JP6579620B2 - Food supply device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a food supply device, for example, a structure of a shutter that supplies and stops supply of food to a food container.

  A food material metering device is known as an example of a food material supply device that supplies cooked rice to a food material container such as a lunch box or rice cake in order to make a bento or bowl. The food material metering device is a device that automatically supplies a certain amount of cooked rice to the food container by measuring the cooked rice contained in the hopper constituting the device.

  In a food supply device such as this food metering device, the rice stored in the hopper is unwound by a supply screw and conveyed to a supply roller, and the rice is dropped as it is unwound by the unwinding supply roller and dropped. By being made to supply, it supplies in the foodstuff container arrange | positioned below. In addition, about the foodstuff metering apparatus, patent document 1 has an indication, for example.

JP 2004-196382 A

  Incidentally, a shutter unit (opening / closing means) is installed between the supply roller and the food container in the food supply apparatus, and supplies and stops supply of the food to the food container. The shutter unit is attached to the inside of the food supply device, and when the shutter unit is removed, the shutter unit is removed with the pair of shutters open.

  However, since the shutter unit is attached to the inside of the food supply device, when the shutter unit is attached or detached, the upper lid of the food supply device must be opened and the hopper and the food supply unit must be removed. It becomes a troublesome work that takes time. In addition, there is a possibility that food will be supplied into the hopper when the shutter unit is forgotten to be installed. In that case, the food must be removed before the hopper and food supply unit are removed and the shutter unit must be installed. Becomes more troublesome.

  When removing the shutter unit, the pair of shutters are automatically opened on the food supply device side when the upper portion of the food supply device is opened. Since the setting of the shutter on the food supply device side remains closed, the shutter unit cannot be removed. In this case, the upper part of the food supply device is closed and the power is turned on again. The pair of shutters must be automatically opened on the food supply device side, and then the shutter unit must be removed. become.

  The present invention has been made from the above technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the workability of attaching and detaching the opening / closing means constituting the food supply device.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the food supply device according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided in the apparatus main body, and is provided in the food storage unit for storing the input food, and in the food storage unit. A first supply means for supplying the food charged in the portion to the unwinding position in the food storage portion, and supplying the unsealed food provided at the unwinding position so as to unwind A food container that is provided in a detachable manner from the outside of the main body of the second supply means, opens and closes the dropping path of the food supplied from the second supply means, and is arranged in the direction in which the food is dropped Opening / closing means for supplying and stopping the supply of food to the housing, and the opening / closing means is provided in a rotatable state on the housing portion and the housing portion, and mechanically with the drive portion of the opening / closing means A pair of rotating shafts connected to the front A pair of shutters pivotally supported by each of the pair of rotating shafts in a state where the food dropping path can be opened and closed, and provided at the other end of the opening / closing end across the rotating shaft in each of the pair of shutters, A weight member that urges the pair of shutters to be always closed by rotating each of the pair of shutters in the closing direction around the rotation axis when the opening / closing means is removed; It is characterized by.

  The food supply device of the present invention according to claim 2 is the food supply device according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing means is provided in the casing portion so as to sandwich a part of the outer periphery of the device main body. A pair of holding plates is provided, and the opening / closing means can be attached to and detached from the device main body by fitting a part of each of the pair of holding plates and a part of the outer periphery of the device main body by the elastic force of the holding plates. It has a fastening structure that is fixed in a state.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the opening / closing means can be attached / detached from the outside of the food supply apparatus, and the opening / closing means can be attached to the food supply apparatus with the opening / closing means always closed. It becomes possible to improve workability of attaching / detaching the opening / closing means.

