Sushi roll conveying device and sushi roll conveying method

Abstract

This improves the efficiency of the process of transferring a predetermined number of cut sushi rolls into a container as a set. [Solution] A conveying device that conveys a series of rolled sushi obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical rolled sushi continuous body, which is stretched along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional shape at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction, The present invention provides a rolled sushi conveying device equipped with a shifting device that shifts a predetermined number of rolled sushi in a row of rolled sushi, which maintains a cylindrical shape as a continuous mass on the conveying surface of the conveying device, relative to the conveying direction of the conveying device, and a rolled sushi conveying method characterized by separating a predetermined number of rolled sushi in a row of rolled sushi by shifting the row of rolled sushi relative to the conveying direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0002] ,

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[0004] , ,<0000​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a sushi roll conveying device and a sushi roll conveying method that can improve the work efficiency of transferring a predetermined number of cut sushi rolls into a container as one set. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The sushi roll conveying device according to the present invention comprises a conveying device that conveys a row of sushi rolls obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical sushi roll continuous body, which is stretched along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional shape at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction, and a shifting device that applies a shifting action to the row of sushi rolls, which maintains the cylindrical shape of the continuous body on the conveying surface of the conveying device, for each predetermined number of sushi rolls making up the row of sushi rolls, relative to the conveying direction of the conveying device.

[0007] Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a sushi roll conveying device in which the shifting device has a pressing member that applies a lateral pressing action to the row of sushi rolls as the shifting action.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, the sushi roll conveying device is a pressing plate that is rotatable in an axial direction perpendicular to the conveying surface.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a sushi roll conveying device that further comprises a cutting device for continuously cutting a continuous sushi roll in the transverse direction at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for conveying rolled sushi, which involves conveying a row of rolled sushi obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical rolled sushi continuous body, which is extended along the conveying direction, into sections at predetermined intervals in the transverse direction, wherein the row of rolled sushi, while maintaining its cylindrical shape, is subjected to a shifting action relative to the conveying direction, thereby creating divisions for each predetermined number of rolled sushi in the row. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The sushi roll conveying device according to the present invention includes a conveying device that conveys a row of sushi rolls obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical sushi roll continuous body, which is stretched along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional shape at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction, and a shifting device that shifts the row of sushi rolls, which maintains its cylindrical shape on the conveying surface of the conveying device, in relation to the conveying direction of the conveying device for each predetermined number of sushi rolls in the row. As a result, the operator can determine the predetermined number of sushi rolls by visually observing the position of the shifted sushi rolls without having to count them, and the transfer of predetermined numbers of sushi rolls can be performed smoothly.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the sushi roll conveying device has a pressing member that applies a lateral pressing action to the sushi roll row as the shifting action, thereby shifting the position of the conveyed sushi roll row laterally from its aligned state.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the pressing member is a pressing plate that is rotatable in an axial direction perpendicular to the conveying surface, thereby contacting the end surface of the rolled sushi and pressing it laterally with respect to the conveying direction.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a sushi roll conveying device is further provided, which cuts a continuous sushi roll in the transverse direction at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction, thereby enabling the sushi roll to be cut quickly and continuously to a fixed length.

[0015] The present invention provides a method for conveying rolled sushi, which involves conveying a row of rolled sushi obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical rolled sushi continuous body, which is extended along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional section at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction. By applying a shifting action relative to the conveying direction to the row of rolled sushi, which maintains the cylindrical shape of the rolled sushi continuous body, a predetermined number of rolled sushi are separated from each other in the row of rolled sushi. This allows the operator to easily and visually recognize the predetermined number of rolled sushi with just a glance, without having to count them, and enables smooth transfer of the rolled sushi into containers or packs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a sushi roll conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cutting section and conveying device of a sushi roll conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the shifting device for a rolled sushi conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the configuration of the shifting device for a rolled sushi conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a front view showing the configuration of the shifting device for a rolled sushi conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the shifting device of a rolled sushi conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. (a) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the pressing plate has rotated. (b) is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the pressing plate has returned to a steady position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The present invention relates to a conveyor device for conveying a row of sushi rolls obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical sushi roll continuum extending along a conveying direction at a predetermined interval in a cross-sectional direction with respect to the extending direction, and a shifting device that applies a shifting action to the row of sushi rolls in a state of holding the cylindrical form of the sushi roll continuum on the conveying surface of the conveyor device, for each of a predetermined number of sushi rolls forming the row of sushi rolls, with respect to the conveying direction of the conveyor device. The present invention also relates to a sushi roll conveying device provided with such a shifting device, and a sushi roll conveying method for dividing a row of sushi rolls into sections for each of a predetermined number of sushi rolls forming the row of sushi rolls by means of the sushi roll conveying device.

