KR20210027764A - Apparatus for Sterilizing Food Storage and Processing Space with Eco-Friend - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an environmentally-friendly sterilization device for a food storage and processing space. Specifically, while a certain level of a sterilizing gas inside the storage and processing space is circulated, the amount of internal oxygen is adjusted. Accordingly, the food storage and processing space is sterilized, and freshness is maintained. The sterilization device comprises: a housing (11); a gas guide tube disposed to pass through from one side surface of the housing (11) to the other side surface, and allowing a gas to flow thereinto; a gas conversion unit installed inside the gas guide tube; an air inlet device disposed at one side of the gas guide tube; a sensor for detecting the state of a gas inside the gas guide tube; and a control device for controlling an operating state of the air inlet device according to a signal detected from the sensor.

Description

Apparatus for Sterilizing Food Storage and Processing Space with Eco-Friend}

The present invention relates to an eco-friendly sterilization device for food storage and processing space, and specifically, by circulating a certain level of sterilizing gas into the storage and processing space and adjusting the amount of internal oxygen so that freshness can be maintained at the same time as sterilization. It relates to an environmentally friendly food storage and processing space sterilization device.

Foods, including vegetables, fruits, or fish, become decaying over time. In general, decay is a phenomenon in which odor is decomposed by the action of microorganisms. It is a part of the material cycle, but it adversely affects the preservation or consumption of food. The main factors affecting spoilage are the presence of temperature and moisture, and methods such as freezing or refrigeration, heating, dehydration or sterilization are used as a method to prevent spoilage of food. A mechanical device or container for preserving food can be used in places such as stores, homes, or restaurants, and a method of refrigerating or sterilizing the interior of the space is used to increase freshness or preservation period.

As a prior art for improving the freshness and preservation period of food, there is Patent Registration No. 1209482'Refrigeration Show Case with Cold Storage System'. The prior art relates to a refrigeration show case that can significantly improve the refrigeration efficiency for products stored in a showcase, and has an interior space and a display compartment partitioned for the interior space, and air disposed to face from both sides of the display compartment. A refrigeration show case body having an inlet port and an air outlet port; A cold storage tank installed in the inner space of the freezing show case body and storing the low-temperature latent heat PCM; A cooler having a refrigerant circulation line installed to cool the low-temperature latent heat PCM in the storage cooling tank and to pass through the storage cooling tank; A brine circulation line having a heat exchanger installed adjacent to the air inlet side of the refrigeration show case body; And an air circulation heat exchange passage formed between the storage cooling tank and the inner space of the main body of the freezing show case.

Another technology for sterilizing food ingredients in containers is Patent Publication No. 2011-0032998'Food Sterilization Device'.

The prior art includes container support means for supporting a container containing food to be sterilized; A bed chamber having a vapor inlet; A lower chamber disposed opposite to the upper chamber and movable relative to the upper chamber; Steam having a nozzle unit, a base attached to the lower surface of the upper chamber, and a partition wall installed in a predetermined closed shape at a predetermined height on the base, and forming a vapor chamber substantially closed between the lower surface of the upper chamber A guide and a closing block that is installed below the base and substantially closes the opening of the container supported by the container holding means when it is in close contact with the upper and lower chambers, and is supported by the steam chamber and the container holding means through the closing block. The container has a steam nozzle communicating the inside of the container, and the upper end of the steam nozzle protrudes into the steam chamber, opens at a predetermined height position, and protrudes from the lower surface of the waste paper block at the lower end thereof and is supported by the container holding means. Disclosed is a sterilization device, characterized in that it is installed so as to enter the inner vicinity of the.

In the prior art or known techniques, a method such as freezing or steam sterilization is used in the food preservation process, but such a method has a problem that it may be difficult to maintain freshness. In addition, the prior art or known technology has a problem in that a refrigerant or steam must be used in the freezing or sterilization process, which may cause environmental problems, and it is difficult to ensure safety for storage or sterilization of food. In addition, the prior art or known technology has a problem that it is difficult to preserve the freshness or inherent taste of food and can be applied only in a limited environment.

