Frozen baked food manufacturing device and frozen baked food manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a frozen baked food product manufacturing device and manufacturing method capable of easily manufacturing a frozen baked food product that can be divided into equal sizes.SOLUTION: A manufacturing device 100 of a frozen baked food product 10 comprises a recessed groove forming device 7 which forms a recessed groove 11 on an upper plane S2 of a plate-like sintered body F5 sintered by a heating plate P, the recessed groove 11 to travel across the upper plane S2. The recessed groove forming device 7 has a pair of scooping members 70a, 70b that scoop the sintered body F5 on the heating plate P, actuators 71, 74 being a scooping member driving unit that drives the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b, a blade 77 that forms the recessed groove 11 on the upper plane S2 of the sintered body F5 scooped by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b, and an actuator 78 being a blade drive unit that drives the blade 77.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing frozen baked foods and a method for producing frozen baked foods. [Background technology]

[0002] Frozen baked foods, such as okonomiyaki or pancakes, are known, which are baked foods that have been frozen. There is a strong demand for frozen baked foods to be in a form that is easy to divide while still frozen. Patent Document 1, for example, describes a manufacturing device that industrially produces frozen baked foods that can meet this demand.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a frozen baked food manufacturing device that freezes baked bodies made of material containing a fluid dough, and that includes a groove forming device that forms grooves across the plate surface on at least one plate surface of the plate-shaped baked body. The groove forming device described in Patent Document 1 includes a fixing device that fixes the baked body and a processing device that forms grooves in the baked body. The fixing device includes multiple support members that support the baked body and a support member driving unit that moves the support members. The processing device includes a blade that forms grooves in the baked body and a blade driving unit that moves the blade. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6693819 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1 sometimes has difficulty in easily forming an accurate groove that passes through the center of the surface of the baked food due to misalignment between the fixing device and the blade. Therefore, the manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of producing frozen baked food that can be divided into uniform sizes. Furthermore, the manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1 requires multiple types of fixing devices and blades to be prepared and attached to the manufacturing device according to the size of the baked food. Therefore, the manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of easily producing frozen baked food of different sizes.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an apparatus and method for manufacturing frozen baked foods that can easily produce frozen baked foods that can be divided into evenly sized pieces. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the frozen baked food manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing frozen baked foods in which baked bodies made of a material containing a fluid dough are frozen, and is equipped with a groove forming device that forms grooves across the plate surface of the plate-shaped baked body baked on a heating plate, the groove forming device having a pair of scooping members that scoop up the baked body on the heating plate, a scooping member driving unit that drives the pair of scooping members, a blade that forms the grooves on the plate surface of the baked body scooped up by the pair of scooping members, and a blade driving unit that drives the blade. The pair of scooping members includes a pair of holding plates that are inserted between the baking object on the heating plate and the heating plate from a predetermined direction along the heating plate and the opposite direction, respectively, to hold the baking object, and a pair of connecting plates that connect the pair of holding plates to the scooping member driving unit, one of the holding plates being inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate as it moves toward the predetermined direction, and the other holding plate being inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate as it moves toward the opposite direction, and the blade is disposed between the respective tip ends of the pair of holding plates. It is characterized by:

[0009] In a further preferred embodiment, the pair of scooping members scoop up the fired body by moving from an open state in which the distance between the tip ends of the pair of holding plates in the specified direction is longer than the length of the fired body in the specified direction, to a closed state in which the tip ends are inserted between the fired body and the heating plate and the distance between the tip ends is a specified distance shorter than the length of the fired body.

[0010] In a more preferred embodiment, the blade descends from above the plate surface of the sintered body scooped up by the pair of scooping members and is pressed against the plate surface, thereby forming the grooves.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment, the heating plate is transported in a transport direction along the heating plate, and the pair of scooping members and the blades are arranged in multiple positions along the width direction of the heating plate perpendicular to the transport direction, and one scooping member and the other scooping member are arranged side by side along the transport direction.

[0012] The method for producing a frozen baked food product according to the present invention is a method for producing a frozen baked food product in which a baked product made from a material containing a fluid dough is frozen, and includes the steps of: supplying the material onto a heating plate; heating the material to form a plate-shaped baked product with at least one plate surface baked; scooping up the baked product with a pair of scooping members and pressing a blade against the plate surface of the scooped baked product to form a groove in the plate surface that crosses the plate surface; and freezing the baked product with the groove formed in it. The pair of scooping members have a pair of holding plates, one of which is inclined downward to approach the heating plate as it moves in a predetermined direction along the heating plate and holds the baked body, and the other is inclined downward to approach the heating plate as it moves in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction and holds the baked body, and the step of forming the grooves on the plate surface includes inserting the pair of holding plates between the baked body on the heating plate and the heating plate from the predetermined direction and the opposite direction, respectively, to scoop up the baked body and form valley folds on the plate surface of the baked body, and pressing the blade against the folds formed on the plate surface of the scooped baked body, thereby forming the grooves on the plate surface. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, accurate grooves that pass through the center of the plate surface can be easily formed using the same device for baked bodies of various sizes, thereby providing a frozen baked food manufacturing device and manufacturing method that can easily produce frozen baked foods that can be divided into evenly sized pieces. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a frozen baked food product according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the frozen baked food product shown in FIG. 1 in a divided state. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a view of the frozen baked food shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow A. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the frozen baked food product shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a frozen baked food manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic diagram of the groove forming device shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram of the groove forming device shown in FIG. 6 when the pair of scooping members are in an open state, as viewed from above. [Figure 8] 7 is a top view of the groove forming device when the pair of scooping members shown in FIG. 6 are in a closed state. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a side view of the groove forming device shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the groove forming device shown in FIG. [Figure 11] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the groove forming device shown in FIG. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the groove forming device shown in FIG. [Figure 13] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the groove forming device shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a groove forming device when a plurality of fired bodies are simultaneously produced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Components with the same reference numerals in each embodiment have the same functions in each embodiment unless otherwise specified, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0016] [Frozen baked foods] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a frozen baked food product 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the frozen baked food product 10 shown in Fig. 1 in a divided state. Fig. 3 is a view of the frozen baked food product 10 shown in Fig. 1 as seen from the direction of arrow A. Fig. 4 is a view showing a cross section of the frozen baked food product shown in Fig. 2. Note that each drawing is a schematic view, and therefore the shapes and dimensions are exaggerated (the same applies to the following drawings).

