Container inversion mechanism

Abstract

To provide a container inversion mechanism that can improve the efficiency of inverting food containers. [Solution] The control drive unit 71 causes the rotating shaft 32 to rotate 360 ​​degrees in one direction, stopping at rotation stop positions every 180 degrees, so that the upper side of the rotating shaft 32 rotates in one direction toward the downstream side. A pair of holding arms 33 attached to the rotating shaft 32 extend toward the upstream and downstream sides in the conveying direction, respectively, at these rotation stop positions, and are formed in a U-shape that opens outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft 32 when viewed from the axial direction. As a result, the inversion of the next food container 2 can be started simply by unloading the inverted food container 2 from the holding arms 33, without waiting for the rotating shaft 32 to rotate. As a result, the inversion efficiency of the food containers 2 can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container inversion mechanism for inverting a food container such as before or after washing, and particularly to a container inversion mechanism capable of improving the inversion efficiency of a food container.

Background Art

[0002] For example, foods contained in food containers such as canned foods are delivered to each school and company, and the food containers after meals are returned to a feeding center or the like and washed by a washing device. The washing device washes the food container in a washing section while conveying the food container to the downstream side in the conveying direction. In order to save labor, a container inversion mechanism for inverting a food container before or after washing while conveying it to the downstream side may be provided inside the washing device or connected and provided outside the washing device.

[0003] The canned food inversion device 30 (container inversion mechanism) described in Patent Document 1 grips the canned food body 32a (food container) with one U-shaped arm member 30a, and then rotates the arm member 30a 180 degrees around the rotary drive shaft 30b to invert the canned food body 32a while conveying it to the downstream side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, there is only one arm member 30a on the rotation drive shaft 30b, and in order to invert the next food container body 32a, it is necessary to invert the previous food container body 32a, wait for the inverted food container body 32a to be removed from the arm member 30a, and then wait for the arm member 30a to rotate 180 degrees in the opposite direction and return to its original position. In Patent Document 1, this configuration requires a return operation each time an inversion occurs, which has the problem of poor inversion efficiency of food containers.

[0006] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a container inversion mechanism that can improve the efficiency of inverting food containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve this objective, the container inversion mechanism of the present invention is provided in a washing device that washes food containers in a washing section while transporting food containers having an opening to the downstream side in the transport direction, and inverts the food containers upside down while transporting them to the downstream side, and comprises a rotating shaft that is rotatably supported with an axial direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the vertical direction, a control drive unit that rotates the rotating shaft 360 degrees while stopping at least every 180 degrees so that the upper side of the rotating shaft rotates in one direction toward the downstream side, and a pair of holding arms attached to the rotating shaft so as to extend toward the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, respectively, at the rotation stop positions every 180 degrees by the control drive unit, wherein the holding arms, as viewed from the axial direction, are formed in a U-shape that opens outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the container inversion mechanism described in claim 1, the control drive unit causes the rotating shaft to rotate 360 ​​degrees in one direction, stopping at rotation stop positions every 180 degrees, so that the upper side of the rotating shaft rotates in one direction toward the downstream side. A pair of holding arms attached to the rotating shaft are formed in a U-shape, extending toward the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction at these rotation stop positions, and opening outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft when viewed from the axial direction. As a result, after one of the holding arms extending toward the upstream side at the rotation stop position receives a food container, when the rotating shaft is rotated 180 degrees, the food container is transported downstream by passing over it, and the food container is inverted. After this inversion, since the other holding arm extends toward the upstream side, the inversion of the next food container can be started simply by unloading the inverted food container from the one holding arm, without waiting for the rotating shaft to rotate (for one of the holding arms to return to its original position). As a result, the efficiency of inverting food containers can be improved.

[0009] The container inversion mechanism described in claim 2 provides the following effects in addition to those of the container inversion mechanism described in claim 1. The container inversion mechanism is positioned upstream of the washing section of the washing device and inverts a food container with its opening facing upwards so that the opening faces downwards. As a result, leftover food inside the food container is discharged downwards from the opening during the inversion. The holding arm is equipped with a plurality of claws capable of supporting the edge of the opening of the food container from below. These claws protrude from the outside to the inside of the opening when the edge is supported (inverted). This makes it less likely for leftover food discharged from the food container to remain on the holding arm compared to when the edge is supported by a part that spans in the direction of transport.

[0010] The container inversion mechanism described in claim 3 provides the following effects in addition to those of the container inversion mechanism described in claim 1 or 2. The control drive unit slows down the rotation speed before and after the speed change position, which is reached by rotating the rotation shaft by 90 degrees or more from the rotation stop position. If the rotation speed of the rotation shaft remains fast throughout the inversion of the food container, as is the speed before the control drive unit slows down the rotation, the food container may suddenly move within the U-shaped holding arm when the rotation stops, potentially causing the food container to collide forcefully with the holding arm or the like. Also, if the rotation speed of the rotation shaft remains slow throughout the inversion of the food container, as is the speed after the control drive unit slows down the rotation, the inversion efficiency of the food container will decrease.

[0011] In response to these issues, the control drive unit can increase the rotational speed before the gear shift position, thereby improving the efficiency of inverting the food container. Furthermore, the control drive unit can decrease the rotational speed after the gear shift position, which can reduce the speed at which the food container collides with, for example, the holding arm, thereby mitigating such collisions. As a result, damage to the food container or holding arm, and the scattering of leftover food from inside the food container can be suppressed.

[0012] The container inversion mechanism described in claim 4 provides the following effects in addition to those of the container inversion mechanism described in claim 1 or 2. The holding arm, when extended upstream at the rotation stop position, includes a sliding portion that extends vertically and faces the food container in the transport direction, allowing the food container to slide; a lower support portion extending upstream from the lower end of the sliding portion; and an upper support portion extending upstream from the upper end of the sliding portion. When the food container is inverted, the food container is supported on the sliding portion, and when the rotation angle from the rotation stop position exceeds 90 degrees, the food container may slide on the sliding portion from the lower support portion side to the upper support portion side, and the larger the rotation angle, the easier it is to slide. Since the sliding portion is formed with a lower coefficient of friction than the lower support portion, the food container can be easily slid even at a relatively small rotation angle. This prevents the food container from suddenly sliding when the rotation angle is near 180 degrees and colliding forcefully with the upper support part, thus preventing damage to the food container or holding arm, and preventing food scraps from scattering inside the food container.

[0013] The container inversion mechanism described in claim 5 provides the following effects in addition to those of the container inversion mechanism described in claim 1 or 2. The container inversion mechanism is positioned upstream of the washing section of the washing device and inverts a food container with its opening facing upward so that the opening faces downward, so that when it is inverted, leftover food inside the food container is discharged downward from the opening. The holding arm extends upward toward the upstream side when it is in the rotation stop position and comprises a sliding section that extends vertically and faces the food container in the transport direction, on which the food container can slide, and a lower support section that extends upstream from the lower end of the sliding section. When the food container is inverted, the food container is supported on the sliding section, and if the rotation angle from the rotation stop position exceeds 90 degrees, the food container may slide on the sliding section toward the opposite side from the lower support section.

[0014] When the food container is supported on the sliding part during inversion, depending on the shape of the food container, only a portion of the food container on the opening side may come into contact with the sliding part. In this case, as the contacted portion slides on the sliding part, the food container may rotate so that the opening faces upward until a portion of the food container on the opposite side of the opening also comes into contact with the sliding part. This rotation makes it difficult for the opening to face downward after inversion, making it difficult to discharge leftover food. In contrast, the holding arm is equipped with a corner contact portion that fills the corner between the sliding part and the lower support portion and can come into contact with the food container, thus suppressing the rotation of the food container so that the opening faces upward. As a result, it becomes easier to face the opening downward, making it easier to discharge leftover food. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the pre-treatment cleaning apparatus in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic side view of the internal structure of the pre-treatment cleaning device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic top view of the internal structure of the pre-treatment cleaning device. [Figure 4] (a) is a side view of the container inversion mechanism of the pretreatment washing device, and (b) is a bottom view of the container inversion mechanism as seen in the direction of arrow IVb in Figure 4(a). [Figure 5] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the container inversion mechanism along the Va-Va line in Fig. 4(b), and (b) is a side view of the control drive unit of the container inversion mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a schematic explanatory diagram of the inversion operation by the container inversion mechanism. [Figure 7] (a) is a side view of the container inversion mechanism in the second embodiment, and (b) is a bottom view of the container inversion mechanism as viewed in the direction of arrow VIIb in Fig. 7(a).

