PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a simple, compact size, and low-cost structure which can firmly form the surface of a rice ball without breaking the same, and reproduce puffy feeling and texture similar to a rice ball made by hands.SOLUTION: A rice molding mechanism includes a folding molding form 11 that includes: an arc concave groove shape bottom side concave 11b for rice body lower part molding that is located in the center a roughly half arc concave groove shape one side concave 11a for rice body one side part molding that is rotatably coupled to one side end of a bottom side concave 11b through a hinge part 12 and a roughly half arc concave groove shape other side concave 11c for rice body other side part molding that is rotatably coupled to the other side end of a bottom side concave 11b through a hinge part 13, and in which one side concave 11a and the other side concave 11c are respectively mutually folded in an inside block direction through a bottom side concave 11b, thereby a circular hole shape space part QS for rice molding surrounded by these bottom side concave 11b, one side concave 11a, and other side concave 11c respectively can be formed.COPYRIGHT: (C)2014,JPO&INPIT【課題】表面は型崩れせずにしっかりと成形でき、手で握ったおにぎりと同様のふっくら感及び食感を再現できる簡易で小型且つ低コストの構成とする。【解決手段】中央に位置する米飯塊底部成形用の円弧凹溝状の底側凹型11bと、底側凹型11bの一側端にヒンジ部12を介して回動可能に連繋された米飯塊一側部成形用の略半円弧凹溝状の一側凹型11aと、底側凹型11bの他側端にヒンジ部13を介して回動可能に連繋された米飯塊他側部成形用の略半円弧凹溝状の他側凹型11cとを備え、底側凹型11bを介して一側凹型11aおよび他側凹型11cそれぞれを互いに内側閉塞方向に折り込むことにより、当該底側凹型11b、一側凹型11a、他側凹型11cそれぞれによって囲繞された円孔状の米飯成形用空間部QSを形成可能にした折り畳み成形型11を備える。【選択図】図5
