JP4005034B2 - Fluid spray coating method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for spray application of a fluid, for example chocolate, and to an apparatus used in the method.

  Ice cream confectionery with ice cream sandwiched in the middle, so that you can enjoy the crisp texture of the middle skin, you can eat ice candy directly in the middle, It is an iced confectionery that has the characteristics that it can be eaten by tearing it to an appropriate size, and is highly evaluated in the market.

  Even in this popular middle ice, with the diversification of palatability, middle ice confectionery using chocolate has been developed and marketed so that the flavor of chocolate can be enjoyed at the same time. As an example, there is a middle ice confectionery manufactured using a middle skin with a chocolate coating on the surface that contacts the ice cream (hereinafter this surface is referred to as the “inner surface”). However, the crisp texture of the innermost skin was poor, and the texture decreased significantly during long-term storage, so it was not satisfactory in terms of commercial value. The cause is believed to be due to a partial lack of coating amount due to chocolate coating non-uniformity.

  In order to prevent a decrease in texture seen in iced confectionery produced using the innermost skin with a chocolate coating on the inner surface, the present inventors added a necessary and sufficient amount of fluid typified by chocolate. A method and apparatus for uniformly coating an object such as the innermost skin has been developed.

  That is, according to the present invention, a check valve, a tank, and a fluid switching valve are provided in a fluid path from the cylinder-driven pump to the injection nozzle in a method of spraying and applying a fluid to an object by pressurization of a cylinder-driven pump. The fluid pressurization paths connected in order are connected in parallel, and the fluid switching valve is opened in conjunction with the ejection time (t) of the fluid from the ejection nozzle. A fluid spray coating method characterized by replenishing fluid pressure from a fluid pressurizing path.

  Furthermore, the present invention includes a cylinder driven pump, an injection nozzle, a fluid path connecting the cylinder driven pump and the injection nozzle, a check valve, a tank, and a fluid switching valve connected in parallel to the fluid path in this order. And a control unit that opens the fluid switching valve in conjunction with the ejection time (t) of the fluid from the ejection nozzle.

  In the middle skin with a chocolate coating that has been manufactured in the past, the coating amount itself is small, and the thickness of the coating layer is not uniform with respect to the middle skin, and unevenness such as thick and thin is confirmed in the coating layer. The For example, chocolate is hardly coated on the half surface, the convex portion, and the side wall where the concave and convex portions on the inner surface of the innermost skin attached from the decorative point of view tend to accumulate.

  Although it is not bound by the following reasoning, the texture reduction of conventional iced confectionery is because the chocolate coating on the innermost skin is uneven and the coating amount itself is partially insufficient In addition, it is considered that the innermost skin absorbs moisture generated from ice cream from the portion where the amount of chocolate is insufficient.

  As a result of examining the cause of the non-uniformity of the chocolate coating, the present inventors have found that the variation in the injection pressure when the chocolate is injected using the coating gun on the innermost skin is one of the causes of the injection amount variation. I found out that

  This variation in the injection pressure is considered to be caused by the following two points.

  The first is due to the mechanism of the cylinder drive pump for generating the injection pressure. That is, the cylinder-driven pump loses pressure at the top dead center and bottom dead center of the cylinder process because of the structure in which pressure is applied by the reciprocating motion of the cylinder. Therefore, as the number of times of reaching the top dead center and the bottom dead center increases, the pressure balance of the entire injection system is lost. Due to this change in the pressure balance, variations occur in the fluid injection amount itself while the nozzle is open.

  Secondly, the pressure applied to the fluid path is extremely reduced by opening the injection nozzle and injecting the fluid. In general, a method of performing fluid injection using compressed gas is widely used. In this method, the pressure can be temporarily stored by compressing the gas, and the fluctuation of the injection pressure due to the injection can be suppressed. However, when a fluid is ejected onto a confectionery, for example, a frozen confectionery, it is not preferable from a hygienic viewpoint to eject the fluid together with a gas containing compressed air. For this reason, in the present invention in which the pressure from the pump is directly applied to the fluid for injection, fluctuations in pressure due to injection become a problem.

  In the present invention, a fluid pressurizing path including a check valve, a tank, and a fluid switching valve is provided in parallel with the fluid path from the cylinder-driven pump to the injection nozzle. Is to solve simultaneously. The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 1, the fluid filled in the tank 1 is pressurized by the cylinder drive pump 1, passes through the filter, and then is guided to the injection nozzle by a pipe equipped with a thermostatic jacket as necessary. Be injected. The fluid path in the present invention means a path from the cylinder-driven pump to the injection nozzle.

  The fluid pressurization path of the present invention means a path composed of the check valve 3, the pressurization tank 2, and the fluid switching valve 4. The fluid pressurizing path is connected to the fluid path with the check valve upstream. The connection point may be anywhere between the cylinder-driven pump and the injection nozzle, but it is preferable to connect the upstream and downstream of the constant temperature jacket 1 which is generally used for adjusting the viscosity of the fluid.

