A shrimp food processing thawing device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of marine product processing, and particularly relates to a thawing device for shrimp food processing, which comprises a thawing tank body, a transmission structure, a reciprocating moving frame, a storage basket and an axial flow propeller, the reciprocating moving frame is slidably installed on the transmission structure and reciprocally moves along the length direction of the thawing tank body, the storage basket is detachably installed on the reciprocating moving frame and has a hollow structure, the axial flow propeller is arranged at the bottom of the reciprocating moving frame and synchronously moves with the reciprocating moving frame, the gear part of the axial flow propeller is engaged with the fixed rack to convert the reciprocating linear motion into the rotary motion of the impeller, the one-way rotary coupling is used to keep the one-way rotation of the impeller, and the thawing liquid is continuously pumped upward to form a through-layer water flow. The orthogonal disturbance of the reciprocating movement and the through-layer water flow makes the shrimp body continuously roll and fully contact with the flowing thawing liquid, greatly improves the thawing uniformity and efficiency, reduces the juice loss, and is suitable for the rapid and high-quality thawing processing of shrimp food.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of seafood processing technology, specifically to a thawing device for processing shrimp. Background Technology

[0002] Freezing is currently the primary method for the long-term preservation and long-distance transportation of shrimp products. Thawing, as an essential step before further processing of frozen shrimp, directly determines the quality and yield of the final product.

[0003] Traditional methods for thawing shrimp mainly include natural air thawing, refrigerated thawing, and still water thawing. While natural air thawing and refrigerated thawing are simple to operate, they are time-consuming. Although still water thawing is faster, the shrimp are immersed in still water for a long time during the thawing process. This not only easily leads to the loss of a large amount of water-soluble nutrients and juices, affecting the flavor and texture of the shrimp meat, but also, under still water conditions, the shrimp are tightly packed together, and the bottom layer of shrimp is heated unevenly with the top layer, often resulting in the top layer being thawed while the bottom layer is still frozen.

[0004] To address these issues, existing solutions typically involve extending the thawing time or increasing the medium temperature. However, this inevitably leads to over-thawing of the surface shrimp, protein denaturation, and significant loss of juices. Existing technologies present an irreconcilable contradiction between the stacking penetration and uniformity of thawing shrimp. Therefore, those skilled in the art have provided a thawing device for processing shrimp products. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a thawing device for processing shrimp food, comprising:

[0006] The thawing tank has an internal thawing chamber for holding the thawing fluid.

[0007] The transmission structure is located inside the thawing tank and is arranged along the length of the thawing tank.

[0008] Also includes:

[0009] The reciprocating frame is slidably mounted on the transmission structure and moves in a reciprocating linear motion along the length of the thawing tank under the drive of the transmission structure.

[0010] The storage basket is detachably mounted on a reciprocating moving frame to hold shrimp to be thawed. The walls of the storage basket have a hollow structure to allow the thawing liquid to circulate.

[0011] An axial-flow propeller is installed at the bottom of the reciprocating frame and directly below the storage basket. The axial-flow propeller moves back and forth synchronously with the reciprocating frame.

[0012] A rack is fixedly installed inside the thawing tank and arranged along the length of the thawing tank.

[0013] The axial flow propeller has a gear part that meshes with a rack. When the reciprocating frame drives the axial flow propeller to reciprocate, the gear part rolls along the rack, driving the impeller of the axial flow propeller to rotate, thereby pumping the thawing fluid from bottom to top to form a trans-layer water flow.

[0014] The axial-flow propeller is also equipped with a unidirectional rotation coupler, which is used to keep the impeller rotating in a single direction during the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating frame.

[0015] Preferably, the transmission structure includes:

[0016] The lead screw is arranged horizontally along the length of the thawing tank, and its two ends are rotatably connected to the opposite side walls of the thawing tank.

[0017] The drive motor is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the defrosting tank, and its output end is fixedly connected to one end of the lead screw to drive the lead screw to rotate in both directions.

[0018] The limiting rod is arranged horizontally along the length of the thawing tank, with its two ends fixed to the opposite side walls of the thawing tank, and is symmetrically arranged with the lead screw in the width direction of the thawing tank.

[0019] The reciprocating frame is connected to the lead screw via a threaded transmission pair, and the reciprocating frame is connected to the limit rod via a sliding fit.

[0020] Preferably, the reciprocating moving frame includes:

[0021] Central disk;

[0022] The outer ring is concentrically positioned on the outside of the central disk;

[0023] Multiple connecting plates are distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the central disk and are fixedly connected between the central disk and the outer ring body, so that the central disk and the outer ring body form an integral frame structure. The lower end face of each connecting plate forms a mounting plane for mounting the axial flow propeller.

[0024] Preferably, the reciprocating moving frame further includes:

[0025] Two long rods are symmetrically arranged on the upper end face of the outer ring body. One of the long rods has a threaded seat at its end, which is fitted onto the lead screw and threaded into the lead screw. The other long rod has a sliding seat at its end, which is fitted onto the limiting rod and slidably fitted into the limiting rod.

[0026] Preferably, the reciprocating moving frame further includes:

[0027] Multiple short rods are vertically arranged on the upper surface of the outer ring body, and are spaced apart along the circumference of the outer ring body. The upper ends of the short rods abut against the bottom outer edge of the storage basket for positioning.

[0028] Preferably, the storage basket includes:

[0029] The frame is a cylindrical structure with an open top, and its bottom and side walls are hollow structures;

[0030] A partition, installed inside the frame, divides the frame's interior into multiple independent placement cavities;

[0031] The cover plate is detachably fitted onto the top of the frame. The cover plate has a hollow structure, and a lifting ring is fixedly installed at the center of the upper end face of the cover plate.

