JPH08200922A - Spiral conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a spiral conveyor which achieves improvements in hue gloss, freshness and relishing of baked foods (chikuwa, a sort of fish paste) and fried foods (tempura or the like) in the fish paste industry. CONSTITUTION: In a spiral conveyor which comprises a cooling chamber 1 with a cooler 6, a cylinder drum erected in the cooling chamber 1 and a belt so arranged to advance from an inlet of the cooling chamber 1 and leave the cooling chamber 1 after turning spiral along the cylinder drum, shielding walls 2 and 2' are provided in the diametrical direction of the spiral conveyor erected and parallel with the cooler 6 to divide the cooling chamber into two, a cooling air feeding duct 8 of the cooler 6 is opened at an upper part of the spiral conveyor while a flow of cooling air by suction at an air suction port of the cooler 6 is utilized to cool.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spiral conveyor for cooling baked products such as bamboo rings and tempura, and fried food products in the pasty product processing industry.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the kneaded product processing industry, a multistage conveyor has been used for cooling products. With the increase in production of products, the blower forcedly applied cooling air to the product as a means of shortening the cooling time, but since this cooling air used indoor air or outside air, the cooling temperature may not be constant depending on the season. However, various bacteria and falling bacteria in the factory adhere to the product being cooled, and due to the structure of the multi-stage conveyor, the products are conveyed in an overlapping manner, which causes uneven cooling and damage to the product. did.

In order to solve such drawbacks, the use of a tunnel freezer has been proposed and installed at the time of facility renewal or new installation.

As shown in FIG. 7, an example of this tunnel freezer is provided with a net conveyor 15 penetrating a cooling chamber 1 "provided with a cooler 6".

Due to this structure, the products (not shown) placed on the conveyor 15 in alignment are cooled without overlapping.

However, since the transportation is flat and linear, the production amount and the cooling time are restricted depending on the installation location.

For this reason, since it is necessary to lower the temperature of the product in a short time, the cooling air from the cooler is made to collide with the product on the conveyor in the vertical direction at the nozzle outlet at a high speed of 10 to 15 m / s so that the product is surrounded by the product. In some cases, the temperature boundary layer that occurs is destroyed to try to cause a rapid temperature drop.

As described above, in the tunnel freezer, since the cooling air in the cooling chamber 1 ″ can be circulated and used, it is possible to prevent the generation of germs and falling bacteria, the products do not overlap, and it is possible to cool in a short time. However, in addition to being restricted by the occupied area on the transport surface, there is a drawback that the back surface of the product is hard to cool.

Therefore, there is also a structure in which cooling air is applied from above and below the product.

However, in the kneaded product processing industry where color and freshness are required, this rapid cooling is performed by using more oil than necessary from grilled food (such as bamboo rings) and fried food (such as tempura).
Since water is rapidly removed, the product is worn out and dried, resulting in a bad appearance and a bad mouth feel.

Therefore, in order to prevent the oil and water from the baked or fried food from being rapidly removed, it is necessary to set the cooling time appropriately and to cool the entire product with the cooling air having an appropriate wind speed.

In order to properly set this cooling time, cooling using a spiral conveyor was adopted.

The spiral conveyor cools and freezes the product,
When heating or drying, a free line configuration can be achieved, the belt is rotated in a spiral shape along the cylindrical drum, and the product is loaded on the belt, conveyed, and processed.

Usually, in the case of cooling with a spiral conveyor, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spiral conveyor main body is covered with a metal plate 13 ', and the cylindrical drum 3'and the metal plate 1 are covered.
In the space surrounded by 3 ', the air inlet and the air inlet of the cooler are connected to the spiral conveyor body by ducts or the like.

When the cooling air W'of the cooler 6'is sent into the space surrounded by the cylindrical drum 3'and the metal plate 13 'from the air supply duct 8', it rotates along the cylindrical drum 3'in the space. This will cool the product on the belt. The air that has finished cooling the product is sucked from the intake duct 14 and sent again to the air cooler 6 '.

[0016]

In this method, it is possible to properly design the cooling time of the product by utilizing the space by the spiral rotation, and in the space surrounded by the cylindrical drum and the metal plate. Since the cooling air is circulated as a horizontal flow with respect to the product, both sides of the product can be cooled uniformly and various bacteria and falling bacteria can be prevented.

However, when it is attempted to keep the water content and oil content of baked products such as bamboo rings and tempura, which are kneaded products, and fried food properly, it is difficult to adjust the air volume and the air velocity for cooling the product to a predetermined temperature. . That is, there is a problem that the wind speed increases when the air volume is increased in a narrow space, and the air volume decreases when the wind speed is adjusted appropriately.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art,
An object of the present invention is to provide a spiral conveyor capable of maintaining the hygiene of baked products and fried foods of kneaded products, reducing loss of weight, not losing color gloss and freshness, and cooling while maintaining a pleasant mouthfeel.

[0019]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cooling chamber having a cooler, a cylindrical drum standing in the cooling chamber, and an inlet of the cooling chamber. Then, after rotating spirally along this cylindrical drum, in a spiral conveyor consisting of a belt that goes out from this cooling chamber, a shielding wall is provided in the diameter direction of the vertically installed spiral conveyor and parallel to the cooler. The cooling chamber is divided into two parts, the cooling air supply duct of the cooling device is opened to the upper part of the spiral conveyor, and cooling is performed by using the flow of cooling air by suction of the cooling device intake port.

[0020]

With this structure, one of the chambers becomes a low temperature chamber that also serves as an air chamber, and the cooling air that has been sent flows from the low temperature chamber to each stage of the spiral belt by the suction of the cooler intake port, and the product on the belt. To cool.

In this case, since the cooling air is temporarily stored in the low temperature chamber which also serves as the air chamber, the wind speed does not immediately change suddenly even if the air volume is increased as necessary.

