Air-Cooled Pouch Cooling Device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for cooling a pouch in a high-temperature state by an air cooling method, and more specifically, to an air-cooled pouch cooling device capable of cooling a continuous pouch in a high temperature without using a liquid cooling medium by supplying cold air generated from compressed air through a vortex tube through the interior of a cooling roller and then spraying it toward the continuous pouch through a cold air outlet.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for cooling a pouch in a high-temperature state by an air cooling method, and more specifically, to an air-cooled pouch cooling device capable of cooling a continuous pouch in a high temperature without using a liquid cooling medium by supplying cold air generated from compressed air through a vortex tube through the interior of a cooling roller and then spraying it toward the continuous pouch through a cold air outlet. Background Technology

[0002] Various instant foods, such as ramen, come with powder soup, solid soup, and liquid soup, and among them, the liquid soup is filled and sealed in a separate pouch and supplied.

[0003] These liquid soups are filled and sealed in pouches at a high temperature above a certain level during the manufacturing process, and the temperature of the pouch immediately after filling typically reaches around 75°C.

[0004] If the liquid soup is continuously maintained at a high temperature in this manner, not only is there a concern about the spoilage of the contents, but the synthetic resin packaging, such as vinyl, that makes up the pouch may also be exposed to high temperatures for a long time, or harmful substances such as endocrine disruptors may leach from the packaging.

[0005] Therefore, immediately after filling and sealing food products such as liquid soups into pouches, it is important to cool the pouch as quickly as possible to lower the temperature of the contents to a stable level.

[0006] To this end, as a form of pouch cooling means, there are water-based cooling methods, such as immersing the pouch in cooling water or exposing it to an environment where cooling water flows.

[0007] However, if water is used as a cooling method, if even a single pouch is damaged or develops a tiny pinhole during the cooling process, its contents will leak directly into the cooling water, contaminating the entire water with food. Furthermore, the contaminated cooling water affects other pouches entering subsequently, causing even greater damage.

[0008] In addition, since moisture remains on the surface of the pouch after cooling is complete, there is a problem that a separate process and device must be provided to remove this moisture.

[0009] Therefore, a new type of pouch cooling device is required that can cool the pouch sufficiently and rapidly, while ensuring that even if the pouch is damaged, the impact does not spread to other pouches or the entire cooling medium, and simultaneously allow for immediate transfer to a subsequent process without a separate post-processing step immediately after cooling. Prior art literature

[0010] KR 10-2391677 (B1) 2022.04.25. The problem to be solved

[0011] To solve the aforementioned problems, the objective of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled pouch cooling device capable of cooling a high-temperature continuous pouch without using a liquid cooling medium by supplying cold air generated from compressed air through a vortex tube through the interior of a cooling roller and then spraying it toward the continuous pouch through a cold air outlet.

[0012] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled pouch cooling device that is configured to cool the pouches using air, so that even if any of the pouches are damaged or broken and the contents of the pouch leak out, the contamination does not spread to adjacent pouches or the entire cooling medium, and the scope of contamination is limited, making post-treatment easy.

[0013] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled pouch cooling device in which cooling of a continuous pouch is performed using air, so that processes such as drying are not required after cooling of the pouch and it can be immediately transferred to a subsequent process.

[0014] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled pouch cooling device in which the blades attached to the central axis of the cooling roller are configured to have an inclination angle with respect to the rotation axis, thereby generating an airflow in a direction opposite to the direction of the airflow formed by the exhaust fan when the cooling roller rotates, so that the cold air ejected through the cold air outlet is not immediately discharged outside the cooling chamber by the exhaust fan but remains around the cooling roller for a sufficient time to perform heat exchange with the continuous pouch, thus improving cooling efficiency.

[0015] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an air-cooled pouch cooling device in which, when a blade is positioned in the lower region of the central axis, it slides outward due to its own weight, thereby expanding the radius to the outer end, and thus enabling the cold air accumulated in the lower region of the central axis with high density to be blown over a wider area, thereby improving the cold air transfer efficiency. means of solving the problem

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention comprises: a housing (100) into which a strip-shaped continuous pouch (10) is introduced and cooled, and in which the internal space is divided into a plurality of cooling chambers (130) by partition walls (131); a vortex tube (300) each provided in the cooling chambers (130), having a supply port (310) into which compressed air is introduced, a cold air discharge port (320) into which cold air separated from the supplied air is discharged, and a warm air discharge port (330) into which separated warm air is discharged; an exhaust fan (400) each provided in the cooling chambers (130) and discharging air inside the cooling chambers (130) to the outside of the housing (100); and a cooling roller (500) disposed on the upper part of the cooling chambers (130), having the continuous pouch (10) supported by being stretched over its outer surface, and receiving cold air from the cold air discharge port (320) to cool the continuous pouch (10). and a support roller (600) positioned at the bottom of the cooling chamber (130) and supporting the continuous pouch (10) that has descended from the cooling roller (500) and then transferring it to the cooling roller (500).

