JP4771443B2 - Automatic door opening / closing type heat sterilizer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to a door automatic opening / closing type heat sterilizer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There is a heat sterilization apparatus in which a processed product such as packaged food in which food is hermetically sealed is contained in a processing tank, and the processed product is heated and sterilized in the processing tank. When a horizontal cylindrical container is used for the treatment tank, an opening with a door is provided on one end of the treatment tank. Do. When the door is an opening door, a space for opening and closing the door is required, and it is difficult to automate opening and closing. Therefore, there is a case where the door is lifted upward, a door driving device for moving the door up and down is provided, the opening is opened by pulling up the door, and the opening is closed by pulling down the door. By allowing the door to be opened and closed automatically, and providing a transfer device at the tip of the opening and inside the processing tank, the loading and unloading of the processed material can be automated.
[0003]
In the automatic door opening and closing type heat sterilizer, a monitoring device that monitors the presence or absence of obstacles in the door movement area to prevent the door from descending when there is an obstacle in the door movement area where the door descends Is provided. When the door is lowered, the presence or absence of an obstacle is first confirmed by the monitoring device, and the door is lowered after confirming that there is no obstacle. As a monitoring device, it is common to connect two points with light and determine that there is an obstacle if there is something that blocks light on the way.
[0004]
Although control is not performed to load or unload the processed material while lowering the door, even if there is no obstacle at the start of the door lowering due to some sort of malfunction that causes the transfer device to operate abnormally, The possibility of an obstacle entering the door movement area cannot be denied. Therefore, in order to further improve safety, a safety device that monitors the presence or absence of an obstacle even after the door starts to descend and stops the door descending when there is an obstacle is required. Become. However, if the door starts to descend, the door itself blocks the light of the monitoring device, and the monitoring device cannot detect only obstacles other than the door. The presence or absence of could not be determined.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The problem to be solved by the present invention is that in the automatic door opening and closing type heat sterilizer, the door movement area is continuously monitored even after the door starts to be closed, and there is an obstacle in the door movement area. Is to prevent the door from colliding with an obstacle by stopping the movement of the door.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a heat sterilization apparatus that sterilizes a processed product by storing the processed product in a processing tank having an opening and a door that closes the opening, and heating the processed product, The door opens up the opening by pulling it up, and closes the opening by pulling the door down, and a monitoring device that monitors the presence or absence of obstacles in the door moving area where the door descends Installation and vertical movement of the door is automatically performed by the door drive device connected to the monitoring device, and when lowering the door, after confirming that there is no obstacle within the monitoring range by the monitoring device, In the automatic opening / closing type heat sterilizer that lowers the door, a monitoring device with the upper part in the door moving area as the monitoring range and a monitoring device with the lower part in the door moving area as the monitoring range are provided separately, and the door is descending There is an obstacle in the monitoring device whose door is in the monitoring range While monitoring stops, the monitoring device door is not in the monitoring range is leave continues to monitor the obstacle, it intends row control to stop the descent of the door when it is detected that there is an obstacle. The time from when the door starts to descend until the tip of the door reaches the upper end of the monitoring range by the monitoring device is obtained as the monitoring duration, and the elapsed time after the door starts to descend is continuously monitored. Until the time is reached, the obstacle is monitored by a monitoring device whose door is not within the monitoring range. When the elapsed time reaches the monitoring duration, the obstacle is detected by the monitoring device whose door has entered the monitoring range. Control is performed to stop monitoring.
[0008]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the door automatic opening / closing type heat sterilization apparatus, a plurality of monitoring devices for monitoring the lower part of the door moving area are provided with different monitoring ranges, and the door descends. It is characterized in that control is performed in such a way that monitoring of obstacles is sequentially stopped from a monitoring device having a high position as a monitoring range.
