JPH07284384A - Heat treatment of food and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the amount of treated materials per unit time by making it possible to continuously heat treat materials to be treated and reduce waste time. CONSTITUTION:The inside of a heat treatment chamber 10 capable of communicating to a preparatory chamber 14 and to a take-out chamber 16 and tightly closable is pressurized in a state in which it is not communicating to the preparatory chamber 14 and the take-out chamber 16 and an object to be treated is accommodated in the preparatory chamber 14. The preparatory chamber 14 is tightly closed and the inside of the preparatory chamber 14 is pressurized up to a pressure equal to that in the heat treatment chamber 10. A partition wall between the heat treatment chamber 10 and the preparatory chamber 14 is opened so as to communicate both the chambers to each other and the object to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber 10. The object carried into the heat treatment chamber 10 is heat treated and the inside pressure of the take-out chamber 16 is raised so as to have a temperature equal to the inside pressure of the heat treatment chamber 10 in advance. The heat treated object is moved to a position near the take-out chamber 16 by a conveying unit and the heat treatment chamber 10 is communicated to the take-out chamber 16 by opening a partition wall between both the chambers. The object to be treated is taken out to the take-out chamber 16 and the heat treatment chamber 10 and the take-out chamber 16 are partitioned followed by tightly closing the take-out chamber. The pressure in the take-out chamber 16 is reduced and the treated material is cooled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus for food.

The term "food" as used herein means a food product (retort food product, instant food product, ham or sausage) that is hermetically packed with a heat-resistant sheet such as a synthetic resin sheet (including a film; the same applies hereinafter) or an aluminum sheet. Etc.), cans, bottles or foods that are sealed in containers such as synthetic resin moldings (canned food, drinking water such as mineral water or juice, egg tofu, jelly or yogurt) Including body).

The term "heat treatment" as used herein includes not only sterilization / disinfection treatment of food but also cooking and processing of food.

[0004]

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called "batch type" treatment method has been generally used as a method for heat-treating, for example, sterilizing a food packaged in a hermetically sealed manner. The steps of the "batch type" processing method will be described below. That is, the food to be processed, for example, the retort food is placed in the heat treatment chamber and sealed. The inside of the heat treatment chamber is pressurized in a sealed state, and hot water is poured into the heat treatment chamber from a hot water tank.
As a result, the retort food inside the heat treatment chamber is heat-treated and sterilized.

After the heat treatment is completed, the hot water is returned to the hot water tank.

Then, cooling water is injected from the cooling water tank into the heat treatment chamber to cool the retort food.

After the cooling is completed, the cooling water is returned to the cooling water tank and the inside of the heat treatment chamber is decompressed. After the cooling water is returned to the cooling water tank, the heat treatment chamber is opened and the treatment is completed. Take out the retort food.

[0008]

As described above, in the above-mentioned "batch type" treatment method, it is necessary to repeat pressurization / depressurization inside the heat treatment chamber for each heat treatment.
Further, since it is necessary to exchange hot water and cooling water inside the heat treatment chamber, a large amount of time is wasted and the amount of treatment per unit time is low.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to repeatedly perform pressurization and depressurization inside the heat treatment chamber and exchange operation of hot water and cooling water. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing method and a processing device, which are omitted and are capable of continuously performing heat treatment of food.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment method for treating an object carried into a heat treatment chamber under pressure, wherein the object is a heat treatment method. And carrying out is carried out in a state where the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber is kept constant, and when carrying out the carrying-out object, another carrying-in object can be carried in.

The heat treatment method for food according to claim 2 is a method characterized by comprising the following steps (1) to (8).

(1) The inside of a heat-treatable chamber, which is provided so as to be capable of communicating with the preparation chamber and also capable of communicating with the ejection chamber, is pressurized while being partitioned from the preparation chamber and the ejection chamber. (2) An object to be processed is stored inside the preparation chamber.

(3) The preparatory chamber is hermetically sealed and pressurized until the internal pressure of the preparatory chamber becomes equal to the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber.

(4) The partition between the heat treatment chamber and the preparation chamber is opened to allow the two to communicate with each other, and the object to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber.

(5) The object to be treated carried into the heat treatment chamber is subjected to heat treatment.

(6) The internal pressure of the extraction chamber is preliminarily pressurized so as to be the same as the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber, and the heat-treated object is moved to the vicinity of the extraction chamber by the moving means.

(7) The partition between the heat treatment chamber and the take-out chamber is opened to allow the two to communicate with each other, and the object to be treated is carried out to the take-out chamber.

