JPS6111321A - Packaging method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a method for vacuum packaging articles that have been subjected to heat treatment, such as boiled food products, by filling them into bags immediately after heating. It is something.

(Prior art) For example, if heat-treated items such as boiled beans or side dishes are filled into a bag while still at high temperature, the heat will have a sterilization effect.
It is known that thermal energy for sterilization can be saved. Furthermore, when a vacuum is applied to this, oxygen within the bag is removed, further improving the sterilization effect. However, when a bag is filled with hot food and a vacuum is applied to the bag, as the pressure around the bag decreases, a large amount of steam is generated within the bag, causing the bag to expand. In other words, the air inside the bag does not escape to the outside of the bag. Let it swell and stay in place. Therefore, when the rear packaging is sealed, air remains in the sealed bag as bubbles. As shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5119.893, there is a method in which a bag filled with hot items is submerged in hot water and the mouth of the bag is sealed while applying water pressure to the items. For example, in the case of boiled beans, there is not enough pressure to push out the air existing in the gaps between the beans, so air is more likely to remain in the packaging method than in a packaging method that uses a vacuum pump.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention, etc.) In a packaged product that is subjected to a vacuum, the bag is tightly tightened due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the bag, and this state has the effect of increasing the reliability of the product.

Air remaining in the bag deteriorates heat conduction during heat sterilization, and thermal expansion causes the seal at the bag opening to peel off.
Moreover, it softens the product and lowers the reliability of sterilization.

In view of the above points, in the present invention, the heat-treated article is filled together with the liquid into the bag at a high temperature to exert the sterilizing effect, and
To provide a packaging method in which a vacuum is applied to prevent air from remaining therein.

(Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, the present invention provides a flexible bag filled with a heat-treated article containing liquid at a high temperature in an airtight vacuum chamber, with the opening facing upward. In addition to arranging the
The bag is placed on both sides so that the item remains relatively close to the bottom of the bag, and there is no space inside the bag except for a gap approximately 1 mm thick from the top of the item to the mouth of the bag. The air in the vacuum chamber is sucked by a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure, and due to this pressure reduction, the upper surface of the liquid rising through the gap in the expansion bag reaches the opening of the bag. The opening is then sealed.

(Function) According to the present invention, when the inside of the vacuum chamber is depressurized by the suction action of the vacuum pump, the bag is pinched by the shaping plates from both sides and is suppressed from expanding, so that between the articles, Both the air contained in the liquid flows out in the direction of lower pressure, that is, in the direction of the mouth of the bag. At the same time, the liquid located relatively toward the bottom of the bag expands and its water level rises.

Then, when the liquid level reaches near the bag opening, the bag opening is sealed.

(Effect) At the moment when the bag opening is sealed as described above, the volume of the gap formed between the sealing position and the water surface of the liquid is kept small by regulation by the shaping plates from both sides. Moreover, since the air remaining in this gap is in a dilute state due to the influence of heat, it condenses as it cools down, leaving almost no residue inside the bag. As a result, it is possible to fill the heat-treated articles into the bag while still at a high temperature, exhibiting the sterilization effect, and at the same time obtaining a tightly packaged product with no residual air in a highly efficient manner.

(Example) The vacuum chamber (1) shown in FIG.
0) and a box-shaped lid (11) that is open on the opposite side of the board. The board (10) has a pair of suction blocks (12) that support the bag (A) in a hanging shape.
13). As shown in Figure 3, the suction block (12) on the - side is directly fixed to the board (10), but the suction block (13) on the other side is fixed directly to the board (10).
4) so that it can be operated from outside the vacuum chamber (1). The suction blocks (12) (13)
1 are both connected to a vacuum source through the internal cavity of the tubular ronod (14) to adsorb the bag, but when the pressure inside the vacuum chamber (1) drops and the differential pressure disappears, the bag is filled inside. Since there is a possibility that the article may slide downward due to the weight of the article, in order to prevent this, rubber friction members (15) and (16) are provided on the opposing surfaces of both suction blocks. Further, a sealing stand (17) is fixed to the upper part of the suction block, and a lid (17) is located at a position facing the sealing stand.
A sealing bar (18) is provided inside 1), and
An actuator (19) fixed to the outer surface of the lid and the sealing bar (18) are connected via a rod. Furthermore, a parallel fluid circuit (21) (between the hose (26) connected to the lid (11) and the vacuum pump (20)
22), and these circuits are equipped with a switching valve (23),
An air intake valve (24) and a throttle valve (25) are provided.

A shaping plate (30) on the minus side is fixed to the board (10), and a shaping plate (31) on the other side is fixed to the lid (11). Fourth
As shown in the figure and Fig. 5, a pair of shaping plates (301 (3
4) is formed by bending two flat plates into a symmetrical shape, with a flat bag holding surface part (30a) (
31a) and a swollen part (30b) in about half of the lower part.
f31b) respectively.

