Food conveying device

Abstract

To provide a food material conveyance device capable of dishing up a prescribed amount of a food material more accurately at a high speed.SOLUTION: This food material conveyance device comprises: a conveyance mechanism; a scooping mechanism; a measuring unit; an extrusion mechanism; and an extrusion control unit. The conveyance mechanism is configured to be able to move the scooping mechanism from a food material conveyance source to a conveyance destination. The scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop and hold a food material. The measuring unit is configured to be able to measure the weight of the food material held by the scooping mechanism to provide a measurement value. The extrusion mechanism is configured to be able to move so as to extrude the food material held by the scooping mechanism from the scooping mechanism. The extrusion control unit is configured to execute a topping operation for, referring to the measurement value, moving the extrusion mechanism to extrude a one unit amount of the food material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food material conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Automation is being promoted in every step of the manufacturing process, not just in the food industry, but throughout the industry as a whole. For example, automation is being promoted in food conveying devices for packaging food or for automatically transporting food between two consecutive processes.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a boxing machine that can automatically box food delivered on a belt conveyor. The boxing machine automatically packs bread by scooping up each piece of bread that comes along, moving it close to a box for packing, and dropping the food into the box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6511300 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, this boxing device is designed to handle items with a fixed unit, such as bread, and does not measure, so when applying it to food ingredients with variable shapes, such as prepared foods, it cannot accurately arrange the food. Also, since this boxing device scoops up and transports the bread one by one, the operation can be time-consuming.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a food material conveying device that can more accurately and quickly plate a predetermined amount of food material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided. [1] A food conveying device comprising a conveying mechanism, a scooping mechanism, a measuring unit, a pushing-out mechanism, and a pushing-out control unit, wherein the conveying mechanism is configured to be able to move the scooping mechanism from the source of the food to the destination of the food, the scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop up and hold the food, the measuring unit is configured to be able to measure the weight of the food held by the scooping mechanism and obtain a measurement value, the pushing-out mechanism is configured to be able to move so as to push out the food held by the scooping mechanism from the scooping mechanism, and the pushing-out control unit is configured to move the pushing mechanism by referring to the measurement value to perform a topping operation that pushes out one unit of the food. [2] The food material conveying device according to [1], wherein the weighing unit is configured to be able to measure the weight in real time while the push-out mechanism is operating. [3] A food conveying device as described in [1] or [2], wherein the scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop up at least two units of the food, and the push-out control unit is configured to perform the topping operation multiple times each time the scooping mechanism scoops up the food. [4] A food ingredient conveying device described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein, during the topping operation, the push-out control unit controls the push-out so that the decrease in the measurement value associated with the topping operation falls within a threshold range based on a target value equivalent to the weight of one unit of the food ingredient. [5] [4] A food conveying device as described in [4], wherein the extrusion speed of the extrusion mechanism is variable, and the extrusion control unit controls the extrusion mechanism to reduce the extrusion speed when the decrease in the measurement value reaches a deceleration start reference value that is smaller than the target value. [6] A food material conveying device as described in [4] or [5], wherein the extrusion control unit controls the extrusion mechanism so that the extrusion is stopped when the decrease amount reaches a completion reference value that is smaller than the target value. [7] [6] A food conveying device as described above, further comprising a prediction unit, which determines a predicted dropout value of the food that will fall out of the scooping mechanism after the extrusion stops based on the weight of the food that fell out in the previous topping operation, and the completion standard value is set based on the target value and the predicted dropout value. [8] A food material conveying device according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein, during the topping operation, the push-out control unit controls the push-out mechanism to move in a direction opposite to the push-out direction after the push-out mechanism has completed pushing in the push-out direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The food conveying device of the present invention is configured to include a scooping mechanism that is controlled to scoop out more food than the specified amount, and a pushing mechanism that is controlled to push out food until the specified amount is reached based on measurement values ​​measured in real time, thereby enabling accurate and fast plating. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a food material conveying device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a hand unit 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a front view of a hand unit 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a right side view of a hand unit 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 when the scooping portion 22a is in a closed state. [Figure 6]5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 when the scooping portion 22a is in an open state. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of a hand unit 20 with a scooping part 22a removed according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control means 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a control unit 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of the plating operation performed by the food material conveying device 100. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a hand unit 20 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a hand unit 20 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a claw portion 22a4 when a scooping portion 22a according to a third embodiment of the present invention is in a closed state. [Figure 14] The figure shows the amount of error when serving using four extrusion control methods. [Figure 15] 10 shows the change over time in the measured value of the scooping part 22a when serving using two extrusion control methods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature can be an invention independently. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, elements not specified in the claims are optional elements and can be omitted. Any number of "0"s (for example, one or two) may be added to the end of numerical values ​​disclosed in the following description. For example, one or two "0"s may be added after "1.4" to make it "1.40" or "1.400."

