Food cutting device

Abstract

To provide a food cutting device which can suppress the generation of a food sanitation problem and suppress the contamination of a cutting surface of food and the reduction in cutting performance.SOLUTION: A food cutting device 1 for cutting food while circularly moving a cutting blade 34 comprises suction means (a receiving member 61, a negative pressure generation part 94) which sucks an unnecessary object such as food debris generated when cutting by the cutting blade 34. The suction means is arranged so as to face a circular movement locus of the cutting blade 34. The receiving member 61 that receives the unnecessary object generated when cutting by the cutting blade 34 is provided at a portion on the upstream side in a suction direction in the suction means. Scrapers 70, 90 which scrape off the unnecessary object adhering to the cutting blade 34 are arranged so as to be in proximity to or in contact with the cutting blade 34. A nozzle member 74 which jets liquid such as water or gas-liquid mixed fluid toward the cutting blade 34 is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food cutting device for cutting food such as meat. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a device that cuts a block of food by wrapping an endless strip-shaped cutting blade around a pair of pulleys and moving the cutting blade in a circular motion. However, when using such a food cutting device to cut sticky foods that contain fats and oils, such as pork, there was a problem that unwanted materials such as food scraps and fats generated during the cutting process would adhere to the cutting blade, causing the cut surface of the food to become dirty. Furthermore, in those cases where a polishing member is provided to polish the cutting blade while it is moving around in a circular motion, the function of the polishing member is impaired by unwanted matter adhering to the cutting blade, making it impossible to polish the cutting blade sufficiently, resulting in a problem of reduced cutting ability (sharpness).

[0003] Even if a scraper is provided to remove unwanted material adhering to the cutting blade in order to address such problems, the scraped unwanted material accumulates near the scraper, and the problems of soiling the cut surface of the food and reduced cutting ability described above cannot be solved. For this reason, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a technique has been attempted in which cleaning water is sprayed onto the unwanted materials accumulated near the scraper to wash them away. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4555935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, simply spraying water as in the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is not enough to sufficiently remove unwanted material from the cutting blade, and even if the unwanted material falls off the cutting blade, it may remain near the cutting blade, causing food hygiene problems.

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and to realize a food cutting device that is less likely to cause food hygiene problems, and that reduces staining of the cut surface of food and reduction in cutting ability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions. That is, the invention described in claim 1 is a food cutting device which has a plurality of rotating bodies (32, 33) arranged at intervals, an endless band-shaped cutting blade (34) wound around the plurality of rotating bodies (32, 33), and cuts food while moving the cutting blade (34) in a circular motion, characterized in that the food cutting device is provided with suction means for sucking up unwanted matter such as food waste generated during cutting with the cutting blade (34), and the suction means is arranged facing the circular movement path of the cutting blade (34).

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention provides the food cutting device according to the first aspect, wherein the suction means includes a negative pressure generating section (94) that draws in air with negative pressure generated by the Venturi effect.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is a food cutting device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, which is provided with a receiving portion (61) at a position upstream of the suction means in the suction direction for receiving waste material generated during cutting with the cutting blade (34).

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides the food cutting device according to the third aspect, wherein the receiving portion (61) is formed in a dish or bowl shape.

[0011] The invention described in claim 5 is the food cutting device described in claim 3 or claim 4, which is provided with a scraper (70, 90) arranged in close proximity to or in contact with the cutting blade (34) for scraping off unwanted material adhering to the cutting blade (34), and which is configured so that the unwanted material scraped off and falling off by the scraper (70, 90) and the unwanted material accumulated near the scraper (70, 90) are sucked up by the suction means.

[0012] The invention described in claim 6 is the food cutting device described in claim 5, wherein the receiving part (61) is disposed below the scraper (70, 90) and the receiving part (61) receives unwanted material scraped off by the scraper (70, 90) and falls off.

[0013] The invention described in claim 7 is a food cutting device described in any one of claims 3 to 6, in which a discharge guide pipe (99) is connected to the downstream side of the suction means in the suction direction, and a discharge outlet (99E) at the end of this discharge guide pipe (99) is directed away from the main body of the food cutting device.

[0014] The invention described in claim 8 is the food cutting device described in any one of claims 3 to 7, further comprising a nozzle (74) for spraying a liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid toward the cutting blade (34), and the nozzle (74) and a receiving part (61) are arranged opposite each other on either side of the circular movement path of the cutting blade (34).

[0015] The invention described in claim 9 is the food cutting device described in claim 8, wherein the nozzle (74) is arranged toward a position upstream of the scraper (70, 90) in the direction of revolution of the cutting blade (34), and unnecessary material scraped off by the scraper (70, 90) is dropped into the receiving part (61) by a liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid sprayed from the nozzle (74).

[0016] The invention described in claim 10 is the food cutting device described in claim 8 or 9, wherein the timing of spraying liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid from the nozzle (74) and the timing of operating the suction means are set to be substantially simultaneous.

