A food material cleaning apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of food raw material cleaning equipment, including fruit and vegetable cleaning tank, conveying assembly and gas generating device, fruit and vegetable cleaning tank includes bubble cleaning area and static water stabilizing area, conveying assembly forms parallel first bearing channel and second bearing channel in bubble cleaning area, its below is respectively provided with first aeration section and second aeration section, unit length gas output increases along the direction of conveying, gradient bubble forms low bubble zone, intermediate collection area and outer collection area in liquid surface, and strong gas section forms air seal section;Side overflow tank and intermediate overflow tank are respectively collected foam inclusion dirt, back bubble piece guides the bubble back flow invading static water stabilizing area, and blocks, pushes back foam inclusion dirt, and food raw material is output by lifting section after static water stabilizing.The present application can reduce the probability that foam inclusion dirt migrates to discharge end and is attached again on the food raw material that has been cleaned, improves food raw material cleaning and discharge stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food cleaning and processing equipment, and more specifically to a food raw material cleaning equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Food ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and aquatic products typically require cleaning before sorting, cutting, packaging, or further processing. Existing bubble washing machines generally include a washing tank, a conveying assembly spanning inside and outside the tank, a gas generator at the bottom of the tank, and a spray system on the discharge side. During operation, the ingredients are agitated by rising bubbles, water flow, and mutual tumbling within the washing tank, removing surface dirt, debris, and other impurities. They are then conveyed to the discharge end by the conveying assembly, where they are lifted and rinsed again by the spray system before being output.

[0003] However, during the bubble cleaning process, mud, debris, residues, and other light impurities that detach from the surface of food ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and aquatic products easily mix with the bubbles and suspended matter in the water and accumulate on the liquid surface, forming foam mixed with dirt. Especially when the gas generator is located in or near the middle of the width of the cleaning tank, the bubbles rise to the liquid surface and form a surface water flow that spreads from the area where the bubbles float to the surrounding area, thus pushing the foam mixed with dirt to the feed end, discharge end, and side areas of the cleaning tank.

[0004] Since the lifting and discharge position of the conveying component is usually located at the discharge end of the washing tank, the foam mixed with dirt migrating towards the discharge end easily accumulates near the water discharge path of food raw materials such as fruits, vegetables, and aquatic products. When the food raw materials such as fruits and vegetables are lifted away from the washing liquid by the conveying component, if they come into contact with this foam mixed with dirt again, the impurities will re-adhere to the surface of the food raw materials or the supporting part of the conveying component, affecting the cleaning effect.

[0005] Existing technologies typically address this by increasing the spray volume at the discharge end or by setting up local skimming and collection structures. However, spraying mainly targets the exposed surface of food ingredients, and has limited cleaning effect on areas where food ingredients contact the conveying components, recesses, or areas obstructed by the food's posture. Local collection structures, on the other hand, usually only passively collect already accumulated contaminants and are unlikely to actively guide and separate foam-mixed contaminants using the surface water flow formed by rising bubbles.

[0006] Therefore, how to directionally guide the impurities mixed in with the foam to reduce their migration to the discharge end and decrease the probability of them coming into contact with food raw materials again, in response to the surface flow phenomenon caused by the rising of bubbles, remains a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field.

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to design a food raw material cleaning device to address the problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a food raw material cleaning device that can effectively solve at least one of the problems existing in the prior art.

[0009] This invention provides a food raw material cleaning device, including a fruit and vegetable cleaning tank, a conveying component, and a gas generating device. The conveying component is arranged across the inside and outside of the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank along the food raw material conveying direction. The fruit and vegetable washing tank includes a bubble washing zone and a still water stabilization zone along the food raw material conveying direction. The conveying assembly forms a first carrying channel and a second carrying channel spaced apart along the width direction of the fruit and vegetable washing tank within the bubble cleaning zone; each of the first carrying channel and the second carrying channel includes two conveyor belt surfaces extending along the food raw material conveying direction, and several permeable areas are formed on each of the two conveyor belt surfaces. The gas generating device includes a first aeration section and a second aeration section located within the bubble cleaning zone and respectively below the first and second carrying channels. Both the first and second aeration sections extend along the food raw material conveying direction and are provided with multiple air outlets. The air outlets gradually increase the air volume per unit length from the feed side to the discharge side of the bubble cleaning zone, so that the gradient intensity bubbles generated rise to the surface of the cleaning liquid, causing foam mixed with dirt to form a low-foam zone above the first and second carrying channels, an intermediate collection zone between the first and second carrying channels, and an outer collection zone on the outside of the first and second carrying channels. The discharge ends of the first aeration section and the second aeration section form a strong air section. The intermediate collection area narrows towards the discharge end along the food raw material conveying direction and forms an air seal section on the side of the intermediate collection area near the discharge end through the strong air sections on both sides to block the extension of the intermediate collection area. The fruit and vegetable washing tank is provided with side overflow channels on both sides corresponding to the two outer collection areas, and the feed side of the bubble washing zone is provided with a middle overflow channel corresponding to the middle collection area. A foam return component is provided between the bubble cleaning zone and the still water stabilization zone to block foam mixed with dirt that tends to enter the still water stabilization zone; the foam return component includes a bubble guide plate and a return nozzle. The bubble guide plate is provided in three parts, and is respectively set in the middle collection area and the two outer collection areas. The bubble guide plate is set to extend upward from below the liquid surface of the static water stabilization area toward the bubble cleaning area and pass through the liquid surface of the bubble cleaning area, so as to guide the bubbles back to the bubble cleaning area and prevent the foam mixed with dirt from entering the static water stabilization area. The edges of adjacent bubble guides extend into the low-foam zone between them and form a backflow gap. The nozzle of the backflow nozzle is set along the liquid surface of the static water stabilization zone toward the bubble cleaning zone to form a backflow water curtain toward the bubble cleaning zone. The backflow water curtain is used to generate a return liquid flow that flows back to the bubble cleaning zone through the backflow gap. The bubble return component is located above the first bearing channel and the second bearing channel; The conveying assembly forms an upwardly inclined lifting section on the discharge side of the still water stabilization zone.