[0017] Additionally, the cooling roller (500) of the present invention comprises: a central shaft (510) having a hollow interior to form a passage for cold air to move through and a cold air outlet (511) formed to discharge the cold air from the interior to the outside; supporting rods (520) arranged spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the central shaft (510) and supported by the continuous pouch (10); partitions (530) dividing the cooling roller (500) into a plurality of compartments in the axial direction; and a cold air supply pipe (540) to which a hose extending from the cold air outlet (320) of the vortex tube (300) is connected to supply cold air into the interior of the central shaft (510).

[0018] In addition, the cold air supply pipe (540) of the present invention is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the central shaft (510) and is inserted into the interior of the central shaft (510), and a connecting bearing (541) is disposed between the cold air supply pipe (540) and the central shaft (510) so that the cold air supply pipe (540) maintains a stationary state with respect to the rotation of the central shaft (510).

[0019] In addition, the cooling roller (500) of the present invention further includes a guide member (550) that guides a continuous pouch (10) rising from the support roller (600) toward the cooling roller (500).

[0020] In addition, the vortex tube (300) and exhaust fan (400) of the present invention are positioned so as to be offset to one side of the cooling chamber (130), so that the warm air discharged from the warm air discharge port (330) is discharged from the cooling chamber (130) without coming into contact with the continuous pouch (10).

[0021] In addition, the present invention further includes a plurality of blades (560) that are connected to the central shaft (510) of the cooling roller (500), rotate together with the central shaft (510), and form an airflow in a direction opposite to the direction of the airflow formed by the exhaust fan (400).

[0022] In addition, the blade (560) of the present invention slides along a sliding member (570) radially coupled to the central axis (510), and the blade (560) slides inward from the upper part of the central axis (510) and outward from the lower part due to its own weight.

[0023] Additionally, the sliding member (570) of the present invention comprises: a fastening member (571) having a screw thread formed as an inner end and engaging with an adjustment hole (512) formed in the central shaft member (510); a step portion (573) having a locking structure with a sliding groove (561) formed in the blade (560) as an outer end; and a sliding portion (572) formed between the fastening member (571) and the step portion (573) and having a smaller diameter than the fastening member (571), wherein the sliding range of the blade (560) varies according to the depth to which the fastening member (571) is inserted into the adjustment hole (512). Effects of the invention

[0024] The air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention has the effect of cooling a high-temperature continuous pouch without using a liquid cooling medium by supplying cold air generated from compressed air through a vortex tube through the interior of a cooling roller and then spraying it toward the continuous pouch through a cold air outlet.

[0025] In addition, since the present invention is configured to cool the pouch using air, even if any of the pouches are damaged or broken and the contents of the pouch leak out, the contamination does not spread to adjacent pouches or the entire cooling medium, and the scope of contamination is limited, thereby providing the effect of easy post-treatment.

[0026] In addition, the present invention utilizes air to cool the continuous pouch, thereby eliminating the need for processes such as drying after cooling the pouch and allowing it to be immediately transferred to a subsequent process.

[0027] In addition, the present invention is configured such that a blade attached to the central axis of the cooling roller has an inclination angle with respect to its rotation axis, thereby generating an airflow in a direction opposite to that of the airflow formed by the exhaust fan when the cooling roller rotates. Consequently, the cold air ejected through the cold air outlet is not immediately discharged outside the cooling chamber by the exhaust fan but remains around the cooling roller for a sufficient period of time to perform heat exchange with the continuous pouch, thus improving cooling efficiency.

[0028] In addition, the present invention has the effect of improving cold air transfer efficiency by allowing the high-density cold air accumulated in the lower region of the central axis to be blown over a wider area, as the blade slides outward by its own weight when located in the lower region of the central axis, thereby expanding the radius to the outer end. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view showing one of the cooling chambers in the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view showing the vortex tube and cooling roller in the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the rotational power transmission structure of each cooling roller in the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the flow of a continuous pouch being transported in an air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the flow of a continuous pouch being transported in an air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a cooling roller in an air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the joint between the central shaft and the cold air supply pipe in the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing one section of the cooling roller in the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing one section of the cooling roller in the air-cooled pouch cooling device of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them.

[0032] The air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention relates to a device for cooling a pouch containing high-temperature food using an air cooling method, and

[0033] A housing (100) into which a strip-shaped continuous pouch (10) is introduced and cooled, and in which the internal space is divided into a plurality of cooling chambers (130) by partition walls (131);

[0034] A vortex tube (300) is provided in each of the above cooling chambers (130) and has a supply port (310) into which compressed air is introduced, a cold air discharge port (320) into which cold air separated from the supplied air is discharged, and a warm air discharge port (330) into which separated warm air is discharged;

[0035] An exhaust fan (400) provided in each of the above cooling chambers (130) and discharging air inside the cooling chamber (130) to the outside of the housing (100);

[0036] A cooling roller (500) positioned above the cooling chamber (130), with the continuous pouch (10) supported over its outer surface, and receiving cold air from the cold air discharge port (320) to cool the continuous pouch (10); and

[0037] It includes a support roller (600) positioned at the bottom of the cooling chamber (130) and supporting a continuous pouch (10) that has descended from the cooling roller (500) and then transferring it to the cooling roller (500).

