JP2011234657A - Continuous coagulating device for soybean curds - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manufacture good appearance soybean curds by preventing hanging downward and meandering of a conveyor belt and preventing leakage of soymilk, and forming no seams or wrinkles on the soybean curd surface.SOLUTION: A continuous coagulating device for soybean curds includes the conveyor belt C for coagulating soymilk containing coagulant while conveying the soymilk, and a concave member 10 arranged at the lower side of the conveyor belt C. The conveyor belt C is arranged in a concave shape along the concave member 10, forms coagulation tanks 10a and 10b and is conveyed. The conveyor belt C is preferably a belt formed by applying a resin coating 7 to a core material such as a fabric 3 or the like.

Description

  The present invention relates to tofu that continuously produces tofu, such as silk tofu, soft tofu, thick fried dough, fresh fried dough, fried dough, gando dough, cotton tofu, soft cotton tofu, grilled tofu, frozen tofu dough, etc. The present invention relates to a continuous solidification apparatus of the same kind.

  Conventionally, in order to produce tofu by solidifying soy milk, a mold box is used for small-scale production. However, in mass production, soy milk is solidified while being conveyed by a conveyor, without using a mold box. Manufactured by continuous molding. After molding, it is cut into a predetermined size and stored in a pack. Various apparatuses have already been provided as the tofu production apparatus (Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Patent Document 1 includes a main conveyor belt and a pair of sub-conveyor belts arranged on the left and right of the main conveyor belt. The main conveyor belt and the sub-conveyor belt travel at the same speed, The present invention relates to a coagulator that forms a bowl-shaped coagulation chamber for coagulating soymilk.
However, a pair of left and right side wall conveyors that move at the same speed and in the same direction as the main conveyor belt close to the main conveyor belt at the lower end of the sub conveyor belt are arranged side by side. There are many drive units, rollers, etc., which is uneconomical and unsanitary, and it has been difficult to perform accurate control for shifting independent ones at the same time.

Patent Document 2 discloses an endless conveyance belt wound around a rotating roller, and a guide member that is formed of a flexible member (silicone rubber) that is integrally attached to the endless left and right sides, and is concave. And a coagulator for producing tofu by coagulating while supplying and transporting soy milk between the left and right guide members and the partition plates arranged in the front and rear of the transport direction.
However, in Patent Document 2, it is difficult to form a deep coagulation tank in terms of flexibility and strength of silicone rubber used for the left and right side walls, and there are problems in terms of installation area and production capacity.

Patent document 3 is embodiment which concerns on a coagulator and a molding machine. In the description of the molding machine, the lower-side caterpillar endless conveyor arranged so as to place the lower-side filter cloth and the upper-side caterpillar-like endless shape arranged so as to place the upper-side filter cloth The endless caterpillar-shaped conveyor on the upper side is configured to be movable up and down. In addition, on both sides of the lower endless conveyor, a number of undulating side plates are provided via hinges, and the undulating plates are erected along the left and right guide rails, and move along with the upper and lower endless conveyors. The filter cloth on the side is changed to a concave cross section.
However, in Patent Document 3, since it is forcibly bent at a substantially right angle through the undulating side plate, the lower filter cloth is likely to wrinkle at the bent portion and in the vicinity thereof. In addition, the lower filter cloth is continuously bent repeatedly, and stress due to tension is generated. Therefore, there is a problem that the lower filter cloth is severely damaged and stretched, and becomes very short compared to the original life of the filter cloth.

Japanese Patent No. 3483315 Japanese Patent No. 3568193 Japanese Patent Publication No.53-39507

In the conventional continuous tofu molding device, the filter cloth is folded in a U-shape, or as a continuous coagulation device, the conveyor and the side wall conveyor are arranged on the left and right sides of the filter cloth, the gap between the concave bottom surface and the left and right side walls. There is a problem that soy milk is likely to leak. Moreover, there were many moving parts, and it was easy to break down, and it was an unsanitary structure.
In addition, in the concave endless belt as in Patent Document 2, since a rigid metal belt is used, it is necessary to use axial rollers with large diameters in the front and rear, and there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large, and the solidification process Thereafter, there is a step of cutting out to a predetermined number and transferring to another conveyor for packing, but if the diameter of the shaft roller is large, there is a problem that it is difficult to transfer. Further, it is difficult to form a deep coagulation tank while avoiding an increase in the size of the apparatus, that is, to raise the concave left and right rubber side walls. For example, in the case of tofu with different lengths in the longitudinal direction and the short side direction of tofu, even if “flattening” that solidifies and cuts with the length in the short direction as the height (depth) direction can be performed, It is difficult to cut out the tofu in the longitudinal direction, which is called “vertical cutting” to raise the side wall. That is, for “flattening”, the machine width is large and a wide installation space is required.
Further, the conveyor belt is also required to have chemicals and heat resistance such as cleaning and sterilization with caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite, hot water, etc., and tofu peelability is also required.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent the conveyor belt from sagging downward and to meander, and is strong and has tensile strength, is resistant to pressure by the press, makes it difficult to apply a load to the shaft roller, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous tofu solidification apparatus capable of producing beautiful tofu without causing leakage or tofu with seams or wrinkles.

