A circulating water soaking pool for tofu processing

Abstract

This utility model discloses a circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing, including a soaking tank body with an inlet pipe at the bottom of one end and a drain pipe at the top of the side wall at the other end; two buffer plates disposed within the soaking tank body; and multiple support frames disposed between the two buffer plates and placed within the soaking tank body. The drain pipe of the soaking tank body is connected to the inlet pipe of another soaking tank body. This soaking tank, through the inlet pipe at the bottom and the drain pipe at the top of the side wall, allows for easy filling of the soaking tank with water to a specified level for soaking the tofu. Simultaneously, the support frames facilitate the placement of the tofu into the soaking tank, and the buffer plates prevent high-pressure water from entering the soaking tank body through the inlet pipe and contacting the tofu, thus avoiding damage to the tofu.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of soybean food processing, specifically a circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing. Background Technology

[0002] In the tofu processing industry, tofu needs to be temporarily stored after it has been formed to create favorable conditions for subsequent packaging processes. During this process, to reduce direct contact between oxygen and the tofu and lower the risk of spoilage due to oxidation, the industry commonly uses a method of temporarily storing the formed tofu in a soaking tank. Soaking in clean water preserves the tofu, and this temporary storage process has become an important part of the tofu processing flow.

[0003] Currently, commercially available tofu soaking tanks typically have the water inlet located on the side wall, while the outlet is located at the bottom. During the actual soaking process, an external water pump is used to introduce clean water into the tank through the inlet on the side wall. Workers must continuously monitor the water level until it completely submerges the tofu, at which point the water supply is stopped, thus completing the temporary soaking and storage process.

[0004] However, the existing tofu soaking tanks and corresponding soaking methods have revealed several problems that urgently need to be addressed in practical applications: First, regarding water level control, relying entirely on manual monitoring has obvious drawbacks. Workers must constantly monitor the water level, preventing it from being too low to completely submerge the tofu, causing it to oxidize and spoil upon contact with air, while also preventing it from overflowing due to excessively high water levels. This not only increases the workload for workers but also carries the risk of human error, making the operation quite cumbersome. Second, regarding tofu preservation… Because the water inlet is located on the side wall and clean water is introduced through an external water pump, the high-pressure clean water directly contacts the tofu after entering the soaking tank. Under the impact of the water flow, the tofu is easily damaged, affecting its appearance and subsequent processing. Finally, in terms of daily maintenance, the existing soaking method requires daily water changes to ensure water quality and prevent water deterioration that could lead to tofu spoilage. Frequent water changes not only increase the workload of staff but also make the entire tofu temporary storage and soaking process more complex, reducing the overall efficiency of tofu processing and hindering large-scale tofu production. Utility Model Content

[0005] Therefore, to address the aforementioned shortcomings, this utility model provides a circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing. This soaking tank has an inlet pipe located at the bottom and an outlet pipe located on the upper side wall. When water is poured into the soaking tank, it automatically flows out when the water level reaches the outlet pipe, ensuring the water level remains constant and completely submerges the tofu. This eliminates the need for manual water level monitoring. Furthermore, a buffer plate within the soaking tank prevents high-pressure water from directly impacting the tofu and causing damage, thus protecting the tofu's integrity during soaking. Additionally, by connecting the outlet pipe of one soaking tank to the inlet pipe of another, multiple soaking tanks can be connected together for soaking, facilitating circulating water soaking and eliminating the tedious process of individual water changes later.

[0006] This utility model is implemented as follows: a circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing includes a soaking tank body, with an inlet pipe at the bottom of one end and a drain pipe at the top of the side wall of the other end. Two buffer plates are installed inside the soaking tank body; Multiple support frames are set between two buffer plates and placed inside the soaking tank body; The drain pipe of the soaking pool body is connected to the inlet pipe of another soaking pool body.

[0007] Preferably, the water inlet pipe is equipped with a three-way pipe and a three-way valve. One end of the three-way pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe, one end is connected to an external water source and a water pump, and the other end is provided with a drain outlet.

[0008] Preferably, there is a gap between the bottom of the buffer plate and the bottom of the soaking tank body, and the water inlet of the soaking tank body and the water inlet pipe is located at the bottom between the inner wall of the soaking tank body and the gap of the buffer plate.