(8) The extraction chamber is partitioned from the heat treatment chamber and hermetically sealed, and the decompression of the extraction chamber and the cooling treatment of the object to be treated are performed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment method for food according to the second aspect, wherein hot water is present inside the heat treatment chamber and an air portion is present above the heat treatment chamber at a predetermined depth. Stored in a position above the surface of the hot water, the object to be processed is carried into the heat treatment chamber from the preparation chamber, and the carried object is intermittently rotated inside the heat treatment chamber. The holding portion of the means is held while the moving means is stopped,
Along with the rotating action of the moving means, the object to be processed is revolved inside the heat treatment chamber and is immersed in hot water for heat treatment, and further rotation of the moving means causes the object to undergo the heat treatment. The method is characterized in that it is floated from the water, and at the position above the surface of the hot water, the heat-treated object is carried out to the unloading chamber while the moving means is stopped.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment method of the food according to the third aspect, by rotating the holding portion in the revolving direction in the opposite direction, the object to be treated can always be kept horizontal. This is a method characterized in that

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment apparatus for food, which is connected to a heat treatment chamber which can be hermetically sealed, and which communicates with the heat treatment chamber. A preparatory chamber in which the internal pressure can be adjusted, and a first partitioning body that can partition the preparatory chamber and the heat treatment chamber,
A first closing body capable of closing an opening for accommodating an object to be processed in the preparation chamber; a take-out chamber communicating with the heat treatment chamber and capable of adjusting an internal pressure for carrying out a heat-treated object to be processed; A second partition body capable of partitioning the take-out chamber and the heat treatment chamber, a second closing body capable of closing the processing object take-out opening of the take-out chamber, and carrying in from the preparation chamber to the heat treatment chamber And a cooling means for forcibly cooling the heat-treated object carried into the unloading chamber, the moving means for moving the treated object to the vicinity of the unloading chamber after or during the heat treatment. It will be.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the heat treatment apparatus for food according to the fifth aspect, wherein the preparation chamber and the extraction chamber are provided on the same side in the heat treatment chamber.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food heat treatment apparatus according to the fifth or sixth aspect, wherein the moving means has a holding portion for receiving the object to be processed carried into the heat treatment chamber, and the holding means. A rotation support body that revolves inside the heat treatment chamber, and the preparation chamber and the take-out chamber are arranged in correspondence with the trajectory of the holding unit that revolves by the rotation of the rotation support body. The support is provided so as to be intermittently movable so as to stop at predetermined intervals in the rotation direction, and the holding portion is provided so as to stop at corresponding positions of the preparation chamber and the ejection chamber. .

A food heat treatment apparatus according to an eighth aspect is the apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein the holding portion is provided so as to be rotatable, and the holding portion which is revolving is rotated to rotate the food. The processed product can always maintain a horizontal state.

[0025]

In the heat treatment method for food according to claim 1, since the object to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber, the heat treatment is carried out, and the heat treatment is carried out from the heat treatment chamber under a constant pressure,
When the object to be processed is carried out, another object to be processed can be carried in. This enables continuous heat treatment,
The processing efficiency is improved.

In the heat treatment method for food according to claim 2, since the preparation chamber is pressurized to the same internal pressure as that of the heat treatment chamber in a state where the object to be treated is accommodated, the partition between the heat treatment chamber and the preparation chamber is performed. Even if the heating chamber is opened, the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber does not change, and the object to be processed can be carried in with the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber kept constant.

The object to be heat treated in the heat treatment chamber is
It is moved inside the heat treatment chamber by the moving means and is moved to the vicinity of the extraction chamber. After that, the object to be treated is carried out from the heat treatment chamber to the take-out chamber, but since the carry-out chamber is pressurized in advance so as to have the same internal pressure as the heat treatment chamber, at the time of carrying out the aforementioned subject to be treated. Even if there is, the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber does not change.

As described above, since the object to be processed is carried into the heat treatment chamber, the heat treatment is carried out, and the heat treatment chamber is carried out from the heat treatment chamber under a constant pressure, another object to be treated is carried out at the time of carrying out the object. Items can be carried in, which allows continuous heat treatment and improves the processing efficiency.

In the method according to the third aspect, the object to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber from the preparation chamber above the water surface of the hot water stored in the heat treatment chamber. That is, the object to be treated in the preparation chamber is carried into the heat treatment chamber above the hot water and held by the holding unit of the moving means.

Thereafter, the object to be processed revolves in the heat treatment chamber with the rotation of the moving means, is immersed in hot water, and is heat-treated in the hot water.

The heat-treated object is levitated from the hot water by the further rotation of the moving means and is carried out to the take-out chamber which has been pressurized so as to have the same internal pressure as that of the heat-treating chamber.

The moving means is provided so as to be capable of intermittent rotation, that is, it is provided so as to rotate while stopping at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. This is performed while the moving means is stopped.

