JP2006345833A - Spray type thawing apparatus of frozen fish and shellfish - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thawing apparatus of frozen fish and shellfish free from requiring a large amount of water for thawing, thawing fish and shellfish with a little amount of water at relatively low temperature without lowering freshness, and making an amount of water used for thawing small compared to a conventional apparatus when pouring into a drainage. <P>SOLUTION: This thawing apparatus 1 of frozen fish and shellfish has a lower part tank 2 storing water for thawing, multistage bottomed frame bodies 3 on the upper part of the lower part tank 2, a punched container 8 for holding frozen fish and shellfish put on the bottomed frame body 3, water spray tubes 7 watering for thawing to the punched container 8 and arranged on the ceiling part 3a of the bottomed frame body 3, a supply tube 9 supplying spray water for thawing from the lower part tank 2 to the water spray tube 7, a supply pump 10 arranged on the supply tube 9, a circuit bringing back used spray water from the bottom plate 4 of the bottomed frame body 3 to the lower part tank 2, a water spray temperature measuring apparatus set on the water system for water spray, a hot water supply apparatus 11 near the lower part tank 2, and a hot water supply tube 12 arranged on the lower part tank 2 from the hot water supply apparatus 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a thawing apparatus for thawing frozen and imported fish and shellfish while keeping the freshness without storing a large amount of water.

  Seafood that has been frozen and imported must be thawed before being shipped to the market. Such thawing of seafood is, for example, an operation of freezing frozen seafood and returning it to the original state before freezing. In this case, the thawing method differs depending on the type and nature of the seafood, but in general, it is naturally thawed by keeping it at room temperature, gradually returning to a refrigerator, or using ice water or running water. Yes. In general, natural animal food such as fish and meat is suitable for thawing at room temperature or in a refrigerator, but in any case, thawing should be performed so as not to break the frozen seafood tissue and reduce the outflow of juice. It is desired.

  By the way, the method of thawing with ice water or running water causes a large amount of water to flow. Therefore, in regions where sewerage is not widespread, it has been drowned in terms of hygiene, that is, pollution. Even if sewers are laid in such a situation, even though it is necessary to release a large amount of thawed water, the sewerage charges are often high, so do not try to use the sewers. The current situation is that the washing water is dripping into the conventional groove.

  On the other hand, as a method for thawing frozen food materials, a method has been proposed in which Joule heating of electrical resistance is used and pressure is defrosted (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, this method uses electric power and must be managed so as not to cause an accident such as an electric shock.

JP 2002-186415 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that, unlike conventional frozen seafood thawing devices using natural water discharge-type running water, a large amount of water is not required for thawing, and a small amount of water is used at a relatively low temperature. An object of the present invention is to provide a frozen seafood thawing device that can be thawed without reducing the freshness, and that reduces the amount of water used for thawing to a smaller amount than the conventional spillage when flowing into the sewer.

  Means of the present invention for solving the above problems will be described. First, the means of claim 1 has a lower tank for storing thawing water, and a bottomed frame formed in multiple stages in the vertical direction is arranged on the upper part of the lower tank, and each of these bottomed frames is arranged. The body has a perforated container for storing frozen seafood. A watering pipe having a watering nozzle for watering a perforated container containing frozen seafood is disposed on each ceiling portion of these bottomed frames. Further, a supply pipe for supplying thawing water from the lower tank to each of the above watering pipes is provided, a feed pump is provided in this supply pipe, and the watering used for thawing is further removed from the bottom plate of the bottomed frame body to the lower part. A circulation path to return to the tank is arranged, and a watering temperature measuring device is provided in a watering system consisting of a lower tank and a supply pipe, and a hot water supply device is provided near the lower tank that supplies hot water based on the watering temperature measuring device. This is a frozen seafood thawing device in which a hot water supply pipe is provided from the hot water supply device to the lower tank.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the lower tank for storing the thawing water has an overflow port at the upper end of the side wall of the lower tank for discharging bubbles generated on the surface of the thawing water of the lower tank at the end of thawing. 2. The frozen seafood thawing device according to claim 1, wherein a discharge section for receiving the circulating water and the bubbles overflowing outside and discharging them into the groove is provided.

