Cutting device and method for edible products

Abstract

The cutting device according to the present invention includes a cylindrical cutting body that rotates in an axial direction in the left-right direction, a cutting roller having cutting blades that protrude radially outward from the surface of the cutting body so as to cut an edible product provided along a front-rear direction, and a cutting base that is arranged at a position opposite to the cutting roller with respect to the edible product so as to support the edible product to be cut by the cutting roller.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device for edible products and a cutting method using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Processing thin food materials to form sheeted edible products requires delicate handling of the food materials. If the food material is not handled with care, it may tear or become crumpled or deformed, preventing subsequent processing steps from proceeding normally, which may lead to process interruptions and reduced productivity. When food processing is carried out by skilled personnel, it should be possible to form an edible product with minimal loss of material and production time. However, when the work is performed by unskilled workers or using poorly designed machinery, the ingredients cannot be handled delicately, which can lead to damage to the ingredients and reduced productivity.

[0003] Generally, to produce an edible product using thin ingredients, a method may be used in which the ingredients are supplied in the form of a stack in which multiple ingredients are layered, and the individual food ingredients are separated from the stack and then subjected to a predetermined processing. This process requires particularly delicate handling of the ingredients.

[0004] Meanwhile, seaweed snacks can be processed into suitable sizes for consumption by consumers through a process of being cut into small pieces. However, due to the nature of laver, foreign objects such as scraps that are generated during the cutting process may accumulate or get caught in the cutting device through repeated processes, preventing smooth operation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to solve these problems by providing a cutting device and a cutting method using the same, which smoothly removes foreign matter generated during the process of slicing edible products such as seaweed snacks, thereby reducing the occurrence of defects and improving productivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The cutting device of the present invention includes a cylindrical cutting body that rotates in the left-right direction along an axial direction, a cutting roller having a cutting blade that protrudes radially outward from the surface of the cutting body so as to cut an edible product provided along a front-rear direction, and a cutting base that is arranged at a position facing the cutting roller with respect to the edible product so as to support the edible product to be cut by the cutting roller. an air knife disposed opposite the cutting blade so as to inject air at the cutting blade; Includes. In addition, the cutting device of the present invention includes a cylindrical cutting body that rotates in the left-right direction along an axial direction, a cutting roller having cutting blades that protrude further outward in the radial direction of the cutting body from the surface of the cutting body to cut an edible product provided along a front-rear direction, and a cutting base portion that is arranged at a position facing the cutting roller based on the edible product to support the edible product to be cut by the cutting roller, the cutting blades including front-rear cutting blades extending along the circumferential direction of the cutting body, left-right cutting blades extending along the left-right direction, and a connecting cutting blade having a curved surface that is arranged at a position where the front-rear cutting blades and the left-right cutting blades meet and connect the front-rear cutting blades and the left-right cutting blades, and the cutting roller includes a connecting injection hole that is a hole formed in the connecting cutting blade on the radial outer side of the cutting body to inject gas toward the radial outer side of the cutting body.

[0007] The cutting method of the present invention includes the steps of receiving a supply of edible product, rotating a cutting roller having a cylindrical cutting body rotatable in a left-right direction along an axial direction and a cutting blade protruding radially outward from a surface of the cutting body so as to cut the edible product provided along a front-rear direction, and injecting gas through an injection hole disposed adjacent to the cutting blade in the cutting body so as to remove foreign matter around the cutting blade. after the gas is injected from the injection hole, the air is injected to the cutting blade through an air knife to remove the foreign matter; Includes. Effect of the Invention

[0008] As a result, foreign matter generated during the process of slicing edible products can be smoothly removed, the occurrence of defects can be reduced, and productivity can be increased. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram of an edible product production system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an edible product production system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view of an edible product production system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a left side view of an edible product production system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view showing some components of a cutting device of an edible product production system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

[0014] [Figure 6] 11 is a perspective view showing some components of a cutting device of an edible product manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention from another direction. FIG.

[0015] [Figure 7] 2 is a right side view showing some components of a cutting device of the edible product manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

[0016] [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a cutting device of an edible product production system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a detailed view showing a portion of FIG. 8 in detail.

[0018] [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a cutting device of an edible product production system according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a detailed view showing a portion of FIG. 10 in detail.

[0020] [Figure 12] 1 is a flow chart of a method of making an edible product according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] [Figure 13] 1 is a flow chart of a method for cutting an edible product according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to exemplary figures. In assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, care should be taken to ensure that identical components have the same numerals whenever possible, even if they appear on different drawings. In addition, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if a detailed description of related known configurations or functions is determined to hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

[0023] Additionally, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used to describe components of embodiments of the present invention. Such terms are used merely to distinguish a component from other components, and do not limit the essence, order, or sequence of the components. When a component is described as being "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but there may also be other components "coupled," "coupled," or "connected" between each component.

[0024] This application claims priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0186726 filed on December 29, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety in the specification and drawings.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a right side view of an edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a left side view of an edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] As shown in the figure, an edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first foodstuff supplying device 20, a second foodstuff supplying device 30 and a pressurizing device 50. An edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a system frame 10, may include a bonding fluid jetting device 41, may include an auxiliary bonding fluid jetting device 42, may include an intermediate conveyor 61, may include a discharge conveyor 62, may include a cutting device 70, and may include a processor 80.

