Food transfer device

Abstract

To eliminate an impact as much as possible when a fried food such as a pork cutlet is placed in a container or the like while transferring the fried food so that its coating is not peeled off as much as possible, and to avoid interference between an article and a hand when there is the article at a transfer destination.SOLUTION: In this food transfer device 100 for scooping up the fried food F by a hand 12 and transferring it to a prescribed place, the hand 12 has a holding surface 123 for holding the scooped up fried food F, and a reverse surface 124 positioned on the reverse side of its holding surface 123 is inclined so as to descend toward a tip part 125.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food transfer device for transferring battered fried foods such as pork cutlets. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, this type of food transfer device is configured to pinch and lift a pork cutlet with a hand, carry the pork cutlet to a desired transfer location, and then release it.

[0003] However, if the food being transferred is a battered deep-fried food such as pork cutlet, the batter will come off if the food is held in place by the hand, which will spoil the appearance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-160713 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In this situation, the inventors of the present application have considered a configuration in which a flat hand is used to scoop up and transfer fried foods such as pork cutlets.

[0006] When using such a hand, one would want to move the hand while keeping it in a horizontal position to prevent the scooped fried food from slipping off during movement to the transfer location.

[0007] However, in this case, when placing fried food in a container such as a lunch box, the handle cannot be lowered to the bottom of the container and must be dropped from a position higher than the edge, which can cause other problems, such as the impact on the fried food due to the drop, causing the batter to come off or the food to become distorted. Also, if there are other ingredients already packed in the container, there can be problems such as the handle interfering with the ingredients.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve all of the above problems at once, and its objective is to transfer fried foods such as tonkatsu so that the coating does not come off as much as possible, while minimizing the impact when placing the food in a container, and also to avoid interference between the hand and any items at the destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In other words, the food transfer device of the present invention is a food transfer device that scoops up fried food with a hand and transfers it to a predetermined location, and is characterized in that the hand has a holding surface that holds the scooped fried food, and the back surface located behind the holding surface is inclined downward as it approaches the tip.

[0010] With this configuration, the fried food is scooped up by hand, so it can be transferred without removing most of the batter. Furthermore, since the back of the hand is inclined downwards towards the tip, it is possible to bring the tip of the hand closer to the bottom of a container, for example, thereby minimizing the impact when placing fried food, and by inclining the back in this way, it is also possible to avoid interference between the hand and the item at the transfer destination. The present invention configured in this manner contributes to the automation of the transfer of fried foods in lunch factories and the like.

[0011] Some tonkatsu (pork cutlets) in bento boxes are cut into multiple pieces. When transferring such cut fried foods, it is extremely difficult to transfer multiple pieces at once using a conventional clamping hand without removing the batter or breaking them apart. Furthermore, as mentioned above, using a horizontal hand increases the impact it receives when placing the cut tonkatsu in the container, which can lead to problems such as the cut tonkatsu losing its shape. Therefore, an embodiment that further enhances the technical significance of the present invention is one in which the hand scoops up the fried food that has been cut into multiple pieces. This makes it possible to transfer multiple pieces at once without removing the batter and without breaking them down, and also allows them to be placed in the container without disturbing their individual positions.

[0012] It is preferable that the hand moves back and forth in a direction substantially along the cut of the fried food. With this configuration, when the cut fried foods are placed at the transfer location, the individual pieces are less likely to roll, which improves productivity in lunch box factories and the like. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] To transfer a deep-fried food such as a pork cutlet so that the batter does not come off as much as possible, while minimizing shock when placing the food in a container, and further, when there is an article at the transfer destination, preventing the article from interfering with a hand. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a food transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the transfer robot of the embodiment. [Figure 3] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the transfer robot of the embodiment scooping up a pork cutlet. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the food transfer device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the hand of the embodiment has moved to a standby position. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the transfer robot of the embodiment placing the pork cutlet in a container. FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a food transfer device in another embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a food transfer device in another embodiment. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a food transfer device in another embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a food transfer device in another embodiment. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a food transfer device in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a food transfer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] The food transfer device is used in the manufacturing process of boxed lunches sold at convenience stores, supermarkets, etc., and transfers fried foods into containers such as lunch boxes. The fried foods to be transferred are those coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried (breaded fried foods). Tonkatsu will be used as an example below, but it can also be applied to various other foods such as fried shrimp and croquettes.

[0017] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the food transfer device 100 includes a transfer robot 10 that transfers the tonkatsu F to a predetermined location such as a container Z, an imaging means 20 that images the tonkatsu F before it is transferred, and a robot controller 30 that receives the imaging data obtained by the imaging means 20 and controls the transfer robot 10.

