JPS60168343A - Chocolate coater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:The titled coater, having a gun unit connected to a return hose for connecting the gun unit to a melting tank, and capable of circulating chocolate always regardless of the coating operation from nozzles and stabilizing the quality of chocolate. CONSTITUTION:A chocolate (M) melted under heating in a tank 1 in a thermostatic water bath (A) is passed through a hose (B) heated by electronic control heating method and then fed to a gun unit (C). In this operation, the chocolate (M) fed from the hose (B) regardless of the stop of operation is passed through a return hose (D) kept at a temperature within a desired permissible range and returned always to the tank 1 to circulate the chocolate (M) at all times. Thus, the chocolate (M) fed to nozzles 18 during stop is kept under a given pressure or below without increasing the pressure thereof in the gun unit (C) and hose (B) to an unsuitable value. The deterioration in quality of chocolate due to the remaining chocolate in the hose (B) can be prevented.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This iqa is an automatic chocolate coating device that performs chocolate coating work on its own when producing cakes coated with chocolate, such as Christmas cakes, decorated cakes, etc. It is related to.

In this type of chocolate self-help applicator.

Even a slight change in temperature VC of chocolate causes a change in taste and aesthetic appearance, so it is important to maintain the temperature of chocolate within a predetermined narrow tolerance range. Technical issues in this regard? As a solution, the applicant has requested %
Invented an automatic chocolate coating method in No. 54629.

In addition to the above-mentioned temperature control, it is desirable to prevent the coarsening of fine chocolate particles and the settling of formed solid particles in order to coat high-quality chocolate. As a solution to this problem, the present applicant devised a supply control device for a chocolate coating device, as disclosed in Lri Utility Application No. 70932/1983.

In the supply control device, the VC stops the supply of chocolate when the work is stopped, but since chocolate remains in the gun unit (C) and the hose (B), chocolate with degraded quality will be present when the next work starts. There was a drawback that it was coated.

Present invention U, Gun unit during work stoppage) (Q Eliminate chocolate remaining in the work hose (B) and eliminate the drawbacks of the earlier application Pi plan. Item 5-21 - the return hose connecting (C) and the melting tank (
1') With all connections, chocolate is constantly circulated regardless of the presence or absence of nozzle-F coating work, thereby stabilizing the quality of chocolate.

The second invention of the present application is a chocolate coating device 1 having a plurality of gun units (in which a return hose is provided to connect each of the plurality of guns and a melting tank, and the chocolate is constantly circulated completely, The temperature of the hose is also controlled to prevent the quality of chocolate from deteriorating even if some gun units are out of operation.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

In Figure 1, is this invention? It is a schematic diagram showing an example of an automatic chocolate coating device for implementation, (A) is a constant temperature water bath, (
B) U supply hose, (Qid gun unit, (D)
is the return hose, (El is the control unit, (0 is the operating air supply VC direct.

4- In the constant temperature water tank fA), melting tank (1), hot water tank (2) and
It has two tanks, and a chocolate pressure pump (:1I).
ba pump drive motor (electric motor, hydraulic motor or air drive motor H4), chocolate stirring device (5
), beater (6) and temperature sensor (7) are attached, and multiple hoses (D) are attached to the connection rsII f81.
can be freely connected.

Chocolate supply hose (B) and return hose (
D) is a synthetic resin flexible tube (BL) [for example, mesh-shaped gold 14] as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.
J i+++l K! Reshield and lζshield (J
1 Teflon + 1 heater (heater wire)
Wrap around the heat layer (b2) [For example, cover with a sponge loop and fiber yarn tube (1 season), and place a sensor for temperature control (resistance temperature sensor H5) in the appropriate place.'
This is a heating structure using an electronically controlled heater Vc that is embedded.

Gun unit) (Q is the gun body with a nozzle (1 barrel removed) at the tip, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.
+ Groan, heating unit (1) with heater (21) and sensor (2) knit θη. The valve element of the chocolate supply valve (19a), which is integrated with the F valve (19), is moved to operate the air for the gun body (valve 14).
1 lowering [supply of operating air above the valve (I9)] KJ
t) Hose (B) Connect the Th nozzle θ to the barrel and feed the chocolate to the nozzle θ~? (Operating air supply/cutoff IKJ: Rehose (B) and nozzle H are shut off.) Operation air is supplied to the operation air supply device (F) via the air hose (9).
Supplied.

Note that the hose (■) and the return hose (G) are always in communication via the x- in the gun body θ.

In addition, gun units) (C) vc u single nozzle θ
However, in the embodiment, a large number of nozzles (lllK-connected and nine valves (lC4 and chocolate supply valve (19a) for each nozzle end) may be installed.
A large number of nozzles (1ll') can be operated independently, and when only some nozzle ends are operated, the remaining middle nozzles (H) can be supplied with a large number of nozzles (11'). . In this case, the chocolate supplied to the end of the nozzle whose operation is stopped is the same as the chocolate supplied to the nozzle which is in operation. .

In addition, provide multiple gun units equipped with one or more nozzles (18) (Q'Ik), and connect all of the hoses ((B) (to) to each of them to form multiple hoses (B) D ffi. That is, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
2) (B3) (B4), (DI) (D2) (D3
)<D4) Work (C1) (C2) (C3) (C
4).

In addition, the hose (B) ffi is branched in the middle to make 4 pieces,
Of course, the wiring of the hoses (B) Q) can be rationalized so that the return hoses (I) of the four trees are concentrated on 1* in the middle and returned to the melting tank ill K). In Figure 6, H is the conveyor line % @ is a semi-finished product (cake sponge)
It is.

