Food lump separation and conveying device

Abstract

To provide a separating / conveying device for a food material lump, which separates / conveys a large number of food material lumps to a container such as a lunch box and charges only a required number of food material lumps into the container.SOLUTION: A separating / conveying device comprises: a storage case in which a group of food material lumps is stored; an inclined belt part on which an endless belt having partition walls erected at a regular interval is disposed; a lateral conveying belt part enabling a lateral conveyance in such a manner that the belt body is disposed sideways orthogonally to the operation direction of the inclined belt part below the inclination top of the inclined belt part, and the food material lump is partitioned for each single unit by the partition body erected on a belt surface at a regular interval; and a final dropping conveyance belt which is disposed so as to be in the same direction as the lateral conveying belt part at the terminal of the lateral conveying belt part and drops / conveys the food material lump individually into a food material lump storage part while comparing with a conveyance speed of the belt part to control. Thereby, the separating / conveying device individually separates the food material lumps in a grouped state and conveys only a necessary number into the container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for separating and conveying a large number of blocks of food material, which separates and conveys the blocks to a container such as a lunch box and fills the container with only the required number of blocks. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to pack various kinds of side dishes into a designated container such as a lunch box, a large number of containers were lined up and the various kinds of side dishes were placed into them one by one by hand, in a production line process that required a large amount of human labor.

[0003] In recent years, the task of stuffing large quantities of food ingredients into food containers, which previously relied on manual labor, has gradually been mechanized. For example, this has evolved into a type of work that uses robotic mechanisms to pick individual ingredients from containers separated by type of food using gripping claws, move them to containers, and store them in bento boxes.

[0004] However, the basic working method is the same in that each food ingredient is grasped with the hand tip mechanism (see Patent Document 1) or skewered and then moved to the container and filled.

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-118999 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, with the gripping mechanism described in Patent Document 1, there were frequent cases of mechanical mishandling, such as the movement of the hand part damaging the block of food or making it difficult to grip and move it properly during the work process of gripping and moving the block of food, or the food being dropped from a high position during movement, resulting in the reliability of the mechanical food block packing operation being undermined.

[0007] Furthermore, since the action of gripping the block of food material is a very delicate task, it is difficult to speed up this action, resulting in low work efficiency. Furthermore, delicate control of the gripping motion requires precise electrical control of complex mechanisms, resulting in problems such as complicated assembly and high maintenance costs.

[0008] For this reason, there has been a demand for the development of a conveying device that can quickly convey only the required number of food blocks to containers such as lunch boxes while minimizing manpower.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and aims to provide an individual separation and conveying device that is configured to disperse clustered food blocks into individual food blocks using multiple conveying belts, convey each individual food block to a container position, and finally pack each individual food block into a container by having them fall from the belts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the individual separation and conveying device of the present invention is characterized in that it is composed of a storage case that stores a collection of various shaped food blocks, an inclined belt section that is arranged in an ascending incline and is configured by erecting partition walls at regular intervals on the belt surface, the partition walls being formed at a height approximately equal to or lower than the standard height of the food blocks being conveyed, a horizontal conveying belt section that has a belt main body arranged horizontally below the inclined top of the inclined belt section so as to be perpendicular to the operating direction of the inclined belt section and has partitions erected at regular intervals on the belt surface, so that the partitions separate the food blocks into individual pieces for horizontal conveyance, and a terminal drop belt section that is arranged at the end of the horizontal conveying belt section and is further configured to drop and convey individual food block pieces to the food block storage section by controlling the conveying speed of the horizontal conveying belt section.

[0011] Further, controlling the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section relative to the conveying speed of the lateral conveying belt section means that the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section is set faster than that of the lateral conveying belt section, and this configuration also has a characteristic feature.

