Fruit and vegetable sterilization device and fruit and vegetable sterilization method

Abstract

The invention discloses a fruit and vegetable sterilization device and a fruit and vegetable sterilization method, and relates to the technical field of fruit and vegetable sterilization, the fruit and vegetable sterilization device comprises a sterilization pool containing sterilization liquid, a concentration detector used for detecting the concentration of a sterilization liquid agent, an agent storage container and an agent supply pump, a probe of the concentration detector is arranged in the sterilization pool, and one end of the agent supply pump is connected with the agent storage container; the other end of the concentration detector is communicated with the sterilization tank through a pesticide spraying pipe, and the pesticide supply pump and the concentration detector are electrically connected with the control system. The concentration detector is matched with the pesticide supply pump, the pesticide is pumped into the sterilization pool when the concentration of the sterilization liquid pesticide is low, pumping of the pesticide is stopped after the concentration of the sterilization liquid pesticide reaches the standard, it can be guaranteed that the concentration of the sterilization liquid pesticide is within the proper range in real time, and the situation that the fruit and vegetable quality is affected due to the too high concentration of the pesticide liquid pesticide is prevented; the sterilization effect is prevented from being reduced due to too low liquid medicine concentration, the automation degree of the whole device is improved, and manual labor is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of fruit and vegetable sterilization, and in particular to a fruit and vegetable sterilization device and a fruit and vegetable sterilization method. Background Art

[0002] The outer skin of fruits and vegetables may be contaminated during the planting and transportation process. In order to improve food safety, sterilization and pesticide residue removal equipment is often required in food processing plants to sterilize and remove pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables. The fungicides used are harmless, non-irritating, and have no toxic side effects on humans or plants.

[0003] The commonly used sterilization device at present is actually a medicine pool, which contains a sterilization liquid with a single or mixed sterilizing agent. However, when sterilizing fruits and vegetables in practice, there is a problem of poor sterilization effect. The reason is: after the fruits and vegetables are put into the box for sterilization, some of the agents will be taken away, causing the concentration of the sterilization liquid to gradually decrease, resulting in the failure to kill the microorganisms well, thus affecting the sterilization effect.

[0004] In order to solve the problem of drug loss and reduced sterilization effect, it is often necessary to manually add drugs into the box. However, the manual addition method not only wastes labor, but also the drug concentration of the sterilization liquid cannot be effectively guaranteed, especially when the concentration is still at a low level after addition, the sterilization effect cannot be guaranteed; on the other hand, too high a concentration will also cause certain damage to the quality of fruits and vegetables.

[0005] Therefore, people are in urgent need of a fruit and vegetable sterilization device with good sterilization effect and high degree of automation. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable sterilization device and a fruit and vegetable sterilization method to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. By utilizing the cooperation of a concentration detector and a drug supply pump, the concentration of the sterilizing liquid agent can be automatically controlled, thereby improving the sterilization effect and the degree of automation.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides the following scheme: The present invention provides a fruit and vegetable sterilization device, comprising a sterilization tank containing a sterilizing liquid, a concentration detector for detecting the concentration of a sterilizing liquid agent, a drug storage container and a drug supply pump, wherein a probe of the concentration detector is arranged in the sterilization tank, one end of the drug supply pump is connected to the drug storage container, and the other end is connected to the sterilization tank through a drug spraying pipe, and the drug supply pump and the concentration detector are both electrically connected to a control system.

[0008] Preferably, the fruit and vegetable sterilization device also includes a fan and an air pipe, one end of the air pipe extends into the sterilization pool, and the other end is located outside the sterilization pool and connected to the fan, an air outlet is opened on the part of the air pipe located in the sterilization pool, and the end of the air pipe located in the sterilization pool is closed; the fan is connected to a plurality of the air pipes, and the ends of the plurality of air pipes away from the fan are evenly arranged at the bottom of the inner cavity of the sterilization pool.

[0009] Preferably, the outlet end of the spray pipe is located at the fruit inlet of the sterilization tank.

[0010] Preferably, the concentration detector is arranged close to the fruit outlet of the sterilization tank.

