JP2009172173A - Heating device and food service cart - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent insufficiently heated foods and excessively heated foods from being served by directly measuring the core temperature of the foods in a so-called cook-chill food service cart heating the refrigerated foods to 75°C being a safety temperature, during carrying and setting them on a table. <P>SOLUTION: This food service cart includes a moving device 2 and the heating device 3, wherein the heating device 3 has a heat-retaining chamber 31 for storing a plurality of trays, a heater 32 and a fan 33 for heating the foods in the heat-retaining chamber 31 by warm air, at least one thermocouple core temperature sensor provided in the heat-retaining chamber for measuring the core temperature of the foods, a temperature control device 34 connected to the core temperature sensor 35, the heater 32, and the fan 33 and drivingly controlling the heater 32 and the fan 33 based on the core temperature of the foods measured by the core temperature sensor 35, and a display device 36 connected to the temperature control device 34 for displaying the core temperature of the foods measured by the core temperature sensor 35. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heating device used when re-heating a refrigerated food product, and a distribution vehicle in which the heating device is movably formed.

  In order to provide meals in facilities such as hospitals, geriatric health facilities, hotels, schools, etc., a distribution car is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As such a distribution car, cooked food (food ingredients) A so-called cook chill system is proposed in which food is stored refrigerated at about 3 ° C. and heated to 75 ° C., which is a safe temperature, during serving before meals. .

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a conventional heating device 100 provided in the layout vehicle. The heating device 100 includes a heat insulating chamber 101 that stores a plurality of trays, a heater 102 provided on a side wall of the heat insulating chamber 101, a blower 103 that circulates air in the heat insulating chamber 101, and a temperature in the heat insulating chamber 101. The temperature sensor 104 for measuring the temperature, the heater 102, the temperature control device 105 electrically connected to the temperature sensor 104, the switch 106 provided between the heater 102 and the temperature control device 105, and the temperature sensor 104 It comprises a display device 107 that displays the internal temperature. The temperature control device 105 is configured by an arithmetic device such as a microcomputer.

  Generally, in the cook chill method, it is required to maintain the state where the food is heated to 75 ° C. for 1 minute or longer. For this purpose, the food temperature is increased to 100 to 130 ° C. The internal temperature is maintained at 100 to 130 ° C. for a time when the core temperature (internal temperature) of the tube is expected to reach 75 ° C. When a preset time elapses, the temperature control device 105 turns off the switch 106 and ends the heating by the heater 102.

However, in the conventional heating device 100, the temperature inside the heat retaining chamber 101 is measured by the temperature sensor 104, and the heater 102 is controlled so as to maintain the temperature in a certain temperature range, and the measured chamber temperature is displayed on the display device 107. It was only displayed, and the core temperature of food was not directly measured and displayed. Therefore, there was a problem that it could not be confirmed whether the food was actually heated to 75 ° C. In particular, since it is easier to eat at a temperature lower than 75 ° C. at the stage of providing it to the eater, the temperature inside the heat insulation chamber 101 may be cooled down, and the cooled food is heated to 75 ° C. It is impossible to confirm that. Furthermore, depending on the heat capacity of the food, even if the internal temperature is maintained at 100 to 130 ° C. for a certain period of time, there is a possibility of insufficient heating or excessive heating.
Japanese Patent No. 2644187

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the conventional example, and can directly measure and display the core temperature of food, and can prevent insufficient heating and excessive heating. And it aims at providing a trolley car provided with it.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a heating device, a heat insulating chamber in which a plurality of trays are stored, a heater and a fan for heating food in the heat insulating chamber with hot air, The core temperature sensor is provided in the heat insulation chamber and connected to at least one thermocouple type core temperature sensor for measuring the core temperature of the food, the core temperature sensor, the heater and the fan, and is measured by the core temperature sensor. A temperature control device that drives and controls the heater and fan based on the core temperature of the food, and a display device that is connected to the temperature control device and displays the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor. It is characterized by that.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heating device according to the first aspect, the core temperature of the food is constantly measured by the core temperature sensor, and the core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature. The heating by the heater is stopped when a predetermined time elapses after a predetermined temperature is reached.

  The invention according to claim 3 is a trolley car, wherein the heating device according to claim 1 or 2 is mounted on a moving device.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since at least one thermocouple type core temperature sensor is provided, the core temperature of the food can be directly measured, and the core temperature of the food can be determined from the internal temperature as in the conventional example. The core temperature of the food can be accurately grasped as compared with those for estimating the temperature, and insufficient heating and excessive heating can be prevented.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the core temperature of the food is constantly measured by the core temperature sensor, and when the core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature or after reaching the predetermined set temperature, a predetermined time ( For example, since heating by the heater is stopped when 1 minute) elapses, insufficient heating and excessive heating can be prevented more accurately.

