A bread proofing box

Abstract

This invention discloses a bread proofing box, belonging to the field of dough proofing technology. It includes a box body, a support frame, and several trays. The support frame includes a rotating shaft and spirally distributed support blades. An electric heating device is installed at the bottom of the box, and humidifying pipes with spray nozzles are installed on the inner wall of the box. A humidifying device and a motor are installed on the box body. The box body has a door. In use, the bread dough is placed on a tray, and the tray is placed on the support blades. The motor drives the support blades on the support frame to rotate slowly. Air in the middle flows downward under the fanning of the support blades, is heated by the bottom electric heating device, and flows upward from the outside of the support blades, driving the humidifying pipes to spray mist. This mist flows from the top of the box towards the center, forming a stable and uniform air circulation. This ensures uniform temperature and humidity distribution within the box, improving fermentation consistency and quality, and allowing for more precise temperature and humidity control. The operation is flexible and convenient, reducing labor intensity and effectively lowering the probability of bumps and damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of dough proofing technology, specifically a proofing box for bread production. Background Technology

[0002] Proofing is a crucial step in the baking process, referring to the final fermentation of dough under suitable temperature and humidity conditions, causing it to expand in volume and become more porous. This stage directly affects the taste, texture, and appearance of the bread.

[0003] The heating and humidification methods of a bread proofing box directly affect the stability of the proofing environment and the quality of the dough. Different types of proofing boxes use different technologies. Traditional bread proofing boxes use several heating methods, including electric heating tubes, steam heating, and PTC ceramic heating. Traditional bread proofing boxes also use several humidification methods, such as natural evaporation from a water tray, spray humidification, steam humidification, and wet film humidification.

[0004] Traditional bread proofing boxes often suffer from uneven temperature and humidity distribution due to improperly arranged heating and humidification devices. This leads to inconsistent fermentation levels of the bread dough in different locations within the box and inaccurate monitoring and control of temperature and humidity, ultimately failing to ensure consistent bread production and quality. Furthermore, the limited space in traditional proofing boxes significantly increases the workload for workers when placing and removing bread dough, and also increases the risk of damaging the dough and affecting the product's appearance. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems of uneven temperature and humidity distribution inside traditional bread proofing boxes, which leads to inconsistent fermentation levels of bread dough and severely affects the consistency and quality of bread production, as well as the inconvenience and risk of damaging the bread dough when placing and removing it, this invention provides a bread production proofing box.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A bread proofing box includes a box body and a support frame installed inside the box body. The box body has a vertical cylindrical structure. The support frame includes a rotating shaft rotatably mounted on the center line of the box body and several support fan blades connected to the side of the rotating shaft. The support fan blades are fan-shaped and spirally distributed along the side of the rotating shaft. Several electric heating devices are arranged in a circular array at the bottom of the box body. A humidifying pipe is positioned and installed on the inner wall of the box body. Several spray holes are opened on the humidifying pipe. A humidifying device communicating with the humidifying pipe and a motor drivingly connected to the rotating shaft are positioned and installed on the box body. A box door is provided on the side of the box body, and a box door handle is connected to the box door. It also includes several trays that can be placed on the support fan blades and used for supporting bread dough.

[0007] A further improvement of the present invention is that the electric heating device includes a heating body in the shape of a U-shape, wherein the horizontal section of the heating body is perpendicular to the radial direction of the housing.

[0008] A further improvement of the present invention is that a plurality of heating elements perpendicular to the horizontal section of the heating body are spaced apart.

[0009] A further improvement of the present invention is that the bottom surface of the box body is smoothly protruding in the middle, and a transition rounded corner is provided between the bottom surface of the box body and its side surface; a transition rounded corner is provided between the top surface of the box body and its side surface.

[0010] A further improvement of the present invention is that a number of temperature and humidity sensors are spaced apart on the side of the rotating shaft; a control device is also positioned and installed on the housing; the control device is connected to the temperature and humidity sensors, the motor, the humidification device and the electric heating device respectively.

[0011] A further improvement of the present invention is that the humidifying pipe is arranged in a ring horizontally on the upper part of the inner circumference of the box.

[0012] A further improvement of the present invention is that the spray holes on the humidification pipe are inclined upward and inward.

