JP7474244B2 - Crusher - Google Patents

Description

One aspect of the present invention relates to a grinding machine for grinding solid raw materials such as cocoa beans. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-068930, filed on March 29, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

One example of this type of grinding machine is the electric flour mill disclosed in Patent Document 1. This electric flour mill is equipped with an input section having an opening into which the material to be ground is input and which sends it to the next stage, a coarse flour milling section which coarsely grinds the material to be ground from the input adjustment section, a fine flour milling section which further finely grinds the material ground in the coarse flour milling section, and an adjustment section which adjusts the amount of material to be ground introduced into the fine flour milling section.

In addition, in Patent Document 1, the temperature of the introduction area is configured to be lower than the temperature of the oil contained in the material to be ground, and the temperature of the discharge area is configured to be higher than the temperature of the oil contained in the material to be ground, thereby preventing the cocoa bean powder from sticking together.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-69136 (published on May 10, 2018)

However, the above conventional grinding machines have the following problems. Figure 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main parts of a conventional grinding machine. The grinding machine 101 shown in Figure 10 has a conical mortar 111 consisting of an inner mortar 121 which is a rotary mortar and an outer mortar 122 which is a fixed mortar. The solid raw material to be ground is fed from the introduction section 112 to the inlet section 123 between the inner mortar 121 and the outer mortar 122. The introduction section 112 is cylindrical, and the inner diameter of the lower end is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the outer mortar 122. The solid raw material is, for example, cacao nibs. Cacao nibs are roasted and coarsely ground cacao beans. Cacao beans contain about 50% oil and have a melting point of about 35°C.

In such a grinder 101, when the inner mill 121 rotates to grind the cocoa nibs 113, the cocoa nibs 113 are ground by the inner mill 121 and the outer mill 122. In this case, if the cocoa nibs 113 exceed the grinding capacity of the conical mill 111 and are fed into the inlet 123, the cocoa nibs 113 that do not fit inside the conical mill 111 and the cocoa powder formed by grinding the cocoa nibs 113 by the conical mill 111 flow back from the inlet 123 of the conical mill 111 to the introduction section 112 as shown by the arrow in Figure 10. In addition, the cocoa powder becomes hot when it is ground, and the conical mill 111 becomes hot due to friction during the grinding operation, and the heat of the conical mill 111 is transmitted to the introduction section 112. As a result, oil dissolves from the cocoa powder, and the cocoa powder accumulates on the inner surface of the introduction section 112 (accumulated powder 114 in FIG. 10 ). As a result, the cocoa nibs 113 cannot be smoothly supplied from the introduction section 112 to the conical mortar 111.

Figure 11 shows typical trouble states that occur as a result of the increase in the accumulated powder 114 shown in Figure 10. Figure 11(a) shows ratholes, Figure 11(b) shows bridges, Figure 11(c) shows blocking, and Figure 11(d) shows residual adhesion.

One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a grinding machine that can suppress the accumulation of solid raw material powder on the inner surface of the introduction section through which the solid raw material is fed into a conical mortar.

In order to solve the above problems, a grinding machine according to one embodiment of the present invention has a conical mill consisting of an inner mill, which is a rotary mill, and an outer mill, which is a fixed mill, and is equipped with a grinding section that grinds solid raw material containing oil fed into an inlet between the inner mill and the outer mill in the conical mill, and an introduction section that has an opening at its lower end, the diameter of which is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer mill at the inlet, and that feeds the supplied solid raw material from the opening into the inlet of the conical mill.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of powder of solid raw material on the inner surface of the introduction section through which the solid raw material is introduced into a conical mortar.

