RU2822042C1 - Autoclave-steriliser for preservation and preparation of food products at home conditions - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: food industry.

SUBSTANCE: autoclave comprises a housing with a cover, inside which a removable loading container with a cover can be located. In the gap between the bottom of the loading container and the bottom of the housing there is a heat electric heater and a temperature sensor connected to an electronic control unit. In the lower part of the housing there is an electromagnetic valve for draining the heat carrier from the working volume of the autoclave, which is also connected to the control unit. Internal volume of the autoclave housing is cooled by means of a heat exchanger detachably fixed on the autoclave cover, with circulation of the heat carrier supplied from the external pipeline.

EFFECT: invention provides sterilization of food products in rigid and soft package.

3 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The claimed invention relates to the food industry, namely to canning by sterilization and preparation of food products in hermetically sealed containers and is intended for use at home.

Home canning is traditionally common in our country. And although a fairly wide range of canned food products has recently appeared on sale, many continue to prepare at home, since, as a rule, canned food is home-produced, and even if it is made from independently grown vegetables, fruits, meat, and poultry , fish caught in an ecologically clean river or other body of water, or mushrooms collected by knowledgeable mushroom pickers, etc. much tastier and healthier.

Sterilization is the most common method of food preservation (see, for example, Yastrebov S.M., Massover A.M. Sterilization of canned food. - M.: Pishchepromizdat, 1961.). Sterilization in hermetically sealed containers is usually carried out in special hermetically sealed devices - autoclaves, consisting of a container into which water is poured and the jars to be sterilized are placed. There are various types and designs of household autoclaves and sterilizers (see, for example, patents for inventions No. 2027394, 2083141, 2087106, utility model certificate No. 6973, etc.).

The closest to the claimed one is the autoclave-sterilizer according to the certificate of invention No. 2800473, published on July 21, 2023. Bulletin No. 21. It includes a housing with a loading container with a lid, pressed against the housing using clamping devices consisting of rods with clamps; a sealing gasket is installed between the housing and the lid. In this case, the autoclave-sterilizer is equipped with a thermal electric heating element located in the gap between the supporting bottom of the cassette and the bottom of the housing, and the bottom of the housing is equipped with a support rim along the perimeter, and a temperature sensor connected to the control unit is attached to its outer surface, in addition, in the lower part of the housing an outlet pipe for draining water is installed, equipped with an electromagnetic valve, also connected to the control unit. The housing cover is equipped with a safety valve. The inner surface of the cover is made with an edge bent downwards and is equipped with an annular rim, and a sealing gasket is placed between them. The sides of the housing are also bent to prevent destruction of the sealing gasket. The lid clamping devices are made in the form of threaded rods on one side, and in the form of bent handles on the other. The temperature sensor is attached to the bottom of the housing with a clamping bar.

In this case, the container is made in the form of a cassette for cans with a lid or a perforated basket with a lid for placing retort packages with soft food products in it. The control unit additionally provides a special program for this.

This autoclave-sterilizer allows you to preserve products at home in both hard and soft packaging, using the same basic apparatus.

However, with its help it is only possible to preserve products; moreover, cooling is carried out by draining the hot coolant from the working tank, which leads to a sharp drop in pressure inside the autoclave body. Canning in soft packaging and preparing food in sealed packaging does not allow sudden changes in pressure to avoid compromising the integrity of the packaging. Currently available devices for autoclaving products equipped with heat exchangers provide for their installation directly into the body, which makes it impossible to clean or replace them without destroying the autoclave body.

The objective of the proposed technical solution is to expand the functionality of the autoclave, namely to provide the opportunity at home, without much difficulty, not only to preserve products in hard and soft packaging, but also to prepare food products that require the presence of sealed packaging. In addition, it is necessary to ensure cooling of the working volume without sudden pressure drops.

This task is achieved by the fact that the autoclave-sterilizer for canning food products in hard and soft packaging, as well as preparing food products in sealed packaging at home, contains a housing with a lid, inside of which a removable loading container is placed, allowing for canning or cooking products, lid the housing is hermetically fixed to the housing using clamping devices and a sealing gasket and has a safety valve; in the gap between the bottom of the loading container and the bottom of the housing there is a thermal electric heater and a temperature sensor connected to the electronic control unit; in addition, an electromagnetic valve for draining water is installed in the lower part of the housing, also connected to the control unit; a heat exchanger is detachably attached to the inside of the housing cover, made with the possibility of controlled supply of coolant from an external pipeline. At the same time, the electronic control unit contains programs for preserving products in hard and soft packaging, as well as preparing food products that require placing them in sealed packaging. The controlled supply of coolant from an external pipeline is carried out manually or automatically.

