A processing production line and method for baked goods

Abstract

This invention proposes a processing production line and method for baked goods, integrating the baking process and the cleaning and reuse of containers into a single production line, forming a fully closed-loop automated operation. This eliminates the need for manual handling and waiting, reducing labor intensity and avoiding hygiene risks. Simultaneously, a vacuum cooling device rapidly cools the baked goods, reducing cooling time from several hours to just a few minutes, improving cooling efficiency and accelerating production line turnover. For container cleaning, the containers are first inverted and then fed into a tunnel-type cleaning machine, allowing the cleaning water to directly wash the inner walls. Combined with a multi-section gradient cleaning process, food residue, grease, and burnt particles are removed. After air drying, residual moisture is prevented from breeding bacteria. The cleaning and sterilization effect is superior to traditional manual scrubbing and ordinary single-process cleaning equipment, improving hygiene and safety levels.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food machinery and automation technology, and in particular relates to a processing production line and method for baked goods in the food processing industry. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in food production, baked goods typically reach temperatures of 70 to 100 degrees Celsius after baking and require cooling before subsequent packaging and repackaging. During transport and cooling, numerous containers or baking trays are used. After repeated use, these containers accumulate food residue, grease, and burnt particles on their inner walls. If not thoroughly cleaned and sterilized promptly, these residues can easily breed bacteria, contaminating subsequent batches of baked goods and affecting food safety. In traditional production processes, cooling and container cleaning are completely separate steps: after baking, trays filled with hot food are manually transferred from the baking station to a cooling area to cool. After unloading, empty trays are manually collected and transported to a dedicated cleaning station for manual washing, drying, and stacking. When reused, they must be manually transported back to the production line. The entire process requires a large amount of manual labor, which is not only labor-intensive and inefficient, but also prone to incomplete container cleaning due to improper operation, leaving hygiene hazards. Furthermore, the process is disconnected; the long transfer and cleaning time from cooling and unloading to the return of containers to the production station slows down the entire production line and cannot meet the needs of large-scale continuous baking production. While some food factories use separate container cleaning equipment, most can only complete a single cleaning step, still requiring manual handling of container transfer, turning, and sorting. This prevents integration with the upstream baking and cooling process to form a closed-loop production line, resulting in low automation levels and limited efficiency improvements. To address this industry pain point, this invention proposes a baking production line and method that achieves an integrated closed-loop operation of automatic container cleaning and reuse after baking cooling and unloading. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of the existing technologies, this invention designs a baking food processing production line with a scientific layout, high level of automation, and excellent cleaning effect, as well as its cleaning method.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a processing production line for baked goods, comprising: a feeding conveyor line for conveying baked goods on turnover boxes or baking trays; a first transfer mechanism disposed at the output end of the feeding conveyor line for batch transfer of baked goods conveyed by the feeding conveyor line; a vacuum cooling device located on the output side of the first transfer mechanism for rapidly cooling the baked goods; a second transfer mechanism disposed at the discharge port of the vacuum cooling device for batch removal of cooled baked goods; and a discharge conveyor line disposed at the output end of the second transfer mechanism for transporting the finished baked goods. The system includes: a cooling and baking food processing line; an empty tray input line for receiving and conveying empty turnover boxes or baking trays that have been unloaded; a first flipping mechanism located at the end of the empty tray input line for flipping the empty containers 180 degrees to an inverted state; a tunnel-type washing machine whose inlet end connects to the outlet end of the first flipping mechanism for cleaning, sterilizing, and drying the inverted containers; a second flipping mechanism located at the outlet end of the tunnel-type washing machine for flipping the cleaned containers another 180 degrees to restore them to their normal state with the opening facing upwards; and an empty tray output line for conveying cleaned and uprighted containers.

[0005] Preferably, the feeding conveyor line, discharging conveyor line, empty tray input line, and empty tray output line can all be implemented by one or more combinations of belt conveyors and roller conveyors to achieve material conveying.

[0006] Preferably, the vacuum cooling device can be configured as multiple units, which can be combined into a vacuum cooling unit by stacking them vertically or arranging them side by side, and each vacuum cooling unit has independent control and operation functions.

[0007] Preferably, the vacuum cooling device is provided with sealing doors in the front and rear directions, and adopts a feeding inward and discharging inward manner. The front sealing door corresponds to the first transfer mechanism, and the rear sealing door corresponds to the second transfer mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, both the first and second transfer mechanisms are transfer machines, which can feed materials up and down and move left and right.

[0009] Preferably, the tunnel cleaning machine is arranged in sequence according to the process flow, including a pre-cleaning section, a main cleaning section, a rinsing section, a washing section, an air-drying section, and a drying section, so as to achieve cleaning and drying of the container.

