JPH0455836B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is an automatic tofu cutting device, in detail, the tofu is taken out of a mold box and cut into a sea cucumber shape in a water tank, and then further cut into pieces of the size of one piece. The present invention relates to a device for arranging each type of tofu so that it can be automatically packaged.

[Prior art] Tofu solidified in a mold box is turned over in a water tank, taken out from the mold box, placed on a floating lid, cut vertically and horizontally, cut into bite-sized pieces, and placed in a water tank. can be stored in The tofu cut into bite-sized pieces is scooped out by hand one by one in a water tank, packed and packaged, and shipped to the market. Scooping and packing tofu with one hand is extremely inefficient and labor-intensive, and cannot be used for mass production of tofu.

Therefore, in recent years, it has been considered to automatically cut and package large chunks of tofu taken out of the mold box. To this end, even if large chunks of tofu are to be automatically cut, the cut tofu must be automatically cut in such a way that it can be easily packaged. That is, tofu packs usually have ears on the upper edge of the pack for sealing the lid, so when the packs are lined up, there will be a gap equal to the ears. Therefore, unless the cut tofu pieces are lined up at this interval, they cannot be inserted into the pack all at once.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made to automatically cut and package tofu chunks taken out of a mold box. The small pieces of tofu that have been cut are further cut into pieces of the size of one piece, and the cut tofu pieces are arranged at predetermined intervals so that they can be easily packaged into packs arranged at intervals equal to the ears. The purpose is to provide an automatic tofu cutting device that can

[Means for Solving the Problems] The automatic tofu cutting device of the present invention includes a tofu transfer table that is submerged and fixed in a water tank, and a tofu transfer table that is connected to the top at the front end and mutually at the rear end as appropriate. A tofu transfer mechanism including a plurality of tofu moving plates that move at intervals, and a plurality of partition plates whose front ends serve as tofu cutting blades are installed in parallel with the tofu transfer table with their front ends aligned; The gist is that it is equipped with a tofu waterway that imitates the tofu transfer mechanism.

[Operation] First, the moving frame is moved back to the frontmost end, and the tofu moving plate is positioned in front of the partition plate. A block of tofu to be cut is placed between the tofu moving plate and the partition plate. Next, when the moving frame is moved forward, the tofu moving plate moves forward and moves the tofu chunks toward the partition plate, so that the tofu chunks are cut into one piece by a tofu cutting blade at the front end of the partition plate. disconnected.

When the moving frame is further advanced and the cut tofu is pushed by the tofu moving plate, the tofu moves forward in the tofu waterway, and the tofu moving plate also enters the tofu waterway. The tofu channel is surrounded by a partition plate, and at the front end of the tofu channel, they meet with the partition board as a boundary, but at the rear end, they widen at an appropriate distance from each other. The cam plate fixed above the waterway has a cam groove that follows the center line of the tofu waterway, so the cam follower fitted into this cam groove spreads laterally as the movable frame moves forward. .

When the cam follower moves laterally and spreads out, since the cam follower is attached to the sliding bearing via the upper interlocking shaft, the sliding bearing slides laterally on the guide shaft as the cam follower moves. When the sliding shaft moves laterally, the sliding tube fitted into the lower interlocking shaft moves laterally within the groove frame accordingly. When the sliding tube moves, the tofu moving plate attached to the sliding tube also moves, so that the tofu moving plate moves forward while expanding along the tofu waterway.

When the tofu moving plate pushes the cut tofu and reaches the rear end of the tofu channel, the cut tofu is thrown into a pack prepared at the rear end of the tofu transfer table. At this time, the cut tofu is accurately inserted into the pack because the tofu channels are spaced apart from each other to match the pack.

When the cut tofu is inserted into the pack, the moving frame stops, and when the groove frame is placed on top, the sliding tube slides upward on the lower interlocking shaft and rises. When the sliding tube rises, the tofu moving plate fixed to it also rises, and the moving plate is lifted from the water surface. Next, when the moving frame is retracted and returned to the front end of the tofu transfer table, the widened cam follower narrows back to its original state due to the cam groove, and the sliding bearing, sliding tube, and tofu moving plate return to their original positions. Narrows down. When the moving frame is retreated to the front end of the tofu transfer table, the groove frame is lowered and the sliding cylinder is slid on the lower interlocking shaft and lowered.
As the sliding tube descends, the tofu moving plate lands on the tofu transfer table, and the same operation as described above is repeated to cut the next block of tofu.

