotating shaft 42 are vertically movable relative to housing 30, so mass meter 23 can collectively measure the mass (weight) of rotation mechanism 50, turntable 41, rotating shaft 42, container 21 placed on turntable 41, and food in container 21. Note that the masses of rotation mechanism 50, turntable 41, and rotating shaft 42 hardly fluctuate, and the mass of container 21 itself is approximately constant, although there are individual differences, so mass meter 23 can measure fluctuations in the mass of food in container 21.

[0035] For example, by providing mass meter 23 between rotating shaft 42 and turntable 41, it is possible to measure fluctuations in the mass of food in container 21 with mass meter 23. However, in this case, mass meter 23 is also rotated by rotation mechanism 50, and this rotation may make the measurement value (measurement result) of mass meter 23 more likely to fluctuate. In contrast, by configuring mass meter 23 to measure the mass including rotation mechanism 50, mass meter 23 does not rotate, which reduces fluctuations in the measurement value of mass meter 23 and allows for accurate measurement of fluctuations in the mass of food in container 21.

[0036] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lifting and conveying section 60 includes a roller conveyor 61 that surrounds the loading section 40 (turntable 41) to avoid it, a front support section 62 that supports the front end of the roller conveyor 61, and a lifting mechanism 63 that raises and lowers the roller conveyor 61.

[0037] The roller conveyor 61 has an outer shape that is U-shaped and protrudes rearward when viewed from the top-bottom direction. The roller conveyor 61 includes a plurality of rollers 61a that are round rods extending in the left-right direction, and a frame 61b that supports the rollers 61a in a row in the front-to-back direction and allows each of them to rotate freely. The rollers 61a are divided into two on the left and right sides of the turntable 41. The upper ends of the aligned rollers 61a form a sliding surface 61c along which the containers 21 can slide.

[0038] The frame 61b is provided with a plurality of U-shaped grooves that open upward when viewed from the left and right, and the support shafts 61e that protrude from both the left and right ends of the rollers 61a fit into the grooves, thereby supporting the rollers 61a on the frame 61b. This allows workers to easily lift and remove the rollers 61a from the frame 61b, making it easy to clean the roller conveyor 61.

[0039] The rear portion of the frame 61b is folded forward. The front edge of the folded portion forms a guide portion 61f. The guide portion 61f is located above the sliding surface 61c. When the rear side of the outer circumferential surface of the container 21 placed on the sliding surface 61c is brought into contact with the guide portion 61f, the container 21 is located above the placing portion 40.

[0040] When the sliding surface 61c is kept horizontal (a standby state described below), the guide portion 61f is formed to have an arc shape centered on the rotation axis 42a of the mounting portion 40. The radius of the guide portion 61f is set so that when the round container 21 placed on the sliding surface 61c is brought into contact with the guide portion 61f, they come into contact over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction, and the radial center of the container 21 and the rotation axis 42a are approximately aligned.

[0041] The front support portions 62 are fixed to the bottom wall 31 and stand up approximately vertically from the bottom wall 31, and are provided in a pair on the left and right. A left-right shaft is engaged with the upper ends of the front support portions 62, and the front end of the roller conveyor 61 is supported so that it can swing around the shaft.

[0042] 5, the lifting mechanism 63 lifts and lowers the rear end of the roller conveyor 61, which is swingably supported by the front support part 62, to adjust the inclination angle of the sliding surface 61c. The lifting mechanism 63 includes an electric actuator 64 installed in the accommodation space 38.

[0043] The electric actuator 64 includes an upstream lifting motor 64a fixed to the bottom wall 31, a screw shaft 64b having a screw groove formed on the outer circumferential surface of a round bar, and a cylindrical nut 64c fitted into the screw groove of the screw shaft 64b. The screw shaft 64b extends upward from the upstream lifting motor 64a and is provided perpendicular to the bottom wall 31, and the upper end of the screw shaft 64b is attached to the underside of the top panel portion 36 via a bearing 64d. When the screw shaft 64b is rotated by the upstream lifting motor 64a, the nut 64c moves up and down along the screw shaft 64b.

[0044] A flange 64e projects radially outward from the lower end of the nut 64c, and a lower plate 65a is placed on and fixed to the underside of the flange 64e. The lower plate 65a is a rectangular plate material that extends in the left-right direction, and the screw shaft 64b passes through the center of the lower plate 65a.

[0045] The lower ends of round rods 65b parallel to the screw shaft 64b are fixed to both left and right ends of the lower plate 65a. The rods 65b are inserted into two cylindrical guides 65c fixed to the top surface 36, and the upper ends of the rods 65b protrude above the top surface 36.

[0046] An upper plate 66a is placed on the upper ends of the two rods 65b. The upper plate 66a is a rectangular plate extending in the left-right direction. The upper end of a square rod 66b parallel to the rods 65b is fixed to the left end of the upper plate 66a. This rod 66b is sandwiched between a pair of front and rear guides 66c that are fixed to the left surface of the right wall 35 and extend in the up-down direction. The pair of guides 66c are formed with a U-shaped cross section so that they open toward each other, and the rod 66b fits slidably inside the U-shape.

