A rapid freezing device based on konjac products

Abstract

The application provides a kind of quick freezing device based on konjak product, including tunnel freezer body, also including ice bridge generation seat and electric field guide rail;The application realizes the controllable adhesion between the adjacent konjak tofu sides and corners during quick freezing by the multifunctional integrated design of ice bridge generation seat and electric field guide rail, forms the overall structure similar to "stamp unit", which is convenient for batch forming and automatic handling, and also makes consumers easily break apart;At the same time, the arc-shaped demolding rod on the electric field guide rail mechanically triggers the outward movement of the side baffle and links the piston exhaust jet, realizes the double soft demolding of mechanical drawing and airflow injection, effectively avoids product damage;At the same time, the electric field guide rail is reused as parallel electrodes to apply alternating electric field, promote the formation of small ice crystals, combined with the segmented temperature zone design of the pre-cooling zone and quick-freezing zone of the tunnel freezer body, significantly reduces the juice loss rate after thawing and maintains the Q elastic taste.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechanical equipment, and in particular to a rapid freezing device based on konjac products. Background Technology

[0002] Konjac is a natural plant resource rich in glucomannan. Its processed product, konjac tofu, is characterized by low calories and high dietary fiber, and is highly favored by consumers. It has become an important part of the health food industry. With the continuous expansion of the frozen food market, the demand for quick-freezing processing and preservation of konjac tofu is increasing. Developing efficient and high-quality quick-freezing processing technology is of great significance to promoting the development of the konjac industry.

[0003] Currently, the freezing processing of konjac tofu mainly employs traditional slow-freezing and quick-freezing tunnel processes. The traditional slow-freezing process involves freezing konjac tofu in a cold storage at 0–-10℃ for 6–36 hours, creating a honeycomb-like porous structure inside, forming "snow konjac." However, this process has a long freezing cycle, cannot be scaled up for continuous production, and results in a loose texture after freezing. The quick-freezing tunnel process, on the other hand, uses air cooling at -13℃ to -60℃ for rapid freezing, shortening the freezing time. However, commonly used quick-freezing tunnels have the following drawbacks:

[0004] 1. Konjac tofu has an extremely high water content, a moist surface, and a certain degree of stickiness. During quick-freezing, adjacent materials are prone to freezing and sticking together due to surface moisture condensation. Existing technologies have always focused on eliminating the sticking between konjac tofu, and vibration separation technology has been developed to address this. This technology uses mechanical vibration combined with air pressure to keep the konjac tofu in a floating state. However, in the above-mentioned technical solutions, the vibration method may cause mechanical damage to soft gel products like konjac tofu, affecting the integrity of the product's appearance. Existing technologies have long suffered from a cognitive bias—they have always pursued the complete avoidance of sticking as the technological goal, investing a lot of effort in developing anti-sticking solutions, but neglecting the potential technological value of sticking itself. After in-depth research, the inventors realized that if adjacent konjac tofu can achieve slight sticking between their two corners during quick-freezing, forming a structure similar to "stamp units"—multiple konjac tofu connected by weak connection points—then individual konjac tofu can be easily broken off during use. This would achieve the following technical advantages:

[0005] Firstly, the overall structure facilitates automated handling and packaging;

[0006] Secondly, the strength of the connection points is controllable, which maintains overall stability and facilitates subsequent separation;

[0007] This concept reveals an innovative direction that has long been overlooked by existing technologies: from "completely avoiding adhesion" to "achieving controllable adhesion";

[0008] 2. Konjac tofu adheres to the conveyor belt or mold due to ice crystals formed by freezing, which makes it easy to tear or break the shape during demolding, affecting the product qualification rate. Existing demolding methods mostly rely on mechanical pushing or manual peeling, and lack a demolding mechanism that can actively and gently break the adhesion interface in the frozen state.

[0009] 3. Ice crystals formed during the quick-freezing process can damage the konjac gel network, leading to a large loss of juice after thawing (high water loss rate), decreased elasticity, and a worse taste. Summary of the Invention

[0010] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0011] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a rapid freezing device based on konjac products.

[0012] (II) Technical Solution

[0013] To achieve the above objectives, the main technical solutions adopted by the present invention include:

[0014] A rapid freezing device based on konjac products includes a tunnel-type freezer body, an ice bridge generator base, and an electric field guide rail.

[0015] The tunnel-type refrigeration unit is equipped with a mesh belt conveyor, and multiple ice bridge generating seats are arranged at equal intervals along the length direction on the mesh belt conveyor surface.

