Inversion guide device and tofu production device

{
  "publication_number": "US11858753B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Inversion guide device and tofu production device",
  "abstract": "An inversion guide device is configured to guide tofu conveyed by a transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor. The inversion guide device includes an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An inversion guide device configured to guide tofu conveyed by a transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor, the inversion guide device comprising: an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner; and a support base configured to support the endless conveyor, wherein a distance between the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor is adjustable, or the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor are attachable to and detachable from each other, and wherein the support base comprises a position adjustment unit configured to adjust a position of the endless conveyor with respect to the turn-back portion in a horizontal direction, or configured to attach and detach the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor to and from each other.",
    "2. A tofu production device comprising: a transfer conveyor; the inversion guide device according to claim 1; and a tofu receiving device configured to receive tofu inverted by the inversion guide device and pass the tofu to a next step.",
    "3. The tofu production device according to claim 2, wherein the endless conveyor comprises a stopper member configured to receive the tofu moving at the turn-back portion, wherein a distal end of the stopper member has a comb-teeth shape in a width direction, and wherein a distal end of the tofu receiving device has a comb-teeth shape that does not interfere with the distal end of the stopper member.",
    "4. The tofu production device according to claim 3, wherein the distal end of the tofu receiving device facing the stopper member has an angle inclined with respect to a traveling direction of the endless conveyor.",
    "5. The tofu production device according to claim 2, further comprising: a rapid fall prevention portion provided on an outlet side of the tofu receiving device and bent or curved upward relative to a downward gradient of the tofu receiving device.",
    "6. The tofu production device according to claim 2, wherein the tofu receiving device comprises a discarding device configured to discard defective tofu downward.",
    "7. The tofu production device according to claim 6, wherein the discarding device is a movable chute configured to be opened and closed or a fixed chute having an opening.",
    "8. The tofu production device according to claim 6, wherein the discarding device is a movable chute configured to be opened and closed, and wherein the movable chute is of an operation type of at least one of a passive operation using a spring or a damper, a manual operation, and an active operation using a cylinder or a motor.",
    "9. The tofu production device according to claim 6, wherein the discarding device is a fixed chute having an opening, and wherein the fixed chute is a discharge member formed of a plate material having a hole, or a discharge member in which a plurality of round bars, square materials, or plate materials are fixedly arranged at intervals.",
    "10. The tofu production device according to claim 2, wherein the endless conveyor is configured to be synchronized with the transfer conveyor.",
    "11. The tofu production device according to claim 2, wherein the endless conveyor comprises stopper members configured to receive respective cakes of tofu moving at the turn-back portion, and wherein where Va is a speed of the endless conveyor, Vb is a speed of the transfer conveyor, a is a stopper pitch that is a pitch of the stopper members, and b is a front-back pitch of the cakes of tofu on the transfer conveyor, a=b is satisfied and the speed Va of the endless conveyor and the speed Vb of the turn-back portion of the transfer conveyor are the same (Va=Vb).",
    "12. The tofu production device according to claim 2, wherein the endless conveyor comprises stopper members configured to receive respective cakes of tofu moving at the turn-back portion, and wherein where Va is a speed of the endless conveyor, Vb is a speed of the transfer conveyor, a is a stopper pitch that is a pitch of the stopper members, and b is a front-back pitch of the cakes of tofu on the transfer conveyor, when the speed Va of the endless conveyor is larger than the speed Vb of the turn-back portion of the transfer conveyor (Va>Vb), n·a/Va=b/Vb (n: natural number) is satisfied.",
    "13. The tofu production device according to claim 2, wherein the inversion guide device is surrounded by a cover, and the inversion guide device comprises a cleaning nozzle configured to spray a cleaning liquid or a steam nozzle configured to inject high-temperature steam for sterilization inside the cover.",
    "14. An inversion guide device configured to guide tofu conveyed by a transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor, the inversion guide device comprising: an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner; and a guide member arranged between the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor and configured to guide the endless conveyor, wherein a distance between the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor is adjustable, or the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor are attachable to and detachable from each other, and wherein the guide member is movable to adjust a distance with respect to the turn-back portion.",
