JP7203408B2 - Sterilization device and sterilization method - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a sterilization apparatus and a sterilization method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized.

Conventionally, as a method of sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, such as canned food and retort pouch food, a method of sterilizing the sealed container with high-temperature and high-pressure steam in a retort kettle has been widely adopted. In such a method, it is common to use a retort kettle that is considerably larger than the size of the sealed container, and there is the problem of poor energy efficiency due to the need to supply a large amount of steam. In addition, such a method generally includes a cooling step of cooling the sealed container after heat sterilization in order to safely remove the sealed container after heat sterilization. Supply a large amount of cooling water in the cooling step. Therefore, there is a problem that the cooling water utilization efficiency is poor.

In response to such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-96786 (Patent Document 1) discloses the amount of steam required to reach the sterilization temperature by devising the switching of the steam supply position and the air exhaust position. is disclosed. Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-136351 (Patent Document 2) discloses a sterilization device that can efficiently use cooling water without waste by circulating the cooling water.

JP 2016-96786 A JP 2015-136351 A

However, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the use of steam and cooling water itself cannot be avoided. In addition, as a general problem of the sterilization method using a retort pot, it is necessary to heat and cool the entire retort pot regardless of the number of sealed containers to be put in, so when sterilizing a small amount of sealed containers, In particular, there was a problem of poor energy efficiency. Therefore, when a sterilization method using a retort pot is adopted as a sterilization method for foodstuffs distributed in the market, it is sometimes forced to make a production plan for each production amount according to the capacity of the retort pot.

In addition, in the conventional sterilizer using a retort kettle, it is necessary to heat the entire retort kettle when raising the temperature of the sealed container to be sterilized to the sterilization temperature. Become. Therefore, there is a risk that the user may accidentally touch the hot retort oven and get burned.

Therefore, realization of a sterilization apparatus and a sterilization method capable of sterilizing each sealed container without using steam and cooling water is required.

A first sterilization apparatus according to the present invention includes at least two Peltier element units, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element units, and at least two heat sinks provided in contact with the Peltier element units. The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and a first surface of the Peltier element unit that contacts a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a second surface of the Peltier element unit that contacts the heat sink. and the power supply unit has a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit, a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat, and a direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. a second current direction, wherein the sealed container is fixable such that at least two surfaces of the sealed container are in contact with the Peltier element units, and the at least two Peltier element units are configured to: It is characterized in that the sealed container can be sandwiched between the at least two Peltier element units .
A second sterilization apparatus according to the present invention includes a Peltier element unit, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit, and the Peltier element unit has at least two Peltier elements and an additional heat sink arranged between the at least two Peltier elements, and is in contact with the sealed container containing the contents to be sterilized. and a second surface of the Peltier element unit that abuts on the heat sink, wherein the power supply unit directs the direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit to the first surface where the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat. A current direction and a second current direction in which heat is absorbed by the first surface of the Peltier element unit can be selected, and the first Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements is in contact with the sealed container. a Peltier element first surface and a first Peltier element second surface abutting the additional heat sink, wherein the second Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements is the first Peltier element of the additional heat sink and a second surface of the second Peltier element that contacts the heat sink, wherein the power supply unit attaches the second Peltier element to the second surface of the Peltier element. It is characterized in that the first surface of the first Peltier element and the first surface of the second Peltier element absorb heat when the current is supplied in the current direction.
A third sterilization apparatus according to the present invention includes a Peltier element unit, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit, and the Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink, and the power supply The unit selects a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit from a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat and a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. It is characterized in that the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container are brought into contact with each other with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more.
A fourth sterilization apparatus according to the present invention comprises a Peltier element unit, a power supply unit for supplying a direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit, wherein the Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts a can containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink, and the power supply unit selects a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit from a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat and a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. It is characterized by being configured to be able to

