JPH0419431Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an integrated food freezing device that can be used to freeze a wide range of food types, shapes, and sizes and has a high operating rate.

[Conventional technology]

Traditionally, to freeze food, the type of food,
The most suitable freezing device is selected and used depending on the shape, size, etc. For example, legumes such as green peas,
Carrots cut into dice, potatoes cut into cubes, vegetables such as single vegetables, small shrimp such as sakura shrimp, and small marine products such as shellfish are frozen in small pieces (individuals are separated). For example, a continuous tunnel freezer as shown in FIG. 6, which is an explanatory view seen from the front, is selected as the optimal freezing device for this type of bulk freezing. The continuous tunnel freezer shown in FIG. 6 mainly consists of a ventilated belt conveyor 2 installed through a freezer 1, an air cooler 7 installed below the belt conveyor 2, and a fan 8. The air inside the car is cooled by the air cooler 7 while being circulated by the fan 8 through the air cooler 7 and the belt conveyor 8 as shown by the arrow, and placed on the running belt conveyor 2. The food is frozen in pieces before it passes through the freezer 1. For example, medium-sized shrimp are suitable for block freezing (freezing while trapped in ice cubes), while small and medium-sized fresh fish are suitable for round freezing (freezing the fish body as it is). Things are also done. As a freezing device most suitable for such block freezing or round freezing, for example, an air blast type freezing device as shown in FIG. 7, which is an explanatory view seen transparently from the front, is selected and used. The air blast type freezing device shown in FIG.
and an air cooler 7 and a fan 8 installed on the floor with a gap above it and the inner wall of the freezer.
It is mainly composed of. To use this air blast freezing device, place frozen bread filled with food in each state depending on whether it is block freezing or round freezing on the shelf type trolley 4' stored in the retention chamber 3. The food is frozen to a predetermined state by circulating cooling air as shown by the arrows in FIG. In this way, the optimal freezing equipment (hereinafter sometimes referred to as dedicated freezing equipment) selected to achieve freezing conditions suitable for the type, shape, and size of the food is determined based on the type, shape, and size of the food. It was a good freezing device as long as it could freeze food of a certain size.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, with dedicated freezing equipment such as conventional continuous tunnel freezers and air blast freezing equipment, there is a limit to the range of foods that can be frozen, and one type of freezing equipment cannot freeze a wide range of foods. I can't deal with it. Therefore, in order to make it possible to freeze a wide range of foods with significantly different types, shapes, and sizes in a state suitable for each, multiple types of dedicated freezing equipment were usually installed. . However, in general, when freezing seasonal foods, the operation of the equipment is often concentrated at one time, and the equipment is often stopped during the off-season. When a freezing device and a freezing device were installed separately, there was a problem that the operating rate of each device was extremely low.

[Means for solving the problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention
This relates to an integrated food freezing device that is capable of freezing a wide range of foods of different types, shapes, and sizes with a single freezing device, and is for food transportation that is installed through the freezer. a ventilated belt conveyor, and a partition wall that extends laterally from the belt conveyor and has a ventilation gap at the tip and partitions the inside of the freezer into upper and lower parts, and is located below the partition wall that partitions the interior of the freezer into upper and lower parts. A retention chamber for retaining food that communicates with the entry side, a mobile transport means for transporting food that can be moved individually within the retention chamber, and an opening with a door for carrying food into and out of the retention chamber. The conveyor ventilation outlet side ventilation passage formed by the partition wall to communicate with the ventilation outlet side of the belt conveyor on the side opposite to the retention chamber, the ventilation gap, the retention chamber, and the ventilation inlet side of the belt conveyor are sequentially connected. It is characterized by comprising a cold air circulation path formed through the cooling air circulation path, and an air cooler and a fan installed in the cold air circulation path.

