Chufa slurry preparation apparatus and method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of tiger nut milk preparation technology, specifically a tiger nut milk preparation equipment and method; including the following steps: S1: Select high-quality tiger nuts free from mold and impurities, wash them with clean water using a washing device to remove surface mud and impurities, and drain the surface water after washing; place the drained tiger nuts into a soaking tank, add purified water to completely submerge them, and soak at room temperature for 6-12 hours to allow the raw materials to fully absorb water and expand, and after soaking, remove and drain for later use; S2: Spread the soaked tiger nuts evenly into a sealed steaming tank; in the steaming tank, a conveyor belt rolls and turns the tiger nuts while circulating heat transfer with the tiger nuts, and after steaming, air cool to room temperature for later use; This invention optimizes the raw material cooking process, innovatively adopting a cooking method that combines dynamic turning by the conveyor belt in the steaming tank with circulating heat transfer, and integrates subsequent fine grinding, enzymatic hydrolysis, homogenization and sterilization processes, fundamentally solving the problem of uneven material cooking in traditional processes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tiger nut milk preparation technology, specifically to a tiger nut milk preparation device and method. Background Technology

[0002] Tiger nuts, a specialty economic crop that is tolerant of salt and alkali and poor soil, are rich in oil, starch, soluble sugar and various nutrients. They are free of anti-nutritional factors found in soybeans. Tiger nut milk made from tiger nuts has a sweet taste, unique aroma and high nutritional value. It is a high-quality new plant protein beverage with broad prospects for industrial application.

[0003] Currently, most commercially available tiger nut milk uses a direct soaking and grinding process without steaming or cooking. This results in a strong raw, fishy smell from the raw materials, incomplete starch gelatinization, and a milk that is prone to stratification, sedimentation, a rough texture, and a weak flavor. A few existing processes employ steaming pretreatment, but these use traditional steamers with simple structures that rely solely on a fixed steam heat source for static steaming. Due to the significant temperature gradient in the vertical direction of the steamer, the temperature and humidity distribution of steam at different heights is uneven. Furthermore, the tiger nut cannot automatically turn over, and the material remains in a static, piled-up state. This easily leads to over-steaming of the upper layer, under-steaming of the lower layer, and inconsistent cooking on both sides of the material. Ultimately, this results in incomplete removal of the fishy smell from the tiger nut, inconsistent gelatinization, and significant differences in flavor and stability between batches, severely restricting the product quality and large-scale production of tiger nut milk. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a device and method for preparing jujube milk. This invention optimizes the raw material maturation process and innovatively adopts a maturation method that combines dynamic turning of the steam tank with a conveyor belt and circulating heat transfer. Combined with subsequent fine grinding, enzymatic hydrolysis, homogenization and sterilization integrated processes, this invention fundamentally solves the problem of uneven material maturation in traditional processes.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a method for preparing tiger nut milk liquid according to this invention, comprising the following steps: S1: Select high-quality tiger nuts that are free from mold and impurities. Wash them with clean water using a washing device to remove surface mud and impurities. After washing, drain the surface water. Place the drained tiger nuts into a soaking tank, add purified water to completely submerge them, and soak at room temperature for 6-12 hours to allow the raw materials to fully absorb water and expand. After soaking, remove them and drain them for later use. S2: Spread the soaked tiger nuts evenly into a sealed steamer and steam them with 95-105℃ atmospheric pressure saturated steam for 30-50 minutes to remove the fishy smell, gelatinize, enhance the aroma and cook the raw materials; while the conveyor belt in the steamer rolls and turns the tiger nuts, it also circulates heat transfer with the tiger nuts. After steaming, air cool to room temperature and set aside. S3: Add purified water to the cooked tiger peas at a material-to-water ratio of 1:8-1:12, and then grind them through coarse grinding, colloid mill, and ultrafine grinding to obtain a fine and uniform mixed slurry. All the bean residue after grinding is retained without filtration or separation. S4: Heat the ground slurry containing residue to 50-60℃, add compound food enzyme preparation and hydrolyze at a constant temperature for 30-60 minutes to degrade the slurry and large molecules in the soybean residue, improve the slurry's fineness and stability, and then briefly heat up to inactivate the enzymes after hydrolysis; filter the enzyme-inactivated slurry through a centrifugal filtration device to completely separate the soybean residue and remove coarse, hard particles to obtain pure tiger pea slurry. S5: The pure tiger nut pulp obtained by centrifugation and filtration is sent to a high-pressure homogenizer and homogenized at a pressure of 25-40MPa to ensure that the components of the pulp are evenly dispersed and to prevent stratification and oil from floating. The homogenized pulp is then subjected to UHT ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization or pasteurization, and after cooling, it is aseptically filled to obtain the finished tiger nut pulp.

