A stirring device for edible mushroom fermentation

Abstract

The utility model relates to stirring device technical field, especially edible fermentation with stirring device of edible fungus, including inside hollow jar body, the jar body outside is provided with feed inlet and discharge gate, be provided with motor on the jar body, the pivot that is in the motor output end and extends to the inside of jar body and the paddle that is in the pivot periphery, the paddle is made of swellable material, through the swelling morphological change of control paddle can match the shear force required in different stages of edible fungus fermentation in real time, both protect the mycelium and guarantee the stirring effect, the control valve is arranged on the pivot and exposes in the side of jar body outside, the inside hollow area of pivot and swellable chamber in the paddle inside communicate, can control fluid in and out through the opening and closing state of control valve and the fluid supply device outside, realize the control of paddle swelling morphological, more convenient and faster reach the shear force required in the current stage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of stirring device technology, and in particular to a stirring device for fermenting edible fungi. Background Technology

[0002] Edible fungi are a class of eukaryotic microorganisms that provide humans with nutritional or medicinal value. They possess complete cellular structures, including cell walls and nuclei. Common examples include shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and reishi mushrooms, which have important applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. During the fermentation of edible fungi, proper stirring ensures thorough mixing of the culture medium, inoculum, and oxygen within the fermentation tank. This guarantees that the mycelium can uniformly access the nutrients and oxygen required for growth, maintains a suitable temperature environment within the tank, and promotes rapid mycelial growth and the accumulation of metabolic products. However, currently used stirring devices often employ rigid blades made of metal or hard plastic, which generate fixed and unadjustable shear forces, failing to match the dynamically changing shear force requirements during fermentation. Furthermore, these rigid blades themselves generate significant shear forces during high-speed rotation. Since the mycelium of edible fungi is delicate and fragile, it is highly susceptible to breakage under this mismatched high shear force, even leading to cell rupture. This impairs the fungi's ability to absorb nutrients and metabolize, thus slowing down fungal growth and reducing fermentation efficiency and product yield. Therefore, it is necessary to design a stirring device for edible fungal fermentation to address these problems. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention provides a stirring device for fermenting edible fungi, wherein the blades are made of expandable material. By controlling the expansion shape of the blades, the shear force required at different stages of edible fungi fermentation can be matched in real time, thereby protecting the mycelium.

[0004] The technical problem solved by this utility model is achieved by the following technical solution:

[0005] This utility model relates to the technical field of edible fungus fermentation equipment, and in particular to a stirring device for edible fungus fermentation, comprising a hollow tank, an inlet and an outlet on the outside of the tank, a motor on the tank, a rotating shaft at the output end of the motor extending into the tank, and blades around the rotating shaft. The blades are made of an expandable material, and by controlling the expansion shape of the blades, the shear force required for different stages of edible fungus fermentation can be matched in real time, thus protecting the mycelium and ensuring the stirring effect.

[0006] Preferably, the expandable material in the blade expands and deforms when fluid is introduced.

[0007] Preferably, all the blades are made of expandable material.

[0008] Preferably, the blades are made by wrapping an expandable material around a common rigid material.

[0009] Preferably, the blade is of a flat blade shape or a curved surface shape.

[0010] Preferably, the shaft has a hollow internal structure and the side exposed outside the tank is the fluid inlet. A control valve is provided at the inlet, and the hollow internal area of ​​the shaft is connected to the expandable chamber inside the blade.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are: the blades are made of expandable material, and by controlling the expansion shape of the blades, the shear force required for different stages of edible fungal fermentation is matched in real time, which protects the mycelium and ensures the stirring effect.

[0012] The control valve is located on the side of the rotating shaft that protrudes from the tank body. The hollow area inside the rotating shaft is connected to the expandable chamber inside the blade. By controlling the opening and closing of the valve and the external fluid supply device, the fluid can be controlled to enter and exit, thereby controlling the expansion pattern of the blade and achieving the required shear force at the current stage more conveniently and quickly. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the existing rigid paddle stirring device of this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an existing rigid paddle agitator according to the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a front view of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 This utility model Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point A;

[0019] Figure 6 This utility model Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point B;

[0020] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the flat-bladed expandable blade of this utility model and its state after being filled with fluid.

