JP3564421B2 - Ventilation switching device and switching method for drying and cooling in retort sterilizer etc. - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a blower switching device in a drying step and a cooling step for removing water adhering to an object to be treated after retort sterilization of food in a plastic or aluminum foil packaging container or sterilization treatment of medicines and medical devices. And a switching method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, after sterilization / sterilization treatment of foods and pharmaceuticals, the processing target was dried and cooled in the processing tank as it was, but the processing target stored through trays stacked in multiple stages There was almost no configuration for uniform drying and cooling.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When using hot or cold air to dry and cool the object and tray after sterilization or sterilization, the object to be processed is stored in the tray. Thus, it is difficult to uniformly dry and cool the water, and there is a possibility that insufficient drying or insufficient cooling may occur.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to switch a gas flow path for drying and cooling in a processing tank of a retort sterilizer or a sterilizer, and to prevent insufficient drying and insufficient cooling due to uniform circulation of an air flow. It is an object to provide a ventilation switching device and a switching method as described above.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first invention, a tray for storing an object to be processed is rotatably and horizontally supported on the left and right sides of a tray containing an object to be processed in a retort sterilizer, a sterilizer, and other processing tanks, and can be rotated in conjunction with a drive source outside the tank. In the one group of guide blades sandwiching the tray, the uppermost guide blade closes the inner wall of the processing tank and closes the flow path, and the lowermost guide blade The flow path is opened away from the inner wall of the tank, and the intermediate guide blade group is sequentially overlapped with the edge of the adjacent guide blade to close the flow path, and the other guide blade group sandwiching the tray has the uppermost position. And the lowermost guide blades are in the opposite positions to the above, respectively, the middle is the position that closes the flow path in the same way, or both intermediate guide blade groups sandwiching the tray are all provided in the horizontal position so that the flow path can be opened. , out of the fuselage of the processing tank Gas introduced from the mouth the drying and cooling time of the blower switch device in a retort sterilizer or the like so as to be switched flow path by the guide blades.
[0006]
In the second invention, the guide blade group is rotatable in conjunction with each other, so that the uppermost guide blade on one side of the tray and the inner wall of the processing tank are in close contact with each other to close the flow path, and the lowermost guide blade is The flow path is opened away from the inner wall, the middle guide blade group sequentially overlaps the edge portion and closes the flow path, and among the other guide blade group sandwiching the tray, the uppermost and lowermost guide blades are In the middle, the flow path was similarly closed and the inclined flow path crossing the tray or the opposite inclined flow path was formed.
[0007]
In the third invention, the guide blade group is rotatable in conjunction with each other, so that all of the pair of intermediate guide blade groups are set in a horizontal position, the tray passes from one guide blade group to the other guide blade group, and A horizontal flow path was formed.
[0008]
In the fourth invention, the guide blade group is supported by a shaft via a frame, a tension spring and a stopper are provided, and the guide blade group is rotatable in conjunction with an externally mounted air cylinder or other driving source.
[0009]
In the fifth invention, the air supply / discharge ports provided on both sides of the processing tank are connected to a gas supply system having a heat exchanger and a blower outside the processing tank, and flow through the processing tank in a drying / cooling step after sterilization / sterilization processing. Hot air and cold air flow from the upper side of one tray to the lower side of the other tray and vice versa by opening and closing switching of the guide blade group provided on both sides of the tray, and from the right side to the left side, and in the opposite direction. Was changed.
[0010]
(Action)
In the first invention, the guide blade group is installed on both sides of the tray containing the object to be processed, and these guide blade groups are rotatably supported in the horizontal direction, and the guide blade group is rotatably supported by a driving source outside the tank. Since the flow path can be switched so as to be opened or closed, the gas flow path in the processing tank reaches all inside the processing tank.
[0011]
When the group of guide blades is rotated, the uppermost or lowermost guide blade can close the inner wall of the processing tank to block the passage of gas, and the middle group of guide blades is the end of the adjacent guide blade sequentially. The wall overlaps with the edge to form a single wall, thereby closing the flow path, thereby blocking the passage of gas.
[0012]
Of the group of guide blades, the uppermost or lowermost guide blade blocking the flow path, the other lowermost or uppermost guide blades open the flow path with the inner wall of the processing tank. ing. In the other group of guide blades provided with the tray in between, the blocking and opening states are opposite. Therefore, a flow path is formed from one upper side to the other lower side of the processing tank, and vice versa, or the flow path is switched horizontally from one side to the other side, and also in the opposite direction. Ventilation is now evenly distributed.