[0006] A device for preparing custard and pea milk, applicable to the aforementioned method for preparing custard and pea milk, includes a steaming tank; the steaming tank includes a tank body and vertically symmetrical and parallel vertical plates arranged inside the tank body; a bottom plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the vertical plates; a steam head is provided on the bottom plate facing upwards; a feed inlet with a material cover is provided near the end of the top of the tank body; an end cover is hinged to the end of the tank body; multiple upper fixed rollers are rotatably connected between the two vertical plates at an upper position; the multiple upper fixed rollers are evenly distributed along the length of the steaming tank; a corner roller is rotatably connected between the two vertical plates at a lower position; two... The corner rollers are positioned far apart from each other; two staggered movable rollers are located at the lower position between the two vertical plates; a perforated transmission belt is driven to the outer walls of the upper fixed roller, the corner roller, and the movable rollers; the wide edge of the transmission belt contacts the inner wall of the vertical plate; an adjustment groove is provided at the lower position of the inner wall of the two vertical plates; an adjustment block is slidably connected in the adjustment groove; the adjustment block is connected to the end of the movable roller through a main motor; the adjustment block passes through and is threadedly connected to a screw driven by the adjustment motor; the adjustment block drives the movable roller to loosen and tighten the transmission belt under the operation of the adjustment motor; Preferably, the transmission belt is made of a heat-conducting material; the steam head is located below the transmission belt; and the transmission belt is capable of circulating heat to the material.

[0007] Preferably, the two vertical plates are vertically grooved on one side close to each other; the two corresponding vertical grooves are vertically slidably connected to the vertical strip; the end of the vertical strip is connected to the upper inner wall of the vertical groove by a vertical spring; the end of the vertical strip is fixedly connected to a baffle plate; the lower end of the baffle plate is arc-shaped; the two baffle plates are in movable sealing contact with the inner wall of the corresponding vertical plate on the side away from each other.

[0008] Preferably, the two corresponding baffles are connected by an inclined scraper; the two scrapers are distributed in an inverted V-shape; the distance between the two corresponding scrapers and the sum of the thicknesses of the two transmission belts is equal to the distance between the two adjacent upper fixed rollers.

[0009] Preferably, the lower surface of the vertical bar is provided with an inner groove; an inner bar is provided in the inner groove; a swivel groove is provided on the lower surface of the inner bar; a swivel piece is provided in the swivel groove; a trigger groove with multiple swivel grooves connected together is provided on the inner side of the inner bar along the length direction; a trigger bar is slidably connected in the trigger groove; the trigger bar is connected to the bottom of the trigger groove through a trigger spring; the end of the vertical bar is provided with an end groove through which the trigger bar can move; one of the vertical grooves has a corrugated groove at the bottom; the trigger bar is connected to the swivel piece, and its end extends into the corrugated groove.

[0010] Preferably, the bottom of another vertical groove is provided with a guide groove; the upper end of the guide groove is deeper than the lower end; the inner strip is slidably connected in the inner groove; the inner strip and the bottom of the inner groove are connected by a tension spring; a block groove is provided through the inner groove on the side facing the guide groove; a right-angled trapezoidal guide block is slidably connected in the block groove; the guide block contacts the inner strip through an inclined surface; the other end of the guide block extends into the guide groove.

[0011] Preferably, the paddle is composed of a U-shaped support block, a torsion spring, and two segments; the U-shaped support block is fixedly connected to the trigger bar; the U-shaped support block is rotatably connected to the segments via the torsion spring; the two segments gradually unfold as the inner bar extends out of the inner groove, and gradually fold up as the inner bar retracts into the inner groove.

[0012] Preferably, the inner wall of the transmission belt is provided with a retaining strip; the outer walls of the upper fixed roller, the corner roller and the single movable roller are provided with retaining grooves that mesh with the retaining strip; adjacent vertical strips are fixedly connected to vertical first synchronization strips facing upwards, and multiple first synchronization strips are fixedly connected by horizontal second synchronization strips to realize the synchronous up and down movement of all vertical strips.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention optimizes the raw material maturation process and innovatively adopts a maturation method that combines dynamic turning of the steam tank with circulating heat transfer via a conveyor belt. Combined with subsequent fine grinding, enzymatic hydrolysis, homogenization and sterilization integrated processes, this invention fundamentally solves the problem of uneven material maturation in traditional processes.

[0014] 2. This invention combines an adjustable tension roller with a mesh transmission belt structure to achieve controllable switching of the transmission belt tension and material tumbling and tumbling, thus completely eliminating material stacking and cooking dead zones, and significantly improving the uniformity of steaming tiger nuts. This invention also combines a heat-conducting transmission belt with a steam-penetrating heat exchange structure to form a dual heat transfer mode of steam convection heat transfer plus solid-state circulating heat transfer, achieving simultaneous and uniform heating of the material inside and out, and significantly improving the deodorization and gelatinization effect.

[0015] 3. This invention utilizes a vertical spring stabilizing structure in conjunction with a baffle plate to adaptively compress and loosen the conveyor belt, achieving uniform forming of each recessed area and constant dimensions during transmission. This results in uniform material dispersion and consistent heating during steaming. Furthermore, this invention employs an inverted V-shaped inclined scraper in conjunction with a baffle plate to scrape away material adhering to the conveyor belt surface in real time and limit and lock the material, preventing material overflow and deviation. This ensures no material loss and stable confinement of the material within the recessed areas during steaming. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the method in this invention; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the preparation equipment in this invention; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A sectional view; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 5 yes Figure 3 Enlarged view of point B in the middle; Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the first synchronization bar and the second synchronization bar in this invention; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the transmission belt in this invention; Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Enlarged view of point C in the middle; Figure 9 yes Figure 7 Enlarged view at point D; Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the vertical groove in this invention; Figure 11 yes Figure 10 Enlarged view at point E in the middle; Figure 12 yes Figure 10 Enlarged view at point F; Figure 13 This is a perspective view of the vertical stripes in this invention; Figure 14 This is a structural diagram of the paddle in this invention; Figure 15 This is a cross-sectional view of the paddle in this invention.

