Automatic dumpling making machine

Abstract

To provide an automated dumpling manufacturing device that is smaller, simpler, and lower in cost. [Solution] The gyoza forming mold 1 comprises a main mold 1A having a pleat-forming portion for gyoza wrappers and a press mold 1B, which are pivotally supported on the upper end of a support plate 1C so as to be openable and closable, and a gyoza filling filler 3 disposed above the gyoza forming mold 1. The support plate 1C is supported so as to be able to move up and down so that the upper surface of the gyoza forming mold 1 approaches or moves away from the filling filler 3. A forming mold opening / closing plate 2 is disposed on the side of the gyoza forming mold 1 so as to be able to move up and down, which closes the main mold 1A and the press mold 1B by pressing and contacting the opening / closing guides 18 of the main mold 1A and the press mold 1B to form a space for forming gyoza inside the main mold 1A and the press mold 1B, and opens the main mold 1A and the press mold 1B by releasing the pressing contact with the opening / closing guides 18 so as to be able to open the space inside the main mold 1A and the press mold 1B.

Description

Technical Field

[0003]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dumpling manufacturing apparatus for children in which ingredients are wrapped inside a dumpling wrapper made of noodle material or the like.

Background Art

[0002] As a basic structure, a conventional automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus includes, for example, as shown in Patent Documents 1, 2, 3, etc., a turntable that intermittently rotates by an automatic driving device, a plurality of dumpling forming molds installed on the outer peripheral upper surface of the turntable, and a guide rail for opening and closing the dumpling forming mold.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As described above, in a conventional automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, a plurality of dumpling forming molds are installed at equal intervals on the outer periphery of a large rotating table formed in a circular shape in plan view. In addition, an annular guide rail that opens and closes the dumpling forming mold while being in sliding contact with a guide roller provided on each dumpling forming mold is installed. Therefore, there are many problems such as the overall structure of the dumpling manufacturing apparatus becoming large and complicated, resulting in high costs, and the manufacturing process also becoming complicated. <000003​​Therefore, the present invention was devised in view of the aforementioned problems that have existed in the conventional method, and aims to provide a dumpling manufacturing apparatus that is smaller, simpler, and lower in cost by eliminating the rotary table and the annular guide rail installed on its outer circumference, and by making multiple dumpling forming molds into individual units that can be opened and closed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus comprising a dumpling molding mold in which a main body mold having a pleat-forming portion for dumpling wrappers and a press mold are pivotally supported at the upper end of a support plate via pivot shafts so as to be openable and closable, and a dumpling filling device disposed above the dumpling molding mold, The support plate is configured to be able to move up and down so that the upper surface of the dumpling mold moves closer to or further away from the filling machine. The aforementioned dumpling forming mold is provided with a pair of opening and closing guides attached to each side of the main body mold and the press mold. Furthermore, the dumpling molding die is characterized in that a molding die opening / closing plate is provided on the side surface of the dumpling molding die that can be raised and lowered, and which closes the main mold and the press mold by pressing and making contact with the opening and closing guides of the main mold and the press mold, thereby forming a space for forming dumplings inside the main mold and the press mold, and opens the main mold and the press mold by releasing the pressing contact with the opening and closing guides, thereby opening the space inside the main mold and the press mold.

[0007] The pair of opening and closing guides are formed by a pair of guide rollers of the same shape and size on both the main body mold and the press mold of the dumpling forming mold, and the guide roller on the main body mold side is set at a higher position than the guide roller on the press mold side.

[0008] The mold opening / closing plate is characterized in that, at its upper end, the side that presses and contacts the guide roller of the main mold is formed as a horizontal high edge, corresponding to the relative height positions of the main mold and the press mold, while the side that presses and contacts the guide roller of the press mold is formed as a horizontal bottom edge with a step in the center.

[0009] The dumpling filling machine is characterized by comprising a piston holder located directly above the dumpling molding die and a quantitative dispensing unit for dumpling filling provided to the side of the piston holder.

[0010] The piston holder is characterized by having a vertical filling hole for dumplings, a filling extrusion piston being fitted into the filling hole so as to be able to move up and down, and a filling inlet being connected to the side of the filling hole for dumplings via a filling extrusion port of the filling dispensing unit for the dumpling filling.

[0011] The dumpling filling dispensing unit is characterized by comprising: a circular filling storage hole connected to the upper hopper via a filling passage below it; a cylindrical volumetric metering rotor for fillings housed slidably and rotatably within the filling storage hole; a filling push-out port formed in front of the volumetric metering rotor and communicating with the filling inlet of the piston holder; a piston housing hole formed behind the volumetric metering rotor and communicating with the filling storage hole; and a metering piston inserted into the piston housing hole so as to be able to move back and forth.

[0012] The cylindrical rotor for measuring the volume of the ingredients, which is slidably and rotatably inserted into the ingredient storage hole, is characterized by having a T-shaped passage through which the ingredients pass.

[0013] The T-shaped passage is characterized in that the rotating portion of the volume measuring rotor for the ingredients can be set such that it communicates with the ingredient passage below the hopper and the piston storage hole behind the ingredient storage hole when the measuring piston retracts, while being blocked from the ingredient push-out opening in front of the ingredient storage hole.

