JP7085339B2 - Oil condition measuring device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an oil / fat state measuring device for measuring the state of oil / fat.

When the fats and oils contained in foods deteriorate, problems such as changes in taste and offensive odors occur. Therefore, standards have been set for fats and oils contained in foods or fats and oils used for processing foods. .. The deteriorated state of fats and oils for foods is defined as a state in which oxygen is bound to fatty acids contained in the fats and oils, that is, a state in which the amount of free fatty acids is increased due to decomposition of the fats and oils. Of these, the one that indicates the amount of free fatty acid per unit amount of food is "acid value", which is used as one of the measurement items in the above criteria used for food.

The acid value is defined in a standard such as JIS-K0070 as the amount (mg) of potassium hydroxide used to neutralize free fatty acids, resin acids and the like contained in 1 g of a sample. In order to know the acid value accurately, a measuring method such as a neutralization titration method or a potentiometric titration method is used.

However, in order to manage the state of edible oils and fats on a daily basis, it is not realistic to measure the acid value by those measuring methods in a kitchen or the like. Therefore, as a method for easily measuring the acid value, a measuring method using a test paper has become widespread. This test paper is a filter paper impregnated with an indicator or the like. In the measurement method using test paper, the user attaches edible oil and fat to the test paper to change the color of the test paper, and compares the changed color with the color sample associated with the acid value to compare the acid value of the edible oil and fat. Determine the value of.

Further, as another method, the user compares the edible oil / fat in the container with the colored member having a color as a reference for judging the degree of deterioration through the colorimetric mask having two openings, and the edible oil / fat is compared. A method for determining the degree of deterioration has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Registered Utility Model No. 3196157

However, while the above-mentioned measurement method using the test paper or the colorimetric mask has an advantage that it can be easily measured, it is a sensory test in which the user visually determines the color of the edible oil / fat in the test paper or the container. .. In addition, a user who is proficient in measurement does not always measure the acid value. Therefore, it cannot be said that the accuracy of the acid value obtained through the measuring method is always high, and there is a problem that the measurement is varied among users. That is, when the color of the edible oil / fat in the test paper or the container does not match any of the plurality of color samples, it is determined which combination of the color samples the color to be measured is the intermediate color of the combination, and the color of the combination is determined. The value between the acid values of the sample can only be estimated to be the acid value of the edible fat or oil to be measured. In addition, there are individual differences in the appearance of colors, and the appearance of colors may differ depending on the measurement environment. Therefore, even if the colors of the test paper and edible oils and fats are the same, there are multiple users or the measurement environment. The judgment result may differ depending on the difference. It should be noted that these problems are generally common not only in the case of measuring the acid value of fats and oils used for other purposes such as lubricating oils, but also in the case of measuring the acid value of fats and oils used for other purposes.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an oil / fat state measuring device capable of easily measuring the state of fats and oils and improving the accuracy thereof. It is in.

The oil / fat state measuring device that solves the above-mentioned problems is an oil / fat state measuring device that measures the state of the oil / fat, and measures the acid value of the oil / fat based on the lightness of the light in the visible light range that has passed through the oil / fat. It is equipped with a measuring unit.

The inventors have found that between the acid value of fats and oils and the R value (red component of the RGB color model), G value (green component of the RGB color model), and B value (blue component of the RGB color model) of the color of the fats and oils. We found that there was a correlation with. According to the above configuration, since the acid value of the fat and oil is measured by transmitting visible light through the fat and oil, it can be easily measured as compared with the conventional titration method for obtaining the acid value. In addition, since the acid value is measured by the acid value measuring unit based on the brightness of the transmitted light, the accuracy can be improved and the variation that occurs among the measurers can be suppressed as compared with the acid value measurement using the test paper. It is possible to obtain objective information on the acid value of fats and oils. Furthermore, since visible light is used, it is less likely to be attenuated than when a higher wavelength is used, so that it can be made resistant to disturbance. The brightness is not limited to √ (R ^ 2 + G ^ 2 + B ^ 2), but is obtained from any two of the R value, the G value, and the B value, √ (R ^ 2 + G ^ 2), √ (R ^). 2 + B ^ 2), √ (G ^ 2 + B ^ 2) are also included, and each value of R value, G value, and B value is also included.

