Soybean soaking equipment for bean curd stick production

Abstract

The invention provides soybean soaking equipment for bean curd stick production, which is applied to the field of soybean soaking equipment, and is characterized by comprising a soaking mechanism for soaking soybeans, the soaking mechanism comprises a soaking tank, a water level monitoring module arranged in the soaking tank and used for monitoring the water level in the soaking tank, a water temperature monitoring module arranged in the soaking tank and used for monitoring the water temperature in the soaking tank, and a soaking basket soaked in the soaking tank, and soybeans are contained in the soaking basket; a vibration driving part for driving the soaking basket to vibrate up and down so as to turn over the soybeans in the soaking basket is arranged on the soaking tank; the soybean soaking device has the technical effects that through cooperation of the water level monitoring module, the water temperature monitoring module, the vibration driving part and the soaking basket, automatic control over soybean soaking is achieved, and then soybean soaking is more uniform; and through the automatic feeding device, the screening device, the cleaning device and the conveying mechanism, full-automatic continuous production from feeding, stone removing, cleaning to soaking is achieved, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of soybean soaking equipment technology, and in particular to a soybean soaking equipment for the production of dried bean curd sticks. Background Technology

[0002] As a high-quality plant protein food, the first and most crucial step in the production process of dried bean curd sticks is the soaking of soybeans. The purpose of soaking is to allow the soybeans to fully absorb water, soften the cell structure, and lay the foundation for subsequent grinding and protein extraction. The quality of soaking directly affects the protein extraction rate, the yield of dried bean curd sticks, and the quality of the final product.

[0003] Currently, in the tofu skin production industry, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises, the soaking methods for soybeans are still relatively traditional and outdated. Roughly selected soybeans are put into cement pools, large plastic buckets, or simple metal containers for soaking. Soybeans settle and accumulate naturally in still water, easily forming clumps. The water pressure and water flow of the upper and lower layers of soybeans are different, resulting in uneven water absorption rates and expansion. Some soybeans may be over-soaked, causing their skins to crack and become rancid, while others may remain hard in the center due to insufficient water absorption. This uneven soaking directly leads to uneven particle size in subsequent grinding, insufficient protein extraction, and consequently affects the yield and quality stability of the tofu skin. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a soybean soaking device for the production of dried bean curd sticks. Its advantage is that it realizes the automated control of soybean soaking, thereby making the soybean soaking more uniform.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A soybean soaking device for making dried bean curd sticks includes a soaking mechanism for soaking soybeans. The soaking mechanism includes a soaking tank, a water level monitoring module installed in the soaking tank for monitoring the water level, a water temperature monitoring module installed in the soaking tank for monitoring the water temperature, and a soaking basket soaked in the soaking tank, wherein the soybeans are placed in the soaking basket. The soaking tank is provided with a vibration drive component that drives the soaking basket to vibrate up and down to agitate the soybeans in the soaking basket.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the water level monitoring module includes an inlet pipe disposed on the soaking tank and connected to an external water source, an electric valve disposed on the inlet pipe and used to control the opening or closing of the inlet pipe, and a water level sensor disposed in the soaking tank and electrically connected to the electric valve.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the water temperature control module includes a heating coil coiled on the inner wall of the soaking tank and a temperature sensor disposed in the soaking tank and electrically connected to the heating coil.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a microporous aeration head is provided at the bottom of the soaking tank.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, guide grooves are vertically provided on the side walls on both sides of the soaking tank, and guide slides that slide and cooperate with the guide grooves are fixedly provided on both sides of the soaking basket.

