JP5811490B2 - Needleless liquid injection apparatus and method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to food processing technology, and more specifically to a needleless liquid injection apparatus and method for injecting liquid into food without using a needle.

  In the field of food processing, a multi-needle type liquid injection device for injecting liquids such as salt water and seasonings into foods has been widely used for seasoning foods such as meat and fish. The multi-needle type liquid injection device is a device that generally inserts a plurality of needles directly into food such as meat or fish and injects liquid into the food through the needles. By using a multi-needle type liquid injection device, it has become possible to uniformly inject liquid into food.

  However, the multi-needle type liquid injection device has a possibility that food may be damaged by inserting the needle into the food, food may become unhygienic by inserting the needle into the food, It is known that there are various problems such as the possibility that foreign matters may be mixed due to breakage and that the maintenance cost increases due to the cleaning and replacement of the needle.

In order to solve these problems, an apparatus and a method for injecting a liquid into food without inserting a needle into the food have been proposed.
For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3226481) discloses a device for injecting a liquid substance such as a pickle liquid or a seasoning liquid into a meat mass such as pork, beef, or poultry without using a needle. This device injects liquid material more uniformly into food by controlling the injection pressure when the liquid material is injected into the food block from the injection unit having a straight water-flow injection nozzle so as to gradually increase from zero or low pressure. It is characterized by being. Similarly, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 3636279) discloses an apparatus for injecting a liquid substance into a meat chunk. This apparatus is characterized in that the injection pressure when the liquid substance is injected into the food lump from the injection section having the straight water-flow injection nozzle is controlled to gradually decrease to zero or low pressure.

  Patent Document 3 (Patent No. 4198191) discloses an apparatus for injecting a pickle liquid into raw meat such as ham. This apparatus applies a rotating body configured to eject pickle liquid from a large number of small holes to the raw meat on the conveyor, and ejects the pickle liquid as the rotating body rotates, thereby pickling the raw meat. It is characterized by injecting a liquid.

Japanese Patent No. 3226481 Japanese Patent No. 3636279 Japanese Patent No. 4198191

  The techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are not configured to arbitrarily change the speed of the liquid ejected from the nozzle. Therefore, these technologies change the hardness in the thickness direction of food, for example, when the conditions such as the type of food to be injected and the state of the inside, the type of liquid to be injected and the physical properties, etc. are different. When using foods or liquids with different viscosities, it is not easy to uniformly inject the liquids into the food corresponding to the differences. Moreover, in the case of the prior art including the technique described in patent documents 1 and 2 which cannot change the speed of the liquid to be ejected arbitrarily, according to the kind and state of the food which is going to inject a liquid. Since it is not easy to change the injection conditions, it is difficult to increase the ratio of the amount of liquid remaining in the food (liquid yield) with respect to the liquid ejection amount. If the yield of the liquid is low, not only the cost of the product for injecting the liquid is increased, but also the load on the environment is increased.

  In some cases, it is desirable to inject a predetermined amount of liquid into a predetermined position of the food for the purpose of increasing the added value of the food. However, according to the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, depending on the type of food and liquid. Thus, it is impossible to inject a predetermined amount of liquid into an arbitrary position of the food.

  Moreover, in the method of controlling the injection pressure from the nozzle to gradually increase from zero or low pressure, or the method of controlling to gradually decrease to zero or low pressure, as in the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. It is essential to provide a pressure control mechanism such as providing a pressure adjusting valve or a pressure buffer mechanism in the pipe or the injection unit. However, it is difficult to achieve a desired pressure control according to the type of food and liquid using such a mechanism, and such a mechanism also has a problem that the structure of the apparatus becomes complicated and the maintenance cost of the apparatus increases. . Further, in such a technique, it is necessary to increase the maximum ultimate pressure, and in this respect as well, difficulty in pressure control, manufacturing cost of the apparatus, and the like become problems.

  Since the technique described in Patent Document 3 is not configured to arbitrarily change the speed of the liquid ejected from the nozzle in the same manner as the above-described problems described with respect to Patent Documents 1 and 2, the type of food and liquid It is difficult to uniformly inject liquid and to increase the liquid yield, and it is impossible to inject a predetermined amount of liquid into any position of food. May cause damage.

  The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for injecting a liquid without contacting the food, and injecting the liquid uniformly into the food and increasing the yield of the liquid according to the state and type of the food and the liquid. It is an object of the present invention to provide a needleless liquid injection apparatus and method that are easy and can inject a predetermined amount of liquid into an arbitrary position of various kinds of foods.

