JP2006180889A - System and machine for steaming and refrigerating - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for steaming and refrigerating, capable of refrigerating a food material after steaming, while the stable quality is maintained with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The system for steaming and refrigerating comprises a steaming-refrigerating machine 1 and a refrigerating device 2. The machine 1 is provided with a cooking pot 4 for housing the food material 16, a steam providing means 13 for providing steam for the inside of the pot 4, a depressurizing means 24 for depressurizing the inside of the pot 4 and a pressure recovery means 33 for recovering pressure inside the depressurized pot 4. After cooked, the food material 16 is vacuum-refrigerated to a first predetermined temperature and kept at the temperature. The refrigerating device 2 comprises a vacuum-refrigerating machine and the like and further refrigerates the food material 16 refrigerated to the first predetermined temperature by the machine 1 to a second predetermined temperature. The food materials 16 from a plurality of the pots 4 inside the machine 1 can be collectively refrigerated by the refrigerating device 2; alternatively, the food material 16 from the pot 4 can be divided into pieces and refrigerated by a plurality of the devices 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a steaming / cooling system comprising a steaming / cooling machine that heats and cooks food and then vacuum-cooling, and a steaming / cooling system that further cools the food that has been subjected to rough heat removal by the steaming / cooling machine, and steaming used in this system It relates to a cooler.

A steaming cooler is known that steams food into a cooking container containing the ingredients to cook the ingredients by cooking (cooking), and after cooking, the cooking container is depressurized for vacuum cooling. ing.
Japanese Patent No. 2781373

  However, the burden may be large in order to cool to the desired temperature after cooking only with a steam cooler. In preparation for such a case, it is conceivable that the decompression means of the steam cooler has a high capacity, but problems remain in installation space and cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main purpose thereof is a steam cooling system capable of stabilizing the quality and performing cooling after cooking with a simple configuration and the system. It is to provide a steam cooler.

  This invention was made in order to solve the said subject, and invention of Claim 1 is a cooking container in which a foodstuff is accommodated, the steam supply means which supplies a vapor | steam into this cooking container, and the said cooking container A steaming cooler having a decompression means for decompressing the inside and a decompression means for decompressing the inside of the decompressed cooking container, wherein the food is heated by the steaming means and then vacuum-cooled by the decompression means; and A steam cooling system comprising a cooling device for further cooling the food cooled by the steam cooler. Here, after cooking with a steaming cooler, a foodstuff is vacuum-cooled to 1st preset temperature, and can also be comprised so that it may further cool to 2nd preset temperature with a cooling device after that. In this case, the first set temperature and the second set temperature may be set specific temperatures or may be a temperature range having a certain range. Moreover, these temperatures can also be controlled in terms of pressure in a processing tank such as the cooking container.

  According to invention of Claim 1, after a foodstuff is cooled after cooking with a steaming cooler, it is further cooled with a cooling device. Therefore, after taking rough heat with a steaming cooler, it can be further cooled with a cooling device. In addition, at that time, if the steam cooler is configured to be vacuum-cooled to the first set temperature, the temperature of the food material carried into the cooling device can be made constant, and the quality of the food material can be stabilized.

  Invention of Claim 2 made the cooling temperature realizable by the said steam cooler higher than the cooling temperature realizable by the said cooling device, It is the steam cooling system of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. .

  According to invention of Claim 2, the foodstuffs after heat cooking can be cooled efficiently using the difference in the cooling capacity of a steaming cooler and a cooling device. Moreover, the cooling capacity of the steam cooler can be reduced.

  In the invention according to claim 3, the steam cooler includes a plurality of the cooking containers, or includes a plurality of the steam coolers, and the cooling device collectively cools the ingredients from the plurality of cooking containers. It is a steaming cooling system of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to invention of Claim 3, the foodstuffs from the some cooking container of a steaming cooler can be collectively packed and cooled with a cooling device. Therefore, when the throughput of the steam cooler (one cooking vessel) is small compared to the capacity of the cooling device, steaming until the amount of ingredients from the steam cooler reaches the efficient throughput of the cooling device. There is no need to wait for multiple cooler treatments. That is, by combining the completion of the processing of the plurality of cooking containers of the steam cooler, the ingredients in the plurality of cooking containers can be combined and cooled by the cooling device, and can be processed efficiently and with stable quality.

