Mixing Equipment

Abstract

To enable processing such as stirring while covering an opening of a container with a lid without using complicated control even when changing a container storing an object to be processed to a container with a different opening height.SOLUTION: A stirring device 1 for stirring an object to be processed A stored in a container 2 by inserting a stirring blade 5a provided on a lower end side of a stirring shaft 5 from above and rotating the blade includes: a cradle 8 for fixing an electric motor 11 that is drive means for rotating the stirring shaft; a lid member 19 fitted to the cradle and covering an opening of a container by lowering the cradle; and a container placing table 3 to place a container thereon. An opening part 3b is provided in the container placing table so that an object to be processed can pass therethrough when the object to be processed that adheres to the stirring blade drops therefrom. A juice tray 3c is installed under the opening part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agitation device for agitating or otherwise processing objects to be processed, such as foodstuffs and paints, contained in a container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the following stirring devices have been known as such.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an ice crushing device that supplies cube ice and syrup to a cup and then lowers a rotating cutter into the cup to crush the ice and produce a frozen beverage, and a beverage manufacturing device that uses the device. A lid is provided above the cutter, and when the cutter is inserted into the cup, the lid abuts against the top of the cup, so that even if the frozen beverage in the cup is about to overflow when the cutter is rotated, the lid can prevent the overflow.

[0004] The food mixer described in Patent Document 2 has a rotating container placed on a stand, and a transparent cover and a stirring blade are provided above the rotating container. In this food mixer, the transparent cover and the stirring blade are provided on a control box, and the control box is rotatably attached to the stand. When the control box is rotated toward the rotating container and the transparent cover is placed on the rotating container, the stirring blade can be placed inside the rotating container. When the control box is rotated so as to remove the transparent cover from the opening of the rotating container with the control box switch turned on, a protrusion provided on the stand is pulled out from the detection hole of the control box, and the drive of the motor that rotates the stirring blade is stopped. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-240396 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-165710 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, in kitchens where large quantities of food are consumed, multiple different ingredients (processed materials) may be mixed for operational reasons, and the containers used for mixing may need to be changed for each ingredient, or may need to be cleaned to prevent the multiple different ingredients from mixing. Also, containers of different sizes (especially heights) may be used depending on the volume of ingredients. Also, for hygienic and safety reasons, mixing and other operations must be performed with the containers covered.

[0007] The device described in Patent Document 1 had a problem in that when preparing multiple types of cups (containers) with different opening heights and inserting a cutter into them to produce frozen drinks in the cups, it was time-consuming to change the settings on the device to match the opening height of each cup. Also, it was necessary to configure the device to use such complicated control.

[0008] In the device described in Patent Document 2, the rotating container is rotatably attached to a stand and cannot be removed and replaced, so once ingredients have been mixed in the rotating container, the ingredients must be removed from the rotating container and then washed in order to mix the next ingredients. This has led to an issue that the device is not suitable for mixing multiple ingredients in a short period of time.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a mixing device that can perform processes such as mixing with a lid on the opening of the container without using complex control, even if the container holding the workpiece is changed to a container with a different opening height, for example. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the stirring device according to the present invention comprises: An agitation device for agitating a material contained in a container by inserting an agitation blade at the lower end of the agitation shaft from above and rotating the agitation blade, A stand for fixing a driving means for rotating the stirring shaft; a cover member that is attached to the stand and that covers the opening of the container by lowering the stand; A container mounting table on which the container is mounted, An opening is provided in the container placement stand so that the object to be treated adhering to the stirring blade can pass through when it falls, and a juice receiving tray is provided below the opening. 、 a substantially horizontally cut engaging portion of the base that is provided on the cover member, and an engaged portion of the cover member is received in the engaging portion, thereby engaging and attaching the cover member to the base; The cover member can be removed from the stand by pulling out the engaged portion from the engaging portion. It is characterized by: The stirring device according to the present invention further comprises: An agitation device for agitating a material contained in a container by inserting an agitation blade at the lower end of the agitation shaft from above and rotating the agitation blade, A stand for fixing a driving means for rotating the stirring shaft; a cover member that is attached to the stand and that covers the opening of the container by lowering the stand; A container mounting table on which the container is mounted, An opening is provided in the container mounting table so that the object to be treated adhering to the stirring blade can pass through when it falls, and a juice receiving tray is provided below the opening, a detection target member that is moved by lowering the stand by a slide stroke after the lid member is placed on the opening of the container; A detection unit that detects that the detection target member is positioned at a predetermined position; A control unit that controls the driving means to rotate the stirring shaft only when the detection unit detects the detection target member; Further equipped with The base is lowered to cover the opening of the container with the lid member, and the base is further lowered by the slide stroke, which is a predetermined distance, so that the detection target member is positioned at the predetermined position. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the stirring device of the present invention, even if the container holding the workpiece is changed to one with a different opening height, stirring and other processes can be performed with a lid on the opening of the container without using complex control. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a stirring device according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the stirring device. [Figure 3A] 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the stand and its surroundings with the motor cover and shaft cover removed. FIG. [Figure 3B] 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the stand and its surroundings with the motor cover, shaft cover, and lid portion removed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view showing the base and its surroundings with the motor cover and shaft cover removed. [Diagram 5] This is an enlarged perspective view showing the lower part of the lid hanging section and its surroundings. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the lid portion. [Figure 7A] 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the cover and its surroundings when the stand is located at the abutting position. FIG. [Figure 7B] 13 is an enlarged perspective view showing the cover and its surroundings when the stand is located at the pressing position. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of an engagement portion of the lid holding member. FIG. [Figure 9A] 1A is a schematic side view showing the state in which the engaged portion is positioned in the lower engaged portion accommodating portion within the engaging portion of the lid holding member, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view (without hatching) at the position of line LL in FIG. [Figure 9B] 1A is a schematic side view showing a state in which the engaged portion is positioned near the center in the vertical direction within the engaging portion of the lid holding member, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view (without hatching) at the position of line MM in FIG. [Figure 9C] 1A is a schematic side view showing the state in which the engaged portion is positioned in the upper engaged portion accommodating portion within the engaging portion of the lid holding member, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view (without hatching) at the position of line NN in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of the position of the platform, where (a) shows the upper limit position and (b) shows the standby position. [Figure 11] 5A to 5C are side views showing schematic positions of the stand, in which (a) shows the abutment position, (b) shows the pressing position, and (c) shows the lower limit position. [Figure 12]11A and 11B are schematic side views showing the pressing position of the stand when the container is changed to one with a different opening height, where (a) shows the case of a normal-sized container, and (b) shows the case of a container with an opening higher than the normal-sized container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The first invention is An agitation device for agitating a material contained in a container by inserting an agitation blade at the lower end of the agitation shaft from above and rotating the agitation blade, A stand for fixing a driving means for rotating the stirring shaft; a cover member that is attached to the stand and that covers the opening of the container by lowering the stand; A container mounting table on which the container is mounted, An opening is provided in the container placement stand so that the object to be treated adhering to the stirring blade can pass through when it falls, and a juice receiving tray is provided below the opening. 、 a substantially horizontally cut engaging portion of the base that is provided on the cover member, and an engaged portion of the cover member is received in the engaging portion, thereby engaging and attaching the cover member to the base; The cover member can be removed from the stand by pulling out the engaged portion from the engaging portion. The stirring device is characterized in that

[0014] With this mixing device, even if the container holding the workpiece is changed to one with a different opening height, mixing and other processes can be performed with a lid on the opening of the container without using complex control.