[0018] Hereinafter, the configuration of the sushi roll conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. In the drawings for explaining the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are generally assigned to the same components, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[0019] First, an overall structural example of the sushi roll conveying device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the sushi roll conveying device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. However, since the structure of the actual sushi roll conveying device 1 is extremely complex, the drawings are schematically drawn showing only the main parts, and the ratios of the dimensions of each part do not necessarily match the actual ones. Also, it is a matter of course that there are parts where the relationships and ratios of the dimensions between the drawings are different. In the present embodiment, the direction in which the sushi roll 3 is sent is defined as the conveying direction, the left and right with respect to the direction in which the sushi roll 3 is sent is defined as the lateral direction, the rear side in the direction in which the sushi roll 3 is sent is referred to as the upstream side, and the front side in the direction in which the sushi roll 3 is sent is referred to as the downstream side for the purpose of explanation. Also, in FIG. 1, the sushi roll conveying device 1 has two rows of conveying devices, namely row A and row B, and is configured to be capable of driving each independently. However, since the configurations of both rows are substantially the same, in the description of the present embodiment, the configuration of row A will be used to explain the device.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the sushi roll production line M has a sushi roll conveying device 1 and a continuous sushi roll production device 2, and the sushi roll conveying device 1 is connected in series at a downstream position of the continuous sushi roll production device 2.

[0021] The continuous rolled sushi manufacturing apparatus 2 includes a rice and seaweed supply unit 5 that supplies flattened and shaped sheet-like rice together with strip-shaped seaweed to the starting end of the first conveyor belt 4; an ingredient supply unit 6 that places the sheet-like rice on the strip-shaped seaweed supplied from the rice and seaweed supply unit 5 and transports it downstream of the first conveyor belt 4 (in the direction of arrow C in Figure 1), while supplying ingredients to the sheet-like rice during transport; and a molding unit 7 that narrows the conveyor belt of the first conveyor belt 4 from the left and right directions along the direction of travel into a cylindrical shape, thereby forming the rolled sushi base with ingredients placed on the sheet-like rice on the strip-shaped seaweed into a roll shape, and forming a continuous rolled sushi body 9, which is a cylindrical rolled sushi, within the belt. In other words, the continuous rolled sushi body 9 is formed by the rice and seaweed supply unit 5, the ingredient supply unit 6, and the molding unit 7.

[0022] Next, a specific example of the configuration of the rolled sushi conveying device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cutting section 11 and the second conveying conveyor 17 in row A of the rolled sushi conveying device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the shifting device 19 of the rolled sushi conveying device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a plan view showing the shifting device 19. Figure 5 is a front view showing the shifting device 19.

[0023] The rolled sushi conveying device 1 is installed in conjunction with the continuous rolled sushi manufacturing device 2. It conveys the continuous rolled sushi body 9, which has been formed into a cylindrical shape in the molding section 7, at a constant speed, and cuts it at predetermined lengths (predetermined widths) to continuously form rolled sushi 3 as rolled sushi elements. The device also shifts the position of the rolled sushi 3 in the conveying direction after a predetermined number of rolled sushi 3 have been formed.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the rolled sushi conveying device 1 includes a cutting unit 11 that continuously cuts a rolled sushi continuous body 9 into predetermined lengths (predetermined widths), a conveying device 8 that conveys the rolled sushi rows 10 cut by the cutting unit 11, a shifting device 19 that shifts the position of the rolled sushi 3 relative to the conveying direction of the conveying device 8, and a control unit that controls the cutting width of the rolled sushi continuous body 9 to be cut.

[0025] The control unit has an input / output unit that inputs or outputs selection conditions, and based on the information input to the input / output unit, it sets the cutting length of the sushi rolls 3, sets the number of rotations of the drive motor 20 to set the number of sushi rolls 3 to form the sushi roll row 10, and controls the timing of shifting the sushi roll row 10 by the shifting device 19, etc. The control unit is composed of a general computer device equipped with, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and RAM (Random Access Memory).

