Ice coating method, device and refrigerator

Abstract

The present invention discloses an ice coating method, device and refrigerator, which are used to coat objects in a temperature-controlled room with ice coating. Before the objects are coated with ice coating, the objects are always in an electric field for disinfection and sterilization. Before the objects are cooled and ice coated, water mist is introduced into the temperature-controlled room. After the water mist is introduced, the temperature of the temperature-controlled room is cooled so that the surface of the objects is coated with ice coating. The intensity of the electric field before the water mist is introduced is V1, the intensity of the electric field when the water mist is introduced is V2, and the intensity of the electric field after the water mist is introduced is V3, and V1>V2>V3. The present invention allows the objects coated with ice coating to be placed in a high-voltage electric field for disinfection and sterilization, so that the objects can be preserved for a longer time, and the electric field size before and after the water mist is introduced is different, so as to save energy as much as possible while ensuring disinfection and sterilization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of refrigeration technology, and in particular to an ice coating method, device and refrigerator. Background Art

[0002] With the development of refrigerator technology, consumers have higher and higher requirements for food preservation. While extending the shelf life, the quality of food must also be guaranteed. For the long-term preservation of meat, consumers mainly use freezing, but as the storage time increases, meat is prone to air drying and oxidation. Some bacteria can still survive and reproduce normally under low temperature conditions, causing meat to still go bad when stored at low temperatures. At the same time, frozen meat is very easy to go bad during the thawing process, which causes quality to decline and affects subsequent processed products.

[0003] Meat that needs to be frozen for storage is coated with ice, that is, a layer of ice film is formed on the surface of the food to prevent the meat from drying out and oxidation during the storage process, and also prevent external microorganisms from invading the surface of the meat. For example, the patent No. 202111625201.7 discloses a refrigerator, which is provided with an ice coating device, which converts water into mist through an atomization module, thereby humidifying the food and forming ice crystals on the surface of the food in the low temperature environment of the freezing chamber. This method realizes the ice coating preservation of meat, but because the method adds a humidification process, it not only prolongs the processing time of the ice coating, but also makes it easy for bacteria to grow. For this reason, it is necessary to disinfect and sterilize the items when coating with ice. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to solve the problem of disinfection and sterilization during ice coating, the present invention proposes an ice coating method, which can disinfect and sterilize objects during ice coating, so that the ice-coated objects can be preserved for a longer time, and then also provides an ice coating device and a refrigerator.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is an ice coating method, which is used to coat objects in a temperature-controlled room with an ice coating. Before the objects are coated with the ice coating, the objects are always in an electric field for disinfection and sterilization. Before the objects are cooled and ice-coated, water mist is introduced into the temperature-controlled chamber. After the water mist is introduced, the temperature-controlled chamber is cooled so that the surface of the objects is coated with an ice coating. The intensity of the electric field before the water mist is introduced is V1, the intensity of the electric field when the water mist is introduced is V2, and the intensity of the electric field after the water mist is introduced is V3, and V1>V2>V3.

[0006] In certain embodiments, 30 kV≤V1≤50 kV, 10 kV≤V2≤20 kV, and 3 kV≤V3≤8 kV.

[0007] In some embodiments, if the weight of the item to be coated with ice coating is M, when M≤M1, the electric field action time is t1; when M1<M<M2, the electric field action time is t2; when M≥M2, the electric field action time is t3; wherein, the range of M1 is 0.5kg~2kg, the range of M2 is 4kg~6kg, the range of t1 is 10min~30min, the range of t2 is 40min~60min, and the range of t3 is 90min~120min.

[0008] In some embodiments, a rotating drum capable of rotating relative to the temperature control chamber is provided in the temperature control chamber, and the objects to be coated with ice coating are placed in the rotating drum, and the rotation speed range of the rotating drum is 5 to 20 r / min; the time tʹ for introducing water mist is 30min≤tʹ≤60min, and the time t" for cooling and coating with ice coating is 60min≤t"≤120min.

[0009] The ice coating device used in the ice coating method comprises the temperature-controlled chamber capable of adjusting the temperature and a water mist generating device, wherein a rotating drum capable of rotating relative to the temperature-controlled chamber is arranged in the temperature-controlled chamber, the inner circumference of the rotating drum is divided into a plurality of storage compartments, and the water mist generating device is also included for introducing water mist into the storage compartments.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the rear end of the rotating drum is connected to a rotating device, and the front end of the rotating drum is provided with an openable and closable door.