[0047] The right end of a support plate 66d extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the lower end of the rod 66b. The support plate 66d has a width in the front-rear direction smaller than the distance between the pair of guides 66c and passes between the guides 66c. A protrusion 66e protrudes upward from the left end of the support plate 66d. The protrusion 66e is inserted into an elongated hole 61g formed through the rear end of the frame 61b of the roller conveyor 61, and the rear end of the frame 61b is supported from below by the support plate 66d. The elongated hole 61g extends in the front-rear direction so that the protrusion 66e can slide in the front-rear direction within the elongated hole 61g depending on the angle of the frame 61b. Furthermore, a circular mounting hole 61h is formed in the approximate center of the frame 61b, through which the turntable 41 can pass.

[0048] According to the lifting mechanism 63, when the nut 64c is moved up and down by the upstream lifting motor 64a, the lower plate 65a, the rod 65b, the upper plate 66a, the rod 66b, and the support plate 66d all move up and down together, thereby lifting and lowering the rear end of the roller conveyor 61. This lifting and lowering switches the lifting and transporting section 60 among a standby state, a receiving state, and a transporting state.

[0049] In the standby state, the sliding surface 61c is horizontal and positioned above the upper surface of the turntable 41 (see FIG. 3). Note that "horizontal" in this standby state does not necessarily mean that the sliding surface 61c is completely horizontal, but also means that the sliding surface 61c is slightly inclined relative to the horizontal plane to the extent that the container 21 does not slide under its own weight. For example, the inclination angle of the sliding surface 61c relative to the horizontal plane is defined as "horizontal" when it is 2° or less.

[0050] In the receiving state, the sliding surface 61c is tilted downward toward the rear and is positioned below the upper surface of the turntable 41 (see FIG. 6(a)). In the transporting state, the sliding surface 61c is tilted downward toward the front and is positioned above the upper surface of the turntable 41 (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0051] Because the upstream lift motor 64a for such lifting and lowering is housed within the accommodation space 38, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the upstream lift motor 64a due to small food debris and moisture that enters the conveying space 37. In particular, because the portion connecting the upstream lift motor 64a to the support plate 66d penetrates the top surface 36 but not the right side wall 35, it is possible to prevent moisture and the like from entering the accommodation space 38 from the portion that penetrates the right side wall 35, and it is possible to further prevent malfunction of the upstream lift motor 64a, etc. Furthermore, even if the upstream lift motor 64a and the roller conveyor 61 that is lifted and lowered thereby are separated in the left-right direction, the movement direction of the rods 65b, 66b and the protrusion 66e is regulated by the multiple guides 65c, 66c and the elongated hole 61g, so that the roller conveyor 61 can be lifted and lowered smoothly.

[0052] The upper plate 66a is simply placed on the upper end of the rod 65b and is not fixed thereto, and similarly the support plate 66d is not fixed to the roller conveyor 61. Therefore, even if the worker's body or a container 21 or the like is pinched between the roller conveyor 61 or the support plate 66d and the bottom wall 31 when the roller conveyor 61 is lowered, the support plate 66d will separate from the roller conveyor 61 and the rod 65b will separate from the upper plate 66a. This prevents the driving force of the electric actuator 64 from acting on the pinched body or container 21, ensuring safety.

[0053] 2 and 3, the connecting conveying section 70 is a roller conveyor connected to the front end of the roller conveyor 61, and is intended to further transport the containers 21 transported from the roller conveyor 61 forward. The connecting conveying section 70 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the top. Since each part of the connecting conveying section 70 is basically configured in the same way as each part of the roller conveyor 61, the same reference numerals are used and their explanations are omitted. The frame 61b of the connecting conveying section 70 is fixed to the bottom wall 31 so that the sliding surface formed by the upper ends of the rollers 61a of the connecting conveying section 70 is inclined downward toward the front.

[0054] The discharge section 80 is connected to the front side of the lifting and lowering section 60 via the connecting conveying section 70. The discharge section 80 includes a roller conveyor 81, a lifting mechanism 82 that raises and lowers the roller conveyor 81, and a jumping section 83 that is connected to the front end of the roller conveyor 81.

[0055] The roller conveyor 81 is connected to the front end of the connecting transport section 70 and is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the up-down direction. Since each part of the roller conveyor 81 is basically configured in the same way as each part of the roller conveyor 61, the same reference numerals are used and the description will be omitted. The roller conveyor 81 is configured so that the sliding surface formed by the upper ends of the rollers 61a attached to the frame 61b is inclined downward toward the front.

[0056] Although the shapes and numbers of the components of the lifting mechanism 82 are different, they are configured in the same manner as the components of the lifting mechanism 63 described above, and therefore the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof will be omitted. However, the motor that drives the electric actuator 64 of the lifting mechanism 82 will be referred to as the downstream lifting motor 82a.

[0057] The upper plate 66a of the lifting mechanism 82 is formed in a triangular shape, and the lower surface near the vertices of the triangular upper plate 66a is placed on the upper ends of the three rods 65b. Two rods 66b are fixed to the leftward extensions of the two vertices of the triangular upper plate 66a, and the two rods 66b are fixed to the frame 61b of the roller conveyor 81 via two support plates 66d.