[0021] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the arc-shaped expandable blade of this utility model and its state after being filled with fluid.

[0022] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the blade made by combining the expandable material of this utility model with ordinary rigid material and its state after being filled with fluid.

[0023] In the diagram, 1 is the tank body; 2 is the inlet; 3 is the outlet; 4 is the motor; 5 is the shaft; 6 is the rigid blade; 7 is the control valve; 8 is the expandable blade; 9 is the inlet; and 10 is the expandable chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this utility model easier to understand, the following description, in conjunction with specific illustrations, further elaborates on this utility model.

[0025] This utility model provides a stirring device for fermenting edible fungi. To enable those skilled in the art to more clearly understand the improvements of this utility model compared to the prior art, reference is first made to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagram below is a reference drawing of the prior art for this utility model. The reference drawing mainly shows a commercially available rigid paddle 6 stirring device, which includes a hollow tank 1. The tank 1 has an inlet 2 and an outlet 3 on its outer side. A motor 4 is mounted on the tank 1, and a rotating shaft 5 is located at the output end of the motor 4. The rotating shaft 5 is rotatably connected to the tank 1 via a bearing. The rotating shaft 5 extends into the interior of the tank 1. Rigid paddles 6 made of metal or hard plastic are installed around the rotating shaft 5. The motor 4 drives the rotating shaft 5, causing the rigid paddles 6 to rotate and achieve stirring. When the rotation speed is increased, the linear velocity of the rigid paddles 6 increases, the relative motion with the fermentation liquid intensifies, and the shear force increases significantly; decreasing the rotation speed reduces the shear force. Because the mycelium is sensitive to shear force during the fermentation of edible fungi, and its requirements vary at different stages—for example, low shear force is required during the stationary phase (when the mycelial growth rate slows down and the growth state is relatively stable), while moderate shear force is required during the logarithmic phase (when the number of mycelia increases exponentially and cell division is vigorous)—existing devices often use rigid blades 6, which have the following drawbacks: First, the rigid blades 6 are made of hard material, and even with different rotation speeds, the range of shear force adjustment is still limited, failing to match the dynamically changing shear force requirements at each stage of fermentation, easily leading to mycelial breakage; second, the rigid blades 6 have a fixed shape and sharp edges, causing significant mechanical damage to the mycelium during rotation, affecting fermentation efficiency and product yield. Based on the above problems, this utility model adopts the following technical solution to address these issues.

[0026] refer to Figures 3-6As shown, this utility model provides a stirring device for fermenting edible fungi. Its improvement over existing technologies mainly lies in the modification of the impeller 8. The impeller 8 of this utility model is made of an expandable material, and its overall structure is compatible with the basic structure of existing devices, such as the rotating shaft 5 and the tank 1. The material should have a certain degree of hardness (to provide a certain initial shear force to meet the stirring requirements) and expand and deform after being filled with fluid, such as food-grade silicone or TPU. The specific material can be selected according to actual needs and is not limited in detail here. The impeller 8 of this utility model is connected to the rotating shaft 5. The rotating shaft 5 has a hollow internal structure, and the side exposed outside the tank 1 has a fluid inlet 9. A control valve 7 is installed at the inlet 9. By opening, closing, or adjusting the control valve 7, gas or liquid can be filled into the impeller 8, causing the impeller 8 to expand or contract to change its shape. When fluid is introduced into the impeller 8, the motor 4 should be paused. After opening the valve, connect the air or water pipe of the external suction pump to the inlet 9 to supply or extract fluid into the hollow interior of the rotating shaft 5. Introduce the corresponding gas or fluid according to the shear force required at each fermentation stage. Introducing reduces the shear force, and similarly, extraction increases it. (The shear force required during edible fungal fermentation is generally highest in the logarithmic phase and lower in the initial and plateau phases, following a pattern of low (initial) – high (logarithmic) – low (plateau). However, the initial phase is very short, so introducing fluid during the plateau phase reduces the shear force. For more precise control, you can introduce fluid first, then extract, and finally introduce it again.) After completion, close the valve and remove the air or water pipe, then turn on the motor 4 to restart the stirring process. This stirring principle is consistent with existing devices that use the rotating shaft 5 to drive the blades, and will not be elaborated upon here. The expandable impeller 8 can change its expansion shape after being introduced with different amounts of fluid. Figures 7-9 As shown, the shear force changes from an initial rigid state with high shear force to a rounded, expanded state with low shear force. This dynamic adjustment of shear force allows for real-time matching of the shear force required at different stages of edible fungal fermentation, ensuring effective mixing while minimizing damage to the mycelium.