As described above, the object to be treated is immersed in the hot water as the moving means rotates and is heat-treated in the hot water, so that the heat treatment can be easily performed.

In the method according to the fourth aspect, since the holding portion that holds the object to be processed rotates in the opposite direction during the revolution, the object to be processed can always be maintained in the horizontal state. As a result, there is no fear that the shape of the food during heat treatment will be lost.

In the food heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, the preparation chamber and the heat treatment chamber are provided with the first partitioning body at the same time as or before or after the treatment object is accommodated through the treatment object accommodation opening in the preparation chamber. And the opening is closed by the first closing body to close the preparation chamber. Then, the inside of the preparation chamber is pressurized to the same internal pressure as that of the heat treatment chamber by a conventionally known appropriate pressure adjusting means.

Then, the first partition is opened to connect the preparation chamber and the heat treatment chamber, and the object to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber. As described above, since the internal pressure of the preparation chamber is set to be the same as the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber in advance, the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber does not change even if the first partition body is opened to communicate the two. .

The object to be processed is moved to the vicinity of the take-out chamber by the moving means during or after the heat treatment. At this time,
The extraction chamber is separated from the heat treatment chamber by the second partition body, and the opening for extracting the object to be treated is closed by the second closing body to keep a hermetically sealed state, and the inside thereof is of a conventionally well-known structure. The pressure is increased to the same internal pressure as that of the heat treatment chamber by a different pressure adjusting means.

Then, the second partition is opened so that the heat treatment chamber and the take-out chamber are communicated with each other, and the heat-treated object is taken out to the take-out chamber.

After that, the second partition body divides the heat treatment chamber and the take-out chamber to reseal the take-out chamber, the cooling means cools the object to be treated in the take-out chamber, and the above-mentioned pressure adjusting means. To reduce the pressure inside the take-out chamber.

After sufficiently reducing the pressure and cooling, the second
The blocker is opened and the object to be processed is taken out from the extraction chamber.

As described above, since the object to be processed is carried into the heat treatment chamber, the heat treatment is carried out, and the heat treatment chamber is carried out from the heat treatment chamber under a constant pressure, another object to be treated is carried out at the time of carrying out the object to be treated. You can carry in goods. As a result, continuous heat treatment is possible and the processing efficiency is improved.

In the apparatus according to the sixth aspect, since the preparation chamber and the take-out chamber are provided on the same side in the heat treatment chamber, a compact device can be provided. Further, the processed object is carried out from the same side as the carrying-in side, so that the work efficiency is improved.

In the apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the object to be processed carried in from the preparation chamber to the heat treatment chamber is held by the holding portion of the moving means. After that, by the rotation of the rotary support in the moving means, the object to be treated, together with the holding portion, revolves inside the heat treatment chamber, is moved to the vicinity of the ejection chamber, and is carried out to the ejection chamber.

The rotary support is provided so that it can be intermittently moved so as to stop at predetermined intervals in the rotation direction, and the object to be processed is carried in and carried out when the rotary support is stopped.

In the apparatus according to the eighth aspect, since the holding portion is provided so as to be rotatable, the holding portion is revolved in the heat treatment chamber by the rotation of the rotary support. Can always be kept in a horizontal state, and the object to be processed held therein can also be moved while keeping the horizontal state.

[0046]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a heat treatment apparatus (A) which is an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral (10) is a heat treatment chamber. The heat treatment chamber (10) is provided in a sealable manner and has a pressure resistant structure. In addition, the heat treatment room (1
Hot water (H) is stored in the interior of (0) to a predetermined depth so that the air part (12) exists above the heat treatment chamber (10). Objects to be treated such as retort foods and canned foods are heat-treated in hot water (H) inside the heat treatment chamber (10).

From the front side surface (10a) of the heat treatment chamber (10),
The preparation chamber (14) and the extraction chamber (16) extend in the same direction. The preparation room (14) and the extraction room (16) are
It has a cylindrical shape and can communicate with the inside of the heat treatment chamber (10). The communication port (18) with the preparation chamber (14) and the extraction chamber (16) in the heat treatment chamber (10) is located in the front plate portion (11) of the heat treatment chamber (10) and is described above. It is located above the surface of hot water (H).

Reference numeral (20) is a first partition. This first
Partitioning body (20), heat treatment room (10) and preparation room (14)
And can be partitioned by pressure. First partition (20)
Is equipped with an air cylinder ((20a) or hydraulic cylinder (20a), and so on.) On its upper part, and the flat first partition plate (20) is attached to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder (20a).
b) is installed. By driving the air cylinder (20a) back and forth, the first partition plate (20b) is guided by the guide shafts (20c) provided on both sides thereof, and the preparation chamber (14)
To enter and exit, and to connect the heat treatment room (10) and the preparation room (14)
The partition can be selectively switched.