[0012] Another feature of this device is that the belt body is arranged horizontally and multiple horizontal conveying belt sections are arranged in parallel, with partitions erected on the surface to separate the food blocks into individual pieces so that they can be conveyed horizontally.The device is also characterized in that the belt body is arranged horizontally and the food blocks can be separated into individual pieces by operation of each belt body, so that the food blocks can be dropped and discharged as individual pieces from the multiple final drop belt sections. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the invention of claim 1, the invention comprises a storage case which stores a cluster of various irregularly shaped food blocks, an inclined belt section which is arranged on an upward incline and is constituted by an endless belt having partition walls formed at a height approximately below the standard height of the food blocks being transported and erected at regular intervals on the belt surface, a horizontal conveying belt section which has a belt main body arranged horizontally below the inclined top of the inclined belt section so as to be perpendicular to the operating direction of the inclined belt section and has partitions erected at regular intervals on the belt surface, and which is configured to separate the food blocks into individual pieces for horizontal conveyance by the partitions, and a terminal drop belt section which is arranged at the end of the horizontal conveying belt section and is further configured to drop and convey individual food blocks to the food block storage section by controlling the conveying speed of the horizontal conveying belt section, thereby having the effect that the food blocks stored in large quantities in the storage case are gradually separated from their clustered state into individual pieces by the conveying operation of each belt section and dropped and discharged as individual pieces from the terminal drop belt section, thereby enabling only the required number to be filled into a container.

[0014] Specifically, when food blocks are transported from the inclined belt section to the horizontal conveying belt section, only those food blocks that are supported so that they are directly caught on the partition wall erected on the belt surface of the inclined belt section are transported, while those that are not supported roll downward, so that food blocks that were in a crowded state can be transported in a horizontal line in the operating direction.

[0015] Next, the horizontal conveying belt section has the belt body arranged horizontally so as to be perpendicular to the operating direction of the inclined belt section of the previous process, so that the flow direction of the food blocks conveyed in a horizontal row on the inclined belt section can be changed by approximately 90 degrees and conveyed in a state where they are aligned in a front-to-back row in the operating direction.

[0016] According to the invention of claim 2, by setting the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section to a faster conveying speed than that of the lateral conveying belt section, when the food block is handed over to the terminal drop belt section, the front-to-back spacing between the food blocks that are closely aligned in a front-to-back row can be widened and they can be individually separated, which has the effect of enabling the food block to be discharged individually when it is dropped and discharged.

[0017] Books According to the invention, by arranging a plurality of belts of the lateral conveying belt section and a plurality of terminal drop belt sections in parallel, the block of food material can be conveyed and discharged simultaneously by a plurality of lanes, thereby improving the conveying efficiency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an entire individual separating and conveying device of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing details of the individual separating and conveying device of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing each transport mechanism of the individual separating and transporting device of the present invention with various covers etc. removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing each transport mechanism of the individual separating and transporting device of the present invention with various covers etc. removed. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the individual separation device of the present invention. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are schematic explanatory views showing the movement of block of food material on the inner wall and the block of food material supply belt section of the individual separating and conveying device of the present invention. [Figure 7] 5A to 5C are schematic explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the block of food material on the inclined belt section of the individual separating and conveying device of the present invention. [Figure 8] 5A to 5C are schematic explanatory diagrams showing the movement of the block of food material on the lateral conveying belt section and the terminal dropping belt section of the individual separating and conveying device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The gist of this invention is an endless belt comprising a storage case for storing a collection of various irregularly shaped food blocks, and partition walls arranged on an upward incline on the belt surface at regular intervals and formed at a height approximately equal to or lower than the standard height of the transported food blocks. of The horizontal conveying belt section is configured so that the belt body is arranged horizontally below the inclined top of the inclined belt section so as to be perpendicular to the operating direction of the inclined belt section and partitions are erected at regular intervals on the belt surface, so that the food block is divided into individual pieces by the partitions and can be conveyed horizontally; and a terminal drop belt section is arranged at the end of the horizontal conveying belt section and is further configured to drop and convey individual food block pieces to the food block storage section by controlling the conveying speed of the horizontal conveying belt section in comparison with that of the horizontal conveying belt section.

[0020] Further, controlling the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section relative to the conveying speed of the lateral conveying belt section means that the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section is set faster than that of the lateral conveying belt section, and this configuration also has a characteristic feature.

[0021] Another feature of this device is that the belt body is arranged horizontally and multiple horizontal conveying belt sections are arranged in parallel, with partitions erected on the surface to separate the food blocks into individual pieces so that they can be conveyed horizontally.The device is also characterized in that the belt body is arranged horizontally and the food blocks can be separated into individual pieces by operation of each belt body, so that the food blocks can be dropped and discharged as individual pieces from the multiple final drop belt sections.