[0039] The continuous pouch (10) to be cooled by the air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention refers to a pouch in which food such as liquid soup is sealed and packaged inside, and each pouch is not yet cut into individual units but is continuously connected in a strip shape. Such continuous pouches (10) are supplied to the air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention after undergoing a separate packaging process, and enter the device in a high-temperature state immediately after filling, undergo a cooling process, and then are transferred to a subsequent process.

[0040] In the present invention, the front end and rear end are described based on the conveying direction of the continuous pouch (10). For example, the direction in which the continuous pouch (10) flows into the cooling device of the present invention is referred to as the front end direction, and the direction in which it proceeds and is discharged is referred to as the rear end direction.

[0041] In addition, the front and rear sides are described based on the directions shown in FIG. 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which the exhaust fan (400) discharges air inside the cooling chamber (130) is referred to as the front direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as the rear direction. The rotational axis direction of the cooling roller (500) of the present invention is formed to extend in the front and rear directions.

[0042] Also, the inner and outer directions are described based on the central axis of the cooling roller (500). For example, the direction closer to the central axis is referred to as the inner direction, and the direction moving away from the central axis in the radial direction is referred to as the outer direction.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the cooling device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view with the front door of the housing (100) omitted.

[0045] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention comprises a housing (100), a vortex tube (300), an exhaust fan (400), a cooling roller (500), and a support roller (600).

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing (100) may have an exterior formed of a metal frame, such as aluminum, and a transparent panel covering the upper surface, and the front and upper surfaces may be made of door panels to inspect and maintain the internal cooling process. This allows the internal operating status to be visually checked from the outside and enables easy maintenance.

[0047] The above housing (100) forms the outer shape of the cooling device of the present invention and provides a space in which components for transporting and cooling the internal continuous pouch (10) are mounted.

[0048] An inlet (110), which is an inlet through which a continuous pouch (10) supplied from the outside flows into the interior of the housing (100), is formed at the upper front end of the housing (100), and an outlet (120), which is an outlet through which a continuous pouch (10) that has been cooled inside the housing (100) is discharged to the outside, is formed at the upper rear end of the housing (100). In one embodiment of the present invention, the inlet (110) may be positioned offset from the front end of the housing (100) toward the rear side, taking into consideration alignment with the transport path of the continuous pouch (10).

[0049] A plurality of cooling chambers (130) are formed by being partitioned sequentially in the direction from the front end to the rear end inside the housing (100). The number of these cooling chambers (130) can be appropriately determined by considering the initial temperature of the continuous pouch (10), the required degree of cooling, the processing speed, etc.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, five cooling chambers (130) are provided. As shown in FIG. 3(b), a partition wall (131) is disposed between adjacent cooling chambers (130) to partition the two chambers, and a connecting port (132) is formed in the partition wall (131) to serve as a passage through which a continuous pouch (10) can move from the front cooling chamber (130) to the rear cooling chamber (130). Each cooling chamber (130) is spatially separated from one another by the partition wall (131) and is independent, and the continuous pouch (10) can pass through only through the connecting port (132).

[0051] Each cooling chamber (130) is equipped with a cooling roller (500), a support roller (600), a vortex tube (300), and a single or multiple exhaust fans (400) as described later, so that a cooling process is performed on a chamber-by-chamber basis. In this way, due to the multi-stage chamber structure, the continuous pouch (10) is cooled to a certain level in one chamber and then transferred to an adjacent next chamber for additional cooling, thereby enabling stepwise and stable cooling.

[0053] FIG. 3(a) omits the illustration of the front door of the housing (100). Inside each cooling chamber (130), as illustrated in FIG. 3(a), a vortex tube (300), an exhaust fan (400), and a cooling roller (500) are arranged. In one embodiment of the present invention, the vortex tube (300) is positioned at the front side of each cooling chamber (130), and the exhaust fan (400) is likewise positioned at the front side of each cooling chamber (130).

[0054] A cooling roller (500) is positioned at the top of each cooling chamber (130), and a support roller (600) is positioned at a certain distance below the cooling roller (500).

[0055] By arranging the vortex tube (300) and the exhaust fan (400) on the front side in the same direction, the time the warm air discharged from the warm air discharge port (330) of the vortex tube (300) described later remains in the cooling chamber (130) is minimized, contact with the continuous pouch (10) is prevented, and the warm air can be quickly discharged to the outside of the cooling chamber (130) through the exhaust fan (400), thereby increasing the cooling efficiency.

