Automatic food seasoning machine

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic food seasoning machine which effectively solves the problems that seasoning adheres and food is fragile. According to the technical scheme, the device comprises a supporting cylinder, the supporting cylinder comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, an air chamber is arranged between the two layers, the inner layer is in a filter net shape, and an air inlet pipe communicated with the air chamber is connected to the outer layer; the rotating sleeve is rotationally mounted in the inner layer of the vertical cylinder, and two vertical vent grooves are symmetrically formed in the outer edge surface of the rotating sleeve; the discharging assembly comprises an upper hopper, a middle hopper and a lower hopper, the three hoppers are mutually nested and fixed, the lower hopper can be clamped in the rotating sleeve, a vertical pipe is fixed to the centers of the three hoppers, and air outlets which are inclined upwards are evenly formed in the lower portion of the vertical pipe; non-contact type material spraying is adopted, and the situation that food is broken after being overturned and collided excessively can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of food processing, in particular to an automatic food seasoning machine. Background Art

[0002] As the core seasoning equipment in modern food processing, food seasoning machines are used in snack foods, pet foods, meat processing, baked fast food and deep processing of agricultural products. They are mainly used in fried and puffed foods (potato chips, popcorn, French fries, fried chicken nuggets, puffed pet food, pet snacks, etc.). Currently, food seasoning machines are mainly divided into the following types.

[0003] Star Anise Seasoning Machine: The star anise shape design enables the raw materials to be fully rolled. By setting up double or multiple heads, combined with automatic tilting and feeding equipment, it can achieve assembly line operation.

[0004] Single-drum seasoning machine: Through the drum structure, the food and seasoning can be rolled together to achieve even mixing, and can realize automatic discharging and speed adjustment.

[0005] The double-drum seasoning machine is based on a single-drum machine with an additional drum, which can spray oil, spray sugar, and sprinkle powder in sequence. For example, in the production of potato chips or dog food, oil or slurry spraying (to enhance adhesion) can be performed first, and then powder can be sprinkled to complete the seasoning.

[0006] In summary, current seasoning equipment all adopts the form of stirring, and the food needs to be tumbled in the container to achieve uniform application of the seasoning. This will cause the food to break, especially for brittle foods such as potato chips. In addition, for foods that need to be sprayed with oil or slurry first and then with powder, the previous oil, slurry, sugar, chocolate and other substances are very easy to adhere to the inner wall. When the powder, granular materials and decorative materials are sprayed later, such solid materials are easy to adhere to the inner wall, agglomerate and waste. Therefore, it is currently necessary to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0007] In view of the above situation, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic food seasoning machine, which can effectively solve the problems of seasoning adhesion, food fragility and the like.

[0008] The technical solution is to include a support tube, including an inner layer and an outer layer, an air chamber is between the two layers, the inner layer is in the shape of a filter, and the outer layer is connected to an air intake pipe connected to the air chamber; The rotating sleeve is rotatably mounted inside the inner layer of the vertical cylinder, and has two symmetrically arranged vertical ventilation grooves on its outer edge surface; The material discharge assembly comprises an upper hopper, a middle hopper and a lower hopper. The three hoppers are nested and fixed to each other. The lower hopper can be clamped in a rotating sleeve. A vertical pipe is fixed at the center of the three hoppers. The lower part of the vertical pipe is evenly provided with upwardly inclined air outlets.

[0009] Preferably, the bottom of the support tube has a base and legs.

[0010] Preferably, a horizontal baffle ring is provided at the upper end of the rotating sleeve, an end bearing is provided between the horizontal baffle plate and the upper end surface of the support tube, and a plurality of ball bearings are provided between the inner layer of the support tube and the outer edge surface of the rotating sleeve.

[0011] Preferably, the lower end of the rotating sleeve extends out from below the supporting tube, and the lower end of the rotating sleeve is driven by a motor to rotate.

[0012] Preferably, a plurality of vertical grooves are evenly arranged on the inner wall of the upper end of the rotating sleeve, and corresponding wedge blocks are arranged on the outer surface of the lower hopper.

