Guide device for slice pieces, and method for guiding slice pieces

Abstract

Provided is a guide device for a slice pieces, including: a guide plate for receiving slice pieces discharged from a discharge part of a centrifugal slicer, to process a material into slice pieces; and a destination part positioned below the guide plate.

Description

Slice guiding device and slice guiding method

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a slice guiding device and a method for guiding slices.

[0002] In the manufacture of various products, it is common to cut slices from material for further processing or packaging in specified quantities. Conventionally, devices have been developed to guide the slices discharged from the slicer to the next processing step.

[0003] For example, in the production of food products, a device is known that guides sliced ​​pieces of meat sliced ​​by a chopper slicer into an aligned state by first receiving the sliced ​​pieces on a guide plate (see Patent Document 1). Another example is a device that guides sliced ​​pieces cut from material onto a belt conveyor by sliding them on an inclined slide with the upper surface immersed in liquid (see Patent Document 2).

[0004] On the other hand, centrifugal slicers are known as devices for slicing food materials such as vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and meat products at high speed and efficiently processing them into sliced ​​pieces (see Patent Documents 3, 4, and 5).

[0005] However, there is no known device that guides and distributes slices produced by a centrifugal slicer in an orderly manner, without looseness or bending, so that they can proceed to the next process, such as further processing or packaging. On the other hand, when slices are discharged from a centrifugal slicer, they are ejected with force due to centrifugal force, and therefore, the slices may not fall in the desired position during the manufacturing process.

[0006] JP 2005-22068, U.S. Patent No. 4,852,441, JP 61-173893, JP 2003-285294, JP 2023-546944

[0007] The present disclosure provides a slice guide device and a slice guiding method that can guide slices discharged from a centrifugal slicer to a desired position while arranging them so that they are free of slack or bending.

[0008] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a slice guide device including a guide plate that receives slices discharged from a discharge section of a centrifugal slicer that processes material into slices, and a destination located below the guide plate.

[0009] In the first aspect, sliced ​​pieces of material discharged from the discharge section of a centrifugal slicer contact the guide plate as they travel under the action of gravity and air resistance, and then fall again along the guide plate to reach their destination. Contact with the guide plate during travel straightens out any slack or bends in the sliced ​​pieces, and the sliced ​​pieces are guided so that they properly arrive at their destination located below the guide plate. Thus, according to the first aspect, by adjusting the falling trajectory of the discharged sliced ​​pieces with the guide plate, it is possible to provide a sliced ​​piece guiding device that can guide sliced ​​pieces discharged from a centrifugal slicer to the desired location while straightening them out so that they are free of slack or bends.

[0010] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a slice guide device according to the first aspect, wherein the slicer includes a plurality of discharge sections, and the guide device further includes a plurality of guide plates, each corresponding to one of the discharge sections.

[0011] In the second aspect, the centrifugal slicer includes multiple discharge sections for discharging processed slices, and the guide device includes multiple guide plates corresponding to each of the slicer's discharge sections. By forming multiple parallel lines of slices that are discharged from the slicer's discharge sections and arrive at their destination via the guide plates, material processing efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, when multiple slices are discharged in parallel and fall, they may approach or overlap each other at their destination. However, by being guided by the guide plates corresponding to each slice, they can be delivered to their destinations at an appropriate distance from each other. Therefore, according to the second aspect, the multiple slices discharged from the centrifugal slicer are properly guided to desired positions, appropriately spaced from each other, while being neatly aligned to prevent sagging or bending, thereby improving the efficiency of the product manufacturing process.

[0012] A third aspect of the present disclosure is the sliced ​​piece guide device of the first aspect, wherein the surface of the guide plate that receives the sliced ​​pieces is textured.

[0013] In the third aspect, the surface of the guide plate that receives the sliced ​​pieces discharged from the discharge section of the centrifugal slicer is textured, thereby preventing the sliced ​​pieces received on the guide plate from sticking to the guide plate.

[0014] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the slice guide device of the first aspect, wherein the guide plate forms an angle of 30 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0015] In the fourth aspect, the guide plate that receives the slices discharged from the discharge section of the centrifugal slicer is positioned at an angle of 30 to 50 degrees relative to the horizontal. Because the guide plate is tilted at an appropriate angle relative to the horizontal, slices that come into contact with the guide plate during operation are guided and fall toward the destination located below the guide plate. Therefore, according to the fourth aspect, slices discharged from the centrifugal slicer can be appropriately guided to the desired location.

