KR101732883B1

KR101732883B1 - Food waste disposer and operating method thereof

Info

Publication number: KR101732883B1
Application number: KR1020160017865A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 장춘만
Original assignee: 한국건설기술연구원
Priority date: 2016-02-16
Filing date: 2016-02-16
Publication date: 2017-05-24

Abstract

The present invention relates to a food waste disposer including: a food waste grinding unit for grinding food waste; a fluid supply unit for supplying a scheduled amount of fluid into the food waste grinding unit; and a supply control unit for controlling the amount of fluid and a fluid supply timing by a user control. Thus, the present invention can prevent blockage of a horizontal branch pipe.

Description

[0001] FOOD WASTE DISPOSER AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a food processor and a method of operating the same, and more particularly, to a food processor and its operation method which can solve the problem of clogging of a horizontal branch pipe through which crushed food moves,

The present invention was derived from a research carried out as part of "development of key action technology and residential complex model for utilization of organic waste resources" supported by the National Institute of Transportation Science and Technology (Project number: 20150268, Project title: An Empirical Study for Promoting Utilization of Organic Waste Resources.

In order for humans to live, food must be ingested, and the food left is a by-product of food waste. Even in the 1970s when the word "boreit" was mentioned, there was no word of food waste because the leftover food was used as feed for livestock. However, in modern society these days, there is no livestock in each house, and food waste is increasing due to the amount of overflowing food.

Food waste is released every day when humans consume food, and its quantity is also enormous. The problem of disposing of such a large amount of food garbage is now spreading from the individual distress of each house to the agony of the society as a whole.

Generally, the food waste is disposed of after the water is removed, but the food waste still suffers from difficulties due to the moisture and the weight of the food waste itself. This method of food garbage disposal can be the ultimate way to reduce the quantity of food waste and is a major cause of environmental pollution in the process of disposal.

Therefore, various devices have been introduced in recent years in order to improve the method of treating such garbage. One of them is a crushing food processing machine that grinds food waste and discharges it directly to sewer.

The grinding food waste disposal system is mainly used in the USA by grinding food waste and discharging it directly to sewer. In the food waste disposal machine for grinding, domestic preference is getting higher due to convenience of grinding device installed directly on the sink to grind food waste and discharge it immediately.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an overall sectional view for explaining a food processor according to the prior art; Fig.

Referring to FIG. 1, the food processor 20 is directly connected to a lower outlet of the sink ball 10 and includes a rotating plate 21 for crushing food and a plurality of crushing openings 23 provided in the rotating plate 21 .

The food waste is crushed by the crushing tool 23 which rotates together with the rotary plate 21 and rotates together with the rotary plate 21. The pulverized food waste flows to the lateral branch pipe 13 through the outlet 25 formed on the side surface and the food waste flowing through the lateral branch pipe 13 is discharged to the purification tank by the vertical pipe 15.

Here, the lateral branch tube 13 has a gentle gradient in structure. Therefore, food waste such as egg shells can be continuously loaded and then obstruct the flow of food waste to be delivered. If such a situation is maintained, the lateral branch pipe 13 is clogged with food waste, which causes the food processor 20 to fail.

Korea Patent Publication No. 2012-0018035 (Feb.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent clogging of a lateral branch pipe by adjusting the amount of fluid flowing through the lateral branch pipe.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a food processor that automatically controls the amount of fluid.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for controlling the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food waste disposal apparatus, comprising: a food waste grinding unit connected to a food waste discharge port and for crushing food waste; A fluid supply unit disposed at one side of the food crushing unit and supplying a predetermined amount of fluid into the food crushing unit; And a supply control unit disposed at one side of the fluid supply unit, for controlling the amount of the fluid and the fluid supply point through the control of the user.

In the present invention, the supply control unit may include: a pressure measurement unit for measuring a pressure of the supply pipe supplied with the fluid; A control unit for controlling a unit supply amount of the fluid in response to pressure information provided from the pressure measurement unit; A supply point setting unit for setting a point of time when the fluid is supplied to the food pulverization unit and providing the point of time to the control unit; And a supply driving unit for driving the fluid supply unit under the control of the control unit.

