TWI820062B - Frozen sweet food forming device and frozen sweet food forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a frozen sweet food forming device and a frozen sweet food forming method that can continuously produce recessed portions of frozen sweet food using a forming mold, improve production efficiency, and achieve good shaping processing. The solution is to continuously harden a part of the frozen sweet ingredients (23) into a hollow concave shape. The frozen sweet ingredient forming device (10) has: a transportation means (11) for transporting a plurality of containers (21); (23) Filling means (13) for filling the container (21); sequentially inserting and extracting the frozen sweet ingredients (23) into the convex mold (151) after cooling so that the surroundings of the mold (151) A forming means (15) for hardening at least part of the frozen sweet food material (23); and a refrigerant supply means (17) for supplying refrigerant to the forming mold (151), which performs a predetermined amount of hardening at a predetermined time. , while cooling to a predetermined temperature during the period from the hardening of the continuously transported first frozen sweet ingredient to the hardening of the second frozen sweet ingredient.

Description

Frozen sweet food forming device and frozen sweet food forming method

The present invention relates to a frozen sweet food forming device and a frozen sweet food forming method for forming a part of frozen sweet food such as ice cream or smoothie.

Conventionally, moldable containers in which recesses (recessed portions) for pouring beverages such as coffee, juice, and alcohol into frozen confectionery (ice confectionery) such as ice cream have been widely known. According to the above molded container, beverages such as coffee, juice, alcohol, etc. can be poured into the depression formed in the frozen confectionery and the frozen confectionery is mixed, whereby a frozen beverage (frozen beverage) can be easily produced.

As an example of such a molded container, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a container lid provided with a conical convex portion, whereby the container lid can form a conical concave portion in the center of the frozen dessert (frozen desserts (ice)). sweets) container.

Furthermore, in recent years, convenience stores and the like have been promoting systems in which dedicated brewing machines for coffee and the like are installed so that consumers can purchase beverages on their own.

In addition, convenience stores and the like also provide a frozen dessert made using the frozen dessert container described in Patent Document 1 for sale. Consumers can purchase the frozen dessert together with a drink and mix the drink with the frozen dessert in the store. Frozen desserts become edible servings. The above-mentioned frozen dessert container is configured such that the container cover is removed and a recessed portion is formed in the frozen dessert. The consumer can use the recessed portion to flatten the frozen dessert and pour beverages and other foods into the container.

With the promotion of services such as the above, the demand for frozen desserts that are flattened and have concave portions for allowing beverages to be poured has also increased sharply. In order to fully supply the market, it is expected that the production efficiency of the frozen desserts (forming of frozen sweet ingredients) will be enhanced. efficiency) improvement. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 5536273

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, there are various methods for manufacturing frozen desserts with concave portions, and there is still room for research. Specifically, for example, when using a container lid as described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the lid is more expensive than a lid for general frozen sweet ingredients due to its special shape.

In addition, it is also possible to use a mold to form a concave portion in the frozen sweet ingredients without using the above-mentioned container lid (freezing the frozen sweet ingredients into a concave shape). However, in this case, it is a technology that improves production efficiency while improving production efficiency for continuous production, and the forming process is good. Still unknown.

The present invention was developed to solve the conventional problems, and provides a frozen sweet food that can be continuously produced using a molding die to continuously form concave portions of the frozen sweet food, thereby improving production efficiency while also providing a frozen sweet food that can be processed well while being formed. The purpose is to provide a forming device and a forming method for frozen sweet ingredients. [Means used to solve problems]

The present invention is a frozen sweet food forming device that continuously hardens a part of the frozen sweet food into a hollow concave shape, and is characterized by having: a conveying means for transporting a plurality of containers; and a filling means for filling the frozen sweet food into the container; A molding means that sequentially inserts and extracts the frozen sweet food into the convex-shaped forming mold after cooling to harden at least a part of the frozen sweet food around the mold; and a refrigerant supply means that supplies refrigerant to the forming mold. The forming mold is configured to cool to a predetermined temperature during a period from the hardening of the continuously conveyed first frozen sweet material to the hardening of the second frozen sweet material while performing a predetermined number of hardenings in a predetermined time.

Furthermore, the present invention is a frozen sweet food forming method in which a part of the frozen sweet food is continuously hardened into a hollow concave shape, and is characterized by including: a step of transporting a plurality of containers; and a step of filling the frozen sweet food into the container; A step of sequentially inserting and extracting the frozen sweet food into the convex-shaped mold that has been transported and cooled to harden at least a part of the frozen sweet food around the mold; and a step of supplying refrigerant to the mold. The method is to cool to a predetermined temperature during the period from the hardening of the continuously conveyed first frozen sweet ingredient to the hardening of the second frozen sweet ingredient while performing a predetermined number of hardenings at a predetermined time. [Effects of the invention]

According to the frozen sweet food forming device and the frozen sweet food forming method related to the present invention, when the frozen sweet food is continuously formed into concave portions, it is possible to achieve excellent effects of improving production efficiency and achieving good forming processing.

Hereinafter, the frozen sweet food forming device 10 of the present invention will be described in detail using illustrations.

＜Overall composition＞ Figure 1 is a diagram showing a completed state of a frozen dessert (ice dessert) 50 having a concave portion formed by the frozen dessert forming device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a cross-sectional view, and (b) is an appearance. Perspective. Figure 2 is a front appearance view of the frozen sweet food forming device 10. Figure 3 is a view of the forming mold unit 151U. (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, and (c) is a top view. ) is an appearance view of the forming die 151, and (d) in the same figure is a cross-sectional view.

