JP2003339454A - Serving wagon - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems in a conventional meat providing service that many licensed cooks and nutritionists are required, and the daintiness that is the most important point is difficult to keep everyday because the time is limited, and often influenced by the physical condition of a cooking person. <P>SOLUTION: This meal serving wagon 1 has a housing chamber 3 for storing a number of meal trays 2, and a steam generating means 4 for converting water to steam, a heating means 5 for heating the steam generated in the steam generating means 4 and the housing chamber 3, a water supplying means 6 for supplying water to the steam generating means 4 and a control means 7 for controlling the steam generating means 4, the heating means 5, and the water supplying means 6, which are provided on the outside of the housing chamber 3. According to such a structure, not only the food material is simply heat-retained by the heated steam within the wagon 1, but also a refrigerated perfectly cooked food material 9 can be quickly thawed and heated. Therefore, the time or labor for cooking and serving, the improvement in the daintiness that is seasoning of meals, and the labor in movement can be significantly reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serving car in a hospital, a nursing home, a hotel, etc., and a serving car for maintaining a meal at a required temperature until the meal is served.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-62
As disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 231662, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 02-40345, etc., a storage chamber for keeping heat or cold for storing a meal, and duct means provided with an air supply port and an air recovery port leading to the storage chamber. A blower provided to the duct means for sending air from the air recovery port to the air supply port,
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a distribution car including a temperature adjusting means provided in the duct means and heating or cooling the air to the air supply port to a required temperature. For the serving car, the dishes prepared in the kitchen based on the menu in advance are manually arranged on a plate, a bowl, a small bowl, a soup bowl, etc., arranged on a tray, and then placed in the serving car. ing.

[0003]

Conventionally, dishes cooked by a cook or a food service operator in a kitchen are placed on a tray for food, and the tray is placed in a storage room of a catering car and kept at an appropriate temperature. It is something. That is, the conventional catering car specializes in having the functions of keeping warm and keeping cold in order to maintain an appropriate temperature.

However, considering that a meal is prepared and provided, first, it takes a very long time by purchasing the ingredients of the meal, cooking from the ingredients and serving the cooked dishes on the tableware. In addition, after lowering the tray after meals, it takes time to wash dishes and wash the dishes, and after breakfast, the same work continues for lunch and dinner. Is often less. To cope with this, many cooks and dietitians are needed. Especially in hospitals, it is necessary to serve not only the right temperature but also the right time, so the number of responders cannot be reduced. Furthermore, in the morning, it is necessary to start cooking early, and severe working conditions are compelled.

Also, since there is little time to spare, it is difficult to maintain the most important point, the deliciousness, every day, and the physical condition of the person who cooks may be affected. In addition, if you need a diet,
It is often time-consuming to cook the same foods as those with reduced salt and calorie restrictions. Also, it depends on the quality of the purchased materials.

According to the present invention, the whole meal providing system is changed by a completely different idea, and it is possible to greatly reduce the time and labor for cooking and serving as the above-mentioned problem.
To significantly improve the deliciousness of the food,
It is to respond to any patient's meal request and to respond to the hospital's dietary medical request.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a steam generating means for converting water into steam in a movable distribution vehicle having a storage chamber for storing a large number of meal trays, A heating means for heating the steam generated by the steam generating means and the storage chamber, a water supply means for sending water to the steam generating means, and a control means for controlling the steam generating means, the heating means, and the water supplying means. is there.

