Loaf-like food conveying machine and food slicing device

Abstract

Provided are a loaf-like food conveying machine and a food slicing device capable of conveying a loaf-like food such as a bread loaf at an accurate distance while stably holding the loaf-like food, and preventing the occurrence of fall-off of the loaf-like food and defective slicing in the slicer. That is, this loaf-like food conveying machine (2) conveys an elongated block-shaped bread loaf (100), and comprises: a plurality of screw conveyors (21) that are disposed so as to be capable of sandwiching the bread loaf (100) from a direction orthogonal to the elongated direction, and that convey the bread loaf (100) at a predetermined distance along the elongated direction; and a drive unit (24) that intermittently rotates a plurality of screw conveyors (21) so as to convey the bread loaf (100) at a predetermined distance. The plurality of screw conveyors (21) convey the bread loaf (100) while guiding the bread loaf (100) along the elongated direction by rotating while at least a portion of screw threads provided in each screw conveyor (21) is in contact with the bread loaf (100) in a digging manner.

Description

Lump food conveyor and food slicer

[0001] The present invention relates to a lump food conveying machine and a food slicing device, and more particularly to a lump food conveying machine that conveys lump food such as bread, ham, or cheese toward a slicer that slices the food to a specified thickness, and a food slicing device equipped with the lump food conveying machine.

[0002] Conventionally, food slicing devices have been used that can slice block foods, such as loaves of bread after baking, cheese, ham, sausage, or kamaboko fish paste, to an optimal thickness for easy eating. Such food slicing devices include a slicer that slices the block food to a predetermined thickness and a block food conveyor that conveys the block food toward the slicer.

[0003] Several types of lump food conveyors have been proposed to date, including one that sandwiches a loaf of bread, which is a lump food, between a pair of feed belts made of timing belts with multiple protrusions on their surfaces, and conveys the loaf of bread at a fixed size toward a slicer so that the loaf can be sliced ​​to a desired thickness (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] JP 2013-000884 A JP 2013-000849 A

[0005] As described above, the conveying machines disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are configured to clamp the loaf of bread between a pair of feed belts, and the pair of feed belts rotate to move the loaf of bread sequentially from above the slicer.

[0006] On the other hand, the pair of feed belts provided in the conveyors disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are composed of caterpillar-shaped timing belts, and therefore have gears (see reference numeral 23 in FIG. 5 of each of Patent Documents 1 and 2) at the upper and lower ends for transmitting rotation to the feed belts. When a loaf of bread, a block of food, is conveyed by such a pair of feed belts, a gap is formed between the pair of feed belts and the loaf of bread at the position of the gears. If the loaf of bread is fed into the slicer in this state, the loaf of bread is not held at the gap and becomes unstable. This can cause deformation of the loaf of bread when the slicer contacts it, resulting in incomplete slicing and other slicing defects. Furthermore, the presence of the gap makes it difficult to slice the end (top end) of the loaf of bread properly, resulting in waste and a reduced yield of bread slices.

[0007] Furthermore, in the conveyors disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, multiple protrusions are provided on the surface of the feed belts, which makes it difficult for slippage to occur between each belt and the loaf of bread, preventing the loaf of bread from slipping off. However, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the presence of a space between the pair of feed belts and the loaf of bread as described above makes the holding state of the loaf of bread unstable at this position, and depending on the length of the loaf of bread being sliced, there is a possibility that the loaf of bread may slip off.

[0008] Furthermore, the pair of feed belts provided in the conveyors disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are configured such that the timing belt is tensioned around a gear as a fulcrum, and therefore slack may occur in at least one of the pair of feed belts between the gears. If the feed belt becomes loose, the loaf of bread may slip off as described above. Furthermore, the conveying speed and conveying position of the loaf of bread may become unstable, making it difficult to convey the loaf of bread the desired distance and slicing it to the desired thickness.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a lump food conveying machine that can stably hold a lump food and convey it at an accurate distance, preventing the lump food from slipping off or the slicer from slicing poorly, and a food slicing device using the same.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors conducted extensive research. As a result, they discovered that by using screw conveyors instead of conventional belt conveyors for transporting block food such as loaves of bread, and by using multiple screw conveyors to clamp and transport the block food, the block food can be stably held and transported a precise distance. They also discovered that this makes it possible to prevent the block food from slipping off or the slicer from slicing poorly, and thus completed the present invention.

[0011] That is, the present invention provides a lump food conveying machine for holding and conveying elongated block-shaped lump food, comprising: a plurality of screw conveyors arranged so as to be able to clamp the lump food from a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction of the lump food, and for conveying the lump food a predetermined distance along the elongated direction; and a drive unit for intermittently rotating the plurality of screw conveyors so as to convey the lump food the predetermined distance, wherein the plurality of screw conveyors rotate while at least a portion of the screw threads on each of the plurality of screw conveyors are in contact with the lump food so as to bite into it, thereby guiding and conveying the lump food along the elongated direction.

[0012] In the above-described aspect of the lump food conveyor of the present invention, it is more preferable that the plurality of screw conveyors are arranged in at least one pair facing each other with the lump food interposed therebetween.

[0013] In the above-described aspect of the lump food conveying machine of the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which the multiple screw conveyors are capable of reciprocating between a standby position spaced apart from the lump food and a clamping position in contact with the lump food.

[0014] In the above-described aspect of the block food conveying machine of the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which each of the plurality of screw conveyors rotates in synchronization with each other.

[0015] In the above-described aspect, it is more preferable that the lump food conveying machine of the present invention further adopts a configuration including a control unit for controlling the rotation of the multiple screw conveyors so as to convey the lump food the specified distance along the elongated direction.

[0016] In the above-described aspect of the lump food conveying machine of the present invention, the multiple screw conveyors may be arranged in two pairs facing each other across the lump food, and the two pairs of screw conveyors may be arranged so that each pair is spaced apart in the width direction of the lump food.

[0017] In the above-described aspect, the lump food conveying machine of the present invention may further include a plurality of auxiliary screw conveyors arranged so as to be able to clamp the lump food from a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction of the lump food, and the auxiliary screw conveyors may be arranged in at least one pair between each of the two pairs of screw conveyors arranged spaced apart from each other, so as to face each other across the lump food.

[0018] In the above-described aspect, the block food conveying machine of the present invention may further adopt a configuration including a spacing adjustment unit for adjusting the distance between the two pairs of screw conveyors arranged spaced apart from each other.

[0019] In the above-described aspect of the lump food conveying machine of the present invention, the lump food may be a loaf of bread, and the plurality of screw conveyors may convey the loaf of bread while guiding it along the elongated direction.

[0020] The present invention provides a food slicing device comprising at least a block food conveying machine that holds and conveys elongated block-shaped block food, and a slicer that slices the block food conveyed and supplied by the block food conveying machine into food pieces of a predetermined thickness, wherein the block food conveying machine is the block food conveying machine according to the present invention described above.

[0021] In the above-described aspect of the food slicing device of the present invention, the block food may be a block of bread, the block food conveyor may transport and supply the block of bread toward the slicer, and the slicer may slice the block of bread into slices of a predetermined thickness.

[0022] As described above, the lump food conveyor of the present invention employs a configuration including multiple screw conveyors that grip and convey lump food, allowing lump food to be stably held and conveyed a precise distance, preventing lump food such as loaves of bread from slipping off and preventing poor slicing by the slicer.

[0023] Furthermore, the food slicing device of the present invention is equipped with the lump food conveyor of the present invention as described above, and as such, it is possible to prevent lump foods such as loaves of bread from slipping off or to prevent poor slicing by the slicer, as well as to improve the yield of sliced ​​food pieces such as bread pieces.

