Food manufacturing apparatus, forming plate, and food manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a technique that is advantageous for saving space of a device for sandwiching food materials to be cooked between forming plates to perform formation cooking.SOLUTION: A plate adding device supplies at least one forming plate so as to be adjacent to a forming plate that moves together with food materials to be cooked in a plate adding station located downstream of a first food material supply station. A plate discharge device discharges, from a cooking conveying path in a plate discharge station, the forming plate with a cooking surface separated from the food materials to be cooked by releasing stacking of the forming plates by a stacking releasing unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a food manufacturing apparatus, a forming plate, and a food manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART There is known an apparatus for producing baked confectioneries such as taiyaki by sandwiching dough between two paired baking molds (forming plates) and baking the dough (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-35486 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional baking devices such as the baked goods manufacturing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the two baking molds that make up a pair are basically connected so that they cannot be separated from each other, and the entire assembly is supported by an iron frame and rotated (e.g., flipped) as needed to sandwich and bake ingredients such as dough.

[0005] A baking process using such a pair of baking molds typically involves a step of baking food using only one baking mold and a step of baking food using both baking molds. In these steps, when only one baking mold is used to bake food, the other baking mold remains empty and does not substantially contribute to baking food, but moves together with the other baking mold to occupy part of the baking space.

[0006] In this way, part of the baking space becomes space that does not actually contribute to baking ingredients (i.e., space for baking molds that do not contribute to baking ingredients). In particular, in an apparatus equipped with many baking molds for baking a large amount of ingredients, such space that does not contribute to baking ingredients becomes proportionally larger, and the installation space that needs to be secured for the entire apparatus becomes enormous.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that is advantageous in saving space in an apparatus that sandwiches ingredients to be cooked between shaping plates and shapes and cooks them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a plate transport unit that transports a plurality of shaped plates along a cooking transport path that includes at least a first food ingredient supply station, a plate adding station, a stacking station, a stack release station, a plate ejection station, and a food ingredient release station; a first food ingredient supply device that supplies food ingredients to be cooked to the cooking surfaces of the shaped plates at the first food ingredient supply station; a plate adding device that supplies one or more shaped plates adjacent to a shaped plate that moves with the food ingredients to be cooked at a plate adding station located downstream of the first food ingredient supply station; and a stacking station that is located downstream of the plate adding station that supplies the shaped plate that moves with the food ingredients to be cooked and the plate The food manufacturing apparatus includes an overlapping section that overlaps formed plates supplied from an additional station and positions the food to be cooked between the cooking surfaces; an overlapping release section that releases the overlapping of the formed plates at an overlapping release station located downstream of the overlapping station so that the food to be cooked is held on one side of the overlapping formed plates; a plate discharge device that discharges the formed plates, whose cooking surfaces have been separated from the food to be cooked by the overlapping release section, from a cooking conveying path at a plate discharge station; and an ingredient discharge section that releases the food to be cooked from the formed plates at an ingredient discharge station located downstream of the plate discharge station.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a forming plate in which two forming plates are used in combination to form food to be cooked located between the cooking surface of one forming plate and the cooking surface of the other forming plate, wherein the one forming plate and the other forming plate are provided independently of each other, the cooking surface of one forming plate has a mating protrusion, and the cooking surface of the other forming plate has a mating recess into which the mating protrusion of the cooking surface of the one forming plate can be fitted, and the one forming plate and the other forming plate form the food to be cooked located between the cooking surfaces with the mating protrusion fitted into the mating recess.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a cooking method including the steps of: conveying a plurality of shaped plates along a cooking conveyance path including at least a first food supply station, a plate adding station, a stacking station, a de-stack station, a plate ejection station, and a food release station; supplying food to be cooked onto the cooking surfaces of the shaped plates at the first food supply station; supplying one or more shaped plates adjacent to a shaped plate moving with the food to be cooked at a plate adding station located downstream from the first food supply station; and supplying the shaped plate moving with the food to be cooked and the plate adding station adjacent to the shaped plate moving with the food to be cooked at a stacking station located downstream from the plate adding station. the forming plates, whose cooking surfaces are separated from the food ingredients by the unstacking section, are discharged from the cooking conveyance path at the plate discharge station; and the food ingredients are discharged from the forming plates at the food ingredient discharge station downstream from the plate discharge station. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is advantageous for saving space in an apparatus that sandwiches ingredients to be cooked between shaping plates and shapes and cooks them. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an example of a food manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a forming plate. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the forming plate shown in FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a plan view showing another example of a forming plate. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a plan view showing another example of the forming plate. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a food manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the plate transport unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the food material supply unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the temperature adjustment unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following mainly describes an exemplary food manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing baked goods (particularly imagawayaki) by performing temperature-controlled forming and cooking (particularly heat-forming and cooking (specifically baking)) of ingredients to be cooked using a forming plate (temperature-controlled plate) that is a baking mold.

[0014] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the transport of the forming plate during normal operation of the food manufacturing equipment, and the terms "above" and "below" refer to the height direction along the direction of gravity, unless otherwise specified.

[0015] [Molded plate] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an example of a food manufacturing apparatus 10. As shown in FIG.

[0016] The food production apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 uses a number of forming plates 80 that are provided independently of one another to heat and cook food material F. The food material F is sandwiched between two forming plates 80, but the forming plates 80 can basically be moved (including rotated) without being restricted by each other.

[0017] Figure 2 is a plan view showing an example of a forming plate 80. Figure 3 is a side view of the forming plate 80 shown in Figure 2. Each forming plate 80 shown in Figure 1 is simplified and does not strictly correspond to each forming plate 80 shown in Figures 2 and 3, but the food manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 uses the forming plates 80 shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0018] In the food manufacturing apparatus 10, two forming plates 80 are combined with each other and used as a pair (i.e., overlapping plate pair 89 (see FIG. 2)). Of the two forming plates 80 that make up the overlapping plate pair 89, one is also referred to as a first forming plate 80a, and the other is also referred to as a second forming plate 80b.

[0019] The food to be cooked is positioned between the cooking surface 81 of the first forming plate 80a and the cooking surface 81 of the second forming plate 80b of the overlapping plate pair 89 and is heated through these forming plates 80a, 80b, resulting in cooking.

[0020] The cooking surface 81 is formed by one surface of the plate body 88 of each molded plate 80. The outer shape (outline) of the cooking surface 81 is symmetrical (particularly point symmetry (two-fold symmetry)), and is rectangular in the example shown in Figures 2 and 3. The cooking surface 81 has at least one storage recess 82. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cooking surface 81 is provided with a plurality of storage recesses 82 (specifically, six storage recesses 82) arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the plate body 88.

[0021] The installation positions of one or more storage recesses 82 thus provided on the cooking surface 81 are line-symmetric and point-symmetric (two-fold symmetric) positions with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81 (the intersection of the diagonals in this example).

[0022] Each storage recess 82 is recessed from the flat portion of the cooking surface 81 and stores and holds the food to be cooked that is supplied. Although each storage recess 82 shown in Figures 2 and 3 has a cylindrical shape, the specific shape of each storage recess 82 is not limited, and each storage recess 82 may be provided as, for example, a hemispherical space or a space having a specific shape such as a fish.

[0023] The cooking surface 81 of each molded plate 80 further has at least one mating protrusion 83 and / or at least one mating recess 84. The cooking surface 81 of this example has a plurality of mating protrusions 83 and a plurality of mating recesses 84 (specifically, two mating protrusions 83 and two mating recesses 84).

[0024] Each mating protrusion 83 protrudes from the flat portion of the cooking surface 81. Each mating recess 84 is recessed from the flat portion of the cooking surface 81. The shape of each mating protrusion 83 matches the shape of the corresponding mating recess 84, and each mating protrusion 83 is configured to be able to fit into the corresponding mating recess 84.

[0025] 2 and 3, all of the fitting protrusions 83 have a common shape, and all of the fitting recesses 84 have a common shape. In this example, each of the fitting protrusions 83 and each of the fitting recesses 84 has a common cylindrical shape, but they may have any other shape.

[0026] The one or more mating protrusions 83 and one or more mating recesses 84 on the cooking surface 81 of each formed plate 80 are arranged at symmetrical positions (line-symmetrical positions and / or point-symmetrical positions) with respect to the center of each cooking surface 81.