[0015] In addition, when a container is removed from the container mounting stand to change to a container of a different height, the material to be treated that falls from the stirring blade can pass through the opening and be received in the juice receiving tray, preventing the top surface of the container mounting stand from becoming dirty. After using the stirring device, the lid member can be removed and washed.

[0016] The second invention is An agitation device for agitating a material contained in a container by inserting an agitation blade at the lower end of the agitation shaft from above and rotating the agitation blade, A stand for fixing a driving means for rotating the stirring shaft; a cover member that is attached to the stand and that covers the opening of the container by lowering the stand; A container mounting table on which the container is mounted, An opening is provided in the container mounting table so that the object to be treated adhering to the stirring blade can pass through when it falls, and a juice receiving tray is provided below the opening, a detection target member that is moved by lowering the stand by a slide stroke after the lid member is placed on the opening of the container; A detection unit that detects that the detection target member is positioned at a predetermined position; A control unit that controls the driving means to rotate the stirring shaft only when the detection unit detects the detection target member; Further equipped with The base is lowered to cover the opening of the container with the lid member, and the base is further lowered by the slide stroke, which is a predetermined distance, so that the detection target member is positioned at the predetermined position. The stirring device is characterized in that

[0017] With this mixing device, even if the container holding the workpiece is changed to one with a different opening height, mixing and other processes can be performed with a lid on the opening of the container without using complex control.

[0018] In addition, when a container is removed from the container mounting stand to change to a container of a different height, the material to be treated that falls from the stirring blade can pass through the opening and be received in the juice receiving tray, preventing the top surface of the container mounting stand from becoming dirty.

[0019] Furthermore, even if the lid member should happen to come off the opening of the container between processes such as stirring, the operator can be prevented from coming into contact with the rotating stirring blades.

[0020] No. 3 In the invention, the first or second In the invention, The diameter of the opening is configured to be larger than the outer diameter of the stirring blade, The lowering limit position, which is the limit position to which the stand can be lowered, is configured so that the stirring blade on the lower end side of the stirring shaft is lower than the opening. The stirring device is characterized in that

[0021] This makes it possible to prevent the stirring blades from coming into contact with an operator even when the stand is placed on standby at the lower limit position after the container has been removed.

[0022] In the fourth invention, 1 In the invention, The engaging portion has an upper engaged portion receiving portion formed with a recessed upper portion of the upper side, When the stand is lowered to cover the opening of the container with a lid member and then further lowered by a predetermined distance, that is, a slide stroke, the engaged part is accommodated in the upper engaged part accommodation part, and the engaged part is pressed by the weight of the stand, and its position is restricted by the inner side of the upper engaged part accommodation part. The stirring device is characterized in that

[0023] This prevents the lid member from moving due to vibrations during processing such as stirring, and allows the lid member to remain covering the opening of the container while processing such as stirring is performed, thereby preventing the material being processed from scattering.

[0024] In the fifth invention, 1 Or in the fourth aspect of the present invention, The engaging portion has a lower engaged portion receiving portion formed with a part of the lower side recessed downward, When the stand is raised and the lid member is raised from the opening of the container, the engaged portion is accommodated in the lower engaged portion accommodating portion, and the position of the engaged portion is restricted by the inner side of the lower engaged portion accommodating portion. The stirring device is characterized in that

[0025] This makes it possible to prevent the cover member from falling off the stand when the stand is raised. 。

[0026] (Embodiment 1) (Basic configuration of the mixing device) First, the basic configuration of the stirring device 1 of the present invention will be described.

[0027] 1 and 2 show an agitation device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. This agitation device 1 includes: A frame portion 30 that forms a basic skeleton of the agitation device 1; A lift support section 40 that supports the base section 50 so that the base section 50 can be lifted and lowered; A stand portion 50 for fixing an electric motor 11 for rotating an agitation shaft 5 having an agitation blade 5a at its lower end, A lid suspending portion 60 that suspends the lid portion 70 from the stand portion 50 so that the lid portion 70 can slide up and down; A lid portion 70 that closes an opening of the container 2 that contains the object to be treated A; A detection unit 80 that detects that the lid unit 70 is placed at a predetermined position relative to the stand unit 50; A control unit 90 for controlling the operation of the driving means; It is equipped with:

[0028] In addition, the term "processing such as stirring" used in the description of this embodiment does not only mean simply stirring and mixing the objects to be processed, but also means stirring, crushing and cutting, or a combination of these.

[0029] In addition, the end face of the opening at the top of the container 2 that holds the workpiece A and the bottom face which is the lower end of the container 2 are approximately parallel, and the opening of the container 2 is approximately horizontal when placed on an approximately horizontal surface.

[0030] The object A to be treated is, for example, food, paint, etc., but is not particularly limited.

[0031] (Frame section) As shown in FIG. 1, the frame portion 30 includes: A base frame 4 that forms the basic structure of the mixing device 1; a container mounting table 3 for mounting the container 2 so that an end face of an opening at an upper portion of the container 2 is in a substantially horizontal state; A juice tray 3c provided below the container placement stand 3; A lock member 4c for holding the position of the base unit 50 in the height direction; It is composed of:

[0032] The base frame 4 is, for example, a stainless steel assembled or canned product, and comprises a frame-shaped rear frame 4b that is positioned on the rear side of the agitator 1 and extends approximately vertically, and a lower frame (not numbered) that forms the lower part of the agitator 1 and extends approximately horizontally from the lower end of the rear frame 4b.

[0033] Further, a moving roller 4a for supporting the agitator 1 so as to be movable is provided on the lower surface of the lower frame.

[0034] On the rear side frame 4b, a container mounting table 3 for mounting a container 2 for holding the workpiece A, which is formed, for example, from sheet metal, is provided above the lower frame at a predetermined height and approximately horizontally.

[0035] The container mounting table 3 is provided with a seating surface 3a made of, for example, a rubber material, which is a recess into which the lower end of the container 2 fits and which restricts horizontal movement of the container 2 when the container 2 is mounted. Furthermore, an opening 3b is provided on the inside of the seating surface 3a.

[0036] The opening 3b is configured so that, for example, when the object A to be treated or the like attached to the stirring shaft 5 or the stirring blade 5a described below falls downward in a state where the container 2 is not placed thereon, the fallen object A to be treated can pass through the container placement table 3. For this reason, it is preferable that the diameter of the opening 3b is larger than the outer diameter of the stirring blade 5a.

[0037] Below the opening 3b, a juice receiving tray 3c for receiving and temporarily storing the dropped material A is provided detachably from the container mounting table 3. In addition, the juice receiving tray 3c is preferably deep enough to accommodate the stirring blade 5a at a lowering limit position H5 described later.

[0038] A manual lock member 4c, for example, is provided on the upper portion of the rear frame 4b to hold the pedestal unit 50 (described later) at a standby position H2 (see Figs. 5 and 10(b)). The type of the lock member is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the pedestal unit 50 at the standby position H2.

[0039] (Lifting support part) As shown in FIG. 3B and FIG. 7A, the lift support unit 40 is a lift rail 7 that supports the stand unit 50 so that the stand unit 50 can be raised and lowered in a substantially vertical direction; An upper stopper 7a is provided on the upper portion of the lift rail 7 and serves to regulate the lift position of the platform portion 50; a lower stopper 7b provided at the lower part of the lift rail 7 and configured to regulate the lowering position of the platform part 50; A rail cover 7c that covers the rear side of the agitator 1 of the lift support part 40; It is composed of:

[0040] 1 and 4, the lift rail 7 is formed of, for example, stainless steel or the like in the shape of a long rectangular tube in the vertical direction, and a stand unit 50 described later is attached thereto so as to be liftable via guide rollers 9. The rear side of the lift rail 7, which faces the agitator 1, is covered with a rail cover 7c made of, for example, sheet metal to prevent it from being caught in the rail.