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the pre-treatment cleaning device 1 in the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the internal structure of the pre-treatment cleaning device 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic top view of the internal structure of the pre-treatment cleaning device 1. In addition, the arrows U, D, L, R, F, and B in each drawing indicate the upward, downward, leftward, rightward, forward, and backward directions of the pre-treatment cleaning device 1, respectively. Also, in Fig. 2, the pipes through which water passes are shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the pre-treatment cleaning device 1 is connected to and used with the main cleaning device 100 for main cleaning of the object to be cleaned. The main cleaning device 100 cleans the object to be cleaned that is conveyed by the conveyor 120 while being introduced into the interior from the inlet 110 by the cleaning unit 130. <​​​​​ The pre-treatment cleaning device 1 is a device that performs pre-treatment on the food container 2 before it is put into the input port 110 of the main cleaning device 100 and subjected to the main cleaning. In particular, the pre-treatment cleaning device 1 in this embodiment is optimized for cleaning canned food containers among the food containers 2. The food container 2 (canned food) in this embodiment is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container with one end of a rectangular cylindrical body being an opening 3 and the other end being closed by a bottom 4, and food can be put into it through the opening 3. The outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the cylindrical body of the food container 2 widens from the bottom 4 side towards the opening 3 side.

[0020] The pre-treatment cleaning device 1 mainly includes a conveying unit 10, a weighing unit 20, a leftover food cleaning unit 30, a water absorption unit 50, and a preliminary cleaning unit 60. The conveying unit 10 is a device that conveys the food container 2 from the upstream side (front) to the downstream side (rear) in the conveying direction. The weighing unit 20 to the preliminary cleaning unit 60 are for performing pre-treatment on the food container 2 conveyed by this conveying unit 10 respectively.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the front end portion of the conveying unit 10 protrudes from the housing 1a of the pre-treatment cleaning device 1. When the food container 2 is placed on this front end portion, the food container 2 is put into the conveying space inside the housing 1a through the entrance 1b opened on the front side of the housing 1a, and the food container 2 is carried out through the exit 1c opened on the rear side of the housing 1a. A slope 1d for guiding the food container 2 to the conveyor 120 of the main cleaning device 100 is provided at the exit 1c. Note that curtains 1e are provided at the entrance 1b and the exit 1c to block the internal air and external air of the housing 1a.

[0022] The conveying unit 10 is provided with one lane on each of the left and right sides of the pre-treatment cleaning device 1. Although not shown, the weighing unit 20 to the preliminary cleaning unit 60 are provided for each of these one lanes respectively. Since each part from the weighing unit 20 to the preliminary cleaning unit 60 is basically provided individually for each lane, the description thereof will be omitted at this point.

[0023] The housing 1a is equipped with a control device 70 that controls the operation of the transport unit 10 to the pre-washing unit 60. The control device 70 is configured to allow for individual control changes for each lane. For example, in one lane, the food containers 2 can be transported by the transport unit 10 without any pre-treatment.

[0024] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the conveying section 10 is divided into an upstream conveying section 11, which includes the front end of the conveying section 10, and a downstream conveying section 13, which includes the rear end of the conveying section 10. This division point (the rear end of the upstream conveying section 11) is located within the leftover food washing section 30.

[0025] The upstream conveying section 11 is formed by wrapping a pair of left and right belts 12 around a driven roller 15 positioned at the front end of the pre-treatment washing device 1 and a driven roller 16 positioned at the dividing point between the upstream conveying section 11 and the downstream conveying section 13. The pair of belts 12 are endless strips that are narrow in the left-right direction and are arranged parallel to each other, separated to the left and right.

[0026] The downstream conveying section 13 is formed by wrapping a pair of left and right belts 14 around a driven roller 16 and a drive roller 17 located at the rear end of the pre-treatment washing device 1. The pair of belts 14 are narrow, endless strips in the left-right direction, and are arranged parallel to each other, spaced outward in the left-right direction from the pair of belts 12. The upper surfaces of these belts 12 and 14 are the conveying surfaces on which the food containers 2 are placed.

[0027] Multiple rectangular hooks 18 protrude from the outer surfaces (conveying surfaces, etc.) of the belts 12 and 14 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The movement of the food container 2 in the forward and backward direction is restricted between these hooks 18. The movement of the food container 2 in the left and right direction is restricted by a pair of guides 19 positioned further outward from the pair of belts 12 and 14 in the left and right directions. The guides 19 are designed so that even if the handles 5 on the left and right sides of the food container 2 are tilted to either side, the handles 5 do not interfere with any part of the pre-treatment and washing device 1. The upstream side of the guides 19 extends to both the left and right sides so as not to interfere with the container inversion mechanism 31 described later.

[0028] Based on a signal from the control device 70 (see Figure 1), the drive motor (not shown) is driven, causing the drive roller 17 to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 2. In conjunction with this rotation, the belt 14, driven roller 16, belt 12, and driven roller 15 also rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the food containers 2 placed on belt 12 are transported from the upstream side to the downstream side, transferring onto belt 14 along the way.

[0029] Furthermore, the drive motor of the conveying unit 10 is intermittently controlled by the control device 70 (see Figure 1) so that multiple hooks 18 stop at the same position each time. That is, the conveying unit 10 conveys the food containers 2 intermittently, stopping them at multiple stopping positions. Figures 2 and 3 show the state when the conveying by the conveying unit 10 has stopped, and the positions of the food containers 2 in these figures are some of the multiple stopping positions. Each process from the weighing unit 20 to the pre-washing unit 60 is basically performed on the food containers 2 at the stopping positions.

[0030] The weighing unit 20 is a device for weighing the mass of the food container 2 placed on its upper surface, and is located at a stop position upstream of the inlet 1b. The upper surface of the weighing unit 20 is formed of a sliding plate that makes it easy for the food container 2 to slide, and it protrudes upward from the conveying surface of the upstream conveying unit 11. The amount of protrusion is smaller than the amount of protrusion of the hook 18 from the conveying surface. As a result, the food container 2 that has ridden onto the upper surface of the weighing unit 20 and is lifted off the conveying surface can be hooked onto the hook 18 and conveyed by the upstream conveying unit 11.

[0031] Furthermore, the pre-processing and washing device 1 includes an identification unit 21 located above the weighing unit 20 and between the two lanes of upstream transport units 11. The identification unit 21 is used to identify the type of food container 2 being weighed by the weighing unit 20. For example, an identifier such as a barcode is provided on the side of the food container 2, and the identification unit 21 reads that identifier. This identification allows the control device 70 and external computers to determine the recipient of the food container 2 being weighed (company name, school name, grade, class, etc.), the mass of the food container 2 itself, and the food provided.

[0032] The leftover food washing unit 30 is located downstream of the weighing unit 20 and the identification unit 21, and at the uppermost part of the interior of the housing 1a. The leftover food washing unit 30 is the part that washes away most of the leftover food from inside the food container 2. The leftover food washing unit 30 includes a container inversion mechanism 31 that inverts the food container 2 on the upstream transport unit 11, a discharge unit 40 into which the leftover food discharged from the opening 3 of the food container 2, which is facing downwards due to the inversion, is fed, and a discharge unit 45 that discharges water to wash away the leftover food into the inside of the food container 2.

[0033] The container inversion mechanism 31 transports the food container 2, shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, to the next downstream stop position while inverting it vertically as shown by the solid line in Figure 2. Before inversion, the food container 2 is placed on the upstream transport section 11 with its opening 3 facing upwards, and after inversion, the food container 2 is placed on the upstream transport section 11 with its opening 3 facing downwards. Further details of the container inversion mechanism 31 will be described later with reference to Figures 4 to 7.

[0034] The discharge unit 40 is a disposer that processes leftover food introduced into the unit through an opening 41 that opens upwards, and one unit is provided in common for both lanes. The discharge unit 40 crushes the leftover food introduced into the opening 41, and the waste is drained to the outside through the drain pipe 42 along with water released from the discharge unit 45.

[0035] The discharge section 40 is equipped with a discharge guide surface 43 that forms the lower surface of the transport space in the leftover food washing section 30. The discharge guide surface 43 is located below the upstream transport section 11 and the container inversion mechanism 31 and basically slopes downward toward the input port 41. As a result, leftover food discharged downward from the opening 3 of the food container 2 in the leftover food washing section 30 is guided toward the input port 41.