[0027] In this example, two mating protrusions 83 are provided near each of two corners that make up one diagonal angle of the rectangular cooking surface 81, and two mating recesses 84 are provided near each of two corners that make up the other diagonal angle. The installation positions of the two mating protrusions 83 and two mating recesses 84 on the cooking surface 81 (i.e., four installation positions) are line-symmetric and point-symmetric with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81 (the intersection of the diagonals). Furthermore, the installation positions of the two mating protrusions 83 (i.e., two installation positions) are point-symmetric with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81. Similarly, the installation positions of the two mating recesses 84 (i.e., two installation positions) are point-symmetric with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81.

[0028] Each forming plate 80 further has a plurality of support bars 85. In the example shown in Figures 2 and 3, two support bars 85 protrude from each of two side surfaces (i.e., two side surfaces located on opposite sides in the longitudinal direction) of the plate main body 88 of each forming plate 80. The four support bars 85 protruding from the two side surfaces of the plate main body 88 in this manner are installed in positions that are symmetrical with respect to both the axis and the point with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81 (the intersection of the diagonals).

[0029] Each support bar 85 does not protrude from the plate main body 88 in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2), which is perpendicular to the direction in which the support bars 85 protrude. Therefore, two forming plates 80 (e.g., first forming plate 80a and forming plate 80b) arranged in the horizontal direction can be positioned sufficiently close to each other without being obstructed by each support bar 85, and the plate main bodies 88 can also be brought into contact with each other. In the food production apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1, the multiple plate main bodies 88 are basically transported while being arranged in the horizontal direction (corresponding to the first horizontal direction D1 in FIG. 1).

[0030] According to the forming plate 80 having the above-described configuration, the two forming plates 80a, 80b that make up the overlapping plate pair 89 can have a common configuration, and ultimately, the configuration of all forming plates 80 can be common. In particular, by providing two mating protrusions 83 at one diagonal position of the cooking surface 81 and two mating recesses 84 at the other diagonal position, there is no need to distinguish between the orientation (placement) of the forming plates 80, and between the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b.

[0031] The above-mentioned mating protrusion 83 and mating recess 84 allow the first and second forming plates 80a and 80b to be precisely stacked on top of each other in the desired relative positions, and the flat portions of the cooking surfaces 81 can be tightly fitted together without any gaps.

[0032] That is, each mating protrusion 83 of the first molding plate 80a fits into a corresponding mating recess 84 (i.e., facing mating recesses 84) of the second molding plate 80b, and each mating protrusion 83 of the second molding plate 80b fits into a corresponding mating recess 84 of the first molding plate 80a. This allows the first molding plate 80a and the second molding plate 80b to be superimposed with good positional accuracy, and limits positional deviation relative to each other. Furthermore, each storage recess 82 of the first molding plate 80a and the corresponding storage recess 82 of the second molding plate 80b are positioned so as to face each other, and form an integrated space (a cylindrical space in this example).

[0033] In this example, all of the forming plates 80 have the same structure, and a first forming plate 80a and a second forming plate 80b having the same structure are used as a stacked plate pair 89. However, the food manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 can also use forming plates 80 having a structure different from the forming plates 80 shown in Figures 2 and 3 described above.

[0034] 4A and 4B are plan views showing other examples of the forming plate 80. FIG.

[0035] 4A, two mating protrusions 83 may be provided near two of the four corners of the cooking surface 81 located on one side in the longitudinal direction, and two mating recesses 84 may be provided near two of the four corners located on the other side. In this case, the installation positions of the two mating protrusions 83 and the two mating recesses 84 (i.e., the four installation positions) are line-symmetric and point-symmetric with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81 (the intersection of the diagonals). Furthermore, the installation positions of the two mating protrusions 83 (i.e., the two installation positions) are line-symmetric with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81. Similarly, the installation positions of the two mating recesses 84 (i.e., the two installation positions) are line-symmetric with respect to the center of the cooking surface 81.

[0036] In this case, the two forming plates 80a, 80b constituting the overlapping plate pair 89 can have a common configuration, and ultimately, all of the forming plates 80 can have a common configuration. However, in the case of the forming plates 80 shown in Fig. 4A, the orientation (placement) of the forming plates 80 must be distinguished between the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b. That is, in each overlapping plate pair 89, the orientation of each forming plate 80 is adjusted so that the positions of the two fitting protrusions 83 and the two fitting recesses 84 in the longitudinal direction of each forming plate 80 are reversed between the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b.

[0037] Also, in the examples shown in Figures 2 and 4A above, the cooking surface 81 of each formed plate 80 has both the mating protrusion 83 and the mating recess 84, but the cooking surface 81 of each formed plate 80 may have only one of the mating protrusion 83 and the mating recess 84.

[0038] For example, in the overlapping plate pair 89 shown in Figure 4B, the cooking surface 81 of the first forming plate 80a has multiple mating protrusions 83 (i.e., four mating protrusions 83) but no mating recesses 84. On the other hand, the second forming plate 80b has multiple mating recesses 84 (i.e., four mating recesses 84 that can be mated with the four mating protrusions 83 of the first forming plate 80a), but no mating protrusions 83.

[0039] In this case, since the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b have different structures, it is not possible to standardize the configuration of all the forming plates 80, and the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b must be handled separately. However, since the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b shown in Fig. 4B are each point symmetric, the orientation (placement) of the forming plate 80 is not differentiated between the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b.

[0040] Although not shown, molding plates 80 having different structures may be used as the first molding plate 80a and the second molding plate 80b. For example, molding plates 80 having different thicknesses or different shapes of storage recesses 82 may be used as the first molding plate 80a and the second molding plate 80b. For example, if each storage recess 82 has an asymmetric shape (e.g., a fish-like shape), molding plates 80 having different structures may be used as the first molding plate 80a and the second molding plate 80b. Even in such cases, the storage recesses 82 of the first molding plate 80a and the storage recesses 82 of the second molding plate 80b are mirror-symmetric with each other, so that the corresponding storage recesses 82 can be tightly stacked when the molding plates 80a and 80b are stacked together.

[0041] In the food manufacturing apparatus 10, ingredients to be cooked are supplied to the storage recesses 82 of at least one of the first and second forming plates 80a and 80b, and these forming plates 80a and 80b are placed one on top of the other so that their cooking surfaces 81 face each other. Then, with each mating protrusion 83 mated with the corresponding mating recess 84, the first and second forming plates 80a and 80b heat and roast the ingredients to be cooked located between their cooking surfaces 81.

[0042] [Food manufacturing equipment] Fig. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of food manufacturing apparatus 10. Fig. 6 is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of plate transport section 20. Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of food material supply section 30. Fig. 8 is a functional block diagram showing an example configuration of temperature adjustment section 40.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the food manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a control unit 11, a plate transport unit 20, a food ingredient supply unit 30, a temperature adjustment unit 40, an overlapping unit 36, an overlapping release unit 37, a plate discharge addition unit 50, and a food ingredient release unit 38.

[0044] Control unit 11 comprehensively controls each unit included in food production apparatus 10. Control unit 11 can have any structure and may be composed of a single device or multiple devices. When control unit 11 includes multiple devices, the multiple devices may communicate with each other by appropriately sending and receiving information between them.

[0045] The plate conveying section 20 conveys a plurality of formed plates 80 along the cooking and conveying path T.

[0046] 1 is an endless path and includes a first processing path section Tp1, a second processing path section Tp2, a first connecting path section Tc1, and a second connecting path section Tc2. The first processing path section Tp1 and the second processing path section Tp2 extend in a first horizontal direction D1. The first connecting path section Tc1 and the second connecting path section Tc2 extend in a second horizontal direction D2 perpendicular to the first horizontal direction D1 between the first processing path section Tp1 and the second processing path section Tp2.

[0047] The formed plate 80 transported by the plate transport section 20 and circulating along the cooking transport path T passes through the first processing path section Tp1, the first connecting path section Tc1, the second processing path section Tp2, and the second connecting path section Tc2 in this order.

[0048] The first processing path section Tp1 includes a first ingredient supply station S1, a first additional ingredient supply station S2, a plate addition station S3, a second ingredient supply station S4, a second additional ingredient supply station S5, and a stacking station S6. The second processing path section Tp2 includes a main cooking station S7, a stacking release station S8, a plate ejection station S9, and an ingredient release station S10.

[0049] Each formed plate 80 transported by the plate transport section 20 along the basic transport route travels sequentially through the first food material supply station S1 to the food material release station S10.

[0050] However, as will be described later, some formed plates 80 deviate from the basic conveyance route of cooking conveyance path T at plate discharge station S9, travel along additional discharge path Tb, and rejoin the basic conveyance route at plate adding station S3. Formed plates 80 that deviate from the basic conveyance route in this way are sent to plate adding station S3 without passing through ingredient release station S10, first ingredient supply station S1, first additional ingredient supply station S2, or second connection path section Tc2.

