JPS6030947Y2 - tofu manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field This invention relates to an automated tofu manufacturing device, in which the heating means is separated from the soymilk container after the soybean milk has been boiled, thereby increasing the thermal responsiveness of the soymilk in the container and increasing its boiling temperature. The present invention relates to a device designed to prevent boiling and bumping.

BACKGROUND ART In general, tofu production involves a first step of soaking soybeans in water, a second step of crushing the soaked soybeans, a third step of boiling the crushed soybeans, and a process of boiling the boiled soybeans with soy milk. This is accomplished by sequentially performing a fourth step of separating the soybean milk, a fifth step of coagulating the separated soymilk, and a sixth step of molding it.

However, when attempting to automate these steps using a single device, the following problems arise.

In other words, soybeans contain germinative bacteria, and because these germinative bacteria are toxic, they must be sterilized by boiling when producing tofu.

Therefore, for example, soybean milk separated from soybeans is stored in a container equipped with a heating means, and the soybean milk is fed to a boiling and coagulating position, and the soybean milk is heated while being stirred.

During this boiling, in order to completely sterilize germinated bacteria,
For example, it is necessary to hold soy milk at a boiling point of about 100 to 120'C for about 5 to 6 minutes.

However, soybean milk has a tendency to coagulate extremely easily at temperatures of about 70 to 80C, so if it is heated gradually, the soymilk may coagulate during heating.

To avoid this, it is necessary to rapidly heat the material to the boiling point from the beginning of heating.

Therefore, as the heating means, for example, a sheathed heater or the like that generates a large amount of heat is used.

However, when such a sheathed heater or the like that generates a large amount of heat is used, its heat capacity becomes extremely large, and therefore, simply turning off the power cannot immediately lower the temperature due to thermal inertia.

As a result, even after boiling is complete, the heat from the heater is directly transferred to the soymilk through the container, causing problems such as the soymilk being further heated and boiling and overflowing from the container, or boiling and boiling over. .

Disclosure of the invention This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it can speed up the thermal response of soymilk after boiling, and easily prevent boiling and bumping of soymilk from the container. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device with a simple structure that can easily control the temperature of soymilk.

This purpose is to connect the soybean milk container and the heating means with a spring so that the heating means is always in contact with the bottom of the container, and to provide a positioning member on a member such as the main body casing to position the heating means upward. The heating means is provided with an engaging member that corresponds to the positioning member, and when the container further moves upward from the boiling/coagulating position at the end of boiling the soymilk, the engaging member abuts and engages with the positioning member to heat the soybean milk. This can be done remotely by arranging the means to be locked and separated from the container.

According to this invention, after the completion of boiling the soybean milk, the container moves upward and the heating means is separated from the bottom thereof.

Therefore, compared to the case where the heating means is always in close contact with the container, although the heat capacity of the heating means does not change, its heat transfer coefficient is significantly reduced.

As a result, the thermal responsiveness of the soybean milk in the container increases, and the temperature quickly decreases from the boiling point to a predetermined value after the heating means is turned off.

Therefore, it is possible to reliably suppress and eliminate phenomena such as boiling and bumping of the soymilk from the container after the completion of boiling.

Furthermore, since the cooling efficiency of the soybean milk is improved in the subsequent cooling process, the cooling can be performed more quickly and favorably, and the required time is shortened.

Furthermore, a good heat retention effect can be obtained during the subsequent solidification process.

That is, depending on the coagulant, there are types that must be kept at a constant temperature, for example, about 70 to 80°C, after being added.

According to the present invention, even in such a case, since the heating means is completely separated from the bottom surface of the container, the heat from the heating means is distributed evenly over the entire surface of the container through convection phenomena using air as a medium. As a result, the soybean milk inside the container is evenly heated and kept warm throughout.

Therefore, the heat retention effect is significantly improved compared to a case where only the bottom of the container is heated, such as when the heating means is brought into close contact with the container.

Moreover, the desired purpose can be achieved with a simple configuration consisting of a spring that joins the housing and the heating means, a member that positions the heating means, and an engagement member that engages with the positioning member. .

