JP6928474B2 - Food cooling and transporting equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a food cooling and transporting device, and more specifically, to a food cooling and transporting device that cools various foods to be cooled such as poultry carcasses by immersing them in cooling water and transporting them.

In the present specification, the “food to be cooled” means a food that needs to be cooled while being immersed in cooling water and transported, and specifically, various foods such as poultry, meat, and seafood. , Means that requires a process of immersing in cooling water and cooling while transporting. Further, the form of the "food to be cooled" is arbitrary and may be any form as long as it can be transported by being immersed in cooling water, and is not limited to the form of a carcass. It may be a food that floats in a cooling water stream or a food that sinks.

A cooling and transporting device for a slaughtered bird generally transports the slaughtered bird by moving the slaughtered bird in a predetermined direction while being immersed in cooling water inside a cooling tank (chiller tank). It is configured to cool. In order to maintain the cooling water in the cooling tank at a predetermined cooling temperature (for example, 1 to 3 ° C.), a refrigerator is externally attached to the cooling transfer device. The heat exchange between the refrigerant of the refrigerator and the cooling water in the cooling tank is performed by the heat exchanger (evaporator) built in the refrigerator. Therefore, the cooling water circulates between the cooling tank and the heat exchanger through the piping. The cooling water warmed in the cooling tank during which the poultry carcass is being transported is sent to the heat exchanger through the pipe and cooled by the refrigerant, and then returned to the cooling tank through the pipe to cool the poultry carcass again. used. On the other hand, the refrigerant that has absorbed heat from the cooling water in the heat exchanger is sent to the condenser built in the refrigerator through the pipe to dissipate the contained heat into the atmosphere, and then sent to the heat exchanger through the pipe. Used again for heat exchange. After that, this is repeated.

The cooling and transporting device for the slaughtered poultry is divided according to its configuration. A type that transports slaughtered birds in the longitudinal direction of the cooling tank using water flow (first type) and a tubular cooling tank are used, and spiral screw blades are arranged inside the cooling tank, and the screw blades are arranged. There is a type (second type) in which the poultry carcass is conveyed in the long axis direction of the cooling tank (screw blade) by utilizing the propulsive force generated by the rotation of the screw blade. An example of the former is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, and an example of the latter is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2.

In Patent Document 1, the cooling water is housed inside a cooling tank (chiller tank) having the entire upper surface open, and the cooling water is circulated by a pump between the external heat exchanger and the cooling tank. A cooling transfer device that cools the carcasses while transporting them in the longitudinal direction of the cooling tank by moving the carcasses in the cooling water in a state where the carcasses are appropriately assembled by a plurality of rakes (comb-shaped transport tools) attached to the chain conveyor. (Chiller device) is disclosed. In this cooling transfer device, high-pressure cooling water is ejected upward from a spout provided at the bottom of the cooling tank at an appropriate timing to agitate the cooling water in the cooling tank and the carcass in the cooling water. Can be inverted. It is said that this has the effect of uniformly cooling the carcass being transported without damaging it.

In Patent Document 2, the starting end of the tubular outlet housing having a built-in discharge screw blade is arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction of the tubular cooling tank having a built-in cooling screw blade, and is used with an external heat exchanger. Cooling water is circulated between the cooling tank and the cooling tank by a pump so that the carcass transported in the cooling tank toward the downstream side in the transport direction is surely delivered from the cooling tank to the outlet housing. The transport device is disclosed. It is said that this cooling transfer device has the effect of being able to realize traceability and to realize a carcass carry-out part having a simple structure.

Special Publication No. 62-44984 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-295446

As described above, in the conventional cooling transfer device for poultry carcasses, in both the first type and the second type described above, in order to maintain the cooling water in the cooling tank at a predetermined cooling temperature, a heat exchanger ( It is essential to externally attach a refrigerator with a built-in evaporator) and condenser to the cooling transfer device, and to circulate the cooling water between the cooling tank and the heat exchanger through pipes and pumps. For this reason, the overall configuration in which the cooling transfer device and the refrigerator are combined is inevitably complicated and large-scale, and as a result, there is a problem that the cost of the cooling transfer process of the poultry carcass is high.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to realize a cooling transport process for various foods such as poultry carcasses with a simple configuration, and to achieve conventional cooling. It is an object of the present invention to provide a food cooling transport device capable of reducing the cost of the food cooling transport process as compared with the transport device.

Another object of the present invention is to easily adjust the flow state of the cooling water flow in the cooling tank, in other words, the transport / cool state of the food according to the number of foods to be cooled and the transport status. To provide a cooling transfer device for the above.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a food cooling and transporting device that is easier to maintain than a conventional cooling and transporting device.

Yet another object of the invention not specified herein is apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

(1) The food cooling and transporting device of the present invention is
A cooling tank that houses cooling water and
A main flow path formed inside the cooling tank for transporting the food to be cooled in a predetermined transport direction, and
A sub-flow path formed inside the cooling tank so as to communicate with the main flow path,
A cooling water flow generating means provided in the cooling tank and generating a cooling water flow along the transport direction from the cooling water contained in the cooling tank in the main flow path.
A heat exchanger provided in the sub-channel in which a predetermined refrigerant flows inside,
It is provided with a transport means provided at the downstream end of the main flow path.
By immersing the food to be cooled in the cooling water flow generated in the main flow path by the cooling water flow generating means, the food to be cooled is cooled while being transported in the transport direction, and the cooled food to be cooled is released. Transported to the outside by the transport means
The cooling water flow flowing out from the main flow path to the sub flow path is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing inside the heat exchanger, and then flows into the main flow path again. It is a feature.

In the food cooling and transporting device of the present invention, as described above, the main flow path and the sub-flow path that communicate with each other are formed inside the cooling tank, and the inside of the main flow path is formed by the cooling water flow generating means. Since a cooling water flow along the transport direction is generated, the cooled food can be cooled while being transported in the transport direction by immersing the cooled food in the cooling water flow. In addition, the cooled food to be cooled can be transported to the outside of the cooling transport device by the transport means. Moreover, since the heat exchanger in which the predetermined refrigerant flows inside is provided in the sub-flow path, the cooling water flow flowing out from the main flow path to the sub-flow path is allowed to flow inside the heat exchanger. Can be cooled by exchanging heat with the flowing refrigerant, and then re-flowed into the main flow path. Therefore, it is not necessary to install equipment such as a pipe and a pump for circulating the cooling water contained in the cooling tank with the external condenser (refrigerator) outside the cooling transfer device. It suffices to simply install necessary equipment such as pipes and pumps that restore the refrigerant whose state has changed due to heat exchange to the original state. Therefore, the cooling transfer process of the food to be cooled can be realized with a simple configuration, and the cost of the cooling transfer process of the food to be cooled can be reduced as compared with the conventional cooling transfer device.

Further, since the cooling water flow generating means is provided to generate a cooling water flow along the transport direction from the cooling water contained in the cooling tank in the main flow path, the operation of the cooling water flow generating means is performed. Can be easily changed to change the flow state of the cooling water flow. Therefore, the flow state of the cooling water flow, in other words, the transport / cooling state of the food to be cooled can be easily adjusted according to the number of the foods to be cooled and the transport status.