[0016] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, wherein the destination is a slice guide device located inside a conveying path installed below the guide plate.

[0017] In the fifth aspect, the destination where slices discharged from the discharge section of the centrifugal slicer reach after coming into contact with a guide plate is located within a conveying path installed below the guide plate. The conveying path allows the slices to be transported to the next process, such as further processing or packaging. Furthermore, the guide plate appropriately guides the slices to the desired position on the conveying path. Thus, the slices reach the desired position on the conveying path one after another, and the aligned line of slices proceeds along the conveying path toward the next process. Particularly when the slicer includes multiple discharge sections, multiple aligned lines of slices are formed on the conveying path and proceed sequentially. Therefore, according to the fifth aspect, the material slicing process can be smoothly connected to the next process during the product manufacturing process, improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0018] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the slice guide device of the fifth aspect, wherein the transport path is a belt conveyor.

[0019] In the sixth aspect, the transport path installed directly below the guide plate is configured as a belt conveyor. The slices are appropriately guided to the desired position on the belt conveyor via the guide plate. Therefore, the slices reach the desired position on the belt conveyor one after another, and the aligned line of slices proceeds to the next process via the transport path. In particular, if the slicer includes multiple discharge sections, multiple aligned lines of slices are formed on the belt conveyor and proceed sequentially. Therefore, according to the sixth aspect, the dropped slices can be easily transported to the next process via the belt conveyor.

[0020] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a slice guide device according to the first aspect, wherein the destination is inside a container installed below the guide plate.

[0021] In the seventh aspect, the sliced ​​pieces discharged from the discharge section of the centrifugal slicer come into contact with a guide plate and reach a destination located inside a container installed below the guide plate. The container can then be moved manually or automatically to transport the sliced ​​pieces stored in the container to the next process, such as further processing or packaging. Therefore, according to the seventh aspect, the material slicing process can be connected to the desired next process during the product manufacturing process, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0022] An eighth aspect of the present disclosure is a slice guide device according to the first aspect, wherein the material is potato.

[0023] In the eighth aspect, the material processed by the centrifugal slicer is potato. Therefore, according to the eighth aspect, a slice guide device can be provided that can guide slices discharged from the centrifugal slicer to a desired position while arranging them so that they are not loose or bent in the process of manufacturing a product using potato as the material.

[0024] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for guiding slices, including discharging slices from a discharge section of a centrifugal slicer, receiving the slices above a destination with a guide plate, and dropping the slices at the destination.

[0025] In the ninth aspect, sliced ​​pieces of material discharged from the discharge section of a centrifugal slicer contact a guide plate as they travel under the action of gravity and air resistance, and then fall again along the guide plate to reach their destination. Contact with the guide plate during the fall straightens out any slack or bends in the sliced ​​pieces, and the sliced ​​pieces are guided so that they properly reach their destination located below the guide plate. Thus, according to the ninth aspect, by adjusting the falling trajectory of the discharged sliced ​​pieces with the guide plate, a method for guiding sliced ​​pieces can be provided that can guide sliced ​​pieces discharged from a centrifugal slicer to a desired location while straightening them out so that they are free of slack or bends.

[0026] 1 is a top view showing a processing device according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of a slicer; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an impeller; FIG. 4 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the impeller; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cutting head; FIG. 6 is a top view of the cutting head showing the arrangement of knives; FIG. 7 is a top view schematically showing the rotational movement of the impeller holding potatoes in the cutting head with knives arranged; FIG. 8 is a top view schematically showing the discharge of potato slices from the installation section of the cutting head; FIG. 9 is a view seen from the vertical side schematically showing the falling movement of slices discharged from the slicer; FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing the operation of the processing device; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the falling of slices according to a comparative example; FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the falling of slices according to an example.

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0028] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a processing apparatus 100 according to this embodiment.

