JP2021194570A - Fermentation treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique for suppressing concentration of a treated object in one part by rotation of an agitation claw, in a tank of a fermentation treatment apparatus.SOLUTION: A fermentation treatment apparatus includes: a fermentation tank for fermenting a treated object; a rotation shaft which is arranged in the fermentation tank, extends in right and left directions and rotates around an axial line; and a plurality of agitation claws arranged on the rotation axis. The agitation claw has an arm part extending in a direction separated from the axial line, and a claw part which is curved from the tip of the arm part and faces one side in the right and left directions. The plurality of agitation claws include a right agitation claw with the claw part facing the right side and a left agitation claw with the claw part facing the left side. A plurality of agitation claw blocks including the plurality of agitation claws are arranged in the right and left directions. Each of the agitation claw blocks has an in-block boundary part where the right agitation claw is arranged on the left side, and the left agitation claw is arranged on the right side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a fermentation processing apparatus.

Conventionally, a fermentation processing machine that ferments food waste, livestock manure, etc. to make compost or the like is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the fermentation processing machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, the fermented product is charged into the fermentation stirring tank from the charging port, and the rotating shaft placed in the fermentation stirring tank is rotated to be attached to the rotating shaft. The stirring blades are used to subdivide and stir the fermented product in the fermentation stirring tank.

Further, in the fermentation processing machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, the stirring blade of the stirring blade is curved and directed to the right side on the left side and agitated on the right side with the center position in the rotation axis direction of the fermentation stirring tank as a boundary. The stirring blade of the blade is curved and directed to the left. With this configuration, it is said that the fermented material in the fermentation stirring tank gathers at the center position in the rotation axis direction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-126161

When configured as in Patent Document 1, the object to be processed by the fermentation processing machine is concentrated in the center in the rotation axis direction in the tank, so that the stirring claws (stirring blades) arranged near the center are loaded. Is concerned about concentration. When the load is concentrated in one place, the stirring claws arranged near the center in the direction of the rotation axis may be deformed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of suppressing concentration of an object to be treated in one place due to rotation of a stirring claw in a tank of a fermentation processing apparatus.

An exemplary fermentation processing apparatus of the present invention includes a fermenter for fermenting an object to be treated, a rotating shaft arranged in the fermenter and rotating around an axis extending in the left-right direction, and a plurality of rotating shafts arranged on the rotating shaft. Equipped with a stirring claw. The stirring claw has an arm portion extending in a direction away from the axis, and a claw portion curved from the tip end portion of the arm portion and facing either side in the left-right direction. The plurality of stirring claws include a right stirring claw whose claw portion faces to the right side and a left stirring claw whose claw portion faces to the left side. A plurality of stirring claw blocks including a plurality of the stirring claws are arranged in the left-right direction. Each stirring claw block has an inner boundary portion in a block in which the right stirring claw is arranged on the left side and the left stirring claw is arranged on the right side.

According to the exemplary fermentation treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the object to be treated from concentrating in one place due to the rotation of the stirring claw in the fermenter.

Schematic perspective view of the fermentation processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The figure which removed some parts from the fermentation processing apparatus shown in FIG. Perspective view showing a plurality of stirring claws arranged on a rotating shaft The figure which showed by extracting only a part of the plurality of stirring claws shown in FIG. Top view showing multiple stirring claws arranged on the axis of rotation A plan view of a plurality of stirring claws arranged on the rotation axis shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the right. Development view showing the arrangement of a plurality of stirring claws The figure which shows the state of the object to be processed in the fermenter schematically. The block diagram which shows the structure of the control system of the fermentation processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the axis direction in which the axis Ax of the rotation axis 2 shown in FIG. 2 extends is defined as the left-right direction. The left-right direction is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the direction orthogonal to the left-right direction in the horizontal plane is the front-back direction. Further, the direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane is the vertical direction. Further, the front and rear are defined assuming that the input port 4 of the object to be processed shown in FIG. 2 exists on the front side with respect to the rotation shaft 2. The top, bottom, left and right are defined based on the case where the fermentation processing apparatus 100 placed on the plane parallel to the horizontal plane is viewed from the front to the rear. Further, the direction that becomes the radial direction with respect to the axial direction may be simply referred to as the radial direction. The direction that is the circumferential direction with respect to the axial direction may be simply called the circumferential direction.

In the drawing, the X direction is the left-right direction, the Y direction is the front-back direction, and the Z direction is the up-down direction. The + X side (the tip side of the arrow) is the left side in the left-right direction, the + Y side is the front side in the front-rear direction, and the + Z side is the upper side in the up-down direction. Further, the directions defined above are merely names used for explanation, and there is no intention of limiting the actual positional relationship and direction.

<1. Overview of fermentation processing equipment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a fermentation processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fermentation processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for processing an object to be treated to generate compost and the like. In the present embodiment, the object to be treated is, for example, swill or livestock manure. When treating the object to be treated, a preferred form is that a microorganism that promotes fermentation of the object to be treated is mixed with the object to be treated. Microorganisms are, in a preferred form, aerobic bacteria.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fermentation processing apparatus 100 is arranged on the left side of the main body portion 101, which is a portion for processing the object to be processed, and the main body portion 101, and is required for processing the object to be processed in the main body portion 101. It is provided with an equipment arrangement unit 102 in which various equipments are arranged.

FIG. 2 is a diagram in which some members are removed from the fermentation processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. In detail, FIG. 2 is a diagram in which the lid portion 1011, the equipment cover 1021, and the control box 1022 are removed from the fermentation processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. The lid portion 1011 is attached to the main body portion cover 1012 so that the cover opening 1012a provided in the main body portion cover 1012 of the main body portion 101 can be opened and closed. The equipment cover 1021 covers a part of the equipment arranged in the equipment arrangement unit 102. The control box 1022 is located in front of the equipment arrangement unit 102. The control box 1022 incorporates a control device (not shown) that controls the operation of the fermentation processing device 100, and an input device (not shown) for inputting commands to the control device.

