JP3104137U - Packed rice production equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for efficiently manufacturing packed rice that can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time and retains its original taste is provided.
Kind Code: A1 A sterilizing pot capable of accommodating a predetermined number of containers filled with rice by a fixed quantity rice filling means in an open state, and rice in a container in the sterilizing pot by high-temperature steam introduced into the sterilizing pot. A rice cooking water filling means 13, a rice cooking water filling means 13, a steam rice cooking means 15, and a sealing means 16 for hermetically sealing and packing the opening of the container after cooking, and at least sterilization. The area including the rice cooking water filling means from the outlet of the kettle is accommodated in the first clean booth 14, and at least the area from the outlet of the rice cooking means to the entrance of the sealing means is accommodated in the second clean booth 18.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing packed rice, and more particularly to an apparatus for efficiently manufacturing packed rice that can be stored for a long period of time and retains its original taste.

  A so-called retort food is known as a sterilized packed food. It is manufactured by filling and sealing foods such as cooked rice in a container and then sterilizing under high temperature and high pressure conditions. The heat-resistant bacteria can be almost completely killed, and it can be said that the food is highly safe.

  However, since the food filled and sealed in the container is subjected to high-temperature sterilization for several tens of minutes or longer, there is a problem that the original taste of the food is significantly impaired. In addition, the retort sterilization process requires several tens of minutes, resulting in poor food production efficiency.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for efficiently manufacturing packed rice that can be stored at room temperature for a long period of time and retains its original taste.

  In order to solve this problem, the present invention according to claim 1 has a rice quantitative filling means for quantitatively filling rice-soaked rice into a single serving container, and a container filled with rice-soaked rice solubilized in a fixed state. A sterilizing pot capable of storing a predetermined number of pieces, steam sterilizing means for sterilizing rice in a container accommodated in the sterilizing pot with high-temperature steam introduced into the sterilizing pot, and a sterilizing pot after sterilization by the steam sterilizing means. A rice cooking water filling means for filling a predetermined amount of rice cooking water into the container taken out, a rice cooking means for steam cooking rice in the container filled with the cooking water, and an opening of the container after steam cooking by the rice cooking means is hermetically sealed. At least a region including the rice cooking water filling unit from the outlet of the sterilizing pot is accommodated in the first clean booth, and at least a region extending from the outlet of the rice cooking unit to the inlet of the sealing unit is provided with a second unit. Chestnut It is packed cooked rice manufacturing apparatus according to claim contained in Nbusu.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the packed rice cooker according to the first aspect, wherein a steam supply port for supplying steam having a predetermined vapor pressure into the sterilization pot is provided to the sterilization pot, and steam in the sterilization pot is externally supplied. Control means for controlling the steam supply from the steam supply port and the steam discharge from the steam discharge port so as to maintain the inside of the sterilization pot at a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined time. Is further provided.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the packed rice cooker according to the second aspect, the control means controls the inside of the sterilizing pot to be maintained at 130 to 150 ° C. for 5 seconds to 10 minutes.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the packed rice cooker according to the second or third aspect, further comprising a discharge pipe with a valve for discharging water, steam, or air remaining in the sterilizing pot to the outside. Means are as follows: After a predetermined number of containers filled with rice washed and immersed in rice are stored in a sterilizing pot in an open state, while supplying steam of a predetermined vapor pressure into the sterilizing pot from a steam supply port, a valve of a discharge pipe is provided. Is opened and closed to discharge the residual water and / or residual gas in the sterilization pot to the outside, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the valve and the steam supply valve of the discharge pipe are opened and closed to perform control.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the packed cooked rice manufacturing apparatus of this invention, the packed cooked rice which can be preserve | saved at normal temperature for a long period of time and maintains original taste can be manufactured efficiently. Therefore, it is suitable as a device for producing foods to be sold at convenience stores or the like with a long shelf life.

  Packed rice manufactured according to the present invention is easy for consumers to eat with the same taste and texture as freshly cooked by heating it in a microwave oven, etc. For a store such as a convenience store, it is possible to eliminate waste loss due to excessive purchase of daily delivery items and loss of sales chance due to insufficient purchase, resulting in an extremely large cost merit.

  FIG. 1 shows an apparatus for manufacturing packed rice in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, together with its manufacturing process.

  Rice (milled rice) milled by the milling machine 1 is stored in the rice storage 2. After the rice is washed by a conventional method in the rice washing device 3, the rice is immersed by a multiplicative method in the immersion device 4 to obtain a predetermined moisture content (about 10 to 30%).

