Multilayer mutton preservation device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of multi-layer mutton fresh-keeping devices, belong to food fresh-keeping technical field.The device mainly includes cabinet, multi-layer independent fresh-keeping unit, refrigeration unit, gas conditioning system and control system.The core innovation is that: the cabinet is provided with multiple independent fresh-keeping cabins from top to bottom, each fresh-keeping cabin is equipped with independent sealing door, refrigeration evaporator, gas replacement module and control system, to form completely independent fresh-keeping environment.The utility model solves the problem that different batches, different parts of mutton are mixed in existing fresh-keeping cabinet, resulting in mutual smell, cross contamination and unable to distinguish fresh-keeping, greatly prolongs the fresh-keeping period of mutton, maintains the color and flavor of mutton.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food storage and preservation technology, and in particular to a preservation and storage device for fresh meat, especially mutton. Background Technology

[0002] Lamb is highly favored by consumers for its high nutritional value and unique flavor. However, lamb is extremely prone to spoilage after slaughter, making its preservation a persistent challenge in the meat industry. Traditional methods of lamb preservation mainly include refrigeration and freezing. Ordinary refrigeration (0-4℃) has a short shelf life, only inhibiting some microbial activity and failing to effectively delay oxidative deterioration and juice loss. Furthermore, placing lamb from different batches or cuts in the same refrigerated space can easily lead to cross-contamination and odor transfer. While freezing (below -14℃) allows for long-term storage, the thawing process causes significant juice loss, resulting in dry, tough meat, loss of flavor compounds, and a marked decline in quality.

[0003] Existing commercial modified atmosphere storage cabinets are mostly single, large spaces where all lamb stored shares the same environmental parameters. This presents significant drawbacks: 1. Inability to differentiate preservation: Different cuts of lamb (such as lamb chops, lamb legs, and lamb rolls) have varying fat content and tissue structures, requiring slightly different optimal preservative gas ratios and temperatures. The same parameters cannot meet the optimal preservation needs of all products. 2. Batch mixing: Lamb stored at different times has varying freshness, microbial load, and physicochemical state. Mixing can cause earlier-stored lamb to spoil faster than later-stored lamb. 3. Significant impact from door opening: Each time a portion of lamb is retrieved, the entire cabinet door must be opened, causing drastic fluctuations in temperature and modified atmosphere throughout the storage space, severely impacting the preservation of other lamb. 4. Risk of cross-contamination: Once a portion of lamb begins to spoil, the released microorganisms and enzymes can contaminate other lamb within the cabinet through air circulation. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a preservation device capable of zoned, independent, and precise temperature control to meet the multi-layered and differentiated high-quality preservation needs of lamb. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the problems of existing preservation devices being unable to differentiate the preservation of different batches and types of mutton, as well as issues such as cross-contamination, odor mixing, and significant impact from opening the door, a multi-layer mutton preservation device with a reasonable structure, independent controllability, and good preservation effect is provided.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: the cabinet body is provided with three independent preservation compartments from top to bottom, each preservation compartment has an independent sealing door on its front side, each preservation compartment is connected to an independent gas replacement module and an independent refrigeration unit, and the refrigeration unit and gas replacement module of each preservation compartment are electrically connected to the control system.

[0006] Preferably, the gas replacement module includes an intake branch pipe and an exhaust branch pipe, which are respectively connected to the interior of each preservation compartment. The intake branch pipe is connected to the controlled atmosphere unit through the intake main pipe. The controlled atmosphere unit includes a nitrogen generator and a carbon dioxide storage tank. The exhaust branch pipe is connected to a vacuum pump. Both the intake branch pipe and the exhaust branch pipe are equipped with solenoid valves controlled by the control system.

[0007] Preferably, the refrigeration unit includes a refrigeration evaporator disposed at the top of the refrigeration compartment, a circulating fan disposed on the outer wall of the refrigeration compartment, a condenser, and a compressor. The compressor is a multi-loop compressor, which can provide an independent refrigeration cycle loop for each refrigeration evaporator.

[0008] Preferably, each of the preservation compartments is equipped with an ultraviolet germicidal lamp on its inner wall, and the ultraviolet germicidal lamp is electrically connected to the control system.

[0009] Preferably, each of the preservation compartments is also provided with a tray rack for holding mutton. The tray rack is a hollow structure made of heat-conducting material, and a cooling coil is coiled inside it. The cooling coil is connected to the refrigeration unit.