[0013] A further improvement of the present invention is that a side baffle is provided on the outer edge of the bearing fan blade, a lower baffle is provided on the lower radial edge, and an inclined guide plate is provided on the higher radial edge.

[0014] A further improvement of the present invention is that the pallet includes a pallet base plate adapted to the bearing fan blades, and the pallet base plate has an upwardly folded pallet guard edge; the inner pallet guard edge is an arc-shaped surface adapted to the pivot.

[0015] A further improvement of the present invention is that a front handle is connected to the outer side of the outer tray guard; a T-shaped rear handle is connected to the upper side of the inner tray guard, the horizontal section of the rear handle is in an arc shape adapted to the pivot, and a positioning post is provided on the inner side of the horizontal section of the rear handle, and a slot is provided on the pivot that can engage with the positioning post.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: In use, place the bread dough on the tray, then place the tray on the corresponding support fan, and close the door. Activate the electric heating and humidifying devices, and control the motor to rotate the support frame. This causes the support fan on the frame to rotate slowly. Air in the center flows downwards under the fan's rotation, and is evenly heated by several electric heating devices arranged in a ring at the bottom. The air then flows upwards through the gap between the support fan and the circumferential side wall of the box, simultaneously driving the mist sprayed from the humidifying pipe to flow from the top to the center of the box. This creates a stable and uniform air circulation, ensuring even temperature and humidity distribution inside the box and preventing localized overheating or undercooling. This results in more consistent fermentation of the bread dough following the rotation of the support fan, improving fermentation quality. Furthermore, the uniform temperature and humidity distribution allows for more precise temperature and humidity control. Additionally, the bread dough can be placed in and removed manually by opening the door through the handle and rotating the support frame, making operation more flexible and convenient, reducing labor intensity, and effectively decreasing the probability of bread dough damage from bumps, thus improving the appearance of the bread. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a second-view structural diagram of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal airflow principle of a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electric heating device arrangement according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of the support frame according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a second-view structural schematic diagram of the support frame according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a first-view structural diagram of the tray according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the tray structure from a second perspective, representing a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] In the attached diagram: 1. Box body, 11. Support legs, 12. Box door, 13. Box door handle, 2. Support frame, 21. Rotating shaft, 22. Support fan blade, 221. Lower baffle, 222. Side baffle, 223. Deflector plate, 3. Motor, 4. Humidification device, 41. Connecting pipe, 42. Humidification pipe, 5. Control device, 6. Electric heating device, 61. Heating body, 62. Heating element, 7. Temperature and humidity sensor, 8. Tray, 81. Tray bottom plate, 82. Tray edge protector, 83. Tray front handle, 84. Tray rear handle, 85. Positioning post. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specific embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this patent, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0029] like Figure 1-9 As shown, this invention discloses a bread proofing box, comprising a vertically cylindrical box body 1 and a support frame 2 vertically installed inside the box body 1; a plurality of support legs 11 are arranged in a circular array at the bottom of the box body 1; the support frame 2 includes a rotating shaft 21 vertically rotatable (via a sealed bearing) mounted on the axis of the box body 1 and a plurality of support fan blades 22 connected to the circumferential side of the rotating shaft 21, the support fan blades 22 being spirally fan-shaped (fan angle of 30-90 degrees), and the plurality of support fan blades 22 being spirally distributed along the circumferential side of the rotating shaft 21, the outer edge of the support fan blades 22 being flush with the circumferential side wall of the box body 1. It has a certain spacing; several electric heating devices 6 are arranged in a circular array at the bottom of the box 1; a humidifying pipe 42 is positioned and installed on the inner wall of the box 1; several spray holes are opened on the humidifying pipe 42; a humidifying device 4 connected to the humidifying pipe 42 and a motor 3 connected to the rotating shaft 21 are positioned and installed on the outside (top) of the box 1; an arc-shaped box door 12 (vertically narrow) is installed on the side of the box 1 by hinge; a box door handle 13 is connected to the box door 12; this bread production proofing box also includes several trays 8 that can be placed on the supporting fan 22 and used to support bread dough.

