Noodle strip conveying and hardness measuring apparatus

Abstract

To provide a method for confirming conditions such as water content of noodle strings in production of the noodle strings.SOLUTION: It has been found that the measurement of the hardness of the noodle strip MT in the production line during the production is effective for confirming whether the water content and the like satisfy the predetermined conditions for producing the noodle strings. That is, the present invention relates to a noodle belt conveying and hardness measuring device including a device that conveys a noodle belt and a device that measures the hardness of the noodle belt conveyed by the device that conveys the noodle belt.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device used in the noodle making process, in which a noodle sheet hardness measuring device is disposed on a noodle sheet conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] Various types of noodles are used in the food industry. For example, Chinese noodles, udon, and spaghetti noodles are used. Depending on the degree of processing, noodles can be fresh, dried, boiled, frozen, or ready-to-eat. There are various types of noodles, such as seat noodles. The production of noodles involves the following steps: producing noodle dough by mixing (kneading in a mixer) ingredients such as wheat flour, starch, and salt with water, etc. → maturing the resulting noodle dough (dough) (if necessary) → rolling the dough into two noodle sheets (coarse noodle sheets) → combining the dough to form a single noodle sheet → rolling the noodle sheets (multiple times) to prepare noodle sheets of the specified thickness → cutting the noodle sheets of the specified thickness into noodle strands using a cutting device. Through these steps, the specified raw noodle strands can be obtained.

[0003] Then, they can be cut to a specified length and sold as fresh noodles, or the fresh noodles can be used as needed. The noodles are then pregelatinized by steaming or boiling, cut to a predetermined length, packaged, and sold. Furthermore, the raw noodles or pregelatinized noodles are often cut into strips and dried with hot air or oil to be sold as instant noodles (instant bag noodles, instant cup noodles).

[0004] However, noodle quality varies depending on seasonal temperature and humidity, as well as the weather on the day of production. For this reason, it was necessary to adjust various mixer conditions, such as the water content and kneading time, to find an optimum noodle production method. For example, in the prior art described below, in the production of "noodle dough" by kneading wheat flour or other noodle ingredients with water, conventionally, the mixing state in the mixer process was judged by an operator who grasped the dough and judged the appropriateness of the amount of water to be added based on their many years of experience, but the aim of this technology is to make this judgment more objective.

[0005] Specifically, this is an evaluation method for determining the suitability of noodle dough obtained after processing with a noodle mixer. The noodle dough obtained after adding water to a specified powder such as wheat flour and mixing it in a noodle mixer is pressed against the dough, and the pressure required for this pressing is measured to evaluate the suitability for noodle making. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] The method described in JP 2019-97444 A, cited above, is an excellent method for evaluating the suitability of noodle production, but when preparing the noodle strands, it requires the effort of sampling and measuring the noodle dough obtained after mixing in a noodle mixer. In this regard, it is more effective to check the condition during the actual production process (production line) and adjust mixer conditions such as the water content and kneading time based on the results of the check. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Therefore, the present inventors investigated methods for confirming whether the conditions, such as the water content and kneading time, are appropriate for noodle production during the production of noodle strands. As a result of various studies, the present inventors discovered that measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet on the production line during noodle production is an effective way to confirm this condition, which led to the completion of the present invention.

[0008] That is, the first invention of the present application is: A device for conveying noodle sheets, and a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet conveyed by the device for conveying the noodle sheet.

[0009] Next, the device for transporting the noodle sheet preferably includes a conveyor device, and a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet is preferably disposed at a predetermined position on the conveyor device. That is, the second invention of the present application is: "The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the device for conveying the noodle sheet includes a conveyor device, and a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet is disposed at a predetermined position on the conveyor device."

[0010] Next, the device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet is preferably disposed on a conveyor device that transports the noodle sheet when transferring it from the composite device to the rolling device in the production of noodle strings. That is, the third invention of the present application is: "The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet is disposed on a conveyor device that conveys the noodle sheet when transferring it from a composite device to a rolling device in the manufacture of noodle strings."

[0011] Next, it is preferable that the device for measuring the hardness includes a roller unit that comes into contact with the surface of the noodle sheet and rotates as the noodle sheet is transported. That is, the fourth invention of the present application is: "A noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the device for measuring the hardness is provided with a roller unit that comes into contact with the surface of the noodle sheet and rotates as the noodle sheet is conveyed."