[0027] In this specification, the directions of front / rear, left / right, and up / down are defined for the convenience of explanation and may be directions perpendicular to each other. However, such a direction is determined relatively to the direction in which the edible product production systems 1 are arranged, and the up-down direction does not necessarily mean the vertical direction.

[0028] The edible product produced by the edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may be a seaweed snack (SN). The food ingredients used to produce such edible products can include a first food ingredient and a second food ingredient. In this case, the first food material may be seaweed (SW), the second food material may be rice paper (RP), and the unit product produced by cutting the edible product may be a unit snack (SU). Therefore, the configuration and operation of edible food production system 1 will be described below using seaweed snacks (SN) instead of edible products, a sheet of seaweed (SW) instead of each sheet of the first food ingredient, a seaweed stack (WS) instead of the first food ingredient stack, a seaweed cassette (WC) instead of the first food ingredient cassette, a sheet of rice paper (RP) instead of each sheet of the second food ingredient, a paper stack (PS) instead of the second food ingredient stack, a paper cassette (PC) instead of the second food ingredient cassette, and a unit snack (SU) instead of the unit product. However, the edible product, the first food material and the second food material are not limited to these.

[0029] A first food supplying device 20 and a second food supplying device 30 may be disposed at the rear end of the edible product production system 1 . The first food supplying device 20 and the second food supplying device 30 can respectively supply laver and rice paper forward to form a semi-finished product (HG) in which the laver is placed on the rice paper. The semi-finished product (HG) can be pressurized by the pressurizing device 50 disposed in front of the first food supplying device 20 and the second food supplying device 30 to be manufactured into a seaweed snack (SN). The first food supplying device 20 may be disposed above the second food supplying device 30 so that the provided seaweed can be easily placed on the rice paper.

[0030] An edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a system frame 10 . The system frame 10 is a framework component to which the components included in the edible product production system 1 are coupled so that their relative positions with respect to one another are fixed. The system frame 10 may be formed by connecting beams extending in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction.

[0031]

[0032] <First food supply device 20>

[0033] The first food supplying device 20 is provided to separate and supply each sheet of seaweed (SW) from a seaweed stack (WS) including a plurality of stacked sheets of seaweed. The seaweed stack (WS) may be supplied seated in a seaweed cassette (WC).

[0034] The first food supplying device 20 can include a first food cassette moving unit 25. The first food cassette moving unit 25 is provided to selectively position the seaweed cassette (WC) at a first lifting position and a second lifting position located behind the first lifting position. The first food cassette moving unit 25 may include a first food cassette rail 251 extending in the front-rear direction, and a first food cassette seating unit 252 slidably coupled to the first food cassette rail 251 along the front-rear direction. A seaweed cassette (WC) is placed on the first food cassette placement section 252 and can be provided along the first food cassette rail 251 .

[0035] The first food supplying device 20 may include a first food lifting section 21 . The first food lifting unit 21 is provided to lift and remove the seaweed stack (WS) including a plurality of stacked seaweeds from the seaweed cassette (WC) in which the seaweed stack (WS) is seated.

[0036] The first food ingredient supplying device 20 may include a first food ingredient separating section 22 . The first food separator 22 is provided to grasp and move each sheet of seaweed (SW) from the seaweed stack (WS). The first food separating section 22 is capable of lifting and lowering, so that each sheet of seaweed (SW) can be attracted to the upper end of the seaweed stack (WS) and lifted up.

[0037] While the first ingredient separating section 22 is raised and lowered while the negative pressure is repeatedly applied and cut off, the first ingredient lifting and lowering blower 26 may be kept in a continuous operating state.

[0038] The first food supply device 20 may include a horizontal movement unit 24 . The horizontal moving unit 24 is provided to transport each sheet of seaweed (SW) lifted by the suction block 221 of the first food separating unit 22 forward. The horizontal moving section 24 may be an adsorption conveyor arranged so that its underside contacts the upper surface of each piece of seaweed (SW) raised by the first food separating section 22, and is configured to transport each piece of seaweed (SW) that has been contacted forward.

[0039] The first food material supplying device 20 may include a first food material conveying section 23 . The first food material conveying section 23 is provided to convey each sheet of seaweed (SW) separated by the first food material separating section 22 and carried forward by the horizontal moving section 24 to the pressurizing device 50. The first food transport section 23 may include a plurality of first food transport conveyors 231 . The first food transporting portion 23 may include a first food transporting housing 232 that surrounds the interior such that the interior is spatially separated from the exterior.

[0040]

[0041] <Second food supply device 30>

[0042] The second food supply device 30 is provided to separate and supply each sheet of rice paper (RP) from a paper stack (PS) including a plurality of stacked rice papers. The paper stack (PS) may be seated and fed into a paper cassette (PC).

[0043] The second food supplying device 30 may include a second food cassette moving unit 35 and a second food lifting unit 31 . The explanation of the second food cassette moving unit 35 and the second food lifting unit 31 is the same as the explanation of the first food cassette moving unit 25 and the first food lifting unit 21, except that seaweed is replaced with rice paper, and therefore the explanation of the first food cassette moving unit 25 and the first food lifting unit 21 is also used.

