An energy-saving quick-freezing equipment and method for surimi products

Abstract

This invention discloses an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment and method for surimi products, belonging to the technical field of quick-freezing equipment. It includes a housing with an inlet on one side wall and an outlet on the other. A conveyor belt is installed on the housing, and perforated trays are evenly placed on the conveyor belt. The width of the perforated trays is greater than the width of the conveyor belt. A liquid nitrogen pipeline is connected to the top wall of the housing, with one end extending into the housing and connected to a spray assembly. A solenoid valve is installed on the spray assembly. An exhaust pipe is connected to the bottom of the side wall of the housing, and a pressure balancing valve is installed on the exhaust pipe. This invention, through the lifting design of the perforated trays, completely exposes the bottom of the surimi products. Combined with "intermittent conveying + on-demand spraying + stop-spray buffering" control, it achieves simultaneous cooling from top to bottom, shortening the quick-freezing cycle. Furthermore, it reduces liquid nitrogen consumption, decreases frost formation, and significantly reduces defrosting energy consumption, resulting in outstanding dual energy-saving effects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of quick-freezing equipment technology, specifically to an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products and its quick-freezing method. Background Technology

[0002] Surimi products are foods made from fish meat as the core raw material, processed through grinding, shaping, and quick-freezing. Due to their tender texture and rich nutrition, they have become one of the mainstream products in the modern aquatic product processing industry. Quick-freezing is a crucial step in surimi product production, directly determining the product's quality stability. With the food industry's increasing demands for quick-freezing efficiency and quality, liquid nitrogen quick-freezing technology, with its ultra-low temperature characteristics of -196℃, rapid freezing speed (freezing rate can reach 10-15cm / h), and uniform cold transfer, is gradually replacing traditional Freon refrigeration quick-freezing equipment, becoming the preferred technology solution for the production of mid-to-high-end surimi products. Existing liquid nitrogen quick-freezing equipment mostly adopts a "spray-type" structure, that is, through atomizing nozzles on the top or side of the chamber, liquid nitrogen is converted into a fine mist and sprayed directly onto the surface of the surimi products carried on the conveyor belt. Rapid cooling is achieved by utilizing the heat absorption of liquid nitrogen vaporization. This technology has achieved significant results in improving the frozen quality of surimi products.

[0003] However, in practical industrial applications, existing spray-type liquid nitrogen quick-freezing equipment still suffers from two major technical defects that urgently need to be addressed, hindering further improvements in its energy efficiency and production efficiency:

[0004] Firstly, the low freezing efficiency at the bottom of surimi products prolongs the overall quick-freezing cycle. In existing equipment, surimi products move continuously or intermittently via conveyor belts, with the bottom of the products in direct contact with the belt surface. Although some equipment uses a perforated belt design, the heat conduction efficiency of the belt itself is far lower than the convective heat transfer efficiency of liquid nitrogen droplets. Furthermore, during operation, the belt is prone to localized temperatures higher than the low-temperature atmosphere inside the chamber due to environmental heat exchange, creating a "cold transfer bottleneck" at the bottom of the products. This results in the bottom of the surimi products needing an additional 2-3 minutes to reach the same temperature, increasing the overall quick-freezing time and making the product more susceptible to uneven freezing, leading to the formation of large, needle-like ice crystals inside. This, in turn, causes quality problems such as increased juice loss and decreased elasticity after thawing.

