Material transfer device and material supply device

Abstract

To provide a material transfer device capable of downsizing a hopper and efficiently transferring a viscous material such as a food material to a discharge port, and a material supply device.SOLUTION: A rotary body 3 disposed in a substantially tubular hopper 6 and rotating around a central axis X for transferring a food material 2 stored in the hopper 6 toward a discharge port 1b formed in a lower part of the hopper 6 includes an upper structure 8 and a lower structure 9. The upper structure 8 includes a scraper 8a that scrapes down the food material 2 from an inner wall 6a of the hopper by being rotated along the inner wall 6a while keeping a predetermined gap t with respect to the inner wall 6a, and a fin 8b positioned in a lower part of the scraper 8a and transferring the food material 2 scraped down toward the lower structure 9. The lower structure 9 incudes a screw 9a positioned in a lower part of the upper structure 8 and transferring the food material 2 transferred by the fin 8b to the discharge port 1b by spiral rotation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a material transfer device and a material supply device, and particularly to a material transfer device used for viscous materials having fluidity such as food raw materials.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in food production, for example, a material supply device is used to supply fluid food raw materials (viscous materials) such as red bean paste, cream, and confectionery dough. The material supply device is generally configured to include a hopper and a screw.

[0003] A screw is disposed inside the hopper serving as a container for charging food raw materials, and the screw is rotationally driven by a drive source such as a motor, so that the food raw materials in the hopper are gradually transferred to the discharge port serving as the outlet of the hopper and extruded, and the food raw materials are discharged from the discharge port and supplied to the next step (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In order to allow a larger amount of food raw materials to be charged, a large-diameter hopper is generally used. In addition, it is preferable that the hopper has a large diameter in order to prevent the food raw materials adhering to the inner wall of the hopper from rotating together with the screw, and to efficiently transfer the food raw materials to the discharge port by the rotation of the screw. Therefore, as a general hopper, a so-called funnel-shaped hopper having a large diameter on the upper side and a smaller diameter as it goes downward is often used.

[0006] However, when attempting to arrange multiple material supply devices side by side, a large-diameter hopper can create space limitations. Furthermore, if the hopper diameter is reduced while maintaining the conventional screw structure, food ingredients are more likely to accumulate between the screw shaft and the screw blades. As the screw rotates, the food ingredients can be carried along, making it difficult to transfer them to the discharge port.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its exemplary objective is to provide a material transfer device and a material supply device that can reduce the diameter of the hopper and efficiently transfer viscous materials such as food raw materials to the discharge port. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, an exemplary aspect of the present invention is a material transfer device disposed in a substantially cylindrical hopper and rotating around a central axis substantially coinciding with the cylindrical center of the hopper, for the purpose of transferring a viscous material stored in the hopper toward a discharge port formed below the hopper, and comprising an upper structure and a lower structure, wherein the upper structure comprises a scraper portion that scrapes the viscous material from the inner wall of the hopper by rotating along the inner wall while maintaining a predetermined distance from the inner wall of the hopper, and a fin portion located below the scraper portion that transfers the scraped viscous material toward the lower structure, and the lower structure is located below the upper structure and comprises a screw portion that transfers the viscous material transferred by the fin portion toward the discharge port by spiral rotation.

[0009] A material supply device, as another exemplary aspect of the present invention, comprises the material transfer device described above and the hopper.

[0010] Further objects or other features of the present invention will be revealed by preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the diameter of the hopper can be reduced, and viscous materials such as food ingredients can be efficiently transferred to the discharge port. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is an external view showing a schematic overview of the overall structure of the rotating body in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a side view of the rotating body. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] [Embodiment] <Dispenser 1> Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a dispenser (material supply device) 1 according to an embodiment. In Figure 1, the upward and downward directions are indicated by arrows. The dispenser 1 stores the fluid food raw material (viscous material) 2 that is introduced from its inlet 1a and dispenses the food raw material 2 from its discharge port 1b to supply it to the next process.