[0041] An upper stopper 7a and a lower stopper 7b are provided at the upper and lower parts of the lift rail 7. The upper stopper 7a regulates the raised position of the stand part 50, and the lower stopper 7b regulates the lowered position of the stand part 50. The upper stopper 7a and the lower stopper 7b also set an upper limit position H1 (see FIG. 10(a)) and a lower limit position H5 (see FIG. 11(c)) of the stand part 50.

[0042] (Stand part) As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 4, the pedestal unit 50 includes: A base 8, A handle 8a is provided on the front side of the stand 8 and serves as a handle for raising and lowering the stand unit 50; a roller support portion 9a for fixing the platform 8 to the lift rail 7 via a guide roller 9 so that the platform 8 can be raised and lowered; An electric motor 11, which is a driving means fixed to the upper side of the stand 8 and has a rotating shaft 11a for rotating the agitation shaft 5, a joint 11b for detachably connecting the rotating shaft 11a and one end of the stirring shaft 5; an agitation shaft 5 having an upper end side connectable to a joint 11b and an agitation blade 5a for agitating the material A to be treated at a lower end side; a lock-engaged member 7d that holds the pedestal portion 50 at a standby position H2 described later by engaging with the lock member 4c of the frame portion 30; A motor cover 11c formed of sheet metal or the like to cover the electric motor 11, etc.; and a shaft cover 8c made of sheet metal or the like that covers the rotating shaft 11a, the joint 11b, etc.

[0043] 4 and 7A, the guide rollers 9 are held by roller support parts 9a made of, for example, sheet metal, etc., which are provided so as to surround the lift rail 7 on the rear side of the agitator 1 of the stand part 50. Furthermore, within the roller support part 9a, the lift rail 7 is attached to the front side and rear side of the agitator 1 of the lift rail 7 by a total of four guide rollers 9, two on each side, so as to sandwich the lift rail 7.

[0044] By connecting the roller support portion 9a and the base 8, the base 8 is supported on the lift rail 7 via the guide rollers 9 so as to be able to rise and fall. The base 8 can be raised and lowered along the lift rail 7 by gripping and operating a handle 8a provided on the front side of the agitator 1 of the base 8.

[0045] Incidentally, by providing a driving means on the lift rail 7 or the stand 8, the stand 8 may be configured to be lifted and lowered electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically.

[0046] 3A, an electric motor 11 serving as a driving means is provided on the upper portion of the stand 8, and a rotating shaft 11a serving as an output shaft of the electric motor 11 is fixed so as to face downward. A joint 11b is provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 11a.

[0047] The agitator shaft 5 is, for example, a round bar made of stainless steel or the like. By connecting the upper end side of the agitator shaft 5 to the joint 11b, the agitator shaft 5 is attached to the rotating shaft 11a via the joint 11b so as to rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 11a and to be freely attached and detached.

[0048] Further, an agitating blade 5a is provided on the lower end side of the agitating shaft 5. The shape of the agitating blade 5a is not particularly limited, and an appropriate shape according to the material A to be treated can be used.

[0049] In addition, when it is desired to change the height position of the agitator blade 5a in the container 2 in accordance with the workpiece A at the pressing position H4 (see Figure 11 (b)) described later, agitator shafts 5 of different lengths suitable for processing such as stirring the workpiece A may be prepared and replaced each time according to the type of workpiece A.

[0050] In order to show the internal structure, the motor cover 11c and the shaft cover 8c are omitted in Figures 3A, 3B, and 4. The lid portion 70 is also omitted in Figure 3B. When in use, the motor cover 11c is attached to the top of the stand 8, and the shaft cover 8c is attached to the bottom of the stand 8 (see Figure 1, etc.).

[0051] As shown in Figs. 1 and 3A, the upper stopper 7a is adapted to come into contact with the upper surface of the base 8 when it is positioned at the upper limit position H1, and the lower stopper 7b is adapted to come into contact with the lower surface of the base 8 when it is positioned at the lower limit position H5.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3A, a locking engaged member 7d is provided on the mount portion 50, and by engaging the locking engaged member 7d with a locking member 4c of the frame portion 30 at a standby position H2 (see FIGS. 5, 10(b), etc.) described later, the mount 8 can be held at the standby position H2.

[0053] (Lid hanging part) As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 7B, the lid hanging portion 60 is A lid hanging member 14 is provided on each of the left and right side surfaces of the stand 8, and hangs and holds a lid holding member 17 via a slide member 15 so that the lid holding member 17 can slide up and down; A slide member 15 is attached to an upper surface 17a of the lid holding member 17 and connects the lid holding member 17 so as to be vertically slidable; A lid holding member 17 that detachably holds the lid portion 70; It is composed of:

[0054] By attaching a lid member 19 of a lid section 70 (described later) to the lid holding member 17, the lid member 19 is suspended and held via the slide member 15 and the lid holding member 17 so as to be vertically slidable.

[0055] Lid hanging members 14 are formed, for example, in a substantially U-shape and are configured to be hung one each from the left and right side surfaces of agitator 1 of stand 8 so as to be disposed below stand 8 (see FIG. 2). Slide member through holes 14a, which are holes through which slide member 15 is inserted so as to be vertically slidable, are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of lid hanging member 14 formed in a substantially U-shape.

[0056] The slide member 15 consists of, for example, a cylindrical shaft that is inserted and suspended through the slide member through hole 14a of the lid hanging member 14 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a total of four slide members are provided, two on each side of the left and right side of the agitator 1 of the stand 8.

[0057] The lower ends of the slide members 15 are fixed to the upper surface 17a of the lid holding member 17 so that the longitudinal direction is substantially vertical. The upper ends of the slide members 15 protrude beyond the upper surface of the lid hanging member 14, and are fitted with anti-slip members 15a having a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the slide member through-hole 14a to prevent the slide members 15 from slipping out of the lid hanging member 14.

[0058] The lower surface of the retaining member 15a comes into contact with the upper surface (no reference number) of the lid hanging member 14, so that the lid holding member 17 is suspended and held via the slide member 15.

[0059] Of the two slide members 15 on the left side surface side, a detectable member member 15b that serves both as a detectable member for a proximity switch 13 (described later) and as a retainer for the slide member 15 to fall off is attached to the upper end of one of the slide members.

[0060] The inner diameter of the slide member through hole 14a of the lid hanging member 14 is smaller than the outer diameter of the anti-slip member 15a attached to the upper end of the slide member 15 or the outer diameter of the detectable member 15b, and is larger than the outer diameter of the upper and lower middle parts of the slide member 15.

[0061] With this configuration, when the lid portion 70 is attached to the lid holding member 17, the lid hanging member 14, slide member 15, lid holding member 17, and lid portion 70 can be raised and lowered together with the stand 8 by raising and lowering the stand 8.

[0062] As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, lid holding member 17 is suspended and held by lid hanging member 14 via slide member 15, the lower end of which is fixed to upper surface 17a of lid holding member 17.

[0063] The lid holding member 17 is provided with an engagement portion 18 cut out in an approximately horizontal direction for engaging with a lid side engagement member 20 attached to the upper surface of the lid member 19 of the lid portion 70 described later, and this engagement portion 18 is configured to be able to hold the lid member 19 in a removable manner.

