Stirring blade attachment / detachment structure and stirring device equipped therewith

Abstract

To provide a stirring blade attachment / detachment structure that prevents a shaft from falling.SOLUTION: A stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X of a stirring device comprises a stirring arm 6, a stirring blade 7, and a shaft 8. The stirring arm includes a blade holding part 62 and is provided with an arm side shaft hole 62b, and the stirring blade includes a held part 71a and is provided with a blade side shaft hole 71c. The shaft is inserted through the arm side shaft hole 62b and the blade side shaft hole thereby rotatably connecting the stirring arm and the stirring blade, comprises a shaft body 80 and a lock piece 81 and comprises a slit on a tip side thereof. A support pin is located in the slit. The lock piece includes a long hole, and is pivotally supported in the slit by insertion of the support pin. The shaft is prevented from falling in such a manner that the lock piece is rotated by gravity force, and a longer direction of the long hole and the shaft body are non-parallel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a stirring blade attachment / detachment structure for attaching and detaching the stirring blades of a stirring device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a stirring device including a stirring arm and a stirring blade attached to the tip of the stirring arm, and stirring the object to be stirred by rotating the stirring arm. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a stirring blade attachment / detachment structure in which a stirring arm (arm) and a stirring blade are detachably attached by a shaft (axis).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the shaft of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is provided with a retaining member (hook for preventing escape) at the tip, and by rotating the retaining member and bending it in a direction perpendicular to the shaft, after attaching the stirring blade to the stirring arm, the shaft is prevented from falling off. <00​​​​​​​​​​​​According to the present invention, a stirring blade attachment and detachment structure for a stirring device is provided, comprising a stirring arm, a stirring blade, and a shaft, wherein the stirring arm has a blade holding portion at its tip and an arm-side shaft hole formed in the blade holding portion, the stirring blade has a holding portion and a blade-side shaft hole formed in the holding portion, the shaft is configured to rotatably connect the stirring arm and the stirring blade by being inserted through the arm-side shaft hole and the blade-side shaft hole, and the structure comprises a shaft body and a locking piece, wherein the shaft body has a slit at its tip and a support pin is arranged in the slit, the locking piece has an elongated hole and is pivotally supported in the slit by being inserted through the elongated hole and the support pin, and the shaft is configured to prevent detachment by the locking piece rotating due to gravity so that the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole and the shaft body become non-parallel.

[0008] According to the present invention, the locking piece is configured to rotate due to gravity, so that after the shaft is inserted, the shaft is locked automatically without any special work required, and the shaft can be reliably prevented from falling out.

[0009] The following are examples of various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments shown below can be combined with each other.

[0010] Preferably, the length of the elongated hole in the locking piece in the same direction as the short side is greater than the diameter of the shaft body.

[0011] Preferably, the stirring arm is equipped with a biasing means that protrudes toward the stirring blade and biases the stirring blade.

[0012] Preferably, the shaft is provided with a head on its base end, and when the head is viewed from the axial direction of the shaft, the width of the head in the direction perpendicular to the support pin is greater than the width in the direction in which the support pin extends.