Control unit (E) U, hose +8) (D) heater 04, gun unit) (Q heating unit θη heater @
υ, the heating means such as the heater (6) in the constant-temperature water tank is controlled according to the detected temperature of each temperature sensor θ, (7). Melting fi mink 1), hose 7- (B) i port, gun unit (chocolate (goods) in Q
automatically adjusts the temperature within a preset narrow temperature range. In addition, in conjunction with automatic or manual operation of the gun unit (valve 09 of Q), the operating air supply device (Fl) is controlled to supply operating air at a predetermined pressure.
)'s chocolate pressure feeding pump (3) and chocolate stirring device (5) constantly rotate during operation, and furthermore, in order to feed the chocolate to the hose (B) at a predetermined pressure, the amount of coating from multiple nozzles is controlled. Electronic control controls the pressure of the pump (3) in response to changes in the pressure of the chocolate molding nozzle in the hose (B) to maintain the pressure of the chocolate spouted from the end of the chocolate nozzle within a desired range. The circuit will also be installed inside.

Chocolate application amount - 111i! Temperature management for the VC is the same as the electronic control of the control unit in the previous application, but in the present invention,
Regarding the supplied chocolate, the chocolate supplied to the hose (B) is constantly circulated through the return hose (2) to the melting tank/+11, regardless of whether the work is in progress or not. 8. First, the chocolate (goods) supplied to the idle nozzle H does not rise to an inappropriate pressure in the gun unit (C) or the hose (B), and is kept at or below a predetermined value. maintained at a pressure of

Chocolate ha, its main ingredients are cacao mass, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and granulated sugar.

Although they are made of powdered milk, etc., they differ greatly in the mixing ratio of their ingredients, the degree of fineness of the particles, and the VCX properties.

In addition, cocoa butter has a narrow melting point (approximately -10°C to 33°C) and a sharp cliff, and when it solidifies, there are homogeneous (5 types) crystal forms.

Therefore, the important issues for stabilizing chocolate crystals during melt coating are as follows:
There are three points below.

(a) Perform the best temperature control.

(b) Preventing coarsening of fine particles and sedimentation of generated solid particles through optimal stirring, and preventing rapid cooling during the cooling process.

(C) To prevent the application of inappropriate pressure.

According to the present invention, the heat exchanger supplied to the gun unit is constantly returned to the melting tank via the return hose.

The above-mentioned problems (c) and f are solved by making the chocolate circulating. In addition, the above-mentioned problems (a), (b) and k are solved by equipping the device with the electronic control circuit of the prior application and by using the chocolate stirring device.

1. The unexploded F3A is particularly effective when applied to an automatic chocolate coating device equipped with a robot nozzle (2) automatic control (unmanned effect), but manual coating method Of course, it can also be applied to devices.

In the specified invention of the present application, it is possible to connect a temperature-controlled return hose to the gun unit to constantly circulate chocolate regardless of whether or not there is coating work from the nozzle, and the quality of the chocolate is improved by the residual VC of the chocolate in the hose. This has the advantage that it is not necessary to provide a # mechanism on the chocolate supply side to prevent the chocolate from dropping.

In addition, when a single gun unit is equipped with multiple nozzles and the chocolate supply control mechanism of the prior application is provided, it is necessary to suspend operation for all nozzles, but in the present invention, Even in a system in which a single hose supplies a single gun unit, there is no deterioration in the quality of the chocolate even if only some desired nozzles are continued with 'ef' F4, and some nozzles can be supplied as needed. You can apply high-quality chocolate by working only on the following parts.

Furthermore, since the temperature of the chocolate circulation tube 8!5 containing the return hose (D) is controlled within the optimum temperature range, deterioration in chocolate quality due to temperature changes is reliably prevented.

In January, the second issue of Book W1 was published, in which the above-mentioned method was used for multiple coating operations using one melting tank with multiple nozzles to enable chocolate coating operations at multiple locations and with different coating modes. In addition to streamlining the automatic chocolate coating device, the chocolate supplied to the nozzle that has stopped its coating operation is returned to the melting tank fl) via the return hose (2) and circulated. Regarding the stopped nozzles among the nozzles, the chocolate present in VC is transferred to the melting tank (fil), and the chocolate in the hose (B) is transferred to the melting tank (fil).
After being stirred in step 1), the chocolate is sent to the hose (B) again for circulation, and coating can be carried out while always maintaining good quality chocolate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an automatic chocolate coating device embodying the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of a hose equipped with an electronically controlled heater. FIG. 3 is a sectional view as well. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of the gun unit. It is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an automatic chocolate applicator according to a second embodiment using a plurality of gun units. A: Constant temperature water tank B: Hose C: Gun unit D: Return hose E: Control unit M:・Melting chocolate...Melting tank 18...Nozzle applicant: Suntour Co., Ltd. Figure 5

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Heat and melt chocolate in a constant temperature water bath.
The chocolate is passed through a hose heated by an electronically controlled heater, conveyed to a gun unit connected to the end of the hose, and sprayed from the nozzle of the gun unit, coating the chocolate while maintaining the temperature change within a very narrow tolerance range. In the chocolate coating device, a return hose a is provided for returning the chocolate to the melting tank of the gun unit C), and the return hose (I) is maintained at a temperature within a desired tolerance range. Chocolate self-help applicator. (2) The gun unit (QVc has a plurality of nozzles (
18) The chocolate coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with: (3) Heat and melt the chocolate in a constant temperature water tank VCX. The chocolate is passed through a hose heated by an electronically controlled heater, is conveyed to a gun unit attached to the end of the hose, and is ejected from the nozzle of the gun unit, maintaining the temperature change within a very narrow tolerance range. At the same time, an electronically controlled heater heating hose (B
), the gun unit (electronic heater heating return hose for returning chocolate to the melting tank) (same number as Q, each gun unit) (chocolate supply circulation for Q) A chocolate coating device characterized by independent paths.