An aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of aged vinegar brewing, and more specifically, to an aging tank for aged vinegar fermentation, comprising a tank body, a spraying device, and a stirring device. The spraying device comprises a self-priming pump and a hollow ring disposed at an opening at the upper end of the tank body, the hollow ring being provided with a plurality of first and second spray heads. The hollow ring is circumferentially provided with a plurality of columnar structures that sealably engage with the hollow ring. The first and second spray heads are rotatably mounted on the columnar structures via mounting rings. The outer circumference of the columnar structures is provided with an opening I that communicates with the interior of the hollow ring. The hollow ring is connected to a drive structure that drives the plurality of mounting rings to rotate synchronously. When the mounting ring rotates, one of the first and second spray heads selectively communicates with the opening I. The present invention automatically switches operating modes via the drive structure. The atomizing spray mode increases dissolved oxygen levels and shortens the fermentation cycle. The high-pressure flushing mode cleans the aging tank, eliminating unsanitary corners.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aged vinegar brewing, and more particularly to an aging tank for aged vinegar fermentation. Background Art

[0002] Traditional vinegar fermentation tanks often utilize a single spray or agitation mechanism, resulting in low dissolved oxygen efficiency, incomplete tank cleaning, and lagging temperature control. For example, fixed spray systems cannot simultaneously provide atomization and high-pressure flushing, limiting the growth of acetic acid bacteria and allowing residues to easily harbor contamination. Stirring mechanisms, however, are rigid and lack effective dissolved oxygen design, impacting fermentation uniformity.

[0003] Chinese utility model patent publication number CN215480833U discloses a fully automatic solid-state vinegar fermentation apparatus. The apparatus incorporates a sprayer and a stirring device within the fermentation apparatus, accelerating the fermentation process through stirring and spraying. However, conventional stirring devices provide minimal disturbance to the liquid, resulting in low oxygen dissolution efficiency.

[0004] Chinese utility model patent publication number CN214142320U discloses a fermentation tank with a dedicated cleaning section, including a tank body and a stirring section and a cleaning section installed on the top thereof. The cleaning section uses a fixed nozzle for flushing, which makes it difficult to clean the entire tank body.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In order to overcome the deficiencies in the prior art, an aging tank for aged vinegar fermentation is provided which has high oxygen dissolving efficiency and is easy to clean.

[0007] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A fermentation tank for aged vinegar, comprising a tank body, a spraying device, and a stirring device. The spraying device comprises a self-priming pump and a hollow ring disposed at an opening at the upper end of the tank body. The hollow ring is provided with a plurality of first and second nozzles. The self-priming pump is connected to the hollow ring via a pipeline. A liquid outlet is provided at the lower end of the tank body. The liquid inlet of the self-priming pump is connected to a tee pipe I. One of the liquid inlet pipes of the tee pipe I is connected to the liquid outlet of the tank body, and the other liquid inlet pipe of the tee pipe I is used to connect to a cleaning liquid device.

[0009] The hollow ring is provided with a plurality of columnar structures fixedly connected to the hollow ring along the circumference, and the first nozzle and the second nozzle are both rotatably mounted on the columnar structure through a mounting ring. An opening I communicating with the interior of the hollow ring is provided on the outer circumference of the columnar structure. The hollow ring is connected to a driving structure that drives the plurality of mounting rings to rotate synchronously. When the mounting ring rotates, one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle is selectively connected to the opening I.

[0010] The stirring device includes a stirring rod and a stirring blade arranged on the stirring rod, wherein bending parts are arranged on both sides of the stirring blade, and a ventilation pipe is arranged on the stirring blade, wherein both ends of the ventilation pipe are respectively arranged on two bending parts and have the same bending direction as the bending parts.

[0011] Preferably, the driving structure includes a control ring arranged parallel to the hollow ring, a lifting control device is provided between the control ring and the hollow ring, teeth are provided on the mounting ring, and a rack meshing with the teeth is fixedly provided on the control ring.

[0012] Preferably, the stirring device also includes a movable support frame, the stirring rod includes an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve that are slidably matched, the upper end of the inner sleeve is fixedly connected to the top of the movable support frame, and the middle part of the outer sleeve is coaxially fixedly connected with an internal threaded sleeve, and a driving motor is provided on the movable support frame, the motor shaft of the driving motor is connected to a driving screw, and the lower end of the driving screw is threadedly connected to the internal threaded sleeve.