[0024] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a bulk food conveyor and food slicer according to the present invention, showing the overall configuration of a food slicer including a bulk food conveyor using a block of bread as the block food. Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a bulk food conveyor and food slicer according to the present invention, showing the configuration of the main components of the food slicer including the block food conveyor, with Figure 2(a) being a front view and Figure 2(b) being a bottom view. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a food slicer according to the present invention, showing the operation of the slicer from the main components. Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a bulk food conveyor and food slicer according to the present invention, showing the operation of slicing bread pieces from a block of bread as the block food. Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a bulk food conveying apparatus according to the present invention, showing the general configuration of a bulk food conveying apparatus including multiple screw conveyors, as viewed from the direction of arrow B in Figure 1. Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a bulk food conveying apparatus according to the present invention, showing the general configuration of a bulk food conveying apparatus including multiple screw conveyors, as viewed from the direction of arrow B in Figure 1. Figure 5C is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a bulk food conveying apparatus according to the present invention, showing the general configuration of a bulk food conveying apparatus including multiple screw conveyors, as viewed from the direction of arrow B in Figure 1. Figure 5D is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a bulk food conveying apparatus according to the present invention, showing the general configuration of a bulk food conveying apparatus including two pairs of screw conveyors, as viewed from the top, showing the general configuration of a bulk food conveying apparatus in which the separation distance between two pairs of screw conveyors is adjustable. Figure 5E is a diagram schematically illustrating another embodiment of a block food conveying apparatus according to the present invention, which is a cutaway side view of the block food conveying apparatus shown in Figure 5D. Figure 5F is a diagram schematically illustrating another embodiment of a block food conveying apparatus according to the present invention, which is a cutaway side view of the block food conveying apparatus at a cutaway position different from that of Figure 5E. Figure 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating one embodiment of a food slicing device according to the present invention, which is a plan view showing the conveyance of sliced ​​food pieces, i.e., bread pieces.FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a food slicing apparatus according to the present invention, showing the conveyance of sliced ​​bread pieces, and a plan view showing the conveyance state further downstream than the state shown in FIG. 6. FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are schematic diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a food slicing apparatus according to the present invention, showing the general configuration of a crust trimmer provided in a food slicing apparatus that slices loaves of bread as a block of food. FIG. 8(a) is a front view, and FIG. 8(b) is a side view. FIGS. 9(a) to 9(d) are schematic diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a food slicing apparatus according to the present invention, each showing a process for trimming bread pieces as a block of food. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of a food slicing apparatus according to the present invention, showing the general configuration of a block food conveyor including multiple auxiliary screw conveyors in addition to multiple screw conveyors.

[0026] The following describes in detail an embodiment of a block food conveyor and a food slicing device equipped with this block food conveyor according to the present invention, with appropriate reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings used in the following description may show characteristic portions slightly enlarged for ease of understanding, and the dimensional proportions of each component may differ from the actual. Furthermore, the materials, dimensions, etc. exemplified in the following description are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these. Appropriate modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0027] <Overall Configuration of Food Slicing Apparatus Including Bulk Food Conveyor> The overall configuration of a food slicing apparatus including a bulk food conveyor according to this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a food slicing apparatus 1 including a bulk food conveyor 2 according to this embodiment, using a block of bread 100 as the block of food. Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of the main parts of the food slicing apparatus 1 including the block of food conveyor 2, with Figure 2(a) being a front view and Figure 2(b) being a bottom view. Figure 3 is a bottom view of the main parts showing the operation of the rotary slicer (slicer) 3. Figures 4(a) to 4(c) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of slicing bread pieces 101 from a block of bread 100, using a block of bread 100 as the block of food. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a bulk food conveying apparatus 2 including multiple screw conveyors 21, as viewed from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1 , FIG. 5B is a cutaway view, and FIG. 5C is a side view of a conveying unit 2B constituting the bulk food conveying apparatus 2. FIG. 5D is a cutaway view from above of an example bulk food conveying apparatus 200 in which the separation distance between two screw conveyors 21, 21 (21B, 21B) is adjustable. FIG. 5E is a cutaway view of the bulk food conveying apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 5D as viewed from the side. FIG. 5F is a cutaway view of the bulk food conveying apparatus 200 as viewed from the side at a cutaway position different from that shown in FIG. 5E. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the conveyance of sliced ​​food pieces, i.e., bread pieces 101. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the conveyance of sliced ​​food pieces, i.e., bread pieces 101, further downstream than the state shown in FIG. 6. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams showing the schematic configuration of the edge trimmer 6 provided in the food slicing device 1, which trims the crusts 102 from the bread pieces 101, with Figure 8(a) being a front view and Figure 8(b) being a side view. Figures 9(a) to 9(d) are process diagrams showing the operation of trimming the crusts on the bread pieces 101, which are food pieces. For the sake of convenience, Figures 1, 2(a) and 4(a) to 4(c) show side views of the conveying unit 2B, with the block food conveyor 2 partly cut away.

[0028] The block foods sliced ​​by the food slicing device of the present invention may be irregularly or uniformly solidified foods, such as loaves of bread after baking, cheese, ham, sausage, or kamaboko fish paste. The food slicing device of the present invention is capable of slicing such block foods to an optimal thickness for easy eating. The block food conveying device of the present invention conveys such block foods toward, for example, a slicer. Therefore, in the following description, the overall configuration of the food slicing device 1, including the block food conveying device 2 of this embodiment, will first be described in detail, and then the configuration of the block food conveying device 2 will be described in more detail.

[0029] In addition, in this specification, for the sake of clarity, a block of bread (see reference numeral 100 shown in Figure 1, etc.) will be used as an example of a block of food, and an example will be described in which this block of bread is sliced ​​to obtain pieces of food, namely bread pieces (see reference numeral 101 shown in Figure 1, etc.).

[0030] That is, the food slicer 1 of this embodiment can be used to slice a block of bread 100 baked in an oven (not shown) or the like into a plurality of bread slices 101 having a slice thickness α suitable for sandwiches, etc. Note that the block of bread 100 generally has a shape similar to an elongated rectangular parallelepiped, and its sliced ​​surface has a quasi-rectangular shape, but in the following description, the bread block 100 may be treated as a regular quadrangular prism, and its sliced ​​surface may be treated as a square.

[0031] 1 and other figures, the food slicing device 1 of this embodiment is generally configured to include at least a block food conveyor 2 that holds and conveys a loaf of bread 100, which is a block-shaped block of food, and a rotary slicer (slicer) 3 that slices the loaf of bread 100 conveyed and supplied by the block food conveyor 2 into bread slices 101, which are food slices of a predetermined thickness. The illustrated food slicing device 1 also includes a slicer reciprocating driver 4 that reciprocates the rotary slicer 3, a conveyor 5 that sequentially conveys the plurality of bread slices 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 downstream, a bread trimmer 6 that cuts off crusts 102 from the bread slices 101, a crusher 7 that crushes the crusts 102 into crumbs 104, and a wind-powered conveyor 8 that uses wind power to transport the bread crumbs 104 to a predetermined location.

[0032] Of the above components, the transport conveyor 5 includes a first belt conveyor 51 located below the rotary slicer 3, a second belt conveyor 52 located downstream of the first belt conveyor, a third belt conveyor 53 located further downstream, and a fourth belt conveyor 54 located toward the sandwich process (sandwich manufacturing process). The second belt conveyor 52 is provided with the above-mentioned edge trimmer 6, and a crusher 7 and a wind-powered conveyor 8 are provided so as to straddle the terminal end (downstream end) of the second belt conveyor 52 (upstream conveyor) and the starting end (upstream end) of the third belt conveyor 53 (downstream conveyor). A butter spreader 94 is also provided on the third belt conveyor 53.

[0033] The food slicing device 1 further includes a loaf feeder 91 that feeds loaves of bread 100 one by one toward the loaf food conveyor 2, an aligner 92 that aligns the positions of the bread pieces 101 on the first belt conveyor 51 in a consistent state before the crust trimming process by the crust trimmer 6, and a remover 93 that removes the end pieces 105 (see Figure 6) that are sliced ​​first and last from a loaf of bread 100 from the first belt conveyor 51.

[0034] As described above, a butter applicator 94 is disposed on the third belt conveyor 53. The butter applicator 94 temporarily applies butter (e.g., mustard butter) stored in a hopper 94a to the surface of a rotating transfer roller 94b, and transfers and applies the butter from the transfer roller 94b to the sliced ​​surfaces of crustless bread pieces (food pieces) 103 from which the crusts 102 have been cut off. The auxiliary roller 94c is in contact with the underside of the third belt conveyor 53, facing the transfer roller 94b, to keep the downward deflection of the crustless bread pieces 103 and the third belt conveyor 53 within a predetermined range as a result of the pressing of the transfer roller 94b. The transfer roller 94b is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown), but the auxiliary roller 94c may be in a non-driven, free-wheeling state, rotating by contact with the third belt conveyor 53.

