Rice washing device

Abstract

The objective is to obtain a rice washing device that improves the rice washing process by supplying air to almost the entire contents of the rice washing tank. [Solution] In a rice washing device in which a vertical rotating shaft 34 is provided in the center of the rice washing tank 5, and a plurality of stirring rods 35, 35... are attached to this rotating shaft 34, the rotating shaft 34 is configured as a hollow shaft and a rice discharge valve 39 is provided at the lower end of the inner valve shaft 38, the stirring rods 35A, 35A are hollow rod-shaped bodies and face the gap 82 formed between the hollow rotating shaft 34 and the outer circumference of the valve shaft 38 of the rice discharge valve 39, and are configured to supply compressed air to the intermediate gap 82 during rice washing operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rice washing device.

Background Art

[0002] An air inlet is provided in communication with the upper part of a rice washing tank on a hollow rotating shaft and a hollow valve rod. When the water supplied into the valve rod flows downward, air is inhaled into the valve rod from the air inlet into the valve rod with negative pressure, and bubbles are generated by the mixing of air and water, and it is a known configuration to be discharged to the lower part of the rice washing tank (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, the rice washing effect can be improved, and since impurities such as rice bran float and are overflowed from above, the discharge from the rice washing tank is easy and reliable. However, since the location where bubbles are generated is fixed, further improvement is still required.

[0005] An object of this invention is to obtain a rice washing device that supplies air to substantially the entire inside of a rice washing tank to improve the rice washing action.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, this invention has taken the following technical means.

[0007] The invention described in claim 1 is a rice washing device in which a vertical rotating shaft 34 is provided in the center of a rice washing tank 5, a plurality of stirring rods 35A, 35B are attached to the rotating shaft 34, the rotating shaft 34 is configured as a hollow shaft, and a rice discharge valve 39 is provided at the lower end of the inner valve shaft 38, wherein the stirring rods 35A, 35B are hollow rod-shaped bodies and face the gap 82 formed between the hollow rotating shaft 34 and the outer circumference of the valve shaft 38 of the rice discharge valve 39, and are configured to supply compressed air to the intermediate gap 82 during rice washing operation.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft 34 or valve shaft 38 is made of a hollow material, and ventilation holes 85, 85 that lead to the inside of the rice washing tank 5 are formed on the lower end side.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is configured in the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2 to continue supplying compressed air for a predetermined period of time even after the rice washing operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the invention described in claim 1, in addition to stirring by the rotation of the stirring rod 35A, it is possible to generate bubbles by air ejected from the tip of the stirring rod 35A, thereby promoting the rice washing process.

[0011] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claim 1, the rice washing process can be accelerated by blowing air from the lower end of the rice washing tank 5, where the rice to be washed tends to accumulate.

[0012] According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effects described in claim 1 or claim 2, the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried after the rice washing operation is completed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a rice washing and cooking device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view of a rice washing and cooking device. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of a rice washing and cooking device. [Figure 4] Perspective view of the rice storage tank and the rice washing tank. [Figure 5] Plan view of the rice storage tank and the rice washing tank. [Figure 6] Side sectional view of the weighing section. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of the drum case. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the rice washing and cooking device. [Figure 9] Plan view of the partition member and the peripheral arrangement equipment. [Figure 10] Perspective view of the partition member and the peripheral arrangement equipment. [Figure 11] Overall control flowchart of the rice washing and cooking machine. [Figure 12] (a) Side view showing the operating state, (b) plan view showing the operating state. [Figure 13] (A) Front view showing the supply situation of compressed air in the rice washing tank, (B) enlarged cross-sectional view of a part thereof. [Figure 14] Front view showing the supply situation of compressed air in the rice washing tank of another example. [Figure 15] Perspective view showing another example of driving each part in the rice washing tank.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the following drawings.

[0015] The rice washing and cooking device 2 is assembled by a vertically long support member 1. The support member 1 that frames the C-shaped or square tube material vertically and horizontally is composed of a rectangular base frame 1a provided with casters at the lower part, left and right support columns 1b, 1b having a predetermined width and a predetermined height, and a plurality of horizontal crossbars 1c, 1c... supported between the left and right support columns 1b, 1b.

[0016] Flat partition members 3 are provided on the horizontal bar 1c above to mount various pieces of equipment, a rice storage tank 4 is placed above it, a rice washing tank 5 is placed below the rice storage tank 4, and a rice cooking device 6 is placed below the rice washing tank 5 at intervals. This rice cooking device 6 consists of a rice cooking pot 7, a gas stand 8 for heating the pot, and a pull-out stand 9, etc. In Figure 1, the pull-out side of the stand 9 is the front side, and the back side is the rear side.