[0058] The discharge section 80 is switched by an elevating mechanism 82 between a lowered state in which the roller conveyor 81 is lowered and an elevated state in which the roller conveyor 81 is elevated. In the lowered state, the frame 61b of the roller conveyor 81 comes into contact with or approaches the bottom wall 31. The sliding surface of the roller conveyor 81 is inclined downward toward the front so that in the lowered state it is continuous with the sliding surface of the connecting transport section 70. In the elevated state, the sliding surface of the roller conveyor 81 clears the upper edge of the front end wall 33 of the transport space 37 (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0059] Like the lifting mechanism 63, the lifting mechanism 82 also has the upper plate 66a simply placed on the upper end of the rod 65b, but not fixed in place. As a result, when switching from the raised state to the lowered state, the roller conveyor 81 descends by its own weight as the rod 65b descends. However, even if a worker's body or a container 21, etc., becomes pinched between the roller conveyor 81 and the bottom wall 31 or the connecting transport section 70 during the descent, the rod 65b separates from the upper plate 66a, so that only the rod 65b continues to descend, but the roller conveyor 81 does not descend any further. This prevents the driving force of the electric actuator 64 (downstream lifting motor 82a) from acting on the pinched body or container 21, ensuring safety.

[0060] A container detection unit 24 is provided on the right side wall 35 to detect when a container 21 is positioned on the roller conveyor 81 in the descending state. The container detection unit 24 is located in a position that does not detect a container 21 positioned on the roller conveyor 81 in the ascending state. In this embodiment, the container detection unit 24 is composed of a laser sensor that emits a laser toward the left side wall 34. Note that the container detection unit 24 may be composed of an ultrasonic sensor, a limit switch, or the like, as long as it is capable of detecting a container 21, and the position of the container detection unit 24 may be changed depending on the type of container.

[0061] Furthermore, a placement detection unit 25 is provided on the front end wall 33 to detect whether a container 21 is placed on the sliding surface 61c or the placement unit 40. In this embodiment, the placement detection unit 25 is configured with a laser sensor that emits a laser toward the rear end wall 32. This placement detection unit 25 also attempts to detect a container 21 on the roller conveyor 81, so when the container detection unit 24 detects a container 21, for example, detection by the placement detection unit 25 may be disabled. Furthermore, the placement detection unit 25, the control device 90, or the like may determine whether a container 21 is placed on the sliding surface 61c or the placement unit 40 depending on the distance from the placement detection unit 25 to the container 21.

[0062] Note that placement detection unit 25 is not limited to a laser sensor, and may be composed of an ultrasonic sensor, a limit switch, or the like, as long as it can detect container 21 on sliding surface 61c or placement unit 40, and the position of placement detection unit 25 may be changed depending on the type of sensor. However, by positioning placement detection unit 25 on the front side of food container conveying device 20, such as on front end wall 33, which is far from discharge outlet 13, malfunctions of placement detection unit 25 caused by moisture splashing from discharge outlet 13 can be suppressed.

[0063] The jumping part 83 is a roller conveyor that sends out the containers 21 to the next process device of the food container conveying device 20 and acts as a stopper that restricts the forward movement of the containers 21 on the roller conveyor 81. The jumping part 83 is equipped with a plurality of rollers 83a aligned in the front-to-rear direction, a pair of left and right slide rollers 83b arranged in front of the rollers 83a, and a frame 83c that rotatably supports the rollers 83a and the slide rollers 83b.

[0064] The roller 83a is a round bar-shaped member extending in the left-right direction, and both left and right ends are supported by the frame 83c. The slide roller 83b is a disc-shaped member when viewed in the left-right direction. The pair of left and right slide rollers 83b are attached to both the left and right sides of the front end of the frame 83c, and the outer circumferential surfaces of the slide rollers 83b protrude forward from the front end of the frame 83c.

[0065] The rear end of the frame 83c is swingably connected to the front end of the frame 61b of the roller conveyor 81. When the discharge section 80 is in the lowered state, the slide roller 83b contacts and is pushed up against the front end wall 33, causing the frame 83c to spring up, and the sliding surface of the aligned rollers 83a becomes inclined upward toward the front. If a container 21 is present on the roller conveyor 81 at this time, the sliding surface of the spring-up section 83 abuts against the side of the container 21, restricting the forward movement of the container 21 and preventing the container 21 from interfering with the front end wall 33. When the discharge section 80 is switched between the lowered state and the raised state, the slide roller 83b rolls on the rear surface of the front end wall 33. In the raised state, the slide roller 83b climbs over the front end wall 33 and protrudes forward, the jumping part 83 tilts forward relative to the roller conveyor 81, and the sliding surface of the jumping part 83 tilts downward toward the front and becomes continuous with the sliding surface of the roller conveyor 81 (see FIG. 6(c)). At this time, the jumping part 83 rests on a pair of left and right extension parts 33a that extend the upper edge of the front end wall 33 forward, and the load of the jumping part 83 can be supported by the front end wall 33.

[0066] Food container conveying device 20 is equipped with side guides 67, 87 that restrict the rightward movement of containers 21 so that containers 21 conveyed on roller conveyors 61, 81 and connected conveying section 70 do not interfere with rods 66b and guides 66c of lifting mechanisms 63, 82 located to the right of them. Side guide 67 is a round bar-shaped section that is parallel to the right edges of roller conveyors 61 and connected conveying section 70, and is fixed to right wall 35 so as to be located above those right edges.