[0011] The vibration drive consists of two drive cylinders that are vertically fixed on the two side walls of the soaking tank, and a support plate is fixedly installed on the piston rod of the two drive cylinders; the support plate is in contact with the guide slide.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the invention further includes multiple soaking mechanisms, an automatic feeding device for automatically conveying soybeans, a screening device for removing impurities from soybeans, a washing device for washing the screened soybeans, and a conveying mechanism for conveying the washed soybeans to a washing tank.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the automatic feeding device includes a storage hopper and a lifting and conveying mechanism disposed in the storage hopper for conveying soybeans in the storage hopper.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the screening device is a gravity destoner.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning device includes a cleaning frame, a cleaning roller rotatably mounted on the cleaning frame, a drive motor fixed on the cleaning frame for driving the cleaning roller to rotate, and a water spray pipe fixed on the inner wall of the cleaning frame above the cleaning roller.

[0016] One end of the inlet of the washing cage is connected to one end of the outlet of the screening device, and one end of the outlet of the washing cage is connected to the conveying mechanism.

[0017] A spiral guide plate is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the cleaning cage, spirally arranged from one end of the cleaning cage inlet to one end of the cleaning cage outlet.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the conveying mechanism includes a dispensing hopper and a dispensing drive member disposed on the soaking mechanism and used to drive the dispensing hopper to reciprocate on a plurality of soaking mechanisms;

[0019] The bottom of the material distribution hopper is equipped with a material distribution pipe, and an electric material distribution valve is installed on the material distribution pipe.

[0020] As described above, the soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. The soaking tank is used to store water. Soybeans are placed in the soaking basket and soaked in the soaking tank. The water level monitoring module is used to monitor the water level in the soaking tank to ensure that the water level in the soaking tank is within the preset range. The water temperature monitoring module is used to monitor the water temperature in the soaking tank, thereby achieving constant temperature soaking of soybeans and avoiding the influence of external ambient temperature changes on the soaking time of soybeans. The vibration drive is used to drive the soaking basket to vibrate up and down in the soaking tank to turn the soybeans in the soaking basket, thereby making the soybeans soak more evenly and realizing the automated control of soybean soaking, which significantly improves the subsequent protein extraction rate and the yield and quality of dried bean curd.

[0022] 2. The bottom of the soaking tank is equipped with microporous aeration heads to prevent anaerobic fermentation of the soaked soybeans;

[0023] 3. The automatic feeding device enables automatic transportation of soybeans, the screening device removes impurities from the soybeans, and the washing device cleans the soybeans, realizing continuous operation of conveying, impurity removal, washing, and soaking, resulting in high production efficiency and good production quality. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the soaking mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the soaking mechanism of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the soaking basket according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the cleaning device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0030] Reference numerals: 1. Soaking tank; 2. Soaking basket; 3. Vibration drive component; 4. Water inlet pipe; 5. Heating coil; 6. Microporous aeration head; 7. Guide chute; 8. Guide slide; 81. Slide rod; 82. U-shaped frame; 11. Pallet; 12. Soaking mechanism; 13. Automatic feeding device; 131. Storage hopper; 132. Lifting and conveying mechanism; 14. Screening device; 15. Cleaning device; 152. Cleaning rack; 153. Cleaning roller; 154. Drive motor; 155. Water spray pipe; 156. Spiral guide plate; 157. Sewage pipe; 16. Conveying mechanism; 161. Distribution hopper; 162. Distribution drive component; 17. Drainage pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0032] Please see Figures 1 to 6 It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and to facilitate understanding and reading. They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness and purpose of the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this invention. Furthermore, the terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," and "one" used in this specification are merely for clarity and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention's implementation.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 This invention provides a soybean soaking device for making dried bean curd sticks, including a soaking mechanism 12 for soaking soybeans. The soaking mechanism 12 includes a soaking tank 1, a water level monitoring module, a water temperature monitoring module, and a soaking basket 2. Both the soaking tank 1 and the soaking basket 2 are made of food-grade stainless steel to ensure safety and hygiene. Soybeans are placed in the soaking basket 2, and the soaking basket 2 is placed in the soaking tank 1 to soak the soybeans.