[0014] Dispenser 1 supplies food raw materials 2 to food processing equipment, belt conveyor equipment, etc. (not shown) located downstream of it. The supply of food raw materials 2 by dispenser 1 is controlled by a controller (control device) 5, which controls the operation of a motor (drive source) 4 that rotates a rotating body (material transfer device) 3, but the details are omitted.

[0015] Furthermore, the dispenser 1 may be configured, for example, as part of a food 3D printer. By arranging a control table, for example, that can be controlled in the three axes of XYZ, or a rotary table, that can be controlled in radial position (r) and rotational angle position (θ), downstream of the dispenser 1, it is also possible to form three-dimensional objects using food ingredients 2.

[0016] Food ingredient 2 can include various viscous materials with fluidity, such as bean paste, cream, mochi, and dough for Western and Japanese confectionery. Of course, it is not limited to food ingredients; this dispenser 1 can also be applied to viscous materials such as resin materials, clay, and rubber.

[0017] The dispenser 1 is broadly composed of a hopper 6 and a rotating body 3. In this embodiment, the dispenser 1 further includes a motor 4 and a controller 5. Food ingredients 2 placed in the hopper 6 are discharged from the discharge port 1b by the rotation of the rotating body 3. The rotating body 3 is rotatable around a central axis X by the motor 4, and its rotation is controlled by the drive control of the motor 4 by the controller 5.

[0018] For the motor 4, known drive sources such as stepping motors, AC servo motors, and DC motors can be used. For the controller 5, known control devices such as programmable sequencers, relay switches, and programmable computers can be used.

[0019] <Hopper 6> Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the dispenser 1. In Figure 2, the upward direction and the downward direction are indicated by arrows. The hopper 6 is a container capable of storing the loaded food raw material 2 inside, and has a substantially cylindrical shape. A loading port 1a is formed as an opening at the upper part of the hopper 6, and the food raw material 2 can be loaded into the hopper 6 through this loading port 1a. Further, a discharge port 1b is formed as an opening at the lower part of the hopper 6, and the food raw material 2 inside the hopper 6 is discharged out of the hopper 6 through this discharge port 1b.

[0020] The hopper 6 may be formed of, for example, a metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum, but may also be formed of a resin material. The hopper 6 is installed to extend in the vertical direction. Here, the vertical direction is also referred to as the longitudinal direction. Further, the left-right direction orthogonal to the vertical direction is also referred to as the lateral direction. At the center position of the lateral circular cross section of the hopper 6, that is, at the cylindrical center of the hopper 6, a central axis X extending in the vertical direction is virtually assumed. Since the hopper 6 has a cylindrical shape extending along the longitudinal direction, that is, the extension direction of the central axis X, its inner wall 6a also has a shape extending along the longitudinal direction. The shape of the inner wall 6a of the hopper 6 is circular in the lateral cross section, and linear in the longitudinal cross section. At least a part, preferably most of the inner wall 6a is arranged to face the scraper portion 8a of the rotating body 3 described later.

[0021] <Rotating Body 3> The rotating body 3 is for transferring the food raw material 2 in the hopper 6 toward the discharge port 1b. The rotating body 3 has a function of scraping off the food raw material 2 adhering to the inner wall 6a of the hopper 6, and a function of moving the scraped-off food raw material 2 toward the discharge port 1b.

[0022] Figure 3 is an external view showing a schematic of the overall configuration of the rotating body 3. The rotating body 3 is placed inside the hopper 6 and is rotatable around its central axis X. The rotating body 3 is connected to a motor 4, which is connected to a controller 5. The rotation of the rotating body 3 around its central axis X is driven and controlled by the operation of the motor 4 based on control signals from the controller 5.

[0023] The rotating body 3 is broadly composed of an upper structure 8 and a lower structure 9. The upper structure 8 primarily performs the scraping function, while the lower structure 9 performs the movement function. A portion of the upper structure 8 also has a movement function.

[0024] <Superstructure 8> The superstructure 8 has a scraper portion 8a and a fin portion 8b. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the superstructure 8 is made up of flat plate-shaped members, and its overall contour is formed to be approximately rectangular in plan view. A hollow portion 8c is formed inside the contour.