[0067] The side guide 87 is a round bar-shaped part parallel to the right edge of the roller conveyor 81. The side guide 87 is located above the right edge and is fixed to two rods 66b of the lifting mechanism 82 so as to be aligned in a straight line with the side guide 67 when viewed in the up-down direction. As a result, the side guide 87 also moves up and down in accordance with the movement of the roller conveyor 81.

[0068] 7 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of food container conveying device 20. Control device 90 of food container conveying device 20 includes CPU 91, ROM 92, and RAM 93. These are each connected to input / output port 95 via bus line 94. Input / output port 95 is further connected to main power switch 96, forced discharge switch 97, stack signal light 90a, interface (I / F) 98, upstream lifting / lowering motor 64a, downstream lifting / lowering motor 82a, placement drive motor 52, mass meter 23, container detection unit 24, and placement detection unit 25.

[0069] The CPU 91 is a computing device that controls each unit connected via a bus line 94. The ROM 92 is a non-rewritable, non-volatile memory that stores programs executed by the CPU 91, fixed value data, and the like. Note that a storage device such as a flash ROM, SSD, or HDD may be used instead of the ROM 92. The RAM 93 is a memory for rewritably storing various work data, flags, and the like when the CPU 91 executes a program. The ROM 92 is provided with a control program 92a. When the CPU 91 executes the control program 92a, the rotation measurement process of FIG. 8 and the carry-out process of FIG. 9 are repeatedly executed alternately. Note that, for example, a plurality of CPUs 91 may be provided to execute the rotation measurement process of FIG. 8 and the carry-out process of FIG. 9 in parallel.

[0070] The main power switch 96 is a switch that switches the main power supply of the food container conveying device 20 on and off. The forced ejection switch 97 is a switch that forcibly conveys the container 21 placed on the placement section 40 forward. The main power switch 96 and the forced ejection switch 97 are provided on the surface of the housing that constitutes the control device 90.

[0071] The interface 98 is a device that connects the CPU 91 of the food container conveying device 20 and the food slicer 10 to send and receive signals between them. The food slicer 10 is equipped with an operation switch 14 and a slicer drive motor 15. The slicer drive motor 15 is a motor that, when driven, moves the belt conveyor 11 and the rotating blade of the cutting unit 12 to cut food. The operation switch 14 is a switch that switches the slicer drive motor 15 between driving and stopping.

[0072] When using food slicer 10 alone, an operator operates operation switch 14 before placing food on belt conveyor 11, so in food slicer 10 shown in FIG. 1, operation switch 14 is located near belt conveyor 11. Furthermore, because operation switch 14, main power switch 96, and forced discharge switch 97 are all operated by the operator, it is preferable to locate them together. Therefore, for example, it is preferable to locate control device 90, which is provided with main power switch 96 and forced discharge switch 97, near operation switch 14. Note that in this embodiment, slicer drive motor 15 is switched between driving and stopping based on a signal from CPU 91 of food container conveying device 20, basically without operating operation switch 14.

[0073] Next, the operation of food container conveying device 20 will be described with reference to Figure 3 and Figures 6(a) to 9. Figures 6(a) to 6(c) are schematic diagrams showing a method for conveying containers 21 by food container conveying device 20. Figure 8 is a flowchart of the rotational weighing process executed by CPU 91 of food container conveying device 20. Figure 9 is a flowchart of the carry-out process executed by CPU 91.

[0074] First, when the main power switch 96 of the food container conveying device 20 is turned on, the CPU 91 executes the control program 92a, and the rotational weighing process and the conveying process are alternately and periodically repeated. At the start of this process, the operation switch 14 of the food slicer 10 is turned off. Note that when the main power switch 96 is off, the operation switch 14 may be turned off (not on) and the slicer drive motor 15 may be stopped. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the CPU 91 switches between driving and stopping the slicer drive motor 15, when the main power switch 96 is on, operation of the operation switch 14 is disabled by an interlock.

[0075] Furthermore, when the main power switch 96 is turned on, the upstream lifting motor 64a, downstream lifting motor 82a, and platform drive motor 52 are stopped, and all stack signal lights 90a are turned off. Furthermore, when the main power switch 96 is turned on, the lifting and transporting section 60 is basically in a standby state and the discharge section 80 is in a lowered state, as shown in Fig. 3. However, if these states are not met when the main power switch 96 is turned on, the upstream lifting and transporting motor 64a and downstream lifting and transporting motor 82a are driven to be in a standby state and in a lowered state, although this is not shown in Fig. 8 etc.

[0076] 8, first, it is confirmed whether placement detection unit 25 has detected container 21 placed on sliding surface 61c or placement unit 40 (S11). If placement detection unit 25 does not detect container 21 (S11: No), the operator has not set container 21 in food container conveying device 20, and so the rotational weighing process is terminated.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 3, the worker sets the container 21 on the food container conveying device 20 so that the container 21 is positioned above the placement unit 40 and below the discharge port 13. During this setting operation, the sliding surface 61c in the standby state is positioned above the upper surface of the turntable 41 of the placement unit 40, so that the container 21 can be slid on the sliding surface 61c and brought above the placement unit 40 without getting caught on the turntable 41. In this way, the standby state makes it easier to set the container 21. Furthermore, during the setting operation, the container 21 sliding on the sliding surface 61c can be brought into contact with the guide portion 61f, thereby stopping the container 21 above the placement unit 40. As a result, the setting operation of the container 21 can be made even easier.

