JP5586862B2 - Heat treatment method, heat treatment apparatus, heat treatment system, and set for treatment method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a heat treatment method, a heat treatment apparatus, a heat treatment system, and a set for a treatment method. In this specification, heat treatment includes cooling and heating.
In the present invention, the metal granule filled around the object to be treated (the object to be cooled or the object to be heated) is cooled or heated with a temperature control gas (cooling gas or heating gas), and the metal granule is Therefore, the object to be processed is cooled or heated through, so that the cooling or heating can be performed very efficiently.

  Technology for cooling foods is used to supply foods to a distribution system or to perform low-temperature storage. For example, food prepared by cooking is cooled to room temperature or below, or fresh foods are cooled to a refrigeration temperature zone or a freezing temperature zone. Conventionally, there are many cooling devices and freezing devices. It has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1 or 2). In such cooling, a cooler that generates cooling air, an air supply means (for example, an air supply fan and / or an intake fan), and a processing chamber in which foods to be processed are placed and placed are sealed. It is carried out by a cooling device (or a refrigeration device) provided in the heat insulating casing. In such a cooling device, a forced circulation system is adopted in which the cooling air sent out from the cooler by the air feeding means returns to the cooler again through the processing chamber and is further sent out to the processing chamber by the air feeding means. Moreover, in the processing chamber in which the foods to be processed are loaded and arranged, a large number of foods to be processed (substances to be cooled) are respectively placed on a number of trays, and the number of trays are arranged in parallel with the shelves. Yes. The cool air regularly flows between the trays (that is, between the shelves) in one direction from the upstream side to the downstream side, cools in contact with each food to be treated, and then is provided on the ceiling or wall surface. Recovered from.

  In general, in the freezing process of foods, when the temperature of the foods decreases and then reaches the freezing point (the temperature at which ice crystals are first formed in the foods), ice crystals form in the aqueous solution and eventually freeze. . The freezing point of many foods is −1 ° C., and the freezing rate reaches about 80% at −5 ° C., and the hardness increases to become a physically frozen state. In the case of frozen foods, it is generally cooled to a frozen state of −18 ° C. or lower, but conventionally, by passing through an ice crystal formation zone (about −1 ° C. to about −5 ° C.) as fast as possible, fine ice crystals It has been important to ensure that the ice crystals are homogeneously formed and the ice crystals are not enlarged. This is because if the ice crystals become large, the structure of the food is damaged and the quality is deteriorated. In order to realize such rapid cooling, in the conventional method, for example, a large amount of gas cooled below the freezing point is supplied to the processing chamber as a high-speed flow from the first stage of the cooling processing.

  However, in the conventional method, as shown in FIG. 18 (schematic explanatory diagram), when the object 82 to be cooled placed on the placing surface 81A of the bottom plate 81T of the flat tray 81 is cooled, the cooling gas In the direction of arrow H in parallel with the tray bottom plate 81T. However, since air has a low thermal conductivity and a small heat capacity, it has a heat insulating effect and is not necessarily a suitable material as a carrier (cooling medium) for cooling energy. As shown in FIG. 18, the portion of the upper surface 82A of the object 82 to be cooled directly contacts the cooling gas one after another, whereas the gap 83 between the objects 82 to be cooled that is placed on the front, rear, left and right. Then, since the cooling gas flow is stagnant and it is difficult to supply fresh cooling gas, the state of contact with the cooling air flow is different, resulting in a difference in the thickness of the laminar boundary film on the surface of the food to be treated. That is, the laminar boundary film in the part of the object 82 to be cooled that is in contact with the gap 83 is always thicker than the laminar boundary film in the part of the upper surface 82A of the object 82 to be cooled. Since the heat exchange efficiency becomes non-uniform, the overall heat transfer coefficient of the object to be cooled 82 as a whole also decreases. In particular, as shown in FIG. 19 (schematic explanatory diagram), in the case of a cage tray 85 that is used while being held by a locking bar 86 of a shelf rack (not shown), the space between objects to be cooled 82 Airflow stagnation is more likely to occur in the gap 83, and the overall heat transfer coefficient is further reduced.

  In order to prevent this, the conventional method generally makes an effort to prevent a decrease in the overall heat transfer coefficient by increasing the speed of the cold air flow and reducing the thickness of the laminar boundary film as a whole. There was a limit. In addition, when the surface of the food to be treated (cooled object) comes into contact with the high-speed cold air stream, the surface drying progresses and cracks occur, or additives that are attached to the surface of the food to be treated (cooled object) ( For example, sesame grains) are detached and excessive weight loss of foods is caused.

  The tray material is a metal material having high thermal conductivity, and the object to be cooled 82 is cooled from the cooling gas flowing along the tray bottom surface 81B (FIG. 18) and 85B (FIG. 19) via the metal trays 81 and 85. It has also been proposed to make it easier to supply energy. However, only the bottom surface of the object 82 to be cooled is in contact with the metal trays 81 and 85, and the effect is limited.

  As a means for improving the overall heat transfer coefficient, a technique for turbulent airflow in the processing chamber has been proposed in addition to means for supplying an excessively cooled gas at high speed (for example, Patent Document 3 or Patent Document 4). However, in these methods, it is necessary to make the flow velocity of the incident cold air very high, and accordingly, the flow velocity of the turbulent flow itself to be generated naturally becomes high. Since the high-speed cold airflow comes into contact with the surface of the food to be treated, the same problem as described above occurred.

  In addition, means for improving the thermal conductivity from the cooling medium to the object to be cooled by using a liquid (brine) instead of a gas as a cooling medium has been proposed. In addition to being expensive compared to gas, the operating cost of the pump is complicated to store for fire prevention, and in some cases, it is necessary to separate the alcohol component from the object to be cooled. is there. Furthermore, although water has a large heat capacity, its thermal conductivity is very low compared to metal materials, so it is difficult to say that it is an ideal cooling energy carrier (cooling medium).

  On the other hand, in processed foods and the like, heating is performed as a sterilization treatment before refrigerated storage or frozen storage. In the heat sterilization treatment, when the target food is not deteriorated even if it is exposed to a high temperature (for example, around 100 ° C. or higher), a steam treatment or the like is performed. However, foods that deteriorate in flavor or rupture in packaging materials when exposed to high temperatures (for example, around 100 ° C.) need to be sterilized with warm water of about 80 ° C. or less. When processing with warm water, the operation | work which removes water from the foodstuff after a process, and the process before draining the water which contacted the foodstuff were very complicated and contributed to the high cost.

JP 58-136962 A JP 2003-148853 A JP-A-6-273030 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-311649

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a means of using metal as an ideal cooling / heating energy carrier with high thermal conductivity and large heat capacity instead of air and water, thereby making it a disadvantage of the prior art. Is to eliminate. In particular, in the case of the freezing treatment, by passing the ice crystal formation zone (about −1 ° C. to about −5 ° C.) quickly, the fine ice crystals are uniformly generated and the ice crystals are prevented from being enlarged. is there. Further, the heat sterilization treatment and the cooling treatment can be performed in a dry state without bringing the object to be treated into contact with water.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for more effectively using metal as a carrier (medium) for cooling / heating energy.

The above problems are solved by the present invention.
A method of heat-treating the object to be treated by supplying a temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature in a gas-conditioning chamber to a heat-treating chamber that accommodates the object to be treated placed on a mounting tray. ,
The tray for mounting as described above so that the metal granule is brought into direct contact with the object to be processed on the tray for mounting as described above or directly with the outer wall of the packaging body for packaging the object to be processed. This can be solved by the heat treatment method, which is characterized by filling the top.

In a preferred aspect of the method of the present invention, in the heat treatment chamber, the temperature-controlled gas is caused to flow in a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the mounting tray, and the temperature-controlled gas is brought into contact with the metal granule.
In this aspect, a temperature control gas contact portion and a heat transfer medium connected to the temperature control gas contact portion and a heat transfer portion that contacts the metal granular body are used, and the temperature control gas is adjusted to the temperature control gas. The temperature control gas contact part is made to capture the cooling or heating energy by making contact with the gas contact part, and the cooling or heating energy is transmitted to the metal granule through the heat transfer part, and through the metal granule. The object to be processed can be heat-treated.

