Food material dishing-up device

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a hopper that stores a food material; a first drum and a second drum that are disposed in parallel at a prescribed separation distance from each other at a lower part of the hopper and drop the food material by rotation; a weighing unit that is provided below the first drum and the second drum and weighs the weight of the dropped food material; and a control unit that independently controls the rotation of the first drum and the second drum. A first outer peripheral part of the first drum has a larger diameter than a second outer peripheral part of the second drum. The first drum sends out the food material toward the second drum by rotation to one side in the circumferential direction and the second drum scrapes out and drops the food material, which has been sent out from the first drum, by rotation to the other side in the circumferential direction. The control unit is capable of selecting a first mode of a processing time reference for completing, within a prescribed time period, processing up to the completion of dishing up of the food material and a second mode of a weight accuracy reference within a prescribed range with reference to a target weight at the time of the completion of dishing up of the food material.

Description

Food material serving device

[0001] The present invention relates to a food material serving device. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-069003 filed in Japan on April 18, 2025, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fixed-quantity food supply device that conveys food materials by a conveyor provided in a hopper, uses rollers to supply the food materials to a storage unit provided at the lower part of the hopper, breaks up the food materials with a pair of rollers provided in the storage unit while directly supplying the food materials to a container, and measures the supplied food materials.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a weighing device that supplies the food material fed into the hopper by a drum provided at the lower part of the hopper, further breaks up the food material with two drums provided below the drum, supplies and weighs the food material to a shutter, and serves the food material into a container.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2022-109082, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2024-161825

[0005] The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 conveys the food material fed into the hopper by a conveyor, scrapes and supplies the food material with rollers, and breaks up the food material using two rollers below, which causes a problem that the device becomes large in size.

[0006] In addition, the device disclosed in Patent Document 2 supplies the food material with a drum provided directly below the hopper and breaks up the food material using two drums provided at the lower part, which leads to an increase in the number of rollers and a problem that the device becomes large in size.

[0007] Furthermore, various requirements such as speeding up the serving process and improving the accuracy of the serving amount are imposed on food material serving devices, and versatility is demanded.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a compact food material serving device with excellent versatility.

[0009] The present invention has the following aspects. A food plating device comprising: a hopper for storing food ingredients; a first drum and a second drum arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined distance below the hopper and rotating to drop the food ingredients; a weighing unit provided below the first drum and the second drum for weighing the dropped food ingredients; and a control unit for independently controlling the rotation of the first drum and the second drum, wherein the first outer circumference of the first drum is larger in diameter than the second outer circumference of the second drum; the first drum feeds the food ingredients toward the second drum by rotating on one side in the circumferential direction; the second drum scrapes out and drops the food ingredients fed from the first drum by rotating on the other side in the circumferential direction; and the control unit can select between a first processing time-based mode that completes the process up to the completion of plating the food ingredients within a predetermined time; and a second weight accuracy-based mode that sets the target weight at the completion of plating the food ingredients within a predetermined range.

[0010] The present invention provides a compact food plating device with excellent versatility.

[0011] This is a front view showing the food plating device of the present invention. These are enlarged views of the first drum and the second drum. This is a partial plan view of the second drum seen from above. This is a control block diagram of the food plating device. This is an enlarged view of the movement guide section. This is an enlarged view of the movement guide section. This is a plan view of the shutter in the shielding position. This is a plan view of the shutter in the open position. This is a diagram showing the operation of the loosening process. This is a diagram showing the operation of the loosening process.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the food plating apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 10. Note that the following embodiments represent one aspect of the present invention and are not limiting, and can be modified at will within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, in the following drawings, the scale and number of components in each structure differ from the actual structure in order to make the components easier to understand.

[0013] Figure 1 is a front view of the food serving device 1 of the present invention. The food serving device 1 is installed, for example, in a store and serves a predetermined amount of food into a container. Hereinafter, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of Figure 1 will be referred to as the horizontal direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper will be referred to as the depth direction.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the food serving device 1 comprises a hopper 10, a first drum 20, a second drum 30, an intermediate guide section 40, a moving guide section 50, a first weighing section (weighing section) 60, a second weighing section 70, and a control unit CONT.

[0015] The hopper 10 stores the food ingredients 2. For example, the hopper 10 is a rectangular tube with an opening on the top. The hopper 10 may have an opening on the top for manual input, or it may be configured to drop the ingredients through a conveyor belt.