[0022] [1. Overall configuration of the individual separation and transport device] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an apparatus for individually separating and conveying block of food material according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of an individual separating device for block of food material according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of the individual separating and conveying device for block of food material. figure, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the main details of the individual separating and conveying device for food blocks. figure, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the various cover members are removed to expose the respective belt parts, Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the state in which the various cover members are removed to expose the respective belt parts, and Fig. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing the state in which the food block is being conveyed by each belt part.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, an individual separating and conveying device M for block of food material F according to the present invention is installed adjacent to and parallel to the flow direction of a belt conveyor C along which containers T such as lunch boxes are conveyed.

[0024] The main components of the individual separation and conveying device M for conveying food, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, include a storage case 1 capable of storing large quantities of food blocks F such as fried chicken and meatballs, i.e., in a crowded state; an inclined belt section 2 arranged on an upward slope and capable of conveying the food blocks F in a horizontal line in the flow direction; a horizontal conveying belt section 3 arranged perpendicular to the flow direction of the inclined belt section 2 and conveying the food blocks F conveyed in a horizontal line by the inclined belt section 2 in a front-to-back line; and a terminal drop belt section 4 arranged at the end so as to have the same flow direction as the horizontal conveying belt section 3, set to a speed faster than the conveying speed of the horizontal conveying belt section 3, and conveying the food blocks in a front-to-back line while maintaining a constant distance between them, and dropping and conveying them individually to the container T or to the food block storage section 63, which is the landing point for the food blocks F in the filling assistance mechanism 62 described later.

[0025] The above-mentioned components are integrally installed on a stand 61 as shown in FIG. The stand 61 has all the components installed as a single unit on the top plate, and its lower space is divided into two, upper and lower. The first level from the bottom houses an electrical unit 64 that is responsible for the electrical control of the entire individual separation and conveying device M, and the second level houses an operation panel 65 that performs actual operation and drive adjustments, such as a power button, touch panel, and emergency stop button.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the storage case 1 for storing block of food material F is arranged parallel to the flow direction of the belt conveyor C that transports the container T, and has an approximately rectangular cylindrical appearance with an inner wall 11 that tapers downward. In addition, a food block supply belt section 12 that rotates in a direction parallel to the flow direction of the belt conveyor C is arranged at the bottom of the storage case 1, and the wall surface located on the flow direction side of the belt main body 121 is provided with a supply port 13 that is a gap at a height approximately the same as the height of the food block F from the upper surface of the belt main body 121.

[0027] The block of food material supplying belt section 12 comprises an endless belt body 121 suspended between two pulleys 122, 122' provided at the start and end of the conveying direction of the block of food material supplying belt section 12, and a plurality of conveying auxiliary bodies 123 erected on the surface of the belt body 121 at predetermined intervals with a width approximately equal to that of the belt body 121. In addition, both of the two pulleys 122 and 122 ′ or either one of the two pulleys 122 ( 122 ′) is connected to a drive unit (not shown) in a drive unit cover 66 installed to the side of the storage case 1 .

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the inclined belt section 2 flows in the same direction as the food block supplying belt section 12, has its starting end below the terminal end of the food block supplying belt section 12, and is arranged in an upwardly inclined manner with a portion overlapping.

[0029] The inclined belt section 2 is configured to include an endless belt body 21 suspended between two pulleys 22, 22' provided at the conveying start and end sides of the inclined belt section 2, a plurality of partition walls 23 erected at predetermined intervals on the surface of the belt body 21, left and right fall prevention walls 24, 24' erected on both side edges of the belt body 21, and a fall prevention wall 25 interposed between the left and right fall prevention walls 24, 24' at the start side of the belt body 21 and integrated with them. Also, similar to the food block supply belt section 12, both or either one of the two pulleys 22, 22' is connected to a drive section (not shown) within a drive section cover 66 installed next to the storage case 1.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the lateral transport belt section 3 is located below the terminal end of the inclined belt section 2 and is disposed horizontally so that the flow direction thereof is perpendicular to the flow direction of the inclined belt section 2.