A first sterilization method according to the present invention is a method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, wherein the sterilization device used in the sterilization method includes at least two Peltier element units, A sterilization device comprising: a power supply unit for supplying a direct current to a Peltier element unit; and at least two heat sinks provided in contact with the Peltier element unit, wherein the Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and It has a Peltier element unit first surface in contact with a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface in contact with the heat sink, wherein at least two surfaces of the sealed container are the Peltier unit. The sealed container can be fixed so as to be in contact with the element unit, the at least two Peltier element units can sandwich the sealed container between the at least two Peltier element units, and the sterilization method includes: a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat; and a cooling step of supplying current in a second current direction in which one surface absorbs heat.
A second sterilization method according to the present invention is a method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, wherein the sterilization device used in the sterilization method includes a Peltier element unit and a direct current to the Peltier element unit. A sterilizer comprising: a power supply unit that supplies current; an additional heat sink disposed, the first surface of the Peltier element unit contacting the sealed container containing the contents to be sterilized, and the second surface of the Peltier element unit contacting the heat sink. and a first Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a first Peltier element first surface that contacts the sealed container and a first Peltier element second surface that contacts the additional heat sink. , the second Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements is in contact with a second Peltier element first surface in contact with a surface of the additional heat sink different from the surface in contact with the first Peltier element, and the heat sink. a second surface of a second Peltier element, and the sterilization method includes a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat. and a cooling step of supplying a current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat, and supplying the Peltier element unit with the second current direction. The first surface of the first Peltier element and the first surface of the second Peltier element absorb heat when current is supplied.
A third sterilization method according to the present invention is a method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, wherein the sterilization device used in the sterilization method includes a Peltier element unit and a direct current to the Peltier element unit. A sterilization device comprising a power supply unit that supplies current and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit, the Peltier element unit having a Peltier element and enclosing contents to be sterilized The first surface of the Peltier element unit contacts the sealed container, and the second surface of the Peltier element unit contacts the heat sink. a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat in a state of contact with the above surface pressure; and a cooling step of supplying current to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat.
A fourth sterilization method according to the present invention is a method for sterilizing cans containing contents to be sterilized, wherein the sterilization device used in the sterilization method includes a Peltier element unit and a direct current to the Peltier element unit. and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit, wherein the Peltier element unit has a Peltier element and contains a content to be sterilized It has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts the canned food and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink, and the sterilization method includes transferring the Peltier element unit from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit. A heating step of supplying current in a first current direction in which one surface generates heat, and a cooling step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. and

According to these configurations, the sealed container can be sterilized without using steam and cooling water. In addition, sterilization treatment can be performed for each sealed container. These features make it possible to increase energy efficiency compared to conventional sterilization devices and methods that use retort pots.

Moreover, according to these configurations, even if the temperature of the sealed container rises, the temperature of the heat sink does not rise excessively, and is kept at, for example, room temperature. There is little risk of getting burned.
According to the first configuration, since the sealed container can be heated and cooled from both sides, the speed of heating and cooling of the sealed container can be increased. This makes it possible to enhance the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.
According to the second configuration, the speed of heating and cooling the sealed container can be increased by increasing the number of Peltier elements responsible for heating and cooling the sealed container. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.
According to the third configuration, the efficiency of heat conduction between each component is increased, so that the speed of heating and cooling of the sealed container can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.
According to the fourth configuration, since the metal constituting the can has high thermal conductivity, the heating and cooling speed of the can can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments described below.

As one aspect of the sterilizer according to the present invention, it is preferable that the Peltier element unit has at least two Peltier elements.

According to this configuration, the number of Peltier elements responsible for heating and cooling the sealed container is increased, so that the speed of heating and cooling the sealed container can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

As one aspect of the sterilizer according to the present invention, the Peltier element unit has an additional heat sink arranged between the at least two Peltier elements, and the first Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements is , a first Peltier element first surface abutting the sealed container and a first Peltier element second surface abutting the additional heat sink, the second Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements comprising: The power supply unit has a second Peltier element first surface that contacts a surface of the additional heat sink that is different from the surface that contacts the first Peltier element, and a second Peltier element second surface that contacts the heat sink. When supplies the current in the second current direction to the at least two Peltier element units, it is preferable that the first surface of the first Peltier element and the first surface of the second Peltier element absorb heat.