  With such an arrangement, the fluid pressurized by the cylinder-driven pump is pressurized and filled in both the fluid path and the fluid pressure path. Here, since the pressurized fluid path has a check valve and a fluid switching valve, the pressure in the fluid pressure path is constant regardless of whether the cylinder in the cylinder pump reaches top dead center or bottom dead center. The pump pulsation can be eliminated.

  Furthermore, when the pressure of the fluid in the fluid path decreases due to the opening of the injection nozzle, the fluid switching valve is controlled to open to compensate the pressure from the fluid pressurization path to the fluid path so as to compensate for the pressure drop due to the injection. The time required for re-pressurization after injection can be greatly shortened.

  By using this method and apparatus, the pressure of the fluid path during ejection can be kept constant, and as a result, fluid can be ejected evenly onto the object and the occurrence of uneven ejection can be prevented. By using this method for chocolate coating on the innermost skin, the chocolate can be uniformly applied to the innermost skin, and the chocolate coating prevents the moisture generated from ice cream from moving to the innermost skin. In addition, it is possible to provide a good iced confectionery that is not accompanied by a lower texture than the conventional product with respect to storage for a certain period.

The fluid ejection conditions can be appropriately changed depending on the amount of fluid applied to the unit area of the object. Specific conditions for injecting 4 g of chocolate per 1 middle mess (about 105 cm ² ) are as follows: the moving speed of the object, that is, the middle mess, 5 to 8 cm / second, the spray distance (spout port and middle mess 5) to 20 cm, the pump pressure is 4.9 to 9.8 Mpa, the chocolate injection pressure at the nozzle tip is 3.9 to 7.8 MPa, preferably 4.9 to 5.9 MPa. The innermost skin can be manufactured. In addition, the fluid switching valve installed in the pressurized fluid path is opened from 1/2 t to 3 t seconds from the time when 1/2 t seconds have elapsed after the start of injection with respect to the opening time (t seconds) of the injection nozzle. It is necessary to interlock. When chocolate is spray-applied to the innermost skin under the above-mentioned conditions, the spray time is 0.2 seconds. Opening is maintained for 6 seconds. With such control, the chocolate pressure during spraying can be controlled within the range of 2.5 to 5.9 MPa, and the chocolate having the desired thickness is uniformly applied to the innermost inner skin surface efficiently. be able to.

  The fluid ejection from the ejection nozzle and the opening of the fluid switching valve are linked by controlling the ejection nozzle and the solenoid valve of the fluid switching valve, respectively, by appropriate control means, typically a pre-programmed microcomputer. Can do.

  There is no particular limitation on the object used in the present invention. Speaking of the mid-skin where the present invention is suitably used, use one produced by a normal method such as baking a dough prepared by mixing flour or other flour with water at a temperature of 200 ° C. or higher. Can do. Moreover, it may be produced by appropriately adding a colorant or a fragrance as necessary. Further, the shape and size of the innermost skin are not particularly limited, and any shape may be used as long as it is conventionally used for ice confectionery.

  In the present invention, any fluid can be used, and even a highly viscous fluid can be efficiently sprayed and applied. Examples of fluids include chocolate, cream, caramel, hard candy and the like.

  About the chocolate raw material used suitably in this invention, if it is generally used as chocolate for coating, it can utilize by this invention. Suitable examples include pure chocolate, pure milk chocolate, chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-chocolate, semi-milk chocolate, white chocolate, couverture, bitter chocolate and the like. From the viewpoint of matching the flavor with the innermost skin, use of pure chocolate, pure milk chocolate or the like is preferable. In the present invention, it is preferable to use chocolate in which the total content of diunsaturated glycerides and disaturated glycerides is 40% by weight or more per coating chocolate. For example, chocolate disclosed in JP-A-9-9940 is suitable. Chocolate having this characteristic is advantageous in that the drying and solidifying speed after application is fast and there is almost no dripping, so that the time required to insert the ice cream by turning the middle skin upside down after spraying is advantageous. . Moreover, in addition to what is disclosed in JP-A-9-9940, the chocolate having the desired characteristics in the present invention can be easily obtained by appropriately adjusting the amount of fats and oils usually blended in the production process. Can be manufactured. Furthermore, it is possible to use the fluid by adding changes such as imparting a scent or taste to the fluid as necessary.

  The method of the present invention can be carried out by using a commercially available spray coating apparatus, for example, a Graco stainless DF-750 type 237-613 type pump or the like additionally provided with a fluid pressurizing path having the above-described configuration. it can. There are no particular restrictions on the material, shape, and size of the pressurized tank itself in the fluid pressurizing path. In order to maintain the viscosity of the fluid in the pressurized tank, it is desirable to maintain the temperature of the pressurized tank at the same level as the fluid temperature in the fluid path by using a constant temperature jacket or the like.

  Commercially available devices can be used as they are for the check valve and the fluid switching valve, for example, a lift catch valve UN-10A (SUS) manufactured by KITZ, an auto gun MODEL206-660 series D (SUS) manufactured by Graco, etc. be able to. A second check valve can be installed between the pressurized tank and the fluid switching valve. As a result, pulsation can be further prevented and fluid can be stably ejected.