[0016] The ice bridge generator includes a base, side baffles, piston, piston rod, spring, and demolding hole;

[0017] Two sets of side baffles are provided, respectively located on both sides of the base. The side baffles are connected to the piston via the piston rod. The base has a piston cavity corresponding to the piston. The piston divides the piston cavity into a rod cavity and a rodless cavity. The spring is installed in the rod cavity and sleeved on the piston rod. The rod cavity is connected to the main gas supply pipe via a pipeline. The main gas supply pipe is connected to the demolding hole via multiple gas supply branch pipes. The demolding hole is located on the upper surface of the base. The rodless cavity is connected to the outside via an air inlet pipe.

[0018] Two electric field guide rails are provided, arranged in a racetrack shape. The two electric field guide rails are respectively located on both sides of the base. The electric field guide rails enclose the mesh belt conveyor and are fixedly installed on the tunnel-type freezer body. The electric field guide rails are located in the gap between the base and the side baffle. An arc-shaped demolding rod is provided at the outlet of the tunnel-type freezer body on the electric field guide rail. Under the guidance of the arc-shaped demolding rod on the electric field guide rail, the side baffle moves away from the base to demold the side wall of the konjac tofu. At the same time, the piston moves outward to transport the gas in the rod chamber to the gas supply main pipe and then to each demolding hole through the gas supply branch pipe. High-pressure gas is sprayed upward from the demolding hole. The sprayed airflow directly acts on the bottom of the konjac tofu, generating an upward thrust to help break the frozen adhesion between the konjac and the base.

[0019] One of the electric field rails is connected to a high-voltage signal source, and the other electric field rail is grounded. A transverse electric field is formed between the two electric field rails, and the transverse electric field acts on the konjac tofu on the mesh belt conveyor.

[0020] Preferably, a rolling bushing is fitted on the portion of the piston rod extending outside the base, and the rolling bushing is in contact with the upper surface of the electric field guide rail.

[0021] Preferably, it also includes a water injection mechanism, which includes a U-shaped frame and a water distribution pipe. The U-shaped frame is installed at the entrance of the tunnel-type chiller body, and the water distribution pipe is horizontally installed inside the U-shaped frame. The bottom of the water distribution pipe is provided with multiple water injection ports, and the water distribution pipe is connected to a water pump and a water tank in sequence through pipelines.

[0022] Preferably, the voltage range of the high-voltage signal source output is 1kV to 10kV, the electric field strength range is 10kV / m to 100kV / m, and the high-voltage signal source outputs an alternating electric field with a frequency range of 50Hz to 1MHz.

[0023] Preferably, the high-voltage signal source includes a signal generator and a high-voltage amplifier. The signal generator is used to generate a low-voltage signal with a set frequency and waveform, and the high-voltage amplifier is used to amplify the low-voltage signal to the required voltage.

[0024] Preferably, the ice bridge generator is made of insulating material.

[0025] Preferably, the tunnel-type freezer body is provided with a pre-cooling zone and a quick-freezing zone, the temperature of the pre-cooling zone is set at -5℃ to -10℃, and the temperature of the quick-freezing zone is set at -35℃ to -40℃.

[0026] Preferably, the same konjac tofu is placed between adjacent ice bridge generating seats, and the konjac tofu has a frustum structure that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom.

[0027] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Through the multi-functional integrated design of the ice bridge generator and the electric field guide rail, this invention achieves controllable adhesion between the two corners of adjacent konjac tofu during quick-freezing, forming an overall structure similar to a "stamp unit," which facilitates batch molding and automated handling, and allows consumers to easily break it apart. At the same time, the arc-shaped demolding rod on the electric field guide rail mechanically triggers the side baffle to move outward and links the piston to exhaust air, achieving a dual gentle demolding of mechanical pulling and airflow jet, effectively avoiding product damage. Furthermore, the electric field guide rail is reused as a parallel electrode to apply an alternating electric field, promoting the formation of fine ice crystals. Combined with the segmented temperature zone design of the pre-cooling zone and quick-freezing zone of the tunnel-type freezer body, it significantly reduces the juice loss rate after thawing and maintains a chewy texture. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a rapid freezing device based on konjac products. Figure 1 ;

[0030] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a rapid freezing device based on konjac products. Figure 2 ;

[0031] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged diagram of section A in the middle;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the ice bridge generator.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the ice bridge generating seat in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of konjac tofu placed on an ice bridge generator.