[0011] 1. First embodiment The food material conveying device 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0012] 1.1 Configuration of food material conveying device 100 The food material conveying device 100 of this embodiment is intended to be applied to the plating process in the food manufacturing process. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the food material conveying device 100. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control means 30. The food material conveying device 100 comprises a conveying mechanism 10, a hand unit 20 (including a scooping mechanism 22, a measuring unit 24a, and a push-out mechanism 23), and a control means 30 (including a push-out control unit 31d).

[0013] In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions are defined as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Specifically, the front-rear direction refers to the direction of movement of the pushing-out portion 23a. The left-right direction refers to the front-rear direction. Orthogonal The vertical direction is the direction in which the scooping portion 22a opens and closes. Orthogonal This refers to the height direction.

[0014] 1.1.1 Transport mechanism 10 The transport mechanism 10 moves the scooping mechanism 22 from the source of the ingredients to the destination of the ingredients based on control from the transport control unit 31b, which will be described later. The transport mechanism 10 is, for example, an articulated robot arm, such as a six-axis vertical articulated robot arm. In this case, the transport mechanism 10 is connected at the tip of the arm to a connection unit 21 (described later) of a hand unit 20 that is equipped with the scooping mechanism 22. With this configuration, for example, the transport mechanism 10 can move the scooping mechanism 22 from the source, such as a tray on which the ingredients are placed, to the destination of the ingredients to be plated. The transport mechanism 10 can have any configuration as long as it can hold and move the scooping mechanism 22.

[0015] 1.1.2 Hand Unit 20 2 to 7, the hand unit 20 will be described. The hand unit 20 acquires ingredients and supplies the acquired ingredients. The hand unit 20 includes a connection unit 21, a scooping mechanism 22, a push-out mechanism 23, and a sensor unit 24.

[0016] (1) Connection 21 The connection portion 21 connects the hand unit 20 and the transport mechanism 10, and also connects other members of the hand unit 20 to each other. In the illustrated example, the connection portion 21 includes a flange portion 21a, a first side surface portion 21b, and a second side surface portion 21c, but is not limited to this configuration. In the illustrated example, the flange portion 21a is connected to the transport mechanism 10. A scooping mechanism 22 and a push-out mechanism 23 are attached to the first side surface portion 21b and the second side surface portion 21c.

[0017] (2) Scooping mechanism 22 The scooping mechanism 22 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 is a right side view of the hand unit 20. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 4 of the hand unit 20 with the scooping part 22a in a closed state. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 4 of the hand unit 20 with the scooping part 22a in an open state. The scooping mechanism 22 is configured to be able to scoop up and hold the scooped food material. The scooping mechanism 22 includes a scooping part 22a and a scooping drive part 22b.

[0018] In this embodiment, scooping portion 22a is configured by connecting two identically shaped finger portions 22a1 to connecting portion 21 so that they face each other. Scooping portion 22a is formed of, for example, aluminum or stainless steel. Scooping portion 22a is configured so that the pair of finger portions 22a1 can open and close in the directions of the white arrows in Figures 5 and 6.

[0019] Specifically, finger portion 22a1 includes base portion 22a2, main plate portion 22a3, and claw portion 22a4. Base portion 22a2 is a member connected to scooping drive portion 22b. Main plate portion 22a3 is a plate-like member having a substantially L-shaped cross section when viewed from the front, and one surface thereof is connected to base portion 22a2. Claw portion 22a4 is a plate-like member bent at an obtuse angle, and one surface thereof is connected to the other surface of main plate portion 22a3 so as to extend from the other surface of main plate portion 22a3. Claw portion 22a4 is bent at an obtuse angle so that, when scooping portion 22a is in a closed state, the front-rear sides of the other surface of claw portion 22a4 are adjacent to each other and so that the other surfaces of claw portion 22a4 are positioned on the same plane.

[0020] With this configuration, when scooping unit 22a is closed, a pair of fingers 22a1 form a storage space. That is, the other surface of main plate 22a3 and one surface of claw 22a4 form a side wall, and the other surface of claw 22a4 forms a bottom wall, forming the storage space. By forming the storage space, scooped food can be held. Furthermore, when power is applied from scooping drive unit 22b to move base 22a2, main plate 22a3 and claw 22a4 also move, thereby opening and closing scooping mechanism 22 (FIG. 6). This opening and closing movement of scooping mechanism 22 mainly inserts claw 22a4 into food, enabling it to scoop and hold the food.

[0021] Here, assuming that the predetermined amount of ingredients to be served in one container is one unit, it is preferable that scooping unit 22a be configured to be able to scoop more than one unit of ingredients. It is particularly preferable that scooping unit 22a be configured to be able to scoop two or more units of ingredients. A configuration that holds one unit of ingredients requires the action of scooping exactly one unit of ingredients each time, but this configuration allows multiple units of ingredients to be scooped at once, thereby reducing the time required for scooping. For ease of explanation, the following description of scooping mechanism 22 according to this embodiment will be given assuming that it scoops two or more units of ingredients at a time.