[0056] The exhaust fan (400) may be provided as a single unit, or multiple units may be provided depending on the size of the cooling chamber (130) and the required exhaust performance. When the exhaust fan (400) is in operation, it forms an airflow that draws air from inside the chamber in the forward direction and discharges it to the outside. In this process, high-temperature air discharged from the warm air outlet (330) of the vortex tube (300) and air heated after heat exchange with the continuous pouch (10) are discharged to the outside together.

[0058] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a vortex tube (300) and a cooling roller (500). Referring to FIG. 4, the vortex tube (300) is a device that separates and discharges cold air and warm air using vortex motion of compressed air supplied from the outside.

[0059] The above vortex tube (300) includes a supply port (310), a cold air discharge port (320), and a warm air discharge port (330). The supply port (310) is an inlet through which compressed air supplied from a compressed air generating means, such as a compressor, flows into the interior of the vortex tube (300). The air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention may be operated by connecting it to a separate compressor, and compressed air generated from the compressor is supplied to the supply port (310) of the vortex tube (300) provided in each cooling chamber (130) through a control valve and a transfer pipe.

[0060] Compressed air introduced through the supply port (310) is separated into relatively low-temperature cold air and relatively high-temperature warm air through vortex motion inside the vortex tube (300), the separated cold air is discharged through the cold air discharge port (320), and the separated warm air is discharged through the warm air discharge port (330).

[0061] The cold air discharged through the above cold air discharge port (320) is guided to the cold air supply pipe (540) of the cooling roller (500) through a connecting pipe (not shown), such as a separate hose, and is supplied into the interior of the cooling roller (500) via the cold air supply pipe (540).

[0062] Meanwhile, since the temperature of the warm air discharged through the warm air discharge port (330) is relatively high, if it remains inside the cooling chamber (130) for a long time, it raises the temperature inside the chamber and is disadvantageous for cooling the continuous pouch (10). Therefore, both the vortex tube (300) and the exhaust fan (400) are positioned at the front of the cooling chamber (130) so that the warm air discharged from the warm air discharge port (330) is immediately discharged to the outside of the cooling chamber (130) by the adjacent exhaust fan (400). As a result, the warm air discharged from the warm air discharge port (330) is quickly discharged without coming into contact with the continuous pouch (10) inside the cooling chamber (130).

[0064] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the power transmission structure of the pouch cooling device of the present invention.

[0065] The present invention includes a driving unit (200) for rotating a plurality of cooling rollers (500) each provided in a plurality of cooling chambers (130), and as shown in FIG. 5, the driving unit (200) is arranged as a single unit at the rear side of the housing (100). The driving unit (200) may be composed of a power source that generates rotational power, such as a motor.

[0066] A power transmission shaft (210) is connected to the drive unit (200) and rotates together with it. The power transmission shaft (210) is a shaft whose axial direction is formed from the front end to the rear end and extends across the rear of the cooling roller (500) placed in each cooling chamber (130).

[0067] The central shaft (510), which serves as the rotational axis of each cooling roller (500), has its rear end extended a certain length toward the rear and intersects with the power transmission shaft (210), and the rear end of the power transmission shaft (210) and the central shaft (510) are engaged via a bevel gear. The reason the bevel gear method is adopted in the present invention is that while the axial direction of the power transmission shaft (210) is formed in a direction from the front end to the rear end, the axial direction of the central shaft (510) of each cooling roller (500) is formed in a front-rear direction, so the two axes are orthogonal to each other. Thus, the bevel gear engagement method is adopted to transmit rotational power between two rotating bodies with orthogonal axial directions.

[0068] With this configuration, rotational power generated by a single drive unit (200) is simultaneously transmitted to the cooling rollers (500) of each cooling chamber (130) through the power transmission shaft (210), and all cooling rollers (500) rotate in synchronization by the same rotational power. As a result, there is no need to provide a separate power source for each cooling chamber (130), so the structure of the device is simplified, and since all cooling rollers (500) rotate at the same speed, the transfer speed of the continuous pouch (10) can be maintained at a constant level.

[0070] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a cooling roller (500) of the cooling device of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a front view showing a cooling roller (500) and a support roller (600) of the cooling device of the present invention.

[0071] As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the continuous pouch (10) is cooled in stages as it is reciprocated between the cooling roller (500) and the support roller (600) of each cooling chamber (130). At this time, the continuous pouch (10) is transported in a manner that is supported and guided by being stretched across a portion of the outer surface of the cooling roller (500).

[0072] Specifically, the continuous pouch (10) introduced into the interior of the housing (100) from the outside through the inlet (110) spans the first compartment formed on the cooling roller (500) within the first cooling chamber (130). In one embodiment of the present invention, since the inlet (110) is positioned towards the rear, the continuous pouch (10) begins to span from the first compartment formed on the rear part of the cooling roller (500).

