Food processing modular pulsed light sterilization system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a food processing modularization pulse strong light sterilization system, include: the sterilization module is installed in the protective casing inside according to the production line operation direction array splicing, and the sterilization module includes drive electric board, and the inside of drive electric board is installed with pulse xenon lamp, and one side of drive electric board is provided with communication interface and drive power supply, and a plurality of groups drive electric board are electrically connected with general controller through communication interface. The utility model discloses, through the group mode design architecture cooperation pulse xenon light technology sterilization, effectively reduces the custom installation cost, improves equipment applicability, pulse xenon lamp single pulse energy is fixed, can be perfect adaptation production line conveying speed through the adjustment flash frequency, through the adjustment opening width and the irradiation distance improvement ultraviolet light irradiation intensity's uniformity, through the heat dissipation groove of casing outside and carry out the heat dissipation, need not forcedly connect external heat dissipation device, and general controller can monitor every group sterilization module state in real time, and dynamically promote adjacent sterilization module flash frequency and carry out sterilization intensity compensation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food processing sterilization technology, specifically to a modular pulsed light sterilization system for food processing. Background Technology

[0002] Food production lines are centered around automated or semi-automated equipment, connecting key processes such as raw material screening, cleaning, processing, sterilization, shaping, and packaging. They adhere to food hygiene and safety standards throughout the process, enabling continuous operation from raw materials to finished products. This ensures food safety, shelf life, and consistent quality while significantly improving production efficiency and reducing labor costs. They are widely used in the large-scale production of various foods such as beverages, snacks, grains and oils, and dairy products.

[0003] Currently, food production lines mainly use mercury lamps and xenon lamps. Traditional ultraviolet mercury lamps not only have long preheating times and significant thermal effects, but also have low sterilization efficiency, which cannot meet the needs of high-speed production lines. To meet ultraviolet power requirements, ultra-long sterilization equipment needs to be installed, further increasing manufacturing costs. Existing pulsed high-intensity xenon lamps are limited by the design of a single long xenon lamp, and the power supply needs to be customized according to the sterilization size of different production lines, which makes it impossible to standardize the equipment. Moreover, the high power requirements of a single long lamp, combined with air-cooled or water-cooled heat dissipation solutions, increase system complexity and maintenance costs. At the same time, without redundant design, a single lamp failure can directly lead to a complete production stoppage. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing in order to solve the above problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model specifically adopts the following technical solution, including: The sterilization module, installed inside the protective housing, is used to continuously irradiate and sterilize the food conveyed on the production line. The sterilization modules are arrayed and installed inside the protective housing according to the production line's running direction. Each sterilization module includes a drive board, with a pulsed xenon lamp installed inside the drive board. A communication interface and a drive power supply are provided on one side of the drive board. Multiple sets of the drive boards are electrically connected to the main controller through the communication interface.

[0006] As a further description of the above technical solution, the protective housing includes a mounting housing and a protective cover, which together form a protective cavity.

[0007] As a further description of the above technical solution, the mounting housing and the protective cover are rotatably connected by a telescopic rod, and the edges of the mounting housing and the protective cover are rotatably connected by a hinge.

[0008] As a further description of the above technical solution, the drive board is detachably installed inside the metal housing, the metal housing including a supporting bottom shell and a lead wire outer shell, the supporting bottom shell and the lead wire outer shell being detachably connected.

[0009] As a further description of the above technical solution, the top of the support base shell is provided with a connector, and the top of the lead wire shell is provided with a connector groove, and the connector is inserted into the connector groove.

[0010] As a further description of the above technical solution, a light-transmitting groove is provided at the bottom of the support base, a heat dissipation groove is provided on the outer side of the support base, and a wiring groove is provided on one side of the heat dissipation groove.

[0011] As a further description of the above technical solution, the bottom of the lead wire housing is symmetrically provided with mounting holes, and the lead wire housing is detachably connected to the mounting housing through a fastener.

[0012] As a further description of the above technical solution, a handle is provided on the outer top of the lead housing, and a lead post is provided on the inner top of the lead housing.

[0013] As a further description of the above technical solution, a reflective tile is provided on the outside of the pulsed xenon lamp. The reflective tile is elliptical cylindrical, the opening width of the reflective tile is 70-100mm, and the distance between the reflective tile and the pulsed xenon lamp is 5-10cm.