  Invention of Claim 4 is a steaming cooling system of Claim 1 or Claim 2 by which the foodstuff from the said cooking container is divided | segmented and cooled with the said several cooling device. .

  According to invention of Claim 4, the foodstuff from the cooking container of a steaming cooler can be divided and cooled with a cooling device. Therefore, when the processing amount of the steaming cooler is larger than the processing amount of the cooling device, the ingredients from the steaming cooler are subdivided and processed repeatedly in one cooling device. The quality of the ingredients varies due to the difference in waiting time, and the overall processing time also becomes longer, but it is possible to avoid such inconvenience by subdividing the ingredients of the steam cooler and cooling them with multiple cooling devices .

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the steam cooler cools the inside of the cooking vessel to a first set temperature by the decompression means and then holds the first set temperature. It is a steaming cooling system of any one of -4.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, the steam cooler can maintain the temperature after the food is cooled to the first set temperature. Accordingly, it is possible to further eliminate the quality difference due to the waiting time difference from the steam cooler to the cooling device. At this time, when the processing amount of one cooking container of the steaming cooler is smaller than the processing amount of the cooling device, until the amount of ingredients from the steaming cooler reaches the efficient processing amount of the cooling device, Even when waiting for processing of a plurality of cooking containers of the steam cooler, the quality of the food can be stabilized even if each processing is temporally mixed. On the contrary, when the processing amount of the steaming cooler is larger than the processing amount of the cooling device, the quality is stabilized even if the ingredients from the steaming cooler are subdivided and repeatedly cooled by one cooling device. Furthermore, by holding it under reduced pressure, it is possible to promote the soaking of the soup with the vacuum impregnation effect.

  Furthermore, the invention described in claim 6 is a cooking container in which ingredients are stored, steaming means for supplying steam into the cooking container, decompression means for decompressing the cooking container, and decompressed cooking container. Steaming, characterized in that the vacuum cooling capacity of the decompression means is the ability to vacuum-cool the food to 50-70 ° C. after heating by the steaming means. It is a cooler.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, by setting the temperature to 50 ° C. or higher, there is no risk of various bacteria growth, and by setting the temperature to 70 ° C. or lower, cooking can be prevented from proceeding.

  According to this invention, with a simple configuration, the quality can be stabilized and cooling to a desired temperature after cooking can be performed.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The steaming cooling system of the present embodiment includes a steaming cooler that heats and cooks the food and then removes the heat by vacuum cooling, and a cooling device that further cools the food from the steaming cooler. The cooling device includes a vacuum cooler or a blast chiller.

  The steaming cooler stores food in a hermetically sealed cooking container, supplies steam to the cooking container (steaming), cooks the food, and after cooking, depressurizes the cooking container. Cool in vacuum. This steam cooler includes a cooking container for storing food, steam supply means for supplying steam into the cooking container, decompression means for decompressing the cooking container, decompression means for decompressing the decompressed cooking container, and cooking container. It comprises drainage means for discharging accumulated condensed water, and control means for controlling these means.

  After the food is cooked with a steam cooler, it is vacuum-cooled to the first set temperature and subjected to rough heat removal, and is preferably held at the first set temperature. And the foodstuff which carried out rough heat removal to 1st preset temperature is moved to a cooling device, and is further cooled to 2nd preset temperature. For example, when the cooling device is a vacuum cooler, the inside of the cooling tank in which the food is accommodated is decompressed, and the food is vacuum-cooled.

  The first set temperature is not particularly limited and is appropriately set. However, if the temperature is too low, there is a possibility that bacterial growth may occur. If the temperature is too high, the cooking reaction may proceed. Moreover, the temperature is set so that the cooking reaction does not proceed easily. Specifically, in this embodiment, the temperature is set to a temperature selected at about 50 to 70 ° C. The second set temperature is set to a temperature lower than the first set temperature. Here, the first set temperature and the second set temperature may be set specific temperatures or may be a temperature range having a certain range.

