JP2000224977A - Foreign matter removal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a foreign matter-removing apparatus capable of readily removing fine foreign matters in the washing of a food such as a cut vegetable. SOLUTION: A foreign matter-removing member 3 having long size in the progressing direction of a conveying device 1 and the right angle direction thereof, and cross sections in the longitudinal direction and the right angle direction of the longitudinal direction, formed so as to protrude upward, is attached to the endless conveying device 1 over the whole length of the conveying device 1. A prescribed clearance is formed between the foreign matter-removing member 3 and the neighboring foreign matter-removing member 3, and a water-jetting part 2 for jetting water against the conveying device 1 is installed at the upper part of the conveying device 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a foreign matter removing device for removing fine foreign matter such as hair attached to food such as cut vegetables.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, foods such as cut vegetables are washed with water by various washing methods to remove foreign substances such as soil and dust.

[0003] As the above-mentioned washing method, a method of storing food in a container such as a water tank and injecting high-pressure water from above,
There is a method of bubbling by blowing air from the inside.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned cleaning method, foreign substances such as soil can sink to the bottom of the water and be removed, but other fine foreign substances such as hair and lint can be removed. Although it is separated from food by washing, it easily adheres to food again. For this reason, the removal of fine foreign substances has to be performed manually, which has been a serious task.

An object of the present invention is to easily remove fine foreign matter.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an endless transport device that is long in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport device and is perpendicular to the length direction. The cross section has a foreign matter removing member formed in a shape protruding upward, attached over the entire length of the transport device, providing a predetermined gap between the respective foreign material removing members, above the transport device, A water jet unit for jetting water toward the transport device is provided.

[0007] Further, the transfer device is formed of two endless chains arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval,
The foreign matter removing member can be attached between the two endless chains.

[0008] The target food is placed on the foreign matter removing member at one end of the transport device. Then, the food is moved to the other end of the transport by the transport. During this move,
Water is sprayed from the water spray section toward the food. Since the foreign matter removing member is formed in a shape protruding upward, when water is sprayed, the food is pushed between the foreign matter removing member and the adjacent foreign matter removing member. At this time, a predetermined gap is provided between the foreign matter removing members. For this reason, although food stops between the above-described foreign matter removing member and the adjacent foreign matter removing member, fine foreign matter such as hair falls downward from this gap, or
I get caught in this gap. When the food moves to the other end of the transport device, the food other than fine foreign matter is sent from the transport device to the next process.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the foreign matter removing device according to the present invention comprises an endless conveying device 1 and a water jetting unit 2.

The above-mentioned transport apparatus 1 is for moving a foreign substance removing member 3 described later endlessly. As a specific form, there is an endless chain 12 supported by two sprockets 11. The two endless chains 12 are used in parallel at predetermined intervals.

A foreign matter removing member 3 is attached over the entire length of the transport device 1. Specifically, the foreign substance removing member 3 is attached between the two endless chains 12 over the entire length of the endless chain 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the endless chain 12 includes a chain link 13 and a connecting member 14 that connects the chain link 13. This connecting member 14
A part thereof is bent to form a bent part 15, and both ends of the foreign matter removing member 3 are connected to the bent part 15 at the bent part 15. Accordingly, the foreign matter removing member 3 moves as the endless chain 12 moves.

The foreign substance removing member 3 is a member that is long in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport device 1 and that has a cross section perpendicular to the length direction and formed in a shape protruding upward. It is. As the shape of the cross section of the foreign matter removing member 3, as shown in FIG. 3, a triangle having an apex at an upper portion is exemplified. Other examples include a polygon such as a pentagon having a vertex at the top of the cross-sectional shape, and a shape in which the whole is formed as a curved surface such as a hemisphere. Furthermore, examples of the shape of the cross section include a shape in which the sides of the polygon are formed from curved surfaces, a shape in which the vertices of the polygon are rounded, and a combination thereof. In any of the above cases, it is not always necessary that the bottom surface portion of the cross-sectional shape be flat.

As shown in FIG. 4, a predetermined gap is provided between the above-mentioned foreign substance removing members 3. The interval of the gap can be set according to the food to be subjected to foreign substance removal using the foreign substance removing device according to the present invention, and the type of foreign substance adhering to the food. For example,
When the food is cut vegetables, peeled shrimp, or the like, an interval may be provided so that these do not drop from the above-described gap. In the case of fine foreign matter such as hair and lint, an interval larger than the diameter of these cross sections, for example, about 2 to 3 mm is sufficient, and in the case of a slightly large foreign substance such as a shell of a peeled shrimp, about 3 to 5 mm It is enough.