  According to invention of Claim 2, since the said opening / closing means can be attached or detached easily, it becomes possible to further improve the workability of attachment / detachment of the opening / closing means which comprises a foodstuff supply apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a food material metering device as an example of a food material supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the food material metering device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a hopper, a supply screw, and a disassembling supply roller, which are components of the food material metering apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a shutter unit that is a constituent element of the food material metering apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cutaway perspective view of the shutter unit of FIG. 4 when viewed from the front side when the shutter is open. It is the fracture | rupture perspective view which looked at the state at the time of shutter closing of the shutter unit of FIG. 4 from the front side. It is a perspective view of the humidifier unit which is a component of the foodstuff metering apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view of the foodstuff measurement part which is a component of the foodstuff measuring and arranging apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the food material metering apparatus with the shutter unit removed in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the food material weighing and depositing apparatus when the shutter unit is attached and detached in FIG. 1. It is the principal part perspective view which fractured | ruptured the upper part at the time of mounting | wearing with the shutter unit which is a component of the foodstuff weighing | stacking apparatus of FIG. 1, and was seen from upper direction. It is the principal part perspective view which fractured | ruptured the upper part at the time of detachment | leave of the shutter unit which is a component of the foodstuffs weighing and arranging apparatus of FIG. 1, and was seen from upper direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the shutter unit which is a component of the foodstuff metering apparatus of FIG. 1 from the back upper side. It is the principal part front view which looked at the foodstuff weighing | positioning apparatus of the state which removed the shutter unit in FIG. 1 from the front side. It is explanatory drawing explaining the effect | action of the balance weight of the shutter unit which is a component of the foodstuffs weighing and arranging apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing in operation | movement of the foodstuff metering apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the flow of the vapor | steam from the humidifier unit in the foodstuff metering apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the vapor | steam from the humidification part in the foodstuff metering apparatus of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

  First, a configuration of a food material metering apparatus that is an example of a food material supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a food metering apparatus as an example of a food supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the food metering apparatus in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a shutter unit that is a component of the food metering apparatus in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shutter unit that is a component of the food metering apparatus in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cutaway perspective view of the shutter unit when the shutter is opened from the front side, FIG. 6 is a cutaway perspective view of the shutter unit when the shutter of FIG. 4 is closed from the front side, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a food metering unit which is a component of the food metering apparatus in FIG. 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the food metering apparatus 1 includes a food supply unit A and a food metering unit B.

  The food supply unit A includes a front plate 10, a back plate 11 located on the back of the front plate 10, and a side plate 12 located on both sides of the front plate 10 and the back plate 11, and an upper portion having an opening 13. It is formed in the shape of.

  A lid 14 connected via a hinge (not shown) is provided at the upper end of the back plate 11, and the opening 13 is opened and closed by the lid 14. Further, the front panel 10 is provided with a display unit 15 and operation buttons 16. The display unit 15 is a screen that displays operation commands, messages, and the like, and includes, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The operation button 16 is a button for performing an operation setting of the food material metering apparatus 1.

  Further, a recess 17 having a predetermined depth and height is formed below the front plate 10. The concave portion 17 has a sufficient space to accommodate a food container for serving cooked rice (an example of food), and the rice is dropped from above and supplied to the food container.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the food supply unit A includes a hopper (food storage unit) 22, two supply screws (first supply means) 23, 23, and an unwinding supply roller ( (Second supply means) 24, a shutter unit (opening / closing means) 25, and a humidifier unit 30 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the hopper 22 is a cooked rice storage portion in which cooked rice is introduced and stored. A lower hopper 22b.

  The upper hopper 22a is formed with a tapered wall 22a-1 that gradually narrows downward from above, whereby the upper end becomes a wide opening and the lower end becomes a narrow opening. . A flange 22a-2 bent outward is formed in the opening at the upper end of the upper hopper 22a. The opening at the lower end of the upper hopper 22a is formed to a size that exposes only the supply screws 23 and 23 accommodated in the substantially semicircular accommodating grooves 22b-1 and 22b-1 of the lower hopper 22b and covers other portions. Has been.

  The lower hopper 22b is formed with the above-described substantially semicircular accommodation grooves 22b-1 and 22b-1 and opened upward. In addition, a roller support portion 22b-2 that opens downward and supports the supply roller 24 rotatably is formed at the front portion of the lower hopper 22b so as to communicate with the receiving grooves 22b-1 and 22b-1. Has been. Note that the hopper 22 is provided with a heat retaining heater (not shown) for maintaining the cooked rice in the hopper 22 at a predetermined temperature.

  The supply screws 23, 23 are screws that supply the cooked rice put into the hopper 22 toward the supply roller 24 by the rotational operation of the two supply screws 23, 23, and are mutually attached to the bottom side of the hopper 22. Are arranged in parallel.