Further, since it is not necessary to install equipment such as a pipe and a pump for circulating the cooling water contained in the cooling tank with the external refrigerator (condenser), the heat is also provided in the sub-flow path. Since the exchanger is provided and the cooling water flow flowing out into the sub-flow path contacts the heat exchanger and directly exchanges heat, the configuration around the heat exchanger is simple and the antifreeze liquid. Etc. are also unnecessary. Therefore, the maintenance work is easier than the conventional cooling transfer device.

(2) In a preferred example of the food cooling and transporting device of the present invention, the water flow generating means is made to flow with a cooling water flow means (screw, pump, etc.) for flowing the cooling water contained in the cooling tank. It is provided with an outlet having a variable opening degree for ejecting the cooling water into the main flow path to generate the cooling water flow. In this example, the effect that the flow state of the cooling water flow in the cooling tank, in other words, the transport / cooling state of the food to be cooled can be easily adjusted, can be further obtained with a simple configuration. ..

(3) Further, in this example, as the spout, two or more spouts having different spouting directions with respect to the bottom surface of the cooling tank (for example, a spout obliquely downward and diagonally with respect to the bottom surface of the cooling tank). It is preferable to include an upward spout). This is because the food to be cooled that is being conveyed through the main flow path can be displaced or rotated to uniformly cool the whole.

(4) In another preferable example of the food cooling and transporting device of the present invention, the main flow path is provided with cooling water flow adjusting means (for example, a ladder that changes the flow state of the cooling water flow) that acts as a resistance to the cooling water flow. In this example, the effect that the flow state of the cooling water flow can be changed directly and more greatly can be further obtained by changing the flow resistance applied to the cooling water flow by the cooling water flow adjusting means.

(5) Further, in this example, it is preferable that the cooling water flow adjusting means is swingable around the held shaft and has an operating arm that swings with the shaft outside the cooling tank. .. This is because the operation of the cooling water flow adjusting means can be easily performed from the outside of the cooling tank by operating the operation arm from the outside of the cooling tank. Further, if the operation arm is fixed at an arbitrary position, it is easy to fix the cooling water flow adjusting means at a desired position.

(6) In still another preferred example of the food cooling and transporting device of the present invention, the transporting means is swingable around a held rocking shaft, and the transporting means is mounted on the rocking shaft. By swinging around, a gap is formed between the main flow path and the bottom surface. In this example, the effect that the space between the transport means and the bottom surface and the transport means can be easily cleaned can be further obtained.

(7) In still another preferred example of the food cooling and transporting device of the present invention, the heat exchanger is a plate coil type unit. In this example, the heat exchanger can be easily installed (built-in) in the sub-channel, and the installation work thereof is also easy. The effect is further obtained.

(8) In still another preferred example of the food cooling and transporting device of the present invention, an overflow device having a variable intake port height is provided in the sub-flow path. In this example, the effect that the overflow of the cooling water from the sub-channel is surely prevented and the dirt floating on the surface of the cooling water flow can be discharged to the outside can be further obtained.

(9) In still another preferred example of the food cooling and transporting apparatus of the present invention, the heat exchanger is arranged in the subchannel so as to be partially exposed to the main channel, and the cooling water stream is the said. Not only the sub flow path but also the main flow path is configured to contact and exchange heat with the heat exchanger. In this example, the effect that the heat exchange efficiency is further improved as compared with the case where the cooling water flow exchanges heat with the refrigerant of the heat exchanger only in the sub-channel can be obtained.

(10) In still another preferred example of the food cooling and transporting apparatus of the present invention, the cooling tank is provided with a partition member that partitions the internal space of the cooling layer to form the main flow path and the sub flow path. The heat exchanger is arranged in the sub-flow path so as to penetrate the partition member and partially expose to the main flow path, and the cooling water flow is not only in the sub-flow path but also in the main flow path. It is configured to contact and exchange heat with a heat exchanger. In this example, the effects of improving the heat exchange efficiency, increasing the cooling water flow in the subchannel, and reducing the weight of the partition member can be further obtained.

(11) In still another preferred example of the food cooling and transporting apparatus of the present invention, the cooling tank is provided with a partition member that partitions the internal space of the cooling layer to form the main flow path and the sub flow path. At least a part of the heat exchanger is fitted into a notch formed in the partition member to be integrally formed with the partition member, and is exposed to the main flow path through the notch to be described. The cooling water flow is configured to contact the heat exchanger and exchange heat not only in the sub flow path but also in the main flow path. In this example, the effects of improving the heat exchange efficiency, increasing the cooling water flow in the subchannel, and reducing the weight of the partition member can be further obtained.

According to the food cooling transport device of the present invention, (a) it is possible to realize the cooling transport processing of various foods such as poultry carcasses with a simple configuration, and the cooling transport processing of the food is more than that of the conventional cooling transport device. (B) The flow state of the cooling water flow in the cooling tank, in other words, the transport / cool state of the food can be easily adjusted according to the number of foods to be cooled and the transport status. (C) An effect that maintenance work is easier than that of a conventional cooling transfer device can be obtained.

(A) is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the food cooling and transporting apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a left side view thereof. Is a left side view showing the overall configuration of the food cooling and transporting device of FIG. 1, (a) shows a state in which the left side plate is removed, and (b) shows a state in which both the left side plate and the inner plate are removed. Shown. It is sectional drawing of the food cooling transport apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 along the line AA of FIG. 1 (b). It is a side explanatory view of the main part which shows the whole structure of the water flow generation means of the food cooling transport apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. (A) is a state in which two closing plates are attached to the upper spout of the fence-shaped plate in the water flow generating means of the food cooling and transporting device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (the opening degree of the upper spout is The minimum) is an explanatory view seen from the front thereof, and (b) is an explanatory view seen from the side surface thereof. (A) is an explanatory view of the lower spout of the fence-shaped plate viewed from the front in the water flow generating means of the food cooling and transporting device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (the opening degree of the upper spout is the minimum). , (B) is an explanatory view seen from the side surface. (A) is a state in which two closing plates are attached to the upper spout of the fence-shaped plate in the water flow generating means of the food cooling and transporting device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (the opening degree of the upper spout is (Maximum) is an explanatory view seen from the front, and (b) is an explanatory view seen from the side surface. (A) shows the state in which the two closing plates are removed (fully opened) from the upper spout of the fence-shaped plate in the water flow generating means of the food cooling and transporting device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 from the front. The explanatory view seen, (b) is an explanatory view seen from the side surface. It is a front explanatory view of a plate coil type heat exchanger provided as a heat exchange means in the food cooling and transporting apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and two heat exchangers connected in series are external refrigerators ( It shows the state of being connected to the condenser). (A) is a front view of a main part showing an installed state of a plate coil type heat exchanger provided in the food cooling and transporting device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, (b) is a plan view of the main part, and (c) is a plan view of the main part. It is the end view of the main part along the line CC of FIG. 10B. (A) is a plan view of a main part showing an arrangement state of two plate coil type heat exchangers provided in the food cooling and transporting device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and (b) is a front view of the main part. .. It is sectional drawing of the food cooling transport apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 along the line BB of FIG. 1 (b). It is a side view of the rudder mechanism provided as the cooling water flow adjusting means in the food cooling transport device shown in FIGS. (B) shows a state in which the rudder is in a vertical (maximum suppression) state and the cooling water flow is suppressed to the maximum. It is a side view of the rudder mechanism provided as the cooling water flow adjusting means in the food cooling transport device shown in FIGS. It shows a state in which it is suppressed to about half of the state. It is a front view of the main part which shows the overflow device provided as the overflow control means of the cooling water in the cooling transport device of the food shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conveyor provided as the transport means in the food cooling transport apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, (a) is the side explanatory view | FIG. It is a side explanatory view which shows the whole structure of. (A) is a side view of a main part showing a normal (operating) state of a conveyor provided as a transport means in the food cooling transport device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and (b) is a state in which the conveyor is lifted by a winch. It is a side view of the main part which shows. (A) shows a plate coil type heat exchanger integrally configured with an inner plate (partition member) used in the food cooling and transporting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. The cross-sectional view of the main part along the DD line of the above, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the main part in the direction orthogonal to the main flow path and the sub-flow path of the cooling tank (the direction in which the inner plate extends). (A) is a front view showing the configuration of the inner plate (partition member) shown in FIG. 18, and (b) is a front view of a plate coil type heat exchanger integrally locked to the inner plate.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Embodiment)
1 to 3 show the overall configuration of the food cooling and transporting device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a left side view showing the overall configuration of the cooling transfer device 1, respectively. FIG. 2A is a side view in which the left side plate 11b of the cooling transfer device 1 is removed to show the inside of the auxiliary flow path P2, and FIG. 2B is a mainstream with both the left side plate 11b and the inner plate 11c removed. It is a side view which showed the inside of the road P1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1 (b). In this embodiment, a case where the food to be cooled is a poultry carcass will be described.

