JP2019071828A - Sterilization device and sterilization method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sterilization device and a sterilization method, capable of cooling a processing object uniformly without moving the processing object which is heating sterilization treated on a tray, nor changing a device configuration even when shapes and dimensions of the processing object or the tray.SOLUTION: There is provided a sterilization device 1 having a treatment tank 10 housing a processing object X; a heating device for heating the processing object X housed in the treatment tank 10; and a mist feeding device 32 for spraying misty water droplet in the treatment tank 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a sterilizing apparatus and a sterilizing method for sterilizing an object to be treated such as retort food.

  As one of sterilization treatment methods for canned foods, retort foods, etc., a so-called heat sterilization treatment is known in which the treatment object is sterilized by maintaining the condition where the treatment object is heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. ing. For example, in the heat sterilization process of retort food, a plurality of retort foods are arranged on a tray, and the trays are stacked in a plurality of stages and stored in the treatment tank, and the object to be treated is treated with steam or hot water in the treatment tank. It is carried out by maintaining at a temperature of 80 to 130 ° C. for a predetermined time.

  Therefore, even if the sterilization process is completed, the object to be treated is in a high temperature state, so it can not be taken out immediately from the treatment tank, the product does not break, and the worker can handle it properly. It is necessary to cool the object to be treated to a temperature of, for example, about 40 ° C. and then take it out of the treatment tank. Therefore, in order to reduce the time required for the sterilization treatment of the treatment object, it is necessary to cool the treatment object immediately after the sterilization step.

  Conventionally, as a method of cooling an object to be treated after the heating step, the inside of the treatment tank is filled with cooling water, and the treatment object is immersed in the cooling water to be cooled, or a shower nozzle provided in the treatment tank There is known a cooling method such as a shower type which cools the processing object by injecting cooling water toward the processing object.

  However, in the case of full-fill type, the objects to be treated that are lined up on the tray and contained in the treatment tank float by filling the water, and move from the position where they were placed before treatment to another position. There are times when If the position of the object to be processed changes, it may be difficult for the operator to handle, or when the robot is introduced for automation, the robot may easily fail to grasp the object to be processed.

  In addition, in the case of a full water system, there is also a problem that the amount of water used is high and the treatment cost is high.

  On the other hand, in the case of the shower type, it is necessary to install a shower nozzle for injecting cooling water into the treatment tank, but the object to be treated is placed on the tray and a plurality of trays are stacked in the treatment tank. In order to be installed, the shower nozzle needs to be installed so that the cooling water hits the object to be treated from the gap of the stacked trays. Then, even if it is intended to change the type of tray according to the size and shape of the processing object, the positional relationship with the shower nozzle is restricted.

Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2012-249582

  The present invention uniformly cools the processing target without moving the heat-sterilized processing target on the tray, and without changing the apparatus configuration even if the shape and size of the processing target and the tray change. An object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing apparatus and a sterilizing method that can be performed.

  The sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention is a sterilizing apparatus including a treatment tank for containing an object to be treated and a heating device for heating the object to be treated contained in the inside of the treatment tank. The interior is characterized by including a mist supplying device for spraying misty water droplets.

The water droplets sprayed from the mist supply device (hereinafter referred to as mist) adhere to the surface of the object to be treated and cool the object to be treated by sensible heat, and the particle diameter of the water droplets is extremely small. It is possible to evaporate latent heat from the surface of the object to be treated. That is, by spraying the mist, it is possible to effectively cool the object to be treated by the sensible heat and the latent heat of the cooling water.
Further, in the cooling using the above-described apparatus, since effective cooling by the sensible heat and latent heat of the cooling water is possible, the amount of water used can be smaller than in the case of the full-water type, which is economical. Since the object to be treated does not float and move as in the full-water type, the handling of the object to be treated after sterilization treatment becomes easy.
In addition, the mist can easily travel to the corners of the treatment tank on the air flow, and even when the trays on which the treatment objects are placed can be stacked in multiple stages, the treatment objects placed inside can be uniformly cooled. effective.

  In the sterilization treatment apparatus according to one embodiment, the treatment tank may be provided with a stirring device for circulating the sprayed mist in the treatment tank. By circulating the mist by the stirring device, the mist can be distributed to every corner in the treatment tank, and a plurality of objects to be treated can be cooled more effectively.