[0018] In the diagram: Tank 1, Material Cover 11, Inlet 12, End Cover 13, Vertical Plate 2, Bottom Plate 21, Steam Head 22, Adjustment Slot 23, Vertical Slot 24, Corrugated Slot 25, Guide Slot 26, Transmission Belt 3, Upper Fixed Roller 31, Corner Roller 32, Movable Roller 33, Adjustment Block 34, Main Motor 35, Adjustment Motor 36, Screw 37, Clip 38, Clip Slot 39, Vertical Bar 4, Vertical Spring 41, Baffle Plate 42, Scraper 43, Inner Slot 44, End Slot 45, Block Slot 46, Guide Block 47, First Synchronization Bar 48, Second Synchronization Bar 49, Inner Bar 5, Pulley Slot 51, Trigger Slot 52, Trigger Bar 53, Trigger Spring 54, Tension Spring 55, Pulley 6, U-shaped Support Block 61, Torsion Spring 62, Segment 63. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 15 As shown, the present invention includes the following embodiments: Example 1: A method for preparing tiger nut milk, comprising the following steps: S1: Select high-quality tiger nuts that are free from mold and impurities. Wash them with clean water using a washing device to remove surface mud and impurities. After washing, drain the surface water. Place the drained tiger nuts into a soaking tank, add purified water to completely submerge them, and soak at room temperature for 6-12 hours to allow the raw materials to fully absorb water and expand. After soaking, remove them and drain them for later use. S2: Spread the soaked tiger nuts evenly into a sealed steamer and steam them with 95-105℃ atmospheric pressure saturated steam for 30-50 minutes to remove the fishy smell, gelatinize, enhance the aroma and cook the raw materials; while the tiger nuts are turned over by the conveyor belt in the steamer, heat is transferred to the tiger nuts in a circulating manner; after steaming, air cool to room temperature and set aside. S3: Add purified water to the cooked tiger peas at a material-to-water ratio of 1:8-1:12, and then grind them through coarse grinding, colloid mill, and ultrafine grinding to obtain a fine and uniform mixed slurry. All the bean residue after grinding is retained without filtration or separation. S4: Heat the ground slurry containing residue to 50-60℃, add compound food enzyme preparation and hydrolyze at a constant temperature for 30-60 minutes to degrade the slurry and large molecules in the soybean residue, improve the slurry's fineness and stability, and then briefly heat up to inactivate the enzymes after hydrolysis; filter the enzyme-inactivated slurry through a centrifugal filtration device to completely separate the soybean residue and remove coarse, hard particles to obtain pure tiger pea slurry. S5: The pure tiger nut pulp obtained by centrifugation and filtration is sent to a high-pressure homogenizer and homogenized at a pressure of 25-40MPa to ensure that the components of the pulp are evenly dispersed and to prevent stratification and oil from floating. The homogenized pulp is then subjected to UHT ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization or pasteurization, and after cooling, it is aseptically filled to obtain the finished tiger nut pulp.

[0021] Compared to existing traditional tiger nut milk preparation processes, this invention optimizes the raw material maturation process by innovatively employing a dynamic turning method using a steamer conveyor belt combined with circulating heat transfer. This, along with subsequent integrated processes of fine grinding, enzymatic hydrolysis, and homogenization sterilization, fundamentally solves the problem of uneven material maturation in traditional processes. Firstly, the dynamic rolling turning completely resolves the issue of uneven material maturation, standardizing the maturation process. Existing traditional steaming processes all use a static stacking method, where tiger nut kernels are fixed in the steamer and cannot turn themselves, compounded by differences in temperature and humidity gradients along the vertical direction of the steamer. Traditional steaming methods often result in the upper layer of material being over-steamed at high temperatures, leading to flavor loss, while the lower layer is under-heated, leaving a raw, fishy smell. Furthermore, the degree of cooking on each individual tiger nut varies. This invention utilizes an internal transmission belt 3 within the steamer to achieve dynamic rolling and turning of the tiger nut throughout the entire process. This breaks the limitations of traditional static stacking and steaming, ensuring that every tiger nut and every surface of the material alternately contacts the steam heat source. This completely avoids localized over-steaming and under-steaming, resulting in a highly uniform degree of cooking for all raw materials. It eliminates quality differences between individual items and batches from the raw material pretreatment stage, laying the foundation for subsequent standardized mass production. Secondly... The transmission belt 3 circulates heat transfer, improving heat utilization efficiency and enhancing the deodorization and gelatinization effect. Traditional steamers rely solely on a fixed steam heat source inside the tank for single air convection heat exchange. This method of heat transfer is singular and heat conduction is slow. The steam heat can only act on the surface of the material, and the internal temperature of the raw material rises slowly. This not only results in high heat loss and low steaming efficiency, but also leads to incomplete gelatinization of starch inside the tiger nuts and the inability to completely volatilize the raw fishy substances. This invention abandons the single steam heat exchange mode and utilizes the transmission belt 3 to fully contact and store heat with high-temperature steam. While driving the material to roll and turn, the transmission belt 3 directly contacts the surface of the tiger nuts. A solid-state circulating heat transfer system is achieved, forming a dual heat transfer system of "steam convection heat exchange + transmission belt 3-contact heat conduction". This method greatly improves the efficiency and uniformity of heat transfer. Heat can quickly penetrate into the interior of tiger nuts. On the one hand, it can efficiently decompose and volatilize the raw and astringent odors of tiger nuts, achieving thorough removal of fishy smell and enhancing aroma. On the other hand, it can promote the full and uniform gelatinization of starch inside tiger nuts, activate the flavor substances and nutrients inside the raw materials, and completely solve the core problems of poor gelatinization effect, thin flavor and residual raw and fishy smell in traditional processes, significantly improving the base flavor and nutritional value of tiger nut syrup.

