JP2962227B2 - Steamed rice cooking method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for steaming and cooking rice, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for cooking and cooking rice that cooks rice in a so-called primary steaming step and then converts it into a pre-gelatinized rice in a secondary steaming step.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method and an apparatus for steaming and cooking this type of cooked rice, there is an invention described in JP-B-63-37616.

[0003] That is, this conventional apparatus comprises a primary steaming apparatus for supplying steam to cook rice, an immersion apparatus for immersing the steamed rice in high-temperature water, and an α of the cooked rice after immersion. And a secondary steaming device for performing the conversion.

[0004] In this apparatus, the grains are preliminarily immersed in the immersion apparatus before the secondary steaming step, so that the pregelatinization extends to the center of the cooked rice and complete pregelatinization is performed. It was done.

[0005]

However, in such an apparatus, an immersion apparatus storing high-temperature water is provided between the primary steaming apparatus and the secondary steaming apparatus. During the immersion, the starch of rice becomes sticky and agglutinated, and the operation time of the apparatus is about 7 hours. After 7 hours, hot water must be newly put into the immersion apparatus and restarted. Had become.

Further, as a result of providing such an immersion device between the primary steaming device and the secondary steaming device, the entire device becomes very large, and the space for the equipment needs to be large. There was a point.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is preferable to pregelatinize rice to enable continuous operation of the apparatus over a long period of time and to significantly reduce the size of the entire apparatus. Therefore, an object is to reduce the space required for the equipment.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has been made as a method and an apparatus for steaming and cooking rice. While steam is supplied to the cooked rice conveyed by water, water is sprinkled with hot water at 70 to 95 ° C. to perform primary steaming, and then the rice after the primary steaming has a step relative to the primary conveyor 4. The primary conveyor 4
After being dropped on the secondary conveyor 8 provided at a lower position, the rice cooked on the secondary conveyor 8 in a state thicker than the rice cooked on the primary conveyor 4 is steamed. And performing secondary steaming by adding water by spraying with warm water at 70 to 95 ° C.

[0009] The steamed rice cooker is characterized by a primary conveyer 4 that conveys the cooked rice and the primary conveyer that conveys the cooked rice in a state thicker than the rice conveyed on the primary conveyor 4. A secondary conveyor 8 provided below the primary conveyor 4 so as to have a step with respect to the conveyor 4, a steam supply means for supplying steam to the primary conveyor 4 and the secondary conveyor 8, It consists of watering means for watering rice cooked on the primary conveyor 4 and the secondary conveyor 8 by spraying with hot water of 70 to 95 ° C.

In other words, not only the steam is supplied in both the steps of supplying the cooked rice by the primary conveyor 4 and the secondary conveyor 8 as described above, but also the water is added to the cooked rice. Even if the immersion with high-temperature water is not carried out between the two steps, ie, the second steaming step and the second steaming step, sufficient pregelatinization is performed.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a steamed rice cooker main body, a primary steamer 2 for supplying steam to rice to perform primary steaming for rice cooking, and after the primary steaming by the primary steamer 2, A secondary steaming device 3 for supplying steam to perform secondary steaming for pregelatinizing rice grains is also provided.

The primary steaming apparatus 2 is provided with a metal net-shaped primary conveyor 4.
A steam supply device (not shown) for supplying steam to the cooked rice transported above is provided below the cooked rice transport path of the primary conveyor 4.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an ultrasonic cleaning device for preventing meshes of the primary conveyor 4 from being clogged, and is provided below the rice transporting path of the primary conveyor 4. Note that, instead of the ultrasonic cleaning device 5, a high-pressure cleaning device capable of injecting a chemical such as sodium hypochlorite can be used.

Numeral 6 is a watering device for adding water to the cooked rice conveyed on the primary conveyor 4 so that hot water of about 90 ° C. can be sprinkled in a shower form to be added to the cooked rice. The water heater 6 is provided at three places of the primary steaming device 2.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a crusher for loosening steamed steamed rice while being sprinkled by the water dispenser 6, and is provided at a total of four places in the primary steaming apparatus 2.