[0032] The partition consists of four pieces, which are distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the frame in a cross-shaped layout. The outer edge of each partition is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the frame, and the inner edge of each partition converges and is fixedly connected to the central axis of the frame, dividing the inner cavity of the frame into four equal-sized placement cavities.

[0033] There are four axial-flow thrusters, and the projection position of each axial-flow thruster on the horizontal plane is located directly below each placement cavity;

[0034] A ring groove is formed on the inner side wall of the upper end of the frame. The cover plate is detachably installed on the top of the frame and embedded in the ring groove by means of threaded engagement.

[0035] Preferably, a rod is fixedly provided at the center of the bottom end face of the frame, and a slot is provided on the reciprocating frame. The rod is inserted into the slot to achieve the horizontal positioning of the storage basket.

[0036] The insertion rod has a polygonal structure, and the cross-sectional shape of the slot is adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the insertion rod;

[0037] A permanent magnet is embedded at the bottom of the insertion rod, and an electromagnet is embedded at the bottom of the slot. When the electromagnet is energized, it attracts the permanent magnet, thus fixing the storage basket to the reciprocating moving frame.

[0038] Preferably, the axial-flow thruster includes:

[0039] The rotating shaft is set vertically, and its top end is rotatably connected to the lower end face of the connecting plate;

[0040] The impeller is fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft and has an axial flow structure, with at least one impeller arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft;

[0041] The pinion is fixedly installed at the bottom of the rotating shaft to form the gear section. The pinion meshes with the rack, and the length of the rack is not less than the travel range of the reciprocating frame.

[0042] There are two racks, which are arranged at intervals along the width of the thawing tank. The left and right ends of each rack are fixedly connected to the left and right side walls of the thawing tank, respectively. The teeth of the two racks face the same direction and are both facing the front of the thawing tank.

[0043] A one-way rotary coupler is provided between the pinion and the rotating shaft. The one-way rotary coupler is a one-way bearing. The outer ring of the one-way bearing is fixedly connected to the pinion, and its inner ring is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

[0044] When the pinion rotates in the first direction, the one-way bearing is locked, transmitting torque to the rotating shaft; when the pinion rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the one-way bearing is released.

[0045] Preferably, it also includes an ultrasonic auxiliary unit, which is located at the bottom of the thawing tank and is used to emit ultrasonic waves toward the storage basket;

[0046] The ultrasonic auxiliary unit is located at the bottom center of the thawing tank and is arranged along the length of the thawing tank. The ultrasonic auxiliary unit includes multiple ultrasonic transducers arranged at equal intervals along the length of the thawing tank, with the ultrasonic transmitting end of each ultrasonic transducer facing upward.

[0047] Preferred options also include:

[0048] A heater, installed inside the thawing tank, is used to heat the thawing liquid;

[0049] A temperature monitor is installed on the thawing tank to monitor the temperature of the thawing solution.

[0050] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0051] (1) The present invention drives the storage basket to make reciprocating linear motion along the length of the thawing tank by a reciprocating moving frame, so that the shrimp in the basket are subjected to alternating inertial forces in the horizontal direction, constantly changing the stacking posture, effectively avoiding uneven thawing caused by local accumulation of shrimp in static water bath. At the same time, the axial flow propeller generates a bottom-up penetrating water flow through gear and rack meshing during the reciprocating motion, which penetrates and washes the shrimp layer vertically. The horizontal motion of the reciprocating moving frame and the vertical motion of the penetrating water flow constitute a double cooperative disturbance in the orthogonal direction: the horizontal motion causes the shrimp layer to be periodically flattened and piled up in the horizontal direction, continuously changing the thickness distribution of the shrimp layer and the water flow channel, forcing the penetrating water flow to continuously redistribute the path, eliminating the generation of local short-circuit flow and dead water area; the horizontal reciprocating motion drives the water in the basket to generate horizontal convection, which, after superimposed with the vertical penetrating flow, forms a three-dimensional turbulent flow inside the storage basket, so that the shrimp constantly changes the horizontal position and spatial posture during the rolling process, ensuring that all surfaces of a single shrimp can be subjected to uniform heat exchange.

[0052] (2) The rotational power of the axial flow propeller in this invention comes from the horizontal movement of the reciprocating frame itself, which converts the horizontal linear motion of the reciprocating frame into the rotational motion of the propeller. At the same time, the one-way bearing in the propeller ensures that the impeller rotates in one direction regardless of whether the reciprocating frame moves to the left or right, and continuously pumps the defrosting liquid upward. The solution has a simple structure, low manufacturing cost, and low failure rate, and is particularly suitable for food processing environments that are humid and require frequent cleaning.

[0053] (3) The present invention has an ultrasonic auxiliary unit arranged at the bottom of the thawing tank. The direction of the ultrasonic wave propagation (from bottom to top) is consistent with the direction of the penetrating water flow generated by the axial flow propeller. The two are superimposed in the same direction. The cavitation effect generated by the ultrasonic wave in the liquid forms a high-frequency micro-jet impact on the thermal boundary layer on the surface of the shrimp, which causes the thermal boundary layer to be destroyed quickly. The penetrating water flow macroscopically washes the shrimp and quickly carries away the heat disturbed by the ultrasonic wave. The two form a synergistic effect of micro-scouring + macro-washing in space. At the same time, when the ultrasonic wave propagates in the water, it causes the water molecules to vibrate at high frequency, which reduces the effective viscosity of the water flow and makes it easier for the penetrating water flow to penetrate the gaps between the stacked shrimp layers, further improving the penetration ability and heat exchange efficiency of the water flow.

