JP2000125829A - Cooking sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] When the process pattern is fixed, the order of the steps is changed, or when a new step is added, a significant modification is required. A sequencer is programmed in advance with time, temperature, and pressure data for each process such as heating, heating, and cooling in a sequencer, and loaded into a tray in a processing tank under the control of the sequencer. In the cooking and sterilizing apparatus for cooking and sterilizing the heated object, a process selecting means (A) for selecting the steps in the order of execution, a data setting means (B) for setting heating data and the like in each of the selected steps, and a selected step. And storage means (C) for storing setting data for the step, and reading means (D) for reading out the step and the data for the step as sequence data for the sequencer from the storage means (C) in operation order during operation. Thus, the order of performing the steps can be easily changed or added.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for cooking and sterilizing retort foods under high temperature and high pressure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A high-temperature and high-pressure cooking sterilizer is used for cooking and sterilizing retort foods and the like, and a control operation in a hot water spray type sterilizer (the mechanism thereof will be described later) is illustrated. 1 and the time chart of FIG. In step S1, heating data for each process is set and input. As a process, as shown in FIG. 2, a "injection process" in which a fixed amount of room temperature water is injected into a treatment tank of a sterilization apparatus, and the temperature is raised to a certain sterilization temperature while circulating the injected water to a heat exchanger. "Heating process" to heat the food at a sterilization temperature for a certain period of time "heating process", when this heating is completed, "cooling process" to cool the hot water with the heat exchanger, and collect the cooling water to the outside There is a “recovery step”. When air is contained in the container of the food to be cooked and sterilized, an appropriate pressure is applied to the processing tank according to the heating temperature so that the container is not deformed by the expansion of the air or the seal is not peeled off. There is a need.

Therefore, in step S1, data of a temperature gradient at the time of temperature rise and cooling, data of a sterilization temperature and a heating time, and a pressure value for each temperature are input. Step S
If the operation of cooking and sterilization is performed in 2, the injection process is started in step S3. If a specified amount of water is injected by a water level meter provided in the processing tank, the process proceeds from step S4 to step S5, and proceeds to a temperature raising step. In the period of the temperature raising step, the water injection temperature of the treatment tank is detected one by one in step S4, and it is determined in step S7 whether the temperature reaches the sterilization temperature. If the temperature is lower than the sterilization temperature, a pressure value corresponding to the temperature at that time is applied to the inside of the processing tank in step S8.

[0004] If the temperature reaches the sterilization temperature in the temperature raising step, the process proceeds from step S7 to step S9, where the heating process is started. If heating is performed for a predetermined time, the process proceeds from step S10 to step S11, where hot water at the sterilization temperature is supplied. Cooled, the temperature is detected in step S12, and a pressure corresponding to the temperature at that time is applied in step S14 until the temperature is lowered to a predetermined temperature, but if the temperature is lowered to the predetermined temperature, the process proceeds from step S13 to step S15, When the cooling water is collected outside and the collection is completed in step S16, the entire process ends.

[0005] As described above, the data such as the rate of temperature rise, the temperature and time of sterilization, and the like can be arbitrarily set by the user for each food, but the injection step → the temperature rise step → the heating step → the cooling step → the collection The operation pattern consisting of steps is fixed.

[0006]

Therefore, when it is desired to change the order of the steps in the above-mentioned general process pattern, or when it is desired to separately add a process of heating → heating → cooling as a pretreatment, It was difficult to change the process on the user side due to the necessity of remodeling.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cooking and disinfecting apparatus in which the steps are optionally programmable.

[0008]

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a step selecting means (A) for selecting steps in the order of execution.
Data setting means (B) for setting heating data and the like in each selected step, storage means (C) for storing the selected step and setting data for the step, and storage means (C) during operation. There is provided a reading means (D) for sequentially reading out the steps and the data for the steps as sequence data for the sequencer, so that the steps can be easily programmed in the sequencer.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 4 shows a cooking and sterilizing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing an embodiment, and here shows a hot water spray type. Reference numeral 1 denotes a processing tank, which shows a state where the door 1a is opened. Reference numeral 2 denotes a tray rotatably provided in the processing tank 1. V4 is a water supply valve for injecting a predetermined amount of water into the processing tank 1. The water collected in the lower part of the processing tank 1 is pumped up by the circulation pump P, passes through the secondary side of the heat exchanger Q, and is sprayed into the processing tank 1 through a nozzle provided in the processing tank 1. In the temperature raising step, steam is supplied to the primary side of the heat exchanger Q, and in the cooling step, cold water is supplied to the primary side of the heat exchanger Q. V1 is
A temperature control valve for selectively supplying steam or cold water to the heat exchanger Q, and an air valve V2 for adjusting the pressure in the processing tank 1. V3 is processing tank 1
This is a drain valve for draining and collecting water inside.

The sequencer 5 is for centrally controlling the cooking and sterilizing apparatus, and the control operation will be described later. Reference numeral 6 denotes a temperature controller for controlling the opening and closing of the temperature control valve V1 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor S1 provided in the processing tank 1. 7 is a pressure sensor S provided in the processing tank 1.
2 is a pressure regulator for controlling the opening and closing of the air valve V2 based on the detected pressure of the air valve V2. Numeral 8 is a food thermometer that takes in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor S3 provided near the food.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a water supply valve V4 and a drain valve V
3 is a valve controller for controlling the opening and closing of the valve. Reference numeral 10 denotes a recorder for recording data of temperature and pressure detected by various sensors. Reference numeral 11 denotes a display for displaying data collected by the recorder 10 as necessary.