In another preferable aspect of the method of the present invention, the object to be processed and the metal granular body are held on the mounting bottom plate as the mounting tray described above, but the temperature-controlled gas can pass through. The temperature control gas is passed through the ventilation hole provided in the bottom plate of the mounting tray described above from the upper side to the lower side of the tray or from the lower side to the upper side of the tray.
In this aspect, a lower inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the workpiece placement surface of the previous placement tray is provided below the previous placement tray, and the previous placement tray is provided. The temperature-controlled gas can be passed through the ventilation holes provided in the bottom plate of the tray from the upper side to the lower side of the tray.
Further, in this aspect, in the heat treatment chamber, an upper inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the workpiece placement surface of the mounting tray above the mounting tray. And providing a lower inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the workpiece placement surface of the mounting tray, below the mounting tray.
In addition, the gas flow guiding direction of the upper inclined shielding plate and the gas flow guiding direction of the lower inclined shielding plate are parallel to each other, and the adjustment is performed from the upper side of the tray to the lower side or from the lower side of the tray to the upper side. A warm gas can also be passed.

  In a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, the heat treatment chamber contains a large number of mounting trays on which a large number of objects to be processed are placed.

  In the method of the present invention, the metal granule may be composed of particles having substantially the same particle size, or may be a mixture of a plurality of types of particles having different particle sizes.

  The method of the present invention can be carried out batchwise or continuously.

Further, the present invention is a heat treatment apparatus including a heat treatment chamber that accommodates an object to be processed placed on a mounting tray and a gas conditioning chamber that supplies a temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature to the heat treatment chamber. There,
The mounting tray as described above, wherein the metal granule is in direct contact with the object to be processed on the mounting tray, or is directly in contact with the outer wall of the packaging body that packages the object to be processed. The present invention also relates to the heat treatment apparatus, wherein the heat treatment apparatus is filled in the upper part.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a continuous heat treatment system including a movable heat treatment container and a heat treatment tunnel that passes through the heat treatment container to perform heat treatment. The heat treatment container can accommodate an object to be processed placed on a mounting tray inside a heat insulating casing, and the metal granule is directly in contact with the object to be processed on the mounting tray. Or it can be filled on the tray for mounting as described above so as to be in direct contact with the outer wall of the packaging body in which the object to be treated is packaged. In addition, the heat treatment container includes an intake window for taking in the temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature, and a discharge window for discharging the gas after the heat treatment.
The heat treatment tunnel includes a charging zone, a heat treatment zone, and a removal zone in the order in which the heat treatment containers pass. A preliminary zone can be provided between the charging zone and the heat treatment zone, and a buffer zone can be provided between the heat treatment zone and the extraction zone. Each of the preliminary zone, the heat treatment zone, and the buffer zone is provided with a gas conditioning chamber capable of supplying a temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature to the heat treatment container.

The present invention
A tray for placing a workpiece;
Metal granules,
The present invention also relates to a set for a heat treatment method including a temperature control gas contact portion and a heat transfer medium including a metal granular material contact portion that communicates with the temperature control gas contact portion in heat transfer.

Furthermore, the present invention provides
A bottom plate having a bottom for placing a workpiece on which the workpiece is held, but a tray on which the workpiece is placed having a vent hole through which gas can pass,
The present invention also relates to a set for a heat treatment method including a metal granule that does not fall from a vent hole provided in a bottom plate of the mounting tray.

Furthermore, the present invention provides
A bottom plate having a bottom for placing a workpiece on which the workpiece is held, but a tray on which the workpiece is placed having a vent hole through which gas can pass,
The present invention also relates to a set for a heat treatment method including a metal granular body that does not fall from a vent hole provided in a bottom plate of the mounting tray and an inner basket having a vent hole through which gas can pass through the bottom plate.

In this specification, “heat treatment” includes cooling treatment and heat treatment. “Cooling” generally means cooling, for example, lowering the temperature of an object to be processed or the temperature of a gas used for cooling (cooling gas), and “cooling” to “non-freezing temperature range” and Includes both “cooling” to “freezing temperature zone”.
Here, the “freezing temperature zone” means a temperature range in which the object to be processed is frozen, that is, a temperature range of 0 ° C. or less. Specifically, it includes a frozen state below the freezing point (temperature at which ice crystals are first formed in foods), and naturally includes a frozen state at -18 ° C or lower. In addition, the “non-freezing temperature zone” means a temperature region in which the object to be processed is not frozen, that is, a temperature region higher than 0 ° C., and includes, for example, a normal temperature temperature zone and a refrigeration temperature zone. Note that “cooling” to the “freezing temperature zone” may be simply referred to as “freezing”, and in the following description of this specification, “cooling to the non-freezing temperature zone” is simply referred to as “freezing temperature zone”. Sometimes referred to as “non-refrigeration cooling”.
The heat treatment includes sterilization heat treatment and cooking heat treatment.

  In this specification, the airflow that passes in parallel with the bottom plate of the tray on which the workpieces are placed may be referred to as parallel flow. In addition, an airflow that passes from the top to the bottom of the tray with respect to a tray having ventilation holes in the bottom plate may be referred to as “upstream / downstream”, and an airflow that passes from the bottom to the top of the tray May be called. In addition, both may be collectively referred to as “up / down / downstream / upstream”.

  According to the present invention, on the mounting tray, the metal granules having high thermal conductivity are efficiently cooled or heated to a predetermined temperature by the temperature control gas, and the metal granules are individually processed. The surface of the object to be processed or the object to be processed is packed with metal granules at many points. Direct contact is made and heat treatment time is shortened.

  That is, in the present invention, the temperature-controlled gas mainly cools or heats the metal granule rather than directly heat-treating the workpiece as in the conventional method. In this case, the contact area between the temperature-controlled gas and the metal granule is dramatically higher than the contact area between the temperature-controlled gas and the object to be processed in the conventional method, and the metal particle has a high thermal conductivity. Therefore, the heat exchange efficiency is greatly improved. Moreover, since a metal granule has a large heat capacity compared to a gas, it can store heat or cooling energy of the temperature-controlled gas with high efficiency. Since the metal granule thus cooled or heated slightly bites into the surface of the object to be processed and comes into contact with the entire periphery at a number of points, heat treatment by heat conduction is performed with high efficiency.

  For example, in the case of a freezing process, by passing an ice crystal formation zone (about −1 ° C. to about −5 ° C.) quickly, fine ice crystals can be generated uniformly and the ice crystals can be prevented from becoming enlarged. It is possible to improve the quality of the cooled product or the frozen product.

  Further, since the heat sterilization treatment and the cooling treatment can be performed in a dry state without using water, the removal of water after the treatment and the waste water treatment are not necessary.

Furthermore, since the metal granule has a large heat capacity, the metal granule is separated from the processed product (for example, frozen food) and recycled after the heat treatment is completed, and the heat storage energy heated or cooled by the temperature-controlled gas is reused. can do. Further, since been heated or cooled in advance to a predetermined temperature metal granules, can be brought into contact with an object to be processed or the object to be processed package can be further shortened treatment time.

  In the present invention, when a heat transfer medium is used, heating or cooling energy of the temperature-controlled gas can be efficiently taken in by the temperature-controlled gas contact portion, so that the heat treatment efficiency can be improved.

  Further, in the present invention, when a temperature-controlled gas is supplied by using a tray having ventilation holes, and the temperature-controlled gas passes between the metal particles, the metal particles are more efficiently produced. Since it is cooled or heated, the heat treatment efficiency can be improved.

  Furthermore, in the present invention using the temperature control gas of upper, lower, upper and lower upstream, in the direction (non-parallel direction) inclined with respect to the mounting surface of the mounting tray, respectively above and below the mounting tray. If an inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow is provided and the gas flow guide directions are arranged in parallel to each other, the temperature is controlled over the entire surface of the mounting tray in the direction from the temperature adjustment gas suction port side to the discharge port side of the heat treatment chamber. Since the upper and lower / lower upstream airflow resistance of the gas can be made uniform, as a result, uniform heat treatment can be realized over the entire surface of the mounting tray.

  In the present invention, if a downwardly inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the mounting tray mounting surface is provided below the mounting tray, the water vapor is generated in a large amount. When the processed product is cooled to the normal temperature range or the refrigerated temperature range, the water vapor is not condensed on the ceiling side, so that it is possible to prevent water droplets from falling onto the processing target.

