JPH0494673A - Device for continuously sterilizing fresh food - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the subject device capable of heightening a sterilization effect and reducing the amount of a sterilization water used by decreasing the size of a sterilization water tank, immersing fresh foods in the sterilization water and carrying the treated fresh foods. CONSTITUTION:A sterilization water tank 3 is formed in a long and narrow shape and an endless chain 8 engaged with sprockets 6, 7 at both the ends of a frame 1 is passed through the sterilization water tank 3. Many cages 14 whose front surfaces are opened and whose corners between the ceiling plates and the back surface plates thereof are cut or lower than the height of the front edge of the ceiling plate are attached to the chain 8 at a slight distance in the longitudinal direction. The cages are sunk in sterilization water in the sterilization water tank to immerse fresh foods 16 in the cages in the sterilization water, and the treated fresh foods 16 are released when the cages passed out the sterilization water tank are reversed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a continuous sterilization apparatus used for continuously sterilizing fresh foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits.

[Prior Art] Conventional methods for sterilizing fresh foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits include batch processing methods and continuous processing methods.

In the batch processing method, a large number of fresh foods to be sterilized are immersed in a sterilizing water tank of a required size to be sterilized. A sterilizing water tank a is filled with a sterilizing water tank of the required concentration, and fresh food C to be sterilized is placed in the sterilizing water tank as shown in Figure 7 (B). As shown in FIG. 7 ([), after immersing a large number of fresh foods C in a sterilized water bath and maintaining this state for a required period of time (for example, 10 to 20 minutes) for sterilization treatment, The fresh food product C is taken out from the sterilized water tank a.

In the continuous treatment method, a treated water tank d of the required length is created, and water is poured into one end of the treated water tank d so that the water θ placed in the treated water tank d flows from one end to the other end. An inlet part f is provided and a water outlet part g is provided at the other end, so that the fresh food C introduced into the treated water tank d from one end is moved from one end to the other end by the flow of water. In some cases, cleaning or sterilization is performed during that time, and sterilization is performed using sterilized water instead of water e.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, among the conventional methods described above, the batch processing method has the following problems: ■ It takes time and effort to put the fresh foods to be sterilized into and out of the sterilization water tank a; Light objects float to the surface and some parts are exposed above the water surface, but this part exposed above the water surface is not completely sterilized; ■ Since it is a batch process, it is not suitable for mass processing; ■ 1 Because water is drained after each sterilization process, the amount of water consumed is large; ■ The concentration of sterilized water drops as soon as sterilization begins;
In order to maintain bactericidal activity, it is necessary to increase the initial concentration, but there are problems such as increasing the initial concentration may cause greater damage to the quality of fresh foods.

In addition, in the continuous processing method, water is flushed to wash and sterilize, so ■ Among fresh foods, lightweight items are targeted; ■ Cannot be applied to fresh foods that sink in water and do not float; ■ Water consumption is high because water is discharged after passing through the aquarium; ■ Water In order to achieve a sterilization effect, it is necessary to soak the food in water for a long time, which means that the water tank d becomes large and takes up a lot of space. In addition, if sterilized water is used instead of water e, the treated water tank d is large, so a large amount of sterilized water is required, and the water is drained in one direction, which is expensive. There are problems such as high consumption of sterilized water.

Therefore, the present invention improves the sterilizing effect by making the sterilizing water tank smaller and automatically immersing and transporting fresh foods in the sterilizing water in the sterilizing water tank, while also reducing the amount of sterilizing water used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous sterilization treatment apparatus for fresh food products that can reduce the amount of sterilized water and easily adopt a sterilized water circulation system.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a rectangular groove shape that has both ends open and both ends bent diagonally upward so that sterile water can be filled inside. A sterilizing water tank is installed on a frame, and an endless chain is passed through the sterilizing water tank through sprockets attached to both ends of the frame. A large number of cages with a low shape,
The frame is installed in the front-rear direction with short mounting intervals, and a drive device is connected to either one of the sprockets at both ends of the frame, so that the cage integrated with the chain is continuously passed through a sterilizing water tank. In addition, the sterilized water tank is
It is preferable to have a structure in which a chain guide mechanism for regulating and guiding the chain position, a cage receiving rail, and an air diffuser plate are installed at the bottom.

