Automatic Cleaning Device

Abstract

To provide an automatic washing device for thoroughly washing the inner surface of a cooking vessel. [Solution] An automatic cleaning device 100 that automatically cleans the inner surface of a bottomed cylindrical cooking vessel 110 using a cleaning unit 200 located in a sink 210 located in front of a container holding unit 140 that holds the cooking vessel, wherein the cleaning unit 200 is equipped with peripheral cleaning nozzles 224, 226 that spray rinsing water toward the inner surface of the cooking vessel, a bottom cleaning nozzle 220 that sprays rinsing water toward the inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel, and an inclined surface cleaning nozzle 222 that sprays rinsing water toward the inner inclined surface connecting the inner peripheral surface and inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic cleaning device that automatically cleans cylindrical cooking containers with bottoms, and in particular to an automatic cleaning device in which a scraper that removes dirt adhering to a cooking container rotating in a sink is positioned in an area opposite to the direction in which rinsing water is sprayed from a peripheral cleaning nozzle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an automatic cleaning device for automatically cleaning a cylindrical cooking container with a bottom is known in which fresh water is sprayed from a single water outlet head that is installed in a sink below the cooking container and has an upward water outlet direction, and the cooking container rotates to conveniently clean the cooking container (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Registered Utility Model No. 3227512 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned automatic cleaning device cleans the cooking container with a single water outlet head, so there is a risk that the cooking container may not be cleaned sufficiently depending on its shape.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art as described above. Specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide an automatic cleaning device in which the scraper is positioned in an area opposite to the rinsing water spraying direction of the peripheral cleaning nozzle, and the dirty surface of the scraper is positioned within the rinsing water spraying range of the bottom cleaning nozzle, thereby reliably cleaning the inner surface of the cooking vessel thoroughly and efficiently removing dirt adhering to the dirty surface of the scraper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following configuration: That is, an automatic washing device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a device for automatically washing the inner surface of a cylindrical cooking vessel with a bottom held by a vessel holding unit with a washing unit in a sink placed directly above the cooking vessel during washing, the washing unit includes a peripheral washing nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner peripheral surface of the cooking vessel, a bottom washing nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel, and an inclined surface washing nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward an inner inclined surface connecting the inner peripheral surface and the inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel, a scraper that peels off dirt adhering to the cooking vessel rotating within the sink is disposed in an area opposite to the rinsing water spraying direction of the peripheral washing nozzle, and the dirt-adhering surface of the scraper is located within the rinsing water spraying range of the bottom washing nozzle.

[0007] The second aspect of the automatic cleaning device of the present invention is characterized in that, in the automatic cleaning device of the first aspect, the container holding unit supports the cooking container in an inverted upside-down position so that it can freely rotate on its own axis, the peripheral cleaning nozzle, the bottom cleaning nozzle and the inclined surface cleaning nozzle spray rinsing water in a fan-shaped manner in the vertical direction, and the direction in which rinsing water is sprayed by the peripheral cleaning nozzle, the bottom cleaning nozzle and the inclined surface cleaning nozzle intersects with the direction of rotation of the cooking container which is rotated by the container holding unit.

[0008] The third aspect of the automatic cleaning device of the present invention is characterized in that, in the automatic cleaning device of the first or second aspect, the container cleaning unit is provided with a cleaning liquid nozzle that sprays cleaning liquid toward the inner surface of the cooking container. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the automatic cleaning device of the first aspect of the present invention, the cleaning unit is equipped with a peripheral cleaning nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner peripheral surface of the cooking vessel, a bottom cleaning nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel, and an inclined surface cleaning nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner inclined surface connecting the inner peripheral surface and inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel.Since the rinsing water is sprayed onto each of the inner peripheral surface, inner bottom surface and inner inclined surface that make up the inner surface of the cooking vessel, the inner surface of the cooking vessel can be cleaned evenly.

[0010] Furthermore, since the scraper is positioned in an area opposite to the direction in which rinsing water is sprayed from the peripheral cleaning nozzle, the rinsing water sprayed from the peripheral cleaning nozzle does not hit the scraper when spraying rinsing water onto the inner surface of the cooking vessel, so that the inner surface of the cooking vessel can be reliably cleaned even if the cleaning unit has a scraper.