(Cooling tank)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment has a cooling tank 10 for accommodating cooling water. The cooling tank 10 is horizontally installed on the floor surface by a plurality of support legs 42 arranged on the bottom surface thereof. The cooling tank 10 has an elongated box shape as a whole, and has a substantially rectangular cross section in the vertical direction. The entire upper surface of the cooling tank 10 is open, and the main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2 (which will be described later) formed inside are exposed to the outside.

As is clearly shown in FIG. 3, the cooling tank 10 has a strip-shaped right side plate 11a connected to one longitudinal end edge of the strip-shaped bottom plate 11d so as to be orthogonal to the strip-shaped bottom plate 11d, and a strip-shaped bottom plate 11d in the other longitudinal direction. It includes a strip-shaped left side plate 11b connected to the edge edge so as to be orthogonal to the edge, and a strip-shaped inner plate 11c connected to the end edge slightly inward of the left side plate 11b so as to be orthogonal to the bottom plate 11d. The front and rear ends of the bottom plate 11d, the right side plate 11a, the left side plate 11b, and the inner plate 11c are closed by the rectangular front end plate 12 and the rear end plate 13, respectively. In this way, the bottom plate 11d, the right side plate 11a, the left side plate 11b, the front end plate 12, and the rear end plate 13 form a rectangular parallelepiped container with the entire upper surface open, and the internal space of the container is the inner plate. It is divided into two rectangular parallelepiped regions by 11c. Therefore, the inner plate 11c can also be called a partition member. The larger region is the main flow path P1, and the smaller region is the sub-channel P2.

The main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2 communicate with each other through the communication ports 18 and 19 formed in the inner plate 11c and the opening 19a (see FIGS. 1B and 2A). The contact port 18 is located near the front end portion of the cooling tank 10 (directly below the conveyor 30), and the contact port 19 is located near the rear end portion (side surface of the screw chamber R1) of the cooling tank 10. The opening 19a is located substantially directly below the winch 32. The communication ports 18 and 19 are provided to communicate the main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2 with each other. The opening 19a is for preventing cavitation and for increasing the amount of cooling water flow flowing into the screw chamber R1 described later. The main flow path P1 cools a poultry carcass (hereinafter, also referred to as a food to be cooled) (hereinafter, also referred to as a cooled food) (hereinafter, also referred to as a cooled food), which is not shown, while being conveyed from the rear end to the front end (from the right end to the left end in FIG. 1A). Used for. The sub flow path P2 is used as a return flow path for returning the cooling water from the front end to the rear end of the main flow path P1. Therefore, the cooling water in the cooling tank 10 flows while circulating in the main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2. The cooling water warmed while the poultry carcass is being conveyed in the main flow path P1 during the circulating flow is cooled again by the heat exchanger 20 arranged in the sub flow path P2, as will be described later. , Returned to the main flow path P1.

The cooling tank 10, that is, the bottom plate 11d, the right side plate 11a, the left side plate 11b, and the inner plate 11c is made of stainless steel. This is because hypochlorous acid is often used when disinfecting a poultry carcass which is a food to be cooled, and therefore it is necessary to impart corrosion resistance to the cooling tank 10.

(Cooling water flow outlet)
At the rear end of the cooling tank 10 (the right end in FIGS. 1 and 2), as shown in FIG. 4, a partition plate 13a is installed inside the rear end plate 13 at a slight distance from the rear end plate 13. The partition plate 13a and the rear end plate 13, and the right side plate 11a and the inner plate 11c form a rectangular parallelepiped screw chamber R1 inside the rear end portion of the cooling tank 10. Two screws 41 are installed inside the screw chamber R1. These screws 41 are used to generate a desired water flow in the cooling water contained in the cooling tank 10, and here, screws for ships are used. Both screws 41 are fixed to the partition plate 13a in the vicinity of the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10. Each screw 41 is rotationally driven by a corresponding electric motor 40 installed outside the rear end of the cooling tank 10 via a corresponding motor shaft 40a. The partition plate 13a is opened in front of each screw 41, and the cooling water flow generated by the rotation of the screw 41 can be ejected to the front main flow path P1.

Inside the main flow path P1, as shown in FIG. 4, a fence-shaped plate 15c and a lower plate 15d are fixed to the front surface of the partition plate 13a, and between the partition plate 13a and the fence-shaped plate 15c and the lower plate 15d. The adjustment chamber R2 is formed in. The adjustment chamber R2 communicates with the screw chamber R1 through an opening (not shown) for the screw 41 formed in the partition plate 13a. The adjusting chamber R2 is used to adjust the cooling water flow so that the cooling water flow generated by the rotation of the screw 41 is ejected into the main flow path P1 in a desired direction and with a desired strength.

The lower plate 15d has an inverted V-shaped cross section and is fixed to the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10 in the form as shown in FIG. On the outer surface of the lower plate 15d, inclined surfaces are formed in the front and rear, respectively. Since the lower plate 15d is not formed with a through hole, the cooling water flow does not spout through the lower plate 15d. On the other hand, the fence-shaped plate 15c has an L-shape with an inclined cross section, and as shown in FIG. 4, the upper end thereof is fixed to the partition plate 13a and the lower end thereof is fixed to the inclined surface in front of the lower plate 15d. Has been done. The fence-shaped plate 15c has a fence-like structure in which elongated holes are formed at equal intervals over the entire surface. The upper portion of the fence-shaped plate 15c faces diagonally forward and upward, and has a spout 14a that ejects a cooling water flow diagonally forward and upward from the adjustment chamber R2. The lower part of the fence-shaped plate 15c faces diagonally forward and downward, and a spout 14b is formed there. Therefore, the cooling water flow ejected from the adjusting chamber R2 through the ejection port 14b is directed diagonally forward and downward.