At both ends of the foreign matter removing member 3, food fall prevention plates 25 are provided. This is to prevent food between the foreign substance removing members 3 from dropping from both ends of the foreign substance removing member 3 as shown in FIG. Although not shown, the food fall prevention plate 25 is directly attached to a fixed member of the support members of the sprocket 11.

The water injection unit 2 is mounted above the transfer device 1. The water injection unit 2 is provided with
It is a member that sprays water toward. This water injection unit 2
The water is sent and injected by the pump 16. The water source supplied to the pump 16 may be a new water source such as tap water, or as shown in FIG.
The water tank 17 which collects the water injected from the water injection unit 2 may be used.

A collecting section 18 for collecting water from the water jetting section 2 is formed at a lower portion of the transport device 1, and the water tank 17 is formed at a bottom thereof. A net 19 is provided on the upper surface of the water tank 17, and fine foreign substances such as hair washed off by the transport device 1 are caught and removed.

Next, the operation of the foreign matter removing apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described.

The food is dropped from the carry-in section 21 onto the foreign substance removing member 3 at one end of the transport device 1. The food dropped on the foreign substance removing device 3 moves according to the transport device 1.
Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the food 23 moves so as to be pushed between the foreign material removing member 3 and the adjacent foreign material removing member 3 by the water sprayed from the water spraying unit 2. In addition, the fine foreign matter 24 attached to the food 23 flows along with the water, and is pushed down from a gap between the foreign matter removing members 3 or is caught in the gap. The foreign matter 24 that has been swept away is collected by the collection unit 18 installed at the lower part of the transport device 1.
Will be collected.

The food 23 that has moved to the other end of the transport device 1 moves to the conveyor 22 according to the rotation of the sprocket 11, and is sent to the next step. At this time, water may be applied to the sprocket 11 by the shower 26 to assist in washing and moving the food. Instead of the conveyor 22, a processing device for the next process may be installed.

Further, the foreign matter 24 caught in the gap of the foreign matter removing member 3 moves in a return step toward one end of the transport device 1 as it is. Then, it is again exposed to water injection from the water injection unit 2. At this time, the foreign matter caught in the gap of the foreign matter removing member 3 is washed away by the water and collected by the collection unit 18.

The water collected in the collecting section 18 is collected in the water tank 17. At this time, foreign matter 24 such as underwater hair is caught by the net 19. Therefore, the foreign matter 24 is removed from the water in the water tank 17. Therefore, the water in the water tank 17 can be sent to the water injection unit 2 by the pump 16.

Foods to which the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the present invention can be applied are not particularly limited, but include vegetables such as cut vegetables, cereals, fruits, beans, and other agricultural products, fish, shellfish, and the like.
Any foods such as marine products such as crustaceans such as shrimps, intermediate products and processed products of agricultural products and marine products can be mentioned.

Examples of the fine foreign matter removed by the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the present invention include hair, shells from which small shrimps have been peeled, lint, and the like.

[0025]

According to the present invention, a foreign matter removing member having a cross section protruding upward is used.
Foreign matter such as food and hair can be separated by spraying water from above. Then, the separated foreign matter is washed away from the foreign matter removing member as it is, or in the returning process of the foreign matter removing member, is washed away from the foreign matter removing member by the above-described water jet. Thereby, fine foreign substances such as hair can be removed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a foreign matter removing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the foreign matter removing member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of a state in which food is placed on the foreign matter removing member.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveying device 2 Water injection device 3 Foreign material removal device 11 Sprocket 12 Endless chain 13 Chain link 14 Connecting member 15 Bent part 16 Pump 17 Water tank 18 Collection part 19 Net 21 Carry-in part 22 Conveyor 23 Food 24 Foreign substance 25 Food fall prevention plate 26 Shower

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A foreign matter removal device comprising: an endless transfer device formed in a shape that is long in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the transfer device and whose cross section in a direction perpendicular to the length direction projects upward. A member was attached over the entire length of the conveying device, a predetermined gap was provided between the respective foreign matter removing members, and a water jetting unit for jetting water toward the conveying device was provided above the conveying device. Foreign matter removal device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device comprises two endless chains arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and the foreign matter removing member is attached between the two endless chains. 3. The foreign matter removing device according to 1.