[0022] The scooping drive unit 22b is connected to the scooping unit 22a and is an actuator that can drive the scooping unit 22a to open and close based on commands from a scooping control unit 31c (described later). In the illustrated example, the scooping drive unit 22b is composed of a motor 22b1 and a pair of gears 22b2. However, the scooping drive unit 22b may have other configurations as long as it can realize the opening and closing operation of the scooping unit 22a. In this example, power from the motor 22b1 is transmitted to the gear 22b2, and the rotation of the gear 22b2 rotates the rotation shaft of the gear 22b2, thereby transmitting power to each base 22a2 of the scooping unit 22a.

[0023] (2) Push-out mechanism 23 The pushing-out mechanism 23 will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a perspective view of the hand unit 20 with the scooping unit 22a removed. The pushing-out mechanism 23 is configured to be movable so as to push out the ingredients held by the scooping mechanism 22 from the scooping mechanism 22. The pushing-out speed of the pushing-out mechanism 23 is configured to be variable. The pushing-out mechanism 23 includes a pushing-out unit 23a and a push-out drive unit 23b.

[0024] Pushing unit 23a is a scraper connected to push-out drive unit 23b so as to be positioned inside scooping unit 22a (FIGS. 5 to 7). Pushing unit 23a is configured to be movable in the front-to-rear direction by drive from push-out drive unit 23b (arrow in FIG. 7). Pushing unit 23a performs a topping operation by moving in the front-to-rear direction, pushing out the ingredients held by scooping unit 22a from the storage space. Note that the initial position of pushing unit 23a is when it is located at the end of scooping unit 22a in the direction opposite to the pushing direction of the ingredients. That is, in this embodiment, the initial position is on the rear side.

[0025] The push-out drive unit 23b is connected to the push-out unit 23a and is an actuator that can perform a topping operation on the push-out unit 23a based on a command from a push-out control unit 31d (described later). The push-out drive unit 23b can have any configuration as long as it can realize the topping operation of the push-out unit 23a. In the illustrated example, the push-out drive unit 23b is configured to include a motor 23b1, a timing belt (not shown), a timing pulley 23b2, a feed screw 23b3, and a linear shaft 23b4. In this example, the power from the motor 23b1 is transmitted to the feed screw 23b3 via the timing belt (not shown) and the timing pulley 23b2, and the push-out unit 23a is configured to move linearly along the linear shaft 23b4.

[0026] (3) Sensor unit 24 Sensor unit 24 includes a weighing unit 24a and a scooping detection unit 24b. Weighing unit 24a is configured to measure the weight of the food ingredient held by scooping mechanism 22 and acquire the measured value. Weighing unit 24a may be, for example, a load cell. Weighing unit 24a may have other configurations as long as it is capable of acquiring the measured value of the weight of the food ingredient held by scooping unit 22a.

[0027] Furthermore, weighing unit 24a can measure the weight of ingredients in real time. Specifically, weighing unit 24a continuously measures the weight of ingredients as they are pushed out by push-out mechanism 23 during operation. Weighing unit 24a outputs the acquired measurement values ​​to control means 30 continuously or at predetermined time intervals that are set mainly depending on the required weighing accuracy.

[0028] The scooping detection unit 24b is configured to be able to detect the open / closed state of the scooping unit 22a. The scooping detection unit 24b according to this embodiment includes a photosensor 24b1 and a detection plate 24b2. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the photosensor 24b1 is attached to the first side surface 21b, and the detection plate 24b2 is attached to the main plate 22a3 of the scooping unit 22a. Specifically, when the scooping unit 22a is in the closed state, the detection plate 24b2 is positioned so as to be interposed between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the photosensor 24b1. When the scooping unit 22a is in the open state, the detection plate 24b2 also rotates in accordance with the movement of the scooping unit 22a, and the detection plate 24b2 is no longer present between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element of the photosensor 24b1. This configuration allows the open / closed state of the scooping unit 22a to be detected. The scooping detection unit 24b may have another configuration as long as it can detect the open / closed state of the scooping unit 22a. Open / close information detected by the scooping detection unit 24b is output to the control means 30.

[0029] 1.1.3 Control means 30 [Hardware configuration of control means 30] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control means 30 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the control means 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and an input unit 33. The control means 30 may further include an output unit 34. A communication bus 40 interconnects the control unit 31, the storage unit 32, the input unit 33, and the output unit 34. The communication bus 40 also connects the control means 30 to the transport mechanism 10 and the hand unit 20.

[0030] (1) Control unit 31 The control unit 31 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a microprocessor (MPU), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like, and controls the overall operation of the food material conveying device 100.

[0031] (2) Storage section 32 A part of the storage unit 32 is configured, for example, with RAM (Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and is used as a work area when the control unit 31 executes processes based on various programs.

