JPH09108105A - Steamed grain cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To cool steamed grains to a state of excellent quality without temperature unevenness. A steamed-grain cooling device includes at least two stages of cooling zones, a primary cooling zone B and a secondary cooling zone C. Then, in the primary cooling zone B, pre-cooling for removing the crude heat of the steamed cereal is performed, and then in the secondary cooling zone C, finish cooling is performed to a target temperature. As described above, the present invention is characterized in that the continuous step cooling method is adopted, and the steamed cereals are cooled rapidly in a state close to natural cooling without any difficulty. Further, the primary cooling zone B is provided with the humidifier 5, which is effective not only for cooling purpose but also for preventing overdrying in terms of quality and yield in terms of commercial base. The cooling means used in the cooling zones B and C is not particularly limited, but since it is two-stage cooling, it is a smaller chiller than the conventional one (separate type).
It is preferable to use the cold air that utilizes. Further, dust removal / bactericidal filters 8 and 13 were provided at the cooling air intake ports of the cooling zones B and C.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steamed grain cooling device for cooling steamed grains.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional cooling device for steamed cereals such as a rice cooling device, a batch-type cooling device utilizing vacuum is generally used, and a continuous cooling device is a cold-air cooling device. ing. Among them, an example of the continuous cold-air type cooler will be described with reference to FIG. 2, in which a crusher 32 is provided in the steamed grain supply unit 31, and the steamed grain that is carried in is crushed by the crusher 3.
2 is transferred onto the endless belt conveyor 33, and the cold air is sucked out by the exhaust fan (not shown) from the cold air suction port 37 provided at the lower part of the steamed cereal being conveyed on the belt conveyor 33 from the upper part of the steamed cereal. Cold steam is applied to steamed cereals and allowed to pass. As described above, the conventional continuous cold-air cooler is generally of a type in which a large-capacity cooler is provided in the cooling zone of one chamber to cool steamed cereals at once.

[0003]

Originally, when cooling steamed cereals such as rice, it is preferable that the steamed cereals after cooling have little temperature unevenness and no deterioration in quality. In other words, it is desirable to be able to cool the steamed grains uniformly while maintaining the quality.

Here, when looking at a grain of rice from the viewpoint of uniformly cooling to the core temperature of the rice as much as possible, in the conventional cooling apparatus, the cold air that violently collides with the rice causes a large difference between the surface and the inside of the rice. It was imagined that there would be a temperature difference, after which the quality was determined by the heat transfer from the inside of a grain of rice. That is, with the conventional rice cooling device, it was not possible to eliminate the temperature unevenness while controlling the temperature from the outside of the rice grains and obtain high quality rice.

Further, in the conventional machine, a hardened layer is formed on the surface of the rice grains by rapidly cooling the rice, and this hardened surface layer also causes the expected hindrance of internal heat radiation.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to cool the cooked cereal to a state of excellent quality without uneven temperature.

[0007]

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following means. That is, in the steamed-grain cooling device for cooling steamed grains, at least two or more stages of cooling zones for cooling while transporting on the transport device are provided. It is desirable to provide a dust removing / sterilizing filter at the cooling air intake of the cooling zone of the present invention.

The steamed grain cooling device of the present invention comprises at least two stages of cooling zones, a primary cooling zone and a secondary cooling zone. Then, in the primary cooling zone, pre-cooling is performed to remove the crude heat of the steamed grains, and then in the secondary cooling zone, finish cooling is performed to the target temperature. As described above, the present invention is characterized by adopting a continuous two-stage or more cooling method, and is for rapidly cooling steamed cereals in a state close to natural cooling which is reasonably possible.

Further, when the primary cooling zone is provided with a humidifier, it is effective not only for cooling purpose but also for prevention of overdrying in terms of quality and yield in terms of commercial base.

There is no particular limitation on the cooling means used in the cooling zone, but since it is cooling in two or more stages, it is desirable to use the cold air that utilizes a smaller chiller (separate type) than the conventional one.