Also, steam generating means for converting water into steam,
The heating means for heating the steam generated by the steam generating means and the storage chamber, the water supply means for sending water to the steam generating means, and the control means for controlling the steam generating means, the heating means, and the water supplying means from the number of distribution cars. The same or a small number of stations are provided on the side of the station so that they can be freely connected and separated by a connection system.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is, in a movable delivery vehicle provided with a storage chamber for accommodating a large number of meal trays, steam generating means for converting water into steam. Since the heating means for heating the steam and the storage chamber generated by the steam generating means, the water supplying means for sending water to the steam generating means and the steam generating means, the heating means, the control means for controlling the water supplying means are provided, By the heated steam,
Not only can the food be kept warm in the delivery car, but the frozen and completely cooked food can be efficiently thawed and heated quickly. Similarly, partially frozen ones and chilled frozen ones are also possible.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in particular, in the first aspect of the invention, the storage chamber is provided with a blow-out hole and a suction hole, and the heated steam is a duct having a storage chamber, a heating means and a blowing means. Since it is configured to circulate and the blow-out holes and suction holes are provided on the opposite wall surfaces, superheated steam can be evenly flowed on the tray, and more stable complete cooking ingredients can be thawed and heated, which is extremely efficient. The latent heat of superheated steam can be used.

According to a third aspect of the invention, steam generating means for converting water into steam, heating means for heating the steam generated by the steam generating means and the storage chamber, and water supply means for sending water to the steam generating means. Further, the control means for controlling the steam generating means, the heating means, and the water supply means are provided at the same or a smaller number of stations as the number of the cars to be freely connected and separated by a connection system. Therefore, the catering car does not need the above-mentioned configuration, and the weight can be reduced. As a result, serving can be done with a light force.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in particular, in the third aspect of the invention, a cold storage means is provided in the station, which can also serve as a cold food, and provides a light weight and wide variety of meals. it can. For example, salads, cold tofu, desserts, etc. can be provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, particularly in the third aspect of the invention, since the heating means and the storage battery are provided inside the vehicle, it is possible to keep a proper temperature while the food is being delivered or at the destination.

The invention as defined in claim 6 is particularly defined by claims 1 to 3.
In the invention according to any one of 4 above, since the catering car is provided with a cool storage material in the upper part of the storage chamber and a heat storage material in the lower part of the storage chamber, the cold storage and the heat storage are provided with a control means capable of using late-night power, The cost of cold storage and heat storage is low, and it is possible to keep cold and warm for a long time while serving.

The invention described in claim 7 is particularly defined by claims 1 to
In the invention described in any one of 3 above, since a lid that does not permeate steam is arbitrarily set in a food container for setting food materials to be loaded on a tray, fine adjustment can be made for dishes that evaporate. It is a thing.

The invention described in claim 8 is particularly defined by claims 1 to 1.
In the invention according to any one of 3 above, a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the storage room and the core temperature of the representative foodstuff is provided, and the superheated steam temperature in the storage room where steam is heated is the core thermometer temperature of the representative foodstuff. Is maintained at 120 to 140 degrees until the temperature reaches the set temperature, and after detecting that the set temperature is reached, the steam generation means and the heating means are controlled until reaching the preset heat retention temperature. It is possible to easily judge whether or not to serve, and it is possible to pre-read the serving time. Furthermore, it becomes possible for the hygiene management side to control the temperature in response to a management request such as HACCAP. If a storage device such as a memory card is provided, more reliable hygiene management can be performed.

The invention according to claim 9 is particularly defined by claims 1 to
In the invention described in any one of 3 above, since the superheated steam temperature and the circulating air volume can be arbitrarily controlled, the program can be set by the thawing / heating data obtained by the preliminary test of the frozen food in advance, and the best thawing can be performed. -It can reproduce the heating method and can also be used for foods such as fried foods and grilled fish that require a brown or flat texture.

