Rod-shaped food material cutting device

Abstract

The present invention is a rod-shaped food material cutting device which comprises a movable table provided in a housing so as to be capable of reciprocating between a loading position and a take-out position and pressing a rod-shaped food material toward a plurality of cutting blades, and cuts the rod-shaped food material into a plurality of pieces by a pressing operation of the movable table toward the cutting blades. The device is characterized by having: driving means which reciprocates the movable table between the loading position and the take-out position; an opening / closing lid which opens / closes a take-out port provided in the housing corresponding to the take-out position of the movable table; a product detection sensor which detects that the rod-shaped food material has moved to the take-out position; and a control unit which drives the movable table to the loading position when the product detection sensor detects that the rod-shaped food material has been taken out from the take-out position.

Description

Rod-shaped food cutting device

[0001] The present invention relates to a rod-shaped food cutting device for cutting rod-shaped foods such as maki sushi.

[0002] A cutting device with seaweed-wrapped sushi or the like as the workpiece to be cut is described in Patent Document 1. This cutting device includes a cradle that supports and moves the maki sushi, a guide rod that guides the movement of the cradle, and a knife frame. The cradle reciprocates between a mounting position where the rod-shaped food, the maki sushi, is mounted and a removal position where the maki sushi is taken out. The uncut maki sushi mounted at the mounting position is pressed against the cutting blade while moving along the cutting blade by the cradle and is cut into a plurality of pieces, and then conveyed to the removal position.

[0003] In order to drive the cradle between the mounting position and the removal position, a drive mechanism including a drive-side pulley that is rotationally driven by an electric motor, a driven-side pulley, and an endless belt stretched over both pulleys is incorporated in the housing. The endless belt is connected to the cradle, and by driving the endless belt with the electric motor, the maki sushi is conveyed from the mounting position of the cradle to the removal position.

[0004] The rod-shaped food cutting device described in Patent Document 2 has a movable table that supports and moves a rod-shaped food such as maki sushi, a guide rod that guides the movement of the movable table, and a knife frame provided with a plurality of cutting blades. The movable table reciprocates between a mounting position where the rod-shaped food is mounted and a removal position where the rod-shaped food is taken out. The uncut rod-shaped food mounted at the mounting position is pressed against the cutting blade while moving along the cutting blade by the movable table and is cut into a plurality of pieces, and then conveyed to the removal position. A drive mechanism similar to that of Patent Document 1 is provided in the housing to drive the movable table between the mounting position and the removal position.

[0005] In this rod-shaped food cutting device, an opening / closing lid for opening and closing the outlet of the rod-shaped food is provided on the housing.

[0006] The food cutting device described in Patent Document 3 includes a food support table that moves food, a cam plate with a cam groove that guides the food support table between a supply position and a discharge position, and a cutting blade that cuts food into slices. A drive arm driven by an electric motor is provided to reciprocate the food support table between the supply position and the discharge position, and a pin attached to the food support table engages with an elongated hole formed in the drive arm. The food support table changes from an upward position to a forward-tilting position by providing an arc-shaped portion in the cam groove.

[0007] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-212789, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-181646, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-24172

[0008] As described above, in a cutting device that loads rod-shaped ingredients such as rolled sushi and nori rolled sushi onto a movable table and cuts the rod-shaped ingredients during the transport process from the loading position to the removal position, it is necessary to return the movable table to the loading position after the cut rod-shaped ingredients have been removed. Since the return movement of the movable table is performed by the operator operating the operation switch, in actual work conditions, the operator sometimes forgets to return the movable table.

[0009] Therefore, when attempting to place a rod-shaped food item to be cut onto the movable table, if the movable table has not yet returned to its loading position, it is necessary to return the rod-shaped food item before operating the power switch to move the movable table to the loading position. Consequently, after the movable table has been moved to the loading position, the previously returned rod-shaped food item must be placed onto the movable table, resulting in unnecessary operation and posing an operational problem in conventional cutting devices.

[0010] To improve operability, an attempt was made to install a product sensor in the cutting device to detect the cut rod-shaped food product after it has been transported to the removal position. When the product sensor detects that the cut rod-shaped food product has been removed from the movable table, the movable table will be automatically moved from the removal position to the loading position.

