Molding apparatus and freezing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a molding apparatus that efficiently performs high-quality molding on noodle workpieces placed in containers on a continuously operating conveyor belt. [Solution] A molding apparatus for performing molding processes including leveling and pressing processes comprises a leveling unit having a leveling processing section, a first drive unit for driving the leveling unit, a pressing processing unit provided downstream of the leveling unit and having a pressing processing section, and a second drive unit for driving the pressing processing unit. The first drive unit drives the leveling unit so that in a first cycle corresponding to row M, the leveling unit performs leveling while following the direction of movement of the conveyor, and then returns to the first initial position. The second drive unit drives the pressing processing unit so that in a second cycle corresponding to row N, the pressing processing unit performs pressing while following the direction of movement of the conveyor from the second initial position, and then returns to the second initial position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a forming processing apparatus and a refrigeration processing system.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a refrigeration processing system for manufacturing frozen noodle products is known by performing a refrigeration process on noodle workpieces such as udon noodles, buckwheat noodles, and Chinese noodles. In this type of refrigeration processing system, the refrigeration process is performed while the noodle workpieces are being conveyed by a conveying device, thereby enabling mass production of frozen noodle products. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a refrigeration processing system capable of performing a refrigeration process on a workpiece by transporting the workpiece placed on a tray disposed in a gondola conveyed by an endless conveyor chain to a freezer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the refrigeration processing system as described above, before performing the refrigeration process on the noodle workpiece, it is necessary to perform a forming process on the noodle workpiece, which is an amorphous object in which a large number of noodles are intertwined, so that the quality after the refrigeration process becomes uniform. In order to perform a high-quality forming process, it is necessary to perform the forming process in multiple stages, such as leveling and pressing processes. In this case, it is necessary to provide a processing unit corresponding to each process, and there is a risk that the scale of the unit for performing the forming process will increase.

[0005] Furthermore, this type of molding process is typically carried out in synchronization with a takt operation, which involves repeatedly moving the conveyor belt by a pitch distance and stopping it for a predetermined time, onto trays placed at regular intervals on the conveyor belt for the noodle workpieces. In such a takt operation, the movement and stopping of the conveyor belt are repeated, which limits the improvement of processing efficiency. Therefore, it is desirable to efficiently perform the molding process while transporting the noodle workpieces by a continuously operating conveyor belt.

[0006] At least one embodiment of this disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a molding apparatus and a freezing apparatus capable of efficiently performing high-quality molding on noodle workpieces placed in a container on a continuously operating conveyor belt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A molding apparatus according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure solves the above problems, A molding apparatus for performing molding processes, including leveling and pressing, on noodle workpieces placed in a container on a continuously operating conveyor belt, A leveling unit is arranged in M ​​(where M is 1 or more) rows along the direction of movement of the conveying belt and has a leveling processing section for performing the leveling process on the noodle workpiece. A first drive unit for driving the leveling processing unit, A pressing unit is provided downstream of the leveling unit in the direction of movement, and is arranged in N rows (where N is 1 or more and is a different value from M) along the direction of movement, and has a pressing processing unit for performing the pressing process on the noodle workpiece, A second drive unit for driving the aforementioned pressing processing unit, Equipped with, The first drive unit drives the leveling unit so that, in a first cycle corresponding to the M row, the leveling unit performs the leveling process while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt from a first initial position, and then returns to the first initial position. The second drive unit drives the pressing unit so that, in a second cycle corresponding to the N rows, the pressing unit performs the pressing process while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt from the second initial position, and then returns to the second initial position. The first period and the second period are different from each other.

[0008] A refrigeration processing system according to at least one embodiment of this disclosure solves the above problems, A molding apparatus according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, A freezing device is provided, which is located downstream of the molding apparatus from the conveyor, for freezing the noodle workpieces that have undergone the molding process by the molding apparatus. It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of this disclosure, a molding apparatus and a freezing apparatus can be provided that can efficiently perform high-quality molding on noodle workpieces placed in a container on a continuously operating conveyor belt. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a refrigeration system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2A] Figure 1 shows one example configuration of the leveling unit. [Figure 2B] Figure 1 shows one example configuration of the presser foot processing unit. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example configuration of the first drive unit for driving the leveling unit and the second drive unit for driving the pressing unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4]It is a block configuration diagram of the control device in FIG. 1. [Figure 5A] It is a diagram showing the operating states of the leveling processing unit and the pressing processing unit in the molding processing apparatus of FIG. 1 in chronological order. [Figure 5B] It is a diagram showing the operating states of the leveling processing unit and the pressing processing unit in the molding processing apparatus of FIG. 1 in chronological order.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the configurations described as embodiments or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but are merely illustrative examples.