[0017] An eleventh aspect of the present invention provides the food cutting device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein the suction means is automatically and alternately activated and stopped.

[0018] The invention recited in claim 12 is the food cutting device recited in claim 11, wherein the operation time and the stop time of the suction means are changeable. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the invention described in claim 1, by sucking up unnecessary materials such as food scraps generated during cutting, food hygiene problems caused by these unnecessary materials are less likely to occur, and damage to the cut surface of the food and a decrease in cutting ability can also be reduced.

[0020] According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to achieving the effects of the invention described in claim 1, the negative pressure generated by the Venturi effect is used to draw in air and suck up unwanted materials, so there is no need to install a large suction device and the configuration can be made compact.

[0021] According to the invention as recited in claim 3, in order to achieve the effect of the invention as recited in claim 1 or 2, the unwanted matter can be received and then effectively sucked.

[0022] According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, in addition to achieving the effect of the invention as set forth in claim 3, it is possible to receive the unwanted matter within a predetermined range and to efficiently suck it in.

[0023] According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition to achieving the effects of the invention described in claim 3 or 4, by sucking up not only the unwanted material scraped off by the scraper and falling off, but also the unwanted material accumulated near the scraper, food hygiene problems are less likely to occur and damage to the cut surface of the food and a decrease in cutting ability can be reduced.

[0024] According to the invention as set forth in claim 6, in addition to achieving the effect of the invention as set forth in claim 5, the waste material scraped off by the scraper and falling off can be received and efficiently sucked up.

[0025] According to the invention described in claim 7, in addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of claims 3 to 6, the sucked-in unwanted matter can be discharged in a direction away from the main body of the food cutting device, reducing adhesion to the food cutting device and reducing the occurrence of hygiene problems.

[0026] According to the invention described in claim 8, in addition to the effects of the invention described in any one of claims 3 to 7, it is possible to receive and effectively suck up unwanted matter that is sprayed or washed away by liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid sprayed from a nozzle, and this, combined with the cleaning effect, can effectively reduce food hygiene problems.

[0027] According to the invention described in claim 9, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 8, the unwanted matter accumulated on one side of the scraper can be sucked up more smoothly by dropping it into a receiving section using a liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid ejected from a nozzle and then sucking it up.

[0028] According to the invention described in claim 10, in order to achieve the effects of the invention described in claim 8 or claim 9, the spraying of a liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixed fluid and the suction by the suction means are performed approximately simultaneously, thereby making it possible to perform suction more effectively.

[0029] According to the invention described in claim 11, in order to achieve the effect of the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 10, suction and suction stop are automatically alternated, so that unwanted matter can be effectively removed by the impact suction during suction.

[0030] According to the invention described in claim 12, in order to achieve the effects of the invention described in claim 11, the time for suction and the time for stopping suction can be adjusted depending on, for example, the type of food to be cut, the state of adhesion or accumulation of unwanted matter, etc., thereby obtaining an appropriate suction state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an overall right side view of the meat cutting device (the “food cutting device” in the claims). [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an overall plan view of a meat cutting device (the “food cutting device” in the claims). [Diagram 3] 1 is a transmission diagram of a meat cutting machine (the "food cutting machine" in the claims). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view for explaining the main part of the cutting portion. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a front view for explaining a main part of the suction means. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory front view showing FIG. 6 with some parts omitted. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining a main part of a suction unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a bottom view for explanation showing a part of the suction means in cross section. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory side view of a suction means. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] In the embodiment for carrying out the present invention, a meat cutting device for cutting and processing meat is illustrated as an example of a food cutting device, and an embodiment of the device will be described in detail below. For ease of explanation, the upstream side in the conveying direction of the meat being cut is defined as the "rear" side, the downstream side as the "front" side, and the left hand side when facing the downstream side is defined as the "left" side and the right hand side as the "right" side. Furthermore, the portions of the meat cutting device that come into contact with the chunks of meat before cutting or with the cut pieces of meat, and at least the areas in the vicinity thereof, are made of stainless steel from the viewpoint of food hygiene.

[0033] (Overall configuration of food cutting device) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the meat cutting device (claimed as "food cutting device") 1 includes a supply section 2, a cutting section 3, a transfer section 4, a folding section 5, a conveying section 6, and a control section 7 that controls these sections. In Figures 1 and 2, an operation box 1A equipped with a touch panel type operation screen is placed above the cutting section 3, and a supply pipe 1C for supplying compressed air to an air cylinder described later is installed from a position near the base of a support frame 1B that supports this operation box 1A. The upper end of this supply pipe 1C is connected to a compressed air supply facility in the factory where the meat cutting device 1 is installed.

[0034] (Supply Section Configuration) As shown in FIG. 3, the supply unit 2 has a rectangular frame 2A in plan view, with a wide drive roller 2B supported at the rear thereof and a wide driven roller 2C supported at the front end thereof. A wide, endless supply belt 2D that forms the bottom surface of the supply section 2 is wound around the drive roller 2B and driven roller 2C.