[0032] Furthermore, a part of the storage unit 32 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various data and programs used for processing by the control unit 31. The storage unit 32 can hold a database including one or more tables for recording various information, processing results, and the like.

[0033] The storage unit 32 stores various parameters used when the conveying device operates, such as various information received by the input unit 33 and various values ​​for controlling the topping operation.

[0034] The programs stored in the memory unit 32 include, for example, an OS (Operating System) for realizing the basic functions of the control means 30, drivers for controlling various hardware, programs for realizing various functions, etc., and include programs used in the processing of the control means 30.

[0035] (3) Input section 33 The input unit 33 may include one or more of, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a microphone, a touch screen, buttons, etc. The input unit 33 accepts input of various information by the user of the food material conveying device 100. The information includes, for example, instructions to start and end the plating operation, the position from which the food material is to be scooped up, the position to which the food material is to be plated (hereinafter referred to as position information), the weight of one unit to be plated (hereinafter referred to as weight information), and the total number of items to be plated.

[0036] (4) Output section 34 The output unit 34 can output information such as a measurement value that is the weight of the ingredient currently held by the scooping unit 22a. The output unit 34 is, for example, an optional display and / or speaker.

[0037] [ Control unit 31 Functional configuration Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit 31 in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the control unit 31 includes, as its functional configuration, an acquisition unit 31a, a transport control unit 31b, a scooping control unit 31c, a push-out control unit 31d, a prediction unit 31e, and a determination unit 31f.

[0038] (1) Acquisition unit 31a Acquisition unit 31a acquires from sensor unit 24 the measured value of the weight of the food material held by scooping unit 22a, information on whether scooping unit 22a is open or closed, various parameters received from input unit 33, and the like.

[0039] (2) Transfer control unit 31b The transfer control unit 31b controls the operation of the transfer mechanism 10. The transfer control unit 31b is mainly configured to refer to the information acquired by the acquisition unit 31a and cause the transfer mechanism 10 to perform an operation of moving ingredients from a source to a destination. For example, the operations that the transfer control unit 31b causes the transfer mechanism 10 to perform include an operation of moving the scooping mechanism 22 attached to the transfer mechanism 10 to a position where the scooping mechanism 22 can scoop ingredients based on the position information, and an operation of moving the scooping unit 22a to a position where the ingredients are to be served based on the open / close information and the position information. In the operation of moving the scooping mechanism 22, the transfer control unit 31b also controls the orientation of the scooping mechanism 22 so that the bottom surface of the storage space of the scooping mechanism 22 is parallel to the food tray or serving container (or the plane on which these are placed).

[0040] (3) Scooping control unit 31c The scooping control unit 31c controls the operation of the scooping mechanism 22. Specifically, for example, the scooping control unit 31c is configured to cause the scooping mechanism 22 to open and close when the transfer control unit 31b completes the movement of the scooping mechanism 22 to the position for scooping the ingredients.

[0041] The scooping control unit 31c is also configured to be able to control the operation of the pair of fingers 22a1 of the scooping unit 22a via the scooping drive unit 22b. In this embodiment, the pair of fingers 22a1 open and close simultaneously at the same angle. The scooping control unit 31c may also be configured to be able to control the operation of each of the pair of fingers 22a1 of the scooping unit 22a via the scooping drive unit 22b. With this configuration, one finger 22a1 and the other finger 22a1 can be controlled to have different timings for opening and closing, and can also be controlled to have different angles in the open state.

[0042] (4) Push-out control unit 31d The pushing-out control unit 31d controls the operation of the pushing-out mechanism 23. The pushing-out control unit 31d is configured to move the pushing-out mechanism 23 by referring to the information acquired by the acquisition unit 31a and perform a topping operation to push out ingredients until the amount of ingredients pushed out reaches one unit. Specifically, the pushing-out control unit 31d is configured to control the pushing-out mechanism 23 so that the amount of decrease in the measurement value accompanying the topping operation falls within a threshold range based on a target value equivalent to the weight of one unit of ingredients.

[0043] The push-out control unit 31d is The decrease in the measurement value is In order to control the extrusion mechanism 23 so that it falls within a threshold range based on a target value equivalent to the weight of one unit of ingredients, for example, extrusion control and pullback control are performed based on a deceleration start reference value and a completion reference value.

[0044] The pushing control unit 31d is configured to be able to control the pushing speed of the pushing mechanism 23. For example, the pushing control unit 31d is configured to control the pushing mechanism 23 to reduce the pushing speed when the decrease in the measurement value reaches a deceleration start reference value that is smaller than the target value. For example, when pushing is started at a first speed, the speed control is performed at a second speed that is slower than the first speed when the deceleration start reference value is reached. This configuration can suppress the inertial force acting on the ingredients after the pushing movement stops, contributing to more accurate plating. The speed control may be configured to gradually decelerate from the first speed when the deceleration start reference value is reached.