[0026] The input / output section consists of, for example, a touch panel device, and is used to input various information from the operator and output control content based on the input information.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the cutting section 11 includes a sensor for detecting the continuous rolled sushi 9 on the first conveyor belt 4, and a cutting device 12 for cutting the continuous rolled sushi 9.

[0028] The sensor is a reflective sensor installed near the downstream end of the first conveyor belt 4. The sensor detects when the continuous rolled sushi 9 is being transported on the first conveyor belt 4 and transmits the detection signal to the cutting device 12.

[0029] The cutting device 12 includes a drive motor 13 positioned laterally near the upstream end of the second conveyor belt 17, an output shaft 14 whose base end is connected to the drive motor 13 and which extends upstream of the second conveyor belt 17 along the extension direction of the second conveyor belt 17, and a cutting blade 15 connected to the tip of the output shaft 14. The cutting device 12 is configured to rotate the output shaft 14 using the rotational power of the drive motor 13, and to rotate the cutting blade 15 integrally with the output shaft 14.

[0030] The cutting blade 15 is a plate-shaped member with its conveying direction in the direction of the plate thickness, and is formed in a roughly spiral shape when viewed from the downstream side to the upstream side of the second conveying conveyor 17. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cutting blade 15 has a roughly circular large-diameter portion 15a and a cutting portion 15b which is continuous with the large-diameter portion 15a and is for cutting the continuous rolled sushi 9. The cutting blade 15 is connected to the output shaft 14 at a position eccentrically located slightly closer to the second conveying conveyor 17 (to the right in Figure 5) from the center of the circumferential shape along which the large-diameter portion 15a follows.

[0031] The cutting section 15b has a large-diameter arc-shaped blade 16a and a small-diameter arc-shaped blade 16b, both formed in an arc shape. The large-diameter arc-shaped blade 16a and the small-diameter arc-shaped blade 16b are formed along the outer shape of the cutting section 15b. The base ends of the large-diameter arc-shaped blade 16a and the small-diameter arc-shaped blade 16b are continuous with the large-diameter section 15a, and are configured to gradually approach each other as they move towards the tip, with the tip end continuous with the semicircular edge of the tip of the cutting section 15b. The large-diameter arc-shaped blade 16a and the small-diameter arc-shaped blade 16b are oriented with the conveying direction of the second conveyor 17 as the thickness direction, and are formed to be approximately the same thickness as the large-diameter section 15a. In other words, the cutting blade 15 has the large-diameter section 15a and the cutting section 15b formed to be approximately the same thickness.

[0032] The cutting blade 15 is connected to the output shaft 14 eccentrically from the center of the circumferential shape along which the large-diameter portion 15a follows, towards the second conveyor belt 17. This increases the radius of rotation from the center of rotation to the tip, so that when cutting the continuous rolled sushi 9, the cutting blade 15 rotates around the axis of the output shaft 14 in the direction of arrow D in Figure 5, causing the large-diameter arc-shaped blade 16a of the cutting portion 15b to swing vertically downwards from above onto the continuous rolled sushi 9. This restricts the generation of lateral load on the continuous rolled sushi 9 when cutting with the cutting blade 15, and maintains a state where the left-right center positions of the rolled sushi 3 cut at predetermined intervals from the continuous rolled sushi 9 coincide or nearly coincide with the left-right center positions of the second conveyor belt 17. In other words, the cutting action of the cutting blade 15 prevents the continuous rolled sushi 9 from shifting from side to side, allowing the left-right position of the rolled sushi 3 (rolled sushi row 10) on the second conveyor belt 17 to be maintained before and after cutting, and allowing the rolled sushi 3 (rolled sushi row 10) after cutting to be positioned approximately at the center in the left-right direction of the second conveyor belt 17.