[0013] Preferably, the upper hopper, middle hopper and lower hopper are all composed of an upper funnel shape and a lower vertical tube shape; a plurality of ribs are arranged on the inner side of the funnel shape; wherein the vertical tube-shaped part of the upper hopper is inserted into the middle hopper, and the vertical tube-shaped part of the middle hopper is inserted into the lower hopper.

[0014] Preferably, the lower ends of the upper hopper and the middle hopper are flush, and the lower end of the lower hopper is extended inwardly and placed below the lower end of the middle hopper.

[0015] Preferably, the three hoppers and the vertical pipe are fixed via a plurality of support rods.

[0016] Preferably, the upper end of the vertical pipe is provided with a high-pressure gas nozzle, the gas nozzle is inserted into the vertical pipe, and a gap is left between the gas nozzle and the vertical pipe.

[0017] Preferably, the air inlet pipe is connected to an air pump.

[0018] The benefits of the present invention are as follows: 1. This device adopts non-contact spraying, which can avoid the breakage caused by excessive flipping and collision of food.

[0019] 2. This device uses airflow to blow at multiple angles. On the one hand, it can slow down the falling speed of food and avoid collision caused by falling too fast. On the other hand, it can blow at multiple angles to achieve uniform adhesion of solid powder.

[0020] 3. This device adopts the structure of air-material-food-material-air; both the inside and outside of the food are fully wrapped, effectively avoiding wall adhesion and achieving full adhesion.

[0021] 4. In this device, the temperature of the airflow can be adjusted as needed to meet the needs of different working conditions. For example, the cooling airflow accelerates the cooling of oil and fat, solidifies the powder layer and the oil layer, and avoids subsequent adhesion. Another example is the use of hot airflow to optimize the flavor absorption of meat fibers; the temperature can also be controlled (30-50℃) to achieve the stable addition of heat-sensitive nutrients.

[0022] 5. This device is a continuous operation equipment, which is convenient for connecting to existing production lines. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a local section of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 It is the front view of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a split view of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The specific implementation modes of the present invention are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example

[0028] This embodiment provides an automatic food seasoning machine, which is composed of three parts: a support cylinder 1, a rotating sleeve 2 in the support cylinder 1, and a material discharge assembly 3 in the rotating sleeve 2.

[0029] The support tube 1 is a double-layer cylindrical structure with a through hole at the center. The wall of the support tube 1 includes an inner layer 11 and an outer layer 12. An air chamber 13 is formed between the inner layer 11 and the outer layer 12. The inner layer 11 is in the shape of a filter mesh, and the outer layer 12 is connected to an air inlet pipe 14 connected to the air chamber 13. After being connected through an air pump or a high-pressure gas cylinder, the entire air chamber 13 can be filled with high-pressure gas.

[0030] A rotating sleeve 2 is installed at the center of the support tube 1. The upper end of the rotating sleeve 2 is provided with a horizontal retaining ring 5, an end bearing is provided between the horizontal retaining ring 5 and the support tube 1, and a ball bearing is provided between the support tube 1 and the rotating sleeve 2, so as to achieve stable rotation of the rotating sleeve 2. The lower end of the rotating sleeve 2 is provided with a gear and is driven by a motor to rotate. A pair of ventilation grooves 21 are provided on the rotating sleeve 2, and the gas can be blown from the ventilation grooves 21 to the inside of the rotating sleeve 2, and as the rotating sleeve 2 rotates, the wind direction will change continuously.

[0031] There is a material discharge assembly 3 in the rotating sleeve 2. The material discharge assembly 3 is composed of an upper hopper 31, a middle hopper 32, and a lower hopper 33. The three hoppers are nested with each other, wherein the upper hopper 31 is in the innermost layer 11, and the lower hopper 33 is in the outermost layer 12. A plurality of wedges 36 are arranged on the outer wall of the lower hopper 33 in the outermost layer 12, and a plurality of vertical grooves 22 are arranged on the inner wall of the upper end of the rotating sleeve 2. Therefore, the material discharge assembly 3 can be clamped in the rotating sleeve 2 through the cooperation of the wedges 36 and the vertical grooves 22, and rotates with the rotating sleeve 2. In addition, there is a vertical vertical pipe 34 at the center of the upper hopper 31, and the lower end of the vertical pipe 34 is placed in the rotating sleeve 2. The vertical pipe 34 is evenly distributed with a plurality of upwardly inclined gas outlets 35. When the upper end of the vertical pipe 34 is inserted into the high-pressure gas nozzle, after ventilation, the gas can escape outward from the gas outlet 35 of the vertical pipe 34.