[0035] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The water level monitoring module is installed in the soaking tank 1 and is used to monitor the water level line in the soaking tank 1. The water level monitoring module includes an inlet pipe 4, an electric valve, and a water level sensor. The inlet pipe 4 is installed on the soaking tank 1 and connected to an external water source. The electric valve is installed on the inlet pipe 4. The water level sensor is installed on the inner wall of the soaking tank 1. In this embodiment, the water level sensor can be a float type or a capacitive type water level sensor. The water level sensor (not shown in the figure) and the electric valve are electrically (not shown in the figure) connected to the central controller (not shown in the figure). When the water level sensor detects that the water level is lower than the preset lower limit, the controller instructs the electric valve to open and inject water. When the water level reaches the preset upper limit, the controller instructs the electric valve to close, thereby realizing the automatic maintenance of the water level.

[0036] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3The water temperature monitoring module is installed in the soaking tank 1 to monitor the water temperature and achieve constant temperature soaking. The water temperature control module includes a heating coil 5 and a temperature sensor (not shown in the figure). The heating coil 5 is coiled around the outer or inner wall of the soaking tank 1. In this embodiment, the heating coil 5 is coiled around the inner wall of the soaking tank 1. The temperature sensor is immersed in water and fixed to the inner wall of the soaking tank 1. The temperature sensor and the heating coil 5 are electrically connected to the central controller. The central controller controls the on / off of the heating coil 5 based on the preset soaking temperature (30°C in this embodiment) and the feedback from the temperature sensor, so as to accurately maintain the water temperature within the set range. It is not affected by the external ambient temperature and can adapt to different seasons and ambient temperatures, ensuring the stability and repeatability of the production process.

[0037] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The soaking tank 1 is equipped with a vibration drive 3 that drives the soaking basket 2 to vibrate up and down, so as to turn the soybeans in the soaking basket 2 and make the soybeans soak more evenly. A pair of guide grooves 7 are vertically opened on both sides of the side wall of the soaking tank 1. Correspondingly, guide slides 8 that slide and cooperate with the guide grooves 7 are welded and fixed on both sides of the soaking basket 2. The guide slides 8 in this embodiment include two slide rods 81 welded and fixed on the soaking basket 2 and a U-shaped frame 82 integrally formed with the two slide rods 81. The U-shaped frame 82 is placed on the guide grooves 7, so that the soaking basket 2 hangs in the soaking tank 1.

[0038] In this embodiment, a drain pipe 17 is provided at the bottom of the soaking tank 1, and a valve (not shown in the figure) is provided on the drain pipe 17.

[0039] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The vibration drive component 3 consists of two drive cylinders that are vertically fixed on the two side walls of the soaking tank 1. A support plate 11 is fixedly installed at the top of the piston rod of the two drive cylinders. In the natural state, the support plate 11 supports the U-shaped frame 82, so that the soaking basket 2 is suspended in the water. During operation, the central controller controls the piston rod of the drive cylinder to make a small reciprocating motion (such as a stroke of 10-15 cm) according to a preset program (such as every 15-20 minutes). The support plate 11 drives the soaking basket 2 and the soybeans inside to vibrate up and down along the guide slide 7, thereby effectively breaking the static accumulation of soybeans, turning them over, and ensuring uniform water absorption.

[0040] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3To further optimize the soaking environment, multiple microporous aeration heads 6 are installed at the bottom of the soaking tank 1. The microporous aeration heads 6 are connected to an external air pump (not shown in the figure) through an air pipe. During the soaking process, the air pump can be started intermittently, and the microporous aeration heads 6 release a large number of fine bubbles. On the one hand, the bubbles can cause slight disturbance to the water flow and help to turn the soybeans; on the other hand, they can increase the dissolved oxygen in the water, effectively preventing the soybeans from undergoing anaerobic fermentation and rancidity due to prolonged soaking.