The tofu continuous coagulation apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyor belt that coagulates while conveying soymilk containing a coagulant, and a concave member disposed on the lower side of the conveyor belt, and the conveyor belt is disposed inside the concave member. It is arranged in a concave shape so as to follow, and is formed and transported in a coagulation tank.
And, receiving a coagulant-containing soy milk, comprising a conveyor belt that coagulates while discharging and tofu is discharged, and a concave member disposed on the lower side of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is water-impermeable, It is preferable to be conveyed in a concave shape so as to follow the concave member to form a coagulation tank. That is, the conveyor belt is water-impermeable and is wound around the axial rollers before and after the concave member to be endless, and is arranged along the inner side of the concave member to form a coagulation tank. It is preferable that a weir for damming the soy milk is arranged on the upstream side or the downstream side of the conveyor belt positioned on the concave member. Further, the upstream weir on the conveyor belt of the concave member is fixedly disposed along the inner side of the upstream end of the concave member, and the endless conveyor belt is fixed to the bottom of the concave member. It is preferable that it is arrange | positioned so that it may closely_contact | adhere. If necessary, for example, to prevent leakage of soy milk or to damage the conveyor belt, widen the bottom and left and right areas of the weir that contacts the conveyor belt, or use soft rubber packing, sponge, cloth, etc. It may be arranged, or an urging means such as a spring, an air cylinder or a weight may be provided and pressed against the conveyor belt.
On the other hand, the downstream side weir on the conveyor belt of the concave member is a detachable weir that is mounted on the conveyor belt at the start of production and removed when it moves to the downstream end on the conveyor belt. During production, the tofu itself formed by solidification becomes the downstream weir, so the downstream weir is used only at the start of production. Similarly, at the end of production, a removable dam (second upstream weir) that moves with the conveyor belt is used as the second upstream weir until the last tofu moves to the downstream end on the conveyor belt. It may be provided and removed at the time of moving to the downstream end on the conveyor belt. The upstream second weir moves from the upstream end of the concave member to the downstream end.
The material on the wetted surface of the conveyor belt is preferably a material that conforms to, for example, a standard test related to an instrument container packaging of the Food Sanitation Law. The standards related to equipment containers and packaging of the Food Sanitation Law are the standards defined by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) in the United States, and the standards for food and additives in Japan (1959) Ministry of Health and Welfare Notification No. 370).
In the present invention, as long as a resin coating is applied to the liquid contact surface of the conveyor belt, the water impermeability does not allow soy milk or water (such as washing water) to pass through, and is not particularly limited. The coating material for the back surface and the middle layer of the belt may not be used for food, but the material of the back surface or the concave member of the belt is preferably a lubricious material with little friction. Further, the conveyor belt may be made of rubber and may not have a core material. The core material may be cloth-like, or may be a metal wire, or a thread-like material made of resin fiber or metal fiber. A conveyor belt applied in the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction) using these thread-like materials as a core material is preferable because it is easy to form a concave shape. In addition, as a conveyor belt core material (also referred to as a “core body”), one or more types of “canvas” are stacked,
The core material is polyester fiber, glass fiber, polyamide, etc. other than "aramid fiber" and the core body is not made of cloth, like a steel tire, it is a belt having an aramid core wire / steel core wire in the belt, Thus, it may be a porous member.
Belt cover materials that are impregnated or affixed to canvas and core wires are widely used as "food belts" such as urethane resin (thermoplastic polyurethane), silicone resin, fluororesin, vinyl chloride resin, thermoplastic polyolefin, and polypropylene resin. can do.
According to the present invention, when formed into a concave shape as a coagulation tank, soy milk does not leak from between the bottom and the left and right side walls. In addition, since the conveyor belt is folded along the concave member, it also has a function of preventing the meandering of the conveyor belt.
In the present invention, the conveyor belt may be a normal smooth-surface food belt, and at least one surface of the side (wetted side, front side) into which soy milk is placed is made of a cloth coated with a resin coating, etc. A belt as a core material is preferable. Further, the conveyor belt may be made of rubber and may not have a core material. It is preferable that the core material is not hindered by applying the tension of the conveyor belt and turning back into a concave shape. In addition to the cloth, the core material may be a net-like member or a thread-like member configured along the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction). The material of the core material is preferably a natural fiber such as cotton or linen, various chemically synthesized fibers, and particularly a warp that is rigid and does not stretch, and may be a thin metal wire. More preferably, the concave member is a metal (stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, etc.) or resin fixed member or movable member. In particular, the cloth is a cloth made of aramid fibers and is preferably water-impermeable with a fluororesin coating. Consists of a resin-coated belt made of aramid fiber core, which suppresses the elongation of the conveyor belt and increases its strength, allowing the belt itself to be thin and has a good heat transfer rate. It can be shortened and also exhibits durability against friction with concave members. If the heat transfer rate is improved, by providing the concave member with a heat retaining / heating means, it is possible to produce a high-quality tofu that has elasticity and good water retention even if the coagulation temperature is lowered to some extent. Further, as will be described later, when returning from the concave state to the flat belt or when making a crease, the elastic belt easily returns to the flat belt state. If the cloth is made of aramid fibers and is water-impermeable with a fluororesin coating, the above various effects are exhibited even if the concave member is made of steel or metal.

According to the present invention, it is preferable that the thickness of the concave left and right corners of the conveyor belt is reduced. This is because it becomes easy to be folded into a concave shape.
As another form, it is also possible to use a belt which is molded in a state where the left and right sides of the belt are folded in advance and has a crease without thinning the corners. In this case, the original cross-sectional shape is a concave shape, and the roller shaft portion is wound into a flat and wide shape. Moreover, it is a thin cloth, and the form which does not make a crease beforehand by making a corner | angular part thin with the belt which was rich in the horizontal direction. In this case, it may be configured to bend at an arbitrary position in the lateral direction while being guided by the concave support plate or the guide.

According to the present invention, the conveyor belt is wound around the front and rear shaft rollers and configured to be endless, and is returned to the flat belt at the positions of the front and rear shaft rollers forming the coagulation tank. It is preferable to be wound around the shaft roller. The belt is not limited to an endless belt, and may be a belt wound in only one direction during production, for example.
If the left and right ends of the conveyor belt are folded and wound around the shaft roller, a large load is applied to the shaft roller. Therefore, the shaft roller needs to be enlarged, but according to the present invention, it is returned to the flat belt. Since it is in a state and wound around the shaft roller, the diameter of the shaft roller can be reduced (there is no need to use a large-diameter roller like a metal belt, and the load due to the weight and tension of the metal belt or roll is reduced. As a result, the rotation range (outer periphery) of the conveyor belt can be reduced, and the transfer distance to the cutting / distribution conveyor in the subsequent process can be reduced, so that the transfer can be performed smoothly.