[0064] As shown in Figures 3B and 8, the engagement portion 18 has a notch 18a cut out in an approximately horizontal direction through which the engaged portion 20a of the lid side engagement member 20 is inserted, and an engaged portion accommodating portion 18b that is continuous with this notch 18a and is wider in the vertical direction than the notch 18a.

[0065] In this engaged portion accommodating portion 18b, the portion recessed toward the upper side from the horizontal direction of the notch 18a is referred to as upper engaged portion accommodating portion 18c, and the portion recessed toward the lower side is referred to as lower engaged portion accommodating portion 18d. The engaged portion 20a of the lid 70, which will be described later, is configured to be movable in the vertical direction while being accommodated inside the engaged portion accommodating portion 18b.

[0066] (Lid) As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 6, the cover 70 is a cover member 19 that covers the opening of the container 2 to close the opening of the container 2; a lid side engaging member 20 for detachably engaging the lid member 19 with the lid holding member 17; A shaft insertion hole 19a is provided in the lid member 19 and the lid side engagement member 20, through which the agitation shaft 5 is inserted; It is composed of:

[0067] The lid member 19 is formed, for example, from a disk-shaped acrylic plate larger than the opening of the container 2, and has a shaft insertion hole 19a in the center through which the agitator shaft 5 is inserted. The size of the shaft insertion hole 19a is larger than the diameter of the agitator shaft 5, so that the lid member 19 can slide up and down even with the agitator shaft 5 inserted.

[0068] Then, with the lid portion 70 attached to the lid holding member 17, the stirring shaft 5 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 19a from below, and the upper end side thereof is connected to the rotating shaft 11a via the joint 11b.

[0069] The shape of the lid member 19 is not limited to a disk shape, and may be other shapes such as a rectangle to match the shape of the container 2.

[0070] A lid-side engaging member 20 made of sheet metal such as stainless steel is fixed with screws to the top surface of the lid member 19. The lid-side engaging member 20 has a shaft insertion hole 19a in the center, similar to that of the lid member 19, and engaged portions 20a are formed by portions bent upward on the left and right sides in a roughly U-shape.

[0071] Although the left and right engaged portions 20a of the lid side engaging member 20 are formed from one continuous metal plate, they may be formed from separate members.

[0072] When engaged portion 20a of lid portion 70 is inserted into notch 18a of engagement portion 18 of lid holding member 17 and housed in engaged portion housing portion 18b, lid member 19, lid side engaging member 20, lid holding member 17 and slide member 15 are integrated and hung and held by lid hanging member 14. In this embodiment, a hanging structure is used on the left and right, so that lid member 19 can be supported by slide member 15 so as to be slidable up and down while maintaining left and right balance.

[0073] (Detection unit) 7A and 7B, a proximity switch 13 serving as a detector 80 is provided on the left side surface of the stand 8. A detectable member 15b attached to the upper end side of a slide member 15 is located below the proximity switch 13.

[0074] The lid hanging member 14 may be integrally formed on the left and right sides. Also, the proximity switch 13 on the left side surface side may be provided on the right side surface side, and it is sufficient that it is provided on at least one side.

[0075] The proximity switch 13 includes, for example, a magnetic sensor, and detects that the slide member 15 is positioned at a predetermined position. The detection unit 80 may be of an optical type or a mechanical type, and is not particularly limited.

[0076] At a pressing position H4 (see Figure 11(b)) described later, the proximity switch 13 is fixed in a position where it can detect that the detectable member 15b attached to the upper end of the slide member 15 has slid the slide stroke S, i.e., that it has reached a predetermined position.

[0077] When the detection target member 15b and the proximity switch 13 come close to each other, it detects that the slide member 15 is in a predetermined position, and a signal is sent to the operation panel 12, enabling power to be supplied to the electric motor 11. When the operation button 12b of the operation panel 12 is turned on in this state, power is supplied to the electric motor 11, and the electric motor 11 is controlled to operate.

[0078] Furthermore, when the detection target member 15b and the proximity switch 13 are separated from each other, the power supply to the electric motor 11 is controlled to be cut off.

[0079] (Control unit) 1 and 3A, the rear frame 4b is provided with an operation panel 12 serving as a control unit 90 for supplying power to the electric motor 11 and controlling the rotation speed, etc. Although not shown in the figure, the operation panel 12, the electric motor 11, and the proximity switch 13 are electrically connected by electric wires, etc.

[0080] The operation panel 12 is provided with, for example, a power indicator light 12a, an operation button 12b for the electric motor 11, a stop button 12c, and a speed adjustment switch 12d, which are connected to a control board (not shown). By operating the buttons 12b, 12c, and the speed adjustment switch 12d on the operation panel 12, the electric motor 11 can be driven, stopped, and its rotation speed controlled.

[0081] (Regarding the position of the stand) As shown in Figures 10 and 11, in this embodiment, the positions that the platform 8 can take when raised or lowered include an upper limit position H1, a waiting position H2, a contact position H3, a pressing position H4, and a lower limit position H5, each of which will be described below.

[0082] (Limit position) As shown in FIG. 10(a), the upper limit position H1 is located above the standby position H2, and is the position where the upper surface of the platform 8 abuts against the upper stopper 7a of the lifting support part 40, which is the limit position when the platform 8 is raised to engage or disengage the locking member 4c and the lock-engaged member 7d.

[0083] (standby position) As shown in Figure 10 (b), the standby position H2 is lower than the upper limit position H1, and is the position where the locking engageable member 7d of the stand portion 50 engages with and is held by the locking member 4c of the frame portion 30, and is the position of the stand 8 where the agitator shaft 5 and agitator blades 5a can be removed from inside the container 2, making it possible to replace the container 2.

[0084] (Abutting position) 11(a), contact position H3 is lower than standby position H2, and is the position of stand 8 where, as stand 8 descends, the underside of lid member 19 suspended from lid hanging member 14, which descends together with stand 8, abuts against the opening, which is the upper end of container 2. When stand 8 is further lowered from this position, lid member 19 changes from the "suspended state" by lid hanging member 14 to the "placed state" on the opening of container 2 (see FIG. 7A).

[0085] (Pushing position) As shown in FIG. 11(b), pressing position H4 is located below contact position H3, and is the position of stand 8 at which the lower surface of lid hanging member 14 and the upper surface 17a of lid holding member 17 contact each other when stand 8 is further lowered by slide stroke S from contact position H3.

[0086] Pressing position H4 is a position where stand 8 is placed on lid holding member 17 via lid hanging member 14, and upper surface 17a of lid holding member 17 serves as a positioning portion for pressing position H4 of stand 8. This is a position where stirring blade 5a is inserted into a predetermined position suitable for processing such as stirring of workpiece A contained in container 2 while closing the opening of container 2.

[0087] In this position, the stand 8 uses its own weight to press the lid member 19 against the opening of the container 2 in an approximately vertical direction, sandwiching and holding the container 2 between the container mounting table 3 and the lid member 19 in an approximately vertical direction, thereby stabilizing the posture of the container 2.

[0088] When the proximity switch 13 is in proximity to the detection target member 15b, power can be supplied to the electric motor 11, and processing such as stirring can be performed.

[0089] (Lower limit position) As shown in Figure 11 (c), the lower limit position H5 is lower than the pressing position H4, and is the position where the lower surface of the stand 8 abuts against the lower stopper 7b of the lifting support part 40, which is the limit position to which the stand 8 can be lowered when a container 2 is not placed on the container mounting table 3.

