JP2002310556A - Apparatus and method for freeze drying food/chemical or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately equivalently supply a liquid material to the inner wall surface of a tube of a freeze dryer of the state for providing an upright cylindrical tube in the dryer with a simple constitution and to accurately control a cooling means so as to freeze the liquid material supplied into the tube in an equivalent thickness to the inner wall surface of the tube. SOLUTION: A method for freeze drying food/chemical or the like comprises the steps of providing the upright cylindrical tube for freezing the liquid material connected to the lower surface side of a chamber for communicating with a cold trap which communicates with a vacuum exhaust system through a duct in such a manner as to suspend the tube from the inner wall surface, providing a jacket for cooling the tube by circulating a heating medium to an interior via an inlet tube and an outlet tube communicating with a heat exchanger on the outer periphery of the tube, arranging nozzles each having a jet port for injecting the liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube in the chamber, and connecting the upper end side to a duct to which the liquid material is transferred.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for preparing a liquid of a food or a medicine and freeze-drying it by a freeze dryer.
The present invention relates to a freeze-drying apparatus and a freeze-drying method for foods, medicines, and the like to be dried products.

More specifically, raw materials such as foods and medicines are adjusted to a liquid state to form a liquid material, which is charged into a drying chamber of a freeze dryer, where it is freeze-dried into a bulk form, which is then dried. Foods that are pulverized by a pulverizer into powdered products
In freeze-drying means such as chemicals, the freeze-dryer is a freeze-dryer in which a liquid material is injected into an upright cylindrical tube surrounded by a jacket through which a heat medium circulates and freeze-dried. The liquid material is directly fed into an upright tube, and is frozen in a hollow cylindrical shape on the inner wall surface thereof, and when freeze-drying the tube, a cooling control means for the tube for freezing the liquid material on the inner wall surface and The present invention relates to an improvement in means for supplying a liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Freeze-drying means for adjusting a material to be dried such as food and medicine into a liquid material, freezing it, and supplying it with sublimation heat under vacuum to dry the material, has conventionally been used. The dried material is adjusted to a liquid material, and the liquid material is filled in a drying container such as a tray, and the container is placed in a drying chamber (drying chamber) of a freeze dryer with a shelf and freeze-dried. , And supplied to a pulverizer to pulverize the powder, and the pulverized powder product is collected in a receiver.

[0004] The conventional freeze-drying means is, more specifically, the current means used for the production of pharmaceuticals. In FIG. 1, the block surrounded by the chain line I in FIG. 1 converts the raw material into a liquid material (slurry liquid). In a raw material adjusting device A for performing an adjusting step, a mixing tank a for mixing a raw material weighed to a predetermined amount and a solvent (distilled water), and a liquid material of the raw material mixed with these are mixed to obtain a predetermined composition. And the adjusted liquid material is pumped out from the outlet at the bottom of the adjusted tank b by the pump p, and transferred to the dispensing device B of the next process through the pipe c with the aseptic filter. I have to do it.

[0005] In the figure, a block surrounded by a chain line II is a dispensing apparatus B for performing a dispensing step of dispensing the liquid material adjusted in the above-described raw material adjusting step into a drying container d such as a tray.
And a dispensing tank e connected downstream of the pipe c.
And a drying container d such as a tray for pouring a liquid material to be discharged from a spout at the tip of a dispensing pipe f connected to the bottom of the pipe.
, And a loading device (not shown) arranged to sequentially carry in and out.

In FIG. 1, a block surrounded by a chain line III is a freeze-drying apparatus C for performing a freeze-drying step of a liquid material.
Then, the freeze-dryer with a shelf for freeze-drying the liquid material by receiving the drying container d ... filled with the liquid material in the above-mentioned dispensing step and filled therein is placed on a shelf in a drying chamber (drying chamber) g. And a loading device (not shown) for carrying in and out of the drying containers d arranged in front of the drying chamber g.

[0007] In the same figure, the block surrounded by a chain line IV represents a dried product of a liquid material freeze-dried in a drying container d inserted into a drying chamber g of the above-mentioned freeze-drying machine h. From the drying chamber d of the freeze-drying machine h in the crusher D, which carries out a process of crushing and crushing the dried product, and receives the bulk of the dried product taken out of the drying container d. Power mill i
And a jet mill j for pulverizing the crushed material thereby, and a pulverizer in which a cyclone k for separating the pulverized material pulverized by the jet mill j into powder and air is connected. At the outlet of the cyclone k, a receiving container m for receiving the powder product taken out therefrom is arranged, and in the vicinity of the receiving hopper of the power mill i, a drying container d carried in therefrom, A loading device (not shown) or a feeder device is provided to take out the dried product solidified therein in a bulk form and put it into the receiving hopper.