[0011] Preferably, the fruit and vegetable sterilization device further comprises a circulation pipe and a circulation pump, both ends of the circulation pump are respectively connected to the sterilization tank through the circulation pipe, and the circulation pipe at the liquid inlet end of the circulation pump is connected to the bottom of the sterilization tank.

[0012] Preferably, the outlet end of the circulation pipe at the outlet end of the circulation pump is located at the fruit inlet of the sterilization pool. Preferably, a drain valve is provided on the sterilization pool or the circulation pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the fruit and vegetable sterilization device also includes a conveyor belt for conveying fruits and vegetables, the conveyor belt includes a straight section and an inclined section, the straight section is located in the sterilization pool, the fruits and vegetables enter the lower end of the inclined section from the end of the straight section, and the high end of the inclined section is located outside the sterilization pool.

[0014] Preferably, drainage holes are provided on the belt body of the conveyor belt.

[0015] The present invention also provides a fruit and vegetable sterilization method using the above-mentioned fruit and vegetable sterilization device, comprising the following steps:

[0016] S1: Put the fruits and vegetables into the sterilization tank;

[0017] S2: The concentration detector detects the concentration of the sterilizing liquid in the sterilizing pool in real time;

[0018] S3: The concentration detector transmits the concentration data to the control system. The control system determines whether to turn on the drug supply pump based on the current concentration. When the concentration is low, the drug supply pump is turned on to supply the drug in the drug storage container into the sterilization pool to increase the concentration of the sterilization liquid. When the concentration reaches the standard, the drug supply pump is turned off.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention mainly achieves the following technical effects:

[0020] When the concentration detector detects that the current concentration of the sterilizing liquid is low, the control system controls the drug supply pump to turn on and supply the agent into the sterilization pool to increase the concentration of the sterilizing liquid. When the concentration of the sterilizing liquid reaches the standard, the control system controls the drug supply pump to turn off and stops further increasing the concentration of the sterilizing liquid. This not only ensures that the concentration of the sterilizing liquid is within an appropriate range in real time and improves the sterilization effect, but also improves the degree of automation of the overall device and reduces manual labor.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, other solutions of the present invention have achieved the following technical effects:

[0022] By utilizing the air outlet holes on the air pipe, bubbles can be supplied into the sterilizing liquid, thereby improving the cleaning effect of fruits and vegetables.

[0023] The provision of a circulation pump and a circulation pipe can make the sterilizing liquid in the sterilizing pool flow, thereby improving the cleaning and sterilization effect on fruits and vegetables.

[0024] The setting of the conveyor belt can automatically transport fruits and vegetables out of the sterilization tank, further improving the degree of automation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fruit and vegetable sterilization device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Among them, 1. Sterilization tank; 2. Concentration detector; 3. Drug storage container; 4. Drug supply pump; 5. Drug spray pipe; 6. Fan; 7. Air pipe; 8. Air outlet; 9. Fruit inlet; 10. Fruit outlet; 11. Circulation pipe; 12. Circulation pump; 13. Drain valve; 14. Conveyor belt; 15. Straight section; 16. Inclined section; 17. Water trough. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable sterilization device and a fruit and vegetable sterilization method to solve the problems existing in the prior art. By utilizing the cooperation of a concentration detector and a drug supply pump, the concentration of the sterilizing liquid agent can be automatically controlled, thereby improving the sterilization effect and the degree of automation.

