JP4045313B2 - Food molding equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a food molding apparatus, and more particularly to a food molding apparatus capable of reliably wrapping and molding inner materials such as rice cakes, cooked meat and vegetables with outer skin materials such as bread dough and bun dough.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a technology related to food molding that wraps the inner material with the outer shell material, conventionally, the inner material is made into a rod shape and the outer shell material is continuously formed on the outside, and then formed by narrowing down by the opening and closing operation of the shutter mechanism. Cutting has been carried out (for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-29433). However, when fermentable dough such as the bread dough described above is used as a shell material, forming it into a cylindrical shape causes the dough to be damaged due to pressure, twisting, etc. applied to the skin material, and the dough swells sufficiently after forming and cutting. Since the outer skin becomes a hard food with no elasticity, the molding process is currently performed by human hands. There has also been proposed a method of forming food with a sheet-like skin material while avoiding the tubular formation of the skin material. For example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-18299 describes that bread dough and straw are put in a cup and the bread dough is sealed by a sealing gate. In JP 2000-50854 A, an outer packaging material is formed in a bowl shape along an inner wall surface of a cup-shaped female mold whose upper surface is open, and the inner material is supplied into the outer packaging material formed in this bowl shape. Thereafter, the upper edge portion of the outer packaging material is squeezed with a shutter composed of a plurality of shutter pieces to seal the upper edge portion of the outer packaging material and wrap the inner material. When the outer wrapping material is squeezed and sealed with the shutter piece, a plug is disposed in the female opening to prevent the squeezed outer wrapping material from protruding upward.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When molding using a sheet-like skin material as described above, it is necessary to consider that the size of the skin material differs depending on the size of the food to be molded, or that the shape of the skin material varies even with the same size. There is. This is because, in many cases, the outer skin material is rolled by a pair of rotating rollers in order to form a sheet, but since the fabric is flexible, it is difficult to make the shape of the outer skin material constant. However, the conventional food molding method using the sheet-like skin material described above cannot sufficiently cope with such changes in the shape of the skin material. For example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-18299, since a cup is used, the opening area is determined in advance, and when a large food is molded, if both the outer skin material and the inner material become large, they are sealed with a sealing gate. At this time, the fabric may protrude from the upper surface of the sealing gate. Although the point which respond | corresponds to the magnitude | size of the volume of a product by providing the fabric support height adjustment mechanism is described, since it is limited to the adjustment in a cup, it cannot be said that sufficient adjustment can be performed. Although it is conceivable to replace the cup with a larger size depending on the size of the food to be molded, it is not practical to change the cup every time when producing various types of food in the mass production process. Also, when the dough piece is placed in the cup and sealed with the sealing gate after sealing, if there is a variation in the shape of the dough piece, excess dough piece protrudes from the sealing gate and separates It is inevitable that a case where it remains as a wrinkle will occur. Since the size of the cup opening is fixed, if the dough shape varies, the width of the dough periphery held at the opening edge of the cup will be uneven, and the wide part will be enclosed It is because it protrudes from the upper part when it seals with a gate. The protruding dough is separated by the sealing gate and falls on the upper surface of the sealing gate or falls and remains as a cocoon inside the apparatus. In addition, it may enter the device and cause a failure. In order to cope with such a problem, it is conceivable that the shapes of the dough pieces are arranged in advance. However, the addition of a process line for that purpose increases the manufacturing time and increases the damage to the dough. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-50854 similarly uses a cup-shaped female mold, and as described above, there is a limit to the correspondence to the size of the outer skin material and the inner material as long as it is molded using the cup. is there. In order to avoid the protrusion of the fabric, the plug prevents the outer shell material from protruding. However, since the plug is positioned by the vertical movement, there is a gap between the shutter and the plug so as to operate the shutter. It is inevitable that the cloth sandwiched between the shutters when the shutter is closed is pushed out of the upper part of the shutter by closing the shutter. As described above, molding using a cup or the like is restricted by that and cannot flexibly cope with a fabric whose size, shape and characteristics are not constant.
[0004]
The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned difficulties in the conventional food molding apparatus, and can easily cope with the size and characteristics of the outer shell material and inner material of the food to be molded. It is an object of the present invention to provide a food molding apparatus capable of wrapping and molding an inner material with a skin material.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A food molding apparatus according to the present invention includes a first shutter composed of a plurality of shutter pieces, a second shutter disposed below the first shutter, and composed of a plurality of shutter pieces, and below the second shutter. And a support member that supports the outer skin member on which the inner member is disposed, a support interval adjusting unit that adjusts a distance between the second shutter and the support member, and an inner member. First shutter control means for closing the first shutter while the outer cover material is supported by the support member, and controlling the operation start timing of the second shutter after starting the closing operation of the first shutter, and the outer cover material And a second shutter control means for operating the second shutter so as to seal the peripheral edge of the second shutter. Furthermore, a pushing means for pushing the outer skin material into the opening area of the second shutter is provided. Further, the pushing means includes an inner material supply means for supplying the inner material. Further, the support member is provided with suction means for sucking the outer skin material in an opening region of the second shutter. Furthermore, it has a holding means for holding the edge of the outer skin material on the shutter piece of the second shutter. Furthermore, the receiving member which has an opening part in the opening area | region of said 2nd shutter was provided, The holding | maintenance means which hold | maintains the edge part of the said outer_layer | skin material to the said receiving member is characterized by the above-mentioned.