Moreover, for the convenience of explanation, based on the definition of various directions of the frozen sweet food forming device 10, the first direction in the direction from upstream to downstream (the direction from left to right in Figure 1) is called the conveying direction T, The second direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction T is called the conveyance width direction W, and the third direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction T and the conveyance width direction W (the up and down direction in the figure) is called the conveyance height direction H. .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the frozen confectionery (ice confectionery) 50 is accommodated in a cup-shaped container 21 and is frozen with a recessed portion 30 formed in a substantially central portion. In this embodiment, the shape of the recessed portion 30 is a substantially conical shape with the top located downward. However, the shape is not limited to this shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape, a prism shape, a hemispherical shape, or the like. The inside of the recessed portion 30 is a hollow portion.

Referring to Figure 2 , the frozen dessert forming device 10 is a forming device that continuously hardens (freezes) a portion of the frozen dessert 23 into a hollow concave shape, and includes a conveying means 11 , a filling means 13 , a forming means 15 , and a refrigerant supply means 17 and refrigerant injection means 19. Each part of the frozen sweet food forming device 10 is controlled by a control unit. The control unit is composed of CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and executes various controls. The CPU is a so-called central processing unit that executes various programs to implement various functions. RAM is used as the working area of the CPU. ROM is the memory of the basic OS and programs executed by the CPU.

The conveying device 11 is, for example, a conveyor device that continuously conveys a plurality of containers 21 , and conveys a plurality of (for example, 5 to 10, etc.) containers 21 in the conveying direction T, for example, intermittently in a state arranged along the conveying width direction W. The container 21 here is a main body of a frozen dessert container (container for frozen sweet ingredients) having a cup-shaped main body (see FIG. 1 ) and a lid (not shown).

The filling means 13 is a stirring and filling machine 13 that sequentially fills the frozen sweet ingredients 23 into the container 21 conveyed by the conveying means 11 . The frozen sweet ingredients 23 are, for example, raw materials for shaved ice products. After the ice is shaved by a shaving device (not shown), the stirring and filling machine 13 is filled with frozen sweet ingredients 23 that have been stirred and mixed with ice and ice cream whose particle size has been adjusted by a linear crusher (not shown). The container 21 moving downward in the conveyance height direction H fills the container 21 with a predetermined amount of frozen sweet ingredients 23 . During filling, the excess line of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 is adjusted to 10% to 30%, for example.

The forming means 15 is a recess forming device 15 which is arranged above the conveyance means 11 and continuously hardens at least a part of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 into a hollow recess shape. The concave portion forming device 15 has at least a cooled convex-shaped mold 151 and a driving means 153 that moves the mold up and down in the conveyance height direction H (up and down). The container 21 is filled with the molds 151 and the molds 151 are sequentially put into the concave portion forming device. 15, or extracted from the frozen sweet ingredients 23. Thereby, at least part of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 around the mold 151 (the frozen sweet ingredients 23 in contact with the surface of the mold 151) is also continuously cooled and hardened (frozen) into a hollow concave shape. The forming mold 151 is formed into the shape of the recessed portion 30 shown in Figure 1. The entire frozen dessert material 23 is not hardened in the recessed portion forming device 15, but is cooled and hardened (hereinafter simply referred to as hardening) in a downstream step to produce the first Figure represents 50 frozen desserts.

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

The refrigerant injecting means 19 is a liquid nitrogen injecting device that directly injects refrigerant (liquid nitrogen) into the recessed portion of the frozen sweet food material 23 after the addition of the recessed portion forming device 15 and hardening.

<Concave forming device>

Referring to FIG. 3 , the recessed portion forming device 15 includes a forming die unit 151U in which a plurality of forming dies 151 are integrally mounted. The plurality of molding dies 151 are arranged in a row along the conveyance direction T and the conveyance width direction W, and the number in the conveyance width direction W corresponds to the number of containers 21 conveyed by the conveyance means 11 . Moreover, in this example, in the conveyance direction T, a plurality of molding dies 151 are arranged in front and back (upstream side and downstream side) (the same figure (a) and the same figure (b)).

Specifically, the recessed portion forming device 15 has a first molding die located on the upstream side (left side in (a) and (b) of the same figure) in the conveyance direction T. 151A, and the second molding die 151B located on the downstream side (right side in (a) and (b) of the same figure). As mentioned above, although the first molding dies 151A and the second molding dies 151B are arranged in plural numbers in the conveyance width direction W ((b) in the same figure), for convenience, the following description will be given of the two first molding dies 151A and the second molding dies 151B. 2. Forming die 151B.

Referring to the same figure (c) and the same figure (d), the forming die 151 (151A, 151B) shapes metal into a substantially conical shape, and the inside becomes a hollow portion 159. The shape of the hollow portion 159 is a substantially conical shape along the outer shape, and an opening 157 is provided at a position facing the top T of the cone. Furthermore, the top part T is positioned below the conveyance height direction H, that is, it is attached to the hopper 173 (to be described later) in a downwardly convex state. Liquid nitrogen is supplied to the hollow portion 159 through the hopper 173 so that the substantially conical outer surface comes into contact with the frozen sweet ingredients 23 .

The metal of the molding die 151 is a material that does not cause problems even if it comes into direct contact with the food, has a high thermal conductivity that can efficiently exchange heat with the frozen sweet ingredients 23, and is a material that is easy to process such as a substantially conical shape as shown in the figure, for example, Stainless steel (SUS304). In addition, the plate thickness D of the substantially conical portion in the completed state shown in the same figure is substantially uniform across the entirety, for example, 0.1 mm to 2.0 mm, preferably 0.3 mm to 1.5 mm, more preferably 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. As an example of this embodiment, the plate thickness D of the forming die 151 is set to 0.5 mm. The above-mentioned forming die 151 can also be made of metal with a plate thickness less than 1 mm.

In addition, at least the outer surface 151O in contact with the frozen sweet material 23 is surface-treated by, for example, electrolytic polishing. Furthermore, the outer surface may be subjected to processing (concave-convex processing, water-repellent processing, etc.) to prevent the frozen sweet ingredients 23 from adhering, for example.