The present invention has the following objects to solve the problems of the prior art.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an eco-friendly food storage and processing space sterilization device that enables long-term storage due to sterilization while maintaining the freshness of food, and at the same time can be applied in a variety of environments while ensuring safety.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sterilizing device comprises: a housing; A gas guide tube disposed to pass through from one side of the housing to the other side and allowing gas to flow into the housing; A gas conversion unit installed inside the gas guide tube; An air inlet device disposed on one side of the gas guide tube; A sensor that detects the state of the gas inside the gas guide tube; And a control device for controlling an operating state of the air inlet device according to a signal detected from the sensor, wherein the gas guide pipe introduces air from the outside and discharges the gas whose characteristics have been converted through the gas conversion unit.

According to another suitable embodiment of the present invention, the gas conversion unit includes a hollow cylindrical separation unit, an electrode unit surrounding the inside and outside of the separation unit, and the electrode units are arranged to induce a voltage difference from each other. .

According to another suitable embodiment of the present invention, the electrode unit has a mesh network structure.

The sterilization device according to the present invention has the advantage of increasing the storage period of the food while improving the freshness of the food. In addition, the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention has the advantage of being eco-friendly by allowing the surrounding air to be purified at the same time without using a material such as a refrigerant during the sterilization process. In addition, the sterilization device according to the present invention has the advantage of preventing contamination occurring during the storage or manufacturing process of food due to the deodorizing function to remove odor. In addition, the sterilizing device according to the present invention has the advantage that beneficial effects can be generated directly or indirectly to the human body by removing active oxygen. In addition, the sterilization device according to the present invention can be installed in various places such as food storage, exhibition case, processing cookery, kitchen, restaurant, or exercise place, and is beneficial to the human body in various environments by removing active oxygen while sterilizing the surrounding air. It has the advantage of allowing the environment to be created.

1 shows an embodiment of a sterilization device according to the present invention.
2 shows an embodiment of a gas conversion unit installed inside the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention.
3 shows an embodiment of a structure in which the sterilization device according to the present invention is operated.
Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the operation process of the sterilization device according to the present invention.

In the following, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but the embodiments are for a clear understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. In the following description, components having the same reference numerals in different drawings have similar functions, so if they are not necessary for the understanding of the invention, they will not be described repeatedly, and well-known components will be briefly described or omitted, but the present invention It should not be understood as being excluded from the embodiment of.

1 shows an embodiment of a sterilization device 10 according to the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, a sterilization device 10 according to the present invention includes a housing 11; A gas guide tube 12 disposed to pass through from one side of the housing 11 to the other side and allowing gas to flow into the housing 11; A gas conversion unit installed inside the gas guide tube; An air inlet device 13 disposed on one side of the gas guide tube; A sensor 15 for detecting the state of the gas inside the gas guide tube 12; And a control device 16 for controlling an operating state of the air intake device 13 according to a signal detected from the sensor 15, wherein the gas induction tube 12 introduces air from the outside to control the gas conversion unit. Through this, the gas whose characteristics have been converted can be discharged.

The sterilization device 10 according to the present invention is installed in a food show case, a restaurant kitchen, a kitchen of a general household, a large food warehouse, a food processing plant, or a food storage warehouse, and is generated by the food itself or food through the circulation of air. Various environmental problems that can be made can be improved. In addition, the sterilization device 10 according to the present invention may be installed in, for example, a hospital or a gym, and applied to improve the air environment by sterilizing or removing active oxygen. As described above, the sterilization device 10 according to the present invention can be applied to any environment requiring improvement of the air environment by sterilizing action through air circulation or removal of active oxygen, and preferably used in a sealed environment.

The housing 11 may be made of a material such as plastic or synthetic resin, or may be made of a material such as stainless steel, and may be made in a box shape or a cylindrical shape in which an accommodation space may be formed, but is not limited thereto. The housing 11 may be made of an appropriate size according to the volume of the space required to improve the air environment. On the other hand, the housing 11 can be made into a structure that can be fixed to a wall. For example, it may be formed in a thin box structure so that it can be fixed to the wall of an indoor or food show case.

The gas guide tube 12 may have a hollow cylindrical shape and may be disposed in a structure extending from one wall surface of the housing 11 to the other wall surface. The gas guide tube 12 has a function of circulating external air and generating ozone by introducing a part of external air while simultaneously removing active oxygen to sterilize and convert the properties of oxygen in the air. To this end, a gas conversion unit such as an ozone generator or a device for controlling temperature or humidity may be installed inside the gas guide tube 12. The gas conversion unit will be described again below.

The external air introduced through the gas guide tube 12 may contain ozone or be discharged to the outside in a form in which active oxygen has been removed. The gas guide tube 12 may be installed in a diameter and length that allows a constant gas to be introduced and whose properties can be changed therein.

