JPH0948408A - Vacuum packaging method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the occurrence of such a trouble that foodstuffs to be packaged are excessively boiled to spout out of a bag, by measuring a temperature of the foodstuffs contained in the bag and controlling a degree of vacuum in a vacuum chamber on the basis of the measured temperature. SOLUTION: A vacuum chamber C comprises a chamber main body 2 fixed to a suction pipe 1 and a cover body 3 and is so constituted that the vicinity of a mouth of a bag B containing foodstuffs to be packaged is held between a fixed press bar 11 having protrusions formed at predetermined intervals and a movable press bar 13 prior to pressure reduction in the vacuum chamber C. A temperature of the foodstuffs is measured by a temperature sensor immediately before or after the foodstuffs to be packaged are delivered to the vacuum chamber C, and the measured temperature is compared with data on temperature-boiling vacuum degree which are stored in a controller, thereby selecting a predetermined degree of vacuum to control a vacuum pump. In addition, since the press bar provided protrusively with the protrusions holds pinchingly the vicinity of the mouth of the bag B and the discharge of air remaining in the bag B is restricted, the foodstuffs can be prevented from rapidly boiling and spouting out of the bag B.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bag filled with boiled food containing liquid such as high temperature soup (hereinafter, simply referred to as "packaged food") in a vacuum chamber. The present invention relates to a vacuum packaging method for vacuum packaging under an environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vacuum environment, a high-temperature packaged food filled in a bag is more likely to boil than a room-temperature packaged food, and in particular, if the vacuum chamber is rapidly depressurized, the high-temperature packaged food will be heated. The boiled phenomenon of the packaged food often causes a problem that the packaged food pops out of the bag. In order to solve such a problem, the vacuum packaging method in which the inside of the vacuum chamber is gradually depressurized or the bag mouth is narrowed to prevent foods and the like from jumping out of the bag The method is known.

[0003]

The above-mentioned vacuum packaging method for gradually depressurizing the inside of the vacuum chamber has a problem that the depressurizing time is prolonged, and the bag mouth is narrowed to be packaged. In the vacuum packaging method that prevents the food from jumping out of the bag, there is a problem that it is not sufficient to prevent the outflow of liquid such as small food or soup filled with the food.

The food to be packaged is boiled and then stored in a tank or a hopper, then weighed and filled into a bag. However, the temperature of the food to be packaged is gradually lowered immediately after the cooking and is filled. At the beginning and the end of the work, the temperatures will be very different. Therefore, even if it is vacuum-packed in the same vacuum environment, it will not boil or will boil violently depending on the temperature of the food to be packaged, and there is a problem that the vacuum-packing operation must be constantly monitored.

As a weighing means for filling a bag with a certain weight of food to be packaged, the food to be packaged contained in a large hopper is dispensed into a plurality of small weighing hoppers and the food to be packaged is dispensed. The weighing hoppers are individually weighed, and then a combination of weighing hoppers that gives a desired weight is selected from a plurality of weighing hoppers, and the weighing hoppers are stored in an appropriate number of selected weighing hoppers. The food to be packaged is packed in a bag through a discharge chute. In such a weighing means, since there is a difference in temperature between the packaged food that is immediately determined in the combination and is immediately filled into the bag, and the packaged food that is determined in the combination and filled in the bag after a predetermined time elapses, The temperature of the packaged food filled in the bag from the selected weighing hopper is different for each bag, so that there is a problem that the boiling state in the vacuum chamber varies depending on the temperature of the packaged food.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the above-described conventional vacuum packaging method and to provide a vacuum packaging method with improved workability.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention firstly measures the temperature of the food to be packaged filled in a bag, and based on the measured temperature, a vacuum chamber. Secondly, the temperature of the food to be packed in the bag is measured, and the measured temperature is stored in advance in the control unit of the vacuum packaging device.
Compared with the boiling vacuum degree data, the vacuum degree corresponding to the measured temperature is selected, and the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber is such that the vacuum pump is controlled so as to be the selected vacuum degree. Thirdly, prior to the depressurization of the vacuum chamber, the vicinity of the bag mouth is clamped by a fixed pressing bar and a movable pressing bar having convex portions protruding at predetermined intervals.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Below, FIG. 1 is a vertical side sectional view of a vacuum chamber to which the vacuum packaging method of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view of the vacuum chamber, and a perspective view of a fixed / movable holding member. An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3, a plan view including a partial cross-section of a fixed / movable holding member in a state of sandwiching a bag, and FIG. 5 which is a block diagram of a vacuum packaging method of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this example as long as the gist of the present invention is not exceeded.

First, an example of a vacuum chamber to which the vacuum packaging method of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS.