[0013] Preferably, the stirring blade comprises a blade plate for stirring, a base plate and a stopper plate supporting the blade plate, the blade plate having an insertion hole, the base plate having the retained portion, at least one of the base plate and the stopper plate having a contact portion near the retained portion, one of the base plate and the stopper plate having an engaging projection, the other having an engaging hole that engages with the engaging projection, the engaging hole comprising a release hole and a smaller fixing hole connected to the release hole, the engaging projection having an expanded diameter portion on its tip side, the expanded diameter portion passing through the release hole but The shape and size are such that they do not pass through the fixing holes, and the engaging projection is inserted into the insertion hole and the release hole, and when the substrate, the blade plate and the stopper plate are stacked in this order, the substrate and the stopper plate slide relative to each other, causing the expanded diameter portion and the fixing hole to engage, and when the shaft is inserted into the arm-side shaft hole of the stirring arm and the blade-side shaft hole of the stirring blade, the relative sliding of the substrate and the stopper plate in the disengagement direction is restricted by the contact between the contact portion and the head.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a stirring device is provided for stirring a material to be stirred contained in a processing tank, and the stirring device is equipped with the above-described stirring blade attachment and detachment structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X according to one embodiment of the present invention applied to the stirring device 1, with a portion cut out to show the interior. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the assembled state of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X from a different angle. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X. [Figure 6] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the shaft 8 of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X. [Figure 7] FIG. 7A is a front view of the shaft 8 of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X in FIG. 2, FIG. 7B is a plan view of the shaft 8, and FIG. 7C is a side view of the shaft 8. [Figure 8] It is a sectional view of a main part different from FIG. 5 of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] It is a side view of the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X in FIG. 2. [Figure 10] FIGS. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams showing the procedure for assembling the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X in FIG. 2. [Figure 11] FIGS. 11A to 11B are explanatory diagrams showing the state when the shaft 8 is inserted in the wrong direction. [Figure 12] FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams showing the head of the shaft 8 according to a modified example of the present application.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Various characteristic matters shown in the embodiments described below can be combined with each other. Further, an invention can be established independently for each characteristic.

[0017] 1. Configuration of the stirring device 1 First, the overall configuration of the stirring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the stirring device 1 is a steam kneader that stirs food as the object to be stirred while heating it. As shown in FIG. 1, the stirring device 1 includes a treatment tank 2 in which food is accommodated, a steam jacket 3 that heats the food in the treatment tank 2, and a stirring means 4 that stirs the food in the treatment tank 2.

[0018] The treatment tank 2 is a horizontally oriented substantially cylindrical container, and a substantially rectangular cylindrical hopper 20 with an open upper portion is provided at the central portion in the axial direction thereof. However, the shape of the treatment tank 2 is not limited to this, and for example, it may be a hemispherical container with an open upper portion. The steam jacket 3 is provided so as to cover the lower part of the treatment tank 2.

[0019] Steam can be supplied to the steam jacket 3 via a steam supply passage 31 equipped with a steam inlet valve 30. In addition, condensed water from the steam supplied to the steam jacket 3 can be discharged to the outside via a drain discharge passage 33 equipped with a steam trap 32.

[0020] The stirring mechanism 4 specifically comprises a stirring shaft 5, a plurality of stirring arms 6, a plurality of stirring blades 7 attached to each stirring arm 6, a shaft 8 (see Figure 2), and a drive box 9. The stirring shaft 5 is installed inside the processing tank 2 so as to span both ends in its axial direction. The stirring shaft 5 is rotatable by a drive mechanism in the drive box 9. As the stirring shaft 5 rotates, the stirring blades 7 attached to the stirring arms 6 stir the food.

[0021] Furthermore, the drive box 9 also incorporates a tilting mechanism for the processing tank 2, which allows the upper opening of the processing tank 2 (hopper 20) to be tilted forward. The drive mechanism for the stirring shaft 5 and the tilting mechanism for the processing tank 2 are controlled by operating the control panel 10, which is equipped with a touch panel and operation buttons.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the stirring arm 6 comprises an arm body 60 made of a straight or, as desired, curved round bar. A clamp member 61 is provided at the base end of the arm body 60 for fixing the stirring arm 6 to the stirring shaft 5. The configuration of the clamp member 61 can be any as long as it can fix the stirring arm 6 to the stirring shaft 5. By fixing the stirring arm 6 to the stirring shaft 5 with the clamp member 61, the stirring arm 6 and the stirring blades 7 can be rotated integrally with respect to the stirring shaft 5.

[0023] A blade retaining section 62 is provided at the tip of the arm body 60. As shown in Figure 3, the blade retaining section 62 comprises a pair of plate-shaped blade retaining pieces 62a that protrude from the tip of the arm body 60, and these pair of blade retaining pieces 62a are spaced apart from each other and arranged parallel to each other. An arm-side shaft hole 62b is formed through the pair of blade retaining pieces 62a, perpendicular to the plate surface.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, a pin housing hole 63 is formed at the tip of the arm body 60, opening toward the tip at a position between the pair of blade retaining pieces 62a. In this embodiment, the pin housing hole 63 is eccentric from the axis of the arm body 60 and is positioned biased toward one side in the width direction of the blade retaining piece 62a (the left side in Figure 5).