  By the way, considering the case where the processing capacity of the steam cooler and the cooling device are different, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of cooking containers for the steam cooler or cooling tanks for the cooler. In order to prepare a plurality of cooking containers for the steam cooler, a single steam cooler may be provided with a plurality of cooking containers, or a plurality of steam coolers themselves may be prepared. In any case, it is possible to switch whether or not the operation is performed for one or a plurality of cooking containers, and to enable steaming by the steaming means, decompression by the decompression means, return pressure by the decompression means, and the like. When a plurality of cooking containers are provided in one steam cooler, a part or all of each means such as the control means and the steaming means can be shared by the plurality of cooking containers.

  Thus, when a steaming cooler has a plurality of cooking containers, ingredients from a plurality of cooking containers of a steaming cooler can be collectively cooled with a cooling device. If the throughput of the steam cooler (one cooking vessel) is smaller than the capacity of the cooler, steam until the amount of food from the steam cooler reaches the efficient capacity of the cooler. Although a plurality of processes of the cooler are awaited, there is no such inconvenience according to the present embodiment. That is, a desired number of cooking containers may be operated in accordance with the throughput of the cooling device.

  Conversely, the ingredients from the cooking container of the steaming cooler may be subdivided and cooled by one or a plurality of cooling devices (cooling tanks). By subdividing the ingredients of the steaming cooler, transferring them to a plurality of cooling tanks and cooling them, it is possible to improve the processing capacity and stabilize the quality. In addition, the ingredients of the steaming cooler can be subdivided and repeatedly cooled by the cooling device, and even in that case, the ingredients are kept at the first set temperature in the steaming cooler, until the cooling device is brought into the cooling device. Even if there is a difference in waiting time, the temperature is constant and the quality of the food can be stabilized.

  Thus, after making a rough heat with a steaming cooler, further cooling can be achieved with a cooling device. And the foodstuff of a steaming cooler is put together or subdivided in that case, and it cools with a cooling device, the time difference until it carries in to a cooling device is eliminated, and the quality of a foodstuff can be stabilized. Moreover, the temperature at the time of carrying in a cooling device can be made constant, and the quality of a foodstuff can be stabilized by maintaining at 1st preset temperature with a steaming cooler. Moreover, in the steam cooler, the foodstuff is kept at the first set temperature under reduced pressure, so that the soaking of the soup can be promoted by the vacuum impregnation effect.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing Example 1 of the steaming cooling system of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the steam cooling system of the present embodiment was cooled to the first set temperature by the steam cooler 1 that vacuum-cools the food to the first set temperature after cooking, and this steam cooler 1. And a cooling device 2 for further cooling the food to the second set temperature.

  FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment includes a cooking container 4 that detachably accommodates a cooking pan 3. The cooking container 4 is configured such that a lid body 6 is provided on a container body 5 so as to be openable and closable. The container body 5 has a bottomed cylindrical shape opened only upward, and its bottom surface 7 is formed to bulge downward in a gentle arc shape. A first flange 8 is formed at the upper end of the container body 5 so as to extend outward in the radial direction.

  On the other hand, the lid body 6 has a diameter corresponding to that of the container body 5 and has a short cylindrical shape opened only downward, and its upper surface 9 is formed to bulge upward in a gentle arc shape. A second flange 10 is formed at the lower end of the lid 6 so as to extend outward in the radial direction. Such a lid 6 is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the container body 5. When the upper opening of the container body 5 is closed by the lid body 6, the first flange 8 of the container body 5 and the second flange 10 of the lid body 6 are overlapped via the packing 11. Thereby, the cooking container 4 can be sealed.

  The cooking pan 3 is formed smaller than the cooking container 4 and has a bottomed cylindrical shape that opens only upward. The cooking pan 3 is made of stainless steel, aluminum or the like. By the way, a plurality of bar members 12, 12,... Therefore, the cooking pan 3 is held in a state of being floated upward from the bottom surface of the container body 5 by holding the lower surface thereof by these bar members 12, 12. The cooking pan 3 is arranged coaxially with the container body 5. In that state, the outer peripheral surface of the cooking pan 3 is arranged separately from the inner peripheral surface of the container body 5.

  By the way, although the cooking container 4 and the cooking pan 3 are designed suitably, the cooking container 4 of a present Example shall be a thing within the small pressure vessel specification of a 1st type pressure vessel. Moreover, although the magnitude | size of the cooking container 4 and the cooking pan 3 is set suitably, in this Example, the cooking container 4 is set as the capacity | capacitance of 100 liters and the cooking pot 3 is set as 60 liters.