[0005] Secondly, the continuous liquid nitrogen spraying mode results in significant waste of cooling capacity and increased operating costs. Existing equipment typically employs a "continuous spraying throughout" control logic, meaning that liquid nitrogen is sprayed at a constant flow rate regardless of whether the conveyor belt carries surimi products or whether the products have reached the freezing endpoint. This mode exhibits significant waste in two scenarios: First, when the equipment is in a "material change interval" or the conveyor belt is idling, liquid nitrogen is sprayed directly onto the empty belt, and the vaporized nitrogen is discharged without participating in the product cooling, resulting in a 25%–35% increase in liquid nitrogen consumption; second, when the surface and center of the surimi product have reached the freezing endpoint of -18°C, the continuously sprayed liquid nitrogen can only excessively lower the product temperature to below -30°C, offering no quality gain and further exacerbating the waste of cooling capacity. Meanwhile, excessive liquid nitrogen spraying can also accelerate the frosting speed of the evaporator and mesh belt surface of the chamber, forcing the equipment to frequently start the defrosting program. Defrosting energy consumption accounts for 15% to 20% of the total energy consumption of the equipment, forming a vicious cycle of "liquid nitrogen waste - accelerated frosting - increased energy consumption". Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment and method for surimi products, solving the following technical problems: In the processing of surimi products, existing spray-type liquid nitrogen quick-freezing equipment suffers from low quick-freezing efficiency and uneven quality due to "obstructed cold energy transfer at the bottom". Furthermore, "continuous spray control" leads to serious waste of liquid nitrogen and energy. These problems not only increase the production and operating costs of enterprises, but also limit the promotion and application of liquid nitrogen quick-freezing technology in small and medium-sized surimi product processing plants.

[0007] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] An energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products includes a box body. A feed inlet is provided on one side wall of the box body, and a discharge outlet is provided on the other side wall. A conveyor belt is installed on the box body, and mesh trays are evenly placed on the conveyor belt. The width of the mesh trays is greater than the width of the conveyor belt. A liquid nitrogen pipeline is connected to the top wall of the box body. One end of the liquid nitrogen pipeline extends into the box body and is connected to a spray assembly. A solenoid valve is installed on the spray assembly. An exhaust pipe is connected to the bottom of the side wall of the box body, and a pressure balancing valve is installed on the exhaust pipe.

[0009] The bottom wall of the box is symmetrically equipped with lifting components for lifting the mesh tray. One of the lifting components is fixed with a lifting rod. A first wedge block is rotatably installed on the top of the lifting rod. A vertical plate is fixed on the top wall of the box. A movable block is movably arranged on the vertical plate. A second wedge block is installed on one side wall of the movable block. A groove is opened on the side wall of the vertical plate near the second wedge block. A touch switch is installed in the groove. The touch switch is electrically connected to a solenoid valve. A suction cup is installed on the side wall of the movable block near the vertical plate. A squeezing block is installed in the suction cup. Microholes are opened on the suction cup.

[0010] The housing is also equipped with an adjustment component for adjusting the angle of the first wedge block.

[0011] As a further aspect of the present invention, a shielding curtain is provided at both the inlet and outlet of the box.

[0012] As a further aspect of the present invention: the lifting assembly includes an electric push rod installed on the bottom wall of the housing, the output shaft of the electric push rod extending into the housing and being fitted with a lifting frame, and the lifting rod being fixed to the top of the lifting frame.

[0013] As a further aspect of the present invention: the top of the lifting rod is provided with an installation groove, a rotating shaft is rotatably installed in the installation groove, a rotating rod is fixed on the rotating shaft, the first wedge block is fixed on the side wall of the rotating rod, the adjustment assembly includes a gear installed at one end of the rotating shaft and a vertical rod fixed on the top wall of the housing, the top wall of the vertical rod is provided with a rack, and the rack meshes with the gear, and a top rod is also fixed on the top wall of the housing, and the top rod is located on one side of the lifting rod.

[0014] As a further aspect of the present invention: two movable rods are movably arranged on the upright plate, one end of the two movable rods is fixedly connected to the movable block, and the other end is equipped with a limit block. A spring is fitted on the movable rod, and the spring is located between the upright plate and the movable block.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention: a first magnet is fixed to one side of the top of the rotating rod, an installation rod is fixed to one side of the top of the lifting rod, an installation block is fixed to one end of the installation rod, and a second magnet is installed on the side wall of the installation block near the first magnet, and the first magnet and the second magnet attract each other.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention: the spraying assembly includes a collection box connected to a liquid nitrogen pipeline, and nozzles are arrayed on the bottom wall of the collection box.

[0017] A quick-freezing method for an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products includes the following steps:

[0018] S1. The formed surimi products are evenly placed in a mesh tray and then fed into the box by a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt moves intermittently.

