KR20220111493A - Blanching apparatus for vegetable - Google Patents

Abstract

A vegetable blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a processing water tank which is a container for holding water and has an open top; a heating pipe provided inside the processing water tank and provided with a steam spraying port for spraying steam; a lower conveyor including a lower conveying belt having at least a partial section immersed in water accommodated in the processing water tank and transporting an object placed on the upper part in one direction; an upper conveyor including an upper conveying belt disposed on the upper part of the lower conveyor belt, and rotating so that the surface adjacent to the lower conveyor belt moves in the conveying direction of the lower conveyor belt; and an elevating loop coupled to the upper conveyor and covering at least a portion of the processing water tank, wherein each of the lower conveyor and the upper conveyor moves up and down. Objects to be processed can be uniformly blanched.

Description

Plant blanching processing device {BLANCHING APPARATUS FOR VEGETABLE}

The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing plants, and more particularly, to a plant processing apparatus for automatically blanching a plant as a processing object prior to individual quick freezing.

There are a variety of ingredients, such as vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish. Most of these ingredients have a limited shelf life.

Accordingly, various attempts have been made to extend the period during which ingredients such as vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish are kept fresh. In addition, various techniques have been proposed to keep food ingredients fresh while not destroying their intrinsic nutrients and maintaining flavor.

In the case of plants, they can be stored for a relatively long time after being harvested, but when moisture is lost, their inherent flavor is lost and their freshness rapidly deteriorates.

In addition, soil or various foreign substances may exist on the surface of the plant during the cultivation process. In order to use a plant as a food material, it must go through a washing process, and foreign substances such as soil existing on the surface of the plant are removed through the washing process.

Processing and washing methods that can keep plants fresher are being carried out in various forms.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0075668 (hereinafter referred to as 'related technology 1') discloses a 'clean vegetable automatic processing device'. Related Art 1 relates to a device for automatically blanching, washing and lowering the temperature of vegetables to a temperature that is easy to freeze.

To this end, the related art 1 includes a boiling unit, a washing unit, a cooling unit and a quick freezing unit, and the vegetable to be processed passes through the boiling unit, the washing unit, the cooling unit and the quick freezing unit sequentially.

However, the related art 1 had disadvantages in that the vegetables, which were processed objects, were clumped during the transfer process, a large amount of water was consumed for sufficient washing and cooling, and the facility was large and took up a large space.

Therefore, a technique for solving these problems has been required.

One object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art in which uniform quality could not be obtained because some were not processed in the process of automatically blanching plants.

Another object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art in which there was a difference in the degree of blanching depending on the position of the plant to be transported.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of automatically and rapidly blanching a large amount of plants.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and other problems or objects not mentioned may be understood by the following description.

The plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a container containing water, a processing water tank having an open upper part, a heating pipe provided in the processing water tank, and a steam injection port for spraying steam is formed in the processing water tank At least a portion of the section is immersed in the water contained therein, and a lower conveyor including a lower transfer belt for transferring an object placed on the upper portion in one direction, disposed on the upper portion of the lower transfer belt and adjacent to the lower transfer belt is in the transfer direction of the lower transfer belt It is coupled to an upper conveyor and an upper conveyor including an upper conveying belt that rotates to move, and includes an elevating loop covering at least a portion of the processing water tank, and the lower conveyor and the upper conveyor are lifted up and down, respectively.

And, in the blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower conveying belt includes a lower blade which is formed in multiple pieces on the conveying surface and is formed in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

Alternatively, in the blanching device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower blade is made of a flexible material, and includes at least one cutout.

And, in the blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper transfer belt protrudes toward the lower transfer belt, and includes at least one upper blade disposed perpendicular to the transfer direction.

Alternatively, in the blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower conveying belt includes a plurality of lower blades protruding from the conveying surface, and the lower blades are disposed to advance forward based on the conveying direction toward both sides.

And, the heating pipe in the blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a branch pipe branching to both sides from the main pipe and the main pipe formed long along the transport direction of the lower conveyor.

Alternatively, in the blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the steam injection port is formed in the lower portion of the main pipe and the branch pipe to spray the steam downward.

And, in the blanching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower transfer belt and the upper transfer belt are each made of a chain of a corrosion-resistant material.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that the object to be processed is evenly blanched without clumping.

According to the present invention, there is an advantage of saving space because the size of the equipment is not relatively large.

According to the present invention, the object to be processed is blanched at a constant temperature to obtain excellent processing quality.

