Food processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a food processing device capable of suppressing contamination of a leaked object to a processed food, for enhancing a commercial value, and collecting easily the leaked object.SOLUTION: A food processing device is configured so that, an outer peripheral edge of a plate-shaped member on which many open holes are formed, is fitted to a terminal part inner peripheral edge of a cylindrical member surrounding a transfer member, and on a terminal part of the transfer member, there is provided a cutting blade for integrally rotating with the transfer member at a position close or contacting to an inside surface of the plate-shaped member, for shredding the food, and the food pressed to the inside surface of the plate-shaped member by the transfer member is shredded by the cutting blade and then pieces of shredded food are caused to pass through the open holes and are extracted to an outside. The food processing device further has; a discharge passage for discharging a leaked object which leaks from a fitting part between the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped member and the terminal part inner peripheral edge of the cylindrical member, by a pressure in the cylindrical member, from a prescribed position to an outside, independently from the food extracted through the open holes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food processing apparatus for processing food such as raw meat. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventional food processing devices include, for example, meat processing devices (minced meat manufacturing devices) called choppers or grinders that process chunks of raw meat into minced meat. This meat processing device comprises a container for storing frozen raw meat that has been crushed, for example, by a device called a flaker, a transport spiral located at the bottom of the container, and a tubular member that protrudes outward from the container and surrounds the end of the transport spiral. As shown in Figure 1, the outer periphery of a plate-like member c, which has a number of through holes b formed therein, is fitted onto the inner periphery of the terminal end of the cylindrical member a, and a cutting blade e is provided at the terminal end of the transport spiral d, which rotates integrally with the transport spiral d.

[0003] As a result, when the transport spiral d is driven to rotate, the raw meat in the container is taken into the transport spiral d and transported, and is then pressure-fed into the interior of the cylindrical member a. The pressurized raw meat is pressed against the inner surface of the plate-shaped member c, and is extruded in a linear shape to the outside through the through-hole b of the plate-shaped member c while being chopped into small pieces by the cutting blade e. The minced meat strips extruded from the meat processing machine in this manner are then divided into pieces of an appropriate length, placed on food trays, and wrapped to become a product.

[0004] As an example of such conventional technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a meat processing device in which the outer edge of a plate-shaped member having a large number of through holes formed therein is fitted into the inner edge of the terminal end of a cylindrical member surrounding a transfer member, and a cutting blade is provided at the terminal end of the transfer member that rotates integrally with the transfer member to shred the food; the food is pressed against the inner surface of the plate-shaped member by the transfer member, and is then shredded by the cutting blade and pushed out through the through holes to the outside. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-299198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] If the food to be processed is a low-temperature food such as the above-mentioned frozen raw meat, the resistance when pushing it out through the through-holes b of the plate-like member c increases, and the pressure inside the cylindrical member a increases. As shown by the thick dashed line in Figure 1, this pressure causes leakage h such as meat juice and fat to leak out in the form of a thin film from the fitting part f between the outer periphery of the plate-shaped member c and the inner periphery of the tubular member a, and this leakage h gets mixed into the minced meat pushed out through the through-hole b, resulting in a problem of reducing the commercial value of the minced meat.

[0007] The problem of leakage h leaking from the fitting portion f between the outer peripheral edge of the plate-like member c and the inner peripheral edge of the cylindrical member a occurs even in a structure with only a small gap like this fitting portion f. Similar problems can also occur in food processing equipment that processes foods other than frozen raw meat. Furthermore, the fitting portion f is annular, and the leaked matter h can leak from any position of the fitting portion f, making it difficult to dispose of or collect the leaked matter in an appropriate place.