[0078] During the setting operation, the worker basically places the container 21 on the sliding surface 61c while putting the container 21 into the transfer space 37 from above. However, as shown in Fig. 1, the left side wall 34 is provided with an opening / closing door 34a that opens and closes the left side of the sliding surface 61c, so the worker may open the opening / closing door 34a and place the container 21 on the sliding surface 61c from the left.

[0079] 8, the placement detection unit 25 detects the container 21 (S11: Yes), and it is then confirmed whether the sliding surface 61c is in a standby state (S12). In order to avoid proceeding to the process of S12 before (during) the setting work of the container 21 is completed, the process of S11 also confirms that the container 21 is stopped on the sliding surface 61c or the placement unit 40. Instead of confirming the stop, the placement detection unit 25 may wait for a predetermined time after detecting the container 21 and then proceed to the process of S12.

[0080] If the sliding surface 61c is in a standby state (S12: Yes), the stacked signal light 90a is illuminated in green (S13) to notify an operator that the food slicer 10 has started operating or is currently operating. Next, the upstream lifting motor 64a is driven to switch the sliding surface 61c to the receiving state (S14). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the sliding surface 61c descends below the turntable 41, and the container 21 placed on the sliding surface 61c is placed on the turntable 41 and lifted off the sliding surface 61c.

[0081] 8, the weighing value M1 of mass meter 23 is measured before food is placed in container 21 in order to subtract the tare weight (S15). Note that the weighing value of mass meter 23 fluctuates due to vibrations when container 21 is placed on turntable 41, and therefore the process in S15 waits until the weighing value stabilizes, and the stable weighing value is used as weighing value M1. In this embodiment, weighing value M1 includes the mass of empty container 21, the mass of turntable 41, the mass of rotating shaft 42, and the mass of rotation mechanism 50.

[0082] After the processing of S15, the placement drive motor 52 is driven to rotate the turntable 41 of the placement unit 40 (S16), and a drive signal for the slicer drive motor 15 is sent to the food slicer 10 via the interface 98 (S17). This causes the belt conveyor 11 and the rotary blade of the cutting unit 12 to start moving. When an operator places food on the belt conveyor 11 (see FIG. 1) of the food slicer 10, or when food is already on the belt conveyor 11, the food cut by the cutting unit 12 (see FIG. 1) is discharged downward from the discharge port 13 and placed into the container 21. Because the container 21 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the turntable 41, the food placement location constantly moves circumferentially within the container 21. Therefore, the food in the container 21 is less likely to be concentrated in one part of the container 21, and can be stored in the container 21 in a uniform state.

[0083] 3, by bringing round container 21 into contact with arc-shaped guide portion 61f, the radial center of container 21 and rotation axis 42a are approximately aligned, and they remain aligned when switched to the receiving state. This allows food to be more uniformly placed into container 21, and makes it even easier to set container 21 for uniform placement.

[0084] After processing S17, weight meter 23 measures weight value M2 (S18). This weight value M2 increases by the mass of the food added to container 21 relative to weight value M1 (mass before addition) measured in processing S15. Therefore, weight value M1 is subtracted from weight value M2 to perform a tare, the increase in mass due to the addition of food (food mass), and a check is made to see if the calculated food mass (M2-M1) (a value based on the measurement result of weight meter 23) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (S21). Note that tare subtraction is not limited to being performed by CPU 91; weight meter 23 may also be used to subtract the weight, and the food mass (M2-M1) may be sent to CPU 91 as the weight value of weight meter 23.

[0085] If the mass of the food (M2-M1) is less than the threshold value (S21: No), the amount of food in container 21 is less than the predetermined amount, so it is checked whether forced discharge switch 97 is off (S28). If there is no need to transport container 21 to the next process because the amount of food in container 21 is still less than the predetermined amount, forced discharge switch 97 will not be operated by the operator and will remain off (S28: Yes), so the processes of S22 to S27 are skipped and the rotation weighing process is terminated.

[0086] In the rotation weighing process that is executed repeatedly after this, placement detector 25 detects container 21 (S11: Yes), but because sliding surface 61c is in the receiving state rather than the standby state (S12: No), the processes of S13 to S17 are skipped and the weighing value M1 is not reacquired, and the processes of S18 and S21 are executed again. In this process of S21, if the mass of the food (M2-M1) is equal to or greater than the threshold value (S21: Yes), a signal to stop slicer drive motor 15 is sent to food slicer 10 (S22), and the feeding of food into container 21 is stopped.

[0087] When the food input stops, the placement drive motor 52 is stopped (S23), stopping the rotation of the container 21. Furthermore, the stack signal light 90a is turned off in green (S24), informing the operator that the food slicer 10 and other devices are stopped.

[0088] Next, it is confirmed that the discharge unit 80 is in a lowered state so that it can receive the container 21 (S25). If the discharge unit 80 is in a lowered state (S25: Yes), the stack signal light 90a emits red light (S26) to notify the worker or the like that the container 21 is being transported. Next, the upstream lifting motor 64a is driven to switch the sliding surface 61c to the transport state (S27).

