TW201936060A - Frozen confectionary material molding device and frozen confectionary material molding method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a frozen confectionary material molding device and a frozen confectionary material molding method with which a frozen confectionary material can be produced continuously, with improved production efficiency and a good molding finish, when a recess is to be continuously molded into the frozen confectionary material using a mold. A frozen confectionary material molding device 10 that continuously hardens a portion of a frozen confectionary material 23 in a hollow recessed shape, the device comprising: a conveyance means 11 that conveys a plurality of containers 21; a filling means 13 that fills the frozen confectionary material 23 into the containers 21; a molding means 15 that sequentially inserts and withdraws a cooled protrusion-shaped mold 151 into the frozen confectionary material 23 that is conveyed so as to at least partially harden the frozen confectionary material 23 around the mold 151; and a coolant supply means 17 that supplies a coolant to the mold 151. The mold 151 is cooled to a predetermined temperature between the hardening of a first frozen confectionary material and the hardening of a second frozen confectionary material that are continuously conveyed while performing a predetermined number of hardenings in a predetermined duration of time.

Description

Frozen sweet food forming device and frozen sweet food forming method

The present invention relates to a frozen confection material forming apparatus and a frozen confection material forming method for molding a part of a frozen confectionery material such as ice cream or smoothie.

Conventionally, a shapeable container for injecting a recess (concave portion) for beverages such as coffee, fruit juice, or alcohol into a frozen confectionery (ice confection) such as ice cream has been widely known. According to the molding container as described above, a beverage such as coffee, fruit juice or alcohol is injected into a depression of a frozen confection, and a frozen confection is mixed, whereby a frozen beverage (frozen beverage) can be easily produced.

As an example of the above-described molded container, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a container lid including a conical convex portion, whereby the container lid can form a conical concave frozen confection in the center portion of the frozen confection (ice Sweets) container.

In addition, in recent years, in a convenience supermarket, etc., a special brewing machine for arranging coffee or the like has been promoted, and a consumer can purchase a system of beverages by himself.

Further, in a convenience supermarket, etc., a frozen confection manufactured by using the frozen confectionery container described in Patent Document 1 is also provided, and the consumer can purchase the frozen confection in a frozen state together with the beverage, and mix the beverage in the store. Frozen confections become a dietable service. The above-described frozen confectionery container is configured such that the container lid is removed and the frozen confection is made into a concave portion, and the consumer can use the concave portion to flatten the frozen confection and inject a diet such as a beverage.

With the promotion of the above services, the need to flatten frozen confections and form frozen confections with recesses that allow beverages to be poured has also increased dramatically, and it is expected to enhance the production efficiency of frozen confections in order to fully supply the market (formation of frozen confections) Improvement in efficiency).
[Previous Technical Literature]
[Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 5562273

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, there are various methods for manufacturing a frozen confection having a concave portion, and there is still room for research. Specifically, for example, when the container lid described in Patent Document 1 is used, the special shape may be more costly than the lid of the general frozen dessert material.

Further, it is also possible to form a concave portion (a frozen confectionery material into a concave shape) in a frozen confectionery material by using a container mold without using the above-described container lid, but at this time, the production efficiency is improved for continuous production, and the molding processing is good. Still not known.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the problems of the prior art, and provides a frozen sweet food material which can be continuously produced while forming a concave portion in a frozen mold by continuously forming a molded mold while improving the production efficiency. The forming apparatus and the frozen sweet material forming method are for the purpose.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention relates to a frozen confectionery material forming apparatus which continuously solidifies a part of a frozen confectionery material into a hollow concave shape, and has a conveying means for conveying a plurality of containers, and a filling means for filling the frozen confectionery material into the container; Forming means for sequentially discharging and extracting at least a part of the frozen confectionery material around the molding die, and cooling means for supplying the refrigerant to the forming die The molding die is configured to be cooled to a predetermined temperature during a period from the curing of the continuously conveyed first frozen confection material to the curing of the second frozen confection material while performing a predetermined amount of hardening for a predetermined period of time.

Further, the present invention is a method for molding a frozen confectionery material in which a part of a frozen confectionery material is continuously cured into a hollow concave shape, characterized in that it has a step of conveying a plurality of containers, and a step of filling the frozen confectionery material into the container; a step of sequentially injecting and extracting at least a portion of the frozen confectionery material around the forming mold into the frozen confectionery material of the convex molding die after cooling; and a step of supplying the refrigerant to the forming mold, the forming mold The predetermined amount of hardening is performed for a predetermined period of time, and is cooled to a predetermined temperature from the curing of the continuously conveyed first frozen confectionery material to the curing of the second frozen confectionery material.

[Effect of the invention]

According to the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus and the frozen confectionery material forming method according to the present invention, when the frozen confectionery material is continuously formed into the concave portion, it is possible to achieve an excellent effect of improving the production efficiency and the molding process.

Hereinafter, the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 of the present invention will be described in detail using the drawings.

<Overall composition>
Fig. 1 is a view showing a completed state of a frozen confection (ice confection) 50 in which a concave portion is formed in a frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view, and Fig. 2(b) is an appearance. perspective. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10, and Fig. 3 is a view showing a molding die unit 151U, and Fig. 2(a) is a front view, and Fig. 2(b) is a top view, and Fig. The appearance of the forming die 151 is the same as that of the drawing (d).

Further, for the convenience of explanation, in the definition of various directions of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10, the first direction from the upstream to the downstream direction (the direction from the left to the right in the first drawing) is referred to as the conveyance direction T, The second direction in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction T is the conveyance width direction W, and the third direction which is orthogonal to the conveyance direction T and the conveyance width direction W (the vertical direction in the same drawing) is the conveyance height direction H. .