[Explanation of the present invention using examples]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to drawings showing embodiments of the present invention. FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are respectively a front explanatory view, a plan view, and a side explanatory view of an embodiment of the integrated food freezing device according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front view and a side view showing one example of a mobile conveyance means, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing another example of the mobile conveyance means in use. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a freezer, which is constructed of a strong heat insulating wall, and is provided with an opening 1a that can be opened and closed by a door 1b at a location to be described later. Reference numeral 2 denotes a belt conveyor mainly for transporting small foods and freezing them in bulk, and is provided passing through the freezer 1 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the illustrated embodiment, as will be described later, the belt of the belt conveyor 2 is made of a breathable material because the cold air passes through the belt portion of the belt conveyor 2 from below to above. Further, in the illustrated embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, two belt conveyors are used as the belt conveyor 2 connected to each other with a step, but a single belt conveyor may be used. 3 extends laterally from the ventilated belt conveyor 2 and is located below the partition wall 5 that partitions the interior of the freezer 1 into upper and lower sections, communicating with the ventilating side of the belt conveyor 2;
This is a retention chamber for retaining food. As shown in FIG. 1, this partition wall 5 is provided with a gap between the tip on the opposite side of the belt conveyor 2 and the internal wall of the refrigerator in order to circulate the cold air from the ventilation exit side of the belt conveyor 2 into the retention chamber 3. It has a ventilation gap (named the ventilation gap). Reference numeral 4 denotes a mobile conveyance means for conveying foods that is carried into the retention chamber 3 from outside the freezer 1 through the opening 1a and is movable individually. This mobile conveyance means 4
For example, a wheeled shelf-type trolley 4' as shown in FIG. 4 is used, and a hanging device 4'' movably secured to an upper rail 4a'' as shown in FIG. 5 is also used. . Since the openings 1a of the freezer 1 are for carrying food into and out of the retention chamber 3, they are provided at positions that serve as the entrance and exit of the retention chamber 3, as shown in FIG. Figures 1 and 5
The arrow X in the figure indicates the flow direction of cold air in the cold air circulation path, and thus indicates the path of the cold air circulation path.
As shown in FIG. 1, this cold air circulation path is a ventilation path that is formed on the opposite side of the retention chamber 3 across the partition wall 5 and communicates with the upper part of the belt conveyor 2, that is, the ventilation exit side. (named exit ventilation duct)
, the above-mentioned ventilation interval, the retention chamber 3 , and the lower part of the belt conveyor 2 , that is, the ventilation inlet side. Then, it is configured to be guided again to the belt portion of the belt conveyor 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the cold air passes through the breathable belt portion of the belt conveyor 2 from below to above, and passes between the partition wall 5 that partitions the retention chamber 3 and the ceiling wall, that is, the ventilation path on the belt conveyor ventilation outlet side. It passes through the partition wall 5 and the inner wall of the freezer 1, that is, the ventilation gap is bent downward, and after passing through the rectifying plate 6 and being rectified, it crosses the retention chamber 3 from the side and returns to the belt conveyor. The cold air circulation path is formed so as to be guided below the belt portion of No. 2. Reference numeral 7 denotes an air cooler, which is installed in the cold air circulation path together with the fan 8, and plays the role of cooling the air in the cold air circulation path and circulating the air. In the illustrated embodiment, fan 8
and the air cooler 7 are the retention chamber 3 in the cold air circulation path.
Although they are sequentially installed between the belt conveyor 2 and the belt conveyor 2, it is not necessarily limited to that position, and both may be installed on the partition wall 5 in FIG. 1, for example.

[Method of Use and Effects] A method of using the integrated food freezing device according to the present invention configured as described above will be explained. First, air is turned into cold air at a predetermined low temperature by the fan 8 and the air cooling device 7, and is circulated through the cold air circulation path. If the object to be frozen is, for example, food to be frozen in pieces and used as a continuous tunnel freezer, the belt conveyor 2 is operated and the food is placed on the belt section at the entrance of the belt as shown in FIG. Y-
By passing through the freezer 1 in the Y' direction and adjusting the belt speed, freezing is completed by the time the belt finishes passing through. In this case, since the mobile conveyance means 4 is not necessary, the mobile conveyance means 4 such as a shelf-type trolley 4' shown in dots and dashes in each of FIGS. 1 to 3 is not provided, and therefore the cooling air circulation Avoid creating unnecessary resistance to return. In addition, if you want to freeze foods that are to be frozen in blocks or rounds, and you want to use them as an airblast type freezing device, it is recommended to use a shelf type on which frozen bread containing foods is placed to achieve the appropriate frozen state. The trolley 4' is indicated by arrow Z in Fig. 2.
The door 1b is opened from the direction shown in FIG. That's what I do. In this case, since the belt conveyor 2 is not needed, it is kept in a stopped state. The rail 4 described above as the mobile conveyance means 4
When equipped with a hanging device 4'' that is movably secured to a'', it is also possible to freeze the carcasses of cows and pigs. That is, these carcasses and the like are carried into the warehouse using another suitable trolley and frozen using a hanging device 4'' as shown in Fig. 5.Then, this rail 4a'' and hanging device 4'' Since it does not occupy much space, even if it is equipped, a shelf-type trolley 4' can be used.As described above, the integrated food freezing device according to the present invention is a continuous tunnel freezer and an air blaster. It can be used as either type of freezing device (hereinafter, the freezing function unique to each of the freezing devices described above may be referred to as a freezing function), and furthermore, the above two types of use can be performed simultaneously.