[0029] The processing device 100 of this embodiment is a device that forms part of a system for manufacturing products from predetermined materials. The material is not particularly limited as long as it can be sliced. As an example, the material may be food, particularly a root vegetable. Examples of root vegetables include potato, sweet potato, carrot, radish, lotus root, etc. A particularly preferred material is potato. The processing device 100 is an example of a slice guide device of the present disclosure.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing apparatus 100 includes a slicer 10 and a belt conveyor 80. The slicer 10 is a device for slicing material. In particular, the slicer 10 is a so-called centrifugal slicer that is configured to forcefully eject sliced ​​pieces of the sliced ​​material into the surrounding area. Such centrifugal slicers are generally commercially available, such as Model CC (Urschel), Centris (registered trademark) 315 (FAM), and the Super Slicer Series (K. Machine). When using a commercially available slicer as the slicer 10 of this embodiment, it is necessary to remove the cover that is disposed around the slicer to prevent the sliced ​​pieces from scattering.

[0031] The rotation speed of the slicer 10 is not particularly limited as long as it is selected so that slices can be ejected from the discharge port along a parabolic trajectory. The appropriate rotation speed can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of material, the size of the slicer 10, and the like. As an example, when a MODEL CC (Urschel) is used as the slicer 10, the appropriate rotation speed of the slicer 10 is in the range of 240 rpm to 280 rpm, and may be 260 rpm in particular.

[0032] The belt conveyor 80 is a transport device that moves the sliced ​​pieces of material discharged from the slicer 10 to the next process in the production of the product. The downward arrow in Figure 1 indicates the transport direction of the belt conveyor 80. The belt conveyor 80 is an example of a transport path in the present disclosure.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1 , target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are defined on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80. The target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are fixed areas on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80 and do not move as the belt conveyor 80 moves. The target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are defined as areas where slices discharged from the slicer 10 are desired to reach in order to proceed to the next process in the production of a product. Specifically, when slices of material discharged from the slicer 10 fall onto the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80, if the slices fall within one of the target areas 86A, 86B, or 86C, the slices will be properly transported to the next process in the production of the product as the belt conveyor 80 moves forward. Conversely, if the slices fall in a position outside the target areas 86A, 86B, or 86C, the slices may not be properly transported to the next process in the production of the product. The target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are examples of destinations of the present disclosure.

[0034] 1 shows three target areas, but the number is not limited to this. In this embodiment, as an example, the slicer 10 will be described assuming that sliced ​​pieces of material are discharged from three locations, and three target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C are set accordingly. An appropriate number of target areas can be set depending on the number of discharge sections that discharge slices in the slicer 10 and the length of the belt conveyor 80 in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction indicated by the downward arrow in FIG. 1).

[0035] Although not shown, in the processing apparatus 100, the target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C may be set at locations other than the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80. The target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C may be selected at any desired locations as long as they are locations where sliced ​​pieces of material discharged from the slicer 10 are desired to reach during the product manufacturing process. As an example, a container may be placed instead of the belt conveyor 80 shown in FIG. 1 , and the target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C may be set within the container. The container may be, for example, a plastic container or the like, which may be movable by lifting or using wheels or the like.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing apparatus 100 further includes guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C. The guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C are configured to receive sliced ​​material pieces discharged from the slicer 10 and guide them to target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80. Specifically, the sliced ​​material received by the guide plate 60A is guided to fall into the target area 86A. The same applies to the relationship between the guide plate 60B(C) and the target area 86B(C) below. Specifically, as an example, when viewed vertically, the guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C can be positioned at approximately the same height as or slightly below the sliced ​​material discharge point of the slicer 10 located vertically above. The guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C can be positioned at desired locations within the processing apparatus 100 by holding members (not shown).

[0037] Next, the configuration of the slicer 10 will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the slicer 10. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the impeller 30. Fig. 4 is a top view showing the internal configuration of the impeller 30. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the cutting head 20. Fig. 6 is a top view of the cutting head 20 showing the arrangement of the knives 22A, 22B, and 22C.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the slicer 10 includes a hopper 18, an annular cutting head 20, an impeller 30 coaxially mounted inside the cutting head 20, a housing 12, a gear box 14, and a support ring 16.

