Peeling and washing apparatus for root vegetables

Abstract

To provide a peeling and washing apparatus for root vegetables that can perform washing and peeling treatments on a large quantity of root vegetables simultaneously and efficiently and can perform peeling in such a way that a nutrient-rich thin skin is left.SOLUTION: A peeling and washing apparatus for root vegetables includes: a treatment tank 2 formed with a space to which root vegetables are put; water supply means 3 that supplies water into the treatment tank 2; a plurality of rotary brushes 4 each having brush bristles radially projecting from a core portion that is elongated in the lateral direction, configured to rotate around the rotation axis of the core portion, the rotary brushes 4 being arranged in an approximately U-shaped or J-shaped arcuate configuration in close proximity to each other in the treatment tank; and drive means 5 that rotationally drives the rotary brushes 4 about their axes. The rotational speed of the plurality of rotary brushes 4 is set to 210 revolutions per minute or higher.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a root vegetable peeling and washing device that washes root vegetables such as taro and peels them while leaving the thin skin on them. [Background technology]

[0002] Root vegetables such as taro are harvested by digging them up from the ground, so they are often covered in mud. In order to remove the mud and make them easier to handle, they are often washed before shipping or other such purposes.

[0003] Manually washing a large number of root vegetables takes time and effort, and thus, for example, a continuous washer that continuously washes a large number of root vegetables has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The continuous root vegetable washer in Patent Document 1 comprises a number of brush rolls which are adjacent to each other and parallel to each other, journalled on a frame and driven to rotate in the transport direction of the items to be washed, an upper brush which is positioned above and opposite the brush rolls and supported by the frame, and a water tank which is disposed below the brush rolls and keeps the lower half of the brush roll immersed in the cleaning water contained therein, and the items to be washed are continuously washed as they pass between the rotating brush rolls and the upper brush, and a shower device is provided on the discharge side.

[0005] Some washed root vegetables are shipped as products as they are, but in recent years, some are sold peeled, vacuum-packed, or frozen in order to eliminate the need for cooking after purchase and reduce household waste. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-38136 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the case of a continuous root vegetable washer as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it can be difficult to thoroughly wash the surface of root vegetables such as taro, which are unique and come in a variety of sizes and shapes.

[0008] Furthermore, when peeling root vegetables, the skin must be removed after washing in a washing machine as in Patent Document 1. However, doing this manually takes time and effort, and there is a shortage of manpower, among other issues.

[0009] Furthermore, it is known that the thin skin of root vegetables such as taro contains more nutrients and umami components than the edible parts, but when peeling by hand or other conventional methods, it is extremely difficult to peel a large amount of root vegetables while leaving the thin skin intact, and the edible parts close to the skin are often cut or scraped off together, resulting in a large amount of waste.

[0010] As a result, there is a relatively large amount of waste in the edible parts of root vegetables, which results in low yields and a large amount of industrial waste, which creates a large environmental burden.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a root vegetable peeling and washing device that can efficiently wash and peel large quantities of root vegetables simultaneously and can peel the skins while leaving the highly nutritious thin skins intact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the root vegetable peeling and washing device of the present invention is a root vegetable peeling and washing device comprising: a processing tank having a space formed inside for placing root vegetables; a water supply means for supplying water into the inside of the processing tank; a rotating brush having bristles with a large number of bristles protruding radially around a long horizontal core and rotating around the central axis of the core, the rotating brushes being arranged in an arc shape close to each other in an approximately U-shape or approximately J-shape inside the processing tank; and a drive means for driving the rotating brushes to rotate around their axis, wherein the rotational speed of the multiple rotating brushes is set to 210 rpm or more.

[0013] The bristles of the rotating brush may be made of nylon, and the diameter of each bristle may be set to 0.45 mm or more and 0.55 mm or less.

[0014] The bristles of the rotating brush may be made of nylon, and the length of each bristle protruding from the core may be set to 74 mm or more and 78 mm or less. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the root vegetable peeling and washing device of the present invention, a treatment tank having a space for putting root vegetables inside, a water supplying means for supplying water to the inside of the treatment tank, a rotating brush having a large number of bristles protruding radially around a core part arranged long in the horizontal direction and rotating around the central axis of the core part, a plurality of rotating brushes arranged in a circular arc shape close to each other in an approximately U-shape or approximately J-shape inside the treatment tank, and a driving means for rotating the rotating brush around the axis, and the rotation speed of the plurality of rotating brushes is set to 210 rpm or more, so that a large amount of root vegetables such as taro can be simultaneously washed in the treatment tank and peeled with the thin skin remaining. As a result, it is possible to provide peeled root vegetable products that retain the nutritional value of the root vegetables and are rich in flavor, and at the same time, the washing and peeling process can be performed with a good yield and little waste discharge and little environmental load. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of a root vegetable peeling and washing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the root vegetable peeling and washing device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the root vegetable peeling and washing device of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the root vegetable peeling and washing device taken along line AA in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, using preferred embodiments. However, the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0018] The root vegetable peeling and washing device of the present invention is a washing and peeling device that can be suitably used for simultaneously washing a large number of root vegetables such as taro and peeling them while leaving their thin skins.

