Yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus capable of producing yuba in a suitable manner. [Solution] This is a yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus comprising a soy milk tank, a winding unit, and a blowing unit. The soy milk tank contains soy milk for producing yuba. The winding unit winds up the yuba produced in the soy milk tank. The blowing unit is configured to blow air onto the yuba produced in the soy milk tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a yuba manufacturing apparatus capable of continuously winding up yuba produced in a soy milk tank.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a yuba manufacturing apparatus, there is an apparatus provided with a soy milk tank for holding soy milk, and heating the soy milk tank to produce yuba. For example, there is a yuba manufacturing apparatus in which steam is passed through a steam pipe, the simmering water is heated to a predetermined temperature, so that the soy milk is simmered and yuba is produced on its surface, and the yuba is continuously wound up (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the above conventional yuba manufacturing apparatus, in order to continuously produce yuba, the concentration of soy milk changes due to the production of yuba in the soy milk tank, and there is a problem that the quality of the produced yuba may gradually change.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a yuba manufacturing apparatus capable of preferably manufacturing yuba.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus comprising a soy milk tank, a winding unit, and a circulation unit. The soy milk tank contains soy milk for producing yuba. The winding unit winds up the yuba produced in the soy milk tank. The circulation unit includes an acquisition unit that retrieves soy milk from a first position in the soy milk tank, and a supply unit that supplies the soy milk retrieved by the acquisition unit to a second position in the soy milk tank that is different from the first position.

[0007] In this configuration, the acquisition unit acquires the soy milk at the first position and the supply unit supplies it to the second position, thereby reducing the concentration difference between the first and second positions and minimizing variations in soy milk concentration within the soy milk tank. This suppresses variations in the quality of the resulting yuba (tofu skin). Note that the configuration is not limited to supplying the soy milk at the first position directly to the second position; for example, as described later, it may be temporarily moved to a storage unit such as a tank.

[0008] In the yuba manufacturing apparatus described above, the second position may be located closer to the center of the soy milk tank than the first position when viewed from above. Alternatively, the first position may be configured to be located closer to the center of the soy milk tank than the second position when viewed from above. In such a configuration, since the first position is located closer to the center of the soy milk tank than the second position, the concentration difference between the center and the outer edge can be efficiently reduced.

[0009] In the yuba manufacturing apparatus described above, the circulation unit may include a storage unit for storing the soy milk obtained by the acquisition unit. In such a configuration, since the soy milk stored in the storage unit is supplied from the supply unit, the concentration of the supplied soy milk can be stabilized more than when the soy milk obtained from the acquisition unit is supplied directly to the soy milk tank.

[0010] In the yuba manufacturing apparatus described above, the circulation unit may include an adjustment unit that adjusts the amount of soy milk supplied from the supply unit. In such a configuration, the amount of soy milk obtained from the first position and the amount of soy milk supplied from the second position can be controlled, thereby allowing control of the amount of soy milk in the soy milk tank (i.e., the liquid level of soy milk in the soy milk tank).

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus comprising a soy milk tank, a winding unit, and a blowing unit. The soy milk tank contains soy milk for producing yuba. The winding unit winds up the yuba produced in the soy milk tank. The blowing unit is configured to blow air onto the yuba produced in the soy milk tank.

[0012] This configuration promotes the drying of the outer surface of the yuba (tofu skin), which prevents the wound yuba from sticking to the device or to each other when it is wound up in the winding section, thus enabling efficient production of yuba.

[0013] The yuba manufacturing apparatus described above may be configured to lift and wind up the yuba above the liquid surface of the soy milk contained in the soy milk tank, and the air blower may be configured to blow air onto the yuba being lifted up by the winding unit. In such a configuration, the yuba can be thoroughly dried before being wound up by the winding unit.