[0010] Preferably, the sealed door is a double-glazed vacuum door, with a magnetic sealing strip embedded around the door frame.

[0011] Preferably, the control system includes a human-machine interface, a PLC controller, and temperature sensors, humidity sensors, oxygen concentration sensors, and carbon dioxide concentration sensors installed on the inner side wall of the preservation compartment. The control system is used to control the real-time parameters of each preservation compartment and allow users to independently set preservation programs for each compartment.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0013] 1. This utility model completely solves the problem of cross-contamination of flavors and microorganisms between different types of mutton through physical isolation. In use, mutton from different parts, batches, and with different requirements can be placed in separate independent compartments and the most suitable preservation parameters can be applied to achieve personalized and precise preservation, greatly improving the overall preservation effect and quality.

[0014] 2. The independent compartment design of this utility model ensures that opening one door does not affect the environment of the other compartments, thus guaranteeing environmental stability. Simultaneously, it eliminates the need for cooling and gas regulation of the entire large space, reducing unnecessary energy consumption.

[0015] 3. This utility model integrates refrigeration, controlled atmosphere, sterilization and precise control into one unit. Users can easily manage all compartments through the touch screen. It is easy to operate, highly automated, and suitable for various scenarios such as supermarkets, restaurants, and central kitchens. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a side view of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the gas replacement module structure of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the food storage compartment of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the tray frame and cooling coil structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing door structure of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of the control system principle of this utility model;

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Cabinet; 2. Fresh-keeping compartment; 3. Sealed door; 4. Refrigeration evaporator; 5. Circulating fan; 6. Control system; 601. Human-machine interface; 602. PLC controller; 603. Temperature sensor; 604. Humidity sensor; 605. Oxygen concentration sensor; 606. Carbon dioxide concentration sensor; 7. Inlet branch pipe; 8. Exhaust branch pipe; 9. Controlled atmosphere unit; 901. Nitrogen generator; 902. Carbon dioxide storage tank; 10. Vacuum pump; 11. Solenoid valve; 12. Ultraviolet germicidal lamp; 13. Tray rack; 14. Cooling coil; 15. Magnetic sealing strip; 16. Condenser; 17. Compressor. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present utility model 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 utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0024] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, the core of this utility model is the parallel and precise control of multiple independent compartments for mutton preservation. The cabinet 1 is a stainless steel plate support. The cabinet 1 is divided into three independent preservation compartments 2: upper, middle and lower. Each preservation compartment 2 is composed of an outer steel plate and an inner stainless steel plate with polyurethane foam insulation material in between. Each preservation compartment 2 is equipped with a double-layer vacuum glass sealing door 3 at the front. The door frame is embedded with a magnetic sealing strip 15 to ensure airtightness. Each compartment is equipped with a stainless steel tray rack 13. A multi-loop compressor 17 and a condenser 16 are installed on the outer wall of the preservation compartment 2. Compressor 17 provides an independent refrigeration circuit for each preservation compartment 2. Each circuit consists of compressor 17, condenser 16, and a unique refrigeration evaporator 4 for that compartment. Each evaporator 4 is equipped with a circulating fan 5 to force air circulation within the compartment, ensuring uniform temperature. The tray frame 13 is a hollow aluminum alloy structure with cooling coils 14 coiled inside. The cooling coils 14 are connected to the refrigeration circuit of that compartment, achieving a three-dimensional cooling mode of "top air blowing and bottom heat conduction," which greatly improves cooling efficiency and stability. Each preservation compartment 2 is connected to an intake branch pipe 7 and an exhaust branch pipe 8. The branch pipes are equipped with solenoid valves 11. All intake branch pipes 7 are connected to the main intake pipe, which is connected to the central controlled atmosphere unit 9. The controlled atmosphere unit 9 includes a nitrogen membrane separator nitrogen generator 901 and a carbon dioxide cylinder 902, which can generate a specific ratio of N2 and CO2 mixed gas as needed. All exhaust branch pipes 8 are connected to a vacuum pump 10. When it is necessary to adjust the gas in a certain compartment, the control system 6 first opens the exhaust solenoid valve and vacuum pump 10 of that compartment to remove part of the original gas, then closes the exhaust valve and opens the inlet valve to fill in the pre-mixed gas. This process is repeated several times to quickly and accurately achieve the target gas concentration.