[0016] Ingredient 2 is not particularly limited, but can be in the form of flakes, shredded pieces, granules, etc. Ingredient 2 is preferably a solid. In this embodiment, ingredient 2 is, as an example, cut vegetables.

[0017] The first drum 20 and the second drum 30 are located below the hopper 10. The first drum 20 and the second drum 30 are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined distance apart. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. The first outer circumference 21 of the first drum 20 has a larger diameter than the second outer circumference 31 of the second drum 30. The first outer circumference 21 of the first drum 20 is provided with ribs 22. The ribs 22 protrude radially outward from the first outer circumference 21 with respect to the rotation axis 23. The ribs 22 extend in a direction along the rotation axis 23 (a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 2). Multiple ribs 22 (20 in Figure 2) are provided at regular intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis 23.

[0018] A projection 32 is provided on the second outer circumference 31 of the second drum 30. The projection 32 protrudes radially outward from the second outer circumference 31 with respect to the rotation axis 33. Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the second drum 30 as seen from above. As shown in Figure 3, the projection 32 extends in the direction along the rotation axis 33 (hereinafter referred to as the axial direction) and constitutes a group of projections 32A arranged at intervals in the axial direction. In this embodiment, the second drum 30 has multiple groups (18 groups in Figure 2) of projections 32A, consisting of five projections 32 and four projections 32, with their axial positions shifted by half a pitch, arranged alternately at regular intervals in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis 33.

[0019] Figure 4 is a control block diagram of the food plating device 1. As shown in Figure 4, the first drum 20 rotates in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis 23 by the drive of the motor 24. The drive of the motor 24 is controlled by the control unit CONT. The control unit CONT controls the rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle, etc. of the first drum 20 via the motor 24. The second drum 30 rotates in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis 33 by the drive of the motor 34. The drive of the motor 34 is controlled by the control unit CONT. The control unit CONT controls the rotation direction, rotation speed, rotation angle, etc. of the second drum 30 via the motor 34.

[0020] Furthermore, the food plating device 1 has a measuring unit 25 that measures the torque of the second drum 30 when it rotates. The torque of the second drum 30 measured by the measuring unit 25 is output to the control unit CONT.

[0021] When the first drum 20 rotates counterclockwise (to one side in the circumferential direction) in Figure 1 under the control of the control unit CONT, the ribs 22 that engage with the food ingredients 2 push the food ingredients 2 toward the second drum 30. When the second drum 30 rotates clockwise (to the other side in the circumferential direction) in Figure 1 under the control of the control unit CONT, the protruding pieces 32 (group of protruding pieces 32A) that engage with the food ingredients 2 in a way that they pierce them scrape out the food ingredients 2 and cause them to fall through the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30.

[0022] In the following, the counterclockwise rotation direction of the first drum 20 that sends the food ingredient 2 toward the second drum 30, and the clockwise rotation direction of the second drum 30 that scoops out and drops the food ingredient 2, may be referred to as the "forward rotation direction" or "forward rotation side." Also, the rotation direction opposite to the counterclockwise rotation of the first drum 20 and the rotation direction opposite to the clockwise rotation of the second drum 30 may be referred to as the "reverse direction" or "reverse side."

[0023] Returning to Figure 1, the intermediate guide section 40 is positioned below the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. The intermediate guide section 40 is positioned below the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. The intermediate guide section 40 has a guide hole 41. The guide hole 41 penetrates the intermediate guide section 40 in the vertical direction. The guide hole 41 faces the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 in the vertical direction. Food ingredients 2 that are scraped out by the rotation of the second drum 30 and fall from the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 can be prevented from scattering to the surroundings by passing through the guide hole 41 of the intermediate guide section 40.

[0024] Preferably, the inner circumferential surface of the guide hole 41 has an embossed surface 42. By having an embossed surface 42 with irregularities formed by embossing on the inner circumferential surface of the guide hole 41, the contact surface with the food 2 passing through the guide hole 41 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the food 2 from adhering to and remaining on the inner circumferential surface of the guide hole 41.

[0025] The movable guide section 50 is positioned below the intermediate guide section 40. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the movable guide section 50. The movable guide section 50 has an inner cylinder 51 and an outer cylinder 52. The inner cylinder 51 and the outer cylinder 52 are each cylindrical. The inner cylinder 51 and the outer cylinder 52 may each be rectangular. The inner cylinder 51 has a guide hole 55. The guide hole 55 penetrates the inner cylinder 51 in the vertical direction. The guide hole 55 faces the guide hole 41 of the intermediate guide section 40 in the vertical direction.