[0010] As a further improvement, all the bubble guides are formed with an inclined guide surface extending toward the reflux gap.

[0011] As a further improvement, both the first and second carrying channels are provided with water-permeable flexible limiting members. The flexible limiting members include side limiting surfaces on both sides and height limiting members between the upper ends of the side limiting surfaces. The side limiting surfaces are provided along the edges on both sides of the width direction of the first and second carrying channels to restrict the food raw materials from entering the middle or outer collection area laterally and to limit the floating height of the food raw materials under the action of air bubbles.

[0012] As a further improvement, a floating gap is formed between the height limiting member and the side limiting surface along the height direction of the fruit and vegetable washing tank to accommodate the floating height of food raw materials under the action of air bubbles.

[0013] As a further improvement, both the first aeration section and the second aeration section include multiple air supply zones arranged sequentially along the food raw material conveying direction. The air output per unit length of the downstream air supply zone is greater than that of the adjacent upstream air supply zone, and the downstreammost air supply zone constitutes the strong air section.

[0014] As a further improvement, the gradual increase in the gas output per unit length is achieved through at least one of the following methods: The air supply volume is gradually increased along the direction of food raw material transportation, the air supply pressure is gradually increased, the density of air outlets is gradually increased, the diameter of air outlets is gradually increased, the distance between adjacent air outlets is gradually reduced, or the aeration process is gradually transitioned from fine bubble aeration to medium bubble or medium-coarse bubble aeration. The first aeration section and the second aeration section have the same air output per unit length at the same conveying position or are within a preset difference range.

[0015] As a further improvement, the two side overflow channels and the middle overflow channel are interconnected and connected to the cleaning liquid circulation device, which is used to filter out foam mixed with dirt and return the filtered cleaning liquid to the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank. The weir of the intermediate overflow trough is lower than or equal to the normal liquid level at the intermediate collection area.

[0016] As a further improvement, the fruit and vegetable washing tank has a feeding plate inclined toward its inner side on the feeding side, and the feeding plate is divided into feeding channels toward the first bearing channel and the second bearing channel respectively by a feeding partition. The feeding channel is equipped with a feeding pipe, which is used to generate auxiliary water flow for auxiliary feeding and delivery.

[0017] Therefore, the present invention provides the following effects and / or advantages: In existing bubble cleaning equipment, after bubbles rise to the liquid surface, they typically cause foam and suspended impurities to diffuse irregularly around the cleaning tank, especially tending to accumulate towards the discharge end. When food ingredients are lifted off the water, they easily pass through areas of the liquid surface with a high concentration of foam and impurities, causing foam and impurities to re-adhere to the surface of the food ingredients or the support parts of the conveying components. To address this, the present invention sets up a first aeration section and a second aeration section below the first and second carrying channels, respectively, and gradually increases the air output per unit length of the two aeration sections from the feed side to the discharge side of the bubble cleaning zone. After the bubbles rise to the liquid surface, they form a transverse surface water flow that diffuses from the two carrying channels to adjacent areas, creating a low-foam zone in the area where the food ingredients are located, while the foam and impurities are pushed to the central and outer collection areas. As the bubble intensity gradually increases from the feed side to the discharge side, the central collection area gradually increases in size due to the compression of the transverse surface water flow on both sides, causing its width to gradually narrow towards the discharge end. Furthermore, the strong air sections on both sides form an air seal section on the side of the central collection area near the discharge end, limiting the further downstream extension of the central collection area. Meanwhile, foam-mixed contaminants located in the two outer collection zones migrate towards both sides of the fruit and vegetable washing tank under the action of the transverse surface water flow and enter the corresponding side overflow troughs; foam-mixed contaminants located in the middle collection zone accumulate towards the converging end after continuous compression by the water flow on both sides, and expand back towards the feeding side under the obstruction of the air seal section, and are collected through the middle overflow trough located on the feeding side of the bubble washing zone. Based on this, the present invention sets up a still water stabilization zone downstream of the bubble washing zone, so that the food raw materials enter the less disturbed conveying area after completing bubble washing and foam-mixed contaminant zoning, avoiding the direct effect of continuous bubbles and transverse surface water flow generated in the strong air section on the subsequent lifting process. A bubble return component is set between the bubble washing zone and the still water stabilization zone to prevent foam-mixed contaminants from entering the still water stabilization zone. Thus, before entering the lifting section, the food raw materials can transition from a strong bubble pushing environment to a low-disturbance, low-foam stable conveying environment, reducing the possibility that the food raw materials will re-enter the foam-mixed contaminant collection area due to continuous tumbling, floating or transverse displacement. Through the coordinated operation of the first aeration section, the second aeration section, the low-foam zone, the intermediate collection zone, the outer collection zone, the strong air section, the air seal section, the side overflow trough, the intermediate overflow trough, the static water stabilization zone, and the re-foaming component, the originally randomly diffused foam mixed with contaminants is transformed into multiple directional migration paths of intermediate recirculation and side discharge. This ensures that the food raw materials are always in the low-foam zone and static water stabilization environment with a low degree of foam mixed with contaminants before entering the lifting section. This actively reduces the probability of foam mixed with contaminants migrating to the discharge end and re-attaching to the food raw materials, and achieves zoned diversion, directional collection, stable isolation, and centralized treatment of foam mixed with contaminants.