[0019] S2. When the mesh tray containing the surimi product moves directly under the spray assembly, the lifting assembly lifts the mesh tray. At the same time, the first and second wedge blocks come into contact, causing the suction cup to adhere to the upright plate. The squeezing block touches the touch switch to open the solenoid valve. Liquid nitrogen enters the spray assembly through the liquid nitrogen pipeline and is atomized into a fine mist, which is directly and evenly sprayed onto the surface of the surimi product. The liquid nitrogen vaporizes and absorbs heat to freeze quickly.

[0020] S3. As the adjustment component rotates the first wedge block, the presence of micropores allows air to slowly enter the suction cup, the suction cup gradually detaches from the upright plate, the squeezing block disengages from the touch switch, the solenoid valve closes to stop the supply of liquid nitrogen, and after quick freezing is completed, the lifting component drives the mesh tray to reset, and the first wedge block also automatically resets via the adjustment component.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0022] (1) This invention completely changes the problem of liquid nitrogen waste caused by continuous spraying in existing equipment through the collaborative design of "intermittent conveying + on-demand spraying control". On the one hand, the solenoid valve is triggered to open and supply liquid nitrogen only when the mesh tray moves to the bottom of the spraying component and is lifted and positioned, avoiding ineffective spraying during the empty conveying stroke, material change interval and other stages without products, and reducing the loss of empty liquid nitrogen; on the other hand, the precise control mode of "continuous spraying in the first half and stop spraying buffering in the second half" is adopted. In the first half, the temperature of the surimi product is quickly reduced to below the ice crystal formation zone by liquid nitrogen spraying. In the second half, the residual low temperature nitrogen in the box is used to complete the residual cold conduction. The freezing endpoint can be reached without continuous spraying, and the liquid nitrogen consumption is reduced. At the same time, the precise control of the liquid nitrogen spraying volume reduces the frost formation rate inside the box (the frost thickness growth rate is reduced by 50%), reduces the equipment defrosting frequency and defrosting energy consumption, and forms a dual energy-saving effect of "liquid nitrogen saving - frost reduction - defrosting energy saving", which significantly reduces the equipment operating cost;

[0023] (2) This invention lifts the mesh tray, allowing the bottom of the surimi product to detach from the conveyor belt and be fully exposed. Combined with the cooling permeability of the mesh tray, liquid nitrogen droplets can directly contact the bottom of the product through the mesh, completely breaking the bottleneck of cold transfer caused by the contact between the bottom and the conveyor belt in the prior art. Compared with the problem of the bottom freezing delay of 2-3 minutes in the existing equipment, this invention achieves simultaneous cooling of the upper and lower surfaces of the surimi product, shortens the overall quick-freezing cycle, and controls the temperature difference between the center and the surface of the product within 2°C, avoiding the formation of large ice crystals caused by uneven local freezing and ensuring the integrity of the surimi protein colloidal network structure;

[0024] (3) This invention cleverly utilizes the slow heat exchange characteristics of low-temperature nitrogen through the design of "second half spray stop buffer," avoiding the problems of instantaneous hardening of the product surface and excessive internal temperature difference caused by continuous liquid nitrogen spraying. During the spray stop phase, the internal heat of the surimi product is gradually conducted outward, the temperature gradient between the surface and the interior gradually decreases, and the thermal stress is fully released, effectively reducing the cracking rate of high-moisture surimi products. At the same time, the rapid and uniform freezing process preserves the myosin activity in the surimi to the greatest extent, improving the product's elasticity, tender taste, and nutritional value, especially meeting the quality requirements of high-end ready-to-eat surimi products. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a first-view structural diagram of the entire invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a second-view structural diagram of the entire invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the housing of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0030] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the middle;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a first-view structural schematic diagram of the upright plate of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second-view structure of the upright plate of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting rod and gear of the present invention.

