JPH0545196Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a cold brine treatment device for fresh foods.

[Prior art]

Cold salt water treatment equipment for fresh food is equipped with a water tank containing circulating cold salt water of a predetermined concentration, and by immersing the fresh food in the cold salt water in the water tank, the lack of moisture is added to the fresh food through the action of osmotic pressure. At the same time, by removing excess moisture from fresh foods, restoring appropriate moisture and sterilizing them, fresh foods are kept as fresh as possible in the state in which they were produced and harvested in the production area.

By the way, in such cold brine treatment, the appropriate salt concentration of cold brine varies depending on the type of fresh food, such as fruits and vegetables, meat, fresh fish, etc., within the range of 0.2 to 3.0 wt%. It is necessary to adjust the cold brine each time. Also, if the amount of cold brine in the aquarium decreases, the cold brine will have the appropriate amount and salinity, and if the salt concentration of the cold brine changes, the cold brine will have the appropriate salinity. It is necessary to adjust accordingly. For this reason, in such cold salt water treatment equipment,
As shown in Publication No. 84469, a salt water tank containing highly concentrated salt water, a salt concentration detection means for detecting the salt concentration of cold salt water in the aquarium, and an operation based on a detection signal from the detection means Some models are equipped with a control valve that adjusts the salt concentration of the cold salt water in the tank by intermittent supply of salt water from the salt water tank into the tank.

[The problem that the idea attempts to solve]

By the way, the above-mentioned cold salt water treatment equipment is configured so that the highly concentrated salt water in the salt water tank is circulated through a circulation system path by a supply pump, and the circulation system path has a supply system equipped with an on-off valve. roads are connected. As a result, when the on-off valve is opened, the circulating highly concentrated salt water is supplied into the aquarium. Therefore, salt in the highly concentrated salt water circulating in the salt water tank tends to solidify in or near the pump, causing the pump to become clogged.
In addition, even in the above-mentioned on-off valve, the salt in the salt water tends to solidify on the internal valve body, valve seat, etc.
This may cause the valve to become clogged.

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to eliminate clogging of the salt water supply system due to salt solidification by omitting the above-mentioned pump for circulating and supplying high concentration salt water and changing the on-off valve. It's about doing.

[Means to solve the problem]

The cold brine treatment apparatus according to the present invention is the cold brine treatment apparatus for fresh food of the type described above, in which the brine tank is disposed above the water tank, and a flexible supply hose is connected to the lower part of the brine tank. The present invention is characterized in that a pinch valve facing the water tank and serving as the control valve pinches and releases the supply hose from the outer peripheral side to close and open the supply hose.

[Functions and effects of the idea]

In the cold salt water treatment apparatus having such a configuration, when adjusting the water in the water tank, cold salt water having a salt concentration lower than a predetermined salt concentration, to a predetermined salt concentration, the salt concentration detection means detects that the salt concentration is lower than a predetermined salt concentration, Based on this detection signal, a control valve operates to supply highly concentrated salt water in the salt water tank into the aquarium. Further, when the cold salt water in the water tank reaches a predetermined salt concentration, the control valve becomes inactive based on a signal from the salt concentration detection means, and the supply of salt water from the salt water tank to the water tank is stopped. Thereby, the salt concentration of the cold salt water in the water tank is adjusted to a predetermined value.

In this cold salt water treatment equipment, the highly concentrated salt water in the salt water tank is supplied into the water tank by the water pressure when the supply hose is opened by the control valve, so the pump for supplying salt water can be omitted. . In addition, since a pinch valve is used as a control valve to cut off contact with salt water inside the valve, there are no parts in the salt water supply line that promote the solidification of salt, and the system line is blocked due to salt solidification. No clogging occurs.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show essential parts of a cold salt water treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the cold salt water treatment apparatus is a conventional cold salt water treatment apparatus equipped with a water tank 11 and a cooling mechanism 12, with a salt water tank 13, which constitutes the main part of the present invention, added thereto.

The cooling mechanism 12 is a known one that includes a compressor, a condenser, a capillary tube, a cooling pipe, etc., and is configured such that the cooling pipe faces into the water tank 11 and cools the salt water in the tank 11. Note that the salt water in the water tank 11 is circulated by a circulation pump (not shown) disposed on the bottom surface of the tank 11.

Thus, a salt water tank 13 is disposed at a portion of the water tank 11 opposite to a portion where the cooling mechanism 12 is disposed. In this part, plate-shaped brackets 14a and 14b are installed at both upper and lower ends of one side of the aquarium 11.
is fixed and protrudes outward, and bearings 15a, 15b are fixed to both brackets 14a, 14b, and a pipe-shaped support 16 is attached to the upper bearing 1.
5a and is received by the lower bearing 15b. The support column 16 is a support member for the salt water tank 13, stands upright supported by both bearings 15a and 15b, and is rotatable about the upright portion 16a. The support column 16 includes an arm portion 16b extending horizontally from the upper end of the upright portion 16a, and a rectangular frame portion 16c at the tip of the arm portion 16b.
It is equipped with Therefore, the arm portion 16 of the column 16
b is rotatable in the horizontal direction. Salt water tank 13
is inserted into the frame portion 16c and received by the frame portion 16c at its outward flange portion 13a, and is located above one side of the water tank 11 in a suspended manner. The space between the brackets 14a and 14b is covered by a cover body 17 having a U-shaped cross section, and the cover body 17 maintains the rigidity of both the brackets 14a and 14b.