[0044] The second food ingredient supplying device 30 may include a second food ingredient separating section 32 . The second food separating section 32 is provided to grasp and move forward each sheet of rice paper (RP) from the paper stack (PS). The second food ingredient separating unit 32 may include a second food ingredient gripping member 322 that grips each piece of rice paper (RP) and a swing arm 321 that moves each piece of rice paper (RP) that is adsorbed by the second food ingredient gripping member 322.

[0045] The second food gripping member 322 is provided to grip, by suction, each of the uppermost rice papers (RP) among the plurality of rice papers included in the paper stack (PS).

[0046] The second food ingredient gripping member 322 may include a plurality of second food ingredient suction heads 3221, 3222. The second food suction heads 3221, 3222 may be slidably and fixably coupled to the second food holding frame 3223 so that the distance between them can be adjusted.

[0047] The second food supplying device 30 may include a second food conveying section 33 . The second food material conveying unit 33 is provided to convey each piece of rice paper (RP) conveyed by the second food material separating unit 32 to the pressurizing device 50.

[0048] The second food material transport section 33 may include a second food material holding roller 34 . The second food ingredient holding roller 34 is a roller that can stop or rotate so as to deliver each piece of rice paper (RP) to the second food ingredient conveyor at an appropriate time, rather than immediately delivering it to the second food ingredient conveyor described below when it is delivered by the second food ingredient separation unit 32.

[0049] The second food conveyor can include a second food belt 331 and a second food roller 332 that rotates the second food belt 331 . The second food material conveying section 33 may include a second food material position fixing bar 333 . A plurality of second food material position fixing bars 333 may be arranged on the second food material conveyor at intervals along the front-rear direction and may protrude outward from the second food material conveyor in the front-rear or up-down direction.

[0050]

[0051] <Joining liquid injection device 41>

[0052] The edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a bonding liquid ejection device 41 . The bonding fluid jetting device 41 may include a jetting nozzle 411 . The spray nozzle 411 is connected to a bonding liquid supply unit and can spray bonding liquid onto the upper surface of the rice paper transported by the second food conveyor.

[0053] The bonding fluid jetting device 41 may include a jetting cover 412 . The spray cover 412 allows the adhesive liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 411 to be sprayed onto the rice paper only within the area of ​​the spray cover 412, preventing it from scattering to the outside.

[0054]

[0055] <Pressure device 50>

[0056] The pressurizing device 50 is provided to pressurize the semi-finished products (HG) formed by placing each sheet of seaweed (SW) on each sheet of rice paper (RP) to form seaweed snacks (SN). The pressing device 50 can press the nori and rice paper against each other.

[0057] The pressure device 50 can include a pressure base 51 . The pressure base 51 is provided so that the semi-finished product (HG) passes forward through the upper surface of the pressure base 51 . The pressure base 51 plays a role of supporting the semi-finished product (HG) when a pressure roller unit 52 (described later) presses the semi-finished product (HG).

[0058] The pressure device 50 can include a pressure lifting unit 53 . The pressure lifting unit 53 may be connected to a pressure frame 56 connected to the pressure base unit 51 so as to be capable of being lifted and lowered.

[0059] The pressure device 50 can include a pressure roller unit 52 . The pressure roller unit 52 is connected to the pressure lift unit 53 so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction along its axis so as to apply downward pressure to the semi-finished product (HG) passing underneath.

[0060] The pressure device 50 can include a guide roller portion 55 . The guide roller unit 55 is rotatably disposed at a position spaced above the pressure base unit 51 so as to guide the semi-finished product (HG) between the pressure roller unit 52 and the pressure base unit 51 . The guide roller portion 55 can contact the upper surface of the semi-finished product (HG) or the seaweed snack (SN) to transport the semi-finished product (HG) or the seaweed snack (SN) forward.

[0061] In one embodiment of the present invention, the guide roller portion 55 is illustrated as including a front guide roller portion 55b located in front of the pressure roller portion 52 and a rear guide roller portion 55a located in rear of the pressure roller portion 52, but the arrangement is not limited to this.

[0062]

[0063] <Intermediate conveyor 61 and auxiliary bonding liquid spray device 42>

[0064] The edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an intermediate conveyor 61 . An intermediate conveyor 61 may be disposed for conveying the seaweed snacks (SN) between the pressing device 50 and the cutting device 70 . The intermediate conveyor 61 may be installed so that the seaweed snacks (SN) discharged from the pressurizing device 50 are placed on the upper surface thereof, and may rotate to transport the seaweed snacks (SN) placed on the upper surface thereof forward. To enable such driving, the intermediate conveyor 61 can rotate by receiving a driving force.

[0065] During the predetermined time during which the seaweed snacks (SN) discharged from the pressurizing device 50 are transported to the cutting device 70 through the intermediate conveyor 61, the seaweed snacks (SN) may be dried so as to be easily cut by the cutting device 70.

[0066] The edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an auxiliary bonding fluid jetting device 42 . The auxiliary bonding liquid spraying device 42 is installed adjacent to the intermediate conveyor 61 so as to spray the auxiliary bonding liquid onto the upper surface of the seaweed snacks (SN) transported by the intermediate conveyor 61 . The auxiliary bonding fluid jetting device 42 may be disposed so as to be penetrated by the intermediate conveyor 61 or to cover the intermediate conveyor 61 . The explanation of the auxiliary adhesive liquid spraying device 42 is the same as that of the adhesive liquid spraying device 41, except that rice paper is replaced with seaweed snacks (SN) and the adhesive liquid is replaced with an auxiliary adhesive liquid. Therefore, the explanation of the adhesive liquid spraying device 41 is used here.

