Material Applying Device

Abstract

To provide an ingredients giving device that can give ingredients with high positional accuracy.SOLUTION: An ingredients giving device includes: an ingredients feeder that feeds ingredients; an outlet that discharges the ingredients fed from the ingredients feeder, the outlet opened in a face along the vertical direction; a cutter that descends along the face along the vertical direction of the outlet, and cuts the ingredients discharged from the outlet along the face along the vertical direction and beats them downward; and a conveyor that conveys an object having the ingredients to be given thereto to under the cutter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a food ingredient applying device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that after applying ingredients onto sheet-shaped rice, the sheet-shaped rice is bent so as to sandwich the ingredients inside and molded, thereby manufacturing a rice ball filled with ingredients. Here, the application of the ingredients is performed manually.

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses a fluid discharging device including a cylindrical body and a valve body that is evenly arranged at the tip of the cylindrical body and is configured to open and close according to the internal pressure of the cylindrical body, and is provided with a nozzle made of silicone rubber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] It is conceivable to perform the application of ingredients to the rice ball in Patent Document 1 using a fluid discharging device as disclosed in Patent Document 2 instead of manually. However, conventional devices including Patent Document 2 have room for further improvement from the viewpoint of accurately applying ingredients to the rice ball, especially when the ingredients are solid foods.

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a food ingredient applying device capable of accurately applying ingredients.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the present invention, the following ingredient applying device can be provided. 1. An ingredient supply device for supplying ingredients, a discharge port that discharges the ingredients supplied from the ingredient supply device and opens on a vertically extending surface, a cutter that descends along the vertically extending surface of the discharge port, cuts the ingredients discharged from the discharge port along the vertically extending surface, and strikes the ingredients downward, a conveying device that conveys an object to which the ingredients are to be applied below the cutter, An ingredient applying device comprising the above. 2. The ingredient applying device according to 1, wherein the cutter has a cutting edge for cutting the ingredients and a striking surface that strikes the ingredients downward behind the cutting edge, and the striking surface includes a region that is horizontal or a region where the angle with respect to the horizontal is within 40°. 3. The ingredient applying device according to 1 or 2, wherein the cutter has a cutting edge for cutting the ingredients and extending portions that extend downward from both sides of the cutting edge and are lower than the cutting edge. 4. The ingredient applying device according to 1 or 2, wherein the descending speed of the cutter is 0.5 to 2 m / s. 5. The ingredient applying device according to any one of 1 to 4, wherein the ingredient is a solid food. 6. The ingredient applying device according to 5, wherein the solid food is one or more selected from the group consisting of flaky foods and shredded foods. 7. The ingredient applying device according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the object to which the ingredients are to be applied is food. 8. The ingredient applying device according to 7, wherein the food is an onigiri or sheet-shaped cooked rice before being formed into an onigiri. 9. The ingredient applying device according to any one of 1 to 8, wherein the ingredient supply device is a screw feeder.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, an ingredient applying device capable of accurately applying ingredients can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the food material applying head and the food material applying device of the present invention will be described in detail. In the following description, the configurations described for one embodiment can be appropriately combined with the configurations described for other embodiments.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually explaining a food material applying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] In this embodiment, the ingredient applying device includes an ingredient applying head 1, a screw feeder (ingredient supply device) 3 that supplies an ingredient 2 to the ingredient applying head 1, and a conveyor (transport device) 5 that transports a rice ball (object to be applied with the ingredient) 4 to which the ingredient 2 is to be applied from the ingredient applying head 1.

[0013] In this embodiment, the ingredient 2 is a solid food.

[0014] The solid food is not particularly limited, and preferably, it is at least one selected from the group consisting of flaky foods and shredded foods.

[0015] Examples of the flaky food include salmon flakes and tuna flakes.

[0016] Examples of the shredded food include shredded kelp. Sesame may be mixed in the shredded kelp.

[0017] The solid food can be an aggregate of food pieces (pieces of solid food). Each food piece constituting the aggregate can have at least one form selected from the group consisting of flaky and shredded forms, for example. The aggregate may be one that maintains a state of being aggregated by a fluid (e.g., a viscous body) such as a seasoning intervening between the food pieces.