[0032] A base 4 and legs are provided at the bottom of the support tube 1 to raise the bottom of the support tube 1, so as to facilitate the arrangement of a conveyor belt or other apparatus at the bottom to receive the discharged material.

[0033] In some embodiments, the three hoppers are all in the shape of a funnel at the top and a vertical tube 34 at the bottom. Multiple ribs 37 are provided on the inner side of the funnel. Thus, the material can be evenly dropped to all sides. The vertical tube 34-shaped portion of the upper hopper 31 is inserted into the middle hopper 32, and the vertical tube 34-shaped portion of the middle hopper 32 is inserted into the lower hopper 33. The lower ends of the upper hopper 31 and the middle hopper 32 are flush. The lower end of the lower hopper 33 is placed below the lower end of the middle hopper 32, and the lower end of the lower hopper 33 is tilted and bent inward, so that the powder can flow inward.

[0034] In some embodiments, the three hoppers and the vertical pipe 34 are fixed via a plurality of support rods 38 , thereby fixing the three hoppers and the vertical pipe 34 .

[0035] First, the installation of the entire device and the addition of materials are explained.

[0036] This device can be installed on the production line, located at the seasoning station. Use conveyor belts and other equipment to receive and transfer materials. The upper hopper 31 and the lower hopper 33 are both filled with powdered seasonings or granular materials. The middle hopper 32 is filled with food to be sprayed with powder. Conveyor belts are arranged at the upper hopper 31 and the lower hopper 33 to transfer the powder. The middle hopper 32 can be connected to the discharge port of the previous process by a pipeline as needed to add food, or use a conveyor belt for feeding.

[0037] This device performs non-contact powder spraying. The food it targets is mainly food that has been processed by oil spraying, sugar spraying, slurry spraying and other processes. For food that has not been pre-treated by oil spraying, this device can also be used if it can be directly powdered according to processing requirements.

[0038] In the present device, the upper ends of the air inlet pipe 14 and the vertical pipe 34 are both connected to a high-pressure gas source. Since the vertical pipe 34 is a rotating body, when the ventilation connection is made to the upper end of the vertical pipe 34, a rotating joint can be used to connect the high-pressure gas nozzle, or the position of the high-pressure gas outlet nozzle can be fixed so that the high-pressure gas outlet nozzle is inserted into the vertical pipe 34 and a certain gap is maintained.

[0039] The device only needs to use a motor to drive the rotating sleeve 2 to rotate slowly.

[0040] When the device is started, food enters from the middle hopper 32 and falls down; powder enters from the upper hopper 31 and the lower hopper 33 and falls down. When the above materials fall into the rotating sleeve 2, a layered structure of powder-food-powder will be formed. Regarding the gas path, one of the gases will enter from the vertical pipe 34 and escape from the gas outlet 35. Another gas path enters the air chamber 13 from the air inlet pipe 14, and finally enters the rotating sleeve 2 from the ventilation groove 21. So far, on the basis of the above, a layered structure of gas-powder-food-powder-gas has been formed.

[0041] Through the above-mentioned hierarchical structure, on the one hand, the powder can be fully contacted with the food under the purge of the airflow, and on the other hand, the food can be prevented from contacting the inner wall of the rotating sleeve 2, thereby avoiding the adhesion of grease to the rotating sleeve 2 and the subsequent formation of a powder bonding layer. Finally, non-contact continuous powder spraying can be achieved, thereby avoiding excessive wear of the food by the transmission stirring form.