[0030] In use, place the bread dough on tray 8, place tray 8 on the corresponding support fan blade 22, and close the box door 12; start the electric heating device 6 and humidifying device 4, and control the motor 3 to drive the support frame 2 to rotate, so that the support fan blade 22 on the support frame 2 rotates slowly. The air in the middle (within the coverage area of ​​the support fan blade 22) flows downward under the fanning of the support fan blade 22, and is evenly heated by several electric heating devices 6 arranged in a ring array at the bottom. It also flows upward from the gap between the support fan blade 22 and the circumferential side wall of the box body 1 (the area not covered by the support fan blade 22), and at the same time drives the mist sprayed by the humidifying pipe 42 (spray hole) to flow from the top to the middle inside the box body 1, thereby forming a stable and uniform air circulation, so that the temperature and humidity inside the box body 1 are evenly distributed, avoiding local overheating or overcooling. This makes the bread dough that follows the rotation of the support fan blade 22 ferment more uniformly, improves the fermentation quality, and makes the temperature and humidity control more precise when the temperature and humidity are evenly distributed. In addition, by opening the box door 12 through the box door handle 13 and manually rotating the support frame 2, the bread dough (tray 8) can be put in and taken out, making the operation more flexible and convenient, reducing labor intensity, and effectively reducing the probability of bread dough being bumped and damaged, thus improving the appearance of bread production.

[0031] The rotating shaft 21 has several temperature and humidity sensors 7 spaced apart on its circumferential side; a control device 5 is installed at the bottom of the box 1; the control device 5 is connected to the temperature and humidity sensors 7, the motor 3, the humidifier 4, and the electric heating device 6. The temperature and humidity sensors 7 allow for real-time monitoring of temperature and humidity at different locations and heights within the box 1. Compared to the single-point or limited-point monitoring methods of traditional proofing boxes, this layout provides more comprehensive and accurate temperature and humidity data. Based on the precise data from the temperature and humidity sensors 7, the control device 5 can promptly and accurately regulate the rotation speed of the motor 3 (thus adjusting the rotation speed of the support frame 2, affecting the uniformity of heating and humidification of the bread dough, and controlling the adjustment speed), the humidification amount of the humidifier 4, and the heating power of the electric heating device 6, ensuring the consistency and quality of bread production.

[0032] like Figure 4As shown, the bottom surface of the box 1 has a smooth, convex shape in the middle, and there are rounded corners between the bottom surface and the sides of the box 1; there are also rounded corners between the top surface and the sides of the box 1. This reduces the right angles and sharp points on the inner walls of the box 1, allowing for smoother flow of hot air and moisture within the box 1, reducing the likelihood of dead air zones. Whether it's the rising hot air from the bottom electric heating device 6 or the circulating moisture from the humidifying pipe 42 within the box 1, it can be more evenly distributed in all corners of the box 1, further optimizing the uniformity of temperature and humidity. This helps the bread dough ferment more evenly, improving the consistency and quality of bread production. Furthermore, the rounded corners and the smooth, convex shape of the inner bottom surface effectively reduce unsanitary corners, preventing the accumulation of bread crumbs, moisture, and other impurities in corners that are difficult to clean, providing a cleaner environment for bread dough fermentation and indirectly ensuring the quality of the bread.

[0033] Furthermore, a water hole that can be controlled to open and close is provided at the lowest position of the bottom surface of the box 1, which can facilitate the drainage of water accumulated at the bottom.

[0034] like Figure 3 , 5 As shown, the electric heating device 6 includes a U-shaped heating body 61, with the horizontal section of the heating body 61 perpendicular to the radial direction of the housing 1; the air flowing downward from the middle diffuses outward from the bottom of the housing 1 and flows through the U-shaped heating body 61, thereby achieving sufficient and uniform heating.

[0035] Furthermore, the horizontal section of the heating body 61 is provided with a plurality of heating elements 62 perpendicular to it at intervals along its length. By increasing the contact area with air through the heating elements 62, the heating efficiency is improved, the heating rate is accelerated, and precise and stable temperature control is achieved.

[0036] Among them, the electric heating device 6 adopts a PTC ceramic heating structure, which has constant temperature characteristics to avoid overheating, and its energy consumption is 20%-30% lower than that of electric heating tubes. It has no risk of dry burning, and is energy-saving and safe. The heating temperature uniformity is good (error ≤ ±0.5℃).

