Boiled egg processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a technology for efficiently and automatically supplying a large quantity of boiled eggs.SOLUTION: A boiled egg cutter 50 includes a multistage boiled egg supply device 1 and a boiled egg cutting unit 2. The boiled egg supply device 1 has a first boiled egg housing part 7 and a second boiled egg housing part 8. The first boiled egg housing part 7 has a first transfer part 9 for transferring boiled eggs to the second boiled egg housing part 8, and the second boiled egg housing part 8 has a second transfer 3 for transferring boiled eggs to the boiled egg cutting unit 2 from an outlet 26 of the second boiled egg housing part. A controller 16 has a control unit for detecting a boiled egg housed in the second boiled egg housing part 8 via a storage sensor 13 and controlling the first transfer part 9 so as to transfer the boiled egg in the first boiled egg housing part 7 to the second boiled egg housing part 8 based on a result of the detection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for steadily supplying boiled eggs, and more particularly to an apparatus for efficiently and automatically supplying a large amount of boiled eggs. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known devices for efficiently and neatly slicing boiled eggs. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 describe devices that slice boiled eggs to a specified thickness by placing the boiled egg in a specified position and lowering a parallel slicing blade downward from above the egg.

[0003] However, the devices in Patent Documents 1 to 3 cut boiled eggs one by one in a batch, and are inefficient for commercial use, although they may be suitable for home use. That is, the boiled eggs must be placed one by one in a designated position, and the slicing blade must be lowered downward, and the cut boiled eggs must also be removed one by one.

[0004] Meanwhile, Patent Document 4 proposes a device for continuously cutting boiled eggs. Unlike the devices of Patent Documents 1 to 3, Patent Document 4 proposes that the cutting device includes a rotor that holds and rotates the egg, which is the object to be cut, and a slicing blade that is placed and fixed at an arbitrary position on the trajectory of the rotational movement, and by fixing the slicing blade and rotating the boiled egg, which is the object to be cut, the boiled egg is sliced ​​and the sliced ​​pieces are automatically taken out in a cut-off state, thereby efficiently slicing the boiled egg. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3018473 [Patent Document 2] JP 2003-251591 A [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2010-533603 [Patent Document 4] JP 2013-046952 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] As described above, conventional boiled egg cutters (slicers) such as those described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 require the boiled eggs to be cut to be placed one by one on the cutter, and then the sliced ​​egg pieces must be removed after slicing, making them inefficient for commercial use. Furthermore, the boiled egg cutter of Patent Document 4 efficiently slices the boiled eggs by rotating the boiled eggs to be cut, eliminating the need to remove the egg pieces after slicing, but it still requires the boiled eggs to be set one by one by hand into the recesses for holding the boiled eggs, which is still very time-consuming.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology for automatically and continuously supplying boiled eggs to be cut and efficiently slicing the boiled eggs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In view of the above problems, the inventors conducted extensive research into technology that would enable automatic supply of boiled eggs and continuous cutting, and by employing an egg supply unit that reliably places multiple boiled eggs one by one in a designated position, they were able to establish technology that enables many boiled eggs to be cut continuously.

[0009] The present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following inventions. [1] A multi-stage boiled egg supplying device having at least a first boiled egg storage section and a second boiled egg storage section, the first boiled egg storage section has a first opening and a first transfer section for transferring a plurality of boiled eggs to the second boiled egg storage section, and the second boiled egg storage section has a second opening and a second transfer section for transferring the boiled eggs one by one from the second boiled egg storage section to the outside, A multi-stage boiled egg supplying device has a storage sensor that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg stored in a specific position in the second boiled egg storage section, and if the sensor detects that there is no boiled egg, operates to transfer the boiled egg stored in the first boiled egg storage section to the second boiled egg storage section, and has a control unit that controls the first transfer unit so that it does not operate if it detects that a boiled egg is present. [2] a first step and a first opening are provided between the first boiled egg storage unit and the second boiled egg storage unit, and the first transfer unit transfers the boiled egg to the second boiled egg storage unit via the first opening by causing the boiled egg to climb over the first step; A multi-stage boiled egg supplying device as described in [1], wherein a second step is provided in the second opening of the second boiled egg storage section, and the second transfer section transfers the boiled egg to the outside from the second opening by causing it to overcome the second step. [3] [2] A multi-stage boiled egg supplying device described in [2], wherein the first boiled egg storage section has a sloped portion on its bottom surface so that the stored boiled eggs gather near the first step, and the second boiled egg storage section has a sloped portion on its bottom surface so that the stored boiled eggs gather near the second step. [4] The first and second transfer units each have a head unit with a downward incline in the direction of travel, on the bottom surface near the step, on which the boiled eggs collected by the inclined unit are placed, and a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the head unit. The multi-stage boiled egg supplying device described in [3]. [5] The multi-stage boiled egg supplying device described in [4] further comprises a plurality of pins that move up and down on the bottom surface upstream of the head portion of the second boiled egg storage section to guide the boiled eggs to the head portion of the second transfer section. [6] [1] to [5], and a multi-stage boiled egg supplying device according to any one of the above. a standby member that temporarily holds the boiled egg transferred to the outside through the opening of the second boiled egg storage section; a boiled egg cutting unit that cuts one boiled egg transferred via the standby member; Equipped with a boiled egg cutting machine. [7] The boiled egg cutting unit is configured to arrange a plurality of plate-like bodies with a predetermined gap between them so that the slicing blade can fit between them, and includes a holding unit for holding the boiled eggs, one or more slicing blades for cutting the boiled eggs held in the holding unit, and a drive unit for moving the holding unit relative to the slicing blades so that the slicing blades fit between the adjacent plate-like bodies in the holding unit; The boiled egg cutter described in [6] is equipped with a waiting member that is provided on the outside near the opening of the second boiled egg storage section and has a downward slope in the direction of travel to temporarily receive a single boiled egg transferred to the outside through the opening. [8] The boiled egg cutter described in [7] is provided with a drive unit that moves the holding part back and forth linearly in the vertical direction, and the drive unit causes the holding part to stop at the uppermost position for a certain period of time, then to descend to the lowermost position, and then to rise to the uppermost position again, repeatedly operating in this manner, and the slicing blade and standby member are disposed so as to be positioned between the uppermost position and the lowermost position. [9] The apparatus further includes a post-cut hold sensor that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg in the holding section at the uppermost position, and controls the operation of the holding section of the cutting section and the second conveying section of the supplying section based on the detection result of the post-cut hold sensor as follows: (1) When the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the holding section is lowered to the lowest position, then raised to the highest position again, and then stopped at the highest position for a certain period of time, and this operation is repeated, and when the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the holding section, the operation is stopped with the holding section stopped at the highest position; (2) when the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the second transfer section is repeatedly raised and lowered in conjunction with the operation of the holding section, and when the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the holding section, the second transfer section is stopped in its uppermost position and its operation is stopped; The boiled egg cutter described in [8] is provided with a control unit that controls the boiled egg cutter as described above.