In the present invention, the food pulverizing unit may include a crushing unit for crushing the food mule waste introduced through the food garbage outlet using a crushing member; And a motor unit disposed on one side of the crushing unit and rotating the crushing member under the control of the control unit.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the supply control unit further includes a motor driving unit for driving the motor unit under the control of the control unit.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include a water supply pipe formed along the inner circumferential surface of the food pulverization unit and having a plurality of water discharge ports arranged at regular intervals for discharging the fluid to the inside of the food pulverization unit Do.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include a drain pipe connected to the food pulverizing unit for discharging the food waste and the fluid to the outside, a lateral branch pipe, and a vertical pipe.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the lateral branch pipe comprises a circular tube, a circular cut tube having a shape in which a left side and a right side are cut from a circular shape, an elliptical tube having a convex shape and a convex shape, and a tube having a convex shape desirable.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating a food processor, the method comprising: a crushing step of crushing the food crushing unit; And a supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food pulverizing unit in cooperation with the pulverizing operation.

In the present invention, the feeding step may include: a pre-feeding step of feeding the fluid to the food crushing unit before the crushing step; A mixing and supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit so that the food and the fluid are mixed in the crushing step; And a finishing supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit after the crushing step.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include a final finishing supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit at a time longer than the finish finishing step after the crushing step is performed at least twice.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the operation mode and the operation period are controlled according to the type of the food or the setting of the user.

The food processor according to the present invention has the following effects.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the clogging of the lateral branch pipe by controlling the amount of fluid flowing through the lateral branch pipe, thereby eliminating the cause of the failure of the food waste treatment apparatus.

In addition, the present invention has an effect of reducing the economic loss due to failure of the food processor.

In addition, the present invention has an effect that the food processor can be used more easily and smartly by automatically adjusting the amount of fluid.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an overall sectional view for explaining a food processor according to the prior art; Fig.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001]
Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram for explaining the detailed configuration of the supply control unit of Fig. 2; Fig.
FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the food and beverage processor by the control unit of FIG. 3;
5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a part of the structure inside the food crushing unit of FIG. 2;
6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a lateral branch tube of FIG. 2;

The description of the present invention is merely an example for structural or functional explanation, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described in the text. That is, the embodiments are to be construed as being variously embodied and having various forms, so that the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing technical ideas. Also, the purpose or effect of the present invention should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, since it does not mean that a specific embodiment should include all or only such effect.

Meanwhile, the meaning of the terms described in the present application should be understood as follows.

The terms "first "," second ", and the like are intended to distinguish one element from another, and the scope of the right should not be limited by these terms. For example, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element, but there may be other elements in between. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between. On the other hand, other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

It is to be understood that the singular " include " or "have" are to be construed as including the stated feature, number, step, operation, It is to be understood that the combination is intended to specify that it does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

In each step, the identification code (e.g., a, b, c, etc.) is used for convenience of explanation, the identification code does not describe the order of each step, Unless otherwise stated, it may occur differently from the stated order. That is, each step may occur in the same order as described, may be performed substantially concurrently, or may be performed in reverse order.

All terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used predefined terms should be interpreted to be consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art and can not be interpreted as having ideal or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application.

FIG. 2 is an overall sectional view illustrating a sink 100 in which a food processor 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed.

2, the sink 100 includes a sink ball 110 into which food waste is introduced, a food processor 200, and a food discharge pipe 120, 130 and 140.

The food processor 200 includes a food crushing unit 210 for crushing the food waste introduced from the sink ball 110; A fluid supply unit 220 for supplying a predetermined amount of fluid to the food crushing unit 210 and a supply control unit 230 for controlling the amount of fluid and the supply time point of the fluid supplied from the fluid supply unit 220 do.

The food pulverizing unit 210 is connected to the drain port on the lower surface of the sink ball 110 to crush the food waste flowing from the sink ball 110 and discharge the food waste through the drain pipe 120. The food crushing unit 210 includes a crushing unit BC as a space in which food waste is crushed; And a motor unit MT for rotating a plurality of pulverizing tools.

The crushing unit BC is disposed on the lower surface of the sinkball 110 and receives food waste from the sinkball 110 and crushes it. Inside the crushing unit BC, there is provided a crushing unit such as a crushing unit for crushing food waste, and the crushing unit crushes the food waste through a rotating operation.

The motor unit MT is disposed on the lower surface of the crushing unit BC and rotates the crushing unit provided in the crushing unit BC. The motor unit MT is controlled by the supply control unit 230, It is possible to operate in conjunction with the supply unit 220.

The fluid supply unit 220 is provided to supply a predetermined amount of fluid to the crushing unit BC and supplies water to the crushing unit BC by supplying water from the water pipe SDG for supplying water to the tap GGJ, BC). Although water is provided to the crushing unit BC in this example, any fluid may be used as long as it can remove the clogging of the horizontal branch pipe 130. [

The supply control unit 230 is disposed at one side of the fluid supply unit 220 and controls the amount of water provided at the fluid supply unit 220 and the timing at which the water is supplied.