  The means of claim 3 is the frozen seafood thawing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower tank for storing the thawing water has a water supply stop valve in the tank.

  Further, the means of claim 4 comprises a circulation path for returning from the bottom plate of the bottomed frame to the lower tank to the lower tank, a watering temperature measuring device provided in a watering system comprising a lower tank and a supply pipe, The hot water supply device disposed in the vicinity of the lower tank for supplying hot water based on the temperature measuring device, and the hot water supply pipe disposed in the lower tank from the hot water supply device. An apparatus for thawing frozen seafood according to the means of claim 1.

  By using the means of the present invention, the means of claim 1 can realize the water saving rate of water used for thawing to 85% or more while the thawing of frozen seafood is thawing with running water, and the thawing temperature is constant. In addition, the quality of the thawed seafood is very good, the umami is preserved, and it can be thawed cleanly. At the end of thawing, the surface of the thawing water in the lower tank can be obtained. Since it has an overflow port for flowing out the generated foam at the upper end of the side wall of the lower tank, a discharge part for receiving the circulating water and the bubble overflowing outside this overflow port and discharging it into the groove is provided, A foam having a large surface volume can be discharged quickly and substantially easily, and the umami component can be retained in a sufficiently thawed seafood. The means of claim 3 stores thawing water. Since the tap water to the lower tank for water supply has a water supply stop valve, the water supply can be automatically stopped, no worker is required for this, and there is no waste of tap water. A circulation path for returning sprinkling from the bottom plate of the frame to the lower tank is formed by a loose inclined surface formed in a downward slope toward the discharge hole of the opening at the center rear portion of the bottom plate and a return pipe from the discharge hole to the lower tank. Therefore, the present invention provides excellent effects that are not found in the conventional thawing device, such as efficiently returning the circulating water to the lower tank in a lump.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a frozen seafood thawing device 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an outline of a part of the thawing device and the hot water supply device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view of the arrangement state of the watering pipe 7 of the thawing device 1 of the present invention as viewed from below. FIG. 4 is a front view in which a portion of a perforated container is placed on the frozen seafood thawing device of the present invention.

  In the embodiment of the invention of claim 1, the thawing device 1 has a lower tank 2 for storing thawing water, and a bottomed frame 3 formed in multiple stages in the vertical direction is disposed on the lower tank 2. is doing. A bottom plate 4 is stretched on each bottomed frame 3. The bottom plate 4 is inclined while being lowered from the left and right to the center rear, and a discharge hole 5 for collecting the cooling water received by the bottom plate 4 and returning it to the lower tank 2 below is opened at a lower portion at the center rear. A return pipe 6 is connected. The lower end of the return pipe 6 opens into a lower discharge hole 5 at the center rear of the bottomed frame 3 one step below, and the discharge hole 5 of the bottomed frame 3 at the bottom is directly connected to the lower tank 2. It is open. In this way, a circulation path for returning the water spray used for thawing from the bottom plate 4 of the bottomed frame 3 to the lower tank 2 is formed. A perforated container 8 for storing frozen seafood is placed on each of the bottomed frames 3 at each stage. On each ceiling portion 3a of the bottomed frame body 3, a watering pipe 7 having a watering nozzle 7a for watering the perforated container 8 containing frozen seafood is disposed.

  Further, a supply pipe 9 for supplying thawing water from the lower tank 2 to the above-mentioned water spray pipes 7 is disposed on the outer wall of the lower tank 2 from the bottom of the lower tank 2, and a feed pump 10 is connected to the supply pipe 9. Is deployed and pumps thawed water upward. A supply pipe 9 for supplying the defrosted water pumped up by the feed pump 10 is branched outside the back wall 3b of the thawing apparatus 1 and connected to the water spray pipes 7 at each stage. Each supply pipe 9 branched at each stage has a faucet cock (not shown), and can freely flow, stop and adjust the defrosted water supplied to the water spray pipe 7 at each stage. Further, a watering temperature measuring device (not shown) is disposed in the watering system comprising the lower tank 2 and the supply pipe 9. For example, watering temperature measuring devices are arranged in the lower tank 2 and the supply pipe 9. A hot water supply device 11 for supplying hot water to the lower tank 2 based on these watering temperature measuring devices is provided in the vicinity of the lower tank 2. The hot water supply device 11 is provided with a hot water supply pipe 12 for boiling hot water of about 40 ° C. with a heater and supplying the hot water from the hot water supply device 11 to the lower tank 2.