[0036] The discharge section 45 is a nozzle that discharges water upward in a shower-like manner at a water pressure of approximately 0.1 to 0.4 MPa, and water is pumped from the discharge pump 46. The discharge section 45 is located downstream of the container inversion mechanism 31 and below the conveying surface of the upstream conveying section 11. As a result, water is discharged from the discharge section 45 into the food container 2 that has been inverted by the container inversion mechanism 31 and conveyed by the upstream conveying section 11, washing away any leftover food. Furthermore, since the discharge section 45 is positioned between a pair of belts 14 and sprays water radially upward, it can reach almost the entire interior of the food container 2, making it easier to wash away leftover food.

[0037] The water intake section 50 is located downstream of the leftover food washing section 30. The water intake section 50 is a part that supplies water to the inside of the food container 2, allowing leftover food and other adhering material that is not washed away by the leftover food washing section 30 to absorb the water. The water intake section 50 comprises two water intake spray sections 51 that spray water upward, a water intake tank 52 that stores the water sprayed from the water intake spray sections 51, and a water intake pump 53 that pressurizes the water in the water intake tank 52 to the water intake spray sections 51. The water in the water intake tank 52 is also pressurized and sent to the discharge section 45 by the discharge pump 46.

[0038] The water intake spray unit 51 sprays water into the food container 2. The two water intake spray units 51 are located below the conveying surface of the downstream conveying unit 13 and are positioned directly below the two stopping positions of the downstream conveying unit 13. Each water intake spray unit 51 comprises three pipes 51a that are parallel to each other in the left-right direction and aligned in the conveying direction, and a plurality of water intake nozzles 51b that protrude from the top of the pipes 51a and are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The plurality of water intake nozzles 51b are located between the pair of belts 14 of the downstream conveying unit 13 and are also located on the outside of the pair of belts 14. Note that these outer water intake nozzles 51b may be omitted. However, providing the outer water intake nozzles 51b makes it easier to clean the edges of the opening 3 of the food container 2.

[0039] Once the water pumped from the suction pump 53 fills the pipe 51a, it is sprayed upward from multiple suction nozzles 51b at a predetermined pressure. This pressure is approximately the same as the pressure of the water discharged from the discharge section 45. Although the spread of water sprayed from each individual suction nozzle 51b is small, the positions of the multiple suction nozzles 51b are adjusted for each suction spray section 51 so that water reaches almost the entire interior of the food container 2.

[0040] The water intake tank 52 is a container with an upward opening, and one is provided in common for both lanes. The water intake tank 52 is equipped with a water intake guide surface 52a that slopes downward toward its opening. The water intake guide surface 52a forms the lower surface of the conveying space in the water intake section 50 and is located below the downstream conveying section 13. As a result, most of the water sprayed from the water intake injection section 51 that hits the food container 2, the downstream conveying section 13, and the upper surface of the conveying space returns to the water intake tank 52 equipped with the water intake guide surface 52a.

[0041] Furthermore, the connection between the water absorption guide surface 52a and the discharge guide surface 43 is such that the water absorption guide surface 52a is slightly higher. This prevents water and leftover food from transferring from the discharge guide surface 43 to the water absorption tank 52. This is also true even if the connection between the water absorption guide surface 52a and the discharge guide surface 43 is a wall rather than a step.

[0042] The pre-cleaning section 60 is located downstream of the water intake section 50. The pre-cleaning section 60 is a part for washing off deposits inside the food container 2 by high-pressure cleaning. The pre-cleaning section 60 includes an upstream spray section 61 and a downstream spray section 62 that spray water for high-pressure cleaning, a pre-cleaning tank 63 that stores the water sprayed from the downstream spray section 62, a water inlet 64 that supplies water to the pre-cleaning tank 63, an upstream pump 65 that pressurizes the water in the pre-cleaning tank 63 to the upstream spray section 61, and a downstream pump 66 that pressurizes the water in the pre-cleaning tank 63 to the downstream spray section 62.

[0043] The upstream injection unit 61 and the downstream injection unit 62 are located below the conveying surface of the downstream conveying unit 13, and are positioned directly below the two stopping positions of the downstream conveying unit 13. Furthermore, the downstream injection unit 62 is positioned further downstream than the upstream injection unit 61.

[0044] Each of the upstream spray section 61 and the downstream spray section 62 is a rotating nozzle type cleaning spray section that has, for example, three nozzles at different angles with respect to the conveying surface, and rotates these nozzles by motor drive. The three nozzles are directed towards the opening 3 side, the upper and lower central portion, and the bottom 4 side of the food container 2 stopped directly above them, and spray water into a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of each. Furthermore, by rotating the nozzles, the predetermined range is moved in the circumferential direction, thereby performing high-pressure cleaning on almost the entire food container 2. The water pressure sprayed from the upstream spray section 61 and the downstream spray section 62 is approximately 5 to 50 times the water pressure sprayed from the water intake nozzle 51b.

[0045] The water intake guide surface 52a of the water intake tank 52 extends below the upstream injection section 61. As a result, most of the water that is injected from the upstream injection section 61 and hits the food container 2 is collected in the water intake tank 52.

[0046] The pre-washing tank 63 is a container with an upward opening, and one is provided in common for both lanes. The pre-washing tank 63 is equipped with a pre-washing guide surface 63a that slopes downward toward its opening. The pre-washing guide surface 63a forms the portion of the lower surface of the transport space in the pre-washing section 60 other than the water absorption guide surface 52a, and is located below the downstream transport section 13. As a result, most of the water that is sprayed from the downstream spray section 62 and hits the food containers 2 etc. returns to the pre-washing tank 63 equipped with the pre-washing guide surface 63a.

[0047] Furthermore, a wall 63b is provided at the connection point between the pre-washing guide surface 63a and the water absorption guide surface 52a. This prevents water on the water absorption guide surface 52a and any washed-off deposits from transferring to the pre-washing tank 63. The same applies even if the connection point is not a wall 63b but a step where the pre-washing guide surface 63a is higher.

[0048] The water inlet 64 is the part that supplies water (such as tap water) supplied from outside the pre-treatment washing device 1 to the pre-washing tank 63, and one inlet is provided in common to both lanes. The amount of water supplied from the water inlet 64 to the pre-washing tank 63 is equal to or greater than the amount of water that is discharged from the discharge section 45 of the leftover food washing section 30 and flows to the discharge section 40.

[0049] The upstream pump 65 and the downstream pump 66 have the same performance. However, the upstream pump 65 is provided individually for each of the two lanes, while the downstream pump 66 is a single unit shared by both lanes. As a result, the amount of water injected from the downstream injection unit 62 is reduced to about half the amount of water injected from the upstream injection unit 61. If most of the deposits are removed by the upstream injection unit 61, then reducing the amount of water injected from the downstream injection unit 62 in this way contributes to water conservation and energy saving by reducing the number of downstream pumps 66.

[0050] The pre-treatment applied to the food container 2 by the pre-treatment washing device 1 described above will now be explained in order. Note that each of the processes described below is performed automatically by the control device 70. Furthermore, the operations (processes) of each part that are performed during the stoppage of the intermittent transport of the transport unit 10 are performed each time it stops.

[0051] First, when a food container 2 with its opening 3 facing upwards is placed on the front end of the upstream transport unit 11 by an operator, the food container 2 is intermittently transported downstream and stops on the upper surface of the weighing unit 20. At this point of stopping, the weighing unit 20 weighs the mass of the food container 2, including any leftover food before it is washed away.

[0052] Furthermore, when the weighing system stops, the identification unit 21 identifies the food container 2, allowing the mass of the food container 2 itself to be determined, thus enabling the calculation of the mass of leftovers only. Additionally, the identification unit 21 identifies the recipient and the type of food provided to the food container 2, making it easy to record the mass of leftovers for each grade, class, or food item, for example.

[0053] After the weighing unit 20 completes the leftover food weighing process while the upstream transport unit 11 is stopped, the transport by the upstream transport unit 11 resumes, and then the leftover food washing unit 30 washes away the leftover food. In the leftover food washing unit 30, the food container 2 is first transported by the upstream transport unit 11 to the container inversion mechanism 31 and stops there. Then, the container inversion mechanism 31 inverts the food container 2, and the food container 2 is placed on the upstream transport unit 11 with the opening 3 facing downwards. At this time, most of the leftover food from inside the food container 2 is discharged downwards through the opening 3 and is put into the discharge unit 40 either directly or via the discharge guide surface 43.

[0054] After inversion, when intermittent transport resumes, the food container 2 stops above the discharge section 45. The water discharged upward from the discharge section 45 washes away any leftover food inside the food container 2 that did not fall out by inversion, via the discharge guide surface 43 to the discharge section 40.