The food waste disposer according to the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the lateral branch pipe 130 from being blocked due to the food waste through the amount of water and the time when water is supplied.

The food waste discharge pipes 120, 130 and 140 are provided for discharging the pulverized foods from the food pulverizing unit 210 to the outside, A horizontal pipe 130 connected to one end of the drain pipe 12 to transmit the food in a horizontal direction and one end connected to the horizontal pipe 130 and the other end connected to the purified water pipe, (Not shown).

3 is a block diagram illustrating the detailed configuration of the supply control unit 230 of FIG.

3, the supply control unit 230 includes a pressure measurement unit 231, a control unit 232, a supply time setting unit 233, a supply drive unit 234, and a motor drive unit 235 do.

The pressure measuring unit 231 is connected to a water pipe (SDG, see FIG. 1) to which water is supplied. The pressure measuring unit 231 measures the pressure of the water pipe SDG and provides the pressure information to the control unit 232.

The control unit 232 receives the pressure information of the water pipe SDG measured by the pressure measuring unit 231 and controls the supply amount of water. Here, the unit supply amount of water means the amount of water supplied in supplying operation. For reference, when water flows at a speed of 6 m / s to the horizontal branch pipe 130, the clogging phenomenon is eliminated. The unit supply amount of water means the amount of water to maintain the speed of 6 m / s.

The supply time setting unit 233 is a unit for setting a time when water is supplied to the food pulverizing unit 210 and providing the time to the controller 232. The time point at which the water set in the supply time point setting unit 233 is supplied may be set at the time of product release, and it is also possible for the user to reset the point of time according to the user.

The supply timing setting unit 233 first supplies water to the food crushing unit 210 before the food crushing unit 210 is driven and secondarily supplies water to the crushing unit 210 during driving, It is possible to set the supply timing of the water to be supplied to the control unit 232 when the water is to be supplied in a tertiary manner.

The supply drive unit 234 is a structure for controlling a configuration for substantially supplying water to the food crushing unit 210. The fluid supply unit 220 shown in FIG. 2 may be constituted by, for example, a solenoid valve. At this time, the supply drive unit 234 generates a control signal for controlling the solenoid valve under the control of the control unit 232.

The motor driving unit 235 controls the rotating operation of the food pulverizing unit 210. 2, the food shredding unit 210 includes a motor unit MT. The motor driving unit 235 controls the motor unit MT according to the control of the controller 232 .

The food waste disposal apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention drives the supply drive unit 234 and the motor drive unit 235 according to the pressure of the water supply pipe SDG to which water is supplied and the supply time point, And the supply timing of water can be controlled, and it is also possible to control the motor MT at a desired intensity at a desired driving timing.

The amount of water supplied to the food crushing unit 210, the supply time point of the water, and the driving timing and the driving strength of the motor MT enable the food processor according to the embodiment of the present invention to perform various operations through various combinations .

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the food processor by the controller 232 of FIG.

2 to 4, the user of the food processor can control the operation of the food processor according to the object to be crushed. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the food processor includes, for example, a selection member installed outside the sink 100 to select a type of food to be processed, that is, a food such as vegetable or a food such as meat.

The selection member may be configured in an analog or digital manner, and the selection information through the selection member is provided to the supply timing setting unit 233. [ Accordingly, the supply time setting unit 233 can determine whether the food to be processed is a food such as vegetable or a food such as meat, and accordingly, it is possible to notify the control unit 232 of the supply time.

Hereinafter, a simple operation of the food processor will be described with reference to FIG. 4 (A).

First, when the user selects a type of food to be processed, the supply time setting unit 233 delivers the predetermined time corresponding to the type of food to the control unit 232. The control unit 232 drives the supply driving unit 234 and the motor driving unit 235 accordingly.

The '0 to T1' step is a step in which the fluid supply unit 220 supplies water to the food crushing unit 210 before the crushing operation. The '0 to T1' step is a step of supplying lubricant to the food pulverizing unit 210 and the food discharge pipes 120, 130 and 140 so that the food can be easily transferred, .

The step 'T1 ~ T2' is a step of supplying water together during the crushing operation. The 'T1 ~ T2' step is to mix the food and water during the crushing operation to perform the crushing operation more efficiently, and will be referred to as a 'mixing and supplying step' hereinafter.

