A preheating sterilization kettle for beverage production sterilization

Abstract

The application discloses a preheating sterilization kettle for beverage production sterilization and relates to the technical field of beverage production and processing. The preheating sterilization kettle for beverage production sterilization drives bottle beverages to do low-speed reciprocating deflection oscillation through a driving oscillation frame, forcibly generates micro-scale turbulent flow of the liquid in the bottles, directly destroys the laminar flow thermal boundary layer on the inner side of the bottle wall, upgrades the heat transfer mode mainly based on heat conduction in traditional static sterilization into a forced convection heat transfer mode, greatly shortens the thermal penetration lag time of the geometric center cold spot of the bottle body, and eliminates the radial temperature gradient in the bottle from the root, thereby avoiding the Maillard browning, the formation of burnt flavor and the degradation of heat-sensitive nutritional ingredients of the liquid around the bottle wall caused by long-term high-temperature load, effectively retaining the original flavor and nutritional value of dairy products, NFC juice and other products, and guaranteeing that the bottle center area can quickly reach the target sterilization temperature and accumulate sufficient sterilization intensity, so that the food safety hidden danger caused by incomplete microbial killing is eliminated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of beverage production and processing technology, specifically to a preheating sterilization autoclave for sterilizing beverages. Background Technology

[0002] Preheating sterilizers are post-packaging sterilization equipment that adds an independent preheating unit (preheating tank / preheating section) to the traditional high-temperature and high-pressure sterilizer. They belong to intermittent pressure vessel sterilization equipment and are the mainstream model for secondary sterilization of hot-filled products in the beverage industry. Their core design logic is: before formal sterilization, the sterilization medium (usually process hot water) is preheated to near the initial temperature of the beverage to be sterilized, and then introduced into the sterilizer to perform gradient heating, constant temperature sterilization, and gradient cooling on the filled and sealed product. This ultimately achieves the goal of killing pathogenic bacteria, spoilage microorganisms, and spores in the beverage, while avoiding thermal shock to the packaging and preserving the product flavor.

[0003] In the beverage industry, preheating autoclaves, as the core thermal sterilization equipment for achieving commercial aseptic filling of beverages, have been widely used in the secondary sterilization process of heat-sensitive liquid foods such as dairy products, NFC (not from concentrate) juices, and plant protein beverages. However, there is a radial temperature gradient problem in the beverage inside the bottle during the heating process. Since heat must be conducted from the heat medium (hot water or steam) inside the autoclave through the bottle wall to the beverage inside the bottle, the beverage layer near the bottle wall comes into contact with the high-temperature heat source first, and its temperature rises rapidly. However, the beverage located in the geometric center of the bottle has a lower thermal conductivity, so the heat can only penetrate to the center gradually through slow heat conduction and weak natural convection. This results in a significant "heat penetration lag zone" in the center of the bottle, causing the sterilization temperature of the beverage in the center of the bottle to rise slowly.

[0004] For dairy products and NFC juices, continuous heat load on beverages near the bottle can induce Maillard reactions, leading to browning and loss of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins. These problems are particularly prominent in large-diameter containers (such as PET bottles with a volume of 1L or more) and high-viscosity beverages (such as thick juices containing pulp and plant protein milk).

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization, which can eliminate or reduce the radial temperature gradient from the bottle wall to the bottle core inside the bottle, ensuring that the cold point of the bottle core reaches sufficient sterilization intensity, while avoiding Maillard reaction and quality deterioration of the beverage in the bottle wall area due to excessive heating, thereby taking into account both the food safety and sensory quality of heat-sensitive beverages. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a preheating sterilizer for sterilization in beverage production, which solves the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A preheating sterilizer for beverage production includes a double-layered frame. The sterilizer body is mounted on the bottom inner wall of the double-layered frame, and a preheating tank is mounted on the top inner wall of the double-layered frame. A pipeline conveying assembly connects the sterilizer body and the preheating tank, and the pipeline conveying assembly is connected to an external pumping device. An oscillation mechanism is installed inside the sterilizer body to control the beverage bottles to oscillate and evenly distribute heat. A driving mechanism is mounted on the rear wall of the sterilizer body and is fixedly connected to the oscillation mechanism. A placement mechanism is provided inside the oscillation mechanism for sequentially placing filled beverage bottles. A booster mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the oscillation mechanism. A controller is located on one side of the double-layered frame.

[0009] The oscillation mechanism includes an oscillation frame installed inside the sterilization vessel body. Roller frames are fixedly installed on both sides of the outer wall of the oscillation frame. Several limiting rollers are evenly rotatably installed on the inner wall of the roller frames. Roller grooves are opened on the inner side wall of the sterilization vessel body at positions corresponding to the roller frames. The roller frames drive the limiting rollers to roll along the inner wall of the corresponding roller grooves. A steering frame is fixedly connected to the rear wall of the oscillation frame. A steering shaft is fixedly installed on the rear wall of the steering frame. The steering shaft reciprocates after being driven, driving the steering frame and the oscillation frame to deflect and control the beverage to oscillate and shake inside the bottle.

