Seaweed peeling device

Abstract

To provide a laver stripping device which prevents occurrence of wrinkles of dried laver in stripping, further improves stripping capability, and can surely improve the quality of the dried laver.SOLUTION: A laver stripping device includes: a suction rotary belt which has a belt 17 provided with a suction surface 17a for sucking dried laver attached to a lower surface side of a laver drainboard, and carries out the dried laver by rotating the belt 17 in such a state of sucking the dried laver; a chuck part for holding and releasing holding of a rod ember; and chuck moving means which allows the laver drainboard to perform turning-up movement in a laver drainboard holder so that the dried laver sucked by the sucking surface 17a is stripped from the laver drainboard, by moving the chuck part holding the rod member along a predetermined locus. The belt 17 is formed with a plurality of through holes 17b, and the number of through holes 17b per predetermined area in an intermediate part in a width direction of the belt 17 is smaller than that in a front part and a rear part in the width direction excluding its central part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a laver peeling device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a laver peeling device that peels sheet-like dried laver dried in a drying chamber of a laver manufacturing device from a laver basket held by a laver basket holder.

Background Art

[0002] In a laver manufacturing device for manufacturing sheet-like dried laver, raw laver is scooped up by a rectangular laver basket, dehydrated, and then the entire laver basket is passed through a drying chamber for drying, and the operation of peeling only the dried laver from the laver basket is continuously performed. A plurality of laver baskets are held by a laver basket holder as one unit, and the laver basket holder is circulated and conveyed by a conveying mechanism configured to connect an attachment chain, whereby the above-described operations are sequentially performed on the laver basket.

[0003] By the way, in the main peeling part for completely peeling the dried laver from the laver basket, it must be peeled from the laver basket so that wrinkles do not occur in the dried laver. For this reason, various laver peeling devices have been proposed in the past, but all lack reliability, and problems such as the dried laver being likely to wrinkle during peeling remain.

[0004] Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed a laver peeling device (main peeling part) that enables the dried laver to be peeled from the laver basket more reliably (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0005] The laver basket holder used in Patent Documents 1 and 2 has a shape in which a pair of horizontal bars and a vertical bar are assembled in a frame shape. One end side of the laver basket is held by one of the horizontal bars, and a rod member parallel to the other horizontal bar is coupled to the other end side of the laver basket. Then, the rod member is pressed against a stopper fixed to the horizontal bar by a spring member attached to the laver basket holder from below, so that the laver basket is fixed in an extended position where it is extended. The seaweed peeling device proposed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 includes a belt having a suction surface for sucking up dried seaweed adhering to the lower surface of the seaweed mat, a suction rotating belt that delivers the dried seaweed by rotating the belt while it has sucked up the dried seaweed, a belt lifting means for raising and lowering the suction rotating belt to bring the suction surface into contact with and away from the lower surface of the seaweed mat, a pressing means for releasing the rod member, which is in the extended position, from pressing the free end of the spring member downward, a chuck part for holding and releasing the rod member, and a chuck moving means for causing the seaweed mat holder to perform a folding operation on the seaweed mat so that the dried seaweed sucked up by the suction surface is peeled off the seaweed mat. Furthermore, a seaweed peeling device with such a configuration makes it possible to more reliably peel dried seaweed from the seaweed mat and transport it to the next process. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-065060 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-161091 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The seaweed peeling apparatus proposed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, as described above, enables the more reliable peeling of dried seaweed from the seaweed mat and its transport to the next process. However, there is a need to prevent wrinkles from forming in the dried seaweed during peeling, and to further improve the peeling capacity to ensure improved quality of the dried seaweed. Therefore, the inventors continued their diligent research and discovered that by devising the arrangement of the perforations in the belt, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the dried seaweed when peeling it, and also to further improve the peeling ability, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a seaweed peeling device that can prevent wrinkles from forming in dried seaweed when peeling, and further improve peeling ability, thereby ensuring an improvement in the quality of dried seaweed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the configuration of the seaweed peeling device according to the present invention is as follows: (1) A seaweed peeling device having a main peeling section for peeling sheet-shaped dried seaweed from a seaweed mat held in a seaweed mat holder, The nori mat holder has a frame-like structure formed by assembling a pair of horizontal and vertical rods, with one end of the nori mat held by one of the horizontal rods, and the other end of the nori mat connected to the other horizontal rod. The aforementioned peeled portion is, A suction rotating belt has a belt equipped with a suction surface for sucking up the dried seaweed adhering to the lower surface of the seaweed mat, and the dried seaweed is discharged by rotating the belt while it is sucking up the dried seaweed. A belt lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the suction rotating belt to bring the suction surface into contact with and away from the lower surface of the seaweed mat, A chuck portion for holding and releasing the rod member, The seaweed mat holder includes a chuck moving means that causes the seaweed mat to perform a folding operation in such a manner that the dried seaweed sucked onto the suction surface is peeled off the seaweed mat by moving the chuck portion holding the rod member along a predetermined trajectory, The belt has multiple through holes formed in it. The belt is characterized in that at least a portion of the intermediate portion in the width direction has fewer perforations per unit area than the front and rear portions in the width direction.