The preparation chamber (14) has a storage opening (22) at the front end thereof for storing an object to be processed inside the preparation chamber (14). The storage opening (22) can be closed by the first closing body (24). First blocker (2
4) is equipped with an air cylinder (24a) on its upper part, and the rod-shaped tip of the air cylinder (24a) has a disk-shaped first part.
A blocking plate (24b) is attached. By driving the air cylinder (24a) back and forth, the first blocking plate (24
b) is guided by guide rails (24c) provided on both sides thereof to move up and down, and the closing / opening of the storage opening (22) can be selectively switched.

Heat treatment chamber (10) by the first partition (20)
The preparation chamber (14) which is partitioned by the first closing body (24) and the storage opening (22) is closed is in a closed state.

Reference numeral (26) is a second partition. This second
Partitioning body (26) allows heat treatment chamber (10) and take-out chamber (16)
And can be partitioned by pressure. Second partition (26)
Is equipped with an air cylinder (26a) on its upper part, and a flat second partition plate (26b) is attached to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder (26a). Air cylinder (26
By moving a) back and forth, the second partition plate (26b)
Are guided by the guide shafts (26c) provided on both sides of the same to enter and exit the extraction chamber (16), and the heat treatment chamber (10) and the extraction chamber (16)
It is possible to selectively switch between communication and partition.

The take-out chamber (16) is provided at its front end with a take-out opening (23) for taking out the heat-treated object from the inside of the take-out chamber (16). The extraction opening (23) can be closed by the second closing body (25). The second closing body (25) has an air cylinder (25a) on the upper part thereof.
And a disk-shaped second closing plate (25b) is attached to the tip of the rod of the air cylinder (25a). By moving the air cylinder (25a) back and forth, the second
Guide rails (25c) provided with blocking bodies (25) on both sides thereof
It is possible to selectively switch between closing and opening the take-out opening (23) by being guided up and down.

Heat treatment chamber (10) by the second partition (26)
The take-out chamber (16) which is partitioned by the second closing body (25) and whose take-out opening (23) is closed is in a sealed state.

Although not shown, the heat treatment apparatus (A) is provided with first pressure adjusting means and second pressure adjusting means. The first pressure adjusting means can freely adjust the pressure inside the preparation chamber (14). Further, the second pressure adjusting means can freely adjust the pressure inside the take-out chamber (16).

The take-out chamber (16) is provided with an inlet (16a) and an outlet (16b), respectively. By the cooling water circulation device, which is a cooling means (28) for the heat-treated object, the cooling water is fed into the extraction chamber (16) from the inlet (16a), and the inside of the extraction chamber (16) is axially moved. It flows and is sent out from the discharge port (16b).

The object to be treated is heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber (10) as described above, but before that, it is temporarily stored in the preparation chamber (14). Inside the preparation room (14),
As shown in FIG. 5, a transporting means (30) for loading the stored object (F) into the heat treatment chamber (10) is provided. In the figure, reference numeral (32) is a tray in which the object to be treated (F) is placed, reference numeral (34) is a plate-like weight having a large number of through holes (34a) penetrating in the thickness direction, and reference numeral (36). ) Is a guide rib protruding inward from the inner wall of the preparation chamber (14).

The conveying means (30) has an endless belt conveyor (30a) provided in the lower part of the preparation chamber (14) and two endless chains extending in the axial direction, which are arranged side by side and which are arranged outside And an auxiliary conveying member (30b) in which pulleys are juxtaposed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction.

The endless belt conveyor (30a) is provided with the front end shaft and the rear end shaft for rotatably supporting the endless belt conveyor (30a) fixed to the preparation chamber (14). On the other hand, the auxiliary transport member (30b)
Is placed on the endless belt conveyor (30a) in a free state.

Both the endless belt conveyor (30a) and the auxiliary carrying member (30b) can be individually driven. However, when the endless belt conveyor (30a) is driven, the auxiliary conveying member (30b) travels on the endless belt conveyor (30a) with the object to be processed (F) placed on the endless belt conveyor (30a). By driving the auxiliary transfer member (30b), the object to be processed (F) thereon further travels and is carried into the heat processing chamber (10). Note that this point will be described in detail later.

Inside the heat treatment chamber (10), as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a moving means (38) is provided.

The moving means (38) includes a rotating main shaft (40) extending in the axial direction of the heat treatment chamber (10) and a front side rotation attached to the rotating main shaft (40) in the front portion inside the heat treatment chamber (10). The support (42), the rear rotary support (44) mounted on the rotary spindle (40) at the rear of the heat treatment chamber (10), and the support (42) (44) between the two rotary supports. And a holding member (46).