[0012] Next, the applicant of the present application also intends to provide a method for measuring the hardness of a noodle sheet, characterized in that a conveyor device that transports the noodle sheet in the noodle-making process is equipped with a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet. That is, the fifth invention of the present application is: "A method for measuring the hardness of a noodle sheet, characterized in that a conveyor device for transporting the noodle sheet in the noodle-making process is equipped with a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet." [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] By using the noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device according to the present invention, the hardness of the noodle sheet can be measured over time as needed during the production of the noodle sheet, and by monitoring this, the condition of the noodle sheet can be confirmed. Furthermore, as needed, in the step of mixing ingredients such as wheat flour, the amount of water added can be increased or decreased, the kneading time can be changed, or the rolling conditions can be modified to obtain a noodle sheet suitable for noodle production. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the arrangement of a noodle sheet hardness measuring device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side schematic view of a first embodiment including multiple rolling mills. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective schematic view of an example of a conveyor device that can be used in the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an example of a method for measuring the hardness of a noodle sheet. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic side view showing another example of a method for measuring the hardness of a noodle sheet. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the role of the roller unit of the present invention on the noodle sheet. [Figure 11] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the system configuration of a noodle band hardness measuring device according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view of a noodle sheet hardness measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the measurement principle of a noodle sheet hardness measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a measurement method of the noodle sheet hardness measuring device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing measurement results of the noodle sheet hardness measuring device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0015] 3 Multifunction device 5 Conveyor equipment 7 First Rolling Mill 9. Second rolling mill 11 Third rolling mill 13. Device for measuring the hardness of noodle sheets (noodle sheet hardness measuring device) 15 Round conveyor 17 Conveyor Belt 19 Load Cells 21 Upper roller 23 Lower roller 25 Conveyor belt 27 Electric Actuator 29 Roller part (part of upper roller or lower roller) 31 Moving part (part of electric actuator) 33 Rotating roller (part of round conveyor) MT noodle sheet SMT coarse noodle sheet DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will be described below. The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device of the present invention will be described with examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples. The first invention of the present application is A device for conveying noodle sheets, and a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet conveyed by the device for conveying the noodle sheet." The details of this device are described below.

[0017] Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the vicinity of the installation of a hardness measuring device.

[0018] *Device for transporting noodle sheets In the production of noodles, the specified raw noodle strands are often obtained through the following steps: producing noodle dough by mixing (kneading) ingredients such as wheat flour, starch, and salt with water, etc. → maturing the resulting noodle dough (dough) (if necessary) → rolling the dough into two noodle sheets (coarse noodle sheets) → combining the two resulting noodle sheets to combine them into a single noodle sheet → rolling the noodle sheet to a specified thickness using multiple rolling machines (approximately 3 to 9 stages, multiple times) → cutting the noodle sheet of the specified thickness into noodle strands using a cutting device.

[0019] Here, the device for transporting the noodle sheet MT in the present invention includes various devices for transporting the noodle sheet MT. Specific examples include a conveyor device for transferring the coarse noodle sheet SMT prepared from dough to the multifunction machine 3, a conveyor device 5 for transferring the noodle sheet from the multifunction machine 3 to the first-stage rolling machine 7, and a conveyor device that can be used when transferring the noodle sheet between the rolling machines.

[0020] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the combined machine 3 and the rolling machines (7, 9, 11) themselves have the function of pulling in and pushing out the noodle sheet, and also have the function of conveying the noodle sheet. Therefore, the combined machine 3, the rolling machine 7, etc. are also included in the "device for conveying a noodle sheet" of the present invention. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a configuration in which the conveyor device 5 is not used is also possible.

[0021] *Device for measuring the hardness of noodle sheets The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device of the present invention is equipped with a device 13 for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet MT in its state. The hardness can be measured at a predetermined position as long as the noodle sheet MT is being transported by a transporting device, but it is generally preferable to measure the hardness of the noodle sheet MT being transported on the conveyor device 5 after the combining step in which two coarse noodle sheets SMT prepared from dough are combined into one noodle sheet MT has been completed.