[0013] Preferably, the lower end of the movable support frame is provided with a clamping and positioning device that cooperates with the bottom of the tank body, and the clamping and positioning device includes a first V-shaped block and a second V-shaped block that are relatively arranged, the first V-shaped block is fixedly connected to the movable support frame, and the second V-shaped block is slidingly connected to the movable support frame, and the movable support frame is provided with a linear drive that drives the second V-shaped block to approach or move away from the first V-shaped block.

[0014] Preferably, a vertical guide rail is provided on the outside of the inner sleeve, and a positioning block cooperating with the vertical guide rail is provided on the inside of the outer sleeve. When the outer sleeve moves downward to the maximum stroke, the positioning block does not contact the vertical guide rail.

[0015] Preferably, a heat-insulating sleeve is provided on the outside of the tank body, a water outlet and a water inlet are provided at the upper and lower ends of the heat-insulating sleeve respectively, and an electric heating wire is provided inside the heat-insulating sleeve.

[0016] Preferably, a triangular through hole is provided on the stirring blade.

[0017] Preferably, the control ring is slidably arranged in the tank body along the vertical direction, a lifting screw is provided between the control ring and the tank body, the lifting screw is rotatably connected to the tank body, and a threaded hole is provided on the control ring to cooperate with the thread of the lifting screw;

[0018] The upper end of the lifting screw is connected to a motor through a transmission mechanism.

[0019] Preferably, the first nozzle is an atomizing nozzle, and the second nozzle is a flat-mouthed flushing nozzle.

[0020] Preferably, the liquid outlet is connected to a tee pipe II, one of the liquid outlet pipelines of the tee pipe II is connected to the tee pipe I, and a discharge control valve is provided on the other liquid outlet pipeline of the tee pipe II;

[0021] Both liquid inlet pipes of the tee pipe I are provided with electromagnetic valves for controlling on and off.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] 1. The present invention arranges an atomizing nozzle (first nozzle) and a flushing nozzle (second nozzle) on a hollow ring, and automatically switches the working mode through a driving structure: Atomizing spray mode: extracts vinegar liquid for atomizing spraying, significantly increasing the dissolved oxygen content, accelerating the proliferation of acetic acid bacteria, and shortening the fermentation cycle; High-pressure flushing mode: after switching to the cleaning liquid, the flat-mouth nozzle directionally flushes the tank wall, and the cleaning is achieved by combining the lifting and lowering of the control ring to eliminate sanitary blind spots.

[0024] 2. This invention features a ventilation duct on the stirring blade, leveraging the air flow generated during stirring to draw air deep into the vinegar liquid through the duct, achieving efficient oxygen dissolution. A retractable stirring rod (with inner and outer sleeves) coupled with a clamping and positioning device ensures the stirring blade does not interfere with the tank. The curved portion and triangular through-hole design enhance turbulent mixing of the liquid while preventing vinegar from clogging the ventilation duct.

[0025] Through structural innovation and functional integration, this solution solves technical problems such as insufficient dissolved oxygen, inefficient cleaning, and delayed temperature control in traditional aging tanks. It has core advantages such as high automation, high energy efficiency, and easy maintenance, significantly improving the fermentation quality and production efficiency of aged vinegar. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the front view structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the tank at one angle;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the tank from another angle;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tank;

[0032] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the spray device structure;

[0033] Figure 7Schematic diagram of the mounting ring structure;

[0034] Figure 8 It is a structural diagram of a columnar structure;

[0035] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the stirring device structure;

[0036] Figure 10 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a stirring device;

[0037] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A partial enlarged view of middle A;

[0038] Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the movable support frame structure.

[0039] In the figure: 1-tank body; 11-insulation sleeve; 12-water outlet; 13-water inlet; 14-electric heating wire; 15-lifting screw; 16-motor; 17-tee pipe II; 18-discharge control valve; 2-spraying device; 21-self-priming pump; 22-hollow ring; 23-first nozzle; 24-second nozzle; 25-tee pipe I; 26-solenoid valve; 27-columnar structure; 28-mounting ring; 29-opening I; 210-teeth; 3-stirring device; 31-stirring rod; 32-stirring blade; 3 3-bending part; 34-ventilation duct; 35-movable support frame; 36-inner sleeve; 37-outer sleeve; 38-inner threaded sleeve; 39-driving screw; 310-driving motor; 311-vertical guide rail; 312-positioning block; 313-triangular through hole; 4-driving structure; 41-control ring; 42-lifting control device; 43-rack; 44-guide rod; 45-electromagnetic push rod; 5-clamping and positioning device; 51-first V-shaped block; 52-second V-shaped block; 53-linear drive. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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 making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example

