Coconut milk ice block feeding and melting device

Abstract

The utility model relates to food production equipment technical field, concretely relates to a kind of coconut milk ice block feeding material device, including tank, stirring motor and support, tank and stirring motor are all fixed on support, tank is located above stirring motor, a shearing assembly is equipped in tank, shearing assembly connects stirring motor;Tank has hot water inlet, feeding port, discharge port and cleaning port, several are all communicated with the inner chamber of tank, hot water inlet, feeding port and cleaning port are all set in the top of tank, discharge port is set in the bottom of tank.The utility model realizes the ice feeding and ice melting device of integrated structure, both solves the problem of traditional ice crusher production cleaning, reduces the risk of microbial overproof, and also simplifies production procedure, improves production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food production equipment technology, specifically to a coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing consumer demand for high-quality, functional beverages, premium and personalized products are gradually becoming new growth points in the market. Under this trend, a "clean label" trend has swept the global beverage market, and coconut water is gradually emerging as a rising star. Its low sugar, low calorie, and rich natural electrolyte content makes it popular with consumers, satisfying their daily hydration needs while maintaining a good taste, making it a new type of healthy drink. Because it can quickly replenish electrolytes, coconut water is an excellent choice for post-exercise hydration. Even in the catering industry, it is commonly found, for example, in the preparation of coconut water hot pot broth or coconut water jelly. In addition, coconut water can also be used as an ingredient in coffee; for example, Luckin Coffee's "Coconut Latte" has driven a "coconutization" trend in freshly made tea drinks.

[0003] The production of coconut juice and related beverages in China requires a large amount of coconut water as raw material. Since the main coconut producing areas are in Southeast Asia, in order to ensure the quality and flavor of the raw materials, coconut water needs to be frozen for long-distance transportation and storage. Due to this characteristic, the raw materials on domestic beverage production lines are in the form of solid coconut milk ice blocks.

[0004] In the production process, thawing whole coconut milk ice blocks before feeding them into production is time-consuming. The common method involves pre-crushing the coconut milk ice blocks with an ice crusher before transporting them to a thawing tank for further freezing. This entire pre-processing not only severely impacts overall production efficiency but also creates many cleaning blind spots because traditional ice crushers are difficult to clean in CIP (Cleaning In Place) mode. These blind spots require manual, periodic cleaning after shutdown, which is time-consuming, disruptive, and doesn't guarantee effective cleaning. Furthermore, the low freezing temperature of the coconut milk ice blocks for transportation and storage results in high hardness. This often leads to ice crusher damage during actual production, causing difficulties and losses. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] The technical problem solved by this utility model can be achieved by the following technical solution: A coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device includes a tank, a stirring motor, and a support frame. Both the tank and the stirring motor are fixed to the support frame, with the tank positioned above the stirring motor. The tank is equipped with a shearing assembly, which is connected to the stirring motor. The tank has a hot water inlet, a feeding port, a discharge port, and a cleaning port, all of which are connected to the inner cavity of the tank. The hot water inlet, the feeding port, and the cleaning port are all located at the top of the tank, and the discharge port is located at the bottom of the tank.

[0007] When this utility model is working, the stirring motor drives the shearing component to work. Hot water is poured into the inner cavity of the tank through the hot water inlet, and material (coconut milk ice cubes) is put into the inner cavity of the tank through the feeding port. It mixes into the hot water stirred by the shearing component and gradually sinks to the bottom. Under the heat exchange, it is not only accelerated to dissolve by the turbulence, but it can also be broken when it comes into contact with the shearing component, so that it can quickly complete the conversion from solid to liquid and achieve the effect of melting ice. After the ice melts, the liquid material can be transported to the outside through the discharge port (this refers to the case where the present invention is connected to an automated production line, and the discharge port can be connected to the storage tank or corresponding container of the subsequent operation through the pipeline) or collected into a temporary storage container; In addition, since it has an integrated cleaning port, online CIP operation of the tank can be realized. The only difference is that the coconut milk ice cubes used as materials are replaced with CIP cleaning fluid. In order to eliminate cleaning blind spots (here referring to the cleaning blind spots at the location of the shearing component), the shearing component can also be controlled during CIP operation, and residual CIP cleaning fluid can also be discharged from the outlet.