  A steam supply means 13 is connected to the cooking container 4 so that steam can be supplied into the cooking container 4. The steam supply means 13 of the present embodiment includes a primary boiler (not shown) and a secondary boiler (reboiler) 14. Using the steam from the primary boiler as a heat source, the soft water 15 is changed to steam in the secondary boiler 14. The clean steam thus generated is supplied into the cooking vessel 4. Although a primary boiler is comprised from a normal common boiler, there exists a possibility that boiler water treatment chemicals, such as rust in piping and a rust preventive agent, may mix in the steam by such a primary boiler. However, the steam supplied into the cooking container 4 can directly contact the food 16. Therefore, the soft water 15 is changed to steam by the secondary boiler 14 to generate clean steam, and this clean steam is supplied into the cooking vessel 4.

  Specifically, the secondary boiler 14 is a heat exchanger made of stainless steel, and heats the soft water 15 to convert it into steam. In order to heat the soft water 15, steam from the primary boiler is supplied to the secondary boiler 14 via the steam supply valve 17. The steam supplied from the primary boiler in this way heats the soft water 15 supplied into the stainless steel pipe by the secondary boiler 14 to generate clean steam. The steam from the primary boiler is discharged through the steam trap 18 after being used in the secondary boiler 14.

  In order to supply the soft water 15 to the secondary boiler 14, the steam supply means 13 includes a soft water device 19. The soft water device 19 of this embodiment converts the supplied water into soft water 15 using an ion exchange resin. The soft water 15 produced by the soft water device 19 is stored in the water supply tank 20, and the soft water 15 in the water supply tank 20 is supplied to the secondary boiler 14 via the first water supply pump 21.

  And the soft water 15 supplied to the secondary boiler 14 is heated with the steam from the primary boiler, converted into clean steam as described above, and supplied into the cooking container 4 via the steam supply line 22. . A steam supply operation valve 23 is provided in the middle of the steam supply line 22. The steam supply operation valve 23 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of adjusting the presence or absence of steaming into the cooking vessel 4 and the amount of steam when steaming, and is typically composed of a proportional control valve. By adjusting the steam supply operation valve 23, the pressure in the cooking vessel 4 and thus the temperature can be adjusted. The pressure in the cooking vessel 4 can be adjusted by controlling not only the steam supply operation valve 23 but also the pressure reducing means 24.

  The cooking container 4 is connected to a decompression means 24 for sucking the air in the cooking container 4 to the outside and decompressing the cooking container 4. In the present embodiment, a vacuum generator 27 is connected to the decompression line 25 connected to the cooking container 4 via the decompression operation valve 26. Specifically, the vacuum line 25 is provided with a vacuum pump 29 via a heat exchanger 28 and a check valve (not shown).

  By supplying cooling water to the heat exchanger 28, the vapor in the air sucked from the cooking vessel 4 can be cooled and condensed. The cooling water supplied to the heat exchanger 28 is stored in the water storage tank 30 after use. The water storage tank 30 is connected to a cleaning gun 32 and the like via a second water supply pump 31. In this way, the hot water heated by using the exhaust heat in the heat exchanger 28 can be used for washing the cooking pan 3 and the like after use.

  The cooking vessel 4 is connected to a decompression means 33 for decompressing after being decompressed by the decompression means 24. The return pressure means 33 of the present embodiment is provided with a return pressure line 34 connected to the cooking container 4 so as to be able to communicate with the outside air via the sterilization filter 35. In the middle of the return pressure line 34, a return pressure operation valve 36 is provided so as to be openable and closable. By opening the return pressure operation valve 36, the cooking container 4 can be opened to atmospheric pressure.

  The cooking container 4 is connected to a drainage means 38 for discharging condensed water 37 and the like accumulated in the cooking container 4 to the outside. Specifically, a drain line 39 is connected to the center of the bottom surface of the cooking vessel 4, and a drain valve 40 is provided in the drain line 39 so as to be openable and closable.

  Further, the cooking container 4 is provided with a pressure sensor 41. The pressure sensor 41 detects the pressure inside the cooking vessel 4. However, it is possible to use a temperature sensor instead of the pressure sensor 41. Any sensor can be used by converting pressure and temperature.