It is typical explanatory drawing which shows the principle in the case of implementing the up-down / down-upstream system which can be utilized by this invention using a flat tray. It is typical explanatory drawing which shows the principle in the case of implementing the up-down / down-upstream system which can be utilized by this invention using a cage type | mold tray. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a cage tray in which a plurality of ventilation holes are provided in a hemispherical bottom plate. It is a typical sectional view of a basket type tray which provided a plurality of ventilation holes in a convex bottom plate. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the principle in the case of implementing this invention by an up-down / down-upstream system. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the principle of another aspect which implements this invention by the up-down / down-upstream system. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the principle of another aspect which implements this invention by an up-down / lower-upstream system. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the principle of still another embodiment for carrying out the present invention by the up / down / down-upstream system. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the principle in the case of implementing this invention by an up-down / down-upstream system using an upper and lower inclination shielding board. It is typical sectional drawing of the multistage type heat processing apparatus by this invention using an upper and lower inclination shielding board. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the principle in the case of implementing this invention by a parallel flow system. It is a perspective view of the heat transfer medium which can be utilized for the parallel flow system of FIG. It is a schematic top view of the heat processing system suitable when implementing this invention by a continuous method. It is a typical perspective view of the heat processing container which can be used with the heat processing system of FIG. It is typical sectional drawing of the heat processing container of FIG. It is typical sectional drawing of another direction of the heat processing container of FIG. It is typical sectional drawing which shows the relationship between the heat processing tunnel and heat processing container which are used with the heat processing system of FIG. It is typical explanatory drawing which shows the principle of the cooling process of the conventional method. It is typical explanatory drawing which shows the principle of the cooling process of the conventional method using a cage | basket | car tray.

  In this specification, similarly to the conventional method, a heat treatment method (cooling method or heating method) in which a temperature-controlled gas (cooling gas or heating gas) is passed in parallel with the tray bottom plate is hereinafter referred to as a “parallel flow method”. There is. Also, a heat treatment method (cooling method or heating method) using a tray having ventilation holes in the bottom plate and using an upstream / downstream conditioned gas (cooling gas or heating gas) may be referred to as an “upstream / downstream method”. A heat treatment method (cooling method or heating method) using a temperature control gas (cooling gas or heating gas) may be referred to as a “lower upstream method”. In addition, these may be collectively referred to as the “up / down / downstream / upstream system”.

  Further, a heat treatment (cooling treatment or heating) is provided below the placement tray with an inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction (non-parallel direction) inclined with respect to the placement surface of the placement tray. Hereinafter, the heat treatment method for performing (treatment) may be referred to as a “downwardly inclined plate method”. In addition, an inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction (non-parallel direction) inclined with respect to the mounting surface of the mounting tray is provided above and below the mounting tray, and the gas flow guides thereof. Hereinafter, a heat treatment method in which heat treatment (cooling treatment or heat treatment) is performed in a state where the directions are arranged in parallel with each other may be referred to as an “upper / lower inclined plate method”.

  Hereinafter, the “upper / lower / upstream system” will be described first, then the aspect of using the “inclined plate” in the “upper / lower / upstream system”, and then the “parallel flow system” will be described. To do.

<Up / Down / Lower / Upstream>
First, the principle of the upper / lower / lower / upstream system that can be used in the present invention will be described with reference to the schematic explanatory views of FIGS. 1 and 2 (the present invention) and FIGS. 18 and 19 (the prior art). 1 and 2 and FIGS. 18 and 19 show only three workpieces 21 and 82 for convenience of explanation, but in an actual application example, a large number of workpieces 21 and 82 are placed on the same tray. Are juxtaposed at a distance from each other. In the following, in each drawing attached to this specification, only about 1 to 3 objects to be processed are shown, but this is also for convenience of explanation. The workpieces are juxtaposed on the same tray and spaced from each other. Note that temperature-controlled air is generally used as the temperature-controlled gas.

  In the up / down / downstream / upstream system that can be used in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of through holes 12 for ventilation are provided in a bottom plate 11T on which an object to be processed (an object to be cooled or an object to be heated) 21 is placed. Using the provided flat tray 11, the vent hole 12 provided in the bottom plate 11T of the flat plate tray 11 described above is directed from the upper side of the tray 11 to the lower side or from the lower side of the tray 11 to the upper side. As shown by an arrow V in FIG. 1, a temperature-controlled gas (cooling gas or heated gas) is passed. As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of the cage tray 15 that is used while being held by the locking bar 16 of a shelf rack (not shown), a plurality of ventilation penetrations are formed in the bottom plate 15 </ b> T of the cage tray 15. A hole 12 is provided to allow temperature-controlled gas to pass from the upper side of the tray 15 to the lower side or from the lower side of the tray 15 to the upper side, as indicated by an arrow V in FIG. In addition, although the said through-hole 12 for ventilation hold | maintains the said to-be-processed object and a metal granule, it has the opening part diameter which can let gas pass.

  The tray used in the upper / lower / upper / lower upstream system used in the present invention can be made of any material (for example, synthetic resin or metal). However, since the lower surface of the bottom plate is in direct contact with the temperature control gas, at least the bottom plate is It is preferable to use a metal tray. Examples of the metal constituting the tray include metals having high thermal conductivity and a large heat capacity, such as copper, aluminum, or iron, or alloys thereof. The metal tray can be protected with a thin layer resin coat or a surface protective coating agent as long as it does not significantly affect the thermal conductivity. The tray used for the upper / lower / lower / upstream system has a large number of ventilation holes in the bottom plate of the tray, so that the object to be processed and the metal particles are not dropped so as not to block the ventilation of the temperature-controlled gas as much as possible. As long as the total area of the openings is large, for example, a mesh-like or net-like bottom plate (for example, a wire mesh) is preferred.

  The direction in which the temperature adjusting gas (cooling gas or heated gas) is allowed to pass in the up / down / downstream / upstream system can be either from the upper side to the lower side of the tray or from the lower side to the upper side of the tray. For example, high-temperature foods that generate a large amount of water vapor in the cooling process, such as freshly baked bread, rice immediately after cooking, or boiled noodles or steamed rice bowls, are brought into the heat treatment room and cooled on the tray. In this case, processing can be performed by passing the lower upstream cooling gas, but the water vapor generated from the object to be processed condenses on the wall surface of the ceiling above the tray and falls as water droplets onto the object to be processed. Since there is a risk of soiling, it is preferable to allow the water generated from the workpiece to be collected and drained below the tray by passing the upstream and downstream cooling gas. Moreover, also in the case of the to-be-processed object which drips a water drop like seaweeds and aquatic products, it is preferable to let an upstream / downstream cooling gas pass.

  In the present invention, the bottom surface of the cage tray that can be used in the up / down / upstream / upstream system is not limited to the flat bottom plate shown in FIG. 2, but is, for example, hemispherical as shown in FIG. 3 (schematic cross-sectional view). As shown in FIG. 4 (schematic cross-sectional view), a cage tray 17 in which a plurality of ventilation through holes 12 are provided in a convex bottom plate 18T, as shown in FIG. 4 (schematic cross-sectional view). 18 can also be used.

  When the present invention is carried out by the upper / lower / lower / upstream system, metal particles, particularly metal particles having high thermal conductivity and high heat capacity, are packed around the object to be processed on the mounting tray. . In this method, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a cage-type tray 15 having a large number of ventilation holes 12 in a bottom plate 15T is filled together with a workpiece 21 and metal granules 23 around them. To do. Specifically, first, the metal granule 23 is laid on the bottom plate 15T in a thin layer, and the workpiece 21 is placed on the bottom plate 15T with an interval between them, and the metal granule 23 is placed between the workpiece 21. Finally, if necessary, the metal granular material 23 can be coated on the workpiece 21 in a thin layer. In addition, as long as the target heat treatment is not adversely affected, the heat treatment can be performed in a shorter time by using the preliminarily cooled or heated metal granules 23. The particle size of the metal granule 23 needs to be a particle size that allows the temperature adjusting gas to smoothly pass through the gap between the metal granule 23.

  When the metal granule is filled in the tray, it is required to have a flowability that allows the temperature control gas to smoothly pass through the upper, lower, lower, and upstream temperature control gases, and effectively captures cooling or heating energy from the temperature control gas. Since it preferably has a shape and capacity for storing heat, it is preferably a spherical body. The particle size and sphericity do not need to be adjusted exactly as in ball bearings or pachinko balls, and the difference in particle size can be used when separating the object to be processed and the metal particles. It is sufficient if it is adjusted with a precision as high as possible.

The particle size of the metal granule is not particularly limited as long as the temperature-controlled gas can smoothly pass through the gap. For example, if it is 0.5 mm or more, there is no problem in ventilation, and generally 1 mm. That's it. The upper limit is not particularly limited, and is generally about 20 mm. In the case of a large object to be processed (for example, a large fish or meat), a metal granule having a particle diameter exceeding 20 mm can be used. The specific particle size can be appropriately determined in consideration of not only the air permeability but also the energy capture / heat storage property and the contact efficiency with the workpiece. That is, from the viewpoints of air permeability and heat storage, it is preferable that the particle size be relatively large to ensure smooth ventilation and energy capture / storage. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of contact efficiency with the object to be processed, it is preferable to increase the contact area between the metal granule and the object to be processed by relatively reducing the particle diameter.
If the object to be processed is relatively large like fruit or processed food, the particle size of the metal granule is smaller than the object to be processed. For example, in the case of a small object to be processed such as pepper grains In general, the particle size of the metal granule is generally larger than that of the object to be processed.