[0014] Furthermore, the yuba manufacturing apparatus described above may be configured such that the air blowing unit blows air onto the yuba produced in the soy milk tank in a manner that moves the yuba toward the winding unit. With such a configuration, the produced yuba can be smoothly moved toward the winding unit, and yuba can be produced efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1A is a plan view of the yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus, and Figure 1B is a front view of the yuba manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a left side view of a yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a front view of the sub-tank, Figure 3B is a top view, Figure 3C is a right side view, and Figure 3D is a left side view. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the switch box. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the operation of a yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing machine. [Figure 6] It is a plan view of a yuba manufacturing apparatus of a modified example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the following embodiments, and various forms can be adopted as long as they belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0017] [1. Configuration of Yuba Manufacturing Apparatus 1] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 is composed of a soy milk tank 11, a sub-tank 34, a switch box 37, etc. The yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 also includes a soy milk tank 11, a circulation section 12, a winding section 13, and a blower section 14.

[0018] The soy milk tank 11 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is a metal tank such as stainless steel for storing soy milk for generating yuba. The portion of the soy milk tank 11 for storing soy milk is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped or cube (in this embodiment, a rectangular parallelepiped) with an opening surface having a substantially square upper surface. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the opening of the soy milk tank 11 (the longitudinal direction of the entire soy milk tank 11) will be described as a predetermined direction.

[0019] The inner surface of the soy milk tank 11 is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene·perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene·hexafluoropropylene copolymer, tetrafluoroethylene·ethylene copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene·ethylene copolymer, etc.

[0020] [2. Heating Mechanism of Soy Milk Tank] The yuba manufacturing device 1 is a so-called steam-type manufacturing device, in which a steam pipe 21 is arranged. By supplying steam to this steam pipe 21, a heating tank provided at the lower part or side of the soymilk tank 11 and filled with water is heated, thereby heating the soymilk in the soymilk tank 11. Note that the soymilk tank 11 may be directly heated by the steam in the steam pipe 21.

[0021] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and FIG. 2, a steam connection port 22, a plurality of air vent pipes 23, a thermometer 24, a safety valve 25, a pressure gauge 26, a drain connection port 27, a check valve 28, a steam adjustment valve 29, etc. are provided at the lower part or side of the soymilk tank 11.

[0022] The steam connection port 22 is a connection port for supplying steam from the outside to the steam pipe 21. A safety valve 25 is provided at the steam connection port 22. When the steam supplied to the steam pipe 21 reaches a pressure above a predetermined value, this safety valve 25 discharges the steam to the outside to ensure safety. A pressure gauge 26 is attached near the safety valve 25. With this pressure gauge 26, the pressure of the steam supplied into the steam pipe 21 can be monitored.

[0023] The air vent pipe 23 is a pipe for venting excess air from the inside of the soymilk tank 11. With the thermometer 24, the temperature of the heating tank for heating the soymilk tank 11 can be measured and monitored. Furthermore, at the lower part of the soymilk tank 11, a drain connection port 27 for discharging the hot water in the heating tank outside the tank and a check valve 28 for preventing the backflow of the hot water to be discarded are arranged.

[0024] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the steam pipe 21 extends widely below the soymilk tank 11, and a steam adjustment valve 29 is attached to that part. The steam adjustment valve 29 is for adjusting the amount of steam supplied to the steam pipe 21. By adjusting this steam adjustment valve 29, the supply amount of the steam supplied to the steam pipe 21 can be adjusted.

[0025] [3. The circulation mechanism of soy milk] The soy milk tank 11 includes a supply unit 31, a soy milk intake port 32, a soy milk circulation pump 33, and a sub-tank 34 as a circulation unit 12 to promote the circulation of soy milk within the soy milk tank 11. Soy milk supply units 31 are provided at both ends of the shorter side of the soy milk tank 11. Soy milk stored in the sub-tank 34, which will be described later, is supplied from these supply units 31. In addition, a soy milk intake port 32 is provided in the center of the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction (longitudinal direction) to send the soy milk contained in the soy milk tank 11 to the sub-tank 34. A soy milk circulation pump 33 is located below the soy milk tank 11, and this soy milk circulation pump 33 sucks soy milk from the soy milk intake port 32 and releases it into the sub-tank 34. The amount of this release may be set by adjusting the output volume of the soy milk circulation pump 33, or by manually operating a valve (not shown).