  The unwinding supply roller 24 is a drum-type roller that is supplied to the lower shutter unit 25 while breaking the cooked rice supplied by the supply screws 23, 23. They are arranged in a state of being in a positional relationship orthogonal to the rotation axis. A large number of claw portions 24a are provided on the outer periphery of the unwinding supply roller 24 to break up the cooked rice.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a shutter unit 25 is installed below the unrolling supply roller 24 on the front surface of the food material weighing and arranging apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of shutters 25 </ b> S and 25 </ b> S are attached to a shutter guide 25 </ b> G that configures the casing of the shutter unit 25 in a state that can be opened and closed downward.

  The pair of shutters 25S and 25S is located on the dropping path of the cooked rice dropped and supplied from the above-described unrolling supply roller 24, and opens and closes the dropping path of the cooked rice. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the pair of shutters 25S and 25S is opened when the cooked rice is supplied to the food container, and the pair of shutters 25S and 25S is opened when the supply of the cooked rice is stopped as shown in FIG. By closing, the operation of supplying and stopping the supply of cooked rice to the food container is performed. As shown in FIG. 2, an opening / closing drive unit 25D for opening / closing the pair of shutters 25S of the shutter unit 25 is disposed behind the shutter guide 25G.

  A plurality of slits 25 </ b> L extending in the vertical direction are opened on the back surface inside the shutter guide 25 </ b> G, and a plurality of the slits 25 </ b> L are formed side by side along the axial direction of the supply roller 24. Steam generated in the humidifier unit 30 is ejected from the slit 25L. As described above, since the shutter 25S is located on the dropping path of the cooked rice dropped by the supply roller 24, the steam ejected from the slit 25L of the shutter guide 25G is opposed to the release roller 24. The disintegrated surface F (see FIG. 18) of the cooked rice R at the position and the cooked rice in the hopper 22 are humidified. In the present embodiment, the slit 25L is formed in the shutter guide 25G, and this is used as the first jet outlet from which the steam generated in the humidifier unit 30 is jetted. As long as the cracked surface F of the cooked rice can be humidified, the formation location of the first spout is not particularly limited. Such a shutter unit 25 will be described in detail later.

  Below the shutter unit 25, the humidifier unit 30 is installed in a state where it can be attached to and detached from the front surface of the food measuring and weighing apparatus 1. The humidifier unit 30 is a device that humidifies the inside of the food supply unit A, and includes a humidifier body 31, a water supply tank 32, and a humidifying nozzle 33, as shown in FIGS.

  The humidifier body 31 is a device that generates steam by heating the water supplied from the water supply tank 32 by the heater 31h. The heater 31h of the humidifier body 31 is electrically connected to the power supply circuit of the food metering device 1. In the present embodiment, the humidifier unit 30 is a steam type in which water is heated by the heater 31h to generate steam. However, the humidifier unit 30 is not necessarily a steam type, and is a vaporization type or a water spray type. May be.

  The water supply tank 32 is a container for storing water and supplying it to the humidifier body 31, and is installed on the upper surface of the humidifier body 31 in a detachable state. The water supply tank 32 includes a resin tank body that stores water, and a resin tank cap that is detachably attached to the water supply port. The tank cap includes a water supply mechanism that supplies a predetermined amount of water in the tank body to the humidifier body 31 side.

  The humidifying nozzle 33 is a resin guide member that guides the steam generated by heating the water by the humidifier body 31 to the slit 25L (see FIG. 4), and is detachable from the upper surface of the humidifier body 31. It is installed at. In the present embodiment, since the humidifier unit 30 is disposed below the shutter unit 25, the humidifying nozzle 33 for guiding the vapor of the humidifier unit 30 to the slit 25L is provided. The humidifying nozzle 33 may not be provided by a structure in which a steam guide path is formed by the inner wall surface.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 8, the food measuring unit B of the food measuring and dispensing apparatus 1 is located directly below the shutter unit 25 in the food supply unit A and is used for food such as a bowl or a lunch box. A mounting table 40 on which the container is mounted and a load cell (food measuring unit) 41 that measures the amount of cooked rice supplied to the food container mounted on the mounting table 40 are provided.

  A part of the load cell 41 is housed in a load cell cover 42 and protected. Here, the load cell 41 is a load transducer that uses, for example, a strain gauge as a detection element and converts strain due to a load into an electrical signal. When the cooked rice is put into a food container, the weight of the cooked rice is measured. It has become so. When the measured value by the load cell 41 reaches the target measured value, the rotation operations of the supply screws 23 and 23 and the unwinding supply roller 24 are stopped, and then the pair of shutters 25S and 25S of the shutter unit 25 are closed.