[0073] The continuous pouch (10) spanning the first compartment descends downward along with the rotation of the cooling roller (500) and spans the support roller (600) spaced apart from the lower part of the cooling roller (500). The continuous pouch (10), whose direction of travel has been changed by spanning the support roller (600), rises again toward the cooling roller (500) and spans the second compartment, which is the compartment immediately in front of the first compartment.

[0074] The continuous pouch (10) spanning the second section descends again and spans the support roller (600), and then rises again and spans the third section.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, a continuous pouch (10) is transported in a direction from the rear to the front within the first cooling chamber (130). The continuous pouch (10), having passed the last compartment of the first cooling chamber (130), enters the second cooling chamber (130) through a connecting hole (132) formed in the partition wall (131). In the second cooling chamber (130), the compartment located at the front in one embodiment of the present invention becomes the first compartment, and the transport direction of the continuous pouch (10) within the second cooling chamber (130) is formed in a direction from the front to the rear. That is, the structure is such that the transport direction of the continuous pouch (10) between two adjacent chambers alternates in opposite directions.

[0076] Due to this alternating structure, the continuous pouch (10) can proceed continuously in one direction without forming a separate complex detour path. In addition, it can stay in one cooling chamber (130) for a sufficient amount of time, increasing the contact time with cold air and enabling smooth cooling.

[0077] In this manner, the continuous pouch (10) is cooled step by step as it passes through a plurality of cooling chambers (130) sequentially, and after passing through the last compartment of the last cooling chamber (130), it is discharged to the outside through the discharge port (120) formed at the upper rear end of the housing (100).

[0079] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a cooling roller (500) in a cooling device.

[0080] A cooling roller (500) positioned on the upper part of each cooling chamber (130) includes a central shaft (510), a support member (520), a partition (530), a cold air supply pipe (540), a guide member (550), and a blade (560), as shown in FIG. 8, and its axial direction is formed in the front-rear direction.

[0081] The central shaft (510) is configured in the form of a shaft that serves as the rotation axis of the cooling roller (500), and its interior is formed as a hollow space in the front-rear length direction. The rear end of the central shaft (510) is engaged with the power transmission shaft (210) through a bevel gear to receive rotational power, thereby causing the central shaft (510) itself to rotate around its axial direction. Meanwhile, the front end of the central shaft (510) is connected to the cold air supply pipe (540) and serves as a passage through which cold air supplied from the vortex tube (300) flows into the internal hollow space of the central shaft (510). The central shaft (510) functions as a rotation axis and simultaneously as a passage that guides cold air through its internal hollow space.

[0082] A plurality of cold air outlets (511) are formed on the outer surface of the central shaft (510) and penetrate in the radial direction. The cold air outlets (511) are holes that discharge cold air flowing along the internal hollow of the central shaft (510) to the outside, and are formed as a single or multiple outlets in each compartment of the cooling roller (500).

[0083] Cold air ejected through the cold air outlet (511) passes through the gap (521) between the support rods (520) and is directly applied to the continuous pouch (10) extending outward, and a cooling action is performed on the continuous pouch (10).

[0084] The support members (520) are configured in the form of rods or bars having length in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of them are arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of the central shaft (510) to surround the outer circumference of the central shaft (510).

[0085] The support members (520) collectively form an outer shape of a virtual cylinder centered on the central axis (510), and the outer diameter of this cylinder becomes the rotational diameter of the cooling roller (500).

[0086] The continuous pouch (10) is positioned over the outer surface of these support rods (520) and transported while being stably supported by the support rods (520). A certain gap (521) is formed between adjacent support rods (520), and through this gap (521), cold air ejected from the cold air outlet (511) escapes to the outside and is applied toward the continuous pouch (10) positioned over the support rods (520).

[0087] Additionally, the cold air passing through the continuous pouch (10) spreads back into the internal space of the cooling chamber (130) outside the cooling roller (500) through the gap (521), thereby cooling the continuous pouch (10) that reciprocates between the cooling roller (500) and the support roller (600).

[0088] The partition (530) is a disc-shaped configuration in which multiple partitions are arranged at regular intervals along the length direction of the cooling roller (500), that is, in the front-rear direction, and serves to divide a single cooling roller (500) into multiple compartments. The space between two adjacent partitions (530) forms a compartment, and the previously described continuous pouch (10) is carried across and transported in each compartment.

[0089] The partition (530) has a through hole formed therein through which the central shaft (510) and the support member (520) can pass, and the partition (530) also functions as a reinforcing member that supports the central shaft (510) and the support member (520) in the middle of their length direction to prevent sagging.

[0090] The guide member (550) is a rod-shaped component provided on one side of the cooling roller (500) and serves to guide the movement path of the continuous pouch (10) rising from the support roller (600) toward the cooling roller (500) so that it enters the next sequence of compartments.