[0026] The soy milk intake port 32 and the soy milk circulation pump 33 are examples of acquisition units that acquire soy milk from the soy milk tank at the first position, and the position of the soy milk intake port 32 is an example of the first position. The position where soy milk is supplied by the supply unit 31 is an example of a second position that is different from the first position. Furthermore, the first position is located closer to the center of the soy milk tank 11 than the second position when viewed from above (viewpoint 1A in Figure 1).

[0027] Sub-tank 34 will be explained using Figures 3A to 3D. Note that piping is not shown in Figures 3A to 3D. The sub-tank 34 consists of a storage section 41 for storing soy milk, supported by legs 42. A lid 43 is provided on the upper side of the storage section 41 to close the opening of the storage section 41. The lid 43 is provided with a handle 44 and a mounting hole 45 for attaching a water level sensor. The sub-tank 34 is an example of a storage section for storing soy milk acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0028] Near the upper end of the wall surface constituting the storage section 41, a soy milk inlet 46 and a soy milk return inlet 47 are provided. The soy milk inlet 46 is a connection port for pouring soy milk into the storage section 41. The soy milk return inlet 47 is a connection port through which soy milk, removed from the soy milk intake port 32 of the soy milk tank 11, passes when returning to the storage section 41.

[0029] Furthermore, a soy milk dispenser 48 is provided near the lower end of the wall surface constituting the storage section 41. The soy milk stored in the storage section 41 is released from the soy milk dispenser 48 and supplied to the soy milk tank 11 via the supply section 31. A valve 48a (see Figure 1) is provided at the end of the soy milk dispenser 48, allowing for flexible control of the supply amount from the supply section 31. Valve 48a is an example of an adjustment unit that adjusts the supply amount of soy milk supplied from the supply section.

[0030] More specifically, the amount supplied from the supply unit 31 is set to be greater than the amount of soy milk taken out from the soy milk intake port 32, by the amount of soy milk that decreases as yuba (tofu skin) 3 is produced. In other words, even if the amount of soy milk decreases due to the production of yuba, the change in the amount of soy milk in the soy milk tank 11 is suppressed.

[0031] Furthermore, a drain port 49 is provided on the bottom surface of the storage section 41. This drain port 49 can discharge soy milk supplied to the soy milk tank 11, similar to the soy milk dispenser 48. The drain port 49 has a larger diameter than the soy milk dispenser 48, and is configured to discharge soy milk into the soy milk tank 11 at a larger flow rate than the soy milk dispenser 48.

[0032] Let's return to the explanation of the soy milk tank 11. A soy milk outlet 35 is provided at one end of the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction. This soy milk outlet 35 allows any remaining soy milk inside the soy milk tank 11 to be discharged outside the tank.

[0033] Furthermore, multiple support legs 36 are provided protruding from the bottom of the soy milk tank 11 to support the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 when it is installed on the floor of a workspace or other area. The yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 is configured so that operations such as heating can be performed by operating various buttons provided on the switch box 37 shown in Figure 4.

[0034] [4. Tofu skin recovery mechanism] The winding section 13 is for winding up the yuba 3 produced in the soy milk tank 11, and is equipped with a support section 51, a winding shaft 52, a winding motor 53, a drive chain 54, a slit 55, and the like.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1A to 1B, the support portion 51 is provided on the outside of the wall surface approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction (predetermined direction) of the soy milk tank 11. The support portion 51 supports both ends of the winding shaft 52 of the winding section 13, which will be described later. Specifically, it is a rectangular flat plate made of metal such as stainless steel, fixed to both sides of the soy milk tank 11 with its longitudinal direction being vertical.

[0036] Furthermore, the support portion 51 is provided with a slit 55 in the vertical direction, allowing the winding shaft 52 of the winding portion 13, which will be described later, to move in the vertical direction.

[0037] By arranging the support portion 51 as described above, the winding shaft 52 of the winding portion 13 is positioned parallel to the yuba (tofu skin) generated in the soy milk tank 11 and perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

[0038] The winding shaft 52 is a metal rod-shaped shaft, such as stainless steel, with a circular cross-section. Both ends are inserted into slits 55 in the support part 51 and supported by bolts and nuts (not shown) so that the shaft can rotate. A sprocket for transmitting the driving force of the winding motor 53 is attached to one end.

