A cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs

Abstract

This utility model discloses a cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs, relating to the field of food freezing equipment technology. It includes a frame with a buffer chamber and a main freezing chamber mounted on it. A refrigeration unit is mounted on top of the main freezing chamber, and the refrigeration unit contains a finned evaporator and a blower. It also includes a spray pipe installed above the finned evaporator. A heat exchange pipe is installed in the buffer chamber, connected to the spray pipe via a circulating water pipe to form a closed-loop water circulation system. By using the buffer chamber and the main freezing chamber, the high-temperature cream puff pastry is pre-cooled at 8°C to 12°C to prevent it from directly entering a cryogenic environment and causing thermal stress that could lead to shell cracking or internal collapse, thus maintaining its honeycomb-like loose structure. Then, it is rapidly frozen, effectively inhibiting the formation of large ice crystals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food freezing equipment technology, and in particular to a cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs. Background Technology

[0002] As a popular Western dessert, cream puffs are made primarily from a hollow, crispy puff pastry. In industrialized production and central kitchen models, frozen cream puff pastry has become a mainstream trend in order to ensure consistent product quality, improve production efficiency, and facilitate product distribution and storage. After production, frozen cream puff pastry is quickly frozen to lock in moisture and structure, so consumers or retail stores can simply reheat it by baking to restore a texture close to that of freshly baked pastry.

[0003] Currently, commonly used equipment in the food freezing industry mainly includes tunnel freezers, spiral freezers, and cabinet freezers. These machines mostly use a single-stage refrigeration system combined with forced air cooling for freezing. Although they can achieve a certain degree of cooling, when applied to baked goods such as puff pastry, which have a loose structure and a crisp outer shell, the puff pastry, which is usually heated to above 60°C, is directly placed into a cryogenic environment below -30°C. This results in an excessive temperature difference between the inside and outside, causing the surface to shrink and crack rapidly, and the internal moisture to condense and become damp. This seriously affects the structural integrity of the finished product and its expansion performance after baking. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a cream puff pastry freezer for making quick-frozen cream puffs. By setting up a buffer chamber and a main freezing chamber, the high-temperature cream puff pastry is first pre-cooled at 8℃~12℃ to prevent it from directly entering the cryogenic environment and causing the outer shell to crack or the inside to collapse due to thermal stress, thus maintaining its honeycomb-like loose structure. Then it is quickly frozen, effectively inhibiting the formation of large ice crystals.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs includes a frame, a buffer chamber and a main freezing chamber on the frame, a refrigeration unit on the top of the main freezing chamber, a finned evaporator and a blower inside the refrigeration unit, and a spray pipe installed above the finned evaporator. A heat exchange tube is installed in the buffer chamber and is connected to the spray pipe through a circulating water pipe to form a closed water circulation loop.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezer for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, the spray pipeline includes a main water supply pipe arranged horizontally above the finned evaporator, and a branch pipe extending vertically downward from the main water supply pipe. A nozzle is fixedly installed on the branch pipe, and a control valve is installed at the inlet of the main water supply pipe.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to this utility model, a filter is installed inside the main water supply pipe.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezer for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, the circulating water pipe includes a water receiving tray arranged horizontally below the finned evaporator, a first pipe body is connected between the water outlet of the water receiving tray and the water inlet of the heat exchange tube, and a second pipe body is connected between the water return end of the heat exchange tube and the main water supply pipe.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, a filter screen is provided at the outlet of the water receiving tray.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, fans are installed on both sides of the buffer chamber, and the heat exchange tube is installed on the air outlet side of the fans.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, an exhaust valve is installed on the buffer chamber.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, an air distribution plate is provided inside the main freezing chamber, and the air distribution plate and the inner wall of the main freezing chamber cooperate to form a guide air duct.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, the machine frame is provided with a mesh belt conveyor mechanism, the mesh belt conveyor mechanism includes tension rollers and a metal mesh, the metal mesh is tensioned between the tension rollers at both ends, a motor is fixedly installed on the machine frame, and the output end of the motor is connected to the tension roller on the same side through a coupling.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries according to the present invention, both the buffer chamber and the main freezing chamber are equipped with heat insulation strips at their openings.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The puff pastry freezer provided by this utility model combines spray defrosting with the pre-cooling function of the buffer chamber. It utilizes the heat released by external water during the defrosting process to exchange into ice water. This exchanged water absorbs heat through heat exchange tubes to pre-cool the puff pastry, achieving energy gradient. This gradient pre-cooling of the high-temperature puff pastry avoids cracking of the outer shell or collapse of the internal honeycomb structure due to sudden temperature changes. Then, the main freezing chamber uses an air distribution plate and a guide air duct to form a low-speed uniform laminar flow field for gentle freezing, preventing direct impact of cold air from causing product deformation or damage. This ensures that the puff pastry structure is intact after quick-freezing and has good expansion properties after re-baking. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the solutions in this utility model, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the buffer compartment and the main refrigeration compartment of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the spray pipe structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air distribution plate structure of this utility model.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Buffer chamber; 21. Heat exchanger pipe; 22. Exhaust valve; 23. Thermal insulation strip; 3. Refrigerated main compartment; 4. Refrigeration unit; 41. Finned evaporator; 42. Air blower; 5. Sprinkler piping; 51. Main water supply pipe; 52. Branch pipes; 53. Nozzles; 54. Control valves; 55. Filters; 6. Circulating water pipe; 61. Water receiving tray; 62. First pipe body; 63. Second pipe body; 64. Filter screen; 7. Fan; 8. Air distribution plate; 9. Mesh belt conveyor mechanism; 91. Tensioning roller; 92. Metal mesh; 93. Motor. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0020] Example 1