[0018] In existing equipment, when increasing aeration intensity to enhance the defoaming effect at the discharge end, bubbles generated in the strong aeration section may intrude into the subsequent material stabilization zone. This causes food ingredients to remain affected by bubble buoyancy and water flow disturbance before being lifted, impacting their conveying stability. To address this, the present invention incorporates a bubble return component between the bubble cleaning zone and the still water stabilization zone. This component includes three bubble guide plates corresponding to the central collection zone and two outer collection zones, respectively. Each bubble guide plate extends obliquely upwards from below the liquid surface of the still water stabilization zone towards the bubble cleaning zone and passes through its surface. When bubbles generated in the strong aeration section tend to enter the still water stabilization zone, they can flow back towards the bubble cleaning zone under the guidance of the oblique surfaces of the bubble guide plates, thereby reducing the probability of bubbles from the strong aeration section intruding into the still water stabilization zone and mitigating their disturbance to the conveying stability of food ingredients within the still water stabilization zone.

[0019] In existing equipment, even if a small amount of foam-mixed contaminants is not collected at the front end, it may still cross the zone boundary and enter the low-disturbance zone, subsequently re-contacting the food ingredients during the lifting process. To address this, this invention utilizes a structure where bubble guide plates extend above the liquid surface to block foam-mixed contaminants. The edges of adjacent bubble guide plates extend into the low-foam zone between them, forming a backflow gap. Simultaneously, a backflow nozzle forms a surface-mounted backflow water curtain at the liquid surface in the still water stabilization zone, facing the bubble cleaning zone. The bubble guide plates guide the blocked foam-mixed contaminants to the backflow gap, while the surface-mounted backflow water curtain forms a return flow of liquid water flowing back to the bubble cleaning zone through the backflow gap. Through the combined effect of the structural blocking of the bubble guide plates, the directional guidance of the backflow gap, and the hydraulic backflow of the surface-mounted backflow water curtain, the probability of residual foam-mixed contaminants entering the still water stabilization zone can be further reduced.

[0020] In existing bubble washing processes, food ingredients are easily displaced laterally by rising bubbles, lateral water flow, and tumbling, thus entering the foam-mixed contaminant collection area and weakening the correspondence between the low-foam belt and the food ingredient's conveying position. To address this, this invention uses a first and second carrying channel to separately convey food ingredients, and each carrying channel is equipped with a support and limiting structure consisting of a conveyor belt surface, a permeable zone, and flexible limiting components. The side limiting surface restricts the food ingredients from laterally entering the middle or outer collection area, while the height limiting components prevent excessive floating of the food ingredients under the action of bubbles, while retaining necessary permeability and posture adjustment space. This allows the food ingredients to stably correspond to the low-foam belt during bubble washing, improving the positional coordination between the carrying channel, the aeration section, and the foam-mixed contaminant collection area.

[0021] Existing food ingredient cleaning equipment typically employs uniform aeration, making it difficult to create differentiated flow patterns at different conveying locations based on the migration patterns of impurities carried in the foam. To address this, this invention divides the first and second aeration sections into multiple air supply zones sequentially arranged along the food ingredient conveying direction, ensuring that the air output per unit length in the downstream air supply zone is greater than that in the adjacent upstream air supply zone. The air output per unit length can be achieved through gradual variations in air supply volume, air supply pressure, air outlet density, air outlet diameter, air outlet spacing, or bubble particle size. This structure allows the surface flow within the bubble cleaning zone to gradually intensify from the inlet to the outlet side, thereby providing a stable bubble dynamic foundation for the convergence of the intermediate collection zone and the formation of the strong air section.

[0022] Existing foam treatment methods tend to carry away a significant amount of cleaning fluid when discharging foam containing impurities, increasing the need for water replenishment and the burden on wastewater treatment. To address this, this invention connects two side overflow channels and a central overflow channel, which are also connected to a cleaning fluid circulation device. After collection, separation, and filtration, the foam-mixed impurities are collected, separated, and filtered. The filtered cleaning fluid can then be returned to the fruit and vegetable washing tank for reuse. Through the combined use of overflow collection, cleaning fluid filtration, and circulation, foam-mixed impurities can be treated while reducing cleaning fluid loss.

[0023] In existing equipment, food ingredients tend to concentrate in a localized area of ​​the washing tank during feeding, leading to uneven subsequent conveying, unstable distribution of the carrying channels, and potentially affecting the zoning effect of foam containing impurities. To address this, this invention features an inwardly inclined feeding tray on the feeding side of the fruit and vegetable washing tank, and feeding baffles to form feeding channels facing the first and second carrying channels respectively. Feed pipes are installed on the feeding channels to generate auxiliary water flow for both feeding and conveying. Through the combined action of the feeding tray, feeding baffles, and auxiliary water flow, food ingredients can be more evenly guided into the two carrying channels, reducing the accumulation of food ingredients at the feeding end or their tendency to concentrate in a single carrying channel. This provides conditions for the formation of a low-foam zone, zoning of foam containing impurities, and stable conveying.