[0025] The pin housing hole 63 houses a biasing means 64 that protrudes toward the stirring blade 7 and biases the held portion 71a of the stirring blade 7. Specifically, the biasing means 64 comprises a coil spring 64a and a pressing pin 64b. The tip of the pressing pin 64b is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, and the pressing pin 64b is biased by the coil spring 64a so that its tip protrudes from the pin housing hole 63. Note that the cross-section of the biasing means 64 is not shown in Figure 5.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the stirring blade 7 comprises a blade plate 70 for stirring, a base plate 71 and a retaining plate 72 that support the blade plate 70. In this embodiment, the base plate 71 and retaining plate 72 are made of metal such as stainless steel, and the blade plate 70 is made of synthetic resin such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or fluororesin. In the following description of the stirring blade 7, the longitudinal direction of the blade plate 70, base plate 71 and retaining plate 72 is the left-right direction, the thickness direction perpendicular to the surface of these plates is the up-down direction, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction is the front-back direction (the left side is the front in Figure 3) (see Figure 3).

[0027] The vane plate 70 is made of a roughly rectangular plate material, and its leading edge is beveled and angled as desired (see Figure 5). The vane plate 70 has an insertion hole 70a formed through it at a position corresponding to the engaging projection 71d of the base plate 71.

[0028] The substrate 71 is made of a roughly rectangular plate material and has a retaining portion 71a at the rear of its central part in the left-right direction for attachment to the blade retaining portion 62 of the stirring arm 6. The retaining portion 71a is in the shape of a roughly rectangular block. The retaining portion 71a has an extension portion 71b on its lower surface that extends toward the tip, and this extension portion 71b is superimposed on the lower surface of the substrate 71 and fixed by welding or the like. A blade-side shaft hole 71c is formed through the retaining portion 71a along the left-right direction.

[0029] Furthermore, the substrate 71 is provided with a pair of left and right engaging protrusions 71d at both the left and right ends of its upper surface. In this embodiment, the engaging protrusions 71d are formed from short round rods and are provided protruding upward from the substrate 71. The base ends of the engaging protrusions 71d are fixed to the substrate 71 by welding or the like.

[0030] The engaging projection 71d has a shaft portion 71d1 at its base end and an expanded diameter portion 71d2 at its tip end. The length of the shaft portion 71d1 corresponds to the total thickness of the vane plate 70 and the retaining plate 72. The expanded diameter portion 71d2 is larger in diameter than the shaft portion 71d1 and is shaped and sized to pass through the release hole 72a1 of the retaining plate 72 (described later) but not through the fixing hole 72a2.

[0031] The retaining plate 72 is made of a roughly rectangular plate material and has a pair of engagement holes 72a that engage with the engagement projection 71d of the base plate 71 at positions corresponding to the engagement projection 71d. Each engagement hole 72a is shaped like a Daruma doll and has a release hole 72a1 and a smaller fixing hole 72a2 connected to the release hole 72a1. More specifically, the release hole 72a1 is formed in the shape of a round hole, and the fixing hole 72a2 is formed to extend from the release hole 72a1 toward the rear in the shape of an elongated hole. The width dimension of the fixing hole 72a2 is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the release hole 72a1. The release hole 72a1 is sized so that the bulging portion 71d2 of the engagement projection 71d can be inserted into and removed from it. On the other hand, the fixing hole 72a2 is sized so that the bulging portion 71d2 cannot be inserted into or removed from it.

[0032] A shallow notch 72b is formed on the rear side of the left-right center of the stopper plate 72, and a pair of stoppers 72c are provided on either side of it as contact points. The shape of each stopper 72c is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment they are roughly rectangular in shape, provided roughly perpendicular to the surface of the stopper plate 72, and extending downward from the stopper plate 72.