[0006]
By having the above configuration, the inner material can be reliably wrapped and molded with the outer skin material, and generation of wrinkles due to separation of the outer skin material can be prevented. That is, without using the cup, the opening area of the first shutter and the second shutter is set as appropriate, and the space between the second shutter and the support member is adjusted as appropriate for molding. It is possible to respond flexibly to characteristics and characteristics. Furthermore, by controlling the operation start timing of the second shutter after the start of the operation of the first shutter, it is possible to reliably seal even if there is a variation in the periphery of the outer skin material to be sealed. For example, when the peripheral edge of the outer skin material to be sealed can be secured to some extent, it can be gathered in advance by the first shutter and then sealed by the second shutter, so that the inner material is large and there is a margin in the peripheral edge of the outer skin material. Even if there is not, if the start of the operation of the second shutter after the start of the operation of the first shutter is accelerated, a large amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material can be gathered together, and sealing can be surely performed. Then, since the second shutter performs the sealing operation after the first shutter is closed, it is possible to prevent the outer skin material from protruding when the first shutter is sealed. Further, by adjusting the distance between the second shutter and the support member, it is possible to adjust the width of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material when sealing with the second shutter. For example, when the interval between the second shutter and the support member is increased, the outer skin material moves downward with respect to the second shutter, and the width of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material sealed by the second shutter is increased. Although the width is set to be smaller, the width of the peripheral edge of the outer skin material is set to be larger when the interval is decreased. That is, by adjusting the distance between the second shutter and the support member, the width of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material sealed by the second shutter can be adjusted to an optimum amount. The above can be adjusted in the same way depending on the extensibility of the outer skin material. When the extensibility is small, the operation start timing of the second shutter can be advanced to secure the gathering amount. When is large, the operation start timing of the second shutter is delayed or the distance between the second shutter and the support member is widened to reduce the amount of gathering of the skin material. Thus, since fine adjustment is possible according to the size and characteristics of the outer skin material and the inner material, the inner material can be reliably wrapped and molded by the outer skin material.
[0007]
Further, in the above-described prior art, it is necessary to carry out the process from the formation of the outer shell material to the sealing of the outer skin material while moving the cup, but since the cup is not used in the present invention, It can be performed in one place from the formation of the hook shape to the sealing of the skin material, and further, the sealed molded product can be conveyed as it is from the support member, thereby greatly reducing the manufacturing time and saving the space. be able to. In particular, when elastic dough such as bread dough is used, shortening the manufacturing time is a great advantage. In the prior art, since the molding is performed while moving the place, the bread dough may be shrunk while the place is moved, or the manufacturing time may be increased and the bread may be dried. Furthermore, by supplying the inner material at the time of pushing, the manufacturing time can be further shortened and the inner material can be reliably arranged. Also, if the support member is provided with suction means and the outer skin material is sucked in the opening area of the second shutter, the outer skin material can be stably formed in a hook shape without pressing the outer skin material, which is given to the outer skin material. Damage can be reduced. Furthermore, by providing a holding means for holding the edge of the outer skin material on the shutter piece of the second shutter, it is possible to form a stable bowl shape by holding the outer skin material securely when pushing or sucking the outer skin material. It becomes. Further, by providing the receiving member having an opening in the opening area of the second shutter, the outer skin material can be reliably held on the receiving member.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
[0009]
In FIG. 1, what is indicated by reference numeral 1 is a first shutter configured to be able to be opened and closed by combining a total of four shutter pieces 10, 10... Shown in the plan view of FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the surface S in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first shutter 1 is configured such that each shutter piece 10 fixed to each of the drive shafts 11, 11... Are configured to slide and move on the sides of the adjacent shutter pieces 10 and open and close the opening region surrounded by the sides of the shutter pieces 10. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 2 indicates that a total of four shutter pieces 20, 20... Shown in the plan view of FIG. The second shutter. Each shutter piece 20 of the second shutter 2 is disposed such that the upper surface thereof is not spaced from the lower surface of the shutter piece 10 of the first shutter 1. The shutter pieces 20 are fixed to drive hollow shafts 21, 21... Provided concentrically with the drive shaft 11 of the first shutter 1. The shutter pieces 20 swing back and forth around the drive hollow shaft 21. The front end is configured to slide and move on the side of the adjacent shutter piece 20, and opens and closes the opening region surrounded by the sides of the shutter pieces 20.