[0011] In addition, a scraper is provided in the sink to remove dirt adhering to the rotating cooking container, and the dirty surface of the scraper is positioned within the rinsing water ejection range of the bottom cleaning nozzle, so that the rinsing water ejected from the bottom cleaning nozzle removes dirt adhering not only to the inner bottom surface of the cooking container but also to the dirty surface of the scraper, thereby efficiently removing dirt adhering to the dirty surface of the scraper.

[0012] According to the second aspect of the automatic cleaning device of the present invention, the circumferential cleaning nozzle, bottom cleaning nozzle and inclined surface cleaning nozzle spray rinsing water in a fan shape, and the direction in which the rinsing water is sprayed from the circumferential cleaning nozzle, bottom cleaning nozzle and inclined surface cleaning nozzle intersects with the direction in which the cooking container is rotated by the container holding unit. Therefore, by spraying the rinsing water while rotating the cooking container, the rinsing water is sprayed over the entire inner surface of the cooking container, so that not only can the inner surface of the cooking container be automatically cleaned more reliably and evenly, but also the water pressure of the rinsing water sprayed from the circumferential cleaning nozzle, bottom cleaning nozzle and inclined surface cleaning nozzle can be increased compared to when the circumferential cleaning nozzle, bottom cleaning nozzle and inclined surface cleaning nozzle spray rinsing water in a fan shape and the circumferential cleaning nozzle, bottom cleaning nozzle and inclined surface cleaning nozzle spray rinsing water in a cone shape, thereby further improving the cleaning effect on the inner surface of the cooking container.

[0013] According to the third aspect of the automatic cleaning device of the present invention, the cleaning unit is equipped with a cleaning liquid nozzle that sprays cleaning liquid toward the inner surface of the cooking container, so that the cooking container can be cleaned by spraying rinsing water after spraying the cleaning liquid into the cooking container, thereby cleaning the cooking container to the same extent as a typical automatic dishwasher. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1A] 1 is a left perspective view of an automatic cooking machine 10 (automatic cleaning device 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] 1 is a left perspective view of the automatic cooking machine 10 (automatic cleaning device 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention after cooking is completed. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic top view of a cooking container 110 and a sink 210 of an automatic cooking machine 10 (automatic cleaning device 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2. FIG. 3 is a front side cross-sectional view of the cooking vessel 110 and sink 210 of the automatic cleaning device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a spray pattern of the nozzle shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a flow rate distribution of the nozzle shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 3 is a front side cross-sectional view of the cooking container 110 and sink 210 of the automatic cleaning device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a scraper 250 of the automatic cleaning device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of automatic cleaning devices for embodying the technical ideas of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these, and can be equally applied to other embodiments included in the scope of the claims. In the following description, for convenience, expressions such as up and down, front and back, left and right, etc. are used, but these are based on the directions shown in the corresponding drawings, and are merely descriptions of the directions in the state shown in the corresponding drawings.

[0016] [Description of the embodiment] An automatic cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 6. FIG.

[0017] <1. Overview of the automatic cleaning device 100> First, an overview of the automatic cleaning device 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1A and 1B. Note that the automatic cleaning device 100 constitutes a part of the automatic cooking machine 10, and in the following description, in addition to the functions of the automatic cleaning device 100, the functions of the automatic cooking machine 10 will also be described.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1A, an automatic cooking machine 10 equipped with an automatic cleaning device 100 includes a removable cooking container 110, a container heating unit 120, a container holding unit 130, a dish stand 140, a control unit 150 and a cleaning unit 200.

[0019] Cooking vessel 110 is a cylindrical vessel with a bottom, and the inside of cooking vessel 110 may be provided with a stirring member for stirring ingredients to be cooked, etc.

[0020] The container heating unit 120 has a function of heating a container for cooking stir-fried dishes, etc. Behind the plate loading stand 140, there is provided an operation panel 151 that inputs cooking operations to the automatic cooking machine 10 and displays the operating status of the automatic cooking machine 10.

[0021] The container holding unit 130 holds the cooking container 110. In order to efficiently cook dishes such as stir-fried foods, the cooking container 110 is rotated about a cooking container rotation axis that extends in the depth direction of the cooking container 110. The container holding unit 130 also has a handle 131 that is grasped by a user of the automatic cooking machine 10 to rotate the container holding unit 130 in a direction that covers the top surface of the plate loading stand 140. Therefore, the container holding unit 130 allows the user of the automatic cooking machine 10 to change the position of the cooking container 110 in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions.