Therefore, the structure is extremely simple, easy to manufacture, and can be manufactured at low cost.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, one embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show the overall configuration of a tofu manufacturing device to which this invention is applied. a soy milk tank 20 rotatably equipped with a soy milk separation tank 21 that separates the crushed soybeans into soy milk and okara; a soymilk container 30 movably supported along a predetermined path at a position; a heating means 40 for heating the soybean milk stored in the container 30 through the container during boiling of the soymilk; A stirring mechanism 50, which is disposed at an upper position near the upper end of the path, applies a stirring action to the soymilk in the container 30 during the boiling of the soymilk, the subsequent cooling process, and the injection of the coagulant. A moving mechanism 60 that guides the soymilk storage position below the outlet to the position of the stirring mechanism 50 along the above-mentioned path, and a predetermined amount of coagulant in the soymilk when the boiled soymilk is cooled to a predetermined coagulation temperature. It is generally composed of a means 70 for inputting.

The soybean milk container 30, the heating means 40, the stirring mechanism 50, the moving mechanism 60, and the charging means 70 are housed in predetermined positions of the casing 10, respectively.

A control circuit 80 consisting of a microcomputer is installed in a predetermined position of the casing 10, so that the operations of each part can be performed automatically and in an orderly manner according to a predetermined sequence and temperature control.

The soybean milk tank 20 is removably installed in the recess 11.

A top lid 220 is removably fitted to the top opening end.

A soymilk flow path 201 is provided at the bottom and sides of the soymilk tank 20.

One end of the casing 1 passes through the cavity 202 under the bottom surface.
0 and extends above the installation position of the soy milk container 30.

An appropriate filter is attached to the discharge port formed at the tip of the flow path 201.

A solenoid valve 23 located in the middle of the flow path 201 that opens and closes this flow path
is provided.

A driving motor 24 for rotating the soybean milk separating tank 21 and the crushing blade 27 is installed inside the casing 10 below the soymilk tank.

This motor 24 is, for example, a commutator motor, and one end of its drive shaft extends into the cavity 202 through an opening formed approximately in the center of the recess 11 .

A rotating shaft 25 is supported through a substantially center of the bottom surface of the soybean milk tank 20 via a sealed bearing so as to be rotatable and coaxial with the drive shaft of the motor 24 .

One end of the rotating shaft 25 extends into the cavity 202 and is connected to one end of the drive shaft of the motor 24 by a shaft coupling 26 .

The upper end of the rotating shaft 25 protrudes into the soymilk tank 20 at a predetermined height, and the protruding end passes through the bottom of the soymilk separation tank 21 provided in the soymilk tank and extends into the interior thereof. A required number of crushing blades 27 are integrally attached.

The crushing blade 27 is rotationally driven in the circumferential direction along the vicinity of the bottom surface of the soybean milk separation tank 21 by the rotation of the rotating shaft 25 driven by the motor 24 when crushing soybeans, and finely crushes the soybeans contained in the soybean milk separation tank.

The soybean milk separation tank 21 has the function of finely pulverizing the soybeans charged therein and separating the pulverized soybeans into soybean milk and okara by centrifugal separation.

A large number of pores 210 are provided in the peripheral wall, and the whole is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape.

A hollow disk-shaped float 28 made of resin such as plastic is integrally fixed to the bottom of the soybean milk separation tank 21.

The soybean milk separation tank 21 and the float 28 are rotatably and vertically slidably supported by a rotating shaft 25 via bearings.

An inner lid 241 is removably fitted to the upper open end of the soybean milk separation tank 21.

On the other hand, a support shaft 2 is attached to the center of the inner surface of the upper M220 of the soybean milk tank 20.
21 is provided in a protruding manner with its central axis coaxial with the rotating shaft 25.

The soybean milk separation tank 21 is supported on this support shaft 221 so as to be rotatable and movable up and down via a bearing provided on the inner lid 211 .

Thus, the soy milk separation tank 21 and the float 28 are connected to the rotating shaft 25.
and a support shaft 221, it is rotatably supported in the soybean milk tank 20 and movable up and down within a predetermined range.

A clutch mechanism 222 consisting of a pair of clutch plates 223 and 224 is removably interposed between the bottom of the soybean milk tank 20 and the bottom of the float 28 on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 25.