[0013]
In the second invention, the guide blade group is rotated and interlocked, whereby the flow path is opened between one of the uppermost or lowermost guide blades and the inner wall of the processing tank, and the lowermost or uppermost guide blade and the middle are interposed. Since the guide blade group is closed, the gas from the gas inlet / outlet forms an inclined flow path from one open uppermost portion or the lowermost portion to the other lowermost portion or the uppermost open portion across the tray. Flowing. Thus, by forming a forced flow path in the processing tank, the drying and cooling of the object to be processed can be surely performed.
[0014]
In the third invention, by unifying all the intermediate guide blade groups horizontally, the gas flows in the horizontal direction to form a horizontal flow path.
[0015]
The above-described inclined flow path and horizontal flow path are switched, maintained, or repeated at regular time intervals, so that the uniform drying / cooling action is further ensured.
[0016]
According to the fourth invention, the guide blade group is supported by a shaft via a frame, fixed at a fixed position by providing a tension spring and a stopper, and can be rotated and interlocked by a driving source such as an air cylinder installed outside the processing tank. By doing so, a closed wall is formed by the guide blades, or an open flow path is formed with all the guide blades being horizontal, so that drying and cooling by gas can be performed more reliably.
[0017]
In the fifth invention, a gas supply system having a heat exchanger or a blower outside the processing tank is connected to the processing tank, so that the temperature during drying and cooling can be adjusted, and the guide blade group is switched in the processing tank. The flow path was changed from one tray above to the other below and in the opposite direction, and the flow path was changed from right to left and in the opposite direction sequentially, so that the drying of the processing object・ Provided a method for switching the air flow with proper and reliable cooling.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In the present invention, after subjecting an object stored in a retort sterilizer or a sterilizer via a tray to high-temperature and high-pressure treatment, drying and removing water attached to the object to be processed, and further cooling the object to a predetermined temperature. An object of the present invention is to provide a ventilation switching device for drying and cooling in a retort sterilizer or the like that can be used.
[0019]
The system that constitutes the entirety of the present invention includes a processing tank that stores an object to be processed and processes it at a high temperature and a high pressure, a tray on which the object is loaded, a holding wheel that holds the stacked trays, and a temperature that is installed outside the processing tank. Includes heat exchangers that produce wind and cold air, heat exchangers that condense water vapor and reduce humidity, and blowers that send air or steam into the treatment tank.
[0020]
Sterilization and sterilization in the treatment tank can be performed by hot water spraying or steam steaming. The object to be treated in a high temperature state, including the tray, the holding wheel and the inside of the treatment tank, which is wet with the adhered water after the treatment, is dried with hot air, and further cooled to a predetermined temperature with cold air to complete the treatment.
[0021]
The tray may be rotated about 90 degrees to remove a large amount of water adhered to the object or the tray after the sterilization / sterilization treatment.
[0022]
A guide blade group including a plurality of guide blades is provided on the left and right sides of the processing tank in correspondence with the stacked trays. All of the guide vanes are connected to the driving part so that the angles can be all changed in the same direction.
[0023]
When the right guide blade group is lowered downward through the frame, the gap between the lowermost guide blade and the inner wall of the processing tank is closed, and the uppermost portion is opened (see FIGS. 3 and 7A). At this time, the left guide blade group is raised upward so that the lower part is opened (see FIG. 3). With this, air from the gas inlet / outlet (connection pipe) on the left side is introduced from the gap between the lowermost guide blade and the inner wall of the processing tank in the processing tank, and crosses the tray obliquely to be processed from above the other guide blade group. It comes out to the right connecting pipe of the tank.
[0024]
When the left and right guide blade groups are reversed, the air flow in the processing tank can be reversed (see FIG. 4). When all of the left and right guide blade groups are horizontal, the air flows across the tray in parallel (see FIG. 5).
[0025]
By switching the angle of the guide blade group in the drying / cooling process in this way, hot air or cold air can be freely switched in the processing tank, and the object to be processed at any position on the tray is dried and cooled in the same state. Variations in the state can be eliminated.
[0026]
Depending on the form of the tray and the object to be treated, there may be a large amount of water adhered or stored water after the sterilization / sterilization treatment. In such a case, the processing tank should be equipped with a rotating body, and before the drying / cooling process, the rotating body should be rotated by about 90 degrees to flush the water once and reduce the water content during drying / cooling as much as possible. Can also be adopted.
[0027]
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments shown in the drawings will be described. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a processing tank of a retort sterilizer, a sterilizer, or the like, in which an object to be processed stored in a tray 3 is loaded from an opening / closing lid 2 by a holding vehicle and heated, sterilized, dried, and cooled. It is processed through each process.