In FIG. 1, a block surrounded by a dashed line V is a washing / sterilizing step for washing / sterilizing a drying container d used to fill a liquid material and load it into a freeze dryer h. The apparatus E is composed of a washing machine n for washing the drying containers d and a sterilizer o for sterilizing the washed drying containers d. (Omitted).

[0009] Then, the raw material adjusting device A
The raw material adjusting step of adjusting the liquid material by the above, the dispensing step of dispensing and filling the adjusted liquid material in the sterilized drying container d in the sterilizing step, and mounting the dry container d filled with the liquid material in the freeze dryer h And then freeze-drying, followed by taking out the drying containers d from the freeze-dryer h and pulverizing the dried product (bulk) of the liquid material consolidated therein by the pulverizer D. Through each step, a powder product is obtained, and each of these steps is performed in a clean room in which the ratio of the amount of floating fine particles in the air is specified, and further, the dried container is cleaned. work for loading and unloading d... into sterilizer o, work for dispensing and filling liquid material into drying container d, and work for loading dry container d filled with liquid material into freeze dryer h. And the drying container d after the drying of the liquid material is completed. Out work, taking out the dried product (bulk) of the liquid material from the carried out drying container d and putting it into a pulverizer, and separating the pulverized product into powder product and air to take out the powder product. For various operations, clean booths q surrounding each work space are provided in a clean room, and each booth q is performed in each booth q.

The raw material is prepared into a liquid material having a predetermined composition, dried by a freeze dryer, and the dried liquid material is pulverized into a powder product. Each process of dispensing process, drying process, pulverizing process, etc. is an independent process, and since manual work or robots are involved, complete aseptic assurance of the powder product finally obtained -In order to prevent contamination hazards, it is troublesome to perform each process and a connection portion of the processes in a clean room that complies with regulations, and there is a problem that a large investment is required for equipment for the process.

[0011] As means for solving this problem, the applicant of the present invention has proposed a food product which obtains a powder product through various processes such as a dispensing process, a drying process, and a pulverizing process from an adjusting process for adjusting a raw material into a liquid material. -Regarding the freeze-drying means for chemicals, the connection and connection between processes where aseptic maintenance and prevention of contamination hazard are troublesome are shut off to the outside so that continuous operation of each process is possible, We have developed a means that enables continuous operation with all processes as a closed system, and filed this as Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-230637.

[0012] The means developed by the applicant is that in the above-mentioned freeze-drying means for foods and medicines, the liquid material of the raw material adjusted in the raw material adjustment step is charged into the drying chamber of the freeze-dryer. When performing the freeze-drying process, fill the adjusted liquid material into a drying container, stop carrying the entire drying container into the drying chamber of the freeze dryer, and directly transfer the liquid material to the drying chamber of the freeze dryer. It was conceived that the process of dispensing the liquid material into the drying container and the process of carrying in and out the drying chamber of the drying container filled with the liquid material could be performed in a state completely shut off from the outside. When supplying the liquid material directly to the drying chamber, a cylindrical tube for injecting the liquid material is installed in the drying chamber in an upright state, and the liquid material is separated into the tube. Pour freeze dried and finished drying At this time, if the material is dropped as a bulk from the opening at the lower end of the tube as a bulk and supplied to a crushing device that is connected and connected to the bottom of the drying chamber, the lyophilized liquid material is carried out in the process of discharging and the crushing device The step of supplying is also made based on the idea that it can be cut off from the outside.

For this reason, in this prior art, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid material adjusted by the raw material adjusting device A is directly supplied to the drying chamber of the freeze dryer h through the pipe c. The freeze dryer h has a chamber (drying room)
A lower part of the chamber 1 was stored in a lower part of the inside of the chamber 1 using a freeze dryer in which a number of upright cylindrical tubes 2... A jacket 3 for circulating a heat medium is formed on the outer peripheral side of the tube 2, and an inlet pipe 30 and an outlet pipe 31 provided on the peripheral wall thereof are connected to a heat medium pipe 3b of a heat exchanger 3a to circulate the heat medium. Then, the tube 2 is cooled, and the liquid material supplied into the tube 2 is frozen in a hollow cylindrical shape on the inner wall surface and freeze-dried.

On the upper half side of the chamber 1, there is provided a duct 10 connected to a vacuum evacuation system comprising a vacuum pump VP and a cold trap CT.
1 communicates with the evacuation system.

A connection pipe 4 connected to a pipe c for transferring the liquid material adjusted by the raw material adjustment apparatus A is attached to the upper surface side of the chamber 1. A nozzle 5 for dispensing the liquid material to the above-mentioned many upright cylindrical tubes 2 is connected and provided, whereby the liquid material is supplied from the nozzle 5 into each tube 2. Each tube 2 is frozen in a hollow cylindrical shape on the inner wall surface of each tube 2 and dried by a vacuum exhaust system.

