JP4966773B2 - Frozen confectionery manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a frozen confection manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing frozen confectionery such as soft cream.

  As this type of device, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cooling device including a compressor, a condenser, a throttle, a cooling cylinder and a cooler equipped in a hopper (mix tank) is provided. Then, the refrigeration cycle of this cooling device is reversible by a four-way valve, and at the time of manufacturing frozen dessert, liquefied refrigerant is passed through the cooler to cool the cooling cylinder and hopper, while the mix and the device are sterilized, the high-temperature refrigerant gas from the compressor Some (hot gas) are led to a cooler to dissipate heat, and the cooler acts as a heat sink to heat the cooling cylinder and hopper.

A beater driven by a beater motor is mounted in the cooling cylinder, and the mix in the cooling cylinder is stirred by the beater while being cooled by the cooler to produce a frozen dessert such as soft cream. In addition, a stirrer was attached to the inner bottom of the hopper, and the mix that had been stored and kept in the hopper was appropriately agitated to achieve a uniform temperature.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-20304

  Here, the conventional stirrer is composed of a stirring blade called an impeller, and this is a system that is rotated by a stirrer motor. Therefore, when the viscosity is high or the amount of the mix is large (the liquid level of the mix is High) has a problem that the stirring force of the stirrer (stirring blade) is insufficient. Therefore, the mix near the stirrer is agitated by the stirring force transmitted by the stirrer, but the stirring force by the stirrer is not transmitted to the mix far from the stirrer, for example, near the inner wall of the hopper. It will stay. As a result, the temperature of the mix in the hopper becomes non-uniform and the quality of the mix is degraded due to poor cooling.

  In particular, the mix in the hopper is sterilized from the viewpoint of food safety management. In general, heat sterilization by flowing hot gas into a cooler is employed for this sterilization treatment. However, as described above, if an appropriate stirring force by the stirrer is not ensured, only the mix near the hopper peripheral wall around which the hopper cooling coil (cooler) is wound is heated during the heat sterilization process. Become. Therefore, the whole mix in a hopper cannot be heat-processed, and there exists a problem by which heat disinfection performance is not ensured. Further, when only a part of the mix is excessively heated, there arises a problem that the mix is altered.

  Therefore, it is conceivable to control the agitator so as to realize a stirring force suitable for a highly viscous mix or a large amount of mix, but this control is performed for a low-viscosity mix or a small amount of mix. When the same operation is performed at the same time (the liquid level of the mix is low), the stirring force of the stirrer becomes excessive, and the vortex generated in the hopper centering on the stirrer reaches the stirrer and entrains air and bubbles. When the foaming increases, the air inside the foam becomes a heat insulating layer, the temperature is not easily transmitted to the foam part, the temperature inside the hopper becomes uneven, and the mix deteriorates due to the entrainment of air. .

  Conventionally, an impeller using a magnetic panel that is advantageous in terms of hygiene and maintenance has been used as a mixer for mixing in a hopper. The impeller using the magnetic panel is rotatably attached to a rotary shaft standing upright on the inner bottom portion of the hopper, that is, the upper surface of the hopper bottom wall, and is provided corresponding to the lower surface of the hopper bottom wall (the outer side of the hopper). A magnetic stirrer that is magnetically coupled is rotated by rotating a magnetic board to be rotated by a stirrer motor.

  However, when the impeller is used, the stirrer is rotated using magnetic force. Therefore, if the viscosity of the mix is extremely high, the stirring force of the stirrer can further contribute to the mix of the entire hopper. There is a problem that only stirring around the stirrer can be realized.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the conventional technical problem, and even in a highly viscous mix, the entire hopper can be properly stirred to keep the temperature of the entire mix uniform. A frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus capable of realizing this is provided.

The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of the present invention manufactures frozen dessert by cooling a mix appropriately supplied from a hopper for storing and keeping the mix while stirring with a cooling cylinder, and is provided at the bottom of the hopper. An agitator for agitating the mix inside, and a rectifying plate of the mix that is placed on the bottom surface of the hopper and is detachably attached to the rotating shaft of the agitator , A notch portion in which the stirrer is located is formed, and a support portion that contacts the side surface of the hopper is formed in the upper portion .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the confectionery manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the current plate circulates the mix urged by the rotation of the stirrer in a hopper at a position separated from the stirrer.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in each of the above inventions, the stirrer is provided at a position other than the center of the bottom surface of the hopper, and the rectifying plate is located at the corner of the hopper that is farthest from the stirrer. It is characterized by guiding the mix.

