JP2006280229A - Device for producing frozen confectionery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for producing frozen confectionery designed so as to keep an amount of leaked-out mixture at a minimum through a clearance between a piston and a cooling cylinder when setting frozen confectionery production volume. <P>SOLUTION: The device for producing frozen confectionery where the mixture in a cooling cylinder 11 is cooled while beaten/mixed with air to produce frozen confectionery is provided with the following: a cylindrical cooling cylinder 11 storing the mix together with air; a cooling device cooling the mixture in the cooling cylinder 11 into a desired temperature so as to be solidified; a beating unit 40 beating/mixing the mixture and the air in the cooling cylinder 11 to knead them up; a piston device 60 moving along the inner peripheral surface 11a through being screwed with a piston axis 61 set in an axial direction in the cooling cylinder 11 where a piston main body 62 pushes out the frozen confectionery kneaded in the cooling cylinder 11. The piston main body 62 of the piston device 60 is rotated when the piston device 60 moves to set the frozen confectionery production volume. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a frozen confection manufacturing apparatus used when manufacturing frozen confectionery such as soft cream.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, frozen dessert manufacturing apparatuses that manufacture frozen desserts such as soft creams and shakes have been widely used. For example, when producing soft ice cream, this frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus generally puts a milk-based liquid raw material (hereinafter referred to as “mix”) into a cooling cylinder together with an appropriate amount of air and stirs this at a predetermined temperature. Cool to manufacture. In addition, the conventional frozen confectionery manufacturing equipment is equipped with a cooling cylinder with a relatively large capacity (generally 20-30 chilled confections). When the store is opened, frozen confectionery is made in the cylinder in advance, and the amount reduced due to sales of frozen confectionery. Is configured to replenish the frozen dessert sequentially by supplying additional mix into the cooling cylinder.

In such a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus, in order to stir the mix and take out the frozen dessert, a spiral blade that rotates in a cooling cylinder is provided. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
In addition, in a device that takes out frozen desserts using a slidable piston inserted in a cooling cylinder, in order to properly know the replacement time of the pack containing the frozen desserts, the tank in which the piston operation brine is stored is stored. There is disclosed a technique in which a float switch for detecting a brine liquid level is provided, and a piston retreat operation is automatically performed at an appropriate timing by this detection signal. (For example, see Patent Document 2)
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-164985 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-174846

By the way, the above-mentioned conventional frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus was a method of sequentially taking out and selling frozen desserts prepared in advance, but in recent years, an apparatus of a method of manufacturing and selling frozen desserts in a short time after receiving an order. Is desired. In such a made-to-order system, fresh frozen desserts that have been manufactured in a short time by rapid cooling are sold, so a small amount of frozen dessert (for example, about one to several) is manufactured and the total amount is It is necessary to take out.
Moreover, in the manufacture of frozen confectionery, the amount of air mixed into the frozen confection has a great influence on the texture, so it is necessary to set the overrun (air volume ratio in the frozen confectionery) to a desired value.

  For this reason, in a custom-made frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that enables the manufacture of a plurality of frozen desserts, the ratio of the amount of mix and the amount of air in the cooling cylinder is set to a predetermined value, so depending on the number of frozen desserts selected. After injecting a predetermined amount of mix, move the piston for extracting frozen dessert to change the volume of the cooling cylinder used for frozen dessert production (hereinafter referred to as “frozen dessert manufacturing volume”), and the amount of air mixed into the mix. It is necessary to adjust. However, when the piston moves in the cooling cylinder, a slight mix leaks to the rear of the piston, causing a problem that the ratio between the mix amount and the air amount fluctuates and cannot be set to a predetermined value. Note that a minute clearance is required between the piston and the cooling cylinder in order to allow the piston to slide.

