Tempering structure for chocolate producing device

Abstract

To provide a tempering structure for a chocolate producing device capable of adjusting a temperature highly responsively and accurately, even with its simple structure.SOLUTION: A container 4 that stores a chocolate precursor and a main body 2 including a heating mechanism (heater 10) and a cooling mechanism are detachably attachable to each other. The container 4 is structured by a double structure consisting of an outer container 5 and an inner container 6. A space formed between the outer container 5 and the inner container 6 is used as a cooling channel 8. The cooling channel 8 is brought into a communicating state with the cooling mechanism incorporated on a side of the main body 2 in a state set to the main body 2. A spatula unit 12 provided in the container 4 is operated rotatably by using rotation force of a rotation shaft 14 provided on the side of the main body 2. Tempering is performed while performing stirring using movable spatulas 12a that are a component of the spatula unit 12 and are provided in different positions in a radial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tempering structure of a chocolate manufacturing apparatus that allows tempering to be performed at home. [Background technology]

[0002] Chocolate is made by crystallizing cocoa butter, which contains cocoa solids and sugar in the form of fine particles. The precursor of chocolate, which contains cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar, is called cocoa paste or cocoa mass.

[0003] Cocoa butter exhibits six types of polymorphism, from type I to type VI. In order to obtain the type V crystal structure that is most suitable for chocolate products, a temperature control process called tempering is required.

[0004] In tempering, the cocoa paste is first melted at a temperature of 50°C or higher, then cooled to 25°C to produce type IV crystals. The temperature is then raised above 28°C, the melting point of type IV, and kept at 31°C for a certain period of time to produce type V crystal nuclei. Gradual cooling then promotes crystal growth, resulting in chocolate with a type V crystal structure.

[0005] An example of a home chocolate manufacturing device equipped with a temperature adjustment mechanism is disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 01-141553 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The home chocolate manufacturing device described in Patent Document 1 employs a configuration in which a cooling fan equipped with a heater element is used to adjust the temperature of the molten chocolate in the bowl. As it is equipped with a configuration for rotating the bowl, it is possible to heat and cool the entire bowl evenly.

[0008] However, since both temperature increase and decrease are performed by a single component consisting of a heater element and a cooling fan, the responsiveness to temperature switching is not high.

[0009] In addition, the air blowing from the duct connected to the cooling fan can only reach a part of the ball. This makes it difficult to precisely adjust the temperature. In other words, the chocolate manufacturing device of Patent Document 1 is not suitable for tempering, which requires precise temperature control within a narrow temperature range between the melting point of type IV (28°C) and the melting point of type V (33°C).

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tempering structure for a chocolate production apparatus that has a simple configuration, is highly responsive, and allows for accurate temperature control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The tempering structure of the chocolate manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a cup for accommodating a paste-like chocolate precursor, a heating unit for heating the cup from below, and a heating unit for heating the cup along the outer periphery. and a cooling passage through which cooling air flows.

[0012] According to the present invention, since the cup heating mechanism and the cup cooling mechanism are provided independently, it is possible to instantly switch between heating and cooling. This allows for highly reactive temperature control, making it possible to perform tempering, which requires precise temperature management.

[0013] In the above configuration, the cup is characterized by having a heat conductive portion that receives heat from the heating portion, and a heat insulating portion that is connected above the heat conductive portion and has lower thermal conductivity than the heat conductive portion.

[0014] According to this configuration, the heat conductive part is located on the side closer to the heating part, and the heat insulating part with a relatively low thermal conductivity is located on the side farther from the heating part, so that the heat from the heating part can be easily collected on the side of the heat conductive part. In addition, by forming this heat conductive part on the lower side where the chocolate precursor is stored, a highly efficient heating operation can be performed.

[0015] In the above configuration, the cup is arranged so that the distance between the cup and the heating unit is adjustable.

[0016] According to this configuration, when transitioning from heating to cooling, in addition to stopping the heating action by the heating unit, it is also possible to promote temperature reduction by adjusting the distance between the cup and the heating unit.

[0017] In the above configuration, the device is characterized in that it is provided with a plurality of stirring bars which are arranged circumferentially rotatable inside the cup and stir the chocolate precursor, and at least one of the stirring bars is arranged at a different radial position relative to the other stirring bars.

[0018] According to this configuration, since a plurality of stirring bars are arranged at different positions in the radial direction, stirring in the radial direction as well as stirring in the circumferential direction of the cup can be performed efficiently.

[0019] In the above configuration, the cooling path is formed so as to flow into the cup from the heat conductive portion side and to discharge from the heat insulating portion side.

