Transfer apparatus for food material

Abstract

Provided is a transfer apparatus including a pump device capable of stabilizing (equalizing) the weight of a food material being transferred from outlets of a plurality of pump chambers. A transfer apparatus (4) for a food material (PA) includes a first transfer device (40) for a food material, and a pump device (41) for transferring the food material transferred from the first transfer device. The pump device includes: a plurality of pairs of Roots-type rotors (42A); a rotating shaft (42B) that rotates the plurality of pairs of Roots-type rotors; a plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F) disposed adjacent to each other in the direction (A) of the rotating shaft; and plate-like partition members (43) that partition the plurality of pump chambers. A pair of Roots-type rotors are disposed in each of the plurality of pump chambers. The plurality of pump chambers have respective outlets (41G, 41H). The partition members each have, on the upstream side from the plurality of pump chambers, a linking part (43C) that links the plurality of pump chambers adjacent to each other in the direction of the rotating shaft.

Description

Food material transfer device

[0001] The present invention relates to a food material transfer device, and more particularly to a transfer device including a pump device having a plurality of pairs of root-shaped rotors and a partition member in a pump casing.

[0002] Various proposals have been made so far for transfer devices that transfer food materials (for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2). The food manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1 employs a cycloid pump as a pump mechanism, and nine pairs of rotors supported by a rotating shaft are arranged in parallel, and a partition wall is disposed between each pair of adjacent rotors in the axial direction, and pump chambers partitioned by the partition wall are formed inside the casing. Further, the supply device described in Patent Document 2 includes a pair of rollers (gear pump) having a plurality of teeth that mesh with a vertical screw.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-016344 US Patent Publication No. 2017-143028

[0004] In the food manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1, pump chambers partitioned by partition walls are formed inside the casing of the pump mechanism. When the food material transferred through the communication hole from the transfer roller portion is transferred to a specific pump chamber, the degree of filling in the pump chamber is determined and it cannot move to an adjacent pump chamber. If the food material is evenly transferred to a plurality of pump chambers, the weight of the food material discharged from the pump outlet is stable (equal). However, if the food material is not evenly transferred to a plurality of pump chambers, the weight of the food material discharged from the pump outlet becomes unstable (unequal).

[0005] The present invention is for solving the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transfer device including a pump device capable of stabilizing (equalizing) the weights of food materials transferred from a plurality of pump outlets.

[0006] The present invention relates to a food material transfer device, the transfer device comprising a pump device, a hopper and a screw for transferring food material to the pump device, the pump device comprising a pump casing, a plurality of pairs of Roots rotors, and partition members that partition the plurality of pairs of Roots rotors and form a plurality of pump chambers in the pump section within the pump casing, the pump casing comprising an upstream passage communicating with each pump chamber, and the partition members characterized in that a communication portion is formed on the side facing the upstream passage in the pump chamber.

[0007] Furthermore, the partition member is a thin plate-like member, and the connecting portion is characterized by a notched shape in which a part of the outer shape is cut out on the side facing the upstream passage of the multiple pump rooms.

[0008] Furthermore, the partition member is characterized by having a through hole through which the rotation axis of the Roots-type rotor passes.

[0009] Furthermore, the partition member is characterized by being detachable from the pump casing.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotation axis of the Roots rotor is arranged vertically, and multiple sets of Roots rotors are arranged vertically within the pump casing.

[0011] Furthermore, the molding apparatus is characterized by including a nozzle device that receives food material transferred from a transfer device and discharges rod-shaped food, a cutting device that cuts the rod-shaped food, and a conveying device that transports the cut food.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transfer device that includes a pump device capable of stabilizing (equalizing) the weight of food materials transferred from the outlets of multiple pump chambers.

[0013] This is a front view of a food molding apparatus including a transfer device according to the present invention. This is a plan view of a food molding apparatus including a transfer device according to the present invention. This is a partial cross-sectional view of the pump device of the transfer device. This is a perspective view of the pump device of the transfer device. This is a schematic plan view of the partition member of the pump device. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a modified food molding apparatus including a transfer device. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a modified food molding apparatus including a transfer device.