[0022] Example 2: A device for preparing tiger nut milk, applicable to the above-mentioned method for preparing tiger nut milk, comprising a steaming tank; the steaming tank includes a tank body 1 and vertically symmetrical and parallel vertical plates 2 arranged inside the tank body 1; a bottom plate 21 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the vertical plates 2; a steam head 22 is provided on the bottom plate 21 facing upwards; a feed inlet 12 with a material cover 11 is provided near the end of the top of the tank body 1; an end cover 13 is hinged to the end of the tank body 1; a plurality of upper fixed rollers 31 are rotatably connected between the two vertical plates 2 at an upper position; the plurality of upper fixed rollers 31 are evenly distributed along the length of the steaming tank; a corner roller 32 is rotatably connected between the two vertical plates 2 at a lower position; the two corner rollers 32 are set far apart from each other; two vertically staggered movable rollers 33 are provided at the lower position between the two vertical plates 2; the upper fixed roller 31, the corner roller 32 and the outer wall of the movable roller 33 are connected to a transmission belt 3 with mesh; the wide edge of the transmission belt 3 is in contact with the inner wall of the vertical plate 2; an adjustment groove 23 is provided at the lower position of the inner wall of the two vertical plates 2; an adjustment block 34 is slidably connected in the adjustment groove 23; the adjustment block 34 is connected to the end of the movable roller 33 through the main motor 35; the adjustment block 34 passes through and is threadedly connected to a screw 37 driven by the adjustment motor 36; the adjustment block 34 drives the movable roller 33 to loosen and tighten the lower half of the transmission belt 3 under the operation of the adjustment motor 36; In this embodiment, the transmission belt 3 is made of a heat-conducting material; the steam head 22 is located below the transmission belt 3; the transmission belt 3 can circulate heat to the material.

[0023] This equipment is suitable for the cooking and steaming process of tiger nut milk preparation. During operation, first open the material cover 11 of the top inlet 12 of tank 1, and put the tiger nut material that has been soaked and fully drained into the inlet 12. In the initial state of the equipment, the upper half of the mesh transmission belt 3, supported by the vertical plate 2, the upper fixed roller 31, the corner roller 32, and the staggered movable rollers 33, remains taut (straight). During the feeding process, the main motor 35 is started, driving the movable rollers 33 to rotate, thereby driving the upper half of the transmission belt 3 to move smoothly and uniformly from left to right. This ensures that the tiger nut material falling from the inlet 12 can be evenly spread out along the direction of the transmission belt 3, effectively preventing the material from accumulating and clumping. After all the material has been added... After completion, the feed inlet 12 and material cover 11 are sealed to ensure a closed steaming environment inside the tank 1. Then, the adjusting motor 36 fixed to the vertical plate 2 is started. The adjusting motor 36 drives the screw 37 connected to the output shaft to rotate. The screw 37 drives the adjusting block 34 inside the adjusting groove 23 to slide precisely along the length of the groove through threaded transmission. The sliding adjusting block 34 synchronously drives the main motor 35 and the movable roller 33 connected to the end to move together, so that the two vertically staggered movable rollers 33 move closer to each other, thereby releasing the tension limit on the lower half of the transmission belt 3, allowing the upper half of the transmission belt 3 to switch from a taut state to a relaxed state. Since the upper fixed rollers 31 are spaced and evenly distributed on the inner side of the upper half of the transmission belt 3 to provide support, the upper half of the transmission belt 3 has no roller support. The suspended area will sink downwards under the weight of the material, forming regular recessed areas between adjacent upper fixed rollers 31. This allows the tiger nuts spread on the conveyor belt 3 to automatically disperse, slide down, and be stably held in each recessed area. The edge of the conveyor belt 3 contacts the inner wall of the vertical plate 2, preventing the material from flowing out of the recessed areas. Then, the steam head 22, fixed above the bottom plate 21 of the vertical plate 2, is activated. The steam head 22 continuously sprays saturated steam from bottom to top. The steam can directly penetrate the mesh structure of the conveyor belt 3, making all-round contact with the tiger nuts held in the recessed areas, thus carrying out atmospheric pressure steam steaming. Throughout the steaming process, the main motor 35 remains in continuous operation, stably driving the conveyor belt 3 around the upper fixed roller 31 and the corner roller 32. The moving roller 33 performs uniform-speed circulating transmission, continuously changing the forming position of the recessed area and the placement posture of the material, causing the tiger nuts inside the recess to continuously roll and turn over, constantly changing the heated contact surface, completely avoiding the situation of local static accumulation of material and heating. At the same time, because the entire transmission belt 3 is made of thermally conductive material, it can continuously absorb the heat emitted by the steam head 22 below and complete heat storage. During the circulating transmission and material contact process, it continuously conducts its own heat to the surface of the tiger nuts, forming a stable solid-state circulating heat transfer, forming a dual heating system with steam penetration convection heat exchange, ensuring that the surface and interior of each material can be heated evenly, completely solving the problem of uneven heating in traditional steaming. After the material has completed the predetermined time of maturation, deodorization, and gelatinization steaming process,The regulating motor 36 is restarted in reverse, driving the screw 37 to rotate. This causes the regulating block 34 and the two sets of movable rollers 33 to move away from each other and reset, re-tightening the lower half of the transmission belt 3. This gradually tightens the slack, concave upper half of the transmission belt 3, restoring it to its initial straight and taut state. The tiger nuts, originally held in the concave area, are then evenly spread on the smooth surface of the transmission belt 3. Finally, the transmission belt 3 continues to move at a constant speed, and the end cap 13 at the discharge port of the tank 1 is opened, allowing the steamed and cooked tiger nuts to be smoothly and completely discharged from the tank 1, completing a single automated closed steaming process. This invention utilizes an adjustable tension roller 33 in conjunction with a mesh transmission belt 3 to achieve controllable switching of the transmission belt 3's tension and material concave tumbling, thereby completely eliminating material stacking and cooking dead zones, and significantly improving the uniformity of steaming tiger nuts. Furthermore, this invention combines a heat-conducting transmission belt 3 with a steam-penetrating heat exchange structure to form a dual heat transfer mode of steam convection heat exchange plus solid-state circulating heat conduction, achieving simultaneous and uniform heating of the material inside and out, and significantly improving the deodorization and gelatinization effect.