[0037] Among them, such as Figure 3-4 As shown, the humidifying pipe 42 is arranged horizontally in a ring on the upper part of the inner circumference of the box 1, and is connected to the humidifying device 4 through the connecting pipe 41. This allows the moisture generated by the humidifying device 4 to pass evenly through the ring-shaped humidifying pipe 42 and be sprayed out from the nozzles on it. Because the humidifying pipe 42 surrounds the upper part of the inner circumference of the box 1, the sprayed moisture can be diffused relatively evenly from the center downwards to the area around the bread dough under the action of airflow, and diffused throughout the entire space of the box 1, effectively improving the uniformity of humidity distribution within the box 1, avoiding excessively high or low humidity in some areas, and thus ensuring that the bread dough is in a suitable and uniform humidity environment during fermentation.

[0038] Furthermore, the nozzles on the humidifying pipe 42 are inclined upwards and inwards, with an angle of 30 degrees between the nozzles and the side wall of the housing 1. This causes the moisture ejected from the nozzles to be sprayed upwards and towards the center, accompanied by airflow towards the center. Under the influence of gravity and the fan action of the supporting fan blades 22, it diffuses throughout the entire housing 1. This allows the moisture to have a wider initial diffusion range in the upper part of the housing 1, preventing moisture from concentrating in localized areas and further optimizing the uniform distribution of humidity within the housing 1.

[0039] The humidifier 4 uses ultrasonic humidification, which atomizes water into micron-sized particles using high-frequency ultrasonic vibrations, which are then blown into the housing 1 by a fan. Ultrasonic humidification results in finer mist (particle diameter ≤ 5μm), achieving humidity levels of 85%-95% with good uniformity. It also offers precise control and can be automatically started and stopped (controlled by the control device 5) with the temperature and humidity sensor 7, preventing over-humidification.

[0040] As shown in Figures 6-7, the outer edge of the supporting fan blade 22 has an upward-facing side guard 222, the lower radial edge has an upward-facing lower guard 221, and the higher radial edge has an upward-folded inclined guide plate 223. The guide plate 223 has an angle of 15-30 degrees with the horizontal plane, which is greater than the spiral tilt angle of the supporting fan blade 22 itself. The side guard 222, lower guard 221, and guide plate 223 can effectively limit the position of the tray 8, preventing it from shifting or slipping, ensuring the stability of the bread dough during the proofing process. Furthermore, the larger angle of the guide plate 223 can effectively reduce the downward airflow, which helps the air inside the box 1 to circulate quickly.

[0041] Furthermore, such as Figure 8-9 As shown, the tray 8 includes a tray base plate 81 adapted to the supporting fan plate 22. The edge of the tray base plate 81 is folded upward to form a tray guard 82; the inner tray guard 82 is arc-shaped to fit the rotating shaft 21. The tray 8 can support the bread dough, and the tray guard 82 can limit the position of the bread dough. Through the adaptation and fit between the tray base plate 81 and the supporting fan plate 22, and through the fit between the inner tray guard 82 and the rotating shaft 21, and through the side guard 222, the bottom guard 221, etc., the tray 8 is limited, thus achieving the accuracy, stability and reliability of the tray 8 placement.

[0042] Furthermore, a front handle 83 (higher than the side guard 222) is connected to the outer side of the outer pallet guard 82; a T-shaped rear pallet handle 84 is connected to the upper side of the inner pallet guard 82. The horizontal section of the rear pallet handle 84 is arc-shaped to match the pivot 21, and positioning posts 85 are provided on the inner sides of both ends of the horizontal section of the rear pallet handle 84. A slot (vertical strip) is provided on the side wall of the pivot 21 at the corresponding position to engage with the positioning posts 85. The front handle 83 and rear handle 84 of the tray make it easy for workers to grip, making it easier, more convenient, stable, and reliable to remove the tray 8 from or place it on the support fan 22, greatly reducing the labor intensity of workers. When the tray 8 is placed on the support fan 22, the positioning post 85 engages with the slot on the rotating shaft 21 to limit the movement, and the horizontal section of the rear handle 84 fits snugly against the rotating shaft 21, ensuring that the tray 8 is accurately positioned and reliably placed on the support fan 22. This prevents the tray 8 from shaking during the rotation of the support frame 2, providing a stable environment for the bread dough and preventing damage to the bread dough due to the shaking of the tray 8. This ensures that the bread dough can ferment normally and helps improve the consistency and quality of bread production.