This clutch mechanism 222 is connected by lowering the soymilk separation tank 21 and the float 28 to the vicinity of the bottom of the soymilk tank, and uses the frictional force to connect the soymilk separation tank and the float to the rotating shaft 25, and rotates integrally with the crushing blade 27. let

Also, when the soy milk separation tank 21 floats upward from near the bottom of the soy milk tank due to the action of the float 28, both 21.2
8 from the rotation of the rotating shaft 25, and only the crushing blade 27 is rotated.

A pair of suction members are provided on the lower surface of the upper lid 220 and the upper surface of the inner lid 211 to suction and hold the soybean milk separation tank 21 in a floating position when it moves upward.

This adsorption member is composed of, for example, a magnet 225 attached to the upper cover 220 and an iron plate 226 attached to the inner cover 211.

A suitable filter member 23 is provided on the inner wall surface of the soybean milk separation tank 21.
0 is installed.

Next, FIGS. 3 and 4 show the main parts of the present device.

In these figures, the soymilk container 30 consists of a rectangular frame-shaped outer cylinder 310 that opens upward and downward, and a soymilk container 320 that is detachably fitted into the outer cylinder 310.

The container 320 is formed into a rectangular box shape with a predetermined depth, and a collar portion 321 installed at the upper end edge of the outer cylinder 310 is provided at the periphery of the upper end opening.

The outer peripheral edge of the collar portion 321 is bent upward along its entire circumference in an abbreviated shape, and is adapted to be fitted onto the lower end of an extension tube 510, which will be described later.

The inner surface of the container 320 is treated with Teflon so that the tofu can be easily cut out.

The depth of the container 320 is set to be slightly higher than the height of the tofu so that the tofu can be easily taken out.

A heating means 40 is mounted below the outer cylinder 310.

The heating means 40 includes a heating table 410 and a sheathed heater 420 embedded in the heating table 410.

A heat storage space 330 is formed between the outer cylinder 310 and the container 320, so that the heating means 40 can efficiently heat the soybean milk when boiling it.

A temperature sensor 340 made of a thermistor or the like is attached to the outer wall of the container 320.

Guide shafts 350, 350 are protruded from both sides of the outer cylinder 310, and guide plates 610, 61 forming the moving mechanism 60
It is slidably inserted into guide grooves 620, 620 provided at 0.

A pair of projecting pieces 311, 311 are provided protrudingly below the guide shafts 350, 350 on both sides of the outer cylinder 310, and the projecting pieces 311,
Insertion holes 312, 312 are provided in 311.

On the other hand, insertion holes 312, 312 are provided on both sides of the upper surface of the heating table 410.
A support shaft 411, 411, which is fitted into the support shaft 411, is provided to protrude upward.

Flange portions 412, 412 for preventing removal are provided at the tip portions of the support shafts 411, 411.

A spring 360 is inserted between the protruding piece 311 on the outer periphery of the support shaft 411 and the flange portion 412.

The heating means 40 is connected to the container 30 by springs 360, 360.
The heating table 410 is always urged so as to be in contact with the bottom surface of the container 320.

Furthermore, a pair of engaging members 413 and 413 are formed protruding from both sides of the heating table 410, and guide plates 610 and 61, which will be described later, are provided.
It corresponds to and engages with the positioning member 612°612 provided at 0.

The stirring mechanism 50 is installed above near the end of the moving path of the container 30 diagonally above one side of the soybean milk storage position A provided on one side of the casing 10 .

The stirring mechanism 50 includes a rectangular extension tube 510 that opens vertically, a central shaft 520 that is rotatably supported by passing through the peripheral wall of the extension tube 510, and is attached to the central shaft 520 so as to be able to swing back and forth. The stirrer 530 has a flat plate shape, and a drive mechanism 540 is connected to one end of the central shaft 520.

The upper open end of the extension tube 510 projects above the casing 10, and a lid 511 is closed on the projecting end.

The stirring body 530 projects below the extension tube 530.

A large number of pores 531 are opened on the surface, so that the stirring action can be performed even better.

The extension tube 510 is for preventing the soy milk from leaking or overflowing to the outside when the liquid level in the container 520 rises and the soy milk inside overflows when the soy milk is boiled. 512 is provided.

Then, when the soybean milk container 30 is transferred to the position of the stirring mechanism 50, the collar portion 321 of the container 320 is fitted onto the lower end of the extension tube 510.