1 is a perspective view of a crushing device including a crushing unit as a crusher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grinding unit shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the grinding unit shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view including a vertical section of the grinding unit shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 5 is a front view of the vertical cross-sectional portion of the grinding unit shown in FIG. 4 . 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of the crushing unit shown in FIG. 5 and an operation of the crushing unit. FIG. 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams showing a detailed configuration of a crushing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention and an operation of the crushing unit. 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams showing a detailed configuration of a crushing unit according to still another embodiment of the present invention and an operation of the crushing unit. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which an adhesion prevention/agitation member is attached to the inner die of the conical die shown in FIG. 8 . FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a main part of a conventional crusher. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing typical trouble conditions that arise as a result of the increase in the accumulated powder shown in FIG. 10, where FIG. 11A shows a rathole, FIG. 11B shows a bridge, FIG. 11C shows blocking, and FIG. 11D shows a state in which adhesion residue has occurred.

(Overview of grinding solid raw materials)
Grinding of solids such as grains and beans is used for various foods because the uses of the solids are dramatically expanded by grinding them. However, it is well known that it is difficult to grind uniformly efficiently and prevent deterioration of flavor. If grinding efficiency is emphasized, the particles of the ground material will become coarse and uneven, and wheat flour, buckwheat flour, etc. will lose smoothness, and not only will the quality of udon and buckwheat decrease, but the flavor will easily deteriorate due to oxidation due to the excess heat applied during grinding. If excess frictional heat is applied to the ground material during grinding, the fresh flavor of tea will be lost, and soy milk will have a strong grassy smell. The old idea of grinding the ground material by slowly rotating the mortar is extremely reasonable in that it prevents the flavor of the ground material from deteriorating during processing because it suppresses the generation of frictional heat.

The grinding method, in which the particle size of the ground material is adjusted by the clearance between a rotating grindstone and a fixed grindstone, as in a millstone, remains the same even if the material used changes from natural stone to ceramic or metal. This is true for both dry and wet grinding, with the typical examples being the dry grinding of buckwheat seeds in soba production and the wet grinding of soybeans in tofu production. Millstone grinding is used in a variety of fields, but whether dry or wet, the clearance between the rotating grindstone and the fixed grindstone is adjusted so that the desired particle size is achieved in one grinding stage. Even in grinders made of metal such as stainless steel, the clearance between the rotating blade and the fixed blade is designed and implemented to achieve the desired size in one grinding stage.

For example, in the case of chocolate, cacao beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and the skin removed, and processed into a state known as cacao nibs. When crushing at a store such as a chocolate factory, a stone mill method is sometimes used, and the clearance between the stones is adjusted in stages. Crushing must be repeated multiple times while gradually narrowing the clearance until the desired smooth chocolate is obtained. The size of a single grain of cacao, the raw material, is relatively large compared to the clearance, which is a disadvantage. In other words, the cacao is crushed finely and gradually, so it takes time to produce the desired particles.

Wet grinding is used to grind cacao, which has a melting point of around 35°C and turns into a liquid (paste) due to the heat of friction between the mortar and the cacao nibs when grinding. The temperature of the cacao and mortar during grinding is determined by the natural course of events and has not traditionally been controlled. If the temperature is too low, the cacao cannot flow in the mortar and sticks to the grooves, making it impossible to grind and increasing the load on the motor. On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, the cacao may burn, reducing the quality of the cacao.

[Embodiment 1]
An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a crushing device 1 including a crushing unit 11 as a crusher of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the crushing unit 11 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the crushing unit 11 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view including a vertical cross section of the crushing unit 11 shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a front view of the vertical cross section of the crushing unit 11 shown in Fig. 4.

(Overview of the pulverizing device 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the crushing device 1 includes a crushing unit 11, a heat retaining container 12, a hopper 13, a motor 14, and a powder removal lever 15.

The grinding unit 11 is housed inside the thermal insulation container 12, and the hopper 13 is attached on top of the grinding unit 11. The hopper 13 houses the solid raw material. In this embodiment, the case where the solid raw material is cocoa nibs will be described. The motor 14 is provided at the bottom of the grinding device 1 and rotates the grinding section 26 of the grinding unit 11. The powder removal lever 15 is located on the side of the grinding device 1. By rotating the powder removal lever 15 downward, the cocoa nib powder (cocoa powder) ground in the grinding unit 11 can be removed from the removal port 16.