As shown in FIG. 2, the main body 101 includes a fermenter 1, a rotating shaft 2, and a plurality of stirring claws 3. That is, the fermentation processing apparatus 100 includes a fermentation tank 1, a rotating shaft 2, and a plurality of stirring claws 3.

The fermenter 1 is a tank for fermenting the object to be treated. The fermenter 1 is covered with the main body cover 1012. In the present embodiment, the fermenter 1 has a cylindrical tubular portion 11 extending in the left-right direction and a pair of wall portions 12a and 12b arranged at both ends of the tubular portion 11 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the pair of wall portions 12a and 12b have a plate shape extending in a direction parallel to the vertical direction. On the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 11, a tubular portion opening 11a penetrating in the radial direction is provided. The tubular portion opening 11a and the cover opening 1012a overlap in the radial direction to form a charging port 4 for charging the object to be processed into the fermenter 1. The loading port 4 can be opened and closed by the lid portion 1011. In the present embodiment, the charging port 4 is also used for taking out the object to be treated from the fermenter 1. However, a separate outlet dedicated to taking out the object to be processed may be provided.

The rotation shaft 2 is arranged in the fermenter 1. The rotation shaft 2 is a columnar shape extending in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 2 is cylindrical. The rotating shaft 2 may have a shape other than a columnar shape such as a prismatic shape. The rotation axis 2 rotates around an axis axis Ax extending in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the rotation axis 2 rotates in the counterclockwise direction about the axis Ax in a plan view from the right side. The left end portion of the rotating shaft 2 is rotatably supported by the left wall portion 12a of the pair of wall portions 12a and 12b. The right end of the rotating shaft 2 is rotatably supported by the right wall portion 12b of the pair of wall portions 12a and 12b. That is, the fermentation processing apparatus 100 includes a pair of wall portions 12a and 12b that rotatably support both ends of the rotating shaft 2 in the left-right direction.

The plurality of stirring claws 3 are arranged on the rotating shaft 2. Specifically, the plurality of stirring claws 3 are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 2. At least a part of the plurality of stirring claws 3 is arranged on the rotating shaft 2 at intervals in the left-right direction. The plurality of stirring claws 3 rotate together with the rotating shaft 2 to stir the object to be processed in the fermenter 1. The fermentation processing apparatus 100 promotes drying and fermentation of the object to be processed while stirring the object to be processed by the stirring claw 3 in the fermenter 1, and obtains a desired product such as compost. Details of the plurality of stirring claws 3 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, a motor 5, a blower device 6, and a filter unit 7 are arranged in the equipment arrangement unit 102. The motor 5 is a drive source for rotating the rotating shaft 2. The rotational output of the motor 5 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 2 via a power transmission mechanism 8 including a power transmission means such as a gear.

The blower 6 is a blower that supplies gas into the fermenter 1. In this embodiment, the gas is air. The air sent out from the blower 6 is put into the fermenter 1 from the left wall portion 12a of the fermenter 1 via the air supply path 9. By supplying air into the fermenter 1, oxygen can be appropriately supplied to the aerobic bacteria, and the fermentation treatment by the aerobic bacteria is promoted. The air sent from the blower 6 into the fermenter 1 is preferably supplied into the fermenter 1 in a warm state in order to accelerate the treatment. For the same reason, it is preferable that the fermenter 1 can also be heated.

Further, the air in the fermenter 1 is sent from the left wall portion 12a of the fermenter 1 to the filter portion 7 via the exhaust path 10. The air sent to the filter unit 7 enters the filter unit 7 from the lower part of the filter unit 7, passes through a filter (not shown) for removing foreign matter arranged inside, and goes out of the filter unit 7 from the upper part of the filter unit 7. It is exhausted. The air exhausted to the outside of the filter unit 7 is sent to a deodorizing device (not shown), subjected to deodorizing treatment, and released into the atmosphere.

In the present embodiment, the air is blown into the fermenter 1 by the blower 6, but air may be introduced into the fermenter 1 by another method. For example, air may be taken into the fermenter 1 by a method of sucking air from the exhaust side.

<2. Details about stirring claws>
(2-1. Structure of stirring claw)
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a plurality of stirring claws 3 arranged on the rotating shaft 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing only a part of the plurality of stirring claws 3 shown in FIG. 3 extracted. Specifically, FIG. 4 shows two stirring claws 3 arranged in the vicinity of the left end portion of the rotating shaft 2 and the right end portion of the rotating shaft 2 among the plurality of stirring claws 3 shown in FIG. It is a figure which showed two stirring claws 3 arranged in the vicinity. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stirring claw 3 has an arm portion 31 and a claw portion 32.

The arm portion 31 extends in a direction away from the axis Ax. Specifically, the arm portion 31 is plate-shaped and extends in a plane parallel to the radial direction in a direction away from the axis Ax. The end of the arm 31 on the side closer to the axis Ax extends radially. Further, in the arm portion 31, the end portion (tip portion) on the side farther from the axis line Ax than the end portion on the side closer to the axis line Ax is behind the rotation direction of the rotation axis 2 (arrow P direction in FIG. 3). It has a curved part. An arm through hole 31a (see FIG. 4) penetrating in the left-right direction is provided in the vicinity of the end of the arm 31 on the side close to the axis Ax.