[0035] A flat loading plate 2E is provided at the rear end of the frame body 2A, and a supply motor 2F is provided below this loading plate 2E. The supply motor 2F drives the above-mentioned drive roller 2B in conjunction with the loading plate 2E via a gear transmission mechanism 2G. A tension roller 2H is brought into contact with the lower winding region of the supply belt 2D. A horizontal swing shaft 2I is provided at the rear end of the frame 2A and is supported by a fixed machine frame. This allows the supply unit 2 to be supported so as to be freely swingable up and down.

[0036] The frame 2A also has a top wall and left and right side walls 2J, and left and right supply chambers 2L are formed surrounded by these three walls, a central partition wall 2K, and a bottom supply belt 2D. The left and right supply chambers 2L are supplied with chunks of meat (the "food" in the claims) that have been cut from a carcass and have had bones and tendons removed.

[0037] In addition, the rear ends of the left and right arms 2M are supported on the above-mentioned left and right swing shafts 2I so that they can swing up and down, and the pressure plates 2N provided on the front ends of the left and right arms 2M are inserted downward from the top openings of the front ends of the left and right supply chambers 2L. An air cylinder 2P for pressing down the left and right arms 2M is provided at the front of the left and right arms 2M, and the front end of the chunk of meat supplied into the supply chamber 2L by the air cylinder 2P is pressed by a pressure plate 2N.

[0038] Further, a crankshaft 2R driven by a swing motor 2Q attached to the bottom of the fixed machine frame is connected to the front lower part of the frame body 2A by a linking rod 2S via a bearing.

[0039] (Basic configuration of the cutting part) As shown in FIG. 3, the cutting section 3 is configured by winding an endless strip-shaped cutting blade 34 around a drive pulley (one of the “plural rotating bodies” in the claims) 32 driven by a cutting motor 31 and a driven pulley 33 (the other of the “plural rotating bodies” in the claims) arranged spaced apart from the drive pulley 32 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the edge of the cutting blade 34 opposite the cutting tip in the lower winding region is fitted into a left-right groove formed in the lower part of the cutting blade receiving member 35 so as to be supported slidably in the circulating direction.

[0040] Further, a frame member 2T having left and right openings is fastened to the front end of the frame 2A of the above-mentioned supply unit 2 with bolts. The front surface of this frame member 2T is formed in an arc shape centered on the pivot axis 2I of the supply unit 2 in a side view, and the rear surface of the cutting edge of the cutting blade 34 is configured to slide against it.

[0041] Further, a receiving plate 2U for receiving the front end of the chunk of meat delivered from the left and right supply chambers 2L is supported on the machine frame side of the meat cutting device 1 so that its position can be freely adjusted in the front-rear direction. The entire rear surface of the receiving plate 2U or a part of the surface is formed in an arc shape centered on the pivot axis 2I of the supply unit 2 in a side view. That is, the front surface of the frame member 2T and the rear surface of the receiving plate 2U are made to have the same or similar arc shapes in a side view.

[0042] As a result, as the supply unit 2 swings upward, the blade edge of the circulating cutting blade 34 cuts from above into the front end portion of the chunk of meat protruding from the left and right supply chambers 2L. Then, when the supply unit 2 swings upward to a position near the upper limit of its swing range, the front end of the chunk of meat is cut off by the cutting blade 34, and the meat pieces cut to a specified thickness pass through the gap T between the cutting edge of the cutting blade 34 and the upper end of the receiving plate 2U and are discharged to the front side of the receiving plate 2U. The discharged meat pieces are passed on to a transfer rotor 4A of the transfer unit 4, which will be described later.

[0043] Thereafter, the supply unit 2 swings down to the lower limit of its swing range, and the front end of the chunk of meat is fed out from the front end of the supply chamber 2L by the drive of the supply belt 2D and is positioned by abutting against the rear surface of the receiving plate 2U. Thereafter, the supply unit 2 again swings upward, and the above-mentioned cutting of the chunks of meat is repeated. The detailed structure of the cutting portion 3 will be described later.

[0044] (Configuration of the handover section) As shown in FIG. 3, the transfer section 4 is disposed in front of the cutting section 3, and includes a number of transfer rotors 4A that rotate with pieces of meat (food pieces) cut by the cutting blades 34 placed on them. This transfer rotor 4A is formed by forming numerous projections and recesses with sharp points on the periphery of an annular plate, which are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval in the axial direction, and is driven to rotate via a gear transmission mechanism by the drive of a transfer motor 4B.

[0045] (Configuration of the folding part) As shown in FIG. 3, the folding section 5 is composed of a rod-shaped member 5B that rotates back and forth by a folding motor 5A, a pushing rod 5D that moves up and down by an air cylinder 5C, a spring-shaped wire 5E that is bent into an approximate shape of a right-angled triangle, and a sliding motor 5F that slides the rod-shaped member 5B back and forth via a link mechanism.

