Automatic rice cooking equipment

Abstract

To provide automatic rice cooking equipment which can improve productivity of rice.SOLUTION: Automatic rice cooking equipment 1 which includes at least a rice delivering device for supplying rice grains to a rice cooking pot 13, a rice washing device 9 for washing the rice grains, a rice cooking device 6 for cooking the rice grains supplied to the rice cooking pot, and a pot inverting device 7 for inverting the rice cooking pot after cooking rice for taking out the rice includes a first measurement part for measuring weight of the rice supplied to the rice cooking pot, a second measurement part for measuring weight of an empty rice cooking pot and weight of water for cooking to be input in the empty rice cooking pot, and a third measurement part 71 for measuring weight of the rice cooking pot after being inverted by the pot inverting device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic rice cooking facility capable of continuously cooking rice while moving a rice cooker.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional automatic rice cooking facility, there is a continuous rice cooking device that cooks rice while continuously transporting and moving a rice cooker in one direction as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Further, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, there is a small automatic rice cooking device having a pot transport section, a rice weighing / water adding section, a soaking section, a rice cooking / steaming section, and a pot storage shelf in a frame body, and moving the rice cooker according to the rice cooking process by a rice cooker holding arm.

[0003] In such a conventional automatic rice cooking device, the cooked rice is discharged by inverting the rice cooker, and the inverted rice cooker is washed and used for rice cooking again.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in conventional automatic rice cooking facilities, the judgment of rice cooking quality was performed by visual inspection, and the determination of the production amount of cooked rice was left to the experience of the operator, such as the operator predicting and determining the output.

[0006] In addition, depending on the state of rice cooking, when the rice cooker is inverted to discharge the cooked rice, part of the cooked rice may remain inside the rice cooker without being discharged. In such a case, the cooked rice remaining inside the rice cooker is discarded by a pot washing unit or the like, resulting in a decrease in productivity in the automatic rice cooking equipment.

[0007] Therefore, in view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic rice cooking equipment capable of improving the productivity of cooked rice.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] The invention according to (1) is an automatic rice cooking equipment comprising at least a rice dispensing device capable of supplying rice grains to a rice cooker, a rice washing device capable of washing the rice grains, a rice cooking device capable of cooking the rice grains supplied to the rice cooker, and a pot inversion device capable of inverting the rice cooker after cooking to take out the cooked rice, the automatic rice cooking equipment being characterized by comprising a first weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of the rice grains supplied to the rice cooker, a second weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of an empty rice cooker and the weight of the cooking water poured into the empty rice cooker, and a third weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device.

[0009] The invention according to (2) is the automatic rice cooking equipment according to (1) above, wherein the third weighing unit is capable of measuring the weight of the rice cooker before inversion in addition to the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device.

[0010] The invention according to (3) is the automatic rice cooking equipment according to (1) above, which comprises a control unit into which the measurement results by the first weighing unit, the second weighing unit, and the third weighing unit are input and which is capable of controlling the automatic rice cooking equipment, and the control unit is capable of inverting the rice cooker again by the pot inversion device when the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third weighing unit and the weight of the empty rice cooker measured by the second weighing unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value.

[0011] The invention according to (4) includes a control unit into which measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which can control the automatic rice cooker, and when a weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the rice cooker inversion device measured by the third measurement unit and the weight of the rice cooker before inversion by the rice cooker inversion device measured by the third measurement unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit can invert the rice cooker again by the rice cooker inversion device. The automatic rice cooker is as described in (2) above.

[0012] The invention according to (5) includes a control unit into which measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which can control the automatic rice cooker, and the control unit can calculate the yield of cooked rice from the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker before inversion by the rice cooker inversion device measured by the third measurement unit and the weight of the empty rice cooker measured by the second measurement unit. The automatic rice cooker is as described in (2) above.

[0013] The invention according to (6) includes a control unit into which measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which can control the automatic rice cooker, and the control unit can calculate the yield of cooked rice from the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker before inversion by the rice cooker inversion device measured by the third measurement unit and the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the rice cooker inversion device measured by the third measurement unit. The automatic rice cooker is as described in (2) above.