[0033] A conveying device 8 is provided at the downstream end of the first conveying conveyor 4 via a cutting section 11. The conveying device 8 includes a second conveying conveyor 17 that conveys a row of rolled sushi 10 in which multiple rolled sushi 3 have been cut from the continuous rolled sushi 9 by the cutting device 12 and are aligned, and front and rear guide tunnels 18, 18' that cover the continuous ends of the second conveying conveyor 17 and the first conveying conveyor 4, respectively.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the second conveyor belt 17 is positioned downstream of the first conveyor belt 4. A gap 26a is provided between the first conveyor belt 4 and the second conveyor belt 17, through which the cutting blade 15 of the cutting device 12 can pass (see Figure 6). The second conveyor belt 17 transports the rows of sushi rolls 10 that have been cut by the cutting blade 15. The second conveyor belt 17 and the first conveyor belt 4 are configured so that their transport surfaces are substantially continuous with each other via the gap 26a, and are driven and controlled to perform continuous transport operations at substantially the same speed.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the front guide tunnel 18 is installed against the upstream end of the second conveyor belt 17, and the rear guide tunnel 18' is installed against the downstream end of the first conveyor belt 4. Each guide tunnel 18 and 18' is provided to cover both the left and right sides and the top of the respective conveyor belts 17 and 4. The front guide tunnel 18 has left and right side sections 18a, 18a and an upper section 18b installed between the upper ends of the left and right side sections 18a, 18a, and these sections form a roughly "U" shape. The rear guide tunnel 18' has left and right side sections 18a', 18a' and an upper section 18b' installed between the upper ends of the left and right side sections 18a', 18a', and the left and right side sections 18a', 18a' and the upper section 18b' form a roughly "U" shape in a front view.

[0036] The front guide tunnel 18 and the rear guide tunnel 18' have a gap 26b between them for the cutting blade 15 to pass through.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the shifting device 19 includes a drive motor 20, a drive lever 21 with one end connected to the drive motor 20, a pressing plate 23 as a pressing member connected to the other end of the drive lever 21, and a pivot support 24 that rotatably supports the pressing plate 23 in the guide tunnel 18.

[0038] The drive motor 20 is located near the upstream side of the second conveyor belt 17 and has a drive shaft 27 that extends upward along the vertical direction. The drive shaft 27 extends upward from the drive motor 20 and its tip is connected to a power transmission plate 28. The power transmission plate 28 is formed in a substantially rectangular, flat plate shape, with one side in the longitudinal direction connected and fixed to the drive shaft 27, and the other side in the longitudinal direction rotatably connected to the base end 21a of the drive lever 21. The power transmission plate 28 is provided in a substantially horizontal position and is configured to rotate integrally with the drive shaft 27 while maintaining a horizontal position when the drive motor 20 is driven.

[0039] The drive lever 21 is made of an elongated, flat plate-shaped member having a predetermined width. The drive lever 21 has its thickness in the vertical direction and extends horizontally with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sushi roll row 10. The drive lever 21 has its base end 21a rotatably connected to the power transmission plate 28 and its tip end 21b rotatably connected to the pressing plate 23. The drive lever 21 is configured to move forward and backward (reciprocate movement) along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sushi roll row 10 (left-right direction (direction of arrow E in Figure 6)) in conjunction with the reciprocating rotation of the power transmission plate 28 around the drive shaft 27 driven by the drive motor 20.

[0040] As shown in Figure 4, the pressing plate 23 is made up of a rectangular plate-shaped member, with the left-right direction being the thickness direction and the conveying direction of the rolled sushi row 10 being the longitudinal direction. The pressing plate 23 is positioned near the left end of the conveying surface of the second conveying conveyor 17 in a plan view. The base end, which is the front end of the pressing plate 23, is rotatably connected to the tip 21b of the drive lever 21, and the upstream end 23a extends to approximately the same position as the upstream end of the side portion 18a that constitutes the guide tunnel 18 provided on the upstream side of the second conveying conveyor 17.

[0041] The pressing plate 23 is provided such that its downstream end 23b protrudes from the downstream end of the guide tunnel 18. Above the downstream end 23b, the pressing plate 23 is connected to the tip 21b of the drive lever 21. The tip 21b of the drive lever 21 is pivotally supported by a pivot member such as a screw relative to the downstream end 23b of the pressing plate 23.

[0042] Furthermore, the pressing plate 23 is supported by a pivot 24 via a locking plate 25 in relation to the front guide tunnel 18, so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction as the pivot axis. The pivot 24 is provided on the upper surface of the pressing plate 23, extending approximately 1 / 3 of its total length from the downstream end 23b to the upstream end 23a in the front-rear direction.

