Plate-shaped rice cake forming jig and plate-shaped rice cake manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a jig for forming plate-shaped cooked rice, which is excellent in economic efficiency and maintenability and is capable of stably and continuously forming plate-shaped cooked rice having a constant thickness and shape with a simple structure, and a device for producing plate-shaped cooked rice.　The present invention comprises: a forming frame which is composed of lateral side forming surfaces for forming an outer peripheral side portion of plate-shaped cooked rice and has a through window; and a base plate having a lower forming surface on the top surface thereof, the lower forming surface being for forming a bottom side portion of the plate-shaped cooked rice. The invention is configured such that a cooked rice storing space for storing cooked rice is formed by covering the through window from below with the base plate while the forming frame is placed on the base plate, and the invention is provided with a bamboo mat setting part for setting a bamboo mat between the forming frame and the base plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plate-shaped rice molding jig for molding cooked rice into a flat plate shape with a certain thickness, and a plate-shaped rice manufacturing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, with plate-shaped cooked rice (hereinafter referred to as plate-shaped rice), various ingredients such as omelets and kanpyo placed at predetermined positions on the upper surface of the plate-shaped rice are rolled up and wrapped, and rice food products shaped into a certain form, such as rolled sushi in a rolled form and onigiri in a folded form folded in half and wrapped, are widely consumed.

[0003] The plate-shaped rice used for such rice food products is formed into a certain thickness and a certain flat plate shape, for example, by spreading a certain amount of cooked rice placed on a certain sheet-shaped food such as nori seaweed or kelp evenly over the entire surface so as not to protrude from the outer edge on the sheet-shaped food.

[0004] Such a molding operation of the plate-shaped rice depends solely on the experience and skill of the operator. If the spreading amount of the cooked rice is insufficient or uneven, convex and concave portions with different amounts of cooked rice will be formed in various places on the molded plate-shaped rice, resulting in the formation of "thickness unevenness" that makes the plate thickness and shape uneven.

[0005] This "thickness unevenness" not only becomes an obstacle to the operation of wrapping the ingredients with the plate-shaped rice and shaping them into rice food products, but also distorts the form of the rice food products, impairs the appearance, deteriorates the texture, etc., and may significantly reduce the commercial value of the finally shaped rice food products.

[0006] In order to address such problems, a plate-shaped rice molding device (see, for example, Patent Document 1) has been proposed, which includes a shallow-bottom box-shaped molding frame with an upward opening connected in series at the tip of a gripping portion, and by removing a molded rice mass formed by pressing and molding cooked rice in the molding frame from the molding frame, a plate-shaped rice along the inner shape of the molding frame is molded.

[0007] In addition, a plate-shaped rice cake manufacturing apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 2) is proposed, which is communicatively connected to the lower part of a hopper for storing cooked rice and includes a mechanism for leveling cooked rice composed of a plurality of rolling rollers arranged along the upper and lower sides of a cooked rice supply path in a housing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0008]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] However, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 makes it difficult to remove the formed rice cake block from the forming frame, and it is impossible to form a plate-shaped rice cake with a constant thickness and a constant shape along the inner shape of the forming frame. Moreover, there is a possibility that the plate-shaped rice cake cannot be stably and repeatedly formed in large quantities.

[0010] That is, the formed rice cake block is formed into the shape of the forming frame by leveling and spreading the cooked rice stored in the forming frame while crushing it toward the bottom of the mold with a rice paddle or the like. Therefore, the crushed rice grains may inadvertently adhere to the bottom of the mold due to adhesiveness, making it difficult to quickly remove the formed rice cake block from the forming frame.

[0011] If the formed rice cake block is forcibly peeled off and removed from the forming frame, the adhered crushed cooked rice will remain at the bottom of the mold. As a result, "thickness unevenness" may occur in the plate-shaped rice cake after removal.

[0012] Since such a principle is promoted by the repeated use of the device, the forming device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not suitable for the food service industry that requires stable supply of a large amount of plate-shaped rice cakes with a constant shape in a short time.

[0013] Furthermore, although the device disclosed in Patent Document 2 can stably and continuously mold plate-shaped cooked rice of a uniform thickness and shape, the internal mechanism is complex, which not only increases the cost of the device and makes it economically disadvantageous, but also may make it difficult to maintain, such as by cleaning or replacing parts.

[0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a plate-shaped cooked rice forming jig and plate-shaped cooked rice manufacturing device that has a simplified structure, is economical and easy to maintain, and can stably and continuously form plate-shaped cooked rice of a uniform thickness and shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the plate-shaped cooked rice forming jig of the present invention is (1) a plate-shaped cooked rice forming jig for storing cooked rice inside and forming it into plate-shaped cooked rice, comprising a forming frame having a through window formed by a side forming surface for forming the outer peripheral portion of the plate-shaped cooked rice, and a base plate having a lower forming surface on its upper surface for forming the bottom portion of the plate-shaped cooked rice, and when the forming frame is placed on the base plate, the through window is covered from below with the base plate to form a cooked rice storage space for storing cooked rice, and a rolling blind installation section is provided for installing a rolling blind between the forming frame and the base plate.

[0016] The plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the present invention is also characterized in the following respects. (2) A molded frame fitting portion is formed on the upper surface of the base plate, allowing the molded frame to be fitted at a position above the bamboo blind installation portion. (3) The blind installation section is configured as a blind installation step section that protrudes from the upper surface of the base plate so that its inner surface abuts against the outer surface of the blind to form an abutment surface on which the blind can be fitted, and its upper surface forms a mounting surface for the molded frame. (4) The forming frame is configured such that, with the rolling curtain installed in the rolling curtain installation portion and the forming frame placed on the base plate, a rolling curtain crimping protrusion that abuts against the upper surface of the rolling curtain protrudes downward from the lower opening edge of the through window.

[0017] Moreover, the plate-shaped rice cooker manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes: (5) any one of the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jigs as described in (1) to (4) above; a conveying unit for conveying the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jig; and a rice supply unit installed at the starting end or an intermediate portion of the conveying unit, for discharging a predetermined amount of cooked rice from a position above the conveying unit into the inside of the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jig.

[0018] Moreover, the plate-shaped rice cooker manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention also has the following features. (6) The conveying unit has a pair of conveying rails laid at regular intervals, and is configured to support both ends of the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jig between the conveying rails and convey the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jig. (7) The conveying rail is composed of a guide vertical wall portion in a vertical portion that abuts against the outer wall portion of the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jig, and a guide horizontal wall portion in a horizontal portion that extends in a direction orthogonal to the guide vertical wall portion and abuts against the outer bottom wall portion of the plate-shaped rice cooker forming jig. (8) The guide horizontal wall portion has a plurality of conveying rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable along the extending direction of the conveying rail.

Effects of the Invention

[0019] The first aspect of the present inventionAccording to the present invention, a molding frame having a through window formed by a side molding surface for molding the outer peripheral side portion of the plate-shaped rice, and a base plate having a lower molding surface for molding the bottom side portion of the plate-shaped rice on the upper surface are provided. With the molding frame placed on the base plate, the base plate covers the through window from below to form a rice storage space for storing rice, and a blind roll installation portion for installing a blind roll between the molding frame and the base plate is provided. Therefore, while simplifying the structure, it is excellent in economy and maintainability, and can stably and continuously mold a plate-shaped rice with a constant thickness and a constant shape.

[0020] The plate-shaped rice molding jig according to the present invention (hereinafter, also simply referred to as this jig) has a detachable structure in which a molding frame and a base plate that respectively correspond to molding the outer peripheral side portion and the bottom side portion of the plate-shaped rice, where the pressing stress during the leveling operation is likely to be applied, are made into separate units, and the removal operation of the frame is streamlined for each molding function of each unit element.

[0021] That is, according to this jig, by simply performing an operation of leveling the rice stored in the rice storage space formed with the molding frame placed on the base plate so that the lower surface of a leveling spatula or the like abuts against the upper surface of the molding frame in a substantially plane-parallel manner, while adjusting the downward pressing force during leveling, the entire rice storage space can be filled with rice without any gaps and without the rice protruding outside the molding frame, and a molded rice mass having a constant thickness corresponding to the thickness of the molding frame and a constant shape corresponding to the shape of the rice storage space can be molded.

[0022] Specifically, since a blind roll installation portion where a blind roll can be installed in advance is provided between the molding frame and the base plate, the blind roll is spread on the base plate on the blind roll installation portion to be parallel to the upper surface of the base plate, and a sheet-shaped food is placed on the blind roll, and the upper surface of the sheet-shaped food is used as a lower molding surface for molding the bottom side portion of the plate-shaped rice.

[0023] That is to say, in the rice storage space with the molding frame placed on the base plate, most of the center of the upper surface of the sheet-like food is used as a lower molding surface for molding the bottom side portion of the plate-like rice, and the inner peripheral surface of the molding frame forming the through window is used as a side molding surface for molding the outer peripheral side portion of the plate-like rice.

[0024] In the jig in such a state, by simply placing and storing rice on the lower molding surface of the base plate, leveling the rice, and spreading it evenly over the entire area of the rice storage space while pressing downward so as to contact the side molding surface of the molding frame with a spatula or the like, a molded rice mass integrated with the sheet-like food along the outer shape of the rice storage space can be molded. Moreover, no displacement such as the rice protruding from the sheet-like food occurs during the spreading operation.

[0025] Also, by simply pulling up and removing the molding frame upward from the molded rice mass that has been spread and molded to fill the rice storage space, a shearing stress orthogonal to the binding direction that divides the binding of the rice occurring between the outer peripheral side portion of the molded rice mass and the side molding surface of the molding frame can be easily applied, and a uniform plate-like rice without "thickness unevenness" on the outer peripheral surface can be manufactured on the base plate.

[0026] Moreover, after removing the molding frame, since the plate-like rice integrated with the sheet-like food with the sheet-like food adhered to the bottom surface is placed on the rolling blind of the base plate and molded, there is no need to re-arrange the plate-like rice on the rolling blind, and various ingredients such as omelets and kanpyo can be easily placed on the plate-like rice and wound or bent through the rolling blind at the lower position.

[0027] In other words, due to the unitized structure of a special mutual combination of the molding frame and the base plate, a plate-like rice with good moldability can be manufactured without causing deterioration in workability during molding or "thickness unevenness" due to the cohesive force peculiar to rice, and the shaping operation to the final product form such as winding and bending can also be easily performed.

[0028] That is, with a one-unit combination of a separately configured molding frame and a base plate, anyone can easily, stably, quickly, and continuously perform a series of shaping and manufacturing operations from cooked rice to rice-based food products in a rolled or folded form using sheet-shaped rice.

[0029] In addition, after the molding operation, the molding frame and the base plate, which are each unit element, can be separately removed for careful cleaning and can be repeatedly used hygienically at all times.

[0030] Furthermore, due to the simplified structure, the manufacturing cost can be reduced as much as possible. Even if any unit element of the molding frame or the base plate is damaged, it is only necessary to replace it with a new unit element, which has the effect of being excellent in economy and maintainability.

[0031] Also, Other aspects of the present invention According to this, on the upper surface of the base plate, a molding frame fitting portion is formed above the rolling blind installation portion to enable fitting of the molding frame, so that the labor of alignment when placing the molding frame on the base plate can be omitted.