[0022] That is, a common method is to place a noodle sheet hardness measuring device 13 on a conveyor device 5 to measure the hardness of the noodle sheet MT produced through the combined steps before the noodle sheet MT is transferred to multiple rolling steps, as shown in Figure 4. The noodle sheet hardness measuring device 13 will be described in detail later.

[0023] Next, the predetermined position on the conveyor device 5 in the present invention where the noodle sheet hardness measuring device is placed does not necessarily mean that it is mounted on the conveyor device. Of course, for example, it may be placed after the discharge side of the conveyor device 5 as shown in FIG. 5 or may be installed adjacent to and in front of the introduction side. Furthermore, without being limited to the above, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a method may be used in which the hardness of the noodle sheet is measured when it is conveyed during a transition from the first rolling pass (first rolling mill 7) to the second rolling pass (second rolling mill 9) or when it is conveyed during a transition from the second rolling pass (second rolling mill 9) to the third rolling pass (third rolling mill 11).

[0024] In the case of the type shown in FIG. 6, a separate conveyor device may be provided between the first-stage rolling roll 7 and the second-stage rolling roll 9, and a device for measuring hardness may be attached to the conveyor device.

[0025] Conveyor device for transporting noodle sheets The conveyor device for transporting the noodle sheet MT in the present invention may be the conveyor device 5 used in the transition step from combining to rolling, as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be used, for example, in a transition step between rolling devices. Next, it goes without saying that the conveyor device may be connected to a predetermined power unit or may be in a free-rotating state. That is, as shown in FIG. 1 , for example, in the case of transferring the noodle sheet MT from the multifunction machine 3 to the first rolling machine 7, the noodle sheet MT is extruded from the multifunction machine 3 and sent to the first-stage rolling machine 7, and then the noodle sheet MT is extruded from the first-stage rolling machine 7 and sent to the second-stage rolling machine 9.

[0026] Therefore, the conveyor device 5 does not have a power unit and can freely rotate, but the noodle sheet MT is transported on the conveyor. However, it is of course possible to configure the conveyor device so that it can be operated by connecting it to a predetermined power unit and transporting the noodle sheets.

[0027] Next, various types of conveyors can be used for the conveyor device. For example, a round conveyor as shown in Figure 7(A) can be used. Of course, a belt conveyor as shown in Figure 7(B) can also be used. Of course, other types of conveyors are also possible. When using a method of measuring hardness by pressing from above as described below, it is preferable that the conveyor device 5 has a structure that supports the lower side on which the noodle sheet MT is placed so that the pressing force from above can be supported from below via the noodle sheet MT.

[0028] Specific structure of the device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet ─Measurement of noodle sheet hardness─ In the present invention, "noodle sheet hardness" refers to the "hardness" of the surface of the noodle sheet, and this hardness can be measured (evaluated) using various methods and standards (parameters). For example, hardness can be defined based on the pressure received from the noodle sheet surface when a measuring member is pressed against the noodle sheet surface.

[0029] 8(A), when the noodle sheet MT is sandwiched between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 attached to the load cell 19, and the noodle sheet MT is sandwiched between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 with the distance between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 kept constant, the pressing force applied to the upper roller (a similar pressing force acts on the load cell) can be used as an example of measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet MT. This pressing force can then be used as the measurement result (evaluation criterion) of the hardness. Note that in this case as well, the pressing force increases as the hardness of the noodle sheet increases.

[0030] Furthermore, the measurement of hardness in the present invention does not only refer to the measurement of the numerical values ​​of the pressing force, etc., but also includes, for example, the measurement of the depth of the depressions formed by the pressing, as will be described later. In other words, the results of various measurement methods for evaluating the hardness of the noodle sheet can be used. Furthermore, when the lower portion is transported by a conveyor belt, and the distance between the upper roller 21 and the surface of the conveyor belt is similarly constant, an example is the pressing force that presses the upper roller (a similar pressing force acts on the load cell) as shown in Fig. 8(B). Note that in this case too, the higher the hardness of the noodle sheet, the greater the pressing force.

[0031] Furthermore, in another aspect, when the upper roller 21 presses the noodle sheet with a constant pressure as described above, the distance that changes depending on the depth of the recess that occurs in the noodle sheet MT, i.e., the distance between the upper roller 21 and the surface of the lower roller 23 or conveyor belt, can be used as an indicator of hardness.

