JP2023079573A - Food processing device and food processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a food processing device which can realize miniaturization and low cost and provide a food processing method.SOLUTION: A food processing device according to an embodiment irradiates a food with processing light having at least a wavelength in an ultraviolet region. The food processing device comprises: a moving part capable of moving the food in a first direction; an irradiation part having a light-emitting element or a discharge lamp and capable of applying the processing light to the food moving in the first direction; and a reflector that faces the irradiation part and reflects a portion of the processing light not incident on the food toward the food moving in the first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a food processing apparatus and a food processing method.

In the food market, awareness of food safety is increasing due to compliance with HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). The food market also faces problems such as food loss due to spoilage.

In this case, the expiration date of the food can be extended by adding a preservative to the food, heat sterilizing the food, or sterilizing the food with a chemical such as chlorine or hypochlorous acid. However, these methods pose new problems such as risks to health and loss of taste and flavor of foods.

Here, a conveyor that conveys food, an irradiation unit that is provided above the conveyor and irradiates the food with ultraviolet rays, and an irradiation unit that is provided below the conveyor and irradiates the food with ultraviolet rays. A food processing apparatus has been proposed. According to such a food processing apparatus, it is possible to sterilize the upper portion of the food and the lower portion of the food.

However, such a food processing apparatus requires an irradiation section for irradiating the upper portion of the food with ultraviolet rays and an irradiation section for irradiating the lower portion of the food with ultraviolet rays. Therefore, it becomes difficult to reduce the size and cost of the food processing apparatus.
Therefore, it has been desired to develop a technology that can reduce the size and cost of food processing equipment.

JP-A-1-192363

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a food processing apparatus and a food processing method that can be downsized and reduced in cost.

A food processing apparatus according to an embodiment irradiates food with processing light having at least a wavelength in the ultraviolet region. The food processing apparatus has a moving part capable of moving the food in a first direction; and a reflector that faces the irradiation unit and reflects part of the processing light that has not entered the food toward the food moving in the first direction.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a food processing apparatus and a food processing method that can be downsized and reduced in cost.

It is a schematic diagram for illustrating a processing apparatus. It is a schematic cross section for illustrating an irradiation part. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the irradiation unit in FIG. 2 viewed from the direction of line AA. 4 is a graph for illustrating an example of a spectral distribution curve of an irradiating section having a light emitting element; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for illustrating an irradiation unit according to another embodiment; It is a schematic diagram for illustrating a discharge lamp. 4 is a graph for illustrating an example of a spectral distribution curve of an irradiator provided with a discharge lamp; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for illustrating a reflector according to another embodiment; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for illustrating a reflector according to another embodiment;

(Food processing equipment)
Hereinafter, embodiments will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent elements, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Arrows X, Y, and Z in each figure represent three directions orthogonal to each other. For example, the X direction (corresponding to an example of the first direction) and the Y direction (corresponding to an example of the second direction) are horizontal directions, and the X direction is the conveying direction of the food 100 . For example, the Z direction is the vertical direction.

A food processing apparatus 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as processing apparatus 1) according to the present embodiment irradiates food 100 with processing light having at least a wavelength in the ultraviolet range.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the processing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 1 has, for example, a supply section 10, a moving section 20, an irradiation section 30, a reflection section 40, a storage section 50, and a controller 60. As shown in FIG.

The supply unit 10 is provided, for example, in the vicinity of the loading-side end of the moving unit 20 . The supply unit 10 accommodates a plurality of foods 100 to be processed therein, and supplies the accommodated foods 100 to the moving unit 20 one by one.

For example, the supply unit 10 has a hopper that stores a plurality of foods 100 in a layered manner, and a supply device that takes out the foods 100 stored in the hopper and supplies them to the moving unit 20 . Further, for example, the supply unit 10 may include a hopper that stores a plurality of food items 100 at random, and a chute that is connected to the hopper and provided with a vibration device or the like. Note that the configuration of the supply unit 10 is not limited to the illustrated one. The supply unit 10 may be any unit that can supply the food 100 to the moving unit 20 while preventing the food 100 from overlapping each other.