[0089] As shown in Figure 6(b), when sliding surface 61c is switched to the conveying state, container 21 placed on turntable 41 is placed on sliding surface 61c and floats off turntable 41. In the conveying state, sliding surface 61c is positioned above turntable 41 and tilts downward toward the front. As a result, container 21 slides forward on sliding surface 61c under its own weight and is conveyed without getting caught on turntable 41. With this simple configuration, container 21 containing food can be conveyed to the next process.

[0090] 8, when the amount of food in container 21 reaches or exceeds a predetermined amount, the pouring of food into container 21 is stopped and container 21 is transported, making it easier to transport food received in container 21 to the next process at predetermined amounts. In particular, in this embodiment, when the tared mass of food (M2-M1) reaches or exceeds a predetermined amount through the processes of S15, S18, and S21, food is transported to the next process. Therefore, even if the mass of food varies between containers 21, the mass of food received in container 21 can be measured more accurately. As a result, processing variations in subsequent processes, including the next process, can be reduced. For example, when performing washing or centrifugal dehydration as a subsequent process, it is preferable to extend the washing or centrifugal dehydration time as the amount of food increases. However, if the amount of food is approximately constant, the washing or centrifugal dehydration time can be set to a predetermined time, making it easier to perform each process uniformly and without variation.

[0091] 6(b), the container 21 slides on the sliding surface 61c in the conveying state, passes over the connecting conveying section 70, slides on the roller conveyor 81 in the lowered state, and is conveyed to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6(b) where the container 21 comes into contact with the jumping part 83. Before the container 21 comes into contact with the jumping part 83, the container detection section 24 detects that the container 21 has been transferred onto the roller conveyor 81.

[0092] 9, first, it is confirmed whether the container detection unit 24 has detected a container 21 (S31), and if the container 21 has not been detected, the process of S32 is skipped and the processes from S33 onward are executed. On the other hand, if the container 21 is detected (S31: Yes), the roller conveyor 81 has already received the container 21, so the downstream lift motor 82a is driven to start switching the roller conveyor 81 of the discharge unit 80 to an elevated state (S32). Note that since the container detection unit 24 detects the container 21 while sliding on the roller conveyor 81 (S31: Yes), the process of S32 may be configured to wait until the container 21 contacts the jump-up portion 83 before executing the process of S32.

[0093] As shown in Figure 6(c), when discharge section 80 is switched to the raised state, jump section 83, which had been restricting forward sliding of container 21, falls forward. This releases the restriction imposed by jump section 83, and container 21 begins to slide on roller conveyor 81 and jump section 83 due to its own weight, and container 21 is transported from food container conveying device 20 to the device for the next process ahead. The process following the process in which food is received in container 21 is often a cleaning process in which food is placed in container 21 together with container 21 in a cleaning tank from above, which often requires lifting of container 21. As described above, food container conveying device 20 allows discharge section 80 to lift container 21 and transport it to the next process, making it easier to connect food container conveying device 20 to the device for the next process and reducing the burden on the worker when lifting container 21 to the height of the loading surface of the device for the next process.

[0094] 9, it is confirmed whether the discharge unit 80 is in the raised state (S33). This confirmation may be made by the CPU 91 based on the elapsed time since the start of switching to the raised state in S32, or based on the driving status of the downstream lift motor 82a, whether the limit switch is on, etc. If the discharge unit 80 is not in the raised state (S33: No), the processes of S34 and S35 are skipped and the processes from S36 onwards are executed, because the discharge unit 80 is to continue to be raised or is not currently being raised.

[0095] On the other hand, if the unloading unit 80 is in the raised state (S33: Yes), the upstream lifting motor 64a is driven to switch the sliding surface 61c to a standby state so that the next container 21 can be set (S34). Next, the downstream lifting motor 82a is driven to start switching the unloading unit 80 to a lowered state (S35). Next, it is confirmed whether the sliding surface 61c is in a state other than the transport state (standby state or receiving state) and whether the unloading unit 80 is in a lowered state (being raised or lowered) (S36). If the sliding surface 61c is not in the transport state or the unloading unit 80 is not in the lowered state (S36: No), the container 21 is moving or the unloading unit 80 is operating, so the process of S37 is skipped and the current unloading process is terminated. In the processing of S36 in the next or subsequent unloading process, if the sliding surface 61c is not in the transport state and the unloading section 80 is in the descending state (S36: Yes), the movement of the container 21 has been completed, so the stack signal light 90a is turned off in red (S37) and the unloading process is terminated.

[0096] The above has described a series of operations from receiving food in one container 21 to carrying it out, but after processing S34 during that series of operations and before the processing of S35 to S37 is performed, the operator may set a new, empty container 21 in food container conveying device 20. In this case, while carrying-out section 80 is descending, the processing of S11 to S25 allows new container 21 to contain a predetermined amount of food.

[0097] In the process of S25 for a new container 21, the processes of S26 and S27 are skipped and the process waits for the return of the discharge unit 80 to the lowered state after the old container 21 has been transported (S25: No), and the process waits for the return of the discharge unit 80 to the lowered state. Once the discharge unit 80 has returned to the lowered state (S25: Yes), the processes of S26 and S27 are executed to start the transport of the new container 21. As described above, in the food container conveying device 20, food can be placed in the new container 21 while the old container 21 is being transported, improving the efficiency of the process from placing food in the container 21 to transporting it.