In addition, metal is a material that has no problem in direct contact with food, has a high thermal conductivity that can efficiently exchange heat with the frozen sweet ingredients 23, and is not limited to stainless steel as long as it is easy to process. For example, the metal of the mold 151 may be gun metal (an alloy of copper (Cu) and tin (Sn)). The thermal conductivity of gun metal is 3 to 4 times higher than that of stainless steel, and it can also perform good heat exchange with frozen sweet ingredients 23. On the other hand, the hardness is lower than that of stainless steel and it is difficult to process. However, due to its high thermal conductivity, it can form a thicker plate thickness D than the above-mentioned stainless steel, which can compensate for the difficulty of processing. Moreover, the two molding dies 151A and 151B of this embodiment have the same structure.

The mold unit 151U relatively approaches and separates from the container 21 . For example, the recess forming device 15 raises and lowers the mold unit 151U so that the first mold 151A and the second mold 151B simultaneously move up and down to put the frozen sweet ingredients 23 into or extract them from the frozen sweet ingredients 23 respectively. Furthermore, the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B may not be raised and lowered at the same time. Alternatively, the conveying means 11 may be moved up and down so that the container 21 approaches or separates from the mold unit 151U.

The distance between the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B is equal to the distance between the two containers 21 arranged along the conveyance direction T (two rows before and after). Specifically, the distance L between the central axes passing through the substantially conical tops of the first mold 151A and the second mold 151B (see (a) in the same figure) is a substantially cylindrical shape arranged front and back along the conveyance direction T. The distance between the central axes of the devices 21 is approximately equal. That is, by the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B arranged front and back along the conveyance direction T, the recessed portions are formed (approximately) simultaneously with respect to the two frozen sweet ingredients 23 arranged front and back along the conveyance direction T. .

The recess forming device 15 moves the molding die 151 so that the molding die 151 performs a predetermined number of moldings in a predetermined time. That is, one mold 151 repeatedly inserts and extracts the frozen sweet ingredients 23 into the at least two frozen sweet ingredients 23 filled and continuously transported to the container 21. As a result, the mold 151 undergoes a hardening process so as to be in contact with the mold. At least a part of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 in contact around 151 has a hollow concave shape.

Furthermore, one molding die 151 is used to harden the preceding (downstream in the conveying direction T) frozen sweet material (the first frozen sweet material) among the two frozen sweet materials 23 that are continuously conveyed back and forth along the conveying direction T. The process is to cool down to a predetermined temperature until the subsequent (upstream of the conveyance direction T) hardening process of the frozen sweet ingredients (second frozen sweet ingredients). That is, the recess forming device 15 performs a process from the hardening process of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 on the downstream side (specifically, extraction of partially hardened frozen sweet ingredients 23) to the hardening process of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 on the upstream side (reinsertion into stirring). During this period, the molding die 151 is moved up and down at a speed that cools the molding die 151 to a predetermined temperature.

Specifically, when focusing on one of the frozen sweet ingredients 23, the unhardened frozen sweet ingredient 23 is first hardened into a concave portion near the center by the first molding die 151A on the upstream side to form a thin-skinned state. part 35 (see FIG. 4 ), and the second molding die 151B on the downstream side is inserted into the hardened part 35 (recessed part-shaped part) and is further (repeatedly) hardened. That is, the recessed hardened portion 35 of one frozen dessert 23 is formed by repeatedly inserting and removing the mold 151 (twice in this example). In addition, the recessed portion of one frozen dessert 23 is formed by inserting and removing the mold 151 from different molds 151A and 151A. 151B is formed by plugging and unplugging.

In this embodiment, a plurality of molding dies 151 (151A, 151B) perform a plurality of lifting and lowering operations with respect to the frozen sweet ingredients 23 contained in one container 21, thereby forming the concave-shaped hardened portion 35. This shortens the time during which the respective molding dies 151A and 151B are in contact with the frozen sweet material 23, thereby minimizing an increase (higher temperature) in the temperature (cooling temperature) of the molding dies 151A and 151B. Furthermore, by shortening the contact time of one molding die 151 and performing a plurality of molding processes on one hardened portion 35, the hardened state can be well maintained (transfer to the next step in a sufficient molded state).

Referring to FIG. 4 , the recess 30 formed by the recess forming device 15 will be described. The same figure shows the state corresponding to the passage of time for one of the frozen sweet ingredients 23. (a) of the same figure shows the state after hardening (forming) by the first molding die 151A, and (b) of the same figure shows the state after the second molding. The state after mold 151B is hardened (formed), and (c) in the same figure shows the state after liquid nitrogen is injected.

As shown in Figure (a), when the mold 151 is raised and lowered for cooling under predetermined conditions (time, described later), only a part of the frozen sweet material 23 in contact with the mold 151 is hardened. As shown in the figure, the hardened portion 35 in a thin-skinned state is formed along the shape of the mold 151 . The formation of the hardened portion 35 creates a recessed portion 30 near the center of the frozen sweet material 23 .

In addition, as shown in Figure (b), when additional hardening is performed for the second time (second mold 151B), the hardened portion 35 in a thin-skinned state is laminated into two layers. This prevents the hardened portion 35 from collapsing compared with the case of one layer.

And, as shown in Figure (c), liquid nitrogen 37 is injected inside the hardened part 35 through the liquid nitrogen injection device 19. Thereby, the frozen sweet material 23 near the bottom in contact with the liquid nitrogen 37 is also hardened (the hardened portion 35 is further widened). Since the frozen sweet food 23 is hardened near the bottom, even if the frozen sweet food 23 near the opening is not sufficiently hardened, it can still withstand the load and further prevent the hardened portion 35 from collapsing.