[0090] This position is set so that the lower end of the agitator shaft 5 or the agitator blade 5a does not come into contact with the juice tray 3c provided below the container mounting stand 3. This is also a position (second standby position) where the stand 8 can be placed on standby after the container 2 is removed without having to raise the stand 8 to the standby position H2. In this case, by inserting the agitator shaft 5 into the opening 3b and positioning the agitator blade 5a inside the juice tray 3c, which is below the container mounting stand 3, it is possible to prevent the agitator blade 5a from coming into contact with the operator.

[0091] (Removal and installation of the lid member from the lid holding member) Next, how engaged portion 20a provided on cover side engaging member 20 of cover member 19 is engaged with engaging portion 18 provided on cover holding member 17 will be described.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 3A, with the stand 8 in the standby position H2, the shaft cover 8c is removed from the stand 8, and the agitator shaft 5 is removed from the joint 11b.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 9B, the lid portion 70 is lifted and the engaged portion 20a of the lid side engaging member 20 is positioned at the same height as the notch 18a provided in the lid holding member 17 of the lid hanging portion 60, and the lid member 19 is pulled out horizontally through the notch 18a.

[0094] In this manner, the lid member 19 can be removed from the lid holding member 17.

[0095] Furthermore, when the lid member 19 that has been removed from the lid holding member 17 is to be attached back to the lid holding member 17, it is attached as follows.

[0096] With the agitator shaft 5 removed from the joint 11b, the removed lid portion 70 is lifted up and the engaged portion 20a of the lid side engaging member 20 is positioned at the same height as the notch 18a provided in the lid holding member 17 of the lid hanging portion 60, and the lid member 19 is inserted horizontally through the notch 18a.

[0097] Then, after the engaged portion 20a of the lid side engaging member 20 abuts against the edge of the engaged portion accommodating portion 18b of the engaging portion 18, the position of the lid portion 70 is lowered so that the engaged portion 20a is accommodated in and engaged with the lower engaged portion accommodating portion 18d of the engaged portion accommodating portion 18b.

[0098] In this manner, the lid member 19 can be attached to the lid holding member 17 as shown in FIG. 3A.

[0099] As a result, since the engaged portion 20a is accommodated in the lower engaged portion accommodation portion 18d, it is possible to prevent the lid portion 70 from shifting horizontally when the stand 8 is raised or lowered. Furthermore, it is possible to ensure that the lid member 19 covers the opening of the container 2 when the stand 8 is positioned at the abutting position H3 or the pressing position H4.

[0100] Furthermore, when the agitator shaft 5 is removed from the joint 11b and the stand 8 is located at the upper limit position H1, the standby position H2, the abutment position H3 or the lower limit position H5, or when it is raised or lowered between these positions, the position of the engaged part 20a is regulated by the inner edge of the lower engaged part accommodating part 18d, thereby preventing the lid member 19 from unintentionally falling off the lid holding member 17.

[0101] Furthermore, when the agitator shaft 5 is attached to the joint 11b and the stand 8 is located at the pressing position H4, as shown in Fig. 9C, the engaged part 20a, whose position is restricted by the inner side of the lower engaged part accommodation part 18d, moves upward as the lid member 19 is pressed against the opening of the container 2. Then, the engaged part 20a is accommodated in the upper engaged part accommodation part 18c.

[0102] The position of the engaged part 20a accommodated in the upper engaged part accommodating part 18c is restricted by the inner edge of the upper engaged part accommodating part 18c, so that even if a process such as stirring is started in this state and the lid member 19 vibrates due to the vibration of the container 2, the position of the lid member 19 can be prevented from moving.

[0103] That is, it is possible to prevent the lid member 19 from shifting from the opening of the container 2, and to prevent the lid member 19 from moving and contacting the rotating shaft 11a, the joint 11b, or the stirring shaft 5 with the inner side of the shaft insertion hole 19a. It is also possible to suppress noise that occurs when the engaged part 20a comes into contact with the inner side of the upper engaged part accommodation part 18c.

[0104] In this embodiment, the shaft insertion hole 19a provided in the lid member 19 is circular, but may be of a different shape. For example, when the agitator shaft 5 is attached to the joint 11b, the engaged portion 20a cannot be removed from the engaging portion 18, and therefore the lid member 19 cannot be removed from the lid holding member 17.

[0105] Therefore, the shaft insertion hole 19a may be a notch extending from the outer peripheral edge of the back side of the lid portion 70 of the agitator 1 to the position of the agitator shaft 5, so that the lid portion 70 can be removed from the lid holding member 17 even when the agitator shaft 5 is attached to the joint 11b.

[0106] (Method of treating object) Next, the operation of the stirring device 1 according to this embodiment when stirring or otherwise processing the workpiece A will be described.

[0107] The operation of the agitation device 1 is as follows: an operation preparation step in which it is confirmed that the parts necessary for processing such as mixing have been attached to the mixing device 1, the container 2 containing the object to be processed A is placed on the mixing device 1, the stand part 50 is lowered, the mixing blade 5a is inserted into the container 2, and the opening of the container 2 is covered with the lid member 19 to prepare for the next processing step; A processing step in which the workpiece A contained in the container 2 is subjected to processing such as stirring by the stirring blade 5a, and an operation termination step in which the stand part 50 is raised, the stirring blade 5a is removed from the container 2 containing the workpiece A, and the container 2 is removed from the stirring device 1; It is composed of:

[0108] (Operation preparation step) The first operation preparation step will be described.

[0109] First, as shown in FIG. 1, confirm that the stand 8 is in the standby position H2, and also confirm that the lid portion 70 is attached to the lid holding member 17, that the agitator shaft 5 having the agitator blade 5a is attached to the joint 11b of the rotating shaft 11a, and that the motor cover 11c and the shaft cover 8c are attached to the stand 8.

[0110] After confirming that each member is attached, as shown in Fig. 2, the container 2 in which the workpiece A has already been accommodated is placed on the corresponding container mounting stand 3 directly below the agitator shaft 5. At this time, the lower end of the container 2 is fitted into the seating surface 3a. This positions the agitator shaft 5 in the center of the container 2 and also makes it possible to restrict the horizontal movement of the container 2.

[0111] After confirming that the container 2 is fitted into the seat portion 3a, insert the power plug into the outlet and confirm that the power indicator light 12a of the operation panel 12 is lit.

[0112] Then, the handle 8a of the stand 8 is grasped with the hand, and the stand 8, which is in the standby position H2 shown in FIG. 10(b) etc., is raised to near the upper limit position H1 shown in FIG. 10(a), thereby releasing the engagement between the locking member 4c and the lock-engaged member 7d, and the locked state of the stand 8 is released.

[0113] With the lock member 4c and the lock engaged member 7d still disengaged, the handle 8a is grasped by hand and the stand 8 is lowered along the lift rail 7, causing the lid member 19 to also lower via the lid hanging lower portion 60, and the underside of the lid member 19 comes into contact with the opening, which is the upper end of the container 2, covering the opening of the container 2. This position of the stand 8 is the abutment position H3 of the stand 8 shown in Figures 7A and 11(a).

[0114] When the stand 8 is further lowered from this abutment position H3, as shown in Fig. 9C, the lid holding member 17 is lowered while the lid member 19 is abutting against the opening which is the upper end of the container 2, so that the engaged part 20a moves within the engaged part accommodating part 18b, and from a state in which it abuts against the inner side of the lower engaged part accommodating part 18d (see Fig. 9A) to a state in which it abuts against the inner side of the upper engaged part accommodating part 18c. Then, the weight of the lid holding member 17 and the slide member 15 is applied to the lid member 19.

