Food Manufacturing System Having Dispensing Apparatus For Food And Forming Mold Cleaning Apparatus

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a food manufacturing system is provided comprising: a molding mold that is transported along a rail and is formed by being divided into an upper mold and a lower mold, having a food molding groove formed inside and an oil path formed on the outer edge of the food molding groove so that oil can accumulate; a food dispensing device that inserts a food that has been heated and cooked on the molding mold through using a needle-shaped insertion member extended in the form of a long axis, lifts it vertically, moves it to a designated position, and drops and discharges the food; and a molding mold cleaning device disposed at the rear end of the food dispensing device on the rail, which adheres to the empty molding mold from which the food has been removed, and removes oil and foreign substances remaining inside the food molding groove using vacuum pressure; wherein the food dispensing device is characterized by independently having a first movable block assembly for dispensing food on the lower mold side of the molding mold; and a second movable block assembly for dispensing food on the upper mold side of the molding mold.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a food manufacturing system equipped with a food dispensing device and a mold cleaning device. Background Technology

[0002] The content described in this section merely provides background information and does not constitute prior art.

[0003] In general, in a machine device for mass-producing bread products (e.g., walnut cakes, fish-shaped bread, egg bread, etc.) by pouring dough into a mold and baking them, the process of separating the heated food from the mold and the process of preparing the mold before pouring the next batch of dough are involved.

[0004] A molding mold is generally formed by dividing it into an upper mold and a lower mold and joining them in a hinged manner; after heating is complete, the upper mold unfolds and is transported in an open state. However, during the heating process, food may stick to either the upper mold surface or the lower mold surface, and this depends on various factors such as the application state of the release agent, heating conditions, and the type of dough. Therefore, it cannot be guaranteed that the cooked food will always be located only in the lower mold, and even if food is stuck to the upper mold surface, it is necessary to separate the food separately.

[0005] Conventionally, methods primarily used to remove food after the heating process involved flipping the mold itself to drop foreign substances or having a worker manually remove the food. However, the method of flipping the mold has disadvantages, such as requiring a complex equipment structure and occupying a large installation space, while manual work causes bottlenecks in automated processes and raises hygiene issues.

[0006] In addition, after the food is baked, residues such as oil (release agent) or breadcrumbs applied in the previous process remain inside the empty mold. If these are not removed in time and the next batch of dough is added and heated, the oil burns, altering the taste of the food or creating carbonized material, which causes serious quality degradation. In particular, structural grooves that are prone to accumulating oil exist at the edges of the grooves formed around the inner surface of the food molding groove, so it is necessary to effectively remove oil from these areas as well.

[0007] Meanwhile, some devices have been proposed that use a pin to pierce food and then rotate it to discharge it; however, there were limitations, such as weak gripping force due to the short length of the pin, and frequent defects where the food detached from the pin and fell to the floor during transport due to centrifugal force generated during rotational movement. In addition, there is a problem where the metal cleaning nozzle directly collides with the surface of the metal molding mold, causing wear and damage to the nozzle tip or the surface of the molding mold. The problem to be solved

[0008] The present disclosure aims to provide a food dispensing device and a food manufacturing system equipped with the same, which can rapidly and accurately automatically dispense food without flipping the molding mold by inserting heated food through a needle-shaped insertion member to lift it vertically, and then dropping it by physically interfering with it through a separate removal plate.

[0009] In addition, the present disclosure aims to provide a food dispensing device capable of simultaneously separating and dispensing food even if the food is stuck to either the upper mold surface or the lower mold surface when the molding mold is opened, by independently providing a first movable block assembly and a second movable block assembly.

[0010] In addition, the purpose is to provide a food dispensing device that can fundamentally prevent food from escaping or falling during transport by adopting a long-axis needle-shaped insertion member capable of penetrating deeply into the food and a horizontal linear transport method that does not generate centrifugal force, in order to solve the problem of food escaping due to the short penetration length of the conventional pin method and centrifugal force caused by rotational transport.

[0011] In addition, the present disclosure aims to provide a food manufacturing system equipped with a molding mold cleaning device that automatically sucks up and removes residual oil and residue by lowering a plurality of vacuum suction nozzles into the empty mold after removing the food, and separates and collects the sucked oil and air using a gas-liquid separation method. means of solving the problem

[0012] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a food manufacturing system is provided comprising: a molding mold that is transported along a rail and is formed by being divided into an upper mold and a lower mold, having a food molding groove formed inside and an oil path formed on the outer edge of the food molding groove so that oil can accumulate; a food dispensing device that inserts a food through a needle-shaped insertion member extended in a long-axis shape on the molding mold, lifts the food vertically, moves it to a designated position, and drops and discharges the food; and a molding mold cleaning device disposed at the rear end of the food dispensing device on the rail, which adheres to the empty molding mold from which the food has been removed, and removes oil and foreign substances remaining inside the food molding groove using vacuum pressure; wherein the food dispensing device is characterized by independently having a first movable block assembly for dispensing food on the lower mold side of the molding mold and a second movable block assembly for dispensing food on the upper mold side of the molding mold.