The lower portion of the upper spout 14a of the fence-shaped plate 15c is closed by a rectangular closing plate 15a fixed to the front surface of the fence-shaped plate 15c. The upper portion of the upper spout 14a is a rectangle mounted swingably with respect to the fence-shaped plate 15c around a horizontally extending swing shaft 15bb (which is fixed to the cooling tank 10). The opening angle can be adjusted by the closing plate 15b of the above. Therefore, the cooling water of the adjustment chamber R2 is ejected diagonally forward and upward from the open portion of the ejection port 14a in a state of increasing the strength, and therefore, the opening (inclination) angle of the closing plate 15b is changed. This makes it possible to arbitrarily adjust the strength and amount of cooling water flow.

Unlike the upper spout 14a, the lower spout 14b of the fence-shaped plate 15c is always open on its entire surface. Therefore, the cooling water flow is always ejected from the entire surface of the ejection port 14b.

5 and 6 show a state in which the upper spout 14a of the fence-shaped plate 15c is half-closed by the closing plate 15b. In this state, the opening angle of the closing plate 15b, that is, the opening degree of the spout 14a is minimized, and the cooling water flow flows from the upper spout 14a along the closing plate 15b, in other words, in the cooling tank 10. It ejects in a direction substantially parallel to the bottom surface and enters the main flow path P1 (see FIG. 5). Further, from the lower ejection port 14b, the ejection is ejected in a direction orthogonal to the ejection port 14b, in other words, diagonally downward toward the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10, and enters the main flow path P1 (FIG. 6). reference). When the closing plate 15b is swung around the swing shaft 15bb to open the upper spout 14a more widely, the direction of the cooling water flow ejected from the upper spout 14a is directed with respect to the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10. And gradually turn upward.

FIG. 7 shows a state in which the opening angle of the closing plate 15b, that is, the opening degree of the upper spout 14a is maximized. In this state, the cooling water flow is ejected in a direction diagonally upward from the state where the opening angle of the closing plate 15b is the minimum (FIGS. 5 and 6) and enters the main flow path P1. The ejection from the lower ejection port 14b is the same as in the states of FIGS. 5 and 6. The amount of cooling water ejected per unit time in this state is larger than that in the state where the opening angle of the closing plate 15b is the minimum (FIGS. 5 and 6). This is because the opening degree of the upper spout 14a is maximized.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which both the closing plates 15a and 15b are removed and the upper spout 14a of the fence-shaped plate 15c is completely opened. In this state, the cooling water flow is ejected from the entire surface of the upper ejection port 14a in the direction orthogonal to the ejection port 14a, in other words, in the direction obliquely upward with respect to the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10 to the main flow path P1. come in. The ejection from the lower ejection port 14b is the same as in the states of FIGS. 5 and 6. A relay portion 15cc that relays both side portions thereof is provided at substantially the center of the fence-shaped plate 15c.

In the first embodiment, the state shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a state in which the opening angle of the closing plate 15b (opening degree of the spout 14a) is the minimum, and the spout 14a is larger than the opening degree at this time. Will never get smaller. Further, in the state shown in FIG. 7, the opening angle of the closing plate 15b (opening degree of the spout 14a) is the maximum, and the spout 14a does not become larger than the opening degree at this time. The opening angle of the closing plate 15b is adjusted between these two states.

(Conveyor)
As shown in FIG. 1, a scraping-type conveyor 30 is installed at the front end of the cooling tank 10 (the left end in FIGS. 1 and 2) in order to transport the cooled poultry carcass to the outside. There is. The conveyor 30 can swing around a horizontally extending swing shaft 34 installed at the front end of the cooling tank 10. About half of the rear side (right side in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the conveyor 30 is arranged inside the main flow path P1 of the cooling tank 10, and about half of the front side (left side in FIGS. 1 and 2) is cooled. It is arranged above the tank 10 and is exposed from the cooling tank 10.

As shown in FIG. 16B, the conveyor 30 includes a transport unit including a caterpillar group 30a formed by arranging and connecting a plurality of caterpillars in a row. The caterpillar group 30a is continuously driven forward along the conveyor body by a drive device (not shown). A large number of pushers 30b are arranged on the entire surface of the caterpillar group 30a at intervals in the transport direction and in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. The transport unit (caterpillar group 30a) transports the slaughtered birds diagonally forward and upward (diagonally to the upper left in FIG. 1) so as to scrape up the eclipse from the cooling tank 10 (main flow path P1). At that time, the poultry carcass (food to be cooled) in the cooling tank 10 is locked by the pusher 30b on the caterpillar group 30a driven by rotation, pulled up in order, and transported to the outside of the cooling transport device 1. NS.

In the first embodiment, the inverted U-shaped support 31 is located on the upper surface of the cooling tank 10 (the upper ends of the right side plate 11a and the inner plate 11c) at a position substantially directly above the rear end of the conveyor 30. Is installed. A winch 32 is installed at the uppermost portion of the support 31. This is to lift the rear end of the conveyor 30. That is, in the state of FIG. 17A, when one end of the wire 33 is locked to the rear end of the conveyor 30, the other end is locked to the winch 32, and then the winch 32 is operated to wind up the wire 33. As shown in FIG. 17B, the conveyor 30 swings around the swing shaft 34 so that the rear end portion of the conveyor 30 can be lifted. In this state, a space is formed below the conveyor 30, and the area of the cooling tank 10 directly under the conveyor 30 (the area directly under the conveyor) is exposed, so that the area directly under the conveyor can be easily cleaned and the conveyor 30 can be easily cleaned. There is an advantage that the back surface (lower surface) of the conveyor belt can be cleaned. This contributes to facilitation of maintenance of the cooling transfer device 1.

In the first embodiment, four windows 30c are formed on both side surfaces of the conveyor 30 so that one arm can be inserted. As a result, when cleaning the conveyor 30, the inside of the transport unit (caterpillar group 30a) can be accessed through the window 30c, which has an advantage that the cleaning work of the conveyor 30 becomes easier. This also contributes to facilitation of maintenance of the cooling transfer device 1.

(Heat exchanger)
As clearly shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, four heat exchangers 20 are arranged in the sub-flow path P2 of the cooling tank 10 in order to exchange heat between the cooling water and the refrigerant. These heat exchangers 20 are connected to a refrigerator (condenser) 23 installed outside the cooling transfer device 1 according to the first embodiment via an external connecting pipe 21. As described above, in the cooling transfer device 1, the heat exchanger 20 is built in the cooling tank 10 (cooling transfer device 1), and therefore, the heat exchange between the cooling water and the refrigerant is performed inside the cooling transfer device 1. It is supposed to be done. Therefore, there is an advantage that the overall configuration in which the cooling transfer device 1 and the refrigerator are combined is more compact than the conventional example in which the heat exchanger is installed outside the cooling transfer device.