  On the other hand, the container 10 is supplied by the container supply device 6. The container 10 has heat resistance such that it does not soften and deform even when exposed to a high temperature of about 130 to 150 ° C. in steam sterilization, and oxygen impermeability to substantially prevent secondary contamination after hermetically sealing. A rice food accommodating recess 10a having a capacity necessary and sufficient for accommodating one serving of cooked rice to be supplied to consumers as packed rice from a plastic material having properties, and a flange portion 10b extending outward from the upper end thereof. It is molded into a substantially dish or tray shape. Polypropylene is mainly used for the plastic material of the container 10, but if necessary, a laminate of polypropylene with polyvinylidene chloride or ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer resin, polyethylene terephthalate resin, rolled aluminum foil between the front and back polypropylene layers, etc. What laminated | stacked the metal foil of this as a core layer, etc. can be used.

  The rice fixed quantity filling device 11 adjusts the container 10 supplied by the container supply device 6 to a predetermined amount of rice 7 (one washed with the rice washing device 3 and adjusted to a predetermined water content by the immersion device 4). Is filled).

  The container 10 in which rice is quantitatively filled by the rice quantitative filling device 11 is subjected to a surface leveling treatment for smoothing the surface of the rice as necessary, and then a predetermined number of the containers 10 are put together into a batch-type sterilizing pot 12. It is thrown.

  The configuration of the batch type sterilization pot 12 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and has a front lid 121 that can be opened and closed by operating a handle 121 a. A predetermined number of containers 10 filled with a fixed quantity of rice are placed on each of a plurality of sterilization trays 122, and a stack of these is placed on a cart 123 with rollers. This is transported to the sterilizing pot 12 by another carriage or the like, and the front lid 121 is opened to be carried into the sterilizing pot 12. Supports 124 and 124 are provided inside the sterilizing pot 12 so as to face each other. The cart 123 can be placed on these supports and can be accommodated in the sterilizing pot 12 while being rolled by rollers.

  Steam from a steam generator (not shown) is fed into the sterilization pot 12 via a steam supply pipe 125, a steam sterilization filter 126, and a valve 125a. Further, a discharge pipe 127 and a valve 127a for discharging drain water and steam / air in the sterilization pot 12 are provided. Further, a steam discharge pipe 128 is connected to an upper portion of the sterilization pot 12. Reference numeral 129 denotes a control panel for controlling a sterilization process performed by the sterilization pot 12.

After the predetermined number of sterilization trays 122 (the predetermined number of rice-filled containers 10 are placed on the sterilization trays 122 of each stage) together with the carriage 123 are completely accommodated in the sterilization pot 12, the front lid 121 is closed. Close. Next, steam is introduced into the sterilizer 12 at a predetermined steam pressure (for example, about 3 to 8 kgf / cm ² ). At this time, since the valve 127a of the discharge pipe 127 is open, the drain water and the steam / air remaining in the sterilizing pot 12 are expelled by the introduction of steam, and are discharged out of the system via the discharge pipe 127. You.

  After this processing is performed for a predetermined time (for example, about several seconds to several minutes), the valve 127a is closed to form a sealed space in the sterilization pot 12. Since the steam supply is continued even after the sterilization pot 12 is sealed, by closing the valve 127a, the internal pressure of the sterilization pot 12 and the steam temperature in the sterilization pot 12 gradually increase. An example of the temperature rise in the sterilization pot 12 is shown in FIG. 4, and from about 60 ° C. when the valve 127a is closed (because the residual heat from the previous sterilization process remains), it is 100 ° C. or more in only about 30 seconds. After about 1 minute and 30 seconds, the temperature reaches about 140 ° C., and after this maximum temperature continues for about 30 seconds, it is maintained at 100 ° C. or more until about 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Such temperature control is performed by valve control by the control panel 129. Specifically, the opening degree control of the valve 125a for controlling the amount / speed of steam supply to the sterilization pot 12 and the steam control from the steam discharge pipe 128 The control of the opening of the valve for controlling the discharge amount / speed is arbitrarily combined.

  After the container 10 accommodated in the sterilization pot 12 and the rice 7 therein are exposed to high-temperature and high-pressure steam for a predetermined time to perform the sterilization process, the steam supply is stopped, and the high-temperature and high-pressure The steam is discharged from the steam discharge pipe 128, and one batch processing is completed.

  With such a configuration and processing steps, a predetermined number of containers 10 filled with a predetermined amount of rice by the rice fixed amount filling device 11 can be put together and sterilized in a batch manner in a short time. Since the container 10 is opened without being hermetically sealed at the time of the sterilization treatment in the sterilization pot 12, the high temperature conditions formed in the sterilization pot 12 directly affect the container 10 and the rice filled therein. It is transmitted to. Therefore, even if it is for a short time, by sterilizing at a high temperature of 130 to 150 ° C., the rice in the container 10 and the container is efficiently sterilized, and not only general viable bacteria but also heat-resistant bacteria are substantially eliminated. Can be killed. At the same time, the rice in each container 10 promotes pregelatinization, water absorption, and the structure of the fragile rice, so that in the subsequent rice cooking, it is possible to produce rice with a firm grainy texture. it can.