As shown in Fig. 1, the frozen confection (ice confection) 50 is housed in a cup-shaped container 21, and is frozen in a state in which the concave portion 30 is formed in a substantially central portion. In the present embodiment, the shape of the recessed portion 30 is a substantially conical shape in which the top portion is located below. However, the shape of the recessed portion 30 is not limited to this shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape, a prismatic shape, or a hemispherical shape. The inside of the recess 30 is a hollow portion.

Referring to Fig. 2, the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 is a molding apparatus that continuously hardens (freezes) a part of the frozen confectionery material 23 into a hollow concave shape, and has a conveying means 11, a filling means 13, a forming means 15, and a refrigerant supply means 17. And a refrigerant injection means 19. The various parts of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 are collectively controlled by a control unit. The control unit is composed of a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and performs various controls. The CPU is a so-called central processing unit that executes various programs to implement various functions. The RAM is used as a work area of the CPU. The ROM is a basic OS and program that the memory CPU executes.

The conveyance device 11 is, for example, a conveyance belt device that continuously conveys the plurality of containers 21, and arranges a plurality of containers 21 (for example, five to ten or the like) in the conveyance width direction W, and conveys them intermittently in the conveyance direction T, for example. Here, the container 21 is a main body in a frozen sweet edible container (container for frozen confectionery material) having a cup-shaped main body (see Fig. 1) and a lid body (not shown).

The filling means 13 is a stirring and filling machine 13 in which the frozen confectionery material 23 is sequentially filled in the container 21 conveyed by the conveyance means 11. The frozen confectionery material 23 is a raw material such as a shaved ice product. After the agitating and filling machine 13 is shaved by, for example, an ice shaving device (not shown), the frozen confectionery material 23 in which the ice and the ice cream are mixed and mixed by the linear crusher (not shown) is filled and identified in the agitating and filling machine 13. The container 21 that moves under the conveyance height direction H fills the container 21 with a predetermined amount of the frozen confectionery material 23. At the time of filling, the excess line of the frozen confectionery material 23 is adjusted, for example, to 10% to 30%.

The molding means 15 is a concave portion forming device 15 which is disposed above the conveying means 11 and continuously hardens at least a part of the frozen confectionery material 23 into a hollow concave shape. The recess forming apparatus 15 has at least a convex molding die 151 after cooling, and a driving means 153 for moving up and down in the conveying height direction H (up-and-down direction), and filling the container 21 to sequentially insert the forming die 151 into the concave forming device. The frozen confectionery material 23 carried under the 15 is taken out from the frozen confectionery material 23 or extracted from the frozen confectionery material 23. Thereby, at least a part of the frozen confectionery material 23 around the forming die 151 (the frozen confectionery material 23 abutting on the surface of the forming die 151) is also continuously cooled and hardened (frozen) into a hollow concave shape. The molding die 151 is formed into the shape of the concave portion 30 shown in Fig. 1, and the entire frozen confectionery material 23 is not cured in the concave portion molding device 15, and the first step is to heat-harden (hereafter, only harden) in the downstream step. The figure shows a frozen dessert 50.

The refrigerant supply means 17 is a means for supplying the refrigerant to the forming die 151 to cool the forming die 151 from the storage tank (not shown) through the pipe 175. In an example of the present embodiment, liquid nitrogen (liquefied nitrogen: LN2) is used as the refrigerant. The refrigerant supply means 17 causes the liquefied nitrogen in the pipe 175 to be in a supercooled state, and stably supplies the liquefied nitrogen to the recess forming device 15.

The refrigerant injection device 19 is a liquid nitrogen injection device that directly injects a refrigerant (liquid nitrogen) into a concave portion of the frozen confection material 23 after the concave portion molding device 15 is cured.

<Concave forming device>
Referring to Fig. 3, the recess forming device 15 is provided with a forming die unit 151U in which a plurality of forming dies 151 are integrally attached. The plural molding die 151 is arranged in a matrix along the conveyance direction T and the conveyance width direction W, and the number of conveyance width directions W is the number of the containers 21 conveyed by the conveyance means 11. Further, in the transport direction T, in this example, the plurality of forming dies 151 (the same figure (a) and the same figure (b)) are arranged in front and rear (upstream side and downstream side).

Specifically, the recess forming device 15 has the first forming die 151A on the upstream side (the same as the figure (a) and the left side in the same figure (b)) in the conveyance direction T, and the downstream side (the same figure (a), The second forming die 151B in the same drawing (b) is the right side. Further, as described above, the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B are arranged in plural in the conveyance width direction W (the same figure (b)), but the following description will be given for convenience of the two first molding dies 151A and 2 forming die 151B.

Referring to the same figure (c) and the same figure (d), the forming die 151 (151A, 151B) is formed by molding a metal into a substantially conical shape, and the inner side is a hollow portion 159. The shape of the hollow portion 159 is a substantially conical shape along the outer shape, and an opening portion 157 is provided at a position opposed to the top portion T of the cone. Further, the top T position is attached to the hopper 173 (described later) in a state of being lowered downward in the conveyance height direction H, that is, in a downwardly convex state. The hollow portion 159 is supplied with liquid nitrogen through the hopper 173 to bring the substantially conical outer surface into contact with the frozen confection material 23.

The metal of the molding die 151 is a material which has no problem even if it is in direct contact with the food, and is a material which is highly heat-transferable to the extent that the frozen confectionery material 23 is efficiently exchanged, and which is easy to process, such as a substantially conical shape as shown, for example, Stainless steel (SUS304). Further, the same figure shows that the plate thickness D of the substantially conical portion in the completed state is substantially uniform across the whole, for example, 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, preferably 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm, and more preferably 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. An example of the present embodiment is such that the thickness D of the forming die 151 is 0.5 mm.

Further, at least the outer surface 151O which is in contact with the frozen confectionery material 23 is subjected to surface treatment by electrolytic polishing, for example. Further, for example, the outer surface may be subjected to processing such as preventing the adhesion of the frozen confectionery material 23 (concavo-convex processing or water-repellent processing, etc.).