[0045] The deceleration start reference value may be, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10% of the target weight, or may be within a range between any two of the values ​​exemplified here. It is more preferable that the deceleration start reference value be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5% of the target weight. Specifically, for example, if the target weight is 100 g and the deceleration start reference value is 5% of the target weight, the extrusion control unit 31d controls the extrusion mechanism 23 to reduce the extrusion speed when the decrease in the measured value reaches 5 g.

[0046] The speed reduction preferably starts when the food material starts to fall from scooping part 22a. Therefore, the time when the amount of decrease in the measurement value exceeds 0 may be set as the deceleration start reference value.

[0047] The pushing control unit 31d is configured to control the pushing mechanism 23 to stop pushing when the completion reference value is reached. The completion reference value is the weight at which the measured value decreases by less than or equal to the target value, and preferably is the weight at which the measured value decreases by less than the target value. Specifically, the completion reference value can be the weight obtained by subtracting the predicted dropout value (described later) from the target value. When this is the first topping operation (the first unit) in the entire plating operation, the completion reference value may be the target value, or may be, for example, a weight that is 90% of the target value.

[0048] When handling ingredients with an indefinite shape, there is a possibility that some of the ingredients remaining in scooping section 22a will crumble and fall out of scooping section 22a even after the pushing movement has stopped. Therefore, by stopping the pushing movement early based on the predicted dropout value, it is possible to avoid serving an ingredient with a weight that significantly exceeds the target value.

[0049] The pushing control unit 31d is configured to control the pushing unit 23a to perform a pull-back operation, moving in the opposite direction to the pushing direction, after the pushing mechanism 23 stops moving the pushing unit 23a in the pushing direction. This configuration allows ingredients accumulated at the end of the scooping unit 22a to flow into the storage space, reducing the risk of ingredients unintentionally falling out. The pull-back distance can be any distance shorter than the distance the pushing unit 23a moves during pushing. In other words, by not returning the pushing unit 23a to its initial position, the topping of the next unit can be started earlier, thereby shortening the time required for the plating operation.

[0050] Furthermore, as described above, in the food material conveying device 100 of this embodiment, the scooping section 22a that scoops up the food material holds at least two units of food material, and therefore the push-out control section 31d is configured to perform the topping operation multiple times each time the scooping section 22a scoops up food material.

[0051] (5) Prediction unit 31e The prediction unit 31e is configured to determine the predicted dropout value of ingredients that will drop out of the scooping unit 22a after the extrusion stops in a topping operation based on the weight of ingredients that dropped out in a previous topping operation. Specifically, for example, the weight of ingredients that dropped out of the scooping unit 22a after the extrusion stops in the previous topping operation is measured multiple times, and the minimum value is set as the predicted dropout value. Alternatively, the predicted dropout value may be estimated by machine learning using various parameters, such as the viscosity of the ingredients and the speed of the extrusion.

[0052] (6) Judgment section 31f The determination unit 31f makes various determinations based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 31a. Specifically, the determination unit 31f determines whether or not to end the plating operation based on a termination criterion. The termination criterion can be, for example, the planned number of plating operations or a user instruction to end the plating operation. The determination unit 31f also references the measurement value to determine whether or not to repeat the topping operation.

[0053] 1.2 Operation of the food material conveying device 100 10 is a flowchart showing the overall flow of the plating operation performed by the food material conveying apparatus 100. Here, a series of plating operations performed by the food material conveying apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0054] Before starting the plating operation, the user inputs various information into input unit 33. This prepares the plating operation. The plating operation begins when the user inputs an instruction to start the plating operation into input unit 33. At the start of the plating operation, scooping unit 22a is in a closed state where it is not holding any food ingredients, and push-out unit 23a is in its initial position. This state is the initial state of food ingredient conveying device 100.

[0055] In step S1, the transport control unit 31b controls the transport mechanism 10 based on the position information, and causes the hand unit 20 to perform an operation of transporting the hand unit 20 to above a tray or the like on which ingredients to be served are placed, which is the transport source.

[0056] In step S2, scooping control unit 31c controls scooping mechanism 22 to open scooping unit 22a. After this, transport mechanism 10 may control transport control unit 31b to further adjust the position of hand unit 20. Next, scooping control unit 31c controls scooping mechanism 22 to close scooping unit 22a. When scooping unit 22a enters the closed state, its claws 22a4 are inserted between the ingredients to scoop up the ingredients.

[0057] In step S3, the transport control unit 31b controls the transport mechanism 10 based on the position information and the open / close information from the scooping detection unit 24b, and causes the transport control unit 31b to execute an operation to transport the hand unit 20 to the destination. Specifically, when the transport control unit 31b acquires open / close information that the scooping unit 22a is in the closed state, the transport control unit 31b causes the transport control unit 31b to execute an operation to transport the hand unit 20 to the top of a serving container or the like that is the destination.