[0032] That is, in Fig. 9(A), the noodle sheet has a low hardness (soft), so the distance between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 is small when pressed with a constant pressure. On the other hand, in Fig. 9(B), the noodle sheet has a high hardness (hard), so the distance between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 is large when pressed with a constant pressure. In this way, it is possible to evaluate the hardness of the noodle sheet MT using the distance between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 as an index. In addition, in order to keep the pressing force when the upper roller 21 presses the noodle sheet MT constant, the pressing force can also be adjusted to a predetermined constant value by controlling the current value of the electric actuator 27 that moves the upper roller 21 via the load cell 19.

[0033] In this case, the load cell 19 may be unnecessary, or by using the load cell 19, the pressing force of the load cell 19 can be automatically adjusted to a predetermined value, thereby controlling the pressing force to a predetermined value.

[0034] Another method for evaluating hardness is to use the depth of the depressions formed when the surface of the noodle sheet is pressed as an index of noodle sheet hardness. That is, the depth of the recesses formed in the noodle sheet MT when pressed with a constant pressure may be measured, and the hardness may be defined according to the depth of the recesses. In this case, the higher the hardness of the noodle sheet, the shallower the depth of the recesses. Of course, various other methods for measuring (evaluating) hardness can be selected.

[0035] - Roller part that comes into contact with the surface of the noodle sheet and rotates as the noodle sheet is conveyed In the evaluation of the hardness of the noodle sheet of the present invention, it is preferable that the roller unit 29 is configured to come into contact with the surface of the noodle sheet MT at the contact portion when pressing the noodle sheet MT. In other words, since the noodle sheet is transported sequentially in the production process (production line), it is preferable that the roller unit 29 is configured to rotate in accordance with the transport.

[0036] In the present invention, by employing a configuration including the roller portion 29, it is possible to stabilize the measured value of the pressing force. 10, the roller portions 29 of the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23, which press the surface of the noodle sheet MT by conveying the noodle sheet MT, rotate as the noodle sheet MT is conveyed, thereby enabling the surface of the noodle sheet to be pressed continuously and smoothly, thereby keeping the pressing force relatively constant.

[0037] Example of the configuration of a noodle sheet hardness measurement device An example of the system configuration of the noodle sheet hardness measuring device 13 of the present invention is shown in Fig. 11. The obtained measurement results can be analyzed using various programs. Furthermore, the relationship between the measurement results and mixing conditions such as the amount of water added and the kneading time can be analyzed from various angles.

[0038] Regarding the first embodiment of the present invention A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below. As shown in Fig. 12, an apparatus 13 for measuring noodle sheet hardness in this embodiment of the present invention uses an electric actuator 27 in which a movable part 31 is capable of linear reciprocating motion. A load cell 19 is attached to the movable part 31 of the electric actuator 27, and the pressure applied to the load cell can be measured. An upper roller 21 is attached via the load cell 19. A lower roller 23 is also installed on the lower side.

[0039] The upper roller 21 also moves downward as the movable part 31 of the electric actuator 27 moves downward. When the upper roller 21 moves downward, the distance between the tip of the roller part 29 of the upper roller 21 and the tip of the roller part 29 of the lower roller 23 is set to be 8 mm. Note that Fig. 12(A) shows a state in which the movable part of the electric actuator 27 is positioned upward, widening the gap between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23. Next, Fig. 12(B) shows a state after the movable part 31 of the electric actuator 27 has descended downward, maintaining a gap of 8 mm between the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23. Note that this gap can, of course, be set appropriately as needed.

[0040] 1 and 2, in a first embodiment of the present invention, a round conveyor 15 of the type shown in Fig. 7(A) is used as a conveyor for transporting the noodle sheet MT. The round conveyor 15 is disposed at an incline and is installed to transport the noodle sheet from the combined machine to the first rolling machine. Furthermore, in order to install the lower roller 23 of the above-mentioned "device for measuring the hardness of noodle sheets," one of the rotating rollers 33 of the round conveyor has been removed, and the lower roller 23 has been installed in the removed portion.