[0046] A number of thin rods that can be retracted are attached to the rod-shaped member 5B in the spaces between the above-mentioned number of transfer rotors 4A, and as these thin rods rotate backward from their retracted positions, their tips push up the middle part of the meat piece in the front-to-rear direction on the transfer rotor 4A, and both the front and rear ends of the meat piece hang down under their own weight, causing them to bend and place on the conveying section 6.

[0047] The piece of meat placed on the conveying section 6 is pressed and folded by the descending pressing rod 5D, the thin rod sandwiched between the piece of meat is removed by the forward sliding of the rod-shaped member 5B, and the pressing rod 5D rises and retreats from the piece of meat while the rise of the piece of meat is restricted by the point contact of the spring-shaped wire 5E.

[0048] (Configuration of the transport section) As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying section 6 is configured by winding an endless conveying belt 6C around a rear driven roller group 6A and a front driven roller group 6B which are formed long in the left-right direction, and wrapping the lower side of the winding range of the conveying belt 6C around the lower peripheral surface of a drive roller 6D arranged at the rear. Tension rollers 6E are arranged on both the front and rear sides of the drive roller 6D, and these two tension rollers 6E ensure the wrapping length of the inner peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 6C around the drive roller 6D, thereby reducing slippage. A transport motor 6F is connected to the drive roller 6D.

[0049] In addition, a front swing motor 6G is provided to swing the above-mentioned rear driven roller group 6A up and down via a link mechanism, so that the rear end (conveyance starting end) of the conveyor belt 6C is raised when a piece of meat is placed on it. Alternatively, a reciprocating sliding motor may be provided to reciprocate the front driven roller group 6B in the front-rear direction via a link mechanism, thereby moving the position of the front end (transport terminal) of the transport section 6 back and forth.

[0050] (Details of the cut section) The cutting motor 31 is built into the left support stand 36 which stands obliquely upward toward the front from the machine frame side, and the left plate-like member 37 is fixed to the upper part of this left support stand 36. As shown in FIG. 5, a through hole is formed in the center of the left plate member 37, and the output shaft 31P of the cutting motor 31 protrudes upward and forward from this through hole, with the drive pulley 32 attached to its protruding end. The upward protruding end of the rotating shaft 32P of this drive pulley 32 is rotatably supported via a bearing on the free end 38F of a trifurcated support member 38 which stands upright from two positions on the top surface of the left-hand plate-shaped member 37 so as to straddle the upper inside surface of the drive pulley 32.

[0051] On the other hand, a right-side plate-like member 40 is fixed to the upper part of a right-side support stand 39 which stands obliquely upward and forward from the machine frame. A through hole larger than the through hole formed in the center of the left plate member 37 described above is formed in the center of the right plate member 40, and the support shaft 33P protrudes upward and front from this through hole. The driven pulley 33 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 33P via a bearing.

[0052] An outer cylinder 41 is fixed to the protruding end of the support shaft 33P, and a base portion of a support member 42 extending downward to the left along the radial direction of the driven pulley 33 is fixed to the outer cylinder 41. A base of a scraper 44 that fits into a recess 43 formed in the circumferential surface of the driven pulley 33 is attached to a stay fixed to the free end of the support member 42 .

[0053] An air cylinder (not shown) is provided to move the above-mentioned support shaft 33P in the left-right direction, and tension is applied to the cutting blade 34 by the thrust of this air cylinder. By shortening this air cylinder, the driven pulley 33 supported by the support shaft 33P approaches the drive pulley 32 side, shortening the winding circumferential length, and the cutting blade 34 can be replaced. The left-right movement of the support shaft 33P relative to the right-side plate-like member 40 is permitted by the presence of the through-hole formed in this plate-like member 40 described above.

[0054] The upper portion of the left plate member 37 and the upper end portion of the right plate member 40 are connected by a connecting frame 45 in the left-right direction. A stay 46 for mounting a grinding device (not shown) is fixed to the right end of this connecting frame 45, a cover mounting portion 47 is provided in the left-right middle portion, and an outer panel mounting portion 48 is provided in the left-right center portion.

[0055] Further, the right lower part of the left plate member 37 and the left lower part of the right plate member 40 are provided with left and right mounting members 49 for mounting the ends of the above-mentioned cutting blade receiving member 35 thereon. Covers 50, 50 that can be opened and closed are provided on the driving pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33, and a removable cover 51 is attached to the outer plate mounting portion 48 described above. A left scrap remover 60L and a right scrap remover 60R are provided at the right lower end of the left plate member 37 and the left lower end of the right plate member 40, respectively.

[0056] Further, the cutting blade 34 wound around the driving pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33 described above moves in a circular motion as the driving pulley 32 rotates. A cutting action portion 34K along which the cutting blade 34 moves linearly in a circular movement direction 34T is formed at the lower side of the circular movement path of the cutting blade 34 having an oblong shape.