Further, the secondary steaming device 3 also includes a secondary conveyor 8, a steam supply device (not shown), an ultrasonic cleaning device 9, a water dispenser 10, and a crusher 11.

However, this secondary steaming device 3 is provided with a water heater 10
Are provided at two locations, and the crusher 11 is provided at a total of three locations of the secondary steaming device 3 including one location adjacent to the cooling device 12 (boundary portion). Is different from

Further, the secondary conveyor 8 of the secondary steaming device 3 is located below the primary conveyor 4 so as to have a step of a desired size with respect to the primary conveyor 4 of the primary steaming device 2. It is provided in.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a cooling device for cooling the cooked rice after the secondary steaming step of the cooked rice by the secondary steaming device 3. The cooling device 12 is also provided with a wire mesh conveyor 13.

An air cooling device 16 having a disinfecting action is connected to a cooling portion 14 of the cooling device 12 via a duct tube 15.

The primary steaming device 2 is also provided in the cooling device 12.
As with the secondary steaming device 3, an ultrasonic cleaning device 17 or a high-pressure cleaning device capable of injecting chemicals is provided.

Further, a seasoning liquid,
A sprayer 38 for spraying vinegar and salt water is provided at two places of three each, a total of six sprayers, and a crusher 39 similar to the crushers 7 and 11 of the primary steaming device 2 and the secondary steaming device 3 is provided. It is provided in five places.

Further, the primary steaming device 2, the secondary steaming device 3, and the cooling device 12 are provided with exhaust ducts 18, 19, 20 for discharging steam, respectively.

Numeral 21 denotes a take-up conveyor for taking out the rice cooled by the cooling device 17, and the take-up conveyor.
A weighing device 22 for weighing the cooked rice discharged at 21 is provided.

A salt water tank 23, a vinegar tank 24, a seasoning liquid tank 25, and an oil tank 2 are provided beside the primary steaming device 2.
6. A pH adjuster tank 27 is provided.
Note that, in addition to the various tanks described above, various tanks can be added as needed.

28,... Are rice storages for storing rice,
The required number is set according to the type of rice. The storage amount of one rice storage is not particularly limited, but is preferably within 3 tons.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a receiving weighing machine for weighing the rice accepted by the present apparatus, and reference numeral 30 denotes a payout weighing machine for measuring the amount of rice cooked on the day.

Reference numeral 31 denotes an elevator for dispensing and weighing, and 32
Denotes an elevator for supplying to a rice washing machine. In addition to these elevators 31, 32, an elevator (not shown) for receiving and weighing and an elevator (not shown) for supplying to the rice storage are provided.

Reference numeral 33 denotes a rice washing separator for separating rice after washing and rice washing water, and reference numeral 34 denotes an immersion tank for storing the rice after washing and separation, and three tanks are provided according to the type of rice.

Reference numeral 35 denotes a conveyor for supplying the immersed rice immersed for a required time according to the type of rice to the primary steaming device 2, and 36 denotes a device for feeding the rice from the conveyor 35 to the primary steaming device 2. The hopper is shown.

Reference numeral 37 denotes a shutter for adjusting the rice fed from the hopper 36 to a constant thickness when transporting the rice on a conveyor.

Reference numeral 40 denotes a steam cleaner for cleaning the steam supplied to the primary steaming device 2, the secondary steaming device 3, and the cooling device 12 and keeping the steam wet.

Next, a method of steaming and cooking rice with the steamed rice cooker having the above-described configuration will be described.

First, rice is supplied from the rice storage 28 to the dispensing and weighing machine 30, and the rice is weighed by the dispensing and weighing machine 30.
The rice is washed. The washed rice is separated into rice and washing water by a rice washing separator 33, and the separated rice is supplied to an immersion tank 34 for immersion. After soaking for 1-2 hours, the drained soaked rice is conveyed by a conveyor 35 and supplied to the primary steaming device 2 from a hopper 36.

Next, the rice supplied to the primary steaming device 2 is
The thickness is adjusted by the shutter 37 so as to have a constant thickness during transport. The thickness is adjusted to, for example, 60 mm.