[0010] A processing method using the aforementioned baking food processing production line includes the following steps: A feeding conveyor line transfers baked goods from turnover boxes or baking trays to the discharge end; a first transfer mechanism transfers batches of baked goods to a vacuum cooling device for cooling; after cooling, a second transfer mechanism transfers the baked goods in batches to the discharge conveyor line, which then transports them to the unloading station for unloading; empty containers after unloading are conveyed via an empty tray input line to a first flipping mechanism, where they are flipped 180 degrees to invert; the inverted containers enter a tunnel-type washing machine, undergoing pre-washing, main washing, rinsing, cleaning, air drying, and oven drying processes in sequence; after washing, the containers are uprighted by a second flipping mechanism, restoring their openings to an upward orientation; finally, an empty tray output line delivers the cleaned and sorted containers to a designated location.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows: The present invention integrates the baking food cooling process and the turnover container cleaning and reuse process on the same production line, forming a fully closed-loop automated operation process from baking material discharge, rapid cooling, unloading to automatic container cleaning and reuse feeding. The entire process does not require manual transfer and waiting, which greatly reduces the labor intensity of operators and avoids the hygiene hazards caused by manual operation. Meanwhile, this invention employs a vacuum cooling device for rapid cooling of baked goods. Compared to traditional natural static cooling, this reduces cooling time from several hours to just a few minutes, significantly improving cooling efficiency and accelerating the turnaround time of the entire production line. Regarding the cleaning of containers, this invention utilizes a structure where containers are first inverted and then fed into a tunnel-type cleaning machine. This allows the cleaning water to directly wash the inner walls of the containers. Combined with a multi-stage gradient cleaning process, it thoroughly removes food residue, grease, and burnt particles adhering to the inner walls. Subsequent air drying effectively prevents residual moisture from breeding bacteria. The cleaning and sterilization effect is far superior to traditional manual scrubbing and ordinary single-process cleaning equipment, significantly improving hygiene and safety. Furthermore, the vacuum cooling device of this invention can be flexibly combined with other units according to the manufacturer's factory space and production capacity requirements. It can adapt to the production capacity needs of small baking processing plants or be combined into large-capacity units to meet the requirements of large-scale continuous production. Its strong adaptability provides reliable automation solutions for baking food production enterprises of different sizes, demonstrating high practical value and promising prospects for widespread application. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of the processing production line for baked goods according to the present invention; In the above figures: 1. Feeding conveyor line; 2. First transfer mechanism; 3. Vacuum cooling device; 4. Second transfer mechanism; 5. Discharge conveyor line; 6. Empty tray input line; 7. First tilting mechanism; 8. Tunnel cleaning machine; 9. Second tilting mechanism; 10. Empty tray output line. Detailed Implementation

[0013] To better understand the above technical solutions, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments involve specific details such as equipment selection and control logic connection; these descriptions are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Example

[0014] A processing production line system for baked goods, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 This system is designed for efficient and continuous cooling and container recycling of baked goods. The production line specifically includes the following components: a feeding conveyor line 1, which continuously transports containers such as crates or baking trays filled with baked goods; a first transfer mechanism 2 located at the output end of the feeding conveyor line 1, which can centrally transfer batches of baked goods from the feeding conveyor line 1; a vacuum cooling device 3 located on the output side of the first transfer mechanism 2, specifically used for rapid and uniform cooling of the transferred baked goods; a second transfer mechanism 4 installed at the outlet of the vacuum cooling device 3, responsible for removing batches of cooled baked goods from the cooling area; an output conveyor line 5 located at the output end of the second transfer mechanism 4, used to receive and transport these cooled baked goods to subsequent processes or packaging areas; and an empty tray input line 6, used to receive and transport empty trays... Empty turnover boxes or baking trays that have completed the unloading of baked goods; a first flipping mechanism 7 located at the end of the empty tray input line 6, which precisely flips these empty containers 180 degrees to make them upside down; a tunnel-type washing machine 8, whose inlet end is tightly connected to the outlet end of the first flipping mechanism 7, is used to perform a complete cleaning, sterilization and drying process on the upside-down containers, including pre-cleaning, main cleaning, rinsing, washing, air drying and drying; a second flipping mechanism 9 located at the outlet end of the tunnel-type washing machine 8, which flips the thoroughly cleaned containers 180 degrees again to restore them to a normal usable state with the opening facing upwards; and an empty tray output line 10, which is ultimately responsible for conveying these cleaned and uprighted containers for the next round of recycling.

[0015] In the preferred embodiment, the feeding conveyor line 1, the discharging conveyor line 5, the empty tray input line 6, and the empty tray output line 10 can all be flexibly selected from belt conveyors and roller conveyors, or a combination of multiple types of conveyors, according to the actual site layout and process requirements, to achieve stable and reliable material conveying function.

[0016] Preferably, the vacuum cooling device 3 can be configured as multiple independent cooling units. These units can be flexibly combined into a whole vacuum cooling unit by adopting various spatial arrangement methods such as stacking on top of each other or arranging side by side according to the production capacity requirements. Each vacuum cooling unit has the function of independent control and operation, thereby improving the flexibility and maintainability of the system.

[0017] Preferably, the vacuum cooling device 3 is equipped with sealing doors in both the front and rear directions of its feeding and discharging. The entire cooling process adopts a unidirectional flow design of feeding in and discharging out in the rear. The front sealing door corresponds to the position of the first transfer mechanism 2 to receive materials, while the rear sealing door corresponds to the position of the second transfer mechanism 4 to discharge materials, thus ensuring the sealing and continuity of the cooling process.