[0058] In step S4, the push-out control unit 31d controls the push-out mechanism 23 to perform a topping operation, which will be described in detail later.

[0059] In step S5, the determination unit 31f determines whether to terminate the plating operation based on the termination criteria. If the termination criteria are based on the planned number of platings, and if the planned number of platings has not been reached, the determination unit 31f determines No in step S5 and proceeds to step S6. If the planned number of platings has been reached, the termination criteria is considered to be met, and the determination unit 31f determines Yes in step S5 and proceeds to step S8.

[0060] In step S6, determination unit 31f determines whether the current measurement value is equal to or greater than the weight of one unit. If the measurement value is equal to or greater than the weight of one unit, determination unit 31f determines Yes in step S6, returns to step S4, and push-out mechanism 23 performs the topping operation. Since scooping unit 22a can hold at least two units of ingredients, the topping operation can be repeated one or more times in the plating operation. If the measurement value is not equal to or greater than the weight of one unit, determination unit 31f determines No in step S6 and proceeds to step S7.

[0061] In step S7, the push-out control unit 31d controls the push-out mechanism 23 to return the push-out unit 23a to the initial position. When the movement to the initial position is completed, the process returns to step S1. Thereafter, the process is appropriately repeated until the termination criterion is met in step S5.

[0062] After the determination in step S5 is Yes, in step S8, the food material conveying device 100 is returned to its initial state. First, an operation is performed to return the food material remaining in the scooping unit 22a to the tray. Specifically, the conveying control unit 31b controls the conveying mechanism 10 to convey the hand unit 20 to the conveying source. Next, the scooping control unit 31c controls the scooping mechanism 22 to open the scooping unit 22a and drop the food material onto the tray. Alternatively, the pushing control unit 31d may control the pushing mechanism 23 to push the pushing unit 23a and drop the food material onto the tray. Thereafter, the scooping control unit 31c closes the scooping unit 22a, and the pushing control unit 31d returns the pushing unit 23a to its initial position. This completes the plating operation.

[0063] Next, the flow of the topping operation in step S4 will be described.

[0064] First, in step T1, the extrusion control unit 31d controls the extrusion mechanism to extrude at a first speed until the deceleration start reference value is reached. At this time, the extrusion control unit 31d controls the extrusion while determining in real time whether the deceleration start reference value is reached, by referring to the decrease amount, which is the difference between the measurement value before the start of extrusion of the ingredient and the measurement value constantly acquired during the extrusion movement in step T1. When the deceleration start reference value is reached, the process proceeds to step T2.

[0065] In step T2, the pushing control unit 31d controls the pushing mechanism 23 to push at the second speed until the completion reference value is reached. At this time, the pushing control unit 31d controls the pushing while determining in real time whether the completion reference value is reached by referring to the decrease amount, which is the difference between the measurement value before the start of pushing the ingredients and the measurement value constantly acquired during the push movement in step T2. When the completion reference value is reached, the pushing control unit 31d controls the pushing mechanism 23 to stop the pushing. When the pushing stops, the process proceeds to step T3.

[0066] In step T3, the pushing control unit 31d controls the pushing mechanism 23 to pull back the pushing unit 23a, and the topping operation is completed, and the process proceeds to step S5.

[0067] 1.3 Effects In the food material conveying device 100 of the embodiment, the scooping mechanism 22 is configured to be able to scoop at least two units of food material. By being able to scoop multiple units of food material at once, the time required for scooping and conveying can be reduced, allowing for high-speed plating. The pushing mechanism 23 is configured to push out one unit of ingredients based on the changing measurement value. The pushing mechanism 23 performs the topping operation while measuring the weight in real time, allowing for accurate plating. Push-out control unit 31d is configured to reduce the pushing speed based on the deceleration start reference value. This configuration can suppress the inertial force acting on the ingredients after the pushing movement has stopped, allowing the ingredients to be plated more accurately. The push-out control unit 31d is configured to stop the push-out movement early based on the predicted drop-out value, which makes it possible to avoid serving food with a weight that significantly exceeds the target value when handling ingredients with an undefined shape. Pushing control section 31d is configured to perform a pull-back operation, moving in the opposite direction to the pushing direction, after pushing section 23a stops moving in the pushing direction. This configuration allows food ingredients accumulated at the end of scooping section 22a to flow into the storage space, reducing the risk of food items accidentally falling out.

[0068] 2. Second embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIG. 11. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and the details described in the first embodiment can also be applied to this embodiment as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the first embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the shape of the claw portion 22a4 of the scooping portion 22a. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a hand unit 20 equipped with the claw portion 22a4 of this embodiment. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0069] In this embodiment, the pair of claws 22a4 is composed of a first claw 22a4A and a second claw 22a4B having different shapes. The first claw 22a4A forms the right side wall of the storage space. The first claw 22a4A includes a plate-like member and a sheet-like member. The plate-like member is connected to the other surface of the main plate 22a3 so as to extend that surface. The sheet-like member is connected to the lower end side of the plate-like member. The sheet-like member is flexible and has a notch at the lower end. The first claw 22a4A is formed of, for example, rubber.