[0014] As a further description of the above technical solution, a protective cover is installed on the outer side of the reflective tile, and the protective cover is fitted to the inner wall of the supporting base shell.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. This utility model provides a standardized pulse sterilization module system. Through a group mode design architecture, the sterilization modules are arrayed and installed inside the protective shell according to the production line running direction. The pulse xenon lamps can be flexibly arranged horizontally or vertically according to the width and conveying speed requirements of the production line. Pulse xenon light technology is used for sterilization, which is suitable for rapid non-thermal sterilization of food packaging surfaces and heat-sensitive foods. It effectively reduces the cost of customized installation and improves the applicability of the equipment. 2. In this utility model, the pulsed xenon lamp has a fixed pulse energy per pulse, and the flash frequency can be adjusted to perfectly match the conveyor speed of the production line. 3. In this utility model, a reflective tile is provided on the outside of the pulsed xenon lamp. The reflective tile is elliptical cylindrical. By adjusting the opening width and irradiation distance, the uniformity of ultraviolet light irradiation intensity can be effectively improved. 4. In this utility model, the overall power of a single sterilization module is low, and heat can be dissipated through the heat dissipation grooves on the outside of the housing, without the need for a forced connection to an external heat dissipation device. 5. In this utility model, multiple sets of drive circuit boards are electrically connected to the main controller through a communication interface. The main controller can monitor the status of each sterilization module in real time, count the number of flashes of each pulse xenon lamp, automatically control the start and stop according to the production line rhythm, determine whether a fault alarm occurs, and dynamically increase the flashing frequency of adjacent sterilization modules to compensate for sterilization intensity when a fault signal is detected.

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the structural features and functions of this utility model, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing of this utility model. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing of this utility model. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 4 yes Figure 2 An exploded view of the sterilization module; Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the layout of the sterilization module.

[0018] Figure label: 1. Sterilization module; 11. Drive board; 12. Pulsed xenon lamp; 13. Communication interface; 14. Drive power supply; 15. Metal housing; 151. Support base; 1511. Connector; 1512. Light-transmitting groove; 1513. Heat dissipation groove; 1514. Wiring groove; 152. Lead wire housing; 1521. Connecting slot; 1522. Mounting hole; 1523. Handle; 1524. Lead wire post; 16. Reflective tile; 17. Protective cover; 2. Protective housing; 21. Mounting housing; 22. Protective cover; 23. Telescopic rod; 24. Hinge; 3. Main controller. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] like Figures 1-5As shown, in one embodiment, a modular pulsed light sterilization system for food processing includes: a sterilization module 1, which is installed inside a protective housing 2, for continuous surface sterilization of food continuously conveyed on the production line by pulsed light irradiation, ensuring that surface microorganisms are quickly removed from the food during processing and ensuring food safety.

[0021] Among them, the sterilization module 1 is installed inside the protective shell 2 in an array spliced ​​according to the production line running direction.

[0022] It is understood that this application can provide a standardized pulse sterilization module 1 system. Through a group-mode design architecture, the sterilization modules 1 are arrayed and installed inside the protective housing 2 according to the production line running direction, which has extremely high flexibility and adaptability. In response to the differences in width and food conveying speed requirements of different production lines, the sterilization modules 1 can be flexibly combined by means of horizontal expansion (to adapt to width requirements) or vertical arrangement (to adapt to speed requirements), without the need for additional customization and modification. Using pulsed xenon light sterilization technology, it is suitable for sterilization treatment of various food packaging surfaces, and can also accurately match the sterilization requirements of heat-sensitive foods (such as fresh food, baked semi-finished products, etc.), effectively avoiding the heat damage problem of traditional sterilization methods, while significantly reducing customized installation costs and significantly improving the versatility and reusability of the equipment across different production lines.

[0023] For example, based on the formula Sterilization rate = UV metering * exposure time, the core indicator of this system's single-unit sterilization module 1 is clearly defined during its design: achieving the sterilization effect required for food hygiene and safety within 1 second. Accordingly, the irradiation window size of the pulsed xenon lamp 12 for a single module is determined to be 200mm × 100mm. In practical applications, a suitable sterilization module can be integrated through rapid combination of multiple modules, based on the material's throughput speed and width, combined with the predetermined sterilization capacity of the pulsed xenon lamp assembly. For instance, when the material conveying speed is 30mm / s and the width is 600mm, to ensure that the material unit area receives at least 1 second of effective irradiation time, a corresponding module combination scheme can be calculated and matched (e.g., ...). Figure 5 The design employs a combination of three horizontal rows and three vertical columns to achieve precise sterilization.

[0024] Please continue reading. Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, the protective housing 2 adopts a split structure design, consisting of two parts: the mounting housing 21 and the protective cover 22. The two together form a sealed protective cavity, which can not only fix the sterilization module 1 and prevent external dust, water vapor and other factors from interfering with the sterilization effect, but also prevent the leakage of pulsed strong light and ensure the safety of the production environment.