[0024] In summary, this invention addresses the problems of food raw materials easily coming into contact with foam-mixed contaminants again at the discharge end after bubble cleaning, strong bubbles easily intruding into the subsequent material stabilization zone, and food raw materials easily deviating from the preset conveying position. Through the coordinated arrangement of a first carrying channel, a second carrying channel, a low-bubble zone formed by gradient aeration, a middle collection zone, an outer collection zone, a strong air section, an air seal section, a side overflow trough, a middle overflow trough, a bubble return component, a static water stabilization zone, a lifting section, and a feeding auxiliary structure, a cleaning system is formed that stably diverts and carries food raw materials, laterally separates foam-mixed contaminants, directionally collects in the middle and on both sides, restricts flow with an air seal, collects overflow, guides back bubbles, recirculates foam, stabilizes materials in static water, and lifts and outputs low-bubble materials. This reduces the probability of foam-mixed contaminants migrating to the discharge end and re-attaching to food raw materials, weakens the disturbance of strong bubbles to the static water stabilization zone, and improves the stability, continuity, and cleaning effect of the food raw material cleaning process.

[0025] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention are realized and obtained through the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the drawings.

[0026] It should be understood that the above summary and the following detailed description of the invention are exemplary and explanatory, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Attached Figure Description

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

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall side view structure of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall top view structure of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 This is one of the schematic diagrams showing a partial cross-sectional view of the interior of the fruit and vegetable washing tank in the first direction in this invention.

[0031] Figure 5 This is the second schematic diagram showing a partial cross-sectional view of the interior of the fruit and vegetable washing tank in the second direction in this invention.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid surface structure of the fruit and vegetable washing tank in this invention.

[0033] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of a portion of region A in the middle.

[0034] Figure 8This is a partial structural diagram highlighting the bubble guide sheet in this invention.

[0035] Figure 9 for Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of a portion of region B.

[0036] Figure 10 This is a partial structural diagram highlighting the floating structure of the height limiting component in this invention.

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overall structure along the feeding direction in this invention.

[0038] In the picture: 100. Fruit and vegetable washing tank; 110. Low-foam belt; 120. Central collection area; 130. Outer collection area; 140. Air seal section; 150. Feed tray; 151. Feed partition; 152. Feed channel; 160. Feed pipe; 170. Central overflow trough; 180. Side overflow trough; 200. Conveying assembly; 210. Lifting section; 220. First bearing channel; 230. Second bearing channel; 240. Conveyor belt surface; 241. Baffle plate; 242. Chain; 243. Conveyor roller; 250. Support plate; 260. Flexible limiting component; 261. Side limiting surface; 2611. Vertical adjustment groove; 262. Height limiting component; 2621. Frame; 2622. Elastic mesh surface; 2623. Connecting rod; 2624. Sliding section; 300, Gas generating device; 310, First aeration section; 320, Second aeration section; 330, Front air supply zone; 340, Middle air supply zone; 350, Final air supply zone; 360, Perforated aeration pipe; 361, Air outlet; 370, Balance branch; 400, Bubble return component; 410, Bubble guide plate; 411, Middle bubble guide plate; 412, Side bubble guide plate; 420, Return nozzle; 421, Branch water pipe; 430, Return gap; 500, Cleaning liquid circulation device; 510, Circulating water tank; 511, Overflow window; 520, Circulating pump; 530, Circulating pipeline; 540, Filter assembly; 600, Spraying device; 610, Spray pipe; 620, Spray nozzle; a, Bubble cleaning zone; b, Static water stabilizing zone. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will be further described below with reference to a preferred embodiment. It should be understood that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Without departing from the concept of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make corresponding adjustments to the structural form, dimensional parameters, air supply method, and component arrangement.

[0040] like Figure 1-11As shown, this embodiment provides a food raw material cleaning equipment, including a fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100, a conveying component 200, a gas generating device 300, a foam collecting structure, a foam return component 400, a cleaning liquid circulation device 500, and a spraying device 600 disposed on the discharge side.

[0041] Combination Figure 6 The fruit and vegetable washing tank 100 sequentially forms a bubble washing zone a and a still water stabilization zone b along the food raw material conveying direction. Bubble washing zone a is used to wash the food raw materials with bubbles and utilizes gradient aeration to create a directional migration flow field for foam carrying contaminants. The still water stabilization zone b is located downstream of bubble washing zone a and is used to allow the food raw materials to escape strong bubble disturbances before entering the lifting section 210, restoring a relatively stable conveying posture. The conveying assembly 200 forms an upwardly inclined lifting section 210 downstream of the still water stabilization zone b. A spraying device 600 is disposed above, to the side, and / or below the lifting section 210; in this embodiment, the upper part is used as an example, for supplementary rinsing of the lifted food raw materials.

[0042] Within the bubble cleaning zone a, the conveying assembly 200 forms a first carrying channel 220 and a second carrying channel 230 arranged side-by-side along the width direction of the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100. An intermediate area is reserved between the two carrying channels. A first outer area is reserved between the outer side of the first carrying channel 220 and one side wall of the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100, and a second outer area is reserved between the outer side of the second carrying channel 230 and the other side wall of the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100 (not shown in the figure).

[0043] In this embodiment, each carrying channel is divided by a wide conveyor belt 240 extending along the food raw material conveying direction. Support plates 250 extending along the food raw material conveying direction are provided on both sides and above the middle of the conveyor belt 240, with corresponding partition structures between adjacent support plates 250. The conveyor belt 240 is constructed using chains 242 and conveyor rollers 243. Several conveyor rollers 243 are positioned between two parallel chains 242, thus following the chains 242 for cyclical conveying. At regular intervals, a baffle plate 241 perpendicular to the conveyor belt 240 is provided on each conveyor roller 243, thereby driving the food raw materials forward. The support plates 250 are all fixed to the inner wall of the fruit and vegetable washing tank 100, thus suspending above the conveyor belt 240.