  The steam supply means 13, the decompression means 24, the decompression means 33, the drainage means 38, the secondary boiler 14 and the like are controlled by the control means 42. The control means 42 is a controller that controls each of the means 13, 24, 33, 38, and 14 based on the time grasped by the control means 42 and the detection signal from the pressure sensor 41. Specifically, the steam supply operation valve 23, the pressure reduction operation valve 26, the return pressure operation valve 36, the drain valve 40, the pressure sensor 41, and the like are connected to a controller 42, and the controller 42 has a predetermined program. Based on the above, steaming of the ingredients 16 in the cooking container 4 and subsequent vacuum cooling are performed as will be described later.

  Moreover, the controller 42 performs pressure control and water level control of the secondary boiler 14. The pressure control of the secondary boiler 14 is performed using a secondary boiler pressure sensor (not shown) provided in the stainless steel pipe. That is, based on this secondary boiler pressure sensor (not shown), the pressure of clean steam generated in the secondary boiler 14 is detected, and steam is supplied from the primary boiler (not shown) to the secondary boiler 14. The opening and closing of the steam supply valve 17 is operated. The water level control of the secondary boiler 14 is performed by controlling the water level of pure water or soft water in the stainless steel pipe of the secondary boiler 14 based on a water level sensor (not shown).

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment is provided with an auxiliary machine box 1B and the cooking container 4 on one base 1A, and constitutes one unit. . The auxiliary equipment box 1B is provided with a part or all of the respective means. In this embodiment, the decompression means 24, the decompression means 33, the drainage means 38, the secondary boiler 14, the soft water device 19, the controller 42, the water supply tank 20, and the water storage tank 30 are provided.

  Next, the use of the steaming cooler 1 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of use of the steam cooler 1 of the present embodiment. Although the foodstuff (food may be sufficient) 16 cooked with the steam cooler 1 of a present Example is not ask | required in particular, the case where a boiled food is made is demonstrated to an example here. For this purpose, first, the lid 6 of the cooking container 4 is opened, and the cooking pan 3 is set in the cooking container 4 (ST1). And the foodstuff 16 is thrown into the cooking pan 3 (ST2). Here, the ingredients of the simmered food and the broth are put into the cooking pan 3, and then the lid 6 is attached to the container body 5 to seal the cooking container 4 (ST3).

  In this initial state, the steam supply operation valve 23 and the pressure reducing operation valve 26 are closed, and the pressure recovery operation valve 36 and the drain valve 40 are opened. From this state, typically, an air exhausting step (ST4), a vacuum holding step (ST5), a steaming step (ST6), a steaming step (ST7), and a vacuum cooling (rough heat removal) step (ST8). The decompression step (ST9) is sequentially performed. However, these can be changed as appropriate, and for example, the steaming step (ST7) can be omitted.

  In the air evacuation step (ST4), the steam generating operation valve 23, the return pressure operation valve 36, and the drain valve 40 are closed, while the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is opened, the vacuum generator 27 is driven. Thereby, the air in the cooking container 4 can be discharged out of the cooking container 4 via the decompression line 25. Such air exclusion from the cooking container 4 may be performed up to a set pressure by using the pressure sensor 41 or may be performed only for a set time. This air exclusion process can also be performed by steaming with the steaming operation valve 23 open.

  After such pressure reduction, the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is also closed, and the vacuum holding step (ST5) is performed for a set time. By holding the foodstuff 16 in a reduced pressure state, it is possible to smoothly and surely permeate the ingredients with the soup stock and the anti-boiled-up agent due to the vacuum impregnation effect. In particular, since the anti-collapse agent should be infiltrated before the ingredients are boiled, it is effective to perform this vacuum holding step (ST5).

  In the steaming process (ST6) after maintaining the vacuum, the steaming operation valve 23 is opened and the steam is supplied into the cooking vessel 4 with the pressure reducing operation valve 26, the return pressure operating valve 36 and the drain valve 40 closed. To do. Thereby, the foodstuff 16 accommodated in the cooking pan 3 in the cooking container 4 can be cooked by heating. At this time, as described above, the steam supplied into the cooking vessel 4 is clean steam generated from the soft water 15 in the secondary boiler 14. Therefore, safe and reliable cooking can be realized. In addition, heating steam can be cooked in a short time by spreading clean steam around the cooking pan 3.