Further, as will be described in detail later, since the cooling water directly contacts the heat exchanger 20 in the subchannel P2 to exchange heat, the heat is higher than that of the conventional example in which the secondary cooling system using antifreeze is adopted. The exchange efficiency is improved and the heat loss associated with heat exchange is reduced. Therefore, there is also an advantage that the production efficiency of the cooling water is higher than that of the conventional example.

In the first embodiment, a known plate coil type unit as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 is used as the heat exchanger 20. In this unit, two metal plates forming a zigzag groove are laminated to form a plate coil 20a, and a pair of connecting pipes 20b (for introducing a refrigerant and for deriving a refrigerant) are provided on both sides of the plate coil 20a. Has a connected configuration. Further, locking portions 20e having three holes on the upper and lower sides are provided, and two handles 20d are provided on the upper side. On the other hand, an oil trap 20c is formed in the connecting pipe 20b (for derivation of the refrigerant) to prevent damage to the refrigerator 22 caused by oil staying in the unit.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the subchannel P2, two heat exchangers 20 connected in series are arranged in two rows in parallel with each other at intervals, and the right side plate 11a and the inner plate 11c are arranged in parallel. It is also arranged so as to be parallel to. There are also gaps between the heat exchanger 20 and the right side plate 11a and between the heat exchanger 20 and the inner plate 11c. To fix the heat exchanger 20 in such a state, six support rods 20f are inserted into the through holes of the six locking portions 20e, and both ends of the support rods 20f are inserted into the left side plate 11b and the inside. It is realized by locking each of the plates 11c. The locking of each support rod 20f to the left side plate 11b and the inner plate 11c and the positioning of the heat exchanger 20 on each support rod 20f are performed by a nut screwed into each support rod 20f. Since the four heat exchangers 20 are arranged in this way, the cooling water flowing through the subchannel P2 can reliably contact the entire surface of each heat exchanger 20 to perform heat exchange, and heat exchange can be performed. Contributes to improved efficiency. In addition, maintenance of the heat exchanger 20 is easy. Therefore, the maintenance of the cooling transfer device 1 becomes easier.

As shown in FIG. 11, the two rows of heat exchangers 20 are fixed in a state of being slightly shifted from each other along the front-rear direction (longitudinal direction of the cooling transfer device 1) of the subchannel P2. This is because if two rows of heat exchangers 20 are installed without such a shift, the heat exchangers 20 at opposite positions come into close contact with each other, and the cooling water passes through the gap between the opposite heat exchangers 20. This is because it becomes difficult to do so and the flow resistance of the cooling water increases. In order to avoid this, the width of the auxiliary flow path P2 (distance between the left side plate 11b and the inner plate 11c) may be increased, but this is not preferable because the cooling transfer device 1 becomes large.

During the operation of the cooling transport device 1, there is a risk that a poultry carcass (food to be cooled) or other foreign matter may enter the subchannel P2. If no measures are taken, they may flow into the screw chamber R1 and damage the screw 31. Therefore, as a countermeasure, it is preferable to provide a foreign matter removing mechanism such as an appropriate fence or a foreign matter removing member (not shown) at an appropriate position (for example, in the vicinity of the screw chamber R1) of the auxiliary flow path P2.

(Ladder mechanism)
The cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 is determined by the direction of the cooling water flow ejected from the two ejection ports 14a and 14b provided at the rear end of the cooling tank 10 and the ejection intensity thereof. However, it is more preferable if the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 can be arbitrarily changed by other means. Therefore, in the first embodiment, a ladder mechanism is provided in the main flow path P1 as the cooling water flow adjusting means. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, this ladder mechanism has a rectangular plate-shaped ladder 16a, a shaft 16c for oscillatingly holding the ladder 16a in the main flow path P1, and a shaft 16c on the upper surface of the cooling tank 10. It is composed of three holding bodies 16b that are held so as to be swingable. The three holding bodies 16b are fixed to the upper ends of the right side plate 11a, the left side plate 11b, and the inner plate 11c, respectively. The shape of the ladder 16a is a rectangle close to a similar figure, which is slightly smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the main flow path P1 (cooling tank 10). The shaft 16c extends in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (transportation direction of the carcass of poultry) of the main flow path P1 (cooling tank 10). Therefore, the rudder 16a is immersed in the cooling water flow in a form orthogonal to the cooling water flow of the main flow path P1, acts to block the cooling water flow, and changes the flow direction of the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1.

FIG. 13A schematically shows the flow state of the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 when the ladder 16a is held in the horizontal state and does not affect the cooling water flow (when the ladder 16a is not used). In this case, the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 flows horizontally substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10 except in the vicinity of the ejection ports 14a and 14b.

FIG. 13B schematically shows the flow state of the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 when the ladder 16a is swung downward by 90 ° and held in the vertical state. This state is the case where the ladder 16a has the greatest effect on the cooling water flow. In this case, the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 flows substantially horizontally, and then is greatly bent downward just before the ladder 16a, passes through the gap between the lower end of the ladder 16a and the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10, and moves forward. Moving. Therefore, the poultry carcass transporting the main flow path P1 rotates or sinks on the cooling water stream. As a result, it is possible to cool the slaughtered birds during transportation more uniformly, and it is also possible to prevent the slaughtered birds being transported from staying in the middle.

FIG. 14 schematically shows the flow state of the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 when the ladder 16a is swung downward by 45 ° and held diagonally downward. In this state, the influence of the ladder 16a on the cooling water flow is about halfway between the two cases of FIGS. 13A and 13B. In this case as well, the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 flows substantially horizontally, then is bent downward just before the ladder 16a, passes through the gap between the lower end of the ladder 16a and the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10, and moves forward. Although it moves, since the gap between the lower end of the ladder 16a and the bottom surface of the cooling tank 10 is larger than that in the case of FIG. 13B, the change in the flow state of the cooling water flow is smaller than in that case. The rotation and subduction of the carcass of the eclipse during transportation in the main flow path P1 is also smaller in that case. As a result, the effect obtained in the case of FIG. 13B is also reduced accordingly.

The rudder mechanism described above does not necessarily have to be provided, but if it is provided, the poultry carcass (cooled food) can be provided without changing the rotation speed of the screw 41 or the opening angle of the closing plate 15b. It is very convenient because the flow state of the cooling water flow can be changed as appropriate according to the transport / cooling status. In fact, simply adjusting the ejection strength of the cooling water flow from the spouts 14a and 14b is not enough to respond to changes in the transport and cooling conditions of the slaughtered birds, for example, the slaughtered birds introduced into the main flow path P1. This is because when the number of bodies is large, uniform transportation may not be possible, and a situation may occur in which the homogeneity of cooling is significantly deteriorated.