Regarding the oil / fat state measuring device, it is preferable that the acid value measuring unit includes a storage unit that stores a table in which the correspondence between the lightness and the acid value is defined.
According to the above configuration, the acid value corresponding to the lightness can be obtained based on the table.

Regarding the oil and fat state measuring device, the table includes a first table and a second table in which the correspondence between the brightness and the acid value is different from that of the first table, and the acid value measuring unit is used. It is preferable to switch between the first table and the second table according to the usage environment of fats and oils.

For example, fats and oils have different brightness for the same acid value depending on the food to be fried. Therefore, according to the above configuration, accurate measurement can be performed by switching the table according to the usage environment of fats and oils such as foods to be fried.

Regarding the oil / fat state measuring device, the table is a table having a range of acid values corresponding to the lightness, and the acid value measuring unit changes the acid value corresponding to the lightness according to the usage environment of the oil / fat. It is preferable to do so.

According to the above configuration, the acid value measured according to the usage environment of fats and oils such as foods to be fried can be changed.
With respect to the oil / fat state measuring device, it is preferable that the acid value measuring unit converts the measured acid value of the oil / fat into a voltage value and outputs it.

According to the above configuration, the device to which the voltage value is input from the measuring unit does not need to convert the acid value information into the operation information, and can operate according to the voltage value input from the measuring unit. Become.

According to the present invention, the state of fats and oils can be easily measured and the accuracy thereof can be improved.

The figure which shows the schematic structure of the 1st Embodiment of the oil-and-fat state measuring apparatus. The figure which shows the installation state with respect to the fryer of the oil-and-fat state measuring apparatus of the same embodiment. The graph which shows the relationship between the acid value and the light intensity in the oil-and-fat state measuring apparatus of the same embodiment. The graph which shows the correlation information used by the oil-and-fat state measuring apparatus of the same embodiment. The graph which shows the deformation example of the correlation information used by the oil and fat state measuring apparatus.

An embodiment of the oil / fat state measuring device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The oil / fat state measuring device of the present embodiment is an apparatus for measuring the acid value of edible oil / fat. Edible fats and oils are stored in a fryer, which is a deep-fried food cooker for frying foodstuffs, and heated for use. Deterioration progresses by repeating frying foodstuffs.

As shown in FIG. 1, the oil / fat state measuring device 1 includes a detection sensor 10 and a measuring unit 30 electrically connected to the detection sensor 10.
The detection sensor 10 includes a sensor main body 11, a detection unit 20, and a pair of a first pipe 25 and a second pipe 26 that connect the sensor main body 11 and the detection unit 20. The sensor body 11 includes a holder 15 and a cover 19 that covers the upper portion of the holder 15. The holder 15 and the cover 19 are made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy or a resin. At the lower part of the holder 15, a pipe fixing portion 16 for fixing the base ends of the first pipe 25 and the second pipe 26 is fixed by bolts. The method of fixing the first pipe 25 and the second pipe 26 may be welding or may be fastened to the pipe fixing portion 16 by providing male or female threads at the base ends of the first pipe 25 and the second pipe 26. good. Further, the base ends of the first pipe 25 and the second pipe 26 may be directly fixed to the sensor main body 11.

The detection unit 20 is fitted with the tips of the first pipe 25 and the second pipe 26. The fixing method between the detection unit 20 and the tips of the first pipe 25 and the second pipe 26 may be welding or fastening with a male screw or a female screw. In the detection unit 20, a 90 ° bent first communication passage 27 communicating with the first pipe 25 is formed, and a 90 ° bent second communication passage 28 communicating with the second pipe 26 is formed. .. A first prism 21 is provided at the bent portion of the first continuous passage 27 so as to change the optical path by 90 °. A second prism 22 is provided at the bent portion of the second passage 28 so as to change the optical path by 90 °. A gap 17 is formed in the center of the detection unit 20. The detection unit 20 is provided with a first optical window 23 and a second optical window 24 sealed with a gap 17 interposed therebetween.