[0017] The frozen baked food product 10 is a baked food product in which a baked body of material containing a fluid batter is frozen. The frozen baked food product 10 may be a batter that has been baked and then frozen. In this embodiment, an okonomiyaki, which is one example of the frozen baked food product 10, will be used as an example. Note that the frozen baked food product 10 is not limited to okonomiyaki, and may be, for example, a pancake or the like.

[0018] In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the term "okonomiyaki" refers to a mixture of batter and ingredients that is cooked. In addition, in this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the term "okonomiyaki" refers to the okonomiyaki itself, which is the cooked ingredients. In other words, while typical okonomiyaki served at the dinner table often comes with sauce and toppings (mayonnaise, shaved bonito flakes, or powdered or shredded green laver, etc.), in the following, the term refers to the okonomiyaki in its state before the sauce and toppings are applied. Examples of okonomiyaki include Kansai-style okonomiyaki, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, negiyaki, and chijimi.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the frozen baked food product 10 is generally disk-shaped and has a linear groove 11 that passes through the center of the plate surface (the upper plate surface in FIG. 1) and crosses the plate surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the frozen baked food product 10 can be divided into two along the groove 11, even in a frozen state. In this embodiment, the groove 11 is linear and passes through the center of the frozen baked food product 10, so the two crescent-shaped divided pieces 10a, 10b have approximately the same shape and approximately equal size. Furthermore, although there is only one groove 11 in this embodiment, this is not limited to this and multiple grooves can also be formed. For example, the frozen baked food product 10 may have two to four grooves 11 that intersect at the center of the plate surface. The frozen baked food product 10 may also be a frozen baked food product that can be divided into four to eight equal pieces.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the frozen baked food product 10 has a main body 12 and baking layers 13, 14 formed on the upper and lower plate surfaces of the main body 12. The baking layers 13, 14 are hard layers that are browned by heating. The grooves 11 are formed by cutting a slit into the upper plate surface after baking the material to be baked of the frozen baked food product 10. As a result, part of the baking layer 13 on the upper plate surface extends inside the grooves 11, and the baking layer 13a is present on the side walls of the grooves 11. Therefore, when the frozen baked food product 10 is divided, the baking layer 13a is located at the top of the cut surface of each divided piece 10a, and the main body 12 is exposed at the bottom, as shown in Figure 4.

[0021] In this embodiment, the bottom of the groove 11 is a flat surface. Therefore, when the frozen baked food product 10 is divided, stepped surfaces 11a, 11b are formed on the cut surfaces of the divided pieces 10a, 10b. By providing a certain width to the groove 11 in this way, the food product can be easily split along the groove 11 when divided.

[0022] As described above, the frozen baked food product 10 according to this embodiment has the groove 11 formed across the upper plate surface, so that it can be easily divided manually or otherwise even in a frozen state. This allows the frozen baked food product 10 to be divided into portions for use without having to thaw the entire product, improving usability.

[0023] Furthermore, the groove 11 allows the size of the divided pieces 10a, 10b of the frozen baked food product 10 to be adjusted. By forming the groove 11 that crosses the center of the plate surface of the frozen baked food product 10 as in this embodiment, the frozen baked food product 10 can be divided into approximately two equal parts. This makes it easy to make the sizes of the divided pieces 10a, 10b uniform for each food product, for example, when the divided pieces 10a, 10b are sold in combination with other foods.

[0024] The surface on which the grooves 11 are formed may be either the upper or lower plate surface of the frozen baked food product 10. For example, if there is an ingredient (such as squid or pork) on the upper plate surface that makes it difficult to process the grooves 11, the grooves 11 may be formed on the lower plate surface. In this embodiment, the frozen baked food product 10 is in the shape of a disk with a substantially uniform thickness, but is not particularly limited to this shape. The shape of the frozen baked food product 10 may also be, for example, polygonal or elliptical.

[0025] [Frozen baked food manufacturing equipment and manufacturing method] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing apparatus 100 for a frozen baked food product 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the groove forming device 7 shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a top view of the groove forming device 7 when the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b shown in Fig. 6 are in an open state. Fig. 8 is a top view of the groove forming device 7 when the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b shown in Fig. 6 are in a closed state. Fig. 9 is a side view of the groove forming device shown in Fig. 7.