  According to the present invention, in a frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus that manufactures frozen dessert by cooling a mix that is appropriately supplied from a hopper that stores and cools the mix while stirring with a cooling cylinder, the mix is provided at the bottom of the hopper. By providing the stirrer for stirring the mix and the flow straightening plate of the mix provided in the hopper, the flow of the mix stirred by the stirrer can be formed smoothly.

  Thereby, since the circulation flow of a mix can be formed in a hopper, it becomes possible to make the whole mix flow. Therefore, the mix is stirred by the flow of the mix in the hopper, and the temperature can be made uniform. Therefore, it is possible to improve cold insulation and heat sterilization performance, and to maintain a uniform quality of the mix in the hopper.

In particular, the current plate is placed on the bottom surface of the hopper and is detachably attached to the rotating shaft of the stirrer, so that the current plate can be easily installed in the hopper and removed separately. It can be washed and hygiene can be maintained.

In addition, by forming a notch where the stirrer is located at the lower edge of the current plate, it is possible to bias the mix in the opposite direction by the stirrer on one side and the other side of the current plate It becomes. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly form a series of circulating flows that circulate around the current plate.

Thereby, the mix in a hopper is stirred effectively by a series of circulation flows which circulate around a baffle plate, temperature uniformity can be implement | achieved, and it becomes possible to improve cold storage capability and heat sterilization performance.

Furthermore, since the rectifying plate has a support portion that contacts the side surface of the hopper at the top, even if the rectifying plate is pressed by a series of circulation flows around the rectifying plate, the rectifying plate is supported by the support portion that contacts the side surface of the hopper. Since it can support, the inconvenience that the said baffle plate inclines or rotates can be prevented. Moreover, since the said support part is formed in the upper part of a baffle plate, it becomes possible to avoid the problem which inhibits the circulation flow of a mix by the said support part.

As a result, even when a highly viscous mix is used, the mix in the hopper can be accurately agitated to achieve a uniform temperature with a simple configuration, improving the cooling effect and heat sterilization performance. Improvement can be realized.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, in the above invention, the rectifying plate, the mix is urged by the rotation of the stirrer, since it is recycled to the hopper of the position away from the stirrer, mix retention Since the circulating flow of the mix can be formed at a position away from the stirrer that is easy to perform, it is possible to flow the mix substantially in the entire area of the hopper. Thereby, the temperature of the mix in a hopper can be equalized further, and it becomes possible to aim at the improvement of cold preservation and heat sterilization performance.

  According to the invention of claim 3, in each of the above-mentioned inventions, the stirrer is provided at a position other than the center of the bottom surface of the hopper, and the rectifying plate is mixed at the corner of the hopper located farthest from the stirrer. By guiding, the current can be smoothly guided to the corner portion by the current plate, and the stagnation of the mix at the corner portion can be prevented.

  Therefore, even if there is a restriction that the stirrer must be installed at a position other than the center of the bottom surface of the hopper due to the positional relationship between the hopper and the cooling cylinder, the corner portion where the stirring force by the stirrer is the least contributed. In addition, it is possible to smoothly guide the mix, and it is possible to make the mix flow substantially in the entire area of the hopper. Thereby, the temperature of the mix in a hopper can be equalize | homogenized and it becomes possible to aim at the improvement of cold preservation and heat sterilization performance.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a soft cream manufacturing apparatus SM as an embodiment of the frozen confection manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a cooling cylinder 8 and a freezer door 14. In this embodiment, for example, in order to be able to manufacture and sell two types of soft creams such as vanilla soft cream and chocolate soft cream, two soft cream manufacturing apparatuses SM having a configuration as described later are arranged in parallel. These are housed in the same rectangular body, and are capable of independently taking out frozen desserts, cooling, and heat sterilization control. In FIG. 1, only the internal configuration of one soft cream manufacturing apparatus SM is shown in a perspective view for easy understanding of the internal configuration of each soft cream manufacturing apparatus SM.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a main body, 2 is a hopper for storing a so-called mix, which is a raw material for frozen confectionery (soft cream), and has a hopper cover 3 that is removed when the mix is replenished. The mix stored in the hopper 2 is kept cold by a hopper cooling coil (a hopper cooler constituting a cooling device) 4 wound around the hopper 2.