[0009]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when an obstacle enters, the door is lowered by continuing to monitor the obstacle in the lower part of the door moving area where the door has not reached even when the door is being lowered. the Ki out to stop, so as to perform monitoring by the monitoring device to just before the door enters the monitoring range, the timing of the monitoring stop can be set to the optimum time. According to invention of Claim 2 , an obstruction can be monitored until a door becomes a lower position.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a heat sterilization apparatus for carrying out the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart in one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams for explaining the movement of the door, in which A is a state where the door is pulled up to the upper end, and B is a state where the door is lowered to a position before the monitoring range by the lower monitoring device 5.
[0011]
The heat sterilization apparatus accommodates the processing object 6 in the cylindrical processing tank 7, and sterilizes the processing object 6 by heating and pressurizing the inside of the processing tank 7. The treatment tank 7 has a horizontal cylindrical shape, and a circular opening 3 perpendicular to one end of the cylinder is provided, and a door 2 that closes the opening 3 is provided. The door 2 is configured so as to be able to move up and down and open the opening 3 by pulling it upward above the opening 3 and close the opening 3 by pulling it down. The door 2 is held by the driving device 1, and the door driving device 1 is connected to the operation control device 8. The conveyance device 9 is provided in the tip of the opening 3 and the inside of the treatment tank 7, and the operation of the conveyance device 9 and the operation of the heat sterilization device are related to automate the loading and unloading of the processed material 6.
[0012]
A monitoring device is provided outside the opening 3 and in a door movement area that is a part where the door 2 descends when the door 2 is closed. Two monitoring devices are provided for the upper monitoring device 4 whose upper half of the door movement area is the monitoring range and the lower monitoring device 5 whose lower half is the monitoring range. The upper monitoring device 4 and the lower monitoring device 5 use an area switch that determines whether there is an obstacle in a wide range by detecting whether there is an object that blocks light within the monitoring range.
[0013]
The operation control device 8 controls the operation of each part in the heat sterilization device, and also controls the operation of the door drive device 1 and the transport device 9. The heat sterilizer stacks a large number of processed products 6 in a processing tank 7, closes the door 2 and seals the processing tank 7, and heat-sterilizes a large number of processed products 6 in a batch manner. The sterilization process is performed by opening the door 2 and carrying the processed product 6 into the processing tank 7, closing the door 2, closing the door 2, and supplying heat into the processing tank 7 to sterilize the temperature of the processed product 6. A heating step for raising the temperature, a sterilization step for maintaining the treated product 6 at a sterilization temperature for a predetermined time, a cooling step for cooling the treated product 6 to about room temperature, and an unloading step for opening the door 2 and carrying out the cooled treated product 6 Consists of.
[0014]
When performing the sterilization process, the door 2 is first lifted upward to open the opening 3, and the processed product 6 placed in the aluminum tray is carried into the processing tank 7 by the operation of the transfer device 9. When the processed product 6 reaches a predetermined position in the processing tank 7, the operation of the transfer device 9 is stopped and the carrying-in process is ended.
[0015]
Next, a door closing process is performed, and the operation control device 8 first determines the presence or absence of an obstacle over the entire door movement area by the upper monitoring device 4 and the lower monitoring device 5. If there is nothing blocking the light by the detection by the upper monitoring device 4 and the lower monitoring device 5, the operation control device 8 determines that there is no obstacle. Next, the operation of the door driving device 1 is started, and the lowering of the door 2 is started. When the door 2 starts to descend, the monitoring of the obstacle by the upper monitoring device 4 is stopped, and the measurement of the elapsed time after starting the descending is started. The time from the start of the lowering of the door 2 until the tip of the door 2 reaches the upper end of the monitoring range by the lower monitoring device 5 is set as the monitoring duration (T), and the elapsed time from the start of the lowering of the door Until the monitoring continuation time (T) is reached, the obstacle monitoring by the lower monitoring device 5 is continued. If the lower monitoring device 5 does not detect the presence of an obstacle, the door 2 continues to descend, and if the presence of an obstacle is detected, the lowering of the door 2 is stopped.