[0008] In some possible embodiments, the shearing assembly includes a shearing disc with a rotating shaft and at least two shearing blocks. The shearing assembly is connected to the stirring motor via the rotating shaft, and the shearing blocks are disposed on the disc surface of the shearing disc facing the inner cavity of the tank.

[0009] In some possible embodiments, the shearing assembly includes at least two shearing holes, each of which extends through opposite sides of the shearing disk.

[0010] In some possible embodiments, the shearing assembly includes a protective shield disposed at the bottom of the tank, covering the shearing disc; The protective cover has openings so that materials can enter the protective cover in batches and come into contact with the shearing disc when flowing in the inner cavity of the tank, thus achieving a more stable and safe crushing effect.

[0011] This invention effectively enhances the impact resistance of the shearing assembly by setting a protective cover, protecting the shearing disc from external impacts and improving the operational stability of the shearing assembly.

[0012] In some possible embodiments, the outer wall of the tank is provided with a jacket, the jacket having a jacket inlet and a jacket outlet, which are connected to the inner cavity of the jacket. This facilitates the circulation of hot water in and out of the inner cavity of the jacket through the jacket inlet and the jacket outlet. After the jacket is heated by hot water, the temperature of the inner cavity of the tank is maintained through the heat exchange process between the jacket and the outer wall of the tank. This prevents the entire inner cavity of the tank from cooling down rapidly due to the initial low temperature of the material, which would affect the de-icing effect and delay the production schedule.

[0013] In some possible embodiments, the level of the jacket inlet is set to be lower than the level of the jacket outlet, thereby reducing the influence of hot steam and ensuring that the jacket is filled with hot water.

[0014] In some possible embodiments, the tank has a pure water inlet located at the top of the tank.

[0015] When this utility model is in operation, for the purpose of temperature control, a pure water inlet can be set at the top of the tank, so as to connect the external hot water pipeline and the pure water pipeline at the same time, so that hot water and pure water can be poured into the inner cavity of the tank as needed, for example, the hot water and pure water are poured in at different flow rates according to the actual temperature control needs. In addition, pure water can also be used as auxiliary water for CIP operations. In this case, the independent pure water pipeline has better equipment configuration flexibility than the structure of a common hot water and pure water interface, and it is also easier to configure an independent pure water supply pipeline for management.

[0016] In some possible embodiments, the top of the tank is provided with a vent to control the pressure inside the tank cavity, serving as a safety depressurization function.

[0017] In some possible embodiments, the tank is configured as a square structure, which is a hollow square column structure with a rectangular cross-section, and the inner wall of its cavity has corners / edges. The top and bottom of the tank are both designed as bucket-shaped structures.

[0018] Beneficial effects: By adopting the above technical solution, this utility model realizes an integrated ice feeding and melting device, which not only solves the problem of cleaning after the traditional ice crusher is produced, reducing the risk of excessive microorganisms, but also simplifies the production process, accelerates the material processing speed, and improves production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A view of the structure when viewed from the left; Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the tank body of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shearing component of this utility model; Figure 5 for Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the protective cover is removed. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the technical means, creative features, achieved objectives, and effects of this utility model readily understandable, the present utility model is further described below in conjunction with specific illustrations. It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) in the specification and claims of this utility model are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" or "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a product or device comprising a series of components or units is not necessarily limited to those components or units explicitly listed, but may include other components or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such products or devices.

[0021] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device includes a tank 1, a stirring motor 9, and a support. Both the tank 1 and the stirring motor 9 are fixed to the support, with the tank 1 positioned above the stirring motor 9. Inside the tank 1 is a shearing assembly connected to the stirring motor 9. Driven by the stirring motor 9, the shearing assembly works at the bottom of the tank 1's inner cavity, shearing and breaking down large particles or lumps into smaller particles smaller than a certain size for rapid thawing, thus meeting the requirements of subsequent production. The tank 1 has a hot water inlet 2, a feeding port 4, a discharge port 13, and a cleaning port 5, all connected to the inner cavity of the tank 1. The hot water inlet 2, feeding port 4, and cleaning port 5 are located at the top of the tank 1, while the discharge port 13 is located at the bottom of the tank 1.