  A stirrer 5 is provided at the bottom of the hopper 2 and is driven to rotate by the stirrer motor 6 when a predetermined amount or more of the mix is stored in the hopper 2.

  7 and 7 are a pair of mix level sensors for detecting whether or not the hopper 2 has a predetermined amount or more of the mix, and is attached to the inner bottom of the hopper 2. The mix level sensors 7 and 7 are composed of conductive electrodes. When the mix exists above the position of the mix level sensors 7 and 7, the electrodes of both mix level sensors 7 and 7 are made conductive by the mix. Thus, the presence of the mix is determined. When the mix is insufficient and the liquid level is lower than the position of the mix level sensors 7, 7, the conduction state through the mix is interrupted, so that the disconnection is detected and hot so as not to perform the sterilization process by heating described later. Control of stopping the gas flow or stopping the rotation of the stirrer 5 is performed.

  8 is a cooling cylinder which manufactures frozen confectionery (soft cream) by cooling the mix suitably supplied from the hopper 2 by the mix feeder 9 while rotating and stirring the beater 10. The cooling cylinder 8 is a cylinder extending in the front-rear direction, and a cylinder cooler 11 is wound around the outer surface thereof. The beater 10 is disposed in the cooling cylinder 8 in the front-rear direction. The rotation shaft 10 </ b> A of the beater 10 is connected to the speed reduction mechanism 13 at the rear, and the rotation shaft 10 </ b> A of the beater 10 has the same axis as the central axis of the cooling cylinder 8.

  A freezer door 14 is detachably attached to the main body 1 so as to close the front opening of the cooling cylinder 8. An extraction passage 59 extending vertically is formed through the freezer door 14, and the plunger 16 is inserted into the extraction passage 59 so as to be movable vertically. A star-shaped adapter (adapter for shaping soft cream) (not shown) is attached to the lower end of the take-out passage 59. An extraction path 61 is formed in the freezer door 14 from the lower part of the extraction passage 59 toward the cooling cylinder 8.

  The outlet 61A at the front end of the extraction path 61 is opened at the lower part of the inner wall surface of the extraction passage 59, and the inlet 61B at the rear end is opened at the lower part of the front end in the cooling cylinder 8 with the freezer door 14 attached to the main body 1. To do.

  The take-out lever 15 is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 62 formed at the upper front end of the freezer door 14 so as to be pivotable back and forth. Thereby, in the state where the extraction lever 15 stands substantially vertically, the plunger 16 is in a position lowered in the extraction passage 59, and in this state, the plunger 16 closes the outlet 61 </ b> A of the extraction passage 61. When the takeout lever 15 is pulled down from this state, the plunger 16 is raised in the takeout passage 59 and moved upward from the outlet 61A of the extraction path 61 to open the outlet 61A. When the takeout lever 15 is pushed back up and back again, the plunger 16 descends and closes the outlet 61 </ b> A of the extraction path 61.

  Next, the configuration of the hopper 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the hopper 2, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hopper 2, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal side view showing the relationship between the hopper 2 and the cooling cylinder 8. The hopper 2 is a rectangular stainless steel container opened on the upper surface. In this embodiment, the hoppers 2 and 2 of the soft cream manufacturing apparatuses SM are arranged side by side.

  The side surface periphery and the bottom surface of each hopper 2 are surrounded by a heat insulating wall 41. Therefore, the hopper cooling coil 4 wound around the hopper 2 as described above is embedded in the heat insulating wall 41 and arranged in thermal conductive contact with the periphery of the side surface of the hopper 2. And in the heat insulation wall 41A corresponding to the bottom part of the hopper 2, the opening part 41B from which the heat insulation wall 41 was deleted is formed.

  A power transmission magnet board 44 having a permanent magnet is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 43 of the agitating motor 6 and is arranged corresponding to the opening 41B. Further, a rotary shaft 45 located on the same axis as the rotary shaft 43 of the stirring motor 6 is provided at the bottom of the hopper 2, and this rotary shaft 45 is magnetically coupled to the permanent magnet of the power transmission magnet board 44. A stirrer 5 that rotates in the same direction synchronously with the rotation of the power transmission magnet board 44 is rotatably supported. The stirrer 5 has a stirring blade 47 and rotates to stir the mix stored in the hopper 2 as will be described in detail later. In addition, since this agitator 5 is detachably attached to the rotating shaft 45, it can be easily removed and separately cleaned. Thereby, it becomes suitable in terms of hygiene.