[0039] The impeller 30 has an axis of rotation that coincides with the central axis of the cutting head 20, and is housed within the housing 12 and is driven to rotate about the axis of rotation via a shaft (not shown) connected to the gearbox 14. The cutting head 20 is attached to a support ring 16 above the gearbox 14 and remains stationary while the impeller 30 rotates.

[0040] The input section 18A of the hopper 18 is configured to be able to receive material. In the following description, the material is assumed to be potatoes as an example. In a pre-processing step for product production (not shown), the potatoes are peeled, transported to a position directly above the hopper 18, and then input into the slicer 10 through the input section 18A of the hopper 18. The input potatoes are transported through the hopper 18 to the cutting head 20 and impeller 30 located below. When the impeller 30 rotates, the potatoes are carried radially outward by centrifugal force and engage with paddles 32 of the impeller 30 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and the inner circumferential surface of the cutting head 20 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), which will be described later.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3 , the impeller 30 includes paddles 32 oriented in a generally radial direction. For example, the impeller 30 will be described below as having five paddles 32. Each paddle 32 includes a retaining surface 32A. As the impeller 30 rotates, the retaining surface 32A captures potatoes introduced into the slicer 10 and directs the potatoes radially outward toward the knives 22 (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) of the cutting head 20, which will be described later. For example, the paddles 32 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are oriented in a direction referred to as negative pitch in this disclosure. Negative pitch refers to the fact that the radially inner end of the retaining surface 32A of each paddle 32 is inclined in the opposite direction to the rotational direction relative to the radius of the impeller 30, as shown in FIG. 4 . For example, the impeller 30 can be cast as a unitary structure using an alloy such as manganese aluminum bronze (MAB) alloy.

[0042] 4, when a potato 40 is fed into the slicer 10 from the feed port 18A of the hopper 18 and reaches the inside of the rotating impeller 30, it moves radially outward due to centrifugal force and comes into contact with and is held by the holding surface 32A of one of the five paddles 32. As long as the rotational speed of the impeller 30 is set appropriately (for example, in the range of 240 rpm to 280 rpm as mentioned above), the potato 40 rotates while being held by the holding surface 32A of the same paddle 32.

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, the cutting head 20 has knives 22 mounted on mounting portions 24 provided on the side. For ease of explanation, Figure 5 shows a single mounting portion 24 and knife 22 combination, but the number of mounting portions and knives is not limited to this. Also, it is not necessary to mount knives on all mounting portions, and an appropriate number of knives can be selected depending on the number of slices to be discharged from the slicer 10.

[0044] Fig. 6 schematically shows an example of the arrangement of the mounting sections 24 and knives 22 in the cutting head 20. In Fig. 6, 14 mounting sections 24 are provided on the cutting head 20, of which only 24A, 24B, and 24C are provided with knives 22A, 22B, and 22C. The other 11 mounting sections 24 do not have knives. The mounting sections 24A, 24B, and 24C, in which the knives 22A, 22B, and 22C are respectively provided, are examples of discharge sections of the slicer of the present disclosure.

[0045] The placement sections 24A, 24B, and 24C in FIG. 6 correspond to the guide plate 60A (60B, 60C) and target area 86A (86B, 86C) pairs shown in FIG. 1 . Specifically, when the potato 40 (see FIG. 4 ) held on the holding surface 32A of the paddle 32 of the impeller 30 comes into contact with the knife 22A of the cutting head 20 as the impeller 30 rotates, slices of the potato 40 are ejected from the placement section 24A, fall, and reach the target area 86A on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80 via the guide plate 60A. The same applies to the knives 22B and 22C. Note that the upward arrow in FIG. 6 points in the same direction as the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80 shown in FIG. 1 (the downward arrow in FIG. 1 ).

[0046] Next, the slicing process of the potato 40 and the falling movement of the slices will be described in detail. Figure 7 is a top view schematically showing the rotational movement of the impeller 30 holding the potato 40 within the cutting head 20 in which the knives 22A, 22B, and 22C are arranged. Figure 8 is a top view schematically showing the discharge of slices 40A, 40B, and 40C of the potato 40 from the mounting sections 24A, 24B, and 24C of the cutting head 20. Figure 9 is a vertical side view schematically showing the falling movement of the slices 40A discharged from the slicer 10.