[0043] The locking plate 25 is located on the upper surface of the upper surface portion 18b that constitutes the front guide tunnel 18, near the downstream end above the left side portion 18a. The locking plate 25 is made of a rectangular plate-shaped member, with its longitudinal direction being the front-to-back direction. One side of the longitudinal portion, the rear, is fixed to the upper surface of the front guide tunnel 18 by bolts or the like, while the other side of the longitudinal portion, the front, protrudes forward from the guide tunnel 18. A pivot support portion 24 is provided on the portion of the locking plate 25 that protrudes forward from the guide tunnel 18, allowing the pressing plate 23 to rotate. In other words, the pressing plate 23 is suspended on the conveying surface of the second conveying conveyor 17, rotatably supported by pivot support portions with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation relative to the tip portion 21b of the drive lever 21 and the locking plate 25. Then, with respect to the second conveyor belt 17, the pivot portion of the pressing plate 23 supported by the pivot 24 becomes the fixed pivot portion, and the pivot portion supported by the drive lever 21 becomes the movable pivot portion.

[0044] In this configuration, when the drive motor 20 is driven, the tip 21b of the drive lever 21 moves to the left end of the second conveyor belt 17, the pressing plate 23 rotates around the pivot 24, and the upstream end 23a of the pressing plate 23 moves within the guide tunnel 18 to near the approximate center of the second conveyor belt 17 in the left-right direction. At this time, the pressing plate 23 comes into contact with the outer surface (left side) of the sushi roll row 10 passing through the guide tunnel 18, and the position of at least one sushi roll 3 can be shifted in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 17 (the left-right direction of the second conveyor belt 17). By setting the rotation angle of the pressing plate 23 to 5 to 10 degrees, the position of the sushi roll row 10 can be shifted while maintaining an upright and approximately aligned state.

[0045] With this configuration, the pressing plate 23 can be rotated by the drive motor 20 via the drive lever 21, with the pivot point being the pivot 24. The drive motor 20 is controlled in conjunction with the operation of the drive motor 13 that operates the cutting blade 15, and is controlled to reciprocate once for every predetermined number of rotations of the drive motor 13. One rotation of the cutting drive motor 13 corresponds to one cut of the sushi continuum 9, and corresponds to the operation of cutting out one rolled sushi 3. Also, one reciprocating motion of the rolled sushi shifting drive motor 20 corresponds to one operation of shifting a predetermined number of consecutive rolled sushi 3 in the left-right direction. Therefore, for example, by controlling the rolled sushi shifting drive motor 20 to reciprocate once for every eight rolled sushi 3 cut out, that is, for every eight rotations of the cutting drive motor 13, the eight rolled sushi 3 can be shifted laterally relative to the extended form of the sushi continuum 9 as a set of rolled sushi rows 10. The operation settings for the drive motors 13 and 20 are appropriately set by the control unit mentioned above, based on the number of sushi rolls in one set, etc.

[0046] Next, an example of a method for conveying rolled sushi using the rolled sushi conveying device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the rolled sushi conveying device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] The sushi roll conveying device 1, configured as described above, follows the sushi roll continuous manufacturing device 2, and in the following manner, it continuously cuts the formed sushi roll continuous body 9 at predetermined intervals to form sushi rolls 3, and conveys the sushi roll row 10 in which the cut sushi rolls 3 are arranged in a continuous line, while pressing the outer surface of at least one or more sushi rolls 3 that make up the sushi roll row 10 to shift their position relative to the conveying direction.

[0048] First, the operator sets the width of the sushi roll 3 and the number of sushi rolls 3 that form the sushi roll row 10 through the input / output unit of the control unit. When various information regarding the sushi rolls 3 is input to the control unit, it automatically calculates the transport speed of the first conveyor belt 4 and the second conveyor belt 17, the rotation speed of the drive motor 13, the time from when the sensor detects the continuous sushi roll 9 until it is driven, and the time from when the cutting drive motor 13 is driven until the shifting drive motor 20 is driven.

[0049] Once the various settings for the rolled sushi 3 are completed in the input / output unit, the rolled sushi production line M is driven to supply the continuous rolled sushi 9 produced by the rolled sushi conveying device 1 to the continuous rolled sushi production device 2 via the first conveying conveyor 4. The continuous rolled sushi 9, passing through the cutting unit 11 at a constant speed, is then continuously cut to the set length by the rotating cutting blade 15.