[0024] Example 3: Two vertical plates 2 are vertically grooved 24 on one side close to each other; two corresponding vertical grooves 24 are vertically slidably connected to a vertical strip 4; the end of the vertical strip 4 is connected to the upper inner wall of the vertical groove 24 by a vertical spring 41; a baffle plate 42 is fixedly connected to the end of the vertical strip 4; the lower end of the baffle plate 42 is arc-shaped; the two baffle plates 42 are in movable and sealed contact with the inner wall of the corresponding vertical plate 2 on the side away from each other.

[0025] In this embodiment, the two corresponding baffles 42 are connected by an inclined scraper 43; the two scrapers 43 are distributed in an inverted V-shape; the distance between the two corresponding scrapers 43 and the sum of the thicknesses of the two transmission belts 3 is equal to the distance between the two adjacent upper fixed rollers 31.

[0026] When the upper half of the transmission belt 3 is in a straight and taut initial state, the vertical spring 41 inside the vertical groove 24 of the vertical plate 2 is compressed. The vertical bar 4, the baffle plate 42, and the inverted V-shaped inclined scraper 43 are all in a high position. The lower end of the arc-shaped baffle plate 42 is lightly pressed against the edge of the upper surface of the transmission belt 3, without affecting the material transmission on the upper surface of the transmission belt 3. The inclined scraper 43 is far away from the upper surface of the transmission belt 3. When the equipment is feeding normally, the upper surface of the transmission belt 3 is uniformly transmitted from left to right, spreading the added tiger nuts evenly. After feeding is completed and the material cover 11 is closed, the transmission belt... When the upper part of belt 3 switches to a relaxed state, the vertical spring 41 releases its elastic potential energy and pushes the vertical bar 4 downward along the vertical groove 24. The vertical bar 4 drives the baffle plate 42 and the integrated inclined scraper 43 to move downward simultaneously. The arc-shaped baffle plate 42 continuously and elastically presses the edge area of ​​the transmission belt 3, forcing the relaxed transmission belt 3 between adjacent upper fixed rollers 31 to uniformly concave downward to form a regular and stable material-bearing concave area. This allows the material to be evenly dispersed into its respective concave area. The inverted V-shaped inclined scraper 43 precisely fits the inner wall of the concave area, allowing the material to smoothly pass over the inclined scraper 43 and enter. Inside the recessed area, material accumulation and stagnation are effectively prevented. During steaming, the downward-moving and pressed baffle plate 42 can completely seal the gap between the transmission belt 3 and the inner wall of the vertical plate 2, preventing small materials from falling out from the side gaps. At the same time, the continuous pressure of the vertical spring 41 can constrain the forming size of the recessed area throughout the process, so that the recessed area will not deform or fluctuate in size as the transmission belt 3 moves at a constant speed, ensuring that the shape of each recessed area is uniform. Together with the transmission belt 3 driving the material to roll and turn, uniform steaming is achieved. During the steaming process, the uniform speed of the transmission belt 3 ensures that the material on the surface of the recessed area of ​​the transmission belt 3 is evenly distributed. The material is scraped off by the scraper 43 and confined within the recessed area, preventing the material from moving out of the recessed area as it is driven by the conveyor belt 3. After steaming, the equipment re-tensions the upper half of the conveyor belt 3 to restore it from the recessed state to a straight state. The upper surface of the reset conveyor belt 3 pushes the baffle plate 42 in the opposite direction, causing the baffle plate 42 and the vertical bar 4 to overcome the elastic force of the vertical spring 41 and slide upward along the vertical groove 24 to reset. Simultaneously, the inclined scraper 43 is driven to detach from the surface of the conveyor belt 3. Finally, the material is conveyed at a uniform speed by the flat conveyor belt 3 and smoothly discharged from the port of the tank 1, completing the entire set of auxiliary shaping, anti-detachment, scraping, and shaping operations. This invention utilizes a vertical spring 41 with a pressure-stabilizing structure and a baffle plate 42 to adaptively compress and shape the loose transmission belt 3, achieving uniform forming of each recessed area and constant dimensions during transmission. This results in uniform material dispersion and load-bearing, and consistent heating during steaming. Furthermore, the invention employs an inverted V-shaped inclined scraper 43 with a baffle plate 42 to scrape away material adhering to the surface of the transmission belt 3 in real time and to limit and lock the material, preventing material overflow and deviation. This ensures no material loss and stable confinement within the recessed areas for steaming throughout the entire process.