[0014] The T-shaped passage is separated from the ingredient passage below the hopper when the metering piston moves forward, while the rotating portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor is set to communicate with the ingredient extrusion port and piston storage hole located before and after the ingredient storage hole.

[0015] The rotor for measuring the volume of the ingredient is characterized in that it comprises a rod connected via a crank to a shaft protruding from its center, and a guide that holds the rod so as to be able to move horizontally in the front-rear direction, and is formed to slide and rotate in the ingredient storage hole by moving the rod in the front-rear direction while being held by the guide.

[0016] The metering piston is characterized in that the tip of a swinging arm is pivotally supported via a link pivotally supported at its rear end, the base end of a connecting bar is fixed to the inside of the swinging arm, and the upper end of a lifting rod is connected to the tip of the connecting bar via a connector, and the piston is formed to slide in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole by raising and lowering the lifting rod up and down.

[0017] The metering piston is characterized in that, by the raising and lowering motion of the lifting rod, it restricts the swinging range of a swinging arm linked to the lifting rod, thereby adjusting the distance of movement in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole, and is configured to send a fixed amount of ingredients through the ingredient push-out port in the ingredient dispensing section and through the ingredient introduction port of the piston holder into the ingredient filling hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The present invention provides an automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus comprising a dumpling forming mold having a main body mold and a press mold having a pleat forming section for dumpling wrappers, each pivotally supported on the upper end of a support plate via a pivot shaft so as to be openable and closable, and a dumpling filling device disposed above the dumpling forming mold, The support plate is configured to be able to move up and down so that the upper surface of the dumpling mold moves closer to or further away from the filling machine. The aforementioned dumpling forming mold is provided with a pair of opening and closing guides attached to each side of the main body mold and the press mold. Furthermore, on the side surface of the dumpling forming die, by pressing and contacting below each opening / closing guide of the main die and the pressing die, the main die and the pressing die are closed to form a space for dumpling forming inside the main die and the pressing die. On the other hand, by releasing the pressing contact with each opening / closing guide, a forming die opening / closing plate that opens the main die and the pressing die and releases the space inside the main die and the pressing die is disposed so as to be able to move up and down. Therefore, Unlike the conventional device, a rotating table, an annular guide rail installed on its outer periphery, and a plurality of dumpling forming dies are unnecessary. A single dumpling forming die in which the main die and the pressing die for dumpling forming are pivotally supported so as to be able to open and close by the lifting operation of an adjacent single forming die opening / closing plate is sufficient. As a result, not only the miniaturization, simplification, and cost reduction of the entire automatic dumpling manufacturing device, but also the simplification of the manufacturing process and the labor saving of the installation space are possible.

[0019] The pair of opening / closing guides are formed by a pair of guide rollers having the same shape and the same size for both the main die and the pressing die of the dumpling forming die. The guide roller on the main die side is set at a higher position than the guide roller on the pressing die side. Therefore, It is possible to set a pair of guide rollers corresponding to the main die formed in a large size and the pressing die formed in a small size in the dumpling forming die, and it is possible to press and contact simultaneously by the upward movement of the forming die opening / closing plate. The opening / closing operation of the main die and the pressing die is performed reliably and smoothly.

[0020] At the upper end portion of the forming die opening / closing plate, a horizontal high edge portion that presses and contacts the guide roller of the main die is formed so as to correspond to the height positions of the main die and the pressing die with respect to each other, and a horizontal bottom edge portion that presses and contacts the guide roller of the pressing die is formed via a central step. Therefore, The upper edge of the forming die opening / closing plate can simultaneously press and contact a pair of guide rollers with a height difference protruding from the main die and the pressing die of the dumpling forming die, and the opening / closing operation of the main die and the pressing die is performed reliably and smoothly.

[0021] The dumpling filling device is provided with a piston holder positioned directly above the dumpling forming mold and a metering feeder for the dumpling ingredients provided on the side of the piston holder. Therefore, In a state where the main mold and the pressing mold of the dumpling forming mold are open, it is possible to constantly supply a fixed amount of dumpling fillings to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the dumpling wrapper placed thereon.

[0022] The piston holder has a vertical dumpling ingredient filling hole, and a material extrusion piston is vertically movably inserted into the dumpling ingredient filling hole. On the side of the dumpling ingredient filling hole, a material inlet is communicated through the material extrusion outlet of the metering feeder for the dumpling ingredients. Therefore, To the central part of the dumpling wrapper supplied and placed on the open upper surface of the dumpling forming mold, a fixed amount of ingredients sent into the ingredient filling hole communicating with the ingredient extrusion outlet of the metering feeder for the ingredients adjacent to the piston holder of the dumplings arranged directly above and the ingredient introduction hole of the piston holder are surely and smoothly dropped by the lifting and lowering operation of the ingredient extrusion piston. As a result, dumplings of the same shape and size can be constantly and efficiently formed.

[0023] The metering feeder for the dumpling ingredients is provided with a circular ingredient storage hole connected through an ingredient passage below the upper hopper, a cylindrical ingredient volume measuring rotor slidably and rotatably accommodated in the ingredient storage hole, an ingredient extrusion outlet communicating with the ingredient inlet of the piston holder formed in front of the volume measuring rotor, a piston storage hole communicating with the ingredient storage hole formed behind the volume measuring rotor, and a measuring piston inserted into the piston storage hole so as to be able to advance and retreat. Therefore, It is possible to surely and smoothly send a fixed amount of ingredients into the ingredient filling hole of the piston holder through the ingredient extrusion part by the extrusion force of the measuring piston, with the ingredients stored in the hopper being measured by the volume measuring rotor in a desired volume.