[0055] Furthermore, leftover food washed from the food container 2 may adhere to the belt 12 and may be transported downstream together with the food container 2 on the belt 12 of the upstream transport unit 11. In contrast, in this embodiment, while the food container 2 is transferred from the upstream transport unit 11 to the downstream transport unit 13 within the leftover food washing unit 30, the belt 12 of the upstream transport unit 11 is driven in a circulating manner within the leftover food washing unit 30, and any leftover food adhering to the belt 12 falls off the belt 12 within the leftover food washing unit 30. Therefore, the transport of leftover food on the belt 12 downstream from the leftover food washing unit 30 is suppressed, and more leftover food can be discharged from the discharge unit 40.

[0056] The food container 2, once transferred to the downstream transport unit 13, is then subjected to a water absorption treatment in the water absorption unit 50. In the water absorption unit 50, the food container 2 is first stopped on the upstream of the two water absorption spray units 51, and while stopped, water is sprayed into the food container 2 from that unit. Transport by the downstream transport unit 13 is then resumed, and the food container 2 is stopped again on the downstream water absorption spray unit 51. While stopped again, water is sprayed into the food container 2 from that unit. These two sprays allow the adhering material inside the food container 2 to absorb the water, softening it. In addition, although the water is mainly sprayed upward from the water absorption spray unit 51 and hits the bottom 4 side of the food container 2, it flows down along the sides of the interior, so the water spreads throughout the entire inner surface of the food container 2, making it easier to remove any adhering material.

[0057] After water absorption, transport by the downstream transport unit 13 resumes, and a preliminary washing process is performed by the preliminary washing unit 60. In the preliminary washing unit 60, the food container 2 is first stopped above the upstream spray unit 61. While stopped, water is sprayed from the upstream spray unit 61 into the inside of the food container 2 to wash away any adhering substances inside the food container 2. After stopping the water spray, transport by the downstream transport unit 13 resumes, and the food container 2 is stopped above the downstream spray unit 62. While stopped, water is again sprayed from the downstream spray unit 62 into the inside of the food container 2. This allows for the washing away of any adhering substances that were not completely removed by the spray from the upstream spray unit 61, and also allows for rinsing the inside of the food container 2. In particular, since the upstream spray unit 61 and the downstream spray unit 62 spray water towards the sides of the inside of the food container 2, it is possible to easily remove any adhering substances from those sides.

[0058] Subsequently, when transport by the downstream transport unit 13 resumes, the food containers 2 that have been pre-treated by the pre-treatment washing device 1 are unloaded from the outlet 1c and slide down the slope 1d into the main washing device 100. In this way, the pre-treatment washing device 1 automatically performs pre-treatment from leftover weighing to preliminary washing simply by having an operator place the food containers 2 on the front end of the transport unit 10 (upstream transport unit 11), thus reducing manpower and labor in the pre-treatment process. Furthermore, as soon as the front end of the transport unit 10 becomes free, the operator can place the next food container 2 there, allowing the pre-treatment washing device 1 to continuously pre-treat multiple food containers 2.

[0059] Furthermore, the front end of the conveying section 10 is formed low to make it easier for the operator to place the food containers 2 on it. In addition, by tilting the conveying section 10 upward toward the exit and raising the exit 1c, a ramp 1d can be provided to slide the food containers 2 into the main washing device 100. Thus, the pre-treatment washing device 1 can be easily connected to the main washing device 100.

[0060] With the pre-treatment washing device 1 described above, the water absorption section 50 softens the adhering material, making it easier to wash off in the subsequent pre-washing section 60, thus shortening the time required to completely remove the adhering material. Furthermore, after washing away most of the leftover food in the leftover food washing section 30, the water absorption section 50 can soften the adhering material while waiting for the adhering material to be washed off the previously introduced food containers 2. Therefore, even if time is allocated for softening, the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1 (the number of food containers 2 that can be processed per hour) is not easily reduced. As a result, the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1 can be improved.

[0061] The water absorption section 50 may also be a system that allows the food container 2 to absorb water from the attached material by immersing it in a water tank or the like. However, in this case, it is necessary to provide a mechanism in the water absorption section 50 to turn the opening 3 of the food container 2 sideways or upward after the container inversion mechanism 31 has turned the opening 3 downward, or a mechanism in the pre-washing section 60 to turn the opening 3 downward again.

[0062] In contrast, the water absorption unit 50 of this embodiment includes a water absorption spray unit 51 that sprays water into the food container 2 with the opening 3 facing downwards, so that the opening 3 of the food container 2 can remain facing downwards after the container inversion mechanism 31. Therefore, compared to immersion in a water tank, with the water absorption unit 50 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism to change the orientation of the opening 3 in the water absorption unit 50 or the pre-washing unit 60, thus simplifying the pre-treatment washing device 1.

[0063] Furthermore, if a large water tank is provided to completely immerse the food container 2, the water absorption unit 50 will become larger. However, if water is absorbed by the water absorption spray unit 51, the water absorption unit 50 can be made smaller. Also, compared to immersion in a water tank, water absorption by the water absorption spray unit 51 makes it easier to reduce the amount of water required.

[0064] The water spray from the water absorption spray unit 51 allows for gradual washing away of deposits from the softened surface, enabling early water absorption into the interior of the deposits. As a result, the softening time by the water absorption unit 50 can be shortened, improving the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1.

[0065] Since the water suction and spray units 51 are positioned below each of the two stopping positions, time to soften the adhering material can be secured by multiplying the "number of water suction and spray units 51" by the "stopping time by the conveying unit 10 (spraying time by the water suction and spray units 51)". As a result, it is not necessary to extend the stopping time by the conveying unit 10 in order to secure time for softening, and the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1 can be further improved.

[0066] The stop time for intermittent transport by the transport unit 10 can be set, for example, between 5 and 15 seconds. The spraying time by the water intake / injection unit 51, upstream injection unit 61, downstream injection unit 62, and discharge unit 45 during the stop time is the same as the stop time, or shortened by a few seconds. The control device 70 is configured so that these settings can be changed according to the amount and type of leftover food.

[0067] The upstream spray section 61 and the downstream spray section 62 spray water at a higher pressure than the water intake spray section 51, making it easier to wash away any deposits that could not be washed away by the water intake spray section 51. Similar to the water intake spray section 51, the upstream spray section 61 and the downstream spray section 62 (washing spray section) are positioned below the two stopping positions, respectively. Therefore, the amount of time required to wash away deposits with high-pressure washing can be calculated by "number of washing spray sections" × "stopping time by the transport section 10 (spraying time by the washing spray section)". In other words, while waiting for the downstream spray section 62 to wash away deposits from the food container 2 that was introduced earlier, the upstream spray section 61 can wash away deposits. As a result, time for high-pressure washing can be secured without increasing the stopping time by the transport section 10, further improving the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is another stopping position between the stopping position on the upstream injection section 61 and the stopping position on the downstream injection section 62. This allows time to be secured for the exposed deposits to soften after being washed away by the upstream injection section 61. This makes it easier to wash away the deposits with the downstream injection section 62.

[0069] In the pre-treatment washing device 1, as you move downstream, the attached substances fall off the food containers 2, so the water that has been sprayed from each of the spray nozzles 51, 61, and 62 to wash the food containers 2 is less contaminated the further downstream you go. Furthermore, clean water is newly supplied from the water inlet 64 to the pre-washing tank 63 where the water sprayed from the downstream spray nozzle 62 at the very bottom of the river accumulates.

[0070] Therefore, in the pre-cleaning section 60, where water from the pre-cleaning tank 63 is sprayed from the upstream spray section 61 and the downstream spray section 62, the food containers 2 can be cleaned with relatively clean water. Further upstream, the water intake section 50 can reuse the water used for cleaning in the pre-cleaning section 60, which is relatively clean, to clean the food containers 2. As a result, the water used downstream is reused upstream, and the food containers 2 can be cleaned with cleaner water as you move downstream, thus improving the cleaning efficiency of the food containers 2 while reducing water usage.

[0071] In particular, the water from the downstream spray unit 62, which has the least amount of contamination after washing, is collected in the pre-washing tank 63 and reused for washing in the pre-washing unit 60. Next, the water from the upstream spray unit 61, which has the least amount of contamination after washing, is collected in the water intake tank 52 and reused for washing in the water intake unit 50. As a result, water can be moved more gradually upstream depending on the degree of contamination, thereby improving the washing efficiency of the food container 2 while further reducing the amount of water used.

[0072] Furthermore, the water sprayed from the water intake spray unit 51 is also collected in the water intake tank 52 and reused for cleaning in the water intake unit 50. In this way, the water intake unit 50 can circulate water while softening the attached substances, further reducing the amount of water used.