[0115] When the stand 8 is further lowered, the lid member 19, lid holding member 17 and slide member 15 do not descend and remain at the opening, which is the upper end of the container 2. Meanwhile, the lid hanging member 14 descends together with the stand 8 along the slide member 15, and the upper surface of the lid hanging member 14 separates from the lower surfaces of the retaining member 15a and the detectable member 15b of the slide member 15. In other words, the lid member 19, together with the slide member 15 and lid holding member 17, slides upward so as to approach the lowering stand 8.

[0116] At this time, the lid member 19 changes from the "suspended state" by the lid hanging member 14 to a "placed state" on the opening at the upper end of the container 2. Together with the lid member 19, the lid holding member 17 and the sliding member 15 are placed on the container 2.

[0117] As shown in FIG. 7B, when the stand 8 is further lowered and the lower surface of the lid hanging member 14 comes into contact with the upper surface 17a of the lid holding member 17, the stand 8 does not descend any further and the stand 8 becomes placed on the lid holding member 17 via the lid hanging member 14.

[0118] The stand 8 descends by the slide stroke S from the contact position H3 to the pressing position H4. At the pressing position H4, the length by which the stirring blade 5a is inserted into the container 2 from the bottom surface of the lid member 19 is the sum of the length of the stirring shaft 5 and the stirring blade 5a protruding from the bottom surface of the lid member 19 in the "suspended state", the length by which the engaged part 20a moves from the state in which it contacts the inner side of the lower engaged part housing part 18d (see FIG. 9A) to the state in which it contacts the inner side of the upper engaged part housing part 18c (see FIG. 9C), and the length of the slide stroke S.

[0119] This allows the height position of the agitator shaft 5 within the container 1 to be lowered by the above amount with the lid member 19 covering the opening of the container 2. When the agitator blade 5a inserted into the container 2 is not touching the workpiece A when changing from the "suspended state" to the "placed state", if the position of the stand 8 in the "placed state" is further lowered, the workpiece A that would fly off when the agitator blade 5a touches the workpiece A can be prevented from scattering outside the container 2.

[0120] At this time, the engaged portion 20a of the lid side engaging member 20 moves upward within the engaged portion accommodating portion 18b and becomes accommodated in the upper engaged portion accommodating portion 18c, thereby restricting the position of the lid member 19 horizontally relative to the lid holding member 17 and preventing it from coming off.

[0121] Then, the weight of the stand 8 acts on the lid portion 70 via the lid hanging member 14 and the lid holding member 17, pressing the lid member 19 in a substantially vertical direction against the opening of the container 2. In other words, the weight of the stand 8 presses the lid member 19 in a substantially vertical direction against the opening of the container 2.

[0122] In this way, the gantry 8 is placed on the cover member 19, and the position of the gantry 8 at this time becomes the pressing position H4 of the gantry 8 shown in FIG. 7B and FIG. 11(b).

[0123] At this time, the stirring blade 5a, which has descended together with the stand 8, also descends to a predetermined position within the container 2.

[0124] When the stand 8 descends to the pressing position H4, the slide member 15 protrudes by the slide stroke S toward the upper surface of the lid hanging member 14, and the detection target member 15b and the proximity switch 13 come close to each other.

[0125] Then, a signal is sent to the operation panel 12, and the electric motor 11 becomes ready to be driven. Also, the stirring blade 5a is placed at a predetermined position in the container 2, and processing such as stirring is possible. This completes the operation preparation step.

[0126] (Processing Steps) Next, the processing steps performed after the operation preparation steps will be described with reference to FIG. 7B and FIG.

[0127] The rotation speed of the stirring shaft 5 and the stirring blade 5a is set by operating the speed adjustment switch 12d of the operation panel 12 according to the material A to be treated accommodated in the container 2. For example, a low speed, a medium speed, or a high speed is selected. By selecting each rotation speed, for example, the rotation speed of the stirring blade 5a is set to 800 rpm at low speed, 1700 rpm at medium speed, and 3500 rpm at high speed.

[0128] Next, when the operation button 12b on the operation panel 12 is pressed, the electric motor 11 is driven at the selected rotation speed, the rotating shaft 11a rotates, and via the joint 11b, the stirring shaft 5 and the stirring blade 5a rotate. This state continues for a predetermined time (the time required to stir the workpiece A), and the workpiece A contained in the container 2 is stirred and otherwise processed. At this time, the workpiece A is stirred and otherwise processed while being agitated by the stirring blade 5a.

[0129] For example, in the case where the mixing device 1 is used in a kitchen intended for large-scale consumption and the material to be treated A is beaten eggs to be used for egg drop soup, etc., 13 kg (about 200 eggs), which is the material to be treated A, is placed in the container 2 and processing such as mixing (stirring, mixing) is performed at a low speed for about 3 minutes.

[0130] Also, for example, if the object A to be processed is onion dressing, the object A (about 3 kg of onions), water (3 kg), salad oil (3 kg), seasonings, etc.) are placed in container 2 and processed (stirred, mixed, crushed, cut) at high speed for about 5 minutes. In particular, in the case of food, if the processing time is too long, the texture will deteriorate. In this way, each object A is processed for an individual processing time appropriate for it.

[0131] At this time, the material A to be treated in the container 2 flows violently and may scatter within the container 2. Furthermore, if the material A to be treated contains solid matter, the material A to be treated may collide with the inside of the container 2 during processing such as stirring, making the attitude of the container 2 unstable.

[0132] In the stirring device 1 of this embodiment, the weight of the stand 8 positioned at the pressing position H4 allows the lid member 19 to be pressed in a substantially vertical direction against the opening of the container 2, and processing such as stirring can be performed in this state. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the workpiece A being stirred or otherwise processed from scattering out of the container 2 from the opening of the container 2.

[0133] Furthermore, even if the posture of the container 2 becomes unstable during processing such as stirring, the container 2 can be clamped between the lid member 19, which is pressed against the opening of the container 2 by the weight of the stand 8, and the seat portion 3a of the container mounting stand 3 on which the bottom surface, which is the lower end portion of the container 2, is placed, so that processing such as stirring can be performed while maintaining the container 2 in a stable position and posture.

[0134] During processing such as mixing, the stand 8 is located at the pressing position H4, but in the unlikely event that the stand 8 is erroneously raised from the pressing position H4, the cover member 19 remains covering the opening of the container 2 while the slide member 15 slides by the slide stroke S. This makes it possible to prevent occurrences such as the workpiece A contained in the container 2 scattering outside the container 2, or the stand 8 rising to expose the mixing blades 5a and allowing an operator to touch them.

[0135] Furthermore, while the slide member 15 slides the slide stroke S, that is, while the stand 8 is positioned between the abutment position H3 and the pressing position H4 of the stand 8, the lid member 19 covers the opening of the container 2. Therefore, by adjusting the distance of the slide stroke S, the timing at which the lid member 19 comes off the opening of the container 2 can be controlled to a certain extent, and processing such as stirring can be performed safely.

[0136] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the proximity switch 13 is provided on the line of movement of the sliding member 15, but the position of the proximity switch 13 may be removed from the line of movement of the sliding member 15 and fixed so as to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sliding member 15.

[0137] As a result, when the stand 8 is between the abutment position H3 and the pressing position H4, the proximity switch 13 detects that the sliding member 15 has come to a close position, and processing such as stirring can be performed on the workpiece A contained in the container 2. In addition, while processing such as stirring is being performed, the degree of mixing of the workpiece A in the container 2 can be adjusted by grasping the handle 8a and raising and lowering the stand 8 between the abutment position H3 and the pressing position H4.