[0032] Also, when leveling the rice in the rice storage space with the molding frame fitted and placed on the base plate, accidental misalignment or detachment of the molding frame on the base plate can be prevented.

[0033] That is, the movement of the molding frame in the left-right, front-back directions on the base plate is restricted by the molding frame fitting portion, which has the effect of improving the workability during the production of sheet-shaped rice and the moldability of sheet-shaped rice.

[0034] Also, Other aspects of the present inventionAccording to this, the rolling blind installation part is constituted by a stepped part for installing a rolling blind that protrudes from the upper surface of the base plate so that the inner surface serves as a contact surface that contacts the outer surface of the rolling blind to enable fitting of the rolling blind, and the upper surface serves as a placement surface of the molding frame. Therefore, the labor of alignment when placing the rolling blind on the base plate can be omitted.

[0035] Further, when leveling the cooked rice in the cooked rice storage space with the molding frame placed on the base plate, it is possible to prevent accidental misalignment of the rolling blind installed between the base plate and the molding frame.

[0036] That is, there is an effect that the movement of the rolling blind in the left - right, front - back directions on the base plate can be restricted by the stepped part for installing the rolling blind, and the workability during the production of plate - shaped cooked rice and the moldability of the plate - shaped cooked rice can be further improved.

[0037] Also, Other aspects of the present invention According to this, the molding frame has a rolling blind crimping protrusion that abuts against the upper surface of the rolling blind, protruding downward from the lower opening edge of the through - window, while installing the rolling blind in the rolling blind installation part and with the molding frame placed on the base plate. Therefore, it is possible to surely close the gap that accidentally occurs between the lower surface of the molding frame and the upper surface of the rolling blind.

[0038] That is, in the state where the molding frame is placed on the base plate, the rolling blind crimping protrusion formed by extending the inner peripheral wall of the molding frame downward so as to border the lower opening edge part of the through - window will abut and crimp against the upper surface of the rolling blind as the molding frame is pressed downward. Without forming a gap between the inner peripheral wall of the molding frame forming the cooked rice storage space and the upper surface of the rolling blind, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the cooked rice from accidentally leaking out from the lower edge part during the leveling and spreading operation of the cooked rice in the cooked rice storage space and manufacture plate - shaped cooked rice with good moldability having a neatly formed lower corner part.

[0039] Also, Other aspects of the present invention According to the plate - shaped cooked rice molding device according to this, in claims 1 to 2The plate-shaped rice forming jig according to any one of the preceding claims, a conveying unit for conveying the plate-shaped rice forming jig, and a rice supply unit installed at the starting end or an intermediate portion of the conveying unit for discharging a predetermined amount of cooked rice from a position above the conveying unit into the inside of the plate-shaped rice forming jig. Therefore, the apparatus structure can be simplified and the member cost can be reduced as much as possible. Without requiring special technology, anyone can easily form plate-shaped rice, and rice foods can be continuously manufactured along the production line of rice foods in a final product form such as a winding form or a bent form with ingredients inside, and the working efficiency can be dramatically improved.

[0040] That is, by making a plate-shaped rice forming jig composed of a detachable forming frame and a base plate specialized for forming plate-shaped rice having a certain shape and a certain thickness into one unit and making a plurality of units conveyable by a conveying unit, there is an effect that a production line for manufacturing rice foods by flow work can be easily organized by arranging a plurality or a single operator on the side thereof along the conveying direction.

[0041] Specifically, when using the apparatus, a series of various processes up to the final form of the product, such as the process of installing the plate-shaped rice forming jig on the conveying unit, the process of leveling the cooked rice stored in the rice storage space of the jig, removing the forming frame to form plate-shaped rice, and the process of wrapping and shaping the ingredients placed on the plate-shaped rice into a bent form or a winding form through a rolling blind, can be sequentially performed in a flow work according to the plate-shaped rice forming jig conveyed by the conveying unit.

[0042] Also, after using the apparatus, the plate-shaped rice forming jig, which is the contact center of the cooked rice, can be removed from the conveying unit to perform a careful and simple cleaning operation, and the apparatus can always be used in a hygienic state.

[0043] Also, Other aspects of the present inventionAccording to the plate-shaped rice forming device according to the present invention, the conveying unit has a pair of conveying rails laid while maintaining a constant interval, and both ends of the plate-shaped rice forming jig are supported between the conveying rails so that the plate-shaped rice forming jig can be conveyed. Therefore, the plate-shaped rice forming jig can be manually slid and conveyed in the conveying direction in which the rails extend in a state where it is horizontally installed between the pair of conveying rails, and it is possible to reduce costs and save space without requiring a large driving source.

[0044] Also, Other aspects of the present invention According to the plate-shaped rice forming device according to the present invention, the conveying rail is composed of a guide vertical wall portion of a vertical portion that abuts against the outer wall portion of the plate-shaped rice forming jig, and a guide horizontal wall portion of a horizontal portion that extends in a direction orthogonal to the guide vertical wall portion and abuts against the outer bottom wall portion of the plate-shaped rice forming jig. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the plate-shaped rice forming jig from accidentally falling off the conveying rail during sliding conveyance.

[0045] Also, Other aspects of the present invention According to the plate-shaped rice forming device according to the present invention, the guide horizontal wall portion is configured to have a plurality of conveying rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable along the extending direction of the conveying rail. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the sliding frictional force between both ends of the plate-shaped rice forming jig and the conveying rail as much as possible, and there is an effect that the sliding conveyance of the plate-shaped rice forming jig can be performed more efficiently.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0046]

Figure 1

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Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0047] The gist of the present invention is a plate-shaped rice molding jig for storing cooked rice inside and molding it into plate-shaped rice. The jig includes a molding frame having a through window formed by a side molding surface for molding the outer peripheral side portion of the plate-shaped rice, and a base plate having a lower molding surface for molding the bottom side portion of the plate-shaped rice on its upper surface. With the molding frame placed on the base plate, a rice storage space for storing rice is formed by covering the through window from below with the base plate, and a curtain installation portion for installing a curtain between the molding frame and the base plate is provided. The present invention aims to provide a plate-shaped rice molding jig characterized by the above features.

[0048] Further, it is also characterized in that a molding frame fitting portion is formed on the upper surface of the base plate at a position above the curtain installation portion to enable fitting of the molding frame.

[0049] Further, the curtain installation portion is configured by a stepped portion for curtain installation that protrudes from the upper surface of the base plate such that the inner surface serves as a contact surface for contacting the outer surface of the curtain to enable fitting of the curtain and the upper surface serves as a placement surface for the molding frame.

[0050] Further, the molding frame is also characterized in that, with the curtain installed in the curtain installation portion and the molding frame placed on the base plate, a curtain pressing protrusion corresponding to contact with the upper surface of the curtain is formed to protrude downward from the lower opening edge of the through window.

[0051] The present invention also provides a plate-shaped rice molding apparatus characterized by including a plate-shaped rice molding jig, a conveying portion for conveying the plate-shaped rice molding jig, and a rice supply portion installed at the starting end or an intermediate portion of the conveying portion for discharging a predetermined amount of rice from above the conveying portion into the plate-shaped rice molding jig.

[0052] Further, the conveying unit is composed of a pair of conveying rails laid in parallel while maintaining a constant interval, and both end portions of the plate-shaped rice forming jig are supported between the conveying rails, and the forming plate-shaped rice forming jig is configured to be slidably conveyed along the extending direction of the pair of conveying rails. This is also a feature of the present invention.

[0053] Further, the conveying rail is composed of a guide vertical wall portion of a vertical portion that abuts and corresponds to the outer wall portion of the plate-shaped rice forming jig, and a guide horizontal wall portion of a horizontal portion that extends in a direction orthogonal to the guide vertical wall portion and abuts and corresponds to the outer bottom wall portion of the plate-shaped rice forming jig. This is also a feature of the present invention.

[0054] Further, the guide horizontal wall portion is configured to have a plurality of conveying rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable along the extending direction of the conveying rail. This is also a feature of the present invention.

[0055] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Outline of the plate-shaped rice forming jig and the plate-shaped rice forming apparatus according to the present invention: (2) Plate-shaped rice forming jig according to the first embodiment: (3) Plate-shaped rice forming jig according to the second embodiment: (4) Leveling spatula used for the plate-shaped rice forming jig of the present invention: (5) Usage example of the plate-shaped rice forming jig according to the present invention: (6) Plate-shaped rice forming apparatus equipped with the plate-shaped rice forming jig according to the present invention: (7) Usage example of the plate-shaped rice forming apparatus equipped with the plate-shaped rice forming jig according to the present invention:

[0056] (1) Outline of the plate-shaped rice forming jig and the plate-shaped rice forming apparatus according to the present invention: First, the outline of the plate-shaped rice forming jig and the plate-shaped rice forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped rice forming jig, FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped rice forming jig, FIGS. 8 to 11 are schematic perspective views showing the usage state of the plate-shaped rice forming jig, and FIG. 12 is an overall perspective view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped rice forming apparatus equipped with the plate-shaped rice forming jig.

[0057] The plate-shaped rice molding jig according to the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "this jig") is used to continuously mold plate-shaped rice in a state before ingredients are placed and wound or bent during the process of manufacturing rice food such as rolled sushi in a wound form containing ingredients or rice balls in a two-fold bent form by storing the rice inside.

[0058] This jig A1 is configured as a unit structure in which a molding frame 10 having a through window 30 and a base plate 20 on which the molding frame 10 is placed can be combined with each other, as schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0059] When manufacturing plate-shaped rice with this jig A1, first, as shown in FIG. 9(a), a rolling mat 50 is installed in the rolling mat installation part 40 inside the base plate 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 9(b), a sheet-shaped food S is placed on the upper surface 51 of the rolling mat 50 from above. Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10(a), the molding frame 10 is further placed on top of it, and the lower opening of the through window 30 of the molding frame 10 is closed on the upper surface of the base plate 20, that is, on the upper surface of the sheet-shaped food S placed on the rolling mat 50, to form a rice storage space 31.

[0060] Here, the planar shape of the molding frame 10 and the through window 30 inside it can be appropriately determined according to the desired molding outer shape of the plate-shaped rice, and for example, it can be made into a substantially circular shape, a trapezoidal shape, or a triangular shape.

[0061] In addition, the sheet-shaped food S may be a natural food such as a large leaf in addition to processed foods such as general nori seaweed and kelp boards, and it is preferable to use one that is standardized to have a certain shape and dimensions.

[0062] The sheet-shaped food S normalized in this way has specific dimensions and shapes, for example, if it is of the "full size", it is a substantially square shape in plan view with a length of 200 mm to 210 mm and a width of 180 mm to 200 mm; if it is "cut in half horizontally", it has approximately half the area of the full size and is a rectangular shape in plan view with a length of 95 mm to 105 mm and a width of 180 mm to 200 mm; if it is "cut into three horizontally", it has approximately one-third the area of the full size and is a shape with a length of 60 mm to 70 mm and a width of 180 mm to 200 mm; if it is "cut into six horizontally", it has approximately one-sixth the area of the full size and is a shape with a length of 25 mm to 35 mm and a width of 180 mm to 200 mm, etc., and it is appropriately selected according to the desired form and size of the rice food.