[0018] In this case, the pork cutlet F is cut into a plurality of pieces in advance, in other words, it is made up of a plurality of slices F1 (hereinafter referred to as "sliced ​​cutlet F1"). The number of slices F1 that make up one pork cutlet F is not limited to that shown in the figure, and may be changed as appropriate as long as it is two or more.

[0019] The transfer robot 10 picks up, for example, pork cutlets F arranged in advance on a transport tray T and places the pork cutlets F in a container Z.

[0020] In this embodiment, a worker manually arranges a plurality of pork cutlets F on a transport tray T in advance, and then sets the transport tray T at a predetermined picking position P.

[0021] Here, multiple pieces of pork cutlets F are arranged vertically and horizontally at intervals, in other words, in multiple columns and rows, on the transport tray T. After all of the pork cutlets F arranged on this transport tray T have been placed in the container Z, another transport tray T is set at the picking position P manually or automatically.

[0022] 1, the containers Z are continuously transported by a transport conveyor 40, and the transfer robot 10 is configured to place the pork cutlets F on the containers Z being transported by the transport conveyor 40. However, the transfer robot 10 may be configured to place the pork cutlets F on a container Z that is temporarily stopped.

[0023] The transfer robot 10 may be an expensive robot such as a parallel link robot, but in this embodiment, it is a relatively inexpensive articulated robot such as a serial link robot. Here, one transfer robot 10 is used, but multiple transfer robots 10 may also be used.

[0024] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transfer robot 10 has an arm 11 connected via multiple joints and a hand 12 attached to the tip of the arm 11, and this hand 12 is used to scoop up the tonkatsu F.

[0025] 2, the hand 12 has a base plate 121 and a belt 122 wound around the upper and lower surfaces of the base plate via a plurality of rollers. The base plate 121 has a length that allows a plurality of pork cutlets F to be placed on it.

[0026] In this configuration, by bringing the entire hand 12 close to the pork cutlet F and winding up the belt 122, the base plate 121 can be inserted between the pork cutlet F and the upper surface of the transport tray T, thereby scooping up the pork cutlet F.

[0027] Meanwhile, by moving the entire hand 12 away from the transfer location of the container Z and sending out the belt 122, the scooped up pork cutlet F can be placed in the container Z.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, the hand 12 of this embodiment has a holding surface 123 for holding the scooped up pork cutlet F, and a back surface 124 located on the back side of the holding surface 123 is inclined downward as it approaches the tip 125.

[0029] More specifically, the hand 12 here is flat, and both the holding surface 123 and the back surface 124 are flat surfaces that are inclined downward toward the tip end 125.

[0030] The holding surface 123 is a surface facing diagonally upward, and is set on the outer surface of the belt wrapped around the base plate 121. Specifically, the holding surface 123 is the outer surface of the region of the belt 122 that is wrapped around the upper surface of the base plate 121 at the timing when the pork cutlet F is scooped up.

[0031] The back surface 124 is a surface facing the opposite side to the holding surface 123 described above, and, like the holding surface 123, is set on the outer surface of the belt 122 wound around the substrate 121. Specifically, the back surface 124 is the outer surface of the region of the belt 122 that is wound around the underside of the substrate 121. Depending on the structure of the hand 12, the back surface 124 does not necessarily have to be the outer surface of the belt 122, and may be the outer surface of the member that is located furthest away from the holding surface 123 among the various members that make up the hand 12.

[0032] At least a portion of the back surface 124, including the tip 125 of the hand 12, is inclined downward toward the tip 125 of the hand 12, and here the entire back surface 124 is inclined downward toward the tip 125.

[0033] With this configuration, the back surface 125 of the hand 12 forms an escape space FS to avoid interference between the hand 12 and the tonkatsu F located one behind the tonkatsu F to be scooped up, as shown in Figure 2.

[0034] 3, the hand 12 of this embodiment is used to scoop up a tonkatsu F that has been cut into multiple pieces, and in this case, all of the cutlet slices F1 that make up one tonkatsu F are scooped up at once. However, the hand 12 may also be used to scoop up only some of the cutlet slices F1 that make up one tonkatsu F and transfer them to a container Z, and then scoop up the remaining cutlet slices F1 and transfer them to the same or a different container Z.

[0035] 3, the hand 12 of this embodiment moves back and forth in a direction substantially along the cut of the pork cutlet F. Note that the direction substantially along the cut includes not only a direction parallel to the cut but also a direction inclined relative to the cut.

