Lifting device

Abstract

To provide a lifting means for use in a cooking device, which has good operability and reduces the risk of breakdown when a basket containing ingredients is lifted or lowered. [Solution] The lifting device 10 of the present invention is a lifting means used in a cooking device that heats and cooks for a fixed period of time, and includes at least a drive motor 1, a sprocket 2 that rotates forward and backward by the operation of the drive motor, a roller chain 3 that meshes with the sprocket, and a lifting shaft support 4 that allows the attachment of a lifting shaft 101 that holds a basket containing ingredients to be cooked and moves up and down as the sprocket meshes with the roller chain. The device also includes a limit switch 5 that controls the operation of the drive motor depending on the lifting position of the lifting shaft, a lifting base 8 to which the roller chain and lifting shaft support are attached, and a slide rail 6 that guides the up and down movement of the lifting base.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lifting device, and more specifically to a lifting device used as an auto-lift mechanism in cooking devices such as fryers for deep-frying food ingredients and boiling devices for boiling food ingredients, which lowers a basket containing food ingredients and places (immerses) it in an oil tank or boiling water tank, or raises the basket containing food ingredients and removes it from the oil tank or boiling water tank after a certain period of cooking. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a fryer equipped with an auto-lift mechanism for moving a basket containing ingredients into and out of an oil tank has been proposed as a cooking device for frying various ingredients for deep frying in edible cooking oil (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Furthermore, as a cooking device for boiling noodles such as soba and udon, or dried spaghetti noodles in boiling water, a noodle boiling device has been proposed that holds a boiling basket that stores dried spaghetti noodles horizontally, immerses it in boiling water, and then lifts the boiling basket after a predetermined time (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0003] Known auto-lift mechanisms used in such cooking devices include those using a screw rod and those using a spring. However, in lifting devices that use an auto-lift mechanism that moves up and down by rotating a screw rod, for example, thermal expansion caused by friction when the male and female screws interlock can increase the adhesion between the screw threads, causing the screws to become stuck, and there is a risk that the lifting device will stop.

[0004] Furthermore, in a lifting device that uses an auto-lift mechanism that relies on the elastic force of a spring, there is a risk that the expected lifting stroke may not be obtained due to deterioration of the spring over time. Therefore, with a conventional lifting device equipped with an auto-lift mechanism, the number of manual steps increases, which can result in increased personnel costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4846399 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3759518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a lifting means for use in a cooking device that is easy to operate and reduces the risk of malfunction when lifting or lowering a basket containing ingredients. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the lifting device of the present invention is a lifting means used in a cooking device that heats and cooks ingredients by lowering a basket containing ingredients and immersing it in an oil tank or a boiling water tank, and then raising the basket after a certain period of time and lifting it out of the oil tank or the boiling water tank, and is characterized by comprising at least a drive unit, a rotating member that rotates forward / reverse by the operation of the drive unit, an interlocking member that interlocks with the rotating member, and a support member that allows the attachment of a lifting shaft that holds a basket containing ingredients to be cooked, which moves up and down in accordance with the interlocking of the rotating member with the interlocking member.

[0008] In the above-described lifting device, the rotating member may be a sprocket having a predetermined pitch, and the meshing member may be a roller chain arranged linearly along the vertical direction. The above-mentioned lifting device may further include a limit switch that controls the operation of the driving means in accordance with the lifting position of the lifting support shaft. The above-described lifting device may further include a lifting base to which the engaging member and the support member are attached, and a slide rail having a length in the vertical direction for guiding the vertical movement of the lifting base. Furthermore, it is preferable that the cooking apparatus further include a mounting base to which a base for fixing the drive unit and the slide rails are attached, and which allows the cooking apparatus to be attached to a cooking device for cooking the ingredients. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this device, the rotational motion of the drive unit is transmitted to the engaging member via the rotating member and converted into linear motion moving up and down, thereby moving the lifting shaft up and down. This eliminates the risk of the screw getting stuck or the spring deteriorating over time. Therefore, it is possible to provide a lifting means for use in a cooking device that is highly operable and reduces the risk of malfunction when lifting or lowering a basket containing ingredients. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view showing the structure of a lifting device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic side view showing the structure of a lifting device according to the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a partial enlarged view illustrating a switch structure of the lifting device according to the present invention; FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lifting device according to the present invention is mounted on a cooking appliance; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a lifting device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The lifting device of this invention is intended to be used as an auto-lift mechanism for moving a basket containing ingredients into and out of a boiling water tank or oil tank in cooking devices that heat and cook ingredients for a certain period of time, such as noodle boilers that boil noodles such as udon and soba, or gas or electric fryers that deep-fry ingredients.

