A forming device and processing method of a non-cooked konjac flour ball

Abstract

This invention provides a forming device and processing method for non-cooking konjac tapioca balls. The device comprises a discharge device, a pre-forming device, and a rounding and solidifying device connected in sequence. The discharge device includes a material tank for mixing the tapioca raw materials into a sol. The bottom of the material tank is connected to a sol conveying pipe, which is equipped with a conveying pump. The end of the sol conveying pipe not connected to the material tank has several vertical, cylindrical sol discharge heads. The pre-forming device includes a hot water conveying pipe, a sol strip solidification box, and a sol strip conveying pipe connected in sequence. After the sol enters the sol strip solidification box, its surface is heated to form sol strips. This invention, by setting up the discharge device, pre-forming device, and rounding and solidifying device, enables automated continuous production of tapioca balls without manual labor, significantly improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the inclusion of automatic control components allows for real-time adjustment of various parameters during the production process, effectively ensuring product quality stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tapioca pearl preparation and processing technology, and in particular to a forming device and processing method for non-cooking konjac tapioca pearls. Background Technology

[0002] Tapioca pearls, a popular topping in modern tea drinks, are typically spherical or cylindrical in shape. They can be added to milk tea, fruit tea, and baked goods to enrich their texture, offering a chewy, soft, and resilient feel. They also serve a decorative purpose; the translucent amber-colored tapioca pearls enhance the color of milk tea and add depth to the drink. Furthermore, the trendy applications of tapioca pearls have gained popularity among young consumers. Despite strong market demand, the current production process of tapioca pearls faces a series of challenges.

[0003] First, the traditional method of making tapioca pearls relies heavily on the coordination of rolling machines and manual operation. This production method is not only inefficient but also makes it difficult to guarantee the consistency of product quality. The amount of water added, the operating techniques, the time control, and even slight differences in the particle size of the raw materials can directly affect the final shape and texture of the tapioca pearls, causing fluctuations in product quality. Furthermore, this production method is not conducive to streamlined operations, increases the risk of microbial contamination, and makes it difficult to meet the high standards of hygiene and safety required by the modern food industry.

[0004] Secondly, the lengthy steaming process (approximately 60 minutes) required for tapioca pearls before consumption is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also easily negatively impacts the product's appearance and texture. This cumbersome pre-processing step clearly does not align with consumers' current fast-paced lifestyle and their pursuit of "ready-to-eat" and "convenient" options, thus limiting the potential application of tapioca pearls in the pre-made ready-to-eat market.

[0005] Finally, some tapioca pearl products require low-temperature cold chain storage due to their ingredient characteristics to maintain their freshness and taste. This requirement not only increases the difficulty and cost of logistics and transportation but also adds to the operating burden of manufacturers, especially in areas lacking a complete cold chain system, which further restricts the market promotion and popularization of tapioca pearl products. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention discloses a molding equipment and processing method for konjac tapioca balls that do not require cooking, which solves the problems of low production efficiency, low product quality stability, inconvenience in consumption, and high operating costs caused by low-temperature cold chain transportation and storage when using traditional tapioca ball making methods.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention specifically adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] Firstly, a forming device for non-cooking konjac starch balls includes a discharge device, a pre-forming device, and a spherical solidification device connected in sequence. The discharge device includes a material tank for mixing the starch ball raw materials into a sol. The bottom of the material tank is connected to a sol conveying pipe, which is equipped with a conveying pump. The end of the sol conveying pipe not connected to the material tank has several vertical, cylindrical sol discharge heads. The pre-forming device includes a hot water conveying pipe, a sol strip solidification box, and a sol strip conveying pipe connected in sequence. After the sol enters the sol strip solidification box, its surface is heated to form sol strips. The hot water conveying pipe is equipped with an automatic control component for regulating the flow rate, temperature, and pH of the hot water. The top surface of the sol strip solidification box has a channel, the two ends of which are connected to the hot water conveying pipe and the sol strip conveying pipe, respectively. The sol strip solidification box is horizontally positioned below the several sol discharge heads, and the flow direction of the hot water in the sol strip solidification box is opposite to the arrangement direction of the several sol discharge heads. The vertical, rounding and curing device includes a pellet curing box connected to a sol strip conveying pipe. A solid-liquid separation conveyor belt is horizontally positioned below the sol strip conveying pipe inside the pellet curing box. At the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt is a cutting component for cutting the sol strip into sol blocks. The pellet curing box also includes a rounding component for rolling the sol blocks into sol balls and a guiding component for sequentially guiding the cut sol blocks into the rounding component. The guiding component is positioned below and aligned with the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt. Below the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt is a vertical hot water recovery hopper. The bottom of the hot water recovery hopper is connected to a hot water recovery pipe. The end of the hot water recovery pipe not connected to the hot water recovery hopper is connected to a pellet curing pipe. Below the rounding component is a vertical pellet recovery hopper. The bottom of the pellet recovery hopper is connected to the pellet curing pipe via a connecting pipe. The end of the pellet curing pipe penetrates the bottom surface of the pellet curing box and extends outside the pellet curing box.