[0022] Specifically, the main structure of the tank of this invention can be configured as a vertical cylindrical structure, giving it a large internal space to meet the needs of material mixing and shearing. For example, the main body of the tank can be configured as a cylindrical or square cylinder.

[0023] In some preferred embodiments, the tank is configured as a square structure, that is, its whole body is a hollow square column structure (that is, the main body of the tank is a vertical square tube structure), its cross-section is rectangular, and its inner wall has bends / corners, which makes it easier to form turbulence when hot water flows into the inner cavity of the tank from the hot water inlet, thereby enhancing the de-icing efficiency and making the material processing effect better.

[0024] In some embodiments, the bottom of the tank may be configured as a hopper-shaped structure to facilitate the concentration of materials at the mixing center in the tank so that the shearing components can function better.

[0025] Specifically, Figure 1 , Figure 2 In the illustrated structure, the main structure of tank 1 is a rectangular cylindrical structure with four sides, and its cross-section when horizontally cut is rectangular. The top and bottom of tank 1 are sealed by a top cover and a funnel-shaped bottom, respectively. As shown in the diagram, the top cover is an upward-protruding funnel-shaped structure, which increases the top area, facilitates the placement of various interfaces, and allows the spray structure (with the cleaning port interface centered) within the tank cavity to increase coverage during operation, eliminating blind spots in the top cleaning process. The bottom is a downward-protruding funnel-shaped structure, forming a (funnel-shaped) hopper opening at the bottom of the inner cavity, facilitating material collection. In the illustrated structure, the top cover has a hot water inlet 2, a feeding port 4, and a cleaning port 5, while the bottom has a discharge port 13. The discharge port 13 is located above the connection point between the stirring motor 9 and tank 1.

[0026] In some preferred embodiments, the tank has a pure water inlet 3, which is located at the top of the tank 1. During operation, for temperature control purposes, a pure water inlet can be provided at the top of the tank 1 to work with the hot water inlet 2 to introduce the water required for material processing. The two inlets are respectively connected to external hot water supply pipes and pure water supply pipes, allowing hot and pure water to be poured into the inner cavity of the tank 1 as needed. This also facilitates the control of the mixed water temperature by distributing different flow rates of hot and pure water according to actual needs. In addition, pure water can also be used as auxiliary water during CIP operations. In this case, a separate pure water pipeline setup (i.e., separate pure water inlet and hot water inlet) offers greater flexibility in equipment configuration compared to a single interface structure sharing both hot and pure water (i.e., the hot water inlet also serves as the pure water inlet). It also facilitates the dedicated configuration of an independent pure water supply pipeline for water supply management. Specifically, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the pure water inlet 3 is located to one side of the hot water inlet 2. This allows for rapid mixing of hot and pure water when they are simultaneously poured into the tank cavity, achieving the required water temperature control within the tank.

[0027] It should be noted that in this utility model, the hot water inlet and the pure water inlet can be configured as a single interface structure or a separate independent interface structure: When configured as a single interface structure (not shown in the attached figure), the top cover has only a single interface to meet the requirement of introducing water into the tank. Under this structure, the temperature control of the hot water needs to be completed outside the tank. For example, a separate mixing water storage container can be set outside the tank. After the hot water and pure water are mixed in the container, their temperature can be brought into the inner cavity of the tank when it is within the temperature range required for the operation of the tank 1. As for the separate independent interface, it is as shown in the example above, referring to... Figure 1 , Figure 2 The structure is shown. The top cover of the tank 1 is provided with two adjacent and independent water inlet ports, namely hot water inlet 2 and pure water inlet 3. With this structure, hot water and pure water can be introduced into the inner cavity of the tank at the same time. That is to say, there is no need to set up an independent mixing structure outside the tank. The mixing process is completed inside the tank. At this time, the two ports can be connected to independent hot water supply pipes and pure water supply pipes respectively. To prevent backflow, check valves and other anti-backflow structures can be installed in the pipes.