[0021] Reference Figures 1-4 A choux pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen choux pastries includes a frame 1, a buffer chamber 2 and a main freezing chamber 3 mounted on the frame 1, and a mesh belt conveyor 9 mounted on the frame 1 for continuously conveying choux pastry through the buffer chamber 2 and the main freezing chamber 3. The mesh belt conveyor 9 includes tension rollers 91 and a metal mesh 92. The metal mesh 92 is a stainless steel woven mesh with a mesh size of 8-12mm and a food-grade non-stick coating. The metal mesh 92 is tensioned between the tension rollers 91 at both ends, and is driven by a motor 93 fixed on the frame 1 through a coupling to rotate one of the tension rollers 91, achieving uniform speed conveying. The buffer chamber 2 and the main freezing chamber 3 are arranged back and forth along the conveying direction of the choux pastry. The buffer chamber 2 is used to gradually cool the freshly baked high-temperature choux pastry to prevent cracking of the outer shell or damage to the internal structure due to sudden temperature changes. The main freezing chamber 3 is used to freeze the choux pastry... The rapid deep freezing process involves a refrigeration unit 4 installed at the top of the main freezing chamber 3. Inside the refrigeration unit 4 are finned evaporators 41 and blowers 42. The finned evaporators 41 are connected to a two-stage cascade refrigeration system, which can achieve temperatures below -45°C. The two-stage cascade refrigeration system is existing technology and will not be described in detail here. After the blowers 42 are started, they force low-temperature air into the main freezing chamber 3, forming a uniform airflow field from top to bottom. The system also includes a spray pipe 5 installed above the finned evaporators 41. A heat exchange pipe 21 is installed inside the buffer chamber 2. The heat exchange pipe 21 is connected to the spray pipe 5 through a circulating water pipe 6, forming a closed water circulation loop. Spraying reduces frost formation on the surface of the finned evaporators 41. The sprayed water, after heat exchange, decreases in temperature and enters the buffer chamber 2 through the heat exchange pipe 21 to cool the interior of the buffer chamber 2, thereby achieving pre-cooling of the puff pastry.

[0022] To reduce cold loss, insulation strips 23 are installed at the openings of both the buffer compartment 2 and the main refrigeration compartment 3.

[0023] The present invention provides a choux pastry freezer for making quick-frozen choux pastries. When the baked choux pastry is in use, the temperature of the choux pastry is about 60-80°C. It enters the buffer chamber 2 through the front conveyor line. At this time, the water from the spray defrosting flows through the heat exchange tube 21 in the buffer chamber 2 under the drive of the circulating water pump. It absorbs heat and lowers the temperature in the buffer chamber 2, so that it gradually cools down to about 12°C, thus completing the initial pre-cooling of the choux pastry. After the puff pastry enters the main freezing chamber 3, it is cooled by low-temperature air (-35 to -45°C) from the finned evaporator 41, which is then blown evenly from top to bottom by the blower 42. This causes the center temperature to rapidly drop below -18°C within 10 to 15 minutes, completing the quick-freezing process. After the finned evaporator 41 has been running for a period of time, frost forms, and water is sprayed from the spray pipe 5 to defrost it. The defrosted cold water is collected in the heat exchange pipe 21 and used to pre-cool newly arrived puff pastry, achieving energy recovery and utilization.