[0091] The continuous pouch (10) is transported by descending from one compartment, passing through the support roller (600), and then rising again to enter the rear compartment. In this process, to prevent the continuous pouch (10) from deviating from the intended path or getting tangled with an adjacent compartment, the guide member (550) guides the continuous pouch (10) to enter only the correct compartment, thereby preventing the continuous pouch (10) from getting tangled or deviating from the path.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 7, the support roller (600) is a roller positioned at a certain distance from the lower part of the cooling roller (500) within each cooling chamber (130). The support roller (600) receives a continuous pouch (10) that has descended from one compartment of the cooling roller (500), changes its direction of travel, and then guides it to rise again to the next adjacent compartment of the cooling roller (500).

[0094] In one embodiment of the present invention, the support roller (600) may be positioned so that its axial direction is inclined at a certain angle. This is because, in order for the continuous pouch (10) to descend from one compartment and reach the support roller (600), and then enter the rear compartment, its position must be moved a certain distance to the side. As the axial direction of the support roller (600) is positioned at an incline, the continuous pouch (10) across the support roller (600) is naturally transported sideways during the rotation process, thereby ensuring smooth transport from one compartment to the rear compartment.

[0096] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection between the cold air supply pipe (540) and the central shaft (510) of the cooling device of the present invention.

[0097] The cold air supply pipe (540) is connected to a hose extending from the cold air discharge port (320) of the vortex tube (300) to supply cold air discharged from the vortex tube (300) to the internal hollow of the central shaft (510).

[0098] As shown in FIG. 9, the cold air supply pipe (540) is formed to have an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the central shaft (510) and is joined in a structure that is inserted into the internal hollow of the central shaft (510) from the front end of the central shaft (510).

[0099] While the central shaft (510) rotates around its axial direction by the driving unit (200), the cold air supply pipe (540) is configured to be connected to a hose extending from the cold air discharge port (320) of the vortex tube (300), so it must be maintained in a fixed state without rotating.

[0100] In the present invention, a connecting bearing (541) is provided between the cold air supply pipe (540) and the central shaft (510). The connecting bearing (541) is installed such that its outer ring contacts the inner diameter of the central shaft (510) and its inner ring contacts the outer diameter of the cold air supply pipe (540), thereby allowing relative rotational movement between the central shaft (510) and the cold air supply pipe (540). That is, even if the central shaft (510) rotates, rotational movement is absorbed between the inner ring and the outer ring of the connecting bearing (541), so that the cold air supply pipe (540) located inside it remains in a fixed state without rotating.

[0101] Thus, the hose connected to the cold air supply pipe (540) is not affected by the rotation of the central shaft (510), so no twisting occurs, and the supply of cold air from the vortex tube (300) to the inside of the central shaft (510) can be maintained stably.

[0102] With this configuration, the cold air supply pipe (540) is structurally supported by the central shaft (510) while separated from the rotation of the central shaft (510), and at the same time, the cold air flowing through it can be stably delivered to the internal hollow of the central shaft (510).

[0104] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of one section of the cooling roller (500) of the cooling device of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view of one section of the cooling roller (500).

[0105] As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, a plurality of blades (560) are provided inside each compartment of the cooling roller (500). The blades (560) are slidably connected to the central shaft (510) and rotate together with the rotation of the central shaft (510).

[0106] The blade (560) allows the cold air ejected from the cold air outlet (511) to remain sufficiently around the cooling roller (500). An exhaust fan (400) is positioned at the front of each cooling chamber (130) to form an airflow that moves the air inside the chamber in the forward direction and discharges it to the outside. Although the operation of this exhaust fan (400) quickly discharges the warm air inside the cooling chamber (130), there is a risk that the cold air ejected from the cold air outlet (511) will be discharged outside the cooling chamber (130) before it sufficiently cools the continuous pouch (10).

[0107] To solve this problem, the blade (560) of the present invention is configured to have a constant angle of inclination with respect to the rotation axis of the central axis (510). In this specification, the term "angle of inclination" refers to a state in which the plate surface of the blade (560) is tilted at an oblique angle with respect to the axial direction of the central axis (510), and this can be understood as a concept similar to the pitch angle of a blade (560) of a general blower fan.

[0108] When the blade (560) rotates together with the central axis (510) while having this angle of inclination, the plate surface of the blade (560) pushes the air obliquely, and an airflow directed toward the rear is formed.

[0109] Thus, a rearward airflow opposite to the forward airflow formed by the exhaust fan (400) is formed in the cooling roller (500), and the cold air ejected from the cold air outlet (511) can remain in the cooling roller (500) without being discharged by the exhaust fan (400).

[0110] During this residence time, sufficient heat exchange occurs between the cold air and the continuous pouch (10), so that the cooling of the continuous pouch (10) is effectively achieved.