A collecting chamber is provided at the bottom of the chamber 1 for receiving and collecting a dried product of the liquid material, which has been dried by vacuum drying in each tube 2, when the product is dropped from each tube 2. 6 is connected, and the bulk of the dried product falling here is
, Etc. are roughly crushed by a crushing device and supplied to the crushing device D.

[0017]

When freeze-drying the above-mentioned liquid materials of raw materials such as food and medicine, a shell tube type freeze dryer is used as the freeze dryer, and the freeze-dryer is set upright in the chamber. Prior art means for directly dispensing and freeze-drying the prepared liquid material into each of the tubes provided is to supply the liquid material to a number of tubes arranged in parallel in a chamber, and to supply the liquid material to the tubes. When the liquid material is frozen on the wall surface, a cylinder with a hollow core portion is made to freeze in the tube and allow the liquid material to be dried uniformly by vacuum sublimation from the upper end to the lower end. It is necessary to freeze them in a shape, but this is a very difficult problem.

In particular, in order to freeze the liquid material on the inner wall surface of each tube in a tubular or cylindrical shape, the liquid material is supplied to the inner wall surface of each tube so as to form a frozen layer having a uniform thickness. It is difficult, and even if a liquid material is sprayed on the inner wall surface by a nozzle having a large number of nozzles, the tube is frozen so that the liquid material freezes on the inner wall surface of the tube at a uniform thickness. There is a difficult problem in controlling the heat exchanger cooled by the heat medium.Furthermore, the heat medium is caused to flow uniformly to each outer circumferential surface of the tubes arranged in a row in a cylindrical chamber. Is difficult to cool evenly.

According to the present invention, a freeze dryer is
A means for freeze-drying liquid materials such as foods and chemicals by dispensing liquid materials directly to tubes in the chamber using a freeze-dryer equipped with an upright cylindrical tube. In order to solve the problem occurring in the above, the liquid material uniformly supplied to the inner wall surface of the tube can be accurately performed by a simple configuration, and the liquid material supplied into the tube is provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new means for appropriately controlling a cooling means so as to freeze an inner wall of a tube to a uniform thickness.

[0020]

According to the present invention, as a means for achieving the above object, an inner wall surface is provided on a lower surface side of a chamber communicating with a cold trap through a duct to a vacuum exhaust system. A plurality of upright cylindrical tubes that freeze the liquid material of foods and medicines adjusted to a liquid state in a hollow cylindrical shape are provided so as to hang down, and provided on the outer periphery of each of the plurality of tubes, A jacket for cooling the tubes by circulating a heat medium therein by an inlet tube and an outlet tube communicating with the heat exchanger is separately provided so as to cool each of the tubes, and each tube is provided in the chamber. A nozzle provided with an injection port for injecting a liquid material onto the inner wall surface of the nozzle, the upper end of which is connected to a pipe for transferring the liquid material. • The freeze-drying apparatus raised such as chemicals,

At the same time, on the lower surface side of the chamber communicating with the cold trap communicating with the evacuation system through a duct, a liquid material of a food or medicine adjusted to a liquid state is frozen on the inner wall surface. An upright cylindrical tube is provided to be connected so as to hang down, and on the outer periphery of the tube,
A nozzle provided with a jacket for cooling the tube by circulating a heat medium therein by an inlet tube and an outlet tube communicating with the heat exchanger, and a nozzle provided in the chamber for injecting a liquid material onto the inner wall surface of the tube To provide a freeze-drying apparatus for food and medicine, etc., characterized in that the upper end side thereof is connected to a pipe through which the liquid material is transferred,

Also, one or a plurality of upright cylindrical tubes for freezing the liquid material on the inner wall surface may be hung down on the lower surface side of the chamber communicating with the cold trap communicating with the evacuation system through the duct. To be connected to
On the outer periphery of the tube, a jacket for cooling the tubes by circulating a heat medium inside by an inlet tube and an outlet tube communicating with the heat exchanger is provided independently for each tube, and inside the chamber, the inner wall surface of the tube is provided. A nozzle provided with a nozzle for injecting the liquid material is provided, and the upper end thereof is connected to a pipe through which the liquid material is transferred, and the lower end of the tube is dried in the tube. A collection chamber for receiving a dried product of a liquid material to be dropped is connected and provided, and a transport pipe communicating with a supply port of a crusher is connected via a valve to freeze a food or a medicine. Raise the drying equipment,

Further, the liquid material of foods and chemicals adjusted to a liquid state is supplied into an upright tube surrounded by a jacket through which a heat medium is circulated, and frozen into a hollow cylindrical shape on the inner wall surface of the tube. In the freeze-drying method of foods and medicines to be freeze-dried, the jacket surrounding the tube is divided into upper and lower sections in multiple stages, and the heat medium is circulated for each section,
By controlling the cooling temperature at each of the upper, middle, and lower portions of the outer peripheral surface of the tube by controlling the temperature of the heat medium for each section, spraying and supplying the liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube with a nozzle The present invention proposes a freeze-drying method for foods, medicines and the like, characterized in that the liquid material is frozen on the inner wall surface of the tube to a substantially uniform thickness.