[0098] Note that, due to some kind of trouble, the process of S35 may start switching the unloading unit 80 to the lowering state even though the container 21 has not yet been unloaded from the unloading unit 80. In this case, if the container 21 is detected in the process of S31 in the next or subsequent unloading process (S31: Yes), the process from S32 onwards is performed again to attempt to re-unload the container 21. However, when the unloading unit 80 is in the raised state due to the re-unloading of this old container 21 (S33: Yes), if a new container 21 has previously been set and the sliding surface 61c has switched to the receiving state, there is no need to switch the sliding surface 61c to the standby state in the process of S34 for the old container 21. Therefore, although not shown in FIG. 9, the process of S34 is skipped during the receiving state.

[0099] If the food slicer 10 runs out of food after repeatedly carrying out containers 21 that have received food, the operator turns on forced discharge switch 97. Then, even if the mass of the food (M2-M1) is less than the threshold (S21: No), forced discharge switch 97 is turned on (S28: No), and the processing from S22 onwards is executed. This allows containers 21 that contain less than the predetermined amount of food to be carried out to the next process.

[0100] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is readily apparent that various improvements and modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. The shape, number, and location of each component described in the above embodiments may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the specific process content and order of each process shown in Figures 8 and 9 may be changed as appropriate.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the case where food discharged downward from discharge port 13 of food slicer 10 is stored in container 21 set in food container conveying device 20 has been described, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, food discharged from a device other than food slicer 10 may be stored in container 21 set in food container conveying device 20.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the sliding surface 61c is configured by a roller conveyor 61. However, the sliding surface 61c may also be configured by, for example, a ball conveyor or a sliding plate. When the sliding surface 61c is formed by a roller conveyor 61 or a ball conveyor, friction between the container 21 and the sliding surface 61c is easily reduced, making it easier to reduce the inclination angle during transport. As a result, the vertical stroke of the lifting mechanism 63 can be reduced, making it easier to downsize the lifting mechanism 63. Furthermore, when the sliding surface 61c is formed by a roller conveyor 61, the container 21 is less likely to slide left and right on the sliding surface 61c compared to a ball conveyor, so guides (side guides 67, 87, etc.) used during transport of the container 21 can be simplified or eliminated.

[0103] Furthermore, the shape and arrangement of the sliding surface 61c may be modified so that, for example, the handle 21a (see FIG. 6(a)) projecting outward from the upper edge of the container 21 is placed on the sliding surface 61c and slides thereon, rather than only the bottom surface of the container 21 being placed on the sliding surface 61c. By providing the sliding surfaces 61c on which the handle 21a is placed on both the left and right sides and accommodating the main body of the container 21 between the pair of left and right sliding surfaces 61c, it is possible to eliminate the need for guides (side guides 67, 87, etc.) that restrict the left-right movement of the container 21. The above-described modified examples of the sliding surface 61c may also be applied to the sliding surfaces of the connecting conveying unit 70 and the carrying-out unit 80.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the rotating table 41 of the mounting unit 40 is described as being disk-shaped, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the rotating table 41 may be formed in a cone shape centered on the rotation axis 42a, and the bottom surface of the container 21 may be formed in a shape that fits the cone-shaped rotating table 41. In this case, it is easy to align the radial center of the container 21 with the rotation axis 42a. However, if the rotating table 41 is disk-shaped (with a flat upper surface), there is a degree of freedom in the shape of the container 21 that can be mounted, and commercially available containers 21, etc., can be used.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the driving means for moving the container 21 placed on the mounting portion 40 within a range that allows food to be received is the rotation mechanism 50 that rotates the mounting portion 40 to rotate the container 21. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the mounting portion 40 may be slidably vibrated at high or low speed in a substantially horizontal direction, such as the front-to-back or left-to-right direction, to cause the container 21 on the mounting portion 40 to slidably vibrate. The mounting portion 40 may also be slid up and down, which in turn vibrates the container 21 up and down. Similar to rotation, these cases also prevent food from becoming unevenly distributed within the container 21. However, because slidable vibrations and vertical vibrations can easily impose a load on the mass meter 23, it is preferable to rotate the container 21 when the mass meter 23 is provided. Furthermore, depending on how the container 21 is moved, the shape of the container 21 may be box-shaped (rectangular when viewed from above), etc.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the lifting and conveying unit 60 is switched between a standby state, a receiving state, and a conveying state. However, for example, the standby state may be omitted. Furthermore, the receiving state is not limited to the case where the container 21 is placed on the placement unit 40 and floats above the sliding surface 61c, and the container 21 may be placed on both of them. Specifically, for example, the container 21 may be placed on the sliding surface 61c made of a ball conveyor and on the turntable 41 of the placement unit 40, and the turntable 41 may be rotated. Furthermore, the container 21 may be moved not only by moving the placement unit 40, but also by using the sliding surface 61c made of a ball conveyor as the placement unit, and by a driving means that applies a rotational force to the outer peripheral surface of the container 21 placed on the sliding surface 61c.