[0047] Figure 7 shows the rotational movement of the impeller 30 inside the cutting head 20. The curved arrow in Figure 7 indicates that the impeller 30 rotates clockwise. As described above with reference to Figure 2, the cutting head 20 is held stationary during the rotational movement of the impeller 30 by being attached to the support ring 16 above the gearbox 14. The upward arrows in Figures 7 and 8 point in the same direction as the upward arrows in Figure 6 and the downward arrows in Figure 1, and represent the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80.

[0048] As described above with reference to Fig. 4, the impeller 30 of this embodiment has five paddles 32. It is also possible for each of the multiple paddles 32 to hold a potato 40. However, for ease of explanation, Fig. 7 shows a single potato 40 held on the holding surface 32A of a single paddle 32 of the impeller 30.

[0049] 7 indicates the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the impeller 30 acting on the potato 40. When observed from the coordinate system associated with the rotational motion of the impeller 30, an inertial force called the centrifugal force Fc acts on the potato 40, and the potato 40 rotates while being bound to the radial end of the impeller 30 and the inner surface of the cutting head 20.

[0050] As the rotation of the impeller 30 progresses from the state shown in Figure 7, the potato 40 contacts the mounting portion 24C of the cutting head 20 where the knife 22C is located, the mounting portion 24B where the knife 22B is located, and the mounting portion 24A where the knife 22A is located, in that order. As shown in Figure 8, the potato 40 is sliced ​​by contact with each knife, and slices 40C, 40B, and 40A are discharged. Each of the discharged slices 40C, 40B, and 40A is imparted with an initial velocity in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the cutting head 20 at each mounting portion 24C, 24B, and 24A. Although Figure 8 shows each slice moving linearly on a horizontal plane, due to the effect of air resistance on thin and soft slices, the slices do not strictly follow a linear trajectory on the horizontal plane.

[0051] Figure 9 shows the trajectory of slice 40A, one of the three slices. The right-pointing arrow in Figure 9 indicates the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80. As slice 40A moves forward under the influence of gravity and air resistance, it comes into contact with the lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A. Due to the influence of air resistance, thin and soft slice 40A may bend or flex during its movement. In this embodiment, contact with the lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A corrects the bending or flexing of slice 40A and keeps it in a straightened state. The lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A is an example of a surface that receives slices according to the present disclosure.

[0052] The guide plate 60A can be made of various materials. For example, the guide plate 60A can be made of metal, resin, rubber, etc. An appropriate material can be selected depending on the type of material. As an example, the guide plate 60A is made of metal, preferably stainless steel.

[0053] The lower surface 62A of the guide plate 60A may be textured. The shape of the texture is appropriately selected depending on the type of material, the size and rotation speed of the slicer 10, and is not particularly limited as long as it serves the purpose of preventing the sliced ​​pieces 40A from sticking to the lower surface 62A. For example, the textured shape may be dotted, linear, wavy, concentric, or any pattern, or a combination thereof.

[0054] Furthermore, by adjusting the inclination angle of the guide plate 60A (the lower surface 62A), the slices 40A can be guided to a desired position along the conveying direction of the belt conveyor 80. Specifically, the slices 40A are guided so that they fall into the target area 86A. In particular, the slices 40A may be guided so that they fall below, especially directly below, the guide plate 60A.

[0055] The angle of the guide plate 60A (or the lower surface 62A) is not particularly limited as long as it can receive the sliced ​​pieces 40A and drop them into the target area 86A. The appropriate angle of the guide plate 60A can be adjusted as appropriate depending on the type of material, the size and rotation speed of the slicer 10, and the like. As an example, the angle of the guide plate 60A may be 20 degrees or more, or 30 degrees or more, with respect to the horizontal plane, or 60 degrees or less, or 50 degrees or less, with respect to the horizontal plane. As another example, the angle of the guide plate 60A may be in the range of 20 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less, for example, in the range of 30 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less, with respect to the horizontal plane. As another example, the angle of the guide plate 60A may be 35 degrees, 40 degrees, or even 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0056] [Example] The inventor of the present disclosure performed specific measurements on the processing device 100 of this embodiment as follows. Fig. 10 is a top view schematically showing the operation of the processing device 100. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the falling of sliced ​​pieces 40A according to a comparative example. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the falling of sliced ​​pieces 40A according to an example.

