Refrigeration system

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention relates to a freezing device that freezes an article while transferring it.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

As a device for freezing articles while sandwiching and transporting them by an upper and lower conveyor, a sprocket 103 is fitted to a rotating shaft 102 provided at an inlet and an outlet of the device 10A as shown in FIG. 14, and an endless belt 104a, Flexible and resistant to contain antifreeze (hereinafter referred to as brine) such as calcium chloride solution cooled by the cooler 107 on the entire back side of the endless belt 104a that wraps around the 104b and contacts the article 10B. Brine containing a brine 105 made of a wearable waterproof sheet is brought into contact with the brine, and the brine cooled by the cooler 107 is provided from a large number of nozzles 106 toward the back side of the endless belt 104b that orbits the lower side and is in contact with the article 10B. A freezing device (Contact Freezing System, hereinafter referred to as CFS) that spouts and receives the spouted brine in tray 108 and collects it is on the market.

【0003】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional CFS, although it is difficult to manage the brine, the equipment cost is high, and the entire device is large, the width of the waterproof sheet to be supplied is limited, and the brine storage sac and the endless belt are used. There is a limit to increasing the width of the conveyor due to the increase in contact resistance.

【0004】

In addition, there are cases where articles are frozen by CFS, such as bagged foods, foods that are placed in a container such as a tray and wrapped at the top, or unwrapped foods. In the former case, as described above, from above and below. It can be frozen by pressing the endless belt, but in the latter two cases, the endless belt can be brought into contact with the lower surface, but if the endless belt is pressed from the upper surface, the container such as the tray will break or the food will be frozen. There is a problem that the shape collapses.

【0005】

Therefore, the above-mentioned conventional CFS cannot be applied to freezing unpacked foods and foods in containers such as trays, which hinders effective utilization of the device.

【0006】

In view of the above problems, the problems of the present invention are, firstly, to provide a CFS having a simple mechanism without using brine, and secondly, to be placed in a bagged food and a container such as an unwrapped food or a tray. Providing CFS that can freeze while transporting any food, thirdly, substantially eliminates the contact resistance between the cooling means (brine storage bag) and the conveyor, improves operating efficiency, and significantly reduces maintenance costs. The purpose is to provide a CFS that can be used, and fourthly, to provide a CFS that can increase the width of the conveyor as compared with the conventional technology.

【0007】

In addition, we provide CFS that does not freeze the connecting part of the hinge-shaped cooling plate and make it inoperable, and provide CFS that prevents the surface of the frozen article from having an uneven pattern due to the connecting part of the hinge-shaped cooling plate. To do.

【0008】

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention presents a hinged or endless track of a cooling plate made of a heat conductive material together with an endless chain in a refrigerating apparatus in which an article is sandwiched from above and below by a conveyor and frozen. It is connected in a shape and has a cold air ejection nozzle provided toward the back surface of the cooling plate. The cold air ejection nozzle has a structure in which a slit-shaped ejection port is provided in an inclined cavity that narrows as the distance from the cold air supply port increases. It was done.

【0009】

By configuring as described above, the brine is not required, the mechanism is simple and miniaturized, the contact resistance between the conveyor and the cooling means is substantially eliminated, the operation efficiency is improved, and the width of the conveyor can be increased. , Maintenance cost can be reduced. In addition, cold air is evenly ejected over the entire width direction of the conveyor.

【0010】

Further, a configuration is adopted in which a means for making approximately half of the chain conveyor orbiting on the upper side stand by at the upper part of the chain conveyor is provided.

【0011】

With the above configuration, it becomes possible to easily switch between two types of contact freezing, upper and lower double-sided contact freezing and lower surface contact / upper surface cold air injection freezing.

【0012】

Further, in the cooling plate connected in a hinge shape, a configuration is adopted in which the surface side edge of the connecting portion is angularized and the long portion and the short portion are connected.

【0013】

With the above configuration, the dent formed in the connecting part of the cooling plate becomes small, the surface of the frozen article cannot be uneven, the frozen state between the connecting shaft and the connecting part becomes fragile, and the operation can be restarted after the operation is stopped. It will be easier.