[0107] The standby state is not limited to when the sliding surface 61c is horizontal, and may instead be inclined downward toward the rear so that the container 21 slides rearward on the sliding surface 61c due to its own weight. When the container 21 is placed on the sliding surface 61c in such a standby state, the container 21 contacts the guide portion 61f due to sliding due to its own weight. This eliminates the need for an operator to slide the container 21 until it contacts the guide portion 61f, simplifying the setting operation of the container 21 and reducing variation in the setting position of the container 21.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the upper plate 66a of the lifting mechanism 63, 82 is loosely placed on the upper end of the rod 65b, but the upper plate 66a may be fixed to the rod 65b. Also, the lower plate 65a may be loosely placed on the flange 64e of the nut 64c. In this case, too, if a worker's body, a container 21, or the like becomes pinched between the roller conveyor 61, 81 and the bottom wall 31, the lower plate 65a will separate from the nut 64c, ensuring safety.

[0109] Although the rotation mechanism 50 in the above embodiment is configured to transmit the driving force of the mount drive motor 52 to the rotating shaft 42 via pulleys 53a and 53b and the transmission belt 53 to rotate the turntable 41, this configuration is not necessarily limited to this. For example, a simplified and lightweight configuration may be adopted, in which the mount drive motor 52 is disposed directly below the rotating shaft 42 and directly connected to the rotating shaft 42 via a coupling or the like. Even in this case, the mass meter 23 needs to measure the mass (weight) of the turntable 41, the mount drive motor 52, etc. together.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the weighing means for weighing the food in container 21 is mass meter 23, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the weighing means may process an image captured by a camera and weigh the food in container 21.

[0111] Some of the configurations in the above embodiment may be omitted. For example, the connecting conveying unit 70 may be omitted, and the container 21 may be directly conveyed from the lifting conveying unit 60 to the unloading unit 80. Depending on the height of the container 21 required for the next process, the unloading unit 80 may also be omitted, and the container 21 may be directly unloaded from the lifting conveying unit 60 in the transport state to the next process. The lifting mechanism 82 of the unloading unit 80 may be omitted, and the container 21 may be lifted by an operator. The mass meter 23 may be omitted, and the rotation mechanism 50, etc. may be fixed to the housing 30.

[0112] In the above embodiment, the slicer drive motor 15 is switched between driving and stopping in the rotation weighing process (CPU 91) of FIG. 8 , but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, instead of the process of S17, a notification may be provided to the operator that the food slicer 10 has started operating. After this notification, the process from S18 onward may be executed on the condition that the operator turns on the operation switch 14 to start driving the slicer drive motor 15. Furthermore, in this case, when the placement detector 25 detects the container 21 (S11: Yes) and the sliding surface 61c is in the standby state (S12: Yes), an interlock may be set to prohibit driving of the slicer drive motor 15, and the interlock may be released approximately simultaneously with the notification that the food slicer 10 has started operating. This prevents the slicer drive motor 15 from starting to drive and measuring the mass of the food contained in the container 21 while the tare weight value M1 is being measured in the process of S15.

[0113] 8 in the above embodiment, the process from S22 onward is executed if the mass of the food (M2-M1) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the process from S15 may be omitted, and the process from S22 onward may be executed if the weight value M2 of mass meter 23 in the process from S18 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In other words, tare subtraction may be omitted, and container 21 containing the food may be transported to the next process if the total mass of the food and container 21 (and turntable 41, etc.) exceeds a predetermined threshold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 20 Food container conveying device 21 Container 23 Mass meter (measurement means) 40 Placement section 42a Rotation axis 50 Rotation mechanism (drive means) 60 Lifting and transport section 61c sliding surface 61f Guide section 64b axis 65c Guide 66c Guide 80 Unloading section 90 Control device

Claims

1. A food container conveying device comprising a placing section on which a container can be placed, and for conveying the container in a conveying direction after receiving food in the container placed on the placing section, a driving means for moving the container placed on the placement section within a range in which the food can be received; a lifting and lowering conveying unit having a sliding surface on which the container can slide, The food container conveying device is characterized in that the lifting and conveying section raises and lowers the sliding surface between a conveying state in which the container is floated from the placement section and placed on the sliding surface while the sliding surface tilts downward toward the conveying direction, and a receiving state in which the container is placed on the placement section.

2. The food container conveying device described in claim 1, characterized in that the lifting and conveying section raises and lowers the sliding surface between the conveying state, the receiving state, and a standby state in which the container is placed on the sliding surface and the sliding surface is horizontal.

3. The food container conveying device of claim 2, further comprising a guide section that contacts the side of the container placed on the sliding surface in the standby state opposite to the conveying direction, thereby positioning the container above the placement section.

4. 2. The food container conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the placement unit is configured to be rotatable by the driving means about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction.

5. the lifting and transporting unit lifts and lowers the sliding surface between the transport state, the receiving state, and a standby state in which the container is placed on the sliding surface and the sliding surface is horizontal; The food container conveying device includes a guide section that contacts the side of the container placed on the sliding surface in the standby state opposite to the conveying direction and positions the container above the placement section, 5. The food container conveying device according to claim 4, wherein, when viewed from above and below in the standby state, the guide portion is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis.

6. a weighing means for weighing the container placed on the placement section; A food container conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it is further characterized by a control device that switches the lifting and conveying section from the receiving state to the conveying state when a value based on the weighing result by the weighing means exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

7. a carry-out unit disposed on the conveying direction side of the lifting and lowering conveying unit and capable of being raised and lowered; A food container conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the conveying section can be switched between a descending state in which it slides on the sliding surface in the conveying state to receive the container conveyed in the conveying direction, and an ascending state in which it lifts the container received in the descending state and conveys it in the conveying direction.

Images