[Function] When fresh foods to be sterilized are placed one after another into a cage at one end of the frame, the cage moved by the chain enters a sterilized water tank containing sterilized water, and the sterilized water in the sterilized water tank enters the cage. The cage is immersed in water, transported, and discharged from the outlet, during which time the fresh foods in the cage are sterilized with sterilized water. The sterilized fresh foodstuffs are discharged by inverting the cage at the other end of the frame, and are transported on another conveyor or the like. If the sterilizing water tank has a chain guide mechanism, cage receiving rail, air diffuser, etc., the conveyor chain is guided and moved along the bottom of the sterilizing tank, so the cage is completely submerged in the sterilizing water. Perishable foods can be immersed and moved. Further, the concentration of sterilized water is made uniform by stirring by aeration, and the concentration is maintained constant.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which the central portion is lowered, one end is sloped upward, then it is brought into a nearly horizontal state, and the other end is sloped upward. A frame 1 is supported and installed with a plurality of height-adjustable level adjusters 2, and on the upper surface of the center part of the frame 1, both ends are bent diagonally upward so that both ends are open, and the upper surface is the entire length. A long and narrow sterilizing water tank 3 with a rectangular groove shape is installed, with a lid 4 covering the tank and sterilizing water 5 being filled inside. At both ends of the frame 1,
In addition to attaching the sprockets 6 and 7 respectively, on both upper and lower sides of both sides of the frame l, there are chain regulating rails 9 and chain regulating rails 9 for regulating and guiding the position of the endless chain 8 that extends between the two sprockets.
Chain guide rail lO for guiding the chain 8
A chain guide mechanism consisting of a side guide 11 for preventing meandering is installed, and in the sterilizing water tank 3 there are a chain regulating rail 9 attached to the frame 1, a chain guide rail 10, and a side guide for preventing meandering. Chain regulation rail 9a and chain guide rail 1 to match 11.
0a and side guides lla for meandering prevention are installed on the left and right sides of the bottom, and the chain regulating rail 9 and chain guide rail lO attached to the frame 1, and the chain regulating rail 9a and chain guide rail 10a in the sterilizing water tank 3.
Two endless chains 8 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right along the chain regulation rail. 9 and the chain guide rail 1o so that the chain 8 can move along the same trajectory, and the opposing inner surfaces of the left and right chains 8 are provided with a predetermined pitch (cage installation pitch described later).
Attachment 13 is attached, and a cage 14 for transporting perishable food is placed and attached between the left and right opposing attachments 13, and the cage 14 moves together with the chain 8, and the cage 14 is lowered in the sterilizing water tank 3. →Horizontal→
Make it possible to perform a rising motion.

The cage 14 is made of punched metal or wire mesh, as shown in FIG. Ceiling board 14c and back board!
4d is curved, and the size of the front opening 14a is made slightly smaller than the size inside the sterilizing water tank 3, and both ends of the fixed plate 15 fixed to the bottom plate 14e are fixed to the bottom plate 14e. By mounting and fixing the cages 8 on the attachments 13 of the left and right chains 8 as shown in FIG. The back plate +4d of the previous cage 14 is located at the front opening 14a of the next cage 14, so that a closed space is formed.
While each cage 14 enters the sterilized water tank 3 by descending from the entrance and is transported horizontally, the cage 14 is immersed in the sterilized water.
The fresh foods 16 stored in the cage 14 are immersed in sterilized water for a required period of time.