(Configuration of the grinding unit 11)
2 to 5, the grinding unit 11 has a housing part 21 at an upper part and a recovery and transport part 22 at a lower part. The housing part 21 has a handle 23 that is used when inserting and removing the grinding unit 11 into and from the inside of the thermal insulation container 12. Inside the housing part 21, from top to bottom, a hopper receiving part 24, an introduction part 25, and a grinding part 26 are provided.

The hopper receiving portion 24 receives the hopper 13 that is placed on the grinding unit 11. The hopper receiving portion 24 has an opening at its lower end. The hopper 13 contains cocoa nibs, and the introduction portion 25 receives the cocoa nibs supplied from the hopper 13 through the hopper receiving portion 24. The introduction portion 25 has an opening 25a at its lower end.

The grinding section 26 has a conical mortar 27 in the center, and a flat mortar 28 around the conical mortar 27. The conical mortar 27 consists of an inner mortar 29, which is a rotating mortar, and an outer mortar 30, which is a fixed mortar. The outer mortar 30 has a cylindrical shape, and the inner mortar 29 is inserted into the outer mortar 30, and has a shape in which the outer diameter gradually decreases from the bottom to the top. The inside of the outer mortar 30 at the upper end of the conical mortar 27 forms an inlet 33 for the cocoa nibs. The conical mortar 27 grinds the cocoa nibs 45 (see Figure 6, solid raw material) introduced from the introduction section 25 to produce coarse cocoa powder.

The flat mill 28 consists of a lower mill 31, which is a rotating mill, and an upper mill 32, which is a fixed mill. The lower mill 31 is fixed to the outer periphery of the inner mill 29 and is integrated with the inner mill 29. The upper mill 32 is fixed to the outer periphery of the outer mill 30 and is integrated with the outer mill 30. A central shaft 37 is provided at the center of the inner mill 29 and the lower mill 31. The flat mill 28 grinds the coarse cocoa powder formed in the conical mill 27 into fine cocoa powder.

The recovery and transport section 22 has a material receiving section 34 at the top, a transport passage 35 connected to the material receiving section 34, and a drive transmission section 36 below the material receiving section 34. The crushing section 26 is disposed above the material receiving section 34, and the material receiving section 34 receives the cocoa powder formed by the crushing section 26. The transport passage 35 transports the cocoa powder received by the material receiving section 34 downward. The drive transmission section 36 transmits the driving force of the motor 14 to the central shaft 37 of the crushing section 26 placed on the material receiving section 34, rotating the crushing section 26 (the inner mill 29 and the lower mill 31).

Note that Figures 4 and 5 show the state in which an adhesion prevention/stirring member 44, described in Figure 7, is provided on the inner dies 29 of the conical dies 27.

(Details of the configuration, operation and advantages of the grinding unit 11)
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the detailed configuration of the crushing unit 11 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the diameter of the opening 25a of the introduction section 25 is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer mill 30 of the inlet section 33 of the conical mill 27. At the inlet section 33 of the conical mill 27, the rotational force of the inner mill 29 is transmitted between the cocoa nibs 45, and the cocoa nibs 45 in the introduction section 25 are also moved. However, due to the above configuration, the cocoa nibs 45 introduced into the inlet section 33 of the conical mill 27 and the cocoa powder formed by crushing the cocoa nibs 45 rotate in a small range within the inlet section 33 of the conical mill 27 below the introduction section 25, making it difficult for them to flow back into the introduction section 25, and the range in which the rotational force is transmitted can be suppressed. This is because the lower surface of the introduction section 25 becomes a so-called return, which suppresses the backflow of the cocoa nibs 45 and the cocoa powder into the introduction section 25. Furthermore, the friction between the cocoa nibs 45 is reduced, and the generation of cocoa powder in the introduction section 25 can be suppressed. As a result, accumulation of cocoa powder (solid raw material powder) in the introduction section 25 is suppressed, and the cocoa nibs 45 can be smoothly introduced from the introduction section 25 into the conical mortar 27. Furthermore, in the conical mortar 27, backflow of the introduced cocoa nibs 45 into the introduction section 25 is suppressed at the bottom surface of the introduction section 25, and the introduced cocoa nibs 45 can be efficiently ground.