  In the embodiment of the means of claim 2, the lower tank 2 for storing the thawing water is used to generate bubbles on the surface of the thawing water in the lower tank 2 as it approaches the end of thawing. Therefore, the overflow port 13 for flowing out the bubbles is defined as the side wall upper end 13 a of the lower tank 2. Further, a box-shaped discharge portion 15 for receiving circulating water and bubbles overflowing from the upper end 13 a of the side wall of the lower tank 2 is disposed outside the overflow port 13. At the bottom of the box-shaped discharge portion 15, there is a discharge hole (not shown) through which drainage liquid generated by defoaming in the discharge portion flows into a groove (not shown). In this way, at the end of thawing, the circulating water for thawing water returns to the lower tank 2 including bubbles formed by organic substances coming out of the seafood. This bubble contains organic components with a strong seafood odor in addition to air and some umami components, and this bubble covers the entire surface of the defrosted water in the lower tank 2 and hinders circulation efficiency. Will be. Therefore, these bubbles flow out from the overflow port 13 of the upper end 13a of the side wall of the lower tank 2 to the discharge unit 15 as much as possible. In this case, since all the length parts of the side wall upper end 13a of the lower tank 2 are the overflow ports 13, it is possible to overflow from the side wall upper end 13a all at once as compared with the one having a small-diameter discharge hole of the conventional apparatus. Bubbles can be quickly removed from the surface of the lower tank 2 and the circulation efficiency is not hindered.

  Further, in the embodiment of the means of claim 3, a ball tap type water supply stop valve 14 having a ball 14a at the tip is provided in a pipe for supplying tap water to the lower tank 2 for storing the thawing water, and automatically Tap water can be supplied to the tank 2. In addition to the ball tap type having the ball 14a at the tip, the water supply stop valve 14 is provided with a water supply stop valve 14 comprising an electromagnetic valve that closes the valve electromagnetically when a certain amount of water is detected. You can also.

  Further, in the embodiment of the means of claim 4, in addition to the above configuration, as a circulation path for returning water from the bottom plate 4 of the bottomed frame 3 to the lower tank 2, the central rear portion of the bottom plate 4 of the bottomed frame 3 is provided. A gentle inclined surface 4a formed in a downward slope is provided toward the discharge hole 5 that opens to the bottom, and a return pipe 6 that returns the circulating water from the discharge hole 5 to the lower tank 2 is provided. Since the circulation path is thus provided, the circulating water can be efficiently returned to the lower tank 2.

  Next, an operation method of the thawing device 1 of the present invention will be described. First, fresh water such as tap water is supplied to the lower tank 2. At this time, the size of the lower tank 2 is 109 cm × 81 cm in plane size, 17 cm in height, and has a capacity of about 150 liters. The height of the water surface supplied to the lower tank 2 is set to a position 2 cm below the water level overflowing from the upper end 13a of the side wall of the lower tank 2. For this reason, when the lower tank 2 has the ball tap type water supply stop valve 14, the water supply stop valve 14 is automatically closed by the ascent of the ball 14a at a position 2 cm lower than the overflowing water level to complete the water supply. By this water supply, the lower tank 2 is left in a state where, for example, a margin of about 17.9 liters, which is about 10 liters of about 150 liters when full, is left on the water surface. The temperature of the water in the lower tank 2 at the end of the water supply is the water supply temperature of the water supply.

  In this example, water supply to the lower tank 2 was started, and the water supply amount was 148.47 liters. The water supply pipe surface temperature at the end of the water supply was 11.3 ° C., and the water temperature in the lower tank 2 was 9.5 ° C. The temperature of the indoor environment at this time was 6.4 ° C. When this preparation is completed, 6 blocks of 1.25 Kg per block as frozen raw material of headless shrimp are loaded into one perforated container 8 as the seafood to be thawed. In this way, a total of four perforated containers 8 into which the six blocks have been inserted are connected to the left and right bottom plates 4 of the bottomed frame body 3 in the first and second stages from the top of the thawing device 1. Mounted on top.