[0022] 1A to the left so as to cover the opening of the sink 210 of the washing unit 200, and a plate housing member 142 that houses the serving plate 141. A serving dish is provided on the upper surface of the dish mounting table 140. When cooking is completed, the user of the automatic cooking machine 10 rotates the container holding unit 130 forward, and serves the cooked food in the cooking container 110 on the dish provided on the serving plate 141 that covers the opening of the sink 210.

[0023] After the user of the automatic cooking machine 10 serves the food cooked by the automatic cooking machine 10 on a dish provided on the serving plate 141, the user of the automatic cooking machine 10 places the dish on the plate housing member 142. Then, the user of the automatic cooking machine 10 returns the serving plate 141 to the position shown in FIG. 1A. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1B, the user of the automatic cooking machine 10 (automatic cleaning device 100) rotates the container holding unit 130 further forward and moves the cooking container 110 so that it is inserted into the opening of the sink 210 of the cleaning unit 200. Then, the cleaning unit 200 cleans the cooking container 110 after cooking, as described below. The cleaning of the cooking container 110 by the cleaning unit 200 may be started by detecting that the cooking container 110 has been inserted into the opening of the sink 210 of the cleaning unit 200, or may be started based on an input to the operation panel 151.

[0024] <2. Explanation of cleaning unit 200> Next, the cleaning unit 200 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the top surfaces of the cooking vessel 110 and the sink 210 as viewed from above the automatic cooking machine 10 (automatic cleaning device 100) in Figure 1A, with the AA cross section shown in Figure 3 and the BB cross section shown in Figure 5. As described above, the cooking vessel 110 rotates in the direction of rotation R in Figure 2.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, when cleaning with the cleaning unit 200, the cooking container 110 is placed in the sink 210 with the opening facing downwards so as not to come into contact with the sides and bottom of the sink 210.

[0026] A columnar nozzle guide 230 is installed on the bottom surface of the sink 210 so as to extend upward so as to face the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110. This nozzle guide 230 is provided with a bottom washing nozzle X220 at a position facing the inner bottom surface X of the cooking vessel 110, an inclined surface washing nozzle Y222 at a position facing the inner inclined surface Y of the cooking vessel 110, and a peripheral surface washing nozzle ZU224 and a peripheral surface washing nozzle ZD226 at positions facing the inner peripheral surface Z of the cooking vessel 110.

[0027] Pipes (not shown) for supplying rinsing water to each of the bottom cleaning nozzle X220, the inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y222, the peripheral cleaning nozzle ZU224, and the peripheral cleaning nozzle ZD226 are provided inside the nozzle guide 230. Note that, although the nozzle guide 230 is shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped pillar in Fig. 3, the nozzle guide 230 is not limited to this shape, and may be, for example, a curved shape that corresponds to the inner surface path of the cooking vessel 110.

[0028] The bottom cleaning nozzle X220, the inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y222, the peripheral cleaning nozzle ZU224, and the peripheral cleaning nozzle ZD226 respectively spray rinsing water toward the inner bottom surface X, the inner inclined surface Y, and the inner peripheral surface Z of the cooking vessel 110. In this way, the rinsing water is sprayed toward each of the inner bottom surface X, the inner inclined surface Y, and the inner peripheral surface Z that constitute the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110, so that the inner surfaces X, Y, and Z of the cooking vessel 110 can be evenly cleaned.

[0029] When the bottom cleaning nozzle X220, the inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y222, the circumferential surface cleaning nozzle ZU224, and the circumferential surface cleaning nozzle ZD226 spray rinsing water toward the inner bottom surface X, the inner inclined surface Y, and the inner surface Z of the cooking vessel 110, respectively, the cooking vessel 110 can be rotated about its axis in the circumferential direction (see FIG. 2) R. By making the spraying direction of rinsing water from the bottom cleaning nozzle X220, the inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y222, the circumferential surface cleaning nozzle ZU224, and the circumferential surface cleaning nozzle ZD226 and the rotation direction R of the cooking vessel 110 by the vessel holding unit 130 intersect with each other in this manner, the rinsing water is sprayed over the entire inner surface of the cooking vessel 110, so that the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110 can be automatically cleaned evenly more reliably.

