Black garlic fermentation equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a black garlic fermentation device, comprising a main body and a plurality of fermentation chambers opened on the main body, wherein a fermentation unit is arranged in each fermentation chamber, and the fermentation unit comprises a column unit and a multi-layer support structure arranged on the column unit and used for carrying garlic; a driving structure is used for driving the fermentation unit to rotate in the fermentation chamber; a temperature and humidity regulating unit is used for regulating the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber; when the fermentation unit moves from outside the fermentation chamber to inside the fermentation chamber, the multi-layer support structure changes from a horizontal state to an inwardly contracted state; the invention adopts a design of multiple fermentation chambers, which can reduce the influence of sampling and detection on the normal fermentation of all garlics compared with the existing design of a single batch fermentation chamber; the invention also adopts a multi-layer support structure with staggered inner frame positions, which can reduce the occurrence of black spots on the black garlic skin caused by liquid dripping; and the adoption of a rotary structure can reduce the adverse effects caused by uneven temperature and humidity in various parts of the fermentation chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of fermentation equipment, in particular to black garlic fermentation equipment. Background Art

[0002] Black garlic is a food product fermented by placing garlic in a fermentation device. Existing fermentation devices are mostly drawer-chamber structures, such as the fermentation device disclosed in patent application number: CN117286020A. This type of device has the following disadvantages: since it adopts a large-scale fermentation method, it has a high requirement for the uniformity of garlic size, and it is difficult to balance the temperature and humidity in various parts of the fermentation device, resulting in uneven fermentation progress of the garlic. In addition, due to batch fermentation, once the device is opened, it will affect the normal fermentation of all the garlic, making sampling and testing inconvenient. In addition, since the garlic is stacked in layers, liquid will drip downwards in a high temperature and high humidity environment. During the fermentation process, the liquid dripping on the surface of the garlic will form black spots on the surface of the black garlic skin, affecting the sales price (generally, the garlic is sold in cans with the skin). Based on this, we propose a black garlic fermentation device to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a black garlic fermentation device, which can solve at least one problem pointed out in the background technology.

[0004] A black garlic fermentation device comprises a main body and a plurality of fermentation chambers provided on the main body, wherein each of the fermentation chambers is provided with:

[0005] A fermentation unit comprising a column unit and a multi-layer support structure disposed on the column unit for supporting garlic;

[0006] a driving structure for driving the column unit to rotate so that the fermentation unit rotates in the fermentation chamber; and

[0007] Temperature and humidity adjustment unit, used to adjust the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber;

[0008] The fermentation unit is detachably arranged in the fermentation chamber. During the process of the fermentation unit moving from outside the fermentation chamber to inside the fermentation chamber, the multiple layers of the support structure are changed from a horizontal state to an inwardly contracted state.

[0009] The support structure comprises:

[0010] an inner frame connected to the column units;

[0011] an outer frame connected to the column units;

[0012] A plurality of bearing units are distributed circumferentially in the area between the inner frame and the outer frame, with one end of the bearing unit connected to the inner frame and the other end connected to the outer frame;

[0013] When the inner frame descends, the plurality of carrying units change from a horizontal state to an inclined state.

[0014] The bearing units are radially distributed fence-like structures.

[0015] The column unit comprises:

[0016] a column portion, a top end of which is provided with a driven wheel cooperating with the driving structure, and the outer frame is connected to the main body portion via a first connecting rod portion; and

[0017] The sleeve portion is sleeved outside the column portion and has a degree of freedom along the length direction of the main body portion. The inner frame is connected to the sleeve portion through the second connecting rod portion;

[0018] The sleeve portion is provided with a plurality of making way grooves for making way for a plurality of the first connecting rod portions respectively;

[0019] An elastic portion for resetting is further provided at the bottom of the column portion, and the elastic portion is located at the lower side of the sleeve portion.

[0020] The carrying unit includes a circular through hole at one end and a waist-shaped through hole at the other end.

[0021] The top of the sleeve portion is connected to a frustum portion, and a limiting portion is provided in the fermentation chamber. When the fermentation unit moves to the fermentation chamber, the limiting portion can contact the inclined surface of the frustum portion to make the sleeve portion descend, and the multiple layers of the support structure all change from a horizontal state to an inwardly contracted state.

[0022] Preferably, a rotating seat is provided at the bottom of the fermentation chamber, and the fermentation unit is installed on the rotating seat.