[0024] The cylindrical rotor for measuring the volume of the ingredients, which is slidably and rotatably inserted into the aforementioned ingredient storage hole, has a T-shaped passage inside through which the ingredients pass. The filling and blocking of a fixed amount of filling material from the filling dispensing section to the filling hole provided in the piston holder can be performed smoothly and reliably. Therefore, the intermittent supply of a fixed amount of filling material to the upper surface of the dumpling wrapper on the dumpling forming mold can be performed consistently and efficiently.

[0025] The T-shaped passage is formed such that when the metering piston retracts, it communicates with the ingredient passage below the hopper and the piston storage hole behind the ingredient storage hole, while being blocked from the ingredient push-out opening in front of the ingredient storage hole, as the rotational portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor can be set accordingly. The dumpling filling supplied from the hopper to the filling storage hole is reliably and smoothly interrupted during a single process by the retraction of a metering piston inserted into a piston storage hole and the intermittent rotation of a volume-measuring rotor for the filling, thereby ensuring a constant supply of a fixed amount of filling to the filling filling hole provided in the piston holder.

[0026] The T-shaped passage is separated from the ingredient passage below the hopper when the metering piston moves forward, while the rotating portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor is configurable to communicate with the ingredient extrusion port and piston storage hole located before and after the ingredient storage hole. The dumpling filling supplied from the hopper into the filling storage hole is fed into the filling hole of the piston holder, and the forward movement of the metering piston inserted into the piston storage hole and the intermittent rotation of the volume-measuring rotor for the filling allow for a constant, precise filling of the filling into the filling hole of the piston holder with simple operation, ensuring reliability and smoothness.

[0027] The rotor for measuring the volume of the material is formed to slide and rotate within the material storage hole by moving the rod in the forward and backward direction by moving the rod in the forward and backward direction while being held by the guide, The intermittent rotation operation of the volume measuring rotor for the aforementioned ingredients can be performed reliably and smoothly with a simple mechanism.

[0028] The metering piston is configured such that the tip of a swinging arm is pivotally supported via a link pivotally supported at its rear end, the base end of a connecting bar is fixed to the inside of the swinging arm, and the upper end of a lifting rod is connected to the tip of the connecting bar via a connector, and the piston slides in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole by raising and lowering the lifting rod up and down. The forward and backward movement of the metering piston within the piston housing can be performed efficiently, smoothly, and reliably with a simple mechanism.

[0029] The metering piston is configured such that the upward and downward movement of the lifting rod restricts the swinging range of the swinging arm connected to the lifting rod, thereby adjusting the forward and backward movement distance within the piston housing hole, and sending a fixed amount of ingredients through the ingredient push-out port in the ingredient dispensing section and through the ingredient introduction port of the piston holder into the ingredient filling hole. By adjusting the travel distance of the measuring piston within the piston housing hole, the intermittent supply of a fixed amount of filling material to the filling hole provided in the piston holder can be performed accurately, smoothly, and easily. Therefore, this device is highly convenient and can automatically produce dumplings of the same size, shape, and weight at a constant rate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] This is a partial cross-sectional front view showing the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, equipped with a dumpling molding die and a filling device. [Figure 2] This is a left-hand cross-sectional view showing the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus described above, equipped with a dumpling molding die and a filling machine. [Figure 3] This is a right-hand cross-sectional view showing the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus described above, equipped with a dumpling mold, a mold opening / closing plate, and a filling device. [Figure 4]This is a rear cross-sectional view of the above-mentioned automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, showing a state in which the rotational drive mechanism of the volumetric metering rotor built into the quantitative dispensing section of the filling machine is installed. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional front view of the above-mentioned automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, showing a state in which a reciprocating drive mechanism for a measuring piston built into the quantitative dispensing section of the filling machine is installed. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional plan view of the above-mentioned automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, showing a configuration in which a rotational drive mechanism for a volumetric metering rotor and a reciprocating drive mechanism for a metering piston are built into the quantitative dispensing section of the filling machine. [Figure 7] The above diagram shows the dumpling mold used in the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus. (a) is a plan view of the mold in its open state, (b) is a right side view of a partial cross-section thereof, and (c) is a right side view of the support plate alone. [Figure 8] The above shows the dumpling mold and mold opening / closing plate in the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus. (a) is a left side view of a partial cross-section of the opened dumpling mold when it is descending, (b) is a right side view of the same, and (c) is a front view of the same. [Figure 9] The above shows the dumpling mold and mold opening / closing plate in the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, (a) is a left side view of a partial cross-section of the opened dumpling mold when it is raised, (b) is a right side view of the same, and (c) is a front view of the same. [Figure 10] The above shows the dumpling mold and mold lifting plate in the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, (a) a left side view of a partial cross-section of the closed dumpling mold, (b) a right side view of the closed dumpling mold when the guide roller and the upper end of the mold opening / closing plate are in contact under pressure, and (c) a front view of the same. [Figure 11] This is a partial cross-sectional front view of the entire automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus, as described above, when the dumpling mold is lowered, and a vertically movable connecting bar is used as the drive mechanism for the dumpling filling machine of the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 12] This is the overall plan view of the same as above. [Figure 13]This is a partial cross-sectional right side view of the entire automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus when the dumpling mold is lowered, showing the dumpling mold as it is equipped with a cam, a swinging lever, and a connecting bar that move up and down the filling piston, which constitutes the filling push piston that forms the driving mechanism of the filling filler in the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus described above. [Figure 14] This is a partial cross-sectional right side view of the entire automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus when the dumpling mold is lowered, showing the dumpling mold as it is equipped with a cam, a swinging lever, and a connecting bar that move up and down the filling piston, which constitutes the filling extrusion piston as the drive mechanism of the filling filler in the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus described above. [Figure 15] This is a partial cross-sectional left side view showing the operating state of the automatic dumpling manufacturing machine shown above, before filling with ingredients. [Figure 16] This is a right side view of the same object. [Figure 17] This is a partial cross-sectional left side view showing the operating state of the automatic dumpling manufacturing machine after filling with ingredients. [Figure 18] This is a right side view of the same object. [Figure 19] This is a partial cross-sectional left side view showing the operating state of the automatic dumpling manufacturing machine during dumpling formation. [Figure 20] This is a right side view of the same object. [Figure 21] This is a partial cross-sectional right side view showing the operating state of the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus described above, with the manufactured dumplings exposed and placed on the upper surface of the dumpling molding die when the die is opened. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, one embodiment of the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is mainly composed of a dumpling mold 1, a mold opening / closing plate 2 installed on the side of the dumpling mold 1, and a dumpling filling device 3 (shown in Figure 21) disposed above the dumpling mold 1.