[0012] First, the overall configuration of the refrigeration processing system 1 including the molding processing apparatus 8 according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the refrigeration processing system 1 according to one embodiment.

[0013] The refrigeration processing system 1 is a system for manufacturing frozen noodle products by performing refrigeration processing on the noodle workpiece W. The noodle workpiece W to be processed by the refrigeration processing system 1 is, for example, udon noodles, soba noodles, Chinese noodles, pasta, etc., but may widely include other noodles and other foods and non-foods having equivalent shapes.

[0014] The refrigeration processing system ! includes a workpiece supply conveyor 2, a workpiece input device 4, a transfer conveyor 6, a molding processing apparatus 8, and a refrigeration apparatus 10.

[0015] The work supply conveyor 2 is configured to supply the noodle work W to the work input device 4. The work supply conveyor 2 is provided at the end of the supply line of the noodle work W to be cryogenically treated by the cryogenic treatment system 1, and is configured to supply the pre-divided noodle work W to the work input device 4 at a predetermined interval. The quantity and supply interval of the noodle work W supplied from the work supply conveyor 2 may be constant or variable.

[0016] The work input device 4 is configured to input the noodle work W supplied from the work supply conveyor 2 into the conveyor 6. The work input device 4 is provided between the work supply conveyor 2 and the conveyor 6, and is configured to include, in order from above, a work input hopper 12, a weighing hopper 14, a foreign object detection unit 16, a shooter 18, and an input hopper 20.

[0017] The work input hopper 12 is provided below the supply position of the noodle work W on the work supply conveyor 2, and is configured to receive the noodle work W supplied from the work supply conveyor 2 and input it into the weighing hopper 14 below.

[0018] The weighing hopper 14 is configured to weigh the noodle work W input from the work input hopper 12 and adjust the quantity of the noodle work W to a preset value. As described above, the quantity and supply interval of the noodle work W supplied from the work supply conveyor 2 may be variable, but the weighing hopper 14 equalizes the quantity and supply interval of the noodle work W passed to the subsequent configuration. That is, the weighing hopper 14 functions as a buffer for equalizing the quantity and supply timing of the noodle work W supplied from the work supply conveyor 2.

[0019] The foreign object detection unit 16 is configured to detect foreign objects contained in the noodle work W supplied from the weighing hopper 14. The foreign objects to be detected are not limited. For example, when detecting metal pieces or the like as foreign objects, the foreign object detection unit 16 may be a metal detector.

[0020] The chute 18 is configured to transfer the noodle work W that has passed through the foreign object detection unit 16 to the input hopper 20. The input hopper 20 is configured to receive the noodle work W discharged from the chute 18 and to put the noodle work W into a container C provided on the conveyor belt 6 located below.

[0021] With the work input device 4 having this configuration, the noodle workpieces W supplied from the work supply conveyor 2 are fed onto the transport conveyor 6. The transport conveyor 6 is equipped with an endless conveyor with both ends supported by a pair of pulleys, and is operated continuously at a substantially constant speed by power from a power source (not shown). The transport conveyor 6 includes a forward conveyor 6a provided on the side corresponding to the work input device 4, and a return conveyor 6b which is operated in a reverse direction on the opposite side of the forward conveyor 6a.

[0022] Furthermore, multiple containers C capable of holding noodle workpieces W are arranged on the conveyor belt 6 at predetermined pitch intervals Lp. In this embodiment, in particular, the multiple containers C are integrally molded onto the conveyor belt 6. Since the containers C configured in this way can be repeatedly used over a long period of time while being washed, this is cost-effective compared to conveying methods that require replacement due to deterioration, such as trays.