(Overflow device)
In the first embodiment, an overflow device as shown in FIG. 15 is provided in the sub-flow path P2 so that the cooling water does not overflow from the cooling tank 10 during operation. As shown in FIGS. 1 (b) and 2 (a), the installation position of this overflow device is slightly upstream from the screw chamber R2 (on the left side in FIGS. 1 (b) and 2 (a)). This overflow device includes an overflow pipe 50 whose height can be adjusted, which is installed in the sub-flow path P2, and a drain pipe 51 connected to the overflow pipe 50. The upper end of the overflow pipe 50 is a water intake port 50a, and its height can be manually changed as appropriate. The lower end of the overflow pipe 50 is fitted into the upper end of the drain pipe 51 and is in a nested (engaged) state. The (engaged) state is not resolved. The lower end of the drain pipe 51 penetrates the left side plate 11b and opens to the outside of the cooling tank 10, so that the overflowing water is automatically discharged to the outside.

When the water surface of the cooling water exceeds the intake port 50a of the set height during the operation of the cooling transfer device 1, the overflowing cooling water enters the overflow pipe 50 from the intake port 50a and passes through the drain pipe 51 to the outside. Is discharged to. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to surely prevent the situation where the cooling water overflows from the cooling tank 10 and becomes flooded, and the dirt (foreign matter) floating on the surface of the cooling water flow in the main flow path P1 is automatically removed to the outside. There is an advantage that it can be discharged in a targeted manner.

Since the total length of the cooling transport device 1 is usually considerably long (for example, the total length is 10 m), the transport work to the installation location and the installation work at the installation location are very troublesome. Therefore, for example, the entire length of the cooling transport device 1 is divided into four parts so that each divided part can be transported by a truck of a normal size, and at the installation location, the four divided parts are easily and quickly connected and integrated. It is preferable to be able to make it. In this way, the transportation work to the installation place and the installation work at the installation place become easy.

(motion)
Next, the operation of the food cooling and transporting device 1 according to the first embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described. The poultry carcass, which is the food to be transported and cooled in the present embodiment, may be the one before the hollowing out or the one after the hollowing out.

First, a predetermined amount of water is put into the cooling tank 10 and cooled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 1 to 3 ° C.) using the refrigerator 22 while slowly rotating the screw 41. As a result, a cooling water stream having a predetermined temperature is generated in the cooling tank 10. The screw 41 can be rotated in the reverse direction if necessary.

Therefore, a predetermined amount of poultry carcass (food to be cooled) is charged into the rear end of the main flow path P1 of the cooling tank 10. Then, it is gradually conveyed forward (to the left in FIG. 1) on the cooling water flow of the main flow path P1, and is cooled at the same time. Then, when it reaches the front end (left end in FIG. 1) of the main flow path P1, the poultry carcass is automatically pulled forward by the conveyor 30 and sent to the next step.

During this time, the rotation speed of the screw 41 is adjusted and the opening degree of the closing plate 15b (spout 14a) is adjusted according to the transport state and the cooling state of the slaughtered poultry, so that the desired transport state and the desired state are always desired. Make sure it is in a cooled state. Further, if necessary, the ladder mechanism may be operated to forcibly change the cooling water flow of the main flow path P1, so that the transport state and the cooling state of the slaughterhouse may be changed more significantly. Since the cooling water flow can be adjusted over a wide range in this way, the poultry carcass may float or sink in the cooling water flow. (Therefore, it may be a food other than a poultry carcass.)
Since the main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2 communicate with each other through the communication ports 18 and 19 and the opening 19a, the cooling water in the cooling tank 10 is kept in the main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2 throughout the operation. Flows while circulating. In the main flow path P1, the cooling water cooled to a predetermined temperature is warmed by the poultry carcass, but the warmed cooling water enters the sub flow path P2 and is again operated by the heat exchanger 20 arranged in the sub flow path P2. After being cooled to a predetermined temperature, it is returned to the main flow path P1 and the poultry carcass is transported and cooled. Since the heat exchange at this time is performed by the flowing cooling water in direct contact with the heat exchanger 20, the heat exchange efficiency is improved as compared with the conventional example in which the secondary cooling system using the antifreeze liquid is adopted. Heat loss associated with heat exchange is reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of producing cooling water is higher than that of the conventional example.

As described in detail above, in the food cooling and transporting device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the main flow path P1 and the sub flow path P2 that communicate with each other are formed inside the cooling tank 10. The screw 41 and the spouts 14a and 14b as the cooling water flow generating means generate a cooling water flow along the predetermined transport direction in the main flow path P1. By immersing the (cooled food), these carcasses (cooled food) can be cooled while being transported in the transport direction, and the cooled carcass (cooled food) can be transported by means of transport. Can be conveyed to the outside of the cooling transfer device 1 by the conveyor 30 as a. Moreover, since the sub-channel P2 is provided with a heat exchanger 20 in which a predetermined refrigerant flows inside, the cooling water flow flowing out from the main flow path P1 to the sub-channel P2 can be passed through the inside of the heat exchanger 20. After cooling by exchanging heat with the flowing refrigerant, P1 can be re-flowed into the main flow path. Therefore, it is not necessary to install equipment such as a pipe and a pump for circulating the cooling water contained in the cooling tank 10 with the external condenser (refrigerator) 22 outside the cooling transfer device 1. .. It suffices to simply install necessary equipment such as pipes and pumps that restore the refrigerant whose state has changed due to heat exchange to the original state. Therefore, it is possible to realize the cooling transport processing of the poultry carcass (cooled food) with a simple configuration, and it is possible to reduce the cost of the cooling transport processing of the poultry carcass (cooled food) as compared with the conventional cooling transport device.

Further, since the screw 41 and the spouts 14a and 14b are provided as the cooling water flow generating means, the cooling water flow along the transport direction is generated from the cooling water contained in the cooling tank 10 in the main flow path P1. , The operation of the cooling water flow generating means (screw 41 and the ejection port 14a) can be controlled to easily change the flow state of the cooling water flow. Therefore, the flow state of the cooling water flow, in other words, the transport / cool state of the poultry carcass (food to be cooled) can be easily adjusted according to the number and the transport status.

Further, since it is not necessary to install equipment such as a pipe and a pump for circulating the cooling water contained in the cooling tank 10 with the external refrigerator (condenser) 22, heat is also provided in the sub-flow path P2. Since the exchanger 20 is provided and the cooling water flow flowing out into the auxiliary flow path P2 contacts the heat exchanger 20 and directly exchanges heat, the configuration around the heat exchanger 20 is simple and the antifreeze liquid. Etc. are also unnecessary. Therefore, the maintenance work is easier than the conventional cooling transfer device.

In the first embodiment described above, in addition to the above effects. Furthermore, it has the following effects.

That is, since the water flow generating means includes a screw 41 for generating a cooling water flow and an outlet 14a having a variable opening degree for ejecting the generated cooling water flow into the main flow path P1, it is simple. With the configuration, the flow state of the cooling water flow in the cooling tank 10, in other words, the transport / cooling state of the poultry carcass (food to be cooled) can be easily adjusted.

Since the spout 14b diagonally downward with respect to the bottom plate 11d of the cooling tank 10 and the spout 14a diagonally upward with respect to the bottom plate 11d of the cooling tank 10 are included, the poultry slaughter during transportation of the main flow path P1. The body (food to be cooled) can be agitated to uniformly cool the whole body.