[10] The boiled egg cutting machine described in [7], wherein the drive unit rotates the holding unit.

[11] The boiled egg cutting machine described in

[10] further comprises a third transfer unit that receives and holds the boiled egg from the waiting member and then transfers it to the boiled egg cutting unit.

[12] the third transfer unit includes a head unit on which a boiled egg is placed and a lifting drive unit that lifts and lowers the head unit, The boiled egg cutter described in

[11] , wherein as the third transfer unit descends from above, the boiled egg on the waiting member is received and held by the head unit, and then as the third transfer unit ascends from below, the boiled egg on the head unit is placed on the holding unit.

[13] An egg feed guide disposed above the third transfer section so as to guide the boiled egg placed on the head section of the third transfer section to the holding section; or a rolling prevention plate disposed between the third transfer unit and the boiled egg cutting unit to prevent the boiled egg placed on the head unit of the third transfer unit from rolling off during the lifting and lowering operation of the third transfer unit; The boiled egg cutter according to

[12] , further comprising:

[14] The device has a pre-cutting hold sensor that detects boiled eggs in the pre-cutting hold section, and controls the operation of the holding section of the cutting section and the second and third transfer sections of the supply section based on the detection result of the sensor. (1) When the pre-cutting hold sensor detects the presence of a boiled egg in the holding section, the holding section is moved to cut the boiled egg held in the holding section and then stopped for a certain period of time, and when the pre-cutting hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the operation is stopped in the stopped state; (2) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the hold section, the second and third transfer sections are operated to supply a boiled egg to the hold section and remain stationary for a certain period of time, and when it detects that there is a boiled egg in the hold section, the operation is stopped in the stationary state; The boiled egg cutter according to any one of

[11] to

[13] , further comprising a control unit that performs control as described above.

[15] The boiled egg cutting machine described in

[14] , wherein the boiled egg cutting section has a plurality of holding sections, and it is possible to simultaneously hold the boiled egg before it is cut by the slicing blade and the boiled egg after it has been cut in each holding section.

[16] The apparatus has a post-cut hold sensor that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg in the post-cut hold section, and controls the operation of the hold section of the cut section and the second and third transfer sections of the supply section based on the detection results of the post-cut hold sensor and the pre-cut hold sensor as follows: (1A) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is an uncut boiled egg in the hold section and the post-cut hold sensor detects that there is a cut boiled egg in the hold section, stop the operation of the hold section while keeping it stationary; (1B) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is an uncut boiled egg in the holding section and the post-cut hold sensor detects that there is no cut boiled egg in the holding section, the device moves the holding section to operate to cut the boiled egg held in the holding section, and then stops the operation in a stationary state; (1C) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is no pre-cut boiled egg in the hold section, the hold section is kept in an inoperative state; (2) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the hold section, the second and third transfer sections are operated to supply a boiled egg to the hold section, and when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the hold section, the second and third transfer sections are stopped and their operation is stopped; The boiled egg cutter according to any one of

[11] to

[13] , further comprising a control unit that performs control as described above.

[17] The boiled egg cutter according to any one of [7] to

[16] , wherein the boiled egg cutting unit is provided with one slicing blade for cutting a boiled egg into two pieces.

[18] The boiled egg cutter according to any one of [7] to

[16] , wherein the boiled egg cutting unit is provided with a plurality of the slicing blades for cutting the boiled egg into three or more pieces. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, by simply supplying a number of boiled eggs together to a designated storage section and storing a certain number of boiled eggs therein, the boiled eggs can be automatically, continuously, sequentially, and one by one placed in a designated position (holding section). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-stage boiled egg dispenser according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of a slicing blade used in a boiled egg cutter according to one embodiment of the present invention (left: multiple blades, right: single blade). [Diagram 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a boiled egg cutter for a first embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 3(a) is a top view of the boiled egg cutter, and Figure 3(b) shows a side cross-sectional view of the boiled egg cutter, a cross-sectional view between AB as seen from the first boiled egg storage section side, and a cross-sectional view between CD as seen from the second boiled egg storage section side. [Figure 4]Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a boiled egg cutter according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 4(a) is a top view of the boiled egg cutter, Figure 4(b) is a side cross-sectional view of the boiled egg cutter, a cross-sectional view between AB as seen from the first boiled egg storage section, and a cross-sectional view between CD as seen from the second boiled egg storage section, and Figure 4(c) is a top view of the alignment hopper, which is the second boiled egg storage section. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged top view of the boiled egg cutter according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the cutting portion of the boiled egg cutter according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the boiled egg cutter according to the first embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the boiled eggs being transported from the boiled egg storage section to the cutting section. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of the boiled egg cutter according to the second embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing the flow of the boiled eggs being transported from the boiled egg storage section to the cutting section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] One embodiment of the present invention relates to an apparatus for processing boiled eggs. The boiled eggs to be processed may be soft-boiled or hard-boiled eggs with an internal yolk, as long as they can maintain their solid shape. In the case of soft-boiled eggs, it is sufficient that at least the outer egg white portion is solidified, and the egg yolk portion may have a certain degree of fluidity. In addition, eggs that are the raw material for boiled eggs are typically chicken eggs, but may also be eggs other than chicken eggs, such as quail eggs.

[0013] (Multi-stage boiled egg supply device) In one aspect, the present invention is a multi-stage boiled egg supplying device (boiled egg supplying unit) having at least a first boiled egg storage unit and a second boiled egg storage unit. The first boiled egg storage unit according to the present invention has a first transfer unit for transferring a boiled egg to the second boiled egg storage unit, and the second boiled egg storage unit has a second transfer unit for further transferring the boiled egg from the opening of the second boiled egg storage unit. The device of the present invention has a supply control unit that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg stored in the second boiled egg storage unit with a sensor and controls the first transfer unit to transfer the boiled egg stored in the first boiled egg storage unit to the second boiled egg storage unit based on the result of detection by the sensor.

[0014] The first boiled egg storage section and the second boiled egg storage section are composed of a bottom surface and four walls, and an opening is formed in one of the four walls on the downstream side. Note that in this specification, the "step" refers to the wall portion from the bottom surface of this wall to the opening.

[0015] In one preferred embodiment, the multi-stage boiled egg supplying device of the present invention has a transfer section that transfers boiled eggs in the boiled egg supply section to a cutting section, a sensor that detects the presence or absence of boiled eggs in the supply section, and a control section that controls the supply section to replenish boiled eggs when there are no boiled eggs in the supply section.