Also, the supply unit 10 is not necessarily required and can be omitted. When the supply unit 10 is omitted, for example, the operator may supply the food 100 to the moving unit 20 .

The food 100 can be, for example, food not stored inside a storage container (single food) or food stored inside a storage container.

The food 100 is, for example, agricultural products, meat materials, fresh fish materials, processed foods, and the like.
In addition, "agricultural products" can be, for example, plants that are artificially cultivated and harvested, or plants that are grown and harvested in the natural world. "Agricultural products" include farming that systematically cultivates and harvests cultivated plants, collection of plants that grow naturally in the natural world (collection of wild plants), and so-called semi-cultivation that grows and harvests in an intermediate state between cultivation and the wild. It may be obtained by There are no particular restrictions on the use of "agricultural products", and various uses such as food and medicine are conceivable.
"Processed foods" are, for example, side dishes, lunch boxes, salads, and the like.
Also, the food 100 is not limited to the illustrated one, and may be, for example, any food that has an expiration date.

The "storage container in which food is stored" is made of a material that can transmit processing light, which will be described later. The storage container can be, for example, a film, bag, tray, box, or the like that can transmit processing light. The storage container can be made of polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinyl chloride, or the like, for example.

The moving unit 20 moves the food 100 in the X direction, for example. For example, the moving section 20 moves the food 100 from the position of supplying the food 100 (the position of the feeding section 10) to the position of discharging the processed food 100a (the position of the containing section 50). The moving unit 20 can be, for example, a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, or the like.

As will be described later, part of the processing light emitted from the irradiation section 30 ( 30 a ) is reflected by the reflection section 40 and enters the food 100 . Therefore, the moving part 20 can transmit the processing light. For example, when the moving part 20 is a belt conveyor, a belt through which processing light can pass can be used. For example, if a mesh belt, a belt having a plurality of holes, or a belt made of translucent resin or the like is used, the processing light can be transmitted. When the moving part 20 is a roller conveyor, the processing light can be transmitted through the space between the rollers. In this case, if a roller made of resin or the like through which processing light can pass is used, the amount of processing light that passes through the roller can be increased.

Although the case where the moving part 20 moves the food 100 in the horizontal direction is illustrated, the moving part 20 may move the food 100 in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal or in a vertical direction. Moreover, although the case where the moving part 20 was a conveyor was illustrated, the moving part may be, for example, a rotating disk through which the processing light can pass.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating the irradiation section 30. As shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the irradiation unit 30 in FIG. 2 as seen from the direction of line AA.
As shown in FIG. 2, the irradiation section 30 has, for example, a light emitting module 31, a cooling section 32, a circuit board 33, and a housing .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a plurality of light emitting modules 31 can be provided. A plurality of light emitting modules 31 can be arranged side by side in the Y direction, for example. A plurality of light emitting modules 31 can be provided inside the housing 34 . Note that the number of light-emitting modules 31 can be appropriately changed according to the size of the food 100 . That is, at least one light emitting module 31 should be provided.

The light emitting module 31 has, for example, a substrate 31a and a plurality of light emitting elements 31b. The substrate 31a has a plate shape. The planar shape of the substrate 31a is, for example, a quadrangle. The material of the substrate 31a can be, for example, an inorganic material such as aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride, an organic material such as paper phenol or glass epoxy, or a metal core substrate in which the surface of a metal plate is coated with an insulating material. In this case, considering the dissipation of heat generated in the light emitting element 31b, the substrate 31a is preferably formed using a material with high thermal conductivity. For example, the substrate 31a can be made of ceramics such as aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride, high thermal conductive resin, metal core substrate, or the like. The high thermal conductive resin is, for example, a resin such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or nylon mixed with a filler containing aluminum oxide or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate 31a is attached to the heat radiating portion 32a using fastening members such as screws, for example. In this case, an elastic heat transfer sheet or a layer made of silicone grease can be provided between the substrate 31a and the heat radiating portion 32a. In this way, the heat generated in the light emitting element 31b can be easily transmitted to the heat dissipation portion 32a, so that the temperature of the light emitting element 31b can be suppressed from exceeding the maximum junction temperature.