Since the rudder mechanism (ladder 16a) as a cooling water flow adjusting member that acts as a resistance to the cooling water flow is provided in the main flow path P1, the cooling water flow can be changed by changing the resistance of the cooling water flow by the cooling water flow adjusting member (ladder 16a). The flow state of the can be easily changed, and the change can be made directly and larger.

Since the cooling water flow adjusting member (ladder 16a) is swingable around the shaft 16c and has an operating arm 17a that swings together with the shaft 16c outside the cooling tank 10, the cooling water flow adjusting member (ladder) The operation of 16a) can be easily performed from the outside of the cooling tank 10, and by fixing the operation arm 17a at an arbitrary position, it is easy to fix the cooling water flow adjusting member (ladder 16a) at a desired position. be.

The conveyor 30 as the transport means is swingable around the swing shaft 34, and by swinging the conveyor 30 upward with the winch 32 as the drive means, the conveyor 30 is between the bottom surface of the main flow path P1. Since a gap is formed in the conveyor 30, it is easy to clean the space between the conveyor 30 and the bottom surface of the main flow path P1 and the conveyor 30 itself.

Since the heat exchanger 20 is a plate coil type unit and is mounted on the exposed surface in the sub-flow path P2, the heat exchanger 20 can be easily installed (built-in) in the sub-flow path P2. The installation work is also easy, and even when the external connecting pipe 21 is connected to the heat exchanger 20, maintenance work and cleaning work of the heat exchanger 20 and its surroundings are easy.

Since an overflow device having a variable height of the intake port 50a is provided in the sub-channel P2, the overflow of the cooling water from the sub-channel P2 is surely prevented and the level at which the overflow occurs can be easily prevented. It can be adjusted, and dirt floating on the surface of the cooling water stream can be discharged to the outside.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

18 and 19 show an inner plate 11e and a plate coil heat exchanger 20A used in the food cooling and transporting device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The overall configuration of the food cooling transport device according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the food cooling transport device 1 according to the first embodiment described above, except for the inner plate 11e and the plate coil type heat exchanger 20A. , The same effect as that of the cooling / cooling transport device 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Therefore, the description of the overall configuration of the cooling transfer device according to the second embodiment will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

In the cooling transfer device of the second embodiment, the inner plate 11e having the configuration shown in FIG. 19A is used instead of the inner plate 11c used in the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment. The outer shape of the inner plate 11e is the same as that of the inner plate 11c of the first embodiment, but is different in that a notch 11f is formed substantially in the center thereof. The shape of the notch portion 11f is substantially the same as the outer shape of the plate coil type heat exchanger 20A having the configuration shown in FIG. 19B. In other words, the notch portion 11f corresponds to a portion in which the inner plate 11e is hollowed out so as to have substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the plate coil type heat exchanger 20A. Therefore, the heat exchanger 20A can be fitted and locked in the cutout portion 11f from the side of the sub-flow path P2 to be integrally formed with the inner plate 11c. 18 (a) and 18 (b) show a state in which the heat exchanger 20A is fitted and locked in the cutout portion 11f and integrated with the inner plate 11c.

As shown in FIGS. 18A and 18B, the heat exchanger 20A fitted to the cutout portion 11f from the side of the auxiliary flow path P2 is fitted to the cutout portion 11f so as to completely close the heat exchanger 20A. There is. The plurality of locking portions 20e provided around the heat exchanger 20A and the plurality of locking holes 11g provided at positions corresponding to the locking portions 20e on the outer peripheral edge of the notch portion 11f of the inner plate 11e are provided. The support rods 20f are inserted into the support rods 20f, and both ends of the support rods 20f are locked to the left side plate 11b and the inner side plate 11e, respectively. By doing so, the heat exchanger 20A and the inner plate 11c are engaged and supported so as to be integrated with each other.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 18B, one side (left side in the drawing) of the heat exchanger 20A integrally engaged with the inner plate 11c is exposed to the subchannel P2, and the other side thereof. (Right side in the figure) is exposed to the main flow path P1. This is different from the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the cooling water flow comes into contact with the heat exchanger 20A not only in the flow path P2 but also in the main flow path P1, so that heat exchange with the refrigerant of the heat exchanger 20A in both the sub flow path P2 and the main flow path P1. It is possible to do. Therefore, the cooling transfer device of the second embodiment can improve the heat exchange efficiency as compared with the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment. The heat exchanger 20A is not provided with a handle 20d like the heat exchanger 20.

In the cooling transfer device of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 18B, in addition to the heat exchanger 20A, the same plate coil type heat exchange used for the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment is used. The vessel 20 is provided in the sub-flow path P2. The heat exchanger 20 is arranged between the heat exchanger 20A facing the heat exchanger 20A and the left side plate 11b at a distance from the heat exchanger 20A. The same support rod 20f as the heat exchanger 20A is inserted into each locking portion 20e of the heat exchanger 20, and the heat exchanger 20 is supported by the same support rod 20f that supports the heat exchanger 20A. It is held in the state shown in (b). Unlike the heat exchanger 20A, the heat exchanger 20 is entirely located in the sub-flow path P2 and does not have a portion exposed to the main flow path P1.

The connecting pipe 20b and the oil trap 20c of the heat exchanger 20A are located on the side of the sub-flow path P2 as in the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment, and are not shown via the connecting pipe 20b. It is connected in series with two heat exchangers 20A, and is further connected to a refrigerator (condenser) 22 via an external connecting pipe 21. Further, the connecting pipe 20b and the oil trap 20c of the heat exchanger 20 are also connected to another heat exchanger 20 (not shown) via the connecting pipe 20b via the connecting pipe 20b, similarly to the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment. , Is connected to the refrigerator (condenser) 22 via an external connecting pipe 21 (see FIG. 9).

In the cooling transfer device of the second embodiment, similarly to the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment, the two heat exchangers 20A connected to each other and the two heat exchangers 20 connected to each other are connected. Because the heat exchanger 20A fits into the notch 11f of the inner plate 11e and is integrated with the inner plate 11e even though it is arranged in two rows inside the sub-flow path P2. The flow resistance exerted by the heat exchanger 20A on the cooling water flow flowing through the auxiliary flow path P2 can be made very small, specifically, to a level close to the case where the heat exchanger 20A does not exist. As a result, the flow resistance of the cooling water flow caused by the heat exchanger 20 and the heat exchanger 20A is reduced to a level close to that when only the heat exchanger 20 is arranged in a row in the subchannel P2. Therefore, the amount of the cooling water flow in the sub-flow path P2 can be significantly increased as compared with the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment. This is highly preferable because it leads to an improvement in the cooling efficiency of the cooling water.

Further, in the cooling transfer device of the second embodiment, since the two notches 11f are hollowed out from the inner plate 11e, the weight of the inner plate 11e is considerably lower than that of the inner plate 11c of the first embodiment. do. Therefore, there is an advantage that the inner plate 11e (and thus the cooling tank 10) is lighter than the cooling transfer device 1 of the first embodiment.