According to the present invention, both ends of the shaft roller are formed in a tapered shape whose diameter is smaller than that of the central portion, or both end portions are formed as narrow diameter portions whose diameter is smaller than that of the central portion. Or it is preferable that the both ends of the width direction of the said conveyor belt are wound by a thin diameter part.
According to the present invention, in order to make both ends of the shaft roller into a tapered shape or a narrow diameter portion, the difference in the circumferential length can be adjusted. That is, after the belt ends rise from the horizontal, the operation of returning the rising portion to the horizontal (to make a flat belt) is repeated, so that a difference in the circumferential length between the bottom surface (horizontal portion) and the left and right rising portions is generated. However, by making the roll shaft portion corresponding to the width of the rising portion into a tapered shape or the like, the difference in the circumferential length can be absorbed. In addition, as in the present invention, in a conveyor that is driven so that the left and right ends are raised in the middle of a flat belt, since a longitudinal (longitudinal) tension is applied to the conveyor belt, it is effective as a countermeasure against the slack of the conveyor belt. . It also has the effect of suppressing the meandering of the conveyor belt.
Further, according to the present invention, an upstream weir for damming soy milk is arranged on a conveyor belt positioned on the concave member, and the upstream weir is upstream of the concave member, and the endless conveyor belt. It is preferable to push down the endless conveyor belt so as to be in close contact with the inside of the concave member. And, the upstream weir is in contact with the conveyor belt at the upstream end of the concave member, i.e., a rectangular plate or the like that pushes down the conveyor belt inside the upstream end of the concave member. A square is preferable.
According to the present invention, the endless conveyor belt conveyed to the concave member serves as an entrance to the concave member by being a rectangular plate along the inner side of the upstream end of the concave member. It can be aligned at the position, serves as a starting point for preventing meandering, and has the effect of being able to make maximum use of the area of the concave member.

According to the continuous tofu solidification apparatus of the present invention, a conveyor belt coated with a resin coating is formed as a concave coagulation tank, soy milk is molded into tofu, and a flat belt is formed at the front and rear shaft rollers. Since it is rolled up after being unfolded, it has a complicated structure in which a conveyor belt is also arranged on the conventional side wall side, so that soy milk does not leak from the gap formed between the bottom side and simple structure Therefore, the device cost can be reduced. In addition, since there is no leakage of soy milk between the bottom and the left and right wall sides, the back and surroundings of the belt are not soiled and are hygienic. By applying at least a resin coating to the surface side (wetted surface) of the belt core material, there is no seam between the bottom and the left and right wall sides, which has conventionally occurred. The outer peripheral surface is finished neatly.
In addition, if the front and rear shaft rollers are configured as flat belts, the diameter of the shaft roller can be made smaller and thinner. For example, it becomes easier to transfer tofu from a molding machine to a cutting conveyor or an auto pack in a later process. . In particular, even with an apparatus having a wider machine width and a longer machine length, the shaft roller diameter can be made smaller and thinner, and the load on the shaft roller can be reduced, and the space can be saved. The height of the block-shaped tofu can be deeply formed by raising the left and right side walls of the concave member and arranging the conveyor belt along the side walls. The diameter of the shaft roller can be reduced even in the "coating" coagulation tank. As a result, the length of the device and the width of the device can be shortened, the installation space can be reduced, and the next transfer conveyor can be easily transferred. Become a structure.

It is a perspective view which shows the continuous solidification apparatus of the tofu of one embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the front end side (downstream side) in the conveying direction by the conveyor belt of the above embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the shaft roller used there. FIG. 2C is a plan view showing an upstream weir which is a quadrangular plate that pushes down the conveyor belt inside the upstream end of the concave member. Fig.3 (a) is a perspective view which shows the back side (downstream side) of the conveyance direction by the conveyor belt of the said one Embodiment, FIG.3 (b) (c) shows the axial roller used there. It is a top view. It is sectional drawing of the said one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the conveyor belt of the said one Embodiment, FIG. 5 (a) is sectional drawing of a flat belt state, FIG.5 (b) (c) is sectional drawing of the state folded in U shape It is. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views showing application examples of the above-described embodiment. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are a perspective view and a sectional view for explaining a conventional concave conveyor belt. It is sectional drawing explaining the state transferred to another conveyor from the conveyor belt of the said one Embodiment. FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views illustrating a state where the conventional conveyor belt of FIG. 7 is transferred to another conveyor. FIG. 9A shows a connecting plate and FIG. 9B shows a connecting conveyor. It is sectional drawing which shows the application example of the said one Embodiment. It is a top view of tofu explaining the vertical and horizontal tofu. It is sectional drawing which shows the apparatus of the said one Embodiment, and the molding machine used by the subsequent process. It is another sectional drawing which shows the apparatus of the said one Embodiment, and the molding machine used by the subsequent process.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the present embodiment is a tofu provided with a concave member 10 disposed above the base 2 and a conveyor belt C that is driven along the longitudinal direction of the base 2. It is a kind of continuous coagulation apparatus 1. Note that the sheet (belt) tofu T solidified by the tofu continuous coagulation apparatus 1 is not broken in the case of silken tofu or soft tofu, but in the case of cotton tofu or freshly fried dough, FIG. 12 or FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the sheet is broken by the breaking device Mi and is conveyed to the next molding machines 21 and 22 or a cutting / distributing device or a packing device (not shown).

  The base 2 is made of steel or stainless steel having legs in the front and rear, and a concave member 10 is disposed above the base 2, and the drive shaft roller 4 and the rear (upstream side) of the drive shaft roller 4 are in front of the base 2 (downstream side). A driven shaft roller 4 is disposed, and a tension roller 8 is disposed below the center of the base 2. The conveyor belt C is preferably endless, and is wound around the pair of shaft rollers 4 and 4 </ b> A and is tensioned by the tension roller 8. Although not shown, the belt wound up on the upstream side may be wound up on the downstream side. A cleaning tank for cleaning the conveyor belt C is provided below the base 2 (not shown). The coagulant mixed warm soy milk is supplied to the conveyor belt C from the upstream side where the supply pipe 6 is arranged to form the concave coagulation tanks Ca and Cb, and then conveyed toward the downstream side returned to the flat belt. It solidifies in the process. That is, the sheet (belt) -like tofu T is obtained. Further, the conveyor belt drive device may be disposed under the base 2 instead of the shaft roller 4.

