JP3397893B2 - Crushed ice chip conveyor - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice piece conveying device provided in a process of a device for producing crushed ice or frozen desserts obtained by crushing a raw ice column into an appropriate size, and more specifically, external shape selection from the crushing process. The present invention relates to an ice piece transporting device suitable for transporting crushed ice pieces that have undergone the steps to a weighing step, a packaging step, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 5, a so-called block ice pack 1 in which crushed ice pieces 2 of an appropriate size are packed is packed in a transparent synthetic resin bag, for example, in an amount of about 1 kg, to store a convenience store or the like. Are sold at.
Since the crushed ice pieces 2 sold as this block ice pack 1 are delicious, clean, difficult to melt, easy to handle, or relatively inexpensive, they are used by crushing conventional ice blocks. It is also used for commercial purposes instead of ice blocks, and also for general households, and is ranked as a top-selling product regardless of the season, such as at convenience stores.

The block ice pack 1 in which the crushed ice pieces 2 are packed is made of high-quality ground water, natural water such as spring water, and is sterilized and sterilized. Then, the raw icicles are crushed into a suitable size by a crushing device and packed into a predetermined amount in a bag. By the way, the freezing phenomenon of water gradually progresses from the outer peripheral portion in contact with the container to the central portion, and in this process, impurities and bubbles contained in the water are trapped in the central portion. For this reason, the ice made by the normal ice making process is in a state in which the central portion becomes cloudy due to the trapped impurities and bubbles.

Therefore, the block ice pack 1 produced from this raw icicle is a crushed ice piece 2 obtained by crushing and mixing the above-mentioned cloudy portion of ice. On the other hand, even when transparent ice is once melted and re-frozen, the above-mentioned white turbidity phenomenon occurs in the central portion. Therefore, in the block ice pack 1 for which no regulation about the shelf life or the storage period has been established, the one in which the cloudy ice is mixed is a standard for determining that it is a relatively long-term inventory. Of course, this cloudy ice is harmless, but for reasons such as not giving a good feeling to consumers and misunderstanding of long-term inventory,
The block ice pack 1 containing cloudy ice is treated as a defective product.

From the above-mentioned circumstances, the raw material ice pillars of the crushed ice pieces 2 packed in the block ice pack 1 are gradually made into ice over a freezing time of about 48 hours, but the occurrence of a cloudy portion at the center is prevented. For this reason, during the ice making process, the raw material water in an unfrozen state in the central portion is discarded and ice making is performed, so that the whole is made transparent. As described above, the block ice pack 1 is manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus controlled with high accuracy, using the icicles that are transparently made in this way as a raw material.

On the other hand, recently, similar to the block ice pack 1 described above, sales of block frozen desserts are also favorable at convenience stores and the like. Block Hyoka
For example, a large ice-making container is filled with raw material water and a raw material liquid such as fruit juice, and this raw material liquid is frozen in a freezer to make a frozen frozen dessert raw material, and this frozen frozen dessert raw material is made into a frozen dessert of an appropriate size. After crushing, etc., it is manufactured by filling in a cup or the like.

[0007]

The raw material ice pillar or frozen frozen dessert raw material is supplied to a crushing device and crushed to a predetermined size. The fine ice pieces generated in this crushing process, so-called scrap ice, are It is removed in the sorter. The outer shape selection device is composed of a rotating drum having a mesh of a predetermined size, and the scrap ice falls off from the mesh when passing through the rotating drum. Then, the crushed ice pieces having a predetermined outer dimension and the block ice confection that have passed through the outer shape sorting device are transported to the weighing device and weighed to a constant weight,
Bag filling and cup filling are performed in a bag filling and cup filling device.

As mentioned above, the block ice pack 1
Alternatively, the block ice dessert manufacturing apparatus is provided with an outer shape sorting device that removes scrap ice having a predetermined outer dimension or less, but the scrap ice removal rate in the outer shape sorting device in the conventional manufacturing apparatus is 60% to 70%. It was about. In this manufacturing apparatus, in order to improve the removal rate of the debris ice, it is considered to configure the outer shape selection device with a rotating drum having a sufficient length dimension, but the size of the device is increased and the productivity is decreased. Its adoption is difficult because it poses a problem.