[0057] 10 shows the operation of the processing device 100 according to the present embodiment, which has already been described. As the contents have been described above, detailed description will be omitted.

[0058] In this example, a Model CC (Urschel) slicer 10 was used, with the cover for preventing the slices from scattering removed and three slicing knives attached. The slicer's rotation speed was estimated to be 260 rpm. A potato 40 was sliced ​​using the slicer 10, and the three parabolic trajectories of the discharged slices 40A, 40B, and 40C were confirmed.

[0059] In this embodiment, three stainless steel metal plates with dot-shaped unevenness were prepared as guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C, and each metal plate was placed on the three tracks of sliced ​​pieces 40A, 40B, and 40C at an angle of 40 degrees from the horizontal plane so that each metal plate faced each of knives 22A, 22B, and 22C of slicer 10.

[0060] 11 is a comparative example in which the guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C are not provided in the processing apparatus 100. In this case, the sliced ​​pieces traveled approximately 400 mm in the horizontal direction, drawing a substantially parabolic curve, and fell onto the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80.

[0061] On the other hand, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 , slices projecting from the slicer 10 were received by the underside of a metal plate and fell onto the belt conveyor 80. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 12 shows the underside 62A of the guide plate 60A as a metal plate. However, as described above, when viewed vertically, the arrangement is as shown in FIG. 9 . The positions of the guide plates were adjusted appropriately so that the slices fell within an appropriate width on the belt conveyor 80 and did not slacken during the fall. The guide plates were ultimately placed 300 mm horizontally away from the installation sections 24A, 24B, and 24C of the slicer 10. The slices 40A, 40B, and 40C that fell from the three guide plates 60A, 60B, and 60C, respectively, flowed in three rows along the belt conveyor 80. This enabled the potatoes 40 to be appropriately guided to the intended positions on the belt conveyor 80 at a processing capacity of 780 slices / min (200 kg / h).

[0062] (Operation of the Present Embodiment) In the present embodiment, slices 40A, 40B, 40C of potatoes 40 discharged from installation sections 24A, 24B, 24C of the centrifugal slicer 10 contact guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C, respectively, as they move forward under the action of gravity and air resistance, and then fall again along the guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C to reach target areas 86A, 86B, 86C on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80. By contacting the guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C during the fall, any slack or bends in the slices 40A, 40B, 40C are straightened out, and the slices are further guided so that they reach the target areas 86A, 86B, 86C located below the guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C appropriately. Therefore, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the falling trajectory of the discharged sliced ​​pieces 40A, 40B, 40C using the guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C, it is possible to provide a processing device 100 that can guide the sliced ​​pieces 40A, 40B, 40C discharged from the centrifugal type slicer 10 to the target areas 86A, 86B, 86C while aligning them so that they do not sag or bend.

[0063] In this embodiment, the slicer 10 has a plurality of mounting sections 24A (24B, 24C) for discharging the processed sliced ​​pieces 40A (40B, 40C), and the processing device 100 has a plurality of guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C corresponding to the mounting sections 24A, 24B, 24C of the slicer 10. The sliced ​​pieces 40A (40B, 40C) are discharged from the mounting sections 24A (24B, 24C) of the slicer 10, pass through the guide plates 60A (60B, 60C), and arrive at the target area 86A (86B, 86C) in parallel lines, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the potatoes 40. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the multiple sliced ​​pieces 40A, 40B, and 40C discharged from the slicer 10 can be properly guided to the target areas 86A, 86B, and 86C, respectively, while being aligned to prevent sagging or bending, thereby making it possible to streamline the product manufacturing process.

[0064] In this embodiment, the guide plate 60A has an uneven surface 62A that receives the sliced ​​pieces 40A discharged from the slicer 10. Therefore, this embodiment can prevent the sliced ​​pieces 40A received by the guide plate 60A from sticking to the lower surface 62A.