[0020] With this configuration, when the cooling air with increased heat is exhausted after passing through the outer periphery of the heat conductive part, the heat insulating part can prevent the heat from being transferred back to the cup side by heat transfer, which enables a highly efficient cooling operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a chocolate manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the chocolate production apparatus of FIG. 1 taken at the position of a rotation axis. [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the configuration of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 is exploded. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the outer container, the inner container, and the cooling device. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cooling device of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 3 is a perspective view of a heat conductive section and a heat insulating section that constitute the inner container of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the outer container and the inner container are spaced a certain distance from the main body. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a chocolate production apparatus according to the present invention.

[0023] The chocolate production apparatus 1 in Fig. 1 is an apparatus that performs processes from conching to tempering. Hereinafter, in this embodiment, only the structure related to tempering will be described. Also, illustrations of internal structures not directly involved in tempering will be omitted.

[0024] A cooling device and a heating device for tempering are provided independently inside the main body 2. The container 4 having a handle is configured so as to be detachable from the main body 2.

[0025] Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the chocolate production apparatus 1 of Fig. 1 cut at the position of the rotation shaft 14. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the container 4 has a double structure consisting of an outer container 5 and an inner container 6 (cup). A cooling path 8 for cooling the inner container 6 is formed by utilizing the space formed between the outer container 5 and the inner container 6. Cooling air is introduced into this cooling path 8 from a cooling device described below, thereby performing cooling during tempering.

[0026] The inner container 6 has a two-layer structure with a heat insulating section 6b superimposed on a heat conductive section 6a. A heating section 10 is provided below the heat conductive section 6a. Heating in tempering is performed by this heating section 10. The heat insulating section 6b shown here may be made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than at least the lower heat conductive section 6a. Specifically, the heat conductive section 6a is made of SUS430, which is a heat conductive material, and the heat insulating section 6b is made of a resin material. In this way, the chocolate production apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has independent mechanisms for cooling and heating in tempering.

[0027] With this configuration, the heat applied to the heat conductive portion 6a in the heating process can be prevented from being dissipated wastefully upwards due to thermal conduction, thereby improving the heating efficiency.

[0028] The lower side of the container 4 is disposed in the main body 2 so as to be embedded to a depth at least sufficient to shield the periphery of the heat conductive portion 6a. This suppresses heat radiation to the outside, and makes it possible to perform the heating process in the heat conductive portion 6a more efficiently.

[0029] A spatula unit 12 is disposed inside the inner container 6. The spatula unit 12 is rotationally driven by a rotating shaft 14. This spatula unit 12 is provided with a plurality of movable spatulas 12a whose position can be changed in the radial direction of the rotating shaft 14. The movable spatulas 12a are configured so that their position can be changed along radial guides 12b that extend in the radial direction.

[0030] In Fig. 2, two movable spatulas 12a are shown. One of these is disposed radially outward, and the other is disposed radially inward. This allows the spatula unit 12 to be rotated by the rotary shaft 14 to stir the chocolate precursor, and allows both the center side and the wall side of the inner container 6 to be stirred by separate movable spatulas 12a. This makes it possible to prevent unevenness in the temperature of the chocolate precursor and to stir the entire chocolate precursor evenly.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an exploded state of the configuration of the vertical cross-sectional view of FIG.

[0032] The container 4 can be separated from the rotation shaft 14 of the main body 2. As can be seen in Fig. 3, a cylindrical wall is provided at the center of the heat conductive section 6a on the lower side of the inner container 6, extending from the bottom surface toward the inside and upwards so as to follow the inserted rotation shaft 14. This allows the container 4 to be separated from the main body 2 with the chocolate precursor contained in the inner container 6.

[0033] The spatula unit 12 is detachable from the heat conductive portion 6a of the inner container 6. After tempering By separating the container 4 from the main body 2 and removing the spatula unit 12 together with the lid portion 3 from the inner container 6, the chocolate precursor can be easily transferred to a container for molding. Maintenance is also easy.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic diagram of the outer container 5, the inner container 6 and the cooling device 16. As shown in FIG. The outlines of the outer container 5 and the inner container 6 are respectively indicated by dotted lines, and the cooling path 8 formed between the outer container 5 and the inner container 6 is indicated by a solid arrow.

[0035] The cooling device 16 and the cooling path 8 are connected by a communication path 8a. The cooling air sent from the cooling device 16 is introduced into the cooling path 8 via the communication path 8a, goes around the outer circumferential surface of the inner container 6, and is then discharged to the outside. The three-dimensional structure of the flow path of the cooling air will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cooling device 16. As shown in FIG.