The holder 15 includes a first accommodating portion 11a. The first accommodating portion 11a is covered with a cover 19. The circuit board 12 is housed in the space partitioned by the holder 15 and the cover 19. The circuit board 12 is fixed to the holder 15 side by a bolt 11c. One light emitting unit 13 and one or a plurality of light receiving units 14 are mounted on the bottom surface of the circuit board 12.

The light emitting unit 13 is a light source that emits light in the white visible light region, and is composed of a white LED or the like. The light emitting unit 13 is fixed to the circuit board 12 in a direction in which light can be emitted to the first prism 21. Each light receiving unit 14 is a sensor that detects the intensity of light for each color component such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and includes a photodiode and a color filter. Each light receiving unit 14 is fixed at a position where light emitted from the second prism 22 side can be received.

The holder 15 has a first passage hole 11d through which the light emitted by the light emitting unit 13 passes. A first pipe 25 is provided at an end of the first passage hole 11d that is opposite to the end on the light emitting portion 13 side. Further, the holder 15 is penetrated by a second passage hole 11e that passes through the detection unit 20 and passes after the light reflected by the first prism 21 and the second prism 22 passes through the second pipe 26. The light receiving unit 14 is attached at a position where light that has passed through the second passage hole 11e can be received. A second pipe 26 is provided at the end of the second passage hole 11e that is opposite to the end on the light receiving portion 14 side. That is, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 13 is the first passage hole 11d → the first pipe 25 → the first continuous passage 27 (the first prism 21) → the first optical window 23 → the gap 17 → the second optical window 24 → the second. It passes through the double passage 28 (second prism 22) → the second pipe 26 → the second passage hole 11e and reaches the light receiving unit 14.

Further, a signal / power line 18 in which a signal line and a power line are bundled is connected to the upper surface of the circuit board 12. The light intensity for each color component detected by each light receiving unit 14 is converted into a voltage signal or the like by, for example, a conversion circuit provided on the circuit board 12, and transmitted to the measuring unit 30 via the signal / power line 18.

The measuring unit 30 has a calculation unit, a volatile storage unit, and a non-volatile storage unit, and performs various calculations by executing a program stored in the non-volatile storage unit using the detection signal input from the detection sensor 10. conduct. The measuring unit 30 corresponds to the acid value measuring unit.

The measuring unit 30 indicates the R value indicating the intensity of R (red) of the transmitted light, the G value indicating the intensity of G (green), and the intensity of B (blue) according to the detection signal input from the detection sensor 10. Calculate the B value. Further, the measuring unit 30 calculates the brightness ΔE based on the R value, the G value, and the B value.

The brightness ΔE can be obtained by the following equation (1). In addition, "R" indicates an R value, "G" indicates a G value, and "B" indicates a B value. Further, the brightness ΔE may be directly measured by a sensor capable of measuring the brightness regardless of the equation (1).

測定部３０は、明度ΔＥと酸価との関係を示す相関情報を不揮発性記憶部に記録している。測定部３０は、相関情報を用いて、算出した明度ΔＥに応じた酸価を求める。そして、測定部３０は、求めた酸価を出力する。

The measuring unit 30 records the correlation information indicating the relationship between the lightness ΔE and the acid value in the non-volatile storage unit. The measuring unit 30 uses the correlation information to obtain the acid value corresponding to the calculated brightness ΔE. Then, the measuring unit 30 outputs the obtained acid value.

Further, the oil / fat state measuring device 1 includes a display unit 31. The display unit 31 displays the acid value input from the measurement unit 30 as a numerical value, for example, "1.0". The user compares the numerical value displayed on the display unit 31 with the reference value as a reference for deterioration, and determines whether or not the edible oil / fat needs to be replaced or replenished. The display unit 31 may prompt the replacement of edible oils and fats when the acid value exceeds the reference value.

As shown in FIG. 2, the detection sensor 10 is attached to the flyer 40. The fryer 40 includes an oil tank 41 for storing edible oils and fats. Inside the oil tank 41, a heating unit 42 for heating the edible oil and fat stored in the oil tank 41 is provided. The heating unit 42 may be an electric type, a gas type, or the like.