[0036] Specifically, when scooping up the pork cutlet F, the hand 12 advances at an angle that hits the short side of the slice of pork cutlet F1 before the long side, and when placing the pork cutlet F, the hand 12 retreats at an angle that places the short side of the slice of pork cutlet F1 before the long side. In other words, the direction in which the hand 12 advances and retreats is a direction in which the angle it forms with the cut of the pork cutlet F is 45 degrees or less.

[0037] The imaging means 20 is used to capture images of the tonkatsu F before they are placed in the container Z, and is, for example, a camera that is placed above the transport tray T set at the picking position P and can capture images of all the tonkatsu F on the transport tray T.

[0038] However, the placement of the imaging means 20 is not limited to this, and it may be placed, for example, above the transport tray T before it is set at the picking position P. In short, the placement may be changed as appropriate as long as it is possible to capture an image of the tonkatsu F before it is scooped up by the transfer robot 10.

[0039] The imaging data obtained by this imaging means 20 is sequentially output to the robot controller 30. Then, this imaging data is used to calculate the coordinates of each pork cutlet F in a coordinate system in which an origin is set, for example, at one corner or the center of the transport tray T, and X and Y axes are set along the surface on which the pork cutlets F are arranged on the transport tray T.

[0040] The robot controller 30 is physically a general-purpose or dedicated computer equipped with a CPU, memory, etc. The CPU and its peripheral devices cooperate in accordance with the food transfer program stored in the memory, and the robot controller 30 functions as a position data acquisition unit 31 that acquires position data of the pork cutlet F based on the image data, and an operation control unit 32 that controls the operation of the transfer robot 10 based on the position data, as shown in Fig. 1 .

[0041] In the following, the operation of food transfer device 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 4, along with an explanation of these functions.

[0042] First, the worker manually arranges a plurality of pork cutlets F on a transport tray T and sets the transport tray T at a predetermined picking position P (S1).

[0043] Next, the imaging means 20 described above captures images of the pork cutlets F arranged on the transport tray T, and outputs the image data to the robot controller 30 (S2).

[0044] When the imaging data is output to the robot controller 30, the position data acquisition unit 31 acquires position data indicating the position of each of the pork cutlets F arranged on the transport tray T based on the imaging data (S3).

[0045] Specifically, the position data acquisition unit 31 is configured to acquire position data from the coordinates and tilt of the center of the tonkatsu F, and this position data includes coordinate information and orientation information for each tonkatsu F.

[0046] The coordinate information is information that indicates the coordinates of the characteristic points (e.g., the center point or a point on the contour) of each tonkatsu F in a coordinate system in which the origin is set at, for example, one corner or the center of the transport tray T, and mutually perpendicular X-axis and Y-axis are set along the sides of the transport tray T.

[0047] The orientation information is information indicating the deviation of the actual posture of the pork cutlet F from a predetermined reference posture, and more specifically, information indicating the angle required to rotate the direction of the cuts in the reference posture of the pork cutlet F cut into multiple single-slice cutlets F1 to the direction of the cuts in the actual posture. The reference posture is, for example, a posture in which the direction of the cuts is parallel to one side of the transport tray T.

[0048] The transfer robot 10 of this embodiment is configured to pick up multiple tonkatsu F from among the tonkatsu F arranged on the transport tray T and place the picked up tonkatsu F in multiple containers Z in predetermined numbers.

[0049] Here, the above-mentioned operation control unit 32 controls the position of the hand 12 before scooping up each of the pork cutlets F based on the coordinate information and orientation information corresponding to each of the pork cutlets F (S4).

[0050] To explain more specifically, when scooping up a tonkatsu F, the hand 12 of the transfer robot 10 moves forward toward the tonkatsu F, and the relative positional relationship between the hand 12 just before moving forward and the tonkatsu F being scooped up is maintained for each tonkatsu F.

[0051] As a result, the pork cutlet F on the transport tray T is scooped up at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the hand 12 in a predetermined orientation (posture).

[0052] In this configuration, the transfer robot 10 scoops up a plurality of pork cutlets F in a series of operations (S5). In other words, the transfer robot 10 holds the plurality of pork cutlets F it has scooped up before heading toward the container Z, and more specifically, the plurality of pork cutlets F are arranged at equal intervals on the upper surface of the hand 12.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 3, if the hand 12 scoops up two tonkatsu F in a series of movements, the numerous tonkatsu F arranged on the transport tray T can be divided into multiple groups of two tonkatsu F each.

[0054] The order in which each group is scooped up is determined in advance, and the hand 12 scoops up two pork cutlets F for each group in a series of movements according to that order.

[0055] Specifically, as shown in Figure 3(a), when scooping up the first tonkatsu F, the above-mentioned operation control unit 32 first controls the position of the hand 12 so that it is in a predetermined relative positional relationship with the first tonkatsu F, and then scoops up the first tonkatsu F.