[0138] In this case, the predetermined position of the slide member 15 that can be detected by the proximity switch 13 can be made wider in the vertical direction, and the stirring blade 5a can be rotated by the electric motor 11 even when the stand 8 is positioned at the abutment position H3.

[0139] (Operation end step) Next, the operation termination step performed after the processing step will be described.

[0140] In the state shown in FIG. 7B, when processing such as stirring is completed (a predetermined time has elapsed), the stop button 12c on the operation panel 12 is pressed to cut off the power supply to the electric motor 11, thereby stopping the electric motor 11.

[0141] Next, after confirming that the rotation of the stirring blade 5a has stopped, the handle 8a is grasped by hand and the stand part 50 is raised.

[0142] When the stand 8 begins to rise from the pressing position H4, the lid hanging member 14 rises together with the stand 8, the lower surface of the lid hanging member 14 separates from the upper surface 17a of the lid holding member 17, and as the stand 8 rises, the stirring shaft 5 and stirring blade 5a also rise.

[0143] At this time, the slide member 15 slides downward through the slide member through hole 14a of the lid hanging member 14, so that the lid holding member 17 and the slide member 15, together with the lid member 19, maintain a state of being placed on the opening, which is the upper end of the container 2, due to their own weight. This continues while the stand 8 rises by the slide stroke S from the pressing position H4 in Fig. 11(b) to the abutting position H3 in Fig. 11(a).

[0144] In other words, the lifting of the lid part 70 is delayed relative to the lifting of the stand part 50.

[0145] Furthermore, the proximity switch 13 also rises together with the stand 8 and separates from the detection target member 15b of the slide member 15, cutting off the power supply to the electric motor 11. Even if the operation button 12b of the operation panel 12 is turned on in this state, the electric motor 11 will not operate because the power supply to the electric motor 11 remains cut off.

[0146] When the stand 8 rises to the contact position H3 shown in FIG. 11(a), the upper surface of the lid hanging member 14 contacts the lower surface of the retaining member 15a of the slide member 15 and the detectable member 15b.

[0147] When the stand 8 is further raised, the slide member 15 is raised on the upper surface of the lid hanging member 14, and the engaged portion 20a of the lid side engaging member 20 moves downward within the engaged portion accommodating portion 18b and comes into contact with the inner edge of the lower engaged portion accommodating portion 18d, and then the lid member 19 is raised via the slide member 15 and the lid holding member 17.

[0148] At this time, the lid holding member 17 and the sliding member 15, together with the lid member 19, return from the "placed state" on the opening of the container 2 to the "suspended state" by the lid hanging member 14. As the stand 8 rises, the lid member 19 and the stirring blade 5a also rise further.

[0149] When the stand 8 passes through the standby position H2 in Fig. 10(b) and is once raised to the vicinity of the upper limit position H1 in Fig. 10(a), and then is lowered to the standby position H2, the locking member 4c and the locking engaged member 7d engage with each other, and the stand 8 is held at the standby position H2. By placing the stand 8 in the standby position H2, the stirring blade 5a is completely removed from the container 2, and therefore the container 2 can be removed or replaced.

[0150] At this time, the agitator blade 5a has been removed from the container 2 and is exposed, but the proximity switch 13 is separated from the detectable member 15b and the power supply to the electric motor 11 is cut off. Therefore, even if the operation button 12b on the control panel 12 is accidentally turned on, the electric motor 11 will not drive and the agitator shaft 5 and agitator blade 5a will not rotate, allowing operation to be carried out safely.

[0151] Next, the container 2 is removed from the container mounting table 3. At this time, the object A to be treated is in a state of adhering to the stirring shaft 5 and the stirring blade 5a, and this object A to be treated may flow downward and fall.

[0152] However, the object A that has fallen from the agitation shaft 5 and the agitation blades 5a passes through the opening 3b provided in the container mounting stand 3 and is received by the juice receiving tray 3c, which prevents the upper surface of the container mounting stand 3 and the floor surface of the installation location of the agitator 1 from becoming dirty. The juice receiving tray 3c that has become dirty after receiving the object A can be removed from the container mounting stand 3 and washed.

[0153] When the same object A is to be treated successively, a preparation step is performed in which the next container 2 is placed on the container placement table 3, and then the treatment step is performed.

[0154] Furthermore, when a different object A to be treated is subsequently treated, the stirring shaft 5, stirring blade 5a, and cover member 19 to which the previous object A to be treated is attached are removed and cleaned, and then reinstalled, or separately prepared, cleaned stirring shaft 5, stirring blade 5a, and cover member 19 are attached. After that, an operation preparation step is performed in which the next container 2 is placed on the container placement table 3, and then a treatment step is performed.

[0155] When the process is finished, the power plug is removed from the outlet, and the agitator shaft 5, agitator blades 5a, cover member 19, etc. with the workpiece A attached thereto are removed and washed in preparation for the next process such as agitation.

[0156] (emergency stop during processing step) Next, we will explain the operation that occurs when the platform 8 unintentionally rises during processing such as stirring the workpiece A in the processing step, for example, when an operator accidentally comes into contact with the stirring device 1 and causes the platform 8 to rise, or when the operator accidentally lifts the platform 8 during processing such as stirring.

[0157] As shown in Fig. 7B, when a processing step is being performed, that is, when the electric motor 11 is driven and the agitator shaft 5 and agitator blade 5a are rotating, and the stand 8 begins to rise from the pressing position H4 (see Fig. 11(b)), the lid hanging member 14 rises together with the stand 8, and the lower surface of the lid hanging member 14 separates from the upper surface 17a of the lid holding member 17. Then, as the stand 8 rises, the agitator shaft 5, agitator blade 5a, and proximity switch 13 also rise from their predetermined positions.

[0158] The detectable member 15b at the upper end of the slide member 15 separates from the proximity switch 13, and the power supply to the electric motor 11 being rotated is cut off; however, the rotating shaft 11a of the electric motor 11 continues to rotate by inertia for a while, and the agitator shaft 5 and agitator blades 5a also continue to rotate.

[0159] However, even in such a case, for a certain period of time while the stand 8 rises from the pressing position H4 to the abutment position H3, that is, when the rising distance of the stand 8 is within the slide stroke S, the lid member 19 remains placed on the opening, which is the upper end of the container 2, due to the weight of the lid holding member 17, the slide member 15 and the lid member 19 itself.

[0160] Therefore, the material A to be treated is stirred by the stirring blade 5a that is still rotating by inertia, but since the opening of the container 2 is still covered by the lid member 19, it is possible to continue to prevent the material A to be treated from scattering outside the container 2. In addition, it is possible to prevent the stirring blade 5a that is rotating by inertia from being exposed from the container 2 and coming into contact with the operator.

[0161] (Regarding the pressing position when changing to a container with a different opening height) Next, a change in pressing position H4 when containers 2, 2' with openings of different heights are used for successive processing will be described with reference to Fig. 12. As an example, a case will be described in which, after processing in container 2 is completed, container 2 is removed from container mounting table 3, and container 2' with an opening higher than that of container 2 is placed on container mounting table 3 for processing such as stirring.

[0162] In a kitchen intended for large-scale consumption, the opening height of containers 2 used to process food materials (objects A) is at most three or four different heights, with the difference in height being 20 mm to 80 mm.

[0163] 12(a) and (b), if the height of the opening of container 2 is 320 mm and the height of the opening of container 2' is 380 mm, the difference in height X between the openings of the containers is 60 mm. If the height of the openings of containers 2, 2' changes, the height at which lid member 19 is placed changes, and the height of upper surface 17a of lid holding member 17 also changes. In this case, the difference in height Y between the upper surfaces of lid holding member 17 is also 60 mm.