The ability not only to preserve products, but also to prepare food at home without much difficulty is achieved by equipping the proposed autoclave-sterilizer with a thermal electric heater, a temperature sensor and an electronic control unit with control programs installed in it that set temperature and time conditions corresponding to the sterilization or cooking program food product, as well as placing a heat exchanger on the inside of the lid of the autoclave-sterilizer using a detachable connection. Cooling the working volume of the autoclave using a heat exchanger does not involve draining the coolant, which does not lead to a sharp pressure drop accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the packaging. The heat exchanger is located in the working volume of the autoclave in such a way that it can be cleaned, repaired or replaced without much effort.

In fig. 1 shows the inventive autoclave-sterilizer for canning and preparing food products at home with a removable loading container in the form of a cassette for products in solid packaging, and FIG. 2 - also for food products with a loading container in the form of a removable perforated basket intended for food products in soft packaging.

A universal autoclave-sterilizer (Fig. 1, 2) includes a housing 1 with a lid 2, pressed to the housing using clamping devices consisting of rods 3 with clamps 4. A sealing gasket 5 is placed between the housing 1 and the lid 2. In the gap between the bottom of the loading chamber container and the bottom of the housing 1 there is a thermal electric heater 6 and a temperature sensor 7 connected to the electronic control unit 8. An electromagnetic valve 9 is installed in the lower part of the housing 1 to drain the coolant from the working volume of the autoclave, also connected to the control unit 8. On the cover 2 of the housing 1 is installed safety valve 10. To cool the working volume of the autoclave-sterilizer, a heat exchanger 11 is detachably installed on the inside of the cover 2, made with the possibility of adjustable supply of coolant from an external pipeline. The possibility of controlled coolant supply can be provided manually by installing, for example, shut-off valves or automatically by installing a solenoid valve.

In this case, the removable loading container 12 is made in the form of a cassette for preserving foods in rigid packaging (Fig. 1) or a perforated basket (Fig. 2) for preserving food products in soft packaging (retort bags) or preparing food products in sealed packaging. The control unit 8 contains appropriate programs that make it possible to use the autoclave for sterilization or preparation of food.

The device works as follows. The loading container 12 is installed in the housing 1 and the coolant is poured. After this, the housing 1, using clamping devices consisting of rods 3 with clamps 4, is hermetically sealed with a lid 2 using a sealing gasket 5 located between the housing and the lid. Then the autoclave-sterilizer is connected to the network.

The electronic control unit 8 sets temperature and time modes corresponding to the sterilization program or preparation of a food product by pressing buttons on the front panel from the available list, or, if individual parameters are required, they are set independently. During the sterilization or preparation process, the excess pressure in the housing is controlled by a safety valve 10, which prevents the possibility of an emergency when it increases. The set temperature in the autoclave is maintained by the thermal electric heater 6 based on a signal from the temperature sensor 7. The signal is sent to the electronic control unit 8 and from there is transmitted to the thermal electric heater 6. Upon completion of the process, the electronic control unit 8, in which the timer is installed, turns off the thermal electric heater 6, and heating stops. At the same time, light and sound signals are given, notifying the end of the process. After this, the coolant is supplied to the heat exchanger 11 to cool the working volume of the autoclave. In this case, the volumetric flow rate of the coolant in the heat exchanger is calculated so that the working volume of the autoclave is cooled in no less than 30-40 minutes. The start of the cooling process immediately after completion of sterilization or preparation of products prevents an increase in temperature processing time unforeseen by the technological regime, leading to deterioration in product quality, and the cooling speed ensures gradual cooling of cans or bags, which avoids sudden temperature changes that can cause damage to the integrity of the packaging. At the end of the cooling process, the loading container 12 is removed. If it is necessary to put the autoclave into storage, the coolant is drained from the working volume of housing 1 by opening the electromagnetic valve 9. This design of the autoclave-sterilizer provides the ability to prepare high-quality home canned food from a variety of products using technological modes developed by specialists, i.e. the device acquires a universal purpose and makes it possible, with the same device, to successfully preserve food products in hard and soft packaging and prepare food products that require their hermetically sealed packaging.

Claims (3)

1. An autoclave-sterilizer for preserving food products in hard and soft packaging, as well as preparing food products in sealed packaging at home, characterized by the fact that it contains a body with a lid, inside of which a removable loading container is placed, allowing canning or cooking products, the housing cover is hermetically fixed to the housing using clamping devices and a sealing gasket and has a safety valve; in the gap between the bottom of the loading container and the bottom of the housing there is a thermal electric heater and a temperature sensor connected to the electronic control unit; in addition, an electromagnetic valve for draining water is installed in the lower part of the housing, also connected to the control unit; a heat exchanger is detachably attached to the inside of the housing cover, made with the possibility of controlled supply of coolant from an external pipeline. 2. The autoclave according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic control unit contains programs for preserving products in hard and soft packaging, as well as preparing food products that require placing them in sealed packaging. 3. The autoclave according to claim 1, characterized in that the controlled supply of coolant from an external pipeline is carried out manually or automatically.