[0016]
When the elapsed time after starting the descent of the door 2 reaches the monitoring continuation time (T), the monitoring of the obstacle by the lower monitoring device 5 is also stopped. When the door 2 reaches the lower end of the opening 3, the operation of the door driving device 1 is stopped and the door 2 is fixed so as not to open.
[0017]
Next, the operation control device 8 supplies heat into the treatment tank 7 with the inside of the treatment tank 7 sealed, circulates the heated hot water, jets the hot water into the treatment object 6, A heating step of heating to the sterilization temperature is performed. When the treated product 6 reaches the sterilization temperature, the heat supply to the treatment tank 7 is adjusted so that the treated product 6 maintains the sterilization temperature, and a sterilization process is performed in which the sterilization temperature is maintained for a predetermined time. When the predetermined time elapses and sterilization ends, cooling water is supplied into the treatment tank 7, the cooling water is circulated, and the cooling water is jetted into the treatment object 6 to cool the treatment object 6 to a normal temperature range. I do.
[0018]
The processed product 6 after cooling is taken out from the processing tank 7 in the carry-out process. The operation control device 8 operates the door driving device 1 to raise the door 2 upward to open the opening 3. When the door 2 reaches the upper end, the operation of the door driving device 1 is stopped, the transfer device 9 provided in the processing tank 7 and at the tip of the opening 3 is operated, the processed product 6 is taken out, and the series of processing is finished.
[0019]
Before the door 2 is lowered, it is confirmed by the upper monitoring device 4 and the lower monitoring device 5 that there is no obstacle, and if the control for operating the transfer device 9 is not performed while the door 2 is lowered, the door becomes an obstacle. There should be no collision. However, it is impossible to deny the possibility that an obstacle will enter the door movement area due to some trouble that occurs when the transport device 9 operates when the door 2 is lowered. In the door closing process, if there is something that blocks the light of the lower monitoring device 5 even though the door 2 is not yet in the monitoring range by the lower monitoring device 5, there is an obstacle in the door moving area. Judgment can be made. When an obstacle enters the door moving area when the door 2 is lowered and the lower monitoring device 5 detects the obstacle, the operation control device 8 stops the operation of the door driving device 1 and stops the lowering of the door 2. . Then, the abnormality notification device connected to the operation control device 8 notifies the abnormality.
[0020]
In the conventional case, since the presence of an obstacle cannot be detected after the door 2 starts to move, the door 2 is obstructed when an obstacle enters the door movement area after the door 2 starts to descend. I ended up colliding with something. In the present invention, even if the lowering of the door 2 starts, the lower monitoring device 5 continues to monitor the obstacle, and when the lower monitoring device 5 detects the presence of the obstacle, the door driving device 1 Since the operation is stopped, the door 2 can be prevented from colliding with an obstacle.
[0021]
FIG. 4 relates to another embodiment, and is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operating state of the lower monitoring device when the number of lower monitoring devices 5 is increased. In FIG. 4, in addition to the upper monitoring device 4 that monitors the upper part of the door movement area, three sets of 5a, 5b, and 5c are installed as the lower monitoring apparatus 5 that monitors the lower part from the middle of the door movement area. ing. In this case as well, the monitoring continuation time, which is the time from the start of the lowering of the door 2 until the tip of the door 2 reaches the upper end of the monitoring range by the lower monitoring devices 5a, 5b, 5c, is set to Ta. Set as Tb and Tc.
[0022]
In the door closing process, the operation control device 8 first determines the presence or absence of an obstacle over the entire door movement area by the upper monitoring device 4 and the lower monitoring devices 5a, 5b, and 5c. If there is nothing blocking the light by the detection by the upper monitoring device and the lower monitoring device, the operation control device 8 determines that there is no obstacle, and the door driving device 1 starts to descend the door 2.