[0023] The workpiece loading device 4 loads the noodle workpieces W into the container C on the forward conveyor 6a. The noodle workpieces W loaded onto the transport conveyor 6 by the workpiece loading device 4 are then transported sequentially to the molding processing apparatus 8 and the refrigeration apparatus 10 located downstream by the continuously operating transport conveyor 6 (forward conveyor 6a) while contained in the container C on the forward conveyor 6a. In the following description, the transport direction of the forward conveyor 6a will be referred to as "movement direction A" as appropriate.

[0024] The molding apparatus 8 is configured to perform a molding process on the noodle workpiece W placed in the container C. The molding process performed by the molding apparatus 8 is a process to adjust the shape and other characteristics of the noodle workpiece W to a certain quality before the freezing process is carried out in the freezing apparatus 10. In the specific examples described later, leveling and pressing processes will be described as molding processes, but these are merely examples and are not limited to this.

[0025] The noodle workpieces W, which have been molded in the molding processing apparatus 8, are transported by the conveyor belt 6 (forward conveyor belt 6a) to the freezing apparatus 10, which is located further downstream from the molding processing apparatus 8. In the freezing apparatus 10, the molded noodle workpieces W are subjected to a freezing process, becoming frozen noodle products. After the freezing process in the freezing apparatus 10, the frozen noodle products are transported out of the freezing apparatus 10 in containers C by the conveyor belt 6, separated from containers C by a discharge mechanism (not shown), and discharged to the outside (for example, to the processing apparatus of the next process).

[0026] In this way, in the freezing processing system 1, the noodle workpieces W, which are loaded into container C by the workpiece loading device 4, are transported along the direction of movement A by the continuously operating transport conveyor 6, while the molding processing by the molding processing device 8 and the freezing processing by the freezing device 10 are carried out sequentially. Therefore, it is possible to achieve superior productivity compared to transport methods that perform cycle operations of moving a predetermined distance and stopping for a predetermined time.

[0027] Next, the molding apparatus 8 will be described in detail. The molding apparatus 8 includes at least one molding unit 30 for performing a molding process on the noodle workpiece W placed in the container C. The type and number of molding units 30 included in the molding apparatus 8 can be appropriately designed depending on the content of the molding process to be performed on the noodle workpiece W placed in the container C. In other words, the type and number of molding units 30 included in the molding apparatus 8 are not limited, but in the embodiment shown below, as an example of its configuration, a molding apparatus 8 equipped with a leveling unit 30A and a pressing unit 30B as the molding unit 30 will be described.

[0028] Figure 2A shows one example configuration of the leveling unit 30A in Figure 1. The leveling unit 30A is configured to perform a leveling process as a molding process on the noodle work W placed in the container C. The leveling process involves inserting at least one pair of forks 32 from above into the noodle work W placed in the container C, and opening and closing the forks 32 to change the distance between them, thereby loosening the noodle work W within the container C.

[0029] The leveling unit 30A has a plurality of leveling processing units 34 for simultaneously performing such leveling on noodle workpieces W contained in a plurality of consecutive containers C. In this embodiment in particular, the plurality of leveling processing units 34 include a first leveling processing unit 34a for performing a first leveling processing and a second leveling processing unit 34b for performing a second leveling processing. The first leveling processing is a leveling processing (vertical leveling processing) in which the opening and closing direction of a pair of forks 32 is along the direction of movement A, and the second leveling processing is a leveling processing (horizontal leveling processing) in which the opening and closing direction of a pair of forks 32 is along a direction intersecting the direction of movement A (for example, a width direction perpendicular to the direction of movement A).

[0030] In this way, the leveling unit 30A can perform a first leveling process by the first leveling unit 34a and a second leveling process by the second leveling unit 34b on the noodle work W contained in the container C. This allows for a more suitable leveling of the noodle work W contained in the container C and enables high-quality leveling compared to performing leveling in only one direction.

[0031] In the leveling unit 30A, multiple first leveling units 34a and second leveling units 34b are provided in M ​​rows (where M is an integer of 1 or more) along the direction of movement A. These first leveling units 34a and second leveling units 34b are provided along the direction of movement A with a pitch interval Lp from each other. Figure 2A shows an example configuration when M=3, in which the first leveling process and the second leveling process can be performed simultaneously on noodle workpieces W contained in three consecutive containers C.

