KR20210044562A - Dry food sterilization device using light pulse - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dry food sterilization apparatus using a light pulse. According to the present invention, the dry food sterilization apparatus using light pulse comprises: a cabinet providing a processing space; a supply conveyor guiding dry food supplied from the outside into the cabinet; a primary light pulse generation unit installed on the upper part of the supply conveyor and sterilizing a part of the dry food by applying a light pulse to the dry food during transfer; a reverse rotor installed on the downstream side of the supply conveyor to be rotatable, receiving the dried food that has passed through the supply conveyor, and inverting the same to exposing an unsterilized part upward; a discharge conveyor installed on the downstream side of the reverse rotor and receiving and horizontally transferring the dried food inverted by the reverse rotor to guide the same to the outside of the cabinet; and a secondary light pulse generation unit disposed on the upper part of the discharge conveyor in the cabinet and performing sterilization by applying a light pulse to the dry food transferred by the discharge conveyor. Accordingly, the dry food sterilization apparatus using a light pulse has a structure in which the dry food, which is continuously transferred through the conveyor and has one sterilized surface, is inverted without stoppage by using the reverse rotor and the opposite surface is sterilized, thereby implementing continuous double-sided sterilization of the dry food.

Description

Dry food sterilization device using light pulse}

The present invention relates to a dry food sterilization device using an optical pulse, and more particularly, a dry food using an optical pulse that automatically turns over the dry food continuously conveyed through a conveyor during transport so that both sides of the dried food are sterilized evenly. It relates to a sterilization device.

As a method for sterilizing various agricultural and fishery processed foods, a method of spreading an object widely and exposing it to natural light has traditionally been practiced. This method has the advantage that it is relatively easy to proceed because it does not require a separate special equipment for sterilization or power, but only requires a large space.

However, the sterilization method using natural light has a problem that it takes a long time to sterilize, and the sterilization deviation is severe depending on weather conditions, and there is a problem that there is a great concern about contamination by fine dust or pests. For this reason, various types of dedicated sterilization devices have been developed for sterilizing dried foods.

In the above-described dedicated sterilization device, those using an optical pulse, a pulsed electric field, a vibrating magnetic field, or an ultrasonic wave as an energy source are known, and among them, the sterilizing device using an optical pulse uses an optical pulse lamp, from 0.01 to 50 J/cm ² It has a structure that sterilizes the surface of a food or reduces the number of surface microorganisms by continuously irradiating light having an energy density in the range of 0.1 to 1 second at intervals. The sterilizing power of the sterilizing device using such optical pulses varies depending on the wavelength of light, the number and period of pulses, the distance between the lamp and the object, and the area of the object.

On the other hand, a sterilization device using light pulses sterilizes bacteria located on the surface of an object using light, and cannot sterilize bacteria on the back side where light does not reach. In order to sterilize the back side, the object must be turned over and exposed to light.

However, among dried foods, foods excluding powdery ones have a certain volume, so to speak, have a bottom side and a top side that are in contact with the bottom when placed on a flat plate. For example, in the case of dried foods such as dried squid, kodari, or jerky, even if sterilized using a light pulse, only the upper side is sterilized and the bottom side is not. Therefore, in order to sterilize the lower surface, the operator must repeat the process of turning off the light pulse lamp, turning the object over by hand, and operating the light pulse lamp again.

This manual sterilization method is not a problem when there are few dry foods to be sterilized, but it is practically impossible when the dry foods are continuously supplied through a conveyor. Proper sterilization cannot be performed unless there is a means to turn the dried food over on the transport route of the dried food.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0061327 (optical pulse sterilization device for powdered foods) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0128577 (Non-heated food sterilization device in which low temperature plasma treatment and UV or optical pulse treatment are combined)

An object of the present invention is to provide a dry food sterilization apparatus using an optical pulse capable of sterilizing both sides by automatically inverting the dried food continuously supplied at a high speed on a conveyor.