  After a short-time batch-type sterilization treatment is performed in the sterilization pot 12, the front lid 121 of the sterilization pot 12 is opened, and the cart 123 and the sterilization tray 122 stacked thereon are slid along the support stand 124. The container 20 on each sterilization tray 122 taken out is taken out.

  A predetermined amount of cooked water (water or hot water) is filled into the container 10 taken out of the sterilizing pot 12 from the cooked water filling device 13. In addition, the rice cooked water can be used after being sterilized in advance and further adjusted to a predetermined pH. In the case of manufacturing packed products such as red rice, mixed rice, and squid rice, necessary seasoning liquids, coloring liquids, and the like are filled together with cooking water.

  A region including the rice cooking water filling device 13 from at least the outlet of the sterilizing pot 12 is accommodated in a clean booth (or clean room) 14. The clean booth 14 has a degree of cleanness of about 100 to 1,000. Thereby, even when various bacteria are mixed in the rice in the container 10 at the time when the rice is put into the sterilization pot 12, the rice is sterilized by the direct steam sterilization treatment in the sterilization pot 12, and this is filled with the rice cooking water filling device 13. It will be maintained after processing.

  The steam rice cooker 15 may be of a known type, and steam cooks the rice in the container 10 filled with the rice cooking water by an ordinary method. Steam of about 100 ° C is used as steam for cooking rice, and it cooks rice deliciously and kills microorganisms that may have adhered to the container 10 or its contents as a secondary sterilization treatment. Can be.

  In order to save space, it is preferable to use a multi-row, multi-stage gondola driven by circulation for the steam rice cooker 15. That is, a multi-tiered structure in which shelves capable of accommodating a plurality of (for example, 4 to 10) containers 10, 10,... A plurality of gondola (for example, 8 to 70 gondola) is used, and a transport device is installed in which these multi-stage gondola are connected at equal intervals to a chain conveyor that is driven to rotate on a vertical plane. As the shelf for accommodating the container 10, for example, openings for fitting the container main body 10a are formed by the number of trays accommodated, and by locking the upper end flange 10b of the container to an edge around the opening. What has the structure which accommodates a container in a suspended state can be used.

  When such a multi-row multi-stage gondola is used, the container 10 filled with sterilized rice and rice cooking water moves above the steam rice cooker 15 by any transfer device and returns. It is sent to each stage of the empty multi-stage gondola. Then, the gondola containing the containers 10 in all stages is sent into the steam room of the steam rice cooker 15, and steam rice is performed for a predetermined time (for example, 25 to 45 minutes) while moving in the steam room.

  The steam room of the steam rice cooker 15 may be divided into a plurality of zones, and the temperature may be controlled independently for each zone. Thereby, the optimal steam temperature can be set according to the rice cooking process.

  The cooked gondola is lifted by the chain conveyor, and the trays are sent out one by one onto the conveyor. The emptied gondola returns toward the entrance of the steam rice cooker 15 to prepare for the next container.

  The sealing device 16 seals and seals a container for accommodating rice steam-cooked by the steam rice cooker 15 by covering the container with UV-sterilized lid material 17, and may use a known heat sealing machine. If necessary, trimming means for cutting unnecessary portions of the sealed lid member 17 is provided. In order to prevent quality deterioration after hermetic sealing, the lid member 17 is preferably a film molded of a plastic material having oxygen impermeability similar to the material of the container 10 described above, and is mainly made of polyethylene or polypropylene. Those having easy peel properties are preferably used. The sealing may be performed after flushing an inert gas such as a nitrogen gas into the container 10. If necessary, enclose a deoxidized material and hermetically seal.

  The transfer of the container 10 from the outlet of the steam rice cooker 15 to the sealing device 16 is performed by a conveyor or the like, but during this time, various bacteria may be mixed in due to exposure to the outside air, which may cause secondary contamination. To prevent this, at least a region from the outlet of the steam rice cooker 15 to the inlet of the sealing device 16 is housed in a clean booth (clean room) 18. The clean booth 18 has a degree of cleanness of about 100 to 1000 class. For example, a tunnel-shaped booth is provided between the outlet of the steam rice cooker 15 and the sealing device 16, and a clean air generator is attached to the upper center of the booth to continuously feed clean air. The inside of the clean booth 18 is maintained at a positive pressure (for example, a pressure higher than the outside air pressure by about 0.5 to 2 mmAq), and clean air flows from the top to the bottom of the booth and from the center to the outer periphery. It is preferable to prevent the contaminated outside air from entering the inside by flowing in the opposite direction (from the sealing device 16 to the steam rice cooker 15).