[0010]
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the plane U of FIG. 1 and shows the shutter drive mechanism of the first shutter 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the drive mechanism of the first shutter 1 includes a flange 12 fixed to the lower end portion of each drive shaft 11, and a link 13 that is pivotally attached to the flange 12 and connects the flanges 12 to each other. ... And a motor 14 that drives these links 13, and a plurality of links 13 and 13 are controlled by controlling the rotation direction, rotation angle, and the like of the motor 14 by first shutter control means described later. Are linked to open and close the first shutter 1 appropriately. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the surface T in FIG. 1 and shows the shutter driving mechanism of the second shutter. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the drive mechanism of the second shutter 2 includes a flange 22 fixed to the lower end portion of each drive hollow shaft 21, and a link pivotally attached to the flange 22 to connect the flanges 22 together. And a motor 24 for driving these links 23, and a plurality of links 23, 23 are controlled by controlling a rotation direction, a rotation angle, and the like of the motor 24 by second shutter control means described later. Are linked to open and close the second shutter 2 appropriately.
[0011]
In FIG. 1, what is indicated by reference numeral 3 is pushing means for forming the outer skin material in a bowl shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the pushing means 3 of the present embodiment includes a pushing member 30 fixed to the stay 31, a feed screw mechanism 32 that moves the stay 31 up and down, and a motor 33 that drives the feed screw mechanism 32. The pushing member 30 is appropriately moved up and down by controlling the rotation direction, rotation angle, and the like of the motor 33. As will be described in detail again, by lowering the pushing member 30 and entering the opening area of the second shutter 2, the central portion of the sheet-like outer skin material supplied onto the shutter piece 20 of the second shutter 2 is depressed. It is formed in a bowl shape.
[0012]
Further, in the present embodiment, an inner material supply means for supplying the inner material to the bottom portion of the outer skin material that is formed in a bowl shape is provided. That is, the push-in member 30 is configured by a cylindrical body having a discharge hole for discharging the inner material at the lower end, and a valve 40 for opening and closing the discharge hole is internally provided. Then, the inner material put into the hopper 45 is pumped into the cylinder of the pushing member 30 through the supply pipe 43 by a conventionally known pump 44, and is driven through the rod 41 by driving the air cylinder 42 fixed to the stay 31. By moving the valve 40 up and down, a required amount of inner material is supplied to the bottom portion of the outer skin material formed by opening and closing the discharge hole as appropriate.
[0013]
What is indicated by reference numeral 5 in FIG. 1 is holding means for holding the edge of the outer skin material on the shutter piece 20 of the second shutter 2. As shown in FIG. 6B, the holding means 5 has a ring-like stay 52 having a plurality of through holes fixed to the pushing member 30, and is inserted into the through holes of the stay 52 so as to be vertically slidable. A plurality of support rods 51, 51... Having a head that can be locked to the stay 52 are provided at the upper end. Further, a ring-shaped presser member 50 surrounding the pressing member 30 is fixed to the lower ends of the support rods 51, 51, and the support rods 51 are fitted into the support rods 51 between the presser members 50 and the stays 52. In addition, a coil spring 53 for urging the presser member 50 downward is provided. As will be described in detail again, when the pressing member 30 is lowered to form the outer skin material, the pressing member 50 presses and holds the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material on the shutter piece 20 of the second shutter 2.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, what is indicated by reference numeral 6 is support means that is disposed below the second shutter 2 and supports the outer skin material. As shown in FIG. 1, the support means 6 includes a support member 60 and a belt conveyor 63 whose belt is moved up and down by the support member 60. The support member 60 is connected to the rack-pinion mechanism 62 via the support rod 61, and the rack-pinion mechanism 62 is driven by the motor 64 so that the support member 60 moves up and down appropriately via the support rod 61. The interval between and is adjusted. In the present embodiment, the support interval adjusting means includes a support rod 61, a rack-pinion mechanism 62, a motor 64, and a motor control means for the motor 64 described later.
[0015]
FIG. 5 shows the first shutter control means, the second shutter control means, and the motor control means of the motor 64. The first shutter control means sets the motor control device 15 that controls the drive of the motor 14, the detector 16 that detects the rotation direction and rotation angle of the motor 14, and the drive data such as the start timing, rotation direction, and rotation angle of the motor 14. It consists of a setting device 70. An optical sensor 72 that detects the presence or absence of a skin material is provided above the first shutter, and an output signal from the optical sensor 72 is processed by the detector 71 and input to the setting device 70. Then, when the setting device 70 inputs a setting signal to the motor control device 15 based on the detection signal from the detector 71 and the set drive data, the motor control device 15 rotates the motor 14 at the set start timing. Based on the detection signal from the detector 16, the rotation of the motor 14 is controlled according to the setting signal.