[0024] Specifically, the spray pipeline 5 includes a main water supply pipe 51 arranged horizontally above the finned evaporator 41. A control valve 54 is installed at the inlet of the main water supply pipe 51 to adjust the water flow into the system, thereby controlling the spray volume to meet different defrosting needs. A filter 55 is installed inside the main water supply pipe 51 to ensure water quality. A branch pipe 52 is led vertically downward from the main water supply pipe 51. A nozzle 53 is fixedly installed on the branch pipe 52 to evenly spray water onto the surface of the finned evaporator 41 to efficiently melt the frost layer.

[0025] The circulating water pipe 6 includes a water receiving tray 61 arranged horizontally below the finned evaporator 41 for collecting the return water during the defrosting process. A filter screen 64 is provided at the outlet of the water receiving tray 61 to filter out larger frost particles in the melt water. A first pipe body 62 is connected between the outlet of the water receiving tray 61 and the inlet of the heat exchange tube 21 for the input of melt water. A second pipe body 63 is connected between the return end of the heat exchange tube 21 and the main water supply pipe 51. After heat exchange, the water in the heat exchange tube 21 returns to the main water supply pipe 51 through the second pipe body 63, forming a closed water circulation system. This improves the efficiency of water resource utilization and can also effectively recover and utilize the heat released during the defrosting process, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency.

[0026] Example 2

[0027] The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs provided in Example 1 has been further optimized, with reference to... Figure 2Fans 7 are installed on both sides inside the buffer chamber 2 and are arranged laterally along the direction of puff pastry conveying. They are used to form forced convection airflow in the buffer chamber 2, enhance air circulation efficiency, and avoid local temperature unevenness. Heat exchange tubes 21 are installed on the air outlet side of the fans 7. When the fans 7 are running, the air flows through the outer surface of the heat exchange tubes 21 and blows the cooled air directly onto the surface of the puff pastry to achieve efficient and uniform pre-cooling.

[0028] It should be noted that the heat exchange tube 21 adopts a stainless steel coil or finned copper tube structure, arranged in multiple staggered rows or "Z" shape, covering the entire airflow cross section, in order to maximize the heat exchange area and turbulence effect and improve the cooling coefficient.

[0029] Furthermore, an exhaust valve 22 is installed on the top of the buffer chamber 2. The exhaust valve 22 is an electrically controlled adjustable valve, electrically connected to a temperature and humidity sensor located inside the chamber, and uniformly controlled by a PLC controller. When the relative humidity inside the chamber is too high, the exhaust valve 22 automatically opens to discharge some of the high-humidity air, preventing condensation from forming on the surface of the puff pastry.

[0030] Example 3

[0031] The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs provided in Example 2 has been further optimized, with reference to... Figure 4 An air distribution plate 8 is installed inside the main refrigeration compartment 3. The air distribution plate 8 is a horizontally installed rectifier structure. The air distribution plate 8 and the inner wall of the main refrigeration compartment 3 cooperate to form a guide air duct, which guides the high-speed cold air from the blower 42 to diffuse laterally along the compartment. The air distribution plate 8 is decelerated and the air is evenly distributed through the through holes or guide grooves on the air distribution plate 8. Finally, the air is blown vertically onto the surface of the puff pastry in a low-speed, uniform laminar flow state.

[0032] Specifically, the air distribution plate 8 is made of food-grade stainless steel and has a porous honeycomb structure on its surface with a pore size of 5-15mm and an opening rate controlled between 30% and 60%. This effectively reduces wind speed while ensuring sufficient ventilation area and avoiding excessive pressure loss. Furthermore, the air distribution plate 8 can be designed as a modular splicing structure, which is convenient for disassembly, cleaning and maintenance, and meets the high standards of hygiene and cleanliness required by food equipment.