Further, in order to prevent the fungus of the product, in the present invention, in order to carry out the continuous cooling treatment of the steamed cereals, since the device is mainly constituted by the conveyor belt of the cereals, the belt having a high degree of contact with the product. Considering dust removal and sterilization of suction air.

Further, the belt net used for carrying the belt is provided with high pressure water cleaning for removing slimy steamed grains, air blow for cleaning water removal, and an ultraviolet germicidal lamp for sterilization. Is desirable.

Further, suction air means is provided in order to lower the temperature of the steamed cereal inside the cooling device of the present invention, and a sterilization countermeasure can be taken by using a dust removal / sterilization filter for this suction air means.

As a matter of course, it is desirable to provide, as auxiliary equipment of the cooling device of the present invention, a rice crusher (crusher), which is also found in conventional machines, and an automatic centering device for a net for a belt conveyor.

Further, it is desirable that a partition is provided in a portion that separates the primary cooling zone and the secondary cooling zone so as to block the flow of air between the zones.

In a continuous type cereal steaming apparatus, steamed rice or the like is cooled while being continuously conveyed on a conveyor, but the steamed cereal obtained from the previous step of the cooling step is fed in a batch type such as a kettle system. If so, steamed cereals are placed in blocks on the conveyor, and there is a space between the blocks where steamed cereals are not placed.Cold air is short-passed to each part and the end parts of each block are supercooled. It may be done.

However, as in the present invention, by adopting a construction in which a partition portion is provided in a portion that separates the primary cooling zone and the secondary cooling zone and air flow is cut off between the zones, steamed grains are It can be gradually cooled by dividing it in stages, and the degree of cooling of the transported steamed cereals is averaged, and a cooling effect that is almost the same as that of a continuously flowing grain can be obtained.

The partition section is hung from the ceiling of the steamed-grain transportation space and brought close enough to touch the upper end of the cooked-grain layer, and the gap below the transport surface of the cooked-grain layer E is also part of the partition section. As a structure with a high degree of sealing.

The partitioning portion enhances the degree of sealing of each cooling zone, and the open structure near the inlet and outlet, which is seen in the conventional machine, is changed to one having a higher degree of sealing. Further, it is desirable to change the structure having a gap below the conveying surface of the steamed cereal layer, which is the object to be cooled, to have a high degree of airtightness to prevent air from entering and exiting from the outside.

By making the portion of the partitioning portion above the transported steamed-grain layer which comes into contact with the grain adjustable up and down, it is possible to cope with the variation in the height of the transported steamed-grain layer. Further, the structure of the portion of the partitioning portion that comes into contact with grains has a cross-sectional shape in the grain transportation direction, such as a semicircular shape, for example, an acute angle from the upstream side to the downstream side in the grain transportation direction with respect to the upper surface of the transported grain layer. By making the shape in contact with each other, the resistance associated with the transfer of cereals was made smaller, and the distance to the cereal layer was minimized to suppress the air flow.

Further, it is possible to provide a loosening machine, which rotates in the direction opposite to the grain conveying direction, at the introduction part to the steamed grain cooling device to adjust the height of the conveyed grain layer to be introduced into the cooling zone.

Further, in the present invention, a plate material is provided on the inner and outer surfaces of the steel material used for the steel structure portion above the grain conveying surface on the inner surface of the cooling device, including each cooling zone of the cooling device,
By making the inner surface of each cooling zone smooth and eliminating the area where condensed water accumulates, the room for the growth of germs was eliminated.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the steamed-grain cooling device of the present embodiment. The steamed-grain cooling device has a steamed-grain supply unit A, a primary cooling zone B, a secondary cooling zone C, and a discharge unit D arranged in this order, and an endless belt conveyor for sequentially transporting the steamed-grain layer E to these regions is provided. Has been.

A hopper 1 and a crusher 2 are provided in the steamed cereal supply unit A, and the steamed cereal layer E supplied onto the net-shaped belt conveyor 4 is loosened by the crusher 2. In the process of loosening, the heat of the steamed grain layer E is partially radiated.