  Next, the shutter unit 25 described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 and FIGS. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the main part of the food material weighing and setting apparatus with the shutter unit removed in FIG. 1, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main part of the food material weighing and setting apparatus when the shutter unit is attached and detached in FIG. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an essential part as viewed from above with the upper part when the shutter unit, which is a constituent element of the food weighing and arranging apparatus in FIG. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an essential part as viewed from above, with the upper part broken away from the unit and viewed from above. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the shutter unit, which is a component of the food metering apparatus in FIG. FIG. 15 is a front view of the main part of the food weighing and dispensing apparatus with the shutter unit removed in FIG. 1, and FIG. 15 shows the action of the balance weight of the shutter unit that is a component of the food weighing and loading apparatus of FIG. Explanation to explain It is.

  In this Embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the shutter unit 25 is installed in the state which can be attached or detached from the outer side of the foodstuff weighing | weighing apparatus 1. FIG.

  In the food supply device examined by the inventor, the shutter unit is mounted inside the food supply device. Therefore, when the shutter unit is attached or detached, the hopper and the food supply unit (supply screw 23) are opened by opening the upper lid of the food supply device. In addition, it is necessary to remove the supply roller 24), which is troublesome and time consuming. In addition, there is a possibility that food will be supplied into the hopper when the shutter unit is forgotten to be installed. In that case, the food must be removed before the hopper and food supply unit are removed and the shutter unit must be installed. Becomes more troublesome. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, when the shutter unit 25 is attached / detached, the hopper 22 and the food supply unit (the supply screw 23 and the unwinding supply roller 24) are not attached / detached, and The shutter unit 25 can be attached and detached from the outside. Moreover, the rice is not supplied into the hopper 22 in a state where the shutter unit 25 is forgotten to be attached. Therefore, workability of attaching / detaching the shutter unit 25 can be improved.

  In addition, in the food supply device examined by the inventor, the pair of shutters of the shutter unit are stopped when the operation ends, but in the case where the shutter unit is installed inside the food supply device, a pair of When the shutter is closed, the shutter unit cannot be taken out because of the shape of the connecting portion between the shutter rotation shaft and the food supply device drive shaft. Therefore, when the upper part of the food supply device is opened, the pair of shutters is set to be in an open state on the food supply device side. However, if the power is turned off before the upper portion of the food supply device is opened, the shutter setting on the food supply device side remains closed, and the shutter unit cannot be removed. In this case, the upper part of the food supply device is closed and the power is turned on, and after the pair of shutters are electrically opened on the food supply device side, the shutter unit must be removed, which makes it difficult to attach and remove the shutter unit. . On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the shutter unit 25 can be removed from the outside of the food material weighing and setting apparatus 1, the rotation shaft 25X of the shutter 25S (see FIG. 12 and the like) and the drive shaft of the food material weighing and setting apparatus 1 The shutter unit 25 can be removed regardless of the shape of the connecting portion (the fitting portion between the convex portion 25X-1 and the concave portion 20-1) to 20 (see FIG. 12 and the like). For this reason, it is not necessary to electrically set the pair of shutters 25S and 25S to the open state on the food measuring and weighing apparatus 1 side in order to remove the shutter unit 25. That is, the shutter unit 25 can be attached and detached even when the food metering apparatus 1 is turned off. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the above-described problems during the removal work of the shutter unit 25, so that the workability of attaching and detaching the shutter unit 25 can be further improved.

  In addition, a pair of tensions projecting in a direction away from the shutter 25S on both sides in the width direction (adjacent direction of the shutter 25S) in the upper part of the shutter unit 25 as shown in FIGS. Outlet portions 25P and 25P are formed. When the shutter unit 25 is mounted, a pair of overhang portions 25P, 25P are formed on the front outer peripheral portion in the concave portion 17 of the food weighing device 1 shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 14, etc. 18 and 18 are fixed in a stable state by being supported.

