JP2008008553A - Cooling/refrigerating system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling/refrigerating system capable of refrigerating a cooled object in a bag with a uniform thickness, without projecting the central part of the bag storing the cooled object, when refrigerating the bag storing the flowable cooled object such as a gel-like or liquid-like object. <P>SOLUTION: An endless belt 9 moving at the speed same to that of a belt conveyer 7 along the direction same to that of the conveyer 7 is provided in an upper side of the belt conveyer 7 passing through a cooling chamber 4 of the cooling/refrigerating system 1, and the cooled object is refrigerated while pressing an upper face of the bag 8 storing the cooled object on the belt conveyer 7 by the endless belt 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling / freezing apparatus that cools or freezes cold objects by blowing cold air to a cooled object such as fresh food or retort food that passes through a cooling chamber by a conveying means such as a belt conveyor. The present invention relates to a cooling / freezing apparatus capable of freezing a bag containing a material to be cooled such as a uniform thickness.

The cooling and refrigeration system has a continuous type that cools or freezes the object to be cooled by blowing air cooled by a cooler placed at the top of the apparatus toward the object to be cooled on the belt conveyor that moves horizontally. Yes (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Japanese Patent No. 3071098 (pages 1 to 4, FIGS. 1 to 3) Japanese Patent No. 3255430 (pages 1-3, FIGS. 1-2)

However, there is a problem that when a bag containing a cooled object to be cooled such as a gel or liquid is frozen by a conventional cooling / refrigeration apparatus, the thickness of the bag containing the frozen object to be cooled is not uniform.
That is, when the object to be cooled is placed on a belt conveyor made of steel or the like that moves horizontally and enters the cooling chamber, the air cooled by the cooler provided in the apparatus is blown to the bag containing the object to be cooled on the belt conveyor. The object to be cooled in the bag freezes, and this freezing process is applied to the surface of the object to be cooled that comes into contact with the cold air on the inner surface of the object to be cooled and to a belt conveyor made of steel that has a heat dissipation effect. The surface portion of the object to be cooled that is in contact with the object is first frozen, and then the freezing proceeds in order toward the inside of the object to be cooled. Finally, the central part of the object to be cooled is frozen to complete the freezing of the entire object to be cooled.

  Also, the surface part of the object to be cooled on the inner surface of the bag that comes into contact with the belt conveyor made of heat-dissipating steel, etc., freezes faster than the other surface parts that are in contact with the cold air by using the belt conveyor as a heat sink. .

  When the central part of the object to be cooled, which is the last of the freezing, freezes, the frozen part that expands due to the progress of freezing tends to expand outward from the relatively thin part of the frozen part in the surrounding part. Therefore, in the bag containing the object to be cooled placed on the belt conveyor, the expansion direction is the upper surface in the thickness direction of the bag. Therefore, the object to be cooled on the belt conveyor has the central portion of the bag facing upward. It becomes a protruding shape.

  Since the object to be cooled as described above has a shape in which the central portion of the bag protrudes upward, the central portion of the bag protrudes upward when the object to be cooled, that is, the frozen product is stored in a cosmetic box or the like. For this reason, even if the protruding portion cannot pass through the opening of the cosmetic box and cannot be packed or accommodated, the protruding portion above the bag during product transportation slides against the inner surface of the cosmetic box, There is a risk that a hole may open in the portion protruding upward and the contents may leak from the hole.

Also, when storing a plurality of frozen products in a container such as a box by stacking or stacking them, the central portion of the bag protrudes upward, so that the protruding portion increases the thickness of the product and cannot accommodate the specified quantity. Even if it can be accommodated, the portion protruding above the bag during product transportation slides with the adjacent bag, and a hole is formed in the portion protruding above the bag, or adjacent to this protruding portion. There is also a risk of opening the hole in the bag and leaking the contents of the bag.
And since frozen products are shipped with the shape which the center part of the bag protruded upwards, there also exists a problem that the external appearance is bad and a commercial value falls.

  In the present invention, when the object to be cooled having a fluidity such as a gel or liquid is frozen while being placed in the accommodation bag, the central part of the bag containing the object to be cooled does not protrude, and It was made possible to provide a cooling / freezing apparatus capable of freezing a cooled product with a uniform thickness.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a cooling / freezing apparatus according to the present invention is a cooling / freezing apparatus that cools or freezes an object to be cooled by blowing cold air to the object to be cooled that moves in a cooling chamber by a conveying means. A moving body that is moved in the same direction and at the same speed as the conveying means is arranged above the conveying means, and is configured to hold the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled by the moving body. It is as.