[0067]

[0068] <Cutting device 70>

[0069] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing some components of a cutting device 70 of an edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing some components of the cutting device 70 of the edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention from another direction. FIG. 7 is a right side view showing some components of a cutting device 70 of an edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a cutting device 70 of an edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a detailed view showing a portion of FIG.

[0070] The edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a cutting device 70 . The cutting device 70 is provided to cut the seaweed snack (SN) discharged from the pressurizing device 50 into a plurality of small unit snacks (SU). The cutting device 70 may be disposed in front of the pressing device 50 and in front of the intermediate conveyor 61 so as to receive the seaweed snacks (SN) discharged forward from the pressing device 50 .

[0071] The cutting device 70 may include a cutting roller 72 and a cutting base 71 . The cutting roller 72 may be positioned above the cutting base 71 . The seaweed snack (SN) is transported forward along the upper surface of the cutting base 71 and cut by the rotating cutting roller 72, and can be discharged forward as small pieces into unit snacks (SU).

[0072] The cutting base portion 71 is disposed at a position facing the cutting roller 72 with respect to the seaweed snack (SN) so as to support the seaweed snack (SN) to be cut by the cutting roller 72 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the cutting base 71 may be disposed below the seaweed snack (SN), and the cutting roller 72 may be disposed above the seaweed snack (SN). Therefore, the seaweed snacks (SN) can be transported forward through the upper surface of the cutting base portion 71. The cut base portion 71 may be formed with an auxiliary opening 711 that extends in the left-right direction and is open in the up-down direction.

[0073] The cutting roller 72 may include a cutting body 721 and a cutting blade 722 . The cutting body 721 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and may be coupled to a cutting frame 75 (described later) so as to be rotatable in the left-right direction along the axial direction. The cutting body 721 may be spaced apart above the cutting base 71 . The cutting blade 722 is disposed to protrude further outward in the radial direction of the cutting body 721 than the surface of the cutting body 721 so as to cut the seaweed snacks (SN) provided along the front-rear direction. The cutting blade 722 is connected to the cutting body 721, and at this time, its end protrudes further outward than the outer surface of the cutting body 721 so that when the cutting body 721 rotates, it can come into contact with the seaweed snack (SN) and cut the seaweed snack (SN). The cutting blade 722 may be inserted into the auxiliary opening 711 described above when cutting the seaweed snacks (SN).

[0074] The cutting blade 722 can include front and rear cutting blades 7221 and left and right cutting blades 7222 . The front and rear cutting blades 7221 are cutting blades 722 extending along the circumferential direction of the cutting body 721, and when they come into contact with the seaweed snack (SN), they form a cutting surface extending along the front and rear direction on the seaweed snack (SN), and can cut the seaweed snack (SN) in the left and right directions. The left and right cutting blades 7222 are cutting blades 722 that extend along the left and right direction, and when they come into contact with the seaweed snack (SN), they form a cutting surface on the seaweed snack (SN) that extends along the left and right direction, and can cut the seaweed snack (SN) in the front and back directions. When the cutting body 721 is viewed in the left-right direction, the cutting blade 722 may be formed around the entire circumference of the cutting body 721, or may be formed only on a portion of it.

[0075] The lines extending from the front and rear cutting blades 7221 and the lines extending from the left and right cutting blades 7222 may intersect with each other. Therefore, the seaweed snack (SN) can be cut in the left-right and front-back directions by the cutting blade 722 to separate it into a plurality of unit snacks (SU). In one embodiment, the left and right cutting blades 7222 and the front and rear cutting blades 7221 may cross each other. At the intersection of the front and rear cutting blades 7221 and the left and right cutting blades 7222, the front and rear cutting blades 7221 may be continuously connected, but the left and right cutting blades 7222 may be segmented by the front and rear cutting blades 7221.

[0076] The cutting roller 72 may further include a cutting groove 725 formed by recessing the surface of the cutting body 721 on the radially inner side of the cutting body 721 . The base of the cutting blade 722 is inserted into the cutting groove 725, and the cutting edge, which is the part where the cutting blade 722 cuts, may be positioned to protrude further outward in the radial direction of the cutting body 721 than the surface of the cutting body.

[0077] The base of the cutting blade 722 may be coupled to the cutting body 721 at a cutting groove 725 . The cutting roller 72 may include a blade coupling bolt 724 that couples the cutting blade 722 to the cutting body 721 along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cutting blade 722 extends. The direction in which the blade connecting bolt 724 connects the cutting blade 722 to the connecting body may be a tangent direction of the cutting body 721 at the position where the blade connecting bolt 724 is located when the cutting body 721 is viewed along the left-right direction. The cutting groove 725 may be formed to have a width greater than the thickness of the cutting blade 722 to leave space for the bolt to fit.

[0078] The cutting body 721 may have a guide groove 727 formed therein. The guide groove 727 is formed by recessing the surface of the cutting body 721 on the radially inner side of the cutting body 721 . The cutting grooves 725 and the guide grooves 727 may be arranged alternately along the left-right direction. A cutting guide rail 74 (described later) may be inserted into the guide groove 727 . Due to the presence of the guide groove 727, the seaweed snack (SN) can be supported downward by the cutting guide rail 74 while not being hindered from moving forward by the cutting roller 72 or being cut by the cutting blade 722.