  In the sterilizing apparatus according to another embodiment, a ventilating device capable of replacing the air in the treatment tank with the outside air may be provided. By replacing the air in the treatment tank with the outside air, the amount of steam in the treatment tank can be reduced to accelerate the vaporization of the mist, and the cooling effect utilizing the latent heat can be continued.

  In the sterilizing method according to the present invention, the object to be treated is sprayed by spraying atomized water droplets in the treatment tank after the heating step of heating the object to be treated contained in the treatment tank and the heating step. And a cooling step of cooling. In the sterilizing method according to one embodiment, in the cooling step, misty water droplets can be circulated in the treatment tank. In the sterilizing method according to the other embodiment, the air in the processing tank may be ventilated in the cooling step.

  According to the sterilizing method according to the present invention, the atomized water droplets adhere to the surface of the heated object to be treated by spraying atomized water droplets inside the treatment tank, and the object to be treated is sensible heat. As it cools, the latent heat can be removed because the water droplets evaporate from the surface of the object to be treated. That is, by spraying the mist, the object to be treated can be effectively cooled by the sensible heat and the latent heat.

  According to the present invention, it is not necessary to move the object to be treated which has been subjected to the heat sterilization treatment, nor to adjust the size of the object to be treated or the tray on which the object to be treated is placed. There is provided a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method that can be cooled.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view in the vertical direction when the processing tank is viewed from the side. FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of the sterilization treatment apparatus according to the present invention, and is a horizontal sectional view of the treatment tank as viewed from above. FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view in the vertical direction when the processing tank is viewed from the front with the opening.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The sterilization treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a steam sterilization treatment apparatus that heats and sterilizes the object X to be treated such as retort food with steam. The sterilizing apparatus 1 comprises a treatment tank 10 for containing an object X to be treated, a steam supply device 20 for supplying the steam A into the treatment tank 10, and a pressurized supply for supplying pressurized air into the treatment tank 10. A device (not shown), a mist supply device 30 for spraying misty cooling water (hereinafter also referred to as a mist) into the processing tank 10, and a stirring device 40 for circulating the air in the processing tank 10. And an air supply pipe 50 which can discharge the air in the treatment tank 10 or supply the air into the treatment tank 10, and an exhaust pipe 60 which discharges the air in the treatment tank 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing tank 10 includes a processing tank main body 11 having an opening 11a and a lid 12 for closing the opening 11a, and the opening 11a is in the horizontal direction (lateral direction). It is installed to face the The processing tank 10 is configured such that the processing object X can be taken in and out from the horizontal direction through the opening 11a. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of objects to be treated X are arranged on the tray 2, and the tray 2 is accommodated in the processing tank main body 11 in a state in which the tray 2 is stacked in multiple stages. It is configured.

  The steam supply device 20 includes a steam generator (not shown) for generating steam, and a steam supply pipe 21 for supplying the steam generated by the steam generator into the processing tank 10. The steam supply pipe 21 preferably includes a steam supply header 22 having a large number of holes at its tip. The steam generated by the steam generator is introduced into the processing tank 10 through the steam supply pipe 21, and is supplied into the processing tank 10 from the steam supply header 22 disposed at the tip of the steam supply pipe 21. Be done.

  The pressurizing device (not shown) is to increase pressurized pressure inside the processing tank 10 by supplying pressurized air into the processing tank 10. When the object to be treated X is heated by a heating device (not shown), the internal pressure of the container of the object to be treated X is increased. Therefore, the container of the object to be treated X is increased It is possible to balance the pressure inside and outside and to prevent the container from being broken.

  Specifically, the mist supply device 30 includes a cooling water supply pipe 31 for guiding the cooling water B into the treatment tank 10, and a plurality of mist nozzles 32 attached to the tip of the cooling water supply pipe 31. Prepare. The cooling water supply pipe 31 is disposed so as to lead the cooling water B into the processing tank 10 from the back surface of the processing tank 10 opposite to the lid 12 in the processing tank 10. In the processing tank 10, the cooling water supply pipe 31 is branched to the left and right, that is, to both sides in the width direction of the processing tank 10, and is further extended to the lower side of the processing tank 10. The tip of the cooling water supply pipe 31 is a cooling water supply header 31a disposed so as to extend horizontally along the inner wall surface of the processing tank 10 over a predetermined length. The cooling water supply header 31a is disposed in parallel to the depth direction of the treatment tank 10, that is, the direction in which the tray 2 on which the treatment object X is placed is taken in and out. In the present embodiment, the cooling water supply headers 31a are respectively provided on both sides in the width direction of the treatment tank 10, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the depth direction.