  The mix feeder 9 is erected on the inner bottom of the hopper 2. The mix feeder 9 is shown only in FIG. 1 and is omitted in other drawings. This mix feeder 9 is a tube body whose upper end is open to the atmosphere, and an introduction path 9A is formed in the side surface of the mix feeder 9 located immediately above the inner bottom of the hopper 2. The lower end of the mix feeder 9 communicates with the cooling cylinder 8 via the communication passage 9B in FIG. 4, and the mix in the hopper 2 that has flowed in from the introduction path 9A flows from the lower end of the mix feeder 9 to the cooling cylinder. 8 is supplied. The mix feeder 9 has a double tube configuration, and is configured to open and close the introduction path 9A by rotating the inner tube body.

  Here, in the configuration in which the mix in the hopper 2 is appropriately supplied into the cooling cylinder 8 by its own weight as in the present embodiment, it is desirable to provide the hopper 2 at least above the cooling cylinder 8. In addition, in the case where the cooling cylinder 8 is disposed extending in the front-rear direction, the supply of the mix from the hopper 2 to the cooling cylinder 8 is taken out from the cooling cylinder 8 in consideration of cooling efficiency and the like. It is desirable to provide a communication path 9B that communicates with the inside of the hopper 2 and the cooling cylinder 8 on the side opposite to the 59 side, that is, at the rear.

  In this case, since the rotating shaft 45 to which the stirrer 5 is attached and the rotating shaft 43 of the stirring motor 6 are provided on the same axis, the rotating shaft 43 is positioned away from the cooling cylinder 8, in this embodiment, the cooling cylinder 8 Is disposed on the opposite side to the take-out passage 59 side (specifically, on the rear side of the front surface of the device SM). Accordingly, the stirrer 5 provided at the inner bottom portion of the hopper 2 is on the side opposite to the take-out side from the communication path 9B, and is closer to the rear side of the front surface of the device SM than the center of the hopper 2 in the front-rear direction. Will be placed.

  A mix rectifying plate 50 is detachably attached to a rotating shaft 45 to which the stirrer 5 is attached. The rectifying plate 50 in this embodiment is made of a plate-shaped member made of stainless steel, and is placed on the inner bottom of the hopper 2, specifically, on the bottom surface of the hopper 2. Then, it is set as the height dimension located in the approximate center with respect to the height of the whole hopper 2 (refer FIG. 5). A mounting piece 50A bent toward the rotating shaft 45 is formed at the upper end of the current plate 50, and a mounting hole 50B for penetrating the rotating shaft 45 is formed in the mounting piece 50A. ing. Therefore, the current plate 50 is detachably attached to the rotation shaft 45 by inserting the rotation shaft 45 through the attachment hole 50B of the attachment piece 50A. As a result, the current plate 50 can be easily mounted in the hopper 2 and can be separately cleaned by removing it to maintain hygiene.

  In addition, a notch 50C is formed at the lower edge of the rectifying plate 50 for positioning the stirrer 5 which is also mounted on the rotating shaft 45 on the bottom surface of the hopper 2. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the rectifying plate 50 is positioned on the upper side of the stirrer 5 and partitions the hopper 2. The rectifying plate 50 is preferably attached so as to pass on the axis of the rotating shaft 45 of the stirrer 5, but the rectifying plate 50 is attached to the rotating shaft 45 with an attachment piece 50 </ b> A. It is attached at a position shifted from the axis of the rotary shaft 45.

  The rectifying plate 50 extends in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the hopper 2, in this embodiment, in the front-rear direction, and at least the front end and the rear end thereof are spaced from the front-rear inner walls 2 A, 2 B of the hopper 2 by a predetermined distance. It is configured to exist. As a result, a flow path is provided between the front end of the rectifying plate 50 and the hopper front inner wall 2A, and further between the rear end of the rectifying plate 50 and the hopper rear inner wall 2B to circulate the circulating flow of the mix. ing. In the present embodiment, as described above, since the stirrer 5 is disposed closer to the rear of the front surface of the device SM than the center in the longitudinal direction of the hopper 2, the rectifying plate 50 is longer on the front side than the stirrer 5. The rear side is shorter than the machine 5.