[0017] The rice storage tank 4 consists of an upper main tank 4a with a rectangular cross-section and a lower funnel-shaped hopper section 4b, with a measuring drum case 10 attached to the lower end of the hopper section 4b. Inside the measuring drum case 10 is a measuring drum 13 consisting of a cylindrical drum section 11a with a notch 11 and front and rear side walls 12a and 12b, which is rotatably supported by the drum case 10 by a horizontal shaft 14 that penetrates the front and rear side walls 12a and 12b. A motor 15 is attached to the rear side of the drum case 10 to directly operate this shaft 14, and a fixed amount of rice flows down from the rice storage tank 4 through the notch 11 into the measuring drum 13, filling it. When the rotation causes the position of the notch 11 to reverse downwards and reach the discharge port 16 formed in the drum case 10, the rice flows down and is discharged from the measuring drum 13.

[0018] The partition member 3 is provided with an opening 17 corresponding to the discharge port 16, and is configured to dispense a predetermined amount of rice from the rice storage tank 4 to the rice washing tank 5 by rotating the measuring drum 13 for a predetermined number of rotations. Furthermore, the system is configured to supply a predetermined amount by detecting the number of dispensing cycles using a rotation sensor (not shown).

[0019] The drum case 10 and the funnel-shaped hopper 4b are integrally constructed, and after the upper main tank 4a is removed, the hopper 4b and drum case 10 can be detached from the partition member 3. Specifically, on the rear side, an engagement portion 20 is provided so that the engaging protrusion 19 of the drum case 10 can be engaged with and disengaged from a hook-shaped portion 18 formed on the partition member 3, and on the front side, a detachable engagement stay 21 is provided between the partition member 3 and the drum case 10, which can be detachably attached and fixed with a screw, and the engagement with the drum case 10 is released by loosening the screw 22 and rotating the stay 21 around the screw portion. The drum case 10 is formed so that its lower edge fits into the rectangular opening of the partition member 3. However, by disengaging the engagement stay 21 and slightly lifting that side upward, the engagement of the lower edge from the partition member 3 can be released, and by pulling it out diagonally from the front towards the front, the engagement of the rear lower edge can be released and it can be freed from the engagement of the engagement portion 20.

[0020] The rice storage tank 4 and the measuring unit are covered on the outside by a cover member 23, with the left and right side walls and the rear side wall being fixed to the partition member 3 or the like as appropriate, and the lower half of the front side wall 23a is configured as a door that can be opened and closed using, for example, the right side when viewed from the front as a pivot point. The upper half of the front side wall 23b is connected to the left and right side walls and is configured as a fixed wall. Therefore, inspection and removal of the rice storage tank 4 and the drum case 10 can be performed with the lower half of the front side wall 23a open. Reference numeral 24 denotes a rectangular cover plate that is detachably attached to the main tank 4a from above.

[0021] Reference numeral 25 denotes a rice discharge shutter provided on one side (the front side in the illustrated example) of the funnel-shaped hopper section 4b. When upright, it blocks the discharge of rice, and by rotating around the pivot point, it becomes an inclined guide chute, allowing the rice inside to be discharged.

[0022] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the weighing drum 13, in which gaskets 26a and 26b are installed at an angle between the funnel-shaped lower hopper 4b and the drum case 10 to guide the rice at an incline, and the gap between the outer circumference of the weighing drum 13 and the inner circumference of the drum case 10 is configured to have a gap t (for example, about 1 mm) that is sufficient to prevent the rice from being crushed by its intrusion.

[0023] The measuring drum 13 is rotated and stopped repeatedly in a certain direction by the motor 15, and the stopping position of the measuring drum 13 is as shown in Figure 7. Specifically, a vibration means (shown as a pump 66 for air supply in the example figure) is attached to the inclined wall near the side where the rear-rotating gasket 26b is located on the side wall of the funnel-shaped hopper 4b to promote the flow of rice inside. In addition, the opening edge of the measuring drum 13 stops behind the rotation of the vibration-side gasket 26b, and the other opening edge stops in front of the non-vibrating gasket 26a. This configuration allows the measuring drum 13 to block rice that tries to enter due to the vibration of the vibration means, while the non-vibrating side naturally feeds rice into the measuring drum 13, thereby stabilizing the accuracy of the supply amount.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the rice washing tank 5 has a receiving cylinder 31 at the top that guides the rice supplied from the drum case 10, a cylindrical body in the middle, and a hopper-like section at the bottom. A jacket section 32 is connected below the hopper-like section of the rice washing tank 5, and a filter 33 made of a mesh material with an opening small enough to prevent rice grains from leaking out is provided at the boundary between the hopper-like section and the jacket section 32.