By adjusting the thickness of the cooked rice conveyed by the shutter 37 in this manner, the amount of cooked rice to be steam-cooked is automatically adjusted.

Next, the rice whose thickness has been adjusted as described above is conveyed on the primary conveyor 4 in the primary steaming device 2 in the direction of arrow a in FIG. Is supplied. This steam is sprayed on the rice via the wire mesh primary conveyor 4, and as a result, rice is cooked. At this time, the rice is swollen by the steam.

The steam from the steam feeder is continuously cleaned and kept wet by the steam cleaner 40.

Further, a steam heating device (not shown) is separately provided, and the steam heating device steam-heats the cooked rice at a temperature of about 100 to 110 ° C.

On the other hand, at the same time as the supply of steam from the steam supply device, hot water of about 90 ° C. is added to the cooked rice from the water addition devices 6, 6, 6 in a shower form. The surface of the cooked rice that is about to swell due to such steam heating is in a state where water easily penetrates, and by being added in this state, the cooked rice absorbs moisture suitably.

Further, the cooked rice conveyed by the primary steaming device 2 is added to water by the above-described water dispenser 6 and simultaneously loosened by the crusher 7.

It is to be noted that, from the sprinkler 6, a penelope (oil) from the oil tank 26 and p
The pH adjusting agent from the H adjusting agent tank 27 is sprayed.

Next, the rice steamed by the primary steaming device 2 as described above is supplied to the secondary steaming device 3.

In this case, the secondary conveyor 8 of the secondary steaming device 3 is positioned below the primary conveyor 4 so as to have a step of a predetermined dimension with respect to the primary conveyor 4 of the primary steaming device 2. Therefore, when the rice is transferred from the primary conveyor 4 to the secondary conveyor 8, the primary steamed rice falls by a predetermined size.

As described above, the rice after the primary steaming, which has fallen on the primary conveyor 4, has fallen by the above-mentioned step, and thus the rice grains which have not been fully swollen in the primary steaming step but are clogged. Will swell at once. In addition, by dropping such a predetermined dimension,
Air flows between the rice grains, thereby creating a thickness in the layer of cooked rice transferred in the subsequent secondary steaming process.

By the way, the rice which had been transported with a thickness of about 60 mm at the time of the primary steaming dropped on the secondary conveyor 8 and had a thickness of about 100 mm to 120 mm on the secondary conveyor 8 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. Will be transferred to

In the case where cooked rice is conveyed on the secondary conveyor 8 in the secondary steaming device 3, steam is supplied from the steam supply device to the conveyed cooked rice. At the same time, add about 90
The hot water of ° C. is hydrated in the form of a shower and loosened by the crusher 11.

In this secondary steaming apparatus 3 as well, the cooked rice is steam-heated at a temperature of about 100 to 110 ° C. as in the case of the primary steaming apparatus 2. 120 ° C to 130 ° C with saturated steam to improve
To be heated.

As a result, the cooked rice can be transferred in a swollen state, so that it is possible to cook the rice in the secondary steaming step with a much smaller amount of water than in the primary steaming step.

In particular, the cooked rice conveyed on the secondary conveyor 8 has a size of about 100 mm when air flows between the rice grains as described above.
Since it is conveyed on the secondary conveyor 8 with a thickness of about 120 mm, the steam from the steam supplier easily enters between the rice grains, and the hot water to be added is also used effectively.

During the primary steaming process and the secondary steaming process in the primary steaming device 2 and the secondary steaming device 3 as described above,
Separately from the supply of steam from the steam supply device, by adding hot water of about 90 ° C. from the water adding devices 6,10, the inside of the rice grains is pregelatinized.

Further, the crushers 7, 11 are loosened while being hydrated as described above.
The hot water hydrated as described above uniformly adheres to the cooked rice, and as a result, the pregelatinization of the rice grains is performed more reliably.

In addition, as a result of the reliable gelatinization by the hot water from the water heaters 6 and 10 as described above, the rice cooked into the high-temperature water between the primary steaming step and the secondary steaming step as in the prior art. No immersion step is required.