The claw portion 32 curves from the tip portion of the arm portion 31 and faces either side in the left-right direction. Specifically, the tip of the claw portion 32 faces either side in the left-right direction with respect to the plate-shaped arm portion 31 parallel to the plane orthogonal to the left-right direction. The claw portion 32 has a spoon shape. It is preferable that the claw portion 32 is subjected to surface treatment for improving wear resistance, and for example, the claw portion 32 is preferably subjected to thermal spraying treatment. In the present embodiment, the plurality of stirring claws 3 include a right stirring claw 3R in which the claw portion 32 faces to the right side and a left stirring claw 3L in which the claw portion 32 faces to the left side.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of support portions 21 are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 2 at intervals in the left-right direction. Each support portion 21 supports one stirring claw 3. In the present embodiment, at each of both ends of the rotating shaft 2 in the left-right direction, two support portions 21 having the same position in the left-right direction are arranged in the vicinity of the ends. The two support portions 21 are arranged at positions displaced in the circumferential direction. However, such a configuration is merely an example, and the support portion 21 having the same position in the left-right direction may not be provided.

In detail, the support portion 21 has a first member 211 and a second member 212. The first member 211 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 2 and extends in the radial direction. The first member 211 is U-shaped in a plan view from the radial direction. The second member 212 has a rectangular plate shape. Both the first member 211 and the second member 212 have through holes penetrating in the left-right direction. In each stirring claw 3, the end portion of the arm portion 31 on the side close to the axis Ax is sandwiched between the first member 211 and the second member 212 in the left-right direction. Each stirring claw 3 is fixed to the support portion 21 by using a screw passed through the through hole and the arm through hole 31a of the first member 211 and the second member 212 and a nut attached to the screw.

In the present embodiment, the first member 211 of the support portion 21 to which the right stirring claw 3R is attached and the first member 211 of the support portion 21 to which the left stirring claw 3L is attached are oriented in opposite directions. .. The first member 211 of the support portion 21 to which the right stirring claw 3R is attached is arranged so as to open to the right. The first member 211 of the support portion 21 to which the left stirring claw 3L is attached is arranged so as to open to the left. By adopting such a configuration in which the directions are reversed, it is possible to reduce the possibility of erroneously attaching the right stirring claw 3R and the left stirring claw 3L, for example.

(2-2. Offset stirring claw)
By the way, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an offset stirring claw 30 having a part different shape from the stirring claw 3 described above is attached to the rotating shaft 2. That is, the fermentation processing apparatus 100 includes an offset stirring claw 30. The offset stirring claw 30 is arranged on the rotating shaft 2 so as to face at least one of the pair of wall portions 12a and 12b. In the present embodiment, the offset stirring claw 30 is arranged on the rotating shaft 2 so as to face both of the pair of wall portions 12a and 12b. The offset stirring claws 30 are arranged in the vicinity of both ends of the rotating shaft 2 in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the offset stirring claw 30 has an arm portion 31, a mounting portion 33, and an offset portion 34. Since the configuration of the arm portion 31 is the same as that of the arm portion 31 described above, they are indicated by the same reference numerals. However, in the offset stirring claw 30, the arm portion 31 cannot be attached to the support portion 21. For this reason, the arm portion 31 of the offset stirring claw 30 is slightly different from the above-mentioned arm portion 31 in the shape of the end portion on the side close to the axis Ax.

The mounting portion 33 is a portion mounted on the rotating shaft 2. Specifically, the mounting portion 33 is mounted on the support portion 21 provided on the rotating shaft 2. The mounting portion 33 has a rectangular plate shape parallel to the radial direction, and has a mounting portion through hole 33a penetrating in the left-right direction. In the offset stirring claw 30, the mounting portion 33 is sandwiched between the first member 211 and the second member 212 constituting the support portion 21 in the left-right direction. The offset stirring claw 30 is fixed to the support portion 21 by using a screw passed through the through hole and the attachment portion through hole 33a of the first member 211 and the second member 212 and a bolt attached to the screw.

The offset portion 34 has one end connected to the mounting portion 33 in the left-right direction and the other end connected to the arm portion 31. The offset portion 34 shifts the position of the arm portion 31 in the left-right direction with respect to the mounting portion 33 toward one of the pair of wall portions 12a and 12b (see FIG. 5 described later). The offset portion 34 may extend in a direction parallel to the left-right direction. However, in the present embodiment, the offset portion 34 extends so as to be inclined with respect to the left-right direction. The offset portion 34 is tilted so as to be located radially outward as it is separated from the mounting portion 33 in the left-right direction.

For example, the bearings 22 (see FIG. 3) arranged on both ends of the rotating shaft 2 are arranged at positions protruding from the wall portions 12a and 12b into the fermenter 1 by design. For this reason, it is difficult to provide the support portions 21 arranged on both end portions in the left-right direction at positions close to the wall portions 12a and 12b. In this respect, the offset stirring claw 30 can bring the arm portion 31 closer to the wall portions 12a and 12b of the fermenter 1 by providing the offset portion 34. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the formation of a dead space at the left-right end of the fermenter 1 in which stirring is insufficient. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the object to be treated from being insufficiently treated from remaining in the fermenter 1.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the present embodiment, the offset stirring claw 30 includes an offset right stirring claw 30R and an offset left stirring claw 30L. The offset right stirring claw 30R is arranged on the rotating shaft 2 so as to face the wall portion 12a located on the left side. The offset left stirring claw 30L is arranged on the rotating shaft 2 so as to face the wall portion 12b located on the right side. The offset portion 34 of the offset right stirring claw 30R extends to the left from the mounting portion 33. The offset portion 34 of the offset left stirring claw 30L extends to the right from the mounting portion 33.

The offset right stirring claw 30R has a claw portion 32 facing to the right. That is, the offset right stirring claw 30R is included in the right stirring claw 3R. In the present embodiment, the offset right stirring claw 30R and the right stirring claw 3R have the same shape and size of the claw portion 32. The offset left stirring claw 30L has a claw portion 32 facing to the left side. That is, the offset left stirring claw 30L is included in the left stirring claw 3L. In the present embodiment, the offset left stirring claw 30L and the left stirring claw 3L have the same shape and size of the claw portion 32.