  The mist nozzle 32 attached to the cooling water supply header 31 a sprays the cooling water B supplied by the cooling water supply pipe 31 into the treatment tank 10 as a mist of water droplets. The mist nozzle preferably has a particle diameter of 5 to 300 μm, more preferably 10 to 100 μm, and particularly preferably 20 to 50 μm. If the particle size of the mist is too small, the water droplets are likely to be vaporized before reaching the object to be treated, making it difficult to exert the effect of depriving the object to be treated of latent heat. Because it is easy to do, it becomes difficult to reach the processing object.

  The mist nozzle 32 in the present embodiment is supplied with the pressurized coolant B via the coolant supply pipe 31, and generates a mist by the water pressure of the pressurized coolant B. Although employed, it is also possible to employ a so-called two-fluid nozzle in which compressed air is supplied in addition to the cooling water B and the compressed air is ejected together with the cooling water B to generate a mist.

  In the present embodiment, the mist nozzles 32 are arranged on the cooling water supply header 31 a provided at the tip of the cooling water supply pipe 31 at substantially equal intervals. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when the cooling water supply header 31 a is installed at the lower part in the processing tank 10, the plurality of mist nozzles 32 can spray mist upward, respectively. On the upper surface of the cooling water supply header 31a.

  The stirring device 40 is installed at the upper part in the processing tank 10, and includes a rotating shaft 41 installed in the vertical direction, and a blade 42 attached to the rotating shaft 41. Preferably, the stirring device 40 is configured to suck the air in the processing tank 10 from below and discharge it upward along the rotation shaft 41 or radially outward with respect to the rotation shaft 41. It can be adopted. The stirring devices 40 may be installed two or more depending on the length of the processing tank 10 in the depth direction, and when two or more are installed, the stirring devices 40 are arranged along the depth direction of the processing tank 10 .

  Further, the tray 2 used in the present embodiment includes an aluminum plate 200 on which the object to be treated X is placed, and a peripheral wall 201 standing up from the outer periphery of the aluminum plate 200. Specifically, the tray 2 of the present embodiment is provided with two rectangular aluminum plates 200 arranged at intervals in the width direction of the processing tank 10 in plan view. The peripheral wall 201 is erected from the outer periphery. Further, a large number of holes (not shown) are formed in each aluminum plate, and air and water can flow in the vertical direction of the tray 2 through the large number of holes. Then, by stacking the plurality of trays 2 having such a configuration in the vertical direction, a space extending in the vertical direction is formed in the central portion of the stacked trays 2.

  In the sterilizing apparatus according to the present embodiment, the air supply pipe 50 and the exhaust pipe 60, and a blower (not shown) provided in at least one of the air supply pipe 50 and the exhaust pipe 60 are ventilating devices. Act as. That is, by operating the blower, air is supplied from the outside of the processing tank 10 into the processing tank 10 through the air supply pipe 50, and the air in the processing tank 10 is discharged through the exhaust pipe 60. Is configured.

Next, a sterilizing method using the sterilizing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described.
First, the tray 2 on which the object to be treated X is placed is stacked in multiple stages, introduced into the processing tank 10 through the opening 11a, and the lid 12 is closed to seal the processing tank 10. Next, the steam A is supplied into the processing tank 10 through the steam supply pipe 21 and the steam supply header 22, and the air inside the processing tank is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 60, and the steam is discharged into the processing tank 10. Fill A. Next, the inside of the processing tank 10 is heated by a heating device (not shown) to raise the temperature to a predetermined temperature, for example, 120 ° C. At this time, pressurized air is preferably supplied into the processing tank 10 using a pressurizing device, and the inside of the processing tank 10 is pressurized. By pressurizing the inside of the processing tank 10, it is possible to prevent the processing object X whose pressure inside the container is increased by heating from being damaged by the pressure inside the container. The heated state is maintained, for example, for about 30 to 60 minutes in a retort food.