[0073] In the leftover food washing section 30, the water in the water intake tank 52, which becomes progressively dirtier as it moves upstream, is used to wash away the leftover food inside the food container 2 to the discharge section 40. This further reduces water usage compared to, for example, a case where only the water in the water intake tank 52 overflows and is drained to replace the water that has moved from the pre-washing section 60 to the water intake section 50.

[0074] The leftover food washing section 30, the water absorption section 50, and the pre-washing section 60 are all located inside a single housing 1a. This allows the remaining food residue, which is attached to the food, to be washed away by the water absorption section 50 and the pre-washing section 60 before it dries out when exposed to the outside air of the housing 1a, after most of the leftover food has been discharged by the inversion mechanism 31. In particular, the inside of the housing 1a is kept moist by the water sprayed and scattered from the respective spray sections 51, 61, and 62, which further suppresses the drying of the attached material. This further suppression of drying improves the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1.

[0075] Next, the details of the container inversion mechanism 31 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4(a) is a side view of the container inversion mechanism 31, and is an enlarged view of the main part shown in Figure 2. Figure 4(b) is a bottom view of the container inversion mechanism 31 in the direction of arrow IVb in Figure 4(a). Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view of the container inversion mechanism 31 along the line Va-Va in Figure 4(b). Figure 5(b) is a side view of the control drive unit 71 of the container inversion mechanism 31, and shows the internal structure of the control device 70.

[0076] The container inversion mechanism 31 comprises a rotating shaft 32 having an axial direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the vertical direction, a pair of holding arms 33 attached to the rotating shaft 32, and a control drive unit 71 that rotates the rotating shaft 32. The control drive unit 71 is also part of the control device 70.

[0077] The rotating shaft 32 is a round metal rod rotatably supported by the housing 1a, located above the upstream conveying section 11 and directly above the hook 18 at the stopping position. The left end of the rotating shaft 32 in the axial direction (left-right direction) is connected to the control drive unit 71. Note that one rotating shaft 32 and control drive unit 71 are provided in common for both lanes.

[0078] As shown in Figures 4(a) to 5(a), the pair of holding arms 33 are mainly made of metal and are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis 32. When viewed from the left and right directions, the holding arms 33 are formed in a U-shape so as to open outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotation axis 32. With the food container 2 placed inside these U-shaped holding arms 33, the food container 2 is inverted by rotating the rotation axis 32. In Figures 4(a), 4(b), and 5(a), the state of the food container 2 before inversion is shown by solid lines. Furthermore, in Figure 4(b), the state of the food container 2 after inversion is shown by a dashed line.

[0079] To simplify the explanation, the following describes the holding arm 33 with the U-shaped opening facing upstream. Figures 4(a) to 5(a) also show one of the pair of holding arms 33 in this state. Furthermore, in Figure 4(b), the part of the holding arm 33 above the rotation axis 32 is omitted from the illustration in this state.

[0080] The holding arm 33 comprises a base portion 34 that extends vertically, forming the U-shaped portion opposite to the opening; a lower support portion 35 that extends upstream from the lower end portion of the base portion 34; and an upper support portion 36 that extends upstream from the upper end portion of the base portion 34.

[0081] The base portion 34 comprises three first base portions 34a arranged parallel to each other with space between them in the left-right direction, and two second base portions 34b arranged parallel to each other with space between them on both sides in the left-right direction relative to the three first base portions 34a. The second base portions 34b are rod-shaped parts that extend upward from the rotation axis 32.

[0082] The first base portion 34a is a rectangular bar-shaped part that extends from the rotation axis 32 to both the upper and lower sides. In this embodiment, the first base portions 34a provided on each of the pair of holding arms 33 are integrally configured with respect to each other. The first base portions 34a are positioned with space between the pair of belts 12 and on both sides thereof. This makes it difficult for the first base portion 34a and the parts extending from the first base portion 34a in the conveying direction to interfere with the pair of belts 12 when the holding arms 33 rotate.

[0083] The upstream surface of the first base portion 34a is a planar sliding portion 34c that extends in the vertical direction. When the food container 2 is placed inside the holding arm 33, this sliding portion 34c faces the food container 2 in the direction of transport. The sliding portion 34c is constructed by attaching a synthetic resin, which has a lower coefficient of friction than the metal that makes up the lower support portion 35 and the upper support portion 36.

[0084] The lower support portion 35 is a rod-shaped part that extends almost vertically upstream from the lower end portion of the sliding portion 34c, and faces the bottom portion 4 of the food container 2 inside the holding arm 33 in the vertical direction. The lower support portion 35 consists of three parallel lower support portions 35 spaced apart in the left-right direction. A right-angled triangular corner contact portion 37 is formed to fill the corner between the lower support portion 35 and the sliding portion 34c when viewed from the left-right direction. The corner contact portion 37 faces the corner on the bottom portion 4 side of the food container 2 inside the holding arm 33 in the direction of transport.

[0085] The upper support portion 36 includes a vertical claw 36a that protrudes substantially vertically upstream from the upper end portion of the sliding portion 34c, an upper arm 36b that extends substantially vertically upstream from the upper end portion of the second base portion 34b, and a horizontal claw 36c that protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the upstream tip of the upper arm 36b.

[0086] The vertical claws 36a are rod-shaped portions that are sufficiently short relative to the lower support portion 35, and are positioned vertically opposite the edge of the opening 3 of the food container 2 within the holding arm 33. Like the three lower support portions 35, the three vertical claws 36a are arranged in a row with spacing between them in the left-right direction.

[0087] The upper arm 36b is a rod-shaped part that is slightly shorter than the lower support part 35. Similar to the two second base parts 34b, two of them are arranged parallel to each other with a gap between them on both sides in the left-right direction relative to the three vertical claws 36a.

[0088] The horizontal claws 36c are short, rod-shaped parts, similar in length to the vertical claws 36a, and face the edge of the opening 3 of the food container 2 within the holding arm 33 in the vertical direction. Two horizontal claws 36c are provided, protruding toward each other from the tips of the two upper arms 36b. The tips of these horizontal claws 36c are positioned on both sides in the left-right direction relative to the pair of belts 12. This makes it difficult for the horizontal claws 36c to interfere with the pair of belts 12 when the holding arm 33 rotates.

[0089] As shown in Figure 5(b), the control drive unit 71 includes a drive motor 72 for rotating the rotating shaft 32, a sensor mounting plate 73 through which the left end of the rotating shaft 32 passes, and a rotating plate 74 that protrudes to the left of the left end of the rotating shaft 32, which is further to the left than the sensor mounting plate 73, and extends outwards on both sides perpendicular to the axis.

[0090] The sensor mounting plate 73 is formed in a disc shape with a portion of its upper side omitted. An arc-shaped mounting hole 73a is formed through the sensor mounting plate 73, centered on the rotation axis 32. This mounting hole 73a is provided intermittently in the circumferential direction over more than half the circumference of the lower side of the rotation axis 32. As the rotation axis 32 rotates, the tip of the rotating plate 74 moves above (to the left of) this mounting hole 73a.

[0091] A first sensor 75 and a second sensor 76 are mounted in the mounting hole 73a to detect when the rotating plate 74 overlaps in the left-right direction. The first sensor 75 is located in front of the rotating shaft 32 and at the same height. Therefore, when the rotating plate 74 overlaps the first sensor 75, it becomes approximately parallel to the transport direction. The second sensor 76 is located slightly in front of the rotating shaft 32.

[0092] Next, the inversion operation by the container inversion mechanism 31 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5, as well as Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the inversion operation by the container inversion mechanism 31, with the inversion operation progressing sequentially from Figure 6(a) to Figure 6(d). In each of Figures 6(a) to 6(d), the rotation angle of the holding arm 33 shown on the upper side and the rotation angle of the rotating plate 74 shown on the lower side are the same.

[0093] The control drive unit 71 sends a control signal to the drive motor 72, causing the upper side of the rotating shaft 32 to rotate in one direction toward the downstream side, in the direction of arrow S, that is, counterclockwise in each drawing. As shown in Figure 5(b), when the control drive unit 71 detects that the rotating plate 74 is overlapping with the first sensor 75 during this rotation, it stops the rotation of the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the stop, the control drive unit 71 resumes the rotation as shown in Figure 6.

[0094] Since the rotating plate 74 extends from the rotating shaft 32 on both sides perpendicular to the axis, the control drive unit 71 rotates the rotating shaft 32 360 degrees while stopping it every 180 degrees. The predetermined time for stopping this rotation is approximately the same as the time the conveying unit 10 is not stopped (the time it is driven to convey the food container 2). Conversely, while the conveying unit 10 is stopped, the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33 rotate 180 degrees and stop.