  The present inventor has found that the above-described problems can be solved by controlling the speed of the liquid ejected from the nozzle, and has completed the present invention.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an apparatus for injecting liquid into food. The apparatus includes a liquid holding member that holds a liquid therein, a liquid acceleration member that gives a speed to the liquid in the liquid holding member, and a liquid that is given a speed by the liquid acceleration member so as to be ejected toward the food. The liquid ejecting mechanism including the nozzle provided at the position facing the food, the drive mechanism for moving the liquid acceleration member, and the movement speed of the liquid acceleration member from the movement start position to the movement end position can be freely adjusted. And a control unit capable of controlling the drive mechanism so as to be changed. In one embodiment, the nozzle is preferably configured such that its diameter can be arbitrarily changed.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the moving stroke of the liquid accelerating member can be divided into a plurality of sections each having the same or different distance. The control means can control the drive mechanism so that the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in each of the plurality of sections thus divided is changed separately.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the movement stroke of the liquid accelerating member includes a first section in which the liquid accelerating member moves from the movement start position to a predetermined position, and a second period in which the liquid acceleration member moves from the predetermined position to the movement end position. Can be divided into two sections. The control means can control the drive mechanism so that the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in one section is faster than the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in the other section.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may include a plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of liquid accelerating members is connected to each other by one connecting member, and the connecting member can be connected to the drive mechanism. The plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms are preferably arranged in a line so that the outlets of the plurality of nozzles are positioned on the same horizontal plane. The plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms can be divided into at least two arrays each including a plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms. In the case of this embodiment, it is preferable that the at least two arrays are juxtaposed at predetermined intervals so that the outlets of the plurality of nozzles are located on the same horizontal plane.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid holding member preferably has an opening provided at a position facing the food, and an injection block that seals the opening and is provided with a nozzle.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus may further include a liquid supply mechanism for supplying a liquid to the liquid holding member. The liquid supply mechanism includes a passage that communicates the inside and the outside of the liquid holding member, and a liquid holding member that is liquid when the inside of the liquid holding member becomes a negative pressure as the liquid acceleration member moves in the middle of the passage. Having a backflow prevention member configured to prevent backflow of liquid to the outside of the fluid holding member when the pressure inside the liquid holding member becomes positive as the liquid accelerating member moves, without hindering introduction into the inside It can be.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for injecting a liquid into a food product. The method includes a step of supplying a liquid to the liquid holding member, and a liquid ejecting step in which the liquid held in the liquid holding member is ejected toward the food from a nozzle provided at a position facing the food. In the liquid ejecting step, the liquid in the liquid holding member is given a speed by the liquid acceleration member, and the liquid acceleration member is controlled so that the movement speed in the movement process from the movement start position to the movement end position is freely changed. It is characterized by that.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the moving stroke of the liquid accelerating member can be divided into a plurality of sections each having the same or different distance. The liquid acceleration member can be controlled such that the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in each of the plurality of sections changes separately.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the movement stroke of the liquid accelerating member includes a first section in which the liquid accelerating member moves from the movement start position to a predetermined position, and a second period in which the liquid acceleration member moves from the predetermined position to the movement end position. Can be divided into two sections. The liquid acceleration member can be controlled such that the moving speed in one section is faster than the moving speed in the other section.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to freely change the generation timing of the maximum load applied to the liquid by arbitrarily setting the moving speed and moving distance of the liquid accelerating member. The speed of the liquid and the state of liquid injection into the food can be arbitrarily changed. Therefore, according to the present invention, while solving the problems in the conventional multi-needle type liquid injection device and method and the needleless type liquid injection device and method, the liquid is applied to the food regardless of the state and type of the food and liquid. It is possible not only to easily set conditions for uniformly injecting and improving the yield of liquid, but also to inject liquid at the optimal position of food according to a wide variety of foods and liquids Therefore, a food with high added value can be provided without causing the problems of hygiene, safety and management of the apparatus.

1 is a schematic front view of a needleless liquid injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view of a needleless liquid injection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic enlarged view of the liquid ejecting mechanism of the needleless liquid injection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a needleless liquid injection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. It is a control flow figure of the needleless type liquid injection device by the embodiment of the present invention. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. The change of the load accompanying the movement distance and speed change of the liquid acceleration means at the time of inject | pouring a liquid into a foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention is shown. It is a photograph which shows an example of the cross section after inject | pouring a liquid into pork loin using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention. It is a photograph which shows an example of the cross section after inject | pouring a liquid into pork belly using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention. It is a photograph which shows an example of the cross section after inject | pouring a liquid into chicken breast using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention. It is a photograph which shows an example of the cross section after inject | pouring a liquid into a squid using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus by embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, a needleless liquid injection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the device for realizing the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.
1 and 2 are a schematic front view and side view of a needle-free liquid injection device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view showing a portion of the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 in the apparatus 1. In the apparatus 1, food is transported in a certain direction by the food transport mechanism 10. When the food reaches the liquid injection position, the operation of the food transport mechanism 10 is temporarily stopped, and the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection mechanism 20 by the operation of the drive mechanism 40 is injected into the food. When the liquid is injected into the food, the operation of the food conveyance mechanism 10 is resumed, and after the food is conveyed by a predetermined distance, it is stopped again. Thereafter, similarly, the food transport mechanism 10 repeats the transport and stop of the food, and each time the food stops, the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 is injected into a plurality of locations at a predetermined interval. When the liquid injection into the food is completed, the food into which the liquid has been injected is transported by the food transport mechanism 10 in a direction away from the liquid injection position.

  In the present invention, any food such as meat, fish, vegetables and fruits can be used as the food. In the present invention, any liquid such as salt water, seasoning liquid, preservation liquid, coloring liquid, and the like can be used as the liquid.

[Food transport mechanism]
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the apparatus 1, food into which liquid is injected is transported by a food transport mechanism 10. In this embodiment, the food transport mechanism 10 includes an endless transport body 12 such as a belt conveyor, and a motor 14 that causes the endless transport body 12 to travel in the direction of arrow D. The food into which the liquid is injected is transported from the right side to the left side in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the food transport mechanism 10 may be divided into two parts adjacent to each other at a predetermined interval at a position where the liquid is sprayed onto the food. In this case, the endless transport body 12 and the motor 14 are provided in each of the two portions. When the food transport mechanism 10 has such a configuration, the liquid does not stay on the endless transport body 12 even when the liquid penetrates the food. More preferably, the food transport mechanism 10 is provided with a sensor that detects that the food has reached the liquid injection position.

[Liquid injection mechanism]
The liquid injected into the food conveyed by the food conveying mechanism 10 is ejected by the liquid ejecting mechanism 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 has an inner space 23 that holds a liquid to be injected into food, for example, a liquid holding member 22 such as a syringe, and a liquid in the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22. It has a liquid accelerating member 24, such as a plunger, for giving speed, and a nozzle 26 from which liquid is ejected. The liquid held in the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 is moved by the liquid acceleration member 24 being inserted into the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 and moving in the direction of the nozzle 26 along the inner wall of the liquid holding member 22. Injected from the nozzle 26.