  When the above preparation for thawing is completed, the operation of the thawing apparatus 1 is started. Normally, when the operation switch is turned on, the feed pump 10 is actuated to draw water from the lower tank 2 and feed it through the supply pipe 9, and the ceiling 3a of the first and second bottomed frame 3 is provided. Water sprinkling is started on each perforated container 8 from the water spray nozzle 7a of the water sprinkling pipe 7 installed in (1). In this case, the water level in the lower tank is lowered by the amount of water supplied. Water sprinkled from the sprinkling pipe 7 is collected by the bottom plate 4 of the bottomed frame 3 while thawing the frozen raw material of each perforated container 8, and flows from the drain hole 5 which is a circulation path to the return pipe 6 and flows into the lower tank. Returned to 2. At this time, as the frozen raw material begins to melt with watering, the temperature of the circulating water also begins to drop.

  However, in this embodiment, as described above, the water temperature of the lower tank 2 is as low as 9.5 ° C., and the temperature of the watering temperature measuring device provided in the watering system comprising the lower tank 2 and the supply pipe 9 is 11. Since the temperature was lower than 3 ° C. and the lower limit set temperature of 15 ° C., the first temperature raising operation was started immediately, and the water temperature of the lower tank 2 was set to 16.5 ° C. to sprinkle hot water into each perforated container 8. The temperature raising operation may be started by manually turning on the heater of the hot water supply device 11 or may be turned on automatically. The temperature was raised to 39.3 ° C. with the hot water supply device 11, and about 95 liters of this 39.3 ° C. hot water was added to the lower tank 2 through the hot water supply pipe 12. In the first temperature raising operation, the water level rose to the limit of the overflow in the lower tank 2.

  This heated defrosted water is fed by the feed pipe 10 through the feed pipe 9, and each hole is formed from the sprinkling nozzle 7a of the sprinkling pipe 7 installed on the ceiling portion 3a of the first and second stage bottomed frame 3. Watering was started on the empty container 8. The color of the circulating water gradually became white and turbid due to the protein dissolved from the frozen raw material after starting to thaw. However, there are only a few unique bubbles on the water that are still found in protein solutions. By the way, when the temperature of the circulating water rose to, for example, 17 ° C., the upper limit set temperature of the temperature rise temperature, the heater of the hot water supply device 11 was turned off, and the water spraying of the warm water by the first temperature rise operation was completed.

  When the temperature rise of the circulating water is finished, the temperature of the circulating water starts to fall again due to the unheated cold latent heat of the frozen raw material, and when the temperature of the circulating water falls to the lower limit set temperature of 15 °, the second temperature rise again Started operation. The water temperature used for the second temperature increase was 38.5 ° C. and the amount of water was 0.43 liters. Thus, the temperature rising spraying was repeated three times. The water temperature used for the temperature increase was 39.0 ° C., and the amount of water was 10.30 liters. When no temperature change was observed in the thawing water circulated by the temperature rise and spraying, the thawing was terminated at this point. By the end of this operation, the amount of water used was overflowing from the overflow port 13 and was 105.48 liters.

  Through the above steps, the concentration of the protein dissolved in the circulating water becomes close to saturation, and the amount of bubbles on the water surface of the lower tank 2 starts to increase suddenly. In this state, the protein solution having a high concentration is infinitely close to the saturated state. Therefore, when the frozen raw material is thawed with circulating water of a solution containing a protein close to saturation, the raw material protein is hardly released from the raw shrimp due to osmotic pressure. The protein contained in the circulating water in such a state is the “umami” component of seafood. However, in the method of the present invention, the umami component is not further eluted from the frozen raw material due to osmotic pressure, so the umami component is retained in the shrimp raw material shrimp.

  As described above, when the temperature reaches the lower limit set temperature, the next temperature raising operation starts. However, in the second and subsequent temperature raising operations, the amount of water in which the protein is dissolved is full in the lower tank 2, so From the overflow port 13 at the upper end 13a of the side wall of the lower tank 2, all odorous bubbles generated while circulating water overflows like a dam flow out to the discharge part 15 outside the lower tank 2.