Against this background, in order-made frozen dessert manufacturing equipment that can change the number of manufactured products according to the number of orders received, the amount of mix leaked from the clearance between the piston and the cooling cylinder when setting the frozen dessert production volume is minimized. It is desired to develop a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that suppresses the ratio of the mix amount and the air amount in the frozen dessert manufacturing volume to a predetermined value.
In addition, in order to easily set an optimal overrun that varies depending on the type of mix, or to adjust the amount of air that varies depending on the number of frozen desserts produced, the piston position that defines the frozen dessert production volume is set. It is desirable to grasp accurately.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a frozen dessert that can minimize the amount of mix leaked from the clearance between the piston and the cooling cylinder when setting the frozen dessert production volume. It is to provide a manufacturing apparatus.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following means.
The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that manufactures frozen dessert by cooling while stirring and mixing the liquid raw material in the container with air,
Each of the liquid raw material inlet opening and the frozen dessert outlet opening each having an opening and closing means, and a cylindrical container for storing the liquid raw material together with air, and cooling the liquid raw material in the container to a desired temperature Cooling means for solidifying, stirring while cooling the liquid raw material and air in the container, mixing and kneading the solid content of the liquid raw material and the liquid raw material and air to be solidified sequentially, and From the outlet opening that moves in the axial direction along the inner peripheral surface of the container by screwing with a rotation shaft disposed in the axial direction in the container, and opens the frozen dessert that has been kneaded in the container. A frozen dessert removal means that pushes out of the container,
When the frozen dessert removing means moves and sets the frozen dessert production volume, the frozen dessert removing means is rotated.

  According to such a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus, the frozen dessert production volume of the container is set by moving the frozen dessert removing means while rotating, so that a small clearance formed between the frozen dessert removing means and the container is set. In the gap, the pressure of the liquid raw material is generated by the rotation of the frozen confection removal means. This pressure suppresses the amount of liquid raw material that leaks out to the rear side in the moving direction of the frozen dessert removing means, so that the amount of liquid raw material leaked can be reduced.

In the above-mentioned frozen confection manufacturing apparatus, it is preferable that the container is provided with a position detection means for the frozen confection removing means, whereby the position of the frozen confection removing means can be accurately detected.
In this case, the position detecting means is preferably a Kintetsu switch for detecting an iron piece embedded in the frozen dessert taking means made of resin, and a container in which a large temperature change occurs from a cooling operation to a heat sterilization operation during the manufacture of the frozen dessert. Even if it is installed, there is a merit that a stable position detection performance can be obtained without being affected by a temperature change, and manufacturing (molding) of a resin piston incorporating an embedded object can be facilitated.
The position detection means may be a proximity switch that detects a magnet embedded in the frozen dessert extraction means made of resin, and stable position detection performance is obtained even when the distance between the sensor and the piston embedded object is large. It is done.

Moreover, it is preferable that the position detection means is provided at least at the reference position and the frozen dessert removal completion position of the frozen dessert takeout means, whereby the movement range of the frozen dessert takeout means can be accurately defined.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the position detecting means is provided at a position that defines the frozen confectionery production volume, whereby the desired frozen confectionery production volume can be accurately defined.

According to the above-described frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the frozen dessert removing means moves while rotating to set the frozen dessert production volume, so that a small clearance gap formed between the frozen dessert removing means and the container In this case, the pressure of the liquid raw material is raised by the rotation of the frozen confection removing means, and this pressure can reduce the amount of the liquid raw material leaking to the rear side in the moving direction of the frozen confection removing means. For this reason, when setting the optimal frozen confectionery production volume according to the number of orders received and the type of liquid raw material, the amount of liquid raw material leakage can be minimized even if the frozen confection removal means is moved. A desired overrun can be obtained accurately and a frozen confection having a good texture can be produced.
In addition, since the position detection means of the frozen confection removal means is provided in the container, it is possible to accurately grasp the position of the frozen confection removal means that defines the production volume of the frozen confection, and it is easy to perform an optimal overrun that differs depending on the type of mix Or adjustment of different air amounts can be realized depending on the number of frozen confectionery manufactured.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the schematic configuration diagram of FIG. 2, the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that manufactures frozen desserts such as soft ice cream and shake by cooling the mix (liquid raw material) in the container while stirring. This frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 10 is a cylindrical container (hereinafter referred to as “cooling cylinder”) 11 that contains the mix together with air, and a heat pump type that cools and solidifies the mix in the cooling cylinder 11 to a desired temperature. The cooling device 30 and the stirring unit (stirring / mixing means) 40 that stirs while cooling the mix and air in the cooling cylinder 11 and mixes and kneads the solid content of the mix, which is sequentially solidified, and the mix and air; A piston device (cooled confection removal means) 60 for removing the frozen confectionery that has been kneaded into the cylinder 11 by moving in the axial direction along the inner peripheral surface of the cooling cylinder 11; Composed. The illustrated frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 10 includes a control unit (not shown) that performs various settings and operation control.