[0095] At the rotation stop positions set by the control drive unit 71 every 180 degrees, the pair of holding arms 33 are attached to the rotation shaft 32 so as to extend toward the downstream and upstream sides, respectively, as shown in Figure 4(a), etc. That is, the U-shaped openings of the pair of holding arms 33 face toward the downstream and upstream sides, respectively. Therefore, when the food container 2 is intermittently transported by the upstream transport unit 11, the food container 2 enters the inside of the holding arm 33 that is open toward the upstream side and stops. As described above, the opening 3 of this food container 2 faces upward.

[0096] When the rotation of the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33 is restarted at rotation speed S1 from the rotation stop position shown in Figures 4(a) and 5(b), the bottom 4 of the food container 2 is supported and lifted from below by the lower support part 35, as shown in Figure 6(a). As the lower support part 35 slopes downward toward the sliding part 34c, the food container 2 slides on the lower support part 35 and the side of the food container 2 comes into contact with the sliding part 34c. Furthermore, the corner on the bottom 4 side of the food container 2 also comes into contact with the corner contact part 37.

[0097] As shown in Figure 6(b), when the rotation angle from the rotation stop position reaches approximately 100 degrees, the rotating plate 74 overlaps with the second sensor 76. When the control drive unit 71 detects this overlap, it changes the rotation speed to a slower rotation speed S2 than the previous rotation speed S1 and rotates the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33. This position where the speed is changed is called the speed change position. Even though the rotation of the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33 is reduced at the speed change position, the food container 2 will still try to rotate at rotation speed S1 due to inertia, making it easier for the food container 2 to slide on the sliding part 34c toward the upper support part 36.

[0098] As the rotation progresses further, as shown in Figure 6(c), the downward slope of the sliding part 34c toward the upper support part 36 becomes steeper, making it easier for the food container 2 to slide along the sliding part 34c toward the upper support part 36. When the edge of the opening 3 of the food container 2 comes into contact with the upper support part 36 due to this sliding, the edge of the opening 3 of the food container 2 is supported from below by the upper support part 36. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4(b), the upstream side of the edge of the opening 3 is supported from below by the vertical claw 36a, and both the left and right sides of the edge of the opening 3 are supported from below by the horizontal claws 36c.

[0099] As shown in Figure 6(d), when the rotating plate 74 aligns with the first sensor 75 again, the rotation of the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33 stops. At this time, the edge of the opening 3, which was supported by the upper support 36, is placed on the upstream transport unit 11, and the inversion of the food container 2 is completed. Once the inversion of the food container 2 is complete, the edge of the opening 3 lifts off the upper support 36, and when transport by the upstream transport unit 11 resumes, the food container 2 is automatically transported downstream from the holding arm 33 which is open on the downstream side.

[0100] According to the container inversion mechanism 31 described above, after one holding arm 33, which extends upstream at the rotation stop position, receives the food container 2, the rotation axis 32 is rotated 180 degrees. As the food container 2 is transported downstream over the axis, it is inverted upside down. After this inversion, the other holding arm 33 extends upstream, so by simply unloading the inverted food container 2 from the one holding arm 33, the inversion of the next food container 2 can be started without waiting for the rotation axis 32 to rotate (for the one holding arm 33 to return to its original position). As a result, the efficiency of inverting the food containers 2 can be improved.

[0101] In this case, a malfunction in the upstream transport unit 11 may cause the inverted food container 2 to fail to be removed from the holding arm 33, and the rotation of the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33 may resume. In this case, the food container 2 may become trapped between the holding arm 33 and the upstream transport unit 11, potentially damaging the container inversion mechanism 31, the food container 2, etc.

[0102] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, a container detection sensor 77 is attached to the housing 1a to detect whether a food container 2 is present in the holding arm 33 which opens to the downstream side. The control drive unit 71 is configured to prohibit the resumption of rotation of the rotating shaft 32 and the holding arm 33, which have stopped at the rotation stop position, while the container detection sensor 77 detects the presence of a food container 2. This prevents damage to the container inversion mechanism 31, the food container 2, etc., caused by the food container 2 being caught between the holding arm 33 and the upstream transport unit 11.

[0103] The control drive unit 71 has described a case where the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 32 is changed when the food container 2 is inverted (during 180-degree rotation), but the rotation speed may be kept approximately constant throughout the inversion. However, if the rotation speed remains high, such as S1, throughout the inversion, the food container 2 will hardly move away from the lower support 35 during rotation, and when the rotation stops, the food container 2 may move suddenly within the holding arm 33, potentially causing the food container 2 to collide forcefully with the upper support 36 or the upstream conveying unit 11. Also, if the rotation speed remains low, such as S2, throughout the inversion, the inversion efficiency of the food container 2 will decrease, the stopping time of the conveying unit 10 will be longer, and the processing capacity of the pre-treatment washing device 1 will decrease.

[0104] In response to these issues, the control drive unit 71 can increase the rotational speed S1 before the gear shift position, thereby improving the inversion efficiency of the food container 2. Furthermore, the control drive unit 71 can decrease the rotational speed S2 after the gear shift position, so the speed at which the food container 2 collides with, for example, the upper support unit 36 ​​or the upstream conveying unit 11 can be reduced, thereby mitigating these collisions. As a result, damage to the food container 2 or the holding arm 33, etc., and scattering of leftover food from inside the food container 2 can be suppressed.

[0105] Furthermore, by slowing the rotation speed S2 after the gear shift position, the centrifugal force acting on the food container 2 is reduced, allowing the food container 2 to slide on the sliding part 34c in a stable state where a load is easily applied to the sliding part 34c. In addition, there are multiple food containers 2 with different heights from the bottom 4 to the opening 3. When the distance from the lower support part 35 to the upper support part 36 is set to match the tallest one, the sliding distance for the shorter food container 2 is longer. However, the slow rotation stabilizes the sliding of the food container 2, and allows the edge of the opening 3 of the food container 2 to contact the upper support part 36. This prevents the shorter food container 2 from flying out of the holding arm 33, and consequently reduces damage to the food container 2 and scattering of leftover food.

[0106] Furthermore, as the rotation angle exceeds 90 degrees, the incline becomes steeper, making it easier for the food container 2 to slide on the sliding part 34c. Since the sliding part 34c is formed with a lower coefficient of friction than the lower support part 35, the food container 2 can be slid even at a relatively small rotation angle. This prevents the food container 2 from sliding suddenly near a rotation angle of 180 degrees and colliding strongly with the upper support part 36 or the upstream conveying part 11. As a result, damage to the food container 2 and the scattering of leftover food can be further suppressed.

[0107] The vertical claws 36a and horizontal claws 36c of the upper support portion 36 protrude from the outside to the inside of the opening 3 while supporting the edge of the opening 3 as it is inverted. Therefore, compared to the case where the edge of the opening 3 is supported by a part such as the lower support portion 35 which is stretched in the direction of transport, it is possible to make it less likely for leftover food discharged from the food container 2 to remain on the holding arm 33.

[0108] The upper support portion 36 has a space formed by the tips of multiple vertical claws 36a and multiple horizontal claws 36c (for example, the vertical claws 36a do not extend between the horizontal claws 36c), making it easier to discharge leftover food downwards from this space and making it less likely for leftover food to remain on the holding arm 33. Furthermore, when the container is inverted, the leftover food slides and is discharged mainly along the inner wall on the side of the food container 2 closest to the rotation axis 32, while the horizontal claws 36c support both the left and right sides of the edge of the opening 3, making it less likely for leftover food to remain on the horizontal claws 36c.

[0109] The pair of belts 12 in the upstream conveying section 11 are positioned to avoid the rotational trajectory of the holding arm 33. In particular, to avoid the rotational trajectory of the lateral claws 36c that support both the left and right edges of the opening 3, the pair of belts 12 are positioned inward in the left-right direction from these lateral claws 36c. As a result, it becomes difficult for the belts 12 to support the vicinity of both the left and right edges of the opening 3 of the food container 2, causing the belts 12 to partially block the opening 3, and making it easier for leftover food to remain on the belts 12. However, as mentioned above, since the belts 12 are driven to circulate within the leftover food washing section 30, the leftover food on the belts 12 easily falls into the discharge section 40, so there are relatively few problems with leftover food on the belts 12.

[0110] Furthermore, as the food container 2 moves from the pair of belts 12 in front of the water absorption section 50 to the pair of belts 14 provided on their left and right outer sides, the space between the pair of belts 14 is widened, making it easier for the belts 14 to support the edges of the opening 3 of the food container 2 on both the left and right sides. As a result, the opening 3 can be opened wide downwards between the pair of belts 14, making it easier for water to be sprayed from the water absorption spray section 51 to almost the entire interior of the food container 2, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the food container 2.