    "15. An inversion guide device configured to guide tofu conveyed by a transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor, the inversion guide device comprising: an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner; and a rotation shaft support member configured to rotatably support a rotation shaft of the endless conveyor, wherein a distance between the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor is adjustable, or the turn-back portion and the endless conveyor are attachable to and detachable from each other, and wherein the rotation shaft is supported by the rotation shaft support member in a state of being movable in a horizontal direction.",
    "16. An inversion guide device configured to guide tofu conveyed by a transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor, the inversion guide device comprising: an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner, wherein the endless conveyor comprises a stopper member configured to receive the tofu moving at the turn-back portion.",
    "17. The inversion guide device according to claim 16, wherein a base portion of the stopper member is attached to the endless conveyor at an angle inclined with respect to a traveling direction of the endless conveyor.",
    "18. The inversion guide device according to claim 17, wherein a distal end of the stopper member has an angle inclined with respect to a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the endless conveyor.",
    "19. A tofu production device comprising: a transfer conveyor; an inversion guide device configured to guide tofu conveyed by the transfer conveyor and inverted by a turn-back portion at one end of the transfer conveyor, the inversion guide device comprising an endless conveyor configured to support the tofu along a track of the turn-back portion and guide the tofu while being driven in a circulating manner; and a tofu receiving device configured to receive tofu inverted by the inversion guide device and pass the tofu to a next step, wherein the endless conveyor comprises stopper members configured to receive respective cakes of tofu moving at the turn-back portion, and wherein where Va is a speed of the endless conveyor, Vb is a speed of the transfer conveyor, a is a stopper pitch that is a pitch of the stopper members, and b is a front-back pitch of the cakes of tofu on the transfer conveyor, when the speed Va of the endless conveyor is larger than the speed Vb of the turn-back portion of the transfer conveyor (Va>Vb), n·a/Va=b/Vb (n: natural number) is satisfied."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to an inversion guide device that guides tofu while inverting the tofu, and a tofu production device using the same.\n\nGenerally, in a production process of silken tofu, a soymilk as a raw material is coagulated and aged in a holeless frame with a coagulant added, and in a production process of firm tofu, a soymilk is coagulated and aged in an appropriate container (for example, a tub, a bucket, a frame, or the like) in the same manner. Next, the coagulated and aged product is poured into a holey mold having a filter cloth laid thereon to be compacted and molded. Thereafter, the tofu is produced by being taken out from the mold, cut into a predetermined size, and packed.\n\nGenerally, a transfer conveyor that transfers the tofu covered with a pack is an endless conveyor, in which the tofu covered with the pack is inverted while being guided from an upper side to a lower side at a turn-back portion at one end, and the tofu is stored in the pack and sent to the next step. In a related-art device, a plate-shaped guide plate is provided so as to correspond to the turn-back portion of the transfer conveyor, and the guide plate guides the tofu (see Patent Literatures 1 to 3).\n\nPatent Literature 1: JP-A-563-203516\n\nPatent Document 2: JP-A-H03-219850\n\nPatent Literature 3: JP-A-2007-006759\n\nAlthough the related-art guide plate guides the tofu, since the guide plate is a fixed curved plate, the guide plate guides the tofu on the basis of the gravity acting on the tofu at the turn-back portion of the transfer conveyor.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 47/52",
    "A23B 2/001",
    "A23L 11/45",
    "B65B 25/001",
    "B65B 25/06",
    "B65B 35/56",
    "B65B 55/08",
    "B65B 55/14",
    "B65B 55/18",
    "B65G 2201/0202",
    "B65G 37/005",
    "B65G 47/248",
    "B65G 47/252"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A23L 11/45",
    "B65B 55/08",
    "B65B 55/14",
    "B65G 47/24",
    "B65G 47/252",
    "B65G 47/52"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Takai Tofu and Soymilk Equipment Co"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Toichiro Takai"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-02-25",
  "publication_date": "2024-01-02",
  "grant_date": "2024-01-02",
  "priority_date": "2020-02-25",
  "application_number": "US-202117758766-A",
  "family_id": "77490203",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPS529264A",
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    "US7175017B2",
    "JP2007006759A",
    "US7690882B1",
    "JP2009208963A",
    "JP3172221U",
    "EP3228565A1",
    "JP2017186056A",
    "JP6639312B2",
    "US10781049B2",
    "JP2020023380A"
  ]
}