[0035] The block food conveying machine 2 holds and conveys block food in the form of an elongated block. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5A, 5B, 5C, etc., it conveys a block of bread 100 as block food and supplies it toward the rotary slicer 3 (see also the configuration of the block food conveying machine 200 illustrated in Figures 5D to 5F).

[0036] The lump food conveying machine 2 is generally configured to include a plurality of screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) arranged so as to be able to clamp the loaf of bread 100 from a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction of the loaf of bread 100 and to transport the loaf of bread 100 a predetermined distance along the elongated direction, and a drive unit 24 that intermittently rotates the plurality of screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) so as to transport the loaf of bread 100 a predetermined distance.

[0037] In the lump food conveying machine 2 of this embodiment, the multiple screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) rotate while at least a portion of the screw threads 212 provided on each of these screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) is in contact with and bites into the loaf of bread 100. By rotating the multiple screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) as described above, the lump food conveying machine 2 conveys the loaf of bread 100 toward the rotary slicer 3 while guiding it along its elongated direction. The lump food conveying machine 2 of this embodiment will be described in more detail later.

[0038] The rotary slicer (slicer) 3 is configured in a circular plate shape and is inclined at an acute angle θ (for example, θ = approximately 5° to 30°) relative to the conveying surface 51a (horizontal surface) of the first belt conveyor 51 so that the plate surface becomes higher as it approaches the start side of the slicing process.

[0039] The slicer reciprocating driver 4 reciprocates the rotary slicer 3 in an acutely inclined direction parallel to the inclined posture described above. The slicer reciprocating driver 4 causes the rotary slicer 3 to slice with a forward stroke generally diagonally downward and to retract with a return stroke generally diagonally upward. The block food conveyor 2 intermittently conveys the loaf of bread 100 from above in FIG. 1 in a direction intersecting the trajectory of the reciprocating drive of the rotary slicer 3 (a direction perpendicular to the drawing), a distance corresponding to the slice thickness α. In the food slicing device 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the conveying direction of the bread loaf 100 is perpendicular to the inclined trajectory of the rotary slicer 3, so that the bread loaf 100 is sliced ​​into right-angled bread pieces 101. Furthermore, the conveying direction of the bread loaf 100 by the block food conveyor 2 is inclined at an inclination angle θ with respect to a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface 51a of the first belt conveyor 51.

[0040] The bread loaf supplier 91 has a vertical conveyor 91a connected by multiple vertical frames 91b and guided by fixed guide frames 91c for circular movement. As the vertical conveyor 91a rotates with rectangular or square prism-shaped bread loaves 100 inserted one by one between the vertical frames 91b, the guide frames 91c cause the leading bread loaf 100 to change its position obliquely (at an angle of inclination θ) above the food lump conveyor 2 and drop. By operating in the manner described above, the bread loaf supplier 91 supplies the bread loaves 100 one by one to the food lump conveyor 2.

[0041] 2(a) and 2(b) are front and bottom views showing the main components of the food slicing device 1, primarily the rotary slicer 3 and slicer reciprocating driver 4. As shown in the figures, the rotary slicer 3 is supported by a reciprocating frame 31 in an acutely inclined position (inclination angle θ) relative to a first belt conveyor 51 (conveying surface 51a) so that it rises toward the slicing start side, and is driven to rotate by a slicer motor 32 fixed to the reciprocating frame 31 via a slicer rotation belt 33. The reciprocating frame 31 is guided by a fixed frame 41, whose position is fixed, so that it rises toward the slicing start side relative to the first belt conveyor 51 and reciprocates along the acutely inclined direction. The slicer reciprocating driver 4, with the reciprocating frame 31 and the fixed frame 41 connected, reciprocates the rotary slicer 3 and the slicer motor 32 together with the reciprocating frame 31 in an acute angle inclined direction while being guided by the fixed frame 41.

[0042] Specifically, the rotation of a reciprocating drive motor 42 fixed to a fixed frame 41 of the slicer reciprocating driver 4 is transmitted by a belt 43 to a drive shaft 44 rotatably supported on the fixed frame 41 and a rotating arm 45 integral with the drive shaft 44. Two arm holding rails 31b are fixed to the reciprocating frame 31 in the front-rear direction (a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the first belt conveyor 51), and a tip end 45a of the rotating arm 45 is inserted between the arm holding rails 31b, 31b (i.e., in the groove) so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. Two straight rails 31a are fixed to the reciprocating frame 31 in parallel with each other in the left-right direction (the traveling direction of the first belt conveyor 51), and these straight rails 31a are guided by two left-right straight guides 41a fixed in parallel with each other to the fixed frame 41. In the illustrated example, the linear guide member is formed by the linear rail 31a on the moving side and the linear guide 41a on the fixed side, but the fixed side may be a rail and the moving side may be a guide.

[0043] 2(b) to the position shown in FIG. 3, the tip 45a of the rotating arm 45 slides back and forth between the arm support rails 31b, 31b, and the reciprocating frame 31 moves linearly left and right relative to the fixed frame 41 due to the sliding guide of the linear rail 31a and the linear guide 41a. In this way, the fixed frame 41 guides the rotary slicer 3 and the slicer motor 32 back and forth together, stabilizing the rotation of the rotary slicer 3 during slicing and the reciprocating movement in the acute-angle inclination direction (acute-angle inclination trajectory), thereby resulting in an aesthetically pleasing sliced ​​surface of the bread slices 101. In the illustrated example, the rotating arm 45 and the arm support rails 31b, 31b form a reciprocating slider crank mechanism. However, if the space between the arm support rails 31b, 31b is considered to be a cam groove, the tip 45a of the rotating arm 45 can also be considered as a cam follower.

[0044] 2(a) also shows, for convenience of illustration, an adjustment mechanism 46 for adjusting the tilt angle θ using a slot and a screw. This adjustment mechanism 46 adjusts the tilt angle θ of the rotary slicer 3 and the slicer reciprocating driver 4 within a range of, for example, about ±5°, making it possible to fine-tune the position at which the bread slices 101 fall depending on the toasting method of the bread loaf 100, the size of the bread slices 101 (particularly the slice thickness α), etc.

[0045] 2(a) and 2(b), a plate-shaped bread slice guide 34 is fixed to the tip (on the block food conveyor 2 side) of the reciprocating frame 31 and moves integrally with and in synchronization with the reciprocating motion of the rotary slicer 3. The tip of the bread slice guide 34 is located immediately behind and directly below the cutting edge of the rotary slicer 3 that cuts into the bread loaf 100. The bread slice guide 34 guides the bread slices 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 so that they fall onto the first belt conveyor 51 in an inclined position during slicing, and also covers the bread slices 101 to prevent interference with the slicer rotation belt 33, pulley 33a, rotating shaft 33b, etc., located on the underside of the rotary slicer 3. The bread slice guide 34 is positioned so that it intersects with the inclined trajectory of the rotary slicer 3 at a guide angle δ (δ = approximately 10° to 60°), which is an elevation angle.

[0046] Here, the guide angle δ of the bread slice guide 34 (e.g., δ≈30°) is set to an angle greater than the inclination angle θ of the inclined track (e.g., θ≈15°). This allows the bread slices 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 to be guided into an inclined position so that they face downward as they approach the slicing start side (the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor 51) (see FIG. 4(a)). In this way, by guiding the bread slices 101 into an inclined position using the bread slice guide 34, it is possible to determine the side on which the bread slices 101 will land first, thereby stabilizing the position at which the bread slices 101 fall and reducing the fluctuation in their falling position.

[0047] Furthermore, a plate-shaped bread loaf stopper 35 extends from the tip of the reciprocating frame 31 and moves integrally with the rotary slicer 3. The bread loaf stopper 35 has a support 35a that supports the lower end of the bread loaf 100 from below and a rectangular window 35b that allows the bread pieces 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 to pass through. By supporting the bread loaf 100 from below with the support 35a, it is possible to adjust the feeding force of the food conveyor 2 so that the bread pieces 101 are not compressed more than necessary in the thickness direction, thereby preventing unevenness in the slice thickness α of the bread pieces 101. However, if the slice thickness α of the bread pieces 101 can be ensured by the intermittent conveyance and holding of the bread loaf 100 by the food conveyor 2, the support 35a can be omitted.