  In the steaming process (ST6) for steaming, the temperature in the cooking container 4 can be adjusted by adjusting the pressure in the cooking container 4 by steaming. In the present embodiment, cooking is possible by setting the temperature freely in the range of 60 ° C to 130 ° C. At this time, for example, an operation such as increasing the temperature stepwise is also possible. In this way, the saturated steam temperature is adjusted by adjusting the pressure of the cooking vessel 4. As a result, the food material temperature does not become higher than the saturated steam temperature in the cooking container 4, and cooking with less scorch is possible. In addition, boiling is prevented, and the dissolved gas in the food 16 is pre-extracted in the air exclusion step (ST4) and the vacuum holding step (ST5), so that spillage during heating can also be prevented. .

  After cooking for the set time, the steaming operation valve 23 is also closed, and the steaming step (ST7) is performed for the set time. However, as described above, this steaming step (ST7) may be omitted.

  In the subsequent vacuum cooling step (ST8), while the steam supply operation valve 23, the return pressure operation valve 36, and the drain valve 40 are closed, the vacuum generator 27 is driven with the pressure reducing operation valve 26 opened. Thereby, the air in the cooking container 4 can be discharged out of the cooking container 4 via the decompression line 25, and the inside of the cooking container 4 can be vacuum-cooled. At this time, by supplying cooling water to the heat exchanger 28, the steam in the air sucked from the cooking vessel 4 is cooled and condensed by the heat exchanger 28. The cooling water is warmed by the heat exchanger 28, and the warmed water 43 is stored in the water storage tank 30.

  In the present embodiment, considering the capability of the decompression means 24 of the steam cooler 1, in the vacuum cooling step (ST8), only rough heat removal is performed by cooling to the first set temperature, and then vacuum cooling is performed. Cooling is performed in earnest up to the second set temperature by the cooling device 2 such as a machine. In this embodiment, the food material 16 cooled to the first set temperature in the vacuum cooling step (ST8) can be held at the first set temperature. This is based on the difference in processing amount between the steam cooler 1 and the cooling device 2, in order to prevent a difference in quality due to a waiting time difference until the food 16 after steam cooling is carried into the cooling device 2. It is. Holding under reduced pressure also has the effect of improving the soaking of the broth into the ingredients due to the vacuum impregnation effect.

  The holding at the first set temperature may repeat the operation of driving or stopping the decompression means 24 at regular time intervals, or the pressure (that is, the temperature) in the cooking container 4 is measured by the sensor 41 and a predetermined value is obtained. When the pressure rises to the upper limit pressure, the operation of driving the pressure reducing means 24 to reduce the pressure to the predetermined lower limit pressure and letting it stand, and reducing the pressure to the lower limit pressure when reaching the upper limit pressure again may be repeated. Or you may make it hold | maintain the pressure in the cooking container 4 to a predetermined pressure by operating the decompression means 33 and driving the decompression means 24 continuously, introducing air into the cooking container 4.

  The degree of cooling and holding in the vacuum cooling step (ST8) is appropriately set, but in the present embodiment, the first set temperature is set in a range from 50 ° C to 70 ° C. This is because the risk of miscellaneous bacteria growth appears at temperatures below 50 ° C, while cooking proceeds when it exceeds 70 ° C.

  By the way, at the time of vacuum cooling, it is preferable that the water which touches the bottom of the cooking pan 3 is in the bottom of the cooking vessel 4. In this case, the food 16 in the cooking pan 3 can be effectively and uniformly cooled by the heat of vaporization when the water is evaporated. As this water, condensed water 37 accumulated in the cooking vessel 4 may be used, or instead of or in addition to this condensed water 37, water may be supplied from the outside. For example, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2, the water supply line 45 is connected to the cooking container 4 via the water supply valve 44, and the drain valve 40 is once opened immediately before the vacuum cooling step (ST 8) to condense water 37. After draining, the drain valve 40 may be closed and the water supply valve 44 may be opened to supply a desired amount of water into the cooking vessel 4. In this case, the amount of water supply can be grasped by a flow meter (not shown) provided in the water supply line 45.