[0013] Additionally, the food dispensing device comprises: a lifting block that moves the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly up and down by means of a pneumatic cylinder; a horizontal transfer guide that transfers the lifting block horizontally from the upper part of the molding mold to a designated discharge position; and a removal plate that is fixedly positioned vertically on the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly, respectively, and has a through hole formed therein so that only the needle insertion member can pass through; wherein the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly can separate and discharge the food penetrating the needle insertion member by interfering with the removal plate when the movable block moves backward after being transferred to the discharge position by the horizontal transfer guide.

[0014] In addition, the above-mentioned needle insertion member can firmly grip the food without detachment due to centrifugal force or inertia during horizontal transport by deeply penetrating the side of the food when the movable block advances.

[0015] In addition, the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly are simultaneously and individually driven by independent pneumatic cylinders, and the first movable block assembly can separate food on the lower mold, and the second movable block assembly can separate food on the upper mold.

[0016] In addition, the horizontal transfer guide may include a guide rail that provides a straight transfer path to the lifting block.

[0017] Additionally, the molding mold cleaning device may include: a vacuum generation and exhaust unit that generates a vacuum suction force and exhausts air separated from oil after suction to the outside, and an oil collection tank in which residual oil sucked by the vacuum suction force falls and is collected by gravity; a manifold block that uniformly distributes the vacuum pressure formed from the vacuum suction unit through a plurality of paths; vacuum suction nozzles that are individually connected to the manifold block to receive the vacuum suction force and are arranged to correspond to each of the food molding grooves; a flexible tube connecting the manifold block and the vacuum suction nozzles; and a nozzle lifting plate formed to support the vacuum suction nozzles and move up and down in a direction toward the molding mold.

[0018] In addition, the above oil collection tank is a closed cylindrical tank, and separates the inhaled gas and oil using a gas-liquid separation method, storing the oil at the bottom of the tank and exhausting the separated air to the outside through the vacuum generating / exhaust unit, and may include a discharge valve at the bottom for discharging the collected oil.

[0019] In addition, the tip of the vacuum suction nozzle is formed of a food-grade silicone material to protect the surface of the molding mold, and can mitigate the impact applied to the molding mold when the nozzle lifting plate descends and the vacuum suction nozzle is inserted into the food molding groove.

[0020] In addition, the molding mold cleaning device includes a cushioning spring member between the nozzle lifting plate and the main drive shaft that drives it, and the cushioning spring member can absorb the shock generated when the tip of the vacuum suction nozzle comes into contact with the food molding groove and the bottom surface of the oil path of the molding mold when the nozzle lifting plate descends.

[0021] Additionally, the vacuum suction nozzle includes a vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the food molding groove and a vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the oil path, and the vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the food molding groove may be formed to be relatively longer than the vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the oil path. Effects of the invention

[0022] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, by independently providing a first movable block assembly and a second movable block assembly, even if food is attached to either the upper mold surface or the lower mold surface after the molding mold is opened, the movable block assembly corresponding to that position can penetrate and grip the food and extract it, thereby enabling the complete automation of the extraction process regardless of the attachment position of the food.

[0023] In addition, by using a long-axis needle-shaped insert member to penetrate the food and secure high gripping force, and by adopting a horizontal linear conveying method that does not generate centrifugal force, it is possible to fundamentally prevent food leakage and falling during conveyance, which frequently occurred in conventional rotary discharge devices, thereby maximizing process yield and operational stability.

[0024] In addition, the vacuum suction unit is composed of a vacuum generation / exhaust section and an oil collection tank, and by separating and collecting the sucked-in oil and air using a gas-liquid separation method, the oil is safely collected in the tank without leaking into the external environment, thereby enabling hygienic and environmentally friendly process operation.