[0031] The horizontal conveying belt section 3 is configured to include two pulleys 32, 32' provided at two locations on the conveying start and end sides of the horizontal conveying belt section 3, a tension pulley 33 disposed below between the two pulleys 32, 32', and an endless belt body 31 suspended on each of the pulleys 32, 32' and 33, a plurality of partition bodies 34 erected on the surface of the belt body 31 at predetermined intervals and with a width approximately the same as that of the belt body 31, and left and right fall prevention walls 35, 35' erected on the left and right edges of the belt body 31. In addition, both or either one of the two pulleys 32, 32' provided at the start and end of the conveying is connected to a drive unit (not shown) within a drive unit cover 66 installed below the inclined belt section 2.

[0032] The horizontal transport belt section 3 may be configured to have a plurality of belt bodies 31 arranged in parallel, and in this embodiment, two belt bodies 31 are arranged in parallel to provide two transport lanes. Of the two lanes arranged in parallel, the lane on the inclined belt section 2 side is referred to as a first lane 31a, and the other is referred to as a second lane 31b.

[0033] In addition, when the belt bodies 31 are arranged in parallel, the belt bodies 31 are arranged in a step-like manner from the first lane 31a to the second lane 31b in a downward direction as they move away from the inclined belt portion 2. Installation It is desirable that this be done. Furthermore, between the first lane 31a and the second lane 31b, a plurality of, for example, rod-shaped distribution rods 36 bent at an angle in a dogleg shape above the first lane may be provided in succession.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the terminal drop belt section 4 is arranged horizontally in the same flow direction as the horizontal conveying belt section 3 so as to be connected to the terminal end of the horizontal conveying belt section 3, and the terminal end of the terminal drop belt section 4 is arranged so as to be located above the belt conveyor C. The terminal drop belt section 4 is controlled in comparison with the conveying speed of the lateral conveying belt section 3, and is set to a conveying speed faster than the conveying speed of the lateral conveying belt section 3.

[0035] The terminal drop belt section 4 is configured to include an endless belt body 41 suspended on two pulleys 42, 42' and 43, the two pulleys 42, 42' being provided at two locations on the conveying start and end sides of the terminal drop belt section 4, and a tension pulley 43 being positioned below between the two pulleys 42, 42', the multiple partitions 44 erected on the surface of the belt body 41 at predetermined intervals and with a width approximately equal to the width of the belt body 41, left and right drop prevention walls 45 erected on the left and right edges of the belt body 41, and a filling auxiliary wall 46 installed at the end of the belt body 41. In addition, both or either one of the two pulleys 42, 42' provided at the start and end of the conveying is connected to a drive unit (not shown) within a drive unit cover 66 installed below the inclined belt section 2.

[0036] When multiple belt bodies 31 of the lateral conveying belt section 3 are arranged in parallel, the number of lanes of the terminal drop belt section 4 is increased to correspond to the number of lanes. In this embodiment, since the lateral conveying belt section 3 has two lanes, a first lane 31a and a second lane 31b, the terminal drop belt section 4 is also configured with two lanes.

[0037] In this embodiment, a filling assist mechanism 62 that assists in placing the block of food F in the container T is provided below the end of the final drop belt section 4. The filling assist mechanism 62 is configured such that an assisting cylinder having a tapered shape with a tip that is tapered toward the container T can move up and down between the final falling belt section 4 and the container T, and moves toward the container T in accordance with the falling of the block of food F. descent This helps to ensure accurate presentation and prevents chunks of food from rolling off due to the impact of being dropped. However, the filling assist mechanism 62 may simply be a cylindrical guide member that does not reciprocate, and since the end of the final drop belt portion 4 is located directly above the container T, this is not an essential component.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, this embodiment includes a supply instruction detector 51, a leading distance detector 52, and a dropped item number detector 53 for controlling the operations of the above-mentioned components.

[0039] The supply instruction detection unit 51 is disposed above the starting end side of the lateral transport belt unit 3 . The supply instruction detection unit 51 detects the supply direction from the start end of the horizontal conveyor belt unit 3. end A laser is irradiated toward the end side, i.e., toward the block of food F being transported on the belt body 31. The distance from the laser reflected by the block of food F to the block of food F, that is, the distance to the rearmost block of food F in a line conveyed by the horizontal conveyor belt section 3, is calculated.

