A curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed food

Abstract

The present invention discloses a curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed foods, which comprises a fixing frame and a control device. The fixing frame is provided with a hollow drum and a driving mechanism for driving the drum to rotate. The rotation axis of the drum is horizontally arranged. The side wall of the drum is provided with a feeding port with a feeding port cover, and the front end of the drum is provided with a discharging port with a discharging port cover. At least one heating device for providing heat to heat the puffed foods is arranged on the inner wall of the drum. A separation net for separating the puffed foods from the heating device is arranged in the inner cavity of the drum. The drum is connected with a vacuum pumping device. The present invention solves the problem of the hard and tough skin of the product from the heating method, makes the outer surface of the product crispy and the inner part smooth, and reduces the problem of excessive trans fatty acid content caused by long-time frying. It can not only reduce the heating time, lower the energy consumption, but also well solve the problem of oil consumption and reduce the cost. At the same time, by driving the drum to rotate continuously by the driving mechanism, the uniform heat reception degree can be improved, and the defective rate of scorched products can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of food processing machinery, and in particular to a curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed food, which is particularly suitable for the production of puffed food such as fish curd. Background Art

[0002] In the existing fish curd production process, the fish curd needs to be fried at multiple stages at different temperatures, and after being fully expanded, it will still shrink severely, which is extremely unsightly. In order to improve the appearance of the product and keep it in a better expansion state, a curing operation is required. At present, the automatic stirring device is the most commonly used fish curd curing equipment, which mainly involves a power device, a pot body and a stirrer. After the fish paste is fully expanded after frying, it is put into a pot body filled with oil and fried at a higher temperature (>140°C). During this period, the stirrer is used to continuously roll to make the fish curd heated evenly. This period of time is maintained at 20 to 30 minutes, so as to achieve the purpose of dehydration, hardening and solidification of the fish curd surface. At this time, the fish curd is a relatively uniform spherical shape, and will not shrink significantly, and has a better product appearance.

[0003] Specifically, after the fish tofu is put into the high-temperature frying pan, it is tumbled through a stirring device, and the stirring device is connected to the power transposition through a transmission rod to realize automatic tumbling and speed regulation. The stirring device is composed of two or more blades, and there are holes on the blades to facilitate the passage through the oil surface. The blades are semi-elliptical, and the outer contour fits the pot wall. When the blades are perpendicular to the pot surface, a certain space is left with the bottom of the pot to facilitate the passage of the fish tofu. After the device is turned on, the blades drive the fish to fry and tumble. The fish tofu follows the rotation of the blades and passes through the three links of contacting the oil surface, immersing in the oil surface, and leaving the oil surface, and the cycle continues, thereby achieving uniform heating of the fish tofu and ultimately achieving the purpose of solidification.

[0004] Although the shrinkage problem of fish curd can be solved well, there are still the following shortcomings: (1) After long-term high-temperature frying, the surface of the fish curd is obviously hardened, the crispness is significantly reduced, and it will feel hard and tough when it enters the mouth; (2) A large amount of tumbling can easily cause the surface of the fish curd to be damaged, resulting in a large number of defective products; (3) This type of tumbling will cause individual fish curds to be heated unevenly, resulting in the fish curd puffing of different sizes and local burnt; (4) Long-term high-temperature frying (≥140℃) is prone to produce carcinogens such as trans fatty acids, which are harmful to food health; (5) Low efficiency. The frying and curing method requires 20 to 30 minutes of high-temperature frying, which greatly affects production efficiency; (6) The texture is not fine enough. The frying process causes a lot of dehydration, the internal water loss of the fish curd is large, the fineness is reduced, and the yield rate is low; (7) A large amount of edible oil is consumed, which is costly. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed foods, which solves the problem of the hard and tough skin of products in the prior art from the heating method, enhances its crispness, makes the product crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and reduces the problem of excessive trans fatty acid content caused by long-term frying.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed foods, including a fixing frame and a control device. The fixing frame is provided with a hollow drum and a driving mechanism for driving the drum to rotate. The rotation axis of the drum is horizontally arranged. The side wall of the drum is provided with a feeding port with a feeding port cover, and the front end of the drum is provided with a discharging port with a discharging port cover. At least one heating device for providing heat to heat the puffed foods is provided on the inner wall of the drum. A separation net for separating the puffed foods from the heating device is provided in the inner cavity of the drum. The drum is connected with a vacuum pumping device, and the driving mechanism, the heating device, and the vacuum pumping device are respectively electrically connected to the control device.

[0008] Further, the heating device includes three groups of electric heating tubes parallel to the central axis of the drum, and the number of electric heating tubes in each group is four. The three groups of electric heating tubes are distributed at intervals of 90° in the inner cavity of the drum. In this way, the puffed foods such as fish curd in the drum can be evenly heated.