[0010] The above configuration (1) of the seaweed peeling device of the present invention provides the following effects. In other words, the perforations in conventional belts were formed at a uniform density across their entire surface. As a result, when dried seaweed was adsorbed, air could get trapped between the belt and the dried seaweed in the middle section, potentially causing the seaweed to fold and wrinkle. In contrast, according to the configuration of (1) above, by reducing the number of perforations per predetermined area in at least a part of the middle portion in the width direction of the belt, the suction force is reduced in the middle portion of the dried seaweed, making it difficult for air to enter between the belt and the dried seaweed, thus preventing the dried seaweed from folding and wrinkling. Furthermore, according to the configuration of (1) above, by reducing the number of perforations per predetermined area in at least a portion of the middle part in the width direction of the belt, the suction force is increased in the front and rear parts of the dried seaweed, resulting in stronger adsorption, and the separation of the dried seaweed from the seaweed mat is improved when the seaweed mat is folded back in the seaweed mat holder (further improvement in peeling ability). Therefore, according to the configuration described in (1) above, it is possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the dried seaweed when peeling it, and to further improve the peeling ability, thereby ensuring an improvement in the quality of the dried seaweed.

[0011] In the configuration of the seaweed peeling device of the present invention described in (1) above, it is preferable to have the following configurations as described in (2) to (4).

[0012] (2) The intermediate portion in the width direction of the belt has fewer per-unit area than the front and rear portions in the width direction, except for the central portion.

[0013] (3) The entire surface of the intermediate portion in the width direction of the belt has fewer per-unit area than the front portion and rear portion in the width direction.

[0014] (4) The rod member is pressed from below against a stopper fixed to the horizontal rod by a spring member attached to the nori mat holder, thereby fixing the nori mat in the extended position. The aforementioned peeled portion, Furthermore, it further includes pressing means for releasing the pressing of the rod member against the stopper located at the extended position by pressing the free end of the spring member downward.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a laver peeling device that can prevent the occurrence of wrinkles in dried laver during peeling, further improve the peeling ability, and ensure the improvement of the quality of dried laver.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a laver manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheet-shaped dried laver. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram ((a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view) for explaining a laver basket holder which is a component of a laver manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheet-shaped dried laver. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the laver basket holder shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a part of a laver peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a part of a belt which is a component of a laver peeling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically using preferred embodiments. However, the following embodiments are merely examples embodying the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0018] [Overall Configuration of Laver Manufacturing Apparatus] First, the overall configuration of a laver manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheet-shaped dried laver will be described while referring to FIG. 1.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a laver manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing sheet-shaped dried laver.

[0020] The nori manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1 has the function of drying raw nori that has been spread onto a nori mat 3c (see Figure 2) to produce dried nori 16 (see Figure 4). As shown in Figure 1, the nori manufacturing apparatus 1 is configured to circulate and transport nori mat holders 3 (see Figures 2 and 3) by an endless chain 2, which consists of attachment chains connected in an endless loop, along the transport path of a transport conveyor 4, with a paper-making section 5, a dewatering section 6, a peeling section 7, and a holder washing section 9 arranged therein, and is combined with a drying chamber 10.