[0026] The outer cylinder 52 has a guide hole 56. The guide hole 56 penetrates the outer cylinder 52 in the vertical direction. The diameter of the guide hole 56 is larger than the diameter of the inner cylinder 51. The inner cylinder 51 is positioned in the guide hole 56. The guide hole 56 communicates with the guide hole 55. Food ingredients 2 that fall through the guide hole 41 of the intermediate guide section 40 are introduced into the guide hole 55.

[0027] The inner cylinder 51 is fixed. The outer cylinder 52 is movable relative to the inner cylinder 51 in the vertical direction. A support member 53 is connected to the outer cylinder 52. As shown in Figure 1, the support member 53 extends to the right from the outer cylinder 52. The support member 53 is supported from below by a drive unit 54. The drive unit 54 is axial in shape and extends in the depth direction. The drive unit 54 is movable in the vertical direction by control of the control unit CONT. Due to the vertical movement of the drive unit 54, the outer cylinder 52 is movable in the vertical direction via the support member 53.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, when the control unit CONT moves the drive unit 54 and the support member 53 downwards, the outer cylinder 52 descends relative to the inner cylinder 51, and its lower end (shown by a dashed line in Figure 1) is inserted from above into the container 61 on the first measuring unit 60, which will be described later, and is supported. As a result, the food ingredients 2 that fall through the guide holes 55 and 56 are placed in the container 61 without scattering into the surroundings, as they are surrounded by the inner cylinder 51 and the outer cylinder 52.

[0029] When the food preparation process is complete, the control unit CONT drives the drive unit 54 to move the outer cylinder 52 upward. This makes it possible to remove the container 61 containing the food ingredients 2 without the food ingredients 2 interfering with the outer cylinder 52. The control unit CONT controls the drive of the drive unit 54, for example, by repeatedly moving and stopping to raise the outer cylinder 52 in stages. This reduces the impact on the food ingredients 2 compared to raising the outer cylinder 52 all at once, thus suppressing the collapse and leakage of the food ingredients 2.

[0030] In this case, since the support member 53 is supported from below by the drive unit 54, even if the outer cylinder 52 moves further down than the height of the drive unit 54 when the outer cylinder 52 is in contact with the container 61, the outer cylinder 52 will not follow the movement of the drive unit 54. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the outer cylinder 52 from pressing down on the container 61 with strong force and causing it to tip over. Furthermore, even when using containers 61 of different sizes, the movement of the outer cylinder 52 stops at a vertical position corresponding to the size of the container 61, thus providing high versatility.

[0031] The food ingredients 2 that fall from the intermediate guide section 40 pass through the guide holes 55 of the inner cylinder 51 and the guide holes 56 of the outer cylinder 52 and are placed in the container 61. Since the path through which the food ingredients 2 pass is surrounded by the inner cylinder 51 and the outer cylinder 52, it is possible to suppress the scattering of the food ingredients 2 into the surrounding area. It is preferable that the inner circumferential surfaces of the guide holes 55 and 56 have embossed surfaces, similar to the guide hole 41. Having embossed surfaces on the inner circumferential surfaces of the guide holes 55 and 56 prevents the food ingredients 2 from adhering to and remaining on the inner circumferential surfaces of the guide holes 55 and 56.

[0032] In this embodiment, a shutter 80 is provided between the intermediate guide section 40 and the movable guide section 50. The shutter 80 opens and closes the guide hole 55 of the inner cylinder 51. Figure 7 is a plan view of the shutter 80 in the shielding position. Figure 8 is a plan view of the shutter 80 in the open position.

[0033] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the shutter 80 includes a first blade 81, a second blade 82, a connecting portion 83, and a blade drive portion 84. The first blade 81 is positioned on the upper side, and the second blade 82 is positioned on the lower side of the first blade 81. The first blade 81 and the second blade 82 are each rotatable along a horizontal plane about a shaft portion 85 that extends in the vertical direction. The first blade 81 and the second blade 82 are rotatable between a shielded position and an open position. The shielded position is the position in which the first blade 81 and the second blade 82 are positioned above the guide hole 55 and shield the opening of the guide hole 55. The open position is the position in which the first blade 81 and the second blade 82 are retracted from above the guide hole 55 and the opening of the guide hole 55 is opened.