The concave member 10 supports the conveyor belt C from the lower side and the both sides thereof, and conforms to the concave shape, and is formed of a U-shaped member in cross section. The concave member of the present embodiment is fixed and does not move, but the fixed concave member 10 may be made of metal such as steel, stainless steel, titanium, or resin. The concave member 10 is composed of a mesh-shaped wire mesh, a punching plate in which a large number of small holes / pores and a large number of grooves are formed, or a plate plate made of metal or the like arranged at a predetermined interval. It is also possible to use those that are water permeable, i.e. water permeable. Drainage is improved between the conveyor belt and the concave member, and cleaning becomes easier.
The concave member 10 may be movable, such as a caterpillar like a plate conveyor, a mesh-like wire mesh belt, or a punching belt formed with a large number of small holes / pores and a large number of grooves. (Move in the direction of arrow F in FIG. 1) This movable type is effective when the frictional resistance is large due to the weight of soy milk or tofu T. As the concave member 10, it is possible to enhance the heat retaining property by using a double jacket structure as a support portion (surface on which the conveyor belt 3 slides) on the side surface or bottom surface of the coagulation tank. You may just keep warm as a double jacket of only an air layer. The quality of the tofu T can be improved by being kept warm and heated by the coagulation tank 10a or 10b via the conveyor belt Ca or Cb. In this case, the conveyor belt C is preferably a thin belt (0.5 to 5 mm) that is efficient in terms of heat transfer. Further, steam or hot water is supplied into the double jacket of the concave member 10 to adjust the heating temperature or keep the temperature at a predetermined temperature, or to sterilize the back of the conveyor belt C. It is optional to provide a cover or an exhaust hole for exhausting steam on the upper side, and it is also possible to supply water vapor to the space above the tofu T to heat or heat.

  The upstream shaft roller 4 is composed of a small roller (FIGS. 2A and 2B). The downstream shaft roller 4 (for example, the drive shaft) may be composed of the same small roller, but in the present embodiment, the downstream shaft roller 4 is configured with a tapered 4Ba at the left and right tip sides. (FIGS. 3A and 3B). This is for reducing unevenness of the tension of the conveyor belt C and for reducing the difference between the circumferential lengths of the bottom surface and both ends of the conveyor belt C. That is, both the left and right ends of the conveyor belt C are raised in a concave shape by the concave member 10 and the operation of returning the rising portion to the horizontal is repeated, but the difference in the circumferential length between the bottom surface (horizontal portion) 10a and the rising portion 10b is generated. By forming the left and right tip sides 4Bb of the shaft roller 4 corresponding to the width of the rising portion 10b in a tapered shape, the difference in the circumferential length is absorbed. As the shaft roller 4, a different-diameter shaft (thin diameter portion) 4Ca having both end portions narrower than the center portion may be used (FIG. 3C). When these shaft rollers 4 (4A, 4B, 4C) are used, in the conveyor belt C that is driven so as to stand up on both the left and right sides at the concave member 10, the longitudinal (longitudinal) tension applied to the conveyor belt C is reduced. Can be applied evenly. On the other hand, the shaft roller 4 on the upstream side to which soy milk is supplied is formed in a round and thin cylindrical shape (FIG. 1), but the tip side is configured in a tapered shape 4Ba like the shaft roller 4 on the downstream side. May be used to reduce the difference in the circumferential length between the bottom surface and both ends of the conveyor belt C even at such a position.

At the position of the concave member 10, the conveyor belt C is folded into a concave shape along the concave member 10 to form a lower surface portion Ca having a concave cross section and suspended portions Cb and Cb suspended from both sides thereof. . That is, the lower surface portion Ca is in contact with the lower surface portion 10 a of the concave member 10, and the left and right hanging portions Cb and Cb are in contact with the left and right side wall portions 10 b of the concave member 10. Here, as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b), the conveyor belt C can be arranged along an arc with respect to the concave member 10. For products that break, such as cotton tofu, fresh fried dough, thick fried dough, oil fried dough, and ganmo dough, when the left and right ends of the conveyor belt C are arranged along an arc, the core of the conveyor belt C ( The cloth) 3 or the resin coating 7 is not required to be partially thinned in the longitudinal direction (conveying direction) or the crease Ct is not required. In addition, if a conveyor belt C having a large bent portion R or not having a crease or the like is provided so as to cover the left and right side walls 10b of the concave member 10 as shown in FIG. 6B, the life of the conveyor belt is extended. Since there are few angular tofu coagulates, there is less residue of tofu lees, and less heat is applied when heating with a heating device, so a more uniform and high quality coagulum Can be formed.
Thus, the endless conveyor belt C is not connected to the concave member 10 and is wound in the state of a flat belt on the upstream shaft roller 4, but at the position of the concave member 10, From the state of the flat belt, it is folded into a concave shape, and at the positions of the upstream and downstream shaft rollers 4, it is returned to the state of the flat belt again and makes a circular motion. The conveyor belt C is drawn out before and after the length of the concave member 10 in the longitudinal direction and wound around the shaft roller 4 (FIG. 4).