[0033] Furthermore, the width dimensions of the blade plate 70 and the base plate 71 may be varied so that their longitudinal width narrows towards the tip (forward). Similarly, the width dimension of the retaining plate 72 may also be varied. However, such inclination is not mandatory for the blade plate 70, base plate 71, and retaining plate 72.

[0034] The shaft 8 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The shaft 8 is inserted through the shaft hole 62b on the arm side and the shaft hole 71c on the blade side, thereby rotatably connecting the stirring arm 6 and the stirring blade 7. In this embodiment, the shaft 8 is equipped with a so-called gravity lock mechanism that bends at the tip to prevent it from falling out.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figures 6 to 7C, the shaft 8 comprises a shaft body 80, a locking piece 81, and a head 82. The shaft body 80 is formed in a round bar shape and has a pair of plate-shaped support pieces 80a arranged parallel to each other and spaced apart at its tip. A slit 80b for positioning the locking piece 81 is formed between the pair of support pieces 80a, as shown in Figures 6 and 7B. A support pin 83 is positioned within the slit 80b so as to span the pair of support pieces 80a. Both ends of the support pin 83 are press-fitted so as to pass through the support pieces 80a and are fixed to the support pieces 80a by welding or the like. The base ends of the pair of support pieces 80a are contact portions 80c that abut against the inclined portion 81c of the locking piece 81.

[0036] The locking piece 81 is a thin, plate-like, substantially rectangular metal piece. As shown in Figure 7A, the locking piece 81 has an oval-shaped slot 81a that penetrates in the thickness direction and extends along the longitudinal direction. The length of the slot 81a in the short direction is also larger than the diameter of the support pin 83, and is configured to allow the support pin 83 to be inserted through it. The locking piece 81 is pivotally supported within the slit 80b by inserting the support pin 83 through the slot 81a. By being pivotally supported in this way, the locking piece 81 can rotate and move parallel to itself within the slit 80b. The shaft 8 is configured such that the locking piece 81 rotates and bends due to gravity, causing the longitudinal direction of the slot 81a and the shaft body 80 to become non-parallel, thereby preventing it from falling out.

[0037] Furthermore, in the shaft 8 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7A, the length L1 in the short direction of the locking piece 81 (in other words, the length in the same direction as the short direction of the elongated hole 81a) is greater than the diameter D of the shaft body 80 (L1 > D). In addition, one end of the locking piece 81 in the longitudinal direction (the right end in Figure 7A) is a tapered portion 81b with a notched corner, and the other end in the longitudinal direction (the left end in Figure 7A) is an inclined portion 81c with an inclined end face.

[0038] Furthermore, when the support pin 83 is positioned at the end of the elongated hole 81a on the inclined portion 81c side (the state shown in Figure 7A), the tip of the inclined portion 81c of the locking piece 81 is in contact with the contact portion 80c. However, in the shaft 8 according to the present invention, it is not essential to provide the inclined portion 81c.

[0039] The head 82 is integrally provided with the shaft body 80 at the base end of the shaft body 80. The head 82 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed to be thicker than the diameter of the shaft body 80. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7C, the shaft 8 is configured such that the width L2 of the head 82 in the direction perpendicular to the support pin 83 when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 8 (see also Figure 7A) is greater than the width L3 in the direction in which the support pin 83 extends (longitudinal direction) (see also Figure 7B) (L2 > L3). The width L2 of the head 82 in the direction perpendicular to the support pin 83 when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 8 can be rephrased as the length in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the shaft body 80 and the longitudinal direction of the support pin 83. The width L3 in the direction in which the support pin 83 extends can be rephrased as the length in the direction perpendicular to the plane on which the lock piece 81 of the head 82 rotates. Therefore, in this embodiment, the length of the head 82 in the direction perpendicular to the shaft body 80, specifically in the direction in which the locking piece 81 bends (the vertical direction in Figure 7A), is longer.

[0040] By the way, in the stirring device 1 of this embodiment, the stirring arm 6, stirring blade 7, and shaft 8 described above constitute a stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X, and the stirring blade 7 can be attached to and detached from the stirring arm 6. The operation of attaching and detaching the stirring blade 7 by the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X will be described below with reference to Figures 3 and 8 to 11B.