[0034] In the diagram: 1. Box body; 2. Conveyor belt; 3. Mesh tray; 4. Shielding curtain; 5. Exhaust pipe; 6. Liquid nitrogen pipeline; 7. Solenoid valve; 8. Spray assembly; 9. Electric push rod; 10. Lifting frame; 11. Lifting rod; 12. Rotating shaft; 13. Rotating rod; 14. First wedge block; 15. Vertical plate; 16. Movable rod; 17. Movable block; 18. Second wedge block; 19. Suction cup; 20. Spring; 21. Micro-hole; 22. Groove; 23. Touch switch; 24. Extrusion block; 25. Gear; 26. Vertical rod; 27. Rack; 28. First magnet; 29. ​​Mounting rod; 30. Mounting block; 31. Second magnet; 32. Top rod.

[0035] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate this embodiment, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual size and shape of the product. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] Please see Figures 1 to 8As shown, this invention relates to an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment and method for surimi products, comprising a housing 1, with an inlet on one side wall and an outlet on the other side wall. Both the inlet and outlet of the housing 1 are equipped with baffles 4. A conveyor belt 2 is installed on the housing 1, and perforated trays 3 are evenly placed on the conveyor belt 2. The width of the perforated trays 3 is greater than the width of the conveyor belt 2. A liquid nitrogen pipeline 6 is connected to the top wall of the housing 1, with one end of the liquid nitrogen pipeline 6 extending into the housing 1 and connected to a spray nozzle. The spray assembly 8 includes a collection box connected to the liquid nitrogen pipeline 6, with nozzles arrayed on the bottom wall of the collection box; a solenoid valve 7 is installed on the spray assembly 8, and an exhaust pipe 5 is connected to the bottom of the side wall of the housing 1, with a pressure balancing valve installed on the exhaust pipe 5; lifting assemblies are symmetrically installed on the bottom wall of the housing 1 for lifting the mesh tray 3, one of the lifting assemblies is fixed with a lifting rod 11, and the lifting assembly includes an electric push rod 9 installed on the bottom wall of the housing 1, with the output shaft of the electric push rod 9 extending... The housing 1 is fitted with a lifting frame 10, and a lifting rod 11 is fixed to the top of the lifting frame 10. A first wedge block 14 is rotatably mounted on the top of the lifting rod 11. A vertical plate 15 is fixed to the top wall of the housing 1, and a movable block 17 is movably mounted on the vertical plate 15. Two movable rods 16 are movably mounted on the vertical plate 15. One end of each movable rod 16 is fixedly connected to the movable block 17, and a limit block is installed on the other end of each rod. A spring 20 is fitted on the movable rod 16, and the spring 20 is located between the vertical plate 15 and the movable block 17. Between the movable blocks 17; a second wedge block 18 is installed on one side wall of the movable block 17, and a groove 22 is provided on the side wall of the upright plate 15 near the second wedge block 18. A touch switch 23 is installed in the groove 22 and is electrically connected to the solenoid valve 7. A suction cup 19 is installed on the side wall of the movable block 17 near the upright plate 15. A pressing block 24 is installed in the suction cup 19, and microholes 21 are provided on the suction cup 19. An adjustment component is also provided on the housing 1 for adjusting the angle of the first wedge block 14.Initially, solenoid valve 7 is closed. Liquid nitrogen is supplied via liquid nitrogen pipeline 6, and the formed surimi products are evenly placed in the mesh tray 3. They are then fed into the box 1 via conveyor belt 2, which moves intermittently. When the mesh tray 3 containing the surimi products moves directly below the spray assembly 8, the electric push rod 9 of the lifting assembly pushes the lifting frame 10 to rise, lifting the mesh tray 3. The lifting rod 11 rises along with the lifting frame 10. The first wedge block 14 gradually contacts the second wedge block 18 and pushes the second wedge block 18 to move. The shaped block 18 pushes the movable block 17 and suction cup 19 towards the upright plate 15, causing the suction cup 19 to adhere to the upright plate 15. At the same time, the squeezing block 24 touches the touch switch 23 to open the solenoid valve 7. Liquid nitrogen enters the spray assembly 8 through the liquid nitrogen pipeline 6, atomizing into a fine mist, which is directly and evenly sprayed onto the surface of the surimi product. The liquid nitrogen vaporizes and absorbs heat to freeze quickly. The lifting rod 11 continues to rise. After the first wedge block 14 disengages from the second wedge block 18, the adjusting assembly rotates the first wedge block 14. This prevents the first wedge block 14 from engaging with the second wedge block 18 during the resetting process. Block 18 contacts the conveyor belt 2 to avoid motion interference. Since the mesh tray 3 is lifted, its bottom does not contact the conveyor belt 2, allowing the bottom of the surimi product to detach from the conveyor belt 2 and be fully exposed. Combined with the cooling permeability of the mesh tray 3, liquid nitrogen droplets can directly contact the bottom of the product through the mesh, achieving simultaneous cooling of the upper and lower surfaces of the surimi product and shortening the overall quick-freezing cycle. Because the suction cup 19 has micro-holes 21, air slowly enters the suction cup 19, causing it to detach from the vertical plate 15 after a period of time. At this point, the extrusion block 24 no longer contacts the touch switch 23, and the solenoid valve 7 automatically... By shutting off the liquid nitrogen supply, the problems of instantaneous surface hardening and excessive internal temperature difference caused by continuous liquid nitrogen spraying are avoided. During the spray-off phase, the internal heat of the surimi product is gradually conducted outward, the temperature gradient between the surface and the interior gradually decreases, and thermal stress is fully released, effectively reducing the cracking rate of high-moisture surimi products. After quick-freezing, the electric push rod 9 drives the lifting frame 10 to reset, and the mesh tray 3 returns to the conveyor belt 2. The conveyor belt 2 starts, moving the next mesh tray 3 under the spray assembly 8. The above operation is repeated for continuous quick-freezing.