  When the heating step is completed, the process proceeds to a cooling step. In the cooling step, the cooling water B is supplied from the cooling water supply pipe 31 to the mist nozzle 32, and the cooling water is sprayed as mist from the mist nozzle 32. Further, simultaneously with the mist spraying, the stirring device 40 installed at the upper part of the processing tank 10 is operated to circulate the air in the processing tank 10. By operating the stirring device 40, as shown in FIG. 3, in the processing tank 10, it is sent to the both sides in the width direction of the processing tank 10 from the upper part of the processing tank 10 in which the stirring device 40 is installed. A circulating flow C is formed which descends along the side surface of the processing tank 10 and rises from the bottom of the processing tank 10 through the widthwise central portion. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the space extending in the vertical direction is formed in the central portion of the stacked trays 2, the air and the mist can smoothly rise through the space. Such a circulation flow C is more easily formed.

  Further, when the circulating flow C as described above is formed, as shown in FIG. 3, the space from the outside in the width direction of the tray 2 goes to the space in the central part of the tray 2 through the gap between the trays 2. Since the flow of air is easily generated, the mist is easily supplied to the gap between the trays 2 on the flow of air. As a result, the mist is smoothly supplied to the surface of the object to be treated X placed on the tray 2, and the mist adheres to the surface of the object to be treated X to evaporate latent heat by vaporization. The object to be treated X can be cooled effectively.

  In the cooling step, it is preferable to perform a ventilating operation of evacuating the air in the processing tank 10 and introducing the air from the outside of the processing tank 10 in parallel with the mist spraying. In the sterilization treatment apparatus of the present embodiment, air is introduced into the processing tank 10 from the air supply pipe 50 by operating a blower (not shown) and the air in the processing tank 10 is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 60. The ventilation operation is carried out. By performing the ventilating operation, the amount of water vapor contained in the air in the processing tank 10 can be reduced to accelerate the vaporization of the mist, and the latent heat cooling effect can be continued.

  When the temperature of the object to be treated X is sufficiently cooled, for example, to about 40 ° C., the cooling step is finished, and the sterilization treatment of the object to be treated X is finished.

  In the sterilizing method according to the present embodiment, since the cooling is performed by the mist sprayed from the mist nozzle 32 in the cooling step, the position of the object to be treated X does not move before and after the sterilizing process as in the conventional full water system. . Further, since the mist travels to the corners of the processing tank 10 along the air flow in the processing tank, the processing target X can be processed even when the trays 2 on which the processing target X is placed are stacked. It is possible to cool evenly and evenly.

  In addition, the sterilization treatment apparatus demonstrated by the said embodiment is only an example of this invention, and this invention is not limited to the said embodiment.

  For example, although the above-mentioned embodiment explained the case where the steam type which supplies steam in a processing tank and heat-sterilizes a processing target object was adopted, the present invention is not limited to this but the spray arranged in a processing tank It is also possible to adopt a spray type sterilization process in which the treatment object X is heat-sterilized by injecting hot water directly from the nozzle to the treatment object X.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the case where several mist nozzles were arranged in a line along the depth direction of the processing tank in the lower part of the width direction both sides in the processing tank 10, this invention has such a structure. However, the mist nozzle may be disposed in the upper portion of the processing tank or in the back of the processing tank.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the air is raised at the central portion of the processing tank and the circulating flow C is generated such that the air is lowered along the wall surface of the processing tank has been described. , And may cause a circulating flow such that the air rises along the wall of the processing tank.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sterilization processing apparatus, 2 ... Tray, 10 ... Treatment tank, 11 ... Treatment tank main body, 12 ... Lid, 20 ... Steam supply apparatus, 21 ... Steam supply piping, 22 ... Steam supply header, 30 ... Mist supply apparatus, 31 ... cooling water supply piping, 31a ... cooling water supply header, 32 ... mist nozzle, 40 ... stirring device, 50 ... air supply pipe, 60 ... exhaust pipe, A ... steam, B ... cooling water, X ... processing object

Claims (6)

A treatment tank for containing the object to be treated;
It is a sterilization treatment apparatus provided with the heating device which heats the processing subject stored inside the treatment tank, and the mist supply device which sprays a misty water droplet inside the treatment tank is characterized. Sterilization processing equipment.   2. The sterilizing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stirring device for circulating the atomized water droplets sprayed in the treatment tank is provided inside the treatment tank.   The sterilizer according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a ventilating device capable of replacing the air in the treatment tank with the outside air. A heating step of heating an object to be treated contained in the treatment tank;
And cooling the object to be treated by spraying atomized water droplets into the processing tank after the heating step.   The sterilizing method according to claim 4, wherein in the cooling step, misty water droplets are circulated in the treatment tank.   The sterilizing method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the air in the treatment tank is ventilated in the cooling step.

Images