[0050] In this way, the continuous rolled sushi body 9 produced by the continuous rolled sushi manufacturing apparatus 2 is cut to a fixed length by the cutting blade 15 of the cutting section 11 during the process of being transferred from the first conveyor belt 4 to the second conveyor belt 17.

[0051] When the continuous rolled sushi 9 is cut by the cutting blade 15, the continuous rolled sushi 9 is guided to approximately the center in the left-right direction of each conveyor along the guide surface formed on the inside of the side portion 18a' of the rear guide tunnel 18' (see Figure 4). In addition, the continuous rolled sushi 9 is subjected to a cutting action and a leftward pressing action by the cutting blade 15 acting from its upper right side, and its movement in the up, down, left, and right directions is restricted by the upper surfaces (conveying surfaces) of both conveying conveyors 4 and 17, and the upper surface portion 18b' and left side portion 18a' of the guide tunnel 18'. As a result, the continuous rolled sushi 9 is cut on the second conveying conveyor 17 without shifting in either the left or right direction while maintaining its cylindrical shape.

[0052] Then, when a certain number of rolled sushi 3 are cut at the cutting section 11 and a row of rolled sushi 10 is formed, the drive motor 20 is activated and the drive lever 21 is displaced to the left relative to the second conveyor belt 17.

[0053] As the drive lever 21 is displaced to the left relative to the second conveyor belt 17, the downstream end 23b of the pressing plate 23 is pushed to the left and displaced to the left end of the second conveyor belt 17. In other words, the pressing plate 23 rotates around the pivot 24, maintaining a horizontal position around the pivot 24, and moving the portion of the pressing plate 23 that is upstream of the pivot 24 towards the center (right side) of the second conveyor belt 17. Here, the pressing plate 23 rotates so that the upstream end 23a is displaced to approximately the center of the second conveyor belt 17 in the left-right direction.

[0054] As the pressing plate 23 is displaced from a state parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveyor 17 to a state inclined thereto, the rolled sushi row 10 is shifted laterally with respect to the conveying direction of the second conveyor 17, and the rolled sushi row 10 is displaced to a state inclined thereto with respect to the conveying direction of the second conveyor 17.

[0055] By repeating this operation, a predetermined number of rolled sushi 3, cut from the sushi continuum 9 and transported by the second conveyor belt 17, are arranged in a line 10 on the second conveyor belt 17 in a manner that can be easily identified at a glance. As a result, workers can easily visually recognize the number of rolled sushi 3 to be transferred to a container, such as a container or pack, without having to count them. Consequently, the efficiency of transferring multiple rolled sushi 3 can be improved.

[0056] The above-described operation will be explained using specific quantities as examples. In the shifting device 19 of the rolled sushi conveying device 1 of this embodiment, the case in which one set (= handling unit of cut rolled sushi 3) is set to, for example, 8 pieces will be described. With this setting, the drive motor 13 for cutting is controlled by the control unit as follows.

[0057] When the drive motor 13 first detects the continuous roll of sushi 9 with the sensor, it starts driving after a certain period of time has elapsed since detection. After the start of driving, the drive motor 13 is driven at a constant cycle to rotate the cutting blade 15, thereby continuously cutting the continuous roll of sushi 9, which is being transported at a predetermined speed, into fixed lengths.

[0058] The drive motor 13 is set by the control unit to rotate its output shaft 14 8 times in 2.5 seconds, and in combination with the conveying speed of the continuous rolled sushi 9 by the first conveyor belt 4, rolled sushi 3 with a length of approximately 22 mm is produced.

[0059] In this embodiment, where one set of sushi rolls 10 is set to consist of eight sushi rolls 3, the shifting drive motor 20 rotates the pressing plate 23 via the drive lever 21 each time the number of cuts in the continuous sushi rolls 9 reaches eight. The pressing plate 23 rotates around the pivot point 24 and contacts one end side of the sushi roll 3, pressing the sushi roll 3 laterally. In reality, the reciprocating motion of the drive lever 21 by the drive motor 20 is instantaneous, and the pressing action (shifting action) of the pressing plate 23 on the sushi rolls 10 is such that it strikes the sushi rolls 10 from the side.