In addition, as long as the number (number of times) of the molding molds that are inserted and removed from one frozen sweet material 23 is increased, the number of stacks of the hardened portions 35 in the thin-skinned state can be increased, which can effectively prevent the collapse of the hardened portions 35, but will slow down the downstream steps ( Rapid freezer) transfer. In addition, the degree of hardening varies depending on the composition of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 . Therefore, the above-mentioned processing conditions (operation conditions) or the number of molding times of the molding die 151 can be appropriately selected according to the processing efficiency, the composition of the frozen sweet ingredients 23, and the like. ＜Refrigerant supply method＞ Referring again to FIG. 2 , the refrigerant supply means (liquid nitrogen supply device) 17 includes a liquid nitrogen storage tank (not shown), a liquid nitrogen subcooling system 171 , a hopper 173 , and piping 175 connecting them. As shown in FIG. 3 , the hopper 173 has a substantially cubic shape, for example, and a supply port (not shown) is provided at the bottom. The forming die unit 151U is attached to the bottom, and the opening 157 of the forming die 151 (151A, 151B) is a supply port that completely covers the hopper 173 and is connected thereto.

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 mold 151 to the hollow part 159 of the mold 151. The hopper 173 is equipped with a liquid level sensor at the upper part, switches a solenoid valve to maintain the liquid level of liquid nitrogen at an arbitrary position, and automatically supplies liquid nitrogen to the hollow portion 159 of the mold 151 . Thereby, the molding die 151 is cooled.

The liquid nitrogen supercooling system 171 is a device that can stably supply supercooled liquid nitrogen (for example, a COOL TECHNOS subcooler, etc.). Since it is an existing thing, detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, the liquid nitrogen subcooling system 171 supercools the liquid nitrogen in the pipe 175 . The boiling point of liquid nitrogen at 1 atmosphere is an extremely low temperature of -196°C. When the distance from the liquid nitrogen storage tank to the point of use becomes longer, the liquid nitrogen in the pipe 175 is vaporized (nitrogen: GN2), and the end (hopper 173 etc.), the supply of liquid nitrogen may become unstable, or pulsation may occur when using a liquid nitrogen nozzle, etc., resulting in the inability to control micro amounts. In this embodiment, the liquid nitrogen supercooling device 171 is installed near the hopper 173 to bring the liquid nitrogen in the pipe 175 into a supercooled state, so that the liquid nitrogen can be stably supplied to the hopper 173 . ＜Liquid nitrogen injection device＞ The liquid nitrogen injecting device 19 is provided downstream of the recess forming device 15 and directly injects a predetermined amount of liquid nitrogen into the recessed hardened portion 35 of the frozen dessert material 23 formed by the recess forming device 15 . By injecting liquid nitrogen, the hardened portion 35 and its vicinity can be more fully hardened (additional hardening treatment can be performed), thereby preventing the hardened portion 35 from collapsing before being transferred to the downstream step.

The liquid nitrogen injection device 19 has a hopper 191 and an injection nozzle 193, and is connected to the liquid nitrogen subcooling system 171 through a pipe 175. The liquid nitrogen in the liquid nitrogen storage tank is also supplied to the hopper 191 through the liquid nitrogen subcooling system 171 and the pipe 175 . The hopper 191 is equipped with an injection nozzle 193 , and liquid nitrogen is automatically supplied from the injection nozzle 193 to the hardening part 35 of the frozen sweet ingredient 23 . Although liquid nitrogen is continuously injected from the injection nozzle 193, there is a needle valve (not shown) between the hopper 191 and the injection nozzle 193, and the injection amount of liquid nitrogen can be adjusted by the opening degree of the needle valve.

The injected liquid nitrogen vaporizes while the frozen sweet material 23 reaches the downstream end side of the frozen sweet material forming device 10 . After the injected liquid nitrogen is vaporized, the lid (not shown) is installed on the container 21 . The lid is installed on the container 21 by, for example, a lid installation device (not shown) provided near the downstream of the frozen dessert forming device 10 to seal the frozen dessert 23 . For example, the cover may be a cover that has a convex portion (substantially conical shape) along the concave-shaped hardened portion 35 after molding, that is, the same as the mold 151 , or may not have a convex portion, such as a film-shaped or Flat cover.

The frozen dessert forming device 10 of this embodiment uses the recess forming device 15 and the liquid nitrogen injection device 19 to form a concave-shaped hardened portion 35 in the substantially central portion of the frozen dessert 23 . Then, the frozen sweet ingredients 23 equipped with the cover are discharged from the frozen sweet ingredient forming device 10 and transferred to a rapid freezing chamber (not shown), where the unhardened frozen sweet ingredients 23 are cooled and hardened.

When manufacturing the frozen dessert 50 having the recess 30 near the center of the frozen dessert forming device 10, the above-described recess forming device 15 (forming mold 151) is used, and the recess forming device 15 and the liquid nitrogen injection device 19 are effectively controlled. This improves production efficiency and enables good molding processing. In the following, including this point, the operation of the frozen sweet food forming device 10 and the frozen sweet food forming method thereof will be described.

<Operation of frozen sweet food forming device and frozen sweet food forming method>

Refer to Figures 5 and 2 for an explanation of the operation of the frozen sweet food forming device 10 and the frozen sweet food forming method. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the recessed portion forming device 15. In Figure 5(a) to Figure 5(h), the left side is the upstream side and the right side is the downstream side. The container 21 containing the frozen sweet ingredients 23 is from Picture 5 shows left to right transportation.

First, referring to FIG. 2 , an empty container 21 (cup-shaped main body) is supplied to the upstream end of the frozen dessert forming device 10 . For example, 8 to 10 containers 21 are arranged along the conveyance width direction W and are supplied to the conveyance means 11 .

Downstream thereof, the frozen sweet ingredients 23 are supplied from the mixing and filling machine 13 to the containers 21 that are transported in sequence. The stirring and filling machine 13 recognizes the container 21 moving downward and fills the container 21 with a predetermined amount of frozen sweet ingredients 23 .