[0014] The invention according to (7) includes a control unit into which measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which can control the automatic rice cooker, and the control unit includes a rice cooker state determination means capable of determining the deterioration state and damage state of the rice cooker based on the measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit. The automatic rice cooker is as described in any one of (1) to (6) above.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, by providing an automatic rice cooker with a first weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of rice grains supplied to the rice cooker, a second weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of an empty rice cooker and the weight of cooking water poured into the empty rice cooker, and a third weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by a pot inversion device, it is possible to detect the cooked rice remaining in the inverted rice cooker, and it is also possible to manage and control the yield of cooked rice in the automatic rice cooker. As a result, it is possible to improve the cooking yield in the automatic rice cooker. Furthermore, even without visually monitoring all the rice cookers used in the automatic rice cooker, it is possible to always appropriately manage the state of the rice cooker based on accurate evidence (data), so that appropriate maintenance is possible and the productivity of cooked rice can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] (Equipment Configuration of Automatic Rice Cooking Equipment) Figs. 1 and 2 show an overall perspective view of the automatic rice cooker 1 in this embodiment, which includes at least a frame body 2, an inner region thereof having a pot conveying device 3, a rice dispensing device and a water adding device 4, a pot immersion shelf 5 (5a to 5c), a rice cooking device 6 (6a to 6c), a pot inversion device 7, a rice tank 8, a rice washing device 9, a lid removing / covering device 11 (11a (not shown), 11b), a pot stock shelf 38 (38a, 38b), a cleaning pump 30, a cleaning tank 31, a cleaning pot inversion device 32, an exhaust pipe 33, a cylinder 34, and a control unit 12, etc.

[0018] And the control unit 12 grasps the operating status of the entire automatic rice cooker 1 and is responsible for controlling each device including the pot conveying device 3. Note that the reference numeral 13 shown in Fig. 1 etc. is a rice cooking pot, and the reference numeral 14 is its lid. The rice cooking pot 13 is provided with a flange 15 at the opening edge (see Fig. 11(b) etc.), and the lid 14 is fitted to the flange 15.

[0019] The frame body 2 is a rectangular parallelepiped assembled from general-purpose aluminum profiles in a frame structure. As shown in Fig. 14 in addition to Figs. 1 and 2, its inner region is partitioned front and back in plan view and left, central, and right in front view. And the pot conveying device 3 is arranged as a pot conveying part at the center of the rear side space of the inner region, the rice cooking device 6 (6a to 6c) is arranged as a rice cooking / steaming part in the upper right space and the upper central front space thereof, and a pot inversion device 7, a pot inversion opening 26, and a lid removing / covering device 11b are provided as a cooked rice taking-out part in the upper left space on the rear side.

[0020] Furthermore, the pot immersion shelf 5 (5a to 5c) is arranged as an immersion part in the lower central space on the front side, and the rice dispensing device and water adding device 4, the lid removing / covering device 11a, the rice washing device 9, and the rice tank 8 are arranged as a rice dispensing / water adding part in the left space on the front side.

[0021] Also, a cleaning tank 31 etc. are provided as a pot cleaning part in the lower right space, and a pot stock shelf 38 (38a, 38b) is provided as a pot stock part in the lower left space on the rear side.

[0022] In addition, a control panel that constitutes the control unit 12 is provided in the space on the right side of the front side, and an input display device using a touch panel is provided on the control panel. With this input display device, in addition to the cooking time and soaking time, it is also possible to set the number of rice cookers 13 that cook simultaneously in the rice cooking process.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 12, 13, etc., the pot transfer device 3 includes a vertical movement part 16, a rotation part 17, a horizontal movement part 18, and a pot holding arm 19. The vertical movement part 16 is mainly composed of a vertical electric linear device 20 fixed in the vertical direction to the frame body 2 and a slide table 21 attached to the vertical electric linear device 20. The rotation part 17 has a rotation plate 23 horizontally rotatably attached to the lower surface side of a substrate 22 fixed to the slide table 21, and the rotation plate 23 is rotationally controlled by a rotation positioning motor 24 attached to the substrate 22.

[0024] In addition, the horizontal movement part 18 is constituted by a horizontal electric linear device 25 horizontally attached to the lower surface side of the rotation plate 23, and the pot holding arm 19 is attached to the tip thereof. The above-described vertical electric linear device 20, the rotation positioning motor 24, and the horizontal electric linear device 25 are program-controlled according to state detection signals from various sensors input to the control unit 12, and are configured such that the pot transfer device 3 operates.

[0025] That is, the pot holding arm 19 can move forward and backward at its horizontal rotation position by moving up and down and horizontally rotating within the inner region of the frame body 2, and can transfer the rice cooker 13 to each functional region shown in FIG. 14.