According to the configuration of the present embodiment, the offset right stirring claw 30R can be used as the right stirring claw 3R. Further, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the offset left stirring claw 30L can be used as the left stirring claw 3L. That is, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the offset stirring claw 30 provided for suppressing the generation of dead space exerts the same action as the other stirring claws 3, and an efficient stirring claw arrangement is realized. be able to.

In the present embodiment, the offset stirring claw 30 is included in the stirring claw 3.
This is just an example. For example, the offset stirring claw 30 may have a claw portion having a shape different from that of the other stirring claws 3 and may not be included in the stirring claw 3. For example, the claw portion of the offset stirring claw 30 may not be configured to face either one of the left and right directions, but may be configured to exist in the same plane as the arm portion 31. That is, the offset stirring claw 30 may be provided, for example, for the main purpose of peeling off the object to be processed adhering to the wall portions 12a and 12b.

Hereinafter, the offset stirring claw 30 may be simply referred to as a stirring claw 3. Further, the offset right stirring claw 30R may be simply referred to as a right stirring claw 3R. Further, the offset left stirring claw 30L may be simply referred to as a left stirring claw 3L.

(2-3. Stirring claw block)
FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a plurality of stirring claws 3 arranged on the rotating shaft 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view seen from the front to the rear. FIG. 5 also shows a pair of wall portions 12a and 12b included in the fermenter 1 for ease of understanding.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the fermentation processing apparatus 100, a plurality of stirring claw blocks BL including a plurality of stirring claws 3 are arranged in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the number of stirring claw blocks BL is three. However, the number of stirring claw blocks BL may be two or more, and the number may be changed as appropriate. Hereinafter, the three stirring claw blocks BL will be referred to as a first stirring claw block BL1, a second stirring claw block BL2, and a third stirring claw block BL3 in order from the left side.

Each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3 has an in-block boundary portion 40. The boundary portion 40 in the block is located, for example, on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft 2. The right stirring claw 3R is arranged on the left side of the boundary portion 40 in the block. A left stirring claw 3L is arranged on the right side of the boundary portion 40 in the block. In each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, at least one stirring claw 3 facing the inner boundary portion 40 side is arranged on each of the left side and the right side of the inner boundary portion 40 in the block.

According to this configuration, when the rotation shaft 2 is rotated, the objects to be processed can be collected toward the boundary portion 40 in the block by each of the plurality of stirring claw blocks BL1 to BL3. Since there are a plurality of stirring claw blocks BL, it is possible to set a plurality of places in the fermenter 1 where the objects to be processed gather when the rotating shaft 2 is rotated. That is, according to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the object to be processed from concentrating in one place due to the rotation of the stirring claw 3 in the fermenter 1, and it is possible to disperse the load applied to the stirring claw 3.

In the present embodiment, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, a plurality of right stirring claws 3R are arranged on the left side of the in-block boundary portion 40, and a plurality of right stirring claws 3R are arranged on the right side of the in-block boundary portion 40. The left stirring claw 3L is arranged. However, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, one right stirring claw 3R may be arranged on the left side of the boundary portion 40 in the block, and one left stirring claw 3L may be arranged on the right side. In this case, the right stirring claw 3R and the left stirring claw 3L are alternately arranged in the left-right direction on the rotating shaft 2.

It is preferable that the number of stirring claws 3 possessed by each of the plurality of stirring claw blocks BL1 to BL3 is the same as each other. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the stirring claw 3 from being biased between the plurality of stirring claw blocks BL1 to BL3 when the rotating shaft 2 is rotated.

In the present embodiment, each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3 has six stirring claws 3. The first stirring claw block BL1 includes first to sixth stirring claws 3-1 to 6-6 in which the positions of the arm portions 31 in the left-right direction are different from each other. The second stirring claw block BL2 includes seventh to twelfth stirring claws 3-7 to 3-12 in which the positions of the arm portions 31 in the left-right direction are different from each other. The third stirring claw block BL3 includes thirteenth to eighteenth stirring claws 3-13 to 3-18 in which the positions of the arm portions 31 in the left-right direction are different from each other.

The first stirring claw 3-1 and the second stirring claw 3-2 are attached to separate support portions 21 having the same position in the left-right direction. However, since the second stirring claw 3-2 is the offset stirring claw 30, the positions of the arm portion 31 and the claw portion 32 in the left-right direction are the positions of the first stirring claw 3-1 and the second stirring claw 3-2. It comes off. Further, the 17th stirring claw 3-17 and the 18th stirring claw 3-18 are attached to separate support portions 21 having the same position in the left-right direction. However, since the 17th stirring claw 3-17 is an offset stirring claw 30, the positions of the arm portion 31 and the claw portion 32 in the left-right direction are the 17th stirring claw 3-17 and the 18th stirring claw 3-18. It comes off.

In each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, it is preferable that the number of right stirring claws 3R and the number of left stirring claws 3L are the same. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the stirring claw 3 from being biased in the stirring claw blocks BL1 to BL3 when the rotating shaft 2 is rotated.