[0048] The window hole 35b is disposed below the rotary slicer 3 so as to face the bread piece guide 34. By disposing the window hole 35b and the bread piece guide 34 facing each other, the bread pieces 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 are protected from interference with the pulley 33a, rotary shaft 33b, etc. of the rotary slicer 3, and are easily guided diagonally downward by the bread piece guide 34 and into the window hole 35b.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3, when the slice surface of the bread loaf 100 is considered to be a square with a side length LS, the slicer diameter DM required for cutting is expressed by the following formula (1): DM>2１／２ ×LS (1) The movement stroke ST of the rotary slicer 3 required for cutting (i.e., the turning diameter of the rotary arm 45) is expressed by the following formula (2): ST>2 １／２ ×LS (2) Since the food slicer 1 of this embodiment has the bread slice guide 34 as described above, the slicer diameter DM is 2 times the length of one side LS. １／２ 1.41 times larger than the slicer diameter DM, and the movement stroke ST is equal to or larger than the slicer diameter DM.

[0050] The operation of slicing bread pieces 101 from a loaf of bread 100 using the food slicing device 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c).

[0051] As shown in Figure 4(a), first, the block food conveyor 2 conveys the loaf of bread 100 by a slice thickness α and stops, and then the rotary slicer 3 slices bread slices 101 from the bottom end of the loaf of bread 100 using a forward stroke along an acutely inclined trajectory. During the slicing operation of the rotary slicer 3, the bread slices 101, which have been sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 and are guided by the bread slice guides 34, pass through (fall) through the window holes 35b. At this time, the support 35a is retracted forward of the block food conveyor 2 in the forward stroke direction so as not to interfere with the slicing operation of the rotary slicer 3.

[0052] 4(b), the rotary slicer 3 retreats from the loaf of bread 100 by its return stroke, and the food lump conveyor 2 conveys the loaf of bread 100 by the next slice thickness α. When the rotary slicer 3 retreats as described above, the support 35a is positioned below the food lump conveyor 2 and holds the bottom end of the loaf of bread 100 while maintaining the next slice thickness α, and the aperture 35b and bread piece guide 34 retreat together with the rotary slicer 3.

[0053] Next, as shown in Figure 4(c), while the bulk food conveyor 2 is stopped, the rotary slicer 3 again performs a forward stroke along an acutely inclined trajectory to slice the next bread slice 101 from the bottom end of the bread loaf 100. In this manner, the conveying operation of the bulk food conveyor 2 for conveying the bread loaf 100 and the slicing operation of the rotary slicer 3 are coordinated to efficiently perform the slicing process. In this embodiment, even if multiple bread slices 101 are sliced ​​from the bread loaf 100 and the last remaining end piece 105 (see Figure 6) does not reach the predetermined slice thickness α, the end piece 105 can still be supported by the multiple screw conveyors 21 provided in the bulk food conveyor 2. At this time, the end piece 105 cannot be sliced ​​by the forward stroke of the rotary slicer 3, but it passes through the window 35b, guided by the bread piece guide 34, and falls onto the first belt conveyor 51.

[0054] The bread pieces 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 then fall onto the first belt conveyor 51 in an inclined position at an acute angle (for example, an inclined position of about 10 to 30 degrees) with respect to the conveying surface 51a, and are held parallel to the first belt conveyor 51 and conveyed downstream. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the bread pieces 101 sliced ​​by the rotary slicer 3 are guided by the bread piece guides 34 to an inclined position that faces downward as they approach the slicing start side (the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first belt conveyor 51). As shown in Fig. 4(b), the bread pieces 101 falling in an inclined position land at the diagonally lower end 101a on the conveying surface 51a of the first belt conveyor 51 (on the downstream side of the conveying direction). Then, as shown in Figures 4(b) and (c), the upper end 101b rotates downward using the lower end 101a as a fulcrum and lands on the conveying surface 51a (upstream of the conveying surface), thereby smoothly holding the entire slice surface on the conveying surface 51a.

[0055] In this way, when the bread pieces 101 fall onto the conveying surface 51a, they are guided into an inclined position by the bread piece guides 34, and fall in a stable inclined position without the entire piece bending or bending, or the ends drooping. That is, the end on the lower side of the inclined position (lower end 101a) lands on the conveying surface 51a first, and soon the higher end (upper end 101b) also lands, so the falling position is less likely to be disturbed and the disturbance in the falling position is also small.

[0056] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the conveyance state of the bread slices 101 sliced ​​by the food slicer 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0057] As described above, when the bread pieces 101 fall at an angle relative to the conveying surface 51a of the first belt conveyor 51, the falling posture of the bread pieces 101 is particularly stable when viewed from the front. However, even in this case, there are cases where the falling position (falling posture) when viewed from the top is slightly deviated (not parallel) from the traveling direction of the first belt conveyor 51. Therefore, the food slicing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with an aligner 92 for aligning the position of the bread pieces 101 on the first belt conveyor 51 to a state parallel to the traveling direction of the first belt conveyor 51 before performing the edge removal process.

[0058] Specifically, the aligner 92 shown in Fig. 6 has alignment plates 92a arranged on both the left and right sides of the bread pieces 101 in the traveling direction of the first belt conveyor 51, and air cylinders 92c for moving each alignment plate 92a back and forth. In the aligner 92 shown in Fig. 6, the left and right alignment plates 92a synchronously come into contact with the left and right side surfaces of the bread pieces 101, thereby quickly aligning the bread pieces 101 in a straight state in the traveling direction.

[0059] A remover 93 for removing end pieces 105 is provided downstream of the aligner 92 in the conveying direction. Specifically, the remover 93 has a pusher plate 93a for pushing the end pieces 105 from one side in the conveying direction, and an air cylinder 93b for moving the pusher plate 93a back and forth. The timing of the occurrence of the end pieces 105 (the timing of their arrival at the remover 93) is known in advance from the size (height) of the bread loaf 100 and the slice thickness of the bread pieces 101, or the arrival can be detected by a sensor (not shown). Therefore, by extending the air cylinder 93b at a predetermined timing, the pusher plate 93a pushes out the end pieces 105, allowing them to be removed into the end piece collection container 93c.

[0060] Hereinafter, the conveying state of the bread slices 101 downstream of the position shown in FIG. 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0061] The bread pieces 101, whose orientation has been adjusted by the aligner 92 shown in Figure 6, are transferred from the first belt conveyor 51 (conveying surface 51a) to the subsequent second belt conveyor 52 (conveying surface 52a). A trimming device 6 is provided midway along the second belt conveyor 52 to trim off the crusts of the bread pieces 101 on the conveying surface 52a.

[0062] The bread edge trimming device 6 has an edge trimming blade 62 arranged above the second belt conveyor 52 and an elastic member 67 arranged in the area where the edge trimming blade 62 abuts below the second belt conveyor 52. As shown in Figure 7, the elastic member 67 has an area larger than the sliced ​​surface of the bread pieces 101.

[0063] The edge-trimming blade 62 is arranged in a rectangular frame shape (roughly square in the example shown in FIG. 7 ) in plan view. Specifically, the edge-trimming blade 62 is composed of four blade bodies 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d arranged in a grid pattern, with two opposing sides (two blade bodies 62a and 62c in the example shown in FIG. 7 ) extending long enough to reach or extend beyond the outer edge of the bread slice 101. When the second belt conveyor 52 is stopped, the blade bodies 62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d constituting the edge-trimming blade 62 are simultaneously pressed against the stationary bread slice 101, thereby simultaneously cutting the ears 102 on all four sides while separating them from one another. The elastic member 67 is fixed to a conveyor guide (not shown) or the like on the second belt conveyor 52, and may be, for example, a rubber plate, a urethane sheet, or the like.

[0064] The configuration of the edge trimmer 6 included in the food slicing device 1 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b).