【0014】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Next, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, articles flow from right to left on the drawing.

【0015】

An article supply means 1 is provided in front of the device A, a rotating shaft 3 driven by a motor 2 is provided above and below the outlet of the device A, and a rotating shaft 3'following the rotating shaft 3 is provided at the entrance. Sprockets 4, 4'are fitted to both ends of the rotation shaft 3, 3', and endless chains (hereinafter, simply referred to as chains) 5 are hung on both sprockets 4, 4', and the return path of the lower chain 5 is carried out. An intermediate sprocket 6 for removing slack is arranged in the device A, and an article discharging means 7 and a conveyor 8 for the next process are provided in the subsequent stage of the device A. Reference numeral 9 denotes a scraper for peeling the article B from the upper cooling plate.

【0016】

A cooler 10 is arranged at the bottom of the device A, and the cold air generated here is an axial-flow high-pressure fan (air volume 185 m) as shown in Fig. 4.³/ min, wind pressure 85mm-Aq, hereinafter referred to as fan) 11 through the pressure chamber 12 and jet nozzle (hereinafter referred to as nozzle) 19 sprayed onto the back surfaces of the cooling plates 13a and 13b.

【0017】

The nozzle 19 is provided with a slit-shaped spout in an inclined cavity (entrance, 900 × 200, terminal 900 × 50, length 2900 (mm)) that becomes narrower as the distance from the cold air supply port increases. The size of the inclined cavity is experimentally determined from the capacity of the cooler and the fan, the size of the entire system, and the like, and this numerical value does not affect the scope of claims. Further, although the cross section of the inclined cavity is square, it may have any shape such as a round shape or an elliptical shape, and when the width of the conveyor is narrow, the inclined cavity does not have to be formed.

【0018】

Another sprocket 14, 14'is arranged at the uppermost entrance / exit of the device A, and a chain 15 for pulling in the cooling plate used for waiting for half a turn of the conveyor 18a orbiting the upper side is hung.

【0019】

As shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus A is covered with a heat insulating wall 16, and the above-mentioned chain 15 for pulling in the cooling plate is on the track 17b at the uppermost portion. An orbit 17a that supports the retracted cooling plate 13a is arranged between the orbits 17b.

【0020】

Chain conveyors 18a and 18b in which cooling plates 13a and 13b are connected together with chains in a hinge shape are arranged on the cooler 10, and a nozzle 19 sandwiches article B between the orbiting chain conveyors 18a and 18b. It is arranged toward the back side of the cooling plates 13a and 13b, and the cold air generated by the cooler 10 is ejected from the nozzle 19 through the pressure chamber 12 to cool the cooling plates 13a and 13b. The lower cooling plate 13b is supported by the track 17 so as not to hang down in the middle.

【0021】

The cold air sprayed on the back side of the cooling plates 13a and 13b returns to the installation chamber of the cooler 10 according to the arrow, is cooled again, and circulates. Here, a defrost nozzle 20 is provided on the left side of the cooler 10 so as to be movable up and down.

【0022】

Next, the cooling plate 13 integrally connected to the chain 5 by the connecting shaft 21 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9. The connecting portion of the aluminum cooling plate 13 is formed by combining the short portion 22 and the long portion 23 and connecting them together with the chain 5 by the connecting shaft 21.

【0023】

Here, in the connected state of the cooling plate 13, as shown in FIG. 7, on the front side (the surface in contact with the article) of the cooling plate 13, the edge of the connecting portion 24 is squared 25 to reduce the depression of the connecting portion and cool. As shown in FIG. 8, the plate 13 and the chain 5 are split by the narrow diameter portion 21'of the connecting shaft 21 connecting the cooling plates 13 in a hinge shape, penetrating the connecting hole of the chain 5 as it is and being connected together with the piece 5'. It is secured by pin 26.