[0051] The plate transport section 20 of this example includes a plurality of transport devices 21 to 27 shown in FIG.

[0052] Each forming plate 80 is transported in the positive direction of the first horizontal direction D1 (to the right in FIG. 1) in the first processing path section Tp1. That is, the first processing path transport device 21 transports the multiple forming plates 80 in the positive direction of the first horizontal direction D1 in the first transport zone R1 of the first processing path section Tp1 shown in FIG. 1. The second processing path transport device 22 transports the multiple forming plates 80 in the positive direction of the first horizontal direction D1 in the second transport zone R2 of the first processing path section Tp1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0053] Each formed plate 80 is transported in the second processing path section Tp2 in the opposite direction of the first horizontal direction D1 (to the left in FIG. 1). That is, the third processing path transport device 23 transports the multiple formed plates 80 in the opposite direction of the first horizontal direction D1 in the third transport zone R3 of the second processing path section Tp2 shown in FIG. 1. The fourth processing path transport device 24 transports the multiple formed plates 80 in the opposite direction of the first horizontal direction D1 in the fourth transport zone R4 of the second processing path section Tp2 shown in FIG. 1. The fifth processing path transport device 25 transports the multiple formed plates 80 in the opposite direction of the first horizontal direction D1 in the fifth transport zone R5 of the second processing path section Tp2 shown in FIG. 1.

[0054] The first connection path transport device 26 transports the multiple formed plates 80 in the forward direction of the second horizontal direction D2 (upward in Figure 1) in the first connection path section Tc1 shown in Figure 1. The second connection path transport device 27 transports the multiple formed plates 80 in the reverse direction of the second horizontal direction D2 (downward in Figure 1) in the second connection path section Tc2 shown in Figure 1.

[0055] In FIG. 1, the conveying direction of each formed plate 80 in the cooking conveying path T is indicated by an arrow.

[0056] In the first processing path section Tp1, the first transport zone R1 is located upstream of the second transport zone R2, but the downstream end of the first transport zone R1 overlaps the upstream end of the second transport zone R2 in a first overlapping area C1. The first transport zone R1 includes a first ingredient supply station S1 and a first additional ingredient supply station S2. The second transport zone R2 includes a plate addition station S3, a second ingredient supply station S4, a second additional ingredient supply station S5, and a superposition station S6.

[0057] In the second processing path section Tp2, the third conveyance zone R3, the fourth conveyance zone R4, and the fifth conveyance zone R5 are positioned sequentially from upstream to downstream as a whole. The downstream end of the third conveyance zone R3 and the upstream end of the fourth conveyance zone R4 overlap in a fourth overlapping area C4, and the downstream end of the fourth conveyance zone R4 and the upstream end of the fifth conveyance zone R5 overlap in a fifth overlapping area C5.

[0058] The third transport zone R3 includes a portion of the main cooking station S7. The fourth transport zone R4 includes a portion of the main cooking station S7, a destacking station S8, and a plate ejection station S9. The fifth transport zone R5 includes a food item discharge station S10.

[0059] The upstream end of the first connection path section Tc1 overlaps with the downstream end of the second conveyance zone R2 in a second overlapping range C2, the downstream end of the first connection path section Tc1 overlaps with the upstream end of the third conveyance zone R3 in a third overlapping range C3, the upstream end of the second connection path section Tc2 overlaps with the downstream end of the fifth conveyance zone R5 in a sixth overlapping range C6, and the downstream end of the second connection path section Tc2 overlaps with the upstream end of the first conveyance zone R1 in a seventh overlapping range C7.

[0060] The plate transport section 20 of this embodiment intermittently transports each formed plate 80 in each of the first processing path section Tp1, the first connection path section Tc1, the second processing path section Tp2, and the second connection path section Tc2.

[0061] Specifically, the first processing path transport device 21 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 in the first transport zone R1 by a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates 80 at a time. The second processing path transport device 22 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 in the second transport zone R2 by a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates 80 at a time.

[0062] The third processing path transport device 23 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 in the third transport zone R3, moving it a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates 80 at a time. The fourth processing path transport device 24 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 in the fourth transport zone R4, moving it a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates 80 at a time. The fifth processing path transport device 25 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 in the fifth transport zone R5, moving it a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates 80 at a time.

[0063] The first connection path transport device 26 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 (two forming plates 80 at a time in this example) along the first connection path section Tc1 so as to stop them at least in the third overlapping range C3. The second connection path transport device 27 intermittently transports each forming plate 80 (two forming plates 80 at a time in this example) along the second connection path section Tc2 so as to stop them at least in the seventh overlapping range C7.

[0064] By combining the above-described intermittent transport of each forming plate 80, each forming plate 80 is transported as follows.

[0065] That is, the plate transport unit 20 (particularly the second processing path transport device 22) intermittently transports the shaped plates 80 from the first food material supply station S1 toward the overlapping station S6 without intermittently stopping them at the plate adding station S3. The plate transport unit 20 (particularly the second processing path transport device 22) also stops the shaped plates 80 (overlapping plate pair 89) overlapped at the overlapping station S6 in the second overlapping range C2.

[0066] In addition, the plate transport section 20 (particularly the fourth processing path transport device 24) intermittently transports the overlapping forming plates 80 (overlapping plate pair 89) at this cooking station S7 so as to create a space corresponding to one forming plate 80 at adjacent positions.

[0067] Furthermore, the plate transport unit 20 (particularly the fourth processing path transport device 24) does not stop the shaped plates 80, which hold the ingredients to be cooked after the stacking has been released by the stacking release unit 37, at the plate discharge station S9. In other words, the shaped plates 80, which hold the ingredients to be cooked after the stacking has been released, skip the plate discharge station S9 and are transported intermittently toward the ingredient release station S10.

[0068] There are no limitations on the specific method of transporting each forming plate 80 by the plate transport unit 20. For example, the plate transport unit 20 may transport each forming plate 80 downstream while supporting it from below, or may transport each forming plate 80 downstream while supporting it from above.

[0069] 1 shows two units functioning as plate transport section 20 along first processing path section Tp1, and these units function as first processing path transport device 21 and second processing path transport device 22. Similarly, FIG. 1 shows three units functioning as plate transport section 20 along second processing path section Tp2, and these units function as third processing path transport device 23, fourth processing path transport device 24, and fifth processing path transport device 25, respectively.

[0070] Each of the first processing path transport device 21 to the fifth processing path transport device 25 (see FIG. 6) transports each forming plate 80 downstream while lifting the entirety of each forming plate 80 from above or below via a support bar 85 (see FIG. 2). Similarly, each of the first connection path transport device 26 and the second connection path transport device 27 transports each forming plate 80 downstream while lifting the entirety of each forming plate 80 from above or below via a support bar 85.

[0071] Each of the first overlapping range C1 to the seventh overlapping range C7 is a transition area where the shaping plate 80 is transferred between the upstream transport device and the downstream device. That is, the shaping plate 80 transported by the upstream transport device is temporarily placed (intermittently stopped) in each of the first overlapping range C1 to the seventh overlapping range C7. Then, the shaping plate 80 placed in each of the first overlapping range C1 to the seventh overlapping range C7 is transported downstream by the downstream transport device.

[0072] Two forming plates 80 are simultaneously arranged in each of the first overlapping range C1, the fifth overlapping range C5, the sixth overlapping range C6, and the seventh overlapping range C7. Meanwhile, two overlapping plate pairs 89 (i.e., four forming plates 80) are simultaneously arranged in each of the second overlapping range C2, the third overlapping range C3, and the fourth overlapping range C4.

[0073] The food ingredient supplying section 30 shown in FIG. 5 includes a first food ingredient supplying device 31, a first additional food ingredient supplying device 32, a second food ingredient supplying device 33, and a second additional food ingredient supplying device 34 as shown in FIG.

[0074] 1, the first food ingredient supply device 31 supplies ingredients to be cooked onto the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80. In this example, the first food ingredient supply device 31 uses dough containing flour, eggs, sugar, and water as the ingredients to be cooked, and pours the ingredients into each of the storage recesses 82 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80.

[0075] 1, the shaping plates 80 are conveyed along the basic conveying route through the fifth conveying zone R5 and the second connecting path section Tc2, and two shaping plates 80 are intermittently stopped at a time. The first food ingredient supply device 31 starts and completes the supply of ingredients to be cooked to the two shaping plates 80 located at the first food ingredient supply station S1 while these shaping plates 80 are intermittently stopped.