[0009] Further, the separation net is a stainless steel net composed of steel wires.

[0010] Further, the shape of the mesh holes of the separation net is a square with a side length of 2 cm.

[0011] Further, the vacuum pumping device includes a vacuum pump and a vacuum tube. The discharging port cover is provided with a vent valve. One end of the vacuum tube is connected to the vacuum pump, and the other end of the vacuum tube is detachably connected to the vent valve. In this way, by connecting the vacuum tube to the vent valve and starting the vacuum pump, the drum can be evacuated to form a negative pressure state. When the curing is completed, only need to unplug the vacuum tube and open the vent valve to slowly introduce air to return to normal pressure.

[0012] Further, a heat insulation layer is provided on the outer wall of the drum to insulate and keep warm the drum.

[0013] Preferably, the thickness of the heat insulation layer is 1 cm.

[0014] Further, a handle is rotatably provided on the discharging port cover, and two clamping blocks for clamping both ends of the handle are provided on the discharging port. By providing the handle, it is convenient to take and place the discharging port cover, and it is also convenient to be clamped and fixed with the clamping blocks.

[0015] Further, a discharge rotating blade connected to the inner wall of the drum is provided at the discharge port. In this way, under the linkage action of the driving mechanism, the discharge rotating blade rotates with the drum, facilitating the pushing out of the puffed foods such as fish curd that have been solidified in the drum, thus completing automatic discharging.

[0016] Further, sealing strips are provided between the feed port cover and the feed port, and between the discharge port cover and the discharge port, respectively, to improve airtightness.

[0017] Further, at least one blower for accelerating heat transfer is provided in the inner cavity of the drum, and the blower is located between the inner wall of the drum and the isolation net. By providing the blower, the flow of the remaining gas inside the drum is accelerated, facilitating heat transfer, accelerating the volatilization and diffusion of moisture inside the puffed foods such as fish curd, accelerating their solidification and uniform heating.

[0018] Further, the drum is of a stainless steel cylinder structure, and the drum includes a cylindrical portion in the middle and frustum-shaped portions respectively located at the front and rear ends of the cylindrical portion; the driving mechanism includes a driving motor and runners symmetrically located on both sides below the drum, and at least one runner is connected to the output end of the driving motor, and a positioning ring for rolling connection with the runner is provided on the outer wall of the cylindrical portion.

[0019] Further, the control device is connected to an electrical box, and the electrical box is arranged on a fixing frame. By providing the electrical box, external power can be introduced, thereby improving power supply.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed foods, having the following beneficial effects:

[0021] The present invention can make the inside of the drum in a negative pressure state by using a vacuum pumping device to promote the heating, swelling and solidification of puffed foods such as fish curd in the drum. By adopting this method, the problem of the hard and tough skin of the product is solved from the heating method. The negative pressure of the pumped air can make the skin stretch, increase the skin gap, enhance its crispness, reduce the hardness and toughness, make the product crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and reduce the problem of excessive trans fatty acid content caused by long-term frying. It can not only reduce the heating time, reduce energy consumption, improve production efficiency, but also solve the oil consumption problem well and reduce costs; at the same time, by using the driving mechanism to drive the drum to rotate continuously, the heating uniformity of the puffed foods such as fish curd inside can be improved, and the defective rate of scorched and blackened products caused by uneven heating can be reduced. In addition, by providing an isolation net, the puffed foods such as fish curd can be separated from the heating device, and they will not contact each other, improving safety and product quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the drum of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the heating device of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 Block diagram of the control principle of the present invention.

[0027] Reference numerals: 1, fixed frame; 2, control device; 21, electrical box; 3, drum; 31, cylindrical part; 311, positioning ring; 32, frustum part; 33, feed inlet; 34, discharge outlet; 341, clamping block; 35, discharge rotating blade; 4, drive mechanism; 41, drive motor; 42, runner; 5, feed inlet cover; 6, discharge outlet cover; 61, air release valve; 62, handle; 7, heating device; 71, electric heating tube; 72, support; 73, connecting shaft; 8, isolation net; 9, vacuum pumping device; 91, vacuum pump; 92, vacuum tube; 10, heat insulation layer; 11, fan. Detailed implementation manners

[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions of the present invention through detailed embodiments in combination with the drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4, this embodiment provides a curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed foods, including a fixing frame 1 and a control device 2. The fixing frame 1 is provided with a hollow drum 3 and a driving mechanism 4 for driving the drum 3 to rotate. The rotation axis of the drum 3 is horizontally arranged. The side wall of the drum 3 is provided with a feeding port 33 with a feeding port cover 5, and the front end of the drum 3 is provided with a discharging port 34 with a discharging port cover 6. At least one heating device 7 for providing heat to heat the puffed foods is provided on the inner wall of the drum 3. An isolation net 8 for separating the puffed foods from the heating device 7 is provided in the inner cavity of the drum 3. The drum 3 is connected with a vacuum pumping device 9. The driving mechanism 4, the heating device 7, and the vacuum pumping device 9 are respectively electrically connected to the control device 2.