[0009] Preferably, each of the support frames includes a bottom plate and a side plate. Water inlet holes are evenly provided on the bottom plate. The top of the side plate extends outward to form a folded edge. The folded edge contacts the frame of the soaking tank body to form a support, keeping the bottom plate suspended above the bottom of the soaking tank body. A handle is also provided above the folded edge.

[0010] Preferably, the side plates include at least two and are arranged opposite each other above the bottom plate, and multiple support frames are spliced ​​together in the soaking pool body between the two buffer plates.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. Enables automatic water level control, reducing labor costs and improving operational reliability. This soaking tank features an innovative and optimized layout of the inlet and outlet pipes (the inlet pipe is located at the bottom of the tank, and the outlet pipe is located on the upper side wall). During the filling process, when the water level rises to the height of the outlet pipe, excess water automatically flows out, ensuring that the water level in the tank remains stable at a fixed height. This design fundamentally replaces the traditional operation mode that relies on manual monitoring of the water level. It not only eliminates the need for staff to continuously observe and adjust the water level, significantly reducing labor intensity and time costs, but also completely avoids problems caused by human monitoring errors, such as "the water level is too low to submerge the tofu (causing oxidation and spoilage)" or "the water level is too high, causing water to overflow (wasting water resources)." This significantly improves the stability and reliability of the tofu soaking operation, laying the foundation for the smooth progress of subsequent packaging processes.

[0012] 2. The addition of a buffer structure effectively protects the integrity of the tofu and ensures product quality. Addressing the problem of traditional soaking tanks where high-pressure water directly impacts tofu and causes breakage, this soaking tank incorporates a buffer plate. When high-pressure water enters the tank from the bottom inlet pipe, the buffer plate diverts and slows the water flow, preventing direct impact with the tofu and minimizing breakage during soaking. This design directly protects the tofu's appearance and structural integrity, effectively reducing raw material losses due to product breakage, ensuring the quality of the processed tofu, and contributing to enhanced market competitiveness of the final product.

[0013] 3. Construct a multi-pool interconnected circulation system to simplify the water exchange process and conserve water resources. By connecting the outlet pipe of one soaking tank to the inlet pipe of another, multiple soaking tanks can be connected in series to form a clean water circulation soaking system. In this system, clean water can flow and be reused in an orderly manner among multiple soaking tanks, eliminating the need for individual water changes in each tank. This not only completely eliminates the tedious process of daily water changes, significantly reducing the workload of staff and improving the overall efficiency of tofu processing, but also effectively reduces clean water consumption, minimizing water waste, and lowering wastewater treatment costs caused by frequent drainage. This aligns with green and energy-saving processing concepts and provides strong support for cost control in large-scale tofu production operations.

[0014] In summary, these improvements have resulted in a comprehensive enhancement in terms of ease of operation, product protection, and resource utilization: no manual intervention in water level control is required, frequent individual water changes are unnecessary, and tofu breakage is effectively prevented, making the entire tofu temporary storage and soaking process simpler and more efficient. Its simple and adaptable structural design allows for flexible adjustment of the number of connected soaking tanks according to actual production scale, meeting the production needs of small-scale workshops as well as adapting to the large-scale processing scenarios of large factories, providing a practical solution for process optimization and technological upgrading in the tofu processing industry. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the present invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the specific embodiments of the present invention to explain the present invention, but do not constitute any limitation on the present invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a frontal view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure for removing the support frame according to this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the load-bearing frame of this utility model; In the diagram: 1. Soaking tank body; 2. Drain pipe; 3. Buffer plate; 4. Support frame; 401. Side plate; 402. Bottom plate; 403. Water inlet; 404. Folded edge; 405. Handle; 5. Water inlet pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only for illustration and explanation of this utility model and are not intended to limit this utility model in any way. The accompanying drawings in this utility model are only for illustrative purposes and to facilitate understanding of the embodiments and are not intended to limit this utility model in any way.

[0017] It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. shown in the accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and purposes that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0018] As described in the background section, existing soaking tanks require manual monitoring of the water level when soaking tofu, which is quite troublesome. In addition, during the water addition process, the high-pressure water may come into direct contact with the surface of the tofu when entering the soaking tank. The impact of the water flow may cause damage to the tofu skin, affecting the integrity of the tofu. Furthermore, the water in each soaking tank needs to be changed during the soaking process, which is also quite troublesome.