[0060] On the conveying surface of the second conveyor 17 downstream of the shifting device 19, the shifting action of the pressing plate 23 causes the rows of sushi rolls 10 to be inclined with respect to the conveying direction and connected in the conveying direction. In other words, the arrangement of the rows of sushi rolls 10 results in a slight misalignment (step) between the edges of adjacent rows of sushi rolls 10 in the front and back. Specifically, for example, with respect to adjacent rows of sushi rolls 10 in the front and back, the sushi roll 3 located at the uppermost part of the front row and the sushi roll 3 located at the lowermost part of the rear row are shifted by approximately 10 mm in the left-right direction. With this arrangement of the rows of sushi rolls 10, the misaligned parts between the sushi rolls 3 can be recognized as divisions of a predetermined number of rolls.

[0061] The rows of sushi rolls 10, having been pressed by the pressing plate 23, are discharged from the guide tunnel 18 in a state slightly inclined with respect to the conveying direction due to the rotation of the pressing plate 23, from an aligned state parallel to the conveying direction of the second conveyor 17, and are conveyed to a visible position on the second conveyor 17.

[0062] In this way, the uppermost end of the sushi roll row 10 is shifted laterally relative to the subsequent sushi rolls 3 by the amount that the pressing plate 23 presses laterally. As a result, the worker can easily recognize the division of the sushi roll row 10, which consists of eight sushi rolls 3, simply by visually observing the shift in the position of the sushi roll row 10, without having to count the number of rolls.

[0063] Using the method described above, workers can quickly and smoothly extract one set of rolled sushi rows 10 from the second conveyor belt 17 and transfer them to containers such as containers or packs.

[0064] The sushi roll conveying device 1 according to this embodiment includes a second conveying conveyor 17 of a conveying device 8 that conveys a row of sushi rolls 10 obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical sushi roll continuous body 9, which is extended along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional shape at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction, and a shifting device 19 that shifts the row of sushi rolls 10, which maintains the cylindrical shape of the sushi roll continuous body 9 on the conveying surface of the second conveying conveyor 17, for every predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 that make up the row of sushi rolls 10, relative to the conveying direction of the second conveying conveyor 17. With this configuration, a predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 can be easily visually identified from the row of sushi rolls that are cut and continuously conveyed, thereby reducing the burden on the worker and improving the work efficiency of picking up each predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 and transferring them to a container.

[0065] Furthermore, in the sushi roll conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, the shifting device 19 has a pressing member that applies a lateral pressing action to the sushi roll row 10 as the shifting action. With this configuration, the sushi roll row 10, which is conveyed by the conveying device, for example, along a straight line in a predetermined conveying direction, can be easily shifted, and good visibility of the shifted state of the sushi roll row 10 can be obtained.

[0066] Furthermore, the pressing member is a pressing plate 23 that is rotatable in the axial direction (up and down direction) perpendicular to the conveying surface of the second conveyor 17. With this configuration, a pressing action is applied to the row of sushi rolls 10 as a shifting action, and this can be realized with a simple structure.

[0067] Furthermore, the sushi roll conveying device 1 according to this embodiment further includes a cutting device 12 that continuously cuts the continuous sushi roll 9 in the transverse direction at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction. With this configuration, by linking the cutting device 12 together with the conveying device 8 and the shifting device 19, it is possible to easily adjust the width of the sushi roll 3 and the number of sushi rolls 3 in one set.

[0068] Furthermore, the sushi roll conveying method according to this embodiment is a method for conveying a row of sushi rolls 10 obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical sushi roll continuous body 9, which is extended along the conveying direction, into sections at predetermined intervals in the transverse direction along the extension direction. By applying a shifting action relative to the conveying direction to the row of sushi rolls 10, which maintains the cylindrical shape of the sushi roll continuous body 9, a predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 that make up the row of sushi rolls 10 are separated. With this method, as described above, the burden on the worker can be reduced and the work efficiency of transferring a predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 can be improved.