Further, an overflow chamber 17 is provided on one side of the outlet side of the sterilizing water tank 3, and an overflow hole 18 communicating with the overflow chamber 17 is provided in the upper part of the sterilizing water tank 3 as shown in FIG. The overflowing liquid is taken out from the liquid outlet piping 19, and
A liquid inlet pipe 20 is connected to the inlet side of the sterilizing water tank 3 so that sterilizing water can be injected into the sterilizing water tank 3 until it overflows. Exhaust fans 21 and 22 and piping equipment 23 and 24 leading to the gas processing equipment are installed above, and when ozone water or hypochlorite water is used as sterilizing water, ozone gas or hypochlorite gas in the sterilizing water tank is constantly exhausted. These gases are prevented from leaking into the atmosphere by being sent to the gas processing equipment.

Furthermore, the bottom plate 1 of the cage 14 is attached to the bottom of the sterilizing water tank 3.
The cage receiving rail 25, the air diffuser plate 26, and the air blow pipe 27 that guide the cage 4e are installed at a height that does not interfere with the cage 14. Ceiling plate 14 of cage 14 on the lower side
A cage receiving rail 28 is installed to guide the cage c, and the cage 14 is inverted on the drive sprocket 6 side to release the fresh food 16, and the cage 14 is released from the cage 14 on the driven sprocket 7 side. The posture of the cage 14 is maintained while the cage 14 is moved to a place where it is stored, so that the cage 14 can be moved stably.

For example, when vegetables are to be sterilized as the fresh food product 16, ozone water or hypochlorite water is filled as a sterilizer into the sterilizing water tank 3, and the caged chain 8 is driven to remove the vegetables to be sterilized. When the cage 14 is reversed and faces upward on the driven sprocket 7 side, which is the carry-in side, the cage 14 is inserted into the cage 14. At this time, even if the distance between the front and rear cages 14 is set to the shortest distance of approximately 10 mm, if the cage 14 is reversed at the sprockets 6 and 7, due to the relationship between the mounting pitch of the cage 14 and the sprocket diameter. Since the angle between the cages is approximately 160 degrees, the sprocket 7, which is the loading side, can be loaded into the cage 14 with sufficient loading time.

When the vegetables are placed one after another into the cages 14 that come to the carry-in side, the vegetables stored in the cages 14 are fed horizontally on the frame 1 and then descend diagonally downward to the sterilizing water tank 1.
introduced into the world. Inside the sterilizing water tank 3, the chain 8 is guided and its position is regulated by the chain regulating rail 9a and chain guide rail IOa of the chain guide mechanism installed at the bottom, so the cage 14 is moved along the cage receiving rail 25 inside the sterilizing water tank 3. After being automatically immersed in sterilized water 5,
In this state, it is transported horizontally. As a result, the cage 14
The vegetables inside are automatically immersed in sterilized water 5 and passed through the water tank 3 for a certain period of time, and the cage 14 is automatically raised obliquely upward at the outlet side of the sterilized water tank 3 and carried out. Accordingly, vegetables as fresh foods 16 are immersed in sterilized water 5 for a certain period of time, passed through sterilized water tank 3, and then automatically transported out. The ejected cage 14 is attached to the drive sprocket 6
By being turned over on the side, the angle between the front and rear cages 14 is widened as described above, and the sterilized vegetables inside are discharged from the cage 14 and sent to the next process on another conveyor. It turns out.

As mentioned above, while carrying out a series of operations in which vegetables are put into the cage 14, automatically immersed in sterilized water in the sterilized water tank 3, passed through the sterilized water tank 3 for a certain period of time, and then automatically taken out, On the loading side of the sterilizing water tank 3, the cage 14 is lowered and moved horizontally, but at this time, the back side of the cage 14 enters the front opening 14a of the next cage 14, and a part of the cage 14 is moved in a non-contact manner. Even if the distance between the cages 14 is set to the shortest, the bent portion can be moved without interfering with each other. Since it functions as a 14g lid, the vegetables inside will not come out from the cage 14. Also, on the unloading side of the sterilizing water tank 3, the cage 14 is horizontal →
During the upward movement, the front and rear cages 14 can wrap around each other and move without contacting each other.

