JPH11192292A - Freezing device with sterilization function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To completely sterilize the interior of a freezer itself even without the necessity to disassemble and clean it, by providing a sterilization function on the freezer. SOLUTION: A means to supply a sterilizing water is provided on an atomizing nozzle 3, and the sterilizing water is supplied to the atomizing nozzle 3 in such a state that a fan 2 is driven and is sprayed. The fine particles of the sterilizing water which are discharged from the atomizing nozzle 3 are thoroughly spread through the entire interior of a freezer 4 by the fan 2 for stirring so that bacteria present even in the minute parts of the freezer 4 including a heat exchange coil 1 can be sterilized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling device for cooling a cargo carried in by a conveyor into instant freezing or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the number of food poisonings has not been controlled, and in particular, mass food poisoning due to school lunches has occurred every year and many children and students have been affected. In addition, due to the outbreak of pathogenic Escherichia coli such as O-157, food manufacturers and major supermarkets have introduced new hygiene management methods as a defense measure against food poisoning.

[0003]

In a food factory that manufactures and processes frozen food and the like, a cooling device for freezing the food, a so-called freezer, is used. The food is placed on a conveyor and guided into the freezer. Refrigerated with cold air of -40 degrees. Although this freezer is disassembled and washed as needed, it is very troublesome to completely clean it, and bacteria that can survive even at low temperatures during use may be growing.

That is, in the freezer operating state, even if bacteria that can survive at low temperatures enter from outside, they do not die only at low temperatures, and the heat exchange coils are rich in moisture. It is considered to be forming a breeding nest, and it is necessary to act on all bacteria, not just those on the surface.

An object of the present invention is to provide a freezer itself with a sterilizing function to completely sterilize the inside of the freezer without performing disassembly and cleaning.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, the present invention relates to a conveyer having a heat exchange coil and a stirring fan in a frame and conveying the frame from a carry-in port to a carry-out port of the frame. A cooling device provided with a spray nozzle for spraying fine particles having a residence time one or more arranged in the frame body, and a supply means for supplying sterilizing water to the spray nozzle, and driving the fan In this state, sterilizing water is supplied to the spray nozzle and sprayed.

[0007] The fine particles of sterilizing water discharged from the spray nozzle are distributed throughout the inside of the cooling device by a fan for stirring, and can sterilize even the germs in the details of the heat exchange coil. During use of the cooling device, the temperature inside is naturally low, so if water is sprayed on the fine particles, it will solidify immediately. Freezing can be prevented by using the substance to be lowered as an additive, and by setting the freezing point to the freezing point according to the operating temperature of the cooling device, or by setting the temperature according to the freezing point of the sterilizing water, Operation becomes possible. Naturally, except when the cooling device is in use, spraying of sterilizing water and stirring with a fan may be performed at room temperature.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a cooling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a heat exchange coil, 2 is a stirring fan,
Numeral 3 denotes a required number of spray nozzles, in this case, three, which discharge sterilized water as fine particles, which are unitized in an inner frame 41 in which these are appropriately arranged in the freezer 4. Inside the freezer 4, a spiral type conveyor 5 is arranged in addition to the inner frame 41.
1 enters through the entrance 42 of the outer frame of the freezer 4 and exits through the exit 43. In this freezer 4, the cooling air cooled by the heat exchange coil 1 is circulated by the fan 2 for stirring, and is discharged from the discharge holes 44 provided on one side of the inner frame 41. The cool air in the freezer 4 is taken in from the supplied supply hole 45. Then, the atmosphere is uniformly adjusted to, for example, −40 ° C., and the food 51 is frozen while the spiral portion of the conveyor 5 is being conveyed.

The plurality of spray nozzles 3 are connected via a pipe 31 to a pump 33 for supplying pressurized water from a tank 32 for sterilizing water. The water storage tank 32 is connected to a germicidal water generator 34 that mixes a predetermined amount of hydrochloric acid or sodium chloride into tap water to generate weakly acidic water having residual chlorine through an electrolytic tank, and constantly stores germicidal water. Here, the sterilizing water is a weakly acidic water, but may be a so-called strongly acidic water, and basically any solution having residual chlorine can be used.