[0076] The first additional ingredient supply device 32 shown in Figure 7 supplies ingredients to be cooked to the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80 at a first additional ingredient supply station S2 located between the first ingredient supply station S1 and the overlapping station S6. In the example shown in Figure 1, the first additional ingredient supply station S2 is located between the first ingredient supply station S1 and the plate addition station S3.

[0077] The shaping plates 80 are transported to the first additional ingredient supply station S2 after passing through the fifth transport zone R5, the second connecting path section Tc2, and the first ingredient supply station S1 along the basic transport route, with two shaping plates 80 intermittently stopped at a time. The first additional ingredient supply device 32 starts and completes the supply of ingredients to be cooked to the two shaping plates 80 located at the first additional ingredient supply station S2 while these shaping plates 80 are intermittently stopped. In this example, the first additional ingredient supply device 32 uses bean paste as the ingredient to be cooked and places the ingredient into each of the storage recesses 82 on the cooking surface 81 of the shaping plate 80.

[0078] In this way, the first additional ingredient supply device 32 supplies the ingredients to be cooked (pasteurizing paste) to the cooking surface 81 (particularly each of the storage recesses 82) of the forming plate 80 to which the ingredients to be cooked (dough) have been supplied at the first ingredient supply station S1. As a result, the dough and the paste are placed as ingredients to be cooked in each of the storage recesses 82 of the forming plate 80 located at the first additional ingredient supply station S2.

[0079] The second food ingredient supply device 33 shown in Fig. 7 supplies food ingredients to be cooked to the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80 at a second food ingredient supply station S4 located between the plate addition station S3 and the overlapping station S6. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the second food ingredient supply station S4 is located between the plate addition station S3 and the second additional food ingredient supply station S5.

[0080] The second food ingredient supply station S4 is reached by a shaped plate 80 that deviates from the basic transport route at the plate discharge station S9 and passes through the additional discharge path Tb and the plate addition station S3, and two shaped plates 80 are stopped at a time. Therefore, the second food ingredient supply device 33 supplies food ingredients to be cooked onto the cooking surface 81 of the shaped plate 80 supplied at the plate addition station S3.

[0081] The second food ingredient supply device 33 starts and completes the supply of ingredients to the two intermittently stopped forming plates 80 at the second food ingredient supply station S4 while these forming plates 80 are intermittently stopped. The second food ingredient supply device 33 in this example uses the same dough as the first food ingredient supply device 31 as the ingredients to be cooked, and pours the ingredients into each of the storage recesses 82 on the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80.

[0082] The second additional ingredient supply device 34 shown in FIG. 7 supplies ingredients to be cooked onto the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80 at a second additional ingredient supply station S5 located between the second ingredient supply station S4 and the overlapping station S6.

[0083] 1, forming plates 80 that deviate from the basic transport route at plate discharge station S9 and pass through additional discharge path Tb, plate addition station S3, and second ingredient supply station S4 are intermittently stopped at second additional ingredient supply station S5. That is, two forming plates 80 to which ingredients to be cooked (dough) have been supplied at second ingredient supply station S4 are intermittently stopped at second additional ingredient supply station S5.

[0084] The second additional ingredient supply device 34 starts and completes the supply of ingredients to be cooked to the two forming plates 80 located at the second additional ingredient supply station S5 while these forming plates 80 are intermittently stopped. The second additional ingredient supply device 34 in this example uses the same filling as the first additional ingredient supply device 32 as the ingredients to be cooked, and places the ingredients to be cooked into each of the storage recesses 82 on the cooking surface 81 of the forming plate 80.

[0085] In this way, the second additional ingredient supply device 34 supplies the ingredients to be cooked (pasteurizing paste) to the cooking surface 81 (particularly each of the storage recesses 82) of the forming plate 80 to which the ingredients to be cooked (dough) have been supplied at the second ingredient supply station S4. As a result, the dough and the paste are placed as ingredients to be cooked in each of the storage recesses 82 of the forming plate 80 located at the second additional ingredient supply station S5.

[0086] 5 heats each forming plate 80 to adjust the temperature of each forming plate 80. The specific method of adjusting the temperature of the forming plate 80 by the temperature adjusting unit 40 is not limited. The temperature adjusting unit 40 may heat the forming plate 80 using gas combustion heat, or may adjust the temperature of the forming plate 80 using electromagnetic induction heating (IH heating), for example.

[0087] 8, the temperature adjustment unit 40 of this example includes a first auxiliary temperature adjustment device 41, a front-stage temperature adjustment device 42, a second auxiliary temperature adjustment device 43, a main temperature adjustment device 44, and a rear-stage temperature adjustment device 45. Each of these temperature adjustment devices 41 to 45 may include only a single device, or may include multiple devices that can be driven and controlled independently of each other.

[0088] The first preliminary temperature adjustment device 41 heats the shaping plate 80 while the shaping plate 80 is being transported from the food ingredient release station S10 to the first food ingredient supply station S1, thereby adjusting the temperature of the shaping plate 80. In the example of Fig. 1, the first preliminary temperature adjustment device 41 is provided in at least a part of the region of the fifth transport zone R5 downstream of the food ingredient release station S10, the second communication path section Tc2, and the region of the first communication path section Tc1 upstream of the first food ingredient supply station S1.

[0089] The first preliminary temperature adjustment device 41 adjusts the temperature of each forming plate 80 located upstream of the first food ingredient supply station S1. As a result, the forming plates 80 adjusted to a desired temperature suitable for cooking the food ingredients supplied at the first food ingredient supply station S1 are stably transported to the first food ingredient supply station S1.

[0090] The upstream temperature adjustment device 42 adjusts the temperature of the forming plate 80 in all or part of the "region upstream of the main cooking station S7" which includes the range between the first foodstuff supply station S1 and the overlapping station S6.

[0091] The second preliminary temperature adjustment device 43 adjusts the temperature of the forming plate 80 while the forming plate 80 moves from the plate discharge station S9 through the discharge additional path Tb to the plate adding station S3.

[0092] The temperature control device 44 adjusts the temperature of at least one (in this example, both) of the forming plates 80 stacked on top of each other in the cooking station S7 to heat the food to be cooked located between the cooking surfaces 81 of the stacked plate pair 89.

[0093] The post-stage temperature adjustment device 45 adjusts the temperature of the forming plate 80 in the range between the main cooking station S7 and the foodstuff discharge station S10.

[0094] The overlapping section 36 shown in FIG. 5 overlaps two adjacent forming plates 80 at the overlapping station S6, and positions the ingredients to be cooked (dough and bean paste in this example) between the cooking surfaces 81 of these forming plates 80.

[0095] The two shaping plates 80 that are overlapped with each other by the overlapping unit 36 ​​are the first shaping plate 80a and the second shaping plate 80b described above, and constitute an overlapping plate pair 89. In this example, the shaping plate 80 to which ingredients to be cooked are supplied at the first ingredient supply station S1 and the first additional ingredient supply station S2 is the first shaping plate 80a. On the other hand, the shaping plate 80 to which ingredients to be cooked are supplied at the second ingredient supply station S4 and the second additional ingredient supply station S5 is the second shaping plate 80b.

[0096] The stacking unit 36 ​​in this example flips each second forming plate 80b over and stacks it on the adjacent first forming plate 80a. As a result, the second forming plate 80b, which has a cooking surface 81 facing downward, is stacked on top of the first forming plate 80a, which has a cooking surface 81 facing upward. At this time, the mating protrusions 83 of the first forming plate 80a and the second forming plate 80b fit into the corresponding mating recesses 84, and each storage recess 82 is sealed by the flat portion of the closely-contacting cooking surface 81.

[0097] The overlapping section 36 may be configured to invert each first forming plate 80a and overlap the adjacent second forming plate 80b, rather than overlap each second forming plate 80b. In this case, the first forming plate 80a having the cooking surface 81 facing downward is overlapped on the second forming plate 80b having the cooking surface 81 facing upward.

[0098] 5 releases the overlapping of the shaping plates 80 in the overlapping release station S8 so that the ingredients to be cooked (dough and bean paste in this example) are held on one side of the overlapping shaping plates 80. In other words, the overlapping release unit 37 releases the overlapping of the shaping plates 80 so that the ingredients to be cooked are not held on the other side of the overlapping shaping plates 80.

[0099] Specifically, the stacking release section 37 inverts and separates the upper one of the stacked forming plates 80 from the lower one (i.e., the forming plate 80 holding the ingredients to be cooked).