[0014] A food molding apparatus 1 including a transfer device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. Detailed descriptions of known components will be omitted in the following description.

[0015] The food molding apparatus 1 is configured to divide food materials into desired sizes. In this embodiment, a wrapped food P, in which an inner filling material F is wrapped in an outer shell material D, is divided and molded.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the food molding apparatus 1 includes a frame section 2, a transfer device 4 and a transfer device drive 5 for transferring the contained food material PA (outer shell material D and inner filling material F), a nozzle device 8 for discharging the food material PA transferred from the transfer device 4 as a rod-shaped food, a cutting device 9 for dividing the rod-shaped food discharged from the nozzle device 8 to form a filled food P, a drive device 10 for driving the nozzle device 8 and the cutting device 9, a transfer device 6 for transporting the filled food P, a moving device 7 for the transfer device 4, a supply device 11 for supplying the outer shell material D and inner filling material F to the transfer device 4, and a control device 12. Furthermore, the transport direction of the transfer device 6 is defined as the X direction, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction, and the vertical direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Z direction.

[0017] The frame section 2 includes a main frame 2A, which is made of, for example, square pipes. Two transfer unit drive devices 5 are located on the upper part of the main frame 2A, and a drive device 10 is located between the two transfer unit drive devices 5. The drive device 10 has an upper surface and a lower surface, a nozzle device 8 is attached to the upper surface of the drive device 10, and a cutting device 9 is attached to the lower surface of the drive device 10. A conveying device 6 is located below the cutting device 9, and a supply device 11 is located on the side of the frame section 2.

[0018] The transfer device 4 is configured to transfer the contained food material PA (outer shell material D and inner encapsulation material F) to the nozzle device 8. In this embodiment, two identical transfer devices 4 are provided, one for the outer shell material D and one for the inner encapsulation material F.

[0019] The nozzle device 8 is configured to discharge downward the food material PA (outer shell material D and inner shell material F) that is transported from two transport devices 4 through pipes 45, in the form of a rod-shaped food product in which the inner shell material F is covered with the outer shell material D. In this embodiment, four nozzle devices 8 are arranged. Each of the nozzle devices 8 includes a polymerization nozzle 8A. The pipes 45 of the transport device 4 for the outer shell material D and the pipes 45 of the transport device 4 for the inner shell material F are connected to the polymerization nozzle 8A. Due to the known internal structure of the polymerization nozzle 8A, the food material PA in the form of the outer shell material D covering the inner shell material F is sent to a discharge nozzle (outlet, not shown), and the rod-shaped food product is discharged downward from the discharge nozzle. It is preferable that the polymerization nozzle 8A rotatably incorporates an agitator (not shown) for stirring the outer shell material D. The structure of the polymerization nozzle 8A is known, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0020] The cutting device 9 is configured to cut the rod-shaped food material discharged from the nozzle device 8 and to form the filled food material P. The cutting device 9 includes a rotary shutter 9A. The structure of the cutting device 9 is known and a detailed description thereof is omitted. As a modification, the cutting device 9 may be a different cutting device than a rotary shutter, such as an oscillating shutter, a sliding shutter, a wire cutter, or an ultrasonic cutter.

[0021] The drive unit 10 is configured to drive the agitator of the nozzle device 8 and the rotary shutter 9A of the cutting device 9. The drive unit 10 includes a drive box 10A and a pull-out device 10B that supports the drive box 10A so as to be movable in the Y direction. The structure of the drive unit 10 is known and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0022] The conveying device 6 includes a first conveying conveyor 6A and a second conveying conveyor 6B located downstream of it. The structure of the conveying device 6 is known, and a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0023] The mobile device 7 is a mobile trolley and is used when attaching and detaching the transfer device 4 to the drive frame 5A of the transfer unit drive device 5, when disassembling and assembling the transfer device 4, and when moving it to the washing area. A detailed description of the mobile device 7 is omitted.

