Food production apparatus

A food production apparatus, comprising:

• a shaping means for combining water and a powder, mixing the water and powder and extruding the mixture in a predetermined shape, said shaping means comprising:
• a cylindrical casing defining a mixing chamber and a downwardly directed opening,
• a bottom plate closing said opening of said casing, said bottom plate having a plurality of extrusion holes therein and first and second surfaces on which said extrusion holes open, said first surface facing said mixing chamber and said second surface being parallel with said first surface and facing away from said mixing chamber,
• a pair of shutter plates movably disposed on respective said first and second surfaces of said bottom plate, each said shutter plate having a plurality of through holes corresponding to and communicable with said extrusion holes,
• a press member mounted so as to be movable in said casing toward and away from said bottom plate, said press member further having a central axis about which said press member is rotatable, and
• a stirring member extending through said press member and projecting into said mixing chamber;
• and
• a heating means for heating the shaped mixture extruded from said shaping means, said heating means comprising:
• a storage bath for storing a liquid therein,
• a temperature regulating means for heating the liquid in said storage bath and for maintaining the temperature of the liquid at a predetermined value,
• a scooping member disposed in said storage bath so as to be moveable above and below the level of the liquid in said storage bath, said scooping member having a plurality of openings therein, and
• a sweeping member driven to move along an upper surface of said scooping member when said scooping member is positioned at an upper limit position above the level of the liquid in said storage bath.

A food production apparatus, comprising:

• a shaping means for combining water and a powder, mixing the water and powder and extruding the mixture in a predetermined shape, said shaping means comprising:
• a rotor having a plurality of through holes at regular intervals in a circumferential direction of said rotor,
• means for intermittently driving said rotor to rotate about a central axis thereof such that said rotor stops said through holes thereof at a plurality of stopping positions,
• means for supplying powder into one of said through holes when said through hole is stopped at a first said stopping position,
• a blade member mounted so as to be rotatable and upwardly and downwardly reciprocable into and out of a said through hole positioned at a second stopping position downstream of the first said stopping position,
• a bottom plate on which said rotor is mounted, said bottom plate having a water supply hole and a communicating hole therein, said water supply hole being positioned so as to communicate with a said through hole when the said through hole is positioned at said second stopping position, and said communicating hole being positioned so as to communicate with a said through hole positioned at a third stopping position downstream of said second stopping position,
• a shaping member detachably disposed on a lower surface of said bottom plate closing said communicating hole, said shaping member having a plurality of extrusion holes therethrough, and
• an extrusion member at said third stopping position for pressing a mixture in a said through hole at said third stopping position through said shaping member;
• and
• a heating means for heating the mixture extruded from said shaping member by said extrusion member.