[0018] When the solid food contains a fluid, the content of the fluid can be 50% by mass or less, 40% by mass, 30% by mass or less, 20% by mass or less, or 10% by mass or less of the entire solid food.

[0019] The aggregate of food pieces can be one that, when gripping and lifting one food piece constituting the aggregate, only that one food piece is lifted. Alternatively, such an aggregate can be one that, when gripping and lifting one food piece constituting the aggregate, a plurality of other food pieces are also lifted together with that one food piece, but then the other food pieces fall due to the action of gravity.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the rice ball 4 to be used in the ingredient applying device of FIG. 1.

[0021] In the present embodiment, the rice ball 4 is formed in a triangular shape. This rice ball 4 has two main surfaces 6 and 7 that are parallel to each other, and a side peripheral portion 8 that connects the edges of these two main surfaces 6 and 7. The two main surfaces 6 and 7 are each triangular. Note that the shape of the rice ball 4 (the shape given to the main surfaces 6 and 7) is not limited to a triangular shape, and may be, for example, a D shape, a circular shape, or the like.

[0022] An ingredient groove 9 for filling the ingredient 2 is formed on one main surface 6 of the rice ball 4. This ingredient groove 9 is the target when the ingredient applying head 1 applies the ingredient 2. The dimensions of the ingredient groove 9 are not particularly limited. The diameter of the ingredient groove 9 is, for example, 10 to 40 mm, preferably 12 to 30 mm, more preferably 15 to 25 mm. The depth of the ingredient groove 9 is, for example, 5 to 20 mm, preferably 10 to 15 mm.

[0023] The screw feeder 3 includes a housing 10 and a screw blade 11 rotatably provided in the housing 10. The screw feeder 3 also includes a hopper 12 for supplying the ingredient to one end side of the screw blade 11. The screw feeder 3 conveys the ingredient 2 supplied to one end side of the screw blade 11 to the other end side of the screw blade 11 by the rotation of the screw blade 11, and discharges it from the outlet (discharge port 14 described later) of the ingredient supply pipe 13 through the ingredient supply pipe 13 having an inlet at the other end side.

[0024] On the upstream side of the conveying conveyor 5, the rice balls 4 are intermittently supplied from a processing device (not shown) provided upstream of the ingredient applying device. The processing device provided upstream of the ingredient applying device is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of a rice ball forming device and a salt sprinkling device.

[0025] The conveying conveyor 5 is configured to sequentially convey the rice ball 4 with the main surface 6 on which the ingredient groove 9 is formed facing upward below the cutter 15 (to be described later) of the ingredient applying head 1. Further, the conveying conveyor 5 is configured to temporarily stop the conveyance when the ingredient groove 9 of the rice ball 4 reaches directly below the cutter 15. During this stop period, the ingredient 2 is applied from the ingredient applying head 1 to the ingredient groove 9. The conveying conveyor 5 resumes the conveyance after the application of the ingredient 2 and conveys the next rice ball 4 (the rice ball 4 to which the ingredient 2 has not been applied) below the cutter 15.

[0026] The rice ball 4 to which the ingredient 2 has been applied is conveyed to the downstream side of the conveying conveyor 5 and introduced into a processing device (not shown) provided downstream of the ingredient applying device. The processing device provided downstream of the ingredient applying device is not particularly limited and may be, for example, one or more selected from the group consisting of a nori wrapping device and a packaging device.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the ingredient applying head 1 provided in the ingredient applying device of FIG. 1, (a) is a front view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line c-c in (a). Further, FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the cutter 15 provided in the ingredient applying head 1 of FIG. 3, (a) is a front view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line b-b in (a), and (c) is a perspective view.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the ingredient applying head 1 includes a discharge port 14 for discharging the ingredient 2 and a cutter 15 for cutting the ingredient 2.

[0029] The discharge port 14 opens at the end of the ingredient supply pipe 13 so as to discharge the ingredient 2 supplied from the screw feeder 3 through the ingredient supply pipe 13. The discharge port 14 opens on a plane along the vertical. Here, "the discharge port opens on a plane along the vertical" means that when the discharge port 14 is blocked by a virtual plane, the plane is oriented along the vertical, and it is not necessarily required that the "plane along the vertical" actually exists.