[0011] In some embodiments, an electric field generator is also included, and the electric field generator includes a first electrode plate located at the rear end of the drum and a second electrode plate located on the door body. The electric field generator controls the electric field size between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the items in the drum is further included, and the electric field generator controls the electric field action time between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate according to the detection information of the weight sensor.

[0013] In some embodiments, the door body is provided with a linkage switch, and when the door body is opened, the linkage switch stops the water mist generating device and the rotating device from working.

[0014] In some embodiments, the rotating device includes a turntable connected to the rear end of the rotating drum and a motor for controlling the rotation of the turntable. The rotating drum is arranged in a shell, the motor is fixed on the shell, and the rotating shaft of the motor passes through the shell and is connected to the turntable.

[0015] The refrigerator comprises the ice coating device, and the temperature control chamber is a compartment of the refrigerator.

[0016] In certain embodiments, a liquid storage tank of the water mist generating device is disposed above the rotating drum.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] The present invention allows the articles coated with ice to be placed in a high-voltage electric field for disinfection and sterilization, so that the articles can be preserved for a longer period of time, and the electric field sizes before and after the water mist is introduced are different, thereby ensuring disinfection and sterilization while saving energy as much as possible.

[0019] The present invention humidifies the surface of the object to be coated with ice by an atomizing device and performs low-temperature freezing to achieve the glaze preservation of the object. The rotating drum allows the object to be constantly turned during atomization and glaze coating, so that the object is humidified evenly and the objects are prevented from sticking to each other or adhering to the wall after the glaze is coated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. In order to show details and facilitate understanding of its principles, it is not necessarily drawn to scale, and similar reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. The drawings generally illustrate the embodiments discussed herein by way of example and not limitation. Among them:

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drum.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the electrode plate setting.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the motor and turntable that control the rotation of the drum.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the atomization device.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of another arrangement of the atomization device.

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the installation of the ice coating device in the refrigerator.

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the process of ice coating.

[0028] In the figure, 1. shell; 2. drum; 3. partition; 4. door; 5. turntable; 6. motor; 7. shaft; 8. buckle; 9. electrode plate; 10. electric field generator; 11. atomizing nozzle; 12. liquid storage tank; 13. infusion pipeline; 14. refrigerator. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, and the technical solutions of the present invention are further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the following embodiments do not limit the invention involved in the claims. In addition, all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily required for the solutions of the invention.

[0030] The principle and structure of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Example

[0031] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in , 3 and 4, an ice coating device applied to a refrigerator is used for explanation. The ice coating device includes a temperature control chamber capable of adjusting the temperature and a water mist generating device. The temperature control chamber is provided with a cylindrical drum 2 capable of rotating relative to the temperature control chamber. The inner circumference of the drum 2 is divided into a plurality of storage compartments by a partition 3, and also includes a water mist generating device for introducing water mist into the storage compartment. The water mist generating device is an atomizing device, which is used to generate water mist, send water mist into the storage compartment, and then cool it down through the temperature control chamber so that the surface of the items in the storage compartment is covered with a layer of ice, that is, the ice coating of the items is achieved. While cooling, the drum 2 is continuously rotated to prevent the items from sticking to each other or to the inner wall of the storage compartment. The inner circumference of the drum 2 is divided into a plurality of storage compartments, which is conducive to the separate storage of items and also helps to prevent contact and adhesion of too many items. The items that need to be ice-coated are, for example, food that needs to be frozen and stored.

[0032] The rear end of the rotating drum 2 is connected to a rotating device to control the rotation of the entire rotating drum 2. The front end of the rotating drum 2 is provided with an openable and closable door body 4 to control the opening or closing of the storage compartment.

[0033] It also includes an electric field generator 10, which includes a first electrode plate 9 located at the rear end of the rotating drum 2 and a second electrode plate 9 located on the door body 4. The electric field generator 10 controls the electric field size between the first electrode plate 9 and the second electrode plate 9.

[0034] When the door 4 is closed, the first electrode plate 9 and the second electrode plate 9 are arranged parallel to each other. The two electrode plates 9 are controlled by the electric field generator 10, and the electric field strength is changed by adjusting the controller to change the output voltage. The low-voltage power supply is processed by the electronic circuit to generate a high-frequency rectangular wave, and then through the circuits of rectification, filtering, multi-resonance conversion and multi-stage voltage doubler rectification, it is finally converted into a stable DC high voltage. The high voltage is applied between the two parallel electrode plates 9 to form a high-voltage electrostatic field, so that the objects are placed under the action of the high-voltage electric field to achieve disinfection and sterilization.

