US 12,419,314 B2
Device, system and method for forming a folded food product
Yuya Ogawa, Tochigi (JP); and Kaoru Hamamoto, Tochigi (JP)
Assigned to Rheon Automatic Machinery Co., Ltd., Tochigi (JP)
Appl. No. 17/767,529
Filed by RHEON AUTOMATIC MACHINERY CO., LTD., Tochigi (JP)
PCT Filed Oct. 9, 2020, PCT No. PCT/JP2020/038308
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/070937, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019-186664 (JP), filed on Oct. 10, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0065276 A1, Feb. 29, 2024
Int. Cl. A21C 9/06 (2006.01)
CPC A21C 9/063 (2013.01) 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of performing a folding operation of a dough piece having a first end, a second end, and a main body therebetween, and defining a folding direction from the first end to the second end, comprising:
a lifting sub-operation of lifting the first end of a dough piece by holding the first end of the dough piece on a conveying surface while suctioning the first end of the dough piece from its upper side with a suction tool;
a grasping sub-operation of grasping the first end of the dough piece by moving a supporting part below the lifted first end of the dough piece, then moving the suction tool and the supporting part closer to each other, and sandwiching the first end of the dough piece between the suction tool and the supporting part with the first end over the supporting tool and the suction tool is over the first end of the dough piece,
an overlapping sub-operation of folding and overlapping the dough piece by moving the suction tool and supporting part with the first end of the dough piece over the supporting part and under the suction tool in the folding direction toward the second end of the dough piece such that the first end of the dough piece wraps under the supporting part, so that the first end of the dough piece becomes both above and below the supporting part, and
a bonding sub-operation of bonding the first end and the second end of the dough piece to each other by raising the suction tool to release the first end of the dough piece, and moving the supporting part in the folding direction, such that the entire first end of the dough piece unwraps from the supporting part and completely moves under the supporting part, and the supporting part overlaps and presses the first end of the dough piece onto the second end of the dough piece on the conveying surface.