According to this configuration, it is possible to further increase the cooling speed of the sealed container, and to increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

As one aspect of the sterilizer according to the present invention, at least one of a contact surface between the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container and a contact surface between the second surface of the Peltier element unit and the heat sink Secondly, it is preferable to interpose a thermally conductive grease or a thermally conductive sheet.

According to this configuration, the thermal conductivity between the components interposed by the thermally conductive grease or the thermally conductive sheet is increased, so that the speed of heating and cooling of the sealed container can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

As one aspect of the sterilization device according to the present invention, a contact surface between the first surface of the first Peltier element and the sealed container, and a contact surface between the second surface of the first Peltier element and the additional heat sink an abutment surface between the second Peltier element first surface and the additional heat sink; and an abutment surface between the second Peltier element second surface and the heat sink. Conductive grease or a thermally conductive sheet is preferably interposed.

According to this configuration, the thermal conductivity between the components interposed by the thermally conductive grease or the thermally conductive sheet is increased, so that the speed of heating and cooling of the sealed container can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

As one aspect of the sterilization device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container are brought into contact with each other with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more.

According to this configuration, the efficiency of heat conduction between each component is increased, so that the speed of heating and cooling of the sealed container can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

In one aspect of the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, the sealed container is preferably a can.

According to this configuration, since the metal constituting the can has a high thermal conductivity, the heating and cooling speed of the can can be increased. This can increase the efficiency of the sterilization treatment.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments described with reference to the drawings.

Schematic diagram of sterilizer according to the present embodiment Schematic diagram for representing surfaces of constituent members of the sterilization apparatus according to the present embodiment The figure which shows the example of a structure which a Peltier element unit has one Peltier element. The figure which shows the example of a structure which a Peltier element unit has three Peltier elements. The figure which shows the other example of the structure which a Peltier element unit has three Peltier elements. The figure which shows the example of the structure which a Peltier device unit contacts with the several surface of a can.

An embodiment of a sterilization device and a sterilization method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the sterilization method according to the present invention is performed using the sterilization apparatus 1 according to the present invention in order to sterilize a can C (an example of a sealed container) in which food (an example of contents) is enclosed in a metal can. An example will be described.

〔Device configuration〕
A sterilizer 1 according to this embodiment includes two Peltier element units 10, two first heat sinks 20 (examples of heat sinks), and a power supply unit 30 (FIG. 1). The sterilization device 1 can hold cans C to be sterilized by sandwiching them between the upper Peltier element unit 10a and the lower Peltier element unit 10b.

The Peltier element unit 10 has a first Peltier element 11, a second heat sink 12 (an example of an additional heat sink), and a second Peltier element 13 in order from the side in contact with the can C. Thermally conductive grease (not shown) is applied to the surfaces where two of the first Peltier element 11, the second heat sink 12, and the second Peltier element 13 contact each other. Here, the first Peltier element 11 and the second Peltier element 13 are flat Peltier elements.

In the following description, the surface of the first Peltier element 11 that contacts the can C is the first surface 111 of the first Peltier element, and the surface of the first Peltier element 11 that contacts the second heat sink 12 is the second surface 112 of the first Peltier element. , the surface of the second Peltier element 13 that abuts the second heat sink 12 is a second Peltier element first surface 131, and the surface of the second Peltier element 13 that abuts the first heat sink 20 is a second Peltier element second surface 132. , respectively (FIG. 2). The first Peltier element first surface 111 is also the Peltier element unit first surface 111 where the Peltier element unit 10 contacts the can C, and the second Peltier element second surface 132 is the Peltier element unit 10 contacting the first heat sink 20. It is also the Peltier element unit second surface 132 that abuts.

Here, a heat sink is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, such as copper, which promotes heat conduction between the members attached to both sides of the heat sink, and promotes heat dissipation to the air outside the device. It represents a member that plays a role such as In this embodiment, the first heat sink 20 and the second heat sink 12 are copper flat plates. In addition, in order to assist heat dissipation from the first heat sink 20, an air blower (not shown) that blows air to the first heat sink 20 is provided.