[0027] Example 4: The lower surface of the vertical bar 4 is provided with an inner groove 44; an inner bar 5 is provided in the inner groove 44; a swivel groove 51 is provided on the lower surface of the inner bar 5; a swivel piece 6 is provided in the swivel groove 51; a trigger groove 52 is provided on the inner side of the inner bar 5 along the length direction, which is connected by multiple swivel grooves 51; a trigger bar 53 is slidably connected in the trigger groove 52; the trigger bar 53 is connected to the bottom of the trigger groove 52 by a trigger spring 54; the end of the vertical bar 4 is provided with an end groove 45 through which the trigger bar 53 can pass and move; one of the vertical grooves 24 has a corrugated groove 25 at the bottom; the trigger bar 53 is connected to the swivel piece 6, and its end extends into the corrugated groove 25.

[0028] In this embodiment, another vertical groove 24 has a guide groove 26 at its bottom; the upper end of the guide groove 26 is deeper than the lower end; the inner strip 5 is slidably connected in the inner groove 44; the inner strip 5 and the bottom of the inner groove 44 are connected by a tension spring 55; a block groove 46 is provided through the inner groove 44 facing the guide groove 26; a right-angled trapezoidal guide block 47 is slidably connected in the block groove 46; the guide block 47 contacts the inner strip 5 through its inclined surface; the other end of the guide block 47 extends into the guide groove 26.

[0029] In this embodiment, the paddle 6 is composed of a U-shaped support block 61, a torsion spring 62, and two segments 63; the U-shaped support block 61 is fixedly connected to the trigger bar 53; the U-shaped support block 61 is rotatably connected to the segments 63 through the torsion spring 62; the two segments 63 gradually unfold as the inner bar 5 extends out of the inner groove 44, and the two segments 63 gradually fold up as the inner bar 5 retracts into the inner groove 44.