[0011] However, a single product sensor can only detect the standard position of a stick-shaped food item at the removal location, making it difficult to detect the entire upper surface of the movable table. Therefore, if a stick-shaped food item, such as a sushi roll, moves outside the detection range and remains on the movable table, the product sensor will mistakenly detect that the food item has been removed, and the movable table will return to its mounting position with the food item still on it. As a result, the cut stick-shaped food item must be removed at the mounting position, which reduces the operability of the cutting device.

[0012] This invention was made in light of the above-mentioned technical background, and aims to provide a rod-shaped food cutting device with excellent operability.

[0013] To solve the above problems, the rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention as described in claim 1 is a rod-shaped food cutting device comprising a movable table provided in a housing so as to be able to reciprocate between a mounting position and a removal position and which presses the rod-shaped food toward a plurality of cutting blades, wherein the rod-shaped food is cut into a plurality of pieces by the pressing motion of the movable table toward the cutting blades, and is characterized by comprising: a driving means for reciprocating the movable table between the mounting position and the removal position; a product detection sensor for detecting when the rod-shaped food has moved to the removal position; and a control unit for driving the movable table to the mounting position when the product detection sensor detects that the rod-shaped food has been removed from the removal position.

[0014] The rod-shaped food cutting device according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the housing has an opening / closing lid that opens and closes an outlet provided in the housing corresponding to the removal position of the movable table, and an opening / closing detection sensor that detects when the opening / closing lid is closed, and the control unit drives the movable table to the mounting position when the product detection sensor detects that the rod-shaped food has been removed from the removal position and the opening / closing detection sensor detects that the opening / closing lid is closed.

[0015] The rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention as described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 2, the control unit can set a waiting time from the detection of the product detection sensor and the opening / closing detection sensor until the start of the operation to drive the movable table to the mounting position.

[0016] The rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention as described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 2, the cutting blade is provided inside the housing and is arranged so as to be covered by the opening / closing lid and the housing when the opening / closing lid is closed, and is arranged so as to be covered by the movable table and the housing when the opening / closing lid is open.

[0017] The rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention as described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 2, a drive lever for driving the opening / closing lid to the open position is provided on the movable table when the movable table moves from the mounting position to the removal position.

[0018] The rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention as described in claim 46 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 5, it has a spring member that applies a spring force in the closing direction to the opening / closing lid, and a holding member is provided in the housing that holds the opening / closing lid in the open position against the spring force in the closing direction by the spring member when the opening / closing lid is in the open position.

[0019] The rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention described in claim 7 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 6, the holding member is an electromagnet that attracts a permanent magnet provided on the opening and closing lid.

[0020] The rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention as described in claim 8 is characterized in that, in the invention described in claim 6, it has a spring member that applies a spring force in the closing direction to the opening / closing lid, the opening / closing lid is driven to the open position when the movable table moves from the mounting position to the removal position, and a lid opening member is provided on the movable table that holds the opening / closing lid in the open position against the spring force in the closing direction by the spring member when the opening / closing lid is in the open position, and when the movable table is driven by the control unit from the removal position to the mounting position, the opening / closing lid is released from being held in the open position by the lid opening member and is closed by the spring force of the spring member.

[0021] According to the present invention, when a rod-shaped food item is removed from the movable table, the movable table automatically moves from the removal position to the mounting position, eliminating the need for the operator to operate the control switch to return the movable table to the mounting position. This significantly improves the operability of the rod-shaped food item cutting device.