  The cooling cylinder 11 contains the mix together with an appropriate amount of air. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the cooling cylinder 11 uses an inlet opening 12 for mixing injection provided at the upper end of the cylindrical shape and an opening at the one end of the cylindrical shape. And an outlet opening 13 for taking out the frozen dessert. The inlet opening 12 is connected to a mix supply system 14 that supplies a desired mix into the cylinder 11 in a main motion or automatically. The inlet opening 12 and the outlet opening 13 are provided with opening / closing means described later.

  In addition, in the vicinity of both axial ends of the cooling cylinder 11, intake and exhaust ports 15 and 16 are provided for sucking outside air into the cylinder 11 and exhausting air inside the cylinder 11 to the outside. Yes. These intake and exhaust ports 15 and 16 are connected by a pipe 18 provided with a valve 17 at an appropriate position, and an air filter 19 is attached to the tip of the pipe 18.

Position detection means 20 such as a proximity switch for detecting the position of the piston device 60 is provided outside the cooling cylinder 11. In the example shown in FIG. 1, for example, a reference position, a frozen dessert manufacturing position, and a frozen dessert removal completion position are provided. It is installed at three locations. The position detection means 20 is preferably a proximity switch that detects an iron piece embedded in the piston body 62 of the piston device 60 that is usually made of resin, that is, a “kintetsu switch” that detects the approach of the iron piece. Even if such a Kintetsu switch is installed in the cooling cylinder 11 in which a large temperature change occurs from the cooling operation at the time of frozen dessert manufacturing to the heat sterilization operation, a stable position detection performance can be obtained without being affected by the temperature change. .
On the outer peripheral surface of the cooling cylinder 11, in order to cool and solidify the mix in the cooling cylinder 11 to a desired temperature, a copper tube 31a as a component of the cooling device 30 increases the cooling capacity as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is tightly wound. Since the liquid refrigerant flows in the copper tube 31a during the manufacture of the frozen dessert, the mix in the cooling cylinder 11 can be cooled by vaporizing the liquid refrigerant.

By the way, since the copper tube 31a is tightly wound around the outer peripheral surface of the cooling cylinder 11 to increase the cooling capacity, the installation position of the inlet opening 12 described above is subject to the following restrictions.
That is, if the inlet opening 12 is present, it is difficult to wind the copper tube 31a densely around the inlet opening 12, which is not preferable in terms of cooling efficiency, for example, causing uneven cooling capacity. For this reason, it is preferable to install the inlet opening 12 at a position deviated from the area where the frozen confectionery is actually manufactured. Therefore, in the configuration employing the piston device 60, the inlet opening 12 is located in the area close to the outlet opening 13 for extracting the frozen confectionery. While manufacturing the frozen dessert, the inlet opening 12 is arranged at a position as far as possible from the outlet opening 13. For this reason, since it becomes necessary to define the frozen dessert production volume after the mix injection, an operation of pushing the mix and moving the piston device 60 is required.

Here, the structural example of the cooling device 30 is demonstrated easily based on FIG.
The cooling device 30 includes an electric compressor 32 that compresses a gas refrigerant and sends it to a closed circuit refrigeration cycle, a four-way valve 33 that switches a circulation direction of the refrigerant downstream of the compressor 32, and between the refrigerant and the outside air. The first heat exchanger 34 that exchanges heat at the same time, the throttle mechanism 35 that depressurizes the refrigerant, and the second heat exchanger 36 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in the copper tube 31a and the mix in the cooling cylinder 11. And a copper tube 31 forming a closed circuit in which the refrigerant circulates by connecting these devices. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 37 in the drawing is a receiver, and 38 is an electric fan.