  The metal granule is preferably made of a metal having high thermal conductivity and a large heat capacity, for example, copper, aluminum, iron, or an alloy thereof. Since the metal granules need to be cleaned or sterilized themselves, they can be protected with a thin layer resin coat or surface protective coating as long as they do not affect the thermal conductivity and heat capacity. Abrasion resistance against cleaning and sterilization can be imparted.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, when the temperature control gas is supplied from below the bottom plate 15 </ b> T after filling with the metal granules 23, the temperature control gas passes through the gaps between the metal granules 23 and forms a layer of the metal granules 23. Pass to the top. The temperature-controlled gas can be passed from the uppermost part of the layer of metal granules 23 toward the bottom plate 15T. During this passage, the metal granule 23 is cooled or heated, and the cooling or heating energy is stored in the metal granule 23 and transferred to the workpiece 21 through the adjacent metal granule 23. . Since the metal granule 23 is brought into contact with the surface of the workpiece 21 by slightly pushing it, the workpiece 21 is cooled or heated by the heat transfer action from the metal granule 23.

  After the heat treatment is completed in this way, a mixture of the processed product and the metal granular material 23 is placed on a separating sieve. Since the separation fluid has an opening that allows the metal granular material 23 to pass through but does not allow the processed material to pass through, the processed material remains on the separation fluid and can be separated from the metal granular material 23. Since the separated metal granule 23 stores heat or cooling energy, it can be reused. The bottom plate 15T of the tray can be made detachable, and after the heat treatment is completed, the bottom plate 15T can be removed and the mixture of the processed material and the metal granular material 23 can be dropped onto the separation sieve. Alternatively, a drop opening that can be freely opened and closed is provided in the bottom plate 15T of the tray, and the mixture of the processed product and the metal granular material 23 can be dropped onto the separation sieve.

  In addition, when the object to be treated is smaller than the particle size of the metal granule, such as pepper grains, the object to be treated such as pepper grains is passed as a separating sieve, but the metal granule Can be separated using a sieve having an opening that does not allow passage of water. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the case where the object to be processed is larger than the metal granule will be described. However, those explanations also apply to those skilled in the art for small objects to be processed such as pepper grains and nuts. The present invention can be applied by appropriately performing obvious modifications.

  In addition, when performing a freezing process on the object to be treated containing moisture, wrap the object to be treated with a non-permeable wrap, etc., and the object to be treated and the metal granule are frozen and bonded, It is preferable to prevent the granules from freezing each other so that the processed product after freezing can be easily separated from the metal granules.

  As shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to use only metal particles having a single particle size, or as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to be described later, metals having a plurality of types (particularly two types) of particle sizes. A mixture of granulated materials can also be used. For example, two types of metal granules, a relatively large-diameter metal granule and a relatively small-diameter metal granule, are used in combination, and the large-diameter metal granule ensures air permeability and heat storage. The contact property can be simultaneously secured by the small-diameter metal granule.

  FIG. 6 (schematic cross-sectional view) is a schematic view of a mode in which the large-diameter metal granule 23L and the small-diameter metal granule 23S are mixed and used together, that is, a mode in which they are mixed. In this embodiment, the large-diameter metal granule 23L and the small-diameter metal granule 23S are mixed and filled together with the workpiece 21 in the cage tray 15 provided with the net-like bottom plate 15T. Specifically, first, a mixture of the large-diameter metal particles 23L and the small-diameter metal particles 23S is laid in a thin layer on the net-like bottom plate 15T, and the workpieces 21 are spaced apart from each other. And finally, the mixture is filled between the workpieces 21. Furthermore, the mixture can be covered on the workpiece 21 in a thin layer.

  Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the heat treatment can be efficiently performed by passing the temperature-controlled gas from below the bottom plate 15T or from above the uppermost part of the mixture layer of the metal granular bodies 23L and 23S. After completion of the heat treatment, the treated product and the metal granule mixture are placed on a separating sieve. Since the separation sieve has an opening that allows the metal granular mixture to pass through but does not allow the processed article to pass therethrough, the processed article remains on the separation sieve and can be separated from the metal granular mixture. The metal granule mixture thus separated can be reused because it stores cooling or heating energy.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the large-diameter metal granule 23L is mixed in the small-diameter metal granule 23S, thereby ensuring the flowability of the upper / lower / downstream / upstream temperature-controlled gas and cooling or heating. A relatively large amount of energy can be stored. On the other hand, when only the large-diameter metal granule 23L is present and the small-diameter metal granule 23S does not exist, the large-diameter metal granule 23L is in contact with each other, or the large-diameter metal granule 23L and the workpiece 21 are processed. However, by mixing small-diameter metal granules 23S, the area where the granules 23L and 23S are in direct contact with each other is dramatically increased, and heat transfer is improved. To do. Furthermore, since the small-diameter metal granule 23S pushes the surface of the workpiece 21 and slightly bites the surface of the workpiece 21, the contact area used for heat transfer to the workpiece 21 Will also expand.

  FIG. 7 (schematic cross-sectional view) is a schematic view of an aspect in which the large-diameter metal granule 23L and the small-diameter metal granule 23S are used in a state of being separated from each other. In this aspect, the large-diameter metal granule 23L and the small-diameter metal granule 23S are separated and filled together with the workpiece 21 in the cage tray 15 provided with the net-like bottom plate 15T. Specifically, first, the separation cylindrical body 24 is placed on the net-shaped bottom plate 15T, and the small-diameter metal granule 23S is laid on the net-shaped bottom plate 15T inside the separation cylindrical body 24 in a thin layer, and the covering is formed thereon. The processed product 21 is placed. First, a large-diameter metal granule 23L is laid in a thin layer on the net-like bottom plate 15T, and then a separation cylindrical body 24 is placed on the large-diameter metal granule 23L inside the separation cylindrical body 24. Further, the small-diameter metal granule 23S can be laid in a thin layer.

Subsequently, the workpiece 21 is charged into the separation cylindrical body 24, and a small-diameter metal granule 23S is filled between the workpiece 21 and the inner wall of the separation cylindrical body 24, as necessary. In addition, it is possible to cover the workpiece 21 with a thin layer of small-diameter metal granules 23S. Furthermore, the outer side of the separation cylindrical body 24 is filled with a large-diameter metal granule 23L. Separating cylinder shaped body 24, when it is formed from a material having good thermal conductivity, without removing the separated tubular member 24 can be utilized to effect heat treatment. Alternatively, before the heat treatment, removing the separated tubular body 24, at the boundary surface between the large-diameter metal particle bodies 23L and a small-diameter metallic granulate 23S, starts the heat treatment after both the mixed state You can also In the latter case, it is not necessary to form the separation cylindrical body 24 from a heat conductive material.

When implementing heat treatment (cooling treatment or heating treatment) in the manner shown in FIG. 7, in the region 22A large diameter metal granulate 23L outside the separating cylinder shaped body 24 is filled, the upper and lower and lower upstream tempering gas Circulates smoothly, and cooling or heating energy is efficiently stored in the large-diameter metal granule 23L. The cooling or heating energy accumulated in this way is supplied to the filling region 22B of the small-diameter metal granule 23S via the thermal conductive separation cylindrical body 24 (or directly without passing through the thermal conductive separation cylindrical body 24). In this way, in the filling region 22B of the small-diameter metal granular material 23S, good thermal conductivity is obtained between the granular materials, so that the workpiece 21 can be cooled or heated quickly. When the heat treatment is started after the separation cylindrical body 24 is removed, the heat conduction efficiency at the boundary surface between the large-diameter metal granule 23L and the small-diameter metal granule 23S is improved, so that the heat treatment is performed more efficiently. be able to.

  Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the separation of the processed product and the metal granule after the heat treatment can be performed using the same separating sieve as described above, and heat is stored in the separated metal granule. Thermal energy can be reused.

  Various inner baskets can be used in the above-described upper / lower / upper / lower systems. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 (schematic cross-sectional view), the separation operation between the processed product and the metal granular material 23 after the heat treatment can be simplified using an inner basket 25 for separation. The separation inner basket 25 is made of a heat conductive material, and has a plurality of separation through holes 26 on the bottom surface 25T. The opening diameter of the separation through holes 26 does not allow the workpiece 21 to pass through. However, it has a size that allows the metal granule 23 to pass therethrough. Therefore, when the gripping portion 27 of the separation inner basket 25 is pulled upward in the direction of arrow U after the heat treatment is finished, the metal granular material 23 falls from the separation through hole 26 and enters the separation inner basket 25. Only the processed material after the heat treatment remains.