[0033] The process of using the choux pastry freezer for making quick-frozen choux pastries provided by this utility model is as follows: The baked high-temperature choux pastry, at about 60-80°C, is smoothly introduced into the buffer chamber 2 by the front conveyor line. The fan 7 is started, pushing the air to flow through the heat exchange tube 21 to cool the internal air to 8-12°C. The cooling airflow blows on the surface of the choux pastry, so that it gradually cools down and avoids the shell cracking due to excessive temperature difference. The exhaust valve 22 automatically adjusts the opening according to the humidity sensor signal to prevent the humidity in the chamber from being too high and causing condensation. After the puff pastry enters the main freezing chamber 3, the refrigeration unit 4 starts operating, the finned evaporator 41 is maintained below -45°C, the blower 42 sends cold air into the guide air duct, and the air distribution plate 8 rectifies the airflow to form a low-speed, uniform laminar flow field. The cold air gently covers the puff pastry from top to bottom, causing its center temperature to drop rapidly to below -18°C within 10 to 15 minutes, completing rapid freezing and effectively inhibiting the formation of large ice crystals. During this process, external water is sprayed onto the surface of the finned evaporator 41 through nozzle 53, quickly melting the frost layer. The defrosting water falls into the water receiving tray 61, is filtered by the filter screen 64, and is sent to the heat exchange tube 21 through the first tube 62. The water that has absorbed heat then returns to the main water supply tube 51 through the second tube 63, forming a closed loop to realize the recovery and utilization of heat energy. The frozen puff pastry is output through the outlet, passes through the insulation belt 23, and enters the buffer area or automatic packaging machine. The entire process is kept at a low temperature to ensure stable quality.

[0034] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model, but the scope of protection of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this utility model, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of this utility model, should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs, comprising a frame (1), characterized in that, The frame (1) is provided with a buffer chamber (2) and a main refrigeration chamber (3). A refrigeration unit (4) is provided on the top of the main refrigeration chamber (3). The refrigeration unit (4) is provided with a finned evaporator (41) and a blower (42) inside. It also includes a spray pipe (5) installed above the finned evaporator (41). A heat exchange pipe (21) is provided inside the buffer chamber (2). The heat exchange pipe (21) is connected to the spray pipe (5) through a circulating water pipe (6) to form a closed water circulation loop.

2. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spray pipeline (5) includes a main water supply pipe (51) arranged horizontally above the finned evaporator (41), and a branch pipe (52) extending vertically downward from the main water supply pipe (51). A nozzle (53) is fixedly installed on the branch pipe (52). A control valve (54) is installed at the inlet of the main water supply pipe (51).

3. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 2, characterized in that, A filter (55) is installed inside the main water supply pipe (51).

4. The choux pastry embryo freezer for making quick-frozen choux pastry according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circulating water pipe (6) includes a water receiving tray (61) arranged horizontally below the finned evaporator (41). A first pipe body (62) is connected between the outlet of the water receiving tray (61) and the inlet of the heat exchange pipe (21). A second pipe body (63) is connected between the return end of the heat exchange pipe (21) and the main water supply pipe (51).

5. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 4, characterized in that, A filter screen (64) is provided at the outlet of the water receiving tray (61).

6. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 5, characterized in that, Fans (7) are installed on both sides inside the buffer chamber (2), and the heat exchange pipe (21) is installed on the air outlet side of the fan (7).

7. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 5, characterized in that, An exhaust valve (22) is installed on the buffer chamber (2).

8. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 1, characterized in that, An air distribution plate (8) is provided inside the main refrigeration compartment (3), and the air distribution plate (8) and the inner wall of the main refrigeration compartment (3) cooperate to form a guide air duct.

9. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (1) is provided with a mesh belt conveyor (9), which includes a tension roller (91) and a metal mesh (92). The metal mesh (92) is tensioned between the tension rollers (91) at both ends. A motor (93) is fixedly installed on the frame (1), and the output end of the motor (93) is connected to the tension roller (91) on the same side through a coupling.

10. The cream puff pastry freezing machine for making quick-frozen cream puffs according to claim 1, characterized in that, Insulation strips (23) are installed at the openings of the buffer compartment (2) and the main refrigeration compartment (3).

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