[0025] In some embodiments, the mounting housing 21 and the protective cover 22 are rotatably connected by a telescopic rod 23, which allows for flexible adjustment of the opening and closing angle of the protective cover 22, facilitating equipment maintenance and cleaning.

[0026] In some embodiments, the mounting shell and the protective cover are rotatably connected by a hinge 24, which makes opening and closing convenient, provides stable sealing performance, and meets the usage requirements of conventional production scenarios.

[0027] Please continue reading. Figures 1-5 In this embodiment, the sterilization module 1 includes a drive board 11, which is detachably installed inside the metal housing 15 for easy maintenance, replacement and upgrade.

[0028] For example, the metal housing 15 includes a supporting base 151 and a lead housing 152, which are detachably connected.

[0029] In some embodiments, a connector 1511 is provided circumferentially on the top of the support base 151, and a matching insertion slot 1521 is provided on the top of the corresponding lead housing 152. The connector 1511 and the insertion slot 1521 are precisely connected to achieve rapid assembly and fixation of the two.

[0030] In some embodiments, a light-transmitting groove 1512 is reserved at the bottom of the support base 151 to ensure that the pulsed light can irradiate the food surface without obstruction. At the same time, a heat dissipation groove 1513 is opened on the outer side of the support base 151, and a wiring groove 1514 is opened on one side of the heat dissipation groove 1513 to facilitate the neatness and connection of the circuit of the drive board 11.

[0031] Understandably, the overall power of a single sterilization module 1 (e.g., ≤200W) is low. The low power characteristic, combined with the heat dissipation groove 1513 structure on the outside of the supporting base shell 151, can achieve natural and efficient heat dissipation. There is no need to connect external forced heat dissipation devices such as air cooling or water cooling, which simplifies the overall system structure and reduces maintenance costs and failure risks during equipment operation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the bottom of the lead housing 152 is provided with symmetrical mounting holes 1522, which can be detachably connected to the mounting housing 21 by fasteners such as bolts and clips, making installation and disassembly convenient and efficient.

[0033] In some embodiments, a handle 1523 is provided on the top outer side of the lead housing 152 to facilitate operators to quickly extract and move the module.

[0034] In some embodiments, a lead post 1524 is provided on the inner side of the top of the lead housing 152 to organize the connection lines of the drive board 11 and avoid poor contact or malfunctions caused by messy lines.

[0035] In some embodiments, a pulsed xenon lamp 12 (i.e., a xenon lamp) is installed inside the drive board 11, and a high-voltage drive power supply 14 is integrated on one side of the drive board 11, so that the single pulse energy of the pulsed xenon lamp 12 (e.g., the pulse energy range is 5-15J) is fixed; for the differences in conveying speed of different production lines, the flashing frequency of the pulsed xenon lamp 12 can be flexibly adjusted (e.g., the adjustment range is 0-20Hz) to achieve precise adaptation, ensuring that the food surface can obtain sufficient ultraviolet light measurement regardless of the speed of the production line, thus ensuring the consistency of the sterilization effect.

[0036] In some embodiments, a reflective tile 16 is provided on the outer side of the pulsed xenon lamp 12, and the reflective tile 16 adopts an elliptical cylindrical design, which can effectively concentrate the pulsed intense light and improve the irradiation intensity.

[0037] In some embodiments, the opening width of the reflective tile 16 is 70-100 mm. Optionally, in some embodiments, the opening width of the reflective tile 16 is 80-90 mm. Exemplarily, the opening width of the reflective tile 16 can be 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, or a range of any two of the above values.

[0038] In some embodiments, the distance between the reflective tile 16 and the pulsed xenon lamp 12 is 5-10 cm. Optionally, in some embodiments, the distance between the reflective tile 16 and the pulsed xenon lamp 12 is 6-8 cm. Exemplarily, the distance between the reflective tile 16 and the pulsed xenon lamp 12 is 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm, 8 cm, 9 cm, 10 cm, or any range of two of the above values.

[0039] Understandably, by precisely adjusting the opening width and irradiation distance, the uniformity of ultraviolet light irradiation intensity can be ≥85%, avoiding localized irradiation dead zones and ensuring consistent sterilization effects on food surfaces.

[0040] In some embodiments, a quartz protective cover 17 is installed on the outside of the reflective tile 16, and the protective cover 17 is fitted to the inner wall of the supporting base shell 151 to prevent dust, oil, water vapor and other substances generated during food processing from adhering to the surface of the core component, affecting the lighting effect and equipment life, while not affecting the penetration of pulsed light, ensuring that the sterilization efficiency is not affected.