  The apparatus 1 may include a plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20, that is, a plurality of sets of liquid holding members 22, liquid accelerating members 24, and nozzles 26. Between the widths corresponding to the width of the endless transport body 12, that is, in a direction intersecting with the moving direction of the food to be transported, the endless transport body 12 can be arranged in a line. Each of the outlets 26a of the nozzles 26 in the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 is preferably configured to be located on the same horizontal plane. That is, it is preferable that the distance between each of the outlets 26a and the surface of the endless transport body 12 is constant. However, the distance between the outlet 26a and the surface of the endless transport body 12 is not limited to a constant configuration. If necessary, the distance between the outlet 26a and the surface of the endless transport body 12 may be a plurality of liquid jets. Each of the mechanisms 20 may be configured differently.

  The plurality of liquid holding members 22 may be integrally formed. In this case, the interior of the liquid holding member 22 is divided into a plurality of internal spaces 23 corresponding to the number of the plurality of liquid accelerating members 24. Below the liquid holding member 22, there are provided a plurality of nozzles 26 through which the liquid in each inner space 23 is ejected by the movement of the corresponding liquid acceleration member 24.

  The liquid holding member 22 and the nozzle 26 of the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 may be formed integrally or separately. In the case of being integrally formed, for example, the liquid holding member 22 is configured by surrounding the inner space 23 with a wall so that only the insertion port of the liquid accelerating member 24 becomes the opening 22b and facing the food. The nozzle 26 can be provided on the wall (that is, the wall corresponding to the bottom wall of the liquid holding member 22). When formed separately, for example, the liquid holding member 22 is configured to have two openings 22a and 22b, and an injection block 27 having a nozzle 26 is provided in the opening 22a at a position facing the food. It can be attached detachably. The opening 22a and the injection block 27 are preferably sealed with, for example, a sealing material. When the liquid holding member 22 has an ejection block as in the latter case, there is an advantage that the maintenance of the apparatus becomes easier by removing the ejection block 27 at the time of cleaning, for example.

  The diameter of the nozzle 26 can be arbitrarily set according to conditions such as the type of food into which the liquid is injected, the type of liquid to be injected, and the injection position. For example, in the case of the nozzle 26 having a large diameter, the liquid ejected from the nozzle 26 is more easily diffused than in the case where the diameter is small. Therefore, the nozzle 26 is suitable for use for injecting a liquid in a wider range. On the other hand, in the case of the nozzle 26 having a small diameter, the liquid is less likely to diffuse than in the case where the diameter is large.

  As for the diameter of the nozzle 26, for example, a plate having holes of various sizes is prepared, and the hole and the inlet 26b of the nozzle 26 are aligned with the bottom of the liquid holding member 22 as necessary. Can be changed by placing the plate. Or it can change by preparing the injection block 27 provided with the nozzle 26 of various diameters, and changing the injection block 27 as needed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 are not limited to a configuration in which the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 are arranged in a line in a direction intersecting the food conveyance direction. According to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 are divided into two arrays, each in a line, and these two arrays are You may comprise so that it may juxtapose with a predetermined space | interval in a conveyance direction. Also in this case, the outlets 26a of the nozzles 26 of the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 may be arranged so that each is located on the same horizontal plane, and the distance between the outlet 26a and the surface of the endless transport body 12 is plural. The liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 may be configured differently. Further, in each of the two arrays, the nozzle outlets 26a adjacent to each other in the direction intersecting with the food conveyance direction may be arranged so as to be alternately positioned in the front-rear direction with respect to the food traveling direction.

[Nozzle position adjustment mechanism]
The device 1 is provided at a position where the nozzle 26 of the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 faces the food. The height of this position can be determined by the nozzle position adjusting mechanism 30. The nozzle position adjusting mechanism 30 can adjust the height of the nozzle 26 of the liquid ejecting mechanism 20, that is, the distance between the outlet 26 a of the nozzle 26 and the surface of the endless transport body 12. The nozzle position adjusting mechanism 30 includes a support member 32 that supports the liquid holding member 22, a plurality of movable columns 34 that are coupled to the support member 32, a support member 36 that is coupled to the movable column 34 and supports the servo press, The movable support 34 may be provided with a fixed support 38 that is fixed to a frame 54 to be described later and penetrates the inside. The movable support column 34 is configured to be able to move up and down inside the fixed support column 38 and be fixed to the fixed support column 38 at a necessary position. Therefore, in the apparatus 1, the movable column 34 is moved up and down in the fixed column 38 so that the required distance is between the outlet 26 a of the nozzle 26 and the surface of the endless transport body 12, and the movable column 34 is fixed to the fixed column 38. By fixing, the nozzle position can be adjusted.

  Alternatively, the nozzle position adjusting mechanism 30 is provided with a driving unit that drives the movable column 34 and a measuring unit that measures the distance between the nozzle outlet 26a and the food, and the control that will be described later is performed based on the distance measured by the measuring unit. The operation of the driving means can be controlled by the means 50 so that the movable column 34 can be automatically operated.

[Drive mechanism and control means]
The liquid acceleration member 24 of the liquid ejection mechanism 20 is connected to the drive mechanism 40. The drive mechanism 40 may include a servo press 44 that drives a slide 48 by a servo motor 42, and a connecting member 46 that connects the slide 48 of the servo press 44 and the liquid acceleration member 24, but is limited to this configuration. Is not to be done. For example, the drive mechanism 40 may be configured such that the moving speed and position of the liquid acceleration member 24 of the liquid ejection mechanism 20 can be arbitrarily changed using a crank press, a hydraulic press, or the like. When there are a plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20, as shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of liquid acceleration members 24 in the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms 20 is connected to each other by one connecting member 46, and the connecting member 46. Is preferably connected to the slide 48 of the servo press 44.

  The servo press 44 can linearly move the slide 48 using a mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the servo motor 42 whose operation is controlled by a pulse signal from the control means 50 into a linear motion. The slide 48 is connected to the liquid accelerating member 24 via the connecting member 46, and therefore, the liquid accelerating member 24 freely controls its moving speed and position as the servo motor 42, that is, the slide 48 is driven. be able to. Servo press mechanisms and their operation are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein. The servo press that can be used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. The servo press 44 can freely change the movement speed of the slide 48 from the movement start to the movement end, and can freely set one or a plurality of positions for changing the movement speed. Any commercially available servo press (for example, a servo press manufactured by Daiichi Dentsu Co., Ltd.) can be used.