[0016]
The second shutter control means sets drive data such as a motor control device 25 that controls the drive of the motor 24, a detector 26 that detects the rotation direction and rotation angle of the motor 24, and the start timing, rotation direction, and rotation angle of the motor 24. It consists of a setting device 70. Then, similarly to the first shutter control means, when the setting signal is input from the setting device 70 to the motor control device 25, the motor control device 25 starts the rotation of the motor 24 at the set start timing, and the detector Based on the detection signal from 26, the rotation of the motor 24 is controlled.
[0017]
The motor control means of the motor 64 includes a motor control device 65 that controls the drive of the motor 64, a detector 66 that detects the rotation direction and rotation angle of the motor 64, and drive data such as the start timing, rotation direction, and rotation angle of the motor 64. It consists of a setting device 70 for setting. Similarly to the first shutter control means, when a setting signal is input from the setting device 70 to the motor control device 65, the motor control device 65 starts the rotation of the motor 64 at the set start timing, and the detector Based on the detection signal from 66, the rotation of the motor 64 is controlled.
[0018]
Hereinafter, the food molding process by the food molding apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 6A to 14A are plan views of the first and second shutters in the respective steps shown in FIGS. 6B to 14B, respectively. In the present embodiment, an example in which bread dough is used as the skin material F and rice cake is used as the inner material G will be described.
[0019]
First, drive data relating to the operation of the first shutter 1, the second shutter 2, and the support member 60 is input to the setting device 70 shown in FIG. 5, and the first shutter 1 is opened as shown in FIG. 6 (a). The sheet-like outer skin material F is placed on the shutter piece 20 of the second shutter 2 in a state where the second shutter 2 is closed and the pushing member 30 is lifted as shown in FIG. Place. Although not shown, the support member 60 is also disposed below the second shutter 2 at a predetermined interval. When the skin material F is placed, the optical sensor 72 shown in FIG. 5 detects this, and a detection signal is input from the detector 71 to the setting device 70. In response to this detection signal, a drive control signal is input to each motor control device 15, 25, 65 at the timing sequentially set from the setting device 70. In this embodiment, in order to stably place the skin material F on the shutter piece 20, the skin material F is placed with the initial setting state of the second shutter 2 fully closed. The skin material F may be placed in a state where the second shutter 2 is opened to such an extent that the skin material F does not fall. Further, if the outer cover material F is placed on the shutter piece 20 and then the shutter piece 10 of the first shutter 1 is operated in the closing direction so that the opening area is reduced, the outer cover is adapted to the reduced opening state. The material F can be set, and the position of the outer skin material F can be adjusted so that the outer skin material F is in a predetermined position.
[0020]
Next, as shown in FIG. 7A, the second shutter 2 is opened by a predetermined amount corresponding to the size of the outer skin material and the amount of the inner material, and the support member 60 is raised. The interval with the second shutter is adjusted to a preset interval. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the pushing member 30 is lowered, the holding member 50 attached to the pushing member 30 comes into contact with the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F. Subsequently, when the pushing member 30 is lowered, the holding member 50 is fixed to the support rod 51, so that the distance from the stay 52 fixed to the pushing member 30 is reduced. The urging force of the coil spring 53 works by the narrowing of the interval, and the pressing member 50 is pressed against the peripheral edge of the outer skin material F, and the outer skin material F is held on the shutter piece 20 of the second shutter 2. With the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material F held in this way, as shown in FIG. 8 (b), the pushing member 30 is further advanced into the opening of the second shutter 2 to dent the central portion of the outer skin material F. Thus, the outer skin material F is formed in a bowl shape. At this time, the outer skin material F is depressed to a position where it is supported by the support member 60, and the outer skin material can be formed in a hook shape in a predetermined shape.
[0021]
Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the valve 40 in the pushing member 30 is raised while the pushing member 30 is raised to open the discharge hole, whereby the inner material G is discharged to form a bowl shape. Arranged at the bottom of the skin material F. When a predetermined amount of the inner material G is discharged, the valve 40 is lowered to close the discharge hole. The inner material G extends in a region that substantially matches the opening of the second shutter 2. As described above, in the present embodiment, by adjusting the positions of the opening of the second shutter 2 and the support member 60, the width of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material necessary for sealing is secured by the holding means, and the amount of the inner material G is increased. Correspondingly, the outer skin material can be formed into a hook shape. Further, since the inner material G is supplied through the pushing member 30 at the same time as the pushing member 30 is raised, it is possible to prevent the outer skin material F made of bread dough from contracting as the pushing member 30 is raised. At the same time, it is possible to efficiently form the outer skin material and supply the inner material. Then, the pressing member 30 is raised, and the pressing member 50 is separated from the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material F as shown in FIG.
[0022]
Next, as shown in FIG. 11A, the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F located on the shutter piece of the second shutter 2 is operated by closing the first shutter 1 at a preset operation start timing. Collect (see FIG. 11B). Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the peripheral portion of the skin material F collected by the first shutter 1 is operated in the direction in which the second shutter 2 is closed at a preset operation start timing after the operation of the first shutter 1 is started. Try to gather more. At this time, since the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F can be gathered in the center along the inner material G, the inner material G is wrapped with the outer skin material F while releasing the air between the outer skin material F and the inner material G. be able to.