[0010] Furthermore, the inner wall of the oscillation frame is fixedly connected to the booster mechanism, the inner wall of the oscillation frame is detachably connected to the placement mechanism, the rear end of the steering shaft passes through the sterilization vessel body through the bearing seat and is connected to the drive mechanism, and a sealing cover is installed at the front of the sterilization vessel body, the sealing cover being connected to the placement mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, the drive mechanism includes a protective cover installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body. A servo motor is fixedly installed on the rear wall of the protective cover. A half gear is fixedly installed through the power shaft of the servo motor through the protective cover. A U-shaped frame is installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body. A linkage rack is fixedly installed on both the top and bottom walls of the U-shaped frame. The gear part of the half gear meshes with the corresponding linkage rack.

[0012] Furthermore, each of the outer walls of the U-shaped frame is fixedly equipped with a U-shaped connecting seat, each of the outer walls of the U-shaped connecting seat is fixedly equipped with a square guide shaft, each of the outer walls of the square guide shaft is slidably fitted with a guide seat, and each of the outer walls of the guide seat is fixedly connected to the rear wall of the sterilization vessel body.

[0013] Furthermore, the same transmission rack is fixedly installed at the bottom of each of the U-shaped connecting seats, with the rack portion of the transmission rack facing downwards. A transmission gear is fixedly installed at the rear end of the steering shaft, and the transmission gear meshes with the transmission rack for transmission connection, used to control the steering shaft to reciprocate at a certain angle.

[0014] Furthermore, the placement mechanism includes a placement frame located inside the oscillating frame, a plurality of placement racks are evenly installed inside the placement frame, a plurality of placement slots are evenly opened on the surface of the placement racks, and a support frame is installed at the bottom of the placement racks and at the position of the placement slots to provide stable support for the bottom of the beverage bottles placed inside the placement slots.

[0015] Furthermore, support grooves are provided on both sides of the inner wall of the oscillating frame, and support bars are slidably installed on the inner wall of each support groove. The support bars are fixedly installed on both sides of the placement frame to be installed and adapted with the support grooves to achieve guiding, limiting and supporting functions. An abutment ring is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the sealing cover. When the sealing cover is closed, the abutment ring abuts and limits the front end of the support bar placed in the inner wall of the support groove.

[0016] Furthermore, the boosting mechanism includes a mounting groove formed at the bottom of the inner wall of the oscillating frame, wherein a plurality of boosting rollers are uniformly and rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the mounting groove, and a plurality of anti-slip strips are uniformly and fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the boosting rollers.

[0017] Furthermore, each of the booster rollers has a pulley drive assembly fixedly installed through the oscillation frame, and two adjacent booster rollers use the same pulley drive assembly.

[0018] Furthermore, a driver is installed on one side of the inner wall of the oscillating frame, corresponding to one of the booster rollers. The power shaft of the driver passes through the oscillating frame and is fixedly connected to the booster roller shaft through a bearing. Then, the driver controls several booster rollers to rotate at the same speed and in the same direction through the power transmission of the pulley drive group. A controller is installed on one side of the double-layer frame.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0020] 1. This preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization uses a drive oscillating frame to cause bottled beverages to reciprocate at low speed, forcing microscale turbulence in the liquid inside the bottle. This directly disrupts the laminar thermal boundary layer on the inner side of the bottle wall, upgrading the traditional static sterilization method, which relies primarily on heat conduction, to a forced convection heat transfer method. This significantly shortens the heat penetration lag time at the cold spot at the geometric center of the bottle, eliminating the radial temperature gradient inside the bottle at its source. This avoids Maillard browning, burnt flavor formation, and degradation of heat-sensitive nutrients induced by long-term high-temperature loads on the liquid around the bottle wall, effectively preserving the original flavor and nutritional value of dairy products, NFC juices, and other products. It also ensures that the central area of ​​the bottle quickly reaches the target sterilization temperature and accumulates sufficient sterilization intensity, eliminating the food safety hazards caused by incomplete microbial sterilization. It is especially suitable for the high-quality sterilization requirements of large-diameter containers and high-viscosity, thick beverages.

[0021] 2. This preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization adopts a single-motor reciprocating drive structure with a combination of half-gear and double rack and pinion frame. The linear reciprocating motion is achieved by the alternating meshing of the half-gear and the upper and lower linkage rack. The oscillation amplitude and frequency can be adjusted to adapt to the heat transfer enhancement requirements of different types of beverages. With the circumferential limiting structure of the square guide shaft and guide seat, and the rolling support structure of the roller frame and roller groove, the coaxiality and running stability of the oscillation frame can be guaranteed throughout the process, avoiding pipeline vibration caused by radial movement. This not only ensures the stability of the sterilizer's pressure-bearing and sealing performance, but also reduces the frictional wear of moving parts and extends the service life of the entire equipment.