The conveyor belt C is preferably a cloth-made member coated with a resin. A general food belt that is thin, flexible, and strong may be used. In particular, in this embodiment, a fluororesin coating 7 is applied to the cloth 3 made of aramid fibers to make it impermeable (FIG. 2). (B)). This is because there is less frictional resistance with the concave member 10 and less elongation. The conveyor belt C may have a double-sided structure or a multi-layered structure bonded to a belt made of another material. That is, both the cloth 3 and the resin coating 7 may be multilayered.
And the structure which welded, for example, a convex belt for meandering prevention to the belt back surface may be sufficient. In addition, although not shown, in order to prevent slippage with the drive shaft, the back surface of the belt may have a shape with unevenness in the lateral direction, and may be configured to mesh with the unevenness of the drive shaft. Further, it is preferably a metal or resin / rubber shaft roller with increased friction with the conveyor belt. Further, a separate drive device may be provided in the return path (between the roll shaft 4 and the roll shaft 4) on the lower side of the conveyor belt C.

In particular, it is preferable that the folded portions at both ends of the conveyor belt C are formed in the longitudinal direction of the belt so that the grooves, cuts, or cloths are made thin so that the belt is easily bent. Fixed concave member or support tank (resin, metal, stainless steel, etc .; for example, U-shaped cross-section boat-shaped coagulation tank; other guide rail and bar) Form) or a movable concave member (for example, a caterpillar that drives in synchronization with the belt).
The fibers of the fabric 3 and the thread-like / net-like members constituting the core material are, for example, recently developed fibers called “super fibers” and “engineering fibers”, para-aramid fibers (“Technora” manufactured by Teijin Techno Products). (Registered trademark) “Twaron” (registered trademark), “Kepler” (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray DuPont, etc.) and meta-aramid fibers (“Conex” manufactured by Teijin Techno Products) are preferred. Other than aramid fibers, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers (Toyobo “Dyneema” “Tunuga TM”, etc.), polyimide fibers (Toyobo “P84”), polyarylate fibers (Kuraray “Vectran” (registered trademark)), US Honeywell Spectra Fiber)), polyparaphenylene benzobisoxal (PBO) fiber (Toyobo's "Zylon", etc.), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) fiber (Toyobo's "Procon" (registered trademark), Toray Industries'"Torucon" ( Registered trademark)), fluorine fiber (Toyoflon (registered trademark) "Teflon (registered trademark)" manufactured by Toray), high-strength polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber (Kuraray Klaron K-II), polyketone fiber (manufactured by Asahi Kasei " Cyvalon (registered trademark) ”), etc., and these are combined and spun yarn or arbitrarily assembled It may be combined woven cloth. Moreover, even if it is somewhat inferior in strength, it may be a cloth made of conventional general resin fibers or natural fibers (cotton, hemp yarn, silk, etc.). Any material is preferably a thin monofilament (0.5 mm or less) or a multifilament or a spun yarn obtained by twisting them, and has high-tensile fiber and fatigue resistance (flexural fatigue resistance). The weaving method of the cloth is not limited as long as it is a weaving method such as plain weaving or twill weaving that is at least thin and difficult to stretch in the vertical direction. In particular, a cloth having a large elongation is not preferable because the friction caused by the weight of the tofu T is large and a shackle phenomenon occurs due to the expansion and contraction of the cloth. A high-strength nonwoven fabric type may also be used. A cloth composed of fibers having a monofilament of 0.5 mm or more has a large bending radius R and rounded corners of tofu.
The resin coating 7 is a resin that conforms to food hygiene standards (standards in each country) on the back surface with little friction with the concave member 10 on the back surface, has good releasability from tofu, peels off bent portions, It is preferable that cracking is difficult to occur (there is bending fatigue resistance). If the resin coating 7 is too thick, it is not preferable because it lacks flexibility and the radius (R) of the bent portion increases. In particular, in the case of silk-cured tofu, if the corner radius (R) is larger by 10 mm or more, it looks bad, and only the tofu at both ends may cause an insufficient amount. When the corner radius of tofu is 5 mm or less, it is difficult to cause a substantial problem. Although it is sufficient that at least the resin coating 7 is applied to the surface on one side where the soymilk is placed, the entire resin coating including the back surface is preferable. And it is preferable to make it water-impermeable by giving the whole resin coating. In particular, when the concave member 10 is made of a metal or steel, for example, to have a water-impermeable structure, the aramid fiber 3 is coated with a fluorine coating 7 so that there is no peeling of the coating due to repeated bending (resistance resistance). Bending fatigue is high), even when tofu load is applied, slipping is good, there is almost no elongation or distortion, and there is tensile strength and wear even if it is as thin as 0.5-5 mm. Resistant to friction (particularly resistant to friction with the concave member 10), less damaging, water-repellent, good tofu peeling, hygienic, resistant to dirt, and resistant to heat (high temperature) In addition, the chemical resistance is excellent.

  The conveyor belt C is provided with, for example, a thin portion 3d of the cloth 3 so that it can be easily folded into a concave shape from this location (FIG. 5C). Conversely, although not shown, the layer of the resin coating 7 may be thinned. Further, a folding line Ct such as a perforation may be formed. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), only the portion of the resin coating 7 is used and the portion of the cloth 3 is eliminated (FIGS. 5 (a) and (b)). You may form so that it may become a corner | angular part. Moreover, although not shown in figure, the conveyor belt which press-molded previously in the shape of a U-shape or gave the crease | fold crease may be sufficient. Although not shown, in general, as an endless process for forming a conveyor belt in an endless shape, it is linear in a plane (linear shape such as 90 °, 60 °, 45 °, etc. with respect to the belt circumferential direction), zigzag shape or comb-tooth shape. Joints that have been cut into pieces, or those that have been processed into a taper or stepped shape in the thickness direction, are joined together by stitching, adhering, welding, crimping, etc. Means are known. In particular, in the joining method by overlapping (overlap method), the portion corresponding to the crease becomes thicker or harder. Therefore, the joining means is used for the joint portion and the portion corresponding to the crease. May be omitted. Even if there is no strength, for example, it is decided to give only liquid leakage prevention at the minimum, for example, only by butting and welding the resin, or simply welding and sticking a thin resin sheet on the wetted surface. Also good.

