JP3336101B2 - Method for manufacturing cooked rice, apparatus for manufacturing cooked rice - 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 producing cooked and prepackaged cooked rice having a long shelf life, which can be easily served by heating only in a microwave oven or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art According to the production method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-207356, a shipping packaging container is filled with cereals, water, oils and fats, organic acids, and the like, so that air can flow without resistance. After being covered with a covering material having a vent hole, heating, cooking and sterilization are performed with steam from a non-pressurized steamer.
Thereafter, the cooked rice is transferred together with the shipping packaging into the bioclean room, and the ventilation holes of the shipping packaging are sealed.
As described above, according to this manufacturing method, it is not necessary to perform a complicated filling operation for packaging cooked rice, and it is possible to ship and package cooked rice that is hygienic and suitable for long-term storage.

[0003]

However, when cooked rice is manufactured by the above-described manufacturing method, since water accumulates at the bottom of the shipping packaging container, it is necessary to manufacture high-quality cooked rice uniformly containing water. There was a problem of difficulty. The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing cooked rice which contains moisture uniformly and is capable of producing high-quality packaged cooked rice, and an apparatus for producing the cooked rice. And

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a step of filling a shipping container with cereals and water, and a step of filling an opening of the shipping container are performed. Covering with a covering material having ventilation holes , heating the shipping container filled with cereals and water under an atmosphere of steam
The step of cooking rice and then the cereals and water filled
Heating by irradiating the shipping container with electromagnetic waves
And a step of evaporating . According to claim 2, a step of filling the shipping container with cereals and water, a step of covering an opening of the shipping container with a covering material, a step of forming a vent in the covering material, Heating the shipping container filled with water and water in a steam atmosphere
Cooking and then filling with cereals and water
Heating by irradiating the shipping container with electromagnetic waves
And a step of evaporating water .
In the third aspect, a conveying means for conveying the shipping container, and means for filling the cereals and water to the shipping container, means covered by a coating material having a vent opening of the shipping container And rice cooking means for heating the shipping container filled with cereals and water in an atmosphere of steam, and the rice cooking means
By irradiating the treated shipping container with electromagnetic waves
And means for evaporating water by heating . In the fourth aspect, a conveying means for conveying the shipping container, and means for filling the cereals and water to the shipping container, and means for covering the dressing the opening of the shipping container, the cover Means for forming ventilation holes in the material, and heating the shipping container filled with cereals and water under a steam atmosphere
Rice cooking means to be processed and the shipping
Heating the container by irradiating electromagnetic waves to evaporate water
And means for causing it to be provided.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a predetermined amount of cereals, water, oils and fats, organic acids and the like are filled in a shipping packaging container, and the container is ventilated so as to allow air to flow without resistance. With a coating material having This is heated by steam together with the shipping container and cooked. Thereafter, the entire shipping container is heated by electromagnetic waves. During this manufacturing process, the moisture remaining at the bottom of the shipping container evaporates, and the vapor is uniformly diffused throughout the cooked rice in the shipping container. Thereafter, the shipping container is covered with a covering material with no air flow, and the packaging is completed.
In this way, it is possible to produce cooked rice without causing deterioration in quality due to uneven moisture.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show an apparatus for producing cooked rice according to an embodiment of the present invention. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a conveyor for transporting shipping containers in the apparatus in order to perform the processing according to the present invention. Conveyor 1
, The shipping containers are sequentially placed thereon, and can be transported to the downstream side. On the upstream side of the conveyor 1, a predetermined amount of grains, water, oils and fats, organic acids, etc. are measured. Each of the shipping containers is individually filled, and a shipping container supply mechanism for sending the shipping containers onto the conveyor 1 is provided (not shown). Further, on the downstream side of the conveyor 1, there is provided a take-out mechanism (not shown) for taking out the shipping container for which the packaging process has been completed.

A. FIG. 1 is described below. Along the conveying direction of the conveyor 1, a weight inspection device 2, a pinhole inspection device 3, a coating device 4, a metal detection device 5, a steam heating device 6, an electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11, and a coating device 14 are provided. In the cooked rice manufacturing apparatus according to the above configuration, a predetermined amount of cereals, water, oils and fats, organic acids, and the like, which are measured in advance, are filled in the shipping container and placed on the conveyor 1. Then, they are sequentially sent on the conveyor 1 toward the downstream side.