Further, the metal is a material which has no problem in direct contact with the food, and can have a high thermal conductivity to the extent that the frozen confectionery material 23 is efficiently exchanged with heat, and is not limited to stainless steel as long as it is a material which is easy to process. For example, the metal of the forming die 151 may also be a gunmetal (an alloy of copper (Cu) and tin (Sn)): Gun metal). The thermal conductivity of the gunmetal is 3 to 4 times higher than that of the stainless steel, and the heat exchange with the frozen confectionery material 23 is also good. On the other hand, the hardness is lower than that of the stainless steel, but since it has a high thermal conductivity, it can form a thicker plate thickness D than the above-mentioned stainless steel, and it is easy to compensate for the processing. Further, the two molding dies 151A and 151B of the present embodiment have the same configuration.

The forming die unit 151U is relatively close to and away from the container 21. For example, the concave molding device 15 raises and lowers the molding die unit 151U so that the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B are simultaneously moved up and down, and are respectively introduced into the frozen confectionery material 23 or extracted from the frozen confectionery material 23. Further, the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B may not be lifted or lowered at the same time. Alternatively, the transport means 11 may be moved up and down so that the container 21 approaches and leaves the molding die unit 151U.

The pitch of the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B is equal to the pitch of the two containers 21 (the front and rear two rows) arranged along the conveyance direction T. Specifically, the distance L between the central axes of the substantially conical tops of the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B (see the same figure (a)) is a substantially cylindrical shape arranged in the front and rear along the conveying direction T. The distance between the central axes of the devices 21 is approximately equal. In other words, the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B arranged in the front-rear direction T in the conveyance direction T simultaneously form the concave portion with respect to the two frozen confections 23 arranged in the front-rear direction along the conveyance direction T (substantially). .

The recess forming device 15 moves the forming die 151 so that the forming die 151 is formed for a predetermined number of times at a predetermined time. That is, one forming die 151 is repeatedly loaded and withdrawn into the frozen confectionery material 23 with respect to at least two frozen confectionery materials 23 that are filled and continuously conveyed to the container 21, and as a result, hardening treatment is performed to form a molding die. At least a part of the frozen confectionery material 23 that is abutted around 151 has a hollow concave shape.

Further, one molding die 151 is a hardened frozen confectionery material (first frozen confectionery material) from the preceding (in the conveyance direction T) among the two frozen confectionery materials 23 continuously conveyed in the conveyance direction T. The treatment is cooled to a predetermined temperature until the curing process of the frozen confectionery material (second frozen confectionery material) in the subsequent (upstream of the conveyance direction T). In other words, the recess forming apparatus 15 is a hardening treatment of the frozen confectionery material 23 from the downstream side (in detail, extraction from the partially frozen confectionery material 23) to the upstream side of the frozen confectionery material 23 (re-injection). In the period until the mold 151 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, the forming die 151 is moved up and down.

Specifically, when one of the frozen confections 23 is focused on, the frozen confectionery material 23 that has not been cured is first hardened by a portion near the center by the first molding die 151A on the upstream side to form a thin state. In the portion 35 (see Fig. 4), the second molding die 151B inserted in the downstream side of the hardened portion 35 (recessed portion) is further (repeated) hardened. That is, the concave-shaped hardened portion 35 of one frozen confectionery material 23 is formed by repeating the insertion mold 151 (in this example, twice), and the concave portion of one frozen confectionery material 23 is a different molding die 151A, The 151B is formed by plugging and unplugging.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of molding dies 151 (151A, 151B) are lifted and lowered with respect to the frozen confectionery material 23 accommodated in the one container 21, and the concave portion-shaped hardened portion 35 is formed. Thereby, the time during which each of the molding dies 151A and 151B abuts on the frozen confectionery material 23 is shortened, and the temperature (heating temperature) of the molding dies 151A and 151B can be increased to a minimum. Further, by shortening the amount of contact time of one molding die 151, it is possible to maintain a state in which the curing is performed in a plurality of times by performing a plurality of molding processes on one curing portion 35 (transfer to a next step in a sufficient molding state).

Referring to Fig. 4, a description will be given of the recess 30 formed by the recess forming device 15. The same figure shows a state in which one of the frozen confections 23 is passed, and the same figure (a) is a state in which the first molding die 151A is cured (formed), and the same figure (b) is formed by the second molding. The state after the mold 151B is hardened (formed) is the state in which liquid nitrogen is injected in the same drawing (c).

As shown in (a), when the molding die 151 is cooled and lowered by a predetermined condition (time, which will be described later), only a part of the frozen confectionery material 23 that is in contact with the molding die 151 is cured. Further, as shown in the figure, the hardened portion 35 in a thin state in which the shape of the forming die 151 is formed is shown. By the formation of the hardened portion 35, the concave portion 30 is created in the vicinity of the center of the frozen confectionery material 23.

In addition, as shown in (b), when the additional hardening is performed by the second time (second molding die 151B), the hardened portions 35 in the thin state are stacked in two layers. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the hardened portion 35 from collapsing as compared with the case of one layer.

Further, as shown in the diagram (c), the liquid nitrogen 37 is injected into the inside of the hardened portion 35 by the liquid nitrogen injection device 19. The frozen confectionery material 23 near the bottom portion in contact with the liquid nitrogen 37 is also hardened (the hardened portion 35 is further widened). Since the vicinity of the bottom of the frozen confectionery material 23 is hardened, even if the hardening of the frozen confectionery material 23 in the vicinity of the opening portion is insufficient, the load can be withstand, and the collapse of the hardened portion 35 can be further prevented.

Further, by increasing the number (the number of times) of the forming molds for inserting and removing one frozen confection material 23, the number of laminations of the hardened portions 35 in the thin state can be increased, and the collapse of the hardened portion 35 can be effectively prevented, but the downstream step can be slowed down ( Transfer of the rapid freezer). Further, depending on the composition of the frozen confectionery material 23, the degree of hardening is also different. Therefore, the above-described processing conditions (operating conditions) or the number of times of molding of the forming die 151 can be appropriately selected in accordance with the processing efficiency, the composition of the frozen confectionery material 23, and the like.