[0024]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the means of the present invention, a freeze dryer h which receives a liquid material adjusted by a raw material adjusting device and transferred by a pipe and freeze-drys the liquid material is supplied to a vacuum exhaust system. An inner wall surface of the supplied tube 2 is supplied by a heating medium which is supplied into an upright cylindrical tube 2 provided in a main body of the body formed in an airtight chamber that communicates therewith and circulated through a jacket 3 surrounding the tube 2. A freeze-dryer in a form of being freeze-dried by freezing into a hollow cylindrical shape is used, and the freeze-dryer h is, as shown in FIG. Out of the airtight chamber 1 which is the main body of the freeze dryer h
Is connected to the lower surface side of the chamber 1 so that the tube 2 hangs in a bare state on the lower surface side of the airtight chamber 1 communicating with the vacuum evacuation system. The jacket 3 to be circulated is configured to be provided in a sheath shape surrounding the tube 2.

At this time, the jacket 3 provided on the outer periphery of the tube 2 is provided in a case where the tube 2 is provided so as to hang down on the lower surface side of the chamber 1 by only one tube, and in a case where a plurality of tubes 2 are provided in parallel. In any case, the outer circumference of each tube 2 is provided so as to be wrapped in a sheath shape independently.

The supply of the liquid material to the tube 2 is performed by connecting the lower end of the tube 2 to a pipe c for transferring the liquid material from the raw material adjusting device, and supplying the liquid material from the lower end of the tube 2 to the tube 2. When the liquid material freezes on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 to a predetermined thickness, the unfrozen liquid material is discharged to the outside, or the upper surface of the chamber 2 is adjusted by a raw material adjusting device. A connection pipe 4 is provided to connect the pipe c so as to receive the liquid material transferred by the pipe c. The lower end of the connection pipe 4 is provided with a nozzle 50 for supplying the liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube 2. At the very least, it is connected to a nozzle 5 provided in the chamber 1, and the liquid material is supplied to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 via the nozzle 5, and the unfrozen liquid flowing down after being frozen to a predetermined frozen thickness. Materials to the outside The liquid material is supplied into the tube 2 by letting it out, and the supplied liquid material is frozen by cooling with a heat medium circulating through the jacket 3 wrapping the tube 2 in a sheath shape. .

This is because, when cooling the liquid material on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 as a frozen layer having a predetermined thickness with a heat medium, it is possible to control the uniform cooling of a large number of parallel tubes. What was difficult, by cooling with an independent jacket 3 for each tube 2,
In order to facilitate the control of the cooling, the configuration greatly facilitates the cooling control of the tube 2 and the design therefor.

In the means of the present invention, a hollow tube having a predetermined thickness is formed on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 at the lower end side of the tube 2 of the freeze dryer h configured as described above. When the liquid material to be frozen and dried is completely dried in the freeze-drying step, when the liquid material is dropped from the tube 2, as shown in FIG. 3, a dried product (bulk) of the liquid material to be dropped There is a case in which a freeze-drying machine having a form in which the collection chamber 6 is provided by connecting and providing a collection chamber 6 for receiving the water.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, a crusher for coarsely crushing a dried product of the liquid material, which has been dried and peeled off from the inner wall surface of the tube 2, falls inside the collection chamber 6, as shown in FIG. Can be stored, or a jet nozzle for jetting compressed air can be provided so that the dry product (bulk) to be received is roughly crushed.

As shown in FIG. 7, a transfer pipe 61 using air is connected to the bottom of the collection chamber 6 via a valve 62, and the liquid collected by dropping into the collection chamber 6 is collected. The dried product (bulk) of the material is coarsely crushed so that it can be transported and supplied to the crushing device D via the transport pipe 61, whereby the freeze dryer h, the chamber 1 passing through the cold trap, and its A tube 2 vertically hanging on the lower surface, a jacket 3 for circulating refrigerant provided on the outer periphery of the tube 2, and a nozzle 5 arranged in the chamber 1 so as to supply the liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 and connected to the lower end of the tube 2. With the recovery chamber 6, the liquid material transferred from the raw material adjustment device via the pipe c is supplied to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 by the nozzle 5, and circulated through the jacket 3. The inner wall surface of the tube 2 is frozen into a hollow cylindrical shape by a heat medium, and the frozen liquid material is vacuum-degassed and dried by a cold trap communicating with the chamber 1 through a duct 10, and the dried liquid material is dried. A set of freeze dryers is configured until the bulk of the dried product is collected in the collection chamber 6, coarsely crushed and fed to the supply port of the crushing device D by the transfer pipe 61. May be.