In addition, the liquid nitrogen in the liquid nitrogen storage tank (not shown) 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 to the hollow part 159 of the mold 151. The hopper 173 is equipped with a liquid level sensor at the upper part, switches a solenoid valve to maintain the liquid level of liquid nitrogen at an arbitrary position, and automatically supplies liquid nitrogen to the hollow portion 159 of the mold 151 . Thereby, the molding die 151 is cooled.

Then, the concave portion forming device 15 is used to form the concave portion. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 , the recess forming device 15 recognizes the container 21 moving downward and lowers the mold unit 151U (FIG. 5(a) ). Thereby, first, among the two frozen sweet ingredients 23 arranged before and after the conveyance direction T, the frozen sweet ingredient 23 (the unhardened frozen sweet ingredient 23) located on the downstream side is put in. The first molding die 151A on the downstream side (Fig. 5(b)).

As shown in FIG. 4 , the frozen sweet material 23 is in contact with the first mold 151A that has been sufficiently cooled by liquid nitrogen, so that the periphery of the first mold 151A is cooled and hardened to form a hardened portion 35 in a thin-skinned state. When focusing on the first molding die 151A, this hardening process becomes a hardening (first hardening) process of the previous frozen sweet material 23 among the continuous molding processes. Furthermore, when focusing on the frozen sweet ingredients 23, it is the first hardening process, which is the upstream side hardening (upstream side hardening) process. Thereby, the substantially conical hardened portion 35 is formed along the outer surface of the first mold 151A.

After a predetermined time (for example, 1 second to 2 seconds, preferably about 1.5 seconds, more preferably about 1.33 seconds) has elapsed, the recessed portion forming device 15 raises the first forming mold 151A (forming mold unit 151U), from the frozen sweetener Ingredients 23 are extracted (Fig. 5(c)). Moreover, in this embodiment, the conveyance means 11 intermittently conveys the container 21 (frozen sweet ingredient 23) downstream. That is, during molding with the molding die 151, the container 21 (frozen sweet material 23) does not move toward the downstream side. Therefore, the forming die 151 (forming die unit 151U) is configured to perform only the lifting operation.

Furthermore, taking the cooling time of the above-mentioned mold 151 as an example, the cooling time is preferably as long as possible, but it can be appropriately selected in consideration of the production capacity.

When the molding die unit 151U rises, the conveyance means 11 moves the containers 21 (frozen sweet ingredients 23) in a line in the conveyance direction T. And the molding die unit 151U is lowered again (Fig. 5(d)). At this time, the lowered second molding die 151B on the downstream side is inserted and hardened by the first molding die 151A (the upstream side is hardened). (Fig. 5(e)). The second molding die 151B is brought into contact with or close to the hardened portion 35 to further harden it. When this hardening process focuses on the second mold 151B, it becomes a hardening (first hardening) process relative to the previous stirring among the continuous molding processes. Moreover, when focusing on the frozen sweet food 23, it is the second hardening process after the hardening part 35 is formed, and it becomes the downstream hardening (downstream side hardening) process.

At the same time, on the upstream side, the first mold 151A is put into the new unprocessed frozen sweet material 23, and the surroundings of the first mold 151A are cooled and hardened. When focusing on the first molding die 151A, this hardening process becomes a hardening (second hardening) process for the subsequent frozen sweet material 23 among the continuous molding processes. Furthermore, when focusing on the frozen sweet ingredients 23, it is the first hardening process and becomes the upstream side hardening (upstream side hardening) process.

When the mold unit 151U is raised after a predetermined time (for example, 1 to 2 seconds, preferably around 1.5 seconds, more preferably around 1.33 seconds) has elapsed (Fig. 5(f)), the conveyance means 11 faces the conveyance direction. The containers 21 (frozen sweet ingredients 23) are moved in a line. And the molding die unit 151U is lowered again (Fig. 5(g)). At this time, the lowered second molding die 151B on the downstream side is inserted into the hardened portion 35 of the frozen sweet material 23 (the frozen sweet material 23 on the downstream side) that was first hardened (hardened on the upstream side) by the first molding die 151A. (Figure 5(h)). The second molding die 151B is brought into contact with or close to the hardened portion 35 to further harden it. When this hardening process focuses on the second molding die 151B, it becomes a hardening (second hardening) process for the subsequent frozen sweet material 23 among the continuous molding processes. When focusing on the frozen sweet ingredients 23, the second hardening process becomes the downstream hardening (downstream hardening) process.

By repeating this sequence, the first molding die 151A and the second molding die 151B each continuously form the concave-shaped hardened portion 35 in the frozen sweet material 23 . That is, the first molding die 151A repeats the hardening process (first hardening process) of the preceding frozen sweet material 23 that has not been hardened, and the hardening process (second hardening process) of the subsequent frozen sweet material 23 that has not been hardened. In addition, the second mold 151B similarly repeats the hardening process (first hardening process) of the preceding frozen sweet material 23 in which the hardened portion 35 is formed, and the hardening of the subsequent frozen sweet material 23 in which the hardened portion 35 is formed. treatment (second hardening treatment).

When focusing on one of the frozen sweet ingredients 23, the first molding die 151A is put into the unhardened state to form the concave-shaped hardened portion 35 (upstream side hardening process), and the formed hardened portion 35 is continuously inserted into the mold. The second mold 151B performs additional hardening (downstream side hardening process).

At this time, the frozen sweet material forming device 10 of this embodiment is a frozen sweet material forming device 10 that can continuously perform a predetermined number of curings (for example, eight pieces (8 rows) in the conveyance width direction W at the same time) for a predetermined time. When the molding die unit 151U is raised and lowered 20 times per minute, 160 pieces are cured (1 minute), and in each molding die 151 (the second molding mold 151B, the first molding mold 151A), the first curing mold is During the period from the (previous hardening of the frozen sweet ingredients 23) process to the second hardening (the subsequent hardening of the frozen sweet ingredients 23) process, the lifting operation (time) is controlled to cool to a predetermined temperature.