  The slide 48 of the servo press 44 can be moved by an arbitrary distance at an arbitrary speed in the vertical direction, that is, from the upper side to the lower side in the drawing, by the driving force from the servo motor 42. Therefore, the liquid accelerating member 24 connected to the servo press 44 by the connecting means 46 moves in the vertical direction in the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 in accordance with the operation of the slide 48, and the liquid held in the inner space 23 is removed. The nozzle 26 can be pushed out.

  The servo press 44 can include a control unit 50 that controls the rotation of the servo motor 42 and a storage unit 51 that stores various data. For example, the control means 50 including a programmable logic controller (PLC) can freely change the movement speed in the movement process from the movement start position to the movement end position of the liquid acceleration member 24 based on various data stored in the storage means 51. The servo motor 42 can be controlled to change to The control means 50 and the storage means 51 are preferably stored in the control panel 52, for example.

  The control means 50 can be configured not only to drive the drive mechanism 40 but also to control the entire apparatus 1. That is, the control unit 50 can be configured to control the operation of the food transport mechanism 10 shown in the flow of FIG. 5 described later in conjunction with the operation of the drive mechanism 40. Furthermore, the control means 50 may be configured to be able to control the operation of a nozzle height adjusting mechanism that is automated as necessary and the operation of a flow rate adjusting valve that will be described later. .

  The device 1 is preferably provided with parameter setting means for setting a parameter which is information for operating the device 1 as described later. The parameter setting means may be a setting screen realized by software, a button, a knob, or a meter realized as hardware. The software setting screen can be configured such that parameters can be set using an input space for inputting parameter setting values, a pull-down menu, or the like.

[Liquid supply mechanism]
The apparatus 1 includes a liquid supply mechanism 60 for supplying a liquid to the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22. The liquid supply mechanism 60 includes a tank 62 that holds liquid, a flow path 64 through which liquid supplied from the tank 62 toward the liquid holding member 22, and a liquid injection unit 66 provided in the liquid holding member 22 or the ejection block 27. And have. The liquid injecting section 66 preferably communicates with the first passage 67 communicating with the flow path 64, the outlet of the first passage 67, the second passage 68 having a larger diameter than the passage 67, and the liquid backflow. And a backflow preventing member 69 for preventing. A member (not shown) that restricts the movement of the backflow prevention member 69 is provided at the outlet of the second passage 68.

  When the liquid accelerating member 24 moves upward in the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22, the inner space 23 becomes negative pressure, and the backflow preventing member 69 moves upward from the outlet of the first passage 67. Therefore, the liquid is introduced from the tank 62 through the flow path 64, the first passage 67 and the second passage 68 into the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22. When the liquid accelerating member 24 moves downward in the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22, the inner space becomes positive pressure, and the backflow preventing member 69 blocks the outlet of the first passage 67, thereby preventing the backflow of the liquid. .

  The liquid supply mechanism 60 may further include a branch header (not shown) for temporarily holding the liquid from the tank 62 and branching the liquid toward each liquid holding member 22. In the case of an embodiment in which the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 includes a plurality of arrays, some of the components of the liquid supply mechanism 60 can be configured as a plurality of similar elements. For example, when the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 is configured as an array of two rows in the front and rear direction with respect to the moving direction of the food by the endless transporter 12, the liquid holding in each array is performed from the tank 62 as shown in FIG. The flow path 64 for supplying the liquid toward the member 22 has two paths, and the liquid can be separately supplied to the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 through each path. A flow rate control valve (not shown) that can be controlled by the control means 50 at any position from the tank 62 to the inlet of the flow path 67 is provided. You may make it control the flow volume of the liquid supplied toward.

  In the apparatus 1, the food transport mechanism 10, the liquid ejection mechanism 20, the nozzle position adjustment mechanism 30, the drive mechanism 40, and the control panel 52 provided as necessary are preferably supported by a frame 54.

[Device operation]
Next, based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, a liquid injection method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described together with the operation of an apparatus for realizing the liquid injection method. The liquid injection method in the present embodiment may include a parameter setting step, a food carry-in step, a liquid injection step, and a food carry-out step.

(Parameter setting process)
First, in the parameter setting step, the liquid injection specification is determined according to conditions such as the type, size or quality of the food to be injected with liquid, the type of liquid to be injected or physical properties (s1 in FIG. 5). . The liquid injection specification can be, for example, a condition for uniformly injecting a liquid into the food or a condition for achieving a predetermined injection position and injection amount of the liquid in the food. Next, parameters that are information for operating the apparatus 1 so as to realize the determined liquid injection specification are determined and set in the apparatus 1 (s2). The control means 50 of the apparatus 1 operates each mechanism and means of the apparatus 1 based on the set parameters.

In the apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the following parameters are set.
・ The number of food transports in the liquid injection process (hereinafter referred to as transports)
・ Food transport distance in liquid injection process (hereinafter referred to as transport distance)
・ Number of liquid injections at the same position (hereinafter referred to as the same position injection number)
・ Number of liquid acceleration member speed change sections (hereinafter referred to as the number of sections)
・ Liquid acceleration member movement speed for each liquid acceleration member speed change section (hereinafter referred to as movement speed)
・ Liquid acceleration member travel distance for each liquid acceleration member speed change section (hereinafter referred to as travel distance)
・ Distance between nozzle and endless carrier (hereinafter referred to as nozzle position)
・ Nozzle diameter (hereinafter referred to as nozzle diameter)
The meaning of these parameters will be explained as necessary in the following description.