The rotating spindle (40) is used in the heat treatment chamber (10).
The heat treatment chamber (10) extends axially forward from the rear side of the inside and penetrates through the radial center portion of the front plate portion (11) of the heat treatment chamber (10). The rotating main shaft (40) is intermittently rotated by a drive source (not shown) such as a motor so as to stop every 72 °.

The front rotation support body (42) has a disk shape as clearly shown in FIG. 5, and has through holes (48) penetrating in the thickness direction at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction (every 72 °). Is 5
It is provided individually. An annular support shaft (48a) extends from the rear peripheral portion of the through hole (48).

The holding member (46) is long in the front-rear direction, has a rectangular cross section, and is open at the top. The holding member (46) is rotatably supported between the front rotation support body (42) and the rear rotation support body (44). That is, the holding member (46) has an annular bearing portion (46a) protruding forward on its front side surface, and the above-mentioned annular support shaft (48a) is fitted therein. Further, the holding member (46)
Has a support shaft (47) protruding rearward on its rear side surface and penetrating the rear rotation support body (44).

The holding member (46) is the front rotation support body (42).
In each of the positions corresponding to the through holes (48) (that is, a total of five holes are provided), and the through holes (48) on the front side surface of each holding member (46).
A communication hole (46b) is provided at a position corresponding to.
Inside the holding member (46), two rails (46c) extending in the longitudinal direction are juxtaposed in the left-right direction. The holding member (46) is provided with a large number of punching holes (46d).

As shown in FIG. 6, the rotary main shaft (40) rotates both rotary supports (42) and (44), whereby each of the holding members (46) is rotated about the rotary main shaft (40). The inside of the heat treatment chamber (10) is revolved around.

The holding member (46) is rotatably provided. Hereinafter, that point will be described.

FIG. 7 is a view of the moving means (38) provided inside the heat treatment chamber (10) as seen from the rear. As shown in the figure, a drive gear (50) is attached to the rear end of the rotary main shaft (40), and the rear end of the support shaft (47) that supports the holding member (46) is The driven gear (52) is installed. The drive gear (50) and the driven gear (52) have the same diameter and mesh with each other. Therefore, when the drive gear (50) is rotated by the rotating main shaft (40), the support shaft (47) that supports the holding member (46) through the driven gear (52) meshing with the drive shaft (47) is moved in the opposite direction by the same amount. Rotate. As a result, the holding member (46) rotates about its own axis while revolving, and the holding member (46) itself always maintains a horizontal state even while the rotary supports (42) (44) are rotating.

The means for providing the holding member (46) so as to be rotatable is not limited to the above-mentioned structure, and the means shown in FIG. 8 may be used.

That is, the drive gear (50) is mounted on the rear end of the rotary main shaft (40), and the driven gear is attached to the rear end of each support shaft (47) without meshing with the drive gear (50). Wear (52) respectively. A ring gear (54) that meshes with all of the driven gears (52) on its inner surface is provided outside the driven gears (52). Reference numeral (56) is a first auxiliary gear that meshes with the drive gear (50), and reference numeral (58)
Is a second auxiliary gear that meshes with the first auxiliary gear (56), reference numeral (60) is coaxially mounted on the shaft (61) on which the second auxiliary gear (58) is mounted, and the ring gear It is a third auxiliary gear that meshes with the outer surface of (54).

When the drive gear (50) is rotated by the rotating main shaft (40), the first auxiliary gear (56), the second auxiliary gear (58) and the third auxiliary gear (60) are rotated. Third auxiliary gear (6
The rotation of (0) causes the ring gear (54) to rotate, and the driven gear (52) rotates accordingly. Driven gear (5
If 2) rotates, the support shaft (47) will rotate and
The holding member (46) rotates, that is, rotates on its axis. The rotation direction of each gear is as shown by the arrow in FIG. 8, and the rotation direction of the rotation main shaft (40) and the rotation direction of the holding member (46) are opposite to each other.

It is also possible to attach an outer ring surrounding all the holding members (46) in association with the holding members (46) and rotate each of the holding members (46) by rotating the outer ring.

The holding member (46) may be a tubular member whose upper portion is not opened but closed. In this case, the weight (34) placed on the object to be processed (F) can be omitted. Further, it does not necessarily have to be angular and may be a cylindrical body.

Further, it is not necessary to rotate the holding member (46) as described above. That is, the movement of the holding member (46) may be only the revolution caused by the rotation of the rotation support bodies (42) (44). In this case, the holding member (46) can be welded to both or either of the rotary supports.