[0041] In some embodiments, a control unit with a 485 communication interface 13 is provided on one side of the drive board 11, supporting the cascading networking function of multiple modules. At the same time, the modules adopt a standardized physical and electrical interface design, which can realize the free splicing and expansion of the sterilization module 1 without additional adaptation and modification, greatly reducing the difficulty and cost of system expansion.

[0042] In some embodiments, multiple sets of drive boards 11 are electrically connected to the main controller 3 via a communication interface 13. The main controller 3 is equipped with a touch screen human-machine interface and has comprehensive monitoring and control functions: it can display the operating status of each sterilization module 1 in real time (e.g., whether it is working normally, flashing frequency, cumulative working time, etc.), accurately count the number of flashes of each pulse xenon lamp 12, so that operators can understand the equipment wear and tear; it can automatically control the start and stop of the sterilization module 1 according to the operating rhythm of the production line, so as to achieve synchronous linkage with the production line; it also has automatic fault detection and alarm functions. When a fault is detected in a certain module, the system will immediately issue an alarm signal to prompt the operator to handle it. Understandably, the system has a dynamic redundancy compensation function. When a single module fails, it will automatically increase the flashing frequency of the adjacent sterilization module 1 to make up for the sterilization gap of the failed module and ensure that the overall sterilization effect meets the standard.

[0043] For example, please continue reading Figure 5 Taking a sterilization module consisting of 9 sterilization modules as an example, the material passes through the irradiated area along the direction shown in the diagram: When the system detects that a certain pulse xenon lamp 12 group (e.g., lamp group A2) is abnormal and shuts down, it will immediately issue an alarm message to prompt the operator to carry out maintenance; In order to avoid the entire production line from shutting down due to the failure of a single pulse xenon lamp 12 and to ensure production continuity, the system will automatically start a dynamic redundancy compensation mechanism to increase the operating frequency of adjacent lamp groups (e.g., lamp group B2) that overlap in the irradiation area (e.g., the original frequency range of lamp group B2 is 0-20Hz, which can be increased to twice the original frequency according to sterilization requirements). By enhancing the sterilization intensity of adjacent modules, the irradiation gap of the faulty lamp group is filled, ensuring that the surface of the material can still obtain the required ultraviolet metering, and achieving uninterrupted, high-quality sterilization effect.

[0044] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing, characterized in that, include: The sterilization module (1) is installed inside the protective housing (2) and is used to continuously irradiate and sterilize the food conveyed on the production line. The sterilization module (1) is installed in an array inside the protective housing (2) according to the production line running direction. The sterilization module (1) includes a drive board (11). A pulsed xenon lamp (12) is installed inside the drive board (11). A communication interface (13) and a drive power supply (14) are provided on one side of the drive board (11). Multiple sets of the drive boards (11) are electrically connected to the main controller (3) through the communication interface (13).

2. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective housing (2) includes a mounting housing (21) and a protective cover (22), which together form a protective cavity.

3. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting housing (21) and the protective cover (22) are rotatably connected by a telescopic rod (23), and the edges of the mounting housing and the protective cover are rotatably connected by a hinge (24).

4. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive board (11) is detachably installed inside the metal housing (15), which includes a supporting bottom shell (151) and a lead wire housing (152), and the supporting bottom shell (151) and the lead wire housing (152) are detachably connected.

5. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The top of the supporting base shell (151) is provided with a connector (1511), and the top of the lead wire shell (152) is provided with a plug groove (1521). The connector (1511) is inserted into the plug groove (1521).

6. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the lead wire housing (152) is symmetrically provided with mounting holes (1522), and the lead wire housing (152) is detachably connected to the mounting housing (21) by means of a fastener.

7. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bottom of the support base (151) is provided with a light-transmitting groove (1512), and a heat dissipation groove (1513) is provided on the outside of the support base (151). A wiring groove (1514) is provided on one side of the heat dissipation groove (1513).

8. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 4, characterized in that, A handle (1523) is provided on the outer top of the lead wire housing (152), and a lead wire post (1524) is provided on the inner top of the lead wire housing (152).

9. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulsed xenon lamp is covered with a reflective tile (16), which is elliptical cylindrical in shape. The opening width of the reflective tile (16) is 70-100mm, and the reflective tile (16) is 5-10cm away from the pulsed xenon lamp (12).

10. The modular pulsed high-intensity light sterilization system for food processing according to claim 9, characterized in that, A protective cover (17) is installed on the outside of the reflective tile (16), and the protective cover (17) is fitted to the inner wall of the supporting base shell (151).

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