  After the container 10 is hermetically sealed by the sealing device 15, the container 10 is put into the steaming machine 19 and steamed for a predetermined time by a conventional method, so that the water absorption rate of the upper layer and the lower layer after cooking rice is uniform and the rice is pregelatinized. Promote it. Inverting the hermetically sealed container prior to the steaming process promotes equalization of the moisture content above and below the rice in the tray. After the steaming treatment, cooling is performed to prevent a stuffy smell, but the container may be passed through the cold water tank 20 to be cooled. It is preferable to use the same multi-stage multi-row gondola as the steam rice cooker 15 for the steamer 19 and the cold water tank 20 to improve the processing efficiency.

  After cooling, return the inverted container to its original position, perform surface drying if necessary, and further perform post-processing processes such as printing of manufacturing date and expiration date, pinhole inspection, weight inspection, etc. It is shipped as packed rice 21.

  The cooked rice 21 thus manufactured has been subjected to a sterilization process using high-temperature and high-pressure steam, and a secondary sterilization process is also performed by the steam rice cooking process. Certain areas are shielded from outside air by the clean booths 14 and 18, and the contents are shielded from the outside air by the oxygen-impermeable container 10 and the lid member 17, thereby preventing secondary contamination. It can be stored for a long period of time (about 6 months to 1 year) even at room temperature. Therefore, after purchasing, a consumer can easily eat rice having the same taste and texture as freshly cooked by heating the microwave for about 1 to 3 minutes. In addition, for a store such as a convenience store, there is no waste loss due to excessive purchase or a loss in sales chance due to insufficient purchase, and a very large cost merit can be obtained.

  In the embodiment described above, two clean booths 14 and 18 are used. However, at least a region from the outlet of the sterilizing pot 12 to the inlet of the sealing device 16 may be accommodated in one clean booth.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing step by the packed rice manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic side view of a sterilization pot in this device. It is a schematic front view of the sterilization pot of the state which accommodated the multiple stages of sterilization trays (the predetermined number of containers filled with the fixed quantity of rice are each mounted) with the cart. It is a correlation graph of temperature rise and time passage by introducing steam to a closed sterilization pot. It is a model figure of the steam sterilization process performed in a sterilization pot.

Explanation of reference numerals

10 Container 11 Rice quantitative filling device (rice quantitative filling means)
12 Sterilization pot (steam sterilization means)
13 Rice cooking water filling device (rice cooking water filling means)
14 Clean booth (first clean booth)
15 Steam rice cooker (rice cooking means)
16. Sealing device (sealing means)
17 Lid 18 Clean booth (second clean booth)
21 pack rice

Claims (4)

A rice quantitative filling means for quantitatively filling the rice-washed rice into a single serving container, and a sterilizing pot capable of storing a predetermined number of the rice-washed rice immersed rice containers in an open state and having a sterilizing pot therein. Steam sterilizing means for sterilizing rice in a container housed in the sterilizing pot with the introduced high-temperature steam, and rice cooking water filling means for filling a predetermined amount of rice cooking water into a container taken out of the sterilizing pot after sterilization by the steam sterilizing means. And rice cooking means for steam-cooking rice in a container filled with cooking water, and sealing means for hermetically sealing and packing the opening of the container after steam cooking by the rice cooking means, and at least from the outlet of the sterilizing pot. Packed rice characterized in that an area including a rice cooking water filling means is accommodated in a first clean booth, and at least an area from an outlet of the rice cooking means to an inlet of the sealing means is accommodated in a second clean booth. Manufacturing equipment. The sterilization pot is provided with a steam supply port for supplying steam of a predetermined vapor pressure into the sterilization pot and a steam discharge port for discharging the steam in the sterilization pot to the outside. 2. The apparatus for producing cooked rice according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling the steam discharge from the steam discharge port to maintain the inside of the sterilizing pot at a predetermined temperature range for a predetermined time. The packed rice cooker according to claim 2, wherein the control means controls the inside of the sterilizing pot to be maintained at 130 to 150C for 5 seconds to 10 minutes. A discharge pipe with a valve for discharging water, steam or air remaining in the sterilizing pot to the outside is provided. Then, while supplying steam of a predetermined vapor pressure into the sterilization pot through the steam supply port, the valve of the discharge pipe is opened and closed to discharge residual water and / or residual gas in the sterilization pot to the outside. The packed rice cooker according to claim 2 or 3, wherein a valve of a discharge pipe and a steam supply valve are opened and closed to control after a lapse of time.

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