[0033] As shown in detail in Figures 7(a) and (b), the dumpling mold 1 comprises a main body mold 1A with a pleated molding section 1a formed in the upper recess when the mold is open, a press mold 1B with a flat upper surface when the mold is open, and a rectangular block-shaped support plate 1C that pivotally supports the main body mold 1A and the press mold 1B at their upper ends so that they can be opened and closed.

[0034] As shown in Figure 7(c), the support plate 1C has a projection 4 formed on one side of the upper end of its main body, with an axial hole 4a formed through the projection 4, and an axial hole 4b formed through the center of the upper end of the support plate 1C. Here, the axial hole 4a of the projection 4 is formed to be higher, and the axial hole 4b of the support plate 1C is formed to be lower, parallel to each other in the front-rear direction.

[0035] The main body mold 1A is pivotally supported via a support shaft 5 inserted into the axial hole 4b of the support plate 1C, while the press mold 1B is pivotally supported via a support shaft 6 inserted into the axial hole 4a of the protruding portion 4 of the support plate 1C. Thus, the main body mold 1A and the press mold 1B that constitute the dumpling forming mold 1 can be opened and closed by rotating around the two support shafts 5 and 6 at the upper end of the support plate 1C.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 8(a), (C), and 9(a), (c), the support plate 1C is supported by a pair of lifting rods 8 via a connecting plate 7 fixed to its lower end. The upper ends of these lifting rods 8 are pivotally supported so as to be able to move up and down by bearings 10 fitted to the upper wall of the storage case 9 of the dumpling molding die 1 drive unit, which will be described later, and their lower ends are fixed by a connecting plate 11.

[0037] Furthermore, a bearing 12 is provided at the lower end of the connecting plate 11, and the tip of the swing lever 13 is rotatably supported by the bearing 12, while the rear end of the swing lever 13 is rotatably supported by a bearing 1a provided on the inner wall of the storage case 9.

[0038] A cam 16 is fixed to a rotating shaft 15 that is pivotally supported in the front-rear direction inside the storage case 9, and a trochanter 17 provided on the back of the swing lever 13 is slidably engaged with the irregularly shaped annular cam groove 16a of the cam 16, so that as the cam 16 rotates, the swing lever 13 swings up and down on the bearing 14 as a pivot point via the trochanter 17 engaged with the cam groove 16a, and the lifting rod 8 moves up and down via the bearing 12 at the tip of the swing lever 13.

[0039] As a result, the dumpling mold 1 moves up and down between a lower position directly below the filling device 3 shown in Figures 1 to 3 and a close position directly below the filling device 3 shown in Figures 17 and 18. Incidentally, the former corresponds to the arrangement structure shown in Figure 8, and the latter to the arrangement structure shown in Figure 9.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 8(b), guide rollers 19a and 19b are pivotally supported on the sides of the main body mold 1A and press mold 1B of the dumpling forming mold 1 as opening and closing guides 18. In this case, the main body mold 1A is formed to be large, while the press mold 1B is formed to be small, and the main body mold 1A is installed at the top and the press mold 1B is installed at the bottom. Therefore, the guide roller 19a of the main body mold 1A is positioned in the upper part, and the guide roller 19b of the press mold 1B is positioned in the lower part.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1, 3, 8(b), (c), 9(b), (c), and 10(b), (c), the mold opening / closing plate 2 is mounted below the guide rollers 19a, 19b on each side of the main body mold 1A and the press mold 1B of the dumpling mold 1 so as to be able to move up and down. The mold opening / closing plate 2 has an upper plate 2A that is roughly horizontally elongated and rectangular, with a horizontal high edge portion 20 that contacts the guide roller 19a on the lower side of the main body mold 1A when the plate is raised, and a horizontal low edge portion 21 that contacts the guide roller 19b on the lower side of the press mold 1B, formed in two stages with a central step 22 in between.