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

The mold 151 is put into the frozen sweet food 23 to cause heat exchange with the frozen sweet food 23, so that the surface temperature of the mold 151 rises higher than the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (-196°C). And when the first hardening process of the previously frozen sweet food 23 is completed and the frozen sweet food 23 is extracted, the forming mold 151 is cooled again by liquid nitrogen and is reduced to the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. The concave portion forming device 15 is configured for one of the molding dies 151 (one of the first molding mold 151A and the second molding mold 151B is the same). When the previously frozen sweet material 23 is extracted, the surface temperature of the molding mold 151 is at least After lowering to the boiling point of liquid nitrogen (-183°C), the subsequent frozen sweet ingredients 23 are put in. In other words, after the mold 151 is extracted from the previously frozen sweet food 23, it is cooled even at the highest temperature (it may be lower than this) and is maintained in an elevated state (non-contact with the frozen sweet food 23) until it reaches the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. state) (waiting at the top), and after sufficient cooling, the subsequent frozen sweet ingredients 23 are put in to perform the second hardening process.

The forming die 151 supplied with liquid nitrogen to the hollow portion 159 is exposed to the air, so that oxygen in the air contacts the outer surface 151O of the forming die 151 to become liquid oxygen. Furthermore, when the frozen sweet ingredients 23 are put into the mold 151 with liquid oxygen attached to the outer surface 151O of the mold 151, compared with the case where the outer surface 151O is put into the mold 151 in a dry state, the amount of frozen sweet ingredients attached to the mold 151 can be significantly reduced. Amount of ingredients 23. Furthermore, even if the frozen sweet food 23 is attached to the mold 151 by contact with the frozen sweet food 23, the frozen sweet food 23 can be pulled out and exposed to the air, and the liquid oxygen can be attached to the mold 151. The frozen sweet ingredients 23 attached to the surface are peeled off from the mold 151 .

In this embodiment, for one of the molding dies 151, the action time of the raising and lowering of the molding mold 151 is controlled from the time the previous frozen sweet ingredient 23 is pulled out until the subsequent frozen sweet ingredient 23 is put in, so that the liquid oxygen adheres to the mold. The outer surface of 151 is 151O.

For example, when the hardened portion 35 is formed in the frozen dessert 23 of one composition, the shortest time from when the frozen dessert 23 is extracted until the liquid oxygen adheres to the outer surface 151O of the molding die 151 exposed to the air is a predetermined production capacity. (For example, on the premise that 160 frozen sweet ingredients 23 can form the hardened portion 35 in one minute), 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.

In addition, the speed at which the frozen sweet food 23 hardens (the hardened portion 35 is formed) differs depending on the composition or temperature of the frozen sweet food 23 . That is, the temperature rise of the molding die 151 in contact with the frozen sweet food 23 also differs depending on the composition or state of the frozen sweet food 23. In addition, the cooling time of the mold 151 in a state of non-contact with the frozen sweet food 23 also changes. It differs depending on the composition or state of the frozen sweet ingredients 23.

That is, the shortest time until the liquid oxygen adheres to the surface of the mold 151 is an example. The recessed portion forming device 15 of this embodiment is for each mold 151 in which the frozen sweet ingredients 23 are continuously put. The forming mold 151 and the frozen sweet food 23 are maintained in a non-contact state until the surface of the mold 151 is maintained. The period of maintaining the non-contact state can be appropriately selected depending on the composition or state of the frozen sweet food 23 .

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

After the hardened 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 Figure 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 volume is, for example, about 9 ml).

This process hardens the hardened portion 35 formed by the recessed portion forming device 15 and its vicinity more reliably. After the molding by the recessed portion forming device 15, as shown in FIG. 4, the frozen sweet material 23 is formed with a hardened portion 35 that is hardened in a thin-skinned state. In such a situation, if additional hardening treatment (hardening treatment by liquid nitrogen injection) is not performed, the unhardened portion, especially the frozen sweet food 23 near the bottom, cannot withstand the weight of the frozen sweet food 23 near the opening. This causes the hardened portion 35 to collapse.

On the other hand, as described above, as long as the hardened portion 35 is formed (even if the whole is not hardened) even in a thin-skinned state, the rapid freezing chamber transferred to the downstream step can be closed with a lid. That is, it is enough to form only the hardened portion 35 in a short time.

In addition, the smaller the amount of liquid nitrogen used in the manufacturing step, the more conducive to cost reduction. In this embodiment, the condition for sufficient hardness to prevent the hardened part 35 from collapsing before transferring to the subsequent rapid freezing step is to set the injection amount of liquid nitrogen, for example, 1/4 of the entire depth D1 of the recess 30 from the bottom. The left and right filling depth (capacity is about 9ml, for example). This can especially extend to the hardening of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 near the bottom. Therefore, the frozen sweet ingredients 23 near the opening can be prevented from collapsing due to load, and the hardened portion 35 can be in a good state before being transferred to the downstream rapid freezer.

For example, the liquid nitrogen is injected from the first molding die 151A on the upstream side (dashed line t1 shown in FIG. 2) at a time (dashed line t2) on the downstream side of four rows (after 12 seconds). At this time, when the injection amount of liquid nitrogen is injected to a depth of about 1/4 of the depth D1 of the hardened portion 35, under the environment in the manufacturing step, the liquid nitrogen reaches the 6-row downstream side (after 18 seconds) after the injection. Time (dotted line t3) vaporizes. That is, the lid can be installed on the container 21 as long as it is seven rows downstream after injection.

If the injection amount is large, the gasification time will be delayed, and if the installation of the cover is delayed, the transfer to the downstream step will also be delayed. As long as the injection amount of this embodiment is enough, the periphery of the hardened portion 35 can be hardened to a sufficient amount for transfer to the downstream step. Therefore, the installation of the cover and the transfer to the downstream quick freezer can be performed in the shortest possible time. Prevent cost increase and shorten operation time.

