JPS6143981B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention mechanically continuously and automatically molds food products, particularly foods that are molded using boiled rice as a main ingredient, such as nigiri sushi and rice balls, which in principle are molded by hand. This invention relates to a compression transfer mechanism for raw materials in an apparatus.

As this type of transfer mechanism, the present inventor had already proposed the one described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-38175, but this mechanism was unable to compress the highly viscous cooked rice due to insufficient or over-compression. It has drawbacks such as not passing through the passage smoothly and resulting in an overly tight and hard molded finish. In general, it is said that the best way to hold nigiri sushi is to tightly tighten the sushi around the outside and moderately tighten the inside.For this reason, when hand-held sushi is used, the rice must be tightened and loosened in the palm of the hand as appropriate. It is something. On this point, compression in conventional automatic molding machines is seen to be done by a vibration method or by left and right belts, but since the compression force is only gradually strengthened, there are times when the overall compression is insufficient, and other times when the overall compression is insufficient. However, it was impossible to obtain a finish as good as the manual method described above.

The present invention was provided in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and its purpose is to provide a device for compressing and transferring the food material to be supplied and dispensing it into a mold in predetermined amounts. In the compression transfer mechanism of a food molding machine, food materials are compressed and loosened alternately by arranging a plurality of left and right rotating rollers facing each other in two rows in the vertical direction so that the facing distance becomes narrower from the top. This is achieved by a compression transfer mechanism in the food molding machine which is provided for downward transfer.

Next, the present invention will be described according to the embodiments shown in the drawings.
This will be explained in more detail.

FIG. 1 shows a sushi molding machine 1 using a compression transfer mechanism according to the present invention. 2 is a hopper for inputting raw materials; 21 is a discharge end plate of the lower plate 21 of the hopper 2; 23 is a material stirring/feeding rod rotatably disposed within the hopper 2; 31 to 38 are the discharge end plates 2;
A plurality of left and right rotating rollers are disposed facing each other in two rows in the vertical direction below the rotating rollers 31 and 35, 32 and 36, 33 and 37, and
8 are opposed to each other in pairs, and are rotated in the direction of the arrow. The facing distances L ₁ , L ₂ , L ₃ , and L ₄ of each pair of rotating rollers are formed so as to become narrower from the top. In addition, this opposing distance L ₁ ~
_L4 may be fixed, but the rotation shaft of the rotating roller may be movable left and right so that the interval can be adjusted.

Thus, the material passage is formed in a substantially tapered shape from the top to the bottom.

It is preferable that the rotating rollers 31 to 38 have irregularities on their circumferential surfaces in order to reliably transport the shards.

The unevenness may be formed by a plurality of knurled grooves, a plurality of protrusions, a plurality of protrusions, etc. Also, the unevenness may be provided on all the rotating rollers 31 to 38, or on some of the rotating rollers. For example, it may be provided only on the rotary rollers 32 and 36 where the material path is suddenly narrowed.

4 is a scissor-shaped cutter disposed at the lower end of the material passage, 5 is a forming turntable rotated by a prime mover 5a, and a circular forming cylinder hole (Fig. 3) is inserted into the cutter 4. It is rotated intermittently so that it is sequentially positioned downward. A front cover plate P is fixed to the casing C at a position covering the outside of the rotating rollers 31 to 38 so that the material does not deviate from the material path. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line 31a, 32.
a, 33a, 34a are rotating rollers 31, 3 in the left row
Rotating shafts 2, 33, and 34, 39 a roller prime mover, and 39a a drive pulley. Reference numeral 39b denotes a transmission belt, which is passed around passive pulleys 31b, 32b, 33b, and 34b provided on each of the rotating shafts 31a to 34a, respectively. In addition, the rotating roller 35 in the right row
~38 are also rotated by a similar configuration, but
The rotation direction is opposite to that of the left row. Note that the rotating shafts 31a to 38a are provided so as to rotate simultaneously at a constant speed. Thus, the compression transfer mechanism 3 includes the above-mentioned symbols 31 to 38, 31a to 38a,
It is composed of 31b to 38b, 39, 39a, and 39b.

Now, when the cooked rice material is supplied from the hopper 2 to the upper part of the material path, it is first compressed while being transferred downward by the rotating rollers 31 and 35, and when it passes through the narrowest part _L1 , it becomes relaxed, and then it is rotated. It is secondarily compressed by the rollers 32 and 36, and becomes relaxed again after passing through the narrowest part _L2 . After that, tertiary and quaternary compression and relaxation are repeated alternately in the same way, and then the material is made into a predetermined thickness at the lower end of the passage, divided by the cutter 4, and distributed into the lower forming cylinder hole 51. (Figure 4).

Due to this several degrees of compression, the compressed density of the material in the passage gradually increases, but the pressure drop during pressure relaxation mainly acts to release the center of the material, and the adhesion of the cooked rice to each other on the outer surface of the material decreases. It is not damaged. This is similar to the action that occurs when shaping cooked rice by repeatedly compressing and loosening it manually. Therefore, the material dispensed by the cutter 4 is supplied with almost the same tightness as when it is delivered manually.

The molding mechanism and molding process after being distributed to the turntable 5 may be as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-38175. In addition, the rotating rollers 31 to 3
8 is driven intermittently, but the timing is such that the forming cylinder hole 51 of the turntable 5 is positioned directly below the cutter 4 and stops, and when the cutter 4 opens left and right, each roller rotates and the material is removed. It shall be controlled by an appropriate electric circuit so that when it has been fed out a predetermined amount below the cutter 4, it stops rotating and is divided by the cutter 4.

According to the present invention, compression and relaxation are alternately repeated in the compression and transfer process of the material, so it is possible to mechanically obtain a finish similar to that of direct manual shear molding, and it is possible to achieve a finish similar to that of direct manual shear molding, which is different from conventional automatic molding. This allows you to enjoy the natural finish of cooked rice that you would never see on a machine. Furthermore, there are no worries about compression clogging in the material passage, malfunction due to adhesion of rice paste, compression belt breakage, etc., and it has various advantages such as being able to withstand long-term operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a sushi molding machine to which the compression transfer mechanism according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic process diagram showing the state of material transfer. 3... Compression transfer mechanism, 31-38... Rotating roller, 39... Prime mover, 4... Cutter, 5... Turntable, _L1 - _L4 ... Roller opposing interval.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a compression transfer mechanism of a food molding machine, which is provided to compress and transfer food material to be supplied and dispense it into a mold in predetermined amounts, a plurality of left and right rotating rollers are provided. , a compression transfer mechanism for a food molding machine, which is arranged so that the food material can be transferred downward while alternately compressing and relaxing the food material by arranging them in two rows in the vertical direction so that the opposing intervals become narrower from the top. .