An air inlet device 13 may be installed on one side of the gas guide tube 12, and the filter 141 is configured to close one side of the gas guide tube 12 at the front or rear of the air inlet tube 12. Can be installed. The air inlet device 13 may be a fan driven by a device such as a motor capable of adjusting speed, for example. In addition, the filter 141 may be a dust removal filter capable of removing fine dust having at least a predetermined size. In addition, the filter 141 may be an air filter having an antibacterial function or an odor removal function. In other words, the filter 141 according to the present invention may be any filter known in the art that basically has a dust removal function and has an additional function. The filter 141 may be, for example, a nonwoven filter or a composite filter to which a carbon filter is added.

A sensor 15 for detecting the characteristics of air flowing inside the gas guide tube 12 may be installed, and a control device 16 such as a microprocessor that receives and processes the value detected by the sensor 15 is provided. Can be installed. The sensor 15 may detect air pressure, speed, temperature, humidity, amount of ozone, amount of active oxygen, and the like. At least one sensor 15 may be installed and may be preferably installed at the inlet 121 and the outlet 122 of the gas guide tube 12. Both the inlet 121 and the outlet 122 of the gas guide tube 12 can be installed to face the outside of the housing 11, and the sensors 15 installed in each are required to detect the state of air. The detection signal may be generated and transmitted to the control device 16 through the transmission cable C1. The control device 16 can control the operating state of the gas conversion unit from the value transmitted from the sensor 15 to convert the introduced air to an appropriate level required.

The gas conversion unit may comprise a device such as an ozone generator, for example, and a power source needs to be connected for ozone generation. A power connection unit 17 may be installed in the gas guide tube 12 and the power connection unit 17 may be connected to the power supply terminal 19 by a cable C2. The electrode connection unit 17 may be formed in a suitable structure known in the art. Ozone generation or heating of the inner tube needs to be properly controlled according to the condition of the inner air. To this end, the power supply terminal 19 may be controlled by the control device 16. The control device 16 may appropriately adjust the level of power supplied through the power supply terminal 19 based on the value detected from the sensor 15.

In the gas guide tube 12, it is advantageous that the velocity of the flowing gas is appropriately adjusted. The gas flowing through the gas guide tube 12 can contain an appropriate level of ozone through the control of the velocity flow of the gas, and active oxygen contained in the process of flowing through the gas guide tube 12 can be removed. . To this end, a flow rate control device 18 may be installed in the gas guide tube 12 according to the present invention. The flow rate control device 18 may comprise, for example, a pressure regulating means or a branch guide tube. The pressure control means is to control the pressure of the space at a certain position of the gas guide tube using a pressure pump, and the branch guide tube forms a separate nozzle structure or a branch structure inside the gas guide tube 12. It refers to controlling the flow rate of gas. The flow rate control device 18 may be operated as needed by a separate driving means 181 connected by a cable C3 and an operating state may be controlled by the control device 16. The flow rate control device 18 may be installed as needed, but does not have to be installed.

The sterilizing device according to the present invention may have at least one blowing passage P for circulating air inside the housing 11 and a filter may be installed in each of the blowing passages. The ventilation passage P may have a function of circulating air inside the housing 11, and the filter may have a structure capable of preventing moisture or contaminants from flowing into the interior. Blowing passages P having various structures may be installed in the sterilizing device 10 according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the presented embodiment.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the gas conversion unit will be described.

2 shows an embodiment of a gas conversion unit 20 installed inside the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the gas conversion unit 20 includes a separation unit 21 extending in a cylindrical shape, a first electrode unit 22a formed outside the separation unit 21, and inside the separation unit 21. The formed second electrode unit 22b and the separation unit 21 may be formed of a separation unit 24 separating each other. The separating unit 21 may be made of an insulating material such as ceramic or glass, for example, and may have a hollow cylindrical shape. In addition, the separation unit 21 may have a structure in which gas can flow through the inside.

The first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22b may be formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the outside and the inside of the separation unit 21, respectively, and the first electrode unit 22a or the second electrode unit 22b At least one of may be made into a mesh mesh shape. Each of the first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22b may be made of a conductive material such as stainless steel, copper, platinum, silver, or an alloy thereof, and a predetermined voltage may be applied to each. The separation unit 21 may extend to a certain length along the gas guide tube described above, and the first electrode unit 22a or the second electrode unit 22b may extend along the separation unit 21 to a certain length. Can be placed.