[0042] Furthermore, a pair of legs 23 are integrally formed on the lower ends of both ends of the upper plate 2A of the molded opening / closing plate 2, and both legs 23 are pivotally supported by bearings 24 fitted to the upper wall of the storage case 9 so as to be able to move up and down.

[0043] The lower end of the leg portion 23 is fixed by a connecting plate 25, a bearing 26 is provided at the lower end of the connecting plate 25, the tip of the swing lever 27 is rotatably supported by the bearing 26, and the rear end of the swing lever 27 is rotatably supported by a bearing 28 provided on the inner wall of the storage case 9.

[0044] Furthermore, a cam 29 separate from the cam 16 is fixed to the rotating shaft 15 of the storage case 9, and a trochanter 30 provided on the back of the swing lever 27 is slidably engaged with the irregularly shaped annular cam groove 29a (shown in Figure 3) of the cam 29, so that as the cam 29 rotates, the swing lever 27 swings around the bearing 28 as a pivot point via the trochanter 30 engaged with the cam groove 29a, causing the leg portion 23 to move up and down via the bearing 26 at the tip of the swing lever 27. In this way, the molded opening / closing plate 2 is supported so as to be able to move toward and away from guide rollers 19a and 19b, which serve as opening / closing guides 18 and are arranged on the high edge portion 20 and low edge portion 21 sides of the upper end of the upper plate 2A, respectively.

[0045] In this embodiment, a separate upper plate 2A is fixed to the outer upper end of the mold opening / closing plate 2, and the upper edge (high edge portion 20 and low edge portion 21) of the upper plate 2A is formed to abut against the lower surface of the guide rollers 19a and 19b. However, the high edge portion 20 and the low edge portion 21 may be integrally extended from the upper edge of the mold opening / closing plate 2 alone, and these high edge portion 20 and low edge portion 21 may be formed to abut against the lower surface of the guide rollers 19a and 19b which serve as the opening / closing guide 18.

[0046] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the filling device 3 is equipped with a piston holder 31 directly above the dumpling mold 1. A filling hole 32 for the dumpling P is formed vertically through the inside of the piston holder 31, and a pipe-shaped filling push piston 34a with a rectangular cross-section is fitted into the filling hole 32 so as to push out the filling G from its lower end, and a rod-shaped filling dispensing piston 34b with a rectangular cross-section is fitted inside the filling push piston 33 so as to be able to move up and down, for dropping the filling G for the dumpling P into the center of the dumpling skin W on the dumpling mold 1.

[0047] Furthermore, a dumpling filling port 35 is formed laterally on the inside of the piston holder 31 of the filling device 3, approximately in the middle, so as to communicate with the filling hole 32, and a quantitative dispensing unit 37 for supplying filling G is connected to the rear end of the filling port 35, with a hopper 36 for supplying filling G positioned above it.

[0048] Furthermore, the quantitative dispensing section 37 for the ingredients G has a circular ingredient storage hole 39 formed in its approximate center, which communicates with the ingredient inlet 35 of the dumplings P and communicates in a perpendicular direction via the hopper 36 and an ingredient passage 38 formed vertically below it. A cylindrical volumetric measuring rotor 41, which has a T-shaped passage 40 for the ingredients G inside, is slidably and rotatably inserted into the ingredient storage hole 39.

[0049] Furthermore, a material extrusion port 42 is formed through the material storage hole 39 in the material dispensing section 37 of the material G, communicating with the material inlet 35.

[0050] On the other hand, a piston storage hole 43 is formed behind the ingredient storage hole 39 so as to be in communication with and facing the ingredient inlet 35, and a metering piston 44 is fitted inside the piston storage hole 43 so as to be able to move back and forth, pushing out a fixed amount of dumpling ingredients G of the gyoza P sequentially from the ingredient extrusion opening 42 to the ingredient inlet 35 and then to the ingredient filling hole 32 via the T-shaped passage 40 of the volumetric metering rotor 41.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the measuring piston 44 is configured such that the upward and downward movement of the lifting rod 60 restricts the swinging range of the swinging arm 57 which is linked to the lifting rod 60, thereby adjusting the distance of movement in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole 43, and sending a fixed amount of ingredient G through the ingredient push-out port 42 in the ingredient feeding section 37, and then through the ingredient introduction port 35 of the piston holder 31 into the ingredient filling hole 32.

[0052] Thus, Figures 2 and 3 show a state in which the T-shaped passage 40 of the volumetric measuring rotor 41 communicates with the rear piston housing hole 43, while being blocked from the front ingredient inlet 35, and Figure 5 shows a state in which the T-shaped passage 40 of the volumetric measuring rotor 41 communicates with both the rear piston housing hole 43 and the front ingredient inlet 35.

[0053] In other words, the T-shaped passage 40 is configured such that when the metering piston 44 retracts, it communicates with the ingredient passage 38 below the hopper 36 and the piston storage hole 43 behind the ingredient storage hole 39, while being blocked from the ingredient push-out opening 42 in front of the ingredient storage hole 39, allowing the rotation portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor 41 to be set accordingly.