[0039] Furthermore, the winding shaft 52 has a textured surface to prevent the yuba (tofu skin) produced in the soy milk tank 11 from slipping. A resinous material may be coated on the surface along with or instead of the textured surface.

[0040] The drive chain 54 is a stainless steel chain that is wound between the sprocket of the winding motor 53 and the sprocket of the winding shaft 52, and transmits the driving force of the winding motor 53 to the winding shaft 52.

[0041] [5. Blower mechanism] The air blower unit 14 is configured to blow air onto the yuba (tofu skin) produced in the soy milk tank, and includes a blower 61, a first discharge pipe 63, a second discharge pipe 65, and the like. A blower 61 is installed below the soy milk tank 11. This blower 61 supplies air via piping to a pair of first discharge pipes 63 and eight second discharge pipes 65.

[0042] The first blowing pipe 63 is located above the soy milk tank 11 and, in a plan view, is positioned on both sides in a predetermined direction with respect to the winding shaft 52. As shown in Figure 5C, the winding shaft 52 is configured to lift and wind up the yuba above the liquid surface of the soy milk 2 contained in the soy milk tank 11, and the first blowing pipe 63 blows air from both sides onto the yuba 3 being lifted up by the winding section 13.

[0043] The second blowing pipes 65 are arranged in groups of four on each side of the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction, spaced apart in that direction. As shown in Figure 1A, the second blowing pipes 65 are rotatable and can transition between an operating position located above the soy milk tank 11 (shown by a solid line in Figure 1A) and an unused position located away from the opening of the soy milk tank 11 in a plan view (shown by a dashed line in Figure 1A). It is not necessary to operate all eight second blowing pipes 65 at all times; any two second blowing pipes 65 can be operated. For example, only the two at both ends in a predetermined direction may be operated. The airflow direction is set to the center and downward side of the soy milk tank 11.

[0044] The second discharge pipe 65 is configured to blow air onto the yuba 3 generated in the soy milk tank 11 in such a way that it moves the yuba 3 toward the side where the winding unit 13 (winding shaft 52) ​​is located. Furthermore, the soy milk tank 11 has an opening on its top surface that is roughly rectangular in length in a predetermined direction, and the winding section 13 is positioned approximately in the center of the opening of the soy milk tank 11 in that predetermined direction when viewed from above. The second blowing pipe 65, located at the end closest to the predetermined direction, blows air from near both ends of the opening of the soy milk tank 11 in that predetermined direction toward the center in that predetermined direction. In other words, it blows air in such a way that the yuba (tofu skin) generated near both ends in that predetermined direction is moved toward the center in that predetermined direction.

[0045] [6. Operation of the Yuba Manufacturing Apparatus 1 and Method for Manufacturing Yuba] Next, the operation of the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1, configured as described above, and the method for manufacturing yuba using the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 will be explained based on Figures 5A to 5D. The winding shaft 52 is arranged perpendicular to a predetermined direction.

[0046] In this yuba manufacturing apparatus 1, when producing yuba 3, soy milk 2 is supplied to the soy milk tank 11 to a predetermined height. Then, steam is supplied to the steam pipe 21 through the steam connection port 22 to heat the soy milk tank 11.

[0047] As shown in Figure 5A, the winding motor 53 is not driven until the yuba 3 is generated and winding begins, and the winding shaft 52 of the winding unit 13 is positioned below the liquid level of the soy milk 2 (the highest point of the contained soy milk).

[0048] As shown in Figure 5B, when the soy milk tank 11 is heated, yuba (tofu skin) 3 is formed on its surface. Once yuba 3 is formed, the winding shaft 52 is moved upward to catch the yuba 3, and the winding motor 53 is driven at a predetermined speed.

[0049] Then, as shown in Figure 5C, the yuba 3 is wound up at a constant speed. At this time, the yuba 3 is wound up from both sides in a predetermined direction. The inside of the yuba 3 being wound up (the opposing sides of the pair of yuba 3 being wound up) is wet with soy milk 2, and when wound up, the insides stick together, so they are wound onto the winding shaft 52 in an overlapping, one-piece state.

