JPH0448718Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) This invention is a retort food product that is made by heating and sterilizing food sealed in a heat-resistant bag, bottle, or can in a high-pressure cooker so that it can withstand long-term storage. This invention relates to manufacturing equipment.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in order to manufacture retort food, a hot water tank for producing hot water is installed above a processing tank for heat-treating the food. Then, the hot water heated to around 130℃ in the hot water tank is discharged into the treatment tank below using the pressure difference inside the tank, and then steam is supplied to the treatment tank to maintain the temperature at about 120℃ for a predetermined time. Heat and sterilize the food inside. Then, inject cooling water into the treatment tank,
After cooling to approximately 40℃, the hot water in the processing tank is discarded outside the machine and the food is removed.

(Problem that the invention aims to solve) In this two-tank system, in which the hot water tank and the processing tank are arranged above and below, a large amount of hot water can be supplied to the processing tank in a short time, so it is efficient and suitable for mass production. When hot water is supplied, the shock of the injected hot water and the sudden rise in temperature and pressure inside the processing tank cause the food and its packaging to become
The disadvantage was that the yield was poor due to damage of up to 5%. Furthermore, since the lid is attached to the side of the processing tank, when taking out the food, all the hot water in the processing tank must be drained, which is wasteful.

The present invention aims to improve these shortcomings by creating a simple structure in which hot water is generated in the treatment tank itself without installing a conventional hot water tank.This prevents food and packaging from being damaged when hot water is supplied, and also prevents food from being damaged. The purpose is to eliminate waste of hot water by attaching a lid for loading and unloading to the top of a processing tank and allowing food to be loaded and unloaded without draining all the hot water inside.

Furthermore, the present invention aims to effectively utilize the internal volume of the tank by directly injecting cooling water without installing a cooling coil in the cooling process after heat sterilization.

(Means for Solving Problems) In the retort food manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, the high-pressure pot corresponding to the processing tank is a single-tank type, and the top opening of the high-pressure pot is equipped with a lid, and a heater is arranged below the bottom. Set up

A support frame is installed inside the autoclave to hold the food to be heated.

The high-pressure cooker is also provided with a water supply port, a full water discharge port, a pressurized air supply port, and an air discharge port.

A water source is connected to the water supply port, a float type trap is connected to the full water discharge port, a compressed air supply source is connected to the pressurized air supply port, and an on-off valve is connected to the air discharge port.

In addition, a drain pipe is connected to the upper part of the high-pressure cooker, and this drain pipe hangs down along the inner wall of the high-pressure cooker, so that the lower end of the drain pipe can be seen at the bottom of the cooker.

(Function) The food is prepared in advance or placed in a retort pouch without being cooked, and then vacuum packaged in the same manner as before.

The bagged food is then carried into the high-pressure cooker through the upper opening and held in an immovable state by the support frame. Fill the high-pressure cooker with fresh water from a water source either beforehand or after food is brought in.

After placing the food, close the lid of the high-pressure cooker, inject compressed air from the compressed air supply source through the pressurized air supply port, pressurize the inside of the high-pressure cooker to 2.5 atmospheres, and heat it with a heater to reduce the temperature inside the cooker. is maintained at 120℃ for a specified period of time.

After the above predetermined time has elapsed, turn off the heater and inject water from the water inlet. When the water level in the pot rises and exceeds the full water outlet, the water is discharged from the full water outlet through a float-type trap and out of the machine. During cooling by this water injection, compressed air is appropriately supplied from the pressurized air supply port to maintain the pressurized state.

When the temperature inside the pot has cooled to 60°C, stop pouring water, open the air outlet to remove the air inside, and reduce the pressure to the outside pressure. Open the lid and take out the heat-sterilized retort food from the top opening.

The hot water remaining in the pot is used four or five times until it becomes polluted, after which the water is drained by opening the drain valve installed in the drain pipe and replaced with fresh water.