[0022] This is a perspective view showing a rolled sushi cutting device, which is a rod-shaped food cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with a rolled sushi as a rod-shaped food ingredient loaded on it. This is a perspective view showing a rolled sushi cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention with the movable table moved to the removal position and the opening / closing lid moved to the open position. This is a perspective view showing a rolled sushi cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention with the opening / closing lid closed after the rolled sushi has been removed. This is a perspective view showing a rolled sushi cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention with the opening / closing lid in the closed position and the movable table beginning to move. This is a side view showing the movable table and opening / closing lid in a state where the movable table supporting the rolled sushi is moving toward the removal position according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing the movable table and opening / closing lid in a state where the opening / closing lid is driven to the open position as the movable table supporting the rolled sushi moves toward the removal position according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing the movable table and opening / closing lid in a state where the movable table supporting the rolled sushi has reached the removal position according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing the movable table and opening / closing lid in a state where a rod-shaped food ingredient has been removed from the movable table according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the power supply to the electromagnet according to one embodiment of the present invention has been released and the opening / closing lid is closed by the spring force of the spring member. This is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the opening / closing detection sensor has detected that the opening / closing lid has been closed according to one embodiment of the present invention and the movable table is moving from the removal position toward the mounting position. This is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the movable table supporting the rolled sushi is moving from the mounting position toward the removal position. This is a block diagram of the control circuit in a rolled sushi cutting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a rolled sushi cutting device as a rod-shaped food cutting device according to a modification of the present invention, in a state where the movable table supporting the rolled sushi is moving from the mounting position toward the removal position. This is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the opening / closing lid is driven from the closed position toward the open position by the movement of the movable table supporting the rolled sushi toward the removal position from the state of Figure 10 according to a modification of the present invention.This is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the movable table supporting the rolled sushi has reached the removal position, as shown in Figure 11, which is a modified example of the present invention.

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used to illustrate the embodiments, the same reference numerals are generally used for identical components, and repeated descriptions of such components will be omitted.

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a rolled sushi cutting device, which is a rolled sushi food cutting device, as one embodiment of the present invention, with rolled sushi as the rolled food food loaded on it. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the movable table moved to the removal position and the opening / closing lid moved to the open position. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the opening / closing lid closed after the rolled sushi has been removed. Finally, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the opening / closing lid in the closed position and the movable table beginning to move.

[0025] Figure 5A is a side view showing the movable table supporting the rolled sushi moving toward the removal position, and Figure 5B is a side view showing the state in which the opening / closing lid is driven to the open position as the movable table supporting the rolled sushi moves toward the removal position. Figure 6A is a side view showing the state in which the movable table supporting the rolled sushi has reached the removal position, and Figure 6B is a side view showing the state in which the rolled sushi has been removed from the movable table. Figure 7A is a side view showing the state in which the opening / closing lid has been closed by the spring force of the spring member after the power supply to the electromagnet has been released, and Figure 7B is a side view showing the state in which the opening / closing detection sensor has detected that the opening / closing lid has been closed and the movable table is moving from the removal position toward the mounting position. Figure 8 is a side view showing the state in which the movable table is moving further toward the mounting position. Figure 9 is a block diagram of the control circuit in the rolled sushi cutting device.

[0026] The rolled sushi cutting device (rod-shaped food cutting device) M of this embodiment, shown in Figures 1 to 4, is a device used to cut rolled sushi (rod-shaped food) R, such as norimaki or tamagomaki, into multiple pieces at predetermined intervals. The rolled sushi cutting device M has a housing 2 equipped with a left wall plate 1a and a right wall plate 1b. The lower front of the housing 2 is provided with a loading opening 3 for loading the rolled sushi R to be cut. The upper front of the housing 2 is provided with a removal opening 4 for removing the rolled sushi R after cutting.

[0027] The interior of the housing 2 is equipped with a movable table 5 that can move back and forth between a loading position and a removal position. The rolled sushi R is placed on the movable table 5 at the loading position, and as the movable table 5 moves upward from the loading position to the removal position, it is cut into multiple pieces by multiple cutting blades 9. Figure 1 shows the state in which the movable table 5 is in the loading position corresponding to the loading opening 3 of the housing 2. Figure 2 shows the state in which the movable table 5 has risen higher than the position in Figure 1 and is in the removal position corresponding to the removal opening 4 of the housing 2.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, similar to the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, the movable table 5 has a sliding block 6 attached to it that moves up and down, guided by guide members (not shown) provided on the inner surfaces of the left wall plate 1a and the right wall plate 1b, respectively. Inside the housing 2 is a drive mechanism that houses an electric motor for reciprocating the sliding block 6 up and down, and includes pulleys provided at the top and bottom, and a belt stretched across the pulleys to which the sliding block 6 is fixed. By driving the belt in both forward and reverse directions over a predetermined length using the electric motor as the movable table driving means, the sliding block 6 and the movable table 5 move up and down.