[0019] 1 to 4 show one embodiment of the root vegetable peeling and washing device of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, and Fig. 4, the root vegetable peeling and washing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a treatment tank 2, a water supply means 3, a plurality of rotating brushes 4, and a drive means 5.

[0020] In this embodiment, the root vegetable to be treated is taro, but root vegetables other than taro may be treated.

[0021] The processing tank 2 is a hollow container-like container having a space formed therein to hold the taro. In this embodiment, the processing tank 2 is formed to a size that can simultaneously hold a large number of taro so that a large number of taro can be washed and peeled at the same time in a batch process.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, the treatment tank 2 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with an outer shape that is long horizontally, and is formed in a box shape with a bottom that is open at the top and communicates with a hollow internal space. The treatment tank 2 is formed, for example, with a longitudinal width of 2010 mm, a front-rear width in the short side direction of 750 mm, and a height of 720 mm. In this embodiment, the treatment tank 2 is large enough to accommodate 80 kg to 90 kg of taro R at one time. The shape and size of the treatment tank may be arbitrary.

[0023] The treatment tank 2 is designed to hold water for washing together with the taro R inside, and is provided with a drain outlet on the bottom or side wall for discharging the water. In other words, the treatment tank 2 holds the taro and water inside, and at the same time holds wastewater and waste liquid containing mud and the skin peeled from the taro until the washing and peeling processes by batch processing are completed.

[0024] During the washing and peeling processes, the treatment tank 2 may be configured to constantly store water from the water supply means 3, or the water may be drained continuously or intermittently.

[0025] Support legs 21 are provided at the four outer corners of the treatment tank 2 to support the treatment tank 2 at a predetermined height. A swivel caster 22 with a stopper is attached to the lower end of the support leg 21, which can rotate 360 ​​degrees around the vertical axis to freely change the direction of movement.

[0026] An opening / closing door 23 for removing the processed taro is provided on a side wall at one end in the longitudinal direction of the processing tank 2. In this embodiment, the opening / closing door 23 is, for example, a generally U-shaped upward opening door, and rotates around a rotation shaft 24 via a connecting member 23a provided on the upper side to open and close the side wall of the processing tank 2.

[0027] The rotating shaft 24 of the opening / closing door 23 is supported by a pair of supporting members 28 fixed to the side wall of the treatment tank 2. A lever 25 for opening and closing the opening / closing door 23 is provided on one end of the rotating shaft 24, and the opening / closing door 23 can be opened and closed by manually operating the lever 25. Note that a stopper may be provided near the lever 25 to engage with the lever 25 when the opening / closing door 23 is in the open position and to hold the opening / closing door in the open state.

[0028] Furthermore, a hopper 26 protruding outward is provided on the side wall of the treatment tank 2 on which the opening and closing door 23 is provided. The hopper 26 is a means for receiving the taro R discharged from the treatment tank 2 through the opening and closing door 23 after treatment. The hopper 26 is formed, for example, in a substantially U-shaped plate shape along the arc-shaped contour of the lower side of the opening and closing door 23.

[0029] 4, an inclined wall 27 is provided inside the treatment tank 2 on the side where a rotating brush 4 (described later) is not installed. The inclined wall 27 cooperates with the multiple rotating brushes 4 to receive the taro R that is introduced.

[0030] The water supplying means 3 is a washing water supplying means for supplying water for washing the taro into the inside of the treatment tank 2. In this embodiment, the water supplying means 3 is configured to supply water into the treatment tank 2 from an opening on the upper surface side, for example, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4.

[0031] Specifically, the water supply means 3 includes a horizontally long water supply pipe 31 with a number of water spray holes 32 provided on the underside. The water supply pipe 31 is installed over the opening of the treatment tank 2 along the longitudinal direction of the treatment tank 2, and both ends are fixed via pipe supports 33 to the upper ends of the side walls of the treatment tank 2. One end of the water supply pipe 31 is closed, and is connected to a water faucet or the like via a connection pipe 34 (or a connection hose) connected to the other end.

[0032] The water supply means 3 supplies water from the upper side of the treatment tank 2 in a sprinkling manner to wash away mud and dirt on the surface of the taro inside the treatment tank 2 and also wash away the skin peeled from the taro, thereby cleaning the peeled taro after treatment.