[0026] The manufacturing apparatus 100 for a frozen baked food product 10 shown in FIG. 5 is an apparatus for manufacturing a baked product F6 to be frozen. The manufacturing apparatus 100 can automatically manufacture a baked product F6 with a groove 11 formed therein by sequentially executing a material supplying process, a shaping process, a baking process, and a groove forming process. The material supplying process is a process for supplying a material F1 to be baked, which contains a fluid dough. The shaping process is a process for heating the material F1 to reduce its fluidity and shaping the material F2 to manufacture a shaped product F3. The baking process is a process for heating the lower plate surface S1 of the shaped product F3 to manufacture a baked product F4, and for baking the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F4 to manufacture a baked product F5. The groove forming process is a process for forming a groove 11 on the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5 to manufacture a baked product F6. The manufacturing apparatus 100 is an example of an apparatus for carrying out the method for manufacturing a frozen baked food product according to this embodiment.

[0027] The manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a material supplying device 1, a shaping device 2, a control device 4, a conveying device 5, a heating device 6, and a groove forming device .

[0028] The conveying device 5 has a plurality of heating plates P and a driving device. The plurality of heating plates P are arranged close to each other at a fixed interval. Any of the material to be fired F1 to the fired body F6 is placed on each of the plurality of heating plates P. The driving device conveys the plurality of heating plates P in a conveying direction M along the heating plates P. The driving device conveys the plurality of heating plates P intermittently at a fixed pitch. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of heating plates P are arranged at positions p1 to p6 aligned at a fixed pitch along the conveying direction M. The driving device conveys each heating plate P from its current position to an adjacent position ahead in the conveying direction M with each conveying operation. The driving device is communicatively connected to the control device 4, and its operation is controlled based on a control signal from the control device 4.

[0029] The material of the heating plate P is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can heat the material to be fired F1 to the shaped body F3 to a temperature at which they can be fired. The heating plate P in this embodiment is made of an iron plate. The length of the heating plate P along the conveying direction M is a length that allows the material to be fired F1 required to produce one fired body F6 to be arranged. The length along the width direction (depth direction in FIG. 5) of the heating plate P that is perpendicular to the conveying direction M may be a length that allows one material to be fired F1 to be arranged per heating plate P, or may be a length that allows multiple materials to be fired F1 to be arranged per heating plate P.

[0030] The heating device 6 is disposed below each heating plate P and heats each heating plate P. The heating device 6 of this embodiment is equipped with a burner with an adjusted heating power, and heats the heating plate P from its underside by the heating power of the burner. The heating device 6 is communicably connected to the control device 4, and its operation is controlled based on a control signal from the control device 4.

[0031] The material supplying device 1 is a device that supplies material F1 to be baked onto a heating plate P. The material supplying device 1 is arranged above the heating plate P that stops at position p1 and on the central axis of the heating plate P. The configuration of the material supplying device 1 is not particularly limited as long as it is capable of supplying material F1 to be baked, which is a mixture of fluid dough and ingredients, from above the heating plate P. The material supplying device 1 is communicably connected to a control device 4, and its operation is controlled based on control signals from the control device 4.

[0032] The shaping device 2 is a device that heats the material to be fired F1 supplied onto the heating plate P by the material supply device 1, reducing the fluidity of the material to be fired F2, and shapes the material to be fired F3, to produce a shaped body F3. The shaping device 2 is disposed above the heating plate P, which stops at position p2, and on the central axis of the heating plate P. The configuration of the shaping device 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can shape the material to be fired F2 on the heating plate P into a predetermined shape (for example, a disk shape). The shaping device 2 can produce a shaped body F3 by using a shaping member such as a spatula or a round frame to scrape the material to be fired F2 from the outer periphery toward the center, and by using a shaping member such as a flat plate to press down the material to be fired F2 from above.

[0033] The groove forming device 7 is a device that forms grooves 11 that cross the upper plate surface S2 of the fired body F5 that has been fired on the heating plate P, to produce a fired body F6 with the grooves 11 formed therein. The groove forming device 7 is disposed above the heating plate P that stops at position p5 and on the central axis of the heating plate P.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 6, the groove forming device 7 includes a pair of pick-up members 70a and 70b, an actuator 71, a support shaft 72, a lifting plate 73, an actuator 74, a support plate 75, a blade 77, and an actuator 78.

[0035] The actuators 71 and 74 are an example of a pick-up member driving unit of the present invention that drives the pair of pick-up members 70a and 70b. The actuator 78 is an example of a blade driving unit of the present invention that drives the blade 77.

[0036] The support plate 75 is a plate-like member that is fixed to a support member (not shown) and is horizontally disposed at a fixed position above the heating plate P that stops at position p5. The support plate 75 is provided so as to cover the entire width of the heating plate P.

[0037] The lifting plate 73 is a plate-like member arranged below the support plate 75 and parallel to the support plate 75. The upper surface of the lifting plate 73 and the lower surface of the support plate 75 are connected by an actuator 74. The actuator 74 is configured by an actuator that raises and lowers the lifting plate 73 in the vertical direction (direction along the normal to the heating plate P) relative to the support plate 75. The actuator 74 in this embodiment is configured by a direct-acting air cylinder. The number of actuators 74 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, one actuator is provided at each of the four corners of the lifting plate 73.

[0038] The support shaft 72 is a tubular member extending downward from the lower surface of the lifting plate 73. The upper end of the support shaft 72 is fixed to the lower surface of the lifting plate 73. The actuator 71 is fixed to the lower end of the support shaft 72.