[Effect of the idea]

The integrated food freezing device according to the present invention as described in detail above includes a ventilated belt conveyor for conveying food that is provided through the freezer, and a belt conveyor that extends laterally from the belt conveyor. A retention chamber for retaining food that is located below a partition wall that partitions the inside of the freezer into upper and lower parts and has a ventilation gap between the tip and the inner wall of the freezer, and communicates with the ventilation inlet side of the belt conveyor, and a conveyor side ventilation outlet. A cold air circulation path passing through a side ventilation path, a ventilation gap, a retention chamber, and a belt conveyor, and an air cooler and fan common to the retention chamber and belt conveyor in this cold air circulation path are provided. We have combined two freezing functions into one: a continuous tunnel freezer that freezes food in pieces as it passes through the chamber on a belt conveyor, and an airblast freezing device that freezes food in a storage chamber in a round or round manner. It has the effect of equipping a freezing device,
Moreover, since one set of air cooler and fan is shared, the following advantages can be obtained. () Compared to conventional freezing devices, there are no restrictions on food type, shape, size, etc., and a much wider range of foods can be frozen with one device of the present invention. Therefore, the annual operation rate is very high because the operation is less affected by the seasonality of food harvesting. () Air cooling equipment, which accounts for a high proportion of the equipment cost of freezing equipment, has only one freezing function, which is required for each freezing equipment in the case of conventional freezing equipment, but the device of the present invention has two freezing functions. By doing so, the proportion of air cooling equipment in the total equipment cost can be significantly reduced. () The device of this invention can be used simultaneously as a continuous tunnel freezer and an air blast freezing device, so when freezing multiple types of foods in different freezing conditions, the two types of foods can be frozen at the same time. Since they can be frozen in parallel, for example, if the absolute freezing capacity of the device of this invention is 10, the ratio of the amounts of two types of food to be frozen can be determined at the discretion of the user, such as 3:7 or 6:4. be able to. () The device of this invention has two freezing functions in one freezing device, so compared to conventional freezing devices that only have one freezing function, the installation area of the freezing device is smaller, reducing equipment costs. Contribute. The present invention, which has the above-mentioned effects and advantages, greatly contributes to supplying frozen foods at low cost and increasing the demand for them.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 are respectively a front explanatory view, a plan view, and a side explanatory view of an embodiment of the integrated food freezing device according to the present invention;
Figure 4 is a front view and a side view of one example of a mobile conveyance means, Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a mobile conveyance means in use, and Figure 6 is a transparent view from the front. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the continuous tunnel freezer as seen from the front, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the air blast freezing device seen transparently from the front. 1... Freezer, 1a... Opening, 1b... Door,
2... Belt conveyor, 3... Retention chamber, 4... Mobile conveyance means, 4'... Shelf type trolley, 4''... Hanging device, 4a''... Upper rail, 5... Partition wall, 6... ...straightening plate, 7...air cooler, 8...fan, X...
Arrow (direction of air flow), Y, Y'... arrow (direction of food passage), Z, Z'... arrow (direction of loading and unloading of shelf-type trolley).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] 1. A ventilated belt conveyor 2 for conveying food that is provided through the freezer 1, and an inner wall of the refrigerator extending from the belt conveyor 2 toward the side. The belt conveyor 2 is located below the partition wall 5 that partitions the inside of the freezer 1 into an upper and lower part with a ventilation interval between the belt conveyor 2
a retention chamber 3 for retaining food, which communicates with the ventilation inlet side of the retainer chamber 3; a mobile conveyance means 4 for conveying food that can be moved individually within the retention chamber 3; and a means for transporting food into and out of the retention chamber 3. an opening 1a with a door 1b, a conveyor ventilation outlet side ventilation passage formed by the partition wall 5 to communicate with the ventilation outlet side of the belt conveyor 2 on the side opposite to the retention chamber 3, the ventilation gap, and the retention chamber 3. A cold air circulation path is formed by sequentially passing through the chamber 3 and the ventilation inlet side of the belt conveyor 2, and an air cooler 7 arranged in the cold air circulation path.
and a fan 8. 2. The integrated food freezing device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile conveyance means 4 is a shelf-type cart 4'. 3. The integrated type for food according to claim 1, wherein the movable conveyance means 4 is a hanging device 4'' that is movably engaged with an upper rail 4a'' provided in the retention chamber 3. Freezing equipment.