[0034] The first blade 81 has a blade body 81A and a base portion 81B. The base portion 81B has a long groove 81C and a fitting hole 81D. The fitting hole 81D penetrates the base portion 81B in the vertical direction. The shaft portion 85 fits into the fitting hole 81D so as to be rotatable relative to it. The long groove 81C penetrates the base portion 81B in the vertical direction. In the shielded position, the long groove 81C is oval-shaped and extends along the horizontal plane in a direction away from the guide hole 55 as it moves away from the fitting hole 81D.

[0035] The blade body 81A is arc-shaped, extending from the base 81B toward the guide hole 55. As shown in Figure 7, in the shielded position, the outer diameter contour 81E of the arc-shaped blade body 81A is located outside the guide hole 55. As shown in Figure 8, in the open position, the inner diameter contour 81F of the arc-shaped blade body 81A is located outside the guide hole 55.

[0036] The second blade 82 has a blade body 82A and a base portion 82B. The base portion 82B has a long groove 82C and a fitting hole 82D. The fitting hole 82D penetrates the base portion 82B in the vertical direction. The shaft portion 85 is fitted into the fitting hole 82D so as to be rotatable relative to it. The long groove 82C penetrates the base portion 82B in the vertical direction. In the shielded position, the long groove 82C is oval-shaped and extends along the horizontal plane in a direction away from the guide hole 55 as it moves away from the fitting hole 82D.

[0037] The blade body 82A is arc-shaped, extending from the base 82B toward the guide hole 55. As shown in Figure 7, in the shielded position, the outer diameter contour 82E of the arc-shaped blade body 82A is located outside the guide hole 55. As shown in Figure 8, in the open position, the inner diameter contour 82F of the arc-shaped blade body 82A is located outside the guide hole 55.

[0038] The connecting portion 83 connects the first blade 81 and the second blade 82. The connecting portion 83 is a rectangular parallelepiped extending laterally. The connecting portion 83 has support shafts 86 and 87. The support shafts 86 and 87 are located on both sides of the connecting portion 83 in the lateral direction. The support shafts 86 and 87 each protrude upward. The support shaft 86 is fitted into the long groove 81C of the first blade 81 from below. The support shaft 86 is relatively movable along the long groove 81C. The support shaft 87 is fitted into the long groove 82C of the second blade 82 from below. The second blade 82 is relatively movable along the long groove 82C.

[0039] The blade drive unit 84 is connected to the rear side of the connecting unit 83 in the depth direction. The blade drive unit 84 drives the connecting unit 83 in the depth direction under the control of the control unit CONT. As shown in Figure 7, when the connecting unit 83 is moved to the rear side in the depth direction by the blade drive unit 84, the shutter 80 is in the shielding position. As shown in Figure 8, when the connecting unit 83 is moved to the front side in the depth direction by the blade drive unit 84, the shutter 80 is in the open position.

[0040] When the shutter 80 is in the open position, the food ingredients 2 that are scraped out by the rotation of the second drum 30 and fall through the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 pass through the guide hole 41 of the intermediate guide section 40, and the guide holes 55 and 56 of the moving guide section 50 and are placed in the container 61. When the shutter 80 is in the closed position, it is possible to suppress the introduction of food ingredients 2 that have fallen through the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 into the guide hole 55 of the moving guide section 50 during the loosening operation (described later) after the food is placed in the container 61, thereby suppressing fluctuations in the amount of food placed in the container 61. In addition, having the shutter 80 in the closed position suppresses drying of the food ingredients 2 in the hopper 10 and prevents cold air from leaking out.

[0041] The first weighing unit 60 is located below the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. The first weighing unit 60 is positioned below the moving guide unit 50. A container 61 for serving food ingredients 2 is placed on the first weighing unit 60. The first weighing unit 60 weighs the food ingredients 2 that fall into the container 61. The weight of the food ingredients 2 weighed by the first weighing unit 60 is output to the control unit CONT.

[0042] The second weighing unit 70 weighs the food material 2 loaded into the hopper 10. As shown in Figure 1, the second weighing unit 70 of the present embodiment is provided on the leg portion of the food material serving apparatus 1, and is configured as a weight sensor that measures the machine weight. The weight of the food material 2 measured by the second weighing unit 70 is output to the control unit CONT. The control unit CONT calculates the weight of the food material 2 from the difference between the machine weight after the food material 2 is loaded and the machine weight before the food material 2 is loaded.