[0030] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 As shown, a fruit and vegetable sterilization device is provided, comprising a sterilization pool 1 containing a sterilizing liquid, a concentration detector 2, a drug storage container 3 and a drug supply pump 4, wherein the concentration detector 2 is used to detect the concentration of the sterilizing liquid drug, a probe of the concentration detector 2 is arranged in the sterilization pool 1, and the rest of the concentration detector 2 can be arranged outside the sterilization pool 1, one end of the drug supply pump 4 is connected to the drug storage container 3, and the other end is connected to the sterilization pool 1 through a drug spraying pipe 5, the drug storage device is arranged outside the sterilization pool 1, the drug supply pump 4 and the concentration detector 2 are both electrically connected to the control system, and the sterilizing liquid is mixed with a sterilizing agent such as sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide or chlorine dioxide. Chemical fungicide, the principle of this device is: when the concentration detector 2 detects that the current concentration of the bactericidal liquid agent is low, the control system controls the drug supply pump 4 to start, and supplies the agent into the sterilization pool 1 to increase the concentration of the bactericidal liquid agent. When the concentration of the bactericidal liquid agent reaches the standard, the control system controls the drug supply pump 4 to close and stop further increasing the concentration of the bactericidal liquid agent. It can not only ensure in real time that the concentration of the bactericidal liquid agent is within an appropriate range, prevent the high concentration of the liquid agent from affecting the quality of fruits and vegetables, and prevent the low concentration of the liquid agent from reducing the bactericidal effect, thereby improving the overall bactericidal effect on fruits and vegetables, but also improve the degree of automation of the overall device and reduce manual labor.

[0032] The concentration detector 2 can use an ORP detection instrument to detect the redox potential value of the disinfectant solution to benchmark the concentration of the disinfectant solution. The benchmarking method is: pre-measure the required minimum concentration and maximum concentration through pH test paper or physical and chemical testing, and then obtain the redox potential values ​​at the minimum concentration and the maximum concentration as the adjustment endpoint values. For example, the required minimum concentration is 100ppm and the maximum concentration is 200ppm. The redox potential values ​​of about 350Mv and about 450Mv are obtained by using the ORP detection instrument at two concentrations, that is, the adjustment endpoint values ​​of 350Mv and 450Mv are obtained, and the control system The system controls the start and stop of the medicine supply pump 4 according to the adjustment endpoint value. When the detection value of the ORP detection instrument is lower than the lowest adjustment endpoint value, the medicine supply pump 4 is turned on, and when the highest adjustment endpoint value is reached, the medicine supply pump 4 is stopped; in other embodiments, since the redox potential value is proportional to the concentration of the agent, when the temperature, pressure and type of fruits and vegetables to be sterilized are the same, the redox potential value and the concentration of the agent are linearly related. The control system uses the redox potential value and calculates the concentration of the agent according to the linear relationship, and controls the start and stop of the medicine supply pump 4 according to the required concentration range. In other embodiments, other detectors that can detect the concentration of the agent can also be selected as the concentration detector 2.

[0033] Legs may be provided at the bottom of the sterilization pool 1 to provide stable support for the sterilization pool 1 , and walking wheels may also be provided at the bottom of the sterilization pool 1 to facilitate transportation of the sterilization pool 1 .

[0034] The fruit and vegetable sterilization device in this embodiment also includes a fan 6 and an air pipe 7. One end of the air pipe 7 extends into the sterilization pool 1, and the other end is located outside the sterilization pool 1 and connected to the fan 6. An air outlet 8 is opened on the part of the air pipe 7 located in the sterilization pool 1. The air outlet 8 is used to generate bubbles. The end of the air pipe 7 located in the sterilization pool 1 is closed, and preferably, a plurality of air outlets 8 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the air pipe 7. The air outlet 8 on the air pipe 7 can be used to supply bubbles into the sterilization liquid, thereby improving the cleaning effect of fruits and vegetables.

[0035] A one-way valve is provided on the air pipe 7 to prevent the sterilizing liquid from flowing to the fan 6 . The fan 6 can be provided above the sterilizing pool 1 or at the side of the sterilizing pool 1 .

[0036] Multiple air pipes 7 can be set to be connected to the same or different fans 6, one ends of the multiple air pipes 7 extend into the sterilization pool 1, and the parts of the multiple air pipes 7 located in the sterilization pool 1 are arranged side by side and located on the same horizontal plane, which can increase the amount of bubbles generated and further improve the cleaning effect on fruits and vegetables.

[0037] In another embodiment, the air outlet 8 may not be provided on the air pipe 7, and a fan 6 is provided to be connected to a plurality of air pipes 7, and the ends of the plurality of air pipes 7 away from the fan 6 are evenly arranged at the bottom of the inner cavity of the sterilization pool 1. At this time, the direction of the end of the air pipe 7 away from the fan 6 is not limited, and can be parallel to the inner bottom wall of the sterilization pool 1 or perpendicular to the inner bottom wall of the sterilization pool 1.