[0164] However, even if the height of the opening of the container 2, 2' changes, when the cover member 19 is placed on the opening, which is the upper end of the container 2, 2', and the stand 8 is placed on the cover member 19, that position becomes the pressing position H4, so the difference in stand height (difference in height of the pressing position H4) Z also becomes 60 mm, and X = Y = Z. In other words, even if the height of the opening of the container 2, 2' changes, the pressing position H4 can be automatically changed to one that corresponds to the height of the opening of the container.

[0165] At this time, even if the height of the opening of the container 2, 2' changes, the slide stroke S from the contact position H3 to the pressing position H4 does not change.

[0166] Therefore, it is possible for the stand 8 to press the containers 2, 2' and for the electric motor 11 to be driven and stopped without changing the setting of the lowered position of the stand 8 or performing complex control.

[0167] The pressing position H4 depends on the height of the opening of the container 2, 2', but since the relationship between the abutment position H3 and the pressing position H4 remains unchanged, the operation of the stand 8 as it moves up and down from the abutment position H3 to the pressing position H4 is as described above.

[0168] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the container 2' has an opening higher than the container 2, but the same applies to a container having an opening lower than the container 2.

[0169] As described above, according to the stirring device 1 of the present invention, not only in the case of containers 2 with the same opening height, but also in the case of containers 2' with different opening heights, by lowering the stand 8 to the pressing position H4 where it is placed on the opening at the upper end of the container, the weight of the stand 8 can be used to press the lid member 19 against the opening at the upper end of the container 2, while the electric motor 11 can be driven.

[0170] As a result, with the lid member 19 pressed against the opening at the upper end of the containers 2, 2' which have openings of different heights by the stand 8, the electric motor 11 can be driven to rotate the stirring blade 5a, thereby performing processing such as stirring the food ingredients which are the object to be processed A inside the containers 2, 2'.

[0171] Furthermore, by performing processing with the stand 8 in the pressing position H4, the weight of the stand 8 can be used to press the lid member 19 against the opening of the container 2, and scattering of the workpiece A being processed from the openings of the containers 2, 2', which have different opening heights, can be more reliably prevented. Furthermore, even if the containers 2, 2' are subjected to vibrations caused by the rotating stirring blade 5a or the violent movement of the workpiece A within the containers 2, 2' during processing such as stirring, the containers 2, 2' can be maintained in a stable position and attitude during processing.

[0172] In addition, since the agitator shaft 5 rotates only when the lid member 19 is placed over the opening at the upper end of the containers 2, 2', which have openings at different heights, the operator can be prevented from coming into contact with the rotating agitator blade 5a.

[0173] As described above, according to the processing method and stirring device for the workpiece A of this embodiment, even if the container holding the workpiece is replaced, the stand 8 can be simply lowered to the pressing position H4 to cause the weight of the stand 8 to press the lid member 19 against the container, and it can be detected that the lid member 19 is pressed against the opening of the container, allowing processing such as stirring to be performed.

[0174] Even if a container with a different height of the opening is replaced, the position where the lid member 19 is pressed against the opening of the container can be detected by simply lowering the stand 8 without changing the setting of the lowering position of the stand 8 or performing complex control, based on the position where the lid member 19 abuts against the opening of the container. Then, it is possible to perform a process such as stirring stably according to the pressing position H4 corresponding to the height of the opening of the container.

[0175] In addition, even if the stand 8 rises unintentionally while processing such as stirring is being performed, scattering of the workpiece A in the container 2 can be prevented and the operator can be prevented from coming into contact with the stirring blades 5a.

[0176] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are essentially preferred examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or uses. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 1 Mixing device 2,2' container 3 Container placement stand 3a Seat part 3b opening 3c Soup saucer 4 Base Frame 4a Transport roller 4b Rear frame 4c Locking member 5 Agitation shaft 5a Stirring blade 7 Lifting rail 7a Upper stopper 7b Lower stopper 7c Rail cover 7d Lock engaged member 8 Mounting stand 8a Toride 8c Shaft cover 9 Guide roller 9a Roller support part 11 Electric motor 11a Rotation axis 11b Joint 11c Motor cover 12 Control panel 12a Power indicator light 12b Operation button 12c Stop button 12d Speed ​​adjustment switch 13 Proximity Switch 14 Lid hanging member 14a Slide member through hole (hole) 15 Slide member 15a Anti-slip member 15b Detectable member 17 Lid retaining member 17a Top side 18 Engagement part 18a Notch 18b Engaged part accommodating part 18c Upper engaged part accommodation part 18d Lower engaged part accommodation part 19 Lid member 19a Shaft insertion hole 20 Lid side engaging member 20a Engaged part 30 Frame section 40 Lifting support 50 Stand section 60 Lid hanging part 70 Lid 80 Detection unit 90 Control section

Claims

1. An agitation device for agitating a material contained in a container by inserting an agitation blade at the lower end of the agitation shaft from above and rotating the agitation blade, A stand for fixing a driving means for rotating the stirring shaft; a cover member that is attached to the stand and that covers the opening of the container by lowering the stand; A container mounting table on which the container is mounted, An opening is provided in the container mounting table so that the object to be treated adhering to the stirring blade can pass through when it falls, and a juice receiving tray is provided below the opening, a substantially horizontally cut engaging portion of the base that is provided on the cover member, and an engaged portion of the cover member is received in the engaging portion, thereby engaging and attaching the cover member to the base; The cover member can be removed from the stand by pulling out the engaged portion from the engaging portion. A stirring device characterized by:

2. An agitation device for agitating a material contained in a container by inserting an agitation blade at the lower end of the agitation shaft from above and rotating the agitation blade, A stand for fixing a driving means for rotating the stirring shaft; a cover member that is attached to the stand and that covers the opening of the container by lowering the stand; A container mounting table on which the container is mounted, An opening is provided in the container mounting table so that the object to be treated adhering to the stirring blade can pass through when it falls, and a juice receiving tray is provided below the opening, a detection target member that is moved by lowering the stand by a slide stroke after the lid member is placed on the opening of the container; A detection unit that detects that the detection target member is positioned at a predetermined position; A control unit that controls the driving means to rotate the stirring shaft only when the detection unit detects the detection target member; Further equipped with The base is lowered to cover the opening of the container with the lid member, and the base is further lowered by the slide stroke, which is a predetermined distance, so that the detection target member is positioned at the predetermined position. A stirring device characterized by:

3. The diameter of the opening is configured to be larger than the outer diameter of the stirring blade, The lowering limit position, which is the limit position to which the stand can be lowered, is configured so that the stirring blade on the lower end side of the stirring shaft is lower than the opening.

3. The stirring device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The engaging portion has an upper engaged portion receiving portion formed with a recessed upper portion of the upper side, When the stand is lowered to cover the opening of the container with a lid member and then further lowered by a predetermined distance, that is, a slide stroke, the engaged part is accommodated in the upper engaged part accommodation part, and the engaged part is pressed by the weight of the stand, and its position is restricted by the inner side of the upper engaged part accommodation part.

2. The stirring device according to claim 1 .

5. The engaging portion has a lower engaged portion receiving portion formed with a part of the lower side recessed downward, When the stand is raised and the lid member is raised from the opening of the container, the engaged portion is accommodated in the lower engaged portion accommodating portion, and the position of the engaged portion is restricted by the inner side of the lower engaged portion accommodating portion.

5. The stirring device according to claim 1 or 4.

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