  Furthermore, according to the invention according to claim 3, since any one of the heating devices described above is mounted on a moving device to constitute a distribution car, reheating by the cook chill method can be efficiently performed while food is being distributed. it can. In particular, since underheating and overheating can be prevented, the eater can ingest food prepared at an appropriate temperature.

  A heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a trolley equipped with the same will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a layout vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. The arrangement vehicle 1 basically includes a moving device (cart) 2 and a heating device 3 mounted on the moving device 2. The mobile device 2 may be a self-propelled type or a hand-held type. In addition, in the case of a self-propelled mobile device, in addition to the type that autonomously moves along a preset route while recognizing its own position on the map, the type that moves while being guided by a guidance device embedded in the floor in advance May be a type that moves along a guide rail, or a type that is operated by a person in charge of the arrangement.

  In the case where the moving device 2 is of a type that moves autonomously, the moving device 2 has a traveling device 23 including a driving wheel 21 driven by a motor and a steering wheel 22 driven by a servo mechanism, and a route set in advance. The travel control device 24 is configured to control the travel device 23 so as to travel along. The travel control device 24 includes an arithmetic processing device 25 composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, a non-volatile large-capacity storage device 26 such as a hard disk, an imaging device 27 that captures an image of the surroundings of the distribution vehicle 1, and an obstacle sensor 28. Etc. The storage device 26 stores, as map information, map information from a preset route, for example, from a kitchen to a room to be served. Based on the image data obtained by processing the image picked up by the image pickup device 27 and the distance to the obstacle obtained by the obstacle sensor 28, the arithmetic processing device 25 is used for the surrounding walls and obstacles of the layout vehicle 1. Peripheral information such as objects is acquired, the obtained peripheral information is compared with map information, the position of the distribution vehicle 1 on the map is determined, and the self position is recognized.

  The heating device 3 is provided in the heat insulating chamber 31 in which a plurality of trays are stored, a heater 32 and a fan 33 for heating food in the heat insulating chamber 31 with warm air, and the core temperature of the food. A thermocouple type core temperature sensor 35 for measuring the temperature, connected to the core temperature sensor 35, the heater 32 and the fan 33, and drives the heater 32 and the fan 33 based on the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor 35. A temperature control device 34 to be controlled, a display device 36 connected to the temperature control device 34 for displaying the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor 35, and the inside for measuring the inside temperature of the heat insulation chamber 31. The temperature sensor 37, the cooling device 38 at the time of using the heat storage 31 as a refrigerator, etc. are provided.

  The thermocouple-type core temperature sensor 35 has a probe 35 a with a needle-like tip, and measures the temperature inside the food 4, that is, the core temperature, by piercing the tip of the probe 35 a into the food 4. Can do. The core temperature sensor 35 only needs to be provided at a representative position in the inside of the heat insulation chamber 31, but in order to more appropriately measure the core temperature of the food, the inside of the heat insulation chamber 31 is represented. It is preferable to be provided at a plurality of positions, for example, at an upper layer portion, a middle layer portion, a lower layer portion, and the like inside the heat insulating chamber 31, respectively.

  The tip of the probe 35a is removable, and a sterilized one is used each time. And the front-end | tip of the probe 35a is stabbed into the main foodstuff 4 on a tray, and the core temperature of the foodstuff 4 is measured. Since the tip of the probe 35a is needle-shaped as described above and is very thin, even when the probe 35a is pierced into food, the appearance of the food 4 is hardly impaired. The degree of the holes remaining in the food 4 is usually the same as the case where the cook pierces the skewer to check whether the food has been heated to the inside of the food being cooked, and there is no practical problem.

  The heat insulating chamber 31 is configured to hold trays of a predetermined shape in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction at regular intervals and to hold a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction. The heater 32 and the fan 33 are provided outside the heat insulating chamber 31. Moreover, in order to heat each tray-shaped food accommodated in the inside of the heat storage 31 in a short time and uniformly, the warm air generated by the heater 32 and the fan 33 is provided on the side wall of the heat storage 31. Are provided with a plurality of air passages and hot air outlets 39. As the fan 33, for example, a sirocco fan, a cross flow fan, a propeller fan, or the like can be used.

  As the heater 32, for example, a sheathed heater, a panel heater, a PTC heater, or the like can be used. A switch (not shown) is provided in series between the temperature control device 34 and the heater 32, and the temperature control device 34 controls heating by the heater by turning this switch on and off.

  The temperature control device 34 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and drives and controls the heater 32 and the fan 33 based on the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor 35 so that the core temperature of the food is a predetermined value. Control is made so that heating by the heater 32 is stopped when a set temperature is reached (for example, 75 ° C. in the case of the cook chill system) or when a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed since reaching the predetermined set temperature (75 ° C.). To do.