[0040] If the calculated distance is longer than a predetermined arbitrary distance, an instruction to operate is sent to the block of food material supplying belt section 12 and the inclined belt section 2 , and the block of food material F is supplied to the horizontal conveyor belt section 3 .

[0041] The leading distance detection unit 52 is installed above the end of the final falling belt portion 4 . The leading distance detection unit 52 irradiates a laser from the trailing end side to the starting end side of the final drop belt unit 4 , that is, toward the block of food material F being transported on the lateral transport belt unit 3 . The distance from the laser reflected by the block of food F to the block of food F, that is, the distance to the block of food F at the head position of the line of block of food F transported by the horizontal transport belt section 3, is calculated.

[0042] It is judged whether the calculated distance is closer between the block of food ingredients F on the first lane 31a or the block of food ingredients F on the second lane 31b, and only the lane which is closer to the required number of block of food ingredients F to be served in the container T is operated to drop and convey the last block of food ingredients F.

[0043] The falling number detection unit 53 is installed above the end of the final falling belt unit 4 . The falling number detection unit 53 irradiates a laser from above the end of the final falling belt portion 4 downward. In this way, the laser irradiated when the block of food ingredients F is dropped and transported from the final drop belt section 4 to the block of food ingredients storage section 63 is temporarily blocked, thereby calculating the number of block of food ingredients F that have actually been dropped and transported.

[0044] By calculating the number of pieces, the required number of pieces are dropped and transported reliably, and at the same time, an instruction is given to the above-mentioned leading distance detection unit 52 to determine the last piece. [2.Transportation procedure for the individual separation and transport device] Next, the transport procedure of the individual separating and transporting device will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the individual separating device for food blocks according to the present invention. Also, Figs. 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams illustrating the movement of the food block at each belt section, with Fig. 6 showing the movement of the food block at the inner wall and food block supply mechanism, Fig. 7 showing the movement of the food block at the inclined belt section, and Fig. 8 showing the movement of the food block at the horizontal conveyor belt section and the final drop belt section.

[0045] The movement of the food block F transported to the container T by the individual separation and transporting device M of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5, mainly consists of a storage and supply step S1 in which the food block F is stored and supplied to the inclined belt section 2, an inclined transport step S2 in which the food block F is transported to the horizontal transport belt section 3 by the inclined belt section 2, a horizontal transport step S3 in which the food block F is transported to the terminal drop belt section 4 by the horizontal transport belt section 3, and a drop insertion step S4 in which the food block F is inserted into the container T by the terminal drop belt section 4.

[0046] The storage and supply step S1 is a step in which an operator puts food blocks F into a storage case 1, where the food blocks F are stored and supplied to the inclined belt section 2, which is the next transport step, and consists of a food block storage step S1-1 in which the food blocks F are stored in a clustered state, and a food block discharge step S1-2 in which the food blocks F are supplied to the inclined belt section 2. The speed of the block of food material supplying belt section 12, which supplies the block of food material F to the inclined belt section 2, in the block of food material discharge step S1-2 is defined as T1.

[0047] The block of food ingredients storing step S1-1 is a step in which a large number of block of food ingredients F are put in by an operator through the upper opening of the storage case 1 and stored in a clustered state. At this time, the storage state of the food block F in the storage case 1 is as shown in Figure 6 (a), and the large amount of food block F that is introduced is stored in a clustered state by being accumulated approximately in the center of the food block supply belt section 12 due to the tapered inner wall 11 of the storage case 1.

[0048] The block of food ingredients discharge step S1-2 is a step in which the block of food ingredients F stored in a clustered state in the block of food ingredients storage step S1-1 are supplied to the inclined belt section 2, which is the next process. As shown in FIG. 6, the block of food material is conveyed by the block of food material supply belt section 12 toward a supply port 13 provided for discharging the block of food material onto the inclined belt section 2 .

[0049] As shown in Figure 6(b), the supply port 13 is approximately the same height as the food blocks F, so that when the food blocks F are discharged, the food blocks F, which are piled up in a crowded state, are prevented from being discharged by the inner wall 11 located at the top of the supply port 13. In other words, when actually discharging, the food blocks F are not discharged in a stacked state, and the number of food blocks F supplied to the inclined belt section 2 at one time is limited, so that a large amount of food blocks F is not supplied onto the inclined belt section 2 at one time.