[0037] This cooling device 16 has a cooling mechanism that uses a Peltier element, as will be described later with reference to Fig. 6. The lower part of the cooling device 16 is a heat absorption part 16A, and the upper part is a heat dissipation part 16B. A communication passage 8a connected to the cooling path 8 shown in Fig. 4 is connected to the heat absorption part 16A side of the cooling device 16. Due to the characteristics of the Peltier element, this type of cooling device 16 has better responsiveness and enables more accurate temperature control than devices that use compressors, etc.

[0038] During conching, the chocolate temperature is likely to rise due to the energy generated by grinding the cocoa beans, which may cause the chocolate to burn or lose its aroma. However, the chocolate production apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a cooling system that can perform accurate control, so it can be effectively used not only for tempering but also for cooling during grinding.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cooling device 16 of FIG.

[0040] A Peltier element 16a is disposed between the heat absorbing portion 16A and the heat dissipating portion 16B. A heat absorbing fin 16b is connected to the lower surface of the Peltier element 16a and extends into the space of the heat absorbing portion 16A. A plurality of guide partition plates 16c are provided in a direction intersecting the heat absorbing fins 16b. In the heat absorbing portion 16A, the outside air is taken in and heat is absorbed by heat exchange with the heat absorbing fins 16b while being guided along the guide partition plates 16c, thereby generating cooling air, which is sent out to the communication passage 8a (see FIG. 5).

[0041] In the configuration according to this embodiment, the taken-in outside air is guided by the guide partition plate 16c from below, repeatedly moving back and forth in a direction intersecting with the heat absorbing fins 16b, so that it gradually approaches the Peltier element 16a above. Because of this configuration, the distance that the air passes between the heat absorbing fins 16b for heat exchange can be set long. Also, heat exchange is gradually performed from the high temperature side to the low temperature side. Therefore, even if the flow rate of the cooling air is set relatively high, efficient heat exchange is possible, and thus highly reactive temperature control is possible.

[0042] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing only the heat conductive part 6a and the heat insulating part 6b that constitute the inner container 6. Here, the flow direction of the cooling path 8 is indicated by an arrow, and the flow path of the cooling path 8 is indicated by a dotted line. In this Fig. 7, the three-dimensional structure of the side of the cooling path 8 shown in Fig. 4 from which the cooling air is discharged can be confirmed.

[0043] Inlet section A indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 7 is the position where communication passage 8a described in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 is connected along heat conductive section 6a. Cooling air generated by cooling device 16 (see Fig. 4) flows in from inlet section A along heat conductive section 6a.

[0044] Similarly, branching section B, indicated by a two-dot chain line, represents a branching position where the cooling air that flows in from inlet section A and makes a circuit around the heat conductive section 6a of the inner container 6 is guided to the upper discharge side. In this manner, branching section B is formed at the boundary between the heat conductive section 6a and the heat insulating section 6b. Therefore, the cooling path 8 on the discharge side above branching section B has lower thermal conductivity to the inner container 6 than the heat conductive section 6a. This cooling path 8 on the discharge side is extended in the circumferential direction so as to overlap partially above the cooling path 8 on the heat conductive section 6a side, and is then formed to extend further upward toward the discharge section C.

[0045] In the configuration according to the present embodiment, the heat conductive portion 6a side of the cooling path 8 is configured to communicate in the circumferential direction, as shown in Fig. 7. Therefore, the cooling air that flows into the heat conductive portion 6a side of the cooling path 8 circulates along the heat conductive portion 6a, and then a part of the cooling air is guided to the discharge side at the branching portion B, and the remaining part continues to circulate around the heat conductive portion 6a side.

[0046] With this configuration, the cooling air with the lowest temperature flowing in from inlet portion A and a portion of the cooling air with the highest temperature, whose heat quantity has increased due to cooling of heat conductive portion 6a, are mixed in the region beyond branch portion B. This makes it possible to prevent an extreme temperature gradient in the cooling air in the circumferential direction, thereby enabling accurate temperature control of heat conductive portion 6a.

[0047] In addition, the cooling air that flows through the heat conductive portion 6a and increases in heat amount is discharged along the heat insulating portion 6b, which has a lower temperature than the heat conductive portion 6a, when it is guided to the discharge side. Therefore, when heat is transferred from the high-temperature cooling air to a relatively low-temperature portion of the inner container 6, the cooling efficiency decreases. However, since the heat insulating portion 6b is made of a material with a lower thermal conductivity than the heat conductive portion 6a as described above, the heat transfer to the heat insulating portion 6b of the high-temperature cooling air can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress the wasteful heat transfer of a part of the heat that has once been transferred to the cooling air side returning to the inner container 6 side, and enables a highly efficient cooling operation.