[0026] In addition, the rice dispensing device and water adding device 4 is supplied with rice that has been weighed in the rice tank 8 and washed in the rice washing device 9. The rice dispensing device supplies the rice for one rice cooker 13, and the water adding device supplies the cooking water for one rice cooker 13 to the rice cooker 13 conveyed to the lower region of the rice dispensing device and water adding device 4.

[0027] More specifically, the rice tank 8 is provided with a first measuring unit (not shown) capable of measuring the weight of rice for each rice cooker 13. It is configured to measure the rice for one rice cooker 13, put it into the rice washing device 9, and have it washed by the rice washing device 9. The rice for one rice cooker 13 washed by the rice washing device 9 is put into the rice cooker 13 by the rice dispensing device of the rice dispensing and water adding device 4, and further, cooking water is put into the rice cooker 13 by the water adding device of the rice dispensing and water adding device 4. Note that the weight of the rice for one rice cooker 13 is the weight arbitrarily set in the control unit 12, and the "weight a of the rice for one rice cooker" actually measured by the first measuring unit is configured to be transmitted to the control unit 12.

[0028] Also, below the rice dispensing and water adding device 4, an empty rice cooker 13 is placed, and a second measuring unit (not shown) capable of measuring the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13" and the "weight c of the cooking water put into the rice cooker 13" is provided. It measures the cooking water for one rice cooker 13 arbitrarily set in the control unit 12, and the measurement data is configured to be transmitted to the control unit 12.

[0029] The pot immersion shelf 5 (5a to 5c) is a sturdy mounting table that stably receives the bottom of the rice cooker 13, and is a place for supporting the rice cooker 13 that has been rice-dispensed and water-added by the rice dispensing and water adding device 4 and performing pre-cooking immersion (30 to 60 minutes).

[0030] In this embodiment, corresponding to the arrangement of three rice cooking devices 6 (6a to 6c), three pot immersion shelves 5 (5a to 5c) are always used. Also, the two pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 are used for placing empty pots before they are conveyed to the lower region of the rice dispensing and water adding device 4, and are also used for temporarily placing the empty pots that have been inverted by the pot inversion device 7 and from which the cooked rice has been taken out.

[0031] That is, when the cooked rice is taken out, the empty pot temporarily placed on the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) is conveyed by the pot conveying device 3 to the pot washing section described later and washed. Then, the empty pot washed in the pot washing section is placed again on the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) and configured to be reused during rice cooking.

[0032] In the rice cooker 6 (6a to 6c), the rice cooker 13 after immersion is cooked at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time (15 to 20 minutes), and then steamed for a predetermined time (about 15 to 30 minutes). Further, in the rice cooker 6 (6a to 6c) of the present embodiment, a temperature sensor (not shown) is provided at a portion corresponding to the bottom of the rice cooker 13, and measurement data of the surface temperature of the bottom of the pot by the temperature sensor is configured to be transmitted to the control unit 12.

[0033] The pot inversion device 7 is a device for inverting the rice cooker 13 after cooking to take out the cooked rice. On the left rear side surface of the frame body 2, a pot inversion opening 26 (see FIG. 1 etc.) for taking out the cooked rice is formed. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, a rice storage, weighing and dispensing device 27 is provided outside the pot inversion opening 26, and it is possible to weigh the cooked rice received from the pot inversion device 7, for example, per serving and supply it quantitatively.

[0034] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, a third weighing section 71 is provided below the rice cooker 13 in the pot inversion device 7. After cooking, the cooked rice is placed on the third weighing section 71 together with the rice cooker 13, and "the weight d of the rice cooker 13 and the cooked rice after cooking" is measured (see FIG. 6(a)). Then, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the rice cooker 13 is inverted, and the cooked rice is taken out from the rice cooker 13 to the rice storage, weighing and dispensing device 27. After the cooked rice is taken out, the rice cooker 13 is placed again on the third weighing section 71, and it is configured to measure "the weight e of the empty rice cooker 13 after inversion". Further, the measurement data measured by the third weighing section 71 is configured to be transmitted to the control unit 12.

[0035] The inverted rice cooker 13 is returned to its original position as an empty pot and, as described above, is once placed on the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) together with the lid 14 by the pot conveying device 3. Then, the placed empty pot is conveyed by the pot conveying device 3 to the pot washing section in the lower right space and washed.