[0063] In other words, the jig A1 designs the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20 corresponding to the dimensions and shapes of these sheet-shaped foods S of a certain standard.

[0064] Also, since the thickness of the molding frame 10 is substantially the same as the thickness of the plate-shaped rice molded by the frame 10, it can be appropriately determined according to the desired thickness of the plate-shaped rice. For example, when molding the plate-shaped rice R3 for general sushi rolls or folded rice balls, it is preferably 8 mm to 12 mm.

[0065] The materials of the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20 are not particularly limited. For example, by making them of resin, the maintainability can be improved. In particular, the inner surface 13 of the molding frame 10 that comes into contact with the rice R1, that is, the side molding surface 13 and the lower molding surface 21a of the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20, may be subjected to a sliding process to suppress the adhesion of the rice as much as possible. As the sliding process, for example, a metal coating such as ceramic, a sliding resin coating such as fluororesin, or a fine-grit polishing process can be adopted.

[0066] The cooked rice R1 stored in the cooked rice storage space 31 of this jig A1 is pressed downward with a leveling spatula 70 so that its underside abuts the upper surface of the molding frame 10 as shown in Figure 10(b), and spread evenly throughout the space 31, thereby molding it into a molded cooked rice block R2 that conforms to the outer shape of the cooked rice storage space 31 and has the same thickness as the molding frame 10.

[0067] Finally, by lifting and removing the molding frame 10 from the molded rice block R2 in the rice storage space 31, a plate-shaped rice R3 integrated with the sheet-shaped food S at the outer bottom is molded and produced on the rolling mat 50 as shown in Figure 11(a).

[0068] The plate-shaped cooked rice R3 thus obtained is shaped into a folded rice ball, i.e., cooked rice food R4, to be served in stores, etc., by placing ingredients I, such as luncheon meat or tamagoyaki (rolled egg), on its upper surface as shown in FIG. 11(b), and folding the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 as it is via a rolling mat 50.

[0069] In this way, the plate-shaped cooked rice forming jig A1 of the present invention is a revolutionary jig that, by virtue of its unit structure that is a special combination of the forming frame 10 and the base plate 20, reduces the burden of the series of forming and manufacturing operations for the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 and the rolled or folded cooked rice food R4 using the plate-shaped cooked rice R3, and allows anyone to continuously produce cooked rice food R4 in a simple, stable, and quick manner.

[0070] In order to put the entire manufacturing process from cooked rice R1 using this jig A1 to plate-shaped cooked rice R3 or cooked rice food R4 into an orderly line, the plate-shaped cooked rice molding device B of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as this device B) is configured to include a conveying section 100 for conveying the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A1, as shown in Figure 12, and a cooked rice supplying section 200 that is installed at the starting end or middle of the conveying section 100 and discharges a predetermined amount of cooked rice R1 from a position above the conveying section 100 into the inside of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A1.

[0071] In other words, the present apparatus B is configured to be able to arrange a plurality or a single operator on the side perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the conveyance unit 100 in order to perform each manufacturing process of the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 and the cooked rice food R4 via the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A1 conveyed by the conveyance unit 100. That is, it has a simple and compact configuration that is minimally required for molding the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 and manufacturing the cooked rice food R4.

[0072] That is, the present apparatus B functions as a "production line for cooked rice food" for orderly performing each manufacturing process by manual work of an operator, can be installed in a limited and narrow working space such as a kitchen in a store, can dramatically improve work efficiency, and can provide freshly made cooked rice food R4 in the store. It can be said that this is an epoch-making apparatus for the food and beverage retail industry.

[0073] (2) Plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the first embodiment: Next, the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 3(a) to (d) are a plan view, a side view, a rear front view, and a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the base plate, FIGS. 4(a) to (d) are a bottom view, a side view, a rear front view, and a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the molding frame, and FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are schematic cross-sectional views showing the fitting state of the base plate and the molding frame.

[0074] Hereinafter, the molding frame and the base plate created based on the dimensions and shape of the aforementioned "half cut" as the sheet-shaped food S will be described. Also, the side where the operator is arranged in the state of the jig placed on the horizontal plane is referred to as the "rear side". Based on this, the "front side", "left side", and "right side" will be described.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the present jig A1 includes a molding frame 10 having a through window 30 formed by a side molding surface 11 for molding the outer peripheral side portion of the plate-shaped cooked rice R3, and a base plate 20 having a lower molding surface 21a for molding the bottom side portion of the plate-shaped cooked rice on the upper surface 21.

[0076] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, in a state where the molding frame 10 is placed on the base plate 20, the base plate 20 covers the through window 30 from below to form a rice storage space 31 for storing the cooked rice R1, and forms a blind roll installation portion 40 for installing the blind roll 50 between the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3(a) to 3(c), the base plate 20 is a flat plate body having a predetermined thickness, and the central portions of the front and rear end edges of the upper surface 21 of the base plate, which is a flat surface, are cut out inward in the front and rear directions in a rectangular shape in plan view to form front and rear side cutout portions 22 and 23, thereby forming a substantially H-shaped in plan view.

[0078] The dimensions of the base plate 20 are not particularly limited as long as the bottom side portion of the plate-shaped cooked rice can be formed into a flat surface. For example, the width is 125 to 130 mm, the front-rear length is 260 to 264 mm, and the thickness is 3 to 5 mm.

[0079] The dimensions of the blind roll installation portion 40 only need to be such that the blind roll 50 can be installed between the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20. For example, the width is 100 to 105 mm, the front-rear length is 260 to 264 mm, and the thickness is 3 to 5 mm.

[0080] The thickness (height) of the blind roll installation portion 40 is formed to be equal to or greater than the sum of the thickness of the blind roll 50 and the thickness of the sheet-shaped food S. Although details will be described later, when the blind roll crimping protrusion 18 is formed on the molding frame 10, the height of the blind roll installation portion 40 is made substantially the same as the sum of the thickness of the blind roll 50, the thickness of the sheet-shaped food S, and the thickness of the blind roll crimping protrusion 18, taking into account the clearance for the blind roll crimping protrusion 18 to fit into the blind roll installation portion 40.

[0081] The rolling shutter installation part 40 forms a pair of rolling shutter installation step parts 41, 41' having an abutting surface with the inner surface 42 abutting against the outer surface 52 of the rolling shutter 50 and an upper surface 43 serving as a placement surface of the molding frame 10 protruding upward from the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20. Thus, it is formed as an inner space part (the part surrounded by the dashed-dotted line in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(d)) surrounded by the rolling shutter installation step parts 41, 41'.

[0082] When the rolling shutter 50 is installed on the rolling shutter installation part 40, the rolling shutter installation step parts 41, 41' respectively abut and engage with the four outer side parts 52 of the rolling shutter 50 to restrict the movement of the rolling shutter 50 in the left, right, front, and rear directions. For example, they may be formed in a protruding shape and can be appropriately changed according to the size and shape of the rolling shutter 50 to be used.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the rolling shutter installation step parts 41, 41' of the present embodiment are each formed in an elongated substantially U-shape in plan view, with the open side of the U-shape facing inward of the base plate 20 and arranged symmetrically with respect to the left and right center line C of the base plate 20. As shown in FIGS. 3(c) and 3(d), they protrude from the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20 as upward convex steps along the left and right edge parts and the left and right ends of the front and rear edge parts of the base plate 20.

[0084] The rolling shutter installation step parts 41, 41' correspond to the vertical sides of the U-shape in plan view as shown in FIG. 3(a), and include long rectangular bar-shaped central long side wall parts 42, 42' extending in the front-rear direction along the left and right edge parts of the base plate 20, and short rectangular plate-shaped front short side wall parts 43, 43' and rear short side wall parts 44, 44' corresponding to the upper and lower horizontal sides of the U-shape in plan view and bending and extending at right angles along the corners of the base plate 20 at the front and rear ends of the central long side wall parts 42, 42'.

[0085] The rolling shutter installation step parts 41, 41' with such a configuration are arranged with the central long side wall parts 42, 42' at the left and right end parts of the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20, and the front short side wall parts 43, 43' and the rear short side wall parts 44, 44' at the left and right sides of the front and rear end parts of the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20, protruding from the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20 in two.

[0086] The dimensions of the stepped portions 41 and 41' for installing the rolling curtain are as follows: for the central long side wall portions 42 and 42', the width is 3 - 7 mm, the front - rear length is 220 - 224 mm, and the thickness (height) is 3 - 5 mm; for the front - side short side wall portions 43 and 43' and the rear - side short side wall portions 44 and 44', the width is 22 - 27 mm respectively, the front - rear length is 18 - 22 mm, and the thickness is 3 - 5 mm. Note that the thickness of the stepped portions 41 and 41' for installing the rolling curtain is equal to the thickness of the rolling - curtain installation portion 40 described above. Also, the installation interval between the pair of stepped portions 41 and 41' for installing the rolling curtain may be any interval as long as the rolling - curtain installation portion 40, that is, the rolling curtain 50, can be installed between them.

[0087] The upper surfaces 41a and 41a' of the stepped portions 41 and 41' for installing the rolling curtain are parallel to the upper surface of the base plate 21 and are formed as horizontal flat surfaces that are flush with the upper surfaces of the central long side wall portions 42 and 42' and the upper surfaces of the front - side short side wall portions 43 and 43' and the rear - side short side wall portions 44 and 44' respectively, and function as the placement surfaces of the molding frame 10 in the molding - frame fitting portion 60 described later.

[0088] Also, the inner surfaces 41b and 41b' of the stepped portions 41 and 41' for installing the rolling curtain are formed as vertical flat surfaces perpendicular to the upper surfaces 41a and 41a', and function as restricting surfaces that face the outer surfaces 52 and 52' of the rolling curtain 50 and restrict the front - rear - left - right movement of the rolling curtain 50 fitted in the rolling - curtain installation portion 40.

[0089] Specifically, on the inner surfaces 41b and 41b' of the stepped portions 41 and 41' for installing the rolling curtain, the inner surfaces of the central long side wall portions 42 and 42 are formed as abutting surfaces that face and abut against the left - right outer surfaces of the sheet - like food placement portion 53 of the rolling curtain 50 described later.

[0090] Also, the inner surfaces of the front - rear side short side wall portions 43, 43', 44, and 44 are formed as abutting surfaces that face and abut against the left - right front - rear end outer surfaces of the sheet - like food placement portion 53 of the rolling curtain 50 and the left - right outer surfaces of the front - rear side handle pieces 54 and 55 respectively.

[0091] In addition, the rolling blind 50 that fits into the rolling blind installation part 40 is formed in a convex shape on the front and rear sides in plan view as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is configured to be bendable and rollable in the longitudinal direction.

[0092] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the rolling blind 50 includes a sheet-shaped food placement part 53 for placing the sheet-shaped food S, and front and rear handle piece parts 54, 55 for picking up the rolling blind 50 from the rolling blind installation part 40 with fingers when bending and rolling the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 formed on the rolling blind 50.

[0093] The sheet-shaped food placement part 53 is a rectangular plate-shaped in plan view that occupies most of the area of the rolling blind installation part 40 of the base plate 20. Its plan view shape is substantially the same as that of the sheet-shaped food placement part 53 of a certain standard to be placed, and its width is 100 - 105 mm × the front and rear length is 200 - 205 mm.