[0024] The supply device 11 is configured to supply food materials PA (outer shell material D, inner shell material F) to the transfer device 4 (hopper 4A, described later). In this embodiment, two symmetrical supply devices 11, one for the outer shell material D and one for the inner shell material F, are arranged on the left and right sides. The structure of the supply device 11 is known, and a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0025] The control device 12 is configured to control the operation of the food molding apparatus 1 and includes a control box 12A, an operation panel 12B for inputting various setting values, and a remaining amount sensor 12C for detecting the remaining amount of food material PA inside the hopper 4A.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the transfer device 4 includes a vertical hopper 4A and screw 4B (first transfer device 40) and a pump device 41 (second transfer device). The pump device 41 is, for example, a cycloidal pump including a Roots rotor 42A and its rotating shaft 42B. The first transfer device 40 is configured to transfer the food material PA to the pump device 41, and the pump device 41 (second transfer device) is configured to transfer the food material PA to the nozzle device 8.

[0027] The transfer unit drive device 5 includes a box-shaped drive frame 5A positioned on top of the frame 2, a screw drive shaft and screw drive motor (not shown) for driving the screw 4B, and a pump drive shaft and pump drive motor (not shown) for driving the rotation axis 42B of the Roots-type rotor 42A. The structure of the transfer unit drive device 5 is known, and a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0028] The vertical hopper 4A is configured to contain food material PA. The vertical hopper 4A includes a cylindrical lower part (not shown) and a conical upper part 4E located above it, with a diameter that increases towards the top.

[0029] The screw 4B is located inside the hopper 4A and includes a shaft portion 4F extending in the Z direction (vertical direction), a blade portion 4G spirally attached around the shaft portion 4F, and a scraping member 4H attached above the blade portion 4G. The screw 4B is rotatable around the shaft portion 4F. The lower end of the shaft portion 4F is connected to the screw drive shaft of the transfer unit drive device 5.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the pump device 41 further includes a pump casing 41A, a partition member 43, a lid member 44, and a pipe 45.

[0031] In this embodiment, the pump casing 41A includes a cylinder section 41B that communicates with the inside of the hopper 4A, two pump sections 41C, and two upstream passages 41D between the cylinder section 41B and the pump sections 41C.

[0032] The cylinder section 41B rotatably supports the lower end of the shaft section 4F of the screw 4B, and the lower part of the blade section 4G is positioned inside the cylinder section 41B. As a result, the food material PA transferred from the hopper 4A is transferred from the cylinder section 41B through the upstream passage 41D to the pump section 41C.

[0033] Each of the two pump sections 41C, the lid member 44, and the partition member 43 constitute two pump chambers (upper pump chamber 41E and lower pump chamber 41F) adjacent to each other in the direction A of the rotation axis 42B (see Figure 4) and separated by the partition member 43. The upper pump chamber 41E and the lower pump chamber 41F each house a pair of Roots rotors 42A. The pair of Roots rotors 42A consists of a rotor twisted to the right with respect to the rotation axis 42B and a rotor twisted to the left. The pair of Roots rotors 42A are configured to rotate in opposite directions R1 and R2 to transfer food material PA by the transfer unit drive device 5 (see Figure 5).

[0034] The rotating shaft 42B includes an upper end, a lower end, and a substantially rectangular parallelepiped fitting shaft portion that fits into the Roots rotor 42A. The rotating shaft 42B passes through the pair of Roots rotors 42A in the upper pump chamber 41E, the partition member 43, and the pair of Roots rotors 42A in the lower pump chamber 41F. The lower end is rotatably supported by the pump casing 41A, and the upper end is rotatably supported by the cover member 44.

[0035] The upper pump chamber 41E has an upper outlet 41G, and the lower pump chamber 41F has a lower outlet 41H. In this embodiment, the pump device 41 has four pump chambers and four outlets 41G, 41H (pipes 45).