[0036] To explain the operation in the above pot washing section in detail, the rice cooker 13 covered with the lid 14 is held by the pot holding arm 19 of the pot conveying device 3 on the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b), and then conveyed to the pot washing section. On the lower surface of the washing tank cover 36 in the pot washing section, there is provided a lid arm 37 that engages with the handle of the lid 14. By the operation of the pot holding arm 19, as shown in FIG. 7, the handle of the lid 14 is engaged with the lid arm 37 and suspended.

[0037] After that, the pot holding arm 19 holding only the rice cooker 13 holds the rice cooker 13 on the rice cooker reversing device 32 provided in the washing tank cover 36 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11(b). Then, the rice cooker 13 is inverted upside down by the rice cooker reversing device 32 as shown in FIG. 11(a), and by the downward movement of the cylinder 34, the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14 are lowered together with the washing tank cover 36 and sealed in the washing tank 31. (Refer to the aspect from FIG. 9 to FIG. 10)

[0038] As shown in FIG. 11(a), the washing tank 31 is provided with a washing nozzle 35 that injects high-pressure washing water sent by the washing pump 30, and is configured to wash the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14. In addition, the washing tank 31 of this embodiment is also provided with a blower device (not shown), and it is possible to blow compressed air from a blower nozzle (not shown) in the washing tank 31 onto the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14 to dry them.

[0039] Further, the washing tank 31 is provided with an exhaust pipe 33, and is configured to exhaust the steam in the washing tank 31 to the outside of the machine together with the compressed air from the blower nozzle through the exhaust pipe 33. In this embodiment, the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14 are washed by a washing process, a rinsing process, and a drying process using warm water.

[0040] When the cleaning of the empty pot as described above is completed, the cleaning tank cover 36 is lifted by the ascending operation of the cylinder 34, and the rice cooker 13 is returned to its original orientation by the rice cooker inversion device 32. Then, the rice cooker 13 is held and the lid 14 is covered by the operation of the pot holding arm 19 of the pot transfer device 3, and the washed rice cooker 13 and lid 14 are conveyed and placed on the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) again.

[0041] (Control Configuration of Automatic Rice Cooking Equipment) Next, the control mode by the control unit 12 of the automatic rice cooking equipment 1 will be described.

[0042] The basic operation of the automatic rice cooking equipment 1 is shown in the main flow of FIG. 15. First, the rice storage process is executed in S1. In the rice storage process (S1), as shown in FIG. 16, the inventory measurement of the rice tank 8 is performed in S11. In this embodiment, the storage status of the rice required for cooking is confirmed by the first measurement unit provided in the rice tank 8, and when the stored amount of rice is insufficient, control for instructing the supply of rice to the rice tank 8 is executed in S12.

[0043] Subsequently, the rice washing process is executed in S2. In the rice washing process (S2), as shown in FIG. 17, the weight "a of rice for one pot" to be put into the rice cooker 13 is measured by the first measurement unit in S21. Subsequently, the measured rice is supplied to the rice washing device 9, and the rice washing by the rice washing device 9 is executed.

[0044] In S23, the rice cooker 13 conveyed from the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) is arranged in the lower region of the rice distribution device and water adding device 4, and the weight "b of the empty rice cooker 13" is measured by the second measurement unit provided in the lower region of the rice distribution device and water adding device 4. Then, the rice washed by the rice washing device 9 is supplied to the rice cooker 13 by the rice distribution device. Subsequently, in S24, cooking water is added to the rice cooker 13, and the weight "c of the cooking water" is measured by the second measurement unit.

[0045] Incidentally, the above-mentioned "weight a of rice for one pot" and "weight c of cooking water" can be set by the input display device of the control unit 12, and each time, the measurement results are transmitted to the control unit 12 for each rice cooker 13 and recorded. Also, regarding the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13", each time, it is transmitted to the control unit 12 for each rice cooker 13 and recorded.

[0046] Subsequently, according to the main flow of FIG. 15, an immersion step (S3) is executed in which the rice cooker 13 filled with rice and water is conveyed to the pot immersion shelf 5 (5a to 5c) and the supplied rice is immersed for a predetermined time (30 to 60 minutes). Then, in the rice cooking step of S4, the rice cooker 13 after immersion is conveyed to the rice cooking device 6 (6a to 6c), and rice cooking and steaming are executed. Note that the heating time by the rice cooking device 6 (6a to 6c) and the time for steaming can be set from the input display device of the control unit 12 according to the variety and moisture value of the raw rice.