[0094] When the sheet-shaped food placement part 53 is stretched and installed on the rolling blind installation part 40 of the rolling blind 50, it functions as a lower molding surface 21a that is horizontally expanded on the upper surface 21 of the horizontal base plate and whose upper surface is parallel to the upper surface 21 of the base plate.

[0095] In addition, the front and rear handle piece parts 54, 55 are rectangular pieces in plan view corresponding to the plan view shapes of the front and rear notch parts 22, 23 on the upper surface 21 of the base plate described above. They are formed to protrude outward in the front and rear directions at the central parts of the front and rear ends of the sheet-shaped food placement part 53, and their width is 60 - 64 mm × the front and rear length is 33 - 37 mm.

[0096] When the rolling blind 50 is stretched and placed on the rolling blind installation part 40 as shown in FIG. 2, the front and rear handle piece parts 54, 55 are exposed at the front and rear notch parts 22, 23 of the base plate 20 and function as handle parts for picking with fingers from the up and down directions.

[0097] The rolling blind 50 is a mat-shaped cooking utensil for laying under food and forming it into a rolled or bent form by rolling or folding the food. It is configured by connecting a plurality of bamboo splints of the same length with a string and making it bendable and rollable in a certain direction.

[0098] Specifically, the rolling curtain 50 is composed of a plurality of elongated bamboo strips arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction and a string body that connects adjacent bamboo strips at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the bamboo strips. The bamboo strips are those with the bamboo epidermis left, and are connected and woven with the string body in a state where the bamboo epidermis is oriented upward, so as to improve the slipperiness of the upper surface.

[0099] The rolling curtain 50 is not particularly limited by the material or structure as long as the plate-shaped rice R3 can be placed thereon and bent and wound in a certain direction. For example, it may be made of natural materials or synthetic resins with flexibility. Also, the thickness of the rolling curtain 50 is, for example, 3 mm to 7 mm so as to conform to the thickness of the aforementioned rolling curtain installation part 40 (the rolling curtain installation step parts 41, 41').

[0100] In this way, the rolling curtain installation part 40 and the rolling curtain 50 are configured to be mutually fitted from a pair of left and right U-shaped rolling curtain installation step parts 41, 41' protruding from the base plate 20 in a plan view.

[0101] Also, on the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20, a molding frame fitting part 60 is formed so that the molding frame 10 can be fitted at a position above the rolling curtain installation part 40 as shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(d).

[0102] Specifically, the molding frame fitting part 60 is composed of the rolling curtain installation step parts 41, 41' on which the molding frame 10 is placed and frame installation step parts 61, 61' that protrude upward along the outer shape of the molding frame 10 at a position above the rolling curtain installation step parts 41, 41' so that the molding frame 10 can be fitted.

[0103] The molding frame fitting portion 60 is a pair of frame installation stepped portions 61, 61' that protrude upward from the upper surface 21 of the base plate so that, in the state where the molding frame 10 is fitted, the inner surfaces 61b, 61b' are contact surfaces that contact the outer surface 14 of the molding frame 10, and the height positions of the upper surfaces 61a, 61a' are below the height position of the upper surface 11 of the molding frame. It is an inner space portion (the portion surrounded by the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(d)).

[0104] The inner surface 61b of the frame installation stepped portions 61, 61' functions as a restricting surface that faces the outer surface 14 of the molding frame 10 and restricts the movement of the molding frame 10 in the front, rear, left, and right directions.

[0105] The frame installation stepped portions 61, 61' only need to be in contact and engaged with the outer sides of the four sides of the molding frame 10 above the curtain installation portion 40 in the state where the molding frame 10 is fitted to restrict the movement of the molding frame 10 in the left, right, front, and rear directions. The frame installation stepped portions 61, 61' of the present embodiment are formed in a substantially similar shape that is larger than the curtain installation stepped portions 41, 41' and has an elongated substantially U-shaped shape in plan view.

[0106] The frame installation stepped portions 61, 61' surround the curtain installation stepped portions 41, 41' from the outside, with the open side of the U-shaped facing inward of the base plate 20, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the left-right center line C of the base plate 20, and protrude upward in a convex shape from the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20 along the left and right edges of the front and rear edges of the upper surface 21 of the base plate.

[0107] Also, the frame installation stepped portions 61, 61' correspond to the vertical sides of the U-shaped shape in plan view, and include a long rectangular bar-shaped central long side wall portion 62 that extends in the front-rear direction along the left and right edge portions of the base plate 20, and short rectangular plate-shaped front short side wall portions 63, 63' and rear short side wall portions 64, 64' that correspond to the upper and lower horizontal sides of the U-shaped shape in plan view and bend and extend at right angles along the corners of the base plate 20 at the front and rear ends of the central long side wall portion 62.

[0108] Two such frame installation steps 61, 61' are protruded from the base plate upper surface 21, with the central long side wall portions 62, 62' being positioned on the left and right edges of the base plate upper surface 21 and the front and rear short side wall portions 63, 63', 64, 64' being positioned on the left and right sides of the front and rear ends of the base plate upper surface 21, respectively.

[0109] The dimensions of the frame installation step 61 are as follows: the central long side wall portions 62, 62' have a width of 6 to 10 mm, a front-to-back length of 260 to 264 mm, and a thickness (height) of 7 to 11 mm; and the front and back short side wall portions 63, 63', 64, 64' have a width of 23 to 27 mm, a front-to-back length of 18 to 22 mm, and a thickness (height) of 7 to 11 mm, respectively.

[0110] In addition, the frame installation step portions 61, 61' have upper surfaces 61a, 61a' formed as horizontal flat surfaces parallel to the upper surface 21 of the base plate, and inner surfaces 61b, 61b' formed as vertical flat surfaces perpendicular to the upper surfaces 61a, 61a'.

[0111] Specifically, the upper surfaces 61a, 61a' of the frame installation steps 61, 61' are horizontally flat surfaces that are flush with the upper surfaces of the central long-side wall portions 62, 62' and the upper surfaces of the front and rear short-side wall portions 63, 63', 64, 64'.

[0112] In addition, the inner surfaces 61b, 61b' of the frame installation step portions 61, 61' are formed so that the inner surfaces of the central long side wall portions 62, 62' face the left and right outer surfaces of the molded frame 10, and the inner surfaces of the front and rear short side wall portions 63, 64 form abutment surfaces that face the front and rear outer surfaces at the corners of the molded frame 10.

[0113] That is, the base plate 20 has frame installation steps 61, 61' that protrude upward at the outermost sides when viewed in a plane, and bamboo blind installation steps 41, 41' that protrude upward inside the frame installation steps 61, 61' and follow the shape of the frame installation steps 61, 61' to a height lower than the frame installation steps 61, 61'.

[0114] Note that the opposing surfaces of the front and rear short side wall portions 63, 63', 64, and 64' of the pair of step portions 61, 61' for frame installation are flush with the opposing surfaces of the front and rear short side wall portions 43, 43', 44, and 44' of the step portions 41, 41' for roller blind installation at the lower position as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(c), and front and rear notch portions 22 and 23 are formed between the opposing surfaces of the front and rear sides.

[0115] In this way, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the base plate 20 forms, at the left and right edge portions corresponding to the left and right flange portions of the H-shaped base plate in plan view, stepped portions that descend in two steps from the outside to the inside, are stepped in cross-sectional view, and are substantially U-shaped in plan view, protruding upward. Thus, the majority of the rectangular surface in plan view at the center of the uppermost surface 21 at the lowermost position exposed between the stepped portions is set as the lower molding surface 21a of the plate-shaped rice.

[0116] Then, among the left and right stepped portions, the lower stepped portion elements are used as the step portions 41, 41' for roller blind installation, and the upper stepped portion elements are used as the step portions 61, 61' for frame installation. The roller blind installation portion 40 and the molded frame fitting portion 60 are formed inward by the corner opposing stepped portions. The roller blind 50 and the molded frame 10 are sequentially fitted and installed on the base plate 20 having such a configuration.

[0117] The molded frame 10 is a flat plate body having a predetermined thickness and being rectangular in plan view as shown in FIGS. 4(b) to 4(d), and is formed by penetrating a through window 30 having a rectangular shape in plan view that is similar to the frame outer shape at the central portion thereof as shown in FIG. 4(a). That is, the molded frame 10 is configured as a flat rectangular frame body having a through window 30 inside and being in the shape of a rectangular frame in plan view.

[0118] The upper surface 11 and the lower surface 12 of the molded frame 10 are formed as flat surfaces parallel to each other as shown in FIGS. 4(b) to 4(d), and the inner surface 13 and the outer surface 14 of the molded frame 10 are formed as flat surfaces orthogonal to the upper and lower surfaces 11, 12 of the molded frame 10, respectively. The inner surface 13 of the molded frame 10 forms the side molding surface 13 of the plate-shaped rice R3 with the through window 30.

[0119] Further, the upper surface 11 functions as a reference surface of the leveling spatula for forming an upper portion of a plate-shaped cooked rice R3 that is substantially flush with the upper surface 11 by leveling the cooked rice stored in the cooked rice storage space 31 and spreading it while bringing the spatula surface of the leveling spatula 70 into surface contact, and the lower surface 12 functions as a placement surface of the molding frame 10 on the base plate 20 (molding frame fitting portion 60).

[0120] Further, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c), the molding frame 10 includes left and right side wall portions 15, 15' that are long rectangular bar-shaped and extend in the front-rear direction, and front and rear side wall portions 16, 17 that are short rectangular plate-shaped and extend orthogonally to the extending direction of the left and right side wall portions 15, 15' so as to connect between the front end portions of the left and right side wall portions 15, 15'.

[0121] That is, the through window 30 has four right-angled corners surrounded by the inner side surfaces 13 of the left and right side wall portions 15, 15' and the front and rear side wall portions 16, 17 in the molding frame 10, and forms a cooked rice storage space 31 as a virtual rectangular parallelepiped space surrounded by virtual upper and lower planes flush with the upper and lower surfaces 11, 12 of the molding frame 10 that close the upper and lower openings 32, 33 and the inner side surface 13 of the molding frame 10.

[0122] Here, regarding the dimensional relationship between the molding frame 10, the through window 30 inside it, and the sheet-shaped food S, the outer dimensions of the molding frame 10 are formed to be slightly larger than the outer dimensions of the sheet-shaped food, and the dimensions of the through window 30 (inner dimensions of the molding frame 10) are formed to be slightly smaller than the outer dimensions of the sheet-shaped food.

[0123] That is, the molding frame 10 and the through window 30 inside it each have a planar shape similar to the outer shape of the sheet-shaped food S in plan view. The molding frame 10 is formed to be slightly larger than the outer shape of the sheet-shaped food S to have a planar square shape that fits and is placed on the peripheral edge of the sheet-shaped food S, and the through window 30 is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer shape of the sheet-shaped food S to fit into a substantially square-shaped region inside the peripheral edge of the sheet-shaped food S in plan view.

[0124] The dimensions of the molding frame 10 may be equal to or less than those of the base plate 20 and equal to or greater than those of the sheet-shaped food S. The width is 108 to 10 mm, the front-back length is 218 to 222 mm, and the thickness is 8 to 12 mm. Also, the dimensions of the through window 30 are smaller than those of the sheet-shaped food S, with a width of 88 to 92 mm, a front-back length of 178 to 182 mm, and a thickness of 8 to 12 mm.