  Further, the shutter unit 25 is fixed in a detachable manner to the food measuring and weighing apparatus 1 by a snap fit structure (fastening structure). That is, the shutter unit 25 includes a pair of holding plates 25H and 25H as shown in FIGS. 4, 11, 12, and 13 and the like. The pair of holding plates 25H, 25H are provided so as to sandwich the front outer peripheral portion in the concave portion 17 of the food material weighing and arranging apparatus 1. A convex portion 25H-1 projecting toward the shutter 25S is formed on the inner side of the tip of the pair of holding plates 25H, 25H. On the other hand, a pair of concave portions 19 and 19 into which the convex portions 25H-1 and 25H-1 of the pair of holding plates 25H and 25H in the shutter unit 25 are fitted are provided on the outer peripheral portion of the front surface in the concave portion 17 of the food weighing and arranging apparatus 1. Is formed. Then, the shutter unit 25 uses the elastic force of the pair of holding plates 25H and 25H to convert the convex portions 25H-1 and 25H-1 inside the front ends of the holding plates 25H and 25H to the outer peripheral portions of the front surface of the food metering device 1. By being fitted into the recesses 19, 19, it is fixed in a state where it can be attached to and detached from the food material weighing and mounting apparatus 1. For this reason, when removing the shutter unit 25, the shutter unit 25 may be pulled lightly while opening the holding plate 25H of the shutter unit 25 outward, and when the shutter unit 25 is attached, the shutter unit 25 is held. What is necessary is just to lightly push the shutter unit 25 to the opposite side. Therefore, the shutter unit 25 can be easily attached / detached as compared with the case where the shutter unit is fixed with screws, so that the workability of attaching / detaching the shutter unit 25 can be further improved. A recess may be provided on the inner side of the front end of the holding plate 25H of the shutter unit 25, and a convex portion that is fitted into the recess of the holding plate 25H may be provided on the outer peripheral portion of the front surface of the food metering apparatus 1.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the pair of shutters 25S and 25S of the shutter unit 25 are pivotally supported by the pair of rotating shafts 25X and 25X of the shutter unit 25 in a state where the food dropping path can be opened and closed. ing. The pair of rotation shafts 25X and 25X is provided in a rotatable state on the shutter guide 25G of the shutter unit 25. As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, a connecting convex portion 25 </ b> X- 1 is provided on one end surface of the pair of rotating shafts 25 </ b> X and 25 </ b> X (a surface facing the food metering device 1). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 11, FIG. 12, FIG. 14 and the like, the food metering apparatus 1 is provided with a pair of drive shafts 20 and 20 in a rotatable state. The pair of drive shafts 20 and 20 are mechanically connected to an opening / closing drive unit 25D for opening and closing the pair of shutters 25S and 25S, and the rotation operation thereof is controlled. A concave portion 20-1 for connection is provided on one end surface of the pair of drive shafts 20 and 20 (a surface facing the rotation shaft 25X of the shutter unit 25). When the shutter unit 25 is attached, the convex portions 25X-1 and 25X-1 of the pair of rotating shafts 25X and 25X of the shutter unit 25 are the concave portions 20-1 of the pair of drive shafts 20 and 20 of the food metering apparatus 1. , 20-1 are mechanically connected to the rotary shafts 25X and 25X and the drive shaft 20.20, and the operation of the opening / closing drive unit 25D is transmitted from the drive shafts 20 and 20 to the rotary shafts 25X and 25X. Is possible.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, 15, and the like, the shutter unit 25 has a pair of shutters 25 </ b> S and 25 </ b> S, each of which has a shutter on the other end (outward end) side of the opening / closing end with the rotation shaft 25 </ b> X interposed therebetween. Wings 25S-1 and 25S-1 extending in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the opening and closing portions of 25S and 25S are integrally formed. And balance weight (weight member) 25W, 25W is supported by the front-end | tip part of each of these wing | blade part 25S-1, 25S-1. Each of the balance weights 25W and 25W is made of, for example, metal and is set so that the weights of the balance weights are equal. By providing the pair of balance weights 25W and 25W to the shutter unit 25 as described above, when the shutter unit 25 is removed from the food material weighing and mounting apparatus 1, a pair of shutters 25S and 25S is provided as shown in FIG. Are rotated in the closing direction around the rotation shafts 25X and 25X by the weight of the balance weights 25W and 25W, so that the pair of shutters 25S and 25S are always closed as shown in FIG. It has become. As a result, the shutter unit 25 can be attached to the food measuring and weighing apparatus 1 with the pair of shutters 25S and 25S closed.