[0043] The control unit CONT comprehensively controls the serving processing of the food material 2 by the food material serving apparatus 1. As shown in Figure 4, the control unit CONT is connected with a timer unit 91 that measures the processing time related to the serving processing, and a storage unit 92 that stores various threshold values related to the serving processing. The processing time measured by the timer unit 91 is output to the control unit CONT. Further, a display unit 93 is connected to the control unit CONT. The display unit 93 is configured by, for example, a touch panel, and is capable of displaying the processing status related to the serving processing, and is also capable of inputting various instructions related to the processing.

[0044] The serving processing of the food material 2 by the above food material serving apparatus 1 will be described. (Start Processing) At the start of the serving processing, after the food material 2 is loaded into the hopper 10, zero reset is set via the display unit 93. When the zero reset is set, the control unit CONT resets the measured value of the first weighing unit 60 to zero. This makes it possible to measure only the weight of the food material 2 without depending on the weight of the container 61 placed on the first weighing unit 60.

[0045] Furthermore, when a zero reset is set, the control unit CONT detects, based on the weighing result of the second weighing unit 70, that the food ingredients 2 have been added in a predetermined weight or more. In this case, only for the first time during the plating process, the control unit CONT rotates the second drum 30 forward without rotating the first drum 20 to scoop out the food ingredients 2 and drop them. Even if the food ingredients 2 have been added in the hopper 10 in a predetermined weight or more, there is a high probability that food ingredients 2 are already present in the second drum 30. Therefore, if the first drum 20 is rotated forward to send the food ingredients 2 towards the second drum 30, the density of the food ingredients 2 may increase due to compression in the gap between the first drum 20 and the second drum 30, which is a V-shaped groove facing upwards (a waiting compression region, hereinafter referred to as the "V-groove between drums"). In this case, the protrusions 32 of the second drum 30 may not bite into the food ingredients 2 sufficiently, and scooping out may be insufficient. Therefore, for the first time during the plating process, the second drum 30 is rotated forward without rotating the first drum 20 to suppress the increase in density and scoop out the food ingredients 2 and drop them.

[0046] (Normal Processing) In the normal processing from the second time onward in the plating process, the first drum 20 rotates forward to send the food ingredients 2 toward the second drum 30, and the second drum 30 rotates forward to scrape out the food ingredients 2 and drop them through the gap between the drums. The rotation speed of the first drum 20 is slower than the rotation speed of the second drum 30 in order to prevent food ingredients from getting stuck in the V-groove between the drums.

[0047] At this time, the shutter 80 is in the open position. Also, in the moving guide section 50, the outer cylinder 52 is lowered and inserted into the container 61 on the first weighing section 60 from above and supported. As a result, the food ingredients 2 that fall from the V groove between the drums pass through the guide holes 41, 55 and 56 and are placed in the container 61 without scattering into the surroundings. The process of placing the food ingredients 2 by the rotation of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 is performed based on the weighing value of the first weighing section 60, with the target weight stored in the memory section 92 as a reference.

[0048] When the measured value of the first weighing unit 60 clears the target weight, the shutter 80 switches to the shielding position, so that it is possible to suppress variation in the dispensed amount of the food material 2 that falls into the container 61 after weighing. In addition, drying of the food material 2 in the hopper 10 can be suppressed, and leakage of cold air can be suppressed. Further, when the measured value of the first weighing unit 60 clears the target weight, the outer cylinder 52 is raised by the drive of the drive unit 54, so that the food material 2 is exposed. Thereby, the container 61 with the food material 2 dispensed therein can be taken out.

[0049] On the other hand, when the measured value of the first weighing unit 60 clears the target weight, the control unit CONT causes a reversing process to be performed to reverse the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 by a predetermined angle. By this reversing process, the food material 2 in the V-groove between the drums is loosened, and the density of the food material 2 can be reduced. In addition, damage applied to the food material 2 can be alleviated. Further, falling of the food material 2 hanging downward from the V-groove between the drums can be suppressed.

[0050] (Rotation Speed Control in Normal Processing) In the present embodiment, in the dispensing processing up to the target weight, the rotation speeds of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 are gradually decreased. More specifically, the control unit CONT gradually decreases the rotation speeds of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 to a high speed, a medium speed, and a low speed in accordance with the remaining amount up to the target weight. By gradually decreasing the rotation speeds of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30, it is possible to contribute to improving the accuracy of the dispensing weight and suppressing clogging by reducing the density of the food material 2 in the V-groove between the drums.