An upstream weir 9 is provided upstream of the conveyor belt C (FIG. 1). The upstream weir 9 is a fixed plate that is in close contact with the conveyor belt C without leaking, and is formed in a concave shape by pressing the conveyor belt C against the inner wall of the concave member 10. Or the form which eliminated the leak completely by making the height of the belt shaft of the upstream side more than the depth of the soymilk coagulum may be sufficient. At that time, the slant formed by the conveyor belt C can be used to smoothly and uniformly pour the coagulant-containing soy milk onto the conveyor belt C. The folded corner does not need to be square, and there is no problem even if there is roundness (R) as shown in FIG. A conveyor belt holding roll, a guide guide, or the like may be provided as appropriate. In addition, the conveyor belt is gradually spread to the inside of the U-shaped support member 10 by the weight of the poured soy milk coagulum, and the bottom corner portion is folded in a form with less roundness. That is, the position of the shaft roller 4 at the rear (upstream side) of the present embodiment is substantially the same height as the bottom portion 10a of the concave member 10, but the position of the shaft roller 4 is set to the concave member as shown in FIG. 10 so as to solidify and mold soy milk without using the weir 9 (by making the position of the shaft roller 4 upstream of the concave member 10 to which the load of soy milk is applied) higher than the bottom portion 10a of the soy milk. It is also possible to do this. It is preferable to provide a support member that is similarly inclined on the lower side of the inclined portion formed by the conveyor belt C. The upstream weir is configured as a quadrangular plate that pushes down the conveyor belt along the upstream end inner wall 10t of the concave member 10 as shown in FIG. It is possible to align at an important position as a starting point for pressing the endless conveyor belt C conveyed to the concave member 10, which is effective for preventing meandering, and maximizing the area of the concave member 10. It has a working effect. Further, in comparison with Patent Document 2, even if a rigid belt (such as a metal belt) is not used, the lower side is supported by a concave member and is arranged along the inner side of the concave member. There are also advantages. As a result, the solidified state of the soymilk (periphery of the tofu) can be finished beautifully. That is, if it is only placed on the conveyor belt, it may hang down due to the weight of the soy milk and leak from below even if the weir is arranged, but the weir 9 for damming the soy milk is at the upstream end of the concave member 10. By being arranged on the conveyor belt positioned, there is no such concern. Even if the endless conveyor belt C is arranged on the concave member 10, it is arranged along the inside of the concave member. Although it may not be arranged (although it may not be arranged along the inside of the concave member by being rewound onto the height position of the shaft roller or the flat belt), the upstream weir 9 may be The effect that the endless conveyor belt C is arranged along the inner side of the concave member 10 by arranging the belt C to be pressed down so as to contact the bottom of the concave member 10 (see FIG. 1). (Weir 9 While fulfilling the split, it is possible to obtain a maintain a stable posture of the conveyor belt C), as a result, it becomes possible to finish the soy milk coagulation state (the outer periphery of the tofu) clean.
Here, since the soy milk is supplied downstream of the upstream weir 9, the endless conveyor belt C is brought into contact with the bottom of the concave member C by the weight of the soy milk. This is because when soy milk is supplied, it is easily solidified on an endless conveyor belt and uniformly loaded like a fixed weight. Also, make the equipment large or “vertical” (the maximum side of the tofu dimension matches the depth), that is, increase the depth of the coagulation tank composed of an endless conveyor belt. Therefore, it is more effective if the soy milk or the soy milk coagulum is conveyed to the downstream side.
Although not shown, a detachable weir is used at the rear end of the tofu T even at the end of production, and this detachable weir moves from the upstream end 10t of the concave member 10 to the downstream end. (It is configured to move while being suspended, and at the downstream end portion of the concave member 10 is lifted upward and movable to the upstream end portion 10t of the concave member 10). It may be the one that plays the role of termination. When the first upstream weir 9 is the upstream weir 9, the removable weir holding the tofu rear end can be said to be the second upstream weir.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the downstream weir 9a uses the removable weir only at the start of production. After the sheet (belt) tofu T is formed, the removable weir is removed and the tofu itself is removed. Becomes a weir.
These downstream detachable weirs 9a and the second upstream detachable weir 9 are also connected to the conveyor belt along the upstream end 10t of the concave member 10 in the same manner as the upstream weir 9. When pressed down and brought into close contact with the inside of the concave member 10, it is more effective.

Next, a case where tofu is coagulated and molded using the continuous tofu coagulation apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. The production of silk tofu will be described as an example. The present invention can also be applied to the manufacture of retort products and the like.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the driving roller 4 is driven by the driving means Mt, the conveyor belt C is driven. Since the conveyor belt C has thin portions 3c and 3d and a crease Ct, at the position of the belt laminated member 3, the left and right ends Ct are folded with this portion as a boundary to form concave shapes (coagulation tanks Ca and Cb). Although formed, at the positions of the rear (upstream side) and front (downstream side) shaft rollers 4 and 4, the belt is returned to the flat belt state and can be conveyed (FIG. 1). The tension of the conveyor belt C can be adjusted not only by the tension roller 8, but also by the tapered portions on the left and right tip sides 4Bb of the shaft roller 4 and the different diameter shaft 4Ca (FIG. 3). Since there is a fold Ct like the thin portions 3c and 3d of the conveyor belt C, the shape follows the tapered portion 4Bb at the left and right ends of the shaft roller 4.
And the soymilk which added and mixed coagulants, such as bittern, to the concave part (coagulation tank Ca, Cb) of the conveyor belt C (it is soymilk with coagulant, soymilk solid content concentration 3-15% wt, temperature is also 40-99) Is supplied from the supply means 6, it is conveyed to the downstream side by the conveyor belt C while being solidified, and is solidified in the process of conveyance. (Sheet or belt-like tofu) T is continuously fed out. Although not shown in the drawings, the sheet (belt) -like tofu continuously solidified and molded by the continuous molding machines 21 and 22 is cut (crossed) in the orthogonal direction while being conveyed by the conveyor. It becomes tofu and is cut in the conveying direction by a cutting / distributing device (vertical cutting) equipped with a blade (blade adjustable in the width direction of the conveyor belt) movable on the block-shaped tofu T. It becomes.
When solidifying by the conveyor belt C shown in FIG. 6, the tofu is formed in a shape in which the left and right corners are slightly rounded because of the arc shape at the position of the concave member 10. In the case of cotton tofu, there is no problem even if this R is large because it is a process of breaking the whole amount. In the case of silken tofu, it is better to make this R as small as possible. In some cases, the yield is lowered, but this portion is cut as Mimi.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the “longitudinal” where the thickness of the silken tofu is taken as the soymilk depth as in the conventional case, the length of the longest side of the silken product is taken as the depth of the soymilk (tofu). Take "is possible. As shown in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b), one of the two sides other than the thickness of the rectangular parallelepiped silk product, for example, the longest side, with respect to “flattening” where the thickness Tb of the silken tofu T is set at the soymilk depth It is possible to perform “vertical cutting” in which the length Ta is set to the depth of tofu T. In the conventional conveyor belt C as disclosed in Patent Document 7, a shaft roller having a large diameter must be used because of the metal belt, and the left and right rubber side walls 11b provided over the entire length of the conveyor belt C are provided. Since there is a limit to the expansion allowance that extends when the roller circulates at the shaft roller portion, it is disadvantageous that the shaft roller 4 having a small diameter is used. Therefore, a shaft roller having a large diameter has to be used. As described above, conventionally, it is necessary to reduce the height of the left and right side walls 11b, and only the depth of flattening can be secured.