[0054] On the other hand, the T-shaped passage 40 is separated from the ingredient passage 38 below the hopper 36 when the metering piston 44 moves forward, while the rotational portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor 41 is set to communicate with the ingredient push-out port 42 and piston storage hole 43 located before and after the ingredient storage hole 39.

[0055] Next, the drive mechanism of the volumetric metering rotor 41 and the metering piston 44 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 6.

[0056] First, the drive mechanism of the volume measuring rotor 41, which is slidably and rotatably inserted into the material storage hole 39, will be described based on Figures 4 and 5. A shaft portion 45 is provided protruding from the center of the rear surface of the volume measuring rotor 41, the rear end of a crank 46 is fixed to the shaft portion 45, and the tip of a rod 47 is horizontally pivotally supported at the tip of the crank 46. Furthermore, a guide 48 is provided on the rear side of the rod 47, positioned behind the upper wall of the storage case 9, so that the rod 47 can be inserted and slide horizontally in the front-rear direction.

[0057] Furthermore, a projection 49 is provided on the side surface of the rod 47, and a U-shaped groove 52 recessed in the tip of a swing lever 51, which is rotatably supported by a bearing 50 on the inner bottom surface of the storage case 9, is rotatably fitted and supported by the projection 49.

[0058] Furthermore, a cam 53 is fixed to a rotating shaft 15 shared with the cams 16 and 29 of the storage case 9, and a trochanter 54 provided on the front of the swing lever 51 is slidably engaged with the irregularly shaped annular cam groove 53a of the cam 53. As the cam 53 rotates, the swing lever 51 swings left and right around the bearing 50 as a pivot point via the trochanter 54 engaged with the cam groove 53a, causing the rod 47 to slide back and forth within the guide 48 via a projection 49 fitted into the U-shaped groove 52 at the tip of the swing lever 51. As a result, the crank 46 fixed to the tip of the rod 47 swings, and the volumetric metering rotor 41 repeatedly rotates intermittently over the range shown in Figures 2 and 3 via the shaft portion 45.

[0059] Next, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the drive mechanism of the metering piston 44, which is housed in the piston housing hole 43 so as to be able to move back and forth, will be described. A bearing 55 is attached to the rear end of the metering piston 44, and the tip of a swing arm 57 is pivotally supported on the bearing 55 via a connecting link 56.

[0060] The base end of the connecting bar 58 is fixed to the inside of the swinging arm 57, the upper end of the lifting rod 60 is connected to the tip of the connecting bar 58 via a cylindrical connector 59, and the lower end of the lifting rod 60 is fixed to a swinging lever 62 whose tip swings up and down via a bearing 61 fixed to the inner wall of the storage case 9.

[0061] Furthermore, a cam 63 is fixed to a rotating shaft 15 which is shared with the cams 16, 29, and 53 of the storage case 9, and a trochanter 64 provided on the back of the swing lever 62 is slidably engaged with the irregularly shaped annular cam groove 63a of the cam 63. As the cam 63 rotates, the swing lever 62 swings up and down around the bearing 61 as a pivot point via the trochanter 64 engaged with the annular cam groove 63a, causing the lifting rod 60 connected to the tip of the swing lever 62 to move up and down.

[0062] As a result, the swinging arm 57 swings via the cylindrical connector 59 and connecting bar 58 at the upper end of the lifting rod 60, with the rear end of the connecting link 56 pivotally supported at its lower end as the pivot point. As the connecting link 56 moves forward and backward, the metering piston 44, which is integrated with the bearing 55 that pivotally supports the tip of the connecting link 56, slides in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole 43.

[0063] Next, with reference to Figures 11 to 14, the drive mechanism of the extrusion piston 33, which consists of the ingredient filler 3, ingredient pushing piston 34a, and ingredient dispensing piston 34b, will be described. The ingredient pushing piston 34a is fixed to the tip of a lower arm 65, which is bent into an inverted L shape in plan view at its upper end, via a connector 66 (shown in Figure 13), while the ingredient dispensing piston 34b is fixed to the tip of an upper arm 67 of the same shape at its upper end via a connector 68 (shown in Figure 14). The lower arm 65 is fixed to the upper end of a short lifting rod 69 at its rear end, while the upper arm 67 is fixed to the upper end of a long lifting rod 70 at its rear end.

[0064] As shown in Figure 13, the lower end of the short lifting rod 69 is pivotally supported on the tip of the swinging lever 71 via a bearing 72, and the rear end of the swinging lever 71 is rotatably pivotally supported on a bearing 73 provided on the inner wall of the storage case 9.

[0065] Furthermore, a cam 74 is fixed to a rotating shaft 15 which is shared with the cams 16, 29, and 53 of the storage case 9, and a trochanter 75 is slidably engaged with the irregularly shaped annular cam groove 74a of the cam 74.

[0066] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 14, the lower end of the long lifting rod 70 is pivotally supported at the tip of the swinging lever 76 via a bearing 77, and the rear end of the swinging lever 76 is rotatably pivotally supported via a bearing 78 provided on the inner wall of the storage case 9. The cam 79 is fixed to the rotating shaft 15 which is shared with the cams 16, 29, 53, and 79 of the storage case 9, and the trochanter 80 is slidably engaged with the irregularly shaped annular cam groove 79a of the cam 79.