Each separating unit 21 may be separated by a separating unit 24. The separating unit 24 may be made of any insulating material and may have an arbitrary structure in which each separating unit 21 can be fixed in an insulated state. In addition, fixing brackets 241 may be installed at both ends of the division unit 24, and electrode connection terminals 23a and 23b may be formed on the fixing bracket 241, respectively. The electrode connection terminals 23a and 23b may be connected to an external power source. The electrode connection terminals 23a and 23b may be connected to the first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22b, respectively, and the first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22a and 23b are connected to each other by the electrode connection terminals 23a and 23b. A voltage difference may be induced between the electrode units 22b. Specifically, an AC power source of 60 Hz or 120 Hz may be connected to the electrode connection terminals 23a and 23b, and accordingly, a voltage difference may be induced between the first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22b. If necessary, a transformer (not shown) may be installed to induce a high voltage between the first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22b.

The gas conversion unit 20 may be formed in various structures.

As shown in the lower part of FIG. 2, the gas conversion unit 20 may be made in a structure in which a plurality of separation units 21 are bound. The first electrode unit 22a and the second electrode unit 22b may be coupled to each of the separating units 21, and each separating unit 21 may be separated and fixed by the separating unit 24. have. An induction door (not shown) may be formed in each separation unit 21, and a voltage applied to the first and second electrode units 22a and 22b surrounding each separation unit 21 is applied to the control unit. Can be controlled by The separation unit module in which the plurality of separation units 21 are formed adjacent to each other may control the voltage difference applied to each separation unit 21 or the air flow so that the conversion of the introduced air can be controlled in various ways. do.

The presented separation unit 22 has an atomic state such as oxygen (O1), superoxide (O2-), oxygen (O2), peroxynitrite (ONOO-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ozone or other oxidizing substances therein. Induces the presence of reactive substances. In addition, such substances can be removed from molds, bacteria, viruses, ethylene, odor molecules, or other hydrocarbons induced into the interior of the separation unit 21. While allowing free radicals to be reduced.

According to the present invention, the introduced oxygen may flow inside the separation unit 21 for a few seconds, for example, and contain things such as ozone or hydrogen peroxide while being discharged to the outside. Due to this, it can be combined with external bacteria, viruses, bacteria or odor-causing components as described above.

The gas conversion unit 20 may control the amount of air passing through the inside of the separation unit 21 and the amount of air passing through the outside or the amount of the reactive substance by controlling the speed of the air. On the other hand, the amount of the reactive material may be controlled by the size of the voltage applied between the electrode units 22a and 22b or the shape of the mesh network. Through various types of control, the amount of reactive substances contained in the air discharged to the outside of the separation unit 21 can be controlled, and accordingly, the external air environment can be maintained at an appropriate level.

The gas conversion unit 20 shown in FIG. 2 is exemplary, and the gas conversion unit 20 having various structures may be applied to the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the operating structure of the sterilizing device according to the present invention will be described.

3 shows an embodiment of a structure in which the sterilization device according to the present invention is operated.

Referring to FIG. 3, air IN introduced from the outside may be adjusted to an appropriate level by the control device 21. Then, dust or fine particles contained in the incoming air IN may be removed by the filter device 22. The state of the incoming air IN may be detected by the detection sensor 23a, and the control device 21 may control the flow rate based on the value detected by the detection sensor 23a. On the other hand, the control of the flow rate may include adjustment of the amount of air passing through the inside and outside of the separation unit described above. The ozone generator 25 can be operated and the amount of reactant produced can be controlled by means of the reactant unit 26. The amount of the reactant material may be, for example, the temperature of the reactant material unit 26 or the magnitude of the voltage applied to the reactant material unit 26, and the reactant material unit 26 may be the mesh network shown in FIG. 4. have. Hazardous substances are removed by ozone or reactive substances, while the amount of active oxygen can be adjusted. Control of active oxygen refers to controlling the amount of oxygen contained in the air, for example. In order to control the active oxygen, an active oxygen control unit 27 such as a retention chamber or a branch tube may be installed. On the other hand, the active coral control unit 27 may be a nozzle. The air that has passed through the active oxygen control unit 27 can be humidity controlled by the humidity control unit 28 and the humidity control unit 28 can be, for example, an external humidity generator. In addition, the state of the humidity-controlled air may be detected by the detection unit 23b. The detection unit 23b may detect a flow rate, an amount of a reactive substance such as ozone or hydrogen peroxide, an amount of oxygen, a temperature or humidity. Further, based on the detected value, the control device 21 may control the flow rate control unit 29 to control the speed of the discharged air and discharge it to the outside (OUT).