The cooling device 30 described above can selectively switch the circulation direction of the refrigerant by operating the four-way valve 33.
That is, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 32 to the first heat exchanger 34, and the liquid refrigerant is supplied to the second heat exchanger 36. Circulating and supplying a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 36 and supplying a liquid refrigerant to the first heat exchanger 34 has a refrigerant circulation direction at the time of heat sterilization, depending on the operation. Can be selected. Therefore, in the refrigerant circulation direction during the manufacture of frozen desserts indicated by arrows in the figure, the first heat exchanger 34 functions as a condenser and the second heat exchanger 36 functions as an evaporator, but the refrigerant circulation during heat sterilization In the direction, the second heat exchanger 36 functions as a condenser and the first heat exchanger 34 functions as an evaporator.

The stirring unit 40 has a function of stirring the mix and air in the cooling cylinder 11 while cooling and mixing the solid content of the mix that is sequentially solidified and the mix and air. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the stirring unit 40 includes a stirring blade (stirring plate) 41 of a plate-like member that rotates along the inner peripheral surface 11a of the cooling cylinder 11, and a predetermined amount from the inner peripheral surface 11a. A mixing rod 42 that is a rod-like member that rotates with a distance is fixedly supported by a stirring rotating shaft 43 and includes a stirring rotating body 44 that rotates integrally.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the stirring rotating shaft 43 protrudes outside the cooling cylinder 11 on the opposite side of the outlet opening 13, and a pulley 45 fixed to the rotating shaft 43 is output from the stirring motor 46. The pulley 47 and the belt 48 fixed to the shaft 46a are connected via a belt 48.

The stirring blade 41 is provided so that two elongated plate-like members cover substantially the entire length in the axial direction in the cooling cylinder 11. The stirring blade 41 is fixedly supported by the circular support members 49 and 50 at both ends so that a minute gap is formed between the outer peripheral side end of the plate-like member and the inner peripheral surface 11a.
The mixing rod 42 has a length that covers the same range as the stirring blade 41 in the axial direction of the cooling cylinder 11, and the distance formed between the mixing rod 42 and the inner peripheral surface 11 a is the minute gap of the stirring blade 41 described above. Set to a larger value. The mixing bar 42 is a solid or hollow bar having a circular cross section, a polygonal cross section such as a triangle and a quadrangle, and both ends thereof are fixedly supported by the circular support members 49 and 50.

The illustrated agitation unit 40 includes two agitation blades 41 and two mixing rods 42 that are parallel to the axial direction of the cooling cylinder 11, and each has a 90-degree pitch in the circumferential direction of the cooling cylinder 11. Alternatingly arranged. The agitation rotating body 44 integrated in this way has a configuration in which the agitation rotating shaft 43 is fixed to one circular support member 50. In addition, about the number of the stirring blade 41 and the mixing rod 42 which comprise the stirring unit 40, if it is plurality, it will not specifically limit.
Further, through holes 51, 52, and 53 are provided in the central portions of the agitation rotating shaft 43 and the circular support plates 49 and 50 in order to dispose a piston device 60 described later. Note that a bearing 54 that rotatably supports a piston shaft 61 of a piston device 60 described later may be housed and installed in the through hole 52.

In the piston device 60, the piston main body 62 moves in the axial direction along the inner peripheral surface 11 a of the cooling cylinder 11, and is kneaded in the cylinder 11 to exit the cylinder from the outlet opening / closing part 13 that opens the completed frozen dessert. It has a function of pushing out. In the piston device 60, the piston main body 62 is screwed with a ball screw portion 61a formed on the outlet opening 13 side of the piston shaft 61, for example, as shown in FIG. The ball screw portion 61a is a portion in which an external screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piston shaft 61 which is disposed in the axial direction in the cooling cylinder 11 and is supported so as to freely rotate at a predetermined position. The piston shaft 61 is configured such that a rotation shaft portion 61b provided on the other end side of the ball screw portion 61a is connected to a drive mechanism 63 for rotating the ball screw.
The piston main body 62 of the piston device 60 also functions as an opening / closing means for the inlet opening 12 that shuts off the frozen confection production area in the cooling cylinder 11 from the outside by moving to the desired frozen confection production position when producing the frozen confectionery. To do. Note that the piston main body 62 shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 is at the most retracted reference position.