[0051] (Mode Selection of Processing Reference in Normal Processing) In the present embodiment, a plurality of processing references in normal processing can be selected. In the present embodiment, the first mode or the second mode can be selected in normal processing. The first mode is a mode that emphasizes time, and is a processing time reference mode that completes the processing up to the completion of dispensing the food material 2 within a predetermined time. The second mode is a mode that emphasizes weight accuracy, and is a weight accuracy reference mode that sets the target weight within a predetermined range based on the target weight at the time of completion of dispensing the food material 2. Selection of the first mode or the second mode can be set via the display unit 93.

[0052] When normal processing in the first mode is selected, the control unit CONT rotates the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 at a rotation speed faster than the rotation speed in the second mode, based on the value stored in the memory unit 92, to complete one serving process within a predetermined time (for example, a few seconds). When normal processing in the second mode is selected, the control unit CONT rotates the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 at a rotation speed slower than the rotation speed in the first mode, to keep the variation in the target weight of the food ingredients 2 at the time of serving completion within a predetermined range (for example, within a few grams).

[0053] (Operation when the amount of food 2 in the hopper 10 decreases during normal processing) When the amount of food 2 remaining in the hopper 10 decreases, the food 2 is more likely to slip out and fall through the V-groove between the drums. Therefore, the control unit CONT monitors the amount of food 2 remaining in the hopper 10 using the weighing value of the second weighing unit 70, and when the amount of food 2 remaining falls below a predetermined value stored in the storage unit 92, it slows down (reduces) the rotation speed of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 to a speed lower than the rotation speed when the amount of food 2 remaining is above the predetermined value (referred to as "normal weight"). This prevents the food 2 from falling excessively through the V-groove between the drums.

[0054] Furthermore, the control unit CONT adjusts the inversion process, noting that it is easier to return the food ingredients 2 when there are fewer of them, by setting the inversion time (amount of rotation) of the first drum 20 to the same as under normal load conditions, while shortening the inversion time of the second drum 30 compared to under normal load conditions. This prevents the density of food ingredients 2 from becoming too high in the V-grooves between the drums during the next normal processing, while also preventing excessive return of food ingredients 2 due to the inversion process.

[0055] (Operation when the normal processing time times out) The control unit CONT monitors the processing time until the completion of plating of the food ingredients 2 using the timing value of the timing unit 91. When the processing time exceeds a predetermined value stored in the memory unit 92 and times out, or when it exceeds the target weighing time in the first mode as described above, it is assumed that the density of food ingredients 2 in the V groove between the drums is too high, or that the amount of food ingredients 2 being sent into the V groove between the drums is too small and the density is low. Therefore, the control unit CONT causes the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 to perform a loosening process.

[0056] Figures 9 and 10 show the operation of the loosening process by the first drum 20 and the second drum 30. The control unit CONT causes both the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 to rotate alternately in the same direction at a predetermined angle, with one side rotating in the circumferential direction and the other side rotating in the circumferential direction synchronized. Specifically, as shown by the arrows in Figure 9, the control unit CONT synchronizes the rotation of the first drum 20 in the forward direction at a predetermined angle with the rotation of the second drum 30 in the reverse direction at a predetermined angle, and as shown by the arrows in Figure 10, it synchronizes the rotation of the first drum 20 in the reverse direction at a predetermined angle with the rotation of the second drum 30 in the forward direction at a predetermined angle, repeating these operations multiple times alternately. As a result, the density of the food ingredients 2 in the V-groove between the drums is reduced, and the processing time until the food ingredients 2 are plated can be shortened to within a predetermined value.

[0057] (Operation 1 in accordance with the magnitude of the torque of the second drum 30) The control unit CONT monitors the torque of the second drum 30 during rotation using the measured value from the measurement unit 25. If the density of the food ingredients 2 becomes too high in the V-groove between the drums, the torque of the second drum 30 during rotation increases. In the inversion process after the plating process, when the torque of the second drum 30 when scraping out the food ingredients 2 is measured to be greater than a predetermined maximum value stored in the memory unit 92, the control unit CONT makes the rotation time of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 longer than when the torque is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum value. This makes it possible to alleviate the high density of the food ingredients 2 in the V-groove between the drums.