[0056] Then, as shown in Figure 3(b), when scooping up the second tonkatsu F, the above-mentioned operation control unit 32 controls the position of the hand 12 so that it is in a predetermined relative positional relationship with the second tonkatsu F, and then, as shown in Figure 3(c), the second tonkatsu F is scooped up.

[0057] After scooping up multiple tonkatsu F in this manner, as shown in Figure 5, the hand 12 of the transfer robot 10 moves toward the container Z and to a waiting position Q, which is the position before placing the scooped tonkatsu F in the container Z (S6).

[0058] Then, the transfer robot 10 places a predetermined number of the scooped up pork cutlets F into the containers Z (S7). If two pork cutlets F are scooped up as in the previous example, one example is to place one pork cutlet F into each of the two containers Z.

[0059] Furthermore, when scooping up four pieces of pork cutlet F in a single operation, for example, two pieces of pork cutlet F may be placed in each of two containers Z.

[0060] As described above, the transfer robot 10 here is configured to place the pork cutlet F on the container Z being transported by the transport conveyor 40.

[0061] More specifically, when placing the pork cutlet F, the hand 12 of the transfer robot 10 moves away from the container Z, and during this operation, the hand 12 moves along the transport direction of the container Z.

[0062] In this embodiment, the hand 12 places the pork cutlet F on the container Z while moving upstream in the conveying direction of the container Z, but it may also be configured to place the pork cutlet F on the container Z while moving downstream in the conveying direction.

[0063] Here, as shown in Figure 6, the position of the container Z at the time of receiving the tonkatsu F from the transfer robot 10 (hereinafter referred to as the receiving position R) shifts upstream in the conveying direction of the container Z in the order in which the tonkatsu F is received from the multiple containers Z.

[0064] In other words, when two pieces of tonkatsu F are placed in two containers Z, one each, as in this embodiment, the second receiving position R2, which is the position of the second container Z when the second piece of tonkatsu F is placed, is located upstream in the conveying direction of the containers Z than the first receiving position R1, which is the position of the first container Z when the first piece of tonkatsu F is placed.

[0065] These first receiving position R1 and second receiving position R2 are also common positions when the next two scooped pork cutlets F are placed in the two containers Z.

[0066] The container Z on which the pork cutlet F is placed is transported to the next process, for example, a process in which another food ingredient is placed thereon or a process in which a lid (not shown) is closed.

[0067] Thereafter, the robot controller 30 determines whether all of the tonkatsu F on the transport tray T have been placed in the container Z, specifically, whether the number of tonkatsu F transferred has reached the number of tonkatsu F transported on the transport tray T that was input in advance (S8).

[0068] If it has not yet reached the target position, the process returns to S4. On the other hand, if it has reached the target position, the transfer operation is temporarily terminated, and after the next transport tray T is set, the operation is restarted from S1.

[0069] (Actions and Effects of the Food Transfer Device According to the Present Embodiment) According to the food transfer device 100 configured in this manner, the hand 12 is configured to scoop up the pork cutlet F, so that it is possible to transfer a plurality of pork cutlet slices F1 at once without removing most of the batter, and moreover, it is possible to place the individual pork cutlet slices F1 in the container Z without disturbing them.

[0070] Furthermore, since the back surface 124 of the hand 12 is inclined downwards toward the tip 125, it is possible to bring the tip 125 of the hand 12 close to the bottom of the container Z, thereby minimizing the impact when placing the pork cutlet F.

[0071] In addition, by inclining the rear surface 125, the escape space FS described above is formed, which makes it possible to avoid interference between the hand 12 and the item at the transfer destination, such as ingredients pre-packed in the container Z.

[0072] Furthermore, by inclining the rear surface 125 to form an escape space FS, for example, when scooping up a tonkatsu F at the edge of the transport tray T, interference between the edge of the transport tray T and the hand 12 can be avoided, and no matter which direction a tonkatsu F is scooped up from, interference between another tonkatsu F and the hand 12 can be avoided, allowing for a high degree of freedom in the scooping operation.

[0073] Furthermore, since the hand 12 moves back and forth in a direction substantially along the cuts in the pork cutlet F, when the cut pork cutlet F is placed in the container Z, each individual cutlet F1 is less likely to roll, which improves productivity in a lunch box factory or the like.

[0074] In addition, since the operation control unit 32 controls the operation of the transfer robot 10 based on the position data of the tonkatsu F, the position of the transfer robot 10 can be corrected according to the positional deviation of the tonkatsu F, making it possible to scoop up each tonkatsu F in the same way, and maintaining a constant relative position of the tonkatsu F to the container Z.