  The tofu cut into a predetermined size is discharged by the discharge-side conveyor and proceeds to the next packing process. When the paper is discharged by the discharge-side conveyor, if the diameter of the conventional shaft roller is large, the transfer plate 12 (see FIG. 9B) having a long distance or the transfer conveyor 13 (FIG. 9C) is used to transfer. Reference) may be used. However, in this embodiment, since the roller shaft having a small diameter can be used, the relay plate 12 can be shortened, the relay conveyor 13 is not required, and the transfer conveyor 14 in the next process can be smoothly transferred. it can. FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) show the conventional concave conveyor belt of Patent Document 2. However, if the left and right side wall portions 11a are raised, the load applied to the shaft roller increases and winding (circular driving) is performed. However, it is difficult to increase the height (FIG. 9B). This is because the diameter of the shaft roller 15 is increased. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, even if the left and right side wall portions 10b of the concave member 10 are raised and the coagulation tanks Ca and Cb of the conveyor belt C are raised (deeper), the shaft rollers 4 and 4 There is no problem in that the position is returned to the flat belt and the diameter of the shaft rollers 4 and 4 can be reduced. That is, the coagulation tanks Ca and Cb of the conveyor belt C can be made higher (deeper) as much as the diameter of the shaft roller 4 can be reduced.

  In the case of cotton tofu, the conditions may be slightly different, such as adding a little more coagulant or diluting soy milk than in the case of silken tofu. Here, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. The tofu solidified in the form of tofu is broken and made uniform and conveyed onto the lower cloths 21a and 22a of the continuous molding machines 21 and 22, and pressed with the upper cloths 21b and 22b to form cotton tofu. In sheet-like tofu (silk tofu-like block), even if it is squeezed as it is, it cannot be drained sufficiently like cotton tofu, so it is broken with a mixer (breaking device) Mi. The continuous tofu solidification device 1 of the present embodiment coagulates and forms into a sheet shape, and the block-shaped tofu T is broken downstream by the mixer Mi at the downstream of the device 1, and the water permeability of the continuous molding machines 21 and 22. Press and mold while pressing with a cloth. In addition, silk tofu does not break the solidified tofu and does not squeeze as described above, but is conveyed (ripened) by the lower cloths 21a and 22a of the continuous molding machines 21 and 22 into silk tofu. In the case of soft tofu, although it is limited to flattening, it is lightly pressed while being conveyed by the lower cloths 21a and 22a of the molding machines 21 and 22 in the same manner as the silk tofu, and the upper and lower surfaces of the silk tofu are textured.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the process by the continuous tofu solidification coagulation apparatus 1 is completed, the process proceeds to the molding process by the next continuous molding machines 21 and 22. As the molding process, molding is performed by a box shape or batch processing. Sometimes it is done.

1 Continuous solidification equipment for tofu,
2 bases,
3 Cloth (core material),
4, 4A, 4B, 4C shaft roller,
4Bb shaft roller left and right tip side (tapered part),
Different diameter shaft (small diameter part) of 4Ca shaft roller,
7 Resin coating,
9 upstream weir, 9a downstream weir,
10 concave member, 10a bottom part, 10b right and left side wall parts,
21, 22 continuous molding machine,
C conveyor belt, Ca bottom, Cb left and right side walls (rising parts),
T tofu (block tofu)