  When the necessary parameters are set in the parameter setting step, the food is placed on the endless transport body 12 of the food transport mechanism 10 and the transport of the food is started in the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 1 (s3). . When the food reaches an appropriate liquid injection position, the travel of the endless transport body 12 is temporarily stopped (s5). This stop can be performed manually. However, when a sensor is provided to detect that the food has reached the appropriate liquid injection position, the control means 50 causes the endless carrier to be in response to a signal from the sensor. It can also comprise so that driving | running | working of 12 may be stopped (s4 and s5). The position at which the food is stopped may be determined in advance by the operator in consideration of the type and size of the food, the type of liquid to be injected, the amount of liquid, and the injection position of the liquid, and stored in the storage means 51. preferable.

  The nozzle position (that is, the height from the upper surface of the endless transport body 12 to the outlet 26a of the nozzle 26) is preferably adjusted according to the thickness of the food into which the liquid is injected and the liquid injection position. In this embodiment, the nozzle distance can be adjusted manually by operating the nozzle position adjusting mechanism 30 in advance. In another embodiment, a sensor for measuring the height of the food and a drive mechanism capable of changing the height of the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 in accordance with a signal from the sensor are provided, and the signal from the sensor is used. You may comprise so that the height of the exit 26a may be changed automatically.

  When the food stops at the liquid injection position (s5), the drive mechanism 40 operates based on the signal from the control means 50, and the liquid injection process (s7 to s18) is performed. It is preferable that the liquid injection preparation step (s6) is performed before the liquid injection step is performed. The liquid injection preparation step is a step in which the liquid acceleration member 24 is moved from the apparatus origin position, which is a reference for the position of the liquid acceleration member 24 in the apparatus 1, to a movement start position at which the liquid acceleration member starts to accelerate the liquid. In the present embodiment, this step is performed after the food arrives at the liquid injection position, but is not limited to this, and the food is placed before the food is placed on the endless transport body 12. It may be performed at any time during the period from when the food is moved to when the movement is started.

  After the liquid injection preparation step (s6) is performed as necessary, the liquid injection step is started. In the liquid injection step, the liquid accelerating member 24 of the liquid ejecting mechanism 20 moves the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 from the movement start position to the movement end position in the direction of the nozzle 26 to accelerate the liquid. Liquid is injected into the food from the nozzle 26 and injected into the food. After a predetermined amount of liquid in the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 is ejected, the endless transport body 12 travels by a predetermined amount to move the food, and the liquid is similarly injected into another position of the food. This series of operations is repeated until the liquid injection process is completed. The movement start position can be set at any position between the inlet 22b of the liquid holding member 22 and the inlet 26b of the nozzle 26, and the movement end position is between the movement start position and the inlet 26b of the nozzle 26. It can be set to either position.

  The feature of the present invention is that it controls the travel of the endless carrier 12 and the movement of the liquid acceleration member 24 from the movement start position to the movement end position in the liquid injection step, regardless of the state and type of food and liquid. It is possible to inject liquid evenly into the food, or to increase the ratio of the amount of liquid remaining inside the food (liquid yield) with respect to the amount of liquid ejected. It is also possible to inject into the position. In order to realize this feature, the apparatus 1 can arbitrarily set the number of times and the distance to move the endless carrier 12 (that is, the above-mentioned “number of times of conveyance” and “conveyance distance”), and can accelerate the liquid. The part from the movement start position to the movement end position of the member 24 is divided into a plurality of sections (that is, the above-mentioned “number of sections”), and the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member 24 for each section (that is, the above-described “movement speed”). ) And the moving distance of the liquid acceleration member 24 (that is, the above-mentioned “moving distance”) can be arbitrarily set.

  In the liquid injection step, the drive mechanism 40 operates based on a signal from the control unit 50, so that the liquid acceleration member 24 has the liquid injection start position (that is, the start position of the first section of the plurality of sections). ) To the end position of the first section, the first movement distance is moved at the first speed (s7). While the liquid accelerating member 24 moves at the first speed in the first section (that is, the first distance), the liquid given the speed by the liquid accelerating member 24 is ejected from the nozzle 26 toward the food. The Next, when the liquid acceleration member 24 reaches the end position of the first section (that is, the start position of the second section) (s8), the liquid acceleration member 24 is moved to the end position of the second section (that is, the first position). 3 (start position of section 3), it moves at the second speed by the second distance (s9). While the liquid accelerating member 24 moves at the second speed in the second section (that is, the second distance), the liquid speeded by the liquid accelerating member 24 is ejected from the nozzle 26 toward the food. The The above steps are repeated as many times as necessary (s10 to s11), and when the liquid acceleration member 24 reaches the end position of the Nth section (that is, the movement end position of the liquid acceleration member) (s12), the liquid holding member 22 All the liquid held in the inner space 23 is ejected from the nozzle 26.

  For example, the movement stroke from the movement start position to the movement end position of the liquid acceleration member 24 is divided into two sections, that is, a first section from the movement start position to a predetermined position and a predetermined position, that is, the end of the first section. It can be divided into a second section from the position to the movement end position of the liquid acceleration member 24. In these two sections, the moving speed can be controlled by the control means 50 so that the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member 24 in one section is faster than the moving speed in the other section. By controlling the moving speed and moving distance of the liquid accelerating member 24 in this manner, the ejection speed of the liquid from the nozzle 26 when the liquid accelerating member 24 moves in the first and second sections is changed. Will be able to.

  Next, the control means 50 operates the moving mechanism 40 so that the liquid acceleration member 24 returns to the start position of the first section (s13). When the liquid acceleration member 24 moves in a direction away from the nozzle 26, the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22 becomes negative pressure. Due to this negative pressure, the liquid to be ejected by the next movement of the liquid acceleration member 24 passes through the flow path 64, the first passage 67, and the second passage 68, and the inner space 23 of the liquid holding member 22. To be introduced. The apparatus 1 is provided with a flow rate control valve, and the flow rate control valve is opened before the liquid acceleration member 24 is moved (s17), so that the amount of liquid to be ejected by the next movement of the liquid acceleration member 24 is the liquid holding member. The valve may be closed when it is introduced into the inner space 23 of 22 (s18). By providing the flow rate adjusting valve in this way, waste of liquid use can be prevented.