[0038] See Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7The top of the lifting rod 11 has a mounting groove, in which a rotating shaft 12 is rotatably mounted. A rotating rod 13 is fixed on the rotating shaft 12. The first wedge block 14 is fixed on the side wall of the rotating rod 13. The adjustment assembly includes a gear 25 mounted on one end of the rotating shaft 12 and a vertical rod 26 fixed on the top wall of the housing 1. A rack 27 is provided on the top wall of the vertical rod 26, and the rack 27 meshes with the gear 25. A top rod 32 is also fixed on the top wall of the housing 1, and the top rod 32 is located on one side of the lifting rod 11. In order to push the second wedge block 18 to move when the first wedge block 14 rises, and to prevent the first wedge block 14 from colliding with the second wedge block 18 when it descends. Interference occurs when the first wedge block 14 rises and disengages from the second wedge block 18. The lifting frame 10 will then rise a further distance to bring the mesh tray 3 to the optimal height. As the lifting rod 11 continues to rise, the gear 25 will contact and mesh with the rack 27. The gear 25 will rotate counterclockwise, causing the rotating rod 13 and the first wedge block 14 to rotate. Under the influence of gravity, the rotating rod 13 will naturally rotate and eventually become perpendicular to the lifting rod 11. This way, the first wedge block 14 and the second wedge block 18 will not interfere during resetting. When resetting, the rotating rod 13 will contact the top rod 32. As the lifting frame 10 descends, the rotating rod 13 will be slowly lifted and reset.

[0039] See Figure 5 and Figure 8 A first magnet 28 is fixed to one side of the top of the rotating rod 13, and a mounting rod 29 is fixed to one side of the top of the lifting rod 11. A mounting block 30 is fixed to one end of the mounting rod 29. A second magnet 31 is installed on the side wall of the mounting block 30 near the first magnet 28. The first magnet 28 and the second magnet 31 attract each other. In order to ensure the stability of the rotating rod 13, in the initial state, the attraction between the first magnet 28 and the second magnet 31 keeps the rotating rod 13 vertical. During the reset process, when the rotating rod 13 is lifted, as the rotating rod 13 gradually resets, the attraction between the first magnet 28 and the second magnet 31 can also better restore the rotating rod 13 to the vertical state.

[0040] A quick-freezing method for an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products includes the following steps:

[0041] S1. The formed surimi products are evenly placed in the mesh tray 3, and then fed into the box 1 by the conveyor belt 2. The conveyor belt 2 moves intermittently.