The process can be programmed by the computer 21, and the program data is registered in the sequencer 5. Further, the actual cooking data executed by the sequencer 5 can be printed out to the printer 22 through the computer 21.

Hereinafter, the control operation of the present apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 and the time chart of FIG. First, the process is programmed. As described above, there are the injection step, the heating step, the heating step, the cooling step, and the recovery step. If the steps are performed in this order, the operation pattern shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. And can be set in duplicate.

First, in step S21, the value of n indicating the process order No is cleared, and the value is incremented in step S22. Then, in step S23, the order No = n
Step (n = 1) is selected. Steps are sequentially selected in a loop of steps S22 to S24 until step selection is completed. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, No. 1: injection step No. 2: heating (primary heating) step No. 3: heating (primary heating) step No. 4: heating (secondary heating) Temperature) process No. 5: Heating (secondary heating) process No. 6: Cooling process date No. 7: Recovery process A two-stage heating operation pattern in which the heating process and the heating process overlap.

When the process selection is completed, the process proceeds from step S24 to step S25, in which heating data for each selected process is input. If the temperature rise step, the temperature gradient at the time of rise, the temperature reached (sterilization temperature) and the pressure at the time of the sterilization temperature,
In the case of the heating step, the heating time is inputted, and in the case of the cooling step, the cooling temperature gradient, the attained falling temperature and the pressure at that time are inputted. The pressure data may be read from a table ROM registered for each temperature in advance.

When the operation switch is turned on after the programming of the process is performed in this manner, the operation of cooking sterilization is performed. First, the value of n is cleared in step S26, and is incremented in step S27.
Then, in step S28, the process of order No = n (n = 1), that is, the data of the injection process is read, and in step S29, the injection process is performed according to the data. Until all the steps are performed, the selected steps are sequentially performed by a loop of steps S27 to S30.

The details of the operation pattern of FIG. 7 implemented here will be briefly described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In step S51, the injection step is started, and if a predetermined amount of water is injected, the process proceeds from step S52 to step S53, in which the temperature raising step (primary temperature raising step) is started, and step S51 is performed.
The temperature is detected one by one at 54, and it is determined at step S55 whether or not the temperature reaches the primary sterilization temperature which is the attained temperature. If the temperature is lower than the primary sterilization temperature, a pressure corresponding to the temperature at that time is applied in step S56. If the temperature reaches the primary sterilization temperature, the process proceeds from step S55 to step S57, and the heating process (primary heating process) is started.

In step S58, it is determined whether or not the heating time has elapsed. If the heating time has elapsed, the process proceeds from step S58 to step S59, and the temperature increasing step (secondary temperature increasing step) is started. Then, in step S60, the temperature is detected one by one,
In step S61, it is determined whether the secondary sterilization temperature, which is the ultimate temperature, has been reached. If the temperature is lower than the secondary sterilization temperature, a pressure corresponding to the temperature at that time is applied in step S62, but if the temperature reaches the secondary sterilization temperature, the process proceeds from step S61 to step S63, and the heating step (secondary heating step) starts. Is done.

In step S64, it is determined whether the heating time has elapsed. If the heating time has elapsed, the process proceeds from step S64 to step S65, and proceeds to the cooling process. Step S66
At step S67, it is determined in step S67 whether the temperature has dropped to a predetermined temperature. Until the temperature decreases to a predetermined temperature, a pressure corresponding to the temperature at that time is applied in step S68.
From 7, the process proceeds to step S <b> 69, and the collection process is started. When the cooling water is collected outside and the collection is completed in step S70, the entire process ends.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to input the operation mode and the rotation speed for the tray in the same manner as when setting the temperature and pressure data in the sequencer through the computer. Thus, the operation mode and the rotation speed can be finely and easily set according to the object to be heated, and the shape of the container of the article to be heated and the contents thereof are not spoiled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a control flow in a conventional cooking sterilization apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a time chart showing an operation pattern.

FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to claims of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram showing one embodiment of the cooking sterilization apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the cooking sterilization apparatus of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of an operation pattern.

FIG. 7 is a time chart showing an operation name pattern in the present cooking sterilization apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 S Sensor V Valve Q Heat Exchanger 1 Processing Tank 2 Tray 3 Reducer 4 Motor 5 Sequencer 6 Temperature Controller 7 Pressure Controller 8 Product Thermometer 9 Rotation Controller 10 Speed Controller 11 Reversing Machine 12 Reversing Switch 21 Computer 22 Printer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sequencer is programmed in advance with time, temperature, and pressure data for each step of heating, heating, cooling, etc., in a sequencer, and the sequencer controls the data in a tray in a processing tank. In a cooking and sterilizing apparatus for cooking and sterilizing a loaded object to be heated, a process selecting means (A) for selecting the steps in the order of execution and a data setting means for setting heating data and the like in each of the selected steps.
(B), a storage means (C) for storing the selected step and setting data for the step, and a read-out step for reading out the step and the data for the step as sequence data for the sequencer from the storage means (C) in operation order during operation. means
(D).