[0044] A perforated water-permeable zone is formed on each conveyor belt surface 240 through the gap between the conveyor rollers 243, so that cleaning fluid and air bubbles can pass through the conveyor belt surface 240.

[0045] Each load-bearing channel is provided with a water-permeable flexible limiting member 260. The flexible limiting member 260 includes two side limiting surfaces 261 provided on both sides of the width direction of the load-bearing channel, and a height limiting member 262 provided between the upper ends of the two side limiting surfaces 261.

[0046] The side limiting surface 261 can be made of food-grade silicone mesh, soft polyurethane mesh belt, or stainless steel plate; this embodiment uses stainless steel plate as an example. The lower edge of the side limiting surface 261 is fixed to the support plate 250 at the corresponding position; the upper edge of the side limiting surface 261 is higher than the normal support height of the food raw material. The side limiting surfaces 261 are continuously arranged along the food raw material conveying direction. Through the two side limiting surfaces 261, the food raw material can be confined within the corresponding carrying channel, preventing the food raw material from entering the middle area or the two outer areas under the action of bubble buoyancy and lateral water flow.

[0047] The height limiting member 262 is positioned between the two side limiting surfaces 261. The height limiting member 262 can be a flexible limiting curtain, an elastic mesh surface 2622 assembly, or a floating pressure curtain. In this embodiment, the elastic mesh surface 2622 assembly is used as an example. It includes a square frame 2621 and an elastic mesh surface 2622 disposed within the frame 2621. The elastic mesh surface 2622 is made of flexible material to avoid damaging the food raw materials upon contact.

[0048] An adjustable limiting gap is formed between the height limiting member 262 and the corresponding conveyor belt surface 240. This limiting gap can be adjusted by a vertical adjustment groove 2611, an adjusting screw, a sliding bracket, or an elastic suspension mechanism provided on the side limiting surface 261. In this embodiment, taking the vertical adjustment groove 2611 as an example, several connecting rods 2623 extend downward from both sides of the frame 2621. The side limiting surface 261 is provided with a vertical adjustment groove 2611. The connecting rods 2623 slide and engage with the vertical adjustment groove 2611 through the sliding part 2624. The frame 2621 and the elastic mesh surface 2622 are lightweight and can float up and down due to the impact of air bubbles or the impact force of food raw materials floating upwards. Thus, food raw materials can undergo limited tumbling and posture adjustment within the carrying channel, but will not cross the side limiting surface 261 or float excessively to contact the liquid surface foam.

[0049] The gas generating device 300 includes a first aeration section 310 and a second aeration section 320. The first aeration section 310 is located below the permeable area of ​​the first support channel 220, and the second aeration section 320 is located below the permeable area of ​​the second support channel 230. The first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320 are substantially aligned with their respective support channels in the width direction, so that the support position of the food raw material in the support channel corresponds to the center area of ​​the rising bubbles.

[0050] In this embodiment, both the first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320 include three air supply zones arranged sequentially along the food raw material conveying direction: a front air supply zone 330, a middle air supply zone 340, and a final air supply zone 350. The air output per unit length in the three air supply zones gradually increases along the conveying direction, with the final air supply zone 350 constituting a strong air section. The air output per unit length refers to the amount of gas released per unit length of the aeration pipe within a unit length range along the conveying direction per unit time.

[0051] Each air supply zone includes a perforated aeration pipe 360 ​​located below the corresponding carrying channel. The perforated aeration pipe 360 ​​can extend along the food raw material conveying direction, or it can be multiple transverse branch pipes spaced apart along the width direction. The perforated aeration pipe 360 ​​is located below the conveyor belt surface 240 and corresponds to the water-permeable area on the conveyor belt surface 240, so that air bubbles can rise through the water-permeable area to the area around the food raw material and the surface of the washing liquid.

[0052] In a preferred arrangement, each air supply zone is provided with a perforated aeration pipe 360 ​​extending along the conveying direction, and the perforated aeration pipe 360 ​​is located directly below the conveyor belt surface 240 in the corresponding carrying channel. The air outlet 361 of the perforated aeration pipe 360 ​​is arranged upward to reduce the direct impact of air bubbles on the side limiting surface 261 and to allow the air bubbles to rise below and to both sides of the food raw material.

[0053] The initial air supply zone 330 uses a relatively low air output per unit length, mainly to maintain initial bubble cleaning and form a weak lateral surface flow. The middle air supply zone 340 gradually increases the air output per unit length, causing foam and contaminants above the food raw material area to gradually migrate towards the middle and outer areas. The final air supply zone 350 uses the highest air output per unit length to form a strong air section. In this embodiment, the air output per unit length is achieved by gradually increasing the density of the air outlets 361, or it can be achieved through one of the following methods: gradually increasing the air supply along the food raw material conveying direction, gradually increasing the air supply pressure, gradually increasing the density of the air outlets 361, gradually increasing the diameter of the air outlets 361, gradually decreasing the spacing between adjacent air outlets 361, or gradually transitioning from fine bubble aeration to medium bubble or medium-coarse bubble aeration. No restrictions are imposed here.

[0054] In this embodiment, the air output per unit length of the three air supply zones can be set in an increasing ratio, for example, 1:1.4:2.0. This ratio is only an example for ease of implementation and can be adjusted according to the type of fruits and vegetables, the loading of food raw materials, the depth of the washing liquid, the conveying speed, and the amount of foam. The density of the air outlet 361 in the final air supply zone 350 is greater than that in the first air supply zone 330, and the diameter of the air outlet 361 in the final air supply zone 350 can be larger than that in the first air supply zone 330; or, while keeping the diameter basically the same, a higher air output per unit length can be achieved by increasing the air supply pressure and air supply volume in the final air supply zone 350. The first air supply zone 330 can mainly produce fine or medium-fine bubbles, while the final air supply zone 350 can produce medium or medium-coarse bubbles to improve the lateral flow capacity of the liquid surface.