At that time, the entire circumference of the collar portion 321 is covered by the packing member 512.
The container 320 is held in close contact with the extension tube 510 without any gaps.

Furthermore, the extension tube 510 can move up and down together with the container 30.

The drive mechanism 540 is configured as follows.

A longitudinal center portion of an operating rod 541 is attached to one end of the central shaft 520 protruding from the extension tube 510 so as to be able to rotate together.

One ends of plungers 551 and 561 of solenoids 550 and 560 are pivotally attached to both ends of the operating rod 541.

The solenoids 550 and 560 have symmetrical structures, and are configured in an arc shape along the circumference centered on the central axis 520.

The solenoids 550 and 560 are alternately driven on and off by being alternately supplied with pulses from the control circuit 80.
The operating rod 541 is rotated alternately between one side and the other side at a predetermined angle in a seesaw manner across a horizontally parallel neutral position.

As a result, the stirring body 530 is reciprocated between one side and the other side with respect to the position of the stirring angle "0" at a stirring angle corresponding to the rotation angle of the operating rod 541.

Also, by energizing the solenoids 550 and 560 at the same time, their forces are balanced and the stirring body 530 is stirred at an angle of 440 t? Forcibly stop at the position.

The moving mechanism 60 is configured as follows.

This mechanism 60 includes a pair of guide plates 610, 610 installed on both sides of a soymilk storage position A in the soymilk container 30 along the moving direction of the container 30, and
, 610, and guide grooves 620, 620 provided along the moving path of the container 30, and guide plates 610, 6
A rotation shaft 6 is mounted above and perpendicular to 10.
30, and a pair of rotation arms 640 and 640 integrally fixed to both ends of this rotation shaft 630.

Guide shafts 350, 350 protruding from the outer cylinder 310 of the container 30 are slidably inserted into the guide grooves 620, 620.

A distal end portion 641 of the rotating arm 640 is bifurcated, and the distal end portion 641 is loosely fitted onto the guide shaft 350 so as to be relatively slidable along the longitudinal direction.

The container 30 is connected to the guide plate 6 via the guide shafts 350, 350.
10. supported between 610 and rotating arms 640, 6
As 40 rotates, it is biased in the moving direction by its tip.

A fan-shaped gear 650 is integrally attached to one end of the rotating shaft 630 with the central axis being coaxial.

On the other hand, a drive motor 66 is located above the rotation shaft 630.
0 is provided, and a worm 67 provided on its output shaft.
0 and a worm wheel 680 pivotally mounted below the worm wheel 680 are engaged with each other.

Worm wheel 680 meshes with sector gear 650.

The motor 660 can be driven to rotate in forward and reverse directions, and its rotational power is reduced in speed by worm gear mechanisms 670 and 680 and transmitted to the sector gear 650.

When the sector gear 650 rotates in a predetermined direction, the rotary arms 640, 640 rotate in the same direction, and the container 30 is moved forward or backward in a predetermined direction along the guide grooves 620, 620. make it move.

One end of the guide plates 610, 610 is extended to a position below the stirring mechanism 50.

The guide grooves 620, 620 first move downward on both sides of the soymilk storage position A, and then, from this position, the upper part curves into a concave and approximately arc shape (not a perfect arc shape) and reaches the center of the stirring mechanism 50 above. It extends to a position P on a line passing through line B, and has a shape that extends vertically upward by a predetermined length.

That is, the shape and path are set so that the soymilk container 30 can move from the soymilk receiving position A, which is the initial setting position, to the position of the stirring mechanism 50 easily, stably, and along the shortest path.

When the container 30 reaches the position P, the container 30 opens at the tofu outlet 1 opened on the side of the casing 10.
It is arranged to face 2.

This outlet 12 is closed and opened by a door 13.

The upper ends 611 and 611 of the guide plates 610 and 610 further extend upward to near the bottom of the extension cylinder 510 of the stirring mechanism 50, so that when the container 30 is sent to the position of the stirring mechanism 50, there are It is supposed to be located.

Then, a heating table 410 is installed on the inner wall of the upper end 611.611.
A pair of positioning members 612, 612 corresponding to the engaging members 413, 413 provided in the holder are provided to protrude inwardly.

The positioning members 612, 612 have a flat plate shape.