In the freeze-dryer h, a chamber 1 serving as a main part of the freeze-dryer h, a tube 2 provided with a jacket 3 on an outer periphery thereof, and a collection chamber 6 connected to and connected to a bottom thereof are surrounded by an outer wall material. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus may be installed in a naked state by mounting it on a machine frame F installed at a desired place in a factory.

The freeze-dryer h, which has a single tube 2 for freezing the liquid material and is provided with a jacket 3 for circulating a heat medium around its outer periphery, is used for increasing the processing capacity. In this configuration, the unit is installed as a unit, for example, as shown in the embodiment shown in FIG. May be achieved.

As described above, the freeze dryers h... Arranged in parallel with each other are connected to the vacuum evacuation system via the valve 11 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Duct 10 provided in connection with chambers 1 ...
Are connected to a cold trap communicating with a vacuum exhaust system, and a connecting pipe 4 for connecting to a pipe c from which the liquid material is transferred from the raw material adjusting device is also connected to one pipe c. It is possible to connect.

In the freeze-dryer h of this embodiment, a tube 2 connected to the lower surface of the chamber 1 is provided.
The nozzle 5 for supplying the liquid material guided from the raw material adjusting device through the pipe c to the inner wall surface of the nozzle as shown in FIG.
The upper end is connected to a connection pipe 4 provided on the upper surface side of the chamber 1, and the lower end is formed to have a shape that hangs long along the axis of the lumen of the tube 2, and a large number of peripheral surfaces are formed over the entire surface thereof. By providing the nozzles 50, the nozzles 5 in this fixed state are provided.
May be configured so that the liquid material is substantially uniformly sprayed onto the entire inner wall surface of the tube 2 from the orifices 50... At this time. In order to make the chamber uniform, a connecting pipe 4 provided to be connected to the upper surface of the chamber 1 is slidably mounted on the upper surface of the chamber 1 as shown in FIG. The nozzle 5 is raised and lowered when the liquid material is ejected from the nozzles 50 of the nozzle 5 by the control operation of the lifting / lowering mechanism 40 such as a hydraulic cylinder device to be kept. In some cases, the injection position of the liquid material on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 may be changed up and down. At this time, the nozzle 5 is supported on the chamber 1 so as to freely rotate about the axis of the nozzle, and the rotation mechanism 41 is connected so that the positions of the injection ports 50 for injecting the liquid material are changed. It may be changed in the circumferential direction of the nozzle 5.

The supply of the liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube by the nozzle 5 is shown in FIG. 5 in addition to the case where the liquid material is directly sprayed onto the inner wall surface of the tube 2 at the portion where the liquid material is frozen, as described above. As described above, the upper end of the tube 2 is formed in the funnel-shaped enlarged portion 2a whose diameter gradually increases upward, and the injection of the liquid material from the nozzle 5 is performed on the inner wall surface of the enlarged diameter portion 2a. The liquid material injected here flows down the funnel-shaped inner wall surface of the enlarged diameter portion 2a and flows down while gathering in the circumferential direction, thereby forming a straight cylindrical shape continuous with the enlarged diameter portion 2a. In some cases, the liquid material is supplied to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 so as to flow in a state of being continuous in the circumferential direction as a film having a substantially uniform thickness.

This liquid material is sprayed onto the inner wall surface of the enlarged diameter portion 2a on the upper end side of the tube 2 and flows down to supply the liquid material on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 to a portion where the liquid material is frozen. The means has the advantage that the upper and lower lengths of the nozzle 5 can be made extremely short while the liquid material on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 can be supplied as a substantially uniform thickness over the entire surface of the portion where the liquid material is frozen. can get.

The nozzle 5 for supplying the liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 is provided for ensuring the freezing of the liquid material on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 and the tube 2 of the dried product when the drying is completed. Before the supply of the liquid material, distilled water is sprayed on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 so as to form a thin film of ice (ice lining) in order to surely peel off the inner wall surface. In this case, a distilled water pipe for introducing distilled water to the nozzle 5 is connected to a pipe c for introducing a liquid material via a switching valve so as to be switchable, and the nozzle 5 is connected to the nozzle 5 for injecting distilled water and the liquid. It is possible to share both for material injection and this may be done.

The same effect can be achieved by coating the inner wall surface of the tube 2 with a Teflon resin coating by forming the inner wall surface of the tube 2 by spraying distilled water. When the Teflon resin coating process is performed, the injection of distilled water for generating the ice lining may be omitted.