[0111] The blade (560) according to the present invention is not fixedly connected to the central shaft (510) but is connected to be slidably movable in the radial direction of the central shaft (510), that is, between the inner and outer sides, via the sliding groove (561) and the sliding member (570).

[0112] Specifically, a sliding groove (561) is formed in the blade (560) in a direction from the inside to the outside. A sliding member (570) is inserted and coupled into the sliding groove (561). The sliding member (570) is composed of a fastening part (571) formed at its inner end, a sliding part (572) in the middle, and a stepped part (573) formed at its outer end.

[0113] A screw thread is formed in the fastening portion (571) of the sliding member (570), and is inserted and fixed in a screw-coupled manner into an adjustment hole (512), which is a screw hole formed radially in the central shaft (510).

[0114] The sliding portion (572) of the sliding member (570) is a portion formed continuously on the outer side of the fastening portion (571), has a smooth outer surface without screw threads, has a smaller diameter than the fastening portion (571) so that it can be inserted into the adjustment hole (512), and is slidably coupled with the sliding groove (561) of the blade (560) so that the blade (560) moves inward and outward directions along the sliding member (570).

[0115] The stepped portion (573) of the sliding member (570) is a portion formed at the outermost end of the sliding member (570) and has a stepped structure with the sliding groove (561) to form a locking structure with the sliding groove (561) of the blade (560).

[0116] This ensures that even if the blade (560) slides outward, it does not get caught on the step portion (573) and does not completely detach from the sliding plate (570).

[0117] Due to the sliding connection structure, the blade (560) rotates integrally with the rotation of the central axis (510), and at the same time, can slide inward or outward by its own weight depending on the rotation position.

[0118] For example, when the blade (560) is positioned in the lower region of the central axis (510) as the central axis (510) rotates, it moves outward, that is, in a radial direction away from the central axis (510), due to the gravity acting on the blade (560), and its radius increases outward until it reaches the position where it catches on the step portion (573) of the sliding member (570).

[0119] In this state, the distance from the outer end of the blade (560) to the center of the central axis (510), that is, the radius of rotation of the blade (560), has a maximum value.

[0120] Cold air in the air has a higher density than the surrounding warm air and forms a natural downward airflow, and cold air ejected from the cold air outlet (511) is distributed with a higher density in the lower part than in the upper part relative to the central axis (510).

[0121] The present invention allows the blade (560) to form the widest rotational area in the lower region where cold air is most concentrated by causing its radius to expand outward by its own weight when the blade (560) is located in the lower region of the central axis (510), and allows a larger amount of cold air to be effectively transported even at the same rotational speed.

[0122] In addition, as the radius of rotation of the outer end increases, the linear velocity at the same angular velocity also increases proportionally, so the force pushing out the cold air also increases, thereby increasing the residence time of the cold air against the airflow of the exhaust fan (400).

[0123] Conversely, when the blade (560) is positioned in the upper region of the central axis (510) as the central axis (510) rotates, it slides inward due to gravity acting on the blade (560), and the distance from the outer end of the blade (560) to the center of the central axis (510), i.e., the effective radius of rotation of the blade (560), has a minimum value.

[0124] Since the rotational speed of the cooling roller (500) according to the present invention is set to a relatively low speed, the magnitude of the centrifugal force is sufficiently small compared to its own weight.

[0125] Since relatively warm air is distributed in the upper region of the central axis (510), the blade (560) does not need to form an airflow over a wide area, and the rotational resistance of the central axis (510) is reduced.

[0126] In this way, the sliding motion of the blade (560) is repeated continuously and periodically during one rotation of the central axis (510). That is, the motion of the blade (560) gradually expanding outward as it moves from the top through the side to the bottom, and gradually contracting inward as it moves from the bottom through the side to the top, occurs once per rotation.

[0127] This periodic sliding motion is performed automatically using only gravity and rotational position without a separate external power source or control device.

[0128] Meanwhile, in the present invention, the user can arbitrarily adjust the sliding range of the blade (560).

[0129] The fastening part (571) of the sliding member (570) is inserted and fixed into the adjustment hole (512) of the central shaft (510) by a screw connection method, and the depth to which the fastening part (571) is inserted into the adjustment hole (512) can be varied. As the fastening part (571) is inserted deeper into the adjustment hole (512), the entire sliding member (570) moves further toward the central shaft (510), thereby shortening the distance from the center of the central shaft (510) to the step part (573), i.e., the range in which the blade (560) can slide.

[0130] Conversely, as the connecting part (571) is inserted shallowly into the adjustment hole (512), the effective length of the sliding part (572) increases, thereby expanding the sliding range of the blade (560).

[0131] When the rotational speed of the cooling roller (500) changes, the magnitude of the centrifugal force acting on the blade (560) also changes; therefore, by adjusting the maximum radius distance of the blade (560) in response to this, the sliding motion of the blade (560) is made smooth.