[0035] High-voltage electric field sterilization is a non-thermal sterilization technology that kills microorganisms by applying a high-intensity electric field in food or liquid. This method uses the effect of the electric field on the cell membrane to cause electrical breakdown (or electroporation) of the microbial cell membrane, destroy the cell structure, and make the microorganisms inactive, thereby achieving a sterilization effect. High-voltage electric field sterilization is suitable for the processing of foods such as juice, dairy products, meat and vegetables, which helps to maintain the flavor, color and nutritional content of the ingredients. High-voltage electric field sterilization is a cold sterilization that avoids the loss of nutrition and flavor caused by heating. High-voltage electric field sterilization has a short treatment time, usually only a few seconds to a few minutes. High-voltage electric field sterilization reduces energy consumption and has no chemical residues. High-voltage electric field sterilization can destroy microorganisms such as bacteria, molds and yeasts.

[0036] It also includes a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the articles in the drum 2, and the electric field generator 10 controls the electric field action time between the first electrode plate 9 and the second electrode plate 9 according to the detection information of the weight sensor. The weight sensor can be, for example, a pressure sensor, and the drum 2 is supported on the pressure sensor by a bracket, etc., so that the weight of the articles placed in the drum 2 is detected by detecting the change in pressure. A large weight means that a large number of articles are placed, so it is necessary to increase the sterilization action time of the electric field so that the electric field action time matches the amount of articles to avoid wasting electric energy.

[0037] The door body 4 is provided with a linkage switch. When the door body 4 is opened, the linkage switch stops the water mist generating device and the rotating device. The linkage switch is turned on when the door body 4 is closed to start the electric field generator 10 and the rotating motor; the linkage switch is turned off when the door body 4 is opened to turn off the electric field generator 10 and the rotating motor. In this way, the electric field can be prevented from causing harm to the human body.

[0038] The rotating device includes a turntable 5 connected to the rear end of the rotating drum 2 and a motor 6 for controlling the rotation of the turntable 5; the rotating drum 2 is rotatably arranged in the housing 1, the motor 6 is fixed on the housing 1, the rotating shaft 7 of the motor 6 passes through the housing 1 and is connected to the turntable 5, and the turntable 5 is fixed to the rotating drum 2 by a buckle 8. The housing 1 is equivalent to the bracket of the rotating drum 2, and a pressure sensor for detecting the weight of the items in the drum can be arranged below the housing 1. The housing 1 has a cylindrical cavity coaxial with the rotating drum 2, and the rotating drum 2 is rotatably fitted in the cylindrical cavity, so that it rotates stably in the cylindrical cavity under the control of the motor 6, and the housing 1 provides stable support for the rotation of the rotating drum 2.

[0039] like Figure 7 As shown, the ice coating method includes:

[0040] After obtaining the start signal of the ice coating function, the linkage switch or other circuit switches are used to detect whether the door of the drum is closed. If not, the user is reminded to close the door. If the door is closed, the voltage of the electric field generator is adjusted to V1, 30kV≤V1≤50kV. The electric field strength before the water mist is introduced is V1, the electric field strength when the water mist is introduced is V2, and the electric field strength after the water mist is introduced is V3, and V1>V2>V3, so that the items are in different electric fields under different dry and wet conditions, thereby saving electricity while ensuring the sterilization effect. When water mist is present, the air humidity is high. When the air humidity is high, the water content in the air increases, and water molecules can increase the conductivity of the air, which will affect the electric field discharge characteristics and the generation of active oxygen substances. High humidity can promote the formation of certain ions and oxides, such as ozone and hydroxyl radicals, thereby enhancing the sterilization ability. Therefore, at this time, the electric field does not need to be as large as before the water mist is introduced to achieve a good sterilization effect; and when the water mist is introduced, the ambient temperature of the object is reduced. When the temperature is low, the metabolism of microorganisms will slow down, causing the physiological activities of the cells to become slow and the permeability of the cell membrane to decrease. In this way, the electric field can more effectively destroy the cell structure of the microorganism, causing it to inactivate or die. That is, at a lower temperature, the stress response of the microorganism to the external environment will be reduced, making it more susceptible to the effect of the electric field. Therefore, the synergistic effect of the electric field and the lower temperature can achieve a more efficient sterilization effect. At this time, the size of the electric field can be further reduced, and it still has a good sterilization effect.