[0032] In the following explanation, when these first leveling processing units 34a are shown separately, they will be referred to as "first leveling processing unit 34a1," "first leveling processing unit 34a2," and "first leveling processing unit 34a3," respectively, from upstream to downstream. Similarly, when these second leveling processing units 34b are shown separately, they will be referred to as "second leveling processing unit 34b1," "second leveling processing unit 34b2," and "second leveling processing unit 34b3," respectively, from upstream to downstream.

[0033] Furthermore, each of the first leveling processing unit 34a or the second leveling processing unit 34b provided across row M may have the same configuration as the others, or may include at least a part of a different configuration.

[0034] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 3, which will be described later, if multiple containers C are provided on the conveyor belt 6 along the width direction, multiple leveling sections 34 may also be provided along the width direction.

[0035] Figure 2B shows one example configuration of the pressing unit 30B in Figure 1. The pressing unit 30B is configured to perform a pressing process as a molding process on the noodle workpiece W contained in the container C. The pressing process is a process to mold the noodle workpiece W inside the container C into a predetermined shape by pressing a pressing member 38 against the noodle workpiece W placed in the container C from above. In this embodiment, the pressing unit 30B is provided downstream of the leveling unit 30A in the direction of movement of the conveyor 6, so that the pressing process is performed on the noodle workpiece W after the leveling process has been performed.

[0036] In the pressing unit 30B, at least one pressing unit 44 for performing such pressing is provided in N rows (where N is an integer of 1 or more, and is a different value from M mentioned above) along the direction of movement A. These pressing units 44 are provided at the pitch interval Lp of the containers C provided on the conveyor belt 6. Figure 2B shows an example configuration when N=2, in which the pressing process can be performed simultaneously on noodle workpieces W contained in two consecutive containers C.

[0037] In the following description, when these pressing units 44 are shown separately, they will be referred to as "pressing unit 44-1" and "pressing unit 44-2" respectively, starting from the upstream side. As illustrated in Figure 3, which will be described later, if multiple containers C are provided on the conveyor belt 6 along the width direction, these pressing units 44 may also be provided in multiple locations along the width direction.

[0038] Furthermore, each of the pressing processing units 44 provided across the N columns may have the same configuration as the others, or may include at least a part of a different configuration.

[0039] The molding apparatus 8 also includes a first drive unit 40 and a second drive unit 42 for driving the leveling unit 30A and the pressing unit 30B, respectively, which have the above configurations. The first drive unit 40 is configured to drive the leveling unit 30A based on a control signal from the control device 100, which will be described later. A specific example of the operation of the leveling unit 30A will be described in detail later, but the first drive unit 40 drives the leveling unit 30A so that in the first cycle T1, the leveling unit 30A performs leveling while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 6 from the first initial position P1, and then returns to the first initial position P1. The second drive unit 42 is configured to drive the pressing unit 30B based on a control signal from the control device 100, which will be described later. A detailed example of the operation of the pressing unit 30B will be described later, but the second drive unit 42 drives the pressing unit 30B in the second cycle T2 so that the pressing unit 30B performs pressing while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt 6 from the second initial position P2, and then returns to the second initial position P2.

[0040] Figure 3 shows an example configuration of the first drive unit 40 for driving the leveling unit 30A and the second drive unit 42 for driving the pressing unit 30B shown in Figure 1. In Figure 3, the example configuration of the first drive unit 40 and the second drive unit 42 is shown from above the conveyor belt 6.

[0041] The first drive unit 40 has a first drive rail 40a that extends along the direction of movement A of the conveyor belt 6. The first drive rail 40a has a built-in power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from a power source (not shown, e.g., a servo motor) to the leveling unit 30A. Using the power from the power source, the leveling unit 30A can perform tracking operations along the direction of movement A, and various leveling operations in each leveling section 34 of the leveling unit 30A.

[0042] The second drive unit 42 has a second drive rail 42a that extends along the direction of movement A of the conveyor belt 6. The second drive rail 42a has a built-in power transmission mechanism for transmitting power from a power source (not shown, e.g., a servo motor) to the pressing unit 30B. Using the power from the power source, the pressing unit 30B can perform tracking operations along the direction of movement A, and various pressing operations in each pressing section 44 of the pressing unit 30B.