  As described above, after the heat is removed after cooking, the decompression means 33 is operated when desired to restore the pressure in the cooking vessel 4 to atmospheric pressure. That is, the return pressure operation valve 36 may be opened. Thereafter, the lid is removed (ST9), and the ingredients 16 and the cooking pan 3 are taken out from the cooking container 4 (ST10, ST11). As shown in FIG. 1, the extracted food 16 is transferred to a hotel pan 46 or the like, and is carried into a treatment tank 48 of the cooling device 2 via a wagon 47 or the like. Cool to temperature.

  The cooling device 2 may be a blast chiller or the like, but a vacuum cooler is used in this embodiment. The vacuum cooler 2 has a conventionally known configuration, and includes a process tank 48 that can be sealed, a vacuum pump and an ejector that decompress the inside of the process tank 48, and is realized by the decompression unit 24 of the steam cooler 1. And a decompression mechanism (not shown) having a function of vacuum-cooling to a lower temperature, a return pressure mechanism (not shown) for returning the pressure in the decompressed processing tank 48, and the like.

  On the other hand, in the steam cooler 1, after opening the pressure-reducing operation valve 36, the drain valve 40 is also opened, and the water in the cooking container 4 is drained. By newly setting the cooking pan 3, it is possible to immediately move on to the next cooking. And the cooking pot 3 after use taken out is washed (ST12). For this cleaning, the hot water 43 stored in the water storage tank 30 can be used, and the exhaust heat can be used effectively.

  By the way, in the initial state (ST3), the vacuum holding step (ST5), the decompression step and the last draining step, the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is closed in the embodiment, but the pressure reducing operation valve 26 is open. Also good. Further, in the steam supply step (ST6), the drain valve 40 may be controlled to be opened occasionally. Furthermore, in the vacuum cooling step (ST8), the amount of water stored in the cooking vessel 4 can be changed as appropriate. In particular, in this embodiment, the target temperature in the vacuum cooling step (ST8) is rough heat removal up to 50 ° C., so if the temperature of the water supplied from the outside is below the target temperature, inhibition of food cooling There is no factor. In the above control, the set pressure or temperature in each step is not limited to a specific pressure or temperature, and may be a pressure range or a temperature range having a certain range.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating Example 2 of the steam cooler 1. The steaming cooler 1 of the second embodiment is basically the same configuration as the steaming cooler 1 of the first embodiment. For this reason, the following description will focus on the differences between the two. In addition, portions corresponding to those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

  In the second embodiment, the water storage tank 30 in the first embodiment is shared with the water supply tank 20. That is, in Example 2, only the water supply tank 20 is provided, and the water storage tank 30 in Example 1 is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the soft water from the water softener 19 is passed through the heat exchanger 28 and then stored in the water supply tank 20, and the soft water 15 in the water supply tank 20 is supplied to the secondary boiler 14. Therefore, the soft water can be preheated in the heat exchanger 28 in advance using the exhaust heat generated with the use of the steam cooler 1, and the generation of clean steam from the soft water 15 in the secondary boiler 14 is smooth. It is possible to save energy.

  Also in the second embodiment, the soft water 15 in the water supply tank 20 can be used for cleaning the used cooking pan 3 and the like through the cleaning gun 32 and the like. Since it is warm water using soft water as washing water and using exhaust heat, the washing power can be further enhanced.

  Also in the steaming cooler 1 of the second embodiment, after cooking the food material 16, it is vacuum-cooled to the first set temperature and then transferred to the cooling device 2 such as a vacuum cooler and vacuum-cooled to the second set temperature. Can do.

  In addition, the steaming cooling system of this invention can be suitably changed not only in the structure of said each Example. For example, steam cooking can be performed in the steam cooler 1 by using a perforated pan for the cooking pan 3. Moreover, in each said Example, although the vacuum cooler was used as the cooling device 2, you may use other various cooling devices, such as a blast chiller. Furthermore, in the said Example, although the upper surface of the cooking pan 3 was open | released, you may cover the cover of the moisture-permeable waterproof material which lets a vapor | steam pass but does not let water pass.