The invention as defined in claim 10 is particularly characterized by claim 9.
In the invention described in (3), the storage chamber is configured so that it can be arbitrarily divided into a plurality of blocks. Moreover, since the superheated steam temperature and the circulating air volume can be arbitrarily controlled for each block, it is possible to optimally thaw and heat various frozen completely cooked foodstuffs under different conditions. In addition, it is possible to deal with waste even if a small amount of thawing and heating is done.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) As shown in FIG. 1, a catering car 1 of the present invention has a storage chamber 3 for accommodating a large number of meal trays 2.
It is equipped with and can be moved. Outside the storage chamber 3, steam generating means 4 for converting water into steam, heating means 5 for heating the steam generated in the steam generating means 4 and the storage chamber 3, and water supply means for sending water to the steam generating means 4. 6 and the control means 7 for controlling the steam generating means 4, the heating means 5 and the water supply means 6, the heated superheated steam not only keeps the meal in the serving car 1 but also puts it in a frozen state. It is possible to quickly thaw and heat a certain completely cooked foodstuff 9. In short, it is an invention that enables cooking in the catering car 1. As a matter of course, partially frozen ones and chilled frozen ones are also possible.

Reference numeral 10 is a caster with a brake for moving the catering car 1. Reference numeral 11 is a door for preventing heat from escaping after the tray 2 is taken in and out. Normally, the glass window 12 is formed so that the inside can be seen. It has double insulation so that heat does not escape. Reference numeral 13 is a blowout hole for discharging superheated steam. The steam is heated to an arbitrary temperature by the heating means 5 and expanded to become superheated steam, which is blown out to the storage chamber 3. In the serving car 1 of the present invention, the cold-keeping means 14 is provided for quickly lowering the temperature of the heated complete cooking foodstuff 9 to an appropriate temperature.
have. It is generally known that tray 2 has both hot food such as rice and side dishes and cold food such as salad,
Even if the cold storage means 14 is used for this purpose, there is no particular problem in the present invention.

The storage chamber 3 is provided with a support shelf 15 into which the tray 2 can be inserted step by step. Although not shown, a heat insulating material is provided in the outer wall surface of the delivery car 1 so that heat from the storage chamber 3 does not flow out or flow in. Generally, it is glass wool, but our company uses a vacuum heat insulating material that we have developed to reduce the thickness of the heat insulating layer and enable the size of the serving car 1 to be smaller.

Reference numeral 16 is a handle for moving the food cart 1. Although it is provided on one side in the embodiment, it may be provided on both sides.
The universal caster 10 makes it easy to move back and forth and left and right. Recently, the number of electric catering vehicles 1 is increasing due to the reduction of labor. Although not shown, a battery and a motor may be mounted to be electrically driven. Serving car with power assist 1
Is also commercialized.

Next, the method of use will be described.

In the present invention, the provision of meals at a hospital will be described as an example while comparing with the conventional case. First of all, as for the kitchen, there is no need for full-scale kitchen equipment as in the past, and a freezer for storage is sufficient. And it is enough to have a simple washroom and a set space to boil water. Frozen foods delivered from the freezer or foodstuff manufacturer are set on the tableware on the tray 2 arranged in the set space according to the serving support.

Frozen rice is set in the tea bowl, frozen miso soup is set in the soup bowl as a common meal, and a side meal is set in advance according to the menu desired by the inpatient. There are many demands such as hamburgers, omelettes, and sukiyaki, but it is very easy to set, because it is a completely cooked food. In this embodiment, a name is attached to each food item.
In addition, the same foodstuff, for example, hamburger, is color-coded according to size and is preliminarily selected on the tray 2 according to the amount of calories. If this is cooking, it will be annoying to make hamburgers of different sizes. Moreover, since the colors of hot vegetables are also considered when cooking, it does not take time for the chef to cook and serve individually. While setting or in advance, the catering car 1 is turned on and is in a standby state where superheated steam can be emitted at any time. The inside of the storage chamber 3 is heated to 120 ° C.
Naturally, when the door 11 is opened to insert the tray 2, the warm air stops.

