# US 10,368,549 B2 · Apparatus and method for cutting noodle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,368,549 B2 - Document ID: US10368549B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/016,233 - Filed: 2011-01-28 - Published: 2012-08-02 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-01-28 - Assignees: Nissin Food Holdings Co., Ltd.; Nissin Foods (U.S.A.) Co., Inc. - Applicants: Yoshitaka Iguchi; Koshi Minamitani; Mitsuru Tanaka - Inventors: Yoshitaka Iguchi; Koshi Minamitani; Mitsuru Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368549B2 ## CPC - A21C 11/10: combined with cutting apparatus {(A21C11/004 takes precedence)} - B26D 1/40: and coacting with a rotary member - B26D 1/62: and is rotating about an axis parallel to the line of cut, e.g. mounted on a rotary cylinder - B26D 7/0625: {by endless conveyors, e.g. belts} - Y10T 83/04: Processes - Y10T 83/9372: Rotatable type - A21C: MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH - B26D: CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING (for growing crops or plants A01D, A01G; for fodder or straw A01F; for bulk butter A01J; for dough A21C; slaughtering A22B; for tobacco, cigars or cigarettes A24; marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; manufacturing footwear A43D; brushmaking A46D; surgery A61B; disintegrating, mincing or shredding in general B02C; cutting wire, making pins or nails B21F, B21G; of the kind used formetal B23; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; hand-held cutting tools B26B; perforating, cutting-out, stamping-out or punching, or severing by means other than cutting B26F; for wood B27; for stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; article or web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting or line-perforating devices B65H35/00; for leather or upholstery B68, C14B; for glass C03B; making matches C06F; for peat C10F; for sugar C13B45/00; for textile materials D06H; civil engineering, building, mining, see Section E; for light guides G02B6/25; cutting processed photographic material G03D15/04) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A noodle strand cutting apparatus for cutting gelatinized noodle strands used in manufacturing of instant noodles is provided with: a conveyer for conveying at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands; and a rotary cutter arranged above the conveyer and intended to cut, to a predetermined length, the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands conveyed on the conveyer in a substantially horizontal direction. The rotary cutter is provided with a plurality of blades that extend side by side with a rotational axis in radial directions around the rotational axis, the plurality of blades being spaced from each other in a circumferential direction by predetermined intervals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for cutting gelatinized noodle strands used in manufacturing of instant noodles, the method comprising: providing at least one bundle of the noodle strands that are longitudinally cut and gelatinized by heating, providing a noodle strand cutting apparatus comprising: a conveyer that conveys the at least one bundle of the noodle strands, the conveyer includes a flat surface that extends lengthwise in a horizontal direction, and the at least one bundle of the noodle strands being conveyed on the conveyer in a substantially horizontal direction, and a rotary cutter arranged above the conveyer, the rotary cutter being configured to cut the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands to a predetermined length from 1 to 10 cm, and a length of the flat surface of the conveyer is greater than a diameter of the rotary cutter, wherein the rotary cutter comprises: a plurality of blades that extend side by side along a peripheral surface of the rotary cutter and in radial directions around a rotational axis of the rotary cutter, the plurality of blades being spaced from each other in a circumferential direction by predetermined intervals, the plurality of blades being configured to directly contact the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands and the flat surface of the conveyer during cutting by the rotary cutter, and a number of blades is between six and thirty blades, inclusive, and a curved control surface that extends between a pair of the blades adjacent to each other, wherein: (i) a distance from the curved control surface to a tip of each of the plurality of blades, respectively, is shorter than a distance between each of the plurality of blades, and (ii) a clearance exists between the curved control surface and the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands when the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands are cut, pressing at least one of the plurality of blades of the rotary cutter against the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands, and cutting the at least one bundle of the gelatinized noodle strands by the rotary cutter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the distance from the control surface to the tip of each of the plurality of blades, respectively, is equal to or less than 6 cm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the noodle strand cutting apparatus further comprises a drive unit that drives the conveyer and the rotary cutter so as to make a speed of the tip of each of the plurality of blades and an upper surface of the conveyer substantially equal to each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades extend along substantially an entire length of the rotary cutter from a first end of the rotary cutter to a second end of the rotary cutter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control surface is made of plastics. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades are covered with a material layer having detachment facilitating properties. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the material layer is polytetrafluoroethylene. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the adjacent blades and the conveyer form a substantially closed space such that the cut noodle strands stay within the space immediately after being cut. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of blades is shaped like a wedge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the rotary cutter is configured to cut a plurality of bundles of the noodle strands at the same time.