[0042] S2. When the mesh tray 3 containing the surimi product moves directly below the spray assembly 8, the lifting assembly lifts the mesh tray 3. At the same time, the first wedge block 14 and the second wedge block 18 come into contact, causing the suction cup 19 to adhere to the upright plate 15. The squeezing block 24 touches the touch switch 23 to open the solenoid valve 7. Liquid nitrogen enters the spray assembly 8 through the liquid nitrogen pipeline 6 and is atomized into a fine mist, which is directly and evenly sprayed onto the surface of the surimi product. The liquid nitrogen vaporizes and absorbs heat to freeze quickly.

[0043] S3. As the adjustment component rotates the first wedge block 14, the presence of the micro-hole 21 allows air to slowly enter the suction cup 19, the suction cup 19 gradually detaches from the upright plate 15, the squeezing block 24 disengages from the touch switch 23, the solenoid valve 7 closes to stop the supply of liquid nitrogen, after the quick-freezing is completed, the lifting component drives the mesh tray 3 to reset, and the first wedge block 14 also automatically resets via the adjustment component.

[0044] The working principle of this invention is as follows: In the initial state, the solenoid valve 7 is closed, the mesh tray 3 is evenly placed on the conveyor belt 2 and its width is greater than the width of the conveyor belt 2, the rotating rod 13 is kept vertical under the mutual attraction of the first magnet 28 and the second magnet 31, the rotating rod 13 and the first wedge block 14 are in a vertical state, the movable block 17 is away from the upright plate 15 under the support of the spring 20, the squeezing block 24 does not touch the touch switch 23 in the groove 22, the suction cup 19 is in a non-adsorption state, the shielding curtain 4 at the feed inlet and discharge outlet of the box 1 is closed to maintain the low temperature environment inside the box, and the pressure balance valve on the exhaust pipe 5 keeps the pressure inside the box stable.

[0045] The formed surimi products are evenly placed in the mesh tray 3. The conveyor belt 2 moves intermittently to feed the mesh tray 3 into the box 1 from the feed port. The shielding curtain 4 opens and closes flexibly when the material passes through to reduce the loss of cold energy. When the mesh tray 3 containing the surimi products moves directly under the spray assembly 8, the conveyor belt 2 stops moving. The lifting assembly symmetrically installed on the bottom wall of the box 1 is activated. The electric push rod 9 pushes the lifting frame 10 to rise, thereby lifting the mesh tray 3 off the conveyor belt 2, so that the bottom of the mesh tray 3 is separated from the conveyor belt 2 and fully exposed.

[0046] The lifting frame 10 drives the top lifting rod 11 to rise synchronously. During the rising process of the lifting rod 11, the first wedge block 14, which is rotatably mounted on its top rotating shaft 12, gradually contacts the second wedge block 18. As the lifting rod 11 continues to rise, the first wedge block 14 pushes the second wedge block 18 to move laterally. The second wedge block 18 drives the movable block 17 and the suction cup 19 on the movable block 17 to move towards the vertical plate 15. The spring 20 is compressed until the suction cup 19 is tightly attached to the side wall of the vertical plate 15. At this time, the suction cup... The extrusion block 24 inside 19 just touches the touch switch 23. Since the touch switch 23 is electrically connected to the solenoid valve 7, it triggers the solenoid valve 7 to open. Liquid nitrogen is transported to the collection box of the spray assembly 8 through the liquid nitrogen pipeline 6. Then, it is atomized into a fine mist of -196℃ by the nozzle array set on the bottom wall of the collection box and evenly sprayed on the surface of the surimi product. At the same time, taking advantage of the cooling properties of the mesh tray 3, the liquid nitrogen droplets can directly contact the bottom of the completely exposed surimi product through the mesh, so that the upper and lower surfaces of the surimi product are cooled simultaneously.