[0079] The cutting roller 72 may include injection holes 723 . The injection holes 723 may be multiple. The injection holes 723 are holes formed by penetrating the cutting body 721 from the center of the cutting body 721 to the outside in the radial direction so as to inject gas to the outside in the radial direction of the cutting body 721 around the cutting blade 722 . The presence of the injection hole 723 allows foreign matter such as seaweed scraps that may remain on the cutting blade 722 when cutting the seaweed snacks (SN) to be blown out and removed from the cutting blade 722, allowing the cutting roller 72 to perform its cutting function continuously and easily.

[0080] The injection hole 723 can connect a central cutting hole formed in the innermost part of the cutting body 721 along the left-right direction to the outside. The cutting center hole is connected to a cutting blower that blows compressed gas, and can receive the compressed gas and discharge it through each of the injection holes 723. The compressed gas may be compressed air.

[0081] The injection hole 723 may be formed in the bottom surface of the cutting groove 725 , which is located inside the blade coupling bolt 724 in the radial direction of the cutting body 721 . Therefore, the gas discharged through the injection hole 723 flows around the blade connecting bolt 724 and the cutting blade 722, and can flow while rotating around the axis of the blade connecting bolt 724, so that foreign matter around the blade connecting bolt 724 and the cutting blade 722 can be easily removed from the areas around the blade connecting bolt 724 and the cutting blade 722.

[0082] The cutting device 70 may include a cutting frame 75 . The cutting frame 75 is a framework-like component to which the components of the cutting apparatus 70 are coupled so that their relative positions with respect to one another are fixed. A cutting base 71 may be coupled to the cutting frame 75, and a cutting roller 72 may be rotatably coupled thereto.

[0083] The cutting frame 75 may include a cutting main frame 751 to which the cutting base 71 is coupled, and a first cutting cover 752 coupled to the cutting main frame 751 . The first cutting cover 752 covers the cutting roller 72 . The first cutting cover 752 covers the cutting roller 72 so that the cutting roller 72 is positioned in the space formed between the first cutting cover 752 and the cutting base portion 71 . Thus, the first cutting cover 752 can be positioned above the cutting base 71 .

[0084] The cutting frame 75 can include a second cutting cover 753 coupled to the cutting main frame 751 . The second cutting cover 753 covers the auxiliary roller 73 so that the auxiliary roller 73 is positioned in the space formed between the second cutting cover 753 and the cutting base portion 71 . Thus, the second cutting cover 753 can be positioned below the cutting base 71 .

[0085] The cutting device 70 may include a cutting suction. The first cutting suction portion may be connected to a first cover suction port 7521 formed in the first cutting cover 752 . The first cutting suction section provides negative pressure to the first cover suction port 7521, and debris around the cutting roller 72 located within the first cutting cover 752 can be sucked in through the first cover suction port 7521. The first cover suction port 7521 may be disposed on the front side of the cutting body 721 and formed to open in a direction inclined upward with respect to the front.

[0086] The cutting device 70 may include a second cutting suction. The second cutting suction portion may be connected to a second cover suction port 7531 formed in the second cutting cover 753 . The second cutting suction section provides negative pressure to the second cover suction port 7531, and debris around the auxiliary roller 73 located within the second cutting cover 753 can be sucked in through the second cover suction port 7531. The second cover suction port 7531 may be formed on the lower side of the auxiliary main body 731 and open downward. The first cutting suction unit and the second cutting suction unit may be a single cutting suction blower 77 that is shared.

[0087] The cutting device 70 may include an auxiliary roller 73 . The auxiliary roller 73 is disposed at a position facing the cutting roller 72 with respect to the seaweed snack (SN) so as to transport the seaweed snack (SN) forward and support the seaweed snack (SN) being cut by the cutting roller 72. The auxiliary roller 73 may be coupled to the cutting frame 75 so as to be rotatable along the axial direction in the left-right direction, similar to the cutting roller 72 . The cutting roller 72 and the auxiliary roller 73 may each be rotatably coupled to the cutting main frame 751 . The cutting roller 72 and the auxiliary roller 73 may receive a driving force from the same driving unit, and may be gear-coupled to each other so as to be driven in conjunction with each other. The auxiliary roller 73 and the cutting roller 72 may be disposed on opposite sides of the auxiliary opening 711 .

[0088] The auxiliary roller 73 may include a cylindrical auxiliary body 731 rotatably coupled to the cutting frame 75 and an auxiliary groove 732 . The outer surface of the auxiliary body 731 can come into contact with the underside of the seaweed snack (SN) and push the seaweed snack (SN) forward to support it upward. The auxiliary groove 732 is a groove formed by recessing the auxiliary body 731 radially inward so that the cutting blade 722, which protrudes further radially outward from the surface of the cutting body 721, can be inserted. When the cut is to be made, the cutting blade 722 may be inserted into the auxiliary groove 732 . Since the cutting blade 722 is inserted into the auxiliary groove 732, the auxiliary roller 73 can support the seaweed snacks (SN) without colliding with the cutting blade 722.