[0054] (4) In this invention, the axial flow propeller generates a bottom-up penetrating water flow that penetrates the multi-layered shrimp stack in the storage basket, generating an upward lifting force on the shrimp, so that the shrimp layer as a whole is in a state of micro-suspension or boiling and rolling. The shrimp are separated from each other and continue to roll. On the one hand, this avoids mechanical damage and uneven local heating caused by prolonged stacking of shrimp. On the other hand, it allows each layer of shrimp to fully contact the flowing fresh thawing liquid, realizing a fast and gentle thawing process. Compared with the existing technology of thawing by letting the shrimp sit and soak, this invention greatly reduces the loss of juice in the shrimp during the thawing process and better maintains the fresh taste and nutritional components of the shrimp meat. Attached Figure Description

[0055] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 2 This is a front view of a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 3 This is a top view of a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the thawing tank in a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 5This is a partial exploded view of a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 6 This is a partial side view of a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the axial flow propeller in a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the reciprocating moving frame in a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage basket in a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure in a thawing device for processing shrimp food provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0065] In the picture:

[0066] 1. Thawing tank; 2. Drain pipe; 3. Temperature monitor; 4. Transmission structure; 5. Heater; 6. Reciprocating frame; 7. Storage basket; 8. Axial flow propeller; 9. Ultrasonic auxiliary unit;

[0067] 31. Mounting plate; 32. Temperature monitor; 41. Lead screw; 42. Limiting rod; 43. Drive motor;

[0068] 51. Heating rod; 52. Mounting base;

[0069] 61. Central disc; 62. Outer ring; 63. Connecting plate; 64. Short rod; 65. Long rod; 66. Threaded seat; 67. Slide; 68. Slot; 69. Electromagnet;

[0070] 71. Frame; 72. Partition; 73. Cover plate; 74. Through hole; 75. Annular groove; 76. Lifting ring; 77. Insert rod; 78. Permanent magnet;

[0071] 81. Rotating shaft; 82. Impeller; 83. Pinion; 84. One-way bearing; 85. Rack;

[0072] 91. Ultrasonic transducer. Detailed Implementation

[0073] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments of the present invention are given for illustrative and descriptive purposes only, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described to better illustrate the principles and practical application of the invention, and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the invention and design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for a particular purpose.

[0074] Example

[0075] Please see Figures 1-10 This embodiment provides a thawing device for processing shrimp products, the overall structure of which is as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the device includes a thawing tank 1, which is a rectangular structure with an open top and a hollow thawing chamber inside for holding thawing fluid (e.g., process water). The bottom of the side wall of the thawing tank 1 is connected to a drain pipe 2, which is used to drain the thawing fluid after the thawing operation is completed, so as to facilitate the regular replacement of the liquid in the tank, prevent the accumulation of solutes or the growth of microorganisms due to long-term use, and ensure the hygiene and safety of processing.

[0076] To control the thawing process parameters, a temperature monitor 3 is fixedly installed on the top side wall of the thawing tank 1. In this embodiment, the temperature monitor 3 mainly consists of a mounting plate 31 and a temperature monitor 32. The mounting plate 31 is fixed to the top side wall of the thawing tank 1 by bolts (or other detachable connection methods, such as clips) for easy disassembly and maintenance. The temperature monitor 32 is mounted on the mounting plate 31, and its temperature sensing end extends vertically downward into the internal cavity of the thawing tank 1 and is submerged below the surface of the thawing liquid for real-time monitoring of the temperature of the thawing liquid.

[0077] Temperature monitor 3 is electrically connected to an external temperature control system (or the control system of this device). When the temperature of the thawing liquid exceeds the preset process threshold (e.g., set value ±1℃), the temperature control system will start heating or stop heating accordingly to keep the thawing liquid in a suitable constant temperature range for thawing, so as to avoid denaturation of shrimp protein due to excessive temperature or reduced thawing efficiency due to excessively low temperature.

[0078] The internal structure of the thawing tank 1 can be referred to in detail. Figure 3 , Figure 4 Inside the thawing tank 1, a transmission structure 4 is provided along its length. A reciprocating moving frame 6 is slidably mounted on the transmission structure 4. Driven by the transmission structure 4, the reciprocating moving frame 6 makes horizontal reciprocating linear motion along the length of the thawing tank.

[0079] A storage basket 7 is detachably installed on the reciprocating moving frame 6. The storage basket 7 and the reciprocating moving frame 6 are detachably fixedly connected by positioning and magnetic attraction. During the thawing operation, the operator first evenly spreads the shrimp to be thawed in the storage basket 7, and then hoists the storage basket 7 as a whole onto the reciprocating moving frame 6 and fixes it. Thus, when the reciprocating moving frame 6 moves the storage basket 7 back and forth, the shrimp in the storage basket 7 are subjected to alternating inertial forces in the horizontal direction, constantly changing their stacking posture. This effectively avoids uneven thawing caused by local stacking of shrimp in a static water bath. The bottom wall, top wall and four side walls of the storage basket 7 are all perforated mesh structures to ensure that the thawing liquid can freely penetrate the basket body of the storage basket 7 and fully contact all surfaces of the shrimp.