  A plurality of ventilation through holes may be provided on the side surface of the separation inner basket 25 shown in FIG. 8, and these ventilation through holes may have a size that allows the metal granular material 23 to pass therethrough. Or you may have a magnitude | size which does not let the metal granule 23 pass. The inner basket is not only a cylindrical body (square tube body or cylindrical body) having a flat bottom surface, but also a cylindrical body having a protruding curved bottom surface, a sphere, a hemisphere, an ellipsoid, or the like. it can. The inner basket is preferably made of metal, for example, copper, aluminum, iron, or an alloy thereof. The metal inner basket can be protected by a thin layer resin coat or a surface protective coating agent as long as it does not affect the thermal conductivity.

  Specifically, first, the metal granular material 23 is laid in a thin layer on the net-like bottom plate 15T, and the separation inner basket 25 is loaded from the top. Subsequently, the metal granular material 23 is laid in a thin layer on the bottom surface 25T of the separation inner basket 25, and the workpiece 21 is placed thereon. Further, the inner and outer sides of the separation inner basket 25 are filled with the metal granules 23 and, if necessary, the metal granules 23 can be covered on the workpiece 21 in a thin layer. The heat treatment by the up / down / upper / upstream system and the reuse of the metal granule 23 can be performed in the same manner as described above.

  Also in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the large-diameter metal particles and the small-diameter metal particles can be used in a mixed or separated state. When used together in the separated state, the small-aperture metal granules can be filled inside the separation inner basket 25 and the large-diameter metal granules can be filled outside the separation inner basket 25.

<Inclined plate method>
The upper / lower / upper / lower upstream system usable in the present invention can be implemented in combination with the upper / lower inclined plate system. That is, in the up / down / upper / upstream system, in the heat treatment chamber, the upper inclined shield that guides the gas flow in the direction inclined with respect to the workpiece placement surface of the mounting tray above the mounting tray. While providing a board, the downward inclination shielding board which guides a gas flow in the direction inclined with respect to the to-be-processed object mounting surface of the above-mentioned mounting tray under the above-mentioned mounting tray can be provided. In this case, the gas flow guiding direction of these upper inclined shielding plates and the gas flow guiding direction of the lower inclined shielding plates are made parallel to each other.

  9 (schematic cross-sectional view), in the heat treatment chamber 41, an upper inclined shielding plate 44 is provided above the mounting tray 42, that is, in the direction of the ceiling 43, and below the mounting tray 42, that is, the floor. A mode in which the downward inclined shielding plate 46 is provided in the direction 45 is schematically shown. The lower / upstream conditioned gas is inserted into the processing chamber 41 from the intake 47. At that time, it is inserted into the space above the upper inclined shielding plate 44 and the mounting tray 42. Since the upper inclined shielding plate 44 has a non-ventilated guide surface 44A, the temperature-controlled gas escapes from the upper side of the mounting tray 42 downward. On the other hand, the downwardly inclined shielding plate 46 also has a non-ventilated guiding surface 46A, so that the temperature-controlled gas is discharged from the discharge port 48.

  The upper inclined shielding plate 44 and the lower inclined shielding plate 46 are provided such that the guide surface 44A and the guide surface 46A are inclined in parallel with each other. A space surrounded by both wall surfaces (parallel to each other) has the same cross-sectional area at an arbitrary point from the intake port 47 to the discharge port 48. For example, the cross-sectional area at the point A in FIG. In addition, the space between the upper inclined shielding plate 44 and the upper surface of the mounting tray 42 is maximized at the intake port 47 and gradually decreases in the direction of the discharge port 48. The space between the shielding plate 44 and the upper surface of the mounting tray 42 is minimized. On the contrary, the space between the downwardly inclined shielding plate 46 and the lower surface of the mounting tray 42 is the smallest at the intake 47, but gradually increases toward the discharge port 48, and reaches the maximum at the discharge port 48. become. Furthermore, the volume of the space formed between the entire surface of the upper inclined shielding plate 44, the entire upper surface of the mounting tray 42, and both wall surfaces, the entire surface of the lower inclined shielding plate 46, and the entire lower surface of the mounting tray 42 The volume of the space formed between both wall surfaces is the same volume. As described above, the space between the upper inclined shielding plate 44 and the upper surface of the mounting tray 42 is maximized at the intake port 47 and gradually decreased as it proceeds in the direction of the discharge port 48. Since the ventilation resistance of the temperature adjusting gas passing through 42 from the upper side to the lower side is made uniform throughout the mounting tray 42, the passing amount of the upstream and downstream temperature adjusting gas is changed over the entire mounting tray 42. It can be made uniform in the direction from the inlet 47 to the outlet 48.

  In the mode shown in FIG. 9, as shown by the arrow S, the upstream / downstream conditioned gas passes from the upper side to the lower side of the mounting tray 42, and the guide surface 46 </ b> A of the lower inclined shielding plate 46 has the intake 47. Since it is inclined in the direction of the discharge port 48, hot foods that generate a large amount of water vapor, such as freshly baked bread, cooked rice, or boiled noodles, are brought into the heat treatment chamber. In the case of cooling on the tray, water vapor generated from the object to be processed aggregates on the surface of the metal granular body, and then falls on the guide surface 46A of the lower inclined shielding plate 46, and is lowered along the guide surface 46A. Therefore, the water can be drained in the direction of arrow D from the drainage means. That is, since water droplets do not aggregate on the guide surface 44A of the upward inclined shielding plate 44, contamination of the object to be processed by falling water droplets can be prevented.

  In addition, in FIG. 9, although the upstream and downstream temperature control gas showed the aspect which passes the mounting tray 42, conversely, temperature control gas was inserted from the discharge port 48 side, and it discharged from the intake 47 side, Even when the lower upstream temperature control gas passes through the mounting tray 42 from the lower side to the upper side, the space between the lower surface of the mounting tray 42 and the lower surface of the mounting tray 42 becomes maximum near the temperature control gas inlet. Since it becomes the minimum near the discharge port, the ventilation resistance of the temperature control gas is made uniform over the entire mounting tray 42 in the direction from the vicinity of the inlet to the vicinity of the discharge port, and as a result, the passage amount is made uniform. Can do.

  In the upper / lower / upper / upper / lower inclined plate method that can be used in the present invention, the heat treatment chambers having the inclined shielding plates shown in FIG. 9 are stacked in multiple stages, and one inclined shielding plate is divided into an upper inclined shielding plate and a lower inclined plate. It can also be used as a shielding plate. One embodiment of such a multistage heat treatment apparatus is schematically shown in FIG.

  In the heat treatment chamber 50A of the heat treatment apparatus 50 shown in FIG. 10, four stages of loading trays, that is, a first tray 51, a second tray 52, a third tray 53, and a fourth tray 54 are sequentially arranged from top to bottom. Has been placed. Above each of the mounting trays 51, 52, 53, and 54, there are four upper inclined shielding plates, that is, a first upper inclined shielding plate 51A, a second upper inclined shielding plate 52A, and a third upward inclined plate. A shielding plate 53A and a fourth upward inclined shielding plate 54A are provided. Also, below each of the four stages of loading trays 51, 52, 53, 54, there are four stages of downward inclined shielding plates, that is, a first downward inclined shielding plate 51B, a second downward inclined shielding plate 52B, A third downward inclined shielding plate 53B and a fourth downward inclined shielding plate 54B are provided.

  Here, the first downward inclined shielding plate 51B for the first loading tray 51 also serves as the second upward inclined shielding plate 52A for the second loading tray 52 at the same time. Similarly, the second downwardly inclined shielding plate 52B for the second placement tray 52 also serves as the third upwardly inclined shielding plate 53A for the third placement tray 53, and also for the third placement tray 53. The lower inclined shielding plate 53B serves as the fourth upward inclined shielding plate 54A for the fourth loading tray 54 at the same time.

In this heat treatment apparatus 50, the temperature-controlled gas generated in the gas-conditioning greenhouse 50B including the heat exchanger 55 is supplied to the temperature-controlled gas supply duct 56 by the heat exchanger fan 55A, and heat-treated by the air supply fans 56A and 56B. It is inserted into the chamber 50A. Here, the air supply fan 56A inserts the lower / upstream temperature-controlled gas between the mounting trays 51 and 52 and the downward inclined shielding plates 51B and 52B, and the air supply fan 56B is mounted. The lower upstream temperature control gas is inserted between the trays 53 and 54 and the downward inclined shielding plates 53B and 54B. The lower upstream gas that has passed through the mounting trays 51, 52, 53, and 54 from the lower side to the upper side is discharged from the heat treatment chamber 50A, and is sent to the gas conditioning chamber 50B by the intake fan 58 via the discharge duct 57. It is.
In addition, in FIG. 10, although the aspect which allows lower-upstream temperature control gas to pass was shown, conversely, upstream-downstream temperature control gas can also be allowed to pass through.