[0065] In the edge trimming device 6, the lifting frame 61, which integrally supports the edge trimming blade 62 via the vibration-proof member 61b, is guided by a fixed frame 66 whose position is fixed so that it can reciprocate up and down.

[0066] Specifically, the rotation of an ear-dropping motor 63 fixed to a fixed frame 66 is transmitted to a circular rotating plate 64 directly connected to the ear-dropping motor 63. The rotating plate 64 and the lifting frame 61 are connected by a swinging arm 65. One end (lower end) of the swinging arm 65 is swingably connected to the lifting frame 61. The rotating plate 64 is rotatably connected to the other end (upper end) of the swinging arm 65 at a position eccentric from the center of the rotating plate 64. Two straight rails 61a are fixed to the lifting frame 61 in parallel in the vertical direction, and these straight rails 61a are respectively guided by two straight guides 66a in the vertical direction fixed in parallel to the fixed frame 66. Note that in the illustrated example, a linear guide member is formed by the linear rail 61a on the moving side and the linear guide 66a on the fixed side, but the fixed side may be a rail and the moving side may be a guide.

[0067] 8(b) in either the forward or reverse direction, the linear rails 61a and linear guides 66a slide to guide the lifting frame 61 downward (to the imaginary line position) relative to the fixed frame 66. When the rotary plate 64 rotates another half turn in either the forward or reverse direction, the linear rails 61a and linear guides 66a slide to guide the lifting frame 61 upward (to the original solid line position) relative to the fixed frame 66.

[0068] The operation of trimming the bread pieces 101 using the trimming device 6 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 9(a) to (d) (also see Figures 1 and 7 as necessary).

[0069] First, as shown in Figure 9(a), the next bread piece 101 is transported by the second belt conveyor 52 while the bread edge cutting blade 62 is waiting above the second belt conveyor 52. Next, as shown in Figure 9(b), when the bread piece 101 reaches the area where the elastic member 67 is provided, the second belt conveyor 52 is stopped and the bread edge cutting motor 63 (see Figures 8(a) and 8(b)) is driven to lower the bread edge cutting blade 62.

[0070] 9(c), when the edge-trimming blade 62 is at its lowest stroke position, the elastic member 67 elastically supports the force with which the edge-trimming blade 62 presses against the bread pieces 101 while allowing the second belt conveyor 52 to sink. As a result, the tip of the edge-trimming blade 62 descends until it slightly touches the conveying surface 52a of the second belt conveyor 52, cutting off only the edge 102 of the bread piece 101.

[0071] 9(d), the edge-dropping motor 63 (same as above) is driven to raise the edge-dropping blade 62, and transportation by the second belt conveyor 52 is resumed. As described above, by providing the elastic member 67, the edge-dropping blade 62 can be elastically supported so that it does not bite into the second belt conveyor 52, which is safe and hygienic and does not impair the durability of the second belt conveyor 52.

[0072] 7, the terminal end (downstream end) of the second belt conveyor 52 and the starting end (upstream end) of the third belt conveyor 53 are connected via a gap β that allows the crustless bread pieces 103 to be transferred. The conveying width (belt width) of the third belt conveyor 53 is slightly wider than the width of the crustless bread pieces 103, in other words, is formed to be approximately the same width as the bread pieces 101.

[0073] Therefore, the crustless bread pieces 103 can transfer from the second belt conveyor 52 to the third belt conveyor 53 by inertial force. Meanwhile, the crusts 102 already cut by the crust-removing blades 62 are separated from the crustless bread pieces 103 by the impact when the crustless bread pieces 103 transfer to the third belt conveyor 53, and fall into pieces through the gap β or from both sides of the third belt conveyor 53. The fallen crusts 102 are collected in the crust collection container 71 of the crusher 7, crushed into crumbs 104 in the crusher 72, and then transported through the duct 82 by the blower 81 of the pneumatic conveyor 8 and collected in the crumb collection container 83 (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, on the third belt conveyor 53, butter is applied to the sliced ​​surfaces of the crustless bread pieces 103 by the transfer roller 94b of the butter applicator 94 as needed, and the pieces proceed to the sandwich process (see FIG. 1).

[0074] The food slicing device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a block food conveyor 2, the details of which will be described later, and therefore can prevent block food from slipping off and poor slicing by the rotary slicer 3, not just when slicing a block of bread 100 as block food.

[0075] [Chunk Food Conveyor] The configuration of the chunk food conveyor 2 of this embodiment will be described in more detail below, mainly with reference to Figures 5A to 5C (see also chunk food conveyor 200 illustrated in Figures 5D to 5F).

[0076] As described above, the lump food conveyor 2 of this embodiment includes multiple screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) that can clamp bread loaves 100 from the sides, and a drive unit 24 that rotates these multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B. In the lump food conveyor 2, the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B rotate while at least a portion of the screw threads 212 provided on each of them is in contact with and bites into the bread loaves 100, thereby guiding the bread loaves 100 along their elongated direction and conveying them toward the rotary slicer 3. At this time, the bread loaves 100 are conveyed in their elongated direction by being guided in accordance with the lead angles of the screw threads 212 of the screw conveyors 21A, 21B.

[0077] 5B and other examples show a state in which bread loaf 100 is spaced apart from screw conveyors 21A, 21B for convenience of explanation, but during transport, each of screw conveyors 21A, 21B comes into contact with bread loaf 100, thereby achieving the above-described holding and transporting (guiding) action for bread loaf 100. More specifically, the above-described action is achieved by contacting bread loaf 100 so that screw threads 212 of screw conveyors 21A, 21B slightly dig into (sink into) bread loaf 100.

[0078] As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the block food conveyor 2 has a pair of conveying units 2A, 2B, which are mounted on a unit base 2C and generally integrated into one unit. The pair of conveying units 2A, 2B are symmetrically arranged at a distance from each other on the unit base 2C, with the side walls 22A, 22B of each conveying unit 2A, 2B facing each other. The opposing side walls 22A, 22B define a food storage section 22 capable of accommodating each of the bread loaves 100 conveyed from the bread loaf dispenser 91. The illustrated food storage section 22 further includes a pair of walls 22C, which are positioned between the pair of conveying units 2A, 2B and, together with the side walls 22A, 22B, define the food storage section 22. The space enclosed by the side walls 22A, 22B and the pair of walls 22C defines the food storage section 22. 5A, for convenience of illustration as a plan view, only the wall portion 22C disposed on one side of the pair of wall portions 22C is shown.

[0079] The unit base 2C functions as a base plate that supports the entire block food conveying machine 2 by placing the above-mentioned pair of conveying units 2A and 2B on its upper side, and is made of, for example, a high-strength steel plate of a predetermined thickness.

[0080] The unit base 2C supports the pair of conveying units 2A, 2B so that they can slide a predetermined distance in the direction of moving away from or toward each other, and although not shown in detail, is provided with slide holes or the like through which bolts or the like can be inserted to slidably support the pair of conveying units 2A, 2B. Similarly, the unit base 2C is provided with a plurality of through holes or threaded holes (not shown) for attaching the chunk food conveyor 2 to the food slicer 1 using bolts or the like.

[0081] The unit base 2C is also provided with a discharge hole 26 for conveying the bread loaves 100 downward. The unit base 2C is further provided with a plurality of clearance holes 25, the details of which will be described later, that can accommodate the tips 211b of the plurality of screw conveyors 21A, 21B.

[0082] The block food conveyor 2 of this embodiment is provided with a handle 23 for adjusting the separation distance between the pair of conveying units 2A, 2B. The handle 23 manually rotates an adjustment shaft 233. In the example shown in Figure 5A, the adjustment shaft 233 is supported by a support 231 provided on conveying unit 2A and a support 232 provided on conveying unit 2B so that it can rotate but its movement in the thrust direction is restricted.

[0083] Although detailed illustrations of the adjustment shaft 233 are omitted, for example, a shaft that expands and contracts approximately near the center in the longitudinal direction as the shaft rotates is used. The expansion and contraction of the adjustment shaft 233 causes the support portion 231 provided on the conveying unit 2A and the support portion 232 provided on the conveying unit 2B to approach or separate from each other, causing each of the pair of conveying units 2A and 2B to slide on the unit base 2C. This allows the distance between the sidewalls 22A and 22B to be changed, thereby adjusting the contact pressure and penetration of the threads 212 of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B against the bread loaves 100, taking into account the size (thickness) of the bread loaves 100 being conveyed. In other words, by optimally adjusting the separation distance between the sidewalls 22A and 22B, stable conveyance of the bread loaves 100 can be achieved without significant damage or dropping.