[0050] The inclined conveying step S2 comprises a food block receiving step S2-1 for receiving food block F supplied from the storage case 1, a horizontal line conveying step S2-2 for conveying the food block F in a horizontal line by the upwardly inclined belt body 21, and a food block dropping and discharging step S2-3 for dropping and discharging the food block F from the end of the belt body 21 toward the horizontal conveying belt section 3 of the next process. The speed of the inclined belt section 2 in the horizontal single file conveying step S2-2 in which the block of food material F is dropped and conveyed onto the horizontal conveying belt section 3 is set to T2.

[0051] The block of food material receiving step S2-1 is a step for receiving the block of food material F discharged from the supply port 13 by the supply belt discharging step S1-2. The received block of food material F is received at the starting end side of the belt body 21 constituting the inclined belt section 2, that is, at the bottom part of the upward incline, and is temporarily held there.

[0052] The horizontal single-file conveying step S2-2 is a step in which the inclined belt section 2 conveys the block of food material F toward the top of the upward incline, which is the discharge position. The block of food material F transported up the inclined surface is transported in a horizontal line in the flow direction near the top of the upward incline.

[0053] Inclined belt section 2 First, the food block F is received from the food block supply belt unit 12. Ingredient block F is The layers are held in a layered state at the bottom of the belt body 21 which is in an upward inclination state. Although the food blocks F start to be conveyed in a stacked state, because the belt body 21 is in an upwardly inclined state, among the stacked food blocks F, those that exceed the height of the partition wall 23 are left behind at the foot of the upward incline without any support.

[0054] The partition wall 23 is erected on the surface of the belt body 21, and has a height equal to or less than the height of approximately one block of food F. Therefore, at the beginning of the transport on the inclined belt section 2, the block of food material F is divided into those that are directly supported by the partition wall 23 and those that are indirectly supported by the directly supported block of food material F, as shown in Figure 7(a).

[0055] In the middle of the conveying process of the inclined belt section 2, as shown in FIG. 7(b), a force in the X direction, which is the conveying direction, and a force in the Y direction due to the vibration of the belt main body 21 when it is driven act, and these two forces are converted into a force that moves in the Z direction. The block of food F, affected by this force in the Z direction, undergoes a slight rotational motion in the clockwise direction.

[0056] As a result, the block of food F directly supported by the partition wall 23 will be transported while rotating clockwise on the spot, but the block of food F indirectly supported by the block of food F directly supported by the partition wall 23 will be influenced by the rotation of the block of food F directly supported by the partition wall 23 and will experience violent rotational motion that the indirect support cannot withstand and will roll off.

[0057] As described above, in the inclined belt section 2, food blocks F other than those directly supported by the partition wall 23 roll down to the foot of the upward slope, so that the food blocks F are aligned horizontally in the flow direction from the middle to the top of the upward slope.

[0058] The block of food material dropping and discharging step S2-3 is a step in which the blocks of food material F, which have been arranged in a single horizontal line in the flow direction by the single horizontal line conveying step S2-2, are dropped from the top of the incline and delivered to the horizontal conveying belt section 3. The horizontal conveyor belt section 3 is located below the terminal end of the inclined belt section 2, and therefore transfers the block of food material F by dropping it from the top of the inclined belt section 2.

[0059] The horizontal conveying step S3 comprises a food block receiving step S3-1 in which the flow direction of the food block F dropped from the inclined belt section 2 is changed and received, a front-to-rear single-file conveying step S3-2 in which the food block F is conveyed horizontally, and a food block transfer step S3-3 in which the food block F is delivered to the final drop belt section 4.

[0060] The block of food material receiving step S3-1 is a step for receiving the block of food material F discharged from the top of the upward incline of the inclined belt section 2. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the horizontal conveying belt section 3 is arranged perpendicular to the flow direction of the inclined belt section 2 at a position below the end portion of the inclined belt section 2. Exchange The electrodes are arranged in such a manner that the electrodes are oriented in such a way that the electrodes are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the arrows.