[0057] (Arrangement of meat scrap removal section) As shown in FIG. 5, in a front view of the cutting unit 3, the left scrap remover 60L is disposed in a corner formed between the lower periphery of the drive pulley 32 and the orbit of the cutting blade . On the other hand, the right scrap remover 60R is disposed in the corner formed between the lower periphery of the driven pulley 33 and the orbit of the cutting blade .

[0058] (Structure of meat scrap removal section) The above-mentioned left scrap removal portion 60L and right scrap removal portion 60R have the same structure. As shown in FIG. 8, a portion of the bottom edge of the left plate member 37 and the right plate member 40 is cut out in a rectangular shape, and a dish- or bowl-shaped receiving member (forming the "receiving portion" in the claims) 61 which is square in plan view is fitted into this cutout portion and supported on the underside of the end portion of the plate member 37 (40) via a stay 62.

[0059] On the other hand, a support member 63 is fixed to the upper surface of the end portion of the plate-like member 37 (40). As shown in Figures 6, 8, and 9, this support member 63 is composed of a lower plate portion 65 that is joined to the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 37 (40) and fixed with a countersunk screw 64, a support portion 66 that rises at a right angle from this lower plate portion 65, and an upper plate portion 68 that is detachably attached to the upper end of the support portion 66 with a wing bolt 67.

[0060] As shown in Figure 9, two support plates 69, 69 are fixed in a hanging position to the underside of the left and right ends of the upper plate portion 68, and left and right scrapers 70, 70 are attached to the left and right outer surfaces of the two support plates 69, 69 by fastening them with screws 71, 71, respectively.

[0061] In addition, a support tube 72 is raised obliquely upward from the lower part of the support column 66, and an injection block 73 is fixed to the upper end of the support tube 72. Left and right nozzle members ("nozzles" in the claims) 74, 74 are joined to the left and right sides of this injection block 73, respectively, and fastened in place with bolts 75, 75. The left and right nozzle members 74, 74 have injection ports 76, 76 opened at their lower ends, and injection flow paths 77, 77 communicating with the injection ports 76, 76 are formed inside each nozzle member 74, 74.

[0062] Inside the above-mentioned injection block 73, a distribution flow path 78 communicating with the left and right injection flow paths 77, 77 is formed, and the center of this distribution flow path is connected to the flow path (not shown) inside the above-mentioned support pipe 72. As shown in FIG. 10, the upstream end of the flow path in this support tube 72 is connected to a flow path that penetrates the plate-shaped member 37 (40), and a supply port 79 that protrudes downward from the plate-shaped member 37 (40) is connected to this flow path. To this supply port 79, a fluid pressure-feeding circuit, which will be described later, is connected.

[0063] A left or right end of a U-shaped plate 80 with an open front portion is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 81 on one of the left or right edges of the rectangular cutout in the plate-like member 37 (40). A plunger pin 82 is provided at the other left and right end of the plate 80, and an engagement hole 83 into which the tip of this plunger pin 82 fits is formed at the other left and right edge of the notch in the plate-like member 37 (40). As a result, the plate 80 is released by pulling the knob 84 of the plunger pin 82 and removing the tip of the plunger pin 82 from the engagement hole 83, and the plate 80 can be rotated downward and forward along the upper surface of the plate-shaped member 37 (40) for maintenance.

[0064] A side wall 85 rising obliquely upward on the front side is integrally formed on the front portion of the plate 80. As shown in FIG. 6, the side wall 85 has three inner surfaces formed in a U-shape, and all of these inner surfaces are formed continuously up to approximately the same height as the upper end of the scraper 70. This side wall 85 prevents the scattering of meat scraps and fluid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid sprayed from the spray port 76 of the nozzle member 74.

[0065] In addition, when the tip of the plunger pin 82 is fitted into the engagement hole 83 to fix the plate 80, the three inner surfaces of the side wall 85 on the plate 80 side approximately match the inner surfaces of the three sides of the upper end of the receiving member 61. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, a support portion 86 is provided to protrude from the front inner surface of the side wall 85 on the plate 80 side, and an upper plate 87 is fastened to the upper end of this support portion 86 with a wing bolt 88. Two support plates 89, 89 are fixed in a hanging position to the underside of the left and right ends of this upper plate 87, and left and right scrapers 90, 90 are fastened and attached to the left and right outer surfaces of the two support plates 89, 89 with screws 91, 91, respectively.

[0066] As a result, the left and right scrapers 90, 90 are disposed at positions facing the left and right scrapers 70, 70 described above, with the cutting blade 34 in between. Further, the tips (free ends) of the four scrapers 70, 90 contact both the upper and lower surfaces (the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the circular movement path) of the cutting blade 34. Alternatively, the tips of the scrapers 70, 90 may be arranged to form a small gap so as not to contact the cutting blade 34. As shown in FIG. 5, the left scrap removal portion 60L supports a scraper 32S which fits into a recess 32U formed in the outer circumferential surface of the drive pulley 32. As shown in FIG.