[0039] The actuator 71 moves the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b in a predetermined direction N1 along the heating plate P and in an opposite direction N2. The predetermined direction N1 and the opposite direction N2 may be along the conveying direction M. The actuator 71 is configured by an air chuck. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the actuator 71 has multiple actuating shafts 71c that move forward or backward (extend or contract) in the predetermined direction N1 and the opposite direction N2. Each actuating shaft 71c moves forward or backward (extends or contracts) by air pressure supplied from an air supply source (not shown). Actuating plates 71a, 71b are fixed to the tip end of each actuating shaft 71c in the forward direction, facing each other with the center of the actuator 71 between them. The distance between the actuating plates 71a, 71b changes depending on the forward or backward movement of each actuating shaft 71c. A through-hole that extends vertically and communicates with the interior of the support shaft 72 is formed around the central axis of the actuator 71, which extends vertically. An actuator 78 is inserted into the through hole.

[0040] The pair of scooping members 70a, 70b are members that scoop up the baked body F5 baked on the heating plate P. Each of the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b is a plate-like member that scoops up the baked body F5, and is configured, for example, by a spatula member. As shown in FIG. 6, the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b are connected to operating plates 71a, 71b of an actuator 71, respectively, and move in conjunction with the operating plates 71a, 71b. This changes the distance between the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b.

[0041] The pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b includes a pair of connecting plates 70c, 70d and a pair of holding plates 70e, 70f.

[0042] The pair of connecting plates 70c, 70d are plate-like members that connect the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f to the operating plates 71a, 71b of the actuator 71, which is the scooping member driving unit. The upper ends of the pair of connecting plates 70c, 70d are fixed to the operating plates 71a, 71b, respectively. The pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are fixed to the lower ends of the pair of connecting plates 70c, 70d. The pair of connecting plates 70c, 70d may be formed integrally with the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f, respectively.

[0043] The pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are plate-shaped members inserted between the fired body F5 on the heating plate P and the heating plate P from a predetermined direction N1 along the heating plate P and the opposite direction N2 to hold the fired body F5. One holding plate 70e extends in the predetermined direction N1 from the lower end of the connecting plate 70c. The other holding plate 70f extends in the opposite direction N2 from the lower end of the connecting plate 70d. As shown in FIG. 9, the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are inclined downward so that their tip ends 70i, 70j are closer to the heating plate P than their base ends 70g, 70h connected to the connecting plates 70c, 70d. That is, one holding plate 70e is inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate P as it moves toward the predetermined direction N1 along the heating plate P. The other holding plate 70e is inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate P as it moves toward the opposite direction N2 of the predetermined direction N1. In addition, the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f only need to have the holding surfaces 70k, 70l, which are the upper surfaces of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f and hold the sintered body F5, inclined as described above, and the entire pair of holding plates 70e, 70f do not necessarily need to be inclined.

[0044] Each of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f is approximately parallel to the width direction of the heating plate P, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction M. The tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are approximately parallel to each other along the width direction of the heating plate P. The pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are symmetrical to each other with respect to a plane extending in the width direction and the up-down direction of the heating plate P. That is, the size, shape, and inclination angle of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f with respect to the heating plate P are approximately identical to each other. The size of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f is not particularly limited as long as it is larger than the fired body F5. The shape of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f is not particularly limited and may be polygonal, semicircular, or the like, as long as the tip ends 70i, 70j extend linearly along the width direction of the heating plate P. The inclination angles of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f relative to the heating plate P are not particularly limited, but are preferably set larger as the thickness of the fired body F5 increases.

[0045] The pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b are opened by the forward movement of the respective operating shafts 71c of the actuator 71, and are closed by the backward movement of the respective operating shafts 71c. The pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b being in the open state means that the distance D2 between the respective tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f in the predetermined direction N1 is longer than the length D1 of the sintered body F5 in the predetermined direction N1. The pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b being in the closed state means that the distance D2 between the respective tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f in the predetermined direction N1 is shorter than the length D1 of the sintered body F5 in the predetermined direction N1. In this embodiment, the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b being in the closed state means that the distance D2 between the respective tip ends 70i, 70j is a predetermined distance shorter than the length D1 of the sintered body F5. This specified distance is the distance at which the tip ends 70i, 70j are close enough to each other that the fired body F5 held by a pair of holding plates 70e, 70f inserted between the heating plate P and the fired body F5 is separated from the heating plate P.

[0046] The blade 77 is a plate-like member that forms a groove 11 on the upper plate surface S2 of the baked body F5 placed on the heating plate P. The blade 77 extends in the width direction and the vertical direction of the heating plate P. The lower end of the blade 77 forms a cutting edge. The upper end of the blade 77 is fixed to the actuator 78. The blade 77 is disposed between the tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f. Specifically, the blade 77 is disposed at the middle position of the distance D2 between the tip ends 70i, 70j in the direction along the predetermined direction N1. The blade 77 is disposed so as to extend along the tip ends 70i, 70j. The blade 77 is disposed above the upper plate surface S2 of the baked body F5 scooped up by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b. For example, the blade 77 is disposed above the base ends 70g, 70h of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f.

[0047] The actuator 78 is configured by an actuator that raises and lowers the blade 77 in the up and down direction relative to the lifting plate 73. In this embodiment, the actuator 78 is configured by a direct-acting air cylinder or electric cylinder. The actuator 78 is inserted into the through-hole of the support shaft 72, and its upper end is fixed to the underside of the lifting plate 73.

[0048] In the groove forming device 7, the actuator 71 and the actuators 74 and 78 are communicably connected to the control device 4, and their operations are controlled based on control signals from the control device 4.