[0023]
Then, as shown in FIGS. 13 (a) and 14 (a), by operating the second shutter 2 in the direction of further closing, the peripheral portions of the collected outer skin material F are surely sealed and the outer skin material F is sealed. Thus, the molded product H enclosing the inner material G is obtained (see FIG. 13B and FIG. 14B). Thereafter, the support member 60 that supports the molded product H is lowered and the molded product H is placed on the belt, and the belt conveyor 63 is driven to convey the molded product H to the belt.
[0024]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, first, the first shutter 1 collects the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F (see symbol A in FIG. 12B), and then the lower second shutter 2 collects the portion ( Since the peripheral portion of the outer shell material F (see the reference symbol B in FIG. 12B) different from the reference symbol A in FIG. 12B is further collected and sealed, the shape of the outer shell material F varies. However, since the first shutter 1 gathers the peripheral edge of the outer skin material and seals it by the operation of the second shutter 2, the outer skin material is stretched to some extent by both shutters and the peripheral edge of the outer skin material is securely sealed. Can do.
[0025]
FIG. 15 shows the temporal movement of the opening / closing operation of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 and the vertical operation of the support member 60 shown in FIGS. The initial state is time t ₁ As shown on the left side, the first shutter 1 is in an open state, the second shutter 2 is in a closed state, and the support member 60 is disposed at a lower position. First, time t ₁ Then, the outer skin material F is detected, the first shutter 1 is moved in the closing direction, and the first shutter 1 is closed to the intermediate position to adjust the position of the outer skin material F and return to the original open state. The support member 60 moves upward to adjust the distance from the second shutter 2 to a predetermined distance. The second shutter 2 remains completely closed. Time t ₂ Then, when the first shutter 1 returns to the original open state, the second shutter 2 operates in the opening direction, and stops when the predetermined opening area is reached. ₃ To t ₄ In the meantime, the outer material F is pushed into the opening area of the second shutter 2 by the pushing means 3 and the inner material G is supplied. Time t ₄ The closing operation of the first shutter 1 is started, and the peripheral edge portions of the outer skin material F are gathered together at time t. ₅ At time t ₅ Starts to move in the direction in which the second shutter 2 is closed, seals the peripheral edge of the outer skin material F, and the time t ₆ It will be in a completely closed state. At this time, since the second shutter 2 is closed after the first shutter 1 is closed, the protrusion of the outer skin material F to the upper surface of the second shutter 2 that occurs during the sealing operation of the outer skin material F can be prevented. Support member 60 is time t ₅ The second shutter 2 is moved downward in accordance with the operation of the second shutter 2 to assist the sealing operation of the second shutter 2. That is, the outer shutter material F is adjusted so as not to be gathered by the second shutter 2 more than necessary. Time t ₆ After the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 are moved to the open state, the second shutter 2 is returned to the closed state at time t. ₇ The initial state is reached.
[0026]
The above is a series of operations for wrapping and molding the inner material G with the outer skin material F. In various cases, the operation timing of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 and the position of the support member 60 are adjusted. Can respond. For example, when the sealing of the outer skin material F is incomplete, it is necessary to increase the gathering of the outer skin material F. However, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. ₅ The operation start timing of the second shutter 2 at time t ′ ₅ It is possible to increase the gathering of the outer skin material F by making it faster. This is because when the second shutter 2 is operated during the operation of the first shutter 1, the second shutter 2 is further collected and sealed while the outer skin material F collected by the first shutter 1 does not return. Secure sealing is possible. That is, as the operation start timing of the second shutter 2 becomes earlier, the gathering of the outer skin material F can be increased. Conversely, when there is too much gathering of the skin material F, the time t ₅ By accelerating the downward movement start timing of the support member 60 in this case, the outer skin material F can be moved downward during the sealing operation of the second shutter 2 and the amount of the outer skin material F collected can be adjusted. Therefore, for example, when the outer skin material F is rich in extensibility, a sealing operation using only the second shutter 2 can be performed as shown in FIG. That is, after supplying the inner material from the pushing member 30 in FIG. 10 (FIG. 16A), the support member 60 is moved downward so that the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material F is located below the upper surface of the second shutter 2. After adjustment (FIG. 16 (b)), the first shutter 1 is closed (FIG. 16 (c)), the second shutter 2 is operated to seal the peripheral edge of the outer skin material F (FIG. 16 (d)). . In this case, since the second shutter 2 is closed while the first shutter 1 is closed, the first shutter 1 prevents the outer skin material F from protruding from the second shutter 2.