[0065] In this embodiment, the guide plate 60A (the lower surface 62A) that receives the sliced ​​pieces 40A discharged from the slicer 10 is positioned at an angle of 30 degrees to 50 degrees with respect to the horizontal. Because the guide plate 60A is tilted at an appropriate angle with respect to the horizontal, the sliced ​​pieces 40A that come into contact with the guide plate 60A while falling are guided toward the target area 86A located below the guide plate 60A. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the sliced ​​pieces 40A discharged from the slicer can be appropriately guided toward the target area 86A.

[0066] In this embodiment, the target area 86A, where the sliced ​​pieces 40A discharged from the slicer 10 reach after coming into contact with the guide plate 60A, is located on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 80 installed below the guide plate. The belt conveyor 80 transports the sliced ​​pieces 40A to the next process, such as further processing or packaging. The guide plate 60A guides the sliced ​​pieces 40A to the target area 86A set at a desired position on the belt conveyor 80. Thus, the sliced ​​pieces 40A reach the desired target area 86A on the belt conveyor 80 one after another, and the aligned line of sliced ​​pieces 40A advances to the next process along the belt conveyor 80. In particular, if the slicer 10 includes multiple mounting sections 24A (24B, 24C), a line of aligned sliced ​​pieces 40A, 40B, and 40C is formed on the belt conveyor 80 and advances sequentially. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the potato slicing process can be smoothly connected to the next process during the product manufacturing process, improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0067] In this embodiment, the transport path installed below the guide plate 60A is configured as a belt conveyor 80. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the dropped sliced ​​pieces 40A can be easily transported to the next process by the belt conveyor 80.

[0068] In this embodiment, the sliced ​​pieces 40A discharged from the slicer 10 come into contact with the guide plate 60A and reach a target area 86A located inside a container installed below the guide plate 60A. The container can then be moved manually or automatically to transport the sliced ​​pieces 40A stored in the container to the next process, such as further processing or packaging. Therefore, this embodiment allows the slicing process of the material to be connected to the desired next process during the product manufacturing process, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0069] In this embodiment, the material processed by the slicer 10 is potatoes 40. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a processing device 100 that can guide slices 40A discharged from the centrifugal slicer 10 to the target area 86A while arranging them so that they are not loose or bent during the manufacturing process of a product made from potatoes 40.

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the falling trajectory of the discharged slices 40A, 40B, 40C using the guide plates 60A, 60B, 60C, it is possible to provide a method for guiding the slices, which can guide the slices 40A, 40B, 40C discharged from the centrifugal type slicer 10 to the target areas 86A, 86B, 86C while aligning them so that they are free from slack or bending.

[0071] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. Note that any shapes or materials not directly described in the specification and drawings are within the scope of the technical ideas of the present disclosure as long as they achieve the effects of the present disclosure.

[0072] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Slicer 12...Housing 14...Gearbox 16...Support ring 18...Hopper 18A...Feeding section 20...Cutting head 22...Knife 22A...Knife 22B...Knife 22C...Knife 24...Installation section 24A...Installation section 24B...Installation section 24C...Installation section 30...Impeller 32...Paddle 32A...Holding surface 40...Potato 40A...Slices 40B...Slices 40C...Slices 60A...Guide plate 60B...Guide plate 60C...Guide plate 62A...Lower surface 80...Belt conveyor 86A...Target area 86B...Target area 86C...Target area 100...Processing device

Claims

1. A slice guide device comprising: a guide plate for receiving slices discharged from a discharge section of a centrifugal slicer that processes material into slices; and a destination located below the guide plate.

2. The slice guide device according to claim 1, wherein the slicer includes a plurality of the discharge sections, and the guide device further includes a plurality of the guide plates, each corresponding to one of the discharge sections.

3. The slice guide device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the guide plate that receives the slices is textured.

4. The slice guide device according to claim 1, wherein the guide plate forms an angle of 30 degrees or more and 50 degrees or less with respect to the horizontal plane.

5. The slice guide device according to claim 1, wherein the destination is within a transport path installed below the guide plate.

6. The slice guide device according to claim 5, wherein the transport path is a belt conveyor.

7. The slice guide device according to claim 1, wherein the destination is inside a container installed below the guide plate.

8. The slice guide device of claim 1, wherein the material is potato.

9. A method for guiding slices, comprising: discharging slices from a discharge section of a centrifugal slicer; and receiving the slices above a destination with a guide plate and allowing them to drop to the destination.

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