C is a box-shaped vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber C is composed of a chamber body 2 and a lid body 3 fixed to a suction tube 1 attached to a rotating body (not shown) that rotates intermittently. Has been done. An intermediate portion of the lever 4 attached to the upper portion of the lid body 3 is pivotally attached to a horizontal shaft 5a arranged on a frame member 5 provided upright on the upper surface of the chamber body 2, and an end portion of the lever 4 is attached. Is pivotally supported on the tip of a piston rod 6 of a cylinder (not shown). Therefore,
From the state shown in FIG. 1 in which the chamber body 2 is covered by the lid body 3, a cylinder (not shown) is actuated to move the piston rod 6 downward to move the lever 4
1 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1 about the horizontal shaft 5a so that the lid 3 can be opened.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a pair of support frames which are respectively provided upright on thick portions 2a formed at both ends of the bottom of the chamber body 2, and a fixed clamp 7a is provided at the upper end of the support frame 7.
Is attached. Reference numeral 8 denotes a pair of rotating shafts which penetrate the thick portion 2a and are arranged in parallel with the support frame 7. The rotating shaft 8 is supported by a bearing 9 arranged on the support frame 7, and the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 8 cooperates with the fixed clamp 7a to clamp the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B. The movable clamp 8a is attached. Therefore, the movable clamp 8a attached to the rotary shaft 8 is fixedly attached to the support frame 7 by appropriately rotating the rotary shaft 8 by an appropriate driving means (not shown). 7
a toward the fixed clamp 7a and the movable clamp 8a.
The bag B can be sandwiched by.

Reference numeral 10 is a back wall 2b of the chamber body 2 located above the fixed clamp 7a and the movable clamp 8a.
It is a horizontal frame attached to the inner wall of the, and a fixed pressing bar 11 having a substantially rectangular prism shape is attached to the horizontal frame 10. On the vertical wall of the fixed pressing bar 11, a convex portion 11a having a substantially flat surface, which extends in the vertical direction to the full height of the fixed pressing bar 11, is provided.
However, a plurality of protrusions are provided at a predetermined interval, and the convex portion 1
A columnar body 11b made of rubber or soft synthetic resin and having elasticity is inserted into a hole formed substantially in the center of the la 1a so that its surface is substantially flush with the surface of the convex portion 11a. Has been done.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a cylinder arranged on the outer wall of the lid body 3, and the piston rod 12a of the cylinder 12 extending through the lid body 3 into the vacuum chamber C has the above-mentioned horizontal frame 10. A movable holding bar 13 having a substantially rectangular prism shape is attached so as to face the attached fixed holding bar 11. The vertical wall of the movable presser bar 13 is formed flat, and the movable presser bar 13 is also provided with a hole facing the hole formed in the fixed presser bar 11, and the hole is also the same. An elastic columnar body 13a made of rubber or soft synthetic resin is inserted. The columnar body 13a arranged on the movable pressing bar 13 slightly projects from the vertical wall. A coil spring 14 is arranged between the outer wall of the lid 3 and the piston 12a, and biases the piston rod 12a so that the piston rod 12a retracts into the cylinder 12.
Reference numeral 15 is a pipe connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown) through an appropriate valve. In this embodiment, two cylinders 12 are provided,
The tip of the piston rod 12a is attached near both ends of the movable holding bar 13.

By supplying compressed air to the cylinder 12 through the pipe 15 and moving the piston rod 12a to the left in FIG. 1 against the elastic force of the coil spring 14, the piston rod 12a is attached to the piston rod 12a. The movable holding bar 13 is moved toward the fixed holding bar 11 so that the fixed holding bar 11 and the movable holding bar 13 move.
By the above, the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B is pressed. By stopping the supply of the compressed air from the compressed air supply source, the elastic force of the coil spring 14 causes the piston rod 12a to move to the right in FIG. 1 to move the movable pressing bar 13 away from the fixed pressing bar 11, It is configured so that the pressing in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B can be released.

As described above, when the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B is pressed by the fixed pressing bar 11 and the movable pressing bar 13, the columnar body 13a arranged on the movable pressing bar 13 is pressed.
Is configured to be pressed and elastically deformed to be substantially flat, so that the bag B is pressed by the vertical wall of the fixed pressure bar 11 and the vertical wall of the movable pressure bar 13.

Reference numeral 16 is a seal base horizontally attached to the inner wall of the lid 3, and 17 is a back wall 2 of the chamber body 2.
A movable seal bar, which is attached to an operating rod 18a of an actuator 18 disposed on the outer wall of b, faces the seal base 16 and operates the actuator 18 appropriately to advance the operating rod 18a to move the movable seal. Bar 1
By bringing 7 into contact with the seal base 16, the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B is heat-sealed. Seal stand 1
6 and the movable seal bar 17 are arranged above the fixed pressure bar 11 and the movable pressure bar 13.