[0022] 3. This preheating sterilizer for beverage production utilizes a double-layer layout of a preheating tank and the sterilizer body. It can recover all the high-temperature process water after sterilization and store it in the preheating tank for insulation, directly using it as a heat source for the next batch of sterilization. This reduces the energy consumption of repeated steam heating. At the same time, combined with the forced convection inside the bottle to enhance heat transfer, it can significantly shorten the heating stage of a single batch of products, compress the overall sterilization cycle, and increase the production capacity per unit time. This results in a decrease in overall production energy consumption, higher batch-to-batch preheating temperature stability, and better batch consistency in product sterilization quality.

[0023] 4. This preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization uses a three-stage loading and limiting structure with an embedded support in the placement tank, a guide between the support strip and the support tank, and an axial limiting ring. This structure can stably limit the loading of bottled beverages of different specifications. There is no risk of bottle slippage or frame movement during the oscillation process, reducing the probability of production abnormalities such as bottle breakage and leakage. With the help of the booster mechanism, the thrust load of the feeding equipment can be reduced, improving the stability of feeding and docking accuracy.

[0024] Of course, any product implementing this invention does not necessarily need to achieve all of the advantages described above at the same time. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc., shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the present invention. Figure 3 ;

[0030] Figure 4 This is an overall assembly diagram of the double-layer support frame, preheating tank, and pipeline conveying assembly of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 This is an overall assembly diagram of the double-layer frame, sterilization vessel body, and pipeline conveying assembly of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the separation of the double-layer frame and the sterilization vessel body of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the opening of the sterilization vessel body and the sealing lid of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the internal structure of the sterilization vessel body and the oscillation mechanism of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the internal structure of the placement mechanism and the oscillation mechanism of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the oscillation mechanism of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the oscillation mechanism of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the booster mechanism of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 13 For the present invention Figure 12 Enlarged view of the structure at point A;

[0040] Figure 14 This is a diagram showing the combined body of the sterilization vessel and the drive mechanism of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the drive mechanism of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0042] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the drive mechanism of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0043] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the drive mechanism of the present invention. Figure 3 .

[0044] Illustrations: 1. Double-layer frame; 2. Preheating tank; 3. Sterilization autoclave body; 4. Boosting mechanism; 41. Mounting slot; 42. Driver; 43. Boosting roller; 44. Anti-slip strip; 45. Pulley drive assembly; 5. Vibration mechanism; 51. Roller groove; 52. Vibration frame; 53. Roller frame; 54. Limiting roller; 55. Bogie; 56. Steering shaft; 6. Drive mechanism; 61. Protective cover; 62. Servo motor; 63. 64. Half gear; 65. Retractable frame; 66. Linkage rack; 67. Guide seat; 68. Square guide shaft; 69. U-shaped connecting seat; 60. Transmission rack; 610. Transmission gear; 7. Controller; 8. Sealing cover; 9. Pipeline delivery group; 10. Placement mechanism; 101. Placement rack; 102. Placement groove; 103. Support groove; 104. Support frame; 105. Support bar; 106. Abutment ring; 107. Placement frame. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0046] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. It should be noted that when a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be a component positioned centrally in the connection.

[0047] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0048] Please see Figures 1-17 This invention provides a preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization, comprising a double-layer frame 1, a sterilizer body 3 installed at the bottom of the inner wall of the double-layer frame 1, a preheating tank 2 installed at the top of the inner wall of the double-layer frame 1, a pipeline conveying group 9 connected between the sterilizer body 3 and the preheating tank 2, the pipeline conveying group 9 being connected to an external pumping device, an oscillation mechanism 5 installed inside the sterilizer body 3 to control the beverage bottles to oscillate and shake to improve the uniformity of heating, a driving mechanism 6 installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body 3, the driving mechanism 6 being fixedly connected to the oscillation mechanism 5, a placement mechanism 10 provided inside the oscillation mechanism 5 for sequentially placing the filled beverage bottles, a booster mechanism 4 provided on the inner wall of the oscillation mechanism 5, and a controller 7 provided on one side of the double-layer frame 1;

[0049] The oscillation mechanism 5 includes an oscillation frame 52 installed inside the sterilizer body 3. Roller frames 53 are fixedly installed on both sides of the outer wall of the oscillation frame 52. Several limiting rollers 54 are evenly rotatably installed on the inner wall of the roller frame 53. Roller grooves 51 are opened on the inner side wall of the sterilizer body 3 at the positions corresponding to the roller frames 53. The roller frames 53 drive the limiting rollers 54 to roll along the inner wall of the corresponding roller grooves 51. A steering frame 55 is fixedly connected to the rear wall of the oscillation frame 52. A steering shaft 56 is fixedly installed on the rear wall of the steering frame 55. The steering shaft 56 reciprocates after being driven, driving the steering frame 55 and the oscillation frame 52 to deflect and control the beverage to oscillate and shake inside the bottle.