[0016] The multi-stage boiled egg dispenser of the present invention is equipped with a sensor that detects the presence or absence of boiled eggs in the dispenser. That is, if it is found that there are no boiled eggs in the supply section, which is a part of the conveying path for supplying boiled eggs to the cutting section, the next boiled egg can be automatically supplied to the supply section by the control of the control section based on the detection result of the sensor. Therefore, the supply of boiled eggs to the cutting section and the control of boiled eggs to be replenished to the supply section can be automatically performed. Also, if it is found that there are boiled eggs in the supply section, the control section can control the supply operation not to be performed based on the detection result of the sensor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an excessive supply of boiled eggs, which would lead to an oversupply of boiled eggs and hinder the accurate supply of boiled eggs. That is, according to this aspect of the present invention, the sensor and the control section perform accurate drive control, and boiled eggs can be continuously and accurately supplied to the cutting section.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a multi-stage boiled egg supplying device for supplying boiled eggs to a cutting section. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, two storage sections for holding boiled eggs are provided so that a large amount of boiled eggs can be processed. The boiled eggs in the first boiled egg storage section 7 at the front are moved to the second boiled egg storage section 8 at the back, and then the boiled eggs in the second boiled egg storage section 8 are further supplied to the cutting section. In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of sections for holding boiled eggs are arranged such that the boiled eggs are moved from the first boiled egg storage section 7 to the second boiled egg storage section 8. The movement of the boiled eggs can be appropriately performed by a method such as inclining the bottom surface of each storage section, and a space (for example, a first opening 20) large enough for the boiled eggs to pass through may be provided between each storage section.

[0018] (Boiled egg cutting machine) In one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-stage boiled egg supplying device relates to a boiled egg cutter (cutting unit) connected to a boiled egg cutting unit at the rear stage. In the boiled egg cutting unit of the present invention, by adjusting the number of slicing blades, it is possible to slice an egg into three or more pieces as well as cut an egg into two pieces. For example, by using one slicing blade as the slicing blade, it is possible to cut an egg into two pieces. In addition, by using a slicing blade with multiple blades, it is possible to cut an egg into three or more pieces, for example, by using a slicing blade consisting of three blades, it is possible to cut an egg into four pieces. In a preferred embodiment, according to the present invention, one boiled egg can be cut into 2 to 10 pieces, more preferably 2 to 6 pieces, and even more preferably 2 to 4 pieces. The thickness of the slices is not particularly limited, but can be controlled, for example, by adjusting the distance between the blades. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the egg after slicing is 0.1 to 5 cm, more preferably 0.2 to 3 cm, and even more preferably 0.3 to 1.5 cm.

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing wire-shaped slicing blades fixed to an outer frame, with the left one having four slicing blades and the right one having one slicing blade. The slicing blade in Figure 2(a) can be used to cut a boiled egg into three or more parts, while the slicing blade in Figure 2(b) can be used to cut a boiled egg into two parts.

[0020] In one aspect, the cutting section of the boiled egg cutter of the present invention has a boiled egg holding section configured to line up multiple plate-like bodies with gaps between them so that the slicing blade can fit between them, a slicing blade that can fit between adjacent plate-like bodies to cut the boiled eggs, and a drive section for pressing the holding section against the slicing blade.

[0021] The holding part for the boiled egg is not particularly limited in shape or size as long as it can hold the boiled egg. In a preferred embodiment, for example, a concave recess can be provided and used as the holding part. When the holding part is composed of a plurality of plate-shaped bodies, the outer periphery of the plate-shaped bodies can be designed so that a concave portion is formed as a whole when the plurality of plate-shaped bodies are joined together to provide a gap between them so that the slice blade can enter between them. For example, if the holding part is configured in an egg-shaped concave shape, the boiled egg taken out of the holding part after slicing is cut off in a state in which it remains almost in its original shape even after slicing, which is preferable. If the shape of the holding part is flat, the boiled egg after slicing opens to the left and right from the center, and the cut surface faces upward, and it is not easy to take it out because it cannot maintain its original shape, and the removal work requires a lot of effort.

[0022] The slicing blade for cutting the boiled egg is not particularly limited, and various shapes and materials can be used. In a preferred embodiment, the slicing blade is thin or wire-shaped. For example, when the slicing blade is composed of linear blades, the number of linear blades may be multiple or one. As described above, the number of blades constituting the slicing blade determines how to cut the boiled egg. In a preferred embodiment, the slicing blade of the present invention is composed of 1 to 9 blades, more preferably 1 to 5 blades, and even more preferably 1 to 3 blades.

[0023] In the boiled egg cutting unit of the present invention, the holding part is moved relative to the fixed slicing blade to cut the boiled egg in the holding part. There is no particular restriction on how the boiled egg in the holding part is pressed against the slicing blade, but the boiled egg held in the holding part may be pressed against the slicing blade in a straight line in the vertical direction by the driving part, or may be pressed against the slicing blade in a rotational manner. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the holding part is pressed against the slicing blade in a straight line in the vertical direction. Also, in the present invention, the boiled egg may be cut in its longitudinal direction or in its lateral direction.

[0024] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus in which a boiled egg placed on a holding section is pressed against the slicing blade in a straight line in the vertical direction, and Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus in which a boiled egg placed on a holding section is pressed against the slicing blade in a rotational manner. In the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, a single boiled egg is placed on a holding section made up of multiple plate-like bodies 32, and the boiled egg is cut by being pressed against the slicing blade in a straight line in the vertical direction from bottom to top. On the other hand, in the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, a boiled egg is placed on a holding section made up of multiple plate-like bodies 32b, and the holding section on which the boiled egg is placed rotates to press the egg against the slicing blade and cut.

[0025] It is also preferable that the cutting section of the boiled egg cutter of the present invention further has a post-cutting hold sensor that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg in the holding section after cutting, and a control section that controls the supply of a boiled egg from the second transport section to the holding section via the waiting member when there is no boiled egg in the holding section.

[0026] That is, when the cut boiled egg is taken out from the holding section and it is found that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the next slicing process can be performed, and the next boiled egg can be automatically supplied to the holding section from the second transfer section via the waiting member based on the detection result of the post-cut hold sensor. Therefore, the supply to the holding section can be performed automatically, and the efficiency of cutting the boiled egg can be greatly improved. Also, when it is found that there is a boiled egg in the holding section after the cut, the control section can stop the supply of the next boiled egg to the holding section based on the detection result of the sensor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the supply of an excessive amount of boiled eggs, which leads to an oversupply of boiled eggs and hinders the accurate supply of boiled eggs. That is, according to this aspect of the present invention, the sensor and the control section perform accurate drive control, and continuous and accurate slicing process can be realized automatically at high speed.