[0055] The air supply for the first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320 is from the same air source or two synchronized air sources; in this embodiment, it is from the same air source. The air source is preferably a low-pressure blower, with the blower's outlet connected sequentially to a pressure stabilizing tank, a main air supply pipe, and a main air distribution pipe (not shown in the figure). The main air distribution pipe supplies air to both the first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320.

[0056] Specifically, the main gas distribution pipe branches into several gas supply branches, each corresponding to the gas supply area of ​​the first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320. Each gas supply branch is equipped with an independent regulating valve, flow meter, and check valve. The regulating valve can be a manual regulating valve, an electric proportional valve, or a pneumatic regulating valve. The flow meter is used to monitor the actual gas supply to the corresponding gas supply area, and the check valve is used to prevent the cleaning fluid from flowing back into the gas path.

[0057] The first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320, located at the same conveying position, can be supplied with air by the same balancing branch 370, or by the controller matching the flow rate based on the flow meter detection results, ensuring that the air output per unit length is the same or within a preset difference range, such as ±10%. Therefore, the intermediate area between the first carrying channel 220 and the second carrying channel 230 can maintain a relatively stable position, preventing the intermediate collection area 120 from shifting towards one of the carrying channels due to excessive differences in air supply between the two sides.

[0058] During equipment operation, bubbles generated in the first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320 rise through the permeable zone on the conveyor belt surface 240. As the bubbles burst and diffuse near the liquid surface, they form transverse surface water flows that diffuse from the two carrying channels to adjacent areas. A low-foam zone 110 with a low degree of foam-mixed-with-dirt coverage is formed above the first carrying channel 220 and the second carrying channel 230; an intermediate collection zone 120 is formed between the two carrying channels; and an outer collection zone 130 is formed outside the two carrying channels.

[0059] Because the air supply intensity is greatest in the final air supply zone 350, the intermediate collection zone 120 gradually narrows near the discharge end due to the compression from the lateral surface water flow from both sides. The strong air section formed by the two final air supply zones 350 forms a dynamic air seal section 140 near the discharge end of the intermediate collection zone 120. The air seal section 140 is not a solid baffle, but a restrictive area formed by the strong bubble upflow and the corresponding surface water flow, used to inhibit the intermediate collection zone 120 from continuing to extend into the still water stabilization zone b.

[0060] The fruit and vegetable washing tank 100 is provided with side overflow channels 180 on both sides. The overflow inlets of the two side overflow channels 180 correspond to the two outer collection areas 130 and are preferably located near the liquid surface. The horizontal surface water flow formed by the rising bubbles continuously pushes the foam mixed with dirt in the two outer collection areas 130 towards the side wall of the washing tank, causing it to enter the corresponding side overflow channels 180.

[0061] An intermediate overflow trough 170 is provided on the feed side of the bubble cleaning zone a, and the inlet of the intermediate overflow trough 170 corresponds to the intermediate collection zone 120. The weir of the intermediate overflow trough 170 is lower than or equal to the normal liquid level at the intermediate collection zone 120. Foam mixed with dirt in the intermediate collection zone 120 accumulates towards the discharge end convergence point under the continuous squeezing action of the bubble flow on both sides, and expands back towards the feed side under the restriction of the air seal section 140, and finally enters the intermediate overflow trough 170.

[0062] The two side overflow channels 180 and the middle overflow channel 170 are connected to each other along the inner edge of the fruit and vegetable washing channel 100.

[0063] The cleaning fluid circulation device 500 may include a circulating water tank 510, a circulating pump 520, a circulating pipeline 530, and a filter assembly 540. The side wall of the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100 is provided with an overflow window 511 corresponding to the position of one side overflow tank 180 near its highest liquid level. The circulating water tank 510 is connected to the side overflow tank 180 through the overflow window 511. The cleaning fluid containing foam and impurities flows back into the circulating water tank 510. After being filtered and impurities removed again by the filter assembly 540, the returned cleaning fluid is transported back into the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100 by the circulating pump 520 through the circulating pipeline 530. The returned cleaning fluid can be replenished to the bubble cleaning zone a and / or the still water stabilization zone b.

[0064] A bubble return element 400 is installed between the bubble cleaning zone a and the still water stabilization zone b. The bubble return element 400 includes three bubble guide plates 410 and multiple return nozzles 420. The three bubble guide plates 410 are arranged sequentially along the width direction of the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank 100, including a middle bubble guide plate 411 and two side bubble guide plates 412 located on both sides. The middle bubble guide plate 411 corresponds to the middle collection area 120, and the two side bubble guide plates 412 correspond to the two outer collection areas 130 respectively.

[0065] Each bubble guide plate 410 extends obliquely upwards from below the liquid surface of the still water stabilization zone b toward the bubble cleaning zone a, and passes through the liquid surface of the bubble cleaning zone a until it reaches above it. The bubble guide plate 410 can be made of food-grade stainless steel plate, food-grade polypropylene plate, or food-grade composite plate. The inclination angle of the bubble guide plate 410 toward the bubble cleaning zone a can be determined according to the bubble rising speed and the depth of the cleaning liquid, preferably 20° to 60° upwards relative to the horizontal plane.