[0028] In some preferred embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, when setting independent hot water and pure water interfaces, a mixing chamber 14 can be installed at the top of the inner cavity of the tank. This mixing chamber 14 can be fixed to the inner surface of the top cover, or it can be fixed to the main body of the tank near the top using a bracket. The bracket can be fixed to the inner wall of the main body of the tank. Numerous drainage holes can be opened at the bottom of the mixing chamber 14. When the top cover is folded down to the opening at the top of the main body of the tank, the openings of the hot water inlet and the pure water inlet on one side of the inner surface of the top cover are placed in the mixing chamber. When hot water and pure water are introduced, they are mixed in the mixing chamber 14 before being discharged into the inner cavity of the tank through the drainage holes. To more quickly control the mixing effect, a temperature sensing unit (not shown in the attached diagram) can be installed in the mixing chamber 14 to obtain the mixing temperature in a timely manner, thereby controlling the flow rate of hot water or pure water to quickly adjust the temperature to the required operating temperature. Since the installation of the temperature sensing unit and the water flow control are existing technologies, they will not be described in detail here.

[0029] It should be noted that the advantages of using independent pure water inlets and independent hot water inlets in conjunction with a mixing tank are that the pipeline layout is simple and highly reliable. It eliminates the need for mixing valves or external mixing containers, reducing maintenance costs and unreliability factors. In addition, the mixing tank also acts as a buffer for mixing hot and cold water, preventing excessive steam generation from hot water directly contacting ice water / coconut milk blocks. This not only affects the melting speed of the materials and causes material loss, but also avoids safety issues caused by overpressure. The water temperature can be gradually increased from low to high through the coordination of the mixing tank and water volume regulation.

[0030] In some preferred embodiments, to facilitate the output of the processed material, the discharge port 13 is located at the bottom of the tank, directly below the shearing assembly. Figure 2 , Figure 3 In the illustrated structure, a square shell component 16 is provided at the hopper-shaped bottom of the tank 1, further lowering the space at the bottom of the tank to create space for the discharge port 13. This allows the discharge port 13 to be conveniently located at the bottom of the tank and also below the shearing assembly. Furthermore, the square shell component 16 provides better installation space for the stirring head, which connects the stirring motor 9 and the shearing assembly. This installation space is also easier to disassemble and maintain compared to the inner cavity of the tank.

[0031] In some preferred embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the top of the tank 1 is equipped with a breather port 6 to control the pressure inside the tank cavity and prevent the tank pressure from exceeding the limit. Alternatively, in some tank top cover structures that require complete sealing, a breather valve can be installed at the breather port to ensure the tank pressure relief is required.

[0032] This invention accelerates the de-icing process of materials by using a shearing component in conjunction with hot water melting. The shearing component is placed inside the tank cavity, at the lowest point of the cavity. The protruding end of the stirring motor's shaft is located directly below the bottom of the tank and can be connected to a transmission mechanism (drive shaft, drive gear, or a combination of both) to the shearing component built into the tank. This transmission mechanism drives the shearing component when the stirring motor is operating. For example, the stirring motor can be connected to a complete reduction mechanism, which converts horizontal rotation (horizontal shaft, output by the motor) to vertical rotation (vertical shaft, directly driving the shearing disc of the shearing component). Figure 1 , Figure 2 In the illustrated structure, the stirring motor 9 is horizontally fixed to the support, and its stirring head extends from the bottom of the tank 1 into the inner cavity of the tank and connects to the shearing assembly located at the bottom of the inner cavity of the tank. With this structural configuration, the stirring motor 9 can also be considered a counterweight to reinforce the support structure. When the stirring motor 9 is connected to the transmission mechanism 15, the transmission mechanism 15 can use a set of steering gears to achieve the effect of changing horizontal rotation to vertical rotation. For example, this effect can be achieved by using two bevel gears meshing together. One bevel gear is set with its shaft horizontally positioned and connected to the shaft of the stirring motor to obtain power, while the other bevel gear is set with its shaft vertically positioned, meshing downwards with the horizontally positioned bevel gear and connecting upwards to the shearing assembly. In this structural configuration, the shearing assembly also has a shaft, which connects to the shaft of the vertically positioned bevel gear to obtain power. It should be noted that using bevel gears to rotate the shaft, or using a complete set of steering / reversing reduction mechanisms to rotate the shaft, is existing technology and will not be further explained here.