[0027] At this time, the second transport section can be controlled by a motor, an air cylinder, or the like. EXAMPLES

[0028] Hereinafter, specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Of course, various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. (First Example: A cutting machine that cuts boiled eggs by linear motion) 3(a) and (b) show a top view and a side cross-sectional view of a boiled egg cutter 50 according to a first embodiment. In Fig. 3, the same components as those in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), boiled egg cutting machine 50 includes a boiled egg supply unit 1 and a cutting unit 2. As described above with reference to Figure 1, supply unit 1 includes a first boiled egg storage unit 7 and a second boiled egg storage unit 8. The top of first boiled egg storage unit 7 is open, making it possible to place a boiled egg into first boiled egg storage unit 7 through the open opening. The top of second boiled egg storage unit 8 is also open, making it possible to observe the state of the boiled eggs stored in second boiled egg storage unit 8.

[0030] As shown in the cross-sectional view along line AB in Figure 3(b), a partition plate 21 is interposed between first boiled egg housing section 7 and second boiled egg housing section 8, and a first opening 20 is formed in partition plate 21. The lower end of first opening 20 is formed at a predetermined height from the bottom surface of first housing section 7, forming a first step 22 between first boiled egg housing section 7 and second boiled egg housing section 8. In other words, in order for a boiled egg to be transferred from first boiled egg housing section 7 to second boiled egg housing section 8, it must overcome first step 22.

[0031] The bottom surface of first boiled egg storage section 7 forms inclined section 23 with a gradient that descends toward partition plate 21, so that the boiled eggs supplied to first boiled egg storage section 7 gather on the downstream side of first boiled egg storage section 7 by gravity. In addition, both sides of inclined section 23 also form inclined sections 24 with a gradient that descends to central inclined section 23 with a width narrower than the width of opening passage 20 (see FIG. 1), so that the boiled eggs gather near the center on the downstream side. Near first step section 22 of partition plate 21 where the boiled eggs gather due to inclined sections 23, 24, head section 25 of first transfer section 9 forms a continuous surface with inclined sections 23, 24, and has a gradient that descends toward the center on the downstream side. The tip of head section 25 rubs against the front inner wall of first boiled egg storage section 7, or is adjusted so that it moves up and down with a narrow gap between them so that the boiled eggs transferred from there do not fall. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the first transfer unit 9 is attached to the lower part of the head unit 25. Although not shown, a mechanism is provided for vertically raising and lowering the first transfer unit 9 by an air cylinder. By the upward movement of the first transfer unit 9, the front end edge of the head unit 25 is raised to a height almost the same as the lower end edge of the first opening 20 with the boiled egg placed thereon, allowing the boiled egg to be transferred through the first opening 20 to the second boiled egg storage unit 8. By the downward movement of the first transfer unit 9, the head unit 25 returns to a position forming the bottom surface of the first boiled egg storage unit 7. It is preferable that the upper surface of the head unit 25 is large enough to accommodate multiple boiled eggs, and in this embodiment, it is large enough to accommodate 7 to 8 boiled eggs.

[0032] As shown in the cross-sectional view between C and D in Fig. 3(b), second boiled egg accommodation section 8 has second opening 26 formed in end plate 27. The lower end of second opening 26 is formed at a predetermined height from the bottom surface of second accommodation section 8, forming second step 28 between second boiled egg accommodation section 8 and the outside. That is, in order for a boiled egg to be transferred from second boiled egg accommodation section 8 through second opening 26 to the outside, it must overcome second step 28.

[0033] The bottom surface of the second boiled egg storage section 8 forms an inclined section 29 with a gradient that descends toward the end plate 27, so that the boiled eggs supplied to the second boiled egg storage section 8 will gather near the downstream side of the second boiled egg storage section 8 due to gravity. In addition, both sides of the inclined section 29 also form inclined sections 30 with a gradient that descends toward the central inclined section 29, so that the boiled eggs will gather near the center of the downstream side. Near the second step section 28 of the end plate 27 where the boiled eggs gather due to the inclined sections 29 and 30, the head section 31 of the second transfer section 3 forms a continuous surface with the inclined sections 29 and 30, and the upper surface is provided with a size that allows only one boiled egg to be placed thereon, and has a gradient that descends toward the center of the downstream side. The tip of the head section 31 rubs against the front inner wall of the second boiled egg storage section 8, or is adjusted so that it moves up and down with a narrow gap between them so that the boiled eggs transferred from there do not fall. As shown in Fig. 3(b), the second transfer unit 3 is attached to the bottom of the head unit 31. Although not shown, a mechanism is provided for vertically raising and lowering the second transfer unit 3 using an air cylinder. As the second transfer unit 3 rises, the front end edge of the head unit 31 is raised to approximately the same height as the lower end edge of the second opening 26 with one boiled egg placed thereon, allowing the boiled egg to be transferred through the second opening 26 to the outside of the second boiled egg storage unit 8. As the second transfer unit 3 descends, the head unit 31 returns to the position where it forms the bottom surface of the second boiled egg storage unit 8.

[0034] Furthermore, second boiled egg storage unit 8 may further include a plurality of pins 10 that are driven up and down in front of head unit 31 in second boiled egg storage unit 8, in order to guide a single boiled egg to head unit 31 of second transfer unit 3. Pins 10 guide the boiled egg to head unit 31 of second transfer unit 3 by pushing the boiled egg up from below, and are controlled to be driven up and down by pin drive unit 11. This makes it possible to place only a single boiled egg on head unit 31 more reliably.

[0035] The boiled egg cutting unit 2 is disposed downstream of the second opening 26 of the second boiled egg storage unit 8, adjacent to the outside of the outer box that surrounds and stores the plate-like body 32. The boiled egg cutting unit 2 has a boiled egg holding unit 4 (egg receiving unit) composed of a plurality of plate-like bodies 32, a slicing blade 6 for cutting the boiled egg 5 held in the holding unit 4, and a linear drive unit 12 that moves the holding unit 4 linearly in a direction perpendicular to the slicing blade 6 so that the slicing blade 6 enters between the adjacent plate-like bodies 32 with a gap between them. The linear drive unit 12 cuts the boiled egg held in the holding unit 4 as it moves linearly from bottom to top through the holding unit 4. The holding unit 4 stops at the uppermost position until the cut boiled egg is removed, and then descends to its original lowermost position after the cut boiled egg is removed.

[0036] FIG. 5 shows how the boiled egg 5 stored in the second boiled egg storage section 8 is transferred to the holding section 4 of the cutting section 2 via the head section 31 of the second transfer section 3. The head section 31 of the second transfer section 3 rises, lifting the boiled egg 5 to the upper part of the second boiled egg storage section 8, and after passing through the second opening 26 of the end plate 27, it is transferred to the holding section 4 of the cutting section 2. As shown in the figure, the holding section 4 is preferably provided by adjusting the shape of the multiple plate-like bodies 32 so that a depression (concave) is formed overall in the shape of a catcher's mitt or football. By providing such a holding section 4, not only can the boiled egg before cutting be stably placed, but also the boiled egg after cutting can be maintained in a state in which it is easy to take out, almost the same as before cutting.