By a known bagging device (not shown), the bag B containing the food to be packaged consisting of the high temperature solid food b1 and the liquid b2 such as soup is released from being held by the bag holding member of the bagging device. Then, both ends of the bag B are clamped by the fixed clamp 7a and the movable clamp 8a of the vacuum packaging apparatus in the vicinity of the bag mouth, and the bag 3 is suspended in the chamber body 2 of the vacuum chamber C with the lid 3 opened. It Then, a cylinder (not shown) is actuated to move the piston rod 6 upward, and the lever 4 is moved to the horizontal shaft 5
The chamber body 2 is covered with the lid 3 by rotating clockwise about the point a in FIG.

After covering the chamber body 2 with the lid 3,
It is attached to the piston rod 12a by supplying compressed air to the cylinder 12 via the pipe 15 and moving the piston rod 12a to the left in FIG. 1 against the elastic force of the coil spring 14. The movable pressing bar 13 is moved in the direction of the fixed pressing bar 11, and the fixed pressing bar 11 and the movable pressing bar 13 clamp the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B.

In this state, a vacuum pump (not shown) or a valve provided in the vacuum pump is operated to discharge the air in the vacuum chamber C, and the vacuum chamber C is discharged.
When the inside of the bag B is depressurized to a vacuum state, the air at the atmospheric pressure remaining in the bag B acts to open the bag mouth in an attempt to be discharged from the bag mouth. Due to the action of discharging the air remaining in the bag B, the bag mouth has the convex portion 1 projecting from the fixed pressing bar 11.
It will open along the recess 11c formed between 1a. However, since the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B is pressed by the fixed presser bar 11 and the movable presser bar 13, the bag mouth is fixed presser bar 1 formed at a predetermined interval.
Only in the position of the concave portion 11c of No. 1, the depth of the concave portion 11c is opened, and therefore, the discharge of the air remaining in the bag B from the bag mouth is limited, so that the inside of the bag B is suddenly increased. A rapid boiling of the food to be packaged under the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber C is suppressed without being brought into a vacuum state.

Further, as described above, the air remaining in the bag B can be gradually and rapidly discharged from the bag mouth opened along the recess 11c of the fixed pressing bar 11. Therefore, when the vacuum chamber C is initially evacuated, the bag B expands due to the expansion of the air remaining in the bag B, and the space inside the bag B becomes large. In this way, the fixed presser bar 11 and the movable presser bar 13 limit the discharge of air in the bag B, and at the start of depressurization, the pressure difference between the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber C and the atmospheric pressure in the bag B is used. Then, by positively inflating the bag B, excessive boiling of the food to be packaged due to the occurrence of a vacuum state overshooting the target value caused by the delay in the operation of the vacuum degree measurement sensor when the pressure reduction is rapidly started Can be absorbed.

Next, a method of controlling the vacuum packaging operation based on the temperature difference of the food to be packaged filled in the bag will be described.

Generally, in the case of vacuum-packing a high-temperature packaged food, the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber C is set to the vacuum degree immediately before the packaged food boils. Since the temperature of the packaged food filled in the bag varies greatly depending on the time it takes to fill the bag and changes in the outside air in the place where the vacuum packaging device is installed, the temperature of the packaged food packed in the bag boils. The degree of vacuum applied varies from bag to bag. The high temperature packaged food will boil at a vacuum degree closer to the atmospheric pressure than the low temperature packaged food. Therefore, when the vacuum pump is set so that the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber C is constant, the packaged food may boil excessively or may not boil depending on the temperature of the packaged food filled in the bag. It will be. In order to solve such problems,
The vacuum packaging method of the present invention detects the temperature of food to be packaged in a bag and controls the vacuum pump based on the detected temperature to adjust the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber C. . The control means will be described below.

Bags filled with food to be packaged kept at various temperatures from room temperature to high temperature are prepared, and for each bag kept at a predetermined temperature, the packaged food at that temperature is experimentally tested. Measure the degree of vacuum to boil. For example, 35 degrees to 5
Prepare a bag filled with food to be packaged at a temperature of up to 85 degrees at intervals of 11 degrees, that is, 11 kinds of foods having different temperatures by 5 degrees.
For each type of bag with different temperature of 5 degrees,
The boiling degree of the packaged food is experimentally measured. The boiling degree of the packaged food is different than the temperature of the packaged food itself, because it varies depending on the type, amount, etc. of the packaged food filled in the bag.
The boiling degree of the packaged food is measured for each type and amount of the packaged food. In this way, the boiling degree of the packaged food at each temperature and each temperature is experimentally measured,
The measured temperature-boiling vacuum degree data is stored in the control unit 19 of the vacuum packaging device.