(Example) Next, the embodiment shown in the drawings will be explained.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a high-pressure cooker in the form of a bottomed cylindrical body with an open top and a gas burner 2 visible directly below the bottom, the outer periphery of which is surrounded by a porous protection plate 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a hemispherical lid having a safety valve 5, and a clutch-type fastening ring (not shown) is tightly fitted around the outer periphery to seal the pot 1.

6 is a support frame for food preservation established within the pot.

A water supply port 7 is connected to a water storage tank 10 as a water source via a valve 8 and a pump 9.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a full water outlet, which opens at the full water level on the wall of the upper machine of the high pressure cooker. A known float-type trap 12 is connected to the full water discharge port 11, which drains water without releasing the air pressure on the inflow side, that is, the high-pressure cooker side, and the outflow side thereof is connected to a discharge groove (not shown). 13 is a water stop valve.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a pressurized air supply port having a large number of small holes in a hemispherical plate, and the compressed air supply source air compressor 1 is connected to this via a pressure regulating valve 15 and an air tank 16.
Connect 7.

18 is an air outlet, and 19 is an on-off valve thereof.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a drain pipe connected to the upper part of the high-pressure cooker 1, which hangs down along the inner wall of the high-pressure cooker 1, with its lower end opening looking into the bottom of the high-pressure cooker 1. 21 is a drainage on-off valve.

Although not shown, the high-pressure cooker 1 is equipped with a pressure gauge and a thermometer for measuring internal pressure and temperature, a water level gauge for measuring the water level, and a temperature gauge for measuring the temperature of the food.

Then, an appropriate amount of food, such as raw shellfish, is packed in a heat-resistant retort pouch (bag) with the shell on, sealed using a vacuum packaging machine, and a large number of these food bags are placed in a stainless steel basket 22. The basket 22 is stored and carried into the pot through the upper opening, and the support frame 6 holds the basket 22 in an immovable state.

Before bringing food into the pot, heat it to 85-90℃.
Pour heated hot water through the hot water inlet (not shown) to about 1/2 of the volume of the pot.

After transporting the food, close the lid 4, ignite the gas burner 2 and heat the high-pressure pot 1 with direct flame, while operating the air compressor 17 and injecting compressed air from the air supply port 14 until the temperature reaches approximately 2.5 atmospheres. Apply pressure.
Here, the amount of pressurization is inversely proportional to the amount of hot water in the pot; if there is more hot water, the amount of pressurization is smaller, and if there is less hot water, the amount of pressurization is increased.

Heat the water in this state for 20 to 25 minutes until the temperature rises to 120
When the temperature reaches ℃, the heat power of the gas burner 2 is reduced and the F value time, that is, the required unit time for sterilization is maintained at low heat.

At this time, the inside of the food package rises to 2.4 atm at 120°C, but the package does not expand because it is pressurized with compressed air.

When the heating process is finished, open the valve 8 and open the water storage tank 10.
of water and cool the temperature of the pot.

When water is being poured, the water stop valve 13 is kept open, and when the water level in the pot rises and exceeds the full water discharge port 11, the water is discharged to the outside of the machine via a float type trap 12. During cooling by water injection, compressed air from the air tank 16 is supplied into the pot via the pressure regulating valve 15, and the inside of the high-pressure pot 1 is maintained at 2.5 atmospheres as in the heating process.

As a result of water injection, when the temperature of the product temperature sensor, which was inserted into the sample food and installed inside the pot when the food was brought in, drops to 60°C, open the on-off valve 19 of the air outlet 18 and remove the air outlet. Remove the high pressure air from inside the pot from 18, and when the pressure returns to 0, open the lid 4.
The food is taken out of the machine along with the basket 22 using a lift.

It goes without saying that in addition to raw shellfish, prepared foods such as curry and seaweed are also suitable as retort foods.

The hot water remaining in the pot is used repeatedly four or five times until it becomes polluted, and then the water is drained by opening the drain valve 21 and replaced with fresh water.