[0028]
Reference numeral 4 denotes a group of guide blades, which are provided on the left and right sides of the tray 3 containing the object to be processed, and are rotatably supported in a horizontal direction via a frame in a linked manner , respectively, and are linked by a drive source 8 outside the tank. Opened or closed. The uppermost guide blades 4a and the lowermost guide blades 4b can be in close contact with the inner wall of the processing tank 1 when the guide blade group 4 is rotated, and the middle guide blade group 4 is the edge of the sequentially adjacent guide blade. The flow path can be closed by overlapping the parts and forming a wall, and when the rotation is adjusted to the respective parallel positions, a horizontally open flow path can be formed.
[0029]
Reference numeral 5 denotes a front baffle and reference numeral 6 denotes a rear baffle, so that the processing liquid and gas do not stay in the lid and are not disturbed inside the lid.
[0030]
Reference numeral 7 denotes an elevating shaft of the guide blade group 4, which is vertically moved by a driving source 8. The drive source 8 is provided with two air cylinders in the illustrated example, but is not limited thereto. Reference numerals 9 and 10 denote stoppers for controlling the guide blade group 4 to be stopped at appropriate positions. Reference numeral 11 denotes a tension spring, which can be stopped or fixed at a fixed position. The mechanism for moving the guide blade group 4 up and down, the mechanism for stopping and fixing, and the like are not limited to the illustrated example.
[0031]
Reference numerals 12 and 13 denote gas inlets and outlets (connecting pipes) provided on both left and right sides of the processing tank 1, which are connected to a gas supply system of a retort sterilizer or a sterilizer (not shown), and are heated by a heat exchanger or a blower. Wind and cold air can be supplied. The gas arrows shown in FIG. 2 are examples, and can be switched in the opposite direction.
[0032]
FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show a state in which the gas flow path is switched by the rotation of the guide blade group 4. In FIG. 3, the elevating shaft 7 is pulled up by the air cylinder B as the drive source 8 for the guide blade group 4 on the left side, and the uppermost guide blade 4 a comes into close contact with the inner wall of the processing tank 1 to close the gas flow path. The middle group of guide blades is closed, and the lowermost guide blade 4b is open, from which gas is guided toward the tray to form an obliquely upward inclined flow path. The right guide blade group 4 is pushed down by the air cylinder D, and the elevating shaft is pushed down. The uppermost guide blade 4a is opened, the middle guide blade is closed, and the lowermost guide blade 4b is closed.
[0033]
14 is a baffle on the upper side of the processing tank, and 15 is a baffle on the lower side, which is provided on both sides of the processing tank to adjust the flow path.
[0034]
FIG. 4 is opposite to the case of FIG. 3 described above, in the left guide blade group, the lifting shaft is pushed down by the air cylinder B, the uppermost guide blade is open, the middle portion is closed, the lowermost portion is closed, and The right guide blade group is lifted by the air cylinder D, the lifting shaft 7 is pulled up, the uppermost guide blade is closed, the middle guide blade group is closed, and the lowermost part is open, so that gas is guided from the upper left to the lower right. ing.
[0035]
In FIG. 5, the lifting shafts are raised to the uppermost position by air cylinders A and D for all of the left and right guide blade groups, and the intermediate guide blade group is in a horizontal state.
[0036]
FIG. 6 is an enlarged explanatory view of a portion of the elevating shaft 7 of the guide blade group 4. The fixing position of the guide blade group is regulated by stoppers 9 and 10, and the tension spring 11 holds the fixed position at a fixed position. The intermediate guide blade group is rotated 90 degrees by the intermediate guide blade dock and fixed by the stopper and the tension spring.
[0037]
FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are enlarged explanatory views of the portions of the elevating shaft of the guide blade group and the stopper, and correspond to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
[0038]
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a sterilization / sterilization process using a retort sterilizer or a sterilizer and a subsequent drying / cooling process. Starting from a normal temperature of 20 ° C., steam is blown into the processing tank and the temperature is raised to 105 ° C. in about 12 minutes. In this temperature raising process, air for pressure control is supplied to appropriately balance the internal pressure of the processing tank so that the container of the object to be processed is not deformed, and pressure control corresponding to the temperature raising speed is performed. It is kept at 105 ° C. for about 20 minutes, and sterilization / sterilization is performed under high temperature and high pressure.