[0050] Furthermore, although the outside of the rolled-up yuba 3 is drier than the inside, air is blown in from the first blowing pipe 63 toward the outside of the yuba 3, further promoting the drying of the outside. As a result, when winding it on the winding shaft 52, it is prevented from sticking to the winding shaft 52 or to the yuba 3 that has already been wound and is wrapped around the winding shaft 52.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5D, the outer diameter of the yuba 3 increases as it is wound onto the winding shaft 52. At this time, the winding shaft 52 may be gradually moved upward so that the wound yuba 3 does not touch the top surface of the soy milk 2 in the soy milk tank 11. Also, as the outer diameter of the wound yuba 3 increases, the rotational speed of the winding motor 53 is adjusted so that the peripheral speed of the outer circumference of the yuba 3 remains almost constant (i.e., the winding speed of the yuba 3 remains constant).

[0052] Furthermore, a tofu skin hanging hook 57 is provided on the support portion 51 so as to extend in a substantially vertical direction.

[0053] [7. Features of the Yuba Manufacturing Apparatus 1] In the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 described above, when the central part of the yuba 3 produced in the soy milk tank 11 is hooked onto the winding section 13, the yuba 3 is folded over. In this case, the back sides of the yuba 3 (the sides of the soy milk 2 of the yuba 3 produced in the soy milk tank 11) are not dry, so the back sides of the yuba 3 stick together.

[0054] In this state, by rotating the winding unit 13, the surface side of the dried yuba 3 (the side opposite to the soy milk side of the yuba 3 produced in the soy milk tank 11) overlaps and is wound onto the winding unit 13.

[0055] Therefore, the yuba 3 can be continuously wound up, and after winding, the yuba 3 can be peeled off in a double layer to form a long, rectangular shape.

[0056] Furthermore, when the yuba 3 is continuously wound up, the amount of soy milk 2 contained in the soy milk tank 11 decreases. However, in the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1, soy milk 2 is supplied to the soy milk tank 11 from the supply unit 31. Therefore, the yuba 3 can be continuously wound up over a long period of time, enabling mass production of yuba 3.

[0057] In the yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing apparatus 1, the circulation unit 12 (supply unit 31, soy milk intake 32, soy milk circulation pump 33, sub-tank 34) acquires soy milk 2 from the center of the soy milk tank 11, returns it to the sub-tank 34, and then supplies it to the end in a predetermined direction. With this configuration, there is no need to put a large amount of soy milk into the soy milk tank 11 in advance, and manufacturing can be started with a small amount of soy milk, thus shortening the working time. In addition, since a flow of soy milk can be created within the soy milk tank 11, variations in soy milk concentration within the soy milk tank 11 can be reduced, and as a result, the quality of the yuba produced (color, etc.) does not change over time, and variations in the quality of the produced yuba can be reduced.

[0058] Furthermore, when the soy milk tank 11 is viewed from above, the soy milk intake port 32 (first position) is located closer to the center of the soy milk tank 11 than the supply unit 31 (second position where soy milk is supplied), thus efficiently reducing the concentration difference between the center and the outer edge.

[0059] Furthermore, the soy milk 2 obtained from the soy milk intake port 32 is stored in the sub-tank 34 and released from the sub-tank 34 to the supply unit 31. As a result, the concentration of the soy milk supplied from the supply unit 31 is less affected by the concentration of soy milk near the soy milk intake port 32, and a stable concentration of soy milk can be supplied to the soy milk tank 11. In addition, the concentration of soy milk in the sub-tank 34 supplied from the supply unit 31 to the soy milk tank 11 is lower than the concentration of soy milk obtained from the soy milk intake port 32 (for example, a concentration higher than the initial concentration), and is close to the initial concentration. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in the soy milk concentration near the supply unit 31 due to the supplying soy milk becoming too high. Furthermore, the amount of soy milk 2 obtained from the soy milk intake port 32 and the amount of soy milk 2 supplied from the supply unit 31 can be controlled, thereby controlling the amount of soy milk in the soy milk tank 11 (i.e., the liquid level of soy milk 2 in the soy milk tank 11).