[0125] Thereby, the molding frame 10 can be adapted to the shape of the sheet-shaped food S (the sheet-shaped food placement part 53 of the rolling curtain 50). By placing the molding frame 10 along the periphery of the sheet-shaped food S, the exposed surface of the sheet-shaped food Ⅰ01 that exposes and closes the inner through window 30 downward can be used as a downward molding surface to mold the plate-shaped cooked rice R3.

[0126] Also, the molding frame 10 has an upper surface 11 where the lower surface of the leveling spatula 70 described later abuts against the molding frame 10 and a lower surface 12 where a part of the upper surface of the sheet-shaped food S abuts. In particular, the front and rear side wall parts 16, 17 are formed wider than the left and right side wall parts 15, 15'.

[0127] That is, for the left and right side wall parts 15, 15' of the molding frame 10, the width is 8 to 12 mm, the front-back length is 218 to 222 mm, the thickness (height) is 8 to 5 mm, and for the front and rear side wall parts 16, 17, the width is 88 to 92 mm, the front-back length is 18 to 22 mm, and the thickness (height) is 8 to 5 mm.

[0128] Thereby, when the molding frame 10 is placed on the sheet-shaped food S, the placement contact area is enlarged as much as possible, and it becomes easy to position the placement of the molding frame 10 along the entire peripheral part of the sheet-shaped food S, and the placement operation of the molding frame 10 can be simplified.

[0129] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the molding frame 10 has a rolling curtain pressing protrusion 18 corresponding to abutting against the upper surface of the rolling curtain 50 protruding downward from the lower opening edge 33a of the through window 30 in a state where the rolling curtain 50 is installed in the rolling curtain installation part 40 and the molding frame 10 is placed on the base plate 20.

[0130] The bamboo blind pressing protrusion 18 is an endless protrusion that is roughly square-shaped when viewed from the bottom and that is formed to border the lower opening edge 33a of the molding frame 10, and protrudes downward from the lower surface 12 of the molding frame 10.

[0131] As shown in Figures 4(a) to 5(b), the inner surface 18a of the winding blind pressure projection 18 is a vertical surface that is integral with the inner surface 13 of the forming frame 10. The lower end surface 18b of the winding blind pressure projection 18 is a flat pressure surface that is parallel to the upper and lower surfaces 11, 12 of the forming frame and faces the upper surface 21 of the base plate, pressing downward the upper surface of the winding blind 50 (sheet-type food S). The outer surface 18c of the winding blind pressure projection 18 is a flat engaging surface that faces and abuts against the inner surfaces 41b, 41b' of the winding blind installation steps 41, 41'.

[0132] 5(a) and 5(b), the winding blind pressing protrusion 18 has a width that does not interfere with the winding blind installation steps 41, 41', and its rectangular shape when viewed from the bottom is approximately the same as the shape of the sheet food placing section of the winding blind 50, so that it can be fitted into the winding blind installation section 40. The width of the winding blind pressing protrusion 18 is, for example, 3 to 7 mm.

[0133] Furthermore, the winding blind pressing protrusions 18 have a protruding length (thickness) that allows the lower end surface 18b to be pressed against the upper surface 51 of the winding blind 50 when the winding blind 50 is installed on the winding blind installation section 40 and the forming frame 10 is placed on the base plate 20. The protruding length of the winding blind pressing protrusions 18 is, for example, 1 to 5 mm. In other words, the thickness of the plate-shaped cooked rice formed by this jig A1 is the same as the sum of the thickness from the upper surface 11 to the lower surface 12 of the forming frame 10 and the thickness of the winding blind pressing protrusions 18 (ribs).

[0134] In this way, the molded frame 10 is formed into a downwardly convex shape in side view by the bamboo blind pressure-bonding protrusions 18, and the bamboo blind pressure-bonding protrusions 18 of the downwardly convex portion are configured to be able to be fitted into the bamboo blind installation portion 40 of the base plate 20.

[0135] 5(b), any gaps that may inadvertently occur between the forming frame lower surface 12 and the rolling blind upper surface 51 can be reliably closed, preventing cooked rice from accidentally leaking out from the lower edge when spreading the cooked rice in the cooked rice storage space, and producing plate-shaped cooked rice with neatly formed lower corners. Also, by fitting the rolling blind pressing protrusions 18 of the forming frame 10 into the rolling blind installation parts 40 of the base plate 20, it is possible to prevent the forming frame 10 from accidentally shifting position on the base plate 20.

[0136] As described above, the present jig A1 has a special unitized structure in which the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20 are fitted together and face to face, thereby making it possible to produce plate-shaped cooked rice with good formability without causing deterioration in workability or "thickness unevenness" during molding due to the binding force unique to cooked rice, and it is configured so that subsequent shaping work such as rolling and folding can be easily performed into the final product form.

[0137] (3) Plate-shaped cooked rice forming jig according to the second embodiment: Next, the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the second embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the same components as those of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Figures 7 and 8 are exploded perspective views showing the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to this embodiment.

[0138] The jig A2 has substantially the same configuration as the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A1 according to the first embodiment, but differs in that the molding frame 10 is pivotally supported at one end of the base plate 20 so as to be rotatable upward.

[0139] That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the jig A2 has a bearing portion 24 formed to protrude upward from one end of a base plate 20, and the molding frame 10 is pivotally supported on the bearing portion 24 so as to be rotatable.

[0140] In the jig A2 shown in Figure 6, two bearing portions 24, 24' are formed to protrude upward on the left and right sides of one longitudinal end of the base plate 20, and one longitudinal end of the base plate 20 is fitted between the bearing portions 24, 24' and pivoted via a pivot shaft 25 so that it can rotate up and down.

[0141] The upper surfaces 24b, 24b' of the bearing portions 24, 24' have a curved shape that forms a semicircular arc when viewed in the axial direction of the pivot shaft 25, allowing the molding frame 10 to rotate upward from its lying-down position around the pivot shaft 25, which is in a fixed position on the base plate 20.

[0142] The front wall 16 of the molded frame 10 has bearing fitting portions 19 formed on the front side by cutting out the outer corners on the left and right sides in a rectangular shape in plan view so as to fit between the bearing portions 24, 24'.

[0143] Symbols 19a, 24a, and 24a' denote axial holes formed coaxially through the bearing fitting portion 19 and the bearing portions 24 and 24' in the left-right direction so that the pivot shaft 25 can be inserted when the bearing fitting portion 19 of the molded frame 10 is fitted between the bearing portions 24 and 24' of the base plate 20.

[0144] The forming frame 10 is in a lying position with its lower surface 12 parallel to the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20, and is pivoted to bearing portions 24, 24' of the base plate 20 via pivot shafts 25 so that a clearance corresponding to the thickness of the bamboo blind 50 is formed as a bamboo blind installation portion 40 between the base plate 20 and the forming frame 10.

[0145] In addition, in the jig A2 shown in Figure 7, the molding frame 10 is composed of a horizontally elongated rectangular bar-shaped bearing portion 24 formed to protrude upward from one longitudinal end of the base plate 20, and a frame main body 10' that is approximately U-shaped in plan view and is pivotally attached to the bearing portion 24 with its left and right front ends fitted externally thereto so as to be able to rotate up and down.

[0146] The bearing portion 24 has a flat upper surface 24b and a vertical inner surface 24c that is perpendicular to the upper surface 24b, and is formed to protrude upward in a lying state at the center of one end of the base plate 20. The bearing portion 24 is reverse L-shaped in side view, forming a rolling blind intrusion groove 26 with the tip of the L-shaped end side facing inward and the inner base portion recessed inward.

[0147] Further, the frame body 10' is composed of left and right side wall portions 15, 15' and a rear side wall portion 17 obtained by removing the front side wall portion 16 from the molding frame 10. That is, the molding frame 10 is constituted by axially attaching the frame body 10' and the bearing portion 24 of the base plate 20 that also serves as the front side wall portion 16 of the molding frame 10, and a through window 30 is formed inside by the inner surface of the frame body 10' and the inner surface of the bearing portion 24.

[0148] Specifically, the frame body 10' is pivotally supported by the bearing portion 24 so that the lower surface 12 is parallel to the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20 in a lying posture and the upper surface 11 is substantially flush with the upper surface 24b of the bearing portion 24 with respect to the base plate 20.

[0149] In this way, the jig A2 pivotally supports the molding frame 10 with respect to the base plate 20 so as to be vertically rotatable via a pivot shaft 25 at one end, and assumes a lying posture in which the lower surface 12 of the molding frame is parallel to the upper surface 21 of the base plate. In this lying posture, the lower opening edge 33a of the through window 30 of the molding frame 10 is closed by the upper surface 21 of the base plate 20 to form a cooked rice storage space 31.

[0150] That is, according to the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A2 according to the present embodiment, since the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20 are formed in an integrated unit structure via the pivot shaft 25, the positioning operation of the molding frame 10 on the base plate 20 and the frame removal operation of pulling up and removing the molding frame 10 from the molded cooked rice mass R2 molded in the cooked rice storage space 31 can be facilitated by the rotation operation of the molding frame 10 via the pivot shaft 25.

[0151] (4) Leveling spatula used in the plate-shaped cooked rice forming jig of the present invention: Next, we will explain the configuration of the leveling spatula for leveling the cooked rice stored in the cooked rice storage space of this jig. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are a side view and a plan view showing the configuration of the leveling spatula.

[0152] As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the leveling spatula 70 is composed of a handle 71 and a flat spatula main body 72 extending from one side of the handle 71, and is used to level the cooked rice stored in the cooked rice storage space 31 using the bottom surface of the spatula main body 72.

[0153] The gripping portion 71 is flat and elongated with a constant width that makes it easy to grasp with the hand, and the width gradually narrows from the base end to the tip, and the tip portion of the gripping portion 71 is formed in a constricted shape between the base end side of the gripping portion 71 and the spatula main body portion 72, making it easy to naturally apply force when grasping with the hand.

[0154] The grip portion 71 has an arc-shaped cross section. Specifically, the grip portion 71 has an upper surface 71a formed with a slot-shaped recess 71c along the axial direction of the grip portion 71 for resting the pads of the fingers, and a lower surface 71a′ formed with a curved convex surface that continues to the left and right outer portions 71b, 71b′ along the axial direction of the grip portion 71.

[0155] The spatula main body 72 is a flat plate-like portion that is approximately rectangular in plan view and has a substantially constant thickness overall, as shown in Figure 8(b), and its lower surface 72a' serves as the contact surface with the cooked rice R1 and the upper surface 11 of the molding frame of the jig, and is connected to the gripping portion 71 in an inclined manner with respect to the imaginary axis line P of the gripping portion 71.

[0156] The spatula main body 72 has edges that are approximately rectangular in plan view, including a tip edge 73 that is located at the tip end and extends in a straight line, a base edge 73' that bulges outward gently from one side of the gripping portion 71 and extends in a curved manner, and left and right edge portions 74, 74' that extend in a straight line at both ends of the tip edge 73.