[0009] Furthermore, the end of the sol conveying pipeline not connected to the material tank is connected to a horizontal sol cylinder. The sol cylinder is configured as two detachable fixed cylinders and a movable cylinder. The top of the fixed cylinder is connected to the sol conveying pipeline, and the bottom of the movable cylinder is connected to several sol discharge heads. The bottom of the fixed cylinder and the top of the movable cylinder are both open. A circular silicone gasket is horizontally provided between the fixed cylinder and the movable cylinder. The sol cylinder is provided with two semi-circular clamps that can surround the connection between the fixed cylinder and the movable cylinder and the silicone gasket. The connection between the two clamps is detachably connected by bolts.

[0010] Furthermore, a conveying assembly is horizontally arranged inside the powder curing box below the sol strip conveying pipe. The conveying assembly includes two spaced and horizontally arranged conveying rollers. The powder curing box is equipped with a conveying motor for driving one of the conveying rollers to rotate around its own axis. The solid-liquid separation track is sleeved with both conveying rollers. The solid-liquid separation track is set as a hollow steel wire mesh track.

[0011] Furthermore, the cutting assembly includes a rotating roller arranged parallel to the conveyor roller, with a plurality of blades evenly arranged around the rotating roller, the blades being in contact with the end surface of the solid-liquid separation conveyor, and a first motor for driving the rotating roller to rotate around its own axis on the powder curing box.

[0012] Furthermore, the material guiding assembly includes a vertically arranged receiving cylinder with an open top. The bottom end of the receiving cylinder is connected to a material guiding pipe with one end inclined downwards. The bottom of the side wall of the receiving cylinder is inclined towards the material guiding pipe. The inner diameter of the material guiding pipe is greater than the diameter of one sol ball but less than the diameter of two sol balls. A vibrator is provided at the bottom of the material guiding pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, the rounding assembly includes three horizontally arranged spiral rods, which are distributed in an equilateral triangle. The guide tube is located at the center of the three spiral rods, and the edge of the guide tube that is not connected to the receiving cylinder is in contact with the edge of one end of each of the three spiral rods. Each of the three spiral rods is provided with spiral blades, and the spiral blades of the three spiral rods are in contact with each other on the side facing the center. The powder curing box is provided with a drive assembly for driving the three spiral rods to rotate synchronously around their own axes.

[0014] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes three horizontally arranged rotating rods inside the powder curing box. One end of each of the three rotating rods is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the powder curing box, and the other end of each of the three rotating rods is detachably connected to a corresponding screw rod. Each of the three rotating rods has a vertical second gear fixed on it, and the three second gears are located on the same vertical plane. A vertical first gear is provided at the center of each of the three second gears, and the first gear meshes with each of the three second gears. The powder curing box is provided with a second motor for driving the first gear to rotate around its own axis.

[0015] Secondly, the present invention provides a processing method for non-cooking konjac tapioca balls, which is processed using the above-mentioned forming equipment, and the processing method includes the following steps;

[0016] Step 1, Mixing: According to the formula, add solvent, gelling agent, filler, colorant and molding agent to the material tank in sequence. Turn on the stirrer to mix the materials. Stop stirring when the materials have no obvious fluidity and no liquid water is separated from the surface. After standing for a period of time, the materials will fully absorb water and swell to become a sol.

[0017] Step 2, Extruding the Sol Strip: The sol from Step 1 is pumped into the sol cylinder through the sol delivery pipeline using a delivery pump, and the sol is extruded through the sol outlet head to form a cylindrical sol. The cylindrical sol falls into the groove of the sol strip curing box due to gravity.

[0018] Step 3, preliminary shaping: Hot water is supplied to the channel of the sol-gel solidification box through the hot water delivery pipe, and the flow rate, temperature and pH of the hot water are monitored by the automatic control component. At the same time, the water flow speed is kept consistent with the discharge speed of the cylindrical sol in Step 2. The water flow drives the cylindrical sol forward and heats the surface of the cylindrical sol to form a sol strip. The sol strip is transported to the powder solidification box through the sol strip delivery pipe with the water flow.

[0019] Step 4, Cut into circles: The conveying speed of the solid-liquid separation conveyor is controlled by the conveyor motor to keep the conveying speed of the solid-liquid separation conveyor consistent with the water flow speed in Step 3. The first motor controls the blades to cut the sol strip at the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor into sol blocks. The cut sol blocks fall into the receiving cylinder due to gravity and are transported to the center of the three screw rods through the guide pipe. The second motor drives the three screw rods to rotate synchronously, so that the sol blocks are kneaded into sol balls by the spiral blades on the three screw rods.

[0020] Step 5, maturation: Hot water is separated from the sol strip by the solid-liquid separation conveyor and flows into the hot water recovery hopper. The sol balls kneaded in Step 4 fall into the tapioca pearl recovery hopper due to gravity. The hot water in the hot water recovery hopper and the sol balls in the tapioca pearl recovery hopper flow into the tapioca pearl solidification pipe through the hot water recovery pipe and the connecting pipe, respectively. The sol balls stay in the tapioca pearl solidification pipe for a period of time, so that the sol balls are matured into tapioca pearls. Then, according to the requirements, the matured tapioca pearls are post-processed and vacuum-packed to become ready-to-eat konjac tapioca pearl products.