[0050] In this embodiment, the entire oscillating frame 52 is supported by the limiting roller 54 rolling along the roller groove 51, which transforms the sliding friction of the traditional sliding support into rolling friction, greatly reducing the running resistance and component wear during the deflection process.

[0051] At the same time, the roller groove 51 forms a double limit on the limiting roller 54 in both the radial and axial directions, which can effectively prevent radial movement and axial displacement during the deflection of the oscillating frame 52, ensure the coaxiality and stability of the oscillation operation, ensure that the oscillation flow field of the liquid inside the bottle is stable and controllable, and provide a reliable motion basis for enhancing the convective heat transfer inside the bottle.

[0052] Specifically, the inner wall of the oscillation frame 52 is fixedly connected to the booster mechanism 4, and the inner wall of the oscillation frame 52 is detachably connected to the placement mechanism 10. The rear end of the steering shaft 56 passes through the sterilization vessel body 3 through the bearing seat and is connected to the drive mechanism 6. A sealing cover 8 is installed at the front of the sterilization vessel body 3, and the sealing cover 8 is connected to the placement mechanism 10.

[0053] In this embodiment, a high-pressure mechanical seal assembly is provided at the through-fitting joint between the steering shaft 56 and the sterilization vessel body 3, which can continuously maintain the airtightness of the vessel body under high temperature and high pressure conditions, prevent steam and hot water leakage, and ensure stable pressure in the sterilization chamber.

[0054] The sealing cover 8 adopts a quick-opening pressure vessel door structure. After closing, it together with the sterilization vessel body 3 forms a sealed pressure sterilization chamber to meet the requirements of high temperature and high pressure sterilization. At the same time, when the sealing cover 8 is closed, it can simultaneously drive the abutment structure to complete the axial limit of the placement mechanism 10, without the need for additional locking operations, thus improving the efficiency of process connection.

[0055] Specifically, the drive mechanism 6 includes a protective cover 61 installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body 3. A servo motor 62 is fixedly installed on the rear wall of the protective cover 61. A half gear 63 is fixedly installed through the power shaft of the servo motor 62 through the protective cover 61. A ring frame 64 is installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body 3. A linkage rack 65 is fixedly installed on both the top and bottom walls of the ring frame 64. The gear part of the half gear 63 meshes with the corresponding linkage rack 65.

[0056] In this implementation scheme, a transmission form is adopted in which half gear 63 and upper and lower double linkage rack 65 are engaged. Only a single servo motor 62 can drive the reciprocating frame 64 to achieve continuous horizontal reciprocating linear motion. The reversal process is naturally completed by the meshing and switching of the teeth. The reciprocating oscillation frequency can be controlled by adjusting the speed of the servo motor 62, which can flexibly adapt to the heat transfer enhancement requirements of beverages with different viscosities and bottle diameters, and greatly improve the process adaptability range of the equipment.

[0057] Specifically, a U-shaped connecting seat 68 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the U-shaped frame 64, a square guide shaft 67 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the U-shaped connecting seat 68, a guide seat 66 is slidably sleeved on the outer wall of the square guide shaft 67, and the outer wall of the guide seat 66 is fixedly connected to the rear wall of the sterilizer body 3.

[0058] In this embodiment, a guide structure is adopted in which a square guide shaft 67 with a square cross section cooperates with a guide seat 66. This can limit the circumferential deflection freedom of the reciprocating frame 64, ensuring that the reciprocating frame 64 only moves along the horizontal straight line, and avoiding misalignment of the linkage rack 65 and the half gear 63 due to circumferential shaking, and transmission failure.

[0059] Meanwhile, the guide seat 66 has a built-in high-temperature resistant bushing to reduce component wear and ensure transmission accuracy and reliability during long-term operation, making it suitable for the high-temperature and high-humidity operating environment around the sterilizer.

[0060] Specifically, the same transmission rack 69 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the U-shaped connecting seat 68. The rack portion of the transmission rack 69 faces downward. A transmission gear 610 is fixedly installed at the rear end of the steering shaft 56. The transmission gear 610 meshes with the transmission rack 69 for transmission connection, and is used to control the steering shaft 56 to reciprocate at a certain angle.

[0061] In this embodiment, a transmission pair in which the transmission rack 69 meshes with the transmission gear 610 can convert the horizontal linear reciprocating motion of the return frame 64 into the reciprocating deflection motion of the steering shaft 56.

[0062] The gear and rack transmission features high transmission accuracy and stable transmission ratio. It can control the deflection amplitude of the oscillating frame 52, avoiding excessive amplitude that could cause overload on the bottle or violent shaking of the liquid. It can also prevent insufficient amplitude that could lead to inadequate heat transfer enhancement, ensuring that the oscillation process is controllable and the heat transfer optimization effect is stable and reproducible.