[0157] In the spatula body 72, the tip edge 73, together with the left and right edge portions 74, 74', form approximately right-angled front left and right side corners 75, 75', the left edge portion 74, together with the other side 71b' of the grip portion 71, forms a concave rear left corner 76, and the right edge portion 74', together with the base edge portion 73', forms an approximately obtuse rear right corner 76'.

[0158] Furthermore, spatula main body 72 is formed so that the length of left and right edge portions 74, 74' is at least half the vertical length of cooked rice storage space 31. Furthermore, spatula main body 72 has four square corners 75, 75', 76, 76' in a plan view, and one corner 76 or its vicinity serves as the connection base with grip portion 71, and the center of gravity G of spatula main body 72 is located on or near the imaginary axis line P of grip portion 71.

[0159] That is, the spatula main body 72 is connected to the gripping portion 71 with the rear left corner 76 and its diagonal front right corner 75' positioned in relative positions that are approximately point-symmetrical about the center of gravity G of the spatula main body 72 of the gripping portion 71, and the center of gravity G of the spatula main body 72 is positioned in the vicinity of the imaginary axis line P of the gripping portion 71.

[0160] The center of gravity G of the spatula main body 72 is the intersection of a straight line connecting the midpoints of each opposing rectangular side, i.e., a vertical imaginary vertical line (dotted line AA) connecting the midpoint of the tip edge 73 and the midpoint of the base edge 73', and a horizontal imaginary horizontal line (dotted line BB) connecting the midpoints of the left and right edge portions 74, 74', as shown in Figure 8(b).

[0161] The spatula body 72 has a tip edge 73 that is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the gripping portion 71 and the imaginary axis line P of the gripping portion 71. In other words, the leveling spatula 70 has a pair of parallel left and right edge portions 74, 74' on either side of the imaginary axis line P of the gripping portion 71 in the spatula body 72, which is generally rectangular in plan view, and these left and right edge portions 74, 74' are inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the imaginary axis line P.

[0162] Specifically, in a plan view of the leveling spatula 70, a virtual bisector line (dash-dot line A-A) that bisects the spatula main body 72 extending between the left and right edge portions 74, 74' of the spatula main body 72 is inclined with respect to the virtual axis line P of the gripping portion 71, and the inclination angle α is, for example, about 30° to 60°.

[0163] In other words, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b), the leveling spatula 70 eccentrically arranges the center of gravity G2 in the first half of the spatula main body 72 so that most of the first half of the spatula main body 72 is arranged on one side of the left and right sides around the virtual axis line P of the gripping portion 71, and is formed in a substantially V-shaped in plan view.

[0164] Further, the spatula main body 72 has a gently curved curved surface shape as a whole as shown in FIG. 8(a), and is curved with a gently convex curve so that the curved top is positioned on the virtual axis line P of the gripping portion 71, and the upper surface 72a is formed as a concave curved surface while the lower surface 72a' is formed as a convex curved surface.

[0165] With such a configuration, by finely adjusting the contact area with the cooked rice R1 along the lower surface 72a' of the spatula main body 72, it is possible to accurately perform the leveling and spreading operation of the cooked rice R1 while adjusting the leveling amount of the cooked rice.

[0166] (5) Usage example of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the present invention: Next, a usage example of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, a usage example of the leveling spatula 70 and the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A1 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail, but it goes without saying that the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig can similarly mold plate-shaped cooked rice even if it is the pivot-type plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig A2 according to the second embodiment.

[0167] First, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the curtain 50 is stretched and fitted in the curtain installation part 40 between the step parts 41 and 41' for curtain installation on the base plate 20. In the state of being fitted to such a curtain installation part 40, the curtain 50 has its upper surface 51 parallel to the upper surface 21 of the base plate and its outer surface 52 facing the inner surfaces 41b and 41b' of the step parts 41 and 41' for curtain installation, and is installed on the base plate 20.

[0168] Next, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the sheet-shaped food S is flattened and placed on the sheet-shaped food placement part 53 of the curtain 50. The sheet-shaped food S is fitted into the rectangular part in plan view of the curtain installation part 40 so that its upper surface is parallel to the upper surface 51 of the curtain, that is, the upper surface 21 of the base plate.

[0169] Next, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the molding frame 10 is fitted into the molding frame fitting part 60 of the base plate 20. In the state of being fitted to such a molding frame fitting part 60, the molding frame 10 has the outer bottom edge part of its lower surface 12 in surface contact with the upper surfaces 41a and 41a' of the step parts 41 and 41' for curtain installation, and its outer surface 14 facing the inner surfaces 61b and 61b' of the step parts 61 and 61' for frame installation, and is installed on the base plate 20 above the curtain 50.

[0170] In this way, with the molding frame 10 placed on the base plate 20, the lower opening 33 of the through window 30 of the molding frame 10 is blocked by the base plate 20, and an upper opening box-shaped cooked rice storage space 31 is formed. At this time, the curtain pressing protrusion 18 of the molding frame 10 is in a state of being pressed against the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the sheet-shaped food S on the curtain 50 as shown in FIG. 5(b).

[0171] When molding the formed cooked rice mass R2, as shown in FIG. 10(a), a predetermined volume of cooked rice R1 is placed on the center of the upper surface of the sheet-shaped food S exposed in the cooked rice storage space 31. The cooked rice R1 is stored in a container such as a Tupperware having the same volume as the volume of the cooked rice storage space 31 and formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0172] The cooked rice R1 is placed at the center of the upper surface of the sheet-shaped food S such that the four corners are respectively corresponding to the four corner portions of the cooked rice storage space 31 along the diagonal lines of the cooked rice storage space 3 and the intersection points of the diagonals of the cooked rice R1 are arranged at the intersection points of the diagonal lines of the cooked rice storage space 31.

[0173] Next, the spatula 70 is used to spread the cooked rice R1 evenly so as to fill the inside of the cooked rice storage space 31 without gaps. At this time, while making the curved convex lower surface 51' of the spatula body portion 72 of the spatula 70 substantially parallel to the upper surface 11 of the molding frame 10, it is applied to the cooked rice R1 at the center of the cooked rice storage space 31 and evenly spread while pressing downward.

[0174] Specifically, based on the relative positions of each part between the spatula 70 and the cooked rice storage space 31, the spatula 70 is used to sequentially spread the cooked rice R1 so that the four corners extend from the center of the cooked rice R1 toward the four corner portions of the corresponding cooked rice storage space 31.

[0175] When the cooked rice R1 is spread evenly to near the inner surface of the molding frame 10, as shown in Fig. 10(b), the lower surface 51' of the spatula body portion 72 is slid on the upper surface 11 of the molding frame 10 and pressed downward to mold the thickness of the cooked rice to be the same as the thickness of the molding frame 10.

[0176] That is, the upper surface of the cooked rice R, which is spread over the entire area of the cooked rice storage space 31, is pushed downward evenly to be substantially flush with the upper surface 11 of the molding frame 10 to form a substantially flat surface, and a molded cooked rice mass R2 having a thickness substantially the same as the thickness of the molding frame 10 and conforming to the shape of the cooked rice storage space 31 is molded.

[0177] In particular, since the rolling curtain crimping protrusion 18 of the molding frame 10 crimps along the periphery of the sheet-shaped food S placed on the rolling curtain 50, the cooked rice R1 does not inadvertently protrude from the sheet-shaped food S during the spreading process. As a result, a plate-shaped molded cooked rice mass R2, that is, a plate-shaped cooked rice R3, conforming to the outer shape of the sheet-shaped food S in plan view can be molded.

[0178] As described above, each of the flat rectangular corners of the spatula main body 72 is made to correspond to each corner of the cooked rice storage space 31 of the molding frame 10, and the cooked rice is placed and stored on the lower molding surface of the base plate. While spreading the cooked rice evenly over the entire area within the cooked rice storage space by pressing downward so as to make contact with the side molding surface of the molding frame with a spatula or the like, a "spreading and forming operation" is performed to form a molded cooked rice mass R2 with a sheet-like food S integrated with the lower bottom surface that matches the thickness of the molding frame 10 and the shape of the cooked rice storage space 31.

[0179] Next, by performing an upward removal operation of the molding frame 10, a shearing force orthogonal to the binding direction between the molding frame and the molded cooked rice mass R2 inside thereof is applied to the binding portion between the outer surface of the molded cooked rice mass R2 and the inner surface of the molding frame 10, and a "mold removal operation" is performed to mold and manufacture a plate-shaped cooked rice R3 on the base plate 20. As a result, on the rolling blind 50 of the base plate 20, a plate-shaped cooked rice R3 with the lower bottom surface integrated with the sheet-like food S as shown in Fig. 11(a) is molded.

[0180] That is, since the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 is molded and manufactured in a state of being pre-placed on the rolling blind 50, as shown in Fig. 11(b), a rice food R4 such as a rolled sushi in a rolled form or an onigiri in a bent form can be stably and continuously shaped and manufactured by placing a predetermined ingredient I thereon as it is and rolling or folding it through the rolling blind 50.

[0181] (6) Plate-shaped cooked rice molding device equipped with the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the present invention: Next, the configuration of a plate-shaped cooked rice molding device equipped with the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 12 is an overall perspective view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding device, Fig. 13 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding device, Fig. 14 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding device, and Fig. 15 is a schematic partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding device.

[0182] In the following, regarding the extension direction of the conveying unit, one end side is referred to as the "upper side in the conveying direction" or the "starting end side", and the other end side is referred to as the "lower side in the conveying direction" or the "ending end side". Also, in the width direction of the conveying unit 100, that is, the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, the side where the operator is located is referred to as the "working side", the "one side", or the "right side", and the opposite side where the ingredients and the like are installed is referred to as the "ingredient side", the "other side", or the "left side".

[0183] As shown in FIG. 12, the plate-shaped rice forming device B according to the present embodiment includes a conveying unit 100 for conveying the plate-shaped rice forming jig A1 according to the aforementioned first embodiment and A2 according to the second embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as the present jig A), and a rice supply unit 200 installed at the starting end or the middle part of the conveying unit 100, which discharges a predetermined amount of cooked rice from a position above the conveying unit 100 into the inside of the plate-shaped rice forming jig A.

[0184] The conveying unit 100 is laid on a mounting table 300 at a predetermined height that is convenient for the operator to work, with the conveying surface being horizontal. The conveying unit 100 is provided at a height position of about 80 cm to 90 cm from the floor surface to the conveying surface via the mounting table 300.

[0185] Regarding the present jig A that is slidably conveyed, the conveying unit 100 functions as a workbench for manufacturing the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 and the cooked rice food R4 by a single or a plurality of operators sequentially arranged from the upper side to the lower side in the conveying direction on one side in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in a plan view.

[0186] On the other side of the conveying unit 100 on the mounting table 300, a plurality of food ingredient storage containers 310 for storing various ingredients such as sheet-shaped food S, omelette, and lunch meat are arranged along the conveying direction. The operator can take out the ingredients from the food ingredient storage containers 310 and perform the manufacturing process for the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 and the cooked rice food R4 through the present jig A that is sequentially conveyed.