[0070] The second claw 22a4B forms the left side wall of the storage space and the bottom wall of the entire storage space. The second claw 22a4B is similar in shape to the claw 22a4 of the first embodiment, but differs in that the surface on the bottom wall side is expanded so that the bottom wall of the storage space is formed solely by the second claw 22a4B. The second claw 22a4B is formed, for example, from synthetic resin.

[0071] In this embodiment, in the opening and closing operation to scoop up ingredients, the scooping control section 31c can perform control so that only the second claw section 22a4B is driven to open and close.

[0072] The claws 22a4 of this embodiment are configured to include a first claw 22a4A that is flexible and has a notch, and a second claw 22a4B that is inflexible and forms the entire bottom wall. The claws 22a4 can prevent even granular, loose ingredients from being crushed by being caught between the claws 22a4 or from spilling out through the gaps between the claws 22a4.

[0073] 3. Third embodiment A third embodiment of the present invention will be described using Figures 12 and 13. This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and the details described in the first embodiment can also be applied to this embodiment as long as they do not contradict the spirit of the first embodiment. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the shape of the claws 22a4 of the scooping unit 22a. Figure 12 is a perspective view of a hand unit 20 equipped with the claws 22a4 of this embodiment. Figure 13 is a bottom view of the claws 22a4 when the scooping unit 22a of this embodiment is in a closed state. The following description will focus on the differences.

[0074] In this embodiment, the pair of claws 22a4 have the same shape. The claws 22a4 comprise a plate-like member and a needle-like member. The plate-like member is connected to the other surface of the main plate 22a3 so as to extend from that surface. The needle-like members have multiple, elongated, pointed needle-like protrusions arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction at a predetermined interval. The needle-like members are connected to the plate-like member at an obtuse angle so that the needle-like members face each other when the scooping portion 22a is in the closed state. When the scooping portion 22a is in the closed state, the claws 22a4 are arranged so that the protrusions of the needle-like members are staggered, with one protrusion positioned at the interval between the other protrusions. This enables the scooping portion 22a to hold food. The needle-like members are preferably made of a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel.

[0075] With this configuration, even if the food is elastic and has large grains or easily crumbles, it is possible to completely close finger portion 22a1 and scoop up the food by breaking or penetrating the grains of the food.

[0076] 4. Other Embodiments The present invention can also be implemented in the following aspects.

[0077] The food material conveying device 100 may be configured to communicate with an external information processing device having the functions of the control means 30 to control the operations of the conveying mechanism 10 and the hand unit 20.

[0078] 5. Working Example The following describes the change in serving weight due to the push-out control of food material conveying device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] 5.1 Overview In this experiment, a granular resin material was used as the simulated food material and a serving operation was performed. The food material conveying device 100 in this experiment scooped up an amount of simulated food material approximately three times the target value (3 units), and then pushed out and served it. The following four control methods (1) to (4) were used for the pushing out, and the serving weights for each control were compared. The serving weights for each control were set to target values ​​of 10 g and 20 g, and each was performed 30 times. The average error between the weight of the actual served food and the target value was investigated.

[0080] (1) Constant speed extrusion The material is extruded at 75 mm / sec to the target value. (2) Pushing with deceleration Start extrusion at the speed of (1), and when the simulated food material starts to fall, slow down to 22.5 mm / sec and continue extrusion to the target value. (3) Push with deceleration and pullback (2) After pushing out with the same control, pull back is performed. (4) Deceleration + Pullback + Push with Dropout Prediction In the extrusion of (2), the extrusion is stopped earlier than the target value by the weight (predicted dropout value) that is expected to drop out of the scooping portion 22a after the extrusion is stopped, and then the pullback is performed. In this experiment, 30 extrusions were attempted under the condition of (3), and when the target value was 10 g, the minimum amount that dropped out was 2.5 g, and when the target value was 20 g, the minimum amount that dropped out was 7.1 g, so these were taken as the predicted dropout values.

[0081] 5.2 Results Figure 14 shows the amount of error when serving food using control methods (1) to (4). It was found that the amount of error decreased as control was added from (1) to (2), (3), and (4). Specifically, when the target value was 10g, the average error was 18.1g with control (1), but this was reduced to 4.1g with control (4). When the target value was 20g, the average error was 27.1g with control (1), but this was reduced to 5.5g with control (4).

[0082] Figure 15 shows the change over time in the measured value (weight held by scooping unit 22a) when performing the topping operation using control methods (1) and (3). The change in the measured value of scooping unit 22a was gentler in (3) than in (1). That is, the deceleration control caused the change in the amount of imitation food material falling to be gentler. The pullback control significantly reduced the amount of imitation food material falling after extrusion stopped, especially at the target value of 10 g.