[0023] Preferably, the temperature and humidity adjustment unit includes:

[0024] Temperature and humidity sensors are installed on the inner wall of the fermentation chamber; and

[0025] At least one set of air inlet nozzles is arranged beside the fermentation unit.

[0026] Preferably, the main body 1 has a water bath heating chamber, and several fermentation chambers are located in the water bath heating chamber. An air collecting hood is provided on the top of the water bath heating chamber. The air collecting hood is connected to several temperature and humidity adjustment units through a pipe, and a solenoid valve is provided on the pipe.

[0027] Preferably, the driving structure includes:

[0028] A motor, the output shaft of which is provided with a driving wheel;

[0029] Two auxiliary wheels are mounted on the top wall of the fermentation chamber through elastic members;

[0030] When the fermentation unit moves into the fermentation chamber, the driven wheel abuts against the two auxiliary wheels and enables the two auxiliary wheels to move in opposite directions. When the driven wheel contacts the driving wheel, the two auxiliary wheels are reset under the action of the elastic member and exert thrust to cause the driven wheel to abut against the driving wheel.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: the present invention adopts a multi-fermentation chamber design, which can reduce the impact of sampling and testing on the normal fermentation of all garlic compared with the existing batch single fermentation chamber design;

[0032] The multi-layer support structure with staggered inner frame positions can reduce the occurrence of black spots on the black garlic skin caused by liquid dripping;

[0033] The rotary structure can reduce the adverse effects caused by uneven temperature and humidity in various parts of the fermentation room. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the fermentation chamber of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the water bath heating chamber of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the fermentation unit of the present invention in an initial state;

[0037] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the carrying unit of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of the column unit of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the fermentation unit of the present invention in an inwardly contracted state.

[0040] Description of reference numerals:

[0041] 1-main body, 2-fermentation chamber, 3-water bath heating chamber, 4-cone part, 5-driving wheel, 6-driven wheel, 7-auxiliary wheel, 8-elastic part, 9-air inlet nozzle, 11-inner frame, 12-outer frame, 13-carrying unit, 14-column part, 15-sleeve part, 16-first connecting rod part, 17-second connecting rod part, 18-circular through hole, 19-waist-shaped through hole, 20-rotating seat, 21-mounting plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] A specific embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that the protection scope of the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiment.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, a black garlic fermentation device provided by an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 1, the interior of the main body is a water bath heating chamber 3, the top of the water bath heating chamber is provided with a cover plate, and the main body is further provided with a plurality of fermentation chambers 2. The number of fermentation chambers in this embodiment is 12, and the 12 fermentation chambers do not affect each other. Therefore, opening one of the fermentation chambers for sampling and monitoring will not affect the fermentation progress of other fermentation chambers;

[0045] This embodiment adopts a water bath heating method. The fermentation chamber partially extends into the water bath heater. The opening of the fermentation chamber is set on the outer wall and is closed by a sealed door. The outer wall of the main body has an insulation layer to reduce temperature loss. During the fermentation process, the water level in the water bath heating chamber is higher than that of all other fermentation chambers. By adjusting the temperature of the water bath heating, the internal temperature of the fermentation chamber is adjusted to meet the fermentation temperature at each stage.

[0046] In addition, a temperature and humidity adjustment unit is provided in the fermentation chamber 2 to cooperate with the regulation of the water bath heating temperature. An air collecting hood is provided on the top of the water bath heating chamber. The air collecting hood is connected to the temperature and humidity adjustment units of the fermentation chambers through several pipes. A three-way solenoid valve is provided on the pipe. Another passage of the solenoid valve is connected to an external ventilation device. The external ventilation device can assist in adjusting the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber according to the different temperature requirements of each fermentation stage. The air collecting hood can use the high-temperature water vapor generated by the water bath heating to meet the high temperature and high humidity environment required for garlic fermentation.

[0047] By controlling the three-way solenoid valve, the external ventilation equipment can be connected to the air collecting hood for ventilation. The exhaust can reduce the air pressure in the water bath heating chamber and lower the boiling point, making it easier to generate water vapor, and then maintain a high temperature and high humidity environment when entering each fermentation chamber. The water bath heating chamber is also provided with a vent valve to achieve ventilation.