[0030] Referring to Figures 4A and 4B, the rinsing water sprayed from the bottom cleaning nozzle X220, the inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y222, the peripheral cleaning nozzle ZU224 and the peripheral cleaning nozzle ZD226 can be sprayed in a fan-shaped spray pattern of two overlapping fans as shown in Figure 4A.

[0031] This type of spray pattern, as shown in Figure 4B, creates a flow distribution that is high in the center and spreads out at the base. The areas with high flow distribution also have high pressure. The areas with high flow and pressure have high cleaning power, which wipes away stubborn dirt, and the wiped off dirt can be washed away by the areas before and after it, where the pressure is slightly lower and the flow rate is smaller.

[0032] Generally, spray patterns include a flat pattern, a straight pattern, a full cone pattern, a hollow cone pattern, etc., and it is possible to select an appropriate pattern depending on the state of the cooking vessel 110, such as dirt.

[0033] In addition, while Figure 3 shows four nozzles in cross section: bottom cleaning nozzle X220, inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y222, peripheral surface cleaning nozzle ZU224, and peripheral surface cleaning nozzle ZD226, the number of nozzles is not limited to four, and for example, by providing multiple nozzles in the front and rear directions of each nozzle, a more even cleaning power can be achieved.

[0034] The piping supplying rinsing water within the nozzle guide 230 may be provided for each nozzle, or may branch off from a single pipe. The diameter of the pipe may be changed or an orifice may be provided along the way so that the pressure and flow rate sprayed from each nozzle can be changed according to the level of dirt.

[0035] By providing multiple nozzles in this way and further providing piping for supplying rinsing water to the nozzles, it is possible to configure the device to squirt cleaning liquid from some of the nozzles in addition to the nozzles that squirt rinsing water. By squirting rinsing water after squirting cleaning liquid, it is possible to achieve more reliable cleaning of the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110, to the same extent as a general automatic dishwasher.

[0036] 5 and 6, similarly to FIG. 3, when cleaning with the cleaning unit 200, the cooking container 110 is placed in the sink 210 with the opening facing downwards so as not to come into contact with the sides and bottom of the sink 210, but a scraper 240 is further provided on the front surface of the nozzle guide 230.

[0037] Dirt and the like that adheres to the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110 during cooking may be difficult to remove simply by fluid washing, such as spraying rinsing water. In such cases, it is effective to mechanically scrape off the dirt and the like from the inner surface with a spatula-shaped blade or the like. Note that, normally, the adhered dirt and the like does not adhere firmly to the inner surface, and by repeatedly mechanically contacting the blade or the like from the outside, the accumulated dirt and the like can be broken down or partly peeled off.

[0038] The scraper 240 is arranged to achieve this effect, and as shown in Figure 5, the blade along the inner inclined surface Y and part of the inner circumferential surface Z, which are particularly prone to adhesion of dirt, etc., comes into contact with the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110.

[0039] The contact state of the scraper 240 can be adjusted by applying a link mechanism or spring as shown in FIG. 5, for example, so as to adjust the pressing force against the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110 without damaging the inner surface.

[0040] An example of a scraper 240 to which a link mechanism is applied will be described in detail. The scraper 240 is a link of a closed loop structure composed of a substantially T-shaped support plate 242 fixed to the nozzle guide 230 by a bolt 241, a blade 244 rotatably supported by a joint 243 on the left side of the support plate 242, a link A 246 rotatably supported by a joint 245 on the right side of the support plate 242, a link B 248 that rotatably supports both the blade 244 and the link A 246 by a joint 247, and a spring 250 that connects the free end side of the link A 246 on the opposite side to the joint 245 and the free end side of the link B 248 on the opposite side to the left joint 247. The link structure is arranged so that the spatula-shaped part of the blade 244 initially abuts against the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110.

[0041] Spring 250 is arranged in a tensioned state, and this spring 250 urges the spatula-shaped portion of blade 244 that scrapes off dirt, etc., in the direction of the inner inclined surface Y of cooking vessel 110, thereby mechanically wiping off the dirt, etc. However, when dirt, etc., adheres to cooking vessel 110 and there is a risk of a load being generated that may damage the inner surface, this load becomes greater than the urging force of spring 250, and blade 244 moves away from the inner surface of cooking vessel 110, and the elasticity of spring 250 is adjusted.

[0042] In this way, the scraper 240 employs a closed-loop link mechanism in which the blade 244 always maintains a constant pressing force against the inner inclined surface Y of the cooking vessel 110, preventing damage to the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110.