[0041] When M≤M1, the processing time is set to t1; when M1<M<M2, the processing time is set to t2; when M≥M2, the processing time is set to t3. Among them, the range of M1 is 0.5kg~2kg, the range of M2 is 4kg~6kg, the range of t1 is 10min~30min, the range of t2 is 40min~60min, and the range of t3 is 90min~120min. The weight M of the food is obtained through the weight sensor, and the high-voltage electric field treatment is performed for different times according to the weight of the food, so as to ensure that the food can be thoroughly sterilized.

[0042] After the processing time is reached, the atomizing device is turned on for atomizing humidification, and the voltage of the electric field generator is adjusted to V2, 10kV≤V2≤20kV. When the preset atomizing time tʹ is reached, the atomizing device is turned off, 30min≤tʹ≤60min. This preset time allows enough liquid to adhere to the surface of the food and form a sufficiently thick ice coat. Stopping the atomizing device after the preset time can save energy.

[0043] Thereafter, the voltage of the electric field generator is adjusted to V3, 3kV≤V3≤8kV. The temperature in the food space is adjusted to T, -40℃≤T≤-18℃, and the glaze coating is started. At this time, the drum rotates with a speed range of 5 to 20r / min. When the preset glaze coating time t" is reached, the temperature in the space is adjusted to the preset storage temperature for storage, wherein 60min≤t"≤120min.

[0044] like Figure 6 As shown, when the ice coating device of this embodiment is used in a refrigerator 14, the temperature control chamber can be a temperature-adjustable compartment of the refrigerator 14, the shell 1 is rectangular in shape, the rotating drum 2 is equivalent to a drawer, and a liquid storage tank 12 of the water mist generating device is arranged above the shell 1 to provide the water required for atomization for the water mist generating device. The water mist generating device includes a water pump located in the liquid storage tank 12, and the water pump is connected to the atomizing nozzle 11 through an infusion pipeline 13. The atomizing nozzle 11 is located on the inner side of the turntable 5 and corresponds to the storage compartment. The turntable 5 is provided with a water channel connected to the atomizing nozzle 11. The infusion pipeline 13 and the water channel of the turntable 5 can be connected by a rotating pipe joint to provide water mist when the turntable 5 rotates. As shown Figure 5 As shown, it is also possible to adopt: the atomizing nozzle 11 is arranged at the end of the shell 1 corresponding to the turntable 5, the atomizing nozzle 11 corresponds to the turntable 5, and the turntable 5 is provided with a mesh hole connected to the storage compartment, so that the water mist enters the storage compartment through the mesh hole.

[0045] The water pump draws out the liquid in the liquid storage tank 12 and atomizes it into small droplets through the atomizing nozzle 11 and sprays it into the inside of the drum 2. The surface of the food inside the drum 2 is covered with a layer of liquid film. Then it is frozen to form a layer of ice coating on the surface of the food. During the process of atomizing and freezing ice coating, the drum 2 is always in a rotating state, so that the food will not stick together or adhere to the wall of the drum 2 after freezing.

[0046] Atomized glazing refers to spraying extremely fine water mist on the surface of food by atomization, and immediately freezing it to form a uniform, thin and transparent ice layer. This method is an improved glazing technology that uses the efficient coverage of ultra-fine water mist to ensure that the ice layer is evenly distributed on the surface of the food to achieve a better protection effect. Atomized glazing slightly freezes the food until the surface begins to harden, but not completely frozen. Atomized glazing uses an atomizing device to spray water into an extremely fine mist to cover the surface of the food. Atomized glazing allows the water mist to quickly condense into ice in an extremely low temperature environment, forming a thin and uniform ice layer. The atomized ice layer can cover the surface of the food more evenly and prevent the evaporation of water from the food. The extremely thin ice layer can block oxygen and prevent oxidation, and can also avoid the phenomenon of "freeze-burn" of food. It is suitable for food of various shapes, such as fish, shrimp, shellfish, meat, etc., with a more delicate effect. The atomization process can complete ice plating in a relatively short time, greatly improving processing efficiency. The application of atomized ice coating technology in the food processing industry can extend the shelf life of frozen ingredients, reduce quality loss, and maintain the nutrition and taste of the ingredients.