[0049] The control device 4 is a device that controls the operation of each device included in the manufacturing apparatus 100. The control device 4 is communicatively connected to at least the material supply device 1, the shaping device 2, the conveying device 5, the heating device 6, and the groove forming device 7. The control device 4 controls the operation of these devices by sending control signals to each of these devices. The control device 4 is configured by a computer equipped with a CPU, memory, an input / output interface, a communication interface, an external storage device, etc.

[0050] The operation of the apparatus 100 for producing the frozen baked food 10 will be described together with the method for producing the frozen baked food 10.

[0051] The method for producing the frozen baked food product 10 according to this embodiment includes the above-mentioned ingredient supplying step, shaping step, baking step, groove forming step, and freezing step. The freezing step is a step for producing the frozen baked food product 10 by freezing the baked body F6 with the grooves 11 formed therein.

[0052] When the manufacturing apparatus 100 starts manufacturing the frozen baked food product 10, the heating device 6 first heats the heating plate P. The temperature of the heating plate P can be set to, for example, 230°C to 250°C, similar to the temperature used in cooking regular okonomiyaki. The heating device 6 of this embodiment is capable of individually adjusting the heat power of the burners at positions p1 to p6 shown in FIG. 5, allowing the temperature of the heating plate P to be changed depending on the process. For example, the temperature may be set appropriately within a range of 160°C to 260°C. Although not shown in FIG. 5, a heating device may be placed above the heating plate P at position p4 to also use heating by an overhead flame. In this case, the temperature of the heating plate P can also be set to, for example, 160°C to 220°C.

[0053] The control device 4 sends a control signal to the material supply device 1 to execute the material supply process. In the material supply process, the material supply device 1 supplies a certain amount of material F1 to be baked onto the heating plate P, which is stopped at position p1. The material F1 to be baked is supplied in a state in which the dough and ingredients are mixed together. If the dough and ingredients are mixed and left for a long time, moisture will be released from the ingredients, changing the physical properties of the dough. In this embodiment, the material supply device 1 supplies the material F1 to be baked immediately after the dough and ingredients are mixed together, so that the material F1 is not left for a long time. The material F1 to be baked spreads out in an approximately circular shape from the supply position on the heating plate P and takes on a flattened shape. The material F1 to be baked has an upwardly convex, mountain-like shape overall.

[0054] When a certain time has passed since the material to be baked F1 was supplied, the control device 4 sends a control signal to the conveying device 5 to carry out the conveying operation of the heating plate P. The conveying device 5 conveys each heating plate P by a certain pitch in the conveying direction M. The heating plate P at position p1 is conveyed to position p2. The material to be baked F1 moves to a position where its center is directly below the shaping device 2. The material to be baked F1 is heated over the course of a certain time, and becomes material to be baked F2, which has lower fluidity than the material to be baked F1.

[0055] Next, the control device 4 sends a control signal to the shaping device 2 to execute the shaping process. In the shaping process, the shaping device 2 shapes the outer shape of the material F2 to be baked on the heating plate P stopped at position p2. The shaping device 2 uses a shaping member such as a spatula or a round frame to scrape the material F2 to be baked from the outer periphery toward the center, and also uses a shaping member such as a flat plate to press down the material F2 to be baked from above. In this way, the shaping device 2 produces, for example, a disk-shaped shaped body F3.

[0056] When a certain time has elapsed since the previous transport operation, the control device 4 sends a control signal to the transport device 5 to carry out the transport operation of the heating plate P. The transport device 5 transports each heating plate P by a certain pitch in the transport direction M. The heating plate P at position p2 is transported to position p3.

[0057] At positions p3 and p4, a firing process is carried out. The shaped body F3 on the heating plate P transported to position p3 continues to receive heat from the heating plate P, and the lower plate surface S1 is fired. This produces a fired body F4 with the lower plate surface S1 fired. After the other material supplying process and shaping process carried out in parallel are completed, the heating plate P at position p3 is transported to position p4. The fired body F4 on the heating plate P at position p4 continues to receive heat from the heating device located above, or is inverted by an inverting device located between positions p3 and p4 and continues to receive heat from the heating plate P, thereby firing both the lower plate surface S1 and the upper plate surface S2. This produces a fired body F5 with both sides fired. Note that the firing process is not necessarily limited to firing both sides, as long as at least one of the lower plate surface S1 and the upper plate surface S2 is fired. Furthermore, in the groove forming process carried out after the firing process, the fired body F5 continues to be heated by the heating plate P, and firing progresses. Therefore, the takt time of the firing process is set taking into consideration the progress of firing in the groove forming process.

[0058] Next, the control device 4 sends a control signal to the groove forming device 7 to cause it to execute a groove forming step. In the groove forming step, the groove forming device 7 scoops up the sintered body F5 with a pair of scooping members 70a, 70b, and presses a blade 77 against the upper plate surface S2 of the scooped sintered body F5 to form a groove 11 in the upper plate surface S2 that crosses the upper plate surface S2. This produces a sintered body F6 with the groove 11 formed in it. Details of the operation of the groove forming device 7 in the groove forming step will be described later.

[0059] Next, the freezing process is carried out. In the freezing process, the baked product F6 with the grooves 11 formed therein is transported to a predetermined cooling location and cooled to a certain extent, and then the baked product F6 is transported to a predetermined freezing chamber and frozen. A spiral freezer, a wagon freezer, a flexible freezer, or the like can be used as the freezing means. For example, in the freezing process of this embodiment, a spiral freezer is used to rapidly freeze the baked product F6 at approximately -30°C. This produces a frozen baked food product 10 with the grooves 11 formed therein. The produced frozen baked food product 10 can be thawed and cooked in a microwave oven, for example, to recreate a freshly baked state and serve it at the table.