Next, an example of a step of heat-treating an object to be treated (F) such as a retort food using the heat treatment apparatus (A) having the above-mentioned structure will be described.

First, the heat treatment chamber (10) is separated from the preparation chamber (14) and the extraction chamber (16) by the first partition body (20) and the second partition body (26) to be hermetically sealed. The inside of the heat treatment chamber (10) is pressurized to a predetermined pressure. In this state, the object to be processed (F) is stored in the preparation chamber (14) through the storage opening (22). At this time, the object to be processed (F) may be sent to the preparation chamber (14) by using an automatic transfer means such as a belt conveyor. In any case, after the object to be processed (F) is stored, the storage opening (22) is closed by the first closing body (24) to seal the preparation chamber (14).

Then, the inside of the preparation chamber (14) is pressurized by the first pressure adjusting means so that the internal pressure of the preparation chamber (14) becomes the same as the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber (10). In the preparation room (14), it is preferable to heat the object to be treated (F) to some extent, but not limited to this. As the heating means in this case,
For example, a method of circulating hot water, a method of spraying hot air or steam, and the like can be mentioned.

The first partition body (20) is opened to connect the heat treatment chamber (10) with the preparation chamber (14). As previously mentioned,
Since the internal pressure of the preparation chamber (14) and the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber (10) are the same, the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber (10) does not change even if the first partition body (20) is opened.

Thereafter, the object to be processed (F) is placed in the preparation room (14).
It is carried into the heat treatment chamber (10) by the transfer means (30) therein. That is, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the auxiliary transport member (30b) runs toward the heat treatment chamber (10) with the object to be treated (F) placed thereon by driving the endless belt conveyor (30a). . As described above, since the auxiliary transport member (30b) itself is also driven, the object to be processed (F) travels the total amount of the drive amount of the endless belt conveyor (30a) and the drive amount of the auxiliary transport member (30b). To do.

As described above, the object to be treated (F) is transferred from the preparation chamber (14) to the heat treatment chamber (10) by the transfer means (30) including the endless belt conveyor (30a) and the auxiliary transfer member (30b). Is carried into the holding member (46) through the through hole (48) and the communication hole (46b) in the front side rotation support (42).
(Hereinafter, this holding member will be referred to as "first holding member (46-
1) ”, and the holding members subsequent thereto are sequentially“ second holding member (46-2) ”,“ third holding member (46-3) ”,“ fourth holding member (46-4) ”, and“ fifth holding member ”. (46-5) ”) and reach inside. The object to be processed (F) is
As shown in FIG. 3B, the first holding member (46-1) is placed on the rail (46c) inside.

After the object to be processed (F) is placed on the rail (46c) of the first holding member (46-1), the auxiliary carrying member (30b)
Drive is stopped and the endless belt conveyor (30
a) drives in the opposite direction. As a result, the auxiliary transport member (30b) returns to the original position, that is, the preparation chamber (14) as shown in FIG. 3 (c), and the next object to be processed (F) is stored in the preparation chamber (14). Wait to be done.

After the object to be processed (F) is held by the first holding member (46-1), the rotary spindle (40) rotates, and the object to be processed (F) is moved to the first position as shown in FIG. The inside of the heat treatment chamber (10) starts to revolve while being held by the holding member (46-1).

The rotating spindle (40) is 72 ° as described above.
It stops once it rotates. Therefore, the first holding member (46-1) also revolves around the same angle and then stops. At this time, the second holding member (46-2) is located at a position corresponding to the preparation chamber (14), and the next object to be processed (F) is processed by the second holding member (46) through the same steps as those described above. -2) held in. On the other hand, the first holding member (46-1) is immersed in the hot water (H) stored in the heat treatment chamber (10), so that the heat treatment is performed. The heat treatment chamber (10) is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) that periodically measures the temperature of the hot water (H). When a decrease in the temperature of the hot water (H) is detected by this sensor, the temperature of the hot water (H) is raised by the heating device (not shown). Further, as described above, since the weight (34) is placed on the object to be processed (F), the object to be processed (F) does not float even in hot water (H).

Even after that, the holding member (46) continues to revolve inside the heat treatment chamber (10) by the intermittent rotation of the rotation main shaft (40), and at the time of the stop, the holding member (46) is processed from the preparation chamber (14). The object (F) is the third holding member (46-3) and the fourth holding member (46
-4) and the fifth holding member (46-5) are sequentially carried in.

When the object to be processed (F) is carried into the fifth holding member (46-5), the object to be processed (F) held by the first holding member (46-1) has already been transferred. While being floated from the hot water (H) to complete the heat treatment, it has moved to a position corresponding to the take-out chamber (16).