In this embodiment, about half of the crusher 1 which is conventionally provided only in the hopper 1 and is used only for loosening the grain layer is disposed so as to be exposed outside the hopper 1 in the traveling direction.
Also, the mounting height of the crusher 2 can be adjusted. Further, the rotation direction of the crusher 2 is set to be opposite to the traveling direction of the conveyor 4. Thereby, the height of the grain layer flowing on the conveyor 4 can be adjusted.

Conventionally, the surface of the cereal layer was compressed because the height of the cereal layer was adjusted by the partition gate 3a provided at the outlet of the steamed cereal supply unit A, but in this embodiment, the crusher 2 was used. The cereal layer is well loosened and is conveyed to the cooling zone A where it is easily cooled. Of course, the steamed cereal layer E in the hopper 1 is also loosened by the crusher 2.

Next, the cooked cereal layer E partially radiated with heat
Is transported to the next primary cooling zone B, but a primary intake filter 8 is provided on the ceiling of the primary cooling zone B, and outside air is introduced via the primary intake filter 8,
The steamed cereal layer E on the belt conveyor 4 is air-cooled and then discharged through a primary cooling exhaust port 10 provided below the belt conveyor 4, but a primary intake filter 8 provided on the ceiling of the primary cooling zone B. Uses a substance having a sterilizing action and a dust removing action to prevent bacteria from propagating in the steamed grain layer E.

An ultrasonic humidifier 5 is provided behind the ceiling on the inlet side of the primary cooling zone B, and humidified air from the ultrasonic humidifier 5 is supplied to the ceiling via a humidifying hose 6. It is blown into the primary cooling zone B from the humidification outlet 7 to prevent the steamed cereal layer E being cooled from being excessively dried. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the yield of the obtained products from decreasing.

The degree of cooling of the steamed grain layer E in the primary cooling zone B is such that the evaporation of water on the grain surface is suppressed for the purpose of removing only the crude heat. The reason for this is that rapid cooling causes uneven temperature in the steamed cereal layer E after cooling, which causes quality deterioration.

Next, the cooked cereal layer E is conveyed by the belt conveyor 4 through the partition ligates 11a to the secondary cooling zone C, where the cooked cereal layer E of the belt conveyor 4 is cooled by the cool air from the cool air generator 14. To be done.

The cool air generator 14 is provided with a cool air fan 15 and a cooling pipe 16 which constitutes a cooling part of the heat exchanger. The cool air fan 15 passes a duct 17 to cool the cool air at a predetermined temperature in the secondary cooling zone C. It is sent to the steamed grain layer E. The temperature of the cooling pipe 16 of the heat exchanger is adjusted by a temperature control device (not shown). The cold air flows through the secondary intake filter 1 provided on the ceiling of the secondary cooling zone C.
After being sterilized and dust-removed by 3, it enters the secondary cooling zone C.
The cold air after cooling the steamed grain layer E is exhausted to the outside through the air exhaust port 18. Partition gate 2 at the exit of the secondary cooling zone C
0a is provided.

The cold air generator 14 has a secondary cold air return duct 1 which plays a role of cooling efficiency and energy saving.
9 are provided.

At the outlet of the secondary cooling zone C, the temperature of the steamed cereal layer E is cooled to about 20 ° C. The reason for cooling the temperature of the steamed cereal layer E to about 20 ° C. at the outlet of the secondary cooling zone C is to prevent the growth of various bacteria when the temperature becomes 25 ° C. or higher, and to prevent it.

One of the features of this embodiment is the primary cooling zone B.
There may be a case where a partition section is provided in each of the sections that separate the secondary cooling zone C and the secondary cooling zone C, and the flow of air between the zones B and C is blocked. By adopting a configuration in which the flow of air between the zones B and C is cut off, even if a block-shaped grain is conveyed from the batch type cooking apparatus to the zones B and C, the zones B , C, the steamed cereal layer E can be gradually cooled in stages respectively, and the degree of cooling of the transported steamed cereal layer E is averaged, and a cooling effect that is almost the same as that of the continuous flowing cereal layer E can be obtained. .

The portion of the partition portion above the transported steamed-grain layer E is brought close enough to touch the upper end of the steamed-grain layer,
Partition gates 3a, 11a, and 20a are hung from the ceiling of the steamed-grain transportation space, and partition gates 3b, 11b, and 20b are provided as a part of the partition in the gap below the transport surface of the steamed-grain layer E. The structure should be highly sealed.