The power supply unit 30 is a 24V DC power supply and supplies a DC current to the two Peltier element units 10 (specifically, the first Peltier element 11 and the second Peltier element 13). As is well known, when a direct current flows through a Peltier element, one surface of the Peltier element absorbs heat and the other surface generates heat. Here, the power supply unit 30 selects the direction of current supplied to the two Peltier element units 10 as the first current direction 31 in which the Peltier element unit first surface 111 generates heat and the Peltier element unit second surface 132 absorbs heat, and It is configured to be selectable from the second current direction 32 in which the Peltier element unit second surface 132 generates heat and the Peltier element unit first surface 111 absorbs heat.

Specifically, when the current direction is the first current direction 31, the first Peltier element first surface 111 and the second Peltier element first surface 131 generate heat, and the first Peltier element second surface 112 and the second Peltier element first surface 112 generate heat. The Peltier element second surface 132 absorbs heat. Conversely, when the current direction is the second current direction 32, the first Peltier element second surface 112 and the second Peltier element second surface 132 generate heat, and the first Peltier element first surface 111 and the second Peltier element second surface 111 heat up. One surface 131 absorbs heat.

[Sterilization method]
Next, a sterilization method using the sterilizer 1 will be described. First, the canned food C to be sterilized is sandwiched between the upper Peltier element unit first surface 111a of the upper Peltier element unit 10a and the lower Peltier element unit first surface 111b of the lower Peltier element unit 10b (the sandwiching step example). At this time, heat-conducting grease (not shown) is applied in advance to the surfaces of the can C that come into contact with the first surface 111 of the Peltier element unit, that is, the upper and lower bottom surfaces of the can C. At this time, the first surface 111 of the Peltier element unit and the can C are pressed and fixed by a known means (not shown) so that they are in contact with each other with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more. Additionally, a thermometer (not shown) is attached to the cans C to monitor the temperature of the cans C throughout the sterilization process.

During the sterilization process, a monitoring device (not shown) connected to a thermometer is used to monitor the _F0 value, which indicates the effectiveness of heat sterilization of the food in the canned food C. Here, the _F0 value is obtained by the following formula based on the heating temperature T (°C) and the time t (minutes) maintained at the heating temperature T.
F ₀ =∫(t×10^((T−121)/10))dt

In the conventional sterilization method using a retort pot, the sterilization conditions are generally set so that the F0 value is about _4.0 .

Next, a current in the first current direction 31 is supplied from the power supply unit 30 to the two Peltier element units 10 (example of heating process). At this time, the first surface 111 of the Peltier element unit generates heat, so that the can C in contact with the first surface 111 of the Peltier element unit is heated. At this time, even if the temperature of the canned food C rises, the temperature of the first heat sink 20 does not rise excessively, and the temperature of the first heat sink 20 is maintained at about room temperature. Therefore, since the outermost part of the sterilizer 1 is kept at about room temperature, there is little risk of burns even if the user touches the sterilizer 1 during the sterilization process.

Once the temperature of the can C reaches 115° C. or higher, the current supply is stopped. After that, the supply and stop of the electric current were appropriately repeated to maintain the temperature of the canned food C within the range of 113 to 117°C and not to _deviate from 115°C as much as possible. finish.

Finally, a current in the second current direction 32 is supplied from the power supply unit 30 to the two Peltier element units 10 (example of cooling process). At this time, since the Peltier element unit first surface 111 absorbs heat, the can C in contact with the Peltier element unit first surface 111 is cooled. After that, when the temperature of the canned food C reaches 40°C, the current supply is stopped. Since the F0 value is accumulated during cooling, the final _F0 value at the completion of the cooling process is greater than _4.0 . That is, the sterilization method using the sterilization apparatus 1 can realize a sterilization effect equal to or greater than that of the conventional sterilization method using a retort pot.