[0061] Therefore, the block of food material F, which is transported by the inclined belt section 2 in a single horizontal line relative to the flow direction, changes its flow direction by 90 degrees. In other words, whereas the inclined belt section 2 transports the products in a horizontal line in the flow direction, the horizontal transport belt section 3 changes the transport direction horizontally, so that the products are transported in a front-to-back line.

[0062] In this embodiment, the horizontal conveying belt section 3 is configured with two conveying lanes, so the falling distance is long to make it easier for the food block F to reach both the first lane 31a and the second lane 31b.However, if there is only one conveying lane, the falling distance is short to allow the food block F to be received from the inclined belt section 2 without disrupting the row.

[0063] The front-to-back single-file conveying step S3-2 is a step for conveying the block of ingredients F, which has been placed in a front-to-back single-file state by the block of ingredient receiving step S3-1, sideways. Here, the horizontal direction means a horizontal direction with respect to the flow direction of the inclined belt portion 2, and as described above, a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the inclined belt portion 2. Exchange The horizontal conveyor belt section 3 is disposed in the direction perpendicular to the conveyor belt 1, and the conveying direction is turned by 90 degrees, so that the conveying can be performed horizontally.

[0064] Furthermore, the width of the belt body 31 of the horizontal transport belt section 3 is made substantially the same as the width of the block of food material F, so that the block of food material F is transported one by one in the flow direction.

[0065] The block of food material delivery step S3-3 is a step in which the block of food material F, which has been arranged in a single line in the flow direction by the single line conveying step S3-2, is delivered from the end of the horizontal conveyor belt section 3 to the terminal drop belt section 4. The terminal drop belt section 4 is disposed at the terminal end of the horizontal transport belt section 3, and the block of food material F transported to the terminal end is transferred one by one to the terminal drop belt section for delivery.

[0066] The speed of the horizontal conveyor belt section 3 forming the operational configuration for each step of the block of food material receiving step S3-1, the horizontal single line conveying step S3-2 and the block of food material delivery step S3-3 described above is represented as T3.

[0067] The final drop step S4 comprises a food block receiving step S4-1 in which the food block F transported from the horizontal transport belt section 3 is received in a single piece by controlling the belt speed, an individual transport step S4-2 in which the food block F is transported individually, and a food block input step S4-3 in which the food block F is input into the container T.

[0068] The block of food material receiving step S4-1 is a step in which the block of food material F is received from the lateral transport belt section 3. As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal drop belt section 4 is disposed at the terminal end of the horizontal transport belt section 3, and further, the transport speed is controlled to be faster than that of the horizontal transport belt section 3. In this embodiment, the conveyor belt 3 is disposed slightly below the conveyor belt 3 .

[0069] Therefore, the food blocks F transported by the horizontal conveying belt section 3 in a single file in the flow direction are transported at a faster speed than the horizontal conveying belt section 3 when they move onto the final drop belt section 4, so that the gap between each subsequent food block F becomes wider, and the food blocks F are individually separated while still forming a line. That is, the speed control of the final drop belt section 4 is configured to increase the distance between the multiple blocks of food material F that are transported in a line in front of and behind the lateral transport belt section 3 and in close contact with each other.

[0070] In addition, by arranging the final fall belt section 4 at a position slightly lower than the horizontal conveying belt section 3, if the food blocks F pile up when they are passed from the inclined belt section 2 to the horizontal conveying belt section 3, not only can the speed be controlled but also the steps can be arranged to make it easier to separate them individually.

[0071] The individual conveying step S4-2 is a step in which the block of food material F that has been individually separated in the block of food material receiving step S4-1 is conveyed in a single unit state. That is, in the food block receiving step S4-1, the speed of the horizontal conveying belt section 3 is controlled to widen the front-to-back distance between multiple food blocks F transported in a single line, thereby separating them individually, and the individually separated food blocks F are transported as individual pieces. The speed of each belt portion in the individual conveying step S4-2 and the final dropping step S4-3 is set to T4.

[0072] The block of food material throwing step S4-3 is a step in which the block of food material F conveyed individually in the individual conveying step S4-2 is thrown into the container T from the terminal end of the final falling belt section 4. The end of the final drop belt section 4 is located above the block of food material storage section 63 of the container T, and the block of food material is placed into the container T by dropping from the end of the final drop belt section 4 .