[0043] When using this bread-producing proofing box, place the bread dough on the tray 8, place the tray 8 on the corresponding support fan blade 22, and close the box door 12; start the electric heating device 6 and the humidifying device 4, and control the motor 3 to drive the support frame 2 to rotate, so that the support fan blade 22 on the support frame 2 rotates slowly. The air in the middle (within the coverage area of ​​the support fan blade 22) flows downward under the fan of the support fan blade 22, and is evenly heated by several electric heating devices 6 arranged in a ring array at the bottom. The air also flows upward from the gap between the support fan blade 22 and the circumferential side wall of the box body 1 (the area not covered by the support fan blade 22), and at the same time, it drives the mist sprayed by the humidifying pipe 42 to flow from the top to the middle inside the box body 1, thereby forming a stable and uniform air circulation, so that the temperature and humidity inside the box body 1 are evenly distributed, avoiding local overheating or undercooling. This makes the bread dough that follows the rotation of the support fan blade 22 ferment more uniformly, improves the fermentation quality, and makes the temperature and humidity control more precise when the temperature and humidity are evenly distributed. In addition, by opening the box door 12 through the box door handle 13 and manually rotating the support frame 2, the bread dough (tray 8) can be put in and taken out, making the operation more flexible and convenient, reducing labor intensity, and effectively reducing the probability of bread dough being bumped and damaged, thus improving the appearance of bread production.

[0044] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A bread proofing box, comprising a box body (1) and a support frame (2) installed inside the box body (1); characterized in that, The box body (1) has a vertical cylindrical structure. The support frame (2) includes a rotating shaft (21) rotatably mounted on the axis of the box body (1) and several support fan blades (22) connected to the side of the rotating shaft (21). The support fan blades (22) are fan-shaped and spirally distributed along the side of the rotating shaft (21). Several electric heating devices (6) are arranged in a circular array at the bottom of the box body (1). A humidifying pipe (42) is positioned on the inner wall of the box body (1). Several spray holes are opened on the humidifying pipe (42). A humidifying device (4) connected to the humidifying pipe (42) and a motor (3) connected to the rotating shaft (21) are positioned on the box body (1). A box door (12) is provided on the side of the box body (1). A box door handle (13) is connected to the box door (12). It also includes several trays (8) that can be placed on the support fan blades (22) and used for supporting bread dough. The humidifying pipe (42) is arranged in a ring horizontally on the upper part of the inner wall of the box (1); the spray hole on the humidifying pipe (42) is inclined upward and inward; the angle between the spray hole and the side wall of the box (1) is 30 degrees. The outer edge of the bearing fan blade (22) is provided with a side baffle (222), the lower radial edge is provided with a lower baffle (221), and the higher radial edge is provided with an upwardly folded inclined guide plate (223); the angle between the guide plate (223) and the horizontal plane is 15-30 degrees, which is greater than the spiral tilt angle of the bearing fan blade (22) itself. The electric heating device (6) includes a heating body (61) in the shape of a U-shape, and the horizontal section of the heating body (61) is perpendicular to the radial direction of the box (1); The heating body (61) has several heating elements (62) spaced at intervals on its horizontal section.

2. The bread proofing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the box (1) is smooth and protruding in the middle. The bottom surface of the box (1) and its side surface are provided with a transition rounded corner. The top surface of the box (1) and its side surface are provided with a transition rounded corner.

3. The bread proofing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, Several temperature and humidity sensors (7) are spaced apart on the side of the rotating shaft (21); a control device (5) is also positioned and installed on the housing (1); the control device (5) is connected to the temperature and humidity sensors (7), the motor (3), the humidification device (4) and the electric heating device (6) respectively.

4. The bread proofing box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pallet (8) includes a pallet base plate (81) adapted to the bearing fan plate (22), and the pallet base plate (81) has a pallet guard (82) folded upward on the edge; the inner pallet guard (82) is an arc shape adapted to the pivot (21).

5. The bread proofing box according to claim 4, characterized in that, The outer side of the pallet guard (82) is connected to the front handle (83); the upper side of the inner side of the pallet guard (82) is connected to a T-shaped rear handle (84). The horizontal section of the rear handle (84) is an arc shape that matches the pivot (21), and the inner side of the horizontal section of the rear handle (84) is provided with a positioning post (85). The pivot (21) is provided with a slot that can engage with the positioning post (85).

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