[0084] The pair of conveying units 2A and 2B each have two screw conveyors 21A or 21B, and have roughly the same configuration in that the components are arranged symmetrically. Therefore, in the following explanation, the detailed configurations of both conveying units 2A and 2B will be described together.

[0085] 5A to 5C, the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B are partially omitted from the detailed illustration, but are comprised of two screw conveyors 21A provided in conveying unit 2A and two screw conveyors 21B provided in conveying unit 2B. The chunk food conveyor 2 intermittently conveys the loaves of bread 100 downward toward the rotary slicer 3 by intermittently rotating the screw conveyors 21A, 21B in a predetermined direction.

[0086] In addition, the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B are each arranged so that a portion of the screw thread 212, which will be described in detail later, is exposed to the food storage section 22 through a window 22a provided in the side wall 22A or the side wall 22B (see the screw conveyors 21A, 21B in Figures 5A and 5B, and the screw conveyor 21B and window 22a in the conveying unit 2B shown in Figure 5C).

[0087] Each of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B has a screw thread 212 formed on the surface of a cylinder portion 211, thereby forming a screw shape as shown in the example (see the screw conveyor 21B shown in FIG. 5C). As shown in FIG. 5B, the base end 211a of each of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B is rotatably supported by a suspension portion 214 disposed at the upper portion of each of the conveying units 2A and 2B. The tip end 211b of each of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B, opposite the base end 211a, is accommodated in a clearance hole 25 provided in the unit base 2C while maintaining a clearance. Furthermore, each of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B is provided with a conveyor gear 213, consisting of a spur gear, near the base end 211a, to which rotation is transmitted from a motor 24A (described later) via a transmission 24B.

[0088] 5B and 5C, the screw conveyors 21A and 21B have a slit at the end of the screw shape, slightly lower than the middle in the longitudinal direction, where a cylinder shaft 215 serving as the rotation axis of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B is exposed. The cylinder shaft 215 is inserted into a through-hole (not shown) provided in the support frame 27, allowing the screw conveyors 21A and 21B to rotate in a stable position.

[0089] The material of the screw conveyors 21A, 21B is not particularly limited, and any metal material having a certain strength can be used without any restrictions. On the other hand, considering that the screw conveyors 21A, 21B will come into contact with various block foods such as bread loaves 100 that are kept at a certain temperature or higher after baking, dairy products such as cheese, and processed meats such as ham, it is preferable to construct the screw conveyors 21A, 21B from a stainless steel material or the like from the standpoints of heat resistance and hygiene.

[0090] The motor 24A is a drive source for rotating the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B, and may be a general motor or a pulse motor capable of controlling the rotation angle. In the example shown in Figure 5B (also see Figure 5D), the rotation by the drive unit 24 is decelerated by the transmission 24B, and then the rotation is transmitted from a first drive gear 244 attached to a rotation shaft (not shown) of the transmission 24B to a second drive gear 245 attached to a transmission shaft 243. The rotation transmitted to the second drive gear 245 is transmitted via the transmission shaft 243 to a first bevel gear 240, and further transmitted via a second bevel gear 242 meshed with the first bevel gear 240 to a transmission gear 241 composed of a spur gear. Rotation is transmitted from the transmission gear 241 to the conveyor gears 213 provided on each of the screw conveyors 21A and 21B, so that the motor 24A, which is the drive source, can rotate the multiple screw conveyors 21A and 21B.

[0091] Preferably, the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B are arranged in at least one pair facing each other across the bread loaf 100. While some details are omitted from Figures 5A and 5B, each of the two screw conveyors 21A provided in the transport unit 2A and each of the two screw conveyors 21B provided in the transport unit 2B are arranged in a pair facing each other, so as to be able to sandwich the bread loaf 100. That is, in the illustrated example, the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B are arranged in two pairs facing each other across the bread loaf (lump food) 100, and these two pairs of screw conveyors 21A, 21B are arranged near the corners of the bread loaf 100 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the bread loaf 100. By arranging the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B as described above, it is possible to stably transport the bread loaf 100 without damaging or dropping it.

[0092] More preferably, the screw conveyors 21A, 21B are reciprocatingly movable between a standby position spaced apart from the loaf of bread 100 and a clamping position in contact with the loaf of bread 100, as the separation distance between the pair of conveying units 2A, 2B is adjusted by the method described above. In this case, although detailed illustration is omitted, the lump food conveying machine 2 shown in Figures 5A and 5B may employ, for example, an automatic spacing mechanism that moves conveying units 2A and 2B away from each other and toward each other. By employing such a configuration, for example, when a loaf of bread 100 supplied vertically from above the lump food conveying machine 2 is received into the food storage section 22, the automatic spacing mechanism moves conveying units 2A and 2B away from each other, separating them slightly more apart than when the loaf of bread 100 is being conveyed, allowing the loaf of bread 100 to be received in a stable position. After a certain length of bread loaves 100 is received in food storage section 22, conveying unit 2A and conveying unit 2B are moved closer together by the automatic spacing mechanism, thereby stabilizing the conveying posture of bread loaves 100 by multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B. Furthermore, when the automatic spacing mechanism is used to operate multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B in a direction that significantly separates them, this has the effect of improving the ease of cleaning and maintenance of food loaf conveyor 2 and food slicing apparatus 1 as a whole.

[0093] It is also preferable that the screw conveyors 21A, 21B rotate in synchronization with each other, so that the rotation speed and conveying speed of each screw conveyor 21A, 21B are matched, and therefore, the bread loaves 100 can be conveyed stably and uniformly without any partial misalignment during conveyance.

[0094] Furthermore, the block food conveyor 2 (and food slicer 1) of this embodiment preferably further includes a control unit (not shown) that controls the rotation of the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B so as to convey the bread loaf 100 a predetermined distance along the elongated direction. By including such a control unit, for example, the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B can be rotated uniformly and synchronized with each other, thereby enabling more stable and uniform conveyance of the bread loaf 100. Furthermore, by including a control unit (not shown) and employing a configuration that can adjust the rotation speed of the screw conveyors 21A, 21B, the thickness of the bread pieces 101 sliced ​​from the bread loaf 100 by the rotary slicer 3 can be easily and optimally adjusted.

[0095] The intermittent conveyance distance of bread loaves 100 by bulk food conveyor 2 is determined according to the set value of slice thickness α (see FIG. 1) of bread slices 101. This conveyance distance can be optimally set by storing in advance in the control unit the relationship between the rotation speed of multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B and the conveyance distance. Alternatively, an optical sensor or the like can be installed somewhere in bulk food conveyor 2 to detect the actual conveyance distance of bread loaves 100, while the control unit controls drive unit 24 and the rotation speed of multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B. Furthermore, if a pulse motor is used for drive unit 24, the control unit can more easily and accurately control the rotation speed, thereby making the intermittent conveyance distance of bread loaves 100 even more accurate.

[0096] The various specifications of the multiple screw conveyors 21A, 21B provided in the lump food conveying machine 2 of this embodiment are not particularly limited, but for example, it is more preferable to optimally set the pitch and feed angle of the screw threads 212 from the standpoint of being able to transport the bread loaves 100 stably and uniformly at an appropriate conveying speed.

[0097] According to the block food conveying machine 2 of this embodiment, the above configuration makes it possible to convey, for example, a loaf of bread 100 having a length of three loaves, an accurate distance corresponding to the desired thickness so that it can be sliced ​​to a thickness suitable for use in sandwiches, toast, etc.