[0067] 6 and 7, the above-mentioned injection port 76 is disposed toward a portion upstream of the scrapers 70, 90 in the circumferential movement direction 34T of the cutting blade 34. Alternatively, the injection port 76 is disposed at a position for injecting water toward a portion upstream of the scrapers 70, 90 on the cutting blade 34. With this arrangement, a part of the cutting blade 34 , the scrapers 70 , 90 , the nozzle member 74 and the jet nozzle 76 are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the trajectory of the revolution of the cutting blade 34 and face the upper side of the receiving member 61 .

[0068] As shown in FIG. 10, the plate-like member 37 (40) is inclined downward toward the front, and the scrapers 70, 90 and the receiving member 61 are disposed opposite each other above and below. This allows meat scraps and grease scraped off from both the upper and lower side surfaces of the cutting blade 34 by the scrapers 70, 90 to easily fall into the receiving member 61 located directly below.

[0069] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the bottom of the receiving member 61 is formed in a truncated cone shape tapering downward, with a suction hole 92 formed in the center of the bottom, and a suction tube portion 93 communicating with this suction hole 92 protruding downward. A negative pressure generating unit 94 is connected to the lower end of the suction tube portion 93 .

[0070] (Structure of negative pressure generating part) This negative pressure generating section 94 is connected by fitting the inner periphery of the upper end of the first cylindrical body 95 onto the outer periphery of the lower end of the suction tube section 93, and is constructed by screwing and connecting the male screw portion formed on the outer periphery of the upper part of the first cylindrical body 95 and the female screw portion formed on the inner periphery of the upper end of the second cylindrical body 96 by a screw-threaded connection portion 95N. In addition, an annular groove is formed on the outer periphery of the vertical middle part of the above-mentioned first cylindrical body 95, and a sealing member 95S is fitted into this groove to form a sealing structure that prevents air from passing between the upper outer periphery of the first cylindrical body 95 and the upper end inner periphery of the second cylindrical body 96.

[0071] The first cylindrical body 95 has an upper end portion with an inner periphery formed in a funnel shape tapering downward, and defines therein a communication space 95A that is circular in cross section. The lower part of the first cylindrical body 95 is gradually thinner in thickness toward the lower side, forming a truncated cone part 95T.

[0072] The second cylindrical body 96 has a large diameter portion 96A formed at its upper portion, and a small diameter portion 96B formed integrally with the lower portion of the large diameter portion 96A. A pressure chamber 96P is formed between the inner surface of the large diameter portion 96A and the outer surface of the truncated cone portion 95T, and a small gap 96J is formed between the lower end of the truncated cone portion 95T in this pressure chamber 96P and the step portion between the inner surface of the large diameter portion 96A and the inner surface of the small diameter portion 96B, which form the bottom wall of the pressure chamber 96P. The pressure chamber 96P and a gap 96J formed at the lower end of the pressure chamber 96P are formed in an annular shape.

[0073] In addition, the inner circumferential surface of the above-mentioned small diameter portion 96B at its upper end is formed into a truncated cone shape tapering downward, the inner circumferential surface of its vertical middle portion is formed into a cylindrical shape, and the inner circumferential surface of its lower end is formed into a truncated cone shape that widens downward, and a communicating space 96S that is continuous in the vertical direction is formed inside it. In addition, the underside of the step formed between the large diameter portion 96A and the small diameter portion 96B is received by the forked portion of the support stay 96L, which is bent into a crank shape when viewed from the side, and fastened with screws 96N, and the plate portion at the upper end of this support stay 96L is fastened to the above-mentioned plate-shaped member 37 (40) with a bolt 96V. As a result, the negative pressure generating portion 94 is supported on the plate-like member 37 (40) side.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 8, a female screw hole communicating with the pressure chamber 96P is formed in the large diameter portion 96A of the second cylindrical body 96 described above, and a male screw portion formed on the outer periphery of the air injection nozzle 97 is screwed into this female screw hole and fixed. As a result, the injection port 97S formed at the tip of the air injection nozzle 97 communicates with the pressure chamber 96P. The upper end of an air pressure pipe 98 is connected to the air injection nozzle 97, and the lower end of the air pressure pipe 98 is connected to a fluid pressure circuit provided on the main body side of the meat cutting device 1, which will be described later. The above-mentioned receiving member 61 and negative pressure generating portion 94 are referred to as "suction means" in the claims.

[0075] In addition, the inner periphery of the upper end of the discharge guide pipe 99 is fitted into the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 96B of the above-mentioned second cylindrical body 96, and the upper part of this discharge guide pipe 99 is bent to form a hanging portion 99A, which is fastened and fixed to the main body side of the meat cutting device 1 with a bolt 99C via a stay 99B. A lower end 99D of the discharge guide pipe 99 is bent in a direction away from the main body of the meat cutting device 1, and a discharge port 99E is formed at the end of the lower end 99D. As a result, the discharge port 99E faces away from the main body of the meat cutting device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, a cover 100 is provided to cover the sides of the negative pressure generating section 94 and the discharge guide pipe 99.