[0021] The endless chain 2 is wrapped in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape around one drive sprocket 11 and three driven sprockets 12-14 (a two-tiered configuration: the upper conveyor belt 4U and the lower conveyor belt 4L), and is positioned in pairs opposite each other at the same height in the vertical direction of the paper in Figure 1 in order to hold the seaweed mat holder 3 from both sides. The drive sprocket 11 is then rotated by, for example, a drive motor (not shown) (see arrow A in Figure 1), so that the endless chain 2 can be rotated intermittently clockwise in Figure 1 at predetermined timings.

[0022] In the transport path of the conveyor 4, which consists of an endless chain 2 with an upper and lower configuration, the upper conveyor 4U, located at the higher position, has the paper-making section 5 and the dewatering section 6 arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction (from left to right in Figure 1). In the transport path of the lower conveyor 4L, located at the lower position, the peeling section 7 and the holder washing section 9 are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction (from right to left in Figure 1). The nori mat holder 3 is then transported sequentially to the paper-making section 5, the dewatering section 6, the drying chamber 10, the peeling section 7, and the holder washing section 9.

[0023] After dewatering, the seaweed mat holder 3 is transported into the drying chamber 10 via the upper conveyor 4U, which is located at a higher position on the transport path of the transport conveyor 4. The drying chamber 10 is equipped with a two-tiered drying conveyor (not shown), consisting of, for example, an upper conveyor and a lower conveyor. The raw seaweed on the seaweed mat 3c (see Figure 2) held in the seaweed mat holder 3 is dried as it moves through the drying chamber 10 on the drying conveyor, becoming dried seaweed 16. After drying, the seaweed mat holder 3 is transferred to the lower conveyor 4L, which is located at a lower position on the transport path of the transport conveyor 4.

[0024] The paper-making section 5 performs the process of forming raw seaweed onto the seaweed mat 3c held in the seaweed mat holder 3. The dewatering unit 6 dewaters the raw seaweed on the seaweed mat 3c that has been formed by the papermaking unit 5. In the seaweed manufacturing apparatus 1, the dewatering unit 6 is composed of a suction dewatering unit 6a, which is arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction, and which dewaters the seaweed by sucking moisture from the seaweed dough formed on the upper surface of the seaweed mat 3c, and a press dewatering unit 6b, which dewaters the seaweed by pressing a sponge-like pad onto the seaweed dough. The peeling section 7 peels the dried seaweed 16 from the seaweed mat 3c held in the seaweed mat holder 3. In the seaweed manufacturing apparatus 1, the peeling section 7 is composed of a preliminary peeling section (edge ​​peeling section) 7a, which peels only the edges (edges) of the dried seaweed 16 from the seaweed mat 3c, and a main peeling section (seaweed peeling device) 7b, which peels the entire dried seaweed 16 from the seaweed mat 3c, arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. The holder washing unit 9 washes the seaweed mat holder 3, from which the dried seaweed 16 has been peeled off, with water. After washing, the seaweed mat holder 3 is transported back to the papermaking unit 5.

[0025] [Nori mat holder configuration] Next, the structure of the nori mat holder, which is a component of the nori manufacturing apparatus, will be explained with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a nori mat holder, a component of a nori manufacturing apparatus used to produce sheet-shaped dried nori ((a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view). Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the nori mat holder shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, the "conveying direction" shown in Figures 2(a) and 3 indicates the direction in which the seaweed mat holder 3 is conveyed by the lower conveying conveyor 4L in the seaweed manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the nori mat holder 3, used for forming and drying raw nori, comprises two parallel first rods 3a, 3a (a horizontal rod and a rod member) and a plurality (three in Figure 2) of nori mats 3c stretched and held between the two first rods 3a, 3a via fasteners 3b. The nori mat holder 3 also comprises two second rods 3d, 3d extending parallel to the first rods 3a, 3a on the outside of the first rods 3a, 3a (the second rod 3d on the upstream side in the conveying direction is the "horizontal rod"). Two connecting members 3j, 3j (vertical rods) are stretched across the second rod sections 3d, 3d, with three seaweed mats 3c sandwiched between them, extending perpendicularly to the second rod sections 3d, 3d.