When discharging dirty hot water, pressurized air supply port 14
Inject more compressed air and drain pipe 2 under pressure.
When the drainage on-off valve 21 installed in the drain valve 21 is frequently opened and closed, a small amount of remaining hot water is suddenly squirted out under pressure, and compressed air flows from the upward air supply port 14 to the lid 4.
Since the air is sprayed onto the inner curved surface of the high-pressure cooker, the dust and water droplets adhering to the inner wall are thoroughly discharged at these flow rates, and the high-pressure cooker 1
The inside of the can be easily cleaned and rust can be prevented.

It is preferable to install a perforated shock plate horizontally on the bottom of the high-pressure cooker 1 to relieve the heat of the gas burner 2 and to average out the temperature rise inside the cooker.

If the water inlet 7 is bent parallel to the inner wall of the pot and its tip is directed downward at 45 degrees, water in the water storage tank 10 will gush out and swirl along the inner wall of the high-pressure pot 1 during cooling, allowing fresh water to flow out. Cold water reaches the bottom of the pot for efficient cooling.

(Effect of the invention) In short, in this invention, when heating the high-pressure cooker, compressed air is injected to pressurize the food packed in the bag, thereby suppressing the expansion of the bag. The shape is well maintained, the food inside is not concentrated in one place, the shellfish does not open up, and therefore heat conduction is uniform and the sterilization effect is reliable.

In addition, since the high-pressure cooker produces hot water itself and does not require the installation of a conventional hot water tank, equipment costs can be reduced and it can be installed in a small space, and there is no shock caused by falling hot water from the hot water tank, so food is less damaged.

In addition, since the lid of the high-pressure pot is attached to the top, there is no need to drain the hot water from the pot when transporting food, and the hot water can be used repeatedly, reducing costs and making it ideal for producing relatively small quantities of retort food. will occur.

In addition, in this invention, after heat sterilization, water is directly injected into the high-pressure pot 1 from the water supply port 7 to cool it, so there is no need to install any cooling equipment such as a cooling coil, and the internal volume of the pot can be effectively used without wasting it. available and can accommodate large amounts of food.

Furthermore, in the present invention, during cooling by water injection, water exceeding the full water level is discharged through the float type trap 12, so the pressurized state inside the high-pressure cooker is maintained well, and there is no risk of the food or the bag expanding and being damaged.

Furthermore, in this invention, a drain pipe 20 whose lower end is visible at the bottom of the pot is connected to the top of the pot, and water is drained through this drain pipe 20.
This eliminates the need to drill a drain hole in the bottom of the pot near the heater, and has practical benefits such as preventing the joint between the drain port and drain pipe and the drain pipe from coming into direct contact with fire, improving the durability of the high-pressure pot. It has various effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view of a retort food manufacturing apparatus embodying the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a piping diagram thereof. 1 is a high pressure cooker, 2 is a gas burner, 4 is a lid, 6 is a support frame, 7 is a water supply port, 10 is a water storage tank, 1
1 is a full water outlet, 12 is a float type trap, 1
4 is a pressurized air supply port, 16 is an air tank, 17 is an air compressor, 18 is an air outlet, 19 is an on-off valve, and 20 is a drain pipe.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A support frame for holding the food to be heated is installed inside a high-pressure cooker that has a lid at the top opening and a heater arranged below the bottom. An air supply port and an air discharge port are provided, a water source is connected to the water supply port, a float trap is connected to the full water discharge port, and a compressed air supply source is connected to the pressurized air supply port, and a compressed air supply source is connected to the pressurized air supply port, and a compressed air supply source is connected to the pressurized air supply port. A retort food manufacturing device, in which an on-off valve is connected to each outlet, and a drain pipe connected to the top of the high-pressure cooker hangs down along the inner wall of the high-pressure cooker, with the lower end of the drain pipe visible at the bottom of the cooker.