The tray 2 on which the ingredients are set is the serving car 1
One is put in each of the support shelves 15 of. Door 1 when finished
When 1 is closed and the switch is turned on, the steam generated by the steam generating means 4 is heated by the heating means 5 and becomes superheated steam and is blown out into the storage chamber 3. The superheated steam is 120 in this embodiment.
Set to ℃. The superheated steam spreads all over the storage chamber 3 and gives latent heat when it hits the frozen completely cooked foodstuff 9. This large latent heat accelerates the thawing of the completely cooked foodstuff 9, and is used for heating after thawing. And
It is warmed from 70 ℃ to 80 ℃, where you can feel the delicious taste. Since the control is done by an automatic program, anyone can easily cook one serving car. When the temperature reaches a suitable temperature, you will be notified by a notification sound.

When the warming is finished, the power supply is removed and the car 1 is carried and distributed to each room where the patient waits. The time until distribution is 1-2 hours on average. The number of delivery cars 1 is equal to the number of patients. As described above, by incorporating the defrosting / heating means 5 using superheated steam in the catering car 1, it is possible to greatly streamline and improve the catering service.

As in the prior art, it is possible to not only keep the food ingredients cooked in the kitchen warm in the catering car 1 but also to thaw and heat the frozen completely cooked food ingredients 9 quickly and deliciously. Similarly, partially frozen ones and chilled frozen ones are also possible.

(Embodiment 2) As shown in FIG.
The storage chamber 3 is provided with a blow-out hole 13 and a suction hole 17, and the heated steam is used inside the storage chamber 3, the heating means 5, and the blowing means 8.
It is configured to be circulated by a duct 18 having the above, and the blowing hole 13 and the suction hole 17 are provided on the opposite wall surfaces. In this embodiment, the blow-out hole 13 is provided for each tray 2, and the superheated steam of a predetermined temperature can be evenly flowed on the tray 2 to enable more stable defrosting and heating of the complete cooked foodstuff 9, which is extremely effective. The latent heat of superheated steam can be used efficiently.

In this embodiment, the blow-out hole 13 is constructed so as to open in association with the insertion of the tray 2. Therefore, both energy saving and safety can be secured. That is, superheated steam does not go to a place where the tray 2 is not contained.

(Embodiment 3) In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, steam generating means 4 for converting water into steam, heating means 5 for heating the steam generated by the steam generating means 4 and the storage chamber 3 are used. A water supply means 6 for sending water to the steam generating means 4 and a control means 7 for controlling the steam generating means 4, the heating means 5, and the water supplying means 6 are provided in the same or a smaller number of stations 19 as the number of serving cars 1. A connection system 20 allows the vehicle 1 to be freely connected and disconnected. Therefore, the catering car 1 can be made lightweight and can be moved with a light force.
The superheated steam generation mechanism is entirely in the station 19.
The superheated steam is supplied to the serving car 1 by means of a connecting system 20, ie a pipe 22, which energizes the foodstuffs and then again through the pipe 22 to the station 19.
This is possible without the return pipe 22. At that time, the exhaust gas is discharged from the car 1 but the heat loss becomes large.

It is also possible to supply only hot air,
It is used when warming the serving car 1 to a standby state.
The station 19 is fixed to the wall surface in this embodiment. The water supply is also constructed by piping work so that there is no tank. As for the number, if the station 19 has a higher capacity, a plurality of the catering cars 1 can be used. Naturally, the number of pipes 22 of the connection system 20 increases.

(Embodiment 4) As shown in FIG.
Since the cold storage means 14 is provided in the station 19, it can be used for cold storage meals such as salads, and it is possible to provide a wide variety of meals, both hot and cold, in a lightweight manner.

The connection system 20 is a little complicated, but there is no problem. It only increases the number of pipes 22. It is ideal for holding salads, desserts, etc., and suitable for keeping low temperature such as tofu, and can maintain its deliciousness. There is also the effect of a heat insulating material for serving, so there will be no problem in about 1 to 2 hours.

Some foods such as salads are difficult to provide in a frozen state, and the ones that are delivered in advance under a contract with a prepared food store are set. If the freezing technique improves, a delicious frozen salad can be made, and if it is thawed, the same as usual can be made.