[0111] In this embodiment, the side of the food container 2 widens towards the opening 3 side relative to the bottom 4 side. Therefore, when the food container 2 is supported on the sliding part 34c during inversion, only a portion of the food container 2 on the opening 3 side contacts the sliding part 34c. In this case, as the contacting portion slides on the sliding part 34c, there is a risk that the opening 3 will rotate in the direction of arrow C so that it faces upwards until a portion of the food container 2 on the bottom 4 side also contacts the sliding part 34c. This rotation makes it difficult for the opening 3 to face downwards after inversion, making it difficult to discharge leftover food.

[0112] In contrast, in this embodiment, the corner contact portion 37 of the holding arm 33 contacts the corner on the bottom 4 side of the food container 2, thus suppressing the rotation of the food container 2 in the direction of arrow C. As a result, it is easier to point the opening 3 downwards after inversion, making it easier to discharge leftover food.

[0113] Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7(a) and 7(b). In the first embodiment, the case in which the holding arm 33 of the container inversion mechanism 31 is equipped with a vertical claw 36a was described. In contrast, the second embodiment will describe a case in which the holding arm 81 of the container inversion mechanism 80 is not equipped with a vertical claw 36a. Note that parts identical to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted below.

[0114] Figure 7(a) is a side view of the container inversion mechanism 80 in the second embodiment. Figure 7(b) is a bottom view of the container inversion mechanism 80 viewed in the direction of arrow VIIb in Figure 7(a). In Figure 7(a), the hook 18 provided on the conveying surface of the belt 12 is omitted. In Figure 7(b), similar to Figure 4(b), the part of the holding arm 81 above the rotation axis 32 is omitted from the illustration.

[0115] The container inversion mechanism 80 is provided in the pre-treatment washing device 1 in place of the container inversion mechanism 31 in the first embodiment. The container inversion mechanism 80 inverts a food container 2, which is placed on the upstream transport unit 11 with its opening 3 facing upward, so that the opening 3 faces downward, and transports it to the next downstream stop position, where it is then placed back on the upstream transport unit 11. The container inversion mechanism 80 comprises a rotating shaft 32, a pair of holding arms 81, and a control drive unit 71 (see Figure 5(b)).

[0116] The pair of retaining arms 81 are mainly made of metal and are attached to the rotating shaft 32 so as to extend downstream and upstream at rotational stopping positions every 180 degrees by the control drive unit 71, and are arranged rotationally symmetrically with respect to the rotating shaft 32. When viewed from the left and right directions, the retaining arms 81 are formed in a U-shape so as to open outward in the direction perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft 32.

[0117] To simplify the explanation, the holding arm 81 will now be described in the following configuration with the U-shaped opening facing upstream. The holding arm 81 comprises a base portion 82 that extends vertically, forming the U-shaped portion opposite to the opening; a rod-shaped lower support portion 35 extending upstream from the lower end of the base portion 82; and an upper support portion 83 extending upstream from the upper end of the base portion 82.

[0118] The base portion 82 comprises three first base portions 34a, a pair of overhangs 82a extending upstream from the rotating shaft 32, and a pair of side support portions 82b extending vertically from the tips of each of the pair of overhangs 82a.

[0119] The pair of protruding portions 82a are rod-shaped parts positioned at intervals on both sides in the left-right direction relative to the three first base portions 34a, and are formed substantially perpendicular to the first base portions 34a and parallel to each other when viewed in the left-right direction. The pair of side support portions 82b are rod-shaped parts that are substantially perpendicular to the protruding portions 82a and are formed parallel to each other.

[0120] When a food container 2 is placed inside the holding arm 81, the pair of protruding parts 82a and the pair of side support parts 82b restrict the lateral movement of the food container 2. This prevents the food container 2 from falling out of the holding arm 81 in the lateral direction when it is inverted.

[0121] The upper support portion 83 comprises a pair of upper arms 83a extending substantially vertically upstream from the upper end portions of a pair of side support portions 82b, and lateral claws 83b and 83c projecting inward in the left-right direction from each of the pair of upper arms 83a. The pair of upper arms 83a are rod-shaped portions that are parallel to each other.

[0122] The lateral claws 83b and 83c are rod-shaped portions that are sufficiently short relative to the upper arm 83a and the lower support portion 35, and are positioned vertically opposite the edge of the opening 3 of the food container 2 within the holding arm 81. One lateral claw 83b protrudes from the base end side (side support portion 82b side) of one upper arm 83a, and one lateral claw 83c protrudes from the tip side (side away from the side support portion 82b) of the upper arm 83a. The tips of these lateral claws 83b and 83c are positioned on both sides in the left-right direction relative to the pair of belts 12. This makes it difficult for the lateral claws 83b and 83c to interfere with the pair of belts 12 when the holding arm 81 rotates.

[0123] When the food container 2 is inverted by the container inversion mechanism 80, the edges of the opening 3 of the food container 2 are supported from below by the lateral claws 83b and 83c, similar to the lateral claws 36c in the first embodiment. In this supported state, the lateral claws 83b and 83c protrude from the outside to the inside of the opening 3, so, similar to the first embodiment, leftover food discharged from the food container 2 is less likely to remain on the holding arm 81.

[0124] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, a total of four horizontal claws 83b and 83c support the edges of the opening 3 of the food container 2 at two locations in the front-to-back direction, for a total of four locations. Therefore, the food container 2 can be stably supported on the upper support portion 83 even without the vertical claws 36a as in the first embodiment.

[0125] When the container is inverted, leftover food slides along the inner wall of the food container 2 closest to the rotation axis 32 and is discharged. Therefore, if there is a vertical claw 36a on the main discharge path as in the first embodiment, some of the leftover food tends to remain on the vertical claw 36a. In contrast, in the second embodiment, there is no vertical claw 36a, and the food container 2 can be supported by the horizontal claws 83b and 83c, making it less likely for leftover food to remain on the upper support portion 83 and making it easier to drop the leftover food into the discharge portion 40.

[0126] Although the present invention has been described above based on embodiments, it can be easily inferred that the present invention is not limited in any way to the above embodiments, and that various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Some of the components in the above embodiments may be omitted, for example, the weighing unit 20 and the identification unit 21.

[0127] Furthermore, the shape, dimensions, number, placement, and water pressure of each component described in the above embodiment may be changed as appropriate. For example, the transport section 10 may be provided not only in two lanes, but also in one or three or more lanes. The water intake and spray sections 51 may be provided in one or three or more lanes, not just two. Similarly, the washing and spray sections (upstream spray section 61 and downstream spray section 62) may be provided in one or three or more lanes, not just two. The number of discharge sections 45 may be provided in two or more lanes, not just one.

[0128] In the above embodiment, a case was described in which the leftover food washing unit 30, the water absorption unit 50, and the pre-washing unit 60 are arranged inside one housing 1a, but this is not necessarily the case, and some of them may be provided inside a separate housing. The pre-treatment washing device 1 is not limited to being connected to the main washing device 100, but may also be unconnected. In this case, the food containers 2 that have been pre-treated by the pre-treatment washing device 1 may be transported to the main washing device 100 by an operator or a belt conveyor, etc.

[0129] In the above embodiment, the case in which the conveying unit 10 intermittently conveys the food containers 2 was described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the conveying unit 10 may be configured to convey the food containers 2 continuously without stopping. Furthermore, the conveying unit 10 is not limited to a belt conveyor that rotates belts 12 and 14, but may also be a chain conveyor that rotates an endless chain, or a roller conveyor that rotates multiple rollers individually.

[0130] In the above embodiment, the case in which the transport unit 10 is divided into an upstream transport unit 11 and a downstream transport unit 13 within the leftover food washing unit 30 was described, but this is not necessarily the only case. For example, the transport unit 10 does not need to be divided, and the division point may be outside the leftover food washing unit 30. Furthermore, the transport unit 10 may also be divided between the weighing unit 20 and the leftover food washing unit 30. This can prevent leftover food from being transported all the way to the weighing unit 20.

[0131] In the above embodiment, the case in which the upper surface of the weighing unit 20 is formed by a sliding plate was described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the upper surface of the weighing unit 20 may be formed by multiple rollers or the like. Also, the weighing unit 20 may raise its upper surface when weighing and lower its upper surface below the conveying surface when not weighing. In this case, the hook 18 can be made unnecessary. However, compared to the case in which time is required to wait for such raising and lowering, the weighing time by the weighing unit 20 can be shortened by using the hook 18 to lift the food container 2 onto the upper surface of the weighing unit 20.