[0048] The temperature and humidity adjustment unit of this embodiment includes a temperature and humidity sensor and at least one set of air inlet nozzles 9. In this embodiment, two sets of air inlet nozzles are used as an example, and the two sets of air inlet nozzles are connected to the pipeline;

[0049] The fermentation chamber is provided with a fermentation unit and a driving structure for driving the fermentation unit to rotate, so as to make the temperature and humidity of the garlic in the fermentation chamber the same, that is, to achieve the same fermentation progress. In addition, it is convenient to place the garlic to be fermented and take out the fermented black garlic, so the fermentation unit is detachably arranged in the fermentation chamber.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] like Figure 3-Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a black garlic fermentation device based on the first embodiment, and its fermentation unit includes the following components:

[0052] The column unit and the multi-layer support structure include an inner frame 11, an outer frame 12, and a plurality of bearing units 13 located between the inner frame and the outer frame. The bearing units are axially arranged, and the two ends of the bearing units are connected to the inner frame and the outer frame respectively.

[0053] The column unit includes a column portion 14 and a sleeve portion 15 sleeved on the column portion. The inner frame is connected to the sleeve portion via a second connecting rod portion 17, and the outer frame is connected to the column portion via a first connecting rod portion 16. The sleeve portion has the freedom to move along the length of the column portion. Therefore, a clearance groove is provided on the sleeve portion for making way for the first connecting rod portion. A circular through hole 18 is provided at one end of the bearing unit, and a waist-shaped through hole 19 is provided at the other end.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the carrying unit is a radially distributed fence-like structure to facilitate the liquid to flow to the inner frame 11;

[0055] In this embodiment, the circular through hole of the carrying unit is installed in conjunction with the outer frame 12, so that the carrying unit can swing with the outer frame as a hinge point, and the waist-shaped through hole of the carrying unit is installed in conjunction with the inner frame. When the sleeve portion and the inner frame are lowered, the carrying unit swings with the outer frame as a hinge point, changing from a horizontal state to an inclined state. In this state, the liquid flowing down from the garlic will converge along the carrying unit to the inner frame and then drip. Therefore, the size of the multi-layer support structure of the fermentation unit increases from top to bottom, that is, the diameters of the inner frame and the outer frame of the multi-layer support structure (this embodiment takes the circular support structure as an example) increase from top to bottom. The spacing between the inner and outer frames remains unchanged. With this design, liquid flowing down from the garlic on the uppermost support structure will not fall onto the garlic on the lower layer, so no black spots will appear on the surface of the garlic. In addition, because the fermentation unit is in a rotating state, the garlic will not fall under the influence of centrifugal force. However, when it is not in an inclined state, adjacent garlic will be squeezed together due to the tilt. Therefore, the supporting unit cannot be directly designed as a fixed inclined structure. It only needs to tilt during the fermentation process. In addition, for convenient placement, when the fermentation unit is removed, the supporting unit returns to a horizontal state.

[0056] Because the inner frame and the outer frame are provided with multiple bearing units in the circumferential direction, adjacent bearing units are in close contact, so no independent circumferential movement occurs, which can prevent them from falling.

[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, in order to reset the bearing unit, an elastic part 8 is provided at the bottom of the column part. The elastic part is located at the lower side of the sleeve part. When the pressure on the sleeve part is withdrawn, the sleeve part is reset upward under the action of the elastic part. The specific structure is as follows:

[0058] The top of the sleeve is connected to a frustum portion 4, and a limit portion is provided in the fermentation chamber. When the fermentation unit moves to the fermentation chamber, the limit portion can contact the inclined surface of the frustum portion to make the sleeve descend, and the multi-layer support structure changes from a horizontal state to an inward contraction state. The inward contraction state refers to the inner frame shrinking downward, so that the carrying unit becomes an inclined state (such as Figure 6 When the fermentation is completed and the fermentation unit is removed, the limiting portion is separated from the frustum portion, and under the action of the elastic portion, the sleeve portion is reset, the inner frame rises, and the support structure returns to a horizontal state;

[0059] The elastic part of this embodiment adopts a spring;

[0060] A driven wheel 6 is provided at the top of the column, and the driving structure includes a motor, a driving wheel 5 and two auxiliary wheels 7. The driving wheel is installed at the output end of the motor, and the two auxiliary wheels are installed on the top wall of the fermentation chamber. Specifically, a chute is provided on the top wall of the fermentation chamber, and sliders are provided at the ends of the wheel shafts of the two auxiliary wheels. The sliders are slidably arranged in the chute, and elastic members connected to the two sliders are also provided in the chute (the elastic members in this embodiment are springs).