The dry food sterilization apparatus using the optical pulse of the present invention as a solution to the problem to achieve the above object transfers the dry food supplied from the outside, sterilizes a part of the dried food first, and then turns it over to finish the remaining part. A cabinet for sterilizing and providing a processing space; A supply conveyor that is partially included in the cabinet and guides dry food supplied from the outside to the inside of the cabinet; A first light pulse generator installed on the upper part of the supply conveyor in the cabinet and sterilizing a portion of the dried food by applying a light pulse to the dried food during transport; A reverse rotor that is rotatably installed on the downstream side of the supply conveyor and turns over the dried food that has passed through the supply conveyor to expose the unsterilized portion to the upper side; A driving unit that rotates the reverse rotor; A discharge conveyor installed on the downstream side of the reverse rotor and for receiving and horizontally transferring the dried food in a reversed state by the reverse rotor and guiding it to the outside of the cabinet; A secondary light pulse generator positioned above the discharge conveyor in the cabinet and for sterilizing by applying a light pulse to the dried food conveyed by the discharge conveyor; And a control unit for controlling the first and second light pulse generators and the driving unit.

In addition, the reverse rotor; A shaft that is horizontally installed so as to be axially rotatable between the supply conveyor and the discharge conveyor, takes the form of a hollow pipe with one end, and has a plurality of air outlets at the periphery, and is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft. It is arranged at an equal angle as a standard, and includes a plurality of conveying blades that move the dried food delivered from the supply conveyor and place it on the discharge conveyor, and by pressing air into the shaft of the reverse rotor, air is passed through the air outlet and between the conveying blades. A blower controlled by the control unit and a dust removing unit having a filter for filtering air generated from the blower, and a cabinet disposed on the upper side of the cabinet to blow out dust from the dried food that is blown out and located between the transfer blades. An exhaust unit for exhausting the air inside to the outside is further included.

In addition, the transfer blade; A square-shaped screen that supports the dried food and allows dust to pass through, a square frame coupled to the rim of the screen and fixed to the periphery of the shaft, and integrally formed at both ends in the width direction of the square frame. It includes a side wall that prevents it from deviating outward in the width direction.

In addition, the reverse rotor; A shaft that is horizontally installed so as to be axially rotatable between the supply conveyor and the discharge conveyor and takes the form of a hollow pipe, and is disposed equiangularly on the periphery of the shaft, and is opened radially with respect to the central axis of the shaft, and the supply conveyor A plurality of rotary cases having a transfer space for receiving and temporarily receiving dried food from the discharge conveyor, and a plurality of light pulse lamps mounted on the rotary case and irradiating light pulses in the transfer space, and the shaft. It is installed inside and includes a distribution module that supplies power applied from the outside to the optical pulse lamps mounted in each rotary case.

The dry food sterilization apparatus using the optical pulse of the present invention made as described above has a structure capable of sterilizing the other side after non-stop reversal of the dried food, which is continuously transported through a conveyor and sterilized on one side, using a reverse rotor. It enables continuous double-sided sterilization of dried food.

1 is a view showing the overall configuration of a dry food sterilization apparatus using an optical pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a partial plan view of the sterilizing device shown in FIG. 1.
3 is a partially cut-away perspective view of a reverse rotor that can be applied to a dry food sterilization apparatus using an optical pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a side view of another type of reverse rotor that can be applied to a dry food sterilization apparatus using an optical pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of the transfer blade shown in FIG. 4.

Hereinafter, one embodiment according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The dry food sterilization apparatus of the present invention is to perform sterilization by irradiating light pulse energy to the dry food subject to sterilization, and the dry food transferred by the conveyor is turned over once so that the light pulses are sequentially irradiated on both the front and back sides of the dried food. Has a structure. For example, first sterilize the top of the dried food, then turn it over and sterilize the bottom one after another. Various types may be included in the dried food, and for example, kodari and dried squid are also included.