By the way, the liquid material sprayed from the nozzle 5 onto the inner wall surface of the tube 2 for freezing is applied to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 in order to uniformly freeze-dry the tube. It is necessary to freeze as a frozen layer having a uniform thickness over the entire surface from the upper end to the lower end.

Therefore, the liquid material to be supplied to the inner wall surface of the tube 2 is supplied more than the amount corresponding to the predetermined frozen layer, so that the surplus portion flows downward without being frozen. The antifreeze is collected by a shutter-shaped valve 7 provided below the opening at the lower end of the tube 2 as in the embodiment of FIG. It is effective to return to 5.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the surplus unfrozen liquid taken out of the collecting pipe 70 is provided with a collecting sanitary tank 71 for collecting the same, and collected there.
Further, a supply tank 72 for supplying a liquid material, which is paired with the tank 71, is provided on the downstream side of the pipe c, and the unfrozen liquid collected in the sanitary tank 71 is supplied to the sanitary pump p2.
May be returned to the supply tank 72.

As described above, when two tanks, the supply tank 72 and the sanitary tank 71 for recovery, are prepared, a line connecting them to the lower end of the nozzle 5 and the tube 2 is formed. , The supply tank 72 is also connected to the lower end of the tube 2, and the recovery tank (sanitary tank)
It is also possible that the supply tank 72 and the recovery tank 71 alternately switch roles by setting the connection 71 so as to be connected to the nozzle 5 in two stations and switching these connections.

The above-mentioned shutter-shaped valve 7 provided below the lower end of the tube in order to collect the surplus unfrozen liquid flowing down toward the lower end of the tube 2 is used to freeze the dried tube during the freeze-drying process. The dried product of the liquid material that slips from the inside 2 can also serve as a support means for supporting from below, and may be configured in this manner.

The supporting means for supporting the dried product of the dried liquid material includes a nozzle 5 for spraying the liquid material onto the inner wall surface of the tube 2, as shown in FIG. When the nozzle 5 is formed in a vertically long shaft along the part, a support rod 51 projecting in the radial direction is provided at the lower end of the nozzle 5 by using the nozzle 5 so as to be foldable. Can be configured.

Further, on the inner surface side of the tube 2, projecting portions 20 projecting to a projecting height substantially corresponding to the frozen thickness of the liquid material to be frozen on the inner wall surface of the tube 2, as shown in FIG. The projections 20 are provided so as to be arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and these projections 20 are retracted from the lumen of the tube 2 toward the outside of the tube 2 in a state where the airtightness of the tube 2 is maintained. The projection 20 is held in a protruding state during the freeze-drying process so that the frozen layer is supported from below, and when the drying is completed, the projection 20 is moved outward. , The dried product in the tube 2 may fall.

The nozzle 5 is provided on the inner wall surface of the tube 2.
The liquid material injected from the tube 2 freezes on the inner wall surface of the tube 2 by cooling by the heat medium circulated through the jacket 3 provided on the outer periphery of the tube 2. At this time, the cooling of the tube 2 by the heat medium It is desirable to make the cooling temperature different between the two portions in the vertical direction in order to make the frozen layer of the liquid material uniform. In particular, as in the case of the tube 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the injection of the liquid material is performed on the enlarged-diameter portion 2a on the upper end side of the tube 2, and the liquid material travels along the inner wall surface of the tube 2. This is effective in the case of freezing sequentially while flowing down.

In order to make the cooling temperature of each part in the vertical direction of the tube 2 different, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, a jacket 3 for circulating a heat medium for cooling the tube 2 is provided. Partition wall 3 that partitions the cavity up and down
2, the upper chamber 33, the middle chamber 34, and the lower chamber 35 are divided into a plurality of sections, and each of the sections is provided with a separate inlet pipe 30 and an outlet pipe 31 so as to generate heat. The medium is circulated separately, and the upper, middle, and lower portions of the outer peripheral surface of the tube 2 are cooled at different temperatures by individually controlling the temperature of the heat medium circulated through the sections. On the upper side of the inner wall surface of the tube 2 where the flow speed of the liquid material is high, the cooling temperature is lowered to accelerate the freezing of the liquid material, and on the lower side of the inner wall surface of the tube 2 where the flow speed is low, the cooling temperature is lower. Is slightly raised, the frozen layer of the liquid material becomes thicker, and the excess unfrozen liquid is prevented from freezing in the form of an icicle at the lower end of the tube 2. As a frozen layer of uniform thickness So that to perform the control that.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a side in which the freeze dryer h having the above-described configuration is arranged in multiples in order to increase the capacity thereof.