[0063] Specifically, the placement mechanism 10 includes a placement frame 107 located inside the vibrating frame 52. Several placement racks 101 are evenly installed inside the placement frame 107. Several placement grooves 102 are evenly opened on the surface of the placement racks 101. Support frames 104 are installed at the bottom of the placement racks 101 and at the positions of the placement grooves 102, for stable support of the bottom of the beverage bottles placed inside the placement grooves 102.

[0064] In this embodiment, an embedded placement groove 102 is used in conjunction with a bottom support frame 104 to form a loading structure. The placement groove 102 can form a circumferential limit on the lower part of the beverage bottle body, and the support frame 104 can provide stable support for the bottom of the bottle. During the reciprocating deflection of the vibrating frame 52, it can effectively prevent the beverage bottle from tipping over, slipping, and colliding with each other, thereby reducing the production risk of bottle breakage and leakage.

[0065] Meanwhile, the placement rack 101 adopts a modular and detachable installation method, which can be quickly replaced with a suitable placement rack 101 according to different bottle types and diameters, thereby improving the equipment's adaptability to the production of multiple types of beverage products.

[0066] Specifically, support grooves 103 are provided on both sides of the inner wall of the oscillating frame 52. Support bars 105 are slidably installed on the inner wall of the support grooves 103. The support bars 105 are fixedly installed on both sides of the placement frame 107 to be installed and adapted with the support grooves 103 to achieve guiding, limiting and supporting functions. An abutment ring 106 is rotatably installed on the inner wall of the sealing cover 8. When the sealing cover 8 is closed, the abutment ring 106 abuts and limits the front end of the support bar 105 placed in the inner wall of the support groove 103.

[0067] In this embodiment, the installation method of pull-out cooperation between support bar 105 and support groove 103 is adopted, which can provide full-process sliding guidance and stable support for placement frame 107, so that the loading and unloading process is smooth and without jamming, and can also realize the quick disassembly and assembly of placement frame 107 and vibration frame 52 to improve material changing efficiency.

[0068] The abutment ring 106 adopts a rotating installation structure. After the sealing cover 8 is closed, it can automatically abut against the front end of the support bar 105 to complete the axial limit of the placement frame 107, preventing the placement frame 107 from moving axially during the oscillation. At the same time, the abutment ring 106 can deflect synchronously with the oscillation frame 52 to avoid relative frictional wear and ensure the long-term stability of the limit function.

[0069] Specifically, the boosting mechanism 4 includes an installation groove 41 opened at the bottom of the inner wall of the oscillating frame 52, a number of boosting rollers 43 are uniformly rotatably installed on the inner wall of the installation groove 41, and a number of anti-slip strips 44 are uniformly fixedly installed on the outer wall of the boosting rollers 43.

[0070] In this embodiment, the pusher roller 43 is made of stainless steel substrate, and the anti-slip strip 44 covering the surface is made of high temperature resistant food-grade silicone rubber material, which not only meets the food production hygiene standards, but also increases the contact friction between the pusher roller 43 and the bottom of the placement frame 107, so that the pushing process is smooth and does not slip.

[0071] Multiple sets of push rollers 43 are evenly arranged along the inlet and outlet directions of the placement frame 107, which can form multiple points of uniform support and pushing force on the placement frame 107, avoiding the placement frame 107 from tilting and jamming due to force on one side, and ensuring the smoothness and alignment accuracy of the loading and unloading process.

[0072] Specifically, the roller shafts of the booster rollers 43 are all fixedly installed with pulley drive groups 45 through the oscillating frame 52, and two adjacent booster rollers 43 use the same pulley drive group 45.

[0073] In this implementation scheme, a pulley drive group 45 is used to realize the synchronous transmission of power among multiple push rollers 43, ensuring that the push rollers 43 rotate at the same speed and in the same direction, so that the placement frame 107 is subjected to uniform force and the pushing speed is consistent.

[0074] Specifically, a driver 42 is installed on one side of the inner wall of the oscillating frame 52, corresponding to one of the booster rollers 43. The power shaft of the driver 42 passes through the oscillating frame 52 through a bearing and is fixedly connected to the roller shaft of the booster roller 43. Then, under the power transmission of the pulley transmission group 45, several booster rollers 43 are controlled to rotate at the same speed and in the same direction. A controller 7 is installed on one side of the double-layer frame 1.

[0075] In this embodiment, the driver 42 adopts a reduction drive structure with sufficient output torque, which can stably drive the full-load beverage placement box 107 in and out, reducing the thrust load of the external feeding equipment.

[0076] The controller 7 is electrically connected to the various sensing elements, driver 42, servo motor 62 and other actuators in the preheating tank 2 and the sterilization vessel body 3. It can realize the automated closed-loop control of the entire process of feeding, media injection, vibration sterilization, heat preservation, waste heat recovery, cooling and discharging. It supports the storage and one-click recall of multiple sterilization process parameters, effectively improving the degree of production automation and the consistency of sterilization quality of different batches of products.