In the present embodiment, three right stirring claws 3R are arranged on the left side of the boundary portion 40 in the block. Three left stirring claws 3L are arranged on the right side of the boundary portion 40 in the block. More specifically, in the first stirring claw block BL1, the first to third stirring claws 3-1 to 3-3, each of which is configured as a right stirring claw 3R, are arranged on the left side of the boundary portion 40 in the block. The 4th to 6th stirring claws 3-4 to 3-6, each of which is configured as a left stirring claw 3L, are arranged on the right side of the boundary portion 40 in the block. Further, in the second stirring claw block BL2, the seventh to ninth stirring claws 3-7 to 3-9, each of which is configured as the right stirring claw 3R, are arranged on the left side of the in-block boundary portion 40, and the in-block boundary. On the right side of the portion 40, the 10th to 12th stirring claws 3-10 to 3-12, each of which is configured as a left stirring claw 3L, are arranged. Further, in the third stirring claw block BL3, the 13th to 15th stirring claws 3-13 to 3-15, each of which is configured as a right stirring claw 3R, are arranged on the left side of the in-block boundary portion 40, and the in-block boundary. The 16th to 18th stirring claws 3-16 to 3-18, each of which is configured as a left stirring claw 3L, are arranged on the right side of the portion 40.

The boundary portion 40 in the block is preferably located in the vicinity of the central portion C in the left-right direction of the stirring claw block BL. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the stirring claw 3 from being biased in the stirring claw blocks BL1 to BL3 when the rotating shaft 2 is rotated. In the present embodiment, in each of the stirring claw blocks BL1, BL2, and BL3, the boundary portion 40 in the block is located near the central portion C in the left-right direction of the stirring claw block BL.

The central portion C in the left-right direction of the first stirring claw block BL1 is the arm portion 31 of the second stirring claw 3-2 arranged at the left end portion of the first stirring claw block BL1 and the first stirring claw block BL1. It is an intermediate position with the arm portion 31 of the sixth stirring claw 3-6 arranged at the right end portion. The central portion C in the left-right direction of the second stirring claw block BL2 is the arm portion 31 of the seventh stirring claw 3-7 arranged at the left end portion of the second stirring claw block BL2 and the right end portion of the second stirring claw block BL2. It is an intermediate position with the arm portion 31 of the twelfth stirring claw 3-12 arranged in. The central portion C in the left-right direction of the third stirring claw block BL3 is the arm portion 31 of the thirteenth stirring claw 3-13 arranged at the left end portion of the third stirring claw block BL3 and the right end portion of the third stirring claw block BL3. It is an intermediate position with the arm portion 31 of the 17th stirring claw 3-17 arranged in.

In each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, it is preferable that the arm portion 31 of the stirring claw 3 arranged at the end in the left-right direction is located within the range of the other stirring claw blocks BL adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the generation of a dead space that cannot be stirred by the stirring claw 3 between the stirring claw blocks BL adjacent to each other in the left-right direction.

In the present embodiment, the sixth stirring claw 3-6 arranged at the right end of the first stirring claw block BL1 is located within the range of the second stirring claw block BL2 adjacent to the first stirring claw block BL1 in the left-right direction. do. The 7th stirring claw 3-7 arranged at the left end of the 2nd stirring claw block BL2 is located within the range of the 1st stirring claw block BL1 adjacent to the 2nd stirring claw block BL2 in the left-right direction. The 12th stirring claw 3-12 arranged at the left end of the 2nd stirring claw block BL2 is located within the range of the 3rd stirring claw block BL3 adjacent to the 2nd stirring claw block BL2 in the left-right direction. The thirteenth stirring claw 3-13 arranged at the left end of the third stirring claw block BL3 is located within the range of the second stirring claw block BL2 adjacent to the third stirring claw block BL3 in the left-right direction.

In addition, based on the purpose of arranging a plurality of stirring claw blocks BL, the amount of the stirring claws 3 arranged at the left and right ends of each stirring claw block BL enters the other stirring claw blocks BL. It is preferable that it is not too large. In order to make such a configuration, in the present embodiment, the claw portion 32 of the sixth stirring claw 3-6 is provided at a position so as to protrude to the left of the arm portion 31 of the seventh stirring claw portion 3-7. The claw portion 32 of the 7th stirring claw 3-7 is provided at a position so as to protrude to the right of the arm portion 31 of the 6th stirring claw portion 3-6. The claw portion 32 of the twelfth stirring claw 3-12 is provided at a position so as to protrude to the left of the arm portion 31 of the thirteenth stirring claw portion 3-13. The claw portion 32 of the thirteenth stirring claw 3-13 is provided at a position so as to protrude to the right of the arm portion 31 of the twelfth stirring claw portion 3-12.

(2-4. Details of arrangement of stirring claws)
FIG. 6 is a plan view of a plurality of stirring claws 3 arranged on the rotating shaft 2 shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the right. The arrow P shown in FIG. 6 is the rotation direction of the rotation axis 2. FIG. 7 is a developed view showing the arrangement of a plurality of stirring claws 3. FIG. 7 also shows a schematic plan view of a plurality of stirring claws 3 arranged on the rotating shaft 2 and stirring claw blocks BL1 to BL3 for ease of understanding.

The horizontal axis of the developed view shown in FIG. 7 indicates the position of the arm portion 31 of the stirring claw 3. Specifically, the position of the arm portion 31 is the left end position of the arm portion 31 in the case of the right stirring claw 3R, and the right end position of the arm portion 31 in the case of the left stirring claw 3L. The vertical axis of the developed view shown in FIG. 7 indicates the angular position of a predetermined portion of the stirring claw 3. The predetermined portion is, for example, a position that is the outermost end in the radial direction of the stirring claw 3 in a plan view from the left-right direction. The angular position is an angular position in the circumferential direction when a predetermined portion of the first stirring claw 3-1 is set as a reference position (0 °). For convenience, the rotation direction of the rotation axis 2 (the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 6) is set to the plus direction of the angle, and the vertical axis of FIG. 7 is the minus direction in the downward direction. The thick arrow in the developed view indicates the direction in which the claw portion 32 of each stirring claw 3 faces. The length of the thick arrow indicates the width of each stirring claw 3 in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment, as a preferred embodiment, the plurality of stirring claws 3 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in a plan view from the left-right direction. Specifically, the 1st to 18th stirring claws 3-1 to 3-18 are arranged at intervals of 20 ° in the circumferential direction in a plan view from the left-right direction. According to this configuration, when the rotating shaft 2 rotates, each stirring claw 3 can act on the object to be processed in order. Therefore, the torque when stirring the object to be processed by using the plurality of stirring claws 3 can be dispersed over the entire rotation shaft, and the load applied to each stirring claw 3 can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the plurality of stirring claws 3, when the rotating shaft 2 is rotated, one stirring claw 3 included in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3 is predetermined in the rotation direction in order of a predetermined block order. It is a line that passes through the position. The predetermined position is a position arbitrarily determined in the rotation direction (circumferential direction), and for example, a stirring start position where the stirring claw 3 starts stirring the object to be processed is assumed. The stirring start position referred to here is a design value.