[0043] The first drive rail 40a and the second drive rail 42a, having this configuration, are arranged so as not to interfere with each other during the operation of the leveling unit 30A and the pressing unit 30B.

[0044] Next, a control device 100 for controlling the molding apparatus 8 having the above configuration will be described. The control device 100 is the control unit of the molding apparatus 8, and is, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), and consists of a arithmetic unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) for performing control and calculations according to a pre-written program, and a storage device for storing various data handled by the arithmetic unit.

[0045] Furthermore, the control device 100 may be integrated with the controller of the aforementioned freezing processing system 1, or it may be configured as a separate unit.

[0046] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the control device 100 shown in Figure 1. The control device 100 comprises an operation information acquisition unit 110 and a control unit 120.

[0047] The operation information acquisition unit 110 is configured to acquire operation information Si of the conveyor belt 6. The operation information Si is information relating to the operation of the continuously operating conveyor belt 6, and is information relating to at least one of the position of a reference point defined on the conveyor belt 6 or the moving speed of the conveyor belt 6. In this embodiment, as an example of such operation information Si, a pulse signal output from a rotary encoder 24 (see Figure 1) provided on the conveyor belt 6 is acquired. Based on such operation information Si, it is possible to suitably specify the operating state of the continuously operating conveyor belt 6.

[0048] The control unit 120 is configured to control the molding apparatus 8 based on the operation information Si acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 110, and includes a leveling unit control unit 122 and a pressing unit control unit 124.

[0049] The leveling unit control unit 122 is configured to control the leveling unit 30A. Specifically, the leveling unit control unit 122 acquires operation information Si obtained by the operation information acquisition unit 110 and generates a control signal based on said operation information Si. This control signal is output to the first drive unit 40, and the first drive unit 40 then performs various operations of the leveling unit 30A based on the control signal.

[0050] The presser foot processing unit control unit 124 is configured to control the presser foot processing unit 30B. Specifically, the presser foot processing unit control unit 124 acquires operation information Si acquired by the operation information acquisition unit 110 and generates a control signal based on said operation information Si. This control signal is output to the second drive unit 42, and the second drive unit 42 then realizes various operations of the presser foot processing unit 30B based on the control signal.

[0051] Next, the specific operation of the molding apparatus 8 controlled by the control device 100 will be described. Figures 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the operating states of the leveling unit 30A and the pressing unit 30B in the molding apparatus 8 of Figure 1 in chronological order. In addition, Figures 5A and 5B show the specific operation of the molding apparatus 8 in chronological order across two figures.

[0052] As mentioned above, each container C on the conveyor belt 6 contains the noodle workpieces W that are fed in from the workpiece input device 4. The noodle workpieces W, while contained in the container C, are transported by the continuously operating conveyor belt 6 to the molding processing apparatus 8 located downstream. In the states A to F shown chronologically in Figures 5A and 5B, the process of the distance traveled by the continuously operating conveyor belt 6 changes is shown in stages. Also in Figures 5A and 5B, in order to explain the operation of the molding processing apparatus 8 in an easy-to-understand manner, each container C on the conveyor belt 6 is indicated by the codes C1, C2, ..., which are sequentially assigned identification numbers.

[0053] First, in state A, which corresponds to the initial state, the leveling unit 30A is in the first initial position P1, and the pressing unit 30B is in the second initial position P2. At this time, the first leveling processing units 34a1 to 34a3 of the leveling unit 30A, which have M columns, simultaneously perform the first leveling process on the noodle work W contained in M ​​consecutive columns of containers C (containers C9 to C11), and the second leveling processing units 34b1 to 34b3 simultaneously perform the second leveling process on the noodle work W contained in M ​​consecutive columns of containers C (containers C6 to C8). In addition, the pressing processing units 44-1 and 44-2 of the pressing unit 30B simultaneously perform the pressing process on the noodle work W contained in N columns of containers C (containers C1 and C2).