[0025] <Scraper section 8a> In the upper structure 8, which is roughly rectangular in plan view, the portion corresponding to the vertically extending side constitutes the scraper portion 8a. The scraper portion 8a rotates along the inner wall 6a of the hopper 6 while maintaining a predetermined distance t from the inner wall 6a, thereby scraping off the food raw materials 2 adhering to the inner wall 6a. The predetermined distance is preferably 2 mm or less, and more preferably 1 mm or less.

[0026] It is preferable that the scraper portion 8a is substantially spaced by the predetermined distance described above over almost the entire range D in which the inner wall 6a and the scraper portion 8a face each other. This allows most of the food raw material 2 adhering to the inner wall 6a to be cleanly scraped off. Here, the range D is preferably 50% or more, and more preferably 70% or more, of the dimension H of the hopper 6 in the direction along the central axis X. Furthermore, when H2 is the dimension of the cylindrical portion of the hopper 6 in the direction along the central axis X in which the circular shape of the cross-section exhibits the same radius, the range D is preferably 70% or more, and more preferably 90% or more, of the dimension H2.

[0027] In this embodiment, the hopper 6 is substantially cylindrical, and both the inner wall 6a and the scraper portion 8a extend substantially linearly in the vertical direction. However, the shape of the hopper 6 is not necessarily limited to a substantially cylindrical shape. For example, the side surface of the hopper 6 may be curved, and the radius of the circle in its lateral cross-section may gradually change. In this case, the contour of the upper structure 8 may not be substantially rectangular in plan view, and the scraper portion 8a may have a curved shape that follows the inner wall 6a. If the distance between the inner wall 6a and the scraper portion 8a is the predetermined distance described above in their opposing range D, then, as in this embodiment, most of the food ingredients 2 adhering to the inner wall 6a can be scraped off. Since a hollow portion 8c is formed in the upper structure 8, the scraped food ingredients 2 can fall to the fin portion 8b via the hollow portion 8c.

[0028] <Fin section 8b> In the upper structure 8, which is roughly rectangular in plan view, the portion corresponding to the lower edge extending radially from the central axis X in the lateral direction constitutes the fin portion 8b. The fin portion 8b transports the food material 2 scraped off by the scraper portion 8a toward the lower structure 9. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the fin portion 8b has an inclined surface 8d. The inclined surface 8d is a surface inclined at a predetermined angle α with respect to the central axis X (see also Figure 4). When the rotating body 3 rotates, the inclined surface 8d of the fin portion 8c applies a downward pressure to the food material 2, and the food material 2 is transported toward the lower structure 9.

[0029] In this embodiment, the predetermined angle α is set to 45°, but it is not limited to this. The predetermined angle α is set appropriately based on various factors such as the viscosity of the food raw material 2, the amount transferred per unit time, and the rotational speed of the rotating body 3. Since the lower edge of the upper structure 8 is used as the fin portion 8b, efficient downward transfer of the food raw material is achieved while saving space.

[0030] <Substructure 9> The lower structure 9 is located below the upper structure 8 and transfers the food raw material 2, which has been moved by the fin section 8b, to the discharge port 1b by spiral rotation. The lower structure 9 has a screw section 9a. The screw section 9a is formed in a spiral shape, and when the rotating body 3 rotates around the central axis X, the screw section 9a transfers the food raw material 2 to the discharge port 1b.

[0031] The screw portion 9a is positioned in a location corresponding to the lower part of the cylindrical interior of the hopper 6. In this embodiment, the lower part of the hopper 6 has a gradually tapering shape (a circular cross-section with a smaller radius in the lateral direction), and the outer shape of the screw portion 9a is also shaped accordingly. Specifically, at the point where the inner diameter of the hopper 6 is smallest, the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the screw portion 9a are approximately the same, and the gap between them is extremely small. As a result, sufficient discharge pressure can be secured when discharging food raw materials 2 from the discharge port 1b of the hopper 6, and consequently, accurate control of the discharge volume becomes possible.