  The display device 36 is a liquid crystal display device having an input function such as a touch panel, for example, and displays an image as shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the screen of the display device 36 has a set temperature (for example, 5 ° C.) in the case of using the heat insulating box 31 as a refrigerator and a set temperature in the case of using as a heating box (for example, for example, 120 ° C.), the core temperature of the food constantly measured by the core temperature sensor 35 is displayed.

  Next, the operation of the temperature control device 34 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, the curve A indicates the internal temperature of the heat insulating chamber 31, and the curve B indicates the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor 35. It is assumed that the food placed on each tray in the heat storage 31 is first stored in a refrigerator, or the food that has been stored in a refrigerator is transferred to the heat storage 31. In this state, when the heating switch of the heating device 3 is turned on, the temperature control device 34 drives the heater 32 and the fan 33 to generate hot air and supply it to the inside of the heat insulation chamber 31. If it does so, the chamber internal temperature of the heat retention store | warehouse | chamber 31 will rise gradually, and will eventually reach | attain the chamber internal set temperature (for example, 120 degreeC) in time T1. However, although the food is gradually heated from the surface, since the heat is delayed from reaching the inside thereof, the core temperature of the food does not reach a predetermined set temperature (for example, 75 ° C.). Therefore, the temperature control device 34 performs on / off control of the heater 32 so that the internal temperature is maintained within a certain temperature range with respect to the internal set temperature. While the internal temperature of the heat storage 31 is maintained in a certain range, the food continues to be heated, and its core temperature gradually increases. Then, it is assumed that the core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature (75 ° C.) at time T2. Even if the heating by the heater 32 is stopped at this time, the food is heated for a while after that due to the remaining heat of the heater 32 and the like. Therefore, the temperature control device 34 may stop the heating by the heater 32 when the core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature. Alternatively, the heating by the heater 32 may be stopped at a time T3 when a certain time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed after the core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature (75 ° C.). The temperature control device 34 stops heating by the heater 32, but does not immediately stop the blowing by the fan 33. Therefore, the temperature inside the heat insulating box 31 and the core temperature of the food product become appropriate temperatures by blowing by the fan 33. Until cooled.

  Thus, according to this embodiment, since the core temperature of the food can be directly measured by the thermocouple core temperature sensor 35, the core temperature of the food is estimated from the internal temperature as in the conventional example. In comparison, the core temperature of the food can be accurately grasped, and insufficient heating and excessive heating can be prevented. Further, the temperature control device 34 constantly measures the core temperature of the food by the core temperature sensor 35, and when the core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature or reaches a predetermined set temperature, a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute). ) Since the heating by the heater is stopped when the time has elapsed, it is possible to prevent food that has not been heated to a predetermined set temperature or food that has been heated to an excessively high temperature from being provided to the eater.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the structure of the said embodiment, After raising the internal temperature of the heat storage 31 to 100-130 degreeC like the said prior art example, after the core temperature (internal temperature of foodstuffs) ) May be configured to maintain the internal temperature at a predetermined temperature, for example, 120 ° C., for the time expected to reach 75 ° C. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the core temperature of the food and the remaining time with respect to the preset heating time are displayed. In that case, since the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor 35 is displayed on the display device 36, the person in charge of the food can prevent the food that is underheated or overheated from being provided to the eater. it can. Further, the temperature control device 34 stores the core temperature data of the food measured by the core temperature sensor 35, and the display device 36 has not only the core temperature of the current food but also the core temperature of the food in the past. You may make it display whether it was heated more than predetermined temperature or the maximum temperature of the core temperature of the past foodstuff.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to a trolley equipped with a moving device (cart) as described above, and may be a fixed heating device not equipped with a moving device.

The figure which shows the structure of the layout vehicle provided with the heating apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows an example of the image displayed on the screen of the display apparatus in the said embodiment. The graph which shows the operation | movement of the temperature control apparatus in the said embodiment, and the change of the internal temperature of a heat retention box, and the core temperature of a foodstuff. The figure which shows another example of the image displayed on the screen of the display apparatus in the said embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the conventional heating apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1 Wheel arrangement 2 Moving device (cart)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Heating device 31 Thermal insulation chamber 32 Heater 33 Fan 34 Temperature control device 35 Core temperature sensor 35a Probe 36 Display device

Claims (3)

A heat storage room for storing a plurality of trays;
A heater and a fan for heating food in the heat insulation chamber with warm air;
At least one thermocouple-type core temperature sensor for measuring the core temperature of the food;
A temperature control device connected to the core temperature sensor and the heater and fan, and driving and controlling the heater and fan based on the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor;
A heating apparatus, comprising: a display device connected to the temperature control device for displaying the core temperature of the food measured by the core temperature sensor. Always measure the core temperature of food with the core temperature sensor,
The temperature control device stops heating by the heater when a core temperature of the food reaches a predetermined set temperature or when a predetermined time elapses after reaching a predetermined set temperature. The heating apparatus according to 1.   A trolley car comprising the heating device according to claim 1 mounted on a moving device.

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