[0008] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and to realize a food processing device that increases the commercial value of processed foods by making it difficult for leaked material generated during processing to be mixed into processed foods extruded through through holes, and that also makes it easy to dispose of or recover this leaked material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions. That is, the invention described in claim 1 is such that the outer peripheral edge of a plate-like member (28) having a number of through holes (28b) formed therein is fitted to the inner peripheral edge of the end portion of a cylindrical member (22) surrounding a transfer member (8), and a cutting blade (27) is provided at the end portion of the transfer member (8) in a position close to or in contact with the inner surface of the plate-like member (28) to rotate integrally with the transfer member (8) and shred the food. The food to be attached is cut into small pieces by the cutting blade (27) and pushed out through the through holes (28b), and the food processing device is provided with a discharge passage (T, 30, 31) for discharging leaked material leaking from the fitting between the outer periphery of the plate-like member (28) and the inner periphery of the terminal end of the tubular member (22) due to the pressure inside the tubular member (22) to the outside from a predetermined position separately from the food pushed out through the through holes (28b).

[0010] The invention described in claim 2 is a food processing device described in claim 1, in which an annular or cylindrical fixing member (29) that fixes the position of the plate-shaped member (28) relative to the cylindrical member (22) is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the terminal end of the cylindrical member (22), forming a space (30) between the terminal end of the cylindrical member (22) and the inner surface of the fixing member (29) facing this terminal end, and leakage material that leaks from the fitting portion between the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped member (28) and the inner peripheral edge of the terminal end of the cylindrical member (22) is discharged to the outside through the space (30).

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is a food processing device described in claim 2, in which a discharge path (31) is formed within the thickness of the peripheral wall of the tubular member (22), the starting end of this discharge path (31) is connected to the space portion (30), and the terminal end of this discharge path (31) opens to the outer peripheral surface of the tubular member (22).

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is a food processing device described in claim 3, in which a main discharge opening (33) is opened in a portion of the peripheral wall of the tubular member (22) facing the inner surface of the plate-shaped member (28), and a portion of the food that does not pass through the through hole (28b) formed in the plate-shaped member (28) moves toward the outer periphery of the plate-shaped member (28) by the rotation of the cutting blade (27), passes through the main discharge opening (33), and is discharged to the outside.

[0013] The invention described in claim 5 is the food processing device described in claim 4, in which the starting end of the main discharge path (34) is connected to the main discharge outlet (33), and the terminal end of the discharge path (31) is connected to a midpoint of this main discharge path (34).

[0014] The invention described in claim 6 is the food processing apparatus described in claim 5, in which a valve member (35) is provided in the main discharge path (34), and the terminal end of the discharge path (31) is connected to a portion of the main discharge path (34) downstream of the portion where the valve member (35) is provided.

[0015] A seventh aspect of the present invention is the food processing apparatus of the sixth aspect, further comprising an actuator (38) for actuating the valve member (35), the actuator (38) being actuated at set time intervals.

[0016] The invention described in claim 8 is the food processing apparatus described in claim 7, wherein the valve member (35) is provided with a nozzle (37) that blows air toward the downstream side of the main discharge path (34), and the air is ejected from this nozzle (37) in synchronization with the operation of the actuator (38). [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, a food processing device can be realized that increases the commercial value of processed foods by making it difficult for leaked matter generated during food processing to get mixed in, and also makes it easy to dispose of or collect this leaked matter. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1]FIG. 10 is an explanatory side view showing a partly cutaway view of a main part of a conventional food processing device. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of a food processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view of a food processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view of a food processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a side view illustrating the interior of a food processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a side view for explanation showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention in a partially cross-sectional and developed state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front view of the main part shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectional view illustrating a valve member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a main part according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view for explanation showing a main part of another embodiment of the present invention, partially in cross section and developed. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a main part of another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a side view for explanation showing a part of a cross section of a main part in a reference example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] In the embodiment for carrying out the present invention, a minced meat manufacturing apparatus, which is a meat processing apparatus, is exemplified as an example of a food processing apparatus, and will be described below. In addition, the upstream side is defined as the "rear side" and the downstream side as the "front side" based on the transport direction of the raw meat in this minced meat manufacturing apparatus (or the extrusion direction of the minced meat), and the left-hand side when facing downstream is defined as the "left side" and the right-hand side as the "right side".