[0030] A flange 16 is provided around the discharge port 14 (the end of the material supply pipe 13).

[0031] The cutter 15 is attached to the lifting device 17 and is configured to be able to move up and down between a predetermined upper position and a lower position by the lifting device 17. The lifting device 17 is not particularly limited, and examples include an air cylinder.

[0032] The lifting of the cutter 15 is guided by guide members 18 provided on both sides of the cutter 15. Both sides of the cutter 15 are formed so as to engage with the guide grooves 19 of the guide members 18. Here, thin-walled portions 20 with a smaller plate thickness than the central side are formed on both sides (left and right sides when viewed from the front) of the plate-shaped cutter, and the thin-walled portions 20 are engaged with the guide grooves 19. Here, the thin-walled portions 20 are formed by notching the surface on the opposite side of the surface of the cutter 15 on the discharge port 14 side. The guide members 18 guide the cutter 15 from both sides and also guide it from the front and rear (the front and rear in the discharge direction of the material 2 from the discharge port 14).

[0033] At the lower end of the surface of the cutter 15 on the discharge port 14 side, a cutting edge 21 for cutting the material 2 discharged from the discharge port 14 is formed.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 3, when the cutter 15 is in the lower position, the cutting edge 21 of the cutter 15 is arranged at the same height as the lower end of the discharge port 14 or at a position lower than the lower end of the discharge port 14. When the cutter 15 is in the upper position, the cutting edge 21 of the cutter 15 is arranged at the same height as the upper end of the discharge port 14 or at a position higher than the upper end of the discharge port 14.

[0035] The cutter 15 can descend along the vertical surface of the discharge port 14 from the above-described upper position to the lower position. In the process of this descent, the surface of the cutter 15 on the discharge port 14 side maintains a state parallel to the vertical surface of the discharge port 14.

[0036] The cutter 15 preferably has a striking surface 22 that strikes the ingredient 2 downward in the rear of the cutting edge 21 (downstream in the discharge direction of the ingredient 2 from the discharge port 14), together with the cutting edge 21 for cutting the ingredient 2. The striking surface 22 is preferably formed above the cutting edge 21. Thereby, prior to the striking of the ingredient 2, the cutting of the ingredient 2 can be started, so that cutting and striking can be performed more reliably. The striking surface 22 preferably includes a region that is horizontal or has an angle with respect to the horizontal of preferably within 40°, more preferably within 30°, and particularly preferably within 20°. Thereby, the ingredient 2 can be more reliably struck downward.

[0037] The operation of the ingredient applying head 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0038] First, as shown in FIG. 5(a), the cutter 15 is disposed at the upper position. In this state, the discharge port 14 is open.

[0039] Also, although not shown, the conveying conveyor 5 conveys the rice ball 4 (rice ball 4 without the ingredient 2) below the cutter 15 and temporarily stops the conveyance at this position.

[0040] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the ingredient 2 is discharged from the discharge port 14.

[0041] At this time, it is preferable that the ingredient 2 is controlled to be discharged from the discharge port 14 at a predetermined discharge amount. The control method is not particularly limited, and a method known per se can be used. In the present embodiment in which the screw feeder 3 is used as the ingredient supply device, for example, the discharge amount can be controlled by setting the rotation speed and rotation time of the screw blades 11.

[0042] Also, at this time, since the discharge port 14 opens onto a vertically oriented surface, the food material 2 discharged from the discharge port 14 is supported from below by the lower end of the discharge port 14, and its own weight prevents it from falling downward. As a result, it becomes easier to maintain the state in which the food material 2 protrudes from the discharge port 14 as compared to, for example, the case where the discharge port opens downward onto a horizontally oriented surface.

[0043] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the cutter 15 is lowered. As a result, the food material 2 in the state of protruding from the discharge port 14 is cut along the discharge port 14 (along the vertically oriented surface). At the same time, the cut food material 2 is struck downward by the descending cutter 15.

[0044] The lowering speed of the cutter 15 (the lowering speed when cutting the food material) is preferably, for example, 0.5 to 2 m / s, and more preferably 0.7 to 1.5 m / s.