[0019] For the reasons stated above, please refer to the appendix for solutions to these problems. Figure 1 ~Appendix Figure 2 This utility model provides a circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing, including a soaking tank body 1, an inlet pipe 5 at the bottom of one end, and a drain pipe 2 at the top of the side wall of the other end. Two buffer plates 3 are installed inside the soaking tank body 1; Multiple support frames 4 are set between two buffer plates 3 and placed inside the soaking tank body 1; The drain pipe 2 of the soaking pool body 1 is connected to the inlet pipe 5 of another soaking pool body 1.

[0020] In this embodiment, the water inlet pipe 5 is equipped with a three-way pipe and a three-way valve. One end of the three-way pipe is connected to the water inlet pipe, one end is connected to an external water source and a water pump, and the other end is equipped with a drain outlet.

[0021] As mentioned above, the T-shaped inlet pipe and T-shaped valve are designed to facilitate the inflow of clean water into the interior, and also to allow the internal water to be drained directly from the drain outlet when the soaking is complete or when the water is changed.

[0022] Please see the appendix Figure 3 In this embodiment, the bottom of the buffer plate 3 has a gap with the bottom of the soaking pool body 1, and the water inlet of the soaking pool body 1 and the water inlet pipe 5 is located at the bottom between the inner wall of the soaking pool body 1 and the gap of the buffer plate 3.

[0023] As described above, the gap between the buffer plate and the bottom of the soaking tank body 1, as well as the location of the water inlet, are designed to prevent the water inlet from directly corresponding to the tofu, which could cause the tofu to break due to the impact of water flow when water enters, thus ensuring the integrity of the tofu. This also facilitates the subsequent drainage of all water from the soaking tank body, making it easier to clean the interior later.

[0024] Please see the appendix Figure 4 In this embodiment, each of the supporting frames 4 includes a base plate 402 and a side plate 401. Water inlet holes 403 are evenly provided on the base plate 402. The top of the side plate 401 extends outward to form a folded edge 404. The folded edge 404 contacts the frame of the soaking tank body 1 to form a support, keeping the base plate 402 suspended above the bottom of the soaking tank body 1. A handle 405 is also provided above the folded edge 404.

[0025] As mentioned above, the specific shape of the support frame is designed to facilitate the placement of tofu into the soaking tank for soaking, and also to make it easier to remove the tofu later.

[0026] In this embodiment, the side plates 401 include at least two and are arranged opposite each other above the bottom plate 402, and multiple support frames 4 are spliced ​​together in the soaking pool body 1 between the two buffer plates 3.

[0027] As mentioned above, the number of side plates can be set to two, which makes it easier to push the tofu out directly when lifting it later.

[0028] The above description is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present utility model. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the patent application of the present utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made under the technical spirit of the present utility model should fall within the patent scope covered by the present utility model.

Claims

1. A circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing, characterized in that: include, The soaking tank body has a water inlet pipe at the bottom of one end and a drain pipe at the top of the side wall at the other end; Two buffer plates are installed inside the soaking tank body; Multiple support frames are set between two buffer plates and placed inside the soaking tank body; The drain pipe of the soaking pool body is connected to the inlet pipe of another soaking pool body.

2. The circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet pipe is equipped with a three-way pipe and a three-way valve. One end of the three-way pipe is connected to the inlet pipe, one end is connected to an external water source and water pump, and the other end is equipped with a drain outlet.

3. The circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the buffer plate has a gap with the bottom of the soaking tank body, and the water inlet of the soaking tank body and the water inlet pipe is located at the bottom between the inner wall of the soaking tank body and the gap of the buffer plate.

4. The circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the support frames includes a base plate and a side plate. Water inlet holes are evenly provided on the base plate. The top of the side plate extends outward to form a folded edge. The folded edge contacts the frame of the soaking tank body to form a support, keeping the base plate suspended above the bottom of the soaking tank body. A handle is also provided above the folded edge.

5. The circulating water soaking tank for tofu processing according to claim 4, characterized in that: The side plates include at least two and are arranged opposite each other above the bottom plate, and multiple support frames are spliced ​​together in the soaking pool body between the two buffer plates.

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