Also, the substrate 31a can be adhered to the heat radiating portion 32a using, for example, an adhesive having a high thermal conductivity. If the substrate 31a is adhered to the heat radiating portion 32a using an adhesive having a high thermal conductivity, it is possible to suppress the formation of a gap between the substrate 31a and the heat radiating portion 32a. The generated heat is easily transferred to the heat dissipation portion 32a. Also, the configuration of the light emitting module 31 is simplified.

The plurality of light emitting elements 31b are provided on the surface of the substrate 31a opposite to the heat radiation portion 32a side. Light emitting surfaces of the plurality of light emitting elements 31b face a window 34e provided in the housing 34 . The processing light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements 31b is emitted to the outside of the irradiation section 30 through the window 34e.

The plurality of light emitting elements 31b are arranged side by side. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of light emitting elements 31b are arranged in a matrix. The arrangement form and number of the plurality of light emitting elements 31b are not limited to those illustrated in FIG.

The light emitting element 31b is not particularly limited as long as it can irradiate ultraviolet rays having a peak wavelength of 200 nm or more and 300 nm or less. For example, the light-emitting element 31b is a light-emitting diode, a laser diode, or the like that can irradiate ultraviolet rays having a peak wavelength of 200 nm or more and 300 nm or less. The plurality of light-emitting elements 31b may be chip-shaped light-emitting elements, surface-mounted light-emitting elements, or bullet-shaped light-emitting elements having lead wires.

In addition to the light-emitting element 31b capable of irradiating ultraviolet light, a light-emitting element capable of irradiating light (near-infrared) in the near-infrared region (for example, the wavelength band is 700 nm or more and 960 nm or less) can be further provided. In this case, the ultraviolet rays can be used for sterilization and inactivation of bacteria and viruses adhering to the surface of the food 100 . Also, for example, when the surface of the agricultural product is irradiated with near-infrared rays, it is possible to suppress evaporation of liquid components from the surface of the agricultural product. Therefore, the freshness maintenance of agricultural products can be aimed at.
That is, the irradiation unit 30 irradiates the food 100 moving in the X direction with processing light having at least a wavelength in the ultraviolet range.

The cooling section 32 has, for example, a heat radiation section 32a and an air blowing section 32b.
As shown in FIG. 3, for example, a plurality of heat radiating portions 32a can be provided. When providing a plurality of heat radiating portions 32a, for example, the plurality of heat radiating portions 32a can be arranged side by side in the Y direction. In addition, you may make it provide the one thermal radiation part 32a. That is, at least one heat radiating portion 32a can be provided.

The heat dissipation part 32a has, for example, a block-shaped base to which the light emitting module 31 is attached, and a plurality of fins. The heat radiating portion 32a is made of, for example, a material with high thermal conductivity such as an aluminum alloy.

The air blowing section 32b supplies the gas G to the plurality of fins provided in the heat radiating section 32a. The gas G is, for example, air contained in the atmosphere in which the processing apparatus 1 is installed. The air blower 32b is provided inside the housing 34 . The air blower 32b is attached to the inner wall of the housing 34, for example. The blower section 32b is provided, for example, on the opposite side of the heat radiation section 32a from the light emitting module 31 side. The air blower 32b can be, for example, an axial fan.