[0080] Most importantly, such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, an axial flow propeller 8 is installed at the bottom of the reciprocating moving frame 6, directly below the corresponding storage basket 7. The axial flow propeller 8 is linked with the reciprocating moving frame 6. When the reciprocating moving frame 6 moves to the left or right, it can convert the horizontal linear motion of the reciprocating moving frame 6 into the rotational motion of the axial flow propeller 8. Furthermore, the axial flow propeller 8 is also equipped with a one-way rotation coupler to ensure that no matter which direction the reciprocating moving frame 6 moves, the axial flow propeller 8 maintains rotation in a single direction, thereby continuously pumping the defrosting fluid from bottom to top.

[0081] Under the continuous pumping action of the axial flow propeller 8, the thawing liquid flows upward from the bottom of the storage basket 7 through the perforated mesh plate, forming a bottom-up penetrating water flow. This penetrating water flow penetrates the multi-layer stacked shrimp in the storage basket 7 at a certain flow rate, generating an upward lifting force on the shrimp, so that the shrimp layer as a whole is in a slightly suspended or tumbling state. The shrimp are separated from each other and continue to tumble. Each layer of shrimp can fully contact the flowing fresh thawing liquid, which completely solves the uneven problem of the upper layer being thawed and the lower layer still frozen in traditional static water thawing.

[0082] Meanwhile, the horizontal reciprocating motion of the reciprocating frame 6 and the vertical penetrating water flow generated by the axial flow propeller 8 constitute a dual synergistic disturbance in the orthogonal direction: on the one hand, the horizontal motion of the reciprocating frame 6 causes the shrimp layer to be periodically flattened and then piled up in the horizontal direction, continuously changing the thickness distribution and water flow channels of the shrimp layer, forcing the penetrating water flow to constantly redistribute its path, and eliminating the generation of local short-circuit flow and dead water areas; on the other hand, the horizontal reciprocating motion itself drives the water in the storage basket 7 to generate horizontal convection, which, after superimposed with the vertical penetrating flow, forms a three-dimensional turbulence inside the storage basket 7, causing the shrimp to continuously change its horizontal position and spatial posture during the tumbling process, ensuring that all surfaces of a single shrimp can receive uniform heat exchange, greatly improving the uniformity and efficiency of thawing;

[0083] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, two heaters 5 are symmetrically arranged at the bottom wall of the thawing tank 1 along the width direction of the thawing tank 1. The heaters 5 are electrically connected to the external temperature control system. When the temperature monitor 32 detects that the temperature of the thawing liquid is lower than the preset process temperature threshold (e.g., lower than the set value by 1.0℃), the temperature control system starts the heaters 5 to heat the thawing liquid. When the temperature of the thawing liquid rises back to the preset temperature range (e.g., within the range of ±15℃ of the set value), the temperature control system controls the heaters 5 to stop heating or switch to the heat preservation mode, so that the thawing liquid is always kept within a constant process temperature range throughout the thawing process, avoiding inconsistent thawing effect due to temperature fluctuations.

[0084] Meanwhile, at the bottom center of the thawing tank 1, an ultrasonic auxiliary unit 9 is arranged along the length direction of the thawing tank 1 (i.e., parallel to the moving path of the reciprocating moving frame 6 and the storage basket 7). The ultrasonic auxiliary unit 9 is composed of several ultrasonic transducers 91 arranged at equal intervals along the length direction. It is fixedly installed on the bottom wall of the thawing tank 1 with the ultrasonic transmitting end facing upwards, and is used to transmit ultrasonic waves into the thawing tank. The ultrasonic transducers 91 are connected to an external ultrasonic generating device.

[0085] During the thawing process, as the reciprocating frame 6 drives the storage basket 7 to reciprocate, the upward-flowing water jet generated by the axial-flow propeller 8 continuously washes and lifts the shrimp layer, causing the shrimp to be in a dynamic tumbling state. Simultaneously, the ultrasonic auxiliary unit 9 emits ultrasonic waves upwards from the bottom of the thawing tank. Utilizing the cavitation effect of the ultrasonic waves in the liquid, the thermal boundary layer on the shrimp surface is rapidly disrupted by the continuous impact of the high-frequency micro-jets, thus significantly enhancing heat transfer efficiency. It is particularly noteworthy that the propagation direction of the ultrasonic waves emitted by the ultrasonic auxiliary unit 9 (from bottom to top) is different from that of the water jet generated by the axial-flow propeller 8. The two water flows are aligned and superimposed in the same direction: on the one hand, the cavitation micro-jets of ultrasound micro-scour the surface of the shrimp, while the penetrating water flows macro-wash the shrimp, and the two work synergistically in space; on the other hand, when ultrasound propagates in water, it causes high-frequency vibrations of water molecules, which reduces the effective viscosity of the water flow, making it easier for the penetrating water flow to penetrate the gaps between the stacked shrimp layers, thereby improving the penetration ability and heat exchange efficiency of the water flow. The ultrasonic frequency of the ultrasonic auxiliary unit 9 is preferably 20-80kHz, and the specific frequency can be adjusted according to the species and size of the shrimp to achieve the best thawing effect.

[0086] Specifically, such as Figure 5As shown, the transmission structure 4 includes a lead screw 41, a limiting rod 42, and a drive motor 43. The lead screw 41 is arranged horizontally along the length of the thawing tank 1, and its two ends are rotatably connected to the opposite side walls of the thawing tank 1 through bearing seats, so that the lead screw 41 can rotate freely in the thawing tank 1. One end of the lead screw 41 passes through the side wall of the thawing tank 1 and is fixedly connected to the output end of the drive motor 43 through a coupling. The drive motor 43 is fixedly installed on the outer side wall of the thawing tank 1 through a motor frame. It is preferably a servo motor or a stepper motor to achieve precise control of forward and reverse rotation and speed adjustment.