When passing through the conveyor 1, the weight of the cereals in the shipping container is first inspected by the weight inspection device 2. The weight inspection device 2 is a device for measuring the weight of the shipping container and grains and the like in the shipping container. If the measured weight does not match the predetermined amount, the shipping container is discharged from the conveyor 1. It has the function to do. Here, if the measured weight does not match the predetermined amount, the shipping container and the grains in the container may
Exhausted from above.

Next, the shipping container is sent to the pinhole inspection device 3. The shipping container is inspected by the pinhole inspection device 3 for the presence or absence of a pinhole. The pinhole inspection device 3 is a device for inspecting the shipping container for damages due to pinholes and the like, and has a function of discharging the shipping container from the conveyor 1 if the pinholes or the like are damaged. Have. Here, when the shipping container has a pinhole, the shipping container is discharged from the conveyor 1.

Next, the shipping container is sent to the coating apparatus 4. The coating device 4 is a device for coating the opening of the shipping container with a coating material having a ventilation hole large enough to allow air to flow without resistance. The shipping container is a coating device 4
In (2), the opening surface of the container is covered with a covering material having a ventilation hole large enough to allow air to flow therethrough without resistance.

Next, the shipping container is sent to a metal inspection device 5. The metal inspection device 5 is a device that inspects whether grains in the shipping container are mixed with metal foreign matter. If the metal foreign material is mixed in the shipping container, the metal inspection device 5 Is discharged from the conveyor 1. The shipping container is inspected by a metal inspection device 5 for the presence of a metal object inside. At this time, if metal foreign matter is mixed in the shipping container, the shipping container is discharged from the conveyor 1.

Next, the shipping container is a steam heating device 6.
Sent to The steam heating device 6 is a device for heating cereals in a shipping container with steam. Here, the cereals in the shipping container are cooked by steam heating together with the shipping container to be cooked rice.

Next, the shipping container is an electromagnetic wave irradiator 1
Sent to 1. The electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 is a device for heating cooked rice with electromagnetic waves. Here, the cooked rice is irradiated with the electromagnetic wave together with the shipping container in the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 and reheated. As a result, the water remaining at the bottom of the shipping container evaporates, and the vapor is uniformly diffused throughout the cooked rice in the shipping container. Further, since steam is not used for heating, the water inside the shipping container does not further increase. Here, an example of the frequency of the electromagnetic wave used in the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 includes a frequency of a microwave band used for a microwave oven or the like.

Next, the shipping container is sent to the coating apparatus 14. The coating device 14 is a device that applies a coating to the shipping container to seal the ventilation holes. Here, the shipping container has a ventilation hole having a size enough to allow air to flow without resistance in the coating device 14 in the coating device 14, and is sealed with a coating material without air flow. You. here,
Packaging for shipping is completed.

B. Configuration of Electromagnetic Wave Heating Device Unit FIG. 2 will be described below. The electromagnetic wave oscillating device 7 is a device that excites an electromagnetic wave to irradiate cooked rice in the electromagnetic wave irradiating device 11 using a magnetron or a klystron. Sent to The waveguide 8 is a component that propagates the electromagnetic wave excited by the electromagnetic wave oscillation device 7 to the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11. In the apparatus having the configuration shown in FIG. 2, when irradiating an electromagnetic wave to cooked rice, the electromagnetic wave once directed to the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 is reflected and returns to the electromagnetic wave oscillation device 7, and the electromagnetic wave oscillation device 7 may be destroyed. Therefore, an isolator 9 is inserted in the middle of the waveguide 8 between the electromagnetic wave oscillating device 7 and the electromagnetic wave irradiating device 11 to absorb the reflected wave and prevent the electromagnetic wave oscillating device 7 from being destroyed. Further, the electromagnetic wave oscillating device 7 and the electromagnetic wave irradiating device 11
The tuner 10 is inserted in the middle of the waveguide 8 between the two to match the reflected wave and the incident wave. Electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11
A stirrer 12 that stirs the electromagnetic waves is installed inside the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 so that the electromagnetic waves radiated inside the electromagnetic waves are uniformly and efficiently irradiated on the cooked rice. As a result, the electromagnetic waves are agitated, and the cooked rice is uniformly and efficiently irradiated. Further, the electromagnetic wave may leak from the opening of the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 and cause radio interference. Therefore, in order to prevent leakage of the electromagnetic wave, the electromagnetic wave irradiation device 11 is used.
A shielding blind 13 made of a conductor is attached to the opening.