The step of 'T2 to T3' is a step of supplying water to the food crushing unit 210 after the crushing operation. The 'T2 to T3' step is a step for removing food that may possibly remain in the food pulverizing unit 210 and the food discharge pipes 120, 130 and 140, and is hereinafter referred to as a 'finishing supply step'.

As can be seen from the operation of the food processor as described above, the step of supplying water is performed in conjunction with the step of performing the crushing operation. More specifically, the step of supplying water may be performed together with the step of performing the crushing operation or may be performed before or after the step of crushing operation, in which the step of supplying water and the step of crushing operation are controlled independently of each other .

Meanwhile, the food waste disposer according to the embodiment of the present invention can control the water supply time according to the food to be treated.

For example, when the food to be treated is vegetable, '0 to T1' may be set to 5 seconds, 'T1 to T2' may vary depending on the pulverization amount, and 'T2 to T3' may be set to 10 seconds. In case of this meat, '0 ~ T1' may be set to 5 seconds, 'T1 to T2' may vary depending on the crushing amount, and 'T2 to T3' may be set to 15 seconds. This is an example of a section where water is supplied assuming that meat is heavier than vegetables, and various operations can be performed according to the user and the kind of food to be crushed.

For reference, 'T1 ~ T2' is said to vary depending on the amount of grinding, but this also depends on the setting. In addition, although not shown separately, it is also possible to additionally include sensors and meters in the food pulverizing unit 210 for detecting the pulverization amount.

FIG. 4B illustrates another operation method of the food processor according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4B, the grinding operation occurs several times.

As shown in the figure, the crushing operation is performed in the first crushing operation from 'T1 to T2', and the second crushing operation is performed in 'T2 to T3'. Between the primary pulverizing operation and the secondary pulverizing operation, a finishing supplying step may be included as in 'T2 to T3' of FIG. 4 (A).

Finally, the 'Tn-1 to Tn' step is a step of supplying water to the food crushing unit 210 after the crushing operation is performed at least twice. "T _n-1 ~ T _n 'step by step to finally remove the food that may ever remain in the food crushing unit 210 and the food outlet pipe (120, 130, 140), the" final feed step, Quot;

The final finishing supply step of FIG. 4 (B) can also control the operation period as in the other operations, and since the water supply operation and the crushing operation are the steps of finally removing the foreign matter, It is also desirable to have a longer operating time.

The food processor according to the embodiment of the present invention can set a plurality of operation modes according to the user and the kind of the food to be crushed and freely adjust the operation period of each operation mode.

5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a part of the structure inside the food crushing unit 210 of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 5, the food crushing unit 210 includes a crushing unit BC, and a water supply pipe 211 is formed in the crushing unit BC.

The water supply pipe 211 is disposed inside the crushing section BC and has a circular shape corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the circular crushing section BC. A water outlet (GM) is formed outside the water supply pipe (211) at regular intervals. Therefore, the water supplied through the fluid supply unit 220 is discharged to the crushing unit BC through the water discharge port GM of the water supply pipe 211.

At this time, since the water supply pipe 211 is formed so as to correspond to the inner circumferential surface of the crushing unit BC, the water delivered from the fluid supply unit 220 can be supplied to the entire inside of the crushing unit BC. In addition, since a plurality of water discharge openings (GM) are formed in the water supply pipe 211, it is possible to pour a large amount of water into the crushing parts BC at a time.

6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the lateral branch tube 130 of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 6, the horizontal branch pipe 130 may be divided into various shapes according to the shape of the cross section. Here, the horizontal branch pipe 130 is divided into four types.

First, the A-type horizontal branch pipe 130 has a circular tube shape in section. Food and water discharged from the food crushing unit 210 are transferred to the horizontal branch pipe 130 through the drain pipe 12. The A type horizontal branch pipe 130 is suitable for treating a large amount of food and water at a time . However, depending on the gradient and length of the lateral branch pipe 130, the speed of the water may be slowed so that the food may not be delivered cleanly with the water.

The B-type lateral branch pipe 130 has a round tubular shape in which left and right side portions are cut in a circular tube shape. The B-type lateral branch pipe 130 can maintain the water speed faster than the A type.

More specifically, since the width W1 of the B-type lateral branch pipe 130 is narrower than the width W0 of the A-type lateral branch pipe 130, the height H1 of the B- Type water (H0). A higher water level means that the flow rate is faster, which means that the B-type transverse tube 130 is better suited to keeping the water velocity high. And, this fast water velocity makes it possible to transport the pulverized food to the vertical tube 140 without any residue.