[0047] In the rice removal step of S5, as shown in FIG. 18, the lid 14 is removed in S51. That is, the pot holding arm 19 is moved to the rice cooking device 6 (6a to 6c), the rice cooker 13 that has been cooked and steamed is held, and it is conveyed to the position where the lid removing / covering device 11b is located (position B in FIG. 8). After conveyance, the picking part of the lid 14 is hooked by the lid removing / covering device 11b, and the lid 14 is removed. The rice cooker 13 from which the lid 14 has been removed is conveyed to the position where the pot inversion device 7 is located by the pot holding arm 19 (position A in FIG. 8).

[0048] Subsequently, the rice cooker 13 conveyed to the pot inversion device 7 is placed on the third weighing unit 71 provided in the pot inversion device 7 in S52, and the "weight d of the rice cooker 13 and the cooked rice after cooking" is measured (see FIG. 6(a)). Then, as shown in FIG. 6(b) in S53, the rice cooker 13 is inverted, and the cooked rice is taken out of the rice cooker 13. After the rice is taken out, the rice cooker 13 is placed on the third weighing unit 71 again (see FIG. 6(a)), and in S54, the "weight e of the empty rice cooker 13 after inversion" is measured.

[0049] Also in S54, the "weight e of the rice cooker 13 that has become empty after inversion" is compared and analyzed with the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13 measured by the second measuring unit below the rice dispensing device and water adding device 4 in S23". Then, from the weight difference between the measured "weight e of the rice cooker 13 that has become empty after inversion" and the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13", the amount of cooked rice remaining sticking to the rice cooker 13 after inversion is calculated. If the remaining amount of cooked rice exceeds the allowable range, the process returns to S53 and automatically executes the process of inverting the rice cooker 13 again. By executing such a process, the cooked rice remaining in the rice cooker 13 can be surely discharged, and the cooking yield can be improved. In addition, by automating, the automatic cooking performance is improved, and it is not necessary to station an operator, making it possible to achieve an efficient arrangement of operators and labor savings.

[0050] Note that the present invention is not necessarily limited to automatically re-inverting the rice cooker 13. For example, when the remaining amount of cooked rice exceeds the allowable range, it may be notified by an alarm means or the like, the pot inversion device 7 may be automatically stopped, and the operator may manually perform the inversion operation of the rice cooker 13. Even with such a configuration, the cooked rice remaining in the rice cooker 13 can be surely discharged, and the cooking yield can be improved.

[0051] Also, as a method for calculating the amount of cooked rice remaining in the rice cooker 13 after inversion, the weight of the cooked rice taken out from the weight difference between the "weight d of the rice cooker 13 and the cooked rice after cooking measured by the third measuring unit 71 before inversion" and the "weight e of the rice cooker 13 that has become empty after inversion" is calculated, and the amount of cooked rice remaining in the rice cooker 13 after inversion can also be calculated by comparing and analyzing the calculation result with the planned weight of the cooked rice after cooking.

[0052] Next, the rice cooker 13 (without the lid) that has become empty after the cooked rice has been taken out is conveyed to a location with the lid removing and covering device 11b (position B in FIG. 8) in S55 and covered with the lid 14 that has been removed.

[0053] Subsequently, in S6, a pot washing process is executed. As shown in FIG. 16, the empty rice cooker 13 from which the cooked rice has been taken out and covered is once placed on the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b). In S61, this is sequentially held by the pot holding arm 19 and conveyed to the pot washing section (position E in FIG. 8). Then in S62, the lid 14 and the rice cooker 13 are respectively held by the lid arm 37 provided on the washing tank cover 36 of the pot washing section and the rice cooker inversion device 32.

[0054] Thereafter, in S63, the washing tank cover 36 is lowered by the operation of the cylinder 34, and the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14 are sealed in the washing tank 31 and washed with the washing water sprayed from the washing nozzle 35. It is possible to use a solution mixed with a cleaning agent as the washing water.

[0055] Next, in S64, a rinsing operation is performed to wash away the cleaning agent adhering to the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14. Then in S65, a blower device (not shown) is operated, and compressed air is blown from a blower nozzle (not shown) provided in the washing tank 31 onto the rice cooker 13 and the lid 14 to perform a drying operation.