[0025] A vertical rotating shaft 34 is provided in the center of the rice washing tank 5. Multiple stirring rods 35, 35..., which are rod-shaped bodies bent into an inverted L shape, are attached to this rotating shaft 34 by welding or the like at their upper ends. The rotating shaft 34 is rotated by a rice washing motor 36 via a bevel gear mechanism 37, and the rotation is configured to agitate the rice and water in the tank.

[0026] The rotating shaft 34 is a hollow shaft, and the inner shaft 38 is loosely fitted inside the outer hollow shaft 34 so as to be able to slide up and down, and extends downward. A conical rice discharge valve 39 is detachably attached to the lower end of this shaft 38. The upper end of the shaft 38 is moved up and down by a cam 41 driven by a rice discharge valve drive motor 40, and by an interlocking mechanism such as a dropping arm described later, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the rice discharge valve 39. When the rice discharge valve 39 opens, the rice in the rice washing tank 5 falls into the inner pot of the rice cooking device 6 below.

[0027] Water is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 via two systems: an upper water supply route that passes through the main water supply pipe 46 connected to the water tap, the upper water supply valve 47, and the two flexible upper water supply pipes 48, 48, and the upper water inlets 49, 49 on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5; and a lower water supply route that branches off from the main water supply pipe 46 and passes through the lower water supply valve 50, the water supply pipe 51, the lower water inlet 52, and the jacket section 32. Each water supply route is equipped with a flow sensor.

[0028] Specifically, two upper water supply pipes 48, 48 leading to the main water supply pipe 46 are arranged near the drum case 10, using the partition member 3 as a base, and a lower water supply pipe 53 is connected to the water supply pipe 51 that penetrates the partition member 3.

[0029] 55 is a shutter that is connected to the electric motor 15 to open and close the discharge port 16. The motor 15 is connected to the shutter support shaft 58 via link mechanisms 56 and 57, and the shutter 55 is in an open position when the drum opening aligns with the discharge port 16 due to the rotation of the motor 15. For this reason, the shutter 55 is normally in a closed position, preventing the scattering of diffused water during rice washing in the rice washing tank 5 and preventing water from entering the measuring drum 13.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper water supply pipes 48, 48 described above are positioned on the left-right center line in a plan view, and this position corresponds to the left-right center line in a plan view of the rice washing tank 5 described later. The drum case 10 is located to the left of the position where these upper water supply pipes 48, 48 are located, and the motor 40 for the rice discharge valve 39 and the rice washing motor 36 for driving the stirring rods 35, 35... described later are located to the right.

[0031] A drain box 60 is provided at the lower rear of the rice washing tank 5. The drain box 60, which has a drain port 61, is connected to the lower end of an overflow pipe 62 whose upper end opens to the upper side of the rice washing tank 5, and to the other end of the jacket section 32, one end of which communicates with the jacket section 32. Drainage from the jacket section 32 is performed by opening and closing a drain valve 64, and the water level in the rice washing tank 5 is adjusted by draining water using a water level valve 65.

[0032] Normally, the drain box 60 is closed by the drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65. However, when draining water from the rice washing tank 5, the water is drained from the filter 33 of the jacket section 32 through the drain valve 64 and / or the water level valve 65, the drain box 60, and the drain port 61. The drain valve 64 and the water level valve 65 are opened and closed by appropriate opening and closing outputs. In addition, a water level sensor 68 is provided at the top of the rice washing tank 5 to detect the amount of water in the tank.

[0033] Incidentally, the overflow pipe 62 has a horizontal pipe section 62a connected to the upper end of the rice washing tank 5 and a vertical pipe section 62b connected to the horizontal pipe section 62a, with the lower end of the vertical pipe section 62b connected to the drain box 60. The upper end of the vertical pipe section 62b is extended upward, and this extended pipe section 62c passes through the partition member 3 and is appropriately fixed and supported by a mounting holder 69 provided on the lower surface of the partition member 3.