As shown in Figure 1, a thin flexible plastic bag (
When the bag (A) is filled with a small article (B) containing a liquid, the weight of the article (B) and the liquid usually causes the bag (8) to expand to its full cross-sectional area. Therefore, the fourth
When the bag is clamped by the forming plates (30) and (31) from both sides as shown in the figure, the article (B') naturally tends to be pushed upward toward the opening of the bag by the clamping force.

However, in the case of the present invention, it is necessary to prevent the article from being pushed up excessively. The bulge part (3
0b) (31b) is formed to have such a cross-sectional area.

However, such conditions change depending on the cross-sectional area of the bag and the amount of goods, but as shown in the figure, it is always
The most preferable state is that the space formed between bH31b) is filled with the article.

A photoelectric switch f32N33) is installed on the bag holding surface of the shaping plate, and the electromagnetic switching valve (34) interposed in the fluid circuit of the actuator (19) is electrically connected to the photoelectric switch (33). .

The illustrated embodiment is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained below.

The plate (10) and the lid (11) are configured to be relatively close to each other, and when the vacuum chamber (1) is made airtight as shown in Figure 2, the bag (^) can be shaped from both sides. Board (301 (
It is held by 311. In this case, both bag clamping surfaces (3
0a) (31a), place the shaping plate (301(
31) is installed. When the operation is started, first the air sucked by the vacuum pump (20) flows through the circuit on one side (
21). For example, if the vacuum value in the vacuum chamber (1) reaches 400MHg after 0.5 seconds, at that point, the switching valve (23) is activated by the timer.
is activated and air is sucked through the other circuit (22). A throttle valve (25) is provided in the circuit to limit the flow rate, so that the upward slope to reach the vacuum value is gentle. This is to prevent liquid from blowing out from the bag opening due to a rapid pressure drop. Therefore, in Figure 4, the water surface of liquid (C) swells at a predetermined speed,
After about 45 seconds, the water surface is caught by the photoelectric switch (321 (33)) (the vacuum value at this time is approximately 550smHQ).
Before and after data is available. ), the solenoid switching valve (3
4) is activated and fluid is sent to the actuator (19), so that the sealing bar (18) melts and seals the opening of the bag (A) with the sealing stand (17). Then, when the air suction valve (24) is opened and atmospheric pressure is introduced into the vacuum chamber (1), the bag (A) is transferred to the article (B) due to the pressure difference.
Crimp. Observing said packaged product being removed from inside the vacuum chamber (1), the articles are located towards the bottom of the bag. Therefore, a more desirable product can be obtained by rolling the product using a separate rolling roller device and processing the product so that it completely fills the inside of the bag.

The temperature of the items filled in the bag is approximately 75℃ to 9℃.
Although the range is 5° C., the time required for the surface of the liquid to reach the photoelectric switch position from the start of vacuum varies depending on the temperature of the article and the liquid and the content of the liquid.

However, if the temperature of the product and the amount of liquid in each bag are constant, there will not be much difference in time for the photoelectric switch to catch the water surface of the liquid. ) can be activated to seal the bag opening.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory view of the operation of the previous figure, Fig. 3 is a fixed view taken along the line III-III in the previous figure, and Fig. 4 is a main part in Fig. 2. FIG. 5 is a V-Va view of the previous figure. (1)...Vacuum chamber, (8)...Bag. (B)...Goods, (C)...Liquid, (101.
...board. (11) Lid, t+2+ (13) Suction block, (+51 (16) Friction material, (171 Seal stand, (18)
...Sealing bar, +201 vacuum pump,
(30)・(31)...forming board, (32
)・(33)...Photoelectric switch. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A flexible bag filled with a liquid-containing heat-treated article at high temperature is placed in an airtight vacuum chamber with its opening facing upward; The bag is placed on both sides so that the item remains relatively close to the bottom of the bag, and there is no space inside the bag except for a gap approximately 1 mm thick from the top of the item to the mouth of the bag. The air in the vacuum chamber is sucked by a vacuum pump to reduce the pressure, and due to this pressure reduction, the upper surface of the liquid rising through the gap in the expansion bag reaches the opening of the bag. A packaging method characterized in that the opening is sealed. 2) A method that seals the opening of the bag before the upper surface of the liquid that expands and rises through the gap in the bag due to the decompression action reaches the opening of the bag. 2. The packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the device is actuated by a signal generated by catching the water surface of the liquid with a photoelectric switch provided in the packaging method. 3) A method in which the opening of the bag is sealed before the upper surface of the liquid rising through the gap in the inflated bag due to depressurization reaches the opening of the bag is a sealing device using a preset timer device. The packaging method according to claim 1, wherein the packaging method is carried out by operating a.