[0098] For example, when a loaf of bread 100 having a length equivalent to three loaves is sliced ​​to a thickness suitable for thin sandwiches, such as those sold at convenience stores and in-store bakeries, the following thicknesses and number of slices can be obtained. For example, when a loaf of bread 100 having a length of 386 mm, width of 134 mm, and height of 122 mm, which corresponds to three loaves, is sliced ​​in a process prior to the crust trimming process to produce bread pieces 101 for sandwiches having a cut size of 105 mm by 100 mm in a plan view, the bread pieces 101 are sliced ​​to a thickness of 9 mm, 11 mm, or 13 mm. Furthermore, when the bread pieces 101 are intended for sandwiches, the bread loaf 100 may be sliced ​​to a thickness of 15 mm.

[0099] Here, when a bread loaf 100 having the size of three loaves as described above is conveyed using a conventional conveying machine, such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, which conveys the loaf while sandwiching it between a pair of feed belts, there is a gap between the feed belts and the bread loaf, making it difficult to properly slice the terminal end (top end) of the bread loaf 100. Therefore, when using a conventional conveying machine, the terminal end (top end) of the bread loaf 100 becomes waste, resulting in a low yield of bread slices. Experiments conducted by the inventors and others have shown that when a bread loaf 100 of the above size is conveyed using a conventional conveying machine with a pair of feed belts, the yield is 38 slices when the loaf is sliced ​​to a thickness of 9 mm, 32 slices when the loaf is sliced ​​to a thickness of 11 mm, and 27 slices when the loaf is sliced ​​to a thickness of 13 mm.

[0100] In contrast, when using the bulk food conveying machine 2 of this embodiment to convey bread loaves 100 using multiple screw conveyors 21A and 21B, an experiment in which bread loaves 100 were sliced ​​to 9 mm thickness yielded 40 slices 101. When sliced ​​to 11 mm thickness, the yield was 33 slices, and when sliced ​​to 13 mm thickness, the yield was 28 slices. In other words, by conveying bread loaves 100 using the bulk food conveying machine 2, the yield of bread loaves 101 increased by approximately 1 to 2 slices per loaf of bread equivalent to the size of a 3-loaf loaf, improving the yield by approximately 3 to 5%. These experimental results confirmed that conveying bread loaves 100 using multiple screw conveyors 21A and 21B makes it possible to slice bread loaves 100 to the desired thickness even at the top (end) of the loaf. Therefore, it was revealed that conveying bread loaves 100 using the bulk food conveying machine 2 of this embodiment increases the yield of bread loaves 101 suitable for use in sandwiches and other products, thereby improving yield.

[0101] In experiments using a conveyor with the above-described conventional configuration, it was found that when large cavings occurred in the bread loaf 100, particularly when a longer bread loaf 100 the size of three loaves was conveyed and sliced, the yield of bread pieces 101 tended to decrease even further. This is thought to be because, with a conveyor with a conventional configuration using a pair of feed belts, it is difficult to stabilize the conveying position when cavings have occurred in the bread loaf 100, making it difficult to obtain an appropriate slice thickness, especially at the top end (terminal end) of the bread loaf 100.

[0102] <Effects> As described above, the food lump conveyor 2 of this embodiment employs a configuration including multiple screw conveyors 21 that grip and convey food lump (bread loaf 100), allowing food lump to be stably held and conveyed a precise distance. This prevents food lump, such as bread loaf 100, from slipping off and preventing poor slicing by the rotary slicer 3.

[0103] Furthermore, the food slicing device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with the chunk food conveying device 2 of this embodiment as described above, and as such, it is possible to prevent chunk food such as bread loaves 100 from slipping off and to prevent poor slicing by the rotary slicer 3, as described above, and also improves the yield of food pieces such as bread pieces 101.

[0104] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the block food conveyor and food slicer of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention or the scope of the appended claims. Each of the variations of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0105] [Modification with Auxiliary Screw Conveyors] In the above embodiment, the bulk food conveyor is described as including only two pairs of screw conveyors 21 (21A, 21B) arranged opposite each other across a loaf of bread 100, as shown in Figures 5A to 5C, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration such as the bulk food conveyor 20 shown in Figure 10, which further includes a plurality of auxiliary screw conveyors 28 arranged so as to be able to clamp the loaf of bread 100 (see Figure 5B) from a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction of the loaf of bread 100. Figure 10 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a bulk food conveyor 20 (conveying unit 20B) including multiple auxiliary screw conveyors 28 in addition to multiple screw conveyors 21. In the example shown in Figure 10, for convenience of illustration, only one of the pair of conveying units that make up the chunk food conveying machine 20, conveying unit 20B, is shown (corresponding to conveying unit 2B in the chunk food conveying machine 2 shown in Figures 5A and 5B).

[0106] 10 , the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 has the same shape as the screw conveyor 21, i.e., a screw thread 282 formed on the surface of a cylinder portion 281, thereby forming a screw shape as shown in the illustrated example. Similarly to the screw conveyor 21, the base end (the upper end in the illustrated example) of the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 is rotatably supported by a suspension portion 214 disposed at the upper portion of the conveying unit 20B, and although not shown in detail, the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 is provided to be intermittently rotatable by a drive portion 24. Similarly to the screw conveyor 21, the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 rotates while at least a portion of the screw thread 282 is in contact with the bread loaves 100, and the rotation can be controlled by a control portion (not shown) so that the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 conveys the bread loaves 100 a predetermined distance while guiding them along the elongated direction. 10, the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 can be configured to be able to move back and forth between a standby position spaced apart from the bread loaves 100 and a clamping position in contact with the bread loaves 100, similar to the screw conveyor 21. Furthermore, the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 can be configured to rotate in synchronization with the screw conveyor 21 by controlling the rotation by the control unit described above.

[0107] Similarly to the screw conveyor 21, the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 also has a slit where the screw shape is interrupted at a position slightly lower than the middle part in the longitudinal direction in Fig. 10, and the cylinder shaft 215 is exposed at this slit. Similarly to the screw conveyor 21, the cylinder shaft 215 is inserted into a through-hole (not shown) provided in the support frame 27, allowing the auxiliary screw conveyor 28 to rotate in a stable position.

[0108] In the lump food conveyor 20 shown in Figure 10, auxiliary screw conveyors 28 are arranged between two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21 (only one of the screw conveyors 21 is shown in Figure 10) that are spaced apart from each other, with a pair of auxiliary screw conveyors 28 positioned opposite each other across the loaf of bread 100. In this way, by providing at least one pair of auxiliary screw conveyors 28 in addition to the two pairs of screw conveyors 21, a total of six screw conveyors come into contact with the loaf of bread 100, which is a lump food. This allows for more stable conveyance, as will be described in detail below, even when the length of the loaf of bread is large or the loaf of bread is soft, without being affected by these characteristics.

[0109] [Modification with a Spacing Adjuster Between Two Pairs of Screw Conveyors] In the above embodiment, a configuration including a handle 23 (see FIG. 5A) for adjusting the distance between the pair of conveying units 2A, 2B is described, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the present invention can also employ a configuration including a spacing adjuster for adjusting the distance between two pairs of screw conveyors spaced apart from each other (see block food conveyor 200 shown in FIGS. 5D, 5E, and 5F). For convenience of illustration, only one of the pair of conveying units is shown in the block food conveyor 200 shown in FIGS. 5D, 5E, and 5F (corresponding to conveying unit 2B in block food conveyor 2 shown in FIG. 5A, etc.).

[0110] 5D, 5E, and 5F do not show the details of the gap adjustment unit, but, for example, a configuration can be adopted in which the separation distance between two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21 arranged to be spaced apart from each other is changeable by providing an extension / contraction mechanism whose length is changed by operating a handle, similar to the structure shown in Fig. 5A. In this case, for example, by attaching the above-mentioned extension / contraction mechanism to support frames 27, 27 that support the two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21, respectively, a configuration can be achieved in which the support frames 27, 27 and the two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21 can be slidably moved.

[0111] The provision of the above-described spacing adjustment unit makes it possible, for example, to narrow the separation distance between the two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21 in the sliding direction S shown in Figures 5D and 5F , or to widen the separation distance between the two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21 in the direction opposite to the sliding direction S. This allows the contact positions of the four screw conveyors 21 with the loaf of bread 100, which is a block of food, to be adjusted to the optimum position for stable holding and transport of the loaf of bread 100, and also enables fine adjustment of the contact pressure and penetration depth of the screw conveyors 21 with respect to the loaf of bread 100. Therefore, as described above, even if the length of the loaf of bread is large or the loaf of bread is soft, more stable transport is possible without being affected by these characteristics. Furthermore, although not shown in Figures 5D, 5E, and 5F, it is more preferable that the spacing adjustment unit be configured to simultaneously or individually adjust the axis-to-axis distance between the pair of auxiliary screw conveyors 28 described above in addition to the two pairs of screw conveyors 21, 21.