[0132] For example, if the rotational speed increases and the centrifugal force increases, the blade (560) may have a tendency to be pushed outward even in the upper region of the central axis (510). Therefore, in the present invention, by allowing the user to adjust the insertion depth of the fastening part (571) according to the operating conditions, the blade (560) can smoothly perform a sliding motion in accordance with the variable rotational speed.

[0134] As described above, the air-cooled pouch cooling device according to the present invention adopts an air cooling method in which cold air generated from a vortex tube (300) is sprayed directly onto a continuous pouch (10) through the interior of a cooling roller (500), thereby eliminating the burden of contamination and post-processing associated with the use of a liquid cooling medium, and at the same time, can comprehensively improve the residence time and transfer efficiency of the cold air through a sliding blade (560) structure having an inclined angle. Explanation of the symbols

[0135] 10: Continuous pouch 100:Housing 110: Inlet 120: Outlet 130: Cooling chamber 131: Partition wall 132:Combustion hole 200: Drive unit 210: Power transmission shaft 300: Vortex Tube 310: Supply port 320: Cold air outlet 330: Warm air outlet 400: Exhaust fan 500: Cooling roller 510: Central axis 511: Cold Vent 512: Adjustment hole 520: Jijisaldae 521:Gap 530: Partition 540: Cold supply pipe 541: Connecting bearing 550: Guide 560:Blade 561: Sliding Home 570: Sliding platform 571: Connecting part 572: Sliding section 573: Step 600: Support roller

Claims

Claim 1 A housing (100) in which a strip-shaped continuous pouch (10) is introduced and cooled, and the internal space is divided into a plurality of cooling chambers (130) by partition walls (131); a vortex tube (300) provided in each of the cooling chambers (130), having a supply port (310) into which compressed air is introduced, a cold air discharge port (320) into which cold air separated from the supplied air is discharged, and a warm air discharge port (330) into which separated warm air is discharged; an exhaust fan (400) provided in each of the cooling chambers (130) to discharge air inside the cooling chamber (130) to the outside of the housing (100); and a cooling roller (500) disposed on the upper part of the cooling chamber (130), having the continuous pouch (10) supported by being stretched over its outer surface, and receiving cold air from the cold air discharge port (320) to cool the continuous pouch (10). An air-cooled pouch cooling device comprising: a support roller (600) positioned at the bottom of the cooling chamber (130) and supporting a continuous pouch (10) that has descended from the cooling roller (500) and then transfers it to the cooling roller (500). Claim 2 In claim 1, the air-cooled pouch cooling device comprises: a central shaft (510) in which the cooling roller (500) is formed with a hollow interior to form a passage for cold air to move through and a cold air outlet (511) for blowing cold air out of the interior; a plurality of support rods (520) arranged spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the central shaft (510) and supporting the continuous pouch (10) by being stretched over them; a partition (530) that divides the cooling roller (500) into a plurality of compartments in the axial direction; and a cold air supply pipe (540) to which a hose extending from the cold air outlet (320) of the vortex tube (300) is connected to supply cold air into the interior of the central shaft (510). Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the cold air supply pipe (540) is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the central shaft (510) and is inserted into the interior of the central shaft (510), and a connecting bearing (541) is disposed between the cold air supply pipe (540) and the central shaft (510) so that the cold air supply pipe (540) maintains a stationary state with respect to the rotation of the central shaft (510) in an air-cooled pouch cooling device. Claim 4 In paragraph 2, the air-cooled pouch cooling device further comprises a guide member (550) that guides a continuous pouch (10) rising from the support roller (600) toward the cooling roller (500). Claim 5 An air-cooled pouch cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the vortex tube (300) and exhaust fan (400) are positioned to one side of the cooling chamber (130) so that the warm air discharged from the warm air discharge port (330) is discharged from the cooling chamber (130) without contacting the continuous pouch (10). Claim 6 In paragraph 2, the air-cooled pouch cooling device further comprises a plurality of blades (560) that are connected to the central axis (510) of the cooling roller (500) and rotate together with the central axis (510), and form an airflow opposite to the direction of the airflow formed by the exhaust fan (400). Claim 7 In claim 6, the blade (560) slides along a sliding member (570) radially coupled to the central axis (510), and the blade (560) slides inwardly from the upper part of the central axis (510) and outwardly from the lower part due to its own weight in an air-cooled pouch cooling device. Claim 8 In claim 7, the sliding member (570) comprises: a fastening part (571) having a screw thread formed as an inner end and engaging with an adjustment hole (512) formed in the central shaft (510); a step part (573) having a locking structure with a sliding groove (561) formed in the blade (560) as an outer end; and a sliding part (572) formed between the fastening part (571) and the step part (573) and having a smaller diameter than the fastening part (571); wherein the sliding range of the blade (560) varies according to the depth to which the fastening part (571) is inserted into the adjustment hole (512); an air-cooled pouch cooling device.

Images