<Refrigerant supply means>
Referring again to Fig. 2, a refrigerant supply means (liquid nitrogen supply means) 17 includes a liquid nitrogen storage tank (not shown), a liquid nitrogen subcooling system 171, a hopper 173, and a piping 175 that connects the refrigerant. As shown in Fig. 3, the hopper 173 has, for example, a substantially cubic shape, and a supply port (not shown) is provided at the bottom. At this bottom, a molding die unit 151U is attached, and the opening portion 157 of the molding die 151 (151A, 151B) is a supply port that completely covers the hopper 173 and communicates therewith.

The liquid nitrogen in the liquid nitrogen storage tank is supplied to the hopper 173 through the liquid nitrogen supercooling system 171 through the pipe 175, and is supplied from the supply port of the hopper 173 through the opening 157 of the forming die 151 to the hollow portion 159 of the forming die 151. The hopper 173 is provided with a liquid level sensor at the upper portion, and the solenoid valve is switched to maintain the liquid nitrogen level at an arbitrary position, and the liquid nitrogen is automatically supplied to the hollow portion 159 of the forming mold 151. Thereby, the forming die 151 is cooled.

The liquid nitrogen supercooling system 171 is a device that can stably supply the cooled liquid nitrogen (for example, a subcooler manufactured by COOL TECHNOS Co., Ltd.). Although it is an existing product, detailed description thereof is omitted, but the liquid nitrogen in the pipe 175 is supercooled. The boiling point of liquid nitrogen at 1 atm is a very low temperature of -196 ° C, and when the distance from the liquid nitrogen storage tank to the point of use becomes long, the liquid nitrogen in the pipe 175 is vaporized (nitrogen: GN 2 ), and the end (hopper 173) The supply of liquid nitrogen, etc., becomes unstable, or pulsation occurs when a liquid nitrogen nozzle or the like is used, resulting in a phenomenon that it cannot be controlled in a small amount. In the present embodiment, the liquid nitrogen supercooling device 171 is placed in the vicinity of the hopper 173, and the liquid nitrogen in the pipe 175 is supercooled, so that the liquid nitrogen can be stably supplied to the hopper 173.

<Liquid nitrogen injection device>
The liquid nitrogen injection device 19 is disposed downstream of the concave portion forming device 15 and directly injects a predetermined amount of liquid nitrogen into the concave portion of the frozen confectionery material 23 formed by the concave portion forming device 15. By the injection of the liquid nitrogen, the hardening portion 35 and the vicinity thereof can be more sufficiently hardened (additional hardening treatment is performed), and the collapse of the hardened portion 35 until the downstream step is prevented.

The liquid nitrogen injection device 19 has a hopper 191 and an injection nozzle 193, and is connected to a liquid nitrogen supercooling system 171 by a pipe 175. The liquid nitrogen in the liquid nitrogen storage tank is also supplied to the hopper 191 through the piping 175 through the liquid nitrogen supercooling system 171. The hopper 191 is provided with an injection nozzle 193 from which liquid nitrogen is automatically supplied toward the hardened portion 35 of the frozen confectionery material 23. Although liquid nitrogen is continuously injected from the injection nozzle 193, a needle valve (not shown) is provided between the hopper 191 and the injection nozzle 193, and the amount of liquid nitrogen injected can be adjusted by the degree of opening.

The liquid nitrogen after the injection is vaporized while the frozen confectionery material 23 reaches the downstream end side of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10. After the liquid nitrogen gas after the injection, a lid (not shown) is attached to the container 21. The lid body is attached to the container 21 by, for example, a lid mounting device (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the downstream of the frozen dessert material forming device 10, and the frozen confectionery material 23 is closed. The lid body may be, for example, a lid portion having a convex portion (substantially conical shape) which is the same as the molding die 151 along the formed concave portion, or may have a convex portion such as a film shape or A flat cover.

In the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the concave portion forming device 15 and the liquid nitrogen injecting device 19 form a concave portion-shaped hardened portion 35 in a substantially central portion of the frozen confectionery material 23. Then, the frozen confectionery material 23 on which the lid body is attached is discharged from the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 to a rapid freezer (not shown), and the unhardened frozen confectionery material 23 is cooled and hardened.

In the production of the frozen confectionery material 50 having the concave portion 30 in the vicinity of the center, the above-described concave portion forming device 15 (forming die 151) is used to control the concave portion forming device 15 and the liquid nitrogen injecting device 19, respectively. This improves the production efficiency and makes the forming process good. Hereinafter, the description will be given of the operation of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 and the method of forming the frozen confectionery material.

<Operation of Frozen Sweet Food Material Forming Apparatus and Method of Forming Frozen Sweet Food Material>
Referring to Figures 5 and 2, the operation of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 and the method of forming the frozen confection material will be described. Fig. 5 is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the concave portion forming device 15, and each of the left side is the upstream side and the right side is the downstream side in the fifth (a) to the same drawing (h), and the container 21 into which the frozen confectionery material 23 is loaded is Handle left to right in Figure 5.

First, referring to Fig. 2, an empty container 21 (a cup-shaped main body) is supplied to the upstream end portion of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10. The containers 21 are supplied to the transport means 11 in the transport width direction W, for example, by 8 to 10 pieces.

Downstream thereof is a container 21 that is carried in order, and the frozen confectionery material 23 is supplied from the agitating and filling machine 13. The agitating and filling machine 13 recognizes that the predetermined amount of frozen confectionery material 23 is filled into the container 21 by the container 21 moving downward.