  With this configuration, the inside of the hopper 2 is partitioned by the current plate 50 into one side of the stirrer 5 located on one side of the current plate 50 and the other side of the stirrer 5 located on the other side of the current plate 50. be able to. Thus, by rotating the stirrer 5, a flow of the first mix in which the mix is urged along one side surface of the current plate 50 can be formed on one side of the current plate 50. At the same time, on the other side of the rectifying plate 50, the mix is urged along the other side surface of the rectifying plate 50 so that a second mix flow in a direction opposite to the first mix flow can be formed. become.

  Therefore, when the stirrer 5 rotates clockwise on, for example, a horizontal plane, as indicated by a solid line arrow in FIG. 3, the propulsive force of the stirrer 5 located on one side of the rectifying plate 50 (right side in the drawing) The mix on one side of the current plate 50 (right side in the drawing) is urged in the first direction (toward the front of the product in the drawing, that is, in the front direction) along one side surface of the current plate 50. As a result, a first mix flow (flow from the rear to the front in the drawing) is formed. On the other hand, due to the driving force of the stirrer 5 located on the other side of the rectifying plate 50 (left side in the drawing), the mix on the other side of the rectifying plate 50 (left side in the drawing) is The second mix flow (in the drawing, from the front to the rear in the drawing) is urged in the second direction (in the drawing, toward the back of the product, that is, in the backward direction) opposite to the first direction. ) Is formed.

  Thereby, the flow of the first mix flows in the first direction along one side surface of the rectifying plate 50, and between the inner wall surface of the hopper 2, in this case, the front inner wall 2A and the rectifying plate 50 front end. It moves around the formed flow path and moves to the other side surface of the current plate 50. Further, the flow of the second mix flows in the second direction along the other side surface of the rectifying plate 50, and between the inner wall surface of the hopper 2, here, the rear inner wall 2B and the rectifying plate 50 rear end. It moves around the formed flow path and moves to one side of the current plate 50. Therefore, in the hopper 2, a series of circulating flows that circulate around the current plate 50 are formed by the rotation of the stirrer 5.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, there is a restriction that the stirrer 5 must be provided at a position other than the center of the bottom surface of the hopper 2 depending on the positional relationship between the hopper 2 and the cooling cylinder 8. Since it is formed so as to extend toward the position farthest from the position where it is provided, the inner corner of the hopper 2 where the stirring force by the stirrer 5 is least affected (in this embodiment, the stirrer 5 is the center). Since it is provided more rearward, the mix can be smoothly guided to the front corner of the hopper 2. Thereby, the stagnation of the mix in the corner portion can be prevented.

  Therefore, it is possible to smoothly guide the mix to the corner portion where the stirring force by the stirrer 5 is the least contributed, and it is possible to make the mix flow substantially in the entire hopper 2. Thereby, the temperature of the mix in the hopper 2 can be made uniform.

  Furthermore, a support portion 51 that contacts the inner wall of the side surface of the hopper 2 is provided on one end side of the current plate 50 in the present embodiment, and in the present embodiment, on the front end uppermost portion that is farthest from the stirrer 5. The support portion 51 is formed so as to bend in a direction to support the rectifying plate 50 being pressed by the circulating flow, and the end portion is in contact with the inner wall surface of the hopper 2. Thereby, the current plate 50 is pressed by a circulating flow of a series of mixes that circulates around the current plate 50, and the inconvenience of the circulation flow being blocked by the current plate 50 due to being tilted or rotated. It can be avoided.

  Further, the support portion 51 is formed only on the upper part of the current plate 50. As a result, it is possible to avoid the disadvantage of hindering the circulation flow of the mix that circulates around the current plate 50.

  The support 51 is preferably formed integrally with the current plate 50, but may be configured by attaching another component.

  Next, the control panel 52 provided on the front surface of the main body 1 located above the freezer door 14 will be described with reference to FIG. A cooling switch 66, a sterilization switch 64, a cleaning switch 67, a thawing (defrost) switch 68, and a stop switch 69 are arranged on the right side of the control panel 52 (the position on the right side behind the take-out lever 15). Above the switches 66, 64, 67 and 68, a cooling LED 72, a sterilization LED 71, a cleaning LED 73 and a thawing LED 74 which are turned on by operation of the switch are arranged.

  On the other hand, on the left side of the control panel 52 (position on the left side behind the take-out lever 15), a liquid crystal display 76 as a display means capable of displaying characters and figures is arranged. A switch 77 and up / down cursor movement keys 78 and 79 are provided.