According to the present invention, there is an advantage in that a large amount of processing objects can be processed in a relatively short time with uniform quality.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is a front view showing a plant processing system including a plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view showing a plant processing system including a plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a block diagram of a plant processing system including an apparatus for blanching plants according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of an apparatus for blanching plants according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 and 8 are plan views showing the lower conveyor in the blanching processing apparatus for plants according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 and 10 is a perspective view showing a heating pipe in the plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with suitable examples. Embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the detailed description.

The present invention is an apparatus for processing plants. It can be mainly used to process plants to be used as food.

In the processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing object is expressed as a plant, a food material, a raw material, a material, a vegetable, an object, and the like.

In general, plants are washed under running water and eaten fresh. However, in some cases plants are stored or shipped. In this case, it is processed to maintain its freshness during storage or delivery.

Such processing usually begins with the operation of selecting commercially available raw materials. The selected material may be pre-washed with purified water or sterilized. In addition, the selected raw material is cut or trimmed to a predetermined size for processing.

1 is a front view showing a plant processing system including a plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a plant processing system including a plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a plan view showing, Figure 3 is a block diagram of a plant processing system including a plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the material trimmed through the preliminary washing is processed via the blanching device 10, the washing device 20 and the rapid freezing device 30.

In the blanching device 10, the material is blanched with water at 90 to 100 degrees Celsius. Blanching has the effect of removing and sterilizing the inherent odor of plants. In addition, it removes residual pesticides and creates a vivid color and texture.

The material blanched in water at a temperature of 90 to 100 degrees Celsius is subjected to a washing process in the washing device 20 .

During the cleaning process, the materials are cooled along with the cleaning. The washing process may be divided into first and second steps.

The materials blanched in the blanching device 10 pass through the first washing machine 22 and the second washing machine 24 . The first washing is performed in the first washing machine 22, and in the primary washing process, the material is put into room temperature water to wash and cool it. In the secondary washing process, washing and cooling are performed by putting the material in water at a temperature lower than room temperature.

Second washing is performed in the second washing machine 24 . The second washing machine 24 washes and cools the materials washed and cooled with room temperature water in the first washing machine 22 again. In the secondary washing process, low-temperature water having a temperature lower than that of room-temperature water is supplied, and the low-temperature water is maintained at a predetermined temperature using the heat exchanger 26 .

The materials that have passed through the blanching device 10 and the washing device 20 are sequentially cooled to a low temperature state in a state blanched at a high temperature. The materials cooled to a predetermined temperature in the secondary washer are transferred to the quick freezing device 30 .

The quick freezing device 30 rapidly freezes the materials with dry cold air of about -30 degrees Celsius to -40 degrees Celsius.

The object passing through the blanching device 10, the washing device 20 and the rapid freezing device 30 can be moved between each process through the transfer conveyor (L).

Materials that have undergone such a processing process are packaged after each inspection process.

This individual rapid freezing process allows the plant to be kept fresh without losing flavor. It also makes storage and division easier.

Processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention relates to a blanching apparatus for performing blanching of the material in the above-described rapid freezing processing process.

4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of an apparatus for blanching plants according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5, the plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a processing water tank 100, a heating pipe 200, a lower conveyor 300, an upper conveyor 400, and an elevating loop. (500).

The processing water tank 100 is a container in which water can be accommodated. The processing water tank 100 may be implemented in various shapes, but in one embodiment of the present invention, it is formed in a rectangular shape long on one side. The upper surface is open, and the water supply port 120 is formed on one side. The water supply port 120 may supply or discharge water to the processing water tank 100 .

The processing water tank 100 is supported by the load by the pedestal 130, and the height can be adjusted.

A heating pipe 200 spaced apart from the bottom surface by a predetermined interval is laid inside the processing water tank 100 . The heating pipe 200 branches to both sides of the main pipe 210 around the main pipe 210 and the main pipe 210 formed long along the transport direction of the lower conveyor 300 and the upper conveyor 400 to be described later. It includes a plurality of branch pipes 220 that are.

The heating pipe 200 and the branch pipe 220 are provided in a fishbone (魚骨) type. This is exemplary, and the main pipe 210 and the branch pipe 220 of the heating pipe 200 may be implemented in various forms according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

A steam injection port 230 is formed in the main pipe 210 and the branch pipe 220 . A plurality of steam injection holes 230 are provided at a predetermined interval, and the steam injection direction is directed downward of the heating pipe 200 .