  In addition, the moving body is configured to hold the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled flat and substantially parallel to the transfer surface of the transfer means, and the cold air can pass through the moving body. It is as.

  Furthermore, the moving body is provided with a heat sink, or pressing means for pressing the moving body against the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled is provided.

  Further, the pressing means is composed of a roller member, and the moving body is configured to be pressed against the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled by its own weight, and the moving body is made of metal or other material. It is configured as an endless belt shape.

  According to the cooling / refrigeration apparatus of the present invention, a moving body moved in the same direction and at the same speed as the conveying means is provided above the conveying means for conveying an object to be cooled, and the flat surface of the moving body The object to be cooled is frozen by pressing the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled moving in the cooling chamber in parallel with the conveying surface of the conveying means for conveying the object to be cooled.

  Therefore, when the object to be cooled such as the gel or liquid in the bag is frozen in the cooling chamber, the object to be cooled is covered in order from the surface of the object to be cooled that comes into contact with the cold air through the bag as in the prior art. Freezing proceeds toward the inside of the cooled object, but freezing expansion in the upper surface direction of the bag of the object to be cooled that occurs when the central part of the object to be cooled that becomes the last frozen part freezes causes the object to be cooled to move. The upper surface of the bag to be accommodated is pressed by the flat surface of the moving object, and the upper surface of the bag is also pressed by the flat surface of the moving object at the lower surface of the bag to accommodate the object to be cooled, so that the object to be cooled is frozen and expanded. Escapes in the direction of the side of the bag containing the object to be cooled, no protrusion due to freezing and expansion occurs on the upper and lower surfaces of the bag, and the central part of the bag containing the object to be cooled does not protrude, and the object to be cooled in the bag Can be frozen at a uniform thickness

  In addition, since the upper surface of the bag that accommodates the object to be cooled is pressed by the moving body, vibration generated when the moving body moves is transmitted from the upper surface of the object to be cooled through the bag into the object to be cooled. Convection occurs in animals.

  The object to be cooled is cooled while the object to be cooled on the surface portion of the bag and the object to be cooled inside the bag are continuously exchanged by this convection. There is also a great merit that the cooling time of the object to be cooled can be shortened as compared with the method of freezing in a state where it is placed on the means.

Further, since the transport distance of the object to be cooled in the cooling chamber can be shortened by shortening the refrigeration time, the overall length of the cooling / refrigeration apparatus can be shortened, and the cooling / refrigeration apparatus can be made compact.
Furthermore, shortening the refrigeration time improves the operating efficiency of the apparatus, contributing to energy saving.

And even in the appearance of a frozen object to be cooled, that is, a frozen product, the bag has a uniform thickness without protruding the central portion of the bag. The bag can be prevented from being damaged by this, so that the quality of the product can be prevented from deteriorating.
Further, since the central portion of the bag does not protrude upward, the frozen product can be packed smoothly and the work efficiency can be improved.

Hereinafter, the cooling and refrigeration apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram showing an example of a cooling / refrigeration apparatus according to the present invention. A positive pressure chamber 3 is provided above the cooling / refrigeration apparatus 1, and the cooling installed in the positive pressure chamber 3 is shown in FIG. The air (cold air) cooled in the vessel 5 is blown into the positive pressure chamber 3 by the fan 5 a, and the blown air is discharged from the slit 6 a of the partition plate (slit plate) 6 disposed below the positive pressure chamber 3. It is sprayed onto a bag 8 containing an object to be cooled on a belt conveyor 7 that moves horizontally in the cooling chamber 4.

  The air (cold air) blown to the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled on the belt conveyor 7 is taken from the cooling chamber 4 through which the belt conveyor 7 passes through the air in the cooler 5 installed in the positive pressure chamber 3. Return to the entrance (not shown).

The belt conveyor 7 that carries the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled and moves horizontally in the cooling chamber 4 uses a breathable belt. For example, a steel material having an appropriate thickness is assembled in a mesh shape. It is composed of a net belt or a steel belt with many through holes so that airflow can pass through the belt surface.
In addition, the code | symbol 7a in the same figure is a drive roller of the said belt conveyor 7. FIG.

  A moving body that moves in the same direction and at the same speed as the belt conveyor 7 is installed above the belt conveyor 7, and the upper surface of the bag 8 that contains the object to be cooled is pressed by the moving body.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the moving body is constituted by an endless belt 9, and the lower surface (flat surface) of the endless belt 9, that is, the surface facing the belt conveyor contains bags to be cooled on the belt conveyor 7. 8 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the plate 8 and pressed flatly, and the object to be cooled is conveyed and frozen in the pressed state.