As shown in FIG. 2, the circuit board 33 is provided inside the housing 34 . The circuit board 33 is provided, for example, near the end of the housing 34 on the side opposite to the side on which the light emitting module 31 is provided. The circuit board 33, for example, switches between lighting and extinguishing of the plurality of light emitting elements 31b, controls power applied to the plurality of light emitting elements 31b, and switches between supplying and stopping the supply of the gas G by the air blower 32b. or

The housing 34 has a box-like shape and has a space inside for accommodating the light emitting module 31, the cooling section 32, and the circuit board 33, for example. A plurality of exhaust ports 34 a can be provided on the side surface of the housing 34 . Further, the housing 34 can be provided with a power connector 34b, a communication connector 34c, a filter 34d, and the like.

The window 34e is provided at the end of the housing 34 on the side where the light emitting module 31 is provided. The window 34e transmits the processing light emitted from the light emitting module 31 (light emitting element 31b). The window 34e is made of, for example, ultraviolet transmitting glass, acrylic resin, or the like.

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating an example of a spectral distribution curve of the irradiation section 30 including the light emitting element 31b.
The light-emitting element 31b was a light-emitting diode that emits ultraviolet rays. The spectral distribution data was measured in an ambient temperature of 25.degree.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, if the irradiation unit 30 includes the light emitting element 31b that emits ultraviolet light, the spectral characteristics in the ultraviolet region (for example, the peak wavelength is 300 nm or less and the wavelength band is 200 nm or more and 400 nm or less) are narrow. Become. Therefore, bacteria and viruses adhering to the surface of the food 100 can be efficiently sterilized and inactivated.

Next, an irradiation unit 30a according to another embodiment will be described.
The irradiation unit 30a irradiates the food 100 moving in the X direction with processing light including wavelengths from the ultraviolet region to the near-infrared region.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an irradiation unit 30a according to another embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the irradiation section 30a has a reflector 131 and a discharge lamp 132, for example.
The reflector 131 reflects the processing light emitted from the discharge lamp 132 and directed to the side opposite to the food 100 side so that the processing light is directed to the food 100 side. Reflector 131 is, for example, a concave mirror.

A discharge lamp 132 is provided inside the reflector 131 . For example, the discharge lamp 132 emits processing light including wavelengths from the ultraviolet region to the near-infrared region. The discharge lamp 132 can be, for example, an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, a high pressure mercury lamp, a low pressure mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, an excimer lamp, an excimer fluorescent lamp, a flash lamp, or the like.
In the following, as an example, the case where the discharge lamp 132 is a xenon flash lamp will be described.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the discharge lamp 132. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the discharge lamp 132 has, for example, an arc tube 132a, an electrode 132b, and a trigger electrode 132c.

The arc tube 132a has a tubular shape, and has a shape in which the overall length (the length in the tube axial direction) is longer than the outer diameter of the tube. The arc tube 132a has, for example, a cylindrical shape. The length of the arc tube 132a in the tube axis direction and the outer diameter of the tube can be appropriately changed according to the size of the food 100 and the like. For example, if the food 100 is a general agricultural product, the axial length of the arc tube 132a can be about 40 cm to 200 cm. The tube outer diameter of the arc tube 132a can be about 6 mm to 30 mm. In this case, when the outer diameter of the tube becomes smaller (when the cross-sectional area of the inner space of the arc tube 132a in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction becomes smaller), the current density of the current flowing during discharge (lamp current density) increases. Therefore, if the outer diameter of the tube is reduced, the emission intensity of the processing light can be increased. The arc tube 132a is made of, for example, a translucent material such as quartz glass.

A discharge medium is enclosed in the internal space of arc tube 132a. The discharge medium can be, for example, a single gas of xenon, or a mixed gas in which xenon is mixed with one or more kinds of other rare gases (eg, argon, neon, krypton, etc.). If the sealing pressure of the discharge medium is increased, the emission intensity of the ultraviolet rays is increased. For example, if the sealing pressure of the discharge medium is 10 kPa or more and 200 kPa or less, the emission intensity of ultraviolet rays can be increased. The filling pressure of the discharge medium can be obtained from the standard gas state (SATP (Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure): temperature 25° C., 1 bar).