That is, the heating pipe 200 injects steam toward the bottom surface of the processing water tank 100 . The main pipe 210 is connected to the steam inlet 110 . The steam introduced through the steam inlet 110 moves to the branch pipe 220 through the main pipe 210, and through the steam jet port 230 formed in the main pipe 210 and the branch pipe 220, the processing water tank ( 100) is sprayed inside. The processing water tank 100 is filled with water supplied through the water supply pipe, and the temperature of the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 is increased by the steam sprayed from the steam nozzle 230 .

The processing water tank 100 may be provided with a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature of the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 is measured in real time through the temperature sensor, and the controller controls the amount of steam sprayed to the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 so that the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 is Maintain a predetermined temperature.

A lower conveyor 300 is disposed on the upper portion of the heating pipe 200 . The lower conveyor 300 includes a lower conveying belt 310 and a lower conveying shaft 330 . The lower conveyor 300 transports the material to be processed in one direction.

The lower transfer belt 310 is formed long from one side of the processing water tank 100 to the other, and a portion of a section passing through the processing water tank 100 is accommodated in a space in which water is accommodated in the processing water tank 100 .

That is, at least a portion of the lower transfer belt 310 is immersed in the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 . The lower conveying belt 310 is formed in the form of an endless track, and rotates in one direction according to the rotation of the lower conveying shaft 330, which is a driving shaft.

The lower conveying belt 310 is made of a material with strong corrosion resistance, and may be formed in a chain shape.

This is to allow water to pass through the lower transfer belt 310 and to prevent the lower transfer belt 310 from being corroded due to a section submerged in water.

A plurality of lower blades 320 are formed on the surface of the lower transfer belt 310 . The lower blade 320 is elongated on both sides of the lower transfer belt 310 so as to cross the traveling direction of the lower transfer belt 310 . That is, assuming an imaginary straight line drawn along the traveling direction of the lower transport belt 310 following the center of the lower transport belt 310, the lower blade 320 is formed to intersect the imaginary straight line.

The lower blade 320 protrudes from the surface of the lower transfer belt 310 and may be made of a flexible material. The lower blade 320 forms a water flow so that the object can be transferred in one direction even in water, and serves to push the object in the transfer direction.

The upper conveyor 400 is provided on the upper part of the lower conveyor 300 . The upper conveyor 400 includes an upper transfer belt 410 and an upper transfer shaft 430 that rotate in the same direction as the transfer direction of the lower conveyor 300 .

The upper conveying belt 410 rotates so that the surface adjacent to the lower conveying belt 310 , that is, the surface facing the lower conveying belt 310 moves in the conveying direction of the lower conveying belt 310 . The upper transfer belt 410 also forms an endless track and rotates according to the rotation of the upper transfer shaft 430 .

The upper transfer belt 410 may also be in the form of a chain made of a material with strong corrosion resistance. The upper transfer belt 410 is formed so that at least a part of it can be submerged in the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 .

The upper transfer belt 410 submerges the object in the water at the upper part of the lower transfer belt 310 so that the object transferred along the lower transfer belt 310 can be submerged in the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 . do.

The upper transfer belt 410 is provided with a plurality of upper blades 420 protruding toward the surface facing the lower transfer belt 310 . The upper blade 420 is made of a flexible material, and at least one cutout 322 may be formed therein.

Also, the upper blade 420 may have a shape and structure corresponding to that of the lower blade 320 . That is, the upper blade 420 may have the same shape and structure as that of the lower blade 320 , except that the arrangement position and the protruding direction are different.

A lifting loop 500 is provided on the upper part of the upper conveyor 400 . The lifting loop 500 is a cover that covers at least a portion of the processing water tank 100 , and enables the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 to maintain a constant temperature.

In addition, the lower conveyor 300 , the upper conveyor 400 and the lifting loop 500 are provided to be able to move up and down based on the processing water tank 100 . In particular, the lower conveyor 300 and the upper conveyor 400 may be raised and lowered based on the processing water tank 100 , respectively. This makes it possible to adjust the depth at which the object for processing is submerged in the water of the processing water tank 100 , and facilitates cleaning and maintenance of the lower conveyor 300 and the upper conveyor 400 .

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the operating state of the plant blanching processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 6 , in the processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the object to be processed is introduced into the inlet en along the lower transfer belt 310 provided in the lower conveyor 300 . The object transferred into the processing water tank 100 is immersed in water heated to a predetermined temperature between the lower conveyor 300 and the upper conveyor 400 . At this time, by manipulating the operating speeds of the lower conveyor 300 and the upper conveyor 400, it is possible to adjust the time the object stays in water of a predetermined temperature.