[0028] Inside the two connecting members 3j, 3j, two support members 3e, 3e are provided parallel to the two connecting members 3j, 3j, with three seaweed mats 3c sandwiched between them. One end of the support member 3e is fixed to the lower surface of the second rod portion 3d (crossbar) on the upstream side in the conveying direction, and the other end of the support member 3e is fixed to the upper surface of the second rod portion 3d on the downstream side in the conveying direction. The first rod portion 3a (rod member) on the upstream side in the conveying direction is located on the upper surface of the support member 3e, and the first rod portion 3a (crossbar) on the downstream side in the conveying direction is located on the lower surface of the support member 3e. Both ends of the first rod portion 3a (rod member) on the upstream side in the conveying direction are pressed from below against a stopper 3h fixed to the upper surface of the second rod portion 3d (cross rod) by torsion springs 3i (spring members) attached to support members 3e, 3e. Similarly, both ends of the first rod portion 3a (cross rod) on the downstream side in the conveying direction are pressed from above against a stopper 3h fixed to the lower surface of the second rod portion 3d by torsion springs 3i (spring members) attached to support members 3e, 3e. As a result, the nori mat 3c is fixed in the extended position. The free end of the torsion spring 3i (spring member) protrudes from the nori mat holder 3 either upstream or downstream in the conveying direction.

[0029] The nori mat 3c is constructed by arranging multiple resin rod-shaped members 3f in parallel and securing them with thin string 3g. Here, the rod-shaped members 3f are made with different surface properties on the front and back sides, such as roughness and fine striped patterns, and these rod-shaped members 3f are secured in parallel with sides of the same properties aligned. The nori mat 3c manufactured in this way has different surface properties on the front and back sides, making it possible to select and use the side that is more suitable as the sheeting surface from the front and back sides depending on the characteristics of the raw nori being used.

[0030] When the nori mat holder 3 in the nori manufacturing apparatus 1 is transported, the nori mat holder 3 is transported with both ends of the second rod portions 3d, 3d supported from the lower side.

[0031] By configuring the nori mat holder 3 as described above, the nori mat holder has no front or back orientation, making it possible to use both sides of the nori mat holder by, for example, flipping it over.

[0032] [Configuration of the seaweed peeling device (main peeling section)] Next, the configuration of the seaweed peeling device (main peeling section) in one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 4.

[0033] Figure 4 is a side view showing a part of a seaweed peeling device in one embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the "conveying direction" shown in Figure 4 indicates the direction in which the seaweed mat holder 3 is conveyed by the lower conveying conveyor 4L in the seaweed manufacturing apparatus 1.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the seaweed peeling device (main peeling section) 15 has a belt 17 equipped with a suction surface 17a that sucks up the dried seaweed 16 adhering to the lower surface of the seaweed mat 3c. The upper part of the belt 17, which has sucked up the dried seaweed 16, is rotated in the vertical direction towards the viewer in Figure 4 to discharge the dried seaweed 16, and the belt lifting mechanism raises and lowers the suction surface 17a to bring it into contact with and away from the lower surface of the seaweed mat 3c. The system includes means 19, a chuck portion 20 for holding and releasing the first rod portion 3a (rod member) on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the nori mat holder 3, and a chuck moving means 21 for causing the nori mat holder 3 to perform a folding operation on the nori mat 3c so that the dried nori 16 sucked onto the suction surface 17a is peeled off the nori mat 3c. In Figure 4, reference numeral 18a indicates a suction chamber. The suction chamber 18a sucks up the dried seaweed 16 on the belt 17 through the through-hole 17b of the belt 17.