The positioning members 612, 612 are arranged so that the heating means 40 is
When it is sent into the position of the stirring mechanism 50 together with 0, it is located above and to the side thereof, and faces the engaging members 413 and 413 with an interval above.

Furthermore, when the container 30 moves upward together with the extension tube 510 due to the rotation of the rotation arms 640, 640, the engagement member 4
13, 413 to position and lock the heating means 40 upward.

The injection means 70 includes a dropper-shaped injection member 710 capable of containing a predetermined amount of coagulant, one end of which is connected to the injection member 710, the other end of which extends inside the extension tube 510 by passing through the peripheral wall thereof. It consists of a pipe-shaped member 720 whose discharge port is positioned directly above the container 320 of the inserted container 30.

Furthermore, a first position detector 8 is installed at the starting end position in the moving direction of the guide groove 620 of one guide plate 610 (on the near side in the illustrated example).
10 is provided, and a second
A third position detector 820 is further located at the end position in the moving direction.
position detectors 830 are provided, respectively.

These position detectors are composed of, for example, micro SWs, and signals from each detector are sent to the control circuit 80,
The operation of the moving mechanism 60 is controlled based on the signal.

Next, the operation of the present device having the above configuration will be explained.

First, soybeans immersed in ice are placed in a soybean milk separation tank 21 together with water, and are crushed by rotation of a crushing blade 27.

Thereafter, the pulverized soybeans are separated into soybean milk and okara by the centrifugal action caused by the rotation of the soybean milk separation tank 21.

This okara remains attached to a portion of the filter 230 in the separation tank 21 in a layered manner.

Further, the separated soymilk flows into the soymilk tank 20 through the filter member 230 and the pores 210, passes through the outflow path 201 from the bottom thereof, passes through the electromagnetic valve 23 which is in an open state, and is taken out from its discharge port. .

The taken out soymilk is stored in the container 320 of the container 30 installed at the storage position A.

Next, the moving mechanism 60 is driven, and the container 30 reaches the position P along the predetermined path along the guide grooves 620, 620 together with the heating means 40, and then moves vertically upward,
At its terminal end, the flange 321 of the container 320 is fitted into the lower end of the extension tube 510 in close contact (see FIG. 4).

As a result, the container 320 is held by the packing member 512 against the entire inner periphery of the collar portion 321 without falling off.

At that time, the worm gear mechanisms 670 and 680
Since the removal acts as a directional stopper, more secure holding is achieved.

At the same time, the stirring body 530 of the stirring mechanism 50
It is inserted into the soybean milk in the container 20 until it reaches near the bottom.

Further, the retaining members 413, 413 provided on the heating means 40 and the positioning members 612, 612 provided on the upper end 611, 611 of the guide plate 610° 610 face each other vertically at a predetermined interval.

Further, at this time, the heating means 40 is brought into close contact with the bottom of the container 320 by the biasing force of the springs 360 and 360.

In this way, the container 30 is connected to the stirring mechanism 50 together with the heating means 40.
, the position detector 830 detects this and sends a signal to the control circuit 80.

Then, the heating switch (not shown) turns on and the sheathed heater 4
20 is activated.

At the same time, pulses are alternately applied to the solenoids 550 and 560 from the control circuit 80.

As a result, the operating rod 541 seesaws vertically at a predetermined angle between one side (lower side in Figure 3) and the other side (upper side in Figure 3) across the neutral position, as described above. Move back and forth.

Accordingly, the stirring body 530 starts to swing back and forth at a predetermined angle between one side and the other side with the stirring angle "091" in between.

As a result, a stirring action is imparted to the soymilk contained in the container 320.

After that, after a predetermined period of time has passed, the temperature of the soymilk is between 100 and 1.
When the temperature reaches around 20℃ and boils, the temperature sensor 3
40 detects this and sends a signal to control circuit 80.

The control circuit 80 turns off the heating switch in response to a signal from the detector 340 and de-energizes the sheathed heater 420-.

In this case, since the heat storage space 330 is formed in the area surrounded by the outer cylinder 310 and the heating unit 40 around the container 320, the heating efficiency by the sheathed heater 420 is improved and the soymilk can be boiled more quickly. This reduces the time required for the boiling process.