[0021] Further, in step one, the solvent is water at a temperature of 25-30℃; the gelling agent includes 75%-80% konjac flour and 20%-25% guar gum by mass; the filler includes 75%-80% tapioca starch, 10%-15% corn starch and 10%-15% modified starch by mass; the colorant includes one or more of caramel color, titanium dioxide, carotene, and fruit and vegetable powder; the shaping agent is a calcium hydroxide solution of 2%-3% by mass or a sodium carbonate solution of 5%-6% by mass; based on the total weight of the tapioca pearls, the mass percentage of the solvent is 65%-75%, the mass percentage of the gelling agent is 5%-10%, the mass percentage of the filler is 15%-25%, the mass percentage of the colorant is 1%-2%, and the mass percentage of the shaping agent is 5%.

[0022] Furthermore, in step one, the stirring time of the material in the material tank is 5-8 minutes, and the settling time after stirring is 45-90 minutes; in step three, the hot water temperature in the hot water delivery pipeline is maintained at 80-90℃, the pH value is 10-12, and the hot water flow rate is 8-12 m³ / h. 3 / h; In step five, the residence time of the sol balls in the powder curing pipe is controlled to be 5-10 minutes.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] 1. By setting up a discharge device, a pre-forming device, and a rounding and solidification device, this invention can realize the automated continuous production of tapioca pearls without manual labor, significantly improving the production efficiency of tapioca pearls. Furthermore, the invention is equipped with an automatic control component that can adjust various parameters in the production process in real time, effectively ensuring the stability of product quality.

[0025] 2. The present invention first uses a pre-forming device to heat the surface of the sol to form a sol strip, then uses a cutting component to cut the sol strip into several sol blocks of uniform size, and finally uses a rounding component to knead the sol blocks into sol balls. The resulting spheres are stable in shape and have a compact structure, which greatly reduces the breakage rate during transportation.

[0026] 3. This invention employs a high-temperature thermoforming process, which not only effectively kills microorganisms in the raw materials and production environment, ensuring the safety of the tapioca pearls for consumption, but also produces cooked tapioca pearls, allowing the final product to be consumed directly without secondary processing. This preserves the original flavor of the ingredients while avoiding nutrient loss and changes in taste that may occur with prolonged heating. Furthermore, vacuum packaging of the cooked tapioca pearls not only extends the shelf life to 9 months but also greatly facilitates storage and transportation, reduces reliance on the cold chain, saves valuable costs for manufacturers, and provides consumers with a more convenient and healthier eating experience. Attached Figure Description

[0027] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a front view structural diagram of the forming equipment for the no-cook konjac tapioca balls of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a front view of the box structure in the forming equipment for the non-cooking konjac flour balls of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a side view of the first and second gears in the forming equipment for the no-cook konjac tapioca balls of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5This is a top view of the box structure in the forming equipment for the non-cooking konjac tapioca balls of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a side view of the sol cylinder in the forming equipment for the no-cook konjac pearls of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a side view of the sol cylinder in the forming equipment for the no-cook konjac tapioca balls of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a top view of the sol-gel solidification box in the forming equipment for the no-cook konjac tapioca balls of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 9 This is a side view of the receiving cylinder in the forming equipment for the no-cook konjac tapioca balls of the present invention.

[0037] The above figures include the following reference numerals:

[0038] 1. Material tank; 11. Sol conveying pipeline; 12. Conveying pump; 13. Sol cylinder; 131. Fixed cylinder; 132. Movable cylinder; 133. Silicone gasket; 14. Sol discharge head; 15. Clamp; 151. Bolt;

[0039] 2. Hot water delivery pipeline; 21. Flow monitoring probe; 22. Automatic flow control valve; 23. pH monitoring probe; 24. Temperature monitoring probe; 25. Sol-gel strip curing box; 251. Channel; 26. Sol-gel strip delivery pipeline;

[0040] 3. Tapioca pearl curing box; 31. Box door; 32. Handle;

[0041] 4. Conveyor rollers; 41. Solid-liquid separation track; 42. Conveyor motor;

[0042] 5. Rotating roller; 51. Blade; 52. First motor;

[0043] 6. Receiving cylinder; 61. Guide pipe; 62. Vibrator;

[0044] 7. Screw rod; 71. Screw blade; 72. Rotating rod; 73. First gear; 74. Second gear; 75. Second motor;

[0045] 8. Hot water recovery hopper; 81. Hot water recovery pipe;