[0029] The movable table 5 comprises a bottom plate portion 7a and an upright portion 7b bent at approximately 90 degrees relative to the bottom plate portion 7a. The upright portion 7b faces the front of the housing 2, and the bottom plate portion 7a is positioned to protrude further forward from the housing 2 than the upright portion 7b. Thus, the movable table 5 is shaped to accommodate a rolled sushi R. The movable table 5 also has multiple slits 8 formed therein. Each slit 8 is positioned to correspond to the cutting position of the rolled sushi R. As the movable table 5 moves upward from the loading position to the removal position, the cutting blades 9 enter the slits 8, causing the rod-shaped rolled sushi R to be cut into multiple pieces on the movable table 5. The number of cutting blades 9 corresponding to the number of slits 8 are mounted on a cutting frame (not shown). The cutting frame is located on the front side of the housing 2 and is covered by a protective cover 10 provided in the center of the front of the housing 2. Therefore, when the movable table 5 is in the removal position, the opening / closing lid 12 is open, and the cutting blades 9 are covered by the housing 2 and the movable table 5. Furthermore, when the movable table 5 is not in the removal position, the opening / closing lid 12 is closed, and the cutting blade 9 is covered by the housing 2 and the opening / closing lid 12.

[0030] The lower front surfaces of the left wall panel 1a and the right wall panel 1b are each provided with operating switches 11 that are operated when the movable table 5 is driven from the mounting position to the removal position. When both operating switches 11 are operated simultaneously, the movable table 5 moves upward and the rolled sushi R is cut. However, the operation to cut the rolled sushi R may be performed by operating only one of the two operating switches 11.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the opening / closing lid 12, which opens and closes the dispensing opening 4 and is located on the top of the housing 2, closes the dispensing opening 4 when the sushi roll cutting device M is in standby mode or when the sushi roll R is placed on the movable table 5. On the other hand, when the operation switch 11 is operated and the movable table 5 moves upward from the loading position to the dispensing position, the opening / closing lid 12 is opened, as shown in Figure 2.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the movable table 5 attached to the sliding block 6 is able to reciprocate vertically as indicated by the arrows by a guide member (not shown). On the other hand, the opening / closing lid 12 that opens and closes the outlet 4 is attached to a swinging member 14 which is swingably mounted in the direction of the arrow on a support shaft 13 attached to the housing 2. The swinging member 14 is fitted with a spring member 15 that biases the opening / closing lid 12 with a spring force in the closing direction toward the closed position. This spring member is a tension coil spring.

[0033] The drive lever 17 is pivotably mounted on a support pin 16 attached to the sliding block 6. As a result, when the movable table 5 moves upward from the mounting position to the removal position, the opening / closing lid 12 is driven from the closed position to the open position. The drive lever 17 has a stopper portion 17a that abuts against the sliding block 6 and a drive portion 17b that contacts a projection 18 provided on the swinging member 14. Therefore, when the movable table 5 moves upward towards the removal position and the drive portion 17b contacts the projection 18, the stopper portion 17a contacts the sliding block 6, restricting the clockwise rotation of the drive lever 17 in the diagram. As a result, the swinging member 14 swings against the spring force of the spring member 15 around the support shaft 13 by the drive lever 17 in the direction that the opening / closing lid 12 moves from the closed position to the open position.

[0034] A permanent magnet 19 is attached to the opening / closing lid 12, and an electromagnet (holding member) 20 is installed inside the housing 2. When the opening / closing lid 12 is opened to the open position, the permanent magnet 19 faces the electromagnet 20. When the electromagnet 20 is energized in this facing position, a holding force is applied to the permanent magnet 19 by the electromagnet 20, and the opening / closing lid 12 is held in the open position. Alternatively, the permanent magnet 19 may be attached to the housing 2 and the electromagnet 20 may be attached to the opening / closing lid 12, or a metal piece made of a magnetic material such as iron may be used instead of the permanent magnet 19.

[0035] As shown in Figure 5, a product detection sensor 21 is mounted on the left side wall panel 1a of the housing 2. The product detection sensor 21 is positioned to correspond to the rolled sushi R when the movable table 5 supporting the rolled sushi R moves to the upper limit position, which is the removal position. In Figure 2, the product detection sensor 21 mounted on the left side wall panel 1a is shown by a dashed line.

[0036] The product detection sensor 21 may be configured, for example, to include a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and may be of a type that irradiates light L toward a reflector provided on the right side wall panel 1b facing the product detection sensor 21. The product detection sensor 21 and the reflector are positioned opposite each other via the rolled sushi R that has been transported to the dispensing location.