[0058] (Operation 2 in accordance with the magnitude of the torque of the second drum 30) If the amount of food 2 sent towards the second drum 30 decreases and the amount that falls from the V groove between the drums decreases, the processing time until plating is completed will be longer. In this case, the torque of the second drum 30 when it rotates will be smaller. Based on the measurement value of the measurement unit 25, if the control unit CON is measured to be smaller than a predetermined minimum value stored in the memory unit 92, it will increase the rotational speed of the first drum 20 when it sends the food 2 towards the second drum 30, to a speed faster than when the torque is greater than or equal to the predetermined minimum value. As a result, the amount of food 2 sent into the V groove between the drums by the first drum 20 increases, so that the processing time until plating is completed does not become longer.

[0059] As described above, the food plating device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a first drum 20 at the bottom of the hopper 10 that sends the food ingredients 2 toward the second drum 30, and a second drum 30 that scoops out and drops the food ingredients 2. The control unit CONT can select between a first mode based on processing time, in which the processing until the plating of the food ingredients 2 is completed within a predetermined time, and a second mode based on weight accuracy, in which the target weight when the plating of the food ingredients 2 is completed is set to be within a predetermined range. Therefore, the food plating device 1 of this embodiment can be made smaller compared to cases in which food ingredients 2 are supplied to the hopper 10 using a belt conveyor or when food ingredients are supplied by drums and then loosened using two drums provided at the bottom.

[0060] Furthermore, the food plating device 1 of this embodiment allows for the selection of a first mode based on processing time and a second mode based on weight accuracy to meet various requirements such as speeding up the plating process and increasing the accuracy of the plating quantity. Therefore, a highly versatile food plating device 1 can be provided.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, the control unit CONT gradually slows down the rotation speed of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 according to the amount remaining until the target weight is reached, thereby contributing to improved accuracy of the plated weight and suppression of clogging by reducing the density of food 2 in the V groove between the drums.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, the control unit CONT causes the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 to perform an inversion process after the food plating 2 is complete, so that the food 2 in the V groove between the drums is loosened and the density of the food 2 can be reduced. In addition, damage to the food 2 can be mitigated and the falling of food 2 that is hanging downwards from the V groove between the drums can be suppressed.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, when the processing time until the food plating 2 is completed is longer than a predetermined value, the control unit CONT causes both the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 to rotate alternately in the same direction at a predetermined angle, synchronizing the rotation of one side in the circumferential direction with the rotation of the other side in the circumferential direction. As a result, the density of the food 2 in the V groove between the drums is reduced, and the processing time until the food plating 2 is completed can be shortened to within a predetermined value.

[0064] Furthermore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, when the weighing result of the second weighing unit 70 is smaller than a predetermined value at the start of the plating process, the control unit CONT slows down the rotation speed of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30, thereby preventing the food 2 from falling excessively in the V-groove between the drums.

[0065] Furthermore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, when the torque of the second drum 30 when scraping out the food 2 is greater than a predetermined maximum value based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 25, the control unit CON makes the rotation time of the first drum 20 and the second drum 30 in the inversion process longer than when the torque is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum value, thereby alleviating the high density of the food 2 in the V groove between the drums.

[0066] Furthermore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, the control unit CONT, based on the measurement results of the measurement unit 25, increases the rotational speed at which the first drum 20 feeds the food 2 towards the second drum 30 when the torque when the second drum 30 scrapes out the food 2 is less than a predetermined minimum value, compared to when the torque is greater than or equal to a predetermined minimum value. Therefore, according to the food plating device 1 of this embodiment, the processing time until plating is completed can be suppressed as the amount of food 2 fed into the V groove between the drums by the first drum 20 increases.

[0067] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. The shapes and combinations of the constituent members shown in the above examples are merely examples, and can be modified in various ways based on design requirements, etc., without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0068] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration was illustrated in which the container 61 is manually placed on and removed from the first weighing unit 60, but the system is not limited to this configuration. For example, the container 61 may be intermittently and sequentially transported to the first weighing unit 60 by a belt conveyor.