A discharge path 43 for discharging edible oils and fats in the oil tank 41 is connected to the lower part of the oil tank 41. The tip of the discharge passage 43 is open in the container 45 for collecting the discharged edible oil and fat. An on-off valve 44 is attached to the discharge passage 43. When the on-off valve 44 is opened, the edible oil and fat can pass through the discharge path 43, and when the on-off valve 44 is closed, the edible oil and fat cannot pass through the discharge path 43. The on-off valve 44 is, for example, a butterfly valve or a solenoid valve.

The detection sensor 10 is attached to the oil tank 41 of the fryer 40. That is, the gap 17, which is the measurement chamber of the detection sensor 10, is provided in the oil tank 41 and is immersed in the stored edible oil and fat. It is desirable to provide a moving mechanism (not shown) for moving the detection sensor 10 as shown by an arrow. The detection sensor 10 corresponds to the heating temperature of the edible oil and fat in the oil tank 41.

Correlation information will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
In the graph shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal axis shows the acid value and the vertical axis shows the light intensity, that is, the R value, the G value, and the B value. The R value, G value, and B value all decrease as the acid value increases. Of the R value, G value, and B value, the B value decreases most as the acid value increases. Further, among the R value, the G value, and the B value, the R value has the smallest decrease with an increase in the acid value.

The horizontal axis of the graph shown in FIG. 4 is the brightness ΔE, and the vertical axis is the acid value. The line A shows the changes in the lightness ΔE and the acid value when the foodstuff to be put into the edible fat and oil is meat, and the line B shows the lightness ΔE and the acid value when the foodstuff to be put into the edible fat and oil is vegetables. The line C shows the change, and the line C shows the change in the lightness ΔE and the acid value when the foodstuff to be added to the edible fat is both meat and vegetables. The data of this graph is stored in the non-volatile storage unit of the measurement unit 30 in the state of a table in which the correspondence between the lightness ΔE and the acid value is defined. This table includes a plurality of tables prepared in advance for each type of edible oil and fat and for each foodstuff. The plurality of tables correspond to the first table and the second table.

Next, the operation of the oil / fat state measuring device 1 will be described.
The user operates an operation unit (not shown) of the measurement unit 30 to select whether the edible oil or fat to be measured is used for meat or vegetables. When the measuring unit 30 acquires the food material information which is the object information, the measuring unit 30 switches the table according to the food material as the usage environment of the edible oil and fat.

The measuring unit 30 immerses the gap 17 of the detection sensor 10 in edible oil and fat by a moving mechanism. When the measuring unit 30 acquires the detection signal from the detection sensor 10, the measuring unit 30 calculates the acid value of the edible oil and fat, and causes the detection sensor 10 to be taken out from the edible oil and fat by the moving mechanism. The measuring unit 30 may periodically measure the acid value of the edible oil or fat, or may measure it at any time. Further, the measuring unit 30 may measure the acid value of the edible oil / fat when the user operates to measure the acid value of the edible oil / fat.

Further, when the heat resistant temperature of the detection sensor 10 is lower than the heating temperature of the edible oil / fat in the oil tank 41, the operation is as follows. The measuring unit 30 acquires the temperature from the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the edible oil and fat in the oil tank 41, and confirms whether or not the temperature of the edible oil and fat in the oil tank 41 has dropped to the heat resistant temperature or lower of the detection sensor 10. .. When the measuring unit 30 confirms that the temperature of the edible oil / fat in the oil tank 41 has dropped below the heat-resistant temperature of the detection sensor 10, the moving mechanism immerses the gap 17 of the detection sensor 10 in the edible oil / fat. When the measuring unit 30 acquires the detection signal from the detection sensor 10, the measuring unit 30 calculates the acid value of the edible oil and fat, and causes the detection sensor 10 to be taken out from the edible oil and fat by the moving mechanism.