The heat flow in the cooling process will now be described in more detail. As described above, when the current in the second current direction 32 is supplied, the first Peltier element second surface 112 and the second Peltier element second surface 132 generate heat, and the first Peltier element first surface 111 and the second Peltier element The first surface 131 absorbs heat. Therefore, the heat of the canned food C is absorbed by the first surface 111 of the first Peltier element and radiated from the second surface 112 of the first Peltier element. The heat radiated from the first Peltier element second surface 112 is absorbed by the second Peltier element first surface 131 through the second heat sink 12 and radiated from the second Peltier element second surface 132 . The heat radiated from the second Peltier element second surface 132 is radiated out of the system of the sterilizer 1 through the first heat sink 20 .

Thus, the heat pump action of the first Peltier element 11 and the second Peltier element 13 forms a heat path from the canned food C toward the first heat sink 20, so that the heated canned food C can be efficiently heated in the heating step. Allow to cool.

Also, in order to efficiently exhibit the heat pump action of the Peltier element, it is required to efficiently dissipate the heat generated from the Peltier element itself. This is because the Peltier element itself also generates heat when energized, and as the energization continues, the temperature of the Peltier element rises and the temperature difference with the object to be cooled (canned food C in this embodiment) becomes smaller. It depends. In the sterilizer 1 according to this embodiment, the heat of the first Peltier element 11 can be efficiently radiated outside the system by the action of the second heat sink 12 and the second Peltier element 13. temperature is difficult to rise. As a result, the sterilization apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment tends to maintain a high efficiency of transferring heat from the canned food C to the outside of the system.

〔Example〕
150 g of distilled water (food model substance) was placed in a substantially cylindrical Tuna No. 2 DR can having a bottom diameter of 8.6 cm and a height of 4.4 cm, and the can was sealed. In order to measure the temperature of the distilled water sealed in the Tuna No. 2 DR can, a temperature sensor was inserted from the side of the Tuna No. 2 DR can. The Tuna No. 2 DR can was sandwiched between two Peltier element units 10, and the whole was fixed by placing a weight of 7 kg (not shown) on the upper first heat sink 20a. The clamping surface pressure calculated based on the mass of the weight and the bottom area of the Tuna No. 2 DR can was 12 kPa.

Next, the current in the first current direction 31 was supplied to the two Peltier element units 10 . When the current supply was started, the temperature of the distilled water began to rise at a rate of approximately 4°C/min. When the temperature of the distilled water reaches 115°C, the current supply is stopped once, and thereafter, the current supply and stop are switched every 30 _seconds until the F0 value reaches 3.8. was maintained at 113-117°C.

Finally, the current in the second current direction 32 was supplied to the two Peltier element units 10 . When the current supply was started, the temperature of the distilled water began to drop. At the beginning of the cooling process, the rate of decrease was approximately 4.5°C/min, but as the temperature of canned food C decreased, the rate of decrease decreased. After that, when the temperature of the distilled water reached 40°C, the current supply was stopped. The final _F0 value after completion of the cooling process was 4.2.

[Comparative example]
A tuna No. 2 DR can filled with 150 g of distilled water and sealed in the same manner as in the example was placed in a retort pot (manufactured by Toyo Seikan Co., Ltd.). When the steam supply valve of the retort kettle was opened to supply steam into the retort kettle, the temperature inside the retort kettle reached 115°C after 10 minutes. Thereafter, the opening of the heating steam supply valve was adjusted to maintain the temperature in the retort kettle at 115°C until the F0 value reached _4.0 . The total amount of steam supplied during the above steps was approximately 10 kg.

Subsequently, the cooling water supply valve of the retort kettle was opened to supply cooling water into the retort kettle. At this time, the total amount of cooling water supplied until the temperature inside the retort oven reached 40° C. was 260 L.

As described above, the sterilization methods of the examples and the comparative examples all had a sterilization effect with an F ₀ value exceeding 4.0, and were sterilization methods with the ability to be applied to foods and the like. However, in the comparative example using a known retort pot, approximately 10 kg of steam and 260 L of cooling water were consumed to achieve sterilization at the sterilization temperature, whereas in the example using the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention, , neither steam nor cooling water was used. Thus, in the examples, by using the sterilization apparatus according to this embodiment, a sterilization temperature equal to or higher than that of the conventional method could be achieved without using steam or cooling water.