[0087] Correspondingly, in the width direction of the thawing tank 1, the limiting rod 42 and the lead screw 41 are symmetrically arranged. The two ends of the limiting rod 42 are also fixed on the opposite side wall of the thawing tank 1, and its axis is parallel to the axis of the lead screw 41. The reciprocating moving frame 6 is installed on both the lead screw 41 and the limiting rod 42. The reciprocating moving frame 6 and the lead screw 41 are connected by a threaded transmission pair (i.e., lead screw nut), and the reciprocating moving frame 6 and the limiting rod 42 are connected by a linear bearing or a sliding guide sleeve.

[0088] Based on the above structure, when the drive motor 43 starts in the forward direction, it drives the lead screw 41 to rotate in the forward direction. The lead screw 41 drives the reciprocating moving frame 6 to move to the left (or right) along the axis of the lead screw 41 through the screw thread transmission. The limit rod 42 guides and prevents the reciprocating moving frame 6 from rotating, ensuring that its movement trajectory is straight and stable. When the drive motor 43 rotates in the reverse direction, the lead screw 41 rotates in the reverse direction, and the reciprocating moving frame 6 moves in the reverse direction. By controlling the periodic forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 43, the reciprocating moving frame 6 can be driven to make continuous reciprocating linear motion along the length direction in the thawing tank 1. At the same time, the movement speed and oscillation period of the reciprocating moving frame 6 can be flexibly adjusted by adjusting the speed and reversing frequency of the drive motor 43 to adapt to the thawing process requirements of different varieties and sizes of shrimp.

[0089] Similarly, the two heaters 5 have the same structure, both including a heating rod 51 and a mounting base 52. The heating rod 51 is a long strip-shaped tubular structure that extends horizontally along the length of the thawing tank 1. The mounting base 52 is fixedly connected to both ends of the heating rod 51. The mounting base 52 is fixedly installed on the inner bottom wall of the thawing tank 1, so that the heating rod 51 is suspended in the air at the bottom of the thawing tank 1 and a certain gap is maintained between it and the bottom wall of the thawing tank 1 to ensure that the circumferential surface of the heating rod 51 can fully contact the thawing liquid and improve the heat exchange efficiency. The two heating rods 51 are located on both sides of the axial flow propeller 8 to avoid interference with the formation of the cross-layer water flow.

[0090] The heating rod 51 is preferably a stainless steel electric heating tube with an internal heating wire. Externally, it is electrically connected to an external heating power control system via a wire that passes through the side wall of the thawing tank 1. The heating power control system is also connected to the temperature monitor 32 to receive real-time temperature signals from the temperature monitor 32. When the thawing liquid temperature is lower than the preset lower threshold, the heating power control system automatically turns on the power to the heating rod 51 to raise the temperature of the thawing liquid. When the thawing liquid temperature rises back to the preset upper threshold, the heating power control system automatically cuts off the power to the heating rod 51 to stop heating. Through the above constant temperature control logic, the temperature of the thawing liquid is always maintained within the preset process temperature range, ensuring the stability and consistency of the thawing process.

[0091] like Figure 6 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the storage basket 7 includes a frame 71, which is a cylindrical structure with an open top and a hollow interior forming a storage chamber. The frame 71 is provided with partitions 72, which divide the interior of the frame 71 into multiple independent storage chambers. In this embodiment, the partitions 72 are preferably four, and the four partitions 72 are distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the frame 71, i.e., in a cross-shaped layout. The outer edge of each partition 72 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the frame 71, and the inner edge of each partition 72 converges and is fixedly connected to the central axis of the frame 71. Through the above-mentioned partition 72 layout, the interior of the frame 71 is evenly divided into four fan-shaped storage chambers of equal size. When thawing, the shrimp are placed into each storage chamber in a single layer or thin layer, so that the shrimp are evenly distributed in the frame 71, effectively avoiding the problems of poor water flow and uneven thawing caused by a large number of shrimp being piled up in the same space.

[0092] The top of the frame 71 is provided with a cover plate 73. The cover plate 73 is used to limit the shrimp in the placement cavity during the thawing process and prevent the shrimp from escaping from the top of the frame 71 under the combined action of the water flow and reciprocating motion. Specifically, an annular groove 75 is opened on the inner side wall of the upper end of the frame 71. The inner wall of the annular groove 75 is provided with internal threads. The outer peripheral side wall of the cover plate 73 is provided with matching external threads. The cover plate 73 is detachably installed on the top of the frame 71 through thread engagement and is embedded in the annular groove 75. By rotating the cover plate 73, it can be locked or separated from the frame 71. The operation is convenient, which makes it easy to put the shrimp into each placement cavity before thawing and easy to take out the shrimp as a whole after thawing.

[0093] To ensure sufficient circulation of the thawing solution inside and outside the storage basket 7, multiple through holes 74 are provided on the bottom and side walls of the frame 71, the surface of the partition 72, and the surface of the cover 73. During thawing, the thawing solution can freely enter and exit each storage cavity through these through holes 74, ensuring that the penetrating water can smoothly penetrate the shrimp layer and fully contact each surface of the shrimp.