[0030] When the equipment is idle and the upper half of the transmission belt 3 is in a straight and taut state, the vertical bar 4 is located in the upper part of the vertical groove 24. The trigger bar 53 extending from one end of the vertical bar 4 is positioned in the upper part of the corrugated groove 25. The right-angled trapezoidal guide block 47 mounted on the other end of the vertical bar 4 fits into the upper deep groove area of ​​the guide groove 26. The inner bar 5 inside the inner groove 44 is in a high-position storage state, and the paddle 6 is folded inside the inner groove 44, which will not interfere with the normal feeding and material conveying operation of the equipment. When the equipment completes feeding and closes the material cover 11, the upper half of the transmission belt 3 switches to a relaxed state. The vertical spring 41 releases its elasticity and pushes the vertical bar 4 downward along the vertical groove 24, causing the baffle plate 42 to squeeze the relaxed transmission belt 3 to evenly sink into the recessed area of ​​the forming material. During the downward movement of the vertical bar 4, the upper half of the transmission belt 3 is simultaneously moved downward. The end trigger bar 53 slides vertically along the corrugated groove 25 (the corrugated position of the corrugated groove 25 can be lower than the deep groove position of the guide groove 26 to avoid subsequent invalid flicking). The guide block 47 gradually slides along the guide groove 26 from the upper deep groove position to the lower shallow groove position. The guide groove 26 with gradually changing depth forms a squeezing limit on the guide block 47, causing the guide block 47 to slide inward along the block groove 46 and squeeze the inner bar 5 through its own inclined surface. This causes the inner bar 5 to overcome the tension of the tension spring 55 and extend outward away from the bottom of the inner groove 44, gradually extending the folded paddle 6 from the inner groove 44. At the same time, the paddle 6 is a split structure composed of a U-shaped support block 61, a torsion spring 62, and two pieces 63. During the extension of the inner bar 5, the two pieces 63 gradually break away from the storage restriction and automatically unfold under the torsion of the torsion spring 62. This significantly increases the overall actuation area of ​​the paddle 6. The lower end of the unfolded paddle 63 is flush with the lower end of the baffle plate 42 and fits against the inner surface of the recessed area of ​​the transmission belt 3. The guide block 47 is continuously pressed and kept in a pushing state, so that the inner strip 5 and the unfolded paddle 6 always maintain a stable extended working posture. At the same time, the trigger strip 53 slides alternately along the crests and troughs of the corrugated groove 25. With the extension and resetting action of the trigger spring 54, the trigger strip 53 continuously oscillates left and right during vertical movement. This drives the multiple sets of fixed paddles 6 to perform high-frequency reciprocating actuation in the width direction of the recessed area of ​​the transmission belt 3. This evenly spreads and combs the accumulated and gathered tiger nuts in the recessed area in the width direction of the transmission belt 3, thoroughly improving the problem of localized clumping and uneven distribution of materials, and ensuring that the materials in the recessed area are evenly spread. After the material steaming process is completed, the upper part of the transmission belt 3 is tightened and reset, the recessed area disappears, and the flat upper surface of the transmission belt 3 pushes the baffle plate 42 upward, driving the vertical strip 4 to move vertically upward along the vertical groove 24 and reset. During the upward movement of the vertical strip 4, the guide block 47 returns from the shallow groove area of ​​the guide groove 26 to the upper deep groove area, completely releasing the squeezing and limiting of the inner strip 5. The tension spring 55 retracts and pulls the inner strip 5 to reset and be stored in the inner groove 44. At the same time, it drives the two unfolded segments 63 to overcome the torque of the torsion spring 62 and automatically fold and close, so that the overall paddle 6 retracts and separates from the contact with the surface of the transmission belt 3, reserving smooth space for the subsequent uniform conveying of the transmission belt 3 and the smooth discharge of the material. Finally, the auxiliary operation process of dynamic flattening, uniform combing and automatic storage of the material is completed. This invention utilizes the corrugated groove 25, the trigger spring 54, and the movable paddle 6 to achieve the reciprocating and flattening of materials along the width of the transmission belt 3 during the steaming process. This results in extremely uniform material distribution within the recessed area, eliminating localized clumping and achieving higher overall consistency in steaming and cooking. Furthermore, the invention utilizes the gradually changing depth structure of the guide groove 26 and the collapsible torsion spring 62 divided into segments 63 to achieve automatic deployment of the paddle 6 and automatic material collection during discharge. This results in strong operational adaptability, no interference with feeding and discharging, and smooth and stable equipment operation.

[0031] Example 5: The inner wall of the transmission belt 3 is provided with a retaining strip 38; the outer walls of the upper fixed roller 31, the corner roller 32 and the single movable roller 33 are provided with retaining grooves 39 that mesh with the retaining strip 38; adjacent vertical strips 4 are fixedly connected to vertical first synchronization strips 48 facing upwards, and multiple first synchronization strips 48 are fixedly connected by transverse second synchronization strips 49 to realize the synchronous up and down movement of all vertical strips 4.

[0032] In this embodiment, the arrangement of the clip 38 and the slot 39 enables the movable roller 33 to drive the transmission belt 3 to move stably. In addition, the first synchronous strip 48 and the second synchronous strip 49 can drive all the vertical strips 4 to move up or down synchronously, so that all the recessed areas of the transmission belt 3 will be formed and disappear synchronously.

[0033] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the appendix. Figure 1 The orientations or positional relationships shown are for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. In the description of the present invention, "fixed connection" refers to a fixed connection. In the description of the present invention, "sliding connection" refers to a connection where the two parts can only slide and cannot be separated. Specifically, the groove can be set to be concave and the block can be set to be convex, and the specific design can be adjusted according to the actual situation. "Sliding fit" refers to a connection where the two parts can slide and separate. In the description of the present invention, "rotational connection" refers to a connection where the two parts can only rotate and cannot produce axial displacement. Specifically, an annular groove can be provided on the inner wall of the hole, and a ring that is rotatably connected to the groove can be fixed to the outer wall of the shaft.

[0034] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention as claimed. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for preparing tiger nut milk, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Select high-quality tiger nuts that are free from mold and impurities. Wash them with clean water using a washing device to remove surface mud and impurities. After washing, drain the surface water. Place the drained tiger nuts into a soaking tank, add purified water to completely submerge them, and soak at room temperature for 6-12 hours to allow the raw materials to fully absorb water and expand. After soaking, remove them and drain them for later use. S2: Spread the soaked tiger nuts evenly into a sealed steamer and steam them with 95-105℃ atmospheric pressure saturated steam for 30-50 minutes to remove the fishy smell, gelatinize, enhance the aroma and cook the raw materials; while the conveyor belt in the steamer rolls and turns the tiger nuts, it also circulates heat transfer with the tiger nuts. After steaming, air cool to room temperature and set aside. S3: Add purified water to the cooked tiger peas at a material-to-water ratio of 1:8-1:12, and then grind them through coarse grinding, colloid mill, and ultrafine grinding to obtain a fine and uniform mixed slurry. All the bean residue after grinding is retained without filtration or separation. S4: Heat the ground slurry containing residue to 50-60℃, add compound food enzyme preparation and hydrolyze at a constant temperature for 30-60 minutes to degrade the slurry and large molecules in the soybean residue, improve the slurry's fineness and stability, and then briefly heat up to inactivate the enzymes after hydrolysis; filter the enzyme-inactivated slurry through a centrifugal filtration device to completely separate the soybean residue and remove coarse, hard particles to obtain pure tiger pea slurry. S5: The pure tiger nut pulp obtained by centrifugation and filtration is sent to a high-pressure homogenizer and homogenized at a pressure of 25-40MPa to ensure that the components of the pulp are evenly dispersed and to prevent stratification and oil from floating. The homogenized pulp is then subjected to UHT ultra-high temperature instantaneous sterilization or pasteurization, and after cooling, it is aseptically filled to obtain the finished tiger nut pulp.