[Other embodiments]
Next, other embodiments of the sterilization device and the sterilization method according to the present invention will be described. It should be noted that the configurations disclosed in the respective embodiments below can also be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments unless there is a contradiction.

In the above embodiment, the configuration including two Peltier element units 10 has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the number of Peltier element units may be one or three or more in the present invention.

In the above embodiment, the Peltier element unit 10 is provided so as to be able to sandwich the canned food C, and the Peltier element unit first surface 111 abuts on the upper and lower bottom surfaces of the canned food C, as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, a configuration in which the Peltier element unit abuts only on a specific surface of the sealed container, a configuration in which the Peltier element unit surrounds and abuts the side surface of the sealed container, a structure on the upper and lower sides of the sealed container. Any configuration may be employed as long as the Peltier element unit and the sealed container are in contact with each other, such as a configuration in which the Peltier element unit is in contact with the bottom and side surfaces. Also, at this time, any number of Peltier element units may be provided according to the mode of contact employed. In particular, when the Peltier element unit abuts on the top, bottom, and side surfaces of the sealed container, heating and cooling can be performed not only from the bottom surface of the sealed container, but also from the side surfaces, so that the efficiency of heating and cooling can be improved. can be done.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the Peltier element unit 10 has two Peltier elements (the first Peltier element 11 and the second Peltier element 13) has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the number of Peltier elements included in the Peltier element unit in the present invention may be one, or three or more.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a configuration in which the Peltier element unit 10 has one Peltier element (first Peltier element 11). Note that the power supply unit 30 and the power supply line are omitted in FIG.

4 and 5 show an example of a configuration in which the Peltier element unit 10 has three Peltier elements (first Peltier element 11, second Peltier element 13, and third Peltier element 14). In the present invention, when adopting a configuration in which two or more Peltier elements are used, the arrangement configuration of the Peltier elements may be a configuration in which the flat plate-like surfaces of the plurality of Peltier elements are arranged in a row, or a configuration in which the flat plate-like surfaces of the plurality of Peltier elements are arranged. may be arranged in the overlapping direction (FIG. 4), or a configuration combining these configurations (FIG. 5). In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, when the planar surfaces of a plurality of Peltier elements are arranged in a direction to overlap, a heat sink (third heat sink 15) may be further arranged between the two overlapping Peltier elements. .

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the Peltier element unit 10 contacts only the upper and lower bottom surfaces of the can C has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, in the present invention, the Peltier element unit may be configured to contact a plurality of surfaces of the sealed container at the same time.

For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the Peltier element unit 10' includes a first Peltier element 11' arranged on the upper and lower bottom sides of the can C and a second Peltier element 11' arranged on the side surface side of the can C. 13' and a container receiving member 16 configured to abut against the bottom side and side side of the can C. Also, the heat sink 40 is provided so as to contact both the first Peltier element 11' and the second Peltier element 13'.

In this embodiment, the container receiving member 16 is made of copper and functions like a heat sink to facilitate efficient heat transfer between the first and second Peltier elements 11' and 13' and the can C. Further, the surface of the container receiving member 16 that contacts the can C is formed so as to fit into the unevenness of the surface of the can C, and contacts the first Peltier element 11' and the second Peltier element 13' of the container receiving member 16. The face is provided with recesses capable of receiving the first Peltier element 11' and the second Peltier element 13'. With this configuration, the first Peltier element 11' and the second Peltier element 13', the container receiving member 16, and the canned food C are in close contact with each other, so that heat conduction efficiency between these members is improved, and the canned food C is heated. Or the cooling efficiency tends to be high.