[0041] like Figures 1 to 12As shown, an aging tank for aged vinegar fermentation includes a tank body 1, a spraying device 2, and a stirring device 3. The spraying device 2 includes a self-priming pump 21 and a hollow ring 22 disposed at the upper opening of the tank body 1. The hollow ring 22 is provided with a plurality of first nozzles 23 and second nozzles 24. Preferably, the first nozzle 23 is an atomizing nozzle. By extracting vinegar liquid and spraying it from the first nozzle 23, the dissolved oxygen content in the vinegar liquid is increased, thereby accelerating the proliferation of acetic acid bacteria. The second nozzle 24 is a flat-mouthed flushing nozzle. When in operation, the second nozzle 24 faces the interior of the tank body 1 and is used to clean the tank body 1.

[0042] The self-priming pump 21 is connected to the hollow ring 22 through a pipeline. A liquid outlet is provided at the lower end of the tank body 1. The liquid inlet of the self-priming pump 21 is connected to a tee pipe I 25. One of the liquid inlet pipelines of the tee pipe I 25 is connected to the liquid outlet of the tank body 1, and the other liquid inlet pipeline of the tee pipe I 25 is used to connect to the cleaning liquid equipment; both liquid inlet pipelines of the tee pipe I 25 are provided with solenoid valves 26 for controlling the opening and closing of the corresponding pipelines.

[0043] When the first nozzle 23 is in operation, the three-way pipe I 25 is controlled to be connected to the liquid outlet of the tank body 1, and the vinegar liquid is pumped by the self-priming pump 21 for spraying. When the second nozzle 24 is in operation, the three-way pipe I 25 is controlled to be connected to the cleaning liquid device, which is used to provide cleaning liquid, and the self-priming pump 21 pumps the cleaning liquid to clean the inner wall of the tank body 1.

[0044] To facilitate switching between the first and second nozzles 23 and 24, the hollow ring 22 is circumferentially provided with several columnar structures 27 fixedly connected to the hollow ring 22. The first and second nozzles 23 and 24 are rotatably mounted on the columnar structures 27 via mounting rings 28. Preferably, each mounting ring 28 is provided with one first nozzle 23 and one second nozzle 24. An opening I 29 is provided on the outer circumference of the columnar structure 27, communicating with the interior of the hollow ring 22. The hollow ring 22 is connected to a drive structure 4 that drives the plurality of mounting rings 28 to rotate synchronously. When the mounting ring 28 rotates, one of the first and second nozzles 23 and 24 communicates with the opening I 29. When the opening I 29 communicates with the first nozzle 23, liquid in the hollow ring 22 is sprayed through the first nozzle 23. When the opening I 29 communicates with the second nozzle 2, liquid in the hollow ring 22 is sprayed through the second nozzle 24.

[0045] The driving structure 4 includes a control ring 41 arranged parallel to the hollow ring 22. The control ring 41 is slidably arranged in the tank body 1 along the vertical direction. The mounting ring 28 is provided with teeth 210. The control ring 41 is fixed with a rack 43 that engages with the teeth 210. A lifting control device 42 is provided between the control ring 41 and the hollow ring 22. The lifting control device 42 changes the distance between the control ring 41 and the hollow ring 22, thereby driving the rack 43 to move relative to the teeth 210, so that the mounting ring 28 rotates relative to the columnar structure 27.

[0046] The lifting control device 42 can adopt a guide rod 44 and an electromagnetic push rod 45. Specifically, the guide rod 44 is fixedly set on the control ring 41, and a connecting platform is provided on the hollow ring 22. A socket that slides with the guide rod 44 is provided on the connecting platform. The electromagnetic push rod 45 is set on the connecting platform, and the working end of the electromagnetic push rod 45 is connected to the control ring 41.

[0047] A lifting screw 15 is provided between the control ring 41 and the tank body 1. The lifting screw 15 is rotatably connected to the tank body 1. The control ring 41 is provided with a threaded hole that is threadedly matched with the lifting screw 15. The upper end of the lifting screw 15 is connected to a motor 16 through a belt transmission mechanism.

[0048] When cleaning is required, the lifting screw 15 is controlled to rotate, driving the control ring 41 and the hollow ring 22 to move up and down, and then the inner wall of the tank body 1 is fully cleaned through the second nozzle 24.