Also, during the above series of operations, the cage 1 is placed inside the sterilizing water tank 3.
4, when ozone water is used as the sterilizing water 5, ozone gas is generated, and when hypochlorite water is used as the sterilizing water 5, chlorine gas is generated, but the exhaust fan 21.
Since the gases are exhausted through 22 and guided to the gas processing equipment, there is no possibility that these gases will leak into the atmosphere.

In the continuous sterilization treatment apparatus of the present invention, sterilized water 5 is supplied to the sterilized water tank 3 from the liquid inlet piping 20 on the sterilized water tank inlet side. The amount of water can be reduced,
Since it becomes possible to reduce the amount of sterilized water, it becomes possible to circulate and use the sterilized water.

When using the sterilized water 5 in circulation, the sterilized water is continuously injected through the liquid inlet pipe 20 on the inlet side, led out to the overflow chamber 17 through the overflow hole 18 on the outlet side, and returned to the circulation device through the liquid outlet pipe 19. do. When sterilized water is used in circulation, it is not necessary to periodically replace the entire amount of sterilized water in the sterilized water tank 3, which eliminates the need for time and effort for replacement, and also makes it possible to control the concentration of sterilized water. It becomes possible to sterilize while running water, increasing the sterilizing effect.

An example of a system in which sterilized water is circulated is shown in FIG. 5. Figure 5 shows a case in which ozonated water and hypochlorite water can be used separately as sterilizing water. 29 is a hypochlorite water circulation system, 30 is an ozonated water production equipment, and 31 is an existing cold water supply system. The tank T is a chemical liquid tank, Pl is a water supply/circulation pump, P2 is a chemical liquid pump, SV is a three-way solenoid valve, and BV, , BV2 are three-way hole valves. Also, PSA is an oxygen generator, OZ is an ozonizer,
BV2 is a three-way solenoid valve, P3 is a pressurization/circulation pump, P4 is a gas pressurization pump, and CT is a cooling/dissolution tank.

The concentration of sterilizing water is controlled by the chemical pump P2, which injects a fixed amount of chemical liquid in the case of hypochlorite water, and by controlling the number of ozonizers OZ in the case of ozone water, so that a constant concentration is always maintained. Make it automatically controlled.