The salt water tank 13 has an outlet 13c opened and closed by a plug 13b on the lower surface of its bottom, and a supply hose 18 is connected to an outlet 13d provided on the side wall of the recess outside the bottom. . The salt water tank 13 contains highly concentrated salt water that is nearly saturated. Supply hose 1
8 is a flexible hose made of resin, and is attached to the side wall 13e of the recess.
The pinch grip part 19a of the pinch valve 19 fixed to
It is inserted through the inside and faces the inside of the water tank 11. The pinch valve 19 is an electromagnetic valve, and the plunger 19b of the pinching grip part 19a protrudes when not energized.
The supply hose 18 is held under pressure to close it, and the plunger 19 is activated when energized.
b moves back and opens the supply hose 18. The pinch valve 19 is connected to a power source through a cord 19c that passes through the inside of the support column 16, and the current is turned on and off based on a detection signal from a salt concentration sensor 21 disposed in the water tank 11. The salt concentration sensor 21 is a well-known sensor that detects the conductivity of salt water, and detects when the conductivity of salt water reaches a predetermined value and stops energizing the pinch valve 19, and when the conductivity is less than the predetermined value. In this case, the pinch valve 19 is kept energized. Note that the conductivity to be detected by the salt concentration sensor 21 can be changed, and in order to avoid salt water coming into contact with the pinch valve 19,
is covered with a cover body 22.

In a cold brine treatment device having such a configuration, when the salinity of the cold water in the water tank 11 is less than a predetermined value, the salinity is reduced by preparing cold brine with a predetermined salinity or adjusting diluted cold brine to a predetermined salinity. By the action of the concentration sensor 21, the pinch valve 19 is kept energized and the supply hose 18 is opened. For this reason, highly concentrated salt water stored in the salt water tank 13 is passed through the supply hose 18 to the water tank 1 by water pressure.
The highly concentrated salt water supplied into the water tank 1 quickly and uniformly dissolves in the cold water or diluted cold salt water circulating in the water tank 11. When the salt concentration of the cold salt water in the water tank 11 reaches a predetermined value, the salt concentration sensor 21 detects this, and based on the detection signal of the sensor 21, the power supply to the pinch valve 19 is stopped, and the supply hose 18 is closed. Salt water tank 1
The supply of salt water from 3 to the water tank 11 is stopped.
As a result, the cold salt water in the aquarium has a predetermined salt concentration.

In this way, in the cold salt water treatment equipment,
Since this method automatically supplies an appropriate amount of high-concentration salt water into the water tank 11 to adjust the cold salt water in the water tank 11 to a predetermined salinity concentration, it is better than the method of adding powdered or granular salt. The rate of uniform dissolution in cold salt water is extremely fast, and salt concentration can be adjusted quickly and accurately. Additionally, temperature control of cold salt water at sub-zero temperatures, which is closely related to salinity concentration, can be easily and accurately performed. In addition, the solubility of salt, or common salt, in water is determined by the salinity concentration of the cold brine used.
The salt water tank 13 may be smaller than the water tank 11 because it is higher than 0.2 to 3.0 wt% and the influence of temperature on solubility is small.

By the way, in the cold salt water treatment apparatus, the pump for supplying highly concentrated salt water in the salt water tank 13 is omitted, and the pinch valve 19 is used as a control valve.
is adopted. Therefore, there is no part in the salt water supply system that promotes solidification of salt, and clogging of the system due to solidification of salt does not occur.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the salt water tank 13 is rotatably supported together with the support column 16,
The salt water tank 13 can be easily faced above the water tank 11 and moved outward from above the water tank 11. Therefore, if the salt water tank 13 is evacuated to the outside of the water tank 11, the salt water tank 13 will not become an obstacle to the work of storing and taking out fresh foods into and from the water tank 11. 11
It will not interfere with cleaning work. In addition, since the cord 19c connecting the pinch valve 19 and the power source is passed through the support 16, the salt water tank 13
When the cord 19c is rotated, no hindrance is caused to the cord 19c. Furthermore, salt water tank 13
Since the salt water outlet 13d is located above the discharge port 13c at the bottom of the tank, highly concentrated salt water is prepared in the tank 13, and undissolved excess salt and impurities are precipitated. However, this excess salt and impurities will not flow into the water tank 11.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a cold brine treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part of the same apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the same apparatus. Explanation of symbols, 11...Water tank, 12...Cooling mechanism, 13...Salt water tank, 16...Strut, 18...
...Supply hose, 19...Pinch valve, 21...
Salinity sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a water tank containing circulating cold salt water of a predetermined concentration;
A salt water tank containing highly concentrated salt water; a salt concentration detection means for detecting the salt concentration of the cold salt water in the water tank; A cold brine treatment for fresh food, which maintains the freshness of the food by immersing the fresh food in the cold brine in the water tank, comprising a control valve that adjusts the salt concentration of the cold brine in the water tank by intermittent supply of salt water. In the apparatus, the salt water tank is arranged above the water tank, a flexible supply hose connected to a lower part of the salt water tank faces the water tank, and the supply hose is sandwiched from the outer circumferential side as the control valve. This cold brine treatment equipment for fresh food is characterized by employing a pinch valve that closes and opens the hose by releasing pressure.