[0034] Within the cover member 23, the substantially closed space A between the lower part of the rice storage tank 4 and the partition member 3 houses the measuring unit 10, various drive units, piping, etc., but ventilation is ensured to prevent the accumulation of water vapor. Specifically, a blower fan 70 is placed on one side wall of the cover member 23 and is driven by constant power supply during operation of the device, supplying outside air into space A. The air that enters space A circulates through space A as appropriate and is exhausted to the outside of the machine through the mesh holes described later. Therefore, the humidity inside space A, which receives water vapor rising during rice cooking, can be reduced by the circulation of outside air. A controller 71 is placed on the inner surface of the cover member 23 on the side facing the blower fan 70, and moisture can be removed by providing ventilation to this controller roller 71 as well. Furthermore, by positioning the upper end opening of the extension pipe 62c near the controller 71, for example, below and in front of the controller 71, an appropriate airflow can be generated, allowing the air acting on the controller 71 to be efficiently introduced into the extension pipe 62c.

[0035] By passing the extension 62c of the overflow pipe 62 through the partition member 3 as described above, the upper opening faces the space A, and the air from the blower fan 70 is supplied to the rice washing tank 5 through the overflow pipe 62. In other words, the air that enters from the upper end of the extension 62c of the overflow pipe 62 passes through the extension 62c and the horizontal pipe section 62a before entering the rice washing tank 5. Therefore, it has the effect of drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. In this way, by configuring a ventilation section B such as the extension 62c of the overflow pipe 62 between the space A and the rice washing tank 5, the circulating air from the blower fan 70 can be introduced into the rice washing tank 5, and the inside of the rice washing tank 5 can be dried.

[0036] Furthermore, if the extension pipe section 62c of the overflow pipe 62 is provided as the ventilation section B, even if dust in space A is carried by the air, this dust will fall through the vertical pipe section 62b of the overflow pipe 62 to the drain box 60, and there is little risk of it entering the rice washing tank 5.

[0037] A mesh body 73 made of a ventilation net or perforated metal may be attached to the upper end of the extension pipe section 62c (ventilation section B) to prevent foreign matter from entering.

[0038] A cavity C is provided at the bottom of the space A enclosed by the cover member 23 and the partition member 3, etc., to accommodate various harnesses (not shown). More specifically, the partition member 3 is formed by drawing and integrally molding the side walls, and a bottom plate 72 is provided below it in a lid-like manner to form the cavity C. A mesh body 74 made of ventilation mesh or perforated metal is attached to the partition member 3 at an appropriate location to communicate with the cavity C. In this case, the mesh size of the mesh body 73 at the upper end of the extension pipe section 62c (ventilation section B) is smaller than the mesh size of the mesh body 74 placed at an appropriate location on the partition member 3, thereby enhancing the effect of preventing the entry of foreign objects, especially tiny insects.

[0039] Next, the water level sensor 68 will be described. The water level sensor 68 is provided to detect when the water level in the rice washing tank 5 is just before or has reached the overflow state. It is equipped with a detection electrode 68a (water level detection unit) that detects the change in capacitance based on the presence or absence of water level, and is a known configuration that can detect when the predetermined water level has been reached. The water level sensor 68 is detachably supported on the partition member 3. The detection electrode 68a is connected and fixed to the supporting base member 68b. That is, it is located on the upper surface of the partition member 3 at a location close to the lower half 23a of the front side wall of the cover member 23 and is connected and fixed to the base member 68b. The base member 68b of the water level sensor 68 is fixed by fastening and loosening two rotating lock pieces 75 arranged on the left and right sides with wing bolts 76. The rotation operation of the wing bolts 76 can be performed by hand, so it is a so-called tool-less system. By removing the base member 68b, the large opening 77 formed in the partition member 3 can be opened. Therefore, by opening the lower half 23a of the front wall of the cover member 23, the worker can visually inspect the inside of the rice washing tank 5 through the opening 77 that opens towards the front.

[0040] In the above embodiment, the water level detection unit of the water level sensor 68 was configured with an electrode shape capable of detecting the presence or absence of capacitance. However, various configurations are possible, such as a float shape that can turn an electrical contact ON or OFF as the so-called float rises.

[0041] The water supply to the rice washing tank 5 is provided through two systems: an upper water supply route via an upper water inlet 48 on the ceiling of the rice washing tank 5, and a lower water supply route via a lower water inlet 51 and the jacket section 32. An air ejection pipe 67, which is connected to a pump 66 and ejects air, is placed in parallel with the lower water supply pipe 52 of the lower water supply route, so that air is ejected into the jacket section 32 together with the water from the lower water supply route. In Figure 12(b), the lower water supply pipe 52 and the air ejection pipe 67 are positioned eccentrically from the center of the jacket section 32, respectively, to facilitate the generation of a swirling flow of mixed air and water.