[0025] like Figure 6 As shown, the control system 6 is the brain of the device. The PLC controller 602 is the control core, and the temperature sensor 603, humidity sensor 604, oxygen concentration sensor 605, and carbon dioxide concentration sensor 606 in each preservation compartment 2 transmit real-time data to the PLC. The human-machine interface 61 (touch screen) is used to display all data and allows users to set parameters such as temperature, humidity, O2 concentration, and CO2 concentration for each compartment individually, or directly select preset programs such as "lamb chop mode" and "lamb roll mode". Based on the set values ​​and sensor feedback values, the PLC controls the operation of the compressor 17, the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 11, the opening degree of the proportional mixing valve, and the timed start and stop of the ultraviolet germicidal lamp 12 to achieve independent and precise control of the environment of each preservation compartment.

[0026] The working principle and usage process of this utility model are as follows: The user selects the "Lamb Leg - Long-Term Preservation" program (e.g., 0.5℃, O2:2%, CO2:15%) for compartment 1 via the human-machine interface 601, and the "Freshly Cut Lamb - Short-Term Sale" program (e.g., 2℃, O2:50%, CO2:30%) for compartment 2. The corresponding lamb is placed on the tray rack 13 of the corresponding compartment, and the sealing door 3 is closed. The control system 6 automatically starts the refrigeration and controlled atmosphere systems of each compartment, quickly adjusting the environmental parameters to the set values ​​and maintaining stability. When meat needs to be retrieved from compartment 2, simply open the door of compartment 2, and close it after retrieval. This operation has no impact on the environmental parameters of compartment 1. Every night, the control system automatically activates the ultraviolet germicidal lamps 12 in each compartment for 15-30 minutes for disinfection.

[0027] This utility model, through its modular and independent design, successfully achieves the classification, zoning, and precise preservation of mutton, effectively extending its shelf life, ensuring its edible quality and commercial value, and has a high market application prospect.

[0028] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0029] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A multi-layer mutton preservation device, comprising a cabinet (1) and a refrigeration unit, characterized in that: The cabinet (1) has three independent preservation compartments (2) arranged from top to bottom. Each preservation compartment (2) has an independent sealing door (3) on the front side. Each preservation compartment (2) is connected to an independent gas replacement module and an independent refrigeration unit. The refrigeration unit and gas replacement module of each preservation compartment (2) are electrically connected to the control system (6).

2. The multi-layer mutton preservation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas replacement module includes an intake branch pipe (7) and an exhaust branch pipe (8), which are respectively connected to the interior of each preservation compartment (2). The intake branch pipe (7) is connected to the atmosphere control unit (9) through the intake main pipe. The atmosphere control unit (9) includes a nitrogen generator (901) and a carbon dioxide storage tank (902). The exhaust branch pipe (8) is connected to a vacuum pump (10). Both the intake branch pipe (7) and the exhaust branch pipe (8) are equipped with solenoid valves (11) controlled by the control system (6).

3. The multi-layer mutton preservation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The refrigeration unit includes a refrigeration evaporator (4) located at the top of the refrigeration compartment (2), a circulating fan (5), a condenser (16), and a compressor (17) located on the outer wall of the refrigeration compartment (2). The compressor (17) is a multi-loop compressor that can provide an independent refrigeration cycle loop for each refrigeration evaporator (4).

4. The multi-layer mutton preservation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the preservation compartments (2) is equipped with an ultraviolet germicidal lamp (12) on its inner wall, and the ultraviolet germicidal lamp (12) is electrically connected to the control system (6).

5. A multi-layer mutton preservation device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the preservation compartments (2) is also provided with a tray rack (13) for holding mutton. The tray rack (13) is a hollow structure with a cooling coil (14) coiled inside. The cooling coil (14) is connected to the refrigeration unit.

6. The multi-layer mutton preservation device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed door (3) is a double-glazed vacuum door with magnetic sealing strips (15) embedded around the door frame.

7. A multi-layer mutton preservation device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control system (6) includes a human-machine interface (601), a PLC controller (602), and temperature sensors (603), humidity sensors (604), oxygen concentration sensors (605) and carbon dioxide concentration sensors (606) installed on the inner side wall of the preservation compartment (2). The control system (6) is used to control the real-time parameters of each preservation compartment (2) and allow users to independently set the preservation program for each compartment.

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