[0041] The working process of this embodiment is briefly described as follows: The operator can put soybeans into the soaking basket 2, and then lower the soaking basket 2 along the guide slide 7 so that it is supported by the support plate 11; the water level, water temperature and vibration cycle are set by the central controller; the equipment starts to run automatically: water is injected to the specified water level, heated to the set temperature, and the drive cylinder is started in a cycle to make the soaking basket 2 vibrate. At the same time, the microporous aeration head 6 works intermittently. After soaking is completed, the soaking basket 2 is lifted and the soaked soybeans are taken out, and the next process can be carried out.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 This embodiment also includes multiple soaking mechanisms 12, automatic feeding devices 13, screening devices 14, washing devices 15, and conveying mechanisms 16, forming a continuous pretreatment production line.

[0044] The automatic feeding device 13 in this embodiment includes a storage hopper 131 and a lifting and conveying mechanism 16132 fixedly installed inside the storage hopper 131. The lifting and conveying mechanism 16132 in this embodiment can be a bucket elevator, which is used to automatically lift the raw soybeans to the subsequent equipment.

[0045] In this embodiment, the screening device 14 is preferably a gravity destoner. The discharge port of the lifting conveyor 16132 is connected to the inlet of the gravity destoner. The gravity destoner uses the principles of vibration and airflow to efficiently remove heavy impurities such as stones and metal particles from soybeans, thus purifying the soybeans.

[0046] Please see Figure 5 and Figure 6The washing device 15 includes a washing frame 152, a washing cage, a drive motor 154, and a water spray pipe 155. The washing cage 153 is rotatably mounted on the washing frame 152 via bearings. The drive motor 154 is bolted to the washing frame 152 and drives the washing cage 153 to rotate at a uniform speed through the transmission of a belt and pulley. The water spray pipe 155 is bolted to the inner wall of the washing frame 152 above the washing cage 153. The water spray pipe 155 is equipped with several nozzles that spray the soybeans in the washing cage 153. A drain pipe 157 is provided at the bottom of the washing frame 152 to discharge the wastewater after washing the soybeans in the washing frame 152. The feed inlet of the washing cage 153 is connected to the discharge outlet of the gravity destoner, so that the pure soybeans screened by the gravity destoner can directly enter the washing cage 153.

[0047] A spiral guide plate 156 is bolted to the inner wall of the cleaning drum 153. The spiral guide plate 156 extends spirally from the feed port side of the cleaning drum 153 to the discharge port side of the cleaning drum 153. The spiral guide plate 156 enables the soybeans to tumble, be washed and conveyed forward under the guidance of the spiral guide plate 156 when the cleaning drum 153 rotates, so that the washed soybeans are discharged from the discharge port side of the cleaning drum 153 into the conveying mechanism 16.

[0048] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The conveying mechanism 16 is used to distribute the washed soybeans to one or more soaking mechanisms 12. The conveying mechanism 16 includes a distributing hopper 161 and a distributing drive 162. The distributing hopper 161 is located below the discharge port of the washing drum 153. A distributing pipe is welded and fixed at the center of the bottom of the distributing hopper 161. An electric distributing valve electrically connected to the central controller is installed on the distributing pipe. In this embodiment, the distributing drive 162 can be a linear module or a servo motor driven trolley. The distributing drive 162 drives the distributing hopper 161 to move back and forth above the multiple soaking mechanisms 12. When it is necessary to feed soybeans into a certain soaking basket 2, the distributing drive 162 moves the distributing hopper 161 above it and then opens the electric distributing valve, and the soybeans fall into the soaking basket 2.

[0049] The working process of this embodiment is briefly described as follows: Raw soybeans are poured into the storage hopper 131 and sent to the gravity destoner for impurity removal via the lifting and conveying mechanism 16132. The purified soybeans enter the continuously rotating washing drum 153, and are washed and conveyed to the end distribution hopper 161 under the spray water rinsing and spiral propulsion. The central controller controls the distribution drive 162 to move the distribution hopper 161 above the designated empty soaking mechanism 12 and opens the electric distribution valve to complete the feeding. Subsequently, the soaking mechanism 12 automatically executes the soaking process as in Embodiment 1. The whole process realizes fully automated continuous production from feeding, destoning, washing to soaking, which greatly improves efficiency and hygiene level.

