US 12,302,937 B2
Solid objects feeder and apparatus for manufacturing food product with solid objects feeder
Masaki Hosoya, Tochigi (JP); and Hirofumi Okubo, Tochigi (JP)
Assigned to RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO., LTD., Tochigi (JP)
Appl. No. 18/026,470
Filed by RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO., LTD., Tochigi (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 17, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/034335
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 15, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/059781, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-157851 (JP), filed on Sep. 18, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0270153 A1, Aug. 31, 2023
Int. Cl. A23P 20/25 (2016.01); A21C 11/16 (2006.01); A23P 20/20 (2016.01); B65D 47/08 (2006.01)
CPC A23P 20/25 (2016.08) 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solid object feeder comprising:
a rotary disk including a plurality of storing holes for storing solid objects, the plurality of storing holes being equally spaced on a circumference of a circle in a peripheral portion of the rotary disk,
a supporting member disposed below the rotary disk to support the solid objects stored in the storing holes, and
a guide member disposed above the peripheral portion of the rotary disk, and
a driving device for rotating the rotary disk,
wherein the supporting member includes an opening at a supplying location so that the solid object can pass through the opening,
wherein the rotary disk is configured to move the solid object, which is stored in the storing hole, to the supplying location to supply the solid object downwardly,
wherein the supporting member includes a step region which continues from an upstream side to a downstream side relative to the guide member, and another region located upstream of the step region, and
wherein a second gap between the supporting member and a lower surface of the rotary disk in the step region is determined so that the solid object can move below the guide member from the upstream side to the downstream side relative to the guide member, and the second gap is larger than a first gap between the supporting member and the lower surface of the rotary disk in the other region located upstream of the step region.