[0041] 2. Attachment and detachment operation of the stirring blade 7 using the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure X. To attach the stirring blade 7 to the stirring arm 6, first, the insertion hole 70a of the blade plate 70 is fitted into the engaging projection 71d of the base plate 71, and the blade plate 70 is then placed on top of the base plate 71. This causes the insertion hole 70a to fit into the shaft portion 71d1 of the engaging projection 71d, while the tip and bulging portion 71d2 of the shaft portion 71d of the engaging projection 71d protrude from the blade plate 70. Then, the release hole 72a1 of the engaging hole 72a of the retaining plate 72 is fitted into the engaging projection 71d, and the retaining plate 72 is placed on top of the blade plate 70 (see Figure 3). With the base plate 71, blade plate 70, and retaining plate 72 stacked in this order, the retaining plate 72 is slid toward the tip side relative to the base plate 71 (see Figures 10A to 10B).

[0042] As a result, the fixing hole 72a2 of the engagement hole 72a is fitted into the shaft portion 71d1 of the engagement projection 71d, and the enlarged diameter portion 71d2 of the engagement projection 71d engages with the fixing hole 72a2. When the stopper plate 72 is slid sufficiently toward the tip side relative to the base plate 71, the base plate 71, the vane plate 70, and the stopper plate 72 are arranged so that their base ends (rear ends) are aligned, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, and the vane plate 70 extends toward the tip side relative to the base plate 71 and the stopper plate 72.

[0043] Next, the held portion 71a of the stirring blade 7, which is in this state, is placed between the pair of blade holding pieces 62a of the blade holding portion 62 of the stirring arm 6, and the shaft 8 is inserted through the arm-side shaft hole 62b and the blade-side shaft hole 71c (see Figures 8 and 10B to 10C). When inserting the shaft 8 through the arm-side shaft hole 62b and the blade-side shaft hole 71c, the tip of the inclined portion 81c of the locking piece 81 of the shaft 8 is kept in contact with the contact portion 80c of the shaft body 80, as shown in Figure 7A. This restricts the rotation of the locking piece 81 in one direction (clockwise rotation in Figure 7A), maintains the locking piece 81 parallel to the shaft body 80, and makes it possible to easily insert the shaft 8.

[0044] Then, after the shaft 8 is inserted through the shaft hole 62b on the arm side and the shaft hole 71c on the blade side, the locking piece 81 bends due to gravity or operation by the user, thereby preventing the shaft 8 from coming out.

[0045] Incidentally, when the shaft 8 is inserted, as shown in Figure 5, the pressing pin 64b of the biasing means 64 presses against the held portion 71a of the stirring blade 7, so that the stirring blade 7 is biased downward around the shaft 8. During operation of the stirring device 1, the stirring blade 7 rotates clockwise in Figure 5, but the action of the pressing pin 64b makes it easier for the tip edge of the blade plate 70 to come into contact with the inner surface of the processing tank 2.

[0046] Furthermore, the pressing pin 64b presses against the retained portion 71a, indirectly causing the retained portion 71a to pull the shaft 8 toward the tip. Consequently, the shaft 8 is pressed against the inner surface of the tip side of the arm-side shaft hole 62b, making axial movement difficult. In addition, because the shaft 8 is pressed against the surface, even if the locking piece 81 is in a straight state, the length L1 of the locking piece 81 in the shorter direction is larger than the diameter D of the shaft body 80, which in turn makes it easier for the locking piece 81 to catch on the edge of the arm-side shaft hole 62b.

[0047] In addition, when the stirring blade 7 is attached to the stirring arm 6, as shown in Figures 9 and 10C, the stopper 72c of the retaining plate 72 is in contact with or close to the head 82 of the shaft 8. As a result, the sliding of the retaining plate 72 toward the rear side of the substrate 71 (i.e., in the direction of disengaging the engagement hole 72a from the engagement projection 71d) is restricted by the contact between the stopper 72c and the head 82. That is, when the stirring blade 7 is attached to the stirring arm 6, the maximum allowable gap between the head 82 of the shaft 8 and the stopper 72c of the retaining plate 72 is such that even if the retaining plate 72 is slid toward the base end side of the substrate 71, the release hole 72a1 of the engagement hole 72a of the retaining plate 72 does not come into contact with the engagement projection 71d of the substrate 71. However, it is preferable that the gap between the head 82 of the shaft 8 and the stopper 72c of the retaining plate 72 be as small as possible.