  As described above, in the food material metering apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the pair of shutters 25S and 25S of the shutter unit 25 can be removed while being closed, but the food material weighing device 1 has a balance weight. When a shutter unit without 25 W is attached, the operator is at a loss as to whether or not the pair of shutters of the shutter unit should be opened and attached. When the pair of shutters of the shutter unit to be attached is in an open state, the pair of shutters are closed by hand, and then the shutter unit is held by hand in an unstable state and attached to the food material metering apparatus 1. As a result, the mounting operation of the shutter unit becomes complicated. In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the shutter unit 25 is provided with the balance weight 25W, the pair of shutters 25S and 25S are automatically closed when the shutter unit 25 is removed. The operator does not hesitate to open and close the pair of shutters 25S, 25S, and grips the shutter unit 25 with the food metering in a state where the closed ends (the center in the width direction of the shutter unit 25) of the pair of shutters 25S, 25S are picked up with fingers. What is necessary is just to attach to the apparatus 1. For this reason, since the shutter unit 25 can be easily and stably attached to the food weighing and setting apparatus 1, the workability of attaching the shutter unit 25 can be improved. Moreover, since the shutter unit 25 can be attached to the food metering device 1 with the pair of shutters 25S, 25S being closed, the food material is put into the hopper 22 of the food material metering device 1 even before the food material is fed. The heat insulation state inside the weighing and placing apparatus 1 can be kept good.

  Next, operation | movement of the foodstuffs weighing and arranging apparatus 1 of this Embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the food metering apparatus in FIG. 1 during operation, FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of steam from the humidifier unit in the food metering apparatus in FIG. 1, and FIG. 18 is a food material in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the vapor | steam from the humidifier unit in a metering apparatus.

  First, in FIG. 2, the power is turned on with a power switch (not shown), the lid 14 of the food supply unit A is opened, and the cooked rice as the food is put into the hopper 22, and then the lid 14 is closed. Here, at the same time when the power is turned on, the heat retaining heater provided in the hopper 22 starts to operate, and the cooked rice in the hopper 22 is maintained at a predetermined temperature. At the same time as the power is turned on, the heater of the humidifier unit 30 starts to operate, steam is generated, and ejection is started from the slit 25L.

  In addition, although the case where the heater of the humidifier unit 30 operates at the same time when the power is turned on has been described in the ingredient weighing and arranging apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as another method, for example, A humidification switch (not shown) for performing the humidification may be provided independently, and the execution of the humidification may be operated by turning it on and off. As a result, it is possible to set whether or not to perform the humidification of the cooked rice. Therefore, when the power is turned on, the humidification switch is turned off and the humidification is not performed, and the desired timing (for example, the cooked rice in the hopper 22 is set). It can also be said that humidification is performed by turning it on when the decrease rate becomes slow.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the food container S is placed on the placing table 40 of the food measuring unit B, and the operation button 16 for a desired target measured value is pressed. When the target measurement value is set by the operation button 16, the rotation of the supply screws 23 and 23 and the unwinding supply roller 24 and the shutter unit are performed while the load R 41 measures the cooked rice R supplied to the food container S. 25 opening and closing operations are controlled.

  That is, the supply screws 23, 23 start rotating, and the cooked rice filled in the hopper 22 (more specifically, the lower hopper 22b of the hopper 22) gradually moves forward along the receiving grooves 22b-1, 22b-1. It is transferred to (unlocking position) and sent to the unwinding supply roller 24 which has started to rotate.

  Since the unwinding supply roller 24 rotates in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 16, the cooked rice sent from the supply screws 23, 23 is lowered so that it is broken down by the rotation of the unwinding supply roller 24. It will be dropped. As shown in FIG. 3, since many claw portions 24 a are provided on the outer periphery of the unwinding supply roller 24, the cooked rice R is unraveled and unraveled and is located below the supply roller 24. The unit 25 is charged.

  While the supply screws 23 and 23 and the unwinding supply roller 24 are rotating and the cooked rice R is being put into the shutter unit 25, the pair of shutters 25S are in the open position, and the cooked rice supplied by the unwinding supply roller 24 is provided. R passes through the shutter unit 25 and is dropped and supplied into the food container S mounted on the mounting table 40. The weight of the cooked rice R supplied to the food container S is sequentially measured by the load cell 41. Since the slit 25L formed in the shutter guide 25G extends in the vertical direction, the cooked rice R falls along the slit 25L, and the slit 25L is not easily clogged with the cooked rice R.