[0060] Furthermore, since air is blown onto the yuba 3 by the first blowing pipe 63 and the second blowing pipe 65, the drying of the outside of the yuba 3 can be further promoted, and the yuba 3 can be manufactured efficiently. Specifically, the first discharge pipe 63 helps to dry the yuba 3 lifted up by the winding shaft 52 at an early stage, thereby preventing it from adhering to the wound yuba 3 when it is wound onto the winding shaft 52.

[0061] Furthermore, the second blowing pipe 65 allows the yuba 3 to be smoothly collected in the center. By blowing air from near both ends of the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction toward the center in that predetermined direction, the yuba 3 generated near both ends of the soy milk tank 11 can be promoted to move toward the center, and yuba can be efficiently produced from the entire soy milk tank 11. If the second blowing pipe 65 were not present, the force to move the yuba 3 toward the center in a predetermined direction (towards the winding shaft 52) ​​would only be the force pulling the yuba 3 as it is pulled up by the winding shaft 52 in the center, and the stability of the movement would decrease as it moved toward the ends in a predetermined direction. However, the yuba manufacturing apparatus 1 can suppress such problems.

[0062] Furthermore, since the winding unit 13 can be moved vertically, by moving the winding unit 13 up and down according to the diameter of the yuba 3 being wound up by the winding unit 13, contact between the outer surface of the wound yuba 3 and the liquid surface of the soy milk is suppressed.

[0063] Furthermore, as the yuba 3 is rolled up, the amount of soy milk 2 in the soy milk tank 11 decreases. By supplying an amount of soy milk 2 from the supply unit 31 into the soy milk tank 11 to compensate for the decrease, the amount of soy milk 2 in the soy milk tank 11 becomes constant, and the surface height of the yuba 3 is kept constant.

[0064] In this way, the height of the winding section 13 from the liquid surface of the soy milk can be adjusted and kept constant, so that appropriate tension can be applied to the winding yuba 3, making the yuba 3 uniform in thickness and enabling the continuous production of high-quality yuba 3.

[0065] Furthermore, supply units 31 for supplying soy milk are provided at both ends of the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction, so that soy milk is supplied from both sides of the soy milk tank 11. Therefore, the color of the rolled-up yuba can be kept consistent, and the quality can be improved.

[0066] In conventional manufacturing methods, one step in producing yuba (tofu skin) took approximately two hours. During this time, the soy milk contained in the soy milk tank was used as is, resulting in a change in the color of the soy milk between the start and end of production. On the other hand, in the yuba production apparatus 1, the yuba 3 is wound up while the soy milk 2 is supplied, so the yuba 3 is always fresh, and the color of the soy milk does not change between the start and end of production. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to produce yuba 3 of a consistent color.

[0067] Furthermore, because the inner surface of the soy milk tank 11 is coated, it has good separation properties from the inner surface of the soy milk tank 11. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly wind up the yuba 3 and improve production efficiency. In addition, by preventing the yuba 3 generated from adhering to the inner surface of the soy milk tank 11, it is possible to make effective use of the supplied soy milk and prevent the risk of deterioration in the quality of the generated yuba 3.

[0068] [8. Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the operator manually adjusted the vertical movement of the winding shaft 52 and the rotational speed of the winding motor 53, but this may be done automatically. In this case, it is preferable to raise the height of the winding shaft 52 or increase the rotational speed of the winding motor 53 according to the number of rotations of the winding motor 53 from the start of winding the yuba 3.

[0069] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the amount of soy milk taken in from the soy milk intake port 32 and the amount supplied from the supply unit 31 were manually controlled by the operator, but these may be done automatically. When automatic control is performed, for example, the liquid level may be controlled to remain constant at all times, or it may be controlled to reach a predetermined liquid level over time.

[0070] (3) In the above embodiment, the soy milk tank 11 was a rectangular parallelepiped with a rectangular opening, but it may also be configured to have a square opening. (4) In the above embodiment, the winding shaft 52 of the winding section is rod-shaped, but it may be cylindrical, or its cross-section may be polygonal or elliptical or any other shape.