The user activates the detection sensor 10 to emit white light from the light emitting unit 13. When irradiating only with a specific combination such as R value and B value of transmitted light or G value and B value of transmitted light, instead of white LED etc., light containing only red and blue components or green An LED or the like capable of emitting light containing only a blue component can be used.

The measuring unit 30 calculates the R value, the G value, and the B value based on the signal input from the light receiving unit 14, and calculates the brightness ΔE. Further, the measuring unit 30 reads out a table of correlation information stored in the non-volatile storage unit and extracts information according to the selected foodstuff. Then, the measuring unit 30 obtains the acid value corresponding to the lightness ΔE based on the table of correlation information. When the measuring unit 30 obtains the acid value, it outputs it to the display unit 31.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the acid value of edible fats and oils is measured by transmitting light in the visible light region through the edible fats and oils, it can be measured more easily than the conventional titration method for determining the acid value. .. Further, since the acid value is measured by the measuring unit 30 based on the brightness of the transmitted light, the accuracy can be improved and the variation caused among the measurers can be suppressed as compared with the measurement of the acid value using the test paper. , It is possible to obtain objective information about the acid value of edible oils and fats. Furthermore, since visible light is used, it is less likely to be attenuated than when a higher wavelength is used, so that it can be made resistant to disturbance.

(2) The acid value corresponding to the lightness can be obtained based on the table in which the correspondence between the lightness ΔE and the acid value is defined.
(3) Accurate measurement can be performed by switching the table according to the usage environment of fats and oils such as foods to be fried.

In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment can also be carried out in the following embodiment which changed this as appropriate.
-In the above embodiment, a plurality of tables having different correspondences between lightness and acid value were used. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the measuring unit 30 may change the acid value corresponding to the lightness according to the usage environment of the fat and oil by using a table having a range of the acid value corresponding to the lightness. For example, in the initial value, the acid value corresponding to the lightness is set to the value of the solid line, and when only vegetables are fried and cooked, the acid value corresponding to the lightness is changed to the lower limit indicated by the one-point chain line, and the meat is used in the same edible oil and fat. When fried and cooked only, change the acid value corresponding to the lightness to the upper limit indicated by the broken line. According to such a configuration, the acid value measured according to the usage environment of fats and oils such as foods to be fried can be changed.

-In the above embodiment, ΔE obtained by the equation (1) is adopted as the brightness, but the brightness is not limited to √ (R ^ 2 + G ^ 2 + B ^ 2), and any of R value, G value, and B value. √ (R ^ 2 + G ^ 2), √ (R ^ 2 + B ^ 2), √ (G ^ 2 + B ^ 2) obtained from these two may be adopted, and further, R value, G value, and B value may be adopted. Each value of may be adopted. At any of these brightnesses, as shown in FIG. 3, since the strength decreases with increasing acid value, the state of fats and oils can be easily measured and the accuracy thereof can be improved. ..

In the above embodiment, the light receiving unit 14 is a sensor that detects the light intensity for each color component such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue), but the light receiving unit 14 is R (red). , G (green), B (blue) may be used as a sensor for detecting only a necessary color component.

-In the above embodiment, the display unit 31 displays the acid value numerically. As another aspect, the user may be able to discriminately output whether the acid value is below the reference value or above the reference value. For example, when the measured acid value is less than the preset reference value, the lamp that emits blue light is turned on, and when the measured acid value is greater than or equal to the reference value, the lamp that emits red light is turned on. May be good. Alternatively, whether or not the measured acid value is less than the reference value may be displayed on the display unit 31 so as to be identifiable by the mark. Alternatively, it may indicate whether or not the measured acid value is less than the reference value by voice, sound, vibration or other user-identifiable method.

In the above embodiment, the measurement result of the measurement unit 30 is output to the display unit 31, but the measurement result of the measurement unit 30 is output to the control device of the flyer 40, and the measurement result of the measurement unit 30 is used to control the flyer 40. You may use it. The measuring unit 30 may convert the acid value into a voltage value and output it as a voltage to the control device of the fryer 40. In this way, the control device of the fryer 40 can be operated according to the voltage value.