[0049] The stirring device 3 includes a movable support frame 35, a stirring rod 31 and a stirring blade 32 arranged on the stirring rod 31. A bending portion 33 is provided on both sides of the stirring blade 32. A ventilation pipe 34 is provided on the stirring blade 32. The two ends of the ventilation pipe 34 are respectively provided on the two bending portions 33 and have the same bending direction as the bending portion 33.

[0050] The underside of stirring blade 32 is below the liquid level, while the upper side of stirring blade 32 is above the liquid level. When stirring rod 31 drives stirring blade 32 to rotate, a slight negative pressure is formed behind the underside of stirring blade 32, driving air from the upper end to the lower end of ventilation pipe 34, where it mixes with the vinegar liquid. A triangular through-hole 313 is provided in stirring blade 32 to facilitate the passage of vinegar liquid and prevent it from entering ventilation pipe 34.

[0051] The lower end of the movable support frame 35 is provided with a clamping and positioning device 5 that cooperates with the bottom of the tank body 1 to facilitate alignment of the stirring rod 31 with the tank body 1. Specifically, the clamping and positioning device 5 includes a first V-shaped block 51 and a second V-shaped block 52 arranged opposite each other. The first V-shaped block 51 is fixedly connected to the movable support frame 35, and the second V-shaped block 52 is slidably connected to the movable support frame 35. The movable support frame 35 is provided with a linear actuator 53 that drives the second V-shaped block 52 toward or away from the first V-shaped block 51.

[0052] The stirring rod 31 includes an inner sleeve 36 and an outer sleeve 37 that are slidably matched. The upper end of the inner sleeve 36 is fixedly connected to the top of the movable support frame 35, and the middle portion of the outer sleeve 37 is coaxially fixedly connected to an internally threaded sleeve 38. The movable support frame 35 is provided with a drive motor 310. The motor shaft of the drive motor 310 is connected to a drive screw 39, and the lower end of the drive screw 39 is threadedly connected to the internally threaded sleeve 38. A vertical guide rail 311 is provided on the outer side of the inner sleeve 36, and a positioning block 312 that cooperates with the vertical guide rail 311 is provided on the inner side of the outer sleeve 37. When the drive motor 310 drives the drive screw 39 to rotate, the vertical guide rail 311 and the positioning block 312 are circumferentially limited, causing the outer sleeve 37 to move downward relative to the inner sleeve 36, so that the lower end of the outer sleeve 37 extends into the tank body 1.

[0053] When the outer sleeve 37 moves downward to its maximum stroke, the positioning block 312 no longer contacts the vertical guide rail 311, i.e., the positioning block 312 is lower than the lowest end of the vertical guide rail 311. At this time, the lower end of the drive screw 39 is axially limited to the upper end of the internally threaded sleeve 38, and the drive screw 39 drives the outer sleeve 37 to rotate synchronously, thereby driving the stirring blade 32 to rotate.

[0054] After the stirring is completed, the driving motor 310 drives the driving screw 39 to rotate in the opposite direction, and the speed difference between the driving screw 39 and the internal threaded sleeve 38 is used to make the internal threaded sleeve 38 move upward relative to the driving screw 39 until the positioning block 312 contacts the vertical guide rail 311, and the vertical guide rail 311 limits the rotation of the outer sleeve 37; the driving motor 310 continues to rotate, driving the outer sleeve 37 to continue to move upward.

[0055] An insulation sleeve 11 is provided on the outside of the tank body 1, and a water outlet 12 and a water inlet 13 are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the insulation sleeve 11. An electric heating wire 14 is provided inside the insulation sleeve 11. When the temperature needs to be increased, the liquid in the insulation sleeve 11 is heated by the electric heating wire 14; when the temperature needs to be lowered, cooling water is continuously injected through the water inlet 13 to cool the liquid in the tank.

[0056] The liquid outlet is connected to a tee pipe II 17 , one of the liquid outlet pipes of the tee pipe II 17 is connected to the tee pipe I 25 , and the other liquid outlet pipe of the tee pipe II 17 is provided with a discharge control valve 18 for controlling the discharge.