When the object to be treated (F) moves to a position corresponding to the take-out chamber (16), the second partition (26) is opened and the heat treatment chamber (10) and the take-out chamber (16) are separated from each other. Through communication, the object to be treated (F) is carried out to the take-out chamber (16). The extraction chamber (16) before the second partition body (26) is opened has the extraction opening (23) closed by the second closing body (25) and the second pressure. Since the internal pressure is set to be the same as the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber (10) by the adjusting means, the pressure fluctuation of the heat treatment chamber (10) does not occur even if the second partition (26) is opened.

The object (F) that has been heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber (10) is drawn out by means of a drawing means (6) provided in the take-out chamber (16).
It is pulled out into the extraction chamber (16) by 2). The withdrawal means (62) has a structure such that the transfer means (3) provided in the preparation room (14).
Since it is the same as (0), the description of its configuration is omitted. The mechanism for pulling out the object to be treated (F) by the pulling-out means (62) is as follows.

That is, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), by driving the endless belt conveyor (30a), the rear end portion of the auxiliary conveying member (30b) is processed by the auxiliary conveying member (30b) thereon. Run until the lower end of the front of the object (F) is reached.

After that, as shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C,
While driving the endless belt conveyor (30a) to move the auxiliary transport member (30b) forward, the auxiliary transport member (30b) itself is also driven to pull out the object to be processed (F),
Carry it out to the unloading room (16).

Extracting chamber (16) for the heat-treated object (F)
Even after being carried out, the rotary main shaft (40) continues to rotate intermittently, and the first holding member (46-1) is stopped in the empty state again at a position corresponding to the preparation chamber (14). Then, the object to be processed (F) carried in from the preparation room (14) is held.

The second holding member (46-2), ..., The fifth holding member (46-5) following the first holding member (46-1) also revolves by the intermittent rotation of the rotary spindle (40). Stop with
When stopped at a position corresponding to the take-out chamber (16), the held heat-treated object (F) is taken out of the take-out chamber (16).
In the case where the object (F) is loaded into the preparation room (14) and stopped at a position corresponding to the preparation room (14), the object (F) to be carried in from the preparation room (14) is held.

After the heat-treated object (F) has been carried out, the extraction chamber (16) is sealed from the heat treatment chamber (10) by the second partition (26). After that, the internal pressure of the take-out chamber (16) is returned to normal pressure by the second pressure adjusting means, and at the same time or before and after, the cooling water is circulated in the take-out chamber (16) to force the object (F) to be treated. Cool to.

After the decompression inside the take-out chamber (16) and the cooling of the object to be treated (F) have been completed, the second blocker (25) is opened and the object to be treated (F) is opened from the take-out opening (23). Take out.

As described above, the object (F) to be processed is carried into the heat treatment chamber (10), the heat treatment is carried out, and the object (F) is carried out of the heat treatment chamber (10) under a constant pressure. Since the processing is carried out in step 1, when the object to be processed (F) is carried out, another object to be processed (F) can be carried in, whereby continuous heat treatment becomes possible and the processing efficiency is improved.

In the present example, the heat treatment of the article to be treated (F) was performed by immersing the article to be treated (F) in hot water (H), but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be performed by spraying the object (F).

From the preparation room (14) to the heat treatment room (10)
Each of loading and unloading of the object (F) to and from the heat treatment chamber (10) to the unloading chamber (16) is carried out by a moving means such as a hydraulic cylinder or an air cylinder. It is also possible to use.

Further, the number of holding members for holding the object to be processed (F) is not limited to 5, and may be 3, 4, 6 or more. Even in that case, it is necessary to provide the holding members at regular intervals in the circumferential direction and intermittently rotate the main spindle so that the holding members stop at predetermined positions, that is, the preparation chamber and the take-out chamber.

Although the preparation chamber (14) and the extraction chamber (16) are provided on the same side in the heat treatment chamber (10), the present invention is not limited to this.
It can also be provided on the other side, as shown in FIGS.

[0100]

According to the heat treatment method and the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is not necessary to repeat pressurization and depressurization inside the heat treatment chamber for each heat treatment, and hot water and cooling water are provided inside the heat treatment chamber. Since it is not necessary to replace the heat treatment, the heat treatment of the object to be processed can be continuously performed, and the time wasted is reduced, and the amount of processing per unit time is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a heat treatment apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of a preparation chamber.

FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view showing a mechanism in which an object to be processed in a preparatory chamber is carried into a heat treatment chamber by a transfer means.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the inside of the heat treatment chamber, in which a holding member is partially omitted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of moving means.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view showing a revolution state of a holding member.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the moving means showing the rotation mechanism of the holding member.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an essential part showing another rotation mechanism of the holding member.

FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory view showing a mechanism in which a heat-treated object in a heat treatment chamber is carried out to a take-out chamber by a drawing-out means.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the preparation chamber and the ejection chamber.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing another positional relationship between the preparation chamber and the extraction chamber.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A ... Heat treatment device H ... Hot water 10 ... Heat treatment chamber 12 ... Air part 14 ... Preparation room 16 ... Extraction chamber 20 ... First partition 22 ... Storage opening 23 ... Ejection Opening 24 ... First closing body 25 ... Second closing body 26 ... Second partitioning body 28 ... Cooling means 38 ... Moving means 42 ... Front side rotation support 44 ... Rear side rotation support 46 ...... Holding member

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A heat treatment method for treating an object carried into a heat treatment chamber under pressure, wherein the carrying-in, heat treatment, and unloading of the treatment object are performed with a constant internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber. The heat treatment method for foods is characterized in that, when the object to be processed is carried out, another object to be processed can be carried in. 2. A heat treatment method for foods, which comprises the following steps (1) to (8). (1) The inside of a heat-treatable chamber, which is provided so as to be able to communicate with the preparation chamber and also capable of being communicated with the ejection chamber, is pressurized while being partitioned from the preparation chamber and the ejection chamber. (2) An object to be processed is stored inside the preparation chamber. (3) The preparatory chamber is hermetically closed and pressurized until the internal pressure of the preparatory chamber becomes equal to the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber. (4) The partition between the heat treatment chamber and the preparation chamber is opened to allow the two to communicate with each other, and the object to be treated is carried into the heat treatment chamber. (5) The object carried into the heat treatment chamber is heat-treated. (6) The internal pressure of the extraction chamber is pre-pressurized to be the same as the internal pressure of the heat treatment chamber, and the heat-treated object is moved to the vicinity of the extraction chamber by the moving means. (7) A partition between the heat treatment chamber and the take-out chamber is opened to allow the two to communicate with each other, and the object to be treated is carried into the take-out chamber. (8) The extraction chamber is partitioned from the heat treatment chamber and hermetically sealed, and the decompression of the extraction chamber and the cooling treatment of the object to be treated are performed. 3. Hot water is stored inside the heat treatment chamber to a predetermined depth so that there is an air portion above the heat treatment chamber, and the object to be treated is prepared above the surface of the heat water. From the chamber to the inside of the heat treatment chamber, and the carried object is held by the holding portion of the moving means that intermittently rotates inside the heat treatment chamber while the moving means is stopped. The object to be processed is revolved inside the heat treatment chamber and is immersed in the hot water for heat treatment in accordance with the rotating action of, and the object to be processed is further rotated by the moving means. 3. The heat treatment method according to claim 2, further raising the surface of the hot water, and carrying out the heat-treated object to the unloading chamber at a position above the surface of the hot water while the moving means is stopped. 4. The heat treatment method according to claim 3, wherein the object to be processed can always be maintained in a horizontal state by causing the holding portion that is revolving to rotate in the opposite direction. 5. A heat treatment chamber which can be hermetically sealed, and an internal pressure adjustable preparation which communicates with the heat treatment chamber and temporarily stores the treatment object before the treatment object is carried into the heat treatment chamber. A chamber, and a first chamber that can partition the preparation chamber and the heat treatment chamber
A partition body, a first closing body capable of closing an opening for storing an object to be processed in the preparation chamber, and a take-out which communicates with the heat treatment chamber and carries out a heat-treated object A chamber, and a second chamber that can partition the extraction chamber and the heat treatment chamber
A partition body, a second closing body capable of closing the processing object taking-out opening of the taking-out chamber, and a processing object carried into the heat treatment chamber from the preparation chamber, after the heat treatment or during the heat treatment, A heat treatment apparatus for food, comprising: a moving means for moving the food to the vicinity of the take-out chamber; and a cooling means for forcibly cooling the heat-treated object carried into the take-out chamber. 6. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the preparation chamber and the extraction chamber are provided on the same side of the heat treatment chamber. 7. The moving means comprises a holding portion for receiving an object to be processed carried into the heat treatment chamber, and a rotary support for revolving the holding portion inside the heat treatment chamber. The preparation chamber and the take-out chamber are respectively arranged in correspondence with the locus of the holding unit that revolves due to the rotation of the body, and the rotary support is provided so as to be intermittently movable so as to stop at predetermined intervals in the rotation direction. The holding unit is provided so as to stop at corresponding positions of the preparation chamber and the ejection chamber.
Alternatively, the heat treatment apparatus according to item 6. 8. The holding part is provided so as to be rotatable, and the object to be processed can always be maintained in a horizontal state by rotating the holding part while revolving. Item 8. The heat treatment apparatus according to Item 7.