[0018] Preferably, both the first transfer mechanism 2 and the second transfer mechanism 4 use transfer machines to transfer materials. These transfer machines have the ability to lift and feed materials vertically, and can also move left and right horizontally, thereby achieving efficient and precise material handling between the two workstations.

[0019] Preferably, the tunnel cleaning machine 8 is arranged in its internal space according to the standard cleaning process flow, with a pre-cleaning section, a main cleaning section, a rinsing section, a washing section, an air-drying section, and a drying section in sequence. Through this series of sequentially operated sections, the container is systematically and comprehensively cleaned, disinfected, and dried. Example

[0020] A processing method using the aforementioned baking food processing production line includes the following specific steps: First, the feeding conveyor line 1 smoothly transfers containers or baking trays carrying baked goods to their discharge end; then, the first transfer mechanism 2 transfers the containers filled with baked goods in batches and as a whole into the internal cavity of the vacuum cooling device 3 for rapid cooling; after the cooling process is completed, the second transfer mechanism 4 removes the cooled baked goods in batches from the vacuum cooling device 3 and places them on the discharge conveyor line 5; subsequently, the discharge conveyor line 5 transports these products to the designated unloading station for subsequent unloading operations; the empty containers after unloading are then sent to the empty tray input line 6 for conveying and arriving at the... The first flipping mechanism 7 performs a 180-degree flipping motion on these empty containers, making them upside down. The upside-down containers then enter the tunnel cleaning machine 8 and pass through multiple processing sections such as pre-cleaning, main cleaning, rinsing, rinsing, air drying, and baking according to a preset program. After the cleaning and drying process is completed, the containers are sent to the second flipping mechanism 9, which performs a second 180-degree flipping to straighten them and restore them to their normal position with the opening facing upwards. Finally, the empty tray output line 10 transports these thoroughly cleaned and sorted clean containers to the designated location of the system for the next cycle of use, thus forming a complete and efficient automated processing and container recycling cleaning cycle.

[0021] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A processing production line for baked goods, characterized in that: include: A feeding conveyor line is used to transport baked goods from containers such as turnover boxes or baking trays. The first transfer mechanism, located at the output end of the feeding conveyor line, is used to transfer baked goods in batches from the feeding conveyor line. The vacuum cooling device, located on the output side of the first transfer mechanism, is used to rapidly cool the baked goods. The second transfer mechanism, located at the outlet of the vacuum cooling device, is used to remove the cooled baked goods in batches. The discharge conveyor line, located at the output end of the second transfer mechanism, is responsible for transporting the cooled baked goods. The empty tray input line is used to receive and transport empty turnover boxes or baking trays that have been unloaded. The first flipping mechanism, located at the end of the empty tray input line, is used to flip the empty containers 180 degrees, placing them in an inverted state. The tunnel-type washing machine, with its inlet end connected to the outlet end of the first flipping mechanism, is used to clean, sterilize, and dry the inverted containers. The second flipping mechanism, located at the outlet end of the tunnel-type washing machine, is used to flip the cleaned containers another 180 degrees, restoring them to their normal state with the opening facing upwards. Empty tray output line, used to transport clean containers that have been cleaned and straightened.

2. The processing production line for baked goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding conveyor line, discharging conveyor line, empty tray input line, and empty tray output line can all be implemented by one or more combinations of belt conveyors and roller conveyors to achieve material conveying.

3. The processing production line for baked goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum cooling device can be configured into multiple units, which can be combined into a vacuum cooling unit by stacking them vertically or arranging them side by side, and each vacuum cooling unit has independent control and operation functions.

4. The processing production line for baked goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum cooling device is equipped with sealing doors in both the front and rear directions, and adopts a feeding-in and discharging-out method. The front sealing door corresponds to the first transfer mechanism, and the rear sealing door corresponds to the second transfer mechanism.

5. The processing production line for baked goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first and second transfer mechanisms are transfer machines, which can feed materials up and down and move left and right.

6. The processing production line for baked goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tunnel-type cleaning machine is internally arranged in sequence according to the process flow, including a pre-cleaning section, a main cleaning section, a rinsing section, a washing section, an air-drying section, and a drying section, in order to achieve the cleaning and drying of containers.

7. A processing method using a baking food processing production line as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The feeding conveyor line transfers baked goods from containers such as turnover boxes or baking trays to the discharge end; the first transfer mechanism transfers batches of baked goods to a vacuum cooling device for cooling; after cooling, the second transfer mechanism transfers the baked goods in batches to the discharge conveyor line, which then transports them to the unloading station for unloading; the empty containers after unloading are conveyed to the first flipping mechanism via the empty tray input line, where they are flipped 180 degrees to turn upside down; the upside-down containers enter the tunnel-type washing machine, where they undergo pre-washing, main washing, rinsing, cleaning, air drying, and drying processes in sequence; after washing, the containers are righted by the second flipping mechanism, restoring their openings to an upward orientation; finally, the empty tray output line delivers the cleaned and sorted containers to the designated location.

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