[0048] In this embodiment, the head 82 of the shaft 8 is configured such that, as described above, when the head 82 is viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 8, the length of the width L2 perpendicular to the support pin 83 of the head 82 is greater than the width L3 in the direction in which the support pin 83 extends (longitudinal direction) (L2 > L3). When the direction of width L3 coincides with the front-to-back direction of the stirring blade 7, the shaft 8 can be inserted without the head 82 interfering with the stopper 72c, as shown in Figures 10B and 10C. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 11A and 11B, when the direction of width L2 coincides with the front-to-back direction of the stirring blade 7, the head 82 interferes with the stopper 72c, preventing the shaft 8 from being inserted all the way.

[0049] Conversely, to remove the stirring blade 7 from the stirring arm 6, the locking piece 81 of the shaft 8 is rotated along the axial direction of the shaft 8, thereby disengaging the shaft 8 from the blade holding portion 62 of the stirring arm 6 and the held portion 71a of the stirring blade 7. After that, the retaining plate 72 is slid toward the base end relative to the base plate 71, so that the engaging projection 71d of the base plate 71 is positioned in the release hole 72a1 of the engaging hole 72a of the retaining plate 72. This allows the retaining plate 72 and the blade plate 70 to be removed from the base plate 71.

[0050] 3. Effects According to the embodiments described above, the following effects and advantages can be obtained.

[0051] (1) The shaft 8 is equipped with a locking piece 81, and the locking piece 81 is configured to rotate due to gravity. This allows the shaft 8 to be locked in place after insertion without any special work required. In this embodiment, the locking piece 81 can only be straight along the shaft body 80 (as shown in Figure 7A) during stirring when the tip of the shaft 8 is facing downwards. However, when the tip of the shaft 8 is facing downwards, the shaft 8 is pulled downwards by gravity (i.e., in the direction in which the shaft 8 is inserted), so the shaft 8 will not fall out. Therefore, the shaft 8 according to the present invention can only be in one of two states: either the locking piece 81 is bent, or the tip of the shaft 8 is facing downwards and will not fall out, thus ensuring that it does not fall out.

[0052] (2) The length L1 of the elongated hole 81a in the locking piece 81 in the same direction as the short side is greater than the diameter D of the shaft body 80 (see Figure 7A). As a result, when the shaft 8 moves in the direction of being pulled out, the locking piece 81 catches on the edge of the arm-side shaft hole 62b, preventing the shaft 8 from falling out. In addition, the stirring arm 6 is equipped with a biasing means 64, which presses the held portion 71a of the stirring blade 7, thereby pressing the shaft 8 against the inner surface of the tip side of the arm-side shaft hole 62b. This also makes it easier for the locking piece 81 to catch on the edge of the arm-side shaft hole 62b.

[0053] (3) When the head 82 of the shaft 8 is viewed from the axial direction of the shaft 8, the width L2 of the head 82 in the direction perpendicular to the support pin 83 is configured to be greater than the width L3 in the direction in which the support pin 83 extends. When the direction of width L2 coincides with the front-to-back direction of the stirring blade 7, the head 82 interferes with the stopper 72c, preventing the shaft 8 from being fully inserted. However, if the shaft 8 is inserted so that the locking piece 81 can rotate in the direction of the stirring blade 7, the locking piece 81 may interfere with the stirring blade 7 and be unable to rotate, potentially failing to prevent it from falling out. In this regard, the shaft 8 of this embodiment is designed so that the shape of the head 82 is adapted to the orientation of the support pin 83, i.e., the rotation direction of the locking piece 81, making it difficult to insert the shaft 8 in the direction in which the above problem occurs, thereby preventing interference between the locking piece 81 and the stirring blade 7.