[0046] 9. Tapioca pearl recycling hopper; 91. Connecting pipe; 92. Tapioca pearl solidification pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The specific details of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0048] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 8 As shown, this invention provides a forming device for konjac tapioca balls that do not require cooking. The device includes a discharge device, a pre-forming device, and a rounding and solidifying device connected in sequence. The discharge device includes a material tank 1 for mixing the tapioca raw materials into a sol. The bottom of the material tank 1 is connected to a sol conveying pipe 11, which is equipped with a conveying pump 12. The end of the sol conveying pipe 11 not connected to the material tank 1 has several vertical and cylindrical sol discharge heads 14. The pre-forming device includes a hot water conveying pipe 2 and a sol strip solidification box connected in sequence. The sol enters the sol curing box 25 and is conveyed by a sol strip conveying pipe 26. After entering the sol, the surface of the sol is heated to form a sol strip. The hot water conveying pipe 2 is equipped with an automatic control component for regulating the flow rate, temperature, and pH of the hot water. The top surface of the sol curing box 25 has a channel 251, and the two ends of the channel 251 are connected to the hot water conveying pipe 2 and the sol strip conveying pipe 26, respectively. The sol curing box 25 is horizontally positioned below several sol discharge heads 14, and the flow direction of the hot water in the sol curing box 25 is aligned with the discharge direction of the several sol discharge heads 14. The columns are perpendicular to each other; the spherical curing device includes a powder pellet curing box 3 connected to the sol strip conveying pipe 26. The powder pellet curing box 3 contains a solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 located below the sol strip conveying pipe 26. The end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 is equipped with a cutting component for cutting the sol strip into sol blocks. The powder pellet curing box 3 also contains a sphericalization component for rolling the sol blocks into sol balls and a guiding component for sequentially guiding the cut sol blocks into the sphericalization component. The guiding component is located below the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 and... Aligned with the end of the solid-liquid separation track 41, a vertical hot water recovery hopper 8 is provided below the solid-liquid separation track 41. The bottom end of the hot water recovery hopper 8 is connected to a hot water recovery pipe 81. The end of the hot water recovery pipe 81 that is not connected to the hot water recovery hopper 8 is connected to a powder curing pipe 92. A vertical powder recovery hopper 9 is provided below the rounding assembly. The bottom end of the powder recovery hopper 9 is connected to the powder curing pipe 92 through a connecting pipe 91. The end of the powder curing pipe 92 penetrates the bottom surface of the powder curing box 3 and extends to the outside of the powder curing box 3.

[0049] like Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the end of the sol conveying pipe 11 that is not connected to the material tank 1 is connected to a horizontal sol cylinder 13. The sol cylinder 13 is configured as two detachable fixed cylinders 131 and a movable cylinder 132. The top end of the fixed cylinder 131 is connected to the sol conveying pipe 11, and the bottom end of the movable cylinder 132 is connected to several sol discharge heads 14. The bottom end of the fixed cylinder 131 and the top end of the movable cylinder 132 are both open. A circular silicone gasket 133 is horizontally provided between the fixed cylinder 131 and the movable cylinder 132. The sol cylinder 13 is provided with two semi-circular clamps 15 that can surround the connection between the fixed cylinder 131 and the movable cylinder 132 and the silicone gasket 133. The connection between the two clamps 15 is detachably connected by bolts 151. By setting clamps 15 and bolts 151, the fixed cylinder 131 and the movable cylinder 132 can be disassembled to facilitate the replacement of sol discharge heads 14 with different inner diameters by the staff, thereby producing tapioca pearls of different sizes; while the setting of silicone gaskets 133 can maintain the sealing performance of the entire sol cylinder 13; furthermore, there can be seven sol discharge heads 14 to meet the front-end material supply needs during actual production.

[0050] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, a conveying assembly is horizontally installed inside the powder curing box 3, located below the sol strip conveying pipe 26. The conveying assembly includes two spaced and horizontally arranged conveying rollers 4. The powder curing box 3 is equipped with a conveying motor 42 for driving one of the conveying rollers 4 to rotate around its own axis. The solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 is sleeved with both conveying rollers 4 and is configured as a hollow steel wire mesh conveyor belt. When the initially formed sol strip and hot water are conveyed into the powder curing box 3 through the sol strip conveying pipe 26, the sol strip will fall onto the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 due to gravity. The conveying motor 42 is started, and the output end of the conveying motor 42 drives the conveying roller 4 to rotate, thereby driving the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 to convey the sol strip. Since the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 is configured as a hollow steel wire mesh conveyor belt, the hot water can be separated from the sol strip. The hot water will flow into the hot water recovery hopper 8 through the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41, while the sol strip continues to be conveyed on the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41.

[0051] like Figure 2 and Figure 5As shown, the cutting assembly includes a rotating roller 5 arranged parallel to the conveying roller 4. A plurality of blades 51 are evenly arranged around the rotating roller 5. The length of each blade 51 is equal to the distance from the surface of the rotating roller 5 near the conveying assembly to the end surface of the solid-liquid separation conveyor 41. The powder curing box 3 is equipped with a first motor 52 for driving the rotating roller 5 to rotate around its own axis. When the first motor 52 is started, its output drives the rotating roller 5 to rotate around its own axis, thereby causing the blades 51 to rotate around the rotating roller 5. Because the length of the blades 51 is equal to the distance from the surface of the rotating roller 5 near the conveying assembly to the end surface of the solid-liquid separation conveyor 41, when any blade 51 rotates to the side of the rotating roller 5 near the conveying assembly, it can cut the sol strip conveyed to the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor 41. Furthermore, the rotation speed of the blades 51 can be controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the first motor 52, thereby controlling the height of the cut sol block so that the diameter and height of the cut sol block are similar, facilitating subsequent rounding.