The inner diameter of the introduction section 25 is gradually smaller from the top toward the opening 25a. That is, the inner surface of the introduction section 25 is an inclined surface whose diameter gradually decreases from the top toward the opening 25a. The cocoa nibs 45 receive the rotational force transmitted from the inlet 33 of the conical mill 27, and rotate (turn) in the introduction section 25 near the opening 25a. This rotation causes a force to act on the cocoa nibs 45 in a centrifugal (outward) direction, and the cocoa nibs 45 and the cocoa powder are pressed against the inner surface of the introduction section 25, and the cocoa powder is gradually compressed and piled up. Therefore, by providing the introduction section 25 with an inclined surface, the cocoa powder can move upward and deflect the force that pushes it against the inner surface of the introduction section 25. As a result, even if the cocoa powder returns from the conical mortar 27 to the introduction section 25, the cocoa powder tends to move upward along the slope of the introduction section 25 and is less likely to accumulate in one place near the opening 25a of the introduction section 25.

The inclination angle of the inner surface of the introduction section 25 with respect to the horizontal plane is preferably 45°<θ<75°, where θ is the inclination angle. If the inclination angle θ is 45° or less, the diameter of the introduction section 25 becomes too large, and cocoa nibs may remain on the inclined surface. On the other hand, if the inclination angle θ is 75° or more, the effect of releasing the force acting in the centrifugal direction due to rotation to compress the cocoa powder upward is small. Therefore, the cocoa powder that returns from the conical mill 27 to the introduction section 25 is less likely to move upward in the introduction section 25, and is more likely to accumulate near the opening 25a.

The relationship between the inner diameter of the outer die 30 of the inlet 33 of the conical die 27 and the diameter of the opening 25a of the introduction part 25 is preferably 0.5<d1/D1<0.8, where D1 is the inner diameter of the outer die 30 of the inlet 33 and d1 is the diameter of the opening 25a of the introduction part 25. (Claim 3)
The relationship between the gap between the lower surface of the introduction portion 25 and the upper surface of the inner mill 29 and the outer diameter of the upper end of the inner mill 29 is preferably 0.5<2h1/(D1-D2)<1, where the gap between the lower surface of the introduction portion 25 and the upper surface of the inner mill 29 is gap h1 and the outer diameter of the upper end of the inner mill 29 is D2.

If 2h1/(D1-D2) is 0.5 or less, it becomes difficult for the cocoa nibs 45 to enter between the inner mortar 29 and the outer mortar 30 of the conical mortar 27. On the other hand, if 2h1/(D1-D2) is 1 or more, it becomes easier for the cocoa nibs 45 introduced from the introduction section 25 to the inlet section 33 to return to the introduction section 25.

[Embodiment 2]
Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals are given to members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

(Details of the configuration, operation and advantages of the grinding unit 11)
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of the crushing unit 11 of this embodiment and the operation of the crushing unit 11. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the grinding unit 11 of this embodiment is provided with a rotating adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 between the inner mill 29 and the outer mill 30 of the conical mill 27. One end portion of the adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 is fixed to the upper surface of the inner mill 29 with a screw, and the other end portion is bent diagonally downward so as to enter between the inner mill 29 and the outer mill 30. The other end portion of the adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 is configured to scrape off accumulated powder 42 generated on the inner surface of the outer mill 30. This makes it possible for the grinding unit 11 to suppress a decrease in the grinding efficiency of the conical mill 27 due to the accumulation of powder 42 in the conical mill 27.