When the freeze dryers h are installed in parallel in multiple units, each freeze dryer h is independently connected to a vacuum evacuation system and a heat exchanger for supplying a heat medium, and functions independently. However, in this example, the freeze dryers h... Provided in parallel are arranged such that the ducts 10... Connected to the chambers 1 thereof are connected to the cold trap CT and the vacuum pump VP. Each of the communicating main ducts 12 is connected in parallel via a valve 13..., Whereby multiple freeze dryers h.
Are arranged side by side, so that even if the number of tubes 2 with the jacket 3 increases, a series of evacuation systems can cope with the increase, and each of the freeze dryers h arranged in multiple The heat medium to be circulated through the jacket 3 provided on the outer periphery of the tube 2 so as to cool the tube 2 is also the inlet pipe 30 and the outlet pipe 3 of the jacket 3 surrounding the tube 2 of each freeze dryer h.
1 is connected to one heat exchanger 3
By connecting to a through a flow dividing valve provided with a switching valve mechanism, a single heat exchanger 3a can be used.

At this time, the supply tank 7 for supplying the liquid material
2 and when a recovery tank 71 for recovering the antifreeze is provided,
The supply tank 72 and the recovery tank 71 are connected to a plurality of freeze dryers h... Through a branch pipe, and the supply of the liquid material to each freeze dryer h is performed intermittently with a staggered time. Thus, the supply tank 72 and the recovery tank 71 can be shared.

Further, the connection between the connection pipe 4 provided at the upper part of the chamber 1 of each freeze dryer h and the pipe c for leading the liquid material from the raw material adjusting tank b on the raw material adjusting apparatus A side is also required.
Are connected in parallel via a shunt valve v ...
The connection and connection between the collection chamber 6 provided at the bottom of the tube 1 and the crushing device D in each freeze dryer h, the bottom of each collection chamber 6 is connected to the D of the crushing device via the valve 62.
The dry product is supplied to one common crusher D by being connected in parallel to a transport pipe 61 leading to a supply port.

[0052]

As described above, the means of the present invention uses a freeze-dryer of the type in which a liquid material is freeze-dried in an upright cylindrical tube, and the liquid in the upright tube is adjusted to a liquid state.・ This type of freeze dryer is used when supplying liquid materials such as chemicals, freezing the inner wall surface of the tube into a hollow cylindrical shape, and freeze-drying to vacuum-dry foods and chemicals. A single upright tube that freezes the liquid material hangs on the lower surface side of the chamber leading to the evacuation system, and cools this single tube by a heat medium circulating in a jacket surrounding the outer periphery of the tube. When configuring and increasing the capacity, the freeze dryers having this configuration are arranged in parallel in multiples, so that the cooling control of the tubes can be performed accurately and the design thereof can be facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a development view of the overall outline of a conventional freeze-drying apparatus for foods and medicines.

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded development view of a freeze-drying apparatus for foods and medicines of the prior art.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of a freeze-drying apparatus for foods, medicines and the like for implementing the means of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially broken front view of an example in which freeze dryers of the freeze dryer are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an embodiment in which the freeze-dryer of the freeze-drying apparatus is another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an overall development view of an example in which freeze dryers of the freeze dryer of the above are arranged in a cascade.

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway development view of an embodiment in which the freeze dryer of the freeze dryer of the above embodiment is further modified.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: raw material adjusting device, B: dispensing device, C: freeze-drying device,
D: crushing device, E: washing / sterilizing device, F: machine frame, a: compounding tank, b: adjusting tank, c: piping, d: drying container,
e: dispensing tank, f: dispensing pipe, g: drying chamber (drying chamber), h: freeze dryer, i: power mill, j: jet mill, k: cyclone, m: container, n: washing machine, o ... Sterilizer, p ... Pump, q ... Clean booth, v ... Diversion valve,
CT cold trap, VP vacuum pump, 1 chamber (drying chamber), 10 duct, 11 valve, 12
... Main duct, 13 ... Valve, 2 ... Tube, 2a
... Expanded part, 3 ... Jacket, 3a ... Heat exchanger, 3b ... Heat medium piping, 30 ... Inlet pipe, 31 ... Outlet pipe, 32 ... Partition wall,
33 ... upper room, 34 ... middle room, 35 ... lower room, 4 ... connecting pipe, 4
0: lifting mechanism, 41: rotating mechanism, 5: nozzle, 50: nozzle, 51: support rod, 6: collection chamber, 60: jet nozzle, 61: transport pipe, 62: valve, 7: valve,
70: piping, 71: sanitary tank, 72: supply tank, p2: sanitary pump.