[0077] Working principle: In this device, the preheating tank 2, sterilization vessel body 3, driver 42, and servo motor 62 are all electrically connected to the external power supply through a standardized wiring layout, providing a stable and controllable power supply for the entire process operation of the device. The signal input terminals of each electrical control component are connected one-to-one with the signal output terminals of the controller 7, and the signal feedback terminals are connected to the signal input terminals of the controller 7, realizing the real-time issuance of control commands and the feedback of operating parameters, providing a signal transmission basis for the control of the entire process. The operation process and technical principle of the device are explained in detail.

[0078] During the initial startup phase of the equipment, the controller 7 first performs a self-test on the signal path of the entire device, verifying the communication status and data feedback accuracy of the built-in pressure sensors, temperature sensors, water level sensors, and other detection elements in the preheating tank 2 and the sterilization tank body 3, to ensure that the data acquisition of each sensing node is accurate and reliable.

[0079] The pipeline conveying group 9 is connected to the external pumping equipment to form a complete media circulation path, undertaking the fluid guiding functions of conveying and recovering sterilization media and supplying cooling water. The double-layer frame 1 serves as the overall installation support base of the device, providing a layered and fixed installation foundation for the preheating tank 2 and the sterilization vessel body 3, ensuring the structural stability of the pipeline connection between the upper and lower tanks.

[0080] When filling the beverage for sterilization, the sealed beverage bottles are placed sequentially into the placement rack 101 inside the open placement frame 107. The bottles are embedded in the placement groove 102 and positioned in the support frame 104. The embedded groove support structure can provide circumferential restraint for the bottle body, preventing the bottle from slipping or shifting during subsequent oscillation and ensuring the stability of the filling state. When the subsequent oscillation frame 52 drives the placement frame 107 to reciprocate and oscillate, after the placement frame 107 is fully loaded, the external feeding equipment lifts it to the position of the sterilization tank body. The docking position of the inner oscillating frame 52 at the same height ensures that the support bars 105 on both sides of the placement frame 107 are precisely aligned with the support grooves 103 on the inner wall of the oscillating frame 52. Simultaneously, the external feeding equipment and the booster mechanism 4 are started. The feeding equipment pushes the placement frame 107 into the oscillating frame 52. The support bars 105 slide smoothly into the support grooves 103. The guide structure of the grooves limits the entry path of the placement frame 107 and provides stable sliding support for the placement frame 107 throughout the process to avoid deviation and jamming during the pushing process.

[0081] As the placement frame 107 slowly enters the sterilization vessel body 3 and the vibration frame 52, the driver 42 drives the push roller 43 in the mounting groove 41 to rotate at a low speed. The anti-slip strip 44 covering the surface of the push roller 43 rotates synchronously with the roller shaft. The push rollers 43 are connected to each other through the belt drive group 45 to achieve synchronous power transmission at the same speed and in the same direction. Multiple sets of push rollers 43 are in surface contact with the bottom of the placement frame 107. The anti-slip strip 44 increases the contact friction and works with the external feeding equipment to complete the smooth push of the placement frame 107, reduce the feeding force and prevent the frame from slipping to ensure that the feeding process is in place.

[0082] After the placement frame 107 is fully in place, close the sealing cover 8 at the end of the sterilizer body 3. The abutment ring 106 on the inner side of the sealing cover 8 abuts against the end of the oscillation frame 52 simultaneously as the cover closes. At the same time, it forms an axial abutment limit between the placement frame 107 and the front end of the support bar 105 to prevent the placement frame 107 from axially moving during subsequent oscillation, thus ensuring the transmission efficiency and operational safety of the oscillation action.

[0083] Before the feeding process starts, the preheating tank 2 has preheated the internal process water to the target sterilization temperature through steam heat exchange. After the vessel body is sealed, the high-temperature sterilization medium in the preheating tank 2 is quickly injected into the inner cavity of the sterilization vessel body 3 through the external pumping equipment and pipeline delivery group 9, so that the ambient temperature inside the vessel rises rapidly and the overall heating time is shortened. However, as described in the background technology, the existing sterilization equipment can only ensure the temperature uniformity of the heat medium in the vessel cavity. The heat must be conducted to the beverage inside the bottle through the bottle wall. The liquid layer near the bottle wall is heated first and rises rapidly, while the geometric center area of ​​the bottle body, due to the low thermal conductivity of the beverage itself, relies only on natural convection and heat conduction to slowly heat up, forming an obvious "heat penetration lag zone".

[0084] For large-diameter containers (over 1L), thick fruit juices containing pulp, and high-viscosity beverages such as plant-based protein milk, the radial temperature gradient phenomenon is more pronounced. This can easily lead to overheating of the liquid at the bottle wall, inducing Maillard browning and degradation of nutrients, and can also result in insufficient sterilization intensity in the central area. To address this core defect, this device achieves a fundamental improvement by using a built-in reciprocating oscillation drive structure to enhance the forced convection of the liquid inside the bottle.