[0035] The chuck moving mechanism 21 is configured to move a movable part 22, to which the chuck part 20 is coupled at the bottom, along a guide groove 23a formed in the guide beam 23 via a link mechanism (not shown) driven by a chuck horizontal movement mechanism (not shown). As a result, the movable part 22 reciprocates along the guide groove 23a (see arrows A and B in Figure 4), and the chuck part 20 reciprocates horizontally in conjunction with it. Then, by moving the chuck 20 horizontally while holding the first rod portion 3a (rod member) on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the seaweed mat holder 3 (see arrow i in Figure 4), the seaweed mat 3c can be made to fold back. Furthermore, by moving the chuck 20 back horizontally after the folding operation (see arrow b in Figure 4), the seaweed mat 3c can be returned to the extended position.

[0036] At least when the chuck portion 20 is moved back and forth (see arrows A and B in Figure 4), the guide beam 23 (and the guide groove 23a formed on the guide beam 23) is tilted downward in the direction of the return movement of the chuck portion 20 (see arrow B in Figure 4) so ​​that the upper surface of the suction rotation belt 18 and the tip portion of the chuck portion 20 do not interfere with each other. However, if left as is, the folding angle when the nori mat 3c is folded back in the nori mat holder 3 will gradually widen (making it difficult to maintain a sharp angle when pulling the nori mat 3c), which may make it difficult to separate the dried nori 16 from the nori mat 3c. It will also become difficult to keep the upward force applied to the dried nori 16 small. As a result, it will not be possible to completely prevent the dried nori 16 from tearing when peeling it off.

[0037] In this embodiment, the following configuration is adopted to solve this problem. In other words, in this embodiment, the suction rotating belt 18 is inclined downward in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the chuck portion 20 when peeling off the dried seaweed 16 (in the direction of return movement of the chuck portion 20 (see arrow B in Figure 4)), corresponding to the guide beam 23. In this case, the inclination angle α from the horizontal plane is approximately half the inclination angle β of the guide beam 23 from the horizontal plane.

[0038] The configuration of the seaweed peeling device (main peeling section) 15 of this embodiment provides the following effects. In other words, with this configuration, the tip of the chuck portion 20, which holds the first rod portion 3a (rod member) on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the nori mat holder 3, can be brought close to the upper surface of the suction rotating belt 18 to the extent that it does not interfere with the upper surface of the suction rotating belt 18. As a result, the folding angle γ (see arrow A in Figure 4) when the nori mat holder 3 is made to fold back can be kept small (the angle at which the nori mat 3c is pulled can be kept acute), resulting in good separation between the dried nori 16 and the nori mat 3c. In addition, the upward component of the force applied to the dried nori 16 can be kept to a minimum. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent the dried seaweed 16 from tearing when peeling it off, thereby ensuring an improvement in the quality of the dried seaweed 16.

[0039] Further details are provided below. In the configuration of the seaweed peeling device 15 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the suction rotating belt 18 with respect to the horizontal plane is greater than 0° and less than or equal to 5°. With this preferred configuration, when the chuck portion 20, which holds the first rod portion 3a (rod member) on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the seaweed mat holder 3, is moved back and forth, it becomes possible to reliably bring the tip portion of the chuck portion 20 close to the upper surface of the suction rotating belt 18 to the extent that it does not interfere with the upper surface of the suction rotating belt 18.

[0040] Furthermore, in the configuration of the seaweed peeling device 15 of this embodiment, it is even more preferable that the inclination angle of the suction rotating belt 18 with respect to the horizontal plane is in the range of approximately 2 to 3 degrees. With this preferred configuration, when the nori mat holder 3 is made to fold the nori mat 3c, the tilt angle can be set so as not to put stress on the dried nori 16.

[0041] Furthermore, in the configuration of the seaweed peeling device 15 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the inclination of the suction rotating belt 18 is adjustable. With this preferred configuration, when the nori mat holder 3 is made to perform a folding motion of the nori mat 3c, it is possible to adjust the tilt angle to one that places the least stress on the dried nori 16.