Further, the liquid nitrogen in the liquid nitrogen storage tank (not shown) is supplied to the hopper 173 through the pipe 175 through the liquid nitrogen supercooling system 171, and is supplied from the supply port of the hopper 173 to the hollow portion 159 of the forming die 151. The hopper 173 is provided with a liquid level sensor at the upper portion, and the solenoid valve is switched to maintain the liquid nitrogen level at an arbitrary position, and the liquid nitrogen is automatically supplied to the hollow portion 159 of the forming mold 151. Thereby, the forming die 151 is cooled.

Further, the concave portion is formed by the concave portion forming device 15. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, the concave portion forming device 15 recognizes the container 21 moving downward, and lowers the molding die unit 151U (Fig. 5(a)). First, the frozen confectionery material 23 (unhardened frozen confection material 23) located on the downstream side of the two frozen confections 23 arranged in the conveyance direction T is placed in the first molding die 151A on the upstream side (5th) (b) Figure).

As shown in Fig. 4, the frozen confectionery material 23 is in contact with the first molding die 151A which is sufficiently cooled by liquid nitrogen, whereby the periphery of the first molding die 151A is cooled and hardened to form a cured portion 35 in a thin state. When the hardening treatment is focused on the first molding die 151A, it is a curing (first hardening) treatment with respect to the conventional frozen confection material 23 among the continuous molding processes. In addition, when focusing on the frozen confectionery material 23, the first hardening treatment is performed on the upstream side (upstream side hardening) treatment. Thereby, a hardened portion 35 having a substantially conical shape is formed along the outer surface of the first molding die 151A.

After a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 second to 2 seconds, preferably 1.5 seconds or more, more preferably about 1.33 seconds), the concave portion forming device 15 raises the first molding die 151A (forming die unit 151U) from the frozen sweetness. The foodstuff 23 is withdrawn (Fig. 5(c)). Further, in the present embodiment, the transport means 11 transports the container 21 (frozen confectionery material 23) intermittently downstream. That is, the container 21 (frozen confectionery material 23) does not move toward the downstream side during the molding of the forming die 151. Therefore, the forming die 151 (forming die unit 151U) is configured to perform only the lifting operation.

Further, the cooling time of the forming die 151 is an example, and the cooling time is preferably as long as possible, but the production capacity can be appropriately selected.

When the molding die unit 151U is raised, the conveying means 11 moves the container 21 (frozen confectionery material 23) in a row toward the conveying means T. The forming die unit 151U is lowered again (Fig. 5(d)). At this time, the second molding die 151B on the downstream side after the lowering is inserted into the concave portion (the fifth (e)) of the curing portion 35 which is formed by the first molding die 151A being cured (upstream side curing). The second molding die 151B is brought into contact with or close to the hardened portion 35, and is further cured. When the hardening treatment is focused on the second molding die 151B, it is a curing (first hardening) treatment with respect to the previous stirring in the continuous molding process. In addition, when the frozen confectionery material 23 is focused on, the second hardening treatment after the formation of the hardened portion 35 is performed as the downstream side hardening (downstream side hardening) treatment.

At the same time, on the upstream side, the first molding die 151A is placed in a new unprocessed frozen confectionery material 23, and the periphery of the first molding die 151A is cooled and hardened. When the hardening treatment is focused on the first molding die 151A, the curing (second curing) treatment with respect to the subsequent frozen confection material 23 is performed in the continuous molding process. In addition, when focusing on the frozen confectionery material 23, the first hardening treatment is performed on the upstream side (upstream side hardening) treatment.

When the molding die unit 151U is raised after a predetermined time (for example, 1 second to 2 seconds, preferably about 1.5 seconds, more preferably about 1.33 seconds) (the fifth (f) diagram), the conveying means 11 is moved toward the conveying means T is a row of moving containers 21 (frozen confectionery material 23). The forming die unit 151U is lowered again (Fig. 5(g)). At this time, the second molding die 151B on the downstream side after the lowering is inserted into the cured portion 35 of the frozen confectionery material 23 (the frozen confectionery material 23 on the downstream side) formed by the first molding die 151A being cured (upstream side hardened). (Fig. 5(h)). The second molding die 151B is brought into contact with or close to the hardened portion 35, and is further cured. When the hardening treatment is focused on the second molding die 151B, it is a curing (second curing) treatment of the frozen confectionery material 23 in the subsequent molding process. In addition, when focusing on the frozen confectionery material 23, it is a hardening (downstream side hardening) process of the downstream side for the 2nd hardening process.

By repeating this, the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B continuously form the concave portion-shaped cured portion 35 in the frozen confectionery material 23, respectively. In other words, the first molding die 151A repeats the curing treatment (first curing treatment) of the un-cured frozen confectionery material 23 and the curing treatment (second curing treatment) of the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 which is not cured. Similarly, in the second molding die 151B, the curing process (first hardening treatment) of the frozen confectionery material 23 in which the curing portion 35 is formed is repeated, and the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 in which the curing portion 35 is formed is hardened. Treatment (second hardening treatment).

In the case where one of the frozen confections 23 is focused on, the first molding die 151A is placed in an unhardened state to form a concave portion-shaped hardened portion 35 (upstream side curing treatment), and is continuously inserted into the formed hardened portion 35. The second molding die 151B is subjected to additional hardening (downstream side hardening treatment).

In this case, the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is continuously subjected to a predetermined number of hardenings for a predetermined period of time (for example, it is also possible to produce eight (8 rows) of frozen confectionery material forming apparatuses 10 in the conveyance width direction W. When the molding die unit 151U is lifted 20 times in one minute, there are 160 hardenings per minute, and in each of the molding dies 151 (the second molding die 151B and the first molding die 151A), the first hardening is performed. During the period from the treatment of the previous frozen confectionery material 23 to the second curing (the subsequent curing of the frozen confectionery material 23), the elevating operation is controlled to cool to a predetermined temperature.

This predetermined temperature is a sufficient temperature for hardening at least a part of the frozen confectionery material 23 which is in contact with (or close to) the periphery of the forming mold 151, more specifically, a low temperature below the boiling point of the liquid oxygen (-183 ° C). .