[0036] The internal shape of the pump chambers (upper pump chamber 41E, lower pump chamber 41F) is enclosed by an arc-shaped peripheral portion 43D that follows the rotational trajectory of the tips of the two Roots-type rotors 42A, and a virtual straight line 43E (dotted line in Figures 3 to 5) that is tangent to the peripheral portion 43D.

[0037] The partition member 43 is plate-shaped and includes a hole 43A through which the rotating shaft 42B passes. Preferably, the partition member 43 is sandwiched between a plurality of pairs of Roots-type rotors 42A adjacent to each other in the direction A of the rotating shaft 42B and is detachable together with a pair of Roots-type rotors 42A. The external shape of conventional partition members is substantially the same as the internal shape of the pump chambers (upper pump chamber 41E, lower pump chamber 41F). In contrast, the partition member 43 of this embodiment includes a notch facing the upstream passage 41D (i.e., on the upstream side with respect to the direction of transfer of food materials), and such notch constitutes a communication portion 43C between two pump chambers adjacent to each other in the direction A of the rotating shaft 42B. In detail, the communication portion 43C is composed of an arc-shaped peripheral portion 43D along the rotational trajectory of the tip of the Roots-type rotor 42A and a space enclosed by a virtual straight line 43E (the dashed line in Figures 3 to 5). As a result, the upper pump chamber 41E and the lower pump chamber 41F are connected via and only through the connecting section 43C. Preferably, the connecting section 43C is located outside the rotational trajectory of the tips of the two Roots-type rotors 42A.

[0038] Next, the operation of the transfer device 4 will be explained.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the two Roots-type rotors 42A transport the food material PA within the rotational trajectory, that is, the food material PA around the communication section 43C, away from the communication section 43C along the rotational trajectory. In conventional partition members without a communication section 43C, if the food material PA does not fill the portion corresponding to the communication section 43C in this embodiment, less food material PA will be discharged from the upper outlet 41G and the lower outlet 41H. In contrast, in this embodiment with a communication section 43C, the food material PA can move between the upper pump chamber 41E and the lower pump chamber 41F by passing through the communication section 43C. For example, if food material PA is transferred from the upstream passage 41D to the upper pump chamber 41E and the lower pump chamber 41F, and the lower pump chamber 41F is filled with food material PA, and there is room for food material PA to enter the upper pump chamber 41E, then food material PA will move from the lower pump chamber 41F to the upper pump chamber 41E through the connecting section 43C. Therefore, food material PA will not be transferred unevenly to either the upper or lower pump chamber, but will be transferred evenly to both pump chambers. As a result, an equal weight of food material PA will be transferred from the upper outlet 41G and the lower outlet 41H of the two pump chambers through the pipe 45 to the nozzle device 8.

[0040] The shape of the communication section 43C is arbitrary as long as there is a portion on the side facing the upstream passage 41D that connects the upper pump chamber 41E and the lower pump chamber 41F. For example, it may be a roughly triangular or roughly square notch, or it may be a through hole.

[0041] The description of the molding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is generally as described above, but it is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims, and it goes without saying that these are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the transfer device 4 has two pump chambers 41E and 41F arranged in the direction A of the rotating shaft 42B, and a pair of Roots-type rotors 42A arranged in each of the two pump chambers 41E and 41F. However, three or more pump chambers may be arranged in the direction A of the rotating shaft 42B, and a pair of Roots-type rotors 42A may be arranged in each of the pump chambers.

[0043] Also, in the transfer device 4 of the above embodiment, the direction A of the rotary shaft 42B is the vertical direction (up and down direction), and a plurality of pairs of root-shaped rotors 42A are arranged in the vertical direction, and the partition member 43 is arranged therebetween. However, a plurality of sets of a pair of root-shaped rotors may be arranged in the left-right direction or the inclined direction.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the pair of root-shaped rotors 42A is composed of a rotor twisted to the right and a rotor twisted to the left with respect to the direction A of the rotary shaft 42B. However, non-twisted rotors may be used.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the pump device 41 is a cycloid pump including a root-shaped rotor, but other positive displacement pumps may be used. Positive displacement pumps are, for example, gear pumps including gears or vane pumps including vanes.