[0048] In this way, by adopting a two-layer structure consisting of a thermally conductive portion 6a and a thermal insulating portion 6b in the inner container 6, it is possible to exhaust high-temperature cooling air from above while suppressing unnecessary heat exchange, so there is no need to provide a structure that requires space, such as an exhaust port, on the flow path side along the thermally conductive portion 6a. Therefore, as described above with reference to Figure 2, it is possible to shield the periphery of the thermally conductive portion 6a with the main body 2 without any gaps. Furthermore, by adopting a structure with no gaps between the container 4 and the main body 2, unnecessary heat radiation during heating is reduced, making it possible to perform efficient heating operations.

[0049] 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the outer container 5 and the inner container 6 are spaced a certain distance from the main body 2. It can be seen that the entire container 4 is slightly raised from the main body 2, forming a gap G. With this configuration, the cooling efficiency can be improved by adjusting the distance between the heating part 10 and the heat conductive part 6a of the inner container 6, enabling temperature control with higher reactivity.

[0050] The configuration described above is one example of the present invention, and further includes the following modified examples.

[0051] (1) In the above embodiment, the container 4 has a double structure made up of an outer container 5 and an inner container 6, and the space formed between the outer container 5 and the inner container 6 is used as the cooling path 8. However, the entire container does not have to have a double structure as long as it has a cooling path for circulating cooling air around the outer periphery of the cup that contains the chocolate precursor.

[0052] (2) In the above embodiment, the cooling path 8 is configured to go around the entire circumference of the inner container 6 in one direction. However, the cooling path 8 does not have to cover the entire circumference of the inner container 6. Conversely, the cooling path 8 may be configured to go around multiple times. Furthermore, the cooling path 8 may be configured to go around the outer periphery of the inner container 6 in one direction. As long as the heat exchange is possible by providing the heat exchanger along the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger is not limited to a one-way flow configuration.

[0053] (3) In the above embodiment, the inner container 6 has a two-layer structure made up of a lower heat conductive section 6a and an upper heat insulating section 6b. However, if the area for accommodating the chocolate precursor is made of a material with relatively high thermal conductivity and the area above that is made of a material with high thermal insulation, the inner container 6 does not necessarily have to have a two-layer structure.

[0054] (4) In the above embodiment, the chocolate precursor is stirred by the spatula unit 12 having two movable spatulas 12a. However, the number of stirrers (spatulas) is not limited to two, so long as the stirrers are provided at different radial positions. In addition, the stirrers do not have to be configured so that their positions can be changed in the radial direction. Furthermore, the stirrers do not have to be flat-shaped as long as they have a shape that allows for effective stirring. [Industrial Applicability]

[0055] The structure minimizes the transfer of unnecessary heat, allowing for accurate temperature control, making it possible to use the difficult tempering process in a home appliance. In addition, the structure makes it difficult for a temperature gradient to occur, making it useful not only for home use but also for large appliances. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1 Chocolate manufacturing equipment 2 Main unit 3 Lid 4 containers 5 Outer container 6 Container (cup) 6a Heat Conduction Section 6b Insulation section 8 Cooling path 8a Communication path 10 Heating section 12 Hera Unit 12a Movable spatula (stirring bar) 12b Radial guide 14 Rotational Axis 16 Cooling device 16A heat absorption part 16B Heat dissipation part 16a Peltier element 16b Heat absorbing fin 16c Guide divider A Inflow section B Branch C Discharge section G Gap

Claims

1. a cup for containing a chocolate precursor in the form of a paste; A heating unit that heats the cup from below; a cooling passage provided along the outer periphery of the cup and through which cooling air flows; A tempering structure for a chocolate manufacturing apparatus comprising:

2. The cup has a heat conductive portion that receives heat from the heating portion; a heat insulating section that is connected to the upper part of the heat conductive section and has a lower thermal conductivity than the heat conductive section; 2. The tempering structure of the chocolate manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. 2. The tempering structure of a chocolate production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cup is arranged so that a distance between the cup and the heating unit can be adjusted.

4. A plurality of stirring bars are provided inside the cup so as to be rotatable in a circumferential direction and stir the chocolate precursor, 2. The tempering structure of claim 1, wherein at least one of the stirrers is arranged at a different radial position relative to the other stirrers.

5. 3. The tempering structure of a chocolate production apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cooling passage is formed so that the cooling passage flows into the cup from the heat conductive portion side and flows out from the heat insulating portion side.

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