[0037] Other types of product detection sensors 21 can be used, consisting of one sensor member equipped with a light-emitting element and the other sensor member equipped with a light-receiving element. In this case, both sensor members are positioned facing each other via the rolled sushi R that has been transported to the outlet 4.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5B, an open / close detection sensor 22 is mounted on the left side wall panel 1a of the housing 2 to detect the closure of the open / close lid 12. The open / close detection sensor 22, like the product detection sensor 21, can be configured to include, for example, a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and can be of a type that irradiates light toward a reflector provided on the right side wall panel 1b opposite the open / close detection sensor 22. As shown in Figure 5A, when the open / close lid 12 is closed, the light irradiated from the light-emitting element is blocked by the oscillating member 14. This allows the sensor to detect that the open / close lid 12 is in the closed position. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 5B, when the open / close lid 12 is opened, the oscillating member 14 moves away from the position facing the open / close detection sensor 22. As a result, the light irradiated from the open / close detection sensor 22 is directed toward the reflector mounted on the right side wall panel 1b, and the opening of the open / close lid 12 is detected.

[0039] Furthermore, the opening / closing detection sensor 22 can also be made of the same components as the product detection sensor 21, consisting of one sensor member equipped with a light-emitting element and the other sensor member equipped with a light-receiving element. In that case, both sensor members are positioned facing each other via the oscillating member 14 when the opening / closing lid 12 is in the closed position.

[0040] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the control circuit in the sushi roll cutting device M. The control circuit has a controller 23 to which signals from the aforementioned operation switch 11, product detection sensor 21, and open / close detection sensor 22 are sent. This controller 23 is the control unit in the sushi roll cutting device M and transmits drive signals to the movable table driving means 24, which is composed of an electric motor, and the electromagnet 20. The controller 23 is a program-executable computer having a processor such as a CPU, a memory that can read programs, a storage unit that can store programs and data, and an arithmetic unit that processes signals from sensors and the like. The functions of the controller 23 are realized when the processor executes the program provided to the controller 23.

[0041] Next, the operation of cutting the rolled sushi R using the rolled sushi cutting device M will be explained. As shown in Figure 1, when the movable table 5 is stationary in the mounting position, the rolled sushi R is placed on the movable table 5 from the mounting opening 3. In this state, when both operation switches 11 are operated by the operator, power is supplied to the electric motor, which is the movable table driving means 24, and the movable table 5 moves upward from the mounting position to the removal position shown in Figure 2.

[0042] As the movable table 5 reaches the removal position, as shown in Figure 5, the drive lever 17 attached to the sliding block 6 contacts the projection 18 of the oscillating member 14. The rotation of the drive lever 17 is restricted when the stopper portion 17a contacts the sliding block 6, causing the opening / closing lid 12 to oscillate from the closed position to the open position against the spring force of the spring member 15. When the opening / closing lid 12 is in the open position, the permanent magnet 19 faces the position of the energized electromagnet 20 with a gap in between. Therefore, the opening / closing lid 12 is held in the open position by magnetic force.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 6A, when the movable table 5 moves to the take-out position, the rolled sushi R is pressed against the cutting blade 9 incorporated in the housing 2 and cut into a plurality of pieces. In Figs. 5 to 8, the cutting blade 9 is shown by a two-dot chain line. The cut rolled sushi R is taken out by the operator from above the movable table 5. Fig. 6(B) shows the state where the rolled sushi R has been taken out from the movable table 5.

[0044] When the rolled sushi R is taken out from the movable table 5, the product detection sensor 21 detects the take-out of the rolled sushi R, and the controller 23 sends a control signal for stopping the energization to the electromagnet 20. As a result, as shown in Fig. 7A, the opening / closing lid 12 is closed by the spring force of the spring member 15. Then, when the opening / closing detection sensor 22 detects that the opening / closing lid 12 has been closed, as shown in Fig. 7B, the movable table 5 starts to move downward. Fig. 8 shows the state where the movable table 5 has moved further toward the mounting position.