Continued on front page F term (reference) 3L113 AA02 AB05 AC15 AC21 AC24 AC45 AC46 AC48 AC54 AC59 AC64 AC67 AC86 BA01 BA36 DA07 4B022 LR06 4C076 AA29 FF65 FF66 GG06

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of tubes for freezing a liquid material of a food or medicine adjusted to a liquid state on an inner wall surface on a lower surface side of a chamber communicating with a cold trap communicating with an evacuation system through a duct. An upright cylindrical tube is provided so as to hang down, and the tubes are cooled by circulating a heat medium inside through an inlet tube and an outlet tube communicating with the heat exchanger around each of the plurality of tubes. Jackets are separately provided so as to cool each of the tubes, and a nozzle provided with a nozzle for spraying a liquid material to the inner wall surface of each tube is provided in the chamber. A freeze-drying apparatus for food and medicine, wherein the upper end is connected to a pipe for transferring a liquid material. 2. An upright cylindrical shape for freezing a liquid material of a food or medicine adjusted to a liquid state on an inner wall surface, on a lower surface side of a chamber communicating through a duct to a cold trap communicating with an evacuation system. A tube is provided to be connected so as to hang down, and a jacket for cooling the tube by circulating a heat medium inside by an inlet tube and an outlet tube communicating with the heat exchanger is provided on the outer periphery of the tube. A food and / or food machine characterized by disposing a nozzle provided with a nozzle for injecting a liquid material onto the inner wall surface of the tube, and connecting an upper end side thereof to a pipe through which the liquid material is transferred. Freeze drying equipment for chemicals. 3. A lower surface of a chamber communicating with a cold trap through a duct to a cold trap communicating with an evacuation system.
One or a plurality of vertically-standing cylindrical tubes that freeze liquid materials of foods and chemicals adjusted to a liquid state on the inner wall surface are provided so as to hang down, and the outer periphery of the tubes communicates with the heat exchanger. Nozzles provided with independent jackets for cooling the tubes by circulating a heat medium therein by the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe for each tube, and a nozzle for spraying a liquid material to the inner wall surface of the tube in the chamber. Is arranged, and the upper end side thereof is connected to the pipe through which the liquid material is transferred.At the lower end side of the tube, there is provided a collection chamber for receiving a dried product of the liquid material to be dried after dropping in the tube. A freeze-drying device for foods and medicines, wherein a connection is provided, and a conveying pipe communicating with a supply port of the crushing device is connected via a valve. 4. The food according to claim 3, wherein a crusher or a jet nozzle for roughly crushing a dried product of the dried liquid material dropped from the tube is disposed in the collection chamber.・ Freeze-drying equipment for chemicals. 5. A nozzle provided with an injection port for injecting a liquid material onto an inner wall surface of a tube and disposed in a chamber,
The lower end of the tube is formed in the shape of a shaft that hangs down in the tube, and a large number of nozzles are provided on the peripheral surface of the shaft. 4. The freeze-drying apparatus for foods and medicines according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operated to move up and down at times. 6. A nozzle provided with a nozzle for injecting a liquid material onto the inner wall surface of a tube and disposed in the chamber,
The lower end of the tube is formed in the shape of a shaft that hangs down inside the tube, and a large number of nozzles are provided on the peripheral surface of the shaft. 4. The freeze-drying apparatus for foods and medicines according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle is sometimes rotated around the axis of the nozzle. 7. A nozzle provided in the chamber, wherein the upper end of a single upright cylindrical tube vertically extending from the lower surface of the chamber is formed into a funnel-shaped enlarged portion whose diameter gradually increases upward. 4. A food or medicine product according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a nozzle is provided so as to spray a liquid material onto an inner wall surface of the enlarged diameter portion of the tube. Lyophilizer. 8. A liquid material of food or medicine adjusted to a liquid state is supplied into an upright tube surrounded by a jacket through which a heating medium is circulated, and frozen into a hollow cylindrical shape on the inner wall surface of the tube. In the freeze-drying method of foods and medicines to be freeze-dried, the jacket surrounding the tube is divided into upper and lower sections in multiple stages, and the heat medium is circulated in each section, and by controlling the temperature of the heat medium in each section, By controlling the cooling temperature at each of the upper, middle, and lower portions of the outer peripheral surface of the tube, the liquid material is sprayed onto the inner wall surface of the tube by a nozzle, and supplied to the inner wall surface of the tube. A freeze-drying method for foods, medicines, etc., characterized by freezing to a uniform thickness. 9. A portion on the lower end side of the inner wall surface of the tube 2, from the inner wall surface toward the axis of the tube 2, having a thickness substantially corresponding to the frozen thickness of the liquid material to be frozen on the inner wall surface. One or more projections 20 projecting to a projection thickness,
4. The freeze-drying apparatus for foods and medicines according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is attached to the tube 2 so as to be able to protrude and retract from the lumen of the tube 2.