Further, immediately before being transferred from the bagging device for the food to be packaged to the vacuum chamber C or in the vacuum chamber C.
The temperature of the food to be packaged after being delivered to the package is measured by an appropriate temperature sensor 20, and the measured temperature of the food to be packaged is
The temperature-boiling vacuum degree data input to the control section 19 and stored in the control section 19 is compared, and the degree of vacuum corresponding to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20 is searched for. It is sent to the vacuum pump control unit 21 of the chamber C to control the vacuum pump 22. If the measured temperature of the food to be packaged is not in the temperature-boiling vacuum degree data, the vacuum pump 22 of the vacuum chamber C can be controlled based on the boiling vacuum degree corresponding to the closest temperature. preferable.

As described above, the temperature of the food to be packaged is measured immediately before being transferred from the bagging device to the vacuum chamber C or after being transferred to the vacuum chamber C, and the measured temperature is preliminarily set in the vacuum packaging device. In comparison with the temperature-boiling vacuum degree data stored in the controller 19, the vacuum degree immediately before boiling or not excessively boiling is selected, so that the vacuum chamber C has such a vacuum degree. Since the control unit 22 is configured to control 22, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the trouble that the food to be packaged boils and spouts from the bag B.

Prior to the depressurization of the vacuum chamber C, the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag B is pressed by the fixed presser bar 11 and the movable presser bar 13 on which the convex portions 11a are projected at predetermined intervals, and remains in the bag B. Since the discharge of air from the bag mouth is restricted, even if the pressure in the vacuum chamber C is rapidly reduced, the food to be packaged does not boil suddenly and the food to be packaged does not jump out of the bag B.

Further, the fixed pressure bar 11 and the movable pressure bar 13 limit the discharge of the air in the bag B, so that the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber C and the bag B can be reduced when the pressure reduction is started.
Since the bag B is positively inflated by utilizing the pressure difference from the internal atmospheric pressure, the food to be packaged due to the occurrence of a vacuum state that is too far from the target value due to the operation delay of the vacuum degree measurement sensor or the like. Can absorb the excessive boiling of.

[0028]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

Since the temperature of the food to be packed in the bag is measured and the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber is controlled based on the measured temperature, the food to be packaged excessively boiled and spouted from the bag. The occurrence of such troubles can be prevented.

Prior to depressurizing the vacuum chamber, the vicinity of the bag mouth was clamped by a fixed pressing bar and a movable pressing bar to restrict the discharge of air remaining in the bag from the bag opening. Even if the pressure is reduced, the food to be packaged does not suddenly boil and the food to be packaged does not jump out of the bag.

By the fixed pressure bar and the movable pressure bar,
By restricting the discharge of air from the bag, the pressure difference between the vacuum state of the vacuum chamber and the atmospheric pressure inside the bag is used to positively inflate the bag at the start of decompression. It is possible to absorb excessive boiling of the food to be packaged due to the occurrence of a vacuum state that has exceeded the target value due to a delay in sensor operation or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical side sectional view of a vacuum chamber to which the vacuum packaging method of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vacuum chamber shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a fixed / movable presser bar of the vacuum chamber.

FIG. 4 is a plan view including a partial cross section of the fixed / movable presser bar in a state of holding the bag.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a vacuum packaging method of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 B ... Bag C ... Vacuum chamber 1 ... Suction tube 2 ... Chamber body 3 ... Lid 7a ... Fixed clamp 8a ... Movable clamp 11 ... Fixed pressure bar 11a ... ・ Convex part 13 ... Moveable pressure bar 16 ... Seal base 17 ... Movable Seal bar

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum packaging method, characterized in that the temperature of a food to be packaged filled in a bag is measured and the degree of vacuum of a vacuum chamber is controlled based on the measured temperature. 2. The temperature of the food to be packed filled in the bag is measured, and the measured temperature is compared with the temperature-boiling vacuum degree data stored in advance in the control unit of the vacuum packaging device to obtain the measured temperature. Select the corresponding vacuum degree, and the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber is
A vacuum packaging method, characterized in that a vacuum pump is controlled so as to attain the selected degree of vacuum. 3. Prior to depressurizing the vacuum chamber, the vicinity of the bag mouth is sandwiched between a fixed pressing bar and a movable pressing bar having convex portions protruding at predetermined intervals. The vacuum packaging method according to 2.