When using sterilized water for circulation, if there are variations in the concentration between the inlet and outlet sides, the concentration of sterilized water can be adjusted to the inlet by diffusing and stirring air at several locations from the air diffuser plate 26 at the bottom of the sterilizing water tank 3. It can be made uniform from the side to the outlet side, and the sterilization effect can be enhanced.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
For example, as for the shape of the cage 14, the one shown in FIG. 4 is the most preferable example, but it is not limited to this.
6(E), the corner part of the ceiling plate 14c and the back plate +4d is made lower than the height of the front edge of the ceiling plate 14c, as shown in FIG. 6(E). The corner portions of the plate 14c and the back plate 14fl are cut diagonally, as shown in FIG. 6 ((2),
The back plate 14d is made into an arc shape to form a ceiling plate 14c and a back plate 14.
The corner part of d is cut into an arc, No. 6
As shown in Fig. 0, the back plate 14d is bent into a dogleg shape, and the corners of the ceiling plate 14c and the back plate +4d are cut diagonally.As shown in Fig. 6 (old), the ceiling plate 14c and the bottom plate 14e are parallel, and the corner part of the ceiling plate 14c and the back plate 14d is made into an arc, or as shown in FIG. 6(F), the corner part of the ceiling plate 14c and the back plate +4d and the bottom plate 14e Even if the corners of the back plate 14d are both arcuate, when the cage 14 descends and moves horizontally, or when it moves from horizontal to upward, the corners of the ceiling plate 14c and the back plate 14d will bend to the next cage. Since it can be wrapped without hitting the front opening, it is applicable, and the case where perishable food is manually loaded into each cage 14 on the driven sprocket 7 side is shown, or an automatic loading device may be attached. In addition, when sterilizing water is used in circulation, a level switch is provided in the overflow chamber 17 on the outlet side of the sterilizing water tank 3, and the water is automatically circulated when the amount of water decreases. Of course, various changes may be made without departing from the gist of the pond water invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the continuous sterilization processing apparatus for fresh foods of the present invention, the sterilization water tank is made into an elongated shape and installed on the frame, and the chain attached to the sprockets at both ends of the frame is connected to the sterilization water tank. The endless chain is made to have an open front and the corner between the ceiling plate and the back plate is cut, or the height of the chain is lower than the front edge of the ceiling plate (
A large number of cages are installed at small intervals in the front and back direction, and in the sterilized water tank, the cages are immersed in sterilized water, and the fresh food in the cages is immersed in the sterilized water and automatically passed through. (i) When fresh food is brought into the cage, the cage is automatically immersed in sterilized water. It is possible to continuously perform a series of operations in which fresh foods are immersed in sterilized water, passed through a water tank for a certain period of time, and then automatically taken out. (ii) Since the cages are placed close together,
The back plate of the cage can function as a cover for the front opening of the next cage, eliminating the need for a dedicated cover for the cage.
The stored perishable foods can be easily carried in and out, and the manufacturing cost of cages can be reduced.Also, the perishable foods in the cages do not come out of the cages during transportation, making it easier for fresh foods to be sterilized. (ii) The distance between cages can be shortened.
The number of cages can be increased for the same conveyor length, the length of the sterilization water tank can be shortened for the same number of cages, and since this sterilization water tank is shortened, the total amount of sterilized water can be reduced. At the same time, it has excellent effects such as reducing the installation space of the sterilizing water tank, and furthermore, as mentioned above, the sterilizing water tank can be made smaller and the total amount of sterilized water can be reduced, making it possible to adopt a sterilizing water circulation system. This eliminates the need to replace sterilizing water, reducing water consumption, and also makes it possible to control the concentration of sterilizing water and sterilize running water, increasing the sterilizing effect. can. In addition, by configuring the sterilizing water tank to include a chain guide mechanism, an air diffuser plate, etc. at the bottom, the cage can be reliably immersed in the sterilized water in the sterilizing water tank and passed through it smoothly. The aeration allows stirring of the sterilized water in the sterilized water tank, making the concentration of the sterilized water uniform, and is particularly effective when using a sterilized water circulation system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the continuous sterilization processing apparatus for fresh food products of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of FIG. The figure is a perspective view showing an example of a cage, Fig. 5 is a view showing an example in which a sterile water circulation system is adopted, and Fig. 6 (A) (B) ((2) (in [))
(F) are schematic diagrams showing other examples of cages, Figures 7 (5), (B), (2), and ([) are process diagrams for conventional batch processing methods, and Figure 8 is for conventional continuous processing methods. FIG. 1... Frame, 3... Sterilizing water tank, 4... Lid, 5
...Sterilizing water, 6,7...Sprocket, 8...Chain, 99a...Chain regulation rail (chain guide mechanism), 1010a...Chain guide rail (chain guide mechanism), II, Ila・...Side guide for meandering prevention (chain guide mechanism), 12...Motor (drive device), 13...Attachment, 14...Cage, 14g...Opening, 14c...Ceiling plate, 14d
... Back plate, 16... Fresh food, 25.28...
・Cage receiving rail, 26... air diffuser plate.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A square groove-shaped sterilizing water tank with both ends open and both ends bent diagonally upward so that the inside can be filled with sterilized water was installed on the frame, and attached to both ends of the frame. A large number of cages each having an open front surface and the corners of the ceiling plate and back plate cut or lowered in height are installed at short intervals on an endless chain that is passed through the sterilizing water tank over a sprocket. A fresh food product, characterized in that the cage is mounted in the front and back direction, and a drive device is connected to either one of the sprockets at both ends of the frame, so that the cage integrated with the chain is continuously passed through a sterilizing water tank. Continuous sterilization equipment. (2) The continuous sterilization apparatus for fresh food products according to claim 1, wherein a chain guide mechanism for regulating and guiding the chain, a cage receiving rail, and an air diffuser plate are installed at the bottom of the sterilization water tank.