[0076] When air is injected from the injection port 97S of the air injection nozzle 97 into the pressure chamber 96P, the air becomes even more highly pressurized within the pressure chamber 96P and is then ejected from the gap 96J at a high flow rate into the communicating space 96S below. At this time, due to the Venturi effect (the phenomenon in which a low pressure area is created when the cross-sectional area of ​​the fluid flow is narrowed and the flow rate is increased. This is derived from Bernoulli's theorem when the flow rate is constant), negative pressure is generated in the communication space 95A, and air is drawn in through the suction hole 92 and released downward from the communication space 96S.

[0077] (Fluid pumping circuit) As shown in FIG. 11, a mixed fluid pressure-transfer circuit 200 for pressure-transferring a mixture of water and air ("liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixed fluid" in the claims) to a supply port 79 leading to the injection port 76 of the nozzle member 74 described above, and an air pressure-transfer circuit 300 for pressure-transferring air to an air pressure-transfer pipe 98 leading to the air injection nozzle 97 described above are provided on the meat cutting device 1 side.

[0078] The above-mentioned mixed fluid pressure-feeding circuit 200 first includes a connection port 201 connected to a compressed air supply facility in a factory where the meat cutting device 1 is installed, a pressure accumulator 202 communicating with the downstream side of the connection port 201, a branch passage 203 connected to the downstream side of the pressure accumulator 202, a compressed air supply electromagnetic switching valve 204 communicating with one end of the branch passage 203, a check valve 205 and a variable throttle valve 206 communicating in parallel with the downstream side of the electromagnetic switching valve 204, a check valve 207 communicating with the downstream sides of the check valve 205 and the variable throttle valve 206, and a mixed fluid pressure-feeding flow path 208 branching off from the downstream side of the check valve 207 and leading to the supply port 79.

[0079] Furthermore, it is equipped with an electromagnetic switching valve 209 that supplies water supplied from a water supply facility within the factory, a check valve 210 and a variable throttle valve 211 that are connected to the downstream side of this electromagnetic switching valve 209, and a check valve 212 that is connected to the downstream side of this check valve 210 and the variable throttle valve 211. The above-mentioned mixed fluid pressure-feeding flow path 208 branches off from the flow path connecting the above-mentioned check valve 207 and check valve 212 .

[0080] As a result, the air that has passed through the check valve 207 and the water that has passed through the check valve 212 join and mix, flow through the mixed fluid pressure-feeding passage 208, flow through the supply port 79, and are sprayed from the nozzle port 76 of the nozzle member 74.

[0081] On the other hand, the above-mentioned air pressure delivery circuit 300 includes an electromagnetic switching valve circuit 301 communicating with the other end of the above-mentioned branch path 203, a parallel circuit of a check valve 302 and a variable throttle valve 303 communicating with the downstream side of this electromagnetic switching valve circuit 301, and an air pressure delivery flow path 304 that delivers air that has passed through this variable throttle valve 303 to the above-mentioned air pressure delivery pipe 98.

[0082] (Control Unit Configuration) As shown in FIG. 12, the control unit 7 includes a controller 7A. On the input side of this controller 7A, there are a start switch 7B, an automatic meat piece height setting on / off switch 7C, a chunk meat height manual setting switch 7D, a parallel length manual setting switch 7E, a parallel number manual setting switch 7F, a parallel number automatic control on / off switch 7G, a left chunk meat height measuring potentiometer 7H, a right chunk meat height measuring potentiometer 7I, a supply unit swing angle measuring potentiometer 7J, a lower endless belt moving distance measuring sensor 7K, and a left A potentiometer 7L for measuring the rotation phase of the transfer rotor, a potentiometer 7M for measuring the rotation phase of the right-side transfer rotor, a potentiometer 7N for detecting the rotation angle of the left-side rod-shaped body, a potentiometer 7P for detecting the rotation angle of the right-side rod-shaped body, a potentiometer 7Q for measuring the extension / retraction position of the air cylinder for operating the pressing member, a potentiometer 7R for detecting the swing angle of the swing arm, a sensor 7S for measuring the conveyor movement distance, a suction operation time adjustment dial 7TC, and a suction stop time adjustment dial 7TD are connected.

[0083] On the other hand, to the output side of the controller 7A, there are connected a cutting motor driver 77B, a swing motor driver 77C, a conveying motor driver 77D, a left handover motor driver 77E, a right handover motor driver 77F, a left swing motor driver 77G, a right swing motor driver 77H, a left entry / exit motor driver 77I, a right entry / exit motor driver 77J, an air cylinder valve solenoid 77K, a conveying drive motor driver 77L, a vertical movement motor driver 77M, an extension / retraction motor driver 77N, a solenoid 204S for operating the solenoid switching valve 204, a solenoid 209S for operating the solenoid switching valve 209, and a solenoid 301S for operating the solenoid switching valve circuit 301.