[0083] From the above results, it was found that more accurate plating can be achieved by performing control (4). [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10: Transport mechanism 20: Hand unit 21: Connection part 21a: Flange part 21b: First side part 21c: 2nd side part 22: Scooping mechanism 22a: Scooping section 22a1: Finger part 22a2: base 22a3: Main plate part 22a4: Claw part 22a4A: 1st claw part 22a4B: 2nd claw part 22b: Scooping drive unit 22b1: Motor 22b2: Gears 23: Extrusion mechanism 23a: Extrusion section 23b: Push-out drive unit 23b1: Motor 23b2: Timing pulley 23b3: Lead screw 23b4: Linear shaft 24: Sensor section 24a:Measuring part 24b: Scooping detection unit 24b1: Photo sensor 24b2:Detection plate 30: Control means 31: Control unit 31a: Acquisition part 31b: Transport control unit 31c: Scooping control unit 31d: Push-out control section 31e: Prediction section 31f: Judgment section 32: Storage section 33: Input section 34: Output section 40: Communication bus 100: Food conveying device

Claims

1. A food material conveying device including a conveying mechanism, a scooping mechanism, a measuring unit, a push-out mechanism, and a push-out control unit, The conveying mechanism is configured to be able to move the scooping mechanism from a source of conveying food materials to a destination of conveying food materials, The scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop and hold the food material, The measuring unit is configured to measure the weight of the food material held by the scooping mechanism and acquire a measurement value, and is configured to measure the weight in real time during operation of the push-out mechanism, The pushing mechanism is configured to be movable so as to push the food material held by the scooping mechanism out of the scooping mechanism, The food material conveying device is configured such that the push-out control unit moves the push-out mechanism by referring to the measurement value, and performs a topping operation to push out one unit of the food material.

2. A food material conveying device including a conveying mechanism, a scooping mechanism, a measuring unit, a push-out mechanism, and a push-out control unit, The conveying mechanism is configured to be able to move the scooping mechanism from a source of conveying food materials to a destination of conveying food materials, the scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop and hold the food material and to scoop at least two units of the food material; The weighing unit is configured to measure the weight of the food material held by the scooping mechanism and acquire a measurement value, The pushing mechanism is configured to be movable so as to push the food material held by the scooping mechanism out of the scooping mechanism, The food conveying device is configured such that the push-out control unit moves the push-out mechanism by referring to the measurement value to perform a topping operation that pushes out one unit of the food ingredient, and is configured such that the topping operation is performed multiple times each time the scooping mechanism scoops up the food ingredient.

3. A food material conveying device including a conveying mechanism, a scooping mechanism, a measuring unit, a push-out mechanism, and a push-out control unit, The conveying mechanism is configured to be able to move the scooping mechanism from a source of conveying food materials to a destination of conveying food materials, The scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop and hold the food material, The weighing unit is configured to measure the weight of the food material held by the scooping mechanism and acquire a measurement value, The pushing mechanism is configured to be movable so as to push the food material held by the scooping mechanism out of the scooping mechanism, The extrusion control unit is configured to move the extrusion mechanism by referring to the measurement value to perform a topping operation to extrude one unit of the ingredients, and during the topping operation, controls the extrusion so that the amount of decrease in the measurement value associated with the topping operation falls within a threshold range based on a target value equivalent to the weight of one unit of the ingredients.

4. The food material conveying device according to claim 1, The scooping mechanism is configured to be able to scoop at least two units of the ingredients; The food material conveying device, wherein the push-out control unit is configured to perform the topping operation multiple times each time the scooping mechanism scoops the food material.

5. The food material conveying device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4, During the topping operation, the extrusion control unit controls the extrusion so that the decrease in the measurement value associated with the topping operation falls within a threshold range based on a target value equivalent to the weight of one unit of the ingredient, in this food ingredient conveying device.

6. The food material conveying device according to claim 3, The extrusion speed of the extrusion mechanism is variable; The food material conveying device, wherein the push-out control unit controls the push-out mechanism to reduce the push-out speed when the decrease in the measured value reaches a deceleration start reference value that is smaller than the target value.

7. The food material conveying device according to claim 3, The pushing control unit controls the pushing mechanism so that the pushing is stopped when the amount of decrease reaches a completion reference value that is smaller than the target value.

8. The food material conveying device according to claim 7, A prediction unit is further provided, The prediction unit determines a predicted drop value of the ingredient that will drop from the scooping mechanism after the extrusion is stopped based on a weight of the ingredient that dropped in the previous topping operation; The food material conveying device, wherein the completion reference value is set based on the target value and the predicted dropout value.

9. The food material conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, In the topping operation, the push-out control unit controls the push-out mechanism to move in the opposite direction to the push-out direction after the push-out mechanism has completed pushing in the push-out direction, according to the food material conveying device.

Images