The dry food sterilization apparatus of the present invention transports dry food supplied from the outside, and after sterilizing a part of the dried food first, turning it over to sterilize the remaining part, and providing a processing space; A supply conveyor that is partially included in the cabinet and guides dry food supplied from the outside to the inside of the cabinet; A first light pulse generator installed on the upper part of the supply conveyor in the cabinet and sterilizing a portion of the dried food by applying a light pulse to the dried food during transport; A reverse rotor that is rotatably installed on the downstream side of the supply conveyor and turns over the dried food that has passed through the supply conveyor to expose the unsterilized portion to the upper side; A driving unit that rotates the reverse rotor; A discharge conveyor installed on the downstream side of the reverse rotor and for receiving and horizontally transferring the dried food in a reversed state by the reverse rotor and guiding it to the outside of the cabinet; A secondary light pulse generator positioned above the discharge conveyor in the cabinet and for sterilizing by applying a light pulse to the dried food conveyed by the discharge conveyor; It has a structure including a control unit for controlling the first and second light pulse generation units and the driving unit.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the overall configuration of a dry food sterilization apparatus 10 using an optical pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the sterilization apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

As shown, the dry food sterilization apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes a cabinet 20, a supply conveyor 12, a primary light pulse generator 16, a reverse rotor 30, a driving unit 40, It includes an exhaust conveyor 14, a secondary light pulse generating unit 17, a control unit 22, and a dust removing unit 47.

The cabinet 20 is a hexahedral container that provides a treatment space 20a in which a sterilization process proceeds. The size of the cabinet 20 may vary as necessary, and an inspection door (not shown) may be applied at an appropriate point. In addition, an exhaust part 18 is installed on the ceiling surface of the cabinet 20. The exhaust part 18 is a known fan that discharges contaminated air inside the processing space 20a to the outside. By applying the exhaust part 18, the environment inside the cabinet 20 can be kept clean at all times.

The supply conveyor 12 guides the dry food A, which is a sterilization target, continuously supplied from the outside, into the cabinet 20, and a part of it is included in the cabinet 20. This supply conveyor 12 is maintained horizontally and has a mesh belt 12a that circulates, and the dried food A is transported in a horizontal direction while being placed on the mesh belt 12a to face the reverse rotor 30. .

The primary light pulse generator 16 is installed on the vertical upper portion of the supply conveyor 12 in the cabinet 20 and irradiates the light pulse to the dried food A passing through the lower portion thereof. Naturally, a plurality of light pulse lamps 16a are built in the interior of the primary light pulse generator 16. The optical pulse lamp 16a operates by a control signal transmitted from the control unit 22 and applies an optical pulse to the dried food A to sterilize the dried food.

The portion of the dried food (A) that is sterilized by the primary light pulse generator 16 is a part thereof. For example, the part observed when the dried food (A) is viewed vertically from the top, that is, the surface to which the light pulse irradiated in the direction reaches is sterilized. The bottom surface of the dried food A (the surface facing the mesh belt 12a) is not sterilized by the primary light pulse generator 16, but is sterilized by the secondary light pulse generator 17, which will be described later.

The dried food (A), which is primarily sterilized while passing through the lower portion of the primary light pulse generator (16), passes to the discharge conveyor (14) located on the opposite side by riding the reverse rotor (30) rotating in the direction of the arrow z. . In particular, the dried food (A) is turned over during the process of passing to the other side by riding the reverse rotor 30, and the first sterilized side goes down and the unsterilized side is exposed to the top. Is loaded on.

The reverse rotor (30) is installed to be rotatable on the downstream side of the supply conveyor 12, as described above, receives the dried food that has passed through the supply conveyor and turns it over to expose the unsterilized part to the top. Do it.