[0038] In order to improve the sterilization effect on fruits and vegetables, the outlet end of the spraying pipe 5 is located at the fruit inlet 9 of the sterilization pool 1, and the sprayed medicine first enters the sterilization liquid at the fruit inlet 9.

[0039] In this embodiment, the fruit inlet 9 of the sterilization pool 1 is arranged on one side of the top of the box body.

[0040] On the basis that the outlet end of the spray pipe 5 is arranged at the fruit inlet 9, the concentration detector 2 is arranged near the fruit outlet 10 of the sterilization pool 1. When the agent concentration at the fruit outlet 10 meets the standard, it means that the overall agent concentration of the sterilizing liquid in the sterilization pool 1 meets the standard.

[0041] In this embodiment, the fruit and vegetable sterilization device also includes a circulation pipe 11 and a circulation pump 12. The two ends of the circulation pump 12 are respectively connected to the sterilization pool 1 through the circulation pipe 11. The circulation pipe 11 at the liquid inlet end of the circulation pump 12 is connected to the bottom of the sterilization pool 1. The arrangement of the circulation pump 12 and the circulation pipe 11 can make the sterilization liquid in the sterilization pool 1 flow, thereby improving the cleaning and sterilization effects of fruits and vegetables.

[0042] The circulation pump 12 is electrically connected to the control system, and its operation is controlled by the control system.

[0043] The circulation pump 12 is located outside the sterilization tank 1 to prevent the sterilization liquid from affecting it.

[0044] When the circulation pump 12 and the circulation pipe 11 are provided, the probe of the concentration detector 2 may be provided in the circulation pipe 11 .

[0045] The outlet end of the circulation pipe 11 at the liquid outlet end of the circulation pump 12 is located at the fruit inlet 9 of the sterilization pool 1, and the fruits and vegetables are effectively flushed at the fruit inlet 9. On this basis, the inlet of the circulation pipe 11 at the liquid inlet end of the circulation pump 12 is set at the fruit outlet 10 of the sterilization pool 1 to improve the flow effect of the sterilizing liquid along the movement path of the fruits and vegetables. A drain valve 13 can be set at the bottom of the sterilization pool 1 or on the circulation pipe 11 to drain the sterilizing liquid in the sterilization pool 1 when the sterilization pool 1 is not in use or the entire sterilizing liquid needs to be replaced.

[0046] The fruit and vegetable sterilizing device in this embodiment also includes a conveyor belt 14 for conveying fruits and vegetables. The conveyor belt 14 includes a straight section 15 and an inclined section 16. The straight section 15 is located in the sterilizing pool 1. The fruits and vegetables enter the lower end of the inclined section 16 from the end of the straight section 15. The upper end of the inclined section 16 is located outside the sterilizing pool 1. The inclined section 16 is arranged at the fruit outlet 10 of the sterilizing pool 1. The straight section 15 and the inclined section 16 of the conveyor belt 14 are driven by a conveying motor to move, and the fruits and vegetables can be automatically transported out of the sterilizing pool 1, further improving the degree of automation. The end of the straight section 15 away from the inclined section 16 extends to below the fruit inlet 9, and the belt width of the straight section 15 and the inclined section 16 matches the width of the sterilizing pool 1.

[0047] Drain holes are provided on the straight section 15 and the inclined section 16 of the conveyor belt 14. The air pipe 7 is located below the belt body. The drain holes can not only drain the fruits and vegetables on the inclined section 16, but also allow the bubbles generated by the air pipe 7 to pass through the drain holes and directly contact the fruits and vegetables.

[0048] A water receiving trough 17 can be set at the fruit outlet 10 of the sterilization pool 1, and the water receiving trough 17 wraps the part of the inclined section 16 of the conveyor belt 14 located outside the sterilization pool 1. The groove height of the water receiving trough 17 can be set to be flush with the top of the sterilization pool 1. The water receiving trough 17 is connected to the fruit outlet 10, and the inner bottom wall of the water receiving trough 17 is set to be inclined to facilitate the received sterilization liquid to flow back into the sterilization pool 1.

