STUFFING FILLING AND GAS CHARGING SYSTEM OF DOUGH FOOD PRODUCT PROCESSING MACHINE

Abstract

A stuffing filling and gas charging system of a dough food product machine is arranged between a stuffing feeding unit and a dough feeding unit of the dough food product machine and includes a stuffing conveyance pipe, and a shaft sleeve, a dough driving rod, and a screw rod support enclosure sleeved over the stuffing conveyance pipe. A first passage is formed between the shaft sleeve and the stuffing conveyance pipe; a second passage is formed between the dough driving rod and the stuffing conveyance pipe; and a third passage is formed between the screw rod support enclosure and the stuffing conveyance pipe. The passages are in communication with each other and are connected to a gas supply unit, so that air flow is introduced into a dough skin during the dough skin being shaped to prevent the dough skin from wrinkling and collapsing before being properly shaped.

Claims

1. A stuffing filling and gas charging system of a dough food product machine, at least comprising: a stuffing conveyance pipe, which extends through a dough feeding unit of the dough food product machine and has an end connected to a stuffing feeding unit; a shaft sleeve, which is sleeved over an end section of the stuffing conveyance pipe that is adjacent to the dough feeding unit, an outside diameter of the shaft sleeve being fit in a bearing seat and mounted under the stuffing feeding unit, an inside diameter of the shaft sleeve being formed with a fitting seat; and a dough driving rod, which is hollow and fit over the stuffing conveyance pipe and, for easy cleaning, has an end disposed in and connected to the fitting seat of the shaft sleeve so that disassembling and cleaning are performable without tools, and an opposite end being connected to a screw rod support enclosure so that the shaft sleeve, when being driven, drives the dough driving rod to simultaneously rotate in the dough trough to allow a blade to knead and extrude the dough block out to form a dough skin; b wherein a first passage is formed between the shaft sleeve and the stuffing conveyance pipe; a second passage is formed between the dough driving rod and the stuffing conveyance pipe ; and a third passage is formed between the screw rod support enclosure and the stuffing conveyance pipe; and a gas supply unit, which supplies gas to feed, in sequence, through piping into a first passage, a second passage, to be ejected from an outer circumference of the stuffing conveyance pipe.

2. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the dough driving rod is fit in a screw rod support enclosure at a dough discharge end.

3. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 2, wherein the screw rod support enclosure is formed with an axial hole in a center thereof, and multiple sieve apertures are formed in an outer rim of an end surface of the axial hole, the multiple sieve apertures including arc slots extending circumferentially along a circumference of the axial hole.

4. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit is connected to a material injection unit.

5. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 4, wherein the material injection unit is supplied with one of seasoning, oil, and pigment.

6. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the shaft sleeve and the dough driving rod are integrally combined as a unitary dough driving rod.

7. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the first passage, the second passage, and the third passage are integrally combined as a unitary continuous passage.

8. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the bearing seat is provided therein with a guide hole, the guide hole having an end connected to piping of the gas supply unit and an opposite end connected to the first passage.

9. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit is in communication with the outside and natural intake of air is involved.

10. The stuffing filling and gas charging system according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply unit is in communication with the outside and pressurized air intake is involved.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating an application of the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of a stuffing filling and gas charging system of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a schematic view, partly broken, illustrating the stuffing filling and gas charging system of the present invention.

[0014] FIG. 4 is an end view of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a schematic view demonstrating an operation of use of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 6 is a schematic view illustrating an overall structural arrangement of a prior art dough food product stuffing machine.

[0017] FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a stuffing operation carried out in the prior art dough food product machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the present invention at least comprises: a stuffing conveyance pipe 10, which is arranged to extend under a dough feeding unit 93 of a dough food product machine and has an end connected to a stuffing feeding unit 91 and an opposite end connected to a shaping unit 94 of the dough food product machine; and