As shown in FIG. 6, the debris ice 3 or the like that cannot be completely removed by the external shape sorting device is attached to the surface of the crushed ice pieces 2 in the form of powder or particles, and it is as if frost had formed on the surface. It will be in a state. Therefore, even though the block ice pack 1 was manufactured in a state of being controlled with high accuracy using a transparent raw material ice column, the block ice pack 1 was mixed with the crushed ice pieces 2 in the marbling state, and thus the block ice cloud was mixed. Similar to Ice Pack 1, it was sometimes certified as a defective product. Further, in the block frozen dessert, due to the marbling phenomenon caused by the scrap ice 3 or the like adhered to the surface in the form of powder or particles,
There was a problem that the color of the frozen dessert was damaged.

Further, the crushed ice pieces 2 or the scrap ice 3 adhering to the surface of the block ice confection is more easily melted than the crushed ice 2 having a large shape, so that the block ice pack 1 is transported to a store such as a convenience store. Melted in the distribution process etc. stored in the ice box installed in
Refreeze. For this reason, the crushed ice 2 and the like are bound to each other by the melted and re-frozen scrap ice 3, so that there is a problem in that the crushed ice 2 or the like needs to be strongly hit to separate the crushed ice 2 one by one. .

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a crushed ice piece conveying device for producing a block ice pack or the like, which is capable of highly precisely removing the scrap ice mixed or attached to the crushed ice pieces to improve the quality. It was proposed to.

[0012]

The crushed ice piece conveying apparatus according to the present invention, which has achieved this object, has a large amount of a large amount of particles selected in a predetermined external dimension through an external shape selecting step in a transfer path provided with a spiral type transfer means. Of the block ice pack or the like for supplying and transporting the crushed ice pieces of, a small hole group having an opening size smaller than the outer dimension of the crushed ice pieces is provided at least on the bottom surface portion of the transport path. By providing it, it is configured in a mesh shape.

Further, the crushed ice piece conveying device according to the present invention is
It is provided in the process of the manufacturing apparatus for the block ice or the like, which supplies and conveys a large amount of crushed ice pieces that have been selected to have a predetermined outer shape through the outer shape selection step in the transfer path provided with the spiral transfer means. Is constituted by a cylindrical transport path member that is rotationally driven by the drive means, and the transport path member is provided with a group of small holes having an opening size smaller than the outer size of the crushed ice pieces to form a mesh shape. Composed,
Rotate.

[0014]

According to the crushed ice piece transporting apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, a large amount of crushed ice pieces crushed to a predetermined outer dimension by the crushing step and supplied through the outer shape selecting step, The spiral type conveying means conveys the material through the conveying path to the next step such as a weighing step and a packaging step. The supplied crushed ice pieces are mixed with scrap ice that cannot be completely removed in the outer shape selecting step, or the scrap ice particles are attached to the outer peripheral portion in the form of powder or particles. Since these pieces of debris ice are conveyed by the spiral conveying means while being stirred in the conveying path, they are removed and removed from the small holes provided in the bottom surface of the conveying path.

Further, according to the crushed ice piece conveying apparatus of the present invention, a large amount of crushed ice pieces crushed to a predetermined outer dimension by the crushing step and supplied through the outer shape selecting step are conveyed by the spiral conveying means. The sheet is conveyed to the next step such as a weighing step and a packaging step through a conveying path constituted by a cylindrical conveying path member that is rotationally driven by the driving means.
The supplied crushed ice pieces are mixed with scrap ice pieces that could not be completely removed in the outer shape selection step, or the scrap ice particles were adhered to the outer peripheral portion in the form of powder or particles. These pieces of debris ice are conveyed while being agitated in the conveying path by the rotating conveying member and the spiral conveying means, and thus are removed and removed from the small hole group provided in the conveying path member.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a crushed ice piece conveying device provided in a manufacturing apparatus 10 for manufacturing a block ice pack 1 in which a predetermined amount of crushed ice pieces 2 obtained by crushing a raw ice column 5 into an appropriate size are packed. 50 is shown. The block ice pack manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a crushing device 13, an outer shape sorting device 14, a weighing device 15, a weighing bag filling device 16 and an inspection, which are arranged in a refrigerating chamber 12 surrounded by an outer wall 11 subjected to heat insulation treatment. Each of these devices is connected to each other by a conveyer device such as a belt conveyor as will be described later, and a predetermined size from a raw material ice column 5 that is supplied by being made by an ice making device in a separate room. The block ice pack 1 in which the crushed ice pieces 2 of 1 are packed is continuously manufactured.