[0069] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes configurations in which the components disclosed in the embodiments described above are substituted for each other or their combinations are changed, known inventions, and configurations in which the components disclosed in the embodiments described above are substituted for each other or their combinations are changed. In addition, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but extends to the matters described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0070] The various figures shown in this embodiment (such as the number of rows in the continuous sushi roll manufacturing device 2 and the sushi roll conveying device 1, the number of conveying conveyors 4 and 17, the cutting length of the sushi rolls 3, the handling unit of one set of sushi rolls 3, and the number of cuts per hour in the cutting section 11) are illustrative examples, and the present invention is not limited to these figures.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit, via the drive motor 20, presses the upstream side of each row of sushi rolls 10 to shift its position after a predetermined number of sushi rolls, thereby creating a separation from the next row of sushi rolls 10. However, it may also be configured to press the downstream end of the row of sushi rolls 10. In other words, as long as the ends of adjacent rows of sushi rolls 10 are shifted relative to the conveying direction of the row of sushi rolls 10, and the rows of sushi rolls 10 can be easily recognized without counting the number of rolls, it does not matter whether the upstream or downstream side of the row of sushi rolls 10 is shifted.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example was shown in which the pressing plate 23, acting as a pressing member, rotates via the operation of the drive motor 20 by the control unit to press one end of the sushi roll row 10 for every predetermined number of sushi rolls. However, the pressing member may be configured as a plate that presses the side surface of the sushi roll row 10 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, or it may be configured as a rod. In other words, as long as it is configured to apply a lateral pressing action to the sushi roll row 10, the shape and direction of operation of the pressing member are not limited.

[0073] Furthermore, the sushi roll conveying device 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that a set of sushi rolls 3 forming a sushi roll row 10 is formed by a cutting device 12 (immediately after formation), and a shifting action is applied to the sushi roll row 10 by a shifting device 19. However, the sushi roll conveying device according to the present invention is not limited to having such a configuration. For example, the shifting device 19 may be configured to apply a shifting action to a sushi roll row in the direction of the conveying device to a predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 that are continuous in the extending direction of the sushi roll continuum 9, in relation to the conveying direction of the conveying device, for a sushi roll row in a state where more than the number of sushi rolls 3 in a set are connected. Thus, the concept of a sushi roll row according to the present invention includes both a state in which a predetermined number (the number of sushi rolls in a set) of sushi rolls 3 are connected, and a state in which more than the predetermined number of sushi rolls 3 are connected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] M Sushi Roll Production Line 1. Sushi Roll Conveying Device 2. Continuous Sushi Roll Manufacturing Machine 3. Rolled sushi 4. First conveyor 5. Rice and Seaweed Supply Department 6. Ingredient supply section 7 Molding section 8. Conveying device 9. Continuum of rolled sushi 10 rows of rolled sushi 11 Cut section 12 Cutting device 13 Drive motor 14 Output shaft 15 Cutting blade 15a Large diameter section 15b Cut section 16a large diameter arc blade 16b Small diameter arc blade 17. Second conveyor belt 18 Guide Tunnel 18, 18' Guide Tunnel 18a, 18a' side part 18b, 18b' Top part 19. Shifting device 20 Drive motor 21 Drive lever 21a Proximal end 21b Tip 23 Pressing plate 23a Upstream end 23b Downstream end 24 axis branches 25 Locking plate 26a, 26b gap 27 Drive shaft 28 Power transmission plate

Claims

1. A conveying device for conveying a series of rolled sushi, which are formed by continuously cutting a cylindrical rolled sushi continuous body, stretched along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional shape at predetermined intervals along the stretching direction. The conveying device includes a shifting device that, for each predetermined number of sushi rolls in a row of sushi rolls that maintains a cylindrical shape on the conveying surface of the conveying device, shifts them relative to the conveying direction of the conveying device. A device for conveying rolled sushi.

2. The shifting device has a pressing member that applies a lateral pressing action to the row of sushi rolls as the shifting action. The sushi roll conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The pressing member is a pressing plate that is rotatable in an axial direction perpendicular to the conveying surface. The sushi roll conveying device according to claim 2.

4. The device further includes a cutting device that continuously cuts a continuous roll of sushi in the transverse direction at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction. A sushi roll conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A method for conveying rolled sushi, which involves conveying a series of rolled sushi obtained by continuously cutting a cylindrical rolled sushi continuous body, which is stretched along the conveying direction, into a cross-sectional shape at predetermined intervals in the stretching direction, By applying a shifting force relative to the conveying direction to the continuous rolled sushi row, which maintains its cylindrical shape, a predetermined number of rolled sushi are separated from the row. A method for conveying rolled sushi, characterized by the features described above.

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