The sterilization device according to the present invention may have various structures, and the present invention is not limited to the presented embodiments.

Hereinafter, a process of operating the sterilization device according to the present invention will be described.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the operation process of the sterilization device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when air is introduced (P31), the degree of ozone generation may be determined (P32). Ozone generation may include the generation of reactive substances, as described above. In addition, while harmful components included in the air introduced by the reactive material are removed, the amount of the reactive material to be included in the discharged air may be determined. Then, the amount of active oxygen can be adjusted (P33). The amount of active oxygen may be adjusted, for example, based on the amount of oxygen contained in the air contained in the introduced air. Specifically, if it is determined that active oxygen exists based on the amount of oxygen contained in the introduced air, the active oxygen may be adjusted based on the total size of the installed space, the amount of air introduced per unit time, and the amount of active oxygen. .

When the amount of the active coral is adjusted (P33), the air condition may be detected (P34), and it may be determined whether the level is at an appropriate level (P35). If it is at an appropriate level (YES), the flow rate can be controlled (P36) and discharged to the outside (P37). On the contrary, if it is determined that it is not appropriate (NO), the inflow control P351 is performed, and accordingly, the steps of each of the steps P32, P33, P34, and P35 may be performed again. However, even if it is judged that it is not appropriate, the air is discharged and each step is performed with respect to the incoming air.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is illustrative, and the sterilization device according to the present invention can be operated in various ways, and the present invention is not limited to the presented embodiment.

The sterilization device according to the present invention has the advantage of increasing the storage period of the food while improving the freshness of the food. In addition, the sterilization apparatus according to the present invention has the advantage of being eco-friendly by allowing the surrounding air to be purified at the same time without using a material such as a refrigerant during the sterilization process. In addition, the sterilization device according to the present invention has the advantage of preventing contamination occurring during the storage or manufacturing process of food due to the deodorizing function to remove odor. In addition, the sterilizing device according to the present invention has the advantage that beneficial effects can be generated directly or indirectly to the human body by removing active oxygen. In addition, the sterilization device according to the present invention can be installed in various places such as food storage, exhibition cases, kitchens, restaurants, or exercise places, and by removing active oxygen while sterilizing the surrounding air, a beneficial environment for the human body is created in various environments. It has the advantage of being able to become.

The present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the presented embodiments, but those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to make various modifications and modifications without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention with reference to the presented embodiments. The present invention is not limited by such modifications and modifications, but is limited by the claims appended below.

10: sterilization device 11: housing
12: gas guide tube 13: air inlet device
15: sensor 16: control device
17: power connection unit 18: flow rate control device
19: power supply terminal
20: gas conversion unit 21: separation unit
22a, 22b: electrode unit 23a, 23b: electrode connection terminal
24: division unit 121: entrance
122: outlet 141: filter

Claims (3)

Housing 11;
It is separated from the inner surface of the housing 11 and extends in a hollow shape so as to penetrate from one wall surface to the other wall surface.
A gas guide tube 12 capable of flowing gas into the interior;
A gas conversion unit 20 installed inside the gas guide tube to generate ozone;
An air inlet device 13 disposed on one side of the gas guide tube;
A sensor 15 for detecting the state of the gas inside the gas guide tube; And
It includes a control device 16 for controlling the operating state of the air inlet device according to a signal detected from the sensor, and the gas guide tube 12 is a separation unit formed in the gas conversion unit 22 by introducing air from the outside ( 21) Eco-friendly food storage and processing space sterilization device, characterized in that by inducing the flow of air to the inside and outside of the converted gas.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the gas conversion unit 20 includes a hollow cylindrical separation unit 21, an electrode unit (22a, 22b) and a separation unit 24 surrounding the inside and outside of the separation unit, the separation The unit 21 is made of an insulator material, and the electrode units 22a and 22b are arranged to induce a voltage difference from each other. An eco-friendly food storage and processing space sterilization device.
The eco-friendly food storage and processing space sterilization device according to claim 1, further comprising a flow rate control device (18) installed inside the gas guide tube (12).

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