In the above-described embodiment, an example of a configuration in which canned food C in which food is sealed is targeted for sterilization has been described. However, the sealed container to be sterilized in the present invention is not limited to cans, and may be a resin container, a resin bag, a composite container of metal and resin, a composite container of metal and paper, and the like. However, from the viewpoint of enhancing heat transfer efficiency, it is preferable that the portion of the hermetic container that contacts the Peltier element unit is made of metal. Moreover, the contents of the sealed container are not limited to foods, but may be pharmaceuticals, beverages, seasonings, cosmetics, chemically synthesized products, and the like. Such contents may be solid or liquid, as is clear from the above examples.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the first heat sink 20 and the second heat sink 12 are flat plates made of copper has been described as an example. However, the material that constitutes the heatsink and the additional heatsink is not limited to copper, but may be aluminum, iron, ceramics, etc., or a composite thereof. Moreover, the shape of the heat sink and the additional heat sink is not limited to a flat plate, and may be a shape having fins or the like.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the canned food C and the Peltier element unit 10 are in direct contact has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, an additional heat sink may be interposed between the sealed container and the Peltier element unit. The heat sink may be constructed of copper, aluminum, iron, ceramics, etc., or composites thereof. Additionally, the heat sink may be flat, shaped to at least partially cover the enclosure, shaped to at least partially mate with surface irregularities of the enclosure, combinations thereof, or the like. In particular, if the heat sink adopts a shape that at least partially covers the sealed container or a shape that fits at least partially with the unevenness of the surface of the sealed container, more heat is transferred between the sealed container and the Peltier element unit. It is preferable because it becomes easy to flow.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the contact surface of each member serving as a heat path is coated with heat-conducting grease has been described as an example. However, the structure is not limited to such a structure, and a heat conductive sheet may be arranged on the contact surface of each member.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the first surface 111 of the Peltier element unit and the can C are fixed so as to contact each other with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more has been described as an example. Here, it is more preferable that the contact pressure between the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container is 12 kPa or more, because the efficiency of heat transfer from the sealed container to the outside of the system increases.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the final F0 value is _4.0 has been described as an example. Here, if the final F ₀ value is 3.1 or more, it is possible to meet the standards for pressure-heat sterilized food packed in a container, so the sterilization apparatus and sterilization method according to the present invention can be used to sterilize food. It can be suitably used for the purpose.

In the above-described embodiment, the cooling process is terminated when the temperature of the canned food C reaches 40°C. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the endpoint temperature of the cooling step may be any temperature. For example, setting the endpoint of the cooling step to below freezing allows the contents of the pasteurized process to be stored frozen.

Regarding other configurations, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed in this specification are examples in all respects, and that the scope of the present invention is not limited by them. Those skilled in the art will easily understand that modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, other embodiments modified without departing from the gist of the present invention are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used, for example, to sterilize canned food containing food.

1: Sterilizer 10: Peltier Element Unit 11: First Peltier Element 111: First Peltier Element First Surface (Peltier Element Unit First Surface)
112: Second surface of first Peltier element 12: Second heat sink 13: Second Peltier element 131: First surface of second Peltier element 132: Second surface of second Peltier element (second surface of Peltier element unit)
14: Third Peltier element 15: Third heat sink 16: Container receiving member 20: First heat sink 30: Power supply unit 31: First current direction 32: Second current direction 40: Heat sink C: Canned food

Claims (14)