This reverse rotor 30 includes a shaft 31 and a plurality of transfer blades 35. The shaft 31 is a hollow pipe-shaped member with one end closed, and is installed so as to be axially rotatable between the supply conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 14. Both ends of the shaft 31 are supported on the side walls of the cabinet 20 through bearings 24 as shown in FIG. 2.

In addition, a plurality of air outlets 31a are formed at the periphery of the shaft 31. The air ejection port 31a is a hole for ejecting air pressed into the shaft 31 from the dust removing portion 47 to be described later. The air injected through the air outlet (31a) is ejected in the radial direction of the shaft (31), and dusts off the dry food (A) temporarily accommodated between the transfer blades (35).

In addition, the transfer blade 35 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 31 as a square plate having a certain thickness, and forms a conformal angle with respect to the rotation center axis of the shaft. The number of applications of these transfer blades 35 may vary as needed. The air outlet (31a) is located between the transfer blades (35).

The reverse rotor 30 having the above configuration is rotated at a constant speed in the direction of the arrow z by the drive unit 40, and serves to receive the dried food A that has passed through the supply conveyor 12 and put it down on the discharge conveyor 14. .

The dried food (A) falling through the supply conveyor 12 completely descends in the direction of the arrow a on the transfer wing 35 that rises in time, and is accommodated in the space between the adjacent transfer wings 35. The dried food (A) housed between the transfer wings is turned over while passing in the direction of the arrow z together with the transfer wings 35, and slides in the direction of the arrow b in an upside down state and is loaded onto the discharge conveyor 14.

The driving unit 40 is for rotating the reverse rotor 30, is installed outside the cabinet 20, and is installed on the outside of the motor 41 to output a rotational force by the power applied from the outside, the drive shaft of the motor 41 A fixed driving sprocket 41a, a driven sprocket 33 fixed to one end of the shaft 31, and a chain 43 connecting the driving sprocket 41a and the driven sprocket 33 are provided.

The driving unit 40 operates by receiving a signal from the control unit 22 to rotate the reverse rotor 30 at a set speed through the chain 43. The rotational speed of the reverse rotor 30 can be adjusted through the control unit 22.

In addition, the dust removal unit 47 acts to blow air into the shaft 31 of the reverse rotor so that the air is ejected through the air outlet 31a between the transfer blades. The ejected air plays a role of blowing dust off the dried food temporarily stored between the transfer wings. Impurities such as dust removed from the dried food are discharged to the outside through the exhaust part 18.

The dust removal unit 47 includes a blower 45 installed outside the cabinet 20 and controlled by the control unit 22, and a filter 46 that filters air generated from the blower 45. The filter 46 is installed on the air tube 45a from the blower 45 to the shaft 31 and serves to purify the air directed to the shaft 31. By the filter 46, air in a state in which foreign matter such as dust has been removed is pressed into the shaft 31.

On the other hand, the discharge conveyor 14 has a mesh belt 14a for circulating movement as serving to receive the dry food A in an upside down state by the reverse rotor 30 and transport it horizontally and guide it to the outside of the cabinet.

The height of the discharge conveyor 14 is lower than that of the supply conveyor 12. That is, the height of the conveying path provided by the discharge conveyor 14 is lower than the height of the conveying path provided by the supply conveyor 12. In this way, by designing the height of the discharge conveyor 14 to be lower than that of the supply conveyor 12, the movement of the dried food A through the reverse rotor 30 can be implemented smoothly.

That is, the dried food A that has passed through the supply conveyor 12 falls between the transfer blades 35 of the reverse rotor 30 in the direction of arrow a by the action of gravity, and also falls between the transfer blades 35 The dried food (A) can slide down toward the discharge conveyor 14 in the direction of arrow b.

The secondary light pulse generator 17 sterilizes (the remaining portion of the dried food that has not yet been sterilized) by applying a light pulse to the upper surface of the dry food A in an upside down state by riding the reverse rotor 30. Plays a role. The light pulse irradiated downward from the light pulse lamp 17a inside the secondary light pulse generator 17 is irradiated to the surface of the dried food A passing through the lower portion to perform sterilization. The dry food (A) sterilization is finished through the secondary light pulse generator 17. The secondary light pulse generating unit 17 is also controlled by the control unit 22.