[0132] The container inversion mechanisms 31 and 80 mounted on the pre-treatment washing device 1 of the above embodiment only need to be capable of inverting the food container 2, and may include a robotic arm that grips the food container 2, or a single U-shaped holding arm that moves back and forth.

[0133] In the above embodiment, the discharge section 45 of the leftover food washing section 30 is described as a nozzle that discharges water upward and is located downstream of the container inversion mechanisms 31 and 80, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the discharge section 45 may be located upstream of the container inversion mechanisms 31 and 80 and discharge water into the food container 2 with its opening 3 facing upward. Alternatively, the discharge section 45 may discharge water into the food container 2 before or during inversion from the tips of the vertical claws 36a and the horizontal claws 36c, 83b, 83c. In this way, by incorporating the discharge section 45 into the container inversion mechanisms 31 and 80, the leftover food washing section 30 can be easily miniaturized.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the case in which the water absorption unit 50 absorbs water from the adhering material is mainly described in which water is sprayed from the water absorption spray unit 51, and it was also explained that this may be done by immersion in a water tank. However, it is not limited to these, and for example, water absorption of the adhering material may be performed by blowing water vapor onto it.

[0135] In the above embodiment, a case was described in which water supplied from outside the pre-treatment cleaning device 1 is supplied to the pre-cleaning tank 63 from the water inlet 64, and then the water is indirectly pumped to the downstream injection unit 62 (cleaning injection unit) by the downstream pump 66 (cleaning pump). However, the embodiment is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the downstream pump 66 (cleaning pump) may be configured to directly pump the water from the water inlet 64 to the downstream injection unit 62 (cleaning injection unit).

[0136] In the above embodiment, the pre-cleaning unit 60 was described as having an upstream spray unit 61 and a downstream spray unit 62 (cleaning spray unit) that wash away attached substances by high-pressure cleaning, but it is not necessarily limited to this. Instead of the upstream spray unit 61 and the downstream spray unit 62, the pre-cleaning unit 60 may also be equipped with a drive brush that is driven to scrub the inside of the food container 2. This drive brush could be, for example, a brush that rotates like a car wash machine. Alternatively, the pre-cleaning unit 60 may be equipped with both the upstream spray unit 61 and the downstream spray unit 62 and a drive brush. The upstream spray unit 61 and the downstream spray unit 62 are not limited to rotating nozzle types, but may also be direct-injection nozzle types that spray water in one direction, such as the water intake spray unit 51.

[0137] In the above embodiment, the case in which the amount of water injected from the downstream injection unit 62 is less than the amount of water injected from the upstream injection unit 61 was described, but this is not necessarily the only case. For example, the amounts of water may be made equal, or the amount of water injected from the downstream injection unit 62 may be increased. Also, the area to which the water from the upstream injection unit 61 and the downstream injection unit 62 is applied is not limited to substantially the entire interior of the food container 2, but may be limited to a part of the interior. Furthermore, the area to which the water is applied may differ between the upstream injection unit 61 and the downstream injection unit 62.

[0138] In the above embodiment, water is sprayed when the food container 2 stops on the upstream spray unit 61 and the downstream spray unit 62 during the intermittent conveying of the downstream conveying unit 13, but this is not necessarily the only option. The control device 70 knows whether or not there is a food container 2 between the hooks 18 by detection by the metering unit 20, etc., so depending on the timing of the supply of food containers 2, if there is no food container 2 between the hooks 18 of the downstream conveying unit 13, the control device 70 may control the system so that water is not sprayed from the upstream spray unit 61 and the downstream spray unit 62. This can reduce unnecessary spraying, conserve water, and reduce noise.

[0139] The container inversion mechanisms 31 and 80 in the above embodiment are not limited to being provided in the pre-treatment washing device 1, but may also be provided in the main washing device 100. For example, the container inversion mechanism 31 and 80 may be used to invert the food container 2 that has been washed and dried by the main washing device 100, changing the opening 3 from facing downwards to facing upwards. Alternatively, the container inversion mechanism 31 and 80 may be provided upstream of the main washing device 100, which is not connected to the pre-treatment washing device 1, and the container inversion mechanism 31 and 80 may be used to invert the food container 2 that has been placed into the main washing device 100, changing the opening 3 from facing upwards to facing downwards. Furthermore, the container inversion mechanism 31 and 80 are not limited to being provided inside the pre-treatment washing device 1 or the main washing device 100, but may also be provided to be connected to the outside of them.

[0140] In the above embodiment, the speed change position was set to a position where the rotation angle from the rotation stop position is approximately 100 degrees, but it is not necessarily limited to this. The speed change position can be any position where the rotation angle is 90 degrees or more. Furthermore, the speed change position is preferably a position where the rotation angle is less than 160 degrees, and more preferably a position where it is less than 130 degrees. This makes it easier to ensure sufficient time for the food container 2 to come into contact with the upper support parts 36,83 after the rotation speed S2 is reached.

[0141] Furthermore, the container inversion mechanism 31,80 may be configured to temporarily pause the rotating shaft 32 and holding arms 33,81, which rotate at rotational speed S1, at the speed change position, and then resume rotation at rotational speed S2. In this case, the food container 2 can be easily moved toward the upper support parts 36,83 due to inertia. It is preferable to resume rotation before the food container 2 comes into contact with the upper support parts 36,83 after temporarily pausing at the speed change position, thereby mitigating the collision.

[0142] In the above embodiment, the sliding part 34c was described in which a synthetic resin with a lower coefficient of friction than the metal constituting the lower support part 35 and the upper support parts 36, 83 is attached, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the sliding part 34c may be made of a semi-cylindrical rail or the like.

[0143] In the above embodiment, the case in which the corner contact portion 37 is a right-angled triangle when viewed from the left-right direction was described, but it is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the corner contact portion 37 may be formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from the left-right direction so as to contact the side surface of the bottom 4 side of the food container 2. The corner contact portion 37 may also be provided in the container inversion mechanism 80 of the second embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 1. Pre-treatment cleaning device (cleaning device) 2 Food containers 3 Opening 31,80 Container inversion mechanism 32 Rotation axis 33,81 Holding arm 34c Sliding part 35 Lower support part 36,83 Upper support part 36a Vertical nail (nail) 36c, 83b, 83c Side claw (claw) 37 Corner contact part 60 Pre-cleaning section (cleaning section) 71 Control and drive unit 100-unit washing device (washing device) 130 Cleaning section

Claims

1. A container inversion mechanism is provided in a washing device that washes food containers in a washing section while transporting food containers having an opening to the downstream side in the transport direction, and inverts the food containers upside down while transporting them to the downstream side. A rotating shaft that is rotatably supported having an axial direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the vertical direction, A control drive unit rotates the rotating shaft 360 degrees while stopping it at least every 180 degrees, such that the upper side of the rotating shaft rotates in one direction toward the downstream side. The system includes a pair of holding arms attached to the rotating shaft so as to extend toward the upstream and downstream sides in the conveying direction at rotation stop positions every 180 degrees by the control drive unit, The container inversion mechanism is characterized in that the holding arm, as viewed from the axial direction, is formed in a U-shape that opens outward in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

2. The container inversion mechanism is positioned upstream of the washing section of the washing device and inverts the food container, which has its opening facing upwards, so that the opening faces downwards. The holding arm comprises a plurality of claws capable of supporting the edge of the opening of the food container from below, The container inversion mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the multiple claws protrude from the outside to the inside of the opening while supporting the edge.

3. The container inversion mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control drive unit slows down the rotation speed after the gear change position, which is obtained by rotating the rotation shaft by 90 degrees or more from the rotation stop position.

4. The holding arm, in the rotation stop position, is extended toward the upstream side, A sliding portion that extends in the vertical direction and faces the food container in the transport direction, and on which the food container can slide, A lower support portion extending upstream from the lower end portion of the sliding portion, It comprises an upper support portion extending upstream from the upper end portion of the sliding portion, The container inversion mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sliding portion is formed to have a lower coefficient of friction than the lower support portion.

5. The container inversion mechanism is positioned upstream of the washing section of the washing device and inverts the food container, which has its opening facing upwards, so that the opening faces downwards. The holding arm, in the rotation stop position, is extended toward the upstream side, A sliding portion that extends in the vertical direction and faces the food container in the transport direction, and on which the food container can slide, A lower support portion extending upstream from the lower end portion of the sliding portion, The container inversion mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a corner contact portion that fills the corner between the sliding portion and the lower support portion and can contact the food container.

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