[0089] The cutting device 70 may include an air knife 76 . The air knife 76 may be positioned opposite the cutting blade 722 to jet air at the cutting blade 722 . The air knife 76 has a slit extending in the left-right direction, and can inject compressed air through the slit. The air knife 76 may be disposed through the first cutting cover 752 and may be disposed rearward of the cutting roller 72 . The direction in which the air knife sprays air does not have to be aligned with a tangent drawn at the point where a line extended along that direction touches the cutting body 721 .

[0090] The cutting device 70 may include a cutting guide rail 74 . The cutting guide rail 74 is provided to prevent the seaweed snacks (SN) from getting caught in the cutting roller 72. The cutting guide rail 74 may extend in the front-rear direction. The cutting guide rails 74 may be multiple. The cutting guide rail 74 may be disposed below the surface of the cutting body 721 , but the lower end of the cutting guide rail 74 can be located above the lower end of the cutting blade 722 . Therefore, the upward movement of the snack units (SU) cut by the cutting rollers 72 and discharged forward is restricted by the cutting guide rails 74, and the snack units (SU) are not caught up in the cutting rollers 72 even when the cutting rollers 72 rotate. Furthermore, since the cutting guide rail 74 is positioned above the cutting blade 722, the cutting guide rail 74 does not interfere with the cutting operation of the cutting blade 722.

[0091] The cutting guide rail 74 may contact the cutting body 721 or may be inserted into a guide groove 727 formed in the cutting body 721 so that the height relationship between the cutting guide rail 74 and the cutting blade 722 can be established.

[0092]

[0093] The cutting guide rails 74 may be multiple. The multiple cutting guide rails 74 may be arranged spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. The distance by which the cutting guide rails 74 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction may correspond to the distance by which the guide grooves 727 are spaced apart in the left-right direction.

[0094] The front and rear ends of the cutting guide rail 74 have a shape that is inclined upward and outward with respect to the front-to-rear direction, so that when the seaweed snack (SN) enters under the cutting roller 72, the seaweed snack (SN) can be easily guided to the lower side of the cutting guide rail 74, and when the unit snack (SU) exits the cutting device 70, the seaweed snack (SN) can gradually separate from the upper surface of the unit snack (SU).

[0095] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an internal structure of a cutting device 70b of an edible product production system according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a detailed view showing a portion of FIG.

[0096] A cutting device 70b according to a modified embodiment of the present invention has a difference in the shape of a cutting blade 722b. Therefore, only the differences will be further described, and the description of the remaining parts of the cutting device 70b is the same as that of the cutting device 70 according to the first embodiment, so the description of the cutting device 70 according to the first embodiment will be used.

[0097] The cutting blade 722b according to a modified embodiment of the present invention may include a connecting cutting blade 7223b in addition to the left and right cutting blades 7222b and the front and rear cutting blades 7221b. The connecting cutting blade 7223b is disposed at a position where the front and rear cutting blades 7221b and the left and right cutting blades 7222b meet, and connects the front and rear cutting blades 7221b and the left and right cutting blades 7222b. Therefore, the front and rear cutting blades 7221b and the left and right cutting blades 7222b do not directly meet each other, but can be connected to each other via the connecting cutting blade 7223b.

[0098] The connecting cutting blade 7223b can have a curved surface that connects the front and rear cutting blades 7221b and the left and right cutting blades 7222b. That is, the connecting cutting blade 7223b can chamfer the corners of the unit snack (SU) that can be cut into a rectangular shape by the left and right cutting blades 7222b and the front and rear cutting blades 7221b to produce unit snacks (SU) with rounded corners. The connected cutting blade 7223b may have a rectangular shape with each corner recessed inward when viewed from the inside in the radial direction of the cutting body 721b. The cutting edge of the connecting cutting blade 7223b may have a concave shape recessed radially inwardly of the cutting body 721b between each apex.

[0099] In a variation of an embodiment of the present invention, the cutting roller 72b may not include the cutting groove 725. However, although not shown, embodiments including both the cutting groove 725 and the interlocking cutting blade 7223b are also possible. In addition, as shown in the figure, the cutting roller 72b may include a guide groove 727b, but since the cutting groove 725 may not be formed, multiple guide grooves 727b may be arranged along the left-right direction in positions where the cutting blade 722b is not formed.

[0100] In a variation of this embodiment of the invention, the injection holes 723b may be arranged around the connecting cutting edge 7223b. In the figure, a total of four injection holes 723b are shown to be arranged, but the number is not limited to this.

[0101] In a variation of this embodiment of the invention, the cutting roller 72b may include a connecting jet 726b. The connecting injection hole 726b is a hole formed by penetrating the connecting cutting blade 7223b and the cutting body 721b on the outer side in the radial direction of the cutting body 721b so as to inject gas toward the outer side in the radial direction of the cutting body 721b. The aforementioned jet holes 723b and the connected jet holes 726b can remove residues and chips of the seaweed snacks (SN) that may be formed when the connected cutting blade 7223b cuts the seaweed snacks (SN).

[0102] The connecting injection hole 726b may be connected to the injection hole 723b inside the cutting body 721b. The injection hole 723b and the connecting injection hole 726b are formed by the same hole radially outward from the center of the cutting body 721b, but may be separated from each other before reaching the surface of the cutting body 721b.