The endless belt 9 is configured by a form through which cold air blown out from the slit 6a can pass or a ventilation member through which cold air can pass when the upper surface of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled is pressed.
Specifically, the endless belt 9 is formed of a caterpillar-shaped slat belt 9a as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2 (a), 9d is a plate for pressing the upper surface of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled, and this plate 9d is a caterpillar endless belt in which a large number of plates 9d are connected by a connector 9e. is doing. Reference numeral 9f denotes a space portion provided between the plates 9d provided continuously, and cold air is blown from the space portion 9f to the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), an endless net belt 9b in which a steel material having an appropriate thickness is assembled in a mesh shape may be used. In FIG. 2 (b), 9g indicates a net portion. ing.
Although not shown in the figure, it is composed of an endless, for example, steel belt having a large number of through holes through which airflow can pass on the belt surface, such as a belt conveyor 7 for conveying a bag 8 containing an object to be cooled. There is also a case.

  The moving body composed of the endless belt 9 or the like is a metal material, such as steel, having a heat dissipation property so as to be advantageous for heat dissipation of the object to be cooled when the upper surface of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled is pressed. When the endless belt 9 is configured by the caterpillar-shaped slat belt 9a shown in FIG. 2 (a), a fin 9h for heat dissipation is provided on the plate 9d as shown in FIG. Thus, the heat exchange rate can be further improved.

  Further, in the pressing method of the upper surface of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled by the moving body constituted by the endless belt 9 or the like, the upper surface of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled is pressed so as to prevent the protrusion due to freezing and expansion. Therefore, the weight of the moving body composed of the endless belt 9 and the like is made heavy by the amount of material used at the time of formation and the addition of a weight, and the object to be cooled is accommodated by the weight of the moving body composed of the endless belt 9 and the like. In some cases, the upper surface of the bag 8 is pressed.

  When the endless belt 9 is constituted by the caterpillar-shaped slat belt 9a shown in FIG. 2A, the endless belt 9 is placed on the plate 9d on the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled of the slat belt 9a as shown in FIG. There may be a case in which an appropriate number of rollers 10 having a predetermined weight are disposed and the plate 9d of the slat belt 9a is pressed against the upper surface of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled by the weight of the rollers 10. In FIG. 4, the roller 10 is rotatably provided on an arm 10a that is rotatably supported by a support portion 10b.

  Further, the roller 10 can automatically cope with the difference in thickness of the bag 8 containing the changed object to be cooled when the object to be cooled is changed, and the arm 10a is a bag containing the object to be cooled. By rotating the support portion 10b as a fulcrum with the thickness of 8, the roller 10 moves in the vertical direction (arrow) so as to match the thickness of the bag 8 containing the object to be cooled.

The schematic structure figure showing an example of the cooling and freezing device concerning the present invention. The top view which shows an example of a moving body. The perspective view which shows an example of the moving body which provided the heat sink. The schematic structure figure which shows an example of a mobile body pressing means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooling / refrigeration equipment 1a Inlet 1b Outlet 2 Front chamber 3 Positive pressure chamber 4 Cooling chamber 5 Cooler 5a Fan 6 Partition plate (slit plate)
6a slit 7 belt conveyor 7a driving roller 8 bag 9 endless belt 9a slat belt 9b net belt 9c driving roller 9d plate 9e connecting tool 9f space 9g net 9h fin 10 roller 10a arm 10b support

Claims (8)

  A cooling and refrigeration apparatus for cooling or freezing the object to be cooled moving in the cooling chamber by the conveying means to cool or freeze the object to be cooled, in the same direction and at the same speed as the conveying means above the conveying means. A cooling / freezing apparatus comprising a moving body to be moved and configured to hold the upper surface of a bag in which the object to be cooled is held by the moving body.   The cooling / freezing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is configured to hold the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled flat and substantially parallel to the transport surface of the transport means.   The cooling / freezing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is configured to allow the cold air to pass therethrough.   The cooling / freezing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is provided with a heat sink.   The cooling / freezing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pressing means for pressing the moving body against an upper surface of a bag in which the object to be cooled is stored.   6. The pressing device according to claim 5, wherein the pressing means is constituted by a roller member, and the moving body is pressed against the upper surface of the bag containing the object to be cooled by applying a load of the roller member to the moving body. The cooling / refrigeration apparatus described.   The cooling / refrigeration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is configured in an endless belt shape.   The cooling / freezing device according to claim 1, wherein the moving body is made of a metal material.

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