[0085] While the high-temperature medium is injected into the sterilization vessel body 3, the servo motor 62 fixed to the outside of the protective cover 61 is started, driving the half gear 63 to rotate smoothly at low speed inside the retractable frame 64. The half gear 63 is a partial toothed non-full-circumferential gear structure. The upper and lower inner walls of the retractable frame 64 are equipped with linkage racks 65. During the rotation of the half gear 63, it alternately meshes with the upper and lower linkage racks 65 for transmission: when the half gear 63 meshes with the upper linkage rack 65, it drives the retractable frame 64 to move forward in the horizontal direction.

[0086] When the half gear 63 rotates half a revolution and meshes with the lower linkage rack 65, it drives the return frame 64 to move in the opposite direction in the horizontal direction. Thus, the horizontal reciprocating linear motion of the return frame 64 can be realized by a single motor drive, and the oscillation amplitude and frequency can be controlled.

[0087] During the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating frame 64, the square guide shaft 67 connected to its end slides directionally along the inner wall of the guide seat 66 fixed to the rear end of the double-layer upright frame 1. Through the matching structure of the square shaft and the guide hole, the reciprocating frame 64 is prevented from circumferentially deflecting, thus ensuring the accuracy and stability of the linear motion.

[0088] At the same time, the reciprocating frame 64 drives the transmission rack 69 to perform horizontal reciprocating motion synchronously through the U-shaped connecting seat 68. The transmission rack 69 and the transmission gear 610 at the end of the steering shaft 56 are engaged, thereby converting the linear reciprocating motion into the forward and reverse reciprocating rotation of the transmission gear 610. This, in turn, drives the steering frame 55 and the oscillating frame 52 to perform low-speed reciprocating deflection oscillation inside the sterilizer body 3 through the steering shaft 56.

[0089] During the rotation of the oscillation frame 52, the roller frame 53 arranged circumferentially on its outer wall drives the limiting roller 54 to roll along the roller groove 51 on the inner wall of the sterilizer body 3. The roller support structure provides full circumferential rolling support for the oscillation frame 52, which reduces the rotational friction resistance and limits the radial movement of the oscillation frame 52, ensuring the coaxiality and stability of the oscillation operation. The oscillation frame 52 drives the internal placement frame 107 and the beverage bottle to reciprocate and deflect synchronously, so that the beverage in the bottle swings with the bottle body to generate continuous micro-scale turbulence, which destroys the laminar thermal boundary layer that is close to the inner wall of the bottle, and changes the original heat transfer mode dominated by heat conduction to a forced convection heat transfer mode, so that the heat can penetrate quickly and evenly to the cold point area in the center of the bottle, greatly shortening the heating lag time of the central liquid.

[0090] It can fundamentally eliminate the radial temperature gradient inside the bottle: on the one hand, it avoids the liquid at the bottle wall from being subjected to high temperature heat load for a long time, effectively inhibits Maillard browning reaction and protein heat denaturation in heat-sensitive beverages such as dairy products and NFC juice, reduces the loss of heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamins, and preserves the original flavor and nutritional value of the product.

[0091] On the other hand, the cold spot area in the center of the bottle can quickly reach the sterilization temperature and accumulate sufficient sterilization intensity, eliminating the problem of incomplete sterilization caused by the lag in the center temperature rise. It takes into account both product quality and food safety. By directly acting on the heat transfer process of the liquid in the bottle, it has achieved substantial improvement on the core cause of heat penetration lag, and is especially suitable for the sterilization needs of beverage products with large bottle diameter and high viscosity, which are difficult to heat transfer.

[0092] After the constant temperature sterilization stage is completed, a large amount of high-temperature process water is still retained in the sterilization vessel body 3. The device recovers all the high-temperature water to the preheating tank 2 for heat preservation and storage through the pipeline conveying group 9 and external pumping equipment. This water is directly used as the preheating heat source for the next batch of sterilization, which greatly reduces the consumption of boiler steam. At the same time, the recovered high-temperature medium can be used to preheat the cooling water intake of the next batch, further improving the thermal energy utilization rate and reducing the water resource consumption and energy consumption in the cooling stage.

[0093] After the sterilization and cooling process is completed, the sealing cover 8 is opened and the push mechanism 4 rotates in reverse to smoothly send the placement frame 107 out of the sterilization vessel body 3. After replacing the placement frame 107 which is full of products to be sterilized, the above process can be repeated to achieve continuous batch production.