[Embodiment] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention. The tofu transfer table 10 is submerged and fixed under the water surface of the water tank by approximately the thickness of the tofu, and a partition plate 12 is erected on the surface. Two slits 14 are provided in parallel in the front part of the partition plate 12 of the tofu transfer table 10, and a tofu holding frame 16 is moved up and down through the slits 14.

Six partition plates 12 are arranged in parallel at equal intervals equal to the cutting width of the tofu, and the front end thereof is connected to a tofu cutting blade 18.
It's getting old. Between the partition plates 12 and 12 are tofu channels 20...20, and this partition plate 12
The plan view of the tofu channels 20...20 formed by the above is as shown in FIG.
0...20 are adjacent to each other, but they gradually widen toward the rear, and the partition plates 12 separate in the middle, and the rear end 20b is surrounded by 10 partition plates 12. , are spread out at appropriate intervals from each other.

The cam plate 22 is fixed directly above the tofu waterway 20, and as shown in the plan view of FIG. Five cam grooves 24...24 are provided.

The moving frame 26 is guided by moving rails 28 installed and fixed on both sides of the cam plate 22, and moves back and forth on the tofu transfer table 10. The moving frame 26 has a first
As shown in the figure and the partial front view of FIG. 4, a guide shaft 30 is fixed in a direction transverse to the tofu channels 20...20. Five sliding bearings 32...32 are fitted into the guide shaft 30 so as to be slidable left and right. The upper interlocking shaft 34 is located on the upper surface of the sliding bearing 32...32.
is erected, and cam followers 36...36 are fixed to the upper ends. This cam follower 36...36
are fitted into the cam grooves 24...24 of the cam plate 22.

Further, lower interlocking shafts 38...38 are vertically provided on the lower surfaces of the sliding bearings 32...32, and these lower interlocking shafts 38
. . 38 are fitted with sliding tubes 40 . . . 40 so as to be slidable up and down, and locking pieces 42 .

The sliding tubes 40...40 are held by a groove frame 44 so as to be slidable left and right, and this groove frame 44 is pivotally supported by the movable frame 16 so as to be movable up and down, and is supported by an elevating cylinder (not shown). It is now possible to go up and down.

The first tofu moving plates 46...46 have vertical long holes 48...48 in the center, and the locking pieces 4 of the lower interlocking shaft
2...42 are slidably inserted, and legs 50...50 having an I-shaped cross section are attached to the lower end,
It is fixed vertically to the lower end of the sliding tubes 40...40. The second tofu moving plates 52...52 have a longitudinally elongated hole 54 in the center and are bent into an L-shape at the tip, and the long holes 54...54 have the first tofu moving plates 46...
46 legs 50...50 are fitted so as to be slidable up and down.

The empty packages 56 are fixed to the package conveyor 60 by a package fixing guide 58, and are arranged behind the tofu channels 20...20 at the rear end of the tofu transfer table 10.

The operation of this embodiment having the above-described configuration will be explained with reference to the side views illustrating the operation shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. In FIG. 5, the tofu holding frame 16
from the slit 14, and this tofu holding frame 1
Insert the tofu block 62 into the container 6. The moving frame 26 is moved to the front end of the tofu transfer table 10, and the groove frame 4
4 is lowered together with the sliding tubes 40...40, the first tofu moving plates 46...46 fixed thereto are lowered, and the second tofu moving plates 52...52 are moved to the tofu holding frame 1.
6 and land on the tofu transfer table 10 in front of the tofu transfer table 10.

Subsequently, the tofu holding frame 16 is moved to the tofu transfer table 10.
At the same time, the moving frame 26 is moved forward, and the second tofu moving plates 52...52 cut the tofu chunks 62 into the tofu cutting blades 1 at the front ends of the partition plates 12...12.
8...Move it towards 18. When the tofu lump 62 moves forward and comes into contact with the tofu cutting blades 18...18, the tofu lump 62 is cut into one size piece by the tofu cutting blades 18...18, and as shown in FIG. The tofu is pushed into the tofu channels 20...20 by the tofu moving plates 52.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tofu channels 20...20 are formed surrounded by the partition plates 12...12, and are adjacent to each other across the partition plates 12...12 at their front ends, but at their rear ends. The cam plate 22 fixed above the tofu channels 20...20 has a cam plate 22 which follows the center line of the tofu channels 20...20 as shown in FIG. Since cam grooves 24...24 are provided, this cam groove 24
...Cam follower 36 fitted into ...24...36
spreads laterally as the moving frame 26 moves forward.