[0042] Finally, the powder-sprayed material will flow out from the bottom of the rotating sleeve 2 and be transported to the next process through a conveyor belt for operation.

[0043] In this device, the temperature of the airflow can be adjusted as needed. For example, in order to accelerate the cooling and solidification of fats and avoid adhesion, a cold airflow can be used. If it is for the stable addition of heat-sensitive nutrients, the temperature can be controlled at the required temperature of the nutrients. It can also be heated to make products such as meat more flavorful.

[0044] In addition, the rotating sleeve 2 in the present device can drive the entire material discharging component 3 to rotate; when the rotating sleeve 2 rotates, the ventilation groove 21 on the rotating sleeve 2 can continuously change its position, so that the airflow sweeping direction can be continuously changed, and the airflow in the rotating sleeve 2 can sweep the food more comprehensively; and the airflow velocity can be increased. So that the food can be adhered comprehensively. When the material discharging component 3 rotates, the hopper will rotate, so that the incoming materials can be scattered, so that the materials can fall evenly and form a cylindrical falling structure, so that the food layer is thinner and the powder can be easily adhered. The rotation of the vertical pipe 34 will also cause the sweeping direction of the air outlet 35 to change continuously, which will increase the uniformity of the sweeping on the one hand, and on the other hand, the upward airflow can also slow down the falling speed of the food, increase the residence time of the food, and avoid the food falling too fast, causing the food to fall and break.

Claims

1. An automatic food seasoning machine, characterized in that: include: The support tube (1) comprises an inner layer (11) and an outer layer (12), an air chamber (13) is formed between the two layers, the inner layer (11) is in the shape of a filter screen, and the outer layer (12) is connected to an air inlet pipe (14) which is in communication with the air chamber (13); A rotating sleeve (2) is rotatably mounted inside the inner layer (11) of the vertical cylinder, and has two symmetrically arranged vertical ventilation grooves (21) on its outer edge surface; The material discharge assembly (3) comprises an upper hopper (31), a middle hopper (32), and a lower hopper (33). The three hoppers are mutually nested and fixed. The lower hopper (33) can be clamped in the rotating sleeve (2). A vertical pipe (34) is fixed at the center of the three hoppers. The lower part of the vertical pipe (34) is evenly provided with an upwardly inclined air outlet (35).

2. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the support tube (1) has a base (4) and supporting legs.

3. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the rotating sleeve (2) is provided with a horizontal baffle ring (5), an end bearing is provided between the horizontal baffle and the upper end surface of the support tube (1), and a plurality of ball bearings are provided between the inner layer (11) of the support tube (1) and the outer edge surface of the rotating sleeve (2).

4. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the rotating sleeve (2) extends out from below the supporting tube (1), and the lower end of the rotating sleeve (2) is driven by a motor to rotate.

5. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of vertical grooves (22) are evenly arranged on the inner wall of the upper end of the rotating sleeve (2), and corresponding wedge blocks (36) are arranged on the outer edge surface of the lower hopper (33).

6. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper hopper (31), the middle hopper (32), and the lower hopper (33) are all composed of an upper funnel-shaped portion and a lower vertical tube (34)-shaped portion; a plurality of ribs (37) are arranged on the inner side surface of the funnel-shaped portion; the vertical tube (34)-shaped portion of the upper hopper (31) is inserted into the middle hopper (32), and the vertical tube (34)-shaped portion of the middle hopper (32) is inserted into the lower hopper (33).

7. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower ends of the upper hopper (31) and the middle hopper (32) are flush with each other, and the lower end of the lower hopper (33) is tilted inwardly and extended to be placed below the lower end of the middle hopper (32).

8. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper hopper (31), the middle hopper (32), the lower hopper (33) and the vertical pipe (34) are fixed via a plurality of support rods (38).

9. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the vertical pipe (34) is connected to a high-pressure gas nozzle via a rotary joint, and the high-pressure gas nozzle is connected to a high-pressure gas source; the air inlet pipe (14) is connected to the high-pressure gas source.

10. The automatic food seasoning machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The high-pressure gas source adopts an air pump.

Images