(Embodiment 5) As shown in FIG.
Since the heating means 5 and the storage battery 24 are provided inside the catering car 1, it is possible to keep the temperature warm during the catering. This may also lead to poor heat retention if the serving is prolonged for some reason. Therefore, a simple heating means 5 is provided. A far infrared heater is used in the embodiment. The storage battery 24 is
A secondary battery that charges in parallel while thawing and heating.

(Embodiment 6) According to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
Since the heat storage material 26 is provided in the lower portion and the control means 7 that can use the late-night power is provided for cold storage and heat storage, the cost can be reduced. It can keep cold and warm even while serving food, and can serve food for a long time. Cooling is done by using the cool storage material 2 on top of the storage chamber 3.
5 are arranged. Cold air naturally flows into the storage chamber 3 from the place where it is arranged. This is because the cold air has the property of descending. Similarly, conversely, the heat from the heat storage material 26 rises, so it is arranged at the bottom.

The operation of the control means 7 in the present invention is turned on by the timer control at midnight,
It stores cold and heat. Since it uses late-night electricity, it can store cold and heat at a low cost and is economical. In this embodiment, the capacity is such that one storage can cover about three hours for serving three meals of morning, lunch and dinner. When it is predicted that the stored amount will be insufficient at dinner or the like, the control means 7 automatically stores the stored amount during the thawing and heating of the dinner. Similarly, it is possible to circulate high-temperature superheated steam in the catering car 1 at midnight for high-temperature sterilization, and because of the superheated steam, it spreads every corner and its effect is great.

(Embodiment 7) In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8, a lid 27, which is impermeable to steam, is arbitrarily set in a food container 23 in which food materials loaded on a tray 2 are arranged. Therefore, it is possible to make fine adjustments to the dishes for which evaporation is desired to be prevented. For example, when rice is cooked and set, when it is heated at the same time as other frozen foods, it becomes dry and the surface becomes dry. In such a case, the lid 27 can be put on and adjusted.

(Embodiment 8) The present invention is equipped with a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the storage chamber 3 and the core temperature of the representative foodstuff, and the inside temperature of the storage chamber 3 heated by steam is the core temperature of the representative foodstuff. Maintaining 120 to 140 degrees until the meter temperature reaches the preset temperature, and after detecting that the preset temperature has been reached,
Since the steam generating means 4 and the heating means 5 are controlled until the temperature falls to a preset heat retention temperature after an arbitrary time, it is possible to easily judge whether or not the temperature has reached an appropriate temperature, and it is possible to pre-read the serving time. . If the storage device is built in, the temperature control can be performed even from the hygiene control side in response to the control request such as HACCAP.

If a storage device such as a memory card having a span of one week and one month is provided, more reliable hygiene management can be performed.

(Embodiment 9) In the present invention, since the superheated steam temperature and the circulating air volume can be arbitrarily controlled by the control means 7, the best thawing / heating method can be set by the data obtained in advance by experiments. Can be reproduced. For example, A
Assuming that the above ingredients are present and the superheated steam temperature of a is optimum according to the preliminary test, it can be thawed and heated very deliciously only by setting to that temperature. In controlling the amount of circulating air, the optimum amount of circulating air can be set when a large amount of foodstuff A is thawed and heated.

Further, when heating the fried food, it is first heated at a relatively low superheated steam temperature of about 120 ° C., and when it reaches an appropriate temperature, the superheated steam temperature is raised to 200 ° C. or more to make it dry, or the superheated steam is stopped. Then, it is possible to control only the heating means 5 to work, that is, to circulate hot air so that the food material is finished well. By such control means 7, the moisture from the surface of the fly flies away and the original crispness is obtained.

The control can be set variously depending on the food material.

(Embodiment 10) According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 9, the storage chamber 3 can be arbitrarily divided into a plurality of blocks 28. Also, the amount of steam for each block 29,
Since the air volume and the temperature can be controlled, it is possible to optimally thaw and heat various frozen completely cooked foodstuffs 9 having different conditions. It is possible to deal with waste even if a small amount is thawed and heated.