  Next, the refrigerant circuit diagram of the cooling device of the soft cream manufacturing apparatus SM in FIG. 7 will be described. 18 is a compressor, 19 is a four-way valve that reversely switches the direction of refrigerant discharged from the compressor 18 during the cooling cycle (solid line state in FIG. 7) and during the heating cycle (dotted line state in FIG. 7), and 20 is a condensing fan. 17 is a condenser cooled by air, and condenses and liquefies the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas flowing in through the check valve 21 to obtain a liquefied refrigerant.

  The liquefied refrigerant is divided into two hands through a dryer 23 and a check valve 22, and one of the liquefied refrigerant flows into the cylinder cooler 11 through a cylinder cooling valve 24 and a cooling cylinder capillary tube 25, where it evaporates and evaporates the cooling cylinder 8. Cooling. Then, the other flows into the hopper cooling coil 4 through the hopper cooling valve 26 and the front end hopper capillary tube 27, and similarly evaporates and cools the hopper 2, and then goes out through the subsequent capillary tube 28. Go.

  The refrigerant gas after cooling the cooling cylinder 8 and the hopper 2 joins in the accumulator 30 and then forms a cooling cycle that returns to the compressor 18 through the four-way valve 19 and the accumulator 39, and the refrigerant flows in the direction of the solid line. A cooling operation is performed.

  On the other hand, after being sold under the cooling operation described above, the mix is sterilized by the heating method when the store is closed. In this case, the cooling device is switched from the cooling cycle to the heating cycle operation. That is, the four-way valve 19 is operated to cause the refrigerant to flow as indicated by a dotted arrow. Then, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas from the compressor 18, that is, hot gas, is divided into two hands through the four-way valve 19 and the accumulator 30, one being directly into the cylinder cooler 11 and the other being hopper cooled via the check valve 33. It flows into the coil 4 and generates a heat dissipation action in each of them, and the cooling cylinder 8 and the hopper 2 are heated at a prescribed sterilization temperature for a predetermined time.

  The liquefied refrigerant after heat dissipation merges via a cylinder hot gas valve 34 and a hopper hot gas valve 35, respectively, and then gas-liquid is separated by a capacitor 20 via a check valve 40. The refrigerant gas is a reverse solenoid valve provided in parallel. A heating cycle is formed which passes through 36 and the reverse capillary tube 37, passes through the four-way valve 19 and the accumulator 39, and returns to the compressor 18.

  With the above configuration, the operation of the soft ice cream manufacturing apparatus SM of the present invention will be described. Now, it is assumed that a mix of various amounts of knowledge is introduced into the hopper 2 of the soft ice cream manufacturing apparatus SM, the introduction path 9A of the mix feeder 9 is opened, and the mix is also supplied into the cooling cylinder 8. In this state, when the cooling switch 72 of the control panel 52 is operated, the water control device starts operation, and performs each operation of cooling operation (cooling process, defrost process) and sterilization / cooling operation (sterilization process, cooling process). Execute.

  First, the cooling operation will be described. In the pull-down (operation start), the control device determines whether or not the current mix temperature in the cooling cylinder 8 is equal to or higher than the cooling end temperature, for example, + 0.5 ° C. And since the temperature of the mix at the time of pull-down is high, a control apparatus performs a cooling process.

  In this cooling process, the control device operates the compressor 18 and sets the four-way valve 19 to the cooling cycle (non-energized). Then, the cylinder cooling valve 24 is turned on (opened), the hopper cooling valve 26 is turned off (closed), and the cylinder hot gas valve 34 and the hopper hot gas valve 35 are turned off. Further, the beater 10 is rotated by the beater motor 12.

  Thereby, the mix in the cooling cylinder 8 is cooled by the cylinder cooler 11 and the temperature rapidly decreases, and the mix in the cooling cylinder 8 is stirred by the beater 10.

  As the cooling process proceeds, the temperature of the mix in the cooling cylinder 8 decreases, and when the temperature approaches the freezing point unique to the mix, the temperature effect gradually slows down. Has hardness. And since the load of the beater 10 which is stirring it increases with the hardness of frozen confectionery (soft cream), the energization current of the bitter motor 12 rises.