A pair of electrodes 132b are provided in the inner space of the arc tube 132a. The electrodes 132b are provided one by one at both ends of the arc tube 132a in the tube axial direction. A pair of electrodes 132b are opposed to each other. One end of the electrode 132b is provided in the internal space of the arc tube 132a, and the other end of the electrode 132b is exposed from the end of the arc tube 132a. The electrode 132b can be, for example, a so-called cold cathode electrode. Electrode 132b is made of, for example, nickel, tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, titanium, or the like.

Here, as described above, when the sealing pressure of the discharge medium is set to 10 kPa or more and 200 kPa or less, the emission intensity of the ultraviolet rays can be increased. However, if the sealing pressure of the discharge medium is increased, it becomes difficult for discharge to occur between the pair of electrodes 132b. Therefore, the discharge lamp 132 is provided with a trigger electrode 132c.

If the trigger electrode 132c is provided, a large potential gradient can be formed with at least one of the electrodes 132b. Therefore, dielectric breakdown is likely to occur in the inner space of the arc tube 132a, and discharge is likely to occur between the pair of electrodes 132b.

The trigger electrode 132c is provided outside the arc tube 132a. The trigger electrode 132c can be formed, for example, by winding a linear member around the outer surface of the arc tube 132a. The thickness of the linear member used to form the trigger electrode 132c is approximately 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm. The material of the trigger electrode 132c can be, for example, the same as the material of the electrode 132b.

FIG. 7 is a graph for illustrating an example of the spectral distribution curve of the irradiation section 30a having the discharge lamp 132. As shown in FIG.
The spectral distribution data was measured in an ambient temperature of 25.degree.
In FIG. 7, the arc tube 132a has an axial length of 300 mm, an outer diameter of 12 mm, and an inner diameter of 10 mm. This is the case for a discharge medium of 100% xenon. The sealing pressure of the discharge medium at 25° C. is 40 kPa.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, if the irradiation unit 30a equipped with the discharge lamp 132 is used, the range from the ultraviolet region (for example, the wavelength band is 200 nm or more and 400 nm or less) to the near-infrared region (for example, the wavelength band is 700 nm or more and 960 nm) below). In this case, the light in the ultraviolet region (ultraviolet rays) can be used for sterilizing or inactivating bacteria and viruses adhering to the surface of the food 100 . Further, for example, when the surface of the agricultural product is irradiated with light in the near-infrared region (near-infrared rays), it is possible to suppress evaporation of liquid components from the surface of the agricultural product. Therefore, the freshness maintenance of agricultural products can be aimed at.

That is, if the irradiation unit 30a having the discharge lamp 132 is used, bacteria and viruses attached to the surface of the food 100 can be sterilized and inactivated, and, for example, the freshness of agricultural products can be maintained. .

As described above, the use of the irradiation unit 30 enables efficient sterilization and inactivation of bacteria and viruses. By using the irradiation unit 30a, in addition to sterilizing and inactivating bacteria and viruses, it is possible to maintain the freshness of agricultural products, for example.
Therefore, for example, the irradiation unit 30 or the irradiation unit 30a can be selected according to the purpose of processing or the type of food 100 . In this case, for example, the irradiation unit 30 or the irradiation unit 30a can be selected in advance and provided in the processing apparatus 1 according to the purpose of processing, the type of the food 100, and the like. By doing so, the size and cost of the processing apparatus 1 can be reduced.
Note that FIG. 1 shows the case of the processing apparatus 1 in which only the irradiation unit 30 is provided.

On the other hand, as the processing apparatus 1 including the irradiation unit 30 and the irradiation unit 30a, the irradiation unit 30 or the irradiation unit 30a can be selectively used according to the purpose of processing and the type of the food 100, or the irradiation unit 30 and the irradiation unit 30a can also be used at the same time. By doing so, the versatility of the processing apparatus 1 can be enhanced.