[0054] While the continuously operating conveyor belt 6 moves from state A to state B by a pitch interval Lp, the leveling unit 30A and the pressing unit 30B move along the direction of movement A to follow the continuously moving conveyor belt 6. At this time, the movement speed of the leveling unit 30A and the pressing unit 30B is equal to the movement speed of the conveyor belt 6, and the relative positional relationship between the leveling unit 30A and the pressing unit 30B and each container C on the conveyor belt 6 is maintained constant. Therefore, the leveling unit 30A continuously performs the first leveling process on the noodle work W contained in containers C9 to C11 by the first leveling processing unit 34a1 to 34a3, and the second leveling process on the noodle work W contained in containers C6 to C8 by the second leveling processing unit 34b1 to 34b3.

[0055] As the conveyor belt 6 moves further from state B, the pressing unit 30B is controlled to return to the second initial position P2, as shown in state C (state C indicates that the conveyor belt 6 has moved by half a pitch interval Lp / 2 compared to state B). As a result, the pressing unit 30B returns to the same state as the initial state A in the subsequent state D, and thereafter repeats the same operation cycle in the second period T2 (state D indicates that the conveyor belt 6 has moved by half a pitch interval Lp / 2 compared to state C).

[0056] Furthermore, the time required for the pressing unit 30B to return to the second initial position P2 can be appropriately set considering the number of rows N of the pressing processing unit 44 in the pressing unit 30B, the moving speed of the conveyor belt 6, and so on.

[0057] Meanwhile, the leveling unit 30A continues the leveling process in states C and D, as in state B described above, by moving along the direction of movement to follow the continuously moving conveyor belt 6. When the conveyor belt 6 moves further and reaches state E, the leveling unit 30A is controlled to return to the first initial position P1 (state E indicates that the conveyor belt 6 has moved by half a pitch interval Lp / 2 compared to state D). As a result, the leveling unit 30A returns to the same state as the initial state A in the next state F, and thereafter repeats the same operation cycle in the first period T1 (state F indicates that the conveyor belt 6 has moved by half a pitch interval Lp / 2 compared to state E).

[0058] Furthermore, the time required for the leveling unit 30A to return to the first initial position P1 can be appropriately set considering the number of rows N of the leveling processing unit 34 in the leveling unit 30A, the moving speed of the conveyor belt 6, and so on.

[0059] In this manner, the molding apparatus 8 drives two molding units 30 (leveling unit 30A and pressing unit 30B), each having a different number of processing rows (leveling processing unit 34 and pressing processing unit 44), at different cycles (first cycle T1 and second cycle T2) corresponding to the number of processing rows M and N of each unit. This allows for efficient molding of the noodle workpieces W contained in each container C on the continuously operating conveyor belt 6.

[0060] Furthermore, sufficient space is ensured between the molding processing units 30 (leveling processing unit 30A and pressing processing unit 30B), which operate at different cycles, so that each molding processing unit 30 does not interfere with the other. In the configuration examples in Figures 5A and 5B, in the initial state A, a space of M units (3 units) of the pitch spacing Lp is provided between the leveling processing unit 30A and the pressing processing unit 30B.

[0061] As described above, according to the above embodiment, it is possible to provide a molding apparatus 8 and a freezing processing system 1 that can efficiently perform high-quality molding on noodle workpieces W placed in a container C on a continuously operating conveyor belt 6.

[0062] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, but also includes modified forms of the embodiments described above, as well as forms that combine these forms as appropriate.

[0063] The contents described in each of the above embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows:

[0064] (1) A molding apparatus according to one embodiment is: A molding apparatus for performing molding processes, including leveling and pressing, on noodle workpieces placed in a container on a continuously operating conveyor belt, A leveling unit is arranged in M ​​(where M is 1 or more) rows along the direction of movement of the conveying belt and has a leveling processing section for performing the leveling process on the noodle workpiece. A first drive unit for driving the leveling processing unit, A pressing unit is provided downstream of the leveling unit in the direction of movement, and is arranged in N rows (where N is 1 or more and is a different value from M) along the direction of movement, and has a pressing processing unit for performing the pressing process on the noodle workpiece, A second drive unit for driving the aforementioned pressing processing unit, Equipped with, The first drive unit drives the leveling unit so that, in a first cycle corresponding to the M row, the leveling unit performs the leveling process while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt from a first initial position, and then returns to the first initial position. The second drive unit drives the pressing unit so that, in a second cycle corresponding to the N rows, the pressing unit performs the pressing process while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt from the second initial position, and then returns to the second initial position. The first period and the second period are different from each other.