[0027]
Further, as shown in FIG. 17, when a thin plate 80 is sandwiched between the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 as a receiving member for receiving the outer skin material F, the outer skin material F is held by the holding member 50 and the thin plate 80. It can be held securely. The thin plate 80 is provided with an opening 81 as shown in the plan view of FIG. 17 (a), and the pushing member 30 is made to enter the opening 81 as in the above embodiment to form the outer skin material F in a bowl shape. It becomes possible to do. In addition, if a plurality of thin plates with different sizes of the opening 81 are provided, it is possible to easily cope with molded products of various sizes by changing the thin plate according to the size of the molded product. it can. Then, as described above, by adjusting the operation timing of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 and the position of the support member 60, the gathering and sealing operation of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F is optimized. Can be adjusted. In FIG. 17, the receiving member 80 is sandwiched between the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2, but may be disposed adjacent to the lower surface of the second shutter 2 as shown in FIG. 18. After the outer skin material F is arranged on the receiving member 80 and the inner material G is supplied from the push-in member 30 as shown in FIG. 10 (FIG. 18A), the first shutter 1 starts to operate and then the second shutter 2 Are operated to gather the peripheral edge portions of the outer skin material F on the receiving member 80 (FIG. 18B). The first shutter 1 is in a closed state, and the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material is further collected and sealed by the second shutter (FIGS. 18C and 18D). In FIG. 18, the sealing operation can be surely performed particularly when the outer skin material F and the inner material G are small and the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material F has no margin. Also in FIG. 18, if the distance between the second shutter 2 and the support member 60 is set narrow by adjusting the position of the support member 60, the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material F can be set sufficiently. In addition, by increasing the operation timing of the second shutter 2, it is possible to increase the amount of gathering of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F.
[0028]
Next, another embodiment in which the holding means is omitted in the above embodiment will be described. FIG. 19 shows the food forming process in order from FIG. 19 (a) to FIG. 19 (e) in the same manner as the food forming process of FIG. 6 to FIG. First, the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 are set to an open state so that the sheet-like outer skin material F does not fall, and the support member 60 is set to a predetermined position (FIG. 19A). The outer skin material F may be disposed with the first shutter 1 closed. Next, the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 are opened to such an extent that the pushing member 30 can be inserted, the support member 60 is moved upward, and then the pushing member 30 is inserted (FIG. 19B). When the pushing member 30 is inserted, the outer skin material F is formed in a bowl shape, and after the inner material G is supplied from the pushing member 30, the pushing member 30 is retracted upward (FIG. 19C). At this time, the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F is in contact with the openings of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2. Next, the first shutter 1 starts the closing operation and gathers the peripheral portions of the outer skin material F, and then the second shutter 2 starts the operation and further gathers the outer skin material F to perform the sealing operation (see FIG. 19 (d), (e)). Note that, as in the above-described embodiment, by controlling the operation start timings of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2, the amount of gathering of the outer skin material F can be adjusted. Moreover, the amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F necessary for sealing can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the support member 60. For example, FIG. 20 shows a case where the extensibility of the outer skin material F is good and the required amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F may be small. First, in FIG. 19C, the support member 60 is moved downward to widen the distance from the second shutter 2 so that the peripheral edge of the outer skin material F is in contact with only the opening of the second shutter 2. (FIG. 20A). If the first shutter 1 is closed and the second shutter 2 is closed in this state, the amount of gathering is reduced because only the second shutter 2 is gathered, and the second shutter 2 is closed while the first shutter 1 is closed. Further, it is possible to prevent the outer skin material F from protruding from the second shutter 2. As described above, in this embodiment, as in the above-described embodiment, a reliable sealing operation of the outer skin material is achieved by adjusting the operation start timing of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 and adjusting the position of the support member 60. In addition, since the holding means can be omitted, the mechanism can be simplified, and the time required for the molding process can be shortened accordingly.
[0029]
Further, in the embodiment described above, the outer skin material F is formed into a bowl shape by the pushing member 30, but it is also possible to form a bowl shape by providing suction means on the support member instead of the pushing member 30. 21 to 26 show the food molding process. As shown in FIG. 21, the stay 52 of the holding means 5 is fixed to the cylinder 54, and the holding means 5 moves up and down in accordance with the forward / backward movement of the cylinder 54. The support member 9 is composed of a tubular member 91 provided with a plurality of ventilation holes 90 at the tip, and the tubular member 91 is connected to an intake / exhaust device (not shown). The support member 9 sucks and holds the outer skin material F by sucking air from the vent hole 90 and releases the outer skin material F sucked and held by exhausting it from the vent hole 90. In FIG. 21, the first shutter 1 is set in an open state, the second shutter 2 is set in a closed state, and a skin material F in which an inner material G is arranged on the upper surface of the second shutter 2 is supplied. . In FIG. 22, after the second shutter 2 is opened, the holding means 5 is lowered to press the peripheral edge portion of the outer skin material F against the upper surface of the second shutter 2. The support member 9 moves upward and comes into contact with the lower surface of the outer skin material F, and sucks and holds the outer skin material F by sucking air from the air holes 90. In FIG. 23, the support member 9 descends in a state where the outer cover material F is adsorbed and held, whereby the outer cover material F is formed in a bowl shape. The downward movement distance of the support member 9 can be adjusted in order to optimize the required amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F as in the above-described embodiment. In FIG. 24, the holding means 5 rises and retreats, the first shutter 1 starts the closing operation, and gathers the peripheral edge portions of the outer skin material F. In FIG. 25, the first shutter 1 is closed and the second shutter 2 starts to operate, and the sealing operation is performed while gathering the peripheral edge of the outer skin material F together. In FIG. 26, the second shutter 2 is closed and the sealing operation is completed. However, since the first shutter is closed, the outer skin material F is prevented from protruding from the second shutter 2. The The operation timing of the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 is adjusted by adjusting the operation start timing of the second shutter 2 after the start of the operation of the first shutter 1 as in the above-described embodiment. The amount can be adjusted.