[0046] Further, the transfer device 4 of the above embodiment includes a vertical screw device (first transfer device) (where the food material PA is supplied in the vertical direction), but as in the modification shown in FIG. 6, it may include a horizontal screw device (first transfer device) (where the food material PA is supplied in the horizontal direction), or as in the modification shown in FIG. 7, it may include a roller device or the like (first transfer device 40) that does not use a screw device. In these modifications, the direction of the rotary shaft of the pump device is the horizontal direction, and each pair of root-shaped rotors in a plurality of pump chambers arranged along the rotary shaft is arranged in an arbitrary direction (for example, the vertical direction, the diagonal direction). Also in these modifications, it is preferable that the partition member 43 is arranged between the plurality of pump chambers, and the partition member 43 includes a communication portion 43C between the pair of root-shaped rotors.

[0047] Further, the transfer device 4 of the above embodiment includes four nozzle devices 8, but may include an arbitrary number of nozzle devices 8. Also, the pump device 41 includes four pairs of root-shaped rotors arranged in four pump chambers, but may include an arbitrary number of pairs of root-shaped rotors.

[0048] In addition, although the food shaping device 1 of the above embodiment produces the stuffed food P in which the inner material F is wrapped with the outer skin material D, it is not limited to this, and it is also possible to use a depositor provided with one transfer device 4. In this case, it is also possible to omit the nozzle device 8, the cutting device 9, and the drive device 10. Further, the above-described modifications or variations may be arbitrarily combined.

[0049] 1 Shaping device 4 Transfer device 4A Hopper 4B Screw 40 First transfer device 41 Pump device 41E Upper pump chamber 41F Lower pump chamber 41G Upper outlet 41H Lower outlet 42A Roots type rotor 42B Rotation shaft 43 Partition member 43C Communication part A Direction of rotation shaft PA Food material

Claims

1. A food material (PA) transfer device (4), comprising a first food material (PA) transfer device (40) and a pump device (41) for transferring the food material (PA) transferred from the first transfer device (40), The pump device (41) includes a plurality of pairs of Roots rotors (42A), a plurality of gears for a gear pump, or a plurality of vanes for a vane pump, a rotating shaft (42B) for rotating the plurality of pairs of Roots rotors (42A), the plurality of gears for a gear pump, or the plurality of vanes for a vane pump, a plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F) arranged adjacent to each other in the direction (A) of the rotating shaft (42B), and a plate-shaped partition member (43) that separates the plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F), wherein a pair of Roots rotors (42A), a pair of gears for a gear pump, or a pair of vanes for a vane pump are arranged in each of the plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F), and the plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F) each have their own outlets (41G, 41H). The transfer device (4) has a partition member (43) that connects a plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F) adjacent to each other in the direction (A) of the rotation axis (42B), and has a connecting portion (43C) on the upstream side of the plurality of pump chambers (41E, 41F).

2. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the communicating portion (43C) of the partition member (43) is a notch located outside the rotational trajectory of the pair of Roots-type rotors (42A), the gears of the pair of gear pumps, or the vanes of the pair of vane pumps.

3. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the communication portion (43C) of the partition member (43) is a through hole located outside the rotational trajectory of the pair of Roots-type rotors (42A), the gears of the pair of gear pumps, or the vanes of the pair of vane pumps.

4. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the first transfer device (40) includes a vertical hopper (4A) and a vertical screw (4B) disposed inside the vertical hopper (4A).

5. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the partition member (43) has a hole through which the rotation shaft (42B) of the pair of Roots rotors (42A), the gears of the pair of gear pumps, or the vanes of the pair of vane pumps passes.

6. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the partition member (43) is detachably attached together with the pair of Roots-type rotors (42A), the gears of the pair of gear pumps, or the vanes of the pair of vane pumps.

7. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft (42B) is arranged along the vertical direction.

8. The transfer device (4) according to claim 1, wherein the rotating shaft (42B) is arranged along the horizontal direction.

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