[0094] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization, comprising a double-layer stand (1), characterized in that: The sterilization vessel body (3) is installed at the bottom of the inner wall of the double-layer stand (1), and the preheating tank (2) is installed at the top of the inner wall of the double-layer stand (1). A pipeline conveying group (9) is installed between the sterilization vessel body (3) and the preheating tank (2). The pipeline conveying group (9) is connected to an external pumping device. An oscillation mechanism (5) is installed inside the sterilization vessel body (3) to control the beverage bottles to oscillate and shake to improve the uniformity of heating. A drive mechanism (6) is installed on the rear wall of the sterilization vessel body (3). The drive mechanism (6) is fixedly connected to the oscillation mechanism (5). A placement mechanism (10) is provided inside the oscillation mechanism (5) for placing the filled beverage bottles in sequence. A booster mechanism (4) is provided on the inner wall of the oscillation mechanism (5). A controller (7) is provided on one side of the double-layer stand (1). The oscillation mechanism (5) includes an oscillation frame (52) installed inside the sterilization vessel body (3). Roller frames (53) are fixedly installed on both sides of the outer wall of the oscillation frame (52). Several limiting rollers (54) are evenly rotated on the inner wall of the roller frame (53). Roller grooves (51) are opened on the inner side wall of the sterilization vessel body (3) at the position corresponding to the roller frame (53). The roller frame (53) drives the limiting rollers (54) to roll along the inner wall of the corresponding roller groove (51). A steering frame (55) is fixedly connected to the rear wall of the oscillation frame (52). A steering shaft (56) is fixedly installed on the rear wall of the steering frame (55). The steering shaft (56) reciprocates after being driven, driving the steering frame (55) and the oscillation frame (52) to deflect and control the beverage to oscillate and shake inside the bottle.

2. The preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the oscillating frame (52) is fixedly connected to the booster mechanism (4), and the inner wall of the oscillating frame (52) is detachably connected to the placement mechanism (10). The rear end of the steering shaft (56) passes through the sterilization vessel body (3) through the bearing seat and is connected to the drive mechanism (6). A sealing cover (8) is installed at the front of the sterilization vessel body (3), and the sealing cover (8) is connected to the placement mechanism (10).

3. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drive mechanism (6) includes a protective cover (61) installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body (3). A servo motor (62) is fixedly installed on the rear wall of the protective cover (61). A half gear (63) is fixedly installed through the power shaft of the servo motor (62) through the protective cover (61). A ring frame (64) is installed on the rear wall of the sterilizer body (3). A linkage rack (65) is fixedly installed on the top and bottom walls of the ring frame (64). The gear part of the half gear (63) meshes with the corresponding linkage rack (65).

4. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer walls of the U-shaped frame (64) are all fixedly installed with U-shaped connecting seats (68), and the outer walls of the U-shaped connecting seats (68) are all fixedly installed with square guide shafts (67). The outer walls of the square guide shafts (67) are all slidably fitted with guide seats (66), and the outer walls of the guide seats (66) are all fixedly connected to the rear wall of the sterilizer body (3).

5. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 4, characterized in that: The same transmission rack (69) is fixedly installed at the bottom of each of the U-shaped connecting seats (68). The rack portion of the transmission rack (69) faces downward. A transmission gear (610) is fixedly installed at the rear end of the steering shaft (56). The transmission gear (610) meshes with the transmission rack (69) for transmission connection, and is used to control the steering shaft (56) to reciprocate at a certain angle.

6. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that: The placement mechanism (10) includes a placement frame (107) located inside the oscillating frame (52). Several placement racks (101) are evenly installed inside the placement frame (107). Several placement slots (102) are evenly opened on the surface of the placement racks (101). Support frames (104) are installed at the bottom of the placement racks (101) and at the positions located in the placement slots (102) to provide stable support for the bottom of the beverage bottles placed inside the placement slots (102).

7. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 2, characterized in that: The oscillating frame (52) has support grooves (103) on both sides of its inner wall. Support bars (105) are slidably installed on the inner wall of the support grooves (103). The support bars (105) are fixedly installed on both sides of the placement frame (107) to be installed and adapted to the support grooves (103) to achieve guiding, limiting and supporting functions. The inner wall of the sealing cover (8) is rotatably installed with an abutment ring (106). When the sealing cover (8) is closed, the abutment ring (106) is driven to abut against the front end of the support bar (105) placed in the inner wall of the support groove (103) for limiting.

8. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 7, characterized in that: The boosting mechanism (4) includes an installation groove (41) at the bottom of the inner wall of the oscillating frame (52). Several boosting rollers (43) are evenly and rotatably installed on the inner wall of the installation groove (41), and several anti-slip strips (44) are evenly and fixedly installed on the outer wall of the boosting rollers (43).

9. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 8, characterized in that: The roller shafts of the booster rollers (43) are all fixedly installed through the oscillating frame (52) with a pulley drive group (45), and the two adjacent booster rollers (43) use the same pulley drive group (45).

10. A preheating sterilizer for beverage production sterilization according to claim 1, characterized in that: A driver (42) is installed on one side of the inner wall of the oscillating frame (52) and at the position corresponding to one of the booster rollers (43). The power shaft of the driver (42) passes through the oscillating frame (52) through a bearing and is fixedly connected to the roller shaft of the booster roller (43). Then, under the power transmission of the pulley transmission group (45), several booster rollers (43) are controlled to rotate at the same speed and in the same direction. A controller (7) is installed on one side of the double-layer upright frame (1).

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