[0103] The cutting body 721b of the cutting roller 72b according to a modified embodiment of the present invention may include an outer cutting body 7212b and an inner cutting body 7211b. The cutting inner body 7211b may be formed at the center of the cutting body 721b along the radial direction, and the cutting outer body 7212b may be coupled to the outer surface of such cutting inner body 7211b to form a cylindrical cutting body 721. A cutting outer body 7212b may be coupled to the outer surface of the cutting inner body 7211b in a dovetail manner. The feature that the cutting body 721b is divided into an inner and outer structure can also be applied to the cutting body 721 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0104]

[0105] <Discharge conveyor 62>

[0106] An edible product production system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a discharge conveyor 62 . A discharge conveyor 62 may be positioned at the front end of the cutting device 70 for conveying the unitary snacks (SU) to further processing. Subsequent steps may include packaging, post-processing, etc. The discharge conveyor 62 may be installed so that the unit snacks (SU) discharged from the cutting device 70 are seated on the upper surface, and may rotate to transport the unit snacks (SU) seated on the upper surface forward. To enable such driving, the discharge conveyor 62 can rotate by receiving a driving force.

[0107]

[0108] <Processor 80>

[0109] A processor 80 is provided for control of the edible product production system 1 . The processor 80 is a component including elements capable of performing logical operations to execute control commands, and may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. The processor 80 is connected to various components and can control each component by transmitting signals based on control commands to each component, and is connected to various sensors or acquisition units and can receive acquired information in the form of signals. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the processor 80 may be electrically connected to various components included in the seaweed snack (SN) production system. The processor 80 may be electrically connected to each of the components, and may be wired or further equipped with a communication module capable of wireless communication so that the components can communicate with each other.

[0110] The edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a storage medium, and control instructions executed by the processor 80 may be stored in and utilized by the storage medium. The storage medium may be a device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a server, a volatile medium, or a non-volatile medium, but the type is not limited to these. In addition, the storage medium may further store data and the like required by the processor 80 to perform its operations.

[0111] The edible product production system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an operation unit 81. The operation unit 81 may include tool-like structures such as switches and buttons that can be operated by a user, and a display device that can display the status of the edible product production system 1, and may be electrically connected to the processor 80. As shown in the figure, the operation unit 81 may be disposed on the outer surface of a case in which the processor 80 is built, but the arrangement is not limited to this.

[0112] FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a method for making an edible product according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flow chart of a method for cutting an edible product according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0113] The process of the processor 80 controlling each component of the edible product production system 1 to produce the seaweed snack (SN) will now be described. The flowchart in FIG. 13 may correspond to step S80 in FIG.

[0114] The processor 80 controls the first food cassette moving unit 25 and the second food cassette moving unit 35 to move the seaweed cassette (WC) and the paper cassette (PC), which contain the seaweed stack (WS) and paper stack (PS), forward. That is, the seaweed stack (WS) and paper stack (PS) can be fed to a processing position (S10, S30), and each sheet of seaweed and rice paper can be separated (S20, S40).

[0115] Processor 80 controls first food material transport unit 23 and second food material transport unit 33 to move each sheet of seaweed (SW) and each sheet of paper forward. At this time, the processor 80 can control the first food material conveying unit 23, the second food material conveying unit 33, and the second food material holding roller 34 so that each sheet of seaweed (SW) is positioned between the seaweed position fixing bars, and each sheet of rice paper (RP) is positioned between the second food material position fixing bars 333. The processor 80 may also control the bonding liquid jetting device 41 to jet the bonding liquid onto the top surface of the rice paper (S50).

[0116] The processor 80 can control the first food material conveying unit 23 and the second food material conveying unit 33 so that each separated sheet of rice paper (RP) is placed on each separated sheet of seaweed (SW) to form a semi-finished product (HG) (S60). The processor 80 can control the first food material conveying unit 23 and the second food material conveying unit 33 so that each sheet of seaweed (SW) and each sheet of rice paper (RP) are conveyed forward at the same speed and each sheet of seaweed (SW) is seated on each sheet of rice paper (RP).

[0117] The processor 80 can control the pressurizing device 50 so that the semi-finished product (HG) advanced and conveyed to the pressurizing device 50 is pressed into the seaweed snack (SN) (S70). The processor 80 can then control the intermediate conveyor 61 to advance the seaweed snacks (SN) discharged from the pressurizing device 50 (S81). The seaweed snack (SN) can be cut to produce unit snacks (SU) (S80). The processor 80 can control the cutting device 70 so that the seaweed snacks (SN) conveyed to the cutting device 70 through the intermediate conveyor 61 are cut into unit snacks (SU).

[0118] After it is confirmed that the seaweed snack (SN) has reached a position where it can be cut, the processor 80 can control the cutting device 70 to rotate the cutting roller 72 to cut the seaweed snack (SN) (S82), and can control the blower to spray gas to remove foreign matter around the cutting blade 722. Specifically, the processor 80 can cause gas to be sprayed through the injection holes 723 around the cutting blade 722 (S83), and can cause air to be sprayed toward the cutting blade 722 by using the air knife 76 (S84). After the injection is performed, the processor 80 can control the first cutting suction unit and the second cutting suction unit to suck in the foreign object (S85). The processor 80 can control the discharge conveyor 62 so that the unit snacks (SU) discharged from the cutting device 70 can move to the next process.