[0071] (5) The heating method of the soy milk tank 11 is not limited in any way, and heating can be achieved by various methods. For example, an electric heating method may be used. (6) The first position for obtaining soy milk and the second position for supplying soy milk by the circulation unit 12 are not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment and can be set to various positions. For example, the first position may be provided in multiple locations, and the second position may be in one location. Also, for example, the first position may be provided on one side of a predetermined direction and the second position on the other side of the predetermined direction. Also, for example, as shown in the yuba manufacturing apparatus 101 in Figure 6, the first and second positions may be swapped from the embodiment, and soy milk may be obtained from soy milk intake ports 132 provided at both ends of a predetermined direction (an example of the first position), and soy milk may be supplied from a supply unit 131 provided in the center of a predetermined direction (an example of the second position). The supply unit 131 is located in the center of the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction and in the center in the width direction, and supplies soy milk to the soy milk tank 11 from below. The supply unit 131 may also be configured to supply soy milk from above the soy milk tank 11.

[0072] The arrangement of the first and second positions may be such that, when viewed from above, the first position is relatively on the outer periphery (the end in a predetermined direction) and the second position is relatively on the central side. Furthermore, if the first and second positions are spaced apart in a predetermined direction, the occurrence of concentration differences in the soy milk stored in the soy milk tank 11 in a predetermined direction can be efficiently suppressed.

[0073] (7) The circulation unit 12 is shown as having a sub-tank 34 as an example. However, the specific configuration of the sub-tank 34 is not limited and can be in various forms that can store soy milk. Alternatively, the sub-tank 34 may not be provided, and the soy milk obtained at the soy milk intake port 32 may be supplied from the supply unit 31 to the soy milk tank 11 without being stored.

[0074] (8) The air blower 14 may be equipped with only one of the first discharge pipe 63 and the second discharge pipe 65. The number of second discharge pipes 65 is not particularly limited. (9) Multiple functions of one component in the above embodiment may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Also, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Furthermore, some of the configurations of the above embodiment may be omitted. Furthermore, at least some of the configurations of the above embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configurations of other above embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0075] 1...Yuba (tofu skin) manufacturing device, 2...Soy milk, 3...Yuba, 11...Soy milk tank, 12...Circulation unit, 13...Winding unit, 14...Air blowing unit, 21...Steam pipe, 22...Steam connection port, 23...Air vent pipe, 24...Thermometer, 25...Safety valve, 26...Pressure gauge, 27...Drain connection port, 28...Check valve, 29...Steam adjustment valve, 31...Supply unit, 32...Soy milk intake port, 33...Soy milk circulation pump, 34...Sub-tank, 35...Soy milk outlet, 36...Support legs, 37...Switch box 41... Storage section, 42... Legs, 43... Lid, 44... Handle, 45... Mounting hole, 46... Soy milk inlet, 47... Soy milk return outlet, 48... Soy milk outlet, 48a... Valve, 49... Drain outlet, 51... Support section, 52... Winding shaft, 53... Winding motor, 54... Drive chain, 55... Slit, 57... Yuba hanging hook, 61... Blower, 63... First blowing pipe, 65... Second blowing pipe, 101... Yuba manufacturing device, 131, Supply section, 132... Soy milk intake

Claims

1. A soy milk tank for holding soy milk to produce yuba, A winding section for winding the yuba produced in the aforementioned soy milk tank around a winding shaft, A yuba manufacturing apparatus comprising a blower configured to blow air onto the yuba produced in the soy milk tank.

2. A yuba manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The winding shaft is configured to lift and wind up the yuba above the liquid surface of the soy milk contained in the soy milk tank. The air blowing unit is configured to blow air onto the yuba being pulled up by the winding unit, in a yuba manufacturing apparatus.

3. A yuba manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The blowing unit is configured to blow air onto the yuba produced in the soy milk tank in such a way that it moves the yuba toward the side where the winding unit is located, in a yuba manufacturing apparatus.

4. A yuba manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, The soy milk tank has an opening on its top surface that is approximately rectangular in length in a predetermined direction. The winding section is positioned approximately in the center of the opening of the soy milk tank in the predetermined direction. The air blowing unit blows air to move the yuba (tofu skin) generated near both ends in the predetermined direction at the opening of the soy milk tank toward the center in the predetermined direction, in a yuba manufacturing apparatus.

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