[0075] Furthermore, since the position data includes not only the coordinate information of the tonkatsu F but also its orientation information, the transfer robot 10 can correct its position not only according to the positional deviation of the tonkatsu F but also according to its orientation, thereby keeping the relative position of the tonkatsu F to the container Z more constant.

[0076] In addition, since the transfer robot 10 places the pork cutlets F on the container Z being transported by the transport conveyor 40, there is no need to stop the transport of the container Z, thereby improving productivity.

[0077] Furthermore, the transfer robot 10 places the tonkatsu F on the container Z while moving upstream or downstream along the conveying direction of the container Z, so that the tonkatsu F is less likely to shift position when placed, and the tonkatsu F can be more easily placed in the desired position on the container Z.

[0078] Furthermore, the receiving position R of the container Z at the time of receiving the tonkatsu F from the transfer robot 10 shifts upstream in the conveying direction of the container Z in the order in which the tonkatsu F are received in the multiple containers Z, so that multiple tonkatsu F can be quickly placed in the container Z, thereby improving production speed.

[0079] (Another embodiment of the food transfer device) The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0080] For example, the hand 12 is flat in the above embodiment, but guides may be provided on both the left and right sides of the base plate 121 to prevent the scooped up pork cutlet F from falling.

[0081] Furthermore, the hand 12 does not necessarily have to be flat, but may be a curved or bent plate. That is, one or both of the holding surface 123 and the back surface 124 may be partially or entirely curved or bent, or may have, for example, a step or a recess.

[0082] Furthermore, the operation of the hand 12 may be such that the angle of inclination when scooping up the pork cutlet F and the angle of inclination when placing the pork cutlet F in the container Z are different. A specific embodiment is shown in Figure 7, in which when scooping up the tonkatsu F, the angle of inclination is made small so that the tonkatsu F does not roll, and when placing the tonkatsu F in the container Z, the angle of inclination is made large so that the hand 12 does not interfere with the edge of the container Z or other ingredients.

[0083] As another operation of the hand 12, after scooping up the pork cutlet F, the holding surface 123 of the hand 12 may be tilted upward toward the tip 125.

[0084] Furthermore, the hand 12 may be configured to transfer part of the scooped cutlet slice F1 to the container Z, and then transfer the remaining cutlet slice F1 in the hand 12 to another container Z.

[0085] Furthermore, the hand 12 does not necessarily need to move back and forth in a direction substantially along the cut of the pork cutlet F, but may move back and forth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cut, as shown in FIG.

[0086] Furthermore, the tonkatsu F to be transferred may be transferred in such a manner that one or more slices of tonkatsu F1 face up, as shown in Fig. 9. Furthermore, the tonkatsu F does not necessarily have to be cut.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the position of the hand 12 before scooping up the tonkatsu F was controlled so as to be in a predetermined relative positional relationship with the tonkatsu F, but as shown in Figure 10, the position of the hand 12 when placing the tonkatsu F in the container Z may also be controlled based on the position data (coordinate information and orientation information) of the tonkatsu F.

[0088] Specifically, in this case, the transfer robot 10 scoops up multiple pork cutlets F while moving in a fixed direction, regardless of the positional deviation or uneven orientation of the pork cutlets F. At least the relative positional relationship between the hand 12 just before placing the pork cutlets F in the container Z and the container Z at the receiving position R is maintained for each container Z.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an aspect of transferring a pork cutlet F to an empty container Z is illustrated, but the food transfer device 100 of the present invention may also be one that transfers a pork cutlet F to a container Z filled with other ingredients F2, as shown in Figure 11.

[0090] Furthermore, the food transfer device 100 may be configured to place the pork cutlet F on top of other ingredients such as rice already placed in the container Z.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 100 Food transfer device F Fried food (pork cutlet) F1....One piece of cutlet Z...container 10. Transfer robot 11 Arm 12 hands 121... Circuit board 122 Belt 123...Holding surface 124...Back side 125...Tip 20. Imaging means 30 Robot Controller 31 Position data acquisition unit 32 Operation control section T ···Transport tray P Picking position 40...Transport conveyor Q...Standby position R Receiving position

Claims

1. This is a food transfer device that scoops up fried food by hand and transfers it to a designated location. The transfer device is characterized in that the hand has a holding surface that holds the scooped up fried food, and the back surface located behind the holding surface is inclined downward as it approaches the tip.

2. 2. The food transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the hand scoops up the fried food cut into a plurality of pieces.

3. 3. The food transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the hand moves back and forth in a direction substantially along the cut of the fried food.

Images