[0043] However, dirt scraped off by the scraper 240 accumulates on the surface of the blade 244, and there is a risk that the dirt will adhere to and stick to the blade 244. For this reason, in this embodiment, a configuration is added to fluidically wipe and wash away the dirt, as shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an explanatory view taken from the direction of the arrow C in Fig. 5, and shows the sink 210 without the cooking vessel 110 inserted from above.

[0044] 6, the scraper 240, nozzle X220, and nozzle Y222, which are installed in the nozzle guide 230, are adjacent to each other. In FIG. 6, a configuration is shown in which multiple nozzles are provided in the front-rear direction. Here, attention is focused on the nozzle X220(F) close to the scraper 240. When the rinsing water sprayed from the nozzle X220(F) is applied to a fan-shaped spray pattern in which two fans are overlapped as shown in FIG. 4A, the area from which the rinsing water is sprayed becomes the spray area SA. Similarly, the nozzle X220 arranged in parallel with the nozzle X220(F) also sprays the rinsing water to the spray area SA as shown in the figure.

[0045] The spray area SA extends to a range covering the blade 244, and the rinsing water sprayed from the nozzle X220 hits the inner bottom surface X and the inner inclined surface Y of the cooking vessel 110 and then flows along the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110 toward the blade 244, and the blade 244 is directly and indirectly washed by the rinsing water.

[0046] In this way, dirt scraped off by the scraper 240 from the rotating cooking vessel 110 in the sink 210 can be washed away, together with dirt remaining on the scraper 240 itself, by the rinsing water sprayed from each nozzle, particularly the nozzle X220 located at a position facing the inner bottom surface X of the cooking vessel 110. This makes it possible to prevent any deposits that could damage the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110 from remaining on the scraper 240.

[0047] Moreover, it is preferable that the scrapers 240 be disposed on the opposite side in the circumferential direction of the cooking vessel 110 to the direction in which rinsing water is sprayed onto the inner surface of the cooking vessel 110 from each nozzle as shown in FIG.

[0048] By disposing the scraper 240 in such a position, when the rinsing water is sprayed onto the inner circumferential surface Z of the cooking vessel 110, the rinsing water sprayed from the nozzle Y222 does not hit the scraper 240. With such a configuration, the inner circumferential surface Z of the cooking vessel 110 can be reliably cleaned regardless of the presence or absence of the scraper 240. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10. Automatic cooking machine 100 Automatic cleaning device 110 Cooking container 120... Container heating unit 130... Container holding unit 131 Handle 140 Plate stand 150 Control unit 151 Control Panel 200 Cleaning unit 220 Bottom cleaning nozzle X 222....Inclined surface cleaning nozzle Y 224... Peripheral cleaning nozzle ZU 226...Circumference cleaning nozzle ZD 230 Nozzle guide 240···Scraper 241...Volts 242...support plate 243... Joint 244···Blade 245···Joint 246 Link A 247...Joint 248 Link B 250··Spring

Claims

1. An automatic washing device that automatically washes the inner surface of a bottomed cylindrical cooking container held by a container holding unit with a washing unit in a sink disposed directly above the cooking container during washing, The washing unit includes a peripheral washing nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner peripheral surface of the cooking vessel, a bottom washing nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward the inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel, and an inclined surface washing nozzle that sprays rinsing water toward an inner inclined surface connecting the inner peripheral surface and the inner bottom surface of the cooking vessel, A scraper for removing dirt adhering to the cooking vessel rotating in the sink is disposed in an area opposite to the direction of the rinsing water ejection from the peripheral cleaning nozzle, An automatic cleaning device characterized in that the dirty surface of the scraper is located within the rinsing water ejection range of the bottom cleaning nozzle.

2. The container holding unit supports the cooking container upside down so as to be rotatable on its axis, The peripheral surface cleaning nozzle, the bottom surface cleaning nozzle, and the inclined surface cleaning nozzle spray rinsing water in a fan shape in the vertical direction, 2. The automatic cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the direction in which rinsing water is sprayed from the peripheral cleaning nozzle, the bottom cleaning nozzle and the inclined surface cleaning nozzle intersects with the direction of rotation of the cooking container rotated by the container holding unit.

3. 3. The automatic cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit includes a cleaning liquid nozzle that sprays cleaning liquid toward the inner surface of the cooking vessel.

Images