Tofu continuous coagulator apparatus of the present invention, the conveyors belts to solidify while conveying the coagulant containing soybean milk, comprising a concave member which is disposed below the conveyors belts, conveyors belts, the It is wound around shaft rollers before and after the concave member, and is configured to be endless, and is disposed along the inner side of the concave member to form a coagulation tank, and is conveyed on the concave member. on conveyors belts, upstream of the weir of blocking coagulant containing soybean milk is disposed, the upstream side of the weir, said endless conveyor belt as a fixed plate that closely to the bottom of the concave member, the An endless conveyor belt is pushed down along the inside of the concave member .
And, receiving a coagulant-containing soy milk, comprising a conveyor belt that coagulates while discharging and tofu is discharged, and a concave member disposed on the lower side of the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is water-impermeable, It is preferable to be conveyed in a concave shape so as to follow the concave member to form a coagulation tank. That is, the conveyor belt is water-impermeable and is wound around the axial rollers before and after the concave member to be endless, and is arranged along the inner side of the concave member to form a coagulation tank. It is preferable that a weir for damming the soy milk is arranged on the upstream side or the downstream side of the conveyor belt positioned on the concave member. Further, the upstream weir on the conveyor belt of the concave member is fixedly disposed along the inner side of the upstream end of the concave member, and the endless conveyor belt is fixed to the bottom of the concave member. It is preferable that it is arrange | positioned so that it may closely_contact | adhere. If necessary, for example, to prevent leakage of soy milk or to damage the conveyor belt, widen the bottom and left and right areas of the weir that contacts the conveyor belt, or use soft rubber packing, sponge, cloth, etc. It may be arranged, or an urging means such as a spring, an air cylinder or a weight may be provided and pressed against the conveyor belt.
On the other hand, the downstream side weir on the conveyor belt of the concave member is a detachable weir that is mounted on the conveyor belt at the start of production and removed when it moves to the downstream end on the conveyor belt. During production, the tofu itself formed by solidification becomes the downstream weir, so the downstream weir is used only at the start of production. Similarly, at the end of production, a removable dam (second upstream weir) that moves with the conveyor belt is used as the second upstream weir until the last tofu moves to the downstream end on the conveyor belt. It may be provided and removed at the time of moving to the downstream end on the conveyor belt. The upstream second weir moves from the upstream end of the concave member to the downstream end.
The material on the wetted surface of the conveyor belt is preferably a material that conforms to, for example, a standard test related to an instrument container packaging of the Food Sanitation Law. The standards related to equipment containers and packaging of the Food Sanitation Law are the standards defined by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) in the United States, and the standards for food and additives in Japan (1959) Ministry of Health and Welfare Notification No. 370).
In the present invention, as long as a resin coating is applied to the liquid contact surface of the conveyor belt, the water impermeability does not allow soy milk or water (such as washing water) to pass through, and is not particularly limited. The coating material for the back surface and the middle layer of the belt may not be used for food, but the material of the back surface or the concave member of the belt is preferably a lubricious material with little friction. Further, the conveyor belt may be made of rubber and may not have a core material. The core material may be cloth-like, or may be a metal wire, or a thread-like material made of resin fiber or metal fiber. A conveyor belt applied in the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction) using these thread-like materials as a core material is preferable because it is easy to form a concave shape. In addition, as a conveyor belt core material (also referred to as a “core body”), one or more types of “canvas” are stacked,
The core material is polyester fiber, glass fiber, polyamide, etc. other than "aramid fiber" and the core body is not made of cloth, like a steel tire, it is a belt having an aramid core wire / steel core wire in the belt, Thus, it may be a porous member.
Belt cover materials that are impregnated or affixed to canvas and core wires are widely used as "food belts" such as urethane resin (thermoplastic polyurethane), silicone resin, fluororesin, vinyl chloride resin, thermoplastic polyolefin, and polypropylene resin. can do.
According to the present invention, when formed into a concave shape as a coagulation tank, soy milk does not leak from between the bottom and the left and right side walls. In addition, since the conveyor belt is folded along the concave member, it also has a function of preventing the meandering of the conveyor belt.
In the present invention, the conveyor belt may be a normal smooth-surface food belt, and at least one surface of the side (wetted side, front side) into which soy milk is placed is made of a cloth coated with a resin coating, etc. A belt as a core material is preferable. Further, the conveyor belt may be made of rubber and may not have a core material. It is preferable that the core material is not hindered by applying the tension of the conveyor belt and turning back into a concave shape. In addition to the cloth, the core material may be a net-like member or a thread-like member configured along the longitudinal direction (circumferential direction). The material of the core material is preferably a natural fiber such as cotton or linen, various chemically synthesized fibers, and particularly a warp that is rigid and does not stretch, and may be a thin metal wire. More preferably, the concave member is a metal (stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, etc.) or resin fixed member or movable member. In particular, the cloth is a cloth made of aramid fibers and is preferably water-impermeable with a fluororesin coating. Consists of a resin-coated belt made of aramid fiber core, which suppresses the elongation of the conveyor belt and increases its strength, allowing the belt itself to be thin and has a good heat transfer rate. It can be shortened and also exhibits durability against friction with concave members. If the heat transfer rate is improved, by providing the concave member with a heat retaining / heating means, it is possible to produce a high-quality tofu that has elasticity and good water retention even if the coagulation temperature is lowered to some extent. Further, as will be described later, when returning from the concave state to the flat belt or when making a crease, the elastic belt easily returns to the flat belt state. If the cloth is made of aramid fibers and is water-impermeable with a fluororesin coating, the above various effects are exhibited even if the concave member is made of steel or metal.

Claims (7)

  A conveyor belt that coagulates while conveying soymilk containing a coagulant and a concave member disposed below the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is disposed in a concave shape along the inside of the concave member to form a coagulation tank. The tofu continuous coagulation apparatus is characterized in that it is conveyed in a continuous manner.   The continuous curd apparatus for tofu according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor belt is provided with a resin coating on at least one surface on the side where soy milk is placed.   3. The tofu curd continuous coagulation apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conveyor belt is a core material made of aramid fibers and is made water-impermeable by being coated with a fluororesin coating at least on the liquid contact side.   2. The continuous solidification device for tofu according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the left and right bottom corners of the concave shape of the conveyor belt is reduced.   The conveyor belt is configured to be endless by being wound around the front and rear shaft rollers of the concave member. At the position of the front and rear shaft rollers, the conveyor belt is returned to the flat belt and wound around the shaft roller. The tofu curd continuous coagulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein   6. The tofu curd continuous coagulation apparatus according to claim 5, wherein both ends of the shaft roller are formed in a tapered shape, and an end portion in the width direction of the conveyor belt is wound around the tapered portion. An upstream weir for damming soy milk is disposed on the conveyor belt positioned on the concave member, and the upstream weir is upstream of the concave member, and the endless conveyor belt is placed at the bottom of the concave member. The continuous solidification apparatus for tofu according to claim 1, wherein the endless conveyor belt is pushed down along the inside of the concave member as a fixing plate to be in close contact with the tofu.

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