[0030] By using the vacuum pumping device, the inside of the drum can be in a negative pressure state with a vacuum degree of -0.04 to 0.06 MPa, so as to promote the heating and swelling and curing of puffed foods such as fish curd in the drum. By adopting this method, the problem of the hard and tough skin of the product is solved from the heating method. The negative pressure of air extraction can make the skin stretch, increase the skin gap, enhance its crispness, reduce the hardness and toughness, make the appearance of the product crispy and the inside tender, and reduce the problem of excessive trans fatty acid content caused by long-term frying. It can not only reduce the heating time, reduce energy consumption, improve production efficiency, but also solve the oil consumption problem well and reduce costs. At the same time, by using the driving mechanism to drive the drum to rotate continuously at a speed of 5 to 15 r / min, the heating uniformity of puffed foods such as fish curd inside can be improved, and the defective rate of scorched and blackened products caused by uneven heating can be reduced. In addition, by setting the isolation net, puffed foods such as fish curd can be separated from the heating device and will not contact each other, improving safety and product quality.

[0031] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the drum 3 is of a stainless steel cylinder structure, and the whole is in a shape similar to an ellipsoid. The drum 3 includes a cylindrical part 31 in the middle and frustum parts 32 respectively located at the front and rear ends of the cylindrical part 31. The driving mechanism 4 includes a driving motor 41 and runners 42 symmetrically located on both sides below the drum 3. At least one runner 42 is connected to the output end of the driving motor 41, and a positioning ring 311 for rolling connection with the runner 42 is provided on the outer wall of the cylindrical part 31. The feeding port 33 is arranged on the side surface of the frustum part 32 at the front end, and is a circular hole with a diameter of 18 cm. The discharging port 34 is arranged on the top surface of the frustum part 32 at the front end, and is a circular hole with a diameter of 46 cm.

[0032] In some specific embodiments, as Figure 1 shown, the control device 2 is connected with an electric box 21, and the electric box 21 is arranged on the fixing frame 1. By setting the electric box 21, external power can be introduced, thereby improving the power supply.

[0033] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the heating device 7 includes three groups of electric heating tubes 71 parallel to the central axis of the drum 3. The number of electric heating tubes 71 in each group is four, and the three groups of electric heating tubes 71 are distributed at intervals of 90° in the inner cavity of the drum 3. In this way, it is possible to uniformly heat the puffed foods such as fish curd in the drum. More specifically, the electric heating tubes in the same group are distributed at intervals of 10 cm, each electric heating tube has a diameter of 1.5 cm and a length of 55 cm. Each group of electric heating tubes is installed on the inner wall of the drum through a bracket, respectively on the upper, left, and right sides. Among the electric heating tubes in the same group, a connecting shaft is used for connection and installation. The heating power of the heating device is 20 kw, so as to control the internal temperature of the drum within 140 - 170 °C.

[0034] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 2 , the isolation net 8 is a stainless steel net composed of steel wires with a diameter of 0.3 cm. The mesh shape of the isolation net 8 is a square with a side length of 2 cm. The isolation net 8 includes three stainless steel nets connected vertically in sequence.

[0035] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 1 , the vacuum pumping device 9 includes a vacuum pump 91 and a vacuum tube 92. The discharge port cover 6 is provided with a relief valve 61. One end of the vacuum tube 92 is connected to the vacuum pump 91, and the other end of the vacuum tube 92 is detachably connected to the relief valve 61. The aperture of the relief valve 61 is set to 2 cm. In this way, by connecting the vacuum tube to the relief valve and starting the vacuum pump, the drum can be evacuated to form a negative pressure state. When the curing is completed, just unplug the vacuum tube and open the relief valve to slowly introduce air to return to normal pressure.

[0036] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 2 , the outer wall of the drum 3 is provided with a heat insulation layer 10 to insulate and heat the drum. Preferably, the thickness of the heat insulation layer 10 is 1 cm.

[0037] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 1 , the discharge port cover 6 is rotatably provided with a handle 62, and the discharge port 34 is provided with two clamping blocks 341 for clamping both ends of the handle 62. By providing the handle 62, it is convenient to take and place the discharge port cover 6, and it is also convenient to be clamped and fixed with the clamping blocks 341 for the discharge port cover 6.

[0038] In some specific embodiments, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, a discharge rotary vane 35 connected to the inner wall of the drum 3 is provided at the discharge port 34. In this way, under the linkage of the driving mechanism 4, the discharge rotary vane 35 rotates with the drum 3 to facilitate the pushing out of the puffed foods such as fish curd that have been cured in the drum, thereby completing automatic unloading.