  The present invention can also be implemented as a parallel flow / metal particle filling method combining a metal particle filling method and a parallel flow method.

<Parallel flow method>
The present invention can also be carried out by a “parallel flow method”, that is, a heat treatment method (cooling method or heating method) in which a temperature adjusting gas (cooling gas or heating gas) is passed in parallel with the tray bottom plate, as in the conventional method. it can.

  The tray used in the parallel flow method does not need to be provided with a through hole for ventilation like the tray used in the conventional method, and can be made of any material (for example, synthetic resin or metal) as in the conventional method, Since the lower surface of the bottom plate is in direct contact with the temperature-controlled gas, it is preferable to use a metal tray at least for the bottom plate. As in the case of the upper / lower / upper / upstream system, the metal constituting the tray may be a metal having high thermal conductivity and a large heat capacity, such as copper, aluminum, iron, or an alloy thereof. Note that the metal tray can be protected with a thin layer resin coat or a surface protective coating agent as long as the thermal conductivity is not affected.

  Further, the metal granular material is also filled around the object to be processed on the mounting tray in the same manner as the up / down / downstream / upstream method. However, in the parallel flow method, unlike the up / down / downstream / upstream method, the temperature-controlled gas does not pass through the metal particles, and flows in a direction parallel to the tray in contact with the uppermost layer of the metal particles packed layer. Therefore, air permeability is not necessary, and heat transfer efficiency, heat storage performance, contact efficiency between metal granules, and contact efficiency between metal granules and an object to be processed are required.

  FIG. 11 shows one mode of the parallel flow system. In this method, a metal granule 23 (particularly, a small-diameter metal granule 23S) is placed around the workpiece 21 in the cage tray 75 that does not have a ventilation hole in the bottom plate 75T. Fill. The temperature adjusting gas flows in the direction of arrow H parallel to the tray shelf 76. In this method, it is preferable to use a heat transfer medium 71 as shown in FIGS. The heat transfer medium 71 includes a temperature adjustment gas contact portion 72 and a heat transfer portion 73, and the temperature adjustment gas contact portion 72 and the heat transfer portion 73 are connected to each other. For example, a protrusion 74 can be provided in the temperature adjustment gas contact portion 72 as an auxiliary portion that assists the contact with the temperature adjustment gas.

  The shape and form of the temperature control gas contact part of the heat transfer medium and the shape and form of the protrusion provided on the temperature control gas contact part are not limited as long as they serve the purpose of increasing the contact area with the temperature control gas, For example, it may be a strip fin. The heat transfer unit is not limited as long as the cooling or heating energy captured by the temperature-controlled gas contact unit can be transferred to the metal granule, and may be, for example, a comb shape.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the heat transfer medium 71 is stuck and fixed to the packed layer of the metal granular body 23 with a rod-shaped heat transfer portion 73, and the temperature adjustment gas contact portion 72 is as good as a parallel flow temperature adjustment gas. It protrudes above the cage tray 75 so as to come into contact. Therefore, in the temperature-controlled gas contact portion 72, the temperature-controlled gas is contacted to capture and accumulate cooling or heating energy, and the cooling or heating energy is stored in the packed bed of the metal granular material 23 via the heat transfer portion 73. Can tell. Since the metal granule 23 is cooled or heated in this way, the workpiece 21 surrounded by the metal granule 23 can be efficiently cooled or heat-treated. In this method, as described above, there is no need to allow the temperature-controlled gas to pass through the packed bed of the metal granules 23, so there is no need to use large-diameter metal granules from the viewpoint of air permeability, and excellent thermal conductivity. It is preferable to use a small-diameter metal granule alone.

  Specifically, first, the metal granules 23 are laid on the bottom plate 75T in a thin layer, and the workpieces 21 are placed on the bottom plates 75T at intervals, and the metal granules 23S are placed between the workpieces 21. Then, the heat transfer part 73 of the heat transfer medium 71 is pierced into the layer of the metal granule 23S, and then the metal granule 23S is filled to a predetermined height. Finally, the metal granule 23S can be covered on the workpiece 21 in a thin layer as necessary. In addition, as long as the target heat treatment is not adversely affected, the heat treatment can be performed in a shorter time when the preliminarily cooled or heated metal granule 23S is used.

  After completion of the heat treatment, the mixture of the processed product and the metal granular material 23S can be opened on the separation sieve and separated from the processed material and the metal granular material 23S, as in the up / down / downstream / upstream system. . Since the separated metal granule 23 stores heat or cooling energy, it can be reused. The tray bottom plate 15T can be made detachable, or a drop opening that can be opened and closed is provided on the bottom plate 15T. After the heat treatment, the mixture of the processed product and the metal granular material 23S can be dropped onto the separation sieve. it can. When the heat transfer medium 71 is used, it is preferable to remove the heat transfer medium 71 before separation of the processed material and the metal granular body 23S.

<Continuous process system>
The present invention can be carried out by a batch method or a continuous method for any of the upper / lower / upper / lower upstream method and the parallel flow method. The batch method according to the combination of the up / down / upper / upstream method and the inclined plate method can be performed using, for example, the apparatus shown in FIG. The upper / lower / upper / lower upstream method without using the inclined plate method or the parallel flow method batch method can also be implemented by modifying the apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 (schematic plan view) schematically shows one embodiment of a heat treatment system 60 suitable for carrying out the present invention by a continuous method.
The heat treatment system 60 includes a charging zone 61A, a heat treatment zone 61C, and an extraction zone 61E. A preliminary zone 61B can be provided between the charging zone 61A and the heat treatment zone 61C, and the heat treatment zone 61C and the removal zone 61E are provided. A buffer zone 61D can be provided between the two.

  In the heat treatment system 60, a heat treatment container 90 shown in FIG. 14 (perspective view) is used. The heat treatment container 90 includes a heat treatment chamber 92 surrounded by a heat insulating wall 91. As shown in FIGS. 14, 15 (front sectional view) and FIG. 16 (side sectional view), the surrounding heat insulating wall 91 includes a ceiling wall 91T, a bottom wall 91B, a front wall 91F, a rear wall 91P, a right side wall 91R, And left side wall 91L, both of which are made of a heat insulating material. In FIG. 15 (front sectional view) and FIG. 16 (side sectional view), the internal structure is omitted for convenience of explanation. The right side wall 91R is provided with intake windows 93 (93a, 93b, 93c) for taking the temperature-controlled gas, and the left side wall 91L is provided with exhaust windows 94 (94a, 94b, 94c) for exhausting the heat-treated gas. However, the portions other than the intake window 93 and the discharge window 94 are completely thermally insulated from the outside. Further, the bottom wall 91B is provided with moving wheels 95 and can be moved along the guide track 95A. The heat treatment container 90 further includes a refractable belt-like heat insulating seal portion 96 around the four sides of the front wall 91F, and a similar refractable belt-like heat insulating seal portion 97 around the four rounds of the rear wall 91.

  Instead of providing the moving wheel 95 on the bottom wall 91B, a suspension type moving wheel can be provided outside the ceiling wall 91T to move the heat treatment container 90 from the ceiling wall such as the heat treatment tunnel 62 in a suspended state. Alternatively, a slide-type moving wheel may be provided on the outer surface of the right side wall 91R and / or the left side wall 91L and moved along a guide rail provided on the inner side surface of the heat treatment tunnel 62 or the like.

  The heat treatment chamber 92 provided inside the heat treatment container 90 may be, for example, any one of a form using an up / down / upper / upstream method, a form using an inclined plate method, or a form using a parallel flow method.

  In the heat treatment system 60, first, the heat treatment container 90 is moved along the guide track 95A to the position 90a in the charging zone 61A, and the object to be processed and the metal particles are placed inside the heat treatment chamber 92 at the charging position 90a. Insert the body. The charging zone 61A can be charged in a room temperature environment without being provided in a temperature-controlled room. However, when a cooled or heated metal granule is used, the cooling or heating energy is lost. It can also be installed in a temperature-controlled room for prevention.

  The heat treatment container 90 located at the charging position 90a is then guided into the heat treatment tunnel 62 and is first transported to the spare zone 61B. An entrance door 64A capable of adiabatically sealing is provided at the entrance 64 of the heat treatment tunnel 62. By closing the entrance door 64A that opens and closes in the direction of the arrow Q, the temperature environment in the heat treatment tunnel 62 is changed. Shut off from outside. Similarly, the outlet 65 of the heat treatment tunnel 62 is provided with an outlet door 65A that can be sealed adiabatically. By closing the outlet door 65A that opens and closes in the direction of the arrow R, the inside of the heat treatment tunnel 62 is provided. The temperature environment is shut off from the outside.