Next, returning to FIG. 1, the reflecting section 40, the housing section 50, and the controller 60 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the reflecting section 40 can be provided facing the irradiating section 30 . In addition, when the irradiation part 30a is provided, the reflection part 40 can be provided facing the irradiation part 30a.

The reflector 40 has, for example, a reflector 41 and a gas supplier 42 .
The reflector 41 is provided at a position facing the irradiation section 30 (30a). The reflective surface of the reflector 41 (the surface on the side of the irradiation unit 30 (30a)) can be a flat surface or a surface having a plurality of irregularities for causing irregular reflection. The reflecting surface of the reflector 41 may be parallel or inclined with respect to the X and Y directions.

When the distance between the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 and the output surface of the processing light of the irradiation unit 30 (30a) is reduced, the incident angle of the processing light to the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 can be increased. When the size of the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 in the X direction and the size of the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 in the Y direction are increased, the incident angle of the processing light to the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 can be increased. The greater the angle of incidence, the greater the angle of reflection. When the angle of reflection changes, the incident position of the processing light (reflected light) on the food 100 changes. Therefore, the size of the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 in the X direction and the size of the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 in the Y direction depend on the size of the food 100, the size of the reflecting surface of the reflector 41, and the processing light of the irradiation unit 30 (30a). can be appropriately determined according to the distance between the exit surface of the .

The reflector 41 has, for example, a plate shape and is made of a material having a high reflectance with respect to the processing light. The reflector 41 can be made of, for example, aluminum or white resin (eg, fluororesin). Alternatively, an aluminum film or a white resin film may be formed on the surface of a plate made of resin or metal. For example, an aluminum film can be formed on the surface of the plate by sputtering, plating, or the like. For example, a white resin film can be formed by applying a resin softened with a solvent or the like to the surface of a plate.

Part of the processing light emitted from the irradiation unit 30 ( 30 a ) enters the food 100 . A portion of the processing light that has not entered the food 100 passes through the moving part 20 and enters the reflector 41 . The processing light incident on the reflector 41 is reflected by the reflector 41 . A portion of the processing light reflected by reflector 41 enters food 100 . That is, the reflector 41 reflects part of the processing light that has not entered the food 100 toward the food 100 moving in the X direction. Therefore, the food 100 can be processed by the processing light that is emitted from the irradiation unit 30 (30a) and is directly incident on the food 100 and by the processing light that is reflected by the reflector 41 and is incident on the food 100.

Since the irradiation unit 30 (30a) is provided on one side of the food 100, the processing light irradiated from the irradiation unit 30 (30a) is applied to the side of the food 100 facing the irradiation unit 30 (30a). is incident. However, on the side of the food 100 opposite to the side facing the irradiation section 30 (30a), there is a region where the processing light emitted from the irradiation section 30 (30a) cannot enter.

In this case, if the reflector 41 facing the irradiation section 30 (30a) is provided, the processing light can be incident on the side of the food 100 opposite to the side facing the irradiation section 30 (30a). Therefore, the processing light can be incident on a wider area of the food 100, thereby suppressing uneven processing.

Here, it is also possible to provide two irradiation units 30 (30a) facing each other and irradiate the food 100 with the processing light from the two irradiation units 30 (30a). Even in this way, the processing light can be incident on a wider area of the food 100, so that uneven processing can be suppressed. However, if two irradiation units 30 (30a) facing each other are provided, it becomes difficult to reduce the size and cost of the processing apparatus.

The processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the reflector 41 facing the irradiation unit 30 (30a). 1 can be easily reduced in size and cost.

Here, if the food 100 is not stored in a storage container, such as agricultural products, the food 100 may have dust or the like attached thereto. When dust or the like adhering to the food 100 falls on the reflecting surface of the reflector 41, the dust or the like obstructs the reflection of the processing light.