[0037] Returning to FIG. 3, the boiled egg cutter 50 further includes a storage sensor 13 that detects the boiled egg 5 stored in the second boiled egg storage unit 8, a post-cut hold sensor 15 that detects whether a boiled egg 5 is placed in the holding unit 4 of the boiled egg cutting unit 2, and a controller (control unit) 16 that controls the first transfer unit 9, the second transfer unit 3, and the linear drive unit 12 based on the detection results of the storage sensor 13 and the post-cut hold sensor 15. The storage sensor 13 and the post-cut hold sensor 15 can be realized by, for example, providing a photocell and a unit that detects the presence or absence of the light and emits a signal above the second boiled egg storage unit 8 and the boiled egg holding unit 4. If the light of the photocell is blocked by a boiled egg, a light non-detection signal is emitted to detect the presence of a boiled egg, and if the light is not blocked, a light detection signal is emitted to detect the absence of a boiled egg, and control can be performed based on the detection result of the presence or absence of a boiled egg.

[0038] Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control of moving a plurality of eggs from the first boiled egg storage section 7 to the second boiled egg storage section 8 is performed by the controller 16. Specifically, when the number of boiled eggs in the second boiled egg storage section 8 becomes low and the storage sensor 13 detects that there are no boiled eggs at any particular position, the controller 16 raises the first transfer section 9 until the top surface of the head section 25 of the first transfer section is slightly higher than the first step 22, and stops it for a certain period of time. Thereafter, the controller 16 lowers the head section 25 of the first transfer section to stop it at its original lowest position. In addition, the controller 16 is set to keep the first transfer section 9 waiting at the lowest position when the storage sensor 13 detects that there are boiled eggs. Under such control by the controller 16, the boiled eggs are transferred as follows.

[0039] First, boiled eggs are put into the first storage section 7. The put-in boiled eggs are collected near the head section 25 of the first transfer section 9 by the inclined sections 23 and 24, and are stopped at the first step 22. Next, when the sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the second boiled egg storage section, the first transfer section 9 is driven upward, and the boiled egg placed on the head section 25 moves from the head section 25, which has been stationary for a certain period of time, over the first step 22, through the first opening 20, and to the second storage section 8 for holding the boiled egg. After that, the first transfer section 9 descends and returns to the lowest position. Then, when the sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the second boiled egg storage section, the first transfer section 9 continues to wait at the lowest position.

[0040] In this way, controller 16 detects the presence or absence of boiled eggs stored in a specific position in second storage unit 8 from the detection signal of storage sensor 13, and controls the operation of the first transfer unit based on the result, and controls the raising and lowering operation of first transfer unit 9 so that an appropriate number of boiled eggs are held in second boiled egg storage unit 8. For example, if there are fewer boiled eggs in second storage unit 8 and storage sensor 13 detects that there are no boiled eggs at any specific position, control unit 16 raises and lowers first transfer unit 9 to transfer the boiled eggs held in first storage unit 7, and if the sensor detects that there are boiled eggs in second storage unit 8, it stops the raising and lowering of first transfer unit 9 and continues to hold the boiled eggs in first storage unit 7.

[0041] The controller 16 also controls the transfer and placement of the boiled eggs one by one from the second storage section to the holding section of the downstream cutting section, and then the cutting. Specifically, when the controller 16 detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section 4 by the post-cutting hold sensor 15, it repeats the operation of lowering the holding section 4 to the lowest position, then raising it to the highest position again, and then stopping it at the highest position for a certain period of time, and when the controller 16 detects that there is a boiled egg in the holding section by the post-cutting hold sensor 15, it stops the holding section 4. When the controller 16 detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section 4 by the post-cutting hold sensor, it repeats the operation of raising and lowering the second transport section in conjunction with the operation of the holding section 4, and when the controller 16 detects that there is a boiled egg in the holding section 4 by the post-cutting hold sensor, it stops the operation of the second transport section while it is stopped at the highest position. Under such control by the controller 16, the boiled egg is transferred and cut as follows.

[0042] First, the boiled eggs held in second storage section 8 are gathered near head section 31 of second transfer section 3 by inclined sections 29, 30 and further by the up and down movement of pin 10, and are stopped at second step 28. Next, when post-cutting hold sensor 15 detects that there is no boiled egg in boiled egg holding section 4, head section 31 of second transfer section 3 is driven upward, and the boiled egg placed on head section 31 is transferred over second step 28 through second opening 26 to boiled egg holding section 4 of the cutting section (see Figure 5). Head section 31 of second transfer section 3 then stops its operation while remaining stationary in the uppermost position.

[0043] When the holding section 4 carrying the boiled egg 5 rises, the boiled egg 5 is pressed against the slicing blade 6 and cut into a plurality of pieces. As described above, the holding section 4 for the boiled egg 5 is composed of a plurality of plate-like bodies 32, which is preferable because the boiled egg can be pressed against the wire-shaped slicing blade in its original state to be sliced. The sliced ​​boiled egg can be manually removed from the device. When the cut boiled egg is collected, the linear drive section 12 is controlled to descend vertically, and repeats the operation of ascending and descending in conjunction with the operation of the boiled egg holding section 4 to receive the boiled egg from the second boiled egg storage section 8, and when the hold sensor detects the presence of a boiled egg in the holding section after the cutting, the second transfer section stops its operation while remaining stationary at the uppermost position. In a preferred embodiment, a sensor may be used to check whether or not the cut boiled egg remains in the holding section 4.

[0044] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged view of a portion of boiled egg cutter 50 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the steps (1) to (5) of sequentially transporting boiled eggs 5 from second boiled egg storage section 8 to boiled egg holding section 4.

[0045] As shown in Figure 7, the second transfer unit 3, which is capable of moving up and down, is disposed adjacent to end plate 27 of second boiled egg storage unit 8, and a waiting member 33 extends from the outer lower edge of opening 26 of second boiled egg storage unit 8 formed in end plate 27. That is, when a boiled egg 5 placed on head unit 31 of second transfer unit 3 is lifted up to the vicinity of second opening 26 by the upward drive of second transfer unit 3, it leaves second opening 26 and rolls into waiting member 33. However, because waiting member 33 has an inclined surface as shown in the figure, the boiled egg 5 on waiting member 33 slides down from there.

[0046] The flow of transport of the boiled egg cutter 50 according to the first embodiment will be described below. First, as shown in Figure 7 (1), a boiled egg is placed on the head portion 31 of the second transfer portion 3, and the second transfer portion 3 and the linear drive portion 12 are driven to rise. The boiled egg placed on the head portion 31 of the second transfer portion 3 is prevented by the end plate 27 from rolling off the head portion 31, and approaches the vacant standby member 33 as the second transfer portion 3 rises.

[0047] 7(2), when the head unit 31 passes the upper edge of the end plate 27 and rises to near the height of the waiting member 33, the boiled egg placed on the head unit 31 of the second transfer unit 3 rolls into the empty waiting member 33. At this time, because the side surface of the linear drive unit 12 reaches a position higher than the height of the boiled egg that has rolled onto the waiting member 33, the boiled egg is held on the waiting member 33 without rolling off.

[0048] Next, as shown in FIG. 7(3), linear drive unit 12 and second transfer unit 3 are controlled to start descending. When the height of boiled egg holding portion 4 of linear drive unit 12 reaches a position lower than the height above waiting member 33, the boiled egg on waiting member 33 rolls into boiled egg holding portion 4 of linear drive unit 12. Linear drive unit 12 continues to descend with the boiled egg placed thereon, and stops once at the lowest position. At this time, second transfer unit 3 also descends at the same time as linear drive unit 12 descends, and when head portion 31 of second transfer unit 3 reaches the same height as the bottom surface of second boiled egg storage unit 8, one of the boiled eggs present in second boiled egg storage unit 8 is placed on head portion 31 of the second transfer unit.

[0049] Next, as shown in FIG. 7(4), the second transfer section 3 and the linear drive section 12 are controlled to start rising. When the second transfer section 3 reaches the uppermost position, the boiled egg placed on the head section 31 of the second transfer section 3 reaches the height of the opening 26, and the boiled egg comes out of the opening 26 and rolls into the vacant waiting member 33. At this time, the boiled egg holding section 4 of the linear drive section 12 also reaches the uppermost position almost simultaneously with the second transfer section 3 and has reached a position higher than the waiting member 33, so that the boiled egg on the waiting member 33 is prevented from rolling down by the side of the linear drive section 12. Furthermore, at this time, as the linear drive section 12 rises with the boiled egg placed thereon, the boiled egg is pressed against the slicing blade 6 to cut it.

[0050] Finally, as shown in Figure 7 (5), the movement of linear drive unit 12 and second transfer unit 3 stops until cut boiled egg 5 is removed, and head unit 31 of second transfer unit 3 and boiled egg holder 4 of linear drive unit 12 stop operating while remaining stationary in the uppermost position. Once cut boiled egg 5 is removed, the state returns to Figure 7 (2), second transfer unit 3 and linear drive unit 12 are driven upward, and the same processes (2) to (5) are repeated.

[0051] (Second embodiment: a cutting machine that cuts boiled eggs by a rotary motion) Figures 4 and 6 show a boiled egg cutter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The boiled egg cutter 51 according to the second embodiment shown in Figures 4 and 6 differs from the first embodiment in that in cutting section 2b, boiled egg 5 placed on holding section 4b is not pressed against the slicing blade in a straight line, but is pressed against the slicing blade while rotating, thereby cutting the boiled egg. Note that in Figures 4 and 6, the same components as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numbers with the letter "b" added, and detailed explanations are omitted, and only the parts that differ from the first embodiment are explained.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 4(b) and Fig. 6, the boiled egg cutting section 2b of the boiled egg cutter 51 according to the second embodiment includes a rotor 37 that can rotate around a rotation shaft 41, and a rotation drive section 36 that rotates the rotor 37 around the rotation shaft 41. The rotor 37 is formed by arranging a plurality of plate-like bodies 32b in parallel along the rotation shaft 41, and the rotor 37 is formed with a holding section 4b that is a portion recessed inward from its circumferential side toward the rotation shaft 41. A linear slicing blade 6b is disposed in the cutting section 2b, and the rotor 37 is disposed so that the linear slicing blade 6b passes between adjacent plate-like bodies 32b of the rotor 37 during rotation. Thus, the boiled egg 5 held in the holding section 4b is cut into a plurality of parts by the slicing blade 6b as the rotor 37 rotates. In the example of Fig. 4(b) and Fig. 6, the holding sections 4b are formed in three places at equal angular intervals. Position 38 is the position of holding portion 4b where the boiled egg before being cut is accommodated, position 39 is the position of holding portion 4b where the boiled egg after being cut is accommodated, and position 40 is the standby position for holding portion 4b. Of course, a holding portion may be provided in only one location, or holding portions 4b may be provided in two or four or more locations spaced at equal angular intervals.

[0053] In the second embodiment, in order to transfer the boiled eggs to the holding section 4b of the rotating rotor 37, a third transfer section 35 (e.g., an air cylinder) that moves up and down and an egg sending guide 34 are newly provided between the boiled egg supplying device of the first embodiment, the second boiled egg storage section 8b, and the cutting section 2b. Therefore, in the second embodiment, when the boiled eggs stored in the second storage section 8b are sent out from the outlet 26b by the second transfer section 3b, they are not directly transferred to the cutting section 2b, but are temporarily placed on the waiting member 33b, and when the third transfer section 35 descends, the placed boiled eggs roll onto and are placed on the head section 42 of the third transfer section 35, are raised by the third transfer section 35, are redirected by the egg sending guide 34, and are stored in the holding section 4b at position 38.

[0054] Furthermore, a post-cut hold sensor 15b for detecting the boiled egg is disposed adjacent to position 39 of holding unit 6b after the boiled egg is cut. A controller 16b according to the second embodiment controls first transfer unit 9b, second transfer unit 3b, third transfer unit 35 and rotation drive unit 36 ​​based on detection signals from storage sensor 13b, pre-cut hold sensor 14 and post-cut hold sensor 15b.

[0055] Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 80 to 100 boiled eggs are manually placed in first storage unit 7b. When controller 16b cannot detect a boiled egg at a specific position in second storage unit 8b based on a detection signal from storage sensor 13b, controller 16b moves first transfer unit 9b up and down to transfer the boiled eggs stored in first storage unit 7b to second storage unit 8b.

[0056] When the pre-cut hold sensor 14 cannot detect the uncut boiled egg in the holding section 4b at the position 38, the controller 16b moves the second transfer section 3b upward to send out the boiled egg placed on its head section 31b from the second opening 26b of the second storage section 8b, and at the same time moves the third transfer section 35 upward to place the boiled egg coming out of the second opening 26b on the waiting member 33b. Next, the third transfer section 35 descends while maintaining approximately the same height as the second transfer section 3b, and returns to its original position. At this time, the boiled egg on the waiting member 33b is placed on the head section 42 of the third transfer section 35. Next, the third transfer section 35 rises again, and the placed boiled egg is redirected by the egg sending guide 34 and stored in the holding section 4b at the position 38.

[0057] The second transport section 3b and the third transport section 35 are each an independent structure, are not linked, and are moved separately. When pre-cut hold sensor 14 detects that there is an uncut boiled egg in holding portion 4b at position 38, and post-cut hold sensor 15b detects that there is no cut boiled egg in holding portion 4b at position 39, controller 16b drives rotation drive unit 36 ​​to rotate rotor 37. This rotation cuts the boiled egg in holding portion 4b at position 38.

[0058] When the pre-cut hold sensor 14 detects that there is a boiled egg before cutting in the holding portion 4b at position 38, and the post-cut hold sensor 15b detects that there is a boiled egg after cutting in the holding portion 4b at position 39, the controller 16b does not drive the rotation drive unit 36 ​​and keeps the rotor 37 from rotating.

[0059] When the pre-cut hold sensor 14 detects that there is no uncut boiled egg in the holding portion 4b at position 38, the controller 16b maintains a state in which it does not drive the rotation drive unit 36 ​​and does not rotate the rotor 37, regardless of whether the post-cut hold sensor 15b detects that there is a cut boiled egg in the holding portion 4b at position 39 or not.

[0060] If the pre-cut hold sensor 14 detects that there is no uncut boiled egg in the holding section at position 38, the controller 16b controls the second transfer section 3b and the third transfer section 35 so that a boiled egg is supplied to the holding section 4b at position 38. As described above, if the storage sensor 13b cannot detect a boiled egg in the second storage section 8b, the controller 16b controls the elevation of the first transfer section 9b.

[0061] In the second embodiment, a rotational motion is used to force the boiled egg against the slicing blades, making it more suitable for continuous operation. FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a boiled egg cutter 51 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the steps (1) to (5) of sequentially transporting boiled eggs 5 from the second boiled egg storage section 8b to the holding section 4b of the cutting rotor 37.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 8, a second transfer unit 3b capable of ascending and descending is disposed adjacent to end plate 27b of second boiled egg storage unit 8b, and a waiting member 33b extends from the outer lower edge of second opening 26b of second boiled egg storage unit 8b formed in end plate 27b. That is, when a boiled egg 5 placed on head unit 31b of second transfer unit 3b is lifted up to the vicinity of second opening 26b by the upward drive of second transfer unit 3b, it leaves second opening 26b and rolls into waiting member 33b. However, because waiting member 33b has an inclined surface as shown in the figure, boiled egg 5 on waiting member 33b slides down from there.

[0063] Additionally, a third transfer section 35 that can be raised and lowered is disposed between the end plate 27b and the rotor 37 of the cutting machine, and a head section 42 having an inclined surface is provided on the third transfer section 35, and a boiled egg is placed on the head section 42. An anti-rolling plate 43 that extends to the lower edge of the holding section 4b is provided between the third transfer section 35 and the rotor 37.

[0064] The flow of transport of boiled egg cutter 51 according to the second embodiment will be described below. First, as shown in Figure 8 (1), a boiled egg is placed on head portion 31b of second transfer portion 3b and head portion 42 of third transfer portion 35, and second transfer portion 3b and third transfer portion 35 are driven to rise. The boiled egg placed on head portion 42 of third transfer portion 35 is prevented by anti-rolling plate 43 from rolling off head portion 42 of third transfer portion 35, and approaches vacant hold portion 4b as third transfer portion 35 rises.

[0065] Next, as shown in Figure 8 (2), when the head part 42 of the third transfer part 35 passes over the upper edge of the anti-rolling plate 43 and rises to the vicinity of the height of the holding part 4b, the boiled egg placed on the head part 42 of the third transfer part 35 rolls into the vacant holding part 4b. Thereafter, the second transfer part 3b and the third transfer part 35 are driven to rise.

[0066] 8(3), when the boiled egg placed on second transfer unit 3b reaches the height of second opening 26b, the boiled egg leaves second opening 26b and moves to waiting member 33b. At this time, head unit 42 of third transfer unit 35 has reached a position higher than waiting member 33b, so the edge of head unit 42 of third transfer unit 35 prevents the boiled egg on waiting member 33b from rolling off.

[0067] Next, as shown in Figure 8 (4), the second transfer unit 3b and the third transfer unit 35 are controlled to start descending. When the head unit 42 of the third transfer unit 35 reaches a position lower than the standby member 33b, the boiled egg on the standby member 33b rolls into the head unit 42 of the third transfer unit 35. The third transfer unit 35 continues to descend with the boiled egg placed on it.

[0068] Finally, as shown in Fig. 8(5), when the second transfer section 3b and the third transfer section 35 reach their lowest positions, the boiled egg supplied from the second boiled egg storage section 8b is placed on the head section 31b of the second transfer section 3b. The boiled egg on the head section 42 of the third transfer section 35 is prevented from rolling by the anti-rolling plate 43. In this state, the rotor 37 of the cutting section is controlled to rotate. The rotor 37 is rotated until the vacant holding section 4b faces the third transfer section 35 side as shown in Fig. 8(1).

[0069] Returning to the state of FIG. 8(2), the second transport section 3b and the third transport section 35 are driven to move upward, and the same processes (2) to (5) are repeated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1, 1b: Boiled egg supply section of boiled egg cutting machine (multi-stage boiled egg supply device) 2, 2b: Cutting section of boiled egg cutting machine 3, 3b: Second transfer section 4, 4b: Boiled egg holder (egg holder) 5: Boiled eggs 6, 6b: Slicing blade 7, 7b: First boiled egg storage section 8, 8b: Second boiled egg storage area 9, 9b: First transfer section 10, 10b: Pins for sending out boiled eggs 11, 11b: Pin drive part 12: Linear drive unit 13, 13b: Containment sensor 14: Pre-disconnect hold sensor 15, 15b: Hold sensor after disconnection 16, 16b: Controller (control unit) 20, 20b: first opening 21, 21b: Partition plate 22, 22b: First step 23, 23b, 24, 24b: Sloping portion of the first boiled egg storage section 25, 25b: Head portion of the first transfer section 26, 26b: second opening 27, 27b: End plate 28, 28b: Second step 29, 29b, 30, 30b: Sloping portion of second boiled egg storage section 31, 31b: Head portion of the second transfer section 32, 32b: plate-shaped body 33, 33b: standby member 34: Egg Sending Guide 35: Third transfer section 36: Rotation drive unit 37:Rota 38: Position of the holding part where the boiled egg is placed before cutting 39: Position of the holding part on which the cut boiled egg is placed 40: Hold section standby position 41: Rotor shaft 42: Head of the third transfer section 43: Anti-roll plate 50; Boiled egg cutter according to the first embodiment 51: A boiled egg cutter according to a second embodiment

Claims

1. A multi-stage boiled egg supplying device having at least a first boiled egg storage section and a second boiled egg storage section, the first boiled egg storage section has a first opening and a first transfer section for transferring a plurality of boiled eggs to the second boiled egg storage section, and the second boiled egg storage section has a second opening and a second transfer section for transferring the boiled eggs one by one from the second boiled egg storage section to the outside, This multi-stage boiled egg supplying device has a storage sensor that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg stored in a specific position in the second boiled egg storage section, and when the sensor detects that there is no boiled egg, operates to transfer the boiled egg stored in the first boiled egg storage section to the second boiled egg storage section, and has a control section that controls the first transfer section so that it does not operate when it detects that there is a boiled egg.

2. A first step and a first opening are provided between the first boiled egg receiving section and the second boiled egg receiving section. the first transfer unit transfers the boiled egg to the second boiled egg storage unit through the first opening by causing the boiled egg to climb over the first step; 2. The multi-stage boiled egg supplying device of claim 1, wherein the second opening of the second boiled egg storage section has a second step, and the second transport section transports the boiled egg to the outside from the second opening by causing it to overcome the second step.

3. the first boiled egg storage section has a sloped bottom surface so that the stored boiled eggs gather near the first step; 3. The multi-stage boiled egg supplying device according to claim 2, wherein the second boiled egg storage section has a sloped bottom surface so that the stored boiled eggs gather near the second step.

4. The multi-stage boiled egg supplying device of claim 3, wherein the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit each include a head unit having a bottom surface near the step, the bottom surface of which is provided with a head unit having a downward inclination in the direction of travel, on which the boiled eggs collected by the inclined portion are placed, and a lifting drive unit for lifting and lowering the head unit.

5. 5. The multi-stage boiled egg supplying device of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of pins that move up and down on a bottom surface upstream of the head portion in the second boiled egg storage section to guide the boiled eggs to the head portion of the second transfer section.

6. A multi-stage boiled egg supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a standby member for temporarily holding the boiled egg transferred to the outside through the opening of the second boiled egg storage section; a boiled egg cutting unit that cuts one boiled egg transferred via the standby member; Equipped with a boiled egg cutting machine.

7. The boiled egg cutting unit includes a holding unit for holding a boiled egg, the holding unit being configured to arrange a plurality of plate-like bodies with a predetermined gap therebetween so that the slicing blade can fit between the plate-like bodies, one or more slicing blades for cutting the boiled egg held in the holding unit, and a driving unit for moving the holding unit relative to the slicing blades so that the slicing blades fit between the adjacent plate-like bodies in the holding unit.

7. The boiled egg cutter of claim 6, further comprising a standby member having a downward incline in the direction of travel, the standby member being provided on the outside near the opening of the second boiled egg storage section and configured to temporarily receive a single boiled egg transferred to the outside through the opening.

8. 8. The boiled egg cutter of claim 7, further comprising a drive unit which moves the holding unit back and forth linearly in the vertical direction, the drive unit causing the holding unit to stop at the uppermost position for a certain period of time, then to descend to the lowermost position, and then to rise to the uppermost position again, and the slicing blade and the standby member are disposed so as to be located between the uppermost position and the lowermost position.

9. The apparatus further includes a post-cut hold sensor that detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg in the holding section at the uppermost position, and controls the operation of the holding section of the cutting section and the second conveying section of the supplying section based on the detection result of the post-cut hold sensor as follows: (1) When the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the holding section is lowered to the lowest position, then raised to the highest position again, and then the operation of stopping the holding section at the highest position for a certain period of time is repeated, and when the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the holding section, the operation is stopped with the holding section stopped at the highest position; (2) when the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the second transfer section is repeatedly raised and lowered in conjunction with the operation of the holding section, and when the after-cut hold sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the holding section, the second transfer section is stopped in its uppermost position and its operation is stopped; The boiled egg cutter according to claim 8, further comprising a control unit configured to control the boiled egg cutter as follows:

10. 8. The boiled egg cutter according to claim 7, wherein the drive unit rotates the holding unit.

11. 11. The boiled egg cutting machine according to claim 10, further comprising a third transfer unit which receives and holds the boiled eggs from the waiting member, and then transfers them to the boiled egg cutting unit.

12. the third transfer unit includes a head unit on which a boiled egg is placed and a lifting drive unit that lifts and lowers the head unit, 12. The boiled egg cutter according to claim 11, wherein the boiled egg on the waiting member is received and held by the head portion as the third transport unit descends from above, and then the boiled egg on the head portion is placed on the holding portion as the third transport unit ascends from below.

13. An egg feed guide disposed above the third transfer unit so as to guide the boiled egg placed on the head unit of the third transfer unit to the holding unit; or a rolling prevention plate disposed between the third transfer unit and the boiled egg cutting unit to prevent the boiled egg placed on the head unit of the third transfer unit from rolling off during the lifting and lowering operation of the third transfer unit; The boiled egg cutter of claim 12, further comprising:

14. The apparatus has a pre-cutting hold sensor that detects the boiled eggs in the holding section before cutting, and controls the operation of the holding section of the cutting section and the second and third transfer sections of the supply section based on the detection result of the sensor as follows: (1) When the pre-cutting hold sensor detects the presence of a boiled egg in the holding section, the holding section is moved to cut the boiled egg held in the holding section and then stopped for a certain period of time, and when the pre-cutting hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the holding section, the operation is stopped in the stopped state; (2) If the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the hold section, 2. Operate the third transport unit, supply a boiled egg to the holding unit, and stop the unit for a certain period of time. When it is detected that a boiled egg is present in the holding unit, stop the unit's operation while the unit is still; The boiled egg cutter according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a control unit that controls as follows.

15. 15. The boiled egg cutter according to claim 14, wherein the boiled egg cutting unit has a plurality of holding parts, and the boiled egg before being cut by the slicing blade and the boiled egg after being cut can be held simultaneously in each holding part.

16. A feeding device comprising a pre-cut hold sensor which detects a boiled egg in the holding section before cutting and a post-cut hold sensor which detects the presence or absence of a boiled egg in the holding section after cutting, and which controls the operation of the holding section of the cutting section and the second and third transfer sections of the supply section based on the detection results of the post-cut hold sensor and the pre-cut hold sensor as follows: (1A) When the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is an uncut boiled egg in the hold section, and when the post-cut hold sensor detects that there is a cut boiled egg in the hold section, the hold section is stopped and its operation is stopped; (1B) When the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is an uncut boiled egg in the holding section, and the post-cut hold sensor detects that there is no cut boiled egg in the holding section, the device moves the holding section to operate to cut the boiled egg held in the holding section, and then stops the operation in a stationary state; (1C) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is no pre-cut boiled egg in the holding section, the holding section is maintained in an inoperative state; (2) when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is no boiled egg in the hold section, the second and third transfer sections are operated to supply a boiled egg to the hold section, and when the pre-cut hold sensor detects that there is a boiled egg in the hold section, the operation is stopped in a stationary state; The boiled egg cutter according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising a control unit that controls as follows.

17. The boiled egg cutter according to any one of claims 7 to 16, wherein the boiled egg cutting unit has one slicing blade for cutting a boiled egg into two pieces.

18. The boiled egg cutter according to any one of claims 7 to 16, wherein the boiled egg cutting unit includes a plurality of the slicing blades for cutting the boiled egg into three or more pieces.

Images