The container 21 discharged from the frozen sweet food forming device 10 (the frozen sweet food 23 with the hardened portion 35 formed thereon is closed with a lid) is transferred to a tray and stored in a rapid freezing chamber (not shown) (for example, -40° C.) For example, perform hardening for 20 minutes. Thereby, the frozen dessert 50 which has the recessed part 30 near the center is obtained (refer FIG. 1). [Example 1]

One of the molds 151 is exposed to the air after being extracted from the previously frozen sweet ingredients 23, and liquid oxygen adheres to the surface of the mold 151 for about 1.5 seconds to 1.8 seconds. Accordingly, by forming the hardened portion 35 under the following conditions, good hardening can be obtained and it can be confirmed that the predetermined production capacity is obtained.

An example of the frozen sweet ingredient 23 is to mix crushed ice with ice cream powder, and the raw materials of the ice cream powder are, for example, sugar, dairy products, coffee, and spices. Furthermore, the solid content of the powder before mixing with the crushed ice is, for example, 40%.

The conveying means 11 moves one row of containers 21 in the conveying direction T every second and performs an intermittent operation of stopping for 2 seconds. One lifting operation (one stroke) of one mold 151 is performed in 3 seconds. Thereby, for example, the hardened portion 35 can be formed for about 80 to 240 frozen sweet ingredients 23 in one minute.

At this time, focusing on one of the molding dies 151, the recessed portion forming device 15 holds the frozen sweet material 23 in the mold 151 for about 1.33 seconds to form a hardened portion on the previously frozen sweet material 23 (the first frozen sweet material). 35. Moreover, the time required to extract the mold 151 from the frozen sweet material 23 and then insert it into the subsequent frozen sweet material 23 (second frozen sweet material) is approximately 1.67 seconds.

That is, when focusing on one frozen sweet ingredient 23, the first molding die 151A is inserted and hardened in 1.33 seconds (the first molding mold 151A is withdrawn), and the second molding die 151B is inserted after 1.67 seconds and further hardened in 1.33 seconds.

Subsequently, approximately 9 ml of liquid nitrogen was injected into the formed concave-shaped hardened portion 35 through the liquid nitrogen injection device 19 .

As a result, the frozen sweet ingredients 23 do not adhere to the forming mold 151, and the formed hardened portion 35 can be sufficiently hardened to prevent collapse before being transferred to the downstream step (quick freezer), and the surface of the hardened portion 35 is also There is no unnecessary frozen sweet ingredient 23 attached, and it is in good condition.

Although an example of this embodiment has been described above, the recessed portion forming device 15 of the present invention performs the cooling effect of at least the previous frozen sweet material 23 and the subsequent frozen sweet material 23 that are continuously conveyed by one mold 151. In this case, the structure in which the mold 151 extracted from the previously frozen sweet food 23 is maintained (on standby) in the air until it is lowered to a temperature lower than the boiling point of liquid oxygen, and then the subsequent frozen sweet food 23 is cooled is not limited to the above example. .

In addition, in order to prevent the temperature of the molding die 151 from rising as described above, the molding molds are formed by inserting and removing the molding dies 151A and 151B a plurality of times (twice in this example) with respect to the hardened portion 35 of the frozen dessert material 23. The structure of 151 is preferred, but it is not limited to the above example. That is, one mold 151 may be formed by inserting and removing the hardened portion 35 of one frozen dessert 23 a plurality of times (twice in this example).

For example, assuming that the total time required to form the recessed portion 30 for one frozen dessert 50 is T time, the molding time of the hardened portion 35 once using the mold 151 is 1/2T time, and two insertion and extraction operations are performed. In this way, compared with the case where the molding time of the hardened portion 35 is set to T time for one insertion and removal of the mold 151, the increase and decrease in the surface temperature of the mold 151 can be suppressed, and the standby time in the air can be shortened. Efficient forming.

Moreover, although it is preferable to perform insertion and removal of the molding die 151 several times with respect to one frozen sweet material 23, it may do it once.

In the above example, the mold unit 151U shows a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of molding dies 151 arranged in the conveyance width direction W (for example, the row direction) and the conveyance direction T (for example, the column direction). However, the mold unit 151U may also be The molding dies 151 may be arranged in one row and a plurality of columns, or in a plurality of rows and a column.

When a plurality of (M) molding dies 151 are installed along the conveyance direction T, they are inserted and removed from the frozen sweet ingredients 23 at intervals of N (N=M-1>0), and are controlled during the standby period for the insertion and removal. Drops to a temperature below the boiling point of liquid oxygen.

In addition, a single molding mold (1 row × 1 column) is provided in the molding mold unit 151U in accordance with the state of the frozen sweet ingredients 23 (easiness of hardening, viscosity in the mixed state, hardness when becoming the frozen sweet ingredients 23, etc.). The frozen sweet ingredients 23 may be formed sequentially, and the waiting time in the air may be reduced to a temperature lower than the boiling point of liquid oxygen during the period from the previous frozen sweet ingredient 23 to the subsequent frozen sweet ingredient 23 .

Furthermore, the forming means 15 may be configured so that a plurality of forming dies 151 can move up and down individually. At this time, for example, it is controlled to raise the subsequent molding die 151B when the preceding molding die 151A descends, and to lower the subsequent molding mold 151B when the preceding molding die 151A ascends.

In addition, although the above-mentioned embodiment shows an example in which the conveying means carries out intermittent conveying, continuous conveying is also possible. At this time, the recess forming device 15 and the liquid nitrogen injection device 19 can be moved along the conveying direction T in synchronization with the conveying means 11 . However, in this case, the device and control become complicated, and it is preferable to operate intermittently as described above to reduce costs.