[0119] Although it has been described above that all components constituting the embodiments of the present invention are combined or operate in combination, the present invention is not necessarily limited to such embodiments. That is, within the scope of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively combined and operated in one or more combinations. In addition, the terms "comprise," "constitute," "have," and the like used above mean that the relevant elements may be contained therein, unless otherwise specified to the contrary, and therefore may further include other elements rather than excluding other elements. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Generally used terms, such as predefined terms, should be interpreted in accordance with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless expressly defined in the present invention.

[0120] The above description is merely an illustrative example of the technical concept of the present invention, and various modifications and variations may be made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to explain, but not to limit, the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention must be interpreted by the claims, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cutting roller includes a cylindrical cutting body that rotates in the left-right direction along an axial direction, and a cutting blade that protrudes radially outward from the surface of the cutting body so as to cut the edible product provided along the front-rear direction; a cutting base disposed at a position facing the cutting roller with respect to the edible product so as to support the edible product to be cut by the cutting roller; an air knife disposed opposite the cutting blade so as to inject air onto the cutting blade; A cutting device comprising:

2. The cutting blade includes a front-rear cutting blade extending along a circumferential direction of the cutting body and a left-right cutting blade extending along a left-right direction, 2. The cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the lines extending from the front and rear cutting blades intersect with the lines extending from the left and right cutting blades so that the edible product is cut and separated into a plurality of unit products by the cutting blades.

3. 3. The cutting device according to claim 2, wherein the cutting roller further includes an injection hole, which is a hole formed radially outward from the center of the cutting body to inject gas radially outward of the cutting body around the cutting blade.

4. The cutting roller further includes a blade coupling bolt that couples the cutting blade to the cutting body along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the cutting blade extends, The cutting device according to claim 3 , wherein the injection hole is disposed inwardly of the blade connecting bolt in a radial direction of the cutting body.

5. The cutting device according to claim 3 , wherein the cutting blade further comprises a connecting cutting blade having a curved surface disposed at a position where the front and rear cutting blades and the left and right cutting blades meet, connecting the front and rear cutting blades and the left and right cutting blades.

6. The cutting device of claim 5 , wherein the injection holes are disposed about the interlocking cutting blades.

7. A cutting roller having a cylindrical cutting body that rotates axially in the left-right direction and a cutting blade that protrudes further radially outward from the surface of the cutting body so as to cut edible products provided along the front-rear direction; a cutting base disposed at a position facing the cutting roller relative to the edible product so as to support the edible product to be cut by the cutting roller; The cutting blade includes a front-rear cutting blade extending along a circumferential direction of the cutting body, a left-right cutting blade extending along a left-right direction, and a connecting cutting blade having a curved surface disposed at a position where the front-rear cutting blade and the left-right cutting blade meet and connecting the front-rear cutting blade and the left-right cutting blade, The cutting roller includes a connecting injection hole, which is a hole formed in the connecting cutting blade on the radial outer side of the cutting body, for injecting gas on the radial outer side of the cutting body.

8. a cutting frame including a first cutting cover that covers the cutting roller such that the cutting roller is positioned in a space formed between the cutting base and the first cutting cover, the cutting base being coupled to the cutting frame and the cutting roller being rotatably coupled to the cutting frame; a first cutting suction part connected to a first cover suction port formed in the first cutting cover to suck in foreign objects around the cutting roller; The cutting device of claim 1 further comprising:

9. a cutting frame to which the cutting base is coupled and to which the cutting roller is rotatably coupled; an auxiliary roller having an auxiliary body that is disposed in a position facing the cutting roller with respect to the edible product and is coupled to the cutting frame so as to be rotatable in a left-right direction along an axial direction thereof, so as to transport the edible product forward and support the edible product being cut by the cutting roller; The cutting device of claim 1 further comprising:

10. the cutting frame includes a second cutting cover that covers the auxiliary roller so that the auxiliary roller is positioned in a space formed between the cutting frame and the cutting base, The cutting device according to claim 9, further comprising a second cutting suction part connected to a second cover suction port formed in the second cutting cover to suck in foreign matter around the auxiliary roller.

11. The cut base portion is formed with an auxiliary opening extending in the left-right direction and opening in the up-down direction, The cutting device according to claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary roller and the cutting roller are disposed on opposite sides of the auxiliary opening.

12. 12. The cutting device according to claim 11, wherein the auxiliary roller further comprises an auxiliary groove formed by recessing the auxiliary body radially inwardly of the auxiliary body so that the cutting blade protruding further radially outwardly of the cutting body than the surface of the cutting body can be inserted therein.

13. 2. The cutting device according to claim 1, further comprising a cutting guide rail extending in a front-rear direction and disposed below a surface of the cutting body to prevent the edible product from being caught in the cutting roller.

14. The cutting device according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting roller is disposed above the cutting base.

15. receiving a supply of edible product; A step of cutting the edible product by rotating a cutting roller having a cylindrical cutting body that can rotate in a left-right direction along an axial direction and a cutting blade that protrudes further outward in a radial direction from a surface of the cutting body so as to cut the edible product provided along a front-rear direction; injecting gas through an injection hole disposed adjacent to the cutting blade in the cutting body so as to remove foreign matter around the cutting blade; after the gas is injected from the injection hole, the air is injected to the cutting blade through an air knife to remove the foreign matter; A cutting method comprising:

16. The cutting method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of sucking the foreign matter from around the cutting roller to remove the foreign matter after the gas is injected from the injection holes.

Images