[0020] (Overall configuration of minced meat manufacturing equipment) As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the minced meat manufacturing apparatus (the "food processing apparatus" of the present invention) 1 is configured by providing a tank section 4 on the top of a main body section 3 supported by support legs 2, a transmission section 5 extending from the bottom to the rear of the tank section 4, a push-out section 6 on the front side of the tank section 4, and an operating section S on the top front side of the main body section 3.

[0021] (tank) The tank section 4 is constructed by placing a transfer spiral (referred to as the "transfer member" in the claims) 8 at the bottom of a stainless steel container 7 that is rectangular when viewed from the side and approximately inverted triangular when viewed from the front and back, and that rotates around an axis in the front-to-back direction. This transport spiral 8 is inserted rearward through an opening 4a formed in the bottom of the front wall of the container 7, and the rear end of the spiral shaft 8a, which serves as the rotation axis of this transport spiral 8, protrudes rearward through a through hole formed in the bottom of the rear wall of the container 7. The bearing structure of the rear end of the spiral shaft 8a of this transport spiral 8 will be described in detail in the explanation of the structure of the transmission part 5.

[0022] The right end of a rectangular framed protective member 10 is attached to the right edge of an open portion 9 formed in the top of the container 7 by a hinge 11 so as to be vertically rotatable. The protective member 10 has a large number of rod-shaped members 10a arranged in parallel in the left-right direction at intervals that prevent a person's hand from reaching in. A gas spring 12 for biasing the protection member 10 in a direction to rotate it upward is attached across the left end of the top surface of the main body 3 and the rear of the protection member 10 . As a result, when the protective member 10 is rotated downward to cover the opening 9 and then rotated upward to stand up, the gas spring 12 maintains this standing state (open state).

[0023] As shown in Figure 5, above the transport spiral 8, a rotating shaft 13a of the stirring member 13 is suspended from the rear wall to the front wall of the container 7, and the front and rear ends of this rotating shaft 13a are rotatably supported by bearings 14, 14 provided on the front and rear walls of the container 7. The stirring member 13 is formed by welding the bases of three stirring plates 13k to the rear of a rotating shaft 13a at different phases in the axial direction, and by welding a spiral plate 13s to the front of the rotating shaft 13a.

[0024] (Transmission part) An electric motor 15 is installed in the space below the tank part 4 in the main body part 3 (the space below the container 7). An input shaft 16 is disposed on the lower rear side of the rear wall of the container 7, and is rotatably supported at two locations, front and rear, by a front bearing 17 and a rear bearing 18. The front bearing 17 has a function of receiving a load (thrust load) applied in the axial direction of the helical shaft 8a. That is, when the helical shaft 8a is rotationally driven to push out the raw meat as minced meat, a reaction force acts to push the helical shaft 8a backward, but this reaction force can be received appropriately by the front bearing 17.

[0025] In addition, the bearing case 17a incorporating the front bearing 17 and the rear bearing 18 are fixed to a support stay 19 on the main body 3 side, and the front end of the bearing case 17a is fitted into the inner periphery of a through hole formed in the bottom of the rear wall of the container 7. In addition, a fitting portion 16a with a square hole is provided at the front end of the input shaft 16, and when the transfer spiral 8 is inserted rearward through the opening 4a, the square shaft portion formed at the rear end of the spiral shaft 8a fits into the square hole of the fitting portion 16a and rotates integrally.

[0026] Thus, two endless transmission chains 20 are wound around two output sprockets 15b attached to the output shaft 15a of the electric motor 15 and two input sprockets 16b attached to the rear end of the input shaft 16. Furthermore, a square shaft portion is formed at the rear end of the rotary shaft 13a of the stirring member 13, while a square hole is formed at the front end of the rotary cylindrical shaft 21 that is supported on the rear wall side of the container 7. The rotary cylindrical shaft 21 is rotatably supported by a bearing 14 in a transmission case 24 fixed to the rear surface side of the rear wall of the container 7.