Since the piston main body 62 is a nut-side member formed with an internal screw that is screwed with the ball screw portion 61a, the ball screw portion 61a rotates in the same position, so that the ball screw portion 61a is used as a guide to move inside the cooling cylinder 11. Reciprocates in the axial direction.
The front end surface of the piston main body 62 is provided with a convex portion 62a that fits into the through hole 53 of the circular support plate 49 and forms a substantially flat front end surface. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a configuration in which a packing 68 made of, for example, flexible silicone rubber is attached to the outer peripheral side of the piston main body 62 so as to be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface 11a of the cooling cylinder 11 as necessary. It is good.

  The piston main body 62 is alternately provided with the notch grooves 62b and the through holes 62c through which the agitating blade 41 and the mixing rod 42 described above penetrate at a pitch of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction. For this reason, the stirring blade 41 and the mixing rod 42 also function as a guide member that helps smooth sliding of the piston main body 62. In addition, between the stirring blade 41 and the notch groove 62b, and between the mixing rod 42 and the through hole 62c, the dimensions are set so as to be a minimum clearance that does not hinder the operation of the piston body 62 sliding in the axial direction. The frozen dessert is prevented from leaking to the rear of the piston.

The drive mechanism 63 has a function of rotating the piston shaft 61 to reciprocate the piston main body 62 in the axial direction. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pulley 64 connected to the piston shaft 61. Are connected to a pulley 66 fixed to the drive shaft 65a of the electric motor 65 via a belt 67, so that the piston shaft 61 is belt-driven.
The piston shaft 61 and the stirring rotary shaft 43 are connected via an electromagnetic clutch 70. For this reason, when the electromagnetic clutch 70 is in the connected state, the piston shaft 61 and the stirring rotary shaft 43 rotate together, and when the electromagnetic clutch 70 is released, the piston shaft 61 and the stirring rotary shaft 43 are independent of each other. And can be rotated.

The cooling cylinder 11 is provided with a plunger device 80 so as to close the outlet opening 13.
This plunger device 80 is an opening / closing means for the outlet opening 13, and in the manufacturing process for manufacturing and taking out the frozen dessert in the cooling cylinder 11, the plunger main body 82 slides in the axial direction in the cylindrical casing 81, This is a switching valve mechanism that moves over two stages, a frozen confection production position indicated by a solid line and a frozen confection removal position indicated by an imaginary line. In addition, on the side wall of the casing 81 that closes the outlet opening 13, a frozen dessert outlet 83 is provided at a position communicating with the outlet opening 13. The frozen dessert outlet 83 is closed when the plunger main body 82 is in the frozen dessert manufacturing position, and is opened when the plunger main body 82 is in the frozen dessert extracting position.

In the illustrated example, the plunger main body 82 is configured to operate via the electric cylinder 84 and the link mechanism 85, and the casing 81 is arranged so that the axial direction is the vertical direction, so that the upper and lower ends are opened. The sliding direction of the plunger main body 82 is orthogonal to the axial direction of the cooling cylinder 11 as a horizontal direction. The sliding operation of the plunger main body 82 described above is not limited to the automatic operation using the electric cylinder 84 as a drive source, but may use another drive source or may be manual.
In addition, the plunger device 80 described above can be provided with an outlet type member (not shown) at the lower end outlet 81a of the casing 81 as necessary. By providing this exit type member, the frozen dessert can be taken out in a desired cross-sectional shape such as a star shape.

Then, operation | movement is demonstrated with the procedure of frozen dessert manufacture about the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the structure mentioned above.
First, when the power is turned on, the electromagnetic clutch 70 is released and the electric motor 65 is driven to rotate the piston shaft 61 to move the piston main body 62 and align it with the reference position in the cooling cylinder 11. To implement. At this time, the plunger device 80 is set at the frozen dessert manufacturing position. Further, the electric motor 65 can be selectively switched between the forward and reverse rotation directions, and the moving direction of the piston body 62 can be changed according to the rotation direction. The zero point adjustment of the piston main body 62 is completed when a signal from the position detection means 20 for detecting the reference position is input to a control unit (not shown).