[0065] According to the embodiment of (1) above, the molding apparatus, by comprising a leveling unit and a pressing unit, enables high-quality molding of noodle workpieces by performing leveling and pressing processes. The leveling unit has leveling processing units arranged in M ​​rows along the direction of movement of the conveyor, enabling simultaneous leveling of noodle workpieces placed in multiple containers on the conveyor. The pressing unit has pressing processing units arranged in N rows along the direction of movement of the conveyor, enabling simultaneous pressing of noodle workpieces placed in multiple containers on the conveyor. Furthermore, by comprising a leveling unit and a pressing unit as a configuration for performing leveling and pressing processes, the molding apparatus enables high-quality molding while reducing the unit size compared to when these are configured as an integrated unit.

[0066] The leveling unit is driven to repeat an operation cycle in which, in the first cycle corresponding to row M, it performs leveling while following the conveyor belt from the first initial position, and then returns to the first initial position. This allows for efficient transport of the noodle workpieces placed in the container on a continuously operating conveyor belt while performing high-quality leveling. The pressing unit is driven to repeat an operation cycle in which, in the second cycle corresponding to row N, it performs pressing while following the conveyor belt from the second initial position, and then returns to the second initial position. This allows for efficient transport of the noodle workpieces placed in the container on a continuously operating conveyor belt while performing high-quality pressing.

[0067] Furthermore, the leveling unit and the pressing unit are driven by a first drive unit and a second drive unit, respectively. This allows for efficient shaping of large quantities of noodle workpieces and achieves good productivity, even when the number of rows M of the leveling processing section in the leveling unit and the number of rows N of the pressing processing section in the pressing unit are different, by driving the leveling unit and the pressing unit with different operating cycles (first cycle and second cycle).

[0068] (2) In other embodiments, in the embodiment of (1) above, The number M of the leveling processing units in the leveling processing unit is greater than the number N of the pressing processing units in the pressing processing unit.

[0069] According to the above embodiment (2), the leveling unit is configured to process a larger number of noodle workpieces simultaneously in one cycle compared to the pressing unit. In this case, the first cycle in which the leveling unit is driven is longer than the second cycle in which the pressing unit is driven, but the operation of the two units, which have different cycles, is suitably realized by different first and second drive units.

[0070] (3) In other embodiments, in the embodiment of (1) or (2) above, An operation information acquisition unit for acquiring operation information of the aforementioned conveyor, Based on the aforementioned operation information, the leveling unit control unit controls the first drive unit to drive the leveling unit, Based on the aforementioned operation information, the presser processing unit control unit controls the second drive unit to drive the presser processing unit, It further includes a control device that includes the following:

[0071] According to the embodiment of (3) above, the first drive unit and the second drive unit are controlled based on the operation information of the conveying conveyor on which the container into which the noodle work is fed is provided. This makes it possible to suitably synchronize and control the operation of the leveling unit by the first drive unit and the operation of the pressing unit by the second drive unit.

[0072] (4) In other embodiments, in the embodiment of (3) above, The aforementioned operation information is information relating to at least one of the position of a reference point defined on the conveyor belt, or the moving speed of the conveyor belt.

[0073] According to the embodiment of (4) above, the operating information of the conveyor belt referenced when controlling the first drive unit and the second drive unit is at least one of the position of a reference point defined on the conveyor belt or the moving speed of the conveyor belt. By using these as operating information, the operating state of the continuously operating conveyor belt can be suitably identified, and the first drive unit and the second drive unit can be controlled with high precision.

[0074] (5) In other embodiments, in the embodiment of (4) above, The aforementioned operation information is a pulse signal output from a rotary encoder installed on the conveyor belt.

[0075] According to the embodiment of (5) above, the operating state of a continuously operating conveyor can be suitably determined by utilizing the pulse signal output from a rotary encoder provided on the conveyor.

[0076] (6) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (5) above, The leveling processing unit has the leveling processing section, A first leveling processing unit for performing the leveling process on the noodle work along the direction of movement, A second leveling processing unit for performing the leveling process on the noodle workpiece along a direction intersecting the direction of movement, Includes.

[0077] According to the embodiment of (6) above, the leveling unit includes a first leveling section and a second leveling section, and by performing leveling on the noodle workpiece in directions different from each other, high-quality molding can be efficiently carried out.