The C type horizontal branch pipe 130 has a elliptic shape with a convex upper and lower portions. The C type transverse branch pipe 130 can maintain the water speed faster than the A type. More specifically, since the width W2 of the C-type lateral branch pipe 130 is narrower than the width W0 of the A-type lateral branch pipe 130, the C-type lateral branch pipe 130 is also suitable for maintaining a fast water speed.

The D-type lateral branch pipe 130 has a circular tube shape and a lower central portion convex inward. The water height H3 of the D-type lateral branch pipe 130 is higher than the water height H0 of the A type. Therefore, it is suitable to maintain a fast water speed. In particular, in the case of the D type, it is possible to increase the water velocity at the side of the water, that is, the wall surface of the lateral branch pipe 130 as well as the center portion of the water.

As described above, the lateral branch pipe 130 of the food processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may be composed of various types, and it is also possible that the A type, the B type, the C type, and the D type are combined with each other . That is, for example, a structure in which B type and C type are combined is also possible.

The food waste disposal apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can control the time point at which the water is supplied for pulverizing and discharging foodstuffs so that the pulverized foodstuffs can be delivered to the purification tank cleanly. Therefore, clogging of the lateral branch pipe can be prevented beforehand, thereby eliminating the cause of the trouble in the food processor.

In addition, it is possible to control the amount of water supply, the time of supplying water, the operation timing of the motor, and the operation intensity of the motor depending on the type and amount of food, so that the user can easily and smartly use the food processor. Do.

In addition, by optimizing the shape of the lateral branch tube, it completely removes the space that the pulverized food can be left in the lateral branch tube, further completing the operation of the food processor.

The embodiments and the accompanying drawings described in the present specification are merely illustrative of some of the technical ideas included in the present invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are not for purposes of limiting the technical idea of the present invention, but rather are not intended to limit the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

100: sink
110: Sinkball
120, 130, 140: food discharge pipe
200: Food processor
210: food crushing unit
220: fluid supply unit
230: Supply control unit

Claims

A food processor for removing food waste in the lateral branch pipe by controlling a unit supply amount of fluid to be delivered into the lateral branch pipe and a supply time point at which the fluid is delivered to the lateral branch pipe,
A food crushing unit including a crushing unit for crushing food waste flowing through the food waste outlet using a crushing member, and a motor for rotating the crushing member disposed at one side of the crushing unit;
A fluid supply unit connected to one side of the upper portion of the food crushing unit to supply fluid into the food crushing unit;
A pressure measuring unit arranged at one side of the fluid supply unit for measuring a pressure of a water pipe for supplying the fluid to the food pulverizing unit, a fluid supplying unit for supplying fluid to the lateral branch pipe based on pressure information provided from the pressure measuring unit, A supply point setting unit for setting a supply time point of the fluid to be delivered to the lateral branch pipe based on an external input for selecting a kind of food and providing the time point to the control unit, A supply control unit including a supply driving unit for driving the fluid supply unit according to the control signal and a motor driving unit for driving the motor unit under the control of the control unit; And
A drain pipe connected to one side of the lower portion of the food crushing unit, one end connected to the drain pipe to connect the food waste and the fluid in a horizontal direction, one end connected to the lateral branch pipe, And a water discharge pipe connected to the food garbage and including a water pipe for discharging the food waste and the fluid to the septic tank.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
And a water supply pipe formed along an inner circumferential surface of the food pulverizing unit and having a plurality of water outlets arranged at regular intervals for discharging the fluid to the inside of the food pulverizing unit,
Food processor.

delete

The method according to claim 1,
The lateral branch tube is composed of a circular tube, a circular cut tube in which the left and right sides are cut from the circular shape, an elliptical tube having a convex shape and a convex shape, and a tube having a convex shape
Food processor.

A method of operating a food processor according to any one of claims 1, 5 and 7,
A crushing step of performing a crushing operation of the food crushing unit; And
And a supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit in association with the crushing operation
A method of operation of a food processor.

9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the supplying step comprises:
A pre-feeding step of feeding the fluid to the food crushing unit before the crushing step;
A mixing and supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit so that the food and the fluid are mixed in the crushing step; And
And a finishing supplying step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit after the crushing step
A method of operation of a food processor.

10. The method of claim 9,
And a final finishing supply step of supplying the fluid to the food crushing unit at a time longer than the finish finishing step after the crushing step has been performed at least twice
A method of operation of a food processor.

9. The method of claim 8,
The pulverizing step and the supplying step may be controlled in a plurality of operation modes and operation periods according to the kind of the food or the setting of the user
How the food processor works