[0039]
Next, high-temperature hot air whose temperature has been increased from a blower via a heat exchanger is sent to the processing tank, and the object to be processed is dried. In this case, drying is performed while lowering the hot air supply temperature in three stages from 105 ° C. to 95 ° C. and 85 ° C. for 10 minutes each.
[0040]
When the drying step is completed, the air from the blower is cooled by a heat exchanger, and low-temperature cold air of 10 ° C. to 15 ° C. is sent to the processing tank, and cooled to a predetermined 40 ° C. in about 40 minutes.
[0041]
In the drying and cooling processes, the hot air and the cold air flowing in the processing tank are sequentially changed from the upper side to the lower side of the tray, from the right side to the left side, and further from the lower side to the upper side by switching the guide blade group. By switching the air flow, the object to be processed on the tray surface is dried and cooled under almost the same conditions at any position, so that variations such as undried and insufficient cooling are prevented.
[0042]
The sterilization / sterilization temperature is changed in the range of 100 ° C. to 140 ° C. depending on the type of the object to be processed, and the temperature condition at the time of drying is also changed in more stages or is not changed at a constant temperature. You can also.
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention, in a processing tank of a retort sterilizer or a sterilizer, a gas flow path can be switched for drying and cooling so that an air stream is uniformly circulated and insufficient drying or insufficient cooling does not occur. It was possible to provide a blower switching device and a switching method.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which an air switching device is provided in a retort sterilizer.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the same.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram in a case where an inclined flow passage is formed by a blower switching device.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view in a case where the same inclined flow path is formed.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram when a horizontal flow path is formed.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a stopper and a tension spring by a lifting shaft.
FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C are explanatory diagrams each showing a state of a guide blade group. FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing an example of a sterilization / sterilization process and a drying / cooling process.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: Treatment tank 2: Opening / closing lid 3: Tray 4: Guide blade group 4a: Uppermost guide blade 4b: Lowermost guide blade 8: Drive sources 12, 13: Gas inlet / outlet

Claims (5)

A group of guide blades that are rotatably supported on the left and right sides of the tray that stores the object to be processed in a retort sterilizer, sterilizer, and other processing tanks in a horizontal direction, and that can be rotated in conjunction with a drive source outside the tank. And
Among the guide blade groups , one of the guide blade groups sandwiching the tray, the uppermost guide blade is in close contact with the inner wall of the processing tank to close the flow path, and the lowermost guide blade flows away from the inner wall of the processing tank. The path is opened, and the middle guide blade group is sequentially overlapped with the edge portion of the adjacent guide blade to a position where the flow path is closed,
In the other group of guide blades sandwiching the tray, the uppermost and lowermost guide blades are in the positions opposite to the above, respectively, and the middle is in the same position that closes the flow path,
Or, both intermediate guide blade groups sandwiching the tray are provided so that the flow path can be opened as a horizontal position,
A ventilation switching device for drying and cooling in a retort sterilizer or the like, wherein a gas introduced from a body port of a processing tank is switched by the guide blade group. By allowing the guide blades to rotate in conjunction with each other, the uppermost guide blade sandwiching the tray and the inner wall of the processing tank come into close contact with each other to close the flow path, and the lowermost guide blade flows away from the inner wall. The path is opened, and the middle guide blade group sequentially overlaps the edges to close the flow path,
Of the other group of guide blades sandwiching the tray, the uppermost and lowermost guide blades are in the opposite position, the middle is also the position to close the flow path, and the inclined flow path across the tray or the opposite slope. A ventilation switching device at the time of drying and cooling in the retort sterilizer or the like according to claim 1, wherein a flow path is formed. By making the guide blade group rotatable in conjunction with each other, all of the pair of intermediate guide blade groups are set to a horizontal position, and a horizontal flow path from one guide blade group to the other guide blade group passing through the tray is set. A ventilation switching device for drying and cooling in the retort sterilizer or the like according to claim 1 formed. The retort sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the guide blade groups are each supported by a frame, provided with a tension spring and a stopper, and rotatable in conjunction with an externally installed air cylinder or other driving source. Ventilation switching device for drying and cooling. Hot air and cold air flowing through the processing tank in the drying / cooling process after sterilization / sterilization processing are connected to the air supply / exhaust port provided on both sides of the processing tank and the gas supply system having a heat exchanger and a blower outside the processing tank. By switching the opening and closing of the guide vane group provided on both sides of the tray, the flow path is changed from above one tray to the other below, and in the opposite direction, from right to left, and in the opposite direction. A method for switching air blowing during drying and cooling in a retort sterilizer or the like, characterized in that:

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