[0067] Thus, as the cams 74 and 79 rotate, the oscillating levers 71 and 76 oscillate around the bearings 72 and 77 via the trochanters 75 and 80 engaged with the annular cam grooves 74a and 79a, causing the two lifting rods 69 and 70, of different lengths, to move up and down via the bearings 72 and 77 at the tips of the oscillating levers 71 and 76.

[0068] As a result, the lower arm 65 and the upper arm 67 connected to the upper ends of the lifting rods 69 and 70 swing, causing the material pushing piston 34a and material dispensing piston 34b, which constitute the material pushing piston 33 connected via connectors 66 and 68 at the tips of the arms 65 and 67, to move up and down within the filling hole 32 of the piston holder 31. In Figure 14, 81 indicates a support column erected on the upper surface of the storage case 9, which pivotally supports the rear end of the lower arm 65.

[0069] In the piston holder 31 of the embodiment described above, two pistons are fitted into the material filling hole 32 so as to be able to move up and down, namely a pipe-shaped material pushing piston 34a fitted inside the material filling hole 32 and a rod-shaped material dispensing piston 34b fitted inside the material pushing piston 34a, but the structure is not limited to this, and for example, only a single rod-shaped material dispensing piston whose inner diameter and outer diameter match those of the material filling hole 32 may be used.

[0070] The following describes the dumpling manufacturing process using the dumpling mold 1, based on Figures 15 to 21. First, as shown in Figure 15, the dumpling wrapper W is placed on the dumpling mold 1. At this time, the main mold 1A and press mold 1B that make up the dumpling mold 1, which are located in the lower position, are set to an open state, and the dumpling wrapper W is supplied and placed at a fixed position on the upper surface of both molds 1A and 1B by manual or an automatic conveying mechanism (not shown) (Figure 16 has the same setting). Next, as shown in Figure 17, the dumpling mold 1 is raised to an upper position, and the filling G is supplied to approximately the center of the dumpling wrapper W placed on the upper surface of the main mold 1A and press mold 1B, which are in the open state (Figure 18 has the same setting).

[0071] More specifically, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the ingredients G stored in the T-shaped passage 40 of the volumetric metering rotor 41 of the ingredients filling machine 3 are sent through the ingredients extrusion port 42 and into the ingredients filling hole 32 from the tip of the ingredients inlet 35 by the pressing force of the metering piston 44. Subsequently, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the dumpling mold 1 is raised directly below the ingredients filling machine 3 and stopped at a predetermined position.

[0072] At this time, a filling push piston 34a is fitted above the filling G in the filling hole 32 so as to be able to move up and down as a filling push piston 33, and a filling release piston 34b is fitted inside the filling push piston 34a so as to be able to move up and down as well. By lowering the filling push piston 34a, the filling G in the filling hole 32 is pushed out to the lower end of the filling hole 32, and at the same time, by lowering the filling release piston 34b inside the filling push piston 34a, the filling G is pushed from the lower end of the filling hole 32 to a predetermined position on the skin W of the dumpling P placed on the upper surface of the main body mold 1A and press mold 1B of the open dumpling molding mold 1.

[0073] Then, the guide roller 19a of the main mold 1A abuts against the high edge portion 20 of the upper end of the upper plate 2A of the mold opening / closing plate 2, causing the main mold 1A of the dumpling mold 1 to rotate upward and be held in a nearly vertical position. On the other hand, the guide roller 19b of the press mold 1B abuts against the low edge portion 21 of the upper end of the upper plate 2A, causing the press mold 1B of the dumpling mold 1 to rotate and be held in a nearly vertical position.

[0074] Thus, as shown in Figures 19 and 20, when the main body mold 1A and the press mold 1B of the dumpling mold 1 are closed, dumplings P are formed inside both molds 1A and 1B, with the filling G wrapped in dumpling skin W.