After the zero point adjustment is completed, the electromagnetic clutch 70 is connected to connect the piston shaft 61 and the agitation rotating shaft 43.
Thereafter, the cooling device 30 is operated, and a pre-cooling operation for cooling and maintaining the inside of the cooling cylinder 11 at a predetermined low temperature is performed. In this pre-cooling operation, the stirring electric motor 46 is driven to rotate the stirring rotating body 44 at a low speed. As a result, since the piston shaft 61 and the agitation rotating shaft 43 rotate at the same rotational speed, the piston main body 62 does not rotate integrally with the agitation rotating body 44 and moves in the axial direction.

When a switch for manufacturing frozen confectionery is operated during the pre-cooling operation, a predetermined amount of mix corresponding to the number of frozen confectionery manufactured is injected from the mix supply system 14.
When the mix injection is completed, the frozen dessert production volume of the cooling cylinder 11 is set to an optimum value corresponding to the number of frozen desserts manufactured. In other words, the desired overrun ( In order to obtain an air volume ratio in the frozen dessert, the piston main body 62 is moved. For this movement control, the stirring motor 46 is stopped, the electromagnetic clutch 70 is released and the motor 65 is rotated and moved, or both the stirring motor 46 and the motor 65 are driven to move together with the stirring rotator 44. A pattern for rotating the piston body 62 can also be used. When both are driven, the rotational speed or rotational direction of the electric motor 65 and the stirring electric motor 46 is controlled so that a relative rotational speed difference is generated between the ball screw portion 61a and the piston body 62, Due to this rotational speed difference, the piston main body 62 starts moving in the axial direction of the cooling cylinder 11 along the ball screw portion 61a. That is, the piston main body 62 moves in the axial direction while rotating in the cooling cylinder 11 to define the frozen dessert production volume. In this rotation control, when rotating in the same direction, depending on which of the piston main body 62 or the ball screw portion 61a is higher, and when rotating in a different direction, By changing the direction of both rotations, the moving direction of the piston main body 62 can be switched.

When the piston body 20 reaches the frozen confection manufacturing position corresponding to the number of frozen confections manufactured in this way, preferably, when the position detecting means 20 confirms that the desired frozen confection manufacturing position has been reached, the driving of the electric motor 65 is stopped and at the same time the electromagnetic clutch 70 is connected to rotate the piston main body 62 and the ball screw 61a at the same rotational speed. As a result, the movement of the piston body 62 is stopped, and the frozen dessert production volume is defined to a desired value.
During such movement of the piston main body 62, the valve 17 is opened to allow air to flow in and out of the cooling cylinder 11, smoothing the movement of the piston main body 62 and adjusting the amount of air in the cooling cylinder 11. Note that the above-mentioned frozen dessert manufacturing position is not only different depending on the number of frozen desserts manufactured, but also differs depending on the type of mix because there is an optimal overrun difference.

When the desired frozen dessert production volume is defined in this manner, the inlet opening 12 is closed by the piston body 62 and the valve 17 is also closed, so that the inside of the frozen dessert production volume of the cooling cylinder 11 is hermetically sealed. The mix quantity in 11 and the air quantity become a desired ratio, and preparation for frozen desserts is completed.
Thereafter, the electromagnetic clutch 70 is connected, and the stirring motor 46 is driven to rotate the stirring rotating body 44 more than at the time of pre-cooling, and the cooling capacity in the cooling cylinder 11 is increased from that at the time of pre-cooling operation to produce frozen desserts. Start. As a result, the piston main body 62 rotates together with the stirring rotating body 44 at the same rotational speed as the ball screw portion 61a, and therefore does not move in the axial direction. And by the rotation of the stirring rotator 44, the solid content of the mix adhering to the inner peripheral surface 11a is scraped, and further, this solid content is stirred and mixed together with the mix and air, so that the contents in the frozen dessert production volume are Kneaded to produce frozen desserts.
The operation of manufacturing such a frozen dessert is stopped, for example, by detecting that the load of the stirring rotating body 44 has increased to a predetermined value due to the completion of the frozen dessert. That is, the operation of the stirring rotator 44 is stopped, and the piston main body 62 and the piston shaft 61 also stop rotating together.