[0033] Furthermore, for ease of equipment maintenance, this invention can adopt a structure that combines the feeding port and manhole into one, allowing for material feeding during normal operation and personnel access to the tank cavity during maintenance shutdowns. The design ensures that the opening width / diameter of the feeding port is wide enough for personnel to pass through.

[0034] This invention utilizes a shearing component in conjunction with hot water melting to achieve the de-icing process of materials.

[0035] In some embodiments, the shearing assembly includes a shearing disc with a rotating shaft and at least two shearing blocks. The shearing assembly is connected to a stirring motor via the rotating shaft, and the shearing blocks are disposed on the disc surface of the shearing disc facing the inner cavity of the tank. Figure 5 As shown, the shearing disc 11 is equipped with a rotating shaft 17 and shearing blocks 18. The rotating shaft 17 is used to connect the stirring motor 9 downwards. The shearing blocks 18 can be set to be evenly distributed on the same side of the shearing disc, arranged radially with respect to the position of the rotating shaft 17. The included angle between adjacent shearing blocks 18 is the same. The shearing blocks 18 are used to cut and crush the material accumulated on the disc surface when the shearing disc 11 rotates at high speed, which is equivalent to the stirring blades of a mixer. The purpose of setting the shearing component in this utility model is that: the material of this utility model is coconut milk ice cubes, which are relatively hard. Therefore, although using blades with thinner cutting edges can achieve more efficient cutting, their crushing effect is significantly less than that of long strip-shaped shearing blocks. Moreover, the blades are very easy to bend and break when cutting hard materials. The debris mixed into the material will lead to material loss and may also pose a safety hazard to the conveying pipeline. However, using shearing blocks does not have this hazard.

[0036] It should be noted that a feeding gap 19 is formed between the edge of the shearing disc and the inner wall of the tank bottom where the shearing disc is located. The small particles and fragments of material that have been sheared and crushed, as well as the completely melted slurry, fall from the feeding gap 19 below the shearing disc and are then output from the discharge port 13.

[0037] In some of these embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the shearing assembly includes at least two shearing holes 12, each of which penetrates the opposite sides of the shearing disk 11. The shearing holes 12 are used for material feeding and also help to assist in cutting the material and agitate the liquid in the tank to allow ice and water to flow, thereby accelerating dissolution and preventing small pieces of material from accumulating below the shearing disk and blocking the feeding channel.

[0038] In some preferred embodiments, to enhance the cutting action and take into account the dynamic balance during rotation, the shearing assembly can be configured as follows: the shearing assembly includes three shearing holes, and the angular displacement between adjacent shearing holes is equal (that is, any shearing hole reaches the position of the adjacent shearing hole before it rotates after rotating by the same angle).

[0039] It should be noted that the purpose of the shearing hole 12 is to prevent solid material accumulating below the shearing disc 11 from being cut and broken by the edge of the shearing hole 12, and the blocked feeding channel is released by the agitation of the material flow. The shearing hole 12 rotates with the shearing disc 11.

[0040] In some of these embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the shearing assembly includes a protective cover 10, which is located at the bottom of the tank 1 and covers the shearing disc 11. The protective cover 10 has openings 20, including openings on the side walls and openings on the top, so that when the material flows in the inner cavity of the tank, it can enter the protective cover 10 in batches from different positions and contact the shearing disc, achieving a more stable and safe crushing effect, and avoiding the accumulation of material that would put a heavy burden on the shearing disc or even cause the stirring motor to overload. This utility model, by setting a protective cover with an opening structure, can better protect the high-speed rotating shearing disc from the impact of ice blocks, while not affecting the flow of material and liquid in the tank. Depending on the characteristics of different product materials, other raw materials and auxiliary materials can be added simultaneously or at different times. After the feeding is completed, the feeding port (manhole cover) is closed, and the material can be discharged after stirring for a certain period of time.