[0025] In addition, the tip of the vacuum suction nozzle is formed from food-grade silicone material to prevent impact and wear on the molding mold, and the vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the food molding groove is formed to be relatively longer than the vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the outer oil path. This allows for the thorough suction of residual oil accumulated at the bottom of the deep food molding groove and the edges of the relatively shallow oil path, tailored to each depth, thereby effectively maintaining the molding mold in an optimal state for the next heating process. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food manufacturing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a food dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a drawing showing the usage state of a food dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure separating and dropping food. FIG. 4 is a usage diagram showing the state in which a food dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure dispenses food. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a mold cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing the usage state of a mold cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure for removing residual oil and foreign substances. FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the lowering preparation usage state of a mold cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a drawing showing a usage state in which a vacuum suction nozzle of a molding mold cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure descends to correspond to an oil path and a food molding groove. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a mold cleaning device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to exemplary drawings; however, such embodiments and drawings are intended only to explain the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the claims. Meanwhile, detailed descriptions of components or functions known in relation to the description of the present disclosure may be omitted.

[0028] In addition, terms such as first, second, a, b, A, B, 1), 2) may be used to describe the components, functions, effects, etc. of the present disclosure, but these are intended to distinguish each component and do not limit the essence, order, or sequence of said components.

[0029] The drawings and reference numerals of the present disclosure are intended to describe embodiments of the present disclosure and do not represent the only embodiment in which the present disclosure can be practiced.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, the food manufacturing system (10) according to the present disclosure is an automated system for continuously mass-producing mold-molded foods such as walnut cakes, fish-shaped bread, and manju. The food manufacturing system (10) according to the present disclosure basically includes a plurality of molding molds (270) that are continuously circulated and transported along a rail or conveyor line. Inside the molding mold (270), a plurality of food molding grooves (271) are arranged to accommodate food dough and fillings. The molding mold (270) has a structure in which an upper mold and a lower mold are joined in a hinge manner, and the food inside is completed by sequentially passing through sections for dough injection, content insertion, and heating (oven). After the heating of the food is completed, the upper mold is unfolded and enters the food dispensing device (100) in an open state. The present disclosure includes a food dispensing device (100) and a molding mold cleaning device (200) that are continuously arranged after the heating process is completed.

[0031] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the food dispensing device (100) is a device that automatically removes cooked food from a molding mold (270) in which heating is completed and the upper mold is open. The food dispensing device (100) includes all or part of a lifting block (110), a horizontal transfer guide part (120), a first movable block assembly (131a), a second movable block assembly (131b), a bed insertion member (130), and a removal plate (140).

[0032] The lifting block (110) moves back and forth in the up and down direction by means of a driving means such as a pneumatic cylinder. The horizontal transfer guide section (120) is a guide rail and a driving means for transferring the lifting block (110) in a horizontal straight direction from the extraction position at the top of the molding mold (270) to the food discharge position (conveyor, collection container, etc.).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the food dispensing device (100) according to the present disclosure independently comprises a first movable block assembly (131a) for dispensing food on the lower mold side of the molding mold (270) and a second movable block assembly (131b) for dispensing food on the upper mold side of the molding mold (270). Accordingly, the present disclosure can simultaneously dispense food even if it is stuck to either the upper mold surface or the lower mold surface when the molding mold is opened.

[0034] The first movable block assembly (131a) is positioned to correspond to food placed on the lower mold of the open molding mold (270) and includes a pair of movable blocks that move back and forth to approach each other (inward advance) and separate (outward retraction) in a horizontal direction by the operation of a pneumatic cylinder, and a plurality of needle-shaped insertion members (130) formed extending in a long axis shape on the inner surface of the movable blocks. The second movable block assembly (131b) is positioned to correspond to food attached to the upper mold of the open molding mold (270) and is configured with the same structure as the first movable block assembly (131a), but is independently mounted on the lifting block (110) to correspond to the position of the food on the upper mold side.

[0035] In this way, the present disclosure provides a first movable block assembly (131a) and a second movable block assembly (131b) respectively, so that when the molding mold (270) is opened after the food is heated, even if the food sticks to either the lower mold or the upper mold due to various factors, such as the heating temperature or the properties of the dough, the needle-shaped insertion member (130) corresponding to each can penetrate and firmly grip and extract the food. In addition, even if the food is divided and stuck to both the lower mold and the upper mold, the first movable block assembly (131a) and the second movable block assembly (131b) operate simultaneously to extract all the food on the molding mold (270) at once. That is, the first movable block assembly (131a) and the second movable block assembly (131b) are driven simultaneously and individually by independent pneumatic cylinders, the first movable block assembly (131a) separates food on the lower mold, and the second movable block assembly (131b) separates food on the upper mold.

[0036] Unlike conventional short pins, the needle insertion member (130) is provided in the form of a long axis that is sufficiently extended to penetrate the food, and when the movable block advances inward, it penetrates deeply into both sides of the food, thereby serving to firmly grip the food.