[0045] Thus, when the rolled sushi R is taken out from the movable table 5 and the opening / closing lid 12 is closed, the movable table 5 automatically moves toward the mounting position. Therefore, it is not necessary for the operator to operate the operation switch to drive the movable table 5 toward the mounting position. As a result, the operability of the rolled sushi cutting device M is greatly improved. Here, the waiting time from when the product detection sensor 21 detects the take-out of the rolled sushi R until the movable table 5 automatically starts to move toward the mounting position is controlled by the controller 23. Therefore, this waiting time can be set to an arbitrary time by changing the setting of the controller 23. The setting related to the waiting time of the controller 23 may be provided so as to be changeable by operating the operation switch 11 and the power switch, or another setting change means may be provided. Also, this waiting time may be set to 0 seconds, and when the product detection sensor 21 detects the take-out of the rolled sushi R, the movable table 5 may automatically start to move toward the mounting position.

[0046] The invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are illustrative in all respects and are not limited to the disclosed technology. That is, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed restrictively based on the description in the above embodiments, but should be construed according to the description in the claims. All changes within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the gist of the claims are included as long as they are equivalent to the technology described in the claims and do not deviate from the gist of the claims.

[0047] For example, in this embodiment, an opening / closing detection sensor 22 for detecting that the opening / closing lid 12 is closed is provided. If the product detection sensor 21 detects that the rolled sushi R has been taken out from the take-out position and the opening / closing detection sensor 22 detects that the opening / closing lid 12 is closed, the controller 23 drives the movable table 5 to the mounting position. On the other hand, the rolled sushi cutting device M can also be structured without the opening / closing detection sensor 22.

[0048] Hereinafter, this structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. Here, FIG. 10 is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the movable table supporting the rolled sushi is moving from the mounting position toward the take-out position in the rolled sushi cutting device as a rod-shaped food cutting device according to a modification of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the opening / closing lid is driven from the closed position to the open position as the movable table moves toward the take-out position. And FIG. 12 is a side view showing the movable table and the opening / closing lid in a state where the movable table has moved to the take-out position. In FIGS. 10 to 12, the illustration of the cutting blade 9 shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 is omitted.

[0049] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the opening / closing lid 12 is provided with a spring member 15 that applies a spring force in the direction of closing the opening / closing lid 12. The movable table 5 is also provided with a door opening member 26. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, this door opening member 26 drives the opening / closing lid 12 to the open position when the movable table 5 moves from the mounting position to the removal position. Then, as shown in Figure 12, when the opening / closing lid 12 is in the open position, it holds the opening / closing lid 12 in the open position against the spring force in the closing direction applied by the spring member 15.

[0050] Furthermore, the swinging member 14 to which the opening / closing lid 12 is attached is shaped to swing around the support shaft 13 as a pivot point using such a door opening member 26 to open the opening / closing lid 12.

[0051] As a result, when the controller 23 drives the movable table 5 from the removal position to the mounting position, the opening / closing lid 12 is released from being held in the open position by the door opening member 26 and is closed by the spring force of the spring member 15.

[0052] Furthermore, with the above structure, the opening / closing detection sensor 22 becomes unnecessary. In addition, since the opening / closing lid 12 is held in the open position by the door opening member 26, the electromagnet 20, which is a holding member for holding the opening / closing lid 12 in the open position, also becomes unnecessary.

[0053] Next, in this embodiment, when the product detection sensor 21 detects that a rolled sushi R has been removed from the movable table 5, and the opening / closing detection sensor 22 detects that the opening / closing lid 12 has been closed, the movable table 5 moves toward the mounting position. On the other hand, the rolled sushi cutting device M may not have an opening / closing detection sensor 22, and the movable table 5 may move if it is detected that a rolled sushi R has been removed.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sushi roll cutting device M is provided with an opening / closing lid 12, but it may also be configured without an opening / closing lid 12. In that case, when the movable table 5 is positioned in the removal position, the cutting blade 9 is positioned so as to be covered by the housing 2 and the movable table 5, and is protected inside the housing 2.

[0055] Furthermore, although the dispensing opening 4 is provided above the loading opening 3 in this embodiment, the dispensing opening 4 may be provided below the loading opening 3, as described in Patent Document 3. In that case, the rolled sushi R is cut by moving the movable table 5 downwards.