[0069] This embodiment includes the following appendix: (Appendix 1) A food plating device comprising: a hopper for storing food ingredients; a first drum and a second drum arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined distance below the hopper and rotating to drop the food ingredients; a weighing unit provided below the first drum and the second drum for weighing the dropped food ingredients; and a control unit for independently controlling the rotation of the first drum and the second drum, wherein the first outer circumference of the first drum is larger in diameter than the second outer circumference of the second drum; the first drum feeds the food ingredients toward the second drum by rotating on one side in the circumferential direction; the second drum scrapes out and drops the food ingredients fed from the first drum by rotating on the other side in the circumferential direction; and the control unit can select between a first processing time-based mode that completes the process until the completion of plating the food ingredients within a predetermined time; and a second weight accuracy-based mode that sets the target weight at the completion of plating the food ingredients within a predetermined range. (Note 2) The food plating apparatus according to Note 1, wherein the control unit gradually slows down the rotation speed of the first drum and the second drum according to the remaining amount until the target weight is reached. (Note 3) The food plating apparatus according to Note 2, wherein the control unit performs a reversal process, in which the first drum is rotated by a predetermined angle to the other side in the circumferential direction and the second drum is rotated by a predetermined angle to the one side in the circumferential direction after the food plating is completed. (Note 4) The food plating apparatus according to Note 2 or Note 3, wherein when the processing time until the food plating is completed is longer than a predetermined value, the control unit causes both the first drum and the second drum to rotate alternately in the same direction at a predetermined angle, synchronizing the rotation on one side in the circumferential direction and the rotation on the other side in the circumferential direction. (Note 5) A food serving device according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, further comprising a second weighing unit for weighing the food in the hopper, wherein the control unit slows down the rotation speed of the first drum and the second drum when the weighing result of the second weighing unit is less than a predetermined value.(Note 6) The food serving device according to Note 3, further comprising a measuring unit for measuring the torque of the second drum when it is rotating, wherein the control unit, based on the measurement results of the measuring unit, makes the rotation time of the first drum and the second drum in the reversal process longer than when the torque is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum value when the torque when scraping out the food is greater than a predetermined maximum value. (Note 7) The food serving device according to Note 6, further comprising the control unit, based on the measurement results of the measuring unit, makes the rotation speed at which the first drum sends the food towards the second drum faster than when the torque is greater than or equal to the predetermined minimum value when the torque when scraping out the food is less than a predetermined minimum value. (Note 8) The food serving device according to any one of Notes 1 to 7, wherein the food is cut vegetables.

[0070] 1...Food plating device, 2...Food, 10...Hopper, 20...First drum, 25...Measurement unit, 30...Second drum, 50...Movement guide unit, 60...First weighing unit (weighing unit), 70...Second weighing unit, CONT...Control unit

Claims

1. A food plating device comprising: a hopper for storing food ingredients; a first drum and a second drum positioned parallel to each other at a predetermined distance below the hopper and rotating to drop the food ingredients; a weighing unit provided below the first drum and the second drum for weighing the dropped food ingredients; and a control unit for independently controlling the rotation of the first drum and the second drum, wherein the first outer circumference of the first drum is larger in diameter than the second outer circumference of the second drum; the first drum feeds the food ingredients toward the second drum by rotating on one side in the circumferential direction; the second drum scrapes out and drops the food ingredients fed from the first drum by rotating on the other side in the circumferential direction; and the control unit can select between a first processing time-based mode that completes the process up to the completion of food plating within a predetermined time; and a second weight accuracy-based mode that sets the target weight at the completion of food plating within a predetermined range.

2. The food serving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit gradually slows down the rotation speed of the first drum and the second drum according to the amount remaining until the target weight is reached.

3. The food plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit performs a reversal process, in which it rotates the first drum by a predetermined angle to the other side in the circumferential direction and rotates the second drum by a predetermined angle to one side in the circumferential direction after the food plating is completed.

4. The food plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the processing time until the completion of plating the food is longer than a predetermined value, the control unit causes both the first drum and the second drum to rotate alternately in the same direction at a predetermined angle, synchronizing the rotation of one side in the circumferential direction with the rotation of the other side in the circumferential direction.

5. A food serving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a second weighing unit for weighing the food in the hopper, wherein the control unit slows down the rotation speed of the first drum and the second drum when the weighing result of the second weighing unit is less than a predetermined value.

6. The food serving device according to claim 3, further comprising a measuring unit for measuring the torque of the second drum during rotation, wherein the control unit, based on the measurement results of the measuring unit, extends the rotation time of the first drum and the second drum in the reversal process to a longer duration than when the torque is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum value, when the torque when scraping out the food is greater than a predetermined maximum value.

7. The food serving device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit, based on the measurement results of the measuring unit, increases the rotational speed at which the first drum feeds the food towards the second drum when the torque when scraping out the food is less than a predetermined minimum value, to a speed greater than when the torque is greater than or equal to a predetermined minimum value.

8. The food serving device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the food ingredient is pre-cut vegetables.

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