  By the way, in the case of further cooling to the second set temperature with the cooling device 2 after taking the rough heat to the first set temperature with the steam cooler 1, the treatment is performed between the steam cooler 1 and the cooler 2. The possible amounts may differ from each other. If the processing amount of the steam cooler 1 is larger than the processing amount of the cooling device 2, the food material cooled to the first set temperature by steam cooling is divided into small portions and repeatedly cooled by the cooling device 2. Even in that case, as described above, since the food 16 can be maintained at the first set temperature in the steam cooler 1, the temperature of the food does not change due to a difference in waiting time for loading into the cooling device 2, and the quality is stabilized. Can do. Moreover, in such a case, if a plurality of cooling devices 2 (or processing tanks 48 thereof) are prepared, the ingredients 16 from the steaming cooler 1 are subdivided and a plurality of cooling devices 2 (processing tanks 48) at a time. Can be cooled to the second set temperature.

  On the contrary, if the processing amount of the steam cooler 1 is less than the processing amount of the cooling device 2, a plurality of steam coolers 1 are prepared, or a plurality of cooking containers 4, 4. It is preferable to prepare and cool the ingredients from the plurality of cooking containers 4, 4. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of steaming coolers 1 including a plurality of cooking containers 4, 4... Are prepared, and the ingredients are coarsely heated to the first set temperature after cooking by cooking in the cooking containers 4, 4. After that, the ingredients may be collectively cooled to the second set temperature by one or a plurality of cooling devices 2.

  By the way, when one cooking cooler 1 is provided with a plurality of cooking containers 4, any one or more of the controller 42, the water supply tank 20, the secondary boiler 14, the water softening device 19, etc. It can also comprise so that it may be shared by several cooking containers 4,4 .... Moreover, it is preferable that the steam cooler 1 provided with the plurality of cooking containers 4 has a configuration in which only a desired number of cooking containers 4 can be operated in accordance with the processing amount of the food such as the processing amount of the cooling device 2. Furthermore, it is preferable to control so that the cooking cooling in each cooking container 4 is performed in parallel from the relation of bringing the ingredients from the plurality of cooking containers 4 together into the cooling device 2. However, even if the processing in each cooking container 4 is changed in time, the food is maintained at the first set temperature, so that it is possible to prevent the quality from being different due to the difference in the loading time to the cooling device 2.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows Example 1 of the steaming cooling system of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the steaming cooler of Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the usage example of the steaming cooler of Example 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the steaming cooler of Example 2. FIG. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the modification of the steaming cooling system of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Steaming cooler 2 Cooling device (vacuum cooler, etc.)
3 Cooking pan 4 Cooking vessel 13 Steaming means 14 Secondary boiler (reboiler)
16 Food 24 Depressurizing means 28 Heat exchanger 33 Restoring means 38 Draining means 42 Control means (controller)

Claims (6)

A cooking container (4) in which the food (16) is stored, a steam supply means (13) for supplying steam into the cooking container (4), and a decompression means (24) for decompressing the cooking container (4). And a decompression means (33) for restoring the pressure in the decompressed cooking container (4), and the food (16) is heated by the steam supply means (13) and then vacuumed by the decompression means (24). A steaming cooler (1) for cooling;
A steam cooling system comprising: a cooling device (2) for further cooling the food (16) cooled by the steam cooler (1). The steam cooling system according to claim 1, wherein a cooling temperature realizable by the steam cooler (1) is higher than a cooling temperature realizable by the cooling device (2). The steam cooler (1) includes a plurality of the cooking containers (4), or includes a plurality of steam coolers (1),
The said cooling device (2) cools the foodstuff (16) from the said several cooking container (4) collectively. The steaming cooling system of Claim 1 or Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. The cooking cooling system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the food (16) from the cooking container (4) is subdivided and cooled by the plurality of cooling devices (2). The steaming cooler (1) is characterized in that the inside of the cooking vessel (4) is vacuum-cooled to a first set temperature by the pressure reducing means (24) and then held at the first set temperature. The steam cooling system of any one of -4. A cooking container (4) in which the food (16) is stored, a steam supply means (13) for supplying steam into the cooking container (4), and a decompression means (24) for decompressing the cooking container (4). , Pressure return means (33) for returning the pressure in the decompressed cooking container (4),
The steam cooler characterized in that the vacuum cooling capacity of the decompression means (24) is the capacity to vacuum-cool the food (16) to 50 to 70 ° C. after heating by the steam supply means (13).

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