[0054] (4) The configuration is such that the head 82 of the shaft 8 and the stopper 72c are in contact to fix the stirring blade 7, and when inserting the shaft 8, the stopper 72c is located on the stirring blade 7 side of the shaft 8. This, combined with the shape of the head 82 of the shaft 8, makes it possible to reliably insert the shaft 8 in the correct orientation.

[0055] (5) If the stirring device 1 is equipped with the stirring blade attachment / detachment structure described above, the shaft 8 can be reliably prevented from falling into the processing tank 2.

[0056] 4. Variations Furthermore, the present invention can also be implemented in the following embodiments.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the head 82 of the shaft 8 was substantially rectangular in shape. However, the shape of the head 82 when viewed from the axial direction of the shaft body 80 may be oval as shown in Figure 12A, or elliptical as shown in Figure 12B. Furthermore, the head 82 can be any shape as long as the length in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction when viewed from the axial direction is longer.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the locking piece 81 of the shaft 8 was substantially rectangular in shape. However, the locking piece 81 may be square or have any other shape, as long as it has an elongated hole 81a.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the length L1 of the locking piece 81 in the short direction (in other words, the length in the same direction as the short direction of the elongated hole 81a) was greater than the diameter D of the shaft body 80 (L1>D). However, the length L1 of the locking piece 81 in the short direction may be the same as or shorter than the diameter D of the shaft body 80.

[0060] In the above embodiment, a retained portion 71a for attachment to the blade holding portion 62 of the stirring arm 6 was formed on the substrate 71 of the stirring blade 7. However, the retained portion may also be formed on the stopper plate 72.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the substrate 71 of the stirring blade 7 was provided with an engaging projection 71d, and the stopper plate 72 was provided with an engaging hole 72a. However, the substrate 71 may be provided with an engaging hole, and the stopper plate 72 may be provided with an engaging projection.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the stopper 72c, which acts as a contact portion to restrict the relative sliding of the substrate 71 and the retaining plate 72 in the disengagement direction, was formed on the retaining plate 72. However, the contact portion may also be provided on the substrate 71 or the vane plate 70. Furthermore, there may be only one contact portion.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the stirring blade 7 was constructed by stacking three plate materials: a blade plate 70, a base plate 71, and a stopper plate 72. However, the stirring blade 7 is not limited to this configuration, and can be constructed in any way as long as it has a part to be held by the blade holding part 62 of the stirring arm 6. Also, if the stirring blade 7 is not constructed by sliding the base plate 71 and the stopper plate 72 relative to each other, the stopper 72c is unnecessary. However, even if this stopper is not provided, the stirring blade 7 may have a part (contact part) that abuts against the head 82 of the shaft 8 at a position close to the shaft 8. Even in that case, by devising the shape of the head 82 of the shaft 8 according to the orientation of the support pin 83 (rotation direction of the lock piece 81) as described above, interference between the lock piece 81 and the stirring blade 7 can be prevented, and the lock piece 81 can be rotated to reliably prevent it from falling off.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the stirring device 1 was a steam kneader, but the present invention is applicable to other stirring devices 1 as well. Furthermore, the stirring device 1 may be used to stir substances other than food. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1: Stirring device 2: Processing tank 3: Steam Jacket 4: Stirring means 5: Stirring shaft 6: Stirring arm 7: Agitator blade 8: Shaft 9: Drive Box 10:Operation panel 20: Hopper 30: Steam inlet valve 31: Steam supply line 32: Steam trap 33: Drain discharge channel 60: Arm body 61: Clamp member 62: Blade holder 62a: Feather retaining piece 62b: Arm-side shaft hole 63: Pin housing hole 64: Biasing means 64a: Coil spring 64b: Compression pin 70: Feather plate 70a: Through hole 71: Circuit board 71a: Part to be held 71b: Extension part 71c: Blade-side shaft hole 71d: Engagement protrusion 71d1:Shaft part 71d2: Expansion part 72: Stopper plate 72a: Engagement hole 72a1:Release hole 72a2: Fixed hole 72b: Notch 72c: Stopper (contact part) 80: Shaft body 80a: Support piece 80b: Slit 80c: Contact part 81: Rock fragment 81a: Long hole 81b: Tapered section 81c: Inclined part 82:Head 83: Support pin X: Agitator blade detachable structure