[0061] When the fermentation unit moves into the fermentation chamber, the driven wheel abuts against the two auxiliary wheels and can cause the two auxiliary wheels to move in opposite directions. When the driven wheel contacts the driving wheel, the two auxiliary wheels are reset under the action of the elastic member and exert a thrust to cause the driven wheel to abut against the driving wheel. At this time, after the motor is started, the driving wheel drives the driven wheel to rotate. The driving wheel and the driven wheel can be gears.

[0062] In addition, a rotating seat 20 is provided on the bottom of the fermentation chamber, and a mounting plate 21 is provided at the bottom of the column part for improving the overall structural stability of the fermentation unit. The sleeve part extends into the mounting plate. During fermentation, the mounting plate is located on the rotating seat.

[0063] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and non-restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, not the foregoing description, and all variations within the meaning and range of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included therein. Any reference sign in a claim should not be construed as limiting the claim to which it relates.

[0064] In addition, it should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of implementation methods, not every implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A black garlic fermentation device, comprising a main body and a plurality of fermentation chambers opened on the main body, characterized in that: Any of the fermentation chambers is provided with: A fermentation unit comprising a column unit and a multi-layer support structure disposed on the column unit for supporting garlic; a driving structure for driving the column unit to rotate so that the fermentation unit rotates in the fermentation chamber; as well as Temperature and humidity adjustment unit, used to adjust the temperature and humidity in the fermentation chamber; The fermentation unit is detachably arranged in the fermentation chamber. When the fermentation unit is moved from outside the fermentation chamber to inside the fermentation chamber, the multi-layer support structure changes from a horizontal state to an inwardly contracted state. The support structure comprises: an inner frame connected to the column units; an outer frame connected to the column units; A plurality of bearing units are distributed circumferentially in the area between the inner frame and the outer frame, with one end of the bearing unit connected to the inner frame and the other end connected to the outer frame; When the inner frame descends, the plurality of the carrying units change from a horizontal state to an inclined state; The column unit comprises: a column portion, a top end of which is provided with a driven wheel cooperating with the driving structure, and the outer frame is connected to the main body portion via a first connecting rod portion; and The sleeve portion is sleeved outside the column portion and has a degree of freedom along the length direction of the main body portion. The inner frame is connected to the sleeve portion through the second connecting rod portion; The sleeve portion is provided with a plurality of making way grooves for making way for a plurality of the first connecting rod portions respectively; The bottom of the column portion is further provided with an elastic portion for resetting, and the elastic portion is located on the lower side of the sleeve portion; A circular through hole is formed at one end of the carrying unit, and a waist-shaped through hole is formed at the other end; The bearing units are radially distributed fence-like structures.

2. The black garlic fermentation equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein The top of the sleeve portion is connected to a frustum portion, and a limiting portion is provided in the fermentation chamber. When the fermentation unit moves to the fermentation chamber, the limiting portion can contact the inclined surface of the frustum portion to make the sleeve portion descend, and the multiple layers of the support structure all change from a horizontal state to an inwardly contracted state.

3. The black garlic fermentation equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein A rotating seat is provided at the bottom of the fermentation chamber, and the fermentation unit is installed on the rotating seat.

4. The black garlic fermentation equipment according to claim 1, wherein The temperature and humidity adjustment unit includes: Temperature and humidity sensors are installed on the inner wall of the fermentation chamber; and At least one set of air inlet nozzles is arranged beside the fermentation unit.

5. The black garlic fermentation equipment according to claim 1, wherein The main body has a water bath heating chamber, and the plurality of fermentation chambers are all located in the water bath heating chamber. An air collecting hood is provided on the top of the water bath heating chamber. The air collecting hood is connected to the plurality of temperature and humidity regulating units through a pipeline, and an electromagnetic valve is provided on the pipeline.

6. The black garlic fermentation equipment according to claim 1, wherein The driving structure includes: A motor, the output shaft of which is provided with a driving wheel; Two auxiliary wheels are mounted on the top wall of the fermentation chamber through elastic members; When the fermentation unit moves into the fermentation chamber, the driven wheel abuts against the two auxiliary wheels and enables the two auxiliary wheels to move in opposite directions. When the driven wheel contacts the driving wheel, the two auxiliary wheels are reset under the action of the elastic member and exert thrust to cause the driven wheel to abut against the driving wheel.

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