[0049] A liquid level sensor may be provided in the medicine storage container 3 to detect the medicine liquid level in the medicine storage container 3. When the medicine is insufficient, the information is transmitted to the control system, and the control system issues an alarm through an audible and visual alarm mechanism.

[0050] The present invention also provides a fruit and vegetable sterilization method using the above-mentioned fruit and vegetable sterilization device, comprising the following steps:

[0051] S1: Put fruits and vegetables into the sterilization pool 1 from the fruit inlet 9;

[0052] S2: The concentration detector 2 detects the concentration of the sterilizing liquid in the sterilizing pool 1 in real time, and the circulation pump 12 is in a normally open state during the fruit and vegetable washing;

[0053] S3: The concentration detector 2 transmits the concentration data to the control system, and the control system determines whether to turn on the drug supply pump 4 according to the current concentration. When the concentration is low, the control system controls the drug supply pump 4 to turn on, and supplies the drug in the drug storage container 3 into the sterilization tank 1 to increase the concentration of the sterilizing liquid. When the concentration reaches the standard, the control system controls the drug supply pump 4 to turn off. The standard range value of the concentration can be set through the control system.

[0054] Adaptive changes made according to actual needs are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0055] It should be noted that it is obvious 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 present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, from any point of view, the embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present invention. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved.

[0056] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A fruit and vegetable sterilization device, characterized in that: It includes a sterilization pool containing sterilizing liquid, a concentration detector for detecting the concentration of the sterilizing liquid agent, a drug storage container and a drug supply pump. The probe of the concentration detector is arranged in the sterilization pool. One end of the drug supply pump is connected to the drug storage container, and the other end is connected to the sterilization pool through a drug spraying pipe. The drug supply pump and the concentration detector are both electrically connected to the control system.

2. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fruit and vegetable sterilization device also includes a fan and an air pipe, one end of the air pipe extends into the sterilization pool, and the other end is located outside the sterilization pool and connected to the fan, an air outlet is opened on the part of the air pipe located in the sterilization pool, and the end of the air pipe located in the sterilization pool is closed; the fan is connected to a plurality of the air pipes, and the ends of the plurality of air pipes away from the fan are evenly arranged at the bottom of the inner cavity of the sterilization pool.

3. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outlet end of the spray pipe is located at the fruit inlet of the sterilization pool.

4. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The concentration detector is arranged close to the fruit outlet of the sterilization pool.

5. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fruit and vegetable sterilizing device further comprises a circulation pipe and a circulation pump. Both ends of the circulation pump are respectively connected to the sterilizing pool through the circulation pipe. The circulation pipe at the liquid inlet end of the circulation pump is connected to the bottom of the sterilizing pool.

6. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The circulation pipe outlet end of the circulation pump liquid outlet end is located at the fruit inlet of the sterilization pool.

7. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sterilization tank or the circulation pipe is provided with a drain valve.

8. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fruit and vegetable sterilization device also includes a conveyor belt for conveying fruits and vegetables, the conveyor belt includes a straight section and an inclined section, the straight section is located in the sterilization pool, the fruits and vegetables enter the lower end of the inclined section from the end of the straight section, and the high end of the inclined section is located outside the sterilization pool.

9. The fruit and vegetable sterilization device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The belt body of the conveyor belt is provided with drainage holes.

10. A method for sterilizing fruits and vegetables, using the fruit and vegetable sterilizing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1: Put the fruits and vegetables into the sterilization tank; S2: The concentration detector detects the concentration of the sterilizing liquid in the sterilizing pool in real time; S3: The concentration detector transmits the concentration data to the control system. The control system determines whether to turn on the drug supply pump based on the current concentration. When the concentration is low, the drug supply pump is turned on to supply the drug in the drug storage container into the sterilization pool to increase the concentration of the sterilization liquid. When the concentration reaches the standard, the drug supply pump is turned off.

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