[0073] Furthermore, by transporting and dropping the block of food material F as individual pieces in the final dropping step S4, the number of pieces can be detected reliably by the dropped piece number detection section 53, making it possible to feed only the required number of pieces.

[0074] By setting the speeds T3 and T4 in each of the above-mentioned steps so that the speed T4 is faster, the front-to-back spacing between multiple food block F transported in a single file can be widened due to the relative speed change between the food block transfer step S3-3 and the food block receiving step S4-1, allowing individual separation. As a result, the block of food F can be transported individually and finally dropped and served one by one at a predetermined position or location, for example, a portion of a lunch box where prepared food is served.

[0075] Furthermore, it is desirable that the speeds T1 and T2 are basically the same, and the relationship between the speeds T3 and T4 is not particularly limited. However, since the food block supply belt section 12 and the inclined belt section 2 are configured to operate intermittently upon instructions from the supply instruction detection section 51, if the speed is too fast, there is a risk that new food block F will be supplied on top of food block F that has not yet flowed when it is transported by the horizontal conveying belt section 3, and if the speed is too slow, there is a risk that the feeding of food block F from the terminal drop belt section 4 into the container T will be interrupted, stopping the flow of the belt conveyor C transporting the container T. Therefore, it is desirable to adjust the speeds T1 and T2 within a range that does not cause excessive supply to the lateral transport belt section 3 and does not stop the flow of the belt conveyor C.

[0076] The various effects described above are merely a list of the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the present embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] M Food lump separation and conveyance device T container C. Conveyor belt F Food block 1 Storage Case 11 Inner wall 12 Food chunk supply belt section 121 Belt body 122, 122' Pulley 123 Transport Auxiliary Body 13 Supply inlet 2 Inclined belt section 21 Belt body 22, 22' Pulley 23 Partition Wall 24, 24' left and right fall prevention walls 25 Fall prevention wall 3 Horizontal conveyor belt section 31 Belt body 31a First lane 31b Second lane 32, 32' Pulley 33 Tension pulley 34 Partition 35, 35' left and right fall prevention walls 36 Sorting rod 4. Terminal drop belt section 41 Belt body 42, 42' Pulley 43 Tension pulley 44 Partition 45, 45' Left and right fall prevention walls 46 Filling auxiliary wall 51 Supply instruction detection unit 52 Leading distance detection unit 53 Falling item count detection unit 61 Mount 62 Filling assistance mechanism 63 Food block storage section 64 Electrical Department 65 Operation Panel 66 Drive unit cover S1 Storage and supply step S1-1 Food block storage step S1-2 Food lump discharge step S2 Inclined transport step S2-1 Food block receiving step S2-2 Inclined transport step S2-3 Food chunk drop discharge step S3 Horizontal transport step S3-1 Food block receiving step S3-2 Front and rear single row transport step S3-3 Food chunk delivery step S4 Terminal Fall Step S4-1 Food chunk delivery step S4-2 Individual transport step S4-3 Food lump input step

Claims

1. A storage case for storing a collection of food chunks; an inclined belt section including an endless belt arranged in an upward inclination and having partition walls at regular intervals on the belt surface, the partition walls being formed at a height substantially equal to or less than the standard height of the conveyed block of food; a horizontal conveying belt section in which a belt body is disposed horizontally below the inclined top of the inclined belt section so as to be perpendicular to the operating direction of the inclined belt section, and partition bodies are erected at regular intervals on the belt surface, so that the partition bodies can separate the block of food into individual blocks and convey them horizontally; a terminal drop belt section disposed at the end of the horizontal conveying belt section and configured to drop and convey a single block of food material to the block of food material storage section by controlling the conveying speed of the horizontal conveying belt section; Equipped with The device for individually separating and conveying block of food material is characterized in that a plurality of horizontal conveying belt sections are arranged in parallel, and each belt body is configured to allow the block of food material to be dropped and discharged from a plurality of final dropping belt sections in a single state.

2. 2. The device for separating and conveying individual block of food material according to claim 1, wherein the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section is controlled in comparison with that of the lateral conveying belt section by setting the conveying speed of the terminal drop belt section faster than that of the lateral conveying belt section.

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