[0012] The embodiments described below are preferred examples of the present invention and are therefore subject to various technical limitations. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless otherwise specified in the following description.

[0013] 1 and 2, the lifting device 10 in this embodiment includes at least a drive motor 1, a sprocket 2, a roller chain 3, and a lifting shaft support 4. That is, the lifting device 10 moves the lifting shaft support 4 up and down using the sprocket 2 and the roller chain 3, for example, with the drive motor 1, which is controlled by a timer.

[0014] The drive motor 1 is a drive device that moves up and down the lifting shaft 101, which detachably holds a basket containing ingredients via the lifting shaft support 4, and is capable of rotating forward and backward. The drive motor 1 is fixed to a motor base 7, which is attached to the side or back of the cooking device 100.

[0015] The sprocket 2 is a circular rotating member that receives power from the drive motor 1 and is attached to the rotating shaft 11 of the drive motor 1. The sprocket 2 has teeth at a predetermined pitch on its periphery, and these teeth mesh with the roller chain 3 to move the lifting shaft support 4 up and down (raise and lower). The sprocket 2 rotates forward or backward in accordance with the operation of the drive motor 1.

[0016] The roller chain 3 is an engaging member that engages with the teeth of the sprocket 2, and is arranged linearly along the vertical (lifting) direction on the lifting base 8, and is fixed to the lifting base 8 by a chain presser 31.

[0017] That is, when the sprocket 2 rotates in conjunction with the drive of the drive motor 1, the teeth of the sprocket 2 engage with the roller chain 3, and the rotation of the sprocket 2 is directly transmitted to the roller chain 3. Therefore, in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket 2, the lifting base 8 to which the roller chain 3 is attached can move up and down smoothly (raise and lower).

[0018] The lifting shaft support 4 is a support member that enables the attachment (support) of the lifting shaft 101 that holds a basket in which ingredients to be cooked in the cooking device 100 are accommodated, and fixes the lifting shaft 101 to the lifting base 8 to which the roller chain 3 is attached. In other words, both the roller chain 3 and the lifting shaft support 4 are attached to the lifting base 8.

[0019] This lifting shaft support 4 forms a space (area) that is, for example, U-shaped in cross section when viewed from above, and the lifting shaft 101 is inserted into this space and fixed in place. Therefore, in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket 2, the lifting shaft support 4 can move up and down together with the lifting base 8, which moves up and down (lifts and lowers) via the roller chain 3. The lift shaft 101 may be, for example, a stainless steel round pipe.

[0020] 3 to 5, this lifting device 10 further includes a slide rail 6 having a length in the vertical direction that guides the vertical movement of a lifting base 8 to which the roller chain 3 and the lifting shaft support 4 are attached. In other words, the lifting base 8 to which the roller chain 3 and the lifting shaft support 4 are attached can move smoothly up and down in the lifting direction while being regulated by the slide rail 6. In the drawing, the slide rail 6 is shown as having a U-shaped cross section, and the lift base 8 is shown as having an attachment surface with an L-shaped cross section.

[0021] The lifting device 10 further includes a limit switch 5 that controls the operation of the drive motor 1 according to the lifting position of the lifting base 8. 6, the limit switch 5 can be configured to include an upper limit switch 5u and a lower limit switch 5d, and these upper limit switch 5u and lower limit switch 5d each include an actuator 51 that switches the switch between ON and OFF. The limit switch 5 also includes a limit switch dog 52 attached to the lifting base 8 to operate the actuator 51.

[0022] This limit switch 5 has an upper limit switch stay (limit switch bracket) 53u that positions the upper limit switch 5u and a lower limit switch stay (limit switch bracket) 53d that positions the lower limit switch 5d, and limits the range of movement up and down.

[0023] In other words, the limit switch 5 is turned ON / OFF by the limit switch dog 52, which rises and falls together with the lifting base 8, applying an external force to the actuator 51 of the upper limit switch 5u or the actuator 51 of the lower limit switch 5d.

[0024] Specifically, when the lifting base 8 is raised, the limit switch dog 52 applies an external force to the actuator 51 of the upper limit switch 5u, stopping the drive motor 1 and lifting the lifting base 8 to the upper limit position. On the other hand, when the lifting base 8 is lowered, the limit switch dog 52 applies an external force to the actuator 51 of the lower limit switch 5d, stopping the drive motor 1 and lifting the base 8 to the lower limit position.

[0025] Furthermore, the lifting device 10 further includes a mounting base 9 that allows it to be attached to a cooking device 100 that cooks ingredients. A motor base 7, to which a drive motor 1 is attached, and slide rails 6 are attached to this mounting base 9. In the drawings, the mounting base 9 is shown as having an L-shaped cross section. Therefore, this mounting base 9 makes it possible to mount the lifting device 10 on an existing cooking device 100.