[0112] [Effects of having an auxiliary screw conveyor or a gap adjustment unit] By equipping a bulk food conveying machine with an auxiliary screw conveyor or a gap adjustment unit as described above in addition to multiple (two pairs) screw conveyors, it is possible to transport bulk food (bread loaves) more stably. This will be explained below, including the problems with conveying machines of conventional configurations.

[0113] Typically, loaves of bread are baked to a length equivalent to the length of three loaves of square bread sold in stores, and then cut into loaves as needed, or are transported to a slicer by a block food conveyor such as the one described above and sliced ​​into pieces. Three-loaf loaves of bread tend to vary in size due to their length, and in shape due to factors such as softness and caving (bending), which affect the texture of the bread. However, conventional conveyors using a feed belt or similar device are unable to accommodate these characteristics and are therefore unable to transport the loaves stably. In other words, in the case of conveyors that also use the weight of long loaves to move vertically downward, conventional conveyors using a feed belt or similar device are prone to size (length) changes and deformation.

[0114] The bulk food conveying machine of the present invention employs a screw conveyor to convey bulk food (bread loaves), thereby enabling stable conveyance of bulk food, such as bread loaves, compared to conveying machines with conventional configurations, without damaging or dropping the loaves. Furthermore, in the present invention, when the auxiliary screw conveyor or a gap adjuster between the two pairs of screw conveyors is provided, changes in size and shape of the loaves can be effectively suppressed without being affected by the length or softness of the loaves. Furthermore, the provision of an auxiliary screw conveyor or a gap adjuster stabilizes the conveying position of the loaves 100, especially when large cavings occur in the loaves 100. This allows the loaves 100 to be sliced ​​to the desired thickness even at the top (end) of the loaves, resulting in a consistently improved yield of bread slices 101.

[0115] [Uses of the lump food conveying machine] In the above embodiment, an example is described in which the lump food conveying machine is applied to a food slicing device, and conveys a loaf of bread as a lump food and supplies it to a slicer, but this is not limited to this, and the machine may be applied to any use that requires the conveyance and supply of lump food.

[0116] Furthermore, while the above embodiment has been described with reference to an example in which a loaf of bread is used as the loaf food, the objects conveyed by the loaf food conveyor of the present invention are not limited to loaf of bread. The loaf food conveyor of the present invention can achieve the same effects as described above even when conveying various loaf foods, such as cheese, ham, sausage, solidified processed meat, or kamaboko, as well as seafood such as fresh fish or solidified processed seafood. The same applies to the food slicing device of the present invention.

[0117] The lump food conveying machine of the present invention can stably guide lump food and convey it a precise distance, preventing lump food such as loaves of bread from slipping off or improper slicing by a slicer. Therefore, the lump food conveying machine of the present invention is highly suitable for conveying lump foods such as cheese, ham, sausage, solidified processed meat, and kamaboko, as well as for slicing fresh fish and other marine products or solidified processed marine products.

[0118] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Food slicer 2, 20, 200...Lump food conveyor 2A, 2B, 20B...Conveying unit (pair of conveying units) 2C...Unit base 25...Clearance hole 26...Discharge hole 21, 21A, 21B...Screw conveyor (multiple screw conveyors; pair of screw conveyors; two pairs of screw conveyors) 211...Cylinder portion 211a...Base end 211b...Tip 212...Thread 213...Conveyor gear 214...Suspension portion 215...Cylinder shaft 22...Food storage portion 22A, 22B...Side wall 22a...Window portion 22C...Wall portion (pair of wall portions) 23...Handle portion 231, 232...Support portion 233...Adjustment shaft 28...Auxiliary screw conveyor (multiple screw conveyors;Pair of auxiliary screw conveyors) 281... Cylinder portion 282... Screw thread 24A... Motor 24B... Transmission 240... First bevel gear 241... Transmission gear 242... Second bevel gear 243... Transmission shaft 244... First drive gear 245... Second drive gear 27... Support frame S... Slide direction 3... Rotary slicer (slicer) 31... Reciprocating frame 31a... Straight rail 31b... Arm holding rail 32... Slicer motor 33... Slicer rotation belt 33a... Pulley 33b... Rotating shaft 34... Bread slice guide 35... Bread loaf stopper 35a... Support 35b... Window hole 4... Slicer reciprocating driver 41... Fixed frame 41a... Straight guide 42... Reciprocating drive motor 43... Belt 44... Drive shaft 45... Rotating arm 45a...tip 5...transport conveyor 51...first belt conveyor 51a...conveying surface 52...second belt conveyor (upstream conveyor) 52a...conveying surface 53...third belt conveyor (downstream conveyor) 54...fourth belt conveyor 6...crumb remover 61...lifting frame 61a...straight rail 61b...vibration-damping member 62...crumb remover blade 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d...blade body 63...crumb remover motor 64...rotating plate 65...oscillating arm 66...fixed frame 66a...linear guide 67...elastic member 7...crusher 71...crumb collection container 72...pulverizer 8...wind-powered conveyor 81...blower 82...pipe 83...crumb collection container 91...bread loaf supplier 92...aligner 92a...alignment plate 92c...air cylinder 93...removal device 93a...push-out plate 93b...air cylinder 93c...end piece collection container 94...butter spreader 94a...hopper 94b...transfer roller 94c...auxiliary roller 100...bread loaf (lump food) 101...bread pieces (food pieces) 102...crust 103...crustless bread pieces 104...bread crumbs;

Claims

1. A lump food conveying machine which holds and conveys elongated block-shaped lump food, comprising: a plurality of screw conveyors arranged so as to be able to clamp the lump food from a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction of the lump food, and which conveys the lump food a predetermined distance along the elongated direction; and a drive unit which intermittently rotates the plurality of screw conveyors so as to convey the lump food the predetermined distance, wherein the plurality of screw conveyors rotate while at least a portion of the screw threads on each of the plurality of screw conveyors are in contact with the lump food so as to bite into it, thereby guiding the lump food along the elongated direction while conveying it.

2. The food lump transport machine according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of screw conveyors are arranged in at least one pair facing each other with said lump food interposed therebetween.

3. A lump food conveying machine as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the multiple screw conveyors are capable of reciprocating between a standby position spaced away from the lump food and a clamping position in contact with the lump food.

4. A food lump conveying machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of said plurality of screw conveyors rotates synchronously.

5. A food chunk conveying machine as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control unit for controlling the rotation of the plurality of screw conveyors so as to transport the food chunks the specified distance along the elongated direction.

6. A lump food conveying machine as described in claim 2, characterized in that the multiple screw conveyors are arranged in two pairs facing each other across the lump food, and the two pairs of screw conveyors are arranged so that each pair is spaced apart in the width direction of the lump food.

7. The lump food conveying machine according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of auxiliary screw conveyors arranged so as to be able to clamp the lump food from a direction perpendicular to the elongated direction of the lump food, and the auxiliary screw conveyors are arranged in at least one pair between each of the two pairs of screw conveyors which are arranged spaced apart from each other, so as to face each other across the lump food.

8. The food lump conveying machine according to claim 6, further comprising a spacing adjustment section for adjusting the spacing between said two pairs of screw conveyors which are arranged spaced apart from each other.

9. A food lump conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the food lump is a loaf of bread, and the plurality of screw conveyors guide and convey the loaf of bread along the elongated direction.

10. A food slicing apparatus comprising at least a block food conveying machine for holding and conveying elongated block-shaped block food, and a slicer for slicing the block food conveyed and supplied by the block food conveying machine into food pieces of a predetermined thickness, wherein the block food conveying machine is a block food conveying machine as defined in claim 1 or claim 2.

11. The food slicing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the block food is a block of bread, the block food conveyor conveys and feeds the block of bread toward the slicer, and the slicer slices the block of bread into slices of a predetermined thickness.

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