2. A device for preparing tiger nut milk, the device being applicable to the tiger nut milk preparation method described in claim 1, characterized in that: The equipment includes a steaming tank; the steaming tank includes a tank body and vertically symmetrical and parallel vertical plates arranged inside the tank body; a bottom plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the vertical plates; a steam head is provided on the bottom plate facing upwards; a feed inlet with a material cover is provided near the end of the top of the tank body; an end cover is hinged to the end of the tank body; multiple upper fixed rollers are rotatably connected between the two vertical plates at an upper position; the multiple upper fixed rollers are evenly distributed along the length of the steaming tank; a corner roller is rotatably connected between the two vertical plates at a lower position; the two corner rollers are arranged far apart from each other; two... Two staggered movable rollers are provided at the lower position between the vertical plates; the upper fixed roller, the corner roller, and the outer wall of the movable rollers are connected to a transmission belt with mesh; the wide edge of the transmission belt is in contact with the inner wall of the vertical plate; adjustment grooves are provided at the lower position of the inner wall of the two vertical plates; adjustment blocks are slidably connected in the adjustment grooves; the adjustment blocks are connected to the end of the movable rollers through the main motor; the adjustment blocks pass through and are threadedly connected to a screw driven by the adjustment motor; the adjustment blocks drive the movable rollers to loosen and tighten the transmission belt when the adjustment motor is working.

3. A Cyperus esculentus slurry preparation apparatus according to claim 2, characterised in that: The drive belt is made of a heat-conducting material; the steam head is located below the drive belt; the drive belt can circulate heat to the material.

4. A cyperus esculentus slurry preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein: Two vertical plates are vertically grooved on one side close to each other; two corresponding vertical grooves are vertically slidably connected to a vertical bar; the end of the vertical bar is connected to the upper inner wall of the vertical groove by a vertical spring; a baffle plate is fixedly connected to the end of the vertical bar; the lower end of the baffle plate is arc-shaped; the two baffle plates are in movable sealing contact with the inner wall of the corresponding vertical plate on the side away from each other.

5. A Cyperus esculentus slurry preparation apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that: The two corresponding baffles are connected by an inclined scraper; the two scrapers are distributed in an inverted V-shape; the distance between the two corresponding scrapers and the sum of the thicknesses of the two transmission belts is equal to the distance between the two adjacent upper fixed rollers.

6. A cyperus esculentus slurry preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein: The lower surface of the vertical bar is provided with an inner groove; an inner bar is provided in the inner groove; a swivel groove is provided on the lower surface of the inner bar; a swivel piece is provided in the swivel groove; a trigger groove is provided along the length direction of the inner bar, which is connected to multiple swivel grooves; a trigger bar is slidably connected in the trigger groove; the trigger bar is connected to the bottom of the trigger groove through a trigger spring; the end of the vertical bar is provided with an end groove through which the trigger bar can move; one of the vertical grooves has a corrugated groove at the bottom; the trigger bar is connected to the swivel piece, and its end extends into the corrugated groove.

7. A Cyperus esculentus slurry preparation apparatus according to claim 6, characterised in that: Another vertical groove has a guide groove at its bottom; the upper end of the guide groove is deeper than the lower end; the inner strip is slidably connected in the inner groove; the inner strip is connected to the bottom of the inner groove by a tension spring; a block groove is provided through the inner groove on the side facing the guide groove; a right-angled trapezoidal guide block is slidably connected in the block groove; the guide block contacts the inner strip through an inclined surface; the other end of the guide block extends into the guide groove.

8. The apparatus for preparing tiger nut milk according to claim 7, characterized in that: The paddle is composed of a U-shaped support block, a torsion spring, and two segments; the U-shaped support block is fixedly connected to the trigger bar; the U-shaped support block is rotatably connected to the segments via the torsion spring; the two segments gradually unfold as the inner bar extends out of the inner groove, and gradually fold up as the inner bar retracts into the inner groove.

9. A cyperus esculentus slurry preparation apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein: The inner wall of the transmission belt is provided with a retaining strip; the outer walls of the upper fixed roller, the corner roller and the single movable roller are provided with retaining grooves that mesh with the retaining strip; adjacent vertical strips are fixedly connected to a vertical first synchronization strip facing upwards, and multiple first synchronization strips are fixedly connected by a horizontal second synchronization strip to realize the synchronous up and down movement of all vertical strips.

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