  Moreover, in this invention, the fluid switching valve (5) which can be controlled with an electromagnetic valve can be installed in the downstream of the injection nozzle separately from the fluid switching valve in the pressurization line. By providing this fluid switching valve, it is possible to prevent the pressure from becoming excessively high at the start of injection, so that the fluid can be stably injected. Further, the fluid can be returned to the raw material tank through a filter such as a mesh, and the fluid can be circulated and used.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples in which chocolate is spray-applied to the innermost skin as a fluid.

  A fluid pressurizing path was provided in parallel with the fluid path from the pump to the injection nozzle, along with equipment for pressurizing chocolate with Graco's stainless steel DF-750 type 237-613 type pump (1). In the fluid pressure path, a check valve (3) is installed at the inlet from the fluid path to the chocolate pressure tank (2) having a hot water jacket and a height of 600 mm × diameter 150 mm. A fluid check valve (4) that can be controlled by a second check valve (3 ') and a solenoid valve was installed at the outlet to the outlet. Moreover, the injection nozzle for chocolate injection was installed in the downstream of the fluid path | route which passed the outflow port from the fluid pressurization path | route. In that case, the air cylinder which can be controlled with a solenoid valve was installed in the member which installed the injection nozzle so that an injection nozzle can move, injecting chocolate. Furthermore, a fluid switching valve (5) that can be controlled by a solenoid valve is installed downstream of the injection nozzle in the fluid path, and a chocolate raw material tank is installed downstream of this fluid switching valve through a mesh filter so that chocolate circulates. did. Graco pump (1) was connected to this chocolate raw material tank so that chocolate could be supplied.

  In the chocolate injection method, all solenoid valves are controlled by electric cams, so that the flow of a series of mechanical equipment can be controlled by electric signals. That is, the fluid path was pressurized to 6.5 MPa with a Graco pump, and at the same time, the chocolate pressure tank (2) in the fluid pressure path provided in parallel was pressurized through the check valve. After that, the pressurized chocolate is released by opening a valve controlled by a solenoid valve from the spray nozzle to spray the innermost skin, and air is directed toward the upstream of the flow direction of the innermost skin. Moved by cylinder. When half of the time during which chocolate was sprayed from the spray nozzle had elapsed, the fluid switching valve (4) provided in the fluid pressurizing path was opened for 0.4 seconds to pressurize the fluid path. As soon as the process of spraying chocolate from the spray nozzle onto the innermost skin was completed, the fluid switching valve (5) provided downstream of the spray nozzle was opened for 0.24 seconds.

  Palm oil 50%, sugar 30%, cocoa 10%, cacao mass 9%, emulsifier 0.8% and flavor 0.2 for the innermost skin with length 140mm x width 70mm x height 15mm and water content 6% % (Both by weight%) of the chocolate was sprayed onto the innermost skin under the following conditions using the spray coating apparatus and spray coating method of the present invention.

Chocolate viscosity (50 ° C) 910 cps
Chocolate temperature at spraying 55 ° C
Inner skin moving speed 6.4 cm / sec Main pump pressure 6.5 MPa
Injection time 0.2 seconds Injection distance 140mm
Injection thickness 300-400μm
Injection amount 4g / middle skin Moving distance of injection nozzle 110mm
Spray nozzle speed 550mm / sec

(The invention's effect)
According to the present invention, it is possible to uniformly apply a fluid to an object by spraying, and by applying chocolate to the innermost skin, the texture of the innermost skin is higher than that of the conventional product even after a certain period of storage. It is possible to provide an unprecedented type of iced confectionery that is not reduced.

1 shows a schematic diagram of a system capable of implementing the method of the present invention.

Claims (3)

In a method of spraying and applying a fluid to an object by pressurizing a cylinder-driven pump, a fluid in which a check valve, a tank and a fluid switching valve are connected in this order to a fluid path from the cylinder-driven pump to the spray nozzle. By connecting the pressurizing paths in parallel and opening the fluid switching valve in conjunction with the ejection time (t) of the fluid from the ejection nozzle, the pressure of the fluid reduced by the ejection from the ejection nozzle is increased. Replenishment from a pressure path , wherein the fluid is chocolate .   The interlock between the opening of the fluid switching valve and the injection time t seconds of the fluid is interlocked so that the fluid switching valve is opened 1/2 t seconds after the start of injection and is kept open for 1/2 t to 3 t seconds. The method according to 1. The cylinder-driven pump, the injection nozzle, the fluid path connecting the cylinder-driven pump and the injection nozzle, and the check valve, tank, and fluid switching valve connected in parallel to the fluid path are connected in this order. and pressure path, in conjunction with the injection time from the injection nozzle of the fluid (t) Ri Do and a control means for opening the fluid changeover valve, provided that the fluid is a chocolate, chocolate jetting applicator.