  When the inlet door 64A is opened and the heat treatment container 90 is moved from the loading position 90a to the position 90b, the belt-like heat insulation seal portion 97 provided on the rear wall 91 of the heat treatment container 90 comes into contact with the heat insulation wall 97A. Since it is adiabatically sealed, the internal environment of the spare zone 61B can be prevented from being influenced by the outside.

  In the heat treatment container 90 carried to the spare zone 61B, at a position 90b, a strip-shaped heat insulation seal portion 96 provided on the four circumferences of the front wall 91F of the heat treatment container 90 is provided with a fixing protrusion 66A for sealing provided on the inner wall of the heat treatment tunnel 62. And adiabatic sealing with the heat treatment zone 61C. When the heat treatment container 90 is moved in the direction of the arrow F and carried into the heat treatment zone 61C, the belt-like heat insulation seal portion 96 is bent in the direction of the arrow G (see FIG. 16) opposite to the traveling direction. It can be moved from position 90b to position 90c1. Note that, when the belt-like heat insulating seal portion 96 comes out of contact with the sealing fixing projection 66A, it returns to its original position as shown in FIG.

  When the heat treatment container 90 moves from the position 90b to the position 90c1, the charging door 64A is closed and the supply of the temperature-controlled gas from the gas-conditioned room 67B described later is stopped. By supplying the temperature-controlled gas, the temperature-controlled gas is caused to flow from the heat treatment zone 61C toward the spare zone 61B, thereby preventing the gas in the spare zone 61B from flowing into the heat treatment zone 61C.

  When the refrigeration process is performed using the heat treatment tunnel 62, a preliminary cooling process, that is, “non-refrigeration cooling” is performed in the preliminary zone 61B. For example, the cooked high-temperature food can be cooled from room temperature to a low temperature of about 5 ° C. to prepare for the freezing treatment in the heat treatment zone 61C. In addition, high temperature foods that generate a large amount of water vapor in the cooling process, such as freshly baked bread, cooked rice, or boiled noodles or steamed rice bowl, are heated at room temperature to about 5 ° C. in the spare zone 61B. It can be cooled to a low temperature to remove moisture.

  In the spare zone 61B, the temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature in the gas-conditioning greenhouse 67B is blown in the direction of arrow J, and the intake windows 93 (93a, 93b, 93) provided on the right side wall 91R of the heat treatment container 90 are blown. 93c) to the inside of the heat treatment chamber 92. As shown in FIG. 17 (schematic cross-sectional view), the temperature-controlled gas heats or cools a metal granule (not shown) in a heat treatment chamber 92, and discharge windows 94 provided on the left side wall 91 </ b> L of the heat treatment container 90. (94a, 94b, 94c) is discharged in the direction of the arrow K, and then is blown in the direction of the arrow L between the inner wall of the heat treatment tunnel 62 and the outer wall of the heat treatment container 90, and returns to the gas-conditioned greenhouse 67B. It is heated or cooled again to a predetermined temperature by the exchanger 68 and supplied again into the heat treatment chamber 92 by the air supply fans 69a, 69b, and 69c.

  When the processing in the spare zone 61B is completed, the heat treatment container 90 is transferred to the heat treatment zone 61C. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the heat treatment zone 61C has three treatment positions 90c1, 90c2, 90c3 of the heat treatment container 90, and the heat treatment container 90 has a predetermined time at each of the treatment positions 90c1, 90c2, 90c3. The heat treatment is continued while continuing the heat treatment, and the heat treatment is completed at the last treatment position 90c3.

  At each processing position 90c1, 90c2, 90c3, as shown in FIG. 17 (schematic cross-sectional view), the temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature in the gas-conditioned room 67C1, 67C2, 67C3 is in the direction of arrow J. To the inside of the heat treatment chamber 92 of the heat treatment container 90. The predetermined temperature of the temperature-controlled gas in the heat treatment zone 61C is determined by the final target temperature of the heat treatment, and a predetermined temperature common to the gas-controlled greenhouses 67C1, 67C2, and 67C3 is set. When performing cooling for refrigeration (non-refrigeration cooling process) using the heat treatment tunnel 62, for example, a cooling gas of −10 ° C. to + 10 ° C. can be adjusted in the gas-conditioned greenhouses 67C1, 67C2, and 67C3. Moreover, when performing a freezing process using the heat processing tunnel 62, normally, the cooling gas of -20 degreeC--65 degreeC can be adjusted in the gas-conditioned greenhouse 67C1, 67C2, 67C3.

  The heat treatment container 90 carried to the final treatment position 90c3 of the heat treatment zone 61C has a band-shaped heat insulation seal portion 96 provided on the four circumferences of the front wall 91F of the heat treatment container 90, and a fixed fixing protrusion for sealing provided on the inner wall of the heat treatment tunnel 62. By contacting with 66B, the next buffer zone 61D is adiabatically sealed. When the heat treatment container 90 is moved in the direction of the arrow F and carried into the buffer zone 61D, the belt-like heat insulation seal portion 96 is bent in the direction of the arrow G (see FIG. 16) opposite to the traveling direction, so the position 90c3 The belt-like heat insulation seal portion 96 returns to the original position as shown in FIG. 16 when it is out of contact with the seal fixing projection 66A.

  By providing the buffer zone 61D immediately before the outlet 65 of the heat treatment tunnel 62, it is possible to prevent the environment of the heat treatment zone 61C from being directly positive with the outside. Also in the buffer zone 61D, the temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature in the gas-conditioning chamber 67D is blown in the direction of arrow J and supplied to the inside of the heat treatment chamber 92 of the heat treatment container 90, and the final treatment position 90c3. The condition at is maintained. When the heat treatment container 90 moves from the position 90c3 to the position 90d, the outlet door 65A is closed.

  Subsequently, the discharge door 65A of the heat treatment tunnel 62 is opened, the heat treatment container 90 is transferred to the discharge zone 61E, and the discharge door 65A is closed again after the heat treatment container 90 is discharged. In the take-out zone 61E, at the take-out position 90e of the heat treatment container 90, the heat-treated processed material is separated from the metal granules and taken out. The metal granule can be reused while remaining in the heat treatment container 90 or removed from the heat treatment container 90 and maintaining cooling or heating energy. Alternatively, it can be reused after washing and sterilizing if necessary. In the extraction zone 61E, since the heat-treated processed material is handled, it is preferable to provide it inside the temperature-controlled room 62E.

  In the heat treatment system 60 shown in FIG. 13, a plurality of heat treatment containers 90 are respectively provided at a position 90a in the charging zone 61A, a position 90b in the auxiliary zone 61B, treatment positions 90c1, 90c2, 90c3 in the heat treatment zone 61C, and a buffer zone. New heat treatment containers 90 can be successively carried into the position 90a in the charging zone 61A while being disposed at the position 90d in 61D and the extraction position 90e in the extraction zone 61E. When a new heat treatment container 90 is carried into the position 90a in the charging zone 61A, the heat treatment container 90 waiting at the position 90a in the charging zone 61A is sent to the position 90b in the spare zone 61B, and in the following order. , The heat treatment container 90 at the position 90b (in the spare zone 61B) is sent to the processing position 90c1, the heat treatment container 90 at the processing position 90c1 is sent to the processing position 90c2, and the heat processing container 90 at the processing position 90c2 is sent to the processing position 90c3. The heat treatment container 90 is sent to the position 90d in the buffer zone 61D, and the heat treatment container 90 at the position 90d is sent to the take-out position 90e in the take-out zone 61E. In this manner, the heat treatment containers 90 can be successively inserted into the heat treatment tunnel 62, and the heat treatment can be continuously performed in a state where the treatment conditions in the heat treatment zone 61C are maintained.

The present invention can be applied to any workpiece. Examples of the object of the cooling treatment include various foods (for example, processed foods or fresh foods), plants (particularly, whole or part of ornamental plants), feed, or human or animal carcasses. .
Examples of the heat treatment target include any object that requires relatively low temperature heat sterilization. For example, various foods (for example, processed foods), edible fruits (seed) such as pepper grains and ginkgo ) Or nuts.

In this invention, a metal granule is made to contact directly to a to-be-processed object, or directly to the outer wall of the package body (to-be-processed object package body) which is packaging the said to-be-processed object. Here, specific examples of the package in which the object to be processed is packaged, that is, the object to be processed package, include containers and packaging bags. For example, it is preferable to carry out the treatment according to the present invention for food that is stored and circulated in a container, such as chawanmushi or boiled rice cake, in a container. In this case, the food container corresponds to the “processed article package”. Moreover, in the case of the liquid seasoning (for example, dashi stock) packaged with a film, the process by this invention is implemented in the state packaged with the film, and a packaging film corresponds to the said to-be-processed object package.
Furthermore, for example, when the object to be treated is brought into contact with the metal granules as in the case of fish, the metal granules may be mixed from the gills, so that a thin film (plastic, paper, cloth, metal foil, etc.) ) Is preferably packaged and then contacted. Such a temporary package is also included in the package of the present invention.