[0026] The lifting device 10 configured as described above has a compact design, and by mounting it on a cooking device 100 such as a fryer or noodle boiling machine having a lifting shaft 101 with a hanger section 102 that holds a basket containing ingredients to be cooked, as shown in Figure 7, it can be used as an auto-lift mechanism that lowers the basket containing ingredients and places (immerses) it into an oil tank or boiling water tank, or raises the basket containing ingredients after a certain period of cooking and removes it from the oil tank or boiling water tank.

[0027] That is, in the cooking device 100 equipped with the lifting device 10 of this embodiment, when a basket containing ingredients is lowered and placed (immersed) in an oil tank or a boiling water tank, for example, by operating a predetermined button, the drive motor 1 is driven to rotate the sprocket 2 attached to the rotating shaft 11, and the sprocket 2 and the roller chain 3 mesh together, thereby lowering the lifting base 8.

[0028] As the lift base 8 descends, the lift shaft 101 attached to the lift shaft support 4 also descends, and the food items in the baskets held by the hanger parts 102 are dropped (immersed) into the oil tank or boiling water tank, and cooking of the food items begins. That is, the lift base 8 descends until the limit switch dog 52 applies an external force to the actuator 51 of the lower limit switch 5d.

[0029] In addition, when the operation of the drive motor 1 is stopped by the lower limit switch 5d, for example, a timer is activated and starts counting, and when the preset cooking time has elapsed, the drive motor 1 is automatically driven to rotate the sprocket 2 in the opposite direction to that described above, thereby raising the lowering base 8.

[0030] That is, after cooking for a certain period of time, the basket containing the ingredients can be raised and removed from the oil tank or boiling water tank. That is, the lifting base 8 rises until the limit switch dog 52 applies an external force to the actuator 51 of the upper limit switch 5u.

[0031] Therefore, by using such an auto-lift mechanism, the cooking device 100 can be made highly operable, reducing the risk of malfunction when raising and lowering the basket containing ingredients, and can be automated with a single operation performed by one person.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, the lifting device 10 is described as using a "chain-sprocket mechanism" in which a sprocket 2 having a predetermined pitch and a linear roller chain 3 mesh together to transmit power from the drive motor 1 to the lifting shaft support 4. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lifting device 10 may also use, for example, a "rack-and-pinion mechanism" in which a circular gear (pinion) and a flat gear (rack) mesh together to transmit power from the motor.

[0033] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the limit switch 5 consisting of an upper limit switch 5u and a lower limit switch 5d is used as a means for limiting the range of movement of the lifting and lowering mechanism. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, a non-contact sensor that uses magnetism to react to nearby metal may also be used. [Industrial Applicability]

[0034] The lifting device of the present invention is expected to be implemented and used in cooking devices such as noodle boilers for boiling udon and soba noodles, gas fryers for frying food ingredients, and electric fryers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Drive motor (drive unit) 2 Sprocket (rotating part) 3 Roller chain (meshing member) 4 Lift shaft support (support member) 5 limit switches 5u Upper Limit Switch 5d Lower limit switch 6 slide rails 7 Motor Base 8 Lifting base 9 Mounting base 10 Lifting device 11 Rotation axis 31 Chain presser foot 51 Actuator 52 Limit switch dog 53u Upper limit switch stay 53d Lower limit switch stay 100 cooking equipment 101 Elevating shaft

Claims

1. A lifting means used in a cooking device that heat-cooks ingredients by lowering a basket containing ingredients and immersing it in an oil tank or a boiling water tank, and then lifting the basket after a certain period of time and removing it from the oil tank or the boiling water tank, A drive unit; a rotating member that rotates forward / reversely by the operation of the drive device; an engaging member that engages with the rotating member; a support member that allows the attachment of a lifting shaft that holds a basket containing ingredients to be cooked, the lifting shaft moving up and down as the rotating member and the engaging member engage; An elevator device comprising at least:

2. the rotating member is a sprocket having a pitch at a predetermined interval; The engaging member is a roller chain arranged linearly along the vertical direction. The lifting device according to claim 1 .

3. Further provided is a limit switch that controls the operation of the driving means in accordance with the elevation position of the elevation shaft. The lifting device according to claim 1 .

4. a lifting base to which the engaging member and the support member are attached; a slide rail having a length in the vertical direction that guides the vertical movement of the lifting base; The lifting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. The cooking device further includes a mounting base to which the drive unit and the slide rails are attached, the mounting base enabling the cooking device to be mounted on the cooking device for cooking the ingredients.

5. The lifting device according to claim 4.

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