[0041] That is, in the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, a round conveyor is used, and one rotating roller 33 of the round conveyor is removed, and instead a lower roller 23 below the hardness measuring device shown in FIG. 9 is installed. The upper roller 21 is connected via a load cell 19 to a movable part 31 of an electric actuator 27 that is capable of linear reciprocating movement so as to be positioned diagonally above the lower roller 23 on the lower side. Next, in the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 13, the noodle sheet discharged from the multifunction machine is adjusted to a thickness of 10 mm, and while the noodle sheet MT is being transported on the conveyor device, a device for measuring noodle sheet hardness presses a portion of the noodle sheet to a thickness of 8 mm, and the pressing force generated at this time is measured as the hardness.

[0042] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 13, a pressing force indicated by an arrow is applied from the surface of the sandwiched noodle sheet MT to the upper roller 21. Because this pressing force is also applied to the load cell 19, it is possible to measure and record this pressing force over time. Furthermore, since the roller portions 29 of the upper roller 21 and the lower roller 23 rotate in response to the conveyance of the noodle sheet MT, it is possible to continuously press the surface of the noodle sheet without strain. As a result, the pressing force can be kept relatively constant. The measurement time and interval (timing) are not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that the measurement may be performed for a predetermined time and at predetermined time intervals, which can be set appropriately as needed. Furthermore, since the measurement of hardness is limited to a small area of ​​the noodle sheet, there is almost no adverse effect on the noodle sheet due to the pressing.

[0043] Next, the determination of whether the conditions are suitable for noodle production can be performed, for example, as follows. The pressing force when measured with the device shown in Figure 9 is measured in advance for a noodle sheet MT that is in an ideal state, which is also preferable for preparing noodle strands. Then, the hardness of the noodle sheet MT is adjusted as needed by adding or reducing water, changing the kneading time, etc., so that the pressing force approaches that value. That is, an effective method for use on a production line where noodles are being produced is to compare the hardness of the noodle sheet MT that is actually being produced, and if the hardness is high, to take measures such as increasing the amount of water added to adjust the hardness so that it approximates the hardness of the noodle sheet, and conversely, if the hardness is low, to take measures such as decreasing the amount of water added.

[0044] Next, we will show an example of measuring data when actually used on a production line. Regarding the transport of the noodle strip MT in the noodle strip production stage in a production line for a given instant noodle, the device of the first embodiment was actually connected and the pressure value was measured. As shown in Fig. 12, while the noodle sheet MT was being conveyed, the upper roller 21 descended and pressed the 10 mm noodle sheet down to 8 mm (Fig. 14(A) → (B)). After pressing, the pressing force applied to the load cell 19 was measured over time for a predetermined period of time. Each line in Figure 15 shows data obtained when the amount of water added was changed. As the amount of water added was reduced, the hardness of the noodle sheet MT increased, while when the amount of water added was increased, the hardness of the noodle sheet decreased. Furthermore, changes in hardness were observed as the amount of water added increased or decreased, and the measured values ​​also changed in response to small changes in the amount of water added.

[0045] As shown in Figure 15, it was found that various hardness levels were achieved by changing the amount of water added. It was confirmed that the hardness of the noodle sheet can be monitored in-line in detail using the method of the present invention. Furthermore, by determining the hardness suitable for preparing noodle strands in advance, it was found that even if conditions such as temperature and humidity change on the day, it is possible to prepare a noodle sheet suitable for preparing noodle strands by measuring the hardness and adjusting various conditions such as the amount of water added in response to the results. This result is considered to demonstrate the usefulness of the present invention.

[0046] Furthermore, this device can be introduced into the production line (inline), which makes it possible to instantly reflect conditions in the mixer process, which is expected to lead to improved productivity in the future and a reduction in the workload and manpower required for operators of noodle machines such as multi-function machines and rolling machines.

Claims

1. a device for conveying the noodle sheet; and a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet conveyed by the noodle sheet conveying device.

2. 2. The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the device for conveying the noodle sheet includes a conveyor device, and a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet is disposed at a predetermined position on the conveyor device.

3. 3. The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet is disposed in a conveyor device that conveys the noodle sheet when transferring it from a composite device to a rolling device in the production of noodle strings.

4. 4. The noodle sheet conveying and hardness measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the device for measuring the hardness comprises a roller unit that comes into contact with the surface of the noodle sheet and rotates as the noodle sheet is conveyed.

5. A method for measuring the hardness of a noodle sheet, comprising: a conveyor device for transporting the noodle sheet in a noodle-making process, the conveyor device being equipped with a device for measuring the hardness of the noodle sheet.

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