The forming die 151 causes heat exchange with the frozen confectionery material 23 by the introduction of the frozen confectionery material 23, and causes the surface temperature of the forming die 151 to rise more than the boiling point (-196 ° C) of the liquid nitrogen. Further, when the first frozen confectionery material 23 ends the first hardening treatment and is withdrawn from the frozen confectionery material 23, the forming mold 151 is again cooled by the liquid nitrogen, and both are lowered to the boiling point of the liquid nitrogen. The recess forming device 15 is for one of the forming dies 151 (one of the first forming die 151A and the second forming die 151B is the same), and is extracted from the previous frozen confection material 23, and the surface temperature of the forming die 151 is at least After lowering to the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (-183 ° C), the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 is fed. In other words, after the molding die 151 is taken out from the previous frozen confection material 23, it is maintained in a state of being raised (at a lower temperature) to the boiling point of the liquid nitrogen even at the highest temperature (non-contact with the frozen confection material 23). State) (standby at the top), and after sufficient cooling, the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 is put in a second hardening treatment.

The forming die 151 which supplies the liquid nitrogen to the hollow portion 159 is exposed to the air, and the oxygen in the air is brought into contact with the outer surface 151O of the forming die 151 to become liquid oxygen. In the case where the frozen confectionery material 23 is placed in a state in which liquid oxygen is adhered to the outer surface 151O of the molding die 151, the frozen sweetness adhering to the molding die 151 can be greatly reduced as compared with the case where the outer surface 151O is placed in a dry state in the molding die 151. The amount of the foodstuff 23. Further, even when the frozen confectionery material 23 is attached to the molding die 151 by contact with the frozen confectionery material 23, the frozen confectionery material 23 is extracted and exposed to the air, and the liquid oxygen can be attached to the molding die 151 by the liquid oxygen. The frozen confectionery material 23 to which the surface adheres is peeled off from the forming mold 151.

In the present embodiment, during one of the molding dies 151, after the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 is taken out from the previous frozen confectionery material 23, the operation time of raising and lowering of the molding die 151 is controlled so that liquid oxygen adheres to the molding die. The outer surface of 151 is 151O.

For example, when the frozen confectionery material 23 of one composition forms the hardened portion 35, the shortest time from the freezing of the confectionery material 23 to the liquid oxygen adhering to the outer surface 151O of the forming mold 151 exposed to the air is a predetermined production capacity. (For example, for 1 minute, 160 frozen confections 23 can form the hardened portion 35), for example, it is 1 second to 2 seconds, preferably 1.5 seconds to 1.8 seconds, and more preferably 1.6 seconds to 1.7 seconds.

Further, the speed at which the frozen confection material 23 is hardened (forming the hardened portion 35) differs depending on the composition or temperature of the frozen confectionery material 23. That is, the temperature rise of the molding die 151 which is in contact with the frozen confectionery material 23 varies depending on the composition or state of the frozen confectionery material 23, and the time during which the molding die 151 is cooled in a state in which it is not in contact with the frozen confectionery material 23 is also The composition or state of the frozen confectionery material 23 varies.

In other words, the shortest time period in which the above-mentioned liquid oxygen adheres to the surface of the molding die 151 is an example, and the concave portion forming device 15 of the present embodiment is directed to each of the molding dies 151 in which the frozen confectionery material 23 is continuously fed, and at least liquid oxygen adheres to the molding. The period until the surface of the mold 151 is maintained in a state in which the molding die 151 and the frozen confectionery material 23 are not in contact with each other, and can be appropriately selected in accordance with the composition or state of the frozen confectionery material 23 while being maintained in a non-contact state.

In addition, the time of the lifting operation of the molding die 151 (the molding die unit 151U) can be arbitrarily set, for example, the vertical lifting operation (hereinafter referred to as "one stroke") of one molding die 151 by the cylinder or the like, and the moving speed of the container 21 Synchronize.

After the curing portion 35 is formed, the container 21 is further transported downstream, and liquid nitrogen is injected into the formed hardened portion 35 by the liquid nitrogen injection device 19 (see Fig. 2). The injection amount is, for example, about 1/5 to 1/2 of the depth D1 of the hardened portion 35, preferably about 1/4 (the capacity is, for example, about 9 ml).

This treatment is to more reliably harden the hardened portion 35 formed by the recess forming device 15 and its vicinity. After the formation of the concave portion forming device 15, as shown in Fig. 4, the frozen confectionery material 23 is formed with a hardened portion 35 which is hardened in a thin skin state. In such a case, if the additional hardening treatment (hardening treatment by liquid nitrogen injection) is not performed, the unhardened portion, especially the frozen confectionery material 23 near the bottom portion, cannot withstand the weight of the frozen confection material 23 near the opening portion. This causes the hardened portion 35 to collapse.

On the other hand, as described above, even in the thin skin state, as long as the hardened portion 35 is formed (even if the whole is not hardened), the cover can be closed to the rapid freezer that is transferred to the downstream step. That is, it suffices that only the hardened portion 35 is formed in a short time.

Further, the smaller the amount of liquid nitrogen used in the production step, the more the cost is reduced. In the present embodiment, the condition of sufficient hardness to prevent the hardened portion 35 from collapsing until the subsequent rapid freezing step is carried out is such that the liquid nitrogen injection amount is, for example, from the bottom, for example, 1/4 of the depth D1 of the entire concave portion 30. The depth to the left and right (the capacity is, for example, about 9 ml). Thereby, in particular, the frozen confectionery material 23 in the vicinity of the bottom portion can be hardened. Therefore, the frozen confectionery material 23 in the vicinity of the opening portion can be prevented from collapsing due to the load, and the hardened portion 35 can be formed well and transferred to the downstream rapid freezer.