[0023]
When the door 2 starts to descend, the monitoring of the obstacle by the upper monitoring device 4 is stopped, and the measurement of the elapsed time after starting the descending is started. Obstacle monitoring by the lower monitoring devices 5a, 5b, and 5c is continued until the elapsed time from the start of the door descent reaches the monitoring continuation time Ta. If any one of the lower monitoring devices 5a, 5b, 5c that are monitored detects the presence of an obstacle, the descent of the door is stopped. If all the monitoring devices do not detect the presence of an obstacle, the door 2 is stopped. Continue to descend.
[0024]
When the elapsed time after starting the descent of the door 2 reaches the monitoring continuation time Ta, the monitoring of the obstacle by the lower monitoring device 5a is stopped, and the monitoring of the obstacle is continued in the lower monitoring devices 5b and 5c. After that, if any of the lower monitoring devices 5b and 5c that are continuously monitored detects the presence of an obstacle, the descent of the door is stopped and all the monitoring devices must detect the presence of the obstacle. Continue to lower door 2.
[0025]
Similarly, when the elapsed time reaches the monitoring duration Tb, the monitoring of the obstacle by the lower monitoring device 5b is stopped, and the monitoring of the obstacle is performed only by the lower monitoring device 5c. Thereafter, if the lower monitoring device 5c that continues monitoring detects the presence of an obstacle, the lowering of the door is stopped, and if the presence of an obstacle is not detected, the lowering of the door 2 continues. When the elapsed time reaches the monitoring duration Tc, the monitoring of the obstacle by the lower monitoring device 5c is also stopped.
[0026]
If the number of lower monitoring devices 5 is increased to narrow the respective monitoring ranges, and the monitoring duration time is set in accordance with the position of the monitoring range, it will cause trouble until the door is lowered. You will be able to monitor things.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
By implementing the present invention, in the automatic door opening / closing type heat sterilizer, the door movement area is continuously monitored even after the door starts to be closed, and if there is an obstacle in the door movement area, the door Since the movement of the door can be stopped, the door can be prevented from colliding with an obstacle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a heat sterilization apparatus for carrying out the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a door moving state in one embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operating status of the lower monitoring device in another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Door drive device 2 Door 3 Opening part 4 Upper monitoring device 5 Lower monitoring device 6 Processed object 7 Processing tank 8 Operation control device 9 Conveyance device

Claims (2)

A heat sterilization apparatus that sterilizes a processed material by storing the processed material in a processing tank having an opening and a door that closes the opening, and heating the processed material, the door being lifted upward It opens the opening and closes the opening by lowering the door downwards. A monitoring device is provided to monitor the presence or absence of obstacles in the door moving area where the door descends, and the vertical movement of the door is monitored. When the door is lowered automatically by the door drive device connected to the device, after confirming that there are no obstacles within the monitoring range by the monitoring device, the door is automatically lowered. In the open-close heat sterilizer, a monitoring device with the upper part in the door movement area as the monitoring area and a monitoring device with the lower area in the door movement area as the monitoring area are provided separately. The monitoring device does not monitor obstacles, but the door The monitoring device not within the range seen advance continues to monitor the obstacle, if it is detected that an obstacle is to carry out a control to stop the descent of the door, to start the descent of the door Until the end of the door reaches the upper end of the monitoring range by the monitoring device as the monitoring continuation time, until the elapsed time from the start of the door descent reaches the monitoring continuation time, Obstacles are monitored by a monitoring device that is not within the monitoring range, and when the elapsed time reaches the monitoring duration, control is performed to stop monitoring the obstacles by the monitoring device that has entered the monitoring range. A door automatic opening and closing type heat sterilizer characterized by that. The door automatic opening and closing type heat sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of monitoring devices for monitoring the lower part of the door moving area are provided with different heights of the monitoring range, and the higher the position as the door descends. A door automatic opening and closing type heat sterilizer characterized by performing control to stop monitoring obstacles in order from a monitoring device having a monitoring range .

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