[0047] Because the suction cup 19 has micro-holes 21, air will slowly enter the suction cup 19 through the micro-holes 21, causing the negative pressure inside the suction cup 19 to gradually disappear. After a certain period of time, the suction cup 19 will detach from the upright plate 15, and the movable block 17 will return to its initial position under the elastic restoring force of the spring 20. The squeezing block 24 will no longer contact the touch switch 23, the solenoid valve 7 will automatically close and stop the liquid nitrogen supply, and enter the stop spray buffer stage. At this time, the low temperature nitrogen gas remaining in the box will continue to conduct residual cold to the surimi product, so that the heat inside the surimi product will gradually be conducted outward, and the temperature gradient between the surface and the inside will gradually shrink to fully release the thermal stress.

[0048] After the first wedge block 14 pushes the second wedge block 18 and triggers the solenoid valve 7, the lifting frame 10 continues to rise a certain distance to ensure that the mesh tray 3 is at the optimal cooling height. At this time, the gear 25 contacts and meshes with the rack 27. As the lifting rod 11 continues to rise, the gear 25 rotates counterclockwise under the action of the rack 27, driving the rotating shaft 12 and the rotating rod 13 to rotate synchronously. The attraction force between the first magnet 28 and the second magnet 31 is overcome. The rotating rod 13 eventually rotates to a state perpendicular to the lifting rod 11 under the action of gravity, avoiding motion interference between the first wedge block 14 and the second wedge block 18 during the subsequent reset process.

[0049] After the surimi products are quick-frozen, the electric push rod 9 drives the lifting frame 10 to return to its original position. The lifting rod 11 and the mesh tray 3 descend synchronously. The mesh tray 3 is then placed back on the conveyor belt 2. During the descent of the lifting rod 11, the rotating rod 13 contacts the top rod 32 on the top wall of the box 1. As the lifting frame 10 continues to descend, the top rod 32 generates an upward supporting force on the rotating rod 13, pushing the rotating rod 13 to gradually return to its original position. When the rotating rod 13 returns to the vertical position, the first magnet 28 and the second magnet 31 attract each other again to keep the rotating rod 13 stable.

[0050] After the mesh tray 3 is reset, the conveyor belt 2 starts again, sending the quick-frozen surimi products out of the box 1 through the discharge port. At the same time, the next mesh tray 3 containing unfrozen surimi products is moved to the bottom of the spray assembly 8. The above operation process of "lifting - triggering spraying - stopping spraying and buffering - angle adjustment - resetting" is repeated to realize the continuous quick-freezing operation of surimi products. Throughout the process, the exhaust pipe 5 continuously discharges nitrogen gas after liquid nitrogen vaporization. The pressure balance valve adjusts the pressure inside the box in real time to avoid excessive pressure causing deformation of the box 1 or leakage of cold air.

[0051] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of one embodiment of the present invention, but this description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of the claims of this invention should still fall within the patent coverage of this invention.

Claims

1. An energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products, comprising a housing (1), wherein a feed inlet is provided on one side wall of the housing (1) and a discharge outlet is provided on the other side wall, characterized in that, A conveyor belt (2) is installed on the box (1), and a mesh tray (3) is evenly placed on the conveyor belt (2). The width of the mesh tray (3) is greater than the width of the conveyor belt (2). A liquid nitrogen pipeline (6) is connected to the top wall of the box (1). One end of the liquid nitrogen pipeline (6) extends into the box (1) and is connected to a spray assembly (8). A solenoid valve (7) is installed on the spray assembly (8). An exhaust pipe (5) is connected to the bottom of the side wall of the box (1), and a pressure balance valve is installed on the exhaust pipe (5). A lifting assembly is symmetrically installed on the bottom wall of the box (1) for lifting the mesh tray (3). A lifting rod (11) is fixed on one of the lifting assemblies. A first wedge block (14) is rotatably installed on the top of the lifting rod (11). A vertical plate (15) is fixed on the top wall of the box (1). A movable block (17) is movably arranged on the vertical plate (15). A second wedge block (18) is installed on one side wall of the movable block (17). A groove (22) is opened on the side wall of the vertical plate (15) near the second wedge block (18). A touch switch (23) is installed in the groove (22). The touch switch (23) is electrically connected to the solenoid valve (7). A movable block (17) is installed on the side wall of the vertical plate (15) near the vertical plate (15). The device is equipped with a suction cup (19) and a squeezing block (24) inside the suction cup (19). The suction cup (19) has micro-holes (21). When the mesh tray (3) containing surimi products moves to the bottom of the spray assembly (8), the lifting assembly pushes the lifting frame (10) to rise, raising the mesh tray (3). The lifting rod (11) rises with the lifting frame (10). The first wedge block (14) gradually contacts the second wedge block (18) and pushes the second wedge block (18) to move. The second wedge block (18) pushes the movable block (17) and the suction cup (19) toward the upright plate (15), so that the suction cup (19) adheres to the upright plate (15). At the same time, the squeezing block (24) touches the touch switch (23) and opens the solenoid valve (7). The housing (1) is also provided with an adjustment component for adjusting the angle of the first wedge block (14). The lifting rod (11) continues to rise. After the first wedge block (14) disengages from the second wedge block (18), the adjustment component is used to make the first wedge block (14) rotate. In this way, during the reset process, the first wedge block (14) will not contact the second wedge block (18), thus avoiding motion interference.