According to the method for manufacturing cooked rice and the apparatus for manufacturing cooked rice according to the present embodiment, the water remaining at the bottom of the shipping container at the time of cooking rice is diffused as steam to the whole cooked rice, thereby achieving uniform water. . For this reason, it is possible to avoid deterioration of the quality of cooked rice due to moisture, and it is possible to manufacture packaged cooked rice with good cookability.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the following modified examples also belong to the scope of the present invention. (1) In the above embodiment, rice is produced by cooking cereals, but the present invention is of course applicable to cereals other than rice, such as barley and beans. (2) In the above embodiment, in the coating apparatus 4, the opening surface of the shipping container is coated with a coating material having a ventilation hole large enough to allow air to flow without resistance. After covering the opening surface of the shipping container with a covering material that does not allow air to flow, the covering container that covers the opening surface of the shipping container or the shipping container has a size that allows air to flow without resistance. It may be a device having a structure having a perforation function of forming pores. (3) In the above embodiment, the frequency of the radiated electromagnetic wave is set to the frequency of the microwave band used for a microwave oven or the like.
z] and many more frequencies are available. (4) In the above embodiment, the configuration of the electromagnetic wave heating unit is an example in which the frequency of the electromagnetic wave to be applied is set to the frequency of a microwave band used for a microwave oven or the like. When the electromagnetic wave is used, it is a matter of course that the configuration is adapted to the frequency.

[0018]

As described above, according to the method for manufacturing cooked rice and the apparatus for manufacturing cooked rice according to the present invention, the moisture at the bottom of the shipping container diffuses as steam into the whole cooked rice.
Moisture can be made uniform. For this reason, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the quality of cooked rice due to moisture, and to obtain an effect that packaged cooked rice with good cookability can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a structure of an electromagnetic wave heating device in the manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Conveyor 2 Weight inspection device 3 Pinhole inspection device 4 Coating device 5 Metal detection device 6 Steam heating device 7 Electromagnetic wave oscillation device 8 Waveguide 9 Isolator 10 Tuner 11 Electromagnetic wave irradiation device 12 Stirrer 13 Shielding blinds 14 Coating device

Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Takafumi Someya 1-44-1 Nihombashi Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Fujimori Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Satoshi Hayata 1-416 Nihonbashi Bakurocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Fujimori Kogyo Co., Ltd. In-company (72) Inventor Ryusuke Kasai 1-403 Kosugi-cho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Nikka Corporation (56) References JP-A-63-207356 (JP, A) JP-A-1-243954 (JP) , A) JP-A-50-25769 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A23L 1/10

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A step of filling a shipping container with cereals and water, a step of covering an opening of the shipping container with a covering material having a vent, and a step of filling the shipping container with cereals and water. Heating rice in a steam atmosphere and cooking rice.
Then, electromagnetic waves are applied to the shipping container filled with cereals and water.
A step of heating by irradiation to evaporate water , comprising the steps of : 2. A step of filling a shipping container with cereals and water, a step of covering an opening of the shipping container with a covering material, a step of forming a vent in the covering material, Heating the shipping container filled with
Cooking and then before filling with cereals and water
The shipping container is heated by irradiating
And a step of evaporating the amount of cooked rice. A conveying means 3. A conveying the shipping container, and means for filling the cereals and water to the shipping container, and means for covering the opening of the shipping container by a coating material having a vent hole, cereals Rice cooking means for heating the shipping container filled with water and water under an atmosphere of steam;
Heated by irradiating the shipping container with electromagnetic waves.
And a means for evaporating water . And conveying means wherein transporting the shipping container, and means for filling the cereals and water to the shipping container, and means for covering the dressing the opening of the shipping container, through said dressing Means for forming pores, rice cooking means for heating the shipping container filled with cereals and water under a steam atmosphere ,
The shipping container processed by the rice cooking means is irradiated with electromagnetic waves.
Means for evaporating water by heating by irradiation .