[0027] To enable those skilled in the art to clearly understand the specific implementation method of the present invention where the blades 8 are all made of expandable material, the present invention provides an embodiment, see reference. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The blade 8 is made entirely of food-grade silicone, manufactured as a single piece using liquid silicone injection molding, with an internal expandable chamber 10. This material maintains a certain rigidity when uninflated, and its shear force meets basic mixing requirements; when filled with fluid, it expands, transforming the edges of the blade 8 from angular to rounded. Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, this significantly reduces shear force. The expandable chamber 10 is connected to the outside via a hollow channel inside the rotating shaft 5, and the shear force can be dynamically adjusted by controlling the valve 7 and the external fluid supply device. Of course, the above is only one embodiment of this utility model, and other elastomer materials that meet food contact safety requirements can also be used, depending on the specific fermentation process requirements.

[0028] Furthermore, to balance the rigidity and dynamic adjustment performance of the blade 8, this utility model also provides a composite structure implementation method, see reference. Figure 9 This design combines an expandable material encasing a rigid material, specifically a 304 stainless steel mesh as the internal framework, covered with a 2-5mm thick food-grade silicone layer. The rigid framework provides initial rigidity, resulting in greater stability at high speeds and ensuring sufficient shear force for initial mixing. The outer silicone layer expands upon inflation, transforming the blade 8 from a flat to a rounded, bulging shape. The two components can be tightly bonded through vulcanization or embedded injection molding, ensuring structural stability while allowing for fluid-based shear force adjustment. This reduces the required fluid volume and allows for faster and more efficient adjustment. This design is particularly suitable for edible fungi strains sensitive to shear force and requiring long fermentation times, allowing for dynamic adjustment of the blade 8 shape according to the mycelial growth stage.

[0029] Further reference Figure 7 and Figure 8 The shape of the blade 8 can be either a flat blade or a curved surface. Both flat blade and curved surface designs provide relatively high initial shear force, suitable for the stirring requirements of the logarithmic phase, which demands the highest shear force throughout the fermentation process of edible fungi. Furthermore, due to the use of an expandable material, even under the highest shear force conditions, such as when the flat blade is not expanded or the curved surface is partially expanded, its shear strength is still lower than that of rigid materials, preventing damage to the mycelium during the logarithmic phase due to excessive shear force. Of course, other blade 8 designs that can improve initial shear force are also feasible; this is only one approach and not a strict requirement.

[0030] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A stirring device for fermenting edible fungi, comprising a hollow tank (1), an inlet (2) and an outlet (3) on the outside of the tank (1), a motor (4) on the tank (1), a rotating shaft (5) located at the output end of the motor (4) and extending into the tank (1), and blades (8) surrounding the rotating shaft (5), characterized in that, The blade (8) is made of expandable material. By controlling the expansion shape of the blade (8), the shear force required for different stages of edible fungi fermentation can be matched in real time.

2. The stirring device for fermenting edible fungi according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expandable material in the blade (8) will expand and deform after being introduced into the fluid.

3. The stirring device for fermenting edible fungi according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blades (8) are all made of expandable material.

4. The stirring device for fermenting edible fungi according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blade (8) is made by wrapping an expandable material around an ordinary hard material.

5. The stirring device for fermenting edible fungi according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the blade (8) can be either a flat blade or a curved surface.

6. The stirring device for fermenting edible fungi according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaft (5) has a hollow structure inside and the side exposed outside the tank (1) is the inlet (9) for injecting fluid. A control valve (7) is provided at the inlet (9). The hollow area inside the shaft (5) is connected to the expandable chamber (10) inside the blade (8).

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