[0060] [Operation of the groove forming device in the groove forming process] 10 to 13 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the groove forming device 7 shown in FIG.

[0061] The groove forming process starts with the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b in an open state and positioned above the fired body F5 on the heating plate P, as shown in Fig. 6. The groove forming device 7 advances the actuator 74 based on a control signal from the control device 4, and lowers the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b until the tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f come into contact with the heating plate P, as shown in Fig. 9. At this time, if the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b are not in an open state, the groove forming device 7 advances the operating shaft 71c of the actuator 71 before the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b are lowered, thereby keeping the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b in an open state.

[0062] Next, based on a control signal from the control device 4, the groove forming device 7 retracts the operating shaft 71c of the actuator 71, bringing the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b closer to each other, as shown in Figure 10. At this time, the groove forming device 7 moves the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b in the predetermined direction N1 and the opposite direction N2 while maintaining the parallel orientation of the tip ends 70i, 70j until the distance D2 between the tip ends 70i, 70j is reliably shorter than the length D1 of the sintered body F5. Then, the tip ends 70i, 70j slide on the heating plate P and are inserted between the sintered body F5 and the heating plate P from the predetermined direction N1 and the opposite direction N2. After the firing process is completed, at least the lower plate surface S1 of the fired body F5 is solidified, so that the tip portions 70i, 70j can be smoothly inserted between the fired body F5 and the heating plate P without breaking the fired body F5.

[0063] Next, the groove forming device 7 further retracts the operating shaft 71c of the actuator 71, closing the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b as shown in FIG. 11. The tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are brought close enough to separate the baked body F5 from the heating plate P. The baked body F5 is held by the holding surfaces 70k, 70l of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f and scooped up from the heating plate P. Because the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f are inclined downward as described above, the baked body F5 is bent at a valley fold (hereinafter also referred to as the "center transverse line C") that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 and crosses the upper plate surface S2, forming an upwardly concave shape. In other words, the center transverse line C is formed on the upper plate surface S2.

[0064] Here, the groove forming device 7 moves the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b (retracts the actuator 71) so that the insertion lengths of the tip ends 70i, 70j between the sintered body F5 and the heating plate P are approximately equal. This allows the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b to scoop up the sintered body F5 approximately equally, allowing the groove forming device 7 to accurately form the center transverse line C. However, even if the insertion lengths of the tip ends 70i, 70j between the sintered body F5 and the heating plate P are not equal, the sintered body F5 slides on the holding surfaces 70k, 70l due to its own weight so that the center of the lower plate surface S1 approaches the midpoint of the distance D2 between the tip ends 70i, 70j. That is, the groove forming device 7 can slide the sintered body F5 scooped up by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b between the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b by the weight of the sintered body F5. As a result, the sintered body F5 is bent at the central transverse line C, forming an upwardly concave shape. Therefore, even in this case, the groove forming device 7 can form the central transverse line C.

[0065] When closing the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b, the groove forming device 7 does not have to bring the tip ends 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f close enough to each other that the sintered body F5 is separated from the heating plate P. In this case, when closing the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b, the groove forming device 7 may retract the actuator 74 and raise the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b until the lower plate surface S1 of the sintered body F5 is separated from the heating plate P. When raising the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b, the groove forming device 7 raises the pick-up members 70a, 70b at approximately the same height position and posture from the heating plate P, and at approximately the same timing. This makes it easier for the center of the lower plate surface S1 to approach the middle position of the distance D2 between the tip ends 70i, 70j, which can make the fired body F5 more likely to bend at the central transverse line C. Therefore, the groove forming device 7 can form the central transverse line C more accurately.

[0066] Next, based on a control signal from the control device 4, the groove forming device 7 advances the actuator 78 to lower the blade 77, as shown in FIG. 12. At this time, the groove forming device 7 lowers the blade 77, which is positioned above the sintered body F5 scooped up by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b, and presses the lower end of the blade 77 against the upper plate surface S2 of the sintered body F5. The blade 77 then cuts into the sintered body F5 from the central cross line C formed on the upper plate surface S2 of the sintered body F5. The descent of the blade 77 is stopped when the depth of the cut reaches approximately the value obtained by subtracting the thickness L1 from the thickness L2 shown in FIG. 3. This allows the blade 77 to form a groove 11 in the upper plate surface S2 that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 and crosses the upper plate surface S2. The thickness L1 shown in FIG. 3 is the thickness of the thin-walled portion 10c, where the groove 11 is formed. The thickness L2 shown in FIG. 3 is the thickness of the portion where the recessed groove 11 is not formed.

[0067] Next, based on a control signal from the control device 4, the groove forming device 7 retracts the actuator 78, raising the blade 77 so that it retracts from the upper plate surface S2, as shown in FIG. 13. Additionally, the groove forming device 7 advances the operating shaft 71c of the actuator 71, opening the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b. The sintered body F5 scooped up by the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b is placed on the heating plate P, and its bent shape returns to a disk shape. Furthermore, the groove forming device 7 retracts the actuator 74, raising the pair of pick-up members 70a, 70b to their positions before the start of the groove forming process, as shown in FIG. 6. Then, based on a control signal from the control device 4, the conveying device 5 conveys each heating plate P by a fixed pitch in the conveying direction M. The heating plate P from position p5 is conveyed to position p6. In this manner, in the groove forming step, a fired body F6 having grooves 11 formed therein is produced.