Further, it has been found that the height of the evaporator of the cooler is set to be approximately the same as the height of the entire spiral belt so that the sucked cooling air has a horizontal flow of an average wind speed. In addition, since the product pre-cooled in the low temperature chamber that doubles as an air chamber is cooled by the sucked cooling air, it is possible to cool the entire product at a stable wind speed, without losing the color gloss and freshness. And, it is possible to make a palatable product.

Further, from the viewpoint of equipment, the duct equipment can be simplified and the metal plate for covering the spiral conveyor main body is not required, so that inspection and cleaning are easy.

[0024]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A spiral conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 3 show the present invention applied to a two-drum type straight type. Cooler 6
The cylindrical drum 3 is erected in the cooling chamber 1 equipped with. The cylindrical drum 3 includes a drive device 9, a drive shaft 10, and a drive chain 12.
It is driven by the drive sprocket 11 via the above.

After the belt 4 which has entered from the inlet of the cooling chamber 1 is spirally wound around the cylindrical drum 3,
Go out from the outlet of the cooling chamber 1. The belt 4 that has gone out is folded back at its tip to become a return belt 5, which is opposite to the belt 4 and advances toward the entrance to form an endless belt.

A shielding wall 2 is provided in the diametrical direction of the spiral conveyor thus constructed and in parallel with the cooler 6, and the cooling chamber 1 is divided into a low temperature chamber C and an intake chamber D which also serve as air chambers. To do. In this embodiment, a shield wall 2'is also provided between the cooler 6 and the intake chamber D because of the necessity of cleaning the spiral conveyor.

An air supply duct 8 is provided above the spiral conveyor.
And a duct 7 provided with the duct 8 above the cooler 6
Connect with. In the lower part of the spiral conveyor,
The sprocket 11, the drive chain 12, etc. are covered with a metal plate 13 etc. to prevent ventilation of cooling air.

According to this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The cooling air W passes through the air supply duct 8 by the blower 7 and is stored in the low temperature chamber C to pre-cool the product (not shown) on the belt 4 and is sucked into the intake port of the cooler 6 so that it becomes a horizontal flow. 4 Flow into the intake chamber D through each stage.

Therefore, in the low temperature chamber C, even if the wind speed of the cooling air W varies, the wind speed of the cooling air W that cools each stage of the belt 4 becomes a horizontal flow and is generally stable.

FIG. 4 summarizes the results of the wind speed measurement of the invention and both room temperatures.

Due to such a constitution, the air supply duct 8
The high-speed cooling air W blown out from the product does not directly hit the product, and since it is possible to cool with a sufficient amount of air stored in the low temperature chamber C and at a stable wind speed, the oil content and water content of the baked or fried food can be removed. It is possible to provide a product that keeps its color and freshness and has a pleasant mouthfeel without being dried rapidly.

Although this embodiment is an example applied to a two-drum type straight type, it is needless to say that it can be applied to a one-drum type and the like.

[0034]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has a structure in which the cooling air is temporarily stored in the air chamber, and the product rotates therein, so that the precooling effect is high,
Since the cooling air by suction passes through each belt, it can be cooled at a stable wind speed.

Cooling air having a temperature of about 3 ° C. is fed from the air feeding duct to
It was blown into the cold room C at 2 m / s and the cooling time was set to about 25 minutes.
It could be cooled to 1 ° C. Experimental Example At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, in the low temperature chamber C, the room temperature was raised to 9.5 ° C. due to the precooling effect, and the wind speed was 1
2m / s, middle 4.0m, lower 3.5-3.0m / s
However, on the intake chamber D side, the upper 2.5-
3.0m / s, middle part 2.5m / s, lower part 2.5m / s
With stable air velocity, the room temperature of the intake chamber D after cooling is 14.
It was 4 ° C.

Regarding the reduction of the product, burdock heaven 3
%, And Maruten 2%.

As for bamboo rings, the cooling temperature of about 1.5 ° C. was used for 20 to 25 minutes. As a result, the center temperature of about 65 ° C. could be cooled to about 5 ° C., and the reduction rate was less than 3%.

As described above, the product having a stable wind speed and a sufficient cooling time can satisfy the user in terms of color gloss and quality.

The measurement data are summarized below.

[0040]

[Table 1] Since the cooling air circulates in the cooling chamber, it is possible to prevent germs and falling bacteria.

Further, from the viewpoint of equipment, there are effects that the duct equipment is simplified and that the metal plate covering the main body of the spiral conveyor is unnecessary, so that inspection and cleaning are easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view of a spiral conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a wind velocity / room temperature distribution map of an apparatus using a spiral conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view of a conventional spiral conveyor.

6 is a sectional view taken along the line B′-B ′ of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a front sectional view of a tunnel freezer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,1 ', 1 "Cooling chamber 2,2' Shielding wall 3,3 'Rotating drum 4,4' Belt 6,6 ', 6" Cooler 7,7' Blower 8,8 'Air supply duct 9,9 ′ Drive device 13,13 ′ Metal plate 14,14 ′ Intake duct C Low greenhouse D Intake chamber W, W ′, W ″ Cooling air

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling chamber provided with a cooler, a cylindrical drum standing upright in the cooling chamber, and an inlet of the cooling chamber, which is spirally rotated along the cylindrical drum, In a spiral conveyor consisting of a belt that goes out of a cooling chamber, a shielding wall is provided in a diametrical direction of an upright spiral conveyor and parallel to the cooler to divide the cooling chamber into two parts, and a cooling air supply duct for the cooler. The spiral conveyor is characterized in that it is opened at the upper part of the spiral conveyor and is cooled by utilizing the flow of cooling air by suction of the cooler intake port.