[0066] When some bubbles generated in the strong air section tend to enter the still water stabilization zone b, the bubbles, under the action of buoyancy, contact the lower side or inclined side of the bubble guide plate 410, and move upward along the inclined surface of the bubble guide plate 410, eventually escaping towards the bubble cleaning zone a or re-entering the liquid surface area of ​​the bubble cleaning zone a. This reduces the direct entry of bubbles from the strong air section into the still water stabilization zone b, thus reducing the upward buoyancy disturbance and lateral surface water flow disturbance within the still water stabilization zone b.

[0067] The edges of adjacent bubble guide plates 410 extend into the low-foam zone 110 located between them, and a reflux gap 430 is maintained between adjacent bubble guide plates 410. The reflux gap 430 is located above the first carrying channel 220 and the second carrying channel 230, and does not obstruct the continuous conveying of food raw materials along the two carrying channels. Each bubble guide plate 410 forms an inclined guide surface on one side facing the adjacent reflux gap 430, making it easier for blocked foam mixed with dirt to concentrate in the reflux gap 430. Specifically, in this embodiment, the side bubble guide plate 412 is straight and inclined, and the middle bubble guide plate 411 is V-shaped and its two sides have the same inclination as the side bubble guide plate 412. The side bubble guide plate 412 and the middle bubble guide plate 411 form a gradually narrowing channel that gradually decreases towards the feed side opening, i.e., the reflux gap 430. The inclined guide surface can be formed by using the above shape. In another embodiment, the middle bubble guide plate 411 can be in the shape of a 1 / 2 arc and the side bubble guide plate 412 can be in the shape of a 1 / 4 arc. By utilizing the shape of the arc transition on both sides, the aforementioned inclined guide surface can also be formed to guide the surface return water curtain formed by the return nozzle 420. There are no restrictions here.

[0068] Several return nozzles 420 are provided and supported by branch water pipes 421 near the liquid surface in the still water stabilization zone b. The branch water pipes 421 are connected to the water path of the spray device 600. The nozzles are slightly inclined towards the liquid surface of the bubble cleaning zone a to form a surface-fitting arrangement. The return nozzles 420 can be slit nozzles, fan-shaped low-pressure nozzles, or multiple parallel linear nozzles. The cleaning liquid sprayed from the return nozzles 420 forms a surface-fitting return water curtain towards the bubble cleaning zone a at the liquid surface. Guided by the inclined guide surface formed by the bubble guide plate 410, the surface-fitting return water curtain enters the return gap 430 and forms a return water flow from the still water stabilization zone b to the bubble cleaning zone a, pushing the residual foam and dirt that tend to enter the still water stabilization zone b back to the bubble cleaning zone a.

[0069] No aeration structure for creating a strong bubble flow field is installed in the still water stabilization zone b. After passing through the return bubble element 400, the food raw material enters the still water stabilization zone b. In this zone, the effects of rising bubbles and lateral water flow on the food raw material are significantly reduced. After restoring its posture in the still water stabilization zone b, the food raw material is pushed by the conveyor belt surface and the baffle plate 241 into the lifting section 210 and leaves the cleaning liquid in a low-foam, low-disturbance state.

[0070] The fruit and vegetable washing tank 100 has an inwardly inclined feeding tray 150 on its feeding side. The feeding tray 150 is divided by a feeding baffle 151 into two feeding channels 152 facing the first carrying channel 220 and the second carrying channel 230, respectively. Each feeding channel 152 is provided with a feeding pipe 160, with the water outlet direction of the feeding pipe 160 facing the feeding end of the corresponding feeding channel 152. The auxiliary water flow generated by the feeding pipe 160 is used to push the food raw materials along the feeding tray 150 into the corresponding carrying channel, and to reduce the situation where the food raw materials are concentrated and piled up at the inlet of a single channel. The flow rate of the auxiliary water flow is less than the water flow intensity that forms a significant foam pushing effect in the bubble washing zone a, so as to avoid damaging the foam zones corresponding to the two carrying channels. In this embodiment, the feed pipe 160 is connected to the cleaning fluid circulation device 500 through a corresponding pipeline, thereby using the reflux cleaning fluid for auxiliary feeding. The height of the feed plate 150 is higher than the overflow height of the intermediate overflow trough 170 and extends directly to the feed side above the bubble cleaning zone a, thereby facilitating feeding without affecting the overflow of foam mixed with dirt.

[0071] In this embodiment, the spraying assembly is located in the lifting section and includes a plurality of spray pipes 610 and a plurality of spray nozzles 620 disposed on the spray pipes 610. Each spray pipe 610 is connected to an external water circuit or a cleaning liquid circulation device 500. A corresponding spray pump is added or the pipeline pressure of the cleaning liquid circulation device 500 is used to form a spraying effect. Preferably, an external water circuit is used to ensure the cleaning effect of the food raw materials in the final lifting stage.

[0072] During operation, the air supply of the first aeration section 310 and the second aeration section 320, the ratio of each aeration zone, the limiting gap of the flexible limiting member 260, the flow rate of the return nozzle 420, and the operating speed of the conveying component 200 can be adjusted according to different types of food raw materials, feeding amounts, and foam amounts. For example, when processing leafy vegetables and mushrooms, the air supply of each aeration zone can be appropriately reduced and the limiting gap of the height limiting member 262 can be reduced; when processing root vegetables and heavier fruits and vegetables, the air supply of the final aeration zone 350 can be appropriately increased to enhance the foam-mixed contaminant migration effect of the intermediate collection zone 120 and the outer collection zone 130.

[0073] The food ingredient cleaning equipment of this embodiment can be used to clean food ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, and aquatic products that generate a large amount of foam and impurities during the cleaning process, and is not limited to these uses.