In the conical mill 27, if the cocoa nibs 45 are ground for a long time, accumulated powder 42 is generated on the inner peripheral surface of the outer mill 30 at the inlet 33, and the grinding efficiency of the conical mill 27 decreases. The reason for the accumulation of powder 42 is that, as in the case described in FIG. 10, the cocoa powder heats up when ground, and the conical mill 27 heats up due to friction during the grinding operation, and the heat causes oil to melt from the cocoa powder, causing the cocoa powder to accumulate on the inner peripheral surface of the outer mill 30 at the inlet 33. Therefore, in the grinding unit 11 of this embodiment, an adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 is provided on the inner mill 29, and the adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 rotating together with the inner mill 29 scrapes off the accumulated powder 42.

In addition, the anti-adhesion protrusion member 41 is not limited to a configuration in which it is provided on the inner mill 29 and rotates together with the inner mill 29, but may also be configured to rotate when driven by another mechanism.

[Embodiment 3]
Further, for the sake of convenience, the same reference numerals are given to the members having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

(Details of the configuration, operation and advantages of the grinding unit 11)
Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed configuration of the grinding unit 11 of this embodiment and the operation of the grinding unit 11. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the adhesion prevention/agitation member 44 is attached to the inner die 29 of the conical die 27.

As shown in FIG. 8, the grinding unit 11 of this embodiment includes a rotating rod-shaped stirring member 43 provided in the movement path of the cocoa nibs 45 leading to the introduction section 25. In this embodiment, the stirring member 43 is connected to one end of the adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 and is configured as a part of the adhesion prevention/stirring member 44 having the adhesion prevention protrusion member 41 and the stirring member 43.

The stirring member 43 is inserted into the introduction section 25 through the opening 25a of the introduction section 25 and reaches the lower part of the hopper receiving section 24. The stirring member 43 is provided in the inner mortar 29 and rotates together with the inner mortar 29. This prevents the cocoa nibs 45 from being stuck in the path of movement of the cocoa nibs 45 leading to the introduction section 25, and allows the cocoa nibs 45 to be smoothly introduced into the conical mortar 27 via the introduction section 25.

The stirring member 43 is not limited to being provided as part of the adhesion prevention/stirring member 44, but may be provided separately. The stirring member 43 is not limited to being provided in the inner mill 29 and rotating together with the inner mill 29, but may be rotated by being driven by another mechanism.

〔summary〕
The grinding machine according to aspect 1 of the present invention has a conical mill consisting of an inner mill which is a rotary mill and an outer mill which is a fixed mill, and is equipped with a grinding section which grinds a solid raw material containing oil fed into an inlet between the inner mill and the outer mill in the conical mill, and an introduction section which has an opening at a lower end and has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer mill at the inlet section, and which feeds the supplied solid raw material from the opening into the inlet section of the conical mill.

The crusher according to aspect 2 of the present invention may be configured in the above-mentioned aspect 1 such that the inner diameter of the introduction portion gradually decreases from the top toward the opening.

The grinding machine according to aspect 3 of the present invention may be configured in the above-mentioned aspect 1 or 2 such that, when the inner diameter of the outer mortar of the inlet portion is D1 and the diameter of the opening of the introduction portion is d1, 0.5<d1/D1<0.8 holds.

The grinding machine according to aspect 4 of the present invention may be configured in any one of aspects 1 to 3 above such that, when the gap between the lower surface of the introduction portion and the upper surface of the inner mill is defined as gap h1 and the outer diameter of the upper end of the inner mill is defined as D2, 0.5<2h1/(D1-D2)<1 holds.

The crusher according to aspect 5 of the present invention may be configured in any one of aspects 1 to 4 above, such that, when the inclination angle of the inner surface of the introduction portion is θ, 45°<θ<75° holds.

The grinding machine according to aspect 6 of the present invention may be configured in any one of aspects 1 to 5 above, with a rotating anti-adhesion protrusion member between the outer mill and the inner mill.