[0052] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the material guiding assembly includes a vertically arranged receiving cylinder 6 with an open top. The bottom end of the receiving cylinder 6 is connected to a guide pipe 61 with one end inclined downwards. The bottom sidewall of the receiving cylinder 6 is inclined towards the guide pipe 61. The inner diameter of the guide pipe 61 is larger than the diameter of one sol ball but smaller than the diameter of two sol balls. A vibrator 62 is provided at the bottom of the guide pipe 61. When the cut sol blocks fall into the receiving cylinder 6 due to gravity, the inclination of the bottom sidewall of the receiving cylinder 6 towards the guide pipe 61 and the inner diameter of the guide pipe 61 (larger than the diameter of one sol ball but smaller than the diameter of two sol balls) allows the cut sol blocks to roll sequentially along the guide pipe 61 into the rounding assembly. The vibrator 62 facilitates faster material feeding of the sol blocks. Furthermore, as... Figure 9 As shown, similar to the sol cylinder 13, the receiving cylinder 6 can be set as two detachable cylinders, and can be detachably fixed by clamps 15 and bolts 151, so that the staff can easily replace the guide tubes 61 with different inner diameters to adapt to tapioca pearls of different sizes.

[0053] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the balling assembly includes three horizontally arranged spiral rods 7, which are distributed in an equilateral triangle. A guide tube 61 is located at the center of the three spiral rods 7, and the edge of the guide tube 61 not connected to the receiving cylinder 6 is in contact with the edge of one end of each of the three spiral rods 7. Each of the three spiral rods 7 is equipped with spiral blades 71, and the spiral blades 71 of the three spiral rods 7 are in contact with each other on the side facing the center. The powder curing box 3 is equipped with a drive assembly for driving the three spiral rods 7 to rotate synchronously around their own axes. When the sol block rolls along the guide tube 61, since the guide tube 61 is located at the center of the three spiral rods 7, the sol block will enter the center of the three spiral rods 7. By using the drive assembly to drive the three spiral rods 7 to rotate synchronously around their own axes, the spiral blades 71 of the three spiral rods 7 can be continuously rotated. This allows the sol block at the center of the three spiral rods 7 to move along the spiral rods 7 while its surface is continuously rounded, thus kneading the sol block into sol balls of uniform size and compact structure.

[0054] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the drive assembly includes three horizontally arranged rotating rods 72 inside the tapioca curing box 3. One end of each of the three rotating rods 72 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the tapioca curing box 3, and the other end of each rotating rod 72 is detachably connected to a corresponding spiral rod 7. Vertical second gears 74 are fixed to each of the three rotating rods 72, and the three second gears 74 are located on the same vertical plane. A vertical first gear 73 is located at the center of each of the three second gears 74, and the first gear 73 meshes with each of the three second gears 74. The tapioca curing box 3 is equipped with a second motor 75 for driving the first gear 73 to rotate around its own axis. When the second motor 75 is started, its output end drives the first gear 73 to rotate around its own axis, which in turn drives the rotating rods 72 to rotate via the second gears 74, thus controlling the three spiral rods 7 to rotate synchronously around their own axes. Furthermore, the rotating rods 72 and the spiral rods 7 can be detachably fixed together with bolts, thereby allowing the spiral rods 7 to be replaced to accommodate tapioca balls of different sizes.

[0055] Furthermore, such as Figure 1As shown, the front of the tapioca pearl curing box 3 is hinged with a door 31, and a handle 32 is provided on the door 31; the tapioca pearl curing pipe 92 can be configured as a downwardly inclined coil shape. By setting the door 31, it is convenient for workers to install and maintain the conveying components, solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41, cutting components, rounding components and material guiding components inside the tapioca pearl curing box 3. The handle 32 makes it easy for workers to open the door 31. The hot water in the hot water recovery hopper 8 flows into the tapioca pearl curing pipe 92 through the hot water recovery pipe 81. Correspondingly, the kneaded sol balls roll into the tapioca pearl curing pipe 92 through the tapioca pearl recovery hopper 9 and the connecting pipe 91. By setting the tapioca pearl curing pipe 92 as a downwardly inclined coil shape, the length of the tapioca pearl curing pipe 92 can reach more than 30m, so as to ensure that the tapioca pearls pass through it for more than 5 minutes, thereby forming mature tapioca pearls.

[0056] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the sol cylinder 13 is positioned away from the sol strip delivery pipe 26, so that the surface of the sol can be fully cured in the sol strip curing box 25, thereby better maintaining the shape of the sol strip for easy subsequent cutting and rounding; similarly, the sol strip delivery pipe 26 is positioned away from the cutting component, so that the hot water and the sol strip can be fully separated.