[0033] The water supply means 3 is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, a plurality of water supply pipes 31 may be provided, or any other structure may be used, such as a structure in which water flows from the side wall of the treatment tank at a predetermined pressure.

[0034] The rotating brush 4 is a roll brush for washing and peeling the taro to be treated, and at the same time, it is a means for moving or stirring the taro in a convection manner so as to rub them against each other in the treatment tank.

[0035] In other words, as the rotating brush 4 rotates around its axis, the tips of the brush bristles directly come into contact with the taro, removing dirt, mud, etc. adhering to the surface of the taro and peeling the skin, and multiple rotating brushes 4 work together to receive and hold a large number of taro potatoes inside the treatment tank 2 and move them in an agitating manner, causing the taro potatoes to come into contact with and rub against each other, thereby simultaneously washing and peeling the potatoes.

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, a plurality of rotating brushes 4 (for example, seven in this embodiment) are arranged in a circular arc shape that is approximately J-shaped, with the tips of the brush bristles 42 close to each other and with the rotating shafts 41 parallel to each other. Therefore, inside the treatment tank 2, the taro introduced is received by the plurality of rotating brushes 4 arranged in a circular arc shape.

[0037] Due to the above-mentioned arrangement of the rotating brushes 4, the rotating brushes 4 are arranged in a circular arc in a substantially J-shape, and are arranged asymmetrically inside the treatment tank 2. In Fig. 4, the rotating brushes 4 are arranged along the side wall inside the treatment tank 2, with the right side positioned higher than the left side.

[0038] On the left side, where the rotating brush 4 is installed only up to the middle position in the interior of the treatment tank 2, an inclined wall 27 is installed as described above to receive the taro R.

[0039] On the other hand, on the left side where the rotating brush 4 is installed up to a position near the upper end inside the treatment tank 2, a protective plate 29 is installed so as to close the portion directly above the rotating brush 4. The protective plate 29 ensures safety by preventing workers from touching the rotating brush 4 which rotates at high speed.

[0040] The rotating brushes 4 may be arranged symmetrically in a generally U-shape. The number of rotating brushes 4 may be any number as long as they are arranged in a generally U- or J-shape in an arc that can receive the root vegetables to be treated.

[0041] The rotating brush 4 is formed by implanting a large number of brush bristles 43 so as to project radially from the circumferential surface of a cylindrical core 42 that is long in the horizontal direction and has a central axis as a rotating shaft 41. The rotating brush 4 has an axial length set to, for example, about 1500 mm, and both ends of the rotating shaft 41 are supported in a suspended manner so as to be freely rotatable via bearings 44 attached to the side walls of the treatment tank 4.

[0042] For example, a gear is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 41 of the rotating brush 4, and the rotating brush 4 is linked to the driving means 5 via a rotation transmission mechanism 52 such as another gear or a chain. The rotating brushes 4 are all set to rotate in the same direction and at the same rotation speed. As shown in Fig. 4, the rotating brushes 4 are set to rotate clockwise in the figure, so that the bottom rotating brush 4 moves the taro R to the right, and the right row of rotating brushes 4 moves the taro R upward.

[0043] In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the rotating brush 4 is set to a relatively high speed, for example, 216 rotations per minute. By arranging a plurality of rotating brushes 4 in an arc shape and rotating them in the same direction at a relatively high speed, the taro inside the treatment tank 2 moves upward in one direction along the arc shape of the rotating brushes 4, and is agitated in a convection manner such that it moves laterally or downward at the upper end side of the treatment tank 2.

[0044] The bristles 43 of each rotating brush 4 are made of, for example, nylon, and are set to a length of 76 mm and a diameter of 0.5 mm.

[0045] By agitating the taro R inside the processing tank 2 as described above using the multiple rotating brushes 4 and synergistically working together with the hardness and elasticity of the bristles 43 of each rotating brush 4 according to their length and diameter, it is possible to specifically realize peeling of a large amount of taro while washing it and leaving the thin skin behind.

[0046] The length of the bristles 43 of the rotating brush 4 may be set to, for example, 74 mm or more and 78 mm or less. If the bristles are shorter than 74 mm, it may be difficult to contact taro of various sizes and shapes, and the efficiency and reliability of peeling may be reduced. On the other hand, if the bristles are longer than 78 mm, the bristles may be easily bent, making it difficult to contact taro of various sizes and shapes, and peeled dirt and skin may remain on the bristles and reattach to the taro, which may also result in poor efficiency and reliability of peeling.