As described above, the raw material icicles 5 are made entirely transparent by discarding the unfrozen raw material water in the central portion during the ice making process to prevent the occurrence of a cloudy portion in the central portion and to make the whole ice transparent. Is used and is continuously supplied from the ice making device through the supply path 18. The raw material icicles 5 are conveyed in a state of being aligned in the longitudinal direction by a belt conveyor 19, and then are moved onto a slat conveyor 20 connected in an orthogonal state, and are conveyed in a state of being arranged in the width direction of the slat conveyor 20. It The belt conveyor 19 and the slat conveyor 20 have a sufficient length and constitute a stock portion of the supplied raw material icicles 5.

An elevator device 21 is disposed at the end of the slat conveyor 20, and the raw material ice column 5 is a tower type crushing device 13 disposed on the side of the slat conveyor 20 by the elevator device 21. Is supplied to the hopper that constitutes the. Crushing device 1 omitting detailed configuration
3 crushes the supplied raw material ice column 5 to a predetermined size in the hopper, and then supplies the crushed ice pieces to the outer shape selection device 14 via the supply path 22. It should be noted that crushed ice pieces of a certain size or more are refused to pass to the outer shape sorting device 14 side at the gate portion of the crushing device 13, and are further crushed into smaller pieces in the crushing device 13.

The outer shape sorting device 14 is arranged in parallel in the lower right direction in FIG. 2 and is constituted by a pair of sorting rotary drums 14A and 14B which are rotationally driven by a drive motor. These sorting rotary drums 14A, 14B
Are each composed of a mesh tube body having an opening size that allows the crushed ice pieces 2 having a predetermined size to form the block ice 1 as a product. The first sorting rotary drum 14A has a finer mesh than the second sorting rotary drum 14B. These sorting rotary drums 1 are provided below the sorting rotary drums 14A and 14B.
A hopper 23 is provided for receiving the debris ice that is sorted by 4A and 14B and falls.

Therefore, the crushed ice pieces 2 supplied to the outer shape sorting device 14 are rotated and driven by the sorting rotary drum 14.
The outer shape is selected by rolling and falling in A and 14B by its own weight, and the debris ice 3 of a predetermined size or smaller mixed in the process falls from the mesh onto the hopper 23. The scrap ice 3 that has dropped onto the hopper 23 is
3 is laterally conveyed via a screw conveyor 24 attached to the refrigerator 3, and is discharged to the outside of the refrigerating chamber 12 via a belt conveyor 25 connected in a direction orthogonal to the screw conveyor 24.

The crushed ice pieces 2 that have passed through the outer shape sorting device 14 and have been sorted into a predetermined size are conveyed to the weighing device 15 via a crushed ice piece conveying device 50, which will be described later, connected in a direction orthogonal to each other. It The weighing device 15 temporarily stores the crushed ice pieces 2 having a stocker and conveyed, and supplies the crushed ice pieces 2 to each bucket of the bucket conveyor 26 in units of 1 kg. The crushed ice pieces 2 weighed by the weighing device 15 are supplied to the tower-type weighing bag packing device 16. In the weighing bag filling device 16 whose detailed configuration is omitted, the crushed ice pieces 2 stored in the bucket of the bucket conveyor 26 are supplied to the bucket portion opened in the central portion of the ceiling portion, and the crushed ice pieces 2 are transferred to the bucket portion. The outer peripheral portion of the bag is filled into the inside of the bag that is chucked by a large number of measuring nozzles that move around.

The measuring bag filling device 16 is further provided with a bag feeding device 27, which forms a transparent synthetic resin sheet into a bag shape and continuously prints predetermined items, patterns, etc. on the surface and then rolls the same. The bag material wound around is attached. The bags are continuously supplied to the weighing bag packing device 16 while being cut one by one from the feeding device 27, and the bag is fed to the weighing nozzle part 1 at a time.
They are chucked one by one. As described above, the crushed ice pieces 2 whose weight is accurately controlled via the measuring nozzle are automatically filled in the bag body. Then, the bag body filled with the crushed ice pieces 2 is subjected to, for example, a heat bonding process on the opening portion, the chucking state is released, and the bag body is sent onto the belt conveyor 28.