[0057] The processing method for producing instant konjac tapioca balls using the above-mentioned forming equipment includes the following steps:

[0058] Step 1, mixing: According to the formula, add solvent, gelling agent, filler, colorant and molding agent to material tank 1 in sequence. Turn on the stirrer to mix the materials. Stop stirring when the materials have no obvious fluidity and no liquid water is separated from the surface. After standing for a period of time, the materials fully absorb water and swell to become sol.

[0059] Step 2, extruding the sol strip: The sol from Step 1 is pumped into the sol cylinder 13 through the sol delivery pipe 11 using the delivery pump 12, and the sol is squeezed through the sol outlet 14 to form a cylindrical sol. The cylindrical sol falls into the channel 251 of the sol strip curing box 25 due to gravity.

[0060] Step 3, preliminary shaping: Hot water is supplied to the channel 251 of the sol-gel solidification box 25 through the hot water supply pipe 2, and the flow rate, temperature and pH of the hot water are monitored by the automatic control component. At the same time, the water flow speed is kept consistent with the discharge speed of the cylindrical sol in Step 2. The water flow drives the cylindrical sol forward and heats the surface of the cylindrical sol to form a sol strip. The sol strip is transported to the powder solidification box 3 through the sol strip supply pipe 26 with the water flow.

[0061] Step 4, cutting into circles: The conveying speed of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 is controlled by the conveying motor 42 to keep the conveying speed of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 consistent with the water flow speed in step 3. The first motor 52 controls the blade 51 to cut the sol strip at the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt 41 into sol blocks. The cut sol blocks fall into the receiving cylinder 6 due to gravity and are transported to the center of the three spiral rods 7 through the guide pipe 61. The second motor 75 drives the three spiral rods 7 to rotate synchronously, so that the sol blocks are kneaded into sol balls by the spiral blades 71 on the three spiral rods 7.

[0062] Step 5, maturation: Hot water is separated from the sol strip by the solid-liquid separation conveyor 41 and flows into the hot water recovery hopper 8. The sol balls kneaded in step 4 fall into the tapioca pearl recovery hopper 9 due to gravity. The hot water in the hot water recovery hopper 8 and the sol balls in the tapioca pearl recovery hopper 9 flow into the tapioca pearl solidification pipe 92 through the hot water recovery pipe 81 and the connecting pipe 91, respectively. The sol balls stay in the tapioca pearl solidification pipe 92 for a period of time, so that the sol balls are matured into tapioca pearls. Then, according to the requirements, the matured tapioca pearls are post-processed and vacuum-packed to become ready-to-eat konjac tapioca pearl products.

[0063] Further, in step one, the solvent is water at a temperature of 25-30°C; the gelling agent includes 75%-80% konjac flour and 20%-25% guar gum by mass; the filler includes 75%-80% tapioca starch, 10%-15% corn starch, and 10%-15% modified starch by mass, specifically, the modified starch can be hydroxypropyl starch or hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate; the colorant includes one or more of caramel color, titanium dioxide, carotene, and fruit and vegetable powder; the shaping agent is a 2%-3% calcium hydroxide solution or a 5%-6% sodium carbonate solution by mass; based on the total weight of the tapioca pearls, the solvent accounts for 65%-75% by mass, the gelling agent accounts for 5%-10% by mass, the filler accounts for 15%-25% by mass, the colorant accounts for 1%-2% by mass, and the shaping agent accounts for 5% by mass.

[0064] Furthermore, in step one, the stirring time of the material in material tank 1 is 5-8 minutes, and the settling time after stirring is 45-90 minutes; in step three, the hot water temperature in hot water delivery pipeline 2 is maintained at 80-90℃, the pH value is 10-12, and the hot water flow rate is 8-12 m³ / h. 3 / h; In step five, the residence time of the sol balls in the powder curing pipe 92 is controlled to be 5-10 minutes.

[0065] Furthermore, such as Figure 1As shown, the automatic control component includes a flow monitoring probe 21, an automatic flow control valve 22, a pH monitoring probe 23, and a temperature monitoring probe 24 arranged sequentially along the water flow direction. The flow monitoring probe 21 monitors the flow rate during hot water supply, and the automatic flow control valve 22, connected to an external PLC, adjusts the real-time flow rate in the hot water delivery pipeline 2 to match the set flow rate. The pH monitoring probe 23 and the temperature monitoring probe 24 monitor the pH value and temperature of the hot water. When the pH value deviates from the set value by 0.3, or the temperature deviates from the set temperature by ±2℃, an alarm is triggered, prompting the operator to adjust the pH value or temperature of the hot water. Specifically, the method for adjusting the pH value is as follows: when the pH is lower than the set value, a small amount of alkali, such as calcium hydroxide, is added to the hot water; when the pH is higher than the set value, a small amount of acid, such as citric acid, is added to the hot water. The method for adjusting the water temperature is as follows: when the water temperature is higher than the set temperature, an appropriate amount of cold water is added; when the water temperature is lower than the set temperature, steam or electric heating is used.