When the cam followers 36...36 move laterally and spread out, the cam followers 36...36 move toward the upper interlocking shafts 34...3.
4, the sliding bearings 32...32 slide laterally on the guide shaft 30 in accordance with the movement of the cam followers 36...36. When the sliding bearings 32...32 move laterally, the sliding tubes 40...40 fitted into the lower interlocking shafts 38...38 move laterally within the groove frame 44 accordingly. If the sliding tubes 40...40 move, this sliding tube 40...40
The first tofu moving plate 46...4 attached to
6 also moves, so in the end the second tofu moving plate 52...
52 moves forward while pushing the cut tofu 62 while expanding along the tofu channels 20...20.

Tofu 6 cut by the second tofu moving plate 52...52
When the tofu channels 20...20 are pushed to reach the rear end of the tofu channels 20...20, the cut tofu 62...62 is transferred to the empty packs 56...5 prepared at the rear end of the tofu transfer table 10.
It is thrown into 6. At that time, cut tofu 6
2...62 are spread at appropriate intervals by the tofu channels 20...20, so that they can be inserted accurately into the packs 56...56. Cut tofu 62...62
is inserted into the empty packs 56...56, the moving frame 2
6 stops, and as shown in FIG.
4, the sliding tube 40...40 moves to the lower interlocking shaft 38.
...Slide upwards on 38 to rise. Sliding tube 40...4
0 rises, the first tofu moving plates 46...46 fixed thereto also rise, thereby causing the second tofu moving plates 52...52 to move from the legs 5 of the first tofu moving plates.
0...50 and rises, so that the second tofu moving plates 52...52 are lifted from the tofu waterways 20...20.

Subsequently, when the moving frame 26 is moved backward, the cam followers 36...36, which had spread laterally, move into the cam grooves 24...
24, it narrows in the opposite direction this time. Cam follower 3
6...36 moves laterally and narrows, the cam followers 36...36 are attached to the sliding bearings 32...32 via the upper interlocking shafts 34...34, so they slide according to the movement of the cam followers 36...36. Bearing 32...
32 slides laterally on the guide shaft 30. Sliding bearing 32
...32 moves laterally, the sliding tubes 40...40 fitted into the lower interlocking shafts 38...38 move laterally within the groove frame 44 accordingly. When the sliding tubes 40...40 move, the first tofu moving plates 46...46 attached to the sliding tubes 40...40 also move, so the second tofu moving plates 52...52 also move in the cam groove 2.
4... narrows to the original position according to 24.

Meanwhile, the partition plate 12 of the tofu transfer table 10...
The tofu holding frame 16 is raised through the slit 14 at the front end of the tofu holding frame 16, and the tofu block 62 to be cut next is inserted into this tofu holding frame 16. When the moving frame 26 of the tofu transfer table 10 is retreated to the front end, the groove frame 44 is lowered and the sliding cylinders 40...40 are slid on the lower interlocking shafts 38...38 and lowered, as shown in FIG. By lowering the first tofu moving plate 46 . Thereafter, the same operation as above is repeated, and the next block of tofu is cut.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the tofu automatic cutting device of the present invention has a tofu transfer table fixed in a water tank with a partition plate having a tofu cutting blade erected thereon, thereby forming a tofu waterway. The tofu waterways are adjacent to each other with a partition plate as a boundary at the front end, but widen at an appropriate distance from each other at the rear end, and there is a tofu moving plate that moves along the tofu waterway. The machine cuts the tofu by pushing and moving the tofu block, and it automatically cuts the tofu block that has been taken out of the mold box and cut into sea cucumber shapes, and also cuts the cut tofu into bite-sized pieces. Since the tofu packages are lined up at appropriate intervals in the spread out tofu channels, there is an excellent effect that packaging can be carried out immediately by inserting a package conveyor or the like into the aligned tofu packages.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tofu waterway, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cam plate, FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 and 7 are side views illustrating the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. 10... Tofu transfer table, 12... Partition plate,
18...Tofu cutting blade, 20...Tofu waterway, 22...
...Cam plate, 24...Cam groove, 26...Movement frame, 3
0...Guide shaft, 32...Sliding bearing, 34...Upper interlocking shaft, 36...Cam follower, 38...Lower interlocking shaft, 40...Sliding tube, 44...Groove frame, 46...First Tofu moving board, 52...Second tofu moving board, 6
2...Lump of tofu.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tofu transfer table that is submerged and fixed in a water tank, and a tofu transfer mechanism equipped with a plurality of tofu transfer plates on the top of the table that are in contact with each other at the front end and move at appropriate intervals from each other at the rear end. , a plurality of partition plates each having a front end serving as a tofu cutting blade are erected in parallel with the tofu transfer table with their front ends aligned, and a tofu channel is provided which imitates the tofu transfer mechanism. Automatic cutting device.