Furthermore, the composition (proportion of raw materials) of the frozen dessert ingredient 23, the values of the excess line, etc. are not limited to the above-mentioned examples, and can be appropriately selected according to the state of the frozen dessert (ice dessert) 50. In addition, the frozen sweet ingredients 23 are not limited to the mixing of shaved ice products, but may also be used for mixing ice cream, smoothies, or other desserts provided in a frozen (frozen) state.

In addition, the operating conditions of the above-mentioned frozen dessert forming device 10 are also examples, and can be appropriately selected to mold the hardened portion 35 according to the composition or state of the frozen dessert 23 and the state of the frozen dessert 50 to be produced.

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

10‧‧‧Frozen sweet food forming device 11‧‧‧Means of transportation 13‧‧‧Filling means (stirring and filling machine) 15‧‧‧Forming means (concave forming device) 17‧‧‧Means of refrigerant supply 19‧‧‧Refrigerant injection means (liquid nitrogen injection device) 21‧‧‧Container 23‧‧‧Frozen sweet ingredients 30‧‧‧Concave 35‧‧‧hardened part 37‧‧‧Liquid nitrogen 50‧‧‧Frozen Desserts 151, 151A, 151B‧‧‧Forming mold 171‧‧‧Liquid nitrogen subcooling system 173‧‧‧Hopper 175‧‧‧Piping 191‧‧‧Hopper 193‧‧‧Injection nozzle

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a frozen dessert produced by a frozen dessert forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a cross-sectional view and (b) is an external perspective view. Fig. 2 is a front view schematically showing a frozen dessert forming device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the concave portion forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a front view, (b) is a top view, (c) is an appearance view of the mold, and (d) is a cross-sectional view of the mold. . Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a hardened portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the recessed portion forming device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

10‧‧‧Frozen sweet food forming device

11‧‧‧Means of transportation

13‧‧‧Filling methods

15‧‧‧Forming means

17‧‧‧Means of refrigerant supply

19‧‧‧Refrigerant injection method

21‧‧‧Container

151‧‧‧Forming mold

151A‧‧‧1st forming die

151B‧‧‧Second forming die

153‧‧‧Driving means

171‧‧‧Liquid nitrogen subcooling system

173‧‧‧Hopper

175‧‧‧Piping

191‧‧‧Hopper

193‧‧‧Injection nozzle

Claims (16)

A frozen sweet food forming device is a device for continuously hardening a part of frozen sweet food into a hollow concave shape, and is characterized by having: a conveying means for transporting a plurality of containers; and a filling means for filling the above frozen sweet food Filling into the above-mentioned container; a forming means for sequentially inserting and extracting the frozen sweet ingredients into the convex-shaped forming mold after cooling so that at least a part of the above-mentioned frozen sweet ingredients around the forming mold is hardened; and a refrigerant supply means for The refrigerant is supplied to the molding die, and the molding mold is configured to cool to a predetermined temperature from the hardening of the continuously conveyed first frozen sweet ingredient to the hardening of the second frozen sweet ingredient while performing a predetermined number of hardenings at a predetermined time. , the above-mentioned forming mold is composed of metal with a plate thickness less than 1mm. The frozen dessert forming device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature sufficient to harden at least part of the frozen dessert around the mold. The frozen dessert material forming device according to claim 1, wherein the forming means is to insert the second frozen dessert material after the surface temperature of the molding die is lowered to at least the boiling point of liquid oxygen after being extracted from the first frozen dessert material. . - The frozen dessert material forming device according to claim 2, wherein the forming means is to insert the second frozen dessert material after the surface temperature of the molding die is lowered to at least the boiling point of liquid oxygen after being extracted from the first frozen dessert material. . The frozen sweet food forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shaping means inserts the forming mold into the frozen sweet food a plurality of times. The frozen sweet food forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shaping means has a plurality of molds, and the plurality of molds are moved up and down and then put into the frozen sweet food. The frozen sweet food molding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an injection means for injecting a refrigerant into the recessed portion hardened by the mold. The frozen sweet food forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the forming means performs hardening at about 80 to 240 pieces per minute. A method for forming frozen sweet ingredients, which is to use a part of the frozen sweet ingredients to A method for forming frozen sweet ingredients that are continuously hardened into a hollow concave shape, characterized by comprising: the step of transporting a plurality of containers; the step of filling the frozen sweet ingredients into the containers; and the above-mentioned step of transporting the cooled convex forming mold. a step of sequentially inserting and extracting frozen sweet ingredients into and out of the frozen sweet ingredients to harden at least part of the frozen sweet ingredients around the forming mold; and a step of supplying refrigerant to the forming mold, and the forming mold performs a predetermined amount of hardening at a predetermined time, While cooling to a predetermined temperature during the period from the hardening of the continuously conveyed first frozen sweet material to the hardening of the second frozen sweet material, the above-mentioned forming mold is made of metal with a plate thickness of less than 1 mm. The method of forming frozen sweet ingredients according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined temperature is a temperature sufficient to harden at least a part of the frozen sweet ingredients around the mold. The method of forming a frozen dessert according to Claim 9, wherein the mold is extracted from the first frozen dessert, and the second frozen dessert is inserted after the surface temperature of the mold is lowered to at least the boiling point of liquid oxygen. The method for molding frozen sweet ingredients according to claim 10, wherein the forming mold is extracted from the first frozen sweet ingredient, and the surface of the forming mold is warmed. After the temperature is reduced to at least the boiling point of liquid oxygen, the second frozen sweet ingredient is added. The method for molding frozen sweet ingredients according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein a plurality of the molding dies are moved up and down synchronously and then put into the frozen sweet ingredients. The method for molding frozen sweet ingredients according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the forming mold is inserted into the frozen sweet ingredients a plurality of times. The method for molding frozen dessert ingredients according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein a refrigerant is injected into the concave portion hardened by the mold. The method for molding frozen sweet ingredients according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the molding die is used to perform hardening at about 80 to 240 pieces per minute.