[0042] During the rice washing process in the rice washing tank 5, the rotation direction of the large and small stirring rods 35, 35… provided on the rotating shaft 34 inside the rice washing tank 5, the direction of water ejection from the lower water supply route, and the direction of air ejection from the air ejection pipe 67 are configured to be in opposite directions.

[0043] Furthermore, supplying air through the air ejection pipe 67 while the rice washing tank 5 is empty contributes to drying the inside of the rice washing tank 5. For this reason, the system is configured so that a switch to drive the pump 66 can be turned on even when the rice washing operation is not in progress, allowing workers to perform drying of the rice washing tank 5 at their discretion. This air supply by driving the pump 66 may be performed independently, or it may be performed in conjunction with the air supply from the communication section B.

[0044] Next, I will explain how to operate the rice cooker.

[0045] First, the control unit of the computer (not shown) is configured to set the conditions necessary for the operation of the rice cooking device, such as the amount of rice to be cooked, the rice washing time (rotation time of the stirring rod 35), the rice polishing time (rotation time of the stirring rod 35), and the soaking time in the rice washing tank or pot, using an operation panel (operation display device) 80 located on the lower half 23a of the front wall of the cover member 23. Equipped with a liquid crystal display screen, the above conditions necessary for rice washing and cooking can be set while displaying and guiding the user through the functions and operating procedures of the surrounding switch group.

[0046] Let's explain the effect of the example above.

[0047] Turn on the power switch, set the cooking conditions according to the switches on the control panel 80, and after setting the various cooking conditions, turn on the start switch to start operation as shown in the cooking flow in Figure 11.

[0048] Specifically, first the power switch is turned on (Step 1), then the rice cooking conditions are set and entered (Step 2), and when the start switch 75 is pressed (Step 3), in Step 4 the rice in the rice storage tank 4 is measured by the measuring drum, the set amount of rice is supplied to the rice washing tank 5, and in Step 5 the rice is washed.

[0049] Step 5, the rice washing process, consists of a bran removal process in which the rice is stirred while water is continuously flowing, a polishing process in which water is added and then drained, and the rice is stirred while it is still wet, a rough rinsing process in which the rice is stirred at a predetermined water level, and a final rinsing process in which the rice is stirred while water overflows from the tank.

[0050] After the rice washing process in step 5 above, proceed to the water adjustment process in step 6.

[0051] In step 7, the washed rice in the rice washing tank 5 and the measured amount of water from step 3 are poured into the rice cooker pot 7 by opening and closing the rice discharge valve 39.

[0052] In step 8, the rice in the rice cooker pot 7 is soaked in water for a specified time. After the specified time has elapsed, the heat is turned on in step 9, the rice is cooked in step 10, it is steamed in step 11, and the rice is finished cooking in step 12, resulting in the specified cooked rice.

[0053] Furthermore, before turning on the start switch, you can use the reservation switch to display the reservation screen and set the cooking completion time, allowing the rice to be cooked at the scheduled time.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the amount of water is gradually reduced from the full state of the rice washing tank by opening the water level valve 65 to secure a predetermined amount of water. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration; for example, a flow sensor may be provided to manage the amount of water supplied.

[0055] The blower fan 70 is configured to operate continuously during the rice washing and cooking operation after the start switch is turned on, and to continue operating for a predetermined time after the cooking operation is completed. This configuration allows the inside of the rice washing tank 5 to be dried after the cooking operation is completed. After the cooking operation, the state of the drain valve 64 and the discharge valve 39 when the blower fan 70 is running is set so that the discharge valve 39 is closed and the drain valve 64 is open. Therefore, the air blown by the blower fan 70 is introduced from the extension pipe section 62c and enters the upper side of the rice washing tank 5 through the horizontal pipe section 62a, while entering the lower side of the rice washing tank 5 through the vertical pipe section 62b and the drain box 60, thereby improving drying efficiency compared to supplying air only from the upper side.