The grinding machine according to aspect 7 of the present invention may be configured in any one of aspects 1 to 6 above, further comprising a hopper above the inlet section for supplying the solid raw material to the inlet section, and a rotating rod-shaped stirring member provided in the path leading to the inlet section of the solid raw material.

Claims (7)

A grinding section having a conical mill consisting of an inner mill, which is a rotary mill, and an outer mill, which is a fixed mill, in which a solid raw material containing oil, which is put into an inlet between the inner mill and the outer mill, is ground in the conical mill;
an introduction section having an opening at a lower end, the diameter of the opening being smaller than the inner diameter of the outer die of the inlet section, and introducing the supplied solid raw material from the opening into the inlet section of the conical die;
The wall surface constituting the introduction portion includes a flat lower surface extending laterally from the opening portion and a cylindrical inner surface inclined so that the inner diameter of the introduction portion gradually decreases from the upper portion toward the opening portion, and the lower surface covers the entire surface of the inlet portion of the conical die,
A crusher, wherein the inner surface and the lower surface form an acute angle in the introduction portion. The crusher according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner diameter of the introduction section gradually decreases from the top toward the opening. If the inclination angle of the inner surface of the introduction portion is θ,
45°<θ<75°
3. The crusher according to claim 1, wherein the following holds true: The grinding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is provided with a rotating anti-adhesion protrusion member between the outer mill and the inner mill. A grinding section having a conical mill consisting of an inner mill, which is a rotary mill, and an outer mill, which is a fixed mill, in which a solid raw material containing oil, which is put into an inlet between the inner mill and the outer mill, is ground in the conical mill;
an introduction section having an opening at a lower end, the diameter of the opening being smaller than the inner diameter of the outer die of the inlet section, and introducing the supplied solid raw material from the opening into the inlet section of the conical die;
The wall surface constituting the introduction portion includes a flat lower surface extending laterally from the opening portion and a cylindrical inner surface inclined so that the inner diameter of the introduction portion gradually decreases from the upper portion toward the opening portion, and the lower surface covers the entire surface of the inlet portion of the conical die,
If the inner diameter of the outer mortar at the inlet portion is D1 and the diameter of the opening of the introduction portion is d1,
0.5<d1/D1<0.8
A crusher characterized in that: A grinding section having a conical mill consisting of an inner mill, which is a rotary mill, and an outer mill, which is a fixed mill, in which a solid raw material containing oil, which is put into an inlet between the inner mill and the outer mill, is ground in the conical mill;
an introduction section having an opening at a lower end, the diameter of the opening being smaller than the inner diameter of the outer die of the inlet section, and introducing the supplied solid raw material from the opening into the inlet section of the conical die;
The wall surface constituting the introduction portion includes a flat lower surface extending laterally from the opening portion and a cylindrical inner surface inclined so that the inner diameter of the introduction portion gradually decreases from the upper portion toward the opening portion, and the lower surface covers the entire surface of the inlet portion of the conical die,
If the gap between the lower surface of the introduction portion and the upper surface of the inner mill is a gap h1 and the outer diameter of the upper end of the inner mill is D2,
0.5<2h1/(D1-D2)<1
A crusher characterized in that: A grinding section having a conical mill consisting of an inner mill, which is a rotary mill, and an outer mill, which is a fixed mill, in which a solid raw material containing oil, which is put into an inlet between the inner mill and the outer mill, is ground in the conical mill;
an introduction section having an opening at a lower end, the diameter of the opening being smaller than the inner diameter of the outer die of the inlet section, and introducing the supplied solid raw material from the opening into the inlet section of the conical die;
The wall surface constituting the introduction portion includes a flat lower surface extending laterally from the opening portion and a cylindrical inner surface inclined so that the inner diameter of the introduction portion gradually decreases from the upper portion toward the opening portion, and the lower surface covers the entire surface of the inlet portion of the conical die,
a hopper above the introduction part for supplying the solid raw material to the introduction part;
a rotating rod-shaped stirring member provided in a path leading to the introduction portion of the solid raw material.

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