[0037] The removal plate (140) is a plate-shaped member that is vertically fixed between the movable blocks of each movable block assembly (131a, 131b), and a plurality of through holes (141) or slits are formed at positions that exactly match the trajectory of the needle insertion member (130). The through holes (141) are formed to a size such that only thin needle insertion members (130) can pass through without interference, and also serve as a stopper that blocks large food items from passing through.

[0038] When the heating completed molding mold (270) reaches the correct position at the bottom of the food dispensing device (100), the lifting block (110) descends, and subsequently, the first movable block assembly (131a) and the second movable block assembly (131b) advance inward toward the food on the corresponding molding mold (270). Accordingly, the needle insertion member (130) penetrates deeply into the food, and then when the lifting block (110) rises, the food is lifted from the food molding groove (271). After the horizontal transfer guide (120) operates to move the lifting block (110) in a horizontal straight direction to the discharge position, and the movable block moves outward, the discharged food catches on the inner surface of the removal plate (140), is forcibly separated from the needle insertion member (130), and falls vertically downward.

[0039] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, the mold cleaning device (200) includes all or part of a vacuum suction unit (260), a manifold block (220), a flexible tube (230), a nozzle lifting plate (210), a vacuum suction nozzle (240), and a cushioning spring member (250).

[0040] After the food is completely separated from the molding mold (270), the hollow molding mold (270) continues to move along the rail and enters the lower part of the molding mold cleaning device (200) located in the post-process of the food dispensing device (100). Here, the molding mold cleaning device (200) is positioned on the rail at the rear end of the food dispensing device (100) and is in close contact with the hollow molding mold (270) from which the food has been removed, and removes oil and foreign substances remaining inside the food molding groove (271) using vacuum pressure.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the molding mold (270) has an oil path (272) formed along the outer edge of the food molding groove (271) where oil can accumulate, and the vacuum suction nozzle (240) is arranged to correspond one-to-one with each position, including a nozzle corresponding to the food molding groove (271) and a nozzle corresponding to the oil path (272).

[0042] Additionally, since the food molding groove (271) is formed deeper than the outer oil path (272), in order for the nozzle lifting plate (210) to descend and reach both the bottom of the food molding groove (271) and the bottom of the oil path (272), the vacuum suction nozzle (240) corresponding to the food molding groove (271) must be formed relatively longer than the vacuum suction nozzle (240) corresponding to the oil path (272). Accordingly, residual oil accumulated in the food molding groove (271) and the oil path (272), which have different depths, is completely sucked up and removed by the vacuum suction nozzle (240).

[0043] Referring to FIG. 9, the vacuum suction unit (260) includes a vacuum generating / exhausting unit (261) and an oil collection tank (262), and generates vacuum suction power of the mold cleaning device (200) and collects and separates the sucked oil and foreign substances.

[0044] The vacuum generation and exhaust unit (261) is located at the upper part of the vacuum suction unit (260) and generates a strong vacuum suction force to exhaust air separated from oil to the outside. The oil collection tank (262) is a sealed cylindrical tank connected to the lower part of the vacuum generation and exhaust unit (261), in which the sucked residual oil and foreign matter fall by gravity and are collected and stored at the bottom, and the oil and air are separated by a gas-liquid separation method. The lower part of the oil collection tank (262) includes a discharge valve for discharging the collected oil and a pressure gauge for checking the internal pressure.

[0045] The manifold block (220) evenly distributes the vacuum pressure provided from the vacuum suction unit (260) through multiple paths and transmits a uniform vacuum suction force to each vacuum suction nozzle (240) through multiple flexible tubes (230). The vacuum suction nozzles (240) are individually connected to the manifold block (220) to receive the vacuum suction force and are arranged to correspond to each food molding groove (271).

[0046] The tip of the vacuum suction nozzle (240) is formed of food-grade silicone material to mitigate impact and friction applied to the surface of the molding mold (270) when the nozzle lifting plate (210) descends and the vacuum suction nozzle (240) is inserted into the food molding groove (271), and elastically adheres to the shape of the inner surface of the food molding groove (271) to effectively suction and remove residual oil accumulated in the oil path (272) at the edge of the groove around the food shape. In addition, the cushioning spring member (250) provided between the nozzle lifting plate (210) and the main drive shaft provides double shock mitigation together with the silicone tip. Additionally, the nozzle lifting plate (210) is formed to support vacuum suction nozzles (240) and move up and down in a direction toward the molding mold (270), and the cushioning spring member (250) absorbs the shock that occurs when the end of the vacuum suction nozzle (240) comes into contact with the bottom surface of the food molding groove (271) and oil path (272) of the molding mold (270) when the nozzle lifting plate (210) descends.