The belt conveyor 28 is provided in the weighing bag packing device 16 at a position displaced by 90 ° with respect to the bucket conveyor 26, and is further bent at 90 ° so as to be parallel to the bucket conveyor 26, and is supplied to the raw material ice column 5. It has been extended to the 18th side. The crushed ice pieces 2 are attached to the belt conveyor 28.
In addition to the inspection device 17 including a foreign matter checker 29 or a weight checker 30 for detecting metal pieces and the like mixed in the block ice pack 1 packed with
A distribution device 31 having a distribution lever is arranged continuously to the weight checker 30.

Therefore, the block ice pack 1 conveyed on the belt conveyor 28 is mixed with foreign matter by the foreign matter checker 29 or the weight checker 30,
The proper weight is checked. The block ice pack 1 determined to be defective by the inspection device 17 is
It is thrown from the belt conveyor 28 by the sorting device 31 driven by the output from the. Sorting device 31
The non-defective block ice pack 1 that has passed through is conveyed to a storage refrigerator (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, the crushed ice piece transporting device 50 has a trough-shaped transport path member 52 which forms a transport path 51 for the crushed ice pieces 2 by having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and this transport. The lid member 54 that covers the upper portion of the conveyance path 51 by being detachably combined with the upper opening of the path member 52 via the locking pin 53, and the crushed ice pieces 2 arranged inside the conveyance path member 52. It is composed of a screw conveyor 55 which is a conveying means. The conveyance path member 52 is the outer shape sorting device 1
It is installed so as to gradually rise from 4 toward the weighing device 15 side, and the transport path 51 is configured as an inclined transport path.

The transport path member 52 is formed by bending, for example, a stainless material having an excellent rust preventive property, and a large number of small hole groups 56 are punched and formed on the arcuate bottom surface. There is. The small hole group 56 is formed to have an opening size slightly smaller than the outer size of the crushed ice pieces 2. In addition, the screw conveyor 55 is provided on the conveyance path member 52.
As is well known, a drive shaft 57 that is arranged to extend along the axis of the transport path 51 that is configured to be rotated by a drive motor 56, and a screw that is formed in a spiral shape on the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 57. And 58. The outer diameter of the screw 58 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the bottom surface of the conveyance path member 52. Therefore, the transport path 5
Inside of 1, a screw 58 forms a spiral transfer space.

As described above, the crushed ice piece conveying apparatus 50 is formed by punching the small hole 56 of the stainless material and then bending the conveying path member 52. After combining the gutter core materials, a stainless net material may be attached to the surface of the core material. In this case, it is needless to say that the mesh of the mesh material has an opening size smaller than the outer size of the crushed ice pieces 2. In addition, the crushed ice piece conveying device 50 includes a lid member 54.
By detachably combining the transport path member 52 with the transport path member 52, it is possible to deal with the case where the crushed ice pieces 2 are clogged in the transport path 51, and the transport path 51 can be cleaned.

In the crushed ice piece conveying device 50 constructed as described above, when the crushed ice piece 2 that has passed through the outer shape sorting device 14 is supplied, the screw conveyor 55 is rotationally driven. The crushed ice pieces 2 supplied into the transport path 51 still contain the swarf ice 3 that could not be completely removed by the outer shape sorting device 14, and the smash ice 3 was also applied to the outer peripheral portion of the crushed ice pieces 2. It is attached. The crushed ice pieces 2 are, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
The inside of the space formed between the screws 58 is conveyed to the weighing device 15 by being pushed out by the screws 58. In this case, the crushed ice pieces 2 are transported by the screw 58 while being stirred in the transport path 51.

As described above, the crushed ice piece conveying device 50
On the bottom surface of the transport path member 52 that constitutes the transport path 51,
A small hole group 56 having an opening size smaller than the outer size of the crushed ice pieces 2 is provided. Therefore, the scrap ice 3 mixed in the crushed ice pieces 2 is dropped and removed from the small hole group 56 in the process in which the crushed ice pieces 2 are transported in the transport path 51. The scrap ice 3 adhering to the outer peripheral portion of the crushed ice pieces 2 is also efficiently rubbed against the bottom surface of the conveyance path member 52 while the crushed ice pieces 2 are conveyed in the conveyance path 51 in a stirring state. And is dropped from the small hole group 56.