In the cooling transfer device of the second embodiment, as described above, the inner plate 11e is used as one sheet, and two notches 11f are formed in the inner plate 11e at predetermined intervals to form two heat exchangers 20A. Is fitted into each of these two notches 11f. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, two inner plates 11e on which one notch portion 11f is formed are prepared, and one heat exchanger 20A is fitted into the notch portion 11f of each inner plate 11e, according to the second embodiment. When assembling the cooling transfer device, the two inner plates 11e may be connected and one heat exchanger 20A may be fitted into the notch 11f of each inner plate 11e.

(Modification example)
The above-described embodiment shows an example embodying the present invention. Therefore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the poultry carcass is used as the food to be cooled is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to carcasses other than poultry carcasses, and any food other than carcasses, specifically, various foods such as poultry, meat, fish and shellfish, is immersed in cooling water and transported. Needless to say, it can also be applied to those that require cooling treatment.

Further, in the above embodiment, a plate coil type unit is used as the heat exchanger, but the present invention is not limited to this. Use any other heat exchanger as long as it can be installed in the secondary flow path and heat can be exchanged directly between the cooling water and the refrigerant by bringing the cooling water into contact with the heat exchanger. May be good.

Further, in the above embodiment, a screw and a spout are used as the cooling water flow generating means, a conveyor is used as a conveying means, and a ladder device is used as a cooling water flow adjusting means. Not limited. Needless to say, devices other than these may be used. For example, as the water flow generating means, a pump that can be installed in the cooling water can be used instead of the screw. Further, the cooling water flow in which the ejection strength and the ejection amount can be adjusted may be generated by omitting the ejection port and using only the screw or the pump without combining the screw or the pump and the ejection port.

Further, in the above embodiment, two heat exchangers connected in series are arranged in two rows, and a total of four heat exchangers are installed in the subchannel, but the present invention is limited to this. Not done. It suffices if the cooling water comes into contact with the heat exchanger and can exchange heat with the refrigerant of the heat exchanger, and the number of heat exchangers installed and the installation method thereof may be different from those in the above embodiment. Needless to say,

The present invention is applicable not only to food birds but also to all foods that require a treatment of being immersed in cooling water and being transported while being cooled. The form of the food is arbitrary and may be any form as long as it can be transported by being immersed in cooling water, and is not limited to the form of a carcass. Specifically, it can be applied to various foods such as poultry, meat, and fish and shellfish, as long as they are immersed in cooling water and need to be cooled while being transported.

1 Cooling transfer device 10 Cooling tank 11a Right side plate 11b Left side plate 11c Inner plate 11d Bottom plate 11e Inner plate 11f Notch 11g Locking hole 12 Front end plate 13 Rear end plate 13a Partition plate 14a Ejection 14b Ejection 15a Closing plate 15b Closing plate 15bb Swing shaft 15c Fence-shaped plate 15d Lower plate 16a Ladder 16b Holder 16c Shaft 17a Operation arm 17b Guide 17c Fixing member 18 Contact port 19 Contact port 19a Opening 20 Heat exchanger 20A Heat exchanger 20a Plate coil 20Aa Plate coil 20b Connection Tube 20c Oil trap 20d Handle 20e Locking part 20f Support rod 21 External communication tube 22 Refrigerator (condenser)
30 Conveyor 30a Caterpillar group 30b Pusher 30c Window 31 Support 32 Winch 33 Chain 34 Swing shaft 40 Motor 40a Motor shaft 41 Screw 42 Support leg 50 Overflow pipe 50a Intake pipe 51 Drain pipe P1 Main flow path P2 Sub flow path R1 Screw chamber R2 Adjustment room

Claims (11)

A cooling tank that houses cooling water inside,
A main flow path formed inside the cooling tank for transporting the food to be cooled in a predetermined transport direction, and
A sub-flow path formed inside the cooling tank and communicated with the main flow path inside the cooling tank.
A cooling water flow generating means provided inside the cooling tank to generate a cooling water flow flowing along the transport direction from the cooling water housed in the cooling tank in the main flow path.
A heat exchanger provided in the sub-channel for exchanging heat between the cooling water housed inside the cooling tank and the refrigerant flowing inside .
It is provided with a means for transporting food to be cooled provided at the downstream end of the main flow path.
In the main flow path and the sub-flow path, the cooling water flow flowing in the transport direction generated by the cooling water flow generating means from the cooling water housed in the cooling tank is generated inside the cooling tank. In, the main flow path flows into the sub flow path, the sub flow path flows in the direction opposite to the transport direction, and then flows into the main flow path again.
The cooling water flow flowing from the main flow path to the sub flow path comes into contact with the heat exchanger while flowing in the direction opposite to the transport direction in the sub flow path, and is outside the cooling transport device for the food. It is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant that is sent from and flows inside the heat exchanger, and then flows into the main flow path again.
In a state where the cooling water flow generated inside the cooling tank generates a cooling water flow flowing in the transport direction in the main flow path by the cooling water flow generating means, the cooling water flow flowing in the main flow path is cooled. When the food is immersed, the food to be cooled is cooled while being transported in the transport direction by the cooling water flow flowing in the main flow path, and then is cooled by the transport means from the downstream end of the main flow path to the outside of the cooling tank. A cooling transport device for food, which is characterized in that it is transported. The cooling water flow generating means generates the cooling water flow by ejecting the cooling water flowing means for flowing the cooling water contained in the cooling tank and the flowing cooling water into the main flow path. The cooling and transporting device for food according to claim 1, further comprising a spout having a variable opening degree. The food cooling and transporting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the spout includes two or more spouts having different spouting directions with respect to the bottom surface of the cooling tank. The food cooling and transporting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a cooling water flow adjusting means that acts as a resistance to the cooling water flow is provided in the main flow path. The food product according to claim 4, wherein the cooling water flow adjusting means is swingable around a held shaft and has an operating arm that swings with the shaft outside the cooling tank. Cooling transfer device. The transport means can swing around the held swing shaft, and by swinging the transport means around the swing shaft, a gap is created between the transport means and the bottom surface of the main flow path. The food cooling and transporting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is configured to be formed. The food cooling and transporting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heat exchanger is a plate coil type unit. The food cooling and transporting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an overflow device having a variable intake port height is provided in the sub-flow path. The heat exchanger is arranged in the sub-flow path in a state of being partially exposed to the main flow path.
The food cooling and transporting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cooling water flow is configured to contact and exchange heat not only in the sub-flow path but also in the main flow path. .. A partition member for partitioning the internal space of the cooling tank to form the main flow path and the sub flow path is provided in the cooling tank.
The heat exchanger is arranged in the sub-flow path in a state of penetrating the partition member and partially exposed to the main flow path.
The food cooling and transporting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cooling water flow is configured to contact and exchange heat not only in the sub-flow path but also in the main flow path. .. A partition member for partitioning the internal space of the cooling tank to form the main flow path and the sub flow path is provided in the cooling tank.
At least a part of the heat exchanger is fitted in a notch formed in the partition member to be integrally formed with the partition member, and is exposed to the main flow path through the notch. Ori,
The food cooling and transporting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cooling water flow is configured to contact and exchange heat not only in the sub-flow path but also in the main flow path. ..

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