[0078] (7) In other embodiments, in any one embodiment of (1) to (6) above, The container is a mold formed integrally with the conveyor belt.

[0079] According to the embodiment of (7) above, the container into which the noodle workpieces to be molded are fed is a mold integrally formed with the conveyor belt. Since the conveyor mold does not require replacement work due to deterioration like a tray, it is advantageous in reducing operating costs.

[0080] (8) A freezing process system according to one embodiment is: A molding apparatus according to any one embodiment of (1) to (7) above, A freezing device is provided, which is located downstream of the conveying conveyor from the molding apparatus, for freezing the noodle workpieces that have undergone the molding process by the molding apparatus. It is equipped with.

[0081] According to the embodiment of (8) above, by performing a molding process on noodle workpieces placed in a container on a continuously operating conveying conveyor using the molding apparatus described above, and then freezing the molded noodle workpieces in a freezing apparatus, high-quality frozen noodle products can be efficiently manufactured. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0082] 1. Freezing Processing System 2 Work supply conveyor 4. Workpiece loading device 6. Conveyor 6a Outbound conveyor 6b Return conveyor 8. Molding Apparatus 10 Refrigeration equipment 12 Work input hopper 14. Measuring hopper 16 Foreign object detection unit 18 Shooters 20 Input hopper 24 Rotary Encoders 30 Molding Processing Units 30A leveling unit 30B Presser Processing Unit 32 Forks 34. Leveling process 34a First leveling section 34b Second leveling section 38 Retaining member 40 First drive unit 40a First drive rail 42 Second drive unit 42a Second drive rail 44 Pressing section 100 Control device 110 Operation information acquisition unit 120 Control Unit 122 Processing Unit Control Unit 124 Pressing Processing Unit Control Unit A Direction of movement C container C1 code Lp pitch interval P1 1st initial position P2 2nd initial position Si Operation Information W Noodle Work

Claims

1. A molding apparatus for performing molding processes, including leveling and pressing, on noodle workpieces placed in a container on a continuously operating conveyor belt, A leveling unit is arranged in M ​​rows (where M is 1 or more) along the direction of movement of the conveying belt and has a leveling processing section for performing the leveling process on the noodle workpiece. A first drive unit for driving the leveling processing unit, A pressing unit is provided downstream of the leveling unit in the direction of movement, and is arranged in N rows (wherein N is 1 or more and is a different value from M) along the direction of movement, and has a pressing processing unit for performing the pressing process on the noodle workpiece, A second drive unit for driving the aforementioned pressing processing unit, Equipped with, The first drive unit drives the leveling unit so that, in a first cycle corresponding to the M row, the leveling unit performs the leveling process while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt from a first initial position, and then returns to the first initial position. The second drive unit drives the pressing unit so that, in a second cycle corresponding to the N rows, the pressing unit performs the pressing process while following the direction of movement of the conveyor belt from the second initial position, and then returns to the second initial position. A molding apparatus in which the first cycle and the second cycle are different from each other.

2. The molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number M of the leveling processing units in the leveling processing unit is greater than the number N of the pressing processing units in the pressing processing unit.

3. An operation information acquisition unit for acquiring operation information of the aforementioned conveyor, A leveling unit control unit for driving the leveling unit by controlling the first drive unit based on the aforementioned operation information, Based on the aforementioned operation information, the presser processing unit control unit controls the second drive unit to drive the presser processing unit, The molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control device including a ...

4. The molding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the operation information is information relating to at least one of the position of a reference point defined on the conveyor belt, or the moving speed of the conveyor belt.

5. The molding apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation information is a pulse signal output from a rotary encoder provided on the conveyor belt.

6. The leveling processing unit has the leveling processing section, A first leveling processing unit for performing the leveling process on the noodle workpiece along the direction of movement, A second leveling processing unit for performing the leveling process on the noodle workpiece along a direction intersecting the direction of movement, A molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

7. The molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the container is a mold integrally formed with the conveying conveyor.

8. A molding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, A freezing device is provided, which is located downstream of the molding apparatus from the conveying conveyor, for freezing the noodle workpieces that have undergone the molding process by the molding apparatus. A freezing processing system equipped with the following features.

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