[0068] As described above, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment includes a groove forming device 7 that forms grooves 11 across the upper surface S2 of the plate-shaped baked product F5 baked on the heating plate P. The groove forming device 7 has a pair of scooping members 70a, 70b that scoop up the baked product F5 on the heating plate P. The groove forming device 7 also has actuators 71, 74 that act as scooping member drivers and drive the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b. The groove forming device 7 also has a blade 77 that forms grooves 11 on the upper surface S2 of the baked product F5 scooped up by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b. The groove forming device 7 also has an actuator 78 that acts as a blade driver and drives the blade 77.

[0069] As a result, the groove forming device 7 can slide the baked product F5 scooped up by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b between the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b using the weight of the baked product F5, thereby forming a center transverse line C on the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5. The groove forming device 7 then presses the blade 77 onto the formed center transverse line C, thereby forming a groove 11 on the center transverse line C. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can easily form an accurate groove 11 that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment can easily manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into uniform sizes.

[0070] Furthermore, since the manufacturing apparatus 100 scoops up the baked products F5 using a pair of scooping members 70a, 70b, accurate grooves 11 can be formed for baked products F5 of different sizes by simply preparing one type of scooping member 70a, 70b. In other words, the manufacturing apparatus 100 does not require the preparation and replacement of multiple types of fixing devices and blades according to the size of the baked products F5, as in the conventional manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can easily form accurate grooves 11 for frozen baked food products 10 of various sizes using the same device. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment can easily manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into uniform sizes.

[0071] Moreover, since the manufacturing apparatus 100 scoops up the baked body F5 using a pair of scooping members 70a, 70b, it can carry out the groove forming step simultaneously with the conventional step of peeling the baked body F5 adhering to the heating plate P from the heating plate P using the scooping members (hereinafter also referred to as the "peeling step"). Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can form the grooves 11 without adding a new step. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for the frozen baked food product 10 according to this embodiment can easily manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into equal sizes.

[0072] The pair of scooping members 70a, 70b also have a pair of holding plates 70e, 70f that are inserted between the fired body F5 on the heating plate P and the heating plate P from a predetermined direction N1 and the opposite direction N2 along the heating plate P, respectively, to hold the fired body F5. The pair of scooping members 70a, 70b also have a pair of connecting plates 70c, 70d that respectively connect the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f to the actuator 71. The pair of holding plates 70e are inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate P as they proceed in the predetermined direction N1. The other holding plate 70f is inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate P as they proceed in the opposite direction N2. A blade 77 is disposed between the respective tip portions 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f.

[0073] As a result, when the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b scoop up the baked product F5, the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f can reliably hold the baked product F5 in a state where it is bent upward into a concave shape. The pair of scooping members 70a, 70b can reliably form a center transverse line C on the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5. The groove forming device 7 can then reliably press the blade 77 onto the formed center transverse line C. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can easily and reliably form an accurate groove 11 that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment can easily and reliably manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into uniform sizes.

[0074] In addition, the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b scoop up the sintered body F4 by moving from an open state in which the distance D2 between each tip end 70i, 70j of the pair of holding plates 70e, 70f in the predetermined direction N1 is longer than the length D1 of the sintered body F5 in the predetermined direction N1 to a closed state in which each tip end 70i, 70j is inserted between the sintered body F5 and the heating plate P and the distance D2 between each tip end 70i, 70j is a predetermined distance shorter than the length D1 of the sintered body F5.

[0075] This allows the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b to reliably peel the entire lower plate surface S1 of the baked product F5 from the heating plate P, thereby reliably scooping up the baked product F5 without breaking it. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can easily and reliably form an accurate groove 11 that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment can easily and reliably manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into equal-sized pieces.

[0076] The blade 77 also descends from above the upper plate surface S2 of the sintered body F5 scooped up by the pair of scooping members 70a, 70b and is pressed against the upper plate surface S2, thereby forming the recessed grooves 11.

[0077] This allows the blade 77 to contribute to a more compact manufacturing apparatus 100 than when the blade 77 is introduced from the side of the scooped baked product F5, and also allows the groove 11 to be reliably formed on the central transverse line C formed in the baked product F5. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can more easily and reliably form an accurate groove 11 that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 of the baked product F5. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment can more easily and reliably manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into equal-sized pieces.

[0078] The method for producing frozen baked food product 10 according to this embodiment includes a material supplying step of supplying material F1 to be baked onto heating plate P, and a baking step of heating material F1 to form a plate-shaped baked product F5 with at least one plate surface baked. The method for producing frozen baked food product 10 also includes a groove forming step of scooping up baked product F5 with a pair of scooping members 70a, 70b and pressing blade 77 against upper plate surface S2 of the scooped baked product F5 to form grooves 11 across upper plate surface S2. The method for producing frozen baked food product 10 also includes a freezing step of freezing baked product F6 with grooves 11 formed therein.

[0079] As a result, the manufacturing method for frozen baked food 10 according to this embodiment can easily form an accurate groove 11 that passes through the center of the upper plate surface S2 of the baked body F5, and can easily produce frozen baked food 10 that can be divided into evenly sized pieces.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the groove forming device 7 when a plurality of fired bodies F6 are simultaneously produced.

[0081] The frozen baked food manufacturing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment can simultaneously manufacture multiple baked bodies F6 by arranging multiple baking materials F1 along the width direction of the heating plate P. In this case, the length along the width direction of the heating plate P is set to a length that allows multiple baking materials F1 to be arranged per heating plate P. Multiple material supply devices 1 and shaping devices 2 are arranged along the width direction of the heating plate P in accordance with the number of baked bodies F6 to be manufactured simultaneously. Similar to the material supply devices 1 and shaping devices 2, multiple groove forming devices 7 may be arranged along the width direction of the heating plate P, or may be configured as shown in FIG. 14.