[0042] In Figure 4, reference numeral 24 indicates a guide member, and reference numeral 24a indicates a guide member lifting mechanism. By providing these components, the guide member 24 can be raised by the guide member lifting mechanism 24a to fix the position of the seaweed mat holder 3 in the transport direction prior to the rise of the suction rotating belt 18, thereby guiding the second rod portion 3d (horizontal rod) on the upstream side in the transport direction of the seaweed mat holder 3. In other words, the guide member 24 and the guide member lifting mechanism 24a are a guide mechanism that fixes the position of the seaweed mat holder 3 in the transport direction located in the main peeling section 7b (see Figure 1).

[0043] In Figure 4, reference numeral 25 indicates a pressing member, and reference numeral 25a indicates a pressing member lifting mechanism. In the peeling section 7b, a pressing member 25 is positioned above the free end of a torsion spring 3i (spring member) that protrudes upstream in the conveying direction from the seaweed mat holder 3, which is fixed in position by a guide member 24. The pressing member 25 is driven to move up and down by the pressing member lifting mechanism 25a. By lowering the pressing member 25 with the pressing member lifting mechanism 25a, the pressing member 25 presses downwards against the free end of the torsion spring 3i (spring member) that protrudes upstream in the conveying direction from the seaweed mat holder 3, thereby releasing the first rod portion 3a (rod member) which is positioned in the extended position in the seaweed mat holder 3 from pressing against the stopper 3h (see Figure 2).

[0044] [Belt configuration] Next, the specific configuration of the belt, which is a component of the seaweed peeling device (main peeling section) in one embodiment of the present invention, will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0045] Figure 5 is a plan view showing a part of a belt, which is a component of a seaweed peeling device in one embodiment of the present invention. Furthermore, the "conveying direction" shown in Figure 5 indicates the direction in which the seaweed mat holder 3 is conveyed by the lower conveying conveyor 4L in the seaweed manufacturing apparatus 1. Also, the "rotation direction" shown in Figure 5 indicates the direction in which the upper part of the belt 17 rotates.

[0046] Belt 17 is an endless belt having an upper section and a lower section. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, multiple through-holes 17b with a diameter of approximately 6 mm are formed on almost the entire surface of the belt 17. By driving the suction chamber 18a, suction is drawn in through these through-holes 17b, and the dried seaweed 16 is adsorbed and held on the suction surface 17a of the belt 17.

[0047] The multiple through-holes 17b formed in the belt 17 are arranged in a configuration such as that shown in Figure 5. In other words, the through-holes 17b are arranged in a staggered pattern in the width direction of the belt 17, and are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the belt 17. Furthermore, in the middle portion of the belt 17 in the width direction, except for the central part, the number of through-holes 17b per unit area is less than in the front and rear portions in the width direction (approximately half). Furthermore, the density of the through-holes 17b in the front and rear portions in the width direction should be such that the strength of the belt 17 is not reduced.

[0048] By configuring belt 17 in this way, the following effects can be obtained. In other words, the perforations in conventional belts were formed at a uniform density across their entire surface (the diameter of the perforations was approximately 6 mm, and the density was such that it did not reduce the strength of the belt). As a result, when dried seaweed was adsorbed, air could get trapped between the belt and the dried seaweed in the middle section, potentially causing the dried seaweed to fold and wrinkle. In contrast, according to the configuration of the belt 17 of this embodiment, by reducing the number of perforations 17b per predetermined area in the middle portion (excluding the central portion) of the belt 17 in the width direction, the suction force is reduced in the middle portion of the dried seaweed 16, making it difficult for air to enter between the belt 17 and the dried seaweed 16, thus preventing the dried seaweed 16 from folding and becoming wrinkled. Furthermore, according to the configuration of the belt 17 of this embodiment, by reducing the number of perforations 17b per predetermined area in the middle portion (excluding the central portion) in the width direction of the belt 17, the suction force is increased in the front and rear portions of the dried seaweed 16, resulting in stronger adsorption. This improves the separation of the dried seaweed 16 and the seaweed screen 3c when the seaweed screen holder 3 is made to fold back (further improvement in peeling ability). Therefore, the configuration of the belt 17 in this embodiment makes it possible to prevent wrinkles from forming in the dried seaweed 16 when peeling, and to further improve the peeling ability, thereby ensuring an improvement in the quality of the dried seaweed 16.