[0047] The specific embodiments described herein are merely examples of the spirit of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described, or replace them in similar ways, without departing from the spirit of the present invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0048] Although some terms are used more frequently in this article, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. These terms are used only to more conveniently describe and explain the essence of the present invention; interpreting them as any additional restrictions is contrary to the spirit of the present invention. The execution order of actions, steps, etc. in the devices and methods shown in the specification and the drawings can be implemented in any order as long as there is no special explicit limitation on the order and the output of the previous processing is not used in the subsequent processing. Similar sequential terms (for example, "first", "next", "secondly", "again", "then", etc.) used for the convenience of description do not mean that they must be implemented in such an order.

[0049] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that all directional references (e.g., above, below, upward, up, downward, down, top, bottom, left, right, vertical, horizontal, etc.) are used descriptively in the drawings to facilitate the reader's understanding, and do not represent limitations (e.g., on position, orientation or use, etc.) on the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. They are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. The directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0050] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used here to describe the spatial positional relationship between a device or feature and other devices or features as shown in the figure. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation described in the figure. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is inverted, the device described as "above other devices or structures" or "above other devices or structures" will be positioned as "below other devices or structures" or "below other devices or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" may include both "above" and "below". The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used here are interpreted accordingly.

[0051] In addition, some vague terms (e.g., substantially, certain, generally, etc.) may refer to slight inaccuracies or slight deviations of conditions, quantities, values, or dimensions, some of which are within the manufacturing deviation or tolerance range. It should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to define components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. If not otherwise stated, the above words have no special meanings and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for coating an object in a temperature-controlled room with an ice coating, characterized in that: Before the objects are coated with ice, the objects are always placed in an electric field for disinfection and sterilization. Before the objects are cooled down and coated with ice, water mist is introduced into the temperature control chamber. After the water mist is introduced, the temperature control chamber is cooled so that the surface of the objects is coated with ice. The voltage of the electric field before the water mist is introduced is V1, the voltage of the electric field when the water mist is introduced is V2, and the voltage of the electric field after the water mist is introduced is V3, and V1>V2>V3.

2. The ice coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that: 30kV≤V1≤50kV, 10kV≤V2≤20kV, 3kV≤V3≤8kV.

3. The ice coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that: If the weight of the item to be coated with ice is M, when M≤M1, the electric field action time is t1; when M1<M<M2, the electric field action time is t2; when M≥M2, the electric field action time is t3; among them, M1 is 2kg, M2 is 4kg, t1 is in the range of 10min~30min, t2 is in the range of 40min~60min, and t3 is in the range of 90min~120min.

4. The ice coating method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature control chamber is provided with a rotating drum which can rotate relative to the temperature control chamber. The objects to be coated with ice coating are placed in the rotating drum. The rotation speed range of the rotating drum is 5 to 20 r / min. The time t′ for introducing water mist is 30min≤t′≤60min, and the time t" for cooling and coating with ice coating is 60min≤t"≤120min.

5. An ice coating device using the ice coating method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It includes the temperature-controlled chamber capable of adjusting the temperature and the water mist generating device, and also includes an electric field generator, the electric field generator makes V1>V2>V3, the temperature-controlled chamber is provided with a rotating drum capable of rotating relative to the temperature-controlled chamber, the inner circumference of the rotating drum is divided into a plurality of storage compartments, and also includes a water mist generating device for introducing water mist into the storage compartments; the electric field generator cooperates with the water mist generating device, so that the electric field where the objects in the rotating drum are located satisfies V1>V2>V3 in terms of voltage V1 before the introduction of water mist, voltage V2 when the introduction of water mist, and voltage V3 after the introduction of water mist.

6. The ice coating device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rear end of the rotating drum is connected to a rotating device, and the front end of the rotating drum is provided with an openable and closable door body.

7. The ice coating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The electric field generator comprises a first electrode plate located at the rear end of the drum and a second electrode plate located on the door body, and the electric field generator controls the magnitude of the electric field between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate.

8. The ice coating device according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the items in the rotating drum, and the electric field generator controls the electric field action time between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate according to the detection information of the weight sensor.

9. The ice coating device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The door body is provided with a linkage switch, and when the door body is opened, the linkage switch stops the water mist generating device and the rotating device from working.

10. The ice coating device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotating device includes a turntable connected to the rear end of the rotating drum and a motor for controlling the rotation of the turntable. The rotating drum is arranged in a shell, the motor is fixed on the shell, and the rotating shaft of the motor passes through the shell and is connected to the turntable.

11. A refrigerator, characterized in that It comprises the ice coating device as described in any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the temperature control chamber is a compartment of a refrigerator.

12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, characterized in that: A liquid storage tank of the water mist generating device is arranged above the rotating drum.

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