The gas supply unit 42 is provided for dropping dust and the like onto the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 and for removing dust and the like on the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 .
For example, the gas supply unit 42 supplies gas to at least one of the space between the food 100 and the reflector 41 and the reflecting surface of the reflector 41 . The gas is not particularly limited as long as it has little effect on the quality of the food 100 . The gas can be, for example, air, nitrogen gas, or the like.
For example, the gas supply unit 42 can be a blower that injects gas, a blower such as a blower, or the like.

The gas supply unit 42 can supply gas all the time, at predetermined time intervals, when dust is detected by a sensor or the like, or at the operator's discretion. can also
For example, if the food 100 is unlikely to have dust attached to it, such as food stored in a storage container, the gas supply unit 42 can be omitted. Further, instead of the gas supply unit 42, or together with the gas supply unit 42, a device for sucking dust or the like can be provided.

Further, a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the window 34e of the irradiation unit 30 and the arc tube 132a of the discharge lamp 132 of the irradiation unit 30a can be further provided. By doing so, it is possible to prevent dust attached to the food 100 and components emitted from the food 100 from adhering to the window 34e of the irradiation unit 30 and the arc tube 132a of the discharge lamp 132 of the irradiation unit 30a. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the amount of processing light emitted from the irradiation unit 30 (30a) from decreasing with time.

In the above description, the irradiation unit 30 (30a) is provided above the food 100 and the reflection unit 40 is provided below the food 100. However, the irradiation unit 30 (30a) is provided below the food 100. provided, and the reflector 40 may be provided above the food 100 .
However, since the reflecting section 40 is smaller in size than the irradiating section 30 (30a), the reflecting section 40 can be provided inside the moving section 20, for example. Therefore, if the reflecting part 40 is provided below the food 100, the size of the processing apparatus 1 can be easily reduced. If the reflecting section 40 is provided below the food 100, dirt and the like tend to adhere to the reflecting section 40. However, since the reflecting section 40 has a simple structure, maintenance such as cleaning and removing dirt and the like is easy. Therefore, if the irradiation unit 30 (30a) is provided above the food 100 and the reflection unit 40 is provided below the food 100, the size of the processing apparatus 1 can be reduced and maintenance of the processing apparatus 1 can be facilitated. .

Further, although the case where one irradiation unit 30 (30a) and one reflection unit 40 are provided is illustrated, a plurality of irradiation units 30 (30a) and a plurality of reflection units 40 can also be provided. In this case, one reflector 41 can be provided for a plurality of irradiation units 30 (30a). By doing so, the throughput of the processing apparatus 1 can be increased and the cost of the processing apparatus 1 can be reduced.

Also, as shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 70 for detecting the position of the food 100 can be further provided. The sensor 70 is provided, for example, to obtain the timing of irradiation by the irradiation unit 30 (30a), to switch between starting and stopping irradiation, and to obtain the timing of gas supply by the gas supply unit 42. be done. For example, the sensor 70 can be provided upstream of the irradiation section 30 (30a) and in the vicinity of the irradiation section 30 (30a). The type of sensor 70 is not particularly limited. Sensor 70 may be, for example, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a proximity sensor, or the like.

The storage unit 50 stores the processed food 100a. The storage unit 50 can be, for example, a container or the like provided near the end of the moving unit 20 on the discharge side. In addition, the container 50 may be provided with a chute, a vibration device, or the like for accelerating the discharge of the food 100a from the moving unit 20. As shown in FIG.

The controller 60 controls the operation of each element provided in the processing device 1 . The controller 60 has, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory. Controller 60 is, for example, a computer. The storage unit can store, for example, a control program for controlling the operation of each element provided in the processing device 1 .

For example, when the sensor 70 detects that the food 100 has been carried into the irradiation area of the irradiation unit 30 (30a), the controller 60 controls the irradiation unit 30 (30a) and controls the irradiation unit 30 ( 30a) is irradiated with processing light.