  Next, the control means 50 determines whether or not the number of times of liquid injection at the same position of the food (the above-mentioned “number of times of same-position injection”) has reached the set number (s14). The number of injections at the same position is the number of times that the process of moving the liquid acceleration member 24 from the acceleration start position to the movement end position is repeated without moving the food. That is, when the same position injection number is set a plurality of times, the liquid is injected into the same position of the food a plurality of times. With this configuration, a predetermined amount of liquid can be injected into a predetermined position of the food more reliably. The number of injections at the same position is determined in consideration of the thickness of the food. When the food is thick, the liquid can be injected deeper into the food by increasing the number of injections at the same position. If it is determined in s14 that the number of same-position injections has not reached the set number, s7 to s13 (including s17 and s18 as necessary) are repeated.

  If it is determined in s14 that the number of injections at the same position has reached the set number of times, then the number of times of injecting the liquid in the food transfer direction (the above-mentioned “number of transfer times”) is set to the set number of times. It is determined whether it has been reached (s15). The number of conveyances is the number of times the endless conveyance body 12 is run in the liquid injection process. In other words, the food conveyed by the endless conveying body 12 is injected with liquid at a plurality of locations at regular or different intervals in the conveying direction, and this number of times is the number of times of conveyance. Thus, a predetermined amount of liquid can be inject | poured into the predetermined position of a foodstuff by inject | pouring a liquid into the whole food in multiple times with respect to the conveyance direction of a foodstuff. The number of times of conveyance is determined in consideration of the amount and uniformity of liquid injection into the food. If the number of times of conveyance is increased, the liquid can be injected more uniformly in the length direction of the food (as a result, the amount of liquid injection increases). The product of the above-mentioned number of injections at the same position and the number of conveyances described here is the total number of injections of liquid into the entire food. For example, when the same position injection count is set to 2 and the transfer count is set to 10, the liquid injection is performed 20 times over the entire food.

  When it is determined in s15 that the number of times of conveyance has not reached the set number of times, the control means 50 causes the endless conveyance body 12 to travel a predetermined distance (the above-mentioned “conveyance distance”). The conveyance distance can be determined from the length in the conveyance direction of the food into which the liquid is injected and the number of conveyances (that is, the number of injections in the length direction). For example, in the case of injecting a liquid with a number of transports of 10 for a food with a length of 200 mm, the transport distance is 20 mm. Each of the plurality of transport distances can be the same distance or different distances.

  If it is determined in s15 that the number of times of conveyance has reached the set number of times, the liquid injection process is ended, and in the carry-out process, the food is moved from the liquid injection position by the endless carrier 12 to the arrow shown in FIG. It is carried out in the direction D (s19).

Below, the Example which inject | poured the liquid into the foodstuff using the needleless type liquid injection apparatus which concerns on this invention is described.
(Example 1 to Example 7)
In Examples 1 to 7, a configuration in which five liquid ejecting mechanisms are arranged in a row in the lateral direction with respect to the food conveyance direction is used. The total amount of liquid held in the five liquid holding members (that is, the inner space of the liquid holding member) in the five liquid ejecting mechanisms was 42 cc. Chicken breast and pork loin were used as foods for injecting the liquid. As for the size of the chicken breast, the length of the longest part in the transport direction was about 180 mm, the length of the longest part in the transverse direction to the transport direction was about 100 mm, and the thickness of the thickest part was about 30 mm. As for the size of pork loin, the length of the longest portion in the transport direction was about 200 mm, the length of the longest portion in the transverse direction to the transport direction was about 90 mm, and the thickness of the thickest portion was about 50 mm. The chicken breast was placed on the endless transport body so that the peeled side was in contact with the endless transport body. As the injection liquid, a liquid 1 having a low viscosity (viscosity 8 CP) and a liquid 2 having a high viscosity (viscosity 22 CP) were used.

In Examples 1 to 7, the parameters were set as follows.
-Number of times of transport: 30 times (therefore, the total injection amount is 42cc x 30 times = 1,260cc)
・ Transport distance: 5mm
・ Number of injections at the same position: 1 time ・ Number of sections: 2 sections (total distance of 2 sections is 26 mm)
・ Moving speed and moving distance of liquid accelerating member; as shown in Table 1 ・ Nozzle position: 120 mm
・ Nozzle diameter: 0.3mm and 0.7mm

  Table 1 shows combinations of food, infusion liquid, and nozzle diameter in Examples 1 to 7. Table 2 shows, for each of Examples 1 to 7, the moving speed and moving distance of the liquid acceleration member in the first and second sections, and the force applied to the liquid by moving the liquid acceleration member at a predetermined speed. Indicates the maximum value (maximum load). 6 to 13 are graphs showing the relationship (load pattern) between the moving distance (horizontal axis (unit: mm)) and the load (vertical axis (unit: kN)) of the liquid acceleration member. The moving speed of the liquid accelerating member in Table 2 is the maximum speed in each section, and the load is the servo motor calculated from the ratio of the current value at the rated torque of the servo motor and the current value actually flowing. It is a value obtained from torque.

Below, in each of Example 1-7, the result of having observed the injection | pouring state of the liquid with respect to a foodstuff is shown.
[Example 1]
In Example 1-A (FIG. 6A), the liquid diffused in the upper part of the pork loin (that is, the liquid was injected only in the upper part). In Example 1-B (FIG. 6B), compared with Example 1-A, the speed in section 2 was increased, and the distance in section 2 was further increased. As a result, although there was a portion where the liquid was injected further down, it was not injected deeply, and most of the liquid was injected from the top of pork loin to the middle. In Example 1-C (FIG. 6C), compared with Examples 1-A and 1-B, the speed of Section 1 was increased and the distance of Section 1 was shortened so that the load peak was moved forward. As a result, the liquid was uniformly diffused and injected to the lower part of the whole food.