As a result, the primary steaming device 2 and the secondary steaming device 3 can be installed close to each other as described above, and the entire device can be significantly reduced in size as compared with the conventional one.

Further, the cooked rice cooked after the primary steaming and the secondary steaming are completed is supplied to the cooling device 12.

The cooked rice supplied to the cooling device 12 is conveyed by a conveyor 13, and at the time of the conveyance, the air cooling device 16
As a result, the air is cooled by the air supplied to the cooling unit 14 via the duct tube 15.

In the cooling device 12, the temperature of the cooked rice is cooled from about 80 ° C. to a desired temperature (eg, about 25 ° C.).

The cooling device 12 is also a device that is also used for seasoning. Salt water, vinegar, and a seasoning solution are sprayed from the salt water tank 23, the vinegar tank 24, and the seasoning solution tank 25 from a sprayer 38, and a crusher. At 39, the cooked rice is unraveled and seasoned appropriately.

Further, each of the primary steaming device 2, the secondary steaming device 3, and the cooling device 12 has an ultrasonic cleaning device 5,
9, 17, or a high-pressure washing device capable of injecting a chemical solution is provided, so that the glue content of cooked rice adheres to the meshes of the conveyors 4, 8, and 13 to supply steam from the steam supply device. The ultrasonic cleaning device 5,
The glue adhered to the meshes of the conveyors 4, 8, and 13 can be removed by the 9, 17, or high-pressure washing device, and the supply of steam can be constantly maintained smoothly.

Further, since the steam generated in the primary steaming device 2, the secondary steaming device 3, and the cooling device 12 is discharged by the exhaust ducts 18, 19, and 20, the steam does not stay in each device.

The type of cooked rice cooked and cooked by the above-mentioned steamed rice cooker can be applied to red rice, wild vegetables, gomoku rice and the like, in addition to plain white rice, and the type is not limited.

Further, the number of the water heaters 6 and 10 provided in the primary steaming device 2 and the secondary steaming device 3, respectively, is not limited to three or four in this embodiment, and the number is not limited. .

Further, the means for adding water does not matter.
In short, it is sufficient that water is added in each of the primary steaming step and the secondary steaming step.

The means for supplying steam in both steps is not limited.

Further, in the above embodiment, the rice cooker after the secondary steaming step is cooled by the cooling device 12, so that about 80% of the cooked rice is cooled.
C. The rice cooked at a temperature of .degree. C. can be cooled at a stroke to a desired temperature (for example, about 25.degree. C.). Not a required condition.

In the above embodiment, the provision of the ultrasonic cleaning devices 5, 9, 17, or the ultrasonic cleaning device can prevent the adhesion of the adhesive to the meshes of the conveyors 4, 8, 13 as described above. However, the preferred effect that rice can be cooked for a long time was obtained.
The provision of 9, 17 is not an essential condition of the present invention.

Further, the width of the conveyors 4, 8, 13 and the like are not questioned, but the ultrasonic cleaning devices 5, 9,
When the 17 is provided, the ultrasonic cleaning devices 5, 9, and 17 correspond to the size of the ultrasonic cleaning device currently used in order to effectively prevent the conveyors 4, 8, and 13 from being clogged. It is preferable that the width is set to 600 mm or less.

However, if the size of the ultrasonic cleaning device is increased in the future, it is possible to increase the width to 600 mm or more. In the case of a high-pressure cleaning device, the width is set to 700 mm or more. It is also possible. In any case, the width of the conveyors 4, 8, and 13 does not matter.

The conveyor speed of the conveyors 4, 8, 13 is also
It can be arbitrarily changed according to the purpose.

Further, in the above embodiment, since the crushers 7, 11, and 39 were provided, a favorable effect was obtained in which the warm water to be hydrated adhered to the cooked rice evenly as described above to promote the pregelatinization of the cooked rice. The provision of the crushers 7, 11, 39 is not an essential condition of the present invention.

The shape of the crushers 7, 11, 39 is not limited.

Further, in the above embodiment, the primary steaming device 2
Since the shutter 37 was provided near the entrance of the shutter, the preferable effects as described above were obtained.
Is not an essential condition for the present invention.