The control unit 22 is located outside the cabinet 20 and is operated by an operator, the supply conveyor 12, the discharge conveyor 14, the motor 41, the blower 45, and the first and second optical pulses. A control signal for controlling the generators 16 and 17 is output.

3 is a cutaway perspective view of a reverse rotor 30 that can be applied to the dry food sterilization apparatus 10 using an optical pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the same reference numerals as the above-described reference numerals denote the same members having the same function.

The reverse rotor 30 shown in FIG. 3 has a shaft 31 having a plurality of air outlets 31a formed thereon, and a plurality of transfer blades 35 fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft but having a screen 35b. .

The transfer blade 35 includes a screen 35b, a square frame 35a, and a side wall 35c. The screen 35b is a mesh-like sheet having a certain mesh and supports the dried food. Dried food (A) is supported by the screen (35b) can maintain a state accommodated between the neighboring transfer blades (35). In addition, foreign substances such as dust separated from the dried food (A) may pass through the screen (35b).

The square frame (35a) is a member that is coupled to the rim of the screen (35b) and is fixed to the periphery of the shaft (31), and supports the screen (35b) in a taut state. The coupling of the square frame 35a to the shaft 31 may be a welding method.

In addition, the side wall (35c) is a locking protrusion integrally formed at both ends of the square frame (35a) in the width direction, and prevents the dried food from deviating outward in the width direction of the square frame (35a). The above-described width direction is the longitudinal direction of the shaft 31.

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-out side view of a reverse rotor 30 of another type that can be applied to the dry food sterilization apparatus 10 using an optical pulse according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a transfer blade shown in FIG. Is a perspective view of.

As shown, the reverse rotor 30 of another type, the shaft 31 in the form of a hollow pipe, a plurality of conveying blades 35 fixed at an equal angle to the periphery of the shaft 31, and each of the conveying blades 35 It consists of a plurality of included optical pulse lamps (37a), a distribution module (39) embedded in the shaft (31).

The transfer blade 35 includes a rotary case 35e and an optical pulse output plate 37. The rotary case 35e is a case that is opened radially with respect to the rotational center axis of the shaft 31 and provides a transfer space 35f therein. The cross-sectional area of the rotary case 35e increases as the distance from the shaft 31 increases. The transfer space 35f is a space for temporarily accommodating the dried food flowing in the direction of the arrow a, and the slopes and the bottom surface are blocked. The bottom surface is also the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 31.

When the rotary case 35e is inclined downward, the dried food accommodated in the transfer space 35f exits in the direction of arrow b by the action of gravity and is loaded onto the discharge conveyor 14.

In addition, a plurality of lamp mounting holes 35g are formed on both side walls of the rotary case 35e. The lamp mounting hole 35g is a through hole and accommodates the optical pulse lamp 37a therein. The optical pulse lamp 37a operates by a signal transmitted from the outside to apply an optical pulse inside the transfer space 35f. The dry food (A) accommodated in the transfer space (35f) is sterilized while moving from the supply conveyor (12) to the discharge conveyor (14).

The optical pulse output plate 37 includes the optical pulse lamp 37a as a plate-shaped member having a circuit pattern (not shown) embedded therein and fixed to the outer surface of the rotary case 35e. The optical pulse lamp 37a operates in a state connected to a circuit inside the optical pulse output plate 37.

In addition, each optical pulse output plate 37 is connected to the distribution module 39 through a signal cable 37b. The distribution module 39 is installed inside the shaft 31 and transmits an electric signal applied from the outside to each optical pulse output plate 37 through a signal cable 37b.