[Example 2]
Example 2 is a result when the nozzle diameter is made larger than that of Example 1. In Example 2-A (FIG. 7A), the liquid penetrated pork loin. In Example 2-B (FIG. 7B), as a result of injecting the liquid into the pork loin while reducing the speed of the liquid acceleration means as a whole, the liquid is mainly injected into the upper part of the pork loin, and the liquid reaching the lower part is There were few. In Example 2-C (FIG. 7C), the speed of section 1 is -higher than that of Example 2-B, the speed of section 2 is the same, and the distance of section 1 is longer than that of Example 2-B. Went. As a result, the liquid was injected and diffused to the lower part except for the thick central part. Therefore, for example, in order to inject the liquid almost uniformly into the entire pork loin, it is preferable to inject the liquid in the section 1 at a high speed and then decrease the speed in the section 2. Since the nozzle diameter of the second embodiment is larger than that of the first embodiment, the resistance that the liquid acceleration unit receives from the liquid is small, and the speed of the liquid acceleration unit is high.

[Example 3]
Example 3 is a result when a liquid having a higher viscosity than that of Example 1 is used. In Example 3-A (FIG. 8A), the liquid penetrated pork loin. In Example 3-B (FIG. 8B), the liquid accelerating means in the section 2 was injected at a low speed. As a result, the portions other than the thick central portion were injected to the lower portion and diffused. In Example 3-C (FIG. 8C), injection was performed at a constant injection rate. As a result, liquid was not injected to the lower part of the pork loin as a whole, and liquid diffusion was not confirmed. Therefore, the liquid has been injected into a specific position from the top to the middle of the pork loin. In the case of Example 3-C, the maximum load is the same as in Example 3-B, but the load gradually increased from the start of injection to reach the maximum load, whereas in Example 3-B After reaching the load of about the maximum load immediately after the start of injection, the load of the level was maintained. From this result, it is considered that the liquid can be uniformly diffused in pork loin by reaching the maximum load immediately after the start of injection and then maintaining the injection at a load close to the maximum load. When Example 1 was compared with Example 3, it was observed that the liquid with a low viscosity is easy to spread | diffuse inside a foodstuff. Therefore, when a high-viscosity liquid is used in the present apparatus, it becomes possible to inject the liquid into an arbitrary position of the food with higher accuracy.

[Example 4]
Example 4 is a result when the nozzle diameter is made larger than that of Example 4. In Example 4-A (FIG. 9A), the liquid penetrated pork loin. In Example 4-B (FIG. 9B), the speed of the section 2 was decreased and the distance of the section 1 was shortened. As a result, in the thick central part, the liquid was not injected to the lower part, but diffused widely. In Example 4-C (FIG. 9C), the distance of section 1 was made longer than that in Example 4-B. As a result, the maximum load increased and the liquid reached the bottom.

[Example 5]
Example 5 is the result of injecting the liquid into chicken breast. In Example 5-A (FIG. 10A), the liquid was injected only into the upper part of the chicken breast. In Example 5-B (FIG. 10B), the speed of the liquid accelerating means was increased overall, and the distance in section 1 was shortened. As a result, the liquid diffused throughout.

[Example 6]
Example 6 is a result when the nozzle diameter is made larger than that of Example 5. In Example 6-A (FIG. 11A), the liquid penetrated the chicken breast. In Example 6-B (FIG. 11B), the speed of the liquid acceleration means was decreased. As a result, the liquid diffused throughout the chicken breast.

[Example 7]
Example 7 is a result at the time of using the liquid whose viscosity is higher than Example 5. FIG. In Example 7-A (FIG. 12A), the liquid was injected only into the upper part of the chicken breast. In Example 7-B (FIG. 12B), the speed of the liquid accelerating means was increased and the distance in section 1 was shortened. As a result, the liquid diffused throughout the chicken breast.

(Examples 8 to 11)
In the eighth to eleventh embodiments, even if the total load (that is, the total energy) applied to the liquid from the liquid acceleration member is the same, the movement pattern of the liquid acceleration member, that is, the movement speed and the movement distance can be changed. It was shown that the yield of can be easily changed. In Examples 8 to 11, an apparatus having the same configuration as that of Examples 1 to 7 was used. The total amount of liquid held by the five liquid holding members was 41.2 g (38 cc). Pork loin and pork belly were used as foods for injecting the liquid. The size of pork loin is about 45 mm in the longest part in the transport direction, about 90 mm in the longest part in the transverse direction to the transport direction, about 80 mm in thickness, and 350 g in weight. there were. The size of pork belly is about 45 mm in the longest part in the conveying direction, about 80 mm in the longest part in the transverse direction to the conveying direction, about 60 mm in thickness at the thickest part, and 250 g in weight. there were. The viscosity of the injected liquid was 22 CP.

In Examples 8 to 11, the parameters were set as follows. In these examples, the food transport mechanism was not driven.
・ Number of injections at the same position: 1 ・ Number of sections: 2 sections (total distance of 2 sections is 32 mm)
・ Moving speed and moving distance of liquid accelerating member; as shown in Table 3 ・ Nozzle position; set so that the distance between food and nozzle is about 5 mm ・ Nozzle diameter: 0.3 mm

  In Example 8 and Example 10, the liquid was injected into the pork loin and pork belly with the load pattern shown in FIG. 13A, and in Example 9 and Example 11, the pork loin and the pork respectively. Liquid was injected into the flesh with the load pattern shown in FIG. 13B. 13A and 13B, the horizontal axis represents the moving distance (unit: mm) of the liquid acceleration member, and the vertical axis represents the load (unit: kN) applied to the liquid by the liquid acceleration member. In any case, the total area under the line indicating the load pattern shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B corresponds to the energy given to the liquid in each case, and the energy in Example 8 and Example 10 and Example 9 And it set so that the energy in Example 11 might become substantially the same. In Example 9 and Example 11, the speed of the liquid acceleration member is controlled to increase stepwise, and this control method is such that the load gradually increases from zero as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 13B. The increasing control is realized in a pseudo manner by the apparatus and method according to the present invention.