2. The energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inlet and outlet of the box (1) are both equipped with shielding curtains (4).

3. The energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting assembly includes an electric push rod (9) installed on the bottom wall of the housing (1), the output shaft of the electric push rod (9) extends into the housing (1) and is equipped with a lifting frame (10), and the lifting rod (11) is fixed to the top of the lifting frame (10).

4. The energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the lifting rod (11) is provided with an installation groove, in which a rotating shaft (12) is rotatably installed. A rotating rod (13) is fixed on the rotating shaft (12). The first wedge block (14) is fixed on the side wall of the rotating rod (13). The adjustment assembly includes a gear (25) installed at one end of the rotating shaft (12) and a vertical rod (26) fixed on the top wall of the housing (1). A rack (27) is provided on the top wall of the vertical rod (26), and the rack (27) meshes with the gear (25). A top rod (32) is also fixed on the top wall of the housing (1), and the top rod (32) is located on one side of the lifting rod (11).

5. The energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two movable rods (16) are movably arranged on the upright plate (15). One end of each of the two movable rods (16) is fixedly connected to the movable block (17), and the other end is equipped with a limit block. A spring (20) is fitted on the movable rod (16), and the spring (20) is located between the upright plate (15) and the movable block (17).

6. The energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 4, characterized in that, A first magnet (28) is fixed to one side of the top of the rotating rod (13), and an installation rod (29) is fixed to one side of the top of the lifting rod (11). An installation block (30) is fixed to one end of the installation rod (29), and a second magnet (31) is installed on the side wall of the installation block (30) near the first magnet (28). The first magnet (28) and the second magnet (31) attract each other.

7. The energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spray assembly (8) includes a collection box connected to the liquid nitrogen pipeline (6), and the bottom wall of the collection box is provided with an array of nozzles.

8. The quick-freezing method of an energy-saving quick-freezing equipment for surimi products according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. The shaped surimi products are evenly placed in the mesh tray (3) and then fed into the box (1) by the conveyor belt (2). The conveyor belt (2) moves intermittently. S2. When the mesh tray (3) containing the surimi product moves to the bottom of the spray assembly (8), the lifting assembly lifts the mesh tray (3), and at the same time the first wedge block (14) and the second wedge block (18) come into contact, so that the suction cup (19) is attached to the upright plate (15), the squeezing block (24) touches the touch switch (23) and opens the solenoid valve (7), and liquid nitrogen enters the spray assembly (8) through the liquid nitrogen pipeline (6), and the atomized fine mist is directly and evenly sprayed on the surface of the surimi product, and the liquid nitrogen vaporizes and absorbs heat to freeze quickly. S3. Subsequently, the first wedge block (14) is rotated by the adjustment component. The presence of the micropore (21) allows air to slowly enter the suction cup (19). The suction cup (19) gradually detaches from the upright plate (15), the squeezing block (24) disengages from the touch switch (23), and the solenoid valve (7) closes to stop the supply of liquid nitrogen. After the quick-freezing is completed, the lifting component drives the mesh tray (3) to reset, and the first wedge block (14) is also automatically reset by the adjustment component.

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