[0030]
In the above-described embodiment, the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F is sealed by operating the second shutter 2 until it is finally closed, but the peripheral portion of the outer skin material F is sealed by the second shutter 2. If it is sealed, it does not have to be finally closed. For example, the operation of the second shutter 2 may be terminated if the peripheral edge of the skin material F is sufficiently sealed in the state of FIG. Thus, if it does not become a state completely closed, the damage which the sealing part of an outer_layer | skin material receives will be reduced, and it will also contribute to shortening of manufacturing time.
[0031]
The food molding apparatus of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various design changes can be made within the scope of the claims.
[0032]
For example, in the above embodiment, four shutter pieces are used as the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2, but the number of shutter pieces is not particularly limited, and the first shutter and the second shutter are used. The number of shutter pieces may be different. As the shutter drive means, a drive mechanism that opens and closes by reciprocally swinging each shutter piece about the drive shaft is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, FIG. As shown in FIG. 28, each shutter piece 101 slides in the direction of the arrow and linearly moves to open and close, or as shown in FIG. 28, each shutter piece 102 responds to the rotational movement of the action pin 103 in the arrow direction. Various drive mechanisms such as a drive mechanism that opens and closes by swinging while moving linearly can be used. Different shutter mechanisms may be employed for the first shutter and the second shutter. Further, regarding the shape of each shutter piece, various shapes such as those having a straight side as shown in FIG. 27 or FIG. 28 can be adopted in addition to the above-described embodiment corresponding to such shutter driving means. it can.
[0033]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the 1st shutter 1 and the 2nd shutter 2 are arrange | positioned so that there may be no clearance gap, a certain amount of clearance is permitted if there is no problem in the sealing operation of the outer skin material. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the shape of each shutter piece is in a flat state when both the first shutter 1 and the second shutter 2 are closed, but is in a curved state if it is possible to collect the skin material. Various modifications can be made to such a configuration.
[0034]
In the above-described embodiment, control data for driving the first shutter, the second shutter, and the support means is input to the setting device, but the shape of the outer skin material conveyed to the food molding apparatus is changed to a video camera. By recognizing the image and generating control data from the recognized shape and automatically changing the setting data according to the shape, finer adjustments can be made automatically and sealing of the outer skin material is more It will surely be done.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the food molding apparatus according to the present invention, the opening areas of the first shutter and the second shutter can be appropriately set, and the interval between the second shutter and the support member is also appropriately set. Since it can be adjusted, it is possible to adapt to the size and characteristics of the skin material and the inner material flexibly. Furthermore, by controlling the operation start timing of the second shutter after the start of the operation of the first shutter, it is possible to reliably seal even if there is a variation in the periphery of the outer skin material to be sealed. For example, if the peripheral edge of the outer skin material to be sealed can secure a certain width, it can be gathered in advance by the first shutter and then sealed by the second shutter, but even if the width is small, the first shutter If the start of the operation of the second shutter after the start of the operation is accelerated, a large amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material can be gathered together, and sealing can be surely performed. Then, since the second shutter is closed after the first shutter is closed, it is possible to prevent the outer skin material from sticking out during sealing. Further, by adjusting the distance between the second shutter and the support member, it is possible to adjust the amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material necessary for sealing. For example, when the interval between the second shutter and the support member is increased, the outer skin material moves downward with respect to the second shutter, and the amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material sealed by the second shutter is reduced. However, if the interval is reduced, the amount of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material is set to be increased. That is, by adjusting the distance between the second shutter and the support member, the width of the peripheral portion of the outer skin material sealed by the second shutter can be adjusted to an optimum amount. In addition, the same adjustment is possible depending on the stretchability of the skin material. If the stretchability is low, the start timing of the second shutter can be advanced to secure the amount of gathering, and the stretchability is large. In order to reduce the amount of the cover material collected, the operation start timing of the second shutter is delayed or the interval between the second shutter and the support member is increased. As described above, since the operation timing of the first shutter and the second shutter and the interval between the second shutter and the support means can be finely adjusted according to the size and characteristics of the outer skin material and the inner material, The inner material can be reliably wrapped and molded by the material.