[0057] The above only describes in detail the preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge of ordinary technicians in this field without departing from the purpose of the present invention, and various changes should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation, characterized in that: It comprises a tank body (1), a spraying device (2) and a stirring device (3), wherein the spraying device (2) comprises a self-priming pump (21) and a hollow ring (22) provided at the upper opening of the tank body (1), wherein the hollow ring (22) is provided with a plurality of first nozzles (23) and a second nozzle (24), the self-priming pump (21) is connected to the hollow ring (22) through a pipeline, a liquid outlet is provided at the lower end of the tank body (1), the liquid inlet of the self-priming pump (21) is connected to a three-way pipe I (25), one of the liquid inlet pipes of the three-way pipe I (25) is connected to the liquid outlet of the tank body (1), and the other liquid inlet pipe of the three-way pipe I (25) is used to connect to a cleaning liquid device; The hollow ring (22) is provided with a plurality of columnar structures (27) fixedly connected to the hollow ring (22) along the circumferential direction. The first nozzle (23) and the second nozzle (24) are both rotatably arranged on the columnar structure (27) through the mounting ring (28). An opening I (29) communicating with the interior of the hollow ring (22) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the columnar structure (27). The hollow ring (22) is connected to a driving structure (4) for driving the plurality of mounting rings (28) to rotate synchronously. When the mounting ring (28) rotates, one of the first nozzle (23) and the second nozzle (24) is selectively communicated with the opening I (29). The stirring device (3) comprises a stirring rod (31) and a stirring blade (32) arranged on the stirring rod (31), wherein both sides of the stirring blade (32) are provided with a bending portion (33), and a ventilation pipe (34) is provided on the stirring blade (32), wherein both ends of the ventilation pipe (34) are respectively provided on the two bending portions (33) and have the same bending direction as the bending portion (33); The driving structure (4) includes a control ring (41) arranged parallel to the hollow ring (22), a lifting control device (42) is arranged between the control ring (41) and the hollow ring (22), teeth (210) are arranged on the mounting ring (28), and a rack (43) meshing with the teeth (210) is fixedly arranged on the control ring (41); The control ring (41) is slidably arranged in the tank body (1) along the vertical direction, and a lifting screw (15) is provided between the control ring (41) and the tank body (1). The lifting screw (15) is rotatably connected to the tank body (1), and a threaded hole is provided on the control ring (41) to be threadedly matched with the lifting screw (15). The upper end of the lifting screw (15) is connected to a motor (16) via a transmission mechanism.

2. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 1, wherein: The stirring device (3) further comprises a movable support frame (35), the stirring rod (31) comprises an inner sleeve (36) and an outer sleeve (37) which are slidably fitted together, the upper end of the inner sleeve (36) being fixedly connected to the top of the movable support frame (35), and the middle portion of the outer sleeve (37) being coaxially fixedly connected to an internally threaded sleeve (38), the movable support frame (35) being provided with a driving motor (310), the motor shaft of the driving motor (310) being connected to a driving screw (39), the lower end of the driving screw (39) being threadedly connected to the internally threaded sleeve (38).

3. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 2, wherein: The lower end of the movable support frame (35) is provided with a clamping and positioning device (5) that cooperates with the bottom of the tank body (1). The clamping and positioning device (5) includes a first V-shaped block (51) and a second V-shaped block (52) that are arranged opposite to each other. The first V-shaped block (51) is fixedly connected to the movable support frame (35), and the second V-shaped block (52) is slidably connected to the movable support frame (35). The movable support frame (35) is provided with a linear drive (53) that drives the second V-shaped block (52) to approach or move away from the first V-shaped block (51).

4. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 2, wherein: A vertical guide rail (311) is provided on the outside of the inner sleeve (36), and a positioning block (312) that matches the vertical guide rail (311) is provided on the inside of the outer sleeve (37). When the outer sleeve (37) moves downward to a maximum stroke, the positioning block (312) does not contact the vertical guide rail (311).

5. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 1, wherein: A heat-insulating sleeve (11) is provided on the outside of the tank body (1), a water outlet (12) and a water inlet (13) are provided at the upper and lower ends of the heat-insulating sleeve (11), and an electric heating wire (14) is provided inside the heat-insulating sleeve (11).

6. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 1, wherein: The stirring blade (32) is provided with a triangular through hole (313).

7. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 1, wherein: The first nozzle (23) is an atomizing nozzle, and the second nozzle (24) is a flat-mouthed flushing nozzle.

8. The aging tank for mature vinegar fermentation according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid outlet is connected to a tee pipe II (17), one of the liquid outlet pipes of the tee pipe II (17) is connected to the tee pipe I (25), and a discharge control valve (18) is provided on the other liquid outlet pipe of the tee pipe II (17); Both liquid inlet pipes of the three-way pipe I (25) are provided with electromagnetic valves (26) for controlling on and off.

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