[0039] In some specific embodiments, sealing strips are provided between the feed port cover 5 and the feed port 33, and between the discharge port cover 6 and the discharge port 34 to improve airtightness.

[0040] As an improved embodiment, refer to Figure 2 , at least one small blower 11 for accelerating heat transfer is further provided in the inner cavity of the drum 3, and the blower 11 is located between the inner wall of the drum 3 and the isolation net 8. By providing the blower 11, the flow of the remaining gas inside the drum 3 is accelerated, facilitating heat transfer, accelerating the volatilization and diffusion of moisture inside the puffed foods such as fish curd, and accelerating their curing and uniform heating. Specifically, each blower 11 is composed of a rotating shaft and 5 rotating vanes, and the rotating vanes are evenly fixed in the rotating shaft and are distributed at intervals of 72 degrees. The rotation speed of the blower 11 is set to 500 - 1500 r / min.

[0041] Refer to Figures 1 to 4 , during use, after the fish curd is preliminarily fried and puffed, it is immediately put into the preheated drum 3 from the feed port 33, the feed port 33 is sealed, and the vacuum pump 91 is started to pump air so that the inside of the drum 3 is in a negative pressure state (such as the negative pressure value is 0.04 - 0.06 MPa). During this period, the temperature is continuously maintained stable by the electric heating tube 71, and the fish curd expands into a spherical shape at this time; after the air extraction is completed, the air release valve 61 is closed and the vacuum tube 92 is unplugged, the blower 11 is turned on to accelerate the flow of the remaining gas inside, and the driving mechanism 4 is started to drive the drum 3 to roll (clockwise). At this time, due to continuous heating, the moisture inside the fish curd volatilizes and diffuses, further expanding the fish curd, and then stretching the gaps on the surface of the fish curd, and the relatively thick skin is stretched and unfolded, increasing the surface area for heat absorption and accelerating its curing. After a period of time (such as 10 - 15 min), the fish curd curing is completed, the air release valve 61 is opened, and air is slowly introduced to the atmospheric pressure state, and the time is controlled within 40 - 60 s. At this time, the fish curd shrinks slightly, the surface area decreases, and the hardened tissue on the surface will slightly accumulate, forming a crispy texture. Subsequently, the discharge port 34 is opened, and the drum 3 is reversed (counterclockwise) to discharge the materials with the help of the discharge rotary vane 35.

[0042] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0043] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of embodiments, not every embodiment contains only an independent technical solution. This narrative manner of the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed food, comprising a fixing frame and a control device. The fixing frame is provided with a hollow drum and a driving mechanism for driving the drum to rotate. The rotation axis of the drum is horizontally arranged. The side wall of the drum is provided with a feeding port with a feeding port cover, and the front end of the drum is provided with a discharging port with a discharging port cover. It is characterized in that: At least one heating device for providing heat to heat the puffed food is arranged on the inner wall of the drum. The heating device comprises three groups of electric heating tubes parallel to the central axis of the drum, and the number of each group of electric heating tubes is four. The three groups of electric heating tubes are distributed at intervals of 90° in the inner cavity of the drum. A separation net for separating the puffed food from the heating device is arranged in the inner cavity of the drum. The separation net is a stainless steel net composed of steel wires, and the mesh shape of the separation net is a square with a side length of 2 cm. The drum is connected with a vacuum pumping device. The vacuum pumping device comprises a vacuum pump and a vacuum tube. A deflation valve is arranged on the discharging port cover. One end of the vacuum tube is connected with the vacuum pump, and the other end of the vacuum tube is detachably connected with the deflation valve. The driving mechanism, the heating device and the vacuum pumping device are respectively electrically connected with the control device.

2. The curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed foods according to claim 1, wherein: A heat insulation layer is arranged on the outer wall of the drum.

3. The curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed food according to claim 1, wherein: A handle is rotatably arranged on the discharging port cover, and two clamping blocks for clamping both ends of the handle are arranged on the discharging port.

4. The solidification device for accelerating the solidification of puffed food according to claim 1, characterized in that: A discharging rotating blade connected with the inner wall of the drum is arranged on the discharging port.

5. The solidification device for accelerating the solidification of puffed food according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: At least one fan for accelerating heat transfer is arranged in the inner cavity of the drum, and the fan is located between the inner wall of the drum and the separation net.

6. The curing device for accelerating the curing of puffed food according to claim 5, wherein: The drum is of a stainless steel cylinder structure. The drum comprises a cylindrical part in the middle and frustum parts respectively located at the front and rear ends of the cylindrical part. The driving mechanism comprises a driving motor and rotating wheels symmetrically located on both sides below the drum. At least one rotating wheel is connected with the output end of the driving motor, and a positioning ring for rolling connection with the rotating wheel is arranged on the outer wall of the cylindrical part.

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