[0074] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including both the preferred embodiments and all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A food ingredient washing device, comprising a fruit and vegetable washing tank (100), a conveying assembly (200), and a gas generating device (300), wherein the conveying assembly (200) is disposed across the inside and outside of the fruit and vegetable washing tank (100) along the food ingredient conveying direction, characterized in that: The fruit and vegetable washing tank (100) includes a bubble washing zone (a) and a still water stabilizing zone (b) along the food raw material conveying direction; The conveying assembly (200) forms a first carrying channel (220) and a second carrying channel (230) spaced apart along the width direction of the fruit and vegetable washing tank (100) in the bubble washing zone (a); the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230) each include two conveyor belt surfaces (240) extending along the food raw material conveying direction, and several permeable areas are formed on the two conveyor belt surfaces (240); The gas generating device (300) includes a first aeration section (310) and a second aeration section (320) disposed in the bubble cleaning zone (a) and respectively disposed below the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230). The first aeration section (310) and the second aeration section (320) both extend along the food raw material conveying direction and are provided with multiple air outlets (361). The air outlets (361) gradually increase the air volume per unit length from the feeding side to the discharging side of the bubble cleaning zone (a) so that the gradient intensity bubbles generated by them rise to the surface of the cleaning liquid, so that the foam mixed with dirt forms a low foam zone (110) above the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230), an intermediate collection zone (120) between the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230), and an outer collection zone (130) on the outside of the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230). The discharge ends of the first aeration section (310) and the second aeration section (320) form a strong air section. The intermediate collection area (120) narrows towards the discharge end along the food raw material conveying direction and forms an air seal section (140) on the side of the intermediate collection area (120) near the discharge end through the strong air sections on both sides to block the extension of the intermediate collection area (120). The fruit and vegetable washing tank (100) is provided with side overflow channels (180) on both sides corresponding to the two outer collection areas (130), and the feeding side of the bubble washing area (a) is provided with an intermediate overflow channel (170) corresponding to the intermediate collection area (120). A foam return element (400) is provided between the bubble cleaning zone (a) and the still water stabilizing zone (b) to block foam mixed with dirt that tends to enter the still water stabilizing zone (b); the foam return element (400) includes a bubble guide plate (410) and a return nozzle (420). The bubble guide plate (410) is provided in three parts, and is respectively provided in the middle collection area (120) and the two outer collection areas (130). The bubble guide plate (410) extends upward from below the liquid surface of the static water stabilization area (b) toward the bubble cleaning area (a) and passes through the liquid surface of the bubble cleaning area (a) to guide the bubbles back to the bubble cleaning area (a) and prevent the foam mixed with dirt from entering the static water stabilization area (b). The edges of adjacent bubble guides (410) extend into the low-foam zone (110) located between them and form a reflux gap (430). The nozzle of the reflux nozzle (420) is arranged along the liquid surface of the static water stabilization zone (b) towards the bubble cleaning zone (a) to form a backflow water curtain towards the bubble cleaning zone (a). The backflow water curtain is used to generate a return liquid flow that flows back to the bubble cleaning zone (a) through the reflux gap (430). The reflow element (400) is located above the first bearing channel (220) and the second bearing channel (230); The conveying assembly (200) forms an upwardly inclined lifting section (210) on the discharge side of the static water stabilization zone (b).

2. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bubble guides (410) are all formed with inclined guide surfaces extending toward the reflux gap (430).

3. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230) are provided with a water-permeable flexible limiting member (260). The flexible limiting member (260) includes a side limiting surface (261) on both sides and a height limiting member (262) between the upper ends of the side limiting surfaces (261). The side limiting surface (261) is provided along the edges on both sides of the width direction of the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230) to restrict the food raw materials from entering the middle collection area (120) or the outer collection area (130) laterally and to restrict the floating height of the food raw materials under the action of air bubbles.

4. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A floating gap is formed between the height limiting member (262) and the side limiting surface (261) along the height direction of the fruit and vegetable washing tank (100) to accommodate the floating height of food raw materials under the action of air bubbles.

5. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first aeration section (310) and the second aeration section (320) both include multiple air supply zones arranged sequentially along the food raw material conveying direction. The air output per unit length of the downstream air supply zone is greater than that of the adjacent upstream air supply zone. The downstream air supply zone constitutes the strong air section.

6. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The gradual increase in the gas output per unit length is achieved through at least one of the following methods: The gas supply volume is gradually increased along the direction of food raw material transportation, the gas supply pressure is gradually increased, the density of the air outlet (361) is gradually increased, the diameter of the air outlet (361) is gradually increased, the distance between adjacent air outlets (361) is gradually reduced, or the aeration of fine bubbles is gradually transitioned to medium bubbles or medium-coarse bubbles. The first aeration section (310) and the second aeration section (320) have the same air output per unit length at the same conveying position or are within a preset difference range.

7. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two side overflow channels (180) and the middle overflow channel (170) are interconnected and connected to the cleaning liquid circulation device (500), which is used to filter out foam mixed with dirt and return the filtered cleaning liquid to the fruit and vegetable cleaning tank (100). The weir of the intermediate overflow trough (170) is lower than or equal to the normal liquid level at the intermediate collection area (120).

8. The food raw material cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fruit and vegetable washing tank (100) has a feeding tray (150) inclined toward its inner side on the feeding side. The feeding tray (150) is divided into feeding channels (152) facing the first carrying channel (220) and the second carrying channel (230) respectively by a feeding partition (151). The feeding channel (152) is provided with a feeding pipe (160), which is used to generate auxiliary water flow for auxiliary feeding and delivery.

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