  When the energizing current of the beater motor 12 exceeds the threshold value, the control device sets the current mix temperature to the cooling end temperature (OFF point temperature) and stops cooling. That is, in this cooling stop, the control device turns off the cylinder cooling valve 24 and turns on the hopper cooling valve 26 instead. Thereby, the cooling of the cooling cylinder 8 is stopped, and the hopper 2 is now cooled by turning on the hopper cooling valve 26. This ends the pull-down.

  Thereafter, the control device determines whether or not the current mix temperature in the cooling cylinder 8 has risen to the cooling end temperature (OFF point temperature) + 0.5 ° C. or higher. When the temperature in the hopper 2 is also cooled below a predetermined temperature, the control device turns off the hopper cooling valve 26 and also stops the compressor 18 in this case. In the embodiment, the hopper cooling valve 26 is turned on at 10 ° C. and turned off at 8 ° C.

  When the temperature of the frozen dessert in the cooling cylinder 8 rises to the cooling end temperature (OFF point temperature) + 0.5 ° C. or higher, the control device starts cooling the cooling cylinder 8 again, and thereafter repeats this. Is.

  In this way, the frozen dessert is manufactured in the cooling cylinder 8. When selling frozen dessert, the plunger 16 is pulled up by pulling the take-out lever 15 forward, and the outlet 61A of the extraction path 61 is opened. In the cooling cylinder 8, the pressure is applied in the direction of pushing forward while rotating the frozen dessert by the rotation of the beater 10, so that the frozen dessert in the cooling cylinder 8 exits from the outlet 61 </ b> A of the extraction path 61 and enters the extraction passage 59. Then, it is extracted through the above-mentioned star adapter at the lower end.

  Next, the sterilization / cooling operation (sterilization process, cooling process) will be described. When the sterilization switch 64 of the control panel 52 is operated, the control device performs the sterilization process after determining that the condition is such that the mix does not run out.

  In this case, the control device switches from the cooling cycle to the heating cycle by the four-way valve 19. Thereby, hot gas is supplied to the cooling cylinder 8 and the hopper 2 and heated (sterilization temperature rise). When the sterilization temperature rise is completed, the control device controls the compressor 18, the cylinder hot gas valve 34, and the hopper hot gas valve 35 to be turned on and off based on the mix temperature in the hopper, and the cooling cylinder 8. The hopper 2 is sterilized and held so as to satisfy a total heating time of about 30 minutes at a heating temperature of + 68 ° C. or higher.

  When this sterilization temperature rise and sterilization holding is completed, the control device shifts to a cold pull-down. In this cold insulation pull-down, the temperature of the cooling cylinder 8 and the hopper 2 is cooled to a temperature of + 10 ° C. or lower under the condition that the temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature within a predetermined time. And if it falls to +10 degrees C or less, a control apparatus will transfer to a cold preservation process.

  In each of the above steps, the agitator 5 provided in the hopper 2 is rotationally controlled by drivingly controlling the agitator motor 6. Therefore, the mix stored in the hopper 2 is stirred by the stirring force of the stirrer 5 so that the temperature of the entire mix in the hopper 2 becomes uniform.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the rectifying plate 50 is provided on the inner bottom surface of the hopper 2 as described above. Therefore, the mix on one side of the rectifying plate 50 in the hopper 2 is urged in the first direction along one side surface of the rectifying plate 50 by the propulsive force generated by the rotation of the stirrer 5, and the first mix A flow is formed. Due to the propulsive force of the stirrer 5 located on the other side of the rectifying plate 50, the mix on the other side of the rectifying plate 50 is in the second direction opposite to the first direction along the other side of the rectifying plate 50. And a second mix stream is formed.

  Thereby, the flow of the first mix flows in the first direction along one side surface of the rectifying plate 50, and between the inner wall surface of the hopper 2, in this case, the front inner wall 2A and the rectifying plate 50 front end. It moves around the formed flow path and moves to the other side surface of the current plate 50. Further, the flow of the second mix flows in the second direction along the other side surface of the rectifying plate 50, and between the inner wall surface of the hopper 2, here, the rear inner wall 2B and the rectifying plate 50 rear end. It moves around the formed flow path and moves to one side of the current plate 50. Therefore, in the hopper 2, a series of circulating flows that circulate around the rectifying plate 50 are formed by rotating the stirrer 5.