[0050] In summary, this invention effectively solves the problems of uneven soaking and easy spoilage in traditional soaking methods by combining vibration and constant temperature control. The further integrated automated production line significantly improves the modernization level of dried bean curd production.

[0051] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A soybean soaking device for producing dried bean curd sticks, characterized in that: The device includes a soaking mechanism (12) for soaking soybeans. The soaking mechanism (12) includes a soaking tank (1), a water level monitoring module installed in the soaking tank (1) for monitoring the water level in the soaking tank (1), a water temperature monitoring module installed in the soaking tank (1) for monitoring the water temperature in the soaking tank (1), and a soaking basket (2) soaked in the soaking tank (1). The soybeans are placed in the soaking basket (2). The soaking tank (1) is provided with a vibration drive (3) for driving the soaking basket (2) to vibrate up and down so that the soybeans in the soaking basket (2) are turned over.

2. The soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water level monitoring module includes an inlet pipe (4) installed on the soaking tank (1) and connected to an external water source, an electric valve installed on the inlet pipe (4) for controlling the opening or closing of the inlet pipe (4), and a water level sensor installed in the soaking tank (1) and electrically connected to the electric valve.

3. The soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The water temperature control module includes a heating coil (5) coiled on the inner wall of the soaking tank (1) and a temperature sensor installed in the soaking tank (1) and electrically connected to the heating coil (5).

4. The soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the soaking tank (1) is provided with a microporous aeration head (6).

5. The soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The soaking tank (1) has vertically opened guide grooves (7) on both sides of the side walls, and the soaking basket (2) has guide slides (8) fixedly installed on both sides, which slide and cooperate with the guide grooves (7); The vibration drive component (3) consists of two drive cylinders that are vertically fixed on the two side walls of the soaking tank (1). A support plate (11) is fixedly installed on the piston rod of the two drive cylinders. The support plate (11) is in contact with the guide slide (8).

6. A soybean soaking device for producing dried bean curd sticks according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: It also includes multiple soaking mechanisms (12), an automatic feeding device (13) for automatically conveying soybeans, a screening device (14) for removing impurities from soybeans, a washing device (15) for washing the screened soybeans, and a conveying mechanism (16) for conveying the washed soybeans to the washing tank.

7. The soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 6, characterized in that: The automatic feeding device (13) includes a storage hopper (131) and a lifting and conveying mechanism (16)(132) disposed in the storage hopper (131) for conveying soybeans in the storage hopper (131).

8. The soybean soaking equipment for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 6, characterized in that: The screening device (14) is a gravity destoner.

9. A soybean soaking device for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cleaning device (15) includes a cleaning frame (152), a cleaning roller (153) rotatably mounted on the cleaning frame (152), a drive motor (154) fixed on the cleaning frame (152) and used to drive the cleaning roller (153) to rotate, and a water spray pipe (155) fixed on the inner wall of the cleaning frame (152) above the cleaning roller. The inlet of the washing cage is connected to the outlet of the screening device (14), and the outlet of the washing cage is connected to the conveying mechanism (16). A spiral guide plate (156) is fixedly installed on the inner wall of the cleaning cage, spirally arranged from one end of the cleaning cage inlet to one end of the cleaning cage outlet.

10. A soybean soaking device for making dried bean curd sticks according to claim 6, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism (16) includes a dispensing hopper (161) and a dispensing drive (162) disposed on the soaking mechanism (12) and used to drive the dispensing hopper (161) to reciprocate on multiple soaking mechanisms (12); The bottom of the material distribution hopper (161) is provided with a material distribution pipe, and an electric material distribution valve is provided on the material distribution pipe.

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