Here, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the reference position (angle position 0 °) in FIG. 7 is a predetermined position. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the rotation shaft 2 starts rotating, the fifth stirring claw 3-5 included in the first stirring claw block BL1 first passes through a predetermined position. Here, the first stirring claw 3-1 existing at a predetermined position before the start of rotation is not regarded as the first passage. Next, the 15th stirring claw 3-15 included in the 3rd stirring claw block BL3 passes through a predetermined position. Next, the 11th stirring claw 3-11 included in the 2nd stirring claw block BL2 passes through a predetermined position. Next, the 7th stirring claw 3-7 included in the 2nd stirring claw block BL2 passes through a predetermined position. Next, the fourth stirring claw 3-4 included in the first stirring claw block BL1 passes through a predetermined position. Next, the 13th stirring claw 3-13 included in the 3rd stirring claw block BL3 passes through a predetermined position. Hereinafter, although description will be omitted, at the end of the rotation of the rotating shaft 2, the first stirring claw 3-1 included in the first stirring claw block BL1 passes through a predetermined position. That is, the first stirring claw 3-1 returns to the reference position.

Focusing on the block order when one stirring claw 3 passes through a predetermined position while the rotating shaft 2 goes around, (BL1 → BL3 → BL2) → (BL2 → BL1 → BL3) → (BL3 → BL2 → BL1) → The order is (BL1 → BL3 → BL2) → (BL2 → BL1 → BL3) → (BL3 → BL2 → BL1). The parentheses are added so that the regularity of the block order can be easily understood.

As can be seen from the above, in the predetermined block order of the present embodiment, one stirring claw 3 included in each of the three stirring claw blocks BL1, BL2, and BL3 is sequentially arranged for each block while the rotating shaft 2 goes around. The pattern passing through the predetermined position is repeated 6 times. In this embodiment, the block order in each of the six times changes regularly.

In detail, three blocks BL1, BL2, and BL3 virtually arranged in a ring shape are assumed in order to determine the block order. In the present embodiment, the block order of each time is based on the basic order of rotating three blocks BL1, BL2, and BL3 virtually arranged in a circular shape in a certain direction, and the last block in the previous time is used. It is configured to be the first. However, the block order of each time shown here is merely an example, and may have other configurations. For example, the block order of each time may be the same. That is, the predetermined block order may be such that the same block order such as (BL1 → BL2 → BL3) → (BL1 → BL2 → BL3) → ... Is repeated a plurality of times.

According to the arrangement of the stirring claws 3 of the present configuration, when the rotating shaft 2 rotates, the stirring claws 3 included in one stirring claw block BL may act on the object to be processed in a biased manner for a period of time. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the torque when stirring the object to be processed by using the plurality of stirring claws 3 can be dispersed over the entire rotation shaft, and the load applied to each stirring claw 3 can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, as a preferred embodiment, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, at least a part of the stirring claws 3 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction is in the left-right direction of the claw portion 32. The positions overlap each other. For example, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, the right stirring claw 3R and the left stirring claw 3L adjacent to each other on the left and right of the boundary portion 40 in the block overlap each other in the left-right position of the claw portion 32. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the formation of a dead space in the fermenter 1 in which stirring is insufficient.

In the present embodiment, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, in addition to the right stirring claw 3R and the left stirring claw 3L that are adjacent to each other with the inner boundary portion 40 in the block, the position of the claw portion 32 in the left-right direction is There are stirring claws 3 that overlap each other. For example, there are right stirring claws 3R adjacent to each other in the left-right direction and left stirring claws 3L having overlapping positions of the claw portions 32 in the left-right direction. However, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, all of the stirring claws 3 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction may be configured so that the positions of the claw portions 32 in the left-right direction do not overlap.

Further, in the present embodiment, as a preferred embodiment, the right end of the right stirring claw 3R is the right end of the left stirring claw 3L between the right stirring claw 3R and the left stirring claw 3L adjacent to each other on the left and right of the boundary portion 40 in the block. The position in the left-right direction is the same or is located on the left side, and the left end of the left stirring claw 3L is the same in the left-right direction as compared with the left end of the right stirring claw 3R, or the right end. Located in. In other words, of the right stirring claw 3R and the left stirring claw 3L that are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction across the boundary portion 40 in the block, the right stirring claw 3R is arranged at a position that does not protrude to the right from the left stirring claw 3L. The left stirring claw 3L is arranged at a position not protruding to the left side from the right stirring claw 3R. According to this, in each stirring claw block BL1, BL2, BL3, it is possible to facilitate smooth collection of the object to be processed in the direction in which the boundary portion 40 in the block is located.