[0035] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0036] 1. Tunnel-type refrigeration unit body;

[0037] 2. Mesh belt conveyor;

[0038] 3. Ice bridge formation;

[0039] 31. Base; 32. Side baffle; 33. Piston rod; 34. Spring; 35. Piston; 36. Main gas supply pipe; 37. Demolding hole; 38. Rolling bushing;

[0040] 4. Electric field guide rail; 41. Arc-shaped demolding rod;

[0041] 5. Water injection mechanism; 51. Water distribution pipe; 52. U-shaped frame;

[0042] 6. Konjac tofu. Detailed Implementation

[0043] To better explain and facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0044] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 6 The first embodiment of the present invention:

[0045] A rapid freezing device based on konjac products includes a tunnel-type freezer body 1, an ice bridge generator 3, and an electric field guide rail 4.

[0046] The tunnel-type refrigeration unit 1 is equipped with a mesh belt conveyor 2, and multiple ice bridge generating seats 3 are evenly spaced along the length direction on the mesh belt conveyor surface of the mesh belt conveyor 2.

[0047] The ice bridge generator 3 includes a base 31, a side baffle 32, a piston 35, a piston rod 33, a spring 34, and a demolding hole 37;

[0048] Two sets of side baffles 32 are provided, respectively on both sides of the base 31. The side baffles 32 are connected to the piston 35 through the piston rod 33. The base 31 has a piston cavity corresponding to the piston 35. The piston 35 divides the piston cavity into a rod cavity and a rodless cavity. The spring 34 is installed in the rod cavity and sleeved on the piston rod 33. The rod cavity is connected to the gas supply main pipe 36 through a pipeline. The gas supply main pipe 36 is connected to the demolding hole 37 through multiple gas supply branch pipes. The demolding hole 37 is located on the upper surface of the base 31. The rodless cavity is connected to the outside through the air inlet pipe.

[0049] Two electric field guide rails 4 are provided and have a racetrack-shaped structure. The two electric field guide rails 4 are respectively set on both sides of the base 31. The electric field guide rails 4 encircle the mesh belt conveyor 2 and are fixedly set on the tunnel-type freezer body 1. The electric field guide rails 4 are set in the gap between the base 31 and the side baffle 32. An arc-shaped demolding rod 41 is set at the outlet of the tunnel-type freezer body 1. One electric field guide rail 4 is connected to a high-voltage signal source, and the other electric field guide rail 4 is grounded. A transverse electric field is formed between the two electric field guide rails 4. The transverse electric field acts on the konjac tofu 6 on the mesh belt conveyor 2.

[0050] In use, konjac tofu 6 is placed between adjacent ice bridge generating seats 3, with the bottom sides of adjacent konjac tofu 6 in contact with each other. The triangular area formed between adjacent konjac tofu 6 is the ice bridge forming gap, and the ice bridge forming gap is located on the ice bridge generating seat 3. Under the action of spring 34, side baffle 32 moves towards the ice bridge forming gap, pressing and constraining the konjac tofu 6 above the base 31, thereby sealing both sides of the ice bridge forming gap. After injecting appropriate water into the ice bridge forming gap through water injection mechanism 5, the konjac tofu 6 enters the tunnel-type freezer body 1 under the conveyor belt 2 for quick freezing. During the quick freezing process, due to the transverse electric field applied to the konjac tofu 6 by the two electric field guide rails 4, the electric field induces water molecule vibration, promoting the formation of fine and uniform ice crystals, effectively... The mechanical damage to the konjac gel network is reduced. Compared with traditional quick-freezing devices, electric field-assisted freezing significantly reduces the juice loss rate of konjac tofu 6 after thawing and maintains good elasticity. It solves the problems of poor taste and loose texture after quick-freezing in the prior art. After quick-freezing, under the guidance of the arc-shaped demolding rod 41 on the electric field guide rail 4, the side baffle 32 moves away from the base 31 to demold the side wall of konjac tofu 6. At the same time, the piston moves outward to transport the gas in the rod chamber to the gas supply main pipe 36 and then to each demolding hole 37 through the gas supply branch pipe. The demolding hole 37 sprays high-pressure gas upward. The sprayed airflow directly acts on the bottom of konjac tofu 6, generating an upward thrust to help break the frozen adhesion between konjac and base 31, thereby achieving demolding.

[0051] In this embodiment, the electric field guide rail 4 serves the following function:

[0052] 1. Two electric field guide rails 4 are fixed in parallel on the tunnel-type refrigeration machine body 1 and extend along the conveying direction, so that when the ice bridge generator 3 moves with the conveyor belt, the side baffles 32 on both sides of the ice bridge generator 3 maintain sliding contact with the outer side of the guide rail, thereby constraining the movement trajectory of the ice bridge generator 3 and ensuring its stable operation on the conveyor line.