In addition, for example, the first molding die 151A (the broken line t1 shown in FIG. 2) on the upstream side is configured to inject liquid nitrogen at a time (dotted line t2) on the downstream side (after 12 seconds) of four rows. At this time, when the injection amount of the liquid nitrogen is injected to a depth of about 1/4 of the depth D1 of the hardened portion 35, the liquid nitrogen is injected to the downstream side of the six columns (after 18 seconds) in the environment in the manufacturing step. Time (dashed line t3) is vaporized. That is, the lid 21 can be attached to the container 21 as long as it is the downstream side of the seven rows after the injection.

The time for gasification is also delayed when the amount of injection is large, and the transfer to the downstream step is delayed when the installation of the cover is delayed. As long as the injection amount of the present embodiment is sufficient, the periphery of the hardened portion 35 can be hardened to a sufficient amount of the injection amount to be transported to the downstream step. Therefore, the installation of the lid body and the transfer of the rapid freezing reservoir downstream can be performed in the shortest manner. The increase in the realization cost prevents the shortening of the working time.

The container 21 (the frozen confectionery material 23 in which the cured portion 35 is formed by closing the lid body) after being discharged from the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 is transferred to the tray after being discharged, and is stored in a rapid freezer (for example, -40 ° C) (not shown). For example, it is hardened for 20 minutes. Thereby, the frozen confection 50 having the concave portion 30 in the vicinity of the center is obtained (refer to Fig. 1).

[Example 1]

For one of the forming dies 151, it is exposed to the air after being withdrawn from the previous frozen confectionery material 23, and liquid oxygen is attached to the surface of the forming mold 151 for about 1.5 seconds to 1.8 seconds. According to this, the hardened portion 35 is formed by the following conditions, and good hardening can be obtained and it can be confirmed that the predetermined production capacity is obtained.

An example of the frozen confectionery material 23 is ice which is mixed and crushed in ice cream powder, and the raw material of the ice cream powder is, for example, a saccharide, a dairy product, coffee, or a fragrance. Further, the solid of the powder before mixing the pulverized ice is, for example, 40%.

The transport means 11 is an intermittent operation in which the container 21 is moved by one row in the transport direction T for one second and stopped for 2 seconds. The one-time lifting operation (one stroke) of one molding die 151 is performed in three seconds. Thereby, for example, the hardened portion 35 can be formed for about 80 to 240 frozen confections 23 in one minute.

At this time, when focusing on one of the forming dies 151, the recess forming device 15 maintains the hardened portion of the previous frozen confection material 23 (the first frozen confectionery material) for about 1.33 seconds after the forming mold 151 is put into the frozen confectionery material 23. 35. Further, the time during which the forming die 151 is taken out from the frozen confectionery material 23 and then put into the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 (second frozen confectionery material) is about 1.67 seconds.

In the case of one frozen confectionery material 23, the first molding die 151A is put into the first molding die 151A to be cured in 1.33 seconds (the first molding die 151A is taken out), and after 1.67 seconds, the second molding die 151B is introduced and further cured in 1.33 seconds.

Subsequently, about 9 ml of liquid nitrogen was injected into the recessed hardened portion 35 formed by the liquid nitrogen injection device 19.

As a result, the frozen mold material 23 does not adhere to the molding die 151, and the formed hardened portion 35 can be sufficiently cured without causing collapse until the step of transporting to the downstream (quick freezer), and also on the surface of the cured portion 35. There is no unnecessary attachment of the frozen confectionery material 23, and it has a good state.

Although the above description has been made on an example of the present embodiment, the recess forming apparatus 15 of the present invention at least performs the cooling effect of the previous frozen confectionery material 23 and the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 which are continuously conveyed by one molding die 151. In this case, the configuration in which the forming die 151 taken out from the previous frozen confection material 23 is maintained in the air (standby) to a temperature lower than the boiling point of the liquid oxygen, and then the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23 is cooled is not limited to the above example. .

Further, in order to prevent the temperature rise of the molding die 151 as described above, the molding die is formed in a plurality of times (in this example, twice) with respect to the hardened portion 35 of one frozen confectionery material 23, and the molding die is formed by inserting and removing different molding dies 151A and 151B. The configuration of 151 is preferable, but is not limited to the above examples. That is, one forming die 151 may be formed by inserting and removing a plurality of times (two times in this example) with respect to the hardened portion 35 of one frozen confectionery material 23.

For example, when the total time for forming the concave portion 30 for one frozen confection 50 is T time, the molding time of the curing portion 35 once by the molding die 151 is 1/2T time, and the insertion and removal are performed twice. In this case, compared with the case where the molding time of the insertion and removal hardening portion 35 of the molding die 151 is once T time, the increase in the surface temperature of the molding die 151 can be suppressed, and the standby time in the air can be shortened. Inefficient forming.

Further, although it is preferable to insert and remove the molding die 151 a plurality of times with respect to one frozen confection material 23, it may be used once.

In the above-described example, the molding die unit 151U indicates that the plurality of rows and the plurality of rows of the molding die 151 are arranged in the conveyance width direction W (for example, the row direction) and the conveyance direction T (for example, the column direction), but for example, The forming dies 151 are arranged in a row of 1 × a plurality of columns, or may be arranged in a plurality of rows × 1 column.

When a plurality of (M) forming dies 151 are provided along the conveying direction T, they are inserted and removed in the frozen confectionery material 23 at intervals of N (N=M-1>0), and are controlled during the standby period during insertion and removal. Drop to a temperature below the boiling point of liquid oxygen.

In addition, in a state in which the frozen confectionery material 23 is used (ease of hardening, viscosity in a mixed state, hardness when the frozen confectionery material 23 is obtained, etc.), a single molding die (1 row × 1 column) is provided in the molding die unit 151U. The frozen confectionery material 23 is sequentially formed, and the standby time in the air may be lowered to a temperature lower than the boiling point of the liquid oxygen during the period from the previous frozen confectionery material 23 to the subsequent frozen confectionery material 23.