[0027] The square shaft portion at the rear end of the rotary shaft 13a is fitted into a square hole at the front end of the rotary cylindrical shaft 21, so that the two shafts 13a and 21 rotate integrally. In the transmission case 24, a gear (not shown) fixed to the rear end of the rotary cylindrical shaft 21 is meshed with a gear (not shown) fixed to the output shaft of the electric motor 25. The axis of the rotary cylindrical shaft 21 and the axis of the output shaft of the electric motor 25 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to each other. The electric motor 25 is driven to rotate the stirring member 13 .

[0028] (Extrusion part) 5, the pushing unit 6 fastens a base (rear end) 22K of a cylinder (a "cylindrical member" in the claims) 22 to the front side of the front wall of the container 7 with a bolt . The base 22K has an expanded shape such that the cross-sectional area of ​​its internal space increases toward the rear, and in a side cross-sectional view, an inclined surface 22S is formed on the upper wall thereof, inclining downward toward the front. The internal space that opens at the rear end of the base 22K communicates with an opening 4a formed in the bottom of the front wall of the container 7.

[0029] Furthermore, the portion of the cylinder 22 that extends continuously forward from the base 22K is a cylindrical portion 22C having a uniform inner diameter, and a step portion 22F is formed at the front end of this cylindrical portion 22C to form a fitting support portion 22D with an enlarged inner diameter. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, six ribs 22E extending spirally in the front-rear direction are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22C.

[0030] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transport spiral 8 is formed so that the spiral pitch gradually decreases from its rear end (the upstream end in the transport direction) to its front end (the downstream end in the transport direction). When the transport spiral 8 is installed at the bottom of the container 7, the front end of the transport spiral 8 protrudes forward from the opening 4a of the container 7, and this protruding portion is surrounded by a cylinder 22.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, a circular hole is drilled along the axial direction at the front end of the spiral shaft 8a of the transport spiral 8, and the cylindrical base of the support pin 26 is fitted into this circular hole. A compression spring may be interposed between the bottom surface of this circular hole and the rear end surface of the support pin 26 .

[0032] Then, the center hole of a rotary blade (referred to as "cutting blade" in the claims) 27 having four cutting edges is fitted into the middle of the support pin 26 in the front-to-rear direction, and this rotary blade 27 is engaged with a groove formed in the front end of the helical shaft 8a. As a result, the helical shaft 8a and the rotary blade 27 rotate integrally, and the rotary blade 27 rotates at a position close to or in contact with the inner surface of a porous plate, which will be described later.

[0033] In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the perforated plate 28 (the "outer peripheral edge of the plate-like member" in the claims) is fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the fitting support portion 22D (the "inner peripheral edge of the terminal end of the cylindrical member" in the claims) formed at the front end of the above-mentioned cylindrical portion 22C, and anti-rotation is provided by a key 28k. The front portion of the support pin 26 is inserted into a boss portion 28a formed in the center of the perforated plate 28, and is supported rotatably.

[0034] The fitting position (depth) of the perforated plate 28 relative to the fitting support portion 22D is regulated by contact with a step portion 22F formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 22C. The porous plate 28 is formed in a shallow dish shape (or a short cylinder shape) from a bottom surface portion in which a large number of through holes 28b are formed and a peripheral edge portion rising from the outer periphery of the bottom surface portion.

[0035] This fitting and abutting structure forms gaps T between the outer peripheral surface of the perforated plate 28 and the inner peripheral surface of the fitting support portion 22D, and between the rear surface of the perforated plate 28 and the front surface of the step portion 22F, allowing fine particles of foreign matter such as meat juice and fat to pass through. (In the claims, the foreign matter that passes through this gap T (leaks out from the gap T) is referred to as the "leakage matter.") The inner peripheral surface of a screw member ("fixing member" in claims) 29 formed in an annular or cylindrical shape with a discharge port 29d opened on the inner peripheral surface is screwed and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of the fitting support portion 22D.

[0036] That is, a female screw formed on the inner peripheral surface of the screw member 29 and a male screw formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front end of the fitting support part 22D form a screw part 29R, which is fastened and fixed. As a result, the collar 29c fitted into the step portion on the rear side surface of the screw member 29 comes into contact with the front end surface of the porous plate 28, and the porous plate 28 is fixed within the fitting support portion 22D.