[0094] In addition, a lifting ring 76 is fixedly installed at the center of the upper end face of the cover plate 73. The lifting ring 76 has a dual function: on the one hand, it can be used as an operating handle, and the operator can rotate the cover plate 73 by turning the lifting ring 76, thereby easily realizing the installation and removal of the cover plate 73; on the other hand, it can be used as a hoisting connection point, in conjunction with the electric hoist or pneumatic balance crane in the workshop, to realize the rapid transfer of the entire storage basket 7 between the thawing tank 1 and the loading and unloading station, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0095] A rod 77 is fixedly installed at the center of the bottom end face of the frame 71. Correspondingly, a slot 68 adapted to the shape of the rod 77 is provided on the reciprocating frame 6. When the storage basket 7 is placed on the reciprocating frame 6, the rod 77 is inserted into the slot 68. The rod 77 has a polygonal structure, which limits the storage basket 7 in the horizontal direction and prevents it from moving horizontally during reciprocating motion. At the same time, a permanent magnet 78 is embedded at the bottom end of the rod 77, and the corresponding slot 68 on the reciprocating frame 6... The 8 is equipped with an electromagnet 69. When the insertion rod 77 is inserted into place, the permanent magnet 78 and the reciprocating moving frame 6 generate a magnetic attraction force, which pulls the storage basket 7 downward and fixes it, preventing it from vertically displacing or accidentally falling out under the upward lifting force of the water flow. Through the above-mentioned dual fixing methods of insertion positioning and magnetic locking, the storage basket 7 is stably installed on the reciprocating moving frame 6, and its quick disassembly and replacement are ensured, meeting the needs of food processing for quick tooling changes.

[0096] like Figure 8 As shown, the reciprocating frame 6 includes a central disk 61 and an outer ring 62 concentrically arranged outside the central disk 61. The central disk 61 and the outer ring 62 are fixedly connected by multiple connecting plates 63. The multiple connecting plates 63 are distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the central disk 61, so that the central disk 61 and the outer ring 62 form an integral frame structure. On the one hand, the radial support of the connecting plates 63 improves the overall structural rigidity and stability of the reciprocating frame 6, ensuring that it is not easily deformed during long-term reciprocating motion. On the other hand, the lower end surfaces of each connecting plate 63 together form a flat mounting plane for fixing and installing the axial flow propeller 8, so that the axial flow propeller 8 is suspended directly below the central disk 61 and located in the inner space of the outer ring 62, ensuring that it can smoothly draw water from the water area below the central disk 61 and pump it upward during operation.

[0097] Multiple vertically extending short rods 64 are fixedly installed on the upper end face of the outer ring body 62. The multiple short rods 64 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the outer ring body 62. When the storage basket 7 is placed on the reciprocating moving frame 6, the upper end of the short rods 64 forms a multi-point abutment limit with the bottom outer edge of the storage basket 7, which further enhances the placement stability of the storage basket 7 on the reciprocating moving frame 6 and prevents it from shifting or shaking during horizontal reciprocating motion.

[0098] In addition, two long rods 65 are fixedly installed on the upper end face of the outer ring body 62, which are symmetrically distributed front and back. One of the long rods 65 has a threaded seat 66 fixedly installed at its end. The threaded seat 66 is an internal threaded sleeve structure, which is sleeved on the lead screw 41 and threadedly engaged with the lead screw 41 to form a lead screw and nut transmission pair. The other long rod 65 has a slide seat 67 fixedly installed at its end. The slide seat 67 is sleeved on the limiting rod 42 and forms a sliding engagement with the limiting rod 42. Thus, when the lead screw 41 rotates, the threaded seat 66 is displaced along the axial direction of the lead screw 41, which drives the entire reciprocating frame 6 to move synchronously. The slide seat 67 slides synchronously along the limiting rod 42, which guides and prevents rotation of the reciprocating frame 6 and ensures that its movement trajectory is straight and stable.

[0099] A slot 68 is provided at the center of the upper end face of the central plate 61. The cross-sectional shape of the slot 68 is adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the insertion rod 77 at the bottom of the storage basket 7. When the storage basket 7 is placed on the reciprocating moving frame 6, the insertion rod 77 is inserted into the slot 68 from top to bottom, realizing the horizontal positioning of the storage basket 7. At the same time, an electromagnet 69 is fixedly embedded in the bottom of the slot 68. The electromagnet 69 is electrically connected to an external power supply and control system through wires. When the storage basket 7 is placed in place and the electromagnet 69 is energized, the electromagnet 69 generates a magnetic attraction force, which attracts the insertion rod 77. The embedded permanent magnets 78 attract each other, firmly adsorbing the insertion rod 77 into the slot 68, ensuring that the storage basket 7 remains stable under the combined action of the upward lifting force of the penetrating water flow and the inertial force of the horizontal reciprocating motion, without vertically detaching or horizontally shifting; when it is necessary to remove the storage basket 7, the control system controls the electromagnet 69 to be de-energized, the magnetic attraction disappears, and the operator can easily lift the storage basket 7 vertically from the reciprocating moving frame 6, realizing the quick disassembly and replacement of the storage basket 7, meeting the rapid changeover needs of continuous operation of multiple batches and multiple varieties in the processing;

[0100] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, four axial flow propellers 8 are provided, and their number corresponds one-to-one with the four placement chambers separated by the partition 72 in the storage basket 7. The projection positions of the four axial flow propellers 8 on the horizontal plane are respectively located directly below the four placement chambers, ensuring that the thawing liquid pumped upward by each axial flow propeller 8 can directly enter the corresponding placement chamber and form a penetrating flush on the shrimp placed in the chamber.