[0049] In this embodiment, the example described was one in which the intermediate portion of the belt 17 in the width direction has fewer perforations 17b per unit area than the front and rear portions in the width direction, except for the central portion. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration. It is sufficient that at least a part of the intermediate portion of the belt 17 in the width direction has fewer perforations per unit area than the front and rear portions in the width direction. For example, the entire intermediate portion of the belt 17 in the width direction may have fewer perforations 17b per unit area than the front and rear portions in the width direction. Furthermore, the intermediate portion of the belt 17 in the width direction may have a configuration in which areas with a high density of perforations 17b and areas with a low density of perforations 17b alternate in a striped pattern.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case in which the suction rotating belt 18 is tilted downward in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the chuck portion 20 when peeling off the dried seaweed 16 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration. The suction rotating belt 18 may be held in a horizontal position. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 1 Nori production equipment 2 Endless chain 3. Seaweed mat holder 3a First rod section (crossbar and rod member) 3b Stop 3c seaweed cage 3d Second rod section (The second rod section 3d on the upstream side in the conveying direction is the "cross rod") 3e Support member 3f Rod-shaped member 3g thin string 3h Stopper 3i Torsion spring (spring component) 3j Connecting member (vertical rod) 4. Conveyor for transporting goods 4L Lower conveyor 4U Upper conveyor 5. Cutting section 6 Dehydration section 6a Suction dehydration section 6b Press dewatering section 7. Stripped section 7a Pre-skinning section (ear skinning section) 7b Main peeling section (seaweed peeling device) 9. Holder cleaning section 10 Drying room 11 Drive sprocket 12-14 driven sprocket 15. Seaweed peeling device (main peeling section) 16 Dried seaweed 17 belts 17a Suction surface 17b Through hole 18 Suction Rotating Belt 18a Suction Chamber 19. Belt lifting mechanism 20 Zipper part 21 Chuck Movement 22 Mobile section 23 Guide beam 23a Guide groove 24 Guide member 24a Guide member lifting mechanism 25 Pressing member 25a Pressing member lifting mechanism

Claims

1. A seaweed peeling device having a peeling section for peeling sheet-shaped dried seaweed from a seaweed mat held in a seaweed mat holder, The nori mat holder has a frame-like structure formed by assembling a pair of horizontal and vertical rods, with one end of the nori mat held by one of the horizontal rods, and the other end of the nori mat connected to the other horizontal rod. The aforementioned peeled portion is, A suction rotating belt has a belt equipped with a suction surface for sucking up the dried seaweed adhering to the lower surface of the seaweed mat, and the dried seaweed is discharged by rotating the belt while it is sucking up the dried seaweed. A belt lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the suction rotating belt to bring the suction surface into contact with and away from the lower surface of the seaweed mat, A chuck portion for holding and releasing the rod member, The seaweed mat holder includes a chuck moving means that causes the seaweed mat to perform a folding operation in such a manner that the dried seaweed sucked onto the suction surface is peeled off the seaweed mat by moving the chuck portion holding the rod member along a predetermined trajectory, The belt has multiple through holes formed in it. A seaweed peeling device characterized in that at least a portion of the intermediate portion in the width direction of the belt has fewer perforations per unit area than the front and rear portions in the width direction.

2. The seaweed peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion in the width direction of the belt, excluding its central portion, has fewer perforations per unit area than the front portion and rear portion in the width direction.

3. The seaweed peeling device according to claim 1, wherein the entire surface of the intermediate portion in the width direction of the belt has fewer perforations per predetermined area than the front portion and rear portion in the width direction.

4. The rod member is pressed from below against a stopper fixed to the horizontal rod by a spring member attached to the nori mat holder, thereby fixing the nori mat in the extended position. The aforementioned peeled portion, The seaweed peeling device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing means for releasing the rod member, which is located in the extended position, from pressing the free end of the spring member downward.

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