[0037] In this state, an annular space (the "space portion" in the claims) 30 is formed, surrounded by the front end surface of the fitting support portion 22D of the cylinder 22 (the "end of the tubular member" in the claims), the rear side surface of the screw member 29, the rear end outer peripheral surface of the porous plate 28, and the inner peripheral surface of the screw member 29. Thus, a discharge hole (the "discharge path" in the claims) 31 in the front-to-rear direction is drilled within the thickness of the peripheral wall of the fitting support portion 22D formed at the front end of the above-mentioned cylindrical portion 22C, and the front end portion (the "starting end portion" in the claims) of this discharge hole 31 is connected to the space 30.

[0038] As a result of the above, a discharge path (referred to as a "discharge passage" in claims) that communicates with the outside is formed from the gap T, the space 30, and the discharge hole 31. The foreign matter that passes through this discharge path and is discharged to the outside is discharged to the outside in a state separate (independent) from the minced meat that is pushed out through the through holes 28b of the porous plate 28 described above. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the rear end of the discharge hole 31 (the "terminal end of the discharge path" in the claims) is opened to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22C of the cylinder 22 to form an opening 31a, and the base of the discharge pipe 32 is connected to this opening 31a.

[0039] On the other hand, a through hole (referred to as the "main discharge port" in the claims) 33 having a larger diameter than the above-mentioned opening 31a is opened in the portion of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 22C of the cylinder 22 facing the inner surface of the perforated plate 28 (the portion just before the inner surface of the perforated plate 28). Relatively large foreign objects such as bone fragments that do not pass through the through holes 28b of the porous plate 28 are pushed outward (toward the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 22C) by the rotation of the rotary blade 27 and flow into the through holes 33. The through hole 33 is connected to a discharge tube (referred to as a "main discharge passage" in the claims) 34 .

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, a valve (referred to as a "valve member" in the claims) 35 is provided in the middle of the discharge tube . As shown in Figures 6 and 8, this valve 35 has a rotary valve spool 35b built into a cylindrical valve case 35a, and is configured so that an adjustment shaft 35c that engages with a protrusion formed on one side of this valve spool 35b is supported by a bushing 35d.

[0041] The base of the adjustment arm 35e is fitted onto the end of the adjustment shaft 35c that protrudes from one side of the valve case 35a, and is fastened and fixed with a nut 35f. A cap 35g is screwed onto the other end of the valve case 35a, and by removing this cap 35g, the valve spool 35b can be pulled out from the valve case 35a to allow for cleaning and other maintenance.

[0042] As shown in Figure 9, an inlet hole 35aa and an outlet hole 35ab are formed in two locations on the peripheral wall of the valve case 35a, and the inlet hole 35aa is connected to the upstream discharge tube 34 that is connected to the above-mentioned through hole 33 side. In addition, the outlet hole 35ab is connected to a downstream discharge tube 34, one end of a discharge guide tube 36 is connected to the terminal end of this discharge tube 34, and the other end of this discharge guide tube 36 is connected to a storage container or the like.

[0043] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the valve spool 35b has a large-diameter hole 35h formed in a direction perpendicular to its rotation axis, and a small-diameter hole 35i formed in communication with the bottom of the large-diameter hole 35h. The large diameter hole 35h and the small diameter hole 35i both open to the outer peripheral surface of the bubble spool 35b.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 9, a hole 35j that can communicate with the small diameter hole 35i of the valve spool 35b is formed in part of the peripheral wall of the valve case 35a, and the tip of the nozzle 37 is fitted into this hole 35j for attachment. The tip of the rod of an air cylinder (actuator in claims) 38 is axially attached to the tip of the above-mentioned adjustment arm 35e, and the valve spool 35b is rotated by the expansion and contraction of this air cylinder 38.