  In Example 8, since the amount of increase in the weight of pork loin injected with the liquid was 16.8 g with respect to 41.2 g of the injected liquid, the yield of the liquid, that is, the amount of injected liquid. In contrast, the ratio of the amount of liquid injected into the food was about 40%. On the other hand, in Example 9, since the increase in the weight of pork loin was 6.1 g, the liquid yield was about 15%. Similarly, in Example 10, since the increase in the weight of pork belly was 30.9 g, the liquid yield was about 75%. On the other hand, in Example 11, since the increase in the weight of pork belly was 20.0 g, the liquid yield was about 48%. From the results of Example 8 to Example 11, if the apparatus and method according to the present invention are used, the moving speed and the moving distance of the liquid accelerating member are changed, so that it is higher depending on the type of food into which the liquid is injected. The device can be easily optimized to achieve yield.

(Example 12 to Example 15)
Examples 12 to 15 are experimental results showing that the liquid injection depth can be controlled by changing the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member for different foods. In Examples 12 to 15, an apparatus having the same configuration as that of Examples 1 to 7 was used. Of the five liquid holding members, three liquid holding members at the center held 2.5 cc of liquid, respectively, for a total of 7.5 cc. The foods infused with liquid are pork belly, pork loin, chicken breast and squid. The thickness of the thickest part of each food was about 40 mm for pork belly, about 60 mm for pork loin, about 40 mm for chicken breast, and about 30 mm for squid. The viscosity of the injected liquid was 22 cp.

In Examples 12 to 15, the parameters were set as follows. In these examples, the food transport mechanism was not driven.
・ Number of injections at the same position: 1 time ・ Number of sections: 1 section (distance is 10 mm)
・ Nozzle position: Set so that the distance between the food and the nozzle is about 5 mm ・ Nozzle diameter: 0.3 mm
・ Moving speed of liquid acceleration member: Pork loin speed 1; 10 mm / s, speed 2; 20 mm / s, speed 3; 30 mm / s as follows
Pork belly speed 1; 20 mm / s, speed 2; 25 mm / s, speed 3; 30 mm / s
Chicken breast speed 1; 5 mm / s, speed 2; 10 mm / s, speed 3; 15 mm / s
Squid speed 1; 10 mm / s, speed 2; 20 mm / s, speed 3; 30 mm / s

  Table 4 shows the distance from the food surface to the deepest liquid arrival position when the moving speed of the liquid accelerating means was changed from speed 1 to speed 3 for Example 12 to Example 15. This result is an average of 15 experimental results. Moreover, FIGS. 14-17 is a photograph which shows an example of the cross section of the foodstuff after inject | pouring a liquid in Example 12- Example 15, respectively. From these embodiments, according to the apparatus and method according to the present invention, the depth at which the liquid reaches can be easily and arbitrarily determined for each food by appropriately changing the speed of the liquid acceleration means according to the type of food. It can be seen that the liquid can be uniformly injected since the liquid is injected with substantially the same width from the liquid inlet to the deepest part at any speed.

Claims (11)

A device for injecting liquid into food,
A liquid holding member that holds liquid therein, a liquid acceleration member that gives a speed to the liquid in the liquid holding member, and a liquid that has been given a speed by the liquid acceleration member is ejected toward the food. A liquid ejection mechanism including a nozzle provided at an opposing position;
A drive mechanism for moving the liquid acceleration member;
The same distance or different distances is divided into a plurality of sections each having, Oite the stroke of the liquid accelerating member for injecting a total amount of liquid held inside the liquid holding member, said plurality of Control means capable of controlling the drive mechanism so as to individually change the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in each of the sections ;
A device comprising: The movement stroke is divided from the liquid accelerating member is moved the start position of the first section to move to a predetermined position, and a second section which moves the to a predetermined position or we move end position, the The control means controls the drive mechanism so that the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in the first section is faster than the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in the second section. The apparatus according to 1. The movement stroke is divided from the liquid accelerating member is moved the start position of the first section to move to a predetermined position, and a second section which moves the to a predetermined position or we move end position, the The control means controls the drive mechanism so that the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in the first section is slower than the moving speed of the liquid acceleration member in the second section. Item 2. The apparatus according to Item 1. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the diameter of the nozzle is configured to be changeable. The liquid ejecting mechanism includes a plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms, each of the plurality of liquid accelerating members of the liquid ejecting mechanism is coupled to each other by one coupling member, and the coupling member is coupled to the driving mechanism. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . 6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms are arranged in a line such that outlets of the plurality of nozzles are positioned on the same horizontal plane. The plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms are divided into at least two arrays each including a plurality of liquid ejecting mechanisms, and the at least two arrays are arranged such that outlets of the plurality of nozzles are located on the same horizontal plane. The device according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the devices are juxtaposed at a predetermined interval. Wherein the liquid holding member, and having an opening portion provided at a position facing the food, an injection block the nozzle is provided with sealing the opening, claims 1 to 3 The apparatus of any one of these. A method for injecting a liquid into food,
Supplying liquid to the liquid holding member;
A liquid ejecting step in which the entire amount of the liquid retained in the liquid retaining member is ejected toward the food from a nozzle provided at a position facing the food, and the liquid in the liquid retaining member is liquid accelerated given the speed by a member, the liquid accelerating member is Oite the stroke of the liquid accelerating member divided into a plurality of sections each having the same distance or different distances, the moving speed in each of the plurality of sections Each of which is controlled to change independently ;
A method comprising the steps of: The movement stroke is divided from the liquid accelerating member is moved the start position of the first section to move to a predetermined position, and a second section which moves the to a predetermined position or we move end position, the The method according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid acceleration member is controlled such that a moving speed in the first section is higher than a moving speed in the second section. The movement stroke is divided from the liquid accelerating member is moved the start position of the first section to move to a predetermined position, and a second section which moves the to a predetermined position or we move end position, the The method according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid accelerating member is controlled so that a moving speed in the first section is slower than a moving speed in the second section.