[0056] Next, a configuration that promotes the rice washing effect will be described based on Figure 13. In Figure 13, the rotation of the rice washing motor 36 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 34 by a combination of two spur gears 80 and 81, replacing the bevel gear mechanism 37 in Figure 3. A gap 82 is formed between the hollow rotating shaft 34 and the outer circumference of the shaft 38 of the rice discharge valve 39 (hereinafter referred to as the valve shaft 38), and the tip opening of the air passage 83 formed on the upper end side of the valve shaft 38 faces the gap 82. A supply passage 84 connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown) is connected to the upper end of the valve shaft 38 to supply compressed air to the air passage 83. In addition, airtight seals (not shown) are provided at the upper and lower ends of the hollow rotating shaft 34 to maintain the airtightness of the gap 82.

[0057] The stirring rods 35A, 35A attached to the rotating shaft 34 are hollow rod-shaped bodies, with the base on the side attached to the rotating shaft 34 facing the gap 82. Therefore, compressed air enters the hollow part inside the stirring rod 35 from the gap 82 and is ejected from the tip towards the rice washing tank 5. With this configuration, it is possible to generate bubbles with the air ejected from the tip of the stirring rod 35A in addition to the stirring caused by the rotation of the stirring rod 35A, thereby promoting the rice washing process.

[0058] In the example shown in Figure 14, the rotating shaft 34 is extended downward, and ventilation holes 85, 85 leading into the rice washing tank 5 are formed at the lower end. This allows air to be blown out from the lower end of the rice washing tank 5, where the rice to be washed tends to accumulate, thereby promoting the rice washing process. The same effect can be obtained by extending the air passage 83 of the valve stem 38 downward, or by constructing the valve stem 38 from a hollow material and forming the ventilation holes 85, 85 on the valve stem 38 itself.

[0059] The compressed air supply is configured to run continuously from the start switch on through the rice washing operation, and also to continue running for a predetermined time after the rice has been discharged. This configuration allows the inside of the rice washing tank 5 to be dried after the rice washing operation is completed.

[0060] Furthermore, the example shown in Figure 14 illustrates an improved configuration of the stirring rods. Multiple stirring rods 35B (three in the example shown) are arranged horizontally, one above the other, and compressed air can be ejected from the gap 82 between each. Therefore, in addition to stirring by the rotation of the stirring rods 35B, 35B..., it is possible to generate bubbles with the air ejected from the tips of the stirring rods 35B, 35B..., thereby promoting the rice washing process.

[0061] Next, an improved configuration of the stirring rod and its driving means will be described based on Figure 15. A planetary gear mechanism 90 is configured at the top of the rice washing tank 5. Three planetary gears 92 mesh around a sun gear 91, and the outer circumference meshes with a fixed inner gear 93. The sun gear 91 is equipped with a sun gear shaft 94, and each of the planetary gears 92 is equipped with a planetary gear shaft 95. The sun gear shaft 94 is hollow and is configured to be linked to the rice washing motor 36, and a valve shaft 38 is supported through the sun gear shaft 94. The planetary gear shaft 95 is equipped with a single blade 96, and double blades 97 are provided on the lower side of the sun gear shaft 94.

[0062] When the sun gear 91 and sun gear shaft 94 rotate in conjunction with each other at a predetermined speed, the planetary gear 92 and planetary gear shaft 95 rotate in conjunction with each other at a low speed. Both blades 97 of the sun gear shaft 94 can agitate the lower layer of the rice washing tank 5, and one blade 96 of the multiple planetary gears 92 can agitate the upper half of the rice washing tank. Therefore, the entire contents of the rice washing tank 5 can be agitated evenly. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 5 Rice Washing Tanks 34 rotation axes 35 stirring bar 35A stirring bar 35B stirring bar 38 valve stem 39 Pai Mi Buan 82 gap 85 ventilation holes

Claims

1. In a rice washing device, a vertical rotating shaft (34) is provided in the center of a rice washing tank (5), and a plurality of stirring rods (35A, 35B) are attached to this rotating shaft (34). The rotating shaft (34) is configured as a hollow shaft, and a rice discharge valve (39) is provided at the lower end of the inner valve shaft (38). The stirring rods (35A, 35B) are hollow rod-shaped bodies and face the gap (82) formed between the hollow rotating shaft (34) and the outer circumference of the valve shaft (38) of the rice discharge valve (39). The rice washing device is configured to supply compressed air to the gap (82) during the rice washing operation.

2. The rice washing device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft (34) or valve shaft (38) is made of a hollow material and ventilation holes (85, 85) leading to the rice washing tank (5) are formed on the lower end side.

3. The rice washing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, configured to supply compressed air for a predetermined period of time even after the rice washing operation.

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