[0045] In the state shown in Figure 9, large diameter hole 35h in valve spool 35b communicates with discharge tube 34 on the downstream side via outlet hole 35ab, and air ejected from nozzle 37 is blown through small diameter hole 35i in valve spool 35b into large diameter hole 35h, causing foreign matter such as bone fragments in the raw meat that has accumulated in large diameter hole 35h to be discharged from discharge tube 34 through discharge guide pipe 36. Further, the discharge pipe 32 and a junction port 39 opening at an intermediate portion of the downstream discharge tube 34 are connected by a communication pipe 40 .

[0046] As a result, foreign matter such as fat and meat juice discharged from the discharge hole 31 flows into the downstream discharge tube 34 through the communicating tube 40, and is discharged through the discharge guide tube 36 together with foreign matter such as bone chips passing through this discharge tube 34.

[0047] The air cylinder 38 expands and contracts at predetermined time intervals in response to an output from a control unit (not shown), and when the air cylinder 38 contracts, it switches to the state shown in FIG. 9 and foreign matter is discharged. The contraction of the air cylinder 38 and the ejection of air from the nozzle 37 are configured to occur in synchronization.

[0048] The discharge of this foreign matter is completed in a short time, after which the air cylinder 38 extends, and the rotation of the valve spool 35b causes the large diameter hole 35h to communicate with the upstream discharge tube 34, and the foreign matter discharged from the through hole 33 becomes stored in this large diameter hole 35h. In this state, the path of the discharge tube 34 from the through hole 33 to the discharge guide pipe 36 is blocked somewhere along the way.

[0049] (action) The operation of the above-described embodiment will be described. First, the protective member 10 is opened, and frozen raw meat (crushed by a flaker or the like) is poured into the container 7 through the open portion 9 and piled up. After the protective member 10 has been closed, when a start switch (not shown) provided on the operation unit S is turned on, the electric motor 15 and the electric motor 25 start to operate. This causes the agitator 13 and the transport spiral 8 to rotate, and the raw meat is agitated by the agitator plates 13k of the agitator 13, etc., and is taken into the transport spiral 8 below and transported forward.

[0050] The raw meat that has reached the front wall of the container 7 is pushed into the inside of the cylindrical portion 22C of the cylinder 22 through the opening 4a while being guided by the inclined surface 22S. The raw meat pushed into the inside of the cylindrical portion 22C is pressed against the inner surface of the perforated plate 28 by the transport action of the transport spiral 8, and is pushed out in a linear shape to the outside through the through holes 28b of the perforated plate 28 while being shredded by the cutting blade 27 which rotates integrally with the transport spiral 8. The minced meat thus extruded passes through a discharge port 29d formed in the screw member 29 and is transferred onto a conveyor.

[0051] During this extrusion, the pressure of the raw meat inside the cylindrical portion 22C increases excessively due to the extrusion resistance at the through-hole 28b. This pressure causes fine particles of foreign matter such as meat juice and fat in the raw meat to pass through the gap T between the rear surface of the perforated plate 28 and the front surface of the step portion 22F, and then through the gap T between the outer surface of the perforated plate 28 and the inner surface of the fitting support portion 22D and flow into the annular space 30.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 9, the discharge hole 31, the opening 31a, and the discharge pipe 32 are provided on the lower periphery of the fitting support part 22D, so that foreign matter in the space 30 can be smoothly discharged. In addition, if the discharge hole 31, opening 31a, and discharge pipe 32 are provided on the upper periphery of the fitting support portion 22D, when foreign matter that flows into the space 30 exceeds the capacity of the space 30, it is pushed into the discharge hole 31 and discharged into the discharge pipe 32 through the opening 31a.

[0053] The foreign matter discharged from the discharge pipe 32 flows through the connecting pipe 40 and into the discharge tube 34 from the junction port 39, and is discharged through the discharge guide pipe 36 together with foreign matter such as bone fragments passing through the discharge tube 34.