[0056] Subsequently, in S66, after the above drying operation is completed, the washing tank cover 36 is raised by the operation of the cylinder 34. Then, the rice cooker 13 is held by the pot holding arm 19 and covered with the lid 14, and it is conveyed back to the pot stock shelves 38 (38a, 38b) and placed thereon.

[0057] In S7, it is determined whether the production of cooked rice by the automatic rice cooker equipment 1 has ended. For example, if the required production volume of cooked rice has been reached, the operation of the automatic rice cooker equipment 1 is terminated.

[0058] As described above, the control configuration of the automatic rice cooker equipment 1 in this embodiment has been explained. However, all the measurement data in the aforementioned first metering section, second metering section, and third metering section 71 are transmitted to the control section 12 of the automatic rice cooker equipment 1 and recorded and managed for each of the plurality of rice cookers 13. Therefore, it is possible to manage the yield of cooked rice by each rice cooker 13 and further manage the total production volume of cooked rice by accumulating them.

[0059] That is, by subtracting the "weight e of the rice cooker 13 after inversion when it is empty" from the "weight d of the rice cooker 13 and the cooked rice after cooking", the rice cooker 13 is inverted, and the cooked rice can be taken out from the rice cooker 13 to calculate the weight of the cooked rice. Further, by subtracting the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13" measured by the second measuring unit from the "weight d of the rice cooker 13 and the cooked rice after cooking" measured by the third measuring unit, the weight of the cooked rice can be calculated.

[0060] Furthermore, by subtracting the "weight a of the rice for one pot" measured by the first measuring unit from the above-mentioned "weight of the cooked rice taken out from the rice cooker 13" or "weight of the cooked rice", the increase amount and increase rate of the cooked rice can be calculated, and it is also possible to more accurately control the production amount of the cooked rice. In calculating the increase amount and increase rate of the cooked rice, it is possible to calculate for each pot, but it is also possible to calculate by subtracting the total weight of the used rice from the total weight of the cooked rice to calculate the increase amount and increase rate of the cooked rice.

[0061] Also, the above-mentioned measurement data and calculation results can be displayed and output on an input display device using a touch panel, and it is also possible to input and set the amount of cooking water and the weight of the rice for one pot input into the rice cooker 13 according to the increase amount and increase rate of the cooked rice. Thereby, the overall production amount of the cooked rice in the automatic rice cooking equipment 1 can be precisely managed, and the rice cooking yield can be improved.

[0062] (State determination means for rice cooker) Next, the configuration of the rice cooker state determination means in this embodiment will be described.

[0063] Conventionally, in catering chains and rice-cooking factories that use automatic rice-cooking equipment, the deterioration and cracking diagnosis of the rice-cooking pot have not been automatically performed. Instead, operators would visually inspect or taste the rice at arbitrary times to determine the degree of deterioration (such as wear) and the presence or absence of cracks (such as damage) in the rice-cooking pot. However, even when performed manually by operators, the number of rice-cooking pots used in automatic rice-cooking equipment is large, requiring a significant amount of man-hours for management. Additionally, there are risks of overlooking due to variations in the capabilities of operators and risks of being left unattended due to insufficient handover when operators are replaced. Therefore, due to deterioration of the fluororesin or the like in the inner pot, even when the rice-cooking pot 13 is inverted by the pot inversion device 7, it was not possible to automatically predict and detect a decrease in yield caused by rice remaining at the bottom of the pot and being disposed of through cleaning, or an adverse effect on the rice-cooking quality due to burning or the like.

[0064] In this embodiment, in addition to the weight measurement data in the aforementioned first metering unit, second metering unit, and third metering unit 71, the "initial weight f of the rice-cooking pot" when the rice-cooking pot 13 is first loaded into the automatic rice-cooking equipment 1 is input to and managed by the control unit 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, individual identification symbols such as "Pot A01", "Pot A02", "Pot A03", etc. are assigned to the rice-cooking pots 13, the "initial weight" of the rice-cooking pots 13 is recorded, and further, the "number of recoating times", "number of rice-cooking times", "number of times of excessive remaining rice amount", "number of times of pot wear detection", and "number of times of abnormal high temperature of the pot" are recorded and managed by the control unit 12.

[0065] More specifically, the "number of recoating times" is the number of times the fluororesin or the like is recoated on the rice-cooking pot 13 based on the result of the deterioration diagnosis of the rice-cooking pot 13. In this embodiment, the implementation date of the recoating is also recorded and managed. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, when recoating is performed on "Pot A02", the number of times is counted up and recorded and managed. Also, the "number of rice-cooking times" is literally the cumulative number of rice-cooking times for each rice-cooking pot 13.