[0066] In general, the molding equipment and processing method of the present invention have the following advantages:

[0067] This invention, by incorporating a discharge device, a pre-forming device, and a spherical solidification device, enables automated continuous production of tapioca pearls, eliminating the need for manual labor and significantly improving production efficiency. Furthermore, it allows for real-time control of various parameters during production, effectively ensuring product quality stability. The invention first uses the pre-forming device to initially heat the sol surface, forming a sol strip. Then, a cutting component cuts the sol strip into several uniformly sized sol blocks. Finally, a spherical rolling component kneads the sol blocks into sol balls. The resulting spheres are stable in shape and have a compact structure, greatly reducing breakage during transportation. The high-temperature thermoforming process effectively kills microorganisms in the raw materials and production environment, ensuring the safety of the tapioca pearls. Furthermore, the tapioca pearls produced by this invention are pre-cooked, meaning the final product can be eaten directly without secondary processing. This preserves the original flavor of the ingredients and avoids nutrient loss and changes in texture that may occur with prolonged heating. In addition, vacuum packaging of the pre-cooked tapioca pearls extends the shelf life to 9 months, greatly facilitating storage and transportation, reducing reliance on the cold chain, saving valuable costs for manufacturers, and providing consumers with a more convenient and healthier eating experience.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A forming device for non-cooking konjac starch balls, comprising a discharge device, a pre-forming device, and a spherical solidification device connected in sequence, characterized in that: The discharge device includes a material tank for stirring and mixing tapioca pearl raw materials into a sol. The bottom of the material tank is connected to a sol conveying pipe, and a conveying pump is provided on the sol conveying pipe. Several vertical and cylindrical sol discharge heads are provided at the end of the sol conveying pipe that is not connected to the material tank. The preforming device includes a hot water delivery pipe, a sol strip curing box, and a sol strip delivery pipe connected in sequence. After the sol enters the sol strip curing box, its surface is heated to form a sol strip. The hot water delivery pipe is equipped with an automatic control component for regulating the flow rate, temperature, and pH of the hot water. The top surface of the sol strip curing box has a channel, and the two ends of the channel are connected to the hot water delivery pipe and the sol strip delivery pipe, respectively. The sol strip curing box is horizontally arranged below several sol discharge heads, and the flow direction of the hot water in the sol strip curing box is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the several sol discharge heads. The spherical curing device includes a pellet curing box connected to a sol strip conveying pipe. The pellet curing box contains a solid-liquid separation conveyor belt located below the sol strip conveying pipe. At the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt is a cutting component for cutting the sol strip into sol blocks. The pellet curing box also contains a spherical rolling component for rolling the sol blocks into sol balls and a guiding component for sequentially guiding the cut sol blocks into the spherical rolling component. The guiding component is located below and aligned with the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt. Below the solid-liquid separation conveyor belt is a vertical hot water recovery hopper. The bottom end of the hot water recovery hopper is connected to a hot water recovery pipe. The end of the hot water recovery pipe not connected to the hot water recovery hopper is connected to a pellet curing pipe. Below the spherical rolling component is a vertical pellet recovery hopper. The bottom end of the pellet recovery hopper is connected to the pellet curing pipe via a connecting pipe. The end of the pellet curing pipe penetrates the bottom surface of the pellet curing box and extends outside the pellet curing box. The material guiding assembly includes a vertically arranged receiving cylinder with an open top. The bottom end of the receiving cylinder is connected to a material guiding pipe with one end inclined downwards. The bottom of the side wall of the receiving cylinder is inclined towards the material guiding pipe. The inner diameter of the material guiding pipe is greater than the diameter of one sol ball and less than the diameter of two sol balls. A vibrator is provided at the bottom of the material guiding pipe. The rounding assembly includes three horizontally arranged spiral rods, which are distributed in an equilateral triangle. The guide tube is located at the center of the three spiral rods, and the edge of the guide tube that is not connected to the receiving cylinder is in contact with the edge of one end of each of the three spiral rods. Each of the three spiral rods is provided with spiral blades, and the spiral blades of the three spiral rods are in contact with each other on the side facing the center. The powder curing box is provided with a drive assembly for driving the three spiral rods to rotate synchronously around their own axes.

2. The forming equipment for non-cooking konjac tapioca balls according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the sol delivery pipeline not connected to the material tank is connected to a horizontal sol cylinder. The sol cylinder is configured as two detachable fixed cylinders and a movable cylinder. The top of the fixed cylinder is connected to the sol delivery pipeline, and the bottom of the movable cylinder is connected to several sol discharge heads. The bottom of the fixed cylinder and the top of the movable cylinder are both open. A circular silicone gasket is horizontally provided between the fixed cylinder and the movable cylinder. The sol cylinder is provided with two semi-circular clamps that can surround the connection between the fixed cylinder and the movable cylinder and the silicone gasket. The connection between the two clamps is detachably connected by bolts.