After the frozen dessert is completed, the cooling device 30 is lowered to the cooling capacity during the precooling operation, and the electromagnetic clutch 70 is released to shift to the frozen dessert operation.
In the frozen confection removal operation, the plunger main body 82 of the plunger device 80 is moved to the frozen confection removal position to open the frozen confection removal opening 83, and the completed frozen confectionery is pushed out by the piston main body 62 and removed. At this time, when the electric motor 65 is driven and the piston shaft 61 is rotated, the integral ball screw portion 61 a is independently rotated to move the piston body 62 to be screwed in the direction of the frozen dessert extraction opening 83. That is, since the piston main body 62 is in a state of being able to stop and slide together with the stirring rotator 44, the piston main body 62 is guided by the stirring blade 41 and the mixing rod 42 as a guide by screwing with the rotating ball screw portion 61a. The frozen dessert is pushed out by linearly moving in the axial direction along the ball screw portion 61a in the cylinder 11. In addition, during taking out, in order to prevent freezing of a stirring apparatus or an extrusion apparatus, you may drive the electric motor 46 and rotate a stirrer and a piston.
Specifically, in a state where the clutch 70 is released and the stirring motor 46 is driven to rotate the stirring rotating body 44, the motor 65 is stopped and the piston shaft 61 is not rotated, or the motor 65 is rotated forward. Alternatively, the control may be performed while taking out the control based on the operation pattern in which the piston main body 62 is moved in the reverse direction.

  The piston main body 62 is movable to a frozen dessert removal completion position where the tip surface of the convex portion 62a abuts on the plunger device 80, and this frozen dessert removal completion position is recognized by a signal detected by the position detection means 20 from the piston main body 62. The When the piston main body 62 reaches the frozen dessert removal completion position, the detection of the position detection means 20 is received and the driving of the electric motor 65 is stopped. As a result, the rotation of the ball screw portion 61a and the movement of the piston main body 62 are stopped, and the entire amount of the frozen dessert in the cooling cylinder 11 is pushed out by the piston main body 62 that has moved in the cooling cylinder 11 in the axial direction.

When the frozen confection removal operation is thus completed, the plunger main body 82 of the plunger device 80 is moved to the frozen confection production position, the frozen confection removal opening 83 is closed, and the piston main body 62 is returned to the reference position in preparation for the next frozen confection production to adjust the zero point. To implement. In this zero point adjustment, the electric motor 65 is reversely rotated with the electromagnetic clutch 70 released, and the piston main body 62 screwed with the ball screw portion 61a is moved backward. Such zero point adjustment is an operation required to keep the overrun that changes depending on the frozen dessert production volume at a desired value. In this case as well, the electric motor is detected using the detection signal of the position detection means 20 provided at the reference position. The driving of 65 is stopped.
After the zero point adjustment is completed, the electromagnetic clutch 70 is connected, the stirring motor 46 is driven to rotate the stirring rotating body 44 at a low speed, and the above-described precooling operation is performed to wait for the next order. .

By the way, in description of embodiment mentioned above, when moving the piston main body 62, rotating, the electromagnetic clutch 70 is released, the stirring motor 46 and the motor 65 are driven, and the system of utilizing the rotation speed difference of both motors is utilized. In addition to this, other modified methods described below are possible.
In this modification, by releasing the electromagnetic clutch 70 and driving only the stirring motor 46, the piston main body 62 rotates with the stirring rotating body 44 and moves in the axial direction along the ball screw portion 61a in the stopped state. . In this case, if the rotation direction of the stirring electric motor 46 can be switched, the pulleys 64 and 66, the electric motor 65 and the belt 67 for rotating the piston shaft 61 become unnecessary, and the number of parts can be reduced. At the time of the frozen dessert manufacturing operation, by connecting the electromagnetic clutch 70, the ball screw 61a as well as the piston main body 62 and the stirring rotary body 44 rotate at the same rotational speed, so the piston main body 62 moves from a desired position. It is possible to produce a frozen dessert by mixing without stirring.
As another modified example, a configuration in which the electromagnetic clutch 70 is released and both the agitating motor 46 and the motor 65 are driven in different directions can be employed. In the apparatus employing this configuration, the piston moving speed can be increased in both the forward and reverse rotations, and a quick confectionary extruding apparatus can be provided.