  Therefore, the mix in the hopper 2 forms a series of circulating flows that circulate around the current plate 50, whereby the entire mix can be made to flow. Thereby, a mix can be stirred effectively and temperature uniformity can be implement | achieved. It is possible to improve the cooling capacity during the cooling operation and the heat sterilization performance during the heat sterilization, and the quality of the mix in the hopper 2 can be maintained uniformly.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, there is a restriction that the stirrer 5 must be provided at a position other than the center of the bottom surface of the hopper 2 depending on the positional relationship between the hopper 2 and the cooling cylinder 8. Since it is formed so as to extend toward the position farthest from the position where it is provided, the inner corner of the hopper 2 where the stirring force by the stirrer 5 is least affected (in this embodiment, the stirrer 5 is the center). Since it is provided more rearward, the mix can be smoothly guided to the front corner of the hopper 2. Thereby, the stagnation of the mix in the corner portion can be prevented.

  Accordingly, even in such a case, it is possible to flow the mix in substantially the entire area of the hopper 2, to further uniform the temperature of the mix in the hopper 2, and to improve cold insulation and heat sterilization performance. It becomes possible.

  Therefore, even when using a highly viscous mix that cannot be used to stir the mix in the hopper 2 accurately with the conventional magnetically coupled agitator alone, this is the case. By providing the straightening plate 50 having a simple configuration, the mix in the entire area of the hopper 2 can be accurately stirred, and the temperature of the entire mix can be made uniform.

  Therefore, in particular, when performing the heat sterilization operation, the mix near the inner wall of the hopper 2 is stagnated, so that alteration due to overheating of the mix can be avoided in advance, and heat is generated. It is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the mix in the vicinity of the center of the hopper 2 farthest from the vicinity of the inner wall which is easily conducted causes sterilization failure due to insufficient heating.

  Thereby, it becomes possible to realize an effective cooling operation and heat sterilization operation of the hopper 2 mix.

  In the present embodiment, the rectifying plate 50 is detachably attachable to the rotating shaft 45 provided in the hopper 2, and is erected at a predetermined height in the hopper 2. The configuration of the rectifying plate 50 is not limited to this. For example, the rectifying plate standing in the hopper 2 may be configured by integrally molding the hopper 2 on the bottom wall of the hopper 2 as in the present invention. Further, a rectifying plate may be formed in the hopper 2 by forming a rectifying plate by hanging downward on the lower surface of the hopper cover 3 that closes the opening of the hopper 2 so as to be freely opened and closed.

It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the soft ice cream manufacturing apparatus as an Example of the frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus of this invention. It is a vertical side view of a cooling cylinder and a freezer door. It is a top view which shows the hopper of the apparatus with which the two soft cream manufacturing apparatuses of FIG. 1 are arranged in parallel. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the hopper of FIG. 3. It is a vertical side view showing the relationship between the hopper of FIG. 3 and a cooling cylinder. It is a front view of a control panel. It is a refrigerant circuit figure of a cooling device.

1 body 2 hopper 3 hopper cover 4 hopper cooling coil (hopper cooler)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Stirrer 6 Stirrer motor 7 Mix level sensor 8 Cooling cylinder 9 Mix feeder 9A Introductory path 10 Beater 10A Rotating shaft 11 Cylinder cooler 12 Beater motor 14 Freezer door 15 Extraction lever 16 Plunger 41 Heat insulation wall 43 Rotating shaft 44 For power transmission Magnet plate 45 Rotating shaft 47 Stirrer blade 50 Current plate 50A Mounting piece 50B Mounting hole 50C Notch 51 Supporting part 52 Control panel

Claims (3)

In the frozen confectionery manufacturing apparatus for producing frozen confectionery by cooling the mix appropriately supplied from the hopper for storing and keeping the mix while stirring with a cooling cylinder,
A stirrer provided at the bottom of the hopper, for stirring the mix in the hopper;
A mix baffle mounted on the bottom surface of the hopper and detachably attached to the rotating shaft of the stirrer ;
An apparatus for manufacturing frozen desserts , wherein a notch portion where the stirrer is located is formed at a lower edge portion of the current plate, and a support portion that abuts against a side surface of the hopper is formed at an upper portion .   2. The frozen dessert manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the current plate circulates the mix urged by the rotation of the stirrer in the hopper at a position spaced apart from the stirrer. The stirrer is provided at a position other than the center of the bottom surface of the hopper,
The confectionery manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rectifying plate guides the mix to an inner corner of the hopper at a position farthest from the stirrer.

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