In the dry food sterilization apparatus 10 using the optical pulse according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the supply conveyor 12, the reverse rotor 30, and the discharge conveyor 14 are controlled by the control unit 22. At the same time, the first and second light pulse generators 16 and 17 and the light pulse lamp 37a sterilize the dry food A, so that a large amount of dry food can be quickly sterilized.

In the above, the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

10: sterilization device 12: supply conveyor 12a: mesh belt
14: discharge conveyor 14a: mesh belt 16: 1 light-shielding pulse generator
16a: optical pulse lamp 17: secondary light pulse generator 17a: optical pulse lamp
18: exhaust part 20: cabinet 20a: treatment space
22: control unit 24: bearing 30: reverse rotor
31: shaft 31a: air outlet 33: driven sprocket
35: feed wing 35a: square frame 35b: screen
35c: side wall 35e: rotary case 35f: transfer space
35g: Lamp mounting hole 37: Optical pulse output plate 37a: Optical pulse lamp
37b: signal cable 39: distribution module 40: drive unit
41: motor 41a: driving sprocket 43: chain
45: blower 45a: air tube 46: filter
47: dust removal unit

Claims (4)

The dry food supplied from the outside is transported, and a part of the dried food is sterilized first, and then turned over to sterilize the remaining part.
A cabinet providing a processing space;
A supply conveyor that is partially included in the cabinet and guides dry food supplied from the outside to the inside of the cabinet;
A first light pulse generator installed on the top of the supply conveyor in the cabinet and sterilizing a portion of the dried food by applying a light pulse to the dried food during transport;
A reverse rotor that is rotatably installed on the downstream side of the supply conveyor and turns over the dried food that has passed through the supply conveyor to expose the unsterilized portion to the upper side;
A driving unit that rotates the reverse rotor;
A discharge conveyor installed on a downstream side of the reverse rotor and for receiving and horizontally transporting the dried food in a reversed state by the reverse rotor and guiding it to the outside of the cabinet;
A secondary light pulse generating unit positioned above the discharge conveyor in the cabinet and performing sterilization by applying a light pulse to the dried food conveyed by the discharge conveyor;
Dry food sterilization device using a light pulse comprising a control unit for controlling the first and second light pulse generating unit and the driving unit. The method of claim 1,
The reverse rotor is;
A shaft that is horizontally installed so as to be axially rotatable between the supply conveyor and the discharge conveyor, takes the form of a hollow pipe with one end, and has a plurality of air outlets at the periphery, and is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the shaft. It is arranged at an equal angle as a standard, and includes a plurality of transfer blades to move the dried food delivered from the supply conveyor and place it on the discharge conveyor,
By pressing air into the shaft of the reverse rotor, the air is blown through the air outlet through the transfer blades to blow off the dust of the dried food located between the transfer blades. A dust removal unit having a filter to filter the generated air,
A dry food sterilization device using an optical pulse that is disposed on the upper side of the cabinet and further includes an exhaust unit for exhausting the air inside the cabinet to the outside. The method of claim 2,
The transfer wing is;
A square-shaped screen that supports the dried food and passes dust,
A square frame coupled to the rim of the screen and fixed to the periphery of the shaft,
Dry food sterilization device using an optical pulse formed integrally at both ends of the square frame in the width direction and including a side wall that prevents the dried food from escaping outward in the width direction of the square frame. The method of claim 1,
The reverse rotor is;
A shaft horizontally installed so as to be axially rotatable between the supply conveyor and the discharge conveyor and taking the shape of a hollow pipe;
A plurality of rotary cases disposed equiangular on the periphery of the shaft, which are opened radially with respect to the central axis of the shaft, and have a transfer space for receiving and temporarily receiving dry food from the supply conveyor and then placing it on the discharge conveyor,
A plurality of light pulse lamps mounted on the rotary case and irradiating light pulses in the transfer space;
Dry food sterilization apparatus using optical pulses installed inside the shaft and having a distribution module supplying power applied from the outside to the optical pulse lamps mounted in each rotary case.

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