[0100] The shaping plate 80 thus separated (i.e., the shaping plate 80 not holding the food to be cooked) is placed in the empty space adjacent to the shaping plate 80 holding the food to be cooked, and is supported by the plate transport unit 20 (fourth processing path transport device 24). That is, the stack release unit 37 releases the stack of the shaping plate 80, thereby positioning the shaping plate 80, whose cooking surface 81 has been separated from the food to be cooked, adjacent to the shaping plate 80 holding the food to be cooked, in the stack release station S8.

[0101] The shaping plate 80 that continues to hold the food to be cooked even after the shaping plates 80 are released from the overlapping state may be either the first shaping plate 80a or the second shaping plate 80b. That is, the overlapping release unit 37 may release the overlapping state of the shaping plates 80 so that the food to be cooked is not held on the shaping plate 80 (i.e., the second shaping plate 80b) added at the plate adding station S3. Alternatively, the overlapping release unit 37 may release the overlapping state of the shaping plates 80 so that the food to be cooked is held on the shaping plate 80 (i.e., the second shaping plate 80b) added at the plate adding station S3.

[0102] If necessary, a rotation device (not shown) capable of rotating the two overlapping forming plates 80 (each overlapping plate pair 89) may be provided at any location in the overlapping station S6 to the overlapping release station S8. For example, such a rotation device can also swap the upper and lower positions of the two overlapping forming plates 80 (each overlapping plate pair 89).

[0103] The plate discharge additional section 50 shown in FIG. 5 includes a plate adding device 51 and a plate discharging device 52 .

[0104] The plate discharge device 52 discharges the shaped plate 80, whose cooking surface 81 has been separated from the food material to be cooked by the overlapping release section 37, from the cooking transport path T at the plate discharge station S9.

[0105] In this example, two shaped plates 80 are intermittently stopped at the plate discharge station S9, and during the intermittent stops, the two shaped plates 80 are sent from the plate discharge station S9 to the additional discharge path Tb. As a result, the shaped plates 80 carrying the ingredients to be cooked are placed next to each other on the cooking transport path T (particularly in the fifth transport zone R5 downstream of the plate discharge station S9).

[0106] The plate adding device 51 supplies one or more shaped plates 80 at the plate adding station S3 so as to be adjacent to the shaped plate 80 that is moving together with the food to be cooked.

[0107] The plate adding device 51 of this embodiment supplies the shaped plates 80 (two shaped plates 80 with no ingredients to be cooked placed on their cooking surfaces 81) discharged from the cooking conveyance path T at the plate discharging station S9 to the plate adding station S3. That is, the plate adding device 51 moves with the ingredients to be cooked and supplies a set of two adjacent shaped plates 80 with no ingredients to be cooked placed on them between the sets of two adjacent shaped plates 80. The plate adding device 51 and the plate discharging device 52 may be configured as a common device or as separate devices.

[0108] 1, the position of the plate discharge station S9 in the first horizontal direction D1 is the same as the position of the plate adding station S3 in the first horizontal direction D1. Therefore, the discharge and adding path Tb extends linearly along the second horizontal direction D2 between the plate discharge station S9 and the plate adding station S3. As a result, the formed plate 80 discharged from the plate discharge station S9 is sent to the plate adding station S3 via the shortest distance.

[0109] The food material discharge unit 38 shown in Fig. 5 discharges food materials F to be cooked from shaping plates 80 at food material discharge station S10, which is located downstream of plate discharge station S9. In the example shown in Fig. 1, two shaping plates 80 are intermittently stopped at food material discharge station S10 at a time, and the food material discharge unit 38 delivers food materials F to be cooked (i.e., cooked food materials) from these two shaping plates 80 to the food material delivery device 70.

[0110] The food material releasing section 38 in this example inverts the two forming plates 80 located at the food material releasing station S10 and positions the cooking surfaces 81 of these downward-facing forming plates 80 above the food material delivery device 70. This causes the food materials F to fall from the two forming plates 80 and be placed on the food material delivery device 70 (e.g., a conveyor belt).

[0111] The food material delivery device 70 delivers the food material F to be cooked from the forming plate 80 toward the subsequent stage, and supplies the food material F to other devices or storage units provided in the subsequent stage.

[0112] 1 is set to an area where two forming plates 80 are stopped intermittently, but the area of ​​the food material release station S10 may be variable. For example, the food material release station S10 may be set to an area where four forming plates 80 are stopped intermittently, as needed. In this case, the food material release section 38 can deliver food materials F to the food material delivery device 70 from four forming plates 80 at a time, and the four food materials F can be arranged side by side on the food material delivery device 70.

[0113] After the food ingredients F have been released from the food ingredient release station S10, the shaping plate 80 is transported by the plate transport section 20 toward the first food ingredient supply station S1.

[0114] [Food manufacturing method] Next, an example of a food manufacturing method using the above-described food manufacturing apparatus 10 will be described.

[0115] In the following, the food manufacturing method will be described mainly focusing on two or four adjacent forming plates 80, but the other forming plates 80 behave in a similar manner.

[0116] In the food manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1, multiple forming plates 80 are intermittently conveyed along an endless cooking and conveying path T. In the first conveying zone R1, the third conveying zone R3, and the fifth conveying zone R5, "intermittent conveyance in which the forming plates 80 move at one time a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates 80" is performed. On the other hand, in the second conveying zone R2 and the fourth conveying zone R4, "intermittent conveyance in which the forming plates 80 move at one time a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates 80" is performed. However, the start timing of the intermittent conveyance of each forming plate 80 is the same throughout the entire cooking and conveying path T.

[0117] Two forming plates 80 positioned adjacent to each other are simultaneously stopped intermittently at the first food supply station S1, and simultaneously receive the food to be cooked supplied from the first food supply device 31.

[0118] The two adjacent shaping plates 80 are then intermittently transported from the first ingredient supply station S1 to the first additional ingredient supply station S2. The two adjacent shaping plates 80 then simultaneously stop intermittently at the first additional ingredient supply station S2 and simultaneously receive the ingredients to be cooked from the first additional ingredient supply device 32.

[0119] Then, two adjacent shaped plates 80 are intermittently transported from the first additional ingredient supply station S2 toward the overlapping station S6. In particular, in the first overlapping range C1, the intermittent transport distance of two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 switches from a distance corresponding to two adjacent shaped plates 80 to a distance corresponding to four adjacent shaped plates 80. As a result, after receiving ingredients to be cooked at the first ingredient supply station S1 and the first additional ingredient supply station S2, the two adjacent shaped plates 80 are placed in the first overlapping range C1 and then transported downstream without stopping at the plate addition station S3. The two adjacent shaped plates 80 that skipped the plate addition station S3 in this way are then intermittently transported to the overlapping station S6 without stopping at the second ingredient supply station S4 and the second additional ingredient supply station S5.

[0120] Meanwhile, another set of "two adjacent shaped plates 80" is supplied to the plate adding station S3 and intermittently transported from the plate adding station S3 to the overlapping station S6. During this intermittent transport, the other set of "two adjacent shaped plates 80" supplied to the plate adding station S3 is successively intermittently stopped at the second ingredient supply station S4, the second additional ingredient supply station S5, and the overlapping station S6. At the second ingredient supply station S4 and the second additional ingredient supply station S5, the other set of "two adjacent shaped plates 80" receives the ingredients to be cooked from the second ingredient supply device 33 and the second additional ingredient supply device 34.

[0121] As a result, four adjacent shaping plates 80 are simultaneously and intermittently stopped at the overlapping station S6. Of these four shaping plates 80, the two shaping plates 80 located in the center are shaping plates 80 (first shaping plates 80a) that have received ingredients to be cooked at the first ingredient supply station S1 and the first additional ingredient supply station S2. Meanwhile, the two shaping plates 80 located at both ends are shaping plates 80 (second shaping plates 80b) that have received ingredients to be cooked at the second ingredient supply station S4 and the second additional ingredient supply station S5.

[0122] Then, the two forming plates 80 at both ends (second forming plates 80b) located at the overlapping station S6 are inverted by the overlapping section 36 and overlapped on the two forming plates 80 in the middle (first forming plates 80a).

[0123] The overlapping plate pair 89 formed by the two forming plates 80 thus overlapped is transported intermittently, and two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 are stopped in the second overlapping range C2.

[0124] Thereafter, the two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 are transported from the second overlapping range C2 through the second processing path section Tp2 to the third overlapping range C3. Then, the two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 are intermittently transported from the third overlapping range C3 through the main cooking station S7 toward the overlap release station S8.