On the other hand, in the process of boiling soymilk, if the soymilk boils, the bottom of the container 320 may be scorched, or the soymilk may be
Trying to boil over.

However, according to this embodiment, the stirring body 530 is
It is inserted to the vicinity of the bottom of the container, and its rocking motion provides an even and uniform stirring action to the soymilk in the container during the heating process by the heater, making it possible to control the phenomenon of burning on the bottom surface and bumping of the soymilk.

Furthermore, even if the soymilk boils to some extent, the extension cylinder 510 is fitted above the container 320, so that spillage to the outside is prevented and the soybean milk is returned to the inside of the container.

Furthermore, the action of the packing member 512 reliably prevents spilled soymilk from leaking to the outside.

In this example, when the soymilk is about to overflow from the container after it has boiled, the heater 420 is de-energized and heating is stopped, so that the soymilk can be more reliably prevented from overflowing. .

In addition, it is possible to reliably eliminate the scorching phenomenon with an extremely simple structure compared to conventional methods that use steam boiling or other means to prevent scorching.

Thus, after the soymilk boiling process is completed, the soymilk cooling process is then performed.

At that time, the heating means 40
The soybean milk in the container 320 is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the container 320 to prevent residual heat from affecting the soybean milk in the container 320.

The operation is performed according to the following steps.

First, the moving mechanism 60 is driven from the state where the container 30 shown in FIG. 4 is held in the extension cylinder 510, and the rotating arm 64
0,640 is further rotated upward as shown in FIG.

This driving is performed by control circuit 80 based on a signal from temperature sensor 340.

When the rotating arms 640, 640 rotate, the container 30 moves upward together with the heating means 40 and the extension tube 510.

Then, the engaging members 413, 413 provided on the heating means 40
are abutted and engaged with positioning members 612, 612 provided on guide plates 610, 610, as shown by imaginary lines in FIG.

As a result, the heating means 40 is positioned and locked in the upward movement direction.

Therefore, the heating means 40 stops at the position and the housing 30
Only the extension cylinder 510 moves upward to a predetermined height.

Therefore, the spring 36 is connected between the heating means 40 and the container 30.
spaced apart against 0.360.

As a result, the heating means 40 is separated from the bottom surface of the container 320 at a predetermined distance (see FIG. 5).

As a result, the residual heat from the sheathed heater 420 is prevented from affecting the soymilk in the container 320.

That is, even though the sheathed heater 420 has a large heat capacity, since the heating means 40 is separated from the container 320, its heat transfer coefficient is significantly reduced compared to when the heating means 40 is in close contact with the container 320.

Therefore, the thermal responsiveness of the soymilk in the container 320 is improved, and the temperature of the soymilk quickly decreases from the boiling point to the coagulation temperature after the sheathed heater 420 is turned off.

Therefore, the soybean milk in the container 320 does not continue to be heated above the boiling point even after boiling is completed.

Moreover, since the thermal response is improved, the cooling efficiency of soybean milk is improved, and the time required for cooling is also shortened.

Meanwhile, during the cooling process, the stirring operation of the soybean milk by the stirring body 530 continues.

Therefore, the cooling effect can be further enhanced by this stirring action and the above-mentioned separating action.

Further, the temperature decreases due to the cooling effect and the stirring body 53
With the stirring action of 0, the bubbles generated in the soy milk during the boiling process gradually disappear until the soy milk reaches a predetermined temperature, e.g. 90'C.
Once cooled to a certain degree, the bubbles will completely disappear and the liquid surface will be clear.

Therefore, according to this example, without using a separate conventional chemical such as an antifoaming agent, the boiling process caused by only the stirring action of the stirring body 530, the above-mentioned separating action of the heating means 40, and the cooling effect caused by this stirring. Bubbles can be made to disappear very easily.

Thereafter, the soymilk is continued to be stirred by the stirring member 530, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed with the heating means 40 separated from the bottom of the container 320, the soymilk is further cooled and reaches the coagulation temperature (70°C to 80°C). do.

This solidification temperature is detected by temperature sensor 340 and a signal is sent to control circuit 80.

Then, the injection means 70 operates, and the injection member 71
0 is pressed and compressed by a mechanism not shown, and a predetermined amount of the coagulant solution stored inside is poured into the soybean milk in the container 320 through the member 720.