[0187] The length of the conveying unit 100 is set to be long enough to perform a series of work processes for manufacturing the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 and the cooked rice food R4 from the supply of the cooked rice R1 through the jig A on which at least two workers are arranged side by side and sequentially conveyed. For example, it is 1.5 to 1.7 m. Further, the width of the conveying unit 100 is set to be equal to or greater than the front-rear length of the jig A, and the width is such that the jig A can be slidably conveyed in the conveying direction. For example, it is 250 mm to 290 mm.

[0188] Such a conveying unit 100 may have a self-conveying driving force for moving the jig A1, for example, it may be a belt conveyor. Basically, however, it is preferable from the viewpoints of space saving and cost reduction that the jig A1 is directly sent out and operated by an operator without a driving source and is slidably conveyed.

[0189] The conveying unit 100 has a pair of conveying rails 110, 110' laid in parallel while maintaining a certain interval on the mounting table 300, and supports both end portions of the jig A between the conveying rails 110, 110' so that the jig A can be slidably conveyed along the extending direction of the conveying rails 110, 110'.

[0190] As shown in FIG. 14, the conveying rails 110, 110' are each substantially L-shaped in a cross-sectional view, and include guide vertical wall portions 120, 120' of a vertical portion that abuts against the outer wall portion (outer surface 14) of the jig A, and extend from the lower ends of the guide vertical wall portions 120, 120' in a direction orthogonal to the guide vertical wall portions 120, 120', and guide horizontal wall portions 130, 130' of a horizontal portion that abuts against the outer bottom wall portion (lower surface 12) of the jig A. As such an L-shaped conveying rail 110, for example, an L-shaped steel made of aluminum or stainless steel material with a smooth surface can be adopted.

[0191] The pair of conveying rails 110, 110' are laid in parallel while maintaining a certain interval with their L-shaped front ends facing inward, that is, with the guide horizontal wall portions 130, 130' facing each other inward and the guide vertical wall portions 120, 120' facing each other so that the inside of the L-shape is open upward.

[0192] In particular, the transfer rails 110 and 110' of the present embodiment are provided on a pair of transfer frames 140 and 140' in the shape of square bars having a predetermined height laid parallel on the mounting table 300.

[0193] The height of the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120' may be any height that can regulate the present jig A from the left and right sides of the transfer. For example, it is set to be approximately the same as the thickness of the present jig A (the stepped portions 61 and 61' for frame installation of the base plate 20), which is 12 to 16 mm.

[0194] Also, the width of the guide horizontal wall portions 130 and 130' (the protruding length from the lower ends of the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120') may be any width that allows the front and rear ends of the outer bottom side of the present jig A (base plate 20) to be placed on the guide horizontal wall portions 130 and 130' between the pair of transfer rails 110 and 110', and can be appropriately determined according to the interval between the transfer rails 110 and 110'.

[0195] The interval between the transfer rails 110 and 110' is set such that the interval length between the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120' is greater than or equal to the front and rear length of the present jig A and shorter than the diagonal length of the present jig A. Thereby, the present jig A is transported in a certain transport posture with its four outer corner portions regulated by the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120' and the left and right side wall portions 15 and 15' facing the transport direction.

[0196] In particular, the interval between the transfer rails 110 and 110' of the present embodiment is set such that the interval length between the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120' is approximately the same as the front and rear length of the present jig A (for example, 265 to 275 mm).

[0197] Thereby, when the present jig A is transported, the outer side surfaces of the base plate 20 and the stepped portions 61 and 61' before and after the frame installation portion in the present jig A slide in surface contact with the inner side surfaces of the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120', making it possible to make the transport posture of the present jig A on the transport portion 100 more stable.

[0198] Here, between the transfer rails 110 and 110', as shown in Fig. 13, a waste storage section 150 is formed below the transfer rails 110 and 110' for collecting unnecessary waste generated during the manufacturing process of the plate-shaped cooked rice R3 formed via the jig A conveyed by the transfer section 100 and the rice food R4 to be shaped.

[0199] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 13, the waste storage section 150 is formed as a vertically rectangular space with an upper opening partitioned by a plurality of horizontally arranged square bar-shaped partition walls 141 in the orthogonal direction at a predetermined interval in the extending direction between the transfer frames 140 and 140' located below the transfer rails 110 and 110'.

[0200] The lower opening of the waste storage section 150 is substantially closed by the upper surface of the mounting table 300, and a substantially rectangular shallow box-shaped member 153 such as a vat is fitted and placed in the waste storage section 150.

[0201] Also, the upper opening of the waste storage section 150 can be opened and closed by a lid 151 made of a flat plate having a rectangular shape in plan view straddling adjacent partition walls 141. A waste hole 152 communicating with the lower waste storage section 150 is provided through the lid 151 in the closed state.

[0202] The lid 151 is configured such that, in terms of its upper surface position, it is located below the transfer surface formed by the guide side walls 130 and 130' of the transfer rails 110 and 110' as shown in Fig. 15(a), and a clearance is formed such that the outer bottom side surface of the jig A is in a non-contact state when the jig A is straddled by the transfer rails 110 and 110'.

[0203] Note that the clearance between the upper surface of the lid 151 and the outer bottom side surface of the jig A in the transfer posture is set such that when the jig A is pressed downward and deflected during the molding operation, the outer bottom side surface portion of the jig A comes into pressure contact with the upper surface of the lid 151 as shown in Fig. (b) to stabilize the stop posture of the jig A, for example, about 5 to 10 mm.

[0204] Returning to the description of the conveying unit 100, the guide side wall portions 130 and 130' are configured to have a plurality of conveying rollers 132 and 132' pivotally supported so as to be rotatable along the extending direction of the conveying rails 110 and 110' as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

[0205] Specifically, the guide side wall portions 130 and 130' are composed of long plate-shaped left and right side frames 133 and 133' that extend in parallel while maintaining a certain interval, and small-diameter horizontally long conveying rollers 132 and 132' axially attached so as to be rotatable along the extending direction of the left and right side frames 133 and 133' between the left and right side frames 133 and 133'. They are configured as roller conveyors 131 and 131 that are detachable from the conveying frames 140 and 140'.

[0206] Note that the roller conveyors 131 and 131' for constituting the guide side wall portions 130 and 130' may be configured to be arranged in parallel so as to extend in the vertical direction as a plurality of units, or may be configured to have lengths that are each easy to carry.

[0207] Also, the conveying frames 140 and 140' are U-shaped with an open upper portion in a cross-sectional view, and conveyor fitting groove portions 141 and 141' corresponding to fitting the roller conveyors 131 and 131' are formed in a long concave shape along the extending direction.

[0208] The groove depths of the conveyor fitting groove portions 141 and 141' are such that when the roller conveyors 131 and 131' are fitted as shown in FIG. 15(a), the conveying surface formed by the plurality of conveying rollers 132 and 132' is positioned above the upper surface of the lid body 151 that closes the waste storage portion 150, that is, the depths at which the tops of the plurality of conveying rollers 132 and 132' are positioned above the upper surface of the lid body 151.

[0209] In other words, the conveying rails 110 and 110' are separate from the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120' and the guide side wall portions 130 and 130'.

[0210] That is, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, the guide vertical wall portions 120 and 120' are configured by extending upward the outermost wall portions in the conveyor fitting grooves 141 and 141' of the conveyor frames 140 and 140' laid along the conveying direction on the mounting table 300, and the guide horizontal wall portions 130 and 130' are composed of roller conveyors 131 and 131' that can be fitted into the conveyor fitting grooves 141 and 141' of the conveyor frames 140 and 140'.

[0211] Thereby, after the use of this device, maintenance operations such as removing and cleaning the roller conveyors 131 and 131' from the conveyor fitting grooves 141 and 141', or replacing and repairing the roller conveyors 131 and 131' when they are damaged can be easily performed.

[0212] The rice supply unit 200 is provided at the starting end of the conveying unit 100, that is, at the uppermost end in the longitudinal direction of the conveying unit 100, as shown in FIG. 12.

[0213] The installation position of the rice supply unit 200 is not particularly limited as long as the plate-shaped rice R3 can be continuously manufactured via this jig A, and it may be in the middle of the conveying unit 100. Note that a stopper 400 for restricting the conveying movement of this jig A is provided at the end of the conveying unit 100, that is, at the lowermost end in the longitudinal direction of the conveying unit 100.

[0214] The rice supply unit 200 includes a hopper 210 for storing the rice R1, a rice conveying unit 220 connected to the hopper 210 for conveying the rice R1 while measuring a fixed amount, and a rice discharging unit 230 for receiving and discharging the fixed amount of rice R1 conveyed from the rice conveying unit 220.

[0215] Specifically, the cooked rice supply unit 200 includes a housing 240 having a substantially U-shaped cross-section in side view, a hopper 210 installed above the housing 240, a cooked rice conveying unit 220 built into the housing 240 and connected to the hopper 210 in an interlocking manner below the hopper 210, and a cooked rice discharging unit 230 that protrudes downward from the U-shaped upper side protruding portion of the housing 240 and faces downward a cooked rice discharge port 231 for discharging the cooked rice sent from the cooked rice conveying unit 220, and a jig installation table 250 formed by forming the U-shaped lower side protruding portion of the housing 240 in a horizontal plane so as to face the cooked rice discharge port 231.

[0216] The hopper 210 has a jacket structure with inner and outer double walls for the peripheral wall forming a space for storing a predetermined amount of cooked rice, and is configured to keep the cooked rice warm by arranging heating means such as an electric heater in the jacket.

[0217] The cooked rice conveying unit 220 may be configured such that it can convey a fixed amount of cooked rice by adjusting and controlling the amount of cooked rice moving to the cooked rice discharging unit 230 while loosening the cooked rice supplied from the lower part of the hopper 210. For example, it can be constituted by a screw rotated by a motor.

[0218] The jig installation table 250 is located at the uppermost side in the conveying direction of the conveying unit 100, that is, at the starting end of the conveying unit 100, and has a horizontal placement surface 251 that is flush with and continuous with the conveying surface of the conveying unit 100 so as to be continuous with the conveying unit 100.

[0219] Further, the jig installation table 250 forms left and right guide wall bodies that are continuous with the guide vertical wall portions 120, 120' constituting the aforementioned conveying unit 100, and regulates and holds the conveying posture of the present jig A conveyed from the conveying unit 100 by the left and right guide wall bodies.

[0220] In this way, the jig installation table 250 only needs to have a horizontal placement surface 251 that is continuous with the conveying surface of the conveying unit 100 and left and right guide wall bodies that are continuous with the guide vertical wall portions 120, 120' of the conveying unit 100, and may be constituted by an attachment that is detachable from the cooked rice supply unit 200.

[0221] The hopper 210 and the cooked rice conveying unit 220 are operationally controlled by a cooked rice supply control unit separately built into the housing 240. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 260 denotes an input switch provided on the front surface of the cooked rice discharging unit 230 for inputting and setting the holding temperature of the cooked rice by the hopper 210, the discharge amount of the cooked rice, the discharge timing, and the like.

[0222] That is, the cooked rice supply control unit adjusts the calorific value by the heating means provided in the hopper 210 and the amount of cooked rice movement by the cooked rice conveying unit 220 according to the input signals of the temperature and the amount of cooked rice input by the input switch 260, thereby making it possible to keep the temperature, the discharge amount, and the discharge timing of the cooked rice constant.