[0125] While two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 pass through the main cooking station S7, the food to be cooked positioned between the forming plates 80 is heated and grilled. To improve the heating efficiency in the main cooking station S7, the two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 may move inside an enclosure (not shown) that is sealed off from the outside in the main cooking station S7.

[0126] In the fourth overlapping range C4 midway through the main cooking station S7, the intermittent conveying distance of two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 switches from "a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates 80" to "a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates 80." As a result, downstream of the fourth overlapping range C4, a space corresponding to the distance corresponding to one forming plate 80 is provided on both sides of each of the two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89.

[0127] Thereafter, the two adjacent overlapping plate pairs 89 are intermittently transported to the overlapping release station S8. Then, while the two overlapping plate pairs 89 are stopped at the overlapping release station S8, the overlapping of the forming plates 80 is released by the overlapping release unit 37. As a result, in the overlapping release station S8, the two forming plates 80 on which ingredients to be cooked are placed are arranged in the center, and the two forming plates 80 on which ingredients to be cooked are not placed are arranged on both ends.

[0128] Thereafter, the two adjacent shaped plates 80 without any ingredients to be cooked placed thereon are intermittently transported and stopped at the plate discharge station S9, and are then discharged from the plate discharge station S9 by the plate discharge device 52. The two adjacent shaped plates 80 discharged from the plate discharge station S9 are supplied to the plate addition station S3 by the plate addition device 51 via the discharge addition path Tb.

[0129] On the other hand, two adjacent forming plates 80 with ingredients to be cooked placed on them are intermittently transported from the overlap release station S8, skip the plate discharge station S9, and are stopped in the fifth overlap range C5.

[0130] Thereafter, the two adjacent forming plates 80 with the ingredients to be cooked placed thereon are intermittently transported toward an ingredient release station S10. At the ingredient release station S10, the ingredient release section 38 releases the ingredients F to be cooked from the two forming plates 80 toward the ingredient delivery device 70.

[0131] Thereafter, the two adjacent emptied forming plates 80 are intermittently transported from the food material discharge station S10 and stopped at the sixth overlapping range C6, and then sent from the sixth overlapping range C6 towards the seventh overlapping range C7 via the second connecting path section Tc2.

[0132] The two adjacent forming plates 80 are then intermittently transported from the seventh overlapping area C7 toward the first food material supply station S1, and are again intermittently stopped at the first food material supply station S1.

[0133] As described above, according to this embodiment, forming plates 80 are discharged and added as needed along the cooking and conveying path T, thereby reducing the space occupied by forming plates 80 that do not substantially contribute to cooking the ingredients to be cooked along the cooking and conveying path T. Therefore, this embodiment is advantageous for saving space in the food production apparatus 10, which sandwiches ingredients to be cooked between the forming plates 80 and cooks them at controlled temperatures.

[0134] For example, the food manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 can reduce the baking space by about half compared to a conventional apparatus that uses two connected forming plates as an overlapping plate pair. Alternatively, the food manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in Figure 1 can create about twice the baking space compared to such a conventional apparatus of the same size.

[0135] 1, the formed plates 80 are discharged and added to the cooking and conveying path T in accordance with the timing at which the intermittent conveying distance of each formed plate 80 is switched. This makes it possible to smoothly discharge and add the formed plates 80 to the cooking and conveying path T without interfering with the conveyance of the formed plates 80 along the entire cooking and conveying path T, while minimizing the generation of wasted space along the cooking and conveying path T.

[0136] Furthermore, by discharging the shaped plates 80 that do not substantially contribute to heating the ingredients to be cooked from the cooking conveying path T, the space and energy required for unnecessary heating of such shaped plates 80 is reduced, thereby improving the thermal efficiency of the entire device.

[0137] Furthermore, each forming plate 80 is provided independently, and the two forming plates 80 that make up the overlapping plate pair 89 are not connected to each other. This eliminates the need for connecting devices such as hinges to connect the forming plates 80 together, and also eliminates the need for a support frame such as an iron frame to maintain the connected state of the two forming plates 80. As a result, the multiple forming plates 80 used in the food production apparatus 10 can be made lighter and more compact, which is also advantageous in terms of the ease of handling and maintenance of the forming plates 80.

[0138] Furthermore, since the two forming plates 80 constituting the overlapping plate pair 89 are independent of each other, if a defect occurs in only one of the forming plates 80, it is possible to perform maintenance and replacement of only that one forming plate 80. In other words, the other forming plate 80 that is not defective does not require maintenance or replacement and can continue to be used, which is economical.

[0139] Furthermore, because the two forming plates 80 constituting the overlapping plate pair 89 are not constrained by a connector, the two forming plates 80 can basically move freely for overlapping and release. For example, the overlapping trajectory and release trajectory of one or both forming plates 80 of the overlapping plate pair 89 are not limited to a circular arc trajectory, and one or both forming plates 80 can move along any trajectory.

[0140] Furthermore, depending on the intermittent conveyance distance of plate conveying unit 20, cooking conveying path T can be divided into multiple conveying zones (first conveying zone R1 to fifth conveying zone R5), and plate conveying unit 20 can be unitized for each conveying zone. In this case, even if the length of some of the conveying zones changes, such a change in the length of the conveying zone can basically be accommodated by changing the corresponding unit of plate conveying unit 20, and it is not necessarily necessary to change the entire plate conveying unit 20.

[0141] Furthermore, because the ingredient supply unit 30 includes ingredient supply devices 31-34 (see FIG. 7) that are provided separately from one another, it is possible to easily change the ingredients to be cooked supplied from each ingredient supply device to the shaping plate 80. For example, the ingredients to be cooked supplied by the first ingredient supply device 31 may be different from the ingredients to be cooked supplied by the second ingredient supply device 33. Similarly, the ingredients to be cooked supplied by the first additional ingredient supply device 32 may be different from the ingredients to be cooked supplied by the second additional ingredient supply device 34. For example, while the first additional ingredient supply device 32 may supply an ingredient containing solids to the shaping plate 80, the second additional ingredient supply device 34 may supply an ingredient that does not contain solids (e.g., a creamy ingredient) to the shaping plate 80.

[0142] From the viewpoint of equalizing the deterioration over time of the shaped plates 80, it is preferable that the stacking release unit 37 releases the stack of the shaped plates 80 so that the shaped plates 80 added at the plate adding station S3 hold the ingredients to be cooked. In this case, the shaped plates 80 added at the plate adding station S3 are subsequently transported along the basic transport route, while the shaped plates 80 transported along the basic transport route are subsequently discharged at the plate discharging station S9 and deviate from the basic transport route. As a result, each shaped plate 80 alternates between the basic transport route and a route that deviates from the basic transport route, and deterioration over time progresses equally for all shaped plates 80.

[0143] [Variations] There is no limitation on the range of heating of each forming plate 80 by the temperature adjustment unit 40 along the cooking conveying path T. Furthermore, the forming plate 80 moving along the discharge and adding path Tb from the plate discharge station S9 toward the plate adding station S3 does not need to be heated by the temperature adjustment unit 40 (i.e., the second auxiliary temperature adjustment device 43).

[0144] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first additional ingredient supply station S2 is provided upstream of the plate addition station S3, but may be provided downstream of the plate addition station S3 (but upstream of the overlapping station S6).

[0145] A cleaning device (not shown) may be provided to clean the shaped plates 80 (particularly the cooking surfaces 81) discharged from the plate discharge station S9 before they are supplied to the plate addition station S3. Similarly, a cleaning device (not shown) may be provided to clean the shaped plates 80 (particularly the cooking surfaces 81) conveyed downstream from the food release station S10 before they are supplied to the first food supply station S1.

[0146] The food material supplying section 30 does not necessarily have to include one or more of the food material supplying devices shown in FIG. 7, or may include other food material supplying devices.

[0147] The above-described embodiments have been described with reference to cases where ingredients are cooked using forming plates. However, the above-described technology can also be applied to cases where ingredients are cooled using forming plates or where cooking is performed simply to shape the ingredients. The cooking described here includes not only cooking in which heat or other energy is actively applied to the ingredients from outside the forming plates, as in the above-described embodiments, but also cooking without the active application of external heating energy. Therefore, cooking in which ingredients at a temperature lower than the temperature of the forming plates in the cooking environment (e.g., room temperature (5°C to 35°C)) are placed between forming plates to raise the temperature of the ingredients to approach the temperature of the forming plates is also included in the cooking described here. Similarly, cooling cooking includes not only cooking in which cooling energy is actively applied to the ingredients from outside the forming plates, but also cooking without the active application of external cooling energy. Therefore, cooling cooking also includes cooking in which ingredients at a temperature higher than the temperature of the forming plates in the cooking environment (e.g., room temperature) are placed between forming plates to lower the temperature of the ingredients to approach the temperature of the forming plates. The concept of temperature-controlled cooking comprehensively includes both heating and cooling cooking. Alternatively, the food to be cooked may be formed into a desired shape between the forming plates essentially without heating or cooling, while the cooking environment temperature, the temperature of the forming plates, and the temperature of the food to be cooked are all substantially the same.