In short, in the present invention, it is sufficient that the primary steaming device 2 and the secondary steaming device 3 having the water adding means are provided.

In the above embodiment, the water is sprinkled with hot water of about 90 ° C., but the temperature of the sprinkled hot water is not limited to this. In short, the temperature may be in the range of 70 to 95 ° C.

[0076]

[0077]

Further, the primary conveyor 4 and the secondary conveyor 8
The size of the step is not limited and may vary depending on the size of the apparatus, but it is preferable that there be a size difference of about 100 to 150 mm excluding the drum diameter of the primary conveyor 4. Accordingly, the drop size of the cooked rice from the primary conveyor 4 to the secondary conveyor 8 is obtained by adding the drum diameter of the primary conveyor 4 to the size of 100 to 150 mm, and the actual drop size of the cooked rice is approximately 200 to 350 mm. About.

Further, the means for supplying rice to the primary steaming device 2 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0080]

As described above, according to the present invention, in both the primary steaming and the secondary steaming performed by supplying steam to cooked rice,
Because the primary steam and the secondary steam are to be added to the rice to be steamed, suitable rice cooking is performed without performing immersion with high-temperature water as in the related art between the steps of the primary steaming and the secondary steaming. It will be.

By the way, in the conventional method having such a immersion step using high-temperature water between the primary steaming and the secondary steaming, the starch of rice becomes sticky and sticky at the time of immersion, and the operation time of the apparatus is reduced. Although it was about 7 hours, in the present invention, suitable rice can be cooked simply by adding water by primary steaming and secondary steaming without immersion in such high-temperature water, so that continuous rice cooking for 100 hours or more is possible. There is an effect that driving becomes possible.

Further, as the immersion step as described above becomes unnecessary, there is an effect that rice can be cooked in a small amount.

Further, the primary steaming device and the secondary steaming device can be installed close to each other, and as a result, there is an effect that the whole device can be significantly reduced in size as compared with the conventional one.

More importantly, since the secondary conveyor is provided below the primary conveyor so as to have a step relative to the primary conveyor, the secondary conveyor is moved from the primary conveyor 4 to the secondary conveyor. When transported, the primary steamed rice will fall by the distance of the step, and as a result, the rice grains that have been clogged without swelling in the primary steaming process will swell at a stretch,
The pregelatinization of the cooked rice is suitably performed.

[0085] Further, the fall of a predetermined size causes air to flow between the rice grains, so that steam from the steam supply unit easily enters between the rice grains, and hot water that is added with water is effectively used. Will be done.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a steaming and rice cooking apparatus as one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view for explaining a process of transporting and sprinkling water on a conveyor.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic plan view of a main part showing an arrangement state of a sprinkler and a crusher.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Steamed rice cooker main body 2 ... Primary steaming device 3 ... Secondary steaming device 4 ... Primary conveyor 6,10 ... Hydraulizer 8 ... Secondary conveyor

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. Steam is supplied to cooked rice conveyed on a primary conveyor (4) and is sprinkled with hot water at 70 to 95 ° C.
The primary steamed rice is then steamed, and the rice after the primary steaming is placed below the primary conveyor (4) so as to have a step with respect to the primary conveyor (4). After dropping to the secondary conveyor (8), the primary conveyor (4)
Supplies the steam to the cooked rice being conveyed the secondary conveyor (8) in thick thicknesses state than boiled rice being conveyed, 7
A steamed rice cooking method characterized by performing secondary steaming by adding water by sprinkling with hot water of 0 to 95 ° C. 2. A primary conveyor for conveying the cooked rice and (4), the
Thicker than rice transported on the primary conveyor (4)
In order to transport the cooked rice in a state, a secondary conveyor (8) provided below the primary conveyor (4) so as to have a step with respect to the primary conveyor (4), and the primary conveyor ( 4) and steam supply means for supplying steam to the secondary conveyor (8), and watering the cooked rice conveyed on the primary conveyor (4) and the secondary conveyor (8) with hot water at 70 to 95 ° C. A steamed rice cooker for rice cooked with water adding means.