For example, the controller 60 controls the light amount of the processing light emitted from the irradiation unit 30 (30a) and the moving speed of the food 100 by the moving unit 20 so that the irradiation amount of the processing light on the surface of the food 100 reaches a predetermined level. You can also make it a value.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a reflector 141 according to another embodiment.
If the reflector has a flat plate shape like the reflector 41 shown in FIG. 1, the reflected light also enters the side surface of the food 100 in the X direction. However, it becomes difficult for the reflected light to enter the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction. In this case, the processed light emitted from the irradiation unit 30 (30a) and the reflected light reflected by the reflector 41 are diffracted, so that the processed light and the reflected light also enter the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction. However, the amount of incident light on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction is smaller than the amount of incident light on the side surface of the food 100 in the X direction. Therefore, for example, in the case of the food 100 having a large thickness dimension, such as agricultural products, there is a possibility that unevenness in processing on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction becomes large.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the Y direction, the peripheral region 141a1 of the reflecting surface 141a of the reflector 141 is bent in a direction approaching the irradiation section 30 (30a). In this way, the processing light incident on the peripheral region 141a1 of the reflecting surface 141a can be incident on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress uneven processing from occurring on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a reflector 241 according to another embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 9, in the Y direction, the peripheral region 241a1 of the reflecting surface 241a of the reflector 241 is curved in a direction approaching the irradiation section 30 (30a). That is, while the peripheral edge region 141a1 of the reflecting surface 141a of the reflector 141 illustrated in FIG. 8 is a flat surface, the peripheral edge region 241a1 of the reflecting surface 241a of the reflector 241 is curved. Even in this way, the processing light incident on the peripheral region 241a1 of the reflecting surface 241a can be incident on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress uneven processing from occurring on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction.

That is, in the Y direction, the peripheral area of the reflecting surface of the reflector may be bent or curved in a direction approaching the irradiation section 30 (30a).

Although FIG. 9 illustrates the case where the central region of the reflecting surface 241a is flat, the entire reflecting surface 241a may be curved. That is, the entire reflecting surface 241a may be a concave curved surface.

(Food processing method)
Next, a food processing method according to the present embodiment will be described.
The food processing method according to the present embodiment can be carried out using, for example, the processing apparatus 1 described above.
In the food processing method according to the present embodiment, the food 100 is irradiated with processing light having at least a wavelength in the ultraviolet region.
In the food processing method, the food 100 moving in the X direction is irradiated with the processing light, and the processing light that has not entered the food 100 is reflected toward the food 100 moving in the X direction.
Also, part of the processing light reflected toward the food 100 is made incident on the side surface of the food 100 in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction.
Note that the contents of these procedures can be the same as those described in the processing apparatus 1, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, changes, etc. can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof. Moreover, each of the above-described embodiments can be implemented in combination with each other.

1 processing device 10 supply unit 20 moving unit 30 irradiation unit 31 light emitting module 31b light emitting element 30a irradiation unit 132 discharge lamp 40 reflection unit 41 reflector 100 food 141 reflector 141a reflection surface 141a1 Peripheral area 241 Reflector 241a Reflective surface 241a1 Peripheral area

Claims (4)

A food processing apparatus for irradiating food with processing light having a wavelength at least in the ultraviolet region,
a moving part capable of moving the food in a first direction;
an irradiation unit having a light emitting element or a discharge lamp and capable of irradiating the food moving in the first direction with the processing light;
a reflector that faces the irradiation unit and reflects a portion of the processing light that has not entered the food toward the food moving in the first direction;
Food processing equipment. 2. The food processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction, a peripheral area of said reflecting surface of said reflector is bent or curved in a direction toward said irradiation section. A food processing method for irradiating food with processing light having a wavelength in at least the ultraviolet region,
A food processing method comprising irradiating the food moving in the first direction with the processing light and reflecting the processing light that has not been incident on the food toward the food moving in the first direction. . 4. The food processing method according to claim 3, wherein part of said processing light reflected toward said food is made incident on a side surface of said food in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction.

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