[0066] The "number of times of excessive remaining rice amount" is obtained by subtracting the "initial weight f of the rice cooker 13" from the "weight e of the empty rice cooker 13 after inversion" measured by the third weighing unit 71 to calculate the remaining rice amount in the rice cooker 13 after inversion. When the remaining rice amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (+50 g in this embodiment), it is counted as the number of times. This number of times serves as an index for diagnosing the deterioration of the fluororesin or the like of the rice cooker 13. Note that, as described above, the remaining rice amount in the rice cooker 13 after inversion can also be calculated by subtracting the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13" measured by the second weighing unit from the "weight e of the empty rice cooker 13 after inversion" measured by the third weighing unit 71.

[0067] The "number of times of pot wear detection" is obtained by subtracting the "initial weight f of the rice cooker 13" from the "weight b of the empty rice cooker 13" measured by the second weighing unit after cleaning the rice cooker 13 to calculate the pot weight difference. When the pot weight difference is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value (-5 g in this embodiment), it is counted as the number of times, which is the number of times when it is determined that the rice cooker 13 is worn. If the above-mentioned pot weight difference is ±0 g, it is determined that there is no wear, and it can be seen that the rice cooker 13 is worn when the pot weight difference becomes negative. Conversely, when the pot weight difference becomes positive, or when the pot weight difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (+10 g in this embodiment), it may be counted as the "number of times of pot wear detection" because there is a possibility of rice burning due to pot wear. By checking the "number of times of excessive remaining rice amount" together, it becomes possible to grasp the wear condition of the rice cooker 13. In addition, by grasping that the pot weight difference is positive, it also serves as an index for determining that the cleaning process of the rice cooker 13 is insufficient.

[0068] The "number of times of abnormal high pot temperature" indicates the number of times when the surface temperature of the bottom of the pot measured by the temperature sensor becomes abnormally high, such as when the rice cooker 13 becomes high temperature due to abnormalities in the amount of rice or water, or when dry cooking is performed. In this embodiment, as shown in the maintenance screen of FIG. 20, it is possible to accumulate and display the temperature history including each abnormal data. By the control unit 12 storing and displaying the situation at the time of such abnormality, it becomes possible to perform a detailed analysis of the early deterioration of the rice cooker 13 and to detect the deterioration problem at an early stage.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 20, the state diagnosis means of the rice cooker 13 in this embodiment can display a notification display screen and a maintenance screen on the touch panel provided in the control unit 12. The notification display screen is clearly displayed for the operator who operates the automatic rice cooking equipment 1 and automatically notifies the necessary notification information. On the other hand, the maintenance screen displays detailed history data for each rice cooker 13, and by displaying it especially for the service technician who performs maintenance, it can contribute to the proposal of maintenance and the early detection of problems. Of course, it is also possible to check the notification information and history data from a remote location using a network line, and it is possible for the manufacturer's service technician to respond and solve consultations such as rice quality troubles at an early stage. Therefore, without visually monitoring all the rice cookers 13, etc., the state of the rice cooker 13 can always be appropriately managed based on accurate evidence (data).

[0070] For example, as shown in FIG. 20, when the "number of times of excessive remaining rice" exceeds a predetermined number of times (for example, 1 time or a continuous predetermined number of times, etc.), according to the number of times, notification information such as "Please recoat." or "Recoating is approaching." can be notified to the operator or service technician via the notification display screen. Similarly, when the "number of times of pot wear detection" exceeds a predetermined number of times (for example, 1 time or a continuous predetermined number of times, etc.), notification information such as "Please recoat." or "Recoating is approaching." can be notified to the operator or service technician via the notification display screen according to the number of times.

[0071] In addition, in the state diagnosis means of the rice cooker 13 of the present embodiment, as described above, it is necessary to individually identify and manage the plurality of rice cookers 13 used in the automatic rice cooking facility 1. To cope with this, for example, by printing a two-dimensional code on each rice cooker 13 and arranging a reading device (not shown) at the stop position of the rice cooker 13 in each process, each rice cooker 13 can be automatically identified and accurately managed by associating it with each acquired measurement data, maintenance history, etc. Thereby, even when restarting from an abnormal stop of the automatic rice cooking facility 1, or when the flow of the rice cooker 13 is interrupted due to irregular operations and the rice cookers 13 are replaced, the management data corresponding to each rice cooker 13 can be effectively utilized.