[0056] In this embodiment, the opening / closing lid 12 is opened by the movement of the movable table 5 and closed by the spring force of the spring member 15. On the other hand, the sushi roll cutting device M may also open and close the opening / closing lid 12 using an electric motor or a solenoid, i.e., an electromagnet 20.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the product detection sensor 21 and the opening / closing detection sensor 22 are photoelectric sensors equipped with a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. On the other hand, the sushi roll cutting device M may use sensors other than photoelectric sensors, such as proximity sensors that detect changes in capacitance between the object to be detected (sushi roll R and opening / closing lid 12) and the sensor.

[0058] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an electromagnet 20 is used as a holding member to hold the opening / closing lid 12 in the open position. On the other hand, the sushi roll cutting device M is not limited to any particular member and can use various members as long as it can hold the opening / closing lid 12 in the open position.

[0059] The above description illustrates the application of the rod-shaped food cutting device of the present invention to a sushi cutting device for cutting sushi rolls. However, the cutting target is not limited to sushi rolls, but can be various rod-shaped food items. Examples of rod-shaped food items include not only sushi rolls such as norimaki and tamagomaki (egg rolls using sheet-shaped egg omelet instead of nori), but also datemaki (rolled omelet), processed fish products shaped into rods (such as kamaboko and satsumaage), thick omelets, and meat products cut into rod shapes.

[0060] 1a Left side wall panel 1b Right side wall panel 2 Housing 3 Mounting opening 4 Dispensing opening 5 Movable table 6 Sliding block 7a Bottom plate 7b Upright part 8 Slit 9 Cutting blade 10 Protective cover 11 Operation switch 12 Opening / closing lid 13 Support shaft 14 Swiveling member 15 Spring member 16 Support pin 17 Drive lever 17a Stopper part 17b Drive unit 18 Projection part 19 Permanent magnet 20 Electromagnet (holding member) 21 Product detection sensor 22 Opening / closing detection sensor 23 Controller (control unit) 24 Movable table driving means 26 Door opening member L Light M Rolled sushi cutting device (rod-shaped food cutting device) R Rolled sushi (rod-shaped food)

Claims

A rod-shaped food cutting device comprising a movable table provided in a housing that can reciprocate between a loading position and a removal position, which presses the rod-shaped food toward a plurality of cutting blades, wherein the rod-shaped food is cut into multiple pieces by the pressing motion of the movable table toward the cutting blades, A drive means for reciprocating the movable table between the mounting position and the removal position, A product detection sensor that detects when the rod-shaped food item moves to the removal position, If the product detection sensor detects that the rod-shaped food item has been removed from the removal position, the control unit drives the movable table to the mounting position. A rod-shaped food cutting device characterized by having the following features. 　 The housing includes an opening / closing lid that opens and closes an outlet corresponding to the removal position of the movable table, and an opening / closing detection sensor that detects when the opening / closing lid is closed. The control unit drives the movable table to the mounting position if the product detection sensor detects that the rod-shaped food item has been removed from the removal position and the opening / closing detection sensor detects that the opening / closing lid has been closed. The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 1. 　 The control unit can set a waiting time from the detection of the product detection sensor and the opening / closing detection sensor until the start of the operation to drive the movable table to the mounting position. The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 2. 　 The aforementioned cutting blade is Provided inside the aforementioned housing, When the opening / closing lid is closed, it is arranged so as to be covered by the opening / closing lid and the housing, When the opening / closing lid is in the open position, it is positioned so as to be covered by the movable table and the housing, The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 2. 　 A drive lever is provided on the movable table for driving the opening / closing lid to the open position when the movable table moves from the mounting position to the removal position. The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 2. 　 The opening and closing lid has a spring member that applies a spring force in the closing direction, A retaining member is provided in the housing that holds the opening / closing lid in the open position against the spring force in the closing direction exerted by the spring member when the opening / closing lid is in the open position. The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 5. 　 The holding member is an electromagnet that attracts the permanent magnet provided on the opening / closing lid. The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 6. 　 The opening and closing lid has a spring member that applies a spring force in the closing direction, The movable table is provided with a lid opening member that drives the opening / closing lid to the open position when the movable table moves from the mounting position to the removal position, and holds the opening / closing lid in the open position against the spring force in the closing direction by the spring member when the opening / closing lid is in the open position. When the control unit drives the movable table from the removal position to the mounting position, the opening / closing lid is released from being held in the open position by the lid opening member and is closed by the spring force of the spring member. The rod-shaped food cutting device according to feature 6.

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