The object transported in one direction according to the rotation of the lower conveyor 300 and the upper conveyor 400 is immersed in the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 for a predetermined time, then discharged to the outlet (ex), and then transferred to the process.

In addition, a separation nozzle 440 may be further provided inside the upper conveyor 400 . The separation nozzle 440 sprays water or air in the direction of the upper transfer belt 410 from the inside of the upper transfer belt 410 . This separates the object transferred close to the outlet (ex) from the upper transfer belt (410).

7 and 8 are plan views showing the lower conveyor 300 in the apparatus for blanching plants according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7 , at least one cutout 322 may be formed in each of the lower blades 320 . The cutout 322 is a section in which the lower blade 320 is cut and may be formed at a predetermined interval. Also, the positions of the adjacent lower blade 320 and the cutout 322 may not coincide with each other.

The lower blade 320 may be perpendicular to the transfer direction of the lower transfer belt 310 . Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8 , it may be disposed to advance forward toward both sides of the lower blade 320 . This causes the object to gather in the center of the processing water tank 100 when the object is transferred on the lower transfer belt 310 . The temperature of the water accommodated in the processing water tank 100 is high at the center, and the temperature decreases toward the edge. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8 , the lower blade 320 is formed toward the rear toward the center of the lower transfer belt 310 , and both sides advance toward the front, so that the object is as much as possible of the processing water tank 100 . guide it through the center.

9 and 10 are perspective views showing the heating pipe 200 in the blanching processing apparatus for plants according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , a steam injection hole 230 provided downward is formed at the lower side of the heating pipe 200 . The steam injection holes 230 are formed at regular intervals, and the steam supplied through the main pipe 210 and the branch pipe 220 is injected into the processing water tank 100 .

In the above, embodiments of the present invention have been described with drawings, but these are exemplary and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and drawings. It is apparent that those of ordinary skill in the art can modify the present invention within the scope of the technical spirit of the disclosed content. In addition, although an action or effect according to the configuration is not explicitly described while describing an embodiment of the present invention, it is natural that even the effects predictable by the configuration should be recognized.

10: blanching device 20: washing device
22: first washing machine 24: second washing machine
26: heat exchanger 30: quick freezing device
100: processing water tank 110: steam inlet
120: water inlet 130: pedestal
200: heating pipe 210: main pipe
220: branch pipe 230: steam nozzle
300: lower conveyor 310: lower conveying belt
320: lower blade 322: cutout
330: lower feed shaft
400: upper conveyor 410: upper transport belt
420: upper blade 430: upper feed shaft
440: separation nozzle
500: elevating loop
L: transfer conveyor
en: entrance ex: exit

Claims (8)

A processing water tank with an open top as a container for water;
a heating pipe provided in the processing water tank and formed with a steam injection port for spraying steam;
a lower conveyor including a lower conveying belt at least a portion of which is submerged in the water accommodated in the processing water tank, and conveying an object placed thereon in one direction;
an upper conveyor disposed on the lower conveying belt and including an upper conveying belt that rotates so that a surface adjacent to the lower conveying belt moves in the conveying direction of the lower conveying belt; and
Including; and a lifting loop coupled to the upper conveyor and covering at least a portion of the processing water tank;
The lower conveyor and the upper conveyor are each elevating,
Plant blanching equipment. According to claim 1,
The lower conveying belt,
A plurality of pieces are formed on the transfer surface, including a lower blade formed in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction,
Plant blanching equipment. 3. The method of claim 2,
The lower blade is made of a flexible material,
At least one incision; including,
Plant blanching equipment. According to claim 1,
The upper transfer belt,
At least one upper blade protruding toward the lower transfer belt and disposed perpendicular to the transfer direction; including,
Plant blanching equipment. According to claim 1,
The lower conveying belt,
Including; a plurality of lower blades protruding from the transfer surface;
The lower blade is disposed to advance toward the front with respect to the conveying direction toward both sides,
Plant blanching equipment. According to claim 1,
The heating pipe is
a main pipe elongated along the transport direction of the lower conveyor; and
Including; branch pipes branching from the main pipe to both sides
Plant blanching equipment. 8. The method of claim 7,
The steam injection port is formed in the lower portion of the main pipe and the branch pipe to spray the steam downward,
Plant blanching equipment. According to claim 1,
The lower transfer belt and the upper transfer belt are each made of a chain of a material having corrosion resistance,
Plant blanching equipment.

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