3. The forming equipment for non-cooking konjac flour balls according to claim 2, characterized in that: The powder curing box is horizontally equipped with a conveying assembly located below the sol strip conveying pipe. The conveying assembly includes two spaced and horizontally arranged conveying rollers. The powder curing box is equipped with a conveying motor for driving one of the conveying rollers to rotate around its own axis. The solid-liquid separation track is sleeved with both conveying rollers and is configured as a hollow steel wire mesh track.

4. The forming equipment for non-cooking konjac tapioca balls according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cutting assembly includes a rotating roller arranged parallel to the conveying roller. Several blades are evenly arranged around the rotating roller. The length of the blades is equal to the distance from the side surface of the rotating roller near the conveying assembly to the end surface of the solid-liquid separation conveyor. The powder curing box is equipped with a first motor for driving the rotating roller to rotate around its own axis.

5. The forming equipment for non-cooking konjac tapioca balls according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drive assembly includes three horizontally arranged rotating rods inside the powder curing box. One end of each of the three rotating rods is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the powder curing box, and the other end of each of the three rotating rods is detachably connected to a corresponding screw rod. Each of the three rotating rods has a vertical second gear fixed on it, and the three second gears are located on the same vertical plane. A vertical first gear is located at the center of each of the three second gears, and the first gear meshes with each of the three second gears. The powder curing box is equipped with a second motor for driving the first gear to rotate around its own axis.

6. A method for processing konjac tapioca balls without cooking, characterized in that: The processing is performed using the molding equipment as described in claim 5, and the processing method includes the following steps; Step 1, Mixing: According to the formula, add solvent, gelling agent, filler, colorant and molding agent to the material tank in sequence. Turn on the stirrer to mix the materials. Stop stirring when the materials have no obvious fluidity and no liquid water is separated from the surface. After standing for a period of time, the materials will fully absorb water and swell to become a sol. Step 2, Extruding the Sol Strip: The sol from Step 1 is pumped into the sol cylinder through the sol delivery pipeline using a delivery pump, and the sol is extruded through the sol outlet head to form a cylindrical sol. The cylindrical sol falls into the groove of the sol strip curing box due to gravity. Step 3, preliminary shaping: Hot water is supplied to the channel of the sol-gel solidification box through the hot water delivery pipe, and the flow rate, temperature and pH of the hot water are monitored by the automatic control component. At the same time, the water flow speed is kept consistent with the discharge speed of the cylindrical sol in Step 2. The water flow drives the cylindrical sol forward and heats the surface of the cylindrical sol to form a sol strip. The sol strip is transported to the powder solidification box through the sol strip delivery pipe with the water flow. Step 4, Cut into circles: The conveying speed of the solid-liquid separation conveyor is controlled by the conveyor motor to keep the conveying speed of the solid-liquid separation conveyor consistent with the water flow speed in Step 3. The first motor controls the blades to cut the sol strip at the end of the solid-liquid separation conveyor into sol blocks. The cut sol blocks fall into the receiving cylinder due to gravity and are transported to the center of the three screw rods through the guide pipe. The second motor drives the three screw rods to rotate synchronously, so that the sol blocks are kneaded into sol balls by the spiral blades on the three screw rods. Step 5, maturation: Hot water is separated from the sol strip by the solid-liquid separation conveyor and flows into the hot water recovery hopper. The sol balls kneaded in Step 4 fall into the tapioca pearl recovery hopper due to gravity. The hot water in the hot water recovery hopper and the sol balls in the tapioca pearl recovery hopper flow into the tapioca pearl solidification pipe through the hot water recovery pipe and the connecting pipe, respectively. The sol balls stay in the tapioca pearl solidification pipe for a period of time, so that the sol balls are matured into tapioca pearls. Then, according to the requirements, the matured tapioca pearls are post-processed and vacuum-packed to become ready-to-cook konjac tapioca pearl products. The solvent mentioned in step one is water at a temperature of 25-30℃; the gelling agent includes 75%-80% konjac flour and 20%-25% guar gum by mass; the filler includes 75%-80% tapioca starch, 10%-15% corn starch and 10%-15% modified starch by mass; the colorant includes one or more of caramel color, titanium dioxide, carotene, and fruit and vegetable powder; the molding agent is a calcium hydroxide solution of 2%-3% by mass or a sodium carbonate solution of 5%-6% by mass; based on the total weight of the tapioca pearls, the mass percentage of the solvent is 65%-75%, the mass percentage of the gelling agent is 5%-10%, the mass percentage of the filler is 15%-25%, the mass percentage of the colorant is 1%-2%, and the mass percentage of the molding agent is 5%. In step one, the stirring time of the material in the material tank is 5-8 minutes, and the settling time after stirring is 45-90 minutes; in step three, the hot water temperature in the hot water delivery pipeline is maintained at 80-90℃, the pH value is 10-12, and the hot water flow rate is 8-12 m³ / h; in step five, the residence time of the sol balls in the powder solidification pipeline is controlled at 5-10 minutes.

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