According to the method of the present invention, when the food was frozen for chestnuts and steamed rice bowls, a very good frozen food could be obtained.
For example, in the case of chawanmushi (with a plastic container and a plastic film cover attached), eggs are altered and nests are formed when frozen by conventional methods, whereas according to the present invention, no egg alteration occurs. Nest formation is also not observed. Moreover, when the heat sterilization process of foodstuff was implemented about the pepper grain by this invention, the change of the flavor was not recognized by the pepper grain.

  In the present invention, the predetermined temperature of the temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled in the gas-controlled greenhouse sets the target central temperature of the object to be processed in accordance with the purpose of the heating or cooling process, and is appropriately set according to the target central temperature. can do.

Cooling that cools foods prepared by cooking (for example, rice or bread) to room temperature or below, or cools fresh foods (for example, seafood or meat) to refrigeration or freezing temperatures. It can be used for cooling.
Moreover, it can utilize for the comparatively low-temperature heat sterilization which does not affect the quality of a to-be-processed object. Furthermore, it can be applied to cooking of food.

11 ... Flat tray; 11T ... Bottom plate; 12 ... Ventilation through-hole;
15 ... cage tray; 15T ... bottom plate; 16 ... locking bar;
17 ... cage tray; 17T ... hemispherical bottom plate;
18 ... Basket tray; 18T ... Convex bottom plate; 21 ... Object to be treated;
22A ... Large-diameter metal granule filling region;
22B ... Small-diameter metal granule filling region;
23 ... Metal granules; 23S ... Small diameter metal granules;
23L: Large-diameter metal granule; 24 ...; Separation cylindrical body;
25: inner basket for separation; 25T: bottom surface;
26: Separation through hole; 27 ... Grasping part; 41 ... Heat treatment chamber;
42 ... Loading tray; 43 ... Ceiling;
44 ... upwardly inclined shielding plate; 44A ... non-breathable guide surface;
45 ... floor; 46 ... downwardly inclined shielding plate; 46A ... non-breathable guide surface;
47 ... intake port; 48 ... discharge port; 50 ... heat treatment device;
50A ... heat treatment chamber; 50B ... gas-controlled greenhouse;
51 ... 1st tray; 52 ... 2nd tray;
53 ... 3rd tray; 54 ... 4th tray;
51A ... 1st upward inclined shielding plate; 52A ... 2nd upward inclined shielding plate;
53A: third upwardly inclined shielding plate; 54A: fourth upwardly inclined shielding plate;
51B ... 1st downward inclination shielding plate; 52B ... 2nd downward inclination shielding plate;
53B ... 3rd downward inclination shielding plate; 54B ... 4th downward inclination shielding plate;
55 ... heat exchanger; 55 ... heat exchanger; 55A ... heat exchanger fan;
56 ... Temperature-controlled gas supply duct; 56A, 56B ... Air supply fan;
57 ... exhaust duct; 58 ... intake fan;
60 ... heat treatment system; 61A ... charging zone;
61B: Preliminary zone; 61C: Heat treatment zone;
61D: Buffer zone 61D; 61E: Extraction zone;
62 ... Heat treatment tunnel; 62E ... Constant temperature room;
64 ... Inlet; 64A ... Inlet door; 65 ... Exit;
65A: outlet door; 66A: fixing protrusion for sealing;
66B: fixing protrusion for sealing;
67B, 67C1, 67C2, 67C3, 67D ... gas-controlled greenhouse;
68 ... heat exchanger; 69a, 69b, 69c ... air supply fan;
71 ... Heat transfer medium; 72 ... Temperature control gas contact part; 73 ... Heat transfer part;
74 ... projection; 75 ... basket type tray; 75T ... bottom plate;
90 ... heat treatment container;
90c1, 90c2, 90c3 ... processing position;
91 ... heat insulating wall; 91T ... ceiling wall; 91B ... bottom wall;
91R ... right side wall; 91L ... left side wall; 91F ... front wall;
91P ... rear wall; 92 ... heat treatment chamber;
93, 93a, 93b, 93c ... intake windows;
94, 94a, 94b, 94c ... discharge window;
95 ... wheel for movement; 95A ... guide track;
96, 97 ... heat insulation seal part; 97A ... heat insulation wall.

Claims (10)

A method of heat-treating the object to be treated by supplying a temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature in a gas-conditioning chamber to a heat-treating chamber that accommodates the object to be treated placed on a mounting tray. ,
The tray for mounting as described above so that the metal granule is brought into direct contact with the object to be processed on the tray for mounting as described above or directly with the outer wall of the packaging body for packaging the object to be processed. It filled up, and said Rukoto passed through said temperature control gas in the gap between the metal granules, the heat treatment method.   2. The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein, in the heat treatment chamber, the temperature-controlled gas is caused to flow in a direction parallel to the placement surface of the mounting tray, and the temperature-controlled gas is brought into contact with the metal granule.   As the mounting tray described above, a tray having a vent hole that holds the object to be processed and the metal granular body on the mounting bottom plate but allows the temperature-controlled gas to pass therethrough is used. 2. The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-controlled gas is passed through the ventilation holes provided in the bottom plate of the tray from the upper side of the tray toward the lower side or from the lower side of the tray toward the upper side.   A downwardly inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the workpiece placement surface of the above-described placement tray is provided below the placement tray, and is provided on the bottom plate of the placement tray. The heat treatment method according to claim 3, wherein the temperature-controlled gas is passed through the ventilation hole from the upper side to the lower side of the tray. In the heat treatment chamber, an upper inclined shielding plate that guides a gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the workpiece mounting surface of the mounting tray is provided above the mounting tray. Provided below the tray is a lower inclined shielding plate that guides the gas flow in a direction inclined with respect to the workpiece placement surface of the placing tray.
In addition, the gas flow guiding direction of the upper inclined shielding plate and the gas flow guiding direction of the lower inclined shielding plate are parallel to each other, and the adjustment is performed from the upper side of the tray to the lower side or from the lower side of the tray to the upper side. The heat treatment method according to claim 3, wherein a warm gas is passed. A heat treatment apparatus including a heat treatment chamber for storing an object to be processed placed on a mounting tray, and a gas conditioning chamber for supplying a temperature-controlled gas heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature to the heat treatment chamber,
The metal granule is filled on the placing tray so as to be brought into direct contact with the object to be treated, or directly brought into contact with the outer wall of the article to be treated. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus is filled so that the temperature-adjusting gas can pass through the gaps between the metal granules . A continuous heat treatment system including a movable heat treatment container and a heat treatment tunnel that passes through the heat treatment container to perform heat treatment ,
The heat treatment container accommodates an object to be processed placed on a placement tray inside the heat insulating housing; and
The metal granule is filled on the placing tray so as to be brought into direct contact with the object to be treated, or directly brought into contact with the outer wall of the article to be treated. In addition, the continuous heat treatment system is filled so that the temperature-adjusting gas can be passed through the gap between the metal granules . A tray for placing a workpiece;
Metal granules,
A set for a heat treatment method, comprising: a temperature control gas contact portion and a heat transfer medium comprising a metal granular material contact portion that communicates with the temperature control gas contact portion in heat transfer. A bottom plate having a bottom for placing a workpiece on which the workpiece is held, but a tray on which the workpiece is placed having a vent hole through which gas can pass,
It is a set for a heat treatment method including a metal granule that does not fall from a vent hole provided on the bottom plate of the placing tray ,
The metal granule is in direct contact with the object to be processed on the mounting tray, or directly in contact with an outer wall of a packaging body in which the object to be processed is packaged, and the metal Being able to fill the gap between the granulates so that the temperature-controlled gas passes; and
The metal granules can be individually separated from the workpiece mounting tray.
A set for the heat treatment method . And gold belonging to the genus made granules,
A mounting tray that includes a bottom plate that holds the metal granules but has a vent hole through which gas can pass.
A set for a heat treatment method , including an inner basket including a bottom surface having a through-hole that holds a workpiece but allows the metal granule to pass therethrough ,
The inner basket can be loaded on the mounting tray;
The metallic granule is in direct contact with the object to be treated inside the inner basket, or is directly in contact with an outer wall of a packaging body for packaging the object to be treated. Being able to fill the gap between the granular materials so that the temperature-controlled gas passes; and
The metal granules can be individually separated from the placing tray and the inner basket.
A set for the heat treatment method .

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