【0024】

As shown in FIG. 9, a connecting portion 24'without squareness can be formed on the cooling plate 13'and connected by a connecting shaft 21'. However, in this case, when applied to an article having fluidity before freezing. Since the surface after freezing has irregularities, it is applied only to non-fluid articles.

【0025】

Further, in the above-described embodiment, in the chain conveyors 18a and 18b, the cooling plates connected together with the chain 5 in a hinge shape are adopted. However, as shown in FIGS. It can also be a track-shaped one with an aluminum cooling plate 13 attached to it.

【0026】

In each of the above embodiments, aluminum is used as the material for the cooling plate, but if it is a material having thermal conductivity, it may be appropriately selected according to the required specifications.

【0027】

Next, a case where food is put in the tray 27 and an article having the upper part wrapped 28 is frozen will be described. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13, the upper cooling plate 13a is unnecessary, so the chain conveyor 18a orbiting the upper side is made to stand by by the following procedure.

【0028】

Stop the entire device, disconnect the upper chain conveyor 18a at the entrance and exit of the device as shown in Fig. 12, reconnect the separated end to the pull-in chain 15 waiting at the top, and rotate the chain conveyor 18a half a turn to device. When the pull-in chain 15 and the chain conveyor 18a are separated, the chain conveyor 18a for half a turn is put on standby at the top of the device A as shown in Fig. 13, and the remaining chain conveyor 18a'that has been separated is in a state of waiting. It will be located on the return route side, and the part on the outward route side will be only the lead-in chain 15.

【0029】

When the operation of the upper chain conveyor 18a is stopped and only the lower chain conveyor is operated in the above state, the bottom surface of the tray 27 is cooled in contact with the cooling plate 13b, and the upper surface (wrap 28 side) of the tray 27 is cooled. Cold air is blown to cool it.

【0030】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, the brine is not required, the mechanism is simplified, the operating cost and maintenance cost of the device can be reduced, and cold air is blown out to cool the heat conductive cooling plate, so that the contact is made. Resistance is eliminated, operating efficiency is improved, and cold air is evenly ejected in the width direction of the conveyor.

【0031】

In addition, two types of contact freezing, upper and lower double-sided contact freezing and bottom contact / top surface cold air injection freezing, will be possible.

【0032】

Further, for articles that are fluid before freezing, it is possible to prevent unevenness from occurring on the surface after freezing, and when the operation is restarted after stopping, the frozen state of the connecting portion of the cooling plate is liable to break. Can be easily restarted.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

Schematic diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention [Figure 2]

Enlarged sectional view of the entrance part of Fig. 1 [Fig. 3]

Enlarged sectional view of the exit portion of FIG. [Fig. 4]

AA sectional view of FIG. [Fig. 5]

Top view showing the connection between the chain and the cooling plate [Fig. 6]

Perspective view of the cooling plate [Fig. 7]

BB sectional view of FIG. [Fig. 8]

CC sectional view of FIG. [Fig. 9]

Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connecting portion of the cooling plate of another embodiment [Fig. 10]

Longitudinal cross-sectional view of the endless track-shaped cooling plate [Fig. 11]

DD sectional view of FIG. [Fig. 12]

Operational illustration that makes the upper cooling plate stand by [Fig. 13]

Phase diagram of the upper cooling plate on standby [Fig. 14]

Schematic diagram of conventional CFS [Explanation of symbols]

A device B goods 1 Goods supply means 2 motor 3,3'Rotating axis 4,4'sprocket 5 Endless chain 6 Intermediate sprocket 7 Discharge means 8 chain conveyor 8a Upper chain conveyor 8b Lower chain conveyor 9 scraper 10 cooler 11 fans 12 passages 13 Cooling plate 13a Upper cooling plate 13b Lower cooling plate 14,14'Standby sprocket 15 Retractable chain 16 Insulated wall 17,17a orbit 18 conveyor 18a upper conveyor 18b lower conveyor 19 Cold air spout 20 Defrost nozzle 21 connecting shaft 22 short part 23 long part 24 connecting part 25 square 26 Split pin 27 tray 28 laps