[0148] Thus, the concept of cooking ingredients to be cooked using the food production apparatus, temperature control plate, and food production method can include not only the temperature-controlled cooking of ingredients to be cooked (heating cooking and cooling cooking) as described above, but also cooking that does not involve temperature control of the ingredients to be cooked (for example, simple shaping cooking). Therefore, the concept of shaping cooking of ingredients to be cooked performed using the food production apparatus, temperature control plate, and food production method can include shaping cooking that involves temperature control (heating and cooling) of the ingredients to be cooked, and shaping cooking that does not involve temperature control of the ingredients to be cooked.

[0149] In the above-described embodiments, the food manufacturing apparatus 10 and food manufacturing apparatus for baking imagawayaki were described. However, the above-described technology can also be applied to apparatuses and methods for temperature-controlled cooking of baked goods other than imagawayaki and any other ingredients. Specifically, the above-described technology can be applied to apparatuses and methods (food baking apparatuses and food baking methods) for making taiyaki, okonomiyaki, pizza, quiche, croque monsieur, omelets with fillings, grilled rice balls with fillings, egg tarts, or hamburgers. The above-described technology can also be applied to apparatuses and methods (food cooling apparatuses and food cooling methods) for making jelly, agar, jelly-like gelatin, ice cream, or chocolate. The above-described technology can also be applied to apparatuses and methods for making rice balls or sandwiches in a room-temperature environment. The above-described technology can also be applied to apparatuses and methods for producing baked foods, room-temperature foods, and cooled foods made by layering.

[0150] [Note] As is clear from the above, the present disclosure includes the following aspects.

[0151] [Aspect 1] a plate transport section configured to transport the plurality of formed plates along a cooking transport path including at least a first food supply station, a plate adding station, a stacking station, a de-stack station, a plate ejection station, and a food release station; a first food supply device that supplies food to be cooked onto the cooking surface of the forming plate in the first food supply station; a plate adding device that supplies one or more shaped plates to the plate adding station located downstream of the first food material supply station so that the shaped plates are adjacent to the shaped plate that moves with the food material to be cooked; a superimposing unit that, in the superimposing station located downstream of the plate adding station, superimposes a shaped plate that moves together with the food to be cooked and a shaped plate that has been supplied at the plate adding station, thereby positioning the food to be cooked between the cooking surfaces; a stacking release unit that releases the stack of the shaped plates in the stacking release station located downstream of the stacking station so that the food to be cooked is held on one side of the stacked shaped plates; a plate discharge device that discharges the shaped plate, whose cooking surface is separated from the food material to be cooked by the overlapping release unit, from the cooking conveyance path at the plate discharge station; a food release unit that releases food materials to be cooked from the forming plate in the food release station located downstream of the plate discharge station; A food manufacturing apparatus comprising:

[0152] [Aspect 2] 2. The food production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate transport unit transports the formed plate onto which the ingredients to be cooked have been released in the ingredient release station, toward the first ingredient supply station.

[0153] [Aspect 3] The food production apparatus of aspect 2 further comprises a first preliminary temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the forming plate while the forming plate is being transported from the food material release station toward the first food material supply station.

[0154] [Aspect 4] Aspect 4. The food production apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the plate adding device supplies, to the plate adding station, a formed plate that is discharged from the cooking conveyance path at the plate discharging station.

[0155] [Aspect 5] 5. The food production apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a second pre-temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the formed plate while the formed plate is moving from the plate ejection station to the plate addition station.

[0156] [Aspect 6] The food manufacturing apparatus of any one of aspects 1 to 5 further comprises a second food ingredient supplying device at a second food ingredient supplying station located between the plate addition station and the stacking station on the cooking conveying path, which supplies food ingredients to be cooked to the cooking surface of the forming plate supplied at the plate addition station.

[0157] [Aspect 7] Aspect 7. The food production apparatus according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the stack release unit releases the stack of the shaping plates so that the ingredients to be cooked are held on the shaping plates added at the plate adding station.

[0158] [Aspect 8] A food manufacturing apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, further comprising a first additional ingredient supplying device at a first additional ingredient supplying station located between the first ingredient supplying station and the stacking station on the cooking conveying path, which supplies ingredients to be cooked to the cooking surface of the forming plate to which the ingredients to be cooked have been supplied at the first ingredient supplying station.

[0159] [Aspect 9] A food manufacturing apparatus as described in either of aspect 6 and aspects 7 and 8 which refer to aspect 6, which is provided with a second additional ingredient supply device at a second additional ingredient supply station located between the second ingredient supply station and the stacking station on the cooking conveying path, which supplies ingredients to be cooked to the cooking surface of the forming plate to which the ingredients to be cooked have been supplied at the second ingredient supply station.

[0160] [Aspect 10] A food manufacturing apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, comprising a main cooking station located between the stacking station and the unstacking station, which is provided with a main temperature control device that adjusts the temperature of at least one of the stacked forming plates to heat or cool the food to be cooked located between the cooking surfaces.

[0161] [Aspect 11] 11. The food production apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, further comprising a front-stage temperature adjustment device that adjusts the temperature of the forming plate between the first food material supply station and the overlapping station.

[0162] [Aspect 12] 12. The food production apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the plate adding device moves together with the food to be cooked and supplies the set of two adjacent forming plates between the sets of two adjacent forming plates.

[0163] [Aspect 13] The plate transport unit includes: The formed plates from the first food material supply station are intermittently transported toward the overlapping station without being stopped at the plate adding station; A food manufacturing apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the stacking release section releases the stacking of the formed plates, thereby intermittently transporting the formed plates holding the ingredients to be cooked toward the ingredient release station without stopping them at the plate discharge station.

[0164] [Aspect 14] the cooking and conveying path is an endless path including a first processing path section and a second processing path section extending in a first horizontal direction, and a first connecting path section and a second connecting path section extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between the first processing path section and the second processing path section, the first food material supply station, the plate addition station, and the stacking station are provided in the first processing path section, the stacking release station, the plate ejection station, and the food material release station are provided in the second processing path section, The plate transport unit includes: conveying each forming plate in the first processing path section in the positive direction of the first horizontal direction; The first connection path portion conveys each formed plate in a positive direction of the second horizontal direction, conveying each forming plate in a direction opposite to the first horizontal direction in the second processing path section; 14. The food manufacturing apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the second connection path transports each forming plate in a direction opposite to the second horizontal direction.

[0165] [Aspect 15] The plate transport unit includes: In the first food material supply station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at a time by a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates; In the plate adding station and the overlapping station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at one time a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates; In the overlap release station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at a time a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates; A food manufacturing apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 14, wherein in the food material discharge station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at one time a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates.

[0166] [Aspect 16] A food manufacturing apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 15, wherein the stack release unit positions the shaped plate, whose cooking surface has been separated from the food to be cooked by the stack release unit, adjacent to the shaped plate holding the food to be cooked in the stack release station.

[0167] [Aspect 17] A forming plate in which two forming plates are used in combination, and a food material to be cooked located between a cooking surface of one forming plate and a cooking surface of the other forming plate is formed by the one forming plate and the other forming plate, the one forming plate and the other forming plate are provided independently of each other, The cooking surface of the one molded plate has a mating protrusion, the cooking surface of the other shaped plate has a mating recess into which the mating protrusion of the cooking surface of the one shaped plate can be mated; The one forming plate and the other forming plate form the food to be cooked positioned between the cooking surfaces with the fitting convex portion fitted into the fitting concave portion. Molded plate.

[0168] [Aspect 18] A forming plate according to aspect 17, wherein the cooking surface of each forming plate has one or more mating protrusions and one or more mating recesses arranged at symmetrical positions relative to the center of the cooking surface.