Claims

1. A structure for attaching and detaching stirring blades in a stirring device, It comprises a stirring arm, a stirring blade, and a shaft. The stirring arm is provided with a blade holder at its tip, and the blade holder has a shaft hole on the arm side. The stirring blade is provided with a holding portion, and a blade-side shaft hole is formed in the holding portion. The shaft is configured to rotatably connect the stirring arm and the stirring blade by being inserted through the shaft hole on the arm side and the shaft hole on the blade side, and comprises a shaft body and a locking piece. The shaft body is provided with a slit at its tip, and a support pin is positioned within the slit. The locking piece is provided with an elongated hole, and is pivotally supported within the slit by inserting the support pin through the elongated hole. The shaft is configured such that the locking piece rotates due to gravity, causing the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole and the shaft body to become non-parallel, thereby preventing it from falling out. A stirring blade attachment / detachment structure wherein the length of the elongated hole in the locking piece in the same direction as the short side is greater than the diameter of the shaft body.

2. The stirring blade attachment / detachment structure according to Claim 1, The stirring arm is equipped with a biasing means that protrudes toward the stirring blade and biases the stirring blade, thus providing a stirring blade attachment and detachment structure.

3. A stirring blade attachment / detachment structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, The aforementioned shaft is provided with a head on its base end, A stirring blade attachment and detachment structure, wherein, when the head is viewed from the axial direction of the shaft, the width of the head in the direction perpendicular to the support pin is greater than the width in the direction in which the support pin extends.

4. A structure for attaching and detaching stirring blades in a stirring device, It comprises a stirring arm, a stirring blade, and a shaft. The stirring arm is provided with a blade holder at its tip, and the blade holder has a shaft hole on the arm side. The stirring blade is provided with a holding portion, and a blade-side shaft hole is formed in the holding portion. The shaft is configured to rotatably connect the stirring arm and the stirring blade by being inserted through the shaft hole on the arm side and the shaft hole on the blade side, and comprises a shaft body and a locking piece. The shaft body is provided with a slit at its tip, and a support pin is positioned within the slit. The locking piece is provided with an elongated hole, and is pivotally supported within the slit by inserting the support pin through the elongated hole. The shaft is configured such that the locking piece rotates due to gravity, causing the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole and the shaft body to become non-parallel, thereby preventing it from falling out. The aforementioned shaft is provided with a head on its base end, A stirring blade attachment and detachment structure, wherein, when the head is viewed from the axial direction of the shaft, the width of the head in the direction perpendicular to the support pin is greater than the width in the direction in which the support pin extends.

5. The stirring blade attachment / detachment structure according to claim 3 or claim 4, The stirring blade comprises a blade plate for stirring, a base plate and a stopper plate that support the blade plate, The vane plate is provided with an insertion hole, The substrate includes the portion to be held, At least one of the substrate and the retaining plate is provided with a contact portion near the portion to be held, The substrate and the retaining plate are provided with engaging protrusions, and the other is provided with engaging holes that engage with the engaging protrusions. The engagement hole comprises a release hole and a smaller fixing hole connected to the release hole. The engaging projection has an enlarged diameter portion at its tip, and the enlarged diameter portion is shaped and sized to pass through the release hole but not through the fixing hole. A stirring blade attachment and detachment structure wherein the engaging projection is inserted through the insertion hole and the release hole, and the substrate, the blade plate and the retaining plate are stacked in this order, and the substrate and the retaining plate slide relative to each other, thereby engaging the expanded diameter portion and the fixing hole, and in this state the shaft is inserted through the arm-side shaft hole of the stirring arm and the blade-side shaft hole of the stirring blade, thereby restricting the relative sliding of the substrate and the retaining plate in the disengagement direction by the contact between the contact portion and the head.

6. A stirring device for stirring the material to be stirred contained in a processing tank, A stirring device comprising a stirring blade attachment / detachment structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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