[0223] The cooked rice supply unit 200 is provided with discharge control means 270 that automatically discharges a fixed amount of cooked rice from the cooked rice discharge port 231 to the center of the upper surface of the jig at the timing when the main jig A sequentially conveyed by the conveying unit 100 passes directly below the cooked rice discharging unit 230.

[0224] The discharge control means 270 is connected to the cooked rice supply control unit, and a pair of passing sensors 271, 271' for detecting the timing when the main jig A passes directly below the cooked rice discharging unit 230 are arranged at predetermined positions on the jig installation table 250, for example, in the vicinity of the left and right guide wall bodies. As the passing sensors 271, 271', for example, infrared sensors or load cells can be adopted.

[0225] Thereby, the passing sensors 271, 271' transmit a jig passing signal to the cooked rice supply control unit, and the cooked rice supply control unit that has received the signal controls the cooked rice conveying unit 220 to operate so as to discharge a fixed amount of cooked rice to the center of the main jig A at the timing when the main jig A passes directly below the cooked rice discharging unit 230.

[0226] (7) Usage example of the plate-shaped cooked rice molding device equipped with the plate-shaped cooked rice molding jig according to the present invention: Next, an example of using the plate-shaped rice forming device will be described. The plate-shaped rice R3 is manufactured by the present device B by implementing a plate-shaped rice manufacturing method including at least four various processes S1 to S4 according to the above-described (5) example of using the plate-shaped rice forming jig according to the present invention. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the plate-shaped rice manufacturing method.

[0227] [Process S1: Sheet-shaped food installation process] The sheet-shaped food installation process S1 is a process of installing the rolling curtain 50 and the sheet-shaped food S between the base plate 20 of the present jig A and the molding frame 10 on the starting end side of the conveying unit 100. This process has the following three steps.

[0228] 〈Step S1-1〉 A plate installation step S1-1 in which the base plate 20 is installed on the conveying unit 100 by the operator on the outermost side of the conveying unit 100. 〈Step S1-2〉 A rolling curtain installation step S1-2 in which the rolling curtain 50 is installed in the rolling curtain installation portion 40 formed between the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20. 〈Step S1-3〉 A sheet-shaped food sandwiching step S1-3 in which the sheet-shaped food S is installed on the rolling curtain 50 installed in the curtain installation portion 40, and then the molding frame 10 is installed from above, and the sheet-shaped food S is sandwiched between the molding frame 10 and the base plate 20.

[0229] By executing this sheet-shaped food sandwiching step S1-3, the through window 30 is covered from below by the base plate 20 to form a rice storage space 31 for storing the rice R1.

[0230] [Process S2: Rice supply process] The rice supply process S2 is a process of discharging and supplying a predetermined amount of rice R1 from the rice supply unit 200 toward the rice storage space 31 of the present jig A. Note that the shape of the rice R1 supplied by the rice supply process S2 may be an indefinite shape in a loosened state, or may be a fixed shape preformed into a cubic shape or the like as shown in FIG. 10(a).

[0231] In the sheet-like food clamping step S1, the jig A with the rolling blind 50 and the sheet-like food S installed is slid and conveyed toward the rice supply unit 200 at the uppermost side of the conveying unit 100, and at the timing when the jig A is placed on the jig installation table 250, a predetermined amount of cooked rice R1 is discharged and supplied from the cooked rice discharge unit 230 of the rice supply unit 200 to the jig A.

[0232] Note that the cooked rice supply step S2 can of course be manually performed by the operator in step S1 or an operator arranged on the lower side thereof, regardless of the rice supply unit 200. That is, a plurality of containers of cooked rice R1 that have been pre-weighed and stored in containers may be prepared in advance, and the cooked rice R1 may be sequentially supplied manually to the cooked rice storage space 31 of the jig A that has been conveyed through step S1 from such containers.

[0233] [Step S3: Cooked Rice Spreading and Molding Step] The cooked rice spreading and molding step S3 is a step of spreading the cooked rice R1 supplied inside the jig A evenly over the entire area of the cooked rice storage space 31 so as to be flush with the upper surface 11 of the molding frame to form a molded cooked rice mass R2.

[0234] In the cooked rice spreading and molding step S3, an operator who executes the cooked rice supply step S2 or an operator on the lower side thereof uses a leveling tool to spread and level the entire area of the cooked rice storage space 31 so as to be filled with cooked rice, and forms a molded cooked rice mass R2 that conforms to the thickness of the molding frame 10 and the planar shape of the cooked rice storage space 31.

[0235] Particularly when using a leveling spatula 70 as the leveling tool in the cooked rice spreading and molding step S3, while aligning each corner of the leveling spatula 70 with each corner of the substantially right angle in plan view in the cooked rice storage space 31, using the relative positions of each part between the leveling spatula 70 and the cooked rice storage space 31 as an index, the following four leveling steps S3-1 to S3-4 of spreading the cooked rice R1 stored in the cooked rice storage space 31 are executed.

[0236] 〈Step S3-1〉 For the front left half of the cooked rice R1, the front right corner 75’ of the leveling spatula 70 is moved to the front left corner of the cooked rice storage space 31, corresponding to the front left leveling and spreading step S3-1 of the cooked rice. 〈Step S3-2〉 For the rear left half of the cooked rice R1, the front left corner 75 of the leveling spatula 70 is moved to the rear left corner of the cooked rice storage space 31, corresponding to the rear left leveling and spreading step S3-2 of the cooked rice. 〈Step S3-3〉 For the front right half of the cooked rice R1, the rear right corner 76’ of the leveling spatula 70 is moved to the front right corner of the cooked rice storage space 31, corresponding to the front right leveling and spreading step S3-3 of the cooked rice. 〈Step S3-4〉 For the rear right half of the cooked rice R1, the rear left corner 76 of the leveling spatula 70 is moved to the rear right corner of the cooked rice storage space 31, corresponding to the rear right leveling and spreading step S3-4 of the cooked rice.

[0237] That is, each of the steps S3-1 to S3-4 in the cooked rice leveling and forming step S3 is carried out step by step by corresponding each corner part 75’, 75, 76’, 76 of the spatula main body part 72 to the four corner parts of the cooked rice storage space 31 respectively. In this embodiment, in the cooked rice leveling and forming step S3, the spatula main body part 72 will draw a substantially “N” shaped locus that is reversed left and right in plan view. Note that the order of the four leveling and spreading steps S3-1 to S3-4 in the cooked rice leveling and forming step S3 is not limited to this embodiment and can be appropriately changed and implemented.

[0238] [Process S4: Frame removal process] The frame removal process S4 is a process of removing the forming frame 10 from the formed cooked rice mass R2 evenly spread and formed in the cooked rice storage space 31 to obtain the plate-shaped cooked rice R3.

[0239] In the frame removal process S4, the forming frame 10 surrounding the outer periphery of the formed cooked rice mass R2 is removed from the base plate 20 by the operator of the cooked rice leveling and forming process S3 or the operator on the lower side thereof, so as to remove the forming frame 10 from the formed cooked rice mass R2, and on the base plate, a plate-shaped cooked rice R3 in a state where the lower bottom surface is integrated with the sheet-like food S and placed on the rolling blind 50 is obtained.

[0240] [Step 5: Shaping Process of Rice Food] The rice food shaping process S5 is a process of obtaining a rice food R4 by shaping the plate-shaped rice R3 placed on the rolling blind 50 into a rolled form or a folded form such as a double fold.

[0241] In the rice food shaping process S5, a worker in the frame removal process S4 or a worker on the lower side thereof places ingredients I such as luncheon meat or omelette on either one side of the front and rear halves of the plate-shaped rice R3, and holds either the front handle piece 54 or the rear handle piece 55 of the rolling blind 50 exposed at the front and rear side notches 22, 23 of the base plate 20 as shown in Fig. 11(a), and shapes the plate-shaped rice R3 together with the rolling blind 50 into a rice food R4 containing the ingredients I by folding it in half as shown in Fig. 11(b).

[0242] As described above, according to the method for manufacturing a plate-shaped rice according to the present invention, by arranging workers on one side along the conveyance direction of the conveyance unit 100 and distributing and arranging them according to various processes S1 to S5, it is possible to continuously manufacture a plate-shaped rice R3 with good moldability without "thickness unevenness" while reducing each work load as much as possible, and moreover, it is possible to easily shape and manufacture the final form of the rice food R4 by an efficient flow operation.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0243] A Plate-shaped Rice Molding Jig 10 Molding Frame 11 Upper Surface 12 Lower Surface 13 Inner Surface (Side Molding Surface) 14 Outer Surface 20 Base Plate 21 Upper Surface 21a Lower Molding Surface 22 Front Notch 23 Rear Notch 30 Through Window 40 Rolling Blind Installation Portion 41 Step Portion for Blind Installation 50 Rolling Blind 51 Upper Surface 52 Outer Surface 53 Sheet-shaped Food Placement Portion 54 Front handle piece part 55 Rear handle piece part 60 Molding frame fitting part 61 Step part for frame installation

Claims

1. A plate-shaped rice molding jig for storing rice inside and molding it into plate-shaped rice, comprising: a molding frame having a through window formed by a side molding surface for molding an outer peripheral side portion of the plate-shaped rice; a base plate having a lower molding surface for molding a bottom side portion of the plate-shaped rice on an upper surface thereof, with the molding frame placed on the base plate, a rice storage space for storing rice is formed by covering the through window from below with the base plate, and a curtain installation portion for installing a curtain between the molding frame and the base plate is provided. Moreover, the curtain installation portion is configured by a stepped portion protruding from the upper surface of the base plate so that the inner surface becomes a contact surface that contacts the outer surface of the curtain to enable fitting of the curtain, and the upper surface becomes a placement surface of the molding frame. Further, the center of the front and rear end frames of the base plate is notched to form a notch portion, and handle piece portions protruding from the front and rear ends of the curtain protrude outward from the molding frame through the notch portion. A plate-shaped rice molding jig characterized by this.

2. The molding frame is characterized in that, with the curtain installed in the curtain installation portion and the molding frame placed on the base plate, a curtain pressing protrusion corresponding to contact with the upper surface of the curtain protrudes downward from a lower opening edge of the through window. The plate-shaped rice molding jig according to claim 1.

3. The plate-shaped rice molding jig according to any one of claims 1 to 2, a conveying portion for conveying the plate-shaped rice molding jig, and a rice supply portion installed at a starting end portion or an intermediate portion of the conveying portion for discharging a predetermined amount of rice from an upper position of the conveying portion into the inside of the plate-shaped rice molding jig. A plate-shaped rice molding apparatus characterized by this.

4. The conveying portion has a pair of conveying rails laid at regular intervals, and is configured to support both end portions of the plate-shaped rice molding jig between the conveying rails to convey the plate-shaped rice molding jig. The plate-shaped rice molding apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The conveying rail is composed of a guide vertical wall portion of a vertical portion corresponding to contact with an outer wall portion of the plate-shaped rice molding jig, and a guide horizontal wall portion of a horizontal portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the guide vertical wall portion and corresponding to contact with an outer bottom wall portion of the plate-shaped rice molding jig. The plate-shaped rice molding apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The plate-shaped rice molding device according to claim 5, characterized in that the guide side wall portion is configured to have a plurality of conveying rollers pivotally supported so as to be rotatable along the extending direction of the conveying rail.

Images