[0053] 2. The two electric field rails 4 are made of conductive material (304 or 316L stainless steel). One of the electric field rails 4 is connected to the high-voltage signal source through a high-voltage cable, and the other electric field rail 4 is grounded. When the konjac tofu 6 is located in the ice bridge generator 3 between the two electric field rails 4, an electric field is formed between the two electric field rails 4 that passes through the konjac tofu 6 laterally. The electric field assists freezing of the konjac tofu 6 during the quick-freezing process, induces water molecule vibration, promotes the formation of small ice crystals, inhibits the growth of large ice crystals, thereby protecting the gel network of konjac, reducing the juice loss rate after thawing, and maintaining the chewy texture.

[0054] 3. An arc-shaped demolding rod 41 is provided on the electric field guide rail 4. When the side baffle 32 of the ice bridge generating seat 3 moves to the arc-shaped demolding rod 41, the arc-shaped demolding rod 41 applies an outward pushing force to the side baffle 32, causing the baffle to move outward against the force of the spring 34, thereby triggering the demolding.

[0055] Ice bridge generator 3 has the following functions:

[0056] 1. The ice bridge generator 3 is fixedly installed on the mesh belt conveyor 2 of the tunnel-type freezer body 1. During use, konjac tofu 6 is placed into the ice bridge generator 3 one by one. The base 31 and side baffle 32 of the ice bridge generator 3 support and limit the konjac tofu 6. The contact area between the ice bridge generator 3 and the konjac tofu 6 is small, which is conducive to subsequent demolding. In addition, the ice bridge generator 3 prevents most of the bottom of the konjac tofu 6 from contacting the mesh belt conveyor 2, which improves the quick-freezing effect of the tunnel-type freezer body 1.

[0057] 2. Side baffles 32 are provided on both free ends of the base 31. When two adjacent bases 31 are arranged side by side, a closed cavity with a triangular cross section is naturally formed between the side of the adjacent konjac tofu 6 and the base 31 and the side baffle 32. This triangular cavity is the ice bridge forming gap, which receives the injected water during the quick-freezing process and forms an ice bridge connecting the adjacent konjac tofu 6 after freezing.

[0058] 3. When the ice bridge generator 3 moves with the mesh conveyor 2, the side baffle 32 maintains sliding contact with the surface of the electric field guide rail 4. When the side baffle 32 runs to the arc-shaped demolding rod 41 on the electric field guide rail 4, the arc-shaped demolding rod 41 pushes the side baffle 32 to move outward against the force of the spring 34, so that the side baffle 32 is separated from the side of the konjac tofu 6. This action actively destroys the ice crystal adhesion that may exist between the baffle and the konjac in the frozen state, creating conditions for demolding.

[0059] 4. As the side baffle 32 moves outward, it drives the piston rod 33 to move outward as well, thereby driving the piston 35 in the piston chamber to move, transporting the gas in the rod chamber to the gas supply main pipe 36, and then to each demolding hole 37 through the gas supply branch pipe. The demolding hole 37 sprays high-pressure gas upward, and the sprayed airflow directly acts on the bottom of the konjac tofu 6, generating an upward thrust, which helps to break the frozen adhesion between the konjac and the base 31, thereby achieving demolding.

[0060] refer to Figure 5 Based on the first embodiment described above, the second embodiment of the present invention is as follows:

[0061] A rolling bushing 38 is fitted on the portion of the piston rod 33 that extends to the outside of the base 31, and the rolling bushing 38 is in contact with the upper surface of the electric field guide rail 4.

[0062] In use, the piston rod 33 is slidably connected to the electric field guide rail 4 through the rolling bushing 38 on the piston rod 33, which greatly improves the service life of the piston rod 33. In addition, the rolling bushing 38 is in contact with the upper surface of the electric field guide rail 4, which can also de-ice the surface of the electric field guide rail 4, so that this application can be used without maintenance.

[0063] In this embodiment, a water injection mechanism 5 is also included. The water injection mechanism 5 includes a U-shaped frame 52 and a water distribution pipe 51. The U-shaped frame 52 is installed at the entrance of the tunnel-type chiller body 1. The water distribution pipe 51 is horizontally installed inside the U-shaped frame 52. Multiple water injection ports are provided at the bottom of the water distribution pipe 51. The water distribution pipe 51 is connected to a water pump and a water tank in sequence through pipelines.

[0064] During use, the water tank supplies water to the water distribution pipe 51 via a water pump, and injects water into the gaps in the ice bridge formation through the water inlet.