As described above, according to the above-described frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present invention, the piston main body 62 of the frozen dessert take-out means moves in the cooling cylinder 11 while rotating and sets the frozen dessert manufacturing volume. In the clearance of a minute clearance formed between the inner peripheral surface 11a of the cooling cylinder 11 and the pressure of the mix is generated by the rotation of the piston body 62, and this pressure leaks backward in the moving direction of the piston body 62. Can reduce the amount of mix.
For this reason, when setting the optimal frozen confectionery production volume according to the number of orders received and the type of mix, the amount of mix leaking from the minute gap can be minimized even if the piston body 62 is moved in the axial direction. . Therefore, since the mix amount and the air amount in the frozen confectionery production volume are maintained at a substantially optimum ratio, the desired overrun can be accurately obtained and a frozen confection having a good texture can be produced.

Further, since the cooling cylinder 11 is provided with the position detection means of the piston body 62, it is possible to accurately grasp the position of the piston body 62 that defines the volume of the frozen confectionery, and the optimum overrun that differs depending on the type of mix. Can be set easily and accurately, or different air amounts can be easily and accurately adjusted according to the number of frozen desserts produced.
In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the principal part as one Embodiment of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the schematic structural example of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of main component components shapes of FIG. 1, (a) is a front view which shows a stirring rotary body, (b) is a front view which shows a piston shaft and a piston main body.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus 11 Cooling cylinder 12 Inlet opening part 13 Outlet opening part 20 Position detection means 30 Cooling apparatus (cooling means)
40 Stirring unit (stirring / mixing means)
41 Stirring blade 42 Mixing rod 43 Stirring rotating shaft 44 Stirring rotating body 60 Piston device (frozen dessert removing means)
61 Piston shaft 61a Ball screw portion 61b Rotating shaft portion 62 Piston main body 62a Protruding portion 62b Notch groove 62c Through hole 63 Drive mechanism 70 Electromagnetic clutch 80 Plunger device 81 Casing 82 Plunger main body 83

Claims (6)

A frozen dessert producing apparatus for producing frozen dessert by cooling while stirring and mixing the liquid raw material in the container together with air,
A cylindrical container that includes an inlet opening for the liquid material and an outlet opening for the frozen dessert, each having an opening and closing means, and contains the liquid material together with air;
Cooling means for cooling and solidifying the liquid raw material in the container to a desired temperature;
Stirring and mixing means for stirring the liquid raw material and air in the container while cooling, mixing and kneading the solid content of the liquid raw material and the liquid raw material and air to be solidified sequentially,
The outlet opening that moves in the axial direction along the inner peripheral surface of the container by screwing with a rotating shaft disposed in the axial direction in the container, and opens the frozen confectionery kneaded in the container A frozen dessert removing means for extruding from the section toward the outside of the container,
When the frozen dessert take-out means moves and sets the frozen dessert production volume, the frozen dessert take-out means is rotated.   2. The frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is provided with position detecting means for the frozen confection removing means.   The said position detection means is a Kintetsu switch which detects the iron piece embed | buried under the said frozen dessert taking-out means made from resin, The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said position detection means is a proximity switch which detects the magnet embed | buried under the said frozen confection taking-out means made from resin, The frozen confection manufacturing apparatus of Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The frozen confection manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the position detection means is provided at least at a reference position and a frozen confection removal completion position of the frozen confection removal means.   The said position detection means is provided in the position which prescribes | regulates the said frozen dessert manufacturing volume, The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of Claim 5 characterized by the above-mentioned.

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