  Thus, the rice R for the target measured value is supplied into the food container S, and when the weight is detected by the load cell 41, the rotation of the supply screws 23, 23 and the supply roller 24 stops and the shutter unit for the rice R is stopped. 25 is stopped. At the same time, the pair of shutters 25S is in the closed position.

  After the desired weight of cooked rice R is placed in the food container S as described above, the food container S is removed from the mounting table 40. Then, the next food container S is placed on the placing table 40, and the operation button 16 for a desired target measurement value is pressed. As a result, the above-described operation is executed again, and the desired weight of cooked rice R is placed in the food container S. Thereafter, the same operation can be repeated.

  In the food metering apparatus 1, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the steam T generated in the humidifier unit 30 is ejected from the slit 25 </ b> L of the shutter guide 25 </ b> G through the humidifying nozzle 33, and The break-up surface F of the cooked rice R located above can be humidified. For this reason, even if there is time before the supply of cooked rice R to the next food container S, the cooked rice R on the break-up surface F will not drop in temperature and dry. Accordingly, there is no waste of discarding the rice R on the break-up surface F that has been dried.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the embodiment disclosed in this specification is an example in all respects and is limited to the disclosed technology. It is not a thing. That is, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed restrictively based on the description in the above-described embodiment, but should be construed according to the description of the scope of claims. All modifications are included without departing from the technical scope equivalent to the described technique and the gist of the claims.

  For example, in the food weighing and allocating apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, a so-called bottom weighing structure in which the load cell 41 for weighing the cooked rice R is provided on the mounting table 40 of the food container S is employed. A so-called upper weighing structure in which the load cell 41 is provided in the shutter unit 25 may be used.

  Moreover, in embodiment mentioned above, although the foodstuff metering apparatus 1 is applied as an example of a foodstuff supply apparatus, it is not limited to this, For example, foodstuffs, such as cooked rice R, are used for the foodstuff container S. Any device that can be supplied is sufficient, and the load cell 41 that is a measuring mechanism is not necessary.

  In the above description, cooked rice is applied as an example of food, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, various foods such as chopped vegetables can be applied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Food-measuring / assembling apparatus 10 Front plate 11 Back plate 12 Side plate 13 Opening 14 Lid 15 Display unit 16 Operation button 17 Recess 18 Support unit 19 Recess 20 Drive shaft 20-1 Recess 22 -2 Flange 22b Lower hopper 22b-1 Receiving groove 22b-2 Roller support portion 23 Supply screw 24 Unlock supply roller 24a Claw portion 25 Shutter unit 25G Shutter guide 25L Slit 25P Overhang portion 25H Holding plate 25H-1 Protrusion portion 25S Shutter 25S-1 Wings 25W Balance weight 25X Rotating shaft 25X-1 Convex part 25D Opening / closing drive part 30 Humidifier unit 31 Humidifier body 31h Heater 32 Water supply tank 33 Humidification nozzle 40 Mounting table 41 Load cell 42 Load cell cover A Food supply part B Foodstuff Weighing unit

Claims (2)

A food storage part that is provided in the apparatus main body and stores the input food;
A first supply means that is provided in the food storage unit and supplies the food charged in the food storage unit to the unraveled position in the food storage unit;
A second supply means that is provided at the unwinding position and supplies the food material that is supplied to the unraveling position while being unwound.
Supplying and stopping supply of food to a food container provided in a removable state from the outside of the apparatus main body, opening and closing the dropping path of the food supplied from the second supply means, and arranged in the food dropping direction Opening and closing means for performing,
With
The opening / closing means includes
A housing part;
A pair of rotating shafts provided in a rotatable state in the housing unit and mechanically connected to the driving unit of the opening and closing means;
A pair of shutters pivotally supported by each of the pair of rotating shafts in a state where the food dropping path can be opened and closed;
Each of the pair of shutters is provided on the other end side of the opening / closing end with the rotation shaft interposed therebetween, and when the opening / closing means is removed, each of the pair of shutters rotates in the closing direction around the rotation shaft. A weight member that urges the pair of shutters to be always closed;
A food supply device comprising:   The opening / closing means includes a pair of holding plates provided in the housing portion so as to sandwich a part of the outer periphery of the apparatus main body, and with the elastic force of the holding plates, a part of each of the pair of holding plates The food supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a fastening structure for fixing the opening / closing means to the device main body in a detachable state by fitting a part of the outer periphery of the device main body.

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