[0072] (Another Embodiment) As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a continuous rice cooking device that cooks rice while continuously transporting and moving a rice cooker as shown in FIG. 21 in one direction. That is, by providing a first metering unit in the illustrated rice tank, a second metering unit in the rice dispensing device and water adding device, a third metering unit in the pot inversion device, and a temperature sensor in the rice cooking device, it becomes possible to manage cooked rice and diagnose the state of the rice cooker as in the above-described embodiment.

[0073] In addition, in the present embodiment, it is possible to set the rice cooking time, soaking time, etc. by the touch panel provided in the control unit 12. In addition to these, it may also be possible to set the execution time (time), the cooking completion time (time) of each rice cooker 13, the time interval of cooking completion, etc. By configuring in this way, it becomes possible to provide an appropriate amount of cooked rice corresponding to the arrival time zone of customers visiting the store.

[0074] The embodiments and alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. Also, within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-described problems or achieving at least a part of the effects, combinations or omissions of the respective components described in the claims and the specification are possible.

Explanation of Signs

[0075] 1 Automatic rice cooking equipment 2 Frame 3 Pot conveying device 4 Rice dispensing device / water adding device 5 (5a - 5c) Pot immersion shelf 6 (6a - 6c) Rice cooking device 7 Pot inversion device 8 Rice tank 9 Rice washing device 11 (11a, 11b) Lid removing / covering device 12 Control unit 13 Rice cooking pot 14 Lid 15 Flange 16 Vertical movement part 17 Rotating part 18 Horizontal movement part 19 Pot holding arm 20 Vertical electric linear device 21 Slide table 22 Substrate 23 Rotating plate 24 Motor for rotational positioning 25 Horizontal electric linear device 26 Opening for pot inversion 27 Rice accommodation / metering and dispensing device 30 Cleaning pump 31 Cleaning tank 32 Cleaning pot inversion device 33 Exhaust pipe 34 Cylinder 35 Cleaning nozzle 36 Cleaning tank cover 37 Lid Arm 38(38a, 38b) Pot Stock Shelf 71 Third Measuring Unit

Claims

1. A rice distribution device capable of supplying rice grains to a rice cooker, A rice washing device capable of washing rice grains, A rice cooking device capable of cooking the rice grains supplied to the rice cooker, An automatic rice cooking facility comprising at least a pot inversion device capable of inverting the rice cooker after rice cooking to take out the cooked rice, A first weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of the rice grains supplied to the rice cooker, A second weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of an empty rice cooker and the weight of the cooking water to be put into the empty rice cooker, And a third weighing unit capable of measuring the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device. An automatic rice cooking facility characterized by the above.

2. The third weighing unit is capable of measuring the weight of the rice cooker before inversion in addition to the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device. The automatic rice cooking facility according to Claim 1.

3. A control unit is provided which receives the measurement results from the first weighing unit, the second weighing unit, and the third weighing unit and is capable of controlling the automatic rice cooking facility. When the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third weighing unit and the weight of the empty rice cooker measured by the second weighing unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit can invert the rice cooker again by the pot inversion device. The automatic rice cooking facility according to Claim 1.

4. A control unit is provided which receives the measurement results from the first weighing unit, the second weighing unit, and the third weighing unit and is capable of controlling the automatic rice cooking facility. When the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third weighing unit and the weight of the rice cooker before inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third weighing unit exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit can invert the rice cooker again by the pot inversion device. The automatic rice cooker according to claim 2.

5. Comprising a control unit to which the measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which is capable of controlling the automatic rice cooker. The control unit can calculate the yield of cooked rice from the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker before inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third measurement unit and the weight of the empty rice cooker measured by the second measurement unit. The automatic rice cooker according to claim 2.

6. Comprising a control unit to which the measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which is capable of controlling the automatic rice cooker. The control unit can calculate the yield of cooked rice from the weight difference between the weight of the rice cooker before inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third measurement unit and the weight of the rice cooker after inversion by the pot inversion device measured by the third measurement unit. The automatic rice cooker according to claim 2.

7. Comprising a control unit to which the measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit are input and which is capable of controlling the automatic rice cooker. The control unit includes a rice cooker state determination means capable of determining the deterioration state and damage state of the rice cooker based on the measurement results by the first measurement unit, the second measurement unit, and the third measurement unit. The automatic rice cooker according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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