[0101] Specifically, each axial flow propeller 8 includes a rotating shaft 81, an impeller 82, a pinion 83, and a rack 85. The rotating shaft 81 is vertically arranged, and its top end is rotatably connected to the lower end face of the connecting plate 63 of the reciprocating frame 6 through a bearing, so that the rotating shaft 81 can rotate freely around its own axis. The pinion 83 is fixedly installed at the bottom end of the rotating shaft 81. Correspondingly, a rack 85 is fixedly arranged along the length direction of the thawing tank 1. The length of the rack 85 is not less than the stroke range of the reciprocating frame 6, and its two ends extend to the left and right side walls of the thawing tank 1, respectively. In this embodiment, two racks 85 are provided and are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the thawing tank 1. The teeth of the two racks 85 have the same orientation (i.e., tooth surface direction) and are both facing the front side of the thawing tank 1.

[0102] Therefore, when the reciprocating frame 6 drives the four axial-flow propellers 8 to move synchronously, each pinion 83 meshes with the corresponding rack 85, causing each rotating shaft 81 to rotate in the same direction.

[0103] The transmission principle is illustrated using a single axial-flow thruster 8 as an example: Figure 7 As shown, when the reciprocating frame 6 drives the rotating shaft 81 to move horizontally to the left, the pinion 83 rolls and meshes with the fixed rack 85. Driven by the tooth profile of the rack 85, the pinion 83 rotates clockwise, which in turn drives the rotating shaft 81 to move horizontally to the left while rotating clockwise around its own axis. The clockwise rotation of the rotating shaft 81 drives the impeller 82 fixedly installed on it to rotate synchronously. The impeller 82 is an axial flow structure (preferably a propeller-type propulsion blade). When it rotates, it generates an axial thrust on the water below, pumping the thawing liquid upward from bottom to top to form a cross-layer water flow.

[0104] It should be noted that the number of impellers 82 is at least one, and they are arranged along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 81. In this embodiment, each rotating shaft 81 is provided with two impellers 82, and the two impellers 82 are distributed at intervals along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 81 to provide a more sufficient pumping flow. In the preferred simplified scheme, for application scenarios where the thawing tank is shallow, only a single impeller 82 can be provided to reduce manufacturing costs and rotational inertia.

[0105] Most importantly, torque transmission is achieved between the pinion 83 and the rotating shaft 81 via a one-way bearing 84 (i.e., a one-way rotary coupler), such as... Figure 7As shown, the outer ring of the one-way bearing 84 is fixedly connected to the pinion 83, and its inner ring is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 81. The one-way bearing 84 only allows relative rotation between the inner and outer rings in one direction of rotation; in the opposite direction, it is locked and transmits torque. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the pinion 83 rotates clockwise, the one-way bearing 84 is in a locked state. At this time, the torque of the pinion 83 is completely transmitted to the rotating shaft 81 through the one-way bearing 84, driving the impeller 82 to rotate clockwise and pump water. When the reciprocating frame 6 reverses direction and drives the rotating shaft 81 to move horizontally to the right, the pinion 83 rotates counterclockwise accordingly, and the one-way bearing 84 is in a disengaged state. (That is, the inner and outer rings can rotate relatively freely). The counterclockwise rotation of the pinion 83 cannot be transmitted to the rotating shaft 81. At this time, the rotating shaft 81 and the impeller 82 continue to rotate clockwise under the combined action of their own rotational inertia and the water flow counterforce, maintaining the upward pumping water flow. When the inertial force is insufficient to overcome the water resistance, the impeller 82 gradually decelerates until it almost stops, but will not rotate in the opposite direction. Thus, no matter whether the reciprocating frame 6 moves to the left or right, the axial flow propeller 8 can continuously generate water flow from bottom to top, completely avoiding the risk of the impeller 82 rotating in the opposite direction to draw the thawing liquid downward and then adsorb the shrimp to the bottom of the frame 71.

[0106] Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art and related fields based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Structures, devices, and operating methods not specifically described and explained in the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, shall be implemented according to conventional means in the art.

Claims

1. A thawing device for processing shrimp products, comprising: The thawing tank (1) has a thawing chamber inside for holding the thawing liquid; The transmission structure (4) is disposed inside the thawing tank (1) and arranged along the length direction of the thawing tank (1). Its characteristic is that it further includes: The reciprocating moving frame (6) is slidably installed on the transmission structure (4) and moves in a reciprocating linear motion along the length direction of the thawing tank (1) under the drive of the transmission structure (4); The storage basket (7) is detachably installed on the reciprocating moving frame (6) to hold the shrimp to be thawed. The wall of the storage basket (7) is hollow to allow the thawing liquid to flow. An axial-flow propeller (8) is installed at the bottom of the reciprocating frame (6) and directly below the storage basket (7). The axial-flow propeller (8) moves back and forth synchronously with the reciprocating frame (6). A rack (85) is fixedly installed inside the thawing tank (1) and arranged along the length of the thawing tank (1); The axial flow propeller (8) has a gear part that meshes with the rack (85). When the reciprocating frame (6) drives the axial flow propeller (8) to reciprocate, the gear part rolls along the rack (85) and drives the impeller (82) of the axial flow propeller (8) to rotate, thereby pumping the thawing fluid from bottom to top to form a trans-layer water flow. The axial flow propeller (8) is also equipped with a unidirectional rotation coupler to keep the impeller (82) rotating in a single direction during the reciprocating motion of the reciprocating frame (6).

2. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission structure (4) includes: The lead screw (41) is arranged horizontally along the length of the thawing tank (1), and its two ends are rotatably connected to the opposite side walls of the thawing tank (1); The drive motor (43) is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the thawing tank (1), and its output end is fixedly connected to one end of the lead screw (41) to drive the lead screw (41) to rotate in both directions. The limiting rod (42) is arranged horizontally along the length of the thawing tank (1), and its two ends are fixed on the opposite side walls of the thawing tank (1), and are symmetrically arranged with the screw (41) in the width direction of the thawing tank (1). The reciprocating moving frame (6) and the lead screw (41) are connected by a threaded transmission pair, and the reciprocating moving frame (6) and the limiting rod (42) are connected by a sliding fit.

3. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 2, characterized in that, The reciprocating moving frame (6) includes: Central plate (61); The outer ring (62) is concentrically arranged on the outside of the central disk (61); Multiple connecting plates (63) are distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the central disk (61) and are fixedly connected between the central disk (61) and the outer ring body (62), so that the central disk (61) and the outer ring body (62) form an integral frame structure. The lower end face of each connecting plate (63) forms an installation plane for installing the axial flow thruster (8).

4. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 3, characterized in that, The reciprocating moving frame (6) also includes: Two long rods (65) are symmetrically arranged on the upper end face of the outer ring body (62). One of the long rods (65) has a threaded seat (66) at its end. The threaded seat (66) is sleeved on the lead screw (41) and threadedly engaged with the lead screw (41). The other long rod (65) has a sliding seat (67) at its end. The sliding seat (67) is sleeved on the limiting rod (42) and slidably engaged with the limiting rod (42).

5. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 4, characterized in that, The reciprocating moving frame (6) also includes: Multiple short rods (64) are vertically arranged on the upper surface of the outer ring (62) and distributed at intervals along the circumference of the outer ring (62). The upper ends of the short rods (64) abut against the bottom outer edge of the storage basket (7) for positioning.

6. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage basket (7) includes: The frame (71) is a cylindrical structure with an open top, and its bottom and side walls are hollow structures; A partition (72) is provided inside the frame (71) to divide the inner cavity of the frame (71) into multiple independent placement cavities; The cover plate (73) is detachably fitted onto the top of the frame (71). The cover plate (73) has a hollow structure, and a hanging ring (76) is fixedly installed at the center of the upper end face of the cover plate (73). The partition (72) consists of four pieces, which are distributed at equal angles along the circumference of the frame (71) in a cross-shaped layout. The outer edge of each partition (72) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the frame (71). The inner edges of each partition (72) converge and are fixedly connected to the central axis of the frame (71), dividing the inner cavity of the frame (71) into four placement cavities of equal size. There are four axial flow thrusters (8), and the projection position of each axial flow thruster (8) on the horizontal plane is located directly below each placement cavity; A ring groove (75) is formed on the inner side wall of the upper end of the frame (71). The cover plate (73) is detachably installed on the top of the frame (71) and embedded in the ring groove (75) by means of threaded engagement.

7. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 6, characterized in that, A rod (77) is fixedly installed at the center of the bottom end face of the frame (71), and a slot (68) is provided on the reciprocating moving frame (6). The rod (77) and the slot (68) are inserted and engaged to realize the positioning of the storage basket (7) in the horizontal direction. The insertion rod (77) has a polygonal structure, and the cross-sectional shape of the slot (68) is adapted to the cross-sectional shape of the insertion rod (77); A permanent magnet (78) is embedded at the bottom of the insertion rod (77), and an electromagnet (69) is embedded at the bottom of the slot (68). When the electromagnet (69) is energized, it attracts the permanent magnet (78) with opposite polarities, thus fixing the storage basket (7) onto the reciprocating moving frame (6).

8. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 6, characterized in that, The axial-flow thruster (8) includes: The rotating shaft (81) is set vertically, and its top end is rotatably connected to the lower end face of the connecting plate (63); Impeller (82) is fixedly installed on rotating shaft (81) and has an axial flow structure. At least one impeller is provided along the axial direction of rotating shaft (81). The pinion (83) is fixedly installed at the bottom end of the rotating shaft (81) to form a gear part. The pinion (83) meshes with the rack (85). The length of the rack (85) is not less than the travel range of the reciprocating frame (6). Two racks (85) are provided. The two racks (85) are arranged at intervals along the width direction of the thawing tank (1). The left and right ends of each rack (85) are fixedly connected to the left and right side walls of the thawing tank (1). The teeth of the two racks (85) face the same direction and are both set towards the front side of the thawing tank (1). A one-way rotary coupler is provided between the pinion (83) and the rotating shaft (81). Specifically, the one-way rotary coupler is a one-way bearing (84). The outer ring of the one-way bearing (84) is fixedly connected to the pinion (83), and its inner ring is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft (81). When the pinion (83) rotates in the first direction, the one-way bearing (84) is locked and transmits torque to the rotating shaft (81); when the pinion (83) rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction, the one-way bearing (84) is released.

9. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an ultrasonic auxiliary unit (9), which is located at the bottom of the thawing tank (1) and is used to emit ultrasonic waves toward the storage basket (7); The ultrasonic auxiliary unit (9) is located at the bottom center of the thawing tank (1) and is arranged along the length of the thawing tank (1). The ultrasonic auxiliary unit (9) includes multiple ultrasonic transducers (91) arranged at equal intervals along the length of the thawing tank (1), with the ultrasonic transmitting end of each ultrasonic transducer (91) facing upward.

10. The thawing device for processing shrimp products according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A heater (5) is installed inside the thawing tank (1) to heat the thawing liquid; A temperature monitor (3) is installed on the thawing tank (1) to monitor the temperature of the thawing liquid.

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