[0041] It should be noted that the protective cover 10 is fixed to the inner wall of the bottom of the tank when it is installed, located on the outer side / ring edge of the material discharge gap 19; the protective cover can be fixed to the inner wall of the bottom of the tank by welding, riveting or other methods.

[0042] Without a protective cover, when materials are fed, even with the buffering effect of hot water, some larger materials or materials with high initial falling velocity will inevitably still have a high speed when they sink to contact the shearing disc, thus causing a certain impact on the shearing disc. In severe cases, this can damage the disc structure or the transmission structure, accumulating safety hazards. In addition, without the protection of the protective cover, materials can easily accumulate at the bottom of the tank cavity and squeeze the shearing disc, causing it to malfunction, or overload the stirring motor under overload conditions, or even cause equipment damage and safety accidents.

[0043] This invention effectively enhances the impact resistance of the shearing assembly by setting a protective cover, protecting the shearing disc from external impacts and improving the operational stability of the shearing assembly.

[0044] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 In the illustrated structure, the protective cover 10 is located at the bottom of the hopper-shaped inner cavity of the tank, enclosing the shearing disc 11. The protective cover 10 has openings on its side walls and top to allow small volumes of dissolved material to enter the effective range of the shearing disc 11 while still providing protection.

[0045] To maintain the tank temperature and ensure a faster de-icing environment inside the tank, this utility model is structurally designed as follows: In some of these embodiments, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the outer wall of the tank 1 is provided with a jacket 7. The jacket 7 has a jacket inlet 701 and a jacket outlet 702, which are connected to the inner cavity of the jacket 7. This allows hot water to enter and exit the inner cavity of the jacket through the jacket inlet 701 and the jacket outlet 702 to form a circulation, thereby achieving the effect of heating the jacket 7 with hot water. The temperature of the inner cavity of the tank is maintained through the heat exchange process between the jacket 7 and the outer wall of the tank 1. This prevents the entire inner cavity of the tank from cooling down rapidly due to the initial low temperature of the material, which would affect the de-icing effect and delay the production schedule.

[0046] In some preferred embodiments, the horizontal height of the jacket inlet 701 is set lower than the horizontal height of the jacket outlet 702. With this configuration as described above, the jacket can be better filled when hot water or other heated liquid flows from bottom to top within it.

[0047] In the example above, the jacket 7 is configured to close after surrounding the side wall of the tank 1. For example... Figure 1 The structure is shown, with tank 1 having a square tank structure and four regular side walls. The jackets 7 are arranged around these four regular side walls in a wrapping manner, meaning that each side wall of tank 1 has a corresponding jacket 7 on its exterior, and the four jackets corresponding to the four side walls are sequentially adjacent and interconnected. This structure can also be viewed as tank 1 having side walls with a layered structure, and the adjacent layers of the four side walls being interconnected.

[0048] In some application scenarios, to ensure the heat preservation and temperature control effect when processing materials in the tank and to maintain the uniform heat conduction effect between the jacket structure and the materials in the tank, the present invention can be configured as follows: In some embodiments, a coil is provided inside the jacket, and the jacket inlet and jacket outlet are respectively connected to the two ends of the coil.

[0049] Based on the above examples, when the main structure of the tank is cylindrical, the coil is wound around the outer wall of the tank from bottom to top and installed in the jacket; when the main structure of the tank is square, the coil is wound around the outer wall of the tank from bottom to top and installed in the jacket; or, each side wall of the tank is independently provided with a set of serpentine heat exchange tubes, each with a corresponding set of jacket inlet and jacket outlet (located on the corresponding side wall), which are respectively connected to the inlet and outlet of the heat exchange tubes. That is to say, the heat exchange tubes in the group are spaced apart from bottom to top and arranged horizontally. One end of any heat exchange tube is connected downward to the adjacent heat exchange tube below, and the other end is connected upward to the adjacent heat exchange tube above. The opening of the heat exchange tube at the bottom that is not connected to the adjacent heat exchange tube is connected to the jacket inlet, and the opening of the heat exchange tube at the top that is not connected to the adjacent heat exchange tube is connected to the jacket outlet.