At least two Peltier element units, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element units, and at least two heat sinks provided in contact with the Peltier element units,
The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink. death,
The power supply unit selects a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit as a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat and a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. , which can be selected from
The sealed container can be fixed so that at least two surfaces of the sealed container are in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The sterilizer , wherein the at least two Peltier element units are capable of sandwiching the sealed container between the at least two Peltier element units . The sterilizer according to claim 1 , wherein the Peltier element unit has at least two Peltier elements. the Peltier element unit having an additional heat sink disposed between the at least two Peltier elements;
a first Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a first Peltier element first surface that abuts the sealed container and a first Peltier element second surface that abuts the additional heat sink;
A second Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a second Peltier element first surface in contact with a surface of the additional heat sink different from a surface in contact with the first Peltier element, and a second Peltier element first surface in contact with the heat sink. two Peltier element second surfaces, and
The sterilizer according to claim 2 , wherein the first surface of the first Peltier element and the first surface of the second Peltier element absorb heat when the power supply unit supplies the current in the second current direction to the Peltier element unit. . Thermally conductive grease or a thermally conductive sheet is interposed on at least one of the contact surface between the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container and the contact surface between the second surface of the Peltier element unit and the heat sink. The sterilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . A contact surface between the first surface of the first Peltier element and the sealed container, a surface of contact between the second surface of the first Peltier element and the additional heat sink, a first surface of the second Peltier element and the 4. Thermally conductive grease or a thermally conductive sheet is interposed in at least one of the contact surface between the additional heat sink and the contact surface between the second surface of the second Peltier element and the heat sink. The sterilization device according to . The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container are in contact with each other with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more. The sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the sealed container is a can. A Peltier element unit, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The Peltier element unit has at least two Peltier elements and an additional heat sink arranged between the at least two Peltier elements, and is in contact with a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized. Having a unit first surface and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink,
The power supply unit selects a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit as a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat and a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. , configured to be selectable from
a first Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a first Peltier element first surface that abuts the sealed container and a first Peltier element second surface that abuts the additional heat sink;
A second Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a second Peltier element first surface in contact with a surface of the additional heat sink different from a surface in contact with the first Peltier element, and a second Peltier element first surface in contact with the heat sink. two Peltier element second surfaces, and
A sterilizer in which the first surface of the first Peltier element and the first surface of the second Peltier element absorb heat when the power supply unit supplies the current in the second current direction to the Peltier element unit. A Peltier element unit, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink. death,
The power supply unit selects a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit as a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat and a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. , which can be selected from
A sterilizer in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container are in contact with each other with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more. A Peltier element unit, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a first surface of the Peltier element unit that comes into contact with cans containing contents to be sterilized, and a second surface of the Peltier element unit that comes into contact with the heat sink. ,
The power supply unit selects a direction of current supplied to the Peltier element unit as a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat and a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. , a sterilizer configured to be selectable from. A method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized,
The sterilization device used in the sterilization method is
A sterilization device comprising at least two Peltier element units, a power supply unit that supplies direct current to the Peltier element units, and at least two heat sinks provided in contact with the Peltier element units,
The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink. death,
The sealed container can be fixed so that at least two surfaces of the sealed container are in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The at least two Peltier element units are capable of sandwiching the sealed container between the at least two Peltier element units,
The sterilization method includes
a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat;
a cooling step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. A method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized,
The sterilization device used in the sterilization method is
A sterilization device comprising a Peltier element unit, a power supply unit for supplying a direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The Peltier element unit has at least two Peltier elements and an additional heat sink arranged between the at least two Peltier elements, and is in contact with a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized. Having a unit first surface and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink,
a first Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a first Peltier element first surface that abuts the sealed container and a first Peltier element second surface that abuts the additional heat sink;
A second Peltier element of the at least two Peltier elements has a second Peltier element first surface in contact with a surface of the additional heat sink different from a surface in contact with the first Peltier element, and a second Peltier element first surface in contact with the heat sink. two Peltier element second surfaces, and
The sterilization method includes
a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat;
a cooling step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat;
A sterilization method in which the first surface of the first Peltier element and the first surface of the second Peltier element absorb heat when supplying the current in the second current direction to the Peltier element unit. A method for sterilizing a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized,
The sterilization device used in the sterilization method is
A sterilization device comprising a Peltier element unit, a power supply unit for supplying a direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a Peltier element unit first surface that contacts a sealed container containing contents to be sterilized, and a Peltier element unit second surface that contacts the heat sink. death,
The sterilization method includes contacting the first surface of the Peltier element unit and the sealed container with a surface pressure of 10 kPa or more,
a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat;
a cooling step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat. A sterilization method for canned food containing contents to be sterilized,
The sterilization device used in the sterilization method is
A sterilization device comprising a Peltier element unit, a power supply unit for supplying a direct current to the Peltier element unit, and a heat sink provided in contact with the Peltier element unit,
The Peltier element unit has a Peltier element, and has a first surface of the Peltier element unit that comes into contact with cans containing contents to be sterilized, and a second surface of the Peltier element unit that comes into contact with the heat sink. ,
The sterilization method includes
a heating step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a first current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit generates heat;
a cooling step of supplying current from the power supply unit to the Peltier element unit in a second current direction in which the first surface of the Peltier element unit absorbs heat.

Images