  Regardless of the operation state of the thawing device 1, when 8 to 10 minutes have passed since the start of the operation, the sterilizing liquid is adjusted in the lower tank 2 while adjusting the amount of the sterilizing liquid according to the amount of the thawing raw material received. You can start a medication.

  In this way, the temperature raising operation is repeated several times. For example, when the thawing raw material is about 30 kg, the temperature raising operation is performed three times and circulates for about 15 minutes in the whole process. As a result, the circulating water in the supply pipe 9 above the upper surface of the lower tank 2 flows back to the lower tank 2, and the final overflow occurs in the lower tank 2 with the backflowed water. When the backflow operation is completed, the bubbles are washed away on the upper surface of the lower tank 2. The thawed seafood is taken out from each bottomed frame 3 for each perforated container 8 and boxed for shipping.

  By the way, in contrast to the above-mentioned present invention, in the conventional method of thawing by simply sprinkling water without raising the temperature, the number of frozen raw materials is the same, and the feed pipe surface temperature is 7.7 ° C. at a room temperature of 9 ° C. The amount of thawing water required in this case was 791.49 liters. Therefore, when this case is compared with the above 105.48 liters of the method of the present invention, the water saving amount is 100 × (791.49−93.18) /791.49=88.23 (%). It was found that the method can save water drastically. Moreover, in the means of the present invention, the umami component is made into a product in a state sufficiently retained by the thawed seafood. In the method of the present invention, the method of removing bubbles on the surface of the lower tank 2 as described above overflows from the side wall upper end 13a of the lower tank 2, but in addition, a heater is disposed in the bubble portion. It is also possible to attach a device for eliminating bubbles by expansion of bubbles by heating on the upper surface of the lower tank 2.

It is a perspective view which shows the outline of the thawing | decompression apparatus of the frozen seafood of this invention. It is a front view which shows the outline of a part of thawing | decompression apparatus of this invention, and a warm water supply apparatus. It is the figure which looked at the arrangement | positioning state of the water spray pipe 7 of the thawing | decompression apparatus 1 of this invention from the downward direction. It is the front view which carried a part of perforated container in the thawing | decompression apparatus of the frozen seafood of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thawing device 2 Lower tank 3 Bottomed frame 3a Ceiling 3b Back wall 4 Bottom plate 5 Discharge hole 6 Return pipe 7 Sprinkling pipe 7a Sprinkling nozzle 8 Perforated container 9 Supply pipe 10 Feed pump 11 Hot water supply apparatus 12 Hot water supply pipe 13 Overflow port 13a Side wall upper end 14 Water supply stop valve 15 Discharge part

Claims (4)

  A lower tank for storing thawing water, a multi-stage bottomed frame disposed above the lower tank, a perforated container for storing frozen seafood placed on each bottomed frame, and the perforated container In order to spray water for thawing, a watering pipe having a watering nozzle disposed on the ceiling of each bottomed frame, a supply pipe for supplying water for thawing from the lower tank to each watering pipe, and a supply pipe are arranged. A supply pump, a circulation path for returning the sprinkling used for thawing from the bottom plate of the bottomed frame to the lower tank, a sprinkling temperature measuring device provided in a water system for sprinkling comprising a lower tank and a supply pipe, An apparatus for thawing frozen seafood, comprising: a hot water supply device disposed in the vicinity of a lower tank for supplying hot water based on a sprinkling temperature measuring device; and a hot water supply pipe disposed in the lower tank from the hot water supply device. .   The lower tank for storing the thawing water has an overflow port at the upper end of the side wall of the lower tank for flowing out bubbles generated on the surface of the thawing water of the lower tank at the end of thawing, and the circulating water overflowed outside the overflow port. The thawing | decompression apparatus of the frozen seafood of Claim 1 with which the discharge part for accepting and foam | bubble and discharging to a groove | channel is arrange | positioned.   The frozen fishery product thawing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower tank for storing the thawing water has a water supply stop valve in the lower tank.   A circulation path for returning water from the bottom plate of the bottomed frame to the lower tank has a gently inclined surface formed in a downward slope toward the discharge hole of the opening at the center rear portion of the bottom plate, and a return pipe from the discharge hole to the lower tank. The thawing device for frozen seafood according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein

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