Therefore, in the manufacturing apparatus 10 for the block ice pack 1, in the outer shape sorting device 14 including the first sorting rotary drum 14A and the second sorting rotary drum 14B, the scrap ice 3 mixed in the crushed ice pieces 2 The crushed ice pieces can be removed with an accuracy of about 60% to 70%, but the crushed ice piece conveying device 50 can further remove the scrap ice 3. Further, the scrap ice 3 attached to the outer peripheral portion of the crushed ice piece 2 is also removed with high accuracy. Therefore, the block ice pack 1 in which the crushed ice pieces 2 are packed has almost no slag ice 3 mixed therein, and the crushed ice pieces 2 adhere to the surface of the crushed ice pieces 2 in the form of powder or particles, resulting in frost on the surface. An extremely high-quality product is manufactured without exhibiting a state of falling down.

The present invention is based on the above-mentioned crushed ice piece conveying device 50.
The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and is developed, for example, like the crushed ice piece conveying device 60 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. That is, the crushed ice piece conveying device 60 is provided with the conveying path 6
The conveying member 62 which constitutes 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape by a stainless material or the like. The transport member 62 is provided with a small hole group 63 over the entire outer peripheral wall. Of course, these small hole groups 63 are provided with an opening size slightly smaller than the outer size of the crushed ice pieces 2 supplied into the transport path 61.

Although not shown, the conveying member 62 is integrally provided with an outer peripheral gear, for example, located on one end side, and is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown). Inside the conveying member 62, a screw conveyor 55, which is a conveying means for the crushed ice pieces 2, is arranged. The screw conveyor 55 is the same as that provided in the crushed ice piece conveying device 50 of the first embodiment described above, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted by giving the same reference numeral.

According to the crushed ice piece conveying device 60 of the second embodiment configured as described above, the crushed ice pieces 2 conveyed by the screw conveyor 55 while being stirred in the conveying path 61 are the conveying paths. By simultaneously rotating the conveying path member 62 that constitutes 61, the conveying path member 62 is conveyed while being vigorously stirred, and the mixed scrap ice 3 or the scrap ice 3 adhering to the outer peripheral portion is more efficiently removed. . The removed scrap ice 3 is thrown from the small hole group 63 provided on the outer peripheral wall of the transport member 62.

The present invention is applicable not only to the above-described block ice pack 1 manufacturing apparatus 10 but also to a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus in which a frozen frozen dessert raw material is crushed into an appropriate size and then filled in a cup or the like. Of course, you can do that.

[0035]

As described above in detail, according to the crushed ice piece conveying device of the present invention, the outer circumference of the scrap ice or the crushed ice pieces mixed in the crushed ice pieces that cannot be completely removed by the outer shape sorting device. Even the debris ice that adheres to the part in powder or granular form can be removed with high accuracy without taking measures such as enlarging the apparatus, and a high quality product is manufactured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a crushed ice piece conveying device according to the present invention, which is provided in a block ice pack manufacturing device, with a part cut away.

FIG. 2 is an overall plan view of a block ice pack manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the crushed ice piece transporting device according to the embodiment with the lid removed.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of the ice crushing piece conveying device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a block ice pack in which crushed ice pieces are packed in a bag.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which debris ice is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the crushed ice pieces.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing another embodiment of the crushed ice piece conveying device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 block ice pack 2 crushed ice pieces 3 scrap ice 10 block ice making equipment 12 Refrigerator 13 Crushing device 14 Outline sorter 15 Weighing device 16 Weighing bag filling device 17 Inspection device 50 Crushed ice piece carrier 51 transport path 52 Transport path member 54 Lid member 55 Screw conveyor (spiral type conveyor) 56 small holes 60 crushed ice piece carrier 61 Transport path 62 Transport path member 63 small holes

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. During a process of a manufacturing apparatus for a block ice or the like, which supplies and conveys a large amount of crushed ice pieces that have been selected to a predetermined outer shape through an outer shape selecting step in a conveying path provided with a spiral conveying means. A crushed ice piece conveying device provided, characterized in that the conveyance path is formed in a mesh shape by providing a group of small holes having an opening size smaller than an outer dimension of the crushed ice piece at least on a bottom surface portion. A crushed ice piece carrier. 2. A block ice manufacturing apparatus for supplying and transporting a large amount of crushed ice pieces sorted into a predetermined outer dimension through an outer shape sorting step in a transport path provided with a spiral type transport means. In the crushed ice piece transporting device, the transport path is composed of a cylindrical transport path member that is rotationally driven by a driving means, and the transport path member has an opening size smaller than the outer dimension of the crushed ice piece. is configured in a mesh shape by the small hole groups with is provided, rotational movement
A crushed ice piece conveying device characterized by performing work .