Specifically, in the first stirring claw block BL1, the third stirring claw 3-3, which is the right stirring claw 3R, and the fourth stirring claw 3-4, which is the left stirring claw 3L, sandwich the boundary portion 40 in the block. Adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The third stirring claw 3-3 is arranged at a position that does not protrude to the right from the fourth stirring claw 3-4. The 4th stirring claw 3-4 is arranged at a position not protruding to the left side from the 3rd stirring claw 3-3. Further, in the second stirring claw block BL2, the ninth stirring claw 3-9, which is the right stirring claw 3R, and the tenth stirring claw 3-10, which is the left stirring claw 3L, sandwich the boundary portion 40 in the block to the left and right. Adjacent to each other in the direction. The 9th stirring claw 3-9 is arranged at a position not protruding to the right side from the 10th stirring claw 3-10. The tenth stirring claw 3-10 is arranged at a position not protruding to the left side from the ninth stirring claw 3-9. Further, in the third stirring claw block BL3, the 15th stirring claw 3-15, which is the right stirring claw 3R, and the 16th stirring claw 3-16, which is the left stirring claw 3L, sandwich the boundary portion 40 in the block to the left and right. Adjacent to each other in the direction. The 15th stirring claw 3-15 is arranged at a position not protruding to the right side from the 16th stirring claw 3-16. The 16th stirring claw 3-16 is arranged at a position not protruding to the left side from the 15th stirring claw 3-15.

(2-5. Other effects)
FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the state of the object to be treated 300 in the fermenter 1. FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the fermentation processing apparatus 100 cut along a plane orthogonal to the axis Ax.

In the present embodiment, the claw portion 32 of the stirring claw 3 has a spoon shape. Therefore, by rotating the rotating shaft 2, the object to be processed 300 on the lower side of the fermenter 1 can be agitated so as to be scooped up. As a result, when the rotation axis 2 rotates in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 8, the object to be processed 300 in the fermenter 1 is in an inclined state in which the height position in the vertical direction becomes lower from the rear to the front. Will be.

In consideration of this point, in the fermentation processing apparatus 100, the height position of the charging port 4 in the vertical direction can be lowered. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user of the fermentation processing apparatus 100 when the object to be processed 300 is charged into the fermentation tank 1. In this embodiment, the lower end position of the input port 4 provided at a position higher than the axis Ax can be brought closer to the height position of the axis Ax. For example, the difference between the height position of the lower end of the charging port 4 and the height position of the axis Ax can be made smaller than 1/4 of the radius of the fermenter 1.

<3. Control system>
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the fermentation processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, the fermentation processing device 100 includes a control device 200. As described above, the control device 200 is arranged in the control box 1022. In the present embodiment, the control device 200 controls the entire operation of the fermentation processing device 100. As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, the control device 200 controls at least the motor 5 and the blower device 6. The control device 200 is configured by using, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only Memory).

Specifically, the control device 200 controls the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 2. Specifically, the rotation speed is controlled by the output control of the motor 5. The control device 200 controls the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2 based on at least one of the elapsed time from the start of the fermentation treatment of the object to be processed and the weight of the object to be processed in the fermenter 1. According to this configuration, it is possible to save energy required for obtaining a final product such as compost while appropriately stirring according to the state of the object to be treated.

For example, the control device 200 slows down the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 2 after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the fermentation treatment of the object to be processed. The start of the fermentation process of the object to be processed is, for example, the timing at which the start button for starting the fermentation process is pressed. The start button is included in the input device 201 included in the fermentation processing device 100. The predetermined time is the time until the drying of the object to be processed progresses and reaches a predetermined drying state, and is determined by an experiment or a simulation.

At the start stage of the fermentation process, by increasing the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2, the object to be processed can be quickly cut and diffused by the stirring claw 3 to shorten the time required for drying. Further, by rapidly rotating the stirring claw 3, it is possible to take in a large amount of oxygen into the object to be treated and activate the action of aerobic bacteria. On the other hand, after a predetermined time has elapsed when the object to be treated has dried to some extent, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2 is slowed down to suppress the movement of the object to be treated, and the object to be treated by aerobic bacteria is used. It can promote disassembly. Further, energy saving can be achieved by slowing down the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2.

For example, the control device 200 slows down the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2 when the weight of the object to be processed in the fermenter 1 becomes a predetermined weight or less. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the fermentation processing apparatus 100 includes a load cell 202 for measuring the weight of the fermenter 1. The load cell 202 outputs the measurement result to the control device 200. The control device 200 can determine the weight of the object to be processed from the weight of the fermenter 1 measured by the load cell 202. By measuring the weight of the object to be processed, the dry state of the object to be processed can be estimated. The predetermined weight is the weight of the object to be treated when the object to be dried progresses and reaches a predetermined dry state, and is determined by an experiment or a simulation.

According to this configuration, while the object to be treated is insufficiently dried, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2 is increased to shorten the time required for drying, and oxygen is supplied to aerobic bacteria. Can be done properly. On the other hand, when the object to be treated is dried to some extent, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2 is slowed down, and the decomposition of the object to be processed by aerobic bacteria can be promoted and energy saving can be achieved.

The rotation speed of the rotation shaft 2 may be adjusted based on both the elapsed time from the start of the fermentation treatment of the object to be processed and the weight of the object to be processed in the fermenter 1. For example, the control device 200 determines the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 2 when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the fermentation treatment of the object to be processed and the weight of the object to be processed in the fermenter 1 becomes equal to or less than the predetermined weight. It may be configured to slow down. Further, the control of the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 2 may be performed based on, for example, the temperature, humidity, water content, etc. in the tank of the fermenter 1, instead of the elapsed time and weight described above. Further, the amount of air blown by the air blower 6 and the temperature inside the fermenter 1 may be controlled based on the above-mentioned elapsed time, weight, and the like.