Further, the partition gates 3b, 11b, 20b
By making the portion above the transported steamed-grain layer E that comes into contact with the grains adjustable up and down, it is possible to cope with the variation in the height of the transported steamed-grain layer E. Also, the partition gate 3
b, 11b, 20b has a structure of a portion that comes into contact with the grain such that the cross-sectional shape in the grain transport direction is, for example, a semicircular shape as shown in FIG. By making the shape in contact with the downstream side at an acute angle, the resistance due to the transfer of cereals was further reduced, and the distance to the cereal layer was minimized to suppress the air flow.

Further, a crusher 21 is provided in the steamed-grains discharging section D so as to loosen the steamed-grains layer E to be discharged and to make the temperature in the conveyed-grains layer uniform. The discharged grains are transferred to the transport conveyor 27 in the next process.

The endless belt conveyor 4 is a steamed cereal discharging section D
Although it is turned over to the supply portion side, the high-pressure washing nozzle 22 sprays high-pressure water to wash the steamed-grain layer E while it is not being conveyed. Water adhering to the net is removed, and finally, the ultraviolet sterilizing lamp 25 is used for sterilization and sterilization.
Further, the belt conveyor 4 has an automatic centering device 26 to prevent the net from meandering.

Thus, the steamed cereal layer E is gradually cooled by the cooling device of this embodiment, and is uniformly cooled to the core temperature.
It is possible to obtain cooled steam-cooked cereals with excellent quality and less temperature unevenness. Further, although not shown, a plate material is put on the inner and outer surfaces of the steel material used for the steel frame structure portion above the grain conveying surface of the cooling device, including the respective cooling zones B and C, and the inner surfaces of the respective cooling zones B and C are provided. By making the inner wall surface of the cooling device including a smooth surface to eliminate the part where condensed water is accumulated, there is no room for the propagation of various bacteria.

The hopper wall plate at the entrance of the hopper 1 is provided with a hinge 1a at its lower end, and after the operation of this cooling device, the wall plate is opened in the direction of arrow X during cleaning so that the inside of the hopper 1 can be easily washed. did. Further, the front door (not shown in the right side of the drawing of FIG. 1) of the steamed grain discharging part D is hinged, and a transparent plate such as a vinyl chloride resin plate is attached to facilitate confirmation of the state of the grain during cooling. .

Besides, since the wall doors on both sides of the cooling device (not shown on the front side and the rear side in the drawing of FIG. 1) are vertically lifted, less labor is required as compared with the conventional hinged type ceiling. The risk of falling is gone.

In the above embodiment, the cooling zone has two stages, but three or more cooling zones may be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a steamed-grain cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional steamed-grain cooling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

A Steamed grain supply section B Primary cooling zone C Secondary cooling zone D Discharge section E Steamed grain layer 1 Popper 2, 21 Crusher 3, 11, 20 Partition kate 4 Belt conveyor 5 Ultrasonic humidifier 7 Humidification outlet 8 Primary air intake Filter 10 Primary cold air exhaust port 13 Secondary intake filter 14 Cold air generator 15 Cold air fan 16 Cooling pipe 17 Cold air supply duct 18 Secondary cold air exhaust port 19 Secondary cold air return duct 22 High pressure cleaning nozzle 24 Air blow nozzle 25 Ultraviolet germicidal lamp 26 Automatic alignment device 27 Conveyor for the next process

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A steamed-grain cooling device for cooling steamed-grains, comprising at least two stages of cooling zones for cooling while transporting on a transport device. 2. A cooling air intake is provided for removing dust in each cooling zone.
The steamed-grain cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a sterilization filter. 3. The steamed-grain cooling device according to claim 1, wherein each cooling zone is formed in a space that is substantially closed by a partition. 4. The steamed cereal carry-in section for carrying steamed cereals into a cooling zone is provided with a loosening machine that rotates in a direction opposite to the direction in which the steamed cereals are conveyed. Steamed grain cooling system.