[0047] The diameter of the brush bristles 43 of the rotating brush 4 should be set to 0.45 mm or more and 0.55 mm or less. If the diameter of the brush bristles 43 is made thinner than 0.45 mm, the brush bristles will be soft and the power to peel the taro skin will be weak, which may result in poor peeling efficiency and accuracy. On the other hand, if the diameter of the brush bristles 43 is made thicker than 0.55 mm, the brush bristles will be hard and the power to peel the taro skin will be strong, which may result in peeling even the thin skin, which may result in a decrease in yield and an increase in waste loss.

[0048] In addition, the rotation speed of the rotating brush 4 should be set to 210 rpm or more. If the rotation speed of the rotating brush 4 is set slower than 210 rpm, the contact time between the taro and the brush bristles and the convection-like movement in the treatment tank will be slower, which will lengthen the washing and peeling treatment time, and the contact force between the taro will be large, which will cause the force peeling the taro skin to be strong and even the thin skin will be peeled off, which may result in a decrease in yield and an increase in waste.

[0049] The driving means 5 is a rotary driving means for driving and rotating the plurality of rotating brushes 4 at a predetermined set rotation speed. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the driving means 5 is attached, for example, to the side wall side opposite to the opening and closing door 23 of the treatment tank 2, and has an electric motor 51 and a rotation transmission mechanism 52 for transmitting the rotation force of the output shaft of the electric motor 51 to the plurality of rotating brushes 4.

[0050] In this embodiment, the electric motor 51 is, for example, a three-phase motor with a voltage of 200V and an output of 0.75kW.

[0051] The rotation transmission mechanism 52 includes a reducer that reduces the rotation speed to 1 / 10 using gears or the like fixed to the output shaft of the electric motor 51, and a gear or chain that transmits the rotation speed reduced by the reducer to the multiple rotating brushes 4, and is housed in a box-shaped housing attached to one end of the treatment tank 2. By designing the gear ratio and the like of the rotation transmission mechanism 52 as desired, the output rotation of the electric motor 51 is converted so that the multiple rotating brushes 4 as described above rotate in the same direction at a rotation speed of 216 rpm.

[0052] Next, a usage example of the root vegetable peeling and washing device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. A large amount (e.g., about 80 kg to 90 kg) of taro R to be treated is put into the treatment tank 2 through an opening on the upper surface side. The multiple rotating brushes 4 are rotated by the driving means 5, and water is sprayed from the water supply pipe 31 of the water supply means 3 toward the taro R inside the treatment tank 2.

[0053] Inside the treatment tank 2, multiple rotating brushes 4 arranged in an arc shape directly contact the taro, and the multiple rotating brushes 4 convectively stir and move the taro, causing the taro to come into contact with and rub against each other, working together to wash and peel the taro. Furthermore, water is supplied from above to the treatment tank 2 in a spray-like manner by a water supply means 3, so that mud and dirt on the surface of the taro, as well as the skin that has peeled off from the taro, are washed away with the water.

[0054] By setting the bristles length, diameter and rotation speed of the rotating brush as described above, a large amount of taro can be peeled efficiently and with the thin skin still remaining.

[0055] In this embodiment, for example, the processing time is about 50 to 60 minutes, and all of the 80 to 90 kg of taro that was put in is washed evenly and uniformly, and the skin is peeled cleanly with the thin skin remaining. As a result, the yield of the processed taro is 60 to 70%, and washing and peeling processing can be performed with relatively little waste.

[0056] The washed and peeled taro is discharged through the opening and closing door 23 of the processing tank 2 and via the hopper 26. Since the processed taro is peeled with the thin skin remaining, it is possible to provide a peeled taro product that is both nutritious and rich in umami components, and is good for your health. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] The root vegetable peeling and washing device of the present invention can be suitably used when peeling and washing root vegetables, particularly taro, with the thin skin remaining. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1. Root vegetable peeling and cleaning equipment 2 Treatment tank 3 Water supply means 4 Rotating Brush 41 Rotation axis 42 Core 43 Brush bristles 5. Driving Means

Claims

1. A processing tank having a space formed therein for placing root vegetables; A water supply means for supplying water to the inside of the treatment tank; A rotating brush having brush bristles that are radially protruding from a periphery of a core portion that is elongated in the horizontal direction and rotates around a central axis of the core portion, the rotating brushes being arranged in a circular arc shape close to each other in a substantially U-shape or a substantially J-shape inside the treatment tank; A driving means for driving the rotating brush to rotate about an axis, A root vegetable peeling and washing device characterized in that the rotational speed of the plurality of rotating brushes is set to 210 rpm or more.

2. 2. The device for peeling and washing root vegetables according to claim 1, wherein the bristles of the rotating brush are made of nylon and each bristles has a diameter set to 0.45 mm or more and 0.55 mm or less.

3. 3. The root vegetable peeling and washing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the bristles of the rotating brush are made of nylon, and the length of each bristle protruding from its core is set to be 74 mm or more and 78 mm or less.

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