[0036]
Further, in the above-described prior art, it is necessary to carry out the steps from the formation of the ridge of the outer skin material by pressing to the sealing of the outer skin material while moving the cup. However, since the cup is not used in the present invention, the outer skin by pressing is used. It can be performed in one place from the formation of the ridge of the material to the sealing of the outer skin material, and further, the sealed molded product can be directly conveyed from the support member, and the manufacturing time can be greatly shortened and the space can be saved. be able to. Furthermore, by supplying the inner material at the time of pushing, the manufacturing time can be further shortened and the inner material can be reliably arranged. Also, if the support member is provided with suction means and the outer skin material is sucked in the opening area of the second shutter, the outer skin material can be stably formed in a hook shape without pressing the outer skin material, which is given to the outer skin material. Damage can be reduced.
[0037]
Furthermore, by providing a holding means for holding the edge of the outer skin material on the shutter piece of the second shutter, it is possible to form a stable bowl shape by holding the outer skin material securely when pushing or sucking the outer skin material. It becomes. Further, by providing the receiving member having an opening in the opening area of the second shutter, the outer skin material can be reliably held on the receiving member.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a food molding apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a first shutter and a second shutter of the apparatus.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a driving mechanism of a second shutter of the same device.
FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a drive mechanism of a first shutter of the same device.
FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating each control unit of the apparatus.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter for explaining a food forming process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are a shutter plan view and a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 8A and 8B are a shutter plan view and a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter for explaining a food forming process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 10A and 10B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter for explaining a food forming process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 11A and 11B are a shutter plan view and a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter for explaining a food forming process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 13A and 13B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter for explaining a food forming process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIGS. 14A and 14B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter for explaining a food forming process by the apparatus. FIGS.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing temporal movements of a first shutter, a second shutter, and a support member.
FIG. 16 is a schematic side view for explaining another food molding process by the food molding apparatus according to the present invention.
FIGS. 17A and 17B are a plan view and a schematic side view of a shutter of a food molding apparatus provided with a receiving member. FIGS.
FIG. 18 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by a food molding apparatus including a receiving member.
FIG. 19 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the food molding apparatus in which the holding means is omitted.
FIG. 20 is a schematic side view for explaining another food molding step by the apparatus.
FIG. 21 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by a food molding apparatus provided with suction means.
FIG. 22 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus.
FIG. 23 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus.
FIG. 24 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus.
FIG. 25 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus.
FIG. 26 is a schematic side view for explaining a food molding process by the apparatus.
FIG. 27 is a schematic plan view showing a modified example related to the shutter.
FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view showing another modified example related to the shutter.
[Explanation of symbols]
F skin material
G Inside material
H Molded product
1 First shutter
10 Shutter piece of the first shutter
11 Drive shaft
12 Flange
13 links
14 Motor
15 Motor controller
16 detector
2 Second shutter
20 Second shutter part
21 Driven hollow shaft
22 Flange
23 links
24 motor
25 Motor controller
26 Detector
3 Skin material forming means
30 Push-in member
31 stay
32 Lead screw mechanism
33 Motor
40 valves
41 Rod
42 Air cylinder
43 Supply pipe
44 Pump
45 Hopper
5 Holding means
50 Presser member
51 Support rod
52 stays
53 Coil spring
6 Support means
60 Support member
61 Support rod
62 Rack-pinion mechanism
63 Belt
64 motor
65 Motor controller
66 Detector
70 Setting device
71 Detector
72 sensors
80 Thin plate (receiving member)
9 Support members
90 Vent
91 Tubular members
101 Modified shutter piece
102 Modified shutter piece
103 Modified working pin
111 Modified first shutter
112 Modified second shutter
113 Modified first shutter
114 Modified second shutter

Claims (6)

A first shutter comprising a plurality of shutter pieces;
A second shutter disposed below the first shutter and comprising a plurality of shutter pieces;
A support member that is disposed below the second shutter and supports an outer skin material on which an inner material is disposed;
A support interval adjusting means for adjusting an interval between the second shutter and the support member;
First shutter control means for closing the first shutter in a state where the support member supports the outer skin material in which the inner material is disposed;
Second shutter control means for controlling the operation start timing of the second shutter after starting the closing operation of the first shutter and operating the second shutter so as to seal the peripheral edge of the outer skin material;
A food molding apparatus comprising: 2. The food molding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pushing means for pushing the outer skin material into an opening area of the second shutter. The food molding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pushing means includes an inner material supply means for supplying the inner material. The food molding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support member includes suction means for sucking the outer skin material through an opening region of the second shutter. The food molding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising holding means for holding an edge of the outer skin material on a shutter piece of the second shutter. 5. The receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising: a receiving member having an opening in an opening region of the second shutter, and holding means for holding an edge portion of the outer skin material on the receiving member. Food molding equipment.

Images