[0032] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, in the scraper portion 8a, the opposing surface 8e (see Figure 3) facing the inner wall 6a may be a surface perpendicular to the radial direction from the central axis X in the lateral cross-section, as in this embodiment. Furthermore, a chamfered portion 10 may be formed near the opposing surface 8e. In addition, the opposing surface 8e itself may be configured to have a constant angle with respect to the radial direction from the central axis X, rather than 90°, so that the opposing surface 8e forms an acute or obtuse angle with respect to the rotation direction of the rotating body 3.

[0033] Furthermore, this invention includes the following aspects.

[0034] (Purpose 1) A material transfer device is provided, which is positioned inside a substantially cylindrical hopper and rotates around a central axis substantially coinciding with the cylindrical center of the hopper, for transferring a viscous material stored inside the hopper toward a discharge port formed below the hopper, It has a superstructure and a substructure, The aforementioned superstructure is A scraper section that rotates along the inner wall of the hopper while maintaining a predetermined distance from the inner wall, thereby scraping the viscous material off the inner wall, It has a fin section located below the scraper section that transports the scraped-off viscous material toward the lower structure, The material transfer device comprises a lower structure located below the upper structure and having a screw section that transfers the viscous material, which has been transported by the fin section, to the discharge port by spiral rotation.

[0035] (Purpose 2) The superstructure may have a contour that is substantially rectangular in plan view, with a hollow portion formed inside the contour, so that the viscous material scraped off by the scraper portion falls through the hollow portion to the fin portion.

[0036] (Purpose 3) The fin portion may be formed extending radially from the central axis and may have an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the central axis.

[0037] (Purpose 4) The inner wall and the scraper portion may be separated by a substantially constant predetermined distance over substantially the entire area in which the inner wall and the scraper portion face each other.

[0038] (Purpose 5) The area where the inner wall and the scraper portion face each other may be 50% or more of the dimension of the hopper in the direction along the central axis.

[0039] (Purpose 6) The predetermined interval may be 2 mm or less.

[0040] (Purpose 7) A material supply device comprising the material transfer device described above and the hopper. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] α: Predetermined angle D: Range H, H2: Dimensions t: predetermined interval X: Central axis 1: Dispenser (material supply device) 1a: Inlet 1b: Discharge port 2: Food raw materials (viscous materials) 3: Rotating body (material transfer device) 4: Motor (power source) 5: Controller (control device) 6: Hopper 6a:Inner wall 8:Superstructure 8a: Scraper section 8b: Fin section 8c: Hollow part 8d: Inclined surface 8e: Opposite side 9: Substructure 9a: Screw section 10: Chamfered section

Claims

1. A material transfer device is provided, which is positioned inside a substantially cylindrical hopper and rotates around a central axis substantially coinciding with the cylindrical center of the hopper, for transferring a viscous material stored inside the hopper toward a discharge port formed below the hopper, It has a superstructure and a substructure, The aforementioned superstructure is A scraper section that rotates along the inner wall of the hopper while maintaining a predetermined distance from the inner wall, thereby scraping the viscous material off the inner wall, It has a fin section located below the scraper section that transports the scraped-off viscous material toward the lower structure, The lower structure is located below the upper structure and has a screw section that transfers the viscous material transported by the fin section to the discharge port by spiral rotation. The superstructure is a material transfer device in which the outline is formed to be approximately rectangular in plan view, and a hollow portion is formed inside the outline, so that the viscous material scraped off by the scraper portion falls through the hollow portion to the fin portion.

2. The material transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the fin portion is formed extending radially from the central axis and has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the central axis.

3. The material transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall and the scraper portion are separated by a substantially constant predetermined distance over substantially the entire area in which the inner wall and the scraper portion face each other.

4. The material transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the area in which the inner wall and the scraper portion face each other is 50% or more of the dimensions of the hopper in the direction along the central axis.

5. The material transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined interval is 2 mm or less.

6. A material transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A material supply device comprising the hopper mentioned above.

Images