[0054] (Another embodiment) 10 and 11, the basic structure of the push-out unit 6 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted (the same reference numerals are used for the respective members). In this alternative embodiment, the end of the discharge hole 31 in the above-described embodiment is configured to join with a discharge tube 34 located upstream of the valve 35 . This eliminates the need to provide the communication pipe 40 and simplifies the structure.

[0055] (Reference example) 12, the basic structure of the push-out unit 6 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted (the same reference numerals are used for the respective members). In this reference example, the discharge hole 31 in the above-described embodiment is not provided, and a discharge guide plate 41 is provided below the front part of the pushing-out part 6, inclined downward toward the rear. This allows foreign matter that leaks out of the annular space 30 through the screw-threaded portion 29R and falls to the outside to be received on the discharge guide plate 41 and discharged to a predetermined position, preventing it from getting mixed into the minced meat pushed out through the through holes 28b of the porous plate 28. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1. Minced meat manufacturing equipment (food processing equipment) 8 Transfer spiral (transfer member) 22 Cylinder (cylindrical member) 27 Rotary blade (cutting blade) 28 Perforated plate (plate-shaped member) 28b Through hole 29 Threaded member (fixing member) 30 Space (space part) 31 Discharge hole (discharge path) 33 Through hole (main discharge port) 34 Discharge tube (main discharge path) 35 Valve (valve member) 38 Air cylinder (actuator)

Claims

1. The food processing device is configured such that the outer peripheral edge of a plate-shaped member (28) having a number of through holes (28b) formed therein is fitted onto the inner peripheral edge of the terminal end of a tubular member (22) surrounding a transfer member (8), and a cutting blade (27) is provided at the terminal end of the transfer member (8) in a position close to or in contact with the inner surface of the plate-shaped member (28) and rotates integrally with the transfer member (8) to shred food, and food pressed against the inner surface of the plate-shaped member (28) by the transfer member (8) is shredded by the cutting blade (27) and pushed through the through holes (28b) to the outside, and a discharge passage (T, 30, 31) is provided to discharge leakage material leaking from the fitting portion between the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped member (28) and the inner peripheral edge of the terminal end of the tubular member (22) due to pressure within the tubular member (22) to the outside from a predetermined position separately from the food pushed through the through holes (28b).

2. 2. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein an annular or cylindrical fixing member (29) for fixing the position of the plate-like member (28) relative to the cylindrical member (22) is fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the terminal end of the cylindrical member (22), forming a space (30) between the terminal end of the cylindrical member (22) and the inner surface of the fixing member (29) facing this terminal end, and wherein leakage material leaking from the fitting portion between the outer peripheral edge of the plate-like member (28) and the inner peripheral edge of the terminal end of the cylindrical member (22) is discharged to the outside through the space (30).

3. 3. A food processing apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein a discharge passage (31) is formed within the thickness of the peripheral wall of the tubular member (22), the starting end of this discharge passage (31) is connected to the space portion (30), and the terminal end of this discharge passage (31) is open to the outer peripheral surface of the tubular member (22).

4. 4. The food processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein a main discharge opening (33) is opened in a portion of the peripheral wall of the tubular member (22) facing the inner surface of the plate-like member (28), and a portion of the food that does not pass through the through hole (28b) formed in the plate-like member (28) moves toward the outer periphery of the plate-like member (28) as the cutting blade (27) rotates, and passes through the main discharge opening (33) to be discharged to the outside.

5. 5. The food processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the starting end of a main discharge passage (34) is connected to the main discharge port (33), and the terminal end of the discharge passage (31) is connected to a midpoint of the main discharge passage (34).

6. 6. The food processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a valve member (35) is provided in the main discharge passage (34), and the terminal end of the discharge passage (31) is connected to a portion of the main discharge passage (34) downstream of the portion where the valve member (35) is provided.

7. 7. The food processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an actuator (38) for actuating the valve member (35), the actuator (38) being actuated at set time intervals.

8. 8. The food processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the valve member (35) is provided with a nozzle (37) for blowing air toward the downstream side of the main discharge passage (34), and the air is ejected from the nozzle (37) in synchronization with the operation of the actuator (38).

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