[0082] A plurality of fired bodies F5 are arranged along the width direction W of the heating plate P on a heating plate P located below the groove forming device 7. In the groove forming device 7 shown in FIG. 14, the actuator 71, support shaft 72, lifting plate 73, actuator 74, support plate 75, and actuator 78 are configured in common for a plurality of fired bodies F5 on the heating plate P so that fired bodies F6 can be simultaneously produced and the device can be simplified. In the groove forming device 7 shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of pairs of pick-up members 70a, 70b and blades 77 are arranged along the width direction W of the heating plate P, corresponding to the number of fired bodies F6 to be simultaneously produced. In each of the plurality of pairs of pick-up members 70a, 70b, one pick-up member 70a and the other pick-up member 70b are arranged side by side in the conveying direction M.

[0083] As a result, each of the multiple pairs of scooping members 70a, 70b can perform opening and closing operations along the conveying direction M, making it less likely that the scooping members 70a, 70b will interfere with other adjacent scooping members 70a, 70b than when the scooping members perform opening and closing operations along the width direction W of the heating plate P. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 can simultaneously manufacture more baked products F6 than when multiple pairs of scooping members 70a, 70b perform opening and closing operations along the width direction W. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 100 for frozen baked food products 10 according to this embodiment can more easily manufacture frozen baked food products 10 that can be divided into uniform sizes.

[0084] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, one pick-up member 70a and the other pick-up member 70b are arranged side by side in the conveying direction M, but they do not have to be arranged side by side in the conveying direction M.

[0085] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims. In the present invention, the configuration of one embodiment can be added to the configuration of another embodiment, the configuration of one embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, or part of the configuration of one embodiment can be deleted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 7...Groove forming device, 10...Frozen baked food, 11...Groove, 70a, 70b...Scooping member, 70c, 70d...Connecting plate, 70e, 70f...Holding plate, 70i, 70j...Tip, 71...Actuator (Scooping member drive unit), 74...Actuator (Scooping member drive unit), 77...Blade, 78...Actuator (Blade drive unit), 100...Manufacturing device, D1...Length of baked body, D2...Spacing, F1, F2...Material to be baked (material), F4 to F6...Baked body, M...Conveying direction, N1...Predetermined direction, N2...Reverse direction, P...Heating plate, S2...Upper plate surface (plate surface), W...Width direction

Claims

1. A frozen baked food manufacturing apparatus in which a baked body of a material containing a fluid dough is frozen, A groove forming device is provided for forming grooves across the plate surface of the plate-shaped fired body fired on a heating plate, The groove forming device is a pair of scooping members for scooping up the fired body on the heating plate; a pick-up member driving unit that drives the pair of pick-up members; a blade that forms the groove on the plate surface of the sintered body scooped up by the pair of scooping members; a blade driving unit that drives the blade, The pair of scooping members are a pair of holding plates inserted between the fired body on the heating plate and the heating plate from a predetermined direction along the heating plate and an opposite direction to the predetermined direction, respectively, to hold the fired body; a pair of connecting plates that connect the pair of holding plates to the scooping member driving unit, respectively; one of the holding plates is inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate as it moves in the predetermined direction, the other holding plate is provided inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate in the opposite direction, The blade is disposed between the distal ends of the pair of holding plates. A frozen baked food manufacturing apparatus characterized by the above.

2. The pair of scooping members scoop up the sintered body by moving from an open state in which the distance between the tip ends of the pair of holding plates in the predetermined direction is longer than the length of the sintered body in the predetermined direction to a closed state in which the tip ends are inserted between the sintered body and the heating plate and the distance between the tip ends is a predetermined distance shorter than the length of the sintered body.

2. The apparatus for producing frozen baked food according to claim 1.

3. The blade descends from above the plate surface of the sintered body scooped up by the pair of scooping members and is pressed against the plate surface, thereby forming the groove.

2. The apparatus for producing frozen baked food according to claim 1.

4. The heating plate is transported in a transport direction along the heating plate, a plurality of the pair of scooping members and the blades are arranged along a width direction of the heating plate that is perpendicular to the conveying direction, One pick-up member and the other pick-up member are arranged side by side along the conveying direction.

2. The apparatus for producing frozen baked food according to claim 1.

5. A method for producing a frozen baked food product in which a baked body of a material containing a fluid dough is frozen, feeding the material onto a hot plate; A step of heating the material to form a plate-shaped fired body having at least one plate surface fired; a step of scooping up the sintered body with a pair of scooping members and pressing a blade against the plate surface of the scooped up sintered body to form a groove across the plate surface; and freezing the fired body in which the grooves are formed, The pair of scooping members have a pair of holding plates, one of which is inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate as it moves in a predetermined direction along the heating plate and holds the baked body, and the other of which is inclined downward so as to approach the heating plate as it moves in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction and holds the baked body, The step of forming the recessed grooves on the plate surface includes inserting the pair of holding plates between the fired body on the heating plate and the heating plate from the predetermined direction and the opposite direction, respectively, to scoop up the fired body and form valley folds on the plate surface of the fired body, and pressing the blade against the folds formed on the plate surface of the scooped fired body to form the recessed grooves on the plate surface. A method for producing frozen baked food.

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