[0020] a shaft sleeve 20, which is sleeved over a section of the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 that extends through the dough feeding unit 93, the shaft sleeve 20 having an end forming a coupling section 22 and received in and mounted to a sealing flange 50, and arranged under a transmission area of the dough feeding unit 93 that is adjacent to the stuffing feeding unit 91, the shaft sleeve 20 having an opposite end that is provided with a fitting seat 21.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, a dough driving rod 30, which is a hollow member, is fit outside and sleeved over the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 and has an end connected to the fitting seat 21 of the shaft sleeve 20 and an opposite end received in and connected to a dough discharge tube 932 of a dough trough 931 of the stuffing feeding unit 91, and is fit with a screw rod support enclosure 40 that includes sieve apertures 41, so that the shaft sleeve 20, once driven, causes the dough driving rod 30 to simultaneously rotate in the dough trough 931 to allow a blade 31 to knead and push and compress a dough block 84 to form a dough skin 81. The shaft sleeve 20 and the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 collectively form a first passage 1020 in an annular space therebetween. The dough driving rod 30 and the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 collectively form a second passage 1030 in an annular space therebetween. The screw rod support enclosure 40 and the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 collectively form a third passage 1040 in an annular space therebetween.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a gas supply unit 60 supplies gas, such as air, through piping 61 to sequentially feed into the first passage 1020, the second passage 1030, and the third passage 1040 to be ejected from an outer circumference of the stuffing conveyance pipe 10. In an embodiment, the gas supply unit 60 is connected to the outside and air is drawn in by means of natural intake. As such, airflow may be sucked during shaping of the dough skin to prevent the dough skin from wrinkling or even collapsing. Alternatively, air or gas may be supplied in a pressurized manner

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, when a stuffing material 80 is being fed from the stuffing feeding unit 91 into the stuffing conveyance pipe 10, a dough block 84 is kneaded and compressed in the dough trough 931 of the dough feeding unit 93 by the dough driving rod 30 and is discharged through the dough discharge tube 932 and the screw rod support enclosure 40 to form a dough skin 81. Air or gas that may be supplied from the gas supply unit 60 to flow through the piping 61, the first passage 1020, the second passage 1030, and the third passage 1040 and is then ejected from the outer circumference of the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 destroys vacuum generated in an interior of the dough skin 81 by the shaping unit 94 so as to prevent the dough skin from wrinkling or even collapsing before being properly shaped, and also to guide or allow the stuffing material 80 to more smoothly move into the interior of the dough skin 81, making the dough skin 81 fully filled with and enclosing the stuffing material 80 to be subsequently fed to the shaping unit 94 for cutting or trimming into a dumpling or any similar stuffed dough food product, and as such, a food product that shows a fully filled and thus rounded appearance, providing a good appealing for purchasers, is completed. The taste of the stuffed dough food product is also made better.

[0024] In an embodiment, a material injection unit 62 may be additionally provided to fill in seasonings, oil/fat, and pigment that are mixed with the gas or air supplied from the gas supply unit 60 to achieve addition of oil, seasonings, and pigments of different kinds or flavors in the dough skin 81 and the stuffing material 80 for diversification of stuffed dough food products.

[0025] In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the sealing flange 50 is provided with a guide hole 51. One end of the guide hole 51 is connected to the piping 61 of the gas supply unit 60, and an opposite end is in direct communication with the first passage 1020 to achieve a desired operation of the gas/air charging system.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, in the present invention, the screw rod support enclosure 40 that is arranged at an end section of the dough driving rod 30 is provided with an axial hole 42 formed in a center thereof to fit to an end part of the stuffing conveyance pipe 10 and the shaft sleeve 20. The sieve apertures 41 include multiple arc slots extending circumferentially along a circumferential rim of an end surface of the axial hole 42 so that, as shown in FIG. 5, the dough skin 81, when extruded out, would form a dough skin of multiple layers or sections of sealing, making it easy to shape and providing good taste.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, although in the embodiment illustrated, the stuffing conveyance pipe 10, the shaft sleeve 20, and the screw rod support enclosure 40 are arranged as three separate pieces, they can be formed integrally, by following any known techniques, as a unitary structure, such that the first passage 1020, the second passage 1030, and the third passage 1040 are integrally jointed as a unitary passage. This is a variation of this invention that is readily appreciated.

[0028] The present invention provides the following advantages in use:

[0029] (1) The present invention provides passages, preferably in an annular form, between an outer circumference of the stuffing material conveyance pipe and the shaft sleeve, the dough driving rod, and the screw rod support enclosure that are arranged circumferentially around the pipe. The passages are connected to the gas supply unit to receive gas or air supplied from the gas supply unit so that when a stuffing material is filled into a tubular dough skin, the tubular dough skin would be charged and filled with gas or air so as not to collapse, allowing the filling of the stuffing material to reach a more saturated state and can be done in a more smooth way and also making the outside appearance of the stuffed dough food product more appealing and attracting.

[0030] (2) Following the above, a material injection unit can be provided in addition to the gas supply unit to add seasonings, oil/fat, and pigment to be mixed with the gas or air supplied from the gas supply unit, to achieve addition of oil, seasonings, and pigments of different kinds or flavors in the dough skin and the stuffing material for diversification of stuffed dough food products.

[0031] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

[0032] While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.