For example, even if there is a request for a hamburger set meal, a fried set meal, a fried rice and a grilled fish set meal, the food can be thawed and heated optimally for each meal, and a delicious meal can be provided.

Further, as a mode of providing meals, it is possible to consider not a set meal form provided on the tray 2 but a form in which favorite dishes are taken from the serving car 1 one by one depending on the time. Even in such a case, the block 28 of the present invention can cope. In addition, since multiple single ingredients are heated, the thawing and heating conditions can be set accurately, and any ingredient can be made delicious and the taste is greatly improved.

From the figure, block A28 contains a set meal, and block B28 contains a plurality of cold drinks. Since the block 29 has such a high degree of freedom, the heating means 5 and the cold insulation means 14 can be optimally arranged.

[0050]

As described above, according to the present invention, by incorporating a means for thawing and heating with superheated steam in a catering car, there is an effect that the rationalization and the catering service can be greatly improved. Furthermore, as in the past, it is possible not only to keep the ingredients cooked in the kitchen warm in the serving car, but also to thaw and heat the frozen ingredients that are completely cooked, which is delicious, and its effect is immeasurable. Absent.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a first embodiment of the present invention with a partially cutaway view of a catering car.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of a catering car showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an overall configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a station showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view of a catering car showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention with a partially cutaway view of a catering car.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the tray showing the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 serving car 2 trays 3 storage rooms 4 Steam generating means 5 heating means 6 Water supply means 7 Control means 8 Blower means 9 complete cooking ingredients 10 casters 11 doors 12 glass windows 13 blowout holes 14 Cooling means 15 Support shelf 16 handle 17 Suction hole 18 ducts 19 stations 20 connection system 21 water tank 22 pipes 23 food containers 24 storage battery 25 Cold storage material 26 Heat storage material 27 Lid 28 blocks

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A movable catering vehicle having a storage chamber for storing a large number of food trays, steam generating means for converting water into steam, steam generated by the steam generating means, and heating for heating the storage chamber. And a water supply means for sending water to the steam generating means, and a control means for controlling the steam generating means, the heating means, and the water supplying means. 2. The storage chamber is provided with a blow-out hole and a suction hole, and the heated steam is circulated through a duct having a storage chamber, a heating means and a blowing means, and the blow-out hole and the suction hole are provided on opposing wall surfaces. The delivery car according to claim 1. 3. A number of stations equal to or less than the number of serving cars are provided, and steam generating means for converting water into steam, heating means for heating the steam generated by the steam generating means and a storage chamber are provided in the stations. A catering car comprising a water supplying means for sending water to the steam generating means and a control means for controlling the steam generating means, the heating means, and the water supplying means, and the catering car can be freely connected and separated by a connection system. 4. The car delivery machine according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle has a cold insulation means in the station. 5. The catering car according to claim 3, wherein the heating means and the storage battery are provided in the catering car. 6. The car according to claim 1, wherein the catering car is provided with a cool storage material in an upper part of the storage chamber and a heat storage material in a lower part of the storage chamber, and has a control means capable of using late-night power for the cold storage and the heat storage. The listed car. 7. The catering car according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a lid that does not permeate steam can be arbitrarily set in a food container for setting food materials loaded on a tray. 8. A temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the storage room and the core temperature of the representative foodstuff, and the superheated steam temperature in the storage room heated by steam is 120 until the core thermometer temperature of the representative foodstuff reaches the set temperature. 4. The steam generating means and the heating means are controlled until the preset heat retention temperature is reached after the temperature is maintained at 140 to 140 degrees Celsius and the preset temperature is reached. The listed car. 9. The catering vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the superheated steam temperature and the amount of circulating air can be controlled arbitrarily. 10. The catering vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the storage chamber is configured to be arbitrarily divided into a plurality of blocks.