During this time, the stirring operation by the stirring body 530 continues to be performed.

This stirring action stirs and mixes the coagulant into the soymilk.

At this time, since the stirring body 530 is provided with through holes 531, the mixing and stirring operation of the coagulant can be performed even better and more efficiently.

Furthermore, even after the coagulant is added, the container 30 remains in the extension tube 5.
10 is in an upwardly moved position as shown in FIG.

Therefore, residual heat from the sheathed heater 420 of the heating means 40 is transferred to the container 320 by convection using air as a medium.
Evenly spreads not only to the bottom but also to the entire surface.

Therefore, the soymilk in the container is uniformly heated and kept at an optimal coagulation temperature, for example, 70 to 80°C.

The number of times the coagulant is stirred by the stirring body 530 is set in advance to a required number of times.

That is, after the coagulant is introduced, the stirring body 530 performs a stirring operation, for example, about 5 to 6 times in the reciprocating direction, and then the operation of the stirring body stops.

This operation control is performed by the control circuit 80.

For example, pulses for energizing the solenoids 550 and 560 are set in advance, and the pulses are energized a predetermined number of times to both solenoids and the stirring operation is repeated as many times as necessary.

Thereafter, a pulse is applied to both solenoids 550 and 560 at the same time, and the stirring plate 530 is forcibly stopped at the neutral position via the operating rod 541.

When the stirring body 530 stops and the soybean milk solution in the container becomes completely still, the stirring operation by the stirring mechanism 50 ends.

Next, the moving mechanism 60 is driven, and its rotating arm 64
When the soy milk container 30 is lowered together with the extension cylinder 510 from the upward movement position shown in FIG. 5 by the downward rotation of 0,640,
First, the retaining members 413, 413 and the positioning members 612, 6
The engagement with 12 is released.

Therefore, the heating means 40 is moved from the spaced state to the spring 36.
With a return force of 0.360, it returns upward to the container 30 side and comes into close contact with the bottom surface of the container 320.

Next, the extension tube 510 descends and returns to the predetermined position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Thereafter, the soybean milk container 30 is extracted from the extension cylinder and gently vertically descends to the position P along the guide grooves 620, 620.

Due to this lowering, the stirring body 530 is slowly and quietly extracted from the solidifying soybean milk inside the container 530.

When the container 30 descends to position P, the position detector 8
20 detects this, and based on the detection signal, the moving mechanism 6
0 stops driving.

As a result, the container 30 is stopped and held at the position P.

Thereafter, when the soybean milk in the container 320 is left stationary for a predetermined period of time, for example, about 3 powders, the soybean milk in the container 320 is completely solidified.

When the soymilk is completely coagulated, a buzzer (not shown) or the like will notify you of this fact.

Thus, the coagulation and molding process of the soymilk contained in the container is completed.

After that, open the door 13 on the side of the casing and take out the container 320 from the outer cylinder of the container 30 located at position P. Next, cut out the tofu in the container in cold water, and rinse it in cold water until about 3 pieces. If you continue to soak the tofu while doing so, the production of tofu will be completed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view showing the overall configuration of a tofu manufacturing apparatus to which this invention is applied, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the present device, FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the main parts, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view illustrating the operation of the present device. 30... Soy milk container, 40... Heating means, 360... Spring, 10... Casing, 610... Guide plate (member ), 612...
...Positioning member, 413...Engagement member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A cylindrical body equipped with a soymilk stirring mechanism provided at a soybean milk boiling/coagulating position of the main casing, and accommodating the soymilk separated in a soymilk separation tank, and a predetermined path from the accommodating position to the position of the cylindrical body. In a tofu manufacturing apparatus comprising a soymilk container that is fed through and joined together, and a soymilk heating means attached below the container, the container and the heating means are joined by a spring, and the heating means is heated. The liquid is always kept at the bottom of the container, and a positioning member for positioning the heating means upward is provided on the casing or a fixed member near the casing, and the heating means corresponds to the positioning member. An engaging member is provided, and when the container moves further upward than the position where it was sent in at the end of boiling the soymilk, the heating means is engaged by the engaging member abuttingly engaging with the positioning member. 1. A tofu manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the tofu manufacturing apparatus is configured such that the tofu manufacturing apparatus is stopped and separated from the bottom of the container.