[0065] In this embodiment, the voltage range of the high-voltage signal source output is 1kV to 10kV, the electric field strength range is 10kV / m to 100kV / m, and the high-voltage signal source outputs an alternating electric field with a frequency range of 50Hz to 1MHz.

[0066] In this embodiment, the high-voltage signal source includes a signal generator and a high-voltage amplifier. The signal generator is used to generate a low-voltage signal with a set frequency and waveform, and the high-voltage amplifier is used to amplify the low-voltage signal to the required voltage.

[0067] In this embodiment, the ice bridge generator 3 is made of insulating material.

[0068] In this embodiment, the tunnel-type freezer body 1 is provided with a pre-cooling zone and a quick-freezing zone. The temperature of the pre-cooling zone is set at -5℃ to -10℃, and the temperature of the quick-freezing zone is set at -35℃ to -40℃.

[0069] In this embodiment, the same konjac tofu 6 is placed between adjacent ice bridge generating seats 3. The konjac tofu 6 has a frustum structure that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom.

[0070] The above are merely embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modifications made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

[0071] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A rapid freezing device based on konjac products, comprising a tunnel-type freezer body, characterized in that, It also includes the ice bridge generator and the electric field guide rail; The tunnel-type refrigeration unit is equipped with a mesh belt conveyor, and multiple ice bridge generating seats are arranged at equal intervals along the length direction on the mesh belt conveyor surface. The ice bridge generator includes a base, side baffles, piston, piston rod, spring, and demolding hole; Two sets of side baffles are provided, respectively located on both sides of the base. The side baffles are connected to the piston via the piston rod. The base has a piston cavity corresponding to the piston. The piston divides the piston cavity into a rod cavity and a rodless cavity. The spring is installed in the rod cavity and sleeved on the piston rod. The rod cavity is connected to the main gas supply pipe via a pipeline. The main gas supply pipe is connected to the demolding hole via multiple gas supply branch pipes. The demolding hole is located on the upper surface of the base. The rodless cavity is connected to the outside via an air inlet pipe. Two electric field guide rails are provided, arranged in a racetrack shape. The two electric field guide rails are respectively located on both sides of the base. The electric field guide rails enclose the mesh belt conveyor and are fixedly installed on the tunnel-type freezer body. The electric field guide rails are located in the gap between the base and the side baffle. An arc-shaped demolding rod is provided at the outlet of the tunnel-type freezer body on the electric field guide rail. Under the guidance of the arc-shaped demolding rod on the electric field guide rail, the side baffle moves away from the base to demold the side wall of the konjac tofu. At the same time, the piston moves outward to transport the gas in the rod chamber to the gas supply main pipe and then to each demolding hole through the gas supply branch pipe. High-pressure gas is sprayed upward from the demolding hole. The sprayed airflow directly acts on the bottom of the konjac tofu, generating an upward thrust to help break the frozen adhesion between the konjac and the base. One of the electric field rails is connected to a high-voltage signal source, and the other electric field rail is grounded. A transverse electric field is formed between the two electric field rails, and the transverse electric field acts on the konjac tofu on the mesh belt conveyor.

2. The rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 1, characterized in that, A rolling bushing is fitted onto the portion of the piston rod that extends outside the base, and the rolling bushing is in contact with the upper surface of the electric field guide rail.

3. The rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a water injection mechanism, which includes a U-shaped frame and a water distribution pipe. The U-shaped frame is installed at the entrance of the tunnel-type chiller body, and the water distribution pipe is horizontally installed inside the U-shaped frame. The bottom of the water distribution pipe is provided with multiple water injection ports, and the water distribution pipe is connected to a water pump and a water tank in sequence through pipelines.

4. The rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The voltage range of the high-voltage signal source is 1kV to 10kV, the electric field strength range is 10kV / m to 100kV / m, and the high-voltage signal source outputs an alternating electric field with a frequency range of 50Hz to 1MHz.

5. A rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 4, characterized in that, The high-voltage signal source includes a signal generator and a high-voltage amplifier. The signal generator is used to generate a low-voltage signal with a set frequency and waveform, and the high-voltage amplifier is used to amplify the low-voltage signal to the required voltage.

6. A rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ice bridge generator is made of insulating material.

7. A rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tunnel-type freezer body is equipped with a pre-cooling zone and a quick-freezing zone. The temperature of the pre-cooling zone is set at -5℃ to -10℃, and the temperature of the quick-freezing zone is set at -35℃ to -40℃.

8. A rapid freezing device based on konjac products according to claim 3, characterized in that, The same konjac tofu is placed between adjacent ice bridge seats. The konjac tofu has a frustum structure that is smaller at the top and larger at the bottom.

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