-In the above embodiment, the oil / fat state measuring device 1 may acquire information from the fryer 40 and change the table based on the frying conditions (temperature, time, etc.) of the fryer. For example, meat can be roughly divided into fried meat at 170 ° C and vegetables at 180 ° C, so when the number of times of frying at 170 ° C is large, it is judged that the meat is fried and cooked frequently, and the measurement is made according to the usage environment in which the meat is fried. It is also possible to do.

-In the above embodiment, the oil / fat state measuring device 1 may acquire POS (point of sale information management: Point Of Sales system) information and change the table based on the POS information. For example, based on the ordering information, if the order quantity of meat is large, it can be determined that a large amount of meat will be fried next time, so that it is possible to measure according to the usage environment in which the meat is fried.

In the above embodiment, the detection sensor 10 has a configuration in which the first prism 21 and the second prism 22 are arranged via the gap 17, and the light emitted from the light emitting unit 13 is passed through the gap 17 to receive the light receiving unit 14. However, the detection sensor 10 is not limited to this configuration. For example, edible oil and fat may be put into a cell made of quartz glass or the like, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 13 may be transmitted to the cell, and the transmitted light may be received by the light receiving unit 14. Even in this way, the state of fats and oils can be easily measured, and the accuracy thereof can be improved.

-In the above embodiment, the detection sensor 10 and the measurement unit 30 are separate members, but the measurement unit 30 may be built in the detection sensor 10. By doing so, it is not necessary to connect the detection sensor 10 and the measuring unit 30 with a signal / power supply line 18 or the like, and it is possible to measure the oil / fat state only with the detection sensor 10.

-In the above embodiment, the measurement target is an edible fat or oil, but other fats and oils may be used. For example, oils and fats such as machine lubricating oil may be measured.

1 ... Oil state measuring device, 10 ... Detection sensor, 11 ... Sensor body, 11a ... First accommodating part, 11c ... Volt, 11d ... First passage hole, 11e ... Second passage hole, 12 ... Circuit board, 13 ... Light emission Unit, 14 ... light receiving part, 15 ... holder, 16 ... pipe fixing part, 17 ... gap, 18 ... signal / power line, 19 ... cover, 20 ... detection part, 21 ... first prism, 22 ... second prism, 23 ... 1st optical window, 24 ... 2nd optical window, 25 ... 1st pipe, 26 ... 2nd pipe, 27 ... 1st passage, 28 ... 2nd passage, 30 ... Measuring unit, 31 ... Display unit, 40 ... fryer, 41 ... oil tank, 42 ... heating part, 43 ... discharge path, 44 ... on-off valve, 45 ... container.

Claims (3)

It is an oil and fat condition measuring device that measures the condition of oil and fat.
It is provided with an acid value measuring unit that measures the acid value of the fat and oil based on the brightness of the light in the visible light region that has passed through the fat and oil.
The acid value measuring unit includes a storage unit that stores a table in which the correspondence between the brightness and the acid value is defined.
It is equipped with an acquisition unit for acquiring information on frying conditions when frying the food from an oil tank that stores the fat and oil and fries the food .
The table includes a first table and a second table in which the correspondence between the lightness and the acid value is different from that of the first table.
The acid value measuring unit is an oil / fat state measuring device that switches between the first table and the second table according to the frying conditions acquired by the acquiring unit. It is an oil and fat condition measuring device that measures the condition of oil and fat.
It is provided with an acid value measuring unit that measures the acid value of the fat and oil based on the brightness of the light in the visible light region that has passed through the fat and oil.
The acid value measuring unit includes a storage unit that stores a table in which the correspondence between the brightness and the acid value is defined.
It is equipped with an acquisition unit that acquires point-of-sale information management information of stores where the oils and fats are used.
The table includes a first table and a second table in which the correspondence between the lightness and the acid value is different from that of the first table.
The acid value measuring unit is an oil / fat state measuring device that switches between the first table and the second table according to the ordering information of the point-of-sale information management information acquired by the acquisition unit. The oil / fat state measuring device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the acid value measuring unit converts the measured acid value of the oil / fat into a voltage value and outputs the measured acid value.

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