[0169] [Aspect 19] The cooking surface of each shaped plate has a plurality of only one of the mating protrusions and the mating recesses; the cooking surface of the one shaped plate has the plurality of mating projections; A forming plate according to aspect 17, wherein the cooking surface of the other forming plate has a plurality of mating recesses into which the plurality of mating protrusions of the cooking surface of the one forming plate can be mated.

[0170] [Aspect 20] conveying the plurality of formed plates along a cooking transport path including at least a first food supply station, a plate add station, a stacking station, a de-stack station, a plate ejection station, and a food discharge station; supplying food to be cooked onto the cooking surface of the forming plate at the first food supply station; supplying one or more of the shaping plates adjacent to the shaping plate moving with the food to be cooked in the plate adding station located downstream of the first food supply station; a step of overlapping the forming plate, which moves together with the food to be cooked, with the forming plate supplied at the plate adding station in the overlapping station located downstream of the plate adding station, and positioning the food to be cooked between the cooking surfaces of the forming plates; a step of unstacking the stacked shaped plates in the unstacking station located downstream of the stacking station so that the food to be cooked is held on one side of the stacked shaped plates; a step of discharging the formed plate, the cooking surface of which is separated from the food material to be cooked, from the cooking conveyance path at the plate discharge station by the overlapping release unit; a step of discharging the food material to be cooked from the forming plate in the food material discharge station located downstream of the plate discharge station; A food manufacturing method comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0171] 10 Food manufacturing apparatus, 11 Control unit, 20 Plate transport unit, 21 First processing path transport device, 22 Second processing path transport device, 23 Third processing path transport device, 24 Fourth processing path transport device, 25 Fifth processing path transport device, 26 First connecting path transport device, 27 Second connecting path transport device, 30 Food material supply unit, 31 First food material supply device, 32 First additional food material supply device, 33 Second food material supply device, 34 Second additional food material supply device, 36 Superimposing unit, 37 Superimposing release unit, 38 Food material discharge unit, 40 Temperature control unit, 41 First auxiliary temperature control device, 42 Pre-stage temperature control device, 43 Second auxiliary temperature control device, 44 Main temperature control device, 45 Subsequent stage temperature control device, 50 Plate discharge additional unit, 51 Plate adding device, 52 Plate discharge device, 70 Cooking food material delivery device, 80 Forming plate, 80a First forming plate, 80b Second forming plate, 81 cooking surface, 82 storage recess, 83 mating protrusion, 84 mating recess, 85 support bar, 88 plate body, 89 stacked plate pair, C1 first overlapping area, C2 second overlapping area, C3 third overlapping area, C4 fourth overlapping area, C5 fifth overlapping area, C6 sixth overlapping area, C7 seventh overlapping area, D1 first horizontal direction, D2 second horizontal direction, F food to be cooked, R1 first conveying area, R2 second conveying area, R3 third conveying area, R4 fourth conveying area, R5 fifth conveying area, S1 first food supply station, S2 first additional food supply station, S3 plate addition station, S4 second food supply station, S5 second additional food supply station, S6 stacking station, S7 main cooking station, S8 stacking release station, S9 plate ejection station, S10 food release station, T Cooking conveyance path, Tb additional discharge path, Tc1 first connecting path section, Tc2 second connecting path section, Tp1 first processing path section, Tp2 second processing path section

Claims

1. a plate transport section configured to transport the plurality of formed plates along a cooking transport path including at least a first food supply station, a plate adding station, a stacking station, a de-stack station, a plate ejection station, and a food release station; a first food supply device for supplying food to be cooked onto the cooking surface of the forming plate in the first food supply station; a plate adding device that adds one or more shaped plates to the plate adding station located downstream of the first food material supply station so as to be adjacent to a shaped plate that moves with the food material to be cooked; a superimposing unit that, in the superimposing station located downstream of the plate adding station, superimposes a shaped plate that moves together with the food to be cooked and a shaped plate that has been supplied at the plate adding station, thereby positioning the food to be cooked between the cooking surfaces; a stacking release unit that releases the stack of the shaped plates in the stacking release station located downstream of the stacking station so that the food to be cooked is held on one side of the stacked shaped plates; a plate discharge device that discharges the shaped plate, whose cooking surface is separated from the food material to be cooked by the overlapping release unit, from the cooking conveyance path at the plate discharge station; a food release unit that releases food materials to be cooked from the forming plate in the food release station located downstream of the plate discharge station; A food manufacturing apparatus comprising:

2. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plate transport unit transports the formed plate onto which the ingredients to be cooked have been released in the ingredient release station toward the first ingredient supply station.

3. 3. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate adding device supplies formed plates to the plate adding station that are discharged from the cooking conveying path at the plate discharging station.

4. 3. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second food ingredient supply device at a second food ingredient supply station located between the plate addition station and the stacking station on the cooking transport path, the second food ingredient supply device supplying food ingredients to the cooking surface of the formed plate supplied at the plate addition station.

5. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stack release unit releases the stack of the shaping plates so that the food to be cooked is held on the shaping plate added at the plate adding station.

6. 3. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first additional ingredient supply device at a first additional ingredient supply station located between the first ingredient supply station and the stacking station on the cooking conveying path, the first additional ingredient supply device supplying ingredients to the cooking surface of the forming plate to which the ingredients to be cooked have been supplied at the first ingredient supply station.

7. a second food ingredient supplying device that supplies food ingredients to be cooked onto the cooking surface of the shaped plate supplied at a second food ingredient supplying station located between the plate addition station and the superposition station on the cooking conveying path; 3. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second additional ingredient supply device at a second additional ingredient supply station located between the second ingredient supply station and the stacking station on the cooking conveying path, the second additional ingredient supply device supplying ingredients to the cooking surface of the forming plate to which the ingredients to be cooked have been supplied at the second ingredient supply station.

8. 3. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature control device in a main cooking station located between the stacking station and the unstacking station, which adjusts the temperature of at least one of the stacked forming plates to heat or cool the food to be cooked located between the cooking surfaces.

9. 3. The food production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate adding device moves with the food to be cooked and supplies two sets of adjacent forming plates between two sets of adjacent forming plates.

10. The plate transport unit includes: The formed plates from the first food material supply station are intermittently transported toward the overlapping station without being stopped at the plate adding station; The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stacking release section releases the stacking of the formed plates, thereby intermittently transporting the formed plates holding the ingredients to be cooked toward the ingredient release station without stopping them at the plate discharge station.

11. the cooking and conveying path is an endless path including a first processing path section and a second processing path section extending in a first horizontal direction, and a first connecting path section and a second connecting path section extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction between the first processing path section and the second processing path section, the first food material supply station, the plate addition station, and the overlapping station are provided in the first processing path section, the stacking release station, the plate ejection station, and the food material release station are provided in the second processing path section, The plate transport unit includes: conveying each forming plate in the first processing path section in a positive direction of the first horizontal direction; The first connection path portion conveys each formed plate in a positive direction of the second horizontal direction, conveying each forming plate in a direction opposite to the first horizontal direction in the second processing path section; The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second connecting path transports each forming plate in a direction opposite to the second horizontal direction.

12. The plate transport unit includes: In the first food material supply station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at a time by a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates; In the plate adding station and the overlapping station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at one time a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates; In the overlap release station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at a time a distance corresponding to four adjacent forming plates; 3. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the food material discharge station, each forming plate is intermittently conveyed so as to move at a time a distance corresponding to two adjacent forming plates.

13. The food manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the overlap release unit positions the forming plate, whose cooking surface has been separated from the food to be cooked by the forming plate being released by the overlap release unit, adjacent to the forming plate holding the food to be cooked in the overlap release station.

14. conveying the plurality of formed plates along a cooking transport path including at least a first food supply station, a plate adding station, a stacking station, a de-stack station, a plate ejection station, and a food release station; supplying food to be cooked onto the cooking surface of the forming plate at the first food supply station; supplying one or more of the shaping plates adjacent to the shaping plate moving with the food to be cooked in the plate adding station located downstream of the first food supply station; a step of overlapping the forming plate, which moves together with the food to be cooked, with the forming plate supplied at the plate adding station in the overlapping station located downstream of the plate adding station, and positioning the food to be cooked between the cooking surfaces of the forming plates; a step of unstacking the stacked shaped plates in the unstacking station located downstream of the stacking station so that the food to be cooked is held on one side of the stacked shaped plates; a step of discharging the formed plate, the cooking surface of which is separated from the food material to be cooked, from the cooking conveyance path at the plate discharge station by the overlapping release unit; a step of discharging the food material to be cooked from the forming plate in the food material discharge station located downstream of the plate discharge station; A food manufacturing method comprising:

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