[0045] Next, as shown in FIG. 5(d), after the cutter 15 is lowered to the lower position, it stops. The food material 2 cut and struck by the cutter 15 is given momentum and thrown downward, and lands (hits the target) in the food material groove 9 of the rice ball 4 (not shown) disposed below the cutter 15. In this way, by giving momentum to the food material 2 and throwing it downward, it is possible to prevent the food material 2 from scattering, and preferably, the food material 2 can be landed in the food material groove 9 with good positional accuracy as a single mass.

[0046] Next, the cutter 15 is raised to the upper position. Also, the conveyor 5 is driven to convey the next rice ball 4 (the rice ball 4 not provided with the food material 2) below the cutter 15. In this way, the series of operations shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(d) are repeated.

[0047] According to the present embodiment, since the cutter 15 descends along the surface perpendicular to the discharge port 14 and cuts the ingredient 2 discharged from the discharge port 14 along the surface perpendicular to it and strikes it downward, even if the ingredient 2 is a solid food, the ingredient 2 can be accurately applied to the lower rice ball (object to be applied) 4. In addition, the amount of the ingredient 2 applied can be made uniform.

[0048] Such an effect is difficult to obtain with the apparatus of Patent Document 2 described above. That is, in the apparatus of Patent Document 2 described above, the ingredient is likely to be pinched by the valve body after the ingredient is discharged, and the pinched ingredient may fall at an unexpected timing. In addition, the ingredient pinched by the valve body may cause a decrease in the positional accuracy or a non-uniform application amount when the next ingredient is discharged.

[0049] By using the ingredient applying device according to the present embodiment, it becomes possible to automate the process of applying the ingredient 2 to the rice ball 4, which has conventionally had to rely on manual work. In addition, this makes it possible to efficiently manufacture high-quality rice balls 4 to which the ingredient 2 is applied at the intended position.

[0050] Next, another example of the cutter 15 will be described.

[0051] The cutter 15 shown in FIG. 6 has a cutting edge 21 for cutting the ingredient 2 and, on both sides of the cutting edge 21, extending portions 23 extending downward from the cutting edge 21. Thereby, even if the ingredient 2 scatters when cutting the ingredient 2, it can be covered by the extending portions 23, and the scattering range can be reduced.

[0052] The cutter 15 shown in FIG. 7 has a contour of the cutting edge 21 when the cutter 15 is viewed in plan view inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the elevating direction of the cutter 15 (vertical direction in the figure). Thereby, compared with the case where the contour of the cutting edge 21 when the cutter 15 is viewed in plan view is along the direction perpendicular to the elevating direction of the cutter 15, the load when cutting the ingredient 2 is reduced, and scattering of the ingredient 2 can be prevented.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 8, the cutter 15 has a concave shape in the upward direction with respect to the contour of the cutting edge 21 when the cutter 15 is viewed in plan. As a result, compared with the case where the contour of the cutting edge 21 when the cutter 15 is viewed in plan is linear, the load when cutting the workpiece 2 is reduced, and scattering of the workpiece 2 can be prevented. Examples of the concave shape include an arc shape, a parabola shape, a U shape, a V shape, and the like.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 9, the cutter 15 has a concave shape in the upward direction with respect to the contour of the tip (the lower end of the cutter 15) in the cross section along the thickness direction of the cutter 15 and the vertical movement direction of the cutter. Here, the cutting edge 21 is formed by one end of the concave contour, and scattering of the workpiece can be covered by the other end side of the concave contour. Further, by horizontally forming the central portion (the inner portion) of the concave contour, a striking surface 22 including a horizontal region can be formed. Examples of the concave shape include an arc shape, a parabola shape, a U shape, a V shape, and the like.

[0055] The cutter 15 may have a configuration that combines two or more of the configurations of the cutter 15 described above.

[0056] In the above description, the case where the screw feeder 3 used as the workpiece supply device for supplying the workpiece 2 to the workpiece application head 1 is vertical (the screw blades 11 are oriented in the vertical direction) has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the screw feeder 3 may be horizontal (the screw blades 11 are oriented in the horizontal direction). Further, the workpiece supply device is not limited to the screw feeder 3, and any workpiece supply device known per se may be used as long as the workpiece 2 can be discharged from the discharge port 14 that opens on a surface along the vertical direction. For example, the workpiece supply device may be a rotary pump type workpiece supply device.