[0084] (Injection and suction action and their control) During cutting operation, output is simultaneously sent from controller 7A to solenoid 204S, solenoid 209S, and solenoid 301S, so that the spraying of a mixture of water and air from nozzle 76 of nozzle member 74 and the suction of air (outside air) by negative pressure generating unit 94 are performed at approximately the same time. Moreover, this ejection and suction is repeated at set time intervals during the cutting operation.

[0085] That is, the start of ejection and suction and the stop of ejection and suction are alternated, so that the ejection and suction act in an impact manner. As a result, meat scraps and grease adhering to the cutting blade 34, meat scraps and grease scraped off from the cutting blade 34 by the scrapers 70, 90 and falling, and meat scraps and grease accumulated near the scrapers 70, 90 fall onto the receiving member 61 side or are directly sucked in, and are discharged from the suction hole 92 through the communicating space 95A, the communicating space 96S, and the discharge guide pipe 99 to the outside through the discharge port 99E.

[0086] Moreover, by operating the suction operation time adjustment dial 7TC, the output time from the controller 7A to each solenoid can be changed, and the suction time by the negative pressure generating unit 94 can be adjusted as desired. Moreover, by operating the suction stop time adjustment dial 7TD, the output stop time from the controller 7A to each solenoid can be changed, and the suction stop time by the negative pressure generating unit 94 can also be adjusted as desired. This adjustment makes it possible to respond to the adhesion or accumulation of meat scraps and grease. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 Meat cutting device (food cutting device) 32 Drive pulley (rotating body) 33 Driven pulley (rotating body) 34 Cutting blade 61 Receiving member (receiving portion) 70 Scraper 74 Nozzle material (nozzle) 90 Scraper 94 Negative pressure generating section 99 Discharge guide pipe 99E Outlet

Claims

1. A food cutting device in which a plurality of rotating bodies (32, 33) are arranged at intervals, an endless belt-like cutting blade (34) is wound around the plurality of rotating bodies (32, 33), and the food is cut by swinging the food up and down relative to the cutting blade (34) while the cutting blade (34) moves in a circular motion with its cutting edge facing downward, A scraper (70, 90) is provided which is disposed in close proximity to or in contact with the cutting blade (34) and scrapes off unnecessary material adhering to the cutting blade (34), and a nozzle (74) is provided which is disposed facing an edge portion of the cutting blade (34) on the opposite side to the cutting edge and which sprays a liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixed fluid from the edge side of the cutting blade (34) toward the cutting edge side, The food cutting device is characterized by being provided with a suction means disposed facing the cutting edge of the cutting blade (34) and sandwiching the rotational movement trajectory of the cutting blade (34) between the nozzle (74), and configured to suck up unwanted matter such as food scraps that are generated during cutting with the cutting blade (34) and scraped off by the scraper (70, 90).

2. 2. The food cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the suction means includes a negative pressure generating section (94) that draws in air by negative pressure generated by the Venturi effect.

3. 3. The food cutting device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving portion (61) for receiving waste material generated during cutting with the cutting blade (34) at a position upstream of the suction means in the suction direction.

4. 4. A food cutting device according to claim 3, wherein said receiving portion (61) is formed in a dish or bowl shape.

5. A food cutting device as described in claim 1, wherein the scraper (70, 90) is flat and arranged so that its side is close to or in contact with the cutting blade (34), and its face plate portion is arranged along the spray direction of the nozzle (74).

6. 4. The food cutting device according to claim 3, wherein the receiving portion (61) is disposed below the scraper (70, 90) and is configured to receive unwanted material scraped off by the scraper (70, 90) and falling off the scraper (70, 90).

7. 7. A food cutting device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a discharge guide pipe (99) is connected to the downstream side of the suction means in the suction direction, and a discharge outlet (99E) at the end of the discharge guide pipe (99) is directed away from the main body of the food cutting device.

8. 4. The food cutting device of claim 3, wherein the nozzle (74) is positioned toward a position upstream of the scraper (70, 90) in the direction of circular movement of the cutting blade (34), and unwanted material scraped off by the scraper (70, 90) is dropped into the receiving portion (61) by a liquid such as water or a gas-liquid mixture fluid sprayed from the nozzle (74).

9. The suction means has a suction hole (92) that opens toward the rotational movement trajectory of the cutting blade (34) and sucks in the unnecessary material, 2. The food cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle (74) and the scraper (70, 90) are provided on the upstream and downstream sides, respectively, of the suction hole (92) in the rotational movement path of the cutting blade (34).

10. 2. The food cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the timing of spraying the liquid such as water or the gas-liquid mixture fluid from the nozzle (74) and the timing of operating the suction means are set to be substantially simultaneous.

11. 11. The food cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the suction means is automatically and alternately activated and deactivated.

12. 12. The food cutting device according to claim 11, wherein the operation time and the stop time of the suction means are changeable.

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