[0050] In operation, the stirring motor drives the shearing assembly after being powered on, injecting hot water into the tank cavity through the hot water inlet. The hot water is agitated by the shearing assembly. Hot water is circulated in the jacket for temperature control. Material (coconut milk ice cubes) is added into the tank cavity through the feeding port, mixing with the hot water agitated by the shearing assembly. As the material gradually settles to the bottom, it is not only accelerated to dissolve due to heat exchange caused by turbulence, but it is also broken up upon contact with the shearing assembly, allowing it to quickly complete the conversion from solid to liquid and achieve the de-icing effect. The de-iced liquid material can be transported externally through the discharge port (this can be achieved by connecting the discharge port to a storage tank or corresponding container in subsequent operations via pipeline when this invention is integrated into an automated production line) or collected in a temporary storage container.

[0051] In addition, because the tank is equipped with a cleaning port, online CIP (Clean-in-Place) operations can be achieved. The only difference from conventional material handling operations is that the coconut milk ice cubes used as the material are replaced with CIP cleaning fluid. To eliminate cleaning blind spots (referring to the cleaning blind spots at the shearing component location), the shearing component can also be controlled during CIP operations, and residual CIP cleaning fluid can also be discharged from the outlet. It should be noted that the cleaning port forms an interface on the outer wall of the top of the tank for connecting the CIP cleaning fluid supply line, and a spray structure (such as...) is installed on the inner wall of the top of the tank at the cleaning port. Figure 3 The structure is shown but not marked, which enables it to spray cleaning fluid radially into the inner cavity of the tank.

[0052] In manufacturing the tank structure, this invention allows for the following methods: First, the side walls can be welded together to form the main tank structure. Then, the top cover and bottom can be welded to the edges of the top and bottom openings of the main structure. Alternatively, after the main tank structure is formed, a flange connection can be used to fix the top cover and bottom to the top and bottom openings. With this configuration, sealing gaskets can be placed along the edges of the top and bottom openings to enhance the sealing performance of the structural components. Since these tank manufacturing methods are existing technologies, they will not be described in detail here.

[0053] In summary, the ice-melting effect of this utility model is achieved by the hot water and the shearing component working together. Compared with the traditional ice crusher's pre-process operation, it can not only ensure ice-melting efficiency, but also simplify the workflow. It can be seamlessly integrated into an automated production line to make automated production smoother.

[0054] 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 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 claims. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device, comprising a tank, a stirring motor, and a support, wherein the tank and the stirring motor are both fixed on the support, and the tank is located above the stirring motor, characterized in that, The tank is equipped with a shearing assembly, which is connected to the stirring motor. The tank has a hot water inlet, a feeding port, a discharging port, and a cleaning port, all of which are connected to the inner cavity of the tank. The hot water inlet, the feeding port, and the cleaning port are all located at the top of the tank. The discharge port is located at the bottom of the tank.

2. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shearing assembly includes a shearing disk. The shearing disc is equipped with a rotating shaft and at least two shearing blocks, and the shearing assembly is connected to the stirring motor via the rotating shaft. The shearing block is disposed on the inner surface of the shearing disc facing the tank.

3. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shearing assembly includes at least two shearing holes. Each of the shearing holes penetrates both opposite sides of the shearing disk.

4. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The shearing assembly includes a protective shield. The protective cover is located at the bottom of the tank and covers the shearing disc; The protective cover has openings.

5. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the tank is provided with a jacket. The jacket has a jacket inlet and a jacket outlet, which are connected to the inner cavity of the jacket.

6. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The horizontal height of the jacket inlet is set to be lower than the horizontal height of the jacket outlet.

7. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank has a pure water inlet. The pure water inlet is located at the top of the tank.

8. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the tank is equipped with a vent.

9. The coconut milk ice cube feeding and melting device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The tank body is designed as a square structure, which is a hollow square column structure with a rectangular cross-section. The top and bottom of the tank are both designed as bucket-shaped structures.

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