Further, the forming means 15 may be configured such that the plurality of forming dies 151 can be moved up and down individually. At this time, for example, when the preceding molding die 151A is lowered, the subsequent molding die 151B is raised, and when the preceding molding die 151A is raised, the subsequent molding die 151B is lowered.

Further, although the above-described embodiment is an example in which the transport means is intermittently transported, it may be continuously transported. At this time, the concave portion molding device 15 and the liquid nitrogen injection device 19 can be moved in the conveyance direction T in synchronization with the conveyance means 11. However, at this time, the device and the control become complicated, and it is preferable to suppress the cost by intermittently operating as described above.

In addition, the value of the composition (the ratio of the raw materials), the excess line, and the like of the frozen confectionery material 23 is not limited to the above example, and can be appropriately selected in accordance with the state of the frozen confection (ice confection) 50. Further, the frozen confectionery material 23 is not limited to the agitation of the shaved ice product, and may be stirred by ice cream, smoothie or other frozen (freezing) state.

Moreover, the operating conditions of the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus 10 are also an example, and the shaping|molding of the hardening part 35 can be suitably selected suitably according to the composition and state of the frozen confection material 23, and the state of the frozen confections 50 manufactured.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

10‧‧‧Frozen sweet food forming device

11‧‧‧Transportation means

13‧‧‧Filling means (stirring filling machine)

15‧‧‧Forming means (recess forming device)

17‧‧‧Refrigerant supply means

19‧‧‧Refrigerant injection means (liquid nitrogen injection device)

21‧‧‧ Container

23‧‧‧Frozen sweet ingredients

30‧‧‧ recess

35‧‧‧ Hardening Department

37‧‧‧Liquid nitrogen

50‧‧‧Frozen sweets

151, 151A, 151B‧‧‧ forming die

171‧‧‧Liquid nitrogen subcooling system

173‧‧‧ hopper

175‧‧‧Pipe

191‧‧‧ hopper

193‧‧‧Injection nozzle

Fig. 1 is a view showing a frozen confection manufactured by the frozen confectionery material forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a cross-sectional view and (b) is an external perspective view.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view showing the outline of a frozen dessert material forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a view for explaining a recess forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is an external view of a forming die, and (d) is a sectional view of a forming die. .

Fig. 4 is a conceptual view showing a curing portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the recess forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A frozen sweet food material forming apparatus is a frozen sweet food material forming apparatus which continuously hardens a part of a frozen sweet food material into a hollow concave shape, and has the following features: Carrying means, carrying a plurality of containers; Filling means, filling the frozen confection material into the container; Forming means sequentially inserting and withdrawing the frozen confectionery material in the convex molding die after the cooling, so that at least a part of the frozen confectionery material around the molding die is hardened; and a refrigerant supply means for supplying a refrigerant to the above forming die, The molding die is configured to be cooled to a predetermined temperature during a period from the curing of the continuously conveyed first frozen confection material to the curing of the second frozen confection material while performing a predetermined amount of hardening for a predetermined period of time. The frozen dessert material forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature sufficient to cure at least a part of the frozen confectionery material around the forming die. The frozen dessert material forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the molding means is introduced into the second after the surface temperature of the molding die after being extracted from the first frozen confection material is at least lowered to a boiling point of liquid oxygen. Frozen sweet ingredients. The frozen dessert material forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the molding means is introduced into the second after the surface temperature of the molding die after being extracted from the first frozen confection material is at least lowered to a boiling point of liquid oxygen Frozen sweet ingredients. The frozen confectionery material forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the molding die is made of a metal having a thickness of less than 1 mm. The frozen confectionery material forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspect, wherein the molding means inserts the molding die into the frozen confectionery material a plurality of times. The frozen dessert material forming apparatus according to any one of the items 1 to 4, wherein the forming means has a plurality of forming dies. The plurality of forming dies are moved up and down and put into the frozen confectionery material. The frozen confectionery material forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an injection means for injecting the refrigerant into the concave portion which is cured by the molding die. The frozen confectionery material forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspect, wherein the molding means is to perform hardening of about 80 to 240 per minute. A method for forming a frozen sweet food material, which is a method for forming a frozen sweet food material in which a part of a frozen sweet food material is continuously hardened into a hollow concave shape, characterized in that it has: The step of handling a plurality of containers; a step of filling the above frozen confection material into the above container; And sequentially extracting and extracting at least a portion of the frozen confectionery material surrounding the forming mold into the frozen confectionery material of the convex molding die after cooling; and a step of supplying a refrigerant to the above forming mold, The molding die is cooled to a predetermined temperature during a period from the curing of the continuously conveyed first frozen confectionery material to the curing of the second frozen confectionery material by performing a predetermined amount of hardening for a predetermined period of time. The frozen dessert material forming method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature sufficient to cure at least a part of the frozen confectionery material around the forming die. The frozen dessert material forming method according to claim 10, wherein the forming die is extracted from the first frozen confection material, and the second frozen sweet is introduced after the surface temperature of the forming die is at least lowered to the boiling point of liquid oxygen. Ingredients. The method for forming a frozen confectionery material according to claim 11, wherein the first frozen confectionery material is extracted from the first frozen confectionery material, and the second frozen sweetness is introduced after the surface temperature of the molding die is at least lowered to the boiling point of liquid oxygen. Ingredients. The method for forming a frozen confectionery material according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the molding die is made of a metal having a thickness of less than 1 mm. The method for forming a frozen confectionery material according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the plurality of molding dies are moved up and down in synchronization, and then introduced into the frozen confectionery material. The frozen dessert material forming method according to any one of the items 10 to 13, wherein the frozen mold material is inserted into the molding die a plurality of times. The method for forming a frozen confectionery material according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the refrigerant is injected into a concave portion which is cured by the molding die. The method for molding a frozen confectionery material according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the molding die is cured by about 80 to 240 per minute.