[0047] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the limited drawings and description, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the above description. Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims are also included within the scope of the claims set forth below. Explanation of the symbols

[0048] 10: Food Manufacturing System 100: Food dispensing device 110: Lifting block 120: Horizontal transfer guide section 130: Bed insertion member 131a: First movable block assembly 131b: Second movable block assembly 140: Removal plate 141: Through hole 200: Mold cleaning device 210: Nozzle lifting plate 220: Manifold Block 230: Flexible Tube 240: Vacuum suction nozzle 250: Cushioning spring member 260: Vacuum suction unit 261: Vacuum generation / exhaust unit 262: Oil collection tank 270: Molding mold 271: Food Molding Home 272: Oil Path

Claims

Claim 1 A food manufacturing system comprising: a molding mold that is transported along a rail and is formed by being divided into an upper mold and a lower mold, having a food molding groove formed inside and an oil path formed on the outer edge of the food molding groove to allow oil to accumulate; a food dispensing device that inserts a food through a needle-shaped insertion member extended in a long-axis shape on the molding mold, lifts the food vertically, moves it to a designated position, and drops and discharges the food; and a molding mold cleaning device disposed at the rear end of the food dispensing device on the rail, which adheres to the empty molding mold from which the food has been removed, and removes oil and foreign substances remaining inside the food molding groove using vacuum pressure; wherein the food dispensing device is characterized by independently having a first movable block assembly for dispensing food on the lower mold side of the molding mold; and a second movable block assembly for dispensing food on the upper mold side of the molding mold. Claim 2 A food manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein the food dispensing device comprises: a lifting block that moves the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly up and down by means of a pneumatic cylinder; a horizontal transfer guide that transfers the lifting block horizontally from the upper part of the molding mold to a designated discharge position; and a removal plate that is fixedly positioned vertically on the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly, respectively, and has a through hole formed therein so that only the needle insertion member can pass through; wherein the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly separate and discharge the food that has passed through the needle insertion member by interfering with the removal plate when the movable block moves backward after being transferred to the discharge position by the horizontal transfer guide. Claim 3 A food manufacturing system according to paragraph 2, wherein the needle insertion member penetrates deeply into the side of the food when the movable block advances, thereby firmly gripping the food without detachment due to centrifugal force or inertia during horizontal transport of the food. Claim 4 A food manufacturing system according to paragraph 2, wherein the first movable block assembly and the second movable block assembly are simultaneously and individually driven by independent pneumatic cylinders, and the first movable block assembly separates food on the lower mold and the second movable block assembly separates food on the upper mold. Claim 5 In paragraph 2, the horizontal transfer guide section comprises a guide rail that provides a straight transfer path to the lifting block, in a food manufacturing system. Claim 6 In claim 1, the molding mold cleaning device comprises: a vacuum suction unit including a vacuum generating and exhausting unit that generates a vacuum suction force and exhausts air separated from oil after suction to the outside, and an oil collection tank in which residual oil sucked by the vacuum suction force falls and is collected by gravity; a manifold block that uniformly distributes the vacuum pressure formed from the vacuum suction unit into a plurality of paths; vacuum suction nozzles that are individually connected to the manifold block to receive the vacuum suction force and are arranged to correspond to each food molding groove; a flexible tube connecting the manifold block and the vacuum suction nozzles; and a nozzle lifting plate formed to support the vacuum suction nozzles and move up and down in a direction toward the molding mold; a food manufacturing system. Claim 7 In claim 6, the above oil collection tank is a sealed cylindrical tank, which separates the inhaled gas and oil by a gas-liquid separation method, stores the oil in the lower part of the tank, and exhausts the separated air to the outside through the vacuum generating / exhaust part, and includes a discharge valve at the bottom for discharging the collected oil, in a food manufacturing system. Claim 8 A food manufacturing system according to claim 6, wherein the tip of the vacuum suction nozzle is formed of a food-grade silicone material to protect the surface of the molding mold, and the nozzle lifting plate lowers to mitigate the impact applied to the molding mold when the vacuum suction nozzle is inserted into the food molding groove. Claim 9 A food manufacturing system according to claim 6, wherein the molding mold cleaning device comprises a cushioning spring member between the nozzle lifting plate and the main drive shaft driving it, and the cushioning spring member absorbs the shock generated when the tip of the vacuum suction nozzle contacts the bottom surface of the food molding groove of the molding mold when the nozzle lifting plate descends. Claim 10 A food manufacturing system according to claim 6, wherein the vacuum suction nozzle comprises a vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the food molding groove and a vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the oil path, and wherein the vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the food molding groove is formed to be relatively longer than the vacuum suction nozzle corresponding to the oil path.

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