[0075] Next, as shown in Figure 21, when the mold opening / closing plate 2 is lowered, the pressing force on the guide rollers 19a and 19b of the main mold 1A and press mold 1B of the dumpling mold 1 is released, causing both molds 1A and 1B to open to a horizontal position. In this way, the dumplings P are placed on the upper surfaces of the opened main mold 1A and press mold 1B with their contents exposed. After that, the dumplings P are stored in a tray or the like, either manually or using a mechanical extrusion device such as a pusher. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] G Dumpling filling W Gyoza wrappers P Gyoza 1 Gyoza mold 1a Pleated section 1A Main Unit Type 1B Press mold 1C Support Plate 2. Molded opening / closing plate 2A Top Plate 3. Ingredient filling machine 4 Protrusion 4a Axial hole 4b Axle hole 5 spindle 6 spindle 7 Connecting Plates 8. Lifting rod 9 Storage Cases 10 bearings 11 Connecting Plates 12 bearings 13. Swivel lever 14 bearings 15 Rotation axis 16 Cam 16a Annular cam groove 17 trochanter 18 Opening and Closing Guide 19a Guide roller 19b Guide roller 20 High edge 21 Low edge 22 steps 23 Legs 24 bearings 25 Connecting Plates 26 bearings 27. Swivel lever 28 Bearings 29 Cam 30 trochanters 31 Piston holder 32 Filling holes for ingredients 33 Ingredient extrusion piston 34a Push piston 34b Insertion piston 35 Ingredient Inlet 36 Hopper 37. Ingredient dispensing section 38 Ingredient aisle 39. Filling storage holes 40 T-shaped aisle 41 Volumetric Measuring Rotor 42. Ingredient extrusion nozzle 43 Piston storage holes 44 Measuring piston 45 Shaft section 46 Crank 47 Rods 48 Guide 49 Protrusion 50 bearings 51. Swivel lever 52 U-shaped groove 53 Cam 53a Annular cam groove 54 trochanter 55 Bearings 56 Linking Links 57. Swivel Arm 58 Connecting Bars 59 Cylindrical connector 60 Lifting Rods 61 bearings 62. Swivel lever 63 Cam 63a Annular cam groove 64 trochanter 65 Lower Arm 66 Connectors 67 Upper Arm 68 Connectors 69 Lifting rod 70 Lifting Rod 71. Swivel lever 72 Bearings 73 Bearings 74 Cam 74a Annular cam groove 75 trochanter 76. Swivel lever 77 Bearings 78 Bearings 79 Cam 79a Annular cam groove 80 trochanter 81 Post

Claims

1. An automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus comprising a dumpling molding mold having a main body mold and a press mold having a pleat-forming section for dumpling wrappers, each pivotally supported on the upper end of a support plate via a pivot shaft so as to be openable and closable, and a dumpling filling device disposed above the dumpling molding mold, The support plate is configured to be able to move up and down so that the upper surface of the dumpling mold moves closer to or further away from the filling machine. The aforementioned dumpling forming mold is provided with a pair of opening and closing guides attached to each side of the main body mold and the press mold. Furthermore, the automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that a mold opening / closing plate is provided on the side surface of the dumpling molding mold, which can be raised and lowered, to close the main mold and the press mold by pressing and making contact with the opening and closing guides of the main mold and the press mold, thereby forming a space for forming dumplings inside the main mold and the press mold, and to open the main mold and the press mold by releasing the pressing contact with the opening and closing guides, thereby opening the space inside the main mold and the press mold.

2. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the pair of opening and closing guides are formed by a pair of guide rollers of the same shape and size on both the main body mold and the press mold of the dumpling forming mold, and the guide roller on the main body mold side is set at a higher position than the guide roller on the press mold side.

3. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the molding die opening and closing plate has a horizontal high edge on the side that presses and contacts the guide roller of the main body mold at its upper end, corresponding to the relative height positions of the main body mold and the press mold, and a horizontal bottom edge on the side that presses and contacts the guide roller of the press mold via a central step.

4. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the dumpling filling machine comprises a piston holder located directly above the dumpling molding die and a quantitative dispensing unit for dumpling filling provided to the side of the piston holder.

5. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the piston holder has a vertical dumpling filling hole, a filling extrusion piston is fitted into the dumpling filling hole so as to be able to move up and down, and a filling inlet is connected to the side of the dumpling filling hole via a filling extrusion port of the quantitative filling dispensing unit.

6. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the dumpling filling dispensing unit comprises a circular filling storage hole connected to the upper hopper via a filling passage, a cylindrical volumetric metering rotor for filling slidably housed in the filling storage hole, a filling extrusion port formed in front of the volumetric metering rotor and communicating with the filling inlet of the piston holder, a piston housing hole formed behind the volumetric metering rotor and communicating with the filling storage hole, and a metering piston inserted into the piston housing hole so as to be able to move back and forth.

7. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the cylindrical volume measuring rotor for ingredients, which is slidably and rotatably inserted into the ingredient storage hole, has a T-shaped passage through which the ingredients pass.

8. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the T-shaped passage is configured such that it communicates with the ingredient passage below the hopper and the piston storage hole behind the ingredient storage hole when the metering piston retracts, while being blocked from the ingredient extrusion opening in front of the ingredient storage hole, by the rotational portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor.

9. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the T-shaped passage is blocked from the ingredient passage below the hopper when the metering piston moves forward, while the rotating portion of the ingredient volume metering rotor is set to communicate with the ingredient extrusion port and piston storage hole located before and after the ingredient storage hole.

10. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the rotor for measuring the volume of the ingredients comprises a rod connected via a crank to a shaft protruding from its center and a guide that holds the rod so as to be able to move horizontally in the front-rear direction, and is configured to slide and rotate in the ingredient storage hole by moving the rod in the front-rear direction while being held by the guide.

11. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the metering piston has a configuration in which the tip of a swinging arm is pivotally supported via a link pivotally supported at its rear end, the base end of a connecting bar is fixed to the inside of the swinging arm, and the upper end of a lifting rod is connected to the tip of the connecting bar via a connector, and the piston is formed to slide in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole by raising and lowering the lifting rod up and down.

12. The automatic dumpling manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the measuring piston is formed to restrict the swing range of a swing arm linked to the lifting rod by the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting rod, thereby adjusting the distance of movement in the front-rear direction within the piston housing hole, and sending a fixed amount of ingredients through the ingredient extrusion port in the ingredient dispensing section and through the ingredient introduction port of the piston holder into the ingredient filling hole.

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