Further, sterilizing water stored in the water storage tank 32 is
When discharged into the freezer 4 as it is, the fine particles from the spray head 3 are immediately frozen due to the temperature inside the freezer 4. Therefore, when releasing the sterilizing water during operation of the freezer 4, it is necessary to mix ethylene glycol or the like into the sterilizing water to sufficiently lower the freezing point. However, since such sterilizing water is not pure water, in addition to having a low freezing point to some extent, by keeping the temperature inside the freezer 4 at a high level, it is possible to discharge the wastewater without wasteful contaminants. Even if the freezer 4 is not in operation, the heat exchange coil 1 may be stopped and returned to normal temperature.

The sterilizing water particles discharged from each spray head 3 have a sufficiently long residence time if the particle diameter is about 50 μm or less, and can maintain a long residence time if the particle diameter is about 10 μm. However, if the residence time is long, the sterilizing water only drifts in the vicinity of the spray head 3. However, since the stirring fan 2 is operating, the freezer 4 is not used.
The inside can be agitated by an air flow, and the sterilized water can be applied to the details in the freezer 4 by being put on the air flow. As a result, breeding nests of various germs formed in the freezer 4 can be eradicated.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram showing a cooling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As in the first embodiment, 1 is a heat exchange coil, 2 is a stirring fan, 3 is a required number of spray nozzles, here three spray nozzles, and these are appropriately arranged in a freezer 4A. It is unitized in the inner frame 41A. Inside the freezer 4A, a tunnel-type conveyor 5A is disposed in addition to the inner frame 41A. For example, foods 51 to be frozen enter from the entrance 42A of the outer frame of the freezer 4A and exit from the exit 43A. Then, in the freezer 4A, the cool air cooled by the heat exchange coil 1 is circulated by the fan 2 for agitation and uniformly, for example,-
The atmosphere is adjusted to 40 degrees, and the food 51 is frozen while being conveyed on the conveyor 5A. Such a tunnel-type conveyor 5A is flatter and simpler than the spiral-type conveyor of the first embodiment, but requires an area such as length. Further, in the tunnel type, an airflow is easily formed in the length direction from the discharge hole 44A to the supply hole 45A, and the circulation of the cool air is easy to flow.

As in the first embodiment, a plurality of spray nozzles 3 are connected via a pipe 31 to a pump 33 for supplying pressurized water from a tank 32 for sterilizing water, so that tap water is supplied with hydrochloric acid or sodium chloride. And a sterilizing water generator 34 for generating a weakly acidic water containing residual chlorine through an electrolytic cell by mixing a predetermined amount of the sterilizing water is connected to constantly store the sterilizing water.

Also, as in the first embodiment, the water tank 32
When the sterilized water stored in the freezer 4A is discharged into the freezer 4A as it is, the fine particles from the spray head 3 are immediately frozen by the temperature inside the freezer 4A.
When releasing the sterilizing water during the operation of, it is necessary to lower the freezing point sufficiently or to keep the temperature inside the freezer 4A high. Further, the heat exchange coil 1 may be stopped to return to normal temperature.

As in the first embodiment, the fine particles of sterilized water discharged from each spray head 3 have a particle diameter of about 50.
If it is about μm or less, the residence time becomes sufficiently long and 10 μm
If it is set to about m, long-term stay can be maintained. However, sterilization water only drifts near the spray head 3 if the residence time is long, but since the stirring fan 2 is operating, the inside of the freezer 4A can be stirred by airflow. The sterilized water can be applied to the details in the freezer 4A by being put on the airflow. As a result, it is possible to eradicate the breeding nest of the germs formed in the freezer 4A.

As described above, the heat exchange coil 1
And a conveyer 5 having a stirring fan 2 and conveying the frame from a carry-in port 42 to a carry-out port 43. The freezer 4 has one or more residence times arranged in the frame. A spray nozzle 3 for dispersing the fine particles, and means for supplying sterilizing water to the spray nozzle 3 are provided, and while the fan 2 is being driven, sterilizing water is supplied to the spray nozzle 3 for spraying. The fine particles of the sterilizing water discharged from the spray nozzle 3 are spread over the entire inside of the freezer 4 by the fan 2 for stirring, and can sterilize even the various germs including the heat exchange coil 1.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Heat exchange coil 2 Fan 3 Spray nozzle 5 Conveyor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling device comprising a heat exchanger coil and a stirring fan in a frame, and a conveyor for conveying the frame from a carry-in port to a carry-out port. Alternatively, a spray nozzle for spraying fine particles having a plurality of residence times and a supply unit for supplying sterilizing water to the spray nozzle are provided, and sterilizing water is supplied to the spray nozzle while the fan is driven. A cooling device with a sterilization function, which is sprayed.