Further, it is preferable that the control device 200 is provided so that a holiday mode that makes the rotation control of the rotation shaft 2 different from the normal mode can be set. The holiday mode may be set by using the input device 201 capable of inputting a command to the control device 200. The input device 201 may be, for example, a button, a lever, a touch panel, or the like. The holiday is a day when the user who manages the fermentation processing apparatus 100 is absent, and the material to be processed is not input or discharged. Therefore, on holidays, the time required for processing the object to be processed can be delayed more than usual. Further, on holidays, it is preferable to carry out the treatment so as to prevent the object to be treated from drying excessively.

In the holiday mode, the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 2 may be slower than usual, or the rotation of the rotation shaft 2 may be intermittent operation to delay the time required for processing the object to be processed. With this configuration, the energy required to complete the processing of the object to be processed can be reduced, and energy saving can be achieved. Further, since the stirring of the object to be processed is not completely stopped, it is possible to prevent the oxygen inside the object to be processed from becoming insufficient.

The holiday mode may include a plurality of modes so that the control method can be changed according to, for example, the length of the holiday. Further, in the holiday mode, it is preferable that not only the rotation control of the rotating shaft 2 but also the method of controlling the amount of air blown by the blower 6 is different from that of the normal mode. For example, in the holiday mode, it is preferable to have a configuration in which the amount of air blown is smaller than in the normal state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the evaporated moisture from returning to the object to be treated due to dew condensation, while suppressing the excessive drying of the object to be treated.

<4. Points to note>
The various technical features disclosed herein can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist of the technical creation. In addition, a plurality of embodiments and modifications shown in the present specification may be combined and implemented to the extent possible.

1 ... Fermenter 2 ... Rotating shaft 3 ... Stirring claw 3L ... Left stirring claw 3R ... Right stirring claw 4 ... Input port 12a ... Left wall (pair of walls) One of the parts)
12b ... Right wall (the other of the pair of walls)
30 ... Offset stirring claw 30L ... Offset left stirring claw 30R ... Offset right stirring claw 31 ... Arm 32 ... Claw 33 ... Mounting part 34 ... Offset part 40 ...・ Boundary in the block 100 ・ ・ ・ Fermentation processing device 200 ・ ・ ・ Control device 300 ・ ・ ・ Processed object Ax ・ ・ ・ Axis BL ・ ・ ・ Stirring claw block

Claims (14)

A fermenter that ferments the material to be processed and
A rotating shaft arranged in the fermenter and rotating around an axis extending in the left-right direction,
With a plurality of stirring claws arranged on the rotating shaft,
Equipped with
The stirring claw
The arm extending in the direction away from the axis and the arm
A claw portion that curves from the tip of the arm portion and faces either side in the left-right direction,
Have,
The plurality of stirring claws include a right stirring claw whose claw portion faces to the right side and a left stirring claw whose claw portion faces to the left side.
A plurality of stirring claw blocks including the plurality of stirring claws are arranged in the left-right direction.
Each of the stirring claw blocks is a fermentation processing apparatus having a boundary portion in a block in which the right stirring claw is arranged on the left side and the left stirring claw is arranged on the right side. The fermentation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of stirring claw blocks has the same number of stirring claws. Between the right stirring claw and the left stirring claw that are adjacent to each other on the left and right of the boundary portion in the block.
The right end of the right stirring claw is located at the same position in the left-right direction or on the left side as compared with the right end of the left stirring claw.
The fermentation processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the left end of the left stirring claw is located at the same position in the left-right direction or on the right side as compared with the left end of the right stirring claw. The fermentation processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the boundary portion in the block is located near the center in the left-right direction of the stirring claw block. The fermentation processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in each of the stirring claw blocks, the number of the right stirring claws and the number of the left stirring claws are the same. The fermentation treatment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in each of the stirring claw blocks, at least a part of the stirring claws adjacent to each other in the left-right direction has the positions of the claw portions in the left-right direction overlap each other. Device. The fermentation treatment according to claim 6, wherein in each of the stirring claw blocks, the right stirring claw and the left stirring claw that are adjacent to each other on the left and right sides of the boundary portion in the block overlap each other in the left-right position of the claw portion. Device. One of claims 1 to 7, wherein in each of the stirring claw blocks, the arm portion of the stirring claw arranged at the end in the left-right direction is located within the range of the other stirring claw blocks adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The fermentation processing apparatus according to item 1. A pair of wall portions that rotatably support both ends of the rotation axis in the left-right direction,
An offset stirring claw arranged on the rotation axis so as to face at least one of the pair of wall portions.
Further prepare
The offset stirring claw is
The mounting part to be mounted on the rotating shaft and
With the arm
An offset portion in which one end in the left-right direction is connected to the mounting portion and the other end is connected to the arm portion, and the position of the arm portion in the left-right direction with respect to the mounting portion is shifted toward the one wall portion.
The fermentation processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The offset stirring claw has
An offset right stirring claw, which is arranged on the rotation axis so as to face the wall portion located on the left side and has the claw portion facing to the right side.
An offset left stirring claw, which is arranged on the rotation axis so as to face the wall portion located on the right side and has the claw portion facing the left side.
Is included,
The offset right stirring claw is included in the right stirring claw.
The fermentation processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the offset left stirring claw is included in the left stirring claw. The fermentation processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the plurality of stirring claws are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in a plan view from the left-right direction. The plurality of stirring claws are arranged so that one of the stirring claws included in each of the stirring claw blocks sequentially passes through a predetermined position in the rotation direction in a predetermined block order when the rotation shaft is rotated. Item 2. The fermentation processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 11. Further equipped with a control device for controlling the rotation speed of the rotation shaft,
The control device controls the rotation speed of the rotating shaft based on at least one of the elapsed time from the start of the fermentation process of the object to be processed and the weight of the object to be processed in the fermenter. Item 2. The fermentation processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 12. The fermentation processing device according to claim 13, wherein the control device is provided so as to be able to set a holiday mode that makes the method of controlling the rotation of the rotation shaft different from the normal mode.

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