[0057] In the above description, when the ingredient 2 is applied from the ingredient applying head 1 to the rice ball 4, the case where the conveyance of the rice ball 4 by the conveyance conveyor 5 is stopped (the rice ball 4 is stopped) has been mainly shown, but it is not limited thereto. For example, when the conveyance speed by the conveyance conveyor 5 is sufficiently low, the ingredient 2 can be applied to the conveyed rice ball 4 while continuing the conveyance by the conveyance conveyor 5 (without stopping).

[0058] In the above description, the case where the conveyance device for conveying the rice ball 4 is the conveyance conveyor 5 has been mainly shown, but it is not limited thereto. The conveyance device may be any conveyance device known per se as long as it can convey an object to which the ingredient is to be applied, such as the rice ball 4.

[0059] In the above description, the case where the ingredient 2 is a solid food has been mainly described, but it is not limited thereto. The ingredient 2 may be a food other than a solid food. Examples of foods other than solid foods include fluid foods. Examples of fluid foods include viscous foods. Examples of viscous foods include foods mainly composed of mayonnaise. Examples of foods mainly composed of mayonnaise include pollack mayonnaise, tuna mayonnaise, and the like.

[0060] In the above description, the case where the object to which the ingredient 2 is to be applied is the rice ball 4 (particularly the formed rice ball 4) has been mainly described, but it is not limited thereto. The object to which the ingredient is to be applied may be an unformed rice ball. The unformed rice ball is composed of cooked rice, and its shape is not particularly limited and may be, for example, in the form of a sheet. According to the ingredient applying head and the ingredient applying device of the present invention, the ingredient 2 can be applied to a predetermined position (target) on the sheet-shaped cooked rice. Thereafter, the sheet-shaped cooked rice is folded so as to sandwich the ingredient 2 inside and formed, whereby a rice ball filled with the ingredient 2 inside can be obtained.

[0061] Further, the object to which the ingredients are applied may be four rice balls or various foods other than the rice balls before molding. Furthermore, the object to which the ingredients are applied is not limited to foods and may be other than foods. Examples of the object to which the ingredients are applied other than foods include food trays and the like. According to the ingredient application head and the ingredient application device of the present invention, for example, even when filling ingredients into a section of a food tray, the ingredients can be filled with high positional accuracy.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 1: Ingredient application head 2: Ingredients 3: Screw feeder (ingredient supply device) 4: Rice ball (object to which the ingredients are applied) 5: Conveyor (transport device) 6, 7: Main surface 8: Side peripheral part 9: Ingredient groove 10: Housing 11: Screw blade 12: Hopper 13: Ingredient supply pipe 14: Discharge port 15: Cutter 16: Flange 17: Lifting device 18: Guide member 19: Guide groove 20: Thin part 21: Cutting end 22: Knocking surface 23: Extended part

Claims

1. A material supply device for supplying a material, a discharge port that discharges the material supplied from the material supply device and that opens onto a surface extending vertically, a cutter that descends along the surface extending vertically of the discharge port, cuts the material discharged from the discharge port along the surface extending vertically, and strikes the material downward, a conveying device that conveys an object to which the material is to be applied below the cutter, comprising: the cutter having a cutting edge that cuts the material and a striking surface that strikes the material downward behind the cutting edge, the striking surface including a region that is horizontal or a region in which the angle with respect to the horizontal is within 40°, a material application device.

2. The material application device according to claim 1, wherein the cutter has a cutting edge that cuts the material and extending portions that extend downward from the cutting edge on both sides of the cutting edge.

3. The material application device according to claim 1, wherein the descending speed of the cutter is 0.5 to 2 m / s.

4. The material application device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the material is a solid food.

5. The material application device according to claim 4, wherein the solid food is one or more selected from